lifetime

(Video) “Ceramah Pun Kena Bergaya” - Ustaz Akhil Hayy

2009-06-07T22:43:00.000-07:00

BERCERAMAH dalam bangunan pakai cermin mata hitam. Itulah cerita yang disampaikan seorang teman kepada SS. Pada mulanya SS tidak ambil kisah, apa salahnya pakai cermin mata hitam.
Tapi kata teman itu, apa sebenarnya yang cuba disorokkan penceramah itu di sebalik cermin mata hitamnya. Itulah yang menariknya.

Katanya, hendak kata mata silau dari sinaran matahari, hari dah malam.

Kalau malam hari pakai cermin mata hitam, lagi orang cuak dan timbul tanda tanya. Tambah teman SS itu, dia memang tidak suka bercakap dengan orang yang pakai cermin mata hitam sebab tak boleh nampak matanya. Berbeza dengan dirinya, berpeluang meneroka seluruh tubuh orang di depannya.

Malu juga teman SS itu sebab katanya, memanglah dia tak seksi tetapi seramlah juga.

Katanya, daripada bercakap dengan orang macam itu, lebih baik cakap dengan dinding.

Apabila difikir-fikirkan kisah penceramah berstatus selebriti itu tadi, SS tak tahulah apa motif dia bercermin mata hitam. Tak tahulah pula SS kalau-kalau penceramah itu diserang sakit mata, tapi apa yang penting bibirnya lancar berkata-kata.

Maknanya, masalah mata tidak mengganggu tumpuannya pada topik dibincangkan. Bagaimanapun, menurut perkiraan SS, orang macam itu tidak yakin dengan dirinya dan mungkin juga tidak jujur. Jiran SS yang turut menyaksikan program itu di televisyen pun rasa tak seronok.

Buat penceramah itu, SS harap terima teguran ini dengan hati terbuka. Maklumlah, dirinya memang popular dan jadi bualan, apa dibuat memang serba tidak kena. Dari cara berpakaian, sampailah gaya rambut. Kalau lelaki, gaya misai dan janggut juga jadi bualan.

Apatah lagi kalau berceramah memberi nasihat atau motivasi kepada orang lain, sudah tentu pandangan mata itu penting. Apakah bimbang bertentang mata dengan penonton bukan muhrim ketika memberi ceramah? Tidak tahulah SS mungkin penceramah itu punya alasan tersendiri mengapa tampil begitu.

-http://www.ohbulan.com/ceramah-spek-hitam-ustaz-akhil-hayy/#more-4839

Tag: akhil hayy & spek hitam, akhil hayy ceramah spek hitam, diari akademi fantasia, Gossip Akhil Hayy, Gossip Akhil Hayy & Waheeda, spek hitam, Ustaz Akhil Hayy, waheeda menangis

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2009-06-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

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Saya tidak sayang lagi Tengku TT

2009-06-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

Bekas model terkenal Indonesia, Manohara Odelia Pinot berkata dia tidak lagi sayang kepada suaminya, Tengku Temenggong Kelantan, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra yang didakwa telah menderanya.

"Saya tidak sayang lagi kepada Tengku TT (Tengku Temenggung)," kata Manohara dalam siaran langsung di stesen TV Indonesia, RCTI tengahari tadi.

Selain Manohara, turut menyertai dalam siaran langsung itu ialah ibunya - Daisy Fajarina - dan Mohd Soberi Shafii - teman karib Tengku Temenggung Kelantan itu.

Mohd Soberi memberitahun Malaysiakini, Manohara menyuarakan perasaan itu sewaktu siaran langsung tersebut.

"Saya menyertai siaran langsung itu melalui telefon dari Kuala Lumpur," katanya.

Menurut Mohd Soberi manohara menyatakan dia tidak lagi sayangkan suaminya ketika menjawabnya mengapa dia membuat dakwaan didera oleh Tengku Temenggong Kelantan.

Selepas mengungkapkan kata-kata penuh emosi itu, Mohd Soberi berkata, beliau kemudiannya kepada Manohara:

"Apakah selama ini, tidak pernah sekali pun kamu sayang padanya (Muhammad Fakhry Petra)?

'Bapa kandung ingin jumpa'

"Bagaimanapun Manohara tidak menjawab soalan itu. Dia mendiam diri," katanya.

Mohd Soberi berkata, beliau juga meminta Manohara menjelaskan tindakannya menghebahkan di media dakwaan dia didera tanpa membuktikan terlebih dahulu.

"Manohara menjawab, dia mesti 'serve' (layan) media dahulu, yang banyak membantunya," kata Mohd Soberi.

Katanya, beliau juga memaklumkan kepada Manohara bahawa bapa kandungnya - George Mann - yang kini dipercayai sedang berada di Kanada, sedang mencarinya.

