:~:Life's A Miracle!:~:

No Boob Jobs, Please, We're British

2009-08-13T20:44:00.001+08:00

Source: Agence France-Presse - 8/12/2009 11:15 PM GMT

Help! I've just had my breasts enlarged and I don't like the new size. British embassy -- sort out my boobs!
Along with tips on jam-making and how best to discipline naughty boys, these are just a few of the bonkers requests being fired at British embassies around the world, the Foreign Office said Thursday.
The country's 261 diplomatic missions across the globe are getting fed up of bizarre demands for help from Brits abroad, some of whom seem to think the British embassy is an agency for finding lost sunglasses and paying bills.
"If you have a serious problem abroad -- maybe you've been involved in an accident, have lost your passport or are a victim of crime -- we can help you," said Juliet Maric, the British Consul in Alicante on the Spanish east coast.
"But we can't tell you who is allowed to use your swimming pool, pay your taxi fares for you -- or do anything about the exchange rate.
"We regularly get enquiries from people who think we're a one-stop-shop for any problem they might encounter while abroad; this can be frustrating as we need to focus resources on the serious cases that we're there to help with."
One lady, unhappy with the size of her newly-boosted breasts following surgery, asked if the embassy could help.
A mother asked the Florida consulate to help her teenage son pack his suitcase and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling unwell.
One person called in consular assistance to find out what ratio of fruit to sugar should be used when making jam.
A holidaymaker in Italy asked the embassy where a particular brand of shoes could be bought.
Other requests have included asking for embassy staff to pay a bill when a credit card had "maxed out" and a traveller asking "Can you tell me how to make my naughty son behave?"
"Our embassies are not there to provide weather reports or give advice on unruly children," said consular affairs minister Chris Bryant.
"It's important that British nationals understand what the Foreign Office can and can't do for them."

'Tis The Season...To Lodge Police Reports & File SDs

2008-07-11T19:30:00.003+08:00

Nothing quite like what's happening right here and right now in Bolehland has ever happened in this nation's history.

Oh well, at least as far as I know the history of this country, that is.

And have you done your part?

What part, you ask?

No. Am not talking about casting your votes in the ballot boxes. That was done on March 8th and the nation hasn't quite been the same since.

And no. Am also not talking about paying your taxes. That deadline of April 30th has also passed.

Am talking about what people in this country 'generally do' in the month of July, the official month for police reports and statutory declarations (SD)!

What?

Whaaaaaaaat? You mean you didn't know you HAVE to lodge a police report or probably file a statutory declaration come July?

Common! Where have you been? Timbaktu?

The whole nation is thriving on police reports after police reports and sworn statements and you just sit there not doing anything?

Get up, you lazy moron. Get out there. Head to the police station and lodge your report. Nevermind if its over trivial matters, after all the law enforcers are there to help us.

If police reports aren't your cuppa, fret not. Go see a commissioner for oath and declare all that you know of who's who and there, bingo! You've just done your part for the country.

Now, now, now...with a spate of all these police reports, will the cops just have the time to investigate?

Hey, don't sweat over it man.

When they are done investigating one another for alledgedly not sharing bribes received, they'll get to your case.

Promise. Don't you trust me?

You gotta have faith.

After all, we're talking of the men in blue who profess the BERSIH. CEKAP. AMANAH. tagline.

Source: www.thestar.com.my
Friday July 11, 2008
By SARBAN SINGH

Cop vs cops in Gemas station
GEMAS: A policeman has lodged a report against all his colleagues including his superiors allegedly over dissatisfaction on how the monthly bribes from those operating illegal activities was being distributed.
In retaliation, one of his superiors, a sergeant, lodged another police report against the policeman, a lance corporal, for allegedly selling station property to scrap dealers.
A source said the lance corporal, in his 40s, was dissatisfied with his superiors for allegedly taking the lion’s share of the bribes while the rank and file received very little.
“In fact, the complainant claimed that he did not get a sen,” the source said.
The report was lodged earlier this week.
The sergeant, in an apparent tit-for-tat, lodged another report against the lance corporal alleging that he had sold some old wooden and iron furniture from the police station to a dealer.
“His colleagues even know where the dealer is operating from,” the source said.
State police chief Datuk Osman Salleh confirmed that a report has been lodged.
“We are investigating the claims made by the lance corporal. We do not want to make conclusions straightaway as the allegations are serious,” he said.
He said all the policemen were still on duty and have not been asked to go on leave.
He said action would be taken against his men if the claims were true.
It is understood that the Anti-Corruption Agency has also started a probe.

Random Thoughts

2008-06-02T22:08:00.003+08:00

The F*** Word...On A Bill?

2008-02-20T17:53:00.003+08:00

Yeah, they are sorry over it now but I'm still curious as to how it got there in the first place!

Restaurant sorry over F word bill

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

A restaurant owner has apologised after diners had their very own F word experience - without Gordon Ramsay.
Ten friends found the abusive and sexually-explicit message on their bill at Joe Delucci's Italian restaurant in Bird Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire.
Diner Clare Watkin said she thought it was written after they complained about poor service.
The party from Walsall had gone to the restaurant on Friday. Owner Nigel Langsdon has begun an investigation.
Ms Watkin said: "I couldn't believe it. The bill read 'fish cakes', which one of us had for a starter, and it was written right above it - absolutely disgusting language.
"We actually booked the table for 8 o' clock in the evening, by the time they had taken our order it was quarter to nine and we didn't actually receive our food until quarter past 10."
She added: "I'd like a written apology from the restaurant and I'd also like some compensation.
"I think that the way that we've been spoken to is absolutely outrageous."
TV chef Gordon Ramsay's foul-mouthed diatribes on his Channel 4 show The F Word have given viewers an insight into the type of language often used in the restaurant kitchen.
Joe Delucci's owner Mr Langsdon said the message had been meant to be seen only by kitchen staff and he did not know how it ended up as an item on the receipt.
He said: "That shouldn't come out on the bill, so we've got to find out what's gone wrong there.
"But we have apologised unreservedly to the girls concerned and said that they're very welcome to come back and have a free meal and we'd like them to."
He has also offered to donate the bill for their meal to charity.
The cost of the meal came to £284.68, including a 10% service charge.

Linking High Heels & Improved Sex Life

2008-02-05T17:52:00.000+08:00

I never saw the link between high heels and sex life...all my life, I only know of unbearable back ache when I stand too long wearing heels but boy, this sure is a discovery to all those who kick ass with their heels!

High heels 'may improve sex life'

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hers may be a little on the high sideWearing higher heels - although perhaps not stilettos - may improve your pelvic floor muscles and in doing so boost your sex life, a study suggests.
An Italian urologist and self-professed lover of the sexy shoe set out to prove that high heels were not as bad for women's health as some suggest.
The shoe has been linked to a range of problems - from corns to schizophrenia.
But in a letter to European Urology, Dr Maria Cerruto said her research showed it was time to stand up for the heel.
She said her study of 66 women under 50 found that those who held their foot at a 15 degree angle to the ground - the equivalent of a two inch heel - had as good posture as those who wore flat shoes, and crucially showed less electrical activity in their pelvic muscles.
This suggested the muscles were at an optimum position, which could well improve their strength and ability to contract.
The pelvic floor muscles are an essential component of the female body. As well as assisting sexual performance and satisfaction, they provide vital support to the pelvic organs, which include the bladder, bowels and uterus.
But they often weaken after pregnancy and childbirth, and as the woman gets older. There are exercises to strengthen them, but Dr Cerruto hopes her findings may eliminate the need for these.
"Women often have difficulty in carrying out the right exercises for the pelvic zone and wearing heels could be the solution," she said.
"Like many women, I like high-heeled shoes," she added. "It's good to know they have potential health benefits."
Gill Brook, a women's health physiotherapist in Bradford, stressed the findings did not suggest that stilettos were a good thing for those keen on improving their pelvic floor function.
"But for women who like a slightly higher heel, these are reassuring findings - although we haven't yet done away with the need for regular exercises to maintain what is such an important part of the female body."

Poor Bird!

2008-02-05T17:15:00.000+08:00

To say the least, I was aghast after reading the following news.

What do they mean by refusing to die after the throat was slit twice? Any sane and compassionate person would have let that bird go but no - not in this case when the complain is that the bird is back on its two feet despite the horror!

Now, what do you say about this?

NST Online » Local News
05/02/2008

Duck that refuses to die

ALOR GAJAH: A duck that refuses to die after having its throat slit twice has become the talk of Masjid Tanah here.

Bahari Ali, 44, said he slit its throat about 7.45am on Sunday, but found it alive hours later.

The poultry farmer said the duck's throat had nearly been severed, but it was none the worse for it.

"Its throat had a large cut but the duck was still breathing," he said.

After observing the duck for 15 hours, Bahari sought the help of an imam to finish the job.

However, the duck did not die even after the imam slit its throat a second time.

Bahari said he had expected the duck to be dead by morning, but found it waddling around as usual.

"It is beginning to smell bad and cannot eat because of the two cuts. But it is still doing what it normally does in its coop," he added.

A Cuckolded Hubby & A Drunk Pooch

2008-01-08T09:31:00.000+08:00

A new year, a new start and what have we got here?

750,000 dollars in damages for cuckolded husband
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A Mississippi businessman must pay more than 750,000 dollars in damages to the man whose wife he wooed away, after the US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal in the case.
In 1997, Sandra Valentine began working for Jerry Fitch, a wealthy realtor and successful businessman.
When she gave birth to a daughter two years later, it quickly became apparent that her boss -- not her plumber husband -- was the baby's father.
The couple divorced a short time later, after legal proceedings in which she acknowledged an adulterous relationship with Fitch, whom she tied the knot with a short time later.
But armed with the admission of adultery, betrayed ex-husband Johnny Valentine decided to sue Fitch, based on an antiquated Mississippi state law permitting a cuckolded spouse to seek damages for "loss of society, companionship, love and affection," as well as "the loss of sexual relations."
About a half dozen US states have similar "alienation of affection" laws on the book.
The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld a jury verdict awarding some 750,000 dollars to Valentine.
Fitch, who decried the verdict as unconstitutional, "antiquated" and based on "medieval notions" about marriage and property, appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court which refused to overturn the verdict.
His appeal of last resort failed on Monday when the US Supreme Court declined to take up the case.

The next time you have plans of wooing someone else's partner, think again and while you are it, check your bank balance too!

Dog hospitalised for being over the limit: newspaper

VIENNA (AFP) - A dog was admitted to a veterinary clinic in Austria at the weekend, barely able to stand on his own four paws and reeking "like a beer hall," a newspaper reported on Monday.
Dingo, a three-year-old labrador weighing 40 kilogrammes (88 pounds), was a pitiful sight when his owner, a hunter, brought him in to the surgery in the Salzkammergut region, the Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten quoted vet Karl Hofbauer as saying.
"The dog had dreadful wind and diarrhea, and was vomiting a lot," Hofbauer said.
"When I got him up on the table, it smelt like a distillery."
Tests indicated that the dog had a blood alcohol content of 1.6 milligrams per 100 millilitres.
But that was not the result of Dingo having one drink too many, the owner insisted.
The hungry pooch had stolen and secretly devoured half a kilogramme of fresh yeast dough from the kitchen. Alcohol had formed inside his stomach as a result of the fermentation process, leaving poor old Dingo stone drunk.
"Nasty-minded people said that we hunters are often drunk. With me, it's my dog," joked the owner.

Now, make sure you keep an eye on your pooch, will you?

Parents Should Pay Climate Change Tax On Extra Kids: Expert

2007-12-11T09:45:00.000+08:00

If you're an Aussie and planning to have children, plan it well...coz as opposed to some goverments which encourage you to have more offspring, below is a suggestion for parents to be reponsible towards the environment for each child they bring into the world.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Parents who have more than two children should be charged a lifelong climate change tax to offset the effect of their extra greenhouse gas emissions, an Australian medical expert has proposed.

They should pay 5,000 dollars (4,400 US) a head for each extra child and up to 800 dollars every year thereafter, according to the plan published in the Medical Journal of Australia.
In contrast, contraceptives and sterilisation procedures would be eligible for carbon credits, suggested Professor Barry Walters at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth.
"Every family choosing to have more than a defined number of children should be charged a carbon tax that would fund the planting of enough trees to offset the carbon cost generated by a new human being," he wrote.
Walters, an obstetrician, made his proposal in a letter in which he criticised the government's payment of a 4,000 dollar "baby bonus" in a bid to boost the birth rate in this sparsely-populated country of 21 million people.
Paying parents extra for every baby fuelled more emissions and contributed to global warming, he said, adding that the bonus should be replaced with a "baby levy" in line with the "polluter pays" principle.
And Professor Garry Egger, director of the New South Wales Centre for Health Promotion and Research, agreed.
"Population remains crucial to all environmental considerations," he wrote. "The debate (around population control) needs to be reopened as part of a second ecological revolution."

Need Hair Cut? IC, Please!

2007-12-05T13:39:00.000+08:00

New licences for new year
By K.W. MAK

Source: www.thestar.com.my

WITH immediate effect, all hair salons, beauty centres, massage parlours and cyber cafes in Petaling Jaya will have to make fresh applications for licences if they want to continue operations next year.
Instead of the normal annual re-newal of the licences for these businesses this year, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) now requires the operators to submit completely fresh applications, accompanied by deposits of between RM1,000 and RM10,000. This means that building renovation plans must also be attached to the applications.
Another new requirement is the compulsory registration of customers of their names, identity card numbers, nationality and addresses. The records must be available for inspection by council officers at any time.
Massage businesses operated by the blind are not exempted from ruling. They would have to pay a RM1,000 deposit to get their licen-ces. The normal massage parlours and spa centres have to deposit RM10,000 each for their licences.
Several hair salon and massage parlour owners have approached StarMetro to complain about the financial burden and inconvenience caused by the new ruling. None of them, however, was willing to be identified for fear of being victimised or blacklisted by the council.
“We have been in business for the past 10 years and all this while we have only been paying for our licen-ce. So, why do they want us to pay a deposit now?” a hair salon owner said.
He produced a letter from the council dated Nov 23, telling the business owners to comply with the rules before Nov 27.
“If we are renting the premises from the council, then I understand the need to pay a deposit but they don’t even give a reason for the deposit. So now, I will have RM1,000 locked away so long as I’m in business. That’s not fair and it is a burden on my business,” he said.
On the registration of customers, the operators are worried that walk-in customers would find it a hassle to provide all the details required. Some may object to the registration and stop frequenting their shops.
A council licensing department officer said, however, that hair salons would not need to get all the details but just the names and identity card numbers of their customers.
The officer said a more detailed explanation on the requirement would be given to business operators when they send in their fresh applications for the licences.
When contacted, Kampung Tunku assemblyman and MBPJ councillor Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said the new ruling was implemented because there were new bylaws passed by the state for all municipal councils to follow.
“The problem isn’t with the policy but with the way the licensing department is implementing it,” Dr Wong said.
Wong said he had received several complaints on the matter, as the department was asking businesses to submit a fresh application, which would require all documents like renovation plans and floor plans.
“The issue is with the circular by the licensing department. The councillors were only involved in debating on the policy. The implementation process is left to the departments,” Dr Wong said.
“I feel there can be some improvement. I will ask for a review of the need to submit the full documentation to the council because all it really needs is the floor plans to calculate how much to charge the businesses,” he said.
On the matter of deposit, Dr Wong said it was to ensure the cleanliness of the business premises as per the new guidelines from the state government.
He said that if businesses found it unreasonable, they could appeal for a review from the council.

The Hidden Facts Of Our Hands

2007-11-27T15:22:00.000+08:00

23 November 2007
What your hands reveal about your health

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

I always try to shake hands when I meet a patient for the first time. I'm not just being polite - your hands are packed with information about your general health. In fact, doctors can often tell more about your health by your hands than your face.
From skin rashes and shakiness to the shape of your fingers and the state of your nails, your hands are a trail of red hot clues.
Handshakes and shaky hands
An innocent hand shake can often give doctors a clue as to how anxious you are - you might have unusually hot or sweaty palms. But this can also indicate an overactive thyroid or perhaps another type of gland problem.
GPs may not be consciously assessing your endocrine system as we greet you, but we’re likely to notice anything unusual.
At the same time, your doctor could be alert to any bony deformities or painful areas in your hand - though he or she will try not to make you wince with their grip. People with osteoarthritis often have hard bony lumps around the joints of their fingers, especially the joint nearest the fingertips. These are called Heberden’s nodes, named after the prominent 18th century English physician William Heberden.
It's thanks to another British physician that I might check for a particular type of tremor in your hands. James Parkinson documented the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in 1817 in his Essay on the Shaking Palsy. The tremor of Parkinson's classically has a frequency of about 4-5Hz, is worse at rest, and improves on movement.
There are other tremors, too. An 'essential' tremor is more rapid and, if you've got warm moist palms, might get me thinking about your thyroid. On the other hand, it could be down to alcohol withdrawal if you’re alcoholic, or simply something you've inherited.
Why is he looking at my hands?
After a handshake and a check for any tremor, your GP may at some point later in the consultation take your hands and have a really good look at them because they contain important clues about your health and habits.
Tobacco stains are a giveaway - you may say you're not smoking any more, but your yellow-brown fingers can betray you.
Your hands can also tell your doctor a lot about the state of your liver. One of the classic signs of liver disease is reddening of the skin on your palms, typically the side where your little finger is, known as palmar erythema.
There are other causes and it doesn't always mean something's wrong, but sometimes it can point your GP in the right direction.
Another possible sign of liver disease is the spider naevus – a central capillary with several fine blood vessels running out from it, a bit like a spider's legs. They can occur anywhere on the skin but hands are a common site.
Lots of us have the odd spider naevus, but if you have many it's worth having them checked out. People with alcoholic liver disease often have both multiple spider naevi and palmar erythema.
Dupytren's contracture has become famous as a problem former prime minister Margaret Thatcher has developed. A thickening of the tissues in the palm of the hand slowly causes some of the fingers to bend over into the palm, forming a sort of claw. It typically affects the ring finger first.
Doctors don't yet know why this tissue becomes thickened. It seems to run in families, but it's more common in people with cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, epilepsy and alcohol dependence.
One of the most striking things your doctor looks for is 'clubbing'. This is where the soft tissue around the ends of your fingers and toes increases, and your fingers end up looking like matchsticks with a sort of clubbed end.
Again, no one knows why it happens but it's associated with a range of conditions, from serious lung disease to liver cirrhosis or inflammatory bowel diseases.
Nails and health
Your nails can tell a fascinating story about your health - past and present.
The reason you're asked to remove any nail varnish when you're about to have an operation is that one of the easiest ways to check how much oxygen there is in your blood is by looking at your nails - they turn from a healthy pink to a dusky blue colour if you’re low on oxygen. Nail varnish could conceal an important clue to how you are.
Hollowed-out, spoon-shaped nails - known as koilonychia in the trade - can be normal in children and they grow out of it, but sometimes it can be a sign of iron deficiency.
Pitting of the nails - tiny depressions in the nail plate - is classically seen in psoriasis. But you can also get it in a variety of other strange-sounding diseases such as sarcoidosis and pemphigus.
Splinter haemorrhages are long, thin, vertical red or brown lines beneath the nail. They're caused by blood leaking from capillaries, often after the nail's been damaged, or because of psoriasis or a fungal infection.
They can sometimes be a sign of something called bacterial endocarditis - a serious infection of the heart valves.
Horizontal lines (depressions) across the nails, called Beau’s lines, can provide a fascinating history of trauma or illness. They rarely represent anything serious, but they're caused by any disease severe enough to disrupt nail growth.
Knowing that nails grow at a rate of 1mm every six to ten days, you can estimate the timing of the disease by measuring the distance from the line to the nail bed.
Children and healthy adults commonly have one or more white lines or spots on one or more nails. These can appear in different places on different nails, they don’t span the nail and are nothing to worry about. They’re thought to be due to random trauma to the nail bed.
All of which explains why your GP might take a close look at your hands.

