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.

Vixen - one of the best all female rockers in the world

Vixen is an all American female hard rock Band, formed by Jan Kuehnemund in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA in 1980.

Lineup changes happened during the following years.

But the "classic lineup" will always be :

Janet Gardner (lead vocals, rhythm guitar),
Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar),
Share Pedersen (bass),
Roxy Petrucci (drums).

Kuehnemund is also known as the female version of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Slash, Kirk Hammet and Richie Sambora.

Even tough we live 20,000 miles from USA, Vixen is still and always be rememberd by hard rocking Malaysians.

In Malaysia, the best all female hard rock band is Candy.

Here are some of Vixen's best songs!!!! Enjoy...









The video below features Malaysia's best known all female hard rock group - Candy.

The Lead Singer cum Rhythm Guitarist is Patricia Robert, from the East Malaysian state of Sarawak.

Anwar Ibrahim letter of demand to Utusan Malaysia

source : http://anwaribrahimblog.com

By Anwar Ibrahim

Letter of Demand to The Managing Director of Utusan Malaysia Berhad

Your Ref:
Our Ref:
Date: 3rd August 2009

The Managing Director
Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad
46M, Jalan Lima Off Jalan Chan Sow Lin
55200 Kuala Lumpur

Sir,

RE: Libelous Statement

We act for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who is the Former Deputy Prime Minister and is presently the Leader of the Opposition in the Malaysian Parliament.

We are instructed that on or about 3rd August 2009, you published or caused to be published the following words that were uttered by Y.A.B Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin Bin Mohd. Yassin that was published in the Utusan Malaysia newspaper under the caption:

“Anwar Pengkhianat, Putar belit fakta mengenai usaha martabatkan Melayu – Muhyiddin”

Oleh Sahbullah Darwi
Batu Pahat 2 Ogos – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin menyifatkan Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai pengkhianat besar terhadap perjuangan orang melayu.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri turut menyifatkan Anwar sebagai pemimpin lidah bercabang kerana sanggup memutarbelitkan fakta mengenai usaha UMNO untuk memartabatkan orang Melayu.

“Dulu dia pernah menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Presiden UMNO seperti saya sekarang, tetapi dia sekarang menggunakan cara yang memperdayakan untuk memusnahkan perjuangan kita,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika merasmikan Persidangan Perwakilan UMNO Bahagian Sri Gading di Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) di sini semalam.

Muhyiddin berkata, Anwar selaku Ketua Pembangkang kini menyebarkan dakyah untuk mencipta persepsi negatif terhadap usaha UMNO dalam mempertahankan hak keistimewaan Melayu dan institusi raja.

“Dia kata kepada semua orang bahawa UMNO zalim, tetapi beritahu saya sekarang dalam cara apa yang kita zalim? Kenapa dia tidak beritahu ini semasa dia jadi pemimpin kita?” soalnya.

Beliau mendedahkan taktik pembangkang mengulangi pembohongan sehingga rakyat mempercayai penipuan itu.

“Hingga sampai ke tahap ini, orang menganggap apa yang dilakukan oleh UMNO adalah salah dan apa sahaja yang dilakukan kita tidak baik untuk rakyat.

“Maka semua kebaikan yang dpernah kita lakukan membangunkan negara sejak 50 tahun lalu tidak lagi dihargai,” katanya.

Muhyiddin mengakui UMNO bukanlah parti yang tidak pernah melakukan kesilapan namun ia telah melakukan yang terbaik untuk menghapuskan rasuah, keangkuhan dan pengurusan yang tidak cekap.

“Tiada masalah untuk mengkritik kerana kita bukan maksum tetapi saya tidak boleh terima kalau pembangkang menghina dan tidak menghormati orang Melayu,” jelasnya.

Sehubungan itu, beliau menyeru ahli dan pemimpin UMNO mengubah persepsi negatif pembangkang terhadap parti dengan terus mendekati rakyat terutama di peringkat akar umbi.

Menurutnya, pendekatan itu jika dilakukan secara berterusan akan menyedarkan rakyat terhadap perjuangan ikhlas UMNO dalam membela nasib mereka terutama bangsa Melayu.

“Kita hanya mempunyai dua tahun untuk mengubah persepsi dan imej buruk itu,” katanya.

Menurutnya, UMNO juga bukan parti yang semata-mata mahukan undi rakyat pada setiap pilihan raya, tetapi untuk membela dan membangunkan mereka.