Menurutnya, mereka telah terpisah sejak 15 tahun lalu selepas George berpisah dengan ibu Manohara - Daisy Fajarina.

Bagaimanapun, kata Mohd Soberi, Manohara tidak menjawab, tetapi sebalik hanya mendiamkan diri.

-http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/105720

Titanic's last survivor: Milvina Dean, 97

2009-05-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

by Mary Rourke

Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the Titanic, the ocean-liner that sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, died today. She was 97.

She died at a nursing home near Southampton, England, the port where she and her family boarded the ship on its only voyage, according to Charles Haas, the president of the Titanic International Society. Her death came on the 98th anniversary of the launching of the Titanic on May 31, 1911.

"She was a remarkable, sparkling lady," Haas told the Los Angeles Times today. "She knew her place in history and was always willing to share her story with others, especially children. She was the last living link to the story."

Dean was about 8 weeks old when she and her family set sail, third class, on the luxury ocean liner on April 10, 1912. Five days later, she was among some 700 passengers and crew rescued off the coast of Newfoundland. She and her mother, Georgetta, 32, and her brother Bertram, 23 months old, were put into lifeboats.

Her father, Bertram, 27, stayed on board the ship and was among more than 1,500 passengers and crew members who went down with the Titanic.

The late Milvina Dean pictured above, AP. See the full story of the Titanic's last survivor at the Los Angeles Times Web-site and here in the Swamp:

She had no memory of the disaster, but at age 8 her mother told her what happened. "It was so awful for her that she never wanted to speak about it," Dean said of her mother in a 2002 interview with the Irish News. Georgetta Dean suffered severe headaches for years after the ship's sinking.

Before the family left England, Bertram and Georgetta Dean sold the pub they owned in London. They planned to sail to New York City and continue by land to Kansas City, Mo., where they were going to open a tobacco shop.

They did not expect to travel on the Titanic but had booked on another ship that was also owned by White Star. A national coal strike led to a cancellation, and they were offered a place on the Titanic as an alternative.

On their fourth night at sea, April 14, the family was awakened by a jolt when the ship sideswiped the iceberg that cut into the ship.

Bertram Dean went to see what was wrong and returned to tell his wife to dress the children warmly and take them to the lifeboat deck.

"I think it was my father who saved us," Dean said in 2002. "So many other people thought the Titanic would never sink, and they didn't bother. My father didn't take a chance."

Georgetta Dean took her children to live with her parents in their home near Southampton. Millvina and her brother were educated with help from a Titanic Relief Fund established in England for the surviving family members of victims of the wreck.

Dean attended secretarial school. During World War II, she moved to London and worked as a map maker for the British Army. She later returned to Southampton and was a secretary at an engineering firm. For many years, she lived in a house in nearby New Forest. She never married.

Born Elizabeth Gladys Dean on Feb. 12, 1912, she might easily have gone through life without telling anyone that she was a passenger on the Titanic. She ignored the books, movies, clubs, Web sites and submarine tours of the ship disaster after it was found in 1985, 12,500 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean.

Her anonymity ended in 1987 when she attended a memorial service in Southampton on the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. At the service she was invited to speak at a Titanic Historical Society convention in Boston the following year.

"Suddenly everyone knew my name," Dean later recalled. She became a frequent guest at Titanic-related events, she was interviewed on radio and television, and she was pelted with letters from inquirers.

In 1998, Dean finally completed the sea voyage from Southampton to New York City that she had set out to make 86 years earlier. She traveled on the Queen Elizabeth II, compliments of Michael Rudd, a Titanic enthusiast and travel agent in Missouri. "She hadn't been on a ship since 1912," Rudd said in a 2007 interview with the Times. "People crowded around her; they just wanted to touch her."

As part of that same trip, Dean went to Missouri to see the house where her parents planned to begin their new life, an experience she described as eerie.

She refused to watch "Titanic," the Academy Award-winning movie of 1997, even though she was invited to a screening with Prince Charles of England. "I'd wonder what my father was doing, what he did," she said, referring to the terrible last scenes of the film.

Dean kept up her Titanic engagements into her 90s, often with her "permanent escort," Bruno Nordmanis, to accompany her. They traveled together on the Queen Elizabeth II cruise.

Dean's mother died in 1975, at 95. Her brother died in 1992 on the 80th anniversary of the ship's sinking. He was 81.

Mary Rourke is a former L.A. Times staff writer. Times staff writer Jon Thurber contributed to this report.

Hakim: Nizar MB Perak yang sah

2009-05-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

kemaskini 7.35pm Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur mengumumkan Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin sebagai menteri besar sah Perak setelah digugurkan jawatan tersebut, awal Februari lalu.

Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi (Bahagian Rayuan dan Kuasa-kuasa Khas) Datuk Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim memutuskan bahawa Nizar tidak mengosongkan jawatannya itu kerana beliau tidak kehilangan kepercayaan majoriti anggota DUN.

Dalam kes ini, Abdul Aziz berkata tiada undi tidak percaya telah diusulkan terhadap Nizar, lapor Bernama.

"Bagaimana seseorang boleh mengatakan yang pemohon (Nizar) telah hilang kepercayaan majoriti mengikut Perkara 16(6) Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri Perak?"

"Berdasarkan amalan demokrasi, isu kehilangan kepercayaan majoriti hanya boleh diambil kira melalui undi tidak percaya terhadap pemohon (Nizar), hanya melalui cara ini menteri besar boleh disingkirkan," Abdul Aziz dipetik berkata dalam penghakiman bertulis yang disampaikannya pada 2.30 petang.

Pada 13 Februari lalu, Nizar memfailkan permohonan kepada mahkamah bagi diisytiharkan bahawa beliau pada sepanjang masa adalah menteri besar Perak yang sah, bukannya Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

Nizar, yang dilantik sebagai menteri besar pada 17 Mac tahun lepas, juga memohon pengisytiharan bahawa Zambry tidak berhak untuk memegang jawatan tersebut.

Abdul Aziz, dalam penghakimannya berkata seorang menteri besar tidak boleh dipecat oleh Sultan Perak atas alasan beliau tidak boleh memegang jawatan itu tanpa perkenan sultan.

Pemecatan menteri besar oleh Sultan Perak tidak disokong oleh Perkara 16(6) Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri Perak, katanya.

Dalam permohonan itu, wakil rakyat PAS itu mendakwa beliau masih menteri besar yang sah atas tiga alasan berikut:

(i) Tidak terdapat pembubaran DUN Perak;

(ii) Tidak terdapat usul tidak percaya diambil dan diterima pakai oleh DUN terhadapnya sebagai menteri besar Perak; dan

(iii) Tidak terdapat peletakan jawatan menteri besar Perak.

"Melalui kenyataan media pejabat Sultan pada 5 Februari 2009, Sultan bertitah tidak akan membubarkan DUN dan sekiranya saya serta ahli majlis mesyuarat negeri tidak meletakkan jawatan, jawatan kami akan dianggap kosong.

"Saya menegaskan bahawa walaupun terdapat usaha mengusir saya daripada jawatan menteri besar Perak, saya masih menteri besar dan masih menjalankan fungsi dan tugas dengan baik, cermat dan adil," katanya dalam afidavit, menyokong permohonan itu.

Mohamad Nizar juga memohon mahkamah mengeluarkan perintah supaya responden memberikan tunjuk sebab bagaimana dan di bawah dasar apa Zambry, sebagai responden, berhak memegang jawatannya sekarang.

Beliau mendakwa responden secara tidak sah mengambil dengan tiada hak dan merampas jawatan menteri besar, serta menjalankan tanggungjawab, fungsi dan tugas sebagai menteri besar secara tidak sah dan bercanggah dengan Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Perak.

Nizar juga memohon perintah injunksi bagi menghalang responden daripada melaksanakan tanggungjawab dan tugas-tugas menteri besar di negeri itu.
Baca berita penuh

-http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/104038

Foto mesra kerabat-model muncul

2009-04-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

Setelah seorang kerabat Kelantan didakwa mencederakan isterinya Manohara Odelia Pinot, bekas model muda Indonesia, kini tiba-tiba muncul foto-foto mesra pasangan diraja tersebut.

Koleksi foto-foto tersebut termasuk majlis rasmi wanita muda itu yang turut disertai suaminya di negeri berkenaan.

Selain blog yang aktif, muncul juga blog yang baru dibangunkan secara misteri untuk memuatkan foto-foto tersebut - kesemuanya tidak diketahui tarikh ia dirakam dan lokasinya.

Dalam Truth Appeared yang dibina 13 April lalu, satu siri foto menunjukkan Manohara Odelia sedang menikmati sajian bersama suaminya diterbitkan semalam.

Beliau yang berpakaian kemeja putih lengan panjang, berselendang kelabu kelihatan menyuapkan makanan di sebuah kafeteria.

Daripada empat keping gambar itu, kelihatan suaminya berkemeja T putih dengan hiasan nombor tiga di bahagian lengan duduk di sebelah kirinya.

Dengan judul 'Mangsa penculikan suami?', blog yang tidak dikenali itu menyebut:

"Inilah wajah terbaru, Manohara dan (nama tidak didedahkan - editor) (suami yang sah) setelah pulang dari umrah.