Dr Graham Easton works in a London GP practice with around 10,000 patients. It has three GP partners, three salaried doctors and fully computerised medical records. His medical training was at The Royal London Hospital. He's also an experienced medical journalist who has worked for BBC Radio Science and the British Medical Journal.

Why Women Lie

2007-11-16T16:54:00.000+08:00

No, I'm not advocating that women lie and that they justify this action with rather logical reasons...well actually, now that I've thought about it, yeah, it does sound like women are able to lie and justify the reason(s) for it rather convincingly too! Ain't we talented?

This is just for laughs, forwarded to me by my best friend, so read and enjoy.

One day, a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river and her thimble fell into the river.

When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?"

The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and she needed the thimble to make her living.
The Lord went down into the water and reappeared with a golden thimble.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again went down and came up with a silver thimble.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

Again the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord went down again and came up with a wooden thimble.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

"The seamstress replied, "Yes."

The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.
Some time later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank and her husband fell into the river.

When she cried out the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?"

"Oh, Lord, my husband has fallen into the water!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with Mel Gibson.

"Is this your husband?" the Lord asked.

"Yes," cried the seamstress.

The Lord was furious, "You lied! That is an untruth!"

The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to Mel Gibson, you would have come up with Tom Cruise. Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Then, If Had I said 'yes' you would have given me all three. Lord, I am a poor woman and am not able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S WHY I said yes to Mel Gibson."
The moral of this story is:

Whenever a woman lies, it is for a good and honourable reason and for the benefit of others. That's our story and... we're sticking to it!
CHEERS FOR ALL WOMEN!

Sickening

2007-11-05T10:42:00.000+08:00

First, we have a sick maniac doing this:

Tragic news for housewife who went to work
BY ANDREW SAGAYAM

Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/

GOMBAK: The mother had only started working about a month ago after years as a housewife. They had been looking for someone to look after their older daughter.
Their only son was away at a boarding school and their younger daughter was at the baby-sitter's place. Nine-year-old Preeshena Varshiny was home alone.
On Thursday, the family paid a heavy price for leaving her alone without a minder.
The little girl was raped, sodomised and murdered before being pushed off the balcony at the posh Casa Mila Tower condominium in Selayang.
Police believe someone with access to the condominium could have been responsible for the vicious crime.
The condominium is a gated community and anyone who wants to access the premise must first report to the guardhouse.
“We are investigating this,” Gombak OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Abdullah said, adding that police also believed somebody at the condominium could have seen the girl being lured out from her unit.
Those with information can call Gombak district police headquarters at 03-6138 5222 or the Rakan COP hotline at 03-2115 9999 or send an SMS to 32728, or log on to www.rakancop.net.
He said initial police investigation has ruled out robbery or break-in as a motive.
The source also said police have found a piece of paper with Preeshena’s home telephone number in a vacant unit on the second floor of the same block where she lived.
Police believe Preeshena put up a struggle before she was pushed off the balcony. A window of the unit was found ajar when police inspected it.
Initially, police had thought Preeshena had slipped and fallen to her death.
However, when post mortem results revealed that the SRK St Mary’s pupil, who suffered a broken right arm and multiple bruises on her chest, back and private parts, was raped and sodomised, police reclassified the case as murder.
The victim’s father, who declined to be named, said he believed the person responsible for the killing had monitored the family’s movement.
The father, a marketing and technical manager, said they rarely heard any crime committed at their condominium since they moved in there two-and-a-half years ago.
The 40-year-old said that Preeshena had called him on Wednesday and informed him that someone had knocked on their front door loudly. The father told her not to open the door.
On Thursday, Preeshena was found sprawled on the ground floor by a security guard. She was clad in a blue T-shirt and shorts. The keys to her condominium unit were found nearby her body.

Then, we have a sickening follow-up news as follows:

Shahrizat appalled, wants parents questioned

Source: www.nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Officers from the Welfare Department are expected to interview the parents of the girl who was raped and murdered on Thursday.
Preeshena Varshiny, 9, was raped, sodomised and thrown off the balcony of her condominium unit.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said she was "appalled" that Preeshena's parents had left their daughter home alone.

"I'm sad to say this, but we have to talk to the parents and ask them why she was left alone and not sent to the babysitter like her sister. She's only 9. I will be sending my officers there to find out."

"It sickens me to hear of such cases. I want the police to go all out to find the person responsible for this. Do a manhunt if you have to."
"I'm sure the killer(s) are probably still in the vicinity of the condominium, and could be easily located if all parties co-operate to find them. Since it happened in a flat, it is much easier to trace the perpetrators.

"The police and people living in the neighbourhood must co-operate in this case. I'm sure someone there knows what happened."

Shahrizat said the government could only do so much to protect young children from being victimised. It was society that had the most important role to play.

"Neighbours have to be nosy and alert the authorities if they feel something fishy is going on, especially when it involves children."

Then again, we have this coming our way too:

Make more babies, Chinese told

Source: www.thestar.com.my
SIBU: The Chinese should make more babies to arrest the community’s dwindling birth rate.
State Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh said lower birth rate had resulted in the country’s Chinese population plunging from 37% in 1957 to 25% in 2005.
“This will slip further to 24% by 2010 or a drop of 1% in every five years,” he said at the United Chinese Association’s 30th anniversary dinner.
He also voiced his concern on the high number of Chinese migrating to other countries.
He said that to stop such migration Chinese parents should enrol their children into the local universities instead of sending them abroad.
“There are good colleges and universities in this country to cater for the local population.
“There is no need to send their children abroad for further education,” said Wong.

And what even more sickening is that Nurin's killer is still on the loose, at least, that's what I gather from media reports.

Arnie says marijuana 'not a drug'

2007-10-29T14:22:00.000+08:00

Arnie says marijuana 'not a drug'

The governor of California says marijuana is not a drug, a British magazine reported today.
Arnold Schwarzenegger told the British edition of GQ magazine that he had not taken drugs.
The former bodybuilder and Hollywood star has acknowledged using marijuana in the 1970s and was shown smoking a joint in the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron.
"That is not a drug. It's a leaf," Schwarzenegger told GQ.
"My drug was pumping iron, trust me," he added.
In an interview for the magazine's December issue, Schwarzenegger refused to condemn politicians who declined to answer questions about drug use.
"What would you rather have? A politician taking stuff and not saying, but making the best decisions and improving things? Or a politician who names all the drugs he or she has taken but makes lousy decisions for the country?" Schwarzenegger was quoted as saying.
"A politician's job is to do what's best for the people and to improve the country, the economy, the environment. Why should I care if a politician takes sleeping pills every night so long as he can do his job?"
In the same interview, Schwarzenegger listed former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left office in June, as one of the greatest leaders in history, alongside former South African President Nelson Mandela, US Presidents John F Kennedy and Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Asked if he would include US President George W Bush on the list, Schwarzenegger - a Republican - said: "I would say that I was ... very fond of his father. I worked for President Bush Senior and he was a great man."
"I think his son does some great things and there are some other things I don't agree with."
AP

Eventful Birthday

2007-10-25T16:34:00.000+08:00

This birthday was rather eventful.

Though the day was a usual working day, it started off with an emergency evacuation and fire drill which involved all occupants of Menaraa MAA. It also witnessed the participation of the police, ambulance as well as the fire and rescue department.So for about 45 minutes today, hundreds of us had to leave our workstation and stand at the open air car park which by the way, for those of you who are unfamiliar, is smack next to the cemetery.So there we were, standing in the hot sun, chatting away and disturbing of course, our handsome and sweet as ever, floor fire marshall.

Now you see him without the specs...

and now you see him with it!

Aww, isn't he so sweet?

If you are on level P1 of Menara MAA, make sure you remember this cute guy as he's the one you'll need to follow and check your attendance with during emergency evacuations.

And I'm not kidding you when I say he takes his 'fire marshall' duty of P1 seriously, he called all our names loud and clear to ensure we are all safe and sound. Such is the amazing commitment of Calvin whenever you assign him to do something.

Back home on my birthday, my husband decided to have a quiet celebration like this:

The cake was small and simple but like I told my husband, the small cake meant the world to me :-)

And the above cute teddy and card came from my mother and father-in-law. Cute ain't it?

Roachy Scare

2007-10-08T13:47:00.000+08:00

Yikes! Can someone please take to task, whoever is responsible, for this dead-roach-in-bread incident?

A surprise in his loaf of bread
By Rizalman Hammim
Source: www.nst.com.my

SEREMBAN: A construction supervisor and his wife nearly had a little “extra protein” in their sandwiches on Thursday.
Mohd Rafi Mohd Kamal found a dead cockroach in a loaf of bread he bought from a grocery shop near his Seremban 2 home.
“I didn’t notice anything wrong with the bread until I got to the last few slices. I found a dead cockroach sandwiched between them,” said the 31-year-old.
He says his wife Shukrina Abdullah fell ill after eating a few slices from the same end of the loaf where the cockroach was found.
“She was vomiting and had diarrhoea. The doctor said it might have been caused by the contaminated bread,” said Rafi, adding that he noticed a few spots of mould on the bread even though the expiry date on the label was Oct 6.
Shukrina lodged a police report on the same day but Rafi said when he contacted the manufacturer, the company tried to brush off his complaint.
“They asked me to send the bread to them so they could conduct tests and investigate the matter.
“I declined because I want the tests to be done by a neutral body,” he said.
He lodged a report and submitted the bread to the Negri Sembilan health department for testing yesterday.
“My next move depends on the test results,” he said.
The manufacturer’s Nilai facility was temporarily closed down last year because it was unhygienic, and the company was employing illegal workers as well as using cooking oil without a halal certification.

A New Heart & A Broken Heart

2007-10-05T10:26:00.000+08:00

I felt extremely humbled after reading the words spoken by the late heart donor's father when describing why he chose to donate his son's heart to Tee Hui Yi.

It goes to show only one thing - however much we try to differentiate ourselves based on race, religion, age and status in life, when it comes down to the issue of life and death, we stand united as one human race.

Hui Yee gets a new heart
By LOH FOON FONG

Source: www.thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Mechanical heart girl Tee Hui Yi successfully underwent a heart transplant yesterday after receiving the organ from an accident patient who died in Ipoh on Wednesday.
Several of the 15-year-old donor's organs were donated.
Hui Yi, 14, was wheeled into the National Heart Institute (IJN) operating theatre at 10.45pm on Wednesday and surgery for heart-donor implantation started at 1.30am, according to a statement issued by IJN.
The boy's heart and lungs were flown into Subang Airport from Ipoh Hospital through the Royal Malaysian Air Force mercy flight.
The IJN transplant team, headed by chief cardiothoracic surgeon Datuk Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub and Heart and Lung Transplant clinical director Dr Mohamed Ezani Md Taib performed the surgery simultaneously with another double lung transplant on a 39-year-old man suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (lung failure).
Six cardiothoracic surgeons, six anaesthetists, one physician from the Respiratory Research Institute and 30 paramedics were involved in the surgeries.
The whole surgery process lasted more than 10 hours and the recipients were wheeled out of the operation theatre to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at 9.05am yesterday.
Both recipients remain in critical condition.
Hui Yi currently requires temporary mechanical support for the new heart to stabilise.
She has been carrying a mechanical heart assist device and has waited for a donor heart for more than a year. Her mother Dina Bato Sam Bua, 46, has been steadfastly by her side since she was warded at IJN.
Asked how long Hui Yi will be at the ICU, IJN CEO Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus said it would depend on her condition.
“Let’s all pray for her recovery,” he said.
Dina and her husband Tee Ah Soon, 51, were not ready for comments, he said.
No further information was available about the 39-year-old man except that he had waited for lung transplant for eight months.
To date, IJN has performed 18 heart transplants since 1997 and three lung transplants since 2005. There are 13 more patients needing heart and lung transplants on the waiting list.
In Ipoh, the father of the donor said he might have lost his son but he felt that he had gained a foster daughter, HAH FOONG LIAN reports.
The man, who wants to remain anonymous, said he felt happy when he received a telephone call from a doctor telling him that his son’s heart had been successfully transplanted to Hui Yi.
“Although I have lost a son, I now feel like I have a foster daughter,” he said.
The donor’s father also expressed surprised that the press knew the family’s whereabouts.
He said the family did not ask for money or any word of thanks.
The only condition he had asked of the hospital was to not reveal the identity of his son.
On why he agreed for his son to be an organ donor, he said: “My son was God’s gift to me. Now, it is time to return the gift to God.”

While I felt really good inside after reading the above piece, I came across this:

'RM3.5m' wedding couple split up

Source: www.nst.com.my

KUANTAN: Datin Puteri Shahanaz Hazlin Hamdan yesterday filed for divorce from her husband, businessman Datuk Roslan Hashim.
Puteri Shahanaz, 25, a part-time model, and Roslan, 51, were married a year ago. Puteri Shahanaz, who is the grandniece of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang, turned up at the Syariah High Court here in a purple baju kurung and pink headscarf.

Her lawyer, Dzulkarnain Mohamad, told the court that efforts to hand the notice of the divorce to Roslan were unsuccessful as he was no longer living at his last known address in Shah Alam.

He applied to the court for more time as Roslan is believed to be living in Pendang, Kedah.
Syariah High Court judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Yunus, in allowing the application, fixed Oct 10 for re-mention.

The couple were married on Sept 9 last year.

Puteri Shahanaz was presented with a hantaran (gift) worth RM444,444.44, a BMW car worth RM250,000, a RM150,000 jewellery set, a 20-carat diamond ring worth RM20,000, designer items and a dowry of RM22,222.22.

The wedding was dubbed by the media as the most expensive wedding of the year.

Roslan claimed to have forked out more than RM3.5 million for the wedding.

The couple’s akad nikah (solemnisation of the marriage) took place at the bride’s residence in Medan Tok Sira, while the reception was held at the Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Ahmad Shah here.

Roslan divorced his first wife Ruslany Kassim in 1997.

So, in just a year, the RM3.5 million spent on this wedding has gone down the drain. How many heart transplants could that amount finance?
Think about it, long and hard.

Desperate Housewives Must Desperately Apologise

2007-10-04T09:29:00.000+08:00

Desperate Housewives racial slur: Philippines wants apology
Source: Agence France-Presse - 10/3/2007 10:25 AM

The Philippine government is to seek an apology from the producers of the hit US television series "Desperate Housewives" for a racial slur against Filipino medics, the Philippine Daily Inquirer said on its web site Wednesday.
The officials cited a recent episode where actress Teri Hatcher, who plays Susan Mayer, asked whether the person attending to her during a medical consultation "can I check those diplomas because I want to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines."
Asked if the government would seek an apology from the producers of the show, and ABC television network that carries it, executive secretary Eduardo Ermita said: "Yes, I think we should, on behalf of our Filipino professionals."
"On the face, we can look at it as a racial slur. We are looked down upon too much, considering the number of our medical professionals in the US," the Inquirer quoted Ermita as saying.
Ermita likewise appealed to civil society groups and other Filipino organisations in the US to "call the attention" of the show producers, and Hatcher, to the "racial slur."
Filipino consul in Los Angeles Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon wrote a letter of complaint to the ABC network saying that Filipino medical workers were in demand all over the world.
"The US recognises the students of Philippine medical and nursing schools and in general, does not require additional schooling in the US for Filipino healthcare professionals," she added.
Aragon also said many Americans go to the Philippines for medical services that they cannot afford at home, the foreign department said in a statement.

Court Allows Teen To Marry Lover

2007-10-03T13:43:00.000+08:00

Court allows teen to marry lover
By : Brenda Lim
Source: www.nst.com.my

IPOH: After running away from home and spending a night in a police lock-up early last month, 18-year-old Rajinder Kaur will finally be able to marry the man of her choice.
The High Court on Monday granted an order which allowed Rajinder to marry 22-year-old L. Jagathiesan. From the witness stand Rajinder declared publicly that Jagathiesan, a security guard, was her husband, causing a stir among lawyers and members of the public who were present in court. When judge Datuk V.T. Singham asked how this was possible as she was still single, Rajinder said: “We've already had intimate relations. He is my husband.”

When asked about her father objecting to the “marriage", she told the court it was because they were of different races - she a Punjabi and Jagathiesan, a Tamil.
Rajinder also said that she had come to court voluntarily and was not influenced or forced by anyone to make her statements.

Jagathiesan's father, T. Logidasan, had filed a suit at the end of August seeking a court order to allow his son and Rajinder to be married.

Rajinder could not get consent from her father, which was necessary for marriages involving persons under the age of 21.

According to affidavits filed with the court, Rajinder knew Jagathiesan since she was 14 years old while she was still studying at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bidor.

When her parents objected to the relationship, she ran away from home and lodged a police report at the Tapah police station on July 11.

In her report, she said that she was voluntarily leaving with Jagathiesan whom she loved and wanted to be with.

She also claimed that her family beat her, treated her roughly, and were making arrangements for her to marry another man.

“If I can't marry the one I love, I would rather kill myself than marry someone else,” she said in her police report, claiming that she was afraid of her family interfering and was appealing to the police for help.

On the same day, her parents lodged two police reports.

White vs Brown

2007-09-28T11:17:00.000+08:00

I know that they say modern Indian males (especially South Indians) are now less choosy when it comes to the skin colour of their wife-to-be, but, somehow, I still know of those who insist on marrying only those with fair complexion - despite the fact that they themselves aren't any brighter than the colour of my favourite American chocolate cake.

Why the bias and fuss, you ask?

I never knew and till today, I still find it puzzling that having 'fair skin' is among the top criteria for Indian men when seeking life partners.

Of course, some of my chauvinistic Indian male friends defend their preference which is ultimately colour-discrimination, by saying that they are only ensuring that their future generation looks better then them.

You want me to buy this story? Get out of here!

