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Posted by attictv When you think of games people play back in the days when digital games are still in its nascency, you can see very clearly that there is still a huge discrepancy in the way people interact around games back then, and the way people interact around games now. Most games like Monopoly, Cops and Thieves, and in Malaysia, where I come from, more traditional games like Kayu Tiga, the bottle cap game or even sports like Basketball and Football has a deep level of social interaction built around it. Is that level of social interaction available in the casual games like Cityville, Farmville or even Sims Social? The main differences as of now that are obvious are: 1. It is almost always played amongst a close group of friends with the occasional stranger joining in. 2. The social interactions had deeper emotional relevance in a sense that everyone else is not just “an avatar” that you get additional gold or play coins from and there is actually emotional context. E.g. bluffing a good friend at poker and pulling it off has a different depth than bluffing a random fish on online poker tables 3. People form alliances and collusions with other people to together conquer the world Can these elements be induced in Social Games today? Let’s see

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://blog.tickade.com/tag/emotions/

2013-05-24T15:56:04Z

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en

A Tribute to PROFESSOR CHEE SENG LIM (Sultan Idris University, Malaysia) (by Professor Sukanta Chaudhuri – International Shakespeare Association, Executive Committee) The death of Chee Seng Lim is a great blow to Shakespeare studies in Malaysia and the world. It is also a deep personal loss to very many academics in many countries. For three decades in Malaysia, Professor Lim was the chief designer of programmes, projects and conferences on Shakespeare – as on Commonwealth Studies and, in fact, English studies generally. But this was only the starting-point for a sustained agenda of academic outreach across the world. He was a familiar figure at institutions and conferences across Europe and America, and of course in all Asian countries. On home ground, he was the most energetic and genial of academic hosts. Beyond this formidable professional record, his death has registered, on all who came in contact with him, as a matter of personal shock and grief. The warmth and sincerity of his personality infused everything he said and did. His personal generosity and transparency of purpose carried over into his professional dealings. He was one of the last scholars to value unhurried, uncompromising engagement with the subject above the sick hurry and divided aims of academic careerism. He wrote extensively, but never for a Ph.D. He traveled, lectured and networked, but always in pursuit of a creative and unselfish agenda. I feel a special sense of loss because of his exceptionally close interaction with my own department at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. We were touched and privileged that Chee Seng found in Kolkata a retreat and meeting-point within easy reach of Kuala Lumpur. Besides formal academic visits, he would regularly fly in to the Kolkata Book Fair, the National Library, even to private events. Our students practically viewed him as an extension of the faculty. Chee Seng Lim was a living embodiment of everything the ISA stands for. Now that he is no longer alive, let us remember what he stood for even as we mourn his loss.

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http://bloggingshakespeare.com/a-gentleman-and-a-scholar

2013-05-24T15:57:51Z

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en

Monday, April 28, 2008 Lastest: Support Tzu-Chi Humanitarian effort on Haiti earthquake “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” - The Buddha We request you to spend 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 20 minutes and as much as you can every day or weekly from February 1 to at the Sound of Compassion Concert - Sunday 18th April 2010 @ 7 pm in HGH Convention Hall, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. to think about the People of Haiti and pray for their well beings and for fast recovery and healing from this massive earthquake effect. Your commitment and consistent prayers and thoughts towards people of Haiti will surely going to bless and make a power of peace and joy towards every people in this world. It is the right time for each one of us to prove our CARE being a human being and of course to generate global brotherhood among every human being. We also urge you to pray and think about the animals that are also became the victim of this situation. May we SMILE and CARE for all the sentient beings always. The Sound of Compassion Team Join our cause at: A) The dates of the events are as below: Launch of oil lamp and prayer project - Sunday 28th February 2010 @ 8 pm in Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Press conference by Ven.B.Sri Saranankara Nayaka Maha Thero, presentation by Tzu Chi on the relief work and issuance of tickets for oil lamps on 6th March, 2010. Centralised Prayer 1 - Tuesday 16th March 2010 @ 8 pm in Shah Alam Buddhist Society, Bukit Rimau, Selangor, Malaysia. Centralised prayer 2 - Tuesday 16th March 2010 @ 8 pm in Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Centralised prayer 3 - Saturday 27th March 2010 @ 8 pm in Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Monastery, Jenjarom, Selangor, Malaysia. Centralised Prayer 4 – Sunday 11th April 2010 @ 8 am in Subang Jaya Buddhist Association, Selangor, Malaysia. Mass offering of oil lamps and chanting - Tuesday 30th March 2010 @ 8 pm in respective centres. b) Sound of Compassion Concert - Sunday 18th April 2010 @ 7 pm in HGH Convention Hall, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Note: Kindly write about your program or prayer plan on the event wall so that we all can know and initiate others too to act accordingly ! The Star, Sunday January 31, 2010 Charity knows no bounds YUM CHA by RACHAEL KAM The Tzu-Chi Foundation which was founded by a nun in Taiwan has undergone a miraculous growth. It now has 10 million members in 47 countries who do charity work around the world and save the environment in the process. AS a charity organisation, the growth of the Tzu-Chi Foundation is miraculous. Started off in 1966 by a Buddhist nun with a group of 30 housewives doing voluntary work, the Taiwan-based organisation today has 10 million members worldwide with branches in 47 countries. The driving force behind the phenomenal expansion is perhaps its motto: “Do good deeds, say good words and think good thoughts – with action”. Raising awareness: Tan says the movement’s most successful project is their recycling programme. Its members, among them many Malaysians, can be distinguished by their navy blue shirts and white trousers. They believe in walking the talk and feel that it is better to go around the world once doing charity work than chanting a thousand times. Bro.Tan Chee Wei, Tzu-Chi’s administration head in Kuala Lumpur, says members of the group are active in international relief activities, helping victims regardless of their race, religion and nationality. Besides giving immediate aid in the aftermath of a disaster, Tzu-Chi volunteers also provide mid-term and long-term assistance such as rebuilding homes for survivors. “We believe in being united in difficult times,” Bro.Tan says, adding that this was the wish of Tzu-Chi’s founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen. The foundation that started in Hualien, Taiwan, with volunteers saving some money each day for charity, is today one of the three largest Buddhist organisations in Taiwan. The other two are Fo Guang Shan and Dharma Drum Mountain. It started off doing simple charity work in the neighbourhood but has, since 1993, expanded into eight areas covering medical aid, education, culture, international relief, bone marrow donation, environmental protection and community voluntary work on a global basis. Tan cites the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that wrecked the Haitian capital on Jan 12 as an example. After the killer quake flattened Port-Au-Prince, Tzu-Chi immediately sent volunteers from its US branch to assess the situation and make preparations for relief work. Subsequently, it delivered 50,000 blankets, food, clothes, water dispensers, medical stuff and equipment to the devastated city. The Kuala Lumpur branch also started a fund-raising campaign on Jan 16 to raise money for the survivors, Tan says. “We will work out mid-term and long-term aid programmes in the aftermath of the disaster and help to rebuild the society,” he says, adding that this will include setting up temporary hospitals and schools in Port-Au-Prince. Tzu-Chi has a strong team of volunteers comprising architects, engineers, doctors and medical officers to see to the success of its long-term plans, Tan says. “Some architects and engineers have even stayed in afflicted places for two years after a disaster to ensure that the rebuilding of hospitals, schools and houses is completed.” Under the foundation is the Tzu-Chi International Medical Association (Tima), which was established in 1996 and now has 58 branches in 11 countries. It has more than 7,000 medical volunteers and has been providing free medical services in 39 countries. In 1993, Tzu-Chi started a marrow donor registry called Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cell Centre. It has handled over 1,801 marrow transplants in 27 countries. Currently, Tzu-Chi’s medical care network has six hospitals in Taiwan and runs a system of free mobile clinics around the world. “Basically, we provide food, clothes, material necessities, medical care and spiritual consolation for disaster victims, the sick, and elderly,” Tan explains. Tzu-Chi volunteers also produce special food products and recycled blankets under another arm, the Tzu-Chi International Humanitarian Aids Association (Tiha) whose membership comprises manufacturers. This came about when the founder realised that cooking for survivors after a disaster was a big problem and the food manufacturers came up with products like instant rice and noodles that can be prepared even with cold water. Other than instant food, they also manufacture special blankets made from recycled mineral water bottles. The blankets are light and can be transported easily. In Malaysia, says Tan, their most successful project is their recycling programme aimed at raising funds as well as public awareness of environmental protection. The programme started in 1992 and today has 50 centres nationwide, and 80 mobile collection points in Kuala Lumpur and 55 in Klang. “We raise an average of RM40,000 monthly in Kuala Lumpur alone,” he says. The foundation also runs mobile clinics every second and fourth Sunday nationwide for some 500 poor families and refugees who are registered with them. Free clinics are open every Sunday in Malacca, Klang, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Plans are afoot to open these free clinics Monday to Friday from March, Tan says. They are accessible to patients of charity homes, beggars and disabled people. Tan says Tzu-Chi also operates 10 cafe-cum-bookshops nationwide and they organise charitable events regularly. It has also been running learning centres in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Klang and Malacca to promote calligraphy, cooking, tea ceremony and other cultural activities. Indeed, Tzu-Chi has branched out to embrace almost every aspect of life for the benefit of its members who comprise not only Buddhists but people of other religions as well. “We are not promoting religion but just doing charity for people all over the world,” stresses Tan. In Malaysia, it has 300,000 donating members of whom some 10% are active members.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://buddhistsinklangvalley.blogspot.com/2008/04/kmbs-wesak-day-announcement-19-may-2008_28.html

2013-05-24T15:44:36Z

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en

I get further upset when students with great potential i.e., some of the top students in SPM and STPM are "seduced" to enrol in some of the above courses which results a poorer education, making them less qualified for the employment market as they do not fulfil their best possible potential. These students who have paid so much more taking these twinning courses would have learnt more, and be better qualified for the job market if they had enrolled in some of the better local universities in Malaysia. The Guardian, a leading newspaper publication in the UK has in April released their University ranking guide. I saw it as an opportune moment to research the universities which our local private colleges collaborate with for their twinning programs and verify if they are indeed the "leading" or "top" or "prestigious" universities in the UK, which they are marketed to be. Please note the following assumptions, when reviewing the "results" of my simple study. - While it can be argued that universities rankings are never going to be "accurate" in any study, it's fair to say that it does provide some indications to the quality of the institute. For example, there may not really be any difference between a university ranked 21st and 25th, but there's likely to be a significant gap between the universities placed as 30th vs 55th vs 80th vs 110th. - This study only involves the UK universities as the Guardian have only just made the latest rankings available. However, I believe that the results from this simple study is likely to be fairly uniform across the colleges in the United States and Australia. - In this study, I'd also focus significantly more on the Computer Science (and related) studies as it's one of the most popular course which candidates apply for today, as well as the fact that I have dealt extensively with graduates from the above courses. - There are a total of 122 universities ranked in the Guardian study in total, of which 111 universities offer Computer Science degree courses) - For the purposes of reviewing local private colleges offering degree courses, I've focused on some of the more popular choices such as APIIT, Inti College, Kolej Damansara Utama (KDU), HELP Institute, Kolej Bandar Utama (KBU) and Nilai College. They are used as examples and they are not specifically targeted for criticism. In general, it is my believe from my experience that most of the other private colleges suffer similar shortfalls. - I've focused my comments a bit more on the more popular UK universities with the "leading" local private colleges. These universities are more popular through the fact that most of the graduates resumes I've received from foreign universities are from these. 1. Staffordshire University (Ranked 79/122 Overall; 79/111 for Computer Science) Staffordshire University is the degree from which the large majority of APIIT information technology students graduate with. For APIIT which proclaims that APIIT students are "recognised for entry into leading universities in the UK" on the website, the ranking does leave much to be desired. 2. Coventry University (Ranked 70/122 Overall; 103/111 for Computer Science) Coventry Unversity is a popular choice among degree students studying in Inti College. Twinning courses with Coventry is also available in APIIT as well as KDU. Inti College has advertised on their website that their students can select from an "impressive list of prestigious universities and enroll in the UK Degree Transfer Programmes". Apart from a series of programmes that have been carefully and thoughtfully designed in collaboration with top-notch universities in the UK and Australia, INTI provides an exceptional environment to promote propitious Computing and IT learning.Being ranked 70th out of 122 universities in UK is relative poor, but ranking 103 out of 111 universities offering computer science courses (i.e., bottom 10%) cannot in any way be regarded even near mediocre. Students need to be made aware that by choosing to obtain your computer science degrees from Coventry University (and unfortunately, many do - I've received many resumes of such), you are enrolling to one of the poorest Computer Science universities in the UK. 3. University of Northumbria at Newcastle (Ranked 87/122 Overall; 83/111 for Computer Science; 60/67 for Electrical Engineering; 60/118 for Business) This university is the UK university partner of Kolej Damansara Utama (KDU) - so you'd find that most UK-based degrees courses offered by KDU will lead to a degree from Northumbria. This includes Computer Science, Engineering and Business degrees. Once again, the rankings tell of how misleading the advertisements and information provided by these colleges can be: That is why our Department of Information and Multimedia Technologies is recognised and renowned for setting high standards of excellence in education. Your UK qualification will give you worldwide recognition and equip you with the necessary skills sets to meet the challenges of this competitive market. That is why our graduates are highly sought after and earmarked for employment before graduation. With industry recognition, work relevant programmes, experienced professional lecturers, continuous upgrading of facilities, you are at the right place - you will be joining a leading engineering department with a track record of having produced one of the highest number of 3+0 graduates in the country. [KDU-Northumbria University(3+0) B.Eng(Hons) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering]How can a local college be advertising that they have one of the "leading" engineering department when their partner university is ranked among the worst in the UK (60th of 67 universities)? Northumbria IT degrees are also offered at Binary College and Stamford College. 4. University of East London (UEL) (Ranked 52/122 Overall; 51/111 for Computer Science; 100/118 for Business Studies; 46/76 for Economics) UEL is the main UK twinning partner university for HELP "University" College. The courses which HELP twins with UEL include degrees in Business Administration, Accounting & Finance and Business Information Systems. As a university, UEL is ranked just about in the middle tier of universities in the UK as well as for Computer Science courses. However, UEL is clearly poorer in its Business as well as Economics faculties. Fortunately, HELP does not exaggerate UEL's reputation too much on its web site (below), although it did "highlight" that "HELP has an array of programs affiliated with educational institutions of excellence in the United Kingdom..." ... a rapidly developing university with 102 years of excellence in teaching and research, offering the 3+0 programme in Bachelor of Science (Honours) Business Information Systems. On top of that, the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Multimedia Studies and Bachelor of Science (Honours) in E-Commerce are also available in 2+1 arrangement with UEL. 5. University of Greenwich (Ranked 101/122 Overall; 61/111 for Computer Science) HELP did however, advertised one of its other degree twinning partner, Unversity of Greenwich as one of the "renown university" partners. One would hardly regard the rankings provided above as "renown" in any way. University of Greenwich programmes are also offered in Nilai College and Inti College. 6. University of Sunderland (Ranked 79/122 Overall; 66/111 for Computer Science) The University of Sunderland is the main degree twinning partner of Binary College - whom they described as "world-class qualifications well recognised both in the industry as well as overseas universities". [You really wonder which world these colleges are talking about when they call these universities "world-class"] University of Sunderland degrees are also available through Inti College. 7. Oxford Brookes University (Ranked 51/122 Overall; 41/111 for Computer Science; 45/118 for Business Studies) Of the various UK twinning universities, I would have to regard Oxford Brookes as one of the better ones, although its rankings are still no better than average. Oxford Brookes is the main degree twinning partner of Nilai College with its courses also available as alternative options in Inti College, KDU, Sunway College, and APIIT. 8. Nottingham Trent University (NTU) (Ranked 82/122 Overall; 43/111 for Computer Science; 75/118 for Business Studies) NTU is the degree twinning partner of choice for Kolej Bandar Utama (KBU). NTU is described on KBU website as follows: NTU occupies a creditable position in the UK university league table and is highly rated in many aspects such as in research. It has been praised for its excellent teaching quality and the employability of its graduates.I'd leave it to the readers to form their own conclusion as to whether a degree with NTU for the respective courses will be worthwhile pursuing. 9. De Montfort University (DMU) (Ranked 83/122 Overall; 95/111 for Computer Science) DMU has becoming increasing popular destination for a twinning degree in Malaysia through the local private college FTMS. Obtaining one's degree through FTMS is understandably a popular choice for the simple reason that one "saves" 2 years on STPM/'A' Levels or 1 year foundation courses. I've seen many top SPM students (i.e., 7As or more) sign up for courses at FTMS, and often graduating with 1st class honours. However, having hired 1-2 of them at one time, I quickly realised that despite the excellent secondary education and a supposed 1st class honours degree, the graduates clearly do not meet the necessary depth in skills and knowledge (in my case, Computer Science degrees) to perform anywhere near say, the good local graduates. And now, after 'discovering' DMU's ranking, I'm now not at all surprised. These top students would unfortunately have done better for themselves - intellectually, academically and career prospects-wise, by enrolling in the top 5-6 local universities (i.e., do STPM, A-Levels or Foundation studies). The 1 year saved isn't any good at all in the longer term. 10. Sheffield Hallam Univesrsity (SHU) (Ranked 92/122 Overall; 102/111 for Computer Science; 105/118 for Business Studies; 54/63 for Mech Engineering) In the past, Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) students "obtain" their degrees through an association with Campbell University in the United States. However, in recent years, more and more students are graduating with degrees offered by SHU. These degrees include IT, Business Studies as well as Engineering degrees. According to the SHU/TARC website, there are now approximately 3000 SHU graduates in Malaysia, with some 700 new graduates every year. TARC is historically one of the colleges of choice among the local Chinese school students in Malaysia. With a rapidly growing student in-take through the establishment of many branch campuses throughout the country and partnerships with universities such as SHU (no disrespect, but SHU is consistently ranked bottom 15 for its Computer Science, Business Studies and Engineering courses in the UK!), are we providing the quality education required by our students, especially those with top results (many whom do enrol into TARC)? 11. Other Twinning Universities The other popular universities in the UK which offer twinning type degrees for Malaysian students through the various private colleges are as follows: - University of Central England (Ranked 50/122 Overall; 80/111 for Computer Science) - Lancaster University (Ranked 57/122 Overall; 50/111 for Computer Science) - University of Hertfordshire (Ranked 66/122 Overall; 57/111 for Computer Science) - University of Plymouth (Ranked 75/122 Overall; 58/111 for Computer Science) - Liverpool John Moores University (Ranked 77/122 Overall; 68/111 for Computer Science) - University of the West of England, Bristol (Ranked 84/122 Overall; 93/118 for Business Studies) - Middlesex University (Ranked 86/122 Overall; 82/111 for Computer Science) - University of Portsmouth (Ranked 94/122 Overall; 105/111 for Computer Science) - University of Luton (Ranked 95/122 Overall; 88/111 for Computer Science; 56/101 for Psychology) - University of Glamorgan (Ranked 106/122 Overall; 72/111 for Computer Science) - Leeds Metropolitan University (Ranked 110/122 Overall; 96/111 for Computer Science) - Lincoln University (Ranked 114/122 Overall; 108/111 for Computer Science) - University of Central Lancashire (Ranked 115/122 Overall; 93/111 for Computer Science) 12. Promising Universities through Local Private Colleges? While the above universities are clearly the most popular choices taken by the Malaysian students in the UK via the "twinning" route, there are some universities listed in the web site and marketing materials of the local colleges as their collaborative partners. These universities are of significantly better standards and they include: - London School of Economics (Ranked 5/122 Overall; 2/76 for Economics) - University of Manchester (Ranked 15/122 Overall; 23/76 for Economics) - University of Birmingham (Ranked 28/122 Overall; 32/111 for Computer Science) - University of Glasgow (Ranked 31/122 Overall; 9/111 for Computer Science) - University of Leeds (Ranked 41/122 Overall; 15/111 for Computer Science) However, it is totally unclear, through the web sites and marketing materials how these colleges provide the degrees from the above universities. In all likelihood, the above degrees are not awarded through the typical twinning programmes (whereby the local colleges have a large degree of autonomy with regards to entry and qualification levels), but are degree programmes in which the students will have to qualify separately for based on examinations such as 'A' Levels. It also probably accounts for the fact that there are fewer Malaysian students with degrees from the above universities than the earlier list. However, there is one notable exception, that the Diploma in Economics at HELP is awarded by London School of Economics (LSE). LSE is ranked top 5 in the UK overall as well as for its Economics courses. This Diploma, while insufficient to secure a "lucrative" career immediately, does provide the students with the right qualification towards a separate degree with the top UK institutions. Note that to obtain these degrees from the top universities, the degree programme is NOT conducted by HELP. HELP does however, have a separate degree program in Economics (and related subjects), but it is accredited as an external degree from University of London. While the lead university in this external programme is LSE, students should note that it is not the same as a degree from LSE. My conclusion as well as advice to prospective university students, especially those with excellent SPM/STPM (or equivalent) results (e.g., SPM aggregate <10):> - At this point of time, based on the quality of twinning degrees offered by the local private institutions, do not sign up for these degrees. You will lose out in terms of the quality of education, and correspondingly damaging your future career prospects. This is not to say that you will not get employed if you were to undertake the twinning degree programmes - it is to say that your full potential may not be achieved. - If you have the funds, or is able to obtain the necessary scholarships, take the academic route which will lead you to the top 20 university in the UK (top 5 in Australia and top 20 in USA). The Top 20 universities according to the Guardian in the UK are: 3. Imperial College 4. Schl of Oriental & African Studies 5. London Schl of Economics 6. King's Col, London 7. University College London 11. St Andrews 12. Queen Mary, London 15. Manchester Uni 19. Cardiff Uni - If you do not have the funds and is for some reason or other not able to obtain the necessary scholarship (but have obviously got excellent secondary school results), aim to enter the top 5 local universities. University Malaya is always a safe bet in terms of academic quality. You are likely to save more money and be a better graduate from these universities instead of joining the twinning programmes. For the authorities (i.e., our Ministry of Education, and or Ministry of Higher Learning), the most important agenda should be for the right candidates with the right qualifications be enrolled in the right educational institutions. It is an absolute waste of Malaysian talent, if the most promising secondary school student is enrolled into a bottom 20 university of any country. The Ministries should: - Take a pro-active stance in monitoring and regulating the commercial marketing activities of our local private colleges. Some of the marketing activities clearly exaggerates the quality of the education provided which misleads uninformed students. I often cringe when I hear or read advertisements by these colleges proclaiming (with impunity) their "world-class" qualities. While the above study relates purely on UK universities, it is my experience dealing with twinning graduates from all countries (UK, USA, Australia) which leads me to the conclusion that the above UK study when applied on the other countries will lead to similar results. - Be pro-active in guiding students to the institution of learning which best "fit" the potential of the students at the secondary level. The Ministry should publish guides which outlines the qualities of the schools both locally as well as overseas, so that students will be able to tell whether they are really enrolling into a "top" institution (or one which is ranked near the bottom). Note that these guides should NOT be designed by the administrative civil servants (which they often are), but actually produced by the relevant academic specialists on the above subjects as well as based on credible studies (such as the University ranking guide published by The Times or the Guardian in the UK). As I have mentioned at the start, it really really peeves me to find students opting for the wrong courses in the wrong institutions of higher learning, which happens quite frequently due to misinformation or poor (or misguided) educational and career guidance. The university years are some 3-4 years of your life which you will not likely repeat again, and if the graduate has made the wrong choice, he will have to live through it by compensating through other means during his work life (e.g., taking a more difficult route to prove himself) in order to fulfil his or her fullest potential.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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2013-05-24T16:02:46Z

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en

Doss , J.G.; Thomson , W.M.; Drummond , B.K.; Raja Latifah , R.J. (2011) Validity of the FACT-H&N (v 4.0) among Malaysian oral cancer patients. Oral Oncology, 47 (7). ISSN 13688375Full text not available from this repository. To assess the cross-sectional construct validity of the Malay-translated and cross-culturally adapted FACT-H&N (v 4.0) for discriminative use in a sample of Malaysian oral cancer patients. A cross-sectional study of adults newly diagnosed with oral cancer. HRQOL data were collected using the FACT-H&N (v 4.0), a global question and a supplementary set of eight questions ('MAQ') obtained earlier in pilot work. Of the 76 participants (61.8% female; 23.7% younger than 50), most (96.1%) had oral squamous cell carcinoma; two-thirds were in Stages III or IV. At baseline, patients' mean FACT summary (FACT-G, FACT-H&N, FACT-H&N TOI, and FHNSI) and subscale (pwb, swb, ewb, fwb, and hnsc) scores were towards the higher end of the range. Equal proportions (36.8%) rated their overall HRQOL as 'good' or 'average'; fewer than one-quarter rated it as 'poor', and only two as 'very good'. All six FACT summary and most subscales had moderate-to-good internal consistency. For all summary scales, those with 'very poor/poor' self-rated HRQOL differed significantly from the 'good/very good' group. All FACT summary scales correlated strongly (r>0.75). Summary scales showed convergent validity (r>0.90) but little discriminant validity. The discriminant validity of the FHNSI improved with the addition of the MAQ. The FACT-H&N summary scales and most subscales demonstrated acceptable cross-sectional construct validity, reliability and discriminative ability, and thus appear appropriate for further use among Malaysian oral cancer patients. |Journal or Publication Title:||Oral Oncology| |Additional Information:||Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia| |Uncontrolled Keywords:||FACT-H&N (v 4.0); Dentistry| |Subjects:||R Medicine > RK Dentistry| |Divisions:||Faculty of Dentistry| |Depositing User:||Mr. Faizal Hamzah| |Date Deposited:||04 Aug 2011 10:25| |Last Modified:||04 Aug 2011 10:25| Actions (login required)

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://eprints.um.edu.my/1928/

2013-05-24T15:45:13Z

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en

ADITYAWATI, Patralia and JANUARTI, Indira (2011) ANALISIS FAKTOR - FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PERGANTIAN KANTOR AKUNTAN PUBLIK PADA PERUSAHAAN MANUFAKTUR DI INDONESIA. Undergraduate thesis, Universitas Diponegoro. |PDF - Published Version| Period of audit tenure between auditor and its client have impact to auditor independency. One of the fomentation remain to be objective is to have audit rotation. This auditor rotation is related with company action to do auditor switching. Some former research show different research each other. This research aims to analyze and to get empirical proof concerning factors that might influence auditor switching in Indonesia. Used factors for example, audit opinion, auditor size, client size, institutional ownership and financial distress. Population of this research are manufacturing companies which are listed in “Bursa Efek Indonesia” (BEI) in the year 2003-2009. Total sample in this research are 276 companies using purposive sampling. Examination of hypothesis conducted by using Logistic Regression in SPSS 16 software. Result of this research is that auditor size has significant effect on auditor switching at manufacturing company in Indonesia. While other factors like audit opinion, client size, institutional ownership, financial distress, do not have significant effect to auditor switching at manufacturing company in Indonesia. |Item Type:||Thesis (Undergraduate)| |Additional Information:||auditor switching, audit tenure, auditor independency, auditor rotation.| |Uncontrolled Keywords:||auditor switching, audit tenure, auditor independency, auditor rotation.| |Subjects:||H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)| |Divisions:||Faculty of Economics and Business > Department of Accounting| |Deposited By:||Mr. Perpustakaan Fakultas Ekonomi| |Deposited On:||29 Jul 2011 09:14| |Last Modified:||29 Jul 2011 09:14| Repository Staff Only: item control page

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Claus Osche - WGA Europe Claus Osche from Berlin/Germany is taking over the administrational work of the World Guppy Association in Europe. World Guppy Contest 2013 Malaysia Guppy Club is proud to present the 16th World Guppy Contest. World Guppy Contest 2011 October 14th to 16th, Boston/USA World Guppy Contest 2010 The 14th WGC 2010 took place from September 25. - 26. in Belo Horizonte / Brazil. World Guppy Contest 2009 The 13th WGC 2009 took place from June 13th to 14th 2009. Place : Hotel "Duca d'Este", via Bologna 258 - Ferrara - Italy There are currently 0 users online.

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Saturday, March 12, 2011 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. WELL NOW WE MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER CHERNOBOL ON OUR HANDS.ITS 10:20AM MAR 12,11 AND I JUST WOKE UP AND HEARD THERE WAS A EXPLOSION AT ONE OF THE REACTOR SITES BUT THE LEAK ITSELF IS CONTAINED SO FAR.THEY ARE STILL EVACUATING A 12-13 MILE RADIOUS OF THE PLANT THOUGH.SO THERE IS OVIOUSLY A MIST LEAK SINCE THEY CHANGED THE EVACUATION AREA FROM 6 MILES TO NOW 12 OR 13 MILE RADIOUS. AND NOW I JUST HEARD THAT SOME EUROPEAN OFFICIALS ARE BLAMING THIS JAPAN QUAKE ON GLOBAL WARMING.THE USUAL SCAM SO WE ARE FORCED TO HAVE SCAM WIND MILLS AND PAY TRILLIONS TO THE ELITE NWO CONTROL FREAKS IN CARBON TAXES TO PAY FOR THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT THEY WANT OVER US TO CONTROL OUR EVERY MOVES.THIS CARBON TAX SCAM FOR GIGANTIC TAXES WILL THE GOVERNMENTS NEVER STOP IT. ITS 2:08PM AND THE JAPAN QUAKE HAS SPAWNED OVER 200 AFTERSHOCKS.AND REPORTS ALSO SAY THAT THERE IS A RED ALERT ON A POSSIBLE 2ND AND 3RD REACTORS THAT MIGHT BE STARTING TO LEAK.AND THE GOVERNMENT IS GIVING OUT POTTASIUM IODINE TO PEOPLE NEAR THE SITE.THIS IS REALLY STARTING TO GET SERIOUS NOW.1,300 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED DEAD IN THE QUAKE-TSUNAMI SO FAR.SCIENTIST SAY THE QUAKE WAS SO POWERFULL IT MADE THE MAIN ISLAND OF JAPAN SHIFT 8 FEET.EARTHS AXIS SHIFTED 10 INCHES.AND NOW THIS CHANGES THE SPEED THAT THE EARTHS PLANET ROTATES.IT AFFECTS THE LENGTH OF OUR DAYS AND THE CHANGES OF SEASONS.BUT THIS IS A SLIGHT CHANGE,ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO NOTICE IN OUR EVERY DAY LIVES.WELL THIS JUST CONFIRMS BIBLE PROPHECY THAT THE POWER OF THE HEAVENS WILL BE SHAKIN.MY COMMENTS YESTERDAY WERE RIGHT ON. DO ALL THESE COUNTRIES LOOK FAMILIAR FROM YESTERDAYS TSUNAMI-YES THE EXACT ONES. ANGEL OF THE LORD TO DR DOCTORIAN The first angel said: I have a message for all of Asia. When he said that, in a split few seconds, I could see all of China, India, the Asian countries like Vietnam, Laos - I've never been to those countries. I saw the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. And then the angel showed me all of Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya and down to Australia and New Zealand.I am the angel of Asia, he said. And in his hand I saw a tremendous trumpet that he is going to blow all over Asia. Whatever the angel said, it's going to happen with the trumpet of the Lord all over Asia. Millions are going to hear the mighty voice of the Lord. Then the angel said, There shall be disaster, starvation - many will die from hunger. Strong winds will be looked like has never happened before. A great part shall be shaken and destroyed.Earthquakes will take place all over Asia and the sea will cover the earth. NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED. 3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. 2 TIMOTHY 3:1 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. 13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3) 3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result) 4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. Boron is used in pyrotechnics and flares to produce a green color. Boron has also been used in some rockets as an ignition source. Boron-10, one of the naturally occurring isotopes of boron, is a good absorber of neutrons and is used in the control of rods of nuclear reactors, as a radiation shield and as a neutron detector. Boron filaments are used in the aerospace industry because of their high-strength and lightweight.jjnorman, Answers Expert. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN-SICKLY) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE). Small amounts of cesium-134 and caesium-137 were released into the environment during nearly all nuclear weapon tests and some nuclear accidents, most notably the Chernobyl disaster. As of 2005, caesium-137 is the principal source of radiation in the zone of alienation around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Together with cesium-134, iodine-131, and strontium-90, caesium-137 was among the isotopes with greatest health impact distributed by the reactor explosion. The mean contamination of caesium-137 in Germany following the Chernobyl disaster was 2000 to 4000 Bq/m2. This corresponds to a contamination of 1 mg/km2 of caesium-137, totaling about 500 grams deposited over all of Germany. Due to caesium-137 mostly being a product of artificial nuclear fission, it did not occur in nature to any significant degree before nuclear weapons testing began. By observing the characteristic gamma rays emitted by this isotope, it is possible to determine whether the contents of a given sealed container were made before or after the advent of atomic bomb explosions. This procedure has been used by researchers to check the authenticity of certain rare wines, most notably the purported Jefferson bottles. NUCLEAR STATE OF EMERGENCY IN JAPAN-VIDEO For battered Japan, a new threat: nuclear meltdown By ERIC TALMADGE and YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press 6:25PM Eric Talmadge And Yuri Kageyama, Associated Press – 19 mins ago IWAKI, Japan – Cooling systems failed at another nuclear reactor on Japan's devastated coast Sunday, hours after an explosion at a nearby unit made leaking radiation, or even outright meltdown, the central threat to the country following a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.The Japanese government said radiation emanating from the plant appeared to have decreased after Saturday's blast, which produced a cloud of white smoke that obscured the complex. But the danger was grave enough that officials pumped seawater into the reactor to avoid disaster and moved 170,000 people from the area.Japan's nuclear safety agency then reported an emergency at another reactor unit, the third in the complex to have its cooling systems malfunction.Japan dealt with the nuclear threat as it struggled to determine the scope of the earthquake, the most powerful in its recorded history, and the tsunami that ravaged its northeast Friday with breathtaking speed and power. The official count of the dead was 686, but the government said the figure could far exceed 1,000. Teams searched for the missing along hundreds of miles (kilometers) of the Japanese coast, and thousands of hungry survivors huddled in darkened emergency centers that were cut off from rescuers and aid. At least a million households had gone without water since the quake struck. Large areas of the countryside were surrounded by water and unreachable.The explosion at the nuclear plant, Fukushima Dai-ichi, 170 miles (274 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo, appeared to be a consequence of steps taken to prevent a meltdown after the quake and tsunami knocked out power to the plant, crippling the system used to cool fuel rods there.The blast destroyed the building housing the reactor, but not the reactor itself, which is enveloped by stainless steel 6 inches (15 centimeters) thick.Inside that superheated steel vessel, water being poured over the fuel rods to cool them formed hydrogen. When officials released some of the hydrogen gas to relieve pressure inside the reactor, the hydrogen apparently reacted with oxygen, either in the air or the cooling water, and caused the explosion.They are working furiously to find a solution to cool the core, said Mark Hibbs, a senior associate at the Nuclear Policy Program for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Nuclear agency officials said Japan was injecting seawater into the core — an indication, Hibbs said, of how serious the problem is and how the Japanese had to resort to unusual and improvised solutions to cool the reactor core.Officials declined to say what the temperature was inside the troubled reactor, Unit 1. At 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit (1,200 degrees Celsius), the zirconium casings of the fuel rods can react with the cooling water and create hydrogen. At 4,000 F (2,200 C), the uranium fuel pellets inside the rods start to melt, the beginning of a meltdown. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said radiation around the plant had fallen, not risen, after the blast but did not offer an explanation. Virtually any increase in dispersed radiation can raise the risk of cancer, and authorities were planning to distribute iodine, which helps protect against thyroid cancer. Authorities ordered 210,000 people out of the area within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the reactor.It was the first time Japan had confronted the threat of a significant spread of radiation since the greatest nightmare in its history, a catastrophe exponentially worse: the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States, which resulted in more than 200,000 deaths from the explosions, fallout and radiation sickness. Officials have said that radiation levels at Fukushima were elevated before the blast: At one point, the plant was releasing each hour the amount of radiation a person normally absorbs from the environment each year.The Japanese utility that runs the plant said four workers suffered fractures and bruises and were being treated at a hospital. Nine residents of a town near the plant who later evacuated the area tested positive for radiation exposure, though officials said they showed no health problems.As Japan entered its second night since the magnitude-8.9 quake, there were grim signs that the death toll could soar. One report said no one could find four whole trains. Others said 9,500 people in one coastal town were unaccounted for and that at least 200 bodies had washed ashore elsewhere.The government said 642 people were missing and 1,426 injured.Atsushi Ito, an official in Miyagi prefecture, among the worst-hit states, could not confirm the figures, noting that with so little access to the area, thousands of people in scores of towns could not yet be reached. Our estimates based on reported cases alone suggest that more than 1,000 people have lost their lives in the disaster, Edano said. Unfortunately, the actual damage could far exceed that number considering the difficulty assessing the full extent of damage.Japan, among the most technologically advanced countries in the world, is well-prepared for earthquakes. Its buildings are made to withstand strong jolts — even Friday's, the strongest in Japan since official records began in the late 1800s. The tsunami that followed was beyond human control.With waves 23 feet (7 meters) high and the speed of a jumbo jet, it raced inland as far as six miles (10 kilometers), swallowing homes, cars, trees, people and anything else in its path.The tsunami was unbelievably fast, said Koichi Takairin, a 34-year-old truck driver who was inside his sturdy, four-ton rig when the wave hit the port town of Sendai. Smaller cars were being swept around me. All I could do was sit in my truck. His rig ruined, he joined the steady flow of survivors who walked along the road away from the sea and back into the city Saturday.Smashed cars and small airplanes were jumbled against buildings near the local airport, several miles (kilometers) from the shore. Felled trees and wooden debris lay everywhere as rescue workers in boats nosed through murky waters and around flooded structures.The tsunami set off warnings across the Pacific Ocean, and waves sent boats crashing into one another and demolished docks on the U.S. West Coast. In Crescent City, California, near the Oregon state line, one person was swept out to sea and had not been found Saturday. In Japan early Sunday, firefighters had yet to contain a large blaze at the Cosmo Oil refinery in the city of Ichihara. Four million households remained without power. The Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Japan had asked for additional energy supplies from Russia.Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 50,000 troops had joined the rescue and recovery efforts, helped by boats and helicopters. Dozens of countries offered to pitch in. President Barack Obama said one American aircraft carrier was already off Japan and a second on its way.Aid had just begun to trickle into many areas. More than 215,000 people were living in 1,350 temporary shelters in five prefectures, the Japanese national police agency said.All we have to eat are biscuits and rice balls, said Noboru Uehara, 24, a delivery truck driver who was wrapped in a blanket against the cold at a shelter in Iwake. I'm worried that we will run out of food.The transport ministry said all highways from Tokyo leading to quake-stricken areas were closed, except for emergency vehicles. Mobile communications were spotty and calls to the devastated areas were going unanswered. One hospital in Miyagi prefecture was seen surrounded by water, and the staff had painted SOS, in English, on its rooftop and were waving white flags.Around the nuclear plant, where 51,000 people had previously been urged to leave, others struggled to get away.Everyone wants to get out of the town. But the roads are terrible, said Reiko Takagi, a middle-aged woman, standing outside a taxi company. It is too dangerous to go anywhere. But we are afraid that winds may change and bring radiation toward us.Although the government played down fears of radiation leak, Japanese nuclear agency spokesman Shinji Kinjo acknowledged there were still fears of a meltdown — the collapse of a power plant's systems, rendering it unable regulate temperatures and keep the reactor fuel cool.Yaroslov Shtrombakh, a Russian nuclear expert, said it was unlikely that the Japanese plant would suffer a meltdown like the one in 1986 at Chernobyl, when a reactor exploded and sent a cloud of radiation over much of Europe. That reactor, unlike the reactor at Fukushima, was not housed in a sealed container.Kageyama reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Malcolm J. Foster, Mari Yamaguchi, Tomoko A. Hosaka and Shino Yuasa in Tokyo, Jay Alabaster in Sendai, Sylvia Hui in London, David Nowak in Moscow, and Margie Mason in Hanoi also contributed. HERES WHAT TO EXPECT IF ITS ANOTHER CHERNOBOL Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Revisited Part one of a series By Roberta C. Barbalace A Human Face In May 1996 a colleague sent me an article from Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN) about the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident. I set it aside, thoroughly intending to write about it at a later time. I might have totally forgotten about it had I not unexpectedly encountered a young man from Belarus who provided a real face and a real personality that I needed to identify with the catastrophe. Blasa was a round faced lad probably about eleven years old visiting from Belarus. His English was about as fluent as my Russian was. Between us there were perhaps a couple of dozen words that we both understood. His host family explained that he was a survivor of Chernobyl and was visiting the United States through a project sponsored by a group of business men who wanted to give the children some relief from the stress that they experience daily as a result of the Chernobyl disaster. I had thought about possible increase in cancer and birth defects. Somehow, stress ten years after the accident never entered my mind. I started shuffling through my pile of potential articles and found the one that Jim Bley had sent. The facts were mind-boggling. Chernobyl Disaster Recalled At 1:23 AM on April 26, 1986, two explosions ripped through the Unit 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine. The reactor block and adjacent structure were wrecked by the initial explosion. Nearby buildings were ignited by burning graphite projectiles. Radioactive particles swept across the Ukraine, Belarus, the western portion of Russia and eventually spread across Europe and the whole Northern Hemisphere. The accident followed a safety experiment in which the plant was operated outside of its designed parameters at very low power and unfavorable cooling conditions.The graphite fires continued to burn for several days despite the fact that thousands of tons of boron carbide, lead, sand and clay were dumped over the core reactor by helicopter. The fire eventually extinguished itself when the core melted, flowed into the lower part of the building and then solidified, sealing off the entry. About 71% of the radioactive fuel in the core (about 135 metric tons) remained uncovered for about 10 days until cooling and solidification took place. 135,000 people were evacuated from a 30-km radius exclusion zone. Clean up involved some 800,000 people. The radioactivity released was estimated to be about two hundred times that of the combined releases in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Millions of people were exposed to the radiation in varying doses. Health Consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster Compulsory health monitoring was provided to those who lived and worked in the heavily contaminated area. Health monitoring was also provided for more than 4.5 million people who were exposed to lower levels of radiation. Still, the available information on the direct health effects of the catastrophe are sketchy at best. Twenty different radionuclides with half-lives varying from 8 days to 24,400 years were released into the atmosphere during the ten day period following the explosion. The contaminants include idiodine-131, cesium-134 and -137 and several plutonium isotopes. There were 444 workers at the site at the time of the accident. Of the 300 admitted to hospitals, 134 were diagnosed with acute radiation syndrome (ARS). Only 45 of these individuals have died to date, though the survivors still suffer with emotional and sleep disturbances and 30% have gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and immuno-function disorders. In Belarus alone 2.2 million people including 600,000 juveniles and children have been exposed to the prolonged impact of long-lived radionuclides. A total of 415 settlements have been evacuated, and the 130,000 residents resettled, making monitoring of them difficult. The actual death toll due to this catastrophe is hard to determine. Greenpeace Ukraine estimates the total number to be about 32,000. Some estimates are higher, many are much lower. The rate of thyroid cancer in children up to the age of 15 has increased 200 fold in Gomel Oblast, Belarus since the accident. At least 90% of these are curable, but the number of cases is expected to increase, especially in children like Blasa who were younger than three at the time of the release. Thyroid cancer is due to inhalation of radioactive iodine or ingestion from drinking milk from cows that have eaten grass that is contaminated with radioactive particles. Iodine-134 is absorbed and concentrated (biointensified) in the milk. When humans drink the milk, the iodine-134 becomes incorporated almost exclusively in the thyroid gland. Many diets in the fall-out affected area of the former Soviet Union are typically deficient in iodine. Individuals who had low levels of iodine in their diet incorporated large quantities of the radioactive iodine into their system as their bodies attempted to compensate for the deficiency. At the moment few republics are reporting a rise in leukemia, a condition which would have been expected to increase. It is possible that the actual rise in incidents of the disease is masked by the mass resettlement into other unaffected areas after the accident. This may have resulted in skewed results since any increase in the rate of leukemia would be averaged over a larger population of individuals, many of whom had not been exposed. The incidences of birth defects have increased in heavily contaminated areas. A condition known as minisatellite mutation in the Mogilev district of Belarus is unusually high.Most genetic mutations resulting from exposure to radiation are recessive and are not likely to be expressed until the individuals affected have grandchildren. The mutation will be fully manifested when two people carrying the same mutant gene marry and produce a child who receives the identical mutant gene from each parent (a one-in-four chance for each child they produce). Radiation effects are dependent upon both level and time of exposure and some individuals continue to be exposed. As a result many effects of radiation on an exposed individual may not be manifested for years to come. Madame Curie reportedly worked with radioactive materials for years before she finally succumbed to its effects. Cancer may take many years to develop after exposure to a carcinogen.The secondary effects of the accident are readily obvious. Millions of people are suffering from mental and emotional illness and these conditions lead to disturbances of the physical kind, including digestive disorders, high blood pressure, heart conditions and more generally sleeplessness and alcoholism. General living conditions in the three affected republics are substandard. The economy is deteriorating and health services are experiencing total collapse. People are malnourished, and diseases like tuberculosis are on the increase. Some of this economic depression is due to the accident, and some is a result of the general economic situation in the former Soviet Union as a whole. The immediate problems are more important to them than diseases that will not have a major impact until some time in the future. As a result, leukemia, thyroid cancer and birth defects must take a back seat to more pressing issues, such as basic survival. Extensive studies will be necessary in order to determine the total impact of the Chernobyl disaster and approach a solution intelligently. Could it be that human invasion has a greater impact on the environment than the most catastrophic nuclear accident in the 20th century? In 1986 the Chernobyl accident contaminated 125,000 square miles of land in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine with radionucleotides including cesium-137, strontium-90 and plutonium-239. It is too early to determine the long-term effects of the radioactive contaminants on the various affected habitats, because genetic changes are often not expressed in a general population for two or three generations. From early observations, however, the prognosis is much more promising than had originally been expected.About 40% of the contaminated area was used for agriculture. The remainder was forest, bodies of water and urban centers. Plants and animals living in the 30-km exclusion zone received the highest level of radiation. Since radionucleotides migrate very slowly in soil, the radiation level in this region remains high. In Belrus 2,640 sq. km of farmland and 1,900 sq. km of forest have been taken out of use by humans forever; so predicted Igor V. Rolevich, Belarus first deputy minister for emergencies.The Chernobyl accident took place during the growing season. It took only two weeks for the conifers to suffer significant damage from exposure. Initially many trees suffered sever damage to reproductive tissue.Within three years of the accident, the trees had regained their reproductive functions. The forests have begun to thrive. Areas within the heart of the exclusion zone have the largest density of animals as well as the greatest diversity. Since people and their livestock do not enter the exclusion zone, there is not much overgrazing, no fires and no destruction. The grass is very deep and the habitat is doing very well. The area outside the exclusion zone has been so severely overgrazed by cattle that there is little grass. In addition, the trees have been cut for firewood, a stress factor that has not affected the exclusion zone. One must avoid the temptation to become too overly optimistic about the rapid recovery of the contaminated area. Currently there is no standard by which to predict the long-term effects on populations, species or ecosystems.Contamination of the soil by radionucleotides with long half-lives such as cesium-137 is a particular problem for the local residents near the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor. These radionucleotides remain in the soil for a long while, is taken up by plants and transferred to the milk and meat products of cattle that graze the area. Human exposure could have been reduced by imposing strict countermeasures immediately following the release. Had local residents not worked in the field, or eaten fresh vegetables, and had they kept their livestock from eating the contaminated forage. Such measures need to be taken immediately, however, and they were not. Very specific countermeasures applied immediately can have a great bearing on the long term effects of a radioactive release. Changing the type of crop planted (each species has a different rate at which it absorbs specific chemical elements or compounds) or adding chemicals such as lime or potassium fertilizers can protect the population. In order for this to happen, residents have to be trained to respond, and the needed supplies must be readily available. No emergency procedure was in place for dealing with the catastrophe.It is interesting that the water supply is not nearly as contaminated as the soil. The radionucleotides tend to settle out with time. Aquatic habitats also tend to be more tolerant of radioactive contamination. There is no evidence of any long term effects to the populations in the water near the nuclear reactor's cooling pond, which was the most contaminated body of water in the exclusion zone.While the groundwater has not been contaminated to date, the Sarcophagus, which was built around Reactor Unit 4 is crumbling and there are many sites where radiation contaminated equipment were dumped.While the environment in the exclusion zone seems to have recovered, it still has to deal with long term effects (such as genetic mutations, which may not surface for a few generations) and the real threat of another release of radioactivity should the integrity of the sarcophagus continue to disintegrate. If societies worldwide want to continue using nuclear power, the benefits must be balanced against the risks! Chernobyl's accident was a turning point for the nuclear power industry worldwide. According to World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), It demonstrated clearly that nuclear power in some parts of the world was not safe enough.The association points out that the accident caused such a negative opinion of nuclear energy that, should such an accident occur again, the existence and future of nuclear energy all over the world would be compromised.On the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), the Chernobyl nuclear accident rates the highest classification, which is level seven. The worst nuclear accident in the West, which was rated a level five by the INES, occurred in the pressurized water reactor at the Three Mile Island facility in Pennsylvania in 1979.Chernobyl incidents are still happening but now are relatively minor compared to the two explosions occurred on April 26, 1986. For example, on Nov, 1995, a small amount of nuclear fuel leaked from the Unit 1 reactor and exposed a worker to about one year's permitted radiation dose.Past experience indicates that there will be another Chernobyl-scale accident, World Health Organization (WHO) scientist Keith F. Baverstock suggests. The increasing number of older reactors is especially a cause for concern. According to David R. Kyd, director of the Division of Public Information at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, There are more than 430 nuclear reactors in the world, with more being built. More significantly, the number of reactors that are aging is inevitably increasing. The first nuclear reactor went on-line about 40 years ago.The huge 300,000-metric-ton concrete and steel sarcophagus that was built at Chernobyl to entomb the destroyed reactor still contains uranium fuel. It is thought to include pellets and hot particles of enriched uranium dioxide, and three streams of solidified lava of fuel mixed with sand and concrete. The long-term stability of the sarcophagus is causing concern. It is now generally accepted that the Chernobyl accident occurred, as WANO puts it, because of a combination of the physics characteristics of the reactor, the design of the control rods, human error, and management shortcomings in the design and implementation of the [safety] experiment. The theory that accidents are rarely due to a single cause is well demonstrated here. Chernobyl was an accident waiting to happen. Changes to the design on nuclear plants along with the implementation of administrative measures have improved safety conditions of operations. There have been other safety improvements since the accident, including the installation of emergency core-cooling systems and remote-control rooms in the first-generation Chernobyl-type, and better operation rules and procedures.The nuclear industry has learned a number of things from Chernobyl. The most important is that it led to the formation of the World Association of Nuclear Operators, an organization that brougth together operators to look at safety and coordination of safety on a world scale. Professor Sir Dillwyn Williams at the University of Cambridge said that, If societies want to continue using nuclear power, the benefits must be balanced against the risks. Precautions must be taken to prevent those types of disasters from happening again. Although the environment seems to have recovered, right now we don't have a really good overview of the long-term effects on populations, species, or ecosystems. Chernobyl Disaster From the Mouths of Children From Footprint of the Black Wind - written by children - Chernobyl in my destiny (Minsk 1995) Irina Prokopenko - 9th grade In the days after the accident we were light-hearted and trusting, we inhabitants of the contamination zone. We lived the same lives as before. Children played out in the radioactive rain; we ate pies off open stalls, went to the woods; the grown-ups worked in the fields... I am now 17, and for seven years have lived with thyroid disease... Natalla Jarmolenko - 11th grade ...Last year one of my classmates, my friend Maja Kasajed, died. The whole school gave her a send-off like a bride. We all stood outside the schoolhouse, and the head-mistress rang the bell for Maja, for the end of the last lesson of her short life... Yelena Kulazhenko - 10th grade Chernobyl called my dad too. He worked for the Department of Internal Affairs...in the 30 km (exclusion) zone...He came home with a voice that was strange and dry. He drank lots of mineral water; that's what the doctors prescribed. He told us about empty villages of Palessia, the domestic animals howling crazily in the roads... In 1989 they gave Dad a terrible diagnosis: cancer of spinal marrow... Doctors in Minsk refused to operate... Soviet people in Moscow refused to treat him...Dad was two months in a hospital in Michigan. Dad came back full of hope. Enchanted, we listened to his tales about the strange but sympathetic and kind people he had met in that far-off land... (Moscow) refused follow up treatment. He began to get worse... On March 28th (1993) he died... That's how (Chernobyl) took away my Dad. And it took away my birthday too; Dad died exactly on the day I reached 14. FACT SHEET: Fukushima Nuclear Plant Published March 12, 2011| FoxNews.com March 11: Fukushima Daiichi power plant's Unit 1 is seen in Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. The nuclear power plant affected by a massive earthquake is facing a possible meltdown, an official with Japan's nuclear safety commission said Saturday. (AP/The Yomiuri Shimbun)IWAKI, Japan – The Fukushima plant is located 150 miles away from Tokyo, 40 miles from the earthquake's epicenter. - About 30% of electricity in Japan is produced by 55 nuclear power units in 17 plants Japan is the world's third largest producer of nuclear power. - The earthquake has led to the shutdown of 11 of the Japan's 55 nuclear power plants, representing nearly 20% of the country's capacity. - The Fukushima Daiichi unit is just one of five reactors severely imperiled by the earthquake. - The Fukushima plant covers about 865 acres and it is built on solid bedrock. - Opened in 1971 -- the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (No.1) would be marking its 40th anniversary on March 26. - Some 40,000 people had evacuated from the areas around two Fukushima plants as of Saturday afternoon, according to reports. - Authorities evacuated a 12.5 mile radius around the reactor, and told residents within 16.5 miles to remain indoors. - Virtually any increase in ambient radiation can raise long-term cancer rates. - A partial meltdown in one of the light water reactors at Three Mile Island in 1979 resulted in the release of radioactive gases in the most serious incident in the history of the U.S. nuclear power industry. (Source: Japan Officials Probe Nuclear Plant Collapse, The Wall Street Journal: 12 March 2011) (Source: Damage to cooling system had sparked warning of meltdown, MarketWatch: 12 March 2011) (Source: Japan Officials Probe Nuclear Plant Collapse, The Wall Street Journal: 12 March 2011) (Source: IAEA, http://www.iaea.org/cgi-bin/db.page.pl/pris.powrea.htm?country=JP&sort=&sortlong=Alphabetic) (Source: Explosion at Japan nuke plant, disaster toll rises, Associated Press: 12 Mar 2011) (Source: Explosion rocks Japanese power plant, The Washington Post: 12 Mar 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/11/AR2011031103673_4.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2011031100651) (Source: Fukushima nuclear plant blast puts Japan on high alert, Guardian Unlimited: 13 March 2011) Dr. Manny: Potential Danger as Radiation Levels Surge in Japan By Dr. Manny Alvarez Published March 11, 2011| FoxNews.com As I watch the tragedy unfolding in Japan since an 8.9-magnitude earthquake rocked the nation this morning, triggering a deadly tsunami, I am realizing just how much devastation this small country is potentially facing – and it’s scary.Hundreds of people have already died, and I’m sure the number will continue to rise as the clean-up efforts kick into high gear.But new concerns are growing. The massive earthquake caused a power outage that disabled a nuclear power plant’s cooling system in the Onahoma city, about 170 miles north of Tokyo.Surging radiation levels of 1,000 times more than normal have caused an evacuation of 3,000 people near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant—making it the first-ever state of emergency declared at a nuclear plant in Japan.Soon after the evacuation order, the government announced that the plant will release slightly radioactive vapor from the unit to lower the pressure in an effort to protect it from a possible meltdown. Dr. Manny Alvarez Government officials said the amount of radioactive elements leaking from the plant would be very small and would not affect the environment or human health—if the leak is kept under control.However, if they cannot continue to restore cooling of the plant, it could become a very dangerous situation to those living in close range of the plant, and the fallout would only spread.If the reactor does indeed melt down, the results could be similar – if not worse – than that of Chernobyl.When a reactor at a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine went out of control in April of 1986 during a low-power test that led to an explosion and subsequent meltdown, it contaminated 58,000 square miles of land between Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine, and prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents.The reactor meltdown released a hundred radioactive elements into the atmosphere including dangerous iodine, strontium and caesium, which are the most dangerous, and can still be found in the affected areas today.In the years since this devastating accident, studies on groups of emergency workers and individuals with the highest exposure rates have linked the radioactive fallout to several health consequences like certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and death. Radiation is predicated on three factors: total exposure, how close you were to the accident and how much time you were exposed to it.The human body is very resilient and has mechanisms in place to repair damage to cells from radiation and chemical carcinogens. But exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation can lead to radiation sickness, and sometimes, permanent biophysical changes to the cells.The severity of radiation sickness depends on the amount of radiation the person encounters and the amount of time he or she is exposed.Symptoms can arise at any point after exposure. It can be immediate or occur over days, weeks or months.Early exposure symptoms can include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and fever.Signs that may appear in the days following exposure include: dizziness, disorientation, weakness, fatigue, hair loss, bloody vomit and stools, infections, poor wound healing and low blood pressure. But radioactive fallout traveling through the environment can pose long-term health consequences depending on the amount of exposure — and chronic exposure to these high levels of radiation can cause more serious conditions like cancer and premature aging.From the time a person becomes contaminated to the time when he or she starts developing symptoms is a good indicator of just how significant the radiation exposure is. The earlier the signs show up, the more concentrated the exposure.The most important thing to remember is if someone experiences any of these issues he or she should not remain in that area. They should seek emergency treatment immediately and destroy their contaminated clothing.Right now, it seems the Japanese government is controlling the situation. And we can only pray that it stays that way. Factbox: Experts on explosion at Japan nuclear plant – Sat Mar 12, 8:23 am ET (Reuters) – Radiation was leaking from an unstable nuclear reactor north of Tokyo on Saturday, the Japanese government said, after an explosion blew the roof off the facility following a massive earthquake.The development has led to fears of a disastrous meltdown. Here are comments from experts about what might have happened. PROF PADDY REGAN, PROFESSOR OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY It looks as if the coolant pumps had initially stopped working. They shut down automatically when the reactor shuts down, but there is a backup system running off a diesel generator -- it looks as though that's the bit that failed.As a result there is no way of pumping heat out of the reactor, so it has to cool naturally. If the reactor gets too hot, in principle this means the fuel rods can melt - but it looks unlikely this has happened to any great extent in this case.To reduce the pressure, you would have to release some steam into the atmosphere from the system. In that steam, there will be small but measurable amounts of radioactive nitrogen - nitrogen 16 (produced when neutrons hit water). This remains radioactive for only about 5 seconds, after which it decays to natural oxygen.But if any of the fuel rods have been compromised, there would be evidence of a small amount of other radioisotopes in the atmosphere called fission fragments (radio-caesium and radio-iodine).The amount that you measure would tell you to what degree the fuel rods have been compromised. Scientists in Japan should be able to establish this very quickly using gamma ray spectroscopy as the isotopes have characteristic decay signatures. Current reports seem consistent with a small leak to relieve pressure.But we still need to establish the cause and exact location of the explosion, which is a separate issue. So far it looks like it's not the reactor core that's affected which would be good news.We must remember that there are 55 reactors in Japan and this was a huge earthquake, and as a test of the resilience and robustness of nuclear plants it seems they have withstood the effects very well. TIMOTHY ABRAM, PROFESSOR OF NUCLEAR FUEL TECHNOLOGY AT BRITAIN'S MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY By sampling the air around the station, you'd be able to tell how much radioactivity has been released. The thing they'll be looking for more than anything is whether there's any evidence of the fuel actually degrading, he told Reuters.If the fuel is substantially intact, then there'll be a much, much lower release of radioactivity and the explosion that's happened might be just due to a build-up of steam in the reactor circuit.The most probable (cause of the explosion) is the coolant, particularly if it's water, can overheat and turn to steam more rapidly than it was designed to cope with.He said it was unlikely it would develop into anything more serious, but this would depend on the integrity of the fuel, which contains nearly all the radioactivity of the plant. He said he thought it would be pretty unlikely that the fuel itself had been significantly damaged.He said if this did occur, some radioactive material might be released into the primary circuit, which in turn might be vented into the containment building to release the pressure. Even the worse case scenario from there is the pressure in the containment building itself builds up to dangerous levels and has to be released, he said.Consequently you are releasing pressure from in the containment building, some of which contains radioactivity, out into the environment. There are a lot of ifs in that chain of events. VALERIY HLYHALO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR SAFETY Center The explosion at No. 1 generating set of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, which took place today, will not be a repetition of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Interfax quoted the Ukrainian expert as saying.He said that the Japanese nuclear power plants use reactors of a totally different design to Chernobyl's.Japan has modern-type reactors. All fission products should be isolated by the confinement (the reactor's protection shell). Only gas emission is possible.Hlyhalo said that Japanese nuclear power plants are earthquake resistant.Apart from that, these reactors are designed to work at a high seismicity zone, although what has happened is beyond the impact the plants were designed to withstand. Therefore, the consequences should not be as serious as after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. IAN HORE-LACY OF THE WORLD NUCLEAR ASSOCIATION, AN INDUSTRY BODY REPRESENTING 180 COMPANIES IN THE NUCLEAR SECTOR It is obviously an hydrogen explosion ... due to hydrogen igniting. If the hydrogen has ignited, then it is gone, it doesn't pose any further threat.The whole situation is quite serious but the actual hydrogen explosion doesn't add a great deal to it.He said it was most unlikely to be a major disaster and he also did not believe there would be a full fuel meltdown.That would have been much more likely early yesterday in the European time. We are now 24 hours into the situation and the fuel has cooled a lot in that time and the likelihood of meltdown at this stage I would think would be very, very small. ROBIN GRIMES, PROFESSOR OF MATERIALS PHYSICS AT IMPERIAL It does seem as if the back-up generators although they started initially to work, then failed, Grimes, an expert in radiation damage told BBC TV.So it means slowly the heat and the pressure built up in this reactor. One of the things that might just have happened is a large release of that pressure. If it's that then we're not in such bad circumstances.Despite the damage to the outer structure, as long as that steel inner vessel remains intact, then the vast majority of the radiation will be contained.At the moment it does seem that they are still contained and it's a release of significant steam pressure that's caused this explosion. The key will be the monitoring of those radiation levels. NUCLEAR EXPERT MARK HIBBS OF THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR We don't have any information from inside the plant. That is the problem in this case.If it melts down the probability that there would be a breach or that radiation would get outside of the plant because of weakness of the structure of the plant ... is much greater.(Reporting by Michael Holden and Fredrik Dahl in Vienna) Explosion at Japan nuke plant, disaster toll rises By ERIC TALMADGE and YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press - MAR 12,11 IWAKI, Japan – An explosion at a nuclear power station Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor, but a radiation leak was decreasing despite fears of a meltdown from damage caused by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, officials said.Government spokesman Yukio Edano said the explosion destroyed the exterior walls of the building where the reactor is placed, but not the actual metal housing enveloping the reactor.That was welcome news for a country suffering from Friday's double disaster that pulverized the northeastern coast, leaving at least 574 people dead by official count.The scale of destruction was not yet known, but there were grim signs that the death toll could soar. One report said four whole trains had disappeared Friday and still not been located. Local media reports said at least 1,300 people may have been killed.Edano said the radiation around the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant had not risen after the blast, but had in fact decreased. He did not say why that was so.Officials have not given specific radiation readings for the area, though they said they were elevated before the blast: At one point, the plant was releasing each hour the amount of radiation a person normally absorbs from the environment each year.Virtually any increase in ambient radiation can raise long-term cancer rates, and authorities were planning to distribute iodine to residents in the area, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iodine counteracts the effects of radiation.The pressure in the reactor was also decreasing after the blast, according to Edano. The explosion was preceded by puff of white smoke that gathered intensity until it became a huge cloud enveloping the entire facility, located in Fukushima, 20 miles (30 kilometers) from Iwaki. After the explosion, the walls of the building crumbled, leaving only a skeletal metal frame.Tokyo Power Electric Co., the utility that runs the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, said four workers suffered fractures and bruises and were being treated at a hospital.We have confirmed that the walls of this building were what exploded, and it was not the reactor's container that exploded, said Edano. The trouble began at the plant's Unit 1 after the massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami it spawned knocked out power there, depriving it of its cooling system.The concerns about a radiation leak at the nuclear power plant overshadowed the massive tragedy laid out along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of the coastline where scores of villages, towns and cities were battered by the tsunami, packing 23-feet (7-meter) high waves.It swept inland about six miles (10 kilometers) in some areas, swallowing boats, homes, cars, trees and everything else.The tsunami was unbelievably fast, said Koichi Takairin, a 34-year-old truck driver who was inside his sturdy four-ton rig when the wave hit the port town of Sendai.Smaller cars were being swept around me, he said. All I could do was sit in my truck.His rig ruined, he joined the steady flow of survivors who walked along the road away from the sea and back into the city on Saturday.Smashed cars and small airplanes were jumbled up against buildings near the local airport, several miles (kilometers) from the shore. Felled trees and wooden debris lay everywhere as rescue workers coasted on boats through murky waters around flooded structures, nosing their way through a sea of debris.According to official figures, 586 people are missing and 1,105 injured. In addition, police said between 200 and 300 bodies were found along the coast in Sendai, the biggest city in the area near the quake's epicenter.The true scale of the destruction was still not known more than 24 hours after the quake since washed-out roads and shut airports have hindered access to the area. An untold number of bodies were believed to be buried in the rubble and debris. Meanwhile, the first wave of military rescuers began arriving by boats and helicopters.Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 50,000 troops joined rescue and recovery efforts, aided by boats and helicopters. Dozens of countries also offered help. President Barack Obama pledged U.S. assistance following what he called a potentially catastrophic disaster. He said one U.S. aircraft carrier was already in Japan and a second was on its way. Washington has also dispatched urban search and rescue teams, according to U.S. Ambassador John Roos.More than 215,000 people were living in 1,350 temporary shelters in five prefectures, or states, the national police agency said. Since the quake, more than 1 million households have not had water, mostly concentrated in northeast. Some 4 million buildings were without power.About 24 percent of electricity in Japan is produced by 55 nuclear power units in 17 plants and some were in trouble after the quake.Japan declared states of emergency at two power plants after their units lost cooling ability.Although the government spokesman played down fears of radiation leak, the Japanese nuclear agency spokesman Shinji Kinjo acknowledged there were still fears of a meltdown. A meltdown is not a technical term. Rather, it is an informal way of referring to a very serious collapse of a power plant's systems and its ability to manage temperatures.Yaroslov Shtrombakh, a Russian nuclear expert, said a Chernobyl-style meltdown was unlikely.It's not a fast reaction like at Chernobyl, he said. I think that everything will be contained within the grounds, and there will be no big catastrophe. In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded and caught fire, sending a cloud of radiation over much of Europe. That reactor — unlike the Fukushima one — was not housed in a sealed container, so there was no way to contain the radiation once the reactor exploded.The reactor in trouble has already leaked some radiation: Before the explosion, operators had detected eight times the normal radiation levels outside the facility and 1,000 times normal inside Unit 1's control room.An evacuation area around the plant was expanded to a radius of 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the six miles (10 kilometers) before. People in the expanded area were advised to leave quickly; 51,000 residents were previously evacuated.Everyone wants to get out of the town. But the roads are terrible, said Reiko Takagi, a middle-aged woman, standing outside a taxi company. It is too dangerous to go anywhere. But we are afraid that winds may change and bring radiation toward us. The transport ministry said all highways from Tokyo leading to quake-hit areas were closed, except for emergency vehicles. Mobile communications were spotty and calls to the devastated areas were going unanswered.Local TV stations broadcast footage of people lining up for water and food such as rice balls. In Fukushima, city officials were handing out bottled drinks, snacks and blankets. But there were large areas that were surrounded by water and were unreachable.One hospital in Miyagi prefecture was seen surrounded by water. The staff had painted an SOS on its rooftop and were waving white flags.Technologically advanced Japan is well prepared for quakes and its buildings can withstand strong jolts, even a temblor like Friday's, which was the strongest the country has experienced since official records started in the late 1800s. What was beyond human control was the killer tsunami that followed.Japan's worst previous quake was a magnitude 8.3 temblor in Kanto that killed 143,000 people in 1923, according to the USGS. A magnitude 7.2 quake in Kobe killed 6,400 people in 1995.Japan lies on the Ring of Fire — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching around the Pacific where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur, including the one that triggered the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami that killed an estimated 230,000 people in 12 countries. A magnitude-8.8 quake that shook central Chile in February 2010 also generated a tsunami and killed 524 people. Kageyama reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Malcolm J. Foster, Mari Yamaguchi, Tomoko A. Hosaka and Shino Yuasa in Tokyo, Jay Alabaster in Sendai, and Sylvia Hui in London also contributed. Why America Isn't Ready for a Disaster Irwin Redlener – Fri Mar 11, 10:14 pm ET NEW YORK – Japan’s tradition of emergency planning and strict building codes saved countless lives this week—but what would happen here? Disaster-preparation expert Irwin Redlener on America’s shocking lack of readiness—and our history of ignoring wakeup calls. Plus, full coverage of Japan’s quake.On Friday morning, Americans awoke to news of an unfolding catastrophe in Japan. This latest disaster will certainly fall among the more serious natural calamities in modern times. Unfortunately, fatalities and damages will most certainly dwarf early estimates. The need for bolstering initial rescue efforts and preventing secondary calamities is rising by the hour, with the most serious threat ahead being damage to a nuclear-power plant located in the disaster impact area. A meltdown at the plant could imperil tens of thousands of citizens, especially children and pregnant women.But unlike Haiti, for example, Japan is a highly developed nation that was motivated to develop and invest in a national plan to protect its citizens and vital systems in the event of precisely this kind of catastrophe. Strict earthquake-resistant standards apply to building codes, tsunami early-warning systems are in place, and Japanese citizens have a high level of awareness with respect to emergency planning and response. This means that the consequences of this kind of “megadisaster” will be less than would otherwise be the case. But what about the United States? Every major disaster is invariably labeled a wakeup call. Media coverage is intense, rescue efforts rise to the occasion and we are fully focused—until we’re not.Unfortunately, the U.S. has not reached a level of preparedness that we might have expected 10 years after the 9/11 attacks and five years after Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans. Billions of dollars have been spent and progress has been made—but progress has been slow and spotty. Part of the problem is a multiplicity of federal, state and local agencies have a major influence on planning, from decisions about priorities to levels of dedicated funding. One bright spot: FEMA is being upgraded and reorganized and, under the leadership of its director, Craig Fugate, the agency is even more effective than it was in its prime, prior to its serious degradation under the previous administration. Still, major challenges remain. American citizens are extraordinarily underprepared for disasters. Few of us have the supplies we’d need if we were caught up in a disaster or know how we’d keep ourselves and our families’ safe. Motivating citizen efforts to prepare for any kind of disaster, from earthquakes and hurricanes to pandemics and terrorism, has been essentially unsuccessful over the past decade.And we have only begun to address the disaster-readiness needs of our most vulnerable citizens, particularly our children, who make up nearly 25 percent of the nation’s population. This is an issue that the National Commission on Children and Disasters has been working on for the past two years. But we also need to make sure that other groups, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and economically disenfranchised individuals, are fully accounted for in our disaster-planning efforts.Every major disaster is invariably labeled a wakeup call. Media coverage is intense, rescue efforts rise to the occasion and we are fully focused—until we’re not. The predictable pattern is rapt attention and concern followed by a drift back into a state of complacency. This is hardly a wakeup call; it’s more like a snooze alarm.We have much work to do to make America as disaster-ready as it should be. Our health systems and hospitals are woefully underprepared, our infrastructure is dangerously fragile, and our response systems poorly coordinated.What worries me is that in this time of serious economic distress, we seem have a general lack of capacity to make critical long-term investments for anything, including doing what’s needed to prepare America for the inevitable disasters of the future.Irwin Redlener, MD, is director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. He speaks and writes regularly on disaster preparedness and recovery policy and is the author of Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared for Megadisasters and What We Can Do Now (Knopf). He is also president of the Children's Health Fund. The Science Behind Japan's Deadly Earthquake Brett Israel,LiveScience.com - MAR 11,11 The fifth largest earthquake ever recorded hit Japan today (March 11), sending huge tsunami waves crashing onshore and reportedly killing at least 300 people.The 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time (12:46 a.m. EST), near Honshu, Japan, an island that is home to about 100 million people. The temblor was the fifth in the past two days to hit the region, and major aftershocks can be expected for months, possibly even a year. Despite the massive foreshocks, there was no way to predict that Japan's biggest-recorded earthquake was looming, said Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Golden, Colo.We have big quakes there all the time, Caruso told OurAmazingPlanet. For all scientists knew at the time, the 6.3-magnitude quake that struck yesterday was the main shock, Caruso said. Not every big earthquake has a foreshock but they all have aftershocks. The rule of thumb for seismologists is that an earthquake's largest aftershock will be one magnitude smaller than the main shock, Caruso said. That means a 7.9-magnitude earthquake could hit the region even a year from now. Yet aftershocks are already hitting northern Japan now — 35 larger than magnitude 5.0 and 14 larger than magnitude 6 — according to the UGSS.Big aftershocks are not unusual. In February, a 6.6-magnitude aftershock ruptured near Maule, Chile — almost a year after what is now the sixth largest earthquake in recorded history, a magnitude 8.8, hit in the same region.The Japanese earthquake ruptured near the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates — huge, moving slabs of the Earth's crust. The quake was a megathrust earthquake, where the Pacific plate dove underneath Japan at the Japan Trench. The seafloor was pushed away from Japan sending waves roaring toward Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States.The tsunami wave speed in deep water, open ocean, is about the same as a commercial jet's ground speed, said Ken Hudnut, a USGS geologist in Pasadena, Calif.The epicenter of today's quake was about 15.2 miles (24.4 kilometers) deep, according to the USGS, which is near enough to the surface to set off a tsunami.Generally we don't get a tsunami unless we have a shallow quake, and that's exactly what happened, Caruso said. Foreshocks, not forewarning Today's earthquake was preceded by a series of large foreshocks over the previous two days, beginning on March 9 with a magnitude 7.2 quake about 25 miles (40 km) away, and continuing with three other earthquakes greater than magnitude 6, according to the USGS.Japan's latest national seismic risk map gave a 99 percent chance of at least a magnitude 7.5 quake hiting the region in the next 30 years, Robert Geller, University of Tokyo geophysicist, told Science Magazine, but today's quake was more than 100 times powerful.Earthquakes in the region are common, because Japan lies along the volatile Pacific Ring of Fire — a narrow zone around the Pacific Ocean where a large chunk of Earth's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Roughly 90 percent of all the world's earthquakes, and 80 percent of the largest ones, strike along the Ring of Fire.The Japan Trench has seen nine events of magnitude 7 or greater since 1973. The largest of these was a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in December 1994, which caused 3 fatalities and almost 700 injuries, approximately 160 miles (260 km) to the north of today's quake. In June of 1978, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake about 22 miles (35 km) to the southwest caused 22 fatalities and over 400 injuries.The epicenter of the earthquake was 231 miles (373 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo and 80 miles (130 km) east of Sendai, Honshu, according to the USGS.Brett Israel is a staff writer for OurAmazingPlanet, a sister site to LiveScience. Email Brett at @btisrael. Daybreak reveals huge devastation in tsunami-hit Japan By Linda Sieg and Chisa Fujioka - MAR 11,11 TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan confronted devastation along its northeastern coast on Saturday, with fires raging and parts of some cities under water after a massive earthquake and tsunami that likely killed at least 1,000 people.Daybreak revealed the full extent of damage from Friday's 8.9 magnitude earthquake -- the strongest in Japan since records began -- and the 10-meter high tsunami it sent surging into cities and villages, sweeping away everything in its path.This is likely to be a humanitarian relief operation of epic proportions, said Japan expert Sheila Smith of the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations.The government warned there could be a radiation leak from nuclear reactors in Fukushima whose cooling system was knocked out by the quake. Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered an evacuation zone expanded to 10 km (6 miles) from 3 km. Some 3,000 people had earlier been evacuated.It's possible that radioactive material in the reactor vessel could leak outside but the amount is expected to be small, and the wind blowing toward the sea will be considered, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a news conference.As authorities battled to contain rising pressure at the Fukushima facility, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, officials called for calm and said a meltdown remained unlikely.The unfolding natural disaster prompted offers of search and rescue help from 50 countries. China said rescuers were ready to help with quake relief while President Barack Obama told Kan the United States would assist in any way.In one of the worst-hit residential areas, people buried under rubble could be heard calling out for rescue, Kyodo news agency reported. TV footage showed staff at one hospital waving banners with the words FOOD and HELP from a rooftop.In Tokyo, office workers who were stranded in the city after the quake forced the subway system to close early slept alongside the homeless at one station. Scores of men in suits lay on newspapers, using their briefcases as pillows.Kyodo said at least 116,000 people in Tokyo had been unable to return home on Friday evening due to transport disruption.The northeastern Japanese city of Kesennuma, with a population of 74,000, was hit by widespread fires and one-third of the city was under water, Jiji news agency said on Saturday.The airport in the city of Sendai, home to one million people, was on fire, it added.TV footage from Friday showed a muddy torrent of water carrying cars and wrecked homes at high speed across farmland near Sendai, 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Ships had been flung onto a harbor wharf, where they lay helplessly on their side.Boats, cars and trucks were tossed around like toys in the water after the tsunami hit the town of Kamaishi. Kyodo news agency reported that contact had been lost with four trains in the coastal area. Japanese politicians pushed for an emergency budget to fund relief efforts after Kan asked them to save the country, Kyodo reported. Japan is already the most heavily indebted major economy in the world, meaning any funding efforts would be closely scrutinized by financial markets.Domestic media said the death toll was expected to exceed 1,000, most of whom appeared to have drowned by churning waters.Even in a nation accustomed to earthquakes, the devastation was shocking.A big area of Sendai city near the coast, is flooded. We are hearing that people who were evacuated are stranded, said Rie Sugimoto, a reporter for NHK television in Sendai.About 140 people, including children, were rushed to an elementary school and are on the rooftop but they are surrounded by water and have nowhere else to go.Japan prides itself on its speedy tsunami warning system, which has been upgraded several times since its inception in 1952, including after a 7.8 magnitude quake triggered a 30-meter high wave before a warning was given. FIRES ACROSS THE COAST The quake, the most powerful since Japan started keeping records 140 years ago, sparked at least 80 fires in cities and towns along the coast, Kyodo said.I was unable stay on my feet because of the violent shaking. The aftershocks gave us no reprieve. Then the tsunami came when we tried to run for cover. It was the strongest quake I experienced, a woman with a baby on her back told television in northern Japan.Other nuclear power plants and oil refineries were shut down and one refinery was ablaze. Power to millions of homes and businesses was knocked out. Several airports, including Tokyo's Narita, were closed and rail services halted. All ports were shut.The central bank said it would cut short a two-day policy review scheduled for next week to one day on Monday and promised to do its utmost to ensure financial market stability.The disaster struck as the world's third-largest economy had been showing signs of reviving from an economic contraction in the final quarter of last year. It raised the prospect of major disruptions for many key businesses and a massive repair bill running into tens of billions of dollars.The tsunami alerts revived memories of the giant waves that struck Asia in 2004.Warnings were issued for countries to the west of Japan and across the Pacific as far away as Colombia and Peru, but the tsunami dissipated as it sped across the ocean and worst fears in the Americas were not realized.The earthquake was the fifth most powerful to hit the world in the past century. It surpassed the Great Kanto quake of September 1, 1923, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area. The 1995 Kobe quake caused $100 billion in damage and was the most expensive natural disaster in history. Economic damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was estimated at about $10 billion.(Writing by Dean Yates and Andrew Marshall; Editing by Jonathan Thatcher) Japan warns of radiation leak from quake-hit plants By Osamu Tsukimori and Mayumi Negishi - MAR 11,11 TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan warned of a possible radiation leak on Saturday as authorities battled to contain rising pressure at two nuclear plants damaged by a massive earthquake, and were moving tens of thousands of residents in the area out of harm's way.Tokyo Electric Power Co said it has begun steps to release pressure at its two nuclear power plants in Fukushima, located some 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo.While some radiation leakage could be expected, Naoto Sekimura, a professor at the University of Tokyo, said a major radioactive disaster was not likely.No Chernobyl is possible at a light water reactor. Loss of coolant means a temperature rise, but it also will stop the reaction, he said.Even in the worst-case scenario, that would mean some radioactive leakage and equipment damage, but not an explosion. If venting is done carefully, there will be little leakage. Certainly not beyond the 3 km radius.Kyodo news agency reported that authorities had begun evacuating about 20,000 people from the vicinity of one of the plants, the Daini plant. Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who was flying by helicopter to view the plant by air, had earlier ordered that residents within a 10 km radius to be evacuated from the other plant, the Daiichi plant.Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said amount of leaked radiation would likely be small. It's possible that radioactive material in the reactor vessel could leak outside but the amount is expected to be small, and the wind blowing toward the sea will be considered, he told a news conference.TEPCO said it had lost ability to control pressure in some of the reactors at its Daini plant as it had with the Daiichi plant. Pressure was stable inside the reactors of the Daini plant but rising in the containment vessels, a spokesman said.Pressure at one Daiichi reactor may have risen to 2.1 times the designed capacity, the trade ministry said.The cooling problems at the Japanese plant raised fears of a repeat of 1979's Three Mile Island accident, the most serious in the history of the U.S. nuclear power industry. However, experts said the situation was, so far, less serious.Equipment malfunctions, design problems and human error led to a partial meltdown of the reactor core at the Three Mile Island plant, but only minute amounts of dangerous radioactive gases were released. The situation is still several stages away from Three Mile Island when the reactor container ceased to function as it should, said Tomoko Murakami, leader of the nuclear energy group at Japan's Institute of Energy Economics.Japan informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the quake and tsunami cut the supply of off-site power to the plant and diesel generators intended to provide back-up electricity to the cooling system.(It's) a sign that the Japanese are pulling out all the stops they can to prevent this accident from developing into a core melt and also prevent it from causing a breach of the containment (system) from the pressure that is building up inside the core because of excess heat, said Mark Hibbs, a nuclear expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.Radiation levels detected at the control unit of the reactors at the Daiichi plant were not ones that would require workers at the plant to evacuate, a trade ministry official said, adding that radiation at the control unit has risen to about 1,000 times the normal level.The Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, said this power failure resulted in one of the most serious conditions that can affect a nuclear plant -- a station blackout -- during which off-site power and on-site emergency alternating current (AC) power is lost. Nuclear plants generally need AC power to operate the motors, valves and instruments that control the systems that provide cooling water to the radioactive core. If all AC power is lost, the options to cool the core are limited. If the core overheats, then the fuel would become damaged and a molten mass could melt through the reactor vessel, releasing a large amount of radioactivity into the containment building surrounding the vessel, the UCS said.It added that it was not clear if the quake had undermined the containment building to contain pressure from any meltdown and allow radioactivity to leak out.Power supply systems that would provide emergency electricity for the plant were being put in place, the World Nuclear Association said, with a source in the organization saying the situation is improving. The reactors shut down due to the earthquake account for 18 percent of Japan's nuclear power generating capacity.Nuclear power produces about 30 percent of the country's electricity. Many reactors are located in earthquake-prone zones such as Fukushima and Fukui on the coast.The IAEA estimates that around 20 percent of nuclear reactors around the world are currently operating in areas of significant seismic activity. It said the sector began putting more emphasis on external hazards after an earthquake hit TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in July 2007, until then the largest to ever affect a nuclear facility.When the earthquake hit the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, four reactors shut down automatically. Water containing radioactive material was released into the sea, but without an adverse effect on human health or the environment, it said.TEPCO had been operating three out of six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant at the time of the quake, all of which shut down. A spokesman said that there were no concerns of a leak for the remaining three reactors at the plant, which had been shut for planned maintenance. (Additional reporting by Risa Maeda, Kiyoshi Takenaka and Chikako Mogi in Tokyo and Fredrik Dahl in Vienna; Writing by Edwina Gibbs; Editing by Jonathan Thatcher) – Fri Mar 11, 9:41 am ET MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian oligarchs are back with a bang, making Moscow the billionaire capital of the world.Profiting from a boom in commodities, the number of billionaires in Russia, most of whom built their empires during the country's anarchic 1990s, grew to 101 from 62 last year, Forbes said in its annual list of the world's richest people.Moscow is home to 79 of Russia's billionaires, more than any other city in the world.Russia accounts for a third of Europe's 300 billionaires, and 15 of the world's 100 richest people, more than all the other so-called BRIC countries combined (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and more than Saudi Arabia. Leading Russia's billionaires is steel baron Vladimir Lisin. His estimated personal wealth of $24 billion has increased by some $10 billion since last year, moving him up 18 notches to place 14th among the richest.Lisin's worth, and that of many other Russians on the list, has reflected increases and declines in commodity stock valuations and Russia's economy. Oil, metals and other natural resources account for most of the country's budget revenue.Lisin, 54, has seen Novolipetsk Steel, which he controls, return to nearly pre-financial crisis levels.Russia's benchmark commodity-heavy RTS exchange has reversed most of the losses it incurred during the crisis. It crossed the 2,000-point mark earlier this month, far above the 500 points seen in late 2008.Lisin, one of Russia's secretive tycoons, is followed by another metal magnate, Alexei Mordashov, the major shareholder and chief executive of Russia's biggest steelmaker Severstal. Mordashov moved to 29 on the list from 70 a year ago. He replaced Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team in the United States, as Russia's second-richest man. Russia's billionaires are known for fantastic displays of wealth that include buying sport teams around the world. Prokhorov, chief executive of Russia's largest gold miner Polyus Gold, listed by Forbes at No. 32, has an estimated wealth of $18.0 billion, nearly $5 billion more than a year ago.The ranks of Russia's billionaires swelled by 31, second only to China, reaching beyond the metals and energy businesses that have traditionally helped some of their peers achieve billionaire status.Yuri Milner, who started the DST Internet investment company and is featured in Forbes' cover story as The Billionaire Who Friended The Web, placed 1,140 on the list.The full Forbes ranking of the world's billionaires can be seen at www.forbes.com/billionaires.(Writing by Lidia Kelly) Greece wins concessions in return for mass state sell-off but Ireland rebuffed LEIGH PHILLIPS Today MAR 11,11 @ 04:01 CET EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Greece has won a reduction of 100 basis point - one percent - in the interest rate it pays on its €110 billion loan and an extension of the payment period from the current three years to seven and a half.Ireland was offered a similar reduction, the country's new prime minister said he could not accept the terms demanded.It was impossible to reach a deal for Ireland this evening, Taoiseach Enda Kenny told reporters after an acrimonious seven-hour meeting of eurozone premiers and presidents in Brussels on Friday. I wasn't prepared to contemplate a [common eurozone tax base], he continued, adding that Ireland still intends to be constructive about discussions about EU tax policy as contained in a euro pact agreed by leaders early Saturday morning, but that was as far as Dublin was willing to go.He said that Ireland had been asked to make a reference to our corporate tax rate.Referring to an angry confrontation between Kenny and French President Nicolas Sarkozy over corporate taxes, he said: France has had very strong views on corporate tax rates for quite some time, but then so do I.He said that Ireland unlike Greece had not asked for a loan extension. He insisted: This country wants to pay its way. We seek no evasion of our responsibilities.It will be difficult to continue the discussions, he added, but I am convinced we can find a way.Sarkozy for his part noted that the issue is very sensitive for our Irish friends. There is a discussion that is progressing in one way or another ... but there is no certainty,he continued, asking for at least a gesture.In return for Greece's concessions, Athens has committed to a detailed fire-sale privatisation programme worth some €50 billion. The country had been pushing for a reduction of two percent on the interest it pays, but the request fell on deaf ears in Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Helsinki.A similar 100-basis-point reduction on the rates Ireland pays on its €85 billion loan was also dangled in front of Prime Minister Enda Kenny's nose, but the quid pro quo demanded by core eurozone countries was that Dublin agree to a common tax base for the single-currency area, a move that the taoiseach has described as tax harmonisation through the back door.Ireland refused the deal, but both Kenny and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that discussions on the matter will continue.On 11 February, experts from the troika of the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank took the Athens leadership by surprise when they announced that Greece was to embark on an ambitious privatisation programme worth €50 billion by 2015.The announcement came as something of a shock because at the start of the bail-out programme, the troika had demanded state sell-offs amounting to €1 billion a year from 2011 to 2015, for a total of €5 billion. As recently as the first review of the Greek austerity programme by the troika, little more was demanded from the government.A second review, in December last year, announced that Greek authorities were preparing a more ambitious three-year privatisation strategy than originally agreed, amounting to at least €7 billion over the next three years, following a review of real estate holdings. The shock €50 billion announcement provoked outrage in Athens.Prime Minister George Papandreou called up IMF boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn and commission economy chief Olli Rehn to complain about what Greek government spokesman George Petalotis had called unnacceptable behaviour.We did not ask anybody to meddle in the internal matters of the country, he said at the time.Athens appears to have eaten some very expensive humble pie however.Papandreou told reporters that he had made no new commitments in terms of privatisation plans and that the €50 billion schedule was already in play.According to an EU diplomat from another core eurozone state, Greece offered up a list of what is to be sold off and it was satisfactory.The emphasis will be on selling off public real estate holdings. According to the conclusions of the eurozone summit, Greece is to fully and speedily complete the €50 privatisation and real estate development programme. IMF analysts note that the country has between €200 and €300 billion in land holdings.The leaders also backed a euro pact aimed at boosting the EU's competitiveness through wage restraint, cutting public spending, making it easier to fire employees and raising retirement ages, amongst other measures.Non-euro EU states, such as Sweden, Denmark, the UK, and Poland, will be invited to join the pact at the European Council of 24-25 March.They agreed that a permanent eurozone rescue fund is to have an overall effective lending capacity of €500 billion and that the funds may as an exception intervene in the primary debt market - meaning purchase of government bonds upon issue - but only alongside the imposition of strict conditionality.While much of the emphasis was on austerity and cuts to the public sector, leaders did back one measure that imposes costs on banks. They said that a financial transaction tax should be explored and developed further at the euro area, EU and international levels. Euro zone leaders agree to strengthen bailout fund By Jan Strupczewski and Julien Toyer - MAR 11,11 BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European leaders agreed on Saturday to strengthen the euro zone bailout fund, make its loans cheaper and lower the interest rate on loans extended to Greece, a move to get on top of the year-long debt crisis.In a bold series of steps that may help to calm some of the pressure in financial markets, the leaders of the 17 countries that share the European single currency said they would increase the guarantees they pay into the European Financial Stability Facility, allowing its capacity to be increased to the full 440 billion euros, from a current level of around 250 billion euros.They also agreed to lower the interest rate and lengthen the maturity on loans extended to Greece, reducing the rate by 100 basis points to bring it into line with IMF lending. The term on the 110 billion euros of EU/IMF loans was lengthened to 7.5 years from three, giving Athens more time to repay. Pricing of the EFSF should be lowered to better take into account debt sustainability of the recipient countries, Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, told reporters after the summit of the leaders concluded.Any loans made by the EFSF to any new potential applicant country would be in line with IMF rates. The EFSF now charges a 300 basis point penalty fee for its credit and 50 basis point one-off charge.Ireland, which received an 85 billion euro bailout from the EU and IMF last November, could also benefit from the lower interest rates, but it will depend on discussions on a common corporate tax base, which Ireland strongly opposes.Newly elected Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said he had made it clear during more than seven hours of talks that a harmonized EU tax base would be detrimental to Ireland, which has an attractive 12.5 percent corporate tax rate.I made it perfectly clear that the (common consolidated corporate tax base) in my view was harmonization of the tax rates by the back door and this would be very detrimental to Ireland and indeed to Europe, Kenny told reporters.French President Nicolas Sarkozy said a deal on Ireland could still be reached at a summit on March 24/25, when EU leaders will meet to sign off on what they have called a comprehensive package to tackle the debt crisis.In further changes to try to make the EFSF more flexible and better able to stave off pressure in financial markets, the leaders agreed to let the bailout fund buy the bonds of distressed euro zone member states in the primary market. That will also be the case with the European Stability Mechanism, a permanent facility that will replace the EFSF from mid-2013 and will have an effective lending capacity of 500 billion euros.Financial assistance from the ESM and EFSF will take the form of loans, Van Rompuy said. However, to maximize the cost efficiency of their support, the ESM and the EFSF may also, as an exception, intervene in the debt primary market in the context of a program with strict conditionality.As a further part of their efforts to get on top of a crisis that has engulfed Greece and Ireland and continues to threaten Portugal, the member states agreed that plans should be in place to deal with any bank that demonstrates vulnerabilities in stress tests that will be completed in the coming months.Bad debts in the European banking system continue to undermine efforts to get on top of the broader crisis, exacerbating sovereign debt problems. Many analysts say the sovereign debt crisis cannot be resolved without a solution to the bad banking debts, which could involve debt restructuring.(With additional reporting by James Mackenzie, Luke Baker, Justyna Pawlak, David Brunnstrom, Eva Dou, Ilona Wissenbach and Andreas Rinke) Euro leaders surprise with crisis deal By GABRIELE STEINHAUSER, AP Business Writer - MAR 11,11 BRUSSELS – After harrowing late-night negotiations, the leaders of the 17-country eurozone thrashed out a strategy on how to deal with the debt crisis that has crippled the currency union over the past year and already pushed two of its members into multibillion euro bailouts.The region's bailout fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, will be able to lend the full euro440 billion that it was initially promised, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said in the early hours of Saturday morning.Up to now, the EFSF was only able to lend out about euro250 billion because of several buffers required to get a good credit rating — fanning fears that it would not be big enough to save a large country like Spain.The fund will also be allowed to buy the bonds of governments in financial difficulties on the open market, but only if the respective country is locked into a national bailout program based on strict conditions, Van Rompuy said.That step marks an important expansion in the fund's powers, since buying bonds can help stabilize their prices and a country's funding costs.The leaders also agreed to give Greece more time to repay its euro110 billion bailout, extending the maturity of its loans to seven years from just 3 1/2 years. The country, which was the first victim of the crisis, will also have to pay less interest. Eurozone leaders decided to lower the rate by 1 percentage point, which should take it down to about an average 4.2 percent.Ireland, the crisis's second victim, did not get the same leniency from the heads of state and government. It will have to wait until another summit on March 24-25 for a decision on the interest rate for its euro67.5 billion bailout, currently at about 5.8 percent.The reason for the holdout on Ireland was the country's refusal to make concessions on its rock-bottom corporate tax rate — long a sore point for France and Germany.Ireland was asked to make a gesture, but we didn't get satisfaction. So the renegotiation of loans that Greece has was not done for Ireland, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told journalists. It's difficult to ask others to help finance a plan but not concern themselves with the tax side, Sarkozy said.Greg Keller and Don Melvin contributed to this report. 1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal: 4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: 5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee. 7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. 8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. 9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS) 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: 11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, 12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. 1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. 3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 5 For they (MUSLIMS) have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES) 6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, PALESTINIANS,JORDAN) and the Hagarenes;(EGYPT) 7 Gebal,(HEZZBALLOH,LEBANON) and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA,ARABS,SINAI) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON) 40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN) 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK) 2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: 3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. 4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. 6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken. 3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT) 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB) 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. Gulf Arab Ministers Try to Buy Quiet With Aid Dollars by Gavriel Queenann MAR 11,11 Foreign ministers from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council pledged $20 billion in financial aid in Bahrain and Oman on Thursday, the Associated Press reports. Growing protests in Bahrain and Oman have shaken the other members of the GCC, raising concerns the political earthquake rocking the Middle East will affect key OPEC members. Global oil prices have already spiked due to unrest.Bahrain and Oman have tried to assuage discontent in their countries through a variety of economic measures, but neither country has the economic muscle or oil wealth of the other GCC members: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait. According to the UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the two nations will share $10 billion in aid dollars over 10 years.The pledges were made after a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where King Abdullah answered demands for democratic reform from his own Shiite community with a $36 billion dollar domestic aid package. Even as the GCC made its pledges, Saudi police opened fire to disperse a protest in the mainly Shiite east, leaving at least one man injured.This is a very important message sent to markets inside the region, and globally, that the GCC countries will be unified and will stick together to support those in need, said John Sfakianakis, chief economist with the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based Banque Saudi Fransi. They have the commitment and the willingness to do so, and of course, the money. In addition to discussing aid, the GCC issues a statement warning it would not allow foreign interference in their affairs.The Saudi monarchy is concerned protests in the two small nations could open footholds for Iran and has accused Shiites from outside the county of acting as provocateurs inciting local protests. Other Gulf states already have launched economic measures of their own to ease the potential for unrest. Separately, the United Arab Emirates' $1.55 billion cash infusion to upgrade its electrical grid and water connections in the seven-state federation's less-developed emirates north of Dubai.While sheer size of the financial aid package will be a major boost for Bahrain and Oman's budgets, many foreign experts have expressed doubts over the long-term efficacy of paying for quiet. Madawi Al-Rasheed, a professor of Anthropology of Religion at King’s College London, criticized the Saudi initiative. The monarchy is trying hard to absorb demands for political change and cast them as economic demands - political reform is an urgent matter. Saudis: If Dollars Won't Work, Bullets Will by Gavriel Queenann MAR 11,11 Saudi police officers opened fire on a protest march in one of its eastern provinces on Thursday, wounding three according to witnesses and a Saudi official, the New York Times reported. The crackdown came on the eve of a panned day of rage throughout the oil-rich kingdom that Saudi officials say they will not tolerate. Witnesses described the small protest march in the largely Shiite town of Qatif as peaceful, but an Interior Ministry spokesman alleged demonstrators attacked police before officers took the decision to fire, Reuters reported. The spokesman said police fired over the protesters’ heads, but that three people were injured in the melee, including an officer.The clashed underscored growing tensions between Saudi Arabia's Shiite minority, which is demanding greater enfranchisement from a government that officially sanctions Wahabi Islam, a zealous form of Sunni orthodoxy. Mohammad Zaki Al-Khabbaz, a human rights activist in Qatif, said that security forces fired tear gas and shot in the air trying to disperse the crowd. Abdulwahab Al-Oraid, a Qatif resident who watched the march, said it was unclear why the police opened fire. We think this is a message: Don’t protest in any Shiite areas on Friday, Al-Oraid said. Witnesses could not say whether police fired rubber bullets intended for crowd control or other kinds of ammunition. Residents across Saudi Arabia report beefed up security on the streets and closed access to major squares in big cities where protesters are expected to gather Friday. Streets are packed with police vehicles, said Mohamad Al-Qahtani, a human rights activist in Riyadh, the capital.I have never seen anything like this. It says that the regime fears its people.Rattled by the protests that have wrought chaos in the Middle East and Africa, brought down regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, led to civil war, and led the monarchs of Jordan and Morocco to scramble for reform, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah previously announced a $37 billion domestic aid package upon his return to the Kingdom.But aid dollars do not appear to have impressed the protest movement in Saudi Arabia and the winds of malcontent continue to blow in Gulf states. On the same day as the Qatif crackdown foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council met in the Saudi capitol of Riyadh to pledge $20 billion in aid for social development programs for Bahrain and Oman, where protests have begun to take hold.Wary eyes in the Gulf are on Iran, the Shiite power-house many believe are behind Shiite protests throughout the region. Saudi government officials have made clear, if dollars will not work, they will take firmer measures. Saudi foreign minister Saud Al-Faisal warned last night the monarchy would, cut off each finger directed toward the kingdom.(IsraelNationalNews.com) Yemeni President Caves, Proposes Constitional Reform by Gavriel Queenann MAR 11,11 Breaking with zeitgeist of dollars for quiet embraced by most leaders in the Arab Gulf states, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh pledged on Thursday to bring a new constitution to a vote by the end of the year and transfer government power to an elected parliamentary system, CNN reports.In a nationally broadcast speech, Saleh announced, We have communicated the demands of all the youth demonstrators to the government because they are the future, and the government will fulfill all their demands without strikes, clashes, or chaos, Saleh said in a nationally broadcast speech.The president's plan also called for the creation of a unity government to review new election laws. Saleh, has ruled Yemen for 32 years, refused to step down, but has said he will not run for the presidency again. But the presidents plan has not been well received by the opposition, who have dismissed the initiative as too little, too late, according to the New York Times.It's like someone trying to score a goal from behind the net, Mohammed Qahtan, spokesman for the opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties. Whatever he does is useless. The Yemeni Embassy in Washington DC issued a statement expressing the government's disappointment with the opposition's rejection of Saleh's initiative aimed at political and national reconciliation.Protests in Yemen have left at least 30 people dead, according to Amnesty International. The human rights monitoring group urged Yemeni authorities to put an end to deadly night raids and other attacks on protests. We have credible allegations that thousands of peaceful protesters faced live fire by Yemen's military outside Harf Sufyan and that two unarmed civilians paid with their lives,said Joe Stork, the deputy Middle East director for Human Rights Watch. Yemenis will not accept what the president said today, human rights advocate Khaled Al-Anesi said. Too many protesters have died and the president is treating this and talking about all this like a storm that will pass. People will continue to protest and more and more will continue to demand his resignation and we won't stop until he is forced to leave office.Domestic and foreign journalists covering local unrest have been both threatened and abused. Al-Arabiya correspondent Jamal Noman was assaulted in Sanaa by a police officer a local journalist told the Committee to Protect Journalists. The following day Al-Jazeera correspondent Ahmad al-Shalafi was threatened on the phone. One caller said his children would be kidnapped if he continued his critical reporting, the committee reported.Yemen's anti-government demonstrations are unfolding in a nation wracked by a Shiite Muslim uprising, a US-aided crackdown on al Qaeda operatives, and a looming shortage of water. The United States expressed quiet concern about Saleh’s death-grip on power, but have not pressured him publicly, perhaps because its primary concern is continued counter-terrorism efforts in an increasingly precarious country.Saleh's sudden and uncharacteristic embrace of reforms comes as protests mount in the face of continued attempts by the Yemeni government to crack down, and may prove to be a portent of things to come for Saudi officials who launched their own crackdown today. (IsraelNationalNews.com) Expert: Libya Could Become the Next Somalia by Maayana Miskin MAR 11,11 Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is likely to defeat rebel troops pushing for his ouster, United States Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the Senate on Thursday. Qaddafi's superior military technology will ultimately bring him victory, he said.If Qaddafi does not win, Libya is likely to split into two or three parts, he said, creating a Somalia-like situation. Senators were concerned by the possibility, which they said would be a disaster for America.Somalia has had little central government control for two decades, and is one of the poorest countries on earth. The region remains torn by violence.The Obama administration publicly disagreed with Clapper, telling reporters that his assessment was static and unidimentional and had not taken U.S. or European diplomatic efforts into consideration.We've isolated Qaddafi and denied him resources. We're ensuring accountability, building international support and building capabilities to assist the Libyan people, said National Security Advisor Thomas Donilan.However, Defense Intelligence Agency head, General Ronald Burgess, agreed with Clapper. We have now reached a state of equilibrium where... the initiative, if you will, may be on the regime side,he said.The U.S. has announced plans to send civilian humanitarian aid groups into parts of Libya now held by rebel troops. Senators hope to help Egypt and Tunisia as well.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Thursday that America would suspend its relationship with the Libyan embassy in Washington, DC. France went further, becoming the first country to recognize Libyan rebels as the legitimate ruling power.German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed surprise at the French decision and was quoted as saying, This is not a recognition in international law.(IsraelNationalNews.com) Chavez says US, allies preparing for war in Libya By JORGE RUEDA, Associated Press - MAR 11,11 CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned Friday that it would be madness for the United States and its NATO allies to go to war in Libya to try to topple Moammar Gadhafi.Chavez, a friend and ally of Gadhafi, criticized President Barack Obama for expressing support for the Libyan opposition.Right now they are preparing a war, the Yankees and their NATO allies, Chavez said in a televised speech.He predicted a larger war in Libya could push world oil prices to $200 a barrel, and he echoed Gadhafi's warnings that a foreign military intervention would unleash much more bloodshed.If the Yankees (attempt) the madness of invading Libya — Gadhafi already said it a few days ago — it would be a new Vietnam, Chavez said. The Venezuelan president has proposed forming a humanitarian commission to travel to Libya to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.His stance has been echoed by Latin American allies including Cuba, Ecuador and Bolivia. But other countries have dismissed Chavez's mediation idea, and rebels in Libya have not expressed willingness to negotiate as long as Gadhafi remains in power.Obama said Friday in Washington that the U.S. and the world community are slowly tightening the noose on Gadhafi. It was not clear what next steps Obama might be willing to take, but he said he was considering all options, including military efforts with NATO partners. Today I saw Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, saying that he's concerned about the price of oil, Chavez said.Chavez has accused the U.S. of maneuvering to seize control of Libya's oil. He said he believes events in Libya are being distorted to lay the groundwork for a conflict, and likened it to the situation in Venezuela in 2002 when he survived a failed coup.In its desperation, the Yankee empire is continuing and will continue to threaten nations that struggle for their dignity ... conspiring against governments, Chavez said.He said his proposal for a peace effort would respect the self-determination and freedom of Libya, which is a sister nation. As for the conflict raging in Libya, Chavez said: That's a matter the Libyans should resolve. Oil falls on Japan quake By Robert Gibbons – Fri Mar 11, 5:26 pm ET NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil prices fell on Friday after a massive earthquake shook Japan, shutting refineries and other industrial facilities in the world's third-largest oil consumer and triggering a broader sell-off in commodities.Muted protests in Saudi Arabia contributed to the sell-off by investors who had been spooked by plans for day of rage demonstrations in the world's top oil exporter. Funds have bailed out of oil markets for the past several days after lifting their positions to a record high as of Tuesday.U.S. heating oil and gasoline futures held up better than crude, receiving support from expectations that Japan will require more fuel imports after the quake and tsunami affected about a fifth of its capacity.Brent crude futures for April delivery fell $1.59 to settle at $113.84 a barrel, losing 1.8 percent on the week, the first loss in seven weeks and biggest since November. U.S. crude futures for April delivery fell $1.54 to settle at $101.16 a barrel, off a low of $99.01. It fell 3.12 percent on the week, its first weekly loss in four. Trading volume was light, however, at about 670,000 lots, nearly a third below the average of the past month.The U.S. front-month heating oil crack spread, or refining profit margin, rose $1.21 to $26.39 a barrel at 4:45 p.m. EST, while the gasoline crack spread rose 67 cents to $24.79.From an oil pricing perspective, the situation in Japan is likely to result in a negative impact on crude oil prices and a positive for refined products, said Dominick Chirichella, senior partner at the Energy Management Institute in New York.Japan was hit by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake, the largest since observations began in the late 19th century.Top Japanese refiner JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp (JXHLY.PK) halted operations at three plants and fire engulfed a storage tank at a unit of Cosmo Oil Co (5007.T). MIDDLE EAST PROTESTS The Japanese quake triggered across-the-board selling in commodities as funds who had piled into markets that were at or near record highs took profits in the face of uncertainty.Speculators' net-long positions in U.S. crude futures rose to a record high in the week to March 8, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in a report on Friday.Traders also pared positions on signs that a security clampdown in Saudi Arabia's capital kept a lid on a planned protest, even as demonstrations and unrest continued to rumble in nearby Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen.Fighting continued in OPEC-member Libya. Rebels repelled a counter-offensive by leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces, but appealed to foreign powers to impose a no-fly zone to stop further attacks. Most analysts have now written off any chance of a quick return of Libyan production. CHINA, U.S. ECONOMIC DATA Even with the focus on Japan, the Middle East and North Africa, brokers and analysts said oil prices felt pressure from news that Chinese inflation topped expectations in February, possibly triggering more monetary tightening that could dampen oil demand in the world's No. 2 oil consumer.Rising gasoline prices pushed U.S. consumer sentiment to its lowest level in five months in early March, a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey showed.A separate report showed that U.S. retail sales posted their largest gain in four months in February.(Additional reporting by Gene Ramos and Janet McGurty in New York, Ikuko Kurahone in London and Alejandro Barbajosa in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio) Five Israelis killed in West Bank attack - Isreali military - MAR 11,11 JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A Palestinian infiltrator killed five Israelis in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank early Saturday, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. Israeli media said the attacker broke into a house in the settlement of Itamar overnight and stabbed to death a couple and three children, including a baby, from the same family.Five civilians were killed in this terrorist attack, the spokeswoman said.She said troops were searching for the attacker in the area around Itamar, which is near the Palestinian city of Nablus. She gave no further details.(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Andrew Dobbie)

