The most educated taxi driver in the world

In Singapore, there is one particular taxi driver who holds a Doctor of Philosophy or PHD from Stanford University.

In his blog, he said he is probably the only taxi driver in the world with a PhD in Biochemistry from Stanford University and a proven track record of scientific accomplishments.

He had been forced out of his research job in Singapore at the height of his scientific career, and unable to find another another job.

As a result, he drives taxi to make a living.

He has a blog : http://taxidiary.blogspot.com/ where he wrote about his daily experience with his passengers.

This are among his blog entries :

April 21, 2009. Tuesday: Mutual understanding

(1) In the afternoon peak hours, a European man in his mid thirties boarded my taxi at the International Business Park in Jurong East and told me to go to Riverview hotel. He looked exhausted from the work of the day.

“Tuesday night must be boring in Singapore, huh?” He said with a lazy, European-accented voice, after making himself comfortable in the back seat.

“Depends,” I replied absently, while keeping my eyes on the traffic in front of me. “In some parts of the town, every night is Friday night.”

I had no idea why I said that. Maybe I was just trying to be nice to a hard-working foreigner, or maybe I was just making a conversation. At any rate, I immediately wished that I hadn’t said it, because I am not exactly very knowledgeable in that topic.

The man promptly bounced from the back seat and arched his body forward so that he could hear my next answers clearly. “Tell me, boss, where can I get sexual massage?” He asked the question in a way as if he was asking about the best chicken rice stall in town.

I knew this was coming. I rolled my eyes at him and answered reluctantly, “my guess would be Geylang.”

“What nationalities are the girls there?” His interest grew more intense now.

“All kinds. Chinese, Thai, Indonesian. You name it.” I put in use what I learned from a German customer just a few days ago.

“Can you find me a place that has Japanese girls?”

“Well, that’s a very good question.” I paused. The German guy never mentioned anything about Japanese girls. After a moment of appearing to be thinking really hard, I said, “sorry, I can’t think of any place like that.”

Unimpressed, he sank back into his seat and didn’t say much after that.

The fair at the end was $15.20. He gave me two $10 notes and asked aloofly, “I don’t suppose you could give me a 20c discount?”

“I would, if you give me a $5 tip,” I replied.

“No, no, no.” He shook his head like he had just come out of a swimming pool. “Not this time. Not in the middle of the economic crises.”

“Fine. So we understand each other.” I grinned at him, while giving him a $5 note back nonetheless.

He put a 20c coin in my hand as he took away his change. After that, he said goodnight and stepped out.


(2)

Late at night, picked up three young ladies from Tanjong Katong. One of the ladies keyed something into a mobile phone and showed it to me. It took me a while to decipher the fine letters on the old, smudging LCD screen, “Joo Chiat. Is this where you want to go?” I asked. They chuckled but no words came out of their mouths. I assumed that it was.

All three appeared to be in their mid or late twenties and were dressed in a similar manner. Low-cut tank tops and tight and short jeans shorts or skirt. Along with the overdone makeup, their profession was written on their faces in capital letters.

On the way, they were talking with each other in a language that sounded completely alien to me. I tried to speak English with them and they just chuckled, without a spoken response.

“Where are you come from?” I asked. They giggled to each other and then said something to me in their own language. Though I didn’t know any of their words, it was apparent that neither did they know mine.

“Where is your home?” I tried again. Only met with more chuckles.

“Home. Your don’t know home?”

No response.

“Where are your mama and papa?”

Bingo, they understood this time.

“Vietnam.” They said in unison, followed by yet another burst of giggles.

That’s all I was interested in knowing. I drove along quietly after that. But I had also learned something else. In some parts of the town, I realized, the “official” language being used in daily business is not English, not Chinese, not any other written and spoken languages that we know of.

It is the body language.

In Memory, Halim Abdul Hamid - First Malaysian to officiate a FIFA World Cup match

The first Malaysian to ever officiate a FIFA World Cup match, has passed away on Thursday, 27 August 2009, during the holy month of Ramadhan.

The demise of world-class football referee Captain (Retired) Halim Abdul Hamid is a great loss to the football refereeing fraternity in Malaysia and Asia.

Halim made history as the first Malaysian to be appointed by the world football governing body (FIFA) as Assistant Referee at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Halim was assistant referee in the highly anticipated match between England and Argentina in the 2nd round of the 1998 World Cup.

The highly charged and conroversial match ended 2-2 but Argentina went on to the next round after winning the subsequent penalty kicks 4-3.

The match was best remembered for 2 iconic occassions - a red card against David Beckham for a deliberate foul on Diego Simone and a Michael Owen wonder goal. Michael was only 18 at that time.


After England's exit from the 1998 World Cup, Beckham was a constant victim of criticisms and hatred by the diehard English fans.

He was singled out as the cause of England's premature exit from the competition.

It took Beckham 4 years to heal the wound - he scored a decisive penalty against Argentina again at the 2002 World Cup in Japan/Korea.

Well, back to Halim Abdul Hamid story.

The Kangar-born referee died at 9.25pm on Thursday, after losing the battle with lung infection at the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital.

He is survived by widow Wan Manira Wan Mustafa, 47, and their four children aged between nine and 16.

Meanwhile, Wan Manira said she accepted Halim's demise as fated although life would not be the same without her husband.

"He had a very strong determination and was always far-sighted. He always wanted to become a world-class referee and worked hard to achieve that," she said.

Also paying their last respects were Kangar Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, and other referees.

Halim was laid to rest at the Tok Peduka Muslim cemetery after Friday prayers.

Rest in Peace sir, God Bless your soul.

Here in this video, the late Halim can be seen at 00.30 onwards, leading the 2 opposing players of the giants of World Football - England's top striker Alan Shearer and Argentine's top goal poacher - Gabriel Batistuta can be seen behind Halim.

The Teoh Beng Hock inquest

Are allegations of suspects and witnesses in corruption cases, being abused and manhandled by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers, true at all??

Read the story below - source NSTP Online

Teoh Beng Hock Inquest told of interrogation methods
2009/08/28

The inquest into Teoh Beng Hock's death yesterday heard shocking revelations of how Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers allegedly abused witnesses and suspects.

Police reports lodged against the MACC revealed how witnesses and suspects were beaten, forced to strip and punched.

The inquest was then adjourned to allow the witness in the inquest to decide whether or not to engage a lawyer as the issues raise may incriminate him.

Earlier updates:

Counsel Gobind Singh produced police reports by witnesses who were questioned by MACC officers at Plaza Masalam, alleging they were physically and mentally tortured during interrogation.

Gobind alleges these involved officers from MACC who are testifying in the inquest.

Witness MACC officer Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus told the court that he and another officer questioned Teoh for 2 hours regarding documents related to a graft case involving YB Ean Yong Hian Wah.

In those two hours, he denied he was instructed to psychologically break Teoh down to get the correct answers.

He said he had only sat in the questioning session to help sort out documents and that he did not ask Teoh any questions.

Kg Buah Pala issue, are't these villagers commiting contempt of courts??

The Kg Buah Pala issue in Pulau Pinang, has been dominating the news in Malaysia in the past one month.

Some residents continue to defy orders including orders from the highest possible authority in Malaysia that is the Federal Court, to vacate the land which does not belong to them.

So to my understanding, those who go against the court decision are commiting an offence known as contempt of court, and this offence is punishable in the court of law!!

Read this news report on the latest kg Buah Pala issue - source NSTP Online/Bernama

Kg Buah Pala residents refuse to vacate land

PENANG: The villagers of Kampung Buah Pala, Penang's High Chapparal, will not move out by Sept 1 despite the eviction order by the Federal Court, chairman of their residents association M.Sugumaran said today.

"Our stand remains the same for not moving out from the village unless a solid compensation agreement is achieved with the developer, Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd," he told Bernama today.

He said the double-storey houses offered by the developer would only be built in the next two years and the villagers felt insecure to accept the offer.

"We have nowhere to stay if we move out now," he said.

He also claimed that the state government had yet to issue a demolition order to developer and therefore the demolition on Sept 1 was illegal.