Beyond the pale?
By Naresh Puri
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

One of Bollywood's biggest film stars is being criticised by Asian campaigners for promoting a skin-lightening cream - a product that is now on the shelves of British shops.
The 40-second advertisement from India starts like so many others promoting razors or hair dye - but it's an ad with a very big difference.
There's a man who has no luck with the girls. He has markedly darker skin than his friends and the girl he is after. In a real song-and-dance Bollywood extravaganza, one of the biggest heart throbs of Indian cinema, Shahrukh Khan, hands over a cream to the hapless chap, along with some mild admonishment.
Within a few weeks, the young man has turned much lighter-skinned and confident. As he strides down the road like a modern-day answer to John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, the girls start flocking to him and chanting: "Hi handsome, hi handsome." Khan comes back into view with the product, Fair and Handsome.
The skin-lightening cream for men, along with its more feminine counterparts, has found its way into Asian supermarkets and stores in the UK.
While Khan's advert has not been shown yet in the UK, it too has made its way to British consumers via YouTube. And the product's success or failure in the British market place may say something about the nature of beauty and the politics of race.
Kiran Kaur - a Sikh human rights activist in west London, one of the epicentres of Asian cultural life in the UK - says the arrival of Fair and Handsome, with a Bollywood name in tow, is a step back in time.
'Age-old prejudices'
"The ad simply reinforces the idea that you've got to be fair to be anything in life," says Kiran. "It says that if you're fair and good looking, you'll be a wonderful daughter-in-law or husband, your skin colour determines how successful you'll be in life. The ad reinforces age-old prejudices."
The skin-lightening industry is worth at least £100m in India and the Fair-and-Handsome-for-Men range is the latest product from one of the market's big players.
Manufacturers say they are responding to a demand, but in recent years protests in India have seen at least one advert taken off air. Other lightening products targeted at black women have been on sale for years, some of them containing chemicals banned for years from British goods.
Actress Rani Moorthy knows first hand about the prejudice suffered by Asians with darker skin. She is currently touring the UK with her play that focuses on skin colour, Shades of Brown.
"When I was a child my grandmother took me to one side and said make sure you're good at something, no man will ever marry you for your looks," she says.
"I knew this was because I was dark skinned. It was treated as a disease and every Friday I had to have oil baths in an attempt to lighten my skin".
'A huge star'
She feels a major Bollywood star backing a skin-lightening cream will intensify the prejudice that already exists within the South Asian community, in which the darker skinned can find themselves looked down upon - just as it still happens in parts of India today.
"Deep within this 5,000-year-old culture is the thought that high ideals, nobility and high caste are associated with fair skin," she says. "Dark skin is regarded as low status and low caste."
But what chance do voices like Rani's stand against the screen presence of Shahrukh Khan? Perhaps the best measure of Khan's influence on British Asians is to look at the success of his films.
Dil Se, released in 1998, was the first Bollywood movie to make it into the British box office Top 10.
The film's key clips, including an exhilarating dance upon a moving train, have totted up more than one million hits on YouTube. Khan, a big enough brand to be known just as SRK, is the equivalent of Tom Cruise - and then some.
His Fair-and-Handsome advert won't be missed by British Asians as they follow every Bollywood move, says Sunny Hundal, the editor of Asians in Media, a website that charts the rise of British Asian culture.

'Immoral'
"Shahrukh Khan is a huge star in India and his endorsement will no doubt raise the profile of this product," he says. "Impressionable young men will get the idea that if they want to be attractive like him, they should also use it."
"The cult of media personality, especially cricket or Bollywood stars, is a much bigger phenomena in India and so brands are much more partial to celebrity endorsements.
Khan is Bollywood's 'Tom Cruise'"But what SRK is essentially doing is confirming and promoting the condescending attitude that many Indians have towards dark-coloured skin. His endorsement is completely immoral."
Neither the manufacturers nor a spokesman for Khan would comment on his involvement in the campaign.
But Manish Shah, a distributor for Fair and Handsome says skin lightening creams are very important because "everybody wants to look really good".
"They're not bad for the skin," he says. "If people have an inferiority complex because of their skin colour, then this product will really help. It does what it says. It makes you fair and handsome. There's a lot of interest in this product and quite simply it makes people look really good."

Durveish Turns Nine

2007-09-25T13:59:00.000+08:00

My second nephew, Durveish, turns nine today.

Happy birthday to Durveish:-)

Left to right: Big brother Avinaash & Durveish

Dead Body In Bag: It's Nurin

2007-09-20T17:08:00.000+08:00

This is nothing short of a barbaric act committed upon an innocent soul, who must have been totally defenseless throughout her horrifying moments of torture.

I don't know her, I don't know her parents but my heart grieves...it's painful to see a complete stranger undergoing such harsh treatment - can you imagine what it would be like for her parents and loved ones?

If the dead is indeed Nurin, my deepest sympathy to her parents. May her soul rest in peace and may God see to it that the perpetrator is justly dealt with.

DNA tests: Body found in bag is Nurin

Source: www.thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: The police have said that DNA tests on the body found stuffed in a sports bag on Monday in Petaling Jaya show that it is that of missing girl Nurin Jazlin Jazimin.
Petaling Jaya OCPD ACP Arjunaidi Mohamed on Thursday said that DNA tests have so far indicated that the body found in a shophouse at Jalan PJS1, Petaling Jaya Utama is that of Nurin, 8, who had been missing since Aug 20.
At Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Nurin's father Jazimin Abdul Jalil, 33, a taxi driver still denied the body was that of his daughter, reports BERNAMA.
"I am Nurin's father ... I know my daughter better than anyone else. My heart is saying the body is not my daughter.
"If police ask me to take the body, I will accept, I will perform the funeral rites and bury it. But I want the police to pursue the search for Nurin because I know Nurin is still safe out there," he said, speaking to reporters outside the HKL mortuary.
Jazimin added that he was sure the body was not Nurin because of the teeth and the scar that Nurin had.
According to Jazimin, Nurin's teeth did not have gaps between them and she also had a scar on her thigh.
Nurin's mother Norazian Bistaman, 35, said she was ready to accept what the authorities tell her.
"What else can I say. The DNA test shows she is my daughter. I will accept the will of God.
"As a mother, I still hope the body is not my daughter's. Which mother will accept the reality that her daughter was raped and killed brutally.
"Only God knows the extent of my sadness and grief," she said in tears.
Norazian said this year's Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations would be the most joyous and meaningful in her life in the event Nurin was found safe and sound.
"In fact, we've already bought Nurin's Hari Raya dress and I will patiently wait for her return," she added.

Dirty, Dirty Males

2007-09-18T13:57:00.000+08:00

Men are dirtier than women

Source:http://www.gulf-dailynews.com/story.aspArticle=194244&Sn=WORL&IssueID=30182

THE gender gap has widened when it comes to hygiene, according to the latest stakeout by the "hand washing police."
One-third of men did not bother to wash after using the bathroom, compared with 12 per cent of women, said researchers who spy on people in US public restrooms.
The study is based on observations last month of more than 6,000 people in four big American cities.
"Guys need to step up to the sink," said Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the Soap and Detergent Association, which co-sponsors the survey and related education campaigns.
Frequent hand washing is the single best thing people can do to avoid getting sick, from colds and the flu to germs lurking in food, doctors say.
Researchers for the American Society for Microbiology found that only 77pc people washed their hands, when it came to public restrooms.
Atlanta's Turner Field baseball stadium again was the worst. Only 57pc of guys there washed up, compared to 95pc of women.
In restrooms at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium and Museum of Science and Industry, 81pc of men and women combined washed their hands, compared to 79pc at New York's Penn and Grand Central train stations.

What In The World...

2007-09-18T11:45:00.000+08:00

is happening in our country? Have we really become so inhumane and senseless?

Child found sexually assaulted and killed
By RASHITHA A. HAMID
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.aspfile=/2007/9/18/nation/18914532&sec=nation
PETALING JAYA: She was just a little girl. But that did not stop some sick monster from killing her after sexually assaulting her.
Her naked body was stuffed into a sports bag and left at the staircase of a shop lot in PJS1/48 Petaling Utama yesterday.
There were bruises on her neck, suggesting that she may have been strangled. There were also bruises on her hands.
The girl, said to be between six and nine, was initially feared to be eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin who has been reported missing. But Nurin Jazlin’s parents, who rushed to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur mortuary, said it was not their daughter.
A supervisor with a book distributing company Cheng Yan Fang, 32, found the black-and-blue sports bag at 8.30am outside the premises. She thought the bag belonged to her employer who had just returned from Singapore.
Jack Yeoh Huat Lip, 51, the general manager of the company came in 30 minutes later and said the bag was not his.
When he opened it, he was horrified to see a pair of legs. He immediately called the police.
“Saturday was a half day and the office was closed yesterday,” Yeoh said, adding that the supervisor who left the office at 1pm on Saturday did not see anything near the staircase then.
Petaling Jaya police chief Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohd confirmed a post mortem report that the killer had placed a cucumber and a brinjal in the girl’s private parts.
“She must have endured so much pain before she died,” he said.
Police believe the girl, whose identity has not been ascertained, had been dead for more than six hours before her body was found.
Police are appealing to those with missing daughters to call the district police headquarters here at 03-79562222. No arrest has been made yet.

Hit repeatedly for recording proceedings
By MARIAM THANY
Source:http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/mm/Monday/Frontpage/20070917090805/Article/index_html

“A SELAYANG Municipal Council representative knocked me on the head with a book,” claimed animal lover Lim Ann Nee, who was among those who attended a meeting with the council on the dog-catching competition at its offi ce, last Friday.
The meeting was attended by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Malaysian Animal Assisted Therapy Association (PetPositve), Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Society (Roar), Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo) and the Coalition of Animal Lovers Malaysia (Calm).
“I was standing outside the MPS building with other animal lovers, waiting for the meeting to be over.
“When PetPositive representatives Anthony Thanasayan and Roar president N. Surendran (Surin) came out from the conference, we were surprised and started to speculate as to what could have happened.
“I started to film what was happening with my camcorder, including the directors leaving the office,” she said.
“I was not aware that a man was staring at me. He shouted ‘Apa you tangkap?’ (What are you recording?) “I switched off my camcorder but when he started to walk towards me, I knew something bad was going to happen and quickly switched it back on to record everything.
“The man realised that I was recording him, and he hit my camcorder.”

She claimed that her alleged assailant used a booklet he was holding and hit her for almost 10 minutes.
“He wanted to hit my head but failed because I was leaning and moving back to protect myself.
“Before he left, he shouted at me ‘Awak stupid and semua sini pergi mampus’ (You’re an idiot and all of you can go ahead and die),” said Lim.
Lim lodged a report at the Sentul police station the same day.
The Malay Mail contacted MPS president Zainal Abidin Azim on the matter, but he refused to comment.
“Since it’s already a police case, I leave it to them to investigate,” he said.
Zainal also denied knowing the alleged assailant and why he was at the meeting.
Calm representative Natasha Fernz, when contacted, said she witnessed the incident.
She also claimed that the man had also disrupted the meeting when they (the NGOs) complained that the meeting room, located on the second floor of MPS’s old building, was not conducive for Thanasayan, who is wheelchair bound.
They requested that the venue be changed to another room in MPS’s new building, which was better-equipped with facilities for the disabled.
She claimed that when the request was made, Lim’s alleged assailant and several other council representatives made snide remarks.
Natasha said after they moved to the new meeting room, they asked the council if the dog-catching competition would be cancelled.
She said that when State Assemblyman Datuk Tang See Hang replied that the competition would not be cancelled, all the NGOs except for representative from the SPCA, decided to walk out.
“Some of the MPS representatives started to shout at us, asking us to sit down. This was when Lim’s alleged attacker tried to stop Thanasayan from leaving, but he was held back by several people.
He even threatened to hit Thanasayan,” claimed Natasha.
She added that the incident continued outside when she saw the man hitting Lim.
She said Thanasayan and Surin had also lodged a police report on the incident.

Two Opposites

2007-09-17T16:05:00.000+08:00

On one paradise island in the world:

Scores killed in Thai plane crash
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

At least 88 people have been confirmed killed in a plane crash in the tourist resort of Phuket in southern Thailand.
The aircraft skidded off the runway after landing in heavy rain and exploded into flames.
It was carrying 123 passengers - most of them foreigners - and seven crew.

About 40 people escaped the burning wreckage and were taken to hospital.
Flight OG 269, operated by airline One-Two-Go, had flown to Phuket from the Thai capital, Bangkok.
More than 80 bodies have been recovered and are now lying in a makeshift morgue at Phuket airport.
Survivor
A French tourist aboard a plane behind the one that crashed told AFP news agency she saw the accident happen.
"When the plane landed it caught fire," she said. "We could see the fire coming out of it."
Survivors crawled out of the wreckage through thick smoke, many of them badly burned.
Passenger Parinwit Chusaeng told Thai TV: "I saw passengers engulfed in fire as I stepped over them on the way out of the plane.
"I was afraid that the airplane was going to explode, so I ran away."
Aborted landing?
Phuket Deputy Governor Worapot Ratthaseema said 42 people had been taken to hospital. Five are said to be in critical condition.
Those injured included nationals from Australia, Britain, France, Iran, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
At least 70 of the passengers were foreigners, officials said.
Both the pilot and co-pilot of the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 are among those who escaped.
Survivors say the pilot circled the area hoping for the weather to clear before making his final disastrous approach.
The flight was approaching the airport when the pilot asked to abort the landing, an aviation official told Thai television.
"The control tower allowed it but the aircraft fell to the runway and the body broke," he said.
One-Two-Go is one of Thailand's first budget airlines.
It was set up in December 2003 as a subsidiary of Orient Thai Airways, and services domestic routes.
This is Thailand's deadliest aviation accident since December 1998, when 101 people were killed after a Thai Airways crashed on landing near another southern resort.

And on the other side of the globe, in Down Under:

Australia navy in breast op row
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The navy said breast implants were not to make sailors "look sexy"Australia's opposition Labor Party has questioned the need for female sailors to be given breast enlargements paid for with public money.
An armed forces spokesman defended the operations, saying they were carried out for psychological reasons, not to make sailors "look sexy".
Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said the "holistic needs" of service personnel were considered under defence policy.
But he said breast augmentations were not routinely funded by the military.
"We do consider the broader needs of our people, both physical and psychological," Brig Nikolic said.
"But that is a long way from saying that if someone doesn't like their appearance, Defence will fund things like breast augmentation as a matter of routine - that is just not correct."
He was speaking after one plastic surgeon said he had carried out breast enlargements on two sailors, aged 25 and 32, for A$10,000 (£4,200) each.
Brig Nikolic said such operations were only recommended after a medical evaluation.
But the opposition Labor Party said it wanted details on the cases.
"On the face of it, taxpayer-funded breast enhancement is a questionable practice," said Labor defence spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon.
"I have to say [it] smacks of a government out of touch."

Chocoholism

2007-09-14T17:34:00.000+08:00

By admission under no duress - yes, I'm a chocolate lover but no addict.

But when I take a deeper look, I think I find it very hard to resist chocolate and anything chocolaty.

You know, ranging from edible cocoa chocolate to chocolate cakes to chocolate ice cream to chocolate chip cookies to chocolate milk to oh...just about anything remotely laced with chocolate, almost everything on this list gets my taste buds aroused and I mean it.

It's somehow programmed in my mind that chocolate must equal to good taste and great satisfaction! Of course I don't have a problem in keeping my chocolate intake under close watch due to health reasons but then again, chocolates never fail to melt me to my knees (and I don't think I'm alone in this!).

And being such a sucker of chocolates and anything chocolaty - or shall I just say being such a chocoholic - I try so hard to keep up with this global argument about whether chocolate is good for health and it seems to me like this is beginning to be like this 'now it's good and now it's not' kinda thing.

Oh well, the truth be told, its not like any amount of literature on how bad chocolate is for your health has ever stopped me from taking my next bite...and now, after reading the article below, I so agree with the fact that we continue lusting (at least me!) after chocolate due to its 'naughty but nice' appeal.

Chocolate cravings come out of the box
By Rebecca Morelle Science reporter, BBC News, York
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Our love of chocolate knows no bounds.
We think about it, dream about it, and probably - just sometimes - eat a bit too much of it. Some people even go so far as to claim to be addicted to it.
But what drives our cravings for chocolate?
Some believe it contains mind-bending ingredients that can enhance our moods.
bite, they maintain, and chocolate's psychoactive compounds cause warm and fuzzy feelings to wash over us, making us want more and more.
But Peter Rogers, professor of biological psychology from Bristol University who is speaking at the BA Festival of Science in York, has carried out research that suggests this is not the case.
Not the culprit
To test chocolate's feel-good power, he gave volunteers some tasteless capsules to swallow.
Some contained cocoa powder, which, because it contains a higher concentration of these mood-enhancing chemicals, should cause a marked effect on the volunteers' disposition; other capsules contained nothing but starch.
Professor Rogers said: "We tested how they were feeling afterwards - did they feel a buzz or an elevated mood after eating the cocoa?
"The volunteers did say that they felt a bit more alert and stimulated - but not euphoric. We think any slight stimulation is (down to) the caffeine."
He said that other research had also suggested chocolate's chemical make-up was not the culprit for our lust for the stuff.
"It doesn't stack up," he said.
"A lot of those substances are in other foods that do not have the same appeal as chocolate. Also, the concentration seems too low for them to be having an effect, especially in the UK's favourite type, milk chocolate."
Instead, he suggested that chocoholics were chocoholics because their favourite food was often deemed "naughty but nice".
He explained: "The nice bit is its sweet taste, lovely melt-in-the-mouth texture, and our associations that we have in our food culture - we use it as a gift, a reward and as something to treat ourselves with - which gives it extra appeal.
"On the negative side, it is something we shouldn't eat too much of, it's not a staple food in our diet, it is relatively high in fat and sugar, and therefore potentially unhealthy."
Different strokes
It is this that makes us want it so much. We are wrestling with the desire to eat it because it is so nice; but we restrain ourselves, because we perceive eating it as being naughty.
And this unfulfilled desire, said Professor Rogers, was experienced as a craving, which in turn is attributed to addiction.
Attitudes towards chocolate around the world also backed up this idea that our want for chocolate stems from the values we place upon it, he added.
In the US, he said, a survey of women showed that they mostly craved chocolate at certain points in their menstrual cycle, while in Spain, women said they wanted to eat it most after dinner.
"It is explained by culture and not chemistry," he added.
Tricking the brain
But how can we escape from this chocolate lust that may be all in the mind?
One way, said Professor Rogers, was to try thinking about a piece of fruit each time you thought about chocolate, in the hope that your cravings might transfer to the healthier option.
More realistically though, he suggested that if chocolate consumption was modest, trying to enjoy the experience of eating it rather than feeling bad about it could break the naughty-but-nice cycle.
if this doesn't work and your hankerings for chocolate feel just too overwhelming, then perhaps some other research presented at the BA science festival may bring a little cheer.
Roger Corder, professor of experimental therapeutics at Queen Mary, University of London, has found that eating chocolate can aid a healthy heart.
But not just any old stuff - there is chocolate, and then there is chocolate.
Fresh cocoa beans are a rich source of a type of chemical called a flavinoid, and these molecules have been shown to protect cardiovascular systems.
But by the time cocoa beans find their way into chocolate bars, only a tiny proportion of flavinoids are left. Some are lost through the manufacturing process; and in any case, many products contain relatively little cocoa and relatively large amounts of sugar and fat.
To get optimum heart-boosting effects, the chocolate needs to contain about 75-85% cocoa solids, and about 25g should be eaten a day, the scientist said.
Professor Corder is about to embark on a clinical trial to test chocolate eating's effect on the heart.
He may just find recruiting volunteers for this trial a little easier than normal.

Wisdom

2007-09-13T18:16:00.000+08:00

Sumatra: Second Quake Hits

2007-09-13T17:51:00.000+08:00

My prayers to those who perished in yet another earthquake in Indonesia and deepest sympathy to the others who are suffering due to Mother Nature's violent way of venting her fury.