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2011_03_06_archive.html

2013-05-24T16:03:49Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

This recipe is very quick and easy, great for nights like tonight where i forgot to get any meat out of the freezer early enough .. The recipe comes from a book I bought when I lived in Malaysia ... The author is Australian, Jane Strecker, living in Kuala Lumpur and the photographs were taken by the photographer, Sarah Grasset, i used to work with when i lived in KL.... The idea of her book is a fantastic one, its called Family to Fabulous, so each recipe has a family recipe and then on the next page is a fabulous recipe .. so the same family recipe pimped up to look very flash lol ... for those dinner guests over the age of 10 :) ... I have change the recipe a bit to suit us ... I will type up the recipe as in the book and let you know what I change .. RATINGS for ease of cooking 10 RATINGS for yumminess from the kids 9 8 rindless bacon rashers, chopped into small pieces 4 eggs (I only use one egg, I can't stop it going scrambled egg like so I stick to one) 1 cup cream (low fat is suitable) 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (the grated parmesan in the bag is ok too) 4 spring onions (I only use 2) Parmesan cheese, grated, to serve (I also add mushrooms, this just adds a bit of extra flavour and yumminess - probably around 100g, chopped) 1. Fry the bacon in a frying pan, then add mushrooms. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside. 2. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cream, cheese and spring onion. Add the bacon and mushroom mix and stir through. 3. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the saucepan. 4. Pour the sauce mixture over the spaghetti and stir through over low heat until the sauce mixture is just warmed through. Avoid heating too long as the egg will start to resemble scrambled egg. 5. Serve with extra parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top ... DOWNLOAD THIS RECIPE September 7th and 8th at Sunday Suppers 1 hour ago

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://justagirlwholovestocook.blogspot.com/2009/05/carbonara.html

2013-05-24T15:29:04Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Licenses / Permits Where to Obtain Licenses - Licenses for operating tourism establishments i.e. Hotels, various type of accommodations for tourists and visitors, eating places, gifts shops and tour operations, and other related tourism activities must be obtained from the relevant municipal and district councils, or city halls where the proposed operation are to be located. - Licenses for in-bound tour (as well as out-bound tours) operations including operations of tour/tourist buses must be obtained from the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, Sabah Office (Motour Sabah), where a branch office is located at Level 4, Wisma San Hin, Plaza Wawasan, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. How We Support Applications - The Ministry encourages and supports in-bound tourism and other related tourism activities and tourism development projects if these contribute positively to the tourism development in Sabah and their multiple impacts on other sectors of the economy, e.g. contribute to national revenue and spread economic benefits to rural areas. - The Ministry will provide the necessary support accordingly with appropriate letters of recommendations etc to support the above activities if they are viable, and also assist in kind with appropriate publicity through tourism publications published by tourism agencies under the purview of the Ministry. For more detail on licensing, please visit web site of Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://kepkas.sabah.gov.my/licenses-permits/

2013-05-24T15:56:39Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Area Golfers Miss Western Amateur Cut Contenders from Highland Park, Deerfield, Lake Forest and Winnetka fail to qualify for match plan in 113-year-old event. None of the five North Shore golfers competing in the 156-player international field in the 113th annual Western Amateur Golf Tournament at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park advanced to the match play rounds today. Starting the day in 136th place after shooting an opening round 79 Tuesday, Highland Park’s Kyle Kopsick came back with a four-under par 68 for a 36-hole total of 147 putting him in 82nd place. The top 44 golfers as well as those tied for that spot advanced to today’s 36-hold match play competition. Three players—Bennett Lavin of Deerfield, Andrew Price of Lake Forest and Blake Johnson of Winnetka—were on the cusp after the first day. Lavin fell from 46th to 108th with a second round 76 after opening with a 73. Price, who was tied with Lavin, shot 77 Wednesday to finish medal play at 108th. Johnson ended up113th after being in 29th place by firing 79 after starting with a 72. State high school champion Joe Willis of Lake Forest stayed at 127th as he improved his second day score to 75 from 78. The remaining field will be narrowed to 16 after today’s play. The round of 16 and the quarterfinals will be played Friday with the semifinals and finals Saturday. The tournament was first played in 1899. The international field includes people from as far away as Spain, Australia and Malaysia.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://lakeforest.patch.com/articles/area-golfers-miss-western-amateur-cut

2013-05-24T15:49:41Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

"Isn't our Earth beautiful?" ant1606's Profile Ours is a small world. So far, it's getting smaller everyday. Why shouldn't we explore it as much as we can, and learn more of its diversity and cultures? Keep traveling and respect the environment, everything and everyone you may find on your way. Be patient. Try to improve our beautiful planet and be happy to enjoy your experiences. These pages are under construction at slow pace, thank you for your patience. Wonders of nature, art masterpieces and living styles. Animals, plants and rocks. People, customs and food. Science, technology and machines. We have it all, and all is there for us. My special appreciation goes to VT and all members sharing helpful information and precious hints. And I'm grateful to VT for getting people in touch and for having a chance to meet VTers and make new friends around the world! Traveling is a state of mind. One doesn't have to go half around the globe to be a traveler. Peeking behind the corner can be a rewarding experience and a good start. Travelers are those eager to discover, learn and understand the "outer" world. Many accomplish respect for differences, some would never have such pleasure. When the sun sets over our wings, it's time to remember another day and dream about next wing to spread.... Love and lasting friendship are nurture and nourishment, but don't be surprised by the call for solitude. It helps understanding the importance of others in our lives as, alone, we are close to nothing. Top Travel Pages Share your travels with the world!Join Now! Badges & Stats - 707 Reviews - 1,611 Photos - 46 Countries - 2 Cities - See All Stats - See All Badges (11) - Commented on Parisforless's profile page - Posted in Travel Nice Forum "Re: DETAILS ON DAY TRIPS FROM..." - Wrote a Review Salone internazionale del libro in Torino Favorites - Uploaded a Photo to "Salone internazionale del libro" - updated a Ohio Travel Page "Ohio" - ant1606 and tropicrd are now friends. - Uploaded a Video to South Carolina created their Personal Page "2011 Cycling Tour - D, DK, S, PL - Part 1" PhotosSee All Photos (1611) VideosSee All Videos (3) Top 10 Pages - Top 5 Page for this destination Torino Intro, 93 reviews, 168 photos, 3 travelogues - Top 5 Page for this destination South Korea Intro, 85 reviews, 129 photos, 1 travelogue - Portugal Intro, 48 reviews, 162 photos, 3 travelogues - Malaysia Intro, 44 reviews, 120 photos - Top 5 Page for this destination Piemonte Intro, 55 reviews, 97 photos, 1 travelogue - Top 5 Page for this destination Michigan Intro, 36 reviews, 100 photos, 1 travelogue - France Intro, 41 reviews, 83 photos, 1 travelogue - South Africa Intro, 36 reviews, 43 photos - Top 5 Page for this destination Illinois Intro, 22 reviews, 37 photos - Scotland Intro, 14 reviews, 38 photos, 1 travelogue - Paris Hotels - 22167 Reviews - 53887 Photos - Orlando Hotels - 3079 Reviews - 5774 Photos - New York City Hotels - 15524 Reviews - 30894 Photos - London Hotels - 23063 Reviews - 47263 Photos - Rome Hotels - 11941 Reviews - 26475 Photos - Cancún Hotels - 1928 Reviews - 3713 Photos - Myrtle Beach Hotels - 319 Reviews - 425 Photos - Las Vegas Hotels - 8346 Reviews - 17012 Photos - Manila Hotels - 1909 Reviews - 4475 Photos - Baguio Hotels - 325 Reviews - 885 Photos - Toronto Hotels - 4278 Reviews - 8803 Photos - Melbourne Hotels - 3341 Reviews - 7500 Photos - Goa Hotels - 2036 Reviews - 3787 Photos - Istanbul Hotels - 7638 Reviews - 19502 Photos - Panama City Beach Hotels - 193 Reviews - 288 Photos

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/5d28e/

2013-05-24T15:36:31Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Nur Amalina Che Bakri’s Full Explanation Yesterday, starting at 5.17pm, a group of local journalists gathered at the 17A1 best student for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2005, Nur Amalina Che Bakri’s mother’s house to listen for themselves her answers regarding the all the issues circulated on social media. The conversation was held through a Skype video conference which last over an hour was very friendly in fact the student of Edinburgh University, United Kingdom answered each questions that were asked. Currently the 24 year old girl who was born December 7 once again became the main headline of local press yesterday; a year after her story was published regarding allegations that she failed her studies abroad and returned to her mother’s house quietly. The rumour however was not true. Once again, this week, this intelligent girl’s story has been greatly talked about. Since several days ago the social media were heatedly talking about Nur Amalina’s pictures where she wore leggings that were taken from her Facebook photo archive. Perhaps this is the price to pay for becoming an icon who is excellent in education making it into an annual routine her family has to face. Before listening to Nur Amalina’s explanation, this girl’s latest development should be given attention because currently she is also involved in preparing a research paper to be included in medical journals in Europe. What is to be proud of, besides her medical education, Nur Amalina who achieved outstanding results, was also offered to take an additional degree in pharmacology in a one year period compared to four years. Certainly it is not easy to struggle with a double degree let alone in a foreign country. The following is Nur Amalina’s story: Suitable with the title as best student, Nur Amalina was also wise in handling issues surrounding her and was calm. The first step she did was call her mother, Sabariah Hassan to get some advice. This is Nur Amalina’s explanation regarding the issue of her pictures in leggings and with a male friend which was widely circulated in the internet. Among the pictures circulated are private collection and was taken without her permission with bad intentions including dishonouring her: Considering herself as a person expressive in fashion, it is not considered as a license for her to go beyond all boundaries. The leggings seem to expose her skin, but in fact it was bought by her mother. Nur Amalina was also criticized because it was claimed that she took off her headscarf as soon as she landed overseas. Many assumed Nur Amalina purposely took off her headscarf to adapt with the western country. The best solution is we should listen to her justification: According to Nur Amalina, she is prepared to accept any reprimand given to her as a life guidance however let it be carried out in a good manner. She also requested that all her personal pictures be removed from the internet because it could arouse various disgraceful perceptions let alone if people who see it do not get the real picture and clarification. Nur Amalina furthered her studies to United Kingdom eight years ago to study A Level with a sponsorship from Bank Negara Malaysia. Behind the negative rumours claiming she returned to Malaysia because she failed her studies in 2009, Nur Amalina continued to obtain various excellency in the field she is pursuing. Among it are: June – current: Medical Research Intern Edinburgh Breast Unit WGH & Cancer Research UK, Edinburgh Feb – May 2010 ERASMUS Research Intern CHDR, The Netherlands Aug – Sept 2009 District Medical Officer Meru District Hospital, Tanzania Worked in the maternity, pediatric, HIV and emergency ward. While we are all criticizing how un-Islamic Nur Amalina is, she also did community service by teaching English not in a condominium or bungalow, instead at the Orphanage, Tanzania and Zanzibar in 2009. She also taught the same language since 2008 until now at Bergamo Scoule Elemtare, Italy. For her research work, Nur Amalina is currently busy preparing drafts for the final chapter of “Reproductive: Obstetrics and Gynaecology” in ABC of Medically Unexplained Symptoms 2011/2012 under the supervision of Dr Andrew Horne, Gynaecologist Consultant, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh. She is writing a book chapter on medically unexplained symptoms in obstetrics and gynaecology, which involved chronic pelvic pain, dyspareunia and vulvodynia. While we are all great in writing on blogs/twitter/facebook like me, Nur Amalina is also in the process of completing a manuscript for a publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology for the research “The resection of lymph nodes and the consequences in survival rate of patients with breast cancer (2011/12)” under the supervision of Prof Mike Dixon, Professor of Surgery and Consultant Surgeon, Edinburgh Breast Unit, Western General Hospital. The reality is, behind the humble nature portrayed by Nur Amalina throughout the video chat, I felt that we should support her and always pray for her success because she is the hope for the next generation. And to Nur Amalina, I myself hope and pray that this will continue to be in our hearts and memories – our culture and religious teachings by taking previous cases as a lesson. And to those who continue to criticize this girl, do you all know her achievements? Does she eat or not abroad? Who takes care of her when she is ill? Did we not learn that all that as part of our customs? Nur Amalina, I know you are reading this – my prayers for you, be strong and remember to continue to take care of her family’s name and our religion. Thank you for the wonderful chat that we had yesterday! -www.hazrey.com

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://mynewshub.my/eng/2012/01/nur-amalina-che-bakris-full-explanations/

2013-05-24T15:44:21Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Theng, Lee Chong (2000) Risk assessment of Kuala Lumpur municipal landfills - Delphi Approach. Masters thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Most of the sol id waste disposal sites in Malaysia are either open dumps or controlled tipping. The risks from these sites are expected to be high especially the contamination of soil, air, surface and underground water, and also the i mp acts on flora and fauna. All these impacts have direct and indirect links to human being. The risks associated with solid waste disposal sites involved three compartments or media, i.e. the atmosphere, water and soil. This 'Cross media' or 'Multimedia' impacts phenomenon has made risk assessment of landfill site as a complicated process. This study discusses the development of a simple risk assessment systems for landfill sites by using the Delphi Approach, which emphasises the development of weight age for different parameters selected in the risk assessment procedures. The environmental conditions and risks of all closed and active disposal sites in Kuala Lumpur are assessed based on nine criteria representing the multi-media components of the environment, i.e. water quality, social , gas emissions, landuse, hydrology, geology, ecotoxicology, plant ecology and chemical constituents in soil and groundwater. These criteria have gathered 59 parameters and each parameter was assigned a weightage of importance which was then assessed with the actual situation of the landfill sites. The final scores can be aggregated according to individual criteria or across the multi-criteria for the overall environmental conditions. The results of assessments indicated that most of the solid waste disposal sites in the study area showed significant level of risks especially the still active site, i.e. Taman Beringin landfill site. This study also presents the evaluations of the pollution levels of all the disposal sites in terms of water and soil contamination by selected chemicals, and also air pollution by selected gases emitted from the sites. Landfill Pollution Index (LPI) was also developed in this study and were calculated for each disposal site i n the study area. The results show that Taman Beringin was the most polluted landfill with the LPI of 719.5576, followed by Jinjang Utara (383.5085), Paka 1 (197.6589), Brickfields (128.8949), Paka 2 (113.7235), Sri Petaling (30.8083) and Sungei Besi (17.8656). In summary, new evaluation systems had been introduced in this study in order to produce simple and reliable tools to evaluate or assess the pollution and risk levels for municipal waste landfill sites in Malaysia. B sed on the assessment of Kuala Lumpur landfill sites, it can be concluded that the risk and pollution levels of landfill sites in Kuala Lumpur area are relatively high, but it is site-specific and various from one landfill site to another. |Item Type:||Thesis (Masters)| |Subject:||Fills (Earthwork) - Risk assessment - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia| |Chairman Supervisor:||Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Nasir Hassan| |Call Number:||FSAS 2000 29| |Faculty or Institute:||Faculty of Environmental Studies| |Deposited By:||Tuan Norasiah Tuan Yaacob| |Deposited On:||06 Jan 2011 12:39| |Last Modified:||11 May 2012 16:57| Repository Staff Only: item control page

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://psasir.upm.edu.my/9103/

2013-05-24T15:57:08Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

I love Moleskine notebooks. Love them. Adore them. I have a small collection of unused Moleskines sitting in my nightstand. But I want more. For some reason, I can not find the large, hardcover Moleskines anywhere around here. But this is my dream store. If only it wasn’t in Malaysia…. I am off to Barnes and Noble tomorrow to see if I can find a large/extra large hardcover Moleskine. Are there any other Moleskine writers out there?

<urn:uuid:5d02562f-3bb6-4dce-aa2f-bfd6d1e18f55>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/moleskine-notebooks/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=8149a33672

2013-05-24T15:43:13Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

What is Malaysia Students blog? What are our missions? Who are the contributors or bloggers of Malaysia Students? How can Malaysia Students benefit you? How can you contribute to Malaysia Students? Generally, Malaysia Students blog is an education team blog written by a group of Malaysian students on a wide range of topics surrounding education in Malaysia and Malaysian students. The blog covers tips and tricks on how to score 1A in some SPM subjects, SPM and STPM examinations, introduction to A-levels in Malaysia, MUET, SAT, personal experiences in local public university application, JPA scholarship interview and Kuok Foundation Undergraduate Award interview, university life hack and valuable students’ thoughts. We blog on both academics and co-curriculum because we believe every student should be excel in both to become well-rounded in school, college or university. The blog posts are mainly on Malaysian major examinations, secondary, pre-university and tertiary education, scholarship news, student resources, students' thoughts and everything relates to Malaysian students. Our main mission is to create an online community consisting of current and former Malaysian students. When an active Malaysian student online community is successfully created, each and every student in the community will be greatly benefited in various ways. Malaysia Students blog is unique as it is written by Malaysian Students for Malaysian students. We aim to help as many fellow Malaysian students as possible in their studies, scholarship and university application and therefore, to assist them in achieving their academic goals. Read our great contributor team. Since you will find important education and scholarship news at Malaysia Students blog occasionally, it can serve as your source of education and scholarship news. In addition, you can search through Malaysia Students for Malaysian major examination tips and news. Besides, you will learn a lot from the tips and tricks, personal experiences and students’ thoughts posted at the blog. You can also ask relevant questions on the topics that we cover for additional information by leaving your comment. Something worthy of mention is that Malaysia Students blog currently has more than 8,500 email subscribers and 2,000 daily visitors and counting. So your questions at the comment area will be read by many readers and chances are your questions answered. Need help in your studies? Just send us your questions in details through email and we will try our best to help and guide you. You can contribute to Malaysia Students to help us to build an active online community by becoming the regular readers of Malaysia Students. Read our informative posts and comment on them to add additional details, your opinions or to share your helpful experiences in certain topics. An active community is a community that will interact with the members through discussion at Malaysia Students. We recommend you to subscribe to Malaysia Students through RSS blog feed or email update subscription to receive all the latest posts as soon as they are posted. If you are confident that you can write great posts at Malaysia Students, we would invite you to join our contributor team. Read the contributor application for further information. Or you might be interested to write a guest post and get featured here! Read the first version of About Malaysia Students – An Education Blog written on March 8, 2006.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://web.malaysia-students.com/aboutmalaysiastudents%E2%80%93aneducationblog

2013-05-24T15:36:53Z

s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz

en

Bornean Pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) family, parents with calf. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, North Borneo, Malaysia. Walt Disney himself couldn't have crafted a cuter elephant. The pygmy elephants of Borneo are baby-faced little pachyderms, with oversized ears, plump bellies and tails so long they sometimes drag on the ground as they walk. They are also gentle-natured, leading to the belief for years that they were simply the semi-tame remnants of a domesticated herd abandoned on the island years ago. But a WWF study proved that wrong and Borneo’s pygmy elephants are likely to be officially declared a new subspecies. That makes them a high conservation priority. Yet they remain the least-understood elephants in the world.

<urn:uuid:2cc3d653-b2ac-452e-8d47-88fbc869ff66>

CC-MAIN-2013-20

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2013-05-24T15:43:03Z

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AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to millions of articles from top publications available through your library. (From New Straits Times (Malaysia)) PORT DICKSON: Twenty-four teachers and 24 students from 11 schools attended the NST-School Sponsorship Workshop here recently. The one-day session was organised by the New Straits Times Newspaper-In-Education unit. "They were enthusiastic and eager to learn more," said NIE facilitator Roopvanti Gulabrai. At the workshop, they were shown how to use the newspaper to improve their English. In Kota Baru, 60 students and 20 teachers in the district took part in the workshop in Pengkalan Chepa.

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Animal Rights Articles Moo-ving people toward compassionate living Visit the all-creatures.org Home Page. Write us with your comments: firstname.lastname@example.org What's Wrong With Xenotransplantation? Merriam-Webster: Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of an organ, tissue, or cells between two different species From Campaign for Responsible Transplantation (CRT) Why CRT is Opposed to Xenotransplantation The alleged chronic shortage of human organs has led some researchers and federal health officials in the US and elsewhere to consider using organs from animals such as pigs and nonhuman primates. Xenotransplantation, attempted since 1905, is marred by a history of failures and intense human and animal suffering. But the prospect of commercializing the technology has created huge financial incentives for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies who have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in xenotransplantation. The desire to gain a return on such large investments has led many companies to make exaggerated claims about the alleged merits of the technology. CRT believes that these claims are baseless and that, in fact, the technology is dangerous, expensive, inhumane, and unnecessary, and should therefore be banned. - Transplanting living animal organs into humans circumvents the natural barriers (such as skin and gastrointestinal tract) that prevent infection, thereby facilitating the transmission of infectious diseases from animals to humans. - Many animal viruses have the ability to jump species barriers and kill humans. Viruses that are harmless to their animal hosts, can be deadly when transmitted to humans. For example, Macaque herpes is harmless to Macaque monkeys, but lethal to humans. - Many viruses, as innocuous as the common cold or as lethal as Ebola, can be transmitted via a mere cough or sneeze. An animal virus residing in a xenograft recipient could become airborne, infecting scores of people, and causing a potentially deadly viral epidemic of global proportions akin to HIV or worse. - Pigs, genetically altered to carry human genes, are being considered as the source animals of choice for xenotransplants, despite the existence of over 25 diseases in pigs that can infect humans. The influenza virus of 1918, which resembled a common swine flu, killed more people in modern history than any other epidemic including AIDS and the Black Plague. New mutations of swine influenza are being seen around the globe, and novel pig viruses keep surfacing. In October 1997, medical journals reported that Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses (PERVs), present throughout the pig genome, infected human cells in test tubes. That same year, the Australian "paramyxovirus" infected piggery workers with flu-like symptoms. And, most recently, the "Nipah" virus, discovered in Malaysia in late 1998, spread from pigs to hundreds of humans, killing 100+ and leading to the mass slaughter of some one million pigs, as well as several dogs and horses. - There is no way to screen for viruses that are not yet known. Proceeding with xenotransplantation could expose patients and non-patients to a host of new animal viruses which could remain dormant for months or years before being detected. Xenotransplantation could thus be viewed as a form of involuntary human experimentation which violates US laws and United Nations charters. - Xenotransplant proponents claim that they will breed "germ-free" animals, thereby diminishing the risk of viral transmission. But it is impossible to breed "germ-free" animals since no animal can remain completely free of parasites or endogenous viruses. In fact, genetically engineered animals are more susceptible to a host of diseases because of weaker immune systems. - CRT believes that HHS violated the Public Health Service Act by ignoring the scientific evidence showing that xenotransplantation is dangerous and ineffective. HHS failed to adequately consider the legal, social, ethical, and economical implications of xenotransplantation. HHS issued voluntary draft guidelines on xenotransplantation, September 23, 1996, despite scientific evidence demonstrating that the xenograft recipient will suffer significant harm. Scientists have criticized the voluntary guidelines for being weak, ineffectual, and unlikely to protect the public. HHS did not adequately consider how to protect the public from contracting novel animal viruses, how to deal with the issue of informed consent, or the large costs associated with xenotransplantation. HHS issued voluntary guidelines to regulate the technology. It is highly probable that HHS will be unable to protect the xenograft recipient or the public from being infected by an animal virus. As a result, HHS should have considered how the government would handle an infectious epidemic before the guidelines for xenotransplantation were issued. - HHS has not addressed how infected individuals will be identified and how those infected will be prevented from spreading diseases. HHS has also failed to address who will pay for treatment and care for those infected. Treating and caring for individuals infected with animal viruses will most likely cost the U.S. billions of dollars. So far, HHS has not stated whether it would compensate victims who inadvertently come into contact with a lethal animal virus. However, this should be a consideration because the government has already had to respond to compensation claims filed by Persian Gulf War veterans, victims of Agent Orange, hemophiliacs infected by HIV-tainted blood, and parents of vaccine-damaged children. Although HHS identifies procedures for obtaining informed consent in the xenotransplantation guidelines, the agency failed to consider several important issues. An Institute of Medicine 1996 report on xenotransplantation indicates that "more research needs to be done on the psychological, religious, and social interpretations of xenotransplants for patients and their families." HHS should have considered that xenograft patients will most likely be very ill when they decide to take part in xenograft procedures. These patients, many in desperate situations, must understand highly complex issues, including the experimental nature of xenotransplantation and the health risks not only to themselves, but also their close personal contacts. It is unlikely that patients would fully understand the consequences of their participation in such experiments. - Health authorities were unable to prevent the worldwide spread of HIV infection. Similarly, they were unable to prevent Ebola outbreaks in Sudan, Zaire (1976, 1979, 1995) and the US (1989, 1996). Furthermore, there is evidence that humans have become ill after consuming or being injected with animal materials. There is a reported link between the smallpox vaccine (derived from animal cells) and AIDS, a recently acknowledged link between human lung, brain and bone cancer and the SV (simian virus) 40 (found in old batches of the Salk polio vaccine), and the threat of emerging infectious diseases, including human Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) from the consumption of "mad cows" in Europe, the Netherlands, and the US. It would be a tragedy if federal health authorities failed to respect the precautionary principle and facilitated the introduction and spread of a new viral epidemic. Responsible health authorities would steer clear of xenotransplantation in the interest of human health. - In September 1996, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a set of draft voluntary guidelines on xenotransplantation. Currently, xenotransplantation is "regulated" by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Over the last several years, FDA has approved limited clinical trials with animal tissues, cells, and organs, typically pig livers, used outside the body as temporary "bridges" to "filter" the blood of patients awaiting human liver transplants. Xenotransplant products that utilize both a device and a biologic (such as the "liver-assist device") would be considered a combination product and regulated both by the FDA's Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research (CBER) and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Animal organs used in xenotransplantation would be considered biologics and covered by CBER. Ironically, CBER scientists have acknowledged that xenotransplantation presents a risk of introducing novel pathogens into the human population. - The FDA's active support for xenotransplant research is inconsistent with positions the agency has taken in the past. In 1991, the FDA ordered a recall of a disinfectant, Sporicidin, used by dentists and doctors to sterilize equipment, claiming that it did not adequately protect patients from infectious microorganisms. FDA commissisoner at the time, David Kessler, said FDA would "not tolerate products that would permit the transmission of disease from one patient to another." - Proposed regulatory oversight of xenotransplantation procedures is weak and would likely be highly flawed. Although xenotransplants subject patients and non-patients to significant health risks, HHS chose a lenient method for monitoring the health effects from the procedures by constructing voluntary guidelines on xenotransplantation. As it stands, the guidelines are to be "enforced" at the local level by institutional review boards (IRBs). Virologist Jonathan Allan has stated that, "in choosing voluntary guidelines to be enforced at a local level [via IRBs],…the FDA/CDC committee has chosen the least stringent and possibly least successful method of policing these transplant procedures." - In a draft 1998 report, the HHS's own Inspector General June Gibbs Brown said that institutional review boards, whose members are unpaid, and who are charged with monitoring the treatment of participants in clinical trials, "face crushing workloads, inadequate training and potential conflicts of interest." - Even if FDA were to assume the responsibility for monitoring all clinical xenotransplant trials, that would not necessarily be an improvement. FDA has already failed to successfully provide oversight for human tissue banks; the agency has also been criticized by scientists and consumer groups for approving the use of a controversial genetically engineered bovine growth hormone despite the existence of several studies questioning its safety. - In the federal guidelines, HHS recommends a strict monitoring regimen for patients and their close contacts. The rigorous and potentially "life-long surveillance" program, would require complete physical exams and sampling regimens. But HHS fails to discuss the issue of noncompliance with the monitoring program. What would happen if individuals choose to sporadically participate or entirely withdraw from the program and HHS is not able to detect an infectious disease? A disease could spread before HHS recognizes its existence. - In all areas of human activity, particularly when money is involved, the potential for fraud, error, and negligence exists. In the past, such behavior has placed human health at considerable risk. Witness the HIV-contaminated blood scandals in France, China, Japan and the US, for example, in which employees and/or medical authorities knowingly allowed HIV-contaminated blood to be used for transfusions and blood-clotting treatments for hemophiliacs. - Given the enormous amount of data, paperwork, and filing xenotransplant procedures would generate, it would be naive (given human nature) to assume that data will be properly recorded, stored, reviewed, and updated. Regulatory mechanisms often fail to prevent or correct these errors and/or behaviors, the consequences of which could be disastrous in the face of a xenogeneic infection. - Xenotransplantation is not a cost effective technology. It is riskier and promises to be even more expensive than human-to-human transplantation (roughly $300,000 per operation, not including the hidden costs of breeding, housing, feeding, medicating, testing, transporting, rendering, and disposing of the waste and remains of herds of transgenic animals). - The FDA wants to establish a registry to archive xenograft patient and source animal tissue samples. This archive is to be funded by taxpayers. FDA officials estimate the cost of the registry at $250,000 to $300,000 a year, and the cost for the archive at $1 million a year. - Xenotransplant researchers acknowledge that 'rearing pigs under germ-free conditions, is extremely expensive and time-consuming and the production of germ-free pigs would greatly add to the cost of providing donor organs.' Currently it costs from $25,000 to $100,000 to test just one pig for the presence of known bacteria and viruses. The biotechnology company Nextran explains that one of its pig organs will eventually cost the same as a human organ. - Based upon this estimate, xenotransplantation is not cost effective. - The current transplant costs for human organs range from $116,000 for a kidney to more than $300,000 for a liver. Factoring in years of follow-up care and immunosuppressive drugs, the cost rises to about $400,000 for a liver transplant and over $300,000 each for heart and lung transplants. A 1996 Institute of Medicine report predicts that xenotransplantation will push annual transplant cost from $3 billion to $20.3 billion. These costs are beyond the means of a majority of Americans and an already overburdened health care system. - It is predicted that, by the year 2000, 48 million Americans will lack basic healthcare. Another 30+ million will be underinsured. The uninsured (largely minorities, 18 to 24-year-olds, and the working poor) who are chronically ill are least likely to receive proper care, with the result that untreated conditions can lead to serious health consequences. Can we justify spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on operations that, if they ever succeed, would at best benefit a small minority of patients, while dramatically driving up health care costs for all? Animal Welfare Concerns - Biotechnology companies are breeding pigs with human genes in the hopes of fooling the human immune system into accepting a foreign organ from another species. This disturbing genetic reconstruction of life (the creation of animals that are, in essence, part animal and part human) is advancing on a commercial scale with almost no informed public discussion or effective oversight. - Scientific studies have demonstrated that pigs are highly intelligent and sensitive animals. Pigs used in studies at the University of Pennsylvania manipulated joysticks with their mouths to solve mazes and play games on a computer. Pigs used in biomedical research can be subjected to painful biological and surgical manipulations at experimenters' discretion, causing great pain and suffering before death. Policy-makers in the U.S. and elsewhere have decided that it is "ethical" to use pigs in xenotransplants because pigs are killed for food. But two wrongs do not make a right. Ironically, it is precisely because people eat too many pigs, and have unhealthy lifestyles, that pig organ transplants are being considered. A large majority of heart, liver, and kidney transplants could be prevented if people reduced their meat, (and alcohol and tobacco consumption). We should ask whether it is acceptable to make pigs and other nonhuman animals scapegoats for our species' self-destructive behaviors. Transgenic technology is very imprecise. Previous transgenic pig research programs have produced animals with various painful physical abnormalities including arthritis, stomach ulcers, muscular weakness, defective vision, and weakened immunity. Transgenic animals are destined to spend their lives confined in unnatural, sterile environments, unable to fulfill their basic behavioral needs, until death. In her book, Genetic Engineering: Dream or Nightmare (1998), British biologist Mae-Wan Ho wrote that, "the creation of transgenic animals for xenotransplantation . . .[is] scientifically flawed and morally unjustifiable. [It carries] inherent hazards in facilitating cross-species exchange and recombination of viral pathogens. These projects ought not to be allowed to continue without full public review." - In CRT's opinion, HHS failed to consider the environmental consequences of xenotransplantation as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). HHS issued guidelines for xenotransplantation without complying with any of NEPA's requirements. NEPA requires that agencies "take a 'hard look' at the environmental consequences before taking a major action." HHS failed to take the required "hard look" at the environmental and health consequences of its actions because no Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was performed. By completely ignoring the entire EIS requirements, HHS has violated NEPA. - CRT believes that xenotransplantation is a "significant" action because it is highly controversial and poses unique and unknown health effects to the xenograft recipient and the general public. Furthermore, xenotransplantation affects "the quality of the human environment." Federal regulations define "the quality of the human environment" to include "the natural and physical environment and the relationship of people with that environment." In this case, the relationship of people to their environment is affected by the HHS's action because xenotransplantation may create deadly new animal viruses. Due to this significant public health concern, HHS should have prepared an EIS. - Xenotransplantation also poses significant threats to the environment. The animals needed for xenotransplantation will increase the environmental problems caused by animal-based agriculture. U.S. farms already generate about 1.4 billion tons of animal manure a year, 130 times the quantity of U.S. human sewage, according to a 1997 report by the Senate Agriculture Committee entitled, Animal Waste Pollution in America: An Emerging National Problem. This untreated and largely unregulated manure, contaminated with bacteria, parasites, chemicals and heavy metals, is washed off farmland by rain and discharged into streams and rivers, killing fish, and making people who eventually drink it, bathe in it, and wash their clothes with it, sick. - In March 1999, a community in Sarpy County, Nebraska denied a permit to a xenotransplantation pig breeding/research facility because of environmental concerns alone. - Surveys find animal waste is degrading 1,785 bodies of water in 39 states. Pesticides, insecticides and antibiotics which are commonly used in agriculture may also contribute to soil and ground water contamination and consequently, harm human health. Pollution from factory farms impairs more miles of U.S. rivers than all other industry sources and municipal sewers combined. During the past two decades, the number of coastal waters that host major and recurring attacks by harmful microbes has doubled. Pigs and pig waste pose a particular danger because they contract and transmit many human diseases including meningitis, salmonella, chlamydia, giardia, cryptosporidiosis, brucella, worms and influenza. The hazards from hogs increases when they are packed closely together. - Hog farms pollute the air. In Minnesota, tests showed eight of 32 air samples taken near manure lagoons exceeded air quality standards for hydrogen sulfide. A study done at Duke University Medical Center revealed that those who lived downwind from hog factory farms suffered from a variety of illnesses including increased tension, depression, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, dizziness, blackouts, loss of appetite, and sleep disturbances. - HHS also failed to address the environmental and health impacts caused by the disposal of numerous remains of genetically modified animals. Conventional agricultural operations continuously wrestle with the problems of how to dispose of millions of tons of perishable animal tissue each year. Incineration, burial, and composting are all expensive, unhygienic, and environmentally problematic. In fact, in 1997, the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit against a hog farm, citing 50 violations of federal environmental laws, including the farm's illegal pits for disposing dead pigs. Disposing of transgenic pigs is a significant environmental and health concern, because if the bodies of source animals are disposed of improperly, their DNA could replicate, spread, and recombine, picking up genes from viruses in other species, and consequently, create new pathogens. Thus, disposing of genetically modified animals is an issue that should have been addressed in an EIS. - Can we justify raising more pigs for human use at a time when the Environmental Protection Agency is placing new restrictions on livestock pollution? Breeding animals for xenotransplantation would create a host of environmental problems, described above. Conventional farming and rendering operations have yet to solve these problems which continue to threaten public health across the US (see www.hogwatch.org). Return to Animal Rights Articles Please Help Our Efforts We welcome your comments: Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. All Creatures Animal Rights Article: justice, peace, love, compassion, ethics, organizations, Bible, God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, Holy Spirit, grass roots, animals, cruelty free, lifestyle, hunting, fishing, traping, farm, farming, factory, fur, meat, slaughter, cattle, beef, pork, chicken, poultry, hens, battery, debeaking. Thee is also a similarity to the human aspects of prolife, pro life, pro-life, abortion, capital punishment, and war. | Home Page | Animal Issues | Archive | Art and Photos | Articles | Bible | Books | Church and Religion | Discussions | Health | Humor | Letters | Links | Nature Studies | Poetry and Stories | Quotations | Recipes | What's New? | Thank you for visiting all-creatures.org.