“Tetapi disebabkan dakyah serta pelbagai tuduhan pembangkang terhadap UMNO menyebabkan timbul persepsi buruk rakyat terhadap parti sejak kebelakangan ini,” katanya.

Ekoran itu, beliau berkata, tindakan segera perlu dilaksanakan mulai sekarang bagi mengembalikan semula keyakinan tersebut agar UMNO dapat terus berjuang untuk membela mereka. (hereinafter called “the Impugned Article”).

Inter alia, the Impugned Article contained the following defamatory words published and or quoted by you about our client:

i) Batu Pahat 2 Ogos – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin menyifatkan Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai pengkhianat besar terhadap perjuangan orang melayu.

ii) Timbalan Perdana Menteri turut menyifatkan Anwar sebagai pemimpin lidah bercabang kerana sanggup memutarbelitkan fakta mengenai usaha UMNO untuk memartabatkan orang Melayu.

iii) “Dulu dia pernah menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Presiden UMNO seperti saya sekarang, tetapi dia sekarang menggunakan cara yang memperdayakan untuk memusnahkan perjuangan kita,” katanya.

iv) Muhyiddin berkata, Anwar selaku Ketua Pembangkang kini menyebarkan dakyah untuk mencipta persepsi negatif terhadap usaha UMNO dalam mempertahankan hak keistimewaan Melayu dan institusi raja.

v) Beliau mendedahkan taktik pembangkang mengulangi pembohongan sehingga rakyat mempercayai penipuan itu.

vi) “Tiada masalah untuk mengkritik kerana kita bukan maksum tetapi saya tidak boleh terima kalau pembangkang menghina dan tidak menghormati orang Melayu,” jelasnya.

vii) “Tetapi disebabkan dakyah serta pelbagai tuduhan pembangkang terhadap UMNO menyebabkan timbul persepsi buruk rakyat terhadap parti sejak kebelakangan ini,” katanya.

The Impugned Article and the Impugned Words were and are defamatory and or libelous of our Client and in their natural and ordinary meaning and or by implication mean, meant and were understood to, inter alia, mean that:

i) Our client is a dishonest person both in his private and official capacity;
ii) Our Client is a liar;
iii) Our Client is an untrustworthy person as well as an unfit politician;
iv) Our Client is a traitor to the Malays;
v) Our Client is unfit to hold public office;
vi) Our Client is unprincipled and corrupt;
vii) Our Client has committed a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment; and
viii) Our Client is unethical.

By innuendo, the Impugned Article and the Impugned Words were and are defamatory and or libelous of our Client and in their natural and ordinary meaning and or by implication mean, meant and were understood to, inter alia, mean that:

i) Our client is a dishonest person both in his private and official capacity;
ii) Our Client is a liar;
iii) Our Client is an untrustworthy person as well as an unfit politician;
iv) Our Client is a traitor to the Malays;
v) Our Client is unfit to hold public office;
vi) Our Client is unprincipled and corrupt;
vii) Our Client has committed a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment; and
viii) Our Client is unethical.

Inter alia, our client contends the following in that, the Impugned Article and the Impugned Words published by you in respect of our client:-

a) are bereft of truth, vexatious, specious, fallacious and wholly uncalled for;
b) are and were grossly negligent, reckless, deliberate, malicious and aimed to lower our client’s esteem in the eyes of the public, both locally and internationally , and expose our client to public hatred, scorn, odium, opprobrium, contempt and ridicule;
c) are wholly untrue, motivated by malice, mala fides, distortion of facts suggesting moral and legal impropriety on the part of our client and are principally done in your pursuit of seeking cheap publicity/ sensationalism for political and other purposes; and
d) are pre-mediated and calculated to tarnish, malign, defame and seriously injure the good name and character of our client.

We are further instructed that you have republished or caused it to be republished the abovementioned Impugned Article and Impugned Words and the libelous comments.

The Impugned Words uttered and published by you in respect of our client and the comments against our client by you, amounts to a very serious libel on our client and have caused our client considerable distress and embarrassment. These Impugned Words published by you in respect of our client and comments made against our client are false, malicious and your attack on our client is wholly unjustified.

