Xynthia Attacks France || YIKA

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Motherland rampaged over Chile last Saturday and yesterday, Xynthia attacked France and four other countries. Overall, fifty-one people died.

In France herself, about 45 people drowned, living 900,000 others lived with no electricity. According to AP, Xynthia is the worst hurricane ever to compare with Katrina. 12 people went missing and 51 injured.

While in German, one was killed, three were dead in Spain, a death in Belgium and a little kid got crushed to death in Portugal.

And because of this, flights were delayed and what made things worse, the wind blew off motorcycles off from the road.

The storm was moving from the east and parts of France along the border with Germany and Belgium were on alert for heavy rain and high winds.





If you have any update or news about Xynthia, please do post. Thank you.

Face Mutilated by Acid

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This is really horrible. Face mutilated by acid? This is the work of brainless people who call themselves men.
No offense guys.. This is such a strange way of solving problems and a cruel way of taking revenge in Pakistan.

She is fifteen, she was married to a relative, he later attacked her with acid after insistently demanding her to live with him, although the families had agreed she wouldn't join him until she finished school. Ruining this young girls life just because she couldn't stay with him? This is seriously ridiculous. For such a small matter now her whole life is affected.

The best part is that all kinds of violence like this and stoning for instance is happening so openly there but nothing that is being done. Women are somewhat always at fault and looked so low on. Where are the rights for women? It really puzzles me on how people can be so driven by such insanity..

But you know what, I also have to say her family's rather dumb for getting her married if they wanted her to stay with him only after she was done with school. Why even bother getting her married then? None of it would have happened.. A little too late now, isn't it..


Su Ann: #5

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heads up, guys.

look, i hate to break the news flow about chile, but you guys still aren't label-ing your posts :) if you don't label them, it won't come up when people search for your name and your posts. and me or hadi or faeez can't keep doing them for you, because this blog seems to be updated every few hours! (awesome btw.) it's simple. everytime you write a new post, there's a "Labels for this post:" box, right down there next to "Post Options". it's also above "Publish Post" and "Save Now." just look slightly to your right. if you can't find the "Labels for this post:" box ... then look harder :D and once you've located it, label it under your NAME. done. finito.

if you REALLY TRULY SERIOUSLY don't know how to label your posts, drop a comment here.

thanks!

p/s: CNN on twitter --

Winter storm batters Europe, killing at least 51, most of them in France.
http://on.cnn.com/aMSk68

34 minutes ago.


Death toll from Chile earthquake nearly 400, officials say.
http://on.cnn.com/a9E0U6

about 1 hour ago.

Tsunami warning canceled for all countries, according to Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
http://on.cnn.com/c7kzlF
about 8 hours ago.


Is the World trying to warn us?

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Please Take Note: All the Time that mention in this post is go according to Malaysia Time Zone

Guess everyone heard about the earthquake (8.8 magnitude quake) happened in Chile (around 2:34pm). If I'm not mistaken, it's said to be one of the most powerful earthquake in century. Sad? Unfortunately, the tragedy does not just stop there.

Right after that, a 4.2 magnitude quake struck Peru around 10:33pm

Ah~no no no...it is not the end yet...

On the same day, another earthquake hits two places in The Republic of Argentina around 11:45pm. Namely Salta and Jujuy. It was just SLIGHTLY better than Chile since it was a 6.1 magnitude quake. So far two have been reported dead. (A 8 years old boy and a 70 years old man. )

1,2,3...not enough? Make it 4 then!

Day after that, a 6.2 magnitude quake stroked Pakistan around 7:21am

And the last and most recent one, around 11.58am, a 5.0 magnitude quake hit Banda Aceh in Indonesia.

p/s: it's in Chinese because i couldn't find the new from the star/any other news website

5 earthquakes in 2 days ...
What you think about that? Is the World warning us? Warn us so that we'll stop all the bad habits and start saving the world?

Singapore, a 25 years old guy slept inside the coffin for 10 hours because he suspect himself had been possessed by unholy spirit

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http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/151298?tid=2

This is a chinese article , i try to translate .

This article is about a guy in Singapore suspected himself had been possessed by unholy spirit and he find a master in the temple and the master  suggested him to have a fake funeral to himself to find back his soul and it will let him can be reborn.When he is 15 years old,he met an accident , he had coma for one days , after he wake up he always had the symptom of Epilepsy and he always can't control his hand and leg .Before the accident , he was a obedient boy , but after that , he also will had the symptom to heat his family members.He had ate the medicine of Epilepsy and can't cured , so he suspect he was possessed by unholy spirit。

The master asked him to wear the shroud and lay inside the coffin until he call him out. The master also told the guy be muted because he need to pretend that he was died.Then he slept inside and the master started to chant the Buddhist Scripture.

After 10 hours ( about  5am ) , finally he can come out , and his family burn the shroud and all the items offered because it means that all the bad luck is pass.





Harry Potter speaks for gay suicide prevention

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Published: Sunday February 28, 2010 MYT 11:00:00 AM

Harry Potter speaks for gay suicide prevention



NEW YORK (AP): Daniel Radcliffe is explaining why he has just filmed a public service announcement for The Trevor Project, the leading organization focusing on suicide prevention efforts among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth.

Because his parents were both actors, "I grew up knowing a lot of gay men and it was never something that I even thought twice about - that some men were gay and some weren't," the "Harry Potter" megastar said Friday. "And then I went to school and (for) the first time ... I came across homophobia. ... I had never encountered it before. It shocked me.

"I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals," the British actor added. "Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it."

The result is a public service announcement that was filmed Friday at the organization's Wall Street offices. The announcement is scheduled to air sometime this spring.

Radcliffe first became aware of The Trevor Project, founded in 1998 by three filmmakers, while he was appearing on Broadway in the 2008 revival of "Equus."

