Melayu Boleh

All abuzz over ‘Ethical Clothing’

2012-01-06T12:49:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA: If you are working at the Defence Ministry, be sure not to wear “clothes that poke eye”.

This was one of the many colourful descriptions of “Ethical Clothing” (etika berpakaian) that is acceptable within the ministry's standards.

Netizens on social networking sites were literally ROFL, which is cyberspeak for “rolling on the floor laughing”, as they shared the link to the ministry's amusing English translation of the staff dress code on its official website.

Lost in translation: The amusing English translation of the staff dress code on the Defence Ministry website.

“Clothes that poke eye” is a literal translation of pakaian yang menjolok mata, which is supposed to mean revealing clothes in Bahasa Malaysia. Other finds included: “collared shirts and tight Malay civet berbutang three”, which, in Malay, is berkolar baju Melayu cekak musang berbutang tiga.

Baju batik lengan panjang berkolar / cekak musang buatan Malaysia, meanwhile is translated as “long-sleeve batik shirt with collar / mongoose fight made in Malaysia”.

There was also “shine closed”, which was translated from kasut bertutup,or closed-toe shoes.

Another was the brief summary of the ministry's history on the website, which read: “After the withdrawal of British army, the Malaysian Government take drastic measures to increase the level of any national security threat.”

The actual summary in Bahasa Malaysia read: Selepas pengunduran tentera British, Kerajaan Malaysia mengambil langkah drastik untuk meningkatkan tahap keselamatan negara dari sebarang ancaman.

The ministry took down the English translated version several hours after it went widespread on Twitter and Facebook.

A ministry spokesperson said a clarification has since been posted on the website, adding that page hits shot up remarkably yesterday.

The clarification on the website said corrective action was being taken on the related software to ensure translations were accurate.

Malaysia Motogp Rider dies after horror crash video

2011-10-23T18:47:00.001+08:00

:

Italian rider Marco Simoncelli died after being involved in a major crash at the Malaysian MotoGP Sunday. The race was cancelled in its second lap when the Honda rider fell and was hit by Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.

Audio-Technica ATH-M30 Professional Headphones

2011-10-04T22:08:00.002+08:00

Audio-Technica ATH-M30 Professional Headphones

Key Features

Exceptional clarity and sonic accuracy for mixing
High power handling for tracking sessions
Circumaural design ensures superior isolation
40 mm diameter drivers, neodymium magnets and CCAW voice coils
Adjustable cushioned headband and lightweight design for maximum comfort
OFC litz wire cable, convenient one-side exit
Gold-plated 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) stereo connector with strain relief and professional screw-on 1/4-inch (6.3 mm) adapter

5.0 out of 5 stars
Neophyte audiophile mighty impressed
After purchasing an iPod mini, I thought I could use much better headphones to test the quality of the aiff files provided by iTunes. I must emphasize that I am not an expert as the other reviewers. When choosing this pair, I read reviews and looked for high quality under 50 bucks. These headphones put my big stereo speakers to shame. I can hear the background singers...

Buy Cheap Kindle Fire Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi

2011-09-29T04:42:00.002+08:00

Features

Stunning Color Touchscreen

Movies, magazines and children's books come alive on a 7" vibrant color touchscreen that delivers 16 million colors in high resolution. Kindle Fire uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology - similar technology to that used on the iPad - for an extra-wide viewing angle, perfect for sharing your screen with others.

Magazines in Rich Color

Enjoy your favorite magazines with glossy, full-color layouts, photographs and illustrations. Choose from hundreds of titles, such as Bon Appetit, Elle, and Oprah. Special editions of titles likeVanity Fair, Wired, and GQ come with built-in video, audio and other interactive features.

Beautifully Simple and Easy to Use

Designed from the ground up, Kindle Fire's simple, intuitive interface puts the content you love at your fingertips - spin effortlessly through your recent titles and websites straight from the home screen. Whether you are in the mood to watch, read, listen, play or browse, you can get to all your favorite content with a single touch. It's that simple.

100,000 Movies and TV Shows

Over 100,000 movies and TV shows, including thousands of new releases and your favorite TV shows, are available to stream or download, purchase or rent - all just one tap away. Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows.

Fast, Dual-Core Processor

Kindle Fire features a state-of-the-art dual-core processor for fast, powerful performance. Stream music while browsing the web or read books while downloading videos.

Your Favorite Apps and Games

Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, The Weather Channel and more, plus a great paid app for free every day. All apps are Amazon-tested on Kindle Fire for the best experience possible.

Ultra-fast web browsing - Amazon Silk

Amazon Silk is a revolutionary, cloud-accelerated browser that uses a "split browser" architecture to leverage the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services cloud. Supports Adobe® Flash® Player. Learn why it's so fast.

Millions of Books

Read bestsellers, children's books, comic books, and cookbooks in vibrant color. The Kindle Store offers over 1 million books, including 800,000 titles at $9.99 or less. In addition, over 2 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available such asPride and Prejudice. Learn More

Free Cloud Storage

Forget about memory - Kindle Fire gives you free storage for all your Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. Your books, movies, music and apps are available instantly to stream or download for free, at a touch of your finger.

Your Favorite Children's Books

Kindle Fire is great for parents and kids. Stir your child's imagination with over 1000 beautifully-illustrated children's books, including favorites like Brown Bear, Curious George, and Circus Ship.

Easy to hold in one hand

Designed to travel with you wherever you go. Small enough to fit in your purse and light enough to hold in just one hand, Kindle Fire is perfect for browsing, playing, reading and shopping on-the-go.

17 Million Songs

Stream your music library from Amazon Cloud Drive or download to your device and listen offline. Looking for new music? Discover over 17 million songs in the Amazon MP3 Store.

Extra Durable Display

Our state-of-the art Kindle Fire display is chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, making it extra durable and resistant to accidental bumps and scrapes.

Stay in touch using our built-in email app that gets your webmail (Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL etc.) into a single inbox. Import your messages and contact lists from other email accounts. Additional email apps are available in our Amazon Appstore for Android.

Amazon Whispersync

Like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire uses Amazon's Whispersync technology to automatically sync your library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across your devices. On Kindle Fire, Whispersync extends to video. Start streaming a movie on Kindle Fire, then pick up right where you left off on your TV - avoid the frustration of having to find your spot. Learn more

Free Month of Amazon Prime

Experience the benefits that millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy, including unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows and Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items. Learn more

Read Your Documents

Kindle makes it easy to take your documents with you. You can e-mail documents - including Word, PDF and more - directly to your Kindle so you that you can read them anytime, anywhere.

Technical Details

Display	7" multi-touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and anti-reflective treatment, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi, 16 million colors.
Size (in inches)	7.5" x 4.7" x 0.45" (190 mm x 120 mm x 11.4 mm).
Weight	14.6 ounces (413 grams).
System Requirements	None, because it's wireless and doesn't require a computer.
On-device Storage	8GB internal. That's enough for 80 apps, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.
Cloud Storage	Free cloud storage for all Amazon content
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as web browsing and downloading content.
Charge Time	Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via USB.
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.1X standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.
USB Port	USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
Audio	3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers.
Content Formats Supported	Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV, MP4, VP8.
Documentation	Quick Start Guide(included in box); Kindle User's Guide (pre-installed on device)
Warranty and Service	1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Kindle is subject to the terms found here.
Included in the Box	Kindle Fire tablet, U.S. power adapter (supports 100-240V), and Quick Start Guide.

Teen forced to be sex slave to four youths

2011-09-22T12:42:00.001+08:00

THE recent Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations for a 16-year-old girl turned into a nightmare when she was drugged and kept locked in a room as a sex-slave for 20 days, reported Harian Metro.

The victim's ordeal began when she agreed to attend a Hari Raya open-house celebration on Aug 31 with a man she had recently befriended.

The suspect picked the student up from her home in Dengkil, Selangor, at about 9.30pm and took her to a house in Bandar Mahkota, Cheras, for the celebration.

Following the celebration, the man in his 20s persuaded the girl to stay over for the night.

Later the suspect drugged and locked her in a room before raping her. Four of his friends also took turns to rape the teenager.

Her nightmare continued for almost three weeks before she managed to escape on Sept 19.

She lodged a report at the Seri Kembangan police station.

Kajang OCPD Assistant Commissioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said police had begun investigations to track down the five suspects.

> A sociologist urged the Government to set up a special 24-hour counselling body following the rise of the “emo” culture among young Malay girls today.

Universiti Malaya's education and counselling department head Prof Jas Laile Suzana Jaafar said such trends should be addressed at an early stage to curb its spread.

The trend was highlighted by Raudhatus Sakinah Female Adolescent Guidance Centre managing director Rosmawati Zainal who said the sub-culture had made its way into the country three years ago.

> It was reported in the same daily that a 17-year-old had been arrested for molesting his stepmother at their home in Taman Bukit Pelangi, Subang Jaya, on Monday.

The incident was said to have occurred at 8pm after the teenager got into a heated argument with his 33-year-old stepmother.

The youth apparently turned aggressive and dragged his stepmother to the back of the home before molesting her.

Police detained him at the home after the woman, who was accompanied by her husband, lodged a report.

Other News & Views is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this > sign, it denotes a separate news item

U.S. ready to share anti-terrorism experience: Ambassador

2011-09-19T21:58:00.000+08:00

IPOH: The United States is ready to share with Malaysia its experience in formulating anti-terrorism law, said its ambassador to Malaysia, Paul W. Jones.

"Each country has a different approach in combating terrorism or terrrorist groups," Jones said after paying a courtesy call on Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir here on Monday.

The ambassador said he heard that Malaysia's Home Ministry would be looking to the UK and US anti-terrorism laws to replace the ISA, but the decision would be Malaysia's.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his Malaysia Day special address last week said that the ISA would be revoked and two new laws introduced to prevent subversive activities, organised crime and violent crime.

Jones said when the anti-terrorism law was to tabled in the US, it was hotly debated and widely discussed as the public feared that civil liberties would be eroded with introduction of the law.

He said the whole world was now interested in the issue to civil liberties and at the same time, keen to curb terrorism which had been a challenge for many countries.

"But Malaysia has shown its commitment (to upholding civil liberties) by abolishing the ISA," he added. BERNAMA

Apple iphone 5

2011-08-12T06:50:00.001+08:00

Apple iPhone 5 on its way, Apple is staking much of its feature upgrades on software, with iOS 5 and iCloud taking center stage. But as developers and tech enthusiasts peel back the wrappings from iOS 5, are they discovering anything more than just Android pastiche?

As we move ever closer to the announcement of the iPhone 5 in September, iOS 5 is just beginning to come into focus from a feature standpoint. Apple has laid out the full beta version, giving developers and iPhone users the opportunity to explore what it will offer vis a vis the iPhone 5 — the flagship device that will meld hardware with iOS software. BGR has published a comprehensive changelog for iOS 5 beta that is phenomenal — perhaps one of the finest pieces of information yet offered within the minutia of the iPhone 5 rumor mill, and definitely worth checking out.

But what iOS 5 beta is bearing out for the iPhone community is that, while it is indeed a significant leap forward from iOS 4, it feels particularly “familiar” and not all that original. This is because many of the landmark changes that are going to be ushered in with iOS 5 already appear in the Android operating systems.

In his widely-read article “Five Ways Apple Rips-Off Android with iOS 5,” PC World‘s Ian Paul quantitatively makes the case for how iOS 5 is a catch-up to Android operating system technologies. Paul comments that: “You might even call these new features magical or revolutionary, unless you’re an Android user, then you’d call them “stuff I’ve been using for years.” The latest additions to Apple’s mobile OS are probably a welcome relief for iPhone and iPad fans, but it’s hard to call iOS “the world’s most advanced mobile operating system” when Apple is playing catch up to Android.”

He claims that the notification center, social networking integration, OTA updates, a camera snap function for the volume button, and the use of the Apple ID to unify the new “Apple ecosystem” — all of which are seminal Android ideas.

But Ian’s Paul’s piece is a little bit dated. Just this week, the iPhone 5 rumor mill has also been talking about the discovery of what looks to be Nuance-powered voice recognition that could very well debut on the next iPhone. It will indeed be a welcome addition to the next device, but it too is predated by the same functionality found on Android phones. We have a report about voice recognition in iOS 5 that you can read here on the iPhone 5 News Ticker.

The same goes for NFC technology, which may or may not make its way onto the iPhone 5. Android has dabbled in that, too

So, what’s to be made of this perspective that the crux of the iPhone 5 — which will be iOS 5, aka the “engine” of the device — is merely a pantomime of what Android has already been doing? To be sure, iPhone users want to feel as though they are getting a novel device with the iPhone 5; something that it truly unique and distinguished from all other smartphones on the market. Yet, none of the most coveted features — including the ones mentioned above in iOS 5 — are in fact new, groundbreaking ideas that no one else has tried. This week, we’ve also been talking about a larger screen for the iPhone 5. Even if our dreams come true and the iPhone 5 sports a bigger screen, it will only be a new feature as far as iPhone designs go; for Android, it’s been there, done that.

And yet, in spite of this revelation, the tech world (and Apple as well, apparently) expects the iPhone 5 to overrun the smartphone market; 2011 — and 2012 for that matter — are being characterized as an iPhone 5 landslide.

How is it that Apple could roll out an iPhone 5 that is essentially derivative of the best bits of the Android ranks, and still beat Android across the board?

The answer is rather singular: ignorance. And ignorance explains how this phenomenon could occur on two fronts. The first rash of ignorance comes from our side of the discussion — we, the self-proclaimed tech illuminati. (I’m hoping you’re cracking a wry smile right now.) It has been said here before and is worth noting again that the vast majority of consumers are not tech savvy enough to feel any degree of pride or shame over new features versus ripped-off features. Here cometh the second rash of ignorance, this time on the part of the unwashed masses; the average Joes: for the average consumer, features are either “really cool” or “really not all that cool,” and, while being first to market is typically of high value, Android as a superbrand clearly hasn’t capitalized on its own novel technology, since Apple may be poised to pilfer most of it and sell it to the public with the “really cool” Apple logo stuck to it.

Another thing to consider is that nothing is sacred in business, and particularly so in the technology sector. We all know that Bill Gates ripped off Steve Jobs when he rolled out Microsoft Windows. But there is also plenty of evidence that Jobs ripped off Xerox. It’s like a viscous circle, which is why Apple, Samgung, HTC, Nokia, et al are continuously suing one another. It’s entirely possible that Google will sue Apple over iOS 5 when it is released (remember — you read it here first). And if it comes to that, it’s assumable that Apple will even be ready for it. After all, they have to keep pace with Google in features.

The big question remains: what will iOS 5 offer us that is different from Android?

In the end, there may not be many new features that are completely unique and germane to the Apple iPhone 5 only. But chances are, there is one facet to iOS 5 that will be completely different from the Android OS: it will work. It is well-chronicled that Android smartphones crash and offer the user more frustration than features. What Apple always consistently delivers is quality. So, even if in the end iOS 5 is derivative of Android, at least Apple will have built a better Android than Google themselves.

http://iphone5newsblog.com/2011/08/08/ios-5-shows-promising-new-features-but-are-most-of-them-android-knockoffs/#more-2641

CIMB to expand BdC operations

2011-08-04T15:17:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Bank is targeting to expand the market share of its bureau de change (BdC) operations by 5% to 10% by year-end via more collaborations and BdC outlets.

CIMB's deputy head of financial services Abdul Karim Lassim told reporters Thursday that the bank was planning to add another 17 outlets to the current 42 BdC outlets.

Last year he said the bank's BdC's business recorded more than one million transactions and over RM1.5 billion in turnover.

Abdul Karim added that the bank was also eyeing a 30% growth in transactions and turnover for the BdC operations this year.

sport store online

2011-07-28T15:59:00.000+08:00

My year old nephew is a big fan of baseball and loves watching the MLB games that are aired on sport channels. So much so that being in a cricket crazy nation we had to look for baseball glove and bat for him for his 9th birthday. Imagine his face when we bought him a first baseman's glove and told him happy birthday and asked him to pitch. None withstanding our lack of knowledge of the sport and that giving a first baseman's glove to a budding pitcher and asking him to pitch is an unpardonable crime, we decided to make it up to him by presenting him a set of baseball jersey complete with a cap for his 10th birthday. However no matter how much we tried no store that I visited could help me out. In fact some bright salesman actually advised me to present my nephew with a white t-shirt and a white matching Capri and an ankle shoes to make it up!

After giving up hope of finding what I need offline I entered the digital domain to see if there are any online sports store that can help me out. In fact I was presently surprised to see that there are plenty of sport stores online which stock these specialty products. I use the word specialty products as these are not in great demand and you cannot expect to make a booming sales bottom line if you are selling baseball stuff in a cricketing nation. Yet these stores kept these and I was in for a surprise. How do you react if you were looking for a rare collection of books and won't find it no matter how much you look for it and then all of a sudden find the entire collection a bargain price? Well that pretty much sums up my feelings when I discovered a few great online sports store that not only kept all the major teams jerseys but also provided free delivery in 2 days time. More over some of the best sports store online offer great discounted pricing and also discounts for referral buyers. I referred a few of my friends who have kids at home or I know are looking for sports goods. Some of these stores also have a section for cheap sports products and products which are on sale. If you are looking for a specific product and are unable to find it in the regular sections try looking here, you may not only find it you may also get yourself a big discount while you buy. I bought a baseball complete jersey with cap for my nephew and a nice looking football t-shirt for the football fan in myself.

Another great thing about these stores is that unlike some of the traditional well publicized best sports store around they are diminutive in the sense that thy don't have a big establishment to maintain and sales staff to pay salary to and thus they can offer to pass on the great savings that they make on to their customers. Also they keep the best products and latest trends in their online stores so you can buy them from the comfort of your home. Also these online stores offer free replacements if the size goes not fit or that the products is found having manufacturing defects. This is a great option for buyers like me and certainly a lot of skeptical buyers will find this to their advantage as well.

No more signings, says Ferguson

2011-07-24T20:06:00.000+08:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Manchester United are not currently in the market for new summer signings and he is looking at the Old Trafford dressing room to provide the answer to Paul Scholes' retirement.

Samir Nasri and Luka Modric appear bound for Manchester City and Chelsea should they leave Arsenal and Tottenham respectively, whilst any deal to sign Inter's Wesley Sneijder apparently looks too expensive for Ferguson to sanction.

Sir Alex Ferguson is looking at combinations of central midfielders who are now at the club

It means the United boss could end up going into the new campaign with the players already at his disposal, which would mean the likes of Anderson having to step up on the efforts of previous years.

After a 3-1 friendly win over Chicago Fire at Soldier Field, Ferguson said: "We started the season with the players we have and I am satisfied with that."

He added: "We are not looking at the moment but we are looking at combinations of central midfielders now at the club."

Trailing at the interval, United needed to complete a second-half comeback to secure their win.

They were inspired by a magnificent goal from Wayne Rooney, who replaced Dimitar Berbatov at half-time and produced the perfect lob from Rio Ferdinand's lofted pass.

"It was a perfect ball from Ferdinand but it was a difficult chance to take with the goalkeeper rushing out and the defenders chasing back at him," observed Ferguson.

"It takes a good deal of skill to control in that position."

Rafael and Nani ensured United maintained their 100% record ahead of the most testing couple of games of the tour.