The Kampung Buah Pala villagers will have to vacate their land by Wednesday, 2nd September 2009, following the Federal Court decision on Aug 20 which rejected the appeal of the 23 families to stay on the 2.6ha land.

The developer had failed in its two attempts to demolish the village due to protests by the affected families.
-- BERNAMA

This guy is brave and crazy!!!

Which one is the largest crocodile in the world??

This one in Bangkok reportedly weighs 2,450 pounds



The giant corocilde of Burundi - known as Gustave, reportedly the largest crocodile in Africa and has killed 300 people!!!



And this giant crocodile caught in Borneo had an estimated weight of 2 tons!!!!!

No Smoking and No Prostitute???

Apparently a sign to prevent prostitutes from entering this establishment. But there is a spelling error there - 'ertering" instead of ENTERING.!!

Amazing video - Crocodile vs Anaconda in the Amazon!!!

Snake versus crocodile! The world's largest rodent, the capibara, roams the Amazon jungle and attracts fierce predators such as the crocodile and the anaconda. From the BBC Wildlife.

Amazing Video - Ants create a lifeboat in the Amazon jungle to protect their Queen!!!

A flood hits a fire ant colony in the Amazon jungle. An amazing chance to see footage on how the species has adapted to water to protect their queen. From the BBC Wildlife.

Eldery woman slammed hard by Police at Walmart in Columbus, Ohio, USA

Another police brutality case in the USA??

Another Fritzl like case, discovered in the USA!!

Josef Fritzl - the Austrian beast

After the infamous Josef Fritzl case in Austria where the evil father locked his own daughter in an underground cellar for 24 years, fathering 7 children, now there seems to be another version of Fritzl like case.

It happened in California, USA, the man known as Philip Garrido kidnapped an 11 years old girl, confined her in the hidden backyard of his home for 18 years and raped her numerous times, resulting in the birth of 2 children.


Nancy and Phil Girrado are suspects in the kidnapping and confinement of Jaycee Dugard.



Jaycee Lee Dugard, at age 11, and a computer-aged illustration of Duggard, at 24.

In 1991, Jayce Lee Dugard, then 11, was forced into a car outside of her California home by an unidentified man and woman.

Today, 18 years after her disappearance, a woman claiming to be Dugard turned herself into a San Francisco Bay Area police station.

The woman came into the police station and said she was Jaycee Lee Dugard, a blond, ponytailed girl when she was abducted as she headed to a school bus stop 18 years ago, said sheriff's Lt. Les Lovell of the El Dorado Sheriff's Department.

"We're 99 percent sure it's her," Lovell said.

He said DNA tests were being conducted. The woman was in good health. It was not immediately clear when she had surfaced at the station.

Lovell said Concord police did an investigation after the woman surfaced, and he received a call Wednesday from investigators who had tentatively identified her as Dugard.

Her family has been contacted and they are in the process of arranging a meeting, said Lovell, who was a detective assigned to help investigate the kidnapping in 1991. "We are very confident at this point in time that it is her."

Two people have also been arrested in relation to Duggard's disappearance.

Jimmy Lee, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department, confirmed that a man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the case but could provide no other details.

CNN affiliates have reported that Phillip Garrido, 58, and his wife, Nancy Garrido, have been charged.

Phillip Garrido is a registered sex offender and listed on the Department of Justice's Megan's Law page because of a previous forcible rape charge.

Later, a police press conference revealed that Jaycee Lee Dugard has been living in a series of sheds and tents in a hidden backyard at the home of her alleged kidnapper, Phillip Garrido.

Police also say that Garrido allegedly fathered two children with Dugard. The children are 15 and 11, meaning Dugard was just 14 when she had the oldest.

According to police, authorities were tipped off to Dugard's plight when Garrido was questioned by campus security at UC Berkeley when he tried to hand out pamphlets.

This led to a meeting with Garrido's parole officer where the officer met Dugard and the two children. The parole officer informed local police about the children.


News of the missing girl - Jaycee Lee Dugard being found after 18 years

Well Garrido case undoubtedly reminds us of the shocking case of Josef Fritzl - no doubt the worst rapist in the history of Austria, Europe and the world...

Fritzl locked his poor daughter for 24 years in an underground cellar and raped her more than 3,000 times........

Today, Josef Fritzl, 73 will have to spend the rest of his life in a top-security psychiatric hospital for murdering a baby boy he fathered during the 24 years he kept his daughter Elisabeth locked up in a cellar.

The murder charge related to Michael Fritzl, one of seven children Fritzl fathered by his daughter Elisabeth as he raped her.

The boy, one of twins, died in April 1996, just 66 hours after he was born. He developed breathing difficulties but Fritzl refused to seek medical help, making him guilty of "homicide by neglect".

Fritzl, 73, was jailed for life after a jury in St Poelten, Austria, unanimously found him guilty of murder at the end of a four-day trial at which he had already admitted incest, rape, false imprisonment and coercion.

The jury also convicted Fritzl of slavery – making him the first man to be convicted of the offence in Austria.

So now we await the outcome of the investigations on Garrido case.

May justice prevails.


The secrets of the Austrian cellar - a Documentary on Josef Fritzl

Rusty Blade - kumpulan rock terbilang dari seberang Tambak Johor

Jika di Malaysia, kumpulan Search, Lefthanded dan Wings adalah lagenda rock..

Namun di seberang tambak Johor iaitu di Singapura, wujud sebuah kumpulan rock lagenda tersendiri yang dikenali sebagai Rusty Blade - mula menggegar pada 1980-an..

Teraju Utama - pencipta lagu dan pemain gitar utama - Khalid Mobin.

Penyanyi Utama - J. Yantzen...

Dikenali dengan lagu lagu klasik seperti Ikrar Perwira, Tiada Lagi Aku, Taming Sari dan Penantian serta juga Langsuir Liar...!!!!







Tiada Lagi Aku - Studio Version




Tiada Lagi Aku - Live Version

Faizal Tahir - the new rock king of Malaysia, after Amy Search??

This guy has a bright future in Malaysian music

The name is Aweera from a northern state in Penisular Malaysia.

Shot into prominence when this 18 years old guy, qualified into the Grand Final of One In A Million season 3, 2009.

Aweera did not win the contest, but he surely caught the attention of Malaysians and the world at large...

With the right management and move, Aweera can go far in the music industry in Malaysia... He has the package - good looks, talent and superb voice.

Apabila lagu Agnes Monica disalah gunakan!!!!

Ini adalah versi Lagu - Matahariku oleh Agnes Monica yang sebenar!!!




Yang ini pula versi tak benar!!!!


Yang ini pula dinyanyikan oleh Via - seorang peserta realiti TV di Indonesia



Yang ini pula versi Rubisa dalam Akademi Fantasia musim ke 7, 2009

The beauty of Philippines women!!!

Gadis Misteri - sebuah lagi karya agung kumpulan Search

Selain daripada lagu2 bersejarah dan bertaraf lagenda seperti Isabella, Rozana dan Fantasia Bulan Madu, sebuah lagi lagu bertaraf karya agung kumpulan rock nombor 1 Malaysia - Search adalah lagu Gadis Misteri.

Tuan2 tak percaya?

Dengarlah satu daripada karya agung Search ini.

Hidup Search. Hidup Amy, Yazid, Din, Nasir dan Hillary Ang!!!

The Lockerbie bomber release from prison. Who is at fault?

In certain countries, if you are found guilty of murder, even killing one fellow human being, you will be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.

But in a certain country, a mass murderer who killed 270 people will go scot free and released after serving only 8 years, i repeat 8 years in prison.

Tell me, is this justice or what?

Well, this is where the so called justice system failed.

Libyan, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi is the only man convicted of blowing up a Pan American jumbojet during a Trans Atlantic flight in 1988.

Pan Am Flight 103, a Boeing 747 jumbo jet carrying 259 passengers and crews was on its way from London to New York, on 21st December 1988, when a bomb planted by terrorist(s) in the luggage sections, exploded.