Second strong quake hits Sumatra

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Another powerful earthquake has hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a day after the world's strongest tremor so far this year caused extensive damage.
At least nine people were killed and many buildings damaged. But the full scale of the impact has yet to emerge.
Tsunami warnings were repeatedly issued and lifted, as many people ran inland fearing a repeat of the 2004 tsunami.
Thursday's magnitude-7.8 quake hit the same area in southern Sumatra as the tremor of 8.4 on Wednesday.
The second quake struck at 0649 on Thursday (2349 GMT on Wednesday), about 10km (six miles) under the sea, some 185km (115 miles) south-east of the city of Padang, the US Geological Survey says.
It came some 12 hours after the main tremor, about 30km (18 miles) under the sea, 130km (80 miles) south-west of the city of Bengkulu.
At least 40 people have been injured and hundreds of buildings damaged, officials say.
"Many buildings collapsed after this morning's [Thursday's] quake. We're still trying to find out about victims," Padang Mayor Fauzi Bahar told a local radio station.
Casualties appear to be lower than first feared, but officials warn that bad communications may be hiding the scale of the impact.
Health officials in the capital Jakarta say teams carrying food and medicine are travelling to the area, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered an emergency team from the army and police.
The United Nations said its was also heading for Sumatra.
Fleeing inland
Wednesday's quake sparked warnings across the Indian Ocean, but only a small wave surge of about 1m (3ft) hit Sumatra, causing little damage.
But about two hours after the quake, Indonesia's meteorology agency said the danger of a serious tsunami had passed. India and Sri Lanka also called off tsunami warnings.
At least a dozen aftershocks were felt later and four tsunami warnings briefly declared and then lifted, the BBC's Lucy Williamson reports from Jakarta.
People have been told to leave their homes on the coast and move inland.
Thousands of people were reported to have spent the night sleeping in the open air in the areas of Benkulu and Padang after the previous quake left them terrified.
Fearful memories
Wednesday's earthquake was one of the most powerful in Indonesia since the tremor that caused the Asian tsunami in 2004.
That measured 8.9 and struck under the sea near the northern Sumatran province of Aceh, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean.
Our correspondent says quakes on this scale are rare and memories of 2004 have made the country terrified of a repeat.
Indonesia, part of the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire", is frequently shaken by earth tremors.

Sex Day: Russian Style To Boost Birth

2007-09-12T12:26:00.000+08:00

Ain't this cool?

If you are among those couples planning to have a junior soon - in nine months exactly - then this plan will make you smile.

Better off, if you're a Russion living in Ulyanovsk, you've got more reasons to cheer.

As for the rest, you can keep having a fat hope that something remotely close to this will ever happen here, in our soil, anytime soon.

Read below:

Russian 'sex day' to boost births
Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The governor of Ulyanovsk region in Russia is offering prizes to couples who have babies in exactly nine months - on Russia's national day on 12 June.
Sergei Morozov wants couples to take the day off work to have sex. If a baby is born on national day, they will receive cars, TVs or other prizes.
Mr Morozov has declared Wednesday "family contact day" as part of efforts to fight Russia's demographic crisis.
The population has sharply declined since the Soviet Union collapsed.
This is the third year that Ulyanovsk, in central Russia, is offering prizes for babies born on 12 June.
This year, a couple won the grand prize of a sports utility vehicle (SUV).
The initiative seems to be paying off, as the region's birth rate has risen by 4.5% over the last year.
"If there's a good, healthy atmosphere at home within the family, if the husband and wife both love each other and their child, they will be in good spirits... so there'll be a healthy atmosphere throughout the country," Mr Morozov told the Associated Press news agency.
Demographers estimate that Russia could lose 40 million people - almost a third of its current population - by the middle of the century.
A combination of falling birth rates, emigration and an ailing healthcare system has led to the decline.
President Vladimir Putin has introduced a scheme to encourage more children.
Women who have a second or third child are eligible to receive $9,000, which can be used to pay for education or home purchases.

Interesting Conversation

2007-09-10T13:40:00.000+08:00

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new Muslim students to stand and.....

Professor: You are a Muslim, aren't you, son?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then?

Hmm?(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student:No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but not any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it?.....No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir. The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Grandma In Court

2007-09-06T10:10:00.000+08:00

Got this via email from a friend and it was too good not to be shared.

X^x^x^x^x^x^x^x^X

Lawyers should never ask grandmas a question if they aren't prepared for the answer.

In a trial, a small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, an elderly grandmother to the stand.

He approached her and asked; "Mrs.. Jones, do you know me?"

She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a young boy, and frankly, you're a big disappointment to me. You lie, cheat on your wife, manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."

The lawyer was stunned!

Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs.. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?"

She again replied, "Why, yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster. He's lazy, bigoted and has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes I know him."

The defense attorney almost died.

The judge asked both lawyers to approach the bench and in a quiet voice said: "If either of you rascals asks her if she knows me, I'll send you to the electric chair."

Pooch Luck

2007-08-30T11:17:00.000+08:00

Now, that's what happens when Lady Luck decides to favour you, I guess.

Don't you agree that this is one helluva lucky pooch?

Queen of Mean a.k.a Leona Helmsley must have loved Trouble (that's the name of the dog which inherited $12 million from Helmsley's estate) so, so, so much that the man's best friend became the biggest beneficiary following the death of the master.

The precious four-legged beat 'human' competitors to be the single largest beneficiary from the will of the late master, Helmsley.

If the pooch can talk, am sure it will rebut the US media's nick name for its master - Queen of Mean - to the core.

If you don't call this pooch luck, then what is?

Lucky dog inherits $12m fortune

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New York hotelier and real estate billionaire Leona Helmsley has left $12m (£5.97m) to her pet dog, Trouble.
The pampered pooch received the largest bequest from Mrs Helmsley's will.
The will also says that when Trouble dies, she is to be buried alongside Mrs Helmsley, who died last week, and her late husband in their mausoleum.
But some human members of Mrs Helmsley's family fared less well, with two of her four grandchildren cut out of the will entirely.
Mrs Helmsley, who died last week, was dubbed the "Queen of Mean" by the US media, and was known for her tough approach to business.
She and her late husband, Harry, built a company which managed some of New York's most prestigious addresses, including the Empire State Building, as well as hotels across the country.
The money for Trouble's upkeep was left in the hands of her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who himself inherited $10m.
Two grandchildren, David and Walter Panzirer, were left $5m each on condition that they visit their father's grave at least once a year.
Their father, Mrs Helmsley's son Jay Panzirer, died in 1982.
But grandchildren Craig and Meegan Panzirer received nothing - "for reasons which are known to them", according to Mrs Helmsley's will.
Mrs Helmsley left her chauffeur $100,000.
She also set aside $3m for the upkeep of her and her husband's final resting place.
Proceeds from the sale of Mrs Helmsley's residences and belongings will go to a charitable trust.

Braid It Like Beckham...Not!

2007-08-29T15:37:00.000+08:00

First, the world was going gaga over bending it like Beckham.

Remember the movie Bend It Like Beckham?

I personally know of friends who watched it over and over again not because they enjoyed the story nor the cast of the movie, but more because they just loved anything Beckham.

These friends (okay, yeah they are females) drool over Beckham's posters and watch live matches aired at anytime of the day not for the love of the most beautiful game on earth, but more because of their 'undying love' for Beckham's 'good' looks.
They go 'oooooo' and 'aaaaaaaaah' each time he strikes and exposes more flesh compared to other players - there just was some 'X' factor about him that made females around the world melt to their knees.

Now, after much time spent on copying his style and aura, we have come to know something we shouldn't, after all, emulate after him - I'm talking about his precious mane being braided the way it is - we finally hear experts saying that braiding your hair like Beckham has done it, is not good for you on the long term.

Braiding 'can lead to hair loss'
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Braiding like Beckham's could cause permanent hair damage.

Popular modern hairstyles which tightly braid the hair at the scalp can lead to permanent bald patches, say experts.
"Corn rows" and other styles, like extensions, which pull the hair are to blame, particularly if combined with hair straightening chemicals.
The South African research, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, looked at almost 2,000 adults and children.
A UK dermatologist said that affected hair follicles may never recover.
Specialist braided hairstyles are increasingly popular in the UK, particularly among young people from the Afro-Caribbean community.

Short cuts
The Cape Town-based researchers wanted to find out if they, and other popular cuts such as short "brush-cut" haircuts could cause skin problems.

Some of these hairstyles might be fashionable, but they can lead to permanent
hair loss.
Spokesman, British Association of Dermatologists

They found that nearly one in seven children and a third of women suffered from "traction alopecia", a type of hair loss directly linked to the hair being constantly under tension.
The problem was even more common if chemical "relaxers" had been used to straighten the hair, with one in five children who had used the chemicals suffering hair loss.
The research also found that very short haircuts made men much more prone to developing severe acne on the scalp, thought to be caused by the hair clippers damaging the scalp when pressed hard against the head.
They pointed out that the risk of catching a disease such as HIV or hepatitis could be increased by this type of haircut.
No growth
Dr Nonhlanhla Khumalo, who led the research, said: "Traction alopecia is common in women and girls and is significantly linked to hairstyles, particularly when relaxed hair has braids, extensions or weaves attached.
"This can cause unsightly hair loss which is distressing."
In the UK, dermatologists are reporting similar problems, both due to braiding, and to other popular hairstyles where the fringe is dragged backwards and tied.
Dr Andrew McDonagh, from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, said: "The best thing is to try to identify the problem early - if this happens for a long time, the hair follicles may be permanently damaged, and hair will not grow back."
A spokesman for the British Association of Dermatologists added: "Some of these hairstyles might be fashionable, but they can lead to permanent hair loss, which is difficult to cover up and can have a huge impact on a person's confidence."

Penis Emporioum

2007-08-28T13:54:00.001+08:00

Aha...I know the title is a bit corny.

I can even hear my fellow colleague remark 'Gayathri, are you really gonna label this entry as Penis Emporium? It's very lewd lah...and...and...it is so not you one', but, hey, the title's not even my own creation.

It's taken from the BBC.co.uk where I was randomly reading world updates when I came across this arguably 'interesting' article - though its dating back to last year, I found it to be so amusing.

I didn't find it spirit-lifting, in case some of you are wondering, but I just loved the author's knack of writing the article with so much wit - reading through every word and expression mentioned in here, I can practically imagine being in the author's shoes.

Well, may be, IF, I ever get into such an awkward situation such as the author, I wouldn't have behaved so well - I doubt I would have been able to stand the 'guided tour' of penis delicacies without expressing some level of gastronomical disgust all too obvious on my face and -- on second thoughts -- I might have even be rolling on the floor laughing, just like most of my colleagues did when they knew I stumbled upon an article of this nature.

You know, on one end, I'm feeling really uneasy with this whole animal-penis-eating culture to boost a man's virility and on the other end, I'm feeling really tickled knowing that I did learn some new 'animal-penis' facts after reading this piece.

I grew up in an environment where the word penis, boobs, etc. were terms never used in a household - for Pete's sake, I'm sure no one will buy my story when I say I first learnt the meaning of penis and what is it is (as in it's a sexual organ of the male homo sapiens) in secondary school, at the age of about 14/15.

Those born in the 80s will recall that the human reproductive organs and system is among the first few chapters of the Form 3 Science subject (yes, we never were taught a subject called 'Science' prior to Form 3 at that point in time and yes again, that's why I don't have much science) and that's about when people of my time (teens and even adults younger than me by about five years learnt this much, much earlier in life...sadly) learnt about the birds and bees, so to speak.

And even after acquiring the knowledge of what the penis is, it wasn't exactly something commonly uttered - until of course I entered working life.

Then some years ago, I had the opportunity of listening to a close relative's three year old son, when told to narrate a bed time story, out of the blue, decided to amuse us with a story of a 'tiger which bit the lady bird's penis'.

Just don't ask me how he figured that the tiger will know a lady bird has penis or even if a lady bird does have a penis - I just don't know - none of us knew - but we couldn't help but laugh at this little one's amazing bed time story.

He, in turn, found it odd that we are laughing at his story, because just weeks before, his daddy thought him the names of the various organs in his body - so he assumed that even a lady bird would have it.

Enough said I think - I still can't help laughing when I recall the incident and the innocent look on the boy's face while at the same time, I'm trying to muster courage so that I can ask the next China-mari investor I meet on the job, if he had ever eaten any of the below-mentioned penis-es...

So, how'd you like your animal penis today - cooked, uncooked-sushi style, hot pot, pickled?

Beijing's penis emporium
By Andrew Harding BBC News, Beijing
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

There are many thousands of Chinese restaurants around in the UK and everyone has their favourite dish, but only in China itself do chefs specialise in a range of slightly more unusual delicacies.
Many of the restaurant's guests are wealthy businessmen.
The dish in front of me is grey and shiny.

"Russian dog," says my waitress Nancy.

"Big dog," I reply.

"Yes," she says. "Big dog's penis..."

We are in a cosy restaurant in a dark street in Beijing but my appetite seems to have gone for a stroll outside.

Nancy has brought out a whole selection of delicacies.

They are draped awkwardly across a huge platter, with a crocodile carved out of a carrot as the centrepiece.
Nestling beside the dog's penis are its clammy testicles, and beside that a giant salami-shaped object.

"Donkey," says Nancy. "Good for the skin..."

She guides me round the penis platter.

"Snake. Very potent. They have two penises each."

I did not know that.

Deer-blood cocktail

"Sheep... horse... ox... seal - excellent for the circulation."

She points to three dark, shrivelled lumps which look like liquorice allsorts - a special treat apparently - reindeer, from Manchuria.

The Guolizhuang restaurant claims to be China's only speciality penis emporium, and no, it is not a joke.

The atmosphere is more exotic spa than boozy night-out.

Nancy describes herself as a nutritionist.

"We don't call them waiters here. And we don't serve much alcohol," she says. "Only common people come here to get drunk and laugh."

But she does offer me a deer-blood and vodka cocktail, which I decide to skip.

Medicinal purposes
The restaurant's gristly menu was dreamt up by a man called Mr Guo.
The Chinese believe that eating penis can enhance your virility. He is 81 now and retired.
After fleeing China's civil war back in 1949, he moved to Taiwan, and then to Atlanta, Georgia, where he began to look deeper into traditional Chinese medicine, and experiment on the appendages of man's best friend.

Apparently, they are low in cholesterol and good, not just for boosting the male sex drive, but for treating all sorts of ailments.

Laughter trickles through the walls of our dining room.

"Government officials," says Nancy. "Two of them upstairs. They're having the penis hotpot."
Most of the restaurant's guests are either wealthy businessmen or government bureaucrats who, as Nancy puts it, have been brought here by people who want their help.

What better way to secure a contract than over a steaming penis fondue.

Discretion is assured as all the tables are in private rooms.

The glitziest one has gold dishes.

"Some like their food served raw," says Nancy, "like sushi. But we can cook it anyway you like."

Rare order
"Not long ago, a particularly rich real estate mogul came in with four friends. All men. Women don't come here so often, and they shouldn't eat testicles," says Nancy solemnly.

The men spent $5,700 (£3,000) on a particularly rare dish, something that needed to be ordered months in advance.
"Tiger penis," says Nancy.
Bull's perineum is also a delicacy
The illegal trade in tiger parts is a big problem in China.

Campaigners say the species is being driven towards extinction because of its popularity as a source of traditional medicine.

I mention this, delicately, to Nancy, but she insists that all her tiger supplies come from animals that have died of old age.

"Anyway, we only have one or two orders a year," she says.

"So what does it taste like?" I ask.

"Oh, the same as all the others," she says blithely.

And does it have any particular potency?

"No. People just like to order tiger to show off how much money they have."

Welcome to the People's Republic of China - tigers beware.

Sliced and pickled
"Oh yes," she adds, "the same group also ate an aborted reindeer foetus.

"That is very good for your skin. And here it is..."

Another "nutritionist" walks in bearing something small and red wrapped in cling film.

My appetite is heading for the airport.

Still, I think, it would be rude not to try something.

I am normally OK about this sort of thing. I have had fried cockroaches and sheep's eyes, so...

There is a small bowl of sliced and pickled ox penis on the table.

I pick up a piece with my chopsticks and start to chew. It is cold and bland and rubbery.

Nancy gives me a matronly smile.

"This one," she says, "should be eaten every day."

Essence of Gita

2007-08-09T10:01:00.000+08:00

Go For A Paid Second Honeymoon

2007-08-08T15:33:00.000+08:00

It's an interesting notion - having the government pay you a cash incentive for putting off childbirth to a later stage or have a second paid honeymoon.

No, no, I'm not hallucinating although I have yet to be able to afford my very first honeymoon (now that's a different story altogether) but this paid second honeymoon thingy is for real - at least in India, if we go by the following BBC report:

Honeymoon offer to delay babies
By Sanjay Dasgupta BBC South Asia regional editor
Source: BBC.co.uk

Authorities in west India are offering to pay for a second honeymoon for couples who delay starting a family, in an attempt to control birth rates.
Officials say the scheme is targeted at young couples, especially those who get married before the age of 18 - the legal age to get married in India.

The scheme launches on 15 August - India's independence day.

In a country of one billion people and an exploding population, this is an imaginative attempt at controlling it.

The district of Satara in Maharashtra has a population of three million.

About 25,000 couples get married in the district every year, and more than 85% of those couples have their first child within their first year of marriage.

This is what the scheme wants to change, explains the district health officer, VH Mohite.

"We are producing about 51,000 children every year, so we have decided to start a new scheme and label that the second honeymoon package," he said.

"If the couple postpones the first pregnancy by two years, then the couple will be getting 5,000 rupees ($125, £60) as a cash incentive, or a second honeymoon.

"And if the couple postpones their first pregnancy by three years, then the couple will get 7,500 rupees ($190, £90) as a cash incentive."

It is not just the money.

Couples who enlist in the scheme will also be provided with marriage counselling, free contraceptives and, when the time comes, advice on childcare.

In a society which places a huge premium on having children and especially on producing male heirs, this is an interesting attempt to convince young couples to put off having children.

My Wedding: A Pictorial Depiction

2007-07-31T17:00:00.000+08:00

Its so very overdue, I know, but uploading pix does take a lot of time (excuses, lame excuses!)

The following pictures depict some of the essential moments of my ceremonial wedding, made merry by many of my dearest friends and loved ones.

Thank you each and everyone, for everything that you have done and most importantly, for being there on the most important day in my life.

These memories will be cherised and treasured forever :-)

Picture credits go to: http://www.dhivagerrathakrishnan.com/

Why Thin People Dislike Fat People

2007-07-30T16:30:00.000+08:00

I've always thought that thin beings tend to discriminate others who are more prosperous in size than themselves and what do you know...it seems to be true!

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

Scientists discover why thin people dislike fat people
by COLIN FERNANDEZ
- More by this author » Last updated at 09:07am on 30th July 2007

From playground taunts to discrimination at work, prejudice is a fact of life for millions who are overweight.

Now scientists claim to have discovered why.

While it will be of little comfort to anyone who has been bullied over their weight, it is suggested that thinner humans have an inbuilt dislike of fat people because of ancient fears that they may be diseased.

Researchers found that the mere sight of someone who is overweight can trigger feelings of

disgust and nausea similar to encountering rotten food.

