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.

Beauty Secret of The West - Demi's Damn Leeches

Aging actress Demi Moore has proved she’s prepared to go to great lengths in an effort to feel revitalised, even by Hollywood standards.

The 46-year-old has revealed she is a fan of a detox treatment that involves being covering in blood-sucking leeches.

The star, who is married to actor Ashton Kutcher, 30, recently visited Austria to receive the “leech therapy”.

She recently told David Letterman, “I feel like I’ve always been someone looking for the cutting edge of things that optimize your health and healing.”

She further clarified...“You feel [them] bite down on you, and you want to go, ‘You bastard!’ and then you relax and watch it swell up. They have a little enzyme that when they are biting down in you, it gets released in your blood and generally you bleed for quite a bit –and your health is optimized. It detoxifies your blood – I’m feeling very detoxified right now.”

Source: ICYDK

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Jamie Lynn Spears and Casey Aldridge: Engaged!

Teenage mother-to-be Jamie Lynn Spears is sporting some sparkling new jewelry - an engagement ring from boyfriend (now fiance), Casey Aldridge!

The engaged Jamie Lynn Spears, 16, has been flashing the rock to friends and family around Louisiana and Mississippi, a family source tells People.

“She’s got an engagement ring,” the source says.

“She’s been showing it off, talking about it.”

Jamie Lynn Spears and Casey Aldridge, her handsome 18-year-old fiance - who was not charged with statutory rape in knocking her up because he’s less than two years older than she - are expecting the baby (their first) this summer.

No official word yet on a wedding date for the couple.

Source: The Hollywood Gossip

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Satu Lagi Tamparan Buat PM - Ghafur Letak Jawatan Timbalan Menteri

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Mac (Harakah) - Kerajaan yang dibentuk Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sentiasa berada dalam keadaan bermasalah dan tidak stabil selepas dibentuk lapan hari lepas.

Selepas menghadapi tekanan supaya meletakkan jawatan, Abdullah berhadapan dengan kritikan hebat terhadap pembentukan Kabinetnya yang dianggap pemimpin Umno sebagai usaha memperkukuhkan kedudukannya yang goyah disamping mengetepikan orang-orang Timbalannya, Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.

Selepas Barisan Nasional kehilangan lima negeri, beberapa buat negeri yang dimenanginya turut berada dalam keadaan krisis dengan istana menyebabkan banyak tugasan di Kerajaan Pusat terjejas.

Hari ini, PM menerima satu lagi tamparan hebat apabila, Timbalan Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar, Dato' Ghapur Salleh meletakkan jawatan atas alasan tidak berminat untuk menjawat jawatan dalam kerajaan, lapor The Star Online.

Ghafur, 64, yang juga Ahli Parlimen Kalabakan, Sabah memberitahu semalam, beliau telahpun menghantar surat perletakan jawatan kepada pejabat PM.

Ghafur yang merupakan Ketua Umno Bahagian Kalabakan menafikan beliau keluar parti atau menyertai pakatan pembangkang.

"Saya tidak berminat untuk menerima apa-apa jawatan dalam kerajaan, saya hanya mahu buat tugas-tugas saya sahaja," beliau dilaporkan sebagai berkata.

Beliau merupakan ahli Parlimen kedua dari Sabah yang menolak jawatan kabinet selepas Ahli Parlimen Kimanis yang juga, adik Ketua Menteri Sabah, Dato' Anifah Aman menolak jawatan Timbalan Menteri.

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They Are So Friendly Together...That It Gets Creepy

Not only does Bruce Willis regularly join ex-wife Demi Moore and her new husband, Ashton Kutcher, in the couple activities such as dinner, fishing and various who-know what, it seems that now Demi Moore can get cozy to the accompaniment of Mr. Willis and his new girlfriend, supermodel Emma Heming.



Here, Bruce Willis and the whole gang - including girlfriend Emma Hemming and daughter Tallulah Willis - show their support for Demi Moore on Monday night at New York City’s Soho Grand for the party following a screening of Flawless.

Emma Hemming and Bruce Willis certainly seem very happy together lately. Perhaps they’ll get married one day, much like Demi and Ashton Kutcher.

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Robin Williams’ Wife is Filing for Divorce

Comedian Robin Williams is heading for a divorce - his wife Marsha has filed papers in a California court requesting a legal separation.

Producer Marsha Garces Williams, who had been married to the actor for 19 years, filed the petition in San Francisco last Friday (21Mar08) citing irreconcilable differences for the split.

The pair first met while Williams was still married to his first wife Valerie and Marsha was working as the couple’s nanny. They married in 1989, just months after the breakdown of his first union.

Robin and Marsha often worked together - she produced his films Mrs. Doubtfire and Patch Adams - and they founded Blue Wolf Productions and the organization Doctors Without Borders.

They have two children together: daughter Zelda, eighteen, and seventeen-year-old son Cody.
Source: ICYDK

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Penang Excos Cancel BN's RM623,000 Order for 5 Cars

PENANG (March 26, 2008): The Penang state government has cancelled a RM623,000 order for five Proton Perdana V6 cars placed by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) state government which were meant for the use of state executive councillors.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng praised the executive councillors who unanimously agreed to the cancellation of the orders and were willing to use the existing cars.

"In line with our cost cutting and austerity drive efforts, it was admirable of the executive councillors to agree to cancel the new orders.

"We have a pool of 43 cars which are used officially for senior government officials, executive councillors, deputy chief ministers and chief minister. Some of these vehicles are even 18 years old, while the newer ones are three to four years old.

"We decided to make do with what we have and asked state secretary Datuk Jamaludin Hasan to cancel the orders," Lim said after chairing his second exco meeting today.

Lim said he was also proposing that an underground subway be constructed to resolve Penang's transport woes instead of an elevated monorail.

Lim said he had also suggested this proposal to Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) officials who paid a courtesy call on him yesterday. MRCB is leading a consortium which has bid for the Penang monorail project.

"Though this would cost four to five times more than an elevated monorail project, it would serve dual purposes, solving our transportation woes and also an underground drainage system to alleviate floods.

"However, since the state government is cash-strapped and this is a federal government project, the parties concerned have said that they would not be able to secure financing for a subway system and they have to settle for an elevated monorail.

"We will propose to the federal government but ultimately since it is a federal project, it is up to the federal government. I will also bring this proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when I meet him," said Lim.

Lim, who has written officially to Abdullah requesting a meeting, said he would also request for the restoration of federal funding under the Ninth Malaysia Plan besides continuation of proposed federal funded projects.

"I understand that there has been a sustantial reduction in the funding for Penang as opposed to the original allocation and we want to request for the original amount to be restored," he added.

Lim said he would also be meeting state Anti-Corruption Agency officials tomorrow for a briefing on several land alienation cases.

"These happened many years ago and the ACA completed the investigations. I would like to know more about the outcome of the investigations and why the decisions were reached," he added.


Source: The Sun

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Paris Hilton Is Really Really Stupid



When Paris Hilton was asked what she thought of about her trip to South Africa (which she did recently with boyfriend, Benji Madden, to attend some concert there) Paris said:

" I love Africa in general - South Africa and West Africa, they are both great countries."

I really hope this is not a reflection of the state of education of U.S., in general, or that of the young rich population of the new generation, in specific.

via

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Aaron Carter was Two Timing Hillary Duff



Despite what his outward appearance may suggest, Aaron Carter is a straight pimp. Back in 2001, Aaron was dating both Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan at the same time. Hilary revealed to Australian magazine Dolly:

“Lindsay Lohan and I fell out when we were 13 and didn’t like each other, because we were dating the same guy — pop star Aaron Carter. I was seeing him, then she dated him and then we got back together and he was seeing us at the same time. How was I supposed to know he was dating her too? Now [Lindsay and I] are fine. We see each other, but we are into different thing.”

via

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Johnny Depp - A Real Life Hero

Although you will never hear this story from him or his publicists, Johnny Depp recorded a personalized message for Sophie Wilkinson, a 17 year old straight-A student who fell into a coma after being critically injured in a car accident five months ago.

Desperate to try anything that might bring his daughter back, Wilkinson's father, Andrew, wrote Depp asking for the message, explaining to Depp that he was his daughter's favorite actor and POTC was her favorite movie. And, of course, Johnny did it. In his Jack Sparrow voice.

" Remarkably enough, the young girl began moving her right leg shortly after hearing the recording of Depp. The parents shed tears of joy to know that their daughter has hope of returning to life. Depp was apparently so touched with the letter written to him by Andrew, he committed himself to doing anything necessary to help out a fan and a young girl in need."

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John Mayer's Blog Response. He is Amusing, Isn't he ?



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Katie Holmes Collapsed




The pressure of being a robot wife with no independent thought is apparently too much for Katie Holmes as she has been reportedly suffering from dizzy spells and debilitating headaches for weeks.

Although the cause of these blackouts and fainting spells is unknown, sources say that Katie Holmes, even though very thin, wants to be skinnier and is obsessed with dieting. Star Magazine reports:

"When Katie recently lunched at her favorite restaurant, L.A.'s Joan's on Third, it was obvious that something was terribly wrong. She seemed exhausted, her skin was skin was pale, and she looked feeble and emaciated. "She gave us a weak smile and wave before leaving out the back door," says an eyewitness at the restaurant. Once outside, a confused and unsteady Katie braced herself against the doorframe before her bodyguard carefully guided her into a waiting SUV."

However, the main reason for Katie Holmes' health problems appears to be Tom Cruise himself. With his high energy and intensity coupled with his exacting nature, Holmes appears to be crumbling under Cruise's unrealistic expectations:

"To complicate matters even further, while Tom goes off for days at a time ("His rule is 'You can be with me, but don't ask about it,'" says a source), Katie is overseeing the interior design of their lavish $35 million Beverly Hills mansion.

"To him, the home is a status symbol," says a source, "so it's on Katie's shoulders to pull off something beyond magnificent, something Tom can brag about. She's giving herself headaches thinking about it and making herself sick."

Pale, and she looked feeble and emaciated. "She gave us a weak smile and wave before leaving out the back door," says an eyewitness at the restaurant. Once outside, a confused and unsteady Katie braced herself against the doorframe before her bodyguard carefully guided her into a waiting SUV."


via

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Heather Mills Wants More

I guess $50 million isn’t enough for Paul McCartney’s ex-wife-Heather Mills. And $70k/year isn’t enough to take care of their daughter Beatrice.

The Daily Mail is reporting that Mills has hired a team of forensic accountants to pour through McCartney’s finances to prove the former Beatle is worth more than the $800 million he’s claiming (which would probably result in a higher settlement for Mills).

Regarding the couple’s four-year-old daughter, a source told the paper:

“Heather says she can prove the amount of money that is being given to look after Bea will not last over the year. She is putting it to the test. Even with Bea traveling in economy Heather says it’s not enough. She is keeping every receipt - including her invoice to her security team - to show that $70,000 is just not sufficient. Heather’s thinking is that Bea should not be seen to have a different lifestyle when she is with Heather compared to Paul - and she is going about proving that is not possible. Heather is hoping Paul will discretely make a payment to her annually rather than want to go back to court and rake all this up again.”

And here I thought Heather was leaning towards a settlement. Paul needs to catch this bitch off balance, countersue her or something, anything to get the leg up. He’s gotta be just hopping mad. I can’t wait for the other shoe to drop. Leg. Wood.


Source: CelebSlam

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MyInfo - #35 Did You Know that....

The average penis size for a human male is of 5.5 to 6.5 inches.

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Gerakan Blames UMNO for Polls Defeat

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon yesterday blamed the “arrogance of power” of certain Umno leaders for the party’s defeat in the general election.

After chairing a four-hour central delegates briefing on the elections yesterday, Koh said the party took the election results as an indicator of people being dissatisfied with what they perceived as the “arrogance of power” of the Barisan Nasional (BN).

“Certain Umno leaders’ deed, words and actions, in the past two years, have resulted in a feeling of resentment,” he said.

“However, we are very critical that we may have not done enough and did not do enough. Perhaps that power had got into our head after leading Penang for 39 years.

"Koh said Gerakan would like to play a role of reformer in the BN but has to reform itself first."

The party will also play the role of a constructive opposition in Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor, where it has had the administration experience in the past.

Asked whether Gerakan will be able to survive the crisis, Koh said the party’s future is in the members’ hands.

“If we start to do more things that are correct and move on to voice out the people’s concern and to work out viable solutions to many problems that the people face ...we have the confidence to continue to be relevant,” he said.

Despite the feeling of sadness for losing so many seats, he was glad to see the delegates were highly spirited and ready to continue the fight along the party’s principles, which are non-racial based.

Koh said that during the briefing, which was also attended by party adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, the delegates stressed that the renewal process should start as soon as possible.

“There were also constructive criticisms which demand the party’s top leadership to be more vocal in speaking up for the people,” he said.

“We admitted that we were too busy with government work in the past and we might have been separated from the people."

Koh said the delegates also hoped that BN, specially Umno, will introduce renewal that is multi-racial in nature.

He said the party will not be celebrating its 40th anniversary but will do a lot of soul searching and consolidation work. “We resolved to go back to basics, people, politics and conscience and to move forward into the future,” he said.

Koh said the next 10 years will be the most challenging for the party and hoped that by its 50th anniversary, the party will regain its political position.

He said he will now be working full time for the party, while some of the leaders will also devote their time for the party’s rebuilding effort.

His immediate plan is to make sure that all members recovered from the shock of electoral defeat and are motivated to move the party forward.

Koh said the delegates had also called for early party elections. The elections had been postponed to next year but the party will be re-looking its decision.

“The key party leaders and I will be going for nationwide dialogue with the grassroots next week. We will decide on the election date after the tour,” he said.

Asked whether the delegates had proposed that the party withdraw from BN,
Koh said there was only one delegate who requested to have a meeting to discuss the
matter.

“I said we can discuss it in the normal delegates conference or dialogue session. We are a democratic and open party and are open to all ideas,” he said.

On the proposal for an anti-hopping law by Minister in the Prime Minister Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, Koh said that in principle, he agreed that if a candidate is elected because he contested under a party flag and decides to jump ship, it is unfair to the voters who voted him.

Source: The Sun

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NEP Still ‘Hot’ Issue in Politics

By Husna Yusop

PETALING JAYA: It is amazing how a 38-year old policy, which had ended 20 years later, is still a contentious issue, especially within the political realm.

The New Economic Policy (NEP) was launched in 1971 by the then prime minister Tun Abdul Razak with a two-pronged objective to eradicate poverty and restructure society.

It was supposed to end in 1990 but extended in 1991 in the form of another policy called the National Development Policy (NDP), and further in 2001 with the National Vision Policy (NVP).
After the 12th general election, there had been much talk about the NEP, specifically in relation to the principles underlying it but nothing was mentioned about the NDP or NVP, all which had the same principles.

On March 11, newly-elected Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng decided he will run the state government administration free from the NEP as he claimed it had bred cronyism, corruption and systemic inefficiency.

This did not go down well with some people in Penang who held a protest although it was Umno’s stand that street demonstrations are not the party’s culture.

Sabah politician Datuk Yong Teck Lee said he was puzzled why the NEP is still an issue now and why politicians on both sides of the political divide in Penang were still harping on the policy.

Yong said the DAP-led Penang government’s “so called cancellation of the NEP” was completely redundant as it no longer existed and it was equally disappointing that Penang Umno was still harping on a non-existent policy.

However, PAS deputy commissioner Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the party is fully confident that Lim would look after the interests of Penang Malays.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said the good features within the NEP will be maintained while the unfavourable ones will be rejected, because he said the problem lies in its implementation.

PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub said the NEP had played a role in reducing the gap between the rich and the poor but it has also been used as a political tool by Barisan Nasional to suppress certain quarters based on economic, political or racial sentiments.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong said he fully supported the NEP which had a noble objective but “it has failed miserably because less than 10% of the bumiputras had benefited from it”.

“To put it bluntly, only the Umnoputras or those connected directly or indirectly to the Umnoputras are the beneficiaries of the NEP,” he said while claiming poverty eradication was never the priority of BN.

Wee called upon the BN government to review the NEP/NDP by setting a new condition whereby qualification for assistance under the policies is by way of mean test and not race-based.
Three non-politicians contacted by theSun said the NEP is still relevant because the special rights of the bumiputras, provided under the policy, has continued in concrete forms in the subsequent policies.

“It is strongly associated with the question of Malay rights, and has become the reference point for any regulations or administrative procedures, whereby race is given priority,” said Dr Ooi Kee Beng, of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore .

He said the NEP is now short hand for race-based pro-bumiputra affirmative action, and this certainly exists at all levels of governance in Malaysia.

Economist Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, who is also Transparency International Malaysia president, said the spirit of NEP is reflected in the NDP and NVP.

“It is the same thing. The same food in different packaging. It is not wrong to keep referring to NEP. It is a matter of technicality, but a rose by any names smells the same,” he said.
Ramon said it is a policy of preference of one group over the other and NEP is a good policy if implemented properly.

“The problem now is, they (politicians) are using the name of NEP but for their own personal benefit. I think they should just maintain the name NEP because it is good in terms of spirit and intent.

“But they should do away with the abusive authority part. I would very much like for it to be implemented sincerely by the government,” he said, adding Lim had a commendable intention but had put his words wrongly.

Universiti Utara Malaysia political science lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Ariffin Omar said Umno politicians have their worries following the fall of five states to the opposition.

“They doubt the opposition will help the Malays. But, the argument by the opposition is, there are also non-Malays who need help. So, those in power should help the people across the board,” he said.

“But, Umno is not prepared to give this (NEP) up for political reasons. They are using the NEP to get the Malay support which they need to get their power from. But, they end up helping only a certain class of Malays which is, those with political connection.”

Ariffin said the Malays are also not happy with NEP because of the way it is implemented by the ruling BN government.

“People can call it (NEP) by any name, but basically it is still the same, based on the way BN conducts itself. What many want to see is to do away with the racial categories. There should not be any privileges in terms of poverty,” he said.

“Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak, who are also mostly bumiputras and supposed to be part of the privileged community, are still suffering although NEP has expired almost 20 years back.”

Source: The Sun

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Women Power in Selangor Exco

KLANG (March 24, 2008): History was made when Selangor's executive council members were sworn in today, with half of its members being non-Malays and women power coming to the fore.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at Istana Alam Shah here and for Teresa Kok Suh Sim (DAP) (pictured), Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping (PKR), Dr Halimah Ali (PAS) and Rodziah Ismail (PKR), it was especially memorable as never before have so many women being given seats in a state exco.

The other exco members were Yaakob Sapari (PKR), Dr Xavier Jayakumar (PKR), Datuk Dr Hassan Ali (PAS), Iskandar Abdul Samad (PAS), Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew (DAP) and Ean Yong Hian Wah (DAP).

Effectively, the 10-member exco comprises four PKR leaders, and three each from DAP and PAS.

Early last week, it was reported that the palace preferred a line-up comprising of six Malays and four non-Malays to represent the racial composition in the state.

Kok, who was named senior exco member, was the first person sworn in before Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. She will take the important porfolio of investment, industry and trade.

The PKR-DAP-PAS coalition won 31 state seats in the March 8 general election. PKR garnered 15 seats while DAP and PAS secured 13 and eight, respectively.

In a press conference after the ceremony, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who is the PKR secretary-general, said the exco will decide whether to create the post of deputy mentri besar. “The state had a deputy MB years ago. But at this point of time, we feel that for effectiveness and cohesion, we should not dwell on the subject of the deputy MB.”

Khalid said they will have a press conference every fortnight. "Every fortnight if you continue to ask the same question, we will continue to give the same answer,” he quipped, indicating that they wanted the heat on the post to cool off.

It was reported that the DAP had been lobbying to appoint a non-Malay from the party as deputy MB.

Khalid also did not want to confirm speculation that Sungai Pinang DAP assemblyman Teng Chang Kim, a lawyer, will create history for being appointed as the first non-Malay Speaker in the state assembly.

On why the exco members’ portfolio mainly focused on urban development, he said this was because more than 60% of the state’s economy had been urbanised.

Asked what the main objective of the new state exco was, he said the exco members should be given time to study the magnitude of problems such as illegal factories.

“We are not trying to stop business. We just want to make sure they operate within the requirement of the state,” he said.

Khalid said the date for the first state assembly would be between April and May.

On why many of the state assemblymen, including those from the ruling coalition, did not turn up for the ceremony, he said: “They are (all) invited.(This) doesn’t mean that they have to come. Only the exco members have the formal reception.”

Among those absent was Teng, who is the most senior assemblyman in the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition.