The Red Devils tackle an MLS All-Stars team set to include David Beckham and Thierry Henry at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday before their Champions League final rematch with Barcelona in Washington next Saturday evening.
Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

AirAsia-All Nippon Airways form low-cost carrier

2011-07-22T20:06:00.001+08:00

TOKYO: AirAsia Bhd and All Nippon Airways Group (ANA), Japan's largest airline, are teaming up to form a new low-cost carrier (LCC),AirAsia Japan Co Ltd.

AirAsia Japan, the first LCC to be based at Narita International Airport, will serve both domestic and international destinations when it begins operations in August 2012, subject to obtaining the relevant approvals.

The joint venture (JV) would see ANA holding 67% voting shares, with AirAsia holding the balance. It would also see ANA holding 51% on a capital basis in the partnership and AirAsia owning the remainder. AirAsia Japan will have a capitalisation of five billion yen (about RM190mil).

AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes said the carrier was proud to extend its successful low-cost business model to Japan and provide more opportunities for people to fly to destinations of their dreams with low fares.

ANA president Shinichiro Ito (left) and Tony Fernandes at the ceremony to announce the ANA-AirAsia joint venture. — AFP

“AirAsia Japan will not only boost economic growth between Asean and East Asia by providing better access to markets around the region but also enhance links within travel, trade and tourism,” he said yesterday at a ceremony to announce the partnership.

Fernandes said the group was also proud to be identified as a low-cost carrier partner for ANA, a respected, credible and successful airline in Japan.

“This new JV is an important milestone in AirAsia's growth as ANA is the very first airline partner to form a JV with AirAsia,” he said.

He also said that AirAsia saw the JV as a platform to penetrate the US market through Tokyo.

“We might be serving flights to Honolulu in Hawaii, for example, from Narita in 2013,” he said, adding that AirAsia Japan would start with three new aircraft, with two more planes to be added later.

Having established an unmatched network, especially within the Asean region, AirAsia had been seeking a business partner with strong Japanese market influence to further expand its scope as well as contribute to strengthening bilateral ties between Asean and Japan.

ANA had been looking for opportunities to launch a new low-cost business based at Narita and, after analysis, had concluded that partnering with an existing low-cost carrier was the most efficient and strategically advantageous option.

ANA is the eighth largest airline in the world by revenue and the biggest in Japan by passenger numbers.

The formation of AirAsia Japan leverages AirAsia's successful business model and brings together the complementary strengths of the two companies, generating new demand with the aim of making affordable and quality travel available to all.

An aviation analyst with a local research house told StarBiz that the tie-up was a good move for AirAsia as it would boost the carrier's revenue stream due to ANA's high passenger yield.

The analyst said ANA's passenger yield was 3.5 times higher than AirAsia and was also higher than Singapore Airlines.

“This bodes well for AirAsia in terms of profitability as Japan is a high-income nation. With ANA's high passenger yield, coupled with AirAsia's low-cost base structure, it is possible for the JV to be profitable in its first year of operation.”

The analyst said in terms of domestic routes in Japan, the key challenges for the JV would be the existence of bullet trains in the country.

“For the JV to be successful, it should not overlap with the bullet train routes as these locomotives provide unlimited travel with cheap rates.”

MIDF Research said in a report that the JV would serve as the catalyst for AirAsia, moving forward, but cautioned that the threat of rising crude oil prices would remain a concern for all airlines.

A fund manager said the tie-up would strengthen AirAsia's footing in the region as the Japanese market was the third-largest economy with high per capita income.

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon review

2011-07-12T03:56:00.000+08:00

A Decent Goodbye

By Mumtaj Begum

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon

Rating(out of 5): * * *

(United International Pictures)

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Julie White, Kevin Dunn, Josh Duhamel

Michael Bay sure likes to rewrite history and deface as many monuments as he possibly can as a director. In the secondTransformers film, he totally wrecked the pyramids with a silly action sequence that didn’t make any impact at all.

Here, he presents a theory on why the American space programme was in such a hurry to land on the moon back in the 1960s. Even though it’s not intentional, the whole thing seems a little hilarious – funnier than the hoax moon landing theory.

Then again, facts and logic are never the foremost concern in a film about living and talking machines with an ability to look like any mode of transport.

Apparently, neither is developing human characters – Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky has lost any charm he had in the first film, especially when you put him alongside his cartoonish parents. His new love interest – played by model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley – is the epitome of a one-dimensional character (oh look, she’s pouting while wearing a tight, short dress ... profound). Seriously, she’s nothing more than a blonde version of Megan Fox.

"I might be here as eye candy, but boy, I'm good looking!"

Fortunately, all the so-called subplots are hashed out in the first hour of the 150-minute film. Once the Decepticons are back in the picture with their usual humdrum desire to be “Gods” and the Autobots standing in their way – the audience is in for an eyeful of explosions, action, transformations, action, destruction, action, mayhem and more action. As you are bombarded visually, you are thankful Bay has slowed down the pace a little so that we can actually see the robots do their thing.

There are plenty of new characters too – a snake-like Decepticon weapon is just so freaking cool and a Prime voiced by Leonard Nimoy brings levity to the race. So much so, you find yourself wishing the human characters would just get out of the way – their dialogue is nothing but incessant noise. The clanging sound of metal is like music.clothes handbags store

The third film redeems the awful mess the second film made. Bay turned down the forced humour that prevailed in Revenge Of The Fallen, although it’s hard to figure out what Frances McDormand is doing here. While the first film remains the best, this final instalment at least gives it a decent goodbye.

American Black Film Festival starts in Miami Beach

2011-07-08T00:28:00.001+08:00

American Black Film Festival starts in Miami Beach

MIAMI BEACH, Florida (AP): One of the most prestigious festivals honoring black cinema returned to Miami Beach on Wednesday to promote cultural diversity and recognize the contributions of black directors, writers and actors to the American film industry.

Now in its 15th year, the American Black Film Festival promotes cultural diversity within the film industry by strengthening the black filmmaking community through four days of film screenings, networking, workshops for both actors and directors and panel discussions.

Jeff Friday, the festival's co-founder, said he wanted to change America's tone of African-American characters on television and films.

"I had always been disturbed by images of people with color in films. There was always a level of struggle," he said of black people on the television shows he grew up watching, such as "Good Times" or "The Jeffersons."

"I just didn't see enough diversity."

That was decades ago, and Friday acknowledged the industry was doing a much better job now.

In all, 20 independent films will be premiering during the festival that runs through Saturday, allowing for emerging filmmakers to showcase their work through short-film and documentary competitions. The films were either made or directed by an African-American, or have a focus on black culture.

Opening the festival will be "In the Hive," produced by Robert Townsend and starring Michael Clarke Duncan, Loretta Devine, Vivica A. Fox and Jonathan "Lil J" McDaniel. The film is based on a true story of a woman who started an alternative school for troubled youth in North Carolina.

"It's what's going on right now. At risk youths ... how do you save them?" Townsend said.

"We have a lot of stories to tell. And a lot of times Hollywood hasn't really told our stories. We need a new generation of filmmakers to tell stories that reflect truths and the humanness of the people of color."

In the film "Breathe," a woman's dream of becoming a mother turns into a nightmare as she is stalked by a silent killer during her pregnancy, a true story directed by Jerry Allen Davis and starring Robin Givens.

"The topic doesn't really get addressed in the black community," said actress Elise Neal, who also stars in "A.N.T. Farm," a TV series on the Disney Channel.

"Our race doesn't talk about complications. But having this film in the festival will resonate with women. It's about time we do more films that are topical and discuss health issues," Neal said.

Singer Eric Benet makes his lead acting debut in "Trinity Goodheart" written by Rhonda Freeman-Baraka. The film centers on a 12-year-old girl who is trying to bring her mixed-race family together.

"It's a great depiction of an American black family," director Joanna Hock said. "There needs to be an openness and acceptance to look at life in different ways and look at people in different ways and not be so dogmatic on we how approach relationships."

The festival also includes a 30-minute documentary on the making of "Boyz n the Hood," the 1991 box office hit by director John Singleton, who was nominated for a best director Academy Award at the age of 24. He will discuss "what the vibe was of the black filmmaking community" at the time.

"It was the first film that visualized what was going on in hip hop culture," Singleton said.

"Nobody like me had the opportunity to make that film. I didn't water down what I had to say with the picture. I was very focused in how I wanted the picture to feel and that's what makes it so enduring."

Singleton went on to direct Janet Jackson and former rapper Tupac Shakur in the 1993 film "Poetic Justice." He also directed the films "Higher Learning" and "Hustle & Flow," among dozens of others. He is currently in post- production of "Abduction," a thriller starring Taylor Lautner as a teenager who finds out that his parents aren't really his when he sees his baby picture on a missing person's website. The film is set to be released Sept. 23.buy books online

Comedian and director Keenen Ivory Wayans will be honored Saturday for his achievements in television and the big screen.

"He has desensitized race in films," said Jeff Friday, the festival's co-founder. "He's given us a platform to take race out of it and make it about comedy."

sport authority stores

2011-07-07T09:22:00.000+08:00

Most Concussion Protection used in sports, whether it is a mouth guard or a full helmet have the con of protecting only the direct impact surface, such as the skull or part of the jaw. The truth is, most injuries and concussions do not come out of an impact on the skull, but mostly on an impact on the lower jaw, which is an open door to the skull and the spine. Brain-Pad's advanced line-up of mouth guards have the great advantage to protect both the upper and lower jaw, offering a buffer zone that absorbs the shocks and energy coming out of high impact hits and contacts. A Brain-Pad mouth guard can certainly be used on its own for sports such as wrestling and karate, but can also be combined to a helmet for other sports such as football and hockey for maximum protection.

Concussion Protection is essential for all athletes and Brain-Pad has the solution.

It is no secret that mouth guards are subject to accumulation of bacteria after repeated use. Since mouth guards are widely used in sports, by young and not-so-young athletes, the need for the NatureZone Ozone Sanitizer is an obvious one. Many studies conducted by Dr. Glass have shown that since the mouth is breeding ground for an important number of different bacteria, mouth guards are subjected to contamination during every usage. The NatureZone sanitizer from Brain-Pad allows athletes to stay healthy and sanitize their mouth guards to keep them as clean as possible.

Since mouth guards are the perfect vehicle for infections and disease transmissions, Brain-Pad has launched an exclusive product, the NatureZone Ozone Sanitizer. The sanitizer can be used to clean the mouth guard before or after usage, as it eliminates pathogens in as little as three minutes!

Mouth guards are efficient means of protection against concussions, spine and brain injuries as well as facial damage, which is depicted by the numerous hospital visits made by sports professionals every year. However, the alarming number of visits paid for infections and diseases related to dirty mouth guards is also ever growing. Get your NatureZone Ozone Sanitizer today to stay healthy and protected!

sport authority stores

Selena Gomez

2011-07-01T00:53:00.000+08:00

Selena Gomez meets long-time crush

Should Justin Bieber be worried? His girlfriend Selena Gomez was star-struck after meeting Shia LaBeouf in person recently.

Gomez posted a video on YouTube last night with an accompanying message that reads: "Best...Day...Ever."

The video showed her being tricked into meeting her long-time celebrity crush Shia LaBeouf backstage at a television studio. Her handlers told her she was about to meet her fans in a dressing room when the occupant turned out to be none other than the Transformers star.

Gomez, 18, went "Oh my gosh" and her first reaction was to turn around and rush out of the room.

A very sweet LaBeouf actually ran after her and said, "Hey, nice to meet you... Hey, how are you? How you doin'? Thanks for being so sweet to me. You're really sweet to me."

Blushing like a schoolgirl, Gomez sheepishly told the actor, "I admire you."

LaBeouf then held the teenager close to him as they posed for a few photos before parting ways.

(From left) Shia LaBeouf and Selena Gomez look cute together. (image source: SelenaGomez.com/Daily Mail/Splash)

Gomez was still trying to regain her composure after she's back in her room. Dramatically fanning herself, she said weakly to her mum: "He's so cute... He's so handsome."

"I am so embarrassed. I walked right out," she added.

LaBeouf's publicist, Melissa Kates, later popped in and told Gomes not to be embarrassed by her reaction. "That's actually nice and refreshing to see somebody that genuin. Trust me, he likes it," she said.

You can watch the video here.

Gomez has always made known of her crush on LaBeouf. Two years ago, before she became Bieber's girlfriend, she even shouted to reporters on a red carpet, "Let Shia know I'm available!"

Both are Disney alumni and Gomez once said that she wished to have a career like LaBeouf's.

So is there any chance between the duo? Well, like what Gomez's beau said: Never say never!

Source: E! Online
Published June 30 2011

Horny hubby attacks wife who said no

2011-06-22T03:43:00.002+08:00

A HUSBAND who wanted to have sex with his wife after watching a blue film attacked her when she spurned his advances at their home in Hulu Selangor, China Press reported.

In the June 15 incident, the 29-year-old woman said she was tired after doing the household chores in the morning and was not in the mood to have sex with her husband at 3am.

She asked him to switch off the television and refused to have sex with him.

The couple started to quarrel, leading the man to repeatedly hit his wife and flee from the house.

The victim later lodged a police report on the assault.

> For RM720 an hour, a company in Singapore allows its clients to eat a meal off a model in a figure-hugging dress, Sin Chew Daily said.

“While lying there, the models have to chat with the guests.

“It is not an easy task,” said Jefferey Chung Models Company person-in-charge Chung Tian Fei.

He said they would first place the food on a small plate.

Then, they would lay the plate over the body of the model lying across the table.

“Our models are not naked. They wear tight clothes.

“This is a fun experience,” said Chung.

He added that the company received three to five orders a month for the hour-long event with the models.

“It is tiring to maintain the same pose for a long period,” he said, adding that the women were given a 10-minute rest after every 15 minutes.

The models, besides being shapely, must also be good-looking, said Chung.

Buy Adidas online

2011-06-16T18:19:00.002+08:00

Discounts always make woman crazy, when you see the "sale" on the windows, you must immediately rushed into the shop like an arrow to shopping, so while you're sober now to read this article, we'll talk about how to look for discount shoes, and how to save money online. Buy adidas online is easy if you follow this.

Discount is our favorite. Of course, spending the least money to the most appropriate thing is most appropriate. But if you just pay attention to discounts and neglect the product itself, you will waste money to buy something that you don't need. So, before you buy discount shoes like Adidas shoes online, you should make sure that you know it well.

Many people don't dare to buy shoes online, for they fear that the size is inappropriate for them. So the first thing we need to do is making sure the size we fit. Also, we must do something research about the discount shoes such as Coach shoes we want to buy. After all, the quality of the shoes is the most important thing. And when we finish these works, we should start to look for the cheapest shoes online. We must do some comparisons among the online shoes stores and find the cheapest shoes. Of course, the credibility of the store is also very important. Many people have the experiences of shopping impulsively, wasting money to buy something useless. So no matter how cheap it seems, make sure that you need it.

Online shopping is more and more popular among young people because of its convenience and benefit. When you off the work, or at the weekend, you can search on the Internet for something you need. And you will always have some surprises. Therefore, please do not hesitate any more, come on and make your own and right choice, that is, to buy the discount shoes online.

Amazon

2011-06-14T05:23:00.001+08:00

Can you buy REAL ghd's from amazon?

I'm looking to buy some GHD's, I've looked at Amazon but I'm not sure if there real or not. Peoples comments are all right saying they do the right job. But I'm still not sure. Has anybody bought them from Amazon? Advice? Hi,friend i think you can set your heart at rest that...

Can you buy stock from Amazon.com if you're surrounded by the UK?

Yes you can but you'll probably own to pay some sort of import tax. yes you can postage is a bit higher though. Its cool to buy from amazon.com all the difference is is the dollar... i suggest converting the price to pounds so you know what you...

Can you buy stuff at amazon.com?

i want a super nintendo but I don't know if i should trust this website. please tell me if they actually ship it. "> Ya you can buy stuff at amazon they are pretty trustworthy ya thnough online its usually computer stuff

Can you buy stuff directly from amazon store for no shipping?

it depends the only things i know you can buy and immediately download to your computer are movies and computer games in the Amazon digital download center they own some great games and movies hope this helps you :) Source(s): www.amazon.com If you spend $25 or more from Amazon.com...

Can you buy stuff from Amazon beside a debit card...?

My dad normally pays for things I get off Amazon and I don't really know what he uses, so I don't know if I can use a debit card to take-home pay? I tried but it said the numbers weren't matching up or something =/ Thanks :-) you can, but...

Can you buy stuff from amazon.com in need using a credit card?

Can you use a giftcard to buy things on that site meaning there are no extra fees besides shipping basically it is indistinguishable thing as walmart.com and target.com where you can use a giftcard to make purchases online yeah. if you look up their return methods they'll tell...

Can you buy stuff on amazon beside a prepaid American Express Gift Card/Credit Card?

like this thing yes but it will help to register the card surrounded by yur name else it could be declined because amazon wouldnt be able to meeting your name and addres with the gift card read the followig it will lend a...

Can you buy stuff on Amazon.com using Borders books endowment cards, because near webistes are teamed up?

Yes, I had a Border's gift card and my friend suggested that I be in motion on Amazon.com if I wanted to purchase something because they are a little cheaper and they do accept Border's contribution cards. sometimes. I typed in borders.com and...

Can you buy stuff on the USA Amazon and carry it deliver to the UK?

Theres a present that I want to buy for my friend, but its only available on the USA Amazon site, I live in the UK, will I be able to rate in 'lb' and get it delievered to the UK? Thanks x Yep, you'll be...

Can you buy the kindle e books stale amazon to put onto your sony reader?

does the formatting work for both devices the same way? this kind of sounds stupid No you cannot. The Kindle and Sony Reader support different format. And Kindle books are lone readable on the Kindle. You can read a good comparison of the supported format...

Can you buy the topical and used items on amazon near an amazon contribution card?

i wanted to buy like minds with tom sturridge yes YES you can... They will adopt most forms of payment... Credit cards, Paypal, gift Cards, and the Amazon Credit Card... HAPPY SHOPPING!

Can you buy things from amazon.co.jp and ask them distribute it over to uk?

Well I live in UK and I want to buy something over japan but I don't know does amazon.co.jp do international shipping. you sure can

Can you buy things from ebay.ca or amazon.ca surrounded by Canada?

So there are a lot of things on amazon.ca and ebay.ca that I would like to buy, but they ship from the U.S, so self from Canada am I still able to buy them?? Most specifically dvds. Or do I have to buy things that only ship from contained...

Can you buy things on Amazon beside one and only offering cards?

I was just wondering, if you had a bunch of e-gift cards for amazon, can you buy things at Amazon.com next to just amazon gift cards, without have to use your credit card or paypal? is it even possible to use more than 1 (gift card) per purchase?...

Can you buy toys and video games from amazon japan if you do't live contained by japan?

if you can' thn how? I think you could, but you would have to retribution a whole crap load of shipping and handling. I dont think you can. You have to live surrounded by japan i think No. The Amazon Japan sites states:...

Can you buy used books next to amazon endowment card?

I need to buy school books and I have an amazon offering card, can i buy used books with this gift card? Yes you can use your gift card to buy used books. When you checkout newly put your gift card number in and it will use the card. Source(s):...

Can you by my song i selling it amazon the processed jump to the American Cancer Society?

http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1244987589/ref=sr_nr_i_2?ie=UTF8&rs=&keywords=will moffett&rh=i:aps,k:will moffett,i:digital-music You mean proceeds:-)

Can you call off an Amazon visa Card?