The research, reported in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour, claims that our brains have evolved to react to outward signs of disease, such as rashes and wounds, because bacteria and viruses are invisible.

Unfortunately, these signals also include excessive body fat.

"Antipathy towards obese people is a powerful and pervasive prejudice in many contemporary populations," said the team from the University of British Columbia.

"Our results reveal, for the first time, that this prejudice may be rooted in multiple, independent mechanisms."

A questionnaire found that feelings of disgust towards the obese were strongest in people with the greatest fear of disease.

Those who agreed with comments such as "it really bothers me when people sneeze without covering their mouths" were more likely to agree with statements such as "if I were an employer looking to hire, I might avoid hiring a fat person".

Last night, TV presenter-Anne Diamond, who helps people conquer obesity after briefly ballooning to 14st 9lb herself, said: "The research sounds reasonable enough I suppose; obesity is unhealthy and if there is something in us that helps us avoid ill health I can understand that.

"But I don't believe that in the 21st century we can use it as an excuse for prejudice.

"Obesity is an illness, but something becoming so common that it will soon be the norm."

Laughs

2007-07-30T14:09:00.000+08:00

A man suspected his wife of seeing another man.

So, he hired a famous Chinese detective, Mr. Sui Tansow Pok, to watch and report any activities that might develop.

A few days later, he received this report:

Most honorable sir :

You leave house.

He come house.

I watch.

He and she leave house.

I follow.

He and she get on train.

I follow.

He and she go in hotel.

I climb tree-look in window.

He kiss she.

She kiss he.

He strip she.

She strip he.

He play with she.

She play with he.

I play with me.

Fall out of tree, not see.

NO FEE!

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

A lady manager of a big reputed office noticed a new man one day and told him to come into her office.

" What is your name?" was the first thing she asked the new guy.

"John ," the new guy replied.

She scowled, "Look... I don't know what kind of a namby-pamby place you worked before, but I don't call anyone by their first name. It breeds familiarity and that leads to a breakdown in authority.I refer to my employees by their last name only ... Smith, Jones, Baker ...that's all.I am to be referred to only as Mrs. Robertson. Now that we got that straight, what is your last name?"

The new guy sighed, "Darling..... ....... My name is John Darling."

" Okay John, the next thing I want to tell you is . . . "

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

It was the mailman's last day on the job after 35 years of carrying the mail through all kinds of weather to the same neighborhood.

When he arrived at the first house on his route he was greeted by the whole family there, who congratulated him and sent him on his way with a big gift envelope.

At the second house they presented him with a box of fine cigars. The folks at the third house handed him a selection of terrific fishing lures.

At the final house he was met at the door by a strikingly beautiful blonde in a revealing negligee.

She took him by the hand, gently led him through the door ( which she closed behind him), and led him up the stairs to the bedroom where she blew his mind with the most passionate love he had ever experienced.

When he had enough they went downstairs, where she fixed him a giant breakfast: eggs, potatoes, ham, sausage, blueberry waffles, and fresh-squeezed orange juice.

When he was truly satisfied she poured him a cup of steaming coffee. As she was pouring, he noticed a dollar bill sticking out from under the cup's bottom edge.

"All this was just too wonderful for words," he said, " but what's the dollar for?"

"Well," she said, "last night, I told my husband that today would be your last day, and that we should do something special for you. I asked him what to give you."

He said, "Screw him - - - give him a dollar ."

The blonde then blushed and said, "The breakfast was my idea "

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

A professor of mathematics sent a fax to his wife.

It read:

"Dear wife, You must realize that you are 54 years old and I have certain needs which you are no longer able to satisfy.I am otherwise happy with you as a wife, and I sincerely hope you will not be hurt or offended to learn that by the time you receive this letter,I will be at the Grand Hotel with my 18-year-old teaching assistant. I'll be home before midnight."

- Your Husband

When he arrived at the hotel, there was a faxed letter waiting for him that read as follows:

"Dear Husband. You too are 54 years old, and by the time you receive this,I will be at the Breakwater Hotel with the 18-year-old pool boy. Being the brilliant mathematician that you are, you can easily appreciate the fact that 18 goes into 54 a lot more times than 54 goes into 18.

Don't wait up."

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

Tough Times

2007-07-25T16:06:00.000+08:00

Warning: This piece is just my own ramblings - more of a mental therapy for me to just spill out everything that I have endured over the past three weeks.

To sum it all up before going into the nitty gritty details, it has been nothing but emotionally taxing, physically tiring and on the overall, mentally depressing.

July began with the news of my uncle (father's elder brother) passing away after succumbing to years of suffering due his immobility.

As the family was busy preparing for the funeral and last rights of the deceased, my other uncle (father's younger brother) got a lab test report confirming what has been our worst fear all this while - he was suffering from advanced stage rectum cancer.

And so the family tried to get over and done with the funeral of my late uncle so that we can be there to lend support to the other living uncle who's battling a tumour positioned some where near the rectum but equally close to the intestine.

From the outset, the consulting surgeon told us that this will be a very delicate and major surgery - the chances of survival and recovery was a mere 50:50.

The news of my uncle's illness didn't go down well with my father, who had just lost his elder brother rather unexpectedly, although the deceased has been sick for quite awhile.

As the day came for us to perform the 16th day prayers for my late uncle (the morning of which we usually let go the deceased's ash into the sea), my father who was praying at a temple fainted and felt his knees weak - my brother and I rushed him to the general hospital where the doctor merely said the fainting was due to low sugar.

The doctor gave my father some medication and told him to rest at home.

But in the midst of all this, my father insisted that he be taken to Semenyih (home of my late uncle, father's elder brother) so that he can participate in the 16th day funeral prayers - and so, the Scandinavian Prince and I did accordingly.

Throughout the several hours in Semenyih, I kept telling both my hubby and mother that my father is not alright despite what he claims.

I strongly felt something else was wrong with him - his speech was slurred, his sense of directions were grossly wrong (he's a very sharp witted person usually) and he doesn't seem to behave like everything is indeed a-okay.

As soon as we were done with the prayers, I drove my father straight to the general hospital's emergency ward against my father's wishes - and there - after a CT scan - the doctor concluded that my father has indeed suffered a mild stroke!

So, he was immediately warded for observation and boy, was it tiring for me to juggle between work, hospital, picking up my mom from Ampang and sending her back, etc. for the whole week. It felt as if the world was coming crumbling down on me - I just had one bad episode after another and it was getting too exhausting.

Luckily enough, proper medication and close observation from the team at the general hospital enabled my father to recover rather quickly. He is almost 98% back to normal but I have been warned by the doctor - this is my father's fifth mild stroke and there is no taking it light.

He is fortunate for not having fallen down and suffering head injuries which could have made his stroke far worse.

While dad remained in hospital and showed signs of improvement, the one thing that was consistent was the fact that he was extremely worried about his younger brother (my other uncle who was diagnosed with rectum cancer).

Just as my father got discharged and was told to follow up with continuous outpatient treatment and therapy, my uncle's tumour was in need of serious medical attention - the hospital then fixed July 23 for the complicated surgery to be carried out.

With God's blessings, my uncle's surgery was a success but the recovery process is going to be a slow and painful one - the same perhaps applies to my father as well - doctors say he is well for now but we never know.

What do I call this? A close brush with death involving loved ones? A miracle?

I don't know - and I can't define it but all these have only deepened my faith in God, his omnipresence and bountiful blessings in life.

Not Everyone Can Fly Now

2007-07-16T13:50:00.000+08:00

What on earth is wrong with our society and giant corporations who were supposedly having proper Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

It's just so sad that Mr. Now Everyone Can Fly has to probably think of another tag line for his high flying no frills airline that is supposedly taking the region by storm - maybe along the lines of:

1) Now Not Everyone Can Fly

2) Now Everyone CanNOT Fly

3) Have A Wheel & You Can't Fly

or something similar.

I didn't come up with the tag lines above by wearing a copywriter's hat because I'm just so baffled by the airline's absurd discrimination against our peers who are already leading challenging lives the moment they step out of their homes.

Oh Tony, Tony, Tony...oh I knew you to have more courtesy and better PR in the past, so whatever happened to your conscience that money is not everything in life - that to serve-and-grow-together-is-more-important philosophy?

I pray tomorrow will be a better day when the damage control initiatives are out in the open - and I do hope that our lesser able-ed peers are treated with as much respect as the rest of us.

Read below for context from thestar.com.my:

Nation Monday July 16, 2007

Protest held against AirAsia

SEPANG: More than 20 disabled and wheelchair-bound members of the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) held a protest against AirAsia for its refusal to take passengers who were completely immobile.
The protesters, headed by the group's co-ordinator Christine Lee, and assistant co-ordinators V. Murugeswaran and Peter Tan, demanded AirAsia reviews its policies and takes reasonable steps to ensure facilities and services provided at the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) are non-discriminatory.

Lee said that unlike KLIA, the LCCT does not incorporate aerobridges, which allow easier access for passengers to board planes.
“Passengers are instead required to walk up a flight of boarding stairs – a daunting task when one is disabled from the waist down,” she said.
Lee said that when booking AirAsia tickets online, a separate icon would appear on the website asking if the ticket purchaser would require “special assistance”.
“If you clicked 'yes', then you won't be able to proceed with your booking.
“That's when I called AirAsia's call centre, and was told that they were unable to accept passengers who are completely immobile.
“This is even stipulated in AirAsia's terms and conditions!” she added.
Lee also said that AirAsia charged RM12 for renting out a wheelchair, which a passenger could use to go from the ticketing counter to the departure hall.
“One would then have to go from the check-in gate to the aircraft without the wheelchair, which is quite absurd.”
Murugeswaran pointed out that AirAsia also stipulated that the carriage of persons with limited mobility was subject to whether they were able to climb the boarding stairs unaided or aided.
“Passengers who are unable to board the stairs without any assistance would be requested to travel with a caregiver or companion.
“This is blatantly discriminating, unfair and unacceptable. We want to be independent and not have to rely on other people to chaperon us when travelling,” he said, adding that nothing has been done despite BEAT holding a dialogue with AirAsia on the matter more than two years ago.
During the protest, BEAT also urged Malaysia Airports Bhd to ensure all new and old airports in the country are equipped with facilities to improve accessibility to disabled passengers.
When contacted, an AirAsia spokesman said they were unable to comment on the matter at present.

Holy, Moley!

2007-07-12T14:54:00.000+08:00

This is from the trusted BBC health section which I religiously follow.

Moles 'good indicator to ageing'
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6285610.stm

A sign of slower ageing?

The number of moles may offer an indication of how quickly the body ages, a study suggests.

King's College London scientists compared key ageing DNA with the number of moles in a study of 1,800 twins.

They found the more moles a person had, the more likely their DNA was to have the properties to fight off ageing.

The study, in the Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention journal, contrasts with the link between a high mole-count and high skin cancer risk.

Moles appear in childhood and disappear from middle age onwards.

When present in large numbers they can increase the risk of melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer.

Moles vary significantly in numbers and size between individuals.

The average number of moles in people with white skin is 30 but some people may have as many as 400.

The reason for such differences between people is unknown as is the function of moles.

Since moles disappear with age, scientists looked at the relationship between the number of moles and telomere length in cells, which is a good indicator of the rate of ageing in organs such as the heart, muscle, bones and arteries.

Telomeres, which get shorter as we age, are bundles of DNA found at the end of chromosomes in all cells and assist in the protection, replication, and stabilisation of the chromosome ends.

They have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces because they prevent chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other.

'Exciting'

In the study, researchers found those with more than 100 moles had longer telomeres than those with fewer than 25.

The difference between the two mole groups was equivalent to six to seven years of ageing.

Lead researcher Dr Veronique Bataille said: "The results of this study are very exciting as they show, for the first time, that moley people who have a slightly increased risk of melanoma may, on the other hand, have the benefit of a reduced rate of ageing.

"This could imply susceptibility to fewer age-related diseases such as heart disease or osteoporosis, for example. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings."

Dr Kat Arney, of Cancer Research UK, said: "While this is an intriguing finding and deserves further investigation, it's important people know that having a large number of moles can increase your risk of skin cancer.

"It's especially important to enjoy the sun safely if you have lots of moles or burn easily."

More Sivaji

2007-07-09T14:32:00.000+08:00

Cult star steers India's priciest film
By Sudha G Tilak
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6252108.stm

It is India's most expensive film ever made and stars a 57-year-old cult regional star.
And now Sivaji - The Boss, a Tamil film starring Rajnikanth, is raking in money at the box office and playing to packed houses.
It cost 650 million rupees ($16m) to make and brought Rajnikanth a pay cheque of 200 million rupees, making him the highest paid film star in a movie-mad country.
Since being released on 15 June, some 800 prints of the film have flooded theatres across India and other parts of the world with large Tamil populations - North America, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
Tickets worth 17 million rupees were sold out in the southern Indian city of Madras (Chennai) alone within days of the film's release.

Working-class hero
At the core of Sivaji's success is obviously Rajnikanth, lovingly called Rajni by his fans, in what is his 100th Tamil film."A Rajni film remains a selling proposition," says Tamil film historian Anandan.
Sivaji is a colourful spectacle, awash with the razzmatazz of whirling song and dance sequences and comic acts.
In the film, playing on the current flavour of middle-class India, Rajnikanth plays an altruistic non-resident Indian who does not forget his humble roots and returns home to Chennai to set up educational institutions for the underprivileged.
The local bureaucrats and greedy businessmen thwart his good intentions. Rajnikanth wreaks vengeance on the villains' ill-gotten wealth and emerges victorious. His noble intentions are hailed and he gets the girl in the end too. Typically, a Rajnikanth film is a celebration, a roller-coaster ride into the fantasy world of riches, improbable designs in plot, silly gags, volatile dramatics and the undying goodness of spirit.
"A Rajni film offers what comic super heroes like Spiderman do - goodwill and hope," says filmmaker KV Anand.
Sivaji follows the successful formula of the star's capers that made him a super star.
These were stories of Rajnikanth playing a working-class hero, irascible and ready to avenge the wrongs visited upon his family and friends by rich and cruel villains. He would win the beautiful heroine using traditional macho methods.

Macho hero
Rajnikanth's films often show him taking on the might of a powerful and domineering women opponent, a hint at his open political confrontations with the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalitha.
"Just as James Bond's questionable brand of machismo has its followers in Britain, Rajnikanth's chauvinism and bravura stokes the fire in Tamil youth," says Chennai-based analyst D Narayana Reddy.
No wonder he remains one of India's biggest super stars, often overshadowing his Bollywood counterpart, Amitabh Bachchan.
His fans tattoo themselves with his name, write his name in their blood and have opened some 15,000 fan clubs all over the country.
They worship him like a demi-god when he appears on screen, performing Hindu rituals of showering him with flowers, garlanding his billboards, even bathing his visage in milk in the halls.

Enigma
Rajnikanth's dramatic deliveries and comic gestures appeal to children too, who are enthralled by his antics on screen.

Sivaji is Rajnikanth's 100th Tamil film"His unique style gives him a momentum to perform unthinkable feats. Youth and kids want to participate in his identity," says Rajan Krishnan, who teaches anthropology in Columbia University.
Despite his fame, Rajnikanth as a person remains somewhat enigmatic.
He guards his privacy fiercely, unlike other stars who advertise and endorse products.
His larger-than-life screen presence has also spawned political ambitions - there has been widespread speculation that he would opt for a career in politics one day.
Tamil Nadu has a prolific film industry - it produced 126 films in 2006 and has had some 62 films released in the first half of 2007.
The state has a history of three film stars turned chief ministers, including Jayalalitha.
Critics say that in trying to appeal to a new audience, Rajni's tale of social vendetta is turning stale.
But for his adoring fans, he carries a profile similar to that of a rap star - a bling master in outlandish costumes, whose chutzpah and appeal transcends the ghettos of Tamil Nadu.

NST Online » Features2007/06/20
Cinema: Cool Rajni heats up ‘Sivaji’
By : K.N. VIJIYAN
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Features/20070620185649/Article

SIVAJI THE BOSS (Tamil) directed by S. ShankarStarring Rajnikanth, Shriya, Vivek, Suman, Manivannan, Raguvaran, Vadivukarasi, Pattimandram Raja and Uma.
FINALLY, after all the false starts, Sivaji The Boss is here. This must be the most eagerly-awaited Tamil movie in the past two years. The excitement even ended in torn screens and seats at several theatres showing the movie on the first day.

So many people wanted to see the movie on the day it opened that the distributors were hard put meeting the demand. Some early preparations could have easily eased the situation. After all, the local distributor is said to have paid a whopping RM15 million for the movie rights, making it easily the most expensive Indian movie shown locally. But there’s no question that Sivaji is going to rewrite local film history at the box office.

Superstar Rajni’s earlier movie Chandramukhi also proved a gold mine for local movie distributors three years ago. People want to see Sivaji not just for Rajnikanth (remember that his Baba was a flop a few years ago) but also because of director Shankar — the man with the Midas touch. His previous eight movies were big hits because of their stories, songs and rich entertainment value.

Sivaji (Rajni’s original name before he became an actor was Shivaji Rao) is a funny movie with an important social message.Rajni stars as Sivaji, a software engineer who has made a huge fortune in the United States.

He returns to Madras to do good for his mother country. He wants to build a university and hospital for serve the poor. But the rich and corrupt ministers, led by a kingmaker Adiseshan (Suman), feel threatened and do all they can to lay obstacles in his path. Sivaji shows how one man can make a world of difference and how he vanquishes his enemies. Corruption is a favourite theme of Shankar’s.Sivaji once again proves how good the superstar is at comedy.

With Vivek as his sidekick (he proclaims the "Boss" in the film title stands for "Bachelor of Social Service"), Rajni brings down the house with his antics.There is one scene where the villain asks the hero (who is in disguise): "Are you Sivaji? The hero replies: "No, I am MGR," presenting him his passport showing M.G. Ravichandran. That was hilarious.Watch out for the scenes where Rajni does impersonations of Sivaji Ganesan, MGR and Kamalhaasan. The scenes where the hero woos heroine Shriya and her family are a bit overdone but still funny.

Scenes which show the hero and heroine in blond wigs look a bit silly but once you see the movie, you will agree they are really funny and suit the situation. What put me off were the long-drawn fights. Just because Rajni (aged 58 but still in great form) is the superstar, doesn’t mean the hero should be shown fighting 20 armed men single-handedly, however good it may be for his image.The production cost for Sivaji was said to be anything between 600 million and 840 million rupees (RM50 million and RM70 million), making it more expensive than the 50-million rupee Devdas (2002), which held the record for being the costliest indian movie ever made. Shankar has spent a fortune on the sets. The songs, composed by A.R. Rahman, have created new records in the music business.

I liked how they filmed Style (that’s where Rajni appears like a white man, thanks to digital wizardry) and Thee. I caught this movie at a Mid Valley Megamall cineplex in Kuala Lumpur but the songs seemed hardly impressive there could there be something wrong with the digital format mix? As usual, Rajni gives importance to his style, flipping a one-rupee coin a special way. He keeps saying "Cool". It is easy to love this guy; he’s that good on screen.That also sums up the movie nicely — Sivaji has got style and Rajni’s cool!