We are therefore instructed to demand from you, which we hereby do:

1) An immediate and unequivocal public retraction of the Impugned Article and the Impugned Words and the removal and retraction of all the offending and defamatory comments, forthwith;
2) An apology in the terms to be approved by us as solicitors, to be published in newspapers or media of our client’s choice;
3) An undertaking by you not to repeat the above allegations and comments as per the Impugned Words or the likes of the same;

Our client has also has instructed us to demand damages of RM100 million (Ringgit Malaysia One Hundred Million) from you for the injury caused to our client’s reputation.

Our client has also requested us to demand payment of all legal costs that has been incurred with regard to this matter.

This letter is written in accordance with pre-action protocol prior to the institution of a libel action. We look forward to hearing from you without delay. If we do not receive a satisfactory reply within seven (7) days of the receipt of this letter, our instructions are to institute legal proceedings against you. In the meantime, our client reserves all our client’s rights in this matter.

Please acknowledge receipt accordingly.

Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
S.N. NAIR & PARTNERS

c.c client.

Trigalz - a budding cute sexy Sabahan talented aspiring singers!!

But surely, the Trigalz cannot beat this explosive female singer in the video below!!!

Ex British Prime Minister - Tony Blair in Sabah, Malaysia, Borneo

Combo pictures of Ex British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, leaving the Sacred Heart Church in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia - Sunday 2 August 2009


Another pic of Mr Blair leaving the Sacred Heart Church - the guy on Blair's right is Mr Christopher Chiu - a Road Transport Department, JPJ Kota Kinabalu officer

All pics courtesy of Jaswinder Kaur's blog - http://dreamyborneo.blogspot.com/


Video of Tony Blair leaving the Sacred Heart Church, Kota Kinabalu, filmed by a church goer via a mobile phone.


Highlights of Tony Blair

He was one of the world's most powerful person when he occupied no. 10, Downing Street as the British Prime Minister.

Tony Blair, now 56, was British Prime Minister for 10 years from May 2nd, 1997 to June 27th, 2007.

After he retired from office, Mr Blair is still a popular figure around the world.

On Sunday, 2 August 2009, Mr Blair and wife, Cherie, unexpectedly attended a sunday mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, in the island of Borneo.

He was apparently on a holiday in Sabah, which is known for its exotic tourists attractions, such as Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia also a world heritage site, Sipadan Island (top 5 diving destination in the world), the 100 million plus years old tropical rainforest in Danum Valley and many many more world class attractions.

He stayed at the Nexus Karambunai resort.

Well, when Mr Blair showed up at the local church, of course he will cause a stir...

It is not everyday that a former British Prime Minister will attend mass at your local church.

And it is not everyday that a former British PM, choose to go on holiday in your state.

Members of the local and national media in Kota Kinabalu, managed to "smell" his presence and quickly swarmed the Sacred Heart Church.

At first, the members of the press got a false alarm and went to another Catholic church nearby, the Stella Marris church.

Blair and Mrs Blair were accompanied by few bodyguards.

This is the full version of the story as appeared in a national newspaper in Malaysia.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair caused a stir at a local church here when he came for mass with his family as part of a private visit to Sabah. Many didn't realise that he was seated at a pew in the middle of the Sacred Heart Catholic church until prayers ended at about 10.20am yesterday, and Blair stood up to leave the hall.

Those who recognised him started shaking his hand, not bothered by body guards who followed Blair closely as he left the church for a multi-purpose van parked just metres away. Some started taking photos with their handphones and others managed to take pictures with him and wife Cherie Blair, as their children disappeared into a vehicle.

Dressed in a black collared t-shirt, white slacks and skin-coloured flip flops, Blair who served as Prime Minister for a decade until 2007, offered a smile to everyone and accomodated a request from a few parishioners who wanted to have their photos taken with him. The excitement lasted less than five minutes before he was whisked away into his waiting van, but church-goers who spoke or shook hands with him lingered on for a while.

Civil servant Christopher Chiu said Blair took his hand when he offered to shake it when they left the hall. "I was so surprised when I saw him because I didn't realise that he was in church. He was so nice to me. "He told me that he liked the cathedral and was glad that many people had come for mass. "He said he is here on a private visit with his family," Chiu, an officer with the Road Transport Department, said.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said he didn't know that the Blair family was sitting behind him. "I saw his wife (Cherie) and I thought that she looked familiar. It is only when I saw the excitement outside that I knew Blair was behind me, and who the lady I saw was. "I didn't manage to speak with him or shake his hand, but I am very happy that he joined us for Sunday service," Liew said.

