Hong Ming-Umi commercial wins three ANDY awards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.