It is an open secret that Teng, a Selangor assemblyman since 1995, cannot see eye-to-eye with party secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Kok, who is the DAP publicity secretary, said she had a meeting with Teng last night.

“He said he did not receive an invitation to attend the ceremony. Teng never said he was dissatisfied (for not being appointed). We should congratulate him if he could be made the first Chinese Speaker in the state assembly.

“The speaker has a lot of power. I believe he can be an outstanding Speaker."

Some new exco members appeared to be surprised when they were told that Khalid had announced their respective portfolios.

“We were not told about our portfolio beforehand,” one of them said.

Former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, and Rural and Regional Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib, who is the new Selangor Umno and Barisan Nasional chief, were also present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Source: The Sun

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Ku Li: PM Abdullah is Wrong

PETALING JAYA (March 24, 2008): Former Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said today Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's statement yesterday that "the appointment of anyone but Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh as Terengganu Mentri Besar is unconstitutional" is wrong.

"The Sultan acted within his powers in appointing the person who, in his judgment, is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the State Assembly," said Razaleigh.

"Ahmad Said's appointment is effective and he is now the Mentri Besar of Terengganu," he said, adding that the situation in Terengganu is a crisis of government, not of the Constitution.

"Petitions, threats, coercion and declarations of support for the Prime Minister and his candidate have no bearing on the legality of the Sultan of Terengganu's appointment of his own Mentri Besar," said Razaleigh.

"Perhaps we have forgotten what it is like to conduct ourselves with good manners and due respect for the Constitution and the sovereignty of the Ruler," said Razaleigh, adding however that it is up to the properly convened State Assembly to test Ahmad with a vote of confidence in due course.

"After 50 years of independence, I am sure we should be capable of resolving our issues in a efficient and respectful manner."

"The storm in Terengganu is just the latest in a series of crises brought on by an apparent failure to understand how State powers work relative to Federal ones," said Razaleigh, adding that in the recent crisis in Perlis, "the Prime Minister’s actions suggest stunning ineptness in managing fundamental relationships and straightforward functions of government".

"This is alarming because the Barisan Nasional (BN) government now has five Opposition-controlled states to contend with out of the nine in Peninsular Malaysia.

"The mis-handling of chief ministerial appointments in Perlis, and now in Terengganu, mean that our leadership in two other states is now in jeopardy," he added.

Constitutional law expert Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari of the International Islamic University said matters had reached such a stage that there is nothing that can be legally done to force an immediate reversal of the Regency Council's decision to appoint Ahmad at this point. The appointment letter was given to Ahmad yesterday morning.

"The only thing that can be done now is to abide by the Regency Council's decision and wait for the State Assembly to be convened to pass a vote of no confidence. This would put the ball back in the Palace's court to decide afresh," said Abdul Aziz.

He said the Regency Council has the means to get the "best information", as it has the power to call up assemblymen and speak to them in private to gauge personal support.

He cited the 1986 case of Tun Mustapha Datu Harun, whose appointment as Chief Minister of Sabah by the Yang di-Pertua Negri was held to be in mistake.

In that case, the High Court ruled that the pressure applied on the Yang di-Pertua was invalid because the powers of the Head of State to appoint a Mentri Besar are discretionary and subjective, and therefore a Head of State should be allowed to exercise his discretion without pressure.

Abdul Aziz said besides the vote of no confidence move, another way to resolve the matter is for the State Assembly to be dissolved, and fresh elections called.

"Under the Federal and State Constitutions, a ruler may dissolve the State Assembly, and this is a situation where this can be used, and the people should be allowed once and for all to decide who governs the state", he said.

Meanwhile, he said Ahmad has time to negotiate support for himself as Mentri Besar by negotiating support from 17 assemblymen for a simple majority, before the State Assembly, which according to the Terengganu State Constitution, must convene within 120 days of dissolution.

"He can try to persuade his Umno colleagues to join him, and approach the eight PAS assemblymen, to give him a legal platform for the Regency Council to appoint him," said Abdul Aziz.

Twenty-three of the 24 Terengganu assemblyman had pledged support for Idris as Mentri Besar.

Asked whether Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, which gives the federal government the power to declare an emergency in a state, could be used in Terengganu, as was used in Sabah in 1966 to remove Stephen Kalong Ningkan as Chief Minister, Abdul Aziz called it a politically disadvantageous act.

"Use of Article 150 would be politically and economically disadvantageous. Times have changed," he said.

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has said Ahmad's status, and whether he breached party discipline by accepting the appointment as Mentri Besar, would be decided by the Umno Supreme Council in its meeting on Thursday (March 27).

Source: The Sun

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Sultan: Stern Action Against Extremists

KLANG (March 24, 2008): Stern action will be taken against extremists in Selangor, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah warned today.

“The extremist attitude will destroy the Selangor that we love. I will not hesitate to ask the police or other related authorities to take stern action against the extremists,” he said in his speech during the swearing-in ceremony of the state executive council.

He said although he is head of Islam in the state, it is important to ensure that religious freedom is defended by all.

“I would like to remind Muslims to tolerate and respect other religions in Selangor,” he said.

The Sultan also reminded all politicians that mosques or suraus should not be used for political purposes.

He said he hoped Muslims in the state would abide by his advice so that the holiness of the religion would not be manipulated by the irresponsible.

The Sultan also said the institution of the Sultanate is very important to ensure peace in the state and urged all to respect the customs and culture that had been inherited through the generations.

He said the state assemblymen should respect and uphold the Sultanate as an example to the people and play the role of mediator between the people and the Sultan.

The Sultan said all parties now have to work together for a prosperous state since the people had decided who should administer the state.

“I hope all the Exco members will cooperate with each other and work together with government officials,” he said.

He said the elected representatives should tackle as soon as possible the grievances of the people such as floods, traffic congestion, roads that are not maintained, lack of comfortable house and poverty.

“I hope the peoples’ representatives will avoid abuses as dishonesty will affect your own good names,” he added.

Source: The Sun

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Pregnant Jessica Alba & Cash Warren at Baron Davis' Birthday Party, March 22nd



Cash Warren and Jessica Alba at Baron Davis’ Surprise Birthday party held at Stone Rose Lounge in L.A., March 22nd.

And she smiles!!

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Quote of The Day



"My advice to the gay community is SHUT UP, just don't talk about it. If you walk around talking about what you do in the bedroom, you should be on the pervert channel."

- State Senator Gary George of Oregon,
(sen.garygeorge@state.or.us)

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There’s Hitler, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein, Sean Penn. China now wants to add the Dalai Lama to the Evil List

By JOE McDONALD,Associated Press Writer AP - Sunday, March 23

BEIJING - The flagship newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party called Saturday for efforts to "resolutely crush" anti-government protests by Tibetans, while U.S. presidential hopeful John McCain criticized Beijing's actions as "not acceptable."

McCain's comments added to a rising international chorus of concern over Beijing's crackdown - criticisms that Beijing has met with its own campaign to portray the protests as having been instigated by supporters of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.

Meanwhile, Beijing's official death toll from last week's rioting in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa rose to 22, with the Xinhua News Agency reporting that five more civilians and a police officer died. The Dalai Lama's government-in-exile has said 99 Tibetans have been killed - 80 in Lhasa and 19 in Gansu province.

The protests, which started in Lhasa on the March 10 anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, turned violent four days later and touched off demonstrations among Tibetans in three other provinces. It has become the largest challenge to China's control of Tibet since the 1959 uprising.

Beijing has responded by smothering Tibetan areas with troops and publishing a "Most Wanted" list of 21 protesters, appealing to people to turn them in.

"We must see through the secessionist forces' evil intentions, uphold the banner of maintaining social stability ... and resolutely crush the 'Tibet independence' forces' conspiracy," the People's Daily said in an editorial.

During a visit to Paris on Friday, McCain said China's crackdown "is not correct" and, after a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, expressed hope Beijing would seek a peaceful resolution.

"The people there are being subjected to mistreatment that is not acceptable with the conduct of a world power, which China is," McCain said in response to a question by a Chinese reporter.

"There must be respect for human rights, and I would hope that the Chinese are actively seeking a peaceful resolution to this situation that exists which harms not only the human rights of the people there but also the image of China in the world," he said.

The crackdown has drawn attention to China's human rights record, threatening to overshadow Beijing's attempts to project an image of unity and prosperity ahead of the Aug. 8-24 Olympics.

On Friday, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi lent her support to the Tibetan cause on a visit to the Dalai Lama at his headquarters in India, calling China's crackdown "a challenge to the conscience of the world."

Pelosi, long a fierce critic of China, called for an international investigation and dismissed Beijing's claim that the Dalai Lama was behind the fighting as making "no sense." The Dalai Lama, who received the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, says he does not seek independence but wants genuine autonomy to protect Tibet's unique Buddhist culture.

Fighting back against the rising criticism, Beijing has begun releasing tallies of statements of support from foreign governments and trying to get its version of events before the international community.

"It is a clear proof that the international community is on the side of China", foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, according to Xinhua, which reported that 100 governments have endorsed China's handling of the protests.

Without mentioning Pelosi by name, Qin said China opposes "any encouragement and support for the secessionist schemes of the Dalai clique."

On Friday, authorities intensified a manhunt for people accused of violence, posting their photos _ taken from video cameras and security footage _ on major Internet portals.

The 21 people are accused of endangering national security and cited for beating, smashing, looting and arson. One suspect was shown wielding a long sword and another was a mustached man who had been shown on news programs slashing another with a 30 centimeter-long (foot-long) blade.

Xinhua said two of the 21 suspects were arrested and a third turned himself in. Authorities offered rewards for information and promised anonymity to tipsters.

Police have arrested 24 people and another 183 turned themselves in, Xinhua said.

Outside of Lhasa, Beijing has deployed troops across a wide swath of western China where more than half of the country's 5.4 million Tibetans live.

Moving from town to town, police set up blockades and checkpoints to keep Tibetans in and journalists out.

The mobilization was helping authorities reassert control after demonstrations flared in Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces, inspired by monks in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa earlier this month.

In Lhasa on Friday, residents said police patrolled the streets but people were free to go where they wanted as long as they had identity cards. In ethnic Tibetan areas of Sichuan and Gansu, residents said security forces set up armed encampments and hundreds of troops were patrolling towns.

State television, in its first footage of the confrontation between protesters and police last Sunday in the Tibetan town of Aba, showed dozens of crimson-robed monks charging at a line of police standing behind plastic riot shields. Crowds of ordinary people hurled rocks and one threw a molotov cocktail as cars burned in the town ringed by snow-peaked mountains.

Xinhua said earlier that police opened fire on the crowd, wounding four, and that protesters tried to break into the police armory to steal weapons. Tibet support groups say police killed at least eight and posted photos of bloody corpses on the Internet.

Meanwhile, the main Communist Party newspaper in restive Xinjiang to the north of Tibet linked the struggle against the Dalai Lama to the fight against the region's own separatists seeking independence for the Turkic Muslim indigenous population.

"No matter how the 'Tibet independence,' 'Xinjiang independence,' or 'Taiwan independence' supporters act, their goal is always the same," the Xinjiang Daily said in an editorial. China also claims the self-governing island of Taiwan as its own territory.

"That is to create chaos, split the motherland, and satisfy the selfish desires of a handful of careerists," it said.

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23 Adun BN Terengganu Ancam Boikot Majlis Angkat Sumpah MB

KUALA TERENGGANU: Semua 23 anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri Barisan Nasional (BN) Terengganu akan memboikot majlis angkat sumpah jawatan Menteri Besar di Istana Tetamu di sini, pagi esok jika Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh tidak dilantik semula untuk memegang jawatan itu.

Setiausaha Badan Perhubungan Umno Terengganu, Datuk Rosol Wahid berkata semua wakil rakyat terbabit kecuali wakil rakyat Kijal Datuk Ahmad Said, akan berbuat demikian jika nama lain diumum sebagai Menteri Besar.

Beliau berkata ada di kalangan wakil rakyat terbabit yang sanggup meletak jawatan jika Idris tidak dilantik semula sebagai Menteri Besar.

"Pada hari ini kami semua wakil rakyat BN Terengganu kecuali Adun Kijal mengadakan perjumpaan dan kami ingin menegaskan kami sebulat suara menyokong dan berdiri teguh di belakang Datuk Seri Idris sebagai Menteri Besar Terengganu. Tiada calon lain yang kami sokong.

"Jadi mana-mana perancangan untuk menamakan selain daripada Datuk Seri Idris, kami tidak akan menerimanya. Kami sebulat suara tidak akan menghadiri majlis berkenaan (angkat sumpah jawatan Menteri Besar) jika Datuk Seri Idris tidak dilantik sebagai Menteri Besar," katanya pada sidang akhbar di kediaman rasmi Menteri Besar Seri Iman di sini hari ini.

Sidang akhbar itu dibuat sebelum pejabat Sultan Terengganu mengeluarkan kenyataan mengenai pelantikan Ahmad Said sebagai menteri besar.

Pejabat Sultan Terengganu hari ini mengumumkan Ahmad, 51, akan memegang jawatan itu dan akan mengangkat sumpah jawatan di Istana Tetamu di sini pagi esok.

Rosol yang juga wakil rakyat Ajil berkata semua wakil rakyat itu juga akan membuat undi tidak percaya pada sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri jika Idris tidak dilantik semula ke jawatan itu.

Beliau berkata semua mereka sudah menandatangani surat untuk menyatakan sokongan kepada Idris dan ia akan diserah kepada Perdana Menteri dan Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja (MPPR) esok.

Rosol berkata semua wakil rakyat terbabit membuat keputusan menyokong Idris kerana berpendapat selain wakil rakyat Jertih itu, tiada pemimpin lain yang mampu mentadbir dan mengurus negeri itu dengan baik.

"Keputusan yang kami buat ini bukan satu paksaan, tanpa bayaran dan kami membuat pengakuan menyokong beliau (Idris) setulus hati kami," katanya dan menjelaskan ia dibuat bagi memperkasakan parti dan bukan atas kepentingan individu tertentu. - Bernama

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Pelantikan Exco Selangor Catat Sejarah

KLANG: Ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (Exco) Selangor yang akan mengangkat sumpah di depan Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Isnin ini, dijangka dibarisi lima anggota bukan Melayu.

Barisan Exco kali ini juga mencatat sejarah tersendiri apabila empat daripada 10 mereka adalah wanita iaitu dua daripada Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) serta masing-masing seorang daripada DAP dan Pas.

Ketika pemerintahan Barisan Nasional (BN), enam daripada 10 Exco adalah Melayu dan hanya dua Exco wanita.

Dua Exco wanita daripada PKR itu ialah Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Bukit Lanjan, Elizabeth Wong dan Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga), manakala dua lagi wakil PKR ialah Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Seri Andalas) dan Yaakob Sapari (Kota Anggerik).

DAP pula meletakkan Teresa Kok (Kinrara), Ronie Liu (Pandamaran) dan Au Yong (Seri Kembangan) manakala Pas mengemukakan Datuk Dr Hassan Ali (Gombak Setia), Dr Halimah Ali (Selat Klang) serta Iskandar Abdul Samad (Cempaka).

Semua mereka dilihat hadir pada raptai penuh majlis angkat sumpah di Istana Alam Shah di sini, semalam.
Sumber: Berita Harian

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Vanessa Williams Beauty Tips



Actress Vanessa Williams has confessed to an unusual beauty regime - putting urine on her skin. The Ugly Betty star admits she resorted to using her own bodily fluids to rid her skin of spots.

She says, "The weirdest thing I ever heard was to take morning urine and put it on your acne. I did it. I tried to do it."

Source: StarPulse

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Amy Winehouse B.C. (i.e. Before Crack)



Luckily she got a good-looking high school photo....(Unlike most of us)

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People Flock To Generous ATM



Hundreds of people have flocked to an ATM in Hull, England after it started paying out double.

Within minutes of one lucky customer finding out that the cash machine at his local supermarket was giving out double the requested withdrawal, the news spread like wildfire.

Customers popping down to their Sainsbury’s Local store for a few basics got in on the act - and they were soon joined by hundreds of others as they alerted family and friends to the ultimate supermarket bargain.

At one stage, the queue for the cash machine was a 100-strong - with many making multiple withdrawals in the hope they will not be traced and asked to repay the cash.

Whether they will get to keep it is another matter. The cash machine operator will have a record of all withdrawals made on the day.

It is then up to the discretion of the customers’ banks whether or not they seek to trace each one and attempt to reclaim any overpayment.

On similar previous occasions, some banks have chosen to write off the money rather than pursue a large number of claims.

Source: Peculiarosities

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The Best Website Ever To Visit Once In Your Lifetime

But Only Once.....

Click here to visit the website !!!

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George W. Bush's Resume

As he will be out of job next year, perhaps this will be the best time for him to submit his resume to potential suitors....

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

RESUME

GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Law Enforcement:
I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.

Military:
I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.

College:
I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:

I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland Texas, in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas. The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.

I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.

With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:

I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America.

I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.

With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President of the United States, after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:

I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.

I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.

I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.

I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.

I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period!

I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market.

In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues.

I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleezza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.

I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.

I am the all-time U.S. and world record -holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.

My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. history, Enron.

My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.

I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution.
(More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history).

I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.

I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.

I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

I appointed more convicted criminals to my administration than any President in U.S. history.

I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States Government.

I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.

I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.

I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.

I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.

I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US election).

I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.

I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.

I garnered the most sympathy ever for the U .S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.

I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.

I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. Citizens and the world community.

I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime.

In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.

I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.

I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.

I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:

All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.

All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. I specified that my sealed documents not be available for 50 years.

via

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Sex Scandal Cheat Sheet


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Cloud Streets

This video provides a rare close-up bird’s-eye view of cloud streets, which are created when convection currents cut low-lying cumulus into long, clean strips. According to the video narration, these clouds floated just over the sea surface, stood 300 meters tall and stretched for over 100 kilometers.

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Camera 'Looks' Through Clothing

A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 metres has been invented.
The ThruVision system could be deployed at airports, railway stations or other public spaces.

It is based on so-called "terahertz", or T-ray, technology, normally used by astronomers to study dying stars.

Although it is able to see through clothes it does not reveal "body detail" or subject people to "harmful radiation", according to the designers.

"It is totally and utterly passive - it receives only," said a spokesperson for Thruvision.

The portable camera, which has already been sold to the Dubai Mercantile Exchange and Canary Wharf in London, will be shown off at the Home Office scientific development branch's annual exhibition later this week.

Body glow

Unlike current security systems that use X-rays, the ThruVision system exploits terahertz rays, or T-rays.


















This electromagnetic radiation is a form of low level energy emitted by all people and objects.

These are able to pass through clothing, paper, ceramics and wood but are blocked by metal and water.

The system works by collecting these waves and processing them to form an image which can reveal concealed objects.

"If I were to look at you in terahertz you would appear to glow like a light bulb and different objects glow less brightly or more brightly," said the firm's spokesperson.

"You see a silhouette of the form but you don't see surface anatomical effects."

In addition, the system does not involve any of the "harmful radiation associated with traditional X-ray security screening", according to the firm.

The company has made previous versions of the camera, but the T5000, as it is known, is the first that works both indoors and out.

The system exploits technology originally developed at the government owned Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire.

"Astronomers use T-ray cameras that can see through dust and clouds in space, revealing what lies beyond," explained Dr Liz Towns-Andrews, of the Science and Technology Facilities Council which runs RAL.

Other terahertz systems, developed by companies such as TeraView, are used to probe the structure of pharmaceutical compounds.

Source: BBC News

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A, B, C, D, ...

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Woman Goes for Leg Operation, Gets New Anus Instead

A German retiree is taking a hospital to court after she went in for a leg operation and got a new anus instead, the Daily Telegraph is reporting.

The woman woke up to find she had been mixed up with another patient suffering from incontinence who was to have surgery on her sphincter.

Click hear Dr. Manny talk about medical errors.

The clinic in Hochfranken, Bavaria, has since suspended the surgical team.

Now the woman is planning to sue the hospital. She still needs the leg operation and is searching for another hospital to do it.

Source: FOXNews.com

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Cat Trapped In Window

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Dear Abby

Dear Abby,

I am a 60-year-old woman who is married to a man who acts like he hates me. In public, he pretends he loves me and talks about how wonderful I am. But in private, he shakes his finger in my face and calls me the ‘B’ word. He constantly tells me how ugly I am without make-up. I’ve tried everything, including a face-lift, botox treatments, and a chin tuck. I even went on a diet and lost 20 pounds.