Their movie, "Trevor," which won an Academy Award for best short film, concerned a gay teen who attempts suicide. The Trevor Project allows young people to call in for counseling or just to talk.

"I have described myself as being 'gently eccentric' and slightly different as a person just because I've had a very different set of influences growing up than anybody else in my peer group did," the 20-year-old Radcliffe said. "I've always felt very lucky to have the life that I've had.

I never had to cope with anything serious about my religion or sexual orientation or anything like that.

"I think it's important for somebody from a big, commercial movie series like 'Harry Potter' and particularly because I am not gay or bisexual or transgendered. ... The fact that I am straight makes not a difference, but it shows that straight people are incredibly interested and care a lot about this as well."

Is It Safe?

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while Facebook-ing, i saw a post about the massive earthquake in Chile.
i dont know bout u guys, but i first found out bout the earthquake through FB.
then it crossed my mind to check the blog, which i was pleasantly surprised to see contain information bout the earthquake too!

but what i would like to know about is. what u think about social networking sites such as Flixster, Twitter and Facebook. for me, its just a way to connect with long lost friends. but for some of my friends, its actually a way to make money!!
im not sure how they work that out, but they assure me that social network sites really enable u to make $$!
besides that, my friend who are into business are also using these sites to boost their network circle. and this i must say is a really good way to get favors done!

but to actually make friends and gain their trust, u have to 'put yourself out there'. that is to say reveal and tell others about yourself.
but how do we know who to trust?
how do we know what is safe to say what is not?

Yika ;; Tsunami Strikes Japan (latest)

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So, we all know that last Saturday (February 27), the world woke us up with the anger of motherland, earthquake at Chile and Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand might get the trigger but apparently Los Angeles beaches got distracted about it.

And current news - one metre of waves hit the northen Pacific coast of Japan this early morning (Sunday 08.11 GMT).

According to BBC News, hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from coastal amid predictions that waves up to 3m high could strike. Also, fishermen aren't allowed to go to the sea and fishing ports were asked to be closed for safety.

Not only that! Residents in Indonesia and south-eastern Philippines have been alerted about the tsunami, in case if it strike these two countries out. And residents in the coastal areas are well prepared for it.

Apparently, Chatham Islands (for more, look on my previous post) were hit by 1.5M wave along the North way but no serious damage reported.

Japan is now lucky as the wave of tsunami is only 10cm and was small.

If you have any update, feel free to post and tell us what's going on. You would won't want our lecturer to repeat the same old thing in the class "i only see same people post on the blog bla3" right? :)


BBC // NY Times

And hey guys, these are the photos on right after the earthquake strike Chile :)





Yika ;; Australia & New Zealand might be the next Target (LATEST UPDATE) :- UPDATED Below

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*the post might be very long.
and down below news has been updated


An image generated by the Pacific Disaster Center shows the projected tsunami travel times following a 8.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked Chile early February 27, 2010.
REUTERS/Pacific Disaster Center/Handout


It is two-twelve in the morning and yet I'm still blogging, giving you the latest information about the earthquake at Chile as it effect others. So here is what I get from AOL News and USA TODAY.

President-elect, Sebastian Pinera said it was the strongest earthquake ever after 50 years.

And because of that, tourists in Hawaii have been asked to evacuate as the warning from the center said it might be the tsunami has generated and might also cause damages along the coastlines.

*sorry for my broken english. i'm just surprised.

here's a video about the earthquake. take a quick view/look.



And as for Hawaii, the tsunami slightly will generate many many waves and at least last for six hours. Hawaii woke residents with sirens, alerting them to the waves. A tsunami warning - the highest alert level - was issued earlier for the island chain. Boats and people near the coast were being evacuated. Hilo International Airport, located along the coast, was closed. - AOLNews.

AOLNews reported that slightly 78 people died from the earthquake while National Public Radio (NPR) reported more than 100 people are killed. There's a possibility for the tsunami to hit Australia and New Zealand as warning has been sent out by New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management.

And according to XinHua Net, Chatham Island will be the first area to receive the wave if Tsunami generated like around 7.05AM

sources are taken from :-
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-02/27/c_13190882.htm
http://www.npr.org/?refresh=true
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/hawaii-under-tsunami-warning/19376292



UPDATED AT 10.42AM
So here again I'm updating about Chile earthquake.

BBC News says two million Chileans are affected by this earthquake and guess what! To compare Haiti earthquake, this one is way too worst. Like I mean, many roads are destroyed. While I was viewing BBC News for the latest news, I found one video that surprised me and you can watch the video by clicking here.

Forgive me but I totally forgot on which website I got this but three were killed on spot when the earthquake occurred and ten went missing - said the President at one conference.


And about Hawaii tsunami case, Hawaii reports there's no damage when a tsunami triggered by the massive earthquake. But Los Angeles beaches got the effect. According to Los Angeles Times, waves were difficult to get detected and but no damage of any significance in Southern California has been reported.

image shown waves at los angeles beach


And while I was reading news this and there, I found an image which is National Weather Service map shows scope of tsunami warning for the North American West Coast.


Also, might be the wave attacks these places within the time below:-
La Jolla, California 12:02; the California-Mexico border 12:04; Newport Beach, California 12:12; San Pedro, California 12:15; Point Concepcion, California 12:17; Santa Monica, California 12:25; Santa Barbara, California 12:31



Somehow, I still think that Chile earthquake is way too worst than Haiti. What do you think guys? I was thinking of probably we can do some volunteer works for helping the people. Comment on this guys.

Chile Earthquake

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Hey Guys,

I had to post this news bulletin up.
In the next few days and weeks all the media throughout the world will be showing this breaking news.
So this earthquake happened in the early Saturday so that means a couple of hours ago in Chile (right now is 5.38pm, Malaysia time and 4.18am eastern time).
What my point is, as mass comm students and for those who are venturing into journalism, news reporting and etc you must be quick and aware.