It is learnt that Blair and his family arrived in Kota Kinabalu close to a week ago for a holiday. Blair is actively involved in charitable events through the Tony Blair Sports Foundation and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. He is also known for his views on climate change and recently produced a report called "Technology for a Low Carbon Future."

Former Philippines President, Corazon "Cory" Aquino, died aged 76..

Mabuhay Ang Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Former President Corazon Aquino, who swept away a dictator with a "people power" revolt and then sustained democracy by fighting off seven coup attempts in six years, died on Saturday, her son said. She was 76.

The uprising she led in 1986 ended the repressive 20-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos and inspired nonviolent protests across the globe, including those that ended Communist rule in eastern Europe.

But she struggled in office to meet high public expectations. Her land redistribution program fell short of ending economic domination by the landed elite, including her own family. Her leadership, especially in social and economic reform, was often indecisive, leaving many of her closest allies disillusioned by the end of her term.

Still, the bespectacled, smiling woman in her trademark yellow dress remained beloved in the Philippines, where she was affectionately referred to as "Tita (Auntie) Cory."

"She was headstrong and single-minded in one goal, and that was to remove all vestiges of an entrenched dictatorship," Raul C. Pangalangan, former dean of the Law School at the University of the Philippines, said earlier this month. "We all owe her in a big way."

Her son, Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, said his mother died at 3:18 a.m. Saturday (1918 GMT Friday).

Aquino was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer last year and confined to a Manila hospital for more than a month. Her son said the cancer had spread to other organs and she was too weak to continue her chemotherapy.

Supporters have been holding daily prayers for Aquino in churches in Manila and throughout the country for a month. Masses were scheduled for later Saturday, and yellow ribbons were tied on trees around her neighborhood in Quezon city.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is on an official visit to the United States, said in a statement that "the entire nation is mourning" Aquino's demise. Arroyo declared a period of national mourning and announced a state funeral would be held for the late president.

TV stations on Saturday were running footage of Aquino's years together with prayers while her former aides and supporters offered condolences.

"Today our country has lost a mother," said former President Joseph Estrada, calling Aquino "a woman of both strength and graciousness."

Even the exiled Communist Party founder Jose Maria Sison, whom Aquino freed from jail in 1986, paid tribute from the Netherlands.

Aquino's unlikely rise began in 1983 when her husband, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was assassinated on the tarmac of Manila's international airport as he returned from exile in the United States to challenge Marcos, his longtime adversary.

The killing enraged many Filipinos and unleashed a broad-based opposition movement that thrust Aquino into the role of national leader.

"I don't know anything about the presidency," she declared in 1985, a year before she agreed to run against Marcos, uniting the fractious opposition, the business community, and later the armed forces to drive the dictator out.

Maria Corazon Cojuangco was born on Jan. 25, 1933, into a wealthy, politically powerful family in Paniqui, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Manila.

She attended private school in Manila and earned a degree in French from the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York. In 1954 she married Ninoy Aquino, the fiercely ambitious scion of another political family. He rose from provincial governor to senator and finally opposition leader.

Marcos, elected president in 1965, declared martial law in 1972 to avoid term limits.

He abolished the Congress and jailed Aquino's husband and thousands of opponents, journalists and activists without charges. Aquino became her husband's political stand-in, confidant, message carrier and spokeswoman.

A military tribunal sentenced her husband to death for alleged links to communist rebels but, under pressure from U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Marcos allowed him to leave in May 1980 for heart surgery in the U.S.

It was the start of a three-year exile.

With her husband at Harvard University holding court with fellow exiles, academics, journalists and visitors from Manila, Aquino was the quiet homemaker, raising their five children and serving tea. Away from the hurly-burly of Philippine politics, she described the period as the best of their marriage.

The halcyon days ended when her husband decided to return to regroup the opposition. While she and the children remained in Boston, he flew to Manila, where he was shot as he descended the stairs from the plane.

The government blamed a suspected communist rebel, but subsequent investigations pointed to a soldier who was escorting him from the plane on Aug. 21, 1983.

Aquino heard of the assassination in a phone call from a Japanese journalist. She recalled gathering the children and, as a deeply religious woman, praying for strength.

"During Ninoy's incarceration and before my presidency, I used to ask why it had always to be us to make the sacrifice," she said in a 2007 interview with The Philippine Star newspaper. "And then, when Ninoy died, I would say, 'Why does it have to be me now?' It seemed like we were always the sacrificial lamb."

