Sony's Virtual Heaven

YNWA -- You'll Never Walk Alone OR You Never Win Anything?

2010-08-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

An open letter to the Board of Directors, LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB.

Mr. Roy Hodgson, i wished i would not criticize you. But i could not stand it anymore!

Loaning Alberto Aquilani out? Think twice about it. In Aquilani you have a player who is as good as Steven Gerrard, which in my opinion is the best all-rounded footballer on the planet. Did you miss the Liverpool-Portsmouth match last season? Or even the Burnley-Liverpool match? Not to even mention the Europa Liga semi-final against Atletico Madrid. Aquilani was top-class. 5 assists in just 2 games, Poulsen will only achieve this if he plays 60 matches.

You wanna sell Kristian Nemeth? Then i think the board shall send you to a psychiatrist. Maybe the board themselves need an appointment! Nemeth is a wonderkid and even a little boy will tell you about this. His goal ratio is second to none. Oh ya, you might morph Misses Ngog into another Bobby Zamora. Can you give the youngsters a chance to play for the first team? Please don't buy another Poulsen as we are not an OLD FOLKS HOME!!!!!

To the board of directors and the stupid idiot stubborn brainless YANKS, just give away the club into good hands. Even a school-leaver might be able to manage better than you two. Why Roy Hodgson? Why not King Kenny when he was available and seriously wanted the job? Bankrupt? Can't fund Dalglish's salary? Then resign!!!

If you love the club, let it go for the sake of our future.

From a concerned Malaysian fan.

Exams =="

2010-04-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

How lar... exams ar....
5 subjects...
criminal law
constitutional and administrative law
contract law
english legal system
legal skills

die die die...

many chapters lar... AR, MR, Homicide, Voluntary & Involuntary Homicide, OAPA 1861, SOA 2003, Theft Act 1968, Fraud Act 2006, Criminal Damage Act 1971, Criminal Attempts Act 1981, Inchoate Offences, Secondary Participation, Defences...

Constitution, Convention, Dicey's ROL, Montesquieu's SOP, Checks on the Executive, House of Commons, House of Lords, Electoral Systems... Ultra Vires, Judicial Review, Procedural Requirements, Grounds(Illegality, Unreasonableness, Procedural Impropriety), HRA n JR, Remedies(Declaration, Damages, Injunction, Quashing Order&Prohibition, Habeas Corpus, Mandatory Order), Ombudsmen...

Offer&Acceptance, Consideration, Intention to create Legal Relations, Minors Contract, Condition Warranty & Innominate Terms, Misrepresentation, Frustration, Remedies...

Judicial Precedent, Statutory Interpretation, Judiciary, Legal Aid, CPR...

WalaoA........................

~PEACE~

2009-11-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

~~~PEACE@PWTC~~~

USM VC and Higher Education DG should resign gracefully

2009-06-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

My friend failed to get a place in local public university. Why? He got a CGPA of 2.8 and i do think it is more than enough to secure a place in one of our universities. So what now? What triggered this to happen? I'm sure many of you did not think of the rejected 4574 students from USM robbed him of his worthy place in university. Makes me wanna vomit when i think about this.

If this was to happen in Japan, the VC of the particular university would have resigned immedietly to avoid further embarrassment to the university and the country's education system. This is 1Malaysia. The university gave the public stupid excuses that it was caused by "technical blunder". What the hell is happening in Malaysia? Dare to admit mistakes you have made or committed. I'm sure that there are 4000 plus students who failed to obtain places in university. Your place has been robbed by those "SUCCESFUL" USM students. STUPID!!!

I hope MCA Youth Chief Dr. Wee can help those affected students as local university is their only choice. I know that many are angry and frustrated deserving students out there. Voice out!!! If Dr. Wee can't solve this problem, he should resign too. He's a MINISTER after all.

Higher Education Ministry director-general Prof Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi should resign. He defended the university by saying that "ini biasalah". Can this "tidak apa" attitude be tolerated? I vomit upon hearing this.

You dare to call urself APEX University? i will classify you as LAUGHING STOCK UNIVERSITY... USM=Universiti Sangat Malu!!!

~pHoToS~

2009-06-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

copyright sony liew@16-6-2009

1China or 1Malaysia?

2009-06-15T01:29:00.000-07:00

As you will see later... The types of car produced in China.... So many types la
It's good because customers have more options

Jaguar

Ciplak Jaguar

This is our Malaysia Boleh punya Perodua Kembara

In Tianjin, they have their own version of "TOYOTA" Kembara... Spot the logo

The well and truly elegent Mercedes C-Class

In Tianjin got a ciplak punya C-Class, GEELY

The interior of the genuine Corolla Altis

The interior of the ciplak Altis, looks so similar eh???

The exterior of a genuine Corolla Altis

Ciplak punya Corolla Altis, BYD.... Hehe...

Copyrighted article of Sony Liew, 15 June 2009

An Open Letter to Dato Tony Fernandes

2009-06-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Tony Fernandes, I have always been an avid supporter of your successful low-cost, no-frills AirAsia. Congratulations to Airasia for being voted the world's best low-cost airline by millions of people across 95 countries. It is also a disgrace that AirAsia's cabin crew are among the worst I have ever encountered with.

I boarded flight D7 2613 route from Tianjin to Kuala Lumpur. The attitute of your cabin crew was unpleasent and unprofessional. I wonder how did he pass the interview. Shouldn't laser beams be banned from the aircraft cabin? There were children playing, shining laser beam on others and it is dangerous for the other passengers. Who to blame on this? The parents for failing to control their childrens or the cabin crews who failed to confiscate those items?

Worse still, the same group of people occupied seats not allocated to them, as if they chartered the plane. Isn't AirAsia supposed to be a commercial flight? They behaved like pure Malaysians, opening the ceiling luggage compartment during the flight. Is this allowed? How about the safety of other passengers? They were so noisy throughout the entire journey. Me and a man complained to your cabin crew and his attitute was just like "masuk telinga kiri, keluar telinga kanan". He said he could not do anything. You employ this type of cabin crew?

Your cabin crew also scolded me when I changed seats. He said I would have to pay extra for the seat. My questions here : how is AirAsia going to compensate me as i couldn't sleep because of the noise. This is not a kind of THREAT, we just can't stand this type of attitute. There is a value that your cabin crew lacks, FLEXIBILITY. I believe we too have rights to change seats because of certain conditions. It was just too much.

AirAsia should be more strict when hiring cabin crew of greater quality and personality. How can i describe your cabin crew now? Rejected from Malaysia Airlines?

If the cabin crew thinks that i am the wrongful party, lodge a complain. Or i will lodge a complain against you. I will not waste my time writing this but, Dato Tony, how would you feel if you were the passenger?

Dato Tony, I admire your motto " Now Everyone Can Fly" but i don't like your substandard crew. I may consider Malaysia Airlines in the future as their tickets are also reasonable. Are you prepared to lose a loyal passenger?

I hope for a reply from Dato Tony soon, you are smart and i really look up to you. " We innovate, others imitate". This is totally true because those who imitate can at most be level with you. They can't overtake you.

This letter was not written out of anger but the service was totally unacceptable. I do hope that AirAsia will improve then maybe I will fly AirAsia again.

Caught on camera!!!! "Civilized 1Malaysia Citizens"

2009-06-03T19:02:00.001-07:00

Malaysians, see that Wira on the left emergency lane? Malaysian citizens... haha... 3km to the northbound toll plaza from KL

Walao... Ini kereta Vios lagi teruk... Double parking kat skolah AMC... Bapa borek anak rintik... "有其父必有其子"

See that Camry again? Too bad u can't see the registration plate... Haha.... Wait a while cannot a?

Hoping for a reply from Sony Malaysia

2009-06-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

I bought your laptop model Vaio VGN-NS25G in March. I am very disappointed with the performance of my SONY VAIO NS25G. I sent it for servicing via your authorized centre but to no avail. it's very disappointing. I even sent complain letters to your so called Customer Interaction Centre and i have not got a reply. Too busy?

I was wondering whether SONY sold a defective product to me. It isn't cheap you know??? RM2799!!! The performance of the VAIO is worse than my mom's laptop of the same specifications. The hard disk eats up space like hell, about 10GB in 10 days! Sometimes Windows cannot even start. Now i do not even have the option "hibernate" when i want to off my laptop. I have been calling Sony and they keep saying they will CHECK. They keep on saying it is software problem and not their fault. What service is this? They do not even reply to me.

I'm not stupid. I know computer very well. So what do you want me to do now?

I can think of 2 ways to solve this problem. firstly, a total refund of the RM2799 and i return the stupid defective notebook to you. or, replace my existing notebook with a brand new one. My notebook is barely a month old, and i'm furthering my studies soon.

It's an urgent matter and a hope for an early reply from Sony Malaysia.

Is there any option where i can go to the Consumers Tribunal to lodge my complaint?

Malaysian Teenagers

2009-05-31T05:15:00.000-07:00

How are all teenage girls in our country? And i will certainly not leave out the boys too. I'm sure you'll be curious about what i am going to tell you.

"Sex party", "Schoolgirl detained for possessing drugs", "Pregnant woman dies robbed by Mat Rempits". All these news dominate headlines of our local papers, and the question many will be asking is : Who is to blame? The school teachers or parents in the house???

Did you ever think of blaming the teenagers themselves? They are partly too be blamed too.

havent finish writing....
dota 1st...
continue later

What "SONY LIEW" means

2009-05-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

What SONY LIEW means

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.

You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.

You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life.

You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you.

At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.

You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.

You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.

You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.

You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.

You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.

You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.

You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are very charming... dangerously so. You have the potential to break a lot of hearts.

You know how what you want, how to get it, and that you will get it.

You have the power to rule the world. Let's hope you're a benevolent dictator!

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

1Malaysia, Malaysia Boleh or Malaysia Truely Asia?

2009-05-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

It was reported in last week's newpaper that the Education Ministry are "considering" to limit the number of subjects students are allowed to register for. Congrats to the "ministers" who brought up this matter, but what is the use if all these issue are just empty talks rather than swift action?

If my long term memory is still working, i remember the ministry bringing up this matter several years ago. But what happened in the end? Cakap kosong only. This is 1Malaysia!!!

Now it's the PDRM's turn. Mat Rempit to ''samseng jalanan'' or road thugs??? Nothing to do kah??? Mat Rempit's roaming freely on our roads while those holding candles are arrested. Denied access to lawyers. 1Malaysia???

Wah.... 1Malaysia.... Doctrine of the separation of powers clearly states that the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislative are independent of each other. But in Malaysia we are living in Bolehland. The Judiciary can overrule the Legislative. 1Malaysia again!!!

And of course we have 1Malaysia. There is only one Malaysia. Malaysia truely Asia. It is a free advertisement that we show the world what a nation we are. Such a shame!!! Is there any country like Malaysia??? Erm.... Zimbabwe perhaps... But there is only 1Malaysia....

~~~~~1Malaysia Boleh~~~~~

Swimming Craze!!! @ Golf Vista

2009-05-23T08:10:00.001-07:00

ARTICLES OF LAW --- Caution required

2009-05-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

ARTICLES OF LAW
By BHAG SINGH

Things to look out for when buying a plot of land in a foreign country.

VARIOUS organisations are involved in selling plots of land in foreign countries and many people are excited about buying such land. The advertisements are well displayed and the advantages of the purchases are highlighted.

Phrases like prime freehold land, absence of taxes, existence of a trusted land registry system, an increasing population, exciting forthcoming events and expectation of multiple-fold growth in value in the future are used to prompt purchase of such land.

Of course, this comes as music to the ears of those who dream of acquiring a landed property in a foreign country. This is especially so when the land is sold in parcels that appear to be affordable to a broader section of the population, which may otherwise find the cost of property prohibitive.

A reader, who is interested in such a purchase, wants to know if it would be safe to buy such land. This is especially so when it is in a faraway country. He would like to know the aspects that should be looked into.

Land is an asset that appreciates as a general rule, but there are exceptions. The important question that one needs to ask is whether such plots of land will appreciate in the short term.

Unless the interested individual is living in the said country or for some reason has occasion to be present there on a regular basis, he will have to rely on the company that is selling the land. He has to rely on visuals, printed material and electronic presentations on the screen. This does not always give a complete picture.

It is necessary to be cautious when purchasing such property in a foreign country. Apart from knowing the exact location, it would be prudent to be aware of all the detailed terms and conditions, and what the purchaser would be getting in reality.

An experience

A reader related his experience when he responded to one such advertisement. Of course, his experience will differ from that of others, but nevertheless it highlights the need for caution.

Upon arriving for the presentation, he was offered refreshments followed by a very encouraging conversation about how the land had appreciated. He was told he could expect the lot to appreciate by four times within four to five years.

This was followed by a power point presentation showing the beautiful landscape where the lots of land are, the name of the marketing company and other companies in its group or which are associated with it, and the companies' involvement in different activities related to development.

The reader was then told that he was required to pay an initial deposit of 10%, with the balance to be paid several days or a few weeks later when the company’s lawyers have drawn up the contract.

When a request was made to review a copy of the contract, it was not available but the potential purchaser was told that the contract was a mere “standard contract” which would be prepared by their lawyers.

Standard contract

Whilst there may be individuals who can afford to take extreme risks, it would be unwise to enter into a transaction without knowing the detailed terms and conditions which could turn out to be most unfavourable.

A purchaser should, at the time of the payment of the deposit, find out whether he would get his deposit back if the terms in the contract are not acceptable to him. It would also be relevant to know whether the deposit is to be paid to the vendor or a stakeholder.

If the objective of the purchaser is to use the land to construct a house, there should be an assurance that if the category of the land use needs to be changed and planning approvals need to be obtained, this obligation will be fulfilled. It is necessary to know the cost of such approvals.

It may be attractive to see the word “freehold” as it implies perpetual ownership. However, a land which is freehold but unconverted for use for housing or building and without the necessary planning approvals may be of much lesser value.

If, however, the land is being purchased merely for the purpose of investment in the hope that it will appreciate over the years, the returns will greatly depend on the change of category and zoning approvals that can be obtained.

In such a case, it is necessary to know what will happen at that stage. Will the purchaser have to find his own buyer or are there other options or mandatory buy-back provisions?

If so, what guarantee is there that the vendor will exercise that option and if so, what is the formula that would be used to determine the price. Unless there are adequate safeguards, the purchaser of a plot could well find himself having little say with regard to the sale or the price.

Regulation

With regard to the regulation of sale of such property, there exist provisions in the Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agent Act 1981 when such properties are sold. This must be done through a registered estate agent.

However, section 22C(2) of the same Act provides that notwithstanding this requirement, an owner of any land, building or interest therein may sell or rent, or offer to sell or rent, such land, building and interest.

Such provisions aside, the fact remains that the rights of the purchaser will be based on the contract he entered into. Other local legislations regulating sale of land or property in the country will not protect him.

In most cases, the purchaser could be buying a piece of unconverted land or “raw land” as it is sometimes referred to. Having paid in full, he has to wait for several years before he can see any progress being made.

This is not to say that those who sell the land will not keep their part of the bargain. But over half a decade, many things can happen and a person who has put in his hard-earned money needs to protect himself and be mindful of the risks involved.

Experiencing BREATHELESSNESS

2009-05-21T00:57:00.000-07:00

Haix....
The first word for today is really "HAIX"....
can't breathe... morning till now... feel like fainting...
even going for a game of badminton will be the same...
what the hell am i going through....
haix...
Even specialist also say i'm super fit... healthy....
but why do i feel like this....
can anyone tell me...
FRUSTRATED!!!!!

My day in Pics @ Golf Vista Restroom

2009-05-20T07:59:00.001-07:00

I was wondering which picture is the best....
what do you people think???

Sony Liew

Malaysian Perak Politicians vs Businessmen

2009-05-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

In March there was an auction by the Pakatan Rakyat for the pieces of plague that were destroyed... They got some RM40000 from selling those items... That's fine for me...

But yesterday the BN went a step better!!! Selling DVD's !!! Politicians dah jadi businessmen ke? Alamak... This shows our Malaysia Boleh spirit!!! I wonder will the enforcement officers close both eyes as i think that those DVD's should be classified as pirated goods....

Why double standard here??? Tebing Tinggi assemblyman Ong Boon Piow was questioned by the Cops for possessing DVD's of the Assembly but BN assemblymen can actually sell them!!!

What the hell is happening???

Ini macam punya ADUN sure lost in the next elections. Wait and see...

Articles of Law -- Limited rights

2009-05-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

What recourse is there for an employee who finds that he has been unjustly dismissed?

ARTICLES OF LAW by BHAG SINGH

ANYONE who feels aggrieved over a wrong perceived to be done to him could seek remedy in the courts of the land. However, there are many limitations that stand in the way and the aggrieved person may end up not getting what he hoped for.

To start with, the underlying matter that gives rise to the feeling of being aggrieved must have a factual basis. In order to exert his rights and seek relief, the aggrieved party must be able to show that a wrong has been done to him and that the party against whom he is complaining, has no justification for doing so.

A person who has his employment terminated will undoubtedly feel aggrieved. But the employer may have good reasons for asking the employee to leave. If this is the case, the employee would have no remedy.

If the employee does not agree with the action taken against him, what options does he have?

Such is the case with a reader who sought help from the Malaysian Trade Union Council (MTUC) after his employment was terminated.

Not being a member of a union, he was advised to lodge a complaint with the Industrial Relations Department and to deal with the matter on his own.

Subsequently he lodged a complaint under Section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act 1967 which reads: “Where a workman, irrespective of whether he is a member of a trade union of workmen or otherwise, considers that he has been dismissed without just cause or excuse by his employer, he may make representations in writing to the Director General to be re-instated in his former employment.”

No effect

Our reader said he received a letter conveying the decision of the Human Resources Minister that it was not necessary to refer his complaint to the Industrial Court. After that, he did not receive any more letters. The reader said he has not done anything else because he is still jobless and cannot engage a lawyer.

Of course, our reader will not receive any more letters from the minister. This is because the decision not to refer the matter to the Industrial Court has already been made, so there is nothing more for the minister to say. The ball is at the complainant’s feet and he has not taken further action. Hence any right under the Industrial Relations Act 1967 that he may have had would have ceased to exist.

This is because access to the Industrial Court in such cases is only through reference by the minister. A person who is aggrieved over his dismissal cannot go direct to the Industrial Court to file a claim or pursue the matter.

If the minister declines to refer a complaint to the Industrial Court, the matter ends there unless the decision is challenged. The challenge in such a case involves commencing proceedings in the High Court to seek an order of certiorari to quash the minister’s decision and at the same time seek an order of Mandamus to direct the minister to refer the complaint to the Industrial Court.

This power of the minister has not always been used in the best of ways. Cases which should be referred to the Industrial Court have not been referred to, whereas cases which should not be referred to the Industrial Court, have been referred to the court.

Aggrieved individuals do not always have the financial strength or emotional determination to take on the combined resources of the corporate employer and the Human Resources Minister.

In any event, if the individual wants to challenge the decision, he has to initiate proceedings not later than six weeks from the date of the decision, unless an extension of time is obtained. If this is not done, the right to go to the Industrial Court is lost forever.

The other option

Of course, the other option is to go to the civil courts such as the Magistrate Court, Session’s Court or High Court. But given the present jurisdiction of the courts, such a resort is most unlikely. Unlike relief in the Industrial Court which requires initiation of the complaint within two months, the civil courts allow a much longer time to seek relief.

However, the civil law courts will not usually order an employer to reinstate the employee. This is because re-instatement would constitute “specific performance.” Leaving aside employees in government service where the situation is different, the courts are traditionally not inclined to order specific performance of a contract where personal services are involved.

Thus in the common law courts, the employee may only get compensation on the basis of notice that ought to have been given and was not given, or salary in lieu of notice not paid. It is unlikely that the person will get any other form of compensation.

What if the Contract of Employment does not state that notice is required to be given for termination of contract? Does this mean that the employee will not have any right to notice or compensation in lieu of notice?

The absence of a stipulation in a Contract of Employment for notice to be given for termination does not mean that no notice need to be given at all. When such a situation arises, the court will consider and decide what is a reasonable notice that ought to have been given in the circumstances.