So I posted up a breaking news on the Chile earthquake in this blog. If you guys find some more information about the quake and any updates please update it. It will be interesting if we start developing and understanding the news from now because news is educational and at the same time you will understand more about science, the environment, how the government is going to handle this (that means politics), how it will effect the countries economy, technology (telephone lines and internet line are damage), and many more.

So please keep yourself inform and updated about this.

sources from CNN

Powerful earthquake rattles Chile; tsunami warning issued

(CNN) -- At least six people are dead after a massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck central Chile early Saturday, according to government officials.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located near the city of Concepcion, 212 miles (341 kilometers) from the capital of Santiago. The quake struck at 3:34 a.m. (1:34 a.m. ET).

Concepcion is Chile's second largest city with a population of 200,000. There are reports of collapsed buildings in Santiago. The quake was felt in several Chilean towns and in parts of Argentina as well.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for Chile and Peru. A tsunami watch has been issued for Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. The center recorded a tsunami wave as high as 9 feet.

iReport.com: Did you feel it? Share information, images with CNN

"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," the National Weather Service said in a statement.

Officials hoped to learn more about the devastation in the morning.

Santiago resident Leo Perioto jumped out of his bed in his apartment at the top of a six-story building.

"The whole building was shaking," he said. "The windows were wobbling a lot. We could feel the walls moving from side to side."

Alessandro Perez, who is staying at the Santiago Marriott Hotel, reported shattered windows, but there was no structural damage. No one at the hotel was injured, he said.

Anita Herrera, who works at the Hotel Kennedy in Santiago, said electricity was knocked out at that hotel and guests were nervous.

"Our hotel is built for this," she said. "In Chile, this happens many times."

Chile holds the record for the largest earthquake in the world, according to the USGS. A magnitude 9.5 quake struck the South American country in May 1960 and killed 1,655 people.

Stay tuned to CNN.com for more details to this developing story.

CNN's Rolando Santos contributed to this report.



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Hye! I have no idea how this topic came into my mind but i start googling straight away...
For you guys who had never known like me! here's something. well, at least i was attracted by this weired looking thing....

This little thing is only 15cm tall which can be fitted into a normal bottle tumbler. It freaks me out a little bit by looking at the face. This little thing is called the TOYOL. Its a mythical spirit in the Malay mythology of South-East Asia (notably Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore). They are the unborned child or can be said as a dead baby that is then brought back to life by the bomohs. Wikipedia says that it feeds on rooster blood... like the vampires! =p

I was talking to a friend the other day and he told me a story about toyol. His friend, who is currently staying in an apartment here in the USJ was once hunted by a toyol. He told that his valueble stuff like money and jewlleries gone missing just like that... They double-checked and triple-checked and theres no reason that it'll go missing. They then suspected that it's a toyol playing a fool with their things. And so, the hired a bomoh to their house one day. I din ask him wat the bomoh did but i'm sure theres lota prayings and all those spiritual stuff. After that, the toyol is gone. I believe that toyol existed...

People uses them to have extra incomes by making them to become a theft and to sabotage. It is said that people do take care of toyol. At the end of the day, the toyol is either passed down to the relatives, to be thrown into the sea or they could be destroy by burrying them. Ohya, almost 4got about this part.... toyol is a baby and babies likes toys =p In order to take care of them, they need to be entertain by toys or candies. just like any other kids here... just that they are more ugly looking and alot smaller than the usual human beings.

Toyols are supposedly not very intelligent. To avoid them intorogating your house, leave marbles, beans or sand place on the floor or anywhere or hang strands of garlic on the door. They will end up playing with it and forgotten about their task. Toyols are scared of their reflections... haha they themself noe how deforemed are they. so money placed under mirrors has the potentcy to ward off toyols.

I really think this is sooo not the way to get things you want.

I read a few short stories about them.. links as bellow:

http://unsolvedmysteries.com/usm445.html

http://www.hungzai.com/about-the-toyol/

http://www.hungzai.com/?s=toyo

Su Ann: #4 The Twilight Obsession

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today, i am going to talk about the teenage hype sensation that is ... Twilight. no, not Gossip Girl or the Jonas Brothers (ew?); but Twilight. let me be honest: i hated twilight with a passion when it first came out, and everyone and their mothers were making comparison of the half-arsed, vampire/werewolf effort of a movie with Harry Potter. please okay. "Twilight -- the new Harry Potter?" OF COURSE NOT! harry potter is a story about friendship, about family (evidently i am a strong harry potter fan -- the books, not the movies.) (yes i'm a closet nerd. please laugh now.)

then, two days before Twilight the movie was due to be released in the cinema ... i picked up a Twilight book. and started reading. and, i am slightly embarrased to admit, was immediately hooked.

i mean, who the hell was this Edward Cullen guy and where can i get one for myself? according to Meyer, Edward was pretty much perfect. brooding, intelligent, HOT, rich, loves Bella like crazy. (i'm assuming everybody knows that Bella is the female main character who is in love with Edward, the vampire.) and Jacob -- has anyone seen him in New Moon (second edition of the twilight installment)? DUDE HE IS FREAKING HOT.