He quit his job a few years ago after having an affair with a woman in his office. He hasn’t even looked for another job. We haven’t slept together since I confronted him about the affair. He denied it, of course, but everybody knew it. It was humiliating . I believe he is still messing around.

While we both want to sell this house, we argue constantly about when to put it on the market. The house we want will be available in a few months. My husband wants to put our house on the market now. I think we should wait a while. He has already started collecting boxes and packing up his stuff. Do you think he is planning to leave me?

Signed, Worried in NY

Dear Worried in NY:

I doubt it. He wants to move back into the White House as much as you do.

via

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Massa Heads Ferrari Front Row in Malaysia, McLaren Penalized

SEPANG, Malaysia -- Felipe Massa will head an all-Ferrari front row after the Brazilian took pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday.

Massa's time of one minute 35.748 seconds beat world champion and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen by nearly half a second.

However, McLaren pair Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton, who were initially third and fourth on the grid, were dropped five places after the duo were found guilty of impeding Nick Heidfeld and Fernando Alonso.

The incident occurred when both drivers slowed down after crossing the line with just seconds left of qualifying.

By remaining on the racing line, they were adjudged to have impeded Heidfeld and Alonso, who were starting their final flying laps. Hamilton will now begin the 56-lap race from ninth place, while Kovalainen will start in eighth.

The pair were asked to report to stewards after an angry Heidfeld, who qualified seventh, complained to race officials at the conclusion of the session.

Hamilton was subsequently found guilty of impeding the BMW Sauber driver by 'travelling at a very slow speed on the racing line', while Kovalainen was also charged with committing the same offence against the German and Renault driver Alonso.

But Hamilton felt he was not at fault although he did apologise to Heidfeld. "I was pretty much out of the way," he said upon emerging from the meeting. "If I held him up then I apologise for that."

McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh also defended both drivers, insisting they did the best they could under the circumstances. "There was clearly an issue there and it's unfortunate," he said.

"If you look at the footage, our guys squeezed in as much as they could and slowed and we don't think they impaired Nick.

"He complained to the stewards. Nick was in fact quickest in all three sectors on that lap and I don't think he was unduly impaired, but I can understand his view that having all of those cars around when you're trying to concentrate on a quick lap isn't ideal.

"Neither of our drivers did it intentionally and did what they could to squeeze over and allow Nick and Fernando to do their quick laps."

However, a clearly frustrated Heidfeld refuted their explanation, insisting McLaren's actions cost him third place on the grid.

"If they did the best that they could do, they didn't do very well," he said. "I was approaching my last lap on the option tyre and it would have been my quickest lap if not for the McLarens driving in the middle of the racing line at 80kph.

"I lost time. I made the corner but it cost me one and a half tenths for sure. It's pretty dangerous as well, other cars were moving pretty slowly but they were off line. The McLarens were just before or in the braking zone so it was difficult to find my braking point."

Jarno Trulli will now start an impressive third for Toyota, while Robert Kubica takes fourth for BMW Sauber with team-mate Heidfeld fifth.

Source: CNN Sports

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Bruce Willis With A Lady Friend as Young as His Own Daughter




















The paparazzi snapped some shots of Bruce Willis looking mighty cozy with a lady friend yesterday. She looks pretty young. I wonder how Rumer and gang feel about both their parents dating people who are nearly the same age as their children…well, you know what they say…age ain’t nothing but a number.

Source: I'm Not Obsessed

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Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen - Hollywood’s Worst Fashion Offenders




Celebrity twins Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen have been named and shamed at the top of a new magazine list of fashion offenders.

The sisters ‘beat’ Courtney Love and Sharon Stone to the top of In Touch’s anti-style hit list.

Victoria Beckham, Oscar winner Tilda Swinton, Lindsay Lohan and Amy Winehouse also make the Hollywood’s Biggest Fashion Offenders countdown.



Source: ICYDK

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The Mobile Phone That Can Lasts 2 Years Without Charging


















Chinese phones may not be as technologically advanced as some other phones (e.g. 5mp+ cameras, HSDPA) but they are excelling in other areas. This phone comes with a whopping 32800mAh battery which can provide 666 days of standby time and 3-5 days of talk time! This means that you can go for months at a time without having to recharge it. I could really use a battery that size in my phones.

Source: A Welsh View

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Daniel Craig Provides Some Details of The Latest New Bond Movie

Long listed as merely Bond 22 while in pre-production, the newest installment of the James Bond series left many wondering what the official name of the film will be, including Bond himself, Daniel Craig. But when Quantum of Solace was finally confirmed as the flick’s title, the Brit was very pleased with the choice.

“I’m very happy with it. It came from an Ian Fleming short story,” he tells Extra. It encapsulates what the movie is at heart and a lot more which I can’t give any away.”

Production is currently underway on Quantum, which will definitely be more action-packed than Casino Royale, Daniel promises. How much more?

“[The stunts have] started to hurt,” Daniel, 40, says. “So I can only gauge it by how much pain I’m in and I think we’re doing pretty good.”

As for the Bond girls, gone are Eva Green and Ivana Milicevic, and in their place are Brit Gemma Arterton and Ukranian model-turned-actress Olga Kurylenko.

Gemma, 22, plays Agent Fields and says it’s “incredible” being on set. Twenty-eight-year-old Olga portrays Camille, who is “very driven. She has her own mission in the movie and, of course, she comes across Bond. They are opponents and then they have to work together. She’s very feisty.”

Quantum of Solace opens Nov. 7.

Source: ICYDK

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Beautiful Greece

Seems like Greece is a strong candidate for my next destination for vacation. And I bet some of you would too....






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Desperate Tori Spelling Wants to Star in Beverly Hills 90210 Remake

Tori Spelling has done nothing of substance since Beverly Hills, 90210. Now, the desperate action wants to go back to her past.

Spelling has made it clear she wants a role on the Beverly Hills, 90210 remake the CW is hilariously developing.

“My dad always wanted to do a new version of 90210, so I’m sure he will be beaming from above!” Spelling said. “And I’d love to somehow be a part of it. That as well would make my dad proud!”

What kind of role does the awful actress envision for herself?

“Well, I am a mom now, proud to say, but obviously too young to have a teenager, so maybe I could be one of the main character’s young stepmom,” said Spelling, who is expecting her second child. “Playing the funny sex ed teacher at the high school would be funny, too, considering Donna Martin was America’s most infamous virgin.”

Source: The Hollywood Gossip

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20 Pearls of Wisdom

1. The badness of a movie is directly proportional to the number of helicopters in it.

2. People who feel the need to tell you that they have an excellent sense of humor are telling you that they have no sense of humor.

3. The most valuable function performed by the federal government is entertainment.

4. A penny saved is worthless.

5. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

6. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

7. Nobody is normal.

8. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

9. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

10. The value of advertising is that it tells you the exact opposite of what the advertiser actually thinks. For example:


- If the advertisement says "This is not your father's Oldsmobile," the advertiser is desperately concerned that this Oldsmobile, like all other Oldsmobiles, appeals primarily to old farts like your father.
- If Coke and Pepsi spend billions of dollars to convince you that there are significant differences between these two products, both companies realize that Pepsi and Coke are virtually identical.
- If the advertisement strongly suggests that Nike shoes enable athletes to perform amazing feats, Nike wants you to disregard the fact that shoe brand is unrelated to athletic ability.


11. You should not confuse your career with your life.

12. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

13. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

14. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

15. Your friends love you anyway.

16. Mistakes are the workshop of growth and learning.

17. Tackle big problems in little steps.

18. Deadlines (much like traffic signals) are merely suggestions. However, in both cases it's usually best to comply.

19. Better to lose the battle and to win the war.

20. You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, BUT you can't pick your friends' nose!

Source: Various Web Sites including those which referenced to Dave Barry's 1999 book, Dave Barry Turns 50

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Massa Heads Ferrari Front Row at Sepang

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa will start from pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix for the second consecutive year, after lapping the Sepang circuit in 1m 35.748s in the final session of qualifying.

The fact that the Brazilian was half a second faster than team mate Kimi Raikkonen suggests that he was running less fuel, but either way the two of them seemed happy enough as McLaren’s best runner was Heikki Kovalainen in third.

Raikkonen posted 1m 36.230s, Kovalainen 1m 36.613s. Lewis Hamilton was fourth, on 1m 36.709s, which was just enough to beat Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, and the BMW Saubers of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, who were all closely matched on 1m 36.711s, 1m 36.727s and 1m 36.753s. You can bet that there are some fuel load discrepancies in there somewhere.

Mark Webber will start alongside Heidfeld on the fourth row, with 1m 37.009s, the stewards having agreed to let Red Bull’s cars run after Friday’s problems, while Fernando Alonso and Timo Glock share row five for Renault and Toyota respectively with 1m 38.450s and 1m 39.656s.

Q2 weeded out Jenson Button, who was nevertheless reasonably pleased with 11th fastest time for Honda of 1m 35.208s; Red Bull’s David Coulthard on 1m 35.408s; Nelson Piquet on 1m 35.562s for Renault; Rubens Barrichello in the second Honda on 1m 35.622s; Sebastian Vettel with 1m 35.648s for Toro Rosso; and Nico Rosberg for Williams on 1m 35.670s.

The leading Q1 faller was Giancarlo Fisichella, who took his Force India round in 1m 36.240s. Kazuki Nakajima hoped for better than 1m 36.388s which left him 18th (but he loses 10 places on the grid for his incident with Robert Kubica under the final safety car in Australia).

Thus Sebastien Bourdais gets 18th place on the grid in the second Toro Rosso (1m 36.677s), having spoiled his chances of getting into Q2 by sliding off the road in Turn Four on his final run. The Super Aguris of Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson were separated by Adrian Sutil’s Force India. Sato lapped in 1m 37.087s, Sutil in 1m 37.101s and Davidson 1m 37.481s; they will start 19th, 20th and 21st respectively.

Altogether, it was an interesting session, with the indication that Ferrari have an edge, and that McLaren will be relying on the start again to stage a repeat of last year’s success.
Source: F1 Official Website

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Ahmad Said Menteri Besar Terengganu

KUALA TERENGGANU: Isu pelantikan Menteri Besar Terengganu selesai hari ini apabila pejabat Sultan Terengganu mengumumkan Datuk Ahmad Said untuk memegang jawatan itu.

Menurut kenyataan pejabat Sultan Terengganu hari ini, Ahmad, 51, anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri kawasan Kijal akan mengangkat sumpah jawatan di Istana Tamu di sini pagi esok.

“Mengikut peruntukan Fasal 14 Perenggan (2) (a) Undang-undang Bagi Diri Kerajaan Terengganu (Bab 2), Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja dalam melaksanakan fungsi bagi pihak Pemangku Raja.

“Dengan ini telah memilih untuk melantik Datuk Ahmad Said sebagai Menteri Besar Terengganu, untuk mengetuai Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri Terengganu,” kata kenyataan itu kepada Bernama hari ini.

Isu pelantikan Menteri Besar Terengganu berlarutan selama 14 hari selepas pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lalu.

Pelantikan Ahmad ialah bagi menggantikan Idris yang juga Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Terengganu dan wakil rakyat Jertih yang menjadi Menteri Besar Terengganu selama satu penggal sejak 2004. - Bernama

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Kate Beckinsale is Lovely



Moviefone interviewed Kate Beckinsale and it was all pretty boring until they asked her about eating vagina.

You told an interviewer you’d rather eat a vagina than sushi. When stuff you say makes headlines, what’s the reaction of your publicity team?I have to say, sushi freaks me out more than almost anything. At least a vagina would be warm. [laughs] My publicist has literally turned a funny color and is going to go have a lie-down. He’s throwing up now, as well. I find a lot of things kind of funny and I often say what’s on my mind, and then get nine texts from all my friends going, “What’s the matter with you?” But I haven’t ever made a big attempt to have any particular image. And I don’t really worry about it.




Isn't her lovely and unpretentious ?

Source: The Blemish

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Amazing Card Trick

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Top 10 Classic Moments Made By Sports Commentators



1. Weightlifting commentator at the women's Olympic Snatch and Jerk Event: "This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up, and it was amazing!"


2. Ted Walsh, horse racing commentator: "This is really a lovely horse, and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother."


3. Grand Prix Race announcer: "The lead car is absolutely, truly unique, except for the one behind it which is exactly identical to the one front of the similar one in back."


4. Greg Norman, pro golfer: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."


5. Ringside boxing analyst: "Sure there have been injuries and even some deaths in boxing -- but none of them really that serious."


6. Baseball announcer: "If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."


7. Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces."


8. At a trophy ceremony, BBC TV boat race 1988: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the Cambridge president is hugging the cox of the Oxford crew."


9. Metro Radio, college football: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field."


10. U.S. Open TV commentator: "One of the reasons Arnie Palmer is playing so well is that, before each final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them. ... Oh, my God, what have I just said?"

Source: Miss Cellania

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College Player

"He's great on the court," a sportswriter said of a college basketball player in a interview with his coach. "But's how's his scholastic work?"

"Why, he makes straight A's," replied the coach.

"Wonderful!" said the sportswriter.

"Yes," agreed the coach, "but his B's are a little crooked."

via

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Tom and Katie Keep Suri Under Wraps



Where in the world has Suri Cruise been?

The normally ubiquitous toddler hasn’t been spotted in eight weeks, and theories on her sudden removal from the public eye are abundant.

Some sources say Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have been keeping their little rugrat at home because the paparazzi crush at a recent restaurant outing frightened her; others are speculating that the couple is purposely keeping Suri’s profile low in anticipation of her big birthday bash next month.

Perez Hilton even jokingly (I hope) suggested that Suri checked into baby rehab.

Source: Celebitchy

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Alicia Silverstone Hates Britney For Nearly A Decade



Remember when 90s-era “It” Girl Alicia Silverstone headed for the Hills kicking and screaming when she was faced with the prospect of co-starring with Britney Spears in the March 24th episode of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother?

Well, we hear that Alicia dropped out of her Mother appearance over an intense dislike for Spears that’s spanned nearly a decade.

According to Star Magazine:

“Alicia has disliked the back-on-track pop star for nearly a decade-ever since she tried to get backstage at a 1999 Baby One More Time concert….Britney had her security toss Alicia and her friends out. Alicia was totally embarrassed and she still gets mad when she remembers. There is no way she would work with Britney.”

Source: Pop Crunch

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9 Blonde Jokes

Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench talking, and one blonde says to the other, “Which do you think is farther away… Florida or the moon?”

The other blonde turns and says “Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida ?????”

CAR TROUBLE

A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died.

After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly.

She says, “What’s the story?”

He replies, “Just crap in the carburetor.”

She asks, “How often do I have to do that?”


SPEEDING TICKET

A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license.

She replied in a huff, “I wish you guys would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!”


RIVER WALK

There’s this blonde out for a walk. She comes to a river and sees another blonde on the opposite bank “Yoo-hoo!” she shouts, “How can I get to the other side?”

The second blonde looks up the river then down the river and shouts back, “You ARE on the other side.”

DOCTOR’S OFFICE

A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor’s office and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it.

“Impossible!” says the doctor. “Show me.”

The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left shoulder and screamed, then she pushed her elbow and screamed even more. She pushed her knee and screamed; likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she touched made her scream.

The doctor said, “You’re not really a redhead, are you?

“Well, no” she said, “I’m actually a blonde.”

“I thought so,” the doctor said. “Your finger is broken”


KNITTING

A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!

Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, “PULL OVER!”

“NO!” the blonde yelled back, “IT’S A SCARF!”


BLONDE ON THE SUN

A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day. The Russian said, “We were the first in space!”

The American said, “We were the first on the moon!”

The Blonde said, “So what? We’re going to be the first on the sun!”

The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads. “You can’t land on the sun, you idiot! You’ll burn up!” said the Russian.

To which the Blonde replied, “We’re not stupid, you know. We’re going at night!”


IN A VACUUM

A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night. It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science & Nature Her question was, “If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?”

She thought for a time and then asked, “Is it on or off?”


A BLONDE AND HER TWO DOGS

A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex. Her friend said, “Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?”

“HELLLOOOOOOO……,” answered the blonde. “They’re watch dogs!”


via

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Charlize Theron Ready For Kids?



Practically every A-list actress in Hollywood seems to have had a baby lately, and now Charlize Theron wants to join the mommy club.

“I’ve been thinking about becoming a mom for a couple of years now,” the 32-year-old actress says. “My biological clock is ticking, but it hasn’t gone off yet. I couldn’t hope for my career to be going any better, and I have found the great love of my life in my relationship, so I think we’re ready to start having kids running around the house. I’m ready to take on the responsibility of motherhood.” Charlize says Stuart Townsend is “the man I want to share parenthood with.”

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I've Learned...

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

via

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Guan Eng Joins In Malulidur-Rasul Celebrations

BUTTERWORTH (March 21, 2008): Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his team of executive councillors joined Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas and thousands of Muslims at the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebrations at the Seberang Jaya expo site on Thursday morning.

Lim’s participation in the celebrations is a first and caught many by surprise as usually, the annual celebrations only see the participation of the deputy chief minister and other Muslim executive councillors.

In his speech, deputy chief minister Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin said Lim’s presence was an indication of the state government’s sincerity, tolerance and acknowledgement of Islam as the official religion.

Earlier, more than 3,000 participants from 64 organisations took part in a 2km procession from the Seberang Jaya mosque to the site.

On the island, it was relatively quiet at the state mosque, where an adat nikah (marriage) ceremony was held. There were about 30 people attending the ceremony of the couple from Jelutong.

SMSes had been circulated over the past few days about a possible gathering, with more than 3,000 people expected to show up, to protest against the new DAP-PKR state government.

Police personnel were seen patrolling the area as early as 9am to ensure that there was no untoward incident.

Acting CPO Datuk Salleh Mat Rasid said police will invoke the ISA against those found to be spreading rumours, including via sms.

Police officers and media members waited around at the mosque until 11am, after the marriage ceremony ended.

Last Friday, about 1,000 people, led by former Umno executive councillors, demonstrated in front of Komtar after Friday prayers, holding placards and banners criticising the new state government, before dispersing after an hour.

Source: The Sun

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One Room Enough For Me: Guan Eng

PENANG (March 21, 2008): He could have lived comfortably and with maximum security at Rumah Tetamu on Macalister Road, the official residence of the chief minister.

However, told it would cost the state government at least RM300,000 to repair it and make it fit for a VIP, Lim Guan Eng decided to forgo the idea, bearing in mind that he had asked Penangites to join him in an austerity drive, which is the hallmark of the DAP-PKR state government.

He told theSun in a phone interview he would rather spend the money for a better cause.

“I found out that if I were to move into Rumah Tetamu, the leaking roof problem will have to be repaired at a cost of at least RM300,000, or even more for other works. The police also wanted me to move in for security reasons, so that I will be safe.

“We have a RM35.6 million deficit budget for this year, and this administration does not intend to spend money unnecessarily. Just for me, one man, spending that much money (the repair cost) is not worth it.”

Lim is content staying at his father Kit Siang’s corner-lot house at Island Park. “One room is enough for me, I don’t want to waste funds unnecessarily,” he said.

The austerity drive is evident in this new administration. Gone are the days when press conferences and meetings would see free-flowing coffee and tea, including at least two pieces of kuih for each attendee. Now, mineral water in cups are passed around, with no food in sight. Even the monthly civil servants gathering on Monday saw a drastic change. The 2,500-odd civil servants were surprised there was no makan on the table.

On Wednesday, after his first executive council meeting, Lim appealed to Penangites to help the state in its drive to minimise and reduce unnecessary expenditure, so the money could be used to help the less fortunate.

He also urged the people to tighten their belts, especially after the new state exco reviewed the state’s financial status with the deficit budget.

He said savings from these efforts can be channelled back to the state government for other much needy causes.

Former chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon also did not stay in Rumah Tetamu. He stayed in his own house in Tanjung Bungah.

Rumah Tetamu was last occupied for about two years from 2001 by Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas when his official residence, Seri Mutiara, was being refurbished.

Source: The Sun

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20 Actors and Actresses Who Turned Down Important or Popular Roles

For every celebrity winning critical acclaim or an Academy Award there’s another celeb or two who turned down that same meaty role. While we’re sure they had good reasons for their decisions, we’re also wondering how hard they kick themselves after realizing they passed up "The Big One." Behold celebrities who turned down the roles of a lifetime.

1. Molly Ringwald - Molly Ringwald turned down the role of Vivian in "Pretty Woman" and the role of Molly in "Ghost" among others. She was also offered a part in Scream which she turned down because she was in her late 20’s and didn’t want a teenage role. Also, she was offered Leah Thompson’s role in "Some Kind of Wonderful" which she turned down severing her relationship with John Hughes. Personally, I can’t see her in any of those roles and never felt she was all that great of an actress anyway. She’s good with whiny roles, however. I’ll give her that.