In deciding what is a reasonable notice to be given, the court will examine the surrounding circumstances to see what kind of notice is ordinarily given to a person holding such a position in a similar industry.

This is then used as a measure to decide on the notice period that ought to have been given. Based on this period, the court will order the employer to pay compensation if it is found that the termination is wrongful or without justification.

A complaint can also be made under the Employment Act 1955, though this will not lead to the individual getting his job back. However, the complainant must come within the scope of the Employment Act 1955 to seek such relief.

What the complainant may get, if the situation warrants, are any payments payable but not paid or the payment of termination benefits where applicable. But he will not get his job back.

All said, it is not a completely hopeless situation for someone who finds that he has been unjustly dismissed. He can still approach various organisations that provide legal aid. And there are also many lawyers who do pro bono work without any publicity.

Articles of Law --- Seditious statements

2009-05-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

ARTICLES OF LAW
By BHAG SINGH

It is generally accepted that it is seditious to question any of the sensitive issues. What needs to be appreciated is what is meant by ‘to question’.

SEDITION as a subject was hardly talked about until the 1970s and 80s and then receded into the background until recently, when it again started receiving a considerable measure of attention.

According to some writers on English Law, the first definite instance found of a law relating to quasi sedition offences was a provision in the First Statute of Westminster passed in the year 1275 which provided a penalty for the publishing of false news or tales “whereby discord may grow between the King and his people” or “the great men of the realm”.

However, control of the affairs of the nation gradually devolved upon elected representatives of the people – Parliamentary Government by means of a Ministry nominally the King’s servant but really representing the majority party in the House of Commons. Thereafter, laws of sedition came in the 18th century to constitute “any written censure upon public men for their conduct as such or upon the law or upon the institutions of the country and to take care of public disturbances which had certain tendencies”.

Generally, the English Law on the subject may be encapsulated in the words of Fitzgerald J. in Reg v. Sullivan:

“Sedition has been described as disloyalty in action, and the law considers as sedition all those practices which have for their object to excite discontent or disaffection, to create public disturbances or to lead to civil war, to bring into hatred or contempt the sovereign and government, the laws or the constitution of the realm and generally all endeavours to promote public disorder.”

Our legislation

Our own law, though deriving its origins from English Common Law, is based on the Sedition Act 1948 which was earlier promulgated as the Sedition Ordinance 1948 in Malaya and extended to Sabah and Sarawak in 1964. It is seditious where what is said or done has a seditious tendency.

This is so when the words or acts have the effect of bringing into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against any Ruler or against any Government or to excite the subjects of any Ruler or the inhabitants of any territory governed by any Government to attempt to procure in the territory of the Ruler or governed by the Government, the alteration, otherwise than by lawful means, of any matter as by law established.

Otherwise, it is seditious if it is to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the administration of justice in Malaysia or in any State or to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or of the Ruler of any State or amongst the inhabitants of Malaysia or of any State. So, too, if it is to promote feelings of ill will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia.

Finally, it is sedition to question any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by the provisions of Part III of the Federal Constitution or Article 152, 153 or 181 of the Federal Constitution. This reference to seditious tendency was incorporated by a 1970 Amendment as Section 3(1)(f).

The preceding provision makes it seditious to just question any of the matters stated. But what is meant by “to question”?

Local decisions

Statements made by a Member of Parliament came for adjudication before the Court in Public Prosecutor v. Mark Koding 25 years ago. The issue in that case was whether Article 152 of the Federal Constitution, which is one of the sensitive issues, had been questioned.

In a speech in Parliament, Koding had argued for disallowing the continuation of Chinese and Tamil schools and suggested that the schools be closed. He also asked for the cessation of the use of road signs in those languages. He went on to say that if Article 152 stood in the way then the Constitution ought to be amended.

In the days that followed, he was promptly charged for touching on a sensitive issue and what arose for consideration before the Court was whether he had questioned one of the sensitive issues as stipulated in Section 3(1)(f) in the Sedition Act 1948.

Ten years earlier, a similar assertion had been made, though not in Parliament. Utusan Melayu had published an article entitled, “Hapuskan sekolah-sekolah beraliran Tamil atau Cina di negeri ini”.

It was a report of a talk given by an MP, a then prominent Malay leader, at the National Education Congress in Kuala Lumpur. He, however, did not concede that what he said at the Congress was the message conveyed by the headline of the newspaper report.

In the result, the sub-editor who had decided on and inserted the heading, was convicted, with the heading held to be seditious within the meaning of section 3(1)(f). Ong CJ, who heard the appeal, said that the result and effect of the 1970 amendments made in the 1948 Act could be said to widen the definition of “seditious tendency” by making virtually taboo any topic of public discussion calling into question the provisions of Part III or Articles 152, 153 and 181 of the Federal Constitution.

This case led to the perception that to make such statements was seditious Koding would no doubt have been aware of the view of the law when he made the statements but he presumably did so in the belief that he would be immune to prosecution because he was speaking in Parliament.

However, the court took the view that advocating the closure of Tamil or Chinese schools was not in itself seditious in the context of Article 152 of the Federal Constitution.

Mohd Azmi J. had the strictly legal point of view when he acknowledged that “whether or not such closure is advisable or feasible is another matter to be decided elsewhere and not in this court. There is nothing unlawful in allowing Chinese or Tamil schools to continue”.

The Court decided that there had nevertheless been a breach of section 3(1)(f) by suggesting the amendment to the Constitution to allow the abolition or closure of such schools, and for the discontinuance of the use of the languages on road signs.

It is a basic principle that the eventual decision in a case depends on the specific facts that are before the court when a decision has to be made. This is even more so when it comes to sedition.

As stated in a study on the Law of Sedition in India, the dimension of freedom of speech as a right is not rigid but a variable one depending upon time, place and circumstances. The extent of the right depends, amongst others, on the following factors: the political situation of the times; the economic prosperity of the society; the audience to which the speech is addressed or amongst whom the writing is circulated; extent of tolerance developed by the people, and the police force available to the State.

It will not be out of place to say that when touching on sensitive issues, it may not be a matter of strict legal interpretation alone. Given that social, cultural and other sensitivities are involved, there is a definite need to exercise a broader kind of wisdom.

Simple Majority and 2/3 Majority

2009-05-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

What the hell is happening to all the big fish politicians? All of the BN leaders are saying "go to convene an emergency assembly sitting to pass a motion of no confidence since BN has the majority". What majority do you have? I thought the Rights and Privileges committee has already suspended Zambry and his six excos? How come got MAJORITY ah?

Who asked me to study form 6? I don't know but at least i can differenciate something between a SIMPLE MAJORITY and a 2/3 MAJORITY. To enable or to "force" our beloved DS Nizar to resign or step down, yes, the first step is to pass a motion of no confidence. You are sure you got the MAJORITY BN???

In my Form 6 Pengajian Am book, it is clearly stated that even if a motion of no confidence is passed, it has to be accompanied by a 2/3 majority. That means BN must BUY another 9 ADUN to be successful.

Shame on you leaders lah. 2/3 and simple majority also don't know. Why are you so scared of elections? If i were you i will rather face it now rather than waiting for the 13th General Election. The results in 2013 will be PR 59 - BN 0. See see... HEE HEE....

Go convene you so called emergency meeting lah. Pass a motion of no confidence will your haram indian speaker. Then bring the case to COURT and say " we have the majority". But this time Justice Abdul Aziz Rahim will be granted leave by the government. If not.... You know the answer...

Then confuse the people say no need 2/3 majority geh... simple majority enough liao... HEE HEE...

I'm laughing my way to the bank... To save money... HEE HEE....

What the Hell??? Malaysia in Bolehland!!!

2009-05-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

World record as we call it... Malaysia Boleh is the term world leaders know us about... Dei... You file a formal appeal and Court of Kangaroo grants a stay of execution for the Zambry... That means he can continue haram-haram a? The appeal formally submitted around 10am and stay of execution is granted by 1pm. Three hours huh? It must be a WORLD RECORD.

I wonder is that court order of grant of stay of execution valid. The Star quoted that the Federal Court referred the case back to the High Court as it involves the State Constitution. Does that means the HIGH COURT is the HIGHEST RULING COURT for this case? Anyone agrees? It means that all appeals should be rejected.

Even the papers, National newspapers refer Zambry as MB and Nizar as ex-MB... You got brain or not? Illegitimate MB and legitimate MB are different you know? Opps... Maybe you people can't differentiate illegitimate and legitimate, lawful and unlawful, halal and haram. I feel sad for those journalists.

What the hell of Kangaroo Court is this??? Appeals and Federal court have no integrity compared to the High Court. I may be a noob in all these cases...

You know what??? Study form 6!!! Pengajian Am states that Court of Appeal cases must be decided by a panel of odd number judges. But in this case there was only a single judge. I wonder what are we learning in PA???

Just study to get an A? no!!! We must apply what we study. So, the judiciary peoples trying to fool school students by fielding a single judge for Court of Appeal cases??

MPM might as well drop the subject!!! Cakap tak serupa bikin and as for us students baca tak serupa benar.

Raja Nazrin agrees to meet Nizar

2009-05-11T08:20:00.001-07:00

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 – The Regent of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah has agreed to see Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, who was today declared the legitimate mentri besar of Perak by a Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Nizar will meet the Regent at 8.30am tomorrow to ask for the dissolution of the Perak state legislative assembly to pave the way for a fresh state election, according to several Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders including Sungkai assemblyman S. A. Sivanesan.

“I just talked with Nizar and he confirmed to me that he has secured an audience with the Regent at 8.30am,” Sivanesan told The Malaysian Insider.

“Nizar will request for dissolution of the legislature for a fresh election,” Sivanesan said adding he hoped the request is not rejected. “Nizar has the legitimate right now that he is the legitimate mentri besar to request for dissolution.”

Sultan Azlan Shah, PR leaders said, is in the United States.

PR assemblymen are also meeting from 11pm tonight to strategise their plans for Tuesday even as the Barisan Nasional (BN) rush to court on tomorrow to set aside the declaration that Nizar is the rightful mentri besar.

Tomorrow is set to be a climatic day with the royal audience, BN rushing to court and Nizar trying to enter his office with police already surrounding the state secretariat building since 4pm today.

Justice Abdul Aziz Rahim declared today that a mentri besar can only be removed by a vote of confidence on the floor of the state assembly.

At last! A clear way out for Perak unless …

2009-05-11T05:31:00.000-07:00

By Wong Choon Mei [Updated]

At last! Light begins to return to Perak after three months of un-paralleled darkness, infamy and shame as Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Umno-BN coalition tried to force their coup d’etat of the Pakatan Rakyat state government down the peoples’ throats.

Now that the much-anticipated High Court ruling is out of the way, political watchers and civil society leaders say there is no excuse for Najib to further delay doing the right thing by the Perak people.

The same with the Sultan.

Justice Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim ruled on Monday that Pakatan leader Nizar Jamaluddin was still the legitimate and rightful chief minister of the state, and not Umno’s Zambry Kadir.

A jubilant Nizar has already left for his home state to seek an audience with Sultan Azlan.

He will surely request for the dissolution of the state assembly that the Pakatan leadership has promised to deliver to the people of Perak.

——————————————————-

Suara Keadilan appends below the reactions to the court ruling and its impact to Perak and the rest of the country:

Ragunath Kesavan, Bar Council president
Our view has all along been that the Sultan has the power to appoint, not to remove. The only way for Nizar to be removed was if there had been a vote of no-confidence in him undertaken by the state assembly or if he had resigned.

As with anyone else, the Umno-BN has the right to appeal, whether or not they have a case. But the solution for this crisis does not lie with the courts as the Bar Council has been saying all along.

The solution lies with the people. They are the ones to decide and we would advise Prime Minister Najib Razak and his coalition to accept this reality.

There is also no reason for the Sultan not to see Nizar now. Nizar is the Menteri Besar not Zambry. There is no reason not to grant Nizar an audience or to not recognise him.

With this decision, Nizar has not stopped being Menteri Besar for a single day. All subsequent decisions including the May 7 sitting are invalid. Everything goes back to status quo and that means, Zambry was never Menteri Besar and all subsequents events are null and void.

Anwar Ibrahim, Opposition Leader
This is a victory for the people and also for the system of democracy in our country. We urge PAS leader Nizar Jamaluddin to immediately resume his duties as Menteri Besar, Perak.

Today’s decision proves that the Constitution is the highest law in our country. It is therefore crucial for all government institutions to respect the spirit that is enshrined in the Constitution and the laws it contains.

To end the crisis in Perak, Pakatan Rakyat will seek a dissolution of the Perak state assembly with immediate effect.

This will allow the rakyat to re-determine the state government that they want and trust through fresh election. We are confident that the people will choose wisely for their future and the future of the nation.

Ramon Navaratnam, ex-president of Transparency International
This is a good chance, perhaps even the last, for Najib to regain some credibility. He should no longer thwart their wishes but accept with good grace and humility the court’s decision today. If Nizar calls for fresh election, Najib must not oppose or stand in his way.

Only then, will our sixth prime minister have a chance to claw back from the darkness that has surrounded Perak. If he behaves honourably, there is still chance for him to learn his lesson and turn defeat into victory.

Azrul Azwa, economist Bank Islam
This court ruling sheds a light at the end of the tunnel for our friends in Perak and even for us - the country as whole. At the end of the day, the decision must go back to the people. Let them decide, it is their state and their leaders.

You see, when the people are confident, investors will also be confident. I hope the the powers-that-be will not drag out the matter. Investor confidence in our system, our judiciary and the independence of our judges, has worn so thin the past months. Today’s ruling will help to repair some of that damage. But it is still very fragile.

Lee Boon Chye, MP for Gopeng
The ruling means that all subsequent events after Zambry’s appointment including the May 7 assembly are illegal as his appointment was illegal. There won’t be greater chaos there already is. In fact, there is now a very, very bright light at the end of the tunnel unless the Prime Minister Najib and the Sultan refuses to accept the court’s decision.

But there is really no constitutional reason for Sultan Azlan not to see Nizar now.

Tian Chua, Keadilan strategic affairs director
Hidup rakyat Perak! Nizar MB sah. Let us now pray that the PM will honour the court’s decision and not throw in obstacles at all costs to block Nizar’s return. We also hope that the Sultan will recognise the ruling and more importantly the wishes of his subjects.

Election-scared Najib to appeal Nizar ruling on Tues

2009-05-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

By Wong Choon Mei

Malaysia’s scandal-hit Prime Minister Najib Razak said the Umno-BN would appeal a High Court ruling that declared Pakatan Rakyat leader Nizar Jamaluddin as the rightful Mentri Besar of Perak, invalidating coup d’etat he hatched in February.

Najib, whose power grab led his coalition to power in Perak, said the appeal would be filed on Tuesday.

Having lost four of the past five by-elections, Najib is widely expected to use all ways and means - including the underhanded and foul - to cling to power as his Umno-BN is unlikely to win by clean and fair election.

And even as the increasingly unpopular PM called for calm, the people of Perak and across the entire nation were celebrating the latest decision by Justice Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim, an indication of how much out of sync Najib has become with his countrymen.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim hailed the court decision as a victory for the people and promised that the Pakatan would honour its pledge to return the mandate to the people and call for fresh election.

Already Nizar has sought an audience with Sultan Azlan on Tuesday morning with the aim of seeking a dissolution of the state assembly.

Said Anwar: “This is a victory for the people and also for the system of democracy in our country. Today’s decision proves that the Constitution is the highest law in our country. It is therefore crucial for all government institutions to respect the spirit that is enshrined in the Constitution and the laws it contains.

To end the crisis in Perak, Pakatan Rakyat will seek a dissolution of the Perak state assembly with immediate effect. This will allow the rakyat to re-determine the state government that they want and trust through fresh election. We are confident that the people will choose wisely for their future and the future of the nation.”

Decisions by Zambry administration will not be invalidated but to be subjected to review

Meanwhile, Nizar said that all previous decisions made by Zambry Kadir, the BN Menteri Besar that Najib persuaded the Sultan to appoint, would be subject to review but not automatically invalidated. The exception was the widely-condemned May 7 state assembly sitting.

Nizar also suspended the state legal adviser Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid, who played a treacherous role in the toppling of Nizar’s administration, with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, as Nizar was speeding back to Ipoh to resume his duties, Zambry was driving down to Kuala Lumpur to see his boss, Najib.

Zambry’s aide, Khairul Azwan Harun, told the media in Ipoh that Perak Barisan Nasional will respect the court order and vacate their offices at the state secretariat building immediately. However, he refused to allow the press to stay to see if the BN would really keep its word.

Meanwhile, several truckloads of Federal Reserve Unit personnel arrived to cordon off the Perak Darul Ridwan building.

“Our presence is to maintain law and order,” said CPO Deputy Comm Zulkifli Abdullah. “We will not allow any illegal assembly or procession by either party.”

It remains to be seen if the Perak police will truly carry out their duties with neutrality. Like the state secretary and the assembly secretary, the state police and even a judicial commissioner at the Ipoh courthouse had been persuaded to blatantly favour the Umno-BN at the expense of law and justice.

Hidup rakyat Perak! Nizar is the rightful MB

2009-05-11T02:10:00.000-07:00

By Wong Choon Mei [Updated]

The KL High Court has ruled in favour of Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin in the lawsuit he filed against Umno leader Zambry Kadir for wrongfully and illegally usurping his position as chief minister of Perak after a coup d’etat orchestrated by Prime Minister Najib Razak three months ago.

“The High Court’s decision is that Nizar is still the rightful Menteri Besar based on the Constitution. Nizar never faced a vote of no-confidence by the state assembly,” said Justice Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim who delivered the judgment.

His verdict has sparked a tidal wave of cheers and jubilation across the northwestern state and indeed the rest of the country. For three long and painful months, both Perakians and Malaysians have suffered as Najib’s Umno-BN refused to respect the wishes of the Perak people for fresh election.

In their bid to cling to power, they dragged the reputation of the country through mud with relentless abuse of the federal apparatus - the police, the civil service and the even the courts - as they bulldozed their way through.

Said Tian Chua, Keadilan strategic affairs director: “Hidup rakyat Perak! Nizar MB sah. Let us now pray that the PM will honour the court’s decision and not throw in obstacles at all costs to block Nizar’s return. We also hope that the Sultan will recognise the ruling and more importantly the wishes of his subjects.”

Said Lee Boon Chye, MP for Gopeng: “The ruling means that all subsequent events after Zambry’s appointment including the May 7 assembly are illegal as his appointment was illegal. There won’t be greater chaos there already is. In fact, there is now a very, very bright light at the end of the tunnel unless the Prime Minister Najib and the Sultan refuses to accept the court’s decision.”

Said Ramon Navaratnam, ex-president of Transparency International: “This is a good chance, perhaps even the last, for Najib to regain some credibility. He should no longer thwart their wishes but accept with good grace and humility the court’s decision today. If Nizar calls for fresh election, Najib must not oppose or stand in his way.

“Only then, will our sixth prime minister have a chance to claw back from the darkness that has surrounded Perak. If he behaves honourably, there is still chance for him to learn his lesson and turn defeat into victory.

Even AG conceded that Sultan could not sack or dismiss Nizar

On Feb 13, Nizar had filed for a judicial review application and sought a declaration that he is the rightful MB. He also wanted the court to declare that the Feb 6 appointment of Zambry by the Sultan of Perak was unconstitutional.

His counsel argued that on Feb 4, Nizar he had sought an audience with the Sultan to dissolve the 59-seat Perak state assembly, which was deadlocked with the Pakatan Rakyat and Umno-BN having 28 seats each.

The status of three former Pakatan assemblymen were in question at that point in time as the Speaker of the assembly had ruled that they had resigned and their seats vacated.

Nizar also wanted the Sultan to give the voters the opportunity to elect a new government to bring about political stability. He advised the Sultan to dissolve the assembly, which is withing his right as the reigning MB under Article 36(2) of the Perak constitution.

Nizar’s lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah also that a Menteri Besar or Chief Minister of a state could not be dismissed from office as the head of government does not hold office at the pleasure of the Head of State or the Sultan.

He said the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister could be removed only through a vote of no confidence in the state assembly. He cited the principle outlined in the case of Stephen Kalong Ningkan -v- Tun Abang Haji Openg where the High Court said the test whether a Chief Minister had ceased to command the confidence of the majority was in the House, not outside of it.