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Ai Weiwei - the guy who likes to point out all the flaws of Chinese society to the world using his art - captured some crazy footage of a brawl that broke out and people were violently throwing chairs, and metal pipes at each other outside a restaurant in Beijing. It turns out that the projectile battle was between ethnic Tibetan street vendors and Chinese people who work in that restaurant. It got really bloody as you can see some guy with a bloody face. I don't know what sparked the fight in the first place but you can bet the Western media is going to have a field day with this knowing that one of the parties involved with this conflict are ethnic Tibetans. Oh geeze and what else. Look at the Beijing police officers and how they were handling the situation. They don't even look like police. They look like mall security guards. In fact the police couldn't even control the situation between the two parties. I thought China was supposed to be a totalitarian state or something but these police officers really suck. They couldn't even keep the peace or stop the people from hurling bricks. Quite embarrassing for the Beijing police.... Watch the video: Here are some pictures of a cute girl from Guangxi province, China. I think she's an ethnic minority. Maybe she is ethnic Yao (瑶族) or ethnic Zhuang (壮族), I'm not too sure. Whatever the case, she is super cute and a has natural beauty about her. I have just watched the music video for NLEADER, the debut single of this new Chinese female rapper NAMIGIRL. My immediate thoughts were: what the fuck did I just watch? I don't even know if I can even call this music. The "music" sounds so awkward and devoid of any feeling and it goes against the grain of anything human. I wonder if NAMIGIRL truly has a soul deep inside her because she seems more like an robot powered by Artificial Intelligence. She's just saying the most random shit that doesn't any make sense and the musical direction is all over the place. It's a little bit of "hip hop", Kpop, electronica and - oh my god - horrible, horrible abuse of autotune that bled my ears to death. And it looks like the label, Kingwang World has spent some serious guap on the music video. And seriously, what the fuck were they smoking or sniffing? The music video, like the song, also lacks any soul or feeling at all. Not to mention this tool who was frontin in the entire music video.... Why, in all that is holy, did you decide to wake up one morning and dye your hair pink? Furthermore, did you really have to make worse for all of us by putting on that bright pink toque? Somebody please pray for China... CAUTION: watch this music video at your own risk! Asian Hip Hop Times cannot be held responsible for any loss of hearing or loss of sight. Video footage of a Japanese middle school student on a public street in Tsuruhashi ( the Koreatown of Osaka), screaming outbursts of anti-Korean hate speech and calling for a masscare of Koreans has gone viral in Youtube. I'm all for free speech but.... seriously Japan? This girl was making DEATH THREATS to Koreans living in Japan and the police in front of her didn't do shit? Did she admit to the Nanking Massacre? One thing that I couldn't believe at first was that she mentioned (admitted to?) the Nanking Massacre. The English subtitles in the video translates the schoolgirl saying: "If they want to be that arrogant we will start Tsuruhashi massacre like Nanking massacre!" Her fellow anti-Korean ralliers said "YES!!!" in response to her death threats. I guess they all know about the Nanking Massacre too? I thought the Japanese popular belief was that the Chinese fabricated the whole Nanking Massacre. But the way how the schoolgirl referenced it, it seems to me like she believes that the Nanking Massacre is a real event and a real Japanese war atrocity against the Chinese. I guess the cat is now out of the bag. Watch the video footage quick before it gets taken down again because of Youtube's policies against hate speech. I went shopping a couple days ago at a local Asian supermarket here in Vancouver. When walking by the frozen goods section, something caught my eye. So I stopped and took a picture of this (click on the pictures to enlarge them): Here is another photo. What I saw was a brand of frozen Chinese buns called "James Bun". I guess it's a play on 007 James Bond? But look at the obnoxious Asian-looking on the logo! Look at his chinky eyes, his snouty nose and his buck teeth. Oh noes! What a horrible and gross misrepresentation of Asian people. That is so racist! Oh what? This is a Taiwanese product and company behind this? Well... shucks. I don't know what to say anymore. But I am still offended! Boo hoo hoo hoo! I'm telling on you to my Asian-American blogger and vlogger friends... I have another rant today. Today's rant will be about the conflicting messages by Asian-American bloggers and vloggers. On one hand, these Asian-Americans are quick to point to all non-Asian peoples that, Asians are not all the same and that they come from different countries, they have different cultures and speak different languages etc. On the other hand (and this is the really confusing part), these same Asian-Americans LOVE to make sweeping generalizations (aka stereotypes) about Asians saying that Asian guys are like this and Asian girls are like that, we were brought up this way and that way and our parents have bad accents etc. Oh but it's wrong for someone who's not Asian to generalize Asian people, but you being Asian are allowed generalize Asians? So what they do is wrong and racist but if you do it it's either true or it's funny? Get the fuck outta here! So....from observing Asian hip hop over the years I can safely say that Asian rappers are more or less conforming to the already existing wide spectrum of hip hop music. What they do is basically take a little bit of this style and that style and then mix them together make it into their own style. The hip hop music Asians are making is nothing innovative nor are they trying to create a new culture. They are basically cultural transmitters. Now that's not a bad thing. It's just not that interesting to me to blog about it - which is ironic because the sole purpose of Asian Hip Hop Times is to document interesting Asian hip hop music. Because hip hop music started originally as ethnic music, drawing largely from African-American culture and experience, I thought Asians would take some elements of hip hop and blend it with their own cultural heritage to spark an 'Asian Renaissance' so to speak. So far, that's not happening. To be honest, I started blogging about Asian hip hop because I thought it would be interesting to see what kind of hip hop music Asians would make. A secondary reason was because I was disenfranchised about mainstream hip hop music and I thought Asian hip hop would restore my hope in hip hop music. I stopped drinking that kool-aid years ago because I thought it tasted like shit. But little did I know, Asian rappers are still drinking that kool-aid and are also trying to serve it to me. "Hey it's not the same kool-aid," they say. "It's Asian kool-aid." Taiwanese pop star Wang Lee Hom recently performed in Genting Highlands in Malaysia. To the excitement of the Malaysian audience, one of the songs that he performed was a cover of Getaran Jiwa, a smooth romantic song from the late Malaysian singer/actor P. Ramlee. So... I finally got a search box for Asian Hip Hop Times. Powered by Blekko. You guys can now search for whoever and whatever to your heart's content. w00t! Got this link sent to me by someone. It's an all-female quintet from North Korea's Moranbong Band singing Go Study... or at least that is what the Chinese lyric translation says. My Chinese is not too good, but some of the translated Chinese lyrics says something like "go study for the sake of our country". The music sounds like 1980's Soviet music mixed with old-school Korean feel. But I like it. It's quite lively. The girls performed well.

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Results 18 to 31 of 31 03-27-2010, 10:04 AM #18 pls put something like that 03-27-2010, 10:20 AM #19 Thanks for the game, nice to play with Protech shuttles, that's one very nice sounding shuttle-cock. 03-27-2010, 01:14 PM #20 Thanks to all who came. Hope you enjoyed the games! I never get to play with everyone of you which is a pity as it is always nice to play with others and learn from one another. For those who came and also, those who had sent me PM stating their interest to join regularly, you have my hp number as well as email. Pls let me know if you want to join regularly. I have a game on 3 Apr 2010 from 3pm to 6pm. As of now, I already have about 4 BC members indicating interest to join regularly so I wont be asking for players for now unless all drop out again. Thanks once again. Blindaim - looking forward to playing with you. 03-27-2010, 01:30 PM #21 03-28-2010, 02:09 AM #22 Hi if there are any slots i would be glad to join! 03-28-2010, 04:52 AM #23 03-28-2010, 08:17 PM #24 wow seems like business is very good. woodland not much BForum teams i guess. so many people joining. woodland is too far for me as i stay in Tampines. Enjoy your badminton session. how much is Protec Masterpiece ?? Last edited by blindaim; 03-28-2010 at 08:19 PM. 03-29-2010, 02:39 AM #25 I am quite surprised that the masterpiece seems quite lasting as alot of the shuttles that we changed are still in good condition. Though the speed is slower, it is still usable. 03-29-2010, 10:29 AM #26 in that case , can give me the old shuttlecock? 03-29-2010, 10:29 AM #27 Not many places sells the Masterpiece but I know Mr Lim sells it. I am buying from him at $25 per tube. I know some groups buy from Malaysia and can get 2 to 3 dollars cheaper. 03-29-2010, 10:34 AM #28 03-29-2010, 11:59 AM #29 03-30-2010, 04:14 AM #30 03-30-2010, 09:52 PM #31 The three Rs. Reduce Reuse Recycle By @Kenny in forum MalaysiaReplies: 1: 04-15-2012, 01:05 AM By bentax86 in forum MalaysiaReplies: 2: 11-28-2011, 05:45 AM By escalader in forum SingaporeReplies: 0: 09-29-2009, 12:18 PM By shlim in forum SingaporeReplies: 0: 01-23-2009, 02:51 AM By event in forum General ForumReplies: 3: 09-07-2007, 03:02 AM

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Oldie but goody The goon was still ranting. He was, thankfully, ranting rather diplomatically, speaking in rather hushed tones, not wanting to call obvious attention to himself. Unfortunately for me and my colleague, what he lacked in volume he was more than making up for in longevity. We had been sitting together for over an hour and for at least 45 minutes, he had been ranting. In all honesty, I enjoyed knowing the goon. He was, in so many amusing ways, like a character from a bad book or movie come to life. He chain-smoked, wore long black leather coats, considered himself both charming and handsome, and liked reminding me and my colleagues as often as possible that he knew everyone and anyone worth knowing in his home town. More importantly, he wanted us to know that we wouldn't be able to operate in his backyard without his help. But he was also a gourmand. Over the two years we worked together, he introduced me to the very best restaurants in Venice. We got along, I think, mostly because we shared a passion for great food and wine. The last time I saw him, however, he was pissed off. My colleague and I had agreed to have dinner with him in hopes of maintaining good personal relations and also answering some of his questions. Big mistake. The dinner turned into a 90 minute long complaint session which turned from painful to tedious to almost farcical. Farcical because by the end of the night the goon was practically threatening our organization. The only saving grace of the evening was that, as usual, the goon had brought us to an amazing place for dinner. The shoebox-sized restaurant was on a small, narrow street near Saint Mark's Square. It specialized in steak, which in a city famous for seafood, made it a rare gem. The food was good, so good in fact that after awhile, I began to pay less and less attention to the ranting Italian sitting opposite me. Still, it is kind of hard to ignore someone telling you that your company and your country is now his enemy, no matter how politely he was trying to say it. Dessert, however, did the trick. Once our main courses were cleared, the goon insisted I order Vini Da Arturo's tiramisu. He said it was the best in Venice. And then he went back to complaining. He was right though. It was easily the best tiramisu I had eaten in the city that had given birth to this popular dessert. In fact, it was the best I've ever eaten in my life. I dare say that it's the best tiramisu on the planet. It was also not your traditional tiramisu because it lacked the usual ladyfinger cookies. It was just cream... gloriously rich, sweet, delicious cream scooped on a plate and sprinkled with chocolate. But the cream was so good that despite everything else that was going on that night, I was in heaven. Tiramisu has kind of a bad rep. It's mostly because the dessert is way too commonly served at bad Italian restaurants around the world. It's also one of the first desserts amateur cooks try their hands at making. I'm no different. I made my first tiramisu in college, using a recipe that came free with a bottle of Godiva liquor that I had just purchased. I can't remember if that tiramisu was any good, but I do remember enjoying every last drop of that chocolate-based booze. Since tasting the tiramisu at Vini Da Arturo, I've been reminded that this Italian "pick me up" doesn't have to be boring. If done well, it can be as good, as amazing, and as satisfying as any magically complex confection concocted by Pierre Hermé. It can even distract you from threats made by chain-smoking half-drunk goons. Vini Da Arturo San Marco 3656, Calle degli Assassini Tel: 041 528 69 74 This recipe is from The Silver Spoon. I like it because it doesn't call for alcohol. I'm not a big fan of boozy desserts. Plus, I've discovered that the traditional recipe for this dessert didn't have the marsala wine that so many people think it requires. 2 egg whites 4 egg yolks 1.25 cups confectioner's sugar 1.75 cups mascarpone cheese 7 ounces ladyfingers 3/4 cup freshly brewed strong coffee, cooled 7 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting Stiffly whisk the egg whites in a grease-free bowl. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in another bowl until pale and fluffy. Gently fold in the mascarpone, then the egg whites. Make a layer of ladyfingers on the base of a deep, rectangular serving dish and then brush evenly with coffee. Cover with a layer of the mascarpone cream and sprinkle with a little of the grated chocolate. Continue making layers until all the ingredients are used, ending with a layer of the mascarpone cream. Dust with cocoa and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Stripping: cooking with dogs 101 What the gals eat Singapore is famous for many things, but the thing our country is most famous for is its food. And of all the wonderful local dishes that people love eating here, no one dish may be more beloved than "chicken rice". I have to admit that while I like chicken rice tremendously, it's not my favourite local food -- I'd rather have char kuay teow or fish head curry. But it has been the preferred local food of almost every local woman I've dated, including my beloved wife S. Sometimes, it even feels like the only thing Singaporean girls want to eat is chicken rice. The first girl I dated here didn't want to eat anything else when we went out. For another, chicken rice was comfort food, something to eat when she needed a pick-me-up or a taste of home. S loves chicken rice for its simple, delicate and delicious flavours. She also likes it because, compared to a lot of other local dishes (like the ones I love), it's relatively healthy. Well, at least the chicken is. After all, it's boiled. For the uninitiated, chicken rice is boiled chicken, served at room temperature, paired with rice that's been cooked with chicken stock, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. The chicken and rice are eaten with 2 sauces, dark soy sauce and a chili sauce that's been flavoured with freshly minced ginger. Our favourite chicken rice purveyor is what S calls, "the great undiscovered chicken rice stall". Because while it is popular, it is not one of the more well-known or famous ones. It has also not, as far as we know, been written up or included in any of the major guides to Singapore. It does, though, serve up what we feel is the best chicken rice in town. We've brought several major foodies, both amateur and professional, to try it and all have been impressed. Some have also become regulars. The chicken served at the unimaginatively-named Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice is tender and juicy. It's served with a bit of the chicken's natural juices (some say that this addition is very Cantonese), which keeps everything moist. In addition to the chicken meat, S always asks for an order of chicken livers. These are done beautifully here. Unlike most other places that overcook their livers, these are served deliciously tender, almost creamy. One food writer we shared these with likened it to a platter of low-cost foie gras. The rice here is also good, well-flavored and aromatic. Another local food writer liked it so much he ate two bowls on his very first visit. For those of you intending to drop by, we recommend having your chicken rice with an avocado shake. There are two stalls in the same lane that prepare this rich, creamy and yummy drink. Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice Alexandra Village, Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-15 For readers further afield, I recommend trying to make your own chicken rice. Below is the recipe S included in Lonely Planet's World Food Guide: Malaysia & Singapore. It's based on a recipe that a friend passed her and that she's been tweaking over the years. Enjoy! Hainanese chicken rice 1 fresh whole chicken (about 1kg) 1 tsp salt 1 Tbs light soya sauce 1 tsp Chinese rice wine 2 pieces of ginger, each 1-inch thick, lightly bruised with the back of a knife 1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly bruised 1 spring onion 1 tsp sesame oil For the rice 2 cups long grain jasmine rice 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (obtained from cooking the chicken; see recipe) chicken fat (from preparing the whole chicken; see recipe) 1 Tbs finely minced ginger 5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp salt 1 pandanus leaf, tied into a knot Chilli and ginger sambal 10 fresh red chillies, seeds removed from half, chopped 10 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 2 Tbs peeled and chopped ginger 1 Tbs vegetable oil 1Tbs chicken stock (obtained from cooking the chicken; see recipe) salt, to taste sugar, to taste calamansi juice, to taste 1 cucumber, halved length-wise and thinly sliced sprigs of coriander dark soy sauce ground white pepper 2 spring onions, finely sliced Remove the fat from the cavity of the chicken and set aside for use in flavouring the rice later. Vigorously rub the cavity and exterior with salt. Then rub the chicken cavity with 1/2 tablespoon of the soy sauce and all of the rice wine. Stuff the cavity with ginger, garlic and spring onion. Set aside for 1 hour (not in the fridge). Bring a deep stockpot, filled with enough water to cover the chicken, to the boil. Lower the chicken into the pot—it should be completely immersed. Immediately turn off the heat, cover, and leave to stand for 1 hour. At 15-minute intervals, lift the chicken and drain the water from the cavity to ensure that the chicken cooks inside as well. At the 30-minute mark, reheat the water almost to boiling point, then turn the heat off. Never having been allowed to boil, the chicken should be cooked to succulent and juicy perfection. At the end of the hour, remove the chicken from the pot, and plunge into a large bowl of iced water to arrest further cooking. Once cool (about 15 to 20 minutes), drain the chicken thoroughly. Rub it down with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce and sesame oil. Snip off the chicken wing tips, neck, and legs. Toss these into the liquid left in the stockpot. Set the chicken aside, covered, until ready to serve. To prepare the rice, rinse it in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly. Bring the pot with the chicken stock to the boil, simmering until the liquid is reduced to about 5 cups, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Strain the stock. Measure out 2 1/2 cups for cooking the rice. Set the rest aside. Place the chicken fat set aside earlier in a medium saucepan. Cook on a low heat to render the fat (there should be about 3 tablespoons worth). Add the ginger and garlic, and fry gently until aromatic without browning. Add the drained rice and sesame oil, stirring well to coat each grain with fat. Add the 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock to the rice, and bring to the boil. Add the pandanus leaf and salt. Simmer briskly until there is no water left on the surface of the rice. Clamp the lid of the saucepan on tightly, and immediately reduce the heat to the lowest. Leave for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, and allow the rice to stand for another 10 minutes before uncovering. Alternatively, after frying the rice, place it in a rice cooker with the pandanus leaf and salt. Substitute chicken stock for the amount of water you would ordinarily add to cook the same amount of rice. For the chilli and ginger sambal, process or blend the chillies, garlic and ginger to a fine paste, adding the oil and chicken stock (from what was reserved earlier) to facilitate the process. Scrape into a bowl. Stir in salt, sugar and lime juice to taste. Dish some into 4 individual saucers. When ready to serve, chop the chicken Chinese-style into bite-sized pieces with skin and bone intact. Place on a serving platter over the sliced cucumber. Garnish with sprigs of coriander. Dish some dark soy sauce into 4 individual saucers. Bring the remaining chicken stock back to the boil. Season to taste with salt and ground white pepper. Ladle into 4 small soup bowls and garnish with the sliced spring onions. For each serving, pack a small bowl with rice, then invert rice onto a plate. Each person gets a plate of aromatic rice, a bowl of shimmering chicken broth, and 2 small dishes of dipping sauces—the chilli and ginger sambal, and the dark soy sauce. Everyone helps himself or herself to the platter of Hainanese chicken placed in the centre of the table. I first met chef Anderson Ho in 1998. He and another young chef named Jimmy Chok were at the helm of a fantastic little restaurant called Fig Leaf. I loved eating there. These two young chefs prepared lovely European and fusion dishes. The food was good. It wasn't too refined or sophisticated, but it was delicious. After his stint at Fig Leaf, Anderson (unlike his partner Jimmy, who went on to run and work in a number of well-reviewed restaurants) disappeared from Singapore's restaurant scene. Instead of moving to another restaurant, Anderson accepted a position with SATS, the in-flight catering company responsible for the meals served on Singapore Airlines, as well as many other airlines. I remember my disappointment when I heard about his decision to work at SATS. I liked Anderson's cooking and I couldn't believe that the only way I'd get to eat something prepared by him was by buying a ticket on SQ. Fortunately for us Anderson fans, in 2003, he and his award-winning photographer brother Edmond, produced a deliciously beautiful cookbook. Menu Degustation is a treasure trove of innovative fusion recipes. My wife S and I have enjoyed cooking many of the dishes found within its pages. And, through this book, we've become even bigger fans of Anderson's. So, you can only imagine our glee when we found out earlier this year that Anderson was finally returning to a restaurant kitchen. He and his brother have opened a small, bright and peaceful Modern French place called Le Papillon, located in the new Red Dot Traffic Building. I've had quite a few meals at Le Papillon since it opened on 8 May 2006. All of them have been good, with some better than others. S and I went back again for lunch this past Monday. We had a small but lovely meal. S started with one of her favorite dishes here, marinated goat cheese with pesto on watermelon and Pedro Ximenez reduction (pictured top left above). This is something she's had every time we've visited Le Papillon. She tried it on our very first visit and she's ordered it ever since. The combination, while unexpected, is very good. It's sweet, tart, juicy, crisp and cool. I started with sautéed Hokkaido scallops served with an herb risotto, asparagus and morel mushrooms (pictured top right above). This is a nice, hearty and tasty dish. For her main, S had another of our favorites, Anderson's confit of crispy pork belly and sautéed tiger prawns on green tea mousse, served with a rocket and spinach salad (pictured at the very beginning of this post). For my main, I had a roasted king fish with slow-cooked oxtail, truffle cream and herbed mashed potato (pictured bottom left above). Both these dishes are very good. The pork is succulent; the meat is soft and skin crispy. The prawns are cooked perfectly and the mousse full of flavor. The fish is nice and light. And paired with the oxtail and mashed potato the dish takes on a rich sensuality. Another favorite main course is Anderson's beef tenderloin served with what he calls an oxtail parcel -- braised oxtail wrapped in Filo pastry. As you might already surmise, all of these dishes are duos of sorts. i.e. dishes composed of two equally delicious propositions. And this is something that I like very much about the food at Le Papillon. Anderson pairs ingredients expertly, creating the kind of food that I'd love to be able to cook for friends. Over the years, Anderson's food has become more mature. It is cleaner and more refined than it used to be. And somehow both simpler and more sophisticated. I envy his technical skills tremendously. And, because almost every dish on his menu sounds great to me, I am very inspired by his palette. Anderson and his restaurant show great promise. If he and his team can iron out a few understandable opening kinks (and upgrade the desserts, which while good are not as good as the rest of the food), it could quickly become one of Singapore's top tables. 28 Maxwell Road, #01-02, Red Dot Traffic Building. Quick prawns and rice After a really long day at work, the last thing that either S, my lovely wife, or I want to do is spend more than a couple hours slaving away in the kitchen making dinner. While we often enjoy spending our weekends prepping ingredients and putting together elaborate meals for friends, most weekdays we simply can't muster the energy or enthusiasm for anything too difficult. That said, as self-described greedy gourmets, we also want to eat really good, well-made food. Over the years, we've enjoyed scouring hundreds of cookbooks for yummy recipes that take no less than 30-40 minutes to prepare. Some books, like Thomas Keller's French Laundry, have close to none. Some have a few and others, like Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food, are filled with them. Gary Rhodes' Keeping It Simple is another such book. S picked up this gorgeous hardback a couple of months ago. It's a great book for beginner cooks as well as more advanced ones. The former group will love how easy the recipes are to follow. They're neither too elaborate nor do they call for too many ingredients. They don't take too long to make and the steps are very clearly explained. The latter group will like this book because the dishes in it are photographed beautifully and sound yummy. Many of these advanced cooks probably won't need to follow the recipes item by item or step by step. But they will find them inspiring. S and I were similarly inspired by Rhodes' "tiger prawns with a leek and mozzarella risotto". The combination of freshly grilled prawns and rich, cheesy risotto really appealed to us. After a quick read through his recipe, we started working on fashioning our own version. Instead of grilling the prawns with olive oil, as Rhodes recommends, we pan-fried ours with garlic. Similarly, we tweaked his risotto, substituting white wine with vermouth, replacing the onion with extra leeks, and increasing the amount of mozzarella in it. The dish was a breeze to make. From start to finish, it took no more than 40 minutes. Perfect for an after-work meal. prawns with a leek and mozzarella risotto feeds 2 as a main course or 4 as starters 12-16 prawns, peeled 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 3 leeks, cleaned and julienned 100g arborio rice 2 tablespoons vermouth 350ml chicken stock, heated 4 garlic cloves, diced 1 small round of mozzarella, grated or chopped 2 tablespoons parmesan, grated 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped salt and pepper Heat 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-sized pot. When bubbling, add the julienned leeks and cook over medium heat until soft. Then add the rice and stir, toasting the rice slowly. Then add the vermouth and let the alcohol bubble for a bit, until the alcohol smells burn off. Then lower the heat and add about one to two ladles of chicken stock. Let the stock reduce and then add another ladle or two. Repeat until all the stock has been added to the rice and is reduced. All the stock should be absorbed by the rice. Then add 1 more tablespoon of butter, the mozzarella and the parmesan. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic and let cook for a little less than minute. Don't let the garlic burn. Then add the prawns, a pinch or two of salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked. When serving, add the parsley to the risotto and spoon into a shallow bowl or plate. Place the garlic prawns over the risotto and enjoy. South China Morning Post It's always flattering to be interviewed by a member of the press. But it's also potentially embarrassing and always just a little terrifying. Because no matter how articulate you think you are, there's always a chance that you're going to come across as a total idiot when the article finally comes out. Fortunately, The South China Morning Post's Susan Jung did a good job of making me seem smarter than I actually am. Susan wrote a rather long feature which ran on Thursday, 8 June 2006, on Restaurant Magazine's survey of the world's best restaurants and the lack of Asian restaurants in it, something which I've also written about in the past. She interviewed me for this piece and also very kindly talked about (and promoted) my little attempt to rally readers together and vote on Asia-Pacific's best restaurants. Susan also interviewed John Krich from the Asian Wall Street Journal and Grant Thatcher, founder of the uber-cool Luxe guides, two guys I really respect, for this story. Please click here to read the full article. The best way to cook tuna Don't. Don't cook it. Because tuna, I believe, should be eaten raw. Cooked tuna, for the most part, to me at least, isn't appetizing. A grilled tuna steak, while popular in many places, turns me off. Cooking tuna usually turns this succulent, soft, and delicious fish into a hard, tough and tasteless thing. Searing tuna is a trendy attempt by chefs to reach a compromise between serving the fish raw, as it should be, and cooked, which is how far too many of their guests expect their fish to be served. I'm not one for seared tuna. For one, it's far too chi-chi. And more importantly, unless you're searing an incredibly fatty piece of toro, I don't really think the process adds any additional or necessary flavor to the fish. The best way to eat a great, fresh and fatty piece of tuna is raw, with some wasabi and soy sauce -- sashimi-style. Another good way, albeit also very trendy these days, is to have it in a tartare. The method of preparing tartares dates back to the Mongols, who brought the dish to Russia during the 13th century (when they invaded). Later, the German port of Hamburg received ships that visited Russia. The sailors brought back with them what they began to call "tartare steak". Even later, ships from Hamburg brought a cooked version to New York. This, as you can guess, is where hamburgers came from. A tartare is essentially a mixture of a finely chopped raw meat and a number of other ingredients. Sort of like really yummy baby food. Ever since my wife S and I got a copy of Nancy Oakes' cookbook Boulevard, I've wanted to make her Trio of Tuna Tartares. They sounded and looked delicious. The first one is a jalapeno and ginger tartare (pictured at bottom left in the photo). The second is what Ms Oakes calls a spicy red chili tartare (top left). The third is a shiitake and white soy tartare (the one on the right). While relatively easy to make, I discovered a small problem with Ms Oakes' recipes. Basically, the quantity of other ingredients she calls for is far too much for the amount of tuna she requires for each tartare. I found myself tweaking each recipe substantially, cutting back on some ingredients while substituting a few others. The end results, fortunately, were very good. We used a combination of toro (fatty tuna) and normal tuna. S enjoyed the shiitake and white soy tartare best. I liked them all. If asked to choose a favorite, I'd probably say the jalapeno and ginger tartare. I liked the combination of jalapeno peppers, ginger, sweet chili sauce, lime and avocado. We served the tartares with deep-fried wonton skins. These tartares are excellent as starters or canapés. The leftovers are also fantastic served over a bowl of piping hot rice. Trio of Tuna Tartares Jalapeno and ginger tartare 170g sashimi-grade tuna, diced finely 3 small jalapeno peppers, seeded, deribbed and diced 1/2 tablespoon grated young ginger 4 tablespoons grape seed oil 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce 1.5 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 ripe avocado juice of half a lime Combine the tuna, jalapeno, ginger, oil, chili sauce, soy and vinegar in a bowl. Mash the avocado in another small bowl and add the lime juice. Stir this into the tuna mixture. Spicy red chili tartare 170g sashimi-grade tuna, diced finely 2/3 cup Japanese mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Chinese garlic chili paste (we used a chicken rice chili sauce) 1 sac of mentaiko 1 teaspoon spicy cucumber oil (optional) Cut the mentaiko sac open and scrape all the roe into a bowl. Combine all the other ingredients in the bowl and mix well. Shiitake and soy tartare 170g sashimi grade tuna, diced finely 150g fresh shiitake mushroom, stems removed and diced 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon grape seed oil 4 teaspoons sesame oil 4 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions 1 tablespoon mixed black and white sesame seeds, toasted Put the grape seed oil in frying pan and heat. Mix the diced shiitake with the soy and sesame oil. Pour the shiitake, soy and sesame oil into the grape seed oil and cook for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and tender. Set aside and let cool. Stir this together with the tuna, scallions and sesame seeds. I found that prepping the tartares ahead of time and letting them sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two before serving really helps the flavors come together. Asia Pacific Best Restaurants List - My nominations Well, it's time for bloggers to nominate what they feel are the best and their personal favorite restaurants in Asia-Pacific. Non-bloggers still have until 12 June 2006 to email me (firstname.lastname@example.org) their own nominations. For more info on the Asia Pacific Best Restaurants List and how to take part, please click here. While I've been totally thrilled at the response so far, a good survey requires as many entries as possible. So, please take a few minutes to read about this survey and vote. It's time for my own nominations, which I am going to qualify by admitting, rather sheepishly, that I don't know some countries, like Japan and India, as well as I should. Which is why I don't have any restaurants from these countries on my list. 2 best in Singapore Iggy's. What more can be said about this amazing over-the-counter restaurant. Exquisite, tiny plates of gustatory heaven; perfect service; fine wines poured by the glass; and the nicest restaurateur husband and wife team in town. Hua Ting. This Cantonese restaurant in the Orchard Hotel serves fantastic Chinese food. While there are flashier Chinese restaurants in town, none are as consistently good as this always packed crowd-pleaser. Favorite in Singapore Hu Cui. I love this sleek Shanghainese restaurant owned by the Crystal Jade group. With its cool decor and gorgeous food, Hu Cui never disappoints me. This is where I retreat to when I need a pick-me-up, want to celebrate a special occasion or simply want a delicious meal. S and I especially like the small tables for 2, with leather armchairs in the back of the restaurant, near the bar. 3 best in Asia-Pacific (excluding Singapore) Tetsuya's. I can't not put Tetsuya Wakuda's eponymous, Sydney-based restaurant on this list. I really admire Tetsuya. He's not only a creative genius, he's a creative genius whose cookbook is remarkably accessible and easy to use. Dinner in his restaurant is a once in a lifetime experience that every foodie must have. Course after course of amazingly inventive and mouth-watering dishes are served in what must be one of the most serene restaurants in the world. La Petite Cuisine. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Justin Quek. Justin has really taken his cooking to the next level since moving from Singapore to Taipei. What really delights me is his dedication to sussing out the very best and freshest local Taiwanese produce. Using his very refined skills, he's able to transform these ingredients into gorgeously simple, light and elegant Modern French fare. Gaddi's. I was really blown away by Chef David Goodridge when I dined in this old and famous French restaurant in the Peninsula Hong Kong. Goodridge, formerly of Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons, Pierre Gagniare and Maison Troisgros, has given life to this grande old dame. His cooking is refined. It's clean. It's highly competent. And it's beautiful. The dishes he creates are works of art, to be admired and then consumed hungrily. I wish I could afford to eat here more often. 2 favorite in Asia-Pacific (excluding Singapore) Yu'u. I love this over-the-counter Japanese hole in the wall in Melbourne. I was so enchanted with it on my first trip that I went back just 2 days later. The food here is very reasonably priced. It's also cooked perfectly. I was so enamored with many of the dishes here that I tried replicating them as soon as I got home. Buon Ricordo. If anyone were to ask me what would be the last dish I would want to eat before I die, my answer would be the truffled egg pasta from this fabulous Italian restaurant in Sydney. I try to make a pilgrimage to Buon Ricordo as often as possible. Of course, the truffled egg pasta isn't the only thing divine here. Everything is fantastic. Well, those are my nominations. I'm totally excited to read those of my fellow bloggers. I'll be trying to compile a list of which bloggers did take part and post a round-up /list as soon as possible. And of course, I still need your vote. So, quick, stop whatever it is you're doing. Spend the next 10 minutes thinking about the best meals you've had in Asia-Pacific and then email me.

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Sustainable palm oil gets boost in China Beijing, China — Major China-based producers and users of palm oil have announced they intend to provide more support for sustainable palm oil, an important boost for efforts to halt tropical deforestation. The public statement, made at the 2nd International Oil and Fats Summit in Beijing on July 9, committed the companies to "support the promotion, procurement and use of sustainable palm oil in China," as well as "support the production of sustainable palm oil through any investments in producing countries." China is currently the world’s largest importer of palm oil, accounting for one third of all global trade. Increasing demand for palm oil, which is used in everything from soap to chocolate bars, is causing considerable damage to fragile rainforest environments, threatening endangered species like tigers, and contributing to global climate change. Palm oil producers and buyers making the statement included Wilmar International, IOI Corporation, KLK Berhad, Kulim Malaysia Berhad, Asia Agri., Premier Foods PLC and Unilever PLC. Oxfam International, TransAsia Lawyers, and Solidaridad China were signatories.

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both mum and baby is in great condition. weight about 2.85kg, midwife said the cute baby face look like her father – but her skin is fair unlike her father. a son, a daughter, father and mother… i am the happiest man in the world today oh.. and i’m now officially two under two.. next, looking for a good name for my lovely daughter…. picture will follow soon.. stay tune update (1) : i’ve added some pics.. more can be view from gallery HERE update (2) : we’ve decided to give name : Alyaa Zulfah , in Malay: ketinggian darjat, kedudukan, kehampiran Alyaa is an arabic word, in english it carry the following meaning : ‘sublime’ according to google, define:sublime give the following definition (i pick the related only) Definitions of sublime on the Web: Zulfah is an arabic word, in English it means : Nearness, closeness. In the book which i referred, it translated as honor, position and closeness

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(79) Blake Youngholds off (1) Josh Hayes's drafting charge at the finish in photo too close to call it had to be decided electronicaly at .002 secs. AMA 2012 Daytona Pro Roadraces - Photo Finishes, Girls Kicking Ass! Daytona International Speedway, Motorcycle Speed Week, March 14-19th - Reigning AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, Yamaha, had it all his own way in Friday's 1st of two 15-lap Superbike race to take uncontested race victory from start to finish. But for Saturday 2nd of two races it was Blake Young, Yoshimura Suzuki, who overcame bike setup problems from the day before to battle Hayes all race long as they swapped the lead repeatedly, with Hayes' bad drive out of the final chicane costing Hayes the lost opportunity to draft past Young at the finish line by just .002 seconds in one of the closest Daytona finishes ever. In the Daytona 200 miler it was 19 year-old Joey Pascarella, March of Dimes Yamaha YZF-R6, took home the win at the 71st DAYTONA® 200 Saturday. While in Daytona SuperSport 17-year old girl Elena Myers recorded her 2nd pro roadracing class win over a strong field of guys. Blake Young (79) and Josh Herrin (2) and Josh Hayes (1) trade the lead in the infield. Superbike Race One Friday - Hayes Takes his First Daytona Win DAYTONA BEACH, FL, March 16, 2012 - Reigning AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes accomplished what he could not one year ago in Friday's season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Hayes once again led from the green flag, but unlike last year the veteran was able to hold off rival Blake Young in National Guard SuperBike Race 1 to take his first SuperBike win at the historic venue. Making his way into the lead just as the pack hit the line to complete the first lap, Hayes put his head down, took full advantage of his No. 1 Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1's newfound legs, and clicked off a series of blazing laps to break the pursuit of his challengers. Meanwhile, last season's double Daytona winner, Blake Young, found himself in a brawl for second with Hayes' first-year National Guard SuperBike teammate, Josh Herrin, and National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden, and was helpless to do anything about Hayes' rapid escape during the race's early stages. The contest became further stretched out when Herrin lost the front and crashed from third place on lap 6 of 15. The 21-year old, who led all but the final meters of the opening lap of his Superbike debut before being double drafted by Hayes and Young, remounted and briefly re-entered the fray before eventually retiring. Hayden lost ground as well, running wide in Turn 1 and losing touch with Yoshimura Racing Suzuki ace Young in the race for the runner-up position. Hayes continued on in flawless fashion at the front to score his 18th career AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike victory, boasting an 8.332-second margin of victory over Young. Prior to the contest, Hayes claimed that he and his team had put forth a great deal of effort in the offseason to ensure they came out stronger this season than in 2011. The 36-year-old Mississippian's performance backed up those statements while serving notice to the rest of the field. "It was a pretty good day, I'd say," Hayes said. "It's a tough field. Blake rode really well last year. Tommy (Hayden) was all over me. Rog was taking all the necessary steps to be a big pain at the end of the year and Herrin has been fast in testing. So I just went home and worked really, really hard to try to take another step in my game and the team has been working really hard on the machine. This is the payoff. Daytona is one of the tracks last year where we were fast but couldn't get it done. This year we were able to take it another step and I hope we'll be able to do that at every racetrack this year." "I'm pretty disappointed with my performance today," Young said. "I feel like my team worked really, really hard. I feel like all weekend long I've been just a little bit behind on the curve. I haven't really got out and run faster than Josh all weekend and that obviously makes for a difficult weekend. Like I said, I'm not happy with today's race. Whether I have to get out of bed on the other side tomorrow or put my left sock on before my right like I did today... Whatever I need to do, I need to not let this happen again." Hayden completed his lonely ride to the final podium position, taking the checkered flag some 16 seconds behind the race winner. "It's a good way to start the season, finishing on the podium," Hayden said. "But at the same time, it's not very satisfying with the gap to Blake and the gap to Josh being a little bigger than we wanted. But we'll regroup tonight and try to change the bike and try to put a better show on tomorrow." Jordan Suzuki's Ben Bostrom was another high-profile crasher, falling from fourth moments after taking the position away from Motorcycle-Superstore.com/Big Kahuna/LeoVince Attack Kawasaki's Steve Rapp near half-distance. However, despite Bostrom's mistake, Rapp was ultimately unable to lock down the position, losing out at the stripe to Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing BMW's Larry Pegram by a scant 0.001 seconds -- a dramatic moment in an otherwise largely processional race. Team Amsoil/Hero EBR's Geoff May earned sixth, with Evan Steel Performance BMW's Jake Holden, Team Venezuela's Robertino Pietri, Yoshimura Racing Suzuki's Chris Clark, and Kneedraggers.com/Motul/Fly Racing's David Anthony rounding out the top ten. A happy Blake Young on the podium. Superbike Race Two Saturday - Young Holds Off Hayes by .002 at the Line DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 17, 2012) Friday's AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike race winner, Josh Hayes, wasn't able to savor his season-opening victory for long as his primary rival, Yoshimura Racing Suzuki's Blake Young, took his revenge on Saturday in a thrilling showdown of the series' title favorites. Hayes bolted into the lead from the start aboard his Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 but was unable to replicate yesterday's escape as Young made a concerted effort to track him down and cling onto the lead draft. Their battle pushed them far out in front of a trailing pack that quickly broke into a number of smaller melees, with National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden and Hayes' Yamaha teammate, Josh Herrin, vigorously swapping positions in their clash for third. Blake Young (79) and Josh Herrin (2) and Josh Hayes (1) lead the Superbikes start through Turn One. While Young was able to keep pace with Hayes up front, the Mississippian appeared to be very much in control of the race. Utilizing a superior line out of the chicane, Hayes demonstrated the ability to hold an advantage all the way to the stripe while in front or draft past from second while the Suzuki man struggled to do either with any sort of consistency. However, Hayes suffered a moment on the banking while leading late in the race and decided his safest bet would be to follow on the final lap and set up a strike at the flag. That plan unraveled when Hayes mistimed his slingshot attempt, coming up just 0.002 seconds short of Young at the line. Young, who rebounded admirably following Friday's (relatively) disappointing effort, said, "Today's race was a lot better than yesterday's race, for sure. I knew Josh was going to be good on the banking and out of the chicane. I just didn't know how good. I knew I had to make it happen on the first five laps and be right on him to see what he was doing exactly out of the chicane that made me him so good onto the banking. I definitely learned and adapted pretty quickly before he could get away. Blake Young celebrates his vistory. "He's got more power this year than last year for sure, but my guys worked hard for me. We sat back and looked at the data, but I knew it was nothing we were going to see on the data -- it was me yesterday. I just didn't have a very good race and wanted to work hard to show my crew they shouldn't give up on me yet." Hayes was happy to leave Daytona with a win, a runner-up, pole, and two lap leader points in his pocket, but couldn't help but feel like he let one get away on this day. After the race, the defending champ said, "We were both playing the game out there. We both tried each other through the banking and we seemed pretty even on one another. I felt like I was pretty good out of the chicane and I had gotten away with that a whole bunch of times, but in the later part of the race I struggled with some grip and lost the front in NASCAR 4. I ended up going through there about three-quarter throttle and that was the first lap he actually did come by me on the banking. So I started having a few doubts about making a run from the front because if I had an issue like that at the end I'd be a sitting duck. Once I made the run on him and knew I could draft by him just the same I kind of let him lead the last lap and just sat back there. "Going into the back straightaway I was a little further back than I wanted to be and panicked a little bit and ran off in the chicane pretty hard. I don't think it was the deciding factor, but once we got up on the banking I just mistimed it a little bit. It was 100% my fault -- I just mistimed it. I had a good weapon today. I had a bike that could win the race and this one is on my shoulders. He rode a great race and definitely upped his game from yesterday." Hayden ultimately came out on top of a seesawing duel with National Guard SuperBike rookie Herrin, who responded to his Friday crash with a fine effort to finish within sight of the podium in fourth. After garnering his second podium result in as many days, Hayden said, "Josh Herrin made me earn this one today. He was really riding good for his rookie race weekend. I was trying to break the draft in the infield; I felt I was a little bit stronger than him but he could always draft back by me and I couldn't draft him. We definitely need to find a little bit more speed but I am happy to come away with two third-place finishes. It's a good start to the season. We kind of know where we are weak at now so we can try to improve before Road Atlanta." For the second consecutive day, Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing BMW's Larry Pegram victimized Motorcycle-Superstore.com/Big Kahuna/LeoVince Attack Kawasaki's Steve Rapp at the flag. Pegram edged Rapp for fourth on Friday by 0.001 seconds and turned the same trick on Saturday, topping him for fifth by 0.080 seconds. New Yoshimura Racing Suzuki runner Chris Clark came home in seventh, with EvanSteelPerformance.com BMW's Jake Holden ultimately coming out on top of a mid-race multi-rider affair for eighth, followed by two-time Daytona SportBike king Danny Eslick on the Team Hero EBR 1190RS and Team Venezuela Suzuki's Robertino Pietri to complete the top ten. Pascarella comes in for one of his two pit stops. Ultimate Underdogs: Pascarella and P1A/March of Dimes Win the DAYTONA® 200 DAYTONA BEACH, FL, March 17th - In only his third AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike start, 19 year-old Joey Pascarella took home the win at the 71st DAYTONA® 200 Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Pascarella, aboard the Project 1 Atlanta/March of Dimes Yamaha YZF-R6, was able to hold the lead despite having three riders (Jason DiSalvo of Latus Motors Racing Triumph, Cameron Beaubier of Graves Yamaha, and Martin Cardenas of GEICO Suzuki) on his tail at the conclusion of the 57-lap race. Pascarella's margin of victory was 0.048 over DiSalvo, with Beaubier edging out Martin Cardenas by photo finish. Pascarella and Beaubier were the only two riders remaining in the lead pack after the second round of pit stops, but Cardenas and then DiSalvo managed to run down the fast teens from several seconds back to make a four-man battle in the final four laps. Pascarella, who led 41 laps, ran in first as the riders entered the chicane on the final lap. The fast four moved past a lapped rider and made the charge to the stripe for the 57th time, where Pascarella encountered another backmarker. "I knew I could do it and I had faith in myself," said Pascarella, who did not test the bike or ride before Wednesday's practice. "I ran my own race. I thought if I led on the last lap and someone passed me, so be it. I felt most comfortable in the lead. Everyone was there the whole race. It ended up working out. I got a draft on a lapper and I was able to bring it home with a win. I don't know what we're doing for the rest of the season, but hopefully the team and I can keep going." Runner-up DiSalvo charged hard after slowing before the first round of stops. "I thought I had an issue with the motorcycle and I backed off the pace considerably and we lost a good bit of time. We went through our pit stop and got back out there and everything looked okay and we kept going," said last year's DAYTONA® 200 winner. "Once I thoroughly chastised myself for making a silly move like that -- you ride it until it stops, you don't think you hear a noise and pull in -- I just rode as hard as I could every lap. Every lap of that race was ten tenths, as hard as I could go. It ended up working out right that we were right there in the end. Through all the laps, and all the sliding around and slicing through lapped riders, it was just in the back of my mind that I was riding for Gary (Nixon) and riding for his memory, and for my crew and all the hard work they put in." "The race was awesome," said third-place finisher Beaubier. "I really didn't get a good draft to the line, but I am happy with third." Behind the lead pack, another set of riders participated in an equally ferocious battle. M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki rider Dane Westby led that pack filled with veterans and young riders, breaking away at the line to close out the top five. Ducshop Racing's Zemke followed, with Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha's Tommy Hayden, RoadRace Factory/Red Bull's Jake Gagne, SGA Racing's Tommy Aquino in tow. Cory West and the Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki Team rounded out the top 10. Myers scores the win, the bucks and the cute trophy girls. AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport 600cc - Rispoli and 17-year old Elena Myers! Friday Race One: Last year's AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport title winner James Rispoli resumed where he left off by winning a multi-rider pack battle in the season opener, edging Jake Lewis by just 0.031s at the conclusion of the 10-lap race. Rispoli and his Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 were a factor throughout and led the entire last lap despite harassment from Lewis. The pair battled on the banking one last time during the sprint to the stripe. Lewis, mounted on a Riders Discount/Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600, was relentless but ran out of time to make his pass. Kneedragger.com/Galfer Racing's Stefano Mesa took third place, 0.592s back. Friday SuperSport winner (1) Rispol is ahead of Myers who finished 4th on Day One. On Saturday they'ld trade places. Saturday Race Two: SuzukiScoopFans Sportbike TrackGear.com M4 Suzuki's Elena Myers claimed her second-career AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport victory on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Myers won out following a race-long four-rider scrap for the checkered flag, beating National Guard Suzuki's Corey Alexander and RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha's Hayden Gillim to the flag by 0.239 and 0.248 seconds, respectively. Yesterday's winner, James Rispoli on the Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R600, was a factor throughout as well but slowed slightly on the final lap to finish fourth. Girl Myers holds off guy Corey Alexander. AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series season opener set the bar high for the rest of the year's racing, featuring a four-rider drafting battle to the checkered flag. Kyle Wyman used the double draft aboard his Kyle Wyman Racing/Vesrah Harley-Davidson to blast past Bartel's Harley-Davidson teammates Tyler O'Hara (second) and Michael Barnes (third) at the stripe to win his second consecutive Vance & Hines XR1200 Series race at Daytona International Speedway by 0.116 seconds. On track action with the new 1199S at the Yas Marina Circuit is like a virtual reality gamer experience. World Press Launch Track Ride Ducati 1199S Panigale Superbike Excerpted from the upcoming new book The Ducati Corse World Superbikes by Alan Cathcart and Jim Gianatsis Bottom line first. After spending a complete day riding Ducati’s radical new 1199 Panigale around the sun-drenched 5.50km Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit in Abu Dhabi – the venue for the world press launch, and a sort of modern Arabian version of the Monaco GP track, lined by six-star hotels and glitzy high-rises, as well as guard rails and concrete walls protected for us by airfence – it’s hard not to conclude the Italian manufacturer hasn’t only reinvented the twin-cylinder motorcycle by endowing it with technology worthy of a MotoGP bike, it’s also gone and shot everything else in the sportbike marketplace clean out of the water. This is the new benchmark for the Superbike category. Forza Italia! Continued.... For More Go to: Ducati 1199 Panigale Introduction & Specifications Order Advance Calendar Bike Show Tickets Now! There's more! Go to Pit Lane News Previous Week Also Visit: Fast Dates Calendar News • Iron & Lace Calendar News Calendar Girl News • Meet the Models • Paddock Garage MEMBERS CORNER! Calendar Kittens, Paddock Garage, Iron & Lace Garage Some of our Calendar Kittens can also at Playboy's website... FREE! New Met-Art Model Galley Updated Daily - Stop Back Each Day Hot Bikes, Sexy Kittens Your Exclusive Grid Pass Order the New with FastDates.com Calendar Kitten, Ducati Corse Grid Girl and Playboy Playmate Heather Rae Young! Click for even more Calendars! Audi to buy Ducati? By Georg Kacher 12 March 2012 - Audi has struck an exclusive deal giving it first rights to buy Italian superbike manufacturer Ducati, CAR can reveal. The exclusivity deal gives Audi until mid April when the deal will likely be finalised, according to high-ranking sources contacted by CAR. Ducati's liabilities are around €200 million [earlier report said €800 million, this has been corrected], and our sources suggest the total purchase price is about €250m-€300m. This is a bold move by Audi, which sees the long-term advantage in moving into two wheels as well as four. Why is Audi buying Ducati? It's all part of Project Eagle, another brainchild of Volkswagen group scion Ferdinand Piech. He has been eyeing up the opportunity of buying a prestigious motorcycle brand for some time, and considered reviving Horex, a German motorbike firm which made single- and twin-cylinder bikes from 1936 to 1956. But Horex doesn't have enough brand recognition, so when Bologna-based Ducati came up for sale the VW Group paid close attention. Especially since Mercedes-Benz recently entered into a cross-promotional deal with Ducati. Ducati, which makes around 40,000 motorcycles a year, is on the market since its debt burden is reportedly higher than its revenues. Who else might buy Ducati? India's Mahindra and Hero, Daimler and Volkswagen are said to be among the leading suitors, but CAR can reveal that Audi has struck an exclusivity deal giving it first dibs on Ducati. A small team of advisors has been formed in Ingolstadt under the Project Eagle name and they're currently doing due diligence on the Ducati deal. According to our insiders, there is no way Audi will pay telephone numbers for Ducati. Instead, the Germans will probably put no more than €50m to €100m on the table - but absorb the new partner's substantial liabilities. Ducati chairman Andrea Bonomi has in the past pointed out that he views 'Ducati as the two-wheel equivalent of Audi', a perception Ferdinand Piech would likely agree with. In 2008, Piech said it was a mistake not to have bought Ducati when the company was on the brink of brankruptcy before. Four years later, Volkswagen is now closer then ever to making the chairman's vision complete. But first of all, the Audi delegation must take a deep dive into the Ducati R&D department and check out the Borgo Panigale production facility. After all, it takes more than a strong name to make Project Eagle fly. The Official SBK These SBK Yearbooks are the Best Books Ever about World Superbike They feature wesome color photography of the riders, bike and racing action. The feature a deailed revue of the past season in pictures and stactics, awith a detailed look at the bikes and riders. Plus a technical look data all the bikes, a preview of the upcoming season's Championship! We buy this every year ourselves and highly recommend it! SBK 2011 Video Game Meet 2012 Calendar Kitten Ducati 1199 Panigale No Frame vs MotoGP Bike Frame Updates The latest scuttlebutt regarding why Ducati's MotoGP bike did not work well in it's frameless configuration last season for Valentino Rossi (and hence the switch back to an all-new aluminum frame Ducati GP12 bike this season for Rossi and Hayden - while all the world press is praising the new frameless 1199 Panigale at the recent track test in Abu Dhabi - the problem seems to be the Bridgestone Control tires being used in MotoGP which just have too stiff a sidewall and don't feed back enough compliance to the bike and its suspension. The production frameless 1199 Superbike, on the other hand, works just fine with Pirelli tires in Production, Superstock and World Superbike spec tire construction. As a hard core Ducati enthusiast whop owns and rides all the Ducati Superbike models, I was waiting for the new generations bike's usual 2nd year release of an R model with special bits like Titanium Rods in the engine and an adjustable steering head as Ducati normally homologates for World Superbike. But word right now is the new more powerful and better handling 1199 Panigale is so completive in stock form it just doesn't need an R version to be more competitive, especially with the current engine intake restrictors and weight ballast added to the current 1198 model being raced by Checa and the boys. However, there is said to be coming a "Superstock Kit" with no details on what it might contain. We hope it does contain an adjustable steering head for a quicker 23.5° steering angle. Plus for the World Superbike class the bike will want 2-3 points higher compression than the stock 12.5:1 pistons because they can run higher octane race gas. - Jim Gianatsis Valentino Rossi undergoes successful operation to remove rod from right leg Feb 6th, 2012 - Valentino Rossi underwent a small operation this morning at Cattolica’s Cervesi hospital to remove the rod that was inserted in his right tibia following his practice crash at the 2010 Mugello GP. The injury is now completely healed. The operation went well, and the Ducati Team rider will be ready for the second test in Malaysia, scheduled for February 28 to March 1. Nicky Hayden back home following successful surgery On Monday, February 5, Nicky Hayden underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on the right shoulder that he had injured in late December. During the procedure, which was carried out in Fremont, California, and which lasted approximately 40 minutes, Dr Arthur Ting discovered and repaired a tear in the labrum. Yesterday’s post-operation appointment confirmed that the surgery was successful, and the Ducati Team rider returned home to begin his recovery. If the convalescence proceeds as hoped, Hayden should be able to take part in the next winter test at Sepang, February 28-March 1. “It’s a setback, but all things considered, I’m pretty happy with how things went,” Hayden said. “It’s good that it was possible to do everything by ’scope, and the pain’s not too bad. The problem should be fixed now, and I look forward to being able to help out the team as soon as possible.” The Devil Made Us Do It! Testing the Ducati Diavel in Italy Sudco High Performance & OEM Replacement Parts High Speed - the Movie The best motorcycle racing movie ever made! Filmed on location at the World Superbike races , this an exciting romantic drama staring beautiful British actress Sienna Miller. Order the Official LA Calendar Bike Show New Dunlop Digital Magazine previews 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing The March 2012 issue of Dunlop Download magazine is now available and it's a special issue previewing the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing season. This fully interactive digital publication features all sorts of insider stories about the riders, the bikes, the tracks and insights into how Dunlop--the official tire of AMA Pro Road Racing--supports the entire paddock, plus a photo gallery and much, much more. Click on the link below to download this March issue: Dunlop Download March 2012 Special AMA Pro Road Racing Issue This issue, as well as back issues of Dunlop Download magazine can be found at dunlopmotorcycle.com. Once you have received this issue PDF or have downloaded it from the Dunlop site, we encourage you to post it to your Web site and pass it along to other powersports enthusiasts. Thanks for your support of Dunlop, and we hope you enjoy this issue. For more Dunlop tire information go to dunlopmotorcycle.com Edelweiss High Alpine Motorcycle Tour NARROW TWISTIES AND HAIRPIN TURNS ARE SOME FEATURES OF THIS HIGH ALPINE MOTORCYCLE TOUR. If you’re looking for a one week get-away to the most demanding roads in the Alps, this motorcycle tour is made for you! Experience the excitement of serpentine roads, mammoth mountains, and Alpine, Disney-like villages on the roads between Munich, Germany and the Grossglockner Pass in Austria! A session of Alps Riding Training will acquaint you with traffic rules and how best to negotiate those hairpin turns. On our first day of our motorcycle tour we ride from Munich to the Grossglockner Pass where we contend with our first switchbacks. Jagged rock formations that soar to the sky are framed by twisting, well-maintained roads, that you can see for miles while climbing the next pass. Our second day brings you to a riding loop through the Dolomites, a region in the Italian Alps noted for its spectacular scenery. Day three delivers the road you’ve come to Europe to ride: Stilfser Joch/Passo di Stelvio. Often referred to by European motorcyclists as “the Mother Road,” this pass has 39 switchbacks on one side and 48 on the other! Set your own pace with your new found friends on this tour. Sweeping through three countries; Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria, the next day’s ride will thrill you with its spectacular views and a fabulous Edelweiss picnic, served in a beautiful area surrounded by the soaring peaks of the Alps. On your last riding day, you visit Neuschwanstein, the fairy tale castle of King Ludwig. This week goes by quickly, but the memories will stay with you for a lifetime!

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- About this Journal - Abstracting and Indexing - Aims and Scope - Article Processing Charges - Articles in Press - Author Guidelines - Bibliographic Information - Citations to this Journal - Contact Information - Editorial Board - Editorial Workflow - Free eTOC Alerts - Publication Ethics - Submit a Manuscript - Table of Contents Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 782626, 7 pages Predictors' Factors of Nutritional Status of Male Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients 1Dietetic Programme, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Abadan Faculty of Medical Health Sciences, Ahwaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz 6135715794, Iran 2Dietetic Programme, Center for Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 3Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Medical School, Ahwaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz 6135715794, Iran 4Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ahwaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz 6135715794, Iran 5Biomedical Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 6Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, 56000 Cheras, Malaysia Received 29 August 2012; Accepted 8 October 2012 Academic Editors: K. Clark, A. Green, and K. Murphy Copyright © 2012 Elham Pirabbasi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a systemic disease that leads to weight loss and muscle dysfunction resulting in an increase in mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of malnutrition and nutritional status and also factors associated with nutritional status. A total of 149 subjects were involved in the cross-sectional study. The study was conducted at two medical centers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The results of the study showed that malnutrition was more prevalent (52.4%) in the subjects with severe stages of COPD as compared to mild and moderate COPD stages (26.2%) (). Fat-free mass depletion as assessed using fat-free mass index (FFMI) affected 41.9% of the subjects. Plasma vitamin A, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and handgrip were the predictors for body mass index (BMI) (, ). Plasma vitamin A and force expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were the predictors of FFMI (, ). BMI was the predictor of respiratory factors, that is, FEV1% predicted (, ). It can be concluded that there is a need to identify malnourished COPD patients for an appropriate nutrition intervention. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a treatable and preventable disease. It is characterized by an airflow limitation which is not fully reversible . COPD affects the lungs and produces significant systemic consequences such as weight loss and muscle dysfunction . Weight loss and depletion of fat-free mass (FFM) may be observed in stable COPD patients, irrespective of the degree of airflow limitation. Weight loss and underweight are associated with an increased mortality risk. Weight loss and particularly muscle wasting contributes significantly to morbidity, disability, and handicap in COPD patients . Skeletal muscle wasting is commonly present in patients with COPD and may also be present in patients with a stable weight . Weight loss and loss of fat mass are primarily the result of a negative balance between dietary intake and energy expenditure, while muscle wasting is a consequence of an impaired balance between protein synthesis and protein breakdown. In advanced stages of COPD both energy balance and protein balance are disturbed. Therefore, nutritional therapy may only be effective if combined with exercise or other anabolic stimuli. Nutritional intervention should focus more on prevention and early treatment of weight loss to preserve energy balance . Weight loss and being underweight are associated with decreased diffusing capacity and are observed more frequently in emphysematous patients than those with chronic bronchitis [3, 4]. A higher myofibrillar protein breakdown has been seen in cachexic COPD patients compared to noncachexic patients and healthy controls . Furthermore, elevated activity induced and daily energy expenditure have been observed in ambulatory COPD patients . As a consequence of this elevated energy metabolism, COPD patients who suffer from weight loss, and even some whose weight is stable, may lose weight despite an apparently normal energy intake. In addition, the symptoms of the disease and an enhanced systemic inflammatory response may affect appetite and dietary intake. Increased muscle protein breakdown is a key feature in muscle wasting. This process of cachexia can be considered the result of interplay of systemic factors, including systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and growth factors that may synergize with local factors leading to protein imbalance . The prevalence of malnutrition among patients with COPD ranges from 20 to 50%, depending on disease severity . Recent study showed that prevalence of malnutrition among COPD patients in Malaysia was 12.7% . Therefore, frequent nutritional assessment is needed to prevent of malnutrition among COPD patients particularly in those with severe COPD stages. 2.1. Study Design and Subjects A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the nutritional status of male COPD patients. Factors associated with poor nutritional status were also determined. The study was carried out at outpatients’ department (OPD) from the Medical Center of National University of Malaysia and Institute of Respiratory Medicine. The study started from July 2009 until January 2010. Inclusion criteria for the study were male diagnosed with COPD regardless to age, smoking status, and COPD stages. The exclusion criteria were inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, and bronchitis. The study was approved by the National University of Malaysia Research Ethics Committee (UKM 126.96.36.199/244/SPP/NN-056-2009) and also was registered in an open access database trial on 20 January 2012 (ISRCTN18062761). Written consent has been obtained from each subject. A total of 149 subjects who were referred to Medical Center of National University of Malaysia and Institute of Respiratory Medicine were participated in this study. All patients diagnosed with COPD by the physician and who met the inclusion criteria were interviewed to participate. Out of 149 subjects, 52 subjects refused for blood drawing and 44 subjects refused to measure body composition which required fasting at least 8 hours prior to the procedure. Thus, 105 subjects completed body composition measurement and 149 subjects completed nutritional and respiratory functional assessment. 2.2. Sample Size Calculation and Sampling Method The formula for sample size calculation was used from below formula : In this formula, the power of study was estimated by 90% and significant level of 0.05 (), is constant = 1.645 and , = was the prevalence of malnutrition among COPD patients in Malaysia, which is 12.7% (= 0.127) . Consider The convenience (nonprobability) sampling method was used. The subjects were the selected because they were the easiest to recruit for the study and research did not consider selecting subjects that are represented of the entire population. Nutritional status was assessed according to anthropometry indicators including, weight, height, mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skin fold thickness (TSFT) waist circumference (WC) [11, 12], calf circumference (CC) , hip circumference (HC) and body composition including, fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), and handgrip strength. Dietary intakes (one day recall and two days record) were also obtained. Subjects were asked to record all foods and drinks consumed for one weekday and one weekend using household measures. The food record was collected during next followup. The dietary intake was analysed using Nutritionist-Pro software. Body composition was measured using Maltron body fat analyzer (Maltron, B-F 900, England) for which the subject should be fast at least 2-3 hours and urinate 30 minutes prior to the procedure. The handgrip strength also measured using handgrip strength (GRIP-D, T.K.K 5401, Japan). Lung function was assessed using Spirometry equipment, that is, Spirobank G (AAA MIR, A23-04104545, Italy). A total of 10 mL fasting venous blood was drawn for measurement of antioxidant status such as vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity. In order to measure blood plasma vitamin A and E, Heparinized tube (BD Vacutainer lithium heparin 87 USP units, Ref 367886, USA) was used. Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, purity 99%), Vitamin E (±α-tocopherol, purity 95%), and vitamin A (β-carotene, purity 97%) used were obtained from Sigma Chemical Company (St. Louis, Mo, USA). The methanol, acetonitrile, and tetrahydrofuran used were obtained from Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany). All solvents were of HPLC grade. Vitamin A (retinol) and E (α-tocopherol) in serum/plasma were measured by isocratic high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with detection at three different wavelengths. The Bio-Rad vitamin A/E serum was used as a calibrator for the Bio-Rad vitamin A/E by HPLC test (Ref 195–5869, GmbH, Germany), for calculating the concentrations of vitamins A or E in patient specimen. The reference range was revised values for the interpretation of serum or plasma retinol and α-tocopherol based on the trials done on 65 apparently healthy Malaysians with a mean age of 52.8 years (range 24 to 76 years) . In order to measure blood plasma vitamin C, Heparinized tube (BD Vacutainer lithium heparin 87 USP units, Ref 367886, USA) was used. About 1.5 mL venous blood was required to obtain 0.5 mL plasma to measure vitamin C. The plasma was obtained after centrifuging to remove the clot and blood cells. The plasma was mixed with the oxalic acid preservative and wrapped with the aluminum foil to keep at −70°C until run. Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, purity: 99%) was obtained from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, Mo, USA). Methanol, acetonitrile, and tetrahydrofuran were obtained from Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany). All solvents were HPLC grade. All the reagents were used without further purification. Deionized water, purified by Milli Q system (Millipore, Milford, MA, USA) was used throughout the procedure . Total antioxidant capacity was measured by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay . In order to measure plasma glutathione, EDTA tube (BD Vacutainer K2 EDTA10.8 mg, Ref 367863, USA) was used. About 1 mL fasting venous blood was extracted to obtain 0.5 mL plasma for measuring plasma glutathione. The sample was stored at −20°C up to −70°C until analyzed. The Calbiochem GSH Assay Kit II (Cat. No. 354103) was used to determine the concentration of GSH in human plasma. 3. Statistical Analysis Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was performed prior to statistical analysis in order to examine the normality of the variables. In order to find the relationship between parametric and nonparametric variables, Pearson Correlation and Spearman Coefficient Correlation were applied, respectively. Independent sample -test and Mann-Whitney U test for parametric and nonparametric variables to compare mean of two groups were applied. In addition, to compare means of more than two groups with one normally continuous variable, one-way ANOVA test and for nonparametric variable Kruskal-Wallis test were performed. In order to find out the association between 2 grouping variable ( table), chi-squared test was performed. The predictors for nutritional status and respiratory function were determined using multiple linear regression to find the best model. The entire statistical tests the value was significant at the level of 0.05. Nutritional status of the subjects based on BMI showed that about 45% of the subjects had normal body weight, followed by overweight/obese (37.6%) and underweight (17.4%). About 47.6% of the subjects aged 60 years and above were normal weight or over/obese (38.1%) but 25% of younger age group were underweight (Table 1). Mean of BMI of the subjects was kg/m2. According to the equation by VanItallie et al. , 41.9% of respondents had depletion of fat-free mass index (Table 1). Assessment of body fat percentile of the subjects based on TSFT showed that 94.6% had average or above average body fat. A total of 24.2% of the subjects had peripheral muscle wasting as assessed using MUAC. Handgrip strength results showed that 77.9% of patients had protein malnutrition. Prevalence of abdominal obesity (defined as waist circumference > 90 cm for Asian men) was 43.6% (Table 1). About 23.8% of the subjects had cachexia and 18.1% had muscle atrophy (Table 2). Malnutrition was more prevalent (52.4%) in the subjects with stages III and IV as compared to COPD stages I and II (26.2%) () (Table 3). Assessment of food intake showed that calorie intake of the subjects in both younger and older age groups were below the Malaysian RNI , as shown in Table 4. Similar trend was noted for protein, vitamin E, and vitamin C intake. More than 65% of the subjects had an inadequate intake of energy, protein, vitamin C and E. Vitamin C intake was more deficient in older age group (95.2%) as compared to younger age group (90.9%) () (Table 4). 4.1. Predictors of Nutritional Status In order to find out the predictors for nutritional status, that is, BMI and FFMI, a univariate analysis was performed to find out the significant association (Table was not shown). Variables found to be significant in the univariate analysis were entered into multiple linear regression analysis to determine the best predictors. The highest adjusted square was the best model predictors. Using univariate analysis, it was found that income, handgrip strength, vitamin E intake, FEV1% predicted, FEV1, PEF, and PEF% predicted were associated with BMI. Handgrip strength, FEV1% predicted, FEV1, PEF and PEF% predicted were associated with FFMI. Multiple regression analysis indicated that respiratory function as assessed using PEF, plasma vitamin A, and handgrip strength were significant predictors of BMI (, ) as shown in Table 5. The predictors for FFMI were FEV1 and plasma vitamin A (, ) (Table 5). The study evaluated the nutritional status among COPD patients. Nutritional status of the subjects based on fat-free mass index (FFMI) showed that about 42% of the subjects had depletion of fat-free mass and muscle wasting. Depletion of fat-free mass has been reported in 20% of COPD outpatients and 35% of those eligible for pulmonary rehabilitation . Another recent study among COPD patients reported that the prevalence of fat-free mass depletion was about 30% . In this study according to FFMI and BMI category of COPD subjects, 23.8% had cachexia and 18.1% had muscle atrophy. Malnutrition was associated with severe COPD which observed in 52.4% of patients with stages III and IV. Several studies also have been showed that malnutrition affected 50% of COPD patients with advance stage of disease [22, 23]. In this study, in addition to BMI, other anthropometry parameters, that is, mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), calf circumference (CC), and triceps skin fold thickness (TSFT) were associated with severe stage of COPD which indicated malnutrition in those patients. Similar result was found in a study conducted by Yang et al. which reported that MUAC, TSFT, and MAMC were significantly lower in malnourished COPD. Besides malnutrition, a substantial percentage of obesity among COPD subjects with an enhanced BMI was also found. In this study, the prevalence of overweight/obesity of 37.6% was higher than those reported among COPD patients in US (27%) and Sweden (19%) [25, 26]. It is important to recognize that muscle mass may be reduced despite a normal BMI . Increased in BMI does not protect against fat-free mass depletion in COPD, since there is a preferential loss of muscle tissue in this disease . Peripheral muscle weakness as assessed by handgrip strength in this study showed that 77.9% of the subjects had protein malnutrition. This study found that energy, protein, vitamin E, and vitamin C intake of the subjects was below Malaysian RNI , especially in the older age group. This finding was also similar to other studies among Malaysian elderly . A more recent study among the Malaysian elderly also described similar results of low energy intake as well as inadequate thiamin, riboflavin, and calcium intake . In the current study, results showed that the predictors for nutritional status, that is, BMI were PEF, plasma vitamin A, and handgrip strength. The predictors for FFMI were FEV1 and plasma vitamin A. Based on the authors’ knowledge no study showed the predictors of nutritional status among COPD patients, while other study by Landbo et al. in Denmark, showed that low BMI was predictive of a poor prognosis (i.e., higher mortality), with relative risks in underweight subjects as compared with normal weight subjects of 1.64 (95% CI: 1.20 to 2.23) in men and 1.42 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.89) in women. However, the association between BMI and survival differed significantly with different stages of COPD. Similar results were found for COPD-related deaths, with the strongest associations found in severe COPD (Relative risk for low versus high BMI: 7.11 (95% CI: 2.97 to 17.050) . Based on our findings, nutritional status is an important part of COPD treatment, and there are criteria recommended for nutritional assessment and interventions among patients with COPD. A study by Odencrants et al. investigated showed and how registered nurses (RNs) in primary care described nutritional assessment practices and interventions in COPD patients with impaired nutritional status. The RNs reported that their assessment of nutritional status was based largely on intuition. It seemed that RNs used intuition because of a lack of knowledge of systematic methods of nutritional assessment. The findings also indicated that the RNs attempted to build a relationship of trust with the patients rather than provide early information on sensitive topics (e.g., nutritional information) . Therefore, further study with a comprehensive nutritional assessment should be investigated with close collaboration of physicians, nurses, and dietitians to prevent nutritional impairment among COPD patients. From these pieces of evidence regarding nutritional status of COPD patients and its association between weight loss and severity of disease, it could be concluded that early detection of weight loss which is leading to malnutrition is important to prevent severity of disease. There is a need for frequent nutritional assessment or possibility of nutrition intervention to prevent severity of COPD stages. The patients should be referred to nutrition department for nutrition counseling. This programme needs to a professional healthcare team consisting of physicians, nurses, and dietitians. 7. Limitation of the Study The study was carried out to evaluate nutritional status among COPD patients only at two medical centers in Kuala Lumpur. According to a pretest study, data from patients’ files record showed that prevalence of COPD among females was very low. Therefore, only male subjects were enrolled in this study. In the future, a multicenter study is recommended among both male and female subjects to assess and compare further nutritional requirement. The authors would like to convey thanks to the staff of National University of Malaysia, Medical center of National University of Malaysia and Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Institute for Medical Research. Special thanks to participants for taking part in this research. - American Thoracic Society, “Standard for the diagnosis and management of patients with COPD,” New York, NY, USA, American Thoracic Society, 2004. - W. MacNee, “Treatment of stable COPD: antioxidants,” European Respiratory Review, vol. 14, no. 94, pp. 12–22, 2005. - M. P. K. J. Engelen, A. M. W. J. Schols, W. C. Baken, G. J. Wesseling, and E. F. M. Wouters, “Nutritional depletion in relation to respiratory and peripheral skeletal muscle function in out-patients with COPD,” European Respiratory Journal, vol. 7, no. 10, pp. 1793–1797, 1994. - M. P. K. J. Engelen, A. M. W. J. Schols, R. J. S. Lamers, and E. F. M. Wouters, “Different patterns of chronic tissue wasting among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Clinical Nutrition, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 275–280, 1999. - E. P. A. Rutten, F. M. E. Franssen, M. P. K. J. Engelen, E. F. M. Wouters, N. E. P. Deutz, and A. M. W. J. Schols, “Greater whole-body myofibrillar protein breakdown in cachectic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 83, no. 4, pp. 829–834, 2006. - E. M. Baarends, A. M. W. J. Schols, D. L. E. Pannemans, K. R. Westerterp, and E. F. M. Wouters, “Total free living energy expenditure in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, vol. 155, no. 2, pp. 549–554, 1997. - R. Debigaré, F. Maltais, and C. H. Côté, “Peripheral muscle wasting in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: clinical relevance and mechanisms,” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, vol. 164, no. 9, pp. 1712–1717, 2001. - S. A. R. Paiva, A. O. Campana, and I. Godoy, “Nutrition support for the patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Nutrition in Clinical Care, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 44–50, 2000. - B. H. Hazlin, Penilaian status pemakanan dan status fungsi di kalangan pesakit luar penyakit pulmonary obstruktif kronik (COPD) di hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia [M.S. thesis], Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 2007. - L. Kish, Survey Sampling, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, USA, 1965. - International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry, International Standard for Anthropometric Assessment (ISAK), National Library of Australia, 1st edition, 2001. - R. D. Lee and D. C. Nieman, Nutritional Assessment, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, USA, 4th edition, 2007. - T. G. Lohman, A. F. Roche, and R. Martorell, Eds., Anthropomeric Standardization Reference Manual, Human Kinetics Books, Champaign, Ill, USA, 1988. - National Health and Nutrition Examination Servey (NHANES III), Body measurements (Anthropometry). Westat, Inc. 1650 Research Boulevard Rockville, Md, USA, 20850 (301) 251–1500, 1988. - E. S. Tee and S. C. Khor, “Simultaneous determination of retinol, carotenoids and tocopherol in human serum by high pressure liquid chromatography,” Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, vol. 1, pp. 151–170, 1995. - B. Zhao, S. Y. Tham, J. Lu, M. H. Lai, L. K. H. Lee, and S. M. Moochhala, “Simultaneous determination of vitamins C, E and β-carotene in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection,” Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 200–204, 2004. - I. F. F. Benzie and J. J. Strain, “Ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay: direct measure of total antioxidant activity of biological fluids and modified version for simultaneous measurement of total antioxidant power and ascorbic acid concentration,” Methods in Enzymology, vol. 299, pp. 15–27, 1998. - T. B. VanItallie, M.-U. Yang, S. B. Heymsfield, R. C. Funk, and R. A. Boileau, “Height-normalized indices of the body's fat-free mass and fat mass: potentially useful indicators of nutritional status,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 953–959, 1990. - National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition (NCCFN), Ministry of Health Malaysia, Recommended Nutrient Intake for Malaysia: A report of the Technical Working Group on Nutritional Guidelines, 2005. - A. M. W. J. Schols, P. B. Soeters, A. M. C. Dingemans, R. Mostert, P. J. Frantzen, and E. F. M. Wouters, “Prevalence and characteristics of nutritional depletion in patients with stable COPD eligible for pulmonary rehabilitation,” American Review of Respiratory Disease, vol. 147, no. 5, pp. 1151–1156, 1993. - M. A. P. Vermeeren, E. C. Creutzberg, A. M. W. J. Schols et al., “Prevalence of nutritional depletion in a large out-patient population of patients with COPD,” Respiratory Medicine, vol. 100, no. 8, pp. 1349–1355, 2006. - I. M. Ferreira, D. Brooks, Y. Lacasse, and R. S. Goldstein, “Nutritional support for individuals with COPD: a meta-analysis,” Chest, vol. 117, no. 3, pp. 672–678, 2000. - J. J. Soler, L. Sánchez, P. Román, M. A. Martínez, and M. Perpiñá, “Prevalence of malnutrition in outpatients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Archivos de Bronconeumologia, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 250–258, 2004. - Y. M. Yang, T. Y. Sun, and X. M. Liu, “The role of serum leptin and tumor necrosis factor-α in malnutrition of male chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients,” Chinese Medical Journal, vol. 119, no. 8, pp. 628–633, 2006. - S. R. Braun, N. L. Keim, R. M. Dixon, et al., “The prevalence and determinants of nutritional changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Chest, vol. 86, no. 4, pp. 558–563, 1984. - R. Hallin, U. K. Koivisto-Hursti, E. Lindberg, and C. Janson, “Nutritional status, dietary energy intake and the risk of exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),” Respiratory Medicine, vol. 100, no. 3, pp. 561–567, 2006. - A. R. Suriah, M. J. Zainorni, S. Shafawi et al., “Nutrient intake among elderly in Southern Peninsular Malaysia,” Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, vol. 2, pp. 11–19, 1996. - S. Shahar, Z. Ibrahim, A. R. A. Fatah et al., “A multidimensional assessment of nutritional and health status of rural elderly Malays,” Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 346–353, 2007. - C. Landbo, E. Prescott, P. Lange, J. Vestbo, and T. P. Almdal, “Prognostic value of nutritional status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, vol. 160, no. 6, pp. 1856–1861, 1999. - S. Odencrants, M. Ehnfors, and S. J. Grobe, “Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): part II. RNs' experience of nursing care for patients with COPD and impaired nutritional status,” Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 56–63, 2007.