"Molly" - Ghost

2. Mel Gibson - Turned down the lead role in Gladiator. A role which landed Russell Crowe the Academy Award. Mel also turned down the part of Robin Hood in "Robin Hood Prince of Thieves." Instead, that part went to a not very belieaveable Kevin Costner.



3. Alec Baldwin - The role of Richard Kimball in "The Fugitive" was originally offered to Alec. After he turned it down, it went to Harrison Ford.


"Richard Kimball" - Fugitive

4. Sigourney Weaver - Turned down the role of Ada in "The Accused," a part that later went to Kelly McGillis, and the lead role in "A Handmaid’s Tale."

5. Keanu Reeves turned down Charlie Sheen’s role in "Platoon." And really, thank goodness for that. The role should definitely go to someone who can act.

6. Gillian Anderson - The former X-Files star was originally offered the role of Bethany Sloane in "Dogma." She said, "no thanks" and the part went to Linda Fiorentino instead.

7. Warren Beatty - Turned down the role of Jack Horner in "Boogie Nights." The part was then offered to a smarmy looking Bert Reynolds. Warren also turned down James Caan’s role in "Misery", the part of Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street" and Robert Redford’s role in "The Sting." Granted, Warren’s had some decent roles and he’s a good actor. But we’re thinking he’s not a very good judge of a good script. He accepts "Dick Tracey" and turns down "The Sting?" Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?


The Sting

8. Melanie Griffith - Melanie Griffith turned down the role of "Thelma" in "Thelma and Louise." Incidentally, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jodie Foster were originally cast as Thelma and Louise but had to drop out as pre-production dragged on.


Thelma & Louise

9. Sarah Michelle Gellar - Scheduling conflicts prevented her from accepting the role as Cher in "Clueless."

10. Richard Grieco - The "21 Jump Street" star turned down the lead role in "Speed" because he thought the script sucked. I guess he’s still turning down sucky scripts because it’s not like we’ve seen him in anything but the plastic surgeon’s office since the early 90’s.



11. Madonna - I guess we should be thankful but Madonna turned down Michelle Pfeiffer’s role in "The Fabulous Baker Boys."

12. Denzel Washington - Turned down the role of Curtis in "Dreamgirls", the lead in "I Robot", and it’s rumored he turned down the role of "Ray Charles" in Ray.

13. Will Smith - Turned down the role that eventually went to Keanu Reeve in "The Matrix", and the role of Stu in "Phone Booth."

14. Julia Roberts - Turned down Sharon Stone’s leg crossing role in "Basic Instinct," the role of Mary Corleone in "Godfather III" the role of Annie in "Sleepless in Seattle," the lead role of "Shakespeare in Love" and the role of Lucy in "While You Were Sleeping."

15. Leonardo DiCaprio - Offered the part of Dirk Diggler in "Boogie Nights" before it was given to Mark Wahlberg and the lead role in "The Matrix".

16. Mark Wahlberg - Turned down the role of Linus in "Ocean’s 13".

17. Tom Cruise - Before Johnny Depp made the role his own, Tom Cruise signed on to play Donnie Brasco in the film of the same name. Tom was also to play the lead role in "Footloose" and ended up turning that down as well.



18. Jennifer Jason Leigh - Jennifer Jason Leigh is another of the actresses who landed the role of Vivian in "Pretty Woman" and later turned it down.


"Vivian" - Pretty Woman

19. John Travolta - Turned down the role of Forrest Gump.



20. Tom Hanks - Turned down the role of Ray Kinsella in "Field of Dreams," Andy Dufresne in "The Shawshank Redemption" and the lead role in "Jerry Maguire."



Source: Glamorati

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Simple But Effective


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Jennifer Lopez Uses Caviar To Beat The Baby Blues

Jennifer Lopez is fighting the tiredness of new motherhood with caviar.

The pop diva gave birth to twins last month and appears to be keen to keep her looks intact - she has ordered a case of Elizabeth Grant’s Caviar Rejuvenating Eye Pads.

A spokeswoman for the beauty product company tells Life + Style magazine, “We sent them to her after she had the babies, and she loved them so much she had her press agent call and request more. “She’s got tired eyes and loves the way these soak right into her skin.”

For those who do not know what caviar is, here is the brief description of caviar I referenced from Wikipedia.

Caviar is the processed, salted roe of certain species of fish, most notably the sturgeon. It is commercially marketed worldwide as a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread; for example, with hors d'œuvres. In other word, it is a processed fish's eggs.

The Caspian Sea is considered the source of the finest caviar in the world. Contemporary black caviar is roe from sturgeon fished from the Caspian Sea by Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Kazakhstan. The highest prices paid are for the Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga varieties. (The large-grained Beluga caviar is from the Beluga sturgeon, a fish which is unrelated to the Beluga whale, a mammal.) The golden Sterlet caviar was once a favorite of czars, shahs, and emperors.

Currently, the dwindling fishing yields consequent to overfishing and pollution have resulted in the creation of less costly, though popular, caviar-quality roe alternatives from the whitefish and the North Atlantic salmon.

Given its high price in the West, caviar is synonymous with luxury and wealth. In Russia and other Eastern European cultures, though still expensive, caviar is commonly served at holiday feasts, weddings, and other festive occasions. Sturgeon-derived caviar is generally not eaten by Jews who keep kosher, because sturgeon lacks scales and thus is not considered kosher; however, this does not apply to every roe-yielding fish species. In Islam most sea or river animals such as fish are lawful and halal which applies to the sturgeon as well as its caviar (depending on which school of practice). In Hong Kong and Japan, caviar may be found on sushi and is often very affordable.

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This Is A Synchiropus Splendidus



Nemo is nothing compared to this....

via

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Vanessa Hudgens Bad Hair Day



High School Musical star, Vanessa Hudgens chose a good time to get a bad haircut.

With the celebrity gossip world distracted by Eliot Spitzer’s prostitute, a set of Kristin Davis nude photos and a possible Lindsay Lohan sex tape, few will even notice that Hudgens may have gone overboard with her bangs.

What do you think? Should Zac Efron break up with Vanessa over this disaster?

via

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Smelling And Hearing - Joke of the Day

An elderly woman goes to the doctor. She says, “Doc, it’s terrible, I pass gas all the time. Fortunately, it’s odorless and silent, otherwise I’d be mortified. For example, I’ve passed gas ten times just since we’ve been talking, but it’s odorless and silent so you can’t tell.” The doctor gives her some green pills and tells her to take one a day and come back in a week.

The woman comes back after taking the pills for a week. She says, “Doc, there’s been a change but not for the better. I still pass gas all the time, but while it’s still silent, now it smells terrible!”

The doctor says, “Well, I’m glad we cleared up your sinus blockage,now we’ll have to work on your hearing.”

via

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Baby Galapagos Tortoise


A week-old Galapagos Giant Tortoise crawls in front of its 70-year-old mother "Nigrita" inside an enclosure at Zurich zoo.

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Gallup Poll: Hillary Takes The Lead



According to a new Gallup poll, Hillary Clinton has passed ahead of Barack Obama by an impressive 7 points — 49 to 42 percent.

This is the widest gap we've seen in polls between the two Dem presidential nominee wannabees in weeks.

The poll was conducted before Barack's acclaimed race relations speech on Monday.

But, according to Gallup's Jeff Jones, "the initial indications are that the speech has not halted Clinton's gaining momentum as she led by a similar margin in Tuesday night's polling as compared to Monday night's polling."

On another note, looks like John McCain is benefitting from the loooooong and tense Democratic nomination process.

A new Gallup poll also showed McCain leading both Democrats. McCain holds a 4 point lead over Obama and 3 point lead over Clinton.

via

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MyInfo - #34 Did You Know that....

Pearls melt in vinegar.

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Pickles - March 21st, 2008


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Kemelut Politik UMNO Perlis - Akhirnya Semua Melepas & Rugi

Begitulah nasib ketiga-tiga tokoh UMNO Perlis,bekas Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim,bekas Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri,Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad dan bekas Menteri Sumber Asli Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid.

Ketiga-tiga terlibat dalam pertikaian yang akhirnya menyaksikan jawatan Menteri Besar Perlis jatuh ke tangan Datuk Dr Md Isa Sabu yang tidak pernah mimpi satu hari akan pegang jawatan itu.

Radzi yang juga Setiausaha Agung UMNO dan Azmi di satu pihak dan Shahidan di satu pihak lain.

Dulunya Perlis negeri kecil ada dua menteri dan dalam pengumuman barisan kabinet yang diumumkan oleh Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tengahari ini negeri itu tinggal ' kosong'.

Pengumuman ini juga menandakan karier Shahidan sebagai Menteri Besar Perlis selama lebih 12 tahun akan terbenam ditelan arus masa sebagai wakil rakyat biasa di Tambun Tulang.

Sementara itu ketika dihubungi Agendadaily petang Selasa Shahidan menegaskan beliau menyokong penuh kabinet baru Abdullah.

Katanya tidak timbul rasa kecil hati tidak tersenarai dalam kabinet."Saya boleh main peranan menerusi cara lain dalam UMNO", katanya.

Menurut Shahidan beliau juga akan sama-sama membantu memperkukuhkan kedudukan UMNO Perlis.

Source: Agenda Daily

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Zits - March 20th, 2008


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Azalina Bukan Wanita?






















Oleh: ROSLI ISMAIL

[Gambar diatas ialah petikan dari sebuah akhbar berbahasa Cina yang dirakam secara kandid semasa Perhimpunan Agung UMNO 2007 lalu yang mungkin ada kaitan dengan berita ini]

Hal ini sebenarnya tidak jelas dan ia menjadi salah satu bahan bualan baik dikalangan ahli UMNO sendiri.Bagi mereka yang tidak faham sangat tentang politik atau politiking ada bertanya mengapa Wanita UMNO bising-bising tidak ada wanita dalam kabinet.Bukankah Datuk Azalina Othman Said yang dulunya Menteri Belia dan Sukan dilantik sebagai Menteri Pelancongan dalam kabinet 2008 itu seorang wanita?

Ini menjadi salah satu soalan yang ditujukan kepada Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz dalam sidang akhbarnya yang panas di Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri awal petang Rabu.

Kenapa Azalina tidak dianggap sebagai sebahagian dari Wanita UMNO?

Ini jawapan Rafidah,

“ saya tak tahu sama dia ahli Wanita atau tidak…kena check Faridah ( katanya kepada Setiausaha Wanita UMNO Malaysia Datuk Faridah Abu Hassan yang berdiri di sebelahnya). Serentak dengan itu kedengaran suara dikalangan para ahli Exco Wanita UMNO Malaysia yang berdiri disampingnya diatas pentas sidang akhbar itu berkata, “ tak…tak…tak…tak.” Kata Ketua Wanita UMNO itu lagi, “ dia tak Puteri (UMNO) lagi… I don’t know …saya tak tahu…tolong check dengan ibupejabat (UMNO)…saya tak mahu cakap siapa member ke tidak…janganlah tanya saya.” Ditanya lagi bukankah dia seorang wanita jadi menteri? Jawab Rafidah yang enggan mengulas lanjut,sambil berkata “ tak payahhhh ( tanya)... ”
Sumber: Agenda Daily

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Initial Feedback On The New Cabinet: An Opinion from Gerbang Tempur Politik Maya

At a glance one may be forgiven for being glad that this is a Khairy free cabinet. If you're thinking this... think again! Some hints of his influences are seen below. Nevertheless, it is clear that Pak lah has set up this cabinet for one purpose... to retain his power as PM via the UMNO Presidency. (Which is actually different from keeping UMNO and BN in power!)

Rocky asked some pertinent questions on why some people are on and are off the cabinet here Rocky's Bru: The new Cabinet.

Why was Rafidah dropped? I update this with a thought that I picked up off a commentor. Could it be that Rafidah was dropped to make it easier for the US to conclude an FTA with us? We know that Muhyiddin, whilst an UMNO stalwart, doesn't really have the background and nous to as effectively lead Malaysia in the negotiations. Muhyiddin also demonstrated his willingness to compromise in the past with the land deal he agreed with Singapore when he was Johor MB. So, is the hidden reason to allow the USFTA to be ratified? Muhyiddin will need help here!

On the political side, Rafidah being dropped allows Azalina to more easily challenge her . As Azalina is increasingly seen as a Pak Lah and Khairy ally, what with her sacrificing her familial right to be the MP of Rembau to Khairy and her minions' activities on the web. Rafidah needs to make amends with Tun Dr M properly to stand a chance. Alternatively, Rafidah can choose to back another Wanita heavyweight, like say Noraesah (who is generally acceptable to all factions), to block Azalina. Azalina of course was Khairy's co-anchor on TV once.

A tangential view of why Rafidah was dropped would be that it is to appease Tun Dr M, who probably is still a little upset with Rafidah for her role in the AP scandal and the attack on Proton. Enough about Rafidah.

Why was JJ dropped? Because Pak Lah cannot risk 2 Najib allies in the Cabinet who are political warlords that can also deliver at their ministries. Zahid Hamidi, whilst tentatively also an Anwarista and publicly behind Pak Lah, was brought into the mainstream by Najib and was returned to public leadership following his conversion to Tun Dr M pre-1999 elections. Zahid is still the best candidate to grab MAYC from the clutches of Syed Hamid, currently a firm, though weak, Lah-ist ally.

Why Muhammad Taib? 2 reasons probably. Khairy in his snot-nosed political infancy is probably still enamoured by Muhammad Taib's skill at leading by-elections. This despite 'Mike Tyson's' clear weakness as UMNO Information Chief on the big stage of PRU-12. Pak Lah also needs a guaranteed ally (one he has revived from the political graveyard) to balance the cabinet that he has risked...

The cabinet is still potentially hostile. Shabery Cheek was raised by KuLi so may well be another enemy within, but he cannot be ignored what with the others Pak Lah have dropped. Liow Tiong Lai dan Ong Tee Keat's entry mark the pre-emminence of the Lim Ah Lek faction in MCA, a group that is more traditional and less amenable to shananigans vs Ong Ka Ting's faction, now represented by that less popular brother of his, Ong Ka Chuan.

Curious to see Wan Ahmad Farid as Deputy Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister. This is Khairy's close chum right? The one who used to be in Terengganu? Or have I got the wrong guy. He'll probably be puppet-mastering Syed Hamid Albar in the ministry... weak... weak!

I have a quick observation also to make about the MIC members of cabinet. So, Samy has put up his man S Subramaniam for Minister. Has to be Samy's man as he's Sec-Gen of MIC. This sets up the battle for the MIC Presidency nicely then against the young turk Devamany who has a Deputy Minister post! This assumes of course that Samy is no longer interested? Palanievel? The other Subra?

So, does this cabinet line-up change my opinion that Pak Lah has to go for the sake of the party and the nation? No. Does the cabinet line-up re-assure me that Khairy is no longer a hidden hand influencing Malaysian government policy? No. So, I guess you know where my vote will go during UMNO branch elections... if they'll let us have a proper contest that is!

Source: Gerbang Tempur Politik Maya

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The Voters Have Spoken

COMMENT
By MARINA MAHATHIR


If politicians should learn one lesson from these elections, it is that humility is the keyword, both for winners and losers.

FOR many it was like the proverbial saying, being caught between a rock and a hard place.

Vote the despicable but familiar, or take the leap into the unknown and vote for the other side. In the end, many decided to chance it.

Going by the various confessions that I have been hearing, many older people – those who have voted in every election and who have voted for the party in power each time – decided that they would try something new this year.

For some, it was an emotional decision, for others it was easy. But all felt they had to do it because they could not take it anymore.

To vote in a government that simply seemed out of touch was un-bearable.

Many said they were simply fed up. They wanted to teach the Government a lesson.

So they just went for it with a vengeance and spared few, felling even those who had been good MPs, and electing untested candidates with few credentials.

Perhaps they had taken a leaf from other countries where unpopular governments had been summarily dismissed.

Of course, being Malaysian, we always have an out clause.

We change most things but not everything. So we left a familiar Government but just made it substantially weaker.

But in four states, and Kuala Lumpur, we decided to try out entirely new administrations.

To bagi chance, as many put it.

It’s a chance for them as well as for us, so that next time round, we can truly make an informed choice and get to compare apples with apples.

But, to see the types of excuses being given by those who lost, one would think that the lesson of this election has simply gone over their heads.

It is everyone else’s fault but theirs.

One even blamed the very voters he had so assiduously courted before.

Others still believe that despite the debacle, people still want them and they should continue.

It’s a bit like a spouse who doesn’t believe the marriage has broken down even when he or she is served the divorce papers.

In the face of denial such as this, there is no room for subtlety.

As polite as we are normally, this is not the time for it when unwanted people just don’t understand.

We should come out and say, “We didn’t vote for you because we don’t like you, that’s all there is to it.”

And even if we didn’t personally reject you because we couldn’t vote in your constituency, the fact that we rejected your cohorts elsewhere is a clear enough signal that we want you out, too.

It’s about that concept known as accountability.

How often do we read of major corporate executives who had to resign because they lost their companies millions and billions of dollars?

Or politicians elsewhere who had to step down because of some major scandal?

Someone has to take responsibility for not performing.

And what else is a general election but a report card on performance, which in this case, (the Government) gained a D, if not an outright F?

What’s more, it takes a courageous and noble man to take responsibility.

By refusing to acknowledge responsibility, our former and current leaders are showing not only arrogance but also cowardice.

They believe that by staying in office, they will be protected from possible demands for answers to tricky questions.

And why should they not believe that, when they have done the same to others?

So staying in office is not an act of responsibility, but one of weakness and cowardice.

It is also an act of wilful blindness and deafness.

To wear eyeshades and earplugs is only a temporary measure to block out the growing mumblings among the electorate that their will is only being partially obeyed.

If this continues, then they will make that will known in the not-too-distant future by punishing those who ignored their message.

That will be even more humiliating. So while the opportunity exists for an honourable withdrawal, it should be taken.

Not to say that those who won should feel too triumphant.

If politicians should learn one lesson from these elections, it is that hubris has no place in their make-up.

Humility is the keyword, both for winners and losers.

The thing about arrogance is that, by nature, it cannot be hidden.

The public is not as blind as the arrogant would like to believe.

Nor is the public unable to detect a lack of sincerity and genuineness.

I watched one politician emphatically calling for respect for her opponent at all her ceramah, only to be summarily booted out last Saturday.

The major lesson is that power rightfully rests with the people.

It’s all in that little piece of paper every five years.

Source: The Star

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Win A Trip To Beijing - HP Contest

Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn Bhd has announced the HP “Cheer to Beijing” contest, inviting all Malaysian to submit their most creative and unique cheer for the Malaysian Beijing Olympics 2008 contingent. The HP “Cheer to Beijing” contest is divided into two independent contests, namely the Purchaser contest and Non-purchaser contest. The Purchaser contest is opened to customers who have purchased any HP notebook, desktop or iPAQ product. The non-purchaser contest is a weekly contest open to all residents of Malaysia.

This contest offers more than RM70,000 worth of prizes including cash and the grand prize of an all expense paid 5 days/4 nights trip to Beijing for two persons with RM8,000 spending money. Other prizes include a Samsung 46” LCD TV, and 10 units of HP iPAQ 512 Voice Messenger. Both the Purchaser and non-purchaser contest will run from 14 March 2008 to 29 June 2008.

As for the non-purchaser contest, participants can obtain the contest entry form from any HP outlets or authorized HP resellers. The winners for each Week contest will be announced no later than one week from the end of the contest. 32 units of the HP iPAQ 512 Voice Messenger will be up for grabs over the16-week contest, with two units to be won each week.

Participants from both competition can send in their cheers through the competition website at www.hp.com.my/CheerToBeijing.

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Shaziman - The New Minister of Energy, Water & Communication

The Malaysian Election is now over. Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor who was the Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communication before the election is now appointed as the Minister of Energy, Water and Communication.

For those who did not know, Datuk Shaziman made "headlines" when he said "Bloggers may have to register". Jeff Ooi suspected that he is suffering from the prepaid mentality.

I guess now it is time for a dream come true.....

Source: Telco Talk Malaysia

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Bored Cat



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Kate Beckinsale Isn't Wearing Any Undie...


















You know what's awesome? Kate Beckinsale isn't wearing any underwear on national TV! Or so she says.

Kate was on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and the first thing she said when coming out was that she was going commando, and didn't have a place to hook up her microphone pack. How hot is that? Yeah, that's hot.


















