Whazzup Mr. MaLao

The Price of Polygamy In Ethiopia

2009-04-22T20:28:00.004+07:00

The Price of Polygamy In Ethiopia:

12 Wives + 78 Children = Trouble

OROMIYA, Ethiopia -- If you were to visit 65-year-old Ayatu Nure and his family at their compound in the Oromiya region of Ethiopia, you would probably find eight of Ayatu's 12 wives harvesting banana roots for dinner, while chasing after their combined 78 children. At first glance, this unlikely family appears carefree -- but a closer look reveals that many of Ayatu's children are hungry, possibly even malnourished. Their main source of food -- banana roots -- doesn't provide much nutrition, but unfortunately this is the only thing Ayatu can afford.

In this remote, densely-populated region of Ethiopia, it is common for men to have multiple wives. In Ayatu's case this tradition has backfired. Years ago, he had enough land and food to satisfy everyone's needs. This changed when Ayatu had to sell land or cattle to make the dowry payment for each new wife he took, usually a sum of between $500 and $1,000. Now, the family compound is almost bare from overgrazing, two of his wives have moved with cattle in search of greener pastures, and two others died from unknown illnesses in the 1990s. The situation is so desperate that Ayatu cannot afford to send his children to secondary school, and he is marrying off two of his 15-year-old daughters to ensure they are fed. Thirteen others are living with their married siblings.

Living with two wives and eight children in a neighbouring town is Ayatu's eldest son, Dagne. Dagne said he and his father made a mistake by taking more than one wife and blames it on a lack of education, "Men and women don't have the knowledge of birth spacing or the desire to seek this information," said Dagne.

Ayatu's family is enormous by any standards. In Ethiopia, having at least five children per mother is the norm. "The population is growing at a rate of 2.7 percent annually, said Dr. Monique Rakotomalala, the Ethiopia representative for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. With the population of the country now at 73 million, she is concerned. "That means two million new people every year." At this rate, the population could double over the next 24 years, severely stretching existing resources. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ethiopia's Minister of Health, says the secret is smaller families. "We have to educate our communities and tell them the benefits of smaller families because it will bring a better quality of life to each household."

Ayattu Nure says he regrets having so many children - he cannot remember all their names.

To assist families like Ayatu's, the Government of Ethiopia has launched a network of 29,000 health extension workers to teach both men and women about family planning and provide contraceptives to those who want to delay childbearing. So far, two of Ayatu's wives are using long-term implants. Many women in remote villages opt for this method because of the distance between their homes and health centres. Yet, health extension workers visiting families in this pastoral landscape also face difficulties as they have to walk long distances to reach one household, and sometimes lack sufficient stock to meet the demands of many communities.

Ayatu admits he failed to acknowledge the consequences of having such a large family, and wants to be a role model for young people so they will not make the same mistake. "I wasn't educated," said Ayatua. "Nobody asked me. Nobody told me of the consequences".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy

UN world digital library goes live online

2009-04-22T19:42:00.003+07:00

http://www.wdl.org/en/

The earliest written works in humanity can now be viewed online thanks to a project supported by UNESCO, the UN educational arm, and the effort of libraries from around the world.

The World Digital Library went live on Tuesday, aiming to provide a one-stop shop for researchers, teachers and schoolchildren seeking to find items on one topic together in one place.

"It brings together cultural heritage that's scattered around the world," said U.S. Librarian of Congress James Billington.

Among the works that can be viewed are a 1562 map of the New World, the first book published in the Philippines (in Spanish and Tagalog), mathematical texts in Arabic, Chinese oracle bones inscribed with writings and the world's first novel, The Tale of Genji, written in Japan in the 11th century.

"These are primary documents of culture," says Billington. "These pieces are one of a kind, or available in just a very few places."

The website has seven languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian.

There are also early photographs, film and audio tracks on the site, created with the help of some 32 libraries and research institutions from 19 countries.

Billington says the site, which currently holds some 1,200 artifacts, will continue to grow as more libraries and institutions join the project.

The site is modelled after the Library of Congress's American Memory project, which now has 11 million history-related items online.

Hostage-takers steal millions from bank

2009-02-27T23:27:00.002+07:00

Police won't confirm precise sum stolen

( Updated: Friday, 27 Feb 2009, 9:09 AM CST )

DUBLIN (AP) - Police say a Bank of Ireland employee has stolen millions of euros from his own branch after a gang took his family hostage and threatened to kill them unless he cooperated.

Kidnappings of bank officials' families are common in Ireland but usually involve much smaller cash losses. Police say the banker's family was freed uninjured Friday after he delivered the money.

Police have refused to confirm the precise sum stolen. Irish media are putting it at euro7 million ($9 million).

If confirmed, this would be the second-biggest kidnapping of its kind in Ireland. In 2004, two Northern Bank employees were forced to help a gang take more than 26 million pounds ($50 million) from the bank's central Belfast vault.

Abortion Memorial

2009-02-21T16:28:00.002+07:00

Memorial: 50 million pennies for 50 million babies aborted

From the Clarion-Ledger, December 2:

( http://www.lifenews.com/state3676.html )

There's a half million dollars sitting on the corner of Mississippi and President streets [in Jackson, MS], but no one could possibly steal it.

That's because the cash is in the form of pennies - 50 million of them - that collectively weigh 156 tons.

The coins, which fill a glass house on the grounds of the Mississippi Baptist Convention building, provide a visual reminder of the number of abortions performed in the United States since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. [Photo above shows memorial with only 26 million pennies in 2007.]...

"We just needed something to memorialize and help people see the magnitude of abortion over the last several decades," said the Rev. Jimmy Porter, executive director of the Mississippi Baptist Convention's Christian Action Commission.

Called the "Memorial to the Missing," the penny-filled structure is a project of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, which set out more than two years ago to collect one penny for each child who would have been born were it not for legalized abortion.

Now that the convention reached its goal of collecting 50 million pennies, it plans to invest the money in a fund dedicated to anti-abortion causes.

"I think it's been real effective," said the Rev. Clarence Cooper, who was president of the convention when the memorial was erected on Mother's Day weekend in 2006, "especially to those who have taken the time to read the large plaque that is there."

The plaque says the coins not only represent aborted babies but "the difficult process of decision-making, fear and loneliness" involved with abortion. It asks passersby to "stop, pray, consider what we are doing as a nation, ask God to forgive us, seek ways to help those who are struggling with the decision and look to the Lord to restore each of us."

Convention spokesman William Perkins said people often stop at the container to pray and insert their own coins into the structure's penny slot.

"There are a number of stories we've heard about grandparents who walk by and saw it and read the plaque and dug in their pockets and put pennies in the memorial for grandchildren who have been aborted," he said. "It's been an interesting couple of years."

Meanwhile, continued contributions can be made to the Mississippi Baptist Christian Action Commission.

Removing the pennies from the container will be no easy feat.

"It will be interesting to see how that's done," Perkins said. "There's no clear-cut way to do that."

The coins are piled 6 feet deep in the 13-by-7 glass house.

The structure weighs more than 300,000 pounds - or the equivalent of 100 sedans stacked on top of each other.

The container is made of steel and bullet-proof glass and is reinforced by five concrete pilings buried 14 feet into the ground.

The first batch of 20 million pennies were poured into the container when the memorial was dedicated in 2006....

Perkins said the memorial's position facing the MS State Capitol sends a message to legislators that MS Baptists support laws that oppose abortion.

"This is one of the most pro-life states in the country as far as our Legislature goes," he said.

There is only one abortion provider in MS, and the state has some of most restrictive abortion laws in the country....

Rare supercar found in English garage

2009-01-03T16:59:00.002+07:00

LONDON – It was the equivalent of finding an old Picasso or an unknown Beatles tape hidden away in your uncle's attic.

Relatives of Dr. Harold Carr found an extremely rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante — a Holy Grail for car collectors — as they were going through his belongings after his death.

The dusty two-seater, unused since 1960, didn't look like much in the garage in Gosforth, near Newcastle in northern England.

But only 17 were ever made, and when it's cleaned up and auctioned in Paris next month, experts believe it will fetch at least 3 million pounds ($4.3 million) and possibly much more.

Bugatti once represented the height of motoring achievement. The supercar was so ahead of its time it could go up to 130 mph (209 kph) when most other cars topped out about 50 mph (80 kph).

This particular car is even more valuable because it was originally owned by Earl Howe, a prominent British race car driver, and because its original equipment is intact, so it can restored without relying on replacement parts.

"It has all the finest attributes any connoisseur collector could ever seek, in one of the ultimate road-going sports cars from the golden era of the 1930s," said James Knight, head of the international motoring department at Bonhams, which will auction the car Feb. 7.

Knight and a small number of Bugatti enthusiasts knew of Carr's proudest possession, but not the eight relatives who inherited Carr's estate.

The orthopedic surgeon, who died at age 89, was described by relatives as an eccentric hoarder who never threw anything out. He also left behind an Aston Martin, which was sold, and a Jaguar sports car that was scrapped because it was in such poor condition.

The Bugatti marque is famed for its speed and handling and was a frequent race winner in the 1920s and 1930s. The 57S Atalante was one of its most successful models, each one made by hand with unique details.

The company founded in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti collapsed in the 1940s after a long string of racing victories.

The rights to the legendary Bugatti name were purchased in 1998 by Volkswagen, which has built the Bugatti Veyron, one of the world's fastest and most expensive cars.

Lady Finger For Sugar (Diabetes) Patients

2009-01-02T01:50:00.003+07:00

Please note that another name for Lady Finger is "OKRA ".

Last month in one of TV program I learnt of a treatment of Sugar (Diabetes). Since I am diabetic, I tried it and it was very useful and my sugar is in control now. In fact I have already reduced my medicine.

Take two pieces of Lady Finger and remove/cut both ends of each piece. Also put a small cut in the middle and put these two pieces inglass of water. Cover the glass and keep it at room temperature during night. Early morning, before breakfast simply remove two pieces of Lady Finger from the glass and drink that water.

Keep doing it on daily basis.

Within two weeks, you will see remarkable results in reduction of your SUGAR.

My sister has got rid of her diabetes. She was on Insulin for a fewyears, but after taking the Lady Fingers every morning for a few months, she has stopped Insulin but continues to take the Lady Fingers everyday. But she chops the Lady Fingers into fine pieces in the night, addsthe water and drinks it all up the next morning. Please. try it as itwill not do you any harm even if it does not do much good to you, but you have to keep taking it for a few months before you can see the results, as most cases might be chronic...

UroClub

2009-01-02T01:30:00.002+07:00

I have never understood golf courses. They love to send cute chicks around to sell you beer, but if they catch you watering their foliage after you've had 4 or 5 beers, they get their panties all in a twist. As a result, booze loving golfers end up in a jam. You can't pee outside, and you sure as hell can't trek all the way back to the clubhouse to pee inside. Well, the UroClub is here to save the day. The UroClub looks exactly like a 7-iron, but it is hollow and comes with a nice privacy towel. Simply pop the top, attach the towel to your belt, drop your zipper and then get down to business.

The UroClub is intended to eliminate anxiety and any feeling of uneasiness on the course. It can be emptied at the nearest restroom or later on when the golfer returns home.

Capacity: Over half a liter, twice the volume commonly urinated.

Length: Like a standard 7 Iron

Only $49.95.
Order two for only $74.92!!!

To order, call UroClub now at 866-999-4URO; that's 866-999-4876 ...