(while googling the above image, i noticed that there were 10,500,000 results for the search "Taylor Lautner shirt off".)
...

okay i disgress.

i'm really not here to talk about the physical perfection of the male characters in twilight. i'm here to talk about how twilight is essentially a bad influence on young women. i'm here to rant about how twilight gave me unrealistic, crazily high expectations out of my relationship, causing deep disappointment ... for a while back then, anyway.

let's see. for one thing, Bella Swan is a terrible role model. terrible. falling in love with a dangerous, stalker-like vampire? where is her common sense? on top of that, she's so dependent on her boyfriend it's almost pathetic -- in new moon, when edward leaves (finally realizing that he's just not good for her), she becomes coma-tose, loses all hope in life, and engages in dangerous, risky activities to indulge in his voice ringing in her head. bella constantly needs a male figure on her life -- first it was edward, then it was jacob. when edward left her in new moon, what's a girl to do? FIND ANOTHER MAN! enter jacob. ALSO, she has absolutely no self-esteem at all, and is whiny 24/7 – “I’m not good enough for you Edward; I’m only human; I’m plain; I’m clumsy; blah blah blah.” WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS GIRL? It’s like a modern Disney fairytale; damsel in distress who can’t save herself all over again.

and edward -- pedophile much? he's about a hundred years old, and enjoys watching bella sleep at night. he's overprotective, completely chauvinistic, extemely stalkerish, and risks her life every possible way by being with her.

twilight has given birth to a media sensation and half-crazed twilight fans (who calls themselves twihards?) all over the world. what are we left with? little girls who think they're supposed to wait for their princes to save them, young women with unfulfilled expectations of their relationships, and ... i can't think of anything else.

sorry. i realize i sound like a complete uptight feminist, who would probably grow old with her 30 cats but ... yeah :) to be honest, the books aren't all that bad -- you know, like for a lazy brainless afternoon read, provided you dispell all logic whatsoever. bella just pisses me off sometimes.

and i still think taylor lautner is hot.

the end of my rant.

:)

on a side note:

friend of mine, neal wrote this note on FB, and i think i'll post it here cos it's just freaking funny :D you don't have to read it, really.

"As soon as the movie starts you already begin to have that feeling. A feeling vaguely familiar. The same feeling you get as soon as you pass the door of a halloween haunted house. The same feeling that washes over you as the roller coaster slowly makes its way up before plunging down.

"what the f*** have I just gotten myself into"

and a side thought,

"and why the f*** are all the under-18 boys half naked?"

this movie promotes pedophilia like ive never seen.

The bad script never seems to end. time and time again the corniest lines are delivered in monotones. Poetic quotes intended to be delivered with drama and feeling instead are heard instead as though dished out by a sixty year old history professor who has made it his personal mission to get his students to fall asleep in under 15-seconds.

when watching the movie one must wonder if vampires and werewolves are actually retarded. I mean, what the hell could they possibly see in a 19 year old flat-chested girl whose mouth doesnt seem to be physically capable of smiling without her face showing signs of intense pain NOT TO MENTION who walks around as though shes the great granddaughter of the huncheback of notredam (Dr. phil?). It might of course be the look on her face she has throughout the movie that closely resembles a 40-year old cougar who is about to explode from sexual frustration. that may be the reason she finds solace in the arms of a 16 year old when edward (in his usual brooding manner) tells her he has to leave and never see her again.

A match made in heaven maybe. While she has her look, Edward has his own look that you see quite often in the movie, usually whenever he looks right at her and/or wants to tell her something. It is a very deep look, very meaningful. A look that can only be described as...... constipation. Maybe seeing her reminds him of the fact that he probably hasnt taken a good dump in nearly a century.

*Makes a mental note to give some girls the constipated look and see if they start swooning*

Next off, lets talk about the werewolves. Well, Jacob in particular, who makes his appearence looking like a gay hippy pornstar from the 70s. He cleans up well though, getting rid of his excess hair (which could probably make 3 wigs) and stealing a set of abs from the set of 300 (King Leonidus wasnt very happy i presume) and then sets on the not-so-impossible task of coming on screen shirtless every chance he has.

Anyone else seem to notice that although the werewolf boys seem to be allergic to tshirts, they always always always manage to find a pair of pants after transforming? All the boys have clean-shaven (or waxed) upper bodies and Dr. Phil would most likely say its due to an inner need to show that they are setting a new trend for wolfboys compared to Tim Lowe in 'Wolfboy' (1988). having 8 inches of chest hair probably wont get you all that far with the ladies.

Back to gaydward, i meant edward. You just have to ask while watching him, what is this boy's fascination and obsession with white powder and red lipstick. He closely resembles a transvestite suffering from albinism. He also seems to feel the need to constantly portray the Im-the-star-of-the-show-and-therefore-I-wont-stand-like-a-normal-person-but-instead-il-have-my-hands-in-my-pockets-and-look-at-the-ground-whenever-i-come-on-scree-so-that-the-audience-can-see-that-im-brooding attitude which just makes you want to kick his soul-less balls.

Halfway into the movie he also reveals his age (109) to emo-girl (19)....again, pedophilia anyone?

The music hardly ever changes too. (okay wait a minute, i actually liked the music in the movie. -- Su Ann) that combined with the mind-numbing script and acting that isnt much better than william hung's singing, just makes you want to crawl up into a corner and die.
and if you liked the movie, you should be admitted.

time for a two and a half men marathon.

p.s - underworld FTW ;D


*********IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE*********

im getting a few girls saying how Im writing this blasting those guys because im jealous and cant admit that they are good looking. this is wrong. Apart from saying jacob makes his appearance looking like he stepped out of a gay hippy 70s porno (which is true) and edwards fascination for make-up (LOL), i make no other reference to their looks. In fact, i mention that they are probably the main attraction, hence the topless scenes. This article is blasting the script, lousy acting, albinish make up and and anything else i want to (and feel the need to) make fun off.

so before you rant off saying that i have a secret desire of being someone because they look good with 24543 layers of make-up and only loved by females because he plays a brooding vampire/werewolf in a movie, please pull your naive head out of your ass.

have a nice day you megan fox wannabes."

...

Radio programme in malaysia, what say you? CClia*3

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i seldom listen to the radio, to be exact, i hardly turn on the radio unless im in friend's car.
but i do have some comment on the radio programmes in Malaysia. correct me if i'm wrong, because as i said, i dunno much about radio.

This afternoon i was in the car, coming to college, suddenly the programme going on on the radio inspire me to talk about radio.