Source: Egotastic

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Don't Drink And Make Signs


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Consequences of Sex


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11-Year-Old Marries 10-Year-Old Cousin

An 11-year-old boy has married his 10-year-old cousin in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mohammed al-Rashidi and his unidentified cousin will seal the marriage they contracted under the sharia laws of Islam and move in together after a ceremony to take place in the summer.

“I am ready for this marriage. It will help me study better,” Mohammed was quoted as saying.

“I invite all my classmates to do like me,” the boy said, adding that he wanted to “crown a love story through marriage”.

Source: Peculiarosities

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'Being Voted Unsexiest Woman Alive Hurt So Much', says Sarah Jessica Parker

As Carrie in 'Sex and the City' she might not always get the right man.

And being voted "unsexiest woman alive" was a hard pill to swallow.

But in real life actress Sarah Jessica Parker hasn't gone home totally empty-handed, having raked in an estimated £12.5m since the end of the popular TV series.

She has earned more than her three co-stars combined thanks to a series of lucrative advertising deals.

With the highest profile of the four Sex and the City actresses and an established film career she has been a magnet for advertisers.

But Parker, 43, has had a hard time dealing with the news that men do not find her as attractive as advertisers do, claiming the result of the Maxim poll was "brutal" and also affected her husband, actor Matthew Broderick.

Parker told Grazia: "Do I have big fake boobs, Botox and big lips? No.

"Do I fit some ideals and standards of some men writing in a men's magazine? Maybe not.

"Am I really the unsexiest women in the world? Wow!It's kind of shocking when men...

"It's so brutal in a way, so filled with rage and anger.

"It upset him (Broderick), because it has to do with his judgement too. It's condemnation, it's insane. What can I do?

"I guess you can't please all people."

Parker can take comfort in the bank balance though, safe in the knowledge that she is financially miles ahead of her SATC co-stars.

The others, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davies and Cynthia Nixon have all earned millions, but trail behind Parker's cash pulling power.

All four reunited last year to film a big screen version of the popular series in New York.

Source: Daily Mail

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Very Cool Math Trick

1. Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your head)
2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the area code)
3. Multiply by 80
4. Add 1
5. Multiply by 250
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
8. Subtract 250
9. Divide number by 2

Do you recognize the answer?

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'Iron Lady' Sheds Tears

KUALA LUMPUR (March 19, 2008): Former International Trade and Industry Minister (MITI) Datuk Seri Rafidah "Iron Lady" Aziz shed tears while preparing to leave her office today.

The tears flowed while she was wishing each journalist well after addressing a packed room of media members, family, friends and Wanita Umno state leaders who surrounded her during her press conference in the ministry.

During the 42-minute long press conference, Rafidah said she was not sad to have come to an end, after 32-years in government service and was grateful for the honour and privilege to have come this far.

“I am satisfied that I have given a little contribution to the country’s development and it was an honour and privilege (to serve) as an MP, Deputy Finance Minister and over 20-years in MITI.

“I will carry with me the experience, even to my last breath. I accept what has happened with an open heart but this is politics,” she said.

Rafidah said the Prime Minister had contacted her at 9am yesterday to inform her that she was not in the line-up.

“When I asked him why, he said he wanted new people. I thanked him and accepted that my time was up,” she added.

Rafidah, who is also Umno vice-president by virtue of her position as Wanita chief, dispelled rumours of her resignation as Wanita Umno head and Kuala Kangsar MP, pledging to continue serving “in and through the party”.

“I don’t intend to back-off because I was elected by the members but I urge for all Wanita members to stay calm and to accept this with an open heart.

“Do not forget that after the elections, Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno must review our strategy and outreach to the people and we must help in the rejuvenation and strengthening of the party,” Rafidah said, giving tribute to her “excellent” MITI team and Wanita members.

“Work will still go on. But for me (it will be) in the party and through the party to strengthen the party because if we falter, we are letting down the public,” she added.

Asked whether she was surprised that she was left out of the Cabinet, she said: "Yes".

“I wished Pak Lah would have told me earlier not to contest but he didn’t say that I can’t contest. I am a human being you know but in the back of my mind, you must always remember. I am a different kind of person.


"At the retirement age, I always told myself that this is politics (and this ) is not a permanent job so I kept telling myself at every election ‘this might be my last.’

“I am not sad. How can you be sad after spending 32 years of the 64 working in the government. Not everyone can serve that long.

“But I am happy to say and put on record that I served with integrity and accountability. There is nothing to be down about,” she said.

Asked if the exclusion may have been because of the 2006 Approved Permit (AP) corruption issue, she retorted: “What AP issue? You all are barking up the wrong tree.”

However, Rafidah noted that she was sad and disappointed that no Wanita representatives were made full ministers in the new cabinet.

“I don’t know about (Datuk Seri) Shahrizat’s (Abdul Jalil) appointment (as Women, Family and Community Development Ministry adviser) because I only know of this from the papers,” she said.

Asked if Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said – current Tourism Minister – was considered a Umno Wanita minister, she replied: “I don’t know if Azalina is in Wanita or not. You please la check with the (Umno) HQ (headquarters). I don’t know.”

Rafidah said she does not intend to return to the ministry nor does she want to accept any positions, even as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) secretary-general which Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim was nominated.

“I will not take it. I was approached already at the Commonwealth before Rais and I flatly rejected it. But I kept it a secret. I can tell you now,” she said.

Pressed on her reasons, she said: “Why not? I am loyal to my country. My family is here, my roots are here. Why should I go (around) the world when I can serve the country here?”

She said her grandchildren and family brought a brighter perspective to her non-inclusion in the Cabinet.

“When I was in the car with my grandchildren, they asked ‘Grandma, what is retirement?’ and their mother replied that it meant that ‘Grandma does not need to go to work anymore.’

“Then they asked ‘Does that mean you can stay over in our house for two nights, or three nights?’

“’Does that mean we can come over and play because you don’t need to go to work anymore? Does that mean we can sleep over in your house because you don’t need to work anymore?’

“And I said ‘Yes’. That put me in perspective. It gave me extra happiness. My eldest daughter hugged me and said ‘Mummy we got you back now.’

”I did not realise that they missed me that much,” she said, good-naturedly.

She told the media that she did not hold grudges and this attitude was a blessing.

“I don’t hold grudges. I don’t know how to. You can do anything to me, I will say it is God’s trial but in this case, it has nothing to do with that. It is about politics,” she added.

Source: The Sun

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e-Kuiz Minggu Saham Amanah Malaysia



Tempat Pertama : 3,000 unit Amanah Saham Gemilang - Amanah saham Pendidikan (ASG-Pendidikan)
Tempat Kedua : 2,000 unit Amanah Saham Gemilang - Amanah saham Pendidikan (ASG-Pendidikan)
Tempat Ketiga x 3 : 1,000 unit Amanah Saham Gemilang - Amanah Saham Pendidikan (ASG-Pendidikan) tiap seorang

Setiap Minggu !!! (12 Mac, 2008 sehingga 9 April, 2008)

1. Peraduan ini terbuka kepada semua rakyat Malaysia yang berumur 13 tahun ke atas kecuali kakitangan Kumpulan Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) dan ahli-ahli keluarga terdekat.

2. Peraduan ini merupakan peraduan secara mingguan.Tarikh akhir penghantaran peraduan pada setiap minggu adalah pada setiap hari Rabu sebelum jam 12.00 tengahari pada setiap minggu. Tempoh peraduan adalah bermula dari 12 Mac, 2008 sehingga 9 April, 2008.

3. Peserta dikehendaki menjawab ke semua dua puluh (20) soalan objektif yang diberi dan menulis serangkap pantun empat kerat bertemakan ‘Modal Insan’ selaras dengan tema Minggu Saham Amanah Malaysia 2008. Jawapan berserta pantun mestilah ditulis di dalam Bahasa Malaysia sahaja.

4. Setiap peserta hanya layak menghantar satu penyertaan sahaja pada setiap minggu.

5. Setiap peserta hanya layak memenangi satu hadiah sahaja sepanjang tempoh peraduan tersebut.

6. Lima pemenang akan dipilih pada setiap minggu. Pengadilan untuk setiap minggu peraduan dibuat berdasarkan semua jawapan yang betul. Jika berlaku keputusan seri, pemenang akan ditentukan berdasarkan pantun yang terbaik mengikut keputusan pihak juri. Sekiranya tiada pemenang pada sesuatu minggu peraduan, hadiah minggu tersebut akan dibawa ke minggu berikutnya.

Cepat !!! Layari laman Web PNB (www.pnb.com.my) untuk menyertai peraduan ini.

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Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah sindir Abdullah?

KUALA LUMPUR, 20 Mac (Hrkh) - Ketika umat Islam di negara ini meraikan ulang tahun keputeraan Nabi Muhammad s.'a.w., Perdana Menteri yang dituntut berundur, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dilihat menerima satu lagi tamparan yang hebat.

Mereka yang menghadiri sambutan Maulidur Rasul di Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan di Ipoh hari ini menyifatkan ucapan Pemangku Raja Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah sebagai sindiran kepada Abdullah ketika parti pimpinannya mengalami kekalahan besar di Semenanjung, kata seorang ahli PAS yang menghadiri majlis tersebut.

Menurut Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah, sikap pemimpin yang hilang pedoman ketika berkuasa adalah punca kejatuhan sesebuah empayar dan negara sebagaimana yang tercatat dalam sejarah.

Menurut baginda, sejarah turut mencatatkan ramai insan yang mendapat peluang menjadi pemimpin tetapi hanya sedikit di kalangan mereka yang berjaya mencipta sejarah dan membina tamadun bangsa.

"Ada di antaranya yang terleka, ada yang tersalah haluan, ada yang tersalah diberi nasihat, ada yang tersalah langkah dan ada yang tersalah perkiraan.

"Justeru, sejarah berkaitan kepimpinan dan pemimpin itu sewajibnya dijadikan asas rujukan oleh ummah hari ini bagi mempelajari daripada kesalahan dan menjauhi daripada mengulangi kesilapan yang sama," kata baginda semasa merasmikan sambutan tersebut.

Bagaimanapun, kata ahli PAS itu, ada di kalangan hadirin melihat ucapan Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah itu sebagai ingatan kepada kerajaan rakyat yang baru di negeri itu.

Barisan Nasional kehilangan majoriti dua pertiga selepas hanya mampu memenangi 140 daripada 222 kerusi Parlimen yang dipertandingkan dalam pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lalu.

Malah, parti yang dilihat semakin dibenci rakyat itu turut kehilangan kuasa di Pulau Pinang, Kedah, Perak dan Selangor serta gagal merampas Kelantan.

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Eye On Malaysia Will Be Relocated To Melaka



MELAKA, March 19 (Bernama) -- The "Eye On Malaysia" ferris wheel will be relocated to Melaka in November for the benefit of the local population and foreign tourists.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the ferris wheel with 42 air-conditioned gondolas will be placed at the Melaka Marina project site in Taman Kota Laksamana in Bandar Hilir.

"It will be a tourist attraction for Melaka and is expected to be well received by the people. We have the option of renting it for RM5 million annually or buying it for RM22.5 million," he told reporters after chairing the first state executive council meeting here Wednesday.

He added the state government was also offered a package including a "water screen" worth RM2.5 million.

"Eye On Malaysia" was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007 at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa and was the largest ferris wheel in South-east Asia.

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Jennifer Lopez Twins , Max and Emme - First Public Photo



Source: Pop Crunch

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The Bus Ride

Two bowling teams, one of all Blondes and one of all Brunettes, charter a double-Decker bus for a weekend trip to Mt. Vernon Illinois.

The Brunette team rode on the bottom of the bus, and the Blonde team rode on the top level.

The Brunette team down below really whooped it up, having a great time, when one of them realized she hadn’t heard anything from the Blondes upstairs. She decided to go up and investigate.

When the Brunette reached the top, she found all the Blondes in fear, staring straight ahead at the road, clutching the seats in front of them with white knuckles. the brunette asked, “What the heck’s going on up here? We’re having a great time downstairs!”

One of the Blondes looked up at her, swallowed hard and whispered… “YEAH, BUT YOU’VE GOT A DRIVER!?!”

via

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MyInfo - #33 Did You Know that....

You can kill a goat by just letting it drink vinegar.

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Khir Letak Jawatan BN dan UMNO

SHAH ALAM: Bekas Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo (gambar) meletakkan jawatan sebagai Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno dan Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN) Selangor, berkuat kuasa semalam.

Ketika mengumumkan peletakan jawatannya di sini malam tadi, beliau berkata keputusan itu diambil atas rasa tanggungjawabnya berikutan kekalahan teruk BN pada pilihan raya umum di Selangor pada 8 Mac lalu.

Bagaimanapun beliau terus sebagai Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Sungai Panjang.

Pada pilihan raya umum itu, Dr Mohamad Khir mengekalkan kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Sungai Panjang selepas menewaskan calon Pas, Mohd Fadzin Taslimin dengan majoriti 5,828.

Berikutan keputusan Dr Mohamad Khir, Menteri Pembangunan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah yang juga Ketua Penerangan Umno, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib diberi tanggungjawab memegang kedua-dua jawatan itu.

"Saya mohon maaf kepada rakyat Selangor kerana prestasi buruk BN pada pilihan raya umum lalu dan akan terus berusaha tingkatkan keupayaan kita pada masa akan datang," katanya sejurus sebelum mempengerusikan buat kali terakhir mesyuarat Badan Perhubungan Umno Negeri di Bangunan Umno Selangor di sini.

Dr Mohamad Khir yang sebak sepanjang sidang akhbar kira-kira 15 minit itu berkata, beliau sudah berbincang dengan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mengenai keputusannya beberapa hari lalu dan Presiden parti bersetuju melantik Muhammad untuk memegang kedua-dua jawatan berkenaan.

Bagi jawatan lain dalam parti, beliau menyerahkan sepenuhnya kepada Muhammad bagi menentukannya dalam usaha merampas semula negeri itu daripada pembangkang pada pilihan raya akan datang.

Katanya, beliau bimbang akan timbul perpecahan jika beliau lambat melepaskan kedua-dua jawatan itu, seterusnya menjejaskan matlamat parti untuk merebut kembali Selangor.

"Saya berharap ahli Umno memberi sokongan padu kepada kepemimpinan baru dan memastikan usaha mendapatkan semula Selangor dapat dilaksanakan dengan baik," katanya.

Ditanya reaksi Presiden dan Timbalan Presiden parti mengenai peletakan jawatan itu, beliau berkata:

"Presiden dan Timbalan Presiden kata jika ini (meletak jawatan) keputusan terbaik untuk Selangor... saya rasa inilah cara yang terbaik," katanya sambil menambah tindakan itu diambil bukan kerana tekanan mana-mana pihak.

Beliau berkata, tindakan itu bukan dibuat secara terburu-buru tetapi kerana tidak mahu ada sikap saling salah menyalah antara satu sama lain yang didapati sudah pun mula berlaku.

via

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Ketua Wanita Beri Penjelasan Hari Ini: Shahrizat

PUTRAJAYA: Ketua Wanita Umno, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, akan memberi penjelasan kepada 1.3 juta ahli pergerakan itu kenapa beliau tidak dilantik semula dalam Kabinet baru Perdana Menteri.

Naib Ketuanya, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, berkata Rafidah akan menerangkan senario politik semasa kepada ahli di akar umbi untuk memastikan mereka terus mengekalkan perpaduan dan menyokong kepimpinan Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"Saya akan bantu Rafidah untuk bersama-sama turun padang bertemu ahli pada peringkat akar umbi dan memberi kefahaman kepada mereka mengapa Perdana Menteri tidak melantik Rafidah dalam Kabinet baru."

"Walaupun perkara ini sudah berlaku, tetapi kita perlu pastikan ahli Wanita Umno terus bekerja di bawah satu payung," katanya ketika ditemui sejurus selepas beliau bersama sembilan ahli Exco Wanita Umno mengadakan kunjungan hormat kepada Perdana Menteri selama kira-kira 45 minit di Kementerian Dalam Negeri di sini, semalam.

Shahrizat yang juga Penasihat Khas Perdana Menteri Mengenai Hal Ehwal Pembangunan Wanita dan Sosial, berkata dalam pertemuan itu Abdullah menjelaskan keputusannya tidak melantik semula Rafidah dalam Kabinet baru.

"Memang pada awalnya sukar untuk menerima keputusan itu tetapi kita dapat menerimanya selepas mendengar sendiri penjelasan Pak Lah. Malah, beliau juga memberitahu sudah menelefon Rafidah mengenai perkara itu. Apa yang Pak Lah beritahu kepada Rafidah... biarlah mereka berdua yang tahu," katanya.

Mengenai kenyataan Abdullah pada sidang media selepas mesyuarat Kabinet semalam bahawa Wanita Umno tidak menang banyak kerusi pada pilihan raya umum lalu, Shahrizat berkata:

"Saya berpendapat kita kena tengok senario politik di seluruh negara... Wanita Umno boleh membawa kestabilan parti, terutama ketika melalui saat getir dan mencabar, kerana ahli Wanita Umno memberi kekuatan dan kestabilan kepada parti," katanya.


Sementara itu di KUALA LUMPUR, Pergerakan Wanita Umno akan mengadakan mesyuarat Exco pertamanya esok bagi membincangkan pelbagai isu berkaitan parti selepas pilihan raya umum 2008, termasuk kesan selepas tiada wakilnya dilantik sebagai menteri penuh dalam Kabinet.

Rafidah berkata walaupun menerima hakikat itu, pihaknya bimbang ahli terutama pada peringkat akar umbi keliru kerana keadaan seperti itu tidak pernah berlaku.

"Tapi itulah hakikatnya yang kita perlu terima," katanya pada sidang media pada hari terakhir beliau berkhidmat sebagai Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri di kementerian berkenaan di sini, semalam.

Bagaimanapun, Rafidah berkata, selepas apa yang berlaku ini, Wanita Umno dengan keahlian 1.3 juta akan bersama rakan dalam BN untuk membantu mengukuhkan parti bagi menangani masalah yang timbul selepas pilihan raya.

Sementara itu, beberapa exco Wanita Umno menyatakan rasa kecewa dengan ketiadaan wakil mereka sebagai menteri penuh dalam Kabinet baru, terutama Rafidah yang turut digugurkan daripada senarai itu.

Exco Wanita Umno, Datuk Dr Norraesah Mohamad berkata, keputusan Perdana Menteri tidak meletakkan Wanita Umno dalam Kabinetnya diterima dengan hati terbuka walaupun hakikatnya Wanita Umno kecewa, sedih dan rasa dipinggirkan.

"Ikhlas... kami rasa kecewa, marah pun ada, rasa tidak dihargai dan disayangi kerana kami komponen terbesar dalam parti. Kerja Wanita juga sepanjang tahun, sepanjang jalan... tidak pernah berhenti.

"Kita kena ingat bahawa kemenangan calon lelaki adalah kerana undi dan kerja keras wanita. Wanita bekerja berpuluh tahun dan tidak pernah lelah. Malah, kita boleh tengok umur 80 tahun pun wanita masih gantung bendera Umno," katanya.

Seorang lagi Exco Wanita, Azihani Ali berkata, pergerakan itu menerima keputusan Perdana Menteri dengan hati terbuka walaupun terluka apabila tiada wakil wanita Umno dalam barisan Kabinet.

Katanya, kesediaan Rafidah yang sedia menerima keputusan Perdana Menteri bahawa beliau tidak lagi disenaraikan dalam Kabinet memberi semangat kepada ahli Wanita di peringkat akar umbi.

Ketua Wanita Umno Pulau Pinang, Datuk Jahara A Hamid berkata, ketiadaan Ketua Wanita Umno dalam senarai jemaah Menteri mungkin menyukarkan perjuangan wanita yang masih banyak belum dicapai.

Beliau yang juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Teluk Air Tawar berkata, pembabitan wanita dalam politik sebagai kelompok pembuat dasar dalam parti pun masih jauh terkebelakang dan sukar dicapai.

Source: Berita Harian

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Radzi Memang Ditekan Untuk Berhenti

Beberapa pihak, termasuk segolongan pembaca blog ini (blog kudakepang.blosgpsot.com milik Datuk Ruhanie Ahmad), menganggap Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad meletakkan jawatan Setiausaha Agung UMNO dan Barisan Nasional (BN) kerana kecewa tidak dilantik sebagai menteri.