In Nizar’s case, Sulaiman said he did not go through such process to warrant a resignation. Nizar could first advise the Sultan to dissolve the House after losing a confidence vote. If the Sultan used his discretion not to dissolve the House, only then Nizar has to tender his resignation together with his executive councillors.

What Zambry had contended

Whereas Zambry’s case, supported by an affidavit affirmed by State Legal Adviser Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid, was based on the notion that the Sultan refused Nizar’s request for dissolution on grounds that Nizar had lost the confidence of the majority assemblymen.

Ahmad Kamal claimed Nizar had invoked Article 16(6) of the State Constitution.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, who acted as intervener, submitted that Nizar had lost the majority, from 31 to 28 and as such no longer commanded the confidence of the majority.

He said the Sultan had conducted his own enquiry like interviewing the 31 assemblymen, including the three who crossed over, to come to a conclusion.

Abdul Gani conceded that Nizar could not be sacked or dismissed but he is deemed to have resigned once the political numbers were against him. He said the Sultan, a former Lord President, acted in accordance with the Constitution or else he would have abdicated his duty.

Zambry’s counsel, Cecil Abraham went one step further, saying it was not the Sultan who dismissed Nizar but the constitution itself. There was a provision that provides for Nizar’s position to be vacated, he said.

Nizar is rightful MB: High Court

2009-05-11T01:30:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here ruled rule on Monday that Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is the rightful Perak Mentri Besar, and not Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

In an immediate response, Zambry said he would apply for a stay pending appeal. This was rejected by the court.

Nizar left the courtroom immediately after a press conference to travel to Ipoh where he will seek an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, to get his consent to dissolve the Assembly and call for fresh state elections.

In his ruling Monday, Justice Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim said that a new mentri besar could not be appointed as the office had not been vacated.

He said a mentri besar can only be dismissed by a vote of no confidence, and upheld the Stephen Kalong Ningkan ruling.

He noted that the Perak State Legislative did not hold a vote of no confidence.

In 1966, Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan was ousted when the state governor showed him a letter of no confidence issued by 21 out of 42 legislators and asked Ningkan to resign.

Ningkan refused, saying the letters were not tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the state legislative assembly. He was sacked by the governor but eventually reinstated by the Borneo High Court, which saw the necessity of a formal vote of no confidence.

According to the Nutgraph, the judge ruled ruled that the governor can only dismiss the chief minister when both these conditions are satisfied:

(a) The chief minister has lost the confidence of the House, and

(b) The chief minister has refused to resign and failed to advise a dissolution.

Nizar had filed for a judicial review on Feb 13, seeking a declaration that he is the rightful mentri besar of Perak and an injunction to bar Dr Zambry from discharging his duties as the mentri besar.

On March 6, Justice Lau Bee Lan had ruled that there were constitutional issues involving the interpretation of Article 16 (6) of the Perak Constitution and later referred four consitutional questions to the Federal Court for determination.

However, on March 23, the Federal Court ruled that the case of who the rightful mentri besar is should be heard by the High Court.

Nizar’s lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah, in wrapping up his submissions last week, said the Constitution was the “genius of the Malaysian people”, adding that the court had a duty to uphold it. Over the last few days, he had submitted that the Sultan, while granted powers in the Perak Constitution to appoint a mentri besar, could not dismiss him.

The only way Nizar could be dismissed, he said, was through a vote of no-confidence in the House.

He also said that a mentri besar could request for the State Assembly to be dissolved in the middle of a term without losing the confidence of the majority of the House.

Dr Zambry’s lawyer Datuk Cecil Abraham, however, argued that Nizar went by Article 16(6) of the Perak Constitution when he sought an audience with the Sultan – this article specifically provides for the mentri besar to request for a dissolution when he has lost the confidence of the majority in the House.

Under the article, Nizar is required to tender the resignation of his executive councillors when his request was rejected, he said.

Trend of Malaysians, just like a dog with chains on

2009-05-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of KPI ( Key Performance Index ) ? I'm sure that the first time you hear this was when Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon was appointed as senator to enable him become a minister in the cabinet. I forgot what portfolio he was given in the PM's department.

KPI is now a popular and hot word among Malaysians. Ministry are to be given KPI index and government agencies too. But something that is proving Malaysians looking like dogs are, EVEN SUNDRY SHOPS WANNA ADOPT THE KPI.

This is the trend among Malaysians. Any more examples? Yes there are!!!

The ongoing Sudirman Cup in China is an example. When Malaysians watch our team playing they will be VERY INTERESTED to take up the sport. Badminton!!! Now Nicol David is top of the WISPA ranking, many people wanna take up squash!!! What's this???

And something happening in the future... The 2010 South African FIFA World Cup... Many of us will then venture in football without any objective of achieve anything... HAHAHA~~~ And this is Malaysian Mentality!!! Tak boleh tukar punya!!!

My dad is thinking of adopting the KPI for our house too!!! Hehe~~~ Laughing stock Malaysians... Never grow up... Not criticising him here... Do not be mistaken

~~~ another Sony Liew production ~~~
~~~ 11th May 2009 ~~~

I may have to go for a tonsil surgery

2009-05-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

My difficulty in breathing... caused me many many problems... it has been happening for 4 years or so...

Went to many doctors and specialists... recently did a ECG, heart scan and x-ray... The specialist gave me all clear... but the truth is, i still have this problem... Makes me hard to breath... i can't even concentrate on doing homeworks... Sigh........

then Christine raised the matter to me that she underwent a tonsil surgery last time... with similar breathing problems... i googled "tonsil" and in some rare cases, death can occur during surgery...

Actually the tonsil is more a liability than an asset... similar to the appendix...

Should i or should i not go for it?

Forming a word train

2009-05-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

By LUCILLE DASS

FILL in the spaces with letters to form the 18 words as defined by the clues provided. The last letter of each word forms the first letter of the next word. Each letter is used only once in the initial position.

Example: To attack someone in a public place and steal from them (verb): m u g

1. To control or direct the running of a country or a group of people (verb): g - - - - -

2. To discuss in order to reach an agreement (verb): - - - - - - - - -

3. To authorise or give freedom to do something (verb): - - - - - - -

4. Not cooked (adjective): - - -

5. An official document that permits a search or an arrest (noun): - - - - - - -

6. A general development/direction of behaviour or style (noun): - - - - -

7. Feeling sleepy (adjective): - - - - - -

8. To scream or cry out loudly (verb): - - - -

9. To pass the tongue over something (verb): - - - -

10. A round handle — of a door or drawer (noun): - - - -

11. To make someone believe only what you want them to believe (verb): - - - - - - - - -

12. Very funny (adjective): - - - - - - - - -

13. Peculiar to or characteristic of something (adjective): - - - - - - - -

14. To cut or trim (verb): - - - -

15. A remedy for all ills (noun): - - - - - - -

16. The fact or claim that an accused was elsewhere than at the scene of the crime (noun): - - - - -

17. An article or a separate thing (noun): - - - -

18. To cut down, for example, grass (verb): - - -

Answers

1. govern
2. negotiate
3. empower
4. raw
5. warrant
6. trend
7. drowsy
8. yell
9. lick
10. knob
11. brainwash
12. hilarious
13. specific
14. clip
15. panacea
16. alibi
17. item
18. mow

Very disappointed with PDRM(Polis Diraja Malaysia)

2009-05-06T02:45:00.000-07:00

My Police Cadet Uniform... Should i continue to keep it?

As a former police cadet in secondary school, i once wanted to be a policeman with the hope of making Malaysia a much safer place. However they have disappointed me. Arresting citizens which are harmless and closing one eye on robbers, rapists, Ah Longs and the Mat Rempits.

It is such a disgrace that we have such unproffesional police in the country. Two women have died while attacked by snatch thiefs but where were the police then??? Sleeping???

What is happening to the police force??? Where are the police in the class of Datuk Seri Yuen Yuet Leng and former CID Director Datuk Christhopher Wan Soo Kee??? Dah hapus ke???

Can't blame you all... Do you police personnel still remember the police song???

Polis sedia berkhidmat,

kerana negera dan rakyat,

hidup berbahagia, aman sentosa,

POLIS SEDIA BERKHIDMAT.

Waktu kita bekerja,

rumah tinggal dijaga,

itulah tandanya,

POLIS SEDIA BERKHIDMAT.

Should we write when our "VIEWS" are misjudged as "THREATS"

2009-05-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

I was previously a frequent contributor to the "LETTER TO THE EDITOR" column. But nowadays i do not write often and it's not that I am lazy. The letters that i submit are "NOT GOOD ENOUGH" to get published. Maybe people just do not believe a 20-year-old boy can write like this. They thought that the MAJORITY of 20-year-olds know only how to memorize essays from books!!!

Lets say, for example, we express our view in the form of blogging or writing to the editors. It's our freedom of speech as stated in Article 10(1) of the Federal Constitution.

Article 10. Freedom of speech, assembly and association.

(1) Subject to Clauses (2), (3) and (4) -

(a)	every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression;
(b)	all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms;
(c)	all citizens have the right to form associations.

But every now and then, when we express our views, in this case sincere views, certain parties especially those in power interpret our "VIEWS" as "THREATS" . They use the ISA to detain innocent Malaysians but suprisingly an Al-Qaeda undercover was working in Pahang without anyone detaining him. What a nation are we?

The statement by Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun that the ISA (Internal Security Act) be replaced with an Anti-Terrorism act should be seriously considered by the government to prevent abusing by certain parties. Today i rarely write because i fear the Home Ministry will come knocking on my door and say they want to bring me into "PROTECTION" in Kamunting!!!

I just wonder how can Malaysia admit she is 52 years old when we do not have any freedom of speech, assembly and association. Maybe we are even worse than Zimbabwe, Malawi and so on...

So, do you think i should still blog and contribute letters to the editor? I do this all because i still consider myself as a patriotic RAKYAT MALAYSIA yang mempunyai kawan berbilang kaum.

Let's learn a simple greeting today... Good Morning (English), Selamat Pagi (Bahasa Melayu), Zao An (Chinese), Kalei Vanakam (Tamil).....

That's all for today!!!
signing out.....

~~~Sony Liew~~~
~~~~~5th May 2009~~~~~

Sony "NOOB" VAIO VGN-NS25G/S

2009-05-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

I am very disappointed with the performance of my SONY VAIO NS25G. I sent it for servicing via your authorized centre but to no avail. it's very disappointing.

I was wondering whether SONY sold a defective product to me. It isn't cheap you know??? RM2799!!! The performance of the VAIO is worse than my mom's laptop of the same specifications.

I'm not stupid. I know computer very well. so what do you want me to do now?

I can think of 2 ways to solve this problem. firstly, a total refund of the RM2799 and i return the stupid defective notebook to you. or, replace my existing notebook with a brand new one. My notebook is barely a month old, and i'm furthering my studies soon.

It's an urgent matter and a hope for an early reply.

Malaysia's 'McCurry' celebrates win over McDonald's

2009-05-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

A small Malaysian restaurant is once again proudly trading as "McCurry", after its unlikely victory in an eight-year legal battle with US fast food giant McDonald's.

With its trays of fragrant tandoori chicken and fish masala, and customers at formica tables cooled by fans turning lazily overhead, the business is difficult to confuse with McDonald's and its racks of burgers.

"You can't have fries with that but we do have a very good potato curry," owner AMSP. Suppiah, 55, says with a laugh.

But Suppiah and his wife Kanageswary spent eight years battling in the courts for the right to retain the name of the business, pursued by McDonald's lawyers who forced them to operate as "M Curry" for several years.

"We were surprised that a giant like McDonald's would want to take action against us even though there was nothing in common between us and them," Suppiah said.

"We decided to appeal because we felt we were right and the court of appeal agreed with us this week," he said after a Malaysian court ruled the business had not infringed on the McDonald's trademark by using the prefix "Mc".

To the delight of the local press which has covered the landmark case closely, Suppiah then took a tall ladder to climb to the brightly coloured signboard and reinstate the controversial "c".

Tucking into a breakfast of "dosai" or Indian pancakes, Suppiah says he never expected to win the battle against the international food giant.

"There were times when we almost gave up hope because who would have imagined that we could win against such a big company with so much money and resources at their disposal," he said.

The mom and pop operation is one of numerous simple restaurants serving up Indian fare in this multicultural country, which is dominated by Muslim Malays but also home to ethnic Indian and Chinese communities.

Suppiah, a former accountant, says his troubles began when he set up the restaurant in 1999, shortening the name Malaysian Chicken Curry Restaurant to the McCurry restaurant.

"But within a year, I began receiving letters from McDonald's urging me to change the name and threatening legal action."

Unable to resolve the impasse, McDonald's sued Suppiah and a Malaysian High Court agreed with the hamburger chain in 2006, forcing Suppiah to remove the prefix from his signs and business.

Kanageswary says she is thrilled with the legal U-turn, but adds the victory has come at a cost.

"We faced a lot of mental anguish and embarrassment over the issue and for eight years our business has been in limbo because no one wants to invest in a company facing litigation and so we have not been able to make any improvements to the restaurant," she said.

"Hopefully, we can move on now."

However, the Suppiahs' lawyer Sri Dev Nair thinks McDonald's will not give up so easily.

"The case has shown that McDonald's want to control the monopoly over the use of the prefix 'Mc' and it has a lot of money to be able to do this so many small restaurants just give in to them," he said.

"We expect them to challenge the ruling and we will be prepared to face them in court."

The US corporation can apply to have the case reviewed in the Federal Court, which is the court of last resort on the matter.

Suppiah says he does not hold any grudges.

"My children like eating at McDonald's so I will continue going there and I would like to invite the president of McDonald's worldwide to come here to McCurry's and have a dosai, on the house -- but we can't supersize it."

ABORTION = HELL = MURDER

2009-05-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Mommy,

I am in Heaven now, sitting on Jesus' lap.

He loves me and cries with me; for my heart has been broken.

I so wanted to be your little girl. I don't quite understand what has happened.

I was so excited when I began realizing my existence.

I was in a dark, yet comfortable place. I saw I had fingers and toes.

I was pretty far along in my developing, yet not near ready to leave my surroundings.

I spent most of my time thinking or sleeping.

Even from my earliest days, I felt a special bonding between you and me.

Sometimes I heard you crying and I cried with you. Sometimes you would yell or scream, then cry.

I heard Daddy yelling back.

I was sad, and hoped you would be better soon.

I wondered why you cried so much. One day you cried almost all of the day.

I hurt for you. I couldn't imagine why you were so unhappy.

That same day, the most horrible thing happened.

A very mean monster came into that warm, comfortable place I was in.

I was so scared, I began screaming, but you never once tried to help me.

Maybe you never heard me.

The monster got closer and closer as I was screaming and screaming,

"Mommy, Mommy, help me please; Mommy, help me."

Complete terror is all I felt.

I screamed and screamed until I thought I couldn't anymore.

Then the monster started ripping my arms off.

It hurt so bad; the pain I can never explain.

It didn't stop. Oh, how I begged it to stop.

I screamed in horror as it ripped my leg off.

Though I was in such complete pain, I was dying.

I knew I would never see your face or hear you say how much you love me.

I wanted to make all your tears go away.

I had so many plans to make you happy.

Now I couldn't; all my dreams were shattered.

Though I was in utter pain and horror, I felt the pain of my heart breaking, above all.

I wanted more than anything to be your daughter.

No use now, for I was dying a painful death.

I could only imagine the terrible things that they had done to you.

I wanted to tell you that I love you before I was gone, but I didn't know the words you could understand.

And soon, I no longer had the breath to say them; I was dead.

I felt myself rising. I was being carried by a huge angel into a big beautiful place.

I was still crying, but the physical pain was gone.

The angel took me to Jesus and set me on His lap.

He said He loved me, and He was my Father. Then I was happy. I asked Him what the thing was that killed me. He answered, "Abortion.

I am sorry, my child; for I know how it feels."

I don't know what abortion is;

I guess that's the name of the monster.

I'm writing to say that I love you and to tell you how much I wanted to be your little girl.

I tried very hard to live.

I wanted to live. I had the will, but I couldn't; the monster was too powerful.

It sucked my arms and legs off and finally got all of me. It was impossible to live.

I just wanted you to know I tried to stay with you.

I didn't want to die.

Also, Mommy, please watch out for that abortion monster.

Mommy, I love you and I would hate for you to go through the kind of pain I did.

Please be careful.

Love,

Your Baby Girl

Please pass this on to as many people as u can.......if u have a heart u will..........i sent it to u cuz i know u have a heart n will send it to others, so that they will know what happens to their child and all the pain the baby goes through when they abort their baby.

They are all money hungry....

2009-05-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Love Mechanic,

Lately, the women I meet seem to only be interested in men who have a lot of money. Do women really date men they are not attracted to if these same guys are willing to shower them with gifts? Is this what dating has come to?

Giving up,
Danny

Dear Danny,

I have heard this complaint from hundreds of men that feel as though women only want a man with cash. Many younger men are still in the "Securing Your Vehicle" phase in life and it can be very frustrating when competing with men that are further along in their careers.

Men with money also have a certain confidence that women are attracted to. Many women will go out with them for the fun and adventure even if they aren't extremely attracted to them... especially women who thrive on lots of attention.

Can you blame them? Let's face it; some wealthy men do have the cash advantage and yet many don't have the rest of the package. Success does add confidence yet doesn't guarantee that they'll close the deal.

Some rich men do lose out in the end though. Sure, they may get a trophy girlfriend, but they never have her heart. There are plenty of women that don't want a man with "big bucks," yet still want to know that he has the potential to be an adequate provider. You need to learn what women are taught to expect so you can play in the game and still win. Here are a few suggestions that might help:

Build your confidence
A negative "Vibe" and whining about this won't solve the problem nor will it turn any women -- materialistic or otherwise -- on. You need to refine and "tune up" the way you view success, money and the way you come across to women where those issues are concerned.

Discover what "type" of women you are attracted to
Some of the "gold digger" or "hottie" types are being bombarded by offers and can be spoiled brats. If you keep chasing after women who want nothing more than to make love with money, you need to take a look at yourself and see if you are going after what or who you really want. Broaden your expectations and you'll discover that some of the sweetest women are not looking for a "cash man," but a companion to hang with.

Be careful of the vibes you give off
All women (hot or not) want to know that a man has a secure job and is able to take them out. Some men project a "Loser Vibe" that comes out in his initial conversations with women. Make sure you're not one of them.

Dress for success
You don't have to be a big spender to win the affections of women; just get your act together and learn how to project more confidence with a few simple wardrobe tune-ups. Make sure your clothes are clean, your shoes are shined, and always present yourself like a star.

A man who knows how to get into a woman's head will be able to connect with her and see if she is only after his wallet.

Renee

McDonald's VS McCurry: The Case History

2009-05-01T21:14:00.001-07:00

The verdict on the McCurry vs McDonald's case has finally arrived. Indian Food outlet McCurry Restaurant in Malaysia has won its case against world renowned Fast food chain McDonald's on Monday (27^th April 2009). According to the court's jurisdiction, McDonald's does not have the sole right on the prefix "Mc". McCurry restaurant, Malaysia has been allowed to keep the prefix in its name.

The recent judgement has reversed a three year old judgement, in which the court has given a verdict in favour of McDonald's in the McCurry vs McDonald's case. In September 2006, the Malaysian High Court Judge, Siti Mariah Ahmad had ruled against Malaysia's McCurry restaurant owners who were defendants in McCurry vs McDonald's case. The company had filed the case in the year 2001, saying that the McCurry restaurant is violating their trademark prefix "Mc".

The lawyers of McDonald's restaurant had argued that they have exclusive rights on the prefix and only they can use it on their products and services. They had said that McDonald's has created this prefix and has the right to protect it under the law. According to McDonald's, McCurry was infringing their creative rights by using the prefix in their name. They wanted the court to ban the McCurry from using the prefix.

But the defendants promptly denied any such claims. They said that McDonald's cannot have a creative right over the prefix "Mc" as it is not created by them. The prefix is used in surnames all over Europe and especially in Scotland. They also argued that the title McCurry is an abbreviation of "Malaysian Chicken Curry" as the restaurant servers Indian and Malaysian cuisines.