"Bagaimana mungkin dituduh penculik. Awas berita palsu dari Indonesia."

Dalam siaran pertamanya, Truth Appeared menerbitkan satu siri foto yang dianggap menunjukkan kemesraan pasangan tersebut, di samping kehadiran Manohara Odelia di satu majlis kemasyarakatan.

Ia juga memuatkan foto wanita itu sedang bersantai, dikatakan di Lojing, Kelantan.

Wanita kacukan Indonesia-Perancis itu kelihatan bersopan, manis dan bergaya seperti seorang kenamaan.

Beliau kelihatan selesa mengenakan selendang putih menutup kepalanya dan baju kurung merah jambu berjalur putih yang menyerlahkan lagi kejelitaannya.

Tidak kelihatan gambaran muram di wajahnya.

Manohara Odelia, 17 tahun, dilihat bersalaman dan berinteraksi dengan penduduk kampung dalam sebuah majlis rasmi.

Namun, fotonya yang diambil sewaktu sedang makan memperlihatkan tubuhnya agak gempal, walaupun berpakaian hitam.

Beliau dan kerabat diraja itu, 31 tahun, juga kelihatan seakan-akan berpegangan tangan.

Tidak kelihatan tetamu lain.

Terdapat juga gambar yang diambil di kawasan taman.

Foto tersebut menunjukkkan wanita itu berinteraksi dan berbual mesra dengan suaminya.

Mereka memakai pakaian yang sama dengan foto di kafeteria.

Manohara Odelia, bagaimanapun, tidak lagi mengenakan selendang kelabunya.

Turut dimuatkan gambar pasangan diraja itu tersenyum ketika melihat gambar daripada kamera digital dan sekeping lagi mereka sedang menghadiri sebuah majlis, kelihatan seperti sambutan ulang tahun.

Ibunya Daisy Fajarina dilaporkan berkata foto-foto tersebut koleksi lama.

"Itu kan foto-foto dokumentasi. Sudah lama," wanita itu dipetik akhbar Surya hari ini.

Manakala satu lagi blog yang dilaporkan memuatkan foto-foto tersebut tidak lagi memuatkan koleksi gambar pasangan diraja itu.

Foto-foto itu kini disebarkan secara lebih meluas di Indonesia dan Malaysia bersama dengan foto-foto lama Manohara Odelia, termasuk sewaktu beliau belum berkahwin, Ogos tahun lalu.

Sebuah laman web di Indonesia turut menyiarkan koleksi gambar Manohara Odelia menghadiri satu majlis rasmi, dipercayai anjuran Persatuan Isteri-isteri Wakil Rakyat dan Pegawai Kanan Kerajaan Kelantan (Purnama).

Riak mukanya kelihatan serius dalam pakaian dan tudung jingga.

Beliau juga bergambar bersama sekumpulan wanita pertengahan umur. Suaminya tidak kelihatan bersama.

Foto kad undangan ke majlis kesyukuran sempena meraikan perkahwinan pasangan diraja itu turut dimuatkan – suaminya lengkap berbaju Melayu dan bersongkok.

Gadis muda itu turut kelihatan bergambar di dalam sebuah pesawat. Foto ini juga dimuatkan dalam blog Kelantan Palace, yang melemparkan beberapa tuduhan liar terhadap istana, termasuk berhubung perkahwinan Manohara Odelia.

Sementara seorang pemimpin Umno, Mohd Soberi Shafii berkata beliau terkejut dengan berita dari media Indonesia yang memburukkan kerabat tersebut.

Bekas petugas di ibu pejabat Umno mendakwa beliau bersama dengan kerabat itu dan Manohara Odelia dalam sebuah kenderaan dalam perjalanan pulang bercuti dari Bukit Fraser, Pahang sewaktu mendengar berita tersebut seperti dimuatkan Malaysiakini semalam.

Mohd Soberi juga memuatkan sekeping foto - tidak pasti sama ada gambar itu rakaman terbaru sewaktu sedang bercuti.

Percubaan menghubungi beliau bagaimanapun tidak berhasil.

Usaha mendapatkan reaksi istana Kelantan setakat ini gagal.

Sewaktu dihubungi, seorang kakitangan istana berkata pada kebiasaannya, kenyataan akhbar akan diberikan apabila Sultan mengeluarkan titah baginda.

Memetik sumber akhbar berpangkalan di Surabaya, Malaysiakini melaporkan wanita itu didakwa dilarikan oleh kerabat tersebut selepas mengerjakan umrah.

Dalam akhbar yang sama, Daisy juga mendakwa anaknya pernah dilukakan di bahagian dada.

Akhbar sama hari ini melaporkan istana Kelantan masih berdiam diri dengan dakwaan tersebut.