Hakikat sebenarnya bukan begitu. Sumber-sumber berwibawa memberitahu, Radzi mengosongkan kedua-dua jawatan di atas berkuatkuasa hari ini, kerana beliau didesak berbuat demikian oleh Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Sebabnya tidak jelas. Tetapi, sumber-sumber berkenaan menyatakan bahawa Radzi dikatakan telah dituduh oleh Abdullah sebagai “mempunyai agendanya yang tersendiri di dalam UMNO.”

Sebab itulah agaknya dalam laporan BERNAMA, Radzi “tidak menafikan bahawa beliau menerima tekanan.”

Sebab itulah juga laporan BERNAMA hari ini mememetik Radzi sebagai “menolak anggapan bahawa keputusannya itu dibuat setelah kecewa kerana tidak dipilih menganggotai semula kabinet” ataupun “mempunyai hubung kait dengan kemelut UMNO di Perlis yang turut menyaksikan Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim tidak dilantik semula sebagai Menteri Besar.”

Sumber-sumber lain pula memberitahu bahawa perletakan jawatan Radzi adalah “sebahagian daripada percaturan politik pihak-pihak yang mendominasikan Abdullah selama ini.”

Kata sumber-sumber itu lagi, “ini kerana ada pihak mendapati Radzi sebagai batu penghalang utama kepada beberapa usaha yang mahu dilaksanakan oleh pihak terbabit menerusi UMNO.”

Siapakah pihak-pihak berkenaan? Mengapakah Abdullah seolah-olah akur kepada mereka? Apakah bentuk “usaha” yang mahu mereka laksanakan menerusi UMNO, tetapi tertangguh akibat Radzi sebagai penghalang utamanya? – Ruhanie Ahmad

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Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah Mahu Menerajui UMNO

KOTA BHARU 19 Mac – Veteran UMNO, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah hari ini secara terbuka menyatakan kesediaan menerajui dan merawat UMNO bagi memastikan parti itu tidak hilang kekuasaan dan Melayu terus dibela.

Katanya, terserah kepada seluruh ahli UMNO untuk membuat pertimbangan dan beliau akan memikul tanggungjawab berat itu sekiranya diberi kepercayaan kelak.

Beliau yang juga Ahli Parlimen Gua Musang menegaskan, perubahan drastik perlu dilakukan bagi memastikan UMNO selaku parti terbesar terus bernafas dan tidak ditolak rakyat. - Utusan, 19 Mac 2008, 11:05pm

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Zits - March 19th, 2008





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Lima Ahli Parlimen Umno "Memberontak"

Blog Datuk Ruhanie Ahmad (Bekas Setiausaha Akhbar dan Politik Tun Musa Hitam, Penyokong Setia Umno dan Ahli parlimen parit Sulong, 1990-2004) menerima satu panggilan telefon pada awal pagi, 19 Mac 2008, yang mengatakan bahawa lima Ahli Parlimen UMNO, termasuk seorang menteri dan tiga timbalan menteri, memang sedang “memberontak” kerana tidak puas hati dengan perlantikan kabinet baru oleh Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Dua daripada Ahli Parlimen berkenaan dipercayai akan menolak perlantikan ke atas diri mereka yang diumumkan oleh Abdullah pada 18 Mac 2008, tetapi tidak akan mengosongkan kerusi parlimen mereka yang dimenangi dalam PRU12.

Bagaimanapun, dua daripada mereka pula dijangka menolak perlantikan daripada Abdullah dan mungkin juga mengosongkan kerusi parlimen masing-masing.

Seorang daripada mereka pula dikatakan akan memutuskan selepas satu sidang akhbar di PWTC esok, sama ada akan mengosongkan kerusi parlimen yang dimenanginya baru-baru ini dan juga melepaskan jawatannya di dalam UMNO Malaysia.

Kesemua Ahli Parlimen yang “memberontak” ini dikatakan menudingkan jari kepada Khairy Jamaluddin sebagai individu yang telah memanipulasikan senarai perlantikan kabinet yang diumumkan oleh Abdullah.

Kata mereka, sebilangan besar muka-muka baru yang dilantik ke jawatan menteri penuh dipercayai adalah kroni-kroni Khairy.

Pokok persoalannya pada saat dan ketika adalah seperti berikut:

Adakah kabinet Abdullah kali ini merupakan kabinet yang diramalkan oleh buku The Toyol Code tulisan Datuk Ruhanie Ahmad?

Mungkinkah “pemberontakan” ini akan diikuti oleh lebih ramai lagi Ahli Parlimen UMNO?

Mungkinkah Ahli Parlimen UMNO yang “memberontak” tidak akan mengosongkan kerusi masing-masing, tetapi terus melompat ke pihak parti pembangkang?

Dan, jika berlaku “exodus” Ahli Parlimen UMNO ke pihak pembangkang, mungkinkah tidak lama lagi pihak pembangkang pula yang akan menubuhkan kerajaan di peringkat pusat?

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Origins of the Borrowed Word: Some English Words Derived from Bahasa Malaysia

By LYNNE McGREADY

BORROWED or loaned or stolen words ? Does is it really matter?

In my last article on this subject (Feb 22), I put forward a very easy challenge: “Can you find the words (in this list) that were borrowed from other languages?” I am confident that many readers were able to find or already know the etymology or history of some of the words in the list. Not all of the words were borrowed but each and every one of them has a history or what I like to call a “beginning”.

So, here are the answers, as I know them.

Typhoon: A violent tropical storm. The Arabs say that the word is an adaptation of their Arabic word tufan. The Greeks say, “No way! It’s ours. We say typhon which means violent storm.” Another suggestion is that the word was from the Cantonese tai fung, meaning great wind.

Loot: Things stolen during pillaging ... Ermm ? pillaging? You mean looting or stealing? Yes. And its origin was in India, in the Hindi language to be exact.

Ginger: When I researched the etymology of this word, my first concerns were: “How am I going to simplify the explanation of its beginnings as it has been influenced by the many periods of the English language – Middle English gingerer, Old English and then Greek zingier?” Then I found that the one I liked was the Tamil inci, which means ginger, and veer, which means root.

Shampoo: This was a little bit of a surprise! This word is borrowed from the Anglo-Indian word shampoo! It originated in the Hindi word champ, which means to smear, massage using the flowers of a plant called the Michelin champak. I know I met someone in Kuala Lumpur called Champak who told me her name was the name of a flower! A small world of words?

Compound: Guess what? Compound originated in the 1600s from the Malay word kampong! I think this deserves an “ah ha!” as we think about the definition of the word as “a village or group of buildings”. The English borrowed the word to describe an enclosure for a factory or a settlement of Europeans in the East.

Bandanna: I thought this word was one that originated in Spain or Mexico only to find that it is from the Hindi word bandhnu and from the Sanskrit word badhnati, which means “to bind”. Perhaps I had visions of the handsome Spanish actor Antonio Banderas on a horse, wearing a red bandanna on his head and ?

Cumquat or Kumquat: I have eaten many a slice of toast covered in cumquat jam. I never thought to ask about its origins. It is a fruit grown in Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam and even Malaysia. But the origin of the word is from Canton in China – gam gwat, or gan ju in Mandarin. (I must find the Bahasa Malaysia name for it!)

Amok: This is a word I love! My mother used to threaten my brother and me with “No going away during your school vacation if you continue to run amuck while I am at work”. (Our nanny was the squealer!) It never occurred to me that this word was first recorded from the Malay amok, which means attacking furiously or a frenzied person. I have been enlightened.

Gong: From the Malay word gong. The sound of the instrument when struck?

Shanghai: This is an easy one and used mainly to describe a situation that a sailor might find himself in when he is kidnapped to work on a ship sailing to places like Shanghai in China.

Junk: A Chinese sailing ship but ... from the Malay word jong or Javanese djong, which I have been told means large boat or ship.

Kowtow: The Chinese had a custom of touching the ground with their forehead as a sign of submission or respect. In Hanyu Pinyin, it is spelt kou tou.

Pariah: I thought this word simply meant “mongrel dog”. Of course not! It has been borrowed directly from the derogatory Tamil word paraiyar because it was applied to people who were of a low caste and/or social outcasts! This word has been deleted from my vocabulary, effective immediately.

Bangle: A simple one. A ring shaped bracelet borrowed from the Hindi word bangri, which means coloured glass bracelet or anklet.

Mango: Hmmm, this was interesting and a bit of a battle between languages. Is it from the Malay word mangga or the Tamil word man, meaning mango tree, + kay, which means fruit?

Silk: From the Chinese word si, the Manchurian word sirghe, then borrowed into Greek as serikos, and on and on ...

Alcohol: An easy but interesting one. Ladies, have you ever used kohl to darken your eyelids? Al kuhul was the powder used to darken eyes. Then the definition moved to al gawl, meaning the spirit which is also the origin of the word ghoul.

Thug: “You useless member of a gang of murderers and robbers and cheats and swindlers!” said the person in Hindi before it was borrowed by the English.

Cockatoo: I thought this was an Australian word and bird! In fact, it has been borrowed from the Malay word kakak tua, meaning older sister. Ouch!

Orang-utan: Everyone knows this one.

Jungle: Borrowed from the Hindi word jangal, which means desert, forest, wasteland. Weird! I always imagined a jungle as being forest with lots of trees, humidity and rain, rain and more rain.

Punch: Here is one for those of you who like a little ‘punch’ at parties but are never quite sure what the ingredients are. This is a word said to be borrowed from the Hindi word panch, which means five. Five spirits, or four spirits and water, or three spirits, water and lemon juice, or ?

Cot: From the Hindi word khat or small bed.

Gung ho: This story must be told. The original Chinese word kung he means to co-operate. Then a colonel in the US Marine Corps, stationed in China in the 1930s, was so impressed with the attitude of the people in the cooperatives he visited, he chose “Gung Ho” as the motto for his battalion. It is said that by the end of World War II, these same words were being used throughout the American Marine Corps to express a “can do” attitude.

Anaconda: If you watched the movie of the same title, you probably thought it was South American. In actual fact, all I could find were suggestions that ranged from Sinhalese henacandaya or whip snake to Tamil anaikkonda, which is supposed to mean “having killed an elephant”. Er ? any connection to its size?

Yen: Yes, it’s the Japanese currency but wait ? if its definition is also “a sharp desire or hunger for something”, then it goes back to the Chinese Cantonese word yin, which means “intense craving”, supported in English by the word “yearn” or to long for something.

Is this it? Are there more words that are borrowed, loaned or stolen? Absolutely! I read somewhere that there were 80,000 loan words in the 1970s.

I enjoyed this simple investigative exercise simply because the English pronunciations of the words I was searching for often differed from the original pronunciation and so the people I spoke to about Chinese words, Malay words, etc, were not able to recognise the borrowed word when spoken.

Also, I am repeatedly reminded that when I start activities like this, “curiosity killed the cat”, but I think “indifferent cats” probably died young and of boredom.

Source: The Star

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I Want to Be Like Mommy !!!


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The Fine Print


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Wan Azizah Dicadang Ketua Pembangkang

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), DAP dan Pas bersetuju mencadangkan Presiden PKR, Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail sebagai Ketua Pembangkang bagi penggal Dewan Rakyat sekarang. Persetujuan itu dinyatakan dalam kenyataan bersama oleh ketiga-tiga pemimpin parti berkenaan iaitu Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Penasihat PKR), Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (Presiden PAS)dan Lim Kit Siang (Penasihat DAP) yang juga Ketua Pembangkang sebelum ini. Menurut kenyataan itu, dalam pertemuan malam tadi, ketiga-tiga pemimpin itu juga bersetuju agar Wan Azizah menjadi ketua pembangkang sehingga Anwar bertanding dan memenangi kerusi Parlimen. — Bernama

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Radzi Letak Jawatan Setiausaha Agung UMNO dan BN

Bekas Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri, Datuk Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, hari ini meletakkan jawatan sebagai Setiausaha Agung UMNO dan Barisan Nasional (BN).

Tempatnya diisi oleh Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor, Ahli Parlimen Putrajaya dan bekas Menteri Pelancongan, yang pernah menjadi Setiausaha Kerja UMNO di era Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Berikut adalah berita BERNAMA pada jam 11:05 pagi, 19 Mac 2008, mengenai isu yang sama:

Radzi Sheikh Ahmad Letak Jawatan Sebagai Setiausaha Agung UMNO dan BN

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 Mac (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad yang digugurkan dari barisan kabinet yang baru dibentuk mengambil keputusan meletak jawatan sebagai Setiausaha Agung Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) berkuatkuasa hari ini.

Bekas Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri itu berkata beliau tidak dapat bekerja secara efektif sebagai Setiausaha Agung kerana tidak lagi berada dalam kabinet baru yang diumumkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi semalam.

"Saya rasa saya tidak boleh lagi bekerja. Pertamanya saya tidak lagi berada dalam kabinet jadi saya tidak boleh bekerja dengan berkesan sebagai Setiausaha Agung ... saya tak boleh kerja," katanya dalam sidang akhbar di Menara Dato Onn, Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra di sini hari ini.

Radzi berkata keputusannya itu telah dimaklumkan kepada Abdullah yang juga Presiden Umno dan Pengerusi BN melalui telefon pagi ini dan menerusi sepucuk surat rasmi.

Perdana Menteri telah menerima perletakan jawatan beliau, katanya.

Sementara itu, bekas Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, diberitakan telah meletakkan jawatannya sebaga Ketua Pergerakan Wanita UMNO Malaysia. Keputusan mengenai hal ini dijangka diumumkan dalam satu sidang media hari ini.

Source: Datuk Ruhanie Ahmad

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Rakyat Tertipu Jika Fikir Khairy Lemah

Abdul Halim Mohd Rashid

KUALA LUMPUR, 20 Mac (Harakah) - Majoriti rakyat yang dikatakan amat membenci menantu Perdana Menteri, Khairy Jamaluddin "tertipu" jika merasa yakin bahawa Ahli Parlimen Rembau yang kian dipertikai kemenangannya itu telah lemah pengaruhnya.

Menurut sumber yang rapat dengan kepimpinan Umno, selepas agak terkejut dengan kekalahan besar Barisan Nasional (BN) di Semenanjung dalam pilihan raya 8 Mac lalu, "hampir 80 peratus kapal besar Khairy telah dibaiki".

"Khairy bukan sahaja mengukuhkan kembali kekuatannya di dalam Umno, malah beliau juga memperluaskan pengaruhnya dalam beberapa badan bukan kerajaan (NGO).

"Pengaruhnya dalam Pekida (Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah SeMalaysia), tidak kiralah yang rasmi atau tidak rasmi, sudah kukuh kembali," kata sumber tersebut yang mensyaratkan identitinya tidak didedahkan.

Ketika ditanya sejauh manakah benarnya dakwaan beliau, sambil tertawa sumber itu berkata: "You tunggu 'next change'".

Beliau bagaimanapun enggan mengulas apa yang beliau maksudkan dengan "next change".

"Mana boleh orang PAS tahu! Tapi you tahu atau tidak siapa yang kumpul begitu ramai penyokong di Seri Perdana (9 Mac lalu) selepas umum keputusan (pilihan raya).

"You jangan cuba underrate (perkecilkan)," katanya sambil ketawa.

Ketika ditanya benarkah pihak luar yang menjadikan Khairy "ayam tambatan" mereka sedang berusaha keras untuk memulihkan kedudukan Khairy, beliau terus berkata: "You kalau nak info (maklumat), jangan tanya soalan mengarutlah".

Menjawab pertanyaan mengapa hampir tidak ada "budak Khairy" di dalam kabinet, beliau berkata: "Takkan selama-lamanya Pak Lah nak dengar nasihat (bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tun) Musa (Hitam)".

Hanya dua orang sahaja yang dilihat sebagai "budak Khairy" yang berada di dalam kabinet, iaitu Menteri Tenaga, Air dan Komunikasi Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor dan Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

Sumber yang rapat dengan kepimpinan Umno itu bagaimanapun tidak dapat mengesahkan kehebohan yang mendakwa Musa telah merajuk dan enggan memberikan pandangan kepada Perdana Menteri yang dituntut berundur, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Musa didakwa merajuk kerana anak Abdullah, Datuk Kamaluddin Abdullah tiba-tiba masuk dan menuntut kehendaknya ketika Musa sedang memberikan pandangannya kepada Perdana Menteri yang dituntut berundur.

Musa dikatakan terus bangkit dan keluar selepas tindakan Kamaluddin itu.

Sumber itu tetap menekankan bahawa kabinet yang baru diumumkan Abdullah 15 Mac lalu ada kaitan dengan nasihat Musa.

Tetapi, katanya, itu tidak bermakna Khairy tidak ada pengaruh langsung dalam kabinet itu.

"You tahu apa sebab (Datuk Seri) Rafidah (Aziz) kena buang (tidak dilantik semula di dalam kabinet)?" tanya beliau.

Ketika ditanya apakah punca keengganan Abdullah melantik semula Rafidah, sumber itu mengaitkan tindakan tersebut dengan surat setebal 16 halaman yang dihantar oleh Rafidah kepada Abdullah.

Surat itu dikatakan menghentam menantu Abdullah, Khairy Jamaluddin yang menurut sumber itu dianggap punca kekalahan teruk Umno di Semenanjung.

Sebelum ini, beberapa blog mendakwa, Rafidah adalah antara penghalang utama rancangan Abdullah untuk melantik menantunya sebagai anggota kabinet.

Menurut dakwaan itu, apabila Abdullah mengumumkan keinginannya untuk melantik Khairy di dalam mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi Umno yang lalu, beliau mendapat bantahan yang hebat.

Rafidah dan Naib Presiden Umno, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dikatakan penentang yang paling lantang membantah perlantikkan Khairy ke dalam kabinet.

Rafidah yang paling marah sehingga menghentak meja, tegas dengan pendiriannya bahawa Khairy adalah "perosak Umno".

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Di Sebalik Kabinet Baru Pak Lah

Sudah pun dikemukakan petanda kekalnya pengaruh Khairy dari analisa Pak Lah akan sebab kekalahan BN. Pak Lah memberi gambaran ini kerana golongan muda Melayu menolak DEB/DPB, apabila sebenarnya Khairy dan pemesong DEB/DPB lain yang ditolak; lagi pun sudah lama disyaki Khairylah hipokrit pembenci serta musuh dalam selimut DEB/DPB. Di sini ingin diajukan sedikit 'bukti' kekalnya Khairy sebagai pengemudi pentadbiran Pak Lah berdasarkan susunan kabinet.

Melihat prestasi buruk BN pada PRU-12 dan berdasarkan desakan lantang menggesa perletakan jawatan beliau, Pak Lah beraksi dengan begitu licik sekali. Sudah kembali ahli politik yang berjaya hidup begitu lama dalam UMNO walaupun dikelilingi musuh yang berkuku-taring lebih tajam. Malang sekali yang kepintaran tersebut agak kurang dalam menangani pentadbiran negara, mahupun menguruskan pilihanraya umum, tetapi di dalam UMNO, Pak Lah tetap gagah.

Setelah menerima maklumat jelas bahawa perlindungan dan kuasa tidak rasmi yang dikurniakan beliau kepada Khairy merupakan antara tunas kekalahan BN, Pak Lah mengambil kesempatan terdekat untuk:

o Mengelak dari melantik Khairy ke jawatan kabinet.
o Membenarkan propaganda menular yang nyawa politik Khairy sudah hampir hilang di media perdana serta halaman web pro-kerajaan seperti Malaysian Insider.
o Membenarkan Pemuda UMNO memutuskan supaya Mukhriz Mahathir tidak dikenakan hukuman disiplin atas tindakan beliau menulis surat memohon perletakan jawatan Pak Lah sendiri.

Ini menunjukan seolah-olah Khairy bukan faktor dalam pentadbiran kerajaannya sekarang. Tambah pula:

o Menteri yang kurang popular seperti Rafidah Aziz dan Radzi Sheikh Ahmad digugurkan.
o General-general setia Pak Lah seperti Noh Omar diberi pangkat menteri sebagai persediaan perhimpunan agung UMNO.
o Panglima-panglima pemimpin lain seperti Shabery Cheek diberikan kedudukan menteri dalam usaha menarik sokongan mereka.
o Panglima-panglima yang sudah pasti tidak akan dapat ditarik kesetiaan kepada Pak Lah, seperti Tengku Adnan dan Jamaluddin Jarjis telah digugurkan, walaupun prestasi mereka yang lepas boleh tahan juga.
o Pemimpin UMNO yang sering lantang mengkritik dari luar seperti Shahrir Samad dan Zaid Ibrahim pula cuba didiamkan dengan kedudukan baru.
o Dibawa masuk juga sepahi upahan Muhamad Muhamad Taib sebagai menteri yang terjamin setia kerana kembalinya ke tampuk kuasa atas jasa Pak Lah.

