I woke up this morning and the first thing that my wife said to me is that Michael Jackson had died.
We immediately turned on CNN to find out the latest and sure enough, the Rev. Al Sharpton was on screen in front of the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, reminding everyone just how big a talent Michael was in his life and the influence h exerted on the world's music scene.

Immediately my memory went back to the History Tour, the las time I saw the superstar live. I covered his arrival in Malaysia as a journalist and remember seeing him up close at the Concorde Hotel.

He was just as everyone on TV right now describe him, he was a fragile porcelain of a person and had a wispy voice that simply make you want to protect him and at the same time most people find it hard to embrace him when up close and personal because of the news that painted him as an eccentric.

CNN's report tried very much to divert attention to the news of lawsuits adn financial excesses that coloured Micheal's life towards teh end but Larry King said it best when he reminded everyone to focus on what is proven, Michael's talent and how he made billions happy.

On the same day, one of Charlie's Angels also left us. Beauttiful and talented actress Farrah Fawcett had benn battling with cancer for two years and she finally passed away last night, surrounded by friends and family.

These two personalities formed two big pillar's in the entertainment indsutry during my childhood and growing years and despite the fact that they are quite distant from me now, tears flowed when CNN played Beat it, Thriller, Billy Jean and We Are the World.

The reality is that it is impossible not to feel sad about the passing of someone who brought so much happiness to us.

There will be controversy surrounding Michael's death as much as his life. There are persistent rumour that he may have converted to Islam so the other question my wife asked was: How are they going to bury him? the Muslim way or not?

Whatever it is, it is my dearest hope that both will attain dignity in death.

May God bless theri souls for they brought happiness to billions adn what better way to appreciate the life that God has granted us than by being happy.


Below are two news clippings about the deaths


Farrah Fawcett dies at 62

LOS ANGELES: Actress Farrah Fawcett, best known for her role in television series “Charlie’s Angels”, died after a long battle with cancer on Thursday. She was 62.

Fawcett died in hospital surrounded by friends and family shortly before 1630 GMT, reports said. “After a long and brave battle with cancer, Farrah has passed away,” said a statement released by Fawcett’s publicist Arnold Robinson. afp


AP Source: Michael Jackson dies in LA hospital
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY and DERRIK J. LANG
LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the "King of Pop" and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50.

The person said Jackson died in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

His 1982 album "Thriller" _ which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" _ remains the biggest-selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies.

He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.

By some measures, he ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. In fact, he united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie.

As years went by, he became an increasingly freakish figure _ a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grownup life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, often wore a germ mask while traveling and kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions.

In 2005, he was cleared of charges he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him. The case took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.

Jackson was preparing for what was to be his greatest comeback: He was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first set for July 13. He was in rehearsals in Los Angeles for the concert, an extravaganza that was to capture the classic Jackson magic: showstopping dance moves, elaborate staging and throbbing dance beats.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital as word of his death spread. The emergency entrance at the UCLA Medical Center, which is near Jackson's rented home, was roped off with police tape.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jackson has just died," a woman boarding a Manhattan bus called out, shortly after the news was annunced. Immediately many riders reached for their cell phones.

In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.

"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

The original site says this is a hard drive , a really big hard drive beign built. I don't know itf it is a hard drive or a special kind of flywheel or maybe even a really clean deep fryer but it does look cool...

I wonder how many terabytes it woudl take... anyone knows whats bigger than terra??

You guys probably already know how to tie a tie but hey we we can always learn a few more ways to tie our tie.
I know I looked at these instructions closely again just to make sure that I have been doing it right, apparently I usually do four-in-hand or half Windsor, I only use Windsor when the tie is too long or I want to look extra formal

I have not tried the shell knot but I bet it's good for use with less structured suits and that sort of thing

When the police force is handed a blurry videotape of Police Tactical Unit (PTU) officers beating up a triad member in an alleyway, senior officers summon that area's patrol team to find out who was responsible. Once questioned, the group headed by Lee Wing Sam (Simon Yam) and May Cheung (Maggie Siu) closes ranks and remains tight-lipped. But once the questioning is over, the team heads out to find Shing, the man who was beaten in the recording, before the internal affairs officers investigating them can get to him.