In Malaysia ( i dunno about overseas), the radio programmes are mostly on sending information to the audiences via jokes or funny discussion. For example, MY fm has the "teapot twins" that discusses about the current issues, then one fm has the morning kaki, where hitz. fm used to have that.....GOTCHA which, only to make fun of people..

ONLY when it come to news, the "atmosphere" turns to be more serious.. My point is, where are those serious serious kind of talks? as in, bring up a discussion, and get audience participate by giving their opinions through calls and sms and go really deeper into it? i presume most of the radio stations do have the programme as so but then they only touch the surface of the issues.. and audience din get to really voice out..

last time, radio programme have those, ask people to call in, to tell why they are sad or happy today, and the DJ will give them advices and stuff, then dedicate songs to them blabla that kind of dramatic thing ( i knew this through drama..).. do they really had these kind of things? or just the drama make so?

nowadays, the concept of radio in malaysia, is like they are going to be equal to entertainment.. not the sources of important information anymore. because most of the time, they are either saying something unnecessary, playing songs again and again, discussing about the entertainment news, traffic information and news reporting session..

so what are the "useful" programmes? okay, i myself like to listen to songs of cuz, but i wouldn't mind if the radio station can bring up more information regardless general knowledge, household information or whatsoever that can benefit the public.

however, it is really irony that i want it this way, i might be one of them that tune to another fm when the "serious talks" session begins.

so actually my whole point is that, what do u think about radio programmes inn malaysia? are they really doing a good job to you? or they actually can improve to be better? and in what way what sense they can improve?


im sorry for writing so long, not sure if this post is suitable to be here, just a sudden idea to write so.. and sorry for any grammar mistakes... am sleepy already..XD

goodnight~!

Student says school webcam spied on him at home

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This evidence was happen at the 19 February 2010(it's a bit outdated). But, this had shock me because in my mind that american are very respect in their own privacy. How do you all think?

(CNN) -- Pennsylvania parents are suing their son's school, alleging it watched him through his laptop's webcam while he was at home and unaware he was being observed.

Michael and Holly Robbins of Penn Valley are suing the Lower Merion School District, its board of directors and the superintendent. The parents allege the district unlawfully used its ability to access a webcam remotely on their son's district-issued laptop computer.

The lawsuit seeking class-action status was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The suit said that on November 11, an assistant principal at Harriton High School told the plaintiffs' son that he was caught engaging in "improper behavior" in his home and it was captured in an image via the webcam.

According to the Robbinses' complaint, neither they nor their son, Blake, were informed of the school's ability to access the webcam remotely at any time. It is unclear what the boy was doing in his room when the webcam was activated or if any punishment was given out.

Doug Young, a spokesman for the Lower Merion School District, said the district would only remotely access a laptop if it were reported to be lost, stolen or missing.

Young said if there were such a report, the district first would have to request access from its technology and security department and receive authorization. Then it would use the built-in security feature to take over the laptop and see whatever was in the webcam's field of vision, potentially allowing it to track down the missing computer.

Young said parents and students were not explicitly told about this built-in security feature.

To receive the laptop, the family had to sign an "acceptable-use" agreement. To take the laptop home, the family also would have to buy insurance for the computer.

In an "acceptable-use" agreement, the families are made aware of the school's ability to "monitor" the hardware, he said, but it stops short of explicitly explaining the security feature. He termed that a mistake.

Young added that mistakes might be made when combining technology and education in a cutting-edge way.

All 2,300 students at the district's two high schools were offered laptops to "enhance opportunities for ongoing collaboration and ensure that all students have 24/7 access to school-based resources," according to a message on the superintendent's Web site, which the suit quoted.

Young said the district is proud of the laptop program and the ability to close the technology gap between students who have computers at home and those who don't. But he acknowledged schools will have to take a step back to re-evaluate the policies and procedures surrounding the program.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania isn't involved in the litigation, but its director, Vic Walczak, criticized the school district's action.

"Neither police nor school officials can enter a private home, physically or electronically, without an invitation or a warrant. The school district's clandestine electronic eavesdropping violates constitutional privacy rights, intrudes on parents' right to raise their children and may even be criminal under state and federal wiretapping laws," Walczak said "... George Orwell's '1984' is an overused metaphor, but it applies here in spades. Part of the school officials' punishment should be to retake ninth-grade civics class."

Kevin Bankston, a senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation who specializes in electronic privacy, also said the school may have broken federal wire-tapping laws. He called the school district's action "foolish and dangerous," saying the matter could prove to be a warning to other districts.

EAT Your "Nose Shit" it can improve your health ! =p

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Sorry that this article is in Chinese, so i do a bit of translate to this article

This is about a doctor in Australia, he found out eat the residue in the nose after u drag it out may improve your health. The residue can improve the lymphatic system and the experiment had prove that people who use finger to drag the things out are more healthy and they are more happy. 

In scientific view, nose act like a filter, it collect a lots of bacteria, when this bacteria reach to stomach and intestine area it become certain that of medicine.

The doctor had advice to encourage the children to build this behavior which drag the residue and eat.

An Honest Mistake

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Just want to let you guys out there to know that please support An Honest Mistake because I just found out that one of our seniors is the bassist (:

A sister's sacrifice. Or was it?

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If anyone has taken the time off to read the newspapers today, specifically The Star, you would have probably noticed the main headline in the papers stating "Sister's Sacrifice". According to the news report a double storey shophouse in Jitra (wherever that is) was on fire. The tenants rushed out leaving a 7 year old boy sound asleep in his bed. His 10 year old sister whom was several steps from the door went back to rescue him. Now, this is all very touching and courageous because my 10 year old brother would NEVER do such a thing. I'd bet my life on it. But really, if she never actually made it out of the house in the first place how does the reporter know that she went back to save her little brother, not some barbie doll toy she really really liked. The girl never made it back out to tell her story. So how does this reporter know what really went down unless he, being all dedicated to news reporting actually threw himself in that fire to get some sort of an interview. Yes, she was found in the very same bedroom her brother had been sleeping in but perhaps by some coincidence her favorite toy was in that particular room? Yes? No? Maybe? Not that i'm saying she is uncompassionate, i don't doubt the fact that she may have loved her brother so much she'd risk her life for him but how do we know the real story if it never came out from the horse's mouth? Their two other brothers hadn't even noticed that they'd been missing until it was too late. So what is the real story? Was it just some ploy to capture reader's attention, because it most certainly caught mine.