NST Online » Columns2007/07/09
Mahendra Ved: Movie fans bow to The Emperor's contradiction

By : Mahendra Ved
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Columns/20070709074917/Article

A BIT of history is being created on the cinema circuit of Delhi. For the first time ever, a non-Hindi, non-English film, a Tamil film without subtitles to be precise, is running at 20 screens across the city and its satellite towns.

The much-talked about Sivaji, The Boss, thespian Rajnikanth’s blockbuster, estimates show, is set to collect Rs2.5 billion (RM213 million) in box-office earnings over the next few weeks.Across India, the film raced to the Rs1 billion mark in the first two weeks. It stormed Sri Lanka, with "house full" boards and serpentine queues reported from seven theatres across the island nation.

In Malaysia, there were reports of near riots when the film did not start on schedule.The movie is not only reaping profits at home but is also a runaway hit at the British box office. Sivaji is being shown on 12 screens in Britain and has collected Rs13.6 million, one of the biggest collections ever made by an Indian movie in Britain.

It has also overtaken Hollywood biggies in Britain in terms of screen average in revenue collection.These earnings can be quantified, but Rajnikanth’s popularity cannot. Listen to Amitabh Bachchan, whose own popularity is phenomenal. In the celluloid arena where ego clashes are normal, the two have displayed euphoric mutual admiration.Never known to give interviews, Rajnikanth made an exception to say that he was "probably a king" but that Bachchan was "the emperor".

Amitabh disagreed. "Don’t believe a word of this ‘king’ and ‘emperor’ thing. We all know that he is The Emperor. I abhor epithets, but for him I will make exceptions, for he is truly exceptional."As for me, I was struck by his popularity each time I visited Tamil Nadu. It was a bit amusing to see youths shaving off a part of their foreheads to match Rajni’s receding hairline.I had to see Sivaji after all the hype and hoopla.

I know it would be sacrilege to tell any Rajni fan that I was part of a motley audience of no more than 30. But then, to escape the rush, I was seeing it on a working day at a downtown theatre with upper-middle class gentry around. The bemused gatekeepers, entirely from the north, assured me that it was "house full" on most days, especially over the weekends.

Sivaji has reinforced my belief that what goes by the pejorative "Bollywood" is cinematic, the Bengal cinema is literary and the South Indian cinema, particularly in the Tamil and Telugu languages, essentially theatrical. Each matches the psyche of the people it caters to.Since this is not meant to be a film review, my brief reactions about Sivaji are that it is well scripted, with a high level of finish in the technical departments.

The choice of colours is good. Too many dance numbers, opulently mounted. But none could be called vulgar.Performance-wise, it is Rajni all the way. He is very agile and supple for his age (58, officially). His off-screen persona — medium build, bald pat — is vastly different. The make-up, the get-up and the numerous wigs have done wonders.

I am captivated by Shreya Sharan, his heroine. A very striking and pleasing presence. Great figure and a lovely face to go with it. I would not be surprised if Bollywood snatches her away from the south, if she can manage Hindi, now that she has received national and international projection.

The reason why Rajni is popular with Tamils is obvious; why he is popular among non-Tamils in Japan and Southeast Asia is, I am told, because his stunts employ a mix of martial arts. But his universal appeal, I suspect, is because he wallows in extravaganza, while mouthing pro-poor slogans.

Audiences love this contradiction.Since I have not seen his other movies, I cannot surmise how much of Sivaji is autobiographical. Shivajirao Jadhav is Rajni’s real name. To think that he is a Maratha and not a Tamil.

His little humorous cameos of other greats of Tamil cinema like M.G.R. and Sivaji Ganesan gave me the impression that Sivaji is a personal celebration and a tribute to his peers. He is enjoying being at the peak.

But I would not risk saying that Sivaji is Rajni’s zenith; it had better be a landmark, like Bachchan’s present phase that is virtually a second career, with his best yet to come.New Delhi has a million Tamils.

But a lot of my Tamil friends, somewhat embarrassed by loud acting that is the norm in Tamil cinema, have not bothered to see Sivaji. But I know many non-Tamils who have seen it, and enjoyed it, even if they did not understand this very verbose film. For those who do, Rajni’s bullet-fast dialogue delivery is a treat.

A Tamil friend, having lived all his life away from Tamil Nadu, confessed: "Occasionally, I need to touch base."Delhi newspapers publicise Hindi and English films. Rajni does not fit in. For two weeks, the elitist Delhi Times did not even list the film. In the third, it had to make a separate mention.

Thanks to Sivaji, restaurants at the multiplex cinemas and shopping malls are trying to add South Indian food items like dosa, rasam, sambar and uthappam to the menu.The film has gone this far without the publicity and the "promos" that precede the release of a new film. Rajni or any of the stars did not make media appearances.

The product was perhaps meant to sell by itself. It has. Those who brought the film to the north were probably nervous earlier, but they are ecstatic now. To get optimum mileage, they are now trying to get the film dubbed in Hindi.But Sivaji has proved that cinema has its own language and not knowing Tamil is not really a handicap. Ask the majority non-Tamil audiences.

Words Are All I Have...

2007-07-01T17:04:00.000+08:00

Sivaji - Part 2

2007-06-29T16:49:00.000+08:00

Yeap, some people, including my hubby, thinks I'm having a Sivaji - The B.O.S.S. overdose all because I haven't had the chance to catch the movie on the big screen as yet.

Well, perhaps I am and perhaps I am not, but then again, I'll just set aside other opinions for now and share with you the latest infomation received via email in relation to the technology which was used behind the scene in this movie.

Here goes:

Producer AVM Saravanan and MS Guhan and cinematographer K V Anand got together at AVM studios today to reveal the mystery behind Rajnikanth appearing white in the song 'Oru Kudai' in Sivaji.

According to Anand it is an attempt never done in the history of world cinema."We tried out skin grafting technology", he said.

The idea was made by Shankar and with the help of Indian Arts we managed to make it a reality.

We shot Rajni and an English girl separately and later combined using skin grafting.

The Indian Arts took 365 days to complete skin grafting for the 6000 frames in the song.

The song was shot for 16 days in Billbaw museum in Spain.

It is a result of hard work.

Cool!!!!

Oru kudai sunlight! oru kudai moon light! ondrage seithe color-thane yen WHITE!!!

(literal translation:a basket full of sunlight and moonlight combined is what makes my white!)

Sivaji - The B.O.S.S.

2007-06-28T13:44:00.000+08:00

Age and ageing is something that none of us, mortal beings, can avoid.

We, can, however, choose to age gracefully - whether we look at in the context of behaviour (which would be my choice) or mere physical looks, is of course in the hands of the beholder.

The following is an entertaining pictorial reflection of how some noted Indian personalities will look like in old age and I have no doubts that all of them, including the Superstar Rajinikanth himself who now stars in the much talked about Sivaji The B.O.S.S. Tamil movie blockbuster, look best as how they are in real life as one grows with age.

What's there to be ashamed of looking old anyway? A year older, a year wiser, no?

Sachin Tendulkar now and later

Kapil Dev now and later

SRK now and later

Hritik Roshan now and later

But for the purpose of the silver screen (and you will know this only too well if you're an ardent fan of Tamil movies), Rajini alone looks decades younger to suit his matching female pair of a movie.

Rajini now - in real life Rajini now - in reel life

As much as critics within the industry and globally as well chide the Superstar for his extremely young looks, I have nothing but awe and great respect for the actor for still being able to dance his way through to the hearts of millions of Tamilians, Indians, non-Tamils and non-Indians alike.

Imagine being able to belt out dance sequence as well as he does on screen at the age of 50 plus - I don't know if I can do this when I reach that age at all.

For all that he has done in the film industry and also for the global humanitarian cause (in his own way), I salute Superstar Rajini and am proud of the fact that I'm among his millions of devoted fans.

The sad part about being his fan where I am concerned is the fact that I haven't the time nor the patience to brace through the thick crowd at cinemas now to be among the early birds to watch his latest master piece :-(

Hope I get to see his movie soon.

Why Men Are Happier Beings

2007-06-26T16:47:00.000+08:00

What do you expect from such simple creatures?

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another petrol station toilet because this one is just too dirty.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress costs £1500. A Tux rental is only £100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
You have one mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is £7.00 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original colour.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
You need only one wallet and one pair of shoes.
You want only one colour for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look!
You can "do" your nails with a penknife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
You don't freak out when you go to a party and see another man wearingthe same shirt, instead you become buddies.

No WONDER men are happier...

World To End In 2060?

2007-06-22T15:53:00.000+08:00

I came across the following interesting article while surfing the web today, although the article itself is dated 19 June 2007.

The world will end in 2060, according to Newton

His famously analytical mind worked out the laws of gravity and unravelled the motion of the planets.

And when it came to predicting the end of the world, Sir Isaac Newton was just as precise.

He believed the Apocalypse would come in 2060 – exactly 1,260 years after the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire, according to a recently published letter.

Scroll down for more...

The document reveals that Newton predicted the world will end in 2060

Luckily for modern scientists in awe of his achievements, Newton based this figure on religion rather than reasoning.

In a letter from 1704 which has gone on show in Jerusalem's Hebrew University, Newton uses the Bible's Book of Daniel to calculate the date for the Apocalypse.

The famous scientist

The note reveals a deeply spiritual side to a man more usually regarded as a strict rationalist.

Newton, known as the founder of modern physics, secured a royal exemption from ordination in the Church of England – something normally expected of academics in his day – so he would not have to follow its teachings.

But he confidently stated in the letter that the Bible proved the world would end in 2060, adding: "It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner."

Continuing in a decidedly sniffy tone, he wrote: "This I mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fanciful men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, and by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail."

The exact words from the Book of Daniel that inspired his prediction are not clear.

But he got at least one thing right – in another document, he interpreted biblical prophecies to mean that the Jews would return to the Holy Land before the world ended.

Scroll down for more...

The letter is on public display for the first time

Newton, who died 280 years ago, wrote that the end of days would see "the ruin of the wicked nations, the end of weeping and of all troubles, the return of the Jews (from) captivity and their setting up a flourishing and everlasting Kingdom".

Yemima Ben-Menahem, one of the curators of the exhibition, said: "These documents show a scientist guided by religious fervour, by a desire to see God's actions in the world."

The papers – including more prosaic notes about his income and the price of tin – lay in a trunk at the house of the Earl of Portsmouth for 250 years before being auctioned in the late 1930s.

Since 1969, many have been locked away in Israel's national library.

Source:http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/

Cadbury Tastes Bitter

2007-06-20T14:10:00.000+08:00

Well, well, well, for most of us (myself included), the mere mention of Cadbury will cause die hard chocolate lovers drooling over their sweet taste.

But, after reading the following piece of news, I'm sure Cadbury will now taste bitter than ever for the 7,500 workers who will be axed soon.

I know corporate restructuring and down sizing of head counts in large entities are unavoidable at some point in time - I have been a victim of the latter myself in 2002 - so, my only hope is that this dreaded exercise be done fairly and the affected workers be given what is reasonably due to them.

Indeed, for those who have dedicated their careers towards making the Cadbury brand a global success as well as for those nearing retirement, it will be really hard to cope with the potential loss of job(s) and finding a new one to continue having a means of income to survive.

Wishing each and everyone of them who will be affected loads of luck and may God continue showering you with blessings all through your lives.

NST Online » World News (Agence France - Presse)

Cadbury to cut 7,500 staff worldwide after US sale

Britain's Cadbury Schweppes said Tuesday it would slash 7,500 jobs, or 15 percent of workers at its confectionery division, in a major restructuring after the likely sale of its US soft drinks unit.

The group, which makes Dairy Milk chocolate, said in a statement that the process to sell Americas Beverages was "actively underway," while 7,500 jobs would go at its confectionery arm which employs some 50,000 staff worldwide.

Cadbury, which also produces Trident chewing gum, said Tuesday that it sought to ramp up its profit margins by 2011.

"Our target of increasing margins ... will be driven by a major group-wide cost reduction initiative which will result in the closure of around 15 percent of our confectionery sites and a 15 percent reduction in headcount," it said.

The headcount reduction is the equivalent to about 7,500 job losses.

"The separation of confectionery and Americas Beverages is progressing well and we continue to pursue a twin track process of either a sale or de-merger," the statement added.

Cadbury Schweppes will be renamed Cadbury following the successful separation of its US soft drinks business.

Analysts value Americas Beverages at up to 8.0 billion pounds (11.8 billion euros, 15.8 billion dollars), while private equity consortia are thought to be battling for the unit that includes Schweppes, Dr Pepper and 7-Up among its brands.

"The sale process is actively underway, and following expressions of interest, we now believe that a sale is the more likely outcome," the statement added.

Meanwhile Cadbury Schweppes chief executive Todd Stitzer hit back at claims his group was pushed into breaking up its business by activist investor Nelson Peltz.

Speaking to reporters, Stitzer maintained the separation was the result of two years of deliberations and followed discussions with numerous shareholders.

"No one shareholder or group of shareholders had any over-influence on that decision," Stitzer said."

The board made a decision based on its perspective that we had created two very strong, stand-alone businesses, and that there would be a terrific value-creation opportunity for shareholders in the separation," he added.

Peltz, who has built a reputation for purchasing stakes in businesses and forcing through operational change, took a holding of just under 3.0 percent in Cadbury on March 13.

Cadbury Schweppes had announced Monday the purchase of Japanese candy maker Sansei Foods in a friendly takeover bid which valued the group at 13.75 billion yen (about 111 million dollars).

The share price in Cadbury Schweppes finished Tuesday 0.85 percent lower at 700 pence on London's FTSE 100 share index, which in turn ended 0.80 percent down at 6,650.20 points.

Happy...err...Father's Day

2007-06-18T15:08:00.000+08:00

Yes, I'm a little behind time when it comes to wishing my own naina (father in Telegu, my mother tongue) and all daddies out there a very, very Happy Father's day via my blog.

Well actually, there are two things here - first is the fact that my naina is still unable to understand why people blog but for that matter, don't assume he is computer-illiterate).

For someone aged 71, he is pretty computer-savvy, surfs the net, sends email and is also completely at ease with using MS Word and Excel for work purposes, but, for some heavenly reason(s), he cannot understand why people blog.

So, even if I did wish naina Happy Father's day on time via my blog, it's not like he's gonna read it.

Secondly, the most important reason for my delay in conveying the Father's day wish via my blog is the fact that my naina is strongly of the view - and he also raised my siblings and mua this way - that all these supposedly designated days such as Valentine's day, Mother's day, Father's day and even birthdays, are a little too commercialised.

We have argued about this all through my growing up years and even now, but at the end of the day, dear old naina, will always say this in mitigation, "I'm not against the concept and noble idea behind these memorable days - I'm only against the active commercialisation of these events so much so, simple, loving wishes are deemed unimportant as opposed to material gifts."

Each time this happens, we will consider the case closed for naina has had his last say and he will not budge from what he believes to be morally right.

As such, my siblings and I have grown up celebrating occasions such as birthdays, Mother's and Father's day without having to cut cakes and make a big deal about the said day - we buy gifts for them, yes, but apart from that, there is no cake cutting or extravagant dinners.

I grew up that way and as a mark of respect, I chose to celebrate both my parents' birthdays and other occasions minus the cake cutting and exclusive hotel dinners.

So there, the above should justify my delay and while I'm at it, I thought I should share something that I would term as an ingenious advertising approach.

Just look at the Durex Father's day ad copy below - I think it is self explanatory. The copy writer and art director of this project along with the client, Durex the company itself, should be given a pat on the back for such a refreshing idea (depends on how you look at it) and out of the box advertising approach.

Now, now, won't you agree this is an insanely creative way of handling growing competition?

And anyway, since I'm already blogging about it at length, Happy (belated) Father's Day, my dearest Naina. I love you.

Vatican vs Amnesty

2007-06-14T13:45:00.000+08:00

I don't know about people's take on abortion generally, but I am of the opinion that nothing should be forced upon a woman - especially when it concerns child bearing issues, because these days, women are being put through so much torture and mistreatment and many of them are even unable to seek justice in relation to the unjust treatment endured by them.

Given this predicament, I'm of the take that women, just like their male counterpart, should be given the freedom of choice when deciding, if and when they would like to mother a child.

I surely understand religious sentiments concerning abortion and why it should never be encouraged in the first place but, often, I also feel that the time has now come for certain religious and even cultural practise, to move with time.

By expressly stating this, I don't mean to say that its time we discard age-old beliefs and tradition but rather adopt it in a manner through which it can be best applied in our daily life as how we lead it this very moment.

Many aspects of our daily life today is not how it is supposed to be, if we are to strictly go by the holy book of any religion...even I don't live the way a true-blue Hindu should but I don't think that makes me a lesser person in any way because I'm leading an existence today with a delicate combination of tradition and modern day living requirements.

So going back to the issue at hand, I fervently believe that women should have the freedom to choose about child bearing responsibility in extreme circumstances of abuse, rape, neglect, incest and much more.

Not allowing them to choose, especially under such milieu, is as good as going back in time of history, where women continued to be subservient to men and had no recourse of setting their life back on track after heart wrenching tragedies such as rape, incest, abuse and neglect, which could have occurred due to no fault at all on the part of the fairer sex.

So, by denying women the right to choose, we are only moving backwards and this is definitely a huge blow to global efforts towards promoting human rights and gender equality.

Sure, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion but I just feel that the move by the Vatican to categorically sum up and declare that no further aid should be channelled to Amnesty due to their selective stand in the issue of abortion, to say the least, is completely unjust.

Why should women, especially those who have been victimised and are enduring mental torture on top of everything else that has happened to them, be forced to pay the price for a lifetime?

Where and when will there be an end to this?

Vatican urges end to Amnesty aid

The Vatican has urged all Catholics to stop donating money to Amnesty International, accusing the human rights group of promoting abortion.

The Vatican also said it was suspending all financial aid to Amnesty over what it said was the group's recent change of policy on the issue.

Amnesty said it was not promoting abortion as a universal right.

But the group said that women had a right to choose, particularly in cases of rape or incest.

"No more financing of Amnesty International after the organisation's pro-abortion about-turn," said a statement from the Roman Catholic Church's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

'Misrepresented account'

The council's president, Cardinal Renato Martino, described abortion as "murder".

"And to justify it selectively, in the event of rape, that is to define an innocent child in the belly of its mother as an enemy, as 'something one can destroy'," the cardinal said.

Amnesty says it does not take any position on whether abortion is right or wrong.

But it defended its new position in support of abortion for women when their health is in danger or human rights are violated, especially in cases of rape or incest.

"We are saying broadly that to criminalise women's management of their sexual reproductive right is the wrong answer," Amnesty's deputy Secretary General Kate Gilmore told Reuters news agency.

"The Catholic Church, through a misrepresented account of our position on selective aspects of abortion, is placing in peril work on human rights," Ms Gilmore said.

Some 45 million unintended pregnancies are terminated around the world every year, the World Health Organisation says.

Nearly 70,000 women die annually from unsafe abortions, it says.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Before & After Marriage

2007-06-13T09:41:00.000+08:00

Before the marriage:

He: Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.

She: Do you want me to leave?

He: NO! Don't even think about it.

She: Do you love me?

He: Of course!

She: Have you ever cheated on me?