Or visit:

Http://www.uroclub.org

Correct Way Of Cooking Instant Noodles

2008-11-30T11:34:00.000+07:00

The correct way to cook instant noodles without harming our bodies and health. `Normally, how we cook the instant noodles is to put the noodles into a pot with water, throw in the powder and let it cook for around 3 minutes and then it's ready to eat.

This is the WRONG method of cooking the instant noodles.

By doing this, when we actually boil the ingredients in the powder, normally with MSG, it will change the molecular structures of the MSG causing it to be toxic.

The other thing that you may or may not realize is that, the noodles are coated with wax and it will take around 4 to 5 days for the body to excrete the wax after you have taken the noodles.

CORRECT METHOD :

1. Boil the noodles in a pot with water.
2. Once the noodles is cooked, take out the noodles, and throw away the water which contains wax.
3. Boil another pot of water till boiling and put the noodles into the hot boiling water and then shut the fire.
4. Only at this stage when the fire is off, and while the water is very hot, put the ingredient with the powder into the water, to make noodle soup.
5. However, if you need dry noodles, take out the noodles and add the ingredient with the powder and toss it to get dry noodles.

Please share this info and help save a life.

Expiry Dates on LPG Gas Cylinders

2008-11-30T11:21:00.002+07:00

Do you know that LPG gas cylinders have expiry dates?

Expired LPG cylinders are not safe for use and may cause accidents.
In this regard, please be cautious at the time of accepting any LPG cylinder from your vendor.

Here is how we can check on the expiry of LPG cylinders:

On one of three side stems of the cylinder, the expiry date is coded alpha numerically as follows:

A or B or C or D

and some two digit number following this,

e.g. D06.

The alphabets stand for quarters -

1. A for March (first quarter),
2. B for June (second quarter),
3. C for September (third quarter), &
4. D for December (fourth quarter).

The digits stand for the year till it is valid.

Hence D06 would mean December quarter of 2006.

Please return back the cylinder that you get with an expired date.

They are prone to leaks and other hazards.

This second example of D13 allows the cylinder to be in use until December 2013.

Japan fires military chief over WWII denial

2008-11-04T01:04:00.005+07:00

General Toshio Tamogami

(CNN) -- A state-run Chinese newspaper expressed relief Monday that senior Japanese officials had dismissed the country's air force chief after he denied Japan's aggression before and during World War II.

Gen. Toshio Tamogami lost his job as chief of staff for Japan's Air Self-Defense Force, the Ministry of Defense said, after saying in an essay that "it is certainly a false accusation to say that our country was an aggressor nation."

Japanese troops invaded China in 1937 and were widely accused of gross human rights abuses, including raping tens of thousands of girls and women and killing several hundred thousand others in what has come to be called "The Rape of Nanking."

Imperial Japan also invaded several other Asian nations, leading to the death and misery for an untold number.

Two former Japanese prime ministers have apologized for Japanese aggression before and during World War II. Yet China has long accused of elements within Japan of trying to whitewash the Japanese atrocities committed before and during World War II.

"The denial of the aggression history by Toshio Tamogami comes in as an element of disharmony," the state-run China Daily said a commentary Monday. "Yet, as long as the Japanese government has a right attitude to this question, the smooth development of ties between the two neighbors will not be derailed by such discordant notes."

Tamogami's essay, published late last week, also stirred controversy in South Korea.

Japan controlled Korea from 1910 to 1945. Its military is accused of forcing roughly 200,000 women, mainly from Korea and China, to serve as sex slaves -- they were known euphemistically as "comfort women" -- for soldiers in the Imperial Army.

The South Korean foreign ministry criticized Tamogami's commentary in a statement published by Yonhap, the South Korean news agency.

"His claim is distorting history," the statement said. "International friendly relations are based on repentance for past wrongdoings and learning a lesson from history,"

Tamogami's essay won first prize in a competition called the "True Perspective of Modern and Contemporary History."

Several Japanese leaders have apologized in recent years for past Japanese aggression.

In 2005, then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologized for his country's role in World War II on the 60th anniversary of the war's end. He vowed Japan would never again take "the path to war."

Japan agreed to surrender on August 15, 1945, after U.S. planes dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The formal surrender was signed September 2.

In 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the war's end, then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama also expressed Tokyo's deep remorse and heartfelt apology for the damage and suffering it inflicted on its Asian neighbors.

And in 2001, Koizumi apologized for Japanese treatment of Koreans during its occupation of the Korean peninsula during the first half of the 20th century.

In a statement, Koizumi acknowledged the "enormous damage" inflicted by Japan's military "by colonization and invasion" during the conflict.

"We must take this historical fact of such very sincerely, and I would like to express keen remorse and heartfelt apologies," Koizumi said. "I would like to also express our deep condolences to the victims inside and outside of Japan during World War II."

At the height of the conflict, much of southeast Asia, China and the Pacific islands were in Japanese hands.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/03/japan.war.role/index.html?iref=werecommend

2008-11-04T00:45:00.002+07:00

For sale: Saddam Hussein's luxury yacht

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraq said it has decided to sell Saddam Hussein's luxury yacht after winning a legal dispute over its ownership.

The former dictator's 269-foot superyacht is fitted with swimming pools, salons, a secret passage and a rocket launching system.

Iraq's government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement that the government on Sunday agreed to part with the superyacht.

French authorities seized the boat on January 31 after it docked in Nice on the Mediterranean coast. The yacht remained there while courts settled a row over the ship's ownership.

A yacht brokerage firm had tried to sell the boat for a reported $35 million. But Iraq said the yacht still belonged the country.

University Top 200 in Full

2008-10-10T10:44:00.002+07:00

University Top 200 in Full
From Times Online - October 9, 2008(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article4910798.ece)

Britain has 17 universities in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings top 100, down from 19 last year.

Harvard tops the list for the fifth consecutive year. Second place goes to Yale, which was joint second with Cambridge and Oxford last year. The two British institutions came third and fourth respectively this year.

In total the UK has 29 universities in the top 200, one fewer than last year. Of these, 22 had slipped down the rankings. The highest ranking UK university is Cambridge at Number 3, and the lowest ranking is the University of Reading, at 194 just six from bottom place, which goes to the University of Athens.

Four British universities are in the top 10, the same as last year. Imperial College London fell from fifth to sixth place while University College London rose from ninth to seventh.

More than a third of the top 100 are based in the US. The rise of Asian institutions is reflected in the inclusion of nine of them within the top 50, including three based in Hong Kong.

Two new entrants this year are Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Seoul National University.

The list in full:

1- 100

001 HARVARD University United States
002 YALE University United States
003 University of CAMBRIDGE United Kingdom
004 University of OXFORD United Kingdom
005 CALIFORNIA Institute of Technology (Calt... United States
006 IMPERIAL College London United Kingdom
007 UCL (University College London) United Kingdom
008 University of CHICAGO United States
009 MASSACHUSETTS Institute of Technology (M... United States
010 COLUMBIA University United States
011 University of PENNSYLVANIA United States
012 PRINCETON University United States
013= DUKE University United States
013= JOHNS HOPKINS University United States
015 CORNELL University United States
016 AUSTRALIAN National University Australia
017 STANFORD University United States
018 University of MICHIGAN United States
019 University of TOKYO Japan
020 MCGILL University Canada
021 CARNEGIE MELLON University United States
022 KING'S College London United Kingdom
023 University of EDINBURGH United Kingdom
024 ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of T... Switzerland
025 KYOTO University Japan
026 University of HONG KONG Hong Kong
027 BROWN University United States
028 École Normale Supérieure, PARIS France
029 University of MANCHESTER United Kingdom
030= National University of SINGAPORE(NUS) Singapore
031= University of CALIFORNIA, Los Angeles
032 University of BRISTOL United Kingdom
033 NORTHWESTERN University United States
034= ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE France
034= University of BRITISH COLUMBIA Canada
036 University of California, BERKELEY United States
037 The University of SYDNEY Australia
038 The University of MELBOURNE Australia
039 HONG KONG University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong
040 NEW YORK University (NYU) United States
041 University of TORONTO Canada
042 The CHINESE University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
043 University of QUEENSLAND Australia
044 OSAKA University Japan
045 University of NEW SOUTH WALES Australia
046 BOSTON University United States
047 MONASH University Australia
048 University of COPENHAGEN Denmark
049 TRINITY College Dublin Ireland
050= Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de LAUSANNE... Switzerland
050= PEKING University China
050= SEOUL National University Korea, South
053 University of AMSTERDAM Netherlands
054 DARTMOUTH College United States
055 University of WISCONSIN-Madison United States
056 TSINGHUA University China
057 HEIDELBERG Universität Germany
058 University of CALIFORNIA, San Diego United States
059 University of WASHINGTON United States
060 WASHINGTON University in St. Louis United States
061 TOKYO Institute of Technology Japan
062 EMORY University United States
063 UPPSALA University Sweden
064 LEIDEN University Netherlands
065 The University of AUCKLAND New Zealand
066 LONDON School of Economics and Political... United Kingdom
067 UTRECHT University Netherlands
068 University of GENEVA Switzerland
069 University of WARWICK United Kingdom
070 University of TEXAS at Austin United States
071 University of ILLINOIS United States
072 Katholieke Universiteit LEUVEN Belgium
073 University of GLASGOW United Kingdom
074 University of ALBERTA Canada
075 University of BIRMINGHAM United Kingdom
076 University of SHEFFIELD United Kingdom
077 NANYANG Technological University Singapore
078= DELFT University of Technology Netherlands
078= RICE University United States
078= Technische Universität MÜNCHEN Germany
081= University of AARHUS Denmark
081= University of YORK United Kingdom
083= GEORGIA Institute of Technology United States
083= The University of WESTERN AUSTRALIA Australia
083= University of ST ANDREWS United Kingdom
086 University of NOTTINGHAM United Kingdom
087 University of MINNESOTA United States
088 LUND University Sweden
089 University of CALIFORNIA, Davis United States
090 CASE WESTERN RESERVE University United States
091= Université de Montréal Canada
091= University of HELSINKI Finland
093= Hebrew University of JERUSALEM Israel
093= Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Germany
095 KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Scie... Korea, South
096 University of VIRGINIA United States
097 University of PITTSBURGH United States
098 University of CALIFORNIA, Santa Barbara United States
099= PURDUE University United States
099= University of SOUTHAMPTON United Kingdom