She returned to the Philippines three days later. One week after that, she led the largest funeral procession Manila had seen.

Crowd estimates ranged as high as 2 million.

With public opposition mounting against Marcos, he stunned the nation in November 1985 by calling a snap election in a bid to shore up his mandate. The opposition, including then Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime L. Sin, urged Aquino to run.

After a fierce campaign, the vote was held on Feb. 7, 1986. The National Assembly declared Marcos the winner, but journalists, foreign observers and church leaders alleged massive fraud.

With the result in dispute, a group of military officers mutinied against Marcos on Feb. 22 and holed up with a small force in a military camp in Manila.

Over the following three days, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos responded to a call by the Roman Catholic Church to jam the broad highway in front of the camp to prevent an attack by Marcos forces.

On the third day, against the advice of her security detail, Aquino appeared at the rally alongside the mutineers, led by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos, the military vice chief of staff and Marcos' cousin.

From a makeshift platform, she declared: "For the first time in the history of the world, a civilian population has been called to defend the military." The military chiefs pledged their loyalty to Aquino and charged that Marcos had won the election by fraud.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan, a longtime supporter of Marcos, called on him to resign. "Attempts to prolong the life of the present regime by violence are futile," the White House said. American officials offered to fly Marcos out of the Philippines.

On Feb. 25, Marcos and his family went to the U.S.-run Clark Air Base outside Manila and flew to Hawaii, where he died three years later.

The same day, Aquino was sworn in as the Philippines' first female leader.

Over time, the euphoria fizzled as the public became impatient and Aquino more defensive as she struggled to navigate treacherous political waters and build alliances to push her agenda.

"People used to compare me to the ideal president, but he doesn't exist and never existed. He has never lived," she said in the 2007 Philippine Star interview.

The right attacked her for making overtures to communist rebels and the left, for protecting the interests of wealthy landowners.

Aquino signed an agrarian reform bill that virtually exempted large plantations like her family's sugar plantation from being distributed to landless farmers.

When farmers protested outside the Malacanang Presidential Palace on Jan. 22, 1987, troops opened fire, killing 13 and wounding 100.

The bloodshed scuttled talks with communist rebels, who had galvanized opposition to Marcos but weren't satisfied with Aquino either.

As recently as 2004, at least seven workers were killed in clashes with police and soldiers at the family's plantation, Hacienda Luisita, over its refusal to distribute its land.

Aquino also attempted to negotiate with Muslim separatists in the southern Philippines, but made little progress.

Behind the public image of the frail, vulnerable widow, Aquino was an iron-willed woman who dismissed criticism as the carping of jealous rivals. She knew she had to act tough to earn respect in the Philippines' macho culture.

"When I am just with a few close friends, I tell them, 'OK, you don't like me? Look at the alternatives,' and that shuts them up," she told America's NBC television in a 1987 interview.

Her term was punctuated by repeated coup attempts - most staged by the same clique of officers who had risen up against Marcos and felt they had been denied their fair share of power. The most serious attempt came in December 1989 when only a flyover by U.S. jets prevented mutinous troops from toppling her.

Leery of damaging relations with the United States, Aquino tried in vain to block a historic Senate vote to force the U.S. out of its two major bases in the Philippines.

In the end, the U.S. Air Force pulled out of Clark Air Base in 1991 after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced its evacuation and left it heavily damaged. The last American vessel left Subic Bay Naval Base in November 1992.

After stepping down in 1992, Aquino remained active in social and political causes.

Until diagnosed with colon cancer in March 2008, she joined rallies calling for the resignation of President Arroyo over allegations of vote-rigging and corruption.

She kept her distance from another famous widow, flamboyant former first lady Imelda Marcos, who was allowed to return to the Philippines in 1991.

Marcos has called Aquino a usurper and dictator, though she later led prayers for Aquino in July 2009 when the latter was hospitalized. The two never made peace.

Mabuhay Ang Pilipinas!!!

To all Maths freaks out there!!! Maths is boring...

Well, Maths is boring, what more additional mathematics or further Maths.

In Actual life, you don't have to memorise all these stupid formulas or equations...

Heyyy... just grab a simple calculator, a scientific calculator or a made in mars calculator and that thing will solve those mind boggling puzzles..