But at that time, the high court judge was convinced by arguments given by McDonald's and gave the judgement in favour of the plaintiff. The court told the owners of McCurry that they did not have the right to use the prefix and must immediately drop it from the title or change the name of their restaurant.

Hearing this verdict on McCurry vs McDonald's, the award winning photographer, Steve McCurry commented, "It is kind of funny but I guess what is more important is the quality of the food," McCurry has won four top prizes in the World Press Photo Contest.

The owners of McCurry restaurant in Malaysia were also not happy by this verdict and decided to appeal against it in the court. Finally, the decision of the appeal court on McCurry vs McDonald's came on Monday, 27^th April 2009.

The decision came in the favour of McCurry. The decision was taken by appeal court judges Datuk Gopal Sri Ram, Datuk Heliliah Mohd. Yusof and Datuk Sulong Matjeraie. They found that McDonald's doesn't have any evidence to show that the McCurry Restaurant in Malaysia was trying to pose itself as a business owned by McDonald's.

Here, one must mention that McDonald's is a multinational fast food chain which has over 30,000 restaurants in over 100 countries. McDonald's serve around 47 million people. It serves western food such as burgers, rolls, shakes and French fries. It owns more than 174 restaurants in Malaysia only.

McCurry restaurant on the other hand, is a small local restaurant in Malaysia. It is a 24 hour restaurant which serves authentic Malaysian and Indian dishes. It serves traditional dishes like teh tarik, roti canai, nasi lemak, nasi briyani, fish head curry, chicken tandoori, naan bread, tosai, chapaati and various chicken and mutton curry dishes.

The appeal court Judge, Gopal Sri Ram overturned the 2006's ruling in the McCurry vs McDonald's case. He said, "Where the learned judge, with respect, erred is to assume that McDonald's had a monopoly in the use of the prefix ‘Mc' on a signage or in the conduct of business." He added, "In my judgment, the irresistible inference to be drawn from the totality of the evidence is that McCurry's Restaurant signboard would not result in reasonable persons associating McCurry with the McDonald's mark."

In an 18 page judgement, Judge Sri Ram said, "For the reasons given, I would allow McCurry Restaurant's appeal and reverse the findings of the learned judge".

Judge Sri Ram, said, "The defendant's (McCurry) signboard carried the words ‘Restoran McCurry' with the lettering in white and grey on a red background with a picture of a chicken giving a double thumbs up and with the wording, ‘Malaysian Chicken Curry."

Adding the fact that McCurry Restaurant doesn't have any dish that has the prefix "Mc" attached with it; unlike every food item served in McDonald's restaurant. Judge Sri Ram said, "Thus, the defendant's presentation of its business is in a style and getup which is distinctly different from that of the plaintiff. It would have been different if McCurry Restaurant had offered to its customers, items that were labelled either the same as or similar to those sold by McDonald's, for example McFish or McLamb."

McDonald's had stated in the court that prefix "Mc" is their trademark. They said that the use of this prefix will show that McCurry is affiliated with McDonald's restaurant. But in their defence, McCurry Restaurant's owner said that the prefix is not owned by McDonald's restaurant and they can't monopolize it. McCurry Restaurant also stated that their menu is completely different from that of McDonald's and doesn't reflect its cuisine in any way.

This latest judgement in McCurry vs McDonald's case has been very encouraging news for the owners of McCurry restaurant in Malaysia as they can now peacefully continue with their business. They know that they are some of the very few businessmen in the world who decide to take on a large multinational and emerge triumphant in the end. The judgement has put an end to a 5 year old court battle between the two enterprises.

McCurry beats McDonald's in Malaysia lawsuit

2009-05-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Fast food chain McDonald's lost a lawsuit in Malaysia on Wednesday after an appeals court overruled a decision that its trademark had been infringed by a local restaurant called McCurry.

"Where the learned judge, with respect, erred is to assume that McDonald's had a monopoly in the use of the prefix 'Mc' on a signage or in the conduct of business," Judge Gopal Sri Ram said, overturning a 2006 ruling in favor of McDonald's.

The McDonald's operation in this Southeast Asian country of 27 million people is run as franchise by prominent businessman Vincent Tan and has 185 outlets, according to the company website (www.mcdonalds.com/my).

McCurry, by contrast, serves Indian fast food from one restaurant in Kuala Lumpur as well Malaysian dishes such as fish head curry and is short for "Malaysian Chicken Curry," according to the company website (www.mccurryrecipe.com).

(Reporting by David Chance; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

All roads lead to Roman proverbs

2009-05-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

By JOHN EVANS

GREAT cities of the world have been celebrated not only in essays and full-length books, but also in nursery rhymes, songs and poems.

Famous quotations about great cities are still mostly confined to the ‘old’ European capitals of London, Paris and Rome, even though megacities such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai and Mexico City have long outstripped them in size and population.

When it comes to proverbs about cities, London only has The streets of London are paved with gold, suggesting that London, with its wealth of easy opportunities, is the place to go if you want to make your fortune. This proverb is associated by many people with the legend of Dick Whittington, the penniless youth destined to become Lord Mayor, who was lured to London by the rumour of streets paved with gold.

Rome outstrips London with several time-honoured proverbs associated with its former grandeur, namely All roads lead to Rome, When in Rome, do as the Romans do, Rome was not built in a day and to Fiddle while Rome burns.

Rome was not built in a day teaches patience and perseverance. A job cannot be done properly if it is done too hastily. Important tasks call for a lot of hard work and take a long time to complete, just as it took centuries for Imperial Rome to be built.

However, this proverb (also occasionally heard in reference to other major cities, particularly Paris) has also often been used as an excuse, whether warranted or not, for delay!

All roads lead to Rome suggests that all ways or methods of fulfilling a specific intention end in the same result. For instance, a number of persons — scientists, for instance — can arrive at one common objective or conclusion by different means. This proverb is often used to defend one’s personal way of doing something or to suggest that no one method is better than another.

The proverb recalls the prime of Imperial Rome, when much of Europe was linked by the unparalleled Roman road system and when Rome dominated all matters cultural. It was said that on whichever road one began a journey, if one kept on travelling, one would finally reach the city of Rome.

The idea that Rome was the centre of the human universe was kept alive after the collapse of the Empire through the Roman Catholic Church, which sited its headquarters at the Vatican and thus endowed the city with the claim of being the spiritual centre of the civilised world.

Similar sayings may be found in many other cultures, including those of China (where all roads lead to Beijing) and Japan (where all roads lead to the palace of the Mikado).

When in Rome, do as the Romans do suggests that when we find ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings, it is good policy to compromise our usual habits and customs and imitate the manners and ways of life practised by the people one is visiting or living with.

The English writer and politician Lord Chesterfield wrote to his son in 1747: “Good breeding, as it is called, is different in almost every country, and merely local; and every man of sense imitates and conforms to that local good breeding of the place he is at.” Despite a shrinking and increasingly homogenised world, Chesterfield’s advice is as relevant today as it was over two-and-a-half centuries ago.

A lesser-known Roman proverb is to Fiddle while Rome burns. It means to do nothing while something important is being ruined or destroyed, and refers to a story about the Roman Emperor Nero, who is said to have played a lyre and sung while he watched Rome burning.

Apart from Rome, the Italian town of Naples is associated with the saying See Naples and die. The idea is that Naples is (or was) the finest city in the world, so having seen it, travellers might as well die, as they will never see anything better.

There is a darker side to this seemingly light-hearted boast, for Naples was once notorious for disease epidemics, and as a result many visitors did die after seeing the city in those days. Whether this proverb was always intended to be ambiguous is a moot point. As Oscar Wilde once noted, “The truth is rarely pure, and never simple”, and this can apply as much to the origins of proverbs and idioms as it can to most other things in the rich tapestry of life.

Fun With Word Search

2009-05-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

By OH TEIK THEAM

LET us have some fun with a word search exercise. Unscramble the eight sets of italicised letters in the story below to complete it.

The Stag at the Brook

A stag saw his form reflected in the water while he was drinking by a brook. “Just look at my antlers,” he said moedimtsly (1) to himself. “They are beautiful branches and moefablidr (2) ones to boot.”

After a while, he shook his head in dismay and continued, “But my slender legs are so unsightly. If only they could be as beautiful as my horns!”

When he had quenched his thirst, he espied a huntsman and a pack of hounds. “They will soon close in on me,” he warned himself.

The stag quickly bounded away over the moewads (3), outdistancing the dangerous hounds. He eventually entered a thick wood, but he was unlucky enough to get his antlers entangled in a thicket. Unable to moev (4), he felt frightened.

Rueing his moefistrun (5), the stag groaned, “I don’t have the slightest chance of escaping from my pursuers. My antlers, which I had been so proud of, have moeceb (6) my undoing. They are of no moepartcin (7) to me now. I am moeodd (8) to die!”

(Adapted from a fable by Aesop)

Answers

1. immodestly 2. formidable 3. meadows 4. move 5. misfortune 6. become 7. importance 8. doomed

The songs i play aren't as nice as before

2009-04-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

what is happening to me?
my problem or the instruments' problem???
the songs...
canon......
marriage d'amour...
被风吹过的夏天...
小酒窝...

all song sound diffierent....
why????

Movies on AXN

2009-04-30T00:06:00.000-07:00

Recently, i have been doing a lot of cut and pastes for my blog postings. Now it's time for another original post~~~

I have been school-less and job-less... hehe~~~ it's the truth... and i spent my time studying the AXN channel... From day till night....

The show i like the most??? Numb3rs of course!!! It's about an FBI agent Don Eppes and his genius mathematician brother Charlie Eppes... I found out that the real Charlie is just 30 years old!!! That means he was just 22 when he starred in the series!!! Cool!!! can i recall the names??? Charlie, Don, Alan, Amita, Colby..... and that astrophysics maniac!!! forgot his name....

2nd place??? EARLY EDITION.... The CAT!!! every morning at 6.30 sharp, his stupid cat will be waiting outside Gary's room with tomorrow's newspaper... There's Gary, Marissa, Erica, Henry.... Chuck is lost for now... I don't know where he is.... Do you know their headquarters??? McGinty's Bar!!! hehe......

Numb3rs and EARLY EDITION are my top 2 by miles.... CSI is kinda boring now.... always repeat and repeat the same thing...

AXN.... this franchise..... love it... makes me think of FRANCHISE.... Franchise business guarantees 95% success...

Did you know that???

Officials confront first US death from swine flu - AP

2009-04-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON – A 23-month-old Texas toddler became the first confirmed swine flu death outside of Mexico as authorities around the world struggled to contain a growing global health menace that has also swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations. Officials say the death was in Houston.

Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the Houston Health and Human Services Department, said Wednesday that the child had traveled with family from Mexico to Brownsville in South Texas. The child became ill in Brownsville and was taken to a Houston hospital and died Monday night, she said.

"Even though we've been expecting this, it is very, very sad," Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday of the infant's death. "As a pediatrician and a parent, my heart goes out to the family."

President Barack Obama said this morning that Americans should know the government is doing all it can to control virus. Obama also says schools should consider closing if the spread of the swine flu virus worsens.

Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Britain and Germany also have reported cases of swine flu sickness. Deaths reported so far have been limited to Mexico, and now the U.S.

As the United States grappled with this widening health crisis, Besser went from network to network Wednesday morning to give an update on what the Obama administration is doing. He said authorities essentially are still "trying to learn more about this strain of the flu." His appearances as Germany reported its first cases of swine flu infection, with three victims.

"It's very important that people take their concern and channel it into action," Besser said, adding that "it is crucial that people understand what they need to do if symptoms appear.

"I don't think it (the reported death in Texas) indicates any change in the strain," he said. "We see with any flu virus a spectrum of disease symptoms."

Asked why the problem seems so much more severe in Mexico, Besser said U.S. officials "have teams on the ground, a tri-national team in Mexico, working with Canada and Mexico, to try and understand those differences, because they can be helpful as we plan and implement our control strategies."

Sixty-six infections had been reported in the United States before the report of the toddler's death in Texas.

The world has no vaccine to prevent infection but U.S. health officials aim to have a key ingredient for one ready in early May, the big step that vaccine manufacturers are awaiting. But even if the World Health Organization ordered up emergency vaccine supplies — and that decision hasn't been made yet — it would take at least two more months to produce the initial shots needed for human safety testing.

"We're working together at 100 miles an hour to get material that will be useful," Dr. Jesse Goodman, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration's swine flu work, told The Associated Press.

The U.S. is shipping to states not only enough anti-flu medication for 11 million people, but also masks, hospital supplies and flu test kits. President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in emergency funds to help build more drug stockpiles and monitor future cases, as well as help international efforts to avoid a full-fledged pandemic.

"It's a very serious possibility, but it is still too early to say that this is inevitable," the WHO's flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told a telephone news conference.

Cuba and Argentina banned flights to Mexico, where swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people and sickening well over 2,000. In a bit of good news, Mexico's health secretary, Jose Cordova, late Tuesday called the death toll there "more or less stable."

Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, has taken drastic steps to curb the virus' spread, starting with shutting down schools and on Tuesday expanding closures to gyms and swimming pools and even telling restaurants to limit service to takeout. People who venture out tend to wear masks in hopes of protection.

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States rose to 66 in six states, with 45 in New York, 11 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Indiana and Ohio, but cities and states suspected more. In New York, the city's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill at a school where some students had confirmed cases.

The WHO argues against closing borders to stem the spread, and the U.S. — although checking arriving travelers for the ill who may need care — agrees it's too late for that tactic.

"Sealing a border as an approach to containment is something that has been discussed and it was our planning assumption should an outbreak of a new strain of influenza occur overseas. We had plans for trying to swoop in and knockout or quench an outbreak if it were occurring far from our borders. That's not the case here," Besser told a telephone briefing of Nevada-based health providers and reporters. "The idea of trying to limit the spread to Mexico is not realistic or at all possible."

"Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in Geneva, recalling the SARS epidemic earlier in the decade that killed 774 people, mostly in Asia, and slowed the global economy.

Authorities sought to keep the crisis in context: Flu deaths are common around the world. In the U.S. alone, the CDC says about 36,000 people a year die of flu-related causes. Still, the CDC calls the new strain a combination of pig, bird and human viruses for which people may have limited natural immunity.

Hence the need for a vaccine. Using samples of the flu taken from people who fell ill in Mexico and the U.S., scientists are engineering a strain that could trigger the immune system without causing illness. The hope is to get that ingredient — called a "reference strain" in vaccine jargon — to manufacturers around the second week of May, so they can begin their own laborious production work, said CDC's Dr. Ruben Donis, who is leading that effort.

Vaccine manufacturers are just beginning production for next winter's regular influenza vaccine, which protects against three human flu strains. The WHO wants them to stay with that course for now — it won't call for mass production of a swine flu vaccine unless the outbreak worsens globally. But sometimes new flu strains pop up briefly at the end of one flu season and go away only to re-emerge the next fall, and at the very least there should be a vaccine in time for next winter's flu season, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious diseases chief, said Tuesday.

"Right now it's moving very rapidly," he said of the vaccine development.

Besser appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," CNN and CBS's "The Early Show."

Somewhere along the line

2009-04-28T23:50:00.000-07:00

By LYDIA TEH

AFTER a late dinner, Eh Poh Nim and Gene Rick strolled along the sidewalk of busy Bangsar, hands linked tightly in each other’s. The night throbbed with excitement as people flocked to the pubs and eateries. Suddenly, a woman pushed past them.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Gene Rick called out.

The woman turned around. “Sorry!” she whimpered. Her face was streaked with mascara-laced tears.

When she spun back to continue her journey, she stumbled on three steps built onto the hitherto level pavement. She fell. Gene Rick and Eh Poh Nim helped her up. By then, she was sobbing and looking about distraughtly.

“He’s after me!” she mumbled repeatedly.

The couple persuaded her to go into a nearby cafeteria to calm down.

“Who’s after you?” Eh Poh Nim asked when they had seated themselves.

“Mr Hong. He’s my client from Taiwan. My boss asked me to entertain him but I didn’t know he meant for me to ... to ...” She burst into tears again.

She rubbed her neck with a crumbly piece of tissue. “I feel so violated! I told my boss I’m willing to do anything to get a promotion but I have to draw the line at being a GRO to clients! I absolutely have to set limits when it comes to this.”

“Didn’t you read between the lines when your boss told you about the entertaining?” Eh Poh Nim held up her fingers in quote marks at “entertaining”.

“I didn’t think there was anything to infer,” she sniffed. “When clients come, we take them out for meals and later to the lounge for some drinks. I didn’t realise ...” She choked with emotion.

Eh Poh Nim stared at her. Beneath the smudged make-up was a fresh unlined face. “How old are you, er ... Miss ...”

“Jennifer. I’m twenty-two.”

“Your boss expected you to toe the line?” Gene Rick asked.

“I usually do what is expected of me but not this!” Jennifer squared her shoulders and exclaimed angrily, “I won’t prostitute myself in the line of duty!”

Eh Poh Nim and Gene Rick exchanged glances with each other. Eh Poh Nim explained, “In the line of duty means while doing what is expected in a job that’s dangerous in nature. For example, policemen and firemen are sometimes killed in the line of duty.”

“What should I do now?” Jennifer asked in a frightened voice. “Should I report it to the police?”

Gene Rick said, “If I were you, I’ll take the line of least resistance.”

“What do you mean?” Jennifer asked.

“Take the course of action that will cause least trouble or effort,” Eh Poh Nim said. “I think that perverted Mr Hong should be punished. What does he think of Malaysian girls, huh? That we’re easy prey? He should be taught a lesson.”

“Do you know how much trouble you have to go through?” Gene Rick asked.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you, Gene Rick. Where are your principles?” Eh Poh Nim asked heatedly.

“Even if you reported it, the outcome would still be the same. That guy will get away scot-free,” Gene Rick explained in a long-suffering tone.

“Pray tell how would you know that?” Eh Poh Nim was so agitated she slammed the table twice.

Turning to Jennifer who was seated beside her, she said, “You go and make your report, girl. And you take a hard line with your boss. Tell him you’re not going to stand for this kind of nonsense. If you don’t deal firmly with him, he’ll take advantage of a young naïve girl like you.”

“What if he fires me?” Jennifer asked.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” Eh Poh Nim said.

“But I can’t lay my job on the line. I’m the only breadwinner in my family,” Jennifer said.

“What sort of advice are you dishing out?” Gene Rick looked exasperated. “How could you ask her to risk losing her job?”

“Let’s lay it on the line then, Gene Rick. This facet of you is new to me and I don’t like it at all,” Eh Poh Nim said.

“Okay, you want to be frank, I’ll be frank with you. I can’t stand your loquaciousness! Big mouth!” Gene Rick said.

“What?! You, you ... you nincompoop!” Eh Poh Nim sputtered with rage.

“Hey, you’re way out of line!” Gene Rick yelled.

“And who started calling names first? You’re the one who’s out of control!” Eh Poh Nim shouted.

A bell rang. A waiter was jiggling a bell as he approached their table. “Excuse me, would you please take your quarrel outside? We want our customers to enjoy their meals.”

He continued ringing the bell. The sound was beginning to unnerve Eh Poh Nim. She felt a migraine coming; she closed her eyes. When she opened them, she found herself lying in bed. Her alarm clock was ringing its head off.

It was a dream after all. She heaved a sigh of relief.

If you like reading Eh Poh Nim articles, get a copy of Do You Wear Suspenders? The Wordy Tales of Eh Poh Nim, out in major bookstores now. Check out the bookertizement to promote the book at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdWUgkhsZYU.

Money can buy love, study reveals

2009-04-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief, money can buy you happiness, a study into lottery jackpot winners suggests.

A Nottingham University study found 97% of 34 people who won more than £1m on the National Lottery were just as happy, if not happier, than before.

Researchers also found money can buy you love - 68% of winners were married pre-jackpot, rising to 75% afterwards.

None missed working or found that the money caused domestic arguments or led to relationship breakdowns.

Only 3% of winners who filled in the questionnaires said they were less happy than before, citing new pressures in their lives.

Myth versus reality

A "Satisfaction with Life" scale was used to determine subjective well-being among winners and non-winners.

