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Ottawa to Udaipur Flights The average delay time for flight departure is 0 from Ottawa. The average delay time for flight arrival is 3.26 to Udaipur. Ottawa To Udaipur Flights: Find latest flight schedule and book cheap international airlines / flight tickets from Ottawa To Udaipur at Make My Trip for all major international airlines. United Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, KLM Airlines Ottawa To Udaipur Flights, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Virgin Atlantic Ottawa To Udaipur Flights, Air India, Jet Airways Ottawa To Udaipur Flights Last updated on 30/11/12 Find Ottawa to Udaipur flight tickets at lowest airfares at peace of mind. Book cheap Ottawa to Udaipur flights tickets, Budget Ottawa to Udaipur flight tickets from Make My Trip with major international and domestic airlines worldwide. Book cheap flight tickets from Ottawa to Udaipur at MakeMyTrip USA. Get low air fares deals on Ottawa to Udaipur airline tickets.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://us.makemytrip.com/flights/ottawa-udaipur-airlines-tickets.html

2013-05-23T19:04:52Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Chairman Deanna Tanner Okun, Vice Chairman Jennifer A. Hillman, and Commissioners Marcia E. Miller and Stephen Koplan voted in the affirmative. As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its antidumping investigations of imports of polyethylene retail carrier bags from China, Malaysia, and Thailand, with its preliminary determinations due on or about November 28, 2003. The Commission's public report Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from China, Malaysia, and Thailand (Investigations Nos. 731-TA-1043-1045 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 3618, August 2003) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations. Copies of the report are expected to be available after September 2, 2003, by calling 202-205- 1809 or from the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to 202-205-2104. Product Description: Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags (which also may be referred to as T-shirt sacks, merchandise bags, grocery bags, or checkout bags). non-sealable sacks and bags with handles, without zippers or integral extruded closures, with or without gussets, with or without printing, of polyethylene film having a thickness no greater than .035 inch (0.889 mm) and no less than .00035 inch (0.00889 mm), and with no length or width shorter than 6 inches (15.24 cm) or longer than 40 inches (101.6 cm), excluding (1) polyethylene bags that are not printed with logos or store names and are closable with drawcords made of polyethylene film and (2) polyethylene bags that are packed in consumer packaging with printing that refers to specific end uses other than packaging and carrying merchandise from retail establishments (such as garbage bags, lawn bags, trash can liners, and sandwich bags (the subject products are typically provided without any consumer packaging and free of charge by retail establishments)), as covered by statistical reporting number 3923.21.0090 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). Status of Proceedings: 1. Type of investigations: preliminary antidumping. 2. Petitioners: - The Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bag Committee, an ad hoc coalition of U.S. polyethylene retail carrier bag producers. 3. Investigations instituted by USITC: June 20, 2003. 4. Conference: July 11, 2003. 5. USITC vote: August 4, 2003. 6. USITC report to Department of Commerce: August 11, 2003. U.S. Industry: 1. Number of U.S. firms in 2002: At least 21. 2. Production during 2002: 60.7 billion bags. 3. Employment of production and related workers in 2002: 3,273. 4. U.S. producers' U.S. shipments 2002: 59.6 billion bags, valued at $652.9 million. 5. U.S. apparent consumption during 2002: 96.5 billion bags, valued at $883.3 million 6. U.S. producers' domestic market share during 2002: 61.8 percent. U.S. Imports: 1. PRCB imports from all countries during 2002: 36.8 billion bags, valued at $230.4 million. 2. PRCB imports from subject countries during 2002: 27.4 billion bags, valued at $156.7 million. 3. Ratio of quantity of all PRCB imports to U.S. apparent consumption during 2002: 38.2 percent. 4. Ratio of quantity of PRCB imports from subject countries to U.S. apparent consumption during 2002: 28.4 percent.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2003/er0804aa2.htm

2013-05-23T18:45:36Z

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en

Adult Continuing Education Inquiry Form Please complete the form below to request information regarding our adult continuing education courses. Name* FirstLast Email* Address* Street AddressAddress Line 2CityState / Province / RegionZip / Postal Code Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Costa Rica Côte d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Greenland Grenada Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Northern Mariana Islands Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Country Phone* Date of Birth* MM DD YYYY Gender* Male Female Are there any children ages 4 – 17 living in your household?* Yes No What types of courses are you interested in?* Healthcare & Fitness Business & Human Resources Computer Skills Wedding and Event Planning Sculpture & Pottery Paralegal Other How did you find out about our courses?* Course Catalog Staten Island Advance Business Trends Internet Library Other Occasionally, we will send targeted emails using a third party email service to students based on previous activity. Please indicate your email preference below.* Yes, please send me emails about upcoming courses and events I may be interested in based on my inquiry. No, please do not send me emails unless they are specifically related to the course I am enrolled in. Your name and email address will not be sold to any other party, and will be used solely for the communication of course and event information by Wagner College.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://wagner.edu/community/adultconted/ceinquiry/

2013-05-23T18:52:26Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, who went to North Korea in January, is making a short visit Friday to Myanmar, also known as Burma. Why is the senior executive of a U.S. technology powerhouse visiting some of the poorest and least wired countries in Asia? Schmidt will be the first top U.S. executive to travel to the Southeast Asian nation since it began emerging from decades of international isolation under a military dictatorship. Schmidt is due to talk at a technology conference. But the former Google CEO will undoubtedly explore the vast business opportunities opening now in Myanmar. Schmidt's visit comes at a time when the country is undergoing dramatic political and economic reforms. Ernie Bower with the Center for Strategic and International Studies says this presents enormous opportunity for business, particularly in the telecommunications field. "It's very important to understand that this is a relatively large country that is right in the middle of — it's the bull's-eye of — Asian growth for the next, probably, century," Bower says. "And you just don't find places that don't have telecommunications systems, don't have infrastructure, don't have IT systems, so it's going to be a very big market over the next couple decades." Bower says less than 10 percent of Myanmar's 60 million people currently have a mobile phone. Myanmar is working to expand and improve Internet and mobile phone networks throughout the country and is expected to award two telecommunications licenses — potentially worth billions of dollars — to foreign companies this year. Google's Android mobile-operating system is already well established in Asia. And Andrew Bartels, an analyst with Forrester, a global research and advisory firm, says along with its Internet service, Google can offer the whole information-technology package. Bartels says it helps to have the company's executive chairman make the pitch. He says Schmidt has become something of an ambassador for Google. "Schmidt has that statesman-like perspective, the ability to go and talk to heads of state or talk with business leaders, and because of his age, his experience, he has a degree of credibility that the younger executives may not have off the bat," Bartels says. Evan Wilson, a senior research analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, says Schmidt's interest in Myanmar may be philosophical. Wilson says the Google executive is also a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. "I think if you see what Eric Schmidt is trying to do, going into these countries that don't have deep Internet penetration, and that the government of those countries has really kind of held back the citizens from being online, I think that is what he's trying to break through, just to make sure everyone is online — which could benefit Google and people in general," Wilson says. Whatever his reasons, Schmidt's visit to Myanmar doesn't guarantee success. Bower, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says there is stiff competition for Myanmar's telecommunications market — from companies in Norway, Malaysia, Singapore and others. And Bower says U.S. companies are hobbled by some sanctions still in place against individuals in Myanmar. "This is a real risk for American companies," Bower says. "You cannot do business with those people or you're breaking the law." The problem, he says, is that some of those people hold positions in Myanmar's telecommunications sector.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://wamu.org/programs/morning_edition/13/03/22/googles_eric_schmidt_heads_to_another_isolated_asian_nation

2013-05-23T19:01:57Z

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en

- Do I need to have an account to shop with you? - How do I sign up/create an account at CharlesKeith.com? - I forgot my password, how can I retrieve it? - How can I edit/update my account details? - How can I edit/update my shipping and billing address details? - What are the benefits of signing up an account with you? - How can I place an order? - Is there another way of placing an order? - How long will it take for me to get my order? - How will I know if CharlesKeith.com has received my order? - I did not receive any sales order summary, what does that mean? - There’s a missing item in my order, what should I do? - How will I view my order details and history? - How do I track my order status? - Am I able to track my order? - Can I cancel my order? - Can I amend my order? - Can I add items to an existing order? - My order was cancelled due to Online Security, how can I get my money back? - The item I want is out of stock, what do I do now? - I tried to check out the item in my shopping cart but it disappeared, what happened? - When I put something on my shopping cart, does it guarantee I have the merchandise? - What is Online Security Fraud Screening? - Why should I send you my personal information? - What should I take note when sending my personal information? - Is my personal information kept secured? - Will I receive Online Security email every time I place my order at CharlesKeith.com? - I receive an Online Security email from you; will I still receive my order within the stated delivery timeline? - What if I failed to respond to your email within the given period, will my order still be processed? - What forms of payment can I use? - What is 3D-secure payment? - Will CharlesKeith.com store my credit card information? - What is AsiaPay? - What is PayPal? - How do I sign up for PayPal? - What is PayPal verified account? - How do I make my PayPal account verified? - What is Payment Authorization? - What currencies do you accept? - My payment has been declined. Tax and Duties - How long will it take for me to get my order? - Which countries do you ship orders to? - My country is not among the list of countries where you ship to, can I still place my order? - What are the shipping charges like? - Can I change my shipping address after my order has been dispatched? - What happens if an incorrect address is entered for the delivery? - What is the process when delivery is made? - What should I take note of when the order is intended as a gift? - I have yet to receive my package, what may be the reason? Returns and Exchange - I received a defective item, what should I do? - I received an incorrect item, what should I do? - Can I request for an exchange? - My request for exchange was denied after I sent the item to Charles & Keith Headquarters, how can I get my item back? Online Store Credit - What is an Online Store Credit? - Will my Online Store Credit expire? - How will I check my remaining Online Store Credit? - How can I utilize my Online Store Credit? - What are the Terms and Conditions for the Online Store Credit? Privilege Card Program - How can I become a Charles & Keith Privilege Card member? - I have been a Charles & Keith privilege card member for a few years, can I also enjoy the new privilege card member online privilege? - How do i activate my online member privileges if my privilege card is issued by Charles & Keith stores in Singapore? - How do i activate my online member privileges if my privilege card is issued by Charles & Keith online store at CharlesKeith.com? - Can I enjoy the member online privilege immediately after I become a privilege card member in the retail store? - Do I get to enjoy the same retail store member privileges on CharlesKeith.com? - Do I need to enter any privilege card details online during check out to enjoy the privilege? - Can I get the 10% discount off regular priced item privilege immediately on the purchase which qualifies me to be a privilege card member? - Can I enjoy the member online privilege in retail stores immediately after i become a privilege card member online? Pricing on CharlesKeith.com - What kind of promotions will CharlesKeith.com have? - What are the Terms and Conditions for promotions? - What happened if the promotion that I would like to have expired? - What is the difference between promotions are CharlesKeith.com and in retail stores? Online Safety and Security Tips - What should I take note as an internet user and online shopper? - Protect your passwords - Be wary of unsolicited email and telephone contacts - Disclosure of information - Cookies / Sessions - Do you have a catalogue? - Do you do customized shoes? - Do you provide repair service? - How do I know my shoe size? - Will an item be restocked? - How often do you update your website with new products? - What is out of stock items? 1. My Account a. Do I need to have an account to shop with you? Yes. Setting up an account will allow you to order without having to enter your details every time you shop with us. You can sign up right now, or you can first start shopping and create your account before you check out at the shopping bag page. b. How do I sign up/create an account at CharlesKeith.com? Please click on ‘Sign in’ followed by ‘Create an account’ and fill in your personal particulars. If you experience any difficulty, kindly call our customer service hotline and we will be pleased to assist you. c. I forgot my password, how can I retrieve it? Please click on ‘Forget password’ which is available at the ‘Sign In’ page. Enter your email address and click on “Submit”. A set of instructions to reset your password will be sent to your registered email. After your credentials has been verified, you will be able to create a new password. d. How can I edit/update my account details? Please sign in and click on ‘My Account’. You will be able to edit/update your particulars. e. How can I edit/update my shipping and billing address details? Please sign in and click on ‘My Account’. You will be able to edit/update your particulars in your account and save it for future orders. If you wish to change the delivery address for a placed order, please contact our customer service immediately. We will make the requested changes if the order has not been processed. f. What are the benefits of signing up an account with you? By signing up an account with CharlesKeith.com, you will be able to access and manage your account information easily. This includes: - Changing your password - Updating your billing or shipping address - Checking your order status - Viewing your complete order history - Viewing the status of returned items (If any) - Viewing your online store credit (If applicable) - Managing your e-mail preference settings (e.g. choose whether to receive mails from Charles & Keith and our partners) a. How can I place an order? In order to place an order with CharlesKeith.com, you will be required to: - Sign in to your online account - Shop for the items you want - Add the items to your Shopping Bag - Proceed to checkout - Enter billing and shipping information - Provide payment information - Review and submit your order - Check your order status b. Is there another way of placing an order online? Currently, CharlesKeith.com only allows placing of orders through CharlesKeith.com and charleskeith.tmall.com. CharlesKeith.com and Charles & Keith at TMall.com are the ONLY authorized websites to sell Charles & Keith products online. All information inputted by you and transmitted to our site is protected by an encryption using Secure Sockets Layer Technology (SSL). SSL encrypts your order information before it is transmitted to us to avoid the decoding of your information by anyone other than CharlesKeith.com. c. How long will it take for me to receive my order? For international orders, the standard delivery timeframe is within 8 to 15 business days for standard delivery and 4 to 8 business days for express delivery. Orders may be delayed due to custom clearance, online security or payment authorization. For more information, please click here. d. How will I know if CharlesKeith.com has received my order? After you place your order, you will receive an acknowledgement e-mail from CharlesKeith.com to confirm that your orders have been well-received. However, do note that orders will only be shipped when your credit card payment has been approved, billing and delivery address verified. Alternatively, you may check the status of your order through “My Account”. e. I did not receive any sales order summary, what does that mean? A sales order summary is an auto-generated e-mail where CharlesKeith.com acknowledges the order you placed. You should receive this order summary within 15 minutes upon placing your order (please make sure that the e-mail is not sent to your junk folder). If you did not receive an order summary within 15 minutes after placing your order, this means that we have not received your order and no payment has been received by CharlesKeith.com. You are then required to make a new order. Alternatively, you may sign in to your account to access My Account page to view whether your order is received by us. f. There’s a missing item in my order, what should I do? Please check the invoice that was included in your package. If there is any missing item(s), please contact email@example.com. g. How will I view my order details and history? Please sign in to “My Account’ to view your order history. Click on the order you wish to view to see the details. h. How do I track my order status? The order status will be displayed next to your order. If you wish to know more about the order status, please click here. i. Am I able to track my order? Yes. When we dispatch your order for delivery you will receive a unique tracking number via email. Once you receive this tracking number, you can check the delivery status of your shipment. j. Can I cancel my order? Unfortunately we are unable to cancel an order once it has been placed. We do our best to ensure fast delivery and it would be advisable to check your order before placing it. k. Can I amend my order? Unfortunately we are unable to amend an order once it has been placed. This includes changing the size/color of an item, removing an item, changing the payment methods or delivery mode. l. Can I add items to an existing order? Unfortunately, it is not possible to combine orders or add items to an existing order after your order has been processed. m. My order was cancelled due to Online Security, how can I get my money back? We regret to know that your order was cancelled due to Online Security measures. This is a security measure to prevent fraudulent transactions from going through and to protect our customers from being victims of fraudulent activities. However, please note that we have not captured any payment from you when we cancel your order, hence, the amount will not be charged to you. n. The item I want is out of stock, what do I do now? CharlesKeith.com is very sorry that the item that you want is out of stock. In the product page, there is a link that says "Notify me when back in stock”. If you click on that link, you will see a popup that will enable you to add your email address to our notification list. When your size, color, or style becomes available, you will receive an automated email sent by our system to inform you that your item is available for purchase. This does not mean that the item(s) is reserved for you and neither are you obligated to purchase the item(s). o. I tried to check out and the item in my shopping bag disappeared. Placing an item in your shopping cart does not guarantee your purchase of the item. Until you have completed the checkout process, another customer may have purchased the item. If that happens, you will receive a message on the shopping cart page informing you that the item is no longer available and that you should remove it from your cart. p. When I place an item to my shopping bag, is the item placed under my reservation? Placing an item in your shopping cart does not guarantee your purchase of the item and does not mean that the item is reserved for you. Until you have completed the checkout process, another customer may have purchased the item. 3. Online Security a. What is Online Security Fraud Screening? Online Security Fraud screening is CharlesKeith.com initiative as preventive measure against credit card fraud transactions. It aims to protect our customers from unauthorized and fraudulent dealings. b. Why should I send you my personal information? Due to high risk or credit card fraud, CharlesKeith.com may request additional information for payment verification. We will not be able to process your orders if we do not receive the required documents. In order to avoid delays with your order, we suggest that you scan the documents and send them via email so that they are clearly legible. Alternatively, you may take a clear photo of the documents requested if scanning is not available. c. What should I take note when sending my personal information? For your security, CharlesKeith.com advises that you never send anyone your entire credit card number. We strongly recommend you to cover all digits of the credit card number except for the last 4 digits, or cover the driver license/passport number before emailing the verification documents to CharlesKeith.com. In the event where the documents are submitted without covering of the sensitive information as suggested above, CharlesKeith.com will not be held responsible for any possible further complications. d. Is my personal information kept secured? All relevant pieces of information submitted by our customers will be kept secured and confidential. Only limited and authorized personnel have the rights to access this information. At no point will we share, rent or sell your personal information without your consent. For further details please read the Charles & Keith terms and conditions statement. e. Will I receive Online Security email every time I place my order at CharlesKeith.com? Online Security is meant for every order; however verification process is ideally for one-time verification purpose. In your next or future purchase(s), if you are using another credit card or using other account information such as billing address or shipping address, your order will be subject to Online Security verification again. We suggest you to use 3-D secured credit card payment or PayPal for faster order processing. f. I receive an Online Security email from you; will I still receive my order within the standard delivery timeline? Depending on how fast you have responded to the Online Security email and the validity of the submitted documents are, your order may or may not be experiencing delivery delays. However please note that once we received your documents, we will try to process the order at the soonest. g. What if I fail to respond to your email within the period given, will my order still be processed? Failure to respond to the Online Security verification process within the timeline given will result to automatic order cancellation. We regret to inform you that if we do not receive any response to the online security verification within the given timeline, your order will be cancelled automatically. 4. Payment Methods a. What forms of payment can I use? Currently, we only accept MasterCard, Visa, and PayPal payments. We also take security very seriously so your details will be safe with us. All credit and debit card holders are subject to validation and authorization by both us and the card issuer, to maintain security and prevent fraud. We suggest you use 3D secured credit card payment or PayPal for faster order processing. b. What is 3-D secure payment? 3-D Secure is an XML-based protocol used as an added layer of security for online credit and debit card transactions. It was developed by Visa to improve the security of Internet payments and offered to customers as the Verified by Visa service. Services based on the protocol have also been adopted by MasterCard, under the name MasterCard Secure Code. 3-D Secure adds another authentication step for online payments. 3-D Secure should not be confused with the Card Security Code (commonly known as CVV) which is a short numeric code that is printed at the back of the credit card. c. Will CharlesKeith.com store my credit card information? CharlesKeith.com does NOT store any customer's credit/debit card information. When you pay by credit/debit card, all credit/debit card information is directly transacted in a secure fashion to AsiaPay or PayPal, our payment gateway providers. d. What is AsiaPay? AsiaPay is one of the leading providers for internet and mobile payment services. AsiaPay provide its services to banks, corporate and e-Business in the worldwide market. For credit card payment, you will be linked to AsiaPay’s website which is a secure website whereas all the credit card information will be stored on their end. For more information about AsiaPay, you can contact AsiaPay via their website at www.asiapay.com. e. What is PayPal? PayPal is a payment method for online purchases enabling buyers and businesses to send and receive money online. As of today, PayPal has over 100 million member accounts in 190 countries and regions. One advantage of using PayPal payment method is that it offers faster, safer and easier checkouts and promises to protect customers from revealing their credit card and other financial information to the merchant. f. How do I sign up for PayPal? You can sign up for a PayPal account by going to www.paypal.com. g. What is PayPal verified account? A Verified PayPal account is a PayPal account whereby the account holder has provided additional evidence of their identity to PayPal by passing key security checks and completing the PayPal Verification process. h. How do I make my PayPal account verified? The verification process varies from country to country. Please click here for more information. i. What is Payment Authorization? All payments are authorized but not captured until the day of shipment. When processing payment, our payment gateway provider will run your payment details through a series of fraud rules to ensure the validity of the payment. There are many rules put in place to guard against fraud and there may be a chance that a sincere buyer's details may trigger the fraud alarm. When this happens, your order will be put on hold until we get in touch with you and are able to ascertain the authenticity of your payment details. j. What currencies do you accept? Before you start adding items into your shopping cart, you need to ensure that you are at CharlesKeith.com “Shop Online” site. You are then required to select the delivery destination and NOT the country that you are located in. You will be charged in the default currency which you have selected as the delivery destination. Currently, CharlesKeith.com only accepts US dollar for international orders and Singapore dollar for Singapore site. For instance, if you are staying in USA but your delivery destination is in Singapore, you will be charged on Singapore’s default currency which is in Singapore dollars (SGD). On the other hand, if you are staying in Singapore but your delivery destination is in Australia, you will be charged on Australia’s default currency which is in US dollar (USD). k. My payment has been declined. Kindly try again and input the correct details such as card number, expiry date etc. If the problem persists, you may wish to try an alternative credit card. 5. Tax and Duties a. Do I have to pay duties and taxes? For Standard Delivery, duties and taxes (including Goods and Services Tax, "GST", and Value-added Tax, "VAT") will be the responsibility of the recipient outside of Singapore. All items entering a foreign country (outside of Singapore) are subjected to customs inspection and the assessment of duties and taxes in accordance with that particular country's national laws. Any handling charge, duty and/or tax charged or collected by external parties will not be refunded in any way by CharlesKeith.com. Please check with your local authorities on your tax rights. For Express Delivery, duties and taxes (including Goods and Services Tax, "GST", and Value-added Tax, "VAT") will be the responsibility of CharlesKeith.com. In the event that duties and taxes are incurred on Standard Delivery shipments and where CharlesKeith.com's assigned third party shipping company pays on behalf of the recipient, the recipient will be charged for the duties and taxes shouldered by the third-party courier service provider, upon receipt of the order. For Express Delivery, CharlesKeith.com will be responsible for any and all customs duties and taxes when the package arrives at your customs. In the event that duties and taxes are incurred on Express Delivery shipments and where CharlesKeith.com's assigned third party shipping company pays on behalf of the recipient, CharlesKeith.com will be charged for the duties and taxes shouldered by the third-party courier service provider, upon receipt of the order. For any return, the sender is responsible for all taxes, and/or duties imposed in the process of return to CharlesKeith.com. Should the returned item(s) be deemed not in its original condition, CharlesKeith.com reserves all rights to return the item to the sender at the sender's cost. b. I am eligible for tax refund, what should I do? If tax has been charged on any portion of your order and you need to take advantage of your tax exemption status, you will need to provide us with acceptable proof of tax exemption status for the state where the item(s) will be shipped to. We might request for more information to verify your eligibility and review before assisting you further. All items purchased from CharlesKeith.com will be shipped from Singapore. a. How long will it take for me to get my order? The standard delivery timeframe for international orders is within 8 to 11 business days for standard delivery mode and 4 to 8 business days for express delivery mode, subjected to possible delay due to Online Security measures or payment authorization. b. Which countries do you ship orders to? Charles & Keith ships directly to the following countries from Singapore: American Samoa, American Virgin Islands, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea South, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Canary Island (Spain), Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela, Vietnam. c. My country is not among the list of delivery destinations countries, can I still place my order? You may register with us and we will inform you when we start shipping to your country. d. What are the shipping charges like? For the shipping charges, you can refer here e. Can I change my shipping address after my order has been dispatched? Unfortunately, we are unable to redirect orders once your items have been shipped. Therefore, please ensure you provide the correct shipping address. 7. Shipping Restrictions a. Are there any restricted areas? Currently, we are unable to ship to any PO Box, military, protected area/location. Shipping charges for failure of attempted delivery to the restricted areas will be borne by the buyer. Please note that we are unable to publish all the restrictive measures imposed by your country of delivery as this is dependent on your country’s customs and restrictions. Before making any purchase, we encourage you to check with your local customs on their regulations. You might want to ask about the restriction on: - Any limit on the quantity to import the items - Any limit on the value to import the items - Restrictions to the material that you are interested to purchase - Tax and duties you need to incur for importing the items If for some reason, there are any items that cannot be exported from Singapore and/or imported into your choice of delivery destination, you might still be able to checkout and pay for the items to be delivered. In such cases, the shipper bears the responsibilities to ship the items due to non-delivery e.g. shipping charges incurred to and fro for sending to the intended delivery destination, and for the intended delivery destination to return the goods to CharlesKeith.com will be borne by the buyer. 8. Undeliverable Packages CharlesKeith.com believes all our online shoppers are responsible shoppers and have a strong support and interest in our fashion products. However, due to negligence and irresponsible acts from a minority of shoppers, our delivery agents may deem a package undeliverable for one of the following reasons. Under such circumstances, customer is responsible to pay for ALL incurred taxes and the shipping charges for attempted delivery and the returned shipping charges. Refunds after deduction for the chargeable shipping charges and taxes shall then be returned to the credit card used for the purchase. This check is to stress the importance of accurate delivery information. a. What happens if an incorrect address is provided for the delivery? If the address is incorrect or outdated, the package will be returned to us by the delivery agent or the unintended recipient. Please check your address carefully when placing a new order. Please also take note of the country in the provided shipping address field (e.g. Austria vs. Australia). To remove an outdated or incorrect address from your account, please log on to your online account. If no one is available at the delivery address to receive the products, the delivery agent will leave an “unable to deliver” note at the address and the recipient should follow the instructions on that note to arrange redelivery of the products. b. How is the delivery processed? Most of our delivery agents make two attempts to deliver a parcel and they might require a signature upon delivery of parcel. It is generally up to the delivery agent’s discretion to determine whether a signature is required. The delivery agents will attempt to contact the recipient at the given contact number to rearrange a delivery. However, this may be unsuccessful if the contact number is unreachable. Please indicate country code and area code clearly when placing an order. If the recipient failed to receive the package after the delivery agent’s delivery attempts, the package will be returned to us. c. What should I take note of when the order is intended as a gift? If a recipient is not expecting a gift, they may refuse the package if they believe it was sent to them in error. You may wish to let the recipient know that a surprise is on the way. Undeliverable package charges will be borne by the buyer. d. I have yet to receive my package, what may be the reason? In rare cases, it is also possible that the address label became illegible during the shipping and handling process, or that the delivery agent made a mistake and left the package at a different address than what was printed on the label. If you did not receive your package, please contact us firstname.lastname@example.org for assistance. 9. Delivery Dates a. Is there a guaranteed date which I can receive my order on time? Currently, we are unable to guarantee a delivery date. The delivery period is subjected to payment authorization, fraud screening and availability of stocks. On some occasions, we may request for some forms of payment verification or source for the best available piece within our storage locations in order to fulfil your shipment. If you need to receive the items urgently, we suggest you to contact email@example.com. We will try our utmost to place your order on priority. Orders placed and confirmed by 0900 (GMT+8) will be processed on the same day. Orders placed and confirmed after 0900 (GMT+8) on Friday, Saturday or Sunday will be processed on the next business day. Deliveries are made Monday through Friday, public holidays and weekends excluded. A business day refers to Mondays to Fridays, weekends and Singapore Public Holidays excluded. Click here to view list of Public Holidays in Singapore. * As Chinese New Year falls on Sunday 10 February 2013 and Monday 11 February 2013, the next day, Tuesday 12 February 2013, will be a public holiday. ** The following Monday will be a public holiday. 10. Returns and Exchange a. I received a defective item, what should I do? Defective items can only be returned to Charles & Keith Headquarters Office, subject to item being returned must be in its original condition with the original tags and tickets. Refunds can be in the form of Online Store Credit ONLY. There are strictly no refunds via cash/credit card. Please note that only merchandise value is valid for returns and any original shipping charges are strictly non-refundable and non-returnable in any form. Sale items cannot be exchanged in retail stores or via online. Please click here to process the Return Request. b. I received an incorrect item, what should I do? Incorrect item received can only be returned to Charles & Keith Headquarters Office, subjected to item being returned in its original condition. Crediting via Online Store Credit will be the only mode of refund and not through one-to-one item exchange. Please note that only merchandise value is valid for returns and any original shipping charges may be refunded via Online Store Credit. Sale items cannot be exchanged in retail stores or online. Please click here to process the Return Request. c. Can I request for an exchange? Issuance of an Online Store Credit will be the only mode of exchange and not through a one-to-one item exchange if the item is returned directly to Charles & Keith Headquarters. Please click here to process the Exchange Request. Please note that only merchandise value is valid for exchange and returns and any original shipping charges are strictly non-refundable and non-returnable in any form. Sale items cannot be exchanged in retail stores or online. d. Can I request for an exchange at a retail store? No. Exchange Request at retail stores is not available for International orders. e. My request for exchange was denied after I sent the item to Charles & Keith Headquarters, how can I get my item back? You have the option of creating your own personal FedEx account so we can ship the item back to you at your expense. 11. Online Store Credit a. What is an Online Store Credit? An Online Store Credit is a credit issued to your account and can be used as payment to offset purchases made at CharlesKeith.com. The online store credit can only be used at CharlesKeith.com and NOT in any of the Charles & Keith retail stores or departmental stores. b. Will my Online Store Credit expire? Yes. Online store credits are set to expire three months from date of issue, without notification. For expired online store credits, no other form of refund will be provided and extension of validity date is not applicable. c. How will I check my remaining Online Store Credit? To obtain the balance of your Online Store Credit, simply log on to My Account at CharlesKeith.com. Please note that in most cases, the balance is adjusted immediately when you make a purchase, but there may be instances that you may need to wait for a moment for the correct balance amount to be reflected. d. How can I utilize my Online Store Credit? Once you receive an online store credit, you can redeem your preferred item almost immediately. Online store credit works similarly as other payment modes. At checkout, simply select payment by “online store credit” and it will immediately indicate the balance and will allow you to enter the amount you would like to utilize for this order. You have the option to select which online store credit to utilize if you have multiple online store credits. If your order exceeds the amount of your online store credit, you can pay the balance by credit card or PayPal. On the other hand, if you have a balance, you can continue to use it in your next purchase until the online store credit expires. e. What are the Terms & Conditions for Online Store Credit? - Online store credits are applicable only for online purchases at CharlesKeith.com. - They are not applicable for use in any of the Charles & Keith retail stores or departmental stores. - Online store credits cannot be redeemed for cash and are non refundable and non exchangeable. They cannot be used for purchase of any gift vouchers. - Online store credits will be directly credited into your CharlesKeith.com online account and can be used immediately upon receipt. - Online store credits are tagged to your CharlesKeith.com online account and are non-transferable. - Shipping charges, duties, and taxes are applicable on any merchandise redeemed with CharlesKeith.com online store credits. - Any unused value can be used in your future purchase, subjected to online store credit’s expiry date. Should the purchase amount be less than the value of the online store credit, the balance will be stored for future use when you checkout. - Purchase amounts that exceed the value of the online store credit will require payment via credit card or PayPal for the balance due. 12. Technical Difficulties a. I receive an error when placing my order, what went wrong? Kindly do a screenshot of the page where you experience the error, or copy the error message and send it to firstname.lastname@example.org for further assistance. 13. Privilege Card Program a. How can I become a Charles & Keith Privilege Card member? CharlesKeith.com does not have any loyalty program at present for international orders. For more information pertaining to in-store loyalty program, please contact your local Charles & Keith retail stores directly. 14. Pricing on CharlesKeith.com a. Is the pricing policy the same as retail stores? Please note that pricing policy differs for each delivery destination and country. The prices on the website cannot be used as a benchmark to compare the prices at Charles & Keith retail and online store. In very rare cases, there might be price errors and Charles & Keith shall not be liable for any errors in the pricing of items purchased on CharlesKeith.com. If there are any changes, CharlesKeith.com will contact buyer before proceeding with the order. All prices displayed are not inclusive of any shipping charges, duties, and taxes. Shipping charges will be computed and shown at the checkout page after shipping mode is selected. For Express Delivery, prices are inclusive of duties and taxes. For Standard Delivery, prices are not inclusive of duties and taxes. Please check with your local authority for your tax rights. b. Price Adjustments Any form of price adjustment to orders is not applicable. a. What kind of promotions will CharlesKeith.com have? On some occasions, CharlesKeith.com may introduce special promotions and discounted items on the website, at a limited time offer or while stock last basis. We might also issue special coupons and vouchers which you can use for your future orders. However, we would like to inform you that no price adjustment in any form will be provided for previous orders. b. What are the Terms and conditions for promotions? All promotions on the website are subjected to terms and conditions. Every promotion may comprise of different terms and conditions and we suggest you read, understand and agree to all the terms before utilizing the promotion tools. Promotions include but are not limited to discount coupons, discount voucher, bundle buys, complimentary gift with your purchase or free shipping. Promotions are always set with a time frame and with an expiry date. c. What happens if the promotion that I would like to have has expired? All promotions on the website are subjected to terms and conditions. We are unable to allow you to use any promotion that has expired. d. What is the difference between promotions at CharlesKeith.com and in retail stores? CharlesKeith.com may run exclusive online promotions that are not available in the retail stores. 16. Online Safety and Security Tips a. What should I take note as an internet user and online shopper? CharlesKeith.com is concerned about the safety and security of our customers. We have placed a number of technological protections in place to ensure that our transaction process is extremely safe and that our customers' information is secure. Additionally, CharlesKeith.com takes a number of steps to help ensure that our third-party seller platforms are safe and that our sellers are of the highest quality. CharlesKeith.com has developed the following guidelines to help ensure that your online shopping experience is safe and secure. b. Protect your passwords - If using a public computer or terminal, always log out when you complete an online session. - Keep your passwords private. Remember, anybody who knows your password may access your account. - When creating a password, use at least 6 characters, preferably alphanumerical. If possible, please include characters of both upper and lower case. - Do not use dictionary words, your name, e-mail address, or other personal information that can be easily obtained. It is also recommended that you frequently change your password. - Avoid using the same password for multiple online accounts. c. Be wary of unsolicited e-mail and telephone contacts CharlesKeith.com will never e-mail or call a customer and ask that they disclose or verify their CharlesKeith.com password, credit card, or banking account number completing a CharlesKeith.com order. Such information should only be submitted when completing an order on CharlesKeith.com, contacting CharlesKeith.com directly, or when making updates to My Account. If you receive a suspicious e-mail with a link to update your account information, do not click on the link, instead, go directly to www.charleskeith.com and then to your account. If you are contacted by, or receive an unsolicited e-mail from an unknown entity, and are asked to confirm or provide your password or personal or banking information, disregard the request and contact us at email@example.com. Alternatively, you may reach us at +(65) 6488 2688. d. Disclosure of information CharlesKeith.com does not sell, rent or trade to third parties any personal information you provide to us online or at our stores, nor do we give such information to third parties except to the other Charles & Keith Group of companies, or to third parties with whom we contract to assist us in maintaining and organizing our customer information in order that we may fulfil promotional offers and communicate with you. We do not authorize those third parties to make any other use of your information. From time to time, when we offer sweepstakes, contests or promotions, or when another company joins in a promotion or contest with us, participants may be asked to provide certain personal information in order to participate. Information provided by customers who choose to participate may be used by us and by any company offering the contest or promotion to notify winners or to fulfil the promotional offers. When you choose to participate in any sweepstakes, contests or promotions, or request to receive e-mail, promotional offers or product updates, you give us permission to use your personal information for marketing and promotional purposes. We may also use and share with other companies aggregated information about your demographics and your use of our web site in a manner that does not reveal your personal identity. At times, your personal demographic and user information may be combined with data from third parties and disclosed in an aggregated form. e. Cookies / Sessions In order to improve our online services to you, CharlesKeith.com collects data anonymously by way of “cookies and sessions.” Cookies help us measure the number of visits, average time spent, page views and other statistics relating to your access to this Site. A session is a semi-permanent interactive information interchange, also known as a dialogue, a conversation or a meeting, between two or more communicating devices, or between a computer and user. This information allows us to better administer the Site and provide a more tailored and user-friendly service to our Site visitors. Cookies are small data files that are sent to your browser from our Site and are stored on your computer’s hard drive. Each time you visit our Site from the same computer, the cookie will be retrieved from your computer, enabling our Site to recognize your computer as having previously visited our Site and thereby increase the functionality of our Site on your computer. Our cookies and sessions cannot be used to get data from your hard drive, to get your email address or any other data that can be traced to you personally. Most web browsers can be set to notify you when you receive a cookie or to prevent cookies from being sent; if you use these features, you may limit the functionality we can provide you when you visit our Site. a. Do you have a catalogue? Yes, we do have both physical and online catalogues. You may view our catalogue at CharlesKeith.com. A physical copy of the catalogue can be requested for every purchase made at Charleskeith.com. You can also get a copy of the catalogue from any Charles & Keith retail stores. b. Do you do customized shoes? Currently, Charles & Keith does not provide shoe customization service. c. Do you provide Repair service? Repair service is only available at Charles & Keith retail stores in Singapore. You can go to Charles & Keith retail stores in Singapore to have your item checked first. Depending on the condition of the item, Charles & Keith will try its best to provide repair service to its valued customers. Charles & Keith do not guarantee repair service for all types of damage. d. How do I know my shoe size? Please refer here for your guide on how to determine your shoe size. e. Will an item be restocked? CharlesKeith.com strives to keep ahead of the current fashion trends and generally do not tend to restock items as we would like to offer new fashion-forward products regularly. f. How often do you update the website with new products? At CharlesKeith.com, our website has new styles updated every week. g. What is out of stock items? We make every effort to only offer you sizes and colors that are in stock. If a size or color is no longer available it will be deemed as out of stock. On some occasions, your ordered items might be the last available piece but not in the best condition to ship to you. As such, we will inform you and seek your consent to remove this item or replace with another item. This will in turn affect the total charges, which will be advised to you.

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D1 Partners with Indian Biotech for Jatropha Plants 18 July 2005 |Jatropha Seedlings in Labland Nursery| D1’s strategy calls for the distributed production of biodiesel using small refineries, about the size of a large shipping container, which can be used in remote sites to process jatropha oil into biodiesel. They have selected the best yielding varieties, the best yielding lines of jatropha. Now what they want is billions and billions to be promoted everywhere. They want this in Philippines, they want it in Indonesia, in Saudi Arabia, in Malaysia, India, Africa. But where is the planting material? They have selected clones, best yielding, so that is possible only through the application of tissue culture. So for that purpose they have approached us.—Sudheer Shetty, Managing Director of Labland Biotech (ANI) Labland performed the tissue culture cloning of jatropha without any direct genetic engineering—removing potential objections to deployment in countries that might have concerns with genetically modified organisms (GMO). Currently, the jatropha plants are projected to yield about 1,000 barrels of oil per year per square mile under cultivation. TrackBack URL for this entry: Listed below are links to weblogs that reference D1 Partners with Indian Biotech for Jatropha Plants:

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The T-Shirt Tiff: Gaudy or Godly? Shirts and skirts with lavish images of Hindu Deities sold in Malaysia should be banned, say outraged members of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam Some Hindus entering tourist shops on Penang Road in Penang, Malaysia, were shocked and outraged to find t-shirts, "disco blouses" and mini-skirts decorated with images of Hindu Gods. Calling the clothes "degrading and insulting to the Hindu religion," the Malaysia Hindu Sangam launched a campaign to interdict the popular fashion fad. The clothes, imported from Hong Kong and Thailand, display traditional and highly artistic images of Ganesha, Durga, Vishnu, Krishna, Amman and Siva. The stylish t-shirts exhibit a rainbow of colors and styles. Many are printed solid, front and back, making a strong visual impact and costing about us$5 each. The "disco blouse" and mini-skirts come in three colors: maroon, blue and beige and run from us$8 to $10. According to P. Murugiah, chairman of the Sensitive Issues Committee of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam, "Malaysia is a multiracial country with complete freedom of worship. Anything that is degrading and offensive to any religion should not be allowed. The sale of these materials is not only offensive to Hindus but a cheap and degrading sales gimmick. It is using religion for commercial gain." Murugiah went on to state that these clothes are especially popular with tourists, who buy most of them. Asked by Hinduism Today for their opinion on the controversy, identical twins Susi and Susila Kuppusamy, who posed for our cover and the picture at right, observed, "It is wrong to portray our Hindu Deities in this manner--especially on the skirt and disco blouse. It may convey a wrong message to Malaysians of other religions." Other parts of the world have different views. In the island of Mauritius just off the coast of Madagascar devotees frequently go to the temple wearing Deity t-shirts. To them it is acceptable devotional Hindu dress. A Sri Lankan family from Saskatchewan, Canada, visited our Hinduism Today offices in Hawaii recently wearing a Ganesha and Laksmi t-shirt bought at a yoga ashram in Virginia. The mother confessed that she's worn the shirts to work where her co-workers asked respectful questions. A brief search of the Internet turns up t-shirts for every faith, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. Dozens, if not hundreds, of different Christian-theme shirts are sold, one brandishing the face of Jesus, and others showing him on the cross. In this generation few things are taboo, and cool t-shirts like these, are considered suitable, even admired, attire for dressy occasions. Hindus like Vasanthy Perakasam of Kuala Lumpur worry that "it could be a strategy to demean our Gods and make others laugh at it." Her husband, Selladurai Perakasam, agreed, but admitted, "It could also be an opportunity for adults or children to get to know our many Gods and provide a chance for a non-Hindu to ask about the Deity. We need to have a very open mind about our religion and defend it when necessary but not over protect it." As a result of Malaysian Hindu Sangam complaints, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam ordered the Trade Enforcement Division to take action and confiscate the miniskirt and "disco blouse." T-shirts, though, are still being sold. MALAYSIA HINDU SANGAM, NO. 45 LORONG PERMAI 3, TAMAN BUKIT GAMBIER, 11700 PENANG, MALAYSIA The comments are owned by the author. We aren't responsible for their content.

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Malaysia considers private company reporting Mar 05, 2012 The Malaysian Accounting Standards Board (MASB) has issued a Request for Views (RFV) that aims to seek feedback from constituents on the financial reporting future of private entities in Malaysia. Malaysia already has existing Private Entity Reporting Standards (PERS). The MASB is proposing to replace the PERS with a new set of standards in 2015 to take effect for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2016. The MASB has released a number of proposals to replace PERS over recent years, including an updated 'domestic' standard (ED 52), a standard based on the IFRS for SMEs (ED 72), or a form of 'Reduced Disclosure Requirements' (ED 74, retaining IFRS recognition and measurement requirements but with less disclosures). The MASB's Request for Views seeks constituent feedback on: - Whether the existing PERS should be replaced by ED 52, ED 72 or ED 74 - Whether there are any immediate changes that the PERS framework requires if private entities continue applying it until the new standards are in place - Whether the proposed timeframe is sufficient to enable a private entity to properly transition to the new financial reporting requirements. Click for MASB press release (link to MASB website).

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A strong rally on Wall Street spurred by positive economic data in the US and China helped Asian markets power ahead yesterday Tuesday Jan 5. Commodities stocks were the main gainers as crude oil pushed well past the US$80 mark on the back of upbeat sentiment over the global recovery as well as the onset of winter in the northern hemisphere. Tokyo shares closed up 0.25 per cent at 10,681.83, while Hong Kong finished 2.09 per cent up at 22,279.58. “Overall sentiment is upbeat,” Tsuyoshi Kawata, senior strategist at Nikko Cordial Securities in Japan, told Dow Jones Newswires. Shanghai closed 1.18 per cent up on 3,282.18 and Sydney was 0.98 per cent higher at 4,924.30, pushed by resources firms thanks to the rally in crude. However, Seoul bucked the trend, closing 0.33 per cent lower on concerns about earnings prospects for local exporters as the South Korean won gained against the greenback. On Monday Wall Street jumped 1.50 per cent on the first day of trade for the New Year as dealers welcomed December manufacturing data showing the strongest pace of activity by US industry since April 2006. That followed news on Monday that two PMI surveys in China had shown strong growth. “After the pace of global expansion in manufacturing activity cooled in November it has accelerated again in the final month of 2009, raising hopes that growth in 2010 will be much better than last year,” NAB Capital analysts wrote in a note. “This has buoyed stock markets, pushed commodity prices higher and increased the likelihood that global economic growth will continue to exceed that in the US by a comfortable margin, weighing on the greenback,” it added. Elsewhere, Wellington stocks ended 1.18 per cent stronger at a 15-month high of 3,268.19, while Manila added 0.78 per cent to 3,028.46. Jakarta added 1.16 per cent to 2,605.27 and Taipei closed flat at 8,211.40. In Bangkok, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index also ended flat at 732.11 points. Indian shares closed up 0.73 per cent, their third straight day of gains led by metal and commodity stocks. The 30-share benchmark Sensex closed up 127.51 points at 17,686.24, a 21-month-high, with India’s largest aluminium producer Hindalco up 7.39 per cent, or 12.05 rupees to 175.2. HONG KONG: Shares closed 2.09 per cent up yesterday as investors followed a strong lead on Wall Street and other regional markets. The benchmark Hang Seng Index added 456.30 points to 22,279.58, with turnover reaching HK$82.97 billion. SINGAPORE: The benchmark Straits Times Index was 0.86 per cent higher as of 0750 GMT yesterday. Shares of City Developments rose as much as 4.7 per cent on increased confidence about Singapore’s property market. Around 0750 GMT, shares of CityDev were up 4.5 per cent at S$12.06 with nearly 4 million shares changing hands. KUALA LAMPUR: Share prices on Bursa Malaysia rebounded broadly higher on the second trading day yesterday. Its overall advancing counters outpaced its declining counters by 658 to 184. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) rebounded from its intra-day low of 1,278.26 to its intra-day high of 1,290.55 yesterday. It closed at 1,288.24 points, giving a day-on-day gain of 12.49 points, or 0.98 per cent. After the first impressive significant session in 2010 with lots of supporting information, VN Index kept surpassing the threshold of 530 points, despite the offloading pressure. At closing time, VN Index surged by 15.48 points or 2.99% to 532.53 points. It was the 10th point-gaining session among the latest 12 trading sessions. The market liquidity improved significantly with total matching order trade of over 66.6 million shares worth over 2.873 trillion dong, increasing by 58.4% in volume and 64.5% in value against the previous session. Sharing the same scenario, HNX Index increased by 3.42 points or 1.9% to end at 183.26 points with the total market trade of 32.276 million shares valued 1.329 trillion dong. European shares closed lower yesterday, with drugmakers falling on news France was cancelling flu shot orders overshadowing gains in banks on talk that Barclays may lift its outlook. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares provisionally closed down 0.1 per cent at 1,060.14 points in choppy trade. London’s FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 0.40 per cent to 5,522.5 points. In Paris, the CAC 40 was unchanged, slipping 0.03 per cent at 4,012.91 points and in Frankfurt, the DAX was down 0.27 per cent to 6,031.86 points. Investors turned cautious on the second trading day of the year as a pair of economic reports gave mixed signals about how the recovery was going. The Dow industrials slipped 11.94, or 0.1 percent, to 10,572.02. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 3.53, or 0.3 percent, to 1,136.52, its highest close since Oct. 1, 2008. The Nasdaq composite index edged up 0.29, or less than 0.1 percent, to 2,308.71. Three stocks rose for every two that fell on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume rose to 5.2 billion shares from 4.1 billion Monday. Bond prices rose, pushing interest rates lower. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.76 percent from 3.83 percent late Monday. Crude oil rose 26 cents to settle at $81.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The early days of January are when many investors, from pension funds to individuals, pump money into the markets as they set up their investment strategies for the year. Markets often rise as the new money arrives. However Nick Kalivas, vice president of financial research at MF Global in Chicago, said investors are cautious ahead of reports on the service industry and employment later in the week because they want to confirm that economy is healing. “There is a lot of data out the next couple of days that people want to see before they chase a market at its highs,” Kalivas said. The Institute for Supply Management will report its index of activity in the service industry on Wednesday, and on Friday the market will get the most important economic reading of the month, the Labor Department’s employment report. Ford Motor Co.’s shares jumped after the automaker said its December sales jumped 33 percent fed by demand for midsize cars like the Ford Fusion, whose sales rose 83 percent. Ford also had its first full-year gain in U.S. market share since 1995. Ford rose 68 cents, or 6.6 percent, to $10.96. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 1.61, or 0.3 percent, to 638.49. Benchmark Currency Rates USD EUR JPY GBP CHF CAD AUD HKD HKD 7.756 11.1334 0.0846 12.388 7.4979 7.4542 7.0747 AUD 1.0963 1.5737 0.012 1.751 1.0598 1.0536 0.1413 CAD 1.0405 1.4936 0.0114 1.6619 1.0059 0.9491 0.1342 CHF 1.0344 1.4849 0.0113 1.6522 0.9942 0.9436 0.1334 GBP 0.6261 0.8987 0.0068 0.6053 0.6017 0.5711 0.0807 JPY 91.662 131.576 146.403 88.6111 88.095 83.6095 11.8181 EUR 0.6966 0.0076 1.1127 0.6735 0.6695 0.6354 0.0898 USD 1.4354 0.0109 1.5972 0.9667 0.9611 0.9122 0.1289 Bloomberg

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|Active Topics Memberlist Calendar Search Help| |Register Login Old Forum| |IslamiCity Forum - Islamic Discussion Forum : Regional : Asia-Pacific| |Topic: ISLAM in Bangaldesh| Joined: 03 January 2007 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline | Topic: ISLAM in Bangaldesh Posted: 14 January 2008 at 12:46pm SWEETSWORDS 39 [ Mother Land ] Poga Humayun Dundiwala PAKISTAN zindabad and long lives BANGLADESH PAKISTAN zindabad and long lives BANGLA Poga Say's in a foolington maze Do you know what zero function is Do you know what zero function is Do you know what zero function is Gada Darr Dada Say's Dundiwala Baisab Musalman grandson Say's Gada Darr Dada Mr Barzakh Fitrath Ullah : From Veda to Buddha then to Bollywood Mrs Be aql Khan Usta : From Indian ocean by bay of Bengal piece of earth changed from Bong to Bongo Mr Barzakh Fitrath Ullah: Mother land and father of a nation Mrs Be Aql Khan Usta : Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Mr Barzakh Fitrath Ullah : Democracy from that Bully Mrs Be Aql Khan Usta : As the coward chicken tikka khan Mr Barzakh Fitarh Ullah : He is not our father of nation Mrs Be Aql Khan Usta : To all dawns light Mr Barzakh Fitrath Ullah : To recognize who am i i looked into my flesh taken from Inkofscholars.com Islam arrived in this land in the same process as the land itself has been formed - in a conituous process of accumulation of silts. Islam was preached by generation after generation before the establishement of Muslim rule through a period of six centuries. As a result, a favoiurable place for Islam along with basic knowlegde about it was created in the hearts of the people. If formed an excellent psychological base that kept the inhabitants of this area firm upon Islam neglecting all sorts of obstacles, attacks and conspiracies. Islam entered Bangladesh through the following three ways: 1. The Chittagong port was one of the major ports for entering the eastern region including China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Many merchants used to anchor at the Chittagong port and go to China using land roads. The Arab merchants had been using this port since pre-Islamic period and continued to do so after they embraced Islam. They used to preach Islam along with their business activities. Islam began to spread from that time. 2. King Cherumol Perumol of Tamilnadu coastal kingdom Malabar embraced Islam during the lifetime of the Prophet Mohammad (PUH). As a result that area turned into a centre for preaching Islam. Preachers used to come to Bangladesh from that region. 3. After the conquest of Sindh by Muhammad Bin Kashem, many preachers used to come from the Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey on their feet to preach Islam here. The silent preaching of Islam that went for more than six centuries remained hidden due to lack of historical evidences. Modern researcher are finding evidences are being found from the books written by Arab Muslim historians, geographers and Muhaddises. For example, it is proven from the narratives of Muhaddis Imam Abadna Marwazi that a group of Sahabis including Abu Oakkas Ibn Ohaib came to Chittagong in the year 618. The narratives of many Arab geograpics of eleventh century including Abul Kasem Obaidullah Ibd Khurdadbih, Al Idrisi, Al Masudi, Yaqub Ibn Abdullah mention the business relations and settlement of Arab merchants in Chittagong seaport, Chandpur river port, Ramu, Coxesbazar etc. These are verified by recently discovered archaeological evidences. A gold coin of the period of Harun-ur-Rashid (788) was found in Paharpur, Rajshahi another set of coins of Abbasia period were found in Moinamoti, Comilla. An ancient Masjid that was built in the seventh century (689 BC, 69 Hizri) has been discovered recently in Lalmonirhat district. The folk stories and songs provide substantial hints about many Islam preachers and saints. There are signs of their tombs and Dargahs. We find many mosques built by them. These indicate that Islam had been spreading in Bangladesh for six centuries before the Muslims conquered Bengal. The repressed anti-Aryan people of Bengal began to adore Islam from that time. The conquest of Bengal started in 1204. Islam began to receive patronisation from the rulers. The barriers for the people of this region for embracing Islam was removed. As a result they began to enter into Islam in large numbers. Islam did not come here with the help of swords, rather the people of Bangladesh embraced it through love and profound understanding. People of this land were familiar with Islam before the conquest of Bengal. Arab merchants had links with Chittagong port since pre-Islamic period. It has been proven in recent studies that a group of Sahabis including Abu Oakkas Malik, Quyes Ibn Sairadi, Tameem Ansary, Urrah Ibn Assasa, Abu Quyes Ibn Harisa came to Chittagong in 618 during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (PUB). They preached Islam there for few years and then went to China. The following Sahabis came to Bangladesh through Chittagong seaport after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (PUB): Later five delegations of the Tabeyees including a group of Muhammad Mamun and Muhammad Mohaimen came here to preach Islam. In 712 Muhammad Bin Kasem conquered Sindh. It paved the way for Muslims to come to Bengal. In 778 a group of Muslims fell into a storm in the Bay of Bengal. They were taken to the King of Arakan Ma-ba-toing. The king became very pleased with them due to their behaviour and intellects. He gave them several villages to settle. As a result, an Islamic society was developed in the course of time. During 866 to 874, the famous saint of Iran Baezid Bostami preached Islam in Chittagong. Although most of the historians say that he returned to his homeland, many people believe that he died and was buried in Chittagong. His shrine is still in Chittagong. In 954, the Muslims of Arakan became so powerful that they established Muslim rule in a part of Chittagong. King San-da-ya could not tolerate the Muslim rule and defeated them. In 1053, Shah Muhammad Sultan Balkhi reached Harirumpur of Manikgonj through river way. He later established an Islam preaching centre around Mohastangar of Bogra. He established mosques and Islamic schools. During this time, he had to fight with King Parshuram of Mohastangar. The king was killed in the battle. Later the Army Chief Surkhab and captive princes Ratna Moni embraced Islam. Shah Muhammad Sultan Balkhi arranged their marriage and nominated Surkhab as the new king. In 1053, Shah Muhammad Sultan Rumi came to Netrokona with a group of preachers. He invited the king of Madanpur for embracing Islam. The king refused first but accepted the invitation later and entered into Islam. In 1179, Baba Shah Adam came to Bikrampur with a group of preacher to preach Islam there. Later he was martyred in a battle with king Ballal Sen. In 1184, Shah Makhdum Ruposh came to Rajshahi as the first Islam preacher there. He was one of the preachers who built the base of Islam in Bangladesh in a completely hostile environment. He turned Rajshahi into an Islamic locality. His activities were centred around Rampur and Boalia. It took two centuries to establish complete Muslim rule in Bengal. Muslim rule started from Rajshahi and completed in Khulna by Khan Jahan Ali. 1. North Bengal (Nadia, Gaur, Rangpur, Dinajpur: 1204) After Delhi and Bihar was conquered by Muslims, King Lakxan Sen of Bengal anticipated Muslim attacks there. He was afraid that a Muslim battalion would suddenly attack him to free the people of this region from his oppression. Moreover, the astrologists told him that he would be defeated by the victor of Bihar, Bakhtier Khilji. As a result he employed strong guard in all conventional entrances of his temporary capital Nadia. However, in 1204, Bakhtier Khilji entered Nadia in a completely unconventional and difficult way and attacked the palace with a battalion of only 18 advanced soldiers. Lakxan Sen thought that the capital had fallen and escaped through the backdoor. It was the starting of Muslim rule in Bengal. Bakhtier Khalji conquered the whole North Bengal including Gaur, Bogra, Rangpur and Dinajpur. 2. Eastern-Southern Area (Sonargaon, Dhaka, Faridpur, Mymensingh, Barishal: 1274-1290): Sultan Mugisuddin Tugril of Lakhnauti became active to establish Muslim rule in entire Bengal. He defeated the last Sen king Madhu Sen and brought Eastern Bengal under Muslim rule. As a result Sonargaon, Dhaka and Faridpur came under Islam. He build a fort at a place called Larikal 25 miles south to Dhaka and named it 'Killa-e-Turgil'. Bughra Khan was appointed ruler of Bengal in 1281. He ruled Bengal until 1290. Meanwhile, he brought Mymensingh and Barishal under Muslim Rule. 3. Sylhet (1303): Sylhet was being ruled by a tyrant king named Gaur Gavinda. In 1301, Sultan Shamsuddin Feroz Shah sent forces against him twice in the commands of his Army Chief Sekander Gazi. It failed. He sent a group of soldiers again in 1303 in the leadership of Sayed Nasiruddin. Sekander Gazi too fought against Gaur Gavinda in this battle. Famous saint Shah Jalal assisted the force with his 313 companions. Gaur Gavinda escaped after being defeated. Shah Jalal stayed in Sylhet till his death in 1446 and preached and established Islam there. 4. Chittagong (1340): Although Islam reached Chittagong much earlier, it took time to establish Muslim rule there. Sultan Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah was thorn in Soanargaon in 1338 and extended the area of his rule to southeast. During that period Ali Qadar Khan, Ali Mubarak Khan and Shamsuddin Mubarak Shah were in power in North Bengal. Fahkruddin Mubarak Shah brought Chittgaong under Muslim rule for the first time in 1340 and built a road from Chandpur to Chittagong. 5. Khulna Division (1418-1449): Khan Jahan Ali played a remarkable role in preaching and establishing Islam throughout Khulna Division. Few Hindu Zaminders were ruling a small portion of the area and the remaining vast land was occupied by jungle. Khan Jahan Ali was engaged in building habitants, preaching Islam among non-Muslims and carrying out humanitarian activities. He built 360 mosques, dug 360 ponds for drinking water and constructed numerous pukka roads. He started building mosques, digging ponds and constructing roads from Barabazar of Jhenidah and reached Bagerhat. There he settled and build famous Shat Gambuj (Sixty Domes) Mosque. He established Quranic rule there in the name 'Khalifatabad' meaning the place of God's representatives. |You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum Note: The 99 names of Allah avatars are courtesy of www.arthafez.com

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In one rather strange passage, Musa exhorts the dish to defeat the spectre of culinary fusion: “How can we deny you, how can we ignore you, O keşkek!” he writes. “No matter how many wits there are who call you ‘risotto,’ you always knock them dead with your true meaning.” Musa despises fusion, a concept that, in his view, treats culinary traditions not as living processes but as finite objects to be manipulated in the name of creativity or revolution. As Musa sees it, keşkek risotto is the invention of someone who can’t fathom the incredible richness of keşkek, and thinks it needs to be given a Western twist. “Our people are ashamed of themselves,” he remarks, alluding to Turkish chefs’ penchant for Western cuisine. “They have a complex. Go to Iran—you’ll find characteristic Iranian regional cooking. Here you open a book called ‘Modern Turkish Cooking,’ and the first recipe is for risotto.” The other side of this shame, he continues, is false pride, which recently gave rise to an “Ottomania” fad, with restaurants claiming to serve the dishes of Sultan Suleyman’s court. There are, he says, no surviving recipes from Suleyman’s court: “People just want to think that they’re the descendants of kings.” Musa is particularly outraged by people who claim that their ancestors invented various foods. His latest historical work debunks the origin myth of döner kebab, the rotating roasted meat that forms the cornerstone of Turkish street food: a chef called Iskender is supposed to have invented it in Bursa, in the eighteen-sixties. Once, at a symposium, Musa met a descendant of Iskender. “He was talking about how his ancestor, who was born in 1848, invented döner kebab,” Musa told me. “He had no sources. He was just going around saying this.” Combing libraries, used bookstores, and flea markets, Musa found döner represented in an 1850 engraving and an 1855 photograph. “I wanted to ask that guy, ‘So your grandpa invented döner when he was two years old?’ ” After lunch, we drove with the turkey farmer and his wife back to their village, which was called Bozburun. On the way, Musa bombarded the couple with questions. Were they Manavs (a formerly nomadic Turkic people)? They were. Did they have keşkek? They did. Did they prepare it at weddings? “No,” the woman said. “Yes,” the man said. “At weddings and on henna night.” (A bride is traditionally decorated with henna the night before her wedding.) The questions continued. Did they bake bread with potatoes or flour, with packet yeast or their own yeast? What did they eat at weddings and at funerals? What kind of mushrooms did they pick? How did they make pickles? We turned onto a dirt road that led to the village. “Foreigners live in that house,” the woman said suddenly, pointing out of the car window. “Foreigners? Where are they from?” “Istanbul. They were born there, and then they came here.” We reached a small green farmhouse. In front stood a stone oven, where (using packet yeast) the family bakes its bread. We proceeded along a driveway, muddy from recent rain, to the back of the house. Behind the house lay a patch of hilly grassland, near a creek. Turkeys were wandering everywhere, producing their strange ambient gurgle, under the lugubrious eye of a large German shepherd. Musa pointed out the four female turkeys he wanted. The farmer’s wife handed the first one to her husband, who bent down and swiftly cut off its head with a sharp knife. A loud wheezing came from the stump of the neck, which emitted irregular spurts of blood. The dog stood up slowly and ambled over. “Hoşt!” the farmer shouted. This is a Turkish word used exclusively for the purpose of chasing away dogs—there are different words for chasing away cats and poultry—but this dog did not respond. Finally, the farmer tossed the turkey’s tiny head some distance away, and the dog went off to look for it. The farmer’s wife handed him the next turkey. The other turkeys seemed to view these developments with mild concern. Those which had been walking in the direction of the creek casually changed course and walked elsewhere, with one exception: a stately male, with a red wattle and an enormous fan of back feathers, marched pompously, deliberately, almost sinisterly before the scene of carnage. “What could he be thinking?” Musa asked. When all four turkeys had been killed, the farmer wiped the blood off his hands. He, his wife, their twelve-year-old daughter, and Musa began plucking the birds. I decided to join them. I had never defeathered a bird before. The turkey was still warm and twitching; its bare skin felt eerily human. Plucking all the turkeys took an hour. The farmer charged Musa about five dollars a kilo, which seemed like a good price, except he insisted that each bird weighed ten kilos. To me they seemed to be about six kilos. “More like four, not counting the bones,” Musa said, in the car. “But they were nice people, and this way you got to see authentic village life.” On the drive back to Istanbul, we took a scenic route through the countryside, so we could stop by a property that Musa had recently bought in order to realize his long-cherished dream of a Turkish culinary institute. The idea was to provide a center for Turkish food culture: a school, a library, a research institute, and a publishing house. Above all, Musa wants to see the history of Turkish cuisine chronicled in print. “We need records,” he said. “The French have them, but we don’t. Our first cookbook, the ‘Melceüt Tabbâh’in,’ was written by a doctor—not a chef—and published in 1844. The French had books on French cooking in the sixteen-fifties. In the seventeen-fifties, they had a book on bourgeois cooking. We didn’t even have a bourgeoisie, and they already had books about what the bourgeoisie ate.

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My family moved to Pattaya, Thailand from Australia on a working contract. One of my first observations was the large numbers of Westerners on the streets of Pattaya, Jomtien, Sriracha or Chonburi. There are a lot more Westerners in this part of Thailand than I have anticipated. From what I can gather, there are three different kinds of Westerners living here – tourists, workers and retirees. How do you distinguish one from the other? First group: the tourists. By day, tourists spend their time at the beach/pool, wearing just their shorts; singlet tops or swim wears to get as much tan as possible during their brief extravagant stay. By night, they go where the music, fun and entertainment go. This group lives life to the fullest in Pattaya as if there is no tomorrow. The second group is the workers, who are sent to Pattaya on a working contract for one, three, or up to ten years by their companies. They are the ones who enjoy Pattaya life in moderation. By day, they are at work. By night, they eat out in restaurants/bar with the occasional weekend visit to the nightlife. These are the people who don’t mind the side road restaurants with fans on the pedestals blowing away. The last group is the retirees. They are easily identified – at least 50 years old, white/grey hair, modestly dressed, riding their own bike/car and able to communicate in Thai to some extent. Retirees are those who look like a tourist but live like a local. They live life with contentment and satisfaction, appreciating the dream lifestyle they would never have back home. I understand the first two groups and why they choose Thailand or Pattaya in particular – for its beauty, relaxation, comfort and services. However, I am taken by surprises to discover the third group – the retirees. It is one thing to stay in a foreign country on the assumption that you will return to your familiar territory in the near future. But it becomes a different issue when people choose to leave their territories and live in a new foreign environment permanently. According to the Global Trends Report, an increasing number of elderly Westerners is retiring to and taking extended holidays in Southeast Asia. What makes Pattaya or South Eastern Asia in general, an attractive place to retire? Where else can Westerners retire in SE Asia? Would I ever consider SE Asia as my retirement plan? Southeast Asia is made up of countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia. Southeast Asia consists of two geographic regions: Mainland Southeast Asia or Indochina and Maritime Southeast Asia. Mainland SE Asia comprises of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia. Maritime SE Asia consists of Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore. In particular, SE Asian countries where most people would consider retiring include Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam. Each place attracts different groups of Westerners based on each country’s unique features. For example, many American ex-military personnel retire in the Philippines for its clear blue waters, white sand beaches and coconut palm trees of over 7,000 islands. Daily expenses are low, living is easy and the people are warm, friendly and helpful. Meanwhile many Australians retire in Bali (Indonesia), whose main attractions include volcano and mountains, rain forests, beautiful beaches and a dazzling wildlife with its diverse tribal culture and languages. Similarly, Europeans such as Russians, British or Germans love Thailand for its reputation as a holiday paradise – an exotic, colorful and easygoing country. In addition Thailand has sophisticated and modern culture, fantastic sceneries, cheap shopping options, wonderful food and great nightlife. Malaysia is blessed with lots of public and private hospitals, developed recreational/entertainment facilities and quality education system. India is rich in culture and traditions, which clearly influence its people’s distinctive manners, habits and cuisine. Regardless of the specific attractions each destination offers, Westerners love to retire in Southeastern Asia for these main reasons: low cost living, healthcare and climate. Someone once said to me, “In Asia, you can live like a king or queen on a salary of an average middle-class Western man.” From the smallest items to the biggest products, you always pay less for more. For example, I dined with a group of friends, ordering over ten courses for half of the price of a three-course meal for two people in Australia. In Southeastern Asia, you can easily purchase a large house, with possibly a swimming pool plus a full-time maid and a car for about one-quarter to half the price of those in a Western country. The cheap price tags apply to almost everything else in SE Asia including clothes, furniture, jewelries, digital gadgets etc. Affordable lifestyle is undoubtedly the first preference for living or retiring in SE Asia. Healthcare is another important aspect to consider for one’s retirement. Most Asian countries generally lack western standard facilities for healthcare except for Thailand and Singapore, which both have world-class medical and surgical facilities available. More and more Westerners combine their holidays to Asia with medical, dental and cosmetic treatment. Operations and procedures cost between 30 and 80 per cent less than in the USA or part of Europe. As the slogan, “feel the warmth” of Southeast Asia website implies, the countries of SE Asia capture the hearts of many tourists around the world for its all-year-round tropical climate. People come to Asia to enjoy their swims in the beach under the sun, getting a tan while sipping on their coconut drinks. All year round, they don’t have to worry about wearing three-layered clothes, high boots, thick scarves, gloves or beanies. Tourists from snowy countries like Canada, Switzerland or England, are at eased to know the worst they can experience in winter in Asia is heavy rain and colder temperature than usual. This is why Asia is known as paradise under the sun. Southeastern Asia also offers various working opportunities for Westerns in their retirement ages to assist with their financial support. Internet is one of many ways to earn money. There is virtually nowhere in Asia you cannot use a computer or mobile phone or internet access. Many people are simply promoting and selling their own or other’s products and services – known as affiliate marketing. Programmers, authors, journalists, writers and others work in different countries from their employers or as freelancers. Besides online jobs, teaching English as a Second Language or volunteer in a community is an option to consider. Some people enjoy managing a small business in countries such as Thailand and Philippines, in businesses like exporting local goods, a bar, restaurant, shop or guest-house. Another source of income for your Asian lifestyle could be to rent your house in Western countries. On average, one can live comfortably in Asia with an income of $1000 USD per month. SE Asia is a place of possibilities. The other day, I gave a motorcycle taxi 1000 Baht note for a 120 Baht trip, naively assuming that I could easily get change since it was at the end of the day. However, to my surprise, the driver did not have enough change for me. Hence, I had to go around looking for change to give him. This was the moment that made me feel like I am a queen living in Thailand, on an average Australian income. Life in Asia is fantastic. I don’t need to cook, clean, drive or be restricted financially. With my spouse’s income alone, we can both live comfortably in a reasonable apartment and yet still enjoy the fullest of an Asian lifestyle. In the past, I travelled to Southeast Asia many times as a tourist. At the present, I am now living as a local in SE Asia. Very soon, my family and I will pack up and go back to Australia. However, this short experience here has opened up my eyes to see all the possibilities. In the distant future, I might even consider Southeast Asia, as my retirement hometown. Story : Tina Lee

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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Singapore, the tropical city-state situated off the southern tip of the Malaysian Peninsula, is a carefully managed combination of Western progress and Eastern and Colonial history. Clusters of skyscrapers and malls dominate the island's downtown but restored colonial buildings lay beneath Singapore's modern veneer. Singapore's downtown core is the Colonial District, where public buildings, hotels and cricket grounds were the domain of British residents. Singapore's appealing ethnic quarters of Little India, Chinatown and Arab Street retain their own distinct flavor. Equatorial Singapore's high humidity, abundant rainfall and uniform temperature of 27ºC - 31ºC, (81ºF - 88ºF) encourages the abundance of tropical greenery found throughout the island and in it's first-rate nature and wildlife reserves. Shaped like a flattened diamond, Singapore is 42km/26mi across and 23km/14mi north to south. Most of the four million inhabitants are descended from those arriving from China, India, Malaysia and Europe. Singapore thrives financially and has minimal unemployment; a result of Singapore's compliant population agreeing with their government to put the interest of society ahead of the interest of the individual, in return for once unimaginable levels of prosperity. Some of the ensuing regulations seem extreme: jaywalking, chewing gum and eating on public transit all carry significant fines. The outcome is that Singapore is a clean, safe place to visit, and its public places are smoke-free and hygienic. Since the 13th C the island has been named Singapore (Singapura) or Lion City when a Sumatran sultan sheltering on the island sensed that the lion he sighted was a good omen and decided to build a new city. Singapore remained a Sultanate until 1819, when the astute Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company arrived and quickly struck a treaty with local rulers to set up a British trading post. An influx of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Arabs and Europeans arrived at the British port and Singapore's population grew. Singapore's progress declined during World War II when the island fell into the hands of the Japanese. After the war citizens started lobbying for independence from Britain, achieving it in 1965. Singapore receives over a million visitors annually. International cruise-ships call at the Singapore Cruise Centre on the south end of the island. Changi International Airport is situated in the east. Singapore is connected by causeway to Malaysia. Well-paved roads, on which drivers stay left, connect all parts of the island. Singapore has an excellent public transportation system but can also be toured on foot, to discover small shops, temples, or the daily scene. The entire state is compact enough to be explored in a few days. 5 Shenton Way Unit 37, Singapore, Singapore 068808, Singapore