I want to cancel it; will they charge me? Yes you can cancel it. With visa cards there is usually no exit or cost for canceling the card as they charge a monthly fee for it's usage but it is always best to check with them first. Usually within is a free...

Can you capture a discount for buying stacks on Amazon?

If I find an item on Amazon, and order, say, 50 or more of that item at one time, does Amazon offer a discount for something similar to that? here are all their discounts http://www.discountwild.com/Books-plus-M… Check this link: http://searchalldeals.com/deals/search?c…

Can you capture ripped sour on amazon if you buy something thats unused?

i am buying a wii and i want to know if you can get ripped off on amazon i am buying one that was never different "> I don't really understand the question. Do you want to know if you're overpaying, and you're asking if there's a...

Can you charge Different Colored T-Shirts (Amazon) w/o getting seperately?

say champion t-shirts from amazon the plain ones. If i want to get different colors enunciate black and red, can you get both colors without paying extra shipping? Yes. They are especially cracking down on shipping multiple shipments because it costs the same as a single shipment -- they used...

Can you chose date when you want something to ship from amazon.com?

can you tell me how if there is? I'm Sorry, there is not a means of access. I buy Webkinz there ALL of the time, and they choose datess that are best for postman. Hope I helped!;)

Can you combine amazon.com e-gift cards?

specifically two amazon.com $5 e-gift cards from Swagbucks.com (btw my swagbucks refer code is phrekout93) I speak from expereince since i've ordered lots of gift cards from Swagbucks and used them at amazon.com. One you receive a amazon gift card from swagbucks (which takes 6 - 10 business days) give it to you amazon...

Can you command an amazon.co.uk giftcard within the us?

to give as a present to someone in the us? You can buy an amazon UK e-certificate from anywhere in the world, and transport it anywhere too (or even print at home) Source(s): http://www.thegiftcardcentre.co.uk/templates/page_01.php?cfp=page:E_AMA001

Can you command hoary magazine on Amazon.com?

I ordered two books off of there and think its great but I want infirm issues of certain magazines like Esquire, Stuff and Smithsonian. If not can you bring up to date me where you can? maybe you can. if not try ebay Depends how old you want to catch the magazines. They...

Can you convey a endowment from Amazon anonymously?

I want to send a gift for xmas to someone I have a crush on, but I don't want them to know where on earth it is from, and he is in another country. Can you send gifts from Amazon without disclosing your location and address? This may nouns odd, but the...

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/shopping-articles/amazon-online-shopping-faq-2069525.html#ixzz1PC3yoBlQ

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives buy online amazon

The Right Adidas Shoes for You

2011-06-14T05:18:00.001+08:00

Adidas brings forth a revolution in sports wear and offers you a chance to welcome health back into your life.Buy adidas online

Electronics have made our lives so simple. While these electronics are welcome, they have taken away the element of exercise from our lives. Obesity is slowly creeping in and the rate of ailments related to it, are also on a rapid rise.

The answer is simple – we need to sport up our lives.

When playing a game or joining a gym, one of the first things to look into is right footwear. You can work out in the worst attire possible, but if your shoes are not the right kind, you will end up injuring your body and defeating the entire purpose of the exercise. Adidas shoes are usually considered good sport shoes and the company does offer a large range to choose from.

A few types of sports shoes that Adidas offers are detailed below –

Squash shoes – These are especially designed for the game of squash. They have what is known as non-marking soles, commonly called yellow soles. These shoes are designed keeping the pace of the game in mind and also given a sole that will not mark the wooden floor of the squash courts. They are a bit expensive than usual sports footwear and restricted to the courts only. Most Adidas outlets carry these shoes and you can buy squash Adidas shoes online too in case your local dealer does not offer a very wide choice.

Tennis shoes – Now here the variety gets to be a bit wider than squash shoes. Adidas tennis shoes are designed keeping the sideways cut of the player in mind. Tennis players need to have a strong hold of the ground even when they cut sideways during play. This is why a tennis shoe will always have ankle support and also a very strong heel. Adidas is known for its tennis shoes all over the world and most of these Adidas shoes can be bought online too.

Running shoes – These are for runners. They provide a spring heel motion, which prevents the runner from hurting his/her back and also offer an aerodynamic shape so as to allow the runner better grip and control of the surface. When buying running Adidas shoes online, it will help to make a thorough search and choose a shoe that offers ankle protection and also heel support. Adidas shoes are known to be highly developed in this arena.

When looking to find Adidas shoes online, it will help to stick with a site that is known to offer a sound return policy and also a secure payment gateway.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/fashion-articles/the-right-adidas-shoes-for-you-4834115.html#ixzz1PC30oFQt

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ red band trailer

2011-05-30T22:18:00.001+08:00

I was going to refrain from posting the recently “leaked” trailer for David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” but there is some talk out there that it might have been a controlled leak, a bit of a marketing stunt. (And after all, no moves have been made to take it down.) If so, I TOTALLY dig it. The material itself already seems to indicate Fincher is back to his grungy days, and maybe having more fun than ever. A little shaky in-theater recording of what will be cleaned up a bit for Thursday’s official green band trailer launch adds to the flavor. So, check out it out via YouTube by clicking the image below or watch an embed after the jump (and delight in the best piece of marketing since the Coens’ “A Serious Man”).

Survivor winner, “Boston Rob” Wins Survivor: Redemption Island

2011-05-17T01:21:00.000+08:00

Survivor winner | The longtime “Survivor” man took plate the crown of the program’ 22nd period on Sunday, combat out 17 other contestants in “Unfortunate: Purchase Island.” He won a resounding triumph, closing on top of an 8-0-1 enfranchisement against co-finalists Phillip Sheppard and Natalie Tenerelli.

Rob Mariano conventional his $1000000 analyse on “The Archaean Pretence” Monday.

He won an more $100,000 for being voted the fan favourite.

But Mariano is no stranger to “Survivor” profits. His woman, Amber Brkich Mariano, also won $1000000 on the show, in 2004.

As the individual, Mariano takes base $1 M in view money and, eventually, the crowning honour in his proud realism feigning business, which also includes fivefold appearances (with his spouse Amber) on CBS’ “The Amazing Race.”

In fact, Mariano said he kept it secret that he was justified in the unalterable globular.

He said, “You couple what was outstanding? Was that we complete filming this stake in September, and I didn’t tell his wife the end-result. I actually led her to expect that I was voted off at the final digit. So it was a zealous assail for her sunset period. And you see, I had to cell it a secret for a extendible moment. But I was contented to be competent to do that for her.”

During the conduct, Mariano, Wragge said, imitative a relationship with Natalie Tenerelli, added contestant. Was Mariano’s woman overjealous of that recognisance at all?

Trendy Gay Hipster: "Jersey Shore" is this Summer's Must Gay Look!

2011-04-02T20:09:00.000+08:00

It was a bittersweet moment in my life when I realized that MTV's Jersey Shore had completed its 3rd season. In fact, I became so depressed about it that I've been seriously lacking in the GTL department (Gym, Tanning, and Laundry). Seriously I’ve never looked so pale — it's gagging! Plus, my laundry is piling up so quickly!

The guys of Jersey Shore

What am I supposed to do with my Thursday nights now? Stimulate my brain by watching the History Channel? Gah! Give me Pauly D and a jar of pickles to snack on any day!

So in honor of my love of the Shore, I wanted to share what is probably this year’s hottest fashion trend for gay men – the Guido Jersey Shore look!

Guido apparel has been an underdog in the fashion industry for quite a few years, but thanks to reality television, the trend has caught on with the mainstream audience like an out-of-control wildfire — making it the must have look for every gay man’s summer wardrobe.

Trust me, this is the look that we’re going to see everywhere this summer from the red carpet in L.A. to the trendiest bars in Manhattan and everywhere in between. But don’t worry about being left behind. Here are a few tips that will have you turning heads when you hit the Jersey shore this coming summer.

One garment that has always been a staple in fashion, even beyond the Guido craze, is a Polo shirt. And thanks to the Guidos, not only is the Polo back, but so is “popping” the collar. You can never go wrong with popping the collar on a shirt with that cute little horsey logo. It brings a different edge to your overall outfit, and speaks volumes about what you're trying to portray with your style.

It says, “Hey, I'm sophisticated, kid. And my pecs look great in a Polo shirt. Or without a shirt! Check out my chest. Are you DTF?”

Using exciting bright colors really brings some sex appeal to your ensemble, and will have the boys noticing you. Don't be afraid to wear your Polo shirts tight and snug. In fact, the tighter the shirt, the better. Nothing says “I have an amazing body that I want you to discover” like a really tight Polo shirt to show it off. So what if you can’t breathe?

If you really want to be bold in your attire, try layering at least one other Polo shirt over the current one you're wearing. Using another Polo shirt with a contrasting color really brings some flair to your style and shows your sartorial fashion sense.

The Guido look is nothing without the appropriate hairstyling. With an excessive amount of hair gel, a blow dryer, and a good comb, you can do wonders with your hair. There are a variety of hairstyles that you can work into your everyday Shore look, but there are really two styles that are guaranteed to be hot this summer.

Guidos usually rock the short haircut — similar to a fade or buzz cut — and that is the look to which you should aspire. The shorter the haircut, the tougher you look.

How to get that Jersey Shore hairstyle!

Besides the short and tough haircut, there's also the popular “blowout,” which is an innovative hairstyle in and of itself. The blowout is a spiked-out look that requires lots and lots of hair gel, as well as a good combing technique. If your hair looks like it survived a severe wind storm, then you're looking fantastic!

credut:http://www.afterelton.com/trendygayhipster/04-01-11

Juicy job Tips to find a Job in London UK

2011-03-28T18:56:00.000+08:00

There are many approaches that you simply can put together oneself to locate an excellent job in London. An excellent career is defined as one that makes a good earnings, has great doing work problems and offers a good work atmosphere with incentives and empathetic employers.

Prior to you start there are some issues: how not to get misplaced with this jungle of ultimate Job and Career Search Solutions. With numerous new pros within the work market, there's a questionable good quality to the purposes and CV's which can be sent out about London and also the UK. Following all, several graduates hold the academic and abstract knowledge to be successful within the workplace but frequently lack the abilities to conduct a proper work search. With no properly carried out task search, London and UK graduates won't be able to get their 1st break within their distinct sector and can not display off their abilities. By conducting a deliberate and sensible UK task search, extraordinary candidates can separate on their own through the opposition and land their aspiration career right away.

What do we really want? Using the world wide web in initial location has the benefit of velocity and also the possibility to appear in any geographical region for that needed task that the candidate is qualified for, or aspires to. There are numerous different techniques you can use to seek out a work in london speedily. Doing a Career search on the web is probably the most superb solutions to find a work in london. You'll be able to do all of the required study to grasp the place that you happen to be trying to find and comprehend with it. Employers from the UK will likely be observing trainees within the first couple of months, and that was the time for you to demonstrate your abilities and that you happen to be match into your organization. You have to know your duties fully and show which you are well worth possessing as an employee.

Like a general guideline, the Task Search Method may be created up with the following steps:

Generating an Action Strategy

Build up your Network

Critique and asses Career Prospects and Target potential Employers in london

Optimize your Resume and Apply for your Task

Finding Interviews and landing the Work

A vital phase to locating an excellent task from the UK is getting ready a fantastic resume. Be sure to include related info on the resume relating to function, volunteer and schooling knowledge. Just before accepting the place all inquiries must be answered which have been posed towards the employer. If something is unclear, it's very best to acquire the solutions just before accepting the place. Items such as payment, shell out dates, probation periods or rewards must be outlined before the placement is taken.

On the Career interview you need to be sharply dressed as your 1st impression must be the best one. Deliver ample of your résumé copies. Show a fantastic deal of curiosity inside your job. Using this method you are going to minimize your chances of being turned down. You can find selected questions that should be asked inside the task interview with the employer to gauge the stage in the position and to figure out no matter whether it is just a very good place.

Just don't forget, it really is not really a "job search" in the event you are not actually seeking. It really is never genuinely easy to locate an excellent career in london, even now with all the availability of the Net. It is important in your case to dedicate an excellent offer of time and effort to it instead than simply waiting for a thing to appear out of the blue. In any other case, you have to go on the market and uncover possibilities fairly than wait around for them to seek out you.

Ultimately, never go looking for a task without carrying out a little analysis beforehand, particularly into your state of one's industry's job marketplace and finding details about your potential employer. The research doesn't need to be terribly in-depth, but a little bit of understanding could get you an extended way while browsing or interviewing. To do well from the contemporary career search, you should be thorough and persistent, ever before within the trail of new chance.

Ferguson

2011-03-04T01:27:00.000+08:00

Ferguson charged

Thursday, 03 March, 2011

Manchester United manager charged for media comments.

The FA has today charged Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson with Improper Conduct relating to media comments.

The charge relates to comments made about match official Martin Atkinson in post-match interviews following Manchester United’s fixture with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 1 March 2011.

Ferguson has until 4pm on Tuesday 8 March to respond to the charge.

hot news today

Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchline during Manchester United's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Photograph: Tom Hevezi/AP

The Football Association has charged Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager ofManchester United, with improper conduct. The charge relates to Ferguson's comments about the referee Martin Atkinson, who took charge of United's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

An FA statement said: "The FA has today charged Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson with improper conduct relating to media comments. The charge relates to comments made about match official Martin Atkinson in post-match interviews following Manchester United's fixture with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 1 March 2011.

"Ferguson has until 4pm on Tuesday 8 March to respond to the charge."

The United manager will be able to watch Sunday's Premier League match at Anfield against Liverpool from the touchline. Before the charge was made, he had indicated that he would plead not guilty.

The United manager already has two matches of a four-game touchline ban hanging over him, as a suspended sentence for his condemnation of Alan Wiley in 2009 as not being physically fit to officiate in the Premier League.

After the Chelsea match, Ferguson criticised Atkinson for not sending off the Chelsea defender David Luiz and blamed his team's defeat on a number of refereeing decisions.

He said: "You hope you get a really strong referee in games like this. It was a major game for both clubs and you want a fair referee, you know ... You want a strong referee, anyway, and we didn't get that. I don't know why he's got the game. I must say that, when I saw who was refereeing it, I feared the worst

Rodney King

2011-03-04T00:18:00.001+08:00

Twenty years after the beating of Rodney King, the LAPD is a changed operation

In the wake of the videotaped police attack on motorist Rodney King, the department has learned to embrace video scrutiny.

The nine minutes of grainy video footage George Holliday captured of Los Angeles police beating Rodney King 20 years ago helped to spur dramatic reforms in a department that many felt operated with impunity. (George Holliday)

http://hotnewstoday.org/

20 years ago Rodney King was brutally beaten by police..It was shocking and caught on film, folks just knew the officers were going to jail.. It was a slam dunk. Who could refute the evidence? My how times have changed..or have they? Fast forward to theOscar Grant murder which was also caught on film and you tell me..shout out to Paul Scott for his article..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssg2IkIhbxU

March 3, 1991. What started off as just another case of a brotha gettin’ beat down by the Po Po, would set off a chain of events that would forever change the socio-political dynamics of America, especially for the Hip Hop generation.

Although, the beating of Rodney King by four Los Angeles police officers happened 20 years ago, the shock waves from the event are still being felt today. To grasp the gravity of the situation one has to look at it in historical terms.

The period of the late 80′s was,possibly,the most revolutionary since the ’60′s, as the combination of Reaganomics and racial incidents such as the Virginia Beach and Crown Heights incidents had pushed America, once again to the brink of revolution. There was also a cultural revolution happening ion America, where Black youth were rediscovering the works of heroes such as Malcolm X and Huey P. Newton. The rapidly maturing Hip Hop genre also began to absorb the changes as the party music of the early 80′s began to become what Public Enemy front-man, Chuck D, coined “The CNN of Black America.”

While the music previously was seen as fad and just a blip on the radar screen of middle America, the idea of rebelling “ghetto youth” using rap music as an unregulated form of information dissemination sent shock America’s political foundation.

This is not the first time that the rising collective voice of “the silent minority” became a matter of national security.

According to the March 21, 1993 edition of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, in 1917, aLt Col. Ralph Van Deman created the Army’s black spy network, which snitched on black organizations, even black churches. The article names Robert Morton of Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute and Joel Spingarn, one of the founders of the NAACP,as operatives in the spy network.

In the book, “Heard it Through the Grapevine,” Patricia A. Turner wrote that “rumor clinics” were set up during World War II to “prevent potentially adverse hearsay of all sorts from gaining credibility.”

Also, although the FBI’s COINTELPRO is the best known of the “dirty trick” operations of the Civil Rights /Black Power Era, Clay Risen, in his book “A Nation On Fire: “America in the Wake of the King Assassination,” wrote about the Army Operations Center and” its first operations plan for national disturbances, code named Steep Hill.” Risen also talks about the U.S. Army Intelligence Command (USAINTC) which included 1000 agents “around tthe country whose job was to spy on militants and “monitor indicators of imminent violence.”

The entertainment industry was not immune of the fear of a black uprising. In Peter Doggett’s book, “There’s a Riot Going On” he wrote about how James Brown was hired by the mayor of Boston , Kevin White, to throw a concert the night after the King murder to keep the natives calm.

From the very beginning it has been clear that America’s fear was not the thugs in the street stealing hubcaps but the fear that they may become politicized, intelligent hoodlums. So on April 29, 1992, the day the police officers were acquitted of beating King, the apparatus was already in place to deal with young “urban” youth who were chanting Hip Hop lyrics challenging the system as their mantra.

As, rebellions took place in cities across the country, even the watchful eye of the Fed’s underestimated the politicizing of the youth courtesy of rap lyrics. The site of “gangstas” articulating the political ideologies of Frantz Fanon on Night-line caught politicians with their pants down.

According, to the May 11, 1992 Time Magazine article “How TV failed to Get the Real Picture” it was reported that LA mayor Tom Bradley “requested” that in the midst of the chaos that the highly rated “Cosby Show:” air as an exercise in “crisis counter-programming.” However, this was not 1986 and black youth were more responsive to the voices of the X-Clan, than they were “Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable.”

So, another form of “crisis counter-programing” had to be developed that would insure that rebellions like what happened in LA would never happen again.

Even before the LA Rebellion, President George Bush had instituted the “Weed and Seed Program“ which many residents of Los Angeles, such as those interviewed in the book “Uprisng” by Yusef Jah andSister Shah Keyah considered a spy operation. The official purpose of weed and seed was to “weed” out gang members and in their places “seed”the hood with community programs.

So, we see the same strategy was used in Hip Hop as the biggest threat to this country’s racial hegemony ” conscious rappers” were weeded out and the industry was seeded with “gangsta” rappers.

One can clearly see how the careers of early conscious rappers suffered because of their courage to speak truth to power. However, the “gangster rappers” of the period became multi-millionaires and were rewarded with movie scripts and endorsement deals.

It is against this historical backdrop that two major post-LA Rebellion developments took place.

First the “no snitching” ethos was taken out of its historical context and was been replaced with a scapegoat for black on black violence and the demonization of entire black neighborhoods. Conveniently forgotten were the various government sponsored snitch operations that had plagued the black community for decades.h

More important is the overall anti-political direction of commercial Hip Hop, where, instead of “Cosby” crisis programming, the Hip Hop artists are now part of preemptive crisis programming, where the minds of the youth are distracted by such things as face tattoos This can help to explain, in part, why the incidents of police brutality in cities such as Cincinnati, New York, Oakland and Houston generated relatively little outcry.