"Pihak istana bilang tidak mau memberi jawapan," duta besar republik itu di Kuala Lumpur, Dai Bachtiar dilaporkan memaklumkan kepada Daisy setelah wanita itu cuba melalui saluran diplomatik.

Daisy akan membuat aduan tentang nasib anaknya kepada suruhanjaya hak asasi Indonesia, esok.

-malaysiakini.com

Life Versus Lifestyle

2008-08-21T02:46:00.000-07:00

There is a difference but what constitutes a life and what constitutes a lifestyle is pretty ambiguous. One thing that seems pretty clear to me is the lifestyle is observable while a life can have many internal aspects to it. A lifestyle can include people, material things, environments, how we spend our time, energy, and money. A life includes things like our beliefs, our values, our commitments, our soul’s dream, and our vision. If you choose a lifestyle first you could wind up with an empty fortress. If you choose the life first, you will design your lifestyle to support the life.

Since most of us already have a lifestyle, and a default life, we usually have to do some redesign work. Choose a life and then redesign our lifestyle. It is possible that the lifestyle you currently have will never support the life you truly want to live. It is possible the lifestyle you currently have has many supporting structures and only minor renovations need to occur. It is possible that you are a highly intuitive person and your lifestyle is in perfect alignment. I know very few people who fall into that category. My dad does but what I notice about him, is he and my mother made a conscious decision to structure their lives around their spiritual values. They made that decision early in their marriage and lived true to it. Now it’s interesting that my parents are actually old enough to be my grandparents, (my mother is no long living) and I noticed that many earlier generations were not given to having transformational conversations so learning was a very different process then than it is now. The fact that we have e-courses and teleclasses and magazines and tons of books that are created to help people learn to live more meaningful and personally fulfilling lives represents a shift from how things use to be.

As we evolve we begin to look at various aspects of our lives for congruence to our values and commitments. The disparity shows up with exclamation marks behind them and sometimes our response is discouragement and self-disappointment. We act as if we should have known better when the truth is how could we have known better? So the first thing to get over is “I didn’t know” and then after we get over that we come to “but I know now…now what?” It takes a courageous person to see this and then set their intentions on bringing integrity into their life so that their lifestyle gives them a life that serves their higher self. You will notice some people trying to work around it, pretending it doesn’t matter that their lifestyles don’t measure up to their core values.

The real problem is once you see the inconsistency, not doing anything actually makes things worse and you lose ground really fast. It cost you big time to keep that inconsistency in place. You can’t be with yourself and be at peace in your life. It wears you down like water will wear down a mountain over time. Your life will devolve instead of evolve. If that is not a price that’s too high to pay, I don’t know what is. Just think about it and choose wisely the path you will follow.

Robin Harris is a DesignerLife Coach whose focus is to empower self-motivated entrepreneurs and individuals to achieve their greatest potential while discovering and honoring their core values. Contact Robin through her web site http://www.designerlifecoaching.com or by email at robin@designerlifecoaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_Harris

How Loud is Your I - Nauseating Selfishness, Self Absorbed, Self Exalting

2008-08-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

How loud is your I
Yes, that's a question?
In other words, how loud
Do you defend yourself?
How loud do you uplift self?
How loud and long do you
Assert and exert yourself
In an effort to lord yourself
Over others, sisters, and brothers?
Acquaintances, any and all people
Within close proximity of proud you
Coercing, telling people what to do
Pushing, shoving, and rarely loving
Faintly yielding, never simply letting
People be happy, nor live authentically
On the contrary, do you seek to control?
Dictate your will and contaminate the soul?
If so, then you and the devil has often stole
Time, talents, energy, resources, and life
From precious people created in God's image
Brutal and belligerent, you're marred visage
Insecure and ignanimous bearing reproach
As you try to live with yourself and cope
Playing superior and pontificating royally
It is you my dear who are actually the dope
Perhaps you need to cleanse your heart
Also your abrasive mouth with some soap
Reckon your impolite attitude perilous
Warm others and harness yourself before
You try to intrude, invade, and collude
To usurp authority to make decisions
For others for whom you truly have no say
Arrogant one your stubborness is in the way
Just die to your pride, ego, and almighty I
Cut the emotional attachment and tendency
Tendency to continually control and maneuver
This habitual manner smells like the worst maneur
What a foul odor it emits. Can't you just kindly quit!
Bug off and stop being a nuisance and foul pest
Live and love unconditionally, accepting the rest
Get out of the way and let life occur spontaneously
Give others grace and liberty to live their life freely.