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The day has finally come for me to leave Pulau Duyong,the land of my ancestors.My grandfather and his father before him till my father's generations were the sailors who used to inhabit this beautiful island of Pulau Duyong. Many deaths were mourned and tears shed on this beautiful island ,and all shall remained here within her bosom. I visited my GrandPa's grave this morning and 'sedekah Al Fatihah' .Remember the days when I used to visit him with my late Bak (my Dad ),I saw his eyes became red and tears running ,yet he tried so hard to hide it from me.He still missed his father twenty years after his father died. He told him me,when he was young his father would wait for him to finish his football game before he brought him along to graveyard.He would give all sort of excuses ,one he remembered well would be that he was not properly dressed for the solemn occasion.Then out of the blue out came a new cloth and sarong which his father brought all along. At one forgotten corner of this graveyard was my Bak grandpa's place.I thought I saw Bak and his father side by side reciting Quraan for my Great Grandpa.Mr dear cousin,who used to swim with me around PD,his grave still looked fresh and new. My imagination ran wild when am at this sort of ancestor burial ground.Bak was buried far away from Pulau Duyong,another place where he met my mother ,ie.Kg Kijal.Thus it become my role,as the one with able legs and mind,to come and visit GrandPa and his father resting place as their only surviving relative. I suppose come a time I shall bring my only son and later his son(s) to this place again and remind them of their roots, or else my ancestral burial ground would conveniently be taken over by the development that is going at very fast rate.Islam Hadhari has no time for emotional thing like this especially the emotion of small and insignificant people, the likes of me. To all those that had come over to my humble abode, please remember that it was a great pleasure hosting your visit here and harap maaf for any 'terkasar bahasa' and irritating teasing that I did upon from time to time.My favourite blogs are many ,to list would be one huge task but I enjoyed the company and hope you dont mind my two cents worth of opinion. Pulau Duyong folk are very close knit community,they care for each other and defended themselves together.I suppose in days of old when menfolks were out sailing ,they had only themselves for protection and inaccessible place in Pulau Duyong. The Bloggers, I feel should be like folks of PD,small and hopefully united.United would the only way the defend the precious tuft of freedom of expression. Am leaving behind all these lovely people of Pulau Duyong and Bloggers United. My new filming schedules would take me to far away places but the thoughts and good time we had is precious to me. I saw Dr Jay wearing a forlorn look. He is always the one with soft heart and the biz world has not been too kind to him,how I wish I could have done better for my Dear Dr Jay but I failed miserably.All he needed is a good marketing I told him that,Pam like him so much for the job well done.Pam is a better at marketing...I shall speak to her and remind her again. One thing about PD folks and Blogger United ...you made me feel welcome. For that am wholesomely indebted. Tomorrow is my Birthday ...hopefully its a new beginning ,I cant afford to fail in this new movie,am getting old and krepot ...thus it better be good. Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong: Been a pauper(I am now),puppet ,pirate(hopefully dont turn into one again,bought pirated DVD though),poet(failed miserably) and a King(when you decide on who live and who should die ,you are a King). I've been up(when was that???) and down(most of the time) and over and out and i know one thing ,each time i find myself layin'flat on my face I just pick myself up and get back in the race( but am sure its not going to be smooth as usual is the case about sailing) ....Sinatra's 'That's Life' The wind is blowing at the right knots ,my boats is all ready, all sails went up steady ...for a sailor son this is the right thing for me to do ,to sail again till the sea claim me whole. Thanking You Good Bye and ASMLKm Friday, April 27, 2007 Tuesday, April 24, 2007 DR KHAIRY IN A HURRY Mr BigDogDotcOM suggested British Comedy for dose of laughter in time of depressive thoughts,but comedy as far as I am concern is happening everyday in our life.The initial situation that seem so solemn and tense ,when viewed from different viewpoint and time would give a different twist to the whole story as the following story illustrate.Quite a fast pace and lenghty story so brace yourself and fasten your seatbelt. The story was told to me by Dr Jay of one Dr Kairy ,who was always in a hurry.He was an oral Surgeon's friend of Dr Jay who was on call on the day of the event.He was very efficient and direct in carrying out his duty, probably similar to Arnold Susah-nak-eja's Terminator way or TOMAHAWK guided missile in singularity of purpose.Actually most Surgeon are like that according to Dr Jay. Dr Jay met Dr Khairy at Accident and Emergency (A&E)Centre as he was disembarking from a taxi on the fated day about 20 years ago but to Dr Jay, it sounded like yesterday.The story was related about one week later when they met again .It was Comedic and KodakInstantmatic moments all etched up as one of his many funny stories that he shared with me while we had the bird-watching do.I shall relate it the best that I can. On one rainy day 20 years ago at 630pm about, in Ampang Area,a place Dr K was unfamiliar with.Dr K was at workshop as his car fell sick with fever and arthritis(leaking radiator and suspension problem).Received a call to attend a man with a Dislocated Jaw at A&E in University Hospital.Dr K started his journey to UHKL,that was his purpose! CGOPD:Dislocated Jaw normally resulted when one laugh so hilariously that he/she end up not able to close his/her jaw. Probably its best ,for the reader to try opening your jaw now .Then try to vocalise words with your mouth wide open.You'll find that every words come out gibberish and for the ones affiliated ,it can be very distressing especially if you presented yourself at A&E all alone without any relative to relate your side of the story to attending Physician. If you are one affliated by it, as for now(you can close your mouth now !),avoid reading this any further as it can be a health hazard and the Estate of CGOPD is not in any way would pay for the your own folly in reading this story As the story went,Dr Khairy hailed a taxi in a heavy downpour ,driven by an oldman taxi driver of a brand new taxi with specific order to go to Hospital as fast as he possibly could,after introducing himself as a Dr on an emergency call.It was a tall order to an oldtimer like this particular driver who had a thick pair of glasses to help him driving through the pouring rain. The initial few kilometer was mainly done with the poor old driver hunched forward to see the road in front with occasional wiping of windscreen and his thick glasses to clear the mist .With urgent sense added to the journey he perspired alot too!! It was a momentous journey to say the least.When asked how long the journey would take(since he didn't know how far it was from PJ),the exasperated driver was telling him to keep quiet as he knew what he was doing,the cultured way of saying,"You Young Punk Barnacles #@&%* SHUT UP!!!". Message taken.Of course an impatient Dr K did asked many more questions pertaining to the journey that heighten that poor old driver anxiety ,the poor driver was all the while hunching close to the windscreen,wiping and sweating driving at the speed he knew best,thirty five kilometer per hour. Out of choatic journey ,with endless asking and in between stern looks of the driver,they ended up in Setapak which to uninitiated like landing in Timbuktu instead of Ijok.This was Dr K familiar territoty thus out of frustration probably, asked the unthinkable of poor anxious thick glassed old driver in the pouring rain ,"Pak Cik is it possible for me to drive this taxi?".It didn't sound awkward at all ,he told himself. Even with ego as big as ostrich's egg ,the driver out of sheer frustration handed the wheel to Dr K as he rationalised that ,considering that it was in a heavy downpour, failing eyesights and was almost after one hour of aimless driving .It was a big decision as a spanking new taxi less was than a week old.It must been a mistake ,so he thought,to hand over a new taxi to total stranger who claimed to be a Dr in a hurry ie.in Dr Khairy.His fear was well founded. Dr Khairy gleefully took over the wheel and did what he does best,drove in a hurry. The poor thickglassed old driver must be cursing his luck as he ,no longer the driver but the front seat passenger,saw this Dr Khairy drove at breakneck speed(as he normally does)through the heavy rain.Not fully trusting the suspicious new driver he was all along hunched forward on the passenger seat towards the windscreen with two palms anchored on the side dash board on the passenger side. This was the situation when Dr Khairy was stopped in front of Parliment by Police Patrol on a big bike for speeding.The Policeman was calmly approaching the driver (Dr K) of the taxi to question the driver for the rationality of driving at breakneck speed on wet road.The Driver ( now a passenger)prior to the arrival of the Policeman , was scolding Dr K for driving so fast and muttering that it was a bad day for him as this was a brand new car and he couldnt afford to pay the summon and wondering whether ten ringgit if Dr K could spare ,as part of presumed sum of taxi fare, could be used for initiall dealing. Of course he quiten up to complete silence when the Policeman appeared at the side of the driver(Dr K's side)while both of his palms firmly anchored on the dashboard but this time wide eyed ,magnified many times on his thick glasses. The conversation went on like this: Encik,It seemed to me that you were driving at a speed exceeding the limit .Dont you know that its dangerous in this weather? Dr Khairy(In the Driver seat): I’m sorry Dato’ , I am in emergency situation on the way to hospital. Oh I see (Bending down and instantly caught the sight of the Driver who is in passenger front seat, with his palms still anchored to the dashboard , only head turning to the Policeman.He must have looked very distressed then, as his eyes looked much bigger magnified by his thick glasses looking to the Policeman with worries written all over.) Are you sick PakCik The Driver(Ex Driver): Turning his head vigourously disagreeing with the Policeman but still speechless out of double frights he had on that day. Oh Sorry Sir, He is the taxi driver! (Surprised look all over and looking at the one on the wheel ) I am a Doctor on the way to Hospital Oh my God,this man( the Taxi driver who was no longer a driver) is about to die!! The Doctor has taken over the wheel and he couldn’t even speak…This patient deserve a Police Rider escort to emergency (Hurriedly getting himself ready before running back to his Big Rider Bike) You follow me!! Dr Khairy’s Bubble: Who am I to argue . Wealing Siren of Police Rider and a speed faster than initial breakneck ,the brand new taxi flew like a Lamboghini zig zaging the evening traffic on the slippery road with ease.The new able driver in the form of Dr Khairy was too happy to press the accelerator faster and faster.The tyre were new he remembered. According to Dr Khairy,initially relieved Oldman (after the Poiceman decided not to issue summon),was too brief as he realised that the subsequent journey would belong to F1 circuit trial run laps.If you can imagine,as he recalled the event, a cat on a roof of a moving lorry ,the one with straighent tail,furs on ends and widen eyes ,then it would be close resemblance of the PakCik on the passenger side of the front seat.To complete the picture his fingers were all spread eagle clawing on the dashboard ,eyes widen with face inches away from the windscreen.There was no frighten meow though but he remembered correctly he heard PakCik teeth chattering, Kkk…kkk….kkk…kkkKk....til he reached the A&E. As he reached A&E ,the stretcher were all ready ,as the good Policeman must have went on air with the emergency service with the impending arrival of patient in dire need of emergency service.The assistants were pushing the trolley to the Oldman side ,opening the door and trying to pry out a sick Oldman who refused to be helped.There was a big commotions with nice cajoling words of concern nurses and assistants and loudly worded words of a 'patient' who keep on repeatingly telling everyone that he is not sick.This must be one recalcitrant patient ,so they thought. The new taxi driver @Dr Khairy was just unable to unbundle the events he created as the nurses thoughts that they could understand the situation better than a 'Taxidriver'.Seing that he was not needed, he just walked calmly into a Doctors room in A&E to attend to his patient. Unbeknownst to him the patient with 'Dislocated Jaw' was watching the unfolding of events at the A&E reception areas ( jaw wide open but was not awed by the situation ).He actually remembered seing the taxi driver walked off the taxi and into Dr room and it certainly looked very odd.He had heard of people impersonating a doctor but a taxi driver doing that would be one tall tales to remember. "I hope he doesnot harm anyone in the process ,as its not for me to do reporting with my jaws wide opened and gibberish word wouldnt constitute a good reporting",probable bubble that clouded his mind. Out came a young student nurse calling the patient name from the room where the 'taxi driver'just walked in.He couldnt answer but lifted his arm.He tried to tell people around him that the taxi driver could be impersonating a doctor ,but all that came out were alien vowels and consonants. The impatient nurse realising that he was the patient ,came over guided him to the room.She must have thought two recalcitrant patients in one night were too much of coincidence.Being a student nurse and assisting a doctor ,is a great job,thus it would be best that she shown the good Dr that she knew the patient well as she brought in the patient.She was just trying to be Florence Nightingale and speak on behalf of those who couldnt speak.... The initial consultation on a reluctant patient went like this with four version in Bahasa Malaysia(BM) ,The Dislocated Jaw version(DLJV) English(ENG) and Sign Language Version(SLV): DLJV: Haah Hye hang hawok heksi hakdi huhan hawok ke BM: Maaf ya yang bawak teksi tadi bukan awak ke? ENG: My apologies ,arent you the one who drove the taxi or arent you the taxi driver? SLV :he couldnt speak so he made apology with clasped hand and pointing at Dr Khairy and then make his hand as if he is holding a steering wheel and turning corners I dont understand you Sir ,do you nurse? (He thought the nurse must have spoken to the family member and they probably have left as the waiting was too long) The Young Nurse: I think he is telling you how he got this problem,probably driving and involve in an accident. DLJV: huhan!! huhan!! Haye hingk ye huhan hokto hahi wive heksi haye hapok hie huluor heksi hadi BM: Bukan! Bukan! saya ingat dia bukan doktor (tapi)driver taxi ,Saya nampak die keluar teksi tadi ENG: NO!! NO!! I think he is not a Dr but a taxi driver ,I saw him coming out of taxi SLV: Since the words were gibberish ,the sign language were by Waving his hand as a big NO and trying to describe taxi as a small wheel turning probably refering to the wheel of an old meter (20 years ago the taximeter look like that) and again hand on the steering sign and doing corners signs. The Young Nurse: Oh I see, I see...you trying to avoid a child doing a wheelie on the road and thats how you got involve in accident.(Some imagination she got) Realising that the story was not true or wrongly translated as the dislocated jaw did not normally happen during accident and no sign of other injury shown,Dr Khairy ,as he was in a hurry,decided to treat without any more attempts to get any history from the patient.The patient looked like he refused to be treated and had to be hold down to quiten him(not that any word came out except for ouuuuu,,arrrgh and eeeekkk). Note by CGOPD: The way to reduce the dislocated jaw is to calm down the patient(by hook or crook)and placed your gloved thumb padded by gauzes,on the last bottom molars on both side.Rest assured he cant bite you as he cant close his mouth.Place a constant pressure downwards until you feel a give and pushed it backwards.Guide it slowly,secukup rasa,and take out your fingers immediately. Please dont crack further jokes pertaining to the events or asking him the events that lead to it as he might laugh again and dislocate the jaw again.Its best that you tie his jaw shut by bandaging it to the head,in which case he would still unable to talk. In betwwen cries and resistant ,the patient was given sleeping drug through his vein to relax him and Dr Khairy hurriedly reduced the dislocation .In so doing proven to the patient that he was indeed a doctor .He was speechless(he got his jaw tied up) but shake Dr Khairy's hand and went to sleep. The patients thoughts and frutration was related to Dr Khairy the next morning and the events were related to Dr Jay when Dr Khairy was asked about the commotion he caused that night and later to me while we were sitting watching the birds in Pulau Duyong. I believe the story doesnot sound hilirious to you but when told by DrJay with his good acting skill doing the mute patient and The Driver hand clawed on the dashboard ,i could have died laughing.Thats the thing about me laughing that at times made Dr Jay warning me about the dislocated jaw and telling me how to deal with it.So now you know how to deal with it. Posted by Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong at 3:01 AM Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ANDI'S BAG Part Two I met the lovely and effervescent Elviza of 'Writeaway' fame today,the one with lovely poster all ready to strike.She insisted on me finishing the true story of Andi ASAP.For those who just drop by ,its best that you read the first installation as I wont charge you a single sen ,I tend to be generous when my birthday is around the corner. Dr Jay,please continue. Andi was booked for the earliest available time on the OT list ie.the next day.We felt that we couldnt prolong his agony any longer, even for one extra day.Considering the colostomy that he had,he managed somehow or rather to grow up without any severe malnourishment,in which case the op would be better of be postponed to stabilise the patient.Andi was as fit as a fiddle thus he was on as the first case in the morning. I hold my medical officer by the throat and forced all his charms to be used to make sure that the op would be on as schedule.Many at times working in Goverment hospitals,half of the energy spent were used on convincing the anaesthetic colleague to give priority to your patient.He had his own priority,and I had mine. We fought,conned and bribed our way through for the sake of our patient...this must be the selfish part of me called upon when I was fighting for my patient to be included into the operating list ASAP.I was not into popularity contest ,and I could sleep at a drop of a hat, even with half of the hospital staff hated me (for all I care). It was not a difficult task as far as this special patient was concern,everyone gave Andi the top level VVIP treament..everyone felt so guilty i guess. It was a simplest of operation,everything went smoothly and ended in a jiffy with minimal blood lost.When all the i's were dotted and t's crossed,he was wheeled out to main ward without any need of close obsevation.It felt like ,even if it would take the whole world conspiring to screw up this boy's day it wouldnt happen as he had paid all his dues and that day was his payback day, with the grace of God. The total recovery took three days.Everyday when I did my wardround and came to his turn,he would tell me something that most normal people would take for granted. He would say,"You know Dr Jay,I guess Ismail(his blind friend) wouldn't be able to find me now without my smell, when we play hide and seek ", said with wide cheeky grin. On second day ,tugging on my labcoat asking me when he could go back to school.It would be a very proud day for him to go back to school without all those paraphenalia that seem to be with him as long as he could remember. But the best day was the third day post op when i saw him walking in the ward in the morning with smile extending from one ear to another.Not much word spoken with the thumb up sign shown to me from one end of the long ward as I walked in. As he appeared close to me ,all he said in a whisper was ,"Dr Jay Berak Best la!!"..... You know how I felt? I could have cried ...but that would be too embarassing for someone who is so stern and used to scold everyone left, right and centre for breakfast.Andi's words humbled me as many of things blessed by Allah to us human,were taken for granted without a tinge of gratefulness .Nevertheless I told myself,that was one hell of job satisfaction,one satisfaction that no amount of money could buy !! I left Andi alone to do the healing as his recovery were taken care of by prayers of person who was a victim of circumstances.Allah pay special attention to this sort of prayer .My mother said 'Orang teraniya Doanya Makbul!!'. I met him again in between my busy schedules,emergencies , operating and catching up with my sleep.That was the day he was 'directing' the packing after being discharge.Rogayah did the packing as he seemed to play the sick role ,which am sure, not really necessary as he was normal in every sense. Rogayah was rearranging things and finally was holding a stack of plastic bags which they brought from Johor which has been a regular feature of Andi.He was quick to point out even without asking my opinion ,"Kak,tak payah bawa balik,tinggal jelah kat sini(Sis,we dont have to bring back those plastic bag anymore)"....Rogayah look at me with a smile as I nodded my head with full agreement with the young confident director. Andi left for home after one week of hospital stay ,he has no use for the plastic bag anymore.... Dr Jay when he talked of Andi ,he would repeat this"He must be a grown up young man by now", and he smiled “Humanity is unregenerable and hates the language of conformity, as conformity has a whiff of the inhuman about it” Posted by Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong at 6:26 AM Friday, April 13, 2007 ANDI'S BAG Part One I heard this story from a close friend of mine ,a Surgeon Dr Jay.Been relating this story many time for anyone care to listen.Cant afford to repeat it as Mrs Gable has grown tired of listening to it all when we were entertaining visitors to the point that,within the corner of my eyes,she would do the lipsync .... I told you she knew me too well as me being predictable and repeatative,so she said.So this better be the last time before Mrs Gable started to cry .....out of sheer boredom. Dr Jay ,was the doctor who operated on me,became a family friend and share many interests ( ie.birdwatching and fishing)in short we enjoy each other company .Many stories told to me while fishing or waiting for the flock of birds to appear,certainly worth retelling ,this is one of them ,the story of Andi's Bag. I guess Andi(not real name) must be 26 years old now married and happy.I knew him when he was nine ,as he was presented to me from Johor Baharu by his sister.I was a young ,handsome (much better than you CG,he would always claimed),full of hair and just qualified as a surgeon,eagerly waiting to 'cut and heal' and cure all who came to seek my assistance.Such nobel thought,but many at times the patients were the one who taught you in return the lesson of life ......in ways how humbling a life can be if simple thing in life blessed upon you by God,were taken away.The lesson to be 'Bersyukor' to Allah's for the bounty heaped upon you ungrateful ,impudent and insolent brute!! It was the first clinic on the first day of me being a Surgeon.I went inspite of my blocked nose as i wouldnt want to miss the day for the world.I had seen three patients on that day when a nurse came and beg me to see the patient number 30(or about) skipping all others on the list.Me being stickler to order on mad rush monday morning insisted that if the case is of any urgency,it was best to refer to Emergency Department,as no one would like to have anyone skipping numbers ,when everyone was equally sick "It's OK Dr,everyone insisted that the patient being called first and if you dont mind, am going to the next room and you can call me when you need me",the nurse excused herself without being excused to the next room after ushering Andi and his sister Rogayah(not her real name) to my room. Rogayah , a shy young lady, demure but look very mature ,determined and responsible almost a mother.The way Andi walk with shy look into my office with his million dollar smile was a sight to behold.A child of nine with whole world's burden to carry yet smile as wide as my office door.I reckoned ,he must have been a child that was so good at making other people comfortable.He surveyed the room yet never letting go Rogayah's hold. Rogayah was the one sitting with Andi standing close. "I mintak ampun banyak banyak kerana bau busuk ni(I humbly apologise for nauseating smell)",the first word uttered by Rogayah and pointing to Andi's bag. I surveyed with my eyes and saw a yellow plastic bag dangling on left side of his tummy half filled with faeces.The pong suddenly unblock my nose and Andi's was grinning and soundlessly apologising to me with his Bambi's eyes.I walked to the sink , roti chanai crawling up my throat with expectant delivery.I thought I saw my nurse smiling at the end of the long interconnected rooms,the wicked smile you get when someone did a practical joke on you. Andi extended his hand with all innocence,wondering what the fuss was all about...I took his hand and later realised how cruel life had treated him.Later,I told myself if someone were to say he/she had miserable chilhood,I shall throw Andi's story to him/her and see whether they could upstage that. Andi was one of those child who was unfortunate enough to be delivered to this world with congenital defect called ' Imperforate Anus',basically born with without anal opening.One of the thing the doctors or nurses asked about a newborn babies is to find out whether they've passed a stool called meconium,the black tarry stool.The passing signify that the tract is complete from one end to the other.In Andi's case the absence of opening , would result in grossly distended tummy after a few hour of life as meconium and air couldnt be expelled out.I believe he had emergency operation on the first day of life ,this was later confirmed by Rogayah,she was 12 year old girl then. As fate had it Andi's two end that didnt meet were only separated by a thin layer of membrane about 20sen coin thick,the least severe variety of congenital anomolies.He was expected to be referred at one year of age for final repair which would made him a normal boy again after the final corrective work.Though troublesome it might seem ,the colostomy bag is odour proof and with proper care would post little problem.Unfortunately his one year wait was not on Greenwhich mean time. Andi's fate were related to many unfortunate events ,none of his doings.He was the the 6th in the family of ten with youngersiblings coming in short succession.Thus he was quick to be weaned off the mother's milk ,probably malnourished as well as one would expect to have a father,the sole breadwinner , who worked as taxi driver with twelve mouths to feed. Overtime the father decided to take a second wife and the meagre income would later be shared with two families. With assocociated surgical defect,malnourished state and little attention that he had no one would be surprised if he didnt survive through it all that.Kids died with much simpler ailment.....presevered he certainly did. When time was difficult ,the father decided it was cheaper to use a normal plastic bag instead of odourless colostomy bag.Over the years Andi became so good at changing it himself and thats what he had been doing till the day he came to my clinic at nine years of age. Primary school can be a cruel place even to a child in excellent medical health.Kids would tease to no end anyone with little abnormality be it BatEar,the irregular gaits or a transient stutter. Imagine a child with a smell of faeces and a plastic bag dangled alongside him ,then you can imagine the turmoil that he had to endure in his growing up years.According to him ,he has but only one friend, a blind boy who would able to find him no matter his whereabout!! Rogayah left school early and started to work as factoryhand to support the family.After two years of saving she had enough money to bring him to Kuala Lumpur to seek proper surgical treatment in Goverment hospital,that was the day I met Andi. Posted by Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong at 10:12 PM Tuesday, April 10, 2007 CGOPD REPORTING FOR DATO SHAZIMAN OF KTAK MINISTRY I received your letter with great relief as I thought you have all forgotten about our chance meeting the other day.I believe you have an unenviable task of registering all the bloggers as decreed by the government .Your 'brilliant' idea to put the blog world in order so that they may be classified and acted upon accordingly,is certainly worth the accolades heaped on you as one of the smartest hotair head around . Allow me to introduce myself again,My Name is Mr Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong,5'8"(some say I look taller at night) 90kg ,with handsome face ,steady hands,charming general outlook,pleasant personality,impeccable dressing sense,tolerable sense of humor and suspect intellect ,residing here in this Pulau Duyong Blog.I can go on with the introduction but that would make you think that I am one who think too highly of oneself.The photo of me taken in Bahamas with bevy of beauties hereby enclosed ,attest to my above mentioned qualities,the one on my left is the late Nicole. I took the liberty of studying the world of bloggers which i feel would be useful for you in your new line of work.I feel 'terpanggilled'(i love this word when used by politicians like your goodself, to describe their selfless devotion to work)to contribute as any responsible citizen would.If by any chance you feel that I am of great value to you (like Sheih is to PAS),feel free to call me at the above number.My apologies for this late reply,I was down with eye problem due to my bird-watching hobby ,thus i couldnt contact you earlier. Here is my innitial report on classification and terms used by bloggers in Malaysia: Define as a male blogger regardless of their agenda.So its very polite to address a blogger as "Hello Mr Blogerra" if you meet a man who blog vigorously as if his whole live depend on it and by so doing ,you would make him feel important.You can read the testosterone ozzing when these Blogerras write.If he start to walk on air or write in very codescending words,you class them in subgroup 'Carbonated Bloggera' which is a special subclass of bloggers best not discussed here. The famous Blogerra are: Rocky's of Rocky Bru,BigDog ,Kickdefella,TokAsid,Penarek Beca,The Voice ,Zorro,Ron,D'KadirJ,Raja Petra and Malay Male. Define as female bloggers of varied personal agenda.They may talk of politic ,recipe,looking beautiful,child upbringing or male hating things but the emotions potrayed are certainly of feminine variety.The estrogenic words are more soothing and refine with many symphatatic undertones to it. eg.Ms Nuraina Samad,Mm Marina Mahathir,Elvira and Susan Loone. The estrogenic and testosteronic phrases are quite interchangeable by Bloggerita and Bloggera alikes,thus its best that you dont judge their gender after reading one posting by any anonymous blogger.Read with a free unassuming mind and judge it after several months.They may sound bloggeritanic today but bloggeranic a few weeks later.Some change sex everyday. Define as anonymous blogger with indeterminate gender.Further reading wouldnt be able to redefine to the class they belongs to and they are quite happy to be in the stated state of blogging. eg.UnassumingMe,Rek-Rek and Cilok. Define as initial state of inflamamation or anger about an issue that the Bloggeras and Bloggeritas experience. They feel that their two-sen worth of opinion must be expressed for the whole world to know.In real world my mother called 'kepochi type'.Certain issues benefited greatly when the bloggeritis strike. eg.Humble Abode in Perth,The issue brought up by a man who bought an award,ZAM. Define as the state of mind that affected all bloggers when they decided not to blog for weeks on end ,leaving their fans based getting schizophrenic and obsessively pressing on their URL link hoping to see their new posting. eg.Mr Bergen was infected by Bloggerexic condition two months ago. The state of diarrhoea of blogs when the said blogger keep on posting new post every hours with incoherent thoughts and ideas .The more we read ,more confuse the reader would become.Nothing is more confusing that the state of bloggerhoea ...old,smelly,new,unblended,unverified,undigested and half form topic being posted. eg. A writer of RRR(Rectally Eminence Rehman Rashid) standing ,if he were to write blog would be easily affliated with this bloggerhoe as his area of expertise is within 'touching' distance. I hope this insider information would be of great help to you .If you find my work as astounding and remarkable feel free to express it,am quite used to people saying thats as far as my reporting is concern...this not an attempt to'angkat-bakul by my own self',far from it. Of course the list is inexhaustible,new terms keep cropping up everyday and its best that you keep abreast with the development so that you'll be kept informed and dont come out with'out-of-space' or stupid statement( of course this not in any way implying that you were from outer space).The persons as the like of me,myself and I would be well informed and updated with the latest tricks used by bloggers (ie.your sworn enemy) .Hiring me,would definitely bring some muscle to your latest campaign.Ninety percent of blogger ,for you information, are unemployed,me included. I must admit that am not technologically advance as Sheih or an astute and refine writer as RRR,but if my wife saying has any bearing in your decision making to hire me in permanent basis with reasonable salary,a driver and free oversea travels ,this is what she said about me: "Mr Clarke Gable ,when it come to words and woman ,you are something!! (not in specific order depending on time ,place and the person around) For further detail meaning to it,you are free to speak with my wife personally,she is my only referee. Looking Forward To Your Favourable Reply. "Berkhidmat Utk Negara dan Semestinya Hidup UMNO" The photo is for your eyes only,if Mrs Gable get hold of it I'll be a dead man.That how much i trusted you Sir. Posted by Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong at 8:53 PM IN FAR AWAY LAND PULAU DUYONG'S MILLIONS ENTWINED The following extracts from documents in the public domain tell a story about Equine Capital's Patrick Lim Soon Kit, his wife Wong Mun Yee @ Cindy Lim, one Kamaluddin Abdullah Badawi, a self-made millionaire (or billionaire), and his father, Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Badawi. Datuk Patrick Lim Soo Kit is a substantialshareholder of the Company (Equine Capital) with indirect interest of 22.63%. He is the husband of Datin Wong Mun Yee and nephew to Lim Ah Yee and Lim Ah Chai. Datin Wong Mun Yee, Lim Ah Yee and Lim Ah Chai are also substantial shareholders of the Company with indirect interest of 22.63%. (Equine Capital Bhd, 2004 Annual Report, pageS 16-17) 34 Bay View Terrace, Mosman Park An Extract from the Certificate of Title: Registered Proprietor: Mun Yee Wong of 2/19 Melville Beach Rd, AppleCross Registered 11 March 2004 Encumbrances: Mortgage to National Australia Bank, Registered 11 March 2004 Raja Petra of Malaysia-Today: Malaysia's First Family's family home at 34, Bay View Terrace, Mosman Park, Perth, Australia is currently under extensive and massive renovation works. A house bought by a non-permanent resident has to be renovated at a cost of more than half the purchase price. Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin today clarified the allegation that his father-in-law, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, owns a ‘RM60 million’ house in Australia. According to him, the house belongs to Abdullah’s son and prominent businessman Kamaludin (Khairy: Aussie mansion belongs to PM’s son) PENANG, birthplace of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is set to benefit from several Ninth Malaysia Plan infrastructure projects, namely the Penang Outer Ring Road, monorail and second bridge projects. ....One company that is set to benefit significantly from this is property developer Equine Capital Bhd. Its integrated Crescentia Park project and Penang International Equestrian Centre, at the 2,560-hectare Bandar Cassia township in Batu Kawan, is located at the mainland end of the Second Bridge. ....Lim was a major beneficiary of government spending in the high-profiled Monsoon Cup In Pulau Duyong. (A bridge to higher profits By Joanna Sze ,1 January 2007 The Monsoon Cup was held purely to Promote Tourism,Islamic Hadhari and Marine Heritage of Pulau Duyong.This article tarnishing goodname of the main benefciaries of almost half a billion ringgit spent,is really mischievous and inaccurate.To assume that the money was siphoned to Perth thru BatuKawan Soprano's link is preposterous !!! There is no Al Ghazalli in Perth so its unthinkable for PakLah to even consider making Perth his home. To commemerate the event of renaming Pulau Duyong as Pulau Warisan(please help me God) ,a batu erected ,in full cognizant of Trg MB shall be named 'Batu Pak Lah'.This of course with reference to an existing 'Batu Bersurat' (Somehow Clark Gable of Pulau Warisan sound so odd.) KJ claimed that the house belongs to Kamaruddin ,and not PakLah .The Document state that it belongs to certain Datin Wong Moon Yee.They must be close buddy or closeknit family or somethin'..spirit of sharing is alive and well in Perth and Pulau Duyong. Posted by Clark Gable of Pulau Duyong at 12:45 AM Monday, April 02, 2007 THE TROUBLE WITH MR CLARK GABLE OF PULAU DUYONG<br /> My young good neighbour who just got married for less than three years decided to end their partnership.I believe any marriage must go through stage of orientation which can last for a few years.This is the time of discovery of all hidden bad habits which were nicely subdued during courting days.The loud morning windly instrumental song with the accompaniment of 'ambipure'odour, public balls adjustment and nose picking and flipping it around are just a few 'cultured' habits attained through unrestrained bringing up by ever forgiving parents of your new partner. This discoveries are part of orientation programme that every new couple must endure for everlasting peace till death do you part. Ms Elviza could sense that I am in trouble,I suppose a good lawyers came with that inert ability to read between the lines.Trouble and marriage is the lyric and melodies that stick together with the love as undercurrent.(I better stop being too polongsophical here)Mokk, another dear dr friend, suggested a few tips one of which is to do more'memendekkan karangan' trick,to which i agree. Being married ,as long as I am to Mrs Gable has many benefits.First and foremost the beautiful kids that I adore(most Genes are from her side of family)and secondly having a inhouse person who can critisize you that really can touch you to the very bare bone,at no extra cost. Of course this is reciprocal except for some sensitive topic like Global warming,my very own mother in-law,weight issue,Amazon deforestration ,Iran nuclear issue and cooking menu for the day.This is not listed in order of priority, if you care to do some reasearch on it.Its good that I put up in my blog so that this can become case study for young married couple ,and they can learn from reallife situation just like akademi fantasia...since AF is all the craze now.It is as real as it can get. It can just start as any other day as I sit here in my humble abode in Pulau Duyong,writing my blog,sipping tea at 230pm in the afternoon,with binocular on ready and Mrs Gable doing her cross stitch humming her favourite songs. The conversations start innocently enough with the story of MakCik Yam our neighbour or the stray cows in our compound.Of late i notice that the moment Pam's name mentioned,not that its my fault as she ask me to whom I was writing to,the title of coversation became off tangent .This is a bit difficult for me to fathom considering that am like father sort of figure to Pam who always ever so nice to me . It normally begins with ,"You know Whats The Trouble With You Mr Clark Gable?"(she tend to address me with formal Mr title when this type of conversation begins...try to train your partner to do this so that you are better prepared when the conversation take a sudden turn in tune,tone and melody) Mrs Clark Gable: You ,Mr Clark Gable are too predictable!! P.R.E.D.I.C.T.B.L.E. (she won spellingbee contest when she was young,so its best that you try not to correct the spelling) Mrs Clark Gable: You keep on doing similar things at similar time everyday year in year out.Some people can say it 'a bore ' but that would be too crude to your sensitive ears and people just went out of their way to be nice to you .Not me Sire! (Your title can change many times but mostly of 'respectable titles,it can be Tun or TanSri if you are lucky) Mrs Clark Gable: I thought Dr called people like you obsessive compulsive arent they? (still doing x stitches without even lifting her eyes to meet mine) Oh really..(still blogging and hoping for new ideas ...'Whats wrong with CGOPD' seems like a good topic,but of course its best that i stay quiet) Mrs Clark Gable: And you think i never visit your blog where you been telling people how nice you are ,being a gentleman ,handsome face,sturdy hands ,generous with praises and all those craps?? And what this you, giving advises to all the world about how to win women's heart as if women were drolling over this old wrinkled,krepot(this word make me cringe!!) body of yours? And advising Johorean to express their worries on South Johor Project when our own financial 'worries' seem non of your concern.

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As the use of technologies becomes less of an issue and approaches such as the use of SMS for mobile learning become ubiquitous – our attention must now move to an increased focus on pedagogy. How will the use of these technologies affect learners’ abilities to learn? How will teachers and facilitators need to change their existing practice? As individual access and control of content explodes, the higher education institutions that move toward the integration of services such assessing learning, helping students organize what they know into meaningful packages and then credential that learning will get the cheese. There will be new are the new institutions that build on what is currently happening and some will remake themselves. Mobile learning at OUM started with the formation of an research team on m-learning in August 2008. Its first task was to determine how ready OUM learners would be for mobile learning. We surveyed almost 3,000 learners throughout Malaysia and found that more than 80 percent of the learners said they would be ready for learning through their mobile phones. We first experimented with podcasts and moved on to using sms to support the blended mode of learning at OUM and found that the latter worked extremely well. When it comes to changes in formal and informal learning, we may need to think about the pedagogy involved, where there may also be a shift from collaborative learning in institutions to cooperative learning in networks. There may also be a shift from cooperative learning in networks to collaborative learning in institutions when MOOC is formally institutionalized and accreditated in institutions. Does it address the difference between cooperation and collaboration learning in the networks/groups? In other words, these MOOCs are set up by one or more individuals. They are created not collectively, as we go along, but usually by one or more (less than 5?) individuals working as a group. As creators and conveners of the MOOC, what responsibility do they have for their creation and the resultant learning that takes place in the MOOC? Where does their responsibility begin and end? Does it matter? After seeing several MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) come and go over the past couple of years, I've decided to play a part in a new one being facilitated by Dave Cormier, George Siemens and Stephen Downes. Is assessment always necessary in learning (in particular informal learning or social learning)? Can people learn effectively without being assessed? May be not, under a formal education system. But if we argue that it is growth of a person as a product of learning (refer to Stephen’s slides on Connectivism), and based on Connectivism and transculturality, then the assessment would be embedded in the “growth of knowledge, skills and competency”, which could be reflected in the performance in study or that at work, and that comes naturally also in network conversation. Information Literacy has been defined by the American Library Association in the following way: To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and has the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Digital Literacy seems to be very similar: In Wikipedia it starts with a definition that is almost word for word identical to ALA definition of information literacy but adds on three new words: Digital literacy is the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate and analyze information using digital technology. Digital citizenship refers to the use of these skills to interact with society. Today, with the proliferation of tablet computers such as the iPad and Galaxy Tab, OUM is considering using them as a learning device on OUM course modules can be easily downloaded into. Still at the planning stage, the idea of using tablet computers makes sense as through these devices, not only will course information and learning materials be more easily accessible, the learner will also benefit from other useful applications supported by such devices. In addition, with wi-fi facilities available in most, if not all classrooms in the OUM learning centers, the learners will be better engaged with OUM as a whole and with their facilitators in particular. It will be seamless and ubiquitous learning at its best. I think one education's challenges in the 21st century is going to be whether they can change and adapt to new technology. Moreover, whether education can embrace new forms of technology to drive different types of learning and increase international collaboration. I think #change11 is going to be a fascinating experiment for all involved. This MOOC guide based on the experience of the MobiMOOC(ourse) which was a course that ran from 2 April until the 14 May 2011 and had 580 participants that hooked up to its resources. The course resulted in collaborations transcending the duration of the course. The course focused on the subject of mobile learning and was delivered over 6 weeks, each of which had a different angle: introduction to mLearning, mLearning planning, mLearning for development, leading edge mobile innovations, mLearning in a mobile connected society and mLearning in k12 settings.

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- Kidslogic Egg Attack EA-004 Iron Man 2 Mark 6Posted 59 mins ago - Kidslogic Egg Attack EA-003 Iron Man 2 War MachinePosted 1 hour ago - Hot Toys MMS198D03 1/6th Scale Iron Man 3 War Machine Mark II FigurePosted 15 days ago - Enterbay Real Masterpiece 1/6th Scale Michael Jordan #23 Figure (Series 1 Road Edition)Posted 20 days ago - Hot Toys 1/6th Scale PPS002 Power Pose Iron Man 3 Red Snapper FigurePosted 20 days ago - ThreeA 3A Real Steel Atom 1/6th Scale FigurePosted 28 days ago - Sideshow 1/6th Scale Star Wars Clone Commander Wolffe Action FigurePosted 33 days ago - Hot Toys MMS-197D02 1/6th Scale Iron Man 3 Mark XLII Diecast Collectible FigurePosted 38 days ago - Hot Toys MMS-195D01 1/6th Scale Iron Man 3 The Iron Patriot Diecast Collectible FigurePosted 49 days ago - ZCWO 1/6th Scale Charlie Chaplin Collectible Action FigurePosted 61 days ago Sideshow Star Wars 12-inches Republic Clone Captain Action Figure Toy Garden and Toywiz Malaysia will be taking preorder for the Sideshow Star Wars 12-inches Republic Clone Captain Action Figure! Clone Troopers, physically identical soldiers bred solely for battle, redefine the future of galactic warfare. The Clone Trooper Captains represent a specialized breed, born in the hatcheries of Kamino, designed to serve as battlefield officers and special mission operatives. Armed with DC-15A blaster rifles and trained in both squad and company level tactics they were assigned to lead companies of Clone Trooper soldiers. During the First Battle of Geonosis, these officers took a company lead position at Forward Command Centers and destroyed Confederacy OG-9 homing spider droids by skillfully utilizing the speed and maneuverability of their Speederbikes. Throughout the course of the long and bloody conflict that followed, the efficiency of the Clone Trooper Infantry and their Captains would be proven time and again on many scattered worlds. The Republic Clone Captain (Star Wars) Sixth Scale Figure features: Articulated Armored Body with over 30 points of articulation Detailed Fabric Bodysuit Highly Detailed Full Body Captain Armor Set Phase I Helmet Thirteen (13) Interchangable Hands for Multiple Display Options One (1) pair standing boot One (1) pair action boot BlasTech DC-15A Long Range Blaster Rifle BlasTech DC-15S Blaster Carbine Lower support extendable figure stand with Star Wars logo Release date: Q2 2012 Start preorder now at Toywiz Malaysia and Toy Garden Kuala Lumpur for RM349and don’t miss the chance to own this awesome Star Wars figure! In Stock now at Toy Garden and Toywiz Malaysia for RM379.

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Reservation Systems (CRS) If you run into steep pricing quotes when shopping for airline tickets, do not despair, You Always Have Other Options. Here's our recommended procedures and web CRS tips & tricks to get you there for less than the rest on your plane. Check different times, then nearby dates, then nearby airports. Airport Codes & their Citiesmake notes of all the possible airports and 3-letter codes for the most accurate and hassle free searching. 2) Look for which airlines are serving your destinationand check the site for specials/ promotions for these as well as Travelocity have more of this type of information than any other sites. Having low print cost per page (spelled HP laser printer) can help keep information overload under control. 3) If you have been able to identify seats on your flight that sold at a great promotional price but are no longer available then save that information for calling the airline later. Identifying the lowest cost seats sold on your flight can result in better bargain shopping service from your airline 4) Go visit the other CRS sites. There is a growing difference even among the same systems because there is an increasing number of separately negotiated marketing arrangements to favor certain choice selections in the top spots and other promotions. We recommend you give consumer oriented onetravel.com 5) Surf the airline web site. There's lots of internet specials these days. If you don't see your rate try calling them especially if you have information or codes for the lowest rate available on the flight which will trigger a true lowest price search Airline & Airport Web Site DIRECTORIES Arranged in our best and then the rest format with 800 numbers too 6) Try an auction site or visit your agentIf your trip has multiple legs a mistake can be very problematic and expensive to correct, use a travel agent. If you're flying a busy corridor then your chances of getting a match at a reverse auction site are good. The #2 travel site and the fastest most useful trip planning tool on the internet. The airfare screens contain some of the best options available for augmenting your best available deal search. They don't send you junk e-mail unless you request it. Still the most empowering part is being able to not log-in and immediately get the information you request. Take the time to know your options here. Owned 85% by Microsoft, Expedia is the major player most capable of restoring a normal supply and demand market to airfares. However do not be lulled into a false sense of complacency, all the CRS systems are now constantly being manipulated by side deals to favor certain sellers with first screen placement. They also have a priceline style reverse option for hotel rooms as well as airfare. or USAHotels WorldChoiceTravel log-in required for flights recently been rated the #1 Travel service by Gomez Advisors In March of 2001 TSI a major travel vendor for Europe & cruise lines and the owner of flycheap.com, Mytravelco.com, AutoEurope, acquired WorldChoice. Watch our #1 travel partner grow in the year's ahead to provide you " the best deal" that combination of service and value that makes you a loyal satisfied customer Italian || Spanish || Norwegian || Swedish || Dutch || German || & News. The latest on fares sales and other news from the world of travel. Requires Log-in with password and searches wider range of times and dates to find best prices between two USA airports. The largest web booker of travel services with total 2000 sales of $2.0 billion ( up from 1999 sales of $1.2 billion) Much of the growth came from the March 2000 merger with #3 Preview Travel, Inc. Travelocity.com is owned primarily by the #1 CRS or Sabre / American Airlines which may indicate lowest prices may not be its priority. only Check for a special Your fortunate if your USA airport is served by Southwest whose standard low fares are then matched by big carriers. Popular Frequent Flyer program. Tickets only available through their website following brief association with Travelocity in 2000. The USA has been unable to grow a similar discount airline for three decades now Travelscape mostly specializes in advertising its low price guarantee on some pretty ordinary pricing for hotel rooms but does have a full CRS system to take a go. (SystemOne/Amadeus) Guaranteed lowest published fare price or double the difference, System One is the most popular CRS because it is #1 with with travel agencies and includes the most flight data. Requires log-in. Since 1996, Search over 500 airlines (including over 1.3 million Imagine the daunting task of searching more than 80 million airfares that are changing almost daily. Also the great deals are fleeting capable of expiring suddenly. it has been this way for too long now but the web is changing the game dramatically. With persistence and savvy you can achieve dramatic savings or enhancements for little if any extra cost except your time. We like to remind you, that on the web: "You Always Have Other Options" and we detail them here. Airlines are not happy about these changes and have increasingly added incentives for traveler to visit their are an intrinsically complex system, and much of that system is deliberately obscure...The worst place to buy your ticket, if you care about price, is directly from an airline" SHOPS "You'll get the best price if you shop around, but remember that rating an around the world itinerary can take an hour of work (for which the agent is paid nothing if you end up getting the ticket elsewhere). So don't be surprised that the fare isn't in the computer and can't be given off the top of the agent's head; the agent will give only a very rough estimate of the fare unless you make clear that you are really serious about getting the ticket from that agency if the price is right. Bucket shops serve a limited and specialized subset of the air ticket market, and are mostly concentrated in a few world cities. The best places to find them are London and San Francisco; other places with many are Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Bangkok, and Athens. It's worth looking far afield to find a good bucket shop -- the overwhelming majority of travel agents don't even try to compete with bucket shop fares. For that matter, most agents couldn't construct the sorts of routings the better bucket shops specialize in (especially customized around-the-world itineraries) at any price. Ticket Farebeater (Amadeus CRS)l l Book a Room l l Car Rental Named PC Computing's #1 Bargain Travel Site, Hype only takes you so far when price is the name of the game and these guys can often win your shopping competition for airfare. Fast feature search for their 50,000 hotel listings. Don't bother with their car engine, others are much more reliable. onlinewith Economy Travel! (WorldSpan log-in to search The first screen lists lowest offered which can be helpful airline info then it can take a while for "available" but the results can indeed yield your best deal. In association with TravelSelect. "As one of the largest international ticket agencies, we can offer savings between 10-40% off of published fares on 24 major airlines. Our consolidator fares do not appear on airline web sites or reservation systems, only here! " discount travel pioneer Get your FREE Airfare & Cruise Quotes from discount Travel specialists. Your request will result in at least one hard to beat rate sent by e-mail within 24 hours. ETN is a huge sprawling sight with a power to the consumer Arriving in 2000, better late than never. While the huge different rates turned up would seem to be the killer app for a comparison search engines we have found them of marginal value being both slow and not as dedicated to lowest possible as one would hope. London: one of our 9 Carnaval Global Cities is also the great airport hub for Europe. The stars of the show are three very low cost airlines easyjet.com , RYANAIR and venerable British Airways go-fly.com As well as the hub for OAR's Airline of 2001 $99 between anywhere in Europe The $99 FlightPass covers 150 cities in 30 European countries or unlimited flights in 15 days for $699 Must purchase coupons outside of Europe CheapTickets.com Requires up front log-in but the pricing is often the best you will find due to exclusive deals with airlines, discount airlines not in other databases and an emphasis of serving up the best price regardless of its availability Discounted best quote guarantee for USAIR 800-428-4322 || AMERICAN 800-433-7300 || UNITED 800-241-6522 || CONTINENTAL 800-525-0280 || NW 800-225-2525 DL 800-221-1212 Call them reserve your rate & then give em a shot at saving you money Amazing Low Fares.comUSA Lots of excellent prices for domestic USA travel. Easy Look up in table and then call them to book 77 of 168 hours in the week. founder stumbled onto creating the bargain, around the world airfare and will use all our resources to get you the absolute lowest price! " the most advanced multi-stop trip building tool on the Internet " airbrokers.com Also Pacific Rim Loops of the airfare requires a minimum hotel booking yet still a wide variety of offerings including very low prices on timeshares you could exchange for a week anywhere in the world an RCI member timeshare resort exists increase your odds of making a match, try submitting a request between 5%-25% lower than the low current market price for your selected route. Standard taxes, airport and/or passenger fees, and surcharges are included in the price of each roundtrip ticketFlights purchased through Flight Price Matcher may not be eligible for frequent flyer awards, seat upgrades, or other traveler benefits and options was the pioneer who created a whole new price point for new air travelers who could not previously afford travel but they are not consumer oriented and their place in e-travel is yet to be determined. This service is great for the 21 days before liftoff when other airline ticket data bases are all rising in unison. play you must be willing to accept very little service or flexibility. Use them after you know the lowest prices being offered on a popular route and then try 20% to 30% less. flight Price Matcher is similar except it will give you the lowest price matching your criteria and not pocket the difference as priceline does. You cannot reject their offer or as they say you must " be willing to prepay for a nonrefundable, week a number of major airlines, hotel chains, and car rental companies offer highly-discounted, last-minute rates exclusively on the Internet Smarter Living stores these rates in two large databases and lets you access them for free. updated every Wednesday morning Help keep occupancy rates optimal and get yourself a dream vacation including the air. Lots deals available well in advance too. Airline of the Year Awards. || Awards Summary A celebration of the very best in global air travel, publicly the highest standards within the industry. Voted for by a worldwide audience of business travelers - subscribers to OAG print and electronic travel information products. Landings.com Aviation industry web directory. You can "still" add your link for free. Very well organized with thousands of listings Your URL (ITN-Galileo Apollo) Book on 500 airlines, 33,000 hotels, and 50 rental car companies worldwide Federal Aviation Administrationís official repository of USA aviation accident data and causal factors updated monthly All the databases are searchable no ratings or other analysis aids for the thousands of reports however. Great links pages Before traveling abroad, make two copies of the identification page one to take with you and one for someone to look up at home should an unfortunate situation arise... Traveling with kids may require notarized documentation when not with both birth parents... Beware of getting a 90 day visa more than 90 days before departure... Remember the credit card you booked may be required by the airline. Visa- Passport: Requirements & Expediting (Pets too) Its all here without much search effort. Don't put off travel docs and services are cheap if you don't have the time or patience Passport Services (mostly for USA & UK ) Visually referenced in our best then the rest format. is our. Packed with fast facts on everything you need to know before you go including visa, health airport and weather airline industry, the "invisible hand" of the free market just doesn't seem up to the task of aligning carriers' behavior with consumers' Winship frequent flyer authority atsmarterliving.com Get and update on the lack of progress the 1999 US Congress made on addressing lack of consumer protections for frequent

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Liga IPT: UM antara calon utama juarai Divisyen Satu. Harian Metro 26-April-2012 |Image size: 163KB |Subjects: Students--Activities || |Property of The University of Malaya Library This material may be protected under Malaysia Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials. You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research.