Some may argue that times have changed and the season of “fighting the power” is a part of a bygone era.

However, with incidents of global outrage taking place from Egypt to Wisconsin, maybe not.

Perhaps Ice Cube was right when he once rapped ,” April 29th brought power to the people, and we just might see a sequel.”

Only the ‘hood knows….

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Article courtesy of the Militant Mind Militia http://www.militantmindmilitia.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOlJX86Q6f0

Incoming search terms:

how rodney king changed hip hop
hip hop editorial
rodney king
rodney king rap

hot news today

How To Use Student Credit Card Free

2011-02-24T00:47:00.002+08:00

If you are a student who don't have any income in USA,you are danger in finance,you must begin to study how to manage finance,In reality,a student credit card can be the best tool for young people to learn financial management skills and build credit history that can be used for their future careers and private lives.It is a good opportunity for young people as they need to know the seriousness of managing finances wisely.
When a financial institutions to concentrate on the college market,so many credit cards being offered to college students these days that it may be difficult to choose the college best student credit card.You must choose carefully to make sure that you have the best deal and rates available.After you choose a credit card,how to use student credit cards wisely is the most important thing.
But,managing credit and finances is not a easy task,that is why so many experts are advising consumers to start training for and learning personal financial management, no matter how young a person may be.This is also express the important of good credit history.If you are a student credit card holder, below are some tips written just for you:
Use only one credit card at a time,as a greenhand,this is the first step,if you have more than one student credit cards,you must not use two or more cards within the same month.Incurring charges on more than one card can prove to be risky since most students do not have their own source of income and try to pay off their charges using the money sent by their parents.
Be mature.During this time,you are a responsible adult,but,you still need to ask yourselves
these questions before using your credit card:
1,Do i really need to make this purchase or cash back?
2,Is it important?
3,Can i pay this before the deadline?
Plan your spending.Never use your credit card for any purchase that you did not plan.Credit card is used in Emergency,please move the Irrelevant spending out of your list.
Keep your credit card in a safe place.You must be conscious about where you put your credit card whether you are in school,in your dormitory or outside especially your credit card doesn't have passworld.If you lost your card,call up your bank or Issuer immediately to report it.
As a professional solution supplier of credit card,http://www.taocredit.com offers you many credit credat card such as balance transfer cards for bad credit ,best student credit card and business credit card debt,it will let you have a more convenient life.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/credit-articles/how-to-use-student-credit-card-free-2186611.html#ixzz1Enl9idfq
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

hot news today

Motorola Atrix 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

2011-02-22T16:20:00.005+08:00

Enjoy the power of mobile computing in the palm of your hand with the Motorola ATRIX 4G for AT&T, which offers a 1 GHz dual-core processor and the ability to connect to AT&T's ultra-fast 4G mobile broadband network. Powered by the Android 2.2 platform (learn more below), it also features Motorola's webtop application, which offers a PC-like experience and runs a full Mozilla Firefox 3.6 browser with support for Adobe Flash Player (requires optional dock).

The world's first smartphone qHD display, offering high resolution and 24-bit color larger image.

With AT&T's 4G network, you'll enjoy mobile broadband speeds up to 4x faster than AT&T's already fast mobile broadband network (learn more below). You also get the optional AT&T Mobile Hotspot service built right into the smartphone--enabling you to connect additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the phone's mobile broadband signal.

hot news today

The NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor (2 x 1 GHz) allows you to multi-task quickly, while the 1 GB of RAM provides PC-like power and performance. The 4-inch qHD touchscreen display offers a rich 24-bit color depth and a 960 x 540-pixel resolution for extremely sharp images.

Other features include a 5-megapixel camera/camcorder that can capture video at HD 720p resolution, ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth for stereo music streaming and connecting to peripherals, 16 GB internal memory, microSD expansion (up to 32 GB), MOTOBLUR for integrated social networking, GPS for location-based services and navigation using Google Maps, HDMI audio/video output, and up to 9 hours of talk time.

It's complemented by optional accessories that include a super-thin laptop dock--for which ATRIX 4G is the "engine"--and an HD media dock that uses ATRIX 4G's HDMI video output capabilities and processing power to enable a revolutionary browsing, application, productivity, and media experience (learn morebelow).

Your Digital Hub

The Motorola ATRIX 4G is the only smartphone that allows you to carry the power and performance of mobile computing inside your pocket. Motorola ATRIX 4G is built around a 1 GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB of RAM for the horsepower you need to keep pace with all aspects of your life. Web pages open twice as fast as non-dual-core smartphones and Adobe Flash Player makes it possible to view a full range of online animations and video.

PC Power from Your Smartphone

You'll be able to create, edit, and interact with all your documents, media, and content using Motorola's webtop application (when connected to an optional dock). The ATRIX 4G can be used to browse your favorite web sites with a full Firefox desktop browser, view social networking sites, and use HTML5 web-based applications and supported cloud computing services while running your Android applications in a window. And you'll also be able to send instant messages and make phone calls--all at the same time. Calls continue uninterrupted even if the ATRIX 4G is removed from the dock.

To access the webtop application, with the Laptop Dock, simply dock the phone to the Laptop Dock and webtop launches automatically. Or, dock your phone in the HD Multimedia Dock and choose between webtop and Entertainment Center mode.

Empower Your Fun

The dual-core processor lets the ATRIX 4G render graphics and games faster, and everything you see on the ATRIX 4G screen is in crisp, rich 24-bit color with the world's first qHD (Quarter High Definition) smartphone display. With the U-verse mobile app from AT&T, U-verse subscribers can browse a library of shows for streaming to the ATRIX 4G, and remotely schedule recordings on their DVRs at home.

And the ATRIX 4G offers up to 48 GB of memory--16 GB on board and an optional 32 GB microSD card--giving you space to store thousands of songs, photos, and files to keep you entertained wherever your life takes you.

Enhanced MOTOBLUR

MOTOBLUR is Motorola's exclusive experience that syncs contacts, posts, messages, photos and much more--from your favorite social media sites, work and personal e-mail, and last.fm--and automatically delivers them to your home screen.

The 5-megapixel camera also captures HD 720p video larger image.

Filter social networking and messages widgets: Filter by social networking account, by contact(s) or by contact group to only see the information you want.
Improved social networking functionality: Retweet, like Facebook comments, and more.
Screen customization: Move and resize preloaded widgets on up to three home screens.
Battery manager: Manage battery consumption by operating in one of three performance modes.
Personal and corporate e-mail: Pushed directly to the device.

Connectivity

Ultra-fast 4G connectivity via AT&T's HSPA+ network (with enhanced backhaul). See more about AT&T's 4G service below.
Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Optional AT&T Mobile Hotspot service enabling you to connect multiple devices--from tablets to gaming devices--to the phone's 3G/4G cellular connection via Wi-Fi.
Onboard GPS for navigation and location services
Integrated Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views
Optional AT&T Navigator service includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates, and re-routing options.
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, A2DP audio streaming, and for connecting to peripherals like a wireless keyboard.

OS & Software

Android 2.2 operating system (Froyo) (learn more below)
BLOCKBUSTER app enables you to discover and download the latest movie rentals on the go.
Quick Office 3.0 for viewing, editing, and creating Microsoft Office files right on your phone.
Need for Speed Shift racing game (demo version)
DLNA capabilities enables you to share your photo albums, videos and movies wirelessly with a compatible HDTV or other DLNA device.

Design and Hardware

Dual-core 1 GHz processor capable of opening web pages twice as fast as most other smartphones.
4-inch qHD touchscreen display (Quarter High Definition; 960 x 540 pixels) made of ultra-durable Corning Gorilla Glass with accelerometer plus proximity and ambient light sensors.
Onscreen keyboard
Swype input system allows you to input text faster and easier by gliding your finger around the onscreen keyboard, moving from letter to letter in one continuous motion.
Removable battery

Communications & Internet

Full messaging capabilities including SMS text, MMS picture/video and IM instant messaging (via popular services including AOL, Yahoo!, Windows Live Messenger, and Google Talk).
Access to personal and corporate e-mail (including support for Exchange and push Gmail).
Easy access to social networks including Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.
Photo uploading capabilities to Facebook, MySpace, Photobucket, and Picasa.
Full HTML web browsing via Android HTML Webkit browser; Mozilla Firefox 3.6 browser (when using optional dock).

Camera

5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and auto focus
HD 720p video capture capabilitiesat 30 frames per second (fps)
Front-facing camera for video chats (VGA resolution)

Multimedia

Music player compatible with MP3, WMA9, and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
Video player compatible with MPEG4, H.264

Memory

16 GB internal memory
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB.
1 GB of DDR2 RAM is twice the RAM of most smartphones and delivers effortless multi-tasking.

More Features

3.5mm headphone jack
HDMI audio/video port enables you to output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via included HDMI cable (future software upgrade to 1080p video output).
Micro USB 2.0 port with mass storage capabilities.
Text-to-speech capabilities including read-out of text and e-mail messages.
Voice commands
Organizer tools including calendar and alarm clock.
Speakerphone for hands-free communication.
Fingerprint sensor for added security built in on the rear of the device. Set your screen lock to Fingerprints, and you can unlock your phone by swiping your finger over that sensor.

Vital Statistics

The Motorola ATRIX 4G weighs 4.76 ounces and measures 4.64 x 2.5 x 0.43 inches. Its 1930 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 9 hours of talk time, and up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T's dual-band 4G network (850/1900 MHz; HSPA+/HSDPA/UMTS).

hot news today

What's in the Box

Motorola ATRIX 4G handset, removable battery, charger, USB cable, HDMI cable, quick start guide

Quick Bad Credit Personal Loans

2011-02-08T23:14:00.000+08:00

Quick bad credit personal loans are the source of funds for the people who are otherwise refused a new loan due to their bad credit history and low credit rating and their high risks for the lenders. Such people are immediately approved when they need smaller cash for urgency in the same day through these types of cash loans.

You do not have to providing any collateral to take out the cash. but lenders may ask for a post-dated cheque of the borrowed amount plus interest payments. You can get back the cheque on the due date by repaying the loan in cash.

Quick bad credit personal loans are typically designed for employed people. You should prove your employment of past six months and monthly salary from the current job. An active bank checking account also should be in your name.

The lenders can approve you for smaller cash ranging from £100 to £1500, depending on your monthly salary. An amount of the loan will be decided only after carefully assessing your actual repayment capability from the paycheque.

Quick bad credit personal loans are approved instantaneously without any credit checks. This implies that you're multiple cases of late payments, payment defaults and CCJs are of no concern to the lenders as they do not at all make any credit checks on the borrowers.

But you have to pay back the cash in two weeks on your payday that is set as the date of repaying the loan along with interest charges. However, short-term makes these loans expensive as well.

Be prepared to pay back the loan with high APR on it. Make sure that you have searched for competitive online lenders who are offering quick bad credit personal loans at comparatively lower rates. Return the cash on the due date and ensure that you do not make any hidden or additional payments.

Bad credit personal loans

2011-02-08T23:01:00.001+08:00

There are some people who manage money with ease. They are rarely ever in debt or seldom feel the need to borrow. And there are yet others who do not have the same ability with money. They find themselves on occasion running short of money to meet their expenses. This is especially true in the case of salaried persons who are limited to a fixed sum of income monthly. This income though adequate to cover monthly purchases, sometimes falls short of being able to cover expenses at a time of crisis. In this situation the need to borrow is felt. Bad credit personal loans are a kind of loan which even those persons with poor credit scores can avail of.

These loans require little or no credit history check enabling people with poor credit history to become borrowers under these loans. These loans can be either secured requiring collateral or unsecured requiring no collateral. These loans tend to be high risk personal loans because persons with bad credit history are considered to be high risk applicants and consequently the rate of interest charged is high.

These personal loans can be taken up easily through the online application process. There are a number of sites offering persons all the information and details they might require to know about before borrowing. A person can browse through all the kinds of loans and settle for one offering him the most competitive interest rate.

The repayment time on these loans are variable depending on the kind of loan opted for. Unsecured loans have short repayment periods whereas secured loans have a longer repayment period. The credit scores of a person under such a loan do tend to have an effect on the amount approved to be lent and the rate of interest charged. The lower the credit scores the higher the rate of interest charged.

dell studio xps 16 review

2010-11-28T15:30:00.004+08:00

I bought this laptop in march of 2010 and haven't had any problems playing any games i want on it. I can play Sims 3 Fallout3, Elderscrolls Oblivion, etc. with no problems.
Only the cg demos in Supreme Commander 2 have a slight slowdown.
The price at the time was only $866 with windows 7 Home Premium. Dell has great deals compared to HP.
Anywho.... It's a great gaming computer for any hardcore gamer.
Now I am having trouble getting the bluetooth function to work for me, but with the usb, hdmi, sata, SD, and Eithernet plug-ins, I don't need another computer for work or gaming.

Shakira -World Cup 2010 Lyric

2010-06-14T01:53:00.000+08:00

Waka - Waka World Cup 2010 Lyrics

Waka - Waka World Cup 2010

You’re a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
Get back in the saddle
You’re on the front line
Everyone’s watching
You know it’s serious
We’re getting closer
This isn’t over

The pressure’s on; you feel it
But you got it all; believe it
When you fall get up oh, oh
And if you fall get up eh, eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Cause this is Africa
Tsamina mina eh, eh
Waka waka eh, eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Listen to your god; this is our motto
Your time to shine
Don’t wait in line
Y vamos por todo
People are raising their expectations
Go on and feel it
This is your moment
No hesitation

Today’s your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it
If you get down
Get up oh, oh
When you get down
Get up eh, eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Tsamina mina eh, eh
Waka waka eh, eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
Tsamina mina eh, eh
Waka waka eh, eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Follow Fonoroff

2010-06-12T03:27:00.000+08:00

By SETO KIT YAN
starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my

This Eastern cinema observer has a wealth of history and experience to share.

WHEN Paul Fonoroff popped into town a fortnight ago to launch his Asian Movie Archaeologist TV series, he made quite an impression on the local media.

A movie buff who has made it his lifetime project to document Asian film history, the American cheekily made light of his passion. “Some people call me a rubbish collector. They say I collect things other people throw away and keep things nobody else wants.

“My philosophy has always been, when you collect something, there are two things which are important: first, you should be really interested in it; second, nobody else should be interested,” the genial 55-year-old said at the launching of the programme at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur (see ‘Common love for cinema’).

“I have this wonderful collection and it’s probably the largest of Chinese movie memorabilia. So it’s a shame if it just stays in my small apartment and nobody gets to see it,” he announced cheerily.

Paul Fonoroff interviewing Asian Film Awards 2010 best newcomer Jane Ng for Asian Movie Archaeologist after the show’s launching in Kuala Lumpur recently.

After the launching, Fonoroff, clad in his trademark Hawaiian shirt, immediately set about interviewing well-known Malaysian director Ho Yuhang and the star of his recent award-winning movie At The End Of Daybreak, Jane Ng Meng Hui, for his upcoming show. (Ho’s drama has picked up major acting honours for veteran Hong Kong actress Kara Wai as well as for Malaysian Ng, the Asian Film Awards 2010 best newcomer.)

Well-respected in Hong Kong and a fluent speaker of Cantonese and Mandarin, Fonoroff has amassed such an extensive collection of Asian movie memorabilia that it is believed to be the largest private collection in the world.

So how or perhaps why did a gweilo become such a prominent authority on Asian cinema? A man who travelled halfway around the world from Cleveland, Ohio, to find his calling as a Chinese movie scholar in Hong Kong and decided to spend the rest of his life pursuing his greatest passion in a foreign country.

A resident of Hong Kong where he has lived since 1983, the unmarried Fonoroff even goes by a Chinese name – Fong Boulo in Cantonese or Fang Baoluo in Mandarin.

Most notably, he has been a film critic for the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post since 1988, and has published an anthology of 600 of his movie reviews from then till the Hong Kong Handover (from British back to Chinese rule) in 1997. He’s also published a picture book detailing his huge cache of Hong Kong movie stuff titled Silver Light, A Pictorial History Of Hong Kong Cinema (1920-1970).

The avowed movie fan has also appeared in more than 1,000 TV shows in Cantonese, Mandarin and English as well as 20 Hong Kong movies.

His colourful journey to becoming the Eastern cinema observer from the West began from his university days.

After studying the Chinese language at Brown University, the Ivy League institution in Rhode Island, Fonoroff earned a Master’s in fine arts from the University of Southern California. He went on to acquire a PhD in Chinese cinema at Beijing University.

Preparing to talk to Ho Yuhang.

“Just as I was graduating, America and Beijing re-established diplomatic relations in 1979. For the first time, they were offering scholarships for Americans to study in China. So I applied in 1980 and went to China,” he related.

During his two years at Beijing University, Fonoroff started watching old Chinese movies and that sparked off a deeper interest in Asian cinema.

Then he got a job as a film critic for a Hong Kong English entertainment magazine, followed by a stint as a scriptwriter at the then British colony’s premier broadcaster TVB. It was for an English entertainment programme called Pearl K-100. Soon, he was rubbing shoulders with the stars.

“I had a chance to work on a Jackie Chan movie called The Protector. It was one of his first English-language films and they needed somebody to help Jackie with the dialogue. They called me assistant production manager but really I was a dialogue coach.”

He has also worked as an assistant director to noted directors Peter Chan and Samson Chiu.

The turning point came when he snagged an assistant director’s role on Tai-Pan, the 1986 film (based loosely on James Clavell’s novel) set in 19th century China about two rivalling British merchants that starred Australian Bryan Brown and Chinese American Joan Chen.

Over its lengthy period of shooting in China and Hong Kong, Fonoroff stumbled on the beginnings of his treasure trove as he walked into a book store in Macau and found old movie magazines dating back to the 1930s and 40s.

“From the back of the shop this man brought out a stack of magazines. Among the pile was the first Hong Kong movie magazine from 1926. Oh, I was just so excited!” Fonoroff recalled joyfully.

Fonoroff as the British Consul with Rosamund Kwan in Once Upon A Time In China II (1992).

“I’d never seen anything as old as that. Because, even when I was in Beijing, they wouldn’t let me go into the archives or library at its film academy. They didn’t accept foreign students, and they did not allow anyone to see anything before 1949.”

Undaunted, he looked even harder for old journals in Beijing and Shanghai. “Each time I’d find hundreds and hundreds of magazines from the 1920s and 30s. And they were cheap. As I couldn’t go to the library or the archives, I vowed to myself that I’d have my own collection so that I wouldn’t have to depend on them.”

Gradually, his collection grew to encompass materials that dated back to 1922. Among his prized collectibles was the complete set of a magazine in China called Dazhong Dianying (Popular Cinema).

“An old magazine shop had the first issue from when it was founded in 1950 till it closed down during the Cultural Revolution in 1966 and its reopening in 1976. There were like 400 issues in bound volumes and it was going for only RMB157,” he gushed as emotion filled his voice.

Then he was roped in for a TV programme called Eye On Hong Kong, where an on-camera new segment for film critiques was lined up.

In 1988, he interviewed the film critic for the South China Morning Post, Harry Lam, who subsequently recommended Fonoroff to succeed him. “So I started writing film reviews and now, more than 22 years later, I’m still writing for them. I’d probably written about 2,000 articles by now.”