There were no survivors.

It was so quick, there was no time for the pilots to make a MayDay call.

Another 11 people in the Scottish town of Lockerbie were also killed by falling parts of the plane.

A total of 180 US citizens, 169 passengers and 11 crews died in the harrowing incident.

Another 52 Britons perished.

It was Britain's worst terrorists attack.

Abdel Baset, a Libyan intelligent agent, was only convicted of involvement in the bombing in 2001.

He was sent to life imprisonment, but released after serving only 8 years, on the ground of humanitarian reasons for he reportedly have only 3 months to live due to some kind of cancer.

Come on, did Abdel Baset and his gangs showed mercy on their 270 innocent victims on 21st December 1988...????????????

On Friday, Britain condemned the "upsetting" scenes of jubilation in Tripoli at the return of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi and considered canceling a royal visit to Libya as a sign of displeasure.

US President Barack Obama said the warm welcome in Libya was "highly objectionable."

The families of the 270 people who died in the Lockerbie bombing, were understandably furious.

What if Abdel Baset al-Megrahi live more than 3 months??

What if terrorists carry more bombings on civilian aircrafts? Will they be pardoned as well???

Sometimes justice system fails.

19.19 seconds - new 200 metres athletics world record

The cheetahs in the African wilderness are wondering and are worried.

Their supremacy as the fastest being in the world has been taken over by a human being.

And the name of this Human Being is Usain Bolt.



Bolt runs almost 45 kilometres per hour - as fast as the cheetahs do.

Well, the greatest sportsman in the world right now is no doubt - Usain Bolt and not Carl Lewis, Michael Phelps, Michael Schumacher, Michael Johnson, Michael Jordan, Pele, Maradonna, Ferenc Puskas, Jeese Owens, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Sergei Bubka or Michael Jackson..!!!

He did the unthinkable.



First and foremost, he broke the men 100 metres atheltics world record 3 times in a space of one year, clocking 9.72 secs, 9.69 secs and the recent one - 9.58 secs.

His 9.58 secs world record in the final of the men's 100 metres at the IAAF World Athletics Championship in Berlin, proved that he is not only the Olympic Champion, World Chanmpion, World Record Holder and World number 1, but also the greatest in the world.

My God, he slashed the current record 9.69 seconds by a massive 0.11 seconds.

As if that is not enough, he again did it at the Berlin IAAF World Championship final, slashing by exactly 0.11 seconds of the old 200 metres world record of 19.30 seconds, held by himself.

He clocked 19.19 seconds, and finishing 10 metres clear ahead the rest of the field.

The men 200 metres world record is one of the hardest to beat in the history of athletics.

In the past 41 years, the 200 metres men world record was broken only 5 times.

It took 17 years to see the world record broken, when Michael Johnson clocked 19.66 seconds on 23 rd June 1996 to break Italy's Pietro Mennea long standing world record of 19.72 seconds.

Mennea's time, set in Mexico City on September 12, 1979 was dubbed the sprint into the new century. No athletes except Michael Johnson came close to ever breaking it. No, not even the great Carl Lewis who won a record 4 gold medals in the 1984 Olympics Games in Los Angeles.

Michael Johnson again broke his won world record less than 2 months later, in the 1996 Olympics Games in Atlanta, cloking 19.32 seconds.

Nobody thought that record will ever be broken again.

But came Usain Bolt.

Johnson's 12 years old world record was finally broken by Bolt in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games.

Bolt clocked 19.30 seconds in the 200 metres final, erasing Johnson record.

Now, in the Berlin 2009 IAAF World Championship, Bolt again showed supremacy and showed the world who is the greatest of all time.

He slashed his own world record by 0.11 seconds, timing 19.19 seconds in the process.

Who can beat that?

No, not even the great Michael Johnson.

And Bolt is only 23 years old.

He predicted that he can run 9.4 seconds in the 100 metres.

If he manage to do that, then he can go something like 19 seconds flat or 18.98 seconds in the 200 metres for a new world record???

Who knows.

In Bolt, anything is possible.

Beware of Hurricane Bill

MIAMI – Hurricane Bill became a Category 4 storm as it rumbled across the Atlantic early Wednesday with maximum sustained winds near 135 mph.

And forecasters say the dangerous hurricane could get even stronger.

The National Hurricane Center said people in the Leeward Islands should monitor Bill's progress, though the core of the storm was expected to pass well to the northeast of the islands late Wednesday and early Thursday.

"The wind sheer is light and the waters are warm," Todd Kimberlain, a forecaster at the center, said Tuesday. "Those are two essential ingredients not just for the formation, but also the maintenance, of hurricanes."

Early Wednesday, Bill was centered about 460 miles east of the Leeward Islands and moving west-northwest near 16 mph.

The most significant threat could be to Bermuda, which the storm could pass in three or four days, Kimberlain said. But it also could move directly between Bermuda and the eastern coast of the U.S. without making landfall.

Either way, people near the coast can expect wave swells and rip currents in the next few days, Kimberlain said.

Malaysia 1st submarine to arrive on Sept 17, 2009

Source - the daily express kota kinabalu

The Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN) first Scorpene submarine, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, will be arriving at its Region 2 naval base in Sepanggar Bay, here, Sept. 17.

Deputy Navy Commander, Lt Admiral Datuk Mohammed Noordin Ali, said the second one KD Tun Abdul Razak will be arriving between March and April next year.

The submarines, armed with Blackshark wire-guided torpedoes and Exocet SM-39 sub-launched anti-ship missiles, are part of the RMN's Future Fleet programme.

Both were built jointly by the French shipbuilder DCNS and its Spanish partner, Navantia.

Mohd Noordin was speaking after he witnessed the exchanging of duty between outgoing Region 2 Commander, First Admiral Datuk Syed Zahiruddin Putra Syed Osman, and his successor First Admiral Anuwi Hassan in a ceremony held at the said naval base Tuesday.

Syed Zahiruddin is going to Indonesia for more than one-year's study.

Mohd Noordin said Malaysian waters including within this region are well-guarded including from piracy.

"This includes Sabah waters É we have enough manpower stationed at all the islands along the East Coast especially under the currently implemented Ops Pasir," he said.

He hoped the people of Sabah would continue to extend their full co-operation to the navy in carrying out their duty to maintaining security at sea.

Earlier he also disclosed that the Perak State Government has agreed to rename Lumut as the Malaysian Navy City, which would be the first of its kind in the country.

Evolution of the men's 100 metres world record in pictures

All pictures - GETTY IMAGES
Source - telegraph.co.uk

This is the history of the men 100 metres world record since the era of Jesse Owens in 1936. Note that the last 5 world records were set by two Jamaicans (Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt).


Jesse Owens (USA) : 10.2 seconds , June 20 1936 - Berlin Olympics Games



Carl Lewis (USA) : 9.92, Sept 24 1988. Seoul Olympics Games. Lewis set the record despite finishing second to Ben Johnson of Canada. This is because Ben Johnson who won the race with a then world record time of 9.79 seconds in the 100 metres of the 1988 Olympic final had his medal revoked for illegal usage of steroid substances.



Donovan Bailey (CANADA) : 9.84 seconds, July 27 1996



Maurice Green (USA) : 9.79 seconds, June 16 1999


Asafa Powell (JAMAICA) : 9.77 seconds, June 14 2005



Asafa Powell (JAMAICA) : 9.74 seconds, Sept 9 2007



Usain Bolt (JAMAICA) : 9.72 seconds, May 31 2008



Usain Bolt (JAMAICA) : 9.69 seconds, 16 Aug 2008 - Beijing Olympics Games 2008



Usain Bolt (JAMAICA) : 9.58 seconds, 16 Aug 2009 - Berlin World Athletics Championship 2009

After this what next? 9.55 seconds? 9.50 seconds ? 9.49 seconds? Only USAIN BOLT knows!!!!

9.58 seconds!! Usain Bolt's new 100 metres WORLD RECORD!!!

The greatest of all time - Usain Bolt....!!!!!

Tyson Gay ran 9.71 secs and set an American record, but he still finished second in the just concluded 100 metres men final at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin.