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Yachting Australia Corporate Partner RSYS lining up for 146th season of sailing The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Australia’s oldest yacht club, will begin its 146th spring/summer sailing season on Sydney Harbour on Saturday week, 1 September. With entries flowing into the Sailing Office, 2007-2008 is shaping up as another magnificent season, providing outstanding competition for yachts that range from the evergreen Hood 23s and Dragons through to the biggest fleet of Etchells one-design keelboats racing weekly in the country, if not the world. The Squadron’s sailing programme now extends far beyond the traditional Saturday afternoon club racing, catering for changing trends among sailing members and their crews. The Squadron’s high standard of race management and excellent race courses continues to attract a growing number of yachts from other clubs, who are always welcome to sail with the RSYS. This season the Squadron will conduct mini-regattas for International Etchells, Yngling, Dragon and J24 one-design classes through the summer, there will be a new twilight regatta for Sydney 38s and Sydney 32s in November, the Gold Cup series for International Dragons through the season, and National championships for the International Farr 40 and Mumm 30 classes in February 2009. For the more social side of sailing, there will be two evenings each week for Twilight sailing – the first Friday Twilight race will be on 2 November while the first Ladies Tuesday Twilight race be on 13 November. Harbour racing for 2007-2008 will start with the first two Saturdays of club racing for all divisions and classes on 1 and 8 September, with the Sailing Office confident that APEC activities will not extend to the Harbour on those days. Assistant Sailing Manager Margaret Carney is pleased with the early response from owners, particularly in the Etchells class. "We have 23 boats on the list already…and that’s very good with more than a week still to go to the first race," she said today. "I expect we will end up with a fleet of 32 or 33 Etchells." Among the entries so far is Sun Tzu, skippered by Roger Hickman, who recently was nominated to become a member of the Squadron. Hickman is well known as an ocean racing yachtsman, having skippered two Sydney Hobart overall winners, but decided he also enjoys the boat-for-boat competition of big fleet Etchells racing Moving up from the Ynglings to the Etchells this season is Graham Ross-Smith with Squid, while other new boats will be Michael Stovin-Bradford’s boat, Touch Pause & Engage, and Ben Lehmann’s The Front Row. In the Ynglings, Pat and Joyce Warne will be lining up for yet another season, the second with their new boat Holly. Commodore Bill Wood heads a strong line-up in Division 1 with his Beneteau 40.7 Kookaburra III, while former Commodore Bruce Dickson is also competing with Norske. The fleet will be boosted with the inclusion of up to six Mumm 30s, always fast and spectacular. Apart from competing under handicap against other Division boats, the Mumm 30s will be racing for their own one-design trophy series. Among the first Mumm 30s entered were RSYS member Guy Stening’s Optimumm and Dennis Thomas’ Awarua from the CYCA. Biggest mixed fleet division so far is Division 3. Among the new boats this year will Squadron member Paul Harris with his Beneteau 27.7 Holy Gale, who will join a fleet that includes past Commodore Jim Dunstan with his Sydney Hobart Race winner Zeus II, retired from the ocean but still competitive inshore. The strong fleet that enjoyed close competition in Division 5 last year has been moved to Division 4 this season, comprising a cross-section of smaller cruiser/racers, including Hood 23s, Folkboats and a Bonbridge 27. The Squadron’s Offshore division is also on the increase this season, competing in a range of short ocean races, starting with Sydney Amateur Sailing Clubs’ race to Lion Island and return on Saturday, 8 September. Max Prentice has entered his Beneteau 40.7 Ticket of Leave, while Andrew Wenham has extensively refurbished the wellknown former ocean racer Inch by Winch, a Peterson 44, to race with the Squadron Offshore division. Inch by Winch contested ten Hobart races between 1980 and 1991 as well as many other long ocean races. New Commodore for Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania Prominent Hobart yachtsman and yachting administrator Alastair Douglas has been elected Commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, one of Australia’s senior yacht clubs. His election is the culmination of more than 25 years of active participation in sailing and volunteer support for yachting for which he has been honoured with an OAM (Order of Australia Medal). Alastair replaces Marion Cooper who has served the past three years as the first woman Commodore of the RYCT, in fact, the first woman to achieve that flag rank at any “Royal” club in Australia. As Immediate Past Commodore, Marion continues on the Board of the RYCT and as chairperson of its mariner development committee. RYCT members have also elected David Weir as Vice Commodore and Clive Simpson as Rear Commodore. Although he has previously served as a committee member and flag officer of the RYCT, Alastair Douglas is probably best known as the current Chairman and Race Director of the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race, an event he has been closely associated with since its inception in 1989. In 1988, because of his enthusiasm for short-handed sailing and knowledge and expertise in yacht safety, Alastair was invited to join the small working group to devise and conduct the now world famous short-handed sailing and endurance mountain running race. He plans to continue as Race Director, a position he has held for the past 15 years (since 1993), with the Three Peaks next Easter being the 20th annual event. Alastair commenced his serious sailing career at a much later age than many yachties of today when, in his early twenties (the late 1960s), he and his wife purchased a 22-foot keel yacht for day sailing on the Derwent River. He soon progressed to crewing in an offshore class participating in longer coastal races in southern Tasmanian waters. Since those early years he has completed a number of major trips such as sailing a lively 40-foot catamaran with one other person as crew from Sydney to the Tamar River in the fast sailing time of 2 days and 5 hours. Alastair has crewed in monohull races and multihull races in Victoria and New South Wales, has completed two full circumnavigations of Tasmania and has raced in the 1997 and the now infamous 1998 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. In January 1998 he also raced in the Tall Ships Race from Sydney to Hobart with the yacht finishing in second place overall, the smallest yacht to complete the race that experienced gale force south-westerly conditions that existed for the majority of the trip. Alastair has had a long involvement with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, being invited to join the Board of Management in 1995 to fill a casual vacancy. Since then he has been elected a past Vice Commodore and Rear Commodore, serving eight years on the Board. Much of his contribution to yacht management has been related to safety. He is an accredited yacht safety auditor with more than 25 years experience, the principal of the RYCT Marine College, a Yachting Australia Yachtmaster and accredited instructor, an instructor in Survival and Sea Safety and Marine Radio and a former editor of the quarterly magazine, the Tasmanian Yachtsman. Over the past few years, Alastair has also played a significant role in the operation of Tascoast Radio, a volunteer-manned radio service for yachts and fishing craft operating around the Tasmanian coast and into the South Pacific and Indian Oceans that broadcasts from the RYCT. He was the driving force in the commissioning of the Mt Murray remote HF radio site near Triabunna in 2001, which greatly expanded the coverage by Tascoast Radio, including the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Outside of his yachting interests, Alastair worked for the Australian Taxation Office for 32 years, has been a commercial beekeeper and currently works as a computer consultant. Last year Alastair Douglas was appointed President of Yachting Tasmania and awarded a Medal in the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to yachting. Sail The World On 1-2 September The ‘Sail the World’ weekend on 1-2 September is rapidly approaching so don’t forget to let ISAF know what your plans are. There is still time! ISAF has already received a fantastic response from MNAs, Classes, event organizers and yacht clubs around the world - from the USA and Australia to Tanzania and the Philippines, sailors all over the world are getting involved – go to www.sailing.org/sailtheworld to make sure your club/event is registered. The ‘Sail the World’ weekend is set to be one of the highlights of ISAF Centenary celebrations and a perfect opportunity to promote sailing. The aim is simple: get out on the water and get sailing! If you would like more information please download the information pack from www.sailing.org/sailtheworld Included in the pack are details of the ‘Sail the World’ logo and how it can be adapted for every event taking place on 1-2 September. ISAF will also be honouring every participant in ‘Sail the World’, and the pack has more details about the different certificates and awards available. ‘Sail the World’ is open to everyone around the world. Every participant counts – just do not forget to tell us about your weekend. Email email@example.com and look at the ‘Sail the World’ microsite www.sailing.org/sailtheworld to find out all the latest about what is going on. ‘Sail the World’ weekend – 1-2 September 2007 – let’s go sailing! Sydney International Regatta – NoR online now! The Notice of Race for the Sydney International Regatta (SIR), to be held from 15-18 December is now available online for download at Yachting NSW website. Organised by Yachting NSW and held on The ISAF Grade 1 Olympic classes; RS:X Men’s and Women’s, Finn, Laser, Laser Radial Women’s, 49er, 470 Men’s and Women’s, Tornado and Yngling classes, along with Laser Radial Men’s, Laser 4.7, 29er, 420 and 29erXX (a possible Olympic class for Women in 2012), will again be hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club. Open to all skiff, dinghy and keelboats, Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Woollahra Sailing Club will play host to these classes. The format for SIR is fleet racing and already there has been a rush of enquiries from Prominent entries in the Olympic classes will include Australian Sailing Team members and medallists from the recent Qingdao Test Event; West Australian girls Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson, gold medal winners in the Women’s 470, World Ranked No. 1 and three-time world champion Olympians Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page (NSW), 470 Men’s gold medallists, Tornado silver medallists and World Ranked No. 1 Other high-profile Australian entries will include World Ranked No. 1 Tom Slingsby (NSW) the current Laser world champion who missed a medal by one point in SIR will be an outstanding event for a number of reasons. Many Olympic teams will have been decided by December, including the Australian Team, which will be announced in October, so spectators will be treated to a sight reminiscent of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, as most of the world’s top entries will be competing at one of their final ISAF Grade 1 events prior to departing for China next August. Expect to see Olympians and World Ranked No. 2 Fernando Echavarri/Anton Paz Blanco (ESP) and 1998 ISAF World Sailor of the Year and Olympian Carolijn Brouwer with her Olympic medallist crew Sebastien Godefroid (BEL) in the Tornado class, World Ranked No. 2 Paul Goodison (GBR) in the Laser and World Ranked No. 2, Ingrid Petitjean/Nadege Douroux (FRA) in the Women’s 470. All entries, together with the entry fee must, by the closing date for entries, sign a Code of Conduct and Parental Consent form (where relevant) when filling in the official entry form. The closing date for entries and the entry fees are specified in the Event Schedule table of the NoR. The Regatta will be governed by the current rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing, (RRS) the prescriptions and special regulations of Yachting Australia, the class rules of the respective classes, RRS Appendix B Sailboard Racing Rules for the Neil Pryde RS:X class, except as any of these are altered by the Sailing Instructions. Newly appointed Yachting NSW CEO, Adrian Steer, commented: “I’m very excited about seeing my first Sydney International Regatta. Being one of the final Grade 1 events before the Olympics, it will be great for me to witness record numbers and the high-calibre entries we expect to attend.” The SIR regatta will be classified as a Category C Event in accordance with ISAF Regulation 20, and helpful information, including accommodation, transport, taxi services and nautical services including ship chandleries can be found on the NSW Yachting website. Australia's Team Acuity have reason to celebrate Australia's Team Acuity, the recently crowned NSW Yachting 'Team of the Year', continue to celebrate following their climb to 3rd place in the August 22 nd release of the International Sailing Federation's Women's Match Racing World Rankings list. The upgrade comes on the back of a silver medal performance in the Women's Match Racing World Championships in St-Quay Portrieux, France earlier this month and a 4th place in the Grade 1 Lysekil Women's Match Race in Sweden the preceding week. This is the highest the Team has ever reached in the rankings, with their sights now set on Number 1. Whilst the girls raced in Sweden, their coach Traks Gordon attended the NSW Yachting Awards in Sydney, accepting the "2007 Team of the Year" award on behalf of Team Acuity's Katie Spithill, Nina Curtis, Jessica Eastwell, Kristen Short, Elizabeth Walsh, Angela Farrell, Stacey Jackson & Alessandra Angelini (ITA) Both their recent events were sailed in yachts unfamiliar to the Australians, the DS37 yachts with 6 crew in Sweden and Beneteau First Class 8's in France, where after 5 long days of racing Team Acuity went down 2-1 in a fading breeze and shortened Grand Final to home port sailor and world number 1's Claire Leroy (FRA). With the World Title evading them by just a few boat lengths. Team Acuity depart tomorrow for Trentino, Italy, to compete in the Grade 1 Trentino Women's Match sailed in J22's. From there the team reunites back at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club to prepare for both the Australian Women's & Australian Open Match Racing Nationals in September, then leading to the 2008 ISAF Women's Match Racing Worlds to be held in April in Auckland, New Zealand. Viva La Vita wins Audi A4 Avant At the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week official prize giving last evening Joerg Hofmann, Audi’s managing director, announced that Viva La Vita, owned and skippered by Tony Bates, had been declared the winner of the Audi A4 Avant. Bates was the lucky recipient after being declared winner of the Cruising Division 2 following the final race yesterday, and winning the Audi Drive Challenge held earlier in the week for all competing yachts at the While each entry at Race Week had the opportunity to contest the Audi Drive Challenge, only the winners of each division were eligible to win the A4 Avant. On announcing the winner, Mr Hofmann said: “rather than focus on speed, competitors had to drive accurately and consistently during two time trials.” Mr Hofmann continued: “I am very pleased to announce this particular winner. I was at the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta in March and he told me he did not drive his car to the final day of that event because he was convinced he was going to win a car!” Bates and his crew from Middle Harbour Yacht Club were thrilled with the major prize. On accepting the keys to his new car, Bates said: “Three of my crew are already driving Audis, so you can see that Audi’s sponsorship of sailing has already had an influence. “I’m delighted to win the A4 Avant. I’m thrilled. I’d like to thank everyone for a great Race Week; Audi, the Oatley family and all the competitors. It’s been a fantastic regatta.” Other awards were handed out last evening. The 10-year award, open to yachts that had contested a minimum 10 Race Week’s went to Mike Davies (Sandstone), while Best Northern Queensland Boat went to Scaramouche (Graham Smith). The Prix d’ elegance special commendation went to Holy Cow (John and Kim Clinton) and You’re Hired (Geoff Morgan and Andrew Banks) won the Prix d’ elegance Trophy. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week overall winner, Geoff Ross (Yendys), also won the Boat of the Week award. Speaking of both wins, Ross, from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Last night’s prizegiving ceremony, hosted by celebrity comedian, Vince Sorrenti, signalled the end of a 219 entry record breaking Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Island owner, Bob Oatley, told competitors: “What a week we’ve had. Congratulations to Joerg Hofmann and his Audi team; what a job they’ve done. Their contribution at Mr. Oatley went on to thank supporting sponsors, UBS and Club Marine. He also thanked Commodore of the Great Barrier Reef Yacht Club on Hamilton Island and Olympic campaigner for the Australian Sailing Team (of which Audi is a major sponsor) Iain Murray also attended the prizegiving. “Their (Audi’s) sponsorship really has shown – in this room, in the racing and down to the main street,” said Murray, who concluded by telling assembled guests that Yendys takes overall honours at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week While Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X won IRC Racing line honours in the final race at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week today to complete an unblemished record of line honours wins during the week, Geoff Ross’ Reichel/Pugh 55 Yendys has provisionally won the series overall. In fluky breezes and a strong current that tested all, particularly as it went against the yachts on the return journey home, it was a small boat race which worked in favour of Ross and his crew who had to beat Wild Oats X on corrected time to win the series, which they did. Although Limit, West Australian Alan Brierty’s Geoff Ross was unavailable for comment this afternoon, but third placegetter Steven David said of the series: “We’ve had an absolute ball. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week set new standards this year, the competition was tougher than ever, so we’ll certainly be back next year. “We are very happy with our third overall. Since 2003, we’ve finished second twice, won one and finished third this year. You can’t complain about that.” David also said: “It was very tricky out there, especially coming home against the tide. The most breeze we saw today was 12-13 knots and that was in the earlier part of the race. Adam Beashel (Emirates Team NZ America’s Cup sailor) did a great job of steering and he will join us for more races.” All divisions in the 217 boat record fleet started in the Dent Passage this morning, with the IRC Racing division first away at 10.00am. The IRC Racing, Premier IRC, Performance, Cruiser/Racer IRC and Club Marine Cruising Division 1 contested the 23.3 nautical mile (approx) UBS South Molle/Daydream Island Race, while Cruising Divisions 2 and 3 and the Non-Spinnaker divisions were sent off on a shorter 13.6 nm (approx) course from the start to Dent and Denman Islands and back to Dent Island, then to the finish, due to the light sou-easterly breezes. It was a spectacular sight on a beautiful warm blue-skied morning as all yachts set kites heading in a northerly direction. In fact it was wall-to-wall spinnakers for the best part of an hour, as spectators were treated to a colourful display as Humpback whales played amongst the fleet, adding that something special to the day. Breezes were soft in the Dent Passage, but that didn’t stop the excitement at the start, as competitors had a strong current pushing their yachts quickly towards the start, it was a matter of trying to slow down so as not to start prematurely. At the start of the race, Most in the IRC Racing opted for a pin end start, with Graeme Troon’s XLR8 off quickly. Mid line, Wild Joe (Steven David), Wild Oats and Beau Geste (Karl Kwok) got away well too, as did Geoff Ross’ Yendys more towards the boat end of the line. Wot Yot (Graeme Wood) and You’re Hired (Geoff Morgan/Andrew Banks) got caught in a boat jam at the start, so did not get way as they would have liked. As the IRC yachts left Dent behind them, wind gusts hit and the fleet took off, with Bob Oatley’s Reichel/Pugh 66 getting the upper hand over Wild Joe early to lead the fleet towards As the yachts spread out and made their way around North Molle for the slow beat against the tide home, Wild Oats had a one to two minute lead over Wild Joe with Yendys, yesterday’s series leader on handicap, giving chase. Top Kiwi match racer and BMW Oracle tactician Gavin Brady, calling the shots on Beau Geste, left the call too late to tack out of Behind them, Quest caught up time, as did Living Doll, Michael Hiatt’s Cookson 50 from This afternoon, a proud Freedman said: “This is our sixth year here. We’ve had two third places here and now a win – we’re obviously getting better! Our hardest competition was Eagle Rock and Carrera, but now my next door neighbour and fellow CYCA member has scored third place!” Clitheroe was just as surprised as Freedman. “It’s a miracle when you look at our results for the rest of the week, but I’m taking it,” he laughed. Andrew Short Marine Brindabella (Andrew Short) and Alex-Team MacAdie, co-skippered by father and son crew Jock and Hamish MacAdie got away well and looked comfortable as they ran towards The MacAdies have recently returned to Second going into today’s final race, Eagle Rock (Ross Wilson) got away well, as did Money Man Paul Clitheroe’s Equinox, Anthony Dunn’s The Ian Box owned and skippered Toy Box got away comfortably and looked smooth under spinnaker, along with FKP Mean Machine Chris Rabbige and Ian Uther’s colourful modified Mumm 36 and John Bacon’s Hussy. Aboard Rumbo, Guy and Clark Holbert and their small crew looked very relaxed in the perfect light-weather conditions throughout the race. Whale Watching Sydney Liesl appeared to be doing just that – whale watching, as the slowly cruised the course, as Club Marine Cruising Division 1 Stephen Keal and his crew on Fish Frenzy looked to be in the groove in this division, along with Chris Carlisle’s Piano Man. Sandstone may not have been the fastest boat on the track, but Mike Davies and his crew were making the best of their day and enjoying themselves. Doug Ryan looked keen to replay his win of Day 1 with his Farr 1104 Magic, while Ian Miller’s Young Ones crew were playing catch-up and the big Open 60 Gusto 1, with Brian Pattinson at the helm, made the best of his big boat status at the front end of their fleet. Other Cruising Divisions Viva La Vita, Tony Bates’ Northshore 330, looked to be making a good job of Cruising Division 2, and she did, announced as provisional winner of Cruising 2 division. Magnolia, Peter Higgins’ classic S&S58, took home second place overall, with Farrago, Tom & Emily McCutcheon’s Phase 4, claiming third overall. During the race, the beautiful Seastream 650 Celera (Patrick Smith) with celebrated sailor Nev Wittey at the helm looked elegant and sleek, whilst the Holy Cow crew (John Clinton) looked competitive but fairly relaxed. In Cruising 3 division, David Berry (Escapade) scored his third win on the trot yesterday and followed up with a second today to claim a well deserved series win from Paul Melling’s Morning Mist and Jim Shannon’s lovely S&S34 Meltemi taking home third place. In the Non Spinnaker Division, yesterday’s leader, Terence Herbert’s True Colours did enough again today to win this division overall from Bryan Hudson’s Catalyst, which has held on to its second place overall from yesterday, whilst Mike Walter and his Mim crew held of the competition to hold onto third place overall. New Race Director Denis Thompson stated: “We had a few little glitches on the opening day, but they were rectified and I’m very happy with the way the regatta has gone. We made some changes to the courses this year and the sailors are really happy, so our race management team is happy too.” Thompson went on to say: “We may look at the way we start races. I get a bit nervous with a big fleet in Dent Passage in some conditions and we could get 250 for the 25th anniversary next year.” Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is all but over for another year – and what an event it has been. As many commented, new major naming right’s sponsor, Audi One announcement is left to be made though – the winner of the Audi A4 Avant. This major prize will go to one of the divisional winners mentioned above. Earlier in the week, a representative from each competing boat was given the opportunity of competing in the Audi Drive Challenge, and the winner of that challenge from the divisional winners at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, will drive away with a new car. That person’s name will be announced this evening at the official prizegiving. Alegria’s Audi IRC Championship runaway win The Rod Jones-owned and skippered Archambault 35-designed ‘Alegria’, from Mooloolaba in Queensland, has scored a runaway victory in the inaugural Audi IRC Australian Championship. The final stage of the four-event series, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week concludes at the Island tomorrow, but Jones and his crew have already done enough to claim the title, the Audi IRC Australian Championship Perpetual Trophy designed by John Woulfe, and best of all, the highly sought after major prize of an Audi Q7 3.6 FSI quattro SUV. An excited Rod Jones today commented: “This is sensational. The team’s worked really hard. While the car is a great end result, it’s very special to win the Audi IRC Championship, especially as it’s the first one and there’s been such great sponsorship from Audi. “I don’t think it’s quite sunk in for any of us yet,“ he said on being told he had won the sleek black performance SUV from Audi – the Audi Q7 - which retails at around $92,000 ‘with all the trimmings’, one of the biggest prizes on offer at any yachting event in Australia. In the final tally, Alegria, one of the smallest boats in the IRC Series, has upstaged her better known grand prix racers, including confirmed second placegetter, and also the largest boat to compete, Hamilton Island owner Bob Oatley’s ‘Wild Oats X’, the canting keeled Reichel/Pugh 66 from NSW. Racing is so close here at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, that third to fifth places for the Championship will not be decided until tomorrow when racing finishes. “I’d like to congratulate Rod and his team for a great contest,” Mr Hofmann said. “This close competition is exactly why Audi is involved in high level competitive sailing. Teamwork, technology and passion are needed to win a major championship like this one, and these values are a clear fit with the Audi brand,” he added. Those vying for the minor placings include current Audi Hamilton Island Race Week leader ‘Yendys’, a Reichel/Pugh 55 owned by Geoff Ross, Steven David’s Reichel/Pugh 60 ‘Wild Joe’ and To be eligible for the Audi IRC Australian Championship, which is endorsed by Yachting Australia, yachts must hold a valid IRC Rating Certificate and enter at least three of the four events that make up the Championship; the Audi IRC Series at Skandia Geelong Week held in January each year, the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, sailed in March, Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in July and finally Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August. Following today’s Races 7 and 8 at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Yendys is currently on equal points Wild Oats X, but Yendys leads on countback with more wins in place. The winner will be decided in tomorrow’s final race. The record 217 entries compete in the UBS South Molle/Daydream Island Race on Saturday 25 August, an approximately 23.3 nautical mile race on one of the most scenic courses around the One hundred and sixty yachts competed in the Audi IRC Australian Championship series throughout the year. Sailability NSW – planning for sustainable growth On the weekend of 17-19 August, Sailability NSW and Access Dinghy Foundation jointly held a planning conference at the Sydney Academy of Sport in Narrabeen. Sixty-five people representing 22 of the 26 Sailability branches came together for two and a half days, from as far afield as Griffith and Tweed Heads. According to Sailability NSW president Grahme Rayner, it was an exciting weekend of developing action plans for a sustainable future as well as for exchanging information and networking. “Sailability NSW has grown from six branches in 1995 to 26 today, due in large part to the popularity of recreational sail days conducted by Sailability branches. Sailability provides sailing to communities who generally cannot experience the joy of sailing. These groups include the disability sector, special education schools and units, as well as seniors and disadvantaged communities. “This rapid growth of Sailability is placing strains on the volunteer organization and the conference was able to address the issue of growing the organization in a sustainable way.” The program included presentations on volunteering, handling the media, submission writing, the philosophy of inclusion, risk management, rigging Access Dinghies, safe lifting of sailors, as well as branch reports. On Saturday night comedian Steady Eddie (who was born with cerebral palsy) hilariously related some of his life experiences. After a lively AGM, Sunday was dedicated to planning a sustainable future. The key outcome was the establishment of nine sub-committees, providing much needed support and guidance to the hardworking Sailability Executive Committee. Another decision was to utilise internet technology for conference calls, so that skills of members from regional Sailability branches can be utlised state-wide. The conference was officially closed by Kayee Griffin, Member of the Legislative Council, representing the Minister for Disability Services and Ageing, Kristina Keneally. Ms Griffin acknowledged the significant contribution that Sailability makes to the community. The conference expressed its appreciation of the participation of Bruce Dickson, Chair, Sailability Australia, and David Staley, Victorian delegate to Sailability Australia. The Conference was funded through a Sport Development Grant provided by the NSW Association of Disability Sport and NSW Department of Sport and Recreation. Sailability is a volunteer-driven community-based organization, fostering sailing for everyone, from those who are able-bodied to those with minimal physical function. Sailability NSW is member of Yachting NSW, of the NSW Association of Disability Sports and is one of eight state or territory Sailability associations. Sailability’s peak body is Sailability Australia Second In Medal Tally As Olympic Sailing Test Event Wraps Up The Australian Sailing Team has finished second in the medal tally at the Olympic Sailing Test Event in Qingdao, China with a total of four medals – 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze. Great Britain tops the table with six medals (5 Gold, 1 Silver) and New Zealand is third with three medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver). Australia had two medal races on the final day of competition - Laser and Yngling classes. White sands of Whitehaven the perfect place to finish In a light east sou’easterly breeze, the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week IRC Racing and Performance Racing divisions strutted their stuff over a 16 nautical mile course while backpackers, boaties and bona fide sailors were melding together at the famous Whitehaven Beach Party. While the racing crews were concentrating on their performance, there was a steady procession of boats, including many from the six divisions enjoying their second layday, motoring from Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X scored its sixth consecutive line honours victory today, crossing the finish line off the award winning Whitehaven Beach three minutes ahead of Steven David’s Wild Joe. On handicap, the “It was a beautiful day’s sailing…just like the brochures,” said a delighted Ross this afternoon. “The boat is going well in a variety of conditions. We are here with our Rolex Sydney Hobart crew and we are working hard,” added Ross. Second on handicap in today’s light air race was Geoff Morgan and Andrew Banks’ You’re Hired and third was Michael Hiatt’s The Performance Racing division also had a general recall and then on the second attempt, a number of boats were individually recalled including the Volvo 60 George Gregan Foundation which took a while to respond to the race committee’s calls, skipper David Witt finally swinging the big boat around to re-start. Given the amount of time they lost, they did well to finish fourth on handicap today, which puts them second on the pointscore behind today’s divisional winner, Stephen Hunter’s Hick 31 Zutem, the current pointscore leader with two races remaining for this division. Geoff Lavis’ UBS Wild Thing was also recalled on the second start but used this to her advantage. By the time UBS Wild Thing restarted, the crew could pick out which of their competitors were sailing in the best wind pressure and they went on to finish second on handicap. A mother humpback whale and her calf, which kept leaping out of the water, also chose the route to Tomorrow the IRC Racing fleet will sail two windward/leeward races while the remaining divisions will sail another round the islands race starting in Dent Passage. Tomorrow’s forecast is for S/SE winds at 15/25 knots. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week will conclude on Saturday with the UBS South Molle/Daydream Island Race. Katie Spithill ranked 3rd in ISAF Women's Match Race World Rankings The ISAF Women's Match Race World Rankings have just been released and Australian sailor, Katie Spithill is ranked in the number three position. This comes off the back of Katie and her teams silver medal at the ISAF Women's Match Race World Championship. It is her highest ever ranking and only surpassed Sue Walters who was ranked number two in 1995. Further information can be found by - CLICKING HERE. Secret to success at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week In the Premier IRC division, which today raced a 21 nautical mile course around the islands, Ross Trembath’s Secret Mens Business #1 was one of a number of boats to lay down an early challenge with a brilliant start. Unlike the boat of a similar name, Geoff Boettcher’s Hardys Secret Mens Business which had its Audi Hamilton Island Race Week cut short after a pre-start collision on the first day of racing, luck and good tactics were on the side of the SMB syndicate from Sydney which today scored their best result of the series, a second in the Premier IRC division. Secret Mens Business #1 was Boettcher’s previous boat. John Meadowcraft’s stunning Marten 49 Carerra was the best placed in the Premier IRC division today with Dean Harrigan’s Playstation 3 finding form in the light sou’easterly breeze to finish third. The Cruiser Racer IRC division had their course shortened at In the IRC Racing division While the rest of the fleet were sent on a passage race, the Performance Racing fleet enjoyed two windward/leeward races today, Guy and Clark Holbert’s Mumm 30 Rumbo out paced the rest, scoring two wins from two. Alex Douglas’ Synergy also featured twice in the top three today, scoring a third in race one today and a second in race two. In the cruising divisions, which started a different 17 nautical mile course in Dent Passage, Stephen Keal’s Fish Frenzy beat the fleet in Division 1 and in Division 2, Tony Bates Viva La Vita scored its third win to put them ahead on the pointscore by a country mile. Division 3 was won by David Berry’s Escapade. In the Non Spinnaker division, Terence Herbert’s True Colours provisionally won its division. Tomorrow is the famous Whitehaven Beach Race for the IRC Racing and Performance Racing Divisions, starting at 10.25am from the eastern starting line, while those not racing are expected to cruise around to the famous beach for the party to end all parties. Peter Gilmour Bestowed Honour of Title in Malaysia Peter Gilmour, Monsoon Cup Race Advisor and four time World Match Racing Champion, has been conferred the title of Darjah Dato' Paduka Mahkota Terengganu (DPMT) which carries the title Dato’. The title of Dato' conferred only by a state ruler in Malaysia, was awarded by His Majesty Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, the 16th Sultan of the state of Terengganu and the 13th King of Malaysia in conjunction with his 45th birthday. The investiture was presented on behalf of His Majesty by his son Tengku Muhammad Ismail, the Regent of Terengganu, at the Istana Maziah ( Dato’ Peter Gilmour receives this honour in line with the key role he played in developing the Monsoon Cup in “I am honoured to have received such an auspicious award from the state of Terengganu. In recent years, The Monsoon Cup has successfully created a significant platform to showcase tourism investment opportunities. Last year alone, the event achieved a brand valuation of RM295million and drew new tourism spend of RM 2.97 million over the five-day period. “The Monsoon Cup growing from strength to strength, serves as a catalyst for marine based opportunities, key infrastructure developments and the sailing industry in Malaysia to an international level,” said Dato’ Peter Gilmour. “In line with this, we are also determined to expand the local interest and opportunity stemming from the event such as through public education clinics on match race sailing.” West Australian-born, Dato’ Peter Gilmour, is one of the most respected and feared competitors on the World Match Racing circuit and the most knowledgeable skippers on the Tour. Dato’ Gilmour started sailing at the age of seven on About Monsoon Cup Monsoon Cup 2007, the final event of the 2006-07 World Match Racing Tour, which decides the 2007 World Champion will be held from 28 November to Australians Through To Medal Rounds In Seven Classes At Olympic Sailing Test Event The Australian Sailing Team (AST) will be represented in medal rounds for seven classes, with the serious battle for podium positions beginning tomorrow, Wednesday 22 August, at the Olympic test event in Qingdao, China. Australia is through to medal round contention in the following classes: - 470 Men - 470 Women - RS:X Women The 470 Men, 470 Women, Tornado and RS:X medal races will be held tomorrow and there is also a chance the 49ers will race their medal round on Wednesday. The Laser and Yngling class medal rounds are scheduled for Thursday. Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page now lead the 470 Men’s fleet after bagging two second places in racing today with Great Britain and Israel in second and third respectively. 'It was very light again with lots of tide,' said a tired Page this afternoon. 'There’s been a lot of driftoff out there and its very frustrating, so hopefully we can get some wind and better conditions. 'The British 470 team won here last year and Nick Rogers is a really good sailor and a silver medalist and so it will be difficult to beat him but hopefully we’ll get him again.' The 470 Women had a disappointing day, with finishes at eighth and 16th dropping them down the standings to third overall. The girls were forced to maneouvre to avoid a collision when the Korean boat did not tack in time. Tornado team Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby racked up a fifth and a second, putting them second overall. The battle between Australia and Austria’s Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher continues and will heat up in the quest for places on the podium. Austria won the second race of the day only half a boat length ahead of the Australians. On preliminary results today, Jessica Crisp is standing fourth overall in the RS:X and will contest medals tomorrow. Tom Slingsby is through to the Laser medal rounds with a 13th and second today, putting him eighth overall. He’s been learning more about the venue with each race and today it finally paid off. 'I just finally chose to go the right way in the second race today,' he said simply. The Yngling team are also through to the pointy end of competition, notching up a fourth and a sixth which sees them sitting at sixth overall. While he’s not through to the medal races, Australia’s Anthony Nossiter today enjoyed a win in the first race. Great Britain’s Ben Ainslie has completely dominated the class at this regatta but today Nossiter and the rest of the fleet made the most of their opportunity to improve their results for the series when he made a call that didn’t pay off. The 49ers were the only class not to race today. Medal races for this class will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) if there is enough wind or could be moved to Thursday if needed. The Australians are currently placed third overall. In other results, Iain Murray and Andrew Palfrey finished 11th overall in the Star class and Krystal Weir finishes 18th overall in the Laser Radial. Below are the up-to-date results for the Australian Sailing Team: 470 Men after 8 races: 1. Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page (AUS) 2. Nicholas Rogers & Joe Glanfield (GBR) 3. Gidi Kliger & Udi Gal (ISR) Tornado after 6 races: 1. Roman Hgara & Han Peter Steinacher (AUT) 2. Darren Bundock & Glenn Ashby (AUS) 3. Johannes Polgar & Florian Spalteholz (GER) 470 Women after 9 races: 1. Ruslana Taran & Olena Pakholchyk (UKR) 2. Ai Kondo & Naoko Kamata (JPN) 3. Elise Rechichi & Tessa Parkinson (AUS) 49er after 9 races: 1. Peter Hansen & Soren Hansen (DEN) 2. Stevie Morrison & Ben Rhodes (GBR) 3. Nathan Outteridge & Ben Austin (AUS) RS:X Women after 6 races: 1. Faustine Merrett (FRA) 2. Bryony Shaw (GBR) 3. Jian Yan (CHN) 4. Jessica Crisp (AUS) Yngling after 7 races: 1. Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb & Pippa Wilson (GBR) 2. Sally Barkow, Carrie Howe & Debbie Capozzi (USA) 3. Renee Groeneveld, Annemieke Bes & Marije Kampen (NED) 6. Nicky Bethwaite, Karyn Gojnich & Angela Farrell (AUS) Laser after 8 races: 1. Paul Goodison (GBR) 2. Maciej Grabowski (POL) 3. Rasmus Myrgren (SWE) 9. Tom Slingsby (AUS) Star after 6 races: 1. Xavier Rohart & Pascal Rambeau (FRA) 2. Flavio Marazzi & Christoph Christen (SUI) 3. Hamish Pepper & Carl Williams (NZL) 11. Iain Murray & Andrew Palfrey (AUS) Laser Radial after 9 races: 1. Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) 2. Jo Aleh (NZL) 3. Tina Mihelic (CRO) 18. Krystal Weir (AUS) Finn after 7 races: 1. Ben Ainslie (GBR) 2. Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) 3. Jan Pieter Postma (NED) 16. Anthony Nossiter (AUS) RS:X Men after 6 races: 1. Guo Yuan Zhou (CHN) 2. Tom Ashley (NZL) 3. Julien Bontemps (FRA) 23. Michael Lancey (AUS) Wild Oats X takes line honors in Club Marine Classic Edward Island Race Bob Oatley’s Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Oats X has this afternoon set a high bar for future contestants by finishing the 59.9 nautical mile Club Marine Classic Edward Island Race in a fast time of 5 hours 11 minutes 27 seconds. Wild Oats crossed the finish line at 14:01:27 in the fourth race of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. The longest race of the event was sailed over a new course this year, taking the fleet southwards to Coppersmith Rock and then north to The race office has confirmed that because today’s course was a slightly altered to the one sailed by the Swan 80 Maligaya in 2003, it is a different race to four years ago. The course length is almost identical however. “It’s a nice way to finish the day but it’s all about who wins on handicap,” said skipper Provisionally Ray Roberts’s Cookson 50 Quantum Racing has scored its second win of the series. Roberts is currently provisionally leading the IRC Racing results with Wild Joe in second and Wild Oats X third. With the last third of the division still to finish, including the dark horse of the regatta, Harold Clarke’s Invincible, it’s too early for Roberts to start celebrating according to race officer Denis Thompson. Reaching a top speed of 24 knots, Wild Oats’ tactician Ian ‘Barney’ Walker, the sole Victorian on the boat, this afternoon said their race was problem free. Survey reveals yachting offers a low cost access to an up market lifestyle A state wide survey of yacht clubs just completed by Yachting Victoria blows out of the water the old worn perception that to go sailing you need to be wealthy enough to buy a boat. The study conducted as a major part of stage one of the $400,000 Go Sailing and Boating program funded by the Victorian Government, reveals that 75% of nearly 20,000 people at Victorian clubs are not boat owners. And that most (45%) of the boats on club registers are low cost off the beach craft, that cost less than those hi tech road bikes seen ridden by thousands of cyclists along Beach Road each week. Of 15,000 people who crewed on someone else’s boat, many who belonged to clubs paid fees as low as $200 a year to enjoy the excitement of an up market on water lifestyle. This is about the same cost as a month of return train trips from Sandringham station to work in Melbourne’s CBD . And for those thousands who crewed on the more than 1,500 club registered keel boats over summer, many enjoyed highly social mid week races and weren’t required to pay membership fees for their first few weeks. The average cost of a trailable yacht that can be towed behind a family car is about half the cost of a four person caravan whilst the average cost of a keelboat is about the same as an Australian made family 4WD. The field survey which is the first of its kind in the state was conducted between March and June 2007 with 52 clubs who have signed on to undertake the new Go Sailing and Boating program that is being managed by Yachting Victoria. CEO of Yachting Victoria, Ross Kilborn (left) says, “The Survey set out to establish for the first time our sport’s key metrics and to establish what are the clubs’ key issues and most critical needs are. Survey’s key findings · Most clubs want to attract a large number of new and retain existing members · Majority of club members don’t own a boat · The average cost of an entry level boat is about the same as a good bike · Most clubs provide shared public access · Sailing is very accessible to the public · Non boat owning crewing is very affordable way to enjoy the on water lifestyle · Most clubs conduct open days to encourage new members · Clubs say they need to attract 350 more officials who will need training Weekly on water lifestyle participation over summer is 6,700 people a week, whilst traditional weekend racing (excluding winter) remains the predominant activity for all club members attracting 3,900 or 58.2% sailors. Twilight midweek racing during daylight saving months continues to grow attracting 1,800 people or 27% of participants, whilst social sailing and cruising attracts over 1000 people a week. There are nearly 600 officials involved with on the water activity, including race management, instructing (training) and coaching and clubs want to increase these numbers. Johnny Rodgers, the Program Manager who conducted the survey says, “Clubs say they need an extra 350 volunteers to help cope with next season’s race programs and to grow the sport.” Two thirds of Clubs have shared public access to the water and over 60% run open days to encourage public involvement. On November 11th this year most city based clubs are opening their door on mass. Go Sailing and Boating Open Sunday November 11th Visitors will be introduced to the members, can try out a range of members boats for a test sail, speak to experts first hand about sailing and boating opportunities, learn about coaching and training courses, find out about the fun social scene and the tangible benefits of becoming a yacht club member. Clubs will stage activities that are safe and fully supervised that are suitable for people aged six to seventy, especially for those who have had no previous boating experience. Audi IRC Championship heats up at Hamilton Island With all eyes on the main prize of an Audi Q7 SUV, the battle has heated up at the final event of the Audi IRC Championship, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week today, as one of the smallest yachts in the competition slogs it out with the biggest. Rod Jones’ Archambault 35 Alegria from Mooloolaba is the current leader, but hot on her heels is Jones and his keen crew came to Alegria came out fighting, producing a fifth place in Race 1 on Saturday, but her ninth and tenth places in yesterday’s two windward/leeward races have dropped her down the scoreboard a little and brought Wild Oats X into close contention. Looking at the pointscore, Jones and co. on Alegria must finish in better than ninth place at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week to drive the car away, but if Wild Oats X continues on as she started, Jones will have a big job on his hands. Originally in the mix for the prize, Hardys Secret Mens Business, owned by “We love coming to There are five days of racing remaining at Hamilton Island; today’s is the 60 nautical mile Club Marine Classic Edward Island Race. The start was a thrilling and nail-biting downwind one in Dent Passage, as the fleet jockeyed for position, the start signal was made and the IRC Racing division was away in a cool freshening 15-20 knot sou-easterly wind under spinnaker. All held their breaths as the yachts gybed to port and starboard as they wound their way down the course, with several near-incidents in the narrow Passage. The crew of You’re Hired, the Sydney-based Davidson 60, took their lives in their hands, managing to narrowly avoid collisions at high speed. As the fleet turned the corner, dropping spinnakers and hardening up, The lead yachts are expected at the finish early this afternoon, and at 12.30pm, Wild Oats X was leading and approximately one hour inside the current race record. Tomorrow is a layday for all classes, with racing resuming on Wednesday. Wild Oats X on track to break Edward Island Race Record This afternoon Bob Oatley’s Reichel/Pugh 66 Wild Oats X is tearing up the 60 nautical mile Club Marine Classic Edward Island Race and looks set to break the course record. After an early morning start in Dent Passage in a 20 knot south sou’easter, the IRC, Racing, Performance Racing, Premier IRC and Cruiser/Racer IRC divisions had a quick spinnaker sprint to Within seconds of the start signal, most of the IRC Racing fleet, the first out of the blocks, had popped kites and were scooting downwind. Ray Roberts’s Quantum Racing chose the Hamilton Island end of the start line, getting an inside running along the shore before gybing across to Dent Island. Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll, with its repaired spinnakers back on board after a midnight finish at the sailmaker’s last night, was second boat to round the north east tip of The New Zealand Elliott 50 Ran Tan was third boat ahead of Karl Kwok’s new Reichel/Pugh 45 Beau Geste, helmed by Once they rounded Nicholas George’s DK46 Exile from Rod Jones’s Alegria, the current Audi IRC Championship leader, and Harold Clarke’s Farr 1104 Invincible brought up the rear of the IRC Racing fleet as the fleet ran into plenty of chop off the south west tip of The larger end of the Premier IRC fleet soon caught the IRC Racing backmarkers with Andrew Short maxi Brindabella out in front with at least two football teams worth of crew sitting on the rail trying to swing the Jutson 79 down for the upwind leg. This afternoon at 12.36pm Wild Oats X reported they had rounded After an early morning start in Dent Passage in a 20 knot south sou’easter, the IRC, Racing, Performance Racing, Premier IRC and Cruiser/Racer IRC divisions had a quick spinnaker sprint to Within seconds of the start signal, most of the IRC Racing fleet, the first out of the blocks, had popped kites and were scooting downwind. Ray Roberts’s Quantum Racing chose the Hamilton Island end of the start line, getting an inside running along the shore before gybing across to Dent Island. Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll, with its repaired spinnakers back on board after a midnight finish at the sailmaker’s last night, was second boat to round the north east tip of The New Zealand Elliott 50 Ran Tan was third boat ahead of Karl Kwok’s new Reichel/Pugh 45 Beau Geste, helmed by Once they rounded Nicholas George’s DK46 Exile from Rod Jones’s Alegria, the current Audi IRC Championship leader, and Harold Clarke’s Farr 1104 Invincible brought up the rear of the IRC Racing fleet as the fleet ran into plenty of chop off the south west tip of The larger end of the Premier IRC fleet soon caught the IRC Racing backmarkers with Andrew Short maxi Brindabella out in front with at least two football teams worth of crew sitting on the rail trying to swing the Jutson 79 down for the upwind leg. This afternoon at 12.36pm Wild Oats X reported they had rounded Shreeve takes Formula women’s windsurfing world title 3rd year straight In Tallinn, Estonia, Allison Shreeve has defended her world championship title for the third consecutive year. The 2005 and 2006 world champion put in her best performance yet, winning every race (11 in total) held during the week of 13th to 18th August, in very trying and varied conditions ranging from 10 to 27 knots. Shreeve fended off a class fleet, stamping yet again her dominance in the sport and maintaining her No.1 world ranking. French rival Sarah Herbert proved very competitive gaining 2nd place overall, and in 3rd place the current European champion Agnieszka Pietrasik from Poland. Shreeve travelled to The first two days of the World Championships saw very light winds, and despite the race committee’s best efforts to get the event underway, it wasn’t until the third day that the competitors got some reward after the frustration of races being abandoned due to unstable conditions. What followed were gruelling 8 hour days on the water in conditions ranging from 10 – 27 knots and at times, very choppy swell and strong gusts. While challenging for the racers, it made for exciting viewing for the spectators who were treated to up close action and countless spills as sailors catapulted into the washing machine like waters near the break wall. “It was really hard to know which equipment to take out, with the 10m sail too big for the waves, and the 9m too small when the wind backed off. But that’s the great thing about Formula windsurfing – it’s about weighing up the conditions, the wind, the current, the land formations, the competition, and choosing the right sails and fins. It’s about being rewarded for being able to hold the power in the larger sails, and control the board in all conditions.” Shreeve will now return to Day 4 of 2007 Qingdao International Regatta: Australian Wins Brighten Dull, Rainy Day The Australian Sailing Team (AST)started to shine on a rainy, dark day at the Qingdao International Regatta (Olympic Sailing Test Event) in China. AST members Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page (470 Men) finished sixth and first in their two races, bringing them up the standings to share the overall lead with Israel on countback. While the Team is frustrated by the light wind conditions, they’re putting in a lot of hard work to make the most of it and are learning to deal with the challenging nature of the location. “I think we were lucky to have some wind out there today and it was just enough to make headway on the current which would have been 2 to 2.5 knots – it makes the downwind very long and the upwind very short,” said Page. “All the work we’ve been doing for the past year is obviously paying off because we had a good result today with a sixth and a first which puts us first overall with the Isrealis on countback, which is nice.” In the 49er class fellow AST members, Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin completed the day’s three races with a first, fourth and second, bringing them to third overall. Spain lead the 49er class another three races scheduled on Sunday. In the Women’s 470 class, Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson also had a good day on the water, placing third and racking up another win. The two youngest members of the AST, both from Western Australia, were happy with their performance, having achieved their aim for the day. “Our aim going into the day was just to be consistent,” said Rechichi, who is also studying to become a commercial pilot. “In the second race we didn’t have such a great start but we worked it the first leg upwind and were pretty conservative and waited for our opportunity, then consolidated once we were second to the top mark and then pretty well just covered it from there.” Australian Laser sailor and World Champion Tom Slingsby, renowned for his innate ability to sense wind changes and find air when needed, is focused on mastering the conditions one race at a time. “The breeze was pretty tricky today - very light and a lot of current again,” said Slingsby at the end of two races which saw him place fifth and 12th. “The left of the course would favour, then the right – there weren’t any trends out there so you had to keep our eyes open and sail towards the pressure and always keep the current in the back of your mind, otherwise you could overlay quite easily”. “I’m learning a lot about Qingdao and its extremely hard to pick it here – the more I sail it the figure it out”. “Last year here, I started quite slow and finished quite strong so hopefully this year I’ll do the same. “It’s extremely tough but I think I’m learning.” Racing is scheduled for all classes on Sunday 19th August. Day 3 Qingdao International Regatta - No Racing As Conditions Fail To Fulfill Forecast Despite a local forecast for winds of 9 knots down to 6 knots for today's competition, a culmination of variable, light conditions over the penninsula failed to deliver more than a brief peak of 3 knots wind and no races were held. The slightest change in weather conditions in this reigon can have a drastic impact on the forecast and the required meteorological elements failed to align and produce the goods again today. Fastest fleet of 30-footers on the Harbour Sydney Amateur Sailing Club this season will again be host to a growing fleet of high performance 30- footers racing on Sydney Harbour, arguably the fastest fleet on the harbour. The coming 2007-2008 season will be the third series for these lightweight flyers that SASC has organised, with the fleet expected to top 20 boats each weekend. Among designs racing with the Amateurs will be the latest from Melges Boatwork, the M32, along with Austral 30s, numerous Robert Hick designs, Mumm 30s, JS9000s, Magic 25s, Sydney 32s and many more. Any yacht that is less than 32 feet LOA, is of light displacement and planes downwind is welcome to join the racing each Saturday within Sydney Harbour. The Amateurs series consists of both long and short (every second Saturday) pointscores, along with a sprint series of eight races over two weekends. In an innovative move, the SASC is considering a trial of the AMS handicapping system in addition to their customary arbitrary system. The SASC Sailing Committee insists that all fleet handicappers race within their fleet, making the handicapper both accessible and knowledgeable about what happens on the track. “Professional race management, a friendly club atmosphere, fast and wet rides on the harbour…what more could a summer Saturday afternoon hold?” says sailing committee chairman Guy Irwin. Club Commodore John Crawford, who owns a Classic Ranger, comments that the contrast between the Classic style boats and the Super 30's is “delightfully Amateurs and good for the club.” Enquires about the Super 30 can be obtained on the SASC Website www.sasc.com.au or by contacting the club on 9953 1433. Baby boat wins Meridien Marinas Race Week trophy Middle Harbour Yacht Club sailor Geoff Pearson justified the purchase price of his A35 ocean racing sloop Arajilla when Sydney Olympian Neville Wittey helmed her to a close IRC class title win in the International Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race week earlier today. Arajilla seemed to be two paced in the gusty 15-22 knot trade wind but skipper Wittey was well aware that they only needed to finish in the top five to beat the star studded fleet for the title. Whittey who showed his class in the lighter wind races simply had to stay in touch with the race clock and while Arajilla staggered upwind it was a different story on the spinnaker runs where the small sloop wave surfed to log the required speed and claim the important points. However Arajilla was clearly outsailed on corrected handicap when Quest helmed by Jamie Macphail won an exciting 2 hour 53 minute 40 second tactical match race to win the final over Karl Kwok’s Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club sloop Beau Geste . Quest set up her win with unmatched speed on the spinnaker runs to eventually record her impressive 1minute 5 second victory while Beau Geste finished with more than two minutes to spare over the defending champion the Ray Roberts skippered Quantum Racing. The crew of Arajilla who flew a protest flag prior to the start breathed a sigh of relief when she finished fourth to win the title with the consistent score of 5-2-1-1-1-4 while Michael Hiatt steered his Victorian sloop Living Doll to record a 4-1-2-4-2-3 winning the Silver Medal ahead of the defending champion Quantum Racing 1-7-4-5-1-3. Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s Hussy expressed her liking to the stronger winds when owner skipper John Bacon steered her to a comfortable win in the Premier Cruising class. This was Hussy’s second win in three years and clearly showed she is race prepared to contest the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week IRC Cruising class championship which starts off Dent Passage on Saturday.Hussy finished the series with a 1-1-1-3-1 to beat the West Australian skipper John Moore in This Way Up by 3 points while Esprit skippered by Victoria’s Garry Anderson filled third place. Day 2: Qingdao International Regatta Day one of competition at the Qingdao International Regatta got off to a slow start with only 2 of the 22 scheduled starts completed. Day two of competition was far more successful with a light southeast breeze of 4-7 knots and 10 of the 11 classes leaving the shore on time for racing. The 49er class who along with the 470 women’s class completed one race yesterday were held ashore pending completion of R:SX racing course. This regatta marks the commencement of the 12 month countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and for all teams competing it is a very important benchmark for their development and progression to achieving success at the Games. The Australian Sailing Team (AST) is well prepared for this regatta having just completed a 13 day intensive acclimatisation and speed development camp in “I can’t tell you how hard it was and how disciplined we had to be to maintain our offsets and drift angles to achieve mark rounding the optimum way” said Rechichi straight after the finish. “It was soo weird to be easing sheets and aiming more than 30 degrees below the mark on starboard tack to the top mark, but that is what we had to do to achieve the shortest and fastest way to the mark”. Recent bronze medallists at the world championship, Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin (49er class) started well in a very light wind race, but got on the wrong side of a significant shift and struggled to fetch the finish line in strong current. They finished in 18th place. The AST are confident that they will perform well at this regatta with all crews having worked very hard on and off the water to come to grips with the challenging conditions. They have adapted equipment, fitness and body mass as well as embracing the mental challenges required in this difficult environment. Reigning world champions Tom Slingsby (Laser Class) and Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page (470 Men’s class) are also keen to perform well in this regatta to both dispel common perceptions they are only heavy wind specialists. Australian results after Day 2: Loki 3rd overall in Rolex Fastnet Race Cruising Yacht Club of Australia entry Loki is provisionally third IRC overall in the Britain’s ocean classic, the Rolex Fastnet Race, after finishing at Plymouth early today, Sydney time. Owned by Stephen Ainsworth and skippered by Cameron Miles, Loki crossed the line in 11th in the fleet, about 43 minutes astern of the canting keel Cookson 50 Chieftain, the Irish yacht which placed fourth overall in the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Chieftain, owned by Gerald O’Rourke, is provisionally first overall on IRC ahead of the George David’s US entry, Rambler, the Reichel/Pugh 90 which, as Alfa Romeo, took line honours in the 2002 Rolex Sydney Hobart, and Loki. Rambler is provisionally first in the IRC SZ class, with Loki in second place, with 11 boats finished early today, Sydney time. Retirement figures have varied over the past days, but the Royal Ocean Racing Club says 69 boats are still racing, with 193 boats have pulled out of the 608 nautical mile race. At this stage the weather over the course has moderated, currently northwesterly at 20 knots, with 25 knots towards the Fastnet Rock. Record-breaking Line honours winner, ICAP Leopard, Michael Slade’s newly launched Farr-designed 100-footer, will be shipped to Australia in September in preparation for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Before then the boat will undergo some modifications to lighten her – she was built as a charter boat capable of racing competitively. Leopard currently weighs 40 tonnes, considerably heavier than a straight-out racing boat such as Alfa Romeo at 28 tonnes. ICAP Leopard’s elapsed time of 1 day 20 hours 18 minutes chopped just under nine hours off the record set by Ross Field in the 80-footer RF Yachting in the 1999 Fastnet. Rambler was only 10 miles astern when Leopard crossed the line and also finished well within the record. Dockside at Plymouth, Slade was presented with a Rolex Yachtmaster timepiece in steel and platinum and the Erroll Bruce Cup for his line honours victory. Slade recounted the first day match-racing out of the Solent and along with English south coast with Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo in 25-30 knots of wind (with Alfa Romeo later retiring from the race). “The race against Neville would have been a heck of a struggle, even though the conditions and point of sail favoured us,” he said. “But to have his old boat (Rambler is the former Shockwave/Alfa Romeo) come and pip us would have been hard to forgive.” Rambler actually led ICAP Leopard around the Fastet Rock by just three seconds. Day 1 of Olympic Sailing Test Event: Elise Rechichi & Tessa Parkinson in first place Day one of the Qingdao International Regatta (Olympic Sailing Test Event in China) began with mixed results for the Australian Sailing Team (AST). The weather went as predicted and failed to amount to much more than a zephyr. Only two classes got races away with a result. The 470's women’s and 49er classes. Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson (470 class) sailed brilliantly to record the first win for Rechichi and Parkinson were delighted with their performance in the first race. Tessa beamed, “Winning our first race feels amazing and it was a great way to start off the week”. She commented “We had a relatively bad start. A lot of boats were over the line, leading to several black flags. For this race, we decided to head up the middle, and it ended out working in our favour”. Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin (49er class) were in good shape early in the race but were forced to take the unfavoured gate mark at the bottom of the course and sailed away from the next breeze advantage and dropped to 18th position. Ben Austin did a grand job sailing today after being bed ridden for the last two days with sickness. The other classes that were supposed to sail however the Star, Tornado and RSX classes all had to sit around, or bob up and down waiting for the breeze that was too inconsistent to race. Racing continues on Thursday 16th August with the medal races being held on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd August. Below are the top 3 results, including Australian results: 470 Women after 1 race 49er after 1 race Second last day of competition at Airlie Beach Race Week Townsville Cruising Yacht Club skipper Leon Thomas is poised to claim his career best result by winning the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week Sports Boat championship with Rock n’ Roll. Thomas who enjoys sailing for fun in the intensely competitive class exercised a duty of care when he sailed off course to rescue a fellow competitor during the windy race around the Double Cone Islands. Entries open for Sail Melbourne 2008 Sail Melbourne officially invites competitors to enter its 2008 events. On Line Entries for the ISAF Sailing World Cup, Laser Asia Pacific Championships, Finn Gold Cup, 49er & 29er World Championships, Tornado Asia Pacific Championships, 470 World Championships as well as numerous other events are now open and being accepted via the Sail Melbourne website. The official site features secure payment methods, e-mail confirmation and the knowledge that your entry is complete and ready to go. Simply go to the Sail Melbourne website at www.sailmelbourne.com.au, click on the events page and then onto the event you want to enter and you will find all the details of that event listed on the one page and a link to the secure on line entry portal. Competitors will also be able to view the list of other entrants in their particular event to see just who the competition is! Further information on all Sail Melbourne 2008 events, including Notices of Race, accommodation and charters, tourism details, links to class and club websites, photographs from previous years, news updates and other details are listed on the Sail Melbourne website. Inquiries can be directed to firstname.lastname@example.org or call +61 3 9597 0066 (ext 3) for Event Manager, Rod Austin. “It won’t get any better than this, the best racing teams in the world will be competing in Sail Melbourne 2008.” - John Bertrand AM – Sail Melbourne 2008 Patron Victorian Sailing takes on Disability Education Program Eight volunteers from yacht clubs around Victoria have undergone training recently to become Disability Education Program Presenters. Soon the new presenters will commence delivery of three modules designed to help make sailing more welcoming and inclusive of people with a disability. The Disability Education Program (DEP) modules have been specially adapted for our sport and are part of Yachting Australia’s commitment to making sailing more inclusive. The three sport specific modules are: Opening Doors is a three hour module and can be conducted for individual clubs or groups of clubs together. The Inclusion for Race Officials and Inclusive Coaching modules are conducted as part of other Race Officer and Instructor or Coaching courses. The Sailing DEP has been developed by Yachting Australia with the support of the Australian Sports Commission through Project CONNECT. It aims to not only give more people with disabilities the opportunity to participate at a grass roots level in sailing, but also to support their progress to high performance and have the possibility to represent Australia internationally. Attending the presenters course at Royal Brighton Yacht Club recently, were Michael McLean (RYCV), Di Riseby (BaYC), Brian Girling (LSC), Diane Kemp (MYC), Colin Johanson (RYCV), Charles Weatherly (RBYC/BaYC), Neil Ross (LWYC) and Peter Donaldson (MYC). The course was facilitated by Connie Raso and Kathy Tessier from the Disability Education Program and David Staley from Yachting Victoria’s Sailability Committee. For more information about Project CONNECT and the Disability Education Program – Click Here To arrange an Opening Doors presentation to your club, contact Johnny Rogers at Yachting Victoria - Email 'Arajilla' close to winning Airlie Beach Race Week Sydney’s Middle Harbour Yacht Club skipper Geoff Pearson is just two races away from winning the prestigious IRC championship at the 2007 International Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week. Less than a week ago Pearson regarded as a happy club competition sailor casually prepared his new Archambault 35 Arajilla for her first serious race against a star line up of champions including the defending trophy winner the Ray Roberts skippered Quantum Racing and former Rolex Sydney –Hobart winner Bob Steele in his new Farr TP 52 Quest. Pearson realising he was short on regatta racing experience elected to invite Sydney 2000 Soling class Olympian Neville Wittey to be the sailing master and helmsman which has proved to be a master stroke on the warm and tricky waters of the Whitsunday Islands. Wittey know in some circles as ‘Captain Slash’ because of his personal determination to win on the race course has turned the low handicapped Arajilla into the form yacht of the competition. Winning is never easy in the very competitive IRC class fleet and the standard has been lifted to the highest ever in the 18 year history of the Whitsunday Sailing Club hosted regatta. When the defending champion Ray Roberts steered Quantum Racing to a convincing win in the opening race there was a feeling that the champion crew headed by world title winning tactician Steve McConaghy was again going the set the pace. But that changed dramatically when Arajilla showed her handicap rated speed to claim four impressive wins to presently hold a six point lead with her 5-1-1-1-1 score card. Arajilla’ race time of 5 hours 40 minutes 30 seconds for the 34 n/ml passage race over the Airlie Beach- Saddleback Island –Airlie Beach course was not fast but it was fast enough to allow her to record another win on corrected handicap beating the Harold Clark skippered Invincible by 1 minute 34 seconds with the Michael Hiatt skippered Victorian yacht Living Doll another 49 seconds away third. Record IRC fleet to assemble at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week The record fleet entered for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week will include the best ever gathering of Grand Prix level IRC racing yachts in Australia, according to the helmsman of one of the leading contenders in that division. Mark Richards, who will skipper Bob Oatley’s 66-footer, Wild Oats X, said that the crew that wins the IRC Racing division will know they have been through a fight. “The quality of the IRC Racing fleet is phenomenal,” Richards said. “I’ve no doubt it’s the best IRC fleet ever assembled in Richards confirmed the widely held belief that at least 12 of the 23 yachts in the IRC Racing division could take the honours. In particular he likes the chances of the defending champion Wild Joe (Steven David, NSW), Beau Geste (Karl Kwok, The challenge for Bob Oatley and the Wild Oats X team is twofold at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Apart from mounting a serious challenge for being top yacht in the IRC Racing division, this regatta will be the final preparation for the crew for the Maxi Yacht World Championship in Porto Cervo. Oatley has entered his 30-metre supermaxi, the Sydney-Hobart race record holder Wild Oats XI (pictured) in the worlds, which start just days after the completion of Race Week. The squad racing at A record fleet of 216 has entered for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, which will be staged from August 18 to 25. This is 11 more than the previous record fleet that competed two years ago. This year the winners of all seven classes will have an equal chance of claiming Race Week’s ultimate prize, an Audi A4 Avant. Two crew from the winning yacht in each division will do a specially created driving test, and the yacht that finishes with the most points from this competition will be awarded the Audi. Crews will also be encouraged to compete for the prestigious Prix d’Elegance Trophy, an award for the best presented yacht and crew. All yachts and crews will be judged as they exit New standards are also being set with the social agenda for sailors, their families and friends this year. Included among the many unique features are clinics with Australian tennis ace Todd Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Audi, the highly successful German luxury carmaker, is now the largest supporter of sailing in Billed as "The ‘Great’ Changes for Sailing South Regatta 2008 The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania has made several significant changes to the format for its annual Sailing South Regatta, held in January each year following the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Heemskirk Consolidated Melbourne to Hobart Race. The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania has made several significant changes to the format for its annual Sailing South Regatta, held in January each year following the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Heemskirk Consolidated Melbourne to Hobart Race. The major objective of the changes is to make the regatta more convenient for local yachtsmen while at the same time retaining the interest of visiting mainland and overseas boats who have been regular competitors since Sailing South’s inception. The 2008 Regatta has been reduced from four to three days, from 3-5 January, which means that the Wrest Point King of the Derwent Race on 2 January will not be part of the Regatta. The feeling of the RYCT committee and competitors is that the Wrest Point KOD is more of a fun race, sailed around permanent marks on the River Derwent and does not reflect a real racing regatta format. First race of Sailing South Regatta 2008, on Thursday, 3 January, will start at 1500 hours, enabling local sailors to work in the morning and sail in the afternoon and utilising Tasmania’s long twilight. There will be a full day’s racing on the Friday and Saturday which means that locals need only take off one and a half days from work. A feature of the 2008 Regatta will be a separate division for the growing Farr 40 One Design fleet now sailing on the Derwent, while other divisions will include IRC, PHS, PHS 9 Metre Class, Sports Boats, One Design, Trailerable and Cruising Yachts. The Advance Notice of Race for Sailing South Regatta 2008 is now available on the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania web site: www.ryct.org.au. The entry fee for Sailing South Regatta 2008 has also been reduced considerably, to $100 for each boat. Go for Gold Regatta 2007 For further information about the event, click on the link below: The Go for Gold Regatta 2007 is being held from 30th November - 2nd December at Black Rock, Victoria. CYCA crew membership now open The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has announced that its crew membership category has been reopened to make membership more affordable for those in the 18-29 age bracket. Following the acceptance of a special resolution at last month’s annual general meeting, the previously dormant crew membership category has been reinvigorated and for just $195 per annum plus a one off $1 entry fee, those between 18 and 29 can now join Relaunching the crew membership category is part of the club’s overall objective to nurture and promote the sport of yachting and to address the challenges associated with finding a sustainable and qualified source of crew for yacht owners. “The CYCA’s board of directors sees this as a wonderful initiative to introduce new members who will become active offshore and inshore sailors and eventually boat owners themselves,” said Commodore Matt Allen. Crew membership entitlements include; - club entry Conditions for the crew membership category include; - no parking rights Once the crew member turns 30 they will automatically be upgraded to full membership and the joining fee for full membership will be waived. The reopening of the crew membership category is an initiative of the club’s member services committee and they and the club’s board and staff will be actively promoting the benefits over the coming months. Membership forms are now available from CYCA reception and can be downloaded from http://www.cyca.com.au/sysfile/downloads/Membership_application.07.pdf Australia wins Silver at ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship Australia’s Team Acuity, comprising of Katie Spithill, Nina Curtis, Jessica Eastwell & Kristen Short from RPAYC, have just taken the Silver Medal at the 2007 ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships in St Quay-Portrieux, FRANCE, sailed in identical Beneteau First Class 8’s. After the completion of Round Robin 1 Team Acuity were in 3rd place, with automatic qualification into Round 3. In Round 3 they won their races 3-0 to go onto the semi-finals. Team Acuity were 2 down in the semi finals, and came back to win 3 in a row in convincing form, including a double penalty being issued to competitor Josie Gibson in Race 4. Their opponent for the finals was World Number 1, and also local sailor to St Quay-Portrieux, Claire Leroy. Racing for the finals started at 6pm in a light 5 knot northerly. Race 1 went to Claire Leroy with a strong pre-start and lead off the pin to cross the line first. Race 2 went to Katie Spithill with a controlling prestart and lead off the line. Race 3 was an even start with both teams meeting continually up the beat and a closely covered run. Claire Leroy led around the bottom mark and held this marginally lead to the finish to cross the line first to win her first Women’s Match Race World Title. Spithill commented “With our team being separated this year due to different commitments we are really pleased with our result, we are very grateful for the help and support we have received from both Team Acuity and the time & effort our coach Traks Gordon has put in. For us to be able to race the World Number 1 in her home waters and home boats and take a race off her in the finals was amazing”. 2007 International Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week 2007 International Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week is being held from 9th - 16th August, 2007. Sydney 2000 Soling Olympian Neville Wittey applied the master’s touch when he steered Geoff Pearson’s Middle Harbour Yacht Club sloop Arajilla to a commanding lead in the 2007 International Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race week IRC class championship today Wittey who is the first to acknowledge that the crew contribute to getting the yacht over the line selected all of the smarter tactical options with the variable 10-12 knot South East breeze to play a major part in formulating the successful strategy. The Arajilla crew who sailed into title contention by winning the 28 n/ml Island passage race in similar winds on Saturday were again the masters of racing over the shorter windward leeward course on the Whitsunday Sailing Clubs Pioneer Bay courses. Arajilla a cruising version of the successful European designed and built Archambault A35 and the smallest yacht in the fleet produced the consistent all angle sailing speed to outpace her 1.031 IRC rating winning the important third race of the series by 1 minute 23 seconds from the Victorian sloop Living Doll (Michael Hiatt) with another 34 seconds to West Australian Allan Brierty’s Limit. They applied a similar strategy in race four starting at pace in clear wind as their larger rivals led by Bob Steele’s Farr TP 52 Quest, the New Zealand sloop Wired (Rob Bassett) and the defending champion Ray Roberts in Quantum Racing entered into another exciting match race for line honours. Quest skilfully handled by her very experienced crew remained under constant pressure before finally drawing away to claim a 53 second win over Wired with Quantum Racing filling third place another 1-32 off the pace. However Arajilla was again the fastest on corrected handicap claiming her third win from four races to progressively lead the championship by 4 points from Living Doll with Quest another 2 penalty points behind in third place. Local Pioneer Bay skippers Chris Nicoll (Africa), Roger Down (True Love) and Peter Mitchelson Lorna Rose Too are poised to stage a mate against mate duel for the Performance Handicap class trophy. Nicoll steered Africa to an important win in race three to lead the series on 17 points while his Whitsunday Sailing Club rivals True Love on 20 pts and Lorna Rose Too 21pts remain in title winning contention. Australian Olympic Committee interview with Elise Rechichi With less than one year to go until the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) sat down to chat to Australian Sailing Team (AST) member Elise Rechichi about her Olympic hopes. To read the full interview, click on the link below. Podcasts on Darren Bundock, Michael Blackburn & Allison Shreeve are also available at the AOC website (link below). Enteries for Magnetic Island Race Week closing soon! Judging by the interstate and international interest received for Far North Queensland's latest regatta, we might have a sailing tiger by the tail. The inaugural Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week, which has been organised by the Townsville Cruising Yacht Club, starts on September 7th to 11th 2007 with strong entries coming from the length of Queensland and pleasing numbers coming from the southern states. This year, from the still growing entry lists, the boat that will travel the farthest to compete is Harold Clark's highly competitive Farr 1104 Invincible, which regularly outguns her Rolex Sydney to Hobart rivals at Sailing South Week in Hobart. The largest boat expected to be on the start line is Hogs Breath Cafe's founder Don Algie's luxuriouis pocket maxi Storm II. The Warwick 66 has won her division on many occasions at what is now Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week, now in its 18th year. This regatta is the largest sporting event in Airlie Beach each year and provides a significant boot to the region's economy. Recognising the contribution the Far North Queensland fleets have made to Hamilton Island and Airlie Beach Race Weeks, Don Algie is keen to support the first venture into the national racing circuit being taken by Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week in 2007. Event Founder Terry Dodds, the Managing Director of Sun Ferries and the major backer of the event commented today, 'We've been very pleased with the 2007 response, it's clear we will have a good fleet with more southern boats than we expected. 'We are taking the long term view and the exciting thing is the number of international and southern boats who have said they will be on the start line next year.' Numbers of the 250+ race boats that will be circulating in the Whitsundays over the next two weeks, have expressed interest in the Magnetic Island series. Amongst these are two exciting Reichel Pugh designed Melges 24s with Western Australian and American sailors keen to dip their toes in the azure blue waters of Cleveland Bay. Heath Walter's from Melges Asia-Pacific said today, ' We will try and get to Townsville and Magnetic Island this year. Right now we are scrambling for crew. ' Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Director Denis Thompson said a few minutes ago ''We have decided to extend the time for race entries as there are numbers of boats who will be racing at Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, who are keen to race at Magnetic Island but are still juggling crews.' While this year's Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week fleet will not be huge by Whitsunday standards, the fleet is certain to grow. As New Zealander Rob Bassett, the owner of the gun boat the Bakewell White 52 Wired which will hit the start line on Airlie Beach's Pioneer Bay, said last week, 'We come 2,000 nautical miles to north Queensland to race in T-shirts in our winter; we don't want to go home, we want to be able to race a circuit.' And a circuit they shall have! Skippers keen to experience the delights of Far North Queensland sailing can still enter, but they need to be quick!! Daily blogs from Laser Radial European / World Championship 2007 The Laser Radial European / World Championship was held in The Netherlands from July 27th to 11th August, 2007. There are three Australians competing at this event being Klade Hauschildt, Tom Burton and James Burman. 8th August, 2007 “Day two started with a 4 hour postponement, but when racing finally took place it was in a consistent 8-12 knots of breeze. Tom scored two very promising results as did Klade, however only the provisional results have been posted. I got 3rd and 4th provisional. Tomorrow promises for tighter racing in the fleet of 204”. 9th August, 2007 9th August, 2007 "Fellow Australian's Klade Hauschildt and Tom Burton had placings in the 20's and early 30's. Danish sailorThorbjoern Schierup leads convincingly with four race wins, however it is early days and there is still plenty of time to climb the leaderboard. Looking forward to some more tough racing tomorrow in simliar conditions". "Fellow Australian's Klade Hauschildt and Tom Burton had placings in the 20's and early 30's. Danish sailorThorbjoern Schierup leads convincingly with four race wins, however it is early days and there is still plenty of time to climb the leaderboard. Looking forward to some more tough racing tomorrow in simliar conditions". 12th August, 2007 "Last day of radial youth worlds was really tough. There was about 6-8 knots but the breeze was very unstable and the strong current made it even more tricky. Tom Burton had a great day scoring a 6th place in race 9 and had another great race in race 10, taking advantage of the close overall standings and moving well up the rankings. His handle of the conditions saw him round the top mark in first place, but unfortunately lost a few places throughout the race. This topped off a great regatta for Tom who finished 42nd. My day wasn't good, I finished 44th and 48th in the races and ended up 6th overall". 12th August, 2007 "Last day of radial youth worlds was really tough. There was about 6-8 knots but the breeze was very unstable and the strong current made it even more tricky. Tom Burton had a great day scoring a 6th place in race 9 and had another great race in race 10, taking advantage of the close overall standings and moving well up the rankings. His handle of the conditions saw him round the top mark in first place, but unfortunately lost a few places throughout the race. This topped off a great regatta for Tom who finished 42nd. My day wasn't good, I finished 44th and 48th in the races and ended up 6th overall". "Looking forward to getting home and regrouping before i continue my training towards Terrigal worlds". "Looking forward to getting home and regrouping before i continue my training towards Terrigal worlds". Mumm 30 class to race with RSYS this season The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron will include a Trophy Series for the increasingly popular Mumm 30 One Design keelboat class as part of its upcoming 2007-2008 spring/summer racing calendar on Sydney Harbour. The Mumm 30s will race within the Squadron’s prestigious Division 1 fleet, but will have their own pointscore and season trophy. A strong line-up is expected, with the Squadron considering proposals from Mumm 30 owners to conduct the 2008 Australian championship and also make a bid for the 2009 World championship. Designed by Bruce Farr, the Mumm 30 is a fast and exciting boat to race with strong fleets in the USA and Europe, where the 2007 World Championship will be sailed at Porto Cervo, Sardinia in early October. Australians have done exceptionally well on the international scene in the Mumm 30 class, with Squadron member Richard Perini winning a World championship and current Australian champion Bruce Eddington winning the Mumm 30 class at the famous Key West Race Week. “The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron extends an invitation to all Mumm 30 owners to join in racing together as a fleet every Saturday in the Main Series or every other Saturday in the Short Series,” says Guy Stening, owner/skipper of Optimumm. “Sydney Harbour offers some of the best yacht racing in the World, with the Squadron noted for the efficiency of its race management. “You do not have to be a RSYS member of participate; all Mumm 30 owners are welcome,” said Stening, adding that five boats had already responded positively and a sixth was expected to also join the fleet by the time the season opened. The Notice of Race/Entry Form for the RSYS Spring/Summer season is now available from the RSYS Sailing Office – Phone 9017 0150 or email – email@example.com. The Squadron’s Spring Season opens on Saturday, 1 September and continues through to 15 December, with the Summer Season running from 19 January to 5 April. In addition to Division 1 and the Mumm 30 OD boats, the Squadron this season will be conducting racing for Division 2, 3 and 4 mixed handicap yachts and for Etchells, Dragon and Yngling One Design classes. The Squadron also invites members from other clubs to compete in the Spring/Summer Series of mixed handicap and one design racing on Sydney Harbour. Splash Gordon wins third leg of Audi IRC Australian Championship Sydney-based Splash Gordon (CYCA) has sailed to victory in the second-last leg of the Audi IRC Australian Championship, following the finish of the Audi Gold Coast Yacht Race. The modified Farr 40 placed first in the IRC Division D of the Audi Sydney Southport Regatta which sailed north from the CYCA in Owner and skipper, Steve Ellis, is already an Audi owner with an A6 allroad quattro and an Audi A4 Cabriolet in his garage. An Audi Q7 – the major prize for the Audi IRC Australian Championship – would be an excellent addition. Ellis praised the CYCA for what he called a ‘really lovely race’ and says he and his team will now head to Audi Hamilton Island Race Week to compete with a German-built Dehler 44, dubbed ‘Dehler Maid’. The Audi IRC Australian Championship is endorsed by Yachting Australia, and incorporates four regattas, including Skandia Geelong Week (RGYC), Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta (MHYC), Audi Sydney Southport Regatta (CYCA) and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week (HIYC). To be in the race to win the Australian Championship, teams must compete in at least three out of these four events. The major prize will be an Audi Q7 SUV. The winner will also be presented with the Audi IRC Australian Championship Perpetual Trophy. News from NSW Maritime The visually spectacular sport would see 14m long powerboats of about 1800 horse-power racing at about 250km per hour across Any proposed course on the Harbour would provide fantastic free vantage points to spectators, although safety would be the Government’s primary focus with very tough measures to be put in place to control boating traffic. NSW Maritime, as the regulator of the Harbour, would be involved in controlling other boating traffic on these event days. You're the Skipper. You're Responsible! The 'You’re the Skipper. You're Responsible' campaign is designed to encourage all recreational operators to take responsibility for their actions on the water. Boat operators, or skippers, are responsible for the safety of their vessel and the people on board. A lack of judgment, alcohol and excessive speed are the biggest contributing factors in reported boating incidents across the State. NSW Maritime aims to help reduce boating incidents by raising the awareness of boat skippers. Skippers need to be constantly aware of their responsibilities on the waterways, continually observing maritime regulations and safety requirements. The NSW Government will use the new campaign as an educational tool online, and promoted through the Boating Safety Course and incorporated in radio and television advertising for the coming boating season. The message will also be mailed to 200,000 people through the boat registration renewal process. To further promote safety, five key marine safety organisations are hosting a stand at the Sydney International Boat Show in Cutting red tape and protecting our marine environment This streamlined procedure for leaseholders is about meeting our commitment to reduce red tape without reducing environmental or planning protections. Before receiving permission from NSW Maritime to lodge a development application for a maritime structure, applicants must prove several points about the location of the structure. These uses include safety for marine navigation and the intended uses of the structure. After receiving permission to lodge a development application from the landowner (NSW Maritime), the applicant can then prepare and lodge their DA with the relevant Local Government or State authority for assessment. The new policy emphasises that permission from NSW Maritime to lodge an application with State or local consent authorities does not mean the application will be approved. Development Applications must be lodged with State or local consent authorities so they can be subjected to strict environmental and planning assessments. Assessments encompass protection of marine flora and fauna, detailed inspections of the structure’s effect on public foreshore access and preservation of public views. These assessments are important for the protection of our maritime environment and they remain unchanged. Under the old system, the applicant effectively had to undergo the DA process twice, once with NSW Maritime and then repeat the process with the authority that has the responsibility to approve DAs. The State Government is reducing red tape by removing the duplication of that assessment. The procedure, titled ‘Obtaining Permission to Lodge a Development Application’ was formerly known as ‘Land Owner’s Consent’ and sets requirements for meeting clause 49(1)(b) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000, regarding who can lodge an application. The draft procedure was publicly exhibited in 2006-07. A total of 155 submissions were received, of which 124 supported the draft policy, 22 were opposed and 9 did not state a view. All comments and recommendations were considered in developing the final procedure adopted by the Government. Copies of the revised procedure are available on the NSW Maritime website at www.maritime.nsw.gov.au Community to comment on revised Harbourside Lease Policy The review relates to private structures such as jetties and pontoons, and the views of the community are an important part of the process. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal formula for rentals of waterfront facilities has been applied by NSW Maritime for more than two years. Over these two years, there have been concerns about the ‘precincts’ part of the formula from the community. The NSW Government has listened, using community feedback to review the leasing policies. This review aims to improve transparency in lease decisions, as well as providing security of tenure for lease holders. The review balances improvements for lessees with ensuring the Government obtains a reasonable return on behalf of the community. Other administrative proposals include the following: · using an ‘Individual’ Statutory Land Value instead of a ‘Precinct’ Statutory Land Value in calculating rent to better align rent with the value of specific properties; · a three-year rolling average of Statutory Land Valuations for rent calculations to smooth rent changes resulting from a revaluation; · clarifying the rules for existing use rights and removal of structures; · improvement of hardship provisions and · a cap on any annual rent increases at $2500 (including GST) plus CPI to replace the confusing formula currently being applied. The arrangements are open for public comment until 6 September 2007. A full copy of the proposed changes are at www.maritime.nsw.gov.au. Youth crew berths available now on Young Endeavour Sailing onboard the Young Endeavour, you’ll be pushed outside your comfort zone as you work with 23 other young Australians from all walks of life and together learn to sail this magnificent tall ship. Applications are now being accepted for youth crew for sailing adventures in 2008. But hurry, applications for voyages in the first half of 2008 close on 30 September. You can sail into Sydney Harbour in the thick of the Australia Day celebrations, migrate north to Cairns with the whales or take on the challenge of Bass Strait. You can also look forward to increasing your self-awareness, developing your leadership and communication skills and doing it all whilst experiencing the outdoors at its best. Young Australians aged 16 to 23 are eligible to take part in an 11-day Young Endeavour voyage. Along the way you will also explore beautiful and remote coastal areas of Australia. Former youth crew member Katherine Ngo said about her voyage: "It’s a completely different experience from normal life and gives you great lessons about teamwork and leadership." Aaron Beck echoes Katherine in saying "I strongly recommend applying for this amazing adventure to everyone. It prepares you for more than taking control of a ship and brings out the best aspects in you that you will need during your life". So what are you waiting for? Apply now, www.youngendeavour.gov.au or call 1800 020 444 and get ready to take on the adventure of a lifetime! Walker snatches victory in the Club Marine NSW Youth Match Racing Championship Evan Walker, with his new crew of Sean O’Rourke and Josh Cornford, has snatched victory in the Club Marine NSW Youth Match Racing Championship by the narrowest of margins. While Will Ryan, Jay Griffin and Jono English won the first match of the finals series, In the words of chief umpire Following an even start, In an all CYCA finals series, Jamie Woods and his crew of Byron White and Jeremy Wawn defeated Will McKenzie and his team 2-0 in the petit final. Mateship did not stand in the way of these CYCA teams as they battled each other in the semi-finals. Disappointingly for Sam Sexton, who commenced the final day in fourth position, his battle with After a strong first day, Will McKenzie was only able to win one of his matches on the final day. In similar fashion, RSYS’s Ian Quartly was only able to secure victory once in his race against RPAYC’s Sexton to finish fifth overall. At this afternoon’s trophy presentation, CYCA Vice Commodore Garry Linacre thanked the sponsor, Club Marine, for their ongoing support of the youth sailing at the CYCA, noting that it was fitting for the Elliott 6 sponsored by Club Marine to be in the final. Last boat finishes Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race After a stop start race, Ian Sanford’s Northshore 38 Tartan from New South Wales this morning finished the 898 nautical mile Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race ahead of a fresh 15-20 knot sou’westerly breeze. Tartan was one of 72 yachts which left Skipper Ian Sanford was delighted with the outcome of his first ocean race, “no breakages, no seasickness and the crew of long term friends are still long term friends” but wasn’t as thrilled with being becalmed off Frontrunners Limit and Sailors with disAbilities had sufficient wind and therefore boat speed to take on the 1.5 knot opposing current with little resistance but by the time Amante and Tartan reached Engine trouble two days out from the finish left Tartan powerless. Luckily for them the wind again filled in from the south and they surfed towards the finish in a 30 knot sou’wester, recording a top boat speed of 11.5 knots. Dennis Cooper’s Amante was the third to finish, at 1.51am this morning. The official race prizegiving was held this afternoon where the IRC and line honours trophy went to Alan Brierty’s Limit and the PHS handicap trophy to David Pescud’s Sailors with disAbilities. Corby 49 'Limit' takes line honours at Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race Alan Brierty’s Corby 49 Limit took line honours in the Audi Sydney Mackay Yacht Race at 6.48am this morning, giving them an elapsed time of 4 days 17 minutes 48 seconds. Amazingly, it was a following race for almost the entire 898 nautical miles with only seven or so hours of racing without a spinnaker. Sailing master Roger Hickman and owner Alan Brierty were delighted to beat the small fleet to the finish line at Mackay and importantly, Brierty was able to jump on a 10am flight back to Perth where he is due to attend a black tie function tonight. Brierty is a finalist for the Ernst & Young 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year and the Western Region award ceremony is being held tonight. Hickman had a couple of coastal pick ups arranged if they’d run out of time to put Brierty on a flight home but in the end, they had a whole hour and a half to spare. “We were racing the other boats but we were also racing the clock,” admitted Hickman. “It’s the longest coastal race in “As we went north, the wet weather gear was slowly replaced by t-shirts and shorts,” Hickman said this morning. Approaching the finish line at daybreak this morning, a still half asleep Brierty poked his head out of the cabin and thought the crew had played a joke on him. With more than 70 container ships at anchor off Haye Point at Mackay, in his confused and tired state, Brierty thought they were back sailing off The next boat due to finish is David Pescud’s Sailors with disAbilities, due around 3pm this afternoon. Dennis Cooper’s Amante is the third boat expected to finish, their ETA currently the afternoon of 4 August, followed by Ian Sanford’s Tartan. The Audi Sydney Mackay fleet can be monitored via Google Earth at this link http://mackay.cyca.com.au/ge/cyca_smackay_yachtrace.kml Record Fleet for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week It’s a record fleet for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2007. The magic number of 206 came today when And now, with Race Director Denis Thompson having decided to extend the closing date for entries beyond the original deadline of Friday, August 3, there is a chance that more than 210 yachts will be on the water when competition starts on August 18. All Australian states, the The entire fleet in this 24th edition of the award winning regatta reflects the wide-ranging appeal of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. The IRC Racing division (23 entries) is a magnificent cross-section of some of the best offshore sailors and ocean racing yachts in the world, while at the other end of the spectrum, in the cruising divisions, the crews are there to win as much as they are to have a fun time. Michael Hiatt said that he hoped it was an omen for Race Week when he was told today that Living Doll’s entry was the one that broke the fleet record set two years ago. “It’s been a race for us already,” Hiatt said, “so being entry 206 is a bit like having a win before we start. We’ve completely re-built the boat in recent months, even replaced the canting keel with a fixed fin and bulb, and it was only a couple of weeks ago that we knew we were going to be ready for Race Week. “Now we can’t wait to get to Race Week and see how we go against the opposition. The fleet in the IRC Racing division is exceptional and there are a lot of good boats racing that are similar in size to Living Doll, so the pressure is going to be on.” Denis Thompson also announced today that if favourable tide and wind conditions prevailed then all the around-the-islands races would be starting and finishing in Dent Passage, immediately adjacent to the site of the Great Barrier Reef Yacht Club, which is currently under construction. The Sailing Instructions will be posted on the regatta website this week - www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au This year all crews will be encouraged to compete for the prestigious Prix d’Elegance Trophy, an award for the best presented yacht and crew. All yachts and crews will be judged as they exit Audi Hamilton Island Race Week organisers have been encouraged by the great response shown already by sailors, their families and friends to this year’s expanded social agenda. Bookings have already been strong for a number of functions. Details of the social and sailing schedules for the week can be viewed on the website. Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Audi, the highly successful German luxury carmaker, is now the largest supporter of sailing in Billed as "The ‘Great’

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2013-05-23T18:39:09Z

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By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Kaori Kaneko TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's first politically risky step of declaring the country's intent to join talks on a U.S.-led Pacific Rim free trade pact appears to be paying off as his record high ratings edge even higher. Public opinion surveys showed on Monday that Abe's support ratings had risen since last month to reach the highest levels since he took office in December and a majority backed Friday's announcement that Japan wanted to join Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) membership talks. The decision launches the "third arrow" in Abe's policy triad following the fiscal pump priming and hyper-easy monetary measures he has pushed since returning to office in December after his Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) big election win. While "Abenomics" has been playing to rave reviews in the Tokyo stock market and with voters, business executives and economists say its lasting success hinges on whether and how Abe tackles thorny reforms such as deregulation. Japan's TPP participation is one such thorny issue and serves as the first test of Abe's ability to navigate the political minefield to get there. Proponents say the trade pact will help tap vibrant regional growth and act as a catalyst for reforms such as deregulation. However, it is staunchly opposed by the powerful farm lobby, which has long served as the LDP's power base. Two of Abe's predecessors from the now-opposition Democratic Party of Japan promoted the idea of joining TPP when they were in government, but stumbled over divisions within their own party. "The public support for the TPP is high. This shows that Abe's explanation of Japan's needs to join the TPP talks probably brought a feeling of security among the public," said Takehiko Yamamoto, political science professor at Waseda University. In its election campaign, the LDP said it would oppose joining the talks if that required a commitment to abolish all tariffs without any exceptions and Abe has said he had won Washington's assurances that no such commitment was needed. A survey by Asahi newspaper showed 71 percent of voters backed Abe's approach to TPP talks, while similar surveys by the Yomiuri and Mainichi newspapers showed some 60 percent of voters were behind it. Support for Abe - Japan's seventh premier since popular Junichiro Koizumi ended a rare five-year term in 2006 - edged up in all the media surveys to the highest levels since he took office in December. The Asahi daily showed 65 percent of voters backed Abe's cabinet, while the Yomiuri and Mainichi put his rating at 72 percent and 70 percent respectively, up between 1 and 7 points compared with previous surveys taken in February. The consistently high levels of support are rare for a Japanese leader, whose ratings often start high but then sink. That fate befell Abe during his troubled 2006-2007 first term. Abe's LDP and its junior partner have a huge majority in parliament's lower house but need to win a majority in a July upper house election to cement their hold on power and winning over TPP opponents remains a challenge. "The LDP and its small ally Komeito party are sweeping the board at the moment. But we still have to see how Abe's government can persuade people such as agriculture lobbies and how Japan can negotiate with TPP member nations," said Waseda's Yamamoto. The United States and 10 other countries are pushing for a deal by the end of the year and possibly as soon as an Asia-Pacific leaders summit in Bali in October. But hurdles to Japan's joining the talks remain. Tokyo must first hold bilateral talks with existing members and win their endorsement amid worries that three-year old talks could get bogged down if Tokyo proved slow to address U.S. concerns over barriers to its auto, insurance and agricultural markets. Other countries in the trade talks include Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. The addition of the world's third-largest economy would expand the pact to cover nearly 40 percent of the world's economic output. (Writing by Tomasz Janowski; Editing by Neil Fullick)

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2013-05-26T02:50:11Z

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Reality shows thrive on novelty and the forthcoming reality show Is Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao is no different. The show, which will go on air on July 6, has several celebrities struggling for survival. Given the sadistic pleasure viewers get out of watching celebrities struggle for survival, this show puts them in the heart of a Malaysian jungle to live a wild life. Literally. The show, which is a mix of Bigg Boss and Fear Factor, will throw 10 celebrities into a jungle for two months amidst the wild animals. The participants will have to feed themselves with whatever they can lay their hands on. For survival, they will also have to perform tasks that the channel sets. The one who manages to survive till the end will be the winner. According to our sources, Adnan Sami's wife, Sabah, is one of the contestants. Antara Mali and Faisal Khan have also been approached to be part of the show. Even while the contestants are made to sign contracts to not reveal anything about the show, we have learnt that Mini Mathur and Yudi will host the show. Our source said, "Sabah has agreed to do the show and will be flying down to Malaysia early next month. Antara and Faisal too have almost been finalised." As the contract forbids all participants from revealing anything about the show, Sabah denied being part of Is Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao and said, "Everyone writes wrong things about me. I am not from the film industry and these shows are not for me." However, a source from the channel confirmed we will soon be seeing Sabah in the Malaysian jungle. Antara and Faisal remained unavailable for comment.

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2013-05-26T03:09:55Z

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Saturday June 30, 2012 Up close and personal with Abdul Hamid Bhat By JOHN LOH Abdul Hamid Bhat is one of those rare people who can talk about saving the world with a straight face. The Kashmir native speaks with a certain navet with words that might evoke anything between a wince and a smile, but this mechanic-turned-millionaire is no daydreamer. Maybe his humble roots have something to do with it. At 16, he was a dropout, flunking his high school diploma in the 10th grade. Abdul Hamid, who prefers to go by the name Rahim in honour of his father, was then jobless for two years. Coming from a family that lived off the land, Rahim's prospects were not bright and he took up a job as a scooter mechanic. Nonetheless, ambition throbbed in his veins, and in 1996, he asked to use a portion of his father's farmland in the outskirts of Srinagar, Kashmiri's capital, and for some seed capital to open a repair shop. Though reluctant at first, his father eventually consented and gave him 25,000 rupees (US$450), with which Rahim set up a simple tin shed and hired two workers. The business was named Rahim Motors after Abdul Rahim, his father. “I didn't want to sleep while my father was working,” he says, adding the company bore the Rahim name because “I love my parents, that's why their blessing is with me”. The Maruti connection The very next year, he approached Maruti Suzuki, India's largest automaker and a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corp, to be appointed as one of its service centres. Rahim describes simply that he worked with “hard work, dedication, passion, and honesty”, which was what led the business to quickly receive multiple accolades. He won 10 awards over five consecutive years for, among others, his quality of service, and was promoted thrice from category C to A within a short time. The icing on the cake was when he achieved the distinction of Maruti Service Master, becoming the first in the Kashmir and Jammu states to do so. A collaboration with Mahindra & Mahindra, another prominent automobile manufacturer in India, soon followed. The company today makes US$4.5mil a year in revenue, and has 250 people on its payroll and four workshops in Srinagar. His service centre is no ordinary workshop either as customers waiting for their vehicles can pass the time at its well-stocked library. Rahim has two other units, Rahim Automobiles and Rahim Engineering Works, at other sites. Heart for social work With a thriving business in hand, Rahim could very well have left it at that if not for his yearning to give back. Calling it the “common man's social responsiblity”, Rahim says: “Every man is responsible for the society. It is not just an environmental issue.” To this end, he founded Rahim Greens, the group's corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm, some years ago. About 25% of the company's annual profit is channelled to various initiatives carried out by Rahim Greens. Rahim even decided to divert the money used to pay for the calendars and diaries the company made as advertising material towards CSR. One of the first things he did was to help maintain the trees planted by the Government along the roads. “Then I decided to plant the trees myself. One diary can make 10 trees,” he reasons, “so I stopped making diaries.” “In 2009, I began with 6,000 trees, then 20,000 in 2010. In March this year we have planted a total of 57,600 pine trees.” And why pine trees? Because they are the cultural tree and identity of Kashmir, he enthuses. “It is a tourist place, people say Kashmir is paradise on earth.” “This year I will plant trees in deforested areas. I can create the forest again,” he continues. Just before this interview, Rahim was locked in conversation with Datuk Paul Low, president of Transparency International Malaysia, on the rampant problem of illegal logging in his country. “I told him I am concerned about the environment because it is for all humans. We cannot live without forests. Concrete solutions are not good for human beings. You don't compromise on forests.” Wearing his trademark white sneakers, which he apparently dons to all occasions, Rahim tells StarBizWeek during a recent trip to Malaysia that the customers who frequent his workshop on “environment day” each get a complimentary check up for their car and two plant saplings to take home. Almost 1,000 saplings are given out during this yearly affair, he points out. His service centres are also equipped with machines that check and control a car's pollution output. Not stopping there, he regularly tours schools to speak about the importance of preserving the environment, and has been invited to countries such as South Korea, Thailand and Australia to give lectures on climate change. Besides this, Rahim sponsors education for underprivileged children and offers free repair services for ambulances. He has even volunteered to drive the ambulance himself. Out of adversity Meanwhile, a for-profit solar business is in the offing. This could involve providing solar panels, lights and water heaters. He has, in the past, donated 50 solar lights to remote village homes without electricity near the India-Kashmir border to be used for studying. Perhaps loftiest of all is his plan to build a solar-powered car. “If it's not possible (to do in Kashmir) I will go to China or other countries. It is a big project, will take three to four years or more,” he explains without elaborating. Rahim's home state remains, to this day, a disputed territory caught between India and Pakistan. Although officially under India's administration, resentment against it runs deep among many Kashmiris and separatist groups have fought since 1989 for independence or a merger with Pakistan. More than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and subsequent crackdown by the Indian government. Although Rahim shies away from the topic of politics, he says the situation is now under control as both countries have begun talking. Asked how he felt growing up in the midst of conflict, he replies: “It was tough. Yes, we were very scared. But I'm alive.” Rahim is a firm believer in informal education. Saying, on the one hand, that he does not feel the need to obtain a proper degree, he then adds: “My passion is education.” “It is not necessary to have a degree, you need to have passion,” he proclaims adamantly. “If you have passion, dedication, you can do anything. “I'm sorry to say that now we are learning only to get a degree, not for knowledge. You can go anywhere when you have knowledge.” His two children have also heard this advice, and according to him, they agree. His son will pursue engineering while his daughter is studying computer science. Neither of them intend to helm Rahim Motors, he says. Rahim, who speaks halting English, is clearly very conscious of his command of the language, enquiring several times throughout this interview whether he could be understood. Laughingly, he shares that in an attempt to practise English, he once tried to talk to some people from China as they, too, were not proficient. “I start from there. I talked to them at an exhibition in Bombay because I was shy that I could not speak English well. He tried and I tried. Both of us benefited.” The 47-year old was here to give a talk to students at the Albukhary International University in Alor Setar, Kedah, which was founded by media-shy billionaire Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary. Rahim credits his Islamic faith as a key pillar in his life. “In my office we start every morning with a prayer.” On his business, he says the aim is to grow it to have 10,000 employees. As for Rahim Greens, he intends to create a helicopter rescue service as well as a charity hospital. “We are living in hilly areas where lot of people die because there are no resources,” he explains. Asked whether he would like to start any other business ventures, Rahim shakes his head. “God gave me a lot. My dream is to serve the nation. Money is not my dream.” BORN: March 3, 1965 HIGHEST QUALIFICATION: High school dropout CAREER: Chairman of the Rahim Group NOTEWORTHY: Scooter mechanic-turned-millionaire FAVOURITE FOOD: Mutton FAVOURITE PLACE: Kashmir HOBBY: Social work VALUES: Hard work, dedication, passion, and honesty INSPIRATION: Prophet Muhammad

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I have just read online reports of what Tun Dr. Mahathir said earlier today, warning Malaysians that the country may never see a Barisan Nasional (BN) government again if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is voted into Putrajaya alleging that PR “would do everything possible to stay in power forever”. The former Prime Minister who is confirming growing perceptions of Malaysians that he is “back in the saddle” as de facto Prime Minister, especially with the present premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak proving to be the most vacillating PM in the nation’s history worse than his predecessor Tun Abdullah, is now indulging his favourite past time of fear mongering with both immunity and impunity. This is not the first time Mahathir has made the wild and reckless allegation that if Pakatan Rakyat wins the federal government in the next 13th General Election, it will signify the end of democracy in Malaysia as PR would never allow any future elections where it would lose power in Putrajaya. This is utter nonsense. Firstly, there are substantial numbers of Malaysians who will not regard the prospect of the country never seeing again a Barisan Nasional government as a national catastrophe or disaster, as they regard this as the greatest blessing for the country in view of the rampant corruption, abuses of power, socio-economic injustices, and the worsening of the politics of hatred and lies resulting in deepening racial and religious polarisation in the county. But whether a Barisan Nasional government will become history, never again to be entrusted with the responsibility to govern the country, will be a decision to be made by Malaysians through the ballot box and not to be decided by the Pakatan Rakyat. On behalf of Pakatan Rakyat, I can state and pledge that if PR is voted into Putrajaya in the 13th General Election, PR will respect and accept the verdict of voters if they want to vote UMNO/BN back to power in the 14th General Election in another five years down the road. I challenge Najib and Mahathir to make a similar public commitment that UMNO will peacefully effect transition of federal power in Putrajaya if this is the electoral verdict of Malaysians in the 13th General Election? It has not escaped public notice that Najib and Mahathir have been conspicuously silent on this point. Are both Najib and Mahathir prepared to make a public pledge to accept the people’s verdict in the 13th GE, i.e. a PR federal government in Putrajaya with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the seventh Malaysian Prime Minister, or is Najib’s claim of wanting to make Malaysia the ”world best democracy” unable to pass its first elementary test? (Speech at the Sabah DAP “Janji Ditepati” Public Hearing at Hotel Emas, Tawau on Thursday 6th September 2012 at 8 pm)

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2013-05-26T02:56:36Z

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Mumbai, May 10, 2010: The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) declared today the winners of the technical award categories for IIFA AWARDS 2010. It was indeed ‘Aal izz Well’ for 3 Idiots who emerged front runners for the honours, winning 8 of the categories of the technical awards. Sujoy Ghosh’s, Aladin and the Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer, Love Aaj Kal also garnered 2 awards each. The awards will be presented to the winners at the 11th IIFA Awards that will be held on 5th June 2010 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 3 Idiots clearly managed to uphold its position with Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani & Vidhu Vinod Chopra taking the award for the Best Screenplay, C.K. Muraleedharan ISC for Best Cinematography, followed by Rajukumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi for Best Dialogue, Sanjay Wandrekar, Atul Raninga & Shantanu Moitra for Best Background Score and Rajkumar Hirani for Best Editing. To add to the feathers in its cap, the movie won Best Sound Recording – Bishwadeep Chatterjee & Nihal Ranjan Samal, Best Song Recording – Bishwadeep Chatterjee & Sachi K Sanghvi and the Best Sound Re-recording by Anup Dev. The popular dance moves from Love Aaj Kal won Bosco Caesar the Best Choreography Award, while the Best Costume Designing went to Anahita Shroff & Dolly Ahluwalia, for the same movie. Sabu Cyril got the Best Art Direction and Charles Darby (Eyecube Labs) won Best Special Effects (Visual) for Aladin. Sham Kaushal was favoured with the Best Action Award for Kaminey and undoubtedly deserving was the Best Makeup Award to international make-up artists, Christien Tinsley & Dominie Till for Paa. The winners were chosen based on an industry voting for the IIFA Awards 2010, held in March. The auditing firm of the IIFAs and the Oscars, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, audited the results of this industry voting. However, the voting for the popular award categories will go live on www.iifa.com, today and will end on 1st June, 2010. The winners decided by online voting will be announced only on the night of the Micromax IIFA Awards 2010, in Colombo. IIFA has journeyed through three continents covering cities like London, Sun City, Malaysia, Johannesburg, Singapore, Amsterdam, Dubai, Yorkshire, Bangkok and Macau, where it celebrated its decade of magic last year. Right through its 10 years, IIFA has been successful directing its efforts to achieving its’One People; One World’ by building bridges between countries, people, businesses and cinema. It has been able to expand the Indian Cinema and its cultures to the global market and has also given the Indian cinematic fraternity a whole new place at the international forefront. As the IIFAs enters its second decade, with the 11th Videocon IIFA Weekend, this celebration at the Sughathadasa Indoor Stadium, in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 3rd – 5th March, 2010, looks promising yet again. TECHNICAL AWARD WINNERS — IIFA 2010 Cinematography – C.K.Muraleedharan ISC – 3 Idiots Screenplay – Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani & Vidu Vinod Chopra – 3 Idiots Dialogue – Rajkumar Hirani & Abhijat Joshi – 3 Idiots Editing - Rajkumar Hirani – 3 Idiots Art Direction – Sabu Cyril – Aladin Choreography – Boscoe Caesar – Love Aaj Kal Action – Sham Kaushal – Kaminey Sound Recording – Bishwadeep Chatterjee & Nihal Ranjan Samal – 3 Idiots Song Recording – Bishwadeep Chatterjee & Sachin K Sanghvi – 3 Idiots Sound Re-recording – Anup Dev – 3 Idiots Special Effects ( Visual) – Charles Darby(Eyecube Labs) – Aladin Background Score – Sanjay Wandrekar,Atul Raninga & Shantanu Moitra – 3 Idiots Costume Designing – Anahita Shroff & Dolly Ahluwalia Tiwari – Love Aaj Kal Make- Up – Christien Tinsley & Dominie Till – Paa

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2013-05-26T02:35:41Z

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Que vous soyez un développeur Java, VB, ... Ce site vous intéressera car il vous guidera au travers de .NET, entre autres, par une sélection de chapitres de livres MS Press: Voici le post original de Tom Mertens: MSDN Ramp Up is a new online program where people can gain new Microsoft .NET development skills with .NET Framework 2.0. The program offers different guided learning paths for non-Visual Studio 2005 developers, such as: • aspiring developers, • Java developers, • Visual Basic 6.0 developers and • Visual Studio .NET 2002/2003 Each learning path is composed of premium technical content that aids the participant in developing strong fundamental skills in developing Windows and Web applications on the Microsoft application platform. The content comprises of select chapters of Microsoft Press books, world class e-Learning content and Virtual Labs, giving the participant the opportunity to apply their learning in a development environment as they proceed through the path. Participants completing the learning paths receive access to a Graduation Award which comprises of attractive discounted advance learning and certification opportunities. The entire learning experience is offered to the participant at no cost, thereby presenting them a convenient opportunity to acquire new development skills at their own pace and enhance their career opportunities. This program has now started as a pilot in Belgium. The special Ramp Up offerings are only available to participants in Ramp Up pilot countries (currently: Belgium, Sweden, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines). If you're interested in classroom training on Visual Studio 2005 and .NET Framework 2.0, check out the list of the Belgian Certified Partners for Learning Solutions.