When the people behind Eye On Hong Kong went over to TVB’s rival station, ATV, Fonoroff was offered a show of his own called Movie World (in English) in 1989.

He impressed James Wong, the late famed lyricist-writer, who invited him to his show. “It was a late-night talk show and ATV’s most popular programme. I think I was the only non-Chinese guest they ever had and it was my first big chance at doing something in Cantonese.

“A few months later, Yam Kim Fai (the famous Chinese opera actress) died. ATV did a special on her and had me on the show with my Yam Kim Fai collection.”

On the set of Drunken Master II (1994) in China with Andy Lau (left) and Jackie Chan.

Next thing he knew, ATV decided to let him helm a show in Cantonese called Movie Talk (Hei Yan Hei Yu), where he had different female co-hosts.

“My first was Mabel Cheung (now film producer), second was Clara Law (film director), and then Virginia Lok (head of TVB),” he said.

What followed were his first Mandarin programme on Star TV as well as another on Taiwan TV, which was aired five times a week there and in Singapore.

“The show had a real following in Singapore. People recognise me in Hong Kong but they would never actually come up and talk to me. In Singapore, it was different.”

While Fonoroff loves collecting movie-related items, he has got a major grouse when it comes to Hong Kong films. “My reviews are quite critical and I dislike almost every movie that I see. When it comes to Hong Kong movies, there are some good ones but most have really terrible scripts.”

So why does he choose to remain in Hong Kong and continue to focus on Chinese films then?

“Because I find the movie culture really vibrant, that a small place like Hong Kong could have such a fascinatingly huge influence over South-East Asia and China and even in Hollywood now, with the action films. The movie culture is extremely interesting even though a lot of the movies are not very good.”

That, however, did not stop Fonoroff from doing cameos in some 20 Cantonese flicks. Do you, like me, remember him as the bearded Mormon in Tsui Hark’s romantic comedy Tristar (1996) which starred the late Leslie Cheung, Anita Yuen and Moses Chan?

The jolly guy obviously had a lot of fun with bit parts on the set of Hong Kong movies throughout the 1990s.

“Because I do a lot of writing, when you’re interviewing people on the set, people think that you’re in the way. But when you’re acting then there’s a real reason to be there, plus it gives you a different relationship with people on the film. But, of course, it makes it more difficult to objectively review the movie if you’re in it,” he admitted.

He also recalled being strangled “to death” by Donnie Yen’s character in Once Upon A Time In China II where Jet Li played the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hong. Fonoroff’s portrayal of the British Consul was one of his best-known cameos.

He had opportunities to work with a host of other top stars like Alan Tam and Eric Tsang in Alan And Eric: Between Hello And Goodbye (1991), Stephen Chow in Fight Back To School II (1992) and Lawyer Lawyer (1997), Daniel Wu, Stephen Fung, and Shu Qi in Bishonen (1998), and Miriam Yeung and Daniel Wu in Drink, Drank, Drunk (2005).

“My parts may be small, but I got to work with really big stars!” he grinned.

He may not be a famous star, but Paul Fonoroff is undeniably a star in his own right.

Dancing with managers

2010-06-11T03:27:00.000+08:00

By ANDREW SIA
starmag@thestar.com.my

Empathising with one’s employees is crucial in a corporate setting. An HR professional and classical dancer is teaching that skill through dance.

CAN Indian classical dance improve corporate management skills and even, gasp... emotional intelligence?

Yes, it can be done, believes Leesa Mohanty, who is both a classical odissi dancer and a human resources (HR) manager.

“Emotions determine 60% of success in an organisation,” says this Mumbai-based lady during an interview in Kuala Lumpur.

“Because an Indian classical dancer gets emotionally involved with the roles they are playing, they are better able to empathise with people around them.”

Leesa Mohanty believes that Indian classical dance can improve corporate management skills because it’s all about getting in touch with emotions and developing empathy for people.

It’s not just some namby-pamby touchy-feely sort of thing either, because traditionally, Indian dance training is very specific about deconstructing human “rasa” or emotions (and their expressions) into nine categories: love, heroism, sorrow, wonderment, laughter, fear, disgust, anger and peace.

Leesa, who is in her mid 30s, takes the example where a dancer may perform the role of the demon Ravana in the Ramayana.

“The dancer is not evil, but they go through an evil role and can understand the emotions involved,” she outlines. “So when a boss emerges from a bad meeting and shouts at the staff, we can empathise. He’s not shouting because of us, but because of the way he is. And so we don’t pass our irritation or disgust back to him or others.”

Empathy, she underlines, is crucial for an HR professional, as it helps them to understand the staff. It also helps the staff understand themselves better.

“Too often people suppress their emotions,” she says. “Deep down I may be feeling sad but I don’t know what’s causing it and so I go around (the organisation) being angry.”

Leesa began practising the Indian classical dance form odissi at the age of five. In 1984, she was given the Best Child Artist Award by India’s Orissa state government. Since then, her résumé has a long list of performances all over India (and also several times in Kuala Lumpur since 2002).

At the same time, after graduating with a sociology degree and then an MBA, she has been working her way up in the Indian corporate world since 1997, with her last position being a senior HR manager of a finance company in Mumbai.

With feet in both the arts and corporate worlds, Leesa was in a unique position to bridge the gap. What she has done is to take certain elements of Indian classical dance, create group exercises, and put it all together in a self-published book called Dancing is Fun.

“In the West, they have explored dance therapy. But in India, classical dance is regarded as entertainment, and to use it to boost productivity is something new.”

Leesa initially set out to create a series of games to make Indian classical dance more, as the book title declares, fun.

“HR training involves lots of games and ice breakers. And it was only after writing the book that I realised that these dance exercises can also be applied to HR,” she shares.

Keeping tradition

The book was launched in India in April. Its Malaysian launch was held last month at the Indian Cultural Centre at Cap Square, Kuala Lumpur in an event hosted by the locally-based Kalpana Dance Theatre.

Its artistic director, Shangita Namasivayam, comments that the traditional method of teaching Indian classical dance is a bit rigid.

“Nowadays, if we are too strict while teaching dance, the kids will just take up kickboxing or something else instead,” she says.

“We want to use a different approach while maintaining the traditions. What Leesa has done is to take the essence of Indian classical dance techniques and teach them using games.”

Shangita: You can lie with words but not with expressions.

Shangita adds that the perception that Indian classical dance can only be learnt when you are five years old is not accurate.

“Anyone can learn it, as long as they have been doing some exercise. I have a friend who is still dancing at the age of 77.”

At the launch event at Cap Square, Leesa does an exercise with some 10 volunteers from the audience. She asks them to imitate or demonstrate an animal, first with the hands, then with the whole body, and then with movements around the stage.

“Okay, now show me a deer,” Leesa tells them.

Most of the young ladies, who, we are later told are actually dancers from Kalpana, use their hands and bodies gracefully, before breaking out into little jumps and frolics mimicking a deer.

On the other hand, the sole male volunteer (who is not a dancer, it seems) stays pretty stiff and rooted, much to the amusement of the audience.

“Body movements are a mirror of one’s state of mind,” explains Leesa to me. “A flexible body reflects a flexible mind. You will be surprised, when I ask some people in my classes to laugh, they can’t do it properly.

Shangita emphasises that the stories of Indian classical dance are not merely myths but deep morality tales of how good eventually wins over evil.

“It’s a channel to teach good values to people,” she says. “We must not kill, lie or steal, or else bad things will happen to us. I myself have used Indian classical dances to highlight contemporary social issues, such as politics and women’s rights.”

Indian classical dance can also help in team building.

“To choreograph a dance, a group has to work together,” says Leesa, “If one person is out of rhythm, the whole dance is gone. Similarly, if the dance is meant to portray anger, and somebody giggles, it’s all out.”

Group dynamics come into play as well.

“Someone has to lead and someone has to follow. This helps to tackle egos,” she explains. “A person may be the head of department, but in a group dance, he may have to become a team member and follow other’s moves. Similarly, somebody who is an expert, let’s say in finance, can learn to listen to others who are experts in other fields and play a supportive role.”

Leesa also uses one of three sets of flash cards that come with her book. These cards show how the face, hands and fingers can be used to express different emotions in Indian classical dance.

“For instance, I can put the cards of different facial expressions on a table and then ask the staff to select a card that reflects how they feel about their company,” she explains. “Can you imagine if the majority pick up the card that shows disgust? That means there is a serious problem in the company.”

Leesa admits that this is a work in progress and plans to develop her ideas further. Similarly, the exercises in her book involve rudimentary elements of Indian classical dance. How far can dance go in developing human (and a company’s) potential?

The “Bible” of Indian classical dance, according to Shangita, is the Nataya Shastra, which was written by the sage Bharatamuni some 2,000 years ago.

“It defines how dancers are to perform in such detail to the extent of specifying which muscles to use on the face. Or how to control one’s eyebrows or lips to express certain emotions.”

Shangita, who was trained in the 1980s at what she calls “the Oxford and Cambridge of Indian classical dance”, Kalakshetra in Chennai, India, recalls, “We were taught how to be a good, beautiful person, how to embrace aesthetics and grace in every aspect of our lives, from dressing to the way we walked and thought. We learnt to move away from the ugly and crude things of life.”

“You can lie with words but not with expressions, you cannot show love when you feel hatred inside. When you are beautiful inside, automatically, your dance will be beautiful also.”

■ To get the book, please contact Shangita Namasivayam at 017-672 5672.

Reusing clothes

2010-06-10T03:25:00.000+08:00

June 2nd, 2010 | Published in NASAssistic | 1 Comment

IF YOU’RE an impulsive shopper, you’ve probably got an item sitting in your wardrobe that has yet to be worn.

Perhaps, you’re saving your ”brand-new” old clothes for when you finally lose weight and can fit into them, or maybe someone gave you an outfit as a gift that is so not you.

Maybe you bought something you didn’t quite like that much because you had a shopping voucher you had to use before the expiry date, which you didn’t want to go to waste.

Well, many of these good clothes end up at the back of your closet, and very often, you forget that they’re there until the next time you spring clean your house or when you’re moving into a new place.

Each year you wait to do something about those clothes, but eventually, like most unwanted goods, these clothes will end up in a landfill.

The fact is that many of these clothes will take years to decompose (leather shoes take 25 to 40 years, while nylon fabric takes 30 to 40 years, for example). So, just imagine how much energy and money you’ve wasted on buying those clothes.

Most clothes are recyclable (almost all textiles can be respun into new fabric or recycled and used as cleaning cloths or for filling materials in the construction industry) but let this be a last resort with almost-new clothes. Before you decide to throw anything away, or downgrade them to household chore rags, have a clothing swap session with your friends!

Two weeks ago four friends and I got together to exchange clothes, accessories, shoes and even bags. Two of them are currently on a shopping diet challenge, and saw this as a way of obtaining new clothes without spending a sen.

We arrived with bags of ”new” old items, decorated the sofa with accessories, piled the dining table with blouses and tops and laid dresses and long pants out on another sofa.

Some of the goodies we brought to the table

The afternoon was spent discussing the history behind each garment, why we don’t wear them anymore or have never worn them, and voting on who looked best in what.

After more than three hours of trying on clothes, modelling them to one another and giving suggestions on how to mix and match items with other pieces of clothing, we each went home with a whole lot of new items.

”It feels like I went shopping and bought a lot of new stuff, but the best part is that there wasn’t a sen spent,” said Alexandra Prabaharan.

”It was so much fun trying on all the clothes and modelling them and just having a nice girly afternoon,” she added.

We went home with new additions to our wardrobes that afternoon, knowing that we had saved a lot of money on shopping, reduced air pollution and energy by car-pooling to our friend’s place, and reducing landfill space by re-using one another’s old clothes.

Organise your own clothing swap

1. Get four to eight friends to go through their wardrobes and pack up anything they can find that are still in great condition, be it clothes, accessories or shoes.

2. Gather everyone in a spacious home, and lay the goods out.

3. Make sure that you have a variety of sizes available so everyone can take part, and no one feels left out.

4. Have a changing room ready, complete with a full-length mirror, and space where your friends can model the clothes.

5. Lay down some ground rules, for example: Once an item has been tried on and chosen, it’s off limits to anyone else. Draw numbers to decide who picks first, and maybe have different turns for different categories (shoes, dresses and so on).

6. Get everyone to bring snacks and drinks to add to the fun.

7. Take pictures!

8. At the end of the swap, whatever has not been claimed can be washed, packed up and delivered to a shelter. After all, the clothes are still in great condition, why let them go to waste, right?

Red hot chillies

2010-06-09T03:23:00.000+08:00

By ELAINE DONG
starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my

Inspired by the melting pot that has become her home, a French lady digs into its roots for inspiration.

IT all started with spunky Yati, Gowry and Ah Chik, who go on one adventure after another. Gowry thinks nothing of swinging a few rounds on the golf course in her sari, Yati regularly dons her baju kebaya to scuba-dive, and Ah Chik is a terror in a cheongsam while wakeboarding down the Straits of Melaka.

Florence Lambert, 40, the creative force behind these colourful characters, was inspired by the people in her life when she christened them.

“Yati is named after my current helper, who is from Indonesia; Ah Chik was my late mother-in-law’s name; Gowry was one of my previous helpers. I created a backstory to each character, and weaved the different personalities of the people I met into each girl,” she says.

Florence Lambert with the dollhouse game that little girls will want to play with or keep.

With that, the brand Gadis Manis was born. It is a souvenirs brand, targeting visitors to Malaysia who want to take home a piece of memory of their time here.

“I came up with the concept of the three girls when my late daughter Sophie was five. Up until then, I had been a stay-at-home mum. I decided she needed to see me working and making a career for myself. I have always liked to draw and wanted to create something for myself that would involve drawing and enable me to make a living,” says Lambert.

Sadly, Sophie died in January 2008, six months after being diagnosed with cancer. In February, Lambert started Gadis Manis and hasn’t stopped since.

“When Sophie died, I had nothing left. I had to do something or I would have nothing to live for.”

Iskander is one of the three characters in Lambert’s Budak Pedas range.

So Lambert started drawing. She had no formal training; her drawings were influenced by the time spent with her copywriter husband.

“We would look at his work together, and he would talk to me about what made a good advertisement. Also, I am French, so that also influences my designs. I like things simple and choose natural materials like linen and leather.”

Today, the brand has an expansive range of T-shirts, bags, notebooks, greeting cards, journals and more. Lambert has just put out a limited edition vintage dollhouse game featuring Yati, Gowry and Ah Chik called La Boutiqe de la Mode. It is a fashion store that sells saris, cheongsams and kebayas.

“Everything is entirely handpainted and digitalised. The dollhouse components are laser-cut for that precise finish and the stickers are of great quality.” The dollhouse comes in folded parts that can be assembled easily to recreate different scenes with the three girls as the main characters.

Lambert also has an offshoot of Gadis Manis, a new range for boys and men called Budak Pedas. The latest characters to join her growing Malaysian family are Min Wei, who takes over the family’s pewter business; Anu, who loves food and now owns a chain of mamak restaurants, and Iskandar, an artist and batik designer.

On her blog, she gives this saucy introduction: “Three sweet girls could not stay alone for very long. It was destiny that sent three hot and spicy Malaysian boys to conquer their hearts.” The name Budak Pedas is taken from the old Malay proverb, “Siapa makan cili, dia yang rasa pedas” (whoever eats chilli, feels the heat).

Lambert is working on dollhouse sets for the boys and girls of her creation - a jungle expedition set for Budak Pedas and perhaps a beach expedition for Gadis Manis. She set the first dollhouse in Melaka because, to her, it is where everything started and has become a true melting pot of cultures. “That’s the essence of what Gadis Manis is, a mix of cultures.”

She will also explore setting future characters in the different towns of Malaysia – a reflection of her love fo the nooks and crannies of this country that she now calls home, after 16 years here..

All her products are made in Malaysia, although she is looking to source certain materials from the region. “I use various factories in Klang Valley for different things and have been using local material. But I will have to look elsewhere when I start using more leather and suede, because those are so hard to find here.”

The Gadis Manis range has bags made of canvas and leather.

She is working on a book and, of course, new designs for her range of products. Plans are also underway to open the first standalone shop in Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.

My ‘tomboy’ wife

2010-06-08T03:22:00.000+08:00

By SOH6299

Destiny brought her to his door 25 years ago. Today, he hopes to take her around the country, but not on his bike.

IT seems just like yesterday. I first saw my wife when she came to check out the room in our student house in Taman Bunga Raya, Kuala Lumpur. We were at TAR college then, and being from a small town, lodging was always a problem.

Yet this small girl with short hair and blue jeans, so shy, so cute and alone, came to look for a place to stay. It was not the school open day or the holiday season then ... must have been something to do with destiny! My friends and I agreed to accept her as we were short of one female housemate.

During the college term, we were busy with our own work and exams, so I did not say much to her and carried on with my routine of study, basketball and library. After completing my diploma, I had to move out as that was the rule in the house. I bought a Yamaha cub and move to Taman Melawati nearby.

I made the first move and asked her to go out for a movie – Indiana Jones. She said yes and jumped on my bike. But something happened that made our first date so wonderful.

After the show at Federal Cinema, as we were heading back towards Setapak, rain started pouring down, forcing us to stop at a fastfood restaurant.

That was our first, unexpected, dinner date. In our soaked clothes, we had one dinner set for two. Whenever we tell this to our children, they all laugh! Thank God she is the tomboy type – didn’t mind motorbike and wet dinner. Or maybe love is blind.

After holding hands for three years, we got married in 1987 and our first child was born in 1988, the Year of Dragon. I was not in the labour room as she refused to let me in; she said too much blood could make me faint!

You can imaging how strong she is as all our five children were born naturally. Guess what? Before they turned three, all our children stuck to me and wanted me to carry them. Whenever a baby cried, she also cried with him/her. That scene will always stay in my mind. That’s my tomboy wife!

She has a “magic” hand – anything she touches has unexpected results. I remember when I bought my first car, a second-hand Toyota DX, with cassette player. We were out driving and enjoying ourselves and she said, “Can we have some music?”

“Yes, just put in the cassette,” I replied. The next thing I knew, the cassette player was jammed. She’d put the tape in the wrong side and it was stuck.

My wife is a career woman and doesn’t like to cook. She has come out with her special “tool”. The rice pot is her one-stop centre. Not only is it for cooking rice, it’s also for frying meehoon, and boiling soup and vegetables. Easy and fast. There are three rice cookers in our house. The frying pan is not needed.

I bought her a lady’s golf set on Mother’s Day. My intention was for her to understand why playing golf takes at least five hours. This way, I won’t be questioned each time I go for golf.

But the outcome surprised me. She got crazy about golf! After hitting and practising at the driving range, she wanted to play on the course. She doesn’t mind the hot sun or walking six kilometres, and pulling the trolley along the way. On top of that, she is using my driver now because it can hit further than a lady’s driver.

She also has one dream – to put our golf bags in our MPV and go for a golf tour around Malaysia. Just the two of us. I told her we could do that when I reach 55. I never expected things to turn out like this and I think no other wife is like her.

To my tomboy wife who has been with me for the past 25 years: I look forward to having another 25 years together, never mind the ups and downs. We work together, like our golf partnership!