But the study found that the expected huge changes in lifestyle were more myth than reality.

Many winners seemed to move into bigger properties (68% of them lived in detached houses compared with 32% pre-win), but they stayed in the same geographical area.

Researchers also found out that despite the fact winners took more holidays, they were not more adventurous in destination choice - 100% had taken a holiday in Britain since their win.

The survey, commissioned by National Lottery operator Camelot, is the first academic study into jackpot winners since the National Lottery began 12 years ago.

Dr Richard Tunney, Psychology Lecturer at The University of Nottingham, said: "The old saying 'money can't buy you happiness' may not be true, but traditional family values, a comfortable home and financial security are clearly key elements to a happy life."

Swine Flu FAQ

2009-04-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

Foreign tourists wearing protective masks stand in the main Zocalo plaza in downtown Mexico City, Monday. (AP Photo/Enric Marti)

What is swine influenza?

It is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. It regularly causes high flu outbreaks in pigs but with low death rates. There are four main sub-types of the virus, but the most recent isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

How does it spread?

Swine flu viruses do not typically infect humans though they do occur through close proximity or contact with infected pigs or contaminated areas. Cases of human-to-human spread have been documented.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms are similar to those of regular flu:
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting and diarrhoea in some cases.

How common is swine flu infection in humans?

In the past reports of about one human swine flu virus infection had been received every one to two years in the United States. From December 2005 till February 2009, 12 cases have been reported.

Has this strain of flu been seen before?

No. Flu mutates constantly, so it is common for new strains to emerge. Pigs can also be infected with both human and avian influenza, and the current circulating swine flu strain appears to contain genetic elements from all three.

Can swine flu be treated with antiviral drugs and flu vaccine?

The swine flu is resistant to two common drugs – Amantadine and Rimantadine. The H1N1 swine flu viruses are very different from human H1N1 viruses. Therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection. However, a “seed vaccine” has been specifically tailored to this swine flu and will be manufactured if officials deem it necessary.

Can people catch swine flu by eating pork?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 70ºC and above kills the swine flu virus.

How long is someone with swine flu considered contagious?

People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic; possibly for up to seven days following the onset of the illness. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What can I do to protect myself from the swine flu?

There is no vaccine available right now to protect against the swine flu.

However, you can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by:

- Covering your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the waste basket after you use it.

- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also helpful

- Try to avoid close contact with sick people. - If you get sick with influenza, stay at home and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

- Consult your nearest healthcare facility if you think you have any of the symptoms.

Which countries have had cases of the swine flu?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed human cases of swine flu in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Spain. Only Mexico has reported deaths from the new strain.

Are there any travel restrictions or advisories for Malaysians?

The Health Ministry on April 27 advised Malaysians against travelling to certain places in the United States, Mexico and Canada which have been affected by the swine flu.

What precautions are in place in Malaysia?

- The Health Ministry’s operations room in Putrajaya has started a 24-hour monitoring of the situation. The public can call 03-8881 0200/300 for enquiries.

- Those returning from Latin American countries and found to have flu-like symptoms will be quarantined.

- Health Ministry officials are conducting health screenings on passengers arriving from the United States.

- Thermal scanners will be placed at international airports to speed up the screening process for swine flu.

- Public and private medical practitioners have been instructed to report to the district health office any patient with influenza-like illnesses or severe pneumonia symptoms and who had travelled to the affected countries after April 17.

- Owners of the 797 pig farms nationwide have been ordered to immediately contact the nearest Veterinary Services Department office or the Animal Disease Control Centre if their workers or animals show symptoms linked to the swine flu.

Where can I get more information?

For more information, go to the Health Ministry (www.moh.gov.my) or call the Ministry's hotline at (03) 8881-0200/300.

Useful Links:
World Health Organization: www.who.int
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov
Homeland Security Department: www.dhs.gov
WHO swine flu page: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

Ipoh Starwalk .... Sien jor.... And a brief story about IPOH

2009-04-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ipoh starwalk a starwalk.......
i take part for 8-9 years liao.......
so sien de activity........
haix...........
Ipoh is really a ghost city....
with nothing to do.....
2 shopping malls ....
that's all....
every year only have Ipoh Run and Starwalk.....
don't you ipoh folks get bored?????

I wished we had something called Low Yat... Sungei Wang.... 1 Utama or MidValley la.....
what's our power crazy government planning?
I'm damn bored you know....
Be smart enough....
Give me money.... Millions if you can.....
i will bring Wal-Mart to Ipoh....
it will be the most successful chain even better than Tesco or Giant!!!

Ipoh o Ipoh...........
The word Ipoh really sucks........
Makes me sleepy.......
Even our DR Seenivasagam Park is in a sad state....

Such is the incredible transformation of Ipoh the city of TIN MINING.........
form hero to zero.....
don't wanna talk about it liao....
makes me wanna vomit!!!!!

O for the open sound!

2009-04-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

By Dr LIM CHIN LAM

A-RAMBLING through words in the English language, I chanced upon one notable feature. Of all the speech sounds, the open sound – a terminal syllable with a vowel-sound not closed by a consonant-sound – is a pleasingly fluid one, in prose, verse, and song.

It is especially so in music. Even the titles of opera illustrate this point. For example, the Italian Cavalleria Rusticana or La Forza del Destino is made up of words whose pronunciation trips fluidly from the tongue, as compared with the German Der Ring des Nibelungen or Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, whose words hint of sibilance or staccato.

There are many interesting observations that can be made on this topic, and spelling is one of them.

Spelling

Languages with an alphabetic script cannot do without vowel-letters. The English language has an alphabet with 26 letters – five vowel-letters (a, e, i, o, u) and 21 consonant-letters (b, c, d, f, g, ... x, y, z). While a vowel-letter can be sounded on its own, a consonant-letter can hardly be sounded without an accompanying vowel-sound. Wh_t d_ y__ th_nk?

Because of the quirks of English spelling, words ending with vowel-letters may be not be open-sounded – the terminating vowel-letters are silent; e.g. askance, belle, capable, complete, forsake, gratitude, miracle, plague, plague, tongue.

Then there are words ending in (1) one, two, or three vowel-letters but pronounced with one vowel-sound (bonanza, schwa, epitome, forte, confetti, potpourri, cargo, embargo, snafu, tutu + camaraderie, communique, jubilee, reggae, taboo + beau, bureau, trousseau) [the single vowel-sound may even be a schwa, “an indeterminate or indistinct vowel sound” (coma, patina, sofa)];

(2) one, two, or three vowel-letters but pronounced as a diphthong, “a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves seamlessly into the other” (alumni, cacti + academia, shanghai, subdue + adieu) or pronounced as a diphthong plus a schwa (paranoia).

But then there are words with terminating consonant-letters which are not pronounced. The last syllable of such words, largely of French origin, contains one vowel-letter terminated by one silent consonant-letter (apropos, boudoir, debris, depot, fracas, gourmet, patois, tower, sorrow). The words terminated by the two silent consonant-letters –gh are largely of Old English or Anglo-Saxon origin (dough, neigh, thorough).

Then there are words with the ending syllable containing one or two vowel-letters terminated by one or two consonant-letters which are nevertheless pronounced as an open-ended diphthong (endow, meow, peer, pier, sepoy + bough, plough).

Finally, there is the special situation involving the letter ‘y’. Although termed a consonant-letter, ‘y’ also functions as a vowel. In open-ended words, ‘y’ is sounded as [i], as in amnesty, completely, memory, miscellany; or as the diphthong [ai], as in ally, comply, butterfly.

Observations on usage

Most of the open-ended words are nouns. Some are verbs in the original language. For example, the Latin credo, placebo, and veto are verbs for the first person singular in the indicative mood – but in English, credo and placebo are used as nouns while veto is used as both noun and verb. Some are adverbs (akimbo, incognito, incommunicado, impromptu).

With so many words ending in vowel-letters, one would have thought that one or other of the vowel-letters would serve as a suffix, but no. The closest to being affixes are the vowel-letters ‘i’ and ‘o’ which serve as infixes linking two word-elements, as in cuneiform, Anglo-Chinese School, concavo-convex lens, gastro-intestinal, socio-economic, Russo-Japanese War. The open-ended words make up many common expressions. Examples: à la, bona fide, da capo, de facto, in situ, in vitro, in vivo, in delicto flagrante, ipso facto, lingua franca, magna cum laude, mala fide, mens sana in corpore sano, persona non grata, prima donna, pro bono publico, pro proportione, pro rata, summa cum laude, vice versa.

There are other interesting aspects to open-ended words (especially those ending in –o). They appear in many situations:

1) in musical terms – largely of Italian origin: allegretto, allegro, alto, aria, arioso, barcarolle, basso, canto, castrato/castrati, concerto, contralto, crescendo, diminuendo, diva, falsetto, forte, fortissimo, habanera, intermezzo, libretto/libretti, maestro, mezzo-soprano, moderato, oratorio, piano, pianissimo, pizzicato, poco, rallentando, seguidilla, solo, soprano, staccato, tremolo, vibrato, virtuoso

2) in technical (biological, medical, etc.) terms – largely of Greek or Latin origin and ending in -a and sometimes incorporating the digraphs –ae- or –oe-: acne, amnesia, analgesia, angina, anorexia nervosa, apnoea, arrhythmia, asthma, bulimia, carcinoma, cloaca, dementia, diarrhoea, dysplasia, eczema, fibula, glyconuria, haemophilia, haemotoma, haematuria, hernia, hydrophobia, hyperplasia, hypoplasia, hypothermia, hysteria, influenza, insomnia, kleptomania, lunula, megalomania, papilloma, paranoia, pellagra, pneumonia, prurigo, retina, rubella, rubeola, septicaemia, tachycardia, teratoma, thalassaemia, tibia, trauma, ulna, uvula, variola, vertebra, vertigo

3) in apocopated words – audio, chemo, condo, convo (Malaysian usage), demo, disco, expo, homo, limo, mayo, medico, mezzo, mono, neuro, photo, pro, psycho, radio, stereo, video

4) in evocative words, which are easily formed and immediately understood, with all the connotations included – cracko, fatso, saddo, sicko, stinko, wacko, weirdo.

[Note: My sister-in-law is not content to use the word cheapo on its own. For extra mileage, she gives it a Hispanic flavour, hence el cheapo!]

~~~A word a day keeps your brain alive~~~

The MOE word challenge

2009-04-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

By OH TEIK THEAM

FORM the words that contain the letters ‘M’, ‘O’, ‘E’ to complete the sentences below. The words each have eight letters, as today is the eighth anniversary of Mind Our English!

1. “If citrus fruits are bad for your eczema, you should not drink this glass of _ _mo_ _ _e.”

2. She had to withdraw from the play because she just couldn’t m_ _o_ _ _e her lines.

3. His friends gave him the mo_ _ _ _e_ ‘Ash’ because he is a chain-smoker.

4. The rock gathered mo_e_ _ _ _ as it rolled down the hill.

5. Even though they hurled abuse at her, she remained perfectly _ _m_o_e_.

6. “It’s such a bright night,” the drunk said to himself, “I think I’ll climb up a m_o_ _e_ _ to reach the clouds.”

7. “Dew,” the teacher explained to her class, “is the mo_ _ _ _ _e which forms on the surfaces of cool bodies during the night.”

8. “It was rather _m_o_ _ _e of you not to thank him for the present he gave you.”

9. She accepted his marriage proposal after he promised to love her _ _ _ _mo_e.

10. “To call him a supervisor is a m_ _ _o_e_ — he’s more like a tyrant!”

11. As a _ _ _mo_e_, she has been very successful, for sales of the company’s products have increased tremendously since she took up the job.

12. The little girl was smart enough to remain _m_o_ _ _e under the bed during the robbery.

13. “Please listen carefully to my words,” the politician said to the reporters, “so that you will not m_ _ _ _o_e me.”

14. The boss decided to give his secretary a huge bonus to mo_ _ _ _ _e her to continue with her excellent work.

15. I watched the piece of wood _mo_ _ _e_ and then doused it with water to prevent a serious fire from breaking out.

Answers

1. lemonade 2. memorise 3. monicker (also moniker) 4. momentum 5. composed 6. moonbeam 7. moisture 8. impolite 9. evermore 10. misnomer 11. promoter 12. immobile 13. misquote 14. motivate 15. smoulder

SLOW DANCE

2009-04-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

Have you ever
watched kids

On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to
the rain

Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a
butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading
night?

You better slow down.

Don't dance so
fast

Time is short.

The music won't
last

Do you run through each day

On the
fly?

When you ask How are you?

Do you hear the
reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie in your
bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through
your head?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so
fast

Time is short.

The music won't
last

Ever told your child,

We'll do it
tomorrow?

And in your haste,

Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good
friendship die

Cause you never had time

To call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance
so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't
last

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You
miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry
through your day,

It is like an unopened gift...

Thrown away.

Life is not a
race

Do take it slower

Hear the
music

Before the song is over.

------------
--------

what i did for the past week

2009-04-25T22:02:00.001-07:00

Zi-lianing~~~ hehe~~~

wanna kill myself liao~~~ haix~~~

WAnna poke my mouth??? come!!!

My area's Assemblyman!!! from DAP!!!

Combining all photos makes a perfect portrait~~~

The ever reliable GPS!!!

Nak cuba ke??? i tak nak la.... Mahalnya~~~ better reload my phone~~~

Guys ever studied about this place??? Malaysian Newsprint Industries!!!

It says MENTAKAB!!!

The steering wheel~~~ looks cheap material~~~

WAnna test drive??? Give me a call~~~ hehe!!!

I stayed there 10 years ago... still so new now???

Can u read??? It says MENTAKAB!!! a small town in Pahang!!!

Huh??? What is this???

U wanna eat??? I can sponsor u~~~

Or cat food??? hehe~~~

Bukit Bendera Resort!!! got advertisement in YEAH magazine de~~~~

It reads 550meters above sea level... At Genting Sempah~~~ if u know the place...It's coordinate is 3.35N101.79E

The place where u apply for ur visa~~~ know the place???

The KL tower at the back!!!

One of my best scenery shots... AGREE OR NOT???

Took this pic... In case car gets stolen!!! hehe~~~

See??? Leaving the bag unattended!!!

Is this the biggest LCD TV in the world??? 103" leh~~~

Vaio colours~~~

Which one is urs??? I don't even know mine...

MARKS&SPENCER SHIRTS!!!

MARKS&SPENCER BUSCUITS!!!

MARKS&SPENCER SOCKS!!!

MARKS&SPENCER SUNGLASSES!!!

My first photo diary for a long2 time!!! hope u all enjoyed it!!!
~~~signing out~~~