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Republic of Singapore North? Regular reader Goondoo shared a radical idea. “I think the best way to resolve these Chinese dilemma is to let them move en masse to Penang while the Malays, Mamaks and Indians of Penang moved to other part of Malaysia.” “Apa macam setuju tak dengan cadangan ‘brilliant’ saya ni?” (original comment here) *** *** *** Updated: It’s happened before in Cyprus. The Muslim Cypriots moved from the Greek part of the island to the part of the island under Turkey, and the Christian Cypriots moved in the opposite direction. Population exchange agreement under the United Nations, here. Update #2: Does Dear Leader think Penang is a separate country. See here, photo (4). I was looking at Buletin Mutiara just now. The entire magazine is filled with photos of Kim Guan Eng. To the Chinese, he and DAP can do no wrong. While other Malaysians are aware that Kim was jailed for sedition – in the course of his political assassination of Rahim Thamby Chik and Umno – the DAPsters still insist he went to prison to defend the honour of a Malay girl. It just goes to show how far apart is the thinking between the Chinese and the other races. An example of tidak sehati sejiwa is the former Yugoslavia, which is now several different new countries. And it’s quite true that Malaysian Chinese are always looking to Singapore in praise and saying why can’t we be more like that southern island republic? The distance between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu is 1,622km. The distance between Penang and Singapore is only 608km. *** *** *** Actually if we look at the map of the world, not all parts of a country need necessarily be contiguous. When the Indian sub-continent was partitioned by the departing British Raj, they created West Pakistan and East Pakistan (Bangladesh). Alaska is separated from the main body of the USA, as is their 50th state Hawaii. Gaza and West Bank do not share a border despite both territories aspiring to form one Palestine. Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark, is considered to be geographically part of North America. The United Kingdom has the Falkland Islands which is off the shore of Argentina. Christmas Island, a non-self governing territory of Australia, is nearer Jawa Indonesia than it is to Australia. Spain, Portugal and Italy are in continental Europe but they have island possessions. The Netherlands has several islands in the Caribbean. Japan has tropical islands administered by a sub-prefecture of Tokyo. There are many other examples like these from around the world.

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Art Focus features interviews with artists, curators, gallerists, writers and other art people. On Tuesday May 21, 2013, Joseph Gallivan will interview Sarah Margolis-Pineo, Associate Curator at Museum of Contemporary Craft, about the exhibition Object Focus: The Bowl. The show looks at the humble bowl in the context of Art, craft and everyday life. On May 14th Eva Lake interviewed Sandy Roumagoux, who is showing at Blackfish. On April 23rd Joseph Gallivan will interview Terri Hopkins about two shows on incarceration that she has curated at the Art Gym. On April 16 Brian Ferriso, Director of the Portland Art Museum, was Eva Lake's guest. Philip Iosca was Eva Lake's guest for the April 2, 2013 episode of Art Focus. He had a show at Fourteen30 Contemporary. Rita Robillard was our guest on February 26th. She had a show at Augen Gallery this month. Michelle Ross was Eva Lake's guest on February 12th. She showed at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. On Tuesday Feb 5, Joseph Gallivan interviewed Julia Dolan about photographer Carrie Mae Weems. The retrospective exhibition, "Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video" runs at the Portland Art Museum February 2 – May 19, 2013. Julia Dolan is the museum's Minor White Curator of Photography On January 29th Eva Lake interviewed Kerry Tymchuk, Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society. They talked about events and exhibitions happening for Black History Month. On Tuesday January 22 at 11.30am Joseph Gallivan interviewed Mariana Tres, curator of the Society for Nebulous Knowledge, about the show "Celestial Clockwork." In her show at Chambers@916 Gallery, Tres presents the artefacts of 19th Century Astoria clockmaker and astronomer Herschel McShougle. Check below for audiofiles and information on all our past guests. Tim Mahan, director of Half Dozen, talks about his gallery. The current exhibiting artist is Grant Hottle (see painting), who also joined us. On the 16th of November Marilyn Murdoch was our guest along with Peter and Sally Murdoch. Marilyn is a well known collector. She also has Katayama Framing, considered by many to be the best framing in town. The choice there will make your mouth water. She maintains Artery and Murdoch Collections, where she exhibits and sells work out of her private collection. Perhaps where she made the biggest impact with artists was Guestroom, where local curators stepped up and created different kinds of exhibitions. - Title: Murdoch Art Services - Length: 29:54 minutes (41.06 MB) - Format: MP3 Stereo 44kHz 192Kbps (CBR) Disjecta founder Bryan Suereth and Ryan Burghard of the board of directors join us to talk about the fab auction. AC Dickson and Dave Allen will hold court and get artworks to the highest bidder. Stephanie Snyder curated and selected works into the live auction. 12 x 16 Gallery is a collective now located in Sellwood. They have been open for five years and are celebrating by showing nearly every artist that has exhibited with them. that means over 70 artists. Founding members Cary Doucette, Luke Dolkas and Eunice Parsons were our guests. They will have a big party this coming First Friday. Host Wendy Webb speaks with Linda Tesner, Director of the Hoffman Gallery at Lewis and Clark College. They discuss Alison Saar: Bound for Glory, an exhibition exploring the sculptures and works on paper of Alison Saar. Saar’s York: Terra Incognita, a tribute to the memory of William Clark’s slave, was dedicated on Lewis & Clark’s campus in May 2010. The exhibition is up through December 12th. “Alison Saar is one of few contemporary artists to use the figure almost exclusively in her work—yet figurative representation is not her highest priority,” said Linda Tesner. “She explores human impulses, cultural prejudices, and life experiences, drawing inspiration from folk art, African and Haitian aesthetics, myths and rituals from diverse cultures, American slave narratives, and music.” - Length: 28:49 minutes (26.38 MB) - Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR) Allan Oliver discusses his exhibition at Onda Gallery which focuses on The Day of The Dead. - Artist: Allan Oliver - Title: Allan Oliver about Day of the Dead at Onda Gallery - Genre: Unknown - Length: 31:03 minutes (42.65 MB) - Format: MP3 Stereo 44kHz 192Kbps (CBR) This is an extended web version of Art Focus as host Tom Cramer speaks with artist Esther Podemski about her new documentary "The Peasant and The Priest," which is about how globalization manifests in two aspects of Italian life today: the passing of traditional farming in Italy and the increase in enforced prostitution. The film is threaded with a metaphor from a medieval fresco in Siena, "The Allegory of Good and Bad Government" by Ambriogio Lorenzetti. Esther Podemski is a visual artist who also produced and directed "House of the World", a documentary film about the aftermath of the Holocaust. Shot in Poland, it screened in Europe and traveled throughout the United States with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. Discovery Communication purchased the film for national broadcast. The film also screened at Lincoln Center, the LA International Jewish Film Festival, Portland Art Museum’s Film Center and at numerous colleges. As a painter, Podemski has exhibited extensively in the Pacific Northwest and in New York City. She is currently represented by the Sears Peyton Gallery in New York and has had numerous exhibitions at the Alysia Duckler Gallery in Portland, Oregon. She has won a painting fellowship from the New York State Council on the Arts and twice participated in the Yaddo Residency Program. Esther Podemsk has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, Parsons School of Design in New York and at Sarah Lawrence College. Recent work includes a video installation about the Newark riots of 1967 entitled 5 Days in July. This dual screen projection traveled to galleries and museums throughout the U.S and was recently exhibited at the Director’s Lounge in Berlin , Germany. The project has been included in the “Black Miria Film Festival, a traveling festival screening at over 40 venues throughout the U.S. where it won 3rd director’s prize. 5 Days in July also one best short at The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival. Podemski also co-produced a radio drama about the Newark riots, also titled 5 Days in July. The radio program was broadcast throughout the U.S. on NPR and can be heard on PRX, it was awarded the Zeitfunk award for radio. Esther Podemski grew up in Portland Oregon and lived here most of her life prior to moving to New York. She has deep ties to the region and visits frequently. - Length: 48:19 minutes (44.23 MB) - Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR) I am back from a hiatus for pledge drive this week - and the October show at Blackfish of Michael Knutson. What a great and easy way to return! My own enthusiasm for his remarkable paintings is evident in this video we made together a couple of years ago. In the video, he makes references to Albers, Held and Monet as he explains his process and the results. Maybe that sounds kind of dry and it isn't - he's got a sense of humor too. His new show opens this coming First Thursday. This is a special program featuring Harrell Fletcher and Jens Hoffman, curators of the People's Bienniel, a featured exhibition of the Time Based Art Festival 2010. Filling in for Eva, host and producer Sean Ongley. Her Presence in Colour - IX: Oregon Women's Caucus for Art welcomes international artists, promotes world peace Host Wendy Webb spoke with Madeline Janovec, Una Kim and Karen Swallow of the The Oregon Women’s Caucus for Art (OWCA), a chapter of the National Women’s Caucus for Art. The OWCA recently welcomed 84 artists from 24 countries to Portland for the 9th biannual conference of the International Women’s Art Council (INWAC) based in Panang, Malaysia. Her Presence in Colours IX - International Women Artists Exhibition-USA 2010 - has been the first such conference held in the United States, and Portland opened it’s doors to welcome the artists during the first week in August, 2010. The show was held at the Littman Gallery at Portland State University; and the public was invited to the weeklong series of free events, offering an opportunity to interact with the artists and to help promote world peace and harmony through communication and meaningful interaction. - Title: Her Presence in Colour - IX: Oregon Women's Caucus for Art welcomes international artists, promotes world peace - Producer: Wendy Webb - Length: 28:00 minutes (12.82 MB) - Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 64Kbps (CBR)

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10 Heroic Last Stands from Military History To me, the “heroic last stand” is one of the most awesome of all the awesome footnotes of history. Sure, not all of them work out this way, but I can almost see the noble bunch of heroes looking at one another and saying, “This is it, gentlemen, we are royally screwed, surrounded, and the cavalry apparently ain’t coming so lets make this bunch pay dearly for our blood.” They are the brawniest bunch you can imagine and the ones the people back home are counting on to keep them safe. Now, in my admittedly biased and prejudiced mind, not all Last Stands are created equal. So, for the purpose of this list, I’ve got five criteria in mind. Not every last stand here meets all five, but they must meet at least three. 1. If you are the aggressor, you can’t have a Last Stand because you are getting your just desserts. Simply put, you started it and if you hadn’t started it, you wouldn’t be getting wiped out to the last man, now would you? (Think Custer) 2. The odds are laughably against your team. We’re talking AT LEAST 3:1 against and the worse the odds, the burlier the last stand glory. 3. Everybody, or at least just about everybody, dies. It’s not a Last Stand if enough of you are left to make another last stand at some point. 4. Everyone EXPECTS to die. No surrender even if asked to. As one burly sergeant in a furball of a fight put it, “Surrender? Not bloody likely!” (Exception: You surrender on YOUR terms and it’s honored.) 5. The sacrifice has to mean something in the larger scheme of things. Otherwise, you should have bloody well retreated or something to try staying alive since what you did was get everyone killed for nothing. So, with no further ado, and in no particular order, here are my suggestions for the burliest of the burly Last Stands. This was the stuff legends are made of and since Frank Miller’s film 300 came out, a whole new generation of people have been acquainted with the heroic sacrifice of Leonidas and his handpicked guard of 300 warriors, all of whom had mature sons who could carry on the family name. What a lot of people don’t seem to remember is that as awesome as Leo and his wild bunch were, they didn’t stand completely alone. Other city-states, notably Arcadia and Thespia, sent troops as well, so the force opposing the massive Persian army was closer to 6,000 than just 300. Still, that this group stopped those thousands cold in their tracks at the Hot Gates for three days and in the end were only dislodged by treachery is nothing short of amazing. The action scored a perfect 5 out of 5 on the criteria. The best legend, probably apocryphal – but maybe not, was one Spartan hoplite’s reply to a Persian envoy’s boast that, “Our arrows will blot out the Sun.” The hoplite replied, “So much the better, for then we shall fight in the shade!” Rome was sacked by the troops of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Charles V in 1527. When the troops, mostly rabble and mercenaries, of the empire breached the city, they immediately ignored the orders of Charles and pretty much everyone else in command and made straight for Vatican Hill intent on pillaging the richest treasures in Christendom. They also had murder on their mind and Pope Clement VII was high on the list of targets. The famous Swiss Guards, who used to do more than just stand around looking pretty for tourists, formed a fighting square on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica to face upwards of 20,000 bloodthirsty troops who were storming the city. Only 189 Guardsmen remained after the fighting to take the city, but these troops chose to make their stand in hopes of buying Clement time to escape the city through one of the warrens of tunnels under Rome. Clement made good his escape as the Guard managed to hold the porch of the church and prevent the doors from falling, but only 42 Swiss Guards survived and none of them were uninjured. Again, this one scores a 5 out of 5 and proves that when the Swiss decide not to be neutral, they aren’t a bunch to take lightly. This one siege and especially its climactic pre-dawn final battle is the reason natives of Texas poke their chests out a little farther than most other Americans. It is a singular event in Texan history and it’s what lead directly to Texas becoming first a nation and later a state in the United States of America. Not only that, but “Remember the Alamo!” has rung down the years as a major battlecry for people who’ve never crossed the Texan border, but who feel a giddy sense of bravado in the face of utter annihilation. At the old Spanish mission, 182 poorly armed Texas rebels faced upwards of 2000 crack Mexican troops under the command of the finest Mexican general, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The Mexicans had cavalry and a battery of cannon. The Texans had grit, determination, and cannons with very little ammunition. For 12 days, the Texans stood down Santa Anna, enduring bombardments daily. Finally, Santa Anna had enough and ordered a full assault on the mission in a surprise pre-dawn attack. Every defender of the mission was killed but Santa Anna did spare the women and children as well as sparing and freeing two African American slaves found in the fort. This last stand garners a 4.5 out of 5 because technically, the Mexicans were the “good guys” since the Texans were rebels against the lawful authority in Mexico City. This small engagement in Mexico while much of the world was focused on the American Civil War to the north, put the French Foreign Legion on the map and began a legend that persists today in the unofficial motto, “The Legion dies, it does not surrender.” Everything fell out because a group of 65 Foreign Legion troops, led by Capt. Jean Danjou were carrying supplies to Veracruz in support of the French campaign in Mexico under Napoleon III. Caught out in the open, the French troops managed to make a fighting retreat to the small hacienda of Cameron. There, surrounded and backs to the wall, the handful of Legionnaires fought like they were possessed. They repulsed attack after attack, cavalry charge after cavalry charge, until their ammunition began to run low. Even after Capt. Danjou was felled by a bullet to the chest, his men fought on. Finally, only six of the men remained and they were out of bullets and powder. At this point, they have killed enough Mexicans to surrender honorably. After all, only six are left ALIVE, much less standing. But no, led by the highest remaining NCO, a corporal, the six men fixed bayonets and, with the cry of “Vive l’France”, charged the Mexican forces. Three were struck by rifle fire and killed outright. The remaining three were surrounded, wrestled to the ground and asked to surrender. Most men would have said fine and thanked their luck they were alive. Not this bunch. One of the men looked up and said they would surrender only if they were allowed to keep their regimental Colors, keep their weapons, carry their dead with them, AND be given a safe conduct escort to their own lines. According to the accounts of eyewitnesses, the Mexican commander shook his head, laughed and ordered his men to comply with the Legionnaires’ demands. “After all,” he is supposed to have said, “What is one to do with devils like these?” To this day, April 30 is called Cameron Day in France and is celebrated by the Legion much as the Marine Corps Birthday is celebrated every November in America. This battle would again only garner a 4 out of 5 on the criteria because Saigo’s samurai were technically rebels. BUT, they were rebels because the Emperor was destroying their way of life. Bushido and the sword had ruled samurai behavior for over a thousand years and now the nobility of the samurai and his training were being swept aside in favor of conscript troops with rapid firing weapons. So, the samurai under their commander Saigo were retreating to their base of operations when they were caught and surrounded on the hill of Shiroyama. The 300 of them had their traditional bows and, of course, their matchless katanas. The 30,000 Imperial troops had rifled muskets and gatling guns. The Imperial commander asked Saigo to surrender peacefully and be spared, but, being a samurai, Saigo couldn’t really do that. Instead, he spent the night of September 23 getting buzzed on sake and ready to die. At 3:00 AM, the Imperial troops began an artillery bombardment followed by a full frontal attack. Saigo was twice wounded before committing ritual suicide to avoid the dishonor of capture. The thirty men who survived the artillery barrage charged the Imperial lines and began laying about them with their katanas. They acquitted themselves well, but in the end, every one of them was killed and the way of the samurai was dead . . . at least until the start of World War II. Okay, this is another slightly technical violation of my criteria. After all, if the Brits hadn’t been trying to take the Zulu’s land, Rorke’s Drift never would have happened. BUT, in my defense, these particular 139 soldiers weren’t invading anything. They were left behind while the “big boys” went off to get massacred at the Battle of Islawandha. No, this was a group of cooks, supply clerks, Royal Engineers, and other guys who could fight if they had to, but hadn’t really been called upon very much. They were the prime example of the “in the rear with the gear” soldiers. Unfortunately, all their buddies were wiped out at the aforementioned Battle of Islawandha. To make matters worse, a whole crap load of Zulus didn’t get to take part in the battle because everyone was dead before they got there. So, those bored Zulus decided to take out their frustrations on the supply depot at Rorke’s Drift. The Zulus had numbers, surprise, the high ground, and knowledge of the terrain. The defenders had bags of grain, Martini-Henry rifles, and bayonets “with some guts behind them”. The Zulus attacked in massive waves all through the afternoon of January 22 and through the night and early morning of January 23. They were gathering for another assault when their scouts spotted the British relief column complete with cannon and decided to retire. The defenders gained a new respect for the Zulus and in the process garnered 11 Victoria Crosses, the most ever awarded for a single engagement. True, they weren’t wiped out, but when they looked up and saw every surrounding hill bristling with Zulu warriors, no one thought he was getting out alive. 1,400 Malay, British, Indian and Australian soldiers faced off against 13,000 Japanese troops in an attempt to save Singapore or at least give the civilians time to evacuate. Soldiers from the Royal Malay Regiment, The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, the British 2nd Loyals Regiment, the 44th Indian Brigade and the 22nd Australian Brigade made a futile attempt to stop the advancing Japanese towards the centre of Singapore. The majority of the defenders fell in the battle. Those that did not became prisoners who would later be pressed into service on the Thai-Burma Railroad where they would be forced to built a famous bridge over a famous river. In the final hours of battle, a Malay soldier, 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi, led a 42-man platoon against thousands of invaders, leaving himself as a sole survivor. The Japanese suffered a disproportionately high number of casualties because of these men’s bravery so as punishment for being burly and courageous they tortured Adnan before executing him. Early in the Battle of the Bulge about 12,000 under-equipped and exhausted US Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division seized the town of Bastogne to defend this strategic crossroads from the German Advance. They were promptly and completely surrounded by roughly 15 Divisions of Germans. The 101st could only be sustained by airdrops from C-47s and things looked suitably grim. Seeing the hopelessness of the American position, German commander, General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz asked the 101st’s acting commander, Captain Anthony McAuliffe to surrender, McAuliffe’s famously terse reply was “Nuts!”. Under their impetuous commander, the unit held off multiple German Panzer attacks, until eventually relieved by George S. Patton’s US Third Army on December 26. One of the units of the 101st to take part in the battle was the legendary Easy Company immortalized in the TV series “Band of Brothers.” On January 6, 1066, Harold Godwinson became King Harold II following the death of his brother-in-law, Edward the Confessor. By late summer, he was faced with two imminent attempts to invade England. The first came in the northeast from his traitorous brother, Tostig, and King Harald Hardraada of Norway. While celebrating his defeat of Hardraada at a victory feast, Harold received word that Duke William the Bastard had landed at Pevensey in the south with 7,000 men. Harold gathered his forces, marched south to London, and by the evening of October 13, deployed his forces along Battle, or Senlac, Ridge near Hastings. The battle developed into a deadly engagement between the Saxon infantry and the Norman cavalry and archers. Initially, Norman arrows were harmlessly deflected by Saxon shields, and Saxon axes and spears shattered the first Norman charge. Overcome by confidence, the Saxon infantry unwisely followed the retreating cavalry in reckless pursuit and were cut down by the Norman reserve. Harold reformed his forces and the Saxons braced for additional charges. The battle evolved into relentless pounding on the Saxon line by the Norman cavalry. The Saxons more than held their own and inflicted heavy casualties. Just before evening, William feigned a general withdrawal and many Saxons again broke ranks to pursue. The knights wheeled round and destroyed the Saxon infantry in the open field. Harold and his housecarl bodyguard remained intact and just as formidable on the ridge. William ordered a final charge. This time he first had his archers aim not at the Saxon shields but release their volleys into the air so the arrows would fall on the Saxons from above. The tactic worked, but the Harold and his housecarls fought on until an arrow struck the king in the eye. As Harold struggled to pull it free, four Norman knights (one of whom may have been William) attacked. One speared Harold in the chest, and a second nearly decapitated him with a sword. As he fell, the other two Normans delivered additional blows. With Harold’s fall, the Saxon forces panicked and retreated into the nearby woods except for the housecarls who fought to the death around the body of their dead king. The Battle Off Samar (also known as “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors) has been cited by historians as one of the greatest military mismatches in naval history. It took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines. It all started when Admiral William Halsey, Jr. was lured into taking his powerful U.S. Third Fleet after a Japanese decoy fleet. He thought this fleet was the main Japanese battle group and if he could catch them, he could destroy what was left of the Japanese navy. To defend his rear, he left behind only “Taffy 3,” a light screen of destroyers, destroyer escorts, and three escort “baby” carriers. A powerful Japanese surface force of battleships and cruisers thought to have been defeated and in retreat earlier had instead turned around unobserved and came upon the tiny force of tiny ships. With nothing else he could do, Admiral Spruance in command of Taffy 3 gave the order, “Small Boys (meaning destroyers and escorts) attack.” With that order Taffy 3′s destroyers and destroyer escort desperately charged forward and attacked with 5 inch guns which could not penetrate even the thinnest armor of the Japanese armada and torpedoes, while carrier aircraft dropped bombs and depth charges, then out of bombs, strafed the bridges of the Japanese heavy ships. While the Americans suffered more losses in ships and men than were lost at the Battle of Midway, they caused so much damage and confusion to convince the Japanese commander, Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita thought he had stumbled upon the lead element of Halsey’s main fleet. Fearing for his forces, he ordered his ships to regroup and ultimately withdraw rather than advancing to sink troop and supply ships at Leyte Gulf. Taffy 3’s bold defense in the face of overwhelmingly superior firepower saved the invasion of the Phillippines.

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MALAYSIA, GEORGE TOWN - A housing broker drowned while having a swim at the pool of her friend's condominium in Batu Ferringhi near here. It is learnt that Carmen Tan, 28, cried for help when she got into difficulty at about 5.30pm yesterday and her friend immediately sought the help of the condominium's security guard. The guard managed to pull Tan out from the pool and tried to resuscitate her but to no avail. Ambulance personnel who arrived later pronounced her dead. Tan had earlier left her Gurney Drive home at about 3.30pm to go to her friend's condominium. Her sister, Sook Fung, said they received a call informing them about the incident at about 6.30pm and quickly rushed to the scene. Tan is the third in a family of four siblings. Her mother, grandmother and brothers were too distraught to speak to reporters at the Penang Hospital mortuary. At one point, her mother fell onto the floor and sat there crying. George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said they had brought Tan's friend to the police station to assist in investigations. A post mortem will be conducted on the victim today.

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S. Rajendran, (1997) Intellectual Property Rights in Malaysia. Masters project report, Universiti Putra Malaysia. In the light of Malaysia's determination to move into the Information Age by the turn of the century, mainly through the development of the Multimedia Super Corridor, it is important to evaluate the role of the Intellectual Property Rights in Malaysia. This paper, therefore,traces the development of laws in respect of Intellectual Property Rights in Malaysia and the problem faced in ensuring that the conflicting interests in the free flow of information and the need for protection of individual proprietary rights are balanced. The objective of the study is to examine the ways and means used for striking a balance between free flow of information and the protection of individual rights. The methodology adopted is exploratory and comparative. It is exploratory owing to the novelty of the subject matter and comparative as the experiences of advanced nations in this field are drawn upon to enable an appropriate model to be developed for Malaysia. As Intellectual Property Rights are related to information technology, which is charactarised by change and challenge, the issues involved, like those inherent in the Internet and the place of the consumer in these Rights, are noted. Overall, the observance of Intellectual Property Rights is expected to provide Malaysia with an edge in the competitive world of international trade and move Malaysian economy to a service orientated one through the Multimedia Super Corridor. In addition, the promotion of Intellectual Property Rights and the development of the Multimedia Super Corridor signals the move towards an immersion into information technology to stay abrest/ahead of developments in the fast approaching process of globalisation. |Item Type:||Project Paper Report| |Subject:||Intellectual property - Malaysia| |Chairman Supervisor:||Associate Professor Dr. Shaik Mohd. Noor Alam S. M. Hussein| |Call Number:||GSM 1997 39| |Faculty or Institute:||Graduate School of Management| |Deposited By:||Nurul Hayatie Hashim| |Deposited On:||13 Oct 2010 16:18| |Last Modified:||25 Jul 2011 14:05| Repository Staff Only: item control page

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HDB Bedok Reservoir Blk 623 4 bedrooms for sale. Above 7th floor, not corridor unit. Good condition, fresh paint. Ready to move in Able to see fireworks from living room! Malay buyers not eligible. Next to market, many shops, coffeeshops, and many busstops. Many Straight buses to Orchard, Jurong, Toa Payoh and more. Sole agent. Cobroke welcome. Please call 9879-2479 (Adam) for arrangement of viewings.

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Date: 4 October 2010, Tuesday Time: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm Venue: Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jaya Luncheon Talk on “The Implementation of The Strategic Trade Act 2010″ by En Mohamed Shahabar Abd Kareem, Strategic Trade Controller, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia Strategic Trade Act 2010 is a new legislation that controls the export, transshipment, transit and brokering of strategic items and related activities. Whilst defining what constitutes strategic items the objective of this Talk is to introduce this Act to all exporters, importers, manufacturers and brokers of strategic items and the relevant requirement and controls necessary to comply with this Act and not the least the consequences of non-compliance. The presentation will be done by our Guest of Honour, Mr. Mohamed Shahabar Abdul Kareem, who is currently the Strategic Trade Controller of the Strategic Trade Secretariat of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Mr Shahabar has been heading the newly established Secretariat since 1st August, 2010. Born in 1954, he is a graduate of University Malaya with Bachelors in International Relations and also holds an MBA from the University of Straclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. He began his career in 1978 with the Ministry of Finance and was posted to the Ministry Of Trade And Industry in 1981 where he was first seconded to the Malaysian Export Trade Centre (MEXPO), which is now known as the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). He has 33 years of experience in the civil service and 30 years of service in MITI, serving in various positions both at home and abroad. He has served in both the Industrial and International Trade wings of MITI and overseas as Malaysian Trade Commissioner to Yugoslavia and MITI representative to the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium. The programme for this Luncheon will be as follows: - 11:00 am: Registration, Refreshments & Networking - 11:15 am: Introduction by the President of the Malaysian Exporters Association - 11:25 am: Presentation by Guest of Honour – Mr Mohamed Shahabar Abdul Kareem on “The Implementation of the Strategic Trade Act 2010″ - 12:40 pm: Q & A Session - 01:00 pm: Lunch The participation fee is as follows: - Non-Members: RM250 per person - Members: RM 200 per person Malaysian Exporters Association c/o Malaysian Export Academy Suite 305, Block A, Glomac Business Centre Jalan SS6/3, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Contact : Hj. Moh’d Ali Jinnah Tel : 03 7806 5595 / 96 | Fax : 03 7806 5913 | Email : firstname.lastname@example.org

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Published: Thursday February 28, 2013 MYT 4:15:00 PM Updated: Thursday February 28, 2013 MYT 4:37:20 PM Energize Your Day with the Essentials of Protein What did you have for breakfast today - a hearty dose of Nasi Lemak with fried chicken, completed with Teh Tarik? Or perhaps a much-needed steaming cup of coffee to go with the morning paper? For some people, it is a norm to skip breakfast in the morning for an extra 10 minutes of snooze time or to beat the traffic jam. For those who do have breakfast, you’ll have to admit that we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the selection of food we can have to start our day. The question is, are you eating right for the right start to your day? While bread or cereal may seem to be a convenient option, they are high in carbohydrate and may lead to elevated blood sugar levels which drop quickly and leave you feeling hungry and drained. Research have showed that a breakfast high in protein helps with stabilising blood sugar and prevents hunger for a number of hours. According to the Malaysian Food Guide, Food Pyramid and Food Composition, breakfast should account for 30% of our protein intake – which translates to approximately 21 grams. While there are many types of food we can consume to meet the 21 grams of protein intake for breakfast, we have to also be mindful not to take in too much calories and fats, which may lead to obesity. Each person’s protein needs depend on several factors such as age, size, physical condition, and the level of physical activity. Nutritionists use a standard method to estimate a person’s minimum protein requirement daily, which is to multiply a person’s body weight (kg) with 0.8, as the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) in the US for protein is 0.8 grams per kilograms of body weight of adults. Take a typical Malaysian breakfast for instance. According to Nutriweb Malaysia 2000-2012 Database of Nutrient Composition of Malaysia Food, three pieces of Roti Canai can provide you with 21 grams of protein for your first meal of the day, but that also comes with 31 grams of fat, and 136.5 grams of carbohydrate. Likewise, in order to have 21 grams of protein, you will need to have 2.2 packets of Nasi Lemak, but provides you with 28.8 grams of fat and 128 grams of carbohydrate. Understanding the importance of a high-protein breakfast, leading direct selling company Amway have introduced its NUTRILITE™ All Plant Protein Powder to help you boost your protein intake and get a right start for the day. With 2.5 scoops of NUTRILITE All Plant Protein that can be mixed with any of your favourite beverages or food, it is an easy and convenient breakfast option that can help you achieve the needed 21 grams of protein, with only 1.3 grams of fat and 0.8 grams of carbohydrate. “Certified Halal, lactose-free and safe for vegetarians, the NUTRILITE All Plant Protein Powder caters to many people as it has no cholesterol and contains only minimal fat content and nine essential amino acids to aid the body’s digestion,” said Dr. Gene Maly, Senior NUTRILITE Research Scientist. “This complete, nutritious alternative to meat and dairy products is suitable for those seeking a lean source of protein in their diets, with its naturally sourced with a unique tri-blend of soy, wheat and pea,” Maly added. “It is a boost to your diet to load up your day’s essentials, giving you an energized start in the morning.” Energize your day and start it right with NUTRILITE All Plant Protein Powder, available through Amway Distributors nationwide and at the 20 Amway Shops located in Petaling Jaya, Seremban, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Batu Pahat, Bintulu, Penang, Klang, Wangsa Maju, Mentakab, Taiping, Malacca, Segamat, Brunei, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Nusa Bestari, Seberang Perai, Sibu, and Ipoh. For more information on NUTRILITE All Plant Protein Powder, log on to http://www.amway.my/nutrition/nutrilite/energise-your-day or call Amway at (03) 7946 2800. *Source: Nutriweb Malaysia 2000-2012 Database of Nutrient Composition of Malaysia Food This article is brought to you by Amway.

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2013-05-26T03:10:20Z

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Boracay Island: Then and Now. The Chronicles of Boracay Island: Island History Buracay is Boracay Boracay Island: an island so beautiful, sometimes sinful, always controversial. This makes it intriguing and causes people to return again and again, if they cannot linger for a lifetime. Its rich History dates back in the early 17th-8th Century. Boracay is more than just another Island and Resort by the Sea. She was a shy island, with a secretive and secluded past hidden behind the history of time, the soil molded by the hands of a woman and her loyal peers that made the island into a paradise. The island is indeed a creation of the Almighty with a past. As history books tell stories of times past, few is ever written or told about the island's history prior to its popularity in the seventies. Many would write about it but with always the same tone - its past being shaded or unknown. Others would tell tales about how the island was discovered - film crews, German writers, backpackers. Some people considered themselves lucky for having had the time spent with the settlers and old people in Boracay. Accounts of fisherfolks and Ati indeed were mentioned. There is one account that they revealed - about who they often referred to as the "First Family" of Boracay - they were considered as among the first settlers of the island who lived among the Ati. No wonder there are Villas and Cottages named in her honor. No wonder there are structures which stood and are named in his honor. History: The couple: ?Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol and Sofia Ner Gonzales They settled in the island in the 1900s when Lamberto became a Judge in Buruanga, an old name for Malay. Sofia had a small lot in the area where they constructed a small shelter. Later on, a number of islanders sold their lots to the couple, until a relatively large area was occupied by the family. Lamberto, or Lamber as he was fondly called by the islanders, was a good provider, he worked hard to earned his own keep and to give his family a good life. Sofia, or Sofing, as she was fondly called by her fellow Boracaynons, was a green thumb, a good administratrix and a good employer. While Lamberto work, she and her workers would go around and about the island planting trees and vegetables. She was able to plant thousands of coconut trees. Her main product was that of tobacco and copra. It was written that she was able to produce first class tobacco which were traded from all over Luzon. It was an early demise for Lamberto. He left behind a young widow to tend their orphaned children. Despite her broken heart, she maintained that composure of a strong willed woman, continued to take care of the island, made it into something the world would call "Island Paradise." With the help of a nephew Josefino Sta Maria Tirol?, Sofia was able to place her portion in the island under the Torrens System. In 1929, Sofia was granted a title in her favor and for the Heirs of Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol. At that time, Aklan was still part of Capiz, so was Malay, so that the Ordinary Registration Proceedings for Titling over Panay was lodge in the Courts of First Instance in Capiz Area. In 1931, Honorable Enrique Altavaz of the General Land Registration Office issued giving formally a torrens title over a large portion of the island. Sofia's ground work gained her the appreciation she much deserved. In 1987, in a magazine (The Sunday Times Magazine, November, 1987), an article was written about the woman behind the greening of Boracay. The article was about Sofia Ner Gonzales. Today, the island remained to be as Sofia intended it to be: an Island Paradise. She would have wanted it the way it was: with all the coconut trees standing almost everywhere, including bended cocos that gave the island the unique scenery peculiarly exclusive to Boracay. Sadly, those trees are no longer there. Environment and legal issues beset the island. Government intervention seem to aggravate the matter. Nonetheless, Boracay remained one of the best beaches in the world. Modern Day Boracay: 1970 marks the beginning of the Modern Age of Boracay Island. Even though electricity arrived in the late 1980, visitors came pouring in, bringing along their own amenities, especially water to drink. In the early fifties, or right after the War (WWII), business, great and small, began to blossom in the island. On some parts, dirt or rocky or smooth roads gave way to paved ones. Sofia would have wanted the island to stay as it was, with millions of trees resting peacefully and happily on white sugar-coated sands of the island, with few joyous people relaxing by watching the calm and serene blue ocean touching the blue heavens... But times changed and the rest had to change with time. Rapid growth of the Island began in 1970, and the population has grown. Today, this beautiful sea island continues to offer Visitor and Resident alike a beautiful oasis featuring miles of blue beaches, World Class golf, recreation and a renewal of spirit as one finds himself surrounded, and enriched by, the peaceful beauty of nature. Our Thanks and Appreciation to the Heirs of Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol and Sofia Ner Gonzales for sharing their ancient journals, letters, case files and old accounts from islanders of the island. Special Thanks to the heirs of Boracaynons who corroborated the stories written above and used as a source for this brief history. Most of all, thanks to Teresita Tirol Rojo Corpus and the one who helped compile this History of the Island. You know who you are. I thank you. Published on 10/12/11

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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2013-05-26T02:44:47Z

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Politics and Society Economy and Business Interview with Sherman Ong, filmmaker from Malaysia who lives in Singapore and has vast experience in the field of visual arts, photography, video and film, and has received several international awards. Casa Asia has organised a film series of his work./swf/player.swf?videourl=/media/asset_publics/resources/000/031/834/original/entrevista_sherman_ongWEB.mp4&fotourl=/keyframes/31834.jpg&barcolor=99C1FD&streaming=true Unit Asia, Asia Fusion Jazz is Asia's current jazz band. Their fusion not only concerns their mixture of musical genres (jazz, pop or rock), but also the diversity in the band's roots, as it is formed by three musicians from Japan, one from Malaysia and one from Thailand. TICKET SALE AT TICKETMASTER The Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China and is celebrated by more than 1,300 million people worldwide. In Spain, Chinese communities living in different cities will participate in the festivities which begin on February 10, 2013 (the year 4711)./swf/player.swf?videourl=/media/asset_publics/resources/000/030/958/original/SpotA_oNuevoOK_web.mp4&fotourl=/keyframes/30958.jpg&barcolor=99C1FD&streaming=true En el sólido estudio La India. Retrato de una sociedad, Sudhir Kakar, considerado por Le Nouvel Observateur uno de los 25 pensadores de mayor relevancia del mundo, y la antropóloga Katharina Kakar investigan la naturaleza de la «indianidad», esa unidad que subyace en la gran diversidad de la India, más allá de las diferencias étnicas o sociales./swf/player.swf?videourl=/media/asset_publics/resources/000/030/916/original/Sudhir_Kakar_render_final_WEB.mp4&fotourl=/keyframes/30916.jpg&barcolor=99C1FD&streaming=true The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded on the 8th of August 1967 with the purpose to turn the region into a stable and prosperous area and with an equitable and sustainable economic development. This conference made the current development of the economy of ASEAN countries known, as well as the opportunities offered by the region for Spanish companies. Casa Asia presents the first exhibition by Chiharu Shiota (Osaka, 1972) in Barcelona, with a proposal regarding several installations, drawings and videos, which are integrated in a unique project at its headquarters. Song: The Belle grove Affair by Tom Fahy Creative Commons. Noncomercial value The purpose of this conference was to identify the main investment oppotunities offered by Australia; to explain the conditions of the entrance process, financing formulas, possible tenders and other key legal, administrative and fiscal aspects for the investment of Spanish companies, as well as to present the strategic plan of New South Wales regarding infrastructures./swf/player.swf?videourl=/media/asset_publics/resources/000/027/899/original/2012_06_12_Oportunidades_Australia_WEB.mp4&fotourl=/keyframes/27899.jpg&barcolor=99C1FD&streaming=true Is there a universal language in the kitchen? How much information does gastronomy give us of a place? Is it possible to have a good biriyani in Barcelona, or are the environmental factors –often intangible– inherent in a specific cuisine (cultural, climatic, biological, etc.) determinant in the flavour and experience of every meal? Which are the current tendencies of haute cuisine? Is there a gastronomic tourism? For a year and a half, Burma/Myanmar has been the scenario of a process of political opening that has awakened hop among the Burmese population. However, even if the progress has been clear, there are still doubts about the final result of this new orientation and about the real changes the current government, inheritor of the former military junta, is prepared to make. Interview with Jean-François Huchet, Professor of Economics at the School of Chinese Studies, about the new leading team that will succeed Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao in the party elections in Autumn 2012, and possible changes in the content of the economic and political programme. The Ramuni Paniker Trust Foundation, named after the philosopher's father and thinker Raimon Panikkar, is a non-profit-making foundation that aims to become a dialogue space to promote an exchange network between people, groups and institutions of south India and Spain. To carry it out, it includes a scholarship programme for students of economically needy families from south India so they can be trained professionally and receive high education. Interview with the artist Shimabuku in Casa Asia owing to his visit to Barcelona for the opening of the exhibition "Leaves swim", which includes his last works, in the gallery NoguerasBlanchard. Casa Asia, with the support of the Japan Foundation, organised a special activity programme owing to the first anniversary of the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that devastated the Northeastern coast of Japan on the 11th of March 2011. On the 20th of March 2012 the new year is celebrated in many countries of the western region of Asia. Persian origin, Nowruz is celebrated by more than 400 million people from Central Asia, great part of the Southern Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey and the Chinese region of Xinjiang. The main purpose of the celebration is to welcome spring with a renovation will, cleaning and harmony among people. This feeling is very strong and during the wars a ceasefire was organised to celebrate Nowruz with a banquet. Entrevista a uno de los arquitectos chinos más reconocidos internacionalmente, Ma Yansong, en su visita a España. Casa Asia acogió las entrevistas durante la estancia del arquitecto a raiz de dos conferencias organizadas por la revista Future Arquitecturas en Las Escuelas de Arquitectura de LaSalle de la Universidad Ramon Llull de Barcelona y de la Universidad Europea de Madrid UEM./swf/player.swf?videourl=/media/asset_publics/resources/000/023/837/original/2012_03_09_Ma_Yansong_arquitecte_WEB.mp4&fotourl=/keyframes/23837.jpg&barcolor=99C1FD&streaming=true Casa Asia, with the support of the Japan Foundation, organises a special activity programme owing to the first anniversary of the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that devastated the Northeastern coast of Japan on the 11th of March 2011. Among programmed activities an international symposium for journalists and IT professionals, roundtables, a family session and a documentary series will be held. All the information at: www.casaasia.es/conjapon Casa Asia presented in New Delhi the programme "New Urban Cultures ", after the successful editions held in Tokyo (2009) and Seoul (2010). This edition, organised by Casa Asia jointly with the Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes, was made up of tendencies and different characters and strengthened the relations between Indian and Spanish well known artists and creators. It was also a way to display the gastronomy, fashion, videogames, sport, music, design and cinema currently made in Spain. This exhibition brings together works designed by artists, writers, filmmakers and journalists with a speech on the diasporic and multicultural city, the difficult conditions of life of its inhabitants and the rapid changes experienced in the past two decades because of its rapid economic and population growth. Central Asia has acquired international relevance in the last two decades due to the richness of natural and energetic resources of its land. Countries such as China or India establish strategies to manage to consolidate certain resources in order to maintain some economic growth rates that challenge the global crisis. In this interview, Michael Denison, Director of Research at Control Risks (London), approaches the international situation of the region, its relationship with Spain and its economic future. Casa Asia Award 2011 was granted to the NGO Sisters in Islam for its strong commitment to promoting the rights of women in the Muslim world. The award was presented by the Government's former Vice President Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, in a ceremony hosted by the journalist Rosa Maria Calaf and the General Director of Casa Asia, Juan Jose Herrera de la Muela. The festival has counted around 17.000 people at the 2011 edition. Generally, a public of all ages interested in discovering the richness and diversity of Asian cultures has shown great interest in their participation in all of the performances and activities. After 10 years of life, the festival has remained faithful in its purpose of approaching citizens the cultural and artistic diversity, as well as the lifestyle of Asian countries. For this, it has been consolidated as a unique platform in all the country devoted to contemporary and traditional stage arts of the region of Asia and the Pacific./swf/player.swf?videourl=/media/asset_publics/resources/000/022/483/original/2012-01-30_Festival_asia_logo_2012_YT.mp4&fotourl=/keyframes/22483.jpg&barcolor=99C1FD&streaming=true On the 16th of December 2011 the city of Zhanaozen, southeast Kazakhstan, was the scenario of confrontations between the police and workers of the oil sector that were in a demonstration to demand an improvement of their work and salary conditions. The demonstrations had been going on for months but the information did not reach national and international media until the confrontation with the police began. This is the first time in 10 years that this kind of incident occurs in Kazakhstan. The researcher at SciencesPo (Paris) Adrien Fauve has closely followed the events of Zhanaozen and answers about the reach of the riots. Jean D’Cunha, Asesora Global en Género y Migración de UNIFEM (ONU Mujeres) apoya la celebración del II Encuentro de Mujeres Asiáticas y Españolas, destacando la importancia de la colaboración entre ONU Mujeres y la Red de Mujeres Asiáticas y Españolas no solo para promover la igualdad de género en todos los niveles, sino también para lograr el empoderamiento económico de las mujeres./swf/player.swf?videourl=/media/asset_publics/resources/000/027/770/original/2011_11_07_Encuentro_mujeres_-_Jean_D_Cunha_WEB.mp4&fotourl=/keyframes/27770.jpg&barcolor=99C1FD&streaming=true

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2013-05-26T03:10:45Z

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Indonesia announces missile and rocket co-operation with China Oh no!!!! How unfortunate! The U.S accidently provided high tech seeker head and control technology which helped Chinese high tech and NOW the Indo's are gunna get it thereby creating an arms race in the region to which an economically booming Oz will have to buy more U.S weapons to match and have more U.S bases on it's soil and oh no. oh no, how unforseen. Yes, i am being sarcastic. Indonesia announces missile and rocket co-operation with China By David C Isby Indonesia has announced that it will be co-operating with China to acquire a capability for missiles and rockets with ranges of up to 150 km. The transfer of missile and rocket technology was announced in Jakarta by Indonesian defence minister Juwono Sudarsono on 5 August 2005, but forms part of the technology co-operation agreements signed between China and Indonesia in April. This announcement followed the statement on 28 July by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that one of the major purposes of his recent trip to China had been to increase co-operation in defence technology, especially missiles and rockets. Indonesia had announced the firing of nine indigenous rockets, built by its National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN), in west Java on 1 June 2005. These firings may have been related to the earlier statement that the Indonesia Navy would develop its own rockets and missiles in co-operation with LAPAN. Re: Indonesia announces missile and rocket co-operation with China Nar the labour party melted them down L1Al and L1A2, 110 000 of them. Pricks we should confiscated their political pork barrel and buy 500 000 AKs or something similar and create citizens militas. Its the only way we are going to hold off any indon/chinese invasion. I bet old captain america wont even bat an eyelid if we got the chop. Exports to China are far more lucrative than exports to Oz, and we are a competitor against them for food steel exports and many others. America always does whats good for America and no-one else, it is naieve of us to think they would come running to our aid. Infact if we are one day fighting for our freedom the most likely aggressors would be Americans. Re: Indonesia announces missile and rocket co-operation with China A bloke from work who travelled right through Indonesia said one day he was looking at a kids school book, and the map of the region at the front showed the top part of Australia the same pink color as Indonesia. Also an Indonesian general was heard boasting a few years back during a joint military exercise that it would be a walkover when they came back for real. Re: Indonesia announces missile and rocket co-operation with China Nar the labour party melted them down L1Al and L1A2, 110 000 of them. Pricks we should confiscated their political pork barrel and buy 500 000 AKs or something similar and create citizens militas. Why have a Defence Force? Anyone who thinks that our near north neighbours are now so civilised that they would not play baby kebabs with a bayonet is too stupid to survive long on this earth. In November a Muslim Shiite religious leader was explaining that, by their law, they had to kill all infidel men, women and children. The journo asked, "But! Why kill babies?" The Muslim leader replied, "Ah! Blue eyed babies grow up into white devils." Don't write this man off as an exception and religious nut. He is not an exception. There are hundreds of millions of Muslims who have these beliefs. He also has sound reasons to believe we are devils, if we look at the world through his eyes, and the eyes of Saddam Hussein. If you opened the newspaper tomorrow and found that Hussein had used chemical, microwave and laser technology to wipe out 250,000 US military personnel and 100,000 civilians you would be shocked. If Hussein then ordered the US to destroy ALL their weapons of MASS DESTRUCTION, under threat of annihilation, would we go to their aid? With no weapons, would the US feel safe from Russia, Japan, China etc ? How would the widows, orphans and grieving parents feel towards Hussein and his merciless attack. If Hussein came back with HIS inspectors and threatened further murder of civilian population if Clinton did not open all factories for "inspection" how would US civilians feel? World War III? Saddam Hussein and Muhatir Gadaffi are not cowards and they are not fools. They are leaders and they have obligations to defend their people. Let nobody delude themselves. Anyone who thinks Gadaffi and Hussein have no choice but to endure Clinton's attacks is a fool. There are enough Muslims in USA to have a holocaust of unprecedented proportions. One fanatic on a motorbike could visit every agricultural show in the USA and infect all prime stock with anthrax that would make the continent uninhabitable as are the islands where anthrax was tested in World War II. Any activist with half a brain can get 200 litres of grease/oil/petrol mix and explode it at Grand Central Station in peak hour to show the US what it is like on the receiving end of some ordnance. If Hussein and Gadaffi go tit-for-tat the civilians lose - not the politicians. The UN attack on Iraq could trigger the holy war. The Muslims have as much right to weapons of mass destruction as does the US. Just because we see ourselves as the "good guys" does not endow us with any such status. If there is a war, what is the state of our Defence Forces? Our Mindset Pretending that we will never be attacked won't save us. Pretending that very senior people in the major parties are not part of an agenda to disarm us might be comforting but their activities should be monitored, as I have done, from when I joined the RAAF in 1959 until now. I give you a thumbnail sketch of just some of the defence facilities that the government got rid of. The Ready Reserve This cache of 1,157 Bren guns and 415,000 303s (plus ammunition) was put in storage after World War II in case we were invaded. It took three years to unpack, clean, check, oil and repack the weapons, and then it was time to do it all again. I watched the storeman, acting under orders, dumping them on the Barrier Reef, cutting them up in pallet loads and sending them to Sims' Metal. By 1991 most had been destroyed. The remainder, 100,000 303s 8,300 Brens, 3,000 Vickers, and all remaining Owen guns went to "overseas tender only" (Aust 30/5/91). This left us with 110,000 of the L1A1, 7.62mm self loading rifles and 37,000 Steyr 5,56mm rifles. In 1994 the government ordered that these 110,000 rifles be melted down at BHP. Each rifle was worth $4,000 secondhand. That left us with (by then) 67,000 Steyrs. The Steyr was 5.56mm or .223cal a virtual toy by military weapon standards. It was touted the killer weapon as was the Armalite 223. The British commandos used that in the Falkland war. In the debriefing the commandos reported that the .223cal was no use in war. In their words, "The Armalite 5.56mm the L42 (7.62mm) and the SLR were the weapons predominantly used, but the Armalite just didn't have the stopping power - it's a 5.56mm high velocity round, and it used to go straight through people as opposed to knocking them down. The 7.62 SLRs and L42s were knocking them down." It was after the Australian "government" were aware of this inadequacy that they dumped the SLRs and armed Australians with a known ineffective calibre weapon. The Steyr proved to be defective. The Army issued an order No. 7196-94. This indicated that the Steyr should not be used on rapid fire for long because plastic parts melted. The Saudis tried the Steyr and rejected it because it could not handle the dusty conditions. It was also reported that the tiny .223cal was no good in the tropical wet either. It didn't take many drops of water down the barrel to make the gun unsafe to the operator. The optical sight fogs up in the jungle and, since the rifle has no other sight, the soldier is in deep trouble. The Federal Government decided that the gun legislation to disarm Australia applied to our armed services. If you can't believe that read this report from the Financial Review 1/12/97. "The Federal Government arms manufacturer, Australian Defence Industries Ltd, is being paid $400,000 for surplus guns it is surrendering under the Government's guns amnesty." " The surrender improves the balance sheet of ADI, which is about to be privatised, and increases both the tally of weapons surrendered and the payments, which come out of the extra medicare levy." We paid them to melt more of our vital defence weapons. The "government" closed our ammunition factories so we no longer had the capability to make our own ammunition. The ammunition, which had to be imported, was defective. There was case separation which means that when the extractor tried to pull the spent cartridge out of the breach the rim came but the case didn't. The only way the gun could be repaired was to send it back to the armourer where the brass could be reamed out. The Ammunition suppliers Guess who got the contract to supply us with ammunition. You guessed it - Indonesia. By a strange coincidence they were unable to fulfill the contracts so the Army had no reserves and no ammunition to even practice with. Does that surprise you? Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) In the fifties and sixties the RAAF had a missile squadron to protect our industrial heartland around Newcastle. By 1970 the squadron had been eliminated and not replaced. Over the Horizon Radar Today, from satellite, observers can read the headlines of your newspaper, they can detect a metal object the size of a can opener, and they can pick up the heat of a decomposing body, buried two foot down, four months after body was buried. They can track every ship on the face of the earth. Now - thirty years after the invention of radar absorbent paint for aircraft, Australia is experimenting with over-the-horizon ground based radar and not too successfully. Does that surprise you? Our Air Transport I watched the RAAF stand the Hercules transport aircraft on the airstrip at Laverton unattended and un-maintained. These craft deteriorated until they were sold at junk prices. At that time we were paying Ansett and TAA to fly our men and equipment because we did not have the aircraft to shift them. We had twenty Chinooks until the government sold 18 of them. Now we have no aircraft capable of moving our soldiers rapidly or getting supplies to them. In the invasion of Malaya during the last war the Japanese used pushbikes. We haven't even got bikes. We had the best electronics school in Australia at Laverton. The adult trainees were a cut above anyone else. We gave hands-on equipment training to the apprentices who received their theory and practical training in the best civilian establishments including the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. The apprentices were so far behind the "direct entry" trainees doing the same course under RAAF instructors that they could not even start the practical training undertaken at Laverton. To solve this problem RAAF instructors had to take the apprentices for a crash course from basics though to computers to get the civilian trained product to a level to even look at complex equipment. I was one of the instructors at the school for over ten years. The School of Radio was closed leaving our youth bereft of the only decent electronics school in Australia. A Spy's Paradise The armed forces Headquarters Support Command, Victoria Barracks, St Kilda Road was the security joke of the century. All modifications under development related to by weaponry, airframes, engines, electrical, radio, radar and navigation aids had to be routed through, and processed by, civilian staff who were not tradesmen and had no business knowing what modifications were under way. When I was there the "modifications" cell was run by a gentleman of recent European extraction. We, the technical writers, had to have our typing done by the public servants. There were many foreigners in the typing pool. The military personnel were not allowed to do their own photocopying. The copying had to be done by public servants who took the classified documents out of sight, took what copies they wanted, and then returned the documents. Our transmitting and receiving stations were dispersed for survivability. These have been closed so we rely on Telstra which is not secure. Encoded messages are easily broken with computers these days. About half of our rifle ranges have been closed and the others are being eliminated rapidly. There is an agenda to close nearly every civilian and military range. WHY? The government knows the rifle and pistol clubs provided a pool of shooters who could in war be snipers or train troops. They do not miss a trick in disarming and disadvantaging us. The services have contracted out their maintenance. This is okay in peace time but it means the servicemen sit doing nothing, get no hands on experience and become box changers. In time of war we can't force the civilians to go overseas or even to Darwin and we can't force them to cross train so they are drivers, gunners, radio operators and soldiers. This is planned and subtle sabotage. We can't even make the mechanics go on a test flight in the aircraft they declare serviceable. That kept them honest. At the risk of being accused of sexism let me say the women do a good job but the number who entered the services in noncombat roles actually reduced the combat troops available for dangerous duty by about a quarter. In an armed service our size that is bad news. The civilian staff are neither use nor ornament to armed services. They too can't be cross trained to change overnight from box packers (equipment assistants) to cracker stackers (gunners) and soldiers. They simply give the services numbers that are not there in time of war. They serve to conceal the real weakness of our armed forces. When our army was 27,000 strong we had: 500 Medical Assistants 192 Movement Assistants 817 Vehicle Mechanics 585 Info Systems Operators 1,728 Technical Storemen 241 Cartographic Techs 3,100 Riflemen (a joke) Source: Minister for Defence, Senator Ray as reported in the Australian Financial Review 15/5/91. That would give us about one rifleman for every eight kilometres of coastline. Troops are being brainwashed into believing that, if they see anyone get hurt they really need counselling. God help them if the Japs or Indonesians get them. There won't be any time to sit down, have a good cry, and call the padres and counsellors. The whole idea of discipline is too make the soldier so scared of his sergeant that he would rather fight a Jap with a machine gun rather than risk the wrath of the sergeant. That ain't easy. Current armed forces policy says that officers and NCOs are not to talk harshly to the men and women in case their delicate feelings suffer damage. To suggest that this is all part of a deliberate plan by the government to neuter the forces might have raised a laugh a few years ago but now there are just too many signs that there is deliberate psychological indoctrination of our troops to take away their manhood. There have always been a few homosexuals in the armed forces. Provided they did their work and did not interfere with others they were tolerated. If they became a pain in the butt to others they were sent packing. Now the government makes a production of "accepting" gays. Their real intent seems to be to encourage limp wristed ones to be visible and active as part of the image of our new bronzed ANZACs. Our image in Asia is pretty bad when our politicians take their lipstick and fishnet stockings to do some "diplomacy". We do not need fairies in the forces to make us the laughing stock of the world. The politicians do a good job in that field. I do not rush around telling everyone that I am heterosexual and I see no need for any "publicity" about who is gay and certainly there is no need to pay public relations officers to sell our pro gay armed forces. Soldiers are so coddled that they are not allowed to carry rifles, bolts and ammunition in the same vehicle in case they have an accident. The enemy will really shock them. He will want to kill them on purpose. Would anyone seriously suggest that police carry their pistol in one car and ammunition in another? Then why impose such nonsense on grown ups in uniform? Ready or Not The government has a suicide plan. They store our rifles where they are safe - in locked armories. Anyone with half a brain knows this is absolute stupidity. From lessons learnt every since gun repositories were invented, the hard cold facts are that, you do not put all the guns in one place where the enemy can steal them or destroy them in bulk. One guerrilla with a machine guns can keep a thousand unarmed men out of their own armory. Even if they got into the armory they would still have no bolts (breech blocks) and then no ammunition. This cannot be an accident. In the fifties we had a bracket on the wall where our rifles stood under our own lock and key. To make sure we could not even build military weapons in an emergency the government bought in legislation to force private firms to sell out to the government so the factories could be dismantled and the machinery destroyed. It seems the government is happy for every other nation on earth to make guns, but WE can't. Do you start to see a pattern emerging? We had Operation Kangaroo to see if Australia could cope with an invasion from the north. Guess who the "government" brought in as independent umpires. You guessed right again - Indonesian Generals. The government has done more damage to our navy than the Japs did in World War II. We don't need an enemy with the ALP/DEM/LIB/NAT/GREENS at the helm. They got rid of the Melbourne. Our only aircraft carrier. Our economy is so devastated we can never hope to replace it. Fleet Air Arm The government got rid of the Fleet Air Arm leaving our ships without air cover in the twentieth century. Our Missile Ships We had the Derwent and the Swan. The government sank the Derwent to test demolition charges. They sank the Swan to make an artificial reef. I had a report from a marine engineer who went over the Swan as it was being made ready for a watery grave. He could not believe they were going to get rid of a ship in such great condition. Collins Class Submarines These are a disaster. They are World War II mechanics. They are noisy and have to surface to charge batteries. In the seventies these type ships could be tracked like bleeding elephants in the snow. They have no real defence against attack and they are armed with iron torpedoes which in the 21st century will be the laughing stock of the world. Our government knew this when they ordered the submarines. It would be kinder to shoot the crew now than let them suffer a horrible death in war. Perhaps we should shoot the traitors who deliberately ordered that we equip with obsolete toys. The defence support facilities thought up new treason. They ordered that the Royal Australian Navy build their patrol boats out of aluminium and magnesium instead of steel, allegedly to avoid rust. They knew, from World War II, that magnesium was good for making incendiaries. They put our navy boys into incendiary bombs knowing that any hit would incinerate our fathers, brothers and sons. When the boat burns it is as though the sailor was tied to a fireworks fountain. Any survivors are horribly disfigured and often maimed. The government built these death traps here in my home town, Maryborough, at Walkers Ltd. Our old patrol boats were completely refurbished and delivered to Indonesia. John MacLean, of Hervey Bay, was the crane operator. Are there kickbacks We bought two US Navy tank landing vessels, the Manoora and Kanimbla. Both were built in 1975. We paid $61 million. Then we spent $42 million on initial rust repair, $54 million on initial repair and upgrade, and then another $93 million additional repair and upgrade. We still have ships 24 years old and obsolete. (Daily Telegraph 11/9/98). Prior to joint control there was healthy rivalry between the services. They all had aircraft, boats and guns. If any one service was infiltrated the others were still effective. Today they have all been infiltrated through the joint control and civilianisation. Asians and aliens are given key jobs above the uniformed branches. ASIO & ASIS Hindsight reveals that a suspected KGB spy from MI5 actually set up and staffed our security services. One can only guess at the key men he chose. This is dealt with in full on Page 12 Training the Enemy I have video footage of Mr Sambawaga (Indonesian Spokesman and politician bragging that they will ATTACK and, in the same footage Ali Alitas (Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs) is saying that Mr Sambawaga reflects the views of the Indonesian people and the parliament. We are training Indonesian troops at Canungra our Jungle Warfare Centre so they know all of our tactics. We bring them out here on joint exercises so they get to see every aspect of our army, navy and air force. This is treason. Everywhere one goes in Indonesia one hears the same line of tripe. Indonesia small country - many people. Australia big country - few people. It is obvious that this is the government education/ propaganda line being drummed into the people. By the same logic Suharto lives in a big house - few children. Paddy Murphy lives in small house - many children. Perhaps Suharto would like to swap to even thing out. The "big house" theory is the maggot of madness that starts all wars. It is theirs. I want it. Therefore it's mine. I will take it by force. They don't want to give it up. The last survivor wins, at the cost of a million brothers, sons and fathers. The government has permitted Indonesia to acquire cattle stations with night landing strip facilities. Planes fly in and out without passing through Australian customs. They can and do (according to informants) fly in drugs and guns and take out exotic birds and reptiles. They overfly the north of Australia at will practicing "crosswind" landings as far south as Carnarvon. Why don't they practice in Indonesia, no crosswinds? We had hundreds of military trucks from Asia standing on RAAF bases when they came out here for an exercise. The trucks were here long after the exercise and may be still here. WHY? There was an outbreak of Anthrax in the area, was that coincidence? According to the government we can't get enough Australians to train as pilots for the RAAF so we are now training Singaporean, Malay and Indonesian pilots to fly OUR aircraft. The government does not tell the truth. Our universities are full of Aussies who would give their eye teeth to be jet pilots. In the event of a war with Asia which way would these pilots shoot and how hard would they fight for us? The government has a plan to bring out thousands of Indonesian troops for "crowd control" during the 2000 Olympics. I wonder which crowd they will and control and whether they will go home. The Indonesians claim our fishing beds and northern islands on the grounds that they intermarried with Aborigines so they are indigenous Australians with more title to the north than any of us from of European descent. What garbage? They were using dugouts until the Dutch arrived. Asians are training and arming militant Aborigines in the north. Peter Sawyer, in Inside News, published details of a shipment of AK47s allegedly imported by Fuller Firearms and allegedly stored in Bondie's warehouses. I challenged Peter to show me proof. He pulled out photos of pallets and weigh bills showing that the arms originated in Russia. That was in 1988. The Indonesians would use the Aborigines and then shoot them like dogs. Any Aborigine thinking of joining his black brothers should do a quick educational trip to West New Guinea. If he gets back he will be wiser. Indonesia in 1993 took our oilfields south of the Timor Trench (the border by international law). These were worth $250 billion ($85,000 per Australian family). In 1997 they took at least as much again (the new border is called the Economic Exclusion Zone). There was a massive Indonesian buy out of our assets on Christmas Island. Now they claim that along with the continental shelf the size of Tasmania. To get involved in a war all one needs to do is show a bully nation that you are too yellow to resist their first, second or third land grab. Let them ram your patrol boats and push Australians off their own fishing grounds. Bang! You are dead. How to deter Indonesia Janes, the leading authority on world conflict says that Australia WILL be invaded. All we need do to eliminate this threat is to arm their last three or four victims. Imagine if we gave the Timorese a thousand sniper rifles, what havoc they would cause to those who mercilessly slaughtered their people to suppress them and gain the oil fields? If we gave the West New Guinea natives a thousand sniper rifles they would take revenge for the genocide there. The government has, through Interpol, provided computer access to the name, address, driver licence and personal particulars of every gun owner, political writer, editor and activist in Australia so they can be rounded up in the event of invasion and occupation. The army against us The army is training in urban clearance, and suppression and internment of civilians. We are the civilians. In the fifties we were taught crowd control. We could shoot if our life, the life of a fellow soldier or a civilian was threatened. I have restricted documents showing that the army are authorised to shoot civilians without such requirements. They can execute without resort to a trial. The ALP/DEM/LIB/NAT/GREENS have signed or are signing treaties that we will not use gas, nuclear, biological, chemical, laser, mines, incendiaries or booby traps. That is big of them. They do not say what we are allowed to use or how we could defend ourselves. Our own politicians pose the most serious threat to our country. We have no idea which of them are loyal to the Fabians, the New World Order, the Financiers or to themselves. They are certainly not loyal to Australia. They have pursued a policy of giving preference to Asian and Aliens in all of the public service establishments. It is hard to phone a government office in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, and find someone who can talk anything but stilted English. We have discussed that the Muslims HAVE to kill us infidels. The Brisbane Line In World War II an infamous decision was made to abandon Queensland to the Japanese. The southern cowards did not tell Queenslanders so they could arm and fight as guerillas. On the contrary, they pleaded with Queenslanders to hand in their guns so the army could defend Australia. All of this was long after the allies knew that the Japanese were depraved murderers who enjoyed a bit of fun making their victims form details to dig holes. The next detail buried the first detail up to their necks and then covered the heads with earth so the victims died a slow horrible death to provided entertainment. Other games included tying captured prisoner's hand and foot and using the prisoner for bayonet practice, once again to provide entertainment. (Refer photos "Knights of Bushido" by Lord Russell.) Left alone Queenslanders would have made invasion or occupation by the Japanese an experience the Japs would not have enjoyed. Disarmed they would have been "entertainment". That is the good news. The Newcastle Line A leaked document revealed the Australian Defence Strategy which planned to defend only south from Newcastle to Adelaide. The Defence Department admitted the leaked document was genuine. (The Sunday Age, 28 June 1992). Guess what - the ALP/DEM/LIB/NAT/GREENS have a plan to totally disarm ALL Australians. Sound familiar? The New World Order could organise an invasion of Australia, by a million Chinese, simply by dumping the boat people who would flee the fanatical Muslims in Indonesia. The Indonesians killed 250,000 Chinese in a couple of days in 1965 and now the "hate the Chinese" game is on again. If the Indonesians started ferrying hundreds of thousands of civilian women and children into the north what could we do? There is no such thing as peaceful invasion. The aim is the same - eventual displacement, suppression and eventual slaughter. We are talking about your inevitable fate if you don't do something. China and Indonesia agreed in 1964 that everything north of the Philippines belonged to China and everything south of the Philippines belonged to Indonesia. That was big of them. The Chinese have been selling the Norinco Laser Death Ray for years. The USA kindly gave them the technology. I published photos in an earlier edition. It is the size of a Vickers machine gun and water cooled. It isn't much good as a death ray but it totally and permanently blinds every soldier it hits. What do you think an invader would do with 50,000 blind Australian soldiers. They wouldn't even shoot them. They would let them wander until they drop and the crows would pick out their eyes just as they do to any downed beast (before the beast is dead). This is war on this earth and we live here or we will if we are as tough and ruthless as our enemy. Don't hide from truth or prediction will become reality for you. Japan is reemerging as a potential threat. They admit to spending $56 billion a year on defence. Much of their military expenditure is disguised as legitimate civilian expenses. They are only peace loving when they are under very close scrutiny. They have an elite officer corps that could create an invasion size army, in addition to the 200,000 they already have, in a matter of months. They have nuclear subs galore, 280 state-of-the-art tanks, 63 combat ships, 170 armoured fighting vehicles, 150 new helicopters, 386 combat aircraft, three surface to air missile battalions and a large women's army. One good night on the saki and it is on again. Little wonder it was the Japs who moved the motion to disarm civilians in Australia. That is where Howard got his orders from. (Ninth UN Congress, Cairo, Egypt 29th April - 8th May 1995). Little wonder the Japanese Prime Minister thanked John Howard for initiating the program to disarm Australian civilians (Northern Daily Leader 19/9/97). Who will Rescue us? The US may not. They have allowed Timor and West Irian to go into Indonesia's tender mercy. A bit of genocide here and there doesn't worry the Americans much. A merchant seaman told me that he was in West Irian and noticed the farmers were all Indonesians. He asked where the locals were. The Commandant simply held his hand low, as though he had a pistol and was shooting a dog in the head. These are the people the government is to import to handle security for the 2000 Olympics. Will they go home? I have had airline pilots, Barrier Reef marine pilots, letter-to-the-editor, and teachers who taught in Indonesia etc. All say they have seen maps showing this as part of Indonesia. In 1976 army personnel from Bendigo (Army Cartographic Unit) told me that they had drawn maps for Indonesia showing Australia as part of Indonesia. I wrote to the Minister for Defence and he would not deny that. The Governor General He has betrayed us and the Australian Constitution by handing control of the military over to the politicians. That is illegal. Our forefathers made specific instructions that was never to be. Any nation that allows the politicians to control the police and the military is in deep trouble. If you hear Howard talk of "his government" sending troops to Iraq, just be aware, if he does any act which presumes control of the armed services he risks a long jail term. Any GG who give tacit support to the subversion of our Constitution (Para 68) is in similar trouble. You must ask yourself WHY do these men HAVE to subvert OUR laws? They know it is treason. What incentive drives them? The foremost authority on defence, war, weapons and politics has forecast that Australia will be invaded. Perhaps Janes have been listening to the hundreds of Indonesians who brag that this country is theirs and they ARE coming to get it. The best officers in all of the armed services have been pushed aside to make room for the new breed of academic airheads who have been anointed with defence degrees and diplomas by the lunatic socialist left ratbags who pass as professors in the Defence Academy. The men who knew how to storm a hill and not lose their men have been replaced with people loyal to anyone but Australia. We are on our own and we should be capable of reasonable defence against attack. We need a big bang or similar modern weapon. The only thing that will put 200,000 Indonesians or Japanese back on their own territory is the fear that their territory will be hit real hard. That fact that our leaders do not want us to have adequate defence is a worry. In a worst case scenario where we are actually invaded regulars are no use against insurmountable odds. Guerillas are the only successful force capable of stopping total takeover. Guerillas NEVER surrender totally but to have a fighting chance they need expert training and survival skills such as that available at Canungra. It is a statistical fact that it takes about ten to twelve times as many regulars to beat a force of guerillas who only fight when and where it suits them. With 600,000 irregulars an invader would need 6,000,000 troops to take Australia. That is provided the guerillas have appropriate and adequate arms. That will never be while we have traitors in Canberra. Given that Janes predicts we will be invaded one would think the government would take some steps to create a Swiss style defence system. They don't. WHY? Oz Guerillas - Swiss Style Our guerilla force would need to be dispersed and mobile. Trail bikes are the go. One soldier on a trail bike, with a suitcase size antitank missile is a hard target to hit and very cheap. He can still knock out a multi million dollar tank. Another soldier with a .5cal sniper rifle can drop a helicopter. The guerillas would need night vision. The presence of 600,000 armed civilians in a community would be incredible. Home invasion would drop to almost zero. Armed robbery would almost cease. We would all be safer. This is what has happened in Switzerland where there are 628,000 armed civilians. We can get 600,000 AK57 rifles, boxed, and complete with cleaning kits for $50 each. We could make Australia invasion proof for $30 million, a thirtieth of what we gave Indonesia to ease their economic crisis. The ALP/DEM/LIB/NAT/GREENS will make sure this does not happen. Are they traitors or fools? We bought aircraft that require large fixed landing strips. These are good in a country like the USA but no use to a country like Australia. We needed aircraft that could take off from a cattle station or a beef road. They have been available and cheap for well over 20 years. The Harrier Jump Jet is capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing. Wrong choices are not accidents. I used to think it was stupidity at the top. It is not stupidity. We could have bought simple portable radars the size of a small caravan with a range of 250 miles instead we bought monstrous fixed equipment worth megadollars. We wasted millions putting in fire protection systems that rang warning bells for a few seconds then flooded the building with poisonous fire suppressant gas. A radar is less prone to fire and has better fault protection circuits than your TV. We paid multi millions to force the manufacturer to replace the transmitter output valve with a toy valve. This necessitated rewriting the handbooks and made it a special order (not off the shelf). More big money. This reduced that area covered by the radar from 785,000 square miles to 196,000 square miles. The original radar (with one additional site) would have given Australia total east coast cover. For much more money we got a quarter of that cover. I see this as commercial corruption and deliberate defence sabotage. The Mirage and F-111 We bought aircraft designed to deliver nuclear warheads then armed them with iron bombs designed to destroy wooden bridges. The aircraft were not suited for this task. What good would the Mirage or F-111 be against the Chinese, Japanese or Indonesians? We found what put the Japs back in their box and it made a big flash and a big bang. Nothing else works. We either arm or suffer invasion. Being armed is what deters greedy invaders. If well armed, and protected by 600,000 guerillas, we would be too tough to be tempting. We could be safe, that is if the ALP/DEM/LIB/NAT/GREENS were on our side. They are not. It is your children who will be bayonet bait if we are overrun. It is your children or grand children who will be baby bayonet kebabs. That is reality. We do not live in a very nice world and it will not change just because some people choose to stick their heads in the sand. You can get this article on defence discussed in your clubs, unions, RSL, league, society etc. You might just wake enough apathetic Australians to the danger they face to turn the tide in our favour. The Australian government sent our troops to Vietnam and Korea knowing full well that they were serving under a Soviet commander who had to give approval before any air, ground or sea strike could be initiated against the communists. The communists knew in advance where when and how we would attack and were well prepared to slaughter our young soldiers. Why so? The United Nations "Charter" stipulates that this has to be so forever. Who would agree to such treason? "EACH ONE OF US THAT SERVED IN KOREA OR VIETNAM. SERVED UNDER THE TOTAL COMMAND OF A SOVIET GENERAL!!" Here are the names of the Soviets and the dates they served as "Under-Secretary" of the Security Council of the United Nations, thus, the highest military commander of all United Nations fighting forces anywhere in the world .......... including all military forces of the United States. These names and information were obtained from the United Nations yearbooks up to 1983. Year Soviet General's Name 1946-49 Arkady Alexandrovich Sobolev 1949-53 Constantine E. Zinchenko 1953-54 Ilya S. Tehernychev 1955-57 Dragoslav Protich 1958-59 Antoly Dobrynin 1960-62 George Petrovich Arkadev 1962-63 Eugeney D. Kiselev 1963-64 Valdimir Paulovich Suslov 1965-67 Alexei Efremovitch Nesterenko 1968-73 Leonid N. Kutakov 1973-78 Arkady N. Shevchenko 1978-80 Mikhail D. Sytenko 1981-83 Viacheslav A. Ustinov (Source: TREASON IN HIGH PLACES by Lt. Col. F.P. "Bud" Farrell, U.S.A.F Ret.) The Enemy Within The major parties have an agenda to populate Darwin with Indonesians, a ploy that would give us a fifth column in the event of war. This plan may well be forced on government by a United Nations agenda. There is no doubt that Indonesians are welcome and well educated British and South Africans fleeing mad Marxist blacks are not. Indonesian is a compulsory second language in the NT. Why? There were very few Indonesians there before the "multicultural" agenda. There is no way you will get the major parties to introduce effective defence to Australia. They have an agenda. That agenda requires that we be totally disarmed. The Liberals signed it in 1981. The ALP ratified it in 1983. It was passed into Australian law in 1984. It was hidden in the Anti Discrimination Act. All fluffy talk by the various defence ministers is a blind to keep you quiet while they proceed with their agenda. I don't know why. YOU ask them WHY. Warrant Officer A R (Tony) Pitt, RAAF, Retired. Technical Instructor/Computer Systems Officer/Technical Writer/Administrator in Radio, Radar, Navigation Aids Liberate \'em all and let God sort \'em out.