Below is a normal day during a Maths class in M.I.T, USA... boring isn't it??

all a child needs is love and affection

Source - The Star Online

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the one I have. I was brought up in an average family. Although I never had many luxuries in life, I had all the basic necessities for survival.

Most people would say I am lucky compared with many other people. I never demanded any material things from my parents. All I asked for was love, respect and some self-sacrifice for the betterment of the next generation.

Instead, I would come back to incessant insults of my stupidity, psychological abuse and discouragement in life. My mother left my father and my stepmother is the same as my father. As they say, “birds of a feather, flock together”.

Now, I am a successful engineer with my own happy family and all the material things I need and want. I cannot be bothered to go back and visit, even though they live less than 10 minutes’ drive away.

I know there are irresponsible people who abandon their loving parents and these people are despicable. More often than not, I have seen that most old folks who have been abandoned have another side to the story.

Irresponsible men who abandoned the family and gambled their salaries away, and parents who abused their children, either physically, emotionally or mentally.

Let this be a warning to all parents. Do not think that providing a roof, food, clothing, mobile phone and a Playstation is enough. Sometimes, all a child needs is some love and attention even though their physical life is lacking.
A child will always forget that he was once hungry but will never forget that he never had a sweet childhood and love from his parents.

Now, I swear to my child that no matter how tired I am, I will always help with his lessons, play with him, love him, encourage him to be the best that he can be in life, and help him to the extent that I can afford to.

I swear to be a good father to my son, the kind of father that I never had. I will never force him or remind him to take care of me when I am old and whithered.

My child owes me nothing. He did not ask to be born into this world as my child. The burden shall never be on my child.

To all parents out there, it is time you realise this. Your child is not your insurance policy. It is your responsibility.

If my child takes me in when I am old, I would be grateful. Maybe then, I would have done something right in this world before I leave.

The fastest Gay in the world?? not quite... it is still Usain Bolt

He is not gay, Mike Tyson is not gay either, but he is Tyson Gay.

STOCKHOLM (AP)—Tyson Gay overcame a poor start to edge fellow American Darvis Patton in the 100 meters at the DN Gala meet on Friday, clocking a wind-aided 9.79 seconds.

Patton was timed in 9.95 and former world record-holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica finished third in 9.98.

On a windy and cool evening with a temperature of 61 degrees, Gay passed Powell before the midway point and snapped the Jamaican’s streak of three straight wins at Olympic Stadium.

Gay’s time was well below Powell’s stadium record of 9.86 from 2006, but the American did not get a 1-carat diamond for breaking the meet mark because of the strong wind.

The current men's 100 metres world record belongs to Usain Bolt of Jamaica who timed 9.69 secs en route to winning the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games.

Had Bolt continued his run and not slowed down in the last 30 metres, the record could have been lowered to 9.55 secs!!!!

I used to run the 100 metres during school days on grass and my best hand timing was 12 seconds flat!!!

With the perfect training, perfect coach, perfect race course, perfect vitamin, perfect supplement, perfect food, perfect encouragement and a little bit of luck, i think i can run 10.03 seconds, breaking the national Malaysian record and winning the Asian Games Gold Medal easily!!!!



Here, Usain Bolt clocked 19.30 secs in the 200 metres men final in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games. The previous record was set by Michael Johnson, 19.32 secs - Michael Johnson is still the world record holder in the 400 metres, clocking 43.18 seconds!!!

A sad day in the movie industry in Malaysia - Yasmin Ahmad has left us..

I first saw the news on TV3's nightline just now.

There were no visual or footages, but only the female newscaster saying :

"Here's something just in. Nightline was informed that Yasmin Ahmad, renowned Film Director, has died. Yasmin, was the director of critically acclaimed films which include Sepet, Gubra and Talentime. Her films have gotten international recognition, including at the Cannes Film Festival. The 51 year old, collapsed at Sri Pentas last Thursday, and had emergency surgery at 6 pm the same day"

A check with Bernama, the national news agency at 1.36 am confirmed the sad news.

This is the Bernama story on the demise of Yasmin.

Film Director Yasmin Ahmad Dies

KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- Renowned film and advertising director Yasmin Ahmad died here at about 11.25 pm Saturday night.

Her death was confirmed by Media Prime Group Chief Operations Officer Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan, who was at the Damansara Specialists Hospital, when contacted by Bernama.

Yasmin, 51, collapsed while presenting a working paper at Sri Pentas, the headquarters of the private television station TV3 on Thursday and was rushed to the Damansara Specialists Hospital.