--http://www.PaulFDavis.com

The Best Way To Carry Live Worms While Fishing

2008-07-28T22:46:00.001-07:00

Do you fish with live worms? How do you transfer them from fishing spot to fishing spot? If you're a sedentary angler who doesn't move around much while fishing, this isn't a problem, but if you're like me and move from place to place, crossing the river as you fish, transporting live worms can be an issue. Just stuffing the container that live worms are purchased in, into your pocket or fishing vest simply doesn't cut it. The container ends up smashed, and the next thing you know there are loose worms all over the place.

The answer to this problem is amazingly simple. It's called a bait bag. You can make a bait bag yourself or purchase one it makes little difference, what's important is that you begin using one sooner, rather than later. A bait bag hangs off of your fishing vest, shirt, or belts and carries your live worms while fishing. The concept is as simple as it gets, and once you use one, you'll wonder how you ever fished without it.

Many anglers think that live worms will crawl out of the bait bag, but this isn't the case. They simply sit there, waiting to be used as bait. It's truly a beautiful thing. As I said, if you move around while fishing and fish with live worms, a bait bag should be employed. The convenience and amount of time you'll gain with your line in the water (where it should be) will amaze you. A bait bag is the most practical and convenient fishing accessory since the cooler in my opinion.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of http://www.JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana!

The Original Bait Bag: http://www.jrwfishing.com/bait_pouch.asp

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Kugler

The Person Of The Year Is You

2008-07-27T02:10:00.000-07:00

You can do it, (we can help!) Half the year has passed, and it is time to look back and see if it is valid.

After the senseless incident at VTech, and the Benoit deaths, one begins to have second thoughts. The person of the year is You, if only in context with the rest of the world. You can only live in co-ordination, cohesion and co-relation with the people around you to qualify as the person of the year, this year and every year, in your life and those of the people who matter to you and to whom you mean something.

People matter. Your family, your friends, your neighbors, co-workers, teachers, students, classmates, everyone matters. You cannot live alone, whether physically or in spirit. You cannot isolate yourself physically and mentally if you wish to make an impact on others or benefit from the impact that others make on you.

Nor can you have the world, your world, revolve around you. You matter to others just as you do to yourself.

One has to make sure that we matter to others more than what they matter to us, because, “the only one person who will be with you all your life is YOURSELF”. Others will come and go, and you will live on. If you pass on, you live on only if you have mattered to others, otherwise it doesn’t matter.

A self taught artist, Medha Karandikar views and observes the things, people and happenings around her and pens her thoughts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Medha_Karandikar

Because You Have Only One Life

2008-07-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

Everyday we hear too many different advices, regarding how to live our lives and those advices seem to be endless, and most of all; are those advices leading us to the right ways? To me, no advice can lead us better than we advise ourselves. And I have only one slogan for you to lead your life to the fullest: "Because You Have Only One Life."

Everyday, the world has made us think life seems to be shorter and shorter, and a wrong decision seems to be very hard to be rectified back to the right track. Because of these social factors, we must live our daily lives to the fullest, and to live our daily lives to the fullest, it also means that we must prepare our future to the fullest as well. So what does it mean to live our daily lives to the fullest?

For the students, you must walk all the ways and sacrifice nonacademic activities, in order to get the most from your professors, library, peers and other knowledge-sharing facilities. Professional businessperson shall break any barrier, challenge any hardship, and sacrifice any non-business time-spending for reaching your business goal. It is all the same for other professional and non-professional workers and manual laborers, "because you have only one life", you must strive your best everyday; get the most out of your daily work/studies and spend your time in the most beneficial way, in order to live your lives to the fullest, to reach your goal, not to make a wrong decision, not to waste any time, and most of all; to live to the fullest as you deserve.

Vicheka Lay is the Translator and Legal Information Officer for DFDL Mekong Law Group, Freelance Translator for Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong, and LL.M Candidate. He is also a member of the Legal Writing Institute, a legal analysis institution, based in Mercer University, the United States of America.

Any question about Cambodian laws, business, politics, and state of affairs? Email me: vichekalay@yahoo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vicheka_Lay

Internet Marketing Is A Lifestyle

2008-07-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

My Internet Marketing Business is not just a business, it's a lifestyle.

Are you employed by a company?

They decided what days you will work. They decide what hours you will work and how much vacation time you will have each year. The employer dictates your life.

Do you own a brick and mortar business?

You have to be there certain days and you have to be open at a given time each morning, If you want to or not. Even if there is no business you have to remain until a given hour each day. Your business dictates your life.

If you decide you want to move to another location, that decision is limited by where you are employed or where your business is located. You can only commute so far before it is no longer practical. Your options are to quit your job, sell your business, or live within the area dictated by driving time to your job or business. The business dictates your life.

I have an Internet Marketing Business and my Lifestyle dictates my business.

My lifestyle determines when I will work at my Internet Marketing Business, what days I work, what hours I work. When I start work and when I am finished for the day.