The title should be "what i did for the past week"
AGREE???

~~~Have a nice day~~~

*****Sony Liew*****
<>

###26th April 2009###

Unclear limits of discretion

2009-04-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

Reflecting on the Law
By SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

The Constitution is still evolving and responding to the times, and only the future will tell the shape of things to come.

VER since the general election of March 2008, and especially after the constitutional temasyah in Perak, an animated debate is raging about the powers and position of the Malay Rulers.

History: Malay kingship existed as early as the first century and the powers of the Sultans were nearly absolute through much of history. During the colonial period these powers waned.

The decline began with the absorption of Malay kingdoms into the Federated Malay States of 1895 and the Federation of Malaya 1948.

The Merdeka Constitution of 1957 restored the honours and dignities of the Sultans but at the same time converted the Rulers to constitutional monarchs.

Save for a limited number of situations in which a margin of discretion is conferred, the federal and state Constitutions require the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Rulers to act on the advice of the elected political executive.

During the last 52 years things did not always work this way. In the 60s and 70s the influence of the Sultans on government and society was far greater than what the Constitution envisaged. History overshadowed the law.

The 80s and 90s saw several constitutional amendments to curb royal powers. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Sultans could be bypassed in the ordinary legislative process.

Royal immunities were abolished. If sentenced to more than one day of imprisonment, a Ruler could be removed from his throne unless pardoned by the Majlis Raja-Raja.

However, the spirals of history are at work again. Some sections of the population, including many members of the legal community, are beginning to view the Rulers as the last bastion against the political executive’s omnipotence.

In response to these popular sentiments and in order to recover ground that was lost in the 80s and 90s, the Conference of Rulers, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the state Rulers have lately shown tremendous assertiveness in a number of areas.

Leading examples relate to appointments to the superior courts, refusal to extend the tenure of a retiring Chief Justice, appointment of Chief Ministers in Perlis, Terengganu, Perak and Selangor after the March 2008 general election, refusal of premature dissolution of the Perak Assembly, dismissal of a Chief Minister and appointment of a new Chief Minister in Perak early this year.

A few weeks ago, in exercise of its powers under Article 38(2) to deliberate on questions of national policy, the Majlis Raja-Raja appointed the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the Patron of Universiti Sains Malaysia to keep the Conference informed of USM’s progress as an apex university.

Some of these royal assertions have raised eyebrows. Questions are being asked whether an activist monarchy is compatible with the letter and spirit of the Federal Constitution.

In this area the “glittering generalities” of the Constitution provide ample scope for a kaleidoscope of views.

Let us examine the constitutional canvass.

Constitutional monarchs: Article 71 and the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution require that all state Constitutions shall contain some “essential provisions”.

The most significant provision is that, except in relation to discretionary powers, all state Rulers “shall act in accordance with the advice of the Executive Council”.

The implication of this is that the state Rulers are not absolute monarchs. They are not expected to rule in person or to seek to control the day-to-day administration of government.

However, the Constitution is equally clear that Their Majesties are anointed with certain discretionary powers in critical areas.

Personal powers: All state Constitutions confer discretionary powers on the Rulers in relation to the following matters:

> Any function as Head of the Muslim religion or relating to Malay adat;

> The appointment of heir, consort, Regent, Council of Regency and Council of Succession;

> Appointments to Malay customary ranks, titles, honours and dignities; and,

> Regulation of royal courts and palaces.

In addition, there is a right to succeed to the throne in accordance with the Constitution of the state and without interference from the Federal Government.

Though immunities are abolished, some special treatment is still accorded. No one can sue or prosecute a Sultan without the Attorney-General’s consent. Cases will not be heard in ordinary courts but in a Special Court. The Majlis will nominate two out of five judges to the court. If a Sultan is convicted of a crime the Majlis can pardon him.

Political powers: Though the Sultans are above politics, federal and state Constitutions confer on them some monumentally important political discretions.

Under Article 38(6) of the Federal Constitution, all Sultans in their capacity as members of the Conference of Rulers may act in accordance with their wishes in the following matters:

> Proceedings relating to the election or removal of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong;

> Election of the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong;

> The advising on many key federal appointments;

> The giving or withholding of consent to any law altering the boundaries of a state;

> The giving or withholding of consent to any law affecting the privileges and position, honours or dignities of the Rulers;

> Agreeing or disagreeing to the extension of any religious acts, observances and ceremonies to the Federation as a whole; and,

> Appointment of members of the Special Court under Article 182(1).

Under section 1(2) of Part I of the Eighth Schedule of the Federal Constitution and in various provisions of State Constitutions the Rulers are allowed to exercise personal judgment in the following matters:

> Appointment of a Mentri Besar;

> Withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of the Assembly; and,

> The making of a request for a meeting of the Conference of Rulers.

Two of the above powers were exercised in Perak with telling effect a few weeks ago.

Under state Constitutions every Sultan has a prerogative to advise, to encourage and to warn. He can remonstrate and object to a proposed course of action. He can delay action on a matter referred to him. But after a reasonable time he must accede to advice.

Some state Constitutions confer additional discretionary powers. For example, the Laws of the Constitution of Kelantan invest His Royal Highness with personal powers in the matter of appointment of some officials (Article 13), appeals to the Sultan against decisions of any person (Article 25), and appointment of the State Service Commission (Article 61).

Legally, these discretionary powers are very broad. In actual practice, they are hemmed in by constitutional guidelines and by binding conventions that “supply the flesh to clothe the dry bones of the law”.

In sum, it can be stated that despite their overall role as constitutional heads who reign but do not rule; who are above politics; who supply the unifying and dignifying element of state Constitutions; the Malay Rulers have an undoubted residue of critical, discretionary powers whose actual ambit has not yet been authoritatively determined.

The Constitution is still evolving and responding to the felt necessities of the times. The British model of a largely ceremonial monarchy has not taken hold. Only the future will tell the shape of things to come.

Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi is Professor Emeritus at Universiti Teknologi MARA.

Just for fun

2009-04-21T20:24:00.001-07:00

MANY of the sentences below make clever use of puns and other devices to communicate more than one meaning. If you paid attention in English classes, you would most likely enjoy them.

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silkworms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organisation.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: ‘You stay here; I’ll go on a head.’

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab centre: ‘Keep off the Grass’.

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said: “No change yet.”

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

20. A backward poet writes inverse.

21. In democracy, it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it’s your count that votes.

22. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

23. Don’t join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects.

Wordwise : Clothes and Dressing

2009-04-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

By S.H. LOKE

IT is not surprising that expressions related to clothes and dressing cover every facet of life. They can be used to describe events, people and jobs. You can use some of these well-worn expressions to add a splash of colour to your language.

1. Cap

To put on your thinking cap means to think hard.

We have to put on our thinking cap to solve the mystery of the missing suitcase.

2. Coat

To cut your coat according to your cloth means to spend within your means.

During bad times, we should learn to cut our coat according to our cloth.

3. Coat-tails

If you do something on the coat-tails of someone else, you are able to do it because of the other person’s success and not due to your own efforts.

He won the post because he was riding on the coat-tails of his father.

4. Belt

To hit below the belt means to resort to foul means.

In any game you cannot hit below the belt.

To tighten your belt means to spend less money and manage without luxuries as you have less money.

We have to tighten our belt since we have just bought a house.

5. Hat

Someone who wears several hats has several roles or jobs to perform.

Joan is a talented lady who wears several hats.

6. Skirt

Something that skirts an area is situated around the edge of it.

There are cows grazing in the field that skirts the lake.

If you skirt a problem, you avoid dealing with it.

He skirted the issue of raising funds for the school.

7. Tie

Ties are connections that you have with people or a place.

Malaysia has close ties with Indonesia.

If two people tie in a contest or game, they have the same number of points or same degree of success.

There is a tie between the Red house and the Green house.

8. Gloves

Something that fits like a glove fits perfectly.

To work hand in glove means to work closely.

He and his brother work hand in glove in running their timber business.

9. Cloak

To cloak something means to cover it or hide it.

Mt Kinabalu was cloaked in mist.

Her wedding plans were made under a cloak of secrecy.

10. Frills

Something which has no frills has no extra features but only the basics.

I stayed at a hotel which provided good accommodation with no frills.

11. Lace

To lace food or drinks with a substance such as a drug means to put a small amount of it into the food or drinks.

Some years ago, some chocolates in Japan were laced with poison.

12. Collar

If you collar someone who has done something wrong, who is escaping, you catch them or hold them so that they cannot escape.

The thief tried to flee but was collared at the junction.

Blue collar jobs require physical work such as making things in factories.

White collar workers work in offices, and are better paid.

Many high-ranking officials are the brains behind white collar crimes.

13. Sleeve

If you have something up your sleeve, you have an idea or plan which you have not told anyone about.

He was smiling at the meeting, so I suspect he has a trick up his sleeve.

If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you openly show your feelings.

14. Pants

If someone bores, charms or scares the pants off you, they bore, charm or scare you a lot.

His sweet talk scares the pants off me.

If one person in a relationship, especially the woman, wears the pants, they are the one who makes all the decisions.

Mei Li is the one who wears the pants in her home.

Shall we have a conference call?

2009-04-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

By CHRISTINE JALLEH

WITH the increasing use of free Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technologies on programmes like Skype, MSN and Yahoo, today’s office worker cannot escape the conference call.

Similar to yet unlike face-to-face meetings, conference calls are meetings held over the telephone.

I organised my first conference call in 2002 when I connected with colleagues in Argentina, India, Mexico, South Africa, Tokyo, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Due to the different time zones, we wished everyone “Good morning”, “Good afternoon” or “Good night” at the same time!

Also, underdeveloped telecommunications infrastructure saw participants getting disconnected midway through the calls and had to be connected again.

Amusing episodes occurred too when we lost a caller midway in his sentence because his train entered a tunnel or when a caller forgot to press the “MUTE” button when flushing the toilet!

Another multi-tasking caller could be heard washing the plates or frantically whispering, “No, Daddy can’t play trains right now!”

If you’re due to join or organise a conference call soon, here are some best practices to ensure an effective meeting with people you can hear but can’t see.

Before the call

Circulate the agenda at least a few days before the call to allow the participants to prepare for the meeting. Highlight the sections that you’re responsible for and be prepared to answer questions for them. Jot down your own questions and leave space next for answers or further actions.

Ensure that the room where you’re taking the call is quiet and free from interruptions since background noise may prevent the participants from hearing what you say.

Also, familiarise yourself with the “MUTE”, “UNMUTE” and “HELP” functions. It is common courtesy for participants listening to the discussion to press the “MUTE” button to create as quiet an environment as possible for the speaker.

During the call

When you’re connected to the call, introduce yourself after the chairperson’s cue.

When you join in the call, remember to speak clearly and remember that the participants cannot see your body language like facial expressions or hand gestures as you speak.

Sitting or standing in an upright posture helps to project a clear voice over the telephone.

Don’t speak too quickly. Listening requires more effort and sometimes, participants in long-distance conference calls may experience a delayed transmission. If you pace yourself, the participants can hear you better and you have less to repeat if you are stopped halfway.

The phonetic alphabet (http://www.osric.com/chris/phonetic.html) is useful for spelling names. Also, “zero” is clearer than “oh” when you use the number.

Use transition words like “first, second, third ...” or “first, then, next, finally ...” to help participants follow your train of thought. They can also refer to the points in question when they have a question or comment. As you participate in the call, draw on the language of meetings:

Getting the chairperson’s attention

(Mister/Madam) chairman.

May I have a word?

If I may, I think ...

Excuse me for interrupting.

May I come in here?

Giving opinions

I’m positive that ...

I (really) feel that ...

In my opinion ...

The way I see things ...

If you ask me ...

I tend to think that ...

Asking for opinions

Do you (really) think that ...

(Name of participant), can we get your input?

Agreeing

I totally agree with you.

Exactly!

That’s (exactly) the way I feel.

I have to agree with (Name of participant).

Disagreeing

Unfortunately, I see it differently.

Up to a point I agree with you, but ...

(I’m afraid) I can’t agree

Advising and suggesting

Let’s ...

We should ...

Why don’t you ...

How/What about ...

I suggest/recommend that ...

Clarifying

Let me spell out ...

Have I made that clear?

Do you see what I’m getting at?

Let me put this another way ...

I’d just like to repeat that ...

Requesting information

Please, could you ...

I’d like you to ...

Would you mind ...

I wonder if you could ...

Asking for repetition

I’m afraid I didn’t understand that. Could you repeat what you just said?

I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat that, please?

I missed that. Could you say it again, please?

Could you run that by me one more time?

Asking for clarification

I don’t quite follow you. What exactly do you mean?

I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what you are getting at.

Could you explain to me how that is going to work?

I don’t see what you mean. Could we have more details, please?

Correcting information

Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I said.

Sorry, that’s not quite right.

That’s not quite what I had in mind.

That’s not what I meant.

Summarising

Before we close today’s meeting, let me just summarise the main points.

Let me quickly go over today’s main points.

To sum up, ...

OK, why don’t we quickly summarise what we’ve done today.

Shall I go over the main points?

(Sample phrases are taken from: http://esl.about.com/od/business speakingskills/a/b_meetphrases_3.htm)

After the call

Note down any further actions you’re responsible for and follow through on them.

Now that you’ve brushed up on your conference call technique, the floor’s all yours.

Christine Jalleh is a communications specialist with a Master’s degree in English Language Studies. She blogs about English, culture and travel at http://christinejalleh.com

My diary 20th April 2009

2009-04-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Only write today... coz yesterday fell unwell... took 2 PIECES of Panadol... hehe~~~
My damn busy schedule hohoho~~~

wake up at 5.40 am then rushed to Medan Gopeng to CHARTER the 6.30 am Plusliner to KL~~~
so unlucky in the bus you know??? got somebody snoring damn loud for the whole journey!!! Tak TAHAN LAH!!!

Still feeling a little sick today... after that i went to HELP to finalize my registration and accomodation thingy~~~ The course that i wanna read~~~ It looks tough~~~ hehe~~~ but i will try my very best!!!

Then took a cab straight down to Universiti MAlaya where i was called to attend an interview and audition~~~ all 5 panelists were chinese males... you think a got a chance??? hehe~~~

What happened after that was disasterious~~~ PANADOL to help me!!!
hehe~~~

all panadol only... slept early also...

Mom accompanied me whole day~~~ hehe~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~Sony~~~~~
~~~TRADEMARK~~~

I can't breathe o...

2009-04-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

how arh???
can't breathe wor....
haix...
Very "qi guai" la....
at last i'm using some chinese...
i dunno why i can't breathe...
it won't be better if i use the inhaler..
it won't get worse either if i take super cold soft drinks....
what's going wrong with me???
my left eyelid has been jumping since last week....

tomorrow got Munsyi test leh....
For entry into USM...
i know i can't get it...
u know what choice i choose??? PHARMACY...
with my A B- C F
i dare to put!!!

Monday i got interview and audition again o...
at UM... very prestigious de...
need to play 2 different style of songs...
which should i play???
I'm thinking of Tong Hua, Canon in D and Marriage d Amour...
But bear in mind, it will be the first time i play a piano...

Lastly...
Good luck to myself o...
and to my godsis Jessica... STAY STRONG!!!
u can do it!!!

~~~~~Sony Liew~~~~~
~~~~~17th APRIL 2009~~~

"Ring Out, Wild Bells" by Lord Alfred Tennyson

2009-04-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light;

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

My new dream phone -- Sony Ericsson W705i

2009-04-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

Just as expected, today Sony Ericsson announced their new Walkman phone - the Sony Ericsson W705. The high-end slider is the first music-dedicated feature phone by the company to feature Wi-Fi. Unluckily the rumored GPS connectivity seems to have been dropped out but at least the rest of the specs sheet seems pretty decent.

The Sony Ericsson W705 comes with a 2.4" QVGA display capable of showing up to 256K colors. Some of its more important features include a 3.2 MP fixed-focus snapper, FM radio with RDS, quad-band GSM and dual-band (900/2100 MHz) 3G support.

Sony Ericsson W705

The typical for the Walkman family niceties - Shake control and SensMe are also available in the W705. The phone will come with 120 MB of internal memory that can be expanded through the M2 card slot for storing your favorite tracks. In addition there will be a 4GB memory card included in the retail package to grant generous storage capacity straight out of the box.

Sony Ericsson W705

Sony Ericsson W705 will hit the shelves in two different flavors - W705 and W705u (exclusive to Orange). It will become available in Luxury Silver and Passionate Red color versions starting from Q1 of 2009.

Sony Ericsson made also another announcement - the wireless 2.1 speaker system MBS-900. It has integrated FM radio receiver and a 3.5mm standard audio jack. The unit has monochrome OLED display and Bluetooth functionality with A2DP support. Packing the impressive power output of 2x10W plus a 20W subwoofer the MBS-900 seems quite up to the task of sound-screening your next picnic.

Sony Ericsson MBS-900

Saying it indirectly

2009-04-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

By JOHN EVANS

There are less offensive ways of referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

A EUPHEMISM is a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh, blunt, offensive or hurtful.

Euphemisms are often used when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. They can be entertaining because they reveal how people concoct words and expressions in order to avoid being literal, obvious or offensive.

Take the workplace, for instance. Most people are now aware that to “dispense with someone’s services”, “release someone” or “let someone go” are all euphemisms for summary dismissal.

Even when people “resign” from their job, one can never be quite sure whether it was of their own free will or whether they were “invited” to do so as the only alternative to being fired on the spot. And if they refuse to go quietly, they might just find themselves “escorted from the premises”, a euphemism for what might involve being virtually frogmarched out of the building by grim-faced security guards.

At least the neat euphemism “between jobs” for “unemployed” can sometimes help people save face at job interviews when they are asked about their “current position”. Be that as it may, a no-nonsense interviewer might shoot back, “Oh, so how long have you been jobless then?”

If you are talking on the phone to a superior who suddenly cuts you off with the words, “I’ll have to let you go”, what they really mean is that they are no longer interested in listening to what you have to say (if they ever were), and feel it is high time to end the conversation.

Again, if someone says to you, “I hear you”, it probably means that they totally disagree with you.

These days, an increasingly large number of euphemisms consist of politically correct words and phrases and other innocuous expressions that people use to avoid provoking negative reactions from their listeners. In this respect, euphemisms could well be described as deceitful.

If a company cuts its workforce, it is called “downsizing”, though such a euphemism offers cold comfort to those who lose their jobs in the process.

People with physical disabilities are now referred to as “challenged”, “impaired” or “deprived” in some respect or other. A dwarf would be called “vertically challenged” and a blind person “sight-deprived”.

Someone who pays scant attention to personal hygiene is no longer referred to as “smelly” or even as “suffering from B.O.”, but rather as “hygienically-challenged”.

The British satirical magazine Private Eye coined the euphemism “tired and emotional” to describe people (usually politicians and other public figures) who were more likely than not plain drunk.

“Bending the rules” sounds harmless enough but is often a euphemism for cheating or some other illegal practice. And if someone confesses to being “economical with the truth”, it means that they were lying. This marvellous euphemism earned its place in books of quotations after it was uttered by Sir Robert Armstrong, former Head of the British Civil Service, when referring to a letter during the “Spycatcher” trial at the Supreme Court, New South Wales, in 1986.

Most euphemisms only have a certain lifespan before they cease to sound euphemistic. Although the word “remains” is still effective as a euphemism for the bleak word “corpse”, does the (American English) word “casket” really sound any more appealing than the word “coffin”? And how many people are still ignorant as to the specific meaning of the term “adult entertainment”?

Again, everyone knows that to go to the “washroom” to “freshen up” will probably involve some other function than simply “freshening up”.

The classic example of a euphemism is the expression “to pass away” used to avoid the unpleasant connotations of the word “die”. Other euphemisms for dying are “pass on”, “pass over”, “depart (this life)”, “go the way of all flesh”, “go to a better place/world”, “go/be taken home”, “gone to meet one’s Maker”, “go to one’s (last/just) reward” and the whimsical “be gathered to one’s fathers”.

But long before the appearance of the Grim Reaper, there is an array of euphemisms available simply to avoid the word “old” or even “ageing”. Take your pick from the following: “advanced in years”, “senior citizen”, “elderly”, “distinguished”, “one’s sunset/golden years”, “evening of life”, “the longer-lived”, “veteran”, “no longer young”, “not a kid any more”, “not as young as one used to be”, and “no spring chicken”.

As someone who is no longer in the flower of his youth, I think I’ll just go for “distinguished” and ditch the rest!

~~~English Rulez~~~

Why does my eyelid twitch?

2009-04-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

It's one of the most annoying things…your eye starts twitching. You feel like everyone can see it freaking out, the sensation and feeling of your eyelid jumping, and it distracts you from everything you're doing. These involuntary contractions of muscles are a fairly common occurrence, about like hiccups.

This series of temporary random eyelid twitches and tics is referred to medically by the names ocular myokymia or eyelid myokymia.

Myokymia can affect the lower lids or upper lids. It is believed that most cases of ocular myokymia have to do with a lack of sleep and stress. Insufficient lubrication of the eye with natural tears is also thought to be a contributing factor in some cases. If the spasms are happening below the eye, the cause may be from worry, concern, or emotional stress. Generally, you need to find the cause of your worry and try to relax.

To avoid or help put a halt to the eyelid spasms:

Get your full rest.

Reduce or eliminate stress.

Cut back on caffeine.

Reduce alcohol consumption.

Reduce computer time to cut down on eye strain.

Soft and gentle massaging of the eye area or warm compresses can help to alleviate the involuntary contractions of muscles.

The twitching should resolve naturally on its own within days or possibly weeks.

If the twitching persists, see an ophthalmologist or optician as it is possible that the twitching can be a symptom of muscle or nerve disorders, such as benign essential blepharospasms (aka essential blepharospasms) and hemifacial spasms (Meige's Syndrome), or spastic paretic facial contracture sometimes associated with multiple sclerosis, brainstem tumors or vascular lesions.

It is said that persistent tics can be treated by injecting botulism toxin (BOTOX®) into the offending muscle. Consult your eye doctor for more information.

Wordwise : SEAFOODS

2009-04-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

By S.H. LOKE

DO you love seafood? The next time you sit down for a seafood dinner, roll on some of these seafood expressions. They will add flavour to your conversation around the table.

1. Clam

To clam up means to stop talking because you are shy or want to avoid giving away secrets.

Amy clammed up during the meeting because she was among strangers.

2. Fish

If you tell someone that there are plenty more fish in the sea, you are comforting them by saying that although their relationship with someone has failed, there are many other people they can have relationships with.

Fred is not sad about breaking up with his girlfriend, because he knows that there are plenty more fish in the sea.

3. Fishy

If you describe a situation as fishy, you feel that someone is not telling the truth or behaving honestly.

I suspected something fishy when I saw him carrying a big suitcase into my office.

4. Crabby

A crabby person is unpleasant and bad-tempered.

It is better to avoid a crabby person who can spoil your day.

5. Oyster

If you say the world is your oyster, you mean you can do anything or go anywhere you want to.

You are young, and you have your whole future ahead of you. The world is your oyster.

6. Cod

Something which is not genuine and which is intended to deceive or amuse people by looking like the real thing.

The cod shoes are not comfortable at all.

7. Herring

A red herring takes your attention away from the main subject or problem you are considering.

He planted many red herrings among the clues for the treasure hunt.

8. Shark

A person is described as a shark if he tricks people by giving bad advice about buying, selling or investing.

Nobody likes to patronise his shop because they know he is a shark.

The colours of English

2009-04-10T03:12:00.000-07:00

Mind our English
By Dr LIM CHIN LAM

THE natural world is not monochromatic. From outer space, our home planet appears blue – hence the appellation Blue Planet – because of the vast expanse of water over 70% of the planet’s surface.

Much, much closer to home, our world is not like that depicted in the photographs and movies of yesteryears, the ones cast in sepia tone or black-and-white. Rather, it is a vibrant world of colours of the rainbow, and more – in the minerals in the ground and in the flora and fauna around us.

The physiological perception of colour is a complex one. One can talk of colour in terms of hue, brightness, and saturation. Hold on – we are not delving into optics. A ramble in the English language makes one realise how colourful the language can be with the incorporation of the names of colours! But some of the colourful expressions set me wondering ...

Let us look at a few examples.

Black, white

These colours appear in the similes black as night and white as snow. Just ponder – are these locutions truly applicable in the modern urban setting? Completely turning away from electrical power for a scarce hour did not happen, even during the recent call for an Earth Hour; and snow can hardly be white with all the polluting particles around us.

There are some interesting observations to be made about the colour black.

It is the colour of mourning (although, among the Chinese, white serves the same purpose as well). To get a pledge or an agreement in black and white simply means to get it in writing. A blackboard is not necessarily black. It is desirable for a company to get back into the black again – meaning “to become profitable again”. Yet it is not desirable to get into someone’s black book – which is a book listing people for disdain, censure, contempt, or punishment.

Red

I wonder why children with ruddy cheeks are described as rosy-cheeked. I have seen roses that are white, yellow, pink and even purplish. Why do we not just say “red-cheeked” to be more truthful?

Then there is the adjective red-faced, meaning “ashamed or embarrassed”. Some of my friends become “red-faced” when they have had a bit too much alcohol – but they are not the least ashamed or embarrassed about the condition.

What about the expression to see red and what of its origin? The expression, meaning “to become enraged”, obviously comes from bullfighting. Yes, the bull is enraged, but by what? By the mere red colour of the matador’s cape? Or by the stylised sway and swirl of his cape? Or by the fact that the animal has been suitably goaded into a rage by fancifully-named stage-hands sticking fancifully-named knives into the animal before the matador makes his entrance to finish off the poor animal?

A favourite of officialdom is red tape – no, not the red- or pink-coloured ribbons for tying together official files, but “the excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules, especially in public business”, “excessive formality and routine, as in multiplicity of forms, records, and often unnecessarily detailed information required before action can be taken”.

With red tape, tinpot Napoleons in the civil service can take their time to perform a service or derive dubious pleasure in placing obstacles in the path of someone applying for, say, a licence or permit. Why is there a need to cause misery in a convert who has to be classified, and therefore treated, as a Muslim against that person’s will? Why does an application for permanent stay or for citizenship for a foreign spouse take forever?

Blue

People are generally fascinated with blue-blooded personages. Ah! So monarchs and aristocrats have blue blood. So have horseshoe crabs, those creatures that have existed since prehistoric times. I wonder whether the bluebloods can trace their genealogy to the said living fossils.

Green

Why do we say that a person turns green with envy? I have never seen a green-coloured person, no matter how envious he is. In fact, green is the soothing colour of verdure, “a consummation devoutly to be wish’d”. Thank goodness there is a greater awareness and respect for the environment. The word green has even become a verb.

On a more mundane level, I have to contend with pests and diseases to keep my garden plants reasonably healthy and productive. My neighbours have no such problem. They have green thumbs. I checked – their thumbs are anything but green!

Yellow

I wonder why a cowardly person is called yellow. A jaundiced person is yellow and, by extension, cowardly. Right?

Parting note: Once in a blue moon, I get the blues. Then I read that one can get over the blues by singing the blues. Now when I sing the blues, my neighbours see red.