She was reported to have suffered a stroke and brain haemorrhage - Bernama.

(bahasa Malaysia version)

Pengarah filem dan pengiklanan terkenal, Yasmin Ahmad, meninggal dunia, 11.25 malam Sabtu.

Pemergian Yasmin disahkan Ketua Pegawai Operasi Kumpulan Media Prima, Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan yang berada di Hospital Pakar Damansara, ketika dihubungi Bernama.

Yasmin, 51 tahun, rebah ketika sedang menyampaikan kertas kerja di Sri Pentas, Ibupejabat stesen televisyen swasta TV3, Khamis lalu dan dikejarkan ke Hospital Pakar Damansara,

Yasmin dilaporkan mengalami strok dan pendarahan otak - Bernama.

It was unbelievable and shocking.

We have just lost a prodigal movie director.

I first saw Yasmin Ahmad blockbuster movie "Sepet", about 4 years ago and instantly loved it very much.

Sepet is a 2004 Malaysian romantic comedy drama film set in Ipoh, Perak.

Sepet tells a tale of love that blooms between a Chinese boy and a Malay girl. Sepet is a Malay word which, in this context, refers to the 'slit eyes' of the Chinese.

The lead actor is Choo Seong Ng as Jason (Ah Loong.) The cute and petite Sharifah Amani starred as Orked - Jason's lover.

Surprisingly, the film achieved phenomenal success..

Sepet won the Best Asian Film Award at the 18th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2005, beating others from traditional Asian movies powerhouses and heavyweights such as India's Bollywood and Hong Kong as well as Japan and Korea.

Sepet also won the Best Film award at the 27th Créteil International Women's Film Festival in France and the Global Chinese Golden Arts Awards.

At the 18th Malaysian Film Festival, Sepet won 6 awards - Best Film, Most Promising Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Poster.





Normally i only watch Hollywood movies and selective Malay movies such as the late Seniman Agong Tan Sri P. Ramlee movies, Dato Rahim Razali and Ahmad Yatim movies, Sabah Film Production - Deddy M Borhan movies, Peristiwa Bukit Kepong, Azura, Jangan Pandang Belakang, Pontianak harum sundal malam and Senario the Movie Part One.

I am sorry to say but the rest of the Malaysian made movies are not enjoyabe.

But Yasmin Ahmad movies were not only explosive, entertaining and unique, but they have won many international acclaims and recognitions including at the famed Cannes Film Festival.

Apart from Sepet, Yasmin Ahmad also directed other blockbuster movies such as Gubra, Mukhsin, Muallaf and Talentime, her latest and last directed movie.

"Gubra" won the Best Screenplay award at the Malaysian Film Festival 2006.



"Mukhsin" won the Generation kplus - Best Feature Film and the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix award at the Berlin International Film Festival as well as the Best Asean Film at the Cinemanila International Film Festival 2007.



"Muallaf" won the Asian Film Award - Special Mention at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2008.





The cute Sharifah Amani featured in most of her movies... To me, Sharifah Amani is like Yasmin's own daughter.. Sharifah Amani, also won the prestigious Best Actress Award at the Malaysian Film Festival..

Adibah Noor is another regular actress in Yasmin Ahmad movies.

Having directed 6 memorable movies, Yasmin Ahmad left a legacy of her works in the film and advertisement arenas in Malaysia, thriving on the themes of love, family ties and humour against the backdrop of multiracial Malaysia, a truly One Malaysia..

Farewell to you Yasmin.... You will always be remembered forever... God bless your soul...

Diego Maradona will not like this...

Argentine football legend, Diego Armando Maradona, will not like this news report.

The Guardian today reported that substantial amount of international tourists have cancelled their trips to Argentina as swine flu death toll in that country, reached 137, making Argentina the 2nd worst hit in terms of the virus fatality, behind the United States.

Currently there are 211 deaths, caused by the pandemic in the USA.

In Argentina, travel agents and airlines have reported a sharp drop in business amid concern that the death toll will continue to rise during the rest of the southern hemisphere's winter.

An unfamiliar quiet has descended over some of Buenos Aires's tourist quarters, with many restaurants and theatres closed or deserted. Ski resorts such as Bariloche, which are normally packed at this time, have rooms to spare. Hotels, restaurants, and shops said they were losing around US$150 million (£95m) weekly.