Pemilihan kabinet Pak Lah tepat dengan tujuan mempertahankan kedudukan beliau dalam UMNO. Namun, Pak Lah mungkin terlalu sayangkan Khairy hingga tidak upaya beliau menidakkan pengaruh Khairy sama sekali. Contohnya:

o Wan Ahmad Farid, teman setia Khairy yang melicinkan pengagihan projek di Terengganu suatu masa dahulu kini dilantik menjadi Timbalan Menteri.
o Azalina, rakan sejawat Khairy semasa beliau menjadi pengacara TV dahulu, menonjol sebagai satu-satunya wakil Wanita UMNO di kabinet. Adakah ini petanda beliau bakal merampas kuasa kepimpinan wanita kelak? Khairy masih terhutang budi kepada Azalina yang lebih berhak menjadi wakil rakyat di Rembau, kampung asal-usul bapanya.


Perlantikan kabinet menunjukkan Pak Lah, dalam usaha mempertahankan hidup politiknya, sedia mengenepikan sedikit Khairy. Namun pengaruh Khairy terlihat kekal walaupun hanya ala-kadar. Mungkin perlantikan pada peringkat agensi-agensi kelak akan menonjolkan lagi tahap pengaruh Khairy pasca PRU-12; benarkah sudah dikekang, atau hanya sekadar wayang kulit sahaja beliau diketepikan dari kabinet.

Sumber: Gerbang Tempur Politik Maya

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Some People Just Can't Be Satisfied

Despite only being married to Paul McCartney for four years, Heather Mills was awarded $46.5 million and an additional $70,000 for her daughter's "expenses" in court yesterday.

This is a far cry from the $250 million she was demanding, and less than the $100 million settlement she and Paul had mutually agreed upon.

However, McCartney's lawyer, Fiona Shackleton (who represented Prince Charles), talked him out of it and urged him to let a judge decide.

He did and the gamble paid off. Mills' response after the ruling?

Throwing a glass of water at Shackleton's head and a 12-minute rant outside the High Court because she felt she didn't get enough money.The Daily Mail reports:

" Heather Mills is intensifying her bitter war with her husband's divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton.

Having thrown a jug of water over Mrs Shackleton at
the High Court yesterday, Miss Mills is now threatening to report her to the Law Society for professional misconduct over allegations that she called her names.

Miss Mills threw water over her former husband's lawyer and then laughingly announced that she had been "baptised in court."

But Mrs Shackleton may well have the last laugh as she is rumoured to have earned £3million from the McCartney case. "



A close friend said that in private she was devastated about being awarded so little.



McCartney's Lawyer...before and after Mills' tantrum

"In court it is clear that she just got too cocky. "The worst thing she could have done was represent herself. On quite a few occasions, Heather was just too brusque with the judge and would talk over him. High Court judges don't take kindly to being ranted at. Heather just came across as incredibly greedy."



Source: I Don't Like You In That Way

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MyInfo - #32 Did You Know that....

Mel Blanc (the original voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.

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Tengku Azlan Tolak Jawatan

Ketika kerajaan Barisan Nasional dan rakyat dikejutkan dengan penolakan jawatan Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan oleh Ahli Parlimen Kimanis, Datuk Anifah Aman, Ahli Parlimen Jerantut pula, Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar menolak jawatan Timbalan Menteri Luar, yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri semalam.

Agak pelik juga saya dua anggota Barisan Nasional menolak jawatan, walaupun kononnya untuk memberi laluan kepada muka baru, sebab seingat saya tidak pernah terjadi perkara sedemikian sebelum ini di kala pengumuman barisan kabinet oleh Perdana Menteri Malaysia.

Adakah benar anggota BN kini lebih matang dan berbudi pekerti di dalam soal mengambil jawatan penting negara atau adakah mereka ini kurang minat, kurang yakin atau mahu sesuatu yang lebih @ Tamak di dalam menjadi muka hadapan kerajaan di bawah kepimpinan Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang agak goyah selepas 'kekalahan' BN di dalan Pilihanraya Umum ke-12, baru-baru ini.

Lebih-lebih lagi, menurut Berita Harian, Tengku Azlan, yang dilantik sebagai Timbalan Menteri Luar dan Anifah, Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan, telah menemui Perdana Menteri, di sini, petang semalam bagi menyampaikan hasrat itu dengan alasan mereka sepatutnya dilantik sebagai menteri penuh.

Sumber berkata, Perdana Menteri bagaimanapun memberitahu, beliau tidak akan berganjak daripada keputusannya kerana barisan pentadbiran seperti diumumkannya dalam sidang media tengah hari semalam, adalah yang terbaik.

Abdullah, kata sumber itu, meminta mereka menerima pelantikan berkenaan atau beliau terpaksa melantik orang lain.

Bagaimanapun, kedua-duanya tetap dengan pendirian mereka dan jawatan itu akan diisi kemudian.

Tengku Azlan yang mula menjadi Ahli Parlimen selepas menang dalam pilihan raya 1999, sebelum ini ialah Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan. Beliau yang juga Ketua Umno Bahagian Jerantut pernah dilantik Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri pada 1999 hingga 2004.

Sementara itu, Anifah yang sebelum ini Timbalan Menteri Perusahaan Peladangan dan Komoditi, mula menjadi Ahli Parlimen selepas memenangi Pilihan Raya Umum 1999 sebelum dilantik timbalan menteri bagi portfolio sama yang ketika itu dikenali Kementerian Perusahaan Utama.

Beliau yang kini Ketua Umno Bahagian Kimanis, pernah bertanding di kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Klias pada Pilihan Raya Negeri 1994 tetapi tewas kepada Datuk Lajim Ukin daripada Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), yang ketika itu pembangkang.

Apa nak jadi pada Kerajaan Barisan Nasional kita ye ? Walaupun, saya gembira dengan kejayaan Barisan Rakyat, saya juga mahu barisan kerajaan sedia ada mantap, untuk memangkinkan kejayaan negara kita di persada antarabangsa. Sebagai seorang yang rasional dan yakin kepada prinsip demokrasi, saya mahukan keteguhan kedua-dua barisan - Nasional dan Rakyat, supaya saya boleh memilih dengan mudah, barisan mana yang saya mahukan untuk mentadbir dan membawa negara ke masa hadapan. Sistem dominan satu parti perlu berakhir dan sistem dwi-parti ala Amerika perlu berkembang supaya rakyat boleh memilih kerajaan yang lebih baik di masa hadapan di samping mempunya sistem "check and balance" yang lebih mantap dan telus. Kalau kerajaan A banyak buat masalah, kita pilih parti B dan sekiranya kerajaan B, apabila memmerintah, banyak buat masalah pula, kita ada pilihan untuk menaikkan semula parti A ke teraju pemerintahan. Walau apa pun kerajaan yang dipilih, sistem kerajaan terus berfungsi dengan baik walaupun semasa peralihan kepimpinan.

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Petisyen Khas - Dari Laman Web Seorang Penyokong UMNO

PENGUMUMAN

Terkini:
1. Petisyen Sokongan Kepada Mukhriz
2. Petisyen Online Sokongan Kepada Mukhriz
3. Surat Mukhriz kepada PM Abdullah

PENTING:
1. Kemelut Kepimpinan Perlis: Satu Lagi Sebab Mengapa Paklah Perlu Berundur. Sila Klik sini
2. Letak Jawatan atau adakan Perhimpunan Khas. Sila Klik sini
3. Draf Petisyen seperti yang diminta. Sila Klik sini
4. Petisyen KMU mendapat liputan di Fox News dan juga di Associated Press5. Memohon jasa baik pengunjung laman untuk menyebarkan tentang kewujudan web mykmu.net kepada rakyat terutama sekali kepada ahli UMNO. Moga2 kita boleh jadikan laman web ini sebagai tapak utama untuk rakyat seluruh negara bersuara dan berjuang.

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Hak lantik MB Terengganu terletak pada Pemangku Raja dan Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja

KUALA LUMPUR 18 Mac – Jabatan Peguam Negara hari ini menjelaskan bahawa urusan pelantikan Menteri Besar Terengganu terletak sepenuhnya pada Pemangku Raja dan Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja negeri itu.

Menurut Peguam Negara, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin sedar tentang peruntukan tersebut yang baginda tidak boleh mencampuri urusan pelantikan Menteri Besar di negeri berkenaan.

Ujarnya, berdasarkan kepada Perkara 34 (1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan, Seri Paduka tidak boleh menjalankan fungsi sebagai Raja Negeri Terengganu melainkan sebagai Ketua Agama Islam.

"Sehubungan itu, Yang di-Pertuan Agong tidak mempunyai calon sendiri bagi mengisi jawatan Menteri Besar. Baginda menyedari hakikat bahawa urusan pelantikan Menteri Besar terletak sepenuhnya pada Pemangku Raja dan Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja.

Justeru, Baginda tidak mempunyai apa-apa peranan di bawah undang-undang dalam pelantikan tersebut,’’ kata Abdul Gani dalam satu kenyataan yang dikeluarkan di sini malam ini.

Terengganu merupakan satu-satu negeri yang masih belum mempunyai Menteri Besar dan sehingga hari ini tiada petunjuk majlis angkat sumpah Menteri Besar Terengganu akan diadakan.

Dalam pada itu Abdul Gani berkata, dalam usaha memilih Menteri Besar, Pemangku Raja dan Majlis Penasihat Raja terikat dengan Perkara 14 (2) Undang-Undang Bagi Diri Kerajaan Terengganu.

"Calon yang layak dilantik sebagai Menteri Besar berdasarkan peruntukan itu hendaklah seorang Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Terengganu (ADUN) yang pada fikiran Pemangku Raja dan Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja mendapat kepercayaan kebanyakan ahli Dewan tersebut.

Oleh itu mana-mana orang yang dilantik sebagai Menteri Besar bukanlah calon Pemangku Raja dan Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja atau sesiapa jua tetapi seseorang yang dilantik menurut Undang-Undang Bagi Diri Kerajaan Terengganu,’’ katanya.

Beliau menegaskan, proses pelantikan Menteri Besar merupakan satu proses yang ditentukan oleh undang-undang sebagaimana termaktub di dalam Undang-Undang Bagi Diri Kerajaan Terengganu.

"Dalam hal ini (pelantikan Menteri Besar) tidak berbangkit isu perebutan antara Pemangku Raja dan Majlis Penasihat Raja pada satu pihak dengan kerajaan negeri pada satu pihak yang lain,’’ kata Abdul Gani lagi. - Utusan

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The World's Most Expensive Cities

















Tourists to Europe will have to fork out more as currency fluctuations mean they will be visiting some of the world’s most expensive cities, researchers from Swiss bank UBS said today.

A survey by economists at Swiss bank UBS lists Oslo, London and Copenhagen as the three most costly cities, while Dublin has crept ahead to fourth place.

By contrast, cities in the US have become cheaper thanks to the weaker US dollar. New York now ranks at just number 18, cheaper than Tokyo or Brussels.

“The US dollar’s sharp depreciation has made New York a much more affordable place for European shoppers. London is now 26 percent more expensive,” noted the researchers.

Among Asian cities, Tokyo is the most expensive, followed by Seoul, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Visitors on a tight budget may wish to pick Kuala Lumpur, Buenos Aires and Mumbai, which are the three cheapest cities for visitors.

However, for residents, it is a slightly different story. London is the most expensive city after taking rent into consideration, followed by Oslo, Dublin, Copenhagen and New York.

As for those who bring home the most money after taxes, it is the inhabitants of Zurich. Excluding housing costs, Zurich residents also have the highest spending power in net wages.

At the other half of the chart, Jakarta residents get the least for the amount of work they put in, followed by residents in Mumbai and Delhi.

Source: Times Online

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The Most Complicated Thing That Humans Have Built So Far!

CERN's Large Hadron Collider is set to become the very first time machine in history. According to the research published by Irina Arefieva and Igor Volovich, "in general relativity, a time-like curve in space-time will run from past to future. But in some space-times the curves can intersect themselves, giving a closed-like curve, which is interpreted as a time machine - which suggests the possibility of time travel.























Two proton beams travel in opposite directions and collide at four points along the way - replicating the Big Bang conditions of "cosmic plasma", a mysterious almost liquid state, which occurred before quarks have cooled off enough to allow atoms to form together. The Large Hadron Collider will force quarks to break free of their bonds, the matter substance to unravel - to recreate the original "cosmic plasma", and to reconstruct the Big Bang conditions.





















To better appreciate the enormous scale of this beast, consider that it runs 17 miles across the border of two countries, has detectors in four locations the size of buildings, housed in huge caverns - and if you happen to be inside the tunnel while this thing is in operation, you would have a highly radiactive - and fatal - experience.






















Just one superconducting solenoid (CMS) contains in it more iron than the Eiffel Tower. The cost of building LHC is so high, that America had to put a stop to its own Superconducting Super Collider in 1993 (even though 14 miles of tunnel have been already dug in Texas), so today CERN's structure is a lone contender for the title "the most complicated thing that humans have ever built".


The Internet's Web started here... Time Travel might as well start here, too

CERN scientists know what they talk about, and we can trust them - after all, last time they needed something for sharing collider data, they invented the World Wide Web! According to some sources, even now one THIRD of ALL internet traffic flows thru this facility in CERN's computing center (one of the three main hubs for world wide web):















Here are some quick facts:
- 20 years work-in-progress
- A team of 7,000 physicists from more than 80 nations
- 27 kilometers in circumference, 175 meters underground
- facilitating head-on collision of protons, travelling very near speed-of-light
- each tunnel is big enough to run a train through it.
- temperatures generated: more than 1000,000 times hotter than the sun's core
- superconducting magnets are cooled to a temperature colder than in deep space

Source: Dark Roasted Blend

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Berita Terkini: Datuk Anifah Aman Tolak Jawatan Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan

KOTA KINABALU 18 Mac - Ahli Parlimen Kimanis, Datuk Anifah Aman berkata, beliau menolak pelantikan sebagai Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan kerana mahu memberi laluan kepada generasi muda berkhidmat di kementerian itu.

Menurut Anifah, beliau sudah dua penggal menjadi timbalan menteri dan keputusan menolak jawatan itu adalah wajar kerana merasakan sudah sampai masa kedudukannya itu diberi peluang kepada orang lain.

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The World's Most Expensive Cities for Hotels

Dubai has knocked Paris out of the top three most expensive cities in the world for business hotels. The emirate rose from seventh to third position in a hotel survey carried out by business travel agency HRG UK, thanks to an average room rate of £167.

The survey reveals that Moscow is again the most expensive city in the world for hotels, with the agency’s clients paying an average of £236 per night for a room, 7% up on the last survey. The Russian capital is streets ahead of its nearest rival, New York, where rooms cost an average of £180.

Cities in India are experiencing huge rises in rates, according to the survey. Rooms in Mumbai cost 30% more than they did six months ago, adding to 49% rises in 2006. Bangalore jumped into the top ten priciest cities too, with average room rates of £162.

European cities that showed strong rate rises include Barcelona (up 18% on last year) and Berlin (up 17%). London’s rates were up by an average of 5%.

Source: Times Online

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Poll: McCain, Obama, Clinton in Dead Heat in Election Matchup

(CNN) -- Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would both statistically tie Republican John McCain in a general election matchup, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll indicates.

According to the poll released Tuesday morning, both Obama and Clinton are locked in a dead heat with the Arizona senator.

If Obama were to win the nomination, he would get 47 percent of the vote compared to 46 percent for McCain -- a statistical tie given the poll's 3 percentage point margin of error. Should Clinton win the nomination, the poll suggests she would get 49 percent compared to McCain's 47 percent -- another statistical tie.

While Clinton and Obama match up equally with McCain, CNN Polling Director Keating Holland notes the two Democrats appear to be drawing support from different groups of voters.

"Clinton appears to do a little bit better than Obama among older voters, women, and self-identified Democrats against McCain; Obama's numbers may be slightly better among younger voters and those who describe themselves as Republicans and Independents," Holland said.

The poll also shows all three presidential candidates get high marks from voters on the issue of the economy -- roughly two-thirds of those surveyed say each of the candidates would do a good job handling the issue. This appears to be good news for McCain, given that the incumbent president's party is often blamed for economic woes.

"The fact that McCain is currently holding his own on the economy with the two Democratic candidates does help to explain why the general election matchups are so close even though most Americans think the country is in a recession," Holland said.

McCain is also aided by his strength on the terrorism issue. Roughly three-quarters of all Americans think McCain would do a good job fighting terror while Obama and Clinton score significantly lower -- although a majority of those polled think either Democrat would do a good job.

But Obama and Clinton both get higher points than McCain on handling health care. More than two-thirds say the two Democrats would handle that issue well, while 57 percent who say the same for McCain. And nearly 1 in 5 voters say that the nation's health care system is their top concern -- almost twice as many as the 10 percent that cite terrorism.

On immigration, McCain and Obama get roughly the same high marks on the issue, with Clinton close behind.

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Anthony Minghella - Oscar Winning Director, Dead at 54

LONDON, England (AP) -- Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella, who turned such literary works as "The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain" into acclaimed movies, has died. He was 54.

Anthony Minghella won an Oscar for his direction of "The English Patient."

Minghella's death was confirmed Tuesday by his agent, Judy Daish. No other details were immediately available.

"The English Patient," the 1996 World War II drama, won nine Academy Awards, including best director for Minghella, best picture and best supporting actress for Juliette Binoche.

Based on the celebrated novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje, the movie tells of a burn victim's tortured recollections of his misdeeds in time of war. Minghella also was nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay for "English Patient," and for his screenplay for "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

Among his other acclaimed films were "Truly, Madly, Deeply" (1990), and last year's Oscar-nominated "Michael Clayton," on which he was executive producer.

Minghella was recently in Botswana filming an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." It is due to air on British television this week.

The book is the first in a series about the adventures of Botswanan private eye Precious Ramotswe; a 13-part television series was recently commissioned by HBO.

Minghella also turned his talents to opera. In 2005, he directed a highly successful staging of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at the English National Opera in London. The following year, he staged it for the season opener of New York's Metropolitan Opera. It was the first performance at the Met under general manager Peter Gelb.

Jeff Ramsay, press secretary to Botswanan President Festus Mogae, said Minghella's death was a "shock and an utter loss."

He said the director had been coming to the country ahead of the detective film and learning about Botswana.

Ramsay said Minghella had told him how he had been forced to shoot "Cold Mountain" -- set in the United States -- in Romania and that it had "seemed wrong." He said this made the director "more sure that the film could only be shot in Botswana."

Born the second of five children to southern Italian emigrants, Minghella came to moviemaking from a flourishing playwriting career on the London "fringe" and, in 1986, on the West End with the play, "Made in Bangkok," a hard-hitting look at the sexual mores of a British tour group in Thailand.

He worked as a television script editor before making his directing debut with "Truly, Madly, Deeply," a comedy about love and grief starring Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman.

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The Farmer's Divorce

Attorney: “May I help you??”

Farmer: “Yeah, I want to get one of those dayvorces.”

Attorney: “Well, do you have any grounds?”

Farmer: “Yeah, I got about 140 acres.”

Attorney: “No, you don’t understand. Do you have a case?”

Farmer: “No, I don’t have a Case, but I got a John Deere.”

Attorney: “No, you still don’t understand! I mean do you have a grudge?”

Farmer: “Yeah I got a grudge! That’s where I park my John Deere.”

Attorney: “No sir, I mean do you have a suit?”

Farmer: “Yes, sir, I got a suit! I wear it to church on Sundays.”

Attorney: “Well, sir, does your wife beat you up or anything?”

Farmer: “Nope, we both get up about 4:30.”

Attorney: “Okay, let me put it this way… why do you want a divorce?”

Farmer: “Well, I can never have a meaningful conversation with her.”

via

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Tiada Tindakan Terhadap Mukhriz



KUALA LUMPUR 18 Mac - Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO tidak akan mengambil tindakan terhadap Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir kerana tindakan Exconya itu menulis surat kepada Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi supaya melepaskan jawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri adalah bersifat peribadi.

Ketuanya, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein berkata, perkara itu diputuskan oleh mesyuarat Exco pergerakan itu hari ini.

Sila "click" untuk melihat surat Datuk Mukhriz kepada Pak Lah dengan lebih jelas lagi.


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World-Wide Web Map

















The world can be sliced and diced in many ways, and one of them is by dividing it into the 245 ccTLDs that cover every country and territory in the world. ‘ccTLD’ stands for ‘country code top-level domain’, which refers to the extension behind the final dot in mail addresses and URLs - if they refer to countries or territories. There are about a dozen non-geographic TLDs (such as .com, .org and .edu), which are used extensively but numerically, the ccTLDs are vastly superior.