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A late charge from McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was enough to win him the Canadian Grand Prix Sunday, extending an extraordinary run of seven different drivers winning the first seven races of 2012. Hamilton leads the championship by two points from Fernando Alonso, who lost out heavily after his Ferrari team decided on a one-stop strategy. “It feels great to finally be here on the top step. It feels like one of the best races I’ve had for a very long time,” said Hamilton, who leads the standings with 88 points. Hamilton took risks and pushed as hard as he could on fresh tyres to take the lead from Alonso and reigning champion Sebastian Vettel, whose plans to stop only once seemed to be vindicated when Hamilton’s second stop was marred by a delay in changing tyres. “I assumed they were doing a one-stop so I decided to keep pushing,” Hamilton said. Alonso’s worn tyres degraded heavily in the final laps, leaving him a sitting duck for Lotus’ Romain Grosjean, who charged past for second, and Sauber’s Sergio Perez, who took an unlikely third place after starting 15th on the grid. “Suddenly I went past Fernando Alonso who was slowing, and I was second. It was a crazy race,” Grosjean said of his best-ever result in F1. Mexican driver Perez extracted a modicum of revenge on Alonso after losing out to him for the win at the second race of the season in Malaysia. Vettel’s Red Bull team abandoned their one-stop plans, and the German was able to recover enough time on the new rubber to take fourth place from Alonso at the death. Vettel is now third in the title race, three points behind Hamilton. Nico Rosberg was sixth for Mercedes after battling with other cars for most of the race, followed home by Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber in seventh and Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen in eighth. Kamui Kobayashi ensured he too, like his teammate Perez, beat a Ferrari by taking ninth place ahead of Felipe Massa. The under-pressure Brazilian had a good start and was running fifth before he spun on lap five, ending his hopes of a good finish. There were problems for two former champions as McLaren’s Jenson Button finished 16th after a torrid race in which he struggled for pace on the typically faster super-soft tyres and suffered the humiliation of being lapped by his teammate Hamilton. Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher was forced to retire at two-thirds distance after his speed-boosting DRS flap stuck open, making his car illegal and potentially dangerous. Force India’s Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th and 12th.

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John Waters Hitchhiked for a Book John Waters was spotted hitchhiking in Ohio by indie band Here We Go Magic. The reason? Apparently, the openly gay author is planning to write a book called Carsick about the eight days he spent hitchhiking across the country. [Vulture] World Premiere of a Gay Love Story: Starting on Thursday, May 31, We Never Made it to Paris will premiere at the Producers’ Club on West 44th Street in New York City. The new play follows the love affair between two men who may just be “soul mates.” It will be directed by Kelly Barrett and produced by Tony White. David Matthew Barnes wrote the award-winning script. Purchase a ticket for $18 by calling 646-430-8978. More information about the production can be found here. ‘Astonishing X-Men’ Plans a Same-Sex Wedding: The Astonishing X-Men issue 50 featured a boundary-breaking proposal when the openly gay Northstar asked boyfriend Kyle to marry him. Look out for a same-sex wedding to remember next month, along with a dose of controversy (One Million Moms, we’re looking at you). [USAToday] Irshad Manji’s Books Banned in Malaysia: Liberal Muslim and open lesbian author Irshad Manji penned a tome titled Allah, Liberty and Love, known as Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta in Malaysia. But Home Ministry has recently banned the book for presenting ideas “contrary to Islamic law.” Booksellers who continue to sell the books can be struck with a fine or two years in prison. [TheSunDaily] “Out” on the Shelves: 26 Graphic Novels for Pride Month 2012: If you’re looking for graphic novels fit for adult perusal, here are 26 of them featuring gay themes. [LibraryJournal]

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Malaysia Airlines Flight Operations to Taiwan and China from Kota Kinabalu Subang, 29 August 2011 : In view that the tropical storm in Taiwan is moving towards Kaohsiung (KHH) and Taipei (TPE), Malaysia Airlines has retimed its flight schedules to both Kaohsiung and Taipei departing from its eastern hub Kota Kinabalu (BKI). Please see the below *appendix for details of the flights that has been retimed. The storms' pattern indicates that it will likely move into Xiamen(XMN), Mainland China tomorrow. Malaysia Airlines is monitoring the situation very closely. Malaysia Airlines is unable to ascertain the status of its flights MH390 and MH391 to XMN and other flights in this region as of now. Where necessary, flight operations will be reviewed and customers will be notified personally. Customers can also be updated by closely referring to the flight status function on our website www.malaysiaairlines.com. Where possible, Malaysia Airlines will offer alternatives to customers to minimise disruptions to their travel plans. Before heading to the airport, customers can call the Malaysia Airlines Contact Centre at the toll-free number at 1-300-88-3000 for calls within Malaysia and 603-7843 3000 for calls outside Malaysia or contact the nearest Malaysia Airlines office. Customers wishing to defer their travel date can rebook on the same original ticketed class of travel from now until 5 September 2011. Penalties will be waived. For customers who wish to cancel their travel, a full refund is permitted at no charges for a fully unused ticket for this given period. For partially used tickets deferment of travel will be allowed at no additional charges. From Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Airlines currently operates twice weekly flights to Kaohsiung and daily flights to Taipei. Please see the table below for the flight change details:- |Flight Number||Destination From/To||Previous Schedules – Date,||Current Schedules- Date,| |Time of Departure, Time of Arrival||Time of Departure, Time of Arrival| |MH086||BKI/KHH||29 August||30 August| |STD*/STA* 3.20pm/6.15pm (local time - LT)||ETD/ETA 7.00am /9.55am (LT)| |MH087||KHH/BKI||30 August||30 August| |STD/STA 8.30am/11.30am||ETD/ETA 10.45am/1.45pm (LT)| |MH068||BKI/TPE||29 August||30 August| |STD/STA 5.45pm /9.05pm||ETD/ETA 0700/10.20am (LT)| |MH069||TPE/BKI||30 August||30 August| |STD/STA 8.00am/11.30am||ETD/ETA 11.10am/2.40pm (LT)| *STD: Scheduled time of departure *STA: Scheduled time of arrival *ETD: Estimated time of departure *ETA: Estimated time of arrival For media enquiries, please contact: Email : firstname.lastname@example.org Phone : (03) 7840 2520 Mobile : (010) 931 6108

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Rizio will present a slideshow with commentary on her travels. "I am very eager to share my impressions of the Turkish people with our community," Rizio said. "I learned so much on this trip - from scholarly knowledge about sultans, art and politics to personal attitudes about people, communities and customs. This tour changed my perception of Turkey. It taught me a lot about getting to know others, from the American teachers I traveled with to the women we met in the silk bazaar in Bursa." When Rizio returned to the US in mid-July, she was ready for the school year to begin. "I came home with such a passion to spread my newly garnered knowledge!" she said. Last year was the first year that Vermont teachers were included in this opportunity for which Rizio had to apply. The event, which is part of LTS's Community Classroom Series, is free and open to the public. For those who wish, Sherrie's is offering a Turkish dinner buffet For reservations or more information, contact Courtney Callo at email@example.com.

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Recently released taxpayer-funded credit card receipts, covering a seven month period between May 2006 and February 2007, also show his office charged the taxpayer for a £547 trip on the London Eye, a £90 bill for a medical clinic and a £649 bill from the upmarket jeweler Links of London. The payments on Government Procurement Cards were made in the months after Lord Prescott’s influence was dramatically cut back after he was exposed for having an affair and a poor performance that year’s local elections. Last night, Tory MPs called for Lord Prescott, who is standing for election to be a £70,000 a year elected police commissioner in Humberside, to give assurances that he would not be casual with public money if he got back into public office. Charlie Elphicke, a Conservative MP, said: “These figures show that his office was too casual with taxpayers’ money and now he is standing to be a police commissioner. “How do we know he will be effective with the police budget and more careful with public money in future. He needs to explain whether this spending at Links of London and the London Eye was for public or personal benefit.” Local Government Minister Grant Shapps added that it appeared Lord Prescott's office had gone on an “extended farewell tour of some of the globe's finest catering establishments paid for by you and me”. He said: “These revelations raise the very serious question of whether he's the right man to take charge of a multi million pound police budget given his cavalier attitude towards spending public money.” In all the records show that Lord Prescott went on 11 trips between May 2006 and February 2007, costing £60,000, to the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, New York and the Democratic Republic of Congo. During his visit to the USA and Canada, where his duties included making a speech at the International Economic Forum, his office spent £1,935 at the Providence Biltmore hotel in Rhode Island – which has its own twin level spa - and £1,244 at the Sheraton hotel in Montreal. His office also charged the tax payer hundreds of pounds for meals at the Queue de Cheval, a 'surf and turf' establishment in Montreal, and Fat Tuesdays, a New Orleans themed restaurant in Ottawa. In October Lord Prescott and his team traveled to the Far East, costing £11,422. His duties included meeting with the prime ministers of Japan and Korea, and the United Nations’ secretary general elect. Credit card bills claimed for nights at the 17-floor Hotel New Otani, set in a 10-acre 16th century garden in Tokyo, costing £3,729, the four star Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul (£2,207) and the China World Hotel, Beijing (£1,936), which has its own 12-piece classical orchestra. In Malaysia, party dined at the Seri Angkasa, a revolving restaurant at the top of the 421metre (1,347feet) tall 'KL Tower' giving a 360 degree view of Kuala Lumpur, and at the Tamarind Springs in Ampang. Weeks later in December, Lord Prescott flew by scheduled jet and RAF flight to the Congo and Portugal, at an overall cost of £6,287, for the inauguration of the Congolese President and meetings with the Portuguese prime minister, as well as a speech on energy and climate change. The credit card bills also show how his office paid for a £475 meal at the Jolly Woodman, Slough in May 2006, and other bills at the Frogg Manor Hotel, Broxton (£301) and the Mill Hotel in Chester (£305) in August. His office also charged the taxpayer for a £547 trip on the London Eye in October 2006, and claimed a £649 bill from Links of London, the upmarket jeweller. His office also claimed a £90 bill from a London clinic, as well as for a £12.37 stop at a Little Chef restaurant in Alfreton, Derbyshire. Last night Lord Prescott’s office declined to comment. However sources close to the peer said that he had never used one of the credit cards, although other people in his department might have used one of the cards. Some of the payments on the list, such as hotel stays in Fife and Hull, were most probably for his protection officers when he was traveling around the country, the source added. Last December a Civil Service investigation cleared Lord Prescott of misusing departmental credit cards. Lord O'Donnell, the then-head of the Civil Service, wrote to Lord Prescott to confirm that all spending on cards used by his office was ''legitimate'' except for seven transactions made after a card was illegally cloned.

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- Amazing White Peacock : When God Runs out of Paint... - Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) World's most Expensive a... - Amazing Hedgehog - Hedgehogs Facts, Photos, Inform... - One in a Million TWINS : Marcia & Millie, Black an... - World Most Polluted Places - Amazing Blue Dragon : Blue Sea Slug - World’s Rare... - Spain's Bizarre Cortege Festival : La Fiesta De Sa... - Amazing Tarsier : World's Smallest Primate - Tarsi... - Why Goats Went On Tree In Morocco? - Really Amazin... - Indian Man Eats Live Snakes Everyday, Says They Ta... - Amazing Scrap Art - Innovations Made Of Scrap - ▼ September (11) - ► 2011 (57) - Amazing Hedgehog - Hedgehogs Facts, Photos, Information, Habitats, News - Amazing King Cobra Snake - King Cobra Facts, Photos, Information, Habitats, News - Amazing Tarantula spider - Giant Tarantula Facts, Photos, Information, Habitats, News - Amazing Dragonfly Insect - Dragonfly Facts, Images, Information, Habitats, News - Diwali 2012, Deepavali - Festival Of Lights, Fireworks, Sweets, Gifts Celebrated In India, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka - Amazing Green Anaconda - Giant Anaconda Facts, Photos, Information, Habitats, News - Sidney Leslie Goodwin - Titanic's 'Unknown Child' Identified - Abby and Brittany Hensel: The Girl with Two Heads, very Strange but Amazing - 7 Wonders of the World - New vs. Ancient - Amazing Black Mamba Snake - Black mamba Facts, Photos, Information, Habitats, News It's true. World's most expensive coffee is.....FULL OF SH*T. Read it to believe it. Kopi Luwak is one of the world's most expensive coffees. 1 lbs of coffee costs $600. A cup of coffee in a restaurant of London costs $99.00. But what makes it so expensive ? It is because the supplies are limited. Only 1,000 pounds (450 kg) at most make it into the world market each year. But why the supply is limited ? It is because of an animal which isn't commonly found. Weird ? Well...the coffee is made from coffee berries. An animal (Asian Palm Civet) eats it. The beans of these coffee pass through their system undigested. Once they poop, people picks it up and makes coffee out of it. Yukkkkkkk !!!! And....people pay $99.00 to drink poop of this animal. Where the world is heading towards ??? lol Kopi luwak, or civet coffee, is one of the world's most expensive and low-production varieties of coffee. It is made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and other related civets, then passed through its digestive tract. A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, keeping their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness. This coffee was widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world with prices reaching $399 per pound. Since then Uchunari grade 0 coffee has been introduced on the international coffee market. Kopi luwak is produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago. It is also produced in the Philippines (where the product is called motit coffee in the Cordillera, kape alamid in Tagalog areas) and also produced in East Timur (where it is called kafé-laku). Weasel coffee is a loose English translation of its Vietnamese name cà phê Cho^`n, where popular, chemically simulated versions are also produced. However, Vietnam has 2 farms with 300 wild civets in Dak Lak. The farmers collect the coffee seeds and produce only 300 kg of authentic Vietnamese chon coffee. The civets live in the wild and are fed beef. The processed civet beans are imported to the UK to the farmers' sole UK supplier. Hedgehog - Erinaceus europaeus A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to North America; those in New Zealand are introduced. Hedgehogs have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals they have adapted to a nocturnal, insectivorous way of life. The name 'hedgehog' came into use around the year 1450, derived from the Middle English 'heyghoge', from 'heyg', 'hegge' = hedge, because it frequents hedgerows, and 'hoge', 'hogge' = hog, from its piglike snout. There are some 15 species of hedgehog in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Hedgehogs have also been introduced into nontraditional ranges such as New Zealand. The hedgehog was named because of its peculiar foraging methods. These animals root through hedges and other undergrowth in search of the small creatures that compose the bulk of their diet—insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs, and snakes. As a hedgehog picks its way through the hedges it emits piglike grunts—thus, the hedgehog. Some people consider hedgehogs useful pets because they prey on many common garden pests. While on the hunt, they rely upon their senses of hearing and smell because their eyesight is weak. Hedgehogs have a coat of stiff, sharp spines. If attacked they will curl into a prickly and unappetizing ball that deters most predators. They usually sleep in this position during the day and awaken to search for food at night. Hedgehogs hibernate in cold climates. In deserts, they sleep through heat and drought in a similar process called aestivation. They remain active all year in more temperate locations. These solitary animals typically couple only for mating. The young born each year, in litters ranging from one to eleven, remain with their mothers for only four to seven weeks before heading out on their own. Among the predators females must guard against during this period are other male hedgehogs, which will sometimes prey upon the young of their species. Hedgehog mothers have also been known to eat their young if the nest is disturbed, though they sometimes simply move them to a new nest. Fast Facts about Hedgehog Size: Head and body, 5 to 12 in (13 to 30 cm); Tail, 1 to 2 in (3 to 5 cm) Weight: 14 to 39 oz (397 to 1,106 g) Courtesy : http://animals.nationalgeographic.com - Online Internet Marketing News, SEO/SEM Updates, Web Marketing Promotional Updates - SEO4World Free Web Directory - SEO4World - DoFollow Social Bookmarking Service - World's Most Amazing Things, Amazing Photos, Amazing Facts, News, Ideas, Quotes, Places... World Cricket Ball by Ball Updates, Live Streaming, Scores, Schedule Hollywood Celebrity Biography, Famous Hollywood Stars Profiles, Famous Actors And Actresses Biographies, Photos, Facts, News Free Press Release | Blog Directory | Blog search directory | | | blogarama.com Blog Directory Entertainment Blogs Make Money Blogging Free Blog Directory Entertainment Blogs Make Money Blogging Free Blog Directory

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Dec 11 2008 |more articles from| Despite being a late entrant in the Middle East market, the Malaysian auto major Proton has chalked out an aggressive plan to penetrate the regional market. Akshay Bhatnagar reports from Malaysia When you think of Malaysia, the visuals of natural rubber, palm oil and picturesque coastal plains and mountains come to mind immediately. But the Southeast Asian nation is also home to Proton, a major automobile group that employs 12,000 people. Though Proton may be a lesser known brand internationally compared to the much fancied Japanese, European, American and even Korean auto brands but it has been steadily ramping up its production facilities, engineering knowledge and distribution network over the years. Proton entered Oman in 2006 in partnership with Al Hashar and Company. Proton started in 1983 as part of a national initiative to spearhead the automotive industrialisation in Malaysia. Currently, the 25-year old company has emerged as the largest manufacturer of automobiles in Malaysia. It enjoys a major chunk of the domestic market in the passenger car segment. It also has a sizeable distribution network in international markets including Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe specifically UK and Australasia. On the product range and engineering capability front, Proton group claims to have the expertise and technology to build small, medium, large size, sports cars, SUVs and MPVs besides the knowledge of building military vehicles, motorcycles, light aircrafts and watercrafts. Its current offerings include four-door family vehicles, two-door hatchbacks, executive sedans, as well as the world renowned sports cars from Lotus (Proton subsidiary). The group has research centres based in Malaysia and UK to develop new technologies to create new autos. Through Lotus, the group provides consultancy services to number of OEMs and tier 1 suppliers. Overall, the group has spent RM4.3bn (one Omani Riyal is equal to approximately 9.4 Malaysian Ringgit) in R&D over the last five years and it has committed another RM5bn in the next five years. Talking about the company's strategy for business growth, Proton's managing director Dato' Haji Syed Zainal Abidin B Syed Mohamed Tahir said, "Due to the ongoing global financial crisis, everyone is reviewing their business strategies. We have been cautious in our financial management. We don't expect to face any major impact of the financial turmoil on our business. We are going ahead with our expansion plans. The launch of Persona (the new 1.6L executive sedan) in the international market including Middle East is a step that direction. Persona is our core model and wherever it has been launched it has received an encouraging response." Proton has stated that it has already made over 59,000 bookings for Persona in Malaysia alone. Adding on, he said, "We are also going to launch an MPV soon with the help of Lotus. It will further solidify our product line-up to include a high quality multi-purpose vehicle that can cater to the family-oriented contemporary lifestyle. We need to understand the Middle East market more. We are looking at turbo engines by 2010-11. It will be equivalent to 2.0L. We are also embarking on more fuel efficient engines. We are also planning for diesel variants as they are quite popular in markets such as India which we are eying. We are in discussion with a renowned international level OEM for it. We are also looking at developing a small competitive car. We expect to make it available by 2010. We are working on hybrid and electric technologies. We are also moving towards reducing the weight of our cars. We may also look at the development of a car jointly with Lotus which is more affordable." Lotus has also unveiled a brand new thoroughbred named Evora, the first new Lotus model to be launched in over 13 years. It is expected to be launched in 2009. On the long term market strategy, he said, "our strategy for the next 10 years is to focus on ASEAN, China, Russia and India besides other markets. We expect Middle East to be a very important market for us. We are considering how Iran could help us in supporting the ME market. We have hired an ex-Toyota auto expert to focus on improving quality as per the requirements for exports market." Proton is aiming at setting up production facilities in overseas markets as well as Dato' Haji said, "Towards achieving economies of scale, Proton will maximise localisation to reduce cost and, where a certain level of scale is achieved and commercially viable, there is potential for production hubs to be established in the respective targeted high-growth markets, translating to cost competitiveness and complementation of key components." Though competition is going to be tough for Proton in most of the markets it is penetrating, but a sustained effort to meet the customer's demand for contemporary features at affordable cost and excellent after sales service could make it a winner. Further strengthening its presence in Oman's market, Proton recently launched its latest model Persona. Talking about the new model, Werner Koch, CEO of Al Hashar Group of Companies, Proton's sole distributor in Oman said, "Persona is a model that will get noticed and attract people not only for its looks but its practicality, smooth ride and fuel economy". Oman is the third country in the Middle East to launch Persona after Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Persona promises to offer advanced styling, generous interior and expansive luggage space to the user. The vehicle engineered by Lotus is powered by the enhanced 16-valve DOHC Campro IAFM (intake air fuel module) engine aimed at delivering smooth drivability and riding comfort. It offers a displacement of 1597cc with manual or automatic transmission and acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in 12.4 seconds. It is equipped with dual airbags, ABS, EBD and auto-lock system. It is available in four colours including solid white, metal grey, tranquility black and solid red. The model won the 'Best Model of the Year for Malaysia' at the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Automotive Awards for the South East Asian (ASEAN) markets. © Copyright Zawya. All Rights Reserved. - UPDATE 1-Korean women scrap meeting Japanese mayor over brothel remarks - REFILE-Elderly Korean women cancel meet with Osaka mayor over war brothel remarks - Korean "grannies" cancel meet with Osaka mayor over war brothel remarks - Solar plane completes second leg of cross-country flight in Texas - College student snares record long Burmese python near Miami - There's More

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Global News Journal Beyond the World news headlines from Afghan Journal: Iraqis are voting today for a new parliament and despite the bombings in the run-up to the election, the over-all trend is down, according to the Brookings Institution. Not so in the Afghanistan-Pakistan theatre, America 's other war, which remains red-hot according to a country index that the Washington-based thinktank puts out for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The index is a statistical compilation of economic, puiblic opinion and security data. It's quite instructive just to look at the numbers in the three countries. Weekly violent incidents in Iraq are about 90 percent less frequent than in the months just before the surge. Violent deaths from the vestiges of war are in the range of 100 to 200 civilians a month, meaning that mundane Iraqi crime is probably now a greater threat to most citizens than politically-motivated violence, Brookings says in its latest update. Afghanistan is a different story. In terms of raw violence, the situation is at a historic worst level, with early 2010 levels of various types of attacks much higher than even last year at this time. Some of it is because of the offensive in Marjah in Helmand province and the deployment of U.S. and Afghan troops to parts of the country where they were previously not present, triggering a militant response. By way of comparison, the rate of attacks in Afghanistan countrywide is now more than double the level seen in Iraq, the Brookings data shows. The number of civilian deaths is similar, though, mostly because the militants in Afghanistan target security forces more than civilians. A renewed drive by U.S. and NAT'O commander General Stanley McChyrstal to adjust war strategy to avoid civilian deaths at all costs may also be making a difference. Singapore’s warning of a terrorist threat in the Malacca Straits has again highighted the issue of who is in charge of security in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have stepped up sea patrols in the strait after Singapore’s navy said on Thursday it had received indications a terrorist group was planning attacks on oil tankers. As an air crash survivor I know how long jitters about safety can last. Eighteen years ago I crashed in an old Dakota in a remote corner of Africa, where such tragedies are sadly still not that rare. The worst moment was when I was trapped for 20 seconds in the burning fuselage before being rescued by a fellow journalist. My physical injuries cleared up within months and I resumed flying, but mentally it was difficult. It took me about four years to recover my composure on planes. from Tales from the Trail: U.S. lawmakers, convening a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the threat posed by al Qaeda in Yemen, found themselves focused on another problem stalking the impoverished Arab country: the mild drug qat, which permeates Yemeni society. Rep. Howard Berman, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, launched the discussion of Yemen's drug problem in his opening remarks, noting that qat was "a narcotic plant that produces feelings of euphoria and stimulation, but ultimately undermines individual initiative -- sort of like being in Congress." from Pakistan: Now or Never?: Vahid Brown at the CTC Sentinel has a new article (pdf document) out arguing that the relationship between Taliban leader Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden before 9/11 was considerably more fractious than it was made out to be. The main source of argument was between the Taliban's Afghan nationalist agenda and bin Laden's view of global jihad, and in particular his determination to attack the United States, he says. Based on an account by an insider, he challenges the assumption that bin Laden personally swore an oath of allegiance to Mullah Omar. The account by Egyptian jihadist Mustafa Hamid, better known as Abul-Walid al-Masri, was first published in jihadist forums in 2007 but gained little attention outside specialist websites. from Pakistan: Now or Never?: In the absence of a coherent narrative about the failed Christmas Day attack on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, the debate about how best to tackle al Qaeda and its Islamist allies has once again been thrown wide open. Does it support those who want more military pressure to deprive al Qaeda of its sanctuary on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, or suggest a more diffuse threat from sympathisers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa? Should the United States open new fronts in emerging al Qaeda bases such as Yemen and Somalia, or focus instead on the fact that the attempted airline attack did not succeed, suggesting al Qaeda's ability to conduct mass-casualty assaults on U.S. territory has already been severely degraded in the years since 9/11? from Africa News blog: Quite apart from the Nigerian would-be plane bomber’s lack of success, there are other reasons why Africa’s most populous nation cannot be expected to produce a rash of similar cases. As this Reuters story from Sahabi Yahaya in the bomber’s home town of Funtua points out, it is Umar Abdulmutallab’s foreign education rather than his background in Muslim northern Nigeria that is seen as having radicalised him. from Pakistan: Now or Never?: In openDemocracy, Paul Rogers writes that one of the great mistakes of the media is that it tends to assume the only actors in the campaign against Islamist militants are governments, with al Qaeda and the Taliban merely passive players. "Beyond the details of what the Taliban and its allies decide, it is important to note that most analysis of Barack Obama’s strategy published in the western media is severely constrained by its selective perspective. There is a pervasive assumption - even now, after eight years of war - that the insurgents are mere “recipients” of external policy changes: reactive but not themselves proactive," he writes. from The Great Debate: It is a timeline rich in irony. On Dec. 10, Barack Obama will star at a glittering ceremony in Oslo to receive the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. That's just nine days after he ordered 30,000 additional American troops into a war many of his fellow citizens think the U.S. can neither win nor afford. from Pakistan: Now or Never?:Given the debate about whether the United States should refocus its strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan more narrowly on hunting down al Qaeda, it's worth looking at what happened immediately after 9/11 when it did precisely that. In a new book about his years fighting terrorism, former French investigating magistrate Jean-Louis Bruguiere casts fresh light on those early years after 9/11. At the time, he says, the Bush administration was so keen to get Pakistan's help in defeating al Qaeda that it was willing to turn a blind eye to Pakistani support for militant groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, nurtured by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency to fight India in Kashmir. Basing his information on testimony given by jailed Frenchman Willy Brigitte, who spent 2-1/2 months in a Lashkar training camp in 2001/2002, he writes that the Pakistan Army once ran those camps, with the apparent knowledge of the CIA. The instructors in the camp in Pakistan's Punjab province were soldiers on detachment, he says, and the army dropped supplies by helicopter. Brigitte's handler, he says, appeared to have been a senior army officer who was treated deferentially by other soldiers. CIA officers even inspected the camp four times, he writes, to make sure that Pakistan was keeping to a promise that only Pakistani fighters would be trained there. Foreigners like Brigitte were tipped off in advance and told to hide up in the hills to avoid being caught. Reluctant to destabilise Pakistan, then under former president Pervez Musharraf, the United States turned a blind eye to the training camps and poured money into the country. In return, Pakistan hunted down al Qaeda leaders -- among them alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, captured in 2003. "For the Bush administration, the priority was al Qaeda," writes Bruguiere. "The Pakistan Army and the ISI would focus on this - external - objective, which would not destabilise the fragile political balance in Pakistan." Pakistan denies that it gave military support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and has banned the organisation. But India at the time accused western countries of double standards in tolerating Pakistani support for Kashmir-focused organisations while pushing it to tackle groups like al Qaeda which threatened Western interests. Diplomats say that attitude has since changed, particularly after bombings in London in 2005 highlighted the risks of "home-grown terrorism" in Britain linked to Kashmir-oriented militant groups based in Pakistan's Punjab province. Last year's attack on Mumbai, blamed on the Lashkar-e-Taiba, and more recently the arrest in Chicago of David Headley, linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and accused of planning attacks in Denmark and India (pdf document), has underlined international concern about the threat posed by the group. But for Bruguiere, one of the major lessons was that Islamist militants can't be separated into "good guys and bad guys", since they were all inter-linked. "You should take into account, this is crucial, very, very important," Bruguiere told me in an interview. "Lashkar-e-Taiba is no longer a Pakistan movement with only a Kashmir political or military agenda. Lashkar-e-Taiba is a member of al Qaeda. Lashkar-e-Taiba has decided to expand the violence worldwide." Bruguiere said he became aware of the changing nature of international terrorism while investigating attacks in Paris in the mid-1990s by the Algerian Armed Islamic Group (GIA). These included an attempt to hijack a plane from Algiers to Paris in 1994 and crash it into the Eiffel Tower -- a forerunner of the 9/11 attacks. The plane was diverted to Marseilles and stormed by French security forces. This new style of international terrorism was quite unlike militant groups he had investigated in the past, with their pyramidal structures. "After 1994/1995, like viruses, all the groups have been spreading on a very large scale all over the world, in a horizontal way and even a random way," he said. "All the groups are scattered, very polymorphous and even mutant." Gone were the political objectives which drove terrorism before, he writes, to be replaced with a nihilistic aim of spreading chaos in order to create the conditions for an Islamic caliphate. For the hijackers on the Algiers-Paris flight, their demands seemed almost incidental. "We realised we faced the language of hatred and a total determination to see it through."

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Posted on 14 June 2013 by Buddhism Now A collection of eight new or significantly revised translations of Ajahn Chah’s Dhamma talks by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Two of them have never been translated before into English, and four of them are based on entirely new Thai transcriptions of the best and most complete source recordings available. Dhamma is a condition that can cut through and reduce the problems and difficulties in the human heart—reducing them, reducing them until they’re gone. Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Books, Buddhist meditation, eBooks, Theravada | Tagged: Abhayagiri, Ajahn Chah, Buddhist sBooks, dhamma talks, Thai Buddhist, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Theravada Buddhism | Leave a Comment » Posted on 20 April 2013 by Buddhism Now People often believe contemplation is the same as thinking about something. But when I use the word it means rather ‘contemplating what an existing condition is like’. If you feel angry or resentful, contemplate that feeling. This isn’t to say you should try to figure out why or where the feeling came from, but look at the way it is. Let it be and notice what it feels like as an experience in the present. The three characteristics of impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and not-self (anatta) are the guiding suggestions. Not in the sense of going around thinking that anger is just impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self, or to project those ideas onto experience, but to look at impermanence and to contemplate it. I remember noticing the passage of time—of how the sun rises and sets—and using impermanence as a subject to contemplate for the day or for several days. We can notice visual change and sound. When an aeroplane flies over or somebody says something, for example, we can be aware of how sound is very definitely impermanent, fleeting, ephemeral. And taste and touch—are these things permanent? No! (more…) Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho, Biography, Buddhism, History, Metta, Theravada | Tagged: anatta, Anicca, Brahma-viharas, Cambodia, Chithurst House, Darjeeling, dukkha, Khmer Rouge, monks and nuns, Photos Lisa Daix, Pol Pot, WPLongform | 1 Comment » Posted on 9 November 2012 by Buddhism Now I once asked Phiroz Mehta what the central problem of our lives was. He pinched his arm and said: ‘We think we are this body, but we’re not.’ When I lost my mother after looking after her for five years, not only had I lost the last member of my family, but I also lost the main motivation for getting up in the mornings. First comes the self-pity. But since no amount of that helps you or the way you feel — it just makes you feel worse! — you have every reason to put it aside and no reason whatsoever to let it nibble at you; that’s just as pointless as concerning yourself with the weather! Much more of a problem for me was seeing something interesting or going to the theatre or a concert, and not having anyone to discuss it with. If I went on holiday — I went to Mexico in the spring of 2011 — I could tell someone all about it, someone who was genuinely interested. But suddenly there was no one to tell, and no one to be interested in what I was, or did, or anything. Unsurprisingly, I lost interest in myself. (more…) Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Beginners, Biography, John Aske | Tagged: A Still Forest Pool, Ajahn Chah, Bereavement, Digha Nikaya, Kevatta (Kevadda), Phiroz Mehta, Wat Pah Pong | 5 Comments » Posted on 1 November 2012 by Buddhism Now Television program on Buddhism with an interview with Ajahn Chah. Ajahn Chah (17 June 1918 — 16 January 1992) In 1977, Ajahn Chah was invited to visit Britain by the English Sangha Trust, a charity with the aim of establishing a locally-resident Buddhist Sangha. He took Venerable Sumedho and Venerable Khemadhammo along, and seeing the serious interest there, left them in London at the Hampstead Vihara (with two of his other Western disciples who were then visiting Europe). He returned to Britain in 1979, at which time the monks were leaving London to begin Chithurst Buddhist Monastery in Sussex. Theravada Buddhism, video, The Mindful Way, duration: 20 mins. Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Beginners, Buddhism, Encyclopedia, History, Theravada, Video | Tagged: Ajahn Amaro, Ajahn Sumedho, Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, Hampstead Vihara | 4 Comments » Posted on 26 July 2012 by Buddhism Now When I was eighteen years old and at University, I fell in love. I had this powerful experience. For the first time in my life I would do anything for another person. That part was very pure. But, then, being eighteen I didn’t know how to handle the experience; my emotions were still very immature and I ended up being possessive, demanding and jealous. There was no wisdom involved. I thought, ‘If I have this girl, if I possess her, then I’ll get this feeling all the time.’ There was a kind of mystical moment of selflessness, but the emotions were unprepared. I simply reverted to the old habits of grasping, possessing, feeling jealous, making a general nuisance of myself and making myself totally unlovable. This was in about 1952. (more…) Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho, Biography, Metta, Theravada | Tagged: Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho, Buddha, Luang Por Chah, Theravada Buddhism | 1 Comment » Posted on 17 July 2011 by Buddhism Now Ajahn Sumedho delivers an inspiring Dhamma talk centred around the conditioning we receive throughout our lives, and the tools one can use to see clearly and to realise the peace of the unconditioned. The talk was given at the Ajahn Chah Remembrance Day on 16 January 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho, Buddhism, Theravada, Video | Tagged: Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho, Dhamma talk | 1 Comment » Posted on 20 April 2011 by Buddhism Now Compose your minds, look inwards and become aware of the here and now ― the body, the breath, the mental state, the mood you are in ― without trying to control or judge or do anything; just allow everything to be what it is. For many people the attitude towards meditation is one of always trying to change something, always trying to attain a particular state or recreate some kind of blissful experience remembered from the past, or of hoping to reach a certain state by practising. When we practise meditation with the idea of having to do something, however, then even the idea of practice ― even the word ‘meditation’ ― will bring up this idea that ‘if I’m in a bad mood, I should get rid of it’, or ‘if the mind is scattered and I’m all over the place, I should make it one-pointed’. In other words, we make meditation into hard work. So then there is a great deal of failure in it because we try to control everything through these ideas, but that is an impossibility. (more…) Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho, Beginners, Books, Buddhism, Buddhist meditation, Theravada | Tagged: Ajahn Sumedho, Buddhist meditation, Buddhist teachings, Photos: Paul Heatley - David Blanco - BPG, Theravada Buddhism, Theravadan Buddhist monk | 10 Comments » Posted on 23 December 2010 by Buddhism Now When the mind has wisdom, then what could there be beyond that? Really, the teachings of the Buddha all make sense. Things you wouldn’t imagine really are so. It’s strange. At first I didn’t have any faith in sitting in meditation. I thought, what value could that possibly have? Then there was walking meditation — I walked from one tree to another, back and forth, back and forth, and I got tired of it and thought, what am I walking for? Just walking back and forth doesn’t have any purpose. That’s how I thought. But in fact walking meditation has a lot of value. Sitting to practise samadhi has a lot of value. But the temperaments of some people make them confused about walking or sitting meditation. * Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Buddhism, Buddhist meditation, Theravada | Tagged: Ajahn Chah, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist meditation, dhamma, Walking Meditation, Wat Pah Nanachat, Wat Pah Pong | 3 Comments » Posted on 3 February 2010 by Buddhism Now There can be few sounds more maddening than snoring — someone else’s snoring I mean. A few years ago I put up a friend, who was between flats and who had just embarked on a university course. He had the back room and I had the front, where my books were. Then, one night, an acquaintance appeared at my door, dishevelled and in a broken state, with nowhere to go. I didn’t want to put him up as well, as I had already parcelled out the rooms – all two of them – but I felt sufficiently concerned to do so — an old Hampstead custom. Unfortunately, he smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish. And when people do that, they apparently snore very loudly due to damage of the soft palate. (more…) Filed under: Ajahn Chah, Buddhist meditation, John Aske | Tagged: Ajahn Chah, Buddhist meditation, snoring | 9 Comments »

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Wayne Perry, international commissioner of the Boy Scouts of America, was awarded the Silver Hawk Award at a special dinner at the 22nd Asia Pacific Regional Conference held in October 2007 in Tokyo, Japan. The Silver Hawk is the highest Scouting award of the Scout Association of Japan. Back to Top Preparations have already begun for Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet for 2008. New logos have been designed and are ready for promotion. The fact sheets and patches will be available Aug. 1, 2008. Back to Top On June 18, 2008, five BSA Scouts and five international Scouts will arrive in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on their way to Philmont Scout Ranch for an International Scouting Trek. The Scouts were winners in the International Division's essay contest. The topic was, "As a Scout, I could convince more young people from my community (and surrounding communities) to join Scouting by organizing a membership recruitment plan that included these important steps/elements." Before leaving for Philmont, the Scouts will visit the BSA National Office, the National Scout Museum, and tour the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Once at Philmont, they will participate in a five-day Mountain Man trek. They will conclude their visit with a report to the International Scouting conference that same week. Scouts attending are Stephen S. Adkins, Istrouma Council; Julian M. Franczyk, Northeast Illinois Council; Stefan A. Hopkins, Circle Ten Council; Costel Michael Outlaw, Northeast Georgia Council; Matthew D. Ralls, Crossroads of America Council; Tomas Slama, Czech Republic; Gregory Apap Bologna, Malta; Vladimir Hraska, Slovakia; Stuart Gordon Reid, South Africa; and Malinda Prabash Senanayake, Sri Lanka. We will have photos and a report of their experiences in a future newsletter. Back to Top On April 14, 2008, the International Division of the Boy Scouts of America hosted 11 Scout /business leaders from Saudi Arabia who were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. Those visiting were Walid Mohammed A. Abdulfattah, commissioner, Social Service Development, Ministry of Education; Saleh Mohammad S. Abdullah, supervisor, Scouting Activities; Yakoub Elias J. Al Sabt, teacher; Dr. Abdullah Sulaiman M. Alfahad, vice president, Saudi Boy Scout Association; Mohammad Sulaiman M. Alferaih, director of Administration, Training and Scholarships, Ministry of Education; Ahmad Mhamoud M. Alfraj, teacher; Dr. Mohammed Abdullah A. Alnatheer, assistant professor, Teachers' College; Khalid Mohammed E. Alshnktie, teacher, Ministry of Education; Dr. Mohammed Saleh I. Altowayan, educational advisor, Agency Affairs School Education of Girls, Ministry of Education; Hamad Abdulrahman H. Alyahya, Boy Scout leader; and Waleed Khalid A. Filmban, architectural engineer. The participants in this program met with directors of the Boy Scout Division, Cub Scout Division, Venturing Division, and Relationships Division at the Boy Scouts of America to look at Scouting activities in the United States and to discuss the following topics: The Scouting movement in the United States The role of other organizations in promoting the healthy development of young people: sports programs, arts programs, community service programs, after-school programs, and job training programs Promoting understanding among different communities Initiatives to combat youth violence Peer-led youth leadership initiatives Academic research into youth development issues NGO management and development: volunteerism, staffing, fund-raising After the meetings, the visitors were guests at a special luncheon, and toured the National Office and the National Scout Museum. Back to Top On Feb. 26, 2008, 12 Scouts and two leaders arrived in Dallas/Fort Worth to begin their adventure as the two six-man teams representing the Boy Scouts of America at the First World Scout Winter Games at Kandersteg International Scout Center, Switzerland. The three-day event, based in the Swiss Alps, was the first of its kind. There were nine teams of Scouts from eight different countries who came together to compete in cross country skiing, curling, slalom racing, synchronized skiing, and triathlon. Each team had up to six participants between the ages of 15 and 30. All participants were experienced skiers or snowboarders. Training workshops were held for curling and cross country skiing before the main events. The workshops were conducted by KISC staff, along with staff from the Edelweiss Cross Country Ski School and the Swiss Ski School. The idea was to bring together teams from different countries to compete in a series of winter disciplines and enjoy a fun, Scouting atmosphere at the same time. The event was a huge success with a good level of fun and competitiveness among the teams. There was a great display of International Scouting between all groups and we hope that the event becomes a tradition in the future. The winter games drew to a close on March 3 with the mayor of Kandersteg awarding Sweden the gold medal, Norway the silver, and Lichtenstein the bronze. Athletes from the United States and other countries were given participation medals. Candidates for the first World Scout Winter Games were chosen from nomination forms submitted to the International Division by Council International Representatives. The BSA team members and leaders were Michael Clarke, Ozark Trails Council; Patrick Claytor, Montana Council; Steven Costle, Montana Council; Douglas Deakin, Trapper Trails Council; John Falzon, Patriots Path Council; Christopher Genevich, Detroit Area Council; Brian Goulet, Chief Okemos Council; Matthew Hansen, Clinton Valley Council; Stefan Hickethier, Montana Council; James Kammert, Connecticut Yankee Council; Richard Price, Minsi Trails Council; Ryan Seastrom, Snake River Council; Wyatt Shults, Great Rivers Council; and Cade Walker, Trapper Trails Council. Back to Top I was one of 32 Scouts selected to represent Scouting in America by participating in the SAJ-BSA Friendship Programme. The program's purpose was for Scouts from across the world to come together to share ideas and insights, not only about Scouting but our different cultures as well. Both the American and Japanese Scouts gained cultural understanding and acceptance. We understood that for world peace to be a possibility, we have to respect and embrace the differences that make our world so diverse. I arrived in Dallas on Jan. 31, 2008, and met the other 31 Scouts and eight adults with whom I'd share this experience. Before we left the next day, we toured the National Scouting Museum. At dinner we introduced ourselves and divided up into patrols for the first time. The next day we were up bright and early for our 14-hour flight to Japan, but only after a delay. It was pretty bizarre getting on the plane Feb 1st and getting off Feb 2nd. There was no time for jet lag. The moment we arrived, we were ushered into an opening ceremony featuring a keynote speech by Therese Bermingham, vice chairman of the World Scout Committee. Our next day began by getting to know our Japanese counterparts. We split up into five groups of 12-14 Scouts. We played several team-building games. It was amazing to see everyone talking, joking, and laughing together, despite the language barrier. By lunch, friendships had already formed. The groups we had formed became our discussion groups. Each group prepared a presentation sharing its ideas for ways to improve Scouting internationally and how Scouting can benefit the world. Before we knew it, the forum was over. It was time to say goodbye to our new Japanese friends, who by the way, spoke much better English than we spoke Japanese. The Japanese were much more aware of our culture than we were of theirs. I think we Americans need to expand our knowledge of other cultures. We spent the rest of the day touring Tokyo, stopping at the Sensoji Temple, the Imperial Palace, and the Tokyo Tower, which is taller than the Eiffel Tower and painted orange. We were late for everything that day because of the heavy traffic in Tokyo caused by a mere 2-3 inches of snow from the night before. It was the most snow Tokyo had seen in recent years. A Scout from Florida saw snow fall for the first time that night in Japan. This gave me an appreciation for just how big America is. It's funny, people ask me how the weather was there and I automatically say warm. Then I remember the Southerners were all bundled up in winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves, while we Midwesterners considered it T-shirt and jeans weather! Anyway, that day began the touring portion of the trip. We saw so many places-Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Osaka Castle, Big Buddha, and the Golden Temple. And we did so many things, like riding the bullet train and eating mini-octopi on a skewer. We met our host family on Feb. 8 for the home hospitality program. We were part of these families for three days and two nights. During this time, we were immersed in the culture. The family picked up two other girl Venturers and took us to a sushi bar. They grabbed things off the little sushi train for us to try. We agreed it was best not to know what we were stuffing in our mouths. But we ate everything, washing it down with piping hot green tea. For dessert, we gave them something new to try. They watched and imitated us dipping our French fries in ice cream. With our tummies full of who knows what, we arrived at a real Japanese bathhouse. I saw more of Japan that night than I had ever hoped to see. Our Japanese host saw the awkward looks we gave each in the locker room. After the bathhouse briefing, she turned to us and asked, "Shy?" I nodded, saying, "Yes, Americans very shy!" She just laughed and repeated the word we had heard so much that night-"Try?" The next two days were quite the cultural experience, complete with an authentic tea ceremony and wearing kimonos. We visited two temples, and joined our hosts in their worship. There we tasted Sake, the rice wine for which the Japanese are famous. We made origami and cooked a dish that was a specialty to the area. And I ate octopus for the first time. On the 10th, we three girl Venturers left our home away from home to rejoin all the other Scouts for the closing dinner and ceremony. There were some teary eyes that night as we bid farewell to not only Japan, but to each other. The next day we flew from Kyoto back to Tokyo, on to Dallas, and finally home. It was the most bittersweet day of the trip. Although I missed my family, friends, and bed, I began to miss my new friends the second I stepped onto the plane. I had spent every waking moment with them for nearly two weeks. We saw the best and worst of each other. We became our own little dysfunctional family. We parted with only little hope of ever seeing each other again. But even though we were spread across America, we knew we'd be connected by the life-changing experience we all shared. They'll forever be in one of my most cherished memories. One of the reasons I love Scouting so much is the unique, amazing people I meet and eye-opening opportunities like these. I encourage Scouts everywhere to take full advantage of all the BSA has to offer. Some of my best friends and most beloved memories happened through Scouting. Make the most of it. One of the Japanese Scouts said that even though we were separated by many miles and two completely different cultures, that we were all brothers and sisters through Scouting. We should remember that we all share the same world and the common goal of making the world the best it can be. Rather than being separated by our differences, we should respect and preserve them. Diversity is the spice of life! I will always remember the kindness, understanding, and hospitality the Japanese showed us. This trip has inspired me to make a change for the better in the world, however small. I'm not sure what I'll do yet, but I've got the rest of my life to figure it out. My thanks to our Japanese hosts and everyone in Scouting who made this experience possible. Back to Top Direct Service's Eagle Nest We are honored to recognize the following Scouts who have earned the rank of Eagle since the beginning of the year. Basil Ahmad Bastaki John Braden Bestor James Michael Bruno James Allan Burg II Maxwell Robert Butterfield Collin Douglas Coker Benjamin Durrant Dewey Stephen L. LeBrun Christopher Ryan Lew Tyrell Eric Longhurst John Bradley Manning Grant Ellison McGee Joshua Clark McGraw Gerardo Javier Olivares Cory James Prince Benjamin Joseph Radkovic Randall Lee Robinson Dallas Klaye Romney Mason Kortny Spilsbury Barry Livingston Taylor Nathaniel James Vice Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Panama City, Panama Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Back to Top The goal was his. No one pushed him, but Eagle Scout William "Buck" Organ set his sights on earning every one of the merit badges the Boy Scouts of America has. Buck became an Eagle Scout in 2003 at the age of 14 and continued to remain active in Troop 454 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. | Buck Ogan| One-by-one, Buck worked on the remaining merit badges, but one eluded him-Bugling. It came down to the wire, and with only days to spare, he finished the last of the requirements to earn Bugling. We congratulate Buck on his achievement. He set his goal and did not stop until he reached it Back to Top By John Langford, Scoutmaster Scouts of Troop 257 in Ryadh meet Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf Members of Boy Scout Troop 257, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were recent guests at a desert camp sponsored by the Boy Scouts of Saudi Arabia. A group of more than 200 Saudi Scouts set up the camp in honor of the visit of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf, who is the honorary president of the World Scout Foundation. The King was in Saudi Arabia to open the International Scout Exhibition for the "Gifts for Peace" project. In addition to the King, the campsite was visited by the Saudi Minister of Education, Dr. Abdullah Al Obaid, who also serves as chairman of the Saudi Arabian Boy Scout Association. The Saudi Scouts had prepared different stations to demonstrate their camping and environmental skills. King Gustaf was briefed at each station as he toured the various sections of the camp. "I came to the Kingdom to open the international peace exhibition, which highlights the Scout movement's role in strengthening peace between countries," King Gustaf said. "The Scouting organization teaches children to be self-reliant and how to set a good example to others. Thus, it offers a lot for the benefit of society," he added. The event was the first time that Troop 257 had interacted with their Saudi counterparts and was deemed a great success. It opened a new channel of communication between the two Scouting organizations and future options to develop similar events were discussed by the leaders. At the end of the event, the Scouts from Troop 257 presented the King with a framed montage of camporee patches that represented the troop's history in Saudi Arabia. Back to Top David Morton and Doug Smith each received the Heroism Award for recent lifesaving efforts. Troop 36 Committee Chairman David Morton was at a lagoon near Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., working on the Swimming merit badge with some of the troop's Scouts. A fully clothed Indian man was attempting to swim across the 250-foot lagoon and became too fatigued to continue. When David saw him go underwater and come back up only to go under again, he immediately jumped in the water and swam to the man's aid, arriving as he slipped under the water for the third time. Without the aid of a flotation device, David was able to pull the man to the surface, turn him so he could breathe, and begin moving them both toward shore. At that time, another swimmer threw David a life ring and then pulled them toward shore and proceeded with rescue breathing until the man coughed up the water he had swallowed and was breathing well. Doug Smith, a leader with Troop 803 in Lagos, Nigeria, was at a birthday party at a local swimming pool when he noticed a small girl floating facedown in the water. He jumped in, brought her to the side of the pool, and lifted her out. After performing rescue breathing, the girl began to cough up a lot of water, and began breathing on her own. Because the men knew proper lifesaving skills, both victims are alive today. We applaud both David Morton and Doug Smith for their calm response to potentially tragic situations. In a surprise presentation, long-time Direct Service Scouter Harry Long received the Silver Beaver Award for his contributions to Scouting and youth. Harry's Scouting career spans more than 30 years, starting when he was a young man in Vermillion, Kan. Now living in Australia, Harry has served as Lone Scout Counselor for his sons, both of whom achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He is currently registered as a Scouter Reserve and Direct Service's International Council Representative for Australia and Oceania. Harry is also registered with Scouts Australia's South Branch, serving in several leadership positions. To find a suitable occasion to present this award, his wife and son contacted the local Australian Scout branch for their help. Arrangements were made to surprise Harry during a special event in which he was to receive his Certificate Four in Leadership and Management. After the main event, the Scout branch's chief commissioner brought Harry onstage to present him with the Silver Beaver Award. Congratulations are in order for Troop 1921's Scoutmaster, Steve Western, who was also presented with the Silver Beaver Award. Steve's Scouting career spans more than 20 years in units throughout the United States and two foreign countries. For the past 10 years, he has served Direct Service units in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Beijing, China. In addition to his dedication to Scouting, Steve is also active in the local congregation of the LDS Church. The Silver Beaver is awarded by the Boy Scouts of America's National Court of Honor to adult Scouters in recognition of their distinguished service of exceptional character to youth. District Award of Merit Mark Powell has been awarded the District Award of Merit in recognition of the service he has provided to Troop 970 and Pack 3947 located in Doha, Qatar. Mark serves as the Cub Scout pack's assistant Cubmaster and the troop's Eagle coordinator. This award is presented to adult Scouters for their noteworthy service of exceptional character to youth within a district territory. Over the years, Mark has been instrumental in the growth of both units, especially the pack. Congratulations to Victor Organ, Scoutmaster of Troop 454 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for receiving the District Award of Merit. The troop, chartered to the American International School in Jeddah, provides an active program for its members, and Mr. Organ is one of the main reasons for its success. Back to Top It was a bright, chilly day as Beijing-based Cub Pack 3944 gathered to attend a historic event: the first ever major league baseball game in the People's Republic of China. One hundred forty-one Cubs and family members watched the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers battle to a 3-3 tie in this pre-season exhibition game. The Pack led the stadium in several Mexican waves and sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" while waiting in line to enter and again during the seventh inning stretch, much to the amusement and happiness of the Chinese fans. We watched as the Dodgers scored the first Big League home run in China. After the game, the players came into the stands to autograph baseballs, caps, and mitts. The Cubs were overjoyed. It was a fantastic day for all, as Major League Baseball was introduced to both the Chinese people and many of the members of the pack, for whom this was their very first Big League game. Back to Top Boy Scouts from Troop 707 are shown aboard the USS Nimitz with Lt. Lee, an Eagle Scout and an F-18E Super Hornet. Boy Scout Troop 707 from Discovery Bay, Hong Kong, recently visited the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier during its visit to Hong Kong. It was a great expedition for the Scouts, who were met by two of the ship's crew, Eagle Scout Lt. Lee, an F-18 pilot, and Lt. Lora (code name "Nitro"), a helicopter pilot. The Scouts enjoyed their time with the two crew members who took them on a tour of the ship, posed for photos, and answered the boys' many questions. Boy Scouts from Troop 707 are shown with helicopter pilot Lt. Lora (Nitro) in front of an SH-60 Seahawk aboard the USS Nimitz. Back to Top Lone Scout Orion Sidoti and his father, Lone Scout Counselor Eric Sidoti, joined nearly 5,000 other Scouts and leaders from 13 nations to attend the 18th New Zealand Jamboree held Dec. 28-Jan. 5 at Christchurch on the South Island. The jamboree was the last major event to celebrate the worldwide Scouting centennial and was also the first major event in celebration of the New Zealand Scouting Association's centennial. Their program began in 1908. Attendees enjoyed many different activities, such as pioneering, high-wire climbing, kayaking, go-karts, touring historic sites, and getting filthy on the infamous mud challenge. But father and son agree that the best part was the sharing of friendship with people from around the world. Back to Top Jesse Curtis, Cubmaster of Pack 3910 in Managua, Nicaragua, tells us that the members of his pack had the honor of performing a medley of patriotic songs at the recent dedication of the new U.S. Embassy in Managua. Although only about half of the pack's members were able to attend the event, Jesse tells us they did an outstanding job and received many compliments from the audience. The pack joined Direct Service's family late last year and is chartered to the American Employee Association located at the embassy. Back to Top In December 2007, Scoutmaster John Langford of Troop 257 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, joined his family and successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, and at 19,340 feet, it is the tallest, free-standing mountain in the world. John was accompanied by his wife, Rebecca, and their two children, John Jr. and Amanda, both students at Boston University. The climb took place over a six-day period and covered approximately 60 miles. The family's trek averaged seven to 10 hours per day with increasing elevation, low oxygen, and steadily decreasing temperatures due to the high altitude. The final ascent to the summit began at midnight on day five from a base camp at 15,000 feet. The climb took approximately seven hours to reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point on the mountain, where the temperature was -5 degrees Fahrenheit. The descent from Uhuru Peak required another eight hours to reach the final camp of the trek, totaling 15 hours of hiking for the day. While John and his son, both Eagle Scouts, have participated in a two-week program at Philmont Scout Ranch, and have also hiked the Appalachian Trail extensively, both agreed that this trek was the most physically challenging, but most rewarding, endeavor they have ever undertaken. Back to Top Boy Scout Troop 435 hosted a Scouting camporee recently at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Boy Scouts set up the camping area on Friday and cooked a wonderful chicken and vegetable soup. Cub Scout Pack 3401 and the base's Girl Scout troop arrived Saturday morning to set up their areas, and a flag ceremony officially began the camporee. All Scouts, adults, and accompanying family members were split into five groups to participate in afternoon activities: racing in a raingutter sailboat regatta, handling basic medical emergencies at a first aid station, navigating an orienteering course, touring the historical lighthouse museum, shooting at the catapult station, and baking cookies in a box oven. Scouts unanimously agreed that the raingutter racing was the best event and most fun. Activities were guided by Eagle Scouts Steven Bernick, Bill Kelly, and David Harris; teachers from the school, Bill Moreland and Mark Kepic; and medical staff from the Naval Hospital, Dana Swope. While the activities were going on, the three Eagle Scouts inspected each Scout's and family's campsite for proper setup, safety equipment on hand, and appropriate paperwork posted. Saturday evening, the Boy Scouts cooked a dinner feast in foil packets, while Eagle Scout Chad Rix showed how to cook desserts in box ovens and Dutch ovens. The evening's campfire ceremony began with Scoutmaster Guy Belleman leading the column of Scouts to their positions. The ceremony was inspiring as Scouts put on skits; told jokes and stories; sang songs emphasizing patriotism, the Scout Law, or just plain fun. (Have you heard the one about three brains that were for sale?) Boy Scouts, under the guidance of Eagle Scouts, were up early the next morning cooking a huge breakfast for all attendees. There were more than enough pigs-in-a-blanket, fruit, cereal, and juice for all. Eagle Scout Chad Rix acted as chaplain and ended the camporee with a beautiful Sunday morning service overlooking Guantanamo Bay. Back to Top By Jared Broadman, Second Class Scout, Boy Scout Troop 7, Singapore Last fall, 20 Boy Scouts from Singapore Troop 7, along with their parents, traveled to Thailand for five days of high adventure aboard the sailing vessel Merdeka. Scoutmaster Scott Weber and Outdoor Activity Leader Neil Dibb were the leaders of this pirate crew. The troop sailed the waters of the Andaman Sea to the isle of Ao Nam Mao. Although the weather was damp, the boys didn't let it keep them from exploring rock formations, crystal clear waters, and the jungle. While some Scouts spent time on the beach swinging from banyan tree vines just like Tarzan, others took part in a wilderness survival overnighter, and they all worked on Sailing, Canoeing, Boating, Fishing, First Aid, and Swimming merit badges. On the last evening, while the group was taking part in the usual campfire skits, a local villager arrived with some Chinese lanterns. He showed the boys how to light the lanterns and send them off into the sky. He said that they should make a wish as they watched their lanterns sail off into the night. Back to Top As part of their Citizen Activity Badge requirements, the Webelos Scouts of Pack 3060, New Delhi, India, recently had the opportunity to meet David C. Mulford, U.S. Ambassador to India. While visiting with Ambassador Mulford, the Webelos Scouts asked many questions and learned that the American Embassy in India has more U.S. staff than any other embassy in the world. While talking with the Webelos Scouts, Ambassador Mulford told of his experiences with camping, canoeing, cooking in the wilderness, and "chug" (push cart) racing. To show their appreciation, the boys presented the ambassador with a framed display of Pack 3060's patches, as well as the 2007 World Scout Jamboree patch that celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Scouting around the world. Back to Top The Scouts of Troop 435 of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, participated in the Jamboree-on-the-Air and Jamboree-on-the-Internet in October. Both events are sponsored by the World Organization of the Scout Movement. This year's Jamboree-on-the-Air, or JOTA, marked the event's 50th golden jubilee with a theme of "50 Hours Around the Globe." During the event, Scouts talked with Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts from many countries and cultures. Jamboree-on-the-Internet, or JOTI, has been an annual event since 1996. The GTMO Scouts chatted on the Internet with Scouts from the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Japan, Mexico, and many other countries. Wesley Belleman, Star Scout, was excited that he was able to talk to several friends he had made at last summer's jamboree. Back to Top Within the first three months of attending the Texas Military Institute in San Antonio, Troop 442 Eagle Scout Stephen Scott was promoted to the rank of sergeant and platoon leader in the cadet corps. This was a promotion of three grades, which has rarely happened in the school's 100-year history. He was also honored with a special medal for the distinctive honor of being the school's Cadet of the Month in October. Stephen has a long history with Direct Service. Before moving to Perth, Australia, he and his family lived in Lagos, Nigeria, where he was a member of Troop 803. He readily credits his achievements to the training and skills he learned through Scouting in Perth and Lagos. Back to Top Lone Scout Joey Barefoot Canadian Lone Scout Joey Barefoot was awarded the 2007 Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association Conservation Award for his Eagle Scout leadership project "U Protect." A panel of judges selected Joey for his commitment to improving the shorelines and waterways of the French River Delta. Joey's project involved removing metal, debris, trash, and the invasive species Purple Loosestrife from the waterways, while educating the community on the need to protect and conserve. Through Joey's leadership, 50 miles of shoreline were returned to a pristine environment. The Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association recognizes one outstanding tourist outfitter annually for a commitment to conservation endeavors, but this was the first time a youth was recognized for his efforts. "Youth of today need to stand up and take charge of our future. As a Boy Scout, I have learned that although I wear the scarf of a Lone Scout, I am never truly alone, but stand in a community that cares and works together. I was born and raised here and my future is here. We must continue to strive to protect, thus, `U Protect'," Joey said. Joey and his family own the Bears Den Lodge in Canada. To read more about the "U Protect" project, visit www.bearsdenlodge.com/uprotect.shtml. Back to Top By David Loehden, Scoutmaster Last February, Troop 222 of Penang, Malaysia, worked on the wilderness survival merit badge. The wilderness survival merit badge was worked on in four troop meetings and culminated in a three-day jungle survival campout at Sungai Sedim (Sedim River), Malaysia. As the merit badge counselor, the challenge was to make the wilderness survival merit badge interesting, challenging, and fun. The resources used were the merit badge book, the merit badge worksheet from www.meritbadge.com, Man Vs. Wild video clips from the Discovery Channel, and Mr. Kamarul, a jungle survival trainer at Sungai Sedim. Man vs. Wild was recorded from the Discovery Channel and video clips were made that highlighted the skills and requirements for the merit badge. The video clips were embedded in PowerPoint presentations and used to instruct the Scouts at the meetings. Each meeting had a theme survival scenario: Rocky Mountains (forest), European Alps (snow), Costa Rican Rain Forest (wet), and Moab Desert (dry). Bear Grylls is the star of Man vs. Wild and must have been a Scout at one time. In the Man vs. Wild videos, Grylls goes over many survival situations that help demonstrate the requirements. He also goes over many of the Tenderfoot to First Class requirements, like navigating day and night without a compass, first aid, and lashings, to name a few. The Man vs. Wild video series is a good resource for teaching Scouting requirements in a fun way. The Scouts had a great time learning about wilderness survival. The videos made it interesting for them and they used the content from the videos and PowerPoint presentation to fill in their worksheets. We also had as one of the inter-patrol games, a bow and drill fire-making contest between the patrols. The Scouts had to make a bow and drill and bring it to the meeting. The contest was to have each Scout in the patrol use the bow and drill to make smoke one at a time. This was a fun way to meet one of the fire-making requirements. Our survival camp began as we arrived at Sungai Sedim right at dusk in a torrential downpour. Fortunately, there was a shelter and we were able to set up the tents in the shelter and cook our dinner. The next morning, the Scouts were taught by Mr. Kamarul, a retired Malaysian Army survival expert, on how to survive in the jungles of Malaysia. They were taught how to build shelters out of the feather palm, bamboo, and banana trees. Mr. Kamarul told the Scouts that the feather palm, bamboo, and banana were quick growing and very plentiful. He said to avoid using young trees, which can take a long time to grow. The feather palm was woven and used for the roof. The bamboo was used as the structure. The banana trunk is fibrous and strips of lashing ropes can be made from the trunk. Each Scout made a shelter by lashing bamboo to a tree, weaving the feather palm and lashing it to the bamboo, and then using the banana leaves for bedding. They stayed in shelters, but unfortunately did not get a good night's sleep. The Scouts also learned how to cook using young bamboo. They had to carve out the bamboo to make a long hollow tube. They put rice in banana leaves and stuffed it in the bamboo tube, then filled the tube with water. Mr. Kamarul then showed the Scouts how to collect dry tinder from dust of palms and bamboo, using old bamboo to make kindling, and collect larger pieces of wood to build a fire. A fire was built and the bamboo tubes with rice were cooked along with fish stuffed in a bamboo tube with ginger and garlic. After about 30 minutes, the rice and fish were cooked and the Scouts enjoyed an afternoon meal. The rest of the afternoon, the Scouts worked on fire-building skills with flint and steel. We finished the day by swimming in Sungai Sedim. The Scouts then made dinner and we had a campfire with smores, of course. Then it was off to the shelters to stay the night. We capped off the trip the next morning with some rappelling down a 40-foot tower and a one-kilometer canopy walk, then packed up camp and headed home. Back to Top

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2013-06-19T14:19:28Z

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2000 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 34,000.0 kg (Ref. 48722); max. reported age: 70 years (Ref. 72468) - Bobick, J.E. and M. Peffer 1993 Science and technology desk reference. Gale Research Inc. (Ref. 72468) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=72468&speccode=35 - Chen, C.T., K.W. Liu and S.J. Young 1999 Preliminary report on Taiwan's whale shark fishery. p 162-167. In S.L. Fowler, T. Reid, and F.A. Dipper (eds.) Elasmobranch biodiversity, conservation and management. Proc. Int. Seminar and Workshop in Sabah, Malaysia. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. (Ref. 48722) http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=48722&speccode=2081 No one has provided updates yet.