Circle of love

2010-06-07T03:20:00.000+08:00

Stories by ELIZABETH TAI

OrphanCARE hopes to serve as the link betwe en unwanted babies and couples who want to adopt.

IN May, a month-old baby boy was found abandoned in a shack, covered with ants and mosquitoes. That same month, two teenagers from Malacca were charged with burying a new-born boy.

And just this week, the body of a baby, his umbilical cord still attached, was found by a road in Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya. Police believe the boy was dumped three hours after his birth.

Cases like these convince the committee members of OrphanCARE that the newly-installed baby hatch at their centre in Kampung Tunku, Petaling Jaya, is crucial.

Police checking an abandoned baby. A baby hatch would enable a mother to leave her unwanted child in a safe place, instead of by the roadside, at a rubbish dump, or (in this case), outside a mosque.

OrphanCARE, a smart partner of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry that aims to find every orphan and abandoned baby a loving family, decided to build one after its inception in 2008.

A baby hatch is a place where mothers who are unable, or unwilling, to take care of their babies, can leave them in a safe environment, where they will be cared for. There are hatches in countries like Pakistan, Germany, Japan and India. (See Different names, same aim)

Many abandoned babies die from exposure to the elements. Some survive, but their health usually suffers – chest infections are common.

Initially, the NGO considered purchasing the design of a baby hatch from Germany, where there are 80 babyklappen scattered around the country. However, the price was daunting. OrphanCARE then decided to come out with its own hatch, which cost RM15,000 to build. It is located at the centre’s premises, a bungalow situated in residential Kampung Tunku.

Datuk Adnan Mohd Tahir ... We encourage the mothers to sign the consent form.

The hatch is actually a room measuring one square metre. It is equipped with a bed, an air-conditioner, a lamp and a sensor that sounds an alarm in the caretaker’s room upstairs whenever a baby is placed in it.

“The area is secluded although it’s near the main road,” says OrphanCARE president Datuk Adnan Mohd Tahir.

Location is often a dilemma: People may hesitate to approach a more public place; on the other hand, a secluded place might not be accessible. The centre hopes to build more baby hatches and place them in hospitals.

Adnan and his wife Elya became orphan activists after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which left many children orphaned in places like Acheh. A business friend told Adnan that he hoped to bring 15 orphans from Acheh to Malaysia, so that they could be adopted by families here. The couple decided to help by spreading the word around; in no time they started getting calls from people eager to adopt.

However, something unforeseen cropped up. When word of their efforts got to Unicef, they were suspected of running a baby trafficking operation.

Elya and Adnan were called up to Bukit Aman for questioning, but they managed to clear the air.

“We were not selling babies, we were getting help for orphans. Unfortunately, the Indonesian government put a stop to them leaving Acheh. As a result, there were many disappointed parents here,” says Adnan.

Rather than be discouraged by the turn of events, and seeing how good the response had been to the Acheh appeal, he decided to gather a few friends to do something for Malaysian orphans instead. That was how OrphanCARE began.

Adnan says the baby hatch is a natural progression, especially if you look at the statistics: Between 2005 and 2009, the police recorded 407 cases of abandoned babies in the country. These are just those found and reported; many abandoned babies go undiscovered and forgotten.

Noraini Hashim ... our main target is to save babies

Objections

Baby hatches have existed since medieval times, but they often stoke controversy, no matter where they’re built. Since the launch of OrphanCARE’s baby hatch on May 29, response from the public has been divided. Detractors wrote to newspapers expressing their disgust; they said it would encourage people to have premarital sex and engage in reckless behaviour.

Shelter Home executive director James Nayagam was quoted in The Star (Get to root problem of baby dumping; June 1) as saying that baby hatches are a waste of taxpayers’ money because they just treat the symptoms and do not resolve the issue of abandoned babies.

It is not true that the baby hatch was built using taxpayers’ money, says Noraini Hashim, deputy president of OrphanCARE.

“The money was donated by our president’s interior design company. We also did fundraising last year during our launch, which gave us enough to rent the house and pay the staff.”

The government has promised them RM100,000, which they have yet to receive, she adds.

“Our main target is to save babies, We are not saying that (the baby hatch) is the solution to the baby abandonment problem,” says Noraini, who works in the corporate sector.

“The point at which a young girl abandons her baby is the end of a series of events. We are tackling that phase of the problem. We totally agree that the root cause must be addressed. It goes back to parenting, education and more,” says assistant secretary Azra Banu.

But the baby hatch has supporters too, such as Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, who believes unwanted babies should be saved.

Kim Nazli Rosali ... childless couples get preference when it comes to adoption.

“At first I didn’t agree with this idea as I was afraid it will send the wrong message, especially to teenagers. However, now we really need baby hatches for sinless babies,” he was quoted in a Berita Harian report of May 31.

The mufti believes that those who abandon their babies should face harsh penalties. However, the folks at OrphanCARE stress that one should not put the blame solely on the mothers, many of whom hide their pregnancy – out of shame and fear of repercussions from society and family for having a child out of wedlock. Some are victims of rape.

“We had a university student who hid her pregnancy from her roomate because you can get booted out of university if you get pregnant and are not married. It’s not easy, trying to hide that from friends and family,” Adnan says.

“For a person to abandon her baby, she must have been in a terrible state of mind. It’s difficult to imagine.”

The procedures

Whenever a baby is deposited at the baby hatch, OrphanCARE has to inform the Social Welfare Department (Jabatan Kebajikan Malaysia, or JKM). “We then have to send the baby for a check-up. If it is left without a signed consent form – available in Malay or English, and placed at the side of the hatch – we have to lodge a police report,” says Adnan.

The legalities come into play here. It is vital that the mother signs her consent to give her child up for adoption, failing which it will be a deemed an abandoned baby and a police report is mandatory.

Under the Malaysia Child Act 2001, anyone found guilty of abandoning a child is liable to a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both.

It is easy for a mother to approach the baby hatch, open its small door and place her baby on the incubator bed, as demonstrated by volunteer and mother Risnawati Yassin at its launch recently.

“In other countries, there’s no form. But in Malaysia, because of the law, we have to encourage them to sign one,” Adnan says.

Once OrphanCARE has received a baby and informed JKM, it will contact a prospective parent on its waiting list. Currently, there are about 200 applicants on the list.

“We look for parents who have financial stability and good parenting abilities. Preference is given to childless couples,” says Kim Nazli Rosali, coordinator of the parents’ committee.

So far, the committee has interviewed 50 potential couples, using questions set by JKM.

After the interview, their application goes to JKM, which then sends a counsellor to visit their home.

If a couple is deemed to be suitable as adoptive parents, JKM gives its approval, and the baby is passed to them.

“The process is almost ‘instantaneous’ – it takes just a few days because we have the list of parents ready and they’ve already been interviewed,” says Kim.

“The only thing (that’s) slow is the wait for the baby, as we do not know when one will be deposited. Therefore, the more publicity we get, the better, so that mothers can leave their babies at a safe place,” Noraini adds.

OrphanCARE welcomes volunteers. For more information, visit www.orphancare.org.my or call 03-7876 1900. Its baby hatch is located at 6, Lorong SS1/24A, Kampung Tunku, PJ.

Eternal bliss

2010-05-28T18:12:00.000+08:00

By OLIVIA LEE

Pastel shades, chic styling and fine craftsmanship denote the new range called Eternal Skies.

INSPIRED by the landscapes of the lush Mediterranean, Bonia’s latest Spring/Summer collection carries an interesting blend of colour schemes against simple yet cutting-edge designs.

Man of peace: ‘With Eternal Skies, it allows our mind to wander, relax and arrive at a restful state of mind,’ says Gaetano De Franceschi.

Named Eternal Skies, the new range will surely attract new fans with its pastel shades and “Italian styling”.

The brand also features a range of accessories, from classic to contemporary, crafted from high quality materials.

The man behind the collection’s new provocative and trend-setting outlook is veteran Italian designer Gaetano De Franceschi, who has collaborated with well-known designers such as Hugo Boss and Michael Kors in the past.

The chief designer of Italian-based design firm Synergy Design Group was appointed by Bonia to oversee the brand’s fashion direction, as part of the brand’s commitment to deliver high quality fashion accessories offering fine craftsmanship and cutting-edge styling.

According to De Franceschi, he wanted to set a mood of peace and harmony in today’s world that’s filled with stress and crisis, which is why white and earth-reflecting colours feature prominently in the collection.

Who says Bonia is all formal? Check out this men’s Summer Ticking Sandal.

“With Eternal Skies, it allows our mind to wander, relax and arrive at a restful state of mind,” adds the designer who was in Kuala Lumpur for the Bonia Eternal Skies Pavilion Pit Stop Fashion Show recently. The fashion show featured models Amber Chia and Charmaine Harn, and former Miss Malaysia Deborah Henry and Andrea Fonseka.

De Franceschi says that the main target audience for this campaign is elegant women who have a keen eye for detail and demand quality at decent prices.

He adds that he aims to create several styles of handbags that will become signature pieces for the brand in future.

One such notable design is the Bambina, a soft Nappy leather bag that De Franceschi describes as “a blooming flower”.

“It’s a completely new concept and it gives the image of birth,” he declares.

“For the men, we are looking at elegant businessmen who are well-travelled and appreciate attention paid to detail as well as functional products that are aesthetically pleasing.

“The Spring/Summer offering is a complete collection of products ranging from small leather goods to large pieces of luggage bags, and everything in between,” De Franceschi says of the men’s range.

On him – Premio Men’s Tote in fortified canvas and leather trim. On her – Monoequestro drawstring bucket bag in fortified canvas and leather trim; and Pia wedge sandals.

For future projects, De Franceschi lets on that the Autumn/Winter collection will be interesting but doesn’t give too much away.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he hints.

As for the brand itself, De Franceschi says that Bonia has tremendous potential and foresees the clientele starting from a younger age group. Currently, Eternal Skies is aimed at those in their 30s.

From its modest beginnings in Singapore in 1974, Bonia Corporation Berhad (Bonia) has grown to be one of Asia’s leading fashion retailers, designing, producing and distributing luxury leather goods, accessories and footwear made with European styling, quality and craftsmanship.

The Mabella croc-patterned wide bucket tote’s look is versatile enough for both formal and casual outings.

It has a network of over 700 sales outlets and 70 standalone boutiques throughout the world including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Brunei, South Africa, Sweden and the Middle East.

In Malaysia, the collection is available at Bonia counters located at major department stores nationwide and standalone boutiques located at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, SOGO, Suria KLCC, Mid Valley Megamall, KL and Alamanda Putrajaya. Prices range from RM199 to RM1,699.

Dressed up tresses

2010-05-26T18:11:00.000+08:00

When hair and fashion come together, you get fashiontainment.

HAIR shows are not just a showcase for the latest styles anymore, they have become dramatic acts that don’t only require pretty models to carry off the creations but imaginative show directors who can pull off such productions.

One such person who is passionate about her art and trade, and has revolutionised the hair industry is Winnie Loo. The force behind A Cut Above hair salons and academies, Loo has led the hairstyling industry in Malaysia for decades.

Winnie Loo: ‘I wanted to have hair, fashion and music coming together in the show.’

In conjunction with Mid Valley Fashion Week last month and to celebrate her 31st year in the business, Loo and her team organised a special hair display of creative hairstyles and hairpieces, which she called “fashiontainment”. Her staff members also presented a very creative instalment that brought the house down.

In an interview a day before the show, Loo said she took a page from Lady Gaga’s theatrical dance-pop act.

“Gaga has proven that you can do anything these days. So, I incorporated dance and acting into the show – it’s no longer just about a model doing a walk with a creative hairstyle,” she explained.

As always, Loo started with a storyboard and this time it was all about retrospectives. She took a look at some of the hairstyles from the last century and paid tribute to those who inspired hairstylists even though they weren’t in the hair business.

“I wanted to have hair, fashion and music coming together in the show. And, I also wanted to pay tribute to Michael Jackson (MJ) as well as the current favourite in music, which is why there’s a segment on Lady Gaga,” Loo said.

Although she revisits the different hairstyles of the era, Loo doesn’t replicate the look in its entirety. For example, most people would associate Coco Chanel with the bob but Loo has taken that iconic look and given it a modern twist.

“I’m saying that if I was there in the 20s this is what it would look like.”

Loo admits to being particularly fond of the hairstyles from the 40s to 60s. It was all about couture styling with back combs, beehives and solid hairstyles, and “it showed off the hairstylists’ skills.”

Twisted sister: An interpretation of pre-historic times by students of A Cut Above – GLENN GUAN/The Star.

Her show featured lots of styles with different versions of the chin-length bob, and it later took a dramatic tone when students of A Cut Above Academy came up with interpretations of life back in prehistory. And, for the segment for ladies who lunch, Loo came up with styles that looked to the heady days of the 40s and 60s. The MJ tribute was all about celebrating freedom and movement, so there was lots of frizz and dreadlocks, with a nod to street styling.

To complement the hairpieces, Loo turned to Alvin Tay for the gowns. “He has simple sophisticated gowns, which is perfect because I didn’t want elaborate clothes that will draw attention from the hair. It is, after all, a hair show,” she added.

Quite often, many of the designers in international fashion weeks like John Galliano and (the late) Alexander McQueen, work hand in hand with hairstylists to come up with a complete look.

Unfortunately, she feels fashion weeks in Malaysia do not have such an emphasis. “We (hairstylists) get involved to show our support to the designers but there is no real challenge in putting up a basic bun or pony-tail, which is what most of them usually want,” she said.

She is glad that more people are beginning to appreciate the work that hairstylists do, citing a recent show where local designer Albert King invited her up on the catwalk to acknowledge the work that she did for his show.

Thanks to her involvement with the Asian Hairdesigner Association (which she headed for a number of years), Loo has managed to raise the bar for Malaysian hairstylists, and countries like South Korea and China have expressed admiration for the presentations put up by Malaysian teams.

This year’s AHA show in Macau, to be held in June, will carry the theme Life Is Like A Stage, which was Loo’s idea.

There are also other factors to consider when putting up a hair show. For instance, how do you determine which model can pull off a certain hairstyle?

She said that it’s important to pay attention to the shape of the face. Short rounded faces go well with hard fringes. Solid strong bobs are not recommended as they tend to make the face look short and fat. The best bet is a pixie look with no solid lines.

For someone with a triangular face who has a broad hairline and sharp chin, the bob is her best friend. If you have an oval face, any hairstyle will suit you.

Honeycomb hairdo, a throwback to the 60s, for the Datin in you.

So, what kind of hair styles can we expect to see next season? The previous two seasons, Loo said, focused on short hair, however, this trend obviously cannot last forever. Hairstyles in the next few months will be longer, with lots of in-betweens.

“There will still be a little bit of that pixie line. Can you imagine telling people in January that this look will not be the trend by June? So, we still follow up on some of the styles from the previous season, but offer a softer version.”

As for colours, Loo said that people here still loved browns and that shade will remain popular here. However, the more glaring colours will no longer be the fad as people are looking to more natural shades.

So, what’s else is up Loo’s sleeve? She let on that she’s exploring the possibility of coming up with a hairstyling TV reality series. We look forward to her saying “that’s a cut”!

It’s in your hands

2010-05-20T18:08:00.000+08:00

Malaysians encouraged to maintain personal hygiene to prevent the spread of influenza A(H1N1).

FLU is normally spread through the air via droplets expelled from the mouth when an infected person talks, sneezes, or coughs. An uninfected person can easily come into contact with these droplets, which often land on hands and commonly touched areas, and then become infected.

Dr Steven Chow... If we make hygiene practices such as proper hand washing and the use of hand sanitisers a habit, we will be better protected against germ spread.

Good hygiene practices can help prevent flu spreading. Public health officials and infectious disease experts advocate regular and thorough hand-washing as the best first line of defence. If suitable anti-bacterial soap is not available, such as when away from home, hand sanitisers are a viable option.

Dr Steven Chow, president, Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Association of Malaysia (FPMPAM), said “Practising good hygiene every day, every time, is everyone’s responsibility, and something everyone can do for themselves.

“If we make hygiene practices such as proper hand washing and the use of hand sanitisers a habit, we will be better protected against germ spread.”

Vital intervention

More important than any other community-based measure is good hygiene practice. It is the key defence mechanism against the spread of such infectious diseases.

According to the Hygiene Promotion and Illness Reduction study [1],[2] conducted on 5,800 families, supported by Dettol, good hygiene practices has been proven to reduce children illnesses by up to 75%.

The three-year study, which was conducted in impoverished urban communities in South Africa, showed that children aged five years or under experienced significantly fewer respiratory, gastrointestinal, and skin diseases when their families took proper hygienic steps.

Dr Chow said, “This study confirms what we already know but do not always apply to our daily lives – proper hygiene practices to reduce illnesses among children, and ultimately improve the general health and well-being of the family.

“It is proven that simple routine activities, such as regular and thorough hand-washing with soap and regular surface disinfection, are the most effective first line of defence in breaking the chain of infection.”

How you do it

Dr Chow added that basic steps could help people fall ill less often. Among them:

·Practise good hand hygiene – frequent hand-washing with soap and water, ensuring all surfaces of the hands are cleaned. Once washed, dry hands thoroughly with a clean dry towel.

·Practise good cough and sneeze etiquette – cough into the crook of your elbow rather than your hands. Sneeze into a tissue to minimise hand contact, discard tissue, and wash your hands immediately.

·Avoid touching mouth, nose and eyes with hands.

·Use hand sanitiser if soap and water is unavailable.

·Regularly disinfect all commonly touched areas, such as door knobs, taps, light switches, TV remote controls, and computer keyboards.

·Seek advice from your doctor via telephone first if you are feeling unwell and displaying flu-like symptoms. Do not go to work.

If someone at home is ill:

·Avoid close contact with anyone displaying flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, sore throat, and fatigue. If possible, the person should stay in a separate section of the house.

·Cover your nose and mouth when in contact with the person.

·Wash hand thoroughly after contact with the person.

·Ensure home is hygienically clean by disinfecting commonly touched areas.

Proper hygiene practices play an important role in minimising the spread of germs and infections.

References:

1. Cole E, Hawkley M, Rubino J, McCue K, Crookston B, and Dixon J. Comprehensive family hygiene promotion in peri-urban Cape Town: Gastrointestinal and skin disease reduction in children under five. 13th ICID; abstract no 68.012.

2. Cole E, Crookston B, Rubino J, McCue K, Hawkley M, and Dixon J. Comprehensive family hygiene promotion in peri-urban Cape Town: Reduction of respiratory illness in children under five. 13th ICID; abstract no 68.030.

3. Hygiene products used in this study: Dettol Anti-bacterial Soap, Dettol Antiseptic Liquid, Dettol Anti-bacterial Cleanser. Dettol is a registered trademark of Reckitt Benckiser

Cancer drug for lungs

2010-05-19T18:07:00.000+08:00

Gefitinib approved as first line treatment for lung cancer patients.

ASTRAZENECA announced that it has received approval from the Drug Control Authority in Malaysia for its drug, IRESSA™ (gefitinib), as first-line treatment for adult patients diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have activating mutations of the EGFR-TK.

Gefitinib works by blocking one of the signalling pathways that is believed to be important for cancer cells to grow and develop into a tumour. The signalling pathway involves a chemical, known as the epidermal growth factor (EGF), which binds to a receptor found on the surface of many cells in the body.