101 - 200

101 VANDERBILT University United States
102= University of NORTH CAROLINA United States
102= University of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA United States
104 University of LEEDS United Kingdom
105 PENNSYLVANIA STATE University United States
106= University of ADELAIDE Australia
106= University of ZURICH Switzerland
108 University College DUBLIN Ireland
109 TECHNION - Israel Institute of Technolog... Israel
110 GEORGETOWN University United States
111 MAASTRICHT University Netherlands
112 TOHOKU University Japan 113 FUDAN University China
114 TEL AVIV University Israel 115 University of VIENNA Austria
116 Université catholique de LOUVAIN (UCL) Belgium
117= MCMASTER University Canada 117= QUEEN'S University Canada
119 University of ROCHESTER United States
120 NAGOYA University Japan 121 OHIO STATE University United States
122= DURHAM University United Kingdom
122= University of MARYLAND United States
124= National TAIWAN University Taiwan
124= University of OTAGO New Zealand
126 ERASMUS University Rotterdam Netherlands
127 STONY BROOK University United States
128 EINDHOVEN University of Technology Netherlands
129 University of WATERLOO Canada
130 University of SUSSEX United Kingdom
131 University of BASEL Switzerland
132 University of CALIFORNIA, Irvine United States
133= CARDIFF University United Kingdom
133= Technical University of DENMARK Denmark
133= University of LIVERPOOL United Kingdom
136 University of GHENT Belgium
137= Freie Universität BERLIN Germany
137= TEXAS A&M University United States
139 HUMBOLDT-Universität zu Berlin Germany
140 Ecole normale supérieure de LYON France
141 University of Science and Technology of ... China
142 WAGENINGEN University Netherlands
143 NANJING University China
144= SHANGHAI JIAO TONG University China
144= University of GRONINGEN Netherlands
146 University of ARIZONA United States
147= CITY University of Hong Kong Hong Kong
147= Universität FREIBURG Germany
149 Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie PARIS V... France
150 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ... Mexico
151 RUTGERS, The State University of New Jer... United States
152 University of BATH United Kingdom
153 University of ABERDEEN United Kingdom
154 Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (II... India
155= Eberhard Karls Universität TÜBINGEN Germany
155= VU University AMSTERDAM Netherlands
157 TUFTS University United States
158 KYUSHU University Japan
159 The University of WESTERN ONTARIO Canada
160 QUEEN MARY, University of London United Kingdom
161 University of LAUSANNE Switzerland
162= CHALMERS University of Technology Sweden
162= NEWCASTLE University, NEWCASTLE Upon Tyn... United Kingdom
164 SIMON FRASER University Canada
165 University of FLORIDA United States
166= CHULALONGKORN University Thailand
166= Universität GÖTTINGEN Germany
168 University of NOTRE DAME United States
169 Universität FRANKFURT am Main Germany
170= INDIANA University Bloomington United States
170= University of CALGARY Canada
170= University of LANCASTER United Kingdom
173 KTH, ROYAL Institute of Technology Sweden
174= HOKKAIDO University Japan
174= Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (I... India
174= RENSSELAER Polytechnic Institute United States
177= University of LEICESTER United Kingdom
177= University of OSLO Norway
179 University of CAPE TOWN South Africa
180= University of COLORADO at Boulder United States
180= WASEDA University Japan
182 MACQUARIE University Australia
183= Lomonosov MOSCOW STATE University Russia
183= Université Libre de BRUXELLES (ULB) Belgium
185 BRANDEIS University United States
186= University of BARCELONA Spain
186= University of CANTERBURY New Zealand
188= POHANG University of Science and Technol... Korea, South
188= Technische Universität BERLIN Germany
190 Universität STUTTGART Germany
191 University of MASSACHUSETTS, Amherst United States
192= University of BERN Switzerland
192= University of BOLOGNA Italy
194 University of READING United Kingdom
195 University of ANTWERP Belgium
196 University of SAO PAULO Brazil
197= DALHOUSIE University Canada
197= University of BUENOS AIRES Argentina
199 KOBE University Japan
200= University of ATHENS Greece

Lost Cat Returned Home After 9 Years

2008-10-09T18:38:00.002+07:00

LONDON (Reuters) - A couple have been reunited with their missing cat after nine years, the RSPCA said on Wednesday.

Dixie, a 15-year-old ginger cat, disappeared in 1999 and her owners thought she had been killed by a car.

She was found less than half a mile from her home in Birmingham after a concerned resident rang the animal charity to report a thin and dishevelled cat who had been in the area for a couple of months.

RSPCA Animal Collection Officer Alan Pittaway checked her microchip and confirmed it was Dixie. She was returned to her owners, Alan and Gilly Delaney, within half an hour.

"In 29 years of working for the RSPCA I have never seen anyone so excited and happy as Mrs Delaney," Pittaway said. "It made my day to return Dixie to her owners."

The couple were "overjoyed" to be reunited with their missing cat after so many years.

"Dixie's personality, behaviour and little mannerisms have not changed at all," said Gilly Delaney. "We don't think she has stopped purring since she came back through the door."

The RSPCA hope the story will encourage owners to have their pets microchipped.

(Reporting by Anna Legge; Editing by Steve Addison) Wed Sep 10, 10:48 AM ET

Woman Finds 2.5-M Python in Dutch Hotel Toilet

2008-10-09T17:32:00.003+07:00

THE HAGUE (AFP) - A guest at a Dutch hotel found a live, 2.5 metre python in the toilet, alerting authorities who arrested four people for illegally trading in rare animals, news agency ANP said Tuesday.

In Monday's incident the snake is believed to have slithered up the drain from a room below, where authorities discovered about 30 exotic animals, it reported, quoting the police.

The animals included snakes, geckos, frogs, salamanders and a baby crocodile.

Most were in boxes and bags, but two geckos were walking around freely in the room where police arrested three men and a women, all from Rome.

Winner of free funeral in Italy

2008-10-09T17:22:00.002+07:00

ROME (AFP) - The winner of a free funeral has not turned up to claim his prize after ticket number 11 was chosen in a raffle in southern Italy, an Italian newspaper reported Tuesday.

The holder of the winning ticket in the raffle - held in the town of San Marco in Lamis - is entitled to a free lined coffin, a tombstone, copper candlesticks and a grave site, Il Corriere del Mezzogiorno reported.

There is no deadline for claiming the prize and the winner can give it to somebody else, raffle organisers said, according to the paper.

Student celebrates $12 million lottery win

2008-10-02T16:25:00.002+07:00

LONDON (Reuters) - The credit crisis and tight student budgets hold no fears for a British teenager who won 7 million pounds ($12.68 million) on the Lottery.

Ianthe Fullagar, 18, from Cumbria, northern England, said she still plans to go to university next year to study law, despite her huge win on the EuroMillions game.

Although she won't need a student loan or inflated overdraft, she said she hopes to be just like the others at college.

"I'm going to live the life of a student. I'm going to live in student digs," she told the BBC on Tuesday. "I love baked beans."

The teenager said she screamed so loudly when she checked her ticket that her dog jumped up and bit her on the bottom.

She hid her winning ticket in her bra before moving it to a jewelry box and then her gym bag while she waited for her win to be confirmed.

After receiving an over-sized check at an official ceremony, she said she plans to spend her winnings on her family and friends and a new Ford Ka.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080930/od_nm/us_lottery;_ylt=At7.u6gnlLF6CTPO3R9QDf4uQE4F
Tue Sep 30, 1:55 PM ET

The best poem of 2006

2008-09-26T06:58:00.002+07:00

This poem was nominated by UN as the best poem of 2006,

Written by an African Kid

When I born, I black

When I grow up, I black

When I go in Sun, I black

When I scared, I black

When I sick, I black

And when I die, I still black

And you white fellow

When you born, you pink

When you grow up, you white

When you go in sun, you red

When you cold, you blue

When you scared, you yellow

When you sick, you green

And when you die, you gray

And you calling me colored?

1 glass of MILK

2008-09-25T14:44:00.002+07:00

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.. However, he lost his nerve w hen a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brough t him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, 'How much do I owe you?'

'You don't owe me anything,' she replied. 'Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.'

He said ... 'Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.'

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit...

Many year's later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the n ame of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.

Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.

He went back to the consultation room d etermined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words ... 'Paid in full with one glass of milk'

(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: 'Thank You God, that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands.'

There's a saying which goes something like this: Bread cast on the waters comes back to you. The good deed you do today may benefit you or someone you love at the least expected time. If you never see the deed again at least yo u will have made the world a better place -

And, after all, isn't that what life is all about?!

Now you have two choices.
1. You can send this page on and spread a positive message.
2. Or ignore it and pretend it never touched your heart

Heart Attacks And Drinking Warm Water

2008-09-07T04:11:00.004+07:00

This is a very good article.

Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about:

Heart Attacks

The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating.

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.

It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal.. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

Common Symptoms Of Heart Attack

A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting . Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line . You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.

A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this & Send to a friend. It could save a life. So, please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about.

Prediction of the coming Disaster

2008-09-01T18:21:00.002+07:00

Wow very depressing with so many natural disasters (So enjoy life while u can n live life to the fullness on each passing day)

Prediction of the coming Disaster Mr. Juseleeno Nobulega Da Roose, born in 1960 (reportedly still alive in 2008), is a Brazilian who has made many predictions, and MOST have come to pass, including Princess Diana's death by car accident (which is instigated by someone near her and will probably unfortunately be written off as a car accident), 911 and the 2004 Indonesian tsunami.

He sees the future in his dreams, and has an average of 3 to 9 such predictions per day.

When he wakes up, he will write them down, and send warnings to those concerned. If it concerns only a normal individual, he will write a letter to warn him/her... If it is a famous person (celebrity, politician etc.) or matters concerning the public, he will not only send it to the individual himself/herself, but also related agencies, government, and media. He urged the media to publicise these predictions, but the reply always went along the lines of rejection for fear of arousing public panic.

Future predictions:

2008, July:
There will be an earthquake in Japan, which will cause a tsunami of 30 plus metres high to occur as well.

2008, 18th September:
An earthquake with magnitude of approximately 9.1 will rock China , simultaneously causing a tsunami of more than 30 metres to occur, resulting in the deaths of more than 1 million people.

Although this huge earthquake will happen after the Olympics have ended, there will be a series of relatively smaller earthquakes occurring in China before the huge earthquake. The China government, which is more concerned with the success of the Olympics, will most likely neglect to employ appropriate cautionary measures, thus the high casualty rate.

If the China government does not publicise the occurrence of these minor earthquakes and evacuate people, the number of deaths will be as predicted.

2008, 17th December:
Terrorist attack in America

2010:
The temperatures in some countries of Africa could be as high as 58 degrees Celsius, and there will be a serious shortage of water.

2010, 15th June:
The New York Stock Exchange market will fail, causing an international financial crisis.

2011:
The research on the treatment of some cancers will be completed, but a new life-threatening virus will appear. People who are infected will die after only approx. 4 hours of coming into contact with the virus.

2013, 1st - 25th November:
Research on treatment of cancers, except for brain tumors, will be completed. An earthquake, caused by volcanic eruptions, will happen on Bahama Island of the Canary Islands. A gigantic tsunami of roughly 150 metres will result. America mainlands, Brazil etc will be affected, with the tsunami pushing into the land as far as 15 to 20 kilometres.

Before the occurrence of this gigantic tsunami, the sea/ocean water levels will sink by about 6 metres, and large flocks of birds will start to migrate.

2014:
A small planet that has been gradually closing in on Earth might eventually collide with Earth, and this collision, if come to pass, will affect the survival of humans as a whole.

2015:
By the mid of November, the average temperature of Earth could be as high as 59 degrees Celsius. Many people will die from the overheat, and international confusion and terror ensues.

2016, April:
A huge typhoon will invade China, causing massive damage. The 43rd USA president, George Walker Bush, will enter the hospital, and faces a life or death situation.

2026, July:
A super earthquake will occur in Sans Francisco, and it will be named 'The Big One'. Huge damage to surrounding areas. Many volcanoes will re-activate, and the height of resulting tsunami will be more than 150 metres.

Mr. Juseleeno made known his predictions in hopes that people will take heed of his warnings, so that these disasters may be avoided. He hopes there will be a major change in the thinking of people's mindsets in the time period 2007 - 2008.

One factor will be the environmental issue of global warming, which is more serious than what some meteorologists assume.