He: NO! Why you even asking?

She: Will you kiss me?

He: Yes!

She: Will you hit me?

He: No way! I'm not such kind of person!

She: Can I trust you?

Now after the marriage you can read it from bottom to the top!!!!

Hubby Turns 33

2007-06-11T22:39:00.000+08:00

The Scandinavian Prince who is now my devoted and loving hubby, turns 33 today.

Not so young anymore, eh?

Tsk...tsk...tsk...you can't go on saying that you are still 30 forever ;-)

We had a very quiet cake cutting and royal masala flavoured pizza eating ceremony a few hours ago and no, there weren't any candle light dinners which followed because the Scandinavian Prince believes in eating under brightly lit fluorescent lights instead.

Many, many more happy returns of the day Scandy!

I love you.

How Do You Sleep?

2007-06-08T15:06:00.000+08:00

It's Millennium Now...For Ethiopia

2007-06-06T13:45:00.000+08:00

Amazed. Bemused. Caught of guard. Shocked.

In between feeling all the above, reality also bit me hard in the ass - how is it that I never knew all these while that there IS, indeed, a country in this wide world of ours, which doesn't exactly move with time in the manner the majority of us do?

I mean, it was just my routine habit of reading world headlines via BBC.co.uk today, as with most other days, when I came across a rather interesting article (see below or click on the link) that talks about how one country in the vast African continent is not so in sync with the rest of us where material time, date and year is concerned.

Although I read the article over and over again several times just to be sure that I'm reading and registering the right thing in my mind, I'm still kind of lost when trying to address various issues.

Well, its fine by me that they follow a different calendar but to believe that their calendar is seven years behind the widely accepted and used Gregorian calendar leaves me speechless.

During lunch today, I spoke about this with my friends and we had a pretty interesting discussion ranging from 'Hey, I need to get to Ethiopia to go back in time without even using the time capsule!', 'So, if Ethiopians wanted to know what the future is like, they can then fly to any country in the world to find out how much difference seven years can make', to even more intriguing questions like 'If I want to be seven years younger and turn back time, I know where to head now' as well as 'If I'm travelling to Ethiopia, then my passport will state that I exited Malaysia in 2007 but arrived in Ethiopia in 1999...cool!'

And yes, as much as some people may laugh it off and move on to more pressing issues happening around the world, I'm still trying to figure out some basic questions about our time 'zone' difference - how do the people live and communicate knowing that the world around them is seven years ahead?

Just how do the foreign news correspondents report from that end of the world given that they are still in the year 1999 (granted there may not be that much happening there all the time) and what about world historical facts?

How will people in that country know about the devastating September 11 incident or even the world shattering tsunami of 2004...more precisely, when will they come to know of it and how will they learn to differentiate that these things that have literally shocked the world, are now a thing of past for the rest of us?

Oh, just how is all these this possible?

Ethiopia set for millennium party
By Elizabeth Blunt BBC News, Addis Ababa

Ethiopia has begun the countdown to its own year 2000Ethiopia has launched a programme of festivities in the run-up to its millennium celebrations in September.

The country uses the ancient Coptic calendar. It is about seven years behind the more widely used Gregorian calendar so it is still 1999 there.

The countdown to entering the third millennium on 12 September began with a campaign to plant 60 million trees.

Ethiopia expects many thousands of visitors to come to Addis Ababa for its millennium celebrations in 99 days.

On a bare hillside on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's President Woldegiorgis Girma launched its millennium celebrations with brass band music, patriotic songs and a flurry of tree-planting.

Firewood demand

This is just the first in a whole series of events leading up to 12 September when, just a little behind the rest of the world, Ethiopia finally enters the 21st Century.

The guests at the event only had to look around them from the sight of the planned new millennium park to see how necessary the tree planting is.

The chilly climate of the Ethiopian highlands creates a huge demand for firewood.

Once the steep slopes are bare, torrential rains carve the eroded earth into deep gullies.

Every Ethiopian is being urged to plant two trees in the millennium season.

Senior government figures and church leaders led the way followed by the entire diplomatic corps.

Some of the ambassadors puffed a little at the unaccustomed exertion in business suits and at high altitude.

But most of them took it all in good heart.

"All of us know that we have to look after this environment," said South Africa's ambassador, Chris Pepani.

"Even if I'm not expected but I'll take personal responsibility to come and have a look at what happened to the tree. Because anything that you plant, you have to look after it."

Among other events planned are the 1000th anniversary celebrations of the historic city of Harar and a millennium race featuring some of Ethiopia's most famous athletes.

Heartfelt Gratitude

2007-05-21T09:03:00.000+08:00

Phew...getting married is really no joke I tell you.

Now that it's finally over and my parents are relieved of the fact that they have finally handed me to a man whom they fully trust in taking care of me and vice-versa, I can join the ranks of my buddies namely The Blueberry, BadAss Angel and many more in saying 'What? Getting married? Duh, been there and done that!'

After almost two years and eight months of planning, strategising, saving money, arguing with certain busy-body relatives and would be in-laws, my big day on May 19 came and went rather smoothly.

Of course, the three days leading up to the big day, the wedding day itself and a few days past the event were not without minor glitches and heated exchanges between the Scandinavian Prince, myself and certain quarters who go by the name of near and distant relatives.

Boy, the wedding day itself was extremely stressful for both the Scandinavian Prince and myself as minor issues were being taken out of context and blown out of proportion by select individuals who were hell bent on perhaps ensuring that the show didn't go on as planned.

Perhaps, it is true when the wise say 'we plan but God decides' for despite the various issues brought up and argued upon even while the wedding was in full swing, the event went on as planned.

Its been an extremely emotionally and physically taxing exercise - this thing called ceremonial wedding and the set of traditions you are expected to observe for at least seven days following the colourful event.

This being the case and given the fact that I have limited internet access for now, I will have to keep my blog short and straight to the point.

My rantings aside, the real reason for my writing this entry is to sincerely thank from the bottom of my heart - my scores of friends who took time off their busy schedule to witness my big day. I owe you guys a big, big, big, thank you.

If I start mentioning names of those who turned up, I'm afraid of leaving out some due to the rush that I'm in now but nevertheless a very warm hug and thank you to my best pal Vishnu, my dear friends Shah, Eileen, Sharon Tan, Hazatul, Tamarai, Uma, Mahesh, Nimal, Sharon Sharmili, Suresh, Karu, Toh An Nee, Janet Kee, Rita Chai, Khai, Alice, Evelyn, Jessica Wong, Damien Kee, Prasath, Alex, Kumresh and many, many more.

I'm also extremely happy to note that my former superiors and colleagues from both The Sun and The Edge such as Robert Ho, Umakanthan, Chong Cheng Hai, Tan Su Yin, Mah Pin Pin as well as some financial and property industry notables made it a point to attend my wedding because they sincerely felt that over the years we have grown to become friends rather than just professional contacts.

Over and above all those who were present on that day, I also take to heart the fact that some dear friends were unable to make it due to prior engagements but were there in spirit wishing me joy and happiness to last a lifetime.

To each and everyone of you who made it to my wedding and even those who were unable to make it but took the effort to send me gifts and tokens as a mark of your well wishes - please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your presence and blessings made my big day most memorable.

This memory shall be treasured forever!

Facts That Can Make You Smile

2007-05-16T17:12:00.000+08:00

People

2007-05-13T11:16:00.000+08:00

I think this forwarded piece from a friend is self explanatory.

Be amused thinking how true these words are, especially where people from the corporate world are concerned.

Am I Ready?

2007-05-09T14:03:00.000+08:00

Time, it seems, at this point in my life at least, really flies.

As the time draws closer to my big day, some how there are many unanswered questions and it won't be an exaggeration of any sort to say that, at this very point in life, I'm constantly asking myself if I'm really, really ready for what awaits me post May 19.

There are moments in the recent past when I could confidently tell my dear friends that I'm indeed tying the knot soon but now that there's just another 10 days to go before the event becomes a cherished memory, I constantly question myself - is this what I really want?

Where do I go beyond the knot? What changes after you become someone else's legal half? Most pressing of all questions is perhaps the one that has to do with whether or not I'm ready for all that life has to offer after marriage.

Being born in a traditional family like my own and entering the one that I'm about to marry into, makes it no more easier when it comes to figuring out honest and practical answers to the above.

I mean, if you were to turn around and ask me 'aren't you adult enough to know if you are ready or not - to at least know if you are doing the right thing and are indeed settling down with the right person?', I'd say yes, I know I want to get married and I'm sure that the Scandinavian Prince loves me and I love him too.

But then, as certain quarters come together and start imposing their own ideas and virtues on the grounds that all these are age-old traditions that must be upheld at all times, I'm kinda lost.

I'm lost to learn now that some people are all so set to be trouble makers at almost all marriage unions that have taken place in a particular family.

I'm lost because these trouble makers themselves are married - they have been through the mill and know just how daunting the task of getting married is, uniting two families with different principles can be and most of all, they have already had real life experience in living through the stressful moments leading up to a wedding...and yet, after going through all the s**t on their own, why are they so resolved in making things difficult for others?

Its not like they have no careers or other focus issues in life - they do. They in fact have a family to look after, a husband to go home to, parents to care for and equally bitchy mates to mingle with, but no mate, its all not enough.

They must be present at all functions and non-functional gatherings between families and throw their two cents worth and side track everyone.

They go out of their way to make it difficult for the couple in all ways possible, particularly by citing traditions that are no longer practised even by their own families.

What becomes even more painful is the fact that some aged parents even buy the stories from these trouble-making morons on the grounds of 'what's so wrong in ensuring that we follow traditions'.

I mean like, do you know what the hell you are talking about in the first place? Do you know that all you are doing is listening to a brainless woman talking cock while buttering it in the name of tradition?

If I wasn't brought up in a very traditional family environment, I would have stood up and stated my views up front without any censoring, alas, this is an Indian wedding.

Time and again, I'm reminded that I need to be patient and all will end well. Just pray and don't talk back. Hold back your views cause wedding is usually where the elders do all the talking. Don't over react. Don't this and don't that because whatever it is, you are a girl, you are going to be some one's daughter-in-law and so you must play your cards right so that they accept you warmly into their family.

Yeah, so patience must a be a girl's virtue, particularly if you are Indian, bear in mind that you should also master the skill of withstanding stupid relatives from the groom's side - these utterly idiot of relations could be as distant a relative as is the gap between Earth and Mars but when there is a wedding in the family, they rule supreme with their stupid suggestions and moronic values that they try to force down upon a soon to be married girl.

As if the stress of managing a wedding in all broad aspects is not enough, certain unwelcome parties keep throwing their weight around to prove God-knows-what.

So, how am I to assure myself if I am ready for this?

Thoughts

2007-05-03T17:15:00.000+08:00

This came from my best friend and it is so true and heart warming not to share!

Tagged by BadAss Angel

2007-04-30T16:54:00.000+08:00

Hmmmmm...my dear friend BadAss Angel (no, she's no way as mean as her name sounds for as long as you understand her mood swings and get along well) has tagged me and so, this post is specifically in response to just that.

Layer One: On the Outside

Name: Gayathri and of course its kinda rare to get people calling my name in full. Often its just Gaya.

Birthdate: 25 October 1980 and yes, I know I'm much older than when I first joined The Sun!

Current status: Hahaha...this is tricky, I'm legally married for more than a year now but no, I don't live with my husband and I don't get to spend the night at his place or even go on holidays together-gather until after my ceremonial wedding is over

Eye color: Brown

Hair Color: Black

Righty or Lefty: Righty

Layer Two: On the Inside

My heritage: South Indian of Telegu descent, to be specific

My fears: Cockroaches, all types of flying insects, eerie places & people who are supposedly master of all trades

My Weaknesses: Baskin Robbins, sotong/udang sambal and Chennai briyani rice

My perfect pizza: I don't fancy pizza as much as I love seafood - so make that any pizza with plenty of udang and sotong topping...nyam, nyam...

Layer Three: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

My thoughts first thing when I wake up: What I'm still working to earn money? When am I gonna earn money without having to go to work and report to silly bosses?

My bedtime: Between 9.30pm and 11pm

My most missed memory: The good old days at the then The Sun news desk...sorry but its kinda hard to move on and completely leave behind good memories

Layer Four: My picks

Pepsi or Coke: Coke for sure, I think nothing quenches my thirst like Coke...yeah...

Mc Donald's or Burger King: McD of course! Burger King is so bloody expensive

Single or Group Dates: Single, candle light dinner which I don't know when and if I will ever have

Adidas or Nike: Nike lor...because you have to just do it!

Tea or Nestea: None

Chocolate or Vanilla: Nothing beats chocolate whether its ice-cream, cake, cookies, etc.

Cappucino or Coffee: Hate coffee, tea and all their variations - they stink!

Layer Five: Do I

Smoke: What? Cigarettes? No.

Curse: Very rarely but I'm no angel except for the fact that I don't use four letter words

Take a shower: Twice to three times a day, without fail

Have a crush: Not on a person but on some material thing - yes!

Think I've Been In love: Yeah

Go to school: Sure & I loved my secondary school years

Want to get married: What a freaky question...am counting down to my big day on May 19!

Believe in myself: To a certain extent but there are times I need reassurance!

Think I'm a health freak: No lah, I know health is wealth but what is life without some fun huh?

Layer Six: In the past month

Drank alcohol: Never in my life...is someone willing to let me try before I tie the knot?

Gone to the mall: Of late, I have frequented some malls but only to buy household stuff...sad:-(

Been on stage: In 2002 during a human rights conference, as the emcee

Eaten Sushi: Don't like it!

Dyed your hair: Been more than four years since I did so

Layer Seven: Have I ever

Played a stripping game: Me? Are you nuts? I've no guts to wear sleeveless blouse even!

Changed who I am to fit in: At different points in life, yes, but not to the point of compromising on my principles.

Layer Eight: Age I am hoping

To be married: Ha...do I have a choice? Its coming soon...in a matter of days!

Layer Nine: What was I doing

1 min ago: Typing answers for these questions la

1 hour ago: Went over to see Aunty Pamela to order a wedding cake

4.5 hours ago: Trying to prepare a draft CEO statement for an annual report

1 month ago: Work. Eat. Plan for the wedding. Sleep. Work. Eat. Plan for the wedding. Sleep.

1 year ago: Convincing my parents that I can get married much later...hey, I'm still young lah

Layer Ten: Finish The Sentence

I love: Handbags, watches, perfume, trustworthy friends, dogs, ice cream, etc.

I feel: I have had enough for the day and that I should rightly head home for some well deserved rest

I hate: Dumb bosses, people who bodek dumb CEOs who are clueless and lazy people

I hide: When I can't keep my emotions under check

Layer Eleven: Tag 5 people

Aiya, I dunno if I have five friends who have not yet been tagged...see that goes to show how small and ill known I am in the blogsphere.

Anyway, I tag:

1) Petals With No Name

2) cHiK_kU zONe

The three other people I know personally like The Blueberry, Furball and BadAss Angel have already been tagged!

My Engagement - A Pictorial Journey

2007-04-24T15:37:00.000+08:00

Oh, how true these words are...

2007-04-23T10:29:00.000+08:00

Note: I couldn't establish who the original authors are of the images above, which were sent to me via a fowarded mail.

Countdown Starts for Big Day

2007-04-19T17:29:00.000+08:00

I'm getting more and more nervous than I was in the days leading up to my engagement?

Why, you ask?

Well, because I'm trying my level best to maintain my calm and sanity in the days left leading up to my wedding but yet the stress and unwanted negative vibes from certain poisonous relatives and would be in-laws are getting to me.

Ever wonder why some people just can't keep their mouths shut when they are not even spoken to?

Worse still, at times when their opinions are never sought, they overwhelmingly offer it and make it loud so that everyone can hear it - but we all know that their ideas and views are not worth a penny.

Their ultimate objective is just to ruin things that I have carefully planned and you know what - I just don't understand what kind of kick they get out of it! Sick people, really.

God help them and rid them of my path - grant me as much patience and level headedness that I need to get over this, please.

This aside, the countdown officially begins today for my big day on May 19!

Can't believe time literally flies when you are busy trying to get everything in place for a picture perfect wedding (so I hope and pray)!

Love me FAST

2007-04-18T13:57:00.000+08:00

Read the following news in the New Straits Times today.

Honestly, I'm unsure if it is anything for us to take great pride in since a friend rightly pointed out that this isn't some Olympian race to determine as to who gets over and done with love making faster.

We ought to put quality ahead of quantity, stressed the married mother of two, who is in her forties.

And later, she went on to say, "It appears our fast paced living encourages more couples to indulge in quickies rather than meaningful intimate sessions that would build a better relationship over the long haul."

Anyway, everyone views the issue differently as another male colleague stressed that "faster doesn't always mean no quality because to some people, quickies are very exciting and satisfying".

Ah yes, the beauty of diversified views and that's just two people in my work place speaking their mind on the interesting read below.

Malaysians rank sixth fastest in love-making

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians spend an average of 19.9 minutes when they make love.

Hardly the stuff romance novels are made of, they ranked sixth quickest in the world in terms of time spent in a love-making session.

However, if it’s any consolation, the average time spent is above the global average of 18.3 minutes.

India’s lovers were the world’s quickest, spending only 13.2 minutes per session. Nigeria once again topped the ranking on a leisurely 23 minutes.

Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Australia were all well below the world average time.

Malaysians were just a heartbeat ahead of China’s lovers who took 20 minutes.

This was the findings from the "Global Sexual Wellbeing Survey" by condom-maker Durex.

It was revealed at the ongoing World Congress on Sexual Health in Sydney, Australia.

More than 26,000 people from 26 countries were screened online by global research firm Harris

Interactive from August to September last year.

Durex’s local distributor SSL Healthcare Malaysia general manager Voong King Yee said sex played a fundamental role in the physical and emotional well-being of a person.

The survey found two in five (or 38 per cent) of the 1,026 Malaysians polled were fully satisfied with their sex lives.

Forty per cent of Malaysian women were completely satisfied compared with 37 per cent of their male counterparts.

Want to know how you can spice things up?

"Seven in 10 (74 per cent) of the Malaysians surveyed said the situation could be remedied by injecting some old-fashioned love, tenderness, adventure and romance.

"Two-thirds (64 per cent) like more intimacy and better communication with their partners," said Voong.

Even in the "country of romance", France, they do not get it right all the time.

Only 25 per cent said they were satisfied with their sex lives.

Nigerians, on the other hand, know something others don’t.

They have the most people (67 per cent) satisfied with their sex lives, followed by Mexicans (63 per cent) and Indians (61 per cent).

The survey found that Malaysians have sex 115 times a year compared with the global average of 103.

The Greeks made an Olympian effort of 164 times, with Brazilians the next most amorous at 145, followed by the Poles and Russians (both 143) and Indians with 130.

The survey also found that Asians were least satisfied with their sex lives.

Australia’s Bond University sex expert Gabrielle Morrissey said it reflected cultural issues relating to sex in Asia.

"Work is more important than sex in many Asian countries."

Anger

2007-04-17T15:21:00.000+08:00

Anger is a mighty emotional weapon and more often than not, when not controlled, it can destroy a person, his/her life, belongings or everything altogether.