The receptor, known as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), sends signals into the cells through the activation of an enzyme called tyrosine kinase (TK), found within the cells. The signals tell the cell to multiply uncontrollably.

This approval represents an important step forward in the treatment of lung cancer. Adult patients diagnosed with NSCLC will now have the option of a highly effective and well tolerated drug to traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy as first-line treatment.

“Lung cancer severely affects a person’s quality of life. The benefit of gefitinib is that it can detect those specific cancer cells without touching normal cells, meaning that side effects are far less severe than they would be with traditional cytotoxic treatment that cannot differentiate between cancer and normal cells.

Although smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer, it is not the only cause, and global statistics indicate that between 10% to 15% of people with lung cancer have never smoked. – AFP

“Gefitinib allows lung cancer patients to enjoy a better quality of life and the freedom to pursue certain activities that would otherwise be unattainable while undergoing cytotoxic treatment,” said Dr Akhmal Yusof, medical director at AstraZeneca in Malaysia.

In many common tumours, there is an over-activity of TK activation by EGFR. Gefitinib is designed to target cancer cells and block the activation of TK, effectively “switching off” the growth signal within the cell. Thus, normal cells are not affected.

This means that side effects are significantly reduced, because traditional cytotoxic treatment does not distinguish between cancer and normal cells.

The approval was based on data from the Phase III clinical trial, known as IPASS (Iressa Pan Asian Study), which assessed the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of gefitinib against a combination of cytotoxic drugs as first-line treatment in a clinically selected population of Asian patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

IPASS demonstrates comparative benefits of lung cancer targeted therapy

Prof Liam Chong Kin, a lead investigator for IPASS in Malaysia, explained that clinical trial results demonstrated three key benefits for patients of lung cancer.

IPASS showed that gefitinib has superior efficacy compared to doublet chemotherapy in three areas that can improve the quality of life of lung cancer patients.

The first benefit was that the cancer stabilised, meaning that there was no progression of cancer cells. The second was that the tumour shrank; and the third benefit was improved tolerability of treatment.

Importantly, the data showed that for patients with EGFR mutation positive tumours, the survival rate without cancer progression was longer for gefitinib-treated patients than for doublet chemotherapy treated patients..

The 12-month rate of progression-free survival was 24.9% with gefitinib versus 6.7% with doublet chemotherapy.

“This means that lung cancer patients now have a viable option for 1st line treatment that can provide considerable relief, not only from cancer progression and toxic effects of chemotherapy, but also with a better quality of life,” added Prof Liam.

Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in the world, causing more deaths than breast and prostate cancers combined. According to the National Cancer Registry Report 2006, lung cancer is the 2nd most common cancer among males in Malaysia.

Although smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer, it is not the only cause. Passive smoking is now recognised as a major contributor to lung cancer. Global statistics indicate that between 10% to 15% of people with lung cancer have never smoked.

The percentage of never smokers is even higher in Asian patients with lung cancer, particularly in Asian females. In Malaysia, about 60% of women with lung cancer are never smokers.

Lung cancer is usually diagnosed at a late stage because some of the symptoms are similar to other illnesses, such as fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite or shortness of breath. It is important for patients who experience such symptoms to consult their doctors.

“Early diagnosis and therapy can make a big difference in the way lung cancer patients and their families manage and adjust their lifestyles under new-found circumstances,” Prof Liam advised.

Gefitinib was the first in a new class of anti-cancer drugs known as EGFR-TK inhibitors. It is a once-daily 250mg oral medication and is indicated for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

References:

1. Mok TS, et al. Gefitinib or Carboplatin–Paclitaxel in Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma. NEJM 2009; 361:947-957.

2. Malaysian Cancer Statistics Peninsular Malaysia 2006, National Cancer Registry, Ministry of Health

3. The Global Lung Cancer Coalition www.lungcancercoalition.org.

Why more and more people are travelling thousands of miles for care, and how it can be a viable option.

2010-05-16T18:05:00.000+08:00

JUST about six months ago, after a few bouts of gall bladder pain, self-employed IT consultant David Cook received a piece of bad news from his doctors: his gall bladder had to be removed.

But what dismayed him more was what it would cost him to undergo the procedure.

“After the surgeon gave me his best guess on the cost of the procedure, a whopping US$7,000 (RM 22,680) for the whole deal, my heart sank. Did he say US$7,000? He must be joking,” read his first blog post in his blog “My Medical Tourism Journey”.

Josef Woodman...A smart health traveller is an informed health traveller.

It’s not that Cook wasn’t insured. He is. The problem is if he spends more than half of his US$10,000 (RM 32,400) deductible health insurance plan this time, he will exhaust most of his accumulated medical savings. He is just 47 years old.

“Looking back on that day, I now wish that my surgeon was right because the cost was more like US$11,000 (RM 35,640) on the low end and about US$15,000 (RM 48,600) on the upper end,” he writes.

He decided to wait another few months before calling his surgeon’s office in February to check whether he still needed the surgery. But no, even when he was pain-free for the last two months, he was told there was little chance his gall bladder would recover. It would have to go.

Unwilling to pay the amount for his surgery, he considered going out of the country (US) for his procedure. “I had heard of the concept of medical tourism, but never seriously considered it. However, never before had I been faced with such steep medical costs,” he explains.

Later, he got on the Internet, did extensive research on the choices he had, decided that he wanted to experience arranging his own medical trip, contacted the hospitals and doctors himself, made his decision, and boarded a plane to New Delhi on April 11 to have his gall bladder removed. And since he was travelling all the way there, he also arranged to have his dental bridge replaced, his colonoscopy done, and his heart checked in three different centres.

Altogether, he saved a little more than US$14,000 (RM 45,360).

“Some might call it stupidity,” says Cook, when contacted through an online chat programme last Thursday – the day he returned to Atlanta after his trip. “I like to call it being adventurous.”

Having options

While Cook has just joined the millions of his fellow Americans who have travelled abroad for medical care due to financial considerations, he was one of the few who dared to go ahead with the trip without a medical travel facilitator.

“A facilitator offers a number of advantages. They arrange the medical tourism visa, book accommodations, schedule the procedure, find an appropriate doctor and hospital, assist with touring packages either before or after surgery, and much more.

“Without a facilitator, I lacked a patient advocate who could intercede with hospitals and others so that I would have been shielded from language barriers, and compete with the local population for simple tasks such as paying bills,” he said.

Looking on the bright side, Cook said he observed little details and oddities about the Indian healthcare system he wouldn’t have learned if he was assisted by a facilitator. “The only way for me to know that was to go through the process all by myself,” he says.

But facilitated or not, going by the 10-fold growth in the number of healthcare travellers to Malaysia for the past 10 years (reported in the 2009/2010 Malaysian Economic Report as 39,114 to 374,063), more people are travelling abroad to destinations such as Malaysia for affordable and quality care.

While medical travel is no stranger to the rich and famous, it is new enough for the middle wage earner and cash-strapped.

“We are talking about patients who are in the middle, not the luxury travel kind,” says Josef Woodman, author of the medical travel guidebook Patients Beyond Borders. Woodman was in Kuala Lumpur recently as a guest speaker at a Healthcare Tourism Congress organised locally.

These are the patients who are either highly motivated by cost, or just plain desperate, because they could not afford healthcare in their home country, are underinsured, or not insured, he explained.

That said, not all healthcare travellers travel to save cost.

Some travel because the waiting lists in their countries for some procedures are too long. Others look for options elsewhere because a certain test or treatment is not available, or is yet to be approved in the country where they live.

In some emerging economies, it is also a matter of having a little extra to spend on better care. “When the healthcare in a country lags behind the progress of the middle class, they have more resources to get more care,” Woodman explains.

So, even if the motivation differs, a healthcare traveller can come from anywhere around the globe – not just the developed world, where mounting healthcare costs sometimes outstrip its average citizen’s ability to pay.

Medical checkups, wellness therapies, elective surgeries (planned, non-emergency surgeries) like hip replacement and cosmetic surgery can be arranged to be done in other countries, just as long as you can pay for them.

Procedures galore

The next question would be: what kind of procedures could you do abroad? The answer is: almost everything, really.

From medical checkups to wellness therapies, to elective surgeries (planned, non-emergency surgeries) like hip replacements and cosmetic surgery that medical tourism is traditionally known for – as long as it is available in another country, you can make arrangements to do it there.

Even so, the very nature of medical travel makes it work for certain procedures more than others.

First, you’ve got to be able to get on the plane and arrive there safely without complications. So, it is always wise to check with your local doctor whether medical travel is for you.

Second, you’ve got a limited amount of time to get assessed by your doctor, complete your tests or treatments, and recover from them at your destination to be fit enough to hop on the plane back.

So, the more straightforward the procedure is (which means it is fairly simple and quick to figure out or confirm what’s wrong and the appropriate way to treat it) – the easier you can travel to do it elsewhere. Also, it would help if you can recover quickly from the procedure.

“For instance, you wouldn’t think that a bypass would be okay, but it is fairly mechanical, and the recovery period is fairly short,” says Woodman. “Usually, a working patient can’t stay more than two weeks in a foreign country,” he explains.

In this regard, Woodman suggests that medical travel is generally good for most cardiac, orthopaedic, cosmetic, and dental procedures.

“When you wander into grey areas (like oncology), where the diagnosis and/or the recovery take longer, some people just couldn’t stay for the length of time required,” he explained.

Weighing benefits

While travelling abroad for care has a lot going for it, it is not without accompanying risks.

In keeping his readers grounded, Woodman gives this sobering advice in his introduction of the Malaysian edition of Patients without Borders.

“While one newspaper or blog giddily touts the fun ’n sun side of treatment abroad, another issues dire warnings about filthy hospitals, shady treatment practices, and procedures gone bad.

“As with most things in life, the truth lies somewhere in between,” he adds.

In another country, you might be exposed to infections you haven’t been exposed to in the past and your immune system might not be equipped to fight it. You might also face difficulties communicating with the local community there if you do not understand their language or accent.

If a procedure had gone bad, you might not be able to seek legal recourse due to the difference in legal systems. Travelling shortly after a surgery might also increase your risk of developing deep vein trombosis (a blood clot in your deep veins, usually the large veins in your leg).

All of that has to be taken into consideration when you are contemplating medical travel.

Woodman reminds his readers in the same guidebook that despite the name “medical tourism”, medical travel is not a vacation. It requires the traveller to research, plan, and prepare for the trip – with or without the help of a facilitator.

“A smart health traveller is an informed health traveller,” says Woodman. “Right now, we have a global clearing house of information, and it is impossible to immediately find the best doctor. So you’ve got to do your homework.

While using the Internet in your initial research is a good start, you will need to check the facts and claims offered by websites (often sponsored) against other trusted sources, such as your doctors, your friends, or credible newspapers and magazines.

“You’ve got to know there are risks involved. You have to know what you have to do when you come back home, what to prepare for your trip, and how to digitise your medical records you’ve already sent to the practitioner abroad. You will also need to inform your hometown doctor so when you come home he is able to provide you care,” he adds.

Most importantly, you must take time to get to know your physician either directly or through your medical travel agent. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions, lots of them, until you feel comfortable that you have chosen a competent physician,” Woodman writes.

Having gone through the ups and downs of managing his own medical trip abroad, Cook returned to Atlanta satisfied and impressed with the care he had received. He didn’t hesitate when asked whether he would recommend his friends to seek medical treatment overseas. “Absolutely,” he replies.

But his advice would be, “Use a medical tourism facilitator and have someone go with you.”

’Glee’ star Lea Michele makes Time’s top 100 list

2010-05-16T02:13:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK, May 1 - “Glee” star Lea Michele is joining the ranks of Brazil’s president and Lady Gaga as an honoree in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people issue.

The 23-year-old triple threat co-stars as the annoyingly ambitious Rachel Berry on the Fox network hit show, a role that garnered her a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Globes.

The Time issue, on newsstands now, honors influential artists, heroes, leaders and thinkers.

On Tuesday, Michele will announce the 64th annual Tony nominations along with Jeff Daniels. She’s starred on Broadway in “Spring Awakening” and has also appeared in “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Les Miserables.”

Michele is also preparing for “Glee Live,” a sold-out, nationwide tour that kicks off in May. - AP

Sometimes, asking your mother pertinent questions might make a big difference to your future.

2010-05-15T18:04:00.000+08:00

WHAT you don’t know won’t hurt you” is a convenient excuse most people use when we don’t want to face certain situations. However, when it comes to family history, there may be things which we don’t know that will come back to haunt us.

Talking to your mother may hold the key to some unanswered medical or emotional issue. It’s not always easy as not all children feel comfortable pouring their hearts out to someone whom they feel isn’t up to speed with the changing world or no longer in touch with their lives. And, for some women, there’s always this awkward chasm between mothers and daughters.

Breast and ovarian cancers usually ha ve a ge netic link, says Prof Dr Muhammad Abdul Jamil.

However, there are some questions you should ask your mother as it may make a big difference to your future. For instance, it pays to know what are your risks for developing certain diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart problems.

Jasmine Tan, 38, is a mother of two children aged nine and six. An accounts executive, her mother lives with them and looks after the children when she is at work.

Tan, who has four sisters, describes her mother as someone who takes great care of her health.

“She wakes up early and goes for her morning walk every day without fail. She is also very conscious of what she eats, always avoiding fried or oily foods.

“At times, we feel she borders on being an extremist!” says Tan in jest. “For example, she limits my children’s consumption of biscuits and cookies as she believes they are heaty and can cause fever. However, I know there is no medical proof to that.”

In retrospect, Tan understands why her mother is extra cautious about her health. Both her mother’s father and brother died of stomach cancer, and among the factors that increase the risk of stomach cancer is family history.

Besides stomach cancer, two other cancers that have hereditary links, and affects women are breast and ovarian cancers. One in 20 women in Malaysia has a risk of getting breast cancer in her lifetime.

Tender moment: Daphne (Diane Keaton) and her daughter, Milly (Mandy Moore), cuddling up for an old movie in Because I Said So.

Prof Dr Muhammad Abdul Jamil Mohd Yassin, Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia president, said breast and ovarian cancers usually have a genetic link.

“Risk factors are certainly higher if one’s mother has had the disease. (Doctors) have even identified the genes that cause these cancers, which are the BRCA gene mutations. There are tests available to screen for these gene mutations,” he says.

Besides one’s mother, the risk is also higher if one’s father, sister or daughter had breast cancer. The risk increases if that family member had breast cancer before the age of 50.

He added that endometriosis and fibroids are also conditions linked to family history.

If a mother or sister has endometriosis, the risk is seven to 10 times higher and given this background, the gynaecologist may then need to prescribe a more appropriate method of family planning to help with the condition (if you’re not planning to get pregnant).

“If there is a family history of hypertension, especially in your mother, you also face an increased risk of pre-eclampsia,” says Dr Jamil, who is also professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. In his experience, about 50% of patients are generally aware of their family’s medical history.

“They may know the history but don’t know the significance of it. However, these are important information and in certain conditions, you need to screen for them. For example, if your mother has Type 2 diabetes, you have a 10% to 15% higher chance of getting gestational diabetes,” he adds.

A mother’s age at menopause is related to her daughter’s age at menopause, possibly because of genetic factors, so it will also help if women ask mum about her change of life to prepare you for what’s ahead.

Relationship matters

Most of us feel our mothers are out of it when it comes to relationships but sometimes, mum does know best.

Shalini*, 36, talks to her mother every day on the phone and meets her at least once a week. Undoubtedly, the freelance writer shares a close relationship with her mum.

One important question she remembers asking her mother was about marriage.

“I’ve asked her the secret to a good marriage and I go to her for advice on how to maintain a good relationship with my husband,” shares Shalini.

“Our talks are really helpful. She’s told me that a good marriage is about give and take. Sometimes you have to give in or let your husband have his way and sometimes your husband should let you have your way.

“The key is to have balance and be able to communicate well with each other. If you add trust and respect to the equation, you’ll have a great marriage. I’ve been married for nearly 10 years, so I guess her formula works!”

Sofia* also shares a very strong bond with her mother and has relatively frank conversations about boys and sex.

“When I was in high school, my mother and stepdad tried to sit me down and talk about safe sex, but I brushed them off thinking I was too young. I also wasn’t really thinking about it that time.

“When I became sexually active three years ago, I asked my mother to take me to a gynaecologist for a pap smear,” says the 24-year-old communications executive.

Before that, Sofia was studying in New Zealand, and that was where she obtained most of the advice and information on sexual health.

“Information was easily accessible there so I guess I was already well-informed, which made it easier for me to talk to my mum about sexual health and I didn’t really need to ask her anything.

“She has also met all the guys I’ve dated and she knows I don’t hide things from her. I think her number one worry is that I’d get pregnant; something she would remind me of sometimes. But, I think she also trusts that I’m old enough to know what I’m doing and that I know the risks.

“I’m very blessed to have such an understanding mother who trusts me, listens without judging and does not pressure me even though I may not agree with her advice or opinion sometimes,” she says.

One piece of advice from her mother that Sofia holds dear is on relationships.

“She said: ‘Life is like a pie and you have pieces that represent your life. For men, their relationship is only one piece of that pie but for women, it’s the whole pie. So we have to think like men,’” Sofia explains.

Besides the birds and the bees, at times there are deeper questions relating to social emotional issues which some women might need to deal with their mothers.

Incidents like domestic violence or alcoholism experienced by your mother may affect her own life and how she relates to people around her.

“When a mother exhibits some negative emotions related to anger, depression, withdrawal and inconsistent behavioural traits, we need to find out the cause as to whether it is due to negative experiences such as domestic violence, abuse, adultery, gambling or drinking in the family when she was growing up, or due to present situations or circumstances,” says Lee Wee Min, executive director of Focus on the Family.

Lee says those questions should only be asked by children who are mature enough to understand such issues and only if there was a need to confront such issues.

“Such experiences may generate a sense of insecurity, withdrawal and indifference in an individual. On the other hand, it can also breed hatred, resentment and anger. As such. if one perceives one’s mother to exhibit some of the extreme disposition as mentioned, it may be good to ask and talk to her about thepast.”

Lee notes however, not everybody who has gone through bad experiences will be negatively affected by them.

“We have to be careful not to assume that a history of domestic violence or other incidents will affect all mother’s relationships with their own children negatively.

“If the mother is able to cope and handle the issue, then it is not necessary to bring it up. But, should a mother be affected by the past, it has to be brought up and professional assistance sought to overcome the negative effects of the experience.

“A professional counsellor would certainly be able to assist a person to navigate the effects of such experiences,” he says.

(*Names have been changed for privacy purposes.)

Next Batman film to swoop into theaters in 2012

2010-05-15T02:12:00.000+08:00

LOS ANGELES, May 1 - A sequel to “The Dark Knight” will swoop into theaters in 2012.

Warner Bros. scheduled July 20, 2012, as the release date for the next installment of the Batman film franchise.

Director Christopher Nolan brought the Caped Crusader back to the big screen in 2005’s “Batman Begins” and 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” which earned over $1 billion worldwide and garnered Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker.

No other details about the film were announced Friday. - AP

China's cinemas set for record box office in 2010

2010-05-12T02:12:00.000+08:00

BEIJING May 2 - China could earn a record 10 billion yuan (1.5 billion dollars) in box office takings this year, as a growing number of well-off young urbanites flock to the cinema.