Apabila pihak poleh menerima sebuah pita rakaman yang samar dan kabur mengenai pegawai polis dari Unit Taktikal Polis (PTU) yang sedang membelasah ahli kumpulan kongsi gelap di sebuah lorong, pegawai senior yang mengawasi kawasan itu mengeluarkan arahan untuk mencari siapa yang bertanggungjawab. Semasa disoal siasat, kumpulan yang diketuai oleh Lee Wing Sam dan May Cheung tidak memberikan sebarang maklumat. Tetapi apabila sessi soalsiasat tamat, kumpulan tersebut bergerak untuk mencari Shing, lelaki yang dipukul di dalam rakaman itu, sebelum para pegawai yang menyiasat kes tersebut terlebih dahulu menemuinya.

Release Date -11 June 2009
Language -Cantonese
Classification -PG13
Running Time -1Hour 31Minutes
Director -Law WingCheong
Cast -Simon Yam, Maggie Siu, Lee KwokLun.

Christine Brown is an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, professor Clay Dalton. Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. Should Christine follow her instincts and give the old woman a break? Or should she deny the extension to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks, and get a leg-up on a promotion? Christine fatefully chooses the latter, shaming Mrs. Ganush and dispossessing her of her home. In retaliation, the old woman places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell. Haunted by an evil spirit and misunderstood by a skeptical boyfriend, she seeks the aid of seer Rham Jas to save her soul from eternal damnation. To help the shattered Christine return her life to normal, the psychic sets her on a frantic course to reverse the spell. As evil forces close in, Christine must face the unthinkable: How far will she go to break free of the curse?

Christine Brown adalah seorang pegawai peminjam wang di Los Angeles yang sangat bercita-cita tinggi, memiliki seorang teman lelaki yang baik, bernama Professor Clay Dalton. Hidup adalah sangat sempurna hinggalah suatu hari dia didatangi oleh Puan Ganush yang sangat misteri di banknya dan merayu agar pinjaman bank untuk rumahnya dipanjangkan. Perlukah Christine menurut kata hatinya dan membantu wanita itu ? Atau patutkah dia menolak permintaan itu semata-mata untuk mengambil hati ketuanya, Mr. Jack, dan seterusnya mendapat tempat dalam kenaikan pangkat ? Christine terpaksa membuat keputusan dengan menolak permohonan itu, menyebabkan Puan Ganush kecewa dan tidak berumah. Sebagai pembalasan, wanita tua itu telah mengenakan satu sumpahan jampi yang sangat kuat dipanggil Lamia ke atas Christine, menjadikan hidup Christine seperti dalam neraka. Dia dihantui oleh roh jahat dan situasinya tidak difahami teman lelakinya. Dia kemudian meminta bantuan daripada Rham Jas untuk menyelamatkan jiwanya dari penyeksaan yang berpanjangan. Untuk membantu Christine kembali kepada kehidupan asalnya, Rham Jas berusaha untuk membatalkan sumpahan itu. Ketika kuasa jahat semakin hampir, Christine perlu berdepan dengan sesuatu yang dia tidak pernah fikirkan : berapa jauh dia sanggup pergi untuk membebaskan dirinya daripada sumpahan itu.

Release Date -11 June 2009
Language -English
Classification -18PL
Running Time -1Hour 39Minutes
Director -Sam Raimi
Cast -Alison Lohman, Justin Long.

Penyeri litar STES09..Mushi-Mushi

Super Taikyu Endurance Series atau lebih dikenali dengan STES09 telah diperkenalkan pada tahun 1999. Sukan bermotor (STES09) ini menggantikan sukan bermotor All Japan Touring Car Championship (JTCC) atau Inter-TEC Series yang popular pada tahun 1994 dan 1998.


Glamournya sukan bermotor ini terbukti setelah mendapat sambutan yang tidak kurang hebatnya. Baru beberapa tahun sukan ini diperkenalkan, peningkatan dari penyertaan pasukan dan bilangan kereta cukup baik. Sehingga kini terdapat 35 buah kereta yang beraksi dalam setiap pusingan dan kategori. Secara ringkasnya STES mempunyai 4 katogeri, bagi setiap katogeri mempunyai lapan pusingan. Jarak antara setiap pusingan juga berbeza, ada yang 200km hingga 500km. Kalau dilihat ianya lebih kurang sama dengan mana-mana perlumbaan sukan bermotor yang lain. Antara kereta-kereta yang akan mengambil bahagian dalam STES09 mengikut kategori seperti BMW M3, BMW Z4M Coupe, Honda NSX, Integra DC5 dan S2000, Mitsubishi EVO, Subaru WRX, Mazda RX7 dan RX8, Nissan 350ZX, Toyota Lexus GS450H, dan juga Porsche GT3 models serta beberapa model lain.