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3 Filipinos killed amid pullout talks in SabahBy Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer Three more Filipinos were killed in Lahad Datu, Sabah, according to military chief Gen. Zulkifeli Zin in a news briefing as reported by Radio Malaysia and monitored by the Inquirer in Digos City, Davao del Sur. The military chief also said a Malaysian soldier was killed in the encounter with his troops, bringing to nine the number of Malaysian troop fatalities since violence flared in Sabah two weeks ago. Zulkifeli said that the fatalities included a commander of the Moro National Liberation Front, Haji Musa, who was gunned down on Thursday in a clash in Tanjung Batu village. In Manila, the Philippines has relayed to Malaysia results of discussions initiated on Monday in Manila on the “disengagement” of armed followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III from Sabah, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Tuesday. DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez also told reporters that a team from the Philippine Embassy had been able to check on conditions of Filipino workers and their families affected by clashes between the sultan’s followers pressing his claim on Sabah and Malaysian troops that had left more than 60 Filipinos and Malaysians dead. “We were asked to convey to the Malaysian side this issue of disengagement. The secretary of foreign affairs (Albert del Rosario) was able to convey a clarification regarding this issue and we will be waiting for the response of the Malaysian side on this,” Hernandez said. “I cannot go into details as of now but this is regarding what Secretary Mar Roxas was talking about with Esmail Kiram,” Hernandez said of the discussions on Monday between the interior secretary and the sultan’s brother. He did not give a direct answer when asked what role the DFA would play in the disengagement, regarded as a step forward in largely unsuccessful negotiations between the Philippine government and the Kirams a month into the Lahad Datu standoff. Lack of response The Philippines also remained optimistic about Malaysia’s friendship despite several unanswered notes verbales the DFA had sent Kuala Lumpur on the Lahad Datu situation. Hernandez confirmed that Malaysia had yet to respond to the DFA’s request to provide a humanitarian corridor for Filipino noncombatants fleeing the conflict, access of Philippine consular officers to detained followers of the Sulu sultan and crossing of the Philippines’ humanitarian ship from Tawi-Tawi to Lahad Datu. Asked how the DFA took such a lack of response from Malaysia, Hernandez said: “I would not want to make an analysis of that but for the time being, I would say these requests are still outstanding.” “We want them to answer and let us know immediately so we can do our job,” he said. Hernandez said Assistant Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro reiterated these appeals to Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Mohd Zamri Mohd Kassim on Sunday. NGOs assisting Filipinos Asked how the standoff had affected ties between the Philippines and Malaysia, Hernandez said: “It’s difficult to immediately say that after something like this and we come and make an assessment of the relationship … For now, we can say we have close relations with Malaysia and we want to further enhance this as the years go by.” Citing a report from the Philippine consular team at Felda Sahabat, Hernandez said some 500 Filipinos evacuated away from the fighting had enough supply of food and received medical assistance from Malaysian nongovernment organizations. The consular team is currently assessing other needs of the Filipinos, he said. The DFA has yet to confirm reports of rights abuses against Filipino noncombatants in Lahad Datu by Filipinos who recently returned from Sabah, Hernandez said. He said Philippine agencies were documenting, validating and confirming such reports, which the Malaysian side already denied through its media. The DFA earlier asked Malaysia to clarify such reports but like the requests it earlier sent Malaysia on the Sabah situation, had yet to receive a formal reply. Abigail Valte, Malacañang’s deputy spokesperson, told reporters that initial results of the meeting between Roxas and Esmail Kiram in Camp Crame on Monday were “encouraging.” “This is a continuation of the President’s objective to still find a peaceful resolution to this particular incident,” she said, but could not elaborate. Valte said the Department of Social Welfare and Development had so far been unable to corroborate accounts of mistreatment by Malaysian securitymen of Filipino arrivals from Sabah. But in Zamboanga City, Laisa Alamia, director of the Commission on Human Rights of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, told the Inquirer on Tuesday that more Filipinos who fled Sabah were recounting abuses in the hands of the Malaysians. “During my talk with them, they recounted how Malaysian security forces brutally handled Filipinos,” she said. Filipino mothers were separated from their children as Malaysian policemen went on a rampage, she said, adding that 200 children had arrived in Jolo and Bongao without their parents. “The stories were very disturbing and saddening,” Alamia said. Asean voice silent The Davao City-based NGO Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) said Asean should follow the steps of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Sabah and the provision of humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict. “In this time of need for resolute leadership in our region, we find Asean’s voice markedly silent on Sabah. We feel that it is time for Asean to step up and lead in this time of crisis,” IID executive director Gus Miclat said in a statement Tuesday.—With reports from Michael Lim Ubac and Jerome Aning in Manila; and Julie Alipala and Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao

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Every now and then, I appear on a BBC World Service programme called WORLD HAVE YOUR SAY. It's an hour long phone in, with people calling in from all around the world. It has a massive audience. Today they were discussing whether, considering the expenses scandal, Britain is still seen as a beacon of parliamentary democracy. I was on with a Nigerian journalist and a senator from the same country. I quizzed her about what she, as a Nigerian politician, could claim for. Rent, she said. So far so good. Then she said: "A security guard and a chef." I felt like saying: "Your name isn't Barbara Follett by any chance, is it?" Caller after caller reckoned our expenses scandal is a storm in a teacup and that no one would blink an eye in Trinidad, Malaysia or Nigeria. This really made me think. Perhaps the fact that we get exorcised about this demonstrates that our democracy is actually in very rude health. If we just accepted it as a fact of life, what would that say?

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THE agony of Cambodia (Kampuchea) continues. Once again, the United States must consider to what extent we should become involved in finding a solution to the problems of Indochina. With the painful memories of Vietnam still in mind, Congress has just authorized assistance to noncommunist resistance movements opposing the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia. Our aid will provide up to $5 million in 1986 to the guerrilla forces of Prince Norodom Sihanouk and former Cambodian Prime Minister Son Sann, the leader of the Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF). There is also the prospect of supplying more financial aid in future years. To date, only ``military assistance'' and ``economic support'' have been specified, but weapons could also be provided. The idea of aid to the noncommunist resistance has received bipartisan approval in Congress. The United States cannot be indifferent to the fate of Cambodia. We should be part of the international effort to help those Cambodians who are willing to risk their lives for a free Cambodia. At the same time, it would be a mistake for the United States to preempt the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei -- or to allow world opinion to incorrectly conclude that the United States is once again shouldering the main burden in Indochina. ASEAN and the Cambodians themselves should bear the prime responsibility for this movement for freedom. The United States role in Cambodia must continue to be inferior to ASEAN's. United States policy to date has been to provide moral, political, and humanitarian aid to the noncommunists. This policy has been successful because it has been supportive of ASEAN's prime role. The ASEAN countries are the architects of the Cambodia strategy, and they should continue to bear the responsibility for implementing it. Whatever form our aid takes, we should admit that provision of assistance represents a major change in US policy in Southeast Asia. These implications should be clearly understood by the American public. The United States must proceed carefully and in full awareness of history and age-old rivalries of this region. The resistance forces and ASEAN are in for a long, tough fight. Vietnam has for centuries sought the creation of a vassal state in Cambodia.

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Asian markets look poised for further gains -- with China, Japan, and Korea expected to lead the group -- after lagging behind the U.S. since the markets hit bottom in 2009. The MSCI AC Asia Index is up 81% from the March 9, 2009, trough, powered by 200%-plus gains from the region's smaller markets, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, which delivered strong domestic growth in spite of the global malaise. Recent political stability and stronger financial health set the stage for much of that growth, but with valuations climbing to as high as 19 times 2013 profit estimates for the Philippines, some investors are taking a pass -- even though the longer-term prospects are promising. Instead, strategists are looking to the region's biggest markets to regain their leadership. Fears of a hard landing in China are easing. A steadier global economy offers upside for Korea's exporters, and new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has introduced stimulus measures and a new inflation target -- known as Abenomics. All could rejuvenate the market. The MSCI AC Asia Index's gains from the March 2009 trail the 115% rebound in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, but since June, Asia's 22% rise has outpaced the 16% gain in the Dow. Even so, at 10.8 times 2014 earnings, the MSCI AC Asia Index is slightly cheaper than the Dow, which trades at 11.6 times 2014 earnings. Strategists say the Asian markets possess more of the factors needed for further gains. "We often say that the first 20% of a rally is not driven by fundamentals, but the next 20% is where companies and economies need to deliver," says Hasan Tevfik, a global equity strategist at Citigroup. "On that basis, you can tick more of the conditions off for Asia than in Europe and even the U.S." Earnings growth is one such condition, and Asia, excluding Japan, has a better shot at delivering double-digit growth this year than Europe or the U.S., Tevfik says. That's not to say the region is about to see a raft of earnings upgrades, but less bad news is likely to be a major driver, especially as the pace of earnings downgrades in China and India decelerates. Earnings per share across the region, excluding Japan, grew by less than 4% in 2012, below the 15% average over the past decade. That should change as Chinese corporate earnings reap the benefits of recent stimulus and relaxation in credit restrictions. The broader region may also get a price/earnings ratio "rerating" as investors give it a higher multiple and more credit for less volatile economic and earnings growth, resilience during the financial crisis, and a rising middle class, says Andrew Pease, global head of investment strategy at Russell Investments. Cyclicals, especially those geared toward consumers, are the favored play within Asia—in part because they are cheap. Sherene Ban, a managing director of JPMorgan Asset Management Asian Equities, likes retailers, casinos, and Internet-gaming stocks like Tencent Holdings (ticker: TCEHY) as a way to play the recovery in China. While most expect gains out of China this year and possibly next, they note that structural issues remain and could keep a lid on growth and market gains over the longer term. Korea also has been in the bargain bin for a while. And it has gotten even cheaper amid concerns that a weak yen will ding the profits of exporters that compete with the Japanese. But many Korean firms have strengthened their balance sheets in recent years and are poised to benefit from the improvement in the global economy and the rebuild of inventories. One way to gain exposure: the iShares MSCI South Korea Index ETF (EWY). GIVEN JAPAN'S RECORD for "false dawns," strategists are more gun shy. The MSCI Japan has risen 16% since mid-November, ahead of Abe's election, helped by a weaker yen and hopes that corporate profits may soon be freed from years of brutal deflation. But most strategists think a pullback is likely as investors reassess the move and wait to see what Japan's new leadership has to offer. Such a pullback should offer an opportunity to buy exporters like Toyota Motor (TM) and other consumer-oriented companies that should benefit from a weaker yen and improvements in business and investor confidence. With so few investors holding Japanese stocks, more buy-in to Abe's economic plans could drive the shares higher. The $119 million Matthews Japan fund (MJFOX), run by a firm with a long Asian-investing track record, is one way to play a recovery. As for emerging Asia, outside of China, strong returns in the past couple of years, robust economic growth, and a flood of money into small markets like Thailand and the Philippines are reason for pause, even though strong infrastructure spending and job growth bode well for the longer term. (For an update on Malaysia, see Asia Trader.) India's economy appears to have hit a wall, yet initial steps by the government to make some long-awaited economic reforms drove the market to levels that are keeping some managers on the sidelines. Undoubtedly, global growth is the major wild card to continued Asian market gains, but for now, inflows into the region's funds offer another catalyst. While investors pulled $121 billion out of developed equity funds last year, with $20.6 billion of that coming from Europe funds, they steered $52 billion to emerging-market funds, of which almost $5.7 billion went into emerging-Asia funds. Another $6.8 billion went into Japan funds, according to the data trackers at EPFR Global. With attractive valuations, increasing investor appetite, and improving earnings prospects, Asia appears poised to go from laggard to leader over the next year.

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16 July 2012 The impact factor (JCR/SE 2011) of SAINS MALAYSIANA, international scientific journal published by Penerbit UKM, has increased to 0.268 which is leveled as Q3-Journal in Journal Citation Report. SAINS MALAYSIANA is published monthly (twelve issues a year). It contains articles on Earth Sciences, Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences. Articles are published in Malay or English. SAINS MALAYSIANA is indexed and abstracted in ISI Thomson Reuters (Science Citation Index Expanded/SciSearch®, Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition), SCOPUS, Chemical Abstracts, Google-Scholar, MyAis and Zentralblatt MATH.

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(This chili crab recipe is from my archive but I have just made it today and updated with new photos, shot with Canon T1i. The new Canon 5D Mark II is reserved for my cookbook.) My mother was a fantastic cook. Coming from a small fishing village in the state of Kedah, she made killer dishes with seafood, especially chili crab. With this post, I give my utmost tribute and applause to my late mother for her cooking skills and this very special family recipe. Growing up, I would always look forward to visiting my mother’s hometown; as a matter of fact, I would ask my parents to take me there. My intentions were not completely pure, I must confess; other than being able to play on the beach and dig siput (a type of clams), my bigger motivation was that she would bring back the freshest, meatiest, and juiciest catch of green mud crabs from my uncle who was a fisherman. I was always brimming with excitement at the thought of devouring this dish…(get chili crab recipe after the jump) Eating home-cooked chili crab was a celebration in my family—the preparation (imagine “capturing” those feisty crabs that “escaped” the nets and roamed freely in the kitchen!), the cooking, and of course, the eating. It was sheer fun; lots of fun. While this dish is traditionally prepared with green mud crab in Malaysia, I used a 2-lb Dungeness crab. If you can’t find green mud crab or Dungeness crab in your area, you can always use another crab—stone crab or blue crab. If you are in New York City, call yourself lucky as you can just hop straight to Fatty Crab in the meat packing district and order this dish. Chef Zak Pelaccio’s serves a Malaysian-style chili crab at his restaurant. Feast your eyes now with my pictures, but I hope you get a chance to try this chili crab recipe. Please take note that this chili crab recipe is not Singaporean-style chili crab which is made with a tomato-based sauce; this is adapted from my family’s chili crab recipe. (Click Page 2 for the Chili Crab Recipe)

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|Your #1 Destination for Music & Reality TV| 30 September 2008 learning how to play the guitar is like the most wonderful thing that can ever happen. it is like life's unfounded beauty, something that is waiting for people to discover it. 29 September 2008 PROMOS IS OVER. I'M GOING TO DO THE FOLLOWING OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS: Amazing Race totally pales in comparison to Survivor. A typical aged couple got eliminated. YAWN. And the number of athletic teams are dwindling, perhaps the producers would like to see an unorthodox team winning the grand prize. 26 September 2008 1) One Step at a Time - Jordin Sparks 2) Hot N' Cold - Katy Perry 3) Time To Pretend - MGMT 4) Make It Mine - Jason Mraz 5) I Don't Care - Fall Out Boy 6) Elephants - Rachael Yamagata 7) Mercy - OneRepublic 8) We Cry - The Script 9) Never Miss A Beat - The Kaiser Chiefs 10) Thunder - Boys Like Girls 11) Be Ok - Ingrid Michaelson 12) So What - Pink 13) Keeps Getting Better - Christina Aguilera 14) Crush - David Archuleta 15) Love Lockdown - Kanye West 16) Take Back The City - Snow Patrol 17) I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie 18) The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script 19) Lucid Dreams - Franz Ferdinand 20) That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings 25 September 2008 Eliminated today are: The whiney teenager and the slowest-moving human being. "It really doesn't make sense to me that they decided to keep Gillian, who's like a hundred and five, and me, who's 24, and completely fit.." - Michelle, the whiney teenager on Gillian, the slowest-moving human being as quoted by GC. Something cool about this season is that it's not shot in High-Definition. Well, as usual, they started off the show by having the schoolyard-picking system, with the slowest moving creature (left. She's called Gillian) and a physics teacher alternating their picks. Right from the get-go, you could see which team is gonna dominate: The team with young, funky, and cool people (Kota tribe) VS a bunch of frumpy dorks and mommas (aptly summarized by Michelle from the Fang tribe). I highly foresee this being a Koror-Ulong one-sided thing, with like 8 ppl from Kota and 2 ppl from Fang making it into the merge. Who I think's gonna make it far (clockwise from top left): Charlie, Marcus, Jacky and Corrinne (not in picture. The one in pink's ). I believe this season's gonna be greatttt. And I'm so glad Channel 5 is still efficient in televising Survivor. 21 September 2008 Louis is going to type everything in this post over the next week till his Lit paper ends. 22nd September: General Paper I just checked definitions of the vocab words: Conclusion: LOUIS IS GOING TO GET 1/5 FOR HIS VOCABULARY AND HE IS ON THE VERGE OF KILLING HIMSELF. Some important results for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards (This year's results are bad so you don't get to see many here) Outstanding Reality-Competition Program: The Amazing Race 23rd September: Economics "Malign me of backstabbing? Well, that's what you get now." Gossip Girl rocks. 24th September: Mathematics & Geography [DEATH] Ok, and this colour-coding thing for Othello is pissing me off. My whole book is in yellow, now then you tell me can colour-code? Whatever, not like I'm going to refer to it during the test. I think i'll just flip thru it like twice at most LOL (we only have an hour to write the essay thanks). Omg, I got to say, Britain's got Talent is way better than America's got talent. Just watched the winning performance by Britain's got talent winner, 14-year-old George Sampson, a street dancer. He is DARN COOL. Like hello, imagine a Sec 2 student dancing like that. "The only thing worse than one accordion is two accordions" - Piers Morgan 25th September: Literature in English (Paper 1) OMG I ACTUALLY POSTED THIS IN MY BLOG IN OCTOBER 13, 2005. HOW FREAKING IRONIC. and i think my figure of speech was quite funny last time. Oh, the trans in ANTM is out. at last they realized she isn't that good after all. AND PROMOS ARE OVER! 1) We Cry - The Script 20 September 2008 Just when you thought the days of Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunctions were over. Well, she's back to haunt us. Presenting to you... The Triple-Threat. It gets rather disturbing when you realize that Promos are 2 days away. It gets even more disturbing when you realize that freedom is just 9 days away. The most disturbing of all, however, is that Chris Crocker has a new song. *Covers ears with sound-proof pillows* P.S Britney's album's releasing on December 2, her 27th birthday. And I heard a snippet of her first single, Womanizer. Sounds great, she has truly found her niche. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KORKOR! "So for those of you falling in love, keep it kind, keep it good, keep it right, Throw yourself in the midst of danger, but keep one eye open at night." Elephants by Rachel Yamagata (2008) Another Investment Gone. 19 September 2008 "The worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression forced the Federal Reserve and central banks in other countries to pump billions of dollars into the world's banking system in a urgent bid to stop further damage." - Reuters. News that the top gun for AIA quit today. Guess that didn't help ease the nerves of the nearly-hyperventilating Singaporeans. The world is in chaos (credit crunch, melamine milk, malaysia/thailand politics) , and watching the news really doesn't help cajole you into sleep. Oh man, why am I talking like a pessimistic modernist. On a lighter note, Survivor Gabon and The Amazing Race is premiering next week. P.S. There's a contestant in Survivor who's part of the 2004 Olympic 4X400m relay Gold-medal team. Crystal Cox, wonder if that rings a bell to anyone. ANTM11 is starting to get exciting, with the contestants undergoing whackadoodle makeovers. There's like one black contestant left in the final 9, something very rare since Tyra usually supports her sistas. The variety this season has been pretty diverse though, I must say. "He's like Simon Cowell, with a Pulitzer! I can't be Jordin Sparks good; I have to be Kelly Clarkson good, Miss Independent!" - Ugly Betty on her evil lecturer. LOL. 17 September 2008 The guy on the right, Dan Gheesling -- he had an awesome gameplay throughout the entire season [Yes I've been watching the past 29 episodes]. He's an even better strategist than Todd from Survivor: China (whom I thought was brilliant enough). Dan, who became half a million dollars richer, won by a 7-0 landslide victory over his overshadowed ally, Memphis. He backstabbed some people to advance further, and was even called Judas by some a rather cranky old man who came in 3rd (he ultimately voted for him purely based on gameplay despite their really strained relationship). Despite that, eventually everyone voted for him because they were convinced by the reasons he gave for his sometimes-erratic decisions. Top it with some eloquence, charm and wit, he managed to sway the entire jury to his side. One heck of a player. Watched the 50m swim by our homegrown talent Yip Pin Xiu. Truly inspirational. In fact, these athletes put in as much, if not, more effort than any Olympian. It was a great display of determination and tenacity, and it's even more touching when you see the Singaporean flag being hoisted above the flags of Britain and China. Made rather good progress today. Completed Hydro Geog, finished half of Physical Geog, read Othello till Act 3. Shall proceed with Population studies tomorrow. Spending an entire day at home is rather boring, especially when you hear the word 'AIG' surfacing around 74 times on the news, and all the speculation of super-kiasu Singaporeans queueing up outside AIA to cancel their policies. Oh, it was only till today that I realized AIA was a subset of AIG. (heeh) Just listen to the last 6 seconds. The whole stadium booed. Actually it's pretty darn freaking stressful to sing in front of like 10 million people. But just look at how Beyonce/KellyClarkson/CarrieUnderwood/JordinSparks/JoJo pulled it off so beautifully perfectly, and you'll see why Kat DeLuna should just 'Whine Up'. Ok, this is THE BOMB. WATCH WATCH WATCH. 16 September 2008 "He who does not weep does not sing.""Grief is like the ocean; it's deep, and dark, and bigger than all of us. And pain is like a thief with a knife. Quiet, persistent, unfair... I'm jealous of him. Because i see how his absence has afected the people who knew him, so I knew he mattered tothem. I knew he was loved." Haley's student Ok if you only have time to spare for one show, go with One Tree Hill. Because it is one of the absolutely best shows simply because it is a show dealing with real-life issues, no exaggeration, little sex/kissing/hollywood extremities. Gossip Girl is like the best complement to OTH. It's a total no-brainer show where almost character gets bitch-slapped or backstabbed because of some character's jealousy of the intimate relationship that couple shares. It's about the friendships that shift almost all the time (you seriously wonder if true friendship is a feasible concept) and it's about the things which people do without thinking that get them into the trouble. As you know, the things that you do have consequences in this really intertwined and complex world. Visit http://cwtv.com/thecw/style-gossipgirl-c and you'll pretty much get what I mean. SPEAKING OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS... Life's been a bitch recently. Why can't everyone be compelling enough to do their allocated workload diligently? Well, apparently some *cough cough hint hint choke choke* people don't share the same POV as others. They don't realize that people actually do have issues working with them, simply because they don't fulfill the simple requirements of being a good group member! and now you say you have difficulties finding teammates. ...OH, karma got you. SURPRISE! Wake up or you're gonna get stuck in those filthy ditches which no one hopes you'll end up in!!! P.S No, don't get me wrong this isn't happening to me. JUST AN OBSERVATION! Week 34 (8th Sept - 14th Sept 2008) 1) I Don't Care - Fall Out Boy 2) Keeps Getting Better - Christina Aguilera 3) I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie 4) The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script 5) So What - P!nk 6) We Cry - The Script 7) That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings 8) Take Back The City - Snow Patrol 9) Something Anything - Travis 10) Be Ok - Ingrid Michaelson 11) Thunder - Boys Like Girls 12) Never Miss A Beat - The Kaiser Chiefs 13) Crush - David Archuleta 14) You Make It Real - James Morrison 15) If You're Out There - John Legend 16) The Shock Of The Lightning - Oasis 17) Spiralling - Keane 18) Lucid Dreams - Franz Ferdinand 19) Look Out Sunshine! - The Fratellis 20) What About Now - Daughtry 14 September 2008 Oh me! I can't believe how sweet the Nike Run photographers are! I actually received an email from them, informing me that they might have pictures of me in it! All I had to do was type my Bib number in and VOILA, 3 photos! Happy happy! I'm like really highly amazed. Like TOTALLY.P.S How in the world did they do this? Must be freaking painstaking. P.P.S Go Louis! Mug for your promos as hard as you ran! =DDD P.P.P.S GO ALL! 15 days more for Lit ppl! =DDD P.P.P.P.S Don't you science ppl exclaim in jubilation next next Thursday in front of my face. GO AWAY SHOOO.P.P.P.P.P.S Ok I find pleasure in doing this. P.P.P.P.P.P.S Maybe I should stop it. BYE! THEENKS! SEE EVERYBADY IN SCHOOL TOMORROW. 12 September 2008 Lucas Cruikshank is the web producer and creator of Fred, a web-based show on YouTube. The show has received international recognition for its popularity and has led its creator to commercial success Cruikshank describes Fred as "A six year-old with anger management issues and an alcoholic mom who's not supposed to be using her video camera to post videos." He lives with his alcoholic mother, who is currently in rehab and is never seen, only heard in her manly voice, with the exception of "Fred On Halloween." Fred has a crush on a girl named Judy who hates him a lot. Fred usually says that he and Judy are meant for each other because they both have "great bodies"(even though in "Fred Goes Swimming", he says he is uncomfortable with his body) Judy likes a boy named Kevin, who is a bully to Fred. According to Fred Kevin is fat and stupid/has a short memory span. Fred frequently mentions his "Zipit" personal messaging device and IM's to both Judy and Kevin. In Season 2, his Grandma was taking care of him while his mother was in rehab for a couple of weeks. Now she is back from rehab. Lucas wears the same t-shirt in each episode of Season 1 claiming it to be the only one he has, however in Season 2 the same shirt is now red, due to his Grandma ruining it in the laundry. 11 September 2008 LOL NOOOO SEB YOU JUST KILLED ME. THAT WAS GROSS. WHAT THE HELL! 08 September 2008 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me Video Of The Year Best Female Video Best Pop VideoTOTAL: 3 VMAs for Britney! "It was the first time Spears had won a statuette at the MTV video awards despite 16 previous nominations." - AFP It's so great to hear hear speak normally. You can view her winning speech here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0B52KxzLxs Other awards worthy of mention: Chris Brown won Best Male Video with "With You" Best Rock Video went to Linkin Park's "Shadow of the Day" Pussycat Dolls snagged Best Dancing in a Video for "When I Grow Up" The White Stripes received Best Cinematography in a Video for "Conquest" Death Cab for Cutie won Best Editing in a Video for "I Will Possess Your Heart" Best Art Direction and Chereography in a Video both went to Gnarls Barkley's "Run" 07 September 2008 WOO. SURVIVOR GABON IS STARTING. September 25th. Thank God that's when Promos end (with the exception of Lit Paper 2) Ok, predictions predictions. Placing my bets on these two. 1) Ken - Apparently he's a professional gamer, and the current international champion of Nintendo's Super Smash Brothers Melee video game (no idea what's that). So yay, one for the Asians! 2) Charlie - Very much like Todd from Survivor: China. So yeah, I guess he can play the game equally well too. 1) The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script 2) I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie 3) So What - P!nk 4) Never Miss A Beat - The Kaiser Chiefs 5) That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings 6) If You're Out There - John Legend 7) Thunder - Boys Like Girls 8) Keeps Getting Better - Christina Aguilera 9) Something Anything - Travis 10) Take Back The City - Snow Patrol 11) Crush - David Archuleta 12) What About Now - Daughtry 13) Lucid Dreams - Franz Ferdinand 14) Look Out Sunshine! - The Fratellis 15) You Make It Real - James Morrison 16) Spiralling - Keane 17) The Shock Of The Lightning - Oasis 18) American Boy - Estelle feat. Kanye West 19) Now Or Never - High School Musical 20) Real - Goo Goo Dolls 06 September 2008 Presenting to you a compilation of notes of Econs, Lit and Geog. I feel greatly accomplished today. Right now, I'm only fully done with Econs. Got to start reading up on the different periods (Edwardian, Modern, dunno what else) for Lit, start recognizing which Owen poem is which, read Othello once more to refresh my memory, start memorizing my Physical Geog notes convincingly, and do more Math. ANYWAYS, Britney might be performing at the VMAs after all. This is a video of her rehearsing one of her newest tracks "Underground". She certainly looks like she's gotten back some of her old awesomeness. Have you seen small kids in shopping centres recently, playing around with the laser-animated thing that's projected on the floor? It's seriously quite entertaining to see them stomp their feet and screaming at the top of their heads as they try to propel cars/destroy buildings/kick soccerballs/create fireworks with their feet. This form of public nuisance certainly serves as a marginal social cost to sane, civilized citizens like me. =D (yes, I applied an Econs concept LOL.) ----------------------ok this was long due. I think the curve's quite reflective: I was slacking the first 2km, slowly built up with my peak around the mid-distance, and after that I just deflated and died, and when I saw the finish line, I just ran like there was no tomorrow. yeah. 05 September 2008 Just watched the premiere of ANTM11. Some of the 14 finalists are rather cool. You have a French girl who looks like Audrey Tautou when she smiles (Marjorie) You have a half-Korean-half-Japanese girl who is super fierce, and who's a good representation for the Asian community (Sheena), And finally you have a transgender. She takes nicer photos than some of the contestants. (Isis) oh, and the Lit books which I borrowed from the library are pretty useful. yay! 03 September 2008 watch watch watch! =D ok, I mean... watch if you need a break amidst the mugging. I did. lol. 01 September 2008 I have photos of BOYS LIKE GIRLS! Stood at the FRONT ROW with farhanah kuoying bryan wenda just to name a few. It was CRAZY, everyone was screaming their heads off!! Some local bands like The Great Spy Experiment also received much reception. Overall atmosphere was pretty awesome by nighttime, which was rather surprising because everyone's supposed to be as tired as a zombie after running 10km. I'm lazy to upload the photos here. Visit my facebook albums link if you wanna see the photos! woke up today obviously with a set of aching and retarded thighs. studied math at home, and joined seb and lintong at jurong east for more mugging. we decided that we got kinda unproductive after like many hours, so we decided to catch Wall.E!! WOO. its a nice futuristic movie showing how earth would look like in the year 2700+, and also how people would look like then (fat and immobile) 1) If You're Out There - John Legend 2) Crush - David Archuleta 3) I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie 4) The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script 5) What About Now - Daughtry 6) Never Miss A Beat - The Kaiser Chiefs 7) You Make It Real - James Morrison 8) Lucid Dreams - Franz Ferdinand 9) The Shock Of The Lightning - Oasis 10) Look Out Sunshine! - The Fratellis 11) Real - Goo Goo Dolls 12) Spiralling - Keane 13) Give It 2 Me - Madonna 14) American Boy - Estelle feat. Kanye West 15) About A Girl - The Academy Is… 16) Pork and Beans - Weezer 17) Now Or Never - High School Musical 3 18) Butterfly - Jason Mraz 19) Living In A World Without You - The Rasmus 20) Are You Up For This? - Craig David Back to Main Page Digital Spy's The Sound Spin or Bin Music Pop On and On The Prophet Blog design by maystar powered by blogger

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Dr Marshall Clark has been awarded a Scholars and Artists in Residence Fellowship at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) for 2013. Dr Clark will be in residence at the NFSA from 1 August to 1 October 2013. Dr Clark has been awarded the fellowship for his project: Migrant workers in northern Australia: Representations of pearl divers, trepangers and illegal fishers in Australian film. Clark's project examines how labour migration has impacted on the societies, cultures and politics of the Asia Pacific region, including Australia. His project will unearth the cultural history of this process, starting at the mid nineteenth century through to the present day and will examine film representations of migrant workers with a particular focus on Northern Australia. This project forms part of a larger research project on the history and heritage of labour migration in the Asia-Pacific. Dr Clark is a member of the Institute of Professional Practices in Hertiage and the Arts (IPPHA). His research interests include Indonesia, Malaysia, migrant labour, migration flows in Southeast Asia, cultural heritage (including literature, cinema, art, popular Islamic culture). In 2013 Dr Clark is convening a research symposium at IPPHA, Labour Migration in the Asia-Pacific: Race, History and Heritage (14-15 Feb). This event is supported by grants awarded by the ANU's College of Arts and Social Sciences and the Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA) Events Funding Scheme.

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MotoGP 2010 – Malaysian GP Sepang, Malaysia – Rnd 15 of 18 3 October 2010 I have a massive backlog of articles but as I’m in the middle of sorting a move to another flat things are a bit delayed. Front row: Jorge Lorenzo starts on pole, Nicky Hayden 2nd, Andrea ‘Dovi’ Dovizioso 3rd. Dani Pedrosa is still out with an injury sustained in free practice in Japan. At the start Lorenzo gets away with a small gap, yet by the end of lap one Dovi had got side by side with him at the last corner – Lorenzo fended him off and the battle continued. Just as they were dropping the Ducatis one of them, Stoner, found himself in the gravel thus enlargening the gap between the leaders and the other Ducati of Hayden, who had about 6 bikes on his tail. Valentino Rossi had dropped from 6th to 11th at the start and immediately set about re-passing people. After just a couple of laps he was in 6th again, two laps more and he was up to 3rd! Incredible even for him, if you consider he’s still carrying an injury from earlier in the season. We’re told his leg has fully healed, his shoulder has not. Capirossi parked up and limped away, he’s still carrying an injury from a few races before. A pit report from Matt Roberts later in the race confirms he retired due to an electrical fault on his Suzuki, it wasn’t down to his injury. Dovi hassled Lorenzo for lap after lap as Rossi slowly, slowly closed in on them, before Dovizioso was able to make the move on lap 8 with a great pass! Edwards retired from 8th somewhere here. Rossi passes Lorenzo for 2nd, I don’t think Lorenzo worked TOO hard for it because he wants to secure the title in this race. In the same place one lap later Rossi takes the lead! He dove into the tight left-hander and darted away into the lead, immediately opening a little gap. Simply brilliant. Hayden slipped to the back of the fairly big pack running in the upper midfield as Spies and Simoncelli fought to head this group. Suddenly on lap 15 Dovizioso seems to come from nowhere to retake the race lead from Rossi! Half a lap later Vale retakes the place in his favourite overtaking spot. This is really fantastic stuff! Wow, great scrap between Simoncelli, Bautista, Hayden and Ayama. Bautista passed two guys in one move! It continued and Simoncelli and Aoyama bumped and bruised until they run wide (Simoncelli’s fault) allowing Hayden to pass both. Up front, Rossi and Dovi dropped Lorenzo by a big margin, the trio miles ahead of the rest. That’s how it finished. Podium: 1. Rossi, 2. Dovizioso, 3. Lorenzo. Jorge Lorenzo confirmed as 2010 MotoGP World Champion! Some guys dressed as Mario and Luigi meet him on the cooldown lap and he holds up a Game Over sign to the bike’s onboard camera! Massive cheers from the crowd, and it is a big crowd. Spies finished 4th, Bautista, Hayden, Aoyama, etc. What a stunning race. After several really boring GPs the series has regained its old form in style, well done to all concerned. Well done to both race winner Rossi and champion Lorenzo, who’s run of race wins and other podium positions were going to be incredibly hard to beat even if the opposition hadn’t struggled with injury, there’s no false title here as Lorenzo worked for every result. Lorenzo 313 (C), Pedrosa 228, Rossi 181, Stoner 180, Dovizioso 179, Spies 152 The next round is Phillip Island, Australia, for which there will be a post up in a few days. Photo credit: Andrea Dovizioso leads after passing Jorge Lorenzo, while Valentino Rossi is closing, closing, closing. (c) Getty Images via Picapp.

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Governments start to rein in ivory and rhino horn trade, give sharks and timbers better protection at wildlife trade meeting Countries, on the final day of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), capped the historic two-week meeting by deciding for the first time to initiate a process requiring countries most implicated in illicit ivory trade to clamp down on smuggling. Governments mandated China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam – the countries of highest concern in terms of their failure to clamp down on large-scale illegal ivory trade - to submit time-bound plans to deal with the problem in two months, and make progress before the next CITES meeting in summer of 2014. Under CITES rules, failure by those countries to take action could lead to a compliance process potentially resulting in sanctions being initiated. The treaty allows CITES to issue a recommendation that governments taking part in the treaty stop trading with non-compliant countries in the 35,000 species covered under the convention, from orchids to crocodile skins. “After years of inaction, governments today put those countries failing to regulate the ivory trade on watch, a move that will help stem the unfettered slaughter of thousands of African elephants,” said Carlos Drews, WWF’s head of delegation at CITES. “The gains made to better protect species here in Bangkok are a major milestone.” “But the fight to stop wildlife crime is not over,” Drews said. “These countries will now be held accountable to these pledges, and must step up the urgency in dealing with the global poaching crisis that is ravaging our wildlife.” The decisions to better regulate the ivory trade this week came after Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the opening day of the meeting announced she would shut down her country’s ivory markets. The prime minister’s pledge came after more than 1.5 million people signed petitions by WWF, Avaaz, and actor and conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio asking her to end the trading of ivory in Thailand. Governments also extended better protection to threatened rhinos by pledging to work against organized crime syndicates that are smuggling rhino horn through the black market by increasing penalties. In addition, countries adopted a plan to reduce demand for illegal wildlife products like rhino horn, which is believed wrongly to be a miracle cure in Viet Nam. Nearly 700 South African rhinos were killed by poachers last year, and nearly 150 have died thus far in 2013. Up to 30,000 elephants are lost to poaching every year. Governments also reaffirmed the stronger protections for three species of hammerhead sharks, in addition to porbeagle sharks, oceanic whitetips, and two species of manta rays. The sharks and manta rays were listed on CITES Appendix II, seeking to regulate their international trade at sustainable levels. “This is an historic moment, where science has prevailed over politics, as sharks and manta rays are being obliterated from our oceans,” Drews said. “This decision will put a major dent in the uncontrolled trade in shark meat and fins, which is rapidly destroying populations of these precious animals to feed the growing demand for luxury goods.” “These timely decisions to have trade in sharks and manta rays regulated by CITES show that governments can muster the political will to keep our oceans healthy, securing food and other benefits for generations to come – and we hope to see similar action in the future to protect other commercially exploited and threatened marine species, both at the national and international level,” Drews said. Negotiators also voted to ramp up trade regulations for several species of rosewood and ebony, which have been subjects of dangerous levels of illegal logging leading to deforestation, especially in Madagascar.

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2013-06-19T14:26:29Z

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Category Archives: Asia AirAsia Philippines will be repositioning its flight frequencies from Clark International Airport to Puerto Princesa in the Philippines. According to a media release sent to this Asia Travel blog, AirAsia Philippines will have Clark to Puerto Princesa flights from 7x weekly to 4x weekly effective 1st September 2012. This, in a business decision due to the current low season as well as part of the airline’s preparations for further growth. The AirAsia Philippines Clark – Puerto Princesa route was introduced in April as the third domestic route for Philippines’ AirAsia, after Davao and Kalibo which were introduced in March. Philippines’ AirAsia will now operate the Clark – Puerto Princesa route on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Flight timings for this route remain unaffected by this reduction of frequency. Guests who are affected by this change will be offered three options: New low cost carrier AirAsia Philippines has announced that it will soon fly from Clark International Airport to Hong Kong and to Macau. These twin launches, according to AirAsia CEO Maan Hontiveros, aims to provide more opportunity for Filipinos to have access to Hong Kong and Macau’s attractions. To commemorate the twin AirAsia Philippines launch of Clark – Hong Kong and Clark – Macau flights, AirAsia has also announced their new airfare promo. The AirAsia Philippines promo sale fares are P688 one way from Clark to Hong Kong and from only P588 one way from Clark to Macau starting 13 – 19 June 2012. Guests who will avail of this promo seats will be able to travel from 19 July to 31 January 2013. The Filipino domestic carrier launched its first international flight to Malaysia in June 9 with afternoon flights departing daily from Clark to Kuala Lumpur’s LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal).

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Results 18 to 33 of 33 05-28-2009, 07:13 AM #18 This will go thru my mind - 'Let's push my mind and body to the limit..." 05-28-2009, 08:41 PM #19 When I am facing a pro I usually think "I AM PRO-ER!!!" haha kidding =P Well the most imp thing in badminton is being calm and focused... Even a pro could lose if they are not focused and emotionally unstable... I've beaten some guys who are wayyyy better than me because they made so many mistakes due to their mood... and I've been beaten by guys worse than me because I was pissed and kept making stupid mistakes. So I guess what you need to think is... "Well... this guy has worked so hard for so long to be in his position right now... I haven't... So if I'm gonna lose it's fine... I am just going to play as mistake-free as possible and who knows he won't" 05-29-2009, 02:28 AM #20 what else would go through my head when i am facing a pro who can smash like FHF? the shuttlecock, of course. 05-29-2009, 02:48 AM #21 05-29-2009, 09:14 AM #22 When i play against pros, i try and calm myself and tell myself not to mess up and look like a fool, but it usually fails But, it's especially hard when you're playing against a pro in a tournament who you know personally. Yes, by personally, i mean by someone at school in your class and they have played every since they were a young kid when i only started a few months ago That's not very pleasant, especially when you always lose to them. But it doesn't matter now because i've got used to playing and losing against that person haha 05-30-2009, 03:51 PM #23 What goes through my mind when playing a pro? The shuttle, generally ! (((Sorry.......didn't see Kwun's post)))) blush Last edited by TheBear; 05-30-2009 at 03:54 PM. 05-30-2009, 11:21 PM #24 remain calm. whenever u started to notice ur making more unforced errors, take your time. you can try drawing or writing your name on air with your racket using your opposite common hand just to take away pressure. focus is important, but at times this is the key factor that could bring you down too. think of it like fishing, when the tension gets too high, the line breaks. as simple as that. whenever i play against someone better, i tend to calculate a strategy and look for his weak points, but if i cant find one, then i would tell my self to go back to basic eg. no fancy shots, clearing high up to his backhand shot, buy my self some time by playing longs, etc. end of the day, this is the game i love. 05-31-2009, 10:42 PM #25 "if i beat him, ill be pro" LOL 05-31-2009, 10:50 PM #26 nothing to lose and everything to gain. remember if they lose or come close to losing it will be more embarrassing for them rather then you. 05-31-2009, 11:57 PM #27 if you know you are going to lose, try even harder.be able to say that you actually tried you hardest, and you earned that score. I would prefer that my opponents remember me. even if it involves a bit of pain. 06-01-2009, 12:35 AM #28 06-01-2009, 08:11 PM #29 06-03-2009, 10:21 PM #30 Just remember pain is temporary, quitting lasts forver!!! Just go hard and make them earn every shot if you can! 06-04-2009, 12:51 AM #31 well it doesn't really matter if hes nationally ranked or not. The fact that everybody can lose is true. Who cares if hes pro that has nothing to do with you and shouldn't affect you at all. Sure those people are good but what matters most is to put your A game on and think about their weakness. Win or lose it doesn't really matter, you will at least gain the experience of playing somebody better than you and losing only makes people better. Hope you win! jiayo! 06-04-2009, 08:14 AM #32 What went through my head was 'Hey I just beat an Olympic medallist with my dro...aaagh! He got it back again!' What I really couldn't figure out was why his average club player partner refused to take the opportunity to play the shuttle to my partner, a former top junior. 06-05-2009, 06:10 AM #33 Hmm...do you really remain that calm and positive if u are really in a match with a pro with a big population of spectators, esp ones that make a big ruckus out of every point? I would like to remain calm and positive too but my personal experience is that, I get a bit embarrassed when I cannot even earn the points my opponent clearly has handicapped (for showoffs or whatever reasons). Post-mortem analysis, yeah, remain calm and nothing to lose as an underdog. But during the match....can't help it. By charliebadders in forum Techniques / TrainingReplies: 11: 05-19-2010, 08:03 PM By amenzza in forum Techniques / TrainingReplies: 8: 02-23-2008, 06:41 PM By Daisuke in forum Techniques / TrainingReplies: 27: 01-07-2008, 05:14 PM By chemile in forum Singapore Open / Malaysia Open / Chinese Taipei Open 2006Replies: 5: 06-12-2006, 09:51 AM By kwun in forum Olympics ATHENS 2004Replies: 1: 08-08-2004, 11:39 PM

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Results 1 to 6 of 6 06-23-2011, 08:14 PM #1 Wong Choong Hann / Lee Wan Wah at Manadrin Wow !! Wong Choong Hann and Lee Wan Wah from Malaysia are coming in August to conduct HP camp at the Mandarin B.C plus an exhibition too !! These 2 world class badminton stars are one of the best menís doubles and singles players in the world respectively, what a rare opportunity !! Wong Choong Hann - Menís Singles Peak World Ranking: #1 Lee Wan Wah - Menís Doubles Peak World Ranking: #2 08-17-2011, 03:24 PM #2 Though the game didn't start till 8 pm, it was a fun night. Attendance was great. Both WCH and LWW are friendly and easy going. Each of them only had 2 games each, if we could see more action that would be better. Hope those who signed up with their training camp have a good time. 08-17-2011, 04:23 PM #3 Agree with mb111. It was a fun night! The auditorium was filled to capacity; I think we must have had more than 400 paying peole in attendance. The organisers also had around 30 volunteers who made sure everything went off very, very smoothly. Of course, WCH and LWW were the star attraction, but we also got to see youngsters like Nyl Yakura and Sergey Shatenko in action, and they were very impressive! Brittney Tam, the 2011 Junior national champion was a revelation: she is so thin that you hold your breath; but she flies on the court, dominates the net, and packs a mean punch when she needs to! Where does she get that power from?? Technique, technique, technique. I finally appreciated the truth in this when I saw this little girl in action. The players all had an infectious joy, and it affected everyone who was there; and we had a real fun time. Wong Choong Hann was always smiling and laughing, chatting with anyone and everyone; no airs, no ego! He was approachable to everyone, and made space and time for everyone. These international players have such a busy schedule, and yet, I could see how genuine they were with sharing their time with everyone who had come to see them. Lee Wan Wah was also the same. These guys are really great! Andika Young, a former Indonesia Junior player, was also a part of the group that gave us some great games and tricky shots, for the capacity crowd to go "ooohh!" and "aaaahhh!" every now and then! So was the evergreen Brian Prevoe, a former member of the national team. All in all, an evening to remember... Last edited by cobalt; 08-17-2011 at 04:30 PM. Reason: typo 08-17-2011, 08:51 PM #4 I think the crowd number could be easily 600 and more. Must say the organizer did a good job based on the number of turn out. I didn't see any retailer setting up a booth there, maybe they are no co-sponsors. Now, the next question is when and how soon will we get to see more of these international players in TO? 08-17-2011, 10:10 PM #5 How about hosting Canadian Open in Toronto next year? Or draw more international players to compete in Toronto Open? 09-15-2011, 05:40 AM #6 By Bbn in forum Malaysia Professional PlayersReplies: 116: 05-13-2012, 10:40 AM By alexkho in forum Badminton Rackets / EquipmentReplies: 14: 08-02-2008, 03:08 PM By dimitri in forum Malaysia Professional PlayersReplies: 96: 07-17-2008, 09:17 AM By huangkwokhau in forum Sudirman Cup 2007Replies: 3: 05-25-2007, 04:48 AM By Josh in forum General ForumReplies: 2: 10-07-2001, 12:17 PM

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The ISC is a constantly developing encyclopaedic resource containing: Datasheets on over 1500 invasive species and animal diseases Basic datasheets on further species, countries, habitats and pathways Bibliographic database of over 75,000 records (updated weekly) Full text documents (updated weekly) Country datasheets now include lists of species and animal diseases and can be found on the Basic Datasheets tab Datasheets on Pathway causes (reasons for introduction/spread) and Pathway vectors (physical means of introduction/spread) have been added to the browse tree Please help us improve the Compendium by completing our User Questionnaire Notes on the Occurrence of Amphiprion (Perciformes: Pomacentridae) in Peninsular Malaysia. Palaniappan, S. S.; Siti Azizah, M. N.; Yusuf, Y. Asian Fisheries Science 2003 Vol. 16 pp. 235-240 Language of Text

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WELCOME TO CASA DEL MAR, LANGKAWI The heart of Casa del Mar's (Spanish for 'Home by the sea') philosophy is to tailor a unique experience around individual guests, providing them with a tranquil hideaway. (Google Map) Offering sea view accommodation in Langkawi for all, beachside dining options, Spa facilities & water sports, the 34 room Casa del Mar Langkawi is the perfect oasis for travellers looking for a private and peaceful retreat in Langkawi, Malaysia. Casa del Mar is located on the island of Langkawi, north-west of Peninsula Malaysia. Pulau Langkawi or Langkawi Island is the biggest of this group of 99 magical islands which are on the doorstep just waiting to be explored. Your home by the sea, Casa del Mar, sits on the island's lovely Pantai Cenang beach, only 10 minutes drive from the Langkawi airport and within walking distance to local cafés and restaurants offering unique opportunity for dining in Langkawi. All other islands attractions are within an hour's ride of this Langkawi resort At this Langkawi resort, Casa del Mar Langkawi presents a wide array of dining options that include the sun-kissed patio breakfasts, Lazy deck chair lunches, Pool Bar Sunsets and moonlit beachside dinners. After savoring the tasty food, you can retire at the Wine and Cigar Room. A UNESCO World Geopark site, Langkawi is a tranquil destination with a tropical beach setting. Guests will find a group of 99 islands waiting to be explored. There are so many activities in Langkawi to try out, and habitats rich in wildlife and flora perfect for a nature walk. Naturally Langkawi... News & Updates 1 Mar 2012 Enewsletter 2012 - Spring Summer Issue Spring Summer 2012 issue 1 Nov 2011 Enewsletter 2011 - Winter Issue Winter 2011 issue

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|Silver Hair Programme The Government of Malaysia welcome Senior Citizens, Pensioners along with the spouses from all over the world (except nationals of Israel and Yugoslavia), to stay in Malaysia on a long term year-to-year basis for 5 years initially and followed by an extension of stay for another year-to-year basis for the next subsequent 5 years. This programme is not a pre-condition to a Permanent resident Applicants must be 50 years and above. However, age of spouse Applicants with spouse, must derive pension(s) or royalties or other income of not less than RM10,000.00 per month. Single applicant - pension or royalties or income of RM7,000 per month. Applicants with spouse - in possession of savings of RM150,000.00 Single Applicant - in possession of savings of RM1000,000.00 (Savings to be transferred to a local bank or financial institutions and applicant(s) must maintain the income or savings when renewing their Visit Pass annuall). Medical Coverage / Insurance Applicants must possess medical coverage/insurance applicable in Malaysia. In case of person of old age refused insurance coverage by an insurance company, this requirement is optional. (provide Nationals of countries thet require visa to enter Malaysia will be granted a visa in Malaysia if the application is successful. This will be followed by the issuance of a year-to-year Visit Pass. Restrictions On Employment Applicants issued Visit Passes under the Silver-Hair Programme, are not allowed to participate in any form of employment. Taking part in volunteer organizations in accordance with the government Submission Of Applications Applications must be submitted to the: Malaysia Immigration Department Headquarters Block I, Level 4, Pusat Bandar Damansara, Sponsors for these applications must either be Malaysian citizens or Permanent residents of Malaysia. Applicants already in the country are permitted to apply provided their Passis are valid. Acquiring the services of any agent, middleman or a consultant firm (inclusive of a legal firm) is strictly prohibited. All applications must be completed by local sponsor and submitted personally and directly to the Immigration Department. - Letter of application or a covering memo. - Two (2) copies of IMM12 (application from for Visit Pass) - Personal Bond duly signed by the sponsor and stamp dutied by the Stamp Hudy Office Personal Bond is available at the Immigration - Two (2) passport sied photographs of applicants and spouse. - Photocopies of applicant and spouse Passport / Travel Documents. - Marriage certificates (if accompanied by spouse). - A certified copy of applicants Bank's statement. - A certified copy of medical insurance policy. - A certified copy of sponsors Malaysian identity card. - Other supporting documents (if any). All applications will be received and processed within a time frame of 14 working days. The fee for one year Visit Pass Social is RM90.00. The fee for visa will be based on the existing bilateral agreement of visa fees between the two contracting countries.

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Recent Event Highlights: Iraq Surge in Neo-Con Imagination: The Myth That Kills - Palestine Chronicle, The âFâ word: Feminism in Islam - Religion Dispatches (blog), Pink Elephants Upset 1970's Feminism - World News Heard now, Who qualifies to be a governor? Most definitely not the old guard - Daily Nation, NY Neo-Futurists Present (un)afraid At The Living Theater, Opens 10/14 - Broadway World, Napolitano to Disillusioned Latinos: 'Your Voice is Your Vote, Man' - ABC News (blog), and 126 more... Created by dipity on Jul 8, 2009 Last updated: 10/09/10 at 05:25 AM Neo Human has no followers yet. Be the first one to follow. Palestine ChronicleIraq Surge in Neo-Con Imagination: The Myth That KillsPalestine ChronicleAnyone paying the slightest attention to the human condition is awash in âunpleasant thoughtsâ each and every day. Understand again that this denialism or ...and more » The second great migration to new mediaSalon... get a quote from a neo-Nazi -- and they grasp better than their old-media editors do that human voice is the heart of story-telling. ...and more » The âFâ word: Feminism in IslamReligion Dispatches (blog)Let me start with the definition of feminism that I am most comfortable with: feminism is the radical idea that women are human beings. ...and more » Anal Penetrations and Some Strange Doings in MiamiVillage Voice... at least into a neo-modernist, minimalist mirage. In precincts where money is scarce, however, objects and bodies remain central to human existence. ... World News Heard nowPink Elephants Upset 1970's FeminismWorld News Heard nowThe movement was about equality on a human level, and equal opportunity. The true difference between Paleo-Feminists and Neo-Feminists rests on the attitude ... Who qualifies to be a governor? Most definitely not the old guardDaily Nation... vision â to facilitate the development of a human rights state in Kenya by overhauling the neo-colonial state established by the British and sustained ...and more » NY Neo-Futurists Present (un)afraid At The Living Theater, Opens 10/14Broadway WorldTell us why you fear your fellow human being. The New York Neo-Futurists' Fall 2010 horror show and fear experiment, (un)afraid, celebrates and examines the ... Napolitano to Disillusioned Latinos: 'Your Voice is Your Vote, Man'ABC News (blog)This new crop of neo-leftists (socialists) are as slick as they come, man! As slick as they come! "Man"? "Dude"? Like far out man, dig it. ...and more » Why do we do the things that we do?IPE.com... over-reliance on rules of thumb and human emotion. Unlike neo-classical economists, who attribute the market anomalies to poorly specified models or ... The myth of growthAsia Times OnlineAdd the fact that the first few specimens of enhanced man would be in a tiny minority of the human/neo-human race, and it becomes clear that any ... Pakistan needs to focus on studies on earthquakes: expertsDaily TimesHe said currently only 20 percent faculty in Pakistani universities has PHD degrees therefore human resource development is a prime concern for the HEC. ...QAU WORKSHOPThe News Internationalall 3 news articles » Gates' Misguided Defense Budget CutsFrumForumOr are we all now neo-isolationists and libertarians who slavishly follow the siren songs of Pat Buchanan, Glenn Beck and Ron Paul? We're about to find out, ...and more » PRI's The WorldWorld Books Interview: Nino Ricci and 'The Origin of Species'PRI's The WorldIt is closely connected to Social Darwinism, what in the 1980s we called the rise of Neo-Conservatism. Ironically, this approach was a resurgence of the ... UPDATED: Democrats attack McDonnell's selection of Malek as government reform ...Washington Post (blog)Two open-ended Mideast wars, Twin Towers still a hole in the ground and smudge marks still visible on the Pentagon as Zionist Neo-cons still have a death ...and more » Surprising Way Your Neanderthal Genes May Affect YouHuffington Post (blog)... ancient genetic relics from modern human's brief tryst with the Neanderthals, will a neo-genocide occur through quiet but selective genetic screening? ...and more » Music Review: The Flaming Lips - EmbryonicBlogcritics.org (blog)With their twelfth studio LP, neo-psychedelia band The Flaming Lips have again received widespread attention for their work. Embryonic is the first double ...and more » Drive-By Truckers emphasize stirring new materialReutersBecause "The Big To-Do" is easily the group's best record since 2004's neo-classic "The Dirty South." And the new ones fit in like standards Friday, ...and more » Natural News.comRaw milk battle reveals FDA abandonment of basic human right to choose your foodNatural News.comYou are a slave, Neo. The "substantive due process" clause of the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution, however, assures people of this right when it ...and more » The Guardianâą Mugabe fights Tsvangirai over priorities while the country burnsSunday StandardMugabe was attending the other conference to denounce âwestern neo-colonialsmâ while at the other meeting, Tsvangirai was looking for ways to invite those ...British, MDC-T hypocrisy exposedThe Zimbabwe Guardianall 58 news articles » Gamer fights to save the worldSudbury Star... Charlie's mentor and the creator of STAN (JP Manoux), his trusty android sidekick, whose name is an acronym for "Sentient Tactical Assisting Neohuman. ... DJ Psykelo, psychedelic DJ at Morphonic rec from 2007 presents his first CD compilation, Psykorigid. He has built this compilation like the 9 steps of a sonic travel around the different spheres of psychedelic sounds : from the forest sound of Greece with Dark Elf, Stranger and Double Trouble to the mental psychedelic Macedonian projects of Blisargon Demogorgon, Phobos Azazel and Abandoned Noise. Then, the travel continue and Coma Sector and Antagon will push you irresistibly toward the dancefloor ! The French project from Morphonic records, Noise Cycle, will conclude this night journey and will bring you the psychedelic side of the morning sun. I OWN NOTHING! Song: Human Frontier Artist(s): Neo Country: Sweden Written by: Tobias Jonsson, Anneli Axelsson Download Links: Coming soon... REUPLOADED BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL UPLOAD WAS CUT OFF AT 0:44! So I decided to make some remixes of this year's Eurovision entries, as I do every year. This is the first time that I'm uploading them onto Youtube, though. First up is Neo's "Human Frontier". It was an entry in the Swedish national final to elect our entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, Melodifestivalen. Sadly, it did not even make it to the final. I like it too much not to make a remix of it, however. Like with most of my Quaca-Quinstru YunaMixes, I used utagoe to remove the music from the 1st verse and 1st refrain and then just did a lot of fancy cut and pasting for the rest. Then I had the instrumental for the 1st verse and 1st refrain played, followed by the Main Version (with singing) of the 2nd verse and 2nd refrain, then that same part in instrumentals followed by the rest where I alternated between the vocalized and instrumental versions of the song. The setup is identical to that of "Headlines"' and "In a Moment Like This"'. Also, don't expect to see a YunaMix of the Swedish entry, ever. I hate it with a passion. Enjoy! My Top 10 of Melodifestivalen 2010: 1. Darin - YouÂŽre Out Of My Life (Real Winner for me) 2. Anna Bergendahl - This Is My Life 3. Eric Saade - Manboy 4. Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt 5. NEO - Human Frontier 6. Timoteij - Kom 7. Pauline - Sucker For Love 8. Alcazar - Headlines 9. Sibel - Stop 10. Crucified Barbara - Heaven or Hell Here i show you my personal firefox personas favorits ;) 10. Facepunch addons.mozilla.org 9. Twilight Edward addons.mozilla.org 8.Golden gate bridge www.getpersonas.com 7.Adidas Logo addons.mozilla.org 6.The Simpsons addons.mozilla.org 5.Vista Fox_Yellow addons.mozilla.org 4.Vancouver Winter Olympics addons.mozilla.org 3.LOL Face addons.mozilla.org 2.NEO Apple addons.mozilla.org 1.Monster Energy addons.mozilla.org If the links are broken pm me! Song: NEO Human frontier and DJ Raaban drop the base! Hope you enjoyed! More comming soon :D //Zombiproduction Neo "Human Frontier" This video is approved by Neo's management.Check our profile for more information or visit us here: Website: www.gratisistockholm.nu Facebook www.facebook.com Myspace: www.myspace.com Twitter: twitter.com Mobile: www.gratisistockholm.nu Videoblog: gratisistockholm.blogspot.com We will delete video clips immediately if artists, bands or record companies asks us. Please mail us at firstname.lastname@example.org regarding copyright issues. Thanks in advance! GRATIS I STOCKHOLM Neo official website: www.neomusic.se From the album Human Frontier (2010) 01. Higher 02. Human Frontier 03. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing 04. Flower Power Supergirl 05. Silver Lining 06. Born To This World 07. Shadow Dancer 08. Stars Are Calling 09. Don't You Worry 10. Play the Song 11. A Million Miles 12. Bachelor 13. Wonderful Place 14. Won't Surrender OmgĂ„ng 1: Kalle Moraeus & Orsa SpelmĂ€n vs NEO. Winner: Kalle Moraeus & Orsa SpelmĂ€n. NEO - Human Frontier - Andra Chansen HD Neo ute trĂ„kit! Neo - human frontier in sweden (eurovision song contest 2010) Neo - human frontier (melodifestivalen 2010) neo - Human Frontier live kan inte fatta att han Ă„kte ut ur andra chansen det Ă€r beviset pĂ„ att svenska folket inte bry sig om vem som gĂ„r vidare till finnalen vad tycker du borde han gĂ„tt vidare? KOMMENTERA Finns nu pĂ„ Itunes! Now available on Itunes! Live Melodifestivalen 2010 Text & musik: Tobias Jonsson, Anneli Axelsson DonÂŽt forget to Subscribe! Why're we waiting? Neo melodifestivalen 2010 deltĂ€vling 4 Neo , Human Frontier , Melodifestivalen 2010 en HD Neo deltĂ€vling 4 melodifestivalen 2010 DeltĂ€vling 4: Malmö Semi Final 4 PĂłĆfinaĆ 4 Till Andra chansen To "Second Chance" Han e bĂ€st!! borde ta sig till final Text & musik: Tobias Jonsson, Anneli Axelsson Singer: Neo Song: Human Frontier Melodifestivalen 2010 Semfinal 4 Neo sjunger Human Frontier i Melodifestivalen 2010 I DONT OWN ANYTHING, ALL RIGHTS GOES TO SVT! NEO med lĂ„ten Human Frontier, en andra chansen deltagare Detta Ă€r bara lĂ„ten och en bild, inget klipp pĂ„ framtrĂ€dandet. Och ja, DETTA ĂR DEN RIKTIGA! Release On 4.3.2010 For Singapore,Brunei And Malaysia Being Human ćäșșMovie Releasing 4 March 2010. Jack Neo's movie Being Human ćäșștrailer. Movie releasing 4 March. Featuring Mark Lee, Yeo Yann Yann, Taiwan Nono. Comedy. Concept: www.maboroshi.eu The intro of a video that has to give 14/15 year old students a view on the futere and the things they have to think about. This video has to make sure they can create an own opinion about Neohumans and their pro's and cons www.martijnhouben.com NSR002 Santiago Nino - Neo Human EP New School Recordings second release shocks listeners with a huge 2 track EP which showcases both melodic progressive sounds, and massive electro-tech. Columbia born producer Santiago Nino shows us that dance music has no need for genre boundaries. This is what New School is all about. www.newschoolrecordings.com http buy here: www.beatport.com

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on Japan to capitalize on the economic benefits of air transport by improving the sector’s competitiveness. “I am a Japan optimist. And in the case of aviation, these last few years have seen some of the most promising changes in Japanese air transport,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO. Tyler’s remarks to the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan highlighted the opportunities that are being created with the introduction of new capacity into the long-under-served Tokyo market as well as market liberalization. Japanese aviation comprises the world’s third largest domestic market, about 5.5% of global traffic and 11% of global industry revenues. “Japan is important to global air transport. And air transport is critical to Japan. Could this island nation have grown to be the world’s third largest economy without effective air links? The answer is no. In fact, there is no clearer example of the aviation industry being a catalyst for economic growth than Japan where it provides vital—irreplaceable—links to global markets. But I believe that aviation could be an even more powerful force in Japan’s economy,” said Tyler. An Oxford Economics study revealed that aviation has a significant footprint in the Japanese economy, supporting 0.7% of GDP (JPY 3.135 trillion) and 0.7% of the Japanese workforce (429,000 jobs). Including aviation’s contribution to tourism, the figures rise to 1.0% of GDP (JPY 4.501 trillion) and 1.0% of the workforce (620,000 jobs). Comparing the impact of aviation on the Republic of Korea’s (Korea) economy to that of Japan illustrates the potential for aviation to play an even larger role as an economic catalyst in Japan. “In Korea, air transport and related tourism activities support 2.2% of GDP and about 2.1% of the workforce. So, aviation has twice the impact on the Korean economy as it has in Japan. Aviation has the potential to deliver many more benefits in Japan,” said Tyler. Tyler focused on two findings from the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report to illustrate the need to focus on strengthening competitiveness: - Visa Requirements: When analyzing the number of countries granted visa-free entry, Japan ranked in 76th place while Korea ranked at sixth place alongside Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. “This is a big handicap if Japan is to make its ambitious target to increase inbound tourism to some nine million visitors this year with an emphasis on attracting international meetings,” said Tyler. - Cost Competitiveness: Of the 139 countries in the WEF rankings, Japan ranked at 106 on airport charges and ticket taxes while Korea was 33rd. This corresponds to a Leigh and Fisher benchmarking survey of airport charges which found Kansai International Airport to be the second most expensive airport in the world and Narita to be the sixth most expensive. The leakage of domestic transit traffic to hubs outside of Japan illustrates the impact of Japan’s high cost environment. While approximately 1.4 million travelers make domestic/international connections at Narita annually, about 500,000 use Seoul’s Incheon airport as their transit point. “This is just one illustration that the negative impact of high costs on the aviation business in Japan is real and measurable. At a time when Narita is struggling to utilize capacity, it can ill-afford the lost business,” said Tyler. “There are opportunities for positive change. The New Kansai International Airport Company—the merged entity managing Itami and Kansai—is also focused on improving its competitiveness by reducing costs. Narita is clearly feeling the competition from Haneda. And cost-efficient infrastructure will be an even more important driver of the success of the many point-to-point airlines that it is trying to attract, than it is for the network carriers,” said Tyler. “As an initial goal, I urge Narita airport to permanently reduce landing charges to the 2009 discounted level while retaining rental reductions,” said Tyler. In 2005, Narita reduced landing charges by 11%. Further reductions in landing and rental charges were granted in 2009 on a temporary basis until March 2011. While rental reductions have been retained, landing charges were increased back to levels of the 2005 agreement. “It would be great news for aviation—and the Japanese economy—if none of Japan’s airports were on the top 10 most expensive airports list by my next visit. Everyone who lives, works or does business in Japan should have an interest in this. Japan’s main airports are its gateway to the world. Cost-efficiently facilitating that basic connectivity will help to make all of Japan more competitive,” said Tyler. Comment on Japan Airlines Re-Listing Speaking on the same day as Japan Airlines re-listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Tyler made the following comment: “I wish Japan Airlines well. JAL’s rehabilitation is a reminder of the resilience of the aviation industry. The government and all involved should be congratulated for a quick process. The challenge now is ensure a fair and equal opportunity for all Japanese carriers to be successful.”