Instead, the Jamaican legend, Usain Bolt, smashed his own world record to win the race in 9.58 seconds!!!!!

Despite the historic winning time, Usain Bolt has promised to put his celebrations on hold, to concentrate on his next event - the 200 metres, where he is also the current world record holder at 19.30 seconds!!!

Bolt, the triple Olympic champion and the greatest athlete of all time, stormed to victory in the Berlin Olympic Stadium in 9.58 seconds, emphatically beating the old world record mark of 9.69secs he set in the Beijing Olympics last year.

The defending champion Tyson Gay set an American record of 9.71 to take the silver, with the former world record holder, another Jamaican, Asafa Powell third in 9.84.

Britain's Dwain Chambers was sixth in 10.00, a season's best for the 31-year-old.

Bolt's coach Glen Mills had predicted after the Olympics that his protege could run 9.54 and was so nearly proved spot on.

Unlike in Beijing, this time Bolt's shoelaces remained tied and there was no celebrating with arms outstretched metres from the line.

"I came out here to do my best and I did what I had to do," Bolt said. "There'll be no partying for me ahead of Tuesday. I'll rest up as always, I need to rest up for the 200m."

Gay, who ran the third fastest time ever and was still comfortably beaten, said: "I ran the best I could. I just wanted to give my best tonight, it wasn't enough but I'm happy to have the national record. I knew I had to put out a championship performance. I gave it my best and that's all I could do."

Powell, who has been struggling with an ankle injury this season, added: "I was relaxed before the race. A lot of things have happened this year but to come back and get third place, I'm very happy.

"When I saw the time, I knew I had to go out and catch him. But even after the finish I couldn't catch him."

Chambers, who had only finished second behind Simeon Williamson in the trials last month, saw his "Project Bolt" come to nothing but could have reason to be pleased with his performance at the age of 31.

"It doesn't get any easier when you get older but it's all worth it. Competing against the rest of the world is great," he added. I am going to recuperate, have fun with the rest of the team and get ready for the 200m and have fun."

Hail to Usain Bolt!!! Your are definitely the greatest!!!!

Helikopter membawa Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia, mendarat cemas di Mimpian Jadi Resort, Tuaran, Sabah

Sebuah Pesawat Nuri yang membawa Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin terpaksa melakukan pendaratan di luar jadual di sebuah pusat peranginan di Tuaran, Sabah, 2.30 petang tadi, akibat cuaca buruk.

Kejadian berlaku ketika pesawat membawa Tan Sri Muhyiddin dan 14 yang lain termasuk Timbalan Ketua Menteri Sabah merangkap setiausaha Badan Perhubungan UMNO Sabah, Datuk Yahya Hussein, dalam perjalanan balik dari Kudat, di utara Sabah ke Kota Kinabalu.


Gambar Fail - sebuah pesawat NURI TUDM

Terdahulu, Tan Sri Muhyiddin merasmikan mesyuarat perwakilan Kudat dan Kota Marudu di Kudat.

Beliau dijadual merasmikan pula mesyuarat perwakilan UMNO Bahagian Penampang di Dewan Masyarakat Tun Fuad Stephens kira kira jam 2.15 petang.

Namun ketika itu, keadaan cuaca di Kota Kinabalu dan Penampang, hujan serta berkabus dan menghadakan jarak pandangan.

Pesawat membawa Timbalan Perdana Menteri tidak dapat meneruskan perjalanan ke Kota Kinabalu dan terpaksa mendarat di Mimpian Jadi Resort, Tuaran.

Dari sana, rombongan menaiki kereta ke Kota Kinabalu selama kira kira 45 minit.

Ekoran kejadian itu, Timbalan Perdana Menteri terpaksa membatalkan acara di Penampang.

Beliau berlepas balik ke Ibu Negara dengan pesawat khas kira kira 4.25 petang tadi.

Mesyuarat UMNO Penampang diteruskan, dengan Timbalan Perdana Menteri diwakili Ketua Menteri Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Ketika ditemui pemberita di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kota Kinabalu, kira kira jam 4 petang sejurus sebelum berlepas pulang ke Kuala Lumpur, Tan Sri Muhyiddin berkata ``Saya ok, tiada masalah dan tidak terkejut,''.

``Saya lega kita ada juruterbang yang bagus yang merasakan adalah tidak wajar untuk meneruskan penerbangan ke Kota Kinabalu kerana cuaca buruk.

``Jadi, kita mendarat di Tuaran. Tiada apa pelik berlaku. Dia (juruterbang) telah melakukan perkara yang betul,'' katanya.

Kebanyakan media melaporkan pesawat itu melakukan pendaratan kecemasan atau emergency landing.

Namun ada juga media melaporkannya sebagai pendaratan tidak dijadualkan atau unscheduled landing.

Pendaratan yang tidak dijadualkan sudah banyak kali dilaporkan sebelum ini, iaitu di mana pesawat terpaksa dilencongkan dan mendarat di lokasi atau lapangan terbang lain akibat faktor cuaca yang tidak memungkinkan pesawat mendarat di lokasi sasaran ketibaan.

Namun, pendaratan kecemasan menggambarkan sesuatu yang lebih serius, seperti pesawat mengalami masalah teknikal, kerosakan enjin atau sebagainya.

Pesawat boleh berpatah balik ke lokasi asal atau mendarat di lapangan terbang lain atau mendarat di tempat yang bukan sepatutnya ia mendarat.

Jadi istilah mana yang tepat?

Pendaratan kecemasan atau pendaratan tidak dijadualkan??

Karpal Singh, dari parti apa ya???

sumber : utusan malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR 14 Ogos - Mungkin akibat gementar atau takut, seorang wartawan penyiaran daripada sebuah stesen televisyen tempatan memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini bahawa dia tidak pasti parti politik mana yang disertai oleh Karpal Singh.

Jawapan yang diberikan oleh saksi pendakwaan kedua, Eliani Mazlan, 26, dari RTM menyebabkan mereka yang berada di dalam dewan mahkamah ketawa dan ada yang menggelengkan kepala.

Karpal yang dibicarakan di bawah Akta Hasutan 1948 juga dilihat tersenyum lebar.

''Awak mengundi tak pada pilihan raya lepas?'' tanya peguam bela, Jagdeep Singh Deo yang mewakili bapanya.

''Undi,'' balas saksi.

''Awak mesti bukan dari Pulau Pinang,'' kata Jagdeep yang sekali lagi mengundang tawa dari galeri awam.

Eliani yang merupakan lulusan Sarjana Muda Komunikasi Masa (Penyiaran) dari Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam hanya terdiam dan menundukkan kepalanya selepas itu.

Pada soalan berikutnya yang dibuat berdasarkan transkrip rakaman video sidang akhbar Karpal pada hari kejadian, saksi itu menyatakan, dia tidak pasti sama ada Pengerusi DAP itu seorang yang berprinsip atau sebaliknya.

Dia bagaimanapun bersetuju dengan soalan Jagdeep bahawa Karpal yang juga Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gelugor akan menyatakan prinsipnya walaupun apa yang dinyatakan menyakiti hati Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang merupakan salah seorang pemimpin di dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Eliani menyatakan demikian semasa pemeriksaan balas oleh Jagdeep pada perbicaraan kes terhadap Karpal yang didakwa menyebut kata-kata menghasut berkaitan Sultan Perak pada satu sidang akhbar di pejabatnya, Tetuan Karpal Singh & Co, di Jalan Pudu Lama di sini, antara pukul 12 tengah hari dan 12.30 tengah hari pada 6 Februari lepas.

Pada prosiding hari ini, Jagdeep sekali lagi ditegur oleh Pesuruhjaya Kehakiman, Azman Abdullah apabila sering meninggikan suara terhadap saksi sehingga Timbalan Pendakwa Raya, Datuk Kamaludin Md. Said terpaksa mencelah.

''Encik Jagdeep, sound (nada suara) jangan tinggi sangat. Jangan jerit pada saksi. Tak perlu, bagi dia jawab dahulu,'' kata Azman.