預知地球與人類之未來的預言家（提要）

Mr. Juseleeno是巴西的一名預言家，他出生於1960年，今年47嵗。曾預言過許許多多的世界性的災害與事件，包括：九一一事件、伊拉克戰敗後海珊總統被捕被判刑、印尼囌門答臘海上大地震與印度洋海嘯、羅馬教王保羅二世辭世等等。

1997年4月30日Juseleeno寄給梅加瓦蒂總統一封信，預言2004年12月26日早晨7點南亞洲將會被8.9級之超大地震侵襲同時也會引發10米高的海嘯。Juseleeno收到從梅加瓦蒂總統府寄來的感謝信函：「……有很多事情我們不得不去做，但是我們又無能爲力。」

對於尚未發生的事件，Juseleeno也有很多預測，看起來觸目驚心，而又迫在眉睫：

2008年的7月日本會發生地震，同時會引起30米以上的大海嘯。12月17日美國會發生恐怖事件。

2008年9月18日中國將發生超強烈9.1級大地震，其震源地在南寧與海南島，同時也會引發30米以上的大海嘯，造成數百萬以上的人遇難死亡。

雖然中國是在奧林匹克運動會結束之後才會發生地震，但9.1級的大地震之前會有頻繁的小地震發生，中國政府只顧面子以世界運動會之成功與否為最優先考量的話，而忽視了頻繁的前震，事前都沒有做任何對策的可能性很高。中國政府也許會根據情況而發佈報導管制將預兆的前震之發生對內於對外一切封閉。如此的做法絕對會如預言所述災害慘重。Mr. Time Trabeler John Taiter的遺言：“2004年在希臘雅典舉行的奧林匹克是最後的一次。”

2010年：非洲的數個國家之氣溫可能高達58攝氏度，同時發生嚴重的缺水。6月15日紐約的股票市場會崩盤，世界的經濟將陷入危機狀態。
2011年：癌症的治療方法研究成功，但另一種新致命性病毒會出現。感染上此病祗要4小時即會死亡。

2013年：腦腫瘤以外的癌症之治療法研究成功。Canary群島（加勒比海附近諸島）的巴哈馬島11月1日~25日期間，因爲火山爆發而發生地震。之後又會引發150米高的超巨大海嘯。約80米高的海嘯會湧到加勒比海。美國本土、巴西等地也會再沖到15公里~20公里的內陸地。海嘯要發生之前海水會沉下約6米深，大量的鳥類也會開始移動。

2014年：慢慢接近地球的小行星（Planet）有可能與地球發生相撞，此小行星的存在影響世界人類存滅之問題。

2015年：11月中地球的平均氣溫可能高達59攝氏度，會有很多人被熱死。世界的大混亂也隨之擴大。

2016年：4月中會發生颱風侵襲，中國有大都市會遭到破壞。美國的現任總統喬治布希先生將會緊急入院，面臨生命危機。

2026年：7月舊金山會發生超巨大地震被稱爲“The Big One”聖安德列斯大斷層會被破壞，加州會崩垮掉。很多火山口會重新開啓，海嘯的高度也會超過150米。

從Juseleeno的預言來看，地球溫暖化年年急劇上昇，到2012年非洲國家的氣溫可能達到讓人驚慌的高溫58攝氏度，同時也會發生嚴重的缺水，之後氣溫也會更加上昇直到2015年地球的平均氣溫會達到59攝氏度，有很多的人會被熱死，人類的大恐慌將會擴大到全世界。

無論如何，現在發生的溫暖化現象並不像氣象學家認爲的“暖化速度很緩慢”而是直綫急速上昇的。留給人類的時間祇剩不多了！ 2007年年底止是我們人類覺醒的最後時限。Juseleeno期望到2007年底世界上能發生很大的“意識改變”。

China sets Olympics record in weddings

2008-08-28T20:06:00.003+07:00

9,000 Couples to Marry on Lucky 080808

The new couple (Front) hold a special wedding ceremony to promote environment-friendly and economical wedding, in Huai'an, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 8, 2008, the opening day of the Beijing Olympic Games. (Xinhua/Xu Changzheng)

A couple wave on tricycle during their wedding ceremony, to promot the environment-friendly and economical wedding, in Huai'an, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 8, 2008, the opening day of the Beijing Olympic Games. (Xinhua/ Xu Changzheng)

Here's one Olympics competition where China definitely set a record: at least 314,224 couples tied the knot across the nation on Friday, or 08/08/08, the opening day of the 29th Olympic Games, official statistics showed.

As expected, that was a one-day record for marriages since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Saturday.

Although there's no previous national figure available, so many cities set records that the countrywide tally is considered to be the record. In Beijing alone, the host city of the Olympics, 15,646 couples were married, 23 times the daily average.

The previous one-day record for marriages in the capital was 4,452 on Dec. 18, 2006, which had one eight in it by the Western calendar. Under the lunar calendar, it was Oct. 28, which had two eights.

On Aug. 8 last year, 3,390 couples were married in Beijing, making it the second most popular date after Dec. 18.

Major Chinese cities saw a surge of applications to wed on Friday, either for the triple-eight symbolism or to catch an "Olympic wedding".

The number eight symbolizes wealth, fortune and luck for Chinese. Many choose dates with the number to start a business, marry, deliver babies or undertake some other significant step. People also pay extra to have it in phone numbers or vehicle license plates.

Local civil affairs authorities said that 6,418 couples were married in Shanghai on Friday and 4,841 in Wuhan. Figures for other cities were not immediately available.

The ministry held a special meeting on Tuesday asking local authorities to increase staff, use volunteers, work longer hours and open more offices to cope with the surge.

Some registration offices in Beijing and Tianjin worked around the clock to meet demand.

The Chaoyang District office in eastern Beijing registered a couple shortly after it opened for business at midnight. Source: Xinhua

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7467015.stm

Chinese Man Pierced 2008 Times

2008-08-28T18:37:00.002+07:00

China has been buzzing with anticipation for the 2008 Olympics this summer.

From putting up sexy Olympic street lights to naming 3,500 babies after the event, you can definitely feel the pride and excitement for thes Olympic Games.

Wei, a 60 year-old Chinese acupuncturist from Guangxi province, showed his patriotism for the upcoming Olympics by piercing his head, face, chest, and arms with 2008 decorative needles in five different colors.

The event broke his previous Guinness Record of 1790 needles set in 2004. Wei also hopes to share more about the history of acupuncture to the world.

Initially inspired after reading about a Canadian who had set a record for inserting 420 needles in his arm, Wei felt that it was “not much compared to our centuries-old acupuncture,” and began experimenting with piercing his own body with needles.

On January 13, 2007, Wei had also paraded through town with 800 needles in his forehead and even put on skates and skated around the streets to show he was not in pain and alright. (http://whazzup-malao.blogspot.com/2008/08/chinese-acupuncturist-skates-with-800.html)

“I shook with fear when I saw his hedgehog-head. It seemed like he must be hurting himself.” said a lady in her sixties.

Chinese Acupuncturist Skates with 800 Needles in His Head

2008-08-12T18:06:00.000+07:00

A Chinese acupuncturist paraded in front of onlookers in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality with more than 800 acupuncture needles in his forehead during a self-acupuncture performance on Tuesday, a local newspaper reported.

Passersby couldn't help crying out when Wei Shengchu, a 60-year-old acupuncturist and cosmetic surgeon from southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, appeared in downtown Jiefangbei street on Tuesday afternoon, reported the Chongqing Morning Post.

"I shook with fear when I saw his hedgehog-head. It seemed like he must be hurting himself." said a lady in her sixties.

Some people thought the needles could do harm to the body and thought it was a fake performance.

Wei invited onlookers to experience inserting the needles themselves. Donning a pair of skates, he skated around the street to prove he was quite OK with the acupuncture.

"Inserting the needles is quite enjoyable for me. Whether I'm working or taking a rest, I often insert needles into my head. It is really comfortable", said Wei.

It takes Wei several hours to insert 800 needles into his head and face.

Wei said he plans to insert 2,008 needles into his head in 2008in Beijing when the city hosts the 2008 Olympics. He said has already booked a hotel room for this purpose well over a year in advance.

Wei's passion for self-acupuncture stems from a 2002 newspaper clipping which reported that a Canadian had a Guinness World Record for inserting 420 needles into his arms.

"It's not much compared to our centuries-old acupuncture," thought Wei, who began experimenting with inserting needles into his body.

Wei finally achieved his Guinness World Record for self-acupuncture when he inserted 1,790 needles into his face in 2004.

Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine with a history of over 2,000 years. It involves insertion of fine metallic needles on the body to relieve pain and cure diseases.

http://www.china.org.cn/english/health/195965.htm
(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2007)

World Most Expensive Villa

2008-08-11T21:23:00.003+07:00

Russian oligarch 'invader' pays record £392m for Riviera villa

A mysterious Russian billionaire has trumped his big-spending rivals and broken a world record by splashing out €500 million (£392 million) on one of the most sumptuous villas on the French Riviera.

The price of the Villa Leopolda, a Belle Époque mansion on the heights of Villefrance, has amazed estate agents but fuelled local worries that the invasion of Russian money on the Côte d'Azur is getting out of hand.

Since the early 1990s, Russian oligarchs, drawn by memories of the Riviera-mad old Russian aristocracy, have been piling into seaside properties at Cap Ferrat, Cap d'Antibes, Saint-Tropez and the other great playgrounds.

None, however, has come near the price with which the unnamed Russian clinched the Leopolda deal with Lily Safra, the widow of Edmond Safra, a Lebanese banker who was killed by an arsonist's fire in Switzerland in 2003.

Mrs Safra was said to have held out for months as the buyer raised his bid for the villa, between Nice and Monaco, which King Leopold II of Belgium acquired in 1902.

The previous record for a house was said to be the £57 million that Lakshmi Mittal, the steel tycoon, paid for a property in Kensington Palace Gardens in 2004. The macho spending contest by Russian oligarchs is making property agents giddy.

Jean Pierre, a high-end agent, said: “It's completely surreal and we are really uneasy. We don't dare any more to propose any price below €100 million for these clients. Anything below and they throw you out...and you should see how they do it,” he told Le Parisien. The Nice Matin newspaper said: “At this price tag, we are beyond luxury and even reality.”

Russian excess is feeding discontent among poorer people. Pierrette, a housekeeper for one Russian, said: “I attended a party where the guests had fun throwing burning €500 notes into the air while everyone split their sides laughing. The domestic staff were later told to collect the ashes. It was sickening.”

Jean-Marie Tarragoni, a Nice property manager, said that the Riviera market had gone mad. “Two hundred people are completely destabilising it. These Russian oligarchs have thrown themselves into a bidding war like Onassis and Niarchos.” Rivalry between Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos sent local prices rocketing in the 1950s.

The price for the Leopolda, which once belonged to the late Gianni Agnelli, the Fiat tycoon, has dwarfed the €20 million paid six years ago by Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea Football Club owner, for the semi-derelict Château de la Croë. Mr Abramovich is lavishly restoring the château, home to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor after the Second World War.

His staff have denied local rumours that he is the buyer of the Leopolda, which has a commanding view of Cap Ferrat and the Mediterranean and is often listed as one of the world's most desirable residences.

Regulars at parties in the Agnelli years there included Frank Sinatra and Ronald Reagan. Its turreted mansion and two guest houses sit in 20 acres of grounds with hundreds of olive, cypress and lemon trees tended by 50 gardeners. Former members of the Israeli special forces are said to ensure Mrs Safra's tranquillity there. She moves out in September.

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/overseas/article4499716.ece

Man 'Marries' Dog To Beat Curse

2008-08-10T22:32:00.003+07:00

An Indian man has "married" a female dog, hoping the move will help atone for stoning two other dogs to death.

P Selvakumar, 33, said he had been cursed since the killings, suffering paralysis and a loss of hearing.

The wedding took place at a Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu state. The "bride" wore an orange sari with a flower garland and was fed a bun to celebrate.