Hadi: Pitbull is Bullpoop.

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Tell me, how can you listen to Pitbull over and over again without getting sick? Nowadays, music is, excuse my language, like poo. Every pop singer uses the same style of music, the same style of vocal, the same style of lyrics for God's sake.

For example, Hotel by Pitbull. "Forget about your boyfriend and meet me at the hotel." this was a line taken from the song. I couldn't believe it at first. Seriously, "hotel"? Take a few milliseconds to realize how stupid it sounds.

"We got the hotel, motel holla' them here." Why would Pitbull stays in a motel when he's a player. It doesn't make sense. He's an idiot. I hate him. He's a dumb-dumb. (Please excuse the immaturity of the author.)

Akon objectifies women. Enough said. No one should listen to his songs. In one of his songs, he said "Damn you're a sexy bitch." Yes, he said that to a woman. I don't know what people feel about this, to me, it's disgusting. He's and idiot. I hate him. He's a dumb-dumb. (Again, please excuse the immaturity of the author.)

All the songs are about clubbing, hot chicks, drinking and, well, clubbing.

Don't listen to the radio, people. Pop music has lost its dignity.

national geographic best pic of the year~

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a question.

i had receive an email sent by a friend of mine...and it writes "national geographic best pic of the year" when i see those picture,i was just "wow..!" but it's hard for me to believe those picture are real or not. it's like i cant believe they manage to take it. i'm in a mist actually,can someone identified it either it's real picture,or it's just another spam email i got...however, the 1st picture seems the most normal. there are total of 10 pictures but i just uploaded some.

Su Ann: #3

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I just watched ...

okay i really have no time to blog right now cos it's 2:03AM and i'm getting up in 3 hours (ungodly!) but. just wanted to say, the movie was brilliant. it made me tear. please watch it. the ending is a bit screwed for me but as far as hindi films go, this is some great stuff right here. datuk khan was extremely convincing in his portrayal of a man diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome :( sad stuff, but mostly very touching.

btw, the movie’s in both Hindi and English, with subtitles of course. and no mushy hero-and-heroine-playing-catch-at-the-top-of-the-mountains-with-waterfall-wtf song scenes. i promise.

more detailed review soon!

goodnight :)

Sorry Tiger

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Tiger Woods...

Listen and Learn ladies and gentlemen





A source from CNN;

What Tiger Should have said;
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/19/kador.tiger.woods.apology/index.html

Tiger Woods Words; Sincere or Staged


Tiger Woods says, "I am sorry" in public apology.


and here is the transcript...

TIGER WOODS TRANSCRIPT
- PGA.com

Below is the statement read by Tiger Woods during Friday's news conference, courtesy of ASAP Sports:

TIGER WOODS: Good morning, and thank you for joining me. Many of you in this room are my friends. Many of you in this room know me. Many of you have cheered for me or you've worked with me or you've supported me.

Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.

I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife Elin and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.

Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss; however, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.

I am also aware of the pain my behavior has caused to those of you in this room. I have let you down, and I have let down my fans. For many of you, especially my friends, my behavior has been a personal disappointment. To those of you who work for me, I have let you down personally and professionally. My behavior has caused considerable worry to my business partners.

To everyone involved in my foundation, including my staff, board of directors, sponsors, and most importantly, the young students we reach, our work is more important than ever. Thirteen years ago, my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From the Learning Center students in Southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C., millions of kids have changed their lives, and I am dedicated to making sure that continues.

But still, I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position.

For all that I have done, I am so sorry.

I have a lot to atone for, but there is one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame.

The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them.

I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.

I've had a lot of time to think about what I've done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It's now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I've made. It's up to me to start living a life of integrity.

I once heard, and I believe it's true, it's not what you achieve in life that matters; it's what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count.

Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

It's hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days from the end of December to early February, I was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I'm facing. I have a long way to go. But I've taken my first steps in the right direction.

As I proceed, I understand people have questions. I understand the press wants to ask me for the details and the times I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know whether Elin and I will remain together. Please know that as far as I'm concerned, every one of these questions and answers is a matter between Elin and me. These are issues between a husband and a wife.

Some people have made up things that never happened. They said I used performance-enhancing drugs. This is completely and utterly false. Some have written things about my family. Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things; I did.

I have always tried to maintain a private space for my wife and children. They have been kept separate from my sponsors, my commercial endorsements. When my children were born, we only released photographs so that the paparazzi could not chase them. However, my behavior doesn't make it right for the media to follow my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter to school and report the school's location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom. Whatever my wrongdoings, for the sake of my family, please leave my wife and kids alone.

I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above all I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That's where my focus will be.

I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.

As I move forward, I will continue to receive help because I've learned that's how people really do change. Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy. I would like to thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this week for understanding why I'm making these remarks today.

In therapy I've learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centered so I can save the things that are most important to me, my marriage and my children.

That also means relying on others for help. I've learned to seek support from my peers in therapy, and I hope someday to return that support to others who are seeking help. I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be.

I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game. In recent weeks I have received many thousands of emails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes. To everyone who has reached out to me and my family, thank you. Your encouragement means the world to Elin and me.

I want to thank the PGA TOUR, Commissioner Finchem, and the players for their patience and understanding while I work on my private life. I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course.

Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.

Thank you.

Hello Fascination - Yika Yiku

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My close friends in college know that I don't have a TV nor a radio at my rented house. Neither a broadband. But that doesn't stop me from doing research or whatever so on.