''Saya tak jerit Yang Arif. Belum jerit lagi,'' kata Jagdeep lalu disambut dengan gelak ketawa dari galeri awam.

Terdahulu, peguam tersebut seolah-oleh 'naik angin' apabila saksi berkenaan asyik menjawab soalan dengan jawapan 'tak ingat' dan 'tak pasti'.

Beliau bertambah berang apabila Eliani menjawab 'tidak perlu' apabila ditanya sama ada dia perlu merujuk kepada rakaman sidang akhbar bagi membantunya menjawab soalan menyebabkan Jagdeep menyatakan saksi perlu lebih serius dalam memberikan jawapannya.

Sementara itu, sewaktu pemeriksaan semula oleh Kamaludin, saksi menyatakan dia tidak membaca dokumen mengandungi nas undang-undang yang diberikan bersama-sama kenyataan akhbar kerana tidak memahaminya.

Dia turut menyatakan pengajiannya di UiTM tidak membabitkan subjek undang-undang.

Saksi turut menjelaskan sela (gap) yang terdapat dalam rakaman tersebut bukan disebabkan ia telah disunting sebaliknya merupakan 'cut waste' yang berlaku apabila jurukamera mengalihkan atau membetulkan kedudukan kamera.

Perbicaraan bersambung 18 Ogos ini.

Untuk rekod - Karpal Singh, 69 tahun adalah Pengerusi Kebangsaan, parti DAP, mengambil alih jawatan itu daripada Lim Kit Siang.

Karpal Singh juga adalah Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gelugor, Pulau Pinang.

Is Aerosmith too old to rock again???

Aerosmith has been in the music industry for so long that their singer - Steven Tyler is now 61 year old!!!

The question is can they continue rocking???


Aerosmith performing the Classic - I dont't want to miss a thing

Well, this is becauseit was announced that Aerosmith were canceling their current tour after frontman Steven Tyler's injury last week in Sturgis, South Dakota.

The 61-year-old singer fell offstage while performing "Love In A Elevator" during a concert, in the process breaking his shoulder and requiring 20 stitches in his head.

The current 'Smith tour had already suffered its share of setbacks--seven shows were postponed after Steven hurt his leg muscle; guitarist Brad Whitford missed the first few dates while recovering from head surgery; and cancer-survivor bassist Tom Hamilton left the tour permanently to undergo surgery of his own--and this latest incident seemed to be the last straw. .

Brad Whitford sent Steven well-wishes, saying in a statement: "Our thoughts and prayer go out to Steven for a speedy recovery and return to good health. All of us here in the Aerosmith organization and all of the people who contribute to making our shows possible are in a state of shock. We never anticipated this tour coming to such a swift and unfortunate ending."

Added lead guitarist Joe Perry: "Words can't express the sadness I feel for having to cancel this tour. We hope we can get the Aerosmith machine up and running again as soon as possible. I sure am going to miss playing with ZZ Top just as I'm sure the fans are going to miss seeing them playing with us as well."

The funniest scene in a Malay Movie

In this movie titled Nujum Pak Belalang,directed and starred by the late legendary, Seniman Agong Tan Sri P. Ramlee, 2 thieves characters played by S. Shamsuddin and Aziz Sattar, were counting gold coins, stolen from the Sultan Palace.

S Shamsuddin apparently can only count up to Three, after that he started counting madly!!!!!!

After almost 50 years, this particular scene still captivates Malaysian TV audience..

Philippines National Army vs Abu Sayyaf

After several high profile kidnappings, The Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in the southern Philippines is back in the limelight.

This time The Abu Sayyaf is engaged in a close quarter ground battle with the Philippines National Army in Basilan.

Infact the battle was so close that it was almost hand to hand combat and reinforcement via air attack cannot be called in.

Todate, 53 died including 23 Philippines army personells and at least 30 Abu Sayyaf guerillas.










The rest of the news below by Reuters.

A battle pitting Philippine troops against Muslim guerrillas on a remote southern island killed at least 53 people, the military said on Thursday, but analysts said the clash is unlikely to have sidelined the rebels.

Soldiers killed at least 30 guerrillas during an assault on Wednesday on a base of Abu Sayyaf rebels in the interior of the southern island of Basilan, Brigadier-General Rustico Guerrero, marine commander, told reporters.

"Based on this one incident alone, it would be premature to make a conclusion on the neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf," Mars Buan, an analyst at the Pacific Strategies and Assessments risk consultancy, told Reuters.

"In the past, the Abu Sayyaf has suffered bigger number of casualties, but it has remained as one of the serious threats in the south."

Twenty-three soldiers were killed and 20 were wounded in eight hours of fighting, Guerrero said, describing it as one of the biggest battles since 2007, when 15 soldiers and 40 rebels were killed on Basilan.

"We launched a decisive law enforcement operation targeting the Abu Sayyaf's main training base on Basilan, but we were met by heavy resistance," he said.

The guerrillas fled into the island's heavily wooded interior, said Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, navy commander on Basilan. Security forces on Thursday resumed pursuit operations against remnants of the 150-man rebel group.

"It was close quarter combat, the two sides almost came into hand-to-hand battle," Pama told Reuters. He said the proximity meant the military could not call in air strikes.

"What's more important for us was we've disrupted their crude bomb factory and training base."

UNHOLY ALLIANCE

Analysts expected intensified operations against the Abu Sayyaf, but foresaw no decisive development in the conflict.

Buan said the Abu Sayyaf's loose structure meant an encounter on Basilan would not affect militants on nearly Jolo island.

Rex Robles, a retired navy commodore and a security analyst, said the rebels were both familiar with the territory and enjoyed the support of the local community.

"There are so many armed groups operating there, not just the Abu Sayyaf," Robles said. "I would not be surprised if some rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front come to the aid of the Abu Sayyaf. Some of them are related by blood and marriage."

The Abu Sayyaf is the smallest but most deadly of several Muslim groups fighting for independence in the south of the Roman Catholic state. It is estimated to have about 350 hard-core followers based mostly on Basilan and Jolo.

It has links with Jemaah Islamiah, a pan-Asian radical Muslim group blamed for attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings and the bombings of two hotels in Jakarta last month.

Abu Sayyaf is blamed for the worst militant attack in the Philippines, the sinking of a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 in which 100 people were killed.

It has also been in the spotlight for high-profile kidnappings, most recently of three Red Cross officials on Jolo who were later freed. Newspapers said large ransoms were paid, although officials have denied making any payments.

Beauty Queen's 34 inch bust, disputed!!!

All pics sourced from http://beautyinpageants.blogspot.com and http://missuniverse.com

Story sourced from The Star Online.

A WOMAN blogger has disputed the “assets” of newly-crowned Miss Singapore Universe Rachel Kum, saying that she could have given a fake measurement of her bust size, reported Sin Chew Daily.

Prominent blogger Yu-Kym, renowed for her straight-forward postings on sex-related issues, alleged that Kum could have bragged about her 34-inch bust after examining Kum’s pictures.

She also noticed that many of the beauty contestants did “reveal” the truth about their vital statistics, especially their breast measurements.

“Contestants who boast of having 34-inch busts were certainly no match to top international models like Rachel Nichols and Gisele Bundchen who have a similar figure,” she was quoted as saying.

She questioned how the measurements were taken and whether it was done in accordance with international standards.

Daryl Pang, spokesman for Derrol Stepenny Promotions, the organiser of the beauty pageant, refuted the claims, saying that none of the contestants had cheated on their vital statistics.

The newspaper quoted Pang as saying that Kum’s vital statistics were real.

H1N1 - 51 maut di Malaysia setakat 13 Ogos 2009

Sumber - Utusan Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR 13 Ogos – Tujuh lagi kematian akibat selesema babi atau influenza A (H1N1) dicatatkan hari ini di seluruh negara menjadikan jumlahnya 51 orang setakat ini.

Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai berkata, kesemua kes kematian itu didapati mempunyai risiko penyakit seperti tekanan darah tinggi, sakit jantung dan imuniti rendah.“

Kes kematian tersebut turut membabitkan bayi yang berumur empat bulan dan seorang warga emas yang berumur 92 tahun," katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas merasmikan Persidangan Saintifik Persatuan Kajian Kegemukan Malaysia (MASO) di sini hari ini.

Mohamad Asri Ibrahim, vokalis dan ketua kumpulan nasyid, Rabbani, meninggalkan kita

Selepas pemergian Pengarah Filem terkenal, Allahyarham Yasmin Ahmad yang meninggal dunia 25 Julai lalu, negara sekali lagi kehilangan seorang insan seni.

Mohamad Asri Ibrahim, vokalis dan ketua kumpulan nasyid, Rabbani, kembali ke rahmatullah 11 pagi tadi, Khamis, 13 Ogos 2009 akibat serangan sakit jantung.

Menurut laporan media, Allahyarham, 40 tahun, rebah sebelum memulakan persembahan pada pelancaran program Syahadah musim kelima di Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur.

Allahyarham kemudian dikejarkan ke Hospital Pantai selepas tidak sedarkan diri.

Rabbani dianggotai 9 anak muda, di tubuhkan pada 1 March 1997. Rabbani bermaksud "Yang Arif dan Yang Soleh" atau tafsiran secara umum "ingin mengajak diri, keluarga dan komuniti kepada kebaikan".

Kemunculan Rabbani adalah dengan konsep yang tersendiri. Bermula dengan berkonsepkan nasyid klasik melalaui irama-irama yang dipetik dari Timur Tengah, Afrika dan Mediteranean, kemudian diadun dan diolah mengikut citarasa yang sesuai dengan era semasa juga dipersembahkan bersesuaian dengan citarasa remaja.

Kini Rabbani muncul dengan konsep yang lebih global dalam bidang muzik tanpa mengurangkan kualiti mesej yang akan disampaikan dengan menampilkan world music didalam lagu-lagu terbarunya.

Ini adalah untuk menjadikan irama nasyid ini akan terus segar dan mekar dari semasa kesemasa dan terus diminati oleh semua golongan tanpa mengira bangsa dan negara.

Takziah kepada keluarga Allayharham Mohamad Asri.

Semoga roh allahyarham dicucuri rahmat.

Another case of Police Brutality in USA??

A child’s Virginia baptism party, ended up being a real shocker...!!!

Once again, the victims are non White - they looked Hispanic.

Responding to a noise complaint in Prince William County, police sought to quell the assembled crowd — who they said were making too much of a racket — by firing a Taser at the child’s grandfather and at the pregnant mother of the baptized child.

The officers said they placed a call to the homeowner, who they said was intoxicated and refused to reduce the volume.

The homeowner, 55, is a church family counselor and bible study teacher. His son, Edgar Rodriguez, claims he was Tasered three times after producing his ID for police. The elder Rodriguez was arrested for public intoxication in his own backyard.

The two say police used excessive force to quiet down “a backyard party.” A home video of the scene shows a relatively tame event.

The pregnant mother of the baptized child was also Tasered in the back after officers averred she was assaulting a police officer, and is now being held separate from her family by Customs and Immigration Enforcement.

This video is from Fox 55, broadcast August 1, 2009.

The richest person in the world is not Bill Gates, but rather an unknown Malaysian woman??

Move over Bill Gates, your throne as the richest person in the world has been taken over by a mysterious 48 year old Malaysian widow.

The unknown widow is said to inherit RM 160 Billion or USD 45.2 Billion!!!

The current exchange rate is 1 USD = 3.54 Malaysian Ringgit (RM).

The rest of the news is below :

Confirmation from a bank is awaited on whether a Malaysian woman had been left with RM160 billion that will make her even richer than Bill Gates.

The 48-year-old widow could possibly be worth that if what she claims is true.

The Malaysian Prime Minister Department, Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) is still waiting for a local bank to conclude its investigations.

Until then, everyone, including PCB Head Datuk T. Murugiah, would have to patiently wait and wonder if the claim by a widow, that her late husband had left her the jaw-dropping amount in a local bank, is fact or fiction.

Murugiah, who is also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said there were no new developments into the woman's claims.

"We are still waiting for the bank to get back to us with the full details," he said, adding he will most probably be calling for a meeting between the two parties, the bank and the widow, next Wednesday.

If it was true, the unidentified widow stands to become the richest Malaysian, surpassing the worth of even Tan Sri Robert Kuok (RM31.5 billion)who is currently the richest man in Malaysia.

He said the woman came to the bureau asking for assistance.

The widow managed to produce certain documents and cheques regarding transactions by her late husband.

Her 52-year-old husband was said to have died of a heart attack two years ago.

Costa Rican President, Oscar Arias, down with H1N1

Source AP (associated Press)


Nobel Peace laureate and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias said Tuesday, 12 August 2009, that he has swine flu, showing that not even a head of state is safe from the virus that has caused worldwide concern but relatively few deaths.

The 69-year-old president and Nobel Peace Prize winner said in a statement that he was quarantined at home and is being treated with the anti-flu medicine oseltamivir.

"The pandemic makes no distinctions," Arias said. "I am one more case in this country and I am being submitted to the recommendations that health authorities have established for the entire population."

Arias suffers from asthma and is at higher risk than most, but was in good enough health to continue working.

"Aside from the discomfort of the fever and sore throat, I feel in good shape and in full capacity to carry out my work by telecommuting," Arias said in the statement.

The president had flu symptoms since Sunday, but participated in public activities as late as Tuesday morning, when he appeared at a call center.

Arias has been serving on-and-off as a mediator in the political crisis in Honduras after that country's president was ousted June 28 in a coup.

Meteor shower in Malaysia

A video of the Perseid Meteors shower (time lapsed)

Source - The Star Online

Malaysians will be able to sight up to a total of 100 Perseid meteors per hour streaking across the northern sky in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Astronomy Atmospheric Science Unit lecturer Associate Professor Dr Chong Hon Yew said that according to the International Meteor Organisation (IMO, the meteor shower is expected to be best viewed from 1.30am to 4am on Thursday 13 August 2009.

“The shower could have started on July 24 and is expected to be observed until Aug 17, 2009.

“It is however predicted that during the peak viewing time (Thursday morning), the moon will be high in the sky, outshining the fainter meteors.

“There is a good chance for observers to spot the brighter meteors however,” he said on Wednesday.

Dr Chong also hoped the weather would be favourable for the Perseids to be seen.

Those who miss tomorrow’s meteor shower may still catch a “lesser version” after midnight Thursday, or early Friday morning.

Dr Chong said the Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle which are usually fast, bright and occasionally leave persistent trains.

“The point they come from lies in the constellation of Perseus,” he said.

The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2,000 years, with the first known sighting coming from the Far East.

Every year in August, the Earth passes through rock and dust fragments left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. As these small particles collide with the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, often creating a startling streak of light across the sky.

The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the greatest activity between Aug 8 and Aug 14, peaking at about Aug 12.

Dr Chong said the meteor shower can be observed with the naked eye.

Where is the world most wanted terrorist - Noordin Mohd Top??

Apart from Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mohamed Omar, one of the world most wanted terrorists is a Malaysian, known as Noordin Mohd Top who reside in Indonesia.

Born in Kluang Johor, Malaysia, he is thought to have been a key bomb maker and/or financier for Jemaah Islamiya (JI) and to have now left JI and set up a splinter group.

Noordin Top was reported by the United States Department of Justice's FBI to be "an explosives expert." The FBI also has reported him to be "an officer, recruiter, bombmaker, and trainer for the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) group."

Noordin and Azahari Husin were thought to have masterminded the 2002 Bali bombing, the 2003 JW Marriott hotel bombing in Jakarta, the 2004 Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta, the 2005 Bali bombings and the 2009 JW Marriott - Ritz-Carlton bombings, altogether killing hundreds of innocent lives.

Noordin, nicknamed the "Moneyman", was an indoctrinator who was good in recruiting militants into becoming suicide bombers and collecting funds for militant activities.