SSuperstitious people in rural India sometimes organise weddings to animals in the hope of warding off curses.

'Tried every cure'

Crowds cheered the newly-weds at the end of the ceremony in Sivaganga district, about 50km (30 miles) east of the city of Madurai.

The "bride", who is called Selvi, was led to the temple in Manamudurai wearing a sari before vows were exchanged in a traditional Hindu ceremony.

A relative of the groom who attended the wedding said he hoped Mr Selvakumar would now be cured.

"Fifteen years back Selvakumar was physically fit. But, once he attacked a pair of dogs and thereafter Kumar could not move his limbs freely," the relative, Ramu, told the BBC.

"He tried every cure for his ailment but could not be rid of his disability".

"On the advice of an astrologer and others, he decided to marry a bitch to get cured. Then we arranged Selvakumar's marriage with a bitch."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7093422.stm

8lb baby born at 8.08am on 08/08

2008-08-09T12:30:00.002+07:00

A baby was born at exactly:

Eight minutes past eight;

On the eighth of the eighth 2008;

Weighing eight pounds.

Baby Conner Bolland,

with mum Samantha Wilson,

was born at 8.08am

Photo: ROSS PARRY AGENCY

By Daily Telegraph Reporter

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2526538/8lb-baby-born-at-8.08am-on-0808.html

Conner Bolland's split second timing bodes well, as eight is considered a lucky number in many cultures.

His mother Samantha Wilson, 20, was taken to hospital on Wednesday when her waters broke, but Conner waited until the exact stroke of 8.08am on Friday to make his remarkable entrance.
Miss Wilson said: "It's just incredible.

"It wasn't until about an hour before he was born one of the midwives said 'if you can hang on for just a bit longer your baby could be born at 8am'.

"He was due on the seventh so it's almost as if he waited for the exact time to make his appearance.

"He's our first child so obviously he was always going to be special but this has made him unique."

Youth worker Samantha lives in Hull, East Yorkshire, with partner Bill Bolland, a 39-year-old car park attendant.

The pair met through work two years ago.

She said: "We will make him fully aware of how special he is when he is old enough to understand. He was smiling straight away.

"He looks a lot like his dad. I don't really have any ambitions for what I want him to do when he grows up - he can be whoever he wants to be."

The Beijing Olympics werwe deliberately timed to began at 8.08pm as the Chinese believe that the number eight is lucky, because it sounds similar to their word for 'wealth'.

Labour ward manager Sue Proctor said: "There's been a real buzz on the ward. We were joking in the morning that maybe one of our new arrivals would be at 8.08am but we never dreamed it would happen. It has to be highly unusual that it all fell into place, it's a real fluke.

Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh

2008-05-23T21:53:00.004+07:00

Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh,

Middle Rocks and South Ledge

(Malaysia/Singapore )

The Court finds that Singapore has sovereignty over

Pedra Branca/Pulau BatuPuteh; that Malaysia has sovereignty over Middle Rocks; and that sovereigntyover South Ledge belongs to the State in the territorial waters of which itis located

THE HAGUE, 23 May 2008. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the United Nations, today rendered its Judgment in the case concerning Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocksand South Ledge (Malaysia/Singapore ).

In its Judgment, which is final, binding and without appeal, the Court

finds by twelve votes to four that sovereignty over Pedra Branca/PulauBatu Puteh belongs to the Republic of Singapore;
finds by fifteen votes to one that sovereignty over Middle Rocks belongsto Malaysia;
finds by fifteen votes to one that sovereignty over South Ledge belongs tothe State in the territorial waters of which it is located.

Reasoning of the Court

The Court first explains that the dispute between Malaysia and Singapore concerns sovereignty over three maritime features in the Straits of Singapore: Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh (a granite island on which Horsburgh lighthouse stands), Middle Rocks (consisting of some rocks thatare permanently above water) and South Ledge (a low-tide elevation).

Having described the historical background of the case, the Court notes that the dispute as to sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh crystallized on 14 February 1980, when Singapore protested against the publication in 1979 by Malaysia of a map depicting the island as lying within Malaysia's territorial waters. It further observes that the disputeas to sovereignty over Middle Rocks and South Ledge crystallized on 6February 1993, when Singapore referred to the two features in the context of its claim to Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh during bilateral negotiations.

Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh

Malaysia contends that it has an original title to Pedra Branca/Pulau BatuPuteh (dating back from the time of its predecessor, the Sultanate of Johor)and that it continues to hold this title, while Singapore claims that theisland was terra nullius in the mid-1800s when the United Kingdom (its predecessor) took lawful possession of the island in order to construct a lighthouse.

Having reviewed the evidence submitted by the Parties, the Court finds thatthe territorial domain of the Sultanate of Johor did cover in principle all the islands and islets within the Straits of Singapore and did thus includePedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh. It establishes that this possession of theislands by the Sultanate was never challenged by any other Power in theregion; and that it therefore satisfies the condition of "continuous andpeaceful display of territorial sovereignty". The Court thus concludes thatthe Sultanate of Johor had original title to Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh. It adds that this ancient title is confirmed by the nature and degree of the Sultan of Johor's authority exercised over the Orang Laut ("the people ofthe sea", who inhabited or visited the islands in the Straits of Singapore, including Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh and made this maritime area their habitat).

The Court then looks at whether this title was affected by developments in the period between 1824 and the 1840s. In March 1824, the colonial Powers inthe region, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, signed a Treaty which had the practical effect of broadly establishing the spheres of influence of the two Powers in the East Indies. As a consequence, one part of the Sultanate of Johor (under Sultan Hussein) fell within the British sphere ofinfluence while the other (under Sultan Abdul Rahman, Sultan Hussein's brother) fell within a Dutch sphere of influence. In August 1824, Sultan Hussein ceded the island of Singapore, together with its adjacent seas, straits, and islets to the extent of 10 geographical miles from the coast ofSingapore to the English East India Company in the so-called Crawfurd Treaty. Finally, in a letter of 25 June 1825, Sultan Abdul Rahman "donated"certain territories, which were already within the British sphere of influence, to his brother, thereby confirming the division of the "old" Sultanate of Johor. After careful consideration of the legal effects of these developments, the Court finds that none of them brought any change to the original title.

The Court turns next to the legal status of Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Putehafter the 1840s to determine whether Malaysia and its predecessor retained sovereignty over the island. It observes that in order to do so, it needs toassess the relevant facts, consisting mainly of the conduct of the Parties (and of their predecessors) during the period under review.

The Court examines the events surrounding the selection process of the siteof the lighthouse and the construction of the latter, as well as the conductof the Parties' predecessors between 1852 and 1952 (in particular withrespect to the British and Singapore legislation relating to Horsburgh lighthouse and in the context of the Straits lights system; constitutional developments of Singapore and Malaysia; and Johor regulation of fisheries inthe 1860s), but is unable to draw any conclusions for the purposes of the case.

The Court notes that in a letter written on 12 June 1953 to the British Adviser to the Sultan of Johor, the Colonial Secretary of Singapore asked for information about the status of Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh in the context of determining the boundaries of the "Colony's territorial waters". In a letter dated 21 September 1953, the Acting State Secretary of Johor replied that the "Johore Government [did] not claim ownership" of the island. The Court considers that this correspondence and its interpretationare of central importance "for determining the developing understanding of the two Parties about sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh" and finds that the Johor's reply shows that as of 1953 Johor understood that it did not have sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh.

The Court finally examines the conduct of the Parties after 1953 with respect to the island. Having reviewed all arguments submitted to it, it finds that certain acts, inter alia the investigation of shipwrecks by Singapore within the island's territorial waters and the permission granted or not granted by Singapore to Malaysian officials to survey the waters surrounding the island, may be seen as conduct เ titre de souverain. The Court also considers that some weight can be given to the conduct of the Parties in support of Singapore's claim (i.e., the absence of reaction fromMalaysia to the flying of the Singapore ensign on the island, the installation by Singapore of military communications equipment on the island in 1977, and the proposed reclamation plans by Singapore to extend the island, as well as a few specific publications and maps).

The Court concludes, especially by reference to the conduct of Singapore andits predecessors เ titre de souverain, taken together with the conduct of Malaysia and its predecessors including their failure to respond to the conduct of Singapore and its predecessors, that by 1980 (when the dispute crystallized) sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh had passed to Singapore. The Court thus concludes that sovereignty over Pedra Branca/PulauBatu Puteh belongs to Singapore.

Sovereignty over Middle Rocks and South Ledge

Malaysia claims that the two maritime features have always been under Johor/Malaysian sovereignty while Singapore's position is that sovereignty over the features goes together with sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh.

With respect to Middle Rocks, the Court observes that the particular circumstances which led it to find that sovereignty over Pedra Branca/PulauBatu Puteh rests with Singapore clearly do not apply to Middle Rocks. It therefore finds that original title to Middle Rocks should remain with Malaysia as the successor to the Sultanate of Johor.

As for South Ledge, the Court notes that this low-tide elevation falls within the apparently overlapping territorial waters generated by Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh and by Middle Rocks. Recalling that it has not been mandated by the Parties to draw the line of delimitation with respect to their territorial waters in the area, the Court concludes that sovereignty over South Ledge belongs to the State in the territorial waters of which itis located.

Composition of the Court

The Court was composed as follows:

Vice-President Al-Khasawneh, ActingPresident in the case; Judges Ranjeva, Shi, Koroma, Parra-Aranguren,Buergenthal, Owada, Simma, Tomka, Abraham, Keith, Sep๚lveda-Amor, Bennouna, Skotnikov; Judges ad hoc Dugard, Sreenivasa Rao; Registrar Couvreur.

Judge Ranjeva appends a declaration to the Judgment of the Court; Judge Parra-Aranguren appends a separate opinion to the Judgment of the Court;J udges Simma and Abraham append a joint dissenting opinion to the Judgmentof the Court; Judge Bennouna appends a declaration to the Judgment of the Court; Judge ad hoc Dugard appends a dissenting opinion to the Judgment ofthe Court; Judge ad hoc Sreenivasa Rao appends a separate opinion to the Judgment of the Court.

A summary of the Judgment appears can be download from below:

http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/130/14490.pdf?PHPSESSID=8da9657723bce557d3049d9da4b38cf6

http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/130/14492.pdf?PHPSESSID=8da9657723bce557d3049d9da4b38cf6

Pictures taken from:
www.MalaysianBar.org
http://www.mfa.gov.sg

Further reading:
www.icj-cij.org/
http://www.malaysianbar.org. my/letters_ others/icj_ s_press_release_ on_pedra_
http://asia. news.yahoo. com/080523/ 5/singapore34959 2.html
http://asia. news.yahoo. com/080523/ afp/080523114730 asiapacificnews. html
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/349592/1/.html
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/080523/afp/080523114730asiapacificnews.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca,_South_China_Sea
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7416473.stm http://

Through a Rapist's Eyes (No Joke)

2008-05-22T11:21:00.003+07:00

This is important information for females of ALL ages.

When this was sent to me, I was told to forward it to my lady friends, but I forwarded it to most everyone in my address book. My men friends have female friends and this information is too important to miss someone. Please pass it along!

A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed . They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look forwomen who's clothing is easy to remove quickly . Many of them carry scissors around specifically to cut clothing.

3) They also look for women on their cell phone , searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walkingbecause they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.

4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5:00a.m. and 8:30a.m.

5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is grocery store parking lots . Number two: is office parking lots/garages. Number three: is public restrooms.

6) The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.

7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.

8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouragedbecause it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9) These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas , or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands. Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.