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Corushotelkl.com ("Corushotelkl.com", "we", "our", "us") is a domain name registered by Ming Court Hotel (KL) Sdn Bhd (5776-A) trading as Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur. We respect the privacy rights of its online visitors ("you", "your", "yours") and recognise the importance of protecting the information collected about them. WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT FROM YOU AND HOW? Corushotelkl.com collects personal information in several ways when you place an order or register for a service offered by Corushotelkl.com. By registering, you are consenting to the collection of your personal data. If an order is placed with us, we need to hold personal information including your name, email address, phone numbers, home address, shipping and credit/debit card billing address(es) so that we can process and fulfill your order. Your address and contact number details may be given to our courier for delivery services (if any). These details allow us to process your order and to let you know the status of the delivered parcel including our quarterly F&B promotions brochure. MARKETING OPT-IN AND OPT-OUT PROVISION When you register, you will be given the option to opt-out of subscribing to our regular update service. We will send you email alerts for new products, features, enhancements, special offers, contests, events of interest, and one-off marketing promotions. Such alerts may include marketing information about Corushotelkl.com, our subsidiaries or selected business partners. We do not sell or otherwise pass your details to third parties for marketing purposes. Marketing communications you subscribe to will only be sent by Corushotelkl.com. At all times, we will offer you the opportunity to unsubscribe out of any service or update to which you have subscribed, if you change your mind. Any email we send you will contain an easy automated unsubscribe link so that you can opt-out of that subscription. Simply follow the indications in the e-mail. SAFEGUARDING YOUR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION We will take reasonable care to maintain appropriate safeguards to ensure the security, integrity and privacy of the information you have provided us with. In addition, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that third party business partners’ to whom we transfer any data will provide sufficient protection of that personal information. Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur Address: Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Contact number: 03-2161 8888 (Marketing Department)

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Cohen Visits Far East to Strengthen U.S.-Asia Ties By Douglas J. Gillert American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 1998 Defense Secretary William Cohen left Jan. 10 on an 12-day trip to Asia to meet with senior U.S. political and military officials and troops based there. The longest trip Cohen has taken as defense secretary includes stops in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and South Korea. The trip is designed to show U.S. commitment to security not just in Korea and Japan, where the bulk of U.S. forces are based, but to Southeast Asia and China as well, officials said. Besides scheduled meetings, the secretary was to participate in a wide range of activities. Visits with U.S. troops highlight stops in Singapore and Korea. About 150 U.S. service members are stationed in Singapore, while more than 36,500 are currently based in the Republic of Korea. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Cohen took part in the Pacific Dialog, a charter group of Asian-Pacific statesmen, to talk about mutual regional security and the United States. In Singapore, he will give the keynote address at the opening of the Strategic Studies Institute. While in Beijing, Cohen was to sign the recently negotiated maritime agreement that establishes guidelines for U.S.-Chinese interaction when their navies come into proximity to one another. In Japan, Cohen and Japanese defense officials were to conduct intensive discussions about the U.S.-Japanese bilateral security relationship, including continued reduction of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. On the final stop, in Seoul, the secretary was to meet with both current and newly elected government leaders. The secretary's visit coincides with Asia's escalating financial crisis. A Pentagon spokesman said the trip demonstrates U.S. willingness to stand with its Asian friends in good times, as well as through difficult and uncertain times.

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Gym Kita Week 3. Yesterday 3 new faces joined us this time round. Above is a picture taken after running the 4.2km distance around Bedok Reservoir. Time: Almost 31 minutes. After the run we had to do lower body Strength Training. All we did was squats ( In Malay Pasang Kaki Kuda-Kuda ). We were expected to hold in that position for like 30 secs to 1 min. For those who gave up early, they had to do some punishment like the Duck Walk.. See videos below. And what’s a day without having Fun Hence if you want to get back in shape. Do join us on Sundays – 8.30 am to 10.30 am for activities and fun. Facebook Group: Click here

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GHOSTVILLAGE.COM NEWSLETTER #60 - August 16, 2006 Buy Books By Jeff Belanger | Go to the Ghost World Conference 2007 Web site Be sure to forward this on to your friends who are interested in the supernatural! What if one of your spirit guides had a message for you but had no way to deliver it in a way that you would understand, unquestionably? Don't let the message go undelivered! Contact one of our psychic mediums today to function as the intermediary between worlds. Your clairvoyant medium will tell you exactly what you need to know. 3 free minutes to start. Talk to a medium right now! You are receiving this email because you or a friend signed you up at http://www.ghostvillage.com. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please see the instructions at the bottom. View this newsletter online at: http://www.ghostvillage.com/newsletters/Aug16_06.htm I know what you're thinking... you're thinking, "Jeff, you have no idea what I'm thinking." And we'd both be right... sort of. Confused? Don't be, we'll get through this together. My name is Jeff Belanger, and I'm just not a psychic. I don't know what the future holds, but I do get my own gut instincts and intuitions. I have hypotheses and hunches on what lies ahead in my own future, and I'm usually pretty close in the short term. Maybe we're all just a little sensitive to these things. This month on Ghostvillage we're going to explore psychics, mediums, and those feelings we get that make no logical sense, but we act on them anyway. It's a journalistic journey we're going to take. We'll ask the hard questions like: Why don't psychics win the lottery every night? Then we'll ask even harder follow-up questions like: If psychics are above using their abilities for personal gain like winning the lottery, why don't they tell me the winning numbers? Our world has always had its psychics and mediums. Throughout history they have had labels like: oracle, prophet, medicine man, witch, shaman, and Carnac the Magnificent. No matter the label, we have always needed those who could offer us insight and a vicarious glimpse into the realm of what lies beyond death. We need these bridges on many levels, and this month we're going to explore psychic reading, using mediums as part of ghost investigations, and delve into our own hunches and impressions. We'll take a walk on the psychic side. To get us started on the discussion, I took a look at the movement; where it came from and where it's going. It's also mid-August, which means the busy season is coming soon. This past month I had the pleasure to meet the great folks who attended the 3rd Annual Eastern Regional Paranormal Conference in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and of course there are many other great conferences coming up in the next few months which offer a great opportunity to meet some fellow Ghostvillagers and paranormal enthusiasts. We also have a great new development to announce this month: Ghostvillage.com is starting to syndicate some of our content. That means if you have a Web site, blog, or page on services like MySpace, you can add content from our site that will be automatically updated for you. Let the world know about the supernatural news and events happening in the realm of paranormal research. I'd also like to extend a big thank-you to those who picked up my new book, Our Haunted Lives. I appreciate all of the kind words, emails, and great feedback. Enjoy the rest of the newsletter below. Mayor of Ghostvillage.com Congratulations to Kristen Dittman of Conklin, New York, who was last month's winner of a copy of an autographed copy of Jeff Belanger's new book, Our Haunted Lives: True Life Ghost Encounters, a Ghostvillage.com window sticker, and a Ghostvillage.com t-shirt! This month, we're doing the contest again, but we ask that you first click this link: If it says, "The search is on" then we don't have a winner yet and go ahead and send in your answer. If you see today's date and "We have a winner!" that means you weren't the first to email us. Sorry, please try again next month. On to this month's question: This question can be answered by reading a page on Ghostvillage.com. The first person to reply to this email with the correct answer will win this month's prize. What's the first movie author Ursula Bielski saw in a theater? Once we have our winner, we will announce them on our home page as soon as possible. Good luck! (Only Ghostvillagers who have not won a prize from us in the last year are eligible.) This month's prize: we're giving away an autographed copy of Jeff Belanger's new book, Our Haunted Lives: True Life Ghost Encounters, a Ghostvillage.com window sticker, and a Ghostvillage.com t-shirt! Didn't win? Want to buy a copy? Click on the graphic. The Supernatural Calendar is the place where thousands will learn about your events of interest to the supernatural world. The service is only available to registered members of the message boards, and it's free! Ghostvillage.com now syndicates our calendar of events so other Web sites can also display these supernatural happenings at no charge! To learn more about installing our calendar of events RSS feed, please visit our syndication page. Adding your own local events to our calendar is more important than ever! August 19: 2nd Annual Paranormal Ghost Hunting Conference August 23: Jeff Belanger on the Lou Gentile Show September 14: Jeff Belanger on WCANRadio Phenomenon September 22: CONTACT: Berkshire Paranormal Conference, Massachusetts - Jeff Belanger will be speaking at this event. October 1: Second Annual Las Vegas Paranormal Conference October 5: UNIV-CON - University Park, Pennsylvania, Jeff Belanger on Darker Side of the Moon Radio October 7: ESP Expo - Spokane, Washington - Jeff Belanger will be speaking at this event October 14: Jeff Belanger on Exploring Unexplained Phenomena Get to know some of your fellow Ghostvillagers. |Who's Who in the Town Square? >>Redhead<< - member since March 14, 2004 What is your name? Dana Burt. My first name is pronounced more like "Donna." How old are you? 48. Yikes, already? Where do you live? La Crosse, Wisconsin. Itís in a valley of the Mississippi River, and very beautiful with a rich history. What do you do for a living? Right now I am a homemaker, but looking for a part-time job. What got you interested in the supernatural? I grew up in a haunted house. My sister told me that within a couple of weeks of moving into the house, I, age two, was talking and singing to/with an imaginary friend I called Mr. Ghost. You could hear things being moved in the attic late at night, see smoke wisps, objects disappearing and reappearing. When I was about twelve, I woke at dawn and looked out my window to see a man hanging in a tree on our property line, which was about a quarter of a mile from the house. Gradually this figure was gone from my sight. When I was about 18, I would see a man in my closet if the door was left open. He seemed very sad and lonely to me. I have always accepted the paranormal as normal because I grew up with it. I was around 10 when it dawned on me that not everyone has this stuff going on in their house. Have you ever used your dowsing rods to try and find spirit energy? I only recently purchased dowsing rods, and am still in the stage of learning how to use them. I am planning to go out to a local cemetery with a reputation to test this soon. What's in your CD player right now? The Band/Greatest Hits, The Eagles/Greatest Hits, Soundtrack to Because of Winn Dixie, Wissing & King/Live at the Brew Note (local musicians), and Fleetwood Mac/Greatest Hits. Our last month's theme was Our Haunted Lives. Here's what you missed if you haven't checked in since last month: |Last Month's Theme - Featured Content Discussion: How has the ghost experience affected you? Feature Article: A Look at Our Haunted Lives by Jeff Belanger Ghostvillage.com's book reviewer, Lee Prosser and the staff have brought you several new book reviews and author interviews since our last newsletter. This past month's Library additions: Be Blessed by Denise Dumars Witch in the Bedroom by Stacey Demarco On the Prayer of Jesus by Ignatius Brianchaninov Voices of Flowers by Rhonda PallasDowney Creepy Chicago by Ursula Bielski [AUTHOR INTERVIEW] On The Toltec Path by Ken Eagle Feather Tarot Talismans by Chic Cicero and Sandra Tabatha Cicero The Remote Viewing Training Course by David Morehouse The Dream Culture of the Neanderthals by Stan Gooch The Mysteries of Druidry by Brendan Cathbad Myers Astrology for Yourself by Douglas Bloch and Demetra George The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes by Richard Firestone, Allen West, and Simon Warwick-Smith The Pocket Guide to Rituals by Kerri Connor Ghosts of the World by Susan Smitten Reader of Hearts by Darrin Owens Each month Ghostvillage.com reaches tens of thousands of people interested in the paranormal. We offer the most effective and best-valued advertising and sponsorship packages of any paranormal media outlet. To view our advertising options and discounts, please visit: http://www.ghostvillage.com/advertising.htm |Ghostvillage.com Advertising Opportunities If you're ready to put Ghostvillage.com to work for your company or organization, send us an email to get started. We receive personal encounters from all over the world. Many are scary, some are touching, but they are always profound. If you would like to share your own experience, please click >>here<<. Since our last newsletter, we added the following new encounters: Old Woman on Route 10 - near El Paso, Texas Finding Lost Family - Chicago, Illinois The Haunting Returns - Middletown/Carlisle, Ohio Our Haunted House - Waterbury, Connecticut The Ghost of a Prankster Sailor - London, England Ghostly Car - Palisade, Nebraska Golf Course Joker - Ruidoso, New Mexico Payton's Kiss - Denver, Colorado The Spinning Ferris Wheel - Albany, New York Visit From Mom's Patient - Little Rock, Arkansas The Old Woman in the Hotel - Somewhere in the North Rockies Grandma's Outline? - Boise, Idaho Attack at Rolling Hills - Bethany, New York Pinching Premonition - Auckland, New Zealand Mammaw and Pappaw's Visit - Toledo, Ohio This is the place to find press releases and news items on paranormal happenings around the world. If you have a news item you'd like to submit, please see our NEW THIS MONTH: Syndicate our news! In the coming month you're going to see our news section expand to include news items from other sources besides Ghostvillage.com. If you have a Web site or blog, you can syndicate our news feeds to your site for free. Check it out by visiting our West Virginia Boasts Army of Ghosts, Guided Tours The Mercury News San Jose, California - August 14, 2006 [EXTERNAL NEWS] Ghost Buster - Asia Paranormal Investigators The Star Malaysia - August 14, 2006 [EXTERNAL NEWS] Ghosts at the Library? Phoenixville News Phoenixville, Pennsylvania - August 14, 2006 [EXTERNAL NEWS] Author Philip Gardiner Launches Weekly Radio Show UNIV-CON Poised to Become Largest Paranormal Conference in the U.S. [CONFERENCE WATCH] Maine's First School of Metaphysics Opens its Doors in Westbrook Planet Paranormal Introduces Its Paranormal Radio Alannah Myles to Host Paranormal Series for Renegade Motion Pictures Ghost World 2007 to Open in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania [CONFERENCE WATCH] First Annual Spirit Ball to Haunt Old Louisville, Kentucky 2nd Annual Paranormal Conference to Be Held in Crystal River, Florida, August 19th [CONFERENCE WATCH] Our "Features" section is a place for editorials, research articles, open letters to our readers, and other content of interest to Ghostvillagers. If you have a topic on your mind, agree or disagree with something you read recently, we want to hear from you! For guidelines, click New features added since our last newsletter: Geof Gray-Cobb - by Lee Prosser - August 15, 2006 [COLUMN] Orbs: Have They Become that Boring? by Tuesday Miles - August 14, 2006 A Night on Char-Man Bridge by Richard Senate - August 7, 2006 Five Union Soldier Ghosts - by Lee Prosser - August 2, 2006 [COLUMN] A Visit With Author and Witch Kala Trobe - Interview by Lee Prosser - July 26, 2006 Perceptual Stratigraphy: Making Sense of Ghostly Manifestations by John Sabol - July 24, 2006 Part two of Belle Gunness: McClung Road and the Blood Farm Horror - by Marcus Foxglove Griffin - July 20, 2006 [COLUMN] The Trouble With Witches - by Lee Prosser - July 15, 2006 [COLUMN] This is the place to find out where author and Ghostvillage.com founder Jeff Belanger will be speaking on the subject of the supernatural. If you're interested in booking Jeff for a conference or other event, please email us for more information. |Jeff Belanger's Upcoming Events Berkshire Paranormal Conference, Houghton Mansion - North Adams, Massachusetts - September 22-24, 2006 ESP Expo - Spokane, Washington - October 7-8, 2006 Charlie the Butler's Ghost Party at the Sprague Mansion - Cranston, Rhode Island - October 26, 2006 The 4th Annual Ghost Hunter's Getaway - Astoria, Oregon - November 11-12, 2006 Ghostfest - RMS Queen Mary Long Beach, California - November 17-19, 2006 2007 Haunted America Conference - Decatur, Illinois - June 22-23, 2007 Ghost World Conference - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - July 20-22, 2007 Tickets to the Ghost World Conference are already selling fast. The early-bird discount won't be around too much longer, so definitely click on the Web site and get your tickets and reservations early. Ghostvillage.com is proud to help organize this giant paranormal conference, tradeshow, and symposium for July 20-22, 2007 in one of the most haunted places on earth: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Tickets and booth space are already going fast and space is limited. Be sure to visit the conference Web site for more information or to sign up: |Ghost World Conference 2007 There's only one place where you can tune in to the leading paranormal radio programs available online, and that's right here on Ghostvillage.com's Paranormal Radio: http://www.ghostvillage.com/resources/ghostradio.shtml Tune in to: A.P.S.R. Talk Radio, Darkness on the Edge of Town Radio, Exploring Unexplained Phenomena, The Ghost Chronicles, Ghostly Talk Radio, The Graveyard Shift, Magick Mind Radio, Nightwatch, Weird Stuff Happens, and The 'X' Zone Radio Show. If you have registered for our message boards but haven't validated your account yet, it's simple to do! Look for the email that was automatically sent to you when you registered and click on the account activation link in the email (note: some bulkmail filters may block this email, so you'll need to check your bulkmail folder if the validation email didn't immediately come through). There are always great discussions going on in our huge message board community. We hope you'll get involved. It's free to register if you're not already a member. Here are some of the hot topics this month: |Hot Threads in the Community It's getting close... do you have any ideas to share on preparations and surprises? The TAPS Forum Discussion Love the show? Hate it? Lots of people are weighing in. Where is the Soul? Can your soul find its way back after you are cryonically frozen? Old Asylum in Connecticut Myth, legend, and facts. Is this the ghost of a cowboy in the background? Listen to the Chestertown, Maryland cemetery EVP and see what you think. Two orbs from Minnesota make their way through this video. Funny and Cute Pet Pictures Pets add a certain element to life, as well as tell you a bit about your fellow villagers. Come and see what pets other villagers own, and show us yours. Are there really hidden messages out there in songs, movies, and advertisements, or is it just our imaginations running wild? Phrases That Annoy Me Are any of those cute little quirky sayings that people use repeatedly getting to you? Tell us what they are, and see which phrases annoy others. Board of the Month -- Psychics, Mediums, and Clairvoyants Come in and discuss your sensitive side and your own experiences with mediums. In the last month, the following people have joined our ghostly community. Please welcome: txcowboy, GOBHOB, pacemaster, shabeer, coolbluestang, Sanctuary, Uptongirl, cindym, MrsHamlin1, kittychick, chela1995, dickenson, mscott304, captk2k, Smljanuary, Faeden, Kid Cubao, raymie1548, geso420, ValudVatashen, email@example.com, celj6, whiteboywilson, LadyJinx, Zoidberg, nygirl761, Tallcaliforniaman, cemetarysong, bigdino, Thashary, ryno, firstname.lastname@example.org, Tre Coola, sam47, ron ellis, villagedude, AuntSoftie, tinstarmom, fire_spyke, jallyn, jonny909, zein, boo0228, stormyminn, sheila8593, Rhino37a, confederatebluegirl, bluze1, marge88, grok636, ladysculpture1, devinechic, spooky56, kathyweir, applecrumb, acurvyqt4u, snicks_koda12, hungrywolf, adonis74, vedanv2005, stars2noc, juligirl311, pigcop, pinhead, Halo, rjfalzz, Booticon, chupacabara, lunarcub1947, Barbarajean, maddiecnc, cltnc333, Veggiesing, chris robinson, ravi krishna vetagiri, bevdavis63857, Jwilder482, kristina_noels, gost hunter canton, Robin2277, starstruck1, IronsGold, tomthunderhorse, lmweiser, xphile1067, MoralThreat, wendigo, billw2oc, booooo5, mattman, Birdie7, SWAG122, ShadowMan, Mitts, rsliman, fjbrownsr, vanhenry71, waterlilly2, michelle43davis, missmydad, DoLoBo, mpower, GDGoff, masuro, cleggit, jasonbutton, Blisss, madmax, starlighter212, becky8of9, gargoyle62, kbravo, T.T., Lady J, Catmarie, email@example.com, kodiakny, Wakko, marcco898, dgberan, Plantscapes, GeorgePenn, rochellekillett, Robert E. Wager Jr., LadyWolf_30, Tbutyl, Apemom04, lappdogg, DAWN77, kramer, txz045, mkessell52, cgasucks, warrenpls, bds, Trace, Guioam, desertburn, kinkylildevil87, lenard, sarum, aura_21_8, gotghosts, G.E.& MIKE, nancy newcomb, ddpope, angelicus, dallas1, jerri, Sixx50, thabird, Lindy1104, kofelover, ShadyLady621, docsmith, MGCT203, jhart5855, firstname.lastname@example.org, Doc0367, croskelly, Tab, sgramza, cindynhaley, castinglwp, jdigital13, ilovefob5, auburn47, kimcornell, bender, caber02, puchidevil, email@example.com, Roscorocker, moondropmcfarland, xRaexRaex, Kolbers1, miltonlew, Trouble, ~BOO~, linnyloo, Osito, suekim, MysticRage, Kimmy, HellRaZor, enoach_jam, MelB, Navygravy, fishguts, KathyS, Moonchime, DSHALL, luc, john, wicca256, yankee-n-sc, jcjones, 97357867, vertigineux, TIFF, juli, rassy28, shdwrose, DeadWatch, Amy 'Lyse, misstress009, champagne3_21, STAR01, quietsoul, LEBNIZvsNEWTON, madhatter, unalii, Cannavaro, Anju, just_a_boy, Rinabz20, jayeg34, TyTouch, meanderer, tuffgurl_823, Sevinkei, The_Fourth, jobspond, megab, nitetime, NocternalSpirit, nightfairy, monkeylover93, bquinonez, pghniteguy, spiritdave, anass, beltsvilleghosts, MissyO, spiritseekers, Marlena, dinniepoo, stephaniesalad, yankee7, casino7779, Fairy_Girl_KY, Lady Raven Moon, bridget aaa, hauntedmind, melinc701, waterblossumivy, Ncc17lu, James_Cormac2000, hazie, Mitzi, Ghstgirlie, TIPS300, danomac, squee232, hog_mad, abrooks919, Fedora_Hat, nightwind, Buzz, Paper_Doll, ghostinprof, jewel, Carole, p1ckle, theTRUTHspreader, Guy, MissMurderX, TheHaunted13, josiejo, SFGH, hkolln, boohamer, 122457, lysiara, lase_nightshade, wendywoo, rufiocreative, annetanith, aarong, pimpishliving15, 97gstchick, thecb2002, kill the undead, insanityplea, ciries, joeyandjodie, VampireKitten, claw55, kt1066, kristie2605, viperquestor, starlitkate, hfraz018, keeleysmom, Sunny, sylvandance, billsammertrutru, Jill81, vegan, saffronblue, Tuesday, Janeranum, Akiko123, spiritseeker1, dreamofme420, Manfly, Casalena, toyotarockclmbr, thepowderyone, joanne erickson, ouija123, Kimberly77, doctorBeko, reneeliz, bluebabymisty, Samanthazz, Draco53214, sawozniak, NaPUK Jon, firstname.lastname@example.org, sdavis06, goingbamboo, deb78239, darkening-doors, lawken, xoxhauntedxox, screaming21, LISA44, Bobh9, ncghs, ranger8th, Reby7697, aqualung, chicocowchick, Daytonax, Theli, joyce, SnuggySue, BabyAngel, jeannieangel, mingman36, meach_pie, lalaspookygirl, euri, rroyd, _xDarkXAngelx_, ash66974, rachelrosewarne, pokermikeman, ice queen, anthonyp1850, starrr0707, cher1313, pieschniff, highlandjan, joemayo, River88, A.L.E.X., Oldladybalke, owsleya, romrex, lorraine, sfitzgerald101, belinda727, cx4scott, flyinsoul20, Georgie480@aol.com, steller, TheHaunting, karmicwolff, BeemaBros, Casie, bob_kuger, Hyrth, the_wanlorn, beccilynne, dochazeem, starbook19, Cate, georgem, fairietalz77, Iamallofme, Medic767, jackie21, killasandra69, eric5012, taylor42, debra warley, Amiga, ginny_berg, lutika006, MysticDragon1976, elciek, Wicafreak, pat, jess231, Thunderstruck, MIKEJ, Ethan1321, stylesgame, Foxxwatcher, Khush, prachitibm, jazzy, Liz35, PMan66, ssmith, zorro99, stacybyrd, sherry625, FriskyLibra, Sonofman, devilgirl12345, peepers, samantha_, ingridmagnussen, ghostadmirer?, blue lightning 773, Arkayne, lennox9876, Sparky5115, debbisears, dasblues, jonin kitsune, shaun_reo, silverchic, cornfield13, kithomas, zuess, glolady, email@example.com, tiggyrn, cipan_notres, mtndewrob, axel1, lanndyn, orbitron9, peach_jazzy, CindiSu, ftrice, tommybear1960, jcrawford, HeroCat, arbranton, fallenempire2000, Roxanna, VaBoogiewoman, Paraman316, thevmusic, FauxFang, rhiannonrock, PervyPixie, wolumila765, JTOLEN, ladamedulac, mitchhart, hellevue32290, remdog, vlf126, phsum07, rich mor, Ken Makenson, thaigirl89, kb22783, Alonso, shiprak, Lillie_Steins, Yuske Urameshi, Schneij, softy54534, hut, AngelyXXX, SPLL13, SPLL137, daiseyduke721, wolpert1983, Donnajean, rohitdecryptus, moNkaD8, goddestoffireghost, Stolypin2002, mguarneri, Lorax3, jsmile2222, LottiFurmann, MakGreenland, tiffygal28, Jossy Hanz, fangsoffatima, JohnFlirt007, shinjukai, ninafea, AngelicWolfRainz, rmunky, valentinot, ratfink63, fablelord, Slonopotam845, blue_line_babe, Fegasderty, hm101, datingservices1, Beerinkol, Linda-Reducer, EmeraldRain44, groovyghosthunter, piper, imjonmilkins, harley1987, QUUU, GiantPlayaht, Feed Proper, Vivimart721, danse_macabre, nutusikpusik69, ghost beliver, cris, DE-Vorlage, purplecatfish, withoutwalls, datingservices2, julian, Princess_26, wariniraq, johndoula, heavencreed, Running2thestars, candiekiss, Kkkeeevvviiinnn, Banzaii316, majizzy, goth_girl666, MastaBemSoo, alpra025, jemmsmom, SteveO, Nraseopita, ilona590, buckeye, xSosaherex, Pinkharlequin, tswen, edgeit, 1victoria, SHoltPBS, louella, sponsor3211, grffn1969, CreditOK990, CalamityAnne, Jetredgirl, Rafieka, melbelle1029, amberdawn, freespirit, RIO, dcee63, danteshell, jessie2006, bluechien, TankAtVectisHauntings.com, nergllah, jada198125, shelleyann, weghead, maneet, YuriyHoy, ClermontGhosts, angelmom, sarahlewis, Freaky31, raven136, Tallchap, logindude, chrispike, Nathan S., GauqdtasWVWerndes, sam stevens, faithful_nurse_27, phsum0003, Fromab2u, funkydavid, and liz101.1. 199,465 Messages in the Town Square Message Boards |Ghostvillage.com Quick Stats: 11,479 Members in the Town Square 535 "Personal Encounters" published on Ghostvillage.com 570 Paranormal Web sites in the Ghost Links directory 21,368 Subscribers to this newsletter 4,021,037 total Web site "hits" for Ghostvillage.com in July Ghostvillage.com is the Web's largest supernatural community, the central place where people come to share their experiences, thoughts, and research. Please help us continue to grow by buying a copy of The World's Most Haunted Places, Communicating With the Dead, The Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, The Nightmare Encyclopedia, Our Haunted Lives, shopping, or by buying a Ghostvillage.com t-shirt. Every little bit helps run our servers and helps the site get bigger and better! Please also click on our banner ads and support our advertisers -- when you do business with someone who advertises with Ghostvillage.com, let them know you saw their ad with us and thank them for the support. Please email us anytime at firstname.lastname@example.org. Your comments, questions, and feedback are always welcomed. All material is © 2006 Ghostvillage.com REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS: To be removed from the mailing list, please go to www.ghostvillage.com/subscribe.shtml.

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Travel to Peninsular India: Mumbai / Bombay Classical Buildings Bombay is famous for its Gothic architecture, but that style only came to the city late in the 19th century. Even then, it was used chiefly for a series of ponderous government buildings. Until then, the city had been heavily classical, and its commercial buildings remained so even after the Gothic arrival. The city's public buildings at first were very plain: here on Marine Street, for example, is the building that served as Admiralty House from 1764 to 1794. It then became the Chief Court of Bombay and remained such until 1879, when the courts moved to the immense Gothic pile opened that year on Patil (formerly Mayo) Road. Nearby, from 1815, the Church of St. Andrew, a Greek temple with a steeple--and a shameless copy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the 1726 London church. Just to the north, and fronting on Horniman (formerly Elphinstone) Circle, the Bombay Town Hall was begun in the 1820s and completed in 1835 to a design of Thomas Cowper and others. Paid for mostly by the East India Company, the building's Doric columns were shipped from England. From at least the 1920s, the building has housed the Bombay Asiatic Society's library. The Cox Building, with the pedestrian arcade that in 1896 became mandatory for buildings along Hornby (Naoroji) Road. On Mahatma Gandhi (formerly Esplanade) Road: the Army and Navy Building, formerly a department store but now offices for Tata Consulting; on the right, the edge of the former Watson's Hotel, crushed by the Taj. Nariman (formerly Churchgate) Road, with the Mercantile Bank Building (now HSBC) at the left and the Horniman Circle garden in the distance. The Nariman Road offices of the Indian Cotton Mills Federation. The entrance to the garden at the center of Horniman Circle. A set of eight buildings ring Horiman Circle. They were built in the 1870s to a design by James Scott, and they stand as a unique or near-unique assemblage of office buildings in British India. A Horniman Circle Association was established in 1999 and two years later, with help from Ermenegildo Zegna, restored the facade of the Botawala Building, shown here. Here's the "Before" shot, from about 1990 and replete with plenty of signs and a jungle rooting in the masonry. Another touch of classicism, the city's Frere Fountain, from 1869. The fountain's donor plaque--a reminder that the people who pay for such things usually want recognition. The fountain in context, with a broodingly dark post office in the background. We've taken a cab and gone north to the old Victoria Gardens (now Jijabai Udyan), on the far side of the Byculla district. Here, adjoining the Victoria and Albert Museum, is the garden's entrance. "The band plays twice a week," according to Murray's Guide, 1924 edition. * Australia's Northern Territory * Austria * Bangladesh * Belgium * Brazil (Manaus) * Burma / Myanmar * Cambodia (Angkor) * Canada (B.C.) * China * Czech Republic * Egypt * France * Germany * Greece * Hungary * India: Themes * Northern India * Peninsular India * Indonesia * Israel * Italy * Japan * Jerusalem * Jordan * Kenya * Laos * Kosovo * Malaysia * Mexico * Morocco * Mozambique * Namibia * Netherlands * Norway * Oman * Pakistan * Philippines * Poland * Portugal * Singapore * South Africa * Spain * Sri Lanka * Sudan * Syria * Tanzania * Thailand * Trinidad * Turkey * United Arab Emirates * United Kingdom * U.S.: East * U.S.: West * U.S.: Oklahoma * Uzbekistan * Vietnam * West Bank * Yemen * Zimbabwe *

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Information about my wedding coming soon, go to: www.stellarflex.com. I am another, (yet personal too!) created human, plucked from the fire, by God's grace, to now serve Him. I do that in a Quiet, Gold personality(INTJ). Perhaps often seeming to go against the crowd, simply because it has the 'appearance of evil'. I have a wonderful family, and like to spend time with my older sister. My occupation right now includes maintaining the small farm we have, incluing some small scale agricultural ground farming, such as corn. Dairy goats, chickens, and many other animal types over the years have been here. I work in contruction with my Dad, doing custom houses, and remodels, and many side jobs of such. I am an EMT-B, and help out in that role in Alaska during the summer. Jan-May 2010 I was in Texas, SA, working with Americana Ambulance, as an EMT-B, part of my quest to re-certify myself as a Nationally Registered EMT-B, which has to happen every 2 years. I came to Texas to do that, since I could not get a job in CA. You pretty much need a job to re-certify. My one-chance-to-pass-the-test method is scheduled for March 10th. I passed this test, and am now trying to get the paper work done, before the March 31st deadline. (Involves getting people at Americana to sign me off on my skills) I succesfully got certified for another 2 years! Now I am off to Alaska for the summer.(June -August, 2010) Read my webpage, or let me know if you want to received E-mail updates about the mission there. I am active in supporting a local ALERT Cadet father/son squad. People say I am artistic, but I have not spent the energy to develope those skills I guess. My family is amazed when I draw a picture with a pen, or do something creative. I like to write, and again, many people say they love to read my stuff. Cheese is something I love! (Sorry Daniel Kane!) I love the outdoors, and need it and the space to recharge my introvert battery(or do I have mulitiple batteries? Like some think) fishing, backpacking, rappelling/rock climbing for fun. I am a Special Response SCUBA diver with a couple certs. as well. No, I have never seen a shark under the water, but I have been in the water with alligators. Some would also say I clean and organize for FUN. I would tend to agree. I have cooked for over 100 people, and am comfortable feeding groups that size. I have been to places like Singapore and Malaysia, Haiti, stopping in London on my way to a missions trip to Zambia, Africa, and spend my summers in the country of Alaska. (Err, I mean, State!) I have graduated from the ALERT program. (Basic Unit 31) www.alertacademy.com To read all kinds of stuff I have written, and see more pictures, Follow this exact link: Running! I don't know if I love it or not, but I certainly don't mind it. And 10K races don't scare me anymore. And this year I have made it one of my goals, Lord willing, to enter a MARATHON race! That means I am currently trying to run a lot more right now! The book of Hebrews and Peter The Ultimate Gift ANY Lamplighter book (too many to list, but:) The Hidden Hand Books by the author Mr. Biddlecomb. Soundtracks (Glory, Ben Hur, El Cid, Pirates, Exodus, Rocketeer, etc) Mac and Beth Lynch Ron and Shelly Hamilton Northland Baptist Bible College Piano praise music Minor key music can often move me more than normal Major keys. Some of those hymns played in a Minor key are amazing. I play just a little piano. Mainly I play the Fife in a Fife and Drum Corps. And for movies: Finding Nemo (only Pixar I like) Facing the Giants Charlie Chaplin films Fiddler on the Roof Sink the Bismark and such movies in the air and on/under the sea from WWII. WANTED: (if caught, will be watched!) These are movies I wish to see. The top four in the list are all new, Christian movies. Letters to God No Greater Love To Save a Life The Wronged Man North and South (2004) Wives and Daughters (Including the city of L.A. and many major airport cities across America of course!) I have looked over the boarders at Mexico and Canada. FAMILY & LIFESTYLE Want (more) Children: Homeschool your children?: Yes, I plan to homeschool. PROFESSIONAL & EDUCATIONAL Homeschooled all the way High School Grad Construction / Craftsman Missions, EMS, Construction/Disaster relief, cooking, photography, repelling/High Angle Rescue, backpacking, fishing and the Great Outdoors My family and I were involved in a squad in Oregon for about three years before the group separated from ALERT Cadets due to a generally acknowledged change in purpose of our group. It wasn't due to any arguments with ALERT Cadets--we just felt we were ready to go deeper than what ALERT seemed to be offering us as a group. (No, we were not the family leading the group .)

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[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index Democracy and ASEAN (The Hindu, 5/1 Subject: Democracy and ASEAN (The Hindu, 5/12/96.) Democracy and ASEAN The Hindu, 5/12/96. By V jayanth THE Association of South-East Asian Nations is not exactly a bastion of democracy. But democracy has suddenly become an issue in the region and for the grouping because of Myanmar, Increasing pressure from the West - mostly the U.S. and E.U. - has made at least some South-East Asian countries rethink their policy of "constructive engagement" with the military junta in Myanmar. Probably because of their close ties and trade links, the Philippines and Thailand have become the major spokesmen for the pro-democracy tilt in the ASEAN's perception. But they are also trying to make it appear that it is not just on grounds of democracy, but more because of the preparations involved that they would like to give Myanmar more time to join the ASEAN. Singapore has also agreed to put off Yangon's entry. Though no models of democracy, most of the Southeast Asian countries have adopted their own political systems and go through the motions of an electoral process to install a popular government. That is why Myanmar has become a sticking point. It has been singled out by the West because the military junta that has been ruling the country from 1988 has no mandate from the people. In fact, it brushed aside a democratic verdict in favour of the National League for Democracy in the >From 1992, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has been busy trying to put together a new constitution on the basis of which the next general election will be held. And it continues with the promise that this effort will be completed soon and elections held under a multiparty A speciality of the region is that of long serving leaders and almost one-party rule in many countries. The alternative is the communist state and system. In Indonesia, the President, Mr. Suharto (75), who rose from the military, has been at the helm for three decades and his supporters want him to stay through this decade and take the country into the next century. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who is responsible for the phenomenal growth and emergence of the City State of Singapore. had ruled for 25 years before stepping down in 1990 on his own. But the People's Action Party he led has ruled the country all along. It holds 77 out of 81 seats in Parliament and appears set to dominate the scene for many more years to come. In Malaysia, too. one-party and then a coalition has ruled the country - the National Front. Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has been Prime Minister since 1981, hoping to lead the dynamic economy at least till the end of the decade. His coalition of Malay, Chinese and Indian parties, along with regional groups, enjoys more than 80 per cent of the popular vote. Vietnam is a communist State rind the party sets the agenda and the Government rules by decree. By adopting an open economy, Hanoi is trying to demonstrate like China the feasibility of a liberal but centrally controlled economy - despite the obvious contradiction in terms. Brunei is a Sultanate. Since the Sultan controls the State and owns it, he also sets the goals and runs the administration. Since its liberation from colonial rule by Great Britain, he has formed a Government with his relatives, friends and officials. Private and foreign enterprises have begun to play a major rule. That leaves out only the Philippines and Thailand. After emerging from dictatorship and martial law through a revolution in 1986, the Philippines has surprisingly emerged as the Western favourite for a flourishing democracy. It has an executive presidency, but is controlled by a bicameral parliament. The President, Mr. Fidel Ramos, is not averse to amending the Constitution to enable him to seek a second term in office though it clearly forbids a President from doing so. This was done precisely to prevent the emergence of a democratic dictator after the country's experiences with Thailand is more an exception than the rule in the region. It is the only country not to have been a colony or dominated by foreign powers such as japan. It is a kingdom with a parliamentary democracy. There has been no stable government in Bangkok for ages, perhaps because the people have never given any single party a clear mandate or majority. The largest party invariably puts together a brittle coalition of Among the potential members of ASEAN, Laos is a communist State and Cambodian. a fledgling democracy. is under intense pressure to become more authoritarian because of the complex problems facing the country. Myanmar completes the list of 10 South East Asian nations. Where does it fit in ' , The military junta is trying to work out a system based on the Indonesian model - an Executive President with a bicameral parliament and a socio-political role for the armed forces, with a representation in parliament as well. Unfortunately for the junta, the Constitution has taken too long to evolve and the Opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) pulled out of the drafting body - the National Convention - last year. That leaves the draft constitution with no credibility and it is doubtful if the ruling junta will opt t@ hold a referendum on the new document before venturing to hold an election on its basis. And that is where the problem lies - credibility and acceptance by the The pro-democracy leader, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, has been pressing for a Dialogue with the military rulers to begin the process of restoring democracy. She makes it clear that the armed forces can play a role only in defending the country, but not claim a political role in a civilian government. With moral pressure and the backing of the people, the Nobel- laureate has been urging -the-international community to exert more pressure on the junta, to open a dialogue and restore democracy. But there is a realisation that sanctions do not work. Past experience has shown that the military rulers can survive any policy of isolation and such a stance will only drive Myanmar into the waiting arms of China. It is for this reason that ASEAN fashioned its policy of "constructive engagement" and hopes that the ultimate entry of Myanmar into the fold would make the military junta speed up political and economic Because of sustained Western pressure, ASEAN is trying to evolve its own style of engaging Myanmar. Without letting it that democracy is a precondition for joining the group, or giving the impression that it wants to interfere in the internal affairs, the group has to make sure that Myanmar adopts some legitimate and acceptable form of governance with a mandate. Leaders of South-East Asia have been openly critical of the Western style of democracy and make it abundantly clear that no system can be imposed on another country. Every country must adopt its own chosen system to meet its individual needs and the condition of its people. Mr. Lee and Dr. Mahathir Mohamad have been critical not only of the Western democracies, but even of countries like India. It is their argument that countries such as India have not been able to achieve their potential 1 of development and growth because of an excess of democracy. 11 Mr. Mukul G. Asher, Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore, for one. wants the ASEAN countries to open up their political systems to more reforms so that they can move over to the next stage of development. Re argues that creativity and enterprise in the region can move on to the next phase of development Sources at the institution of South-East Asian Studies say that they have feedback from South Asia that the people there want to shift the focus from politics and democracy to growth and development. "This is a reversal of roles. People in Southeast Asia are now asking for more political space and a greater say in governance. But those in South Asia are now looking for faster growth. They want the political parties to keep the economy out of politics so that the countries can grow faster. The recent developments in India clearly point to this trend because the people have tasted the fruits of development and growth. That is why we are told there can be no reversal of policy," they explain. They recognise the need to protect the interests of the poor and suggest that any government must address the concerns of the poor through a selective intervention programme and, at the same time, continue to liberalise the economy so that its benefits ultimately reach the poor. It may take some time but is achievable With determination and political stability. The ideal therefore may be somewhere in between - a mix of South Asia's political systems with South-East Asia's economic model and development - so that an Asian system can emerge.

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Teacher-turned-comedian returns to perform here Newfoundland native, Brian Aylward is returning to Korea to share his comedic insights in a series of shows across the nation as part of an Asian tour that took in India, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Korean leg of the swing kicked off in Bundang on June 26 and will visit the cities of Daegu, Busan, Sinchon and Gumi before closing in Itaewon, Seoul on July 7. The former EFL teacher first arrived in Korea in December of 2003 and took to stand-up comedy following a bet with his then girlfriend, now wife, after she quit smoking. “I began comedy (based on a bet) in Anyang, South Korea on Nov. 11, 2005. Since leaving Korea I have been telling jokes steadily all over Canada and eating lots of ham,” Alyward told The Korea Times in an email interview. In Korea, Aylward was a regular contributing writer to The Groove magazine. Some of his comedy pieces have been heard on TBS eFM radio. He was also runner-up in the 2008 Hong Kong International Comedy Festival. He explained his desire to get back to Asia, especially Korea. “This tour was inspired by my lack of ability to do anything else. I am truly excited to hit those South Korean streets again. See old faces and lots of new ones. I miss the people I met in Korea the most. So many incredible people, too many to mention,” he continued. Aylward is also credited with creating the stand-up comedy group S.U.C.K (Stand-up Comedians Korea) and Seoul's first English-speaking comedy room at Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon. Aside from regular gigging in Canada, he has appeared on “Halifax’s Funniest,” was Newfoundland Winner for 2011 Yuk Yuk’s “Great Canadian Laugh Off” and appeared on CBC Radio’s “Laugh Out Loud” as well as featuring on CBC television. When questioned about his inspiration, the comedian turned to humanity. “People inspire me. We are a bunch of big dummies, living in an intelligent world. Fun times.” Aylward will play the Traveler’s Bar in Daegu on June 28 and Sharky’s on June 29 followed by HQ June 30, both in Busan. The tour will continue at Yaletown on July 1 in Sinchon, the Waegook Cook in Gumi on July 6 before winding up at Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon, Seoul on July 7. Shows star at 10 p.m. and entrance is 10,000 won.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2008 An artist's impression of the Sentosa Villas link houses KAJANG: Metro Kajang Holdings Bhd (Metro Kajang) will launch two new projects by the end of 2008, one in Desa Melawati in Kuala Lumpur and the other in Kajang’s town centre. Chong Yong Han, group senior general manager of the Metro Kajang Group, told theSun that the Desa Melawati project would comprise 500 units of serviced apartments with a gross development value (GDV) of RM120 million. According to him, the medium high-end project would take up 2.6 freehold acres located opposite Tunku Abdul Rahman College. “The larger units would be approximately 1,000 sq ft while the smaller units would be 800 sq ft. There will also be studio units sized at 700 sq ft,” said Chong after the company’s AGM yesterday. Complete with full apartment facilities, the units are priced at RM250 psf and above. Due to its location, Chong expects the buyers to comprise investors as well as the people who work at the institutions nearby, which include an Islamic university located in the vicinity. “We will also be launching commercial shoplots in Kajang’s town centre. There will be 20 units of 3-storey and 6-storey shoplots located next to the existing wet market, close to Metro Point,” said Chong. He added that the approvals for the RM40-million project are already being processed. To be launched in two weeks’ time is Phase 1B of Sentosa Villas in Kajang, comprising terraced homes sized between 20ft by 65ft and 20ft by 80ft with an average price of RM340,000. “The show house has just been completed and we’re doing the interior designing now,” said Chong. The entire development, which includes Phase 1A of semidees and bungalows as well as shoplots named Serba Sentosa, is approximately 30% taken up. Meanwhile, its 700-acre ongoing township development, the freehold Bandar Teknologi Kajang, will see the launch of a new phase comprising bungalows and semidees in nine months’ time. “The bungalows would be 6,000 sq ft and above, while the semidees would be 3,200 sq ft and above,” Chong said. Prices have yet to be confirmed. He added that Metro Kajang’s latest commercial development, Wang Commerz@Pelangi Semenyih, has been more than 70% sold and the hypermarket Tesco is scheduled to move in at the end of 2008. The freehold project was launched last month and has a GDV of RM33 million. The group, which has a presence in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Kajang and Semenyih, currently has 400 acres of undeveloped land to occupy them for another five years. Property development, which constitutes its core business, contributes 70% to the group’s profit. For the financial year ended Sept 30, 2007, the Group recorded a 21% increase in profit after tax to RM60.82 million from RM50.40 million in the preceding year. By theSun (by Yeong Ee-Wah) “The value in hand currently, for property, is RM500 million, whereas for our construction division, the current value is RM900 million. Our property development will continue to contribute 30% towards our group revenue for the next two years,” Melati Ehsan’s independent non-executive chairman Datuk Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail. Listed last March on the Main Board, Melati Ehsan is set to commence the development of its sole plot of land in Pandamaran, Klang in two months. The almost 100-acre tract was purchased for RM32 million, or approximately RM7.40 per sq ft. “Our project in Pandamaran is scheduled for completion in five years, with a gross development value of RM500 million. This will provide us with a continuous source of income,” Melati Ehsan’s managing director Datuk Yap Suan Chee told reporters after its AGM yesterday. He added it is the last plot of land left in Pandamaran. The gated development is adjacent to Bukit Tinggi and would consist of medium range residential and commercial units, with estimated selling prices from RM200,000 to RM350,000. The 2-storey link houses will have built-ups of 2,000 sq ft onwards while the commercial development will comprise 2- to 3-storey shop offices. The developer is also currently looking for a parcel of land to build a hypermarket on. According to Yap, they are currently in talks with a few hypermarket operators but declined to disclose any further information. “We are still sourcing for suitable land in prime areas. We prefer the Klang Valley – it is all about price and location,” Yap said when asked if there are plans to add to its landbank. Melati Ehsan is currently developing the 300-acre Taman Ehsan Jaya, located within the Iskandar Development Region in Johor. It is currently 50% finished and set for completion within three years. By theSun (by Rosalynn Poh) It will also use part of the money to refinance existing debt, it said in a statement to Bursa Malaysia yesterday. IOI Properties has total debt of RM225 million. In January, the company, a unit of IOI Corp Bhd, won a bid with its partner to buy land on the resort island of Sentosa, Singapore, for S$1.097 billion (RM2.5 billion). This followed its first successful bid in March last year. Then, it won a tender to buy land on the island for RM1.1 billion. "IOI Corp, being the controlling shareholder of IOI Properties, will give its irrevocable and unconditional written undertakings to subscribe in full for its entitlement," IOI Properties said. IOI Corp holds 71.15 per cent of IOI Properties as at February 15, 2008. Before the rights issue, IOI Properties will split its shares into two, to boost trading in the stock as it becomes more affordable. As at February 15 2008, IOI Properties has a paid-up capital of RM333.52 million comprising the same number of shares. After the split, the number of shares will double to 667 million. Then, it will offer investors one new rights share for every four existing shares held after the split. The rights are priced at RM5.50 apiece. Shares of IOI Properties closed at RM12.70 yesterday down 40 sen from Monday's close. By New Straits Times GAMUDA Bhd, the country's second biggest builder, may buy its own shares after the company lost nearly RM2.6 billion in market value over the past six trading days. "We are weighing our options," a Gamuda official said in a telephone conversation recently. Gamuda has not started buying back its shares, it said in an e-mail reply to Business Times. Last year, Gamuda's shareholders approved a share buyback plan. It could buy up to a tenth of its shares or spend not more than its retained profits. As at August 2006, Gamuda had retained profits of RM1.15 billion. Gamuda closed 20 sen higher at RM3.80 yesterday after DBS Vickers changed its recommendation on the stock to "buy" from "hold". But DBS Vickers slashed its share price target from RM5 to RM4.50. However, the single largest shareholder continued to buy more shares. FMR LLC & Fidelity International Ltd yesterday said it bought 40,300 Gamuda shares last week, bringing its shareholding to 11.87 per cent. The builder has been under siege since last week, after its group managing director for the past 26 years, revealed last week that he is no longer a substantial shareholder. Datuk Lin Yun Ling sold 70 million Gamuda shares, paring his stake in the company to 1.73 per cent from 5.23 per cent before. Following the sale, JPMorgan which said in a report that Gamuda is "a ship without rudders", cut its share price target to RM3.3O, branding it "a top stock to avoid in 2008". By New Straits Times (by Francis Fernandez) PETALING JAYA: Gamuda Bhd managing director Datuk Lin Yun Ling has given foreign fund managers an assurance that he will stay on to lead the construction group he founded for at least five more years. StarBiz understands that Lin spoke to foreign institutional investors via teleconference on Monday and told them that his move in selling his stake was not a signal that he was exiting Gamuda. He also told them that the fact that he was still heading Gamuda after trimming his equity interest in the company in April 2002 demonstrated his intention to remain in his post. StarBiz also learned that Lin had admitted that he expected the flow of construction jobs to slow down in the near future. Gamuda, he said, would still be able to replenish its order book, currently at a record RM11bil, but the jobs secured were unlikely to be as big as those in hand now. The group’s earnings might not have peaked although the value of its order book might already have, he told the foreign investors. The session was prompted by the sharp fall in Gamuda’s share price last Thursday when Lin sold 70 million shares, cutting his stake to 1.7% from 5.2%, for “estate planning purposes.” Gamuda rebounded yesterday with a 20 sen gain to RM3.86 as the day’s most actively traded counter, on volume of 41.6 million shares. A head of research said the heavy selldown on the construction blue chip was mainly due to the lack of details on the rationale behind Lin’s move. “The market was left guessing what could possibly be the worst case scenario for an insider to sell the stake. “Lin could have been more transparent on the share disposal,” he added. Some institutional investors were upset that the group had been feeding analysts with positive news on Gamuda’s earnings prospects, which had helped push up its share price following their “buy” or “overweight” recommendations. The stock price skidded when the market was abuzz with speculation over all the possible adverse circumstances that could affect Gamuda, one of which was that the construction industry had reached the end of the upcycle. The group, it was felt, may experience margin squeeze given the rising price of building material costs and that being a non-bumiputra construction company, Gamuda may also face a tougher operating environment in terms of benefiting from the Government’s pump priming measures. However, this is not the first time Lin has made such an unexpected move. When he sold a 1.4% stake in the open market in April 2002, Gamuda’s share price nose-dived, wiping out about RM330mil in market value. Gamuda’s order book had also swelled to a record RM3bil at that time. In 2000, Lin took shareholders by surprise when he bought a 44% stake in polymer lithium ion rechargeable batteries maker Dyna Plastic Sdn Bhd for RM68mil cash. Lin defended the purchase, saying that it was to give the group a more steady earnings growth given the cyclical nature of the construction industry. The investing community, however, did not accept news of the deal well and Gamuda’s stock price was hammered. All these happened in less than eight years. Questions are now being asked if Gamuda still deserves the higher premium it currently enjoys on its shares.By The Star - StarBiz (by Kathy Fong) PETALING JAYA: Berjaya Land Bhd (BLand), via subsidiary Berjaya Vacation Club Bhd (BVC), will increase its stake in Absolute Prestige Sdn Bhd to 51% from 20%. Absolute Prestige owns the Piccolo Hotel and Piccolo Galleria in Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. BVC unit Sinar Merdu Sdn Bhd had recently acquired 20% of the company's stake from Piccolo Corp Sdn Bhd for RM6mil and the latest acquisition for RM9.3mil was from another shareholder of Absolute Prestige, Abdul Samad Ramli. BLand said in a statement yesterday that both the acquisitions were subject to approval from the Foreign Investment Committee and other authorities. “The acquisition represents an opportunity for the BLand group to add another 239 rooms in a boutique hotel in Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle to its portfolio of hotels and resorts. “It will complement our existing investments in 12 hotel properties, located in Malaysia, Seychelles, London, Sri Lanka, Singapore and, recently, in Vietnam,” it added. Piccolo Corp director Suzianna Wong-Svrcula will remain the chief operating officer of Absolute Prestige. “The sale provides the opportunity for the company to tap the synergy of Berjaya Land's portfolio of 12 hotels worldwide,” Wong said. Piccolo Hotel, which was built at a cost of RM42mil, is scheduled to open by the end of next month. By The Star (by Angie Ng)

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Viet Nam among top 12 reformers in the business world This demonstrates Viet Nam's great strides in carrying out reforms. The country was placed in the list of the 50 top reformers in 2003. The achievement was attributed largely to the country's legal reforms covering business licensing, asset registration, protection of investors, contract enforcement and business bankruptcy. This is the third consecutive year that Viet Nam has been listed in the Doing Business report conducted jointly by the WB and IFC in more than 150 countries around the world. Doing Business in 2006 updates last year's reports on seven sets of indicators: starting a business, hiring and firing workers, enforcing contracts, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, and closing a business. This years' report adds three more new indicators: dealing with business licenses, trading across borders, and paying taxes. According to Martin Rama, Chief Economist of the WB in Viet Nam, the country needs to continue pushing reforms to create a favourable business environment for investors because it is still only ranked 99th among 155 countries surveyed in terms of business activities. Caralee Mcliesh, a senior economist involved in the Doing Business in 2006 project, said that in order to improve its ranking, Viet Nam should establish a concentrated, transparent and simplified tax collection system to streamline procedures for businessmen. At present, investors in Viet Nam spend an average 1,000 hours a year to complete required tax procedures. In addition, Viet Nam should cut the necessary duration to start-up a business from 50 days to 30 days like Thailand and Malaysia have done, the WB official said. Pham Chi Lan, a member of the Government's Research Board, said Doing Business in 2006 helps Viet Nam have a deeper look at its business environment in comparison with other countries in the world, especially Southeast Asian countries. Apart from Doing Business in 2006, the WB will release a report on Viet Nam's investment environment in 2006 and another report on Viet Nam's development in 2006 in the fourth quarter of this year. |Back Top page Print Email|

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Intent on a better future, local leaders began fostering Atlanta’s reputation as a “city too busy to hate,” and turned their aspirations to creating something much bigger than a sleepy Southern town besieged by racial strife. So began their efforts to make Atlanta a true international city, by embracing transatlantic relationships and business long before many other cities had even considered the global arena.At that same time, a new organization was formed in Atlanta called the Georgia Council for International Visitors (www.gciv.org). Its mission 50 years ago is the same today — to create valuable international experiences and opportunities for the people of Georgia and emerging leaders around the world.Simply translated, that means building international connectivity through person-to-person relationships, one handshake at a time. As a nonprofit, the council strives to provide meaningful exchanges that open new dialogues, foster unique educational opportunities and create a network of emerging global leaders dedicated to affecting positive change in their home countries. Through its programs, the council welcomes more than 500 emerging leaders from more than 100 countries each year. Over the course of six decades, more than 360 program participants have gone on to become presidents or prime ministers of their countries, including France’s Nicolas Sarkozy, India’s Manmohan Singh and Mexico’s Felipe Calderon. The council plays an instrumental role in supporting American foreign policy goals through its management of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program here in Georgia. The program brings some 5,000 professionals from all over the world to America to meet with professional counterparts across a host of industries and sectors, from government and business, to education and the arts. As a supporter of the council, Invesco has hosted economic experts from four Caribbean nations, as well as financial analysts from Italy. During these visits, we showcased best practices that matched the professional interests of our distinguished guests. We believe that the relationships started on these visits will result in opportunities that keep Atlanta at the forefront of global competition. The experiences the council offers to foreign visitors are truly unique and powerful, in part because they provide a way to learn first-hand how business and culture really operate in America. Through a network of “citizen diplomats,” the council organizes home visits and exchanges that bring visitors into typical American homes and foster lasting connections and friendships. My own family has hosted visitors at our dinner table from the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Germany, Malaysia and Paraguay. Multiply those visits by the thousands facilitated annually by the council and you’ll begin to understand the integral role they play in supporting Atlanta’s international vision and also how much our city has grown in stature and importance on the global stage. That Atlanta is poised to do well in a world where communications, business and opportunities are global in nature is in no small part due to the relationships started and nurtured by the council. As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, I urge you to learn more about the organization and how you can become a citizen diplomat, helping our city in its strategy and goal to remain a global leader. Lindsay Davidson is the Georgia Council for International Visitors’ board chair and managing director for global equity at Invesco Global Asset Management. He can be reached at Lindsay.Davidson@invesco.com.

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By D. Arul Rajoo BANGKOK, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- Thai highway police confiscated four tiger carcasses, believed to have been smuggled from Malaysia, in Hua Hin on Monday. The full content of this page is available to premium users only. You can contact us to gain premium access to full texts, high resoluton photos and videos at firstname.lastname@example.org OANA - The Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies © 2011

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Intel Closes Older Manufacturing Sites; 6,000 Jobs Affected In total, the plant closures could affect up to 6,000 employees. However, Intel said that all of those affected would not be laid off, and could be offered contracts to remain with the company. Specifically, Intel will close two assembly-test facilities in Penang, Malaysia and one in Cavite, Philippines. Fab 20, a 200-mm wafer plant in Hillsboro, Ore., will also be shuttered, as well as a small D2 development fab in Santa Clara, Calif. Fab 20 is capable of producing just 8,000 wafers per month, according to SemiZone, which tracks fab production. Intel and its competitors manufacture its leading-edge products on 300-mm wafers, with correspondingly higher output. The D2 fab is larger, with an estimated output of 15,000 wafers per month, SemiZone estimated. Both use 180-nm technology; Intel's most advanced processors use 32-nm technology. The company characterized the moves as necessary to "align its manufacturing capacity to current market conditions." However, the company is also reportedly in danger of reporting its first loss in years, although it reported a small profit for the fourth quarter of 2008. blog comments powered by Disqus

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Featured Teacher: William The initial appeal of yoga came from William's need to heal a knee injury. But he has evolved since learning with his first teacher Vikram, now getting ultimate gratification as a yoga teacher himself - watching his students grow and benefit from the practice. He counts reading, music and travelling as some of his favourite pastimes. Where are you originally from? I'm from the land across the straits, Malaysia. How long have you been teaching? About a year now. Who was your very first yoga teacher and what was he/she like? Vikram, a very good, friendly and helpful teacher. How long have you been practising? About 3 years now. Originally, what attracted you to yoga? Its therapeutic and health benefits. It has helped me recover from my knee problem. What motivates you to practise today? To understand the different layers (kosha) of myself. How would you describe your personal practice? Constantly evolving. I'm just happy to be able to practise any form of yoga. Before you became a yoga teacher, what did you do? I was in the information technology industry offering analysis and consultation services. What do you love about teaching? The opportunity to teach and share the essence of yoga, and the satisfaction in watching the community benefit and grow from it. What do you find challenging about teaching? Managing the expectations of others and myself. Describe your ideal class (as a teacher). Being able to communicate the intention of the practice to the students, and seeing them enjoy and feel good throughout the practice. Describe a class that you would find challenging or difficult (as a teacher). The direct opposite of the above. What teacher has had the biggest impact on your practice? There are just too many to mention. I'm ever grateful to each of them. What is your most embarrassing moment in the studio (as a teacher or student)? As a student, halfway through a Hot 2 class in Hong Kong, when I accidentally used the towel of the person next to me without noticing that she was looking. Where is the strangest place you've practised yoga? At a juice bar after a drink. Must have been the sudden rush of sugar to my head. Aside from yoga, what other hobbies or interests do you have? Reading, music, movies and travelling. Describe your most profound yoga experience. Osho's dynamic meditation. It was a truly amazing feeling being one with the universal energy. One has to experience it first-hand to understand. If you weren't a yoga teacher, what would you be?

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Cambodia: Prevent military aid abuse: NGO |Publisher||Radio Free Asia| |Publication Date||6 November 2012| |Cite as||Radio Free Asia, Cambodia: Prevent military aid abuse: NGO, 6 November 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/50b3829bc.html [accessed 26 May 2013]| |Disclaimer||This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.| A civil society group says the US must prevent Cambodia from using military aid to abuse human rights. Cambodian soldiers stand in front of military trucks donated by the U.S. Army in Phnom Penh, June 2, 2008. AFP Washington must put measures in place to ensure that military assistance provided to Cambodia will not be used by authorities to commit rights abuses, a nongovernmental organization said Tuesday, as U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta prepares to visit the country next week. Am Sam Ath, a senior investigator with Cambodian rights group Licadho, said Panetta should work harder to guarantee that U.S. military aid to the country is used for "the right purposes" and not to protect private property or to assist in forced evictions of residents living on land granted as concessions to companies. The U.S. Secretary of Defense will hold bilateral talks with his Cambodian counterpart, General Tea Banh, during a one-day visit to Phnom Penh on Nov. 16. His visit will coincide with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting Retreat, also to be held in the capital, on Nov. 15-17. The talks will be held ahead of an expected visit to Cambodia by President Barack Obama to attend the East Asia Summit in the capital on Nov. 18-20. "We request that [Washington] negotiate to ensure the use of U.S military assistance for the right purposes – in order to prevent human rights abuses," Am Sam Ath told RFA's Khmer service in an interview. "Some individuals have used U.S military assistance against Ministry [of Defense] guidelines. They have been used to abuse human rights," he said, adding that Licadho had reported several incidents of rights violations committed by soldiers. "We have seen private companies use military police and soldiers to protect private property. This goes against the code of conduct for soldiers who are supposed to protect our country," Am Sam Ath said. "We have seen U.S. trucks, which were given as military aid, used to transport soldiers to protect private companies or for forced evictions." Nem Sowath, director general of Cambodia's Defence Ministry's policy and foreign affairs department, was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post Tuesday as saying that the bolstering of military ties and "co-operation in military human resources development" would be among the topics of discussions during Panetta's trip. The paper said that military aid spending in Cambodia almost tripled this year to U.S. $18.2 million. It did not provide details. According to New York-based Human Rights Watch, U.S. material assistance to Cambodia has ended up in the hands of "rights-abusing military units" such as "Brigade 31 ... which in 2008 used U.S.-donated trucks to forcibly move villagers evicted from their land in Kampot province." In 2008, the U.S government donated at least 31 military trucks to the Cambodian military, according to the U.S. Embassy. Two years later, the Obama administration suspended a shipment of military vehicles to Cambodia, after Phnom Penh repatriated 20 ethnic Uyghur asylum-seekers to China despite an outcry from Western countries and the United Nations. Following the suspension, China promptly donated more than 250 military trucks to the Southeast Asian nation. In November last year, Cambodia's military police and the United States Marines conducted a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise in Cambodia, aimed at strengthening the two countries' military ties. Am Sam Ath requested that American defense officials who train Cambodian military personnel in the U.S. work to ensure that the soldiers use their new skills to protect the country and serve the people, rather than to protect private companies. Cambodian Minister of Defense Tea Banh could not be reached for comment. The spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia referred questions about military aid and training to the Department of Defense in Washington. Panetta's visit comes as Cambodia beefs up its military. The Cambodian government had recently received a shipment of tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs) from Europe. Tea Banh confirmed the purchase of the vehicles, but did not provide details of their origin or cost. He said that the equipment is needed to upgrade Cambodia's military capability. News of the shipment drew criticism from opposition Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann, who called on the government to make all future military acquisitions transparent and through the country's parliament, adding that he could see no reason why the purchase had been kept a secret. The ASEAN defense ministers from the 10 member states are expected to discuss national defense and regional security issues, according to a statement released Monday by Cambodia's Ministry of Defense. Cambodia currently holds the chair of ASEAN, which also includes Brunei, Burma, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. At the last defense ministers meeting held on May 28-30 in Phnom Penh, China agreed to establish a military training facility in Cambodia and provide other defense aid to its Southeast Asian ally. During next week's retreat, Cambodia will hand over the role as chair of the talks to Brunei. Reported by Samean Yun for RFA's Khmer service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

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2012 Trafficking in Persons Report - Nepal |Publisher||United States Department of State| |Publication Date||19 June 2012| |Cite as||United States Department of State, 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report - Nepal, 19 June 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4fe30ca87.html [accessed 26 May 2013]| |Disclaimer||This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.| NEPAL (Tier 2) Nepal is mainly a source country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Nepali men are subjected to forced labor, most often in the Middle East and, to a lesser extent, within the country. Nepali women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Nepal, India, and the Middle East, and also are subjected to forced labor in Nepal and India as domestic servants, beggars, factory workers, mine workers, and in the adult entertainment industry. They are subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor in other Asian destinations, including Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea. The Chinese district of Khasa on the border with Nepal is an emerging sex trafficking destination for Nepali women and girls. Nepali boys also are exploited in domestic servitude and – in addition to some Indian boys – subjected to forced labor in Nepal, especially in brick kilns and the embroidered textiles industry. An NGO noted that forced labor of Nepali children in Nepali and Indian circuses has declined dramatically due in large part to the rescues spearheaded by that organization. Bonded labor exists in agriculture, brick kilns, and the stone-breaking industry, often based on caste. Traffickers generally target uneducated people, especially from socially marginalized and traditionally excluded groups. Many Nepali migrants seek work in domestic service, construction, or other low-skilled sectors in Gulf countries, Malaysia, Israel, South Korea, and Lebanon with the help of Nepal-based labor brokers and manpower agencies. They migrate willingly but some subsequently face conditions indicative of forced labor, such as withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, nonpayment of wages, threats, deprivation of food and sleep, and physical or sexual abuse. Many are deceived about their destination country, the terms of their contract, or are subjected to debt bondage, which can in some cases be facilitated by fraud and high recruitment fees charged by unscrupulous agents. A recent Amnesty International study found that migrant workers who reported experiencing problems during their migration paid an average of up to the equivalent of approximately $1,400 in fees to recruitment agents before their departure, almost three times the average annual income for Nepalese, and the equivalent of 10 to 12 months worth of average wages in the Gulf labor markets. However, some Nepalese have paid as much as up to the equivalent of $12,000 to recruitment agencies. Many workers migrate via India; this is illegal under the 2007 Foreign Employment Act that requires all workers to leave for overseas work via the Kathmandu airport. Many migrants leave by land to avoid legal migration registration requirements and to avoid paying bribes that some officials require at the airport to secure migration documents. A recent International Trade Union Confederation report noted that many employment agencies force migrant workers to travel via India in order to avoid insurance coverage or a proper documentation system and to avoid obligations to pay workers their entitlements. Unregistered migrants – those who travel via India or independent recruiting agents – are more vulnerable to forced labor. Bangladeshis transit Nepal for employment in the Gulf and are at risk of being trafficked. The Government of Nepal does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government developed two policy initiatives providing minimum standards for trafficking victim care and standard operating procedures for shelter homes, endorsed a national plan of action on human trafficking, and increased prosecutions. Problems remained, however. Anti-trafficking structures were ineffective, and trafficked Nepali migrant workers did not receive sufficient support from the government. Anti-trafficking laws were not well implemented, and some funds allocated for protection in previous years remain unspent. Victim identification efforts were weak, with child sex trafficking victims sometimes being returned to their abusers in the wake of raids. Incidents of trafficking-related complicity by government officials persisted and were unaddressed through law enforcement means. Recommendations for Nepal: Increase law enforcement efforts against all forms of trafficking and against government officials who are found to be complicit in trafficking; show evidence of efforts to investigate, prosecute, and punish offenses of labor trafficking involving Nepalese migrants exploited abroad; show evidence of prosecuting and punishing Nepalese labor recruiters for charging excessive recruitment fees or engaging in fraudulent recruitment; institute a formal procedure to identify victims of trafficking and refer them to protection services; ensure that trafficking victims are not punished for involvement in prostitution or forgery of official documents; raise awareness among government officials and the public of the existence of forced prostitution of Nepali women and girls in Nepal; publicize the lift of the ban on women working as domestic workers in the Gulf; work with Indian officials to establish a procedure to repatriate Nepali victims of trafficking in India; decentralize the system to file complaints under the Foreign Employment Promotion Board as a means to facilitate victims' access to legal remedy; develop a comprehensive witness protective mechanism; provide citizenship documents to returnee female victims of trafficking and their children; and ratify the 2000 UN TIP Protocol. The Government of Nepal maintained law enforcement efforts during the reporting period. Nepal prohibits most – but not all – forms of trafficking in persons, including the selling of human beings and forced prostitution, through its Human Trafficking and Transportation Control Act (2007) and Regulation (2008) (HTTCA). The HTTCA also prohibits other offenses that do not constitute human trafficking, such as people smuggling and purchasing commercial sex. Prescribed penalties range from 10 to 20 years' imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. The Bonded Labor (Prohibition) Act (2002) prohibits bonded labor but has no penalties. According to the Office of Attorney General, 229 offenders were convicted in 157 district court cases tried under the HTTCA, compared with 174 offenders convicted in the previous fiscal year in 119 cases. It is not known how many of these convictions were for human trafficking since the same law also prohibits other crimes. In addition, labor trafficking cases may be prosecuted as foreign employment violations, resulting in smaller penalties than if tried under the HTTCA. The National Judicial Academy, with foreign funding, managed and conducted a three-day training-of-trainers program in September for 20 government officials. Many government officials do not prosecute under the trafficking law due to lack of awareness about the law and challenges in evidence collection. Some NGOs report that law enforcement authorities do not consider domestic forced prostitution of adults to be a trafficking issue. The incidence of trafficking-related complicity by government officials remained a problem. Observers report that traffickers use ties to politicians, business persons, state officials, police, customs officials, and border police to facilitate trafficking, including the paying of bribes for protection and favors. Some Nepali officials work with traffickers in providing false information in genuine Nepali passports, or in providing fraudulent documents. Politically connected perpetrators often enjoyed impunity from prosecution and punishment. There were no investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government officials for complicity in trafficking during the reporting period. The Government of Nepal made limited efforts to protect victims of trafficking in the reporting period, but prepared and approved two policy documents to help facilitate victim protection. The Government of Nepal does not have a formal system of proactively identifying victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come in contact and, as a result, some victims were penalized for acts committed as a result of being trafficked. Victim identification did not take place in brothel raids. As a result, some child victims were arrested and then bailed out by their traffickers; this bail further indebted the girls to their exploiters. Some sex trafficking victims were jailed. Interviewees in a December 2011 Amnesty International study of 149 returned or prospective migrant workers highlighted the lack of support Nepali migrant workers received from the Department of Foreign Employment, the Foreign Employment Promotion Board, and Nepali diplomatic missions in destination countries, when migrant workers sought redress for abuses – including fraudulently advertised employment terms – committed by Nepali labor recruiters. The government continued to run emergency shelters in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. The Ministry of Labor's Committee to Hear the Issue of Undocumented Workers established a up to the equivalent of a $125,000 fund to assist exploited undocumented workers, which could include trafficking victims. While the Foreign Employment Promotion Board collected fees from departing registered migrant workers for a welfare fund, most of the funds remain unused, as many migrants are unaware of their entitlement to these benefits. The Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare (MWCSW), in consultation with NGOs, prepared and approved two policy initiatives: the National Minimum Standards for Victim Care and the Standard Operating Procedures for shelter homes. The MWCSW reported it continued to partially fund eight NGO-run shelter homes for female victims of trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. The MWCSW also reported it continued to fund emergency shelters across the country for victims of trafficking and other forms of abuse, run by local women's cooperatives. The government reported that it assisted 438 females in government-funded shelters in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, although there was no information whether these females were trafficking victims or victims of other forms of abuse. Most of the funds the government has allocated for protection efforts have remained unspent, and in practice many trafficking victims did not receive legally mandated compensation. The government did not have an official process to refer victims to shelters. All facilities that assist trafficking victims were run by NGOs and most provided a range of services, including legal aid, medical services, psychosocial counseling, and economic rehabilitation. Some of these shelters limited victims' freedom of movement and controlled their access to money. There were insufficient facilities to meet the needs of all survivors and there were no protective services for males. Limited protections for victims negatively affected law enforcement efforts. The government did not routinely encourage trafficking victims to participate in investigations against their traffickers, but anecdotal reports noted that individual police officers increasingly encouraged victims' participation. The Government of Nepal increased its efforts to prevent human trafficking during the reporting period. In August 2011, the National Committee for Controlling Human Trafficking established a secretariat and the government appointed a coordinator under the oversight of a joint secretary. The Secretariat organized the government's participation in the fifth annual national anti-trafficking day. NGOs state that the majority of the District Committees for Controlling Human Trafficking do not function well or are not active. The lack of political stability and resources has hampered translating commitments into actions. The prime minister visited a leading anti-trafficking NGO in October 2011. The government endorsed the National Plan of Action on Trafficking in Persons in March 2012. Chapter 9 of the 2007 Foreign Employment Act (FEA)criminalizes the acts of an agency or individual sending workers abroad through fraudulent recruitment promises or without the proper documentation, prescribing penalties of three to seven years' imprisonment for those convicted. Fraudulent recruitment puts workers at significant risk of trafficking. The Foreign Employment Tribunal – which hears cases based on the FEA – is based in Kathmandu without branch offices. This limits the ability of victims outside of the capital to file cases. The government reported data on prosecutions and convictions under the FEA, but given capacity constraints was unable to provide the number of prosecutions and convictions under the fraudulent recruitment section of Chapter 9 of the Act. During the year, the Foreign Employment Promotion Board continued to conduct safe migration radio programs throughout the country, and increased the reach of its programs to all 75 districts, compared to 50 districts the previous year. The government worked with UNICEF and UNHCR to increase birth registrations. In order to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts, the government raided establishments suspected of child sex tourism and arrested clients; however, with poor identification procedures, some sex trafficking victims also were arrested. All Nepali military troops and police assigned to international peacekeeping forces were provided pre-deployment anti-trafficking training funded by a foreign government. Nepal is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol.