He is listed on the FBI's third major "wanted" list, the FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list.

Noordin and other terrorists share this same crazy, untrue and deviationist doctrine of faith - that if you kill people and died in the process, you will die as martyr and will go to Heaven.

The truth is that, these stupid psychopaths will be sent straight to Hell, because killing innocent people on purpose, is a grave crime and sin, no matter what religion you practise.

But Indonesia confirms Noordin was not killed in a gun battle in Central Java, recently.


The shoot out at suspected Noordin Mohd Top house in Central Java, Indonesia

Noordin is Indonesia's most wanted Islamist militant and also one of the most wanted terrorists in the world.

But Noordin was not killed in a shootout last week as initial media reports suggested and remains at large, police said Wednesday.

Tests comparing the body's DNA with that of members of Noordin Muhammad Top's family came back negative, said Eddy Saparwoko, head of the national police victim identification unit.



The body was found to be that of a florist linked to Noordin who police said was a member of a terrorist cell that led last month's twin suicide hotel bombings in Jakarta.

Noordin, a Malaysian national, has been blamed for masterminding a series of deadly al-Qaida-funded attacks in Indonesia since 2003 and is a prime suspect in the July 17 hotel attacks that killed seven people.

Last month's strikes ended a four-year lull in terrorist attacks in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Bombings have killed more than 250 people in Indonesia since 2002, most of them on the resort island of Bali, where a 2002 attack killed 202 people.

"The DNA test didn't match with Noordin's family," Saparwoko said at a nationally televised press conference Wednesday.

Indonesian National Police chief spokesman Maj. Gen. Nanan Sukarna shows a portrait of Ibrohim, a terrorist suspect who was killed in a police raid on a militant hide out in Central Java, during a press conference at the main police hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday.

Local media had reported that Noordin, a self-proclaimed al-Qaida commander who has eluded capture in Indonesia and Malaysia since 2001, was slain in a gunbattle with security forces.

But Saparwoko said the man who died in the shootout at a farmhouse in central Java on Saturday was a florist, identified only as Ibrohim. He made floral arrangements at the J.W. Marriott Hotel and Ritz-Carlton hotels, where suicide bombers attacked last month during breakfast, killing themselves and wounding more than 50 others.

Chief national police spokesman Nanan Sukarna identified Ibrohim as "a planner and arranger of the bombings" and said that five other suspects in the blasts remain at large, including Noordin.

Ibrohim, the father of four children, began working in Jakarta's luxury hotels in 2002 after gaining "an important position in the Noordin M. Top's network," Nanan said. He began working in 2005 for Cynthia Florist, which operated two shops at the American hotel chains.

Police say Ibrohim met Noordin several times in the run-up to the July attacks and had advanced preparations to kill President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, including a would-be suicide bomber and a car rigged with hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of explosives.

In April, Ibrohim began scouting the targets and smuggled explosives in through a basement cargo dock a day before the strikes, Nanan said, showing newly released security camera footage.

The grainy images show a lone man driving a small pickup truck into the J.W. Marriott Hotel and unloading what police said were three containers of explosives, apparently after skirting all security checks.

The video also showed Ibrohim leading the suicide bombers, one of them an 18-year-old high school graduate, through the hotels on July 8, apparently in a rehearsal for the attacks plotted from two rented safe houses on the outskirts of Jakarta.

"We know him. He worked as a third-party florist," said Allan Orlob, head of security for the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels.

Ibrohim resigned the morning of the bombings, Orlob told The Associated Press on Wednesday, and left only a letter to his employer in which he asked that part of his last paycheck be used to reimburse several people who loaned him money.

Noordin, 41, is also accused of orchestrating a bombing of the J.W. Marriott Hotel in 2003 and a massive explosion outside the Australian Embassy in 2004, attacks in the capital that killed more than 20 people.

Heineken - the no.1 Beer in the world??

Satu satunya konsep one malaysia yang tidak boleh dipraktikkan dengan mudah

Konsep 1 Malaysia yang dilaungkan Perdana Menteri, YAB Dato Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, sememangnya amat baik untuk diterapkan di kalangan 26 juta penduduk pelbagai etnik di Malaysia.

Samada untuk masyarakat Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh, Lundayuh, Rungus, Sungai, Bajau dan Kelabit, konsep 1 Malaysia sememangnya mampu mencetuskan integrasi dan perpaduan nasional sebagai prasyarat penting kepada Malaysia untuk terus maju dan makmur.

Satu Malaysia boleh diterapkan di bagi acara kebudayaan, sukan, keramaian awam di setiap peringkat samada di peringkat mukim, daerah, rumah panjang dan sebagainya.

Namun hanya ada 1 konsep 1 Malaysia yang agak sukar dilaksanakan.

Sebenarnya boleh dilaksanakan tetapi sukar dilaksanakan.

Konsep apa agaknya?

Jawapannya konsep 1 Malaysia untuk menambah bilangan isteri.

Jika isteri pertama dari golongan Melayu, isteri kedua daripada masyarakat Cina, isteri ketiga Kadazan dan isteri keempat Bidayuh. Bolehkah dilaksanakan? Boleh, tapi sukar jika tidak mendapat perkenan isteri pertama.

Tidak dinafikan ada suami di Malaysia yang sudahpun mempraktikkan konsep 1 Malaysia dengan mempunyai lebih daripada seorang isteri yang terdiri daripada berbilang bangsa.

Ada yang bercita cita untuk mencapai visi itu tetapi sukar kerana isteri pertama tidak izinkan.

Hmmm.. macam macam.

Hidup 1 Malaysia.

what is so special about 10.10

Reader Humaira writes: “I have always wondered why clocks, watches, and timepieces always say (roughly) 10:10 before you set the correct time. If you go into a store selling any kind of time-telling device, that is the default factory setting. Why is that?!!”

First things first, let’s get the myths out of the way.

There are plenty of people out there who think that clocks in advertisements and in-store displays are set this way memorialize Abraham Lincoln/John F. Kennedy/Martin Luther King Jr. because that was the time at which they were shot or died.

In reality, Lincoln was shot at 10:15 p.m., and died the next morning at 7:22 a.m., JFK was shot at 12:30 p.m. CST and was pronounced dead 1 p.m. and MLK was shot 6:01 p.m. and pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m.

Another theory has it that 10:10 was the time that an atomic bomb was dropped on either Nagasaki or Hiroshima, and the setting is in memory of the casualties. The Fat Man bomb was actually dropped on the former at 11:02 a.m. local time and the Little Boy on the latter at 8:15 a.m. local time.

The real reason for the setting? Aesthetics. The 10:10 position gives the clock or watch a number of benefits:

• The hands not overlapping, so they’re fully and clearly visible and their styling can be admired.

• The arrangement of the hands is symmetrical, which people generally find more pleasant than asymmetry, making the product more appealing to customers.

• The manufacturer’s logo, usually in the center of the face under the 12, is not only visible, but nicely framed by the hands.

• Additional elements on the face (like date windows and secondary dials), usually placed near the 3, 6, or 9, won’t be obscured.

According to the folks at Timex (who set their products at 10:09:36 exactly), the standard setting used to be 8:20, but this made the face look like it was frowning.

To make the products look “happier,” the setting was flipped into a smile (occasionally, you’ll still see the 8:20 setting on some clocks or watches where the manufacturer’s logo is at bottom of the face above the 6).

For me - 10.10 is a very good number, a good omen and easy to remember.

North Korea pardons US Journalists

News of the disappearance of Euna Lee and Laura Ling



Home sweet home - thanks to President Bill Clinton, no thanks to Al Gore

Former US President, Bill Clinton is back into the limelight, he is basking in glory after his successful mission of bringing back home 2 female US journalists, jailed by North Korea for allegedly straying into the reclusive territory.

Clinton even had lunch with President Kim Jong Ill before the 2 US Journalists were handed over to him.

It was a rare occassion when a recent President of the US, are allowed to enter North Korea.

I bet the mission would have failed if President George W. Bush were sent to North Korea, instead of Clinton, for Bush had once described North Korea as the Axis of Evil.