10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: 'I can't believe it is so cold out here,' 'we're in for a bad winter.'Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.

11) If someone is coming toward you , hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK ! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes) , yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

13) If someone grabs you , you can't beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm (between the elbow and armpit) OR in the upper innerthigh VERY VERY HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it - it hurts.

14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble and he's out of there.

15) When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible . The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

16) Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you canand if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!

You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2.Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans . If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM . Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3.If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4.Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:

A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.

B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control,ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP! It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it , but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ----This should be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Dont pump full tank of petrol

2008-05-11T12:13:00.003+07:00

Attention: Car Owners

Many of us are not aware that the petrol kiosk pump has a return pipe-line (in purple colour). When the petrol tank (in the car) reaches the full level, there is a mechanism to trigger off the pump latch and at the same time a return-valve is opened (at the top of the pump station) to allow excess petrol to flow back into the sump. But the return petrol has already pass through the meter, meaning you are donating the petrol back to the petrol kiosk!!

Phishing for trouble

2008-05-11T01:49:00.005+07:00

When you get an e-mail warning of a problem with your account, ignoring it can save you from being conned.

Once you are in the phisher’s net, he or she tricks you into giving away valuable information. — Filepic

There is an old Father Brown story that tells of how master thief Flambeau repaints the doors and gates along an entire street in order to fool a messenger into delivering a valuable parcel to his house instead of to the proper address on the next road. Today’s, thieves are still pulling the same scam – but online.

Phishers (pronounced “fishers”) create websites that look just like the one from your bank, online bookstore, or other familiar destinations. They then get you to visit their fake website by sending you an e-mail, SMS, or instant message that contains a link.

If they are imitating your bank, the link will have your bank’s name in it. If they are imitating your favourite betting portal, it will look like the proper address.

If you click on it, you are transported to the fake website, set up to look familiar.

Once you are in the phisher’s net, he or she will trick you into giving away valuable information.

If the phisher is local, they may fake you into giving up your bank account number and ATM password. By the time you realise what’s happened, they’ve raided your bank account.

If the phisher prefers the anonymity of plastic cash, they may imitate an online shop to get you to place an order with your credit card. When you fill out the form to take advantage of that “bargain”, they capture your name, address and credit card details.

The phisher can now go on a spending spree – and have you pay the bill!

Finding yourself broke and in debt isn’t the worst that can happen either. Criminal organisations look to get as much information as they can from you so they can fake your identity. Selling these details to illegal immigrants, crooks and even terrorists is big business.

UK citizen Simon Bunce was arrested four years ago after an ID fraudster used his credit card details on a child porn website. Fortunately, Bunce could prove that someone in Indonesia was using his credit card details in Jakarta at a time he was in the UK.

But because it took months for these details to be discovered, he lost his job and was ostracised by family and friends.

Phishing was first reported way back in 1987 but the term is only now becoming generally understood, thanks to the booming popularity of the Net for banking, shopping and other transactions.

PayPal announced it blocked 50 million phishing-related e-mails between Oct 2007 and April this year, but nobody knows exactly how big the problem is.

Reporting is complicated as phishers work across borders, and many victims never connect their online activities with subsequent problems, like their bank accounts being raided or their passports being faked.

In addition, fraud is now so common, that companies and law enforcement agencies in many countries don’t even bother following up on what they consider “small cases”.

Spotting the phisher

Typical phishing messages have headers that spell trouble such as: “Your eBay account suspended”, “Billing issues” and “Payment problem notification”. It looks something like this:

Dear Member,

This e-mail was sent by our bank server to verify your e-mail address. You must complete this process by clicking on the link below and entering in the small window your bank ATM/Debit Card number and PIN that you use on ATM.

This is done for your protection - because some of our members no longer have access to their e-mail addresses and we must verify it.

To verify your e-mail address and access your bank account, click on the link below:

Phishers often imitate banks, eBay and PayPal: any group that will have your personal and banking details.

But there is no limit as to who they will impersonate.

In Australia in April this year, phishers used the name of the New South Wales Police Force’s fraud squad commander to con citizens into believing they were being targeted by identity theft rings. The victims who fell into the trap handed their bank account details to “the commander”.

Phishing doesn’t just happen online either. As telephone systems connect to databases, thieves take advantage of auto diallers and computer software to sweep whole districts for victims.

A popular scam starts with an automated phone call, where a “court officer” claims you are required to testify in a fraud/theft/money laundering investigation.

If you have a question, the recorded message states, you should press 0 and ask the operator for assistance.

Understandably, many people panic at this point and follow the instruction. They are then transferred to a “call centre” where a “court officer” demands their name, address, IC number, bank account details . . . every little personal detail the phisher can use to fake your credit card, bank book, passport and other important paperwork.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

Here are some general tips to keep in mind:

Think twice before handing out your IC number, passport or bank details – online and offline. Ask where this information will be stored and who will be sharing it.
If you receive e-mail, an SMS or a phone call asking for personal or financial information, confirm it is legitimate with a phone call to the bank or a personal visit to the offices.
Companies rely on e-mail to answer customer questions, send you adverts or information about promotions, but they will never ask you for account or personal information via e-mail. They know it’s too risky.
Spoof e-mail usually contains dire warnings to make you panic.
Never use a link in an e-mail, SMS, or instant message to get to your bank, eBay page etc. Go to the site by using your browser.
If you bank or shop online, keep a close eye on your account. Report unusual activity immediately.
Most false e-mail messages are addressed to the general public. Some may contain user names, the bit that appears before the @ in your email address, but they seldom contain your real name.
The golden rule: only give out sensitive information online when a secure transaction is offered. Never send sensitive information via e-mail, SMS etc!

The bottom line is to be super-cautious. If in doubt, follow your gut feeling and say no!

About secure transactions

When data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet, every other computer in between has an opportunity to see what’s being sent.

So when you give out sensitive information online like your IC or credit card number, check that you are offered a secure transaction.

Secure transaction sites use encryption software to scramble your personal information. This means nobody can read it except for the proper recipient.

(Note: Most online companies like Air Asia and Amazon.com let banks and other professional security bodies handle their online transactions so they don’t actually see your credit card information at any stage. All they get is confirmation that you have made the payment.)

When you are offered a secure transaction, you’ll get a pop-up notice in your browser. When you click through, an icon of a padlock and key will appear at the browser window. If it is closed, it means the page is protected. But, if the lock is open or broken, it means any information you give is not protected.

After you have filled out the form, always print out a copy of your order and confirmation number for your records.

Report it!

Report suspicious, malicious or criminal activity online and learn more about online scams and problems plaguing users in Malaysia by visiting MyCERT:

Malaysian Computer Emergency Response Team (MyCERT)CyberSecurity MalaysiaLevel 7, SAPURA@MINES7, Jalan TasikThe Mines Resort City43300 Seri KembanganSelangor, Malaysia
http://www.mycert.org.myTel: (03) 8992 6969 or 019-266 5850 (24/7 call incident reporting)SMS: 019-281 3801 (24/7 SMS reporting)Fax: (03) 8945 3442 (monitored during business hours)E-mail: mycert@mycert.org.my

Useful web sites

Get Safe Online http://www.getsafeonline.org

– A UK consumer organisation offering tips on how to keep your PC, your personal data and your family safe while enjoying the bounties online.

Anti-Phishing.org http://www.anti-phishing.org

– Explains why those fake e-mails look so good and offers a list of well-known phishing exploits.

Stories by MARIA DANIEL
Saturday May 10, 2008
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/5/10/lifefocus/21158592&sec=lifefocus

Hong Ming-Umi commercial wins three ANDY awards

2008-05-06T12:26:00.004+07:00

KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia): The TV commercial entitled Tan Hong Ming, conceptualised and directed by local advertising creative director and filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad, has won three awards (two gold and one bronze) at the 2008 International ANDY awards in New York.

The commercial has in total won 13 awards worldwide, after making its mark in March at the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival in Pattaya, Thailand, and at the 29th Malaysian Advertising Awards last November.

The commercial was one of a three-part TV campaign in conjunction with Merdeka 2007 for Petronas, produced by Leo Burnett Advertising Sdn Bhd. It was Leo Burnett’s headquarters in Chicago that entered the commercial for the ANDYs.

“I had no idea they had entered it. I was surprised when I received a phone call from a Japanese director friend telling me that I had won three awards at the ANDY awards,” she said yesterday.

The commercial is a cute little vignette about a little Chinese boy, Hong Ming, who has a crush on his Malay schoolmate, Umi Qazrina.

Picture of innocence: Yasmin standing against the backdrop of her ‘Tan Hon Ming in Love’ commercial grab in this file picture.

Yasmin recalled that the commercial was not at all difficult to shoot. “A month before the shoot, we contacted the schools in the Klang Valley to set aside students aged between seven to nine whose best friends are from another ethnic group. Out of 46 students, eight stood out – Hong Ming was one of them.”

She had a 15-minute reel of Hong Ming telling her of his crush on his best friend, Umi, which was filmed at Hong Ming’s school in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

“People see advertisements as a nuisance, but with Petronas’ Merdeka ads they have become something to look forward to,” she said.

Yasmin admitted that this particular ad has cut through all kinds of barriers, because the two are so real.

“I had lunch with Hong Ming recently and he said his schoolmates still tease him about the ad.”

And yes, Hong Ming and Umi are still best friends.

By MUMTAJ BEGUM - TheStar Online, May 6th, 2008

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/6/nation/21159830&sec=nation

Thousands Watch Meeting of 3 Queen Ships

2008-04-28T17:49:00.004+07:00

Thousands of New Yorkers turned out to watch the historic rendezvous of Cunard's three Queen ships — the Queen Victoria, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2 — in the waters off Lower Manhattan.

The three grand ships with the trademark red-and-black smokestacks lined up in front of the Statue of Liberty while colorful fireworks lit up the winter darkness for the once-in-a-lifetime event in January.

(Picture: Cunard's Queen Victoria on the Hudson River enroute to meet with its sister ships, the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2, Jan 13, 2008.

"This is amazing," said John Stella of Staten Island, part of the crowd watching the spectacle from the Manhattan waterfront. "You'll never see it like this again."

The QE2 is being decommissioned later this year and turned into a floating five-star hotel in the United Arab Emirates. The Queen Victoria was launched in December. The two vessels sailed in tandem across the Atlantic to New York, then met up with the QM2, which homeports in Brooklyn.

After leaving New York, the Queen Victoria and the QE2 continued their world tour together, on route for their next port of call, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. This is the Queen Victoria's first trip around the world and the QE2's 26th and last.

The ships encountered rough seas on their trip from England to New York, including waves so high that they washed over the bow of the Queen Victoria. No one was injured, according to Cunard spokesman Brian O'Connor. The waves did not wash over the bow of the QE2, which is taller in front than the newer ships.

The rendezvous with the QM2 started about a half-hour late because it took more time than expected to get the QE2 in place. O'Connor said the QE2 has older propulsion and navigation technology than the other two and had to be guided by tugboats.

The QE2 will make one more final call in New York before retiring, on Oct. 16, as part of its "Farewell to America" trans-Atlantic crossing.

The QE2 is the longest-serving vessel in the 168-year history of the Cunard line. Since launching in 1967, it has traveled more than 5 million nautical miles, including more than 800 trans-Atlantic crossings with 2.5 million passengers. The ship was sold for $100 million to Dubai World, an investment company that manages projects for the government in Dubai.

Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic.com, said the QE2 "represents a previous era, in style and substance, of ocean liners, and it's an era that so many of today's younger, newer-to-cruising travelers will never see."