I am free to choose where I live. If I decide I no longer want to live in one State, I would prefer to live in another State, I can move. My Internet Marketing Business moves with me. My lifestyle determines my Business.

I wake up on Wednesday and the weather is warm and sunny, a great day to go to the lake, I can go. My lifestyle determines my business.

If I want to take an extra week off because I have been working long hours, I can take it without having to ask permission. My lifestyle determines my Business.

If my family wants to go some place special this year and spend extra time, I do not have to say no because I need to get back to work. I just plug my laptop into the phone line and stay a little longer. My lifestyle determines my Business.

I work long hours and I work a lot of days each year. I am a hard boss to work for and very demanding. Yet my lifestyle demands a lot of freedom and my lifestyle determines my Business.

What I do not understand is how I survived and enjoyed life before my Internet Business.

I love this Lifestyle.

For more helpful Affiliate Marketing Success Tips and Techniques, click here now! Author: Dayle Medley

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dayle_Medley

How To Keep Women Wanting More From You - Make Them Chase You Down And Beg For Dates

2008-07-16T23:27:00.001-07:00

Everyone man wants to become someone women love and run after. Every male has a dream of becoming the ultimate girl magnet and being the center of attraction. But the biggest key to being someone women simply can't resist is still unknown to most males. The one's who know this secret get women chasing them like crazy. Read on to discover how you can make women want more and more from you and achieve earth shattering results.

Live in your own world- Do you know why some men always end up getting rejected no matter how hard they try? Well it is simply due to the fact that they are too easily available and in some cases they are just simply too clingy. Learn to live in your own world above the rest and let girls come to you instead of going to them.

Keep them on their toes- Be someone who is simply not easy to deal with and make them work to approach you. You see the more you make them work the more they would want you. Become someone who is simply not too easy to deal with and don't give them too much time of your day.

Let the phone ring- This is one of the best ways to make them want more and more from you. You see most guys tend to pick up a girls phone instantly or answer her text back within minutes after receiving it. Make sure you don't pick their phone up instantly and never answer their text messages instantly either. This normally leaves them thinking about whether you are going to reply or not thereby giving you the upper hand.

Pretend as if you can live without them- Women can't stand needy men and in order to make them want more and more from you all you need to do is to pretend as if you can live without them even when you can't. You see women tend to go for the one who are not needy and are rare to find.

What you don't know yet- Ever tried to wonder what's in a woman's mind? What is she thinking about? Do you know that women do not always mean what they say? They might say something and mean the exact opposite. But what do women actually want? Do you know there are some secrets women don't want men to know but men absolutely must know these secrets in order to succeed with women? Read on to discover some of the most "Shocking Secrets" women don't want men to know- 9 Most Shocking Secrets Women don't want men to know

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pushpa_Pal_Singh

Recycled Wood - For a Greener Environment

2008-07-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Recycling, a process of converting scrap into reusable form has been term long associated with electronic, chemical, glass and textile items but recently. Recycled wood is the latest popular word among the responsible citizens who care for the environment and the future. The concept of recycled wood is becoming popular because of its environment friendly aspect. Apparently, reusing wood will lessen the demand for green wood and thereby save a lot of trees.

So how is the wood recycled? Mostly demolishers of old buildings and bridges carefully strip out the wood used in the structures before demolition. This salvaged wood is sold to the merchants, who then re-mill the wood by manually scanning it with a metal detector. This allows them to denial the entire piece of wood. This recycled wood or recycled timber is then often sold to the consumer as recycled flooring, beams and decking.

However, the use of recycled wood doesn't only stay limited to the construction aspect of a human living. Recycled wood furniture is becoming quite popular among the homemakers these days. Not only because the Recycled Furniture is environment friendly, but also because it is rather affordable. People are fast doing away with the stigma of second hand stores and looking towards recycled furniture for home decorations. To suit their personalities, they get the furniture coated with trendy colors.

Another use of recycled wood comes across when you plan to pick up windows for your home. Though glass windows cannot be recycled commercially, people are using recycled windows to build up complete news structures in their backyard. A greenhouse or a sun house made from recycled windows can not only give a new dimension to your home but also save a large part of your budget, you thought of spending on new construction materials.

With the increase in consciousness among the consumers, the producers are also gradually becoming innovative in the use of recycled wood. Woods are now not only recycled but are made water resistant, termite resistant before they are sent in to the market. Home decorators are now suggesting use of recycled wood in making balconies, court yards and garden paving.

Before purchasing the wood, you can always ask the supplier about the origin of the wood. Some suppliers may fail to answer the proper source from where the wood came from; in that case you can consider a different supplier. Breathing becomes much easier in your home when you know that you have saved a tree and contributed towards building a greener environment for the future generation.