In traditional Indian families like mine, girls are brought up with the firm belief that anger should be suppressed as much as possible - as opposed to men, who it seems to me, enjoy greater freedom in expressing their anger openly.

Somehow, within traditional families like mine, it is some what ok if a guy gets angry and displays it openly but if you are of the fairer sex, its a big no-no, baby.

Over in the West, however, it seems anger is an emotion that is well expressed by both men and women, with less gender bias being apparent.

I got a series of pictures via email which best describes what some people might to do when anger controls them in a rage.

Out you go for the town to know...

Now that's an art, really...

Eeeeew, here's one hell of a rage!

Sometimes, words DO speak louder!

Here's an artistic shackle...err..house..err??!?

This is a message for the world to know and Scott to find out...later!

Now ladies and gentlemen, the moral of the pictures above is about what not to do when anger gets the better of you.

As always, I take no responsibility if these pictures actually contribute to your creative thinking as to ways and means you can now show off your anger :-)

365 Days

2007-04-12T13:55:00.000+08:00

TO MY DEAR WIFE:

During the past year I have tried to make love to you 365 times.

I have succeeded 36 times, which is an average of once every ten days.

The following is a list of why I did not succeed more often:

54 times the sheets were clean

17 times it was too late

49 times you were too tired

20 times it was too hot

15 times you pretended to be sleep

22 times you had a headache

17 times you were afraid of waking the baby

16 times you said you were too sore

12 times it was the wrong time of the month

19 times you had to get up early

9 times you said weren't in the mood

7 times you were sunburned

6 times you were watching the late show

5 times you didn't want to mess up your new hairdo

3 times you said the neighbors would hear us

9 times you said your mother would hear us

Of the 36 times I did succeed, the activity was not satisfactory because:

6 times you just lay there 8 times you reminded me there's a crack in the ceiling

4 times you told me to hurry up and get it over with

7 times I had to wake you and tell you I finished

1 time I was afraid I had hurt you because I felt you move

KEEP READING....... ===================================================================

TO MY DEAR HUSBAND:

I think you have things a little confused.

Here are the reasons you didn't get more than you did:

5 times you came home drunk and tried to screw the cat

36 times you did not come home at all

21 times you didn't cum

33 times you came too soon

19 times you went soft before you got in

38 times you worked too late

10 times you got cramps in your toes

29 times you had to get up early to play golf

2 times you were in a fight and someone kicked you in the balls

4 times you got it stuck in your zipper

3 times you had a cold and your nose was running

2 times you had a splinter in your finger

20 times you lost the notion after thinking about it all day

6 times you came in your pajamas while reading a dirty book

98 times you were too busy watching TV

Of the times we did get together:

The reason I laid still was because you missed and were screwing the sheets.

I wasn't talking about the crack in the ceiling, what I said was, "Would you prefer me on my back or kneeling?"

The time you felt me move was because you farted and I was trying to breathe.

Once you read this letter you have to keep it going.

This game has been played since 1996.

You must send this letter to 7 people.

On the 5th day someone will ask you out or say "I love you."

This is not a joke.

It has worked for many years.

If you break the chain, you will have bad luck with guys/girls forever.

This is just for future readers.

This began in 1996, not much of a past, but it works.

So here are the rules:

If you read this on a Sunday, wish for a good week

If you read this on a Monday, wish for money

If you read this on a Tuesday, wish for love

If you read this on a Wednesday, wish for success

If you read this on a Thursday, wish for anything you want

If you read this on a Friday, wish for a really hot date

If you read this on a Saturday, wish for an important phone call

Send this to seven people (after you make a wish). Make sure it is sent as soon as you read it or your wish won't come true. And check!

Your Salary Review - So True!

2007-04-09T09:07:00.000+08:00

Your Salary Review

What you need...

What you asked your Manager for...

What HR Promised...

What you felt it as...

What you received... Before Tax

What you received... After Tax

To end your Friday

2007-04-06T09:42:00.000+08:00

Three Minute Management Course

2007-04-05T15:17:00.000+08:00

Lesson 1: A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.

The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.

Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you £800 to drop that towel." After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob hands her £800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, "Who was that?"

"It was Bob the next door neighbor," she replies. "Great!" the husband says, "did he say anything about the £800 he owes me?"

Moral of the story : If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2: A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.

The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

The nun said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?"

The priest apologized "Sorry sister but the flesh is weak." Arriving at the convent, the nun went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."

Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3: A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, "I'll give each of you just one wish."

"Me first! Me first!" says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Puff! She's gone.

"Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life." Puff! He's gone.

"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager.

The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4: An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?" The eagle answered: "Sure, why not."

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up

Lesson 5: A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."

"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story: BullS*** might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson 6: A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.

While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out!

He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Moral of the story: (1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy

(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend

(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

This ends the 3-minute management course.

What kinda bride will I be?

2007-03-28T18:10:00.000+08:00

You Will Be a Modern Bride!

While you aren't ready to throw away all wedding tradions, you want a wedding with a twist
You're more inspired by celebrity weddings on E! than from bridal magazines
Whether this means getting married on the beach barefoot or a mariachi band for the reception...
Your wedding will be a blend of old and new - white dress cocktail, personalied vows, whatever suites you!!!

What Kind of Bride Will You Be?

Rate My Life Quiz

2007-03-22T11:01:00.000+08:00

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	6.9
Mind:	5.8
Body:	6.4
Spirit:	7.6
Friends/Family:	4.7
Love:	7.3
Finance:	8.1
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

My Life Analysis:

Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score leaves room for improvement. You can make changes to improve your trouble areas, and this will bring you greater satisfaction. Focus on your weakest points and set about to change them. Do not delay your happiness and success. (Read more on improving your life)

Mind: Your mind rating is a score of your mind's clarity, ability, and health. Higher scores indicate an advancement in knowledge, clear and capable thinking, high mental health, and pure thought free of interference. Your mind score is not bad, but could be improved upon. Your mental health is not weak, but you are not achieving full mental clarity and function. Learn how to unclutter your mind. Keep learning, keep improving, continue moving forward. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the mind.

Body: Your body rating measures your body's health, fitness, and general wellness. A healthy body contributes to a happy life, however many of us are lacking in this area. Your body score is fairly average, which means there is room for improvement. Keep a focus on your physical health. Protect your body as it is your most valuable physical asset. Nutrition, stress reduction, and exercise are key. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the body.

Spirit: Your spirit rating seeks to capture in a number that elusive quality which is found in your faith, your attitude, and your philosophy on life. A higher score indicates a greater sense of inner peace and balance. Your spirit score is relatively high, which means you are rewarded by your beliefs. Spirituality is clearly important to do. Never let it slip, and continue to learn and grow. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving the spirit.

Friends/Family: Your friends and family rating measures your relationships with those around you, and is based on how large, healthy, and dependable your social network is. Your friends and family score suffers, yet it does not need to be this way. Strengthen your social network by reaffirming old bonds. Seek out new friendships, and they will provide you the reward you need. Try using MeetUp.com to find people near you who share your interests.

Love: Your love rating is a measure of your current romantic situation. Sharing your heart with another person is one of life's most glorious, terrifying, rewarding experiences. Your love score is in good shape, meaning that things are going well. Do all you can to maintain it, and continue to grow and move ahead. Read advice from other quiz-takers on finding and maintaining love.

Finance: Your finance rating is a score that rates your current financial health and stability. You have a rather good financial score, which is not all that common these days. Keep doing what works. Avoid common pitfalls and save for the future. You will be glad you did. Read advice from other quiz-takers on improving your finances.

Malaysian Speciality

2007-03-22T10:30:00.000+08:00

These pictures, some which I have seen published in local newspapers, are amusing to the tired mind.

Although I can't establish if they all come from the same photographer (or otherwise) and am also unable to give the said individual(s) due credit (since I don't have their names), suffice to say these pictures were not taken by me.

Am posting this for your viewing pleasure sake.

Enjoy!

Talk about being rude, we say it best.

Yes, despite our rapid modernisation, we live in harmony with cattles.

Sometimes, we try too hard to balance between the national and English language.

Yup, you're spot on - this is the only place where gold & mobile phones can literally get a loan.

This picture takes Free School to a whole new level, don't you think?

Wonder what he's up to?

If you think Cicakman the movie was cool, wait till this Cicak comes to the theaters near you!

Now, now, which way do I go to get to my destination? Malaysia Boleh indeed!

Here's an ingenious attempt - better Astro reception thanks to the street lamp pole.

Stealing is not always a crime done without your knowing.

We've seen 'em in action at parties, now we caught them on the road.

Yup, this is the best way to keep track of your vehicle.

Hey with all these hot weather people are talking about, I have no worries...just look at my car!

Punjab English Marriage Proposal

2007-03-22T09:33:00.000+08:00

Talk about the need to better master the art of writing a romantic letter in English, the following letter sent via email to me, made me laugh my heart out.

And by the way, I'm not taking any responsibility towards any of the lewd connotations in this letter!

__________________________________________________________

Madam:

I am an olden young uncle living only with myself in Lahore.

Having seen your advertisement for marriage purposes, I decided to press myself on you and hope you will take me nicely.

I am a soiled son from inside Punjab.

I am nice and big, six foot tall, and six inches long.

My body is filled with hardness, as because I am working hardly.

I am playing hardly also. Especially I like cricket, and I am a good batter and I am a fast baller. Whenever I come running in for balling, other batters start running.

Everybody is scared of my rapid balls that bounce a lot.

I am very nice man. I am always laughing loudly at everyone. I am jolly. I am gay.

Especially ladies, they are saying I am nice and soft.

I am always giving respect to the ladies.

I am always allowing ladies to get on top. That is how nice I am.

I am not having any bad habits. I am not drinking and I am not sucking tobacco or anything else.

Every morning I am going to the Jim and I am pumping like anything. Daily I am pumping and pumping.

If you want you can come and see how much I am pumping the dumb belles in the Jim.

I am having a lot of money in my pants and my pants is always open for you.

I am such a nice man, but still I am living with myself only. What to do?

So I am taking things into my own hands everyday. That is why I am pressing myself on you, so that you will come in my house and take my things into your hand.

When you are marrying me madam, I am telling you, I will be loving you very hard every day.

In fact, I will stop pumping dumb belles in the Jim.

If you are not marrying me madam and not coming to me, I will press you and press you until you come.

So I am placing my head between your nicely smelling feet and looking up with lots of hope.

I am waiting very badly for your reply and I am stiff with anticipation.

Expecting soon.

Yours and only yours,

Choudhary Warraich,

born by mother in Okara and

become big in Lahore, Punjab

A Donkey Tale

2007-03-21T17:32:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time a Washerman was bringing up two donkeys.

Let us say Donkey-A and Donkey-B.

Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other. It always tried to pull the washerman's attraction over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him.

Innocent Donkey-B is normal, so it will walk normal, irrespective of the washerman's presence.

After a period of time, Washerman started pressurizing Donkey-B to be like Donkey-A.

But Donkey-B unable to walk fast, got continuous punishment from washerman.

It was crying and told personally to Donkey-A "Dear friend, only we two are here, why to compete with each other.... we can carry equal load at normal speed".

That made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washerman that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also.

Obviously happier washerman looked at Donkey-B, his BP raised and he started kicking Donkey-B.

Next day with a smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast.

But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn't act that way.

But the washerman was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly.

Then Donkey-A felt itself as a supremo and happily started carrying more load with great speed.

But now the Load of the Donkey-B was also being carried by Donkey-A and still it had to run fast.

For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it became tired and started feeling the pain.

But the washerman expected more from Donkey-A.

It also tried it's best, but couldn't cope up with his owner's demand.

The Washerman got angry with Donkey-A also and started harassing it to take more load.

Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best...but it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction.

Finally the day came when due to frustration the washerman killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys.

Its an endless story....

But the moral of the Story in Corporate life is..."Think all colleagues are same and that everyone is capable...Always Share the Load equally...Don't ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit.

Don't feel happy when your colleague is under pressure.

"It doesn't matter if u are A or B, for the Boss u shall be always be a DONKEY And most importantly, never Work hard...Work Smart!"

Excellence never happens by accident.

We have to make it happen and our methods matter every bit as much as our results.

Hi Beautiful!

2007-03-20T15:51:00.000+08:00

B e a u t i f u l !

Did you know that it's Beautiful Women's Month?

Well, it is and that means you and me.

Facts On Figures:

There are 3 billion women who don't look like super models and only eight who do.
Did you know Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14? (She also did not have good hygiene?) Can you believe that?
If Barbie was a real woman, she'd have to walk on all FOURS due to her proportions!
The average woman weighs 144 pounds and wears between a size 12-14.
One out of every 4 college-aged women has an eating disorder.
The Models in the magazines are AIRBRUSHED!!! - NOT Perfect!!
A psychological study in 1995 found that 3 minutes spent looking at a Fashion Magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty and SHAMEFUL!
Models 20 years ago weighed 8% less than the average Woman.
Today they weigh 23% less......

~~ Beauty of a Woman ~~

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows.

The beauty of a woman with time, only grows.. An English professor wrote the words:

"WOMAN WITHOUT HER MAN IS NOTHING" on the blackboard, and directed the students to punctuate it correctly.

The men wrote: "Woman, WITHOUT HER MAN, is nothing."

The women wrote: "WOMAN!! WITHOUT HER, man is nothing!"

The Images of Mother:

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either!
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom. . .

This posting, sourced from an email sent to me by a dear old school friend, is dedicated to all the phenomenal women I've had the pleasure of knowing.

You're all simply beautiful!

Bedroom Inspirations

2007-03-19T17:26:00.001+08:00

This, I received from a forwarded email.

The designs are what some people would term as 'modern', 'fresh', 'unconventional', 'artistic' and so on and so forth.

Whatever you call them, enjoy imagining if any one of these were your real life bedrooms...

Power of non-violence

2007-03-07T17:32:00.000+08:00

Reading the following really made me think about everyday life and the way we - sorry, I, do things.

I may be eons away from being a complete follower of Ghandi's non-violence preaching but rest assured, the excerpt below got me thinking of ways and means through which I can start making visible progress.

______________________________________________________

Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gandhi Institute for Non-violence, in his recent lecture at the University of Puerto Rico shared the following story:

I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban , South Africa , inthe middle of the sugar plantations.

We were deep in the country and had no neighbors, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies.

One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance.

Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced.

When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet youhere at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together."

After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre.

I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature thatI forgot the time. It was 5:30 before I remembered.

By the time I ranto the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00.

He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?"

I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage.

When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in theway I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell methe truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it."

So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads.

I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered.

I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again.

I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me theway we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson atall. I don't think so.

I would have suffered the punishment and goneon doing the same thing.

But this single non-violent action was sopowerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday.

No to red carpet coz she can't wear what she liked

2007-03-01T10:04:00.000+08:00

Ok, I hope I'm not over-reacting here.

First things first - everytime a Malaysian artiste gets invited to anything associated with Hollywood or the likes of it, it sure as hell makes the headlines.

And then you have all the oooo and aaaaahhhs about what, why, when and how that person is going to be doing at the said event.

After everything is said and done, people will pretty much come to their senses that it wasn't worth all that hype after all coz our local talent, whoever it may be, got invited only to perhaps make up the numbers or do their job (as in deejays, etc) and that they were not exactly given any significant honour (such as receiving an award, for instance) at the much hyped-about event after all.

Just look at this recent case for instance -all the hype about a local deejay Linda Onn being present at the 79th Academy Awards just fizzled out when the personality decided not to attend the function because....of all other sane reasons, she failed to attend it because she couldn't wear the dress she wanted!!!

Can you beat that?

Now what do you call that...unprofessional or just utter nonsensical tantrum?

You be the judge ;-)

Read it here:

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.aspfile=/2007/3/1/nation/17004235&sec=nation

RADIO deejay Linda Onn was absent on the 79th Academy Awards red carpet because she was not allowed to wear the dress she wanted, Utusan Malaysia reported.

Quoting sources, the paper said some people were uncomfortable that a foreigner, Indonesian-born Jovian Mandagie, had designed and made the outfit Linda was to wear.

So, local designer Radzuan Radziwill was asked to hastily put together a dress and a Star TV official flew to Los Angeles to deliver it.

However, Linda refused to wear it and was said to have been very disappointed that she could not wear the dress she wanted.

Linda was to host a Star Movies’ programme together with Channel V presenter Dominic Lau.

She withdrew from hosting the programme.

Jovian, who was contacted later, said that he and Linda had designed the kebaya and it had taken almost two weeks to complete.

Lau said Linda had lost a golden opportunity to interview top Hollywood celebrities.

Bush on Malai Shia

2007-03-01T09:35:00.000+08:00

I got this joke via email a couple of days back and I'm not sure where it originated from but I suppose the joke made its round right after our Islamic religious department officials raided the hotel room occupied by an aged couple from abroad, who were visitors to Malaysia in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

The manner in which the religious officials conducted the raid and their lack of manners, if I may say so, received huge public outrage although the officials and department in question defended their actions as nothing to cry foul about.

I'm quite sure that the pun of the message behind the joke is obviously intentional.

Have a good laugh and remember, I'm not the author of it.

In January 2007, President George W Bush is visiting several Asian countries including Indonesia and Singapore.

Bush: Well Condi, is there anything you need from Singaporethat I can pick up for you while I am there next month?

Rice: That's very kind of you, Mr President, but no, there's really nothing I need right now from there. But Laura will certainly enjoy the shopping there, sir.

Bush: Ah yes, she's been talking about it. Lee's wife has promised to take her shopping at the newly opened Vivocity.

Rice: I'm sure she'll enjoy a trip to Sentosa too. Especially now that the haze from Indonesia has more or less lifted. Talking of which, you're going to Indonesia too, aren't you sir?

Bush: Yes I am, and while I'm with Susilo Bambang, Laura will visit Acheh and give away a cheque to the tsunami victims.

Rice: How sweet. Would you be dropping by Malai Shia, sir?

Bush: Naw, giving them a miss.

Rice: Don't blame you sir, they have some rough motor cyclists there. Called themselves "Mad Ram Piss" or something. They think they're the Asian equivalent of our Knievel. They would certainly scare Laura to death.

Bush: Nah, Laura is made of sterner stuff. But that's not the reason why we're not going to Malai Shia, Condi.

Rice: Oh. Then it must be their traffic jams. They even have monorails that run off the tracks and dangle in mid-air. And highway pillars that crack.

Bush: Really? Incompetent, that's all I can say. But no, that's not the reason why we're skipping Malai Shia either.

Rice: Oh I know. You don't want to distract the Prime Minister right now, isn't it? Heard he's getting some shitty stuff from his predecessor telling him off like a kid.

Bush: If Clinton did that to me, I'd personally throw him off an F-16. But no, that's also not the reason why we're skipping Malai Shia.

Rice: Must be the floods then, sir? It's the monsoon season now and it floods bad after just two hours of rain. Landslides too; bring down houses but then people there build 4-storey bungalows without approval.

Bush: Naw, the rain wouldn't bother us. That's also not the reason for not going there.

Rice: I give up. Why are you visiting Indonesia and Singapore, and yet not go to Malai Shia, Mr President?

Bush: The reason, Dr Rice, is that I don't want their Religious Department people banging on our hotel room door in the middle of the night, demanding to see our marriage certificate. Now THAT would scare the hell out of Laura ...