The Queen Victoria has three classes of passengers, but the differences in amenities are not as distinct as they were on the QE2. The staterooms are smaller but more of them have balconies. Like the other two ships, it has a "Queens Room" ballroom where elegant events are held, as well as a pub where guests can wash down fish and chips with a pint.

But the new ship has some features that the others do not, such as a 6,000-volume, two-deck-high library, a "Cunardia" history museum, fencing classes and a theater with private boxes.

Both the QM2 and the Queen Victoria also have restaurants overseen by the celebrity chef Todd English in addition to their regular dining rooms. English was on the Victoria greeting visitors, saying, "I'm here to tweak things."

The 151,000-ton QM2, which began sailing in 2004, is the largest of the three, carrying 2,592 passengers in 1,296 staterooms, plus 1,253 crew members.

The 90,000-ton Queen Victoria, which will homeport in Southampton, carries 2,014 passengers in 990 staterooms, plus 1,001 crew members.

The 70,000-ton QE2 carries 1,792 passengers in 1,002 staterooms, plus 921 crew members.

Steve Sturley and his 8-year-old son, Brammy, whom he described as a "Cunard fanatic," took a Circle Line boat ride in New York Harbor to watch the three ships and the fireworks from the water. The family plans to cruise on the QM2 next summer.

Asked what he thought of the ships, Brammy said, "They are big."

Cunard Line, a unit of Carnival Corp., is building a new Queen Elizabeth at Italy's Fincantieri shipyard, which built the Queen Victoria, with delivery in 2010. The new vessel will be Cunard's second-largest after the QM2. It will allow Cunard to keep three Queens in service after the QE2 retires.

Credit: By Beth J. Harpaz, AP

Useful information on banana

2008-04-25T13:36:00.006+07:00

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again .

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.

It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassiu! m and ma gnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in 'The New England Journal of Medicine, 'eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit.

This blog is specially dedicated to my friend, Lavanh Rattanavanno a.k.a. Monyet pidpid from Vientiane, Laos. I called her "Monyet" which means "Monkey" in Englishn (Monyet means 'Monkey' in Malaysian language). She likes to disturb me always and her attitude is as naughty as a monkey! Thats is the reason why i call her as "Monyet" or just "YetYet PidPid" (Note: Pid means 'Stupid'! Hahaha...)

She likes to eat banana so much and i hope she would like this blog as well which i specially dedicated to her for her knowledge of banana - a fruit that she like and eat everyday...

Yetyet pidpid... enjoy your banana der...!!

gagagagagagaga... (she laugh like this - her laughing style!!)

Drinking Water Myth

2008-04-25T00:15:00.005+07:00

For years our mothers and doctors told us we should drink lots of water each day. How much is enough? Americans say 8 glasses, and some say probably between 8 to 10 glasses.

It's a rule that is familiar to almost everyone. But it seems to have no basis in fact. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania

searched for the origin of the eight-glasses-a-day theory by going back through at least three decades of scientific data. They found nothing conclusive.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School is the senior author of this latest study says it is easy to understand how the idea of drinking large quantities of water got started-water is needed to sustainlife, then obviously that's led people to think: Well, if a normal amount is good, then extra might be better.

Dr. Goldfarb and his colleagues looked at five claims about drinking water -- the first, that large amounts help flush out toxins from the kidneys. They say no study provided evidence to support that.

Another claim is that the body's organs work efficiently with more water. The Pennsylvania scientists say the body's retention of water depends on the speed it is taken in. Sipping helps the body maintain greater amounts of water, they say, than gulping it.

Dieters have often been told the more water they drink, the less hungry they will feel. Again, there are two conflicting studies about the merits of water for weight reduction.

Two other claims -- that lots of water improves skin tone and helps prevent headaches -- were also unproven.

So, how much is enough? The scientists say 11 glasses of any kind of liquid is good for women and 15 is recommended for men. But that includes other fluids we drink or even the food we eat.

Dr. Goldfarb says we should just listen to what our bodies tell us. "Drink when you're thirsty. That's the way the body is designed."

By Vannasone Keodara (22/04/2008)

http://www.voanews.com/lao/2008-04-22-voa3.cfm

Drinking Water Myth, 3.48 MB - Download (MP3)

Drinking Water Myth, 3.48 MB - Listen to (MP3)

Blogs can ruin your life

2008-04-24T22:34:00.006+07:00

After countless names have been thrown around the World Wide Web and smeared with nastiness, many have expressed fear about people blogging about them.

But the truth is, you should be concerned not only with what others post about you. You should also be careful about what you post about yourself.

Blog backfire

Twenty-two-year-old Lisa called in sick one Friday afternoon. But she wasn't really sick. She was planning to start the weekend early by going to the beach with her friends. Days later, she posted pictures of the outing on her blog. Someone in her office found the link. Soon, she was called to her boss' office. She didn't lose her job, but she got into a lot of trouble.

Eighteen-year-old Anne enjoys an independent life. Both parents are in the US. She blogged freely about her misadventures'drunken nights out, failed tests, her penchant for bad boys. She thought her blog was being read only by her friends.

But a concerned relative sent the link to her parents who immediately jumped to action, calling Anne up and threatening to fly her to the US where she could be put under their watch. Anne is still in the country but has deleted her blog.

The two girls have experienced blog backfire. Things they posted online ended up working against them.

Make sure it doesn't happen to you, too. Here are some things to think about when you blog.

1. You don't know who is reading your page.

Unless your entries are locked and you have total control over who has access to them, you're never sure who is reading your entries. Your parents, your teachers - they're all just a google search away from unlocking your deepest thoughts.

2. What you post can make or break your career.

While some people have gotten book deals after building a huge blog readership, most bloggers need to realise that employers have started using Google searches as a tool to scan job applicants.

3. Will your post hurt anyone?

It is easy to vent online your anger with a friend or a family member. But let the anger simmer before hitting the 'publish' button. Sleep on it, think it over because once it's online, it will not be easy to get rid of - not with the cache features of online searches.

4. Can your entries be lifted and used against you?

Your blog entries may be lifted anytime by anyone who knows how to highlight and press Ctrl and C. Your photos may be stolen as easily and defaced, like some have been on gossip blogs. It may be smart to add javascript that prevents readers from right-clicking on your page. It's not total protection, but it may save you from the less-techie lurkers.

5. Will your entries attract the wrong kind of people?

Most blog readers are kind. They leave comments, they send you e-mails and sometimes, you even find people you can be friends with. But some of the more popular bloggers have had problems with blog stalkers. High internet traffic is a good thing, but not when it leads to scary encounters.

Original artical:

http://digital.asiaone.com/Digital/Features/Story/A1Story20080424-61530.html

Eating By Your Blood Type

2008-04-24T09:39:00.004+07:00

Introduced by Peter D'Adamo, the Blood Type Diet is based on the assumption that everyone is an individual. And who are we to argue? Logically, just because we share the same row and column in the BMI chart, it shouldn't define the way our dietary habits are. The Blood Type Diet makes interesting claims that people fare better (which includes weight management) when their diet is tailored to their specific blood type.

TYPE 'A'

Individuals who fall under the Type A blood group should basically stick to fruits and vegetable. Their blood types is generally thicker than other blood types, and possess a sensitive immune system. These individuals should not consume (or should reduce intake) dairy products, animal fats and meats. They are also at a heightened risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

TYPE 'B'

Type B blood groupers should consumer a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy and meat. However, they should try to refrain from chicken, and increase intake of red meat such as duck and beef. Unlike the other blood types, Type B individuals have the best chance of bypassing or overcoming everyday types of diseases, as well as heart disease and cancer.

TYPE 'AB'

For Type AB individuals, intake of a mostly vegetarian diet is recommended. And only on rare occasions should they indulge in some fish, meat (not chicken) and dairy.

TYPE 'O'

Those that fall under the Type O blood type should basically stick to a high protein diet, low carbs, as well as a balanced intake of fruits and vegetables. However, food foes for Type Os include most grain food such as corn and wheat germ. They should also try to avoid dairy products. Type O types are commonly affected with hypothyroidism, high stomach acid (leading to ulcers), and thinner blood with greater resistance to blood clotting.

Don't put dry ice in your car seat without opening the window

2008-04-23T18:29:00.002+07:00

Remember this especially when we buy lots of ice cream during Baskin Robbins 31st day offer!!! They normally put dry ice in your ice cream pack if you buy a lot.

A friend bought four pack of ice cream and to prevent it from melting, the seller put the dry ice amongst the ice cream. My friend put it atthe back seat (not the back of the car) and he started to drive with the windows closed and the aircon on (as what we all do). Soon after that, he had difficulty to breath and it was getting worser by minutes. Luckily, he was in a traffic jam and when he almost fainted, beside himwas an ambulance. He dragged himself to the ambulance and got the oxygen treatment. He was getting better on the way to the hospital.

The ambulance officer drove his car to the hospital and he had the same experience. However, before his condition worsen, he opened up the window and he can breathe easily. Only later, when my friend has returned to office and told his colleagues about his story, they pointed to him that the dry ice was the problem. WHY?

Dry ice was made of CO2 and when it 'melts', it becomes CO2 gas straight away without leaving any wet mark (that is why it is called dry ice). CO2 is easier to be tied up in our blood and thus, when the dry ice sublimes into CO2 gas, it fills the car room with it along with the aircon circulation and caused CO2 poisoning. So, dont put the dry ice inside your car if you are using aircon with fully closed windows. You must leave the windows open for such situation.

Hope this will help to prevent any fatality just from a small negligence like this. Imagine if you have your children inside, they might be the first victim.

Additional New Stroke Identification Info

2008-04-23T17:48:00.003+07:00

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.

A nurse sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

Seriously... Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics)..... she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, S.T.R. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S - Ask the individual to SMILE.

T - Ask the person to TALK and SPE AK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently, i.e. It is sunny out today)

R - Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE:
Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,that is also an indication of a stroke.

Premature Birth Can Lead To Life-Long Problems

2008-04-19T23:15:00.006+07:00

Premature Birth Can Lead To Life-Long Problems

Most babies are born after 40 weeks of pregnancy. However, a significant number of children come into the world early.

There are many reasons why babies are born 'pre-term'. In developing countries, poor maternal care, poor nutrition for mothers, infections and disease can contribute to preterm birth. But some children in the industrialized world are also born early - and the numbers of preterm births are slowly rising. The reason for the increase is unclear.

Duke University obstetrics professor Geeta Swamy was interested in the long-term effects of being born prematurely. She says, "We don't know a lot about what happens to those children [over the] long term, particularly as they grow up into adolescence and into adulthood and what implications does this have on their long-term health."

Swami was able to analyze the lifetime medical records of more than a million children born in Norway. She collected information about when they were born, what kinds of health problems they had and when they died.

Swamy focused on preterm children born before 37 weeks gestation, and also on children born before 28 weeks gestation? that's considered extremely preterm. She found children who were born early were also more likely to die early.

For girls, the increased risk of mortality was about 10 times higher than those born at term. And that's particularly true for those girls who were born extremely preterm. For boys who were born extremely preterm, they had about a five times increased risk of death during the early childhood age, up to about age 6, but they also had an increased risk mortality, up to about age 13.

Swamy says she also found long-term effects of being born early. Preterm children ended up completing fewer years of education. And they were less likely to have children of their own.

Among women who are born at term, roughly 70% of those women went on to reproduce or have a child. Among those women who were born extremely preterm, say, before 28 weeks, only 25% of those women actually went on to reproduce or have a child? We saw similar implications for men who are born preterm and term. For those who were born at term, about 50% of them went on to reproduce, compared to only about 14% of men who were born extremely preterm.