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Malaysia state investor shortlists 3 firms for Pos stake-media KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 | KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Khazanah Nasional has shortlisted three local firms to buy its 32.2 percent stake in Pos Malaysia Bhd , the Business Times reported on Tuesday, as the state investor seeks to divest its non-core assets. Khazanah has shortlisted DRB-HICOM , Nationwide Express Courier Services Bhd and a joint-venture between Amanah Reit and Malaysia Pacific Corp , the newspaper reported, citing sources familiar with the bidding process for the national postal firm. Khazanah first announced that it would divest its stake in Pos Malaysia a year ago. [ID:nSGE62T0F3] Business Times said the shortlisted bidders will make a second and final presentation later on Tuesday to Khazanah and it advisor for the share sale, McKinsey & Co. Khazanah could not be immediately reached for comment. Shares in Pos Malaysia jumped 2.8 percent on Monday, valuing Khazanah's stake at around 574 million Malaysian ringgit ($189.7 million). The newspaper said the shortlisted firms had bid between 2.2 to 3 times of Pos Malaysia's book value per share, which stood at 1.54 ringgit at the end of last year. ($1 = 3.026 Ringgit) (Reporting by Niluksi Koswanage; Editing by Dhara Ranasinghe) - Tweet this - Share this - Digg this

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RANGOON—This is the tale of two young Burmese women, Aye Aye and Cho Cho, both sold to farmers in China as brides-to-be, both beaten after they got there, both back in Burma now after daring escapes. Both were victims of human trafficking: “brokers” luring impoverished Burmese women with the promise of good jobs, then selling them in China, Thailand, Malaysia, and elsewhere as brides, laborers, even sex workers. Ohnmar Chaw, of the U.N. Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking, says prices depend on what the woman, or girl, is destined for. On one hand, she told me, Chinese men will pay a broker up to $4,000 for a Burmese bride. On the other, she said, the family of a Burmese teenage virgin, desperate for money, can command as much as $5,000 for their daughter to be sold into prostitution in Thailand. She called this the exception, not the rule. “It still happens in eastern Shan State,” Ohnmar said. “It’s an accepted norm in the community. Girls think it’s the honorable thing to do for their parents.” Two women among hundreds There are no reliable statistics on how many women, and men and children, are trafficked from Burma. But the U.N.’s Ohnmar told me Aye Aye and Cho Cho are among probably hundreds of women sold to men in China. The stories of Aye Aye and Cho Cho—they asked me not to use their real names—are alike in many ways but strikingly different in how they end. Both women want to talk, to help keep others from being exploited. Aye Aye was a 16-year-old housekeeper helping her widowed father and two brothers, earning a dollar a day, when her boss offered her a better life and a U.S.$90-a-month job on the border with China. For someone with only a kindergarten education, the choice was simple. “We were very poor,” Aye Aye said. “I wanted to help my family.” Cho Cho, who was 18 and married, was selling the betel nut chew so popular with Burmese men when a man from her neighborhood approached her with the promise of a job in Mandalay. She had a sixth-grade education. “It was after the monks’ revolution in 2007 and there was a curfew,” she said. “I couldn’t do business. It was a bad economic situation. From broker to broker Both women ultimately found themselves on buses or trucks bound for China, passed from one broker-captor to another. “One of the brokers told me not to worry,” Aye Aye said. “He said after three months, I would have enough money for a car and a new house back in Burma. I didn’t believe it and kept saying ‘no.’ But there was no way to escape.” “I told them I wanted to go home,” Cho Cho said. “But they said they wanted $250 as a ‘refund.’ I had no money.” “Even if the women are promised money, they get nothing,” said Mai Nyou Nyou Aung, Worldvision’s Victim Protection Project manager in Burma. “Brokers are the only ones who profit.” The most recent statistics show the Burmese government prosecuted 351 brokers in 2011 but, she said, with little money, and no help from China, it has been unable to reduce number of women victimized like Aye Aye and Cho Cho. Beatings and abuse After exhausting journeys, guarded all the way, each woman reached her destination and was introduced to the Chinese farmer who had bought her. That’s where their stories begin to diverge. Aye Aye married her owner, even though she said she didn’t love him, and said she tried unsuccessfully to escape several times. Then she bore him two children, a son and daughter. “I learned to love him later,” she said. “But when he was away during the day, his parents would beat me and pull my hair because they didn’t like the way I cooked or raised my children… He wouldn’t do anything about it.” Cho Cho, with a husband at home, refused to be married to the man who bought her. “He locked me in a room and beat me with his hands and sticks,” she told me. “Then he took me by the hair and beat my head against the brick wall… That was the worst part, to be beaten again and again.” Aye Aye’s beatings at the hands of her in-laws never stopped. Cho Cho’s beatings stopped only after she agreed to work as a laborer in the farmer’s fields. As time passed, both women yearned for home. Aye Aye said she asked her husband several times if she could go to Burma to visit her family, just for a month. Each time, she said, the answer was no. She faced a terrible dilemma: stay with her children in China and be abused, or abandon them and go home to Burma. Then she had a dream that her father was sick. She hadn’t seen him in five years. She decided to go. “I felt very sad,” Aye Aye said. “I knew I might never see or talk to my children again.” It took Aye Aye five days to reach the border after she slipped away when no one was watching. She got help from Chinese women who took pity and gave her directions and bus fares. “I was frightened all the way,” she said. With the help of World Vision workers at the border, she arrived in Rangoon in February to learn that her father had died. Cho Cho, too, had decided to run for home. Her way back took much longer. Alone one morning, she walked away and fled to a police station in a nearby town. Instead of taking her back to her owner, as they sometimes do, the police held her for three months as an illegal alien and then deported her to Burma. “I told my husband everything when I got home, and he accepted me back,” Cho Cho told me. “The scars are gone. No more scars…(but) I’m still heartbroken telling this story.” She is now 26, with a two-year-old son. Back to China? For Aye Aye, being home has brought little relief. With her father dead and brothers now estranged, she has only her children, back in China. She has talked with them, and her husband, on the telephone. “They want me back,” she said. And she’s decided to go back, but only on the condition that she has a Burmese passport, a Chinese visa, and a guarantee in writing that her in-laws will leave her alone. “My children don’t speak Burmese,” Aye Aye said. “Living in China will give them a chance to have a better life.” Tyler Chapman is a regular contributor to RFA.

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Festival of football kicks off at Tionko-A A +A Friday, March 1, 2013 THE two-day Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Mindanao Regional Football Festival kicks off at Tionko field today, Saturday. Davao City's Ramonito Carreon-coached U-11 boys team, Alex Adolfo-mentored U-12 and the U-14 girls of coaches Reynalyn Ravanes and Analou Ingles will play against teams from Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley. Coaches Ronel Garfin, Ruel Sasuman, Sylvestre Sarco and Sandro Balderas will assist the city's coaches. Davao Football Association (DFA) general secretary Erwin Protacio, in an e-mailed statement furnished to Sun.Star Davao yesterday, said the Mindanao eliminations is part of the selection process for the boys and girls national teams that will compete in the Asian Football Confederation’s Festival of Football. He said Dabawenyos Jed Diamante and Javier Romero-Salas formed part of the Little Azkals that played in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia while Patricia Francisco, Joannah Adao, Bea de Luna, Moira Calizo, Arwen Allado, and Joyce Semacio made it to the Philippine U13 Girls Team that saw action in the Girls Festival of Football in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam last year. "This event will involve 11 a-side games where all players are required to be fielded. Selected players will then undergo skills testing where they will be evaluated by PFF technical director and former men’s national team Coach Aris Caslib," Protacio said. Caslib will assisted by Mindanao Center for Football Excellence Director coach Percy Guarin and Mindanao Grassroots coordinator coach Albert Ryan Lim. Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on March 02, 2013.

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While the world is keeping an eye on the rising crude oil price, the ‘real’ oil crisis creeps in and affecting the daily livings in Malaysia… we are short of cooking oil! We’ll begin rationing cooking oil from next week as countermeasure. Didn’t see this coming at all… cooking oil has been in abundance at the hypermarkets I frequent (in PJ/KL). It’s reported that a few states are badly hit by the crisis and major supermarkets there were facing difficulty in replenishing the stocks. The government has advised consumers not to panic as it would only worsen the situation. The irony is, the rationing is certainly going to worsen the situation in short term… my first thought when reading the news was “better go and buy some oil ASAP.” And I bet I’m not the only one who is thinking about that.

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I don’t know what gave us away but as soon as me and my wife got into the cab and told him our destination, he asked “Where are you from?” His next question was… “So is your country going to was more money to build that tower?” I responded with a cynical smirk. His next statement was bold… “If Lee Kuan Yew was to rule Malaysia, you all will be first world country already!” And the interesting part? He was a non-Chinese cabbie. 1 year ago... The father, the son and a birthday party 3 years ago… You pee, I pee, he pees, she pees 4 years ago… How was your weekend?

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Secret Mercy tracks's are oscillating in between two stories, as in Haruki Murakami novel “The End of the World”. All the tracks were recorded in Febuary 2013. Field-recordings are from France, Korea, Japan, Laos, Canada, recorded in between 1999 and 2012. Voices, Thomas Sinou, Dominique Blais, Dinah Bird, Caroline Bouissou, Beatrice and Florence Castonguay, The Sauvillers Family. Emmanuelle Gibello is developing a practice combining visual art and electronic music. She uses new technologies for field recordings from both natural and urban contexts, real time performances or works incorporating networks. Her sound collection contains archival sounds from the quotidian as well as more thematic research conducted during her travels and is the starting point for her compositions and live sound mixing. Emmanuelle Gibello considers the relationship between sound and image, soundscape and memory. She revisit urban space aesthetically through sound. Tonesucker are a trio based in London and Suffolk, UK. They work with electric guitar and synthesised sounds - sounds they describe as “fundamentalist”. They often record on location incorporating soundscape material in their work. Although they are sometimes classified in terms of drone music, Tonesucker have been working in a characteristic way since 2006 combining improvisation and composition with a sense of the occult history of the places they play live and record in, crossing the borders between post-rock, noise, free improvised and electro-acoustic music, and accompanying performances with austere and abstract films. A typical Tonesucker piece will move between extremes of loudness, musicality and discipline, sometimes sounding delicate and minimal, sometimes intense, machinic and visceral. Though largely improvised and never rehearsed, Tonesucker work under constraints. A musical or other sound-shaping rule will be agreed in advance. This can be the requirement to use only a certain note, or a certain sound, or to observe certain 'shapes', or to follow the film as a visual score. Pieces commonly exhibit the rule at the outset with the task to explore, stretch and battle with it until it can be tolerated no more. Things break down. Literally unruly passages follow as the restraint is tugged against, mocked or negated. Tonesucker may return to where they started. They may move into unprepared territory. They may establish a new rule. Or it all may fall apart into a messy shambles. The pleasure of Tonesucker is in the pain of restraint. 1 Omnia Convivia Crastina Pars Secunda (16.54) - download aif Live performance at All Tomorrow's Parties, Minehead, December 5, 2009. 2 The Wrong Wire (07.20) download aif Composed at Slaughterhouse Studios, Coddenham, Suffolk, England, at Albion Works, London, England, and at Estuary Crescent, Shotley, Suffolk, England, November, 2010. 3 Nantes Report (09.10) download aif Composed at Albion Works, London, England, December, 2012 from live performances at Beyond Signal #9, APO33, Nantes, France, March 5, 2010. 4 Sub Rosa (26.09) download aif Recorded live at Musatelier, Impasse des Rosiers, Saint-Dizant-du-Gua, France, March 7, 2010. Photograph taken at the graveyard of St Mary's Church, Harmondsworth, England in the shadow of the UK Border Agency's Immigration Removal Centre. The album Sub Rosa (to be debuted on Berlin's 88vier Radio on Tuesday 22nd January 2013) follows last year's Omnia Convivia Crastina (Onoma Research) which appeared in A Closer Listen's Top 20 Albums of the Year as well as in their Top 10 in the Drone category. Sub Rosa's four tracks examine the psychogeographical resonances of the places they were recorded, all of which are close to a river or estuary (the Rivers Severn and Orwell in England, the River Loire and the Gironde in France) and so suggest voyages, pilgrimages, migration - a sense of loss of home or being adrift but also trade, connection, messages from elsewhere, hope. Sub Rosa is released by Fibrr Records with the cooperation of APO33, 88vier Radio, CoLaboRadio and Onoma Research. Tonesucker appear live in Berlin at Salon Bruit, Tiefgrund, Laskerstrasse 5 on Thursday 24th January 2013. 1. crystal, 31 m 46 sec, stereo, 48 khz 24 bit download 2. symmetry, 31 m 46 sec, stereo, 48 khz 24 bit download improvisation/experiment with electromagnetic amplifiers, hewlett packard test oscillator, super saturated solution, sugar crystals, touch. track 1 is the original recording, track 2 is a symmetrical reflection of the original. recorded during artist residency at Studio XX, Montreal, Canada, Fall 2012 British Columbia born artist Erin Sexton explores matter, energy, space, and time through sound, performance, installation, and video. Drawing from theoretical physics and mysticism, her work is both rigorously conceptual and playfully improvisational. Through analog electronics, electromagnetic fields, pseudo- science projects, and phenomenological experimentation she creates direct links between lived experience and the processes of nature, from the sub atomic to the astronomical. She collaborates most often with Magali Babin (CA), Julie Rousse (FR), Pascale Barret (BL), and Alexander Wilson (CA, as Ænth). She has released 2 albums: Horizon (2011, les encodage de l’oubli) and Aircraft (2004, independent), and is featured on multiple compilations. Her work has been presented across North America and Europe. She has lived and worked in Montreal since 2004. Recorded August/September 2012 in London. All source material from web browser based real-time audio synthesis and many-to-many vector mapping via TiberSynth v0.1 (Cory O'Brien 2012) INTERSECTION Radio was a project co-programmed by various artists with the support of apo33. Intersection - 2004/2005 Alain de Filippis, Basso & Olivier Toulemonde, Cedric Pigot, Formanex, Emmanuel Leduc, Roel Meelkop, Helmut Schäfer, Jaap Blonk, Jason Kahn, Jfrede, Joerg Piringer, Julien Ottavi, Junko & Mattin, Karl Jensac & Helmut Schäfer, Luc Kerléo, Ercklentz & Neumann, Mattin, Natassia Kouliev, Pascal Broccolichi, Pyo, Will Guthrie With this project/broadcast, we wanted to explore the question of the diffusion of sound on the Internet. This exploration was organised in different times and following different modes. First come a time of presentation, installation : we proposed to some artists that they create one or several pieces, with no limit in duration. The various programmers question their own network of artists to whom they present the proposition in their own terms. The result was first playlist which is broadcast for the first two months followed by a new playlist etc. - as usually practised by traditional radio stations, but without a disc jockey and with pieces that can last between one second and several hours. The idea was not to present systematically something new, like most common radio stations usually do, but rather to try and create a work group of sound artists with different techniques and outlooks to explore the opportunities of the webradio (a medium involving sound transmission on the Internet through audio streaming). The artists in the work group perform in the firsts playlists according to the themes chosen by the programmers ; they can also collaborate on different themes, in future playlists. At the heart of this project, lies the will to create another radio, different from the radios (hertzian or Internet) we come across every day. There are currently no stations that broadcast sound pieces by sound artists or contemporary musicians, that last more than 5 minutes â except from full Cds and downloads. This project was a collective work in progress with many possible variables. THIS RELEASE IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS USB KEY (16Go) WITH ALL THE PIECES AS MP3 & WAV (not compressed format) I taught biology few years in the 90's before devoting myself entirely to my art work. As an artist, i practise installations, videos and performance mainly. “Les cerfs ” is my solo project in the field of experimental music. Music can exist as independent media, and it can act as a sculptural material in the plastic work (sound tracks in videos, installations or in the work of performance art). It may take the form of noise climates, organic textures, but it can be built in a more chaotic and rhythmic approach. Another part of my sound work uses textual elements, or attempts to bring elements of improvisation in more composed pieces involving voice. I am interested in the relationship between music and its mode of theatrical representation, and particularly the relationship between music, sound experiments and the “scene” of the performing arts, in its prospects of meeting and hybridization. My work involves the animal body, and I try to push the boundaries of the physical presence of the body on stage chaos audio teorie - extrange attractors–[from mathematical functions to organic jungle sounds] EP: one track 25 minutes + code (pure data) Release generated from the heretical use and the experimentation with the sonic possibilities of the iterative function “logistics” in a “complex number” versión [real+imaginary]. Inspirated but desviated from the research and work by “Elaine A. Walker” http://www.ziaspace.com/elaine/chaos/ChaosMelodyTheory.pdf f(xn+1) = 1 – rxn2 adding chaos to the chaos jumping from attractor to attractor 3d Fractals modulate the temporal frequency of the iterations (Chaos PD external by Ben Bogart) Audio generators : I used [polywavesynth] a polyphonic synthesizer for Pure Data by Phil Stone http://www.pkstonemusic.com/polyWaveSynth.html and some other more simple oscilator, [nqsint] + FM-AM . After record some audio blocks using the code included. I edited and mixed them into Ardour. software : Pure Data + Ardour Linux: Ubuntu Karmic Koala Download Audio VBR MP3 31mbhttp://www.archive.org/download/eetz_noish/eetz_noish.mp3 Download Audio WAV 256.6 mbhttp://www.archive.org/download/eetz_noish/yupana_c_a_t_noish.wav web +audio +info + code NOISH Everything London Concrete 2008-10. Cover art, edits and Retrospectre's I, II, III by Seth Guy, 2010. Retrospectres is the last LP of London Concrete and uses material we were working on prior to our demise in the summer of 2009. Since then I've noted our popularity has steadily increased, particularly in the US and Europe as more people discover the breadth of our output. I've been pleased to receive both invitations to perform, to release works, and notably to the many who have conveyed thanks and positive words about what we did. Finally, I am very grateful that Julien has given me the opportunity to put LC to rest with this album. London Concrete 2006-2009. R.I.P. Special thanks (in no particular order): The Mother, Stinky & Hannah, Chris n Tim Savage, Chris Fazio, Mark Pearce, Pedro Rocha, Nazmeen Latif, Mr. Nick Brown & Charlotte, Robert Pepper & PAS, Julien Ottavi, Ian Simpson@Electronic Music, Dave Phillips, Maria Tidball-Binz, Steve Marshall, Amps For Christ, Tamon & Ed@ILL FM, Ryan Jordan@Noise=Noise, Lizzie Sells, Kommissar Hjuler & Mama Baer, Joel Cahen, Wajid@ScrapClub, Richard Whitelaw, Scant Intone, Mark Aitkin, Pat Bone, Remora, Vibejays, Ascsoms, Sykora, Marcel & Jeremy@Bow Arts, Anne Bean, Tom Bailey, Pete Johnstone@Second Layer, Mar & Monica, Iwonka, Resonance FM, Heathen Harvest, Phil Julian, Mark Whettler, Adrian Pye, Andy Lane, Sukran, Claire Davidson, Linda Himbert, Magda Kondracka, Mrs Venson, Viv Blanchard, Victoria Davenport. About London Concrete Formed in January 2006, London Concrete are artist Seth Guy (Brignell) & Dee Bowen. London Concrete’s improvisations utilise plunderphonics, field and concrete recordings, reclaimed objects and hacked electronics, instruments, voice, contact microphones and manipulated technologies such as jumping speakers and pick-up coils. In juxtaposing everyday and alien sounds and re-contextualising found texts and visual art sources they create unique collaged recordings and performances. London Concrete provide an alternative perspective of contemporary sound art and experimental music, injecting into it more physicality, humanity, chance and play; away from tightly controlled laptop and digitally-driven composition. Their evolving and exploratory approach to sound making has included work for theatre, radio, dance and live performance. They initiated an ongoing collaborative network via MySpace with other artists such as Amps For Christ, Kommissar Hjuler & Mama Baer and Dave Phillips, and have also worked directly with performance artist Anne Bean, Joel Cahen/Spax, poet Mark Anthony Pearce and dancer Lizzie Sells. London Concrete's work has been published on a number of occasions, strengthening their massive recording output most of which is available to hear online. London Concrete became defunct in the summer of 2009. Second Thought / Same Palace (VIBRIRRR004) Born Penang, Malaysia Goh Lee Kwang (family name Goh) is internationally recognized sound artist from Malaysia. He has created sound installations, sonic-visual interactive installations, single channel videos, multi channel videos, electro-acoustic improvisation music performances, tape music, works for radio broadcasts and soundtracks for theater / dance / independent movie. They are shown in various festival, galleries & independent art space in Asia as well as in Europe. Goh's works focus on the various possibilities of both natural sound and recorded sound, crossing the boundaries of digital and analog, electronic and acoustic, go beyond language, allowing audiences to experience the work directly, and in their own personal way. . buy it on CDr - 10€ “Bed&Hearts” - (VIBRIRRR003) by Jenny Pickett & Julien Ottavi “The Bed” for the majority of us homosapiens is, in one form or another, the place where life is created and where life is brought to an end. Indeed, many of us will spend at least half our lives there. “The Bed” a place of so much human activity and seemingly inactivity, where imagination gives birth to new ideas, dreams solve unanswered questions, the territory of both beautiful and deadly passions. “The Bed” is witness to the raw desires an hidden dramas of the ongoing human dramas. Jenny Pickett and Julien Ottavi explore the interia dimension of the bed's sonic space, it's reverberations with the flesh and metal pulses of the object and it's inhabitants. buy it on CDr - 10€ “collaboration in NYC : more than 30 hours of music” (VIBRIRRR001) Buy it All on DVD (MP3) - £10 FIBRR RECORDS publish musics on http://musique-libre.org You could find links from FIBRR RECORDS on their website FIBRR RECORDS support Musique-Libre!!! if you enjoy the music, please support us

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**apology to my Malay readers** This is one of the simplest dish best served with plain white rice porridge. Bought some delicious roast pork (siew yoke in Cantonese) and pan fried till golden brownish. If you've got some fat roast pork, you'll notice that there will be some oil oozes outta the meat. Pour them away if you dislike your dish to be filled with lard. Next, add in some chopped garlic in there and brown them together with the meat. Drizzle some dark (thick) soya sauce all over the meat followed by a sprinkling of sugar. Stir fry the meat for a while to blend in the sauce and sugar. It is not necessary to add in any salt since the roast pork is roasted with salt and 5 spice powder. Here is the picture... errrr its hard to photograph black or dark coloured food hehehe... Looked so unappetising! Kelvin, any tips?? The sugar caramalised nicely giving a tinge of sweetness and did I mention the skin is ooooo soooo crispy. Usually I'll skip the skin but this one is very hard to resist! Best eaten with rice porridge with the other accompaniments like salted eggs and fried kembung rebus (Malay for poached mackerel).

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OIC … whimpers December 31, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Human Rights, International, Malaysia. 1 comment so far Is the Chair of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi still on holiday? Or is it his media officers; so it had to be subcontracted from the 4th Floor to Jalan Ampang? (HRW) “History will judge these actions harshly” December 30, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Human Rights, Race Relations. Iraq: Saddam Hussein Put to Death 30 Dec 2006 03:26:45 GMT (New York, December 30, 2006) The execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein following a deeply flawed trial for crimes against humanity marks a significant step away from respect for human rights and the rule of law in Iraq, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch has for more than 15 years documented the human rights crimes committed by Hussein’s former government, and has campaigned to bring the perpetrators to justice. These crimes include the killing of more than 100,000 Iraqi Kurds in Northern Iraq as part of the 1998 Anfal campaign. “Saddam Hussein was responsible for massive human rights violations, but that can’t justify giving him the death penalty, which is a cruel and inhuman punishment,” said Richard Dicker, director of Human Rights Watch’s International Justice Program. (Reuters) Saddam Hussein executed December 30, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Human Rights, International, Note2Self. Saddam Hussein hanged, says Al Hurra TV station BAGHDAD (Reuters) – U.S.-backed Iraqi television station Al Hurra said Saddam Hussein had been executed by hanging shortly before 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Saturday. [...] Sapura’s 10-digit spy bonanza December 29, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Economy, Human Rights, Malaysia, Op-Eds, Writings. 1 comment so far Sixteen hours after the story broke in Bernama, Sapura’s COO, Rodzlan Akib Abu Bakar came out to deny it is neither in the running to receive the RM 1 billion contract nor is it involved with EADS. (View Here) Santa must have had trouble getting to this part of the world, since it was only today he came a-calling at Sapura with a surveillance contract worth RM 1 billion. Bernama’s Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah reported late this afternoon on the likelihood of Sapura securing a Federal government contract to supply 3,000 cameras in major cities in the Peninsular, in anticipation of Visit Malaysia Year 2007, as well as for ‘security’. Earlier in March this year, Sapura-LTAT Communication Technologies Sdn Bhd won a RM 500 million contract to supply 3,000 Malaysian-made and designed tactical field radios to the armed forces. Charade December 27, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Economy, Event, Malaysia. (noun) farce, pantomine, travesty, mockery, parody, pretense, act, masquerade While this is an apt description of The Consummate Liar, it is equally applicable to those starring in the mystery titled, ‘The Woe of Tolls’, scheduled for release on 1 Jan 2007 Consider the following three statements by Works Minister, Samy Vellu on three different occasions:- September 22, 2005 19:47 PM A Total RM38.5 Billion Compensation For Highway Concessionaires KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (Bernama) — The government, as a result of bowing to public pressure not to increase toll rates according to the concession agreement with highway operators, has till now paid a whopping RM38.5 billion in compensation to these companies, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Thursday. He said the multi-billion ringgit figure included compensation in cash, tax exemption and the government giving up its profit sharing with the highway concessionaires. [...] Wet and weary Christmas December 24, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Columns, Current Affairs, Malaysia, Politics, Writings. “XMAS TEACHES KIDS TO LOVE CAPITALISM” - Graffiti found in Newtown, Sydney; circa late 20th Century (NST Pix by Shahrizal Md Noor) My box of dusty Christmas lights and weathered decorations lie unopened, the gifts unwrapped. Every fifth person I know is frantically sending out Christmas e-cards and SMS greetings before the phone networks overload with messages of peace and giving. I’ve never been terribly fond of Christmas, barring the occasional Bing Crosby songs. I confess I do like relatively painless family gatherings, the quirky gifts and the company of close and old friends. But the fates have decided to make this occasion pricklier than in the past. The great deluge has taken at least half a dozen lives (and counting), and has all but drowned any holiday joy for close to a hundred thousand people in West Malaysia, unveiling the crassness of Christmas in all its glory. Public Forum: “Mega-Merger of Plantation Sector and Corporate Governance in Malaysia” December 19, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Economy, Malaysia. add a comment 策略资讯研究中心 (SIRD or Strategic Information and Research Development Centre), with support from concerned members of the RSC, will be organising a forum on a hot issue that’s preoccupied the business community on “Mega-Merger of Plantation Sector and Corporate Governance in Malaysia” on 20 Dec 2006. The speakers are: - Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim (Former CEO of PNB and Kumpulan Guthrie); - Prof. Dr. Rajah Rasiah (Expert and Author on Mergers and Acquisitions); - Dato Dominic Puthucheary (Senior Constitutional Lawyer); and - Enc. Abdul Wahab Jaafar Sidek (CEO, Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group) Below are details of the forum: Date:20th December 2006 (Wednesday) Time:8:00 – 10:00 pm Venue:Banquet Room, 1st Floor, Royal Selangor Club, Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur Live ‘Web-logue’ on Elections December 18, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Democracy, Human Rights, Malaysia, Politics. add a comment Last remnant of Bok House December 17, 2006Posted by elizabethwong in Heritage, Malaysia. (updated) This afternoon, under the searing sun, Sam and I made our last trek to the Bok House. If there were any final show of protest, none were to be found as the orange arms came crashing down on the remaining remnants of the Bok House.

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I am not usually politically inclined other than just making passing comments about current political issues. However like most of the younger generation, I do have a rebel streak so I pretty much hold the ruling government in contempt. Whatever the case I am never too fussy about who is at the top as long as they are doing the job they are suppose to do. As much disdain as I have for the ruling coalition, I have much respect for our ex-PM Tun Dr. Mahathir. He might not have been a leader who plays fair, but at least he WAS a leader, much unlike the constantly half-asleep Abdullah... The recent fiasco in my home state of Perak does not really affect me much, though I would still rather see the Pakatan Rakyat in control. And like recent polls, the underhanded grab for power did not go down well with me. Though I did not like the fact that the much beloved Sultan Azlan Shah did not dissolve the state assembly (which would have been the most fair thing to do), I do believe in his wisdom it would have been the less problematic decision to acknowledge that PR had indeed lost its majority and should make way for BN. After all, didn't PR itself supported the notion of taking over the federal government via the defection tactic a few months back? Funny how when the tables are turned, we see a different face on both parties. So someone please tell me if my notion that there is no one worth voting for in the elections was wrong when we have a bunch of hypocrites as candidates. What irks me however is the recent backlash that came from PR's action of wanting to sue the Malay ruler over his decision to acknowledge the new state government. Let's not forget, that it was Dr. M's, (a Malay man) actions in the past that removed the Malay rulers' immunity to the law. So what's the fuss if someone indeed decides to sue one of them? Don't get me wrong, because I have much pride in our country's unique royal heritage. Though in all logic, I believe it is nothing more than a cultural thing. It is rather sad to see, that in this day and age, when we are now finally witnessing a black man become the president of the United States, that our country's politics are still divided by racial lines. Sue a Sultan, and all a sudden it becomes a challenge to Malay rights. Frankly, I doubt the ruckus that is being raised has anything to do with their love for the Malay rulers. It is just another excuse to remind the minorities of the Ketuanan Melayu. Every politician in power wants to harp about racial integration and harmony, but speak up about racial inequality and we have the issue above hit the fan. Our country's politics are undoubtedly ruled along lopsided racial lines, we just can't say it out loud, because we run the risk of questioning the "Malay rights" and therefore branded a racist and inciter. For goodness sake, after the last general elections we could not even accept a Menteri Besar from a minority race in a state where Malays are the majority. Does it really matter? The role of a leader is for the betterment of the people, so Malay or not should not be an issue, neither should it be a challenge to the national religion. No one is suppressing anyone's rights to worship here. Who cares what is the race or religion of a man or woman at the top post as long as he/she does the job well? If I have ever voiced my support for the opposition, it is only because it seemed the lesser of two evils. At least DAP and PKR appeared more likely to end the racial divisions. No comment though, on PAS. We have wasted enough years with BN's other component parties' lack of vision and submission to UMNO's arrogance and ego. Any wonder why BN lost significant support from the people? Times are changing and despite already almost a year since the elections, BN still appears to be holding on to its archaic standards with nothing to show from its many promises to change. Even the more educated of Malay folks are feeling the less for the need to be coddled. I have no bones to pick with my Malay brothers and sisters, just the point of view that one race should be above all the rest does not sit well with me. I wonder if I will ever live to see a prime minister from a minority race. Then again, who can say?

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What Happened Next? When the whistle blows: Exclusive interviews with retired football legends 20 years ago, Gus Cassius Caesar enjoyed an Arsenal defender's dream debut, helping the Gunners to a 1-0 smash-and-grab win at Old Trafford. A few nervous displays later and he found himself being targeted by the North Bank boo-boys – Nick Hornby even mentions it in Fever Pitch... “I've not met Nick Hornby, and to this day I've never actually read Fever Pitch, believe it or not. I’ve read some of his other books though, and he's a great writer. Once, when I was playing for Airdrie, a local radio station had Hornby on as a guest and they tried to get me to phone up the chat show to wind him up. But I didn't really want to get involved. He helped to immortalise me in Fever Pitch, so I can only thank him really. A lot of people only know my name because of that book. I'll never forget my Arsenal debut at Man United in 1985. It was an incredible experience. I did pretty well, but it created a great deal of expectation. I don't think a lot of the fans realised how much my career was hampered by injuries – I once had a hernia problem that lasted a whole year, and I broke my ankle twice. I never made a big deal of it, because I didn't want to make excuses. Injuries come with the territory. My other problem was that, as David O'Leary's understudy, I was always on the bench, caught between the reserves and the first team, so I was very rarely playing. As any professional will tell you, a lack of match time takes a big toll on your confidence. There was one season where I played a total of 45 minutes. The other players used to joke that based on my playing time, I was the highest paid player on Arsenal's books. When I left Arsenal I had short spells at Cambridge United and Bristol City before crossing the border to Airdrie. The football wasn't quite up to the English top flight of course, but we reached the Scottish Cup Final, and that got me a brief taste of European football. I finished my league career at Colchester United, then had a stint playing for my local non-league team Dagenham and Redbridge, but something in me snapped as regards football. I think it was the murder of that Colombian defender, Andreas Escobar, after the 1994 World Cup that finally did it. The idea that someone could be killed for just playing football seemed so grotesque. I stopped playing competitively as a result of that and, in 1996, I moved over to Hong Kong. I had an offer to play there, and I was able to combine my football working as an insurance/finance broker. I live on a private island where there are virtually no cars. So it is very quiet and very clean. The family were all out here until recently. My kids are now back at school in England, so my wife has moved back and I spend a lot of time on intercontinental flights. It's pretty hectic but I don't mind that. I'm used to working hard. I've always had insomnia. Like Margaret Thatcher, I’ve always been able to get by on four hours sleep. I get a big kick out of working in the financial services industry - I was always motivated by the fact that there was so much bad advice around when I was a professional footballer. I just felt I could do a better job myself. I look after clients across the Asian region, mainly high net worth individuals. I never thought I'd work in football again once I’d retired, but I keep getting drawn back in – something inside me still has a deep love for the game. I've worked with most of Hong Kong's top clubs and I spent three years with a team called Buler Rangers, working as their Director of Football. As a coach here I've tried to use the experience I gained in Britain and without wanting to seem bigheaded I think I've had a fairly big influence on football here with my approach to coaching. In the early days, there was a big influx of British players to Hong Kong clubs, but that has dried up since it was passed over to the Chinese. There’s a huge love of football over here, but the lack of investment means it is hard to attract players. The money’s there though. The Hong Kong FA are happy to spend a fortune hosting Real Madrid and Liverpool in promotional tournaments. The problem’s been a lack of grassroots funding. Recently I became involved with the Hong Kong Arsenal Supporters Club over here and they invited me to be their Honorary President. I agreed but made it very clear it should reach out to the Chinese community, not just keep the ex-pats happy. I also recently got involved in running the new Official Arsenal Soccer School in Hong Kong, which was launched earlier this year. The club also have connections in Malaysia and Singapore, so there’s a lot of interest across the region, but in China in particular the game’s going to be absolutely huge. I know there are a lot of people who would love to bring Arsenal to Hong Kong and other parts of Asia and nothing would please me more by being part of making that happen.” FourFourTwo is brought to you by Haymarket Consumer Media & FourFourTwo is part of Haymarket Sport | International Licensing | © Haymarket Media Group 2010

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The idea of saving money in the city that’s known as the ‘Monte Carlo of the Orient’ might seem strange, especially to those travelling (like me) on a backpacker’s budget. And while it’s true that Macau’s gambling revenues now exceed those of Las Vegas, a visit to the island doesn’t necessarily have to break your bank—you just need to know where to save and where to spend. Only an hour-long ferry ride from Hong Kong, Macau could make the perfect place to visit if you already happen to be stopping over somewhere close by in Asia. Squeezing a population of half a million into a mere seven square miles, there’s more than enough in this former Portuguese colony to keep you going all weekend. 1. Save: Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral It’s hard to miss this architectural anachronism: an elegantly carved façade standing high above shop-lined alleys and red signs covered in Chinese characters. Although it was something I would more expect to find in Italy or Greece—not China—the ruins are all that’s left of what was at the time the Church of Mater Dei and St. Paul’s College, the first western-style university in the Far East. The wooden structure burned down three times—when fire struck for the last time in 1835, no one bothered rebuilding, leaving only the tan stone façade that is now a key icon of Macau. 2. Save: The Venetian Macau Casino While my budget didn’t exactly allow for a big night in a casino, I was curious to see one for myself. Fortunately, there is a three-sided counter on the ground floor of the ferry terminal that houses representatives from the island’s many casinos, all offering hotel packages and—more importantly—free shuttle rides to and from the city center. I decided to explore The Venetian and, after a fifteen-minute ride, soon entered another world, getting lost in row after row of computer games—a total of 2,130 of these machines in the Venetian alone—and grabbing a bite to eat in the food court, with its ceiling painted like a bright blue sky and each food vendor housed in a different Italian villa. You may even feel tempted to take a gondola ride down the Grand Canal…when in Venice, right? 3. Save: Lou Lim Leoc Garden There’s no end to the number of gardens there are to see on the island, but I chose the Lou Lim Leoc Garden, which is said to be the most Chinese of Macau’s gardens. I spent the better part of a morning on its twisting paths, winding through bamboo groves and climbing up dense groups of rocks shaped into stairs, caves, and dramatic overhangs. As I read in a brochure, the garden is designed to be a miniature landscape and the piles of rocks are actually molded concrete “mountains.” From the top of such a peak, you can take in the garden as a whole, from the classical pavilion overlooking the pond to the nine-turn bridges, built in a zigzag to deter straight-moving “evil spirits.” 4. Spend: Macau Highlights Tour Cost: MOP 118 (about US$15) As an independent-minded backpacker, I’m always somewhat hesitant before jumping on a tour bus, but the Macau Highlights Tour was definitely one I don’t regret. Faced with the difficulty of navigating around a city whose language I can’t read, as well as giving up precious hours on public buses, the cost of this tour was well worth being able to see so many sights in a single afternoon. From the top of the Macau Tower (where A.J. Hackett operates the world’s tallest commercial bungy jump of 233 meters) to the pastel colonial villas that line the Avenida de Praia, there isn’t much the tour leaves out. I especially enjoyed wandering through the many levels of the A-Ma Temple, the oldest of its kind in the city having been constructed in 1488. Pick-up for the tour itself is right at the Macau Ferry Terminal’s Barrier Gate, and just in case it isn’t running in English when you need it, don’t worry—I had no choice but to sign up for the Cantonese tour and still managed to enjoy it. It’s worth the easy transport alone! 5. Spend: Macau Museum Cost: MOP 15 (about US$2 – or free on the 15th of every month) Museums aren’t always my first stop in a city, but if you’re as curious as I was about Macau’s unique history, it’s worth an hour or two of your trip to visit. The Macau Museum begins with a long, narrow room, one side devoted to early Chinese history, the other to European, leading to the point of “convergence” when the Portuguese came to Macau in the 1550s. They governed until 1999, when the island followed a similar path as Hong Kong and became a part of China again. Perched on Mount Fortress overlooking the city’s skyline, the view alone is worth the trek up to the museum. How to get there: With over a hundred sailings a day across the forty miles between Hong Kong and Macau, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a high-speed ferry to suit your needs. Alternatively, budget airlines like Air Asia also offer Macau as a destination from Thailand and Malaysia. Getting around: The city itself is very walkable, but a taxi from the airport to the city center cost around MOP 80, or about US$10, while a single bus fare was MOP8, about US$1. Where to stay: I had trouble finding a hostel through a standard booking site like Hostelworld.com, so I ended up at the SanVa Hospedaria Hotel on the Rua da Felicidade, where one double bed goes for MOP 100/night, or about US$13. Don’t expect any frills, though—no wi-fi, no breakfast, and certainly no air-conditioning! This guest post was written by Candace Rose Rardon. She also writes on her personal blog Rare Travels.

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The Cinema Arts Festival begins this Wednesday, November 7th and will continue through Sunday, November 11th. To kick off the festival, several video installations are already on view in the Cinema on the Verge exhibition in a gallery space in the 4411 Montrose complex. Fellow Glasstire contributor, Peter Lucas has lent his expertise and eye for the experimental film, video installation and performance work, so I recommend you check out his post to learn more. My list of choices for my personal itinerary are more heavily weighted toward documentaries, especially those exploring how art relates its makers as many of the films delve into an artist’s personal life. Dance/choreography appear to be a major part of the festival, but one I am not gravitating toward as much just because of my own personal sensibility. There are also several dramatic/fictional films that look interesting, but unfortunately you cannot be in two places at once, so decisions had to be made. Here’s my tentative plan: Wednesday, November 7 7:00 pm – Love, Marilyn - Opening night film where a star-studded cast read from Monroe’s personal letters and diaries in an attempt to find the “real” Marilyn. Thursday, November 8 2:00 pm – Tatsumi – Animated biography of Japanese comic-book artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi mixed with adapatations of Tatsumi’s own stories. 3:30 pm – In Bed With Ulysses – Appears to be a provocative look at how the book relates to Joyce’s personal life. 6:15 pm – Beauty is Embarrassing - I am definitely biased having worked with the artist Wayne White on his Rice Gallery installation. Having first-hand experience with his art and having heard his stories, this documentary about Wayne should be smart and insightful, but consistently lightened by nonsense and good laughs. Friday, November 9 Noon - Texas Filmmaker’s Showcase – Seven short films from Texas artists. 2:30 pm -Trash Dance - A documentary filmed in Austin about choreographer Allison Orr’s collaboration with sanitation workers to create performance art with garbage trucks. Hard to pass up anything where one of the men in the trailer says, “How can I make a big’ol hunk of machine be romantic.” This does sound like a challenge, and I want to see if they pull it off. 5:00 pm – Phil Solomon: Collaborations with Stan Brakhage – Artist, Phil Solomon, who according to the Cinema Arts website is one of the few people to have collaborated with Brakhage, will discuss Brakhage’s work. 7:30 pm – Caeser Must Die – Lusciously filmed documentary about a prison production in Italy of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Like Trash Dance, this film appears on the surface to be about people, who are not conventionally associated with art, creating art and seeing what meaning it brings it to them. 9:10 pm – Casting By – Documentary about how casting director Marion Dougherty helped shape the “New Hollywood,” doing away with an old system of typecasting. An overlooked part of the film industry that I am curious to learn more about. Saturday, November 10 11:00 am – Meet the Makers Q&A - Phil Solomon, J.J. Murphy, Vanessa Renwick, The Light Surgeons, Stacey Steers, Chris Johnson discuss their work in the Cinema on the Verge exhibition, moderated by Cinema Arts Artistic Director, Richard Herskowitz 1:30 pm – Vanessa Renwick: The Oregon Department of Kick Ass – Short films by Renwick, who in the Cinema on the Verge exhibition has a video installation called Medusa Smack, a “jellyfish-tent” which viewers can lie underneath on soft pillows and watch colorful and translucent Jellyfish float and slide by overhead. The Oregon Department of Kick Ass includes: Britton, South Dakota (2003, 9 min.) Ivan Besse was the Strand movie theater manager in Britton, South Dakota, during the Depression. He had a 16mm camera and went about town shooting people at their various activities during the day. Toxic Shock (1983, 16mm, 3 min.) Renwick’s experimental response to sweating out near death with Toxic Shock Syndrome. Portrait #1: Cascadia Terminal (2005, 6 min.) A mesmerizing stare with a hypnotic score at the most efficient grain terminal at the port of Vancouver, B.C. Portrait #2: Trojan (2006, 5 min.) A monumental nuclear power plant tower is imploded and Renwick calmly documents its demise. Stunning to watch and perfectly blunt. Portrait #3: House of Sound (2009, 11 min.) Circling the empty corner where a historic Portland record store once stood among a strip of black jazz clubs, Portrait #3: House of Sound is a testimonial to a community and cultural space recently demolished. Richart (2001, 23 min.) A tour through the mind of obsessive collagist and front yard artist Richard Tracy. SF HITCH (1981/2012, 5 min.) Renwick and her wolf dog, Zeb, set off hitching in the early 80′s from Chicago to SF to check out the scene. They met some beats and some freaks. 3:00 pm – Kanzeon – Documentary about the connection between sound and spiritual experience in Japanese Buddhism. 4:00 pm – Remains to Be Seen: The Films of Phil Solomon – Depending on time, I may not be able to see Kanzeon and opt for more Phil Solomon. In American Falls, on view in the Cinema on the Verge exhibition, Solomon chemically emulsifies film, so sepia-toned figures slip in and out of abstraction as they appear to crackle, burn, and wash away. American Falls uses documentary footage and hollywood films to create a haunting, mesmerizing narrative of how individuals get swept up in the tidal wave of historical forces. 7:30 pm – Supereverything performance by The Light Surgeons with musician Ng Chor Guan - Really looking forward to this after seeing The Light Surgeons’ clever Dialog installation in the Cinema on the Verge exhibition where recordings of people debating are replayed on computers sitting side-by-side in adjacent office cubicles. Supereverything is a “live cinema performance” of a tour through Malaysia in the Asia Society’s beautiful, brand new auditorium. Sunday, November 11 Noon – Question Bridge: Black Males – A stitched together conversation among black men across place, class, and generation. On view at Project Row Houses, Wed-Sun from Noon – 5:00 pm. Artist Chris Johnson will speak at 1:00 pm on Friday, November 9. 4:30 pm – Mugaritz Bso – A documentary profiling musician Felipe Ugarte’s quest to find a musical equivalent for avant-garde chef Andoni Luis Aduriz dishes. Cinema Arts website describes: “Ugarte’s desire to produce a sonorous world that is faithful to each dish leads him to search for soundscapes in the mountains of Gipuzkoa, in the pastures of Extremadura, and in the Galician Sea. Sardón’s camera follows Ugarte as he rounds up and records exceptional musicians and unusual instruments from around the world, and we hear the results as the food is prepared. Then, we dream about a trip to Spain…” 7:00 pm – Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel - Documentary about Diana Vreeland, one of the most influential people in fashion and former editor-in-chief of Vogue. Q&A to follow with Lisa Immordino Vreeland and a good friend of Diana Vreeland, Lynn Wyatt. also by Joshua Fischer - New York Now: The Ten Second Tour - May 17th, 2013 - "Progress of Love" at The Menil Collection - February 24th, 2013 - Transitional at Sicardi Gallery - February 17th, 2013 - Sigrid Sandström at Inman Gallery - January 25th, 2013 - Food: Mostly Outside the Loop - December 21st, 2012

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Just as they tried to silence the Last Frontier programme on Australia’s SBS, the film has popped up on Al Jazeera! Sarawak’s dam builders are learning how hard it is to stem a leak. The truth about Taib’s monstrous plans and their terrible impact on the people and the environment was finally revealed in a film by Australia’s Dateline programme, Last Frontier. Ever since that film was broadcast a couple of weeks ago the big players involved have been trying to slap it down and bully the broadcaster SBS into endless retractions. They have even been fighting to get the company to take it off the internet altogether. The Australian dam builders Hydro-Tasmania, who have been acting as the key advisor on all Sarawak’s future construction plans, has actually been lobbying SBS to issue a formal apology for the programme even being made! Given the crawling response by the company’s ‘ombudsman’, it looked as if Hydro-Tasmania, Ta Ann and Sarawak Energy’s combined onslaught of self-pitying complaints might well achieve that end. Apology for revealing the truth ! The programme was about Taib’s plans to destroy huge areas of Sarawak with 12 new dams which would affect hundreds of thousands of people Think of the barrage of complaints by Hydro-Tas, Ta Ann and Sarawak Energy as the PR equivalent of a mountain of glue and concrete being poured over a crack in Bakun! With SBS climbing down these companies have clearly judged that the film could be turned into another stick to beat poor Sarawak people, who are protesting against the destruction of their lands. But, just as the job was being made good, the damaging story has sprung up again on an entirely new Channel! Al Jazeera has run with the story also on its global programme 101 East. No fear about doing the right thing – the Muslim world’s top TV station has not hesitated to risk Taib’s wrath over this show. “Alleged corruption, rights violations and environmental degradation” The TV Channel, which one of the most highly regarded 24 hour news channels in the world and is headquartered in Doha, has long been a close watcher of Taib Mahmud’s management of Sarawak. In its title page it acknowledges that “alleged corruption, rights violations and environmental degradation plague Malaysia’s controversial Bakun dam project”. It goes on to say: “Thousands are set to lose their homes, as a controversial hydro power scheme gets underway. In the Malaysian state of Sarawak, the Bakun Dam has already flooded an area the size of Singapore. Some of those displaced say they’ve never received the full compensation they were promised. The state government, working with Australian company Hydro Tasmania, is embarking on an ambitious plan to build a further 12 dams – flooding vast tracts of river valley land – and displacing tens of thousands of indigenous people. Hydro Tasmania, an Australian state-owned energy company is involved with dam construction projects in Sarawak by the Sarawak Energy Board while Malaysian timber giant Ta Ann has received major timber harvesting contracts in Tasmania. Both businesses are linked through Hamed Sepawi, who is the chairman of Sarawak Energy Board and Ta Ann. He is also a cousin and close business associate of the state’s Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, say there is a lack of accountability and transparency over the hydropower projects. Environmentalists and political activists in Malaysia and Australia are calling for the ‘unhealthy’ business ties between Tasmania and Sarawak to be investigated and audited by an independent body. The Malaysian government says the 20 gigawatt project capacity can change the economic face of Sarawak and says its links with Hydro Tasmania are legitimate, while the companies involved deny any wrongdoing.”[Last Frontier, Al Jazeera] Abdul Aziz Husain – another family member brought in by Taib to run key state industries In a previous show in 2009 101 East had already questioned Taib’s close involvement in the plans and examines “how the people of Sarawak lose out when family and business intertwine”. The programme focuses on the huge sums of money that Taib’s own family company CMS stands to make out of the dams from its monopoly over cement in the state. Bakun was the single biggest market for CMS cement explains reporter Howard Davies, but the company has also benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars worth of other contracts handed to it by Taib himself in a blatant conflict of interest. “From small beginnings in the cement industry it has built itself up to be the largest company in the state. Typical of its deals is the huge new State Parliament Building in the capital Kuching, a contract awarded by the State Government. Similar state contracts for a convention centre, roads, dams, power stations, hospitals, airports, bridges and a highly lucrative highway repair deals have also come into it, worth hundreds of millions of US dollars” [Fight the power, Al Jazeera] Al Jazeera also points out that the spokesman for Sarawak promoting the dams was yet another of Taib’s own close relatives, his brother-in-law and the then Managing Director of Sarawak Energy, Abdul Aziz Husain. None of this comes as a surprise to readers of Sarawak Report, who now know also that the so-called Thief Minister has amassed a personal fortune of USD$15billion under conservative estimates. Hydro-Tasmania cannot avoid blame Hydro-Tasmania CEO went on to ABC Radio to complain about the film So should Al Jazeera brace itself for a barrage of lawyers’ letters and big businesses bullying, now that they have again broadcast this important story right around the world? The key complaint by Hydro-Tasmania over the film has been that their role in Sarawak had been “exaggerated” and that they should not be held accountable for any shortcomings in the environmental or social management of Taib’s planned dam projects. Sally Begbie, the SBS ‘Ombudsman’ cravenly accepted this argument within a matter of hours. But how much research did she do? The internationally respected and renowned NGO International Rivers knows all about the rules relating to dam building and it has written a devastating response to Ms Begbie’s ruling in favour of Hydro-Tasmania: “The evidence of corruption and human rights abuses surrounding the Sarawak dams is well documented, and the Dateline story highlighted many of these concerns.” says International Rivers in its statement entitled Hydro-Tasmania washes its hands of human rights violations in Malaysia. The NGO continues, “The head of the Sarawak government, Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, has been in power for over 30 years and his family members have controlling ownership of many of the companies receiving contracts. While promoting the development of the dams, Chief Minister Taib simultaneously oversees the environmental board that is in charge of reviewing the projects for potentially harmful impacts. Malaysian government officials have also acknowledged the human rights concerns surrounding the dams. In 2011, after 10,000 indigenous people affected by the Bakun Dam had spent a decade of severe poverty in the resettlement town, the Prime Minister of Malaysia visited the community to promise more compensation. In 2009, the Malaysia Human Rights Commission identified several ongoing concerns with the Murum Dam that is now under construction. No official investigation has examined the next-in-line Baram Dam. However, over the past year, hundreds of indigenous people have actively spoken out against the project and the lack of meaningful consultations. Despite these concerns, the Sarawak government has not made public any information about the Murum’s or Baram Dam’s environmental and social impacts”. International Rivers takes up the cause of the Sarawak people and confronts Hydro-Tasmania on its denials of corporate responsibility In answer to the question whether Hydro-Tasmania’s role in all this is merely minor and should not be criticised the respected NGO says this: “As a consultant, does Hydro Tasmania have a responsibility to pay attention to human rights violations in the projects that it supports? According to the United Nations, the answer is unambiguously yes. In 2011, the UN Human Rights Council adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which outline international standards for how companies are expected to act when faced with potential human rights violations in their operations… Hydro Tasmania has committed publicly in its Sustainability Code to follow international best practice, presumably including this one. It does not matter if the company only provides consulting services and is not the lead developer—it is still expected to conduct due diligence to ensure that it is not contributing to human rights violations. In a state such as Sarawak, where corruption is well-documented and deeply embedded at the highest levels of government, heightened due diligence is required before a company decides to engage.” Forced to admit further involvement Tasmanian Green MP Kim Booth has extracted information on Hydro-Tasmania’s activities in Sarawak. Furthermore, Hydro-Tasmania has just been forced to admit that its involvement in Sarawak’s dam projects is much more extensive and important that it has been attempting to make out. In response to a Freedom of Information request from a Tasmanian Green MP, Kim Booth, the company has acknowledged documents relating to its contracts with Sarawak, but it has denied access on commercial grounds. These contracts entail numerous key services, including advice on the design of key features of the Murum Dam, providing an assessment on “numerous contractual disputes” and, even more significantly, providing feasibility assessments on a number of locations to provide technical opinion on the most suitable locations for the next stages of Taib’s 12 projected new dams. Hydro-Tasmania is also providing feasibility studies for the two next hydro-electric projects in Belaga and Metjawah. Some of these services are laid out below: Access Denied! – although the disclosure of this information may be of public interest it may harm our business interests! So, when the evidence shows they are up to their necks in involvement with Sarawak’s dam projects what right has Hydro-Tasmania to claim their role has been ‘exaggerated”? Our man in Malaysia – Andrew Pattle is the Hydro-Tasmania employee on secondment in Sarawak acting as the Project Director on Murum, and Project Manager on the Baram and Baleh Dams. And since they have been involved in so many feasibility studies, on what grounds are these studies, which should be made publicly available in line with good practice, being kept secret? According to their own refusals, Hydro-Tasmania accept that the release of these documents would be in the public interest, but say that it may harm their business interests. Do profits for Australia come first and the lives of the local people and the future of the Borneo Jungle come second? Sarawak Report questions how is it that Hydro-Tasmania has the brass neck to claim that it maintains the highest benchmark of standards on social and corporate responsibility when feasibility studies that should be made public are kept private? The PKR leader and State Assemblyman Baru Bian, who has championed native rights for decades as a leading lawyer, has also written to challenge the decision by SBS to apologise for the show. The letter head on Bian’s letter quotes an illustrative proverb from the Bible: “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream” Amos 5:24 Hydro-Tasmania can send in their lawyers all over again. But now this story has sprung its first leak, like the proverb says, their arguments may be washed away in a torrent of truth!

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Issue date: 07 December 2009 Reigning World Junior Squash Champion Mohamed El Shorbagy has joined the University of the West of England to study for a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mohamed, who is 18 and from Egypt, beat second seed Ivan Yuen of Malaysia in straight games 11/9, 12/10, 11/2 in Chennai, India, in August retaining the World Junior Title that he also won in Zurich in 2008. Mohamed is only the second player in history to win the Junior World title twice. Mohamed was at school in Somerset and has also held the British Junior title since he was fifteen. He will be defending this title as an under-19 for the third time in January in Sheffield – if he wins three times in a row, this will create a new record. Already well established on professional squash circuit, and ranked 14 in the world seniors, he will travel to matches in Qatar, India and Saudi Arabia alongside continuing his studies. He said, “Mechanical Engineering is a tough course and I will have to study hard for my exams in January – the key thing is for me to organise my time well so I can do both. “Many Universities contacted me, but UWE understood my sport best, my need to go to tournaments. People at UWE have really helped me, especially Sports Performance Manager Richard Bennett and Mechanical Engineering programme leader Neil Larsen. “UWE has provided me with a full scholarship through the EliteUWE programme – no other University could match this, so it is really special. I use the gym facilities here too – it has the machines I need as a squash player, and I can play squash either at the Centre for Sport or at Wallscourt.” Mohamed, who trained with Jonah Barrington, has just been named Young Male Player of the Year in the International Squash Awards 2009 and PSA Young Player of the Year by the Professional Squash Association. UWE Deputy Vice-Chancellor John Rushforth said, “We are delighted that Mohamed has joined us. This is a further example of the University's ambition, since it shows we are serious about developing our sporting profile, demonstrates the benefits of our world class facilities and shows how we can support students.” Richard Bennett said, “The opportunity for UWE to host a player of Mohamed's talent is a direct reflection of our recent investment in sport. I am very glad that we were able to assist in bringing Mohamed to UWE and appreciative of the exposure that Mohamed will generate for UWE in the world of Elite sport. As well as playing for UWE in the British Universities Championships, Mohamed will be acting as a sporting ambassador for UWE within the community. “Mohamed's arrival is making waves beyond the University. He is a member of the National League Squash Team Probuild Bristol, based at the Welsh Back club in the city centre, which is relishing the sell-out crowds that Mohamed is drawing. His combination of explosive power and innovation on the court ensure an entertaining game for the crowd.” UWE Head Squash Coach and Probuild Bristol team manager Hadrian Stiff said “I am very exited about the next 4 years when Mohamed will be training here. I will do everything possible to fine tune this incredible player.” For more information on UWE's Elite Athletes visit http://www.uwe.ac.uk/sport/elite.shtml

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HOW TO CREATE A FREE KIDS TOYS (MALAYSIA) ACCOUNT Shopping online is fun and can save time and money. It's a great way to learn about products and services, as our online store is open 24/7, 365 days a year! We hope you'll enjoy our online baby care, baby & children toys selection and clothes store. In order to place orders at Kids Toys, participate in our online contests, or to receive our special sales notices, you will have to first create a Kids Toys account. Please follow the 3 simple steps below to create your FREE online Kids Toys account. If you encounter any problems, always feel free to contact us. We take pride in making our customers happy! STEP 1 Login to our Kids Toys account page to create an account. You can login to our account page by clicking on the image below. A second window will open so you can read these instructions while filling in the details. The page will looks similiar to the picture below. The "(Login)" that is shown in the red oval is the place where you can create, modify and cancel your account. We hope that you'll continue to be a long term customer. Click on the image below to navigate to Kids Toys Account page. STEP 3 When you are done entering in your name, email, password and birth date, you will have just one last step to create your FREE Kids Toys Account. As pictured in the image below, you will be asked for information that will be used mainly for shipping purposes. There is a box to enter comments such as the best time for delivery, or some other instruction. In addition to your shipping address Kids Toys is requesting that you provide at least one phone number so our delivery service or Kids Toys customer staff may be able to contact you, if a problem arises on an order. Please note that we will ask that you provide a name for your shipping information. As many customers like to receive their purchases during working hours which may be different than their home address. You may create multiple addresses with this feature. Please make sure to provide a phone number and to assign a "name" for your shipping address information Congratulations and Thank You for signing up for a FREE Kids Toys account. Enjoy!

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A Khartoum boom, courtesy of China Despite a war raging in Darfur and U.S. sanctions, Sudan's capital is thriving. A five-star hotel is set to open. Oil money is flowing. And the Chinese are everywhere, says Fortune's Vivienne Walt. (Fortune Magazine) -- Late last year Adam Ibrahim Ali and his two teenage sons fled their ravaged village in Darfur and headed for Sudan's capital, Khartoum, riding on trucks and walking for days under the blistering desert sun. When they arrived in this dusty city on the Nile, Ali fashioned a small mud shelter on the riverbank and hung up his most cherished possession, a small transistor radio. His escape from the four-year war in western Sudan turned out to be a smart financial decision. As the 115-degree heat eases in the evenings, Ali and his sons make bricks and bake them in the kiln next to their shelter to sell during the broiling afternoons. On good days they can earn about $12 - enough for them, Ali's two wives and his 11 other children languishing in Darfur's biggest refugee camp. "We lost everything in the fighting," says Ali, 35. "Here we can sell bricks. People need them to build." One glance at the city beyond Ali's makeshift home shows why he's doing a brisk trade. Thousands of miles from the tough talk in Washington about sanctions and peacekeeping troops, and from Hollywood's celebrity campaign to save Darfur, Sudan is booming. Cranes loom over Khartoum's cityscape while bulldozers roar down below, churning up the earth to make way for multilane roads and tall office buildings. Think of Sudan these days and you're likely to envision janjaweed militia in Darfur rampaging through villages on horses and camels, killing and raping, or shallow desert graves and refugees in a scorched landscape. Those images have filled newspapers and television screens for more than four years. Yet during those same years billions of dollars have poured into Sudan - a rural country the size of Western Europe - thanks to a nascent oil industry whose production soared just as oil prices hit record highs and energy needs rocketed for Sudan's main customer, China. The realization in the West that China's investment in Sudan might be financing the Darfur massacres has transformed a small activist organization on U.S. campuses into the biggest divestment push since the 1980s, when a similar campaign helped end white rule in South Africa. So fast has the political wave hit that without an international deal, it could cause the boom in Africa's largest country to wobble and overshadow China's biggest event in years, the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That has caused jitters in both Beijing and Khartoum. "They are starting to wonder, 'How far can this go?'" says John Prendergast, a divestment activist and former director of African affairs at the National Security Council. "Sudan totally dismissed sanctions nine months ago. Now it is a different ball game." Sudan's boom - not its anxieties - is obvious the moment one lands at Khartoum International Airport. The airy new hall opened a few months ago and is filled with foreign oil workers and business consultants. (A sprawling new $500 million airport is scheduled to open in 2011.) Just beyond the airport perimeter a showroom for Toyota SUVs opened this year, as did Khartoum's first Western-style luxury hotel, built by Abu Dhabi's Rotana hotel group. Guests at the hotel, now three-quarters full, can sip $5 cappuccinos in deep Italian sofas in the marble lobby or watch movies on large-screen TVs in air-conditioned rooms. "There's a lot of cash and investment coming in," says Imad Elias, Rotana's executive vice president, at a cocktail party in the ballroom one evening. "Sudan is a place we want to be." Downtown, construction crews are finishing an even more sumptuous hotel. Weeks from opening, the 19-story Al Fatih Tower on the riverfront is already Khartoum's most stunning landmark, with a soaring, curved façade in the shape of a dhow. It is a rough imitation of Dubai's iconic Burj Al Arab - a telling reflection of Khartoum's grand ambitions. The owners are racing to open the $80 million hotel, financed by the Libyan government, on the Sept. 1 anniversary of Muammar Qaddafi's revolution. The top-floor restaurant offers a bird's-eye view of the transformation of Khartoum, which stands at the confluence of the White Nile and Blue Nile. Across the street stands a half-completed suspension bridge that will span both rivers. On a huge plot of land a new economic district with office buildings, villas and hotels is being constructed from scratch. Real estate prices in Khartoum have skyrocketed: Studios rent for $1,000 a month, more than the yearly income of an average Sudanese. Sudan inked a peace deal in 2005 with non-Muslim rebels in southern Sudan - site of most oil reserves - ending a 21-year civil war and turning the city of Juba into a boomtown too, with a new airport, hotels and banks. "We are still very underdeveloped compared with places like Kuwait and Cairo," says Mujtaba Muhammed, a young Sudanese architect working on the Libyan hotel. "With all this construction, there is a lot of work for me." A checkered past This was not supposed to happen. Sudan was once a haven for Islamic extremists, including Osama bin Laden, who lived here until the government expelled him under U.S. pressure in 1996. The State Department declared the country a state sponsor of terrorism in 1993. Then, in 1997, President Clinton ordered sanctions, pushing out Chevron (Charts, Fortune 500), General Motors (Charts, Fortune 500) and other U.S. companies. The relationship hit its lowest point in 1998, when American jets strafed a Khartoum pharmaceutical factory, believing it to be an al Qaeda training camp. Officials frequently cite that attack as evidence of Western belligerence, and the hard-line Islamic government has left the bomb damage untouched. Sudan aimed to break out of its isolation when it signed the peace deal with southern rebels. Officials repeatedly cast their country as a beacon of peace - a jolt for visitors. "We are a model for Africa and the world for being able to resolve our disputes," Vice President Ali Osman Taha told African intelligence directors at a Khartoum conference in June. But the Darfur crisis has shelved the possibility of resumed Western trade, especially since U.S. officials first declared the massacres a genocide in 2004. Congress passed new sanctions legislation last year. And in late May, President Bush and the U.S. Treasury banned 31 Sudanese companies from American and international financial systems. They include petroleum and telecommunications companies as well as the DAL Group, Sudan's largest private consortium, which bottles Coca-Cola and distributes European-made Caterpillar trucks, and whose construction company is building Khartoum's new economic district. So far the European Union hasn't imposed similar sanctions. Yet that hardly matters to most European executives, who fear being tainted as supporting an abusive regime. "Sudan is politically radioactive for multinational companies," says Philippe de Pontet, Africa analyst for Eurasia Group, a U.S. risk consultancy. "The reputational risk outweighs any benefits." That is likely to remain the case as long as reports of Darfur's killings persist. The conflict began as a local rebellion in 2003 that quickly scored victories against poorly equipped government forces. With patchy control over his vast country, President Omar Hassan Al Bashir backed Darfur militia groups to put down the insurgency. Now Khartoum says it cannot rein in the fighters. In July, U.S. officials said, it resumed aerial bombing of Darfur. The UN estimates that more than 200,000 people have died and 2.4 million have been rendered refugees. (Sudan's government puts the death toll at about 9,000.) After decades of civil wars and Al Bashir's tough rule, Sudan ranked No. 1 on this year's "failed states" list compiled by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington - above disaster zones like Iraq and Zimbabwe. Yet by some measures this most-failed state is a big success. Its economy grew about 9 percent last year, and foreign investment rose to about $5 billion, the second highest for an African country. The growth is overwhelmingly driven by oil, which accounts for most of the nation's GDP. Production has risen from 160,000 barrels a day in 2000 to about 480,000 barrels now. Sudan earned more than $4 billion last year from petroleum exports - about 80 percent to China. With oil trading above $70 a barrel, residents say sanctions are hurting the West more than Sudan. "America is the loser," says Muhammed, the architect for the Libyan-built hotel. "They've given a great chance to Chinese companies." The oil boom has lured home from the U.S. and Europe some Sudanese émigrés whose families had left a seemingly dead-end economy. Most days you can find some returnees at Khartoum's hippest café, OZone, which serves cinnamon muffins and iced caffe lattes. Ahmed Badawi, a British economist of Sudanese parentage, arrived last year to start a business and risk consultancy. Two years ago Waleed Babiker quit his job in Minneapolis and returned to his native Khartoum, from which his family had emigrated ten years before. "My parents felt there was no possibility of making money," he says. Babiker now runs a travel agency, betting that Sudan's ancient pyramids will draw tourists once sanctions are lifted. His latest venture is a guide to Khartoum, which has advertisements for new cafés, Asian restaurants, and in June - get this - a pop concert in Khartoum to aid Darfur's victims. "We think this is a good time to make money here," says Babiker. Friends to the East That underplays the boom's big weakness: Sudan's fortunes depend heavily on a single customer, China. Its other partnerships, with Malaysia's Petronas and India's ONGC Videsh, are far smaller than the one with China National Petroleum Corp., which owns more than 40 percent of the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Co., Sudan's largest oil firm. Desperate to fuel its galloping economy, China has moved through Africa underwriting multibillion-dollar contracts for oil, gold, copper and other minerals. Unlike Western oil giants, it has also built power grids, telecommunications towers, highways and railway networks across the continent, ensuring its place as a major African benefactor. Sudan is still only Africa's sixth-largest oil producer, far smaller than Nigeria and Angola. But China has a unique deal here: It faces no competition from Chevron or Royal Dutch Shell (Charts). As a result, China seems to be everywhere. CNPC's headquarters on Nile Street sits between grand government mansions built by Sudan's old British rulers and a hotel where Winston Churchill stayed. Indeed, China's presence has the feel of a new colonial power. In the hotel lobby, next to a Christmas tree gathering dust in the blazing June heat, an eight-foot sign proclaims EVERGREEN FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF SUDAN AND CHINA. Nearby is the Chinese-built Friendship Hall conference center. Khartoum now has a school for Chinese workers' children and Chinese-language classes for Sudanese. At dawn near the Rotana hotel, hundreds of Chinese construction workers clamber off buses to begin 12-hour shifts building a new headquarters building for Sudapet, Sudan's national petroleum company. Many of them gather Thursday nights at CNPC's headquarters for karaoke or to play in the Chinese basketball league. The Zijing Center, a Chinese travel agency and supermarket, is stocked with produce flown in weekly from Beijing. "I go to the airport about three times a day to take Chinese people to flights or meet others arriving," says Jiang Lei, director of the travel agency. Air China plans to begin direct flights to Khartoum, which Jiang predicts will fill up quickly. After years of clashes with U.S. politicians, officials are thrilled. "We are getting support without conditions from China," says Finance Minister Elzubair Ahmed Elhassan in his office late one night in June. "There is a feeling of fraternity and equality with them." When Chinese President Hu Jintao visited in February, hundreds of people lined the route from the airport to greet him, and a camel was slaughtered in his honor. While Hu pledged $5.2 million in aid for Darfur refugees, he avoided scolding Al Bashir for the conflict in Darfur, wrote off $80 million in debt and offered $13 million in interest-free loans - including for a new palace for his host. China, in fact, is digging in. In June, CNPC signed a 20-year concession for offshore drilling. In 2004 it spent $1.4 billion building a 1,000-mile pipeline from southern Sudan's oil fields to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, where there is also a new Chinese-built refinery. China's biggest project yet is the $2 billion Merowe dam north of Khartoum, which will more than double Sudan's power supply when it opens next summer. An hour's drive out of the capital is a refinery, built in 1998 by Chinese workers in a joint venture between Sudan and CNPC. It looms over an arid plain amid camels and adobe villages and produces about 100,000 barrels a day of liquid gas and jet fuel. Inside the signs are in Chinese, and Chinese workers in blue overalls cycle around the facility. "We have a very strong relationship with Sudan," says Zhao Yujun, the refinery's technical manager. "And now that Sudan is booming, we are pleased to be contributing." Yet for all the talk of friendship, officials concede they would readily swap China's affections for the West's. "It was not our choice to look East," says Hamed Elneel Abdel Gadeir, deputy secretary general of the Ministry of Energy and Mining. "But when we looked West, all the doors were closed." That has cost Sudan dearly, despite China's generosity and political allegiance. The oil industry operates far below capacity, with imperfect equipment, according to oil analysts and government officials. "America has the largest oil companies in the world, with the expertise and experience," says Mahdi Ibrahim, former ambassador to Washington and a ruling-party leader. Bashir Badawi, an advisor to the energy ministry who began his career as a Chevron geologist, says production would soar without sanctions. "We would hit three million barrels a day within eight to ten years," he says. "If U.S. sanctions don't lift, we will ultimately see declining production." Sanctions bite in smaller ways too. Sudan is a cash-only country, with no credit cards or ATMs. And since no one can legally import U.S. goods, companies sneak in American products via third countries at higher cost. That could be slow to change, given the furor over Darfur. In the past year 13 U.S. states have passed divestment laws, pledging to sell stock in PetroChina (Charts), whose parent company is CNPC. Last month Fidelity Investments offloaded most of its PetroChina stock, worth billions of dollars. And Warren Buffett, PetroChina's second-biggest investor after the Chinese government, survived a shareholders' divestment challenge in May. The campaign has hit China hard and rippled as far as Khartoum. Sitting in the Zijing travel agency, Liu Wugue, director of Chinese Petroleum Logistics in Sudan, says fear is growing among the Chinese that politics will spoil the Beijing Games. "Please don't link the Olympics to politics," he says. "It is our big chance. Until now the world knows China only from its products." China is scrambling to control the damage. It dispatched a special envoy to Sudan to coax Al Bashir into accepting international peacekeepers for Darfur - a bottom-line demand from Western negotiators. After months of outright rejection, Al Bashir said yes to China. Divestment alone might not be enough to end the killing in Darfur and bring millions of refugees home to their villages. That is likely to take long negotiations and thousands of UN troops. But if peace comes and the sanctions movement unravels, Sudan will finally open to Western business. Officials say they are eagerly awaiting that day. And Adam Ibrahim Ali, the Darfur refugee baking bricks on Khartoum's riverfront, says he and his sons also have plans. "As soon as there is peace," he says, "we are going home to Darfur." Until then he will listen to the roar of bulldozers erecting bridges and office buildings across the capital.

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Photo: Charles Roffey (flickr) Sharia-compliant holidays are gaining in popularity as Muslim families seek welcoming environments for modest dress, halal food, and other Muslim-friendly vacation activities. Alanya in Turkey is one vacation spot, offering a beach, restaurants, a segregated spa, and an open-air pool exclusively for women. Turkey, Malaysia, and Indonesia have explored “halal tourism,” but it’s fairly new to the Middle East. Not everyone is welcoming “halal tourism.” Muslim writer and columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown calls it “cultural racism or religious racism,” and compares it to creating a “Christian-white only holiday.” “You can’t have double standards,” she said, stating separating Muslim families is like “saying there is no common humanity.” Those who have embraced Sharia-compliant holidays do so in part because they “bring people together.” Muslim families from around the world vacation in areas like Alanya where women can swim freely in a modest swimsuit — what some call burkinis, and feel comfortable. “Everyone I’ve seen has been wearing burkinis, so I don’t feel like the odd one out. It’s been a really good experience and something that we want to come back and enjoy next year,” said vacationer and mother of four Nazma Begum. Read More: Halal holidays in the sun (BBC)

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Proxy servers, Free proxy list, Anonymous and transparent proxy servers proxy server: 126.96.36.199:8123 Premium Proxies provides you with a fine list of proxy servers all around the world. We always try to keep the list up-to-date. And we also try to keep some information about proxy novi sad • www youporl • ip and proxy world country • youjizz yahoo @ com • norway proxy server • you jizz watch vedio • swiss highspeed proxy • free philippines ip • 188 64 220 204 8080 • zscaler login what is • fast web proxy asia • socks5 POLSKA • site to see good ip,proxy • proxy 210 13 71 77 • youporn premium login name • Ukraine porno • proxy ip address list in saudi • youjizz premium safe • working in malaysia proxy • premium school proxy • xxx arabisaadi com • amsterdam proxy list free • ip address of newyork • web proxy ip portugues • danmark free proxy • proxy italy premium • barcelona proxy servers • polish porxies • california proxy • how to change your ip for romania servers • free username and password of youjizz • socks5 server in denmark • proxy server list usa city • <<allinurl nph-proxy cgi>> • gujarat transperent proxy for airtel • working proxy port443 SA list • proxy germany 443 • prnoarab • yuo juzz • high speed web proxy • free proxo • www pornogratis info • Www indianpornvidio com • proxy address and port for phillipines • 82 207 47 7 3129 • toronto proxy server list • porno siteleri listesi • youpornkanada • Show me where is ip 208 131 143 12 From • socks5 scandinavia • . We offer fast proxy servers you can use. Proxy servers help you to keep your real address anonymous. They also can help you to surf faster, because they cache data and so there is no need for you to load this data again. Proxy servers are a good way to browse around. If you like to visit web-sites where you don't want to show your real IP address, then a nice way is to use a proxy server as a server between you and the server running the website. Just configure your web browser (e.g. Firefox, Safari, Opera, Chrome, Explorer) or set your systemwide Proxy configuration. Just choose one of our proxy servers. Maybe you want to use different countries to access servers, which check for the country you are coming from. The proxy image has been taken from the proxy server Wikipedia article and is licensed under the Creative Commons license (Original document).