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/article/135675/strengthening-japans-aviation-competitiveness-reducing-cost-of-infrastructure

2013-06-19T14:19:50Z

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en

Need some work done? Post a Project Today Attention Scriptlance users, Scriptlance has been acquired by Freelancer.com! Find out more Need assistance with german english translation technical words? Outsource it today! Post a project for german english translation technical words freelancers to bid on, or directly hire one of the top freelancers below. |ID||Project Name||Description||Bids||Skills||Started||Ends||Price (USD)||type| |Project Name||Description||Bids||Skills||Started||Ends||Price (USD)| |Need German writer for German blog..... Need only native German,, I would need 100% quality work 100%...for 500 words***** Happy Bid ....||2||Copywriting, Blog, Articles, Article Rewriting||Jun 19, 2013||Today||$32| |...pages from English into Portuguese. The English text will be available in Excel format (see attachment) which... This translation must be done by human and NO software service of any kind should be use !! Payment...approval of translation which may take maximum 5 days. If everything worked out well, further similar jobs||25||Translation||Jun 13, 2013||Jun 13, 2013Ends - 2d 7h||$87| |...Indonesia - English, English - Bahasa Indonesia, Japan - Indonesia.||8||Translation||Jun 14, 2013||Jun 14, 2013Ends - 2d 14h||$183| |...require the English content "http://punditjunction.com/me" on this page to be translated into Arabic||8||Translation, Arabic||Jun 19, 2013||Today||$39| |...need a translation of 25000 symbols from English to Igbo. Topic: dating website, word file is provided||2||Translation||Jun 17, 2013||Jun 17, 2013Ends - 6d 4h||$99| |...Translated from English The total pages numbers are 62 (English and Malayalam) You are required to proofread...proofread the translation, Gramer, and Spelling Enjoy bidding||16||Proofreading, Malay, Malayalam||Jun 18, 2013||Today||$162| |...blog in German about 10 articles per month The main thematic is mobile telecommunication. Some of...550 -650 words.||6||Copywriting, Blog, Article Rewriting, German||Jun 14, 2013||Jun 14, 2013Ends - 2d 20h||$79| |...(4500 words) from English to french in 2 days||15||Translation||Jun 13, 2013||Jun 13, 2013Ends - 17h 9m||$109| |...specific technical topics and require a detailed knowledge or strong research skills. Experience of... English must be perfect, so native English speakers or those with English at equivalent level (if...written in a technical magazine/blog style. Although these articles are written for a client we’re focused on||18||Technical Writing, Articles||Jun 19, 2013||Today||$64| |...need a translation of 25000 symbols from English to Yoruba . Topic: dating website, word file is provided||1||Translation||Jun 17, 2013||Jun 17, 2013Ends - 6d 5h||$61| |...need a translation of 25000 symbols from English to Zulu. Topic: dating website, word file is provided||1||Translation||Jun 17, 2013||Jun 17, 2013Ends - 6d 5h||$144| |...Requirements: German as a first language, Fluent English. Basic computer literacy (familiarity with MS Excel||0||Telemarketing, Sales, Marketing, Leads||Jun 14, 2013||Jun 14, 2013Ends - 3d 10h||-| |...need a translation of 25000 symbols from English to Kiswahili . Topic: dating website, word file is provided||0||Translation||Jun 17, 2013||Jun 17, 2013Ends - 6d 5h||-| |...need a translation of 25000 symbols from English to Tatar . Topic: dating website, word file is provided||2||Translation||Jun 17, 2013||Jun 17, 2013Ends - 6d 4h||$107| |...translated from English to Norwegian. Should be a very easy task and doable within 10 minutes. Thanks.||8||Translation, Article Rewriting, Norwegian||Jun 19, 2013||Today||$4| |...Russian to English. Please bid with final price for work done and terms.||27||Translation, Russian, English (US)||Jun 13, 2013||Jun 13, 2013Ends - 21h 59m||$84| |...of 1800 words to translate to Spanish. It comes from web application offering a live tutoring whiteboard||29||Translation||Jun 16, 2013||Jun 16, 2013Ends - 4d 16h||$75| |...(possibly also translation work if you are interested).||4||Norwegian, Translation, Voice Talent||Jun 18, 2013||Jun 18, 2013Ends - 6d 21h||$339| |...need a translation of 25000 symbols from English to Afrikaans . Topic: dating website, word file is provided||4||Translation||Jun 17, 2013||Jun 17, 2013Ends - 6d 5h||$121| Post your project & select freelancers for the project to the freelancer Get started now - It's quick and easy! Freelancer ® is a registered Trademark of Freelancer Technology Pty Limited (ACN 142 189 759)

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http://www.freelancer.com/work/german-english-translation-technical-words/4/

2013-06-19T14:38:16Z

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en

Chevrolet Continues Domestic and Regional Sales Momentum Fri, Aug 10 2012 - Chevrolet posts best “July performance” ever with 6,148 vehicles sold; 2nd highest monthly total in 2012 - J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2012 Thailand Customer Service Index (CSI) Study ranks Chevrolet 2nd among nine brands - Chevrolet has positive Year-on-Year (YOY) market share growth in Southeast Asian (SEA) markets Bangkok, Thailand - Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) started the 3rd quarter of 2012 with its best July performance ever. The Chevrolet Colorado continues to spearhead growth alongside an expanding product lineup fueled by the introduction of the Chevrolet Sonic Sedan. In Thailand, Chevrolet sold 6,148 vehicles last July, bringing it to a Year-to-Date (YTD) total of 38,437 vehicles; the YTD total represents a 114 percent growth when compared to the same period in 2011. Chevrolet’s July mark of 6,148 is the second time that the brand has surpassed the 6,000-unit mark, and is the 2nd highest monthly sales performance since establishing a high of 6,301 vehicles in March. A testament to Chevrolet’s emphasis on world-class quality and customer care service operations came in the guise of the highly acclaimed J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2012 Thailand CSI Study which saw Chevrolet improve by 36 index points from last year to a score of 851 for a second-place ranking, only three points behind the leading brand. As the most improved brand in this study, Chevrolet scored particularly well in service initiation and service quality categories. Meanwhile, Chevrolet topped CSI rankings in the Philippines for the second year in a row. “Our customer care service operation has proven itself by virtue of the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2012 Thailand CSI Study rankings. Chevrolet continues to grow its business as July sales represented a 9.6% increase over June this year. The Colorado also continues to be our bread and butter as it accounts for over half of our total sales,” said Antonio Zara, Vice-President of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, GM Thailand/SEA and Chevrolet Sales Thailand. Chevrolet sold 3,409 Colorados in July 2012, followed by the Captiva and the Cruze which sold 970 and 790 units respectively. The new Trailblazer which recently started customer deliveries last month has already contributed to sales figures with 708 units. Adding volume and confidence to the Chevrolet lineup is the widely acclaimed Sonic which will prove its mettle via August customer deliveries and contribute to the future growth of the Chevrolet brand. Regional markets for Chevrolet saw respective market share gains across the board starting with Singapore (10.8 percent market share, +5.7 percentage points), Brunei (4.1 percent, +2.7 pts), Thailand (5.2 percent, +1.4 pts), Philippines (2.3 percent, +0.7 pts) and Malaysia (0.4 percent, +0.1 pts). Total vehicle sales for Chevrolet in the SEA markets was 7,427 vehicles in July, a 100.9% increase when compared to the same month last year; while the YTD or seven-month total of 261,668 vehicles represents a 13.8 percent increase when compared to the same period last year. “The outlook for Chevrolet in the SEA region is positive,” Zara added. Note: For further information on the JD Power Asia Pacific CSI Study click into the following link http://autos.jdpower.com/content/press-release/6bkAMDi/2012-thailand-customer-service-index-csi-study.htm About Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) Limited Chevrolet Sales Thailand (Chevrolet) Limited was established on January 1, 2000, as a subsidiary of General Motors, one of the largest automakers in the world. The first vehicle introduced was the Chevrolet Zafira, the first multipurpose vehicle (MPV) launched in the Thai market. Today, Chevrolet has a comprehensive range of vehicles, including the Sonic, Aveo CNG, Cruze, Captiva, Colorado and Trailblazer. Chevrolet is committed to offering the best cars and trucks to its customers in terms of quality, performance and fuel economy. The company is equally committed to ensuring second-to-none aftersales service for its customers, backed by a growing dealer network in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com. View Terms & Conditions PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS SITE THIS WEB SITE (THE "SITE") IS PROVIDED BY GM FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. BY USING THE SITE, OR BY DOWNLOADING MATERIALS FROM THIS SITE, YOU AGREE TO ABIDE AND BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED BELOW AND ELSEWHERE WITHIN THE SITE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ABIDE BY AND BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, DO NOT USE THIS SITE OR DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FROM THE SITE. LINKS TO OTHER MATERIALS: As a convenience to you, GM may provide on this Site links to Web sites (the "linked sites") that are operated by other entities. The linked sites are not under the control of GM and GM is not responsible for the content of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site. GM reserves the right to terminate any link or linking program at any time. GM does not endorse companies or products to which it links and reserves the right to note as such on its Web pages. If you decide to access any of the third party sites linked to this Site, you do this entirety at your own risk and it is your responsibility to take all protective measures to guard against viruses or other destructive elements. APPLICABLE LAWS: This Site is controlled by GM from its offices within the United States of America. GM makes no representation that information in this Site is appropriate or available for use in other locations, and access to this Site from countries or territories where the Site's content is illegal is prohibited. If you access this Site from outside the United States, you do so on your own initiative and you are responsible for compliance with all applicable local laws. These Terms and Conditions of use are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its conflict of laws provisions. 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GM MAY MAKE ANY OTHER CHANGES TO THIS SITE AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS SITE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. IN NO EVENT SHALL GM OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF INFORMATION OR PROGRAMS OR OTHER DATA ON YOUR INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM) THAT ARE RELATED TO THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, THE CONTENT, MATERIALS, AND FUNCTIONS OF THIS SITE OR ANY LINKED WEB SITE, EVEN IF GM IS EXPRESSLY ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. On this website, our use of the words "expect," "anticipate," "possible," "potential," "target," "believe," "commit," "intend," "continue," "may," "would," "could," "should," "project," "projected," "positioned" or similar expressions is intended to identify forward-looking statements that represent our current judgment about possible future events. We believe these judgments are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any events or financial results, and our actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors. Among other items, such factors might include: our ability to realize production efficiencies and to achieve reductions in costs as a result of our restructuring initiatives and labor modifications; our ability to maintain quality control over our vehicles and avoid material vehicle recalls; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources and an appropriate level of debt, including as required to fund our planning significant investment in new technology; our ability to realize successful vehicle applications of new technology; and our ability to continue to attract new customers, particularly for our new products. GM's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q provide information about these and other factors, which we may revise or supplement in future reports to the SEC.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.gm.com/content/gmcom/home/company/investors/latest-news/news_detail_page.content_pages_news_th_en_2012_aug_0810_july_sales.~content~gmcom~home~company~investors.html

2013-06-19T06:01:19Z

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en

The official language of the congress is English. Selected workshops will take place in French. Simultaneous translation from English to German will be available in selected sessions. Clothing is informal for all occasions. A commercial and professional exhibition will take place during the congress. Berlin enjoys pleasant, sunny summers when days are long and temperatures can sometimes exceed 86F (30C), particularly in July and August. However the summer months are also unpredictable, and odd days can rapidly change from sunshine to cloud. July and August are considered to be the warmest and the wettest months in the seasonal cycle in Berlin. The time zone in Berlin is Central European Time (CET) (GMT +1 hour), and six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST). Berlin has two main international city airports - Tegel (TXL) and Schönefeld (SXF). Schönefeld airport is located approximately 18 km from the city center. Taxi fares to the city are around €35. Alternatively you can take the Aiport Express to Ku'damm (30 minutes journey). All participants must submit a completed registration form. Hotel accommodation at special congress rates are offered to participants. All participants are recommended to have personal travel and health insurance for their visit to Berlin. The official currency in Germany is the Euro (€). Where restaurants exclude service it is usual to add 5 to 10%. Porters, hair dressers and taxi drivers expect a small tip. Citizens of other European Union countries need only a valid national ID to enter Germany. Citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the United States, and several other countries need a valid passport and can stay for up to 90 days without a visa. Most other nationalities must have a passport and valid visa. We recommend that you check with your travel agent before you confirm your travel.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.ifbls-dvta2012.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=65

2013-06-19T14:25:58Z

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en

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 Bomull became roman Materials: Ikea Bomull bedspread Description: I needed FIVE panels (big and small) of roman blinds for my bedroom, and those upscale textured and nice upholstery fabrics are out of my current budget set for window dressing...so I remembered my favourite unbleached cotton from Ikea....the BOMULL bedspread! With the perfect width and length, these fit into my budget perfectly. After one whole day of sewing, it's my 1st attempt at roman blinds by the way, thus I am not familiar with it..much..... I have 3 small windows and 1 extra wide extra large window dressed in zen.... I even had some extrasss....not much, but enough to make a twirly skirt for my 4.5 year old :D See more of Joey's Bomull roman blinds. ~ Joey, Malaysia

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.ikeahackers.net/2010/06/bomull-became-roman.html

2013-06-19T14:37:44Z

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en

Friends Of Bukit Kiara (FoBK), the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and the Trail Association Of Kuala Lumpur And Selangor (TRAKS) holds a dialogue with the two GE13 candidates for the Segambut parliamentary seats, Lim Li Peng and Jayanthi Devi Balaguru, whereas they will pledge to gazette Bukit Kiara once elected. The planned destruction of Bukit Kiara by JLN, DBKL and Berjaya Candidate Lim Li Peng (Democratic Action Party) Makes Green Pledge To Save Bukit Kiara As Permanent Forest Reserve Candidate Jayanthi Devi Balaguru (Barisan Nasional) Makes Also A Green Pledge To Save Bukit Kiara As Permanent Forest Reserve Former French President Jacques Chirac, was quoted saying “A politician’s promises only bind those who believe them.” People of Segambut, it’s up to you to engage now and prove this is wrong. “There is no greater calamity than to under-estimate the strength of your enemy. For to under-estimate the strength of your enemy is to lose your treasure. Therefore, when opposing troops meet in battle, victory belongs to the grieving side” - Lao Tze In Defence Of A De-fence-less Bukit Kiara It began in late 2011 with the erection of an unsightly metal fencing 3.6 meters high along the famed trails of the forest in Bukit Kiara. (coordinates 3°8′5″N 101°38′28″E). Dubbed The Great Wall “ by TRAKS (Trails Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor), the battle-cry was sounded when bulldozers moved into a tranquil, defence-less Bukit Kiara to clear swathes of forest to make needless temporary tracks and roads causing collateral damage to flora and fauna, soil erosion, pollution to pristine streams downhill and fragmentation of existing trails network. These trails have been designed and painstakingly crafted by TRAKS volunteers for bikers, hashers, runners and hikers taking into account sustainable and minimum environmental impact on Bukit Kiara based on IMBA International Standards and Trail-Care concept. Famously touted as “the only such world-class green lung in the heart of the city” the 37 kilometer trails have show-cased Bukit Kiara and Malaysia on the international tourist map. Since 2007, Bukit Kiara had been designated with approval by Cabinet as “Taman Awam Berskala Besar i.e. TABB or Large Scale Public Park of 466.86 acres but its gazettement remains elusive till today. In defence of a defenceless Bukit Kiara, TRAKS volunteers turned to film-making to record and disseminate virally the damage and “rape” of what is sacred ground to them and a refuge to thousands of park-users. An activist, aided by TRAKS volunteers, ignited a petition campaign launched by Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK), an NGO formed in 2001 to protect and preserve Bukit Kiara. The Save Bukit Kiara campaign is aimed at urging the authorities to: Walking The Talk To Save Bukit Kiara Malaysian Nature Society, a key ally in FoBK, fronted the Awareness Walk of 15 July 2012 as the campaign gained momentum with thousands of people rallying to save Bukit Kiara. The Awareness Walk was successful in raising awareness of the need to protect and preserve one of the last remaining green lungs in the city for sustainable development. The campaign was also instrumental in immediately halting construction activities on Bukit Kiara. Assurances were given by the Minister of Local Government and Housing that Bukit Kiara will be gazetted as a Public Park upon the resolution of the issue of leases of specified lots to two large corporations. What seemed to be a “victory” for the aggrieved side was short-lived however. In October 2012, FoBK was informed by the Mayor of City Hall (Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur or DBKL) of Berjaya Corp’s development plans to build a commercial building, condos, a huge stadium, exhibition hall, hospital, etc. in the adjacent leased equestrian lots as well as a private access road to the Bukit Kiara trails!!! An FoBK Coalition comprising of 44 Residents Associations (RAs) and 19 Environmental NGOs in the Klang Valley was quickly forged to counter the threat of commercial development and to press for the gazettement of Bukit Kiara as a Forest Park. A Save Bukit Kiara Walk took off on 17 March 2013 after FoBK’s appeal letter of 9 December 2012 to the PM, who passed the buck to the Mayor of DBKL, was met with indifference. The second protest Walk reflected growing support for the Save Bukit Kiara cause as about 3,000 people showed up that Sunday morning. Supporters came all walks of life; concerned with questions of sustainable development, global warming, pollution, traffic congestion, possible increasing crime and even devaluation of property values in the surrounding areas that may accompany the proposed development. Children held posters of “save the forest and animals” while a banner cried out with “what about us?” to plead with the authorities and developers not to compromise the needs of future generations. Will the protests of the grieving side in opposing the proposed development plans of Berjaya Corp be heard and halt development in and around Bukit Kiara? Will the primary objective of FoBK’s campaign to gazette Bukit Kiara as a Forest Park since Cabinet approval in 2007 be finally translated into reality in 2013 by the authorities? The Ever- elusive Gazettement Of Bukit Kiara According to the authorities, the gazettement of Bukit Kiara is held up because DBKL has not surrendered the leased equestrian Lot 52314 of 62.57 acres back to the Federal government due to a caveat placed on it in April 2008 by Berjaya Corp. (S- 21NCVC-52-2011, para 17). Why did Berjaya place a caveat on Lot 52314 in 22 April 2008 after Cabinet had already on 27 June 2007 approved for the specific Lot to be part of Bukit Kiara in TABB outlined in the Kuala Lumpur Master Plan? Why was the registration of Berjaya Corp.’s caveat placed 15 years from entry in 1993, not rejected by the authorities then on justifiable grounds in the public’s interests? Why was the monthly rental of RM5,000 paid by Berjaya Corp. from 1993 till October 2000 for Lot 52314 of a good 62.57 acres further reduced to a mere RM2000 thereafter till 2010 ‘out of goodwill”? ( S-21NCVC -52-2011, para 38). Approval for surrender of Lot 52314 back to the government had also been agreed by the Federal Territory Land Working Committee on 29 December 2009. The decision was conveyed to DBKL vide its letter dated 12 February 2010. Why did DBKL take more than a year to issue notice to Berjaya Corp. to surrender Lot 52314 only on 25 February 2011? ( S-21NCVC-52-2011, paras 35 & 41) The High Court Ruling in the case of DBKL vs Bukit Kiara Resort Bhd( KBRB) of Berjaya Corp on Lot 52314 to remove Berjaya’s caveat ordered for a Lease Agreement to be executed between DBKL and Berjaya. The Court dismissed DBKL’s application for removal of Berjaya’s private caveat with costs on 21 September 2011 (S-21NCVC-10-2011, paras 72- 77). Why didn’t DBKL appeal against the High Court Ruling in the interest of an anxious public impatient with the elusive gazettement of Bukit Kiara? Did DBKL follow the guidelines spelt out in the National Council for Local Government (NCLG) vide a Policy formulated on 9 August 1999 which states very clearly that “For open space that is not surrendered, action must be taken to ensure that it becomes government land and be subsequently reserved and gazetted”? Lot 52314 comprised of 20 acres of open spaces ( Parcel D) and 43 acres of polo field and grandstand ( Parcel E) which will come within the ambit of the NCLG 1999 Policy on “open spaces”. According to former Town Councillor Mak Khuin Weng, - Our Right To Open Spaces - The Nut Graph, 15 November 2010 - the Policy cannot be ignored as the NCLG is defined under Article 95A of the Federal Constitution. Since Article 95A mandates that the policies of the NCLG be followed, the failure to implement the policy is tantamount to contempt of the Federal Constitution. Was the NCGL Policy adhered to by DBKL? Why was compulsory acquisition of Lot 52314 of 62.57 acres also not considered by the government under the Land Acquisition Act 1960 in the interests of the public to enable the gazettement of Bukit Kiara, one of the last remaining green lungs in the city and a national treasure to the people? Development In Bukit Kiara – For Profit? According to The Star dated 4 December 2012 “City Hall told to separate Bukit Kiara land” the Mayor was quoted as saying “We have to follow the court order and nothing can be done now”. The report added that DBKL had “also proposed to the developer to include a hospital, community facilities and an international school in their project”. Did the Court Ruling order DBKL to separate Kiara Land or to approve development on lot 52314? (S-21NCVC-10-2011 paras 72-77). On what authority did DBKL have to separate Kiara Land or approve any development on Bukit Kiara in conflict with what is expressed in the Title or upheld by the FT Ministry? A Title search by FoBK on 18 March 2013 on Lot 50642 of 69.8 acres shows that the “land was to be used for equestrian and recreational purposes only…”. Similarly, a Title search on Lot 52314 also explicitly states “for equestrian, recreation and polo grounds only”. Why then is any form of development even considered by DBKL since Section 108 of the National Land Code 1965 says a local authority cannot over-ride the ‘expressed conditions” stated in the Land Titles? Isn’t DBKL’s action seen to be in conflict with the directive of the Deputy Chief Secretary of the Ministry Of Federal territory and Urban Welfare who had said on 6 January 2010 in a meeting between DBKL and Berjaya Corp. that the government still upholds its decision NOT to allow any development in Lot 52314 and Lot 50642 based on the terrain and surroundings? (S-21NCC-52-2011, para 21) A Fierce Green Fire In the light of the questions revolving around the disputed Lot 52314 of 62.57 acres, a Title search was also conducted on 16 April 2013 on the leased Measat Lot 54268 of 100.154 acres in Bukit Kiara. This lot had been leased to Measat Digicast Sdn. Bhd in April 1998 for a term of 30 years. Why is there no pertinent information in the Title regarding category of land use, expressed conditions and whether it is a qualified or final title as it has been leased since 1998? Why was a caveat registered on the Lot in 29 April 2009 after Cabinet had already clearly designated it in June 2007 as an integral part of TABB in the KL Master Plan? Who had placed the caveat? Will the questions raised regarding the leased lots 52314 and 54268 be addressed by the authorities to fulfill the government’s promises to place the interests of the public first to finally gazette Bukit Kiara? Will Berjaya Corp. chose to leave a lasting legacy of a national treasure in its natural state as a ‘gift’ to the people and future generations to remember it by? Will ‘victory” be rightfully accorded to the anxious public and the grieving side in its battle to commit the government of the day to finally gazette Bukit Kiara i. e. TABB of 466.86 acres as a “ Forest Public Park” as endorsed by Cabinet in June 2007? Ultimately, “victory” in any battle can be achieved by only you, the people who can save Bukit Kiara, our national treasure from being developed for profit. A US documentary film entitled “A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet” poses this blazing question to all of us:“ If they can turn The Grand Canyon into a ‘cash register’, is any national park safe?” The answer is up to you.

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Dandelion is priced considerably higher than most Leopard 47's because she is both fully loaded and has recently undergone a serious and costly refit. In fact Dandelion has been continuously invested in by her attentive owner and is outfitted for serious extended range voyaging. To learn more about her extensive kit, please see the full specs tab on our website. Or just give us a call. As Dandilion is still cruising about in Malaysia, please contact us for her latest location so that we can organize a showing for you. Additional Specs, Equipment and Information: |Sails and Rig| Disclaimer: The Multihull Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice. These are stand up people, who make a stand up product. I would buy from them again in a heartbeat. ~ Jay Clark, Dolphin 460 I just wanted you to know that your level of service and the high degree of customer satisfaction have made owning my Dolphin a great experience. ~ Daniel Zlotnick, Dolphin

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The latest news from academia, regulators research labs and other things of interest Posted: July 25, 2008 Universiti Sains Malaysia signs sub licence agreement for advancement of nanotechnology platform with Biotechcorp (Nanowerk News) Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) signed a partnership agreement today on the Advancement of Nanotechnology Research and Collaboration with Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp). Based on the agreement, three USM researchers will undergo 12 months of training in France to intensify the R&D for the Malaysian biotechnology industry. "USM has been chosen as our partner in this initiative, in line with its established track record in collaborative research work. It is very important for us to join forces with an institution of the highest standards in terms of expertise and professionalism. This is reflected in the partnership between BiotechCorp & USM to realize the objectives in the acquisition of the nanotechnology platform," said YBhg Dato' Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, the Chief Executive Officer of BiotechCorp. At Bio San Diego 2008 earlier this month, BiotechCorp's international partners highlighted some important key actions to substantiate Malaysia's ambition to become a global biotechnology hub. One of the key actions suggested was the urgent need of an innovative programme to quickly expand or regain Malaysian talent in life sciences and biotechnology and to increase academic & private sector initiatives. BiotechCorp was established on 13 May 2005 to ensure that the Government's biotechnology objectives and strategies are fully deployed. In 2007, BiotechCorp signed a technology transfer and license agreement with Nanobiotix S.A (NBTX) of France, where they acquired an exclusive worldwide license for a nanotechnology platform. "We are pleased to commit to this agreement as this technology transfer programme will comprise technical information, know how, manufacturing techniques, engineering data, specifications of materials and other commercially privileged information proprietary to NBTX," said YBhg Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia The outcome of the training is for USM to develop a minimum of 2 new applications or products of substantial commercial value per year for a period of 4 years thus totaling 8 applications or products of substantial commercial value in 4 years. In return, all intellectual property rights to the improvements, enhancements, new inventions and innovations developed solely by USM shall be owned by USM. "Collaboration of this nature does not work on a short-term basis. With this in mind, USM will ensure that within a period of not more than 12 months after the researchers return to Malaysia, a similar program will be conducted to enable other researchers to acquire the skills and knowledge earlier transmitted," added Tan Sri. Furthermore, to add value to the technology transfer program, BiotechCorp will work alongside the three researchers to conduct seminars and road shows to create awareness on nanotechnology and its potential use with the aim to garner interest amongst the research community and encourage the uptake of sub-licenses among the research community. USM will also map out a comprehensive plan for the training of other Malaysian researchers with an aim to cover all universities, research institutes and companies that are interested in utilizing the technology. The acquisition of this technology is also expected to provide a boost to USM's plans to develop its Science and Arts Innovation Space (sains@usm), an integrated research and business development park that was announced recently.

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July 9th, 2012 by Oh! Kpop B.A.P Press Conference In Malaysia - B.A.P Holds Press Conference in Malaysia - Boygroup B.A.P To Hold First Showcase In Malaysia - B.A.P Bang Yongguk-Zelo Reveal Barefoot Self-Cam Photos, ‘BANG&ZELO’ - B.A.P releases new image teaser of Zelo and Daehyun - B.A.P releases 2nd comeback teaser ft. Zelo and Jongup The Best Absolute Perfect boys of T.S Entertainment, better known as B.A.P arrived in Kuala Lumpur on 4th of July for their first showcase in Malaysia! After debuting with their single ‘Warrior’, the boys are back with their new single ‘Power’! Fans of B.A.P, also known as BABYs, awaited for their arrival at the airport and greeted the boys with fanboards and screams. Made up of 6 members, this is their first ever overseas showcase with Malaysia being the first stop. Members Bang Yong Guk, Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup and Zelo were all looking smart, decked in suits as they appeared on stage for the press conference. Earlier this year, leader Bang Yongguk and maknae rapper Zelo, had visited Malaysia for an autograph session as a sub-unit duo. Main vocalist and rapper Kim Himchan is also not new to the country; having participated in MTV World Stage the previous year. Leader Yongguk was quick to point out the local delicacy ‘Satay’ as the thing he missed most in Malaysia. The boys of B.A.P talked about their recent Macau showcase experience and revealed the members’ sleeping habits! Get the inside scoop in the short video footage that we have for you below, enjoy! Stay tuned for Korea.com’s follow-up coverage on B.A.P’s showcase at KL Live, Life Centre. The event is put together by local organizer Jazzy Group. BAP airport, daehyun yongguk zelo, zelo and daehyun CNBLUE Finally Meets Filipino Fans For First Time In Blue Moon Manila Press Conference cnblue, jung yong hwa, lee jong hyun, kang min hyuk, lee jung shin, blue moon Rock band, CNBLUE arrived in Manila Philippines last June 14 for their Blue Moon World Tour 2013. Just as quickly as they arrived, they held their Open Press Conference in one of Manila's biggest malls, at the SM Megamall Event Center. The place was filled with a lot of fans up to the 4th level of the mall (the mall has five stories). Many Filipino fans showed their love for the band... Korean celebs reach out to fans with press pics Jungah and Nana of girl group After School present a performance using a pole in photos released to promote the group's new album. The album will be released today. Local celebrities have released photos of themselves recently to show fans how they are doing.By Lee Sun-min Singer Son Dam-bi, left, poses with model Miranda Kerr, at a party at Lotte Hotel as Kerr is currently visiting Korea. Singer Ivy sings in a cameo appearance on cable channel tvN's drama "Monstar", which will be aired tomorrow... [Gallery] Girls' Generation Look Pretty in Pink for World Tour Press ConferenceTags : Airport, BOA, debut, Fans, Macau, Malaysiakim tae hee hot, taeyang ideal type, watch two wives korean drama, what does gangnum style mean, kim hyun ah scandal, bridal mask dramawiki, snsd power flower, kwang hee without makeup, song hye gyo boyfriend, b2st midnight sun On June 9, the press conference for the “2013 Girls’ Generation World Tour – Girls & Peace in Seoul Concert” was held where the nine dazzling ladies of Girls’ Generation attended. Girls’ Generation took time to answer questions, pose for pictures and share their thoughts on this upcoming world tour. They also performed their newest Japanese single, “Love & Girls” during the press conference as well. It has been reported that many fans in Korea as well as overseas came to see and support the group...

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The Case Against Ethanol Al Gore is a giant windbag. Maybe he will become the next source of “alternative” energy, because it certainly should not be ethanol. Like most questions of environmental policy, a failed politician cum disastermonger is really the wrong person to listen to regarding serious discussions of economic reality, or any other kind of reality for that matter. Ethanol is one such reality which, when examined closely, more nearly resembles a nightmare for “the planet” (Gawd, I hate that usage) than a salvation. Using food to supplement gasoline is just a horrible construct to begin with. And the short, middle and long-term effects will be a dirtier, costlier and less diverse ecosystem. Let’s begin with the obvious. America produces half the world’s corn crop and most of its’ exported corn. So, when the fed govt coerces gas producers to buy corn and add it to their product, guess what happens to the price of corn for everybody else (think private healthcare for the answer to this one)? Adding to that upward price pressure is that other crops will be plowed under to plant, that’s right, corn. Which in turn runs up the cost of every other row crop. And guess who that affects most — the world’s poor. (Mexico City has already experienced what could be called “tortilla riots”.) Josette Sheeran of the UN World Food Program has said they will not be able to feed nearly as many people as last year with the same number of donors. Heard any protests against ethanol lately from the usual “world hunger” suspects? Me neither. Now, let’s move on to the stuff itself. It takes 1.3 gallons of fossil to make one gallon of ethanol. (Ethanol can’t be piped, it’s got to be trucked. And because it also has to be planted, weeded, harvested, distilled and transported, It is an energy intensive source of energy.) In addition, ethanol is not as efficient as gasoline. For instance, if it takes 10 gals of gas to go 200 miles, it will take 15 gals of ethanol (or thereabouts) to go the same distance, so you use more of it. Not very promising so far. But it gets worse. What about countries, or supergovernments like the EU, that don’t have ready access to America’s vast Midwestern breadbasket (cornbasket?) Well, they go to countries like Borneo (Malaysia) and Sumatra for palm oil, which also can be used as a biofuel. What is happening there? Not surprisingly, since the EU is bound by the Kyoto protocol to have 10% ethanol by 2020, producer countries are slashing and burning forests at an alarming rate. Highly intelligent Orangutans, beautiful Sumatran tigers and noble Asian elephants are being slaughtered because they interfere with the production of palm oil. No mention of this on the World Wildlife Fund’s website where this travesty is generically described as “…the intense conflict between people and elephants…In Borneo and Sumatra, [where] commercial logging and conversion to agriculture are doing swift and irreversible damage…” Although their website is alive with entreaties to “Save the Planet,” no mention of palm oil plantations is made. Another product which can be used as biofuel is sugar. And a world of it exists nearby — Brazil has vast reaches of soil perfectly situated to grow tons of it and plenty of inexpensive labor, too. The Carribean islands have been growing it since the 17th Century (for the rum ‘ya know mon!) Indeed, ethanol from sugar costs .80 cents a gal to make while corn ethanol costs $1.10 per gal. So, essentially, it can be grown, harvested, distilled and transported to America for less than it takes to make a biofuel out of domestic corn. Why is this not done? That’s right, sugar subsidies and protectionism. (Another holdover from WWII when sugar production was subsidized due to war scarcities.) So, similar to the EU mandates mentioned above, it’s not “the market” or capitalism to blame, it’s central planning and top down economics which leads to so much waste, cost and eco-destruction. (Here’s a hint: the market has ALREADY figured out the most efficient fuels to use, duh.) Next we come to nuclear. But sorry, the topic makes me so mad I can’t think about it for long without, in Glenn Beck’s colorful phrase, blood shooting out of my eyes. Suffice to say that if nuclear capacity had continued apace after Three Mile Island and “The China Syndrome”, that is to say, had not been crippled by the econuts, we would actually be IN COMPLIANCE with the Kyoto protocols on CO2 emissions by now. (I thought liberals loved France, where 80% of their energy comes from nuclear.) And what about the forests themselves? In fifty years, the average forest will absorb far more CO2 than will be saved by plowing it under, building a palm oil plantation or corn field, turning it into ethanol and burning it in your car. And the devastating effects on biodiversity have already been mentioned. On top of all this, there is really no clear evidence that anthropomorphic global warming is anything more than a pipe dream. Far from the case being closed as the ANNOINTED ONE asserts, evidence continues to pour in that the man-made climate change is an equivocal theory at best. Global temperatures have cooled in the past ten years. The polar bear population is actually increasing (as are the ranks of caribou even after the Alaskan pipeline was built, in spite of anxious warnings from eco-extremists.) Reams of books have been written exposing one stupid enviro myth after another. (See Iain Murray’s “The Really Inconvenient Truths” for a good start.) Alas, Al Gore’s hometown, Nashville TN, recently marked several record-matching or record-breaking nightime lows for July. That’s JULY. In the DEEP SOUTH. Anyway, I could go on and on, but you get the picture. So, ethanol is just another enviro-hoax being perpetrated on the American public–and at great cost to them. Taxpayers subsidize its’ production and then pay a heavy tax on its’ use. It appears to be a giant transfer of wealth to Agribusiness which will have the net effect of harming the environment and impovershing the citizenry. Man, what a deal. Back in the day, I thought only Soviet Russian could offer largescale, widespread corruption like that. Now, I can enjoy it in the convenience of my own home. Well, I need to close now so I can get out to the store and stock up on incandescent lightbulbs. Do you have any idea what a costly, environmental nightmare CLF light bulbs will be? Just don’t break one unless you’re wearing an industrial grade HAZMAT suit. First though, I have to clean up the mess from my low-flush toilet that doesn’t work right (maybe if I flush it two or three more times…)

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2013-06-19T06:03:39Z

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Posted on Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 Last night, at a packed event in London’s TechHub, A&N Media awarded five yearlong 1M/1M scholarships. The judges for the contest were Kevin Beatty, CEO of A&N Media, Dominique Trempont, Board Member of DMGT (parent company of A&N Media), Bill Raduchel, Strategic Advisor to DMGT, Alberto Torres, former EVP and GM of Nokia’s MeeGo division, and me. Let’s review the businesses we saw. Drummond Gilbert, pitched goCarShare to connect drivers with paying passengers who wish to travel the same way, allowing them to share the journey costs. It uses Facebook to connect users with friends of friends and a rating system to help create a trusted community. goCarShare will take a commission of 15 % of the paid transaction between the passenger and driver. Will Hodson pitched Platter, a cross between Instagram and Pinterest for food, along with other features such as micro blogging, vertical search, and so forth. Will proposes to use affiliate marketing as a way of monetization similar to what Pinterest is attempting. Shara Tochia pitched Fitness Freak, a bookable Web platform that allows users to search for and book fitness classes and activities. It also integrates with booking partners to offer an easy-to-use service and a review platform for journalists and users. Next, Zoe Peden pitched Insane Logic and an educational iPad app called MyChoicePad. It uses symbols and sign language with speech to enable choice and communication for children and adults with learning or communication difficulties. Then Steven Lucero pitched PopUpShopUp, a social media for popup shops, restaurants, cinema, entertainment, charities or any and all temporary retail events, utilizing a curated member-based website, www.popupshopup.com, weekly email newsletter, mobile application and check-in technology. PopUpShopUp aims to become the marketplace for consumers to visit to learn about all popup events first in London, then throughout the UK and finally, in the top 100 urban areas of the world. The next business pitched was Hire Space, a website that allows you to find, book and pay for publicly available space online. Hire Space works with a diverse range of venues, from schools to private function venues and provides a platform for the sale of associated services such as catering and entertainment. Jonny Britton pitched TimeMaps, a company that makes digital history maps to illustrate events over time. The company sells to schools, homeschoolers, parents and other educators all over the world. Jason Cooper pitched Simplytics, a mobile advertising engagement analytics model to help better measure user engagement with ads. Neill Watson pitched Enjoy! Karoke, a Facebook game that taps into the vast pool of singing fun that dominates prime time TV. Jack Tang pitched Thestudentjob.com, a social-network-based job portal connecting students with local employers looking for casual staff on a one-off or part-time basis. The winners of the contest were: Enjoy! Karaoke, Thestudentjob, InsaneLogic, Platter, and goCarShare. As always, I would very much like to hear about your business, so let me invite you to come and pitch at one of our free 1M/1M public roundtables. We will be holding future roundtables at 8:00 a.m. PDT on: -Tuesday, May 29, Contest With Imperial College Entrepreneurs To Win 1M/1M Scholarships From A&N Media & Elance: Register Here. -Thursday, May 31, 1M/1M Roundtable: Register Here. -Monday, June 4, Ten Finalists of BlueSnap Elance Entrepreneur Development Contest Awarding 1M/1M Scholarships: Register Here. -Thursday, June 7, Ten Finalists of BlueSnap Elance Entrepreneur Development Contest Awarding 1M/1M Scholarships Register Here. -Thursday, June 14, 1M/1M Roundtable: Register Here. -Tuesday, June 19, Contest With London School of Economics Entrepreneurs to Win 1M/1M Scholarships From A&N Media & Elance: Register Here. -Thursday, June 21, 1M/1M Roundtable With Innovation Pavilion: Register Here. -Tuesday, June 26, Contest With University College London Entrepreneurs to Win 1M/1M Scholarships From A&N Media & Elance Register Here. -Thursday, June 28, 1M/1M Roundtable With Boulder, Colorado Entrepreneurs: Register Here. If you want a deeper relationship with me, you are very welcome to join the 1M/1M premium program. If you have any questions about the program, please, first study the website, especially What to expect from the 1M/1M premium program and the FAQs. If you have additional questions, please email me, and I would be very happy to respond. Please note that I work exclusively with 1M/1M entrepreneurs. I also invite you to join the 1M/1M mailing list for the ease and convenience of getting updates. This way we can stay in touch, and it will help you to decide if 1M/1M is a program for you. This segment is a part in the series : Roundtable Recap . June 6 - Fashion Apps . May 30 - Rackspace Cloud - 1M/1M Startup Challenge Finals . May 23 - Turning Dreams Into Cash . May 16 - Calculate Your TAM Accurately . May 9 - Promising Portfolio From India . May 2 - Tech Recruitment in Bulgaria; Custom Fashion in India; Incubator-in-a-Box . April 25 - IT For Cleantech IN, Cleantech OUT . April 18 - From Singapore To Israel . April 11 - India’s Startup Industry Has A Major Gap – Product Marketing . April 4 - Don’t Waste Your TimeMore »» . March 28 - Positioning And Focus Create Fast Sales Cycles . March 21 - Differentiation Is Key . March 14 - Spotlight On ProductNation, India . March 7 - The Diabetics Epidemic . February 21 - Damsels In Distress . February 14 - Stealth Is Overrated . February 7 - Joint Session with Startup Weekend . January 31 - Return On Investment . January 24 - Meet The One Million Club . January 17 - Winners Of The Second New Year Challenge 2013 Final . January 10 - Winners of the New Year Challenge 2013 First Final . January 3 - Last Few Hours To Vote For 1M/1M New Year Challenge 2013 . December 20 - New Year Challenge Voting Round Begins . December 13 - Focus On Artificial Intelligence . December 11 - IBM SmartCamp Barcelona . December 6 - New Year Challenge 2013 . November 29 - An Inside View Into Mentoring 2.0 . November 15 - Democratization Of Startup Financing . November 8 - Never Too Old To Startup . Kolkata MUST Clinch This Time . October 26 - Emerging Kerala . October 18 - Carbon Trading In Bulgaria . October 11 - Don’t Wait For Someone To Fund Your Alpha . October 4 - Kolkata 1M/1M Pitch-Fest . September 13 - Five 1M/1M Ambassadors Win Scholarships . September 6 - OrangeScape Launches KiSSFLOW . August 30 - Hybrid Business Models . August 23 - Attention, FinTech Entrepreneurs! . August 2 - The Free Rider Problem . July 26 - Date First, Don’t Rush Into A Marriage . July 19 - Winners Of A&N Media-Elance Contest With Kings College, London . July 12 - Spotlight On Western Massachusetts . July 5 - The Challenge Of Navigating Long Sales Cycles . June 21 - Spotlight On Colorado . June 19 - Winners Of The A&N Media-Elance Contest With London School Of Economics SU Entrepreneurs & European Student Startups . June 14 - Winners Of The A&N Media-Elance Contest With Imperial College, London . June 7 - Winners Of Second BlueSnap-Elance Finals . June 4 - Winners Of First BlueSnap-Elance Finals . May 31 - Go, Kolkata! . May 22 - Winners Of TechHub-A&N Media Battle Of The Startups Contest In London Win 1M/1M Scholarships . May 10 - BlueSnap-Elance Contest Applications Deadline This Weekend . May 3 - Some Wonderful Opportunities With Corporate Partners . April 26 - A Rare Women-Only Session . April 19 - Tyranny Of The TAM . April 12 - More From Indian Entrepreneurs . April 3 - Rendezvous In Bangalore . March 15 - Spotlight On 3 Day Startup Tel-Aviv . March 12 - Winners Of Microsoft Israel Scholarships . March 1 - Strategy Gaps Need To Be Plugged . February 23 - Microsoft Israel To Offer 1M/1M Scholarships . February 16 - What’s Happening In Turkey? . February 9 - Are You Fundable? . February 2 - YCombinator vs. 1M/1M . January 26th - Spotlight On Jacksonville, Florida . January 19 - Are Media Sites Fundable? . January 12-13 - Spotlight On IIT Kharagpur, India . January 5 - ERP Galore . December 22 - Free Apps, Ad-Supported Business Models => Dangerous! . December 15 - Web 3.0 And Social Dancing; Romania Emerging . December 8 - Three Open Opportunities For 2012 . December 1 - 1M/1M Premium Company Freshdesk Wins Funding From Accel Partners . November 17 - Business Schools And Early Stage Entrepreneurship . November 3 - VCs Are Not Always Right . October 27 - Check Out Stanzr . October 20 - Non-profits And For-profits . October 13 - FREE Is Not A Business Model . October 6 - Dedicated To Steve Jobs, Reinforcing Mission To Restructure Capitalism . September 29 - From Poland To Argentina . September 22 - How Do You Catalyze A Region’s Entrepreneurship? . September 15 - Do Your Homework First . September 8 - A View Into Israeli Start-ups . September 1 - Fall Call To Action . August 25 - How To Use Twitter For Lead Generation . August 11 - Menlo Park And The Silicon Valley Renaissance . August 4 - How Do You Bootstrap Freemium Ventures? . July 28 - Investors And Incubators Need To Look At Pre-Incubation . July 21 - Crowd Sourced Funding Exchanges - An Emerging Trend . June 30 - Continued International Participation . June 23 - New Assessment Tool For Entrepreneurs . June 16 - Exciting Companies Lined Up For Microsoft Startup Grant Finals . June 9 - Silicon Valley . June 2 - 1M/1M And Incubators - What We Have Learned . May 26 - Twitter, LinkedIn - Why Not Affiliates? . May 19, Making Money From Blogs . May 12 - Two Really Cool Companies . May 5 - Ownership Matters . April 28 - Guerrilla P.R. & SEO Most Profitable Customer Acquisition Strategies . April 21- Incubators Are Reaching Out To 1M/1M . April 17 - High-Octane Energy In Pune . April 16 - 1M/1M Partners With Indian Angel Network Incubator . April 9 - 1M/1M Announces Partnership With TiE Chennai . April 6 - 1M/1M Announces Important Partnership With MAD Incubator, Malaysia . March 31 - Microsoft’s $100,000 India Startup Challenge Grant . March 24 - 75th Session Spotlights The Midwest . March 17 - Spotlight On Latin And Central America . March 10 - Spotlight On India . March 3 - Spotlight On The Northwest . February 24 - VCs, Angels, Incubators, Accelerators – What Are You Doing With Your Rejects? . February 17 - Indian Company Plugs Gap In Google’s Enterprise Solution . February 10 - When Keywords Are Competitive . February 3 - Indian Entrepreneurs Are Maturing . January 27 - Non-Dilutive Financing Through Revenue Sharing . January 20 - Personalization Remains An Open Problem . January 13 - Top 10 Online Advertising Trends For The Decade . January 6 - Top 10 Vertical and Social Web Trends For The Decade . December 16 - Top 10 Tech Trends To Watch . December 9 - Where Should You Raise Money? . December 2 - Niche Marketplace Businesses Can Be Interesting . November 18 - Not Coming To The Rescue Of Victory . November 11 - African Tech Entrepreneurs Emerging . November 4 - Premium Lounge Sneak Preview . October 28 – Convert Potential Competitors To Partners . October 21 - Bootstrapping Comes In Many Flavors . October 14 - Professional Investors Do Not Invest In $20 Million Markets . October 7 - Try To Get At Least $2M Pre-Money In Seed Round Valuation . September 30 - Investors Don't Fund Broad Ideas . September 23 - Do Not Spray And Pray . September 16 – 5 Cloud Computing Opportunities for Entrepreneurs . September 9 - Open Opportunities In Cloud Computing And Rural BPO . September 2 - Find High Velocity Channels . August 26 - 85%-90% Of Search Traffic Comes From Organic Search . August 19 - Niche E-Commerce Is Great For Bootstrapping . August 5 - Paying Customers =>Validation =>Valuation . July 29 - Startups In Malaysia . July 22 - Bootstrap Using Services . July 15 - A Market Of Late Adopters . July 8 - The EJ Methodology . July 1 - Get Your Pricing Model Validated . June 24 – Three Startups That Can Hit One Million Dollars . June 17 – Online Education Startups . June 10 – Efficient Targeting . June 3 – Defining Market Segments . May 27 – Is The Venture Worth Your Time? . May 20 – Validation, Validation, Validation . May 6 – Defining Value Proposition . April 29 – Finding The Right Direction . April 22 – The Original Runners . April 15 – Small Is OK; The Goal Is Profitability . April 8 – A Focus On E-Commerce . April 1 – Bootstrapping Tips . March 25 – A Mixed Bag Of Advice

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2013-06-19T14:20:08Z

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Summer months keep CoT folks busy Summer months are not all vacations and swimming pools. The College of Technology’s faculty, staff and students were also busy with research, international travel and personal achievements. We’ve compiled a sample of what kept your colleagues occupied between spring commencement and the first day of fall classes. Four faculty and 11 students spent time renovating, upgrading and developing engine test facilities in the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building. The students focused extensively on infrastructure and systems problem solving and project and budget planning. They renovated the test facility area to support turbine engine testing. Construction included a data collection system for the test cell. Funding was provided by Phase I of a cooperative agreement with the United States Air Force in execution of a congressional appropriation for the establishment of a National Test Facility for aviation fuels and propulsion (NaTeF). The faculty involved with the project are Mark Thom, associate professor, David Stanley, associate professor, and John Davis, clinical assistant professor, all in the Department of Aviation Technology; and Lucian Silvian, visiting assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology in Columbus. Helen McNally, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering technology, worked to secure a biological scanning probe microscope (Bioscope II) from the School of Veterinary Medicine. The microscope was moved to the Bindley Bioscience Center, and with an in-kind gift from the manufacturer, Veeco Instruments, the equipment was upgraded to the Bioscope Catalyst version. The upgrade was worth $95,000. Kirk Alter (right), associate professor of building construction management, was awarded a $579,275 grant through the U.S. Department of Energy and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authorty to provide the Technical Monitoring Services for the Indiana Weatherization program. This is the second grant Alter has been awarded in this program, with both totaling more than $1.2 million over the last two years. These are the largest single grants awarded to a BCM faculty member. Randy Rapp, associate professor of building construction management, traveled to Nashville, Tenn., to research recovery from the Cumberland River flooding, especially at Opryland Hotel. He also started writing a disaster recovery book for Purdue Press. Purdue’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) hosted over 140 teachers from around the country in two-week core training activities. College of Technology professors teamed with a middle or high school master teacher to teach their respective curricula. Each core training course is 80 hours of intensive instruction designed to prepare middle and high school teachers to deliver the PLTW curricula in their classrooms. Technology professors involved in the training were: Mat Sutton, associate professor of industrial technology; Neal Widmer, professor of electrical and computer engineering technology; Jeff Richardson, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering technology; George Rogers, professor of industrial technology; Pat Connolly, associate professor of computer graphics technology; and Joe Dues, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology in New Albany. Students and faculty involved with the Indiana Advanced Electric Vehicle Education and Training Consortium also had a busy summer. They conducted research on electric vehicle performance and developed an experimental laboratory test stand for lithium batteries. Members worked with more than 50 students in Purdue summer camps to test experimental electric vehicles. They also developed EV/smart grid training for a number of new technology core and elective courses. Two Technology professors traveled with nine students as part of a study abroad course, SA10913/59000 (Graduate and Undergraduate Careers in Spain). The course was organized by Julie Mariga, associate professor of computer and information technology; Edie Schmidt, professor of industrial technology; and Cyndi Lynch, director of fellowships and professional development in the Graduate School. The study abroad course provided graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to visit various companies to learn about professional careers in Spain. The students learned about the customs and culture of Spain and the types of careers available to them upon graduation. The group also visited Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, the second largest technical university in Spain (based on enrollment) and the largest technical university in Spain in terms of research and funding. They also visited the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. The companies they visited included: HP, Citi, IBM, Accenture and Bimbo. They also enjoyed many cultural activities, including tours of Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia, Costa Brava, the Meduris Islands and Codorníu Winery. Chien-tsung Lu (right), associate professor of aviation technology, spent much of the summer in China and Taiwan conducting academic endeavors. In May, he and Denver Lopp, professor of aviation technology, facilitated an International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading seminar in Shanghai. He then led a 12-day study abroad trip to China focusing on aviation. In June, he conducted policy research methodology workshops at a university in Guangzhou, China. He was joined by Stewart Schreckengast, visiting associate professor of aviation technology, for a two-week excursion to Taiwan to survey aviation safety education at its institutions of higher education. Finally, Lu and John Young, professor of aviation technology, conducted an airport safety workshop in Taipei, Taiwan, in July. Michael Kane, associate professor of computer and information technology, developed and taught a four-week course at the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland titled "Clinical and Non-clinical Application of Genome Screening Systems". Stephen Elliott, associate professor of industrial technology, participated as a U.S. delegate in an international biometrics standards meeting in Malacca, Malaysia, and helped co-sponsor a biometrics standards conference in New Delhi, India. James Mohler, professor of computer graphics technology, and Douglas Keith, clinical assistant professor of building construction management, led a summer study abroad student group to China. The group visited Beijing, Harbin, Dalian and Shanghai. They interacted with students from North Central Power University, Tsinghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology and Dalian University of Technology. They toured the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Olympic venues and the World Expo. Mike Jacob, professor of electrical and computer engineering technology, participated in the Race Across America as an assistant crew chief for the Hoosiers 60+ team. Participants raced nonstop from Oceanside, Calif. to Annapolis, Md., setting a new world record in their age division of six days and 16 hours. Jacob was one of 12 crew members for the team. When not working on research or with the Academic Boot Camp, Jeremy Fehrenbacher (right), an aviation technology graduate student, built a two-person automobile from scratch. Approximately 90 percent of the parts were pieces he found in the trash. The car is a carbon-fiber, open chassis design with general similarities to the Ariel Atom. It is a fully electric car with twin motors built into the wheel assemblies. The actual speeds and distances are currently unknown, because the car is not yet completely finished. Two aviation technology students competed in International Aerobatic Club contests during the summer. Bennett Petersen competed in the Ohio Aerobatic Open and placed third in the sportsman category. Kyle Lucas competed in the Hoosier Hoedown in Kokomo in August and placed seventh in the primary category. For the contests, they both flew the airplane in a series of loops, rolls and spins that were appropriate to their categories and were judged by a panel of qualified judges. CoT professors Brent Bowen and Erin (Block) Bowen (left) were married in May. Brent is department head and professor of aviation technology. Erin is a visiting assistant professor of industrial technology.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.tech.purdue.edu/News_and_Events/Stories/?ID=229&source=CoT%20Faculty%20and%20Staff%20Newsletter%20-%20September%2021,%202010

2013-06-19T06:03:30Z

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For optimum echo-cancelled voice quality and enhancement choose the A200D Model with Octasic®Daughterboard Hardware Echo Canceller. One DSP echo canceller on the A200D Base Card will support -grade hardware on all channels up to the card's maximum configuration in 24 ports with no additional CPU load. To reach this configuration, simply add additional Remora™ cards to any base card in the A200 Series. A single or slot hosts the connection and ensures common synchronous clocking for all channels. Like all the cards in the award-winning Sangoma Series Product Line, the A200 and Remora™ system's architecture is shared with Sangoma's A101, A102, A104, and A108 cards, ensuring common 3.3 V or 5 V, high performance, universal PCI or PCI Express compatibility, and crash-proof field upgradable to take advantage of enhancements, as soon they become available. Sangoma cards guarantee error-free faxing and click-free audio on-digital links. - From 2 to 24 ports supported, mixing and interfaces, as required. - Support for the ™, ™, ™, ™, OPAL™ / projects, as well as other Open Source and proprietary PBX/Switch/IVR/VoIP applications. - Single synchronous interface for all 24 / ports. - Four RJ11 ports per Remora™ card. - Dimensions: 2U : 120 mm x 55 mm for use in restricted chassis. - Short 2U compatible mounting clips available for installation in 2U rack-mount servers. - 32 bit bus master DMA data exchanges across interface at 132Mbytes/sec for minimum host processor intervention. - Autosense compatibility with 5 V and 3.3 V busses. - Fully 2.2 compliant, compatible with all commercially available motherboards, proper sharing of PCI interrupts. - Intelligent hardware: Downloadable Field Programmable Gate Array programming with multiple operating modes. Field upgradeable so that new features can be added when they become available. - Power: 800mA peak, operational 300 mA max at +3.3 V or 5 V. - Temperature range: 0 - 50°C. - Shipped with standard RJ11-terminated cables. Get the Fax on Sangoma Hardware - With Sangoma, there is no need for a separate line to run your fax machine. - Using / passthrough with Sangoma cards, there are no clock slips, buffer overruns, or transmit underruns that cause missed lines, blank sheets, and missed pages when faxing. - Sangoma A200 and A400 cards synchronize perfectly with digital / cards and the atomic clock for error-free fax and modem passthrough and superior voice quality over T1 and E1 lines. Optional DSP Echo Canceller Daughterboard on the A200D - G.168-2002 in hardware. - 1024 taps/128ms tail per channel on all channel densities. - DTMF decoding and tone recognition. - Voice quality enhancement: Octasic® music protection, acoustic echo control and adaptive noise reduction. - No CPU load as a result of . - Does not increase the physical size of the card, and no additional slot is required. - The A200 and Remora™ cards incorporate 4-pin RJ11/4 narrow jacks, such as those used in telephone handsets. - Each Sangoma A200 Card is shipped with four 2 m cables terminating in a narrow RJ11/4 plug at one end and a telephone-standard RJ11/6 plug at the other. - To hardwire the A200 system, you can purchase a kit of 12 RJ11/4 plugs and a crimping tool, sold separately. - Windows® 2003, Windows® XP, Windows® Server 2008, Windows® Vista. - Linux (all versions, releases and distributions from 1.0 up). FCC Part 15 Class A, FCC Part 68, and EN 55022 Class A. Technical certifications in Russia and Malaysia. WANPIPEMON®, SNMP, System logs. The A200 consists of a Remora™ daughterboard mounted on thecard. The Remora card has two sockets each of which can accept a -2 or -2 module. Each FXO-2 or FXS-2 module supports two FXO or FXS lines, respectively. Up to five additional Remora™ daughterboards can be mounted in empty slot positions beside the A200 assembly, connected to the A200 by a backplane bus connector. |ISDN BRI Ports||N/A|

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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2013-06-19T14:39:37Z

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en

Singapore is a city of gardens and the heart of South East Asia. It is here that the journey begins on the Eastern and Oriental Express, a nostalgic train journey that has all the exotic atmosphere of colonial times. The history of Singapore began in 1819 with Thomas Stamford Raffles, a young official who worked for the British East India Company. Raffles estimated that the natural harbor was perfect for trading ships and thus bought the land from the Sultan Of Johor and founded a trading settlement. The train station exudes the ambience of British colonialism and is an ideal setting for those who love nostalgia. The journey begins and soon we arrive at the Malaysian border. This is the first section of our extraordinary train journey from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. After eight hours, we reach Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s modern capital city that is relatively young and was established in the middle of the 19th century at the junction of the Gombak and Klang Rivers. The journey continues along a splendid route through the jungle that since 1923, has connected Singapore with Bangkok, with Butterworth as the next station from where a bridge and ferry boat lead to the island of Penang, that is also known as The Pearl Of The Orient. The next section travels further north to Kanchanaburi in Thailand and to the bridge on the River Kwai, a somewhat inconspicuous bridge that once brought infamy to this region. For those who are fascinated by the evocative atmosphere of Colonial times, the extra special train journey from Singapore to Bangkok must surely be the journey of a lifetime!

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.travelvideostore.com/travel-video-series/on-tour-/on-tour-eastern-oriental-express-the-most-exotic-and-luxurious-train-journey-in-asia/

2013-06-19T06:01:52Z

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The Australian Freestyle Football Titles is run by the sports Official Australian Governing Body, Oceania Freestyle Football Federation Inc. The 1st event was run in December 2009 at Sydney Football Stadium in association with Sydney FC. A knockout battle format was used with the event split into both an Amateur & Pro Level competition. The Final between Kane Edwards & Chris Beavon, both from New South Wales, was so tight to call that it had to go down to a 30 second tie breaker routine which was won by Kane Edwards. In December 2010 the AFFT’s moved to the heart of Melbourne at the iconic Federation Square. The event, sponsored by Power Balance had an amazing 1st Prize which was a career changing place on the Inaugural World Freestyle Football Championship Tour, which was staged in Malaysia in September 2011. The event changed to a Show Format which saw Freestylers prepare a fully choreographed routine to music and categories again split into Amateur & Pro Levels of competition. The Pro Final was taken out by Chris Beavon from Newcastle and he took his place on the World Tour. With the formation of the Official Sports Governing body F3 (Freestyle Football Federation) taking place in 2011 the AFFT’s took a year out, but was back again in 2012 as the Official World Ranking Points 1 Star Event. The event was held at Fit X Sports & Fitness Expo held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre with over 10,000 people seeing Freestyle. In a thrilling Final Kane Edwards won his 2nd Australian Title beating Curtis Maher but it was Maher who had the last laugh winning the Oceania Freestyle Football Championship and earning a place on the 2013 F3 World Tour. More here F3 (Freestyle Football Federation) is the Sports Official World Governing Body and is based in London. Freestyle Football Australia Owner Paul Harvey, is one of the 6 Vice Presidents of F3 in charge of Oceania and is also the Event Manager & Official Host MC on the F3 World Tour. In 2012 a World Ranking Points System was put in place to allow any Freestyler to qualify for the sports premiere event, the F3 World Tour, which involves 16 of the world's best freestyle footballers, taking part in a series of events around the world to determine the World Champion. The pathway for an Australian Freestyler is to enter the 1 Star 'Australian Freestyle Football Titles', the 2 Star Óceania Championships and the 3 Star 'Superball World Open' and accumalate as many World Ranking Points as possible. More > Check out this highlights video from the 2012 event HERE! Tuesday 18th February, 2013: AFFT part of Trick Star Football Fest The 2013 Australian Freestyle Football Titles will now be a part of the 1st Trick Star Football Fest which will be held at the Queensbridge Square Amphitheatre on Sunday April 7. The event is a must see for all soccer fans and features not only the Australian Freestyle Football Titles, but also the Australian Panna Football Titles plus the Trick Star Own the Ball Coaching Clinics. The 1 star World Ranking event will see Australia's representative on the F3 World Tour going for his 1st Australian Title but he will face plenty of stiff competition from a host of budding new Freestylers. Monday 19th March, 2012: Sydney's Insane Kane set to take on the World as Australian Freestyle Football Champion. Coogee resident & Trick Star Freestyle Football Pro ‘Insane’ Kane Edwards, took home the FIFA Street Australian Freestyle Football Titles defeating ‘C-mooth’ Curtis Maher in the Final, after a dramatic weekend of action at the FitX Sports & Fitness Expo in Melbourne. More > Friday 17th February, 2012: Which Freestyle Footballer will be reppin’ Australia on the streets of Prague? The Australian Freestyle Football Titles has now firmly put itself on the world map and will be the envy of freestylers worldwide as they announce the signing of a Naming Rights Partner that will see the event known as FIFA Street Australian Freestyle Football Titles. More >

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

http://www.trickstarfootball.com/afft.html

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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2013-06-19T14:39:25Z

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If you have bursitis hip problems, you feel pain when the tendon moves over the bone, which means you feel pain often since the tendon sees a lot of action in You may be wondering what the causes of bursitis hip pain. Bursitis of hip problems may be caused by lying on one side of the body for an extended period or from sustained pressure on the hips that is caused by standing too long. Arthritis Strategy Pack is a safe and effective bursitis of hip treatment that quickly relieves bursitis hip pain without the side effects associated with NSAIDs. While Arthritin addresses the immediate pain and inflammation reduction needs, Buffer pH works to address the root cause of symptoms. Arthritin contains complete glucosamine structures and chondroitin sulfate, combined with anti-inflammatory phytomedicinals, amino acids, nutrients and herbal remedies for bursitis. Arthritin supports the body’s own natural pain killers, endorphins and enkephalins, while also reducing inflammation pH, which balances pH levels in the body, is the key to this bursitis treatment. An imbalanced pH effects all cellular activity, which can lead to a whole host of degenerative diseases and symptoms. Other common causes of symptoms include a traumatic incident such as a fall, leg-length inequalities, multiple minor traumatic injuries, lumbar spine disease or repetitive Athletes who participate in sports that involve running are prone to hip bursitis, a common runner’s injury. Hip bursitis occurs when a bursa sac becomes inflamed. The bursa is a fluid-filled sac that allows smooth motion between the bony prominence over the outside of the hip and the firm tendon that passes over the bone. You can take three critical moves to prevent hip bursitis: ease into new exercise programs, avoid repetitive movements that involve the hip muscles and strengthen and stretch the muscles in your hips. Hip bursitis, which can strike anyone at any age, symptoms and signs include pain at night leading to insomnia. The pain will tend to increase as the patient, typically a middle-aged woman or senior citizen, lies down or rolls over on the affected side. She may also feel pain that radiates down the outside of the thigh as far as the knee when she climbs stairs, stands or sits too long. Pain is often centralized on the outside of the upper thigh, just over the point of the hip. The best treatment for bursitis of hip, or any form of bursitis, is to rest the affected area. This usually means a period of time not participating in sports or activities that aggravate your symptoms. As a general rule of thumb, any activity that causes bursitis hip pain should be avoided. These activities only contribute to inflammation of the bursa. If you have bursitis of hip that has been caused by straining and overusing your hip muscles, your doctor will recommend rest as the first line of treatment. By giving your hip a chance to heal, you may be able to avoid more invasive treatments. If having leg-length differences causes your bursitis of hip, use a lift in your shoe or order special shoes from a podiatrist. Some other treatments for bursitis hip pain include ice applications. Apply ice in an ice bag for 20 minutes three times a day. Also, make sure you stretch, performing exercises for bursitis of hip that help the lower back and hip muscles. In addition to recommending exercise to strengthen muscles, physical therapy and over-the-counter pain medication, your doctor may advise you to lose weight to reduce pressure on the hips. Also, some people benefit from using a cane to reduce pressure on the hip. Eliminate Bursitis Pain once and for all -- with proven natural supplements for bursitis

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2013-05-19T19:06:43Z

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TrendingTelus-Mobilicity | Gold | REITs | BlackBerry | CMHC | Keystone | Housing market | Earnings | Loblaw's Joe Fresh | BCE-Astral hearings | Poll: Do you like the new $5 and $10 bills? | Air Canada | RBC | Samsung Galaxy S4 | Target Canada | ‘Can’t make it to your wedding, I’ll catch your next one’ The Toronto stock market was lower Tuesday as traders hoped for a favourable lookahead from Alcoa Inc. when the resource giant kicks off of the fourth quarter corporate earnings season after the close. The S&P/TSX composite index lost 36.91 points to 12,462.64 while the TSX Venture Exchange rose 0.64 of a point to 1,224.53. The Canadian dollar was down 0.18 of a cent to 101.27 cents US. U.S. markets were lower as the Dow Jones industrials declined 50.81 points to 13,333.48, the Nasdaq was down 11.08 points to 3,087.74 and the S&P index slipped 7.38 points to 1,454.51. Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is expected to turn in earnings per share of six cents on revenue of US$5.61 billion after posting a loss of three cents a share a year ago. But traders will likely be most interested in the aluminum company’s outlook against a background of tepid economic growth around the globe. Alcoa has been dealing with sharply lower aluminum prices, down 15 per cent from a year ago. Alcoa traditionally starts the run of U.S. quarterly earnings. The company is viewed as a bellwether for the overall economy as its products are used in everything from cars to aircraft to appliances. It’s also viewed as a good indication of where the overall resource sector is at, an important consideration for a market like the TSX that is heavily weighted in favour of commodity-based companies. Alcoa shares ticked five cents higher to US$9.15 in New York. Gold stocks led TSX decliners while the February bullion contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange gained $9.70 to US$1,656 an ounce after three days of losses and the gold sector was per cent. Gold prices have suffered in recent days because of uncertainty about whether the U.S. Federal Reserve might end its stimulus program of bond buying in the second half of 2013. Minutes from the Fed’s latest policy meeting showed a split over how long to continue the purchases amid concerns that they could destabilize the economy. The bond buying, known as quantitative easing, has supported bullion prices because of worries the program would drive inflation higher. Gold is seen as a hedge against inflation. Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:G) shares were down 48 cents to C$34.21 after it announced Monday that it is raising its monthly dividend by 11 per cent to five cents per share. Elsewhere in the gold sector, African Barrick Gold PLC stock plunged about 20 per cent on the London stock exchange after Canadian parent Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX) announced that talks about a potential sale to China National Gold have broken off without a deal. The Toronto-based Barrick Gold owns about three-quarters of the ABG shares outstanding and Barrick Gold shares faded 52 cents to C$33.05. The metals and mining sector was off 0.7 per cent while the March copper contract was down a penny at US$3.67 a pound. Teck Resources (TSX:TCK.B) shed 44 cents to C$36.71 while First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM) shed 24 cents to $21.47. Oil prices erased early gains ahead of the release of data expected to show a rise of 1.5 million barrels in crude oil stocks and 2.6 million barrels in gasoline stocks last week, according to a survey of analysts by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos. The American Petroleum Institute will release its report on oil stocks later Tuesday. The February crude contract dipped 10 cents to US$93.09 a barrel. The energy sector stepped back 0.37 per cent and Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) lost 28 cents to C$29.50 while Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO) fell 39 cents to $42.80. Financials were also in the red with Sun Life Financial (TSX:SLF) down 25 cents to $27.14 while Royal Bank (TSX:RY) gave back 29 cents to $60.52. Tech stocks provided most lift as Research In Motion Ltd. (TSX:RIM) rose 16 cents to $11.92. In economic news, traders took in data showing that the chronic government debt crisis in Europe has pushed unemployment to record highs in the 17-nation eurozone. The jobless rate hit 11.8 per cent in December, up from 11.7 per cent the previous month. Investors found some comfort in a separate report showing business and consumer sentiment in the eurozone rose in December by more than analysts were expecting and that retail sales edged up in November. That suggests that the improvement in financial markets during those months helped economic activity stabilize. Analysts warned, however, not to expect any imminent turnaround in the economy. European bourses were mixed as London’s FTSE 100 index rose 0.06 per cent, Frankfurt’s DAX inched down 0.21 per cent and the Paris CAC 40 climbed 0.44 per cent. Earlier, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index tumbled 0.9 per cent as the yen crept upward against the U.S. dollar. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.9 per cent while South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.7 per cent. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand fell, while Malaysia and the Philippines rose. Mainland Chinese shares were mixed. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.6 per cent.

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The Spice that Helps Prevent Cancer – Now Being Used to Repair Stroke Damage By Dr. MERCOLA, March 02, 2011 Scientists have created a new molecule from curcumin, the key chemical component of the spice turmeric. In laboratory experiments, the molecule was shown to affect the mechanisms that protect and regenerate brain cells after a stroke. The new curcumin compound, called CNB-001, actually repairs stroke damage at the molecular level. Physorg reports: “Those who cook Indian, Thai, Malay and Persian dishes know turmeric well for its zesty flavor, use in curries and for the rich color it imparts to food. Turmeric also has a long history of use in Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine.” Curcumin — the pigment that gives the curry spice turmeric its yellow-orange color — is a natural compound that should be on your health radar for a number of reasons. Both the ancient Chinese and Indian systems of medicine have recognized curcumin’s beneficial properties for thousands of years, and modern research suggests it may be one of nature’s most powerful potential healers. As you’ll see, its health benefits are far-reaching and are now entering the arena of emergency medicine. In this article I will also review several natural strategies for preventing stroke, as there are other lifestyle and dietary factors that play a massive role. You really don’t want to wait until a stroke happens, regardless of how effectively drugs might help to keep you alive. So What is a Stroke? Strokes are sometimes referred to as “brain attacks” (instead of “heart attacks”) because they occur when a blood clot blocks an artery or blood vessel, cutting off blood flow to your brain. As a result, brain cells die and brain damage can occur. Strokes can be particularly devastating because they often occur without warning, and the longer your brain goes without oxygen, the greater your risk of lasting damage. This is one area where emergency medicine excels, as emergency medications can dissolve the clot that is blocking blood flow to your brain. In order to be effective, however, you typically need to get help within one hour. So if you notice any of these signs of stroke, you should get help right away: - Sudden trouble walking (dizziness, loss of balance, etc.) - Sudden confusion - Sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of your body only) - Sudden trouble seeing - Sudden severe headache Curcumin Drug May Help Regenerate Brain Cells after Stroke Contrary to the clot-busting drug currently used on stroke victims, the curcumin-hybrid compound, called CNB-001, does not actually dissolve the blood clot. Rather it repairs the damage incurred by the lack of oxygen, at the molecular level, by influencing the mechanism responsible for regeneration of neurons (brain cells). This offers future stroke victims new hope for greater recovery, as it may reduce lasting damage. The research was presented at the American Heart Association International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles on February 9. Now, although curcumin itself has been found to have great healing potential, including in the treatment of brain injury, it has drawbacks that makes it unsuitable for emergency treatment of stroke. Physorg reports: “[Curcumin] is not well absorbed in the body, fails to reach its target in high concentrations, becomes depleted quickly, and is blocked from entering the brain by a natural protective mechanism called the blood-brain barrier.“ The curcumin-derived compound CNB-001, however, does cross the blood brain barrier and “moderates several critical mechanisms involved in neuronal survival,” according to lead researcher Dr. Lapchak, PhD. What this means is that if you’re having signs of stroke, do not reach for the spice jar or a turmeric supplement. Seek immediate emergency medical attention! Turmeric cannot be used as a make-shift home-remedy for a stroke. The hybrid spice-drug compound may however help save lives in an emergency setting later on. According to Physorg’s report: “The drug reduced stroke-caused “motor deficits” — problems of muscle and movement control — in this laboratory study. It was effective when administered up to an hour after stroke, which correlates with about three hours in humans, the same time frame for which TPA is currently approved.” There’s a time and place for conventional medicine, and stroke is one of those times when a drug can save your life. That said, considering how devastating (not to mention life threatening) a stroke can be, it would be in your best interest to adjust your lifestyle to prevent it from ever happening in the first place. This Common Vitamin Deficiency DOUBLES Your Risk of Stroke! What vitamin could this possibly be? If you guessed vitamin D, you’re absolutely correct. This was the impressive finding of a study presented on November 15 last year at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago. It adds weight to research released earlier last year, which found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness; a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A separate study from Finland also found that those with the lowest vitamin D levels had a 25 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, and when only stroke was evaluated, those with the lowest levels had twice the risk as those with the highest vitamin D levels. In the past couple of years, research into the health benefits of vitamin D and the serious ramifications of deficiency has exploded. The evidence that vitamin D is a key player in your health is just overwhelming. For example, optimizing your vitamin D levels can also slash your risk of diabetes and cancer in half! And that’s still just the tip of the iceberg. What other drug or nutrient do you know of that can cut your risk of three of the most dangerous chronic diseases by 50 percent?! It’s abundantly clear that if you want optimal health, you need to pay attention to your vitamin D levels. Ideally, you’ll want to increase your levels through safe sunshine exposure year-round. Not only is this the way you were designed to produce vitamin D naturally, but it also eliminates the risk of overdosing. You can also use a safe tanning bed if you can’t get sufficient amounts of sun exposure outdoors. If neither of those options are available to you, consider taking a vitamin D3 supplement, but be sure to get your vitamin D levels tested regularly to make sure you’re staying within therapeutic limits, as you’re circumventing your body’s built-in regulatory mechanism. Other Stroke Prevention Strategies Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable, according to the National Stroke Association, so I strongly encourage you to take control of your health to reduce your risk. Conventionally speaking, many of the same risk factors that increase your risk of heart disease also increase your risk of stroke, such as: - High blood pressure - High triglycerides and elevated homocysteine levels - Low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol So, as with your heart, eating unprocessed, natural foods, exercising, getting regular sun exposure, and maintaining a healthy weight will help to reduce your risk of stroke. Also high up on the list of keys to preventing a stroke is to get a handle on your stress levels as the more stressed you are, the greater your risk. As an example, a study published in the journal Neurology found that psychological distress will greatly increase your risk of suffering a stroke. The researchers actually found that for every notch lower a person scored on their well-being scale, their risk of stroke increased by 11 percent. Not surprisingly, the relationship between psychological distress and stroke was most pronounced when the stroke was fatal. So while optimizing your vitamin D levels and leading a healthy lifestyle with nutritious food and regular exercise are important, you’ll want to be sure you tend to your emotional health as well. More Health Benefits of Curcumin Now that we’ve reviewed the strategies that can help prevent you from becoming another stroke statistic, let’s get back to curcumin, because this spice compound – which is also available in supplement form – has many other potent health benefits. Most notably, curcumin is known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, and chronic inflammation is the hallmark of most chronic disease, including diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease, just to name a few. The compound has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation. But that’s not all. Other health benefits include: - Strengthening and improving your digestion - Supporting healthy liver function and detoxification - Purifying your blood Further, evidence suggests turmeric may play a beneficial role in the following diseases: - Cystic fibrosis - Type 2 diabetes - Inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease - Rheumatoid arthritis - Muscle regeneration - Alzheimer’s disease Curcumin – One of the BEST Supplements for Many Cancers, Too! If you want to use curcumin to prevent stroke I believe your best strategy is to use it as a food in the form of turmeric. However if you have a severe illness, like cancer, then it is best to use it as a drug at a much higher dose as described below. Dr. William LaValley from Austin Texas is one of the top natural medicine cancer physicians I know and he recently shared this important information on curcumin, which has the most evidence based literature for use as a cancer support than any other nutrient. Curcumin affects more than 100 different pathways once it gets into the cell. Interestingly this also includes the metabolite of curcumin and its derivatives, which are also anti-cancer. Best of all, curcumin appears to be safe in the treatment of all cancers. In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common U.S. cancers — colon, breast, prostate and lung — is 10 times lower. In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to the curcumin in turmeric. Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link, with promising results. For instance, curcumin has been found to: - Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells - Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor - Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your body - Decrease inflammation - Enhance liver function - Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formation - Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth And, according to researchers from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers. The spice actually stops laboratory strains of melanoma from proliferating and pushes the cancer cells to die by shutting down nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), a powerful protein known to induce abnormal inflammatory response that leads to an assortment of disorders such as arthritis and cancer. To get the full benefits that curcumin has to offer, you will want to look for a turmeric extract with at least 95 percent curcuminoids that contains only 100 percent certified organic ingredients. The formula should be free of fillers, additives and excipients (a substance added to the supplement as a processing or stability aid), and the manufacturer should use safe production practices at all stages: planting, cultivation, selective harvesting, and then producing and packaging the final product. Details on How to Use Curcumin The unfortunate challenge at this time is that good formulations of curcumin to use in cancer still aren’t available. This is because relatively high doses are required and curcumin is not absorbed that well. Typical anticancer doses are up to three grams of good bioavailable curcmin extract, three to four times a day. One work-around for this is to use curcumin powder and make a microemulsion of it by combining a tablespoon of the powder and mixing it into 1-2 egg yolks, and a teaspoon or two of melted coconut oil. Then use a high-speed hand blender to emulsify the powder. Another strategy to increase absorption is to put one tablespoon of the curcumin powder into a quart of boiling water. It must be boiling when you add the powder as it will not work as well if you put it in room temperature water and then heat the water with the curcumin already in it. After boiling it for 10 minutes, you will have created a 12 percent solution, which you can drink once it has cooled down. The curcumin will gradually fall out of solution over time and in about six hours it will be a 6 percent solution, so it is best to drink the water within four hours. It does have a woody taste. One caution to know is that you want to avoid the “yellow kitchen” syndrome. Curcumin is a very potent yellow pigment and can permanently discolor surfaces if you aren’t careful.