Smit Mathur is an expert for writing Articles and is currently working for Heritagebuilding. For more information related to recycled wood, recycled flooring, recycled furniture, stained glass supplies please visit: http://www.heritagebuilding.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Smit_Mathur

Issuance Of Life Settlement Policy

2008-07-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

Life settlement is a sale transaction takes place in life insurance policy, where the policy holder is responsible for the cash payment received from the sale of life settlement policy. The person who posses the life settlement policy, obtains all benefits and premium payments at the time of policy maturation. The life settlement policy is offered by the life insurance company to the third party. Life settlement is financial transaction, where the policy holder holding life insurance policy sells the policy for a price more than its purchase. At the time of maturation, life settlement policy provides all benefits and premiums to the person who posses the policy.

In life settlement policy, cash payment is obtained comparably larger than the cash surrender value of the policy. Nowadays, life settlement becomes the important and essential for the self development and easy accessibility in the market for considerably fair value. Life settlement policy works well among the people. In life settlement, more number of transactions occurs between more number of buyers and sellers. Life settlement involves more number of buyers and sellers and it serves the purpose. Life settlement ensures the functionality and responsibility of different persons involved in the sale transaction. Life settlement is a specialized function and it enforces the responsibility of person involved.

The policy holder of life settlement policy will be over the age of 65 and who no longer needs any particular life insurance policy in his life. Generally, it should be known that the life settlement i.e. the policy holder should have life expectancy in their life. Life settlement policy is framed as per the rules and regulations of the state, where the life settlement policy issued. The rules, restrictions and responsibility of life settlement policy differ as per the states and statutes. Depending upon the life expectations of the policy, the sale of life settlement policy can be determined. Life settlement policy is issued in different types based on the demands of the customer.

Life settlement policy satisfies the demand and requirement of the policy holder with regards to the statutes and ordinance of the state. Since life settlement transactions are based in financial assessment, most of the life insurance company issues it to the holder under legal advice. There are more people involved in life settlement policy and particularly the life settlement provider serves as a purchaser in the transaction by paying cash more than the surrender value. Life settlement policy is issued by the best life insurance company with compliance to the laws and satisfies the demands of the policy holders. Therefore life settlement policy serves its purpose.

Ron victor is an expert author for Life settlements and viatical settlements. He written many articles like senior life insurance policy settlements and life settlement cases. For more information visit our site. Contact me at ron.seocopywriter@gmail.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Victor

Ford U.S. sales plunge 28 percent

2008-07-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Tuesday U.S. sales fell 28 percent in June on an unadjusted basis, driven by steep declines in sales of trucks and SUVs under rising gasoline prices.

Sales dropped to 174,091 vehicles in June from 242,029 vehicles a year earlier, including all the automaker's brands, Ford said.

Ford shares fell more than 7 percent lower after the release of the monthly sales figures.

In the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands in June, car sales declined 12.1 percent, crossover sales were off 17.8 percent, SUV sales sank 54.7 percent and truck and van sales sagged 37.8 percent, Ford said.

Sales of Ford's F-Series trucks fell 40.5 percent to 38,789. There were 24 selling days in June, compared with 27 days a year earlier.

Ford, which has cut its production plans and capacity overall and increased production of cars and crossovers where demand is rising, said sales fell about 14.3 percent in the first half of 2008 to about 1.16 million vehicles.

"Consumer fundamentals and consumer confidence deteriorated as the first half unfolded," Jim Farley, Ford's head of marketing, said in a statement. "The economy enters the second half of the year with a notable absence of momentum and a high degree of uncertainty."

The automaker, which recently had discussions with representatives of billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, has warned about its 2008 results and abandoned a longstanding goal of returning to a profit in 2009.

Kerkorian holds a 6.5 percent stake in Ford and has expressed interest in providing additional support, if necessary, for the automaker to complete its restructuring plans.

Ford shares were down 35 cents, or 7.3 percent, at $4.46 on the New York Stock Exchange after reaching a 52-week low.

(Reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Brian Moss and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Is "Green" Just a Fad?

2008-06-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

Going "green" is nothing new. Long before the recent trends people have been trying to use healthier alternatives to toxin latent products for decades. In fact I have been using "green" products for most of my life. My question is very simple.

Is going Green just a fad or is it really the right thing to do?
Whether or not you have concerns of Global Warming or Green House Gases I believe that using environmentally friendly products (not just house hold cleaners) is the right thing to do, always.
Below are just of the few statistics I have rounded up. Some are very shocking.

The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.

About 110 million Americans live in areas with levels of air pollutants the federal government considers to be harmful.

Americans dump 16 tons of sewage into their waters--every minute of every day.
Although water covers two-thirds of the surface of the