~~~Enjoy English~~~

Fun with –er

2009-04-09T05:40:00.000-07:00

Fun with –er
RAMBLINGS
By Dr LIM CHIN LAM

SOMETIMES for the sheer hell of it, sometimes out of curiosity, I take a look at a word and dissect and analyse it. Believe me, it can be fun.

For good measure, I sometimes also look up prefixes and suffixes. For now, I want to share some observations of suffixes, those little word-endings that yield derivatives when added to existing words – specifically the ubiquitous –er, perhaps the most common of them all in the English language.

First, take a look at some words that end in –er: banner, banter, barber, beaver, buffer, chamber, clinker, coffer, corner, cucumber.

However, note that these are words in their own right and that the –er ending is not a suffix. On the other hand, there are thousands of words which carry the –er suffix, as summarised below.

1) Suffix –er added to verbs to form agent nouns

Foremost among the –er words are the agent nouns. An agent noun describes the person or instrument connected with the act denoted by the verb, e.g. walk – walker, run – runner, fly – flier.

Some other examples: avenger, bearer, copier (the agent instrument, as compared with copyist, the agent person), giver, go-getter, informer (which is sometimes distinguished from informant), late-comer, movie-goer, newcomer, performer, teacher, wrong-doer.

But there are exceptions. Analyse the noun do-gooder, where the suffix is added to the noun good in the compound word – instead of to the verb do as would be in the non-existent alternative, good-doer.

2) Variants of –er for agent nouns

i) Variant -or

The common –er is a native English suffix which serves as the regular formative of agent nouns, but there are many variants or equivalents.

The variant –or occurs in nouns which were originally Latin (orator) or are added to words formed from a Latin stem (advisor, director, impostor, survivor, visitor), but are now also used in words of other origins (bailor, sailor).

ii) Variants –ier, -yer

Another variant of the –er agent noun is –ier (as in cashier, financier, haulier, hotelier).

This variant itself has a variant, the Middle English –yer, which appears in such words as lawyer and sawyer.

iii) Still other variants of –er

There are still other variants – -ior (war/warrior), -iour (save/saviour, cf. saver as in life-saver), -itor (compete/competitor), -itioner (practice/practitioner), -eur, in French or French-derived words (chanteur, entrepreneur, provocateur, restaurateur, saboteur).

The suffix –eer is a special variant – it is added to both verbs and nouns to denote a person concerned with or engaged in a certain activity (auctioneer, engineer, pamphleteer), sometimes with a sinister or unpleasant connotation (commandeer cf. commander, domineer, mutineer, profiteer, racketeer).

3) Feminine forms of agent nouns

In this connection, there are two sets of suffixes to differentiate the genders of agent nouns, viz. –er/-ess (waiter/waitress, actor/actress) and the French-derived -eur/-euse (chanteur/chanteuse, danseur/danseuse, masseur/masseuse) and -tor/-trix (aviator/aviatrix, dominator/dominatrix).

4) The –er suffix added to nouns to form non-agent nouns

Consider, for example, the word ouster. It is not an agent noun in that it does not denote someone who ousts someone else from the latter’s place or position. Rather, it denotes an action or process or an instance of the act.
Other nouns in a similar vein are breather, disclaimer, howler, rejoinder, reminder, waiver.

Other non-agent nouns include those where the suffix denotes

1) a person associated with a position or office (council/councillor, senate/senator);

2) a person associated with his place of origin (Berliner, burgher, easterner, Hollander, islander, Londoner, mainlander, out-of-towner, villager);

3) a person associated with the object of his occupation or labour (hatter, moonshiner, tiler);

4) a person or thing concerned or associated with something (astronomer, footballer, grocer, hostler or ostler);

5) a person or thing that has a specified attribute or form (double-decker, six-footer, three-wheeler); and

6) a movie genre (actioner, sleeper, suspenser, tear-jerker, thriller, yawner).

5) Suffix added to adjective

When added to an adjective, the –er suffix forms nouns signified by the adjectives (foreign/foreigner, lone/loner, strange/stranger).

It also forms the comparative degree of the adjective (fast/faster, higher/higher, strong/stronger).

6) Suffix occurring in verbs

Finally, the –er suffix forms frequentative verbs (flicker, flutter, glimmer, glitter, patter, shudder).

Quotation challenge

2009-04-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

Quotation challenge
By OH TEIK THEAM

ENJOY the quotations below, but you need to unscramble the italicised letters first!

1. When moeginsth can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing. (Enrique Jardiel Poncela)

2. No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for moeyn. (Samuel Johnson)

3. I never write moepitrols for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get the same money from cop. (Mark Twain)

4. My library was moekudd large enough. (William Shakespeare)

5. When moeny talks, nobody notices what grammar it uses. (Anonymous)

6. Misquotations are the only quotations that are never moesitduq. (Hesketh Pearson)

7. I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many moesp, was often a woman. (Virginia Woolf)

8. If sex is a natural moepenhonn, how come there are so many books on how to? (Bette Midler)

9. Only a moerdice person is always at his best. (W. Somerset Maugham)

10. Failure is the moenintdc that gives success its flavour. (Truman Capote)

11. A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is moecover by habit. (Desiderius Erasmus)

12. Men always want to be a woman’s first love; women like to be a man’s last moercan. (Oscar Wilde)

13. Men do not realise how great an moecin thrift is. (Cicero)

14. It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to moenndc an innocent one. (Voltaire)

15. If you are patient in one moetnm of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow. (Chinese Proverb)

Answers
1.something 2.money
3.metropolis 4.dukedom
5.money 6.misquoted 7.poems
8.phenomenon 9.mediocre
10.condiment 11.overcome
12.romance 13.income
14.condemn 15.moment

~Smiling is infectious~

2009-04-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

From LOL to lulz to lolxxx

2009-04-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Notes from the Language Underground
By GRANT BARRETT

FROM my desk – at which sits someone who has been on the Internet since 1992 and was a patron of dial-up computer bulletin board systems for years before that – language change on the Internet is a beautiful thing.

You probably know LOL (“laugh or laughing out loud”), which is now included in several mainstream dictionaries. It is used as a bit of interjected paralinguistic restitution, a way of saying “this strikes me as humorous” in text where, if you were speaking, you might chuckle, giggle, or laugh.

Not included in any mainstream dictionary, however, is the five-year-old word (a word that is five years old, not a word used by five-year-olds) lulz, which derives from LOL (also written in lowercase: lol).

LOL, when spoken aloud – and it is spoken aloud outside of cellular (mobile) telephone commercials, usually sarcastically or ironically – is usually rendered something like “lall” or “loll” or “lull”.

As a result, the online variant lulz (invariably plural) has appeared, undergoing not only an orthographic shift (the spelling has changed) but a semantic shift (the meaning has changed). It means, more or less, “cheap laughs” or, better, laffs.

Laffs (also usually plural) itself is a shift away from “laughs” in spelling and meaning. It is almost the same as yuks.

Both words, despite the dictionary definition of yuks as “loud, hearty laughs”, in show business usually mean “false or forced laughter” or “cheap laughter”. These are the kind of laughs you get when everyone has heard a joke before, when the humour is broad and obvious, and when the audience can see the punchlines coming from a mile a way (when they knew what the funny part of the joke would be).

“Laffs” also seems to be unaccounted for in mainstream dictionaries, even though it is at least 50 years old. Neither laffs nor yuks are from the online lexicon, but I thought the tangent worth making. Back to online language.

LOL has gone another way, too: lollerskates. It’s used in place of LOL, usually satirically or ironically. That is, the person will write something, and then where others might earnestly and unthinkingly put LOL to indicate that the preceding text is supposed to be funny, the writer will put lollerskates instead. It’s a mix of LOL plus the word rollerskates and it means, more or less, “laughing out loud a lot”.

In Singapore and other nearby English-speaking parts of Asia, one might write lolx to indicate lots of laughs. The ‘x’ serves as a multiplier: lolxxxx means more laughs than lolx.

Another part of the older Internet lexicon, OMG, too, has undergone a transformation. It originally meant “Oh, my God!” and was used as an exclamation of surprise or delight.

Now its ironic and sarcastic uses far outweigh the earnest and unironic ones. It’s also given rise to ZOMG.

ZOMG is probably spelled that way because users reaching for the shift key on the left side of the keyboard miss and type Z, though one wonders if it wouldn’t be more appropriately rendered as zomg – if you miss the shift key, then nothing would be capitalised, right?

In any case, ZOMG is now a word in its own right. It expresses emphasis and excitement, in a knowing, intentionally overboard fashion.

Another word that has been transformed is “the”. It’s been mistyped so often as “teh” that teh has taken on a life of its own. It’s used for emphasis and it’s used in an intentionally different way than “the”.

For example, if something is very cool (meaning great, good), you might write, “It’s teh cool!” Teh suck, as another example, is a way of saying, “That’s really bad.”

“Teh” serves as an emphatic, a word which, like very, increases the strength of whatever other words it modifies. Teh can be pronounced as “tay”, but among the few people I know who pronounce it, it’s always said as “tuh”.

Note my comments about “knowing”, “irony,” and “sarcasm” above. Those who use such language are aware of how it might look to others. Of course they are.

They know that their writing might seem childish, or that they might seem to be clueless (out of touch with common rules of good conduct or with what is really happening), or that they may appear pretentious or as if they are trying too hard to be cool.

As a result, they tend to be very careful with such language, and a lot of times, they’ll use it in such a way as to indicate to the reader that they know very well that such language is loaded (meaning, it has the potential to cause problems). They want to be understood. They also don’t want to be seen as trying to artificially force a new word to become popular, which is, contradictorily, almost surely a perfect way to make it unpopular.

At the same time, they know that these words have uses. Paralinguistic restitution is one part of it. They restore to the written language a flavour that is easier to indicate in the spoken language. They also allow for meta-commentary, in which you can not only literally mean “that is funny” but you can also kind of poke fun at yourself for it, all in a single word: lulz.

When you see such slang online, just assume that the writer knows everything you know about the word and assume they intended the funniest, kindest meanings possible. You’ll find it all the more enjoyable.

Liverpool's youth players show promise for the future

2009-04-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Krisztian Nemeth - Hungarian international striker likely to be the first of Rafa Benitez's imported youngsters to make the breakthrough at first-team level. Picked up from Liverpool's feeder club MTK, Nemeth is a ruthless finisher, although doubts remain over his lack of pace. A broken cheekbone on his debut put an end to a January loan spell at Blackpool, but that Benitez namechecked him as a reason for selling Robbie Keane two weeks later suggests his future his bright.

Dani Pacheco - Rafa Benitez plucked the Spanish prodigy from Barcelona two years ago and Liverpool's staff retain high hopes they may have unearthed a gem. His displays for the first team in pre-season hinted at what was to come, full of clever touches and excellent control, and the 18-year-old is expected to be promoted from reserve level next season.

Adam Pepper - A 17-year-old attacking midfielder in just his first year at Liverpool's Academy, Pepper is already regarded as the brightest prospect on Merseyside since Wayne Rooney. After a string of excellent performances for the under-18s, Pepper gave a glimpse of his potential when he scored from the half-way line against Blackburn last month. Xabi Alonso would be proud.

Lauri Dalla Valle - Another beneficiary of Benitez's global scouting network, Dalla Valle is a Finnish youth international boasting a clinical ruthlessness in front of goal. Hughie McAuley, the under-18s manager, regards him as a "real asset" while his countryman Sami Hyypia regards him as "one of the names for the future."

Thomas Ince - Despite his father, former Liverpool captain Paul Ince, making his name as a snarling midfield enforcer, the younger Ince is a quick, exciting left winger who has made a big impression in his first year at the club's Academy. Only 17, his physical presence has improved and, along with Pepper, he is seen as the home grown youngster most likely to make it to the first team in the coming years.

Federico Macheda - Boy Wonder???

2009-04-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

I was supporting Aston Villa to inflict a hattrick of Premier League defeats to Manchester United. It seemed to be true in the 56th minute when Gabby Agbonlahor headed the ball past MU goalie Edwin van der Sar from a John Carew teasing cross. Villa leading by two goals to one.

And then, Sir Alex, the Devils manager went for broke. He gambled by taking off Nani for a young teenager we never even heard before. His name??? Federico Macheda. A 17-year-old high on confidence after scoring a hattrick against Newcastle in a reserve game. Weird enough, he was only named on the bench because of the suspensions of Rooney, Scholes and Berbatov injured.

Let continue with the game. Ronaldo scored the equalizer in the 80th minute for the Devils. By then it was all one way traffic for the Devils. Macheda looked lively on the pitch and...... hold your breathe...

The unthinkable happened... In the 2nd minute of injury time, Macheda curled a majestic shot into the net. 3-2 to United. This lad has become an instant hero. Even Robinho or Beckham might not have that moment of magic.

So, a Man Utd victory once more. Leading the EPL table by a point with a game in hand. Come in the reds, give more pressure to the Devils and lets end the 19 year wait.

You'll never walk alone

Today My Birthday

2009-04-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

My birthday... My 20th birthday... I'm not a teenager anymore... But a birthday isn't happy if you're not in the mood....

Just lying on the bed thinking of my next step... What should i do???

If i'm bored just blog or play DOTA or Fifa2 Online...

A total blank in my mind of what to do... All things i wanna do next time includes... A lawyer, a musician and a sports commentator...

Lawyer - This is what i wanna be to show that i'm not useless... To all those people and teachers who looked down on me... Just wait and see... Lazy to give names as there are too many...

Musician cum sports commentator - Purely interest since i was a young boy... I wannna host a show alongside Jamie Yeo and Daphne Iking... Don't laugh at me... I will achieve it... Musician is the most difficult to get into... My dream : to be Genie Zuo's pianist!!!

Happy Birthday to myself la.... It's still my birthday... No matter if you're happy or not... Time won't PAUSE for you...

p/s: sorry for my bad and rojak english

Fernando Torres a.k.a. El Nino

2009-04-02T23:42:00.000-07:00

"We bought the lad from sunny Spain, he gets the ball and scores again."

The Kop has a new idol by the name of Fernando Torres - and no one makes the famous stand bounce like Liverpool's number nine.

Signed for a club record fee of approximately £20 million in July 2007, El Nino was handed the shirt vacated by Anfield legend Robbie Fowler.

Undaunted, he soon became the first Red since Fowler in 1996-97 to break the 30-goal barrier and is already on his way to achieving Godlike status.

Before joining the Premier League aged 23, Torres spent 12 years with hometown club Atletico Madrid.

Such was his prodigious talent he was named the best under-14 player in Europe following his performances in the 1998 Nike Cup.

Torres became the youngest player in Atletico history upon making his debut in May 2001. He went on to bag 21 goals in 2003-04 after being named Vicente Calderon's youngest ever skipper at the age of 19.

Having already top-scored in European Under-16 and Under-19 Championships, El Nino earned a first senior cap in September 2003 against Portugal. Seven months later he chalked up a first international goal against Italy. The forward would go on to net three times in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Clubs around Europe, including Manchester United and Arsenal, were understandably circling. However, in May 2007 it became clear Torres had his heart set on Merseyside when he revealed the phrase 'We'll Never Walk Alone' on the inside of his captain's armband during a match between Atletico and Real Sociedad.

Two months of speculation and paper talk ensued before the striker was finally unveiled at Melwood.

Torres made his competitive debut for Liverpool at Villa Park on August 11, 2007. A week later he smashed in his first official goal (he'd already scored in a pre-season friendly versus Shanghai Shenhua) when a trademark burst of pace against Chelsea sent Anfield wild.

Successive home hat-tricks to see off Middlesbrough and West Ham helped the hitman total 33 in 2007-08, including 24 in the league to overtake Ruud van Nistelrooy and become the most prolific foreigner ever in a debut season in England.

His crucial strike in the Stade Velodrome against Marseille won Goal of the Season on Liverpoolfc.tv, and it came as no surprise when fans also voted him their Player of the Year.

As if all this wasn't enough, Torres then topped off an incredible season by helping Spain to Euro 2008 glory in Austria and Switzerland. It was he who scored the winner in the final against Germany - one of two throughout the tournament. Remarkably, it was Spain's first major honour since 1964 - and our number nine was the hero.

Kenny: Let’s grasp chance to return to top

2009-04-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

After that defeat at Middlesbrough I doubt many people would have believed it would be possible again this season, but the fact we are now talking like this says everything about the work the boys have put in over recent games.

Football can change so quickly and from being in a position whereby defeat at Old Trafford would have probably put United out of sight as far as we were concerned, we are now looking for three points at Fulham to go two clear of them in the race for the title.

The lads deserve all the credit in the world for the results they have achieved over the last few weeks. We have been scoring goals, not conceding too many and winning matches comfortably. The goal difference has turned in our favour as well, which could just be important come the final day of the season.

To go to Old Trafford and win so well demonstrated the belief - as well as the quality - within the squad. We went a goal behind but remained strong and confident we could find a way back in. To then go on and score four goals was a wonderful achievement and would have made United sit back and think a little bit.

Before that game we had netted four against Real Madrid with a tremendous team performance and then after the victory at Old Trafford we put another five into the Villa net. I don't think that was a 5-0 game because Villa actually looked a decent side during stages in the match, but you can't argue with the overall result against a good team.

I remember in that game Pepe Reina had to make some good saves when we were 1-0 ahead - and that sort of contribution can often be overlooked when looking for headlines or heroes after matches.

I have said for two or three years that Pepe is as good as anyone in the Premier League and I stand by that. The spine of our team is as strong as there is anywhere - and that all starts with the goalkeeper. The only person keeping him out of a team at the moment is Iker Casillas with the Spanish national side - and he showed at Anfield last month what a good goalkeeper he is.

There have been standout displays from many players of late but it's no surprise to see a number of people talking in glowing terms about Steven Gerrard. Everything which has been said and written is well deserved.

His form over recent weeks has been absolutely magnificent and any accolades which may come his way are justified. You just can't take away from him the contribution he makes to our team - and I'm not just talking about in the high profile games. There have been many 'lesser' occasions over recent years where Steven has taken games by the scruff of the neck and lifted our performance to another level.

I don't think there's anything wrong with people saying he's the best player in the world. Some might dispute it but a lot of Liverpudlians would agree. Nobody can argue, though, that we have a better chance of being successful with Steven in our team. I'm sure he'll be the first to stress, however, that while personal awards are nice, it's team prizes which matter most.

We have to hope now that Steven and the rest of the international lads come back from World Cup qualifying duty fit and well for the game at Fulham.

There's never an ideal time to have an international break and it is going to be a concern for Rafa that he will get the players back on Thursday evening and then have to travel to London on Friday. There's hardly any time to do any work ahead of the match.