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This latest MSM piece is just one more in a long line of half truths and misinformation on the connections between Saddam and al-Qaeda. Captured Iraqi documents and intelligence interrogations of Saddam Hussein and two former aides "all confirmed" that Hussein’s regime was not directly cooperating with al-Qaeda before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, according to a declassified Defense Department report released yesterday. The declassified version of the report, by acting Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble, also contains new details about the intelligence community’s prewar consensus that the Iraqi government and al-Qaeda figures had only limited contacts, and about its judgments that reports of deeper links were based on dubious or unconfirmed information. The report had been released in summary form in February. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), who requested the report’s declassification, said in a written statement that the complete text demonstrates more fully why the inspector general concluded that a key Pentagon office — run by then-Undersecretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith — had inappropriately written intelligence assessments before the March 2003 invasion alleging connections between al-Qaeda and Iraq that the U.S. intelligence consensus disputed. Of course the IG report does not state why the intelligence assessment was "inappropiate" if the activity broke no laws and violated no policies. What is so inappropriate about having different agencies developing different analysis reports on intelligence? Isn’t alternative viewpoints a very important tool in developing a consensus? Be that it may lets get into some facts about the very real connections between al-Qaeda and Iraq. While I agree with all the intelligence agencies that Saddam most likely did not have a very strong operational connection with the group nor was he involved in 9/11 (at this point, more evidence may come up which does in fact tie the two together) I do not agree with most of the left leaning think tanks, MSM outfits and blogs that there was NO connections. I’ve asked Scott Malensek to do a rebuttal on this WaPo article which he will try to do tonight. He emailed me a few minutes ago with this: Simply put, there was no pre-war CIA investigation into ties that made any conclusions that there were either ties or not ties. There was no post-war CIA investigation at all. Moreover, the WaPo piece ignores the ties that the ISG report DOES cite (like Saddam training AQ, using Abu Nidal and ANO as intermediary to AQ, and more). That WaPo piece is a full-on partisan hard-on that cherry picks a report, makes assumptions and claims where none are in the report, and makes deliberately false statements contrary to the facts/intel in the report. Man, such a huge subject…so many things to contradict, so little time and space. Amen. There is just a TON of evidence and facts to point out that any post on this matter would take up hundreds of pages. Just take a look at my Iraq/Al-Qaeda category, lots of pages there. Of course this editorial at the WaPo calls all this evidence "delusional" Here are a few examples of intelligence that taken as a whole (along with my many other posts on the subject, the book The Connection, the released Saddam documents, Ray Robisons new book, and Scott Malensek 124 page rebuttal to the IG report along with his book (under the pen-name Sam Pender) Saddam’s ties to al-Qaeda) point to a definite connection. First lets start with a Stephen Hayes article: Indeed, more than two years after the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein was ousted, there is much we do not know about the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. We do know, however, that there was one. We know about this relationship not from Bush administration assertions but from internal Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) documents recovered in Iraq after the war–documents that have been authenticated by a U.S. intelligence community long hostile to the very idea that any such relationship exists. We know from these IIS documents that beginning in 1992 the former Iraqi regime regarded bin Laden as an Iraqi Intelligence asset. We know from IIS documents that the former Iraqi regime provided safe haven and financial support to an Iraqi who has admitted to mixing the chemicals for the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. We know from IIS documents that Saddam Hussein agreed to Osama bin Laden’s request to broadcast anti-Saudi propaganda on Iraqi state-run television. We know from IIS documents that a "trusted confidante" of bin Laden stayed for more than two weeks at a posh Baghdad hotel as the guest of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. We have been told by Hudayfa Azzam, the son of bin Laden’s longtime mentor Abdullah Azzam, that Saddam Hussein welcomed young al Qaeda members "with open arms" before the war, that they "entered Iraq in large numbers, setting up an organization to confront the occupation," and that the regime "strictly and directly" controlled their activities. We have been told by Jordan’s King Abdullah that his government knew Abu Musab al Zarqawi was in Iraq before the war and requested that the former Iraqi regime deport him. We have been told by Time magazine that confidential documents from Zarqawi’s group, recovered in recent raids, indicate other jihadists had joined him in Baghdad before the Hussein regime fell. We have been told by one of those jihadists that he was with Zarqawi in Baghdad before the war. We have been told by Ayad Allawi, former Iraqi prime minister and a longtime CIA source, that other Iraqi Intelligence documents indicate bin Laden’s top deputy was in Iraq for a jihadist conference in September 1999. How about Ahmed Hikmat Shakir? Who is he? Well take a look at my post on him from two years ago: Ahmed Hikmat Shakir, a 37 year old Iraqi citizen, was a greeter at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in August 2000 (I know, sounds kinda like wal-mart but apparently greeters are quite common in Southeast Asia). How was he hired to be a greeter? Ahmed had told associates that he had been hired by contact’s in the Iraqi embassy. What’s unusual is that it was this contact, not his employer, who told him when and where to report to. In late December of 1999 the CIA, NSA and The State Department all received intelligence that indicated there would be a Al-Qaeda meeting in Malaysia in early January of 2000. The NSA had intercepted communications from those tied to the 1998 Kenya/Tanzania embassy bombings. The information was incomplete but did contain the names of three people, Khalid, Nawaf, and Salem. The CIA and Malaysian intelligence set up a joint operation to track the meeting. They got many photographs of the principals arriving. Principals such as Khalid al Mihdhar (A known al-Qaeda associate), Nawaf al Hazmi, Yazid Sufaat (another known al-Qaeda associate) and Ramzi bin al Shibh. An interesting note about Ramzi, he would later brag to be the "coordinator of the holy tuesday operation" (9/11). Ahmed was told to work the day these guys showed up. After greeting these fine folks Ahmed didn’t go back to work but left with them to the meeting. The meeting ended on Jan 8th and Ahmed quit on the 10th. The purpose of this meeting? The planning of attack on the USS Cole and 9/11. Malaysian and American intelligence bear this out. Don’t believe it? Then guess who was on flight 77 on 9/11? Nawaf al Hazmi, his brother Salem and Khalid al Mihdhar…that’s right, the same folks photographed upon their arrival for the above meeting. On Sept 17th, 2001 authorities in Qatar arrested Ahmed and found a huge amount of information on high level terrorists with strong ties to al-Qaeda and indirect links to Iraq. Among his contacts? Zahid Sheikh Mohammed, the brother of 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Musab Yasin, the brother of the 93 WTC bomber Abdul Rahman Yasin. Interestingly Musab was harbored by Iraq for a decade after the 93 bombing. Want more? When he was arrested he had the telephone number for Mamdouh Mahmud Salim. The number was to the desk of Taba Investments, one of the best known front companies used by Osama Bin Laden. So you have a known Iraqi citizen being paid by the Iraqi embassy in Kuala Lumpur, attending a meeting by known al-Qaeda members, some of whom later turn up on one of the planes on 9/11. After 9/11 he is arrested and found to have information on some high level al-Qaeda contacts who have direct links with Iraq. Add all this up and what does it tell ya? Maybe Iraq had links with al-Qaeda after all. How about the fact that Saddam Hussein supported Syrian religious extremists in their efforts to overthrow Syrian leader Hafez al Assad. In 1982 Assad brutally put down this rebellion at which point the extremists, who had formed the group Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, scattered. Some went to Iraq where they trained with Iraqis at the al Rashdiya camp outside Baghdad. One of the Syrians who spent time at the camps was Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas who would later become the leader of al-Qaeda’s operations in Spain. He stayed in Iraq until 1986. Yarkas was captured in Madrid in November 2001, along with papers that included a invitation to a party at the residence of the Iraqi ambassador to Spain. The invitation was addressed to Luis Galan Gonzales (a known al-Qaeda associate who took the muslim name Yusaf Galan. It also turns out Yarkas was the roommate of lead hijacker Mohamed Atta in Germany (must be a coincidence tho huh?). Since then intelligence departments around the world have found that many leaders of the al-Qaeda cells in Madrid and Hamburg, the cells that executed 9/11, were onetime Syrian Muslim Brotherhood members. On May 5th, 1998 Iraqi state-run tv reported that vice president Taha yasin Ramadan met with leaders of the SMB in Baghdad. What does Saddam’s relationship with SMB show us, not only that he was not hostile to Islamic Radicals as suggested by many in the left, but openly welcomed them. How about the fact that on January 19th, 1991, Ahmed J. Ahmed and Abdul Kadham Saad, two Iraqi students living in the Philippines, attempted to detonate a bomb at a US government building. The consul general at the Iraqi embassy in Manila (Muwufak al-Ani) met with the two bombers at least 5 times in the days leading up to the attack, they even used his car to deliver the bombers to within a few blocks of their target. The bomb was accidently detonated one block short of their target when they went to check it. Saad survived the blast, badly burnt, and at the hospital he directed the nurses to notify the Iraqi embassy and recited the embassy’s number. Muwufak’s business card was found in his pocket. Think that may point to Saddam actively supporting terrorists? Many of Saddam’s documents also contain evidence of the link such as this one from the late 90′s: B. An approval to meet with opposer Osama bin Laden by the Intelligence Services was given by the Honorable Presidency in its letter 138, dated January 11, 1995 (attachment 6). He [bin Laden] was met by the previous general director of M4 in Sudan and in the presence of the Sudanese, Ibrahim al-Sanusi, on February 19, 1995. We discussed with him his organization. He requested the broadcast of the speeches of Sheikh Sulayman al-Uda (who has influence within Saudi Arabia and outside due to being a well known religious and influential personality) and to designate a program for them through the broadcast directed inside Iraq, and to perform joint operations against the foreign forces in the land of Hijaz. (The Honorable Presidency was informed of the details of the meeting in our letter 370 on March 4, 1995, attachment 7.) D. Due to the latest conditions in Sudan and accusing her harboring of supporting and harboring terrorism it was agreed with the opposition person the Saudi Osama Bin Laden to leave Sudan to another place where he left Khartoom in the month of July 1996 and the information indicate that he is Afghanistan at the present moment. There is stil relation with him through the Sudanese side and we work in the present moment to activate this relation with him through a new channel in light of the current place where he stays. [...]The approval of the Honorable Presidency was granted to meet with the opposition person Osama Bin Laden by the Apparatus [...]a discussion occurred about his organization, and he requested the broadcasting of Sheikh Sleiman AL Awada (who has influence in Saudia and outside since he is a known and influential religious personality) and dedicate a program for them through the station directed inside the country and make joint operations against the forces of infidels in the land of Hijaz How about Saddam’s ten years of harboring of 1993 World Trade Center bomber Abdul Rahman Yasin? Or the Clinton administration’s top counter-terrorism official, Richard Clarke’s, assertions that Saddam had offered bin Laden asylum after the embassy bombings, and Clarke’s memo to Sandy Berger advising him not to fly U-2 missions against bin Laden in Afghanistan because he might be tipped off by Pakistani Intelligence? From the 9/11 Commission report: It would require Pakistani approval, he wrote; and “Pak[istan’s] intel[ligence service] is in bed with” Bin Ladin and would warn him that the United States was getting ready for a bombing campaign: “Armed with that knowledge, old wily Usama will likely boogie to Baghdad.” How about the fact that high-ranking Clinton administration officials insisted to the 9/11 Commission that the 1998 strikes against a Sudanese pharmaceutical factory was justified because the factory was a chemical weapons facility tied to Iraq and bin Laden? Finally, but not last by any long shot, we have the Clinton Justice Department’s indictment against bin Laden In addition, al Qaeda reached an understanding with the government of Iraq that al Qaeda would not work against that government and that on particular projects, specifically including weapons development, al Qaeda would work cooperatively with the Government of Iraq. Want more? Scott’s piece tonight will detail much more I’m sure. Or check out my Iraq/Al-Qaeda category, or Scott’s rebuttal to the IG report and his many books on the subject, or Ray Robisons new book (in ebook format at the moment) which details many more connections. The evidence is staggering, except to our MSM outfits and the lefties in this country who wish to keep their heads in the sand. All in the name of politics. The truth be damned. A reader has pointed out to me that the indictment against Osama by the Clinton Administration was updated with the state sponsorship segment retracted. I asked the resident expert on this subject Scott Malensek to add his thoughts on this: Scott Malensek adds: Yes, it was in fact updated, and the section 4 that described UBL/AQ ties was removed by (drum roll) Patrick Fitzgerald…the same guy who went on a witch hunt for Rove, Cheney, and wound up with Scooter Libby. HOWEVER(!!!!), far more detailed and confirmed descriptions of the IIS (Saddam’s intel service) working directly with Al Queda (including and specifically on the USS Cole attack) was included in the civil case against Iraq re the wtc attacks and more. That case was a success. Additionally, I believe (though I haven’t gotten the docs to confirm it yet) that the recent case in Virginia about the Sudan being partially responsible for the Cole, includes information about how AQ got the Russian RDX to Yemen via Sudan, and that it came from Iraq to Sudan. That case went something like this: Russian RDX (confirmed by FBI dir Freeh in his book, MY FBI pg 282) was used in USS Cole attack. (unconfirmed) Reports in Russian media, History Channel, and a few others suggest that this RDX was sold to Iraq, then shipped to Iraq’s only ally in 1990+…Sudan. Sudan then used diplomatic "pouch" clearances to get RDX to Yemen, and in Yemen, Iraqi IIS bombmakers helped develop the largest shaped charge ever built (per History Channel). They put it on a boat, it sank. SO, the terrorists got out the explosives, tested some in Afghanistan, came back, rebuilt the bomb, and hit the Cole with it. I never got the chance to confirm it, but I think some of the captured Iraq docs show Iraqis in Afghanistan purely coincidentally of course at this same moment in 2000. SO, there’s court stuff saying that AQ/Iraq were in cahoots in several civil trials-often won, but the indictment of UBL was updated to remove the part about working together. Same as in my article-no intelligence was being gathered on AQ and no intelligence was being gathered on Iraq from 98-01. This is exactly why I put so much emphasis on the last intel gathered on either (which happens to be in 98). The link it my latest post shows that before Clinton and Bush blew off monitoring AQ and monitoring Iraq, the last thing on either was that they were working directly together. Coincidentally of course, the 911 plot was set in motion within days of those reports…reports confirmed by KSM’s testimony in interrogations as cited by 911 Comm, his testimony to Moussaoui trial, and his gitmo testimony.

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Candi Kalasan : The Oldest Buddhist Temple on Java Mekar Wisata Tour & Travel We are an established travel agent in Indonesia handling all incoming passengers into Indonesia for leisure travel, golf packages,incentive travel and meeting and conference(MICE) arrangements.We have competitive rates for Indonesia market travelling into Malaysia for 3 star,4 star & 5 star hotels and we have our own transport to cater all your travel needs. We also handling customer for outbound package and air ticket online. We are dedicated to deliver excellent service accompanied by a competitive price structure to all your guest coming to Indonesia while not compromising the quality of our service to ensure the clients will have a memorable experience in Indonesia. I hereby would like to request your goodselves to give us the opportunity to service your clients in the nearby future. Please try out our service once as “YOUR TRULLY TRAVEL PARTNER”. Hope to hear from your good selves the soonest. |Address||:||Seturan Raya Street 5A Caturtunggal Depok Sleman Yogyakarta INDONESIA 55281| |Phone||:||+62 274 486620|+62 274 486621| |Fax||:||+62 274 485653|

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The above video goes away if you are a member and logged in, so log in now! Black Screen – My brother bought a slim ps2 from hk early last year. I am not sure what modchip it has installed. But today when I turn it on while trying to play Kaye, it comes out something with Matrix screen menu, which i didn't think about it at all and click start and it advice to press on the reset button, which i did. When it resetted, it comes up to the browser page with "Please Insert Playstation or Playstation 2 format cd". I thought it must not be reading the dvd at all since it's the first time i tried playing it. So i press the off button and later turn it back on. This time the screen just goes black and flickers at the beginning. The power led goes green, but there is no sound at all. Just simply a black screen. I tried turning it off again and on, same thing happens. Can anyone help me here? Can someone tell me what modchip i got? or is there a way i can tell what i got? Is there a modchip dealer in Brisbane that can help me fix this problem? your Ps2 must have a clone matrix infinity installed. after you saved the configure manual then chip is dead. although there are a few ways to recover the firmware but it's not possibe when the PS2 is not booting at all, which seems the PS2 might have something else wrong. solution: remove the chip to see if the PS2 stll boots original game, if everything good then install a better chip. thanks wmb88. Erm, i don't know much about removing the chip, but it's easy right? why did that happen to me =( does australia sell a chip that allows me to play copied oversea ps2 games from hk/malaysia? i got the normal screen that comes up now after pressing the reset button twice. when i put in the game, it requires me to "insert playstation or playstation 2 format disc" which i did, and the screen went black. Can you tell me what firmware i need to use in order to get the chip working? thanks. i got the normal screen that comes up now after pressing the reset button twice. when i put in the game, it requires me to "insert playstation or playstation 2 format disc" which i did, and the screen went black. Can you tell me what firmware i need to use in order to get the chip working? Will it work on a normal burnted cd or dvd? thanks. i got into infinity config menu... click start.... and then it request me to reset... but i am not able to run any copied ps2. it just ask "insert playstation or playstation 2 format disc... anyone can help me......plz.... well sum one did help you but did u try what wmb88 said? remove the chip or get it removed from any installers in ur area.. ask your friends who have a ps2 as to where can u find an installer... but actually removing is a lot easier than installing( for me atleast)... but if you are ot confident then get it removed... ost probably your chip is dead... try playing any original games and see what happens... PlayStation2 v10 SCPH - 50004(spray painted silver n black) | Matrix Infinity Green Dot | Seagate 120 gb HDD with NA Multitap - USB Headset - Linux Kit PSP relatedWebsite: PSPandMore Graphics Folio: DeviantART Folio

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2013-02-26 13:57:43 - SADIF-Investment Analytics has applied its StockMarks™ stock-rating system to TIME DOTCOM BERHAD and produced a Rating Update Report, rating the company's attractiveness to long-term investors. Ilhavo, Portugal – SADIF Investment Analytics, announces a new Rating Update Report covering TIME DOTCOM BERHAD (TIMECOM). The report uses SADIF's powerful StockMarks™ stock rating system and contains important analysis for any current or potential TIME DOTCOM BERHAD investor. Report Summary: TIME DOTCOM BERHAD is an average quality company with a positive outlook. TIME DOTCOM BERHAD has weak business growth and is run by efficient management. The trend in TIME DOTCOM BERHAD fair value exchange rate against its closest rated-competitor, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, has been stable over the past 2 weeks. When compared to its closest competitor, TIME DOTCOM BERHAD shows less overvaluation and is equally likely to outperform the market. The 3-page report breaks down the Total StockMark into its three components – business, management and price, performing an in-depth analysis of TIME DOTCOM BERHAD for long-term investors. The report has been distributed to Thomson Reuters. It is available in Investext from multiple professional platforms including Thomson Research, Thomson ONE Banker, DIALOG/INTELLISCOPE, Thomson Gale, West Services, Advisen, Alacra-Datadownlink, Factiva, INTERNET SECURITIES and LEXIS/NEXIS or directly from SADIF-Investment Analytics at: About SADIF-Investment Analytics: SADIF-Investment Analytics is an independent investment research company covering sixteen different markets and over 12,000 companies. The StockMarks™ system is based on proven investment principles and is designed to drive long-term shareholder returns.

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Thursday, 12 March 2009 Lots Of Lat - Lat Lat is an awesome cartoonist from Malaysia, in case you haven't heard of him. Here's the front and back covers of his 1977 book 'Lots of Lat'. How great are these? Hopefully this one will come out in English (this book is half English and half Malaysian) but it will be a long time, only two of his books are out in English translations so far and I highly recommend both of them... They are 'Kampung Boy' and 'Town Boy'

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by Muammar Qaddafi Palestinian mother and daughter walk past Israeli troops. Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is calling for a one-state solution. (Photo: Patrick Baz / AFP / Getty Images) Tripoli, Libya – The shocking level of the last wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence, which ended with this weekend’s cease-fire, reminds us why a final resolution to the so-called Middle East crisis is so important. It is vital not just to break this cycle of destruction and injustice, but also to deny the religious extremists in the region who feed on the conflict an excuse to advance their own causes. But everywhere one looks, among the speeches and the desperate diplomacy, there is no real way forward. A just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians is possible, but it lies in the history of the people of this conflicted land, and not in the tired rhetoric of partition and two-state solutions. Although it’s hard to realize after the horrors we’ve just witnessed, the state of war between the Jews and Palestinians has not always existed. In fact, many of the divisions between Jews and Palestinians are recent ones. The very name “Palestine” was commonly used to describe the whole area, even by the Jews who lived there, until 1948, when the name “Israel” came into use. Jews and Muslims are cousins descended from Abraham. Throughout the centuries both faced cruel persecution and often found refuge with one another. Arabs sheltered Jews and protected them after maltreatment at the hands of the Romans and their expulsion from Spain in the Middle Ages. The history of Israel/Palestine is not remarkable by regional standards – a country inhabited by different peoples, with rule passing among many tribes, nations and ethnic groups; a country that has withstood many wars and waves of peoples from all directions. This is why it gets so complicated when members of either party claims the right to assert that it is their land. The basis for the modern State of Israel is the persecution of the Jewish people, which is undeniable. The Jews have been held captive, massacred, disadvantaged in every possible fashion by the Egyptians, the Romans, the English, the Russians, the Babylonians, the Canaanites and, most recently, the Germans under Hitler. The Jewish people want and deserve their homeland. But the Palestinians too have a history of persecution, and they view the coastal towns of Haifa, Acre, Jaffa and others as the land of their forefathers, passed from generation to generation, until only a short time ago. Thus the Palestinians believe that what is now called Israel forms part of their nation, even were they to secure the West Bank and Gaza. And the Jews believe that the West Bank is Samaria and Judea, part of their homeland, even if a Palestinian state were established there. Now, as Gaza still smolders, calls for a two-state solution or partition persist. But neither will work. A two-state solution will create an unacceptable security threat to Israel. An armed Arab state, presumably in the West Bank, would give Israel less than 10 miles of strategic depth at its narrowest point. Further, a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would do little to resolve the problem of refugees. Any situation that keeps the majority of Palestinians in refugee camps and does not offer a solution within the historical borders of Israel/Palestine is not a solution at all. For the same reasons, the older idea of partition of the West Bank into Jewish and Arab areas, with buffer zones between them, won’t work. The Palestinian-held areas could not accommodate all of the refugees, and buffer zones symbolize exclusion and breed tension. Israelis and Palestinians have also become increasingly intertwined, economically and politically. In absolute terms, the two movements must remain in perpetual war or a compromise must be reached. The compromise is one state for all, an “Isratine” that would allow the people in each party to feel that they live in all of the disputed land and they are not deprived of any one part of it. A key prerequisite for peace is the right of return for Palestinian refugees to the homes their families left behind in 1948. It is an injustice that Jews who were not originally inhabitants of Palestine, nor were their ancestors, can move in from abroad while Palestinians who were displaced only a relatively short time ago should not be so permitted. It is a fact that Palestinians inhabited the land and owned farms and homes there until recently, fleeing in fear of violence at the hands of Jews after 1948 – violence that did not occur, but rumors of which led to a mass exodus. It is important to note that the Jews did not forcibly expel Palestinians. They were never “un-welcomed.” Yet only the full territories of Isratine can accommodate all the refugees and bring about the justice that is key to’peace. Assimilation is already a fact of life in Israel. There are more than 1 million Muslim Arabs in Israel; they possess Israeli nationality and take part in political life with the Jews, forming political parties. On the other side, there are Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Israeli factories depend on Palestinian labor, and goods and services are exchanged. This successful assimilation can be a model for Isratine. If the present interdependence and the historical fact of Jewish-Palestinian co-existence guide their leaders, and if they can see beyond the horizon of the recent violence and thirst for revenge toward a long-term solution, then these two peoples will come to realize, I hope sooner rather than later, that living under one roof is the only option for a lasting peace. ——– Muammar Qaddafi is the leader of Libya. Thursday 22 January 2009 Letter from Bangladesh They all have numbers. Jeans tucked into their high-ankled sneakers. They strut through the airport lounge, moving en masse. We work our way up the corridors leading to the airplane, but many stop just before boarding. The cocky gait has gone. The sad faces look out longingly at the small figures silhouetted on the rooftops. They wave and they wave and they wave. The stewardess has seen it all before and rounds them up, herding them into the aircraft. One by one they disengage themselves, probably realizing for the first time just what they are leaving behind. Inside the aircraft it is different. They look around at the metallic finish of the interior, try on the headphones and drink lemonade. They have seats together and whisper to each other about each new thing they see. Abdul Malek, sitting opposite me, is in his early twenties. He is from a small village not far from Goalondo. This is his second attempt. He was conned the first time round. This time his family has sold their remaining land as well as the small shop that they part-own. This time, he says, he is going to make it. As in the case of the others, his had been no ordinary farewell. They had all come from the village to see him off. Last night, as they slept outside the exclusive passenger lounge, they had prayed together. Abdul Malek has few illusions. He realizes that on $110 a month, for 18 months, there is no way he can save enough to replace the money that his family has invested. But he sees it differently. No-one from his village has ever been abroad. His sisters would get married. His mother would have her roof repaired, and he would be able to find work for others from the village. This trip is not for him alone. His whole family, even his whole village, are going to change their destiny. That single hope, to change one’s destiny, is what ties all migrants together whether they be the Bangladeshis who work in the forests of Malaysia, those like Abdul Malek, who work as unskilled labour in the Middle East, or those that go to the promised lands of the US. Not all of them are poor. Many are skilled and well educated. Still, the possibility of changing one’s destiny is the single driving force that pushes people into precarious journeys all across the globe. They see it not merely as a means for economic freedom, but also as a means for social mobility. In the 25 years since independence the middle class in Bangladesh has prospered, and many of its members have climbed the social ladder. But except for a very few rags-to-riches stories, the poor have been well and truly entrenched in poverty. They see little hope of ever being able to claw their way out of it, except perhaps through the promise of distant lands. So it is that hundreds of workers mill around the Kuwait Embassy in Gulshan, the posh part of Dhaka where the wealthy Bangladeshis and the foreigners live. Kuwait has begun recruiting again after the hiatus caused by the Gulf War, and for the many Bangladeshis who left during the War, and those who have been waiting in the wings, the arduous struggle is beginning. False passports, employment agents, attempts to bribe immigration officials, the long uncertain wait. Some wait outside the office of ‘Prince Musa’ in Banani. He is king of the agents. His secretary shows me the giant portraits taken with ‘coloured gels’, in an early Hollywood style. She carefully searches for the admiration in my eyes she has known to expect in others. She brings out the press cuttings: the glowing tributes paid by Forbes, the US magazine for and about the wealthy, the stories of his associations with the jet set. She talks of the culture of the man, his sense of style, his private jet, his place in the world of fashion. Apart from the sensational eight-million-dollar donation to the British Labour Party in 1994 which Labour denies, but which the ‘Prince’ insists was accepted – there are other stories. Some of these I can verify, like the rosewater used for his bath, and the diamond pendants on his shoes (reportedly worth three million dollars). Others, like his friendship with the Sultan of Brunei, the Saudi Royals and leading Western politicians, are attested to by photographs in family albums. He was once a young man from a small town in Faridpur, not too distant from Abdul Malek’s home or economic position, who made good. Whether the wealth of the ‘Prince’ derives mainly from commissions paid by thousands of Maleks all over Bangladesh or whether, as many assume, it is from lucrative arms deals, the incongruity of it all remains: the fabulously wealthy are earning from the poorest of the poor. Whereas the ‘Prince’ has emigrated to the city and saves most of his money abroad, Malek and his friends save every penny and send it to the local bank in their village. Malek is different from the many Bengalis who emigrated to the West after World War Two, when immigration was easier and naturalization laws allowed people to settle. Malek, like his friends, has no illusions about ‘settling’ overseas. He knows only too well his status amongst those who know him only as cheap labour. Bangladesh is clearly, irrevocably, his home. He merely wants a better life for himself than the Bangladeshi princes have reserved for him. by Rahnuma Ahmed I feel like I’m witnessing the systematic destruction of a people’s ability to survive. It’s horrifying. – Rachel Corrie (1979-2003), a 23 year old American member of the International Solidarity Movement, killed by an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) bulldozer during a protest against the destruction of Palestinian homes in the Gaza strip. The Americans, wrote Sir John Troutbeck, head of the British Middle East office in Cairo, to Ernest Bevin, the Foreign Secretary, were responsible for the creation of a gangster state headed by “an utterly unscrupulous set of leaders” (2 June 1948). America’s role in the establishment of the state of Israel in May 1948, one that involved “a monumental injustice” to the Palestinians, writes Avi Shlaim, an Iraqi-born British historian of Jewish descent, was partisanal. This was bitterly resented by British officials. This, writes Shlaim, is the historical context, and it is essential that we remember this when we try to make sense of the senseless carnage in Gaza. It is a slaughter that is relentless. A savage barbarity, utterly modern. Just like the Nazi holocaust. Bomb attacks on civilian targets, including homes, schools, mosques, universities. Torn limbs. Sniper fire. Bullet holes in little breasts. Severed heads. I remember seeing a little girl on al-Jazeera. Curly locks framing her face. That was all, just a small head. There are other images, of scattered limbs, of buildings destroyed, of parents wailing. No place to go. No place to hide. Ambulances are fired upon. US-supplied F-16 fighter and attack jets rain down Operation Cast Lead bombs on unarmed civilians. There are indications, say defence analysts, that white phosphorus is being used. I watch an Israeli government spokesman reply on al-Jazeera, We do not use anything not used by the US government, or NATO. Brazenness. Complicity. Silence. People pouring out in the streets worldwide, `We are all Palestinians.’ Burning the Israeli flag, the Star of David. Roles reversed. Who is David, who is Goliath in this war of unequals, of primitive rockets against Israeli military strength annually resourced by $2 million, by the US, for the last 23 years. Upped, during the Bush administration to $21 billion in US security assistance, including $19 billion in direct military aid under the Pentagon’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme. As Frida Berrigan notes, Israel remains the single largest recipient of US military aid each year. Holocaust in Gaza? US media screams of anti-Semitism. Discourses of denial are accompanied by rhetorics of reverse discrimination and reverse racism, writes Mark Lawrence McPhail, in a study on racism. Subtle forms of individual and institutional contempt for the rights of the oppressed are ever-present. Israel has the right to defend itself and its population from years of rocket attacks by Hamas. Hamas smuggles weapons into Gaza from Egypt. Israel has the right to bomb these tunnels, to secure its national interest. Israel withdrew from Gaza. It ended its occupation. It gave up its settlements and its military bases in Gaza. Hamas has used the Israeli disengagement from Gaza to launch attacks at Israel without any provocation whatsoever. Hamas, and not Israel, broke the June 2008 ceasefire. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. Israel does not kill Palestinian civilians intentionally. Hamas, and not Israel, is responsible for the deaths of Palestinians because it uses them as human shields. Denials pour out endlessly. As the Australian Green Left’s website points out, try as you may, the statements of Israeli and US politicians do not match the pictures of devastation in Gaza. There can be only one explanation. They must be suffering from one of those conditions, a “Visual-Carnage-Responsibility-Back-To-Front-Upside-Down-Massacre-Disorder”. But those who can call a slaughter what it is — a slaughter — keep pointing out repeatedly, Gaza is, in reality, the world’s largest open-air prison. Four decades of Israeli control has done “incalculable damage” to the economy of the Gaza strip. Most of its 1.5 million population are 1948 refugees, looking out on to land that was earlier, rightfully theirs. Gaza, as Shlaim notes, is not simply a case of economic under-development, “but a uniquely cruel case of de-development.” Israel has turned Gaza’s people into a source of cheap labour, and a captive market for Israeli goods. Israel withdrew all 8,000 settlers from Gaza in August 2005, destroyed their houses and farms, a withdrawal that was presented by Ariel Sharon as a contribution to peace based on a two-state solution. But this withdrawal was not a “prelude to a peace deal” with the Palestinian Authority, but a prelude to further Zionist expansion on the West Bank, as evidenced by the next year’s settlement of 12,000 Israelis on the West Bank. As for Gaza, even though Israeli settlers were withdrawn, Israeli soldiers continued to control all access to Gaza. Palestinians had no control over moving in and out of Gaza. No control over either land, sea or air borders. No open access to services needed, no viable economic opportunities. Poverty rate in Gaza had reached 80%. Gaza’s people lived constantly under the threat of Israeli military incursions, shelling, targetted assassinations (remember Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, near-blind paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair, assassinated by an Israeli helicopter gunship in 2004, along with two bodyguards, and nine bystanders). Those who can call a slaughter what it is — a slaughter — have also pointed out that Israel’s rocket crisis is “fabricated”. Jim Holstun and Joanna Tinker, in an Electronic Intifada article (6 January 2009) reveal that an Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs document, The Hamas Terror War against Israel shows striking evidence of Hamas’s good faith during the lull in hostilities. Two graphs, drawn up by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center, show that the total number of rocket and mortar attacks went down from 245 in June to a total of 26 for July through October. A reduction of 97%. But this was not sufficient. Israel violated the truce, it imposed on Gaza a terror-famine. Hamas still did not respond by launching rockets, not until Israel cancelled the truce on the night of 4-5 November by “sending an Israeli commando squad into Gaza, killing 6 Hamas members. Hamas responded by firing 30 rockets. Since the charts help to expose the `Hamas fires rockets’ for what it is, an outright lie, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs removed these from its website on the eve of the Israeli occupation forces ground assault on Gaza, on 4 January 2008. These have been substituted by a near-illegible graph in which the “labels obscure the data,” and the caption hides the de facto end of rocket and mortar fire during the calm until 4 November. Other Western governments are also complicit in the slaughter. As Jim Miles points out, the Canadian government’s position is no different to the US position: Israel is the victim of Hamas terrorist aggression. Peter Kent, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said in early January 2009, Hamas rocketing was responsible for the initial development of the crisis. And then he went on to mouth words, regurgitated endlessly by the west’s leaders, `the deepening humanitarian tragedy’, `Canada is concerned about the loss of civilian life…’ The European Union president, the Czech republic, said on 3 January 2009, the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza was “defensive”, not “offensive” action. A coalition of Lebanese and Palestinian NGOs, on January 8, accused the European Union of being party to crimes against humanity by supporting Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza strip. They delivered a letter to EU’s offices in Beirut, addressed to EU’s Ambassador to Lebanon Patrick Laurent. It termed the 27-member bloc’s response to the “crimes” in Gaza, as being not only justificatory, but also, of becoming a “party to them, by providing them legitimacy.” EU officials dismissed the accusations as being based on “misinformation.” And Ban Ki-Moon, the secretary-general of the United Nations, deliberately avoided issuing a condemnation of the Israeli army bombing of an UNRWA school in Gaza, one in which Palestinian civilians had fled to seek shelter. Fifty Palestinian citizens were killed, ten others wounded. It was “unacceptable,” he said. It should “not be repeated,” he said. No words of condemnation either, for the killing of three UN workers, gunned down by IOF bullets. No wonder that Osman Barghouti, Palestinian human rights activist and commentator writes, Ban Ki-moon will surely go down in history as “the most subservient and morally unqualified Secretary-General to ever lead the international organization.” And compliant Middle-Eastern governments, precious American allies, like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the others? An online al-Jazeera poll shows, 94% of respondents think that some Arab governments were complicit in Israel’s attack on Gaza. The list of political and military leaders — Israeli, American, European, and also Arab — to be tried for war crimes, is a long one. People, the world over, are compiling it. First published in New Age on Monday 19th January 2009 January 18, 2009 Landslides are dangerous. Things get buried. People get hurt. The 9th parliamentary elections was to return Bangladesh from a two year military backed caretaker rule to an elected Government. The gathering on the last campaign day was massive, but there were fewer women and more people with white caps than one expected. The BNP candidate in Paltan Maidan boasted of how EVERY household in his candidacy, had assured him of their vote. Awami League candidates, the previous day, postured similarly, but both sides probably felt there was a reasonable chance of winning. The two-year gap between BNP’s misrule and the elections, might have eroded some of the moral gains that Awami League would otherwise have had. Voters sometimes have short memories. A landslide election win for anyone was not on the cards. The Bangladeshi voter however, is remarkably savvy. They voted out Bhutto in 1971. Despite genocide, it did lead to independence. Since then, in every reasonably free and fair election they have had, they have voted with their heads. Hasina’s lack of repentance about BAKSHAL and previous Awami League misrule cost her the 1991 elections. Khaleda’s police fired upon farmers demanding fertilisers. Even a rigged election didn’t help her in 1996. ‘Safe’ seats of numerous ministers were lost in the re-taken polls. Hasina blew it in her term with her thugs causing havoc on campus and her ministers demanding that journalists be beaten up. The votes went to BNP. Khaleda went overboard yet again, with corruption reaching new heights, and her sons unleashing terror. Rising prices didn’t help. Khaleda made an attempt at apology. It was too little too late. The pendulum swung. History does not appear to be either party’s strong point. There has however, been a change in the recent script. Political skirmishes in the past, were largely between political cadre, and localised. A few cocktails might have been thrown, but since the killing of general Zia, there had been few assassination attempts. Until recently. Bomb attacks were a new thing. The capture of trucks laden with small arms. The vigilante groups in the rampage in the north. The targeted attacks on secular scholars, were new. Assassination attempts on Hasina took political violence to new levels. The BNP brought in its own vigilante. The black bandanas of the Rapid Action Battalion became another source of terror with hundreds of ‘crossfire’ deaths to their credit. Against this backdrop, the landslide win of the Awami League, had analysts gushing with excitement. The superlatives flowed. People cheered this ‘historic victory’. A change of government generally starts with a witch-hunt, traditionally meted out to the opposition party previously in power. This caretaker government had stayed rather longer than usual. Given the documented torture of ‘rajkumar’ Tariq Zia (Khaleda’s son and the general secretary of her party), BNP’s return to power would not have been so comfortable for the incumbent government and its unofficial backers. Hasina’s promise of ratifying the misdeeds of this government meant she was the safer bet. Accusations of the military having actively engineered the Awami League win is probably exaggerated, though news of intimidation was not infrequent, particularly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. But that too is history. Hasina’s position regarding her neighbours is more pertinent. She has already declared solidarity towards Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi. The relationship towards big brother India, will probably have more to do with the relationship with bigger brother USA. The US has always played a major role in recent subcontinental politics. The 7th fleet in the Bay of Bengal was needed when the USSR was dominant. Today, the US, Israel and India are close allies, the war on terror being a collective pet project. A pliant military and a grateful Hasina will both play the game. The routing of Jamaat in the elections has to do with people’s sentiments. The war on war criminals to the war on terror is a small bridge to cross. The fluttering flag of democracy will obscure a few indiscretions along the way. I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.’ — Antonio Gramsci, Marxist theorist, politician, founder of the Italian Communist party It was a victory for electoral democracy. I was the first one to cast my vote. We had gone, en famille. My mother was next. Rini, my sister-in-law and Saif, my brother, had taken their precious national ID cards with them, only to be told by polling centre officials that these were not needed, that they should go to the stalls opened by political parties outside the polling centre grounds to get their voter registration number. That updated and complete voter lists were to be found there. Rini was astounded and kept repeating, even after she had cast her vote, `But it is the national Election Commission that registered me as a voter, I didn’t register with any political party’. Someone else’s photo, name, and father’s name graced the space where Saif’s should have been. After a lot of running around and long hours of waiting, he gave up. It was close to four, the polling booths were closing. He was dismayed, and perturbed. Shahidul, made wiser by their experiences, ran off to a political party booth to collect his serial number. After quickly casting his vote, he rushed back to take pictures. A handsome young man, showing-off with a thumbs-up sign, caught his eye. He was proud. He had voted for a return to democracy. A landslide victory for the Grand Alliance and its major partner, the Awami League. As the results emerged through the night, I remained glued to the TV screen, hopping from one channel to another, listening to election reporting, news analysis, and discussions. As votes in favour of Abul Maal Abdul Muhit tipped the scales, I watched seasoned journalists debate over whether political superstition — whichever party candidate wins Sylhet-1 forms the government — would prove to be true. And it did, yet again. The BNP candidate, ex-finance minister Saifur Rahman lost to Abdul Muhit by over 38,000 votes. In the early hours of the morning, as AL’s massive victory became apparent, I watched Nurul Kabir voice strong words of caution on one of the election update programmes on a private channel: given the rout of the opposition, the biggest challenge for the incoming Awami League government would be to not lose its head. Words to be repeated by others, later. Sheikh Hasina herself, in the first press conference, pronounced it to be a victory for democracy. A victory for the nation. People had voted against misrule and corruption, against terrorism and criminal activities, and against fundamentalism. They had voted for good governance, for peace, and secularism. Poverty, she said, was enemy number one. Expressing her wish to share power with the opposition, Sheikh Hasina urged ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to accept the poll results. Our government, she said, will be a government for all. It will initiate a new political culture, one that shuns the politics of confrontation. Congratulations poured in, in both the print and electronic media. A new sun had risen over the political horizon. December 29th were the best elections ever, kudos to the Election Commission. Awami League’s charter for change was a charter for the nation. It was a charter that had enabled the nation to dream again. To wake up again. A historic revolution — a ballot box revolution — had taken place. Let 2009 herald new political beginnings for Bangladesh. Let darkness be banished, let peace and happiness engulf each home. Let insecurities and turmoil be tales of yester-years. Let us, as a nation, build our own destiny. There were more cautious, discerning voices too. Promising to lower prices of daily necessities is easy, effect-ing it, is harder. Democracy is much more than voting for MPs, it is popular participation, at all levels of society. In order to change the destiny of the nation, the AL needs to change itself first. Landslide victories can herald landslide disasters. I turned to analysts who sought to explain the victory. What had brought it about, what did it signal? It was the younger voters, a whole new generation of voters. It was women voters. It was the Jamaat-isation of the BNP, and that the anti-India vote bank, the Muslim vote bank, were now proven to be myths. Khaleda Zia’s pre-election apology had not been enough, people had not forgiven the four-party alliance government’s misrule, and its excesses. The BNP party organisation at the grassroots level had failed to perform their duties with diligence, during the election campaign, and also later, when votes were being counted. The spirit of 1971 had returned, thanks to the Sector Commanders Forum, and to writers, cultural activists, intellectuals, media. People had cast their votes for a separation between state and religion, for the trial of war criminals, for re-building a non-communal Bangladesh. I watched Tazreena Sajjad on television argue that we should not go into a reactive mode, that we should not pre-judge that the AL, since it had gained victory, would now forget the war crimes trial issue. It was important, she said, that war crimes trials be adopted as a policy approach, that the government review the available expertise, the institutional infrastructure, and witnesses needed etc. It was important, added Shameem Reza, another panelist on the programme, that the social pressure for holding the trials should continue unabated. At a record 87 per cent, the voter turnout was the biggest ever. International poll monitoring groups, including Washingtonbased National Democratic Institute, Commonwealth Observer Group, Asian Network for Free Elections, an EU delegation and a host of foreign observers, unanimously termed the polls free and fair, the election results as being credible. There was no evidence of ‘unprecedented rigging,’ or of the polls having been conducted according to a ‘blueprint’. But, of course, observers maintained, ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s allegations should be carefully investigated. At a press conference, the leader of the 33 member NDI delegation, Howard B Schaffer, also an ex-US ambassador to Bangladesh, said that these elections provide Bangladesh an opportunity to nourish and consolidate democracy. As I read reports of the press conference, I think, neither the US administration, nor its ruling classes are known for nourishing and consolidating democracy. The NDI delegation had also included a former USAID official, an organisation that is known for promoting US corporate interests, rather than democracy. Most of USAID’s activities are, as many are probably aware, concentrated in Middle Eastern countries. Many Arabs regard US foreign aid as ‘bribe money’, offered to governments willing to overlook Israel’s policies of occupation. Larry Garber had served as Director of USAID’s West Bank and Gaza Mission from 1999-2004, a period that was partially preceded by four years (1996-200) of USAID withholding $17 million in assistance for a programme to modernise and reform the Palestinian judiciary. The Israelis did not want an independent judiciary. They were afraid it would lead to a sovereign Palestinian state. USAID obliged. And of course, there are other, much worse, US administration stories of felling rather than nurturing democracy. After Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian legislature in January 2006, the Bush administration had embarked on a secret project for the armed overthrow of the Islamist government. Will the victory for electoral democracy in Bangladesh be a victory for long-term, deep-seated democratic processes? This, of course, remains to be seen. I myself, have two serious misgivings. A ‘smooth transition’: impunity in the offing? Reporters had asked Sheikh Hasina as she came out after her meeting with Fakhruddin Ahmed, chief adviser, on December 31: will your government legitimise the caretaker government? The reply, highlighted in nearly all newspapers, was: it will be discussed in the parliament. Parliament will decide. I have initiated discussions with constitutional experts. A committee will be formed to discuss the matter. Sheikh Hasina also added, government is a continuing process. It is the duty of a new government to continue processes that have been initiated by the preceding government, in the interests of a smooth transition. But I had watched news reports on TV, and had noticed the slip between the cup and the lip, between what was said, and what was reported in the print media: the ordinances passed by the government will be discussed, those that are good will be accepted, and those that are not… How can something as grave, as sinister as the takeover of power by a coterie of people who were backed by the military, a government that was unelected and unaccountable, the suspension of ‘inalienable’ fundamental rights of the people during a 23 month long period of emergency, the abuse of the judiciary, the intimidation of the media by military intelligence agencies, illegal arrests leading to already bursting-at-the-seams prisons, custodial tortures, crossfire deaths, the destruction of means of livelihood of countless subsistence workers, the closure of mills, the havoc wreaked on the economy — be referred to as a bunch of ordinances that need to be discussed and separately reviewed, maybe some of these are to be accepted, others not? Diluting? Diverting? As I said, I have misgivings. Allying with bigger terrorists The separation of religion and politics subsumes the issue of the trial of 1971 war criminals, the local collaborators, the rajakars. But as I watch AL parliamentarians talk on TV channels, I notice a linguistic elision, a seepage occur into discussions of the trials of war criminals. The present is carried over into the past, the past slips into the present. Those who had collaborated in the Pakistan army’s genocide take on Bush-ian overtones: rajakars are religious extremists are Islamic militants are ‘terrorists.’ A seamless whole seems to be in the making. And, as I read of Sheikh Hasina’s support for the US war on terror (expressed to the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Richard Boucher, 25th of July 2008), and her more recent pledge to work for the formation of a joint anti-terrorism taskforce by SAARC countries, I wonder whether ‘the spirit of 1971’ will be cashed-in to manufacture support for the US-led war on terror, one that has killed millions, and made homeless several more. All in the name of democracy.

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2013-05-19T18:57:27Z

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Published: Saturday March 2, 2013 MYT 5:40:00 PM Lahad Datu: Chronology of events KUALA LUMPUR: The following is the chronology of events pertaining to the intrusion into Lahad Datu, Sabah by an armed group from southern Philippines: Feb 9 - The group enters Malaysian waters in a boat and begins to gather in stages at Felda Sahabat 17, Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu. Feb 11 - A gang from the group is discovered by a group of local fishermen at night. The fishermen lodge a police report that 100 armed men in army fatigues are putting up in Kampung Tandou. Feb 12 - The group breaks into smaller groups to enter several locations in the village, namely Sungai Bakau village, village surau and the house of one Ahmad Malandi, also known as Mad Bon. Feb 14 - Prime Minister Najib Razak says the Malaysian government will try its best, including negotiations, to handle the issue of intrusion before ousting them from the area. Inspector-general of police Ismail Omar says the police identify the group of Filipinos who landed on the shore of Lahad Datu as being linked to the 'Sulu Sultanate' from southern Philippines. He says the group claims to be the 'Royal Army of the Sulu Sultanate' and they do not want their people of Sulu descent to be sent back to their country of origin. Ismail says, negotiations with the armed group is still in progress to find the best solution, without bloodshed. A report quotes a Philippine army personnel, who is a loyal follower of Sulu raja muda, Azzimudie Kiram, as saying the group has come at the invitation of a "Malaysian opposition" to discuss land issues in Sabah. Feb 16 - Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (centre in photo) confirms the group is not a militant or terrorist group but is in fact, strong supporter of the Sulu Sultanate and stresses the situation in Kampung Tanduo is under control. The group, which wants to be known as the 'Royal Army of Sulu Sultanate', among others, is also claiming ownership of Sabah and wants the state to be returned as a territory of the Sulu Sultanate, claiming it was seized by the British from the Sulu Government. Feb 18 - Hishammuddin says the governments of Malaysia and Philippines are working closely to resolve the conflict, through diplomacy and without bloodshed. Feb 24 - The Philippine government sends a boat under humanitarian mission to ferry the 180 armed personnel, including 30 armed guards, holding up in Lahad Datu, Sabah since Feb 12. Feb 26 - The deadline to expel the group passes but negotiations are still in progress. Feb 28 - The Malaysian government is urged to negotiate directly with sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Manila to end the conflict of seizing the area in Lahad Datu, Sabah which has prolonged for more than three weeks. The call is made by Jamalul's youngest brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, who stresses that only his brother can order the 180 Royal Army personnel to leave Felda Sahabat 17, Lahad Datu. March 1 - a shootout breaks out between security forces and a small group of intruders when they try to break a police blockade in Kampung Tanduo, resulting in two police commandos dead and three others injured. All 12 members of the small group of intruders are killed. - Bernama

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2013-05-19T18:34:59Z

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|Appears in||Uncharted: Drake's Fortune| Uncharted: Eye of Indra Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Multiplayer) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Multiplayer) |English voice actor||James Sie| |Motion capture actor||James Sie| Eddy Raja is the tertiary antagonist in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, a protagonist in Uncharted: Eye of Indra, and the leader of an Indonesian pirate gang. He also has a sister, Rika. He was one of many treasure hunters interested in acquiring the fabled El Dorado, and formed an alliance with Atoq Navarro and Gabriel Roman. They competed with Nathan Drake, Eddy's archrival, (whom he's already been well-acquainted with by the start of the game), Elena Fisher, and Victor Sullivan. He was once said to be "best friends" with Nathan Drake. Episode 1 EditEddy is tied to a chair next to Nathan Drake, enduring the same torture at the hands of Daniel Pinkerton. In flashback, Nate takes a job from Pinkerton to locate a mysterious artifact; the Eye of Indra. He meets Eddy's sister; Rika, and they instead plot to rob Pinkerton of the amulet, though Pinkerton doesn't realize it, he already has the artifact locked up in his safe, as it is hidden within the other two treasures of Indra, the Path, and the Wrath. Unaware that Rika is Eddy's sister, Nate sleeps with her. Episode 2 Edit In flashback, Rika reveals to Nate that she has told Eddy about the job. Nate and Rika get into a scrap with Eddy's pirates, but despite the initial disagreements and confusion, the three agree to work together to rob Pinkerton of the amulet. In the present, Eddy warns Nate not to tell Pinkerton anything while they continue to be tortured. Episode 3 Edit Eddy and Nate come to a compromise about the job. The group head for Pinkerton's mansion. Eddy blows up Pinkerton's cars as a distraction, while Rika stays behind to cover them as Nate and Eddy sneak into the mansion. In the present, Pinkerton reveals he has captured Rika, and threatens to kill her if Nate or Eddy do not come clean about the amulet. Episode 4 Edit In the present, Nate finally tells Pinkerton that he already has the Eye. In flashback, Nate and Eddy, having failed to stay hidden are in a gunfight with Pinkerton's guards. They reach the office where the safe is located, but Eddy's remaining detonator fails, and they cannot open the safe. Nate comes up with a plan: get caught. In the present, while Pinkerton is distracted, Rika breaks free and uses Eddy's concealed golden gun to wound Pinkerton and kill his guards, saving Nate and Eddy. Nate explains to Pinkerton that the whole ordeal was the improvised intention, as they needed Pinkerton to open the safe. Rika executes Pinkerton, and the three escape. Later, Rika double-crosses Nate and Eddy at gunpoint, taking the amulet for herself and leaving the two empty-handed. As Rika gets away, Eddy warns Nate not to say anything, before they go their separate ways. - "How much trouble can one girl be?" - — Eddy discusses Elena with Nate Eddy Raja speaks certain words in Indonesion or Malay throughout the game. Eddy Raja's pirates follow after Nate all the way to the The Fort, where Eddy himself finally appears at with his men. Two men armed with M79's went to go kill Elena, but they to shoot at Nathan when they noticed him. The resulting blasts destroyed a part of the tower Nate was in and knocked him unconscious. Eventually he woke up in a cell, and Eddy then walked into the jailhouse holding Drake's map, saying how his men are dying. Nate refuses to work with Raja, despite his threats, saying that he'd rather die than help him. While the two were talking, Elena had placed a hook on the cell window bars and attached the hook to a jeep which would rip the back wall out of the cell. Eddy Raja stood in shock and Nate quickly grabbed the map out of Eddy's hands, and drove off with Elena, being followed by Eddy and his men. Nate and Elena finally escape the fort in a jeep, pursued by Eddy's men. Elena almost drives off a cliff and the jeep is left hanging. As Nate attempts to drive it back, Eddy arrives on the scene and tells them to get out and give him the map, Nate reverses the jeep and drives it off the cliff into the water below. The Treasure Vault Edit Inside the Treasure Vault, Nate and Elena comes across roman numerals in the ground to help get around the labyrinths, walkways and dead ends, on the walk Nate spots human-like figures moving in the distance. As Nate and Elena progress through the Treasure Vault, Eddy blasts through the door at the back of the vault. Eddy Raja tells Nate "last man alive gets the gold," before ordering his pirates to kill Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher. The Heart of the Vault and Death Edit They move upward as they advance and meet Eddy in a small room at the top of the vault. Nate and Elena arrive in the Heart of the Vault expecting to find the El Dorado treasure. They instead discover Francis Drake's remains, disappointed Nate leaves his ring with the body and says "So much for greatness. He wasted his life for nothing." Nathan Drake and Elena looking for a way out, as the distant screams of eddy's pirates can be heard. Nate boosts Elena up to a broken ladder where she climbs to the rooms upper level. She finds a rope that's stuck and attempts to throw it at Nate. As she attempts to swing it to Nate, Eddy and one of his pirates come in terrified. Eddy says to Nate that "we're dead, we're all dead!" There was no time to fight each other so they agreed to work together to kill off swarms of Descendants. During the fight the last member of Eddy's pirate gang was killed by a Descendant and pulled in a hole. A few minutes passed and Eddy was near the hole yelling his famous quote, "Don't mess with Eddy Raja!". However, a Descendant immediately pulled him into the hole and another Descendant bit Eddy in the neck, bringing him down to his death. - Though Eddy Raja does not appear in story mode, he is mentioned several times throughout Nate's journal. Eddy was also a reference at Nepal where you see one of the signs says Family Raja. He makes his appearance in multiplayer in the Drake's Fortune Multiplayer Pack, updated with all new quotes. His pirates gone by the name of Prakoso and Mac also appear in the Uncharted 2 Multiplayer. Eddy appears alive in the Chapter 5 - Airport of Co-op Adventure. He, Lazarevic, and Flynn are seen loading the other half of the statue into a truck. While Nate, Sully, and Charlie Cutter are fighting Lazarevic's soldiers, Eddy can be heard over the speaker with quotes like "Don't die Drake. I want to kill you myself!" and acts unappreciative of Drake trying to save him on The Island (albeit the co-op missions are non-canonical.) He, like Lazarevic and Flynn, has a laser sight equipped on his gun. He uses a Tau Sniper and is killed like the other two villians. |Desert-5: An elite and very powerful pistol found in the Uncharted series.| |Moss-12: A standard shotgun in the Uncharted series.| Appears In Edit - Chapter 6 - Unlocking the Past (Ending Cutscene) - Chapter 7 - Out of the Frying Pan (Ending Cutscene) - Chapter 14 - Going Underground - Chapter 16 - The Treasure Vault - Chapter 17 - The Heart of the Vault (Killed) - In Drake's Fortune, 700 medal points unlocks Eddy's skin from the Villain Section on the reward menu. 900 medal points unlocks Eddy's Golden Gun; a golden Desert-5, from the Weapon Select menu. His golden gun is also available in Among Thieves. - While not mentioned, Eddy is referenced in Among Thieves. In Nate's Journal, there is a drawing of an angry statue, captioned "Angry Eddy (R.I.P.)", with the quoted words "I kill you, Drake!". Another part of the journal shows Eddy's name next to Harry Flynn's, with both of their e-mail addresses crossed out. - In Nepal, there are signs that say "Club Raja". - On the 12th of April 2011 renders, supposedly of Eddy Raja, appeared on SystemLink. According to the article, the renders are from a Naughty Dog staff member's blog, and bear the title, "Uncharted: The return of Eddy Raja." Naughty Dog's community strategist Arne Meyer later blasted the site, saying that they are far too quick to jump to conclusions and make wild assumptions in order to get headlines/hits. He went on to say that the renders were character art tests for a Naughty Dog employee. - Eddy is the only antagonist to appear in multiple stories; appearing in Drake's Fortune, Eye of Indra, and Uncharted 3's co-op adventure. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Edit Uncharted 2 multiplayer Edit Uncharted 3 multiplayerEdit

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Japan's Nikkei jumps on weaker yen Tokyo's Nikkei 225 led Asian stocks higher Tuesday as the yen weakened after a possible candidate for Bank of Japan governor voiced support for easier monetary policy. The yen has dropped almost 8 percent against the dollar this year after Japan elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in December. Abe has been calling for Japan's central bank to ease monetary policy more aggressively to help spur economic growth. The Nikkei, which was closed Monday for a public holiday, jumped 2.3 percent to 11,413.38 as the weaker yen boosted export stocks. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.1 percent to 4,963.60. South Korea's Kospi fell 0.1 percent to 1,949.02 while benchmarks in New Zealand, Indonesia and the Philippines rose. Markets in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan were closed for Lunar New Year holidays. Japan's central bank governor Masaaki Shirakawa, who has appeared at odds with Abe's views on monetary policy, is resigning next month, giving the government an opportunity to find a more closely aligned successor. Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda voiced support Monday for Abe's economic policies including the introduction of a 2 percent inflation target but kept mum about speculation he may become the next BOJ governor. In an interview with media organizations including Kyodo News, Kuroda said the BOJ's introduction of the target, proposed by Abe, was "epoch-making" and should be achieved "in about two years." Wall Street stocks drifted lower in thin trading Monday. With major indexes near records, many think the six-week rally is ready for a pause. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.2 percent to 13,971.24. The S&P 500 dipped less than 0.1 percent to 1,517.01. The Nasdaq composite slipped less than 0.1 percent to 3,192.00. Benchmark oil for March delivery was down 9 cents to $96.94 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.31 to finish at $97.03 a barrel in New York on Monday as the euro strengthened against the dollar. In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3401 from $1.3389 late Monday in New York. The dollar rose to 94.23 yen from 93.70 yen. The euro has strengthened recently, raising concern it will hurt exports from the 17 euro countries. French President Francois Hollande has suggested the eurozone needs to manage its exchange rate. ECB President Mario Draghi indicated the bank does not seek any particular exchange rate, which is set by markets, but is monitoring the stronger euro's effect on inflation. Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

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My Brothers Stabbed Me Ten Times Thanks for the wonderful website and your work that helped me open my eyes. It took me two years and a lot of courage to open my eyes and see how fecal a religion Islam is. Although I have been reading your website since the last two years which is approximately the same time since I left Islam, I decided to write just now while I was chatting with a friend who is also an apostate from Islam. I was born and brought in a Sunni family coming from the Waziristan region in Pakistan. Incidentally I am from the same tribe as Hakimullah and Baituallah Mehsud, which is a matter of great shame for me. My problems started about four years back when I learned something that no child would like to know about her father. My father, even after spending almost a lifetime in the West was an especially good Muslim for all these years. In fact it was only four years back that I came to know that he has two more wives and ten kids who are still living in Pakistan. Everything that I knew about life lay shattered right in front of my eyes when I got to know this and my whole life looked meaningless. When I confronted my father he simply shrugged his shoulders and told me that as a Muslim he didn’t require to tell me or any other woman anything about his personal life. What he meant by any other woman was my mother. I wanted to report this man, but for the love of my mother who asked me not to do so. It was after this incident that I started reading the Qur’an and hadith to see that if what my father was telling me is really true and to my shock and surprise i discovered more than I had actually asked for. Everything that I knew about life, death, family religion till that point made no more sense to anymore and slowly I began to realize by continuous reading that all religions are fake. However, my beef remains mostly with Islam for the kind of vile message that it preaches. As a woman and a firm believer in equal rights for all, I stand in this fight against the injustice and tyranny of Islam. I want to let you know, Ali, that you are not alone in this fight against this evil, maniacal, seventh century superstition. We your fellow apostates stand with you in this war (yes it is a war for me) to relieve mankind of this evil philosophy that threatens our very existence and I am sure that we will win this war. Thanks for your time again. All the best to I know I am not alone. We are millions and growing. Islam is finished. It was a lie. No lie can stand the truth just as no darkness can stand the light. However, remember that your father, just as your step sisters and step brothers and their mothers are all victims of this evil cult. Your father is not a bad man. He is a Muslim. He follows what he believes to be the right thing. There lies the problem. When sane people follow an insane man they act insanely. Those who strap bombs to their bodies and blow themselves up to kill others also think they are doing the right thing. They too are victims of this lie. Yes we need to join hands and eradicate this evil religion from the face of the earth. Victory is ours because truth is on our side. Is it okay if I publish your story? Do you want me to alter your name? Thank you for your Email. Please go ahead and publish my story, by all means. Let me tell you something that I omitted in my previous email. This happened about two years back when I told my family that I have left Islam. I shifted base and went on to live on my own after that. Exactly one month after that I was getting ready to leave to Malaysia to meet my boyfriend that my brothers attacked me, stabbed me ten times in my abdomen and back. Thanks to my neigbours, who took me to the hospital, I survived the attack and it took me almost one year to recover from the attack. My brothers have fled the country ever since and are in Pakistan right now. I am fighting this case along with a friend of mine and I am not giving this up as long as I live. Feel free to publish my name, but please do not publish my last name. Even though I hate my father for what he did to me and to my mother, I don’t want him to be ostracized as my name becoming public would eventually lead to that. Take care and Keep on fighting the good fight! Short URL: http://www.archive2012.faithfreedom.org/?p=7585

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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2013-05-19T18:41:48Z

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On Saturday Bodhinatha had darshan meetings with devotees all morning and then gave his “Hindu Tools for Success” presentation at the Kalamandapam of the Scott Road Murugan Temple. There were over 300 attentive participants in the program. Our devotees had tables set up with books and literature and reported that distribution was brisk. On Sunday he met with devotees again in the morning and also the Council on Missions of the Malaysia Mission. In the afternoon the Hindu Heritage Endowment Estate Planning Seminar was held at the his hotel. All available seventy seats were filled. Two professionals gave the main presentation on wills and on the employee provident fund, the Malaysian equivalent of social security as well as some general thoughts on prudent family financial management. The presentation was extremely well received. Coordinator of the event, Kulapati Guhan Sivalingam felt the program went very well and hopes more such seminars in Malaysia in the future. Bodhinatha's Latest Upadesha: "Detachment from Experiences; Importance of Daily Vigil" (May 5, 2013) All experiences are good experiences, necessary to get us here. Awareness of aspects of ourselves that are constantly changing is a liberating perception, breaking our chains to mundane areas, detaching from instinctive and intellectual to go into superconscious. The greatest challenge facing youth today is the lack of relating to the devotional side of Hinduism. Daily practice, daily vigil, moves us forward spiritually. Commentary on Merging with Siva, The Master Course, Lesson 21. Listen Now Click here for all recent talks

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Hostels in Xlendi, Hostelworld.com brings you online bookings at the best selection of hostels in Xlendi. Read customer reviews of Xlendi hostels, view youth hostels on map of Xlendi and avail of special offers such as free SMS confirmations. And why not check out our pick for the best things to see and do in Xlendi while you're there. Hostelworld.com - the definitive guide to Xlendi backpackers hostels. - Select - Rumani Street, Xlendi Odysseus Court - These maisonettes / apartments are in a quiet part of Xlendi. They consist of one or two bedrooms, a... Byzantine Street, Xlendi Kappara Court - These apartments are on high grounds overlooking the Xlendi bay area. They consist of two bedrooms, a... Euro US Dollar British Pound Albanian Lek Algerian Dinar Argentine Peso Armenian Dram Australian Dollar Azerbaijan New Manat Bahamian Dollar Bahraini Dinar Bangladeshi Taka Belize Dollar Bolivian Boliviano Brazilian Real Brunei Dollar Cambodian Riel Canadian Dollar CFA Franc BCEAO CFA Franc BEAC CFP Franc Chilean Peso Chinese Yuan Renminbi Colombian Peso Comoros Franc Costa Rican Colon Croatian Kuna Czech Koruna Danish Krone Djibouti Franc Dominican R. Peso East Caribbean Dollar Egyptian Pound Fiji Dollar Honduran Lempira Hong Kong Dollar Hungarian Forint Iceland Krona Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Israeli New Shekel Japanese Yen Jordanian Dinar Kazakhstan Tenge Kenyan Shilling Kuwaiti Dinar Kyrgyzstanian Som Lao Kip Latvian Lats Lebanese Pound Lithuanian Litas Malaysian Ringgit Mauritanian Ouguiya Mauritius Rupee Mexican Peso Mongolian Tugrik Moroccan Dirham Namibia Dollar Nepalese Rupee New Zealand Dollar Nicaraguan Cordoba Oro Norwegian Kroner Omani Rial Pakistan Rupee Papua New Guinea Kina Paraguay Guarani Peruvian Nuevo Sol Philippine Peso Polish Zloty Qatari Rial Romanian New Lei Russian Rouble Rwandan Franc Samoan Tala Saudi Riyal Singapore Dollar Somali Shilling South African Rand South-Korean Won Sri Lanka Rupee Swaziland Lilangeni Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Taiwan Dollar Tanzanian Shilling Thai Baht Tonga Pa'anga Trinidad/Tobago Dollar Tunisian Dinar Turkish Lira Uganda Shilling Ukraine Hryvnia Uruguayan Peso Utd. Arab Emir. Dirham Vanuatu Vatu Venezuelan Bolivar Vietnamese Dong Price Range

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2013-05-19T18:28:56Z

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A disputed report that US interrogators desecrated the Koran has sparked protest. ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – When Ashiq Nabi got into an argument with his wife, she held up a Koran to protect herself, setting into motion a deadly series of events. Mr. Nabi then pushed his wife, say human rights activists, sending Islam's holy book onto the floor and prompting the local mullah in Spin Kakh, Pakistan, to file blasphemy charges. Before the police could act, Nabi was spotted in town and the mullah allegedly spread the word over the mosque's loudspeakers. A mob of more than 400 villagers chased Nabi until he climbed up a tree, then shot him dead. The April incident is only the latest in a string of extrajudicial killings by vigilantes for blasphemy, which is punishable by death under Pakistani law. And it helps explain the depth of feeling over the disputed charges that US interrogators flushed a Koran down a toilet in Guantánamo Bay - charges that have sent shock waves throughout the Muslim world. In Afghanistan, the allegation that appeared in Newsweek magazine triggered several days of anti-American rioting that left 15 dead and scores injured. Protests were also held in Pakistan, Indonesia, and other Muslim countries. The magazine has subsequently expressed regret over the report after the source, an unnamed senior US government official, expressed uncertainty over the sources of his own information. The Pentagon, which said the original story is "demonstrably false," pledged to investigate the charges and blamed Newsweek's "irresponsible" reporting for the violent clashes. But while moderate Muslims welcomed the Newsweek follow-up in this week's issue, experts in Pakistan say that the more-extreme passions unleashed across the Muslim world are unlikely to be cooled by the doubts over the story, or by US government assurances that no desecration of the Koran would go unpunished. The Koran has a special status in Islam that sets it apart from the way many Christians view the Bible, for instance. While Christianity's holy book is held to be divinely inspired and to have been set down by holy men, the words themselves are not considered a direct work of God. But most Muslims believe that the Koran was transmitted to Muhammad from Allah by the angel Gabriel nearly 1,400 years ago and written down precisely as Allah intended. In practice, this is one of the reasons observant Muslims are urged to learn Arabic, since a translation is deemed no longer the precise word of God. Strict Muslims are expected to clean themselves ritually before touching the Koran. They don't allow the book to be set on the floor and, in some cases, hold that nonbelievers should not touch the book. Here in Pakistan, extremists have harnessed the emotions surrounding this and other "blasphemy" cases to challenge the US-backed government in Islamabad. "Whether it is the existence of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, or desecration of the Holy Koran at Guantánamo Bay, it benefits the extremists," says Tauseef Ahmed, an analyst in Karachi. "No doubt it is a sensitive issue for all Muslims, but extremists try to gain political mileage and fan hatred in society. It all gives new life to extremists and pushes the liberal and progressive forces into isolation." The controversy comes as the country heads into local elections in July. With the two mainstream political parties sidelined by the government, an alliance of religious parties known as the Mutahidda Majlise Amal (MMA) has gained momentum by pushing religious hot buttons. The group has supported extremists who have disrupted mixed-gender marathons in Gujarnwala and last weekend in Lahore. At protests this spring, MMA leaders attacked President Pervez Musharraf's policy of "enlightened moderation" as a move away from Islam and toward the US. Now, the group is leveling similar charges following the Guantánamo controversy and a recent Washington Times cartoon that depicted Pakistan as a dog and the US as its master. Previous news articles have included accounts of US interrogators desecrating the Koran at Guantánamo. "By insulting the Koran, they have challenged our beliefs," said Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a top official of the religious alliance, at a rally in Islamabad. "It has happened due to the liberal and progressive policies of Western-influenced Muslim rulers." Sunday, a group of Afghan clerics vowed to call for a holy war against the US in three days unless it handed over the military interrogators reported to have desecrated the Koran. The same day, MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed announced plans for a global protest on May 27 involving 25 leading Islamic organizations including Hamas, Hizbullah, PAS of Malaysia, and the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt. As part of its "enlightened moderation" policy, Pakistan has tried to amend or abolish a number of religious ordinances, including the blasphemy laws. But Islamabad has backed down after opposition from religious parties. More than 4,000 blasphemy cases have been registered since the laws were enacted in 1986, according to human rights activists. While no one has ever been officially executed for blasphemy, dozens have been killed by vigilantes. "That should be prosecuted vehemently. Only the government can take a person's life," says Ghafoor Ahmed, the deputy chief of Jamaat-i Islami, a major component of the MMA. Still, the blasphemy laws are necessary, he says. "No one who believes in God or in the prophets of God can allow them to be insulted." Campaigners against blasphemy laws in Pakistan say there are inadequate protections for the accused, who under current law must be arrested before any investigation begins. Often lower court judges are intimidated into passing a guilty verdict. If challenged, it takes years for the upper courts to review to verdict. In the meantime, blasphemy prisoners are vulnerable to violence. Those who are eventually acquitted sometimes must flee the country. Blasphemy cases rarely involve malice against Islam. Rather, the charges are often pretexts rising out of petty issues ranging from cattle theft to land disputes. They are also used as a weapon against religious minorities, says Shabaz Bhatti, head of the All Pakistan Minority Alliance. Last November, a Christian girl in the small town of Wah Cantt was accused of blasphemy after someone spotted pages of the Koran in a trash bin outside the house where she was cleaning. Before the police could investigate, extremists attacked the house and threatened to kill her. Muslim and Christian elders intervened and handed the girl to the police in a bid to save her life, locals say. She was released, but the death threats continued, forcing her and her family to leave. "We still feel that we are living under danger, under a shadow of a fake accusation," says a relative of the girl. "We have lived with our Muslim brothers for decades. They respect our beliefs and we respect their beliefs, except there are some extremists who want to ignite feelings on the basis of baseless allegations." • Dan Murphy in Cairo contributed to this report. Published May 17, 2005 edition, Christian Science Monitor

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Time flies! It is hard to believe that I have been blogging on bento for a year. Yes, today is the first anniversary of KidsDreamWork.com and my bento making journey! This is such a happening week for me, first the bento making demo session and now my blog 1st Anniversary celebration. First of all I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for being so supportive throughout my journey – my family who is always there for me, my friends and blog followers who always give me warmth and supportive comments, and everyone who spend their precious time reading my blog. Thank you all so much! You are the forces that keep me going! I gained so many precious friendships through bento making and blogging, and I learnt so many things from all you great people out there too. Now here comes the exciting part. To celebrate the first anniversary of KidsDreamWork.com, I would like to host a giveaway for 1 lucky reader of this blog! You just need to follow the steps below to enter the giveaway and having the chance(s) to be the lucky one and it is open to everyone! 1. Leave me a comment of your name, location, the reason you are the follower/reader of this blog, and how you stumbled upon this blog (if you still remember, otherwise you can just leave this one out). 2. Become a fan of KidsDreamWork.com in Facebook (or if you are already one) will give you a second entry. To become a fan of KidsDreamWork.com, all you need to do is to click the ‘Follow Me On Faceobook’ badge on the left column of the home page and click the ‘Like’ button after you sign in to your Faccebook account. Leave me a comment with your Facebook name that you used to become the fan of KidsDreamWork.com. 3. Blog about this giveaway will give you a third entry. Leave me a comment with your blog link. You can leave me separate comments for each of the entries, or one comment including all. You just have to make sure that you mentioned all the required details in the comment(s) and you have a valid email when leaving the comment so that you are contactable if you are the lucky winner. What will you get for this giveaway? A lovely handmade bento bag courtesy from my nice neighbour S which I gave it a little touched up with the cute giraffes. This is the back view of the bento bag. S is very talented in sewing and I love her art work very much! A set of the ‘Clapping March Musician’ bento box and a BROS water tumbler. If you notice, the picture on the water tumbler is Mr. Tickle, one of the characters from the famous Mr. Men & Little Miss series. My boy is a big fan of Mr. Men & Little Miss lately. A bento box belt and a set of 12 pieces cute reusable food baran. I will call this a goodies bag which contains many of the essential tools to start bento-ing. The giveaway will be opened until 22nd Oct 2010, Friday midnight Malaysia time (GMT+8). As usual, the lucky winner will be drawn by my kids upon the closing date. Wishing everyone a great time entering this giveaway and again I wanted to thank you all for your support and friendships which mean a lot to me! Update (23rd Oct 2010 00:00): The giveaway is officially closed now. Stay tune for the result, you might be the lucky one! If you are from US or Canada and you missed this giveaway, there is another giveaway awaiting for you here. The closing date for this CSN Store Giveaway is on 29 October 2010, don’t miss this!