Swamy says scientists don't know for sure why prematurity confers such risk over the lifetime, and other studies are looking for those answers.

Her research is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

By Vannasone Keodara (05/04/2008)

Health in Lao Language, 3.05 MB - Download (MP3)

Health in Lao Language, 3.05 MB - Listen to (MP3)

Red Wines Helps Prevent E. Coli, Other Food-born Diseases

2008-04-17T15:53:00.005+07:00

Wine bottle and vineyard

Numerous studies show that a glass or maybe two of red wine can be good for your heart and even good for your waistline. Now researchers say red wine may also protect you from E. coli and other food-related diseases. Study also shows white wines did not help prevent or reduce negative effects of food-related illnesses. More from VOA's Carol Pearson.

Professor Azlin Mustapha at the University of Missouri says the study has shown that red wines do not harm useful bacteria in the stomach but do help protect against the harmful ones.

"We do know that they [red wines] actually kill these bugs as well as inhibit their growth. And the three [wines] that were the best among the ones we tested were Cabernet, Merlot, and Pinot Noir."

Professor Mustapha says certain chemical compounds occurring naturally in the vine or on the skin of the grape help the plant defend itself against diseases. She says these chemical compounds might also be found in red wine and that may be why it protects humans against certain disease-causing bacteria.

Some studies have disputed the benefits of drinking red wine. But Professor Mustapha says even when the researchers diluted red wines, they still killed or inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria. (picture: E Coli Bacteria)

"The key here is moderate consumption, meaning one glass about four ounces (about 120 ml) of red wine per day for females, a couple of glasses for males a day."

The researchers also evaluated white wines but found that only the red wines helped protect against the harmful bacteria.

By Carol Pearson

http://www.voanews.com

(23/03/2008)

Thongpane reports in Lao, 1.14 MB - Download (MP3)

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An Elephant Painting a Picture of an Elephant

2008-04-14T01:11:00.007+07:00

This shows an elephant is painting a picture of an elephant! It's a little unbelievable..., but it is true!!

The above-linked video is "true" in the sense that it represents the real phenomenon of elephants who have learned to paint — with the caveats that "painting" in this sense means the animals outline and color specific drawings they've been taught to replicate (rather than abstractly making free - form portraits of whatever tickles their pachydermic fancies at the moment), they work under the direction of trainers, they don't all exhibit the same level of proficiency, and the quality of their output can be highly variable.

A BBC News article described an exhibition of such paintings at an Edinburgh gallery in 1996:

Pictures which were painted by elephants have gone on display at an Edinburgh gallery. Art graduate Victoria Khunapramot, 26, has brought the paintings from Thailand to the Dundas Gallery on Dundas Street.

They include "self-portraits" by Paya, who is said to be the only elephant to have mastered his own likeness.

Paya is one of six elephants whose keepers have taught them how to hold a paintbrush in their trunks. They drop the brush when they want a new colour.

Mrs Khunapramot, from Newington, said: "Many people cannot believe that an elephant is capable of producing any kind of artwork, never mind a self-portrait.

"But they are very intelligent animals and create the entire paintings with great gusto and concentration within just five or 10 minutes — the only thing they cannot do on their own is pick up a paintbrush, so it gets handed to them.

"They are trained by artists who fine-tune their skills, and they paint in front of an audience in their conservation village, leaving no one in any doubt that they are authentic elephant creations."

Mrs Khunapramot, who set up the Thai Fine Art company after studying the history of art in St Andrews and business management at Edinburgh's Napier University, said it took about a month to train the animals to paint.

The web site of the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project explains the background behind elephants' being taught to paint, with the resulting artworks being sold and the monies so raised being used to fund elephant conservation projects. The site includes a video gallery that features several clips of pachyderm artists in action similar to the one linked above, as well as galleries displaying the individual elephants' works. (Based on the similarity of drawings, we'd guess that the elephant shown in the example video is Hong, an eight-year-old female living at the Maetaman Elephant Camp in Thailand.)

Another photo gallery that captures painting pachyderms in action in Thailand can be viewed here.

Relevant topic (Please click on title):

Elephants on parade in northern Thailand

(Thanks to Ms P. Kandaphati for the link)

Elephant 'self-portrait' on show

BBC News "Elephant 'Self-Portrait' on Show." 21 July 2006.

Baby With 2 Faces Born in North India

2008-04-13T22:48:00.004+07:00

Mother Sushma holds her daughter Lali at their residence in Saini Sunpura, 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of New Delhi, India, Tuesday, April 8, 2008. The baby with two faces, two noses, two pairs of lips and two pairs of eyes was born on March 11 in a northern Indian village, where she is doing well and is being worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess, her father said Tuesday. Credit: AP Photo/Gurinder Osan

SAINI SUNPURA, India (AP) — A baby with two faces was born in a northern Indian village, where she is doing well and is being worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess, her father said Tuesday.

The baby, Lali, apparently has an extremely rare condition known as craniofacial duplication, where a single head has two faces. Except for her ears, all of Lali's facial features are duplicated — she has two noses, two pairs of lips and two pairs of eyes.

"My daughter is fine — like any other child,'' said Vinod Singh, 23, a poor farm worker.

Lali has caused a sensation in the dusty village of Saini Sunpura, 25 miles east of New Delhi. When she left the hospital, eight hours after a normal delivery on March 11, she was swarmed by villagers, said Sabir Ali, the director of Saifi Hospital.

"She drinks milk from her two mouths and opens and shuts all the four eyes at one time,'' Ali said.

Rural India is deeply superstitious and the little girl is being hailed as a return of the Hindu goddess of valor, Durga, a fiery deity traditionally depicted with three eyes and many arms.

Up to 100 people have been visiting Lali at her home every day to touch her feet out of respect, offer money and receive blessings, Singh told The Associated Press.

"Lali is God's gift to us,'' said Jaipal Singh, a member of the local village council. "She has brought fame to our village.''

Village chief Daulat Ram said he planned to build a temple to Durga in the village.

"I am writing to the state government to provide money to build the temple and help the parents look after their daughter,'' Ram said.

Lali's condition is often linked to serious health complications, but the doctor said she was doing well.

"She is leading a normal life with no breathing difficulties,'' said Ali, adding that he saw no need for surgery.

Lali's parents were married in February 2007. Lali is their first child.

Singh said he took his daughter to a hospital in New Delhi where doctors suggested a CT scan to determine whether her internal organs were normal, but Singh said he felt it was unnecessary.

"I don't feel the need of that at this stage as my daughter is behaving like a normal child, posing no problems,'' he said.

By Gurindar Osan, Associated Press

Relationship breeds corruption

2008-04-13T15:56:00.003+07:00

For two consecutive years, Thailand has earned a dubious distinction from two international organisations in charge of monitoring corruption in Asia and around the world.

In a poll released last Tuesday by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (Perc), the Philippines was named as the most corrupt Asian economy, followed by Thailand. The Philippines scored 9.0 out of a possible 10 points under a grading system used by Perc in which zero is the best score and 10 the worst. Thailand obtained a score of 8.0 after the military, which staged a coup in 2006, was seen to have failed to tackle the problem.

"The kingdom's economy has been marking time for two years while it sorts out political problems in which allegations of corruption figure prominently," said Perc.

The organisation polled 1,400 expatriates in January and February in 13 countries in Asia. Excluded were some notorious for corruption, such as Burma and Bangladesh. Singapore and Hong Kong retained their rankings as the cleanest economies, with scores of 1.13 and 1.80, respectively, followed by Japan (2.25), Macau (3.30), South Korea (5.65), Malaysia (6.37), Taiwan (6.55), India (7.25), Vietnam (7.75), China (7.98) and Indonesia (7.98).

Last year, global watchdog Transparency International said corruption in Thailand had worsened; the country slipped back from 11th place to 14th in the Asia-Pacific index and from 63rd to 84th in the overall 180-nation world index.

New Zealand was the "cleanest" of the 32 countries on the list for Asia and the Pacific, where most of the countries faced serious perceived levels of domestic corruption.

"The levels of corruption in these countries highlight the need for governments to engage more actively with civil society in fighting corruption," Transparency said.

Perc is more forthright in its analysis, particularly on Thailand, where "the close personal connections between politicians, civil servants, and businessmen are the backbone of networks of corruption that reach from the central government down to local governments."

This is exactly what Thai academics and non-governmental organisations have been telling us for years, and it explains why the problem is so difficult to solve.

According to the Asian Development Bank 2001, 79% of all businesses had to bribe Thai officials in order to obtain the desired service or to obtain a contract, and bribery costs were estimated to add 20% to the overall costs of a contract. An estimate made by the National Counter Corruption Commission calculates that up to 30% of government procurement budgets vanishes because of corrupt practices.

The National Institute of Development Administration reported that 95 mega-projects cost the state 400 billion baht solely due to corruption within the last five-and-a-half years. Bribery is particularly concentrated in a few governmental sectors in charge of large money transactions: the Land, Revenue, Customs and Transport departments and the National Police Office. Business people buy opportunities and favours, and officials sell opportunities and favours.

Meanwhile, the board memberships of Thai corporations are still characterised by an emphasis on personal connections over professional competence. High-ranking bureaucrats are commonly found on the boards of Thai companies.

Transparency is right in calling on civil society to fight actively against corruption in Thailand. But the rural masses must also be empowered to resist cash handouts while tough new anti-corruption measures must be enforced to break the interconnectedness between the business sector and the political system.

Couple Who Fight Live Longer

2008-04-13T15:36:00.000+07:00

All couples fight, some more often than others, but many of them may be surprise to learn that the more they fight, the longer they may live, a new US study suggests as quoted by media reports on Friday.

Couple who suppress their anger have a mortality rate twice as high as those in which at least one partner stands up for themselves, according to the study which tracked 192 US couples for 17 years.

“The key matter is, when the conflict happens, how do you resolve it?” said the lead researcher Ernest Harburg, an emeritus professor with the University of Michigan. “When you don’t, if you bury your anger, and you brood on it and you resent the other person or the attacker, and you don’t try to resolve the problem, then you’re in trouble”.

The findings add to past research showing that the release of anger can be healthy. Individuals who express anger might also have a sense of control and optimism over a situation.

Bottled anger adds to stress, which tends to shorten lives, many past studies show.

In the current study, the authors suggest a combination of factors to explain the higher mortality rate for couples who don’t express their anger. These include “mutual anger suppression, poor communication (of feelings and issues) and poor problem-solving with medical consequences,” they write in the January issue of the Journal of Family Communication.

Over the 17-year period, Harburg and his colleagues studied 192 married couples in which spouses ranged in age from 35 to 69, focusing on aggressive behaviour considered unfair or undeserved by the person being “attacked”. Harburg said that if an attack is viewed as fair, the victim doesn’t tend to get angry.

The researchers found that 26 couples, meaning 52 individuals, were suppressors in which both partners held in their anger. Twenty-five percent of the suppressors died during the study period compared with about 12 percent for the other remaining couples.

In 27 percent of the suppressor couples, one member of the couple died during the study period, and in 23 percent of those couples, both died during the study period. That’s compared to only 6 percent of couples where both spouses died in the remaining three groups combined. Only 19 percent in remaining three groups combined saw one partner die during the study period.

Harburg says the results are preliminary, and his team is now collecting 30-year follow-up data. He expects the follow-up to show almost double the death rate compared with the preliminary findings.

Vientiane Times; January 28, 2006
[ Beijing (Xinhuanet) ]