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Wan Ali, Wan Zah and Mohd Ayub, Ahmad Fauzi and Wong, Su Luan and King, Hasnah Yee Tang and Wan Jaafar, Wan Marzuki (2008) Students teacher attitudes towards computer and online learning : are they a factor in students' usage? The International Journal of Learning, 15 (6). pp. 35-41. ISSN 1447-9494 Full text not available from this repository. Computers and online learning are rapidly becoming important components in fundamental curriculum of Malaysian educational systems. In Malaysia, the computer and online learning curriculum have been incorporated into all levels of the educational systems. However, the instructional effectiveness of computer and online learning are related to many factors including students’ attitudes towardsthese technologies. Hence, positive attitudes towards computers and online learning are important variables to be studied among pre-service teachers. The main purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of pre-service teachers at Universiti Putra Malaysia toward computer and online learning and its relationships. In addition, the relationship between this attitudes and the usage of computer and online learning is also studied. The findings indicate that pre-service teachers have positive attitudes towards computers and online learning. The correlation between students’ attitude towards computers and online learning was significant. |Keyword:||Online Learning; Attitudes toward Computer; Attitudes towards Online Learning| |Subject:||Computer-assisted instruction - Malaysia| |Subject:||College teachers - In-service training| |Faculty or Institute:||Faculty of Educational Studies| |Publisher:||Common Ground Publishing| |Deposited By:||Emelda Mohd Hamid| |Deposited On:||25 May 2012 15:08| |Last Modified:||12 Nov 2012 14:41| Repository Staff Only: item control page

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A couple months ago, the New Yorker posted a story and wonderful online video about a master pickpocket. This person was willing to demonstrate his art on camera. Even so, he moved so quickly that it can take multiple viewings to see just how he relived his target of his possessions. The key to it, of course, is misdirection. The pickpocket makes sure your attention is directed somewhere other than where the action is taking place. This came to mind when reading Dan Drezner's rejoicing about recent polls showing improved U.S. public sentiment about trade. I welcome a new public receptiveness to trade as much as anyone, but Dan, in his euphoria, concludes: "The spike in public enthusiasm from last year is politically significant. At a minimum, it suggests that President Obama won't face gale-force headwinds in trying to negotiate trade deals. Which means I could win my bet with Shadow Government's Phil Levy. Which is the only thing that matters." Nor was Dan the only one to wax optimistic about trade prospects this past week. Mike Green thought things had gone rather well with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's summit meetings with President Obama in Washington. "Even on the trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), where expectations were low, there was much more substance than met the eye.... The Japanese delegation had a quiet spring in their step after the summit and were keen to move on TPP in a matter of weeks..." This, too, is promising. Peter Feaver had it exactly right when he noted that engagement with Japan could be an essential part of delivering on Obama administration promises of attention to Asia. So, as far as public wisdom and the Asian pivot are concerned, these are both healthy developments. Yet, when it comes to prospects for trade policy accomplishments over the remainder of President Obama's term, anyone laying odds or taking wagers should pay close attention to where the action is. To that end, here are four questions to help maintain focus: 1. What will Japan's entry do for TPP prospects? Japanese entry into the TPP, if it happens, will be a good thing. It will dramatically increase the economic significance of the TPP, and it will establish the agreement as the premier accord governing trade liberalization and economic rules in the Asia-Pacific region. If Japan does not join, we have problems. The administration had previously suggested that Japan could enter in the next round, after this version of TPP concludes. That, however, would pose serious difficulties. Japan is no small economy able to sign on to an agreement with a few innocuous accession talks. If the TPP reaches a successful conclusion soon, after four or more years of negotiation, will there really be an eagerness to reopen the deal in the near future? But the size and complication of Japan's economic relations also mean that the task of concluding the TPP just got much harder. One former USTR recently opined at a conference that if Japan joins the talks the TPP will not be concluded in President Obama's term. 2. What do key interest groups think? While it does not hurt to have the public embracing trade, U.S. agreements are not decided by referendum. I will leave it to all the political scientists buzzing around this site to provide details, but a more sophisticated approach would focus on the dynamics of the Congress. A more sophisticated approach would still think about the relations with key constituencies, such as organized labor. From the time President Obama first took office, it appeared clear that he had the votes in Congress to pass the pending FTAs with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. Yet he did not put them forward until late in 2011, despite loud complaints from the business community. This at least suggests that there was something more than vote counting going on. Along these lines, there was an alarming bit of news in the Hill recently. One promising feature of a trade deal with Europe was that it would seem immune from divisive questions about labor standards that had plagued FTAs with developing countries such as Colombia. The Hill, however, reported that "unions want to use negotiations on a U.S.-European Union (EU) trade deal as leverage to win stronger labor laws here in the United States." If so, this does not bode well. Those are among the worst trade fears of Republicans on the Hill -- the prospect that labor legislation that could not pass a straight vote could instead be slipped in through the back door of a trade deal. 3. How are Congressional relations these days? Per the constitution, trade is Congress' domain. Congress can try to delegate some of the negotiating power to the executive branch but ultimately must approve of any deal that is struck. If this is to work through periods of detailed negotiations, there must be good, open communication between the Hill and the White House. In particular, the committees that deal with trade -- House Ways and Means and Senate Finance -- must be on board. As it happens, these are the same committees that deal with the sort of taxation issues that have been a recent struggle. I'll leave it to the reader to grade the degree of comity between branches. One less subjective measure, however, is whether Congress grants the executive trade negotiating authority (known as TPA -- trade promotion authority). The administration has also been saying for years that the idea of TPA is a reasonable one, but the time is not ripe. In the 2013 trade agenda, released today, the administration said it would work with Congress on obtaining such authority. That will be a contentious fight, since it will raise issues such as the permissible scope of labor provisions in an accord. The document does not set a date. 4. Who's your USTR? It is also helpful, when negotiating complex trade agreements, to have a representative who will go forth and conduct the negotiations. The incumbent USTR, Ambassador Ron Kirk, reportedly just held his going-away party. Though there have been rumors, the administration has not yet named a new USTR, much less confirmed one. That could prove an obstacle to racing ahead with complex agreements. So I see the trade policy landscape a little differently than Dan Drezner does. He may want to keep in mind that, if you don't keep your eye on where the action really is, someone may take your lunch money. Incredibly, territorial disputes between China and its neighbors over uninhabited islands threaten to become a flashpoint threatening peace in East Asia. While tensions have since cooled a bit, the Economist recently warned that "China and Japan are sliding towards war." Last August, large, angry, and violent protests broke out in dozens of Chinese cities against a decision by the Japanese government to buy several of the disputed islands (called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China) from a Japanese private citizen. Again this month, China sortied aircraft and ships near the islands, and Japan scrambled fighters in response. Moreover, this is not China's only maritime territorial dispute. In the South China Sea, China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam pursue conflicting claims among the uninhabited shoals, islets, and atolls comprising Scarborough Shoal and the Paracel and Spratly Islands (including Mishief Reef). This is not a bloodless issue. In 1988, more than 70 Vietnamese sailors died in a naval clash with China near Johnson South Reef. Since then, China and the ASEAN states issued a 2002 joint declaration pledging not to use force to resolve their disputes and to avoid actions that would escalate them. However, no progress has been made toward settling the underlying disagreements, and the declaration was violated almost immediately. Because of the United States's bilateral defense treaties with Japan and the Philippines, we could be drawn into a conflict we do not seek. Moreover, we have an enormous stake in continued economic growth and prosperity in East Asia, which depends on peace. What is behind the strong passions surrounding groups of uninhibited rocks whose total land mass is less than five square miles? Fishing rights are at stake -- and a cod war is not unprecedented -- but it would hardly seem worth the risk between states whose annual trade stands at three quarters of a trillion dollars. Oil and gas wealth is a stronger motivation. No one yet knows the extent of the resources buried beneath the East and South China Seas (in part because their ownership remains in dispute), but if Europe's North Sea serves as a fair precedent, they could be worth trillions of dollars. Finally, nationalism compounds the problem. Unlike Europe, in East Asia, the wounds of World War II remain unhealed. Diplomatic rows or even riots are periodically caused by disputes over history text books or visits by politicians to shrines for dead military leaders. Hence, the explosive anger last autumn causing protestors to attack Japanese cars and sushi restaurants, although they were owned by fellow Chinese citizens. How to head off a potentially catastrophic confrontation? Five ideas will help. First, all states must recognize that no single state can impose a solution, and every state exercises effective veto over exploitation of energy resources. A deep water oil rig can cost up to $600 million, yet can be sunk by a $20 million patrol boat. No commercial oil company, investor, or insurer would risk such a costly and vulnerable piece of equipment in a contested region where hostilities might erupt. Thus, East Asian nations effectively have a choice between continuing to wrangle over natural resources with no production, or reaching an agreement to divide the resources and jointly benefit from them. Second, all states in the region would do well to bear in mind that despite occasional nationalistic rhetoric, this is an economic question. These barren islands are not like the West Bank or the Balkans, where centuries of human history and intermingled populations complicate the division of land. No country's national heritage is at stake in this question -- only economic benefits that cannot be exploited in the absence of an agreement. Therefore, all governments would do well to tone down their rhetoric about national rights and core interests in discussing the disputed maritime territories. Inflaming nationalist tendencies among citizens will make solving the problem more difficult, not less so. Third, the disputants should accept that these matters cannot be settled solely by legal arguments or in court. Claims and counterclaims, along with contradictory old maps and sea charts, abound. Asserting that one interpretation of proper title to a territory is "indisputable" is pointless when other nations claim an equally "indisputable" title. Disagreements among nation states -- except in narrowly defined areas in which they offer prior agreement to accept external dispute resolution, e.g. the World Trade Organization -- are political matters and must be resolved by diplomacy and agreement, though perhaps aided by legal tools. Fourth, in contemplating ways to resolve this matter, the states involved should look to earlier precedents. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands used a combination of a ruling by the International Court of Justice and subsequent negotiations to resolve conflicting claims to North Sea continental shelf resources. The parties entered the negotiations realizing that no single state could claim the lion's share of the benefits, and that resolving the matter to allow oil exploration to move ahead was in all parties' interests. Harvard Professor Richard N. Cooper, observes that the neutral zone shared by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia may also serve as a precedent for resolving the East Asia maritime territorial disputes. Without resolving their disputed border, the two countries agreed to share the wealth from oil produced in the zone, which was created in 1922. Today, over 650,000 barrels per day are pumped from the region to both countries' great benefit. Fifth, the countries of East Asia should begin to heal the wounds of World War II. For example, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States could agree on principles to guide their interaction, including, among other things, peaceful resolution of territorial disputes and joint development and management of regional resources (such as fisheries), and follow up with separate annual meetings of foreign, economic, and defense ministers to implement them. Military conflict over the maritime territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas would be a senseless waste. China may see a tactical advantage in waiting to address these issues as its economic and military power grows, but allowing the disputes to fester risks the outbreak of war and squanders the opportunity to develop potentially rich natural resources. It also prevents nations in the region from working effectively together to solve other pressing problems. The bright prospects for peace and prosperity in East Asia should not be allowed to founder on Mischief Reef. First the good: 1) The Obama administration has stopped calling its efforts to focus on Asia the "pivot" which implies turning your back on other crucial parts of the world. 2) The Obama administration is building upon diplomatic and strategic efforts of its predecessors and has dropped the White House adolescent trash-talking of "we are back" in Asia. 3) These efforts include serious attempts to build the free trade area of the Pacific first envisioned by the George H.W. Bush administration; upgrading relations with Taiwan and Japan begun by the Clinton administration; and the breakthrough in relations with India, the creation of "mini-laterals" such as the U.S.-Japan-Australia, and the movement of more forces into the Pacific that was the work of the George W. Bush administration. 4) For its part the Obama administration has started a relationship with Burma, tightened relations in South East Asia, and increased the tempo of U.S. military presence in the region. Now the bad: 1) There is a danger of overpromising. The new defense guidelines were released in January 2012 at same time as talk of a "pivot" began. Concurrently, details of a new operational concept called Air Sea Battle were released, that despite protestations to the contrary, is more or less about how to defeat China in a conflict. This coincidence of events has regional allies believing that the U.S. has carefully developed some new "secret sauce" to keep the peace in Asia. The reality so far is two Littoral Combat Ships in Singapore, some good speeches in Vietnam, and some marines in Australia. 2) The administration is making critical strategic choices that will affect its posture in Asia. One choice is to slash the defense budget. It already did so in 2009 to the tune of about $400 billion. This year the Budget Control Act will kick in lopping off hundreds of billions more. The president has every right to choose the salvaging of and creation of more social welfare programs over the defense that is needed in Asia, but it is dangerous to misalign your stated strategic goals and your resources -- this is the famous "Lippman Gap." 3) The defense cuts badly affect the forces we need in Asia. The stealthy F-35 program has taken a big hit. The navy has said it needs anywhere from 500 to 313 ships in its fleet. It will end up with around 285 total ships by the end of the next five year defense program. The much touted next generation long-range bomber is underfunded -- by 2017 it is unlikely that we will have more than an industrial competition to build it, which means years before it comes on line. The list goes on: missile defense takes a hit, as does most certainly the workhorse of any Asian contingency -- attack submarines. 4) India. There is simply no way to check China's power if Afghanistan descends into chaos and India has to respond. In the rough and tumble of international politics it is very difficult to get regions to conform with U.S. government flow charts. India can only fully integrate into East Asia if there is some semblance of security along its land borders. 5) It is also unrealistic to think we can spend less time on the Middle East in order to spend more time in Asia for two reasons. First, the Chinese are competing with us in that critical region to mostly bad effect. Second, our allies depend on the stability we provide in the Middle East for oil. Now the ugly: 1) Things with China will get ugly. Our talk of rebalancing is a response to Chinese power and provocations. The competition is intensifying. We repeat the mantra that our efforts in Asia are not about China as if saying it makes it true. In reality, politics, like physics, has an action-reaction cycle. While we are doing the right thing, China certainly views our actions as hostile. We should expect China to up its game militarily. 2) Related to the above, we need presidential leadership to explain to a war-weary public the need to maintain the power advantage in our competition with China. The public will ask understandable questions like why die for Taipei, or Manila or even Seoul and Tokyo? (Remember the questions "why die for Danzig or Berlin?") The debate will arise and could get ugly. It would be better to start this public education campaign now. We seek no conflict or quarrel, rather the commitments we are making are to maintain our position in a critical part of the world. The best course is not to cut down commitments at this dangerous time, but rather to bring resources in line with those commitments. Any other course will not lead to a "peaceful retrenchment." Rather, if the U.S. stopped playing the role of benign hegemon in Asia chaos would ensue. No one would lead efforts to further build upon a economically vital region, stem proliferation, or keep great power peace. Deterrence is expensive, chaos more so. The president should explain to the public what he means to do in Asia and why. Peter Bergen has a new piece up on CNN's website that argues the United States can declare victory over al Qaeda and wind down the war against the group. Reading through his article, I found several places where I profoundly disagreed with his analysis and therefore with his overall conclusion that al Qaeda has been defeated. First, Bergen begins with a false analogy by arguing that the current war is nothing like World War II, and that therefore there can be no culminating peace as was signed between the Allies and Nazi Germany. This argument implies that a definitive victory over al Qaeda, one on the model and scale of the victory over the Nazis, is impossible. The current war is indeed nothing like WWII -- it's an irregular conflict being fought against an insurgent group, while WWII (for the most part), was a regular conflict fought against recognizable nation-states. It might therefore be impossible to sign a peace treaty on the decks of a battleship when this war ends, but it is entirely possible to win irregular wars and to win them as definitively and recognizably as WWII was won, as the examples of multiple conflicts throughout the twentieth century show. For instance, from 1898-1954, the U.S. absolutely defeated three separate insurgencies in the Philippines, including a nationalist insurgency, an insurgency by local Muslims, and a communist insurgency. The British took on and repeatedly defeated insurgencies (the Boers, the Malay communists, and the Kenyan Mau-Mau, for instance), and it is actually difficult to find, beyond the Sandinistas and Castro's group, an insurgency that has succeeded in Latin America. Second, Bergen argues that the war against al Qaeda is not an "essential challenge" to the U.S. and thus can be safely relegated to some level of effort short of war. It is true that the death of 3,000 Americans in the first attack on the U.S. homeland since WWII was not an existential threat to the U.S., nor have the pinpricks that al Qaeda has managed since 9-11 posed a serious challenge to the continued existence of the United States. On the other hand, this assessment fails to take into consideration the global growth of al Qaeda, its absorption of every other major jihadist group on the planet, and its ability to take and control territory throughout the Muslim-majority world. While I have heard some deride this spread as only threatening the 'garden-spots' of the world, we need to remind ourselves that it was from just this sort of uncontrolled territory that 9-11 was carried out, and once the 'garden-spots' are taken, our vital lines of communications and territories that we (apparently) care more about will be threatened. In addition, I would note that it has only been through our wartime footing that we have managed to keep al Qaeda in even this loose net. If we downgrade our effort, al Qaeda will be able to grow even faster and push its control even further. Third and fourth, the article goes on to conclude that it is possible to "declare victory" and move on because 1) al Qaeda's offensive capabilities are "puny" and 2) U.S. defenses are strong. The first of these assessments is based on an assumption about al Qaeda that is unwarranted; that is, that al Qaeda's main objective and goal is to attack the United States. The recent release of documents from Abbottabad make it clear that attacking the United States was (and is) but the first step in a staged strategic plan, a plan that begins by attriting the United States, and weakening it so much that the United States will be forced out of all Muslim-majority countries. The next stage of al Qaeda's strategic plan is to take over and control territory, declaring "emirates" that will be able to spread safely because the United States will be too weak to intervene. This means that the affiliates are not just dangerous when they attack the United States (which Bergen implies in his article), but are a threat to our security when they overthrow local governments and set up local emirates that have greater, global ambitions. I would also note that while polling data is important for understanding how well we are doing in our fight against al Qaeda -- and here the indications are positive -- it is a fact that insurgencies need only a tiny percentage of active support in order to be self-sustaining (usually defined as 5 percent of the populace). Al Qaeda would like the consent of the governed, but they are perfectly happy to violently enforce obedience to their rule when necessary. And by the way: No al Qaeda affiliate or partner (including the Taliban, al Qaeda in Iraq, or the Shabaab) has been deposed from power by an uprising of the local population alone. They have needed outside intervention in order to expel the insurgents, even when the people have hated al Qaeda's often brutal rule. On Bergen's second point, I agree that U.S. defenses are strong, but disagree profoundly with the current mission of Special Operation Forces as the right method to defeat al Qaeda. This counter-terrorism mission is based on killing al Qaeda members, i.e. attrition, a strategy that assumes that al Qaeda is still a terrorist group as it was in the 1990s. This is simply not true. Even then, the group's leadership aspired to bigger things, and al Qaeda has now succeeded in becoming an insurgent group, one that takes and holds territory, recruits far more soldiers than we can kill, sets up shadow governance and attempts to overthrow governments around the Muslim-majority world. While attrition can succeed as a strategy against terrorist groups (see i.e. the Spanish and French fight against ETA), it is absolutely counterproductive against an insurgency, which simply uses the killings to recruit more members and to fuel its propaganda. Fifth, some part of Bergen's declaration of victory is based on wishful thinking. He argues, for instance, that killing or capturing AQAP's bomb-maker will 'likely' cause the threat from AQAP to recede. This assumes that 1) the bomb-maker never trained replacements and 2) that AQAP is incapable of thinking up other ways to attack us. It also ignores the real threat from AQAP if it manages to overthrow the government in Sana'a and push on into Saudi Arabia. Finally, the last sentence of his article is a straw man. The objective of the Allied war on the Nazis was the same as every other regular war: To break the enemy's will to resist. It was simply not necessary to kill every Nazi in order to achieve this objective. The objective of irregular wars is rather different, however: to secure the population by clearing out the insurgents; then holding the territory through persistent presence; and finally creating the political conditions necessary to prevent any further appeal by the remaining insurgents. In this view, winning against al Qaeda does not depend on body counts, but rather would look very much like victories against other insurgents: the spreading of security for populations in Somalia, Yemen, the Sahel, and elsewhere; the prevention of a return of al-Qaeda to these cleared areas; and the empowerment of legitimate governments that can control and police their own territories. By these standards, we have not yet defeated al Qaeda; in fact, beyond Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, we have hardly engaged the enemy at all. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images Secretary of Defense Panetta's speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Shangri-La Dialogue has received considerable attention in the press. I was a delegate to the dialogue and was in the hall when Panetta spoke. Having had an opportunity to discuss the speech with officials from across the globe at the conference, and also to reflect upon it during a flight home that crossed half the globe, I'd like to share some thoughts. Panetta gave a good speech and even better answers to questions from the audience. He provided a clear statement of the United States' enduring role as a Pacific power. As a native of Monterey, California, he spoke evocatively of how America has influenced, and been influenced by the Pacific. He also put more meat on the bones of the Obama administration's pivot/re-balance to Asia, noting that by 2020 the United States would deploy 60 percent of its navy in the Pacific, including six aircraft carriers and a majority of cruisers, destroyers, and submarines. He also pledged to increase the number and size of exercises it conducts with allies and friends in the region. Panetta's strong words were mirrored in the size of the U.S. delegation, the largest ever sent to the Shangri-La dialogue. The Chinese, by contrast, kept a much lower profile. For reasons still unclear, Panetta's Chinese counterpart, Minister of National Defense Liang Guanglie, decided to stay away this year after having attended last year's event. Perhaps ironically, then, much of the discussion on the margins of the summit was about American staying power in the region. One word in particular hung over the conference like Singapore's oppressive humidity: "sequestration." Even without sequestration, however, there are real questions as to whether the Obama administration's defense program is sufficient to back its words with action. Nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of sea power. The Pacific is a maritime theater, and warships remain a major yardstick for measuring military strength. The size and composition of the U.S. navy is key both to assuring allies and deterring adversaries in peacetime as well as to fighting and winning the nation's wars. The Pacific is a theater where numbers matters. A ship, no matter how powerful, can only be in one place at a time. In his speech, Panetta noted that the Obama administration has decided to retire a number of warships ahead of schedule, so that today's navy, which is already the smallest it has been since before the United States entered World War I, will get even smaller. He argued, however, that the United States would eventually replace retired ships with more modern, and more capable, combatants. That is only partially true: The upgraded Arleigh Burke-class destroyers will have more modern radar and combat systems than the Ticonderoga-class cruisers that are set to be retired. However, the Littoral Combat Ships that make up the bulk of the surface ships that the Navy is procuring are considerably less capable than the warships that are being retired. There is, in fact, a growing gap between our commitments in Asia and our capability to protect them. It is a gap that both friends and competitors see emerging. As several colleagues and I argue in a newly released American Enterprise Institute report, the United States will need to go beyond current defense plans if it is to continue to play its historic role in the Pacific. We cannot just devote a larger slice of a smaller pie to the region. Rather, we will need new resources to modernize and expand the navy. We also need to explore new initiatives to enhance the credibility of the U.S. commitment to the region. These include working with our allies and friends to develop a coalition intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance network in the Western Pacific; expanding cooperation with our allies in undersea warfare; expanding the range of bases open to the United States; and enhancing nuclear deterrence. Unless we back our words with action, the United States will have difficulty bridging the capabilities-commitment gap. Jim Watson-Pool/Getty Images President Obama flew west, met with Asia-Pacific leaders, and trumpeted his intention to strike a high-standards trade deal with other committed trading partners in the region, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). That paragraph could describe either this last weekend or Nov. 2009, when the president first revived the TPP (it was initially launched in Sept. 2008 under the Bush administration and set aside by the new Obama team). Perhaps that's why the story about the weekend's APEC leaders' gathering in Hawaii was buried in the inner pages of the Washington Post and failed to make the front page of the New York Times. The papers may have learned, with this president, to duly note the statements of grand intentions, but to save the gaudy headlines for actual accomplishments. There has been some movement over the last two years, of course. The nine nations currently involved in the TPP negotiations have been meeting and hammering out a "framework" for the agreement. The Obama administration, over that time, moved from a tentative "intent to engage in discussions" to a full-fledged embrace of the TPP. New countries are now clamoring to join in the negotiations. But enormous obstacles remain: Kent Nishimura- Pool/Getty Images International Relations theorist Charles Glaser has joined a growing chorus calling for the abandonment of Taiwan. His take on why we should abandon the island is tucked into his "nuanced version of realism" argued on the pages of Foreign Affairs. As do most "abandon Taiwan" arguments, he begins with a "realist" argument for why war between the United States and China is unlikely. Why? Because besides Taiwan, Sino-U.S. interests are compatible. Parting company with other "pessimistic" realists who believe that "power transitions" -- the historic condition of a rising power challenging the existing hegemon -- more often than not lead to war, Glaser believes that this time it is different. The security dilemma (in pursuing our security we take steps which decrease their security which leads them to take steps which decrease our security, a process that can end in conflict) in the Sino-U.S. case. The task for Beijing and Washington (but mostly Washington) is to trust that each country just wants security, not domination. For example, the United States should not fear China's nuclear build-up because of Beijing's limited ability to strike the U.S. homeland. According to this logic, the United States should forego temptations to increase its own nuclear arsenal in response to China's own increases. All China is doing is increasing its security with a second strike capability. In turn, China should not fear U.S. conventional capabilities because most are resident across the Pacific. But ultimately, the argument goes, it is up to the United States and not China, to make adjustments to its security posture and not exaggerate threats that China poses. The United States is safe because China will never have the means to destroy its deterrent. Glaser concedes that this theory overlooks the fact that U.S. security alliances could seem threatening to China. Here we get to the nub of his argument. The United States must ask itself how important its security alliances are. Unlike "Neo-isolationists," Glaser, an advocate of "selective engagement," believes that the alliances with South Korea and Japan are important. And the United States could defend those alliances without creating a debilitating arms race if it provides just enough conventional deterrence, plus the threat of nuclear retaliation should those countries come under attack. To Glaser, Taiwan is different. China's belief that Taiwan is part of it is non-negotiable, and Beijing and Washington have very different views of what constitutes the status quo across the Strait. The Taiwan dispute has no diplomatic solution and the risks of nuclear war are getting too high, particularly with China's advancing second strike capability. His answer is for the United States to make the necessary "adjustments" and abandon Taiwan. He acknowledges potential critics who may say appeasement usually whets the appetite of the appeased. But, says Glaser, not all adversaries are Hitler, and China has limited territorial goals. Even if China has more expansive territorial claims, the United States can remediate any military imbalance through a greater conventional presence. In the end, the real danger is a self-fulfilling prophesy, a failure by the United States to realize that its basic goals are compatible with China's. Glaser fears that this is already happening -- the United States is taking a much more competitive military stance because its ability to operate along China's periphery is in danger. According to Glaser, this dilemma has two solutions. The first is for Washington to realize that U.S. interests are changing -- Taiwan is not really vital. And second, the United States should forego the kind of nuclear superiority that could counter China's second strike capability. Problem solved. This is a fairly conventional international theory argument about the relative stability of Sino-American relations. Glaser is essentially taking a side in an old debate. His innovation is the abandonment of Taiwan, a necessary step to decrease the security dilemma and reveal China's truly limited aims. SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images The past two months have witnessed a series of revelations regarding China's growing military power. In December 2010, Admiral Robert Willard, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, declared that the aircraft carrier-killing DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile had achieved initial operating capability. Last month, photographs and video of the J-20 fifth-generation stealth aircraft, a plane considerably more advanced than observers expected of China, appeared on the internet. On Monday, Ross Babbage, the founder of Australia's respected think tank, the Kokoda Foundation, issued a monograph, Australia's Strategic Edge in 2030 that examined the changing military balance in the Western Pacific and its implications for Australia. It is a report that demands the attention of policy makers in Washington. Babbage argued that China's aggressive military modernization is rapidly undermining the pillars that have supported American presence in the Western Pacific for more than half a century. As he puts it, "China is for the first time close to achieving a military capability to deny United States and allied forces access to much of the Western Pacific rim." He catalogues China's anti-access efforts, which include cruise and ballistic missiles that can attack ships and fixed targets; a massive investment in cyber-warfare capabilities, with reports of tens of thousands of Chinese cyber intrusions daily; new classes of both nuclear and conventionally powered submarines; a substantial increase in the Chinese nuclear stockpile; a huge investment in space warfare; and a massive increase in fighter bomber and other airborne strike capabilities. Babbage argued that Australia will need to take drastic action in order to protect its interests in a region increasingly dominated by China. These include acquiring a fleet of 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines (the report hinted at leasing or purchasing Virginia-class SSNs from the United States), developing conventionally armed ballistic and cruise missiles, increasing Australia's investment in cyber warfare, and hosting American forces on Australian soil. LARRY DOWNING/AFP/Getty Images After campaigning on the untenable promise that he would meet with leaders like Kim Jong Il without preconditions, President Obama has actually approached North Korea with a firmness that sometimes eluded the Bush administration in its last year. The Obama administration has strengthened trilateral security coordination with Japan and South Korea; implemented tough U.N. Security Council sanctions against the North after its nuclear tests; and rebuffed Chinese pressure for emergency six-party talks in the wake of Pyongyang's unprovoked attacks on South Korea. Given the North's escalating provocations and nuclear cheating and Beijing's dangerous complacency, this is the only strategy that has a prospect of deterring further belligerency and reversing the incentives the North sees in proliferation on the peninsula and beyond. This past week, however, senior Japanese and South Korean officials are reporting that the administration has begun signaling to them that the United States is ready to "shift back to dialogue" with the North. The Blue House in Seoul now feels under pressure to accelerate its own resumption of North-South dialogue so that U.S.-DPRK talks can get under way (since the administration has rightly stated that it would not get ahead of its ally South Korea's own diplomacy toward Pyongyang). In Tokyo there is an eerie sense of déjà vu at yet another potential swing in the pendulum of U.S. North Korea policy. Both Tokyo and Seoul want some dialogue with the North, and the administration deserves credit for how closely it has coordinated strategy with both capitals. But since the Hu Jintao visit to Washington, the dynamic seems to have shifted from U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral pressure on China to rein in the North to a new pattern of U.S.-China pressure on Seoul to pick up the pace of engagement (that, at least, is how one senior ROK official put it to me). Given our inconsistent history on North Korea to date, one can understand why our allies would be a bit nervous about where all this might go. JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images Australian voters will cast their ballots Saturday to choose potentially their third Prime Minister in nine weeks. Still in a post-putsch daze following Prime Minister Gillard's "et tu, Julia?" ouster of Kevin Rudd in June, the electorate will now decide between either rewarding Gillard and the Labour Party's palace coup with a full term, or starting afresh by choosing the colorful Tony Abbott and a Liberal Party government. Most polls show an essentially deadlocked race, with the added wild card of the third party Greens potentially securing enough votes to force a hung parliament or coalition government. Absent a clear sign from voter surveys, some prognosticators have looked for other sources of insight, such as Harry the Psychic crocodile who picked a Gillard victory. The fact that the purportedly clairvoyant reptile's method of "picking" involves eating a poultry carcass attached to a photo of the candidate's face is decidedly not confidence-inducing. Put it this way -- it is rarely a good thing for a political campaign to be represented by a dead chicken. Especially a dead chicken devoured by a crocodile. One of the paradoxes of the tight campaign is that conditions in Australia overall are quite good, a fact which would normally hand the ruling government a comfortable victory. Australia has weathered the global economic crisis well, technically avoiding recession by suffering only a single quarter of GDP contraction, with unemployment holding at 5.3%. While some credit goes to the banking sector's avoidance of toxic debt and an adept government stimulus package, Australia's resilient foundations are rooted in the remarkable economic boom and fiscal stability achieved under former Prime Minister John Howard, which contributed to Australia's No. 1 ranking in the 2008 Legatum Prosperity Index. On economic issues, the electorate's increasingly fond memories of the Howard government likely account for some of the Liberal Party's resurgent appeal. And voter concerns over a return to budget deficits under Labour are real, as are lingering resentments over Rudd's disastrous campaign to push a 40 percent "super-profits tax" targeted at the Australian mining industry, which had been a major driver of the past decade of growth. Foreign policy issues have played almost no role in the campaign. Nevertheless, nations in the region, and especially the United States, have a substantial stake in the outcome. Australia is one of America's strongest and longest-standing allies, the only nation to have fought alongside the United States in every war of the past century. U.S.-Australia relations under the Obama administration have been cordial though not particularly robust -- and certainly not helped by President Obama's two cancelled visits. In an interview this week with the Diplomat, former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer made the telling comment that "the Obama administration has placed less emphasis on alliances and allies. This means that Australia by its very nature has a lower profile in Washington than we had during the Bush administration, particularly during the Howard years." However, in recent months the Obama administration has substantially improved its strategic posture in the Asia-Pacific. From the joint naval exercises with South Korea, to stabilizing relations with Japan, to upgrading ties with Vietnam, to serving notice that the United States does not accept China's hegemonic assertions in the South China Sea, the administration seems to have found a new compass in the region. While new partnerships with nations such as India and Indonesia will feature in a successful Asia strategy, America's existing alliances in the region will still serve as the foundation. Here is where the U.S.-Australia relationship is indispensable. Both nations share interests and values, and often a common perspective on pressing regional and global issues -- whether the war against jihadist terrorism, China's growing assertiveness (even using Fiji -- yes, Fiji -- as a proxy), democracy and human rights promotion, maritime security, free trade, or energy security. America has no stronger ally in the region. Whatever the outcome of tomorrow's elections, they represent an opportunity for the Obama administration to reinvigorate ties with this enduring alliance partner. Scott Barbour/Getty Images By Phil Levy In Tokyo, President Obama spoke out in favor of trade. It was not exactly the much-heralded Trade Speech, in which he would lay out a detailed agenda and soothe U.S. public fears that he himself had helped to arouse. Instead, this talk was addressed to an Asian audience, but it offered some tantalizing new details and a near embrace of some free trade agreements. The President said: Continued integration of the economies of this region will benefit workers, consumers, and businesses in all of our nations. Together, with our South Korean friends, we will work through the issues necessary to move forward on a trade agreement with them. The United States will also be engaging with the Trans Pacific partnership countries with the goal of shaping a regional agreement that will have broad-based membership and the high standards worthy of a 21st century trade agreement. Rather than drawing inspiration from the president's oratory, as U.S. and European audiences often had, Asian leaders greeted the president's trade stance with skepticism. As the Financial Times reported: Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister and a regional elder statesman, said the US risked economic exclusion from Asia unless it reversed its protectionist stance. ... Najib Razak, Malaysia's prime minister, ... told the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Singapore that progress on trade liberalisation was "imperative" for global recovery. "The thing I liked about President Bush's foreign policy is that he was very pro-free trade. I hope the same message will be repeated." - some evidence that the Bush administration did not entirely neglect Asia for eight years. One might have expected Obama's vague statements in favor of the Doha trade talks, moving forward with South Korea, and engaging with the mysterious Trans Pacific Partnership to have at least created a warm glow about U.S. sentiments. After all, similarly vague statements about avoiding protectionism and supporting the WTO garnered kudos at G-20 summits in London and Pittsburgh earlier this year. Whether the APEC leaders were more discriminating than other audiences, cared more about trade, were more astute in their reading of American trade politics, or had just learned from past experience, they seemed unsatisfied. Perhaps with recent disputes fresh in their minds, they seemed to ask, "where's the beef?" And they were right to worry. The global trading system has not been lacking in kindly thoughts and well wishes. It's been lacking in strong leadership and specific proposals. Fingers have been pointing at the Obama administration. The Doha global trade talks that were declared essential in the G-20 sessions have been foundering. Last month, the European Union and Brazil criticized the United States for failing to put forward specific demands. This month, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy commented that "the U.S. is proving to be slow in reaching a clear and articulated negotiating position." If it were translated from the excessively cordial language of international diplomacy, that remark would likely be unprintable in a family publication. Ostensibly, the Korean FTA is unacceptable to President Obama and Congressional Democrats because the Koreans have had the audacity to intervene in their auto market. Korea, as a major trading nation, has not been as pliable as other U.S. FTA partners and has made clear in the past that they are not interested in renegotiating the agreement with the United States. Instead, Korea has just concluded a similar agreement with the European Union that will put American exporters at a disadvantage in the Korean market. The novelty in the president's announcement concerned the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and was sufficiently obscure to leave many people scratching their heads. In fact, the United States had already joined TPP talks with Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore late in 2008 under President Bush's direction. Obama's announcement in Tokyo seemed to indicate a lifting of his administration's suspension decision from earlier this year: small wonder that it received a tepid response. Even had the President wholeheartedly embraced a TPP deal, that would not have meant much on its own, since the United States already has FTAs with Chile and Singapore. Brunei's entire annual GDP is roughly $20 billion, which is less than the U.S. government has poured into Citigroup. The reason to care about the TPP was its potential to serve as a platform for serious integration throughout Asia. For a region that places a high value on trade, the Asia-Pacific has had a great deal of difficulty finding the right path toward liberalization. APEC has made trade pledges in the past, but the group has a very diverse membership and likely cannot serve as the vehicle for a high-standards regional FTA. More promising was the idea that if Australia and Japan were coaxed into joining a sophisticated TPP, the resulting FTA might then have opened its doors to any other Pacific nation willing to accept its terms. Unfortunately, the Obama administration has given no indication that it's willing to lead such an ambitious undertaking A prerequisite for a serious U.S. trade policy would be new trade negotiating authority for the president, which the Obama administration has not even requested from the Congress. For any of these trade initiatives to advance would require persistent and detailed effort of a sort we have yet to see. Obama may be a Pacific president, but he has not been a very specific president. Asian leaders last week were asking for more than platitudes. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Australia has released a pretty far-reaching and extraordinary defense white paper that is getting a lot of attention, and raising a lot of questions about the future of great power politics in the Pacific. Here is Andrew Schearer writing today in the Wall Street Journal Asia: Asia has long looked to the United States to underwrite two critical public goods: free trade and security. Now there is anxiety in the region about its continuing willingness and ability to so, and governments are looking for ways to adapt. For the latest example, look no further than Australia's defense policy paper, released on Saturday. 1) Doubling Australia's submarine fleet with next-generation submarines, 2) Replacing Australia's surface combatants with new-generation warships, 3) Expanding Australia's amphibious lift capacity, 4) Purchasing 1,100 protected combat vehicles of various types for the Army, 5) Replacing the Army's helicopter fleet with latest-generation aircraft, 6) Improving the training and equipping of Australia's special operations forces, 7) Acquiring 100 F-35 fifth-generation strike-fighter aircraft, 8) Upgrading and expanding airlift, air early warning, and air refueling capabilities, 9) Acquiring long-range strategic strike land-attack cruise missile inventories, 10) Upgrading ISR capabilities across the force, 11) Acquiring cyber and electronic warfare capabilities, 12) Acquiring independent space mission assurance capabilities, 13) Exploring the development of missile defense capabilities to defend troops in field and Australia's population and key infrastructure. Not too shabby. And this from the government of Mandarin-speaking, left-wing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, no imperialist war-monger he. Schearer, in his Journal piece, is troubled by this, and I think he anticipates the reaction of some U.S. conservatives: [I]t's clear that if the Obama administration does not show it is serious about maintaining the U.S. military presence in Asia, Australia may end up with no choice but to get serious about strengthening its military defenses, even beyond what is in the policy paper. "Smart power" has its place, but U.S. allies in Asia would feel more secure if America backed reassuring rhetoric with real military muscle. But why is it a bad thing for our allies to strengthen their defenses? Absent some major surprise, the relative decline of U.S. power seems like a pretty sturdy long-term trend, and we shouldn't do anything to catalyze it further than recent events may have already -- say, by assuming that future conflicts will necessarly look like our present ones or that the old axiom of power abhorring vacuums won't apply to new great powers. That said, I see the Australian white paper as a reason to be optimistic that America's relative decline can be managed in a smart way that leaves us in a good strategic position. Westhawk puts his finger on one reason why: If the Australian defense ministry can reach these conclusions, why shouldn't the Japanese, South Korean, Taiwanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Indian, and Russian defense ministries also formulate these same planning assumptions?.... The greatest loser from such a chain reaction would be China. I'd go even further. The United States should want the Indians, and the Japanese, and the South Koreans, and the Indonesians to reach the same conclusions. We should actively encourage them to reach the same conclusions. And that goes for our NATO allies as well. (The Russians, not so much.) We should work to get more and more of America's like-minded allies investing in the capabilities to shoulder a greater share of our collective defense. And to that end, the perception that the "unipolar moment" is passing can actually play in our favor, as will the fact that China's "peaceful rise" remains an open question at best. This is not an argument for America to retrench -- to send the signal to our partners that they are free-riders who need to be weened off a dependence on U.S. power. To the contrary, it's a reason to do even more with our Pacific allies and to expand our joint capabilities. The rise of potentially aggressive great powers creates a natural incentive for their wary neighbors to provide more for their own defense, and I think we actually further that trend by showing a greater resolve to do so ourselves. Less clear is whether what is true for Australia (and perhaps other Asian powers) will also be true for, say, Europe. But that's a whole other problem. By Aaron Friedberg Henry Kissinger once described his time in government this way: Sometimes it feels as if you were in one of those movies, sitting on the track in front of an express train. The train is bearing down on you. You know what to do if you did not have ten other things that needed doing first. You are praying that the train somehow will miss and you will not get hit. When he takes office next Tuesday, Barack Obama is going to find trains bearing down on him from all sides: conflict in Gaza, unfinished wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorist threats, a brewing confrontation between India and Pakistan, Iran on the brink of acquiring nuclear weapons, and an unresolved global economic crisis of unprecedented proportions. With so many urgent problems to contend with, the new administration will have precious little time to devote to a more distant, but fast-approaching challenge that may yet turn out to be the biggest of them all: the ongoing shift in world wealth and power towards Asia and, in particular, the rise of China. Here’s a report, released this week, that’s designed to help. In it, my co-author Dan Blumenthal of the American Enterprise Institute and I (drawing on the conversations of an outstanding working group) describe the key features of “An American Strategy for Asia.” As regards China, we argue that, even as it continues its long-standing policy of economic and diplomatic engagement, the United States is going to have to step up its efforts to maintain a favorable balance of power in East Asia. Towards this end we advocate the further strengthening of our existing bilateral alliance and quasi-alliance relationships, the creation of new multi-lateral mechanisms for promoting strategic cooperation among Asia’s democracies, and some significant improvements in U.S. capabilities to offset China’s ongoing military buildup. We conclude that: “The United States and its regional friends and allies have among them more than ample resources to ensure their security. But if they fail to deploy them in an effective and purposeful way, they will find themselves on the wrong end of a rapidly shifting balance of power.” While it struggles to meet other, more immediate challenges, the Obama administration must find the time, energy and, hardest of all, the resources, to deal with this one as well. Shadow Government is a blog about U.S. foreign policy under the Obama administration, written by experienced policy makers from the loyal opposition and curated by Peter D. Feaver and William Inboden.

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2013-05-18T17:56:48Z

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"The Military and Covert Options for Iran," subject of talk by Gardiner, Feb. 19 Air Force Col. (ret.) Sam Gardiner will present a public talk at the Woodrow Wilson School titled, "The Ugly Stuff on the Table: The Military and Covert Options for Iran." at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 19, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall, on the Princeton University campus. Gardiner, a wargames strategist, has taught strategy and military operations at the National War College, Air War College, and Naval War College. He was also a visiting scholar at the Swedish Defense College. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he was a regular on CNN, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, BBC radio and television, and National Public Radio. Gardiner has conducted games for the Air Force, Navy, Army, CIA, and Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department and has been involved with and facilitated recent State Department strategy reviews on Burma, Kosovo, Haiti, Bangladesh, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Nepal, and Afghanistan. In 2004, he conducted a war game organized by the Atlantic Monthly to gauge how an American president might respond, militarily or otherwise, to Iran’s rapid progress toward developing nuclear weapons. He also has conducted war games on North Korea. He recently designed and conducted a series of seminar war games on irregular warfare in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and Poland for the U.S. Air Force. Gardiner is the author of the recent report, Dangerous and Getting More Dangerous: The Delicate Situation between the United States and Iran, in which Gardiner warns of the dangers of escalation in the U.S.-Iran confrontation. His combat decorations include the Bronze Star. His other decorations include the Legion of Merit. This event is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. It is free and open to the public.

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9. Eleocharis retroflexa (Poiret) Urban, Symb. Antill. 2: 165. 1900. 贝壳叶荸荠 bei ke ye bi qi Scirpus retroflexus Poiret, Encycl. 6(2): 753. 1804; Eleocharis chaetaria Roemer & Schultes. Annuals. Roots fibrous. Rhizomes and stolons absent. Culms often recurved, tufted, 2-16 cm tall or rarely more, filiform, soft, 5- or nearly 4-angled. Leaf sheaths 1 or 2, pale red, tubular, 2-12 mm; basalmost sheath bladeless; cauline sheaths usually with a glumelike blade at apex. Spikelet purplish red, ovoid, ca. 4 × 2 mm, slightly compressed, few flowered, sometimes proliferous. Basalmost glume empty, subelliptic, amplexicaul for whole spikelet base; fertile glumes green, broadly ovate, 2.8-3 × 1.8-2 mm, herbaceous, with a median keel, edge membranous, margin hyaline, apex acute to obtuse. Perianth bristles 6, nearly as long as nutlet, one on outer series shorter than nutlet, retrorsely spinulose. Stigmas 3. Nutlet yellowish, broadly obovoid, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, 3-sided, angles prominently costate, reticulate to deeply pitted-reticulate with isodiametric epidermal cells, apex broadly truncate and not constricted; persistent style base pyramidal-acuminate, base as wide as to slightly narrower than nutlet. Fl. and fr. Jul-Nov. Moist areas in fields. Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, N Thailand, Vietnam; Africa, tropical America, NE Australia, Pacific islands].

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2013-05-18T17:49:06Z

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Prof. W.B. Lee is Director of the Knowledge Management Research Centre of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Prof. Lee is the editor of the Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, and International Journal of Knowledge and Systems Science. He established the Knowledge Solution Laboratory, the first of its kind in Hong Kong and has pioneered research and practice of knowledge management and knowledge audit in various organizations. Prof. Lee and his team have launched Asia’s first on‑line MSc. Program in Knowledge Management. His research interest includes manufacturing systems, knowledge management, organizational learning and intellectual capital‑based management. The 7th International Conference on Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management & Organizational Learning (ICICKM 2010) was hosted by the Knowledge Management Research Centre ,The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China, the first time in Asia. The conference is well attended by more than 100 delegates from over 30 countries and regions. This conference series is unique in the sense that it unifies all the important themes in this multidisciplinary area which can be pursued from either the knowledge management, intellectual capital management or organizational learning perspectives or any combinations of them. The relationship between these themes is important. It is only through the effective management of our knowledge assets and the continuous learning of individuals, teams and organization that we are able to build the intellectual capital which is the underlying power driving corporation’s future growth. Apart from the rich tacit knowledge exchange among delegates during the conference, the conference proceedings give a good record of papers delivered at the conference. Our thanks and appreciation go out to all those who presented papers and participated in the conference. Feedback to date from delegates and participants has been extremely positive. The support from departments within the University and our session Chairs and Keynote speakers is gratefully acknowledged. We also recognize the efforts of both the Executive and Conference Committees for their contribution to the double blind peer review process. Based on the input of the session chairs, we are able to select 10 papers of these to be published in this electronic Journal. These cover a lot of topics including KM models, strategy, innovation, organizational leaning, and intellectual capital measurement, and provide various new insights to the readers. Grant started by asking the question if knowledge Management (KM) is just another fab. Through the lens of management fashion theory and a good review from bibliometric evidence he assures us that KM is unlike other management themes and is an enduring management activity. However, there is a potential conflict between the interests of practitioners and researchers. With different perspectives and prescriptions, Imani furthers the discussion by examining the KM strategy in 18 global companies and finds out how they are linked to the business strategy, which are either formulaic (to support routine activities) or embryonic (to address corporate strategic agenda). On the other hand, Tan and Nasurdin focus on the influence of KM effectiveness on innovation in 171 large manufacturing firms in Malaysia and find out that the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition has a positive influence on both the technological and administrative (organizational) innovation. Another issue of concern to researchers in this conference is on how knowledge management is linked to business performance and its evaluation. These findings and observations are reinforced in a study conducted by Rabhi in Saudi Arabia on the effect of KM on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including customer satisfaction, business savings and projects completed. Tiago et al. studied the relationship between the knowledge management and eBusiness activities by applying a structural equation model in a large database of KM activities of European and American firms. In a study of performance of a Quality Assurance Department conducted by Chan in an electronic factory, the performance of the quality management processes is related to the intellectual capital involved which is captured from a knowledge audit of the plant. De Alvarenga Neto and Vieira from their Brazil experience described the four main components of KM Model in a Brazilian research cooperation, that is, strategy, the environment (from social, information, cognitive and business), tool boxes, and tangible and intangible outputs, and concluded that for the model to be useful it should be collaboratively built among organization units instead of one from top‑down. Inter‑organizational and organizational learning has been recognized to be important for knowledge creation. Laursen, based on an empirical study of four organizational development projects at four Danish high schools revealdifferent perspectives on the projects set up by the staff and the management and how the perspectives have consequences on what is actually learned by individuals as well as the whole organization. As team learning and performance is closely related to the shared mental models of the team members, Zou and Lee explored the shared mental model of eight sigma project teams through collective sensemaking workshops conducted in an electronics factory in China. It was found that a high performance team perceived stronger interrelatedness between key teamwork concepts than average teams did. An area that has been less studied is the effect of age diversity on knowledge transfer in workplace, which roots from the retirement of baby boom generation in many mature organizations. Wang and Dong undertook a study on some basic questions in intergenerational knowledge transfer such as analysis framework and transfer mechanism from a sociological perspective. Despite the diversity of topics they all tend to address on how KM performance is related to business goals, how the effectiveness is evaluated and how organizational learning takes place, one feature of all these papers is that they all have data to support their cases and cut across various countries and cultures. I hope this special issue serves as a timely and updated reference for the KM, IC and OL professions.

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2013-05-18T17:48:58Z

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Travel to Northern India: Konarak The Sun Temple at Konarak is a superlative in a country of superlatives. Built, it appears, in the 13th century, it was abandoned after the Muslim invasion of Orissa early in the 16th. Composed largely of khondalite, a gneiss that weathers easily, without maintenance the temple began to fall apart. Approximately half of it was gone when European visitors arrived for the first time in the 19th century. Shortly after 1900, serious conservation efforts were made to stabilize what remained. That lesser half, amounting to no more than the entrance porch or jagamohana of the vanished sanctuary or rekha is one of India's most spectacular sights. This is the straight-on approach. The surviving porch of the temple is the triangular mass behind this bhoga-mandapa or Hall of Offering. It's hard to imagine a more densely decorated surface. We'll ascend the platform. The roof is missing; it may have echoed the huge roof of the porch. From the top, you can see across the intervening ground to the stairs rising to the entrance of the temple. The entrance, sorry to say, was blocked with rock and sand in the 19th century for fear that the whole thing would otherwise topple. People who saw it before it was filled report that the interior was very simple, with corbelled stones stepping inwards on all sides to form a roughly pyramidal shape, corresponding to the elaborate external profile of the building. A king named Narasimha probably built the temple, but his motivation remains unclear. To mark a recovery from illness? It must have been something serious, because a Muslim chronicler at Akbar's Court, Abu'l-Fazl, reported that the temple cost 12 years of tax revenue from the province. A recent author writes that this was the "dazzling dream of an ambitious and mighty king, secular to the core and with immense zest for life, who wanted an edifice which would outrival the works of his forbears and immortalize his name." (Debala Mitra, Konarak, 1968 .) A closer view. The masonry blocks were laid without mortar, though there was a coat of lime plaster. The top of the porch, seen from the south. There's a complex vocabulary for these towers. The step-like layers, for example, are called pidhas. The structure simulates a temple cart riding on a dozen wheels. Another angle. The wheels were invisible until conservation work after 1900 cleared away a layer of beach sand that rose to the top of the platform. Seven horses pull the temple, which is dedicated to Surya, the sun god. The image is of the cart rising from the sea, now receded about a mile from what was the temple's beach-front location. A "petrified procession," some have called it. Perhaps their long burial in sand helped preserve the details of the wheels. A closer view. Detail, down to the cotter pin. The temple has hundreds of sexual images. Side view, from the south. The view here is from the southwest and shows the stump that remains of the sanctuary that rose to a height half-again as high as the porch. (This assumes that the sanctuary was actually built. Parts of it certainly were, because fragments survived until a storm of 1848.) To see something comparable to what existed here, see the pictures of Puri or, on a smaller scale, the temples at Bhubaneshwar. "There is, so far as I know, no roof in India where the same play of light and shade is obtained with an equal amount of richness and constructive propriety as in this instance, nor one that sits so gracefully of the base that supports it." (Fergusson, II, 107) A niche on the north side of the sanctuary carries a statue made of chlorite. It's Surya, a form of Vishnu; flanking his knees (and mostly missing from this image) are two adoring dawn maidens. The decoration also includes mythical animals, in this case a leogryph (the Sanskrit name is simply vyala, "lion,") atop an elephant. Another leogryph on the right; on the left, a pious nagni, a female naga with a human head, snake body, and hooded cobras behind. In the center is a maithuna, decorously or perhaps just very literally translated as a "loving couple." The arrangements (and positions) vary. A couple with a niche to themselves. Another wheel detail. An elephant, masterfully soft. Another elephant, this one preparing to hurl a demon. Lions atop elephants at the entrance steps through which we passed earlier. Colossal fragmentary lion. This is the ceiling at the entrance to the temple. The iron bars are original, apparently made by beating a bundle of hot bars into a mass. Similar beams were used at the top of the corbelled ceiling in the interior of the porch. Originally, a stone architrave hid them. It's been removed and put in a nearby museum, after 19th Century efforts to transport it to Calcutta foundered on logistics. A photograph of the partially collapsed interior of the temple before it was filled with a layer of rock pressed flush against the walls, then filled tight with sand, which was finally poured down a 6-inch shaft drilled at the peak. Since then, fears of water accumulating in the mass have led to pressure-grouting of the exterior stones. Not impressed? But look inside. Here's that massive architrave, carved from the same chlorite used in the statue of Surya. It was removed from the temple before 1838 by the local Raja of Khurda, who wanted to use it for his palace. Before he could do so, orders came from the British government to cease and desist. The British then attempted to move the stone to a museum in Calcutta, but it was too massive and so stayed here. It portrays the nava-grahas, or nine planetary gods. From left to right, Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Sukra (Venus), and Sani (Saturn). At the far right are Rahu and Ketu, invisible planets at war with the earth and sun. Surya, smiling with a lotus flower in each hand Rahu. He carries crescents because he is associated with lunar eclipses. Despite the sea's retreat from the site, there's plenty of sand still around. And relics, whether of the destroyed sanctuary or of other buildings once standing in the neighborhood. What you didn't want to see! Konarak is a popular place unless you come early. * Australia's Northern Territory * Austria * Bangladesh * Belgium * Brazil (Manaus) * Burma / Myanmar * Cambodia (Angkor) * Canada (B.C.) * China * Czech Republic * Egypt * France * Germany * Greece * Hungary * India: Themes * Northern India * Peninsular India * Indonesia * Israel * Italy * Japan * Jerusalem * Jordan * Kenya * Laos * Kosovo * Malaysia * Mexico * Morocco * Mozambique * Namibia * Netherlands * Norway * Oman * Pakistan * Philippines * Poland * Portugal * Singapore * South Africa * Spain * Sri Lanka * Sudan * Syria * Tanzania * Thailand * Trinidad * Turkey * United Arab Emirates * United Kingdom * U.S.: East * U.S.: West * U.S.: Oklahoma * Uzbekistan * Vietnam * West Bank * Yemen * Zimbabwe *

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Batch Dry Rendering The conventional batch dry rendering process is characterised by its simplicity and versatility i.e. almost all kind of raw materials can be treated in the process. The crushed raw material is heated, cooked and dried in the batch cooker, before the fat is separated in the high pressure press. Haarslev Industries A/S │Denmark │Germany │ Norway │Spain │UK │ USA │ Peru │ Brazil │ Russia │ China │ Malaysia │ New Zealand │ India │ Email: email@example.com

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2013-05-18T18:06:20Z

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Celebrate your life, don't be selfish, be open minded, don't be greedy, there's plenty of everything. Live life to the fullest. Wake up.Apreciate everyone around you, because you will never ever know when it may be gone.I can't imagine my life without my beautiful girl friend, this mix is dedicated to my friend Cody and his special friend that has passed away. It may not be that much of sad emotional mix, but I do believe that someone's life should be celebrated. Death is a hard thing to deal with, no matter what I will always have your back Cody! Same goes out to all of my Colorado people! ENJOY LIFE! hi this is the first mix of the dream state episodes the mix is a blend of melodic trance moveing unto the more bassier and uplifting sounds and back down again.its a real train of emotions from start to end. with new tracks from dinka arnej and andy tau this mix is sure to warm up those cold autumn days njoy peace aura Southland Progressive is a trance mix inspired by the nightlife that surrounds LA's cityscape. from the clubs, to the warehouses, to the forests in the surrounding mountains. trance is the pulse that runs in the veins of everyone in this city. www.soundcloud.com/autry www.facebook.com/autrymusic Download for free here: http://soundcloud.com/chaimm/above-be...A mash-up made by Martin Devant and myself a couple of months ago. Feel free to download etc. Please note that we did not produce the original tracks, full credit for them go to the original artists and labels, we only mashed up the tracks. The full name is: Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston and Maor Levi & Bluestone vs. Bobina & Wezz Devall - Love Is Diamond Hell (Martin Devant & Chaim Mankoff Mash-up) ~~~ 2A - 132 Tracks used: Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston - Love Is Not Enough (Maor Levi & Bluestone Remix)Bobina - Diamond Hell (Wezz Devall Remix) Feel free to download/share/use and let me know what you think of it! Thanks. a huge variety of amazng mash ups from myself to many other artists feat mashup germany, 3lau, dj jinstinct, armin van buren. enjoy and download and follow me on soundcloud for 30 more tracks and mixes from the newest dj for 2012 Dj J Instinct. This is one of my favorite mixes to date. Some of my favorite latest melodic trance tracks. Many of the artists are on the Anjuna label. I got to catch the Above & Beyond Group Therapy tour a few weeks ago it was stunning. *Please note the track list below may not be accurate* MY MASH UP OF PORTER ROBINSON&amp;#39;S NEW TRACK LANGUAGE AND ABOVE AND BEYOND&amp;#39;S SUN AND MOON FEATURING RICHARD BEDFORD. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU ALL THINK. STAY FILTHY! Chillout to the latest music of Above & Beyond. Loved by many for their trance tunes, the chillout remixes/tunes of some of Above & Beyond's vocal trance hits are heavenly smooth and inspirational. This 30 min set is inspired during my time playing by the beach of Cherating in east coast Malaysia. Eastern Pavilion Resort, located in the heart of Cherating, is now one of my fav's 5-star villa in this beautiful country. If you are a big fan of chill out and Above & Beyond, then you know that Anjunabeats Chilled Collection 01 was only released in 2010. Yup, we had to wait 10 years after Above & Beyond was formed. Hopefully this set brings some temporary joy before Anjunabeats comes out with their new chillout album. As such, the six songs here are those that were released in 2010 and later. And of course this sets focused on vocals from Zoe Johnston and Richard Bedford. 1) Diakrinousa (Roby K and Flashtech Remix) – Chris Schweizer, 2) Ultra – Chris Schweizer, 3) Underwater (Marc Simz Remix) – Leon Boiler and Julie Thompson, 4) Every Little Beat (Myon and Shane 54 Summer of Love Mix) – Above and Beyond 5) Orbion – Abuja, 6) Awakenings (Tritonal Remix) – Super 8 and Tab, 7) Elegia – Alexander Popov, 8) Leomon Tree (Marcel Woods Treatment) – Marcel Woods, 9) Tetra – Maarten De Jong, 10) Illusionize – Lisa Lashes, 11) Lucky Strike – Orjan Nilsen. This is the last episode of the MIX OF THE MONTH SERIES.. starting 2012 there will be new series of house.... i have had tremendous support from my fans and followers during the last year.. 9000 downloads!!!! that says it all... This is a banging mix for your new years party.. this is the 2nd part of the NYE 2012... play it loud....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! and yes.. visit me on www.facebook.com/pages/Coobare/230539236998965

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2013-05-18T17:57:14Z

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By ALISON SIDER Phillips 66 would entertain offers for some of its refineries in Europe and Asia as it focuses on growing returns in its US refining system, an executive told analysts Thursday. Larry Ziemba, executive vice president for refining, project development and procurement, said that, for the right price the company would consider selling a 71,000 bpd refinery in Cork, Ireland, and its joint venture stakes in refineries in Malaysia and Germany. "They're really not strategic," Mr. Ziemba said of the refineries. The company's 47% stake in Malaysia's Maleka refinery is a holdover from Phillips 66's days as the refining arm of ConocoPhillips, which had upstream operations in Malaysia. Now, "it might be worth more to Petronas or someone else than it is to us," Mr. Ziemba said. Mr. Ziemba said the company likes the cash generated by its 18.5% stake in the Mineraloelraffinerie Oberrhein GmbH refinery in southwest Germany, but said the refinery is not key to the company's portfolio. He said the refinery in Ireland is "not sophisticated." Most Phillips 66's refining capacity is located in the US, where the company is looking to take full advantage of booming production of relatively inexpensive oil. Mr. Ziemba said the share of "advantaged" crude-oil that is cheaper than the European Brent benchmark- has grown from 52% of the crude Phillips 66 ran in 2011, to 70% by the end of 2012. "Ultimately, our objective is to push all the Brent crudes out of our system," Mr. Ziemba said. The challenge has been getting crude from areas such as North Dakota that are not yet hooked in to existing pipelines. Many coastal refineries have turned to rail companies and their existing routes to connect to the new sources of crude. Earlier this year, Phillips 66 announced that it signed a five-year contract for 50,000 bpd of crude oil from North Dakota to be delivered by rail to its Bayway refinery in Linden, N.J. The company is awaiting permits to build a rail rack to supplement that, Mr. Ziemba said. Now Phillips 66 wants to do the same thing at its Ferndale, Wash., refinery, where the company is working with third parties to bring Bakken crude. Mr. Ziemba said the company is considering building a rail rack at Ferndale, which would also allow the refinery take rail delivery of Canadian crude that could then be sent to refineries in California by ship. Dow Jones Newswires

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2013-05-18T18:07:14Z

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Urthboy uses the following Shure products: |Shure PSM600||With the first entry into personal monitoring, the PSM®600 continues to be recognized as the industry standard for full-featured wired and wireless in-ear systems. Rugged and reliable, they deliver superb sound for all professional broadcast, recording, touring and installed sound applications.| |Shure SCL5 Sound Isolating Earphones||Dedicated high-definition tweeter and woofer drivers couple with an inline crossover to deliver exceptional audio: precision highs, natural mids, and full bodied bass with clarity often difficult to detect with traditional stage wedges or studio headphones. The choice for discriminating professionals.| |Shure UR4D-Q5||The UR4D receivers provide single and dual-channel options for premium wireless. The latest technologies provide advanced control and robust flexibility for a wide range of professional uses.| |Shure UR2B58|| | UHF-R handheld transmitters boast a rugged, lightweight construction and an antenna design which advances RF transmission reliability. The transmitter design allows for interchangeable microphone cartridges. |Shure PA805SWB||The Shure PA805 is a directional antenna for increased range and reduced interference as compared to omnidirectional 1/2-wave antennas. The PA805 can be mounted on a microphone stand or mounted to a wall using the integral swivel adapter bracket.| |Shure SRH840||Designed for professional audio engineers and musicians, the SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones from Shure are optimized for studio recording and critical listening.| |Shure M44-7 DJ Cartridges||Revived exactly the same as the original, this legendary battle needle offers ultra-high skip resistance and ultra-high output. The needle of choice for many champion DJ's worldwide. Engineered for scratch DJ's and turntablists, the M44-7 is designed not to skip under even the most demanding circumstances.| Urthboy is a hip hop artist from Australia. His first group, Explanetary, a short-lived project featuring members of Hermitude and school friends, folded after one EP In On The Deal (2001). Urthboy's first solo album Distant Sense of Random Menace was released in 2004 ("Aussie Hip Hop needs this album" The Brag) and featured singles No Rider and Come Around. But it was 2007's The Signal that kicked things up a notch. With the exceptional production of Count Bounce (TZU) and Elgusto (Hermitude), as well as the success of the first single We Get Around (top 25 in Triple J's Hottest 100), The Signal was hailed as "a classic" by Rolling Stone. It received two AIR Award nominations; a J Award nomination (Triple J's Album of the Year award); and it was shortlisted in the prestigious Australian Music Prize (Best Album 2007). The only national tour off the back of the album was completely sold out. Significantly, the album was licensed to Motivo Records (among a select few hip hop records from Australia ever licensed overseas) and released late 2007. Urthboy has ventured beyond Australian shores (Malaysia 2007, Japan 2008). In addition to solo material, Urthboy is one of the main lyricists of The Herd, whose four albums The Herd (2001); An Elefant Never Forgets (2003); The Sun Never Sets (2005/06); and Summerland (2008) have seen them build a huge fanbase in Australia. They've sold out national tours, including major metropolitan theatres through to regional venues whilst accepting invitations to every major festival in the country. During this time they've won AIR Awards; landed in the top 10 of the national charts; been nominated for an ARIA award (Best Urban 2008); J Awards and an AMP award. 2009 sees the release of Urthboy's much anticipated third solo album, Spitshine. New Shure Endorsee Onboard: Urthboy Tim Levinson (alias Urthboy) is a Hip-Hop MC and Producer from Sydney, best known as part of the band The Herd. He has also released three solo albums, Distant Sense of Random Menace, The Signal and Spitshine, released in August, 2009. Tim has been a fan of Shure products for several years and a few weeks ago he took delivery of a Shure PSM600 Wireless Personal Monitor System which he uses alongside the traditional stage wedges. ”I’ve only had the in-ear monitors for five weeks and although at first they were tricky to get used to, but now we’ve found a healthy balance between monitoring in one ear and the other ear monitoring from stage,” Tim revealed. “This means we are able to hone in and adjust our vocal levels during parts of the set where we need a little bit more precision and a more specific idea of what’s going on. Other times we can just allow the vibe of the room to provide all that we need to be able to perform.” Tim reports that his Shure PSM600 system gives him a more precise understanding of what he is hearing enabling more accurate harmonization and easier understanding of what his fellow vocalists on stage are doing. “It’s been really helpful, a huge benefit,” he added. “We also have Shure Beta58 wireless mics with UH transmitters. They work really well, they’re really solid and have the extra benefit of using AA batteries that last a lot longer and so are much better for touring. The previous wireless mics that I’ve had used 9 volt batteries that are quite expensive and don’t last as long as AA’s.” Sharing the stage with Urthboy is Producer / DJ Elgusto (AKA Angus Stuart) who won’t use any other needle than the Shure M44-7 - the needle of choice for many champion DJ's worldwide. Solid and durable, the M44-7 is engineered for scratch DJ's and turntablists. “It’s most definitely my preferred choice ever since I started getting into scratching about seven years ago,” commented Angus. “It really is the industry standard when it comes to skip-resistance. It’s always been a sturdy, good quality cartridge. ”I also use the Shure SRH840 headphones which are wonderful. They provide crystal clear sound and are the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn.” Designed for professional audio engineers and musicians, the SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones from Shure are optimised for studio recording and critical listening. A precisely tailored frequency response and 40mm neodymium dynamic drivers combine with total comfort and durability to provide the ultimate listening experience. Photo: Urthboy. Spitshine Tour.

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http://www.jands.com.au/news/endorsees/urthboy

2013-05-18T17:57:09Z

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en

- GST implementation to add up to RM27b to Malaysia's income - ‘Opposition chaos agenda’ claim - Saiful, Nik Suryani to tie the knot - New Xbox more than a game console - Small fire sends smoke into 787 cabin in Boston - Clean water supply in Selangor, KL steadily decreasing: Syabas - Police confirm sex videos seizure of Pas leader - Chef detained in connection with wife's murder - Malaysia can become great through balanced education: Idris - MCA: Unwise not to join cabinet - Bollywood bad boy Dutt held in 'terrorist' jail cell: report - Bumiputeras can now afford to be involved in equity investments: Shahrir - Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen is the new President of BWF - Cops refute Guan Eng's inaction claim - 6 people injured in bomb explosion in Sg Golok More LOS ANGELES: Kurt Angle, who won Olympic wrestling gold in Atlanta and later became a professional wrestling star, said Thursday his bid for an Olympic comeback in London has been halted by injury. Angle, 43, announced on Twitter that he was pulling out of next week’s US Olympic trials with hamstring and knee injuries. “We were hoping Father Time would hold off until after London. Unfortunately it hit me prior to the trials,” Angle said. Angle won the freestyle heavyweight gold at the 1996 Games. He went on to become a marquee name in WWE professional wrestling and then TNA Impact wrestling. - AFP

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http://www.nst.com.my/latest/olympics-injury-ends-angle-s-london-hopes-1.73601

2013-05-18T17:28:02Z

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en

PropertyGuru.com.my is the premier Malaysia Property website - the best place to start your real estate search whether you are an investor, buying for own use, or looking for a place to rent. SPNB not focusing on luxury homes in Klang Valley Aug 17, 2012 The Real Estate and Housing Developers Association's (REHDA) claim that Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) is prioritising the construction of luxury homes in the Klang Valley has no basis, said Datuk Idris Haron (pictured), Chairman of SPNB. "They can check our records. We don't build luxury homes unless we take over abandoned projects," he said in a report by Bernama. This is in response to REHDA's allegation that the company failed to construct affordable units in the Klang Valley and instead focused on building bungalows and detached houses. According to Idris, the definition of affordable housing varies, depending on geography and the state's economy. Affordable homes cost RM250,000 each in Kuala Lumpur. In Malacca, these are priced between RM120,000 and RM150,000, while in Kelantan these are only RM60,000. SPNB is also optimistic that it can complete 10,000 RMR1M houses as targeted for 2012, with 30 new designs, noted Idris. He also explained that SPNB had completed 6,041 RMR1M units utilising the Industrialised Building System (IBS), which speeds up construction time to one month per unit. Moreover, around 18,179 people have applied for low-cost housing. He also revealed that more IBS contractors will be deployed to ensure that the target is achieved by year-end, adding that 999 RMR1M units have been completed in Malacca, while 332 units are still under construction.

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http://www.reidin.com/news/showNews/my_homeguru-myhomeguru-20120817-2/spnb-not-focusing-on-luxury-homes-in-klang-valley.html

2013-05-18T17:16:57Z

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en

Bolkiah Mu'izzudin Waddaulah, Muda Hassanal Born: Jul 15, 1946 AD Currently alive, at 66 years of age. 1946 - Hassanal Bolkiah was born on the 15th of July in Brunei Town, Brunei, the eldest son of Omar Ali Saifuddin III, the previous sultan. - Received high school education in Malaysia's premier school Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur. 1961 - He crown as prince. 1967 - He became sultan on the 5th of October, after his father abdicated voluntarily. - He graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in October. 1968 - His coronation was held on the 1st of August. Page last updated: 5:40pm, 17th Aug '07

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http://www.s9.com/Biography/Print/Bolkiah-Muizzudin-Waddaulah-Muda-Hassanal

2013-05-18T17:28:14Z

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en

A teenage athlete has overcome a campaign of intimidation including death threats to become the only female member of the team to represent Afghanistan at the Beijing Olympics. - Telegraph TV: Afghan athletes' Olympic odyssey - Full coverage of the build-up to the Beijing Olympics Mehboba Ahdyar, a shy 19-year-old from Kabul, will face the worlds best 1,500-metre runners in August wearing a veil and a baggy tracksuit. While she is unlikely to mount the winner's podium, few of her opponents will have endured such a perilous training regime to get them to the Games. Training for Mehboba begins after nightfall. At 8.30pm, when Kabul residents are transfixed by the daily episode of the country's most popular soap opera, a racy Indian drama named Because a Mother-in-Law was Once a Daughter-in-Law Too, Mehboba slips out of her house in a poor suburb and starts running. She runs up and down the streets for the duration of the programme. It is the only time when, as a woman, she can supplement her official training sessions without threats or harassment. She recently had to destroy the Sim card on her mobile phone because the number had become known to fundamentalists who bombarded her with death threats. "They say that they will not leave me alive," she said, with a shrug. Mehboba, whose father scrapes a living as a carpenter, is a devout Muslim and insists that if she is forced to wear the sort of figure-hugging kit favoured by other international athletes she will not take part. But such dedication to her faith has not prevented further intimidation. After a Western journalist visited her house this week a rumour spread that she was entertaining foreign men as a prostitute. Mehboba received a visit from the police, while her family were warned that they might have to leave their house. In spite of the taunts and death threats, she insists she will run for national pride. "I will compete against heroes," she said, although she could not name any of the world's leading middle-distance runners. "We have trained for three years. I hope for a medal or at least to break Afghanistan's record." Her personal best is a full minute outside the 1,500-metre world record, but she has beaten all comers in national competitions. Three times a week she and her fellow Olympian, Masood Azizi, a 20-year-old sprinter, train for three hours at the national stadium, a concrete track around the field where the Taliban used to perform public executions. Mehboba and Azizi, along with a wrestler and a Taekwondo competitor will today fly to Malaysia for five months of intensive training to give the four-athlete team their best shot at Olympic glory. Mehboba was excited and nervous. "I have never left the country," she said, "except for a refugee camp in Pakistan."

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1583198/Afghan-girl-defies-death-threats-over-Olympics.html

2013-05-18T17:30:09Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

I suspect that the concept of partisan politics in the beekeeping industry isnt something that has kept you up nights. But there are different sides to many of the questions that arise in the world of the honey bee and those that keep them. All politics tends to be local, and it can occasionally be bitter, wrongheaded and stubborn. But just as often it can be wonderfully cooperative, friendly and helpful. Over the years the political skirmishes between the major beekeeping groups have been some of both - bad, and good. In the long run the differences tend to be financially based but sometimes they get personal. Such is life when more than three people are involved in most any activity. There is, in the world we live in far too much competition and far too little cooperation, so when you find something that is positive and productive you should stop and take a look. The rancor that was too common decades ago has mostly dissolved over the past few years, primarily because it is far more productive to work together than to bang heads, and most of the differences have been resolved, fixed or grown stale and forgotten. Moreover, there are fewer and fewer beekeepers around to accomplish things, so no matter what any personal feelings are, working as a team is generally more profitable than yelling at each other. That doesnt mean that goals cant be reached by taking different routes though, and this is not an uncommon activity ... When monsters need to be slain, how the slayers get the job done, though important, is less so than making sure the monster is dead. Such is a recent case in point. First, let me introduce the players ... There is the American Beekeeping Federation (ABF). Members of this group are commercial, sideline and hobby beekeepers, beekeeping supply dealers, queen and honey bee package producers, magazine publishers, honey importers, handlers and packers and pollination businesses. They are a large tent and attempt to cover essentially all aspects of the industry. If you look carefully at the composition of the individuals in this tent you might see some of the possible conflicts that could arise ... honey packers are in business to purchase honey as inexpensively as possible, from honey producers (beekeepers) who are in business to sell honey for as much as they can ... honey importers do the same buy low, sell high. Since there are only a limited number of any of these specific businesses in our industry, however, to make a sizeable enough force when dealing with national political issues they have banded together. It works, mostly, and they are pretty effective in the political arena, and in creating financial stability to support their causes. As a group they fund scientific research, support 4-H kids, sponsor an annual conference and a host of other industry related and philanthropic activities. The other major group, the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA), are comprised of only commercial beekeepers. Others ... beekeeping suppliers, queen and package producers, and magazine editors, can belong and can support, but cant be active members. Their rule is that if you earn more than 50% of your income from something other than producing honey you cant vote in their group. Its an exclusive, but effective group of beekeepers looking out for beekeepers. Not uncommon in any industry. You can see where the interests of these two groups lie, where they cross, and sometimes where they go in different directions. Over the years there has been much cooperation between the two in seeking and gaining goals that benefit both groups, and, conversely, there have been significant differences in their philosophy and what they believe is best for the industry, and in the best interest of their respective members. But enough of differences. Both groups certainly have a vested interest in solving the Colony Collapse Disorder problem that directly or indirectly affects all beekeepers. How to solve this problem is viewed somewhat differently by the groups but the goal is the same. And, last January, the two groups met together for the first time to work on some of their common problems, and share some of their common goals. I talked about that meeting here. In the future well look at the excellent work some in the American Beekeeping Federation have been doing recently to solve beekeepers problems in the pesticide area, Colony Collapse Disorder problems, and where their efforts are paying off with groups like the pollinator protectors, the EPA and USDA and University researchers. This time Ill explore what the AHPA, represented by their Legislative Committee, has been seeking in the halls of congress. They visited Washington back in September to find out why things arent moving faster in the funding arena for the solution to CCD, and why cheap and illegal honey imports from China are still getting into this country and destroying, according to them, American beekeepers markets and ability to maintain their operations. Colony Collapse Disorder Funding The Pollinator Protection Act in the Farm Bill authorizes $100 million over 5 years to conduct research on CCD and other threats to the health of bees and other pollinators. Further, for the years 2008-2012, $7.25 million per year is to be allocated to improve the status of the honey bee research labs, and for each of those years $2.75 million is to be allocated to conduct surveillance programs on honey bees pests and pathogens. From this so far, the Senate has only authorized $1 million above last years funding and the rest is nowhere on the horizon. The House, meanwhile, hasnt appropriated any funds in this direction. Of course, what funds are there, what with all the bailouts and buyouts and copouts going on? Colony Collapse Disorder funds are non-partisan as far as beekeepers are concerned ... all beekeepers can be affected by this problem, so all beekeepers want it solved. Illegal Chinese Imports Illegal imports from China are in the news, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is chasing as many as they can. According to the AHPA the Chinese have resorted to using three separate schemes to get honey into this country without paying the tariff imposed on their honey. They are circumventing through third countries, undervaluing the price of their crop and blending. Circumventing: According to U.S. import statistics, over 30 million pounds of honey entered over the last four years as Russian honey was actually Chinese honey. Plus, honey supposedly from Indonesia, Mongolia, Malaysia and Vietnam was Chinese. Youd think with all the food problems weve imported from China in the past few years, importers would worry a bit more about Chinese honey, but money talks. Blending: If a product is imported that is less than half honey a honey blend it is not subject to the tariffs imposed on pure honey. However, if a product is said to be a blend, but is in fact pure honey ... well, the technology does not exist in the U.S. to test for country of origin or for blending the best lab for this is in Germany. According to the AHPA it is almost embarrassing that U.S. Customs cant determine where honey being imported originates, or whether its even pure honey. And, they say, China knows this. Undervaluing: The actual value of Chinese honey is about $1 a pound the tariff on that would be about $0.50 for a total of about $1.50, on a par with U.S honey production costs. The Chinese however are valuing their product at $0.25, with a tariff of only $0.125 per pound total - $0.38 or so per pound far below the $1.50 it should be sold at in the U.S. The unfair advantage compared to U.S. producer costs is obvious, considering that the two main Chinese exporters are sending 5 million pounds a month into this country under this scheme. U.S. beekeepers have more problems than CCD, and are playing on an international playing field. Enter your city or zip code to get your local temperature and air quality and find local green food and recycling resources near you.