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Today marks our 7th anniversary. 2555 days after the faithful day that Gareth and I met for the first time at KL Sentral. It’s quite unbelievable to think that we’ve spent the past 7 years together because I still feel ridiculously in love every single day. I believe he feels the same way too la…. # – One of our earliest pictures together in 2004. We talk to each other an awful lot, to the point sometimes I wonder whether it’s normal. I also believe that I’m not so good with female friends also because I don’t need one, since he’s like the female friend that I spill my heart & soul to. Thanks to him, I now worry about whether any female friend would throw me a hen’s party (*major hint to female friends). # – At my college prom night in 2005. I think the only time we don’t speak to each other is when either of us is working, watching TV and when we’re both asleep. Oh ya, whenever we’re fighting also. We do fight but every fight lasts for like 15 minutes before one of us would meekly tap one on the shoulder to ask, “Can we be friends?”. With one hand extended, of course. # – On the way to some club in 2005. If I were to pinpoint the moment I knew he’s The One for me, it must be that time when he drove to Singapore twice in a day for me. I had just quit my job in Singapore (which I did due to homesickness and missing him too much) and he was supposed to help me move my stuff into his car and bring me back to Malaysia for good. The first time, he reached the immigration only to realise he had forgotten his passport. So he backed out of the one way lane, U-turned, drove all the way back to PJ, grabbed his passport, ate 3 curry puffs and sped all the way back to Singapore, again. # – At his 30th birthday in 2008. As for when he realised I’m the one for him? I would guess it’s something that’s too crude to be shared here but I shall refrain from over-sharing and let him have his say. You know what they say about marrying the person you enjoy travelling with? Nah, nobody said that. I just made it up but honestly, I believe it’s true. When you’re travelling, you often get thrown into circumstances that are out of the ordinary. So if a couple could handle these circumstances harmoniously, I guess you could handle anything together! Gareth is my best travelling partner; we have the same pace, same energy level, same curiosity & same attitude. When we get conned, we laugh at ourselves. When we land on something good, we fist bump. # – Our very first holiday together – Redang in 2005. # – Back in Redang – 2011. Well, I’m glad I’ll be marrying that someone. If you hadn’t guessed it by now, yes, Gareth proposed to me last month during our holiday in Koh Lipe. The truth was, I had given up on being proposed with bended knee because we had actually discussed marriage, set the ROM date and all already. I know, so practical right? Got handshake and all some more. Anyway, who proposes after a marriage has been mutually agreed on, right? Apparently, someone like my Gareth. When I asked him why the hell did he do it knowing full well I’ll be marrying him anyway, he said he wanted me to have something sweet and romantic to remember. He may have done it in a non-conventional order, but he still surprised me good! :) We were on holiday with our closest friends in Koh Lipe, Thailand. It was our final night on the island and we decided to conclude our vacation by getting drunk on the beach with duty-free booze that were craftily brought in from Langkawi. # – Having a beer in Koh Lipe’s Pattaya Beach on 26 November 2011. No idea what’s going to happen when this picture was taken. Even I was having a can of beer but everybody who knows me personally knows about my alcohol tolerance or lack thereof. So I was getting a little uhmm…embarrassing? Gareth was desperately trying to keep me awake by plying me with orange juice but I thought it was just so he wouldn’t need to drag me in the sand back to our chalet. Little did I know… Here is the video of the proposal: Thank you Horng for taking the video. Thank you Terence for taking the pictures. Thank you to my friends for being awesome – FA, Kerol, Zess, Yuki & Celine. Thanks to your guys I’ll have a precious memory to have and treasure. # – Group pic!!! It was the perfect proposal. The beach, the friends, the ring. You. What more can I ask? :) # – The sparkler. # – I love you booby! We gonna have so much fun together <3 Tags: engagement, funny proposal, kimberlycun engagement, kimberlycun wedding, marriage, marriage proposal, shaolintiger proposal, surprise proposal, wedding

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Malaysia Airlines' Three Day International Travel Promo Subang (9 May 2012): Malaysia Airlines is offering travelers and holiday makers attractive deals to nine international destinations in ASEAN, China, North Asia, South Asia, Australia and Europe from today till 11 May 2012. The three day specials for economy class fares is valid for travel effective immediately till 30 June 2012, while business class offers are valid for travel from 14 May till 30 June 2012. Malaysia Airlines Regional Senior Vice President for Malaysia & ASEAN, Muzammil Mohamad said, "With the school holidays just around the corner, vacationers can start to plan and book to these holiday destinations and business travelers can also take advantage of this opportunity to secure the attractive fares for their official travel to these destinations. The fares are all inclusive and customers can enjoy the national carrier’s premium ground and inflight hospitality at no extra costs. Those starting journeys from other Malaysian points can also experience one time check-in and seamless transfers at KLIA main terminal”. Economy class all inclusive return airfares from Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Johor to Frankfurt start from only RM2699 and to Sydney from RM2109. Other destinations on offer are Manila, Phnom Penh, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Mumbai. This is an ideal time to plan to experience Phillipines’ largest music festival, Fête de la Musique in June with a trip to Manila at affordable economy class airfares from RM699 or to opt for a scenic holiday at beautiful Phnom Penh for RM609. Flights to Shanghai and Beijing are also up for grabs at RM1299 Shanghai and RM1099 to Beijing. For only RM1699, customers can book economy class to Seoul and learn more about Korean culture at the Prehistoric Cultural Festival, happening in June. Food aficionados and Bollywood fans can fly to Mumbai for only RM1599 to satisfy their cravings for hearty meals and fine Indian cuisines as well as watch their favourite movies together with an affordable holiday in Western India. Vacationers travelling from different domestic points including Penang, Johor Bharu, Langkawi, Alor Setar, Terengganu, Kuantan and Kota Bharu get to enjoy direct connectivity to their travel destinations. Return economy class fares start from as low as RM1715 from Penang to Mumbai, and RM2225 to Sydney. Likewise, customers travelling from Johor Bharu can purchase a ticket to Sydney for RM2225 and ticket to Frankfurt for RM2815. There are also attractive Business Class return fares from Kuala Lumpur to ASEAN destinations such as Manila and Phnom Penh that start from RM2339 and RM2089 respectively. Also, starting fares of flights to Shanghai are at RM4499, Beijing at RM3799, RM4799 to Seoul, RM5099 to Mumbai, RM6199 to Sydney and RM7699 to Istanbul. These deals are offered through all Malaysia Airlines’ distribution channels like www.malaysiaairlines.com, Malaysia Airlines ticketing offices, Malaysia Airlines Facebook, 24-hours toll free Call Centre at 1-300-88-3000 and all appointed travel agents in Malaysia. For media enquiries, please contact: Tel : (03) 7840 4522 Mobile : (012) 2224728 Email : firstname.lastname@example.org

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2013-05-19T18:43:40Z

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Do I need to tell you the attitude of this KFC worker? This is not unexpected outcome because many Malays are brainwashed to be racists by Pekida, Perkasa and UMNO in the past 54 year. They can make all sort of wild allegations like Danny NG provoked KFC Malay workers with a racist remark, yet not a single evidence is produced by these Malay racists. I have to congratulate UMNO and Perkasa for churned out a huge number of Malay fanatics. Police Deputy Head Khalid said the punch was harmless to Danny Ng, therefore there is no case, can be settled themselves. This is another Malaysia Boleh! Our taxpayer’s money is wasted for having Khalid in the police force. Accordingly to police, the video uploaded in youtube.com cannot be used as evidence in the court. Then how on earth Lingam video could be used in the royal tribunal. Police investigation is very smelly and unprofessional. Another Malaysia Boleh, check out this > 500,000 hits youtube video, Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0afADJpvsA Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NDfHB3UbdQ Based on these two video clips, the unhappy customer, Danny did not utter any racial remark as alleged by Malay racists in internet when he shouted back and asked for apology. He said he was provoked by KFC staff in the kitchen with this racist remark, “kalau mau makan,sendiri masak,babi！”. The clip two clearly shown that KFC employees were aggressive with intention to attack customer under no provocation. The customer was punched on the face and kicked on the body by a KFC staff member. Malay racists try to play up racial card by fabricating a new story in saying Danny scolded KFC staff with “Malay pig”. KFC’s poor customer service is prevalent in other outlets too. Not just its male staff members are “kurang ajar”, its female staff also “kurang ajar”. I did encounter a rude Chinese KFC cashier at Prai KFC. KFC staff attacked customer with bare hands for this time, who know what sort of weapon will be used against customer next time? Keep away from KFC for your own safety. Boycott a suck company is [...]

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Web edition: February 12, 2010 Print edition: February 27, 2010; Vol.177 #5 (p. 32) Every two years, the National Science Board reports to the president and Congress about the state of the science landscape. This year’s Science and Engineering Indicators report was presented to the White House on January 15. The chairman of the board’s Science and Engineering Indicators committee, physicist Louis Lanzerotti of the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, recently spoke with staff writer Laura Sanders about how the lay of the science land has changed. Overall, is this report good news, bad news or interesting news? Overall, I view these data as good. The United States is still very strong in research and development, and I think the data show that. But they also demonstrate that there are areas we need to look at and adapt to. The rest of the world is catching up to us in many instances — China and some of the Far East countries, for example. In what ways are others catching up? For example, the United States expends approximately 2.7 percent of its gross domestic product every year on research and development. Japan has always exceeded that over the last 10 years or more with an investment of about 3.4 percent of its GDP. South Korea has now crossed Japan, and as of 2007, is spending about 3.5 percent of its GDP on research and development. So both of those lead the United States in terms of their expenditure of GDP. Since 1996, China has increased its percentage of research and development expenditures from about 0.6 percent to currently about 1.5 percent of GDP, and it continues to rise rapidly. In the Asian countries — Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand — these [big increases] occur because there’s a much larger annual percentage increase in those countries. The annual percentage increase from 1996–2007 in China has been over 20 percent.… Those countries are emphasizing science and engineering as a basis for economic welfare for the population and economic growth. Were there any big surprises or trend reversals in the two years? No, I think not. If you look at our digest, you’ll see that the trends are basically continuing: the growth of the Asian economy, the United States and Japan staying the same, the growth from South Korea. Those trends are all about the same. One trend that did uptick a little in the last couple of years, which is interesting, is an uptick of the performance of basic research by industry in the United States. There had been a rather continual decline of basic research by industry.… In the United States, our research and development is supported approximately two-thirds by industry and one-third by the federal government. But the federal government supports basically 60 or 70 percent of all basic research, and the rest is supported by others — foundations and within industry (a rather smaller portion). And the industry portion of funding of basic research has declined steadily since around 1990, but there has been a slight uptick since around 2006 or 2007. Are these trends here to stay? Is there a sense that the trends will reverse? It’s hard to project. But I think some projection might be possible, or at least some discussion might be possible. The trends are a reflection of globalization of research and development and of corporate interest around the world — globalization on the part of not just United States companies, but of foreign companies as well. And I think these trends are an indication of that. The board will have a policy document based upon a portion of these data. It’ll be issued in mid-February, and it’s related to the topic of globalization and the implications that has for our national efforts in research and development. At that time the board will be making some statements regarding globalization and its influence on the trends that you allude to. What did you find out about the public perception of science? The interesting thing is that the perception of science and of engineering remains really very high in the United States.… Those who think it’s a very positive element of our American life … the percentage of the population who believes that is very high. It’s of the order of 75 to 80 percent, versus those who think that it’s a detriment for society, which are 10 percent or less. There have been some blips in that trend up and down by a few percent over the years, but if one does a sliding mean through all that data, one finds that that trend is basically a constant. The American public has a very strong view of the importance of science and engineering for our country. I think a very important point is that scientists rank as high in public respect as do firefighters. They’re second only to firefighters.

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Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegowina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France France, Metropolitan French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and Mc Donald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka St. Helena St. Pierre and Miquelon Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City State (Holy See) Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands (British) Virgin Islands (U.S.) Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Yugoslavia Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe Ingredients & Description Creatine Monohydrate is one of the latest of the scientifically researched sports nutrition supplements. Fitness experts report that anaerobic exercise such as weight lifting or sprinting increases the demand in the body for creatine as used in the Krebs Cycle. Simple sugars enhance the utilization of creatine monohydrate. One heaping teaspoon of creatine monohydrate provides the approximate equivalent of creatine as found in 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of uncooked red meat. Creatine monohydrate is a well-absorbed and stable form of creatine. Suggested Use: Loading Period: 1 heaping teaspoon 4 times per day for the first 5 days. As a dietary supplement, stir one heaping teaspoon (5 grams) of Creatine Monohydrate into fruit juice or water or as directed by your healthcare professional. Supplement Facts: Serving Size: 1 Heaping Teaspoon Serving Per Bottle: About 50 Creatine Monohydrate (Pharmaceutical Grade) APS = Amount Per Serving * % Daily Value (%DV) not established. The New and Improved Amazing Grass Green Superfood including Great Recipe Ideas Distributed or manufactured from Seacoast Vitamins. See more *Not intended to diagnose or treat diseases or ailments, and is not reviewed by the Uses & Indications. Enhancing Immune Function Ailments & Concerns. Questions and answers:

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http://www.seacoast.com/creatine-monohydrate/seacoast-vitamins/250-grams/p1891

2013-05-19T18:51:39Z

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en

Ambiga says willing to be jailed for clean polls UPDATED @ 08:20:33 PM 14-06-2012 KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Electoral reforms activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today she is willing to be jailed if Putrajaya will commit to cleaning up the election process before the country's key polls next year. The award-winning lawyer who has been at the forefront in pushing for meaningful electoral reforms for the past two years was responding to questions from the public in an online chat hosted by Yahoo! Malaysia this afternoon. "Are you willing to be jailed for your cause?" Yahoo! Malaysia asked. "Yes," Ambiga replied. The 55-year-old has also been the target of hate groups in the last two years, with some right-wing partisan NGOs asking that the government strip her of her citizenship and some BN ministers accusing her of trying to topple the ruling government from power in the latest street rally last month. Ambiga, together with Bersih co-chair national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, had led a sit-in protest for electoral reforms last April 28, which the movement claims were attended by 250,000 people. A mbiga has called for Malaysians to refocus on Bersih’s eight demands amid much finger-pointing after the April 28 rally ended in violence with the authorities accusing her of attempting to spearhead a coup, a charge she has vehemently denied. The electoral watchdog wants the government to rid the electoral roll of dead voters and other dubious names and enforce a minimum campaign period of 21 days ahead of the 13th general elections. Bersih has also lobbied for political parties to be given free and fair media play and public institutions to be strengthened to stop a seeming rise in corruption and bring an end to dirty politics. She had led tens of thousands of demonstrators in two public rallies for electoral reform in the national capital — the first on July 9 last year and more recently on April 28 — which turned violent following clashes with the authorities. However, similar rallies held elsewhere around the country, and the world, took place peacefully. However, she refuted criticism from the public that the April 28 rally was illegal, saying that the Federal Constitution guarantees citizens the right to assemble freely. "Anda seorang peguam,.. tetapi tindak-tanduk anda bersama BERSIH boleh disifatkan sebagai tidak menghormati undang-undang. Demonstrasi jalanan hanya menyusahkan sebahagian rakyat Malaysia.. TQ, (You are a lawyer...but your actions together with Bersih can be characterised as not respecting the law. Street demonstrations only inconvenience some Malaysians.. Thank you,) " said an Internet user who took part in the live chat who went by the name, Awang. "Demonstrasi jalanan merupakan antara hak asasi rakyat Malaysia di bawah Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia, (Street demonstrations are among the basic human rights of Malaysians under the Federal Constitution of Malaysia," Ambiga replied. Another participant, Elsie asked, "Ambiga, the law allows for a peaceful assembly, but not a rally. As a lawyer who should understand the law, who do you continually break the law [sic]?" "I believe you have misread the Peaceful Assembly Act, but nevertheless, you should look at our Federal Constitution which enshrines the fundamental right to freedom of assembly. That is the supreme law that we uphold," said Ambiga. Search engine Yahoo! Malaysia had kicked off the hour-long live chat with Ambiga at 3pm today, giving Internet users a chance to ask her any question they wanted. Ambiga is currently being sued by the federal government in an unprecedented civil court case initiated against Bersih leaders for damages to public property worth RM122,000. Yahoo! Malaysia has previously hosted public chats with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and even popular pop artiste Datuk Siti Nurhaliza.

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Restaurants in the region will be celebrating the Thai festival of Songkran which takes place between April 13th-15th. The water festival marks the start of Thai New Year and the ending of a 12-month cycle as the sun moves into Aries in April. Over this weekend, diners at The Oriental in The Mailbox, can enjoy our unique cocktail ‘Thai Smile’ which will be available at the special price of £5 all weekend. Enjoy a meal at The Oriental and receive your parking for free! The popular Drive and Dine offer starts this month meaning that you can enjoy a delicious dining experience and not have to worry about paying for the parking. The Mailbox is the perfect place to bring any friends and family from outside of the city. With our focus on fine food and wine, service and style, you will not leave disappointed after enjoying dishes from Malaysia, Thailand and China. T&C’s: The offer entitles the bill payer to two hours free parking in The Mailbox Car park, valued at £4 and may not be exchanged for any other offer, cash value or discount. Offer runs from 4th March 2013 – 31st May 2013 Offer valid Monday to Thursday and with a minimum spend of £20. One validation per bill/transaction and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. Subject to availability and The Mailbox and its tenants reserve the right to withdraw the offer at any time without prior notice) Join us March 22nd & 23rd, at The UNION Oriental Food Festival in Victoria Square, when the food and flavours on offer will come from China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. If you are out shopping come and enjoy our great dishes from Chef Lee’s team. Cocktails at the bar and great dishes by Chef Lee! Come celebrate the Year of the Snake this weekend at The Mailbox. All diners who pre-book for Saturday and Sunday evening at The Oriental can get one complimentary bottle of Tiger Beer per person when dining from the a la carte menu Quote reference ‘ORIENT13’ when booking Kung Hei Fat Choi! This Valentine’s Day, The Oriental is offering all the romantics out there a selection of set menus to choose from. The Blooming Heart menu will surely be a popular choice with delicious dishes like ‘Lobster Tail’ and ‘Red Snapper with Chilli and Basil Sauce’ on offer. For all time traditional Oriental favourites the Oriental Rose menu has ‘Thai Green Curry’ and ‘Sweet and Sour King Prawns’. All the set menus include a mixed starter platter and for dessert; a medley of white chocolate and mint truffle heart desserts. Prior to enjoying food, select some great cocktails off the cocktail list and enjoy the canal side view from the swanky and vibrant bar. So for an evening in the company of good Oriental food…and your other half, make a trip to The Oriental this Valentine’s Day. View our menu here Grab a copy of the latest issue of Birmingham Living magazine for a double page feature on Chef Lee Or view it here! On Nov 28th we celebrated Loy Krathong which is one of the grandest festivals that takes place in Thailand every year and is sometimes called the “Festival of Lights” due to the twinkling lights on the krathong boats that are floated on rivers and streams. To mark this festival The Oriental restaurant floating their own Kraythong on the canal, by the water’s edge. We were joined by Buddhist Monks from The Buddhavihara Temple (Wat Mahathat) to tell us about the significance of the event and to mark the occasion with prayers and chanting In Thailand, people will go down to their local rivers to float their candle boat of incense sticks and coins and pray for forgiveness from Mother Nature for polluting the waterways. As they crouch there and watch their kraythong float away under the gaze of the full moon, the Thai people believe that the kraythong is also floating away their bad luck. To see the photos go to our Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.470421203001785.106141.156153014428607&type=1 Our successful cocktail offer has changed! The offer is now available all week and still allows you to enjoy two cocktails for the price of one. Click on offers to read further details. We are getting a makeover for autumn! With a swanky new look and an enviable cocktail list, diners can get 15% off all drinks for the first week. So enjoy the new look bar with some fancy finger food from the Far East or relax in the fine dining restaurant for the best in Malaysian, Thai and Chinese cuisine. Book now on 0121 633 9988 The New Oriental Birmingham The New Oriental Birmingham

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2013-05-19T18:35:47Z

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Aussie boffins probe lesbian cows Cattle worriers to explain bovine girl-on-girl An intrepid team from the the University of Queensland will shortly make its way to Malaysia's central highlands to answer a question which has baffled science for centuries: is bovine lesbianism in domesticated cattle a stress reaction caused by environmental pressures? Yes indeed, hot on the heels of the British revelations that sheep like happy, smiley people and pine for absent friends comes the earth-shattering possibility that cows' propensity to indulge in a bit of girl-on-girl is caused by a combination of "stress, [and] a selective domestication process which favoured outwardly sexual cows and the number of animals on heat in a small enclosure", as team supremo Clive Phillips explained to news.com.au. Which is why Queensland's finest are on their way to Malaysia - home of the world's only herd of wild cattle - to prove that a carefree life of leisure reduces the incidence of bovine sapphism. According to the good prof: "With domestic cattle the cows show mounting homosexual behaviour when they are on heat and the wild cattle don't show that. A lot of animals in stressful conditions display this behaviour. It is a bit of a stress release." Phillips also reports that other captive animals - including koalas and rabbits - "showed a similar increase in homosexual behaviour from that encountered in the wild". We cannot help but feel that there is a nature/nurture punch-up looming here among the world's experts in animal homosexuality. Phillips' assertions are at odds with Oregon Health & Science University School research which suggested that homosexuality in sheep was caused by smaller ovine sexually dimorphic nuclei in the hypothalamus. As team leader professor Charles Roselli put it: "This particular study, along with others, strongly suggests that sexual preference is biologically determined in animals, and possibly in humans." We at El Reg reckon it's about time these boys got their act together and provided definitive evidence one way or the other as to whether homosexuality in cows and sheep is caused by biological predetermination or environment. We're sure that other pressing concerns such as a cure for AIDS and the fight against cancer can be put on the back burner while the matter is resolved. ®

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BED & BREAKFAST 01/03/13 – 30/06/13 For Reservations and Rates Call: +27 (0) 861 000 333 313 Beach Road, Sea Point, Cape Town, 8001 PO Box 768, Sea Point, 8060, South Africa Phone: 0861 000 333 Phone (Int): +27 31 310 6900 Fax: +27 31 310 3398 Chris Godenir : email@example.com / firstname.lastname@example.org Region: Western Cape, South Africa Physical Address: 313 Beach Road, Sea Point, Cape Town, 8001 Come and experience the warm ambiance of The Sunset Restaurant, a delightfully airy alfresco restaurant with glass doors opening onto the hotel’s gardens and swimming pool, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with live music on Thursday evenings. Every last Thursday of the month, we have a Wine and Dine Evening with a different winery each month offering an exceptional 5 course meal including wine at R225 per person. Cape Malay evening: Join us for Cape Malay evening every Wednesday – Three Course Meal at R125.00 per person The Sunset Deck, is situated above the successful flag-ship restaurant and is the best seat in town to find yourself watching the sun burn orange as it descends towards the horizon, ushering in twilight. At the wind-free Sunset Deck, Chris Godenir, the General Manager, of The Three Cities Peninsula All-Suite Hotel has aimed to create a sophisticated and tranquil area to unwind, enjoy oysters and bubbly while taking in the spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean. The Sunset Deck is complete with cocktail bar, lazy ottomans and banquettes and also features a light menu, encouraging patrons to also visit the lower level and experience a quality meal at The Sunset Restaurant. When the notorious South Easter is blowing, it can be guaranteed that there will not be a breath of wind on The Sunset Deck – a big plus for locals & guests alike. Access to The Sunset Deck is via Beach Road with secure parking at The Sunset Beach parking area. The perfect place to unwind after a long day or before a night out. Afternoon sunshine filters into this delightful poolside venue encompassing Faces Cocktail Bar where guests can savour sunset cocktails or enjoy pre-dinner drinks. For those who want to emphasize on their more social side the Faces Lounge offers a backgammon evening every Wednesday. 24 hour Room Service

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en

history of paradise city ... Hua Hin has a long history that predates its current name. In 1834, neighbouring Petchaburi province was hit by a severe drought and a group of farmers moved south and arrived at a village that had a white, sandy beach and some rocks. They settled and named the village Samor Riang, which means "row of anchors", after the fishing boats anchored off the beach, or "row of rocks" depending on which translation you take. In 1921, the Director of the State Railway, Prince Purachatra built The Railway Hotel (now The Sofitel Central) and this, not surprisingly, coincided with the construction of railway line from Bangkok down south. Royal Hua Hin Golf Course was designed by a Scottish railway engineer during this era as well. The Royal connection, that Hua Hin still has to this day, started around the turn of the 20th century when a member of the Thai Royal Family, Prince Chakrabhongse, came to Hua Hin on a hunting trip with Russian nobility. He liked the town and returned to build the first Thai beach villa in Hua Hin. King Rama VI then built a summer retreat here and even later King Rama VII built yet another palace, naming it Klaikangwon - "far from worries". This Palace is still in use today by the Royal Family and indeed they spend most of their days there now in Hua Hin. Because of its Royal past and present and it's proximity to the capital, Hua Hin caught on with the elite of Bangkok and the town began to develop. Despite a lull in fortunes following World War II, Hua Hin has managed to recover and nowadays accommodates the facilities anyone would expect from an international holiday destination, whilst not losing the charm of a fishing village and it's rich Royal and Thai roots. The locals are extremely proud of their heritage and the town can offer the discerning visitor a real glimpse back into Thailand's history with its old colonial buildings, fishing heritage and quant timeless streets. Sofitel Central Hua Hin Resort has played an important role over the years in the development of Thailand's highly respected tourism sector. This legacy dates back almost 80 years to the romantic days of "Old Siam", when railways were the primary mode of transportation and wild elephants ruled the jungles. 1834 - Hua Hin was inhabited since the reign of King Rama III when people seeking a better life settled in Bo Fai and Nongsakae aroung 1834, and named their seaside village Samoriang, which referred to large rock outcroppings scattered along the beach. The name was later changed to Hin Riang, then Lam Hin, which means, 'stone cape' Late 19th Century - The first steamer, the Siam Orasumphol, sailed along the Chao Phraya River to the Gulf of Thailand entailing numerous stops before reaching the Malay Peninsula and eventually Singapore. The route bypassed many small communities along the way including the area of Hua Hin. It provided the Royal Family with a level of comfort and convenience to travel. 1911 - Lam Hin was officially renamed Hua Hin, or 'stone head' in English. The railroad from Bangkok to Hua Hin was finished. It inspired members of the Royal Family, aristocrats, and Bangkok's elite to build bungalows here. The first person in the Thai Royal Family to recognise this unrivalled beauty was Prince Nares - the Minister of Public Works during the reign of HM King Rama V - who built a residence on the southern end of Lam Hin Village. The Saen Samran Royal Residence was built on beachfront land, and not far away, bungalows named Ban Plub Pa were also built as a residence of Prince Tewawongworapakorn and his family. 1916 - Other members of the Royal family built a complex of houses around the same time over the scenic group of rocks at the northern end of the village. Completion of the southern railway line connectiong Siam to British Malaya, during the reigns of King Rama V and VI. Before international trains were running between Bangkok, Butterworth and Singapore, the State Railways organised food and accommodation services for passengers who had to travel longer than three days. It was common thing to break a journey for a night or two at Hua Hin where very basic and uncomfortable puplic accommodation was available near the station. 1919 - The Hat Yai-Pedang Besar train started its service. 1922 - Prince Purachatra: 'It is time to provide holiday makers with more comfort and convenience than before since it is very costly and inconvenient for people to have to prepare their own lodgings, facilities and servants themselves. Hua Hin is ideally suited to become a seaside resort town because of its serene atmosphere, and because the State Railway has its own land there'. To increase the standard of accommodation at Hua Hin the newly established hotel division of the Thai Royal State Railway decided to build the western style Railway Hotel. Prince Purachatra personally oversaw the construction of the new hotel. Mr. A Rigazai - the State Railways' Italian architect designed the original building as a luxurious two-story European style resort hotel made of brick and wood- as per a Royal command. The hotel was constructed on State Railways land while existing retail bungalows were moved a short distance away. King Rama VI commissioned road maintenance engineer A O Robins to build a golf course on land opposite the railway station, completing the original nine-hole, 3,000-yard Royal Hua-Hin Golf Course and tennis courts in time to welcome the first hotel guests on October 26, 1922. The hotel featured 14 bedrooms, a lobby lounge, bar, restaurant, billiards room, wine storeroom and large verandas costing a total of 128,366.75 baht, a staggering sum at the time. A verandah surrounded the building, cleverly designed to protect guests from the sun's heat and prevent rainwater from running back along the tiles. The building was remarkably similar in appearance to the Marukhatayawan Royal Residence in nearby Cha-am. A European manager was placed in charge of the hotel's fine dining continental restaurant. Even room service, a rare luxury at that time, was available. Gourmet European food was served in the restaurant on elegant western-style china. The silverware with the State Railways emblem-now on display in the lobby museum was made to order in Europe. Putra Intarmayura, whose father worked in the hotel gardens since it opened in 1923, recalled: 'At first the staff uniform was khaki short sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and a sun helmet with the Garuda emblem. But this uniform changed to trousers instead of shorts after a manager had an excursion to Japan. 1923 - The hotel's official opening ceremony took place on January 1, 1923. It was the most luxurious and modern hotel in the region and an instant favorite among Thais and foreigners alike. 1924 - The Hua Hin Railway Hotel's reputation spread quickly after the State Railways advertising division was established in 1924 to encourage foreigners and Thais to take holidays in Thailand by train. The division printed posters, brochures and guide books for various tourist attractions including the original Guide Book of Siam which said: 'Hua Hin, a seaside resort, is soon reached and if one has the time it should be favoured with a visit. The sea is some 10 minutes quiet walk from the railway station, and situated right on the beach are furnished bungalows which can be rented by applying to the Traffic Superintendent at Bangkok. Here, in addition to excellent sea bathing, one may shoot leopards, deer, hares and doves, but except for the latter, guides and permits must be obtained' As the destinaiton and the Hua Hin Railway Hotel grew in popularity, there soon arose a need for more guest rooms and bungalows; construction began on temporary lodges called Abbass House built near the railway station. This soon proved inadequate and the State Railways added 19 additional small bungalows to the north and another 13 rooms using the original plans. 1926 - Express trains were introduced with sleeping berths imported from Europe. This decreased travelling time and removed the necessity for passengers to change trains when going from Bangkok to Butterworth, the station of Penang, Malaya. The new service quickly lead to a four-fold increase in tickets sold. The Railway hotel more and more became the haunt of sun and relaxation seeking tourists rather than of stressed railway passengers breaking the journey at various interesting points making it more advantageous to travel by rail. Hua Hin was certainly the top attraction, supported by Major Seidenfaden's opinion at the time: 'Hua Hin on-the-sea in Siamese territory is one of the finest seaside resorts east of Suez with swimming, shooting and fishing among the popular sporting activities to be found there. It possesses one of the best golf courses in the Orient. The Hua Hin Railway Hotel also maintains a stock of golf requisites and loans are often made to visiting golfers.' 1939 - During World War II, stories of tranquil and peaceful Hua Hin travelled far and wide. After Thailand joined the war the hotel was always full as many Bangkok-based foreigners and Thais fled Bangkok seeking refuge in Hua-Hin. 1945 - After the war Thailand changed quickly. New roads and bridges were constructed, with road transportation becoming increasingly popular. Train travel was no longer the primary mode of transportation. Bangkok residents could now easily cross the Tachin River to other resorts besides Hua Hin 1948 - More bungalows were built north of Damnernkasem Road, and six years later bungalows A, B and C were pulled down to construct a new building. It was connected to the old one on land occupied by the Saen Samran Sukhaves Royal Residence which had been purchased from the Royal Family, the resulting three-story building now stands adjoining the Museum coffee corner. Thavorn Boonyaketu, the State Railway's architect, designed the new building, influenced by modern architecture. It had three restaurants, a bar downstairs, 23 rooms on the second and third floors, as well as a panoramic sea-view restaurant. A wide variety of modern construction materials were carefully selected, with the furniture and interior decoration designed with the guests's comfort and convenience in mind. Unfortunately the building was criticised however by those who said it did not harmonise well with the original structure. 1986 - In 1986 the State Railway of Thailand granted the Central Group of Hotels and Accor restoration rights to the grand hotel. The much-loved historical building was meticulously preserved, with a new swimming pool and Thai Pavilion also added and completed in December 1986. The hotel began refurbishing the old bungalows and added new gardens, lawns and fountains. Accor and the Central Hotels and Resorts re-launched the hotel as a Sofitel after two years of extensive refurbishment that emphasized the Edwardian architecture and colonial traditions. The Architects Association of Thailand gave the hotel an award for "outstanding conservation" in a category decicated to preserving historic Thai buildings. 1988 - The hotel welcomed a new generation of guests under the name Hotel Sofitel Central Hua Hin in 1988. 1993 - A multi function conference and banqueting hall catering for up to 300 guests was added including of games room, library, night club, shops, a beauty salon, an elegant cocktail bar and the Railway Restaurant. The Central Village, formerly the old bungalow site and "Villa Wing"- used since the 1970's as a recreational area for families was also upgraded in harmony with the Colonial Wing. Shaded by many exotic varieties of plants, 22 villas were transformed from the original bungalows. They were beautifully decorated, each with two rooms, a living area, a pantry and a balcony. This area now includes 20 newly built villas and a central service area, Salathai Restaurant, swimming pool, large garden area, conference rooms, a charming open-air cocktail bar, and several attractively landscaped decorative fishponds. Sofitel Central Hua Hin Resort and the Central Village are spread over a total area 15.5 hectares (97 rai) of beautifully landscaped grounds and sculptured gardens. Additional facilities include the elegant Palm Pavilion Restaurant, an alfresco beach bar with terrace, three swimming pools for adults and three for children, two tennis courts, a giant chess board, putting greens, a maze, a fish pond, and the historical Musuem Coffee & Tea Corner. The scale of the restoration and improvement of the two hotels reflects not only the needs of todays modern traveller, but also the building's rich history and heritage, standing as a testament amidst the beauty and tranquility of a bygone era. 1995 - The hotel's original bungalow D was then transformed into a Fitness Centre and Spa. The spa comprises two private treatment rooms with an en suite Jacuzzi that can accommodate two people comfortably . Two separate saunas are also connected to these rooms. In addition the spa offers three additional private aromatherapy treatment rooms, two of which are equipped for beauty treatments. Both the Fitness Centre and Spa command dramatic seaviews and are conveniently located next to the Railway Pool. 1998 - In January 1998 expansion of the property continued with the addition of the Garden Wing. Sixty rooms overlooking the newly designed gardens and swimming pool perfectly matched the original colonial architecture. A new swimming pool complex with children's pool, gigantic whirlpool and snack bar were added as well. The fitness room was eventually upgraded in October 1998 and turned into a Thai traditional massage area with four private massage rooms. 2000 - Renovation of the Railway Wing, converted twenty-two standard rooms into larger superior rooms and converted another twelve standard rooms into six junior suites. In addition seventeen deluxe rooms and two executive suites were renovated completing the entire Railway Wing upgrade. 2001 - Renovations on the hotel's Railway Wing were completed in July 2001, with all bathrooms being enlarged and spacious showers added. Most of the existing colonial furniture was retained, while new furniture was made from teakwood to blend harmoniously with the teak parquet flooring, high ceilings and antique fans. New fabrics (curtains, soft furnishings) were created from the finest cotton, and bedspreads were replaced with white and airy duvets. The Sofitel now comprises 207 rooms. The historical building was faithfully restored to preserve the valuable architecture, interior decoration and its old lobby in its original style. 2002 - The first phase of the Colonial Wing renovation was completed in October 2002. Forty superior rooms, twelve deluxe rooms and five executive suites were meticulously renovated to preserve the hotel's unique historical heritage. The forty superior rooms feature new bathroom, comfortable furnishings and refinished woodwork and have received a new closet. All balconies offer a panoramic sea view where guests can enjoy Hua Hin's cool ocean breezes. Twelve renovated deluxe rooms (including 4 superior rooms turned into the deluxe category) have enlarged bathrooms with separate shower stall and vintage style fittings. A sliding window panel between the bathroom and bedroom open to enhance the spacious interior. A new walk-in closet provides greater storage space. Balconies have received comfortable Thai-style daybeds in addition to the existing "lounge chairs". The five executive suites now offer a more spacious living room while the bedroom and the bathroom feature similar characteristics to the renovated deluxe rooms with an additional make up area. 2003 - The second phase of the Colonial Wing upgrade was undertaken during the summer of 2003 with the renovation of thirty-two superior rooms, eight deluxe rooms and the hotel's famous Crystal Suite. With thanks to the management at the hotel and the Hua Hin Observer for the original text.

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- Creating A Generation Of Readers - Art Showcase - Three Photography-Filled Days - Gardens Of An Artist - No Empty Stages Here - Another ‘World’s Best’ - World’s Only Intercontinental Marathon - Remembering Atatürk - A Photographer’s Life - An Encyclopedia Of Literature - Heart Of The World: Bursa - Ali Aydın’S Adana - Dreams Come True - Festivity In Turkish Gardens - Cultural Adventure In Odessa - The Middle East’s Up-And-Coming Airport - A Painter Who Breaks The Mold - Garden Of The Hejaz: Taif Write: Melih Uslu Photos: Yusuf Darıyerli Ali Aydın’S Adana Ali Aydın’S Adana Director Ali Aydin won the ‘Llion Of The Future’ award at the 69th Venice Film Festival for his film ‘küf’ (mold). We asked him about Adana, where the film was shot. Why did you choose Adana to shoot the film? We didn’t set out to shoot the film in Adana. Searching for a place to shoot is the next stage after finishing the script. During that search I found the venue in Adana where we made the shoots and was very impressed. After I found it I never looked at another place, because it had everything I was looking for and more. If Adana takes the lead role, what does that tell us? Çukurova… It took us about two hours on the road every morning to get to the set. During that journey I would see farmers struggling with the soil of Çukurova and I would eye them with great curiosity every day, as if I was seeing them for the first time. I still get excited when I imagine their stories, their lives, their conversations. Autumn in Adana. How is it? We made the shoots in January and February, but somehow you don’t feel winter in Adana. It’s like fall all winter there. Red and green, sun and rain, heat and hoarfrost… It definitely makes a deep impression on you. You get a much better understanding of writers like Yaşar Kemal and Orhan Kemal. You can almost feel why they became writers and couldn’t live without writing.

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As the home of Batik, this year Indonesia wants to reclaim its throne as the host country of the World Batik Summit 2011. In 2009, UNESCO has acknowledged Batik as one of world cultural heritage, originally from Indonesia. It is one of the oldest textile dyeing techniques from Java Island. The word Batik itself means cloth with little dots. It is one of highly developed art of cloths dyeing using a metal pen-like tool called canting on woven. Each pattern has a meaning that wants to be told by the creator. Sometimes it tells stories about family, royalty, patriotism, war even love. In Central part of Java Island, different patterns of Batik also show different social status. Some said the more intricate patterns it has the higher social status the person is wearing. Some said it is the other way around. Difficult to say which one is correct as nowadays modernism in Indonesia somehow eliminate this difference. After 14 years of vacuum, Indonesia initiates this event to strengthen Batik position as one of the global cultures. In order to promote this mission, Indonesia invites 11 countries in the world to take active parts of this international event. “This World Batik Summit (WBS) is expected to build enthusiasm towards Batik internationally and to support practitioners and fans of Batik worldwide,” stated Dipo Alam, one of the founders of Yayasan Batik Indonesia (Batik Indonesia Foundation). This year’s event is about facilitating knowledge transfer and evaluating production techniques and marketing methods of Batik. The government would like to take this chance to collect and nurtures Batik home industries and small medium enterprises of Batik. It hopes these front liners will be able to synergize to make Batik as one of tourism icons of Indonesia. Furthermore, Indonesia would like to share and introduce this art worldwide. “This event is a statement that Batik can be developed and made everywhere in the world but its home is still in Indonesia,” said the Minister of Trade and Commerce, Mari E. Pangestu. The event covers international conferences, photo gallery of honors, meeting between Batik sellers and buyers, summit exhibition and cultural performances. “There will be 11 countries participating in this long awaited event. Those are Malaysia, Singapore, U.K., Tunisia, France, the U.S.A, Philippine, Japan, Germany, Australia and Holland,” said head of the committee of World Batik Summit, Doddy Soepardi during the press conference in Jakarta, Friday (23/9/2011). Until now, there are 117 confirmed international participants and 500 others from Indonesia. The committee targets to have 700 participants in total. This went will be held at Jakarta Convention Centre (JCC) on September 28th to October 2nd. Everyone is invited.

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NEAL CONAN, HOST: This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan, in Washington. Many people pick a place to live because of a higher-paying job, sunny skies or to be close to friends and family. It turns out that people are happier in some places than others. As social scientists learned, reliable measures for an inherently subjective quality. People in some cities and countries consistently report that they are happier. National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner visited four of the more fortunate spots in the world to see if they share secrets the rest of us might learn from. Please note: This is a rebroadcast of an earlier interview, so we're not going to be able to take any new calls this hour. Later in the program, remember the debate over the controversial beef product pink slime? We'll talk with food science professor Robert Gravani from Cornell University about what's really in our food. But first, Dan Buettner joins us from a studio in Minneapolis. His latest book is "Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way." Nice to have you with us. DAN BUETTNER: Well, I'm thrilled to be part of TALK OF THE NATION, Neal. CONAN: You visited four - well, we like to think of it as a particularly happy spot on the radio. CONAN: But you visited four places: Denmark, Singapore, the state of Nuevo Leon in Mexico - that's Monterrey - and the community of San Luis Obispo in Central California. These are very different places. BUETTNER: Yes, the conceit of the assignment was to find the statistically happiest region of the happiest country on each of four continents, recognizing that there are going to be some cultural differences from place to place. But what we were really trying to do were tease out the universals, essentially see if these places could teach us some lessons about getting happy ourselves. CONAN: And there are a lot of personal lessons, which are idiosyncratic: get exercise, get a lot of sleep, have a lot of sex, things like that, which we can learn from your book. Those are about people. We're interested in the places, and, well, for example, you were very skeptical in Denmark. The tax rate there is 70 percent. Could people really be happy paying that much in tax? BUETTNER: Yes, but, you know, we often think about happiness as trying to increase our joy, but it's also about decreasing our worry. So what you get for paying those high taxes is if you're a parent thinking about putting your child through school, you don't have to worry about it because all education through college is free. In fact, college students get - draw a salary. You don't have to worry about health care. Government takes care of that. And you don't have to worry about what happens when I get old. Will there be Social Security around? Danes don't have to worry about that, either. So there's a certain lowering of stress in people's daily lives. CONAN: You follow around a garbage collector who is the happiest garbage collector I've ever read about. BUETTNER: Okay, so now the point there, of course when you tell a story of a place, you don't want to just spew scientific facts all the time. But what we know is that the richest 10 percent are only about three times richer than the poorest 10 percent in Denmark. So we tried to find somebody who might be emblematic of somebody we don't think would normally be happy. So we followed this garbageman around. The garbageman made about $80,000 a year, a perfectly happy guy. But what struck us as extraordinary is he lived between a doctor and a lawyer, and he lived in a very nice neighborhood, and he was the perfect emblem of this notion of status equality. Unlike places where you always feel like you have to have a bigger house or a nicer car or a better job, Danes are pretty comfortable with just being in the pack, part of the pack. The tallest tree gets lopped off. They call it the Jante Law. CONAN: And interestingly, one of the things that makes that work so well in Denmark, it's a very homogeneous place: Everybody looks like everybody else. BUETTNER: Yeah, it's a little easier to pay taxes when you know that your taxes are going to help somebody out like you. But nevertheless, there - it's a very tolerant place. You know, the fact that gays could be in the military is big news in America. Well, gays in Denmark have been able to marry since 1968. And not only that, if you're a parent, whether you're heterosexual or homosexual, and you have a child, you know, that first year of life is so crucially important to the development of that child, in Denmark you have the freedom to take 10 months off and make sure that child gets a good start, whether you're a gay dad or gay mom, or a heterosexual parent. CONAN: Then you go to Singapore, and that's a very heterogeneous place. There are, well, three major ethnic groups there, and when the place was created, the city-state there at the bottom of the Malay Peninsula, everybody said this is a tinderbox waiting to go up. BUETTNER: And Le Kuan Yew, the mentor, prime minister there, he was a very clever guy. I was ridiculed in a few columns about suggesting that he actually helped manufacture happiness because Singapore is famous for caning, and if you're caught with a certain amount of drugs, you could face the death penalty. But on the other hand, this is a place where, statistically speaking, it's the happiest place in Asia. And when you write for National Geographic, we have to go with not the gut, like Bhutan or Fiji, but we have to go with the numbers. And sure enough, this is a place where the three ethnicities are all put on a level playing field in that Lee Kuan Yew made English the lingua franca back in the 1960s, even though he had lots of pressure from China to make Chinese the lingua franca. Actually, the dominant ethnicity are Han Chinese there. But he put everybody on the same footing, and there's all kinds of laws in place to make sure that people mix with each other. About 90 percent of Singaporeans own their own home, but every high-rise reflects the ethnic proportion of the country. So you have the Malay, the Indian and the Chinese all living together, day to day. CONAN: All those are interesting. There's also big tax incentives to take care of your family, your parents, yourself. BUETTNER: Yes, so in trying to explain happiness in Singapore, I found other research that showed that as a rule, the more we socialize in a day, the happier we are. And the people with whom we're most happy socializing with, counterintuitively, are our parents. So here you have a culture that's - Asian culture, that spends more money, per capita, on taking care of the elderly. And one of the ways that they help elderly, if your aging parent lives with you or within 100 meters of you, you actually get a tax break, knowing that then the kids tend to take care of their elders. And then the kids get a bit of a well-being bump because they're doing what science tells us bumps happiness among individuals, socializing with parents. CONAN: Well, questioning the happiness over the tax rate in Denmark, you found that to be a plus. In Singapore, all those crazy rules - you mentioned caning, you know, littering, chewing gum in public, that sort of thing, there are many, many petty rules that are strictly enforced. BUETTNER: Yes, but Singapore's government goes out of its way to explain why. First of all, you have to realize that Asians have, as a rule, have generally a different value set than people in the West. People in the West, we highly celebrate individual accomplishment, whereas in the East, it's more about how well you march in step. It's more important to impress your friends, to take care of your mother, so to speak. So this is a place where, in Singapore, cleanliness is really important. And when Lee Kuan Yew more or less got started with Singapore in the 1960s, he was charged with converting a fishing village into an economic powerhouse, and he told me he simply could not attract talent from the West with people spitting and bad hygiene. So they put the laws in place because of that, and they explain people, why. So they live with it. CONAN: We're talking with Dan Buettner, who traveled to four continents to find the happiest places on each and reports about them in his book "Thrive: Finding Happiness The Blue Zones Way." We'll start with Tre(ph), Tre with us from Monk's Corner in South Carolina. TRE: Well, I didn't factor anything in, really, when I moved. It was more of a financial decision to move to Monk's Corner from North Charleston because it was just a lot cheaper. But once I moved, I got exponentially happier because I was a lot closer to the lake, I was very close to the egress points on the Palmetto Trail and a lot of other natural attractions, and it's just a bigger open space. I was paying the same rent that I am now, for a lot in a trailer park as I am in a two-bedroom house on an acre. So it's just everything is better. CONAN: I can understand the improvement. And obviously, Dan Buettner, improving your immediate surroundings, going from a trailer to a home on a piece of land, that's going to factor in a lot. BUETTNER: So, Ron Inglehart, he runs something called the World Values Survey out of the University of Michigan, and they conduct a lot of these big, worldwide surveys, he's done a very convincing paper that shows that once you have your basic necessities covered, the biggest variable in the happiness equation - did I marry the right person, do I have engaging work, do I have my health - the biggest variable, most variable variable is where you live. So if you take a Moldavian, for example, from a Soviet Bloc country, and Moldavians on a scale of one to 10 - this is oversimplifying - place themselves as a three, and move them to Copenhagen, within about a year, they start reporting the levels of happiness of their adoptive home. So similarly in America here, if you move from an unhappy place to a happier place, you're also stacking the deck in favor of being happier yourself. CONAN: And Tre, thanks very much for the call. So you're now living on this nice piece of land. You get out and actually take advantage of all those natural beauty? TRE: Every day that I can. CONAN: Every day that you can. TRE: I'm an avid mountain-biker. So the trails are excellent. The lake is fantastic. CONAN: Well, congratulations, Tre, thanks very much for the call. BUETTNER: Tre actually brings up a good point. Now, when you look at the tens of millions of data points gathered by these subjective well-being surveys - Gallup and Healthways and the World Values Survey - you do the correlation, what is the - the things that are most strongly correlated with happiness in nations are tolerance, trust - can I trust the police - access to recreation, access to green space and how easy it is to get the six or seven hours of socialization we should all be getting to optimize our happiness. CONAN: Six or seven hours? BUETTNER: That actually comes from 1.4 million surveys from the Gallup Healthways Well-being Index. The happiest Americans are reporting between six and seven hours of social interaction. And by the way, that is face-to-face, not Facebook. CONAN: And then eight hours of sleep, too. It's a busy life we're talking about. BUETTNER: Yeah, well... CONAN: We'll talk more with Dan Buettner in a moment. His book is titled "Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way." Stay with us. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) CONAN: This is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. I'm Neal Conan. The study of happiness has boomed in recent years, offering a critical mass of data, as Dan Buettner puts it. For his book, he spoke with dozens of people from some of the world's happier places. He introduces us to three of them and asks you to identify who's happiest in an excerpt at our website. There you can read the opening of the first chapter from "Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way." That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. While you're at it, you also find a place to leave your comment and tell us about the things you thought might make you happy when you moved to a new town. But please note this is a rebroadcast, so we're not going to be able to take your calls today. Let's go next to Meg(ph), she's on the line with us from Denver. MEG: Hi there. MEG: I moved from Houston to Denver. I was born and raised in Denver, lived in Houston my adult life and couldn't wait to get back to four seasons, a change of terrain and, kind of, access to the mountains - too urban in Houston, too hot, too humid. CONAN: Too hot and too humid in Houston, and you're much more comfortable in Denver, where... MEG: Oh my lord, so much happier, yes. CONAN: And did you have family and friends there, too? MEG: Actually I had no family in Texas but wonderful friends. It was hard to leave them behind. I had some - few family left here. I just finished visiting my 101-year-old grandmother, and she actually agrees. She lived in Houston and likes Denver a lot better. CONAN: Interesting, Dan Buettner, one of the findings of the scientists you spoke with is that people tend to be happier in cities. BUETTNER: Yes, if you look at all worldwide data, 141 countries, tens of millions of datapoints, we find that people who live in rural areas are less happy than those who live in cities. And one researcher who sits atop of most of this data, Ruut Veenhoven from the World Database of Happiness, theorizes it's because if you live in a rural area, you're less likely to grow up and date a lot of people to find the right match for you. Marrying the right person is really important. And the other factor is you're more likely to end up in a job that doesn't exactly suit your skills and your talents and your passions, whereas if you live in a city, there's a lot more work opportunities. And as you know, we spend most of our waking hours working. So it's really important to get that right. CONAN: Meg, do you like your job? MEG: You know, actually I'm a stay-at-home mom, and I teach yoga. So I kind of get the best of both worlds. The job thing, you know, I loved my job down there, but still I'd give it up to come someplace where I can be outside and not be attacked by mosquitoes and hot and humid all the time. MEG: So for me it was all environment and weather. CONAN: Thanks, Meg. We have an email to that point from Charles(ph) in Mountain View, Colorado, California rather. I'm from Louisiana. I married a woman who was living in Syracuse at the time. After our wedding, she wanted to continue to live in Syracuse. After three New York winters, I decided I had shoveled all the snow I ever wanted to shovel. Plus the skies were overcast for weeks at a time. We moved to sunny California, and I have never been happier. So obviously that environment, there's a sunshine bonus? BUETTNER: Yes, again going all to these ten million of data points, if you control for everything else, people who live in the sun and people who live on water are two to three percent more likely to be happy. And you do not see that effect with mountains or deserts. CONAN: I was fascinated to read - well, that's interesting, but I was fascinated to read, you were talking about San Luis Obispo, the place in this country that you studied, and that one of the big factors there was sidewalks, bike-ability, the ability of people just to get around downtown. BUETTNER: So my job is to start with the statistics. These people are saying they're happier than anyplace else, and I tried to answer why. And I traced it to a professor at the nearby university named Ken Schwartz who became mayor. And when he came in as mayor, he kind of galvanized the city council to focus and rather than focusing on policies that bettered the commerce environment - the Chamber of Commerce was sort of running things before 1970 - he focused on policies that favored quality of life. And I think at the end of the day, he aggregated what I call kind of a silver buckshot. He got enough good policies in place that favored human habitation and well-being that lo and behold, 40 years later, people are saying they're happier there than anyplace else. CONAN: Let's go next to Bishop(ph), Bishop with us from Crosses in Arizona. BISHOP: No, sir, Arkansas. CONAN: Arkansas, excuse me. Go ahead, you're on the air. BISHOP: Very nice to talk to you. Yes, sir, I moved from Boca Raton, Florida, which is a pretty opulent place, to way out here in the hinterlands here in Arkansas. And I've never been happier here, and nor have my parents. It's definitely extended their life. It's much slower here, a different kind of work, but much slower, much more satisfying. CONAN: Your parents are retired? BISHOP: Yes, sir, they are. CONAN: And there is a huge retirement community in Boca Raton. BISHOP: Yes, there is, but there's - they stack them up like cordwood there. CONAN: And they're much happier with a little more space there in Arkansas? BISHOP: Yes, sir, they have 35 acres, and I have 11. And we both have water. They have a huge pond, and they live on a huge lake, and I have a huge pond. CONAN: And there's access to the kinds of services they're going to need? BISHOP: Oh yes, sir. Where we have them located at is very, very retirement-friendly. They live a few hours away from me, just close enough where I can get there to see them when I need to. CONAN: And you're happy in your work? BISHOP: Oh yes, sir. I have my own business now. I'm a retired Teamster, and I run a welding shop. I have a backhoe. I dig ponds and build roads. I'm in the woods most of the time. CONAN: Well, that sounds like a pretty good life, Dan Buettner, but a rural life, not in a city. BUETTNER: Yes, so when it comes to the big picture of happiness, about 40 percent of it is our genes. That comes from the Minnesota Twin Study. About - so whether you're predisposed to be glum or happy. Fifteen percent or so is chance. If you're born with chronic pain, or you have chemical imbalance in your brain, it's hard to be happy. About 40 percent of it is up to you. You can, I say, stack the deck in your favor for more happiness. So the fellow we just talked to - and by the way, I love the image of stacking them up like cordwood. But it may be that he is just naturally inclined to have a sunny outlook, and it doesn't matter where you put him. But I talk more about how to get the most out of that 40 percent we have control over. CONAN: Bishop, thanks very much for the call. BISHOP: Thank you. CONAN: And it's interesting, also you discovered that the opportunity to start your own business might be more important than, in fact, how much income you earn. BUETTNER: Yes, we put a lot of emphasis on political freedom, but economic freedom, it turns out, is more - it's more important to be able to start and run your business than it is to start your own political party and run your own political party. So when you look at Singapore, and you're trying to explain how could Singapore be happy, they don't - if you try to start your own party, you could be shut down. Well, Singapore's not a good place to express yourself politically, but it's a great place to run a business. There are - 8.5 percent of the people living there are millionaires. CONAN: Let's go next to Najib(ph) - I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly - in Claremont, California. NAJIB: Yes, good morning, gentlemen. I have to say that listening to NPR makes me very happy indeed. CONAN: Good for you. NAJIB: We just recently relocated from a politically conservative state to a politically liberal state, and that was part of the reason why we moved. And I think the decision was kind of promise that we would be at least more content. I'm not sure about happy, and I was wondering if your guest would make a distinction between happiness and contentment. BUETTNER: Yes, when I think of happiness, I think of 90 percent of it is contentment. Then there's 10 percent of having these occasional peaks of joy. And really, I assert you want to focus on that day-to-day, that high plateau of well-being than, you know, going out for the great party or, you know, the real peaks. CONAN: And interesting, Najib, when you talked about a more liberal state, a more congenial state politically, did you mean particularly tolerant? NAJIB: Yes, I think in my experience in this country, political liberalism seems to correlate very well with tolerance, diversity and acceptance of foreign cultures, foreign backgrounds, certainly new immigrants to this country, which I did not find to be particularly the case with politically conservative ideology. CONAN: At least where you lived. Anyway, congratulations, thanks very much for the call. NAJIB: Thank you very much. CONAN: This email from Jim(ph) in San Luis Obispo: I moved to San Luis Obispo three years ago and love it, fabulous climate, walkable community, excellent place to bicycle, and it is safe. Lived previously in Wyoming and in Utah, but this is better. So he endorses your view, your finding of San Luis Obispo. And we can understand that. The other place that we've not yet talked about was Nuevo Leon in Mexico, in Monterrey, and you talked about $75,000 a year, more than that probably may not be worth the happiness quotient, it adds to be, the effort to make more. In Nuevo Leon, one of your findings is just enough money. BUETTNER: Yes, so let me back up for a second. Happiness does - money does buy happiness, but only to the point that we have food, shelter, health care, some mobility, some education, and to be able to treat ourselves once in a while. After we hit that point, you get these diminishing returns very quickly. That's why in America, $75,000 for a family of four - and this is incidentally Daniel Kahneman's research, not my own. But after $75,000 a year, you do not experience more happiness on a day-to-day basis. In Nuevo Leon, Mexico, you don't need nearly that much money. With about $5,000 a year, you'll get most of your needs covered, and then they take plenty of time to get that six or seven hours a day of social interaction. And also, that place illustrates something else we see worldwide, that religious people tend to be happier than nonreligious people. This is an association, but something you see pretty clearly in northeastern Mexico. CONAN: And spiritual people and married people. BUETTNER: Married people are happier. You're three times more likely to be happy after 10 years if you're married than if you're not. It doesn't guarantee you'll be happier, but the decks are stacked in your favor. CONAN: Let's go next to Andrew, Andrew with us from Charlottesville in Virginia. ANDREW: Yes, good afternoon. ANDREW: I'm a retired physician. I grew up in the anthracite coal fields of northeast Pennsylvania, which was an extremely depressing area. Economically went down, the mines went down, the railroads went away, high unemployment, many bars and a large degree of depression in my practice. I then ended up at the shore area in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where I love the water and the beach. But it was a thriving metropolis, heavy traffic, congestion. I had a home on the water. And in retirement, I moved to rural Charlottesville, and I've never been happier, with the Blue Ridge Mountains, the valleys, the streams, the quiet, the rectitude. And I mentioned to your screener that I've made several retreats at Trappist monasteries. And they require - to set up a monastery, they require land that consists to be near a river, a mountain and fields. And there is much written about the spirituality of the place. And I can't mention some of the books I've read, but it can be found online. So I bring all those points up, and my health has never been better. CONAN: Well, Andrew, congratulations. Thanks very much for the call. Spirituality of place, is that something, Dan Buettner, you can measure? BUETTNER: Well, you can measure religiosity. People who show up to church or temple or mosque at least four times a month live four to 14 years longer and report higher levels of well-being. What I advocate - and I take a fairly clinical numbers-driven point of view on this. You can go online and Google well-being, Gallup-Healthways, how they rank cities, and I would argue if you're unhappy where you are right now, if you don't like the place you live, strongly think about moving. And now, we can find the data-based areas where people are happier, and that should provide some very useful guidance. CONAN: The book is "Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way." Dan Buettner is the author. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. This email from Joshua in South Bend: I recently moved two towns over. You wouldn't think that would make much difference, but it cut my hour-and-a-half-long commute in half, giving me much more time to spend with my friends and family. Time spent in a commute can never be recovered. BUETTNER: That is a huge point, by the way. And I'm standing up in the booth here with my arms over my head. When you look at American's day-to-day activity, the thing we hate the most, well, the top two things we hate the most on a day-to-day basis is number one, housework and number two, the daily commute in our cars. In fact, if you can cut an hour-long commute each way out of your life, it's the equivalent of making up an extra of $40,000 a year if you're at the 50 to $60,000 level. Huge. CONAN: That's huge. BUETTNER: Yes, we hate the commute. It's a source of stress. It's a source of - people feel they're wasting time - unless, of course, they have NPR on. CONAN: Of course. BUETTNER: But it's something - it's an easy way for us to get happier. Move closer to your place of work. CONAN: Some of the other findings: listen to music every day, cut down the time on TV, as we mentioned, make sure you get a lot of sleep. But getting back to the places that are happier than other places, as you look for a place to live, Dan Buettner, where did you pick? BUETTNER: Well, I live in Minneapolis. I live on the water. I live in a neighborhood that's consummately connected to my neighbors. I bump into them every day. I can bike to work. And, of course, Minneapolis, we think, oh, well, it's cold there, lethally cold. But the reality is you adapt to weather. The humans are consummately adaptable creatures. I've actually been giving this a lot of thought because I've been working with cities and helping them tweak their policies to favor well-being. And I've been in a place called Albert Lea, Minnesota. I'm doing it with Los Angeles and now for the whole state of Iowa. And I just think that when you try to look at changing people's environment in long-term ways with evidence-based policies and built environment tweaks, that you can raise not only the well-being but health of communities. CONAN: When you talk with hard-headed politicians in places like Iowa and Los Angeles, don't they say, wait a minute? How do you prove this stuff? I mean, how do we know that making these changes is actually going to make people happier? BUETTNER: Well, I can point to these worldwide correlations. I can point to the examples in "Thrive." The CDC and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have a very deep well of research on what sorts of policies nudge people into more movement, more social interaction, eating less, eating more healthily, having more purpose in their lives. And we just present - we do an audit of the city. We present them with 60 or 70 tweaks. We help them organize on a city level, and then we let them decide. So we're not telling the politicians: You have to do this. We're just saying: here's the evidence. You choose. And we find that, on a whole, people make the right decision. CONAN: Can't wait for those double-wide bike lanes in L.A. CONAN: Dan Buettner, thanks very much for the call. BUETTNER: Oh, you're very welcome. Let's just say you've added to my six hours of quality social interaction today. CONAN: Up next: Remember the pink slime controversy? We'll take a look at the additives in our food tat are virtually unpronounceable, yet edible. Stay with us. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. Dan Buettner visited some of the happiest populations on Earth to figure out what makes them tick. After five years of study, he argues the real keys to happiness lie not in wealth or beauty, but in fundamental changes to the way we live. Buettner lays out his findings in his book Thrive. Dan Buettner spent years seeking out the happiest populations in the world to try to figure out what characteristics they shared. Tightly knit networks of family and friends were key, he found. In Mexico, for example, Buettner found a "family first" mentality that applied to both immediate and extended family helped Mexicans cope in otherwise stressful circumstances. This interview was originally broadcast on Oct. 19, 2011. Many people believe that happiness comes from money or youth or beauty, but Dan Buettner would respectfully disagree. Buettner visited some of the happiest places on Earth and argues that the real keys to happiness lie in fundamental, permanent changes to the way we live. During a five-year study, the National Geographic fellow located the world's happiest places — in Denmark, Singapore, Mexico and California — and researched the characteristics those areas shared that improved the lives of residents. He found six basic domains that govern happiness: community, workplace, social life, financial life, home and self. Buettner explains how you can implement changes in those areas in your own life in his book Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way. On Denmark, where people are happy, even with a 70 percent tax rate "We often think about happiness as trying to increase our joy, but it's also about decreasing our worry. So what you get for paying those high taxes is if you're a parent thinking about putting your child through school, you don't have to worry about it, because all education through college is free. In fact, college students ... draw a salary. "You don't have to worry about health care. Government takes care of that. And you don't have to worry about: What happens when I get old? Will there be Social Security around? Danes don't have to worry about that, either. "So there's a certain lowering of stress in people's daily lives." On Singapore as a controversial place to find happiness "Le Kuan Yew, the ... prime minister there, he was very clever. I was ridiculed in a few columns [for] suggesting that he actually helped manufacture happiness, because Singapore is famous for caning, and if you're caught with a certain amount of drugs, you could face the death penalty. "But on the other hand, this is a place where, statistically speaking, it's the happiest place in Asia. And when you write for National Geographic, we have to go with, not the gut, [which might lead you to suspect places] like Bhutan or Fiji, but we have to go with the numbers. "And sure enough, this is a place where the three [major ethnic groups] are all put on a level playing field in that Lee Kuan Yew made English the lingua franca back in the 1960s, even though he had lots of pressure from China to make Chinese the lingua franca. Actually, the dominant ethnicity are Han Chinese there. But he put everybody on the same footing, and there's all kinds of laws in place to make sure that people mix with each other. "About 90 percent of Singaporeans own their own home, but every high-rise reflects the ethnic proportion of the country. So you have the Malay, the Indian and the Chinese all living together, day to day." On how Singapore offers tax incentives that make people happy "I found other research that showed that as a rule, the more we socialize in a day, the happier we are. And the people with whom we're most happy socializing with, counterintuitively, are our parents. So here you have ... [an] Asian culture that spends more money, per capita, on taking care of the elderly. "And one of the ways that they help elderly is if your aging parent lives with you or within 100 meters of you, you actually get a tax break, knowing that the kids tend to take care of their elders. And then the kids get a bit of a well-being bump because they're doing what science tells us bumps happiness among individuals, socializing with parents." On one key to happiness: live around happy people "Ron Inglehart, he runs something called the World Values Survey out of the University of Michigan, and they conduct a lot of these big, worldwide surveys. He's done a very convincing paper that once you have your basic necessities covered, the biggest variable in the happiness equation — did I marry the right person, do I have engaging work, do I have my health — the biggest variable ... is where you live. "So if you take a Moldavian, for example ... Moldavians on a scale of 1 to 10 — this is oversimplifying — place themselves as a 3, and move them to Copenhagen, within about a year, they start reporting the levels of happiness of their adoptive home. "So similarly in America ... if you move from an unhappy place to a happier place, you're also stacking the deck in favor of being happier yourself ... I would argue if you're unhappy where you are right now, if you don't like the place you live, strongly think about moving." On a second key to happiness: Know when enough work is enough "I think often in America, we think that if we work really hard and make a lot of money, we will be happier. But $75,000 [for a family of four] seems to be the ceiling when it comes to day-to-day experienced happiness. So it makes no sense to spend a lot of time working beyond that $75,000 level." On how the happiest place in the U.S. — San Luis Obispo, Calif. — got so happy "So my job is to start with the statistics. These people are saying they're happier than anyplace else, and I tried to answer why. And I traced it to a professor at the nearby university named Ken Schwartz who became mayor. "When he came in as mayor, he kind of galvanized the City Council to focus. And rather than focusing on policies that bettered the commerce environment — the Chamber of Commerce was sort of running things before 1970 — he focused on policies that favored quality of life. "... He got enough good policies in place that favored human habitation and well-being that lo and behold, 40 years later, people are saying they're happier there than anyplace else." On why your commute may be making you less happy "When you look at Americans' day-to-day activity ... the top two things we hate the most on a day-to-day basis is, No. 1: housework and No. 2: the daily commute in our cars. In fact, if you can cut an hourlong commute each way out of your life, it's the [happiness] equivalent of making up an extra $40,000 a year if you're at the $50- to $60,000 level. Huge ... [So] it's an easy way for us to get happier. Move closer to your place of work." On why Buettner chose to make his home in Minneapolis "I live on the water. I live in a neighborhood that's consummately connected to my neighbors. I bump into them every day. I can bike to work. And, of course, Minneapolis, we think, oh well, it's cold there, lethally cold. But the reality is you adapt to weather ... Humans are consummately adaptable creatures."

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