Tidak ketinggalan dalam perlumbaan STES09, Pasukan Petronas Syntium merupakan pasukan yang ditaja oleh Petronas. Pasukan Petronas Syntium menggunakan BMW Z4M Coupe yang dikendalikan oleh 3 pemandu antaranya Fariqe Hairuman (Orang Malaysia tu) Masataka Yanagida dan Nobuteru Taniguchi memandu kereta No. 1 BMW Z4M Coupe. Manakala Johan Adzmi (Orang Malaysia jugak) Tatsuya Kataoka dan Hiroki Yoshida memandu kereta No. 28 BMW Z4M coupe. Ianya merupakan cabaran baru bagi pasukan Petronas Syntium setelah memenangi dan merangkul nama Asian Touring Car Championship (ATCC 2007).




Antara pasukan yang mengambil bahagian mengikut kategori…. Kategori 1 terdapat 6 pasukan yang mengambil bahagian antaranya Tetsuya, Petronas Syntium, Run up sports, Faust Rasing dan lain-lain pasukan. Manakala kategori 2 jumlah penyertaan 10 pasukan antaranya Endless sports, Test and Services Racing Sport, B.I sequential dan seterusnya. Kategori 3 ada 9 pasukan antaranya Okebe Jidosha Motor Sports, Takamori.com, 5zigen, Tracy sports dan bagai-bagai lagi. Kategori 4 pula ada 12 pasukan antaranya Bold Motor Sports, Team Spoon, Star Sports, Feline Racing dan sebagainya.

Minyak wangi telah dicipta dan digunakan di Semenanjung Arab pada abad ke 7 lagi dan perkembangan mengenai minyak wangi ini telah bertambah pada abad-abad berikutnya. Seorang ahli sains islam bernama Abu Yusuf Yaqub Ibn Ishaq Al-Khindi telah menhasilkankan pelbagai resipi minyak wangi, kosmetik dan pharmaceutical. Ini termasuk extraction pelbagai wangi-wangian, sebagaimana stangi merupakan tumbuhan yang digunakan secara meluas pada masa dulu kerana kos yang murah untuk menghasilkan wangian.



Minyak wangi ataupun perfume kini menjadi sebahagian daripada kehidupan kita seharian. Bukan saja wanita, muda-mudi, dewasa malah golongan tua, kaum lelaki kini juga tidak ketinggalan daripada menggunakan perfume untuk kegiatan harian,termasuklah dirumah, ke pejabat, beriadah dan sebagainya.

Keadaan ekonomi negara yang tidak menentu ini membuatkan kita berpikir 18 kali untuk membeli sebotol perfume kegemaran. Dengan harganya sekitar RM200 lebih sebotol membuatkan hasrat membeli perfium mungkin diabaikan,

Mungkin tidak! Bertempat di 3K sport complex & in, Jalan SS13/1 Subang Jaya Selangor, mengadakan potongan harga sehingga 80% kosmetik dan perfume pelbagai jenama seperti Anna Sui, Dunhill, Escada, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Montblanc dan Dolce & Gabbana. Jualan bermula pada 12-13 Jun 2009 bermula jam 10 pagi hingga 6 petang. Seawal jam 8.30 pagi kelihatan orang ramai mula membanjiri komplek 3k. Harga yang ditawarkan untuk perfume serta kosmetik benar-benar hebat.
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Need we say more?

Ciri-ciri fizikal lazimnya menjadi penanda aras terhadap populariti SUV. Lihat sahaja pada era awal 2000 di mana kenderaan jenis ini mula menjalar di jalanraya tempatan. ketika itu juga, bilangan pengeluar yang mengkhusus kepada jualan model ini juga tidak banyak. Selain Perodua Kembara yang bersaiz kecil, dominasi nama-nama SUV adalah sekitar Pajero dan Landcruiser yang mana masih tipikal dengan sifat-sifat 4X4 yang lasak. Pemanduannya masih dianggap bukan bercirikan kereta, suspensi yang keras, enjin pelahap bahanapi membuatkan kenderaan ini diketepikan oleh kebanyakan pembeli. Namun bilamana versi recond seperti CRV, RAV4 yang diasaskan dari casis monocoque mula dibawa masuk oleh pengedar kereta tempatan, lanskap SUV juga berubah. SUV moden jauh lebih selesa di pandu di jalan-jalan raya mahupun pada permukaan jalan yang tidak rata.