I don't understand why we haven't yet applied an easy solution to this problem - a problem which is faced by every club which has international players in its squad.

Instead of playing international games on Saturday and then Wednesday, meaning players are away for ten days, why don't they get scheduled for a Wednesday and then a Saturday instead?

The club teams play their game no later than the previous Saturday, the players then join up with their countries and play Wednesday and then Saturday, giving them a full week back at their clubs ahead of the next league match. Players will tell you themselves they don't enjoy being away for ten days with their countries. It can become laborious. There is a solution which would benefit everybody so I don't understand why we don't implement it.

That's for another day though and for now we have to concentrate on the task of facing Fulham on Saturday. We shouldn't fall into the trap of taking this game lightly. We know what the reward will be if we can win, but Fulham took a point away from Anfield earlier in the season and beat Manchester United last weekend. They have a manager in Roy Hodgson who has done a fantastic job at Craven Cottage, and done it with great dignity and integrity. He will make sure his side are ready for this game, and we have to make sure we're as equally up for the challenge.

If we go out and perform as we have been over recent weeks then we should win the game - but we have to go and do it.

Although United will still have two games in hand on us after we play on Saturday, it would be interesting to see how they respond when they take on Villa at Old Trafford. How will they cope with the pressure? A draw wouldn't be enough for them to go back top. It would make things very interesting, but first we have to do our own job and get our own three points in the bag.

Once the weekend is out of the way we can turn our attentions to the Champions League again and the first leg of our quarter-final with Chelsea.

I think we could have got an easier draw - but they'll be saying the same thing. I am sure it will be a difficult match for both sides, with the game at Anfield being one where Chelsea will look to come and defend and to be as tight as possible.

For us, a 0-0 draw wouldn't be the worst result in the world because it would mean the onus will be on Chelsea in the second leg. I'm sure, though, that with the way we're playing at the moment, the boys will be looking for goals.

We can't afford to think it will be comfortable simply because we have beaten them twice this season. When they came to Anfield I don't think there was a great deal of harmony within the football club, but since Guus Hiddink came in they seem a lot more settled.

I am expecting two difficult and close matches for both sides - but as ever in Europe you have to be confident of us going through.

To be involved in challenging for the two biggest competitions at this stage of the season says everything about the progress we are making. And it's no coincidence to me that good results and good performances are being achieved on the back of things appearing far more settled within the club.

There's a real feel-good factor around the place and long may that continue.

Two Choices

2009-04-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

What would you do? You make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.. Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physicall y and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

Howev er, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life , moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and st artled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming! and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded toward second base, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

'That day', said the father softly with tears now! rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message.. Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.
We all have! Thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

You now have two choices:
1. Delete
2. Forward

May your day, be a Shay - GOD BLESS

Taylor's University College -- Core Purpose

2009-03-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

To educate the youth of the world to take their productive place as leaders in the global community.

10 year Mission
To be a university of 20,000 students, renowned for its teaching excellence and the distinctive qualities of its graduates.

Core Values
We believe in:

Our core values will provide the platform for a spirit of camaraderie, celebrating successes and promoting friendship as we work together.

	We believe in respecting and caring for each other We will promote an environment where every member is valued and appreciated; where personal and cultural differences are respected and members have a safe place for expression. We will encourage our people to exercise initiative and responsibility and the effort of individuals and teams will always be recognised.

	We believe in being dedicated to a culture of excellence We desire to be the best that we can be in the realisation of our personal and organisational aspirations. We will continually look for ways to be better than we were before, adopting continual learning as the path towards excellence in every aspect of what we do.

	We believe in openness in communication Openness in communication means we need to be frank and sincere in our exchanges. Conducted in an amenable and amiable manner, it promotes trust and understanding.

	We believe in acting with integrity We will be well intentioned and consistent in everything we do. Through adherence to a code of conduct that reflects honesty, accountability and ethical practice, we build and sustain a healthy culture of openness and trust within the organisation and society at large.

	We believe in being passionate in what we do We have a belief that what we do is meaningful and fulfilling. Passion commits us to our work. Through our commitment and enthusiasm we inspire others.

	We believe in creating enjoyable environments We will create environments that are supportive, nurturing and conducive to their purpose. We are also committed to creating an employee friendly work environment that allows for a healthy balance between our professional and personal lives. These commitments will enable us to attract and retain the best qualified people and create a workplace of which we can be proud and where we can always enjoy our work while carrying out our mission. sourced from www.taylors.edu.my

Taylor's University College -- Our Story

2009-03-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

For over three decades, Taylor's University College has been recognised as Malaysia's leading educational institution of higher learning. The College has prepared over 55,000 successful graduates for higher education through a comprehensive range of internationally recognised courses ranging from pre-university to diploma and degree programmes.

Since its establishment in 1969, Taylor's University College Malaysia has expanded from its main location in Subang Jaya, known simply as Taylor's University College Subang Jaya, to include four additional campuses extending throughout the area surrounding its main campus, namely Taylor's Business School, Taylor's College Petaling Jaya, Taylor's American Degree Transfer Program and Taylor's College School of Hospitality and Tourism.

Students who come to Taylor's University College Malaysia can choose to major in a variety of disciplines, ranging from Architecture, Interior Design, Construction Management, Computer Science, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Biomedical Science and Law to Business, Communication, Hospitality and Tourism, or the American Degree Transfer Program (ADP) which offers the quality of an American university education and the option of going to almost any university in the US including prestigious state universities and Ivy League schools.

Taylor's University College Malaysia has always been distinctive because of our commitment to ensuring our students receive an education that extends beyond the classroom, and possess hands-on understanding of the real world.

source : www.taylors.edu.my

VAIO® NS Series Notebook PC (VGN-NS290J/S)

2009-03-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0GHz, 2MB L2 Cache)Genuine Windows Vista® Home PremiumModel Features: XBRITE-ECO™ LCD technology, Blu-ray Disc™ playback, 4GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, built-in camera/microphone, fabric-like Granite Silver textured chassis

Features

Discover your personal style with the eye-catching, ultra-portable Granite Silver VAIO® NS notebook. Boasting 4GB of RAM, a roomy 250GB hard drive and a powerful Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6400 processor, this NS exemplifies contemporary style in an easy-to-handle mobile PC. Watch Blu-ray Disc™ movies on the stunning 15.4-inch widescreen LCD with XBRITE-ECO™ technology while the integrated MOTION® EYE webcam and microphone makes it easy to stay in touch with friends and family. You can also import, edit and share digital photos and home movies with the built-in multimedia software suite and CD/DVD drive/burner.
Everyday PC Performance
Enjoy the powerful performance of an Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6400 processor (2.0GHz1) with 4GB of pre-installed memory.The VAIO NS notbeook comes pre-installed with Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit16.Work and play online from almost anywhere within your home or office using 802.11a/b/g/n integrated wireless LAN technology3.Store your cherished digital family photos, school projects, and important documents on a roomy 250GB2 (5400rpm) Serial ATA hard disk drive .
Multimedia Entertainment
A 15.4" widescreen6 diplay, with XBRITE-ECO™ LCD technology, delivers razor-sharp details and bold colors while preserving precious battery power.Watch Blue-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution.Communicate with family, friends and colleagues using the built-in webcam.4Editing digital video and images is quick and easy with VAIO® Movie Story software. You choose the supplied template and professional-looking cutaways, cross-fades and soundtrack syncing are automatically done for you.
Stylish yet Functional Design
Clean lines, textured exterior, a rich Granite Silver hue and an aesthetic yet functional design give this notebook a very contemporary look and feel.Connect to useful peripherals with 4 conveniently located USB ports

I think it's only on sale in the USA....

Haiz~~~

Earth Hour??? What's so great about it??

2009-03-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

Recently, we have been hearing about the so-called EARTH HOUR on the 28th March 2009. From 8.30pm to 9.30pm. This just leaves me wondering, why do we even need to organise and follow the event. It theme "Time To Join The Revolution" just sucks.

Think yourself... Prevent further global warming by switching off your light for a mere one hour in a year??? It is 0.00011% of the time in a year... Are you sure this is the was to prevent global warming? Perhaps electricity tariffs should be increased... Teach humans to go the hard way...

Earth Hour is just a puppet project by the WWF to gain cheap publicity... That's all... Why not educate human to live without electricity??? Try it out, It may work!!!

Too ambitious, Achieve nothing... Haiz...

2009-03-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Frustrated.... Depressed...
These two words are what most suitable to describe me...
I never do well in exams and it gets worse in public exams...
I never get the results i want even if i revise and do exercises as other students do...
Maybe those who scored excellent results who say i'm talking nonsense...
It is really demoralizing me and shattering my confidence...
I just can't think of anything...
Why???
Mom always praise me saying that I do things fast and have the ability to learn new things easily...
She says i will be an asset to my future employer...
But the problem is, how do i get the course of my choice when my academic results SUCKS!!!

I did my experiments... you know??? Can you see??? stupid MPM...

MPM... Can you see what i got??? International recognition rather than your stupid result slip...

Goodbye Taylors...

Sony VAIO NS - VGN-NS25G/S

2009-03-14T04:13:00.000-07:00

Operating System
Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium 32-bit (English Version) with Service Pack 1
Language Pack
Hong Kong Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Thai
Language Interface Pack
Vietnamese

Architecture
Processor Name
Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T6400 (2 GHz)*1*2
Chipset
Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset
Processor System Bus
800 MHz
Memory Bus
800 MHz
Cache Memory
2 MB

Main Memory
Pre-installed/Max
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM*3*4
SO-DIMM Slots
2 SO-DIMM slots (The pre-installed memory module uses one)

Hard Disk Drive
Hard Disk Drive
250 GB*5 (Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)

Optical Disc Drive
Drive
DVD±RW/±R DL/RAM Drive
Maximum Reading Speed
DVD+R: 8x (SL), 6x (DL)/DVD-R: 8x (SL), 6x (DL)/DVD+RW: 8x/DVD-RW: 8x/DVD-ROM: 8x/DVD-RAM: 5x/CD-ROM: 24x/CD-R: 24x/CD-RW: 24x
Maximum Writing Speed
DVD+R: 8x (SL), 6x (DL)/DVD-R: 8x (SL), 6x (DL)DVD+RW: 8x/DVD-RW: 6x/DVD-RAM: 5x/CD-R: 24x/CD-RW: 24x

Graphics
Graphics Accelerator
Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD

Display
Type
15.4" wide (WXGA: 1280 x 800) TFT colour display (Clear Bright LCD Lite)

Interface
USB
High Speed USB 2.0 x 4
i.LINK(IEEE 1394)
4 pin (S400) x 1
Network (RJ-45)Connector
10Base-T/100Base-TX / 1000Base-T x 1
Display Output Connector
Analogue RGB, mini D-sub 15 pin x 1
Headphone
Stereo mini jack x 1
Microphone
Stereo mini jack x 1
Modem
V.92 and V.90 Compliant x 1
Memory Stick Slot
Memory Stick (Standard/Duo Size compatible, MagicGate compatible, Memory Stick PRO compatible, High-speed data transfer compatible)*6
SD Memory Card Slot
SD Memory Card*7 (SDHC compatible, MMC compatible)
PC Card Slot
ExpressCard™/34 x 1
DC IN
x 1

Wireless Connection
Wireless LAN Type
Integrated Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11b/g/Draft n*8
Wireless LAN Data Rate
maximum 11Mbps (802.11b)/54 Mbps (802.11g) 300 Mbps (Draft 802.11n)*9
Wireless LAN Frequency
2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/Draft n)

Camera
Front Side Camera
Effective pixels: 1280 x 1024

Audio
Sound Chip
Intel® High Definition Audio compatible , 3D audio (Direct Sound 3D support)
Speaker
Built-in stereo speakers
Microphone
Built-in monaural microphone

Keyboard/Input Device
Keyboard
Approx. 19 mm key pitch/2.5 mm keystroke , 86keys
Touchpad
Intelligent Touchpad

Battery Life*10
Bundled Battery
VGP-BPS13B/B Lithium-ion battery: up to 2 hours of use
Optional Long Battery
VGP-BPL13 Lithium-ion battery: up to 4.5 hours of use

Size
Dimensions (WxHxD)
360 x 31.4 -38.0 x 270 mm
Weight
2.9 kg (including the supplied battery)

Included Software
AV Entertainment
Windows® Media center SP1
Video Edit/Playback
VAIO Movie Story, Adobe® Premiere® Elements® 7, VAIO Edit Components, WinDVD for VAIO
DVD Creation
Click to Disc, Click to Disc Editor
Music
VAIO MusicBox, SonicStage Mastering Studio
Still Image/Photo
PMB (Picture Motion Browser), Windows® Photo Gallery, Adobe® Photoshop® Elements® 7
Home Network
VAIO Media plus
Word Processor / Spreadsheet
60-Day Trial Version of Microsoft® Office Professional 2007*11
Tool
Roxio Easy Media Creator, Adobe® Reader® 9, McAfee PC SecurityCenter 90-day Free Trial*12
Utilities
VAIO Control Center, VAIO Presentation Support, VAIO Launcher, WebCam Companion, Magic-i™ Visual Effects
Support
VAIO Recovery Center, VAIO Update, VAIO Data Restore Tool

Supplied Accessories
AC Adaptor
AC Adaptor (VGP-AC19V20)
Battery
Lithium-ion battery (VGP-BPS13B/B)*13

~Sony VAIO~

2009-03-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

My dream laptop....

Mom promised me one upon entering university....

But, disaster DISASTER....

My STPM results were released and my results sucks...

Failed my maths for no obvious reason...

So, how i got face to ask mom for the laptop???

It wasn't me who wanted the result... I studied...

And...
Entering IPTA will just be a distant DREAM...

Now...

I must work hard for my next assignment...

I have to defy the odds...

Especially my stupid teachers...

But there are good teachers who i remember...

My form 6 teachers, Pn. Margaret, Pn. Carmichael, Pn. Rosne...

Yuk Choy teachers, Pn. Amarjit my Geography teacher, Pn. Chua and Pn. Salma my maths teacher...

and do you know who i miss the most???

My form 1 chinese teacher from Maktab Perguruan...

The best Chinese teacher i ever had...

How about the laptop?

How should i open my mouth?

Do i deserve it?

Where's the tallest building in Ipoh???

2009-03-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

Nia sing... See my RESULTS... SUCKS... Haiz... My Chemistry teacher said "How can?"... to all of us... Ping Jie and I got a B-... Unjustified result....
Stupid MPM...

can anyone just tell me.... Where's the tallest building in Ipoh??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

~Today Damn Bored~

2009-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Let's start from the morning... Dota again... This time i use RikiRiki... Kill until godlike on Garena... But... The truth is... I am just a noobie(so honest i am)... While on9... Wah... Damn stupid news i saw... 10th March... STPM results will be released... I guess i'll be incommunicado that day...

Entering public university will just be a distant dream... Even before the result slip is with me... i'm not expecting anything... i have learned from past experience... My SPM sucks... getting a 6C for Bahasa Melayu thanks to my STUPID MALAY SUBJECT TEACHER... AMIRUDDIN AA... you had a big hand in this... THANKS SO MUCH!!! I WON'T FORGET YOU!!! Come sue me for defamation if you dare... whole class of 5SO my supporters... How many students have YOU AFFECTED??? You remember Lee Jeang Wei, he was good, but he got 8E for BM... THANKS TO YOU and he could not enter form 6... STUPID!!! My tuition teacher, Mr. Tee thought i was cheating him with my grades... What he said was how weak i am the least i could get is a 3B...

Can anyone tell me where to take IELTS??? What band dod u think i can get??? 8 maybe??? I have also been gila-ing about the FEDERAL CONSTITUTION... Article 72(1), Eighth Schedule... Blablabla... I am better than KARPAL "Singh the King"??? hehe...

Okay ler.. it's 1.20am now... Tired eh.... Goodnight...

.....Sony Liew.....

*****6th March 2009*****

Democracy is DEAD in Malaysia

2009-03-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

"Speaker restrained from convening ‘State Assembly meetings’","‘Emergency meet not valid’","Nazri labels Sivakumar a ‘boy speaker’ ". All these dominated the headlines today, and today Perak folks have an "appointed" government rather than "elected" government.

It's such a childish manner to lock up the state secreteriat, with several (about 200) police and FRU manning the building. They were equipped with tear gas and water cannons. No wonder we are going to be stripped of our membership in the UN Security Council. The police and FRU thought that PR lawmakers will force themselves into the state secretariat, thus paving the way for them to "FIRE IN THE HOLE" with their tear gas and water cannons.

We too have kangaroo courts and kangaroo judges. The High Court has granted an order to indefinitely restrain Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar from convening any unlawful meetings purported to be State Assembly meetings. What a mockery of the judiciary system? Article 72(1) of the Federal Constitution states that The validity of any proceedings in the Legislative Assembly of any State shall not be questioned in any court.

No wonder we are still the same after FIFTY-TWO years of independence.

***Sony's Virtual Heaven***

YNWA -- You'll Never Walk Alone OR You Never Win Anything?

Exams =="

~~~PEACE~~~

USM VC and Higher Education DG should resign gracefully

~~~pHoToS~~~

1China or 1Malaysia?

An Open Letter to Dato Tony Fernandes

Caught on camera!!!! "Civilized 1Malaysia Citizens"

Hoping for a reply from Sony Malaysia

Malaysian Teenagers

What "SONY LIEW" means

1Malaysia, Malaysia Boleh or Malaysia Truely Asia?

Swimming Craze!!! @ Golf Vista

ARTICLES OF LAW --- Caution required

ARTICLES OF LAWBy BHAG SINGH

Experiencing BREATHELESSNESS

My day in Pics @ Golf Vista Restroom

Malaysian Perak Politicians vs Businessmen

Articles of Law -- Limited rights

Articles of Law --- Seditious statements

ARTICLES OF LAWBy BHAG SINGH

Simple Majority and 2/3 Majority

What the Hell??? Malaysia in Bolehland!!!

Raja Nazrin agrees to meet Nizar

At last! A clear way out for Perak unless …

Election-scared Najib to appeal Nizar ruling on Tues

Hidup rakyat Perak! Nizar is the rightful MB

Nizar is rightful MB: High Court

Trend of Malaysians, just like a dog with chains on

I may have to go for a tonsil surgery

Forming a word train

By LUCILLE DASS

Very disappointed with PDRM(Polis Diraja Malaysia)

Should we write when our "VIEWS" are misjudged as "THREATS"

Sony "NOOB" VAIO VGN-NS25G/S

Malaysia's 'McCurry' celebrates win over McDonald's

ABORTION = HELL = MURDER

They are all money hungry....

McDonald's VS McCurry: The Case History

McCurry beats McDonald's in Malaysia lawsuit

All roads lead to Roman proverbs

By JOHN EVANS

Fun With Word Search

By OH TEIK THEAM

The songs i play aren't as nice as before

Movies on AXN

Officials confront first US death from swine flu - AP

Somewhere along the line

By LYDIA TEH

Money can buy love, study reveals

Swine Flu FAQ

Ipoh Starwalk .... Sien jor.... And a brief story about IPOH

O for the open sound!

By Dr LIM CHIN LAM

The MOE word challenge

By OH TEIK THEAM

SLOW DANCE

what i did for the past week

Unclear limits of discretion

Reflecting on the LawBy SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

The Constitution is still evolving and responding to the times, and only the future will tell the shape of things to come.

Just for fun

Wordwise : Clothes and Dressing

By S.H. LOKE

Shall we have a conference call?

By CHRISTINE JALLEH

My diary 20th April 2009

I can't breathe o...

"Ring Out, Wild Bells" by Lord Alfred Tennyson

My new dream phone -- Sony Ericsson W705i

Saying it indirectly

By JOHN EVANS

There are less offensive ways of referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

Why does my eyelid twitch?

Wordwise : SEAFOODS

The colours of English

Fun with –er

Quotation challenge

~~~Smiling is infectious~~~

Sony's Virtual Heaven

~PEACE~

~pHoToS~

ARTICLES OF LAW
By BHAG SINGH

ARTICLES OF LAW
By BHAG SINGH

Reflecting on the Law
By SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

~Smiling is infectious~

Notes from the Language Underground
By GRANT BARRETT

~Sony VAIO~

~Today Damn Bored~