One fine Sunday morning (late December 2009), I was with my friend at Starbucks; helping her to do her research. While she was doing her research, I browsed around MySpace Music to look what is new and which song is on the top of the list. Surprisingly, a duo electronica band which I used to adore hits the number one spot with their first single from their second album, Hello Fascination. (december 2009 myspace chart)

Yes them - Breathe Carolina from Denver, Colorado. Kyle Even and David Schmitt have never give their hopes down since their Gossip EP got removed from iTunes three years ago. Instead of moving backward, these two young gentlemen recorded their first album by using GarageBand and signed up with Rise Records last two years. Three of their members pulled themselves up three years ago right after Gossip EP was out and I have no idea why. (question mark)

So anyhow, back to the topic. Hello Fascination has thirteen tracks and I have to admit that some of their songs are very catchy. But I don't really like their first single song - Hello Fascination. Even the video clip too. So ohkay, the girl in the video is quite beautiful but yet the effect doesn't attract me at all .

I don't feel regret, buying their album via iTunes. Ok I do have the feeling of 2% regrets for buying it online while actually I can just simply download the songs illegally but still, the quality isn't the same.

Released on August 18 2009 and from what I see that this duo band gotta put some effort in making good electro music. It's not that their songs aren't the best, yes it's nice. Well, I can't say much. You gotta purchase their album :D

Track Listing:
1. Hello Fascination
2. I’m The Type of Person to Take Things Personal
3. Take Me to Infinity
4. Dressed Up to Undress
5. I.D.G.A.F. (I Don't Give A Fuck)
6. Welcome To Savannah
7. I Have To Go Return Some Video Tapes
8. The Dressing Room
9. Tripped and Fell in Portland
10. Can I Take You Home?
11. My Obsession
12. Velvet
13. Rescue


***additional information - gotta listen to Can I Take You Home?, I.D.G.A.F, Tripped and Fell in Portland and Dressed Up to Undress :))

What else that I have to say? Well, that's my review over this album. I know it's quite an old album but I yet want to promote it because I believe some of us don't know who is Breathe Carolina. :) And to the party people, probably this album can help you =D


add them @ http://www.myspace.com/breathecarolina

Su Ann: #2

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10 Things I Hate About You (1999)





"I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme. I hate it, I hate the way you're always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call. But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all."

-- Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles)


decided, on a whim (okay not really, i was going through the DVD stack at A's place) to watch this movie again for the fourth time! 10 Things I Hate About You rates among the top 5 teen movies on my list, after Mean Girls. what? i have my bimbo chick flick moments. plus Mean Girls was awesome okay! i can totally still quote lines from that movie. but i disgress.

10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 movie starring Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger. and possibly the best scene in this movie was when Heath Ledger belted out "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" at the school field :))




so here's the gist of the movie in a paragraph, c&p-ed from reelviews.com:

Kat (Julia Stiles) and Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) are sisters, but, despite sharing the same parents, their personalities are polar opposites. Bianca, the younger, is pretty, popular, and shallow. Kat, the older one, is a rebel without a cause, a girl who is described kindly as being "incapable of human interaction." Kat and Bianca's father, Walter (Larry Miller), has one hard and fast rule for his daughters: Bianca cannot begin dating until her sister does. This represents a major problem for the socially-adept Bianca, since Kat shows no inclination whatsoever to date. As the prom approaches, Bianca finds herself as the object of two boys' affections: cool, vain Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan) and kind, somewhat shy Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Working as reluctant allies, Joey and Cameron pick out a potential date for Kat: Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), the local bad boy. They reason that Kat might find him too great a challenge to refuse, and, once she starts going out with him, Bianca will be free to date one of them. But getting Kat and Patrick together proves to be a difficult chore, and, when he realizes that he genuinely likes her, Patrick must go to extraordinary lengths to tame the shrew.




10 Things I Hate About You is top-heavy with the references to Shakespeare. The Bard's sonnets are being taught in English class, so we get to hear bits and pieces of them. A couple of would-be lovebirds enjoy quoting from "Macbeth" and dressing like they belong in the 16th century. The main characters have last names like "Verona" and "Stratford", and their first names are variations of their "Taming" counterparts: Kate becomes Kat and Petruchio becomes Patrick. It's not as clever as Shakespeare in Love, but, as a way to sneak in literary asides, it works.

the second best thing about the movie (after Heath Ledger), though, is the dialogues! better than Mean Girls, really.

patrick: what is it with this chick? she has beer-flavored nipples?

Walter Stratford: [Bianca and Chastity are sneaking past Bianca's father] Shoulda used the window!
Bianca: Hi Daddy!
Walter Stratford: Hi... where're we going?
Bianca: Well, if you must know... a small study group of friends.
Walter Stratford: Otherwise known as an orgy?
Chastity: Mr. Stratford, it's just a party!
Walter Stratford: And hell is just a sauna.

Joey: Mr. Morgan, is there any chance we could get Kat to take her Midol *before* she comes to class?
Mr. Morgan: Someday, you gonna get bitch-slapped and I'm not gonna do a thing to stop it.

[when asked if he'll date Katarina]
Wimpy Loser: Maybe if we were the last two people alive, and there were no sheep. Are there sheep?

Walter Stratford: What are the two house rules? Number One: No dating till you graduate. Number Two: No dating till you graduate.

i know it all sounds really shallow and mindless but a teen movie is a teen movie! they're supposed to be funny, and laughed at ... and enjoyed :) this movie is better than most other teen movies out there -- it's got attitude and witty dialogues and Heath Ledger. so watch it, and watch it again if you think it's any good! i'm off to watch "walk the line" now! :D

i end this post with one last pic of Ledger + Keegan:




p/s: guys, when you post something new, be sure to label them under your name. happy holidays! :)

Do what you are GOOD at!!!!!!!!!