La Peikang, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, China’s movie regulator, said this would represent a 61 percent jump from 2009, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The figures compared to takings of less than one billion yuan in 2003, he added.

China-made films grabbed a share of more than 56 percent of the box office last year in a nation that now counts at least 5,000 cinema screens, the report quoted him as saying late Saturday.

The Chinese movie industry is protected by a system that only allows around 20 foreign films to be screened a year, allowing homegrown directors to create Hollywood-style blockbusters without the threat of major overseas competition.

At the beginning of the year, however, James Cameron’s “Avatar” became China’s all-time box office champion, grossing 1.3 billion yuan, the report said.

- AFP

Spielberg, Scorsese call for release of Iran film-maker

2010-05-10T02:11:00.001+08:00

LOS ANGELES May 2 - Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are among a slew of Hollywood heavyweights who have signed a petition calling on Iran to release jailed director Jafar Panahi.

Spielberg and Scorsese were joined on the petition by some of the most famous names in movies including Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Francis Ford Coppola, Joel and Ethan Coen, Ang Lee, Michael Moore and Oliver Stone.

The petition called on Iran’s government to free Panahi, who was detained on March 1 when Iranian security forces raided his home.

“We... stand in solidarity with a fellow filmmaker, condemn this detention, and strongly urge the Iranian government to release Mr Panahi immediately,” according to a copy of the petition posted on several movie news websites.

“Iran’s contributions to international cinema have been rightfully heralded, and encouraged those of us outside the country to respect and cherish its people and their stories.

“Like artists everywhere, Iran’s filmmakers should be celebrated, not censored, repressed, and imprisoned.”

Panahi, 49, is known for his gritty, socially critical movies such as “The Circle,” which bagged the 2000 Venice Golden Lion award, “Crimson Gold” and “Offside,” winner of the 2006 Silver Bear at the Berlin film festival.

In February, the authorities banned Panahi from leaving the country to attend the Berlin Film Festival.

Iran’s culture minister said last month Panahi had been arrested for making an anti-regime film.

- AFP

Wonder, Cosby receive honorary degrees at Oberlin

2010-05-10T02:11:00.000+08:00

OBERLIN, Ohio May 2 — Stevie Wonder was performing on an electronic keyboard and harmonica before a crowd of about 700 as he and Bill Cosby and Cosby’s wife, Camille, were awarded honorary doctorates at Oberlin College in northeast Ohio.

Motown great Wonder says: “It is exciting to be at this college, the first northern college to accept African-Americans.”

The school with a history of tolerance and activism first accepted black students in the 1830s.

Earlier Friday, Wonder had performed with Oberlin musicians for local school children. Cosby also gave a performance on campus.

Berry and Aubry split ’some time ago’

2010-05-09T02:09:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK, May 4 - A representative for Halle Berry says the actress has broken up with model Gabriel Aubry.

Publicist Meredith O’Sullivan says in an e-mail Monday that Berry and Aubry “split some time ago.”

The statement says the couple remain close friends and are committed to their 2-year-old daughter, Nahla.

The 43-year-old Berry won a best actress Oscar for the 2001 film “Monster’s Ball.” Other screen credits also include “Die Another Day” and the “X-Men” films. - AP

River escapade

2010-05-07T18:18:00.000+08:00

Ziying's Brush

A boat trip through the much-admired landscapes of the Lijiang (Li River) leads to a fishing village that once hosted luminaries like Dr Sun Yat-sen and former US president Bill Clinton.

IN recent years, the county town of Yangshuo in Guilin city has gained a reputation for being popular with backpackers. At least that is what some travel literature claim, and if there is anything worse than running into noisy tour groups with squawking megaphones, it is to find yourself on a re-modelled ancient street with tawdry faux-ethnic bars and cafes and English language signs advertising cheap accommodations, food and indigenous goods. These so-called “western streets” with their manufactured exotic ambience make a mockery of the local culture, for nothing can be less authentic.

On the other hand, there is also a popular saying that if Guilin’s scenery is the finest under heaven, then Yangshuo’s landscape is the finest in Guilin; so fine, in fact, that it is proudly featured on China’s 20 yuan note.

With this in mind as well as promised boat rides on the Lijiang (Li River) and a much-anticipated evening spectacular crafted by none other than famous film-maker Zhang Yimou, we took the 65km drive south from Guilin to Yangshuo.

Cormorant fishers on bamboo rafts plying the Lijiang with their birds.

Some people cruise all the way to Yangshuo from Guilin on a luxury craft with lunch provided. Instead, we boarded our boat in Yangshuo itself for a shortened excursion on the Lijiang that lasted just over two hours. No lunch, of course, but if you were brave enough, you could purchase snacks, deep-fried at the back of the boat in oil the colour of strong tea.

Almost immediately we found ourselves in the heart of Yangshuo’s storied landscape, with oddly-shaped mountains forming a backdrop for Lijiang’s calm, clear waters. Cormorant fishers poled by, standing on slim bamboo rafts with their birds. Men with baskets and bunches of vegetables passed us on a motorised raft and laundry hung just beyond the tiny open kitchen at the back of a houseboat. It was quiet, with hardly anyone on the river – just water, mountains, and the hazy sky above.

In less than an hour, our boat stopped at a gravel-strewn bank where a cow and her calf grazed on a grassy patch. I climbed the steps leading to a settlement so humble it simply calls itself Yucun or Fishing Village. Yet its high walls of long Chinese bricks and carefully-crafted grey tiled roofs tell a different tale of bygone wealth and importance.

My suspicions were confirmed when the worn flagstones on the hamlet’s narrow lanes led to a courtyard with a small antechamber on whose wall hung a photo of Dr Sun Yat-sen, arguably the most important Chinese leader of the 20th century and revered as “Father of the (Chinese) Nation” (Guofu). A caption on the photo said he visited the settlement in October 1921.

Xijie (West Street), at the heart of Yangshuo’s tourist district, is a mishmash of handicraft shops, bars, cafes and inexpensive accommodations.

Next to Dr Sun’s portrait was a fading photo of none other than former US president Bill Clinton with his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea taken on July 2, 1998. They were evidently enjoying a chat with some Yucun residents.

What were these illustrious personages doing in Yucun of all places? I asked an elder but all he said was lai fangwen (came to visit).

A large marble and granite sign near the steps leading to the hamlet said Yucun is a “Renewable Energy Model Village” jointly supported by Guilin’s Forestry Bureau, the local government and Hongkong’s China Light and Power. Unfortunately, most of the residents we saw were well advanced in age and our guide (who was actually the boat’s on-board photographer) not very forthcoming so these enticing bits of information only deepened the hamlet’s mystery.

The area around the pier where our boat moored in Yangshuo is particularly interesting as it has retained its original character, with vendors making and selling ginger taffy, peanut candy, rice vermicelli and all sorts of local specialities.

Yucun village’s high walls and intricate roofs tell of more prosperous times.

In stark contrast is the city’s Xijie (West Street). With Yangshuo’s reputation as a backpacker’s destination, it is almost inevitable that the city’s old street has become known as “Foreigners’ Street”.

Among the jumble of shops retailing handicrafts and ethnic products are small inns, cafes and bars with names like Twin Peaks, Marco Polo and Moulin Rouge. One end starts at the base of Bilianfeng (Green Lotus Peak) which offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills, while the other end is, perhaps appropriately, dominated by a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet which serves as a sort of landmark.

Strangely, there were few westerners on Xijie. And despite my reservations about going there, I befriended two ethnic Miaos whose shop has a collection of fabulous embroidery and silver jewellery; the younger man was a trader from the Miao region of Kaili in Guizhou province just across the border where much of their goods came from.

Further up the street, an itinerant vendor chipped at hard white taffy candy in a basket and a small stall sold excellent sweet black sesame and walnut paste – a delicious local treat, and a welcome respite from the incongruous Italian ice-cream outlet nearby.

Ziying can be reached at ziyingster@gmail.com

The Najib-Obama intimacy

2010-05-07T02:05:00.000+08:00

The working visit of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to the United States recently was a big success for Malaysia. It is seen as an excellent initial move in the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

This assessment came from none other but the US. The Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, Kurt Campbell said Najib and President Barrack Obama gets along very well at the meeting.

In fact, the intimacy between the leaders is among the third best he had seen in the last 10 years.

The 40-minute meeting held during the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC, was longer than the time allotted. In fact Obama later called Najib again for a personal meeting.

Najib was the only ASEAN leaders who held a bilateral meeting with Obama. Other ASEAN leaders who were in Washington for the summit were Indonesian Vice-President, Boediono, the Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister, Trairong Suwankiri and Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

“He is such a good man” Obama was overheard as saying about Najib when telling several foreign leaders during a session of the Nuclear Security Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre.

A columnist, Al Kamen from an influential daily Washington Post in his article entitled “At the Summit, there are leaders and there are leaders’ leader”, reflected Najib as a winner.

In one paragraph, he wrote; “the leader in the Summit this week can be easily identifiable; they are leaders who can have a meeting with Obama not a group meeting but a four-eyed meeting that manifest their interest and earnestness as leaders.”

There are 47 world leaders descended in Washington on the invitation of Obama but less than 10 leaders got to sit for bilateral meetings with him. This reflects Malaysia’s interest in establishing a bilateral relationship with the White House.

This was clearly stated by Obama after meeting with the Prime Minister when Najib thanked him for giving the opportunity of having the bilateral meeting despite the President’s tight schedule. However Obama was quick to interject: “This is a sign of our good relationship.”

President Obama also stated the importance of the bilateral meeting and Malaysia’s view as “a progressive and modern country, and Malaysia is a great country which you should be proud of.”

Najib described the meeting as “something very cordial.” The discussion between the two leaders covered various issues and several decisions had been reached that mark “a new beginning in the Malaysia-US bilateral relationship and it is seen as an important relationship between both parties.”

The White House in a statement after the meeting said that ”the strong Malaysian economy, democracy and its earnestness in working together on security and multi-lateral issues, had been a strong foundation in establishing a close relationship with the US.”

The close link is consistent and among the key component and in line with the US administration in strengthening the long-establish relationship with Southeast Asia and ASEAN.

The relation is something very mature and to Campbell it is a “new era in the bilateral relationship. “The two leaders are capable of discussing various wide-ranging scope of subjects and not just on the long-standing issue. The discussion also covered challenging issues without affecting the feeling of any quarters.

Speaking at the US—Malaysia Forum organized by the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Campbell said, “I am optimistic but do not want to be over confidence here. But I think you have all the ingredients necessary to establish a cautious and steady flow of relationship with the US,” he said.

There is a change in the US in evaluating the relationship with Malaysia – and it involve a strategic relationship encompassing more broad issue. As a model country for the Islamic world which is more modern and progressive, Malaysia has been received and considered as a main player and able to play more progressive role in the international arena.

Obama is attempting to get close and initiate a new beginning in the US relationship with the Islamic nations as he mentioned in his speech in Cairo in June 2009.

The two leaders also admitted that the two leaders shared the same vision for “a more stable, democratic, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.”

As a recognition of Malaysia’s interest and contribution in international development effort, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard hallbrooke invited Malaysia to be involved in a convention in July in Kabul.

For journalists who had work in this region, they are amazed at the leadership quality, new approach, stability and how Malaysia had weathered through the economic crisis and the capacity of the New Economic Model that will focus on the new growth sector besides powering the country into the high-income category.

Malaysia’s Ambassador to the US, Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis, popularly known as JJ, is a hyper-active diplomat in opening wider room for delegates other than to strengthen the bilateral relation. He had contributed tremendously in the new era of relationship between the two counries.

It’s in the blood

2010-05-06T18:06:00.000+08:00

World Hemophilia Day was celebrated recently on April 17. Awareness and education are crucial elements to enhancing the standard of haemophilia care in our nation.

OVER 200 gathered to celebrate World Hemophilia Day 2010 in Kuala Lumpur recently with a Fun Mall Hunt, blood donation drive, and a creative contest themed “Living with Hemophilia Makes Me Stronger” for kids with haemophilia, jointly organised by the Hemophilia Society of Malaysia and Bayer Schering Pharma.

The occasion also marked the launch of Bayer Schering Pharma’s innovative global online lifestyle magazine for teens and young adults with hemophilia, Frankly.net.

Frankly.net is an interactive e-magazine that was created to serve as a trusted resource on real-life issues of concern to teenagers and young men living with hemophilia worldwide. It aims to bridge information gaps and connect with young people living with this condition, addressing contemporary, provocative topics that adolescents and young adults commonly face, while offering factual information related to haemophilia.

Explaining that haemophilia is a lifelong blood clotting disorder that affects primarily one in every 5,000 males, Datuk Dr Faraizah Abd. Karim, president of the Hemophilia Society of Malaysia, said, “Haemophilia can cause prolonged or spontaneous bleeding, especially in the muscles, joints or internal organs, and if left untreated, it can cause crippling pain, severe joint damage, disability, and early death.

Members of the public donate life-saving blood in conjunction with World Haemophilia Day.

“There are about 1,147 people with haemophilia in Malaysia. There is still no cure for haemophilia, but there are now effective treatments that enable us to better care for people with haemophilia, thus enabling them to enjoy a relatively normal, active lifestyle, as well as better quality of life and life expectancy.

“Added to that, proper treatment coupled with a healthy lifestyle, can help people with haemophilia reach their career and personal goals.

“Awareness and education are crucial elements to enhancing the standard of haemophilia care in our nation.”

Haemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder. The disease is caused by deficient or defective blood coagulation proteins, known as factor VIII or IX. The most common form of the disease is haemophilia A, in which the clotting factor VIII is either deficient or defective. Haemophilia B is characterised by deficient or defective factor IX.

The World Federation of Hemophilia estimates that approximately 400,000 people around the world have haemophilia A, but only 25% are currently receiving adequate treatment. This means that an alarming 75% of the world’s haemophilia population are not receiving adequate treatment or do not have the basic awareness.

Haemophilia is treated with regular infusions of the deficient clotting factor – factor VIII for haemophilia A and factor IX for haemophilia B. Factor replacement can be either isolated from human blood serum, recombinant, or a combination of the two. Recombinant clotting factors, as opposed to human blood serum-derived counterparts, have a very low risk for transmission of infectious agents and their use will eradicate the threat of infection.

Sharing that 2010 was the third consecutive year Bayer Schering Pharma was celebrating World Hemophilia Day alongside the Hemophilia Society of Malaysia, Ana Neves, business unit manager for specialty medicine, cardiology and diagnostic imaging, said: “We firmly believe in providing innovative, yet practical solutions that help people with haemophilia successfully meet life’s challenges. Our sponsorship of Frankly.net stems from the recognition that living with haemophlia can be daunting, especially during the teenage and young adult years, as many issues faced can be hard to discuss with family, friends, and healthcare providers.

“It is our hope that Frankly.net will become a go-to resource for young men with haemophilia in Malaysia, and we are very pleased to be launching this site on World Hemophilia Day.”

Frankly.net further complements Bayer Schering Pharma’s drive to encourage cross-country exchange and sharing toward helping address the unique needs of people with haemophilia among the patient community, caregivers and the medical community.

For more information on hemophilia, the Hemophilia Society of Malaysia and its activities, please contact the society at +6019-2877832, via e-mail at hemophiliamalaysia@yahoo.com or visit www.hemophilia.org.my.

Buffon fancies move to English Premier League

2010-05-06T03:57:00.000+08:00

MILAN: Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has sparked a potential transfer scramble by saying he would seek a move to England if Juventus decide to sell him.

Juve are seventh in Serie A after a dreadful season and cashing in on the 32-year-old could help the Turin side rebuild for next season.

“If I had to go I think England could be the destination,“ Buffon told Italy’s Sky TV yesterday.

“My wish to leave Juve is equal to the wish Juve have to let me go. Everything will be agreed with the club. At the moment there is nothing. My priority has always been Juventus. Let’s see if we decide to continue together.”

England’s Manchester City tracked Buffon last year but he was quoted as saying they were not big enough to tempt him despite now being the richest club in the world.

Most other top English clubs have settled goalkeepers.

Media reports say Juventus want Rafael Benitez to replace interim coach Alberto Zaccheroni next season and Buffon praised the Liverpool coach despite his side suffering a similar campaign to Juve.

“His CV speaks for itself. He gives the impression of being a coach who can handle difficult situations, managerial situations,” he said after denying Juve had to be rebuilt from scratch.

Buffon, still one of the top goalkeepers in the world despite recent injuries and Juve’s poor campaign, was realistic about Italy’s hopes of retaining the World Cup in South Africa in July.

“I don’t think we have a big chance because we know how difficult it is to win a World Cup, but to repeat it is even harder,” Buffon said, adding that Zaccheroni or Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli were the best candidates to succeed Italy coach Marcello Lippi. — Reuters

Melayu Boleh

All abuzz over ‘Ethical Clothing’

Malaysia Motogp Rider dies after horror crash video

:

Audio-Technica ATH-M30 Professional Headphones

Key Features

Buy Cheap Kindle Fire Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi

Features

Technical Details

Teen forced to be sex slave to four youths

U.S. ready to share anti-terrorism experience: Ambassador

Apple iphone 5

CIMB to expand BdC operations

sport store online

No more signings, says Ferguson

AirAsia-All Nippon Airways form low-cost carrier

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon review

American Black Film Festival starts in Miami Beach

American Black Film Festival starts in Miami Beach

sport authority stores

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez meets long-time crush

Horny hubby attacks wife who said no

Buy Adidas online

Amazon

The Right Adidas Shoes for You

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ red band trailer

Survivor winner, “Boston Rob” Wins Survivor: Redemption Island

Trendy Gay Hipster: "Jersey Shore" is this Summer's Must Gay Look!

Juicy job Tips to find a Job in London UK

Ferguson

Ferguson charged

Rodney King

Twenty years after the beating of Rodney King, the LAPD is a changed operation

In the wake of the videotaped police attack on motorist Rodney King, the department has learned to embrace video scrutiny.

Incoming search terms:

How To Use Student Credit Card Free

Motorola Atrix 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

Your Digital Hub

PC Power from Your Smartphone

Empower Your Fun

Enhanced MOTOBLUR

Connectivity

OS & Software

Design and Hardware

Communications & Internet

Camera

Multimedia

Memory

More Features

Vital Statistics

Quick Bad Credit Personal Loans

Bad credit personal loans

dell studio xps 16 review

Shakira -World Cup 2010 Lyric

Follow Fonoroff

By SETO KIT YANstarmag-feedback@thestar.com.my

Dancing with managers

By ANDREW SIAstarmag@thestar.com.my

Reusing clothes

Red hot chillies

By ELAINE DONGstarmag-feedback@thestar.com.my

My ‘tomboy’ wife

By SOH6299

Circle of love

Stories by ELIZABETH TAI

Eternal bliss

By OLIVIA LEE

Dressed up tresses

It’s in your hands

Cancer drug for lungs

Why more and more people are travelling thousands of miles for care, and how it can be a viable option.

’Glee’ star Lea Michele makes Time’s top 100 list

Sometimes, asking your mother pertinent questions might make a big difference to your future.

Next Batman film to swoop into theaters in 2012

China's cinemas set for record box office in 2010

Spielberg, Scorsese call for release of Iran film-maker

Wonder, Cosby receive honorary degrees at Oberlin

Berry and Aubry split ’some time ago’

River escapade

By SETO KIT YAN
starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my

By ANDREW SIA
starmag@thestar.com.my

By ELAINE DONG
starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my