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http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/bees/beekeeping-politics-55101602

2013-05-18T17:28:14Z

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en

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — The rare earth processing plant at Lynas in Gebeng, Pahang has not exhibited any technical glitches, said Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Ibrahim. He said there was no obstacle preventing processing works to be carried out at the plant. “ASM research found that there were no technical problems for Lynas to operate because sources, which would be processed from China and Australia, are the same sources which had been processed at the 50-year factory in France. “Imagine that the factory has operated nearly 50 years in the tourism city, La Rochelle, in France, and is still strong and certified as safe... the factory in Gebeng is using similar technology,” he told Bernama after an interview with Radio 24 at Wisma Bernama here today. La Rochelle, of France’s Rhodia group, is a pioneer in the rare earth business in that country. It is the only integrated industrial company that carries out manufacturing operations and supplies raw materials via the rare earth factory in China. On June 25, the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Lynas Advanced Materials Project tabled its report at the Dewan Rakyat, recommending that a temporary operating licence be issued to enable the factory to begin operations. Among others, the report also recommended that the factory could process raw materials in stages and in limited amounts, and be continuously supervised by enforcement agencies. — Bernama

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http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/print/malaysia/asm-endorses-lynas-plant-says-no-gremlins-found/

2013-05-18T17:18:39Z

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en

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The United Arab Emirates ended Australia's hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Olympics, winning 1-0 on Wednesday to bolster its own chances of playing at the Games for the first time. In other Olympic qualifiers, South Korea qualified for the Olympics for the seventh time in a row with a 3-0 drubbing of Oman in Group A. Bahrain kept its campaign alive with a 2-1 victory that put the brakes on Syria's surprise run in Group C, which is now led by Japan after its comprehensive 4-0 win over winless Malaysia. Qatar ended Saudi Arabia's chances of advancing with a 2-1 victory in the Group A encounter. Qatar lies third, behind South Korea and Oman. The winners of each group advances to the Olympics. The three runners-up will play off in a round robin competition starting in Vietnam on March 25. That team then will take on the fourth-place team from Africa, Senegal, for the final Olympic spot in a match to be played in England on April 23. In Abu Dhabi, Australia set the pace early and had several good chances. Aaron Mooy forced the UAE keeper Khalid Eisa to make a diving save in the 15th minute and then five minutes later Eisa saved a shot from Oliver Bozanic with his feet. UAE then went on the counterattack. Striker Ahmed Khalil fired in a blistering free kick that Australia keeper Matthew Ryan just got a hand on. Then seconds later, UAE midfielder Omar Abdulrahman collected a backheel pass from Rashad Eisa in the 22nd minute and fired a shot underneath a diving Ryan for the only goal. Australia pressed late in the first half and nearly scored when Mate Dugandzic's effort clipped the crossbar in the 40th minute. It didn't create another good chance in the second half, leaving the team bottom of Group B and without a goal in the competition. UAE tops Group B after Iraq beat Uzbekistan 2-1 Tuesday. The Gulf nation now needs only a draw in its final away match against Uzbekistan March 14 to qualify for the Olympics. South Korea's Nam Tae-hee gave his team the perfect start when he scored after only one minute at their match in Oman. FC Seoul striker Kim Hyun-sung doubled the Koreans' advantage in the 68th minute before Kim Min-woo, who plays his club football in Japan's lower leagues with Sagan Tosu, adding the third just four minutes later. In Manama, Mohamed Tayeb al-Alawi scored a brace for Bahrain to beat Syria and leave the teams tied for second, three points behind Japan. Al-Alawi scored the opener in the 12th minute before netting the winner on the stroke of full time after substitute Ahmad al-Douni had equalized for Syria with four minutes left. Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, fell behind in the 12th minute after defender Ahmed Ali Walibi scored a penalty. But the home side were on level terms two minutes from the interval courtesy of skipper Hasan al-Haydos. Naser Nabeel sealed the victory 12 minutes from time. In Kuala Lumpur, Japan rebounded from a shock loss to Syria by overwhelming Malaysia. Hiroki Sakai opened the scoring in the 35th minute before Yuya Osako added the second a minute from halftime. Genki Haraguchi made it 3-0 10 minutes into the second half before debutant Manabu Saito sealed the win on the hour mark with his first goal for the Olympic team.

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http://www.times-gazette.com/ap%20sports/2012/02/22/uae-south-korea-win-2012-olympic-qualifiers

2013-05-18T17:51:05Z

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en

Type Your Answer 1500 characters. Why does Sunday morning tv suck sooo much??? DVD time... Why on earth would anyone get up at this time on a sunday morning in this weather to buy a paper!? Why is twitpic so tough to use on my Nokia X6 ? btw, great Yellow Sunday morning, Rakyat Malaysia! How many ppl are going to wake up sunday morning pissed off that the rapture didn't happen and now they owe a loan shark $50K?? Who would have thought she was a #whore? Church every Sunday morning in the choir, Wednesday night service. And spreading them legs 4 cash. Who has a football that I can borrow this Sunday?

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http://www.twitqa.com/qid/why2c_why_oh_why_do_i_still_play_football_on_a_sunday_morning_more_sleep_please_23gluttonforpunishment_23justforthebanter/27370

2013-05-18T17:57:16Z

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en

What Others Say About Us? "Wawasan Penabur's initiative of identifying, sharing and distributing Christian resources in Bahasa Malaysia to the indigenous people groups deserves our fullest support. It is strategic and necessary for a time such as this. Our conscience does not permit us to close an eye to the needs of one group of Christians in our country. The West Malaysian Church is rich in resources. We can share and be generous just as others have shared with us and been generous to us. The church in Malaysia is weak and incomplete without the strengthening of this group of Christians." - Rev. Wong Fong Yang, Senior Pastor of City Discipleship Presbyterian Church and former moderator of the Presbyterian Synod in Malaysia "Six out of ten Christians speak Bahasa Malaysia. These indigenous Christians form the backbone of the Body of Christ in Malaysia. And yet so many of them say they lack the necessary Bahasa resources to build the faith of their children, youth, and pastoral leadership. More than ever before, we need to form strategic and creative partnerships, regardless of denomination and race, to develop the best BM resources for the people who need them most. Wawasan Penabur is seeking to do just that. And it is my prayer that a new generation of Christians will arise, step up and offer their talents, time and heart for the Bahasa ministry in our land.” - Rev. Dr. Hwa Yung, Bishop of The Methodist Church in Malaysia “Gereja BM and OA perlu memberi sokongan kepada komitmen WP untuk melayani umat Kristian berbahasa Malaysia yang melintasi denominasi melalui penerbitan bahan-bahan bacaan dalam BM. Pertumbuhan iman tidak hanya terhad kepada secara lisan (khutbah) sahaja, tetapi juga melalui bahan-bahan bacaan, dan disaluti dengan tersedianya sumber pengajaran yang baik. Bahan sumber dalam Bahasa semakin susah kita dapatkan dari luar negara kerana sebab-sebab tertentu. Oleh itu usaha WP untuk mengumpul, menerbit dan menyebar bahan sumber dalam BM perlu diberi sokongan dan kerjasama dari gereja BM dan OA.“ - Alfred R. Tais, Executive Secretary of National Evangelical Christian Fellowship Bahasa Malaysia Commission "The Malaysian church has not awakened to its call to take on the Bahasa work seriously. It is crucial that we now redeem our lost time. We need to be aware that the Body of Christ in Malaysia does not just consist of urban English and Chinese churches, but also the large populations of indigenous people. Unquestionably, if Christians are to make any long-term impact in this nation, we need to take a big leap in addressing the urgent and strategic needs of the BM Ministry.” - Tan Hwee Yong, translator and author

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http://www.wawasanpenabur.org/index.cfm?menuid=22

2013-05-18T18:06:44Z

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en

Aviation Daily Mar 25 , 2010 , p. 12 An open-skies agreement among 10 of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries may be signed by their transport ministers at the 16th ASEAN summit in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, on April.8. The 10 members of ASEAN (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), recently adopted a multilateral agreement that seeks to liberalize market access, as well as ownership and control requirements, for air carriers in the region. The agreement is a precursor to an eventual single aviation market arrangement targeted for 2015. Talks on the ASEAN open-skies framework among member countries started in 2003. They included phased plans for liberalizing intra-ASEAN freight and passenger air services. The open-skies pact will liberalize air space among the 10 members to enable regional carriers unlimited flights among capital cities. The agreement would also encourage more airlines to land in the country by removing certain tariffs and add-on expenses, increasing flights and providing more options for passengers, says Sydney think tank Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA). A major effect of deregulation has been on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore city-pair, where frequencies grew by 72.5% in September last year, compared with September 2008, after regulatory constraints were removed. Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Silk Air, Tiger Airways, Singapore Airlines and Jetstar now operate the route. The Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route is now the second-largest sector from Singapore with 39,248 weekly seats, behind the Singapore-Jakarta sector with its 49,022 weekly seats, says CAPA. Limited open-skies agreements have already been ratified within sub-groups, such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, and among Singapore, Brunei and Thailand. Outside the bloc, Singapore has already signed several open-skies agreements with more than 30 countries, including the U.S, UAE, Australia and the U.K., and 17 European Union member states. Malaysia is promoting itself as a hub for budget carriers in Asia. While, the agreement will open airport development in ASEAN countries, there remains quiet trepidation concerning the loss of state sovereignty that may affect efforts to synchronize safety and technical standards, aviation security and competition procedures.

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http://aerospacediary.blogspot.com/2010/03/asean-to-sign-open-skies-accord-next.html

2013-05-21T17:36:46Z

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Posted by Dale Buss on January 9, 2013 09:03 AM Apple reportedly working on a lower-end iPhone. H&M reveals launch plans for & Other Stories store brand. Lance Armstrong to discuss doping in exclusive live-streamed Oprah Winfrey interview as new allegations arise. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos doesn't care about profit margins. American Airlines upgrades international travel. Asus looks to share in Google Nexus glory. Audi A7 self-driving autopilot car goes for a spin at CES. Beauty brands including Philosophy try oxygenating products. Best Buy's former CMO lands at LivingSocial. Boeing sees formal probe of Dreamliner.Continue reading... Posted by Shirley Brady on November 22, 2012 10:42 AM St. Jude Children's Research Hospital celebrates Thanksgiving with messages from its roster of celebrity supporters including Marlo Thomas, daughter of founder Danny Thomas, plus Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Aniston, Robin Williams, Michael Strahan, Luis Fonsi, and Shaun White:Continue reading... Posted by Sheila Shayon on October 19, 2012 03:17 PM Today is Génifique Day (formerly Genes Day), a one-day national event benefitting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and Lancôme will donate $7 from in-store or online sales of select Génifique products to St. Jude. Last year’s events and activities helped raise over $300,000 in support of lifesaving research and treatment. "Our three-year partnership stands as a testament to Lancome's commitment to supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, an organization that shares many of our core values," says Serge Jureidini, president of Lancome USA, in a press release. Lancome, the world's largest luxury beauty brand, sold at 2,000 counters across the U.S., applied ten years of research to Genifique, introduced in 2009, which “re-plumps, refines and re-illuminates the skin as if infused with life.” Fans of the product include "Mad Men" actress Christina Hendricks, Lancome ambassadress Julia Roberts, British songbird Lily Allen, supermodel Veronica Webb and star makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury. Making it easy for people to spread awareness of Genifique Day, the Lancome Facebook page is inviting users to create and share photo booth photo strips about “occasions when they feel their best.”Continue reading... Posted by Dale Buss on October 11, 2012 09:04 AM Activision goes bigger with Skylanders line extension and marketing effort. AIG pays $1.7 billion for ING Malaysia. ANA conference poised to set attendance record. Android robot is a hit with 3-D printers. Audi and BMW starting to leave behind Mercedes-Benz in global premium-auto race. BAE in play for U.S. buyers as report says EADS merger failed because of discord among participating European governments. BP moves closer to overall settlement of Gulf spill as Louisiana blames company for perma-sheen.Continue reading... Posted by Dale Buss on May 1, 2012 09:01 AM Delta Air Lines signs deal to purchase refinery to reduce jet fuel costs. Facebook urges members to add "organ donor" status in Good Morning America announcement. Walmart expands conservation program and urban push as pension plans in New York prepare to vote against its board at annual meeting. Adidas deals with Derrick Rose injury. Apple and Samsung hope to end bitter litigation. Avon continues financial slide. Bank of America plans to cut jobs from its upper ranks.Continue reading... Posted by Dale Buss on April 11, 2012 08:52 AM AIG plunges back into U.S. real-estate investing. Alcoa posts surprise profit after aluminum orders climb. Amazon adds in-app purchases to woo developers away from Apple. BJ's Wholesale Club grows locally produced program. Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn quits amid "personal-conduct" probe. Coty explores U.S. IPO potential. Cracker Barrel adopts poison pill. Denny's rolls up Millennial views with "Always Open" web series. Continue reading... Posted by Sheila Shayon on October 20, 2010 02:20 PM This Friday, October 22, Lancome is hosting a one-day fundraiser — which it's calling Genes Day — for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in New York. The L'Oreal-owned brand will donate $7 from every $78 bottle of Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate sold on its website or in-store. It's also giving away free seven-day samples at retail partners' beauty counters to help first-timers try before they buy, and take the plunge for a good cause. Lancome has pledged a minimum of $100,000 to St. Jude, the only pediatric cancer research center in America where children are never denied treatment because their family cannot pay or lacks insurance.Continue reading...

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If you want to dine like royalty and experience the feeling of being in a Moghul tent, head for The Sultani, writes Zalina Mohd Som. At a glance, it looks like any other meatball. But just one bite and you’d know these are not exactly what you get anywhere else. Double meat kofta is a signature dish of Moghul restaurant The Sultani. These meatballs comprise two layers of meat. cut one into half and you’d see the outer ring of minced chicken with a minced lamb ball inside. both minced meats are dequately flavoured with spices and herbs. The meatballs are then cooked with a thick spicy gravy. The most interesting or perhaps the most delicious part is that both meats are equally tender and juicy. The flavour and sweetness of the chicken and lamb stand out individually and in balance. Even the gravy does not drown their taste. The meatballs can be eaten on their own or with the thick spicy gravy. This dish, one of The Sultani’s many house specialties, was created by resident chef Ahmad Javed from Pakistan. Ahmad is the fourth generation in a family of cooks who used to work in the royal kitchens. Other specialties include paneer pakora(deep-fried cheese), honey-buttered prawn and fish kasoori as well as desserts like date halwa and gajrela (carrot halwa). Fit For Royalty The Sultani menu lists authentic Moghul dishes that are usually served to Moghul kings and queens. The food is rich with spices and herbs and is traditionally presented without garnishing. The thick menu has almost everything for everyone, from hearty daily dishes to special festive dishes and vegetarian items too. All dishes are neatly categorised under lamb, chicken, seafood, beef and tandoori, with a huge selection in each category. "our guests are important to us. The food is prepared according to the customers," says owner Sultan Ali Shah who has been staying in Malaysia for almost 15 years. "If it´s for the locals, the food will be prepared with less spices to suit Malaysian tastebuds. but for Pakistanis or Indians, the food will be prepared exactly the way we do it back home," he adds. Dining In Royal Tent Living up to its Moghul concept, The Sultani has created the ambience of a luxurious Moghul tent with wine-coloured satin-organza. The ceiling is covered with rolling drapes of rich fabrics and at strategic spots, the drapes fall to the floor and serve as partition for a more private dining area. Adding more value to the plush setting is the view of Petronas Twin Towers and part of Kuala Lumpur skyline. For those who prefer to dine outdoors and enjoy the fresh air, tables are set on the terrace. How To get There The Sultani is located on the fifth floor of the newly renovated Flamingo by The Lake Kuala Lumpur. The hotel is located at the fringe of Kuala Lumpur, at the busy Jalan Hulu Kelang or MRR2, opposite Ampang Point. Details, call 03-4251 7360. [From NST Travel Times] By Zalina Mohd Som, , 14 Oct 2008

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://eats.emedia.com.my/review.php?id=47&title=From_the_royal_Moghul_kitchen&review=restaurant

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Yazit, N.; Zainab , A.N. (2007) Publication Productivity of Malaysian Authors and Institutions in LIS. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, 12 (2-3). pp. 35-55. ISSN 1394-6234Full text not available from this repository. The paper attempted to provide a “picture” of Malaysian LIS research and publications. The study aimed to show (a) the total number and spread of publications produced by Malaysian authors; (b) the active authors; (c) the authorship pattern; (d) the affiliation status of the authors; (e) the main channels used to publish; and (f) the subject covered by the published works. The study confined its scope to the publications produced between 1965 and 2005 by Malaysian authors published in Malaysia as well as abroad. Bibliometric techniques and regression analysis were employed as the measuring instrument. The data was collected from seven online databases and seven well established library OPACs, which are expected to hold earlier and current LIS publications. A bibliometric toolbox was used to feed in text files which provided brief summaries of ranked results, a bibliograph and minimal Bradford zonal analysis. The subject categorization used by Gorman and Corbit’s Model of core competencies for LIS was used to categorized entries by subjects. The results indicated that (a) Malaysian LIS authors preferred to publish in journals (511, 48.9%) and conference papers (474, 45.4%); (b) the publication distribution fluctuated over the 41 year period but the moving average depicted a steady incremental trend; (c) a total of 506 authors contributed to 1,045 publications and 309 are one-time authors’ (d) the active authors in LIS are affiliated to 131 institutions and the productive institutions were the national Library of Malaysia, University of Malaya library and the academics at the MLIS Programme, University of Malaya.; (e) publication productivity was related to institutional active involvement in LIS journal publishing; and (f) the main subject areas actively researched upon were collection development and management, information centres and services, and ICT applications LIS. |Journal or Publication Title:||Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science| |Additional Information:||University of Malaya. Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology. MLIS Programme| |Uncontrolled Keywords:||Published Works; Scholarly Communication; Authorship Pattern; Bibliometrics; Malaysia| |Subjects:||Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources| |Divisions:||Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology > Dept of Library & Information Science Unit| |Depositing User:||Mr. Faizal Hamzah| |Date Deposited:||19 Jul 2011 12:17| |Last Modified:||19 Jul 2011 12:17| Actions (login required)

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://eprints.um.edu.my/1766/

2013-05-21T17:38:29Z

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Favstar gets even better if you sign in. I shall walkathon Studying for tests tomorrow Cb ask you do the project you scared scared. Scared for what just do la stups! You guy still scared #StupidThingsPeopleDo sleep in the MRT train open mouth big big The old women just talk to me in malay. Do i really look like malay to you? Dont like people with huge ego is just so annoying👊👊 Ego dont bring you anywhere Argh stupid sister want a happy meal! When i told the aunty i want a happy meal i whisper to her and she gave me the look Haizzz fat liao Late for lecture is not cool! Everyone will stare at you! OMG I GOT INTO THE COURSE I WANT!!!!!!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😆😆😆😆 This is really annoying. Every time is the same thing that happen the same situation the same story Haiya have to wake up so early tomorrow.

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http://favstar.fm/users/JOSGETSITALL

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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Quote from: nikita on January 30, 2008, 05:53:47 AMQuote from: puddin on January 29, 2008, 11:38:28 AMQuote from: nikita on January 29, 2008, 04:34:22 AMIf there is one thing Allan Wu needs to improve on is his dress sense. What's with the tank tops? It was hot? even the racers commented that it was the hottest day in Budapest. I have to tell you, I was pleased and am not complaining . Did we ever see the Philiminator wearing a tank top? No, but I want to Quote from: puddin on January 29, 2008, 11:38:28 AMQuote from: nikita on January 29, 2008, 04:34:22 AMIf there is one thing Allan Wu needs to improve on is his dress sense. What's with the tank tops? It was hot? even the racers commented that it was the hottest day in Budapest. I have to tell you, I was pleased and am not complaining . Did we ever see the Philiminator wearing a tank top? Quote from: nikita on January 29, 2008, 04:34:22 AMIf there is one thing Allan Wu needs to improve on is his dress sense. What's with the tank tops? It was hot? even the racers commented that it was the hottest day in Budapest. I have to tell you, I was pleased and am not complaining . If there is one thing Allan Wu needs to improve on is his dress sense. What's with the tank tops? haven't seen the final cut for next week's episode so I'm psyched to see how it all ends up. I'm also wondering whether another team gets eliminated? What do you think?? Allan Wu is a tease, lol for EP3Quote haven't seen the final cut for next week's episode so I'm psyched to see how it all ends up. I'm also wondering whether another team gets eliminated? What do you think?? The Amazing AllanSubmitted by dominah on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 TARA Entertainment After a year-long break, The Amazing Race Asia host Allan Wu returns to helm the fourth season Shuhaidah Saharani Thursday, March 11th, 2010 13:01:00 Soon, fans of The Amazing Race Asia will once again be racing home to catch the show. That's right, after a year-long hiatus, TARA, as the show is fondly referred to, is returning for its fourth season! Everyone, from hardcore fans to prospective contestants, are getting excited. However, nobody is arguably more ecstatic than TARA's host himself, 38-year-old Allan Wu.After hosting the show for three consecutive seasons, the hunky Allan is itching to get back in the game."I'm pumped!" said the model-turned-actor/VJ/host in a phone interview with The Malay Mail recently. "I'm really excited. I've been anticipating it like everyone else, just trying to get all the pieces together. I just want to get ready and race again."So what can we look forward to in the new race?"You can look forward to the same host!" joked Wu, obviously not willing to give anything away and risk spoiling the show."And you can look forward to an all new line-up of contestants." Again, being master of the obvious."Since the show took a year off, I'm hoping a lot more people will sign up for the race. I'm expecting a whole new bunch of contestants with different personalities and from all walks of life, new countries to go to with all-new challenges, surprises, twists, pitfalls - other than pit stops, of course. So, just expect the unexpected."Cryptic, but it definitely sounds exciting.But would it be exciting enough to woo Wu into participating, if given the chance?"I would! If I wasn't the host, and with what I know now, I would definitely sign up for the race."And who would be his dream race partner?"In the past, I would've asked my wife. But now, I know there's no way she would sign up with me. We would probably be arguing all the time, fighting and all the stuff - that would probably be good TV but I'm not all that excited about airing my dirty laundry," he admitted, chuckling."So I think, a great partner would be Phil Keoghan, the host of the US version of The Amazing Race. Two The Amazing Race hosts racing together? Now that would be great. And we'll be arguing about our past contestants' racing experiences in our own race. That would be funny."Continuing with the hypothesis, if Wu were to race, he'd have his own strategies to win."I think it starts with choosing the right partner. It also helps to decide with my partner what our strategies are early on. I would definitely watch previous seasons of TARA so I'd know what other teams did right or didn't do right." A RACE AGAINST THE TIME: Wu with some of the contestants from TARA Season 2He added, "I'll make sure that both my partner and I are in decent shape because we're going to be walking a lot and carrying this big backpack for quite a long period. And lastly, we'd just prepare ourselves to handle a lot of stress and be able to push ourselves to the limit. I have to remind myself to just go for it with an open attitude, stay cool and not get too caught up in the moment and be too upset, emotional or angry because usually that's when teams start to tear apart." Wise words from the host - so future TARA racer wannabes, do take note.Three seasons on, with multiple locations visited, tricks and cultures learned and contestants taken care of, surely Wu must have had some unforgettable experiences on TARA."I have a lot! Every time I'm at a new country that I've never been before, I'll try to soak it all in. I've been to Budapest, Prague, Cape Town, Auckland, Melbourne, Dubai, Oman... I'm just all over the place and each location is such a visual splendour in itself."On top of that, sometimes it's the teams. You see the human element of the show like when racers just feel like giving up, you know, they are tired, sunburned but they still continue the race. And to see that desire, motivation and determination is truly inspiring. There are also times when I was stuck at the pitstop waiting for 15 to 16 hours between the first team and the last team. So, just sitting there until they have all arrived is an unforgettable moment too."Fans of TARA would probably know which season Wu was talking about. Yes, the third one where, after waiting 15 hours for the last team to arrive at the pitstop, Wu refused to wait anymore and went looking for the missing (not to mention losing) team.Apparently, they couldn't find the tool to help them out in the race and in their exhaustion, decided to sleep it out in their car! Poor Wu had to go and wake them up.In their defence, though, a race such as TARA can be quite tiring and a good sleep is quite a reward in itself. Not just for the contestants, but the host missed sleeping too, among other things."I definitely missed my family. I miss them, I miss sleeping and my workout regime. I use exercising to maintain my balance. It's hard, but I stay in shape during the race by using this exercising band called Loopz, which my wife introduced me to, and I take that with me everywhere. But with family, I'll make some time to be with them (before and after the race). Usually the kids, my daughter Sage who is five years old now and my son Jonas, he just turned four are always excited to see me after I've been gone for a long time. It's nice to know that you're missed."So, would his kids be his proudest, biggest fans? "Yes, I think so. It's funny because in the beginning, they're just puzzled watching the show and seeing their daddy on TV. Now, as they are older, they really understand what I'm actually doing. They get really excited to see their daddy going on to different countries and kicking out contestants along the way."Going back to TARA and its history, which had a Malaysian team winning the first race, then down to the fifth place on the last race, what does Wu think of the chances for the Malaysian team or teams this year?"Malaysian teams have always done so well in the race - it's like it's in the blood," he said. "I do expect Malaysia to do well this year too. Teams from Malaysia and the Philippines always do well. There's a huge market for TARA in these two countries and a lot of fans of the show are from those countries."Basically, I think because when you're a fan, and you've watched the show every season, you talk about the show and you discuss the show with friends about what to do what not to do that when you participate, you have a good foundation already. So, one, you have the enthusiasm and two, you have the knowledge too. So I really think Malaysia will do well, definitely."Let's hope he's right. So, besides TARA, what other projects is Wu working on?"Right now, Singapore is playing host for the very first youth-Olympic games later this year, so I'm doing this new reality game show called Game On for Star Hub cable TV in Singapore where we get kids aged 14 to 17-years-old to compete in various sports to raise the awareness of health and fitness, sports and competition. So I'll be doing that in a couple of weeks."Then I have some projects that are not yet confirmed, and after TARA, I might have a role in a movie. I think there are some Malaysian artistes as well, but this is also not confirmed yet. On top of that, I'm also helping my wife to promote the exercise tool called the Loopz which you can find out more at www.wureka.com and speaking of websites, I have my own where fans can go and visit too. Check out www.wulander.com to get to know me!" Last call for amazing racers by May Seah 05:55 AM Mar 12, 2010THE call-to-entry for the fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia is ending on March 22, so if you're still dragging your feet about it, don't. You don't want to miss what Allan Wu calls "the experience of a lifetime". Having been the host for all three seasons of The Amazing Race Asia, Allan knows what he's talking about. "I have friends who'll come up to me all the time and go, 'You are team No 1!', 'This is a non-elimination round!', 'A detour is … ' I'm like, 'Okay, great'," said the 38-year-old, laughing.And what makes The Amazing Race amazing? "Having the opportunity to go to different parts of the world that you probably wouldn't on a normal basis," said Allan, who named Prague as his favourite destination so far. "As a contestant, I think, more importantly, it's testing your relationship with your partner, too. Under duress, under stress, lack of sleep, performing various tasks in exotic countries ... It's not like you're just singing on a dance stage, or you're stuck on an island trying to backstab people."Ooh, a little competitive, are we?The new season promises to up the intellect and sophistication ante. "There'll definitely be some twists and turns, and new challenges. "Our show prides itself on trying not to replicate what we've done in the past, and give the audience something new." That's why the show is looking for a wide range of contestants - "the more different, the better", Allan said. If that's you, and you think you can handle a race around the world, and you have your trusty inflatable neck pillow at the ready, take Allan's advice for a winning strategy. "It's important to pick the right partner," he said. "And also it helps to get in shape, too."For information on how to apply, visit www.axn-asia.com/tara. The deadline for submissions of applications is March 22. Wu muscles in on Amazing Race Tue, Mar 23, 2010my paper BY VICTORIA BARKERALLAN Wu may be every bit the doting husband, but if the host of The Amazing Race Asia had to pick a partner for the reality competition, it would definitely not be his other half, Singapore actress Wong Li Lin.When he spoke to my paper recently, Wu, 37, was candid. “There was a time when I would have loved to race with her but, now, I don’t think she’d want to race with me,” he said. “I bet I’d be a real jerk and we’d be fighting all the time (thanks to my competitive nature),” he added with a laugh.The two married in 2003 and have two children – daughter Sage, six; and son Jonas, four.The guy’s ideal partner, instead, would be Phil Keoghan, who hosts the original American version of the programme.“It would be cool to see how we would do together, and it sounds like a great draw,” he explained.The show’s format sees 10 pairs racing across the world and undertaking various physical and mental challenges in a test of endurance to win the grand prize of US$100,000 (S$140,000).It is recruiting teams for its fourth season, which is slated to begin filming in a few months.The entire season takes about a month to film, said Wu, who is Chinese American.And would-be racers will be glad to know that Wu – who has also acted in shows such as Chinese drama Bukit Ho Swee (2002) and the Jack Neo movie I Do, I Do (2005) ” promises that this season will be one hell of a ride.He enthused: “It will be a once-in-a-lifetime thing you will treasure and cherish for the rest of your life, whether you win or not.“I remember visiting Prague in a previous season and then the next day I was somewhere else… it’s really intense but amazing.”Viewers need not worry about being left out, either. With the Emmy-winning American version now in its 16th season, the affable Wu thinks that the tried-and-tested formula cannot go wrong here.“(In each season) you have a whole new bag of contestants with their own idiosyncrasies and personalities…that’s what makes it enthralling and enticing for the audience,” he said.Wu should know – this is the dude who came in second on American competition series Fear Factor in 2004.People think I’m a huge risk-taker, but I think it’s just my competitive nature,” he explained.He then added thoughtfully: “I need to work on enjoying life a little bit more and appreciating what life has to offer…I’m in that process now.”firstname.lastname@example.org just found out he's one step closer to making a little bit of Amazing history in China. Wow. Big things could be right around the corner... Apr 10 15 One Truly “Amazing” WeekThis week has truly been an amazing week for me…literally. First, I kicked off the week with my special cameo on The Amazing Race, and it was great to hear from many long-lost friends back in the States. I figure if I can’t make it back to the U.S. to meet them in person, the next best thing is to make a quick appearance on a TWELVE time Emmy Award winning television program, right?Soon after the Singapore episode of TAR aired worldwide, a local newspaper in Singapore called The New Paper decided to publish my mug along with actress Christy Yow in our birthday suits for our upcoming movie, “Ge Ai.”Little did I know that this publication decided to print some things that I did not say at all. In fact, I only found out today after one of my producers for The Amazing Race Asia asked me why I was quoted saying that the recent episode of TAR could’ve been better? Of course, the first thing I’m thinking is, “How could it be any better? Heck, I’m already beside myself to even see myself in the program.” But then again, the picture became more clear to me after I mulled over the situation some more. Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of doing interviews. I know it comes with the job, and I always endeavor to conduct myself with the utmost truth, honesty, and integrity. Now, I don’t like to consider myself as someone who was “born yesterday,” but I always make the extra effort to always give every journalist a chance. However, this “blasphemous burn” is gonna take a while to heal so don’t expect me to accept any more interviews from The New Paper…EVER.Alright, enough of those negative vibes…let’s get back to being “Amazing!”Things are moving along well for TARA4, and I got good vibes that this has all the bits and pieces to be the best season yet! Thanks again to all the applicants who applied to have the experience of a lifetime, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing some of you in “Start City” in the near future!Alright, I had a great time on TAR. Check. I’m now revving up the engines for TARA4. Check.So…it’s time to reveal an entirely new sort of “Amazing” with the first ever…Yes! The Amazing Race: China Rush! In case you’re wondering, this is the real deal. China will be producing its own official version of The Amazing Race franchise and Guess WU’s gonna be hosting this one too! Page created in 0.202 seconds with 26 queries.

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why the ios app POCO camera is so popular in ASIA POCO CAMERA is a photographic tool designed for mobile users. With several built-in camera lens, classic PS templates, ultimate editing effects, easy multi-platform sharing. Winner: One of the Best app in China,Japan,Korea — China Mobile Global Developers Conference 2011 “The POCO Camera app improves on almost every aspect of the built-in camera app” “POCO Camera - The Camera Knows You!” — Wandoujia: Best Design Awards Winner: Best Visual Design, Best Effects App — ChinaBang 2011 Year Awards “Best app to make best photo by you phone, my most favourite apps!” — InterPhoto Magazine Chief Editor “The photographer‘s most favorite camera app!” — Steven Ding, Photographers Association ● After POCO CAMERA on iPhone version is available, it crowned the free apps No.1 in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore Malaysia, Thailand, and other Chinese speaking nations within a week. It became the most popular photography APPs in Apple Store, and recommended as the popular product in the Apple store many times. POCO CAMERA created by POCO.CN, the biggest original photographic community in China. Its function is powerful, simple and respects photographers’ habit: Choose lens – Take photo – Edit – Share. No matter you are a shutterbug, an mobile photo lover, POCO CAMERA can make you love photographing and sharing . After POCO CAMERA came into being 6 months, we appreciate 13 million users for supporting and using our product! 1、Build-in lens: 4-lens, 2-lens, Collage, Miniature, Classic Lens and GIF-lens. Advanced features of DSLR like separate focus and exposure also including.. 2、Easy editing: You can edit your photo by processing color, using special effects, frames and so on. There are more than 40 kinds of PS function, especially suit for those who loves photographing, recording life, snapshot, LOMO, or anything else. 3、Advanced PS mode: Basic on more than 40 kinds of PS function, you can also edit photo by yourself. Endlessness outcome of PS can satisfy any requirement. 4、GIF video: You can also use this lens to make creative dynamic photography. 5、Photo Collage: Shake Collage, Free Collage, Image Snitching can satisfy your demand for photo editing, and this function can make your sharing to SNS more attractive. 6、 Multi-Platform Sharing: One clicks to share your photo to Facebook、Twitter、Tumblr、Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, QQ Zone, RenRen and POCO. What’s more, @ and # function make the share easier! New Functions in 1.5.0 version： 1、Dozens of brand new effects, perfect photo is easier to produce! 2、Added 3 new color effects (Sparkling, Glamorous, Bright), and Food color is optimized; 3、Added White Balance and Bokeh are added in advanced edit function; ... and I thought this app is so popular because there is no shutter sound... But it looks good, will check it a bit closer later.

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Sat November 24, 2012 A Refugee's Multilayered Experience In 'Ru' Originally published on Mon November 26, 2012 8:31 am Vietnamese author Kim Thuy's new novel unfolds in the way a flower casts off petals: one small scene after another. Ru is an autobiographical novel in which memories are shuffled back and forth to tell the story of a 10-year-old born in Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Like her story's narrator, Thuy and her family fled South Vietnam in boats, tossed and scattered across the world. They took shelter and struggled to survive in refugee camps, finally winding up in the suburbs of Montreal, where Thuy picked vegetables after school and sewed clothes with other refugees, became an interpreter, then a lawyer and a restaurateur. Ru won Canada's Governor General's Award, and has been published in 20 countries around the world, and now here in United States, in a translation from the original French. Thuy tells NPR's Scott Simon that the word "ru" has a double meaning. "In French, in old French — nobody uses it anymore — but it means a brook, a very small stream." It's pronounced differently in Vietnamese, she adds, and is commonly used by mothers to soothe their children. "It means a lullaby, or to lull your child to sleep, and I just thought it was such a beautiful word, a poetic word, but used every day." Thuy began thinking of the book during the weary drives home from her restaurant — she often nodded off at red lights because of the late hours, she says, and after a couple of fender benders, she began making shopping lists in order to stay awake. "And I don't know what happened, maybe it was a longer light or something like that ... I turned a book over and started writing, and that's how Ru came to be." Thuy describes her autobiographical character as being one of the "boat people," Vietnamese refugees who left their homes during and after the war. But she says her family didn't suffer as much as many others. "We were very, very lucky because we spent only four nights at sea and only four months in a camp," compared with some families who ended up in refugee camps for years and endured thefts and assaults. "And we didn't encounter any pirates," she adds. "But, of course, being Vietnamese, I guess ... we couldn't be blind about these issues that really existed." "I was lucky that I was young — I was only 10," she continues. Old enough to be aware of bits and pieces of her experiences, but not old enough to understand the wrenching decision her parents made to leave home with no assurances of safety. "Now that I'm older than my parents when they left, I still wonder how you could make this kind of decision. ... I think we expected to die more than to survive ... but the pressure was strong enough for them to make the decision to leave, but mostly, the biggest reason was for us to have an education." SCOTT SIMON, HOST: This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Kim Thuy's new novel unfolds in the way a flower casts off petals - one small scene after another. "Ru" is an autobiographical novel in which memories are shuffled back and forth to tell the story of a 10-year-old who...well, let Kim Thuy introduce herself. KIM THUY: (Reading) I came into the world during the Tet Offensive in the early days of the Year of the Monkey, when the long chains of firecrackers draped in front of houses exploded, polyphonically, along with the sound of machine guns. I first saw the light of day in Saigon, where firecrackers fragmented into a thousand shreds, colored the ground red, like the petals of cherry blossoms, or like the blood of the two million soldiers deployed and scattered throughout the villages and cities of a Vietnam that had been ripped in two. I was born in the shadow of skies, adorned with fireworks, decorated with garlands of light shot through with rockets and missiles. The purpose of my birth was to replace life that had been lost. SIMON: Like her story's narrator, Kim Thuy and her family fled South Vietnam in boats. Tossed and scattered across the world, they took shelter and struggled to survive in refugee camps, finally winding up in the suburbs of Montreal, where she picked vegetables after school and sewed clothes with other refugees. She became an interpreter, then a lawyer and a restaurateur. "Ru" won Canada's Governor General's Award and has been published in 20 countries around the world, and now here in the United States, translated by Sheila Fischman. Kim Thuy joins us from the studios of the CBC in Montreal. Thank you so much for being with us. THUY: Thank you so much for inviting me. SIMON: And you describe your autobiographical character as being part of that group we call boat people, but I gather you're eager for people to know that many families had it worse than yours did. THUY: Absolutely, absolutely. We were very, very lucky because we spent only four nights at sea and only four months in a camp, whereas just recently I've met one Vietnamese who was in a camp in the Philippines for 12 years. So, we were very lucky. SIMON: Can you help us understand what it's like for parents, for grandparents to load their children into a boat not knowing where in the world it will wind up really, or if it will land safely at all? THUY: I was lucky that I was young. I was only 10. I understood some bits then, but most of it I was not conscious of the weight of the whole decision. But now that I'm older than my parents when they left, I still wonder how you can make this kind of decision. But I guess the pressure that we had in Vietnam was big enough for them to take this chance or take this risk, I would say, not chance, because we really thought it was not 50-50 that we would survive or die. It was, I don't know, I think we expected to die more than to survive. SIMON: What's it like to come from war, this perilous boat trip and a refugee camp, to the nice, soft pillowy snows of Quebec? THUY: Oh, it was a new birth really. And that purity. You know, when you come from a country at war, again, with men in uniforms and curfews and - we didn't see blood as such, but still it was on our mind. That was the background of Vietnam. And then afterwards, we were in the refugee camp in Malaysia and we were surrounded by dirt basically and I was going to say the septic tank. But it was not a tank because it was not closed, it was open. So, imagine the colors and all of that. And when we got here, it was all white. You know, from the plane, that's what we saw. And that purity really changed us all, gave us a second birth. SIMON: Can you recollect for me, as you describe in the book, the conversations that you and other young Vietnamese women had while sewing clothes? THUY: Yeah. Well, you know, when we first arrived here, of course, we were very poor and we had to do many jobs. And one of the jobs that we could do after school and at night was to have a sewing machine at home. And we had the opportunity to talk a lot while we sew. SIMON: I'm intrigued by the fact that you say that with eyes focused on the regular rapid movement of the needle, we didn't see one another. So, very often, our conversations were actually confessions. THUY: Oh yes. When we talked, it was about telling stories more than to confess or to confine, I would say. But the fact that we did not see each other, you know, we became hypnotized by the movement of the needle, so it was easier almost to talk because we felt like we were just talking to ourselves. SIMON: Towards the end, you write talking about their lives now, my Aunt Six and her husband travel first-class and have to stick a sign on the back of their seats so the hostesses will stop offering them chocolates and champagne. Thirty years ago, in our Malaysian refugee camp, the same Step-Uncle Six crawled more slowly than his eight-month-old daughter because he was suffering from malnutrition. Thirty years ago, we lived in the dark with them, no electricity, no running water, no privacy; today, we complain that their house is too big. THUY: And it's true. It's true, it's too big. You know, at Christmas, we get to be around 40 people and it has three or four days, and we talk a lot. And my family, my husband, who's Canadian and the only child in his family, the first time he came, he said that, oh my God, it's like having 42 radio stations on at the same time. 'Cause everybody's talking and nobody's listening, of course. And, yeah, so, you know, we have rooms and then each family would retreat into a room. And so back then when we were all in the same small apartment for Christmas, I think that we understood each other a lot better because we were so close to each other. And I would love for us to go back to the small apartment with the 40 of us sleeping, some of us sleeping in a bathtub. SIMON: Do you think there's something in your story that goes for almost any immigrant, including those arriving today in North America? THUY: Probably. I didn't know, you know, when I wrote it I thought that I would be the only person who will read it. And then afterwards, I said, oh, maybe my children, you know, they would be forced to read it, and then maybe my family. But then my family's not interested because they know the story, they've lived through the same things. And so I thought my friends. So, I'm very surprised that today it's all over. You know, it's in 20 countries. And I would tell you that the nicest compliment would come from a Vietnamese person who would come up to me and said that, oh, thank you for telling my story. SIMON: Kim Thuy. Her first novel "Ru," winner of Canada's Governor General's Award, published in the United States by Bloomsbury. Thanks so much for being with us. THUY: Thank you very much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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When we respond to God’s grace in love we are transformed and motivated to become mission-bearers in God’s world. United Methodist Women have been fulfilling God’s mission for the past 140 years. Everything we do is in keepi... - Give Us This Day Our Daily Will to Build Peace: A Reflection for September 21, International Day of Peace 09/21/2011 -- Mentored in peace by God can be an awesome task. I was fascinated by a rabbinic interpretation of this verse. Playing on the original Hebrew word for children, banayik, the Babylonian Talmud says, “Read not banayik (your children) but bonayik (your builde... - United Methodist Church Follows Jesus' Lead: Immigration Task Force Moves Ministry to the Borders 09/20/2011 -- "Jesus learned new things when he went to the border," said Rev. Edgar Avitia, who led the worship in Florida for US-based missionaries of The United Methodist Church. - National Mission Institutions: Audio Slideshow on YouTube 09/19/2011 -- A slideshow of images from United Methodist Women supported National Mission Institutions. - Seeking Peace in Afghanistan 09/02/2011 -- For Afghans, the current war involving more than 100,000 foreign military troops is simply the latest in a long history of foreigners trying to impose by military might their own agenda in Afghanistan. - Life on the Rebound 09/01/2011 -- Emma Norton Services is housed in a brick building quietly tucked into the urban landscape of St. Paul, and the 50 women who live there are somewhere on the road to wholeness. - Cordialmente Suya: Lo que aprendimos el 11 de septiembre 09/01/2011 -- ¿Sabía usted que el testimonio de testigos oculares es el que menos se utiliza como evidencia confiable? No sólo es porque quizás los seres humanos no estén diciendo la verdad, sino también porque “vemos lo que creemos”. - Susanna Wesley House in Baltimore, Maryland: A Stable Foundation for Personal Growth 09/01/2011 -- This New World Outlook article looks at an institution that serves as transitional housing and so much more. - United Methodist Women Helps Prevent Domestic Violence 08/17/2011 -- Video of news coverage from National Seminar. Julie Taylor sheds light on this issue that "belongs to all of us." - Korean Women Make Pilgrimage of Thanks to Cleveland for Gift of School 08/17/2011 -- 125 years ago, Lucinda Baldwin contributed $88 to start a school for girls in Korea. With that donation Mary Scranton founded Ewha Haktang-Pear Blossom School-now a top school for women in Asia. - National Seminar, From a Participant's View 08/17/2011 -- Sophia Agtarap blogged from National Seminar 2011 on reconciliation. - United Methodist Women Prepares for National Seminar on Social Justice 08/08/2011 -- Women from across the U.S. will study and act on justice issues at the seminar, “Mission: Reconciliation,” Aug. 13-17 in Birmingham, AL. Bible studies led by Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz will be livestreamed every morning at 8 a.m. EST starting Aug. 14! - Malawi Women Battle Hunger 07/08/2011 -- With little money, many Malawians go hungry despite a corn surplus. - Palestine's Facebook Generation 07/08/2011 -- Youth use social media to break the siege of Gaza. - Prayers for Sudan 07/06/2011 -- Join in an ecumenical effort to raise our voices and offer our prayers for the sake of the Sudanese people, for the uniting of the strong peacemakers in Sudan and for peace among differences of region and religion. - Harford School for Girls: Video on YouTube 06/23/2011 -- For more than 100 years Harford School has been preparing girls in Sierra Leone for leadership. This video was produced for response, June 2011 issue, the magazine of United Methodist Women. Video and photos by Nile Sprague. - My Understanding of Mission 06/23/2011 -- Keynote Address at Voices: A Transformative Leadership Event for United Methodist Women Language Coordinators and Presidents. - Rosa Valdez Early Childhood Learning Center 06/23/2011 -- A Mission Giving supported Christian preschool providing developmentally appropriate child care and early school readiness in conjunction with family support services. - Gum Moon Women’s Residence: 100 Years of Turning Faith, Hope and Love Into Action 06/23/2011 -- A message from Hortense Tyrell, Executive Secretary for National Ministries, at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Gum Moon Women’s Residence, a United Methodist Women National Mission Institution. - Celebrating 100 Years of Service 06/23/2011 -- A message from Women’s Division Deputy General Secretary Harriett Jane Olson on the 100th anniversary of Gum Moon’s Women’s Residence. - Gum Moon Residence Celebrates 100 Years: YouTube Video 06/22/2011 -- This San Francisco mission provides advocacy, programs for children, youth, and families, an emergency and transitional housing and more. - United Methodist Women UNiTE to End Global Violence Against Women 06/22/2011 -- The UNiTE campaign was launched in 2008 by United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to influence laws and policies, mobilize the public and partner with governments and organizations to end violence against women. - Waging Peace with Prayer and Action 06/13/2011 -- During the summer months of Schools of Christian Mission until International Day of Peace on September 21, 2011, you are invited to participate in Prayers and Actions for Peace as an expression of reconciliation. - Farming Uphill in Haiti 06/10/2011 -- For the better part of two centuries, since Haiti gained independence from France in 1804, the indescribably resilient people of rural Haiti have been forced to farm uphill, both literally and figuratively. - Ecotourism: A Way Forward in Haiti? 06/09/2011 -- Can ecotourism provide a path to sustainable development in Haiti? - Fact or Fiction? Five Myths About Haiti 06/09/2011 -- Here are five of the most common misperceptions about Haiti and some alternate perspectives that come closer to the truth. - Lois McCullough Dauway to be Honored at the New York City Area Circles of Names Gathering 06/03/2011 -- Lois M. Dauway has a long and storied career of Christian service in the United Methodist Church and the ecumenical arena that showed the Gospel to the world. Ms. Dauway served as Interim Deputy General Secretary of the General Board of Global Ministr... - Haitian Methodist Women and Men Making a Difference 06/02/2011 -- Local Haitians are the unsung heroines and heroes of the earthquake recovery story. Here are portraits of a few Haitians, Methodist sisters and brothers, who in the words of LeGrace Benson, “have been rehearsing and performing this theater since that firs... - The Paradoxes of the Haitian Diaspora 06/02/2011 -- This article examines these three paradoxes, often caused by government immigration policies for Haitians who live scattered. - Environmental Justice: Just Words, or Haiti's Key to Capacity? 05/27/2011 -- The 2010 earthquake in Haiti presented humanitarian workers with one of their most complex and difficult emergencies. The response to immediate needs must be accomplished with an eye toward fair and just long-term development. Capacity building must outwe... - Reframing Recovery to Achieve Environmental Justice in Haiti 05/27/2011 -- During its 21-year occupation of Haiti, the United States concentrated nearly all economic resources and investments in the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Haiti's other population centers and rural areas received few benefits, spurring a severe decline in ... - Responsively Yours: The Law of Unintended Consequences 05/03/2011 -- Proceeding slowly, led by people of Haiti, is required for an organic and effective recovery to take root and grow. - With a Little Help From Friends 05/03/2011 -- Haitian Methodist women prepare for their mission task with help from the sisterhood of Methodist women. - Just for Girls 05/03/2011 -- Girls find a haven from abuse and a safe place to laugh at the YWCA in Petionville, Haiti. - Join the Conversation: Cover Photos of Children 05/02/2011 -- The photographers we work with, Jim West and Rev. Paul Jeffrey, take award-winning photos around the world. Mr. West met children at McCurdy School in Espanola, New Mexico, and Mr. Jeffrey met children in Gaza. - Survivors of Human Trafficking: Not Without Hope 05/02/2011 -- In Armenia, in an ambience of trust and encouragement, residents re-learn the meaning of hope after seemingly endless years of sexual servithude and forced labor. - Challenge U.S. Immigrant Detention and Deportation Policies 04/19/2011 -- The U.S. government detained nearly 400,000 people in immigration custody in some 350 facilities at an annual cost of more than $1.7 billion in 2009. The number of detention beds has grown to more than 33,000, with construction of more facilitie... - FAQs for Women's Division Proposed Structural Separation 04/11/2011 -- Directors of the Women's Division approved a proposal to structurally separate from the General Board of Global Ministries while continuing to work together in mutual areas of mission. - Quilting a Future in Mission 04/10/2011 -- Women’s Division’s Harriett Jane Olson prepares division directors to consider proposals to restructure the women’s mission organization in an address filled with images of quilting at the division’s spring board meeting in Stamford, Conn., April 7-11. - Finances Represent Where United Methodist Women Legacy Lives, Says Treasurer 04/10/2011 -- Revenues rose from the previous year due to Assembly attendance and faithful giving by members as the economy begins recovery. - Women’s Division Proposes Becoming “Structurally Separate, Missionally Connected” to Global Ministries 04/10/2011 -- The Women’s Division board voted to become structurally separate from the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) while remaining “missionally connected” in staff configuration and by board directors at its recent meeting, April 7-11 in Stamford, Conn. - Take Your Blinders Off! 04/05/2011 -- It was not until God opened my eyes to observe the world around me and opened my ears to listen to those with life experiences different from my own that I began to truly understand the suffering of poor people in the United States and across the globe. - Come Out From Behind the Stained Glass Window 04/04/2011 -- Gracious God, help us, as Easter people, walk the streets of our towns and cities where we may meet justice that is "standing afar off." No more stained-glass masquerade—only a humble walk of justice with our fellow human beings. - Don't Just Give Up, Look In 04/03/2011 -- This lent year instead of "giving up," let us look in. Let us replace giving up with something more befitting with deeper meaning. - Out of the Darkness Comes Greater Light 04/02/2011 -- Any journey requires a light to show us the way. - Above All Things: Love 03/28/2011 -- As we continue in this season of Lent and are attempting to know Jesus better, perhaps this is an area on which we can focus: Loving one another. - Why Did Jesus Have to Go to Samaria? 03/26/2011 -- The reason for Jesus going to Samaria is best summed up in the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:28: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ." - God's Faithful Provision in Our Journey 03/25/2011 -- Whether we are in the wilderness like the Israelites or in the Killing Fields of Cambodia during the Khmer Rogue, whether we are in the slums or plush subdivisions and mansions, God listens to our murmurings. - Mission Center in Tokyo Housing Evacuees 03/25/2011 -- The Wesley Center, a Tokyo mission facility related to United Methodist Women, provided short-term housing for evacuees from the hardest hit earthquake and tsunami zones in Japan. - God's Faithful Provision in the Midst of Most Human Complaints 03/24/2011 -- So many times we find ourselves complaining: How am I going to do this? How are we going to pay our rent? Why is God doing this to me? We, like the Israelites, operate on a short-term memory. - A New Heart and a New Spirit 03/23/2011 -- In this time of Lent, we prepare ourselves for the deepest transformation we can go through as human being or institutions: getting a new heart and new spirit that we may have the fruits of the tree in abundance so nobody will go hungry anymore in our glo... - God's New Creation 03/22/2011 -- As God created heavens and earth very good in the beginning (Genesis 1:31), so God is renewing the heavens and earth for the people to rejoice. God will not destroy the earth to make another universe. - A Child's Eye View 03/21/2011 -- During this Lenten season, help us to see the world through the eyes and hearts of children. - God in the Cloud 03/20/2011 -- A cloud seems to sit over the barrio. It is just there, a cloud of poverty, a cloud of domestic violence, a cloud of drug and alcohol abuse, a cloud of illiteracy, a cloud of hunger—blotting out any reason for hope for generations. - United Methodist Women Reach out to Japan 03/20/2011 -- United Methodist Women are praying for the Japanese people and for all of the missionaries and mission institutions in the country that was hit by earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown on March 11. - Speak Up/Speak Out for Justice 03/18/2011 -- Today's reading shows how we can find hope for the future by looking to our past relationship with God and others. - A Makeover in the Making 03/17/2011 -- When we live an honest Lent and allow ourselves to walk that hot dusty August road that exists in every heart, may we too be able to acknowledge the "dead ground," the "moonscapes" of our lives. May we be honest enough to find God's Easter joy of "exubera... - Love to the Least, the Last and the Lost 03/16/2011 -- When we consider those who nurtured us then we can ask how can we as individuals and as Christian communities respond with love to the least, the last and the lost so that we are not a stumbling block for others. - A Homeless Wanderer 03/15/2011 -- Many women are homeless or at risk of being homeless when they come to Emma Norton Residence in St. Paul, Minnesota. - Called Awake and Fed 03/14/2011 -- We recognize what it means to be on a long journey facing loneliness and despair. In the face of every "newcomer" is the reflection of ourselves. Each of us can be the living embodiment of God's love and provide the compassion and care that will sustain o... - Overcoming Temptation 03/13/2011 -- The Temptation of Christ in the desert is a well-known lesson in the Christian faith. Although the story took place more than 2,000 years ago, all of us, and especially our youth, face Satan's temptations daily. - Give Yourself 03/12/2011 -- During this Lenten season, may each of us examine the condition of our own hearts, humbly seek God's mercy, and shower mercy on others through the giving of ourselves to help meet their needs. - And Also Much Cattle 03/11/2011 -- Why does God care for whom he cares? Why for so much of the time does God's job description seem to be to rescue the perishing, care for the dying? Just how does God snatch them in pity from sin and the grave? Why did Jesus weep o'er the erring one, lift ... - Set Apart for the Gospel 03/10/2011 -- Rev. Fahrmeier became "transformed and reminded that God can touch even the most fragile of little souls and transform them." - Welcoming the Stranger 03/01/2011 -- For more than a century, United Methodist Women-supported Tacoma Community House has helped refugees and immigrants make a home in Washington. - United Methodist Women Organized for Mission 02/17/2011 -- We pledge ourselves to renewed discipleship in Christ to expand concepts of mission through the global ministries of the church. - A Friend in Mission is a Friend Indeed 02/16/2011 -- A UMNS Commentary: United Methodist Women members and other members of The United Methodist Church will be responding to the gospel call to service through the Change the World Weekend on May 14-15. We recognize that mission is not only about contribution... - Diana Eck & Kathryn Lohre: Common Ground in the Midst of Differences VIDEO 02/16/2011 -- In an interview from her time as associate director at The Pluralism Project, Harvard University, Kathryn Lohre, now Director for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Relations at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Pluralism Project Director Diana ... - Ubuntu Explorer Journeys: Russia 2011 02/07/2011 -- This community of women is concerned about the issues impacting their sisterhood. All of the women gain strength from the stories of women in the scriptures and the signs they see in one another that mirror those stories in life today. Join United Meth... - Ubuntu Explorer Journeys: India 2011 02/07/2011 -- Come with us to India to participate in the 125th anniversary celebration of Isabella Thoburn College, the first Christian women’s college in India, and to connect with Methodist Women of India. - Mary Scranton's Legacy of Leadership 02/01/2011 -- The Scranton Center for Leadership Development in Seoul, Korea, is preparing women across Asia to effect change in church and society. - Atlantic Street Center Celebrates 100 Years 02/01/2011 -- In 2010, Atlantic Street Center—a youth-focused social service agency in Seattle, Washington—celebrated 100 years of service to the city’s citizens. The center began life in 1910 when it was founded by two young women. One was a teacher; the other, a nurs... - David and Margaret Youth and Family Services: Here's to Another 100 Years! 02/01/2011 -- David and Margaret Youth and Family Services, located in La Verne, California, has been meeting the needs of at-risk children, youth, and families since 1910. - Tacoma Community House: An Evolving Ministry 02/01/2011 -- Throughout 2010, Tacoma Community House (TCH)—long supported by United Methodist Women—celebrated 100 years of ministry as a national mission institution of The United Methodist Church. - 60-Second Commercials for United Methodist Women Resources 01/26/2011 -- 60-second commercials were first introduced at the National Gathering of Young Women, St. Charles, Ill., December 2000. They can be incorporated into a program or event to introduce people to different resources of United Methodist Women organized for mis... - A Brighter Future for Children and Youth: 2009-2012 (Word, 140K) 01/24/2011 -- The Women's Division offers grants of up to $4,000 for projects and programs addressing the needs of children and young people between the ages of 5 to 18 in the areas of violence prevention, anti-abuse and relationship abuse. - Not in My Neighborhood 01/10/2011 -- “Not in My Neighborhood” is designed for use in a group retreat or information session about human trafficking. It includes a facilitator’s guide, a PowerPoint presentation and a Bible study. - Not in My Neighborhood! 01/10/2011 -- This text is designed to be used for a group retreat, accompanied by the “Not in My Neighborhood” PowerPoint presentation. - Susannah Wesley Community Center Plays Key Role in Human Trafficking Case 01/07/2011 -- The biggest human trafficking case in U.S. history is currently in federal court in Honolulu, Hawaii. A United Methodist Women–affiliated mission, the Susannah Wesley Community Center played a major role in helping the victims. - We Are United Methodist Women 12/30/2010 -- We are the women of the Church, the United Methodist Women. We serve a risen Savior. We carry on the traditions that hundreds of thousands of women have passed down in whispers and shouts to their sisters and daughters and nieces and friends. - Come and Follow 12/15/2010 -- What does it mean to come and follow? We are all called, set apart, to respond in obedience with the love and grace provided through Jesus Christ. - Let There Be Peace on Earth 12/15/2010 -- Much more work remains to ensure that women have a voice in times of conflict and in implementing UNSCR 1325 worldwide. We must all join the efforts of women throughout the world who are saying, “Let there be peace on earth.” - A Bible Study on "The Theology of Mission" 12/13/2010 -- A guided study on Dr. Catherine M. Akale’s message at the 2010 United Methodist Women Leadership Training Event - Take Action for Migrant Rights on December 18, International Migrants Day 12/13/2010 -- In this season of Advent, we commemorate International Migrants Day on December 18, recognizing the efforts, contributions and rights of migrants worldwide. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the United Nations (U.N.) migrant rights convention. - Who Is My Neighbor? 12/13/2010 -- This is the question that Baltimore-Washington Conference United Methodist Women will be exploring over the next three days during their seminar with the United Methodist Seminar Program. - Intercept Human Trafficking 12/07/2010 -- Super Bowl XLV will be held Sunday February 6, 2011, in Dallas, Texas. While the country celebrates this unofficial holiday, United Methodist Women and Mosaic Family Services in North Texas will be working to combat human trafficking. - Toward the Peaceful Kingdom: A Faith Walk 12/02/2010 -- Kindness matters for creating spaces for a peaceable kingdom to take root in our hearts, in our work places and in our communities. - Hope in the Midst of Struggle 12/02/2010 -- Let us focus on one group of people that needs special help during this happy period of Advent: the aged. - Treating HIV, AIDS and Stigma 11/30/2010 -- Around the world, HIV and AIDS still ravage lives and communities, and the discrimination that comes with the disease can be worse than the illness. - Ons Plek 11/30/2010 -- Ons Plek means a place for us in Afrikaans and is the only intake shelter for runaway girls in Cape Town, South Africa. Its focus on education and strengthening families enables 90 percent of the girls to return to homes better prepared to support them. - The Theology of Mission 11/29/2010 -- Regional Missionary Dr. Catherine Mudime Akale led a bible study at United Methodist Women's Leadership Training Event, Nov. 21, 2010 in St. Louis, Mo. - United Methodist Women Register for Independence Vote in Southern Sudan 11/23/2010 -- United Methodist women in Southern Sudan are joining their neighbors in enthusiastically registering to vote in a January referendum on whether their war-torn land will split off from the north of the country. - Women, Health and Safety 11/17/2010 -- Urge your congressional representative to support and co-sponsor H.R. 5268, the Global Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes while Maximizing Successes (MOMS) Act. - Responsively Yours: Called to Service and Advocacy 11/09/2010 -- What energizes women organized for mission? - Global Migration Focus of Global Gathering in Mexico 11/01/2010 -- United Methodist Women heads to Mexico City this week for the People’s Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights (PGA). - A Place to Call Home 11/01/2010 -- Mary Elizabeth Inn offers once homeless women in San Francisco safety, support and the stability of house keys. - Beyond City Limits 11/01/2010 -- Changing demographics call for needs-based services in metropolitan areas not just within city limits. - Interviews with Women from "Voices from the Frontlines" 10/28/2010 -- United Methodist Women spoke to about what would make implementation of UNSCR 1325 effective and how women of faith can implement peace around the world. - Women Call for Peace Resolution Implementation 10/28/2010 -- In “Voices from the Frontlines,” women from conflict areas around the world shared their experiences on why women need to be involved in decisions that define just and reconciliatory processes on every level. - United Methodist Women Honored at UMAC 10/27/2010 -- United Methodist Women received awards at the annual meeting of the United Methodist Association of Communicators. - Immigrant/Civil Rights Initiative 10/22/2010 -- The United Methodist Women's immigrant and civil rights initiative draws on our biblical understandings that all God's children are valued and welcome at the table, and where Jesus' commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves becomes reality. - United Methodist Women Partner Fights Violence Against Women and Girls in Haiti 10/20/2010 -- Advocates and attorneys for displaced women in Haiti submitted a petition calling for urgent action to confront an epidemic of sexual violence in the camps for displaced people. - Winthrop University Wesley Foundation Takes Human Trafficking Seminar 10/14/2010 -- The United Methodist Seminar Program is hosting a group of 15 students from Winthrop University Wesley Foundation in Rock Hill, S.C., for a two-day seminar on human trafficking. - Organizing for Mission 10/13/2010 -- United Methodist Women President Inelda González addressed directors, guests and staff at the annual Women’s Division board of directors fall meeting, paying tribute to the work of early women missionaries and challenging attendees to be proactive in miss... - Sally L. Vonner Elected to Women's Division AGS Position, and Other Approvals 10/13/2010 -- At their Annual board meeting, Oct. 7-11 in Stamford, Conn., the Women’s Division board of directors approved or reported on the following actions. - Become a JFON Advocate! 10/12/2010 -- Join us during 10-Fold to learn about a vital United Methodist Ministry to immigrants, Justice For Our Neighbors. - Women as Peacemakers, Women as Decision Makers 10/12/2010 -- From Oct. 18-29, the United Nations and women’s and civil society organizations will celebrate 10 years of UNSCR 1325. - Nothing Was Ever the Same Again After That 10/08/2010 -- Women’s Division head Harriett Olson opened the annual fall board of directors meeting with a message of hope that today’s mission efforts could be pivotal events for good in the lives of women, children and youth. - Sunlit Sisters 10/01/2010 -- The Korean War led many young women to “camptowns” where there were soldiers with money and a chance for survival. Today, Sunlit Sisters Center offers light and love to the now aging women. - New Beginnings for Domestic Violence Survivors 10/01/2010 -- In a county with a domestic violence rate three times the national average, United Methodist Women-supported Navajo United Methodist Center offers a safe place and opportunity for a new life. - Love, Rice and Beans 10/01/2010 -- United Methodist Women members from Westminster, Md., help with dinner and fix homes in the Dominican Republic. - UMC Bishop Thomas Bickerton Speaks on Ending Malaria Deaths at U.N. Panel 09/22/2010 -- United Methodist Women had a presence at the U.N. Week’s Digital Media Lounge Tuesday during which a panel discussion was held about malaria that included United Methodist Bishop Thomas Bickerton, who spearheads the Nothing But Nets campaign. - International Day of Peace Event 09/20/2010 -- On the International Day of Peace, September 21, at 2:00 p.m., the Tillman Chapel at the Church Center for the United Nations will be the place of fusion and fission. We come together, we find one another and we inspire one another to be bolder peacemaker... - Give Us This Day Our Daily Peace 09/20/2010 -- September 21 is the International Day of Peace, a day to recall the words of Bishop Bromley Oxnam, a leader in the peace movement: “Peace like bread must be made daily.” It is a day to work for peace collectively. - The Hypocenter as Peacemaking 09/15/2010 -- On September 21, 2010, the International Day of Peace will be observed at the Church Center for the United Nation’s Chapel, with an event entitled “The hypocenter as peacemaking.” - Pakistan Flood Update from Women's Division Partners 09/10/2010 -- Faith and funding partners of United Methodist Women in Pakistan report that recent flooding in Pakistan has hit the poorest of the poor and has further deepened poverty among those living at the lowest economic level. - Voices of Native American Women 09/07/2010 -- Read an excerpt of three topics highlighted from 'Voices of Native American Women,' a new resource from the Women's Division and now available at the Mission Resource Center. - Wesley-Rankin Center Keeps Kids Stocked Up on School Supplies 09/01/2010 -- United Methodist Women-supported Wesley-Rankin Center in Dallas, Tx., helps kids go back to school with supplies, with help from a Women's Division grant for this program. - Haiti Update: Communities of Shalom 08/26/2010 -- Deaconess candidate Valerie Mossman-Celestin shares her work with Communities of Shalom as the U.S. director of Haitian Artisans for Peace International (HAPI). - United Methodist Women-Supported Crossroads Urban Center Sponsors Forum on Poverty in Utah 08/24/2010 -- Several homeless Utahns spoke Saturday at the annual People’s Summit on Poverty, designed to bring together those living in poverty and those looking to take action. - Crafting Hope in Haiti 07/28/2010 -- Women in Haiti find opportunity and community working with United Methodist Women-supported Haitian Artisans for Peace International. - Love Your Neighbor 07/28/2010 -- United Methodist Women-supported Wesley Community Centers, Inc., in Atlanta, Ga., is a popular place for its senior neighbors. - Alaska Children's Services Marks 120th Anniversary 07/14/2010 -- Alaska Children's Services, a United Methodist Women-supported National Mission Institution, is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. - Alaska Children's Services Marks 120th Anniversary 07/13/2010 -- The multi-campus facility is a National Mission Institution related to the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries through the Women's Division. - A Century of Service 05/14/2010 -- United Methodist Women-supported United Community Centers helps people forget about problems, and gives people hope. - International Market About More than Goods 05/02/2010 -- The international solidarity marketplace at Assembly 2010. - Marchers Speak Out on Immigrant Rights 05/02/2010 -- Quotes from marchers at Saturday's Immigrant, Civil and Human Rights March in St. Louis. - Concern for Immigrants Spans 100 Years and More 05/01/2010 -- United Methodist Women's work with immigrants is part of its history, spanning decades of work for civil and human rights. - Ties that Bind 04/30/2010 -- Representatives from six of the19 schools in United Methodist Women’s Higher Education Initiative gathered in St. Louis, Mo., April 28 for a pre-Assembly consultation to consider how their colleges and universities might be of service to one another. - Health Care Heritage 04/02/2010 -- Since when has United Methodist Women been interested in health care? Our foremothers were health care advocates and work for health care for all continues today. - Christian Witnesses to the World 04/01/2010 -- United Methodist Women-supported missionaries touch the lives of women, children and youth around the world. - Committed to Their Communities 04/01/2010 -- United Methodist Women-supported mission with communities across the United States is manifested in national mission institutions. - Deaconess Clara Ester 04/01/2010 -- A Life of Mission and Evangelism - On International Women’s Day, United Methodist Women Assesses Setbacks for Women’s Rights, Affirms Commitments 03/15/2010 -- On International Women’s Day, March 8, United Methodist Women joins thousands of women around the world to affirm our commitment to gender equality for women. - “We Are Neighbors” 02/25/2010 -- Thirty-six hours after a massive earthquake ravaged the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, United Methodist Women-supported Dominican-Haitian Women’s Movement (MUDHA) brought 88 people, 30 of them doctors or nurses, along with water, food, medical supplie... - Of HAPI-ness, Gratitude Journals, and Haiti 02/19/2010 -- United Methodist Women-supported Hatian Artisans for Peace International generates hope; not just for the artisans of Mizak, but also for those who journal in the hand-bound books they sell. - Prayers for Haiti 01/14/2010 -- United Methodist Women members are responding to needs since the Haiti earthquake. The first line of response is prayer. - Historic Commissioning of Deaconess/Home Missioner Candidates 12/21/2009 -- Come to St. Louis and share in a sacred moment in the lives of men and women who, through faith and hope have determined to live love in action. - In Speech to Directors, Board President Reflects on History and Purpose 10/15/2009 -- In preparation for a transitional period for United Methodist Women, Women’s Division president Inelda González reflected on history, challenging directors to do more to engage and act for justice in their communities and in the church at the semi-annual ... - Division Directors to Explore New Relationship with Global Ministries 04/28/2009 -- Women's Division directors voted to explore a new model of partnership with the General Board of Global Ministries that would transfer oversight of United Methodist Women-supported national mission institutions, relationships with international partners a... - Emma's Place: Hope and Home for Families 12/26/2008 -- Emma's Place (in St. Paul, Minnesota) believes in second chances, for which the families who live there are exceedingly grateful. - Fourth Sunday in Advent: Remembering the Least of These 12/16/2008 -- As Christians what will our focus be? Will we feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, cloth the naked, visit the sick or visit the prisoner? Isn’t this what Christmas is all about? - 100 Years of Kindness and Mercy at East St. Louis Community Center 10/31/2008 -- "100 Acts of Kindness, 100 Acts of Mercy" is the theme of the 100th anniversary of a United Methodist community center that is part of the social and religious bedrock of East St. Louis and surrounding St. Clair County. - Peace Media Monitoring: Sept. 22 09/08/2008 -- Sep. 02, 2008: Women are invited to participate in peace media monitoring this month in conjunction with the International Day of Peace. Sept. 21 marks the celebration of the International Day of Peace. - Are We Closer to Peace Today? 09/08/2008 -- United Methodist Women has carried out a prayer campaign since the 2003 Lenten Season, the start of the Iraq War. Now, we call on the whole church to keep the faith and continue actions of prayer for peace. 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July 15, 2009 Comments from Chinese official don't commit the world's largest palm oil importer to buying eco-certified palm oil but suggest interest in the environmetal performance of the vegetable oil linked to widespread deforestation in southeast Asia. In a public statement issued at the 2nd International Oil and Fats Summit in Beijing on July 9, leading palm oil industry companies committed to "support the promotion, procurement and use of sustainable palm oil in China” and to “support the production of sustainable palm oil through any investments in producing countries.” Other details on the announcement were vague. WWF says the statement was signed by Wilmar International, IOI Corperation, KLK Berhad, Kulim Malaysia Berhad, Asia Agri., Premier Foods PLC and Unilever PLC, none of which are headquartered in China. Oxfam International, TransAsia Lawyers, and Solidaridad China were also signatories. Chart/Graph: Top palm oil importers for the 2008 market year. Click image to enlarge. "Given the massive of volumes of palm oil now being purchased, any move China makes towards using sustainable palm oil will have a big influence on protecting tropical forest resources in South East Asia and other areas," said WWF-China Country Representative Dermot O’Gorman. WWF notes that China's interest in sustainable palm oil was highlighted last year when Dr. Huo Jiangguo, President of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs and Native Produce, attended the annual Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) meeting in Indonesia. RSPO has developed a certification standard that aims to improve the environmental performance of palm oil. Producers, buyers, and environmental groups are members of the organization. Chart/Graph: Market share of top 5 palm oil producers for the 2008 market year “Industry in China acknowledges that sustainability is one of the key criteria of ensuring competence in the global market,” he said. "The roundtable encourages the entire industry chain to make a move towards sustainability, and also gives Chinese stakeholders a big opportunity to play a significant role achieving the aims of RSPO." The announcement comes a month and a half after Chinese state media reported new environmental rules for Chinese companies operating overseas. The guidelines, drafted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Commerce, are awaiting final approval from authorities. The mandatory rules will require Chinese firms to abide by green regulations in their host countries as well as international treaties signed by China. Chinese businesses will have to implement environmental safeguards to reduce pollution and provide compensation for any damages their operations cause abroad. Auckland Zoo bans Cadbury chocolate due to palm oil content (07/12/2009) Auckland Zoo has pulled Cadbury chocolates from its shops and restaurants following the candy maker's decision to start adding palm oil to its chocolates, reports the Sunday Star Times. The zoo is also removing other products that contain palm oil, due to concerns that its production is driving rainforest destruction across Southeast Asia, putting orangutans and other species at risk. Cadbury said it made the change to palm oil for economic reasons. Palm oil, described as "vegetable fat" on its packaging, is cheaper than cocoa butter. Failure to support greener palm oil may lead industry to abandon environmental measures (07/08/2009) Consumer apathy towards eco-certified palm oil have undermined efforts to improve the environmental performance of the industry, a top industry official told Reuters. Palm oil boycott an unrealistic approach to conserving biodiversity (04/15/2008) Boycotting palm oil produced in Southeast Asia in an "unrealistic" and "ineffective" approach to conserving the region's fast-disappearing rainforests, said a Princeton University researcher speaking at a conference on the sustainability of palm oil. Instead, NGOs should focus on engaging and working with the palm oil industry to reduce its impact on the environment. Addressing the first International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Princeton biologist Dr. David S. Wilcove said that the palm oil industry is too important to the economies of Indonesia and Malaysia to justify blanket import bans on the edible oil used in food, cosmetics, industrial products, and biodiesel. The palm oil industry contributes to health, education, and infrastructure in rural areas. Eco-friendly palm oil could help alleviate poverty in Indonesia (04/03/2007) The Associated Press (AP) recently quoted Marcel Silvius, a climate expert at Wetlands International in the Netherlands, as saying palm oil is a failure as a biofuel. This would be a misleading statement and one that doesn't help efforts to devise a workable solution to the multiplicity of issues surrounding the use of palm oil.

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