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Going acapella style!

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Things can be pretty hectic lately, assignments & all. So let's indulge in some music! This video is an acapella version of Craig David's Insomnia & Neyo's Closer. Yes, it's a remix by a Korean acapella group called RedSoul. Awesome stuff & arrangement of music. Check out their other acapella versions like Bohemian Rhapsody for instance. Doesn't it ease your soul? Heehee. Kudos to the beatboxing, bass, harmonizing & all. Here's another video of theirs! Do check out their versions of other songs. Brilliant!


& for those Kpop lovers, check out their 2PM's Heartbeat & Tik Tok acapella version. You'll get hooked.(=

Hi, Meet TED

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Anyone knows what TED is?
Well for sure TED is a person.
TED is a remarkable and amazing person.
TED is a US Private non profit foundation.
TED is known internationally. At first it was only hosted towards the American viewers but now its available for everyone throughout the world through youtube. =)
Now what is TED?
Well TED is a lecture. Lecture been done by famous people. Talking about world issues, Health problems, the economy, books, music, food, sports, fashion and many more.
(Well just imagine a lecture on music? how cool is that huh?)
Well check out this guy. Jamie Oliver. He is in TED. He gave a lecture and its about people dying of obesity.

~end~

"Happy Chinese New Year"

"you can check out TED on http://www.ted.com/ or go on youtube"

Button Icon :D

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Hey friends! If you wanna link Koffee With Kiru at your blog, here you go - I made an icon button. It's simple but I hope ya'll like it =))



I know it's big but you guys can adjust the width & height by 50 x 50. =)

My Professor Is A Murderer

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she has the evil look. no doubt about it -_-


First of all, Happy Lunar New Year to all of my Chinese friends. ∆


The title says it. A biology professor from University of Alabama pulled a trigger at a faculty meeting and guess what! Three were down and another three injured.

Known as Amy Bishop, she was handcuffed by police last Friday and charged under capital murder, which also could bring her to death as her penalty. What amazes me is that Bishop is a neurobiologist who used to be a student from Harvard University and she concerns about her students in school yet have this kind of attitude. Like what the crap right?

Some say she's not a good teacher and that's why she's quite known in the university. Hence, she's a genius. Heh.

more details


University of Alabama in Huntsville is a famous university as they are way too advance in the technology systems. I wonder why they have such people living there.

happy CNY's eve!

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Girls, how often do you wash your bra? o.o

A SURVEY has found that a number of Singaporean girls wash their bras only once a week, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Some never washed them at all, the daily said, quoting a survey carried out by a news portal. More than 200 women took part in the survey.

It said that as of Feb 9, 108 respondents said they washed and changed their bras everyday but 42 others said they only changed them once a week. Another six said they washed their bras once a year while six others said they never washed their bras.

The daily quoted the online news writer as saying he was surprised with the level of cleanliness among Singaporean girls.

“Although some women work in an air-conditioned environment and may not sweat so often, the skin will still turn oily after some time and this will result in body odour. It is thus more appropriate to change the bra every day,” he said.

However, a gynaecologist said it is not necessary for women to change their bras every day especially if they work at the office.

“Bras are not like panties which have to be changed daily. But for those who sweat easily, it is advisable to change the bras frequently.”

source: the star online

> like seriously...what is wrong with some of the GIRLS in singapore??? they don't wash their bras?!!!eww...@@.. yes, there are people who work in the air conditioned environment but hey! there are chances to sweat no matter what! when you walk from the parking lot to the office? when you walk to your office from the train station? even when you are walking to wherever to have lunch! there are MILLIONS of chances to get sweat!!!

> and even if you don't sweat, like what the news above stated, your skin still turn oily and can cause body odour.

> women, wash your bra frequently please. a week is just..... TOO MUCH larh!!>.<


> and one more news~ mistake made by THE STAR


> i didn't know what does EXTRAGAVANZA means in the first place, therefore i went to check dictionary and uh oh, no such word, then in the end, michelle told me it was extravaganza and NOT extragavanza.. so, what do you think about this?

Su Ann: #1

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i'm currently reading a book titled 'Like the Flowing River' by Paolo Coelho, which i've discovered underneath a bunch of random magazines and ashtrays filled with murky brown unknowns at bobby's place :) within the first few pages of short stories and collections, i was hooked.



so bobby lent the book to me, because he's just really that kind :P thanks!

being strictly honest, i've never read any of Coelho's previous works. not even 'The Alchemist' -- which became a Brazilian bestseller and went on to sell more than 65 million copies worldwide, thus establishing itself as one of the best-selling books in history. the book has also been translated into more than 67 languages, winning the Guinness World Record for being the most translated book by a living author.

(i suppose the bible could be on the list too, except for the "living author" part.)

however, i'm not here to talk about 'The Alchemist'. i'm here to talk about 'Like the Flowing River'. of course, i'm not exactly done with the book yet -- i've got about 20+ pages to go, but then again, what's the rush? i'm normally done with books in a matter of hours, but this book is one to savour ... slowly. 'Like the Flowing River' is a collection of intimate short stories and reflections from Coelho, written from 1998 to 2005. these are powerful tales of living and dying, of destiny and choice, of love lost and found. mostly, he shares his view about religion and signs, talks a lot about his pilgrimage and shares meaningful legends. sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, but always profound and deeply insightful; this book is at once impactful and explores what it means to be truly alive.

my favorites are probably the three-parts short stories titled, respectively, 'Manuel Is an Important and Necessary Man', 'Manuel Is a Free Man', and 'Manuel Goes to Paradise.' the stories beg the following questions: why do we work so hard, why do we always need to be so busy? is it so everyone can see how responsible and important we are in this world? truly mind-provoking read -- it's like that saying ... "we gotta take time to stop and smell the roses", except with more words and plot twists.

so yeah. i like the book, and now i'm on the hunt for The Alchemist.

:)