The vice president of Spain, Maria Teresa Fernández de la Vega, has decided to bypass Argentina on a forthcoming South America tour, reportedly because of the A (H1N1) virus.

The Brazilian airline GOL cancelled some chartered flights to its neighbour after passengers numbers dropped by half. Brazil's government has advised against travel to Argentina and Chile, also badly hit. Some travel agents have reported a 50 percent drop in travelers.

The British Foreign Office updated its travel advice to warn that Buenos Aires and 17 provinces had declared a health emergency. It does not urge Britons to stay away but is not exactly encouraging.

The authorities hope recent temporary restrictions will curb the epidemic. Schools, universities, cinemas, theatres, and gymnasiums were closed and pregnant women and children were among those urged to stay indoors.

The Catholic church urged worshippers to sit far apart, to avoid handshakes, and to take the communion wafer in their hands rather than directly on the tongue. Doctors urged people to not greet each other with a kiss and to not share mate, a herbal drink traditionally drunk from a straw and passed between friends.

The government said yesterday the worst may be over. The numbers reporting flu symptoms has reportedly halved in recent days. Theatres, which were shut for the past 10 days, said they would reopen this weekend but appealed to the sick to stay away.

I wonder wether the football stadiums across Argentina will also see a drastic drop in fans attendance??

I used to watch over the TV, football stadiums in Argentina are always jam packed whenever top teams in the Argentine league are playing.

Top teams include Independiente, Boca Juniors, Argentinos Juniors and River Plate - these 4 are like Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and my all time favourite - Liverpool in the English Premier League.

Say no to H1N1, say yes to Liverpool and Diego Armando Maradona.

Was Megan Fox a fan of the heavy metal group - Motley Crue??

The success of The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has made Megan Fox even hotter. She topped Heat magazine's Body Envy 2009 survey.

She beat celebrities like Cheryl Cole, Kelly Brook, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Beyonce Knowles, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez, Katie Price and Rihanna.

Well, in an old photo of Megan Fox, she was photographed wearing Motley Crue tshirt... So was she a fan of that hard rocking heavy metal group??

For the record, Tommy Lee, a drumer with Motley Crue was once married to the super sexy Hollywood actress - Pamela Anderson...

Steven Gerrard fight CCTV footage

The CCTV footage dated 29 December 2008, at approx 3 am, showed the Liverpool captain in a fracas with a man in a pub in England. Well i think the guy who provoked Gerrard is a Manchester United or Chelsea or Arsenal fan. Well to me, he did that on purpose with one evil intention - to prevent Liverpool from winning the 2008/2009 English Premier League!!!

which one is shorter, Minime in Austin Powers or He PingPing, the smallest man in the world??

Above is a scene from the movie, Austin Powers, the small guy alongside Austin Powers is Minime, he is small and short right...!!

Well the video below features He PingPing, the 21 year old from Inner Mongolia, China who is officialy recognised as the smallest man in the world, standing at 2 feet 5 inches (73cm)..

So who is shorter here, Minime or He PingPing?????

Man with the longest hair in the world - 6.2 metres!!

Tran Van Hay may have the world's longest hair. At approximately 6.2 meters long the 73 year-old vietnamese man keeps it balanced on his head under a scarf and it looks like a giant turban. He unravels it for visitors and his wife lays it out on the table to show them just how long it is.

The smallest man in the world meets the tallest man in the universe

Bao Xishun, at 7 feet 9 inches (236cm), meets He Pingping, who is 2 feet 5 inches (73cm).

Smallest man in the world meets woman with longest legs in the universe

Two extreme worlds came together on the steps of Trafalgar Square in London when the world's smallest man met the woman with the longest legs in the world onSept. 16, 2008.

On that day, the 6 foot 5 inches (196 metres tall) Svetlana Pankratova from Volgograd, Russia, meets He Pingping, 21, from China, who is only 2 feet 5 inches (73cm)tall.

Svetlana Pankratova, 39, according to Guinness World Records, has the longest legs of any woman in the world.

While she is not the world's tallest woman, her legs are 132 centimetres (4 ft 4 in) long.

She has also very large feet, size 13 (US) / 46 (EU), making shopping for shoes difficult.

What if Svetlana Pankratova and He Pingping got married???????????

Miracle baby in Colombia - weighs 13 pounds during birth!!

What has happened to the Indonesian human "Treeman"??