For now, Clinton's public profile is at the highest, not only the families of the 2 journalists thanking him, but also millions of Americans and also South Koreans.

When Euna and Laura was sentenced to 12 years jail with hard labour, it was devastating for their families and their employer - Current TV, founded by former US Vice President, Al Gore.

Well, Al Gore sent them to hell, but Clinton, the guardian angel, saved them.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling are now reunited with their families.

Perhaps Clinton need to do another rescue missions, this time in Iran where 3 US citizens were captured for allegedly straying into Iranian territory from Iraq.

Well Clinton has to do the talk with Mahmud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President.

Once again, former President George W. Bush, cannot be allowed to play any role in the rescue mission because he had also described Iran as the Axis of Evil when he was in office in the White House.

High profile peaceful 'rescue' missions by high ranking Americans to bring home their fellow Americans in hostile territory are not new.

In the early 1990's, Reverend Jesse Jackson managed to bring back home 5 US air force personells, captured and taken as Prisoner of War by the Serbian forces.

The 5 personells were on a bombing mission abroad a B52 bomber, during the campaign initiated by NATO to crush Serbian forces and free Kosovo.

They ejected to safety when their plane was shot down by surface to air missiles, and taken prisoner.

Some journalists were not that lucky.

They died while covering the frontline, caught in the line of fire.

One infamous incident is known as the Balibo Five incident in East Timor.

The Balibo Five refers to a group of journalists working for Australian television networks.

They were based in the town of Balibo in East Timor (then Portuguese Timor) but were killed on 16 October 1975 by Indonesian troops mounting incursions, prior to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor on 7 December that year.

The group was made up of two Australians, reporter Greg Shackleton, 27 and sound recordist Tony Stewart, 21; a New Zealander, cameraman Gary Cunningham, 27, for HSV-7 (Seven Network) in Melbourne; and two Britons, cameraman Brian Peters, 29 and reporter Malcolm Rennie, 28 working for TCN-9 (Nine Network) in Sydney.

BURBANK, California, USA. – Two American journalists freed by North Korea have returned home to the United States on a flight with former President Bill Clinton.

The jet carrying Euna Lee and Laura Ling landed at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport early Wednesday. The women spent more than four months detained in North Korea.

The reporters were granted a pardon by North Korea on Tuesday, following rare talks between Clinton and the reclusive leader Kim Jong Il. They had been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for entering the country illegally.

In exclusive APTN video showing their release, the women were shown dressed in short-sleeved shirts and jeans as they boarded the plane in North Korea.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton and two American journalists flew back to the United States on Wednesday for what was expected to be an emotional reunion with family and friends after the reporters spent the last four months detained in North Korea.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling were granted a pardon by North Korea following rare talks between Clinton and the reclusive leader Kim Jong Il. They had been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for entering the country illegally.

The women, dressed in short-sleeved shirts and jeans, appeared healthy as they climbed the steps to the plane and shook hands with Clinton before getting into the jet, exclusive APTN footage from Pyongyang showed. Clinton waved, put his hand over his heart and then saluted.

North Korean state TV showed Clinton's departure, and North Korean officials waving to the plane, but did not show images of the two journalists.

Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna said the flight was bound for Los Angeles, where the journalists will be reunited with their families.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hailed their release.

"I spoke to my husband on the airplane and everything went well," she told reporters in Nairobi, Kenya. "They are extremely excited to be reunited soon when they touch down in California. It was just a good day to be able to see this happen."

Ling's father, Doug, told reporters outside his home in Carmichael, Calif., that his daughter's release was one of the best days of his life. He said he would travel to the Burbank airport to meet his daughter's plane early Wednesday, and planned to bring American flags, yellow ribbons and banners to welcome her home.

"I'm going to go down there and see my little girl," he said.

Ling, a 32-year-old California native, is the younger sister of Lisa Ling, a correspondent for CNN as well as "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "National Geographic Explorer." Lee, 36, a South Korean-born U.S. citizen, is the mother of a 4-year-old.

Their expected arrival was a jubilant conclusion to a more than four-month ordeal for the women, who were arrested near the North Korean-Chinese border in March while on a reporting trip for Current TV, the media venture founded by former Vice President Al Gore.

Gore was expected to be at the Burbank airport to greet the women, who were sentenced in June for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts."

Hillary Clinton had urged North Korea last month to grant them amnesty, saying they were remorseful and their families anguished.

The release also amounted to a successful diplomatic foray for the former president, who traveled as an unofficial envoy, with approval and coordination from the administration. He was uniquely positioned for it as the only recent president who had considered visiting North Korea while in office, and one who had sent his secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.

But the backchannel genesis of the mission was not immediately clear, whether Obama called on him, North Korea asked for him or his wife suggested him.

His landmark visit to Pyongyang to free the Americans was a coup that came at a time of heightened tensions over North Korea's nuclear program.

Hillary Clinton also rejected an official report by the North Korean news agency that said Bill Clinton had delivered an apology about the incident to the country's ailing leader.

"That is not true," she said. "That did not occur."

A senior U.S. official said the reporters' families and Gore asked the former president to travel to Pyongyang to seek their release and that Clinton's mission did not include discussions about issues beyond that. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe events leading up to the Clinton trip and the women's release.

The meeting also appeared aimed at dispelling persistent questions about the health of the authoritarian North Korean leader, who was said to be suffering from chronic diabetes and heart disease before the reported stroke. The meeting was Kim's first with a prominent Western figure since the reported stroke.

Kim smiled broadly for a photo standing next to a towering Clinton. He was markedly thinner than a year ago, with his graying hair cropped short. The once-pudgy 67-year-old, who for decades had a noticeable pot belly, wore a khaki jumpsuit and appeared frail and diminutive in a group shot seated next to a robust Clinton.

Pardoning Ling and Lee and having Clinton serving as their emissary served both North Korea's need to continue maintaining that the two women had committed a crime and the Obama administration's desire not to expend diplomatic capital winning their freedom, said Daniel Sneider, associate director of research at Stanford University's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center.

"Nobody wanted this to be a distraction from the more substantially difficult issues we have with North Korea," he said. "There was a desire by the administration to resolve this quietly and from the very beginning they didn't allow it to become a huge public issue."

Speaking out for the first time since their capture, Gore said in a joint statement with Current co-founder Joel Hyatt that everyone at the media outlet was overjoyed by the prospect of their safe return. "Our hearts go out to them and to their families for persevering through this horrible experience," it said.

The Lee and Ling families thanked Obama, the secretary of state and the State Department.

"We especially want to thank President Bill Clinton for taking on such an arduous mission and Vice President Al Gore for his tireless efforts to bring Laura and Euna home," it said. "We are counting the seconds to hold Laura and Euna in our arms."

In North Korea, Clinton was accorded honors typically reserved for heads of state. Senior officials met his private unmarked plane as it arrived Tuesday morning.

Video from the APTN television news agency showed Clinton exchanging warm handshakes with officials and accepting a bouquet of flowers from a schoolgirl.

Kim later hosted a banquet for Clinton at the state guesthouse, Radio Pyongyang and the Korean Central Broadcasting Station reported. The VIPs and Kim posed for a group shot in front of the same garish mural depicting a stormy seaside landscape that Albright posed for during her historic visit to Pyongyang in 2000.

However, the decision to send Clinton was kept quiet, revealed only when he turned up Tuesday in Pyongyang accompanied by John Podesta, his one-time White House chief of staff, who also is an informal adviser to Obama.

Discussions about normalizing ties with North Korea went dead when George W. Bush took office in 2001 with a hard-line policy on Pyongyang. The Obama administration has expressed a willingness to hold bilateral talks — but only within the framework of the six-nation disarmament talks in place since 2003.

North Korea announced earlier this year it was abandoning the talks involving the two Koreas, Japan, Russia, China and the U.S. The regime also launched a long-range rocket, conducted a nuclear test, test-fired a barrage of ballistic missiles and restarted its atomic program in defiance of international criticism and the U.N. Security Council.