Malah sistem 4WD yang dahulunya adalah dari jenis kekunci penuh, boleh dilaraskan dengan dwi fungsi 2WD. Sesetengah sistem yang bijak juga berupaya mengawal sistem 4WD secara automatik. Ini mejadikan SUV kenderaan moden yang sukar dinafikan tahap praktikalnya.



Generasi baru SUV Mitsubishi Pajero sport tujuh tempat duduk telah dilancarkan oleh Mitsubishi Motor Malaysia baru-baru ini. Model-model ini sebelumnya agak popular dimana generasi dulu menggunakan untuk antiviti-aktiviti lasak sesuai dengan kerangkanya yang keras. Dibina berasaskan kerangka ladder, model baru SUV yang diperkenalkan oleh Mitsubishi ini bukan sahaja tampak menarik dari sudut luarannya, malah tahap keselesaannya cukup mengagumkan.


Diasaskan pada Mitsubishi L200 pickup atau triton, model pajero sport ini datang dengan lebih dinamik dan sporty. Model ini juga direka untuk 5 penumpang dan 7 penumpang. Pajero sport 5 penumpang dilancarkan di sesetengah negara seperti Rusia, Amerika latin negara timur tengah dan juga beberapa negara-negara ASEAN. Bagi negara-negara ini model ini dinamakan Montero Sport dan Challenger di Australia. Bagi pasaran UK pula ianya dinamakan “shogun”. Manakala kebanyakan negara Asia termasuk Malaysia didatangkan dengan model 7 tempat duduk. Pajero sport pasaran Malaysia dipadankan dengan kotak transmisi automatik INVECS-II empat kelajuan dengan ‘sport mode’ berkapasiti 2.5 liter diesel manakala pada pasaran luar pembeli boleh memilih kuasa enjin kapasiti 3.2 diesel ataupun 3.5 V6 petrol yang bakal menjanjikan kualiti pemanduan yang sempurna.

Pajero sport hadir dengan pakej yang sempurna. Bahagian dalamannya dipadankan dengan papan pemuka yang mewah bersama tuil gear, tombol kawalan pendingin hawa serta butang sistem audio yang tersusun rapi menampakkan ruang dalaman yang agak kemas. Ciri-ciri keselamatan dan kestabilan kenderaan ini juga dilengkapi dengan bar penstabil di kiri dan kanan body kenderaan dan suspensi pelbagai sambungan bersama pegas gegelung di bahagian roda belakang. Kenderaan ini juga dilengkapi dengan pelbagai sistem keselamatan aktif termasuk ABS dengan EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) SRS airbags dan juga tali pinggang keledar.



Mitsubishi Motor Malaysia mensasarkan sebanyak 500 unit dapat dijual pada penghujung tahun ini. Pajero Sport (CBU) ini dijual dengan harga RM 158,609.80 dan boleh dikatakan model SUV yang agak murah berbanding dengan model-model SUV yang lain. Dengan saingan terdekatnya (berdasarkan kerangka ladder) di pasaran, Pajero cuma perlu bertarung dengan Ford Escape dan Toyota Fortuner. Dan jika anda ingin membuat pilihan tentang harga, kualiti dan keutuhan jenama, pasti jawapannya sudah ada di depan mata!

Kalau ke Penang tak sah kalau tak makan nasi kandar dan ada bermacam macam pilihan yang ditawarkan. Ada yang terselit celah lorong, tercongok atas kereta sorong sebelah masjid, dalam kedai kopi Cina ataupun dalam kedai khas nasi kandar.


One of the more interesting nasi kandar is next to Masjid Kapitan Kling in little India. But you have to know that the 'Beratur' version starts business at 10pm. Go any earlier and you will get a different version.

The main draw of the nasi kandar is the 'beratur' part. I suspect that they deliberately slow down the serving to make sure that there is a line.

Four of us went there on a Sunday night and there was a queue of 10 so I grabbed a seat and ordered drinks while the three others took position in the line.