The 245 ccTLDs, all two-digit codes, cover all UN-recognised countries, plus several non-sovereign islands and territories. This map, designed by John Yunker (website here), presents those codes in a size relative to the population of each country or territory - except China and India, which were restrained by 30% to fit the layout. The smallest type size reflects all countries with 10 million inhabitants or less.

The map includes a list of the most popular ccTLDs, the top 10 being, in descending order: .de (Germany), .cn (China), .uk (UK), .nl (Netherlands), .it (Italy), .us (US), .ar (Argentina), .br (Brazil), .ru (Russia) and .ch (Switzerland).

This sample shows most abbreviations are easily recognisable, with the exception of countries’ abbreviations not related to their English name (.de for Deutschland, German for Germany; .ch for Confoederatio Helvetica, Latin for ‘Swiss Confederation’).

Some small countries (such as Tuvalu - .tv) have made a tidy profit because their country code could be used as a vanity ccTLD, often leading to strange, virtual associations between very disparate places. This list, from Wikipedia:

* ad is a ccTLD for Andorra, but has recently been increasingly used by advertising agencies.
* ag is a ccTLD for Antigua and Barbuda and is sometimes used for agricultural sites. In Germany, AG (short for Aktiengesellschaft) is appended to the name of a stock-based company, similar to Inc. in USA.
* am is a ccTLD for Armenia, but is often used for AM radio stations.
* as is a ccTLD for American Samoa. In Denmark and Norway, AS is appended to the name of a stock-based company, similar to Inc. in USA.
* be is a ccTLD for Belgium. Widely used by small Bulgarian websites because it’s cheaper than a bg ccTLD.
* cc is a ccTLD for Cocos (Keeling) Islands but is used for a wide variety of sites.
* cd is a ccTLD for Democratic Republic of Congo but is used for CD merchants and file sharing sites.
* dj is a ccTLD for Djibouti but is used for CD merchants and disc jockeys.
* fm is a ccTLD for the Federated States of Micronesia but it is often used for FM radio stations.
* gg is a ccTLD for Guernsey but it is often used by the gaming and gambling industry, particularly in relation to horse racing gee-gee.
* in is a ccTLD for India but is widely used in the internet industry.
* je is a ccTLD for Jersey but is often used as a diminutive in Dutch (e.g. “huis.je”), as “you” (”zoek.je” = “search ye!”), or as “I” in French (e.g. “moi.je”)
* la is a ccTLD for Laos but is marketed as the TLD for Los Angeles.
* nu is a ccTLD for Niue but marketed as resembling “new” in English and “now” in Nordic/Dutch. Also meaning “nude” in French/Portuguese.
* sc is a ccTLD for Seychelles but is often used as .Source
* tv is a ccTLD for Tuvalu but it is used for the tv/entertainment industry purposes.
* ws is a ccTLD for Samoa (earlier Western Samoa) is marketed as .Website
* vu is a ccTLD for Vanuatu but means “seen” in French.

Source: Strange Maps

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Teacher Sent Home for Dyeing Hair Green

A 9th-Grade Mentor was sent home from school on Monday morning because he dyed his hair green.

Michael Rice says Lower Richland High School’s Principal Marvin Byers told him his green hair color was “over the top.” Rice says he wore his hair colored with the Luck of the Irish in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th. He said he just wanted to give fellow staff members and students a good-natured laugh.

“I had a lot of people saying, ‘Wow, I can’t believe you’re getting sent home,’” Rice say, “But no one had anything negative to say.”

Rice says he supports the choice made by the principal, and he thinks it was fair.

via

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Ten Ways To Get Kicked Off A Plane














Good morning, and welcome to BloggsAir. Before you board today, do you mind answering a few questions? Splendid. Just let me get my clipboard ... right, off we go.

Are you dressed revealingly? Is there a large toy crocodile in your hand luggage? While on this flight, do you intend to read pornography, emit offensive body odour or perhaps sing a topical football-based ditty?

If so, the chances are you’re going to get slung off. All the above offences have recently resulted in passengers being escorted from the plane by stony-faced airport-security bods. In fact, over the past few years, cabin crew have taken to turfing us out of planes in unprecedented numbers.

Only a few days ago, the otherwise blameless Dr Paolo Tomasi from London was unceremoniously dumped off a Ryanair flight for the heinous crime of talking to his eight-year-old son during the safety briefing.

Getting ejected for having a chat lacks class, though. It’s a bit meek, a bit pedestrian. Aren’t there ways of doing it with more panache?

Oh yes there are. Here is our guide to involuntary deplaning with style, all based on real and recent episodes.

SING ABOUT FOOTBALLERS’ UNDERWEAR

After a fine win over Cardiff last year, fans of Sunderland AFC boarded an EasyJet flight in buoyant mood and sang the praises of their chairman in time-honoured terrace fashion. In case you’re not a regular at the Stadium of Light, the lyrics, to the tune of ’Ere We Go, ’Ere We Go, ’Ere We Go, are as follows: “Niall Quinn’s disco pants are the best.

They go up from his arse to his chest. They’re better than Adam and the Ants, Niall Quinn’s disco pants.” EasyJet staff, unused to Wearside poetry, called the police and had all 100 fans thrown off. Quinn himself shelled out £8,000 for taxis to get them home.

Style rating: 10 - and 11 for Quinn. What a guy.

PAY INSUFFICIENT ATTENTION TO PERSONAL HYGIENE

A German man was chucked off a plane in Honolulu in 2006 for being excessively whiffy. After two hours’ chasing around a hot airport with heavy luggage, he took his seat, only to be asked to leave it when fellow passengers complained. He tried to sue the airline in a Düsseldorf court, and lost; he tried to appeal, but got stuck in traffic. The case was thrown out.

Style rating: 0 - hapless, hopeless and smelly. Not a good combination.

BLOCK THE EMERGENCY EXIT WITH A HUGE STUFFED CROCODILE

Last November, a woman on a Ryanair flight from Rome to Milan refused to move her metre-long cuddly toy crocodile, which the crew said was blocking the emergency exit. Both were removed.

Style rating: 8 – yes, exits are important, but you’ve got to admit there’s something cool about a life-threatening cuddly croc.

WEAR THE WRONG CLOTHES

American Lorrie Heasley took her seat sporting a T-shirt that featured pictures of George Bush and friends, with a slogan based on the hit film Meet the Fockers – but with one crucial vowel altered. Airline staff were not amused, and she was dumped halfway through her journey at Reno, Nevada.

Unfortunately, her garment wasn’t supplied by Tshirthell.com, a company that has pledged to provide alternative transport to anyone thrown off a flight for wearing its products. Since one of its more repeatable slogans reads “I’d rather be snorting cocaine off a hooker’s ass”, that’s probably just as well.

Style rating: 7 – but only if your clothing is genuinely funny.

DON’T WEAR ENOUGH CLOTHES

That was the crime of Kyla Ebbert, a 23-year-old waitress at the subtly named Hooters chain of restaurants. She was removed from a Southwest Airlines plane in San Diego for being dressed too provocatively, in micro miniskirt and tight T-shirt – though she was let back on when she rearranged them to cover as much as possible. (It took a while. She’s a big girl.) “I was embarrassed and humiliated,” she said. To regain her dignity, she took everything off again for Playboy.

Style rating: 6 – if you can pull it off. Or down.

ATTEMPT SEX

A flight made an unplanned landing last November to eject a couple who were intent on joining the mile-high club. After “fooling around” in front of other passengers in their economy seats, the pair made for the lavatories. Instead of ending up in Las Vegas, as planned, they were dumped in Portland, Oregon. It is not known whether their love was consummated.

Style rating: 1 – sex in the air is only fun if you don’t get found out. And nobody wants to be marooned in Portland.

SAY ‘BYE-BYE, PLANE’

Last July, 19-month-old Garren Penland – who’d just endured an 11-hour delay at Houston airport – said those words repeatedly (as children will) during the safety briefing on a Continental flight. “The flight attendant said, ‘Okay, it’s not funny any more. You need to shut your baby up,’ ” claimed his mum, Kate. Unfazed, Garren kept going, and mother and son soon ended up on the tarmac.

Style rating: 5 – awww, kids, eh? We think it’s cute. Though, after the 30th time, we might have changed our minds, too. Especially if we were sitting next to the little cherub.

READ PORN

In 2005, South African carrier Nationwide Airlines called a taxiing flight back to the terminal to eject AC Hoffman, a Cape Town businessman. He’d been perusing Loslyf, a local publication of liberated bent. “The air hostess snatched it off me, I told her she was f ***in’ rude, and they chucked me off,” he said. “This will not be the end of the matter. My hand luggage has not even been returned.” We think he meant the periodical. The airline’s chief executive, Vernon Bricknell, commented helpfully: “If you want to look at this kind of stuff, go and do so in the toilet.”

Style rating: 2 – porn on a flight? Not high on the class-o-meter. Even if you bought it for the articles.

SWEAR... IF YOU’RE THE PILOT

Bit of a turnaround, this. Last April, the captain of a Northwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit was heard by first-class passengers making prolific use of the f-word on his mobile as he boarded the plane. When they complained, he continued to swear – at them this time. Eventually, the airline’s management removed him from the flight. A rare example of passenger power.

Style rating: 0 – pilots should wear ties (and perhaps goggles) and be unflappable. The only acceptable swear word is “dashed”.

DIE

It has drama, but, actually, this one won’t get you slung off. It’ll get you upgraded. Last March, a woman who expired in an economy seat on a British Airways flight was immediately reseated at the front of the plane. One first-class passenger was understandably fazed when he woke up to find that the vacant seat next to him was now occupied by a corpse. The airline later apologised.

Style rating: 8 – if you’ve got to take your last journey, do it in first.
Source: Times Online

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10 Tips For A Happier Marriage

A few ideas to remind your wife that she's still your girlfriend.

Since I was off today and my wife had to work, I decided to swing by and bring her to lunch. We had a good time, as we usually do, and after I brought her back to work I thought about how lucky I am to have such a good woman. But then again, maybe it's not so much luck after all. Frankly, I've put quite a bit of effort into my marriage over the years and I believe I've earned the treatment I receive.

So it may be time to share with you the benefit of my experience. Here are a few things I've learned that will keep things smoother around the house and cut down on the number of “marital moments” you'll have to endure.

1. Flowers
I know it seems cliché, but flowers really are a great way to get her in a good mood. There is however, a right way and a wrong way to do this. Don't send her flowers when she's mad at you. I know it's tempting to go to the supermarket and stare at the case of roses with the other husbands because you think it's a quick get-out-of-jail-free card, but it's not. If you train your wife to get flowers when you screw up, you'll never be able to do it any other time because she'll assume you've done something wrong. Just give her a bunch of daisies or carnations for no reason whatsoever and it'll make her day. Here's another free tip: flowers at home are good, but flowers at work are better. That way she gets to show off to her friends.

2. Take Her Shopping
I know it's painful. Trust me, I would rather bang a nail into my forehead than go shopping with my wife. I do it though, because she appreciates it and if she's happy, I'm happy. But you can't make it look like torture. It'll be difficult, but if you seem like you don't mind, the payoff will be great.

3. Open Your Eyes
When she changes her hair, or her nails, or her shoes, she expects you to notice. Compliment her on whatever it is. Even if you don't love it. Especially if it's her hair, because now that she's gotten that perm, there's nothing she can do about it for at least a few weeks. No reason to make her self-conscious about it. It'll just screw up your sex life and nobody needs that.

4. Show Some Affection
Tell her you love her. Hold her hand. Don't be embarrassed to do it in public, either. Life is too short to worry about that stuff anyway.

5. Breakfast in Bed is Never a Bad Idea
I like to make her a small omelet, toast, a bit of fruit cocktail in a bowl, and some coffee. Carry it to her on a tray with a flower and she may not make it through it all before she's ready to show her appreciation. A quiet, romantic dinner often has similar results.

6. Kiss Her More
Every morning before I go to work, I kiss my wife goodbye. She's always knocked out when I go, but she always gets a kiss. I always assumed she had no idea I was doing that, but one day I was in a hurry and left without kissing her, and when I got home she asked me why.

7. There's Something She Wants You to Do
Maybe a few somethings. My wife wanted me to quit smoking. She was on me all the time about it, and we argued frequently. It took a few years but eventually I just got tired of fighting about it and I quit. She was so happy I did this for her that I started getting some slack about a few other things. If I'd known how much easier my life would get, I'd have quit a long time ago. Maybe you don't smoke, but I'll bet there's something she wants you to change. Whatever it is, it probably wouldn't kill you.

8. The In-Laws
She undoubtedly likes her family more than you do. Try to tolerate her mom, okay? Be nice to her sisters.

9. Does Your Wife Need to Lose a Few Pounds?
You don't need to tell her. Trust me, she already knows. Pointing out her obvious shortcomings will cause unnecessary tension and she'll be less likely to let your deficiencies go unmentioned. A good woman with flaws is an awful lot better than a perfect witch.

10. The Small Things
The best things in a marriage are often the smallest things. She brings you coffee in your favorite cup or makes a good meal, or does a great job with the kids every day. Let her know that you notice. It'll make a big difference in her day.

Of course, this list isn't going to lessen the burdens of a seriously troubled marriage. My intention is simply to help keep day-to-day life from stifling a good relationship. Show your wife that she's still your girlfriend and it can't help but improve your marriage. Remember, it's not a simple formula. It will always take effort but you'll get much more than you give.

Source: Socyberty

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Lanjutan Lantikan Kabinet Baru Abdullah: Beberapa Pihak “Memberontak”?

Pengumuman barisan kabinet baru oleh Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi kini dikatakan menimbulkan “pemberontakan” di kalangan segolongan Ahli Parlimen BN.

Akibatnya, tiga Ahli Parlimen BN diberitakan akan menolak perlantikan oleh Abdullah - seorang dijangka menolak perlantikan sebagai menteri sementara dua orang lagi dijangka menolak perlantikan sebagai timbalan menteri.

Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, yang digugurkan hari ini, pula dijangka mengadakan satu sidang media di Kuala Lumpur esok.

Rafidah dijangka mengumumkan perletakan jawatannya sebagai Ketua Pergerakan Wanita UMNO Malaysia dan mungkin juga akan mengosongkan kerusi Parlimen Kuala Kangsar.

Seorang lagi bekas menteri yang dijanjikan untuk dipindahkan ke portfolio baru juga dikatakan sedang “mengamuk” kerana tidak puas hati.

Sementara itu, banyak pihak menyifatkan perlantikan Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil sebagai Penasihat Khas bertaraf Menteri kepada Perdana Menteri berhubung Hal Ehwal Pembangunan Wanita dan Sosial, adalah sesuatu yang sukar untuk dirasionalkan.

Sumber-sumber memberitahu blog ini bahawa perlantikan tersebut dikatakan dibuat oleh Abdullah apabila Shahrizat dengan serombongan pegawai utama Pergerakan Wanita UMNO Malaysia mengatakan kepada Abdullah bahawa Rafidah akan meletakkan jawatan Ketua Wanita UMNO Malaysia.

Demikianlah kelam-kabutnya situasi pentadbiran Abdullah hanya sejurus selepas kabinet barunya dilantik pada hari ini.

Beberapa negeri seperti Sabah, Sarawak dan Johor nampaknya masih mengekalkan status quo jumlah menterinya walaupun mereka menjadi nadi kekuatan BN dalam PRU12.

Sementara itu, ada pula komponen BN yang kalah lebih daripada setengah jumlah calonnya masih dikekalkan jumlah kerusi meterinya seperti dulu. Ini tidak mencerminkan langsung prestasi parti berkenaan yang mengecewakan BN. Ini juga membuatkan beberapa komponen lain kecil hati dengan Abdullah.

Dalam pada itu, bacalah berita di bawah ini yang saya petik daripada NST Online seperti berikut:

Sabah BN Parties Not Too Happy With Cabinet Representation

PUTRAJAYA, Tues: Although not lacking the Barisan Nasional spirit, ministers from Sabah are saying they have been forced to express the "unhappiness" of their parties following the Cabinet line-up announcement.

Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal, one of three Ministers from Sabah to have been re-appointed in the Cabinet, said the expectations of Sabahans in this new Cabinet term were high, following the overwhelming performance of the state BN component parties in the recent general election.

"From the feedback since the announcement, the state had been expecting to see more of its representatives at senior Ministries. They also noted that some states, which had performed badly in the elections, were given more prominence in this new lineup."


Berdasarkan berita di atas, adakah beberapa pihak daripada Sabah yang kini berasa tidak puas hati dengan perlantikan kabinet Abdullah? Bagaimana pula dengan Sarawak dan Johor? Bagaimana pula dengan Perlis yang tidak langsung diwakili dalam kabinet baru Abdullah?

Akhir sekali, bagaimana agaknya jika segolongan Ahli Parlimen BN yang tidak puas hati berhijrah pula ke pihak pembangkang untuk membolehkan pembangkang menubuhkan kerajaan di peringkat pusat?


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40% of All Spam Comes From Just One Source

Six bots are responsible for 85% of all spam, according to an analysis by Marshal. The Srizbi botnet is the largest single source of spam - accounting for 39% of junk mail messages – followed by the Rustock botnet, responsible for 21% of the spam. Spam coming from the Mega-D botnet was temporarily stemmed after control servers were taken out in mid-February. The estimated 35,000 zombie clients associated with the Mega-D botnet were infected with the Ozdok Trojan.

After 10 days of inactivity, spam from compromised hosts began flowing again earlier this week, after hackers re-established control. Despite the short offline period, Spam-D accounted for an estimated 11% of junk mail in February. Other active spam botnets include Hacktool.Spammer (AKA Spam-Mailer) and botnets associated with the Pushdo (AKA Pandex) family of malware. The infamous Storm botnet, estimated to have about 85,000 compromised hosts, is thought to be responsible for only 3% of spam.

Most of the times, spammers have access to multiple botnets and they have been simultaneously sending spam promoting Express Herbals, a line of male enhancement pills. (almost 70% of spam promotes male enhancement pills)

According to February statistics from Network Box, a managed security firm, the US continued to pump out the most spam and spread the most viruses. The country accounted for 13 % of all viruses and was the source of 15% of all spam (that is 2.5 times more than its closest junk mail rival, Turkey).

Source: The Tech Don

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PM Announces New Cabinet

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced his new administration on Tuesday, trimming his Cabinet from 32 to 27 seats, of which more than half featured new faces.

He also scrapped the post of parliamentary secretary and dropped big guns such as Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz (former International Trade and Industry Minister), Datuk Azmi Khalid (Home Affairs Minister) and Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis (Science, Technology and Innovations Minister).

He also merged the Home Affairs and Internal Security ministries, saying that they had many overlapping functions, and named former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar as its minister.

The full list:

Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Deputy Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department
Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz
Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim

Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz

Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department

Datuk Johari Baharom
Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim
Datuk K. Devamany
Datuk Hassan Malik


Finance
Minister - Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Second Finance Minister - Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
Deputies - Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Datuk Kong Cho Ha

Defence
Minister - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Deputy - Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop

Internal Security and Home Affairs

Minister - Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Deputies - Datuk Chor Chee Heong, Senator Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh

Housing and Local Government
Minister -Datuk Ong Ka Chuan
Deputies - Datuk Robert Lau , Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Works Minister

Minister - Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad
Deputy- Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

Energy, Water and Communications

Minister - Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy- Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
Minister - Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Deputy - Datin Paduka Rohani Abdul Karim

International Trade and Industry
Minister -Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Deputies- Loh Wei Keong, Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

Foreign Affairs

Minister -Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Deputy- Tunku Azlan Abu Bakar

Education
Minister -Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Deputies -Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Razali Ismail

Higher Education
Minister - Datuk Khaled Nordin
Deputies - Khoo Kok Choong, Datuk Idris Harun

Transport

Minister - Datuk Ong Tee Keat
Deputy - Anifah Aman

Human Resources
Minister - Datuk S. Subramaniam

Deputy- Datuk Noraini Ahmad

Women, Family and Community Development
Minister-Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen

Deputy- Noriah Kasnon

National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage

Minister- Datuk Shafie Apdal
Deputy-Datuk Teng Boon Soon

Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister- Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy- Fadilah Yusof

Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development

Minister - Datuk Noh Omar
Deputy- Datuk Saiffuddin Abdullah

Natural Resources and Environment
Minister - Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas
Deputy - Datuk Abu Ghapur Salleh

Rural and Regional Development

Minister - Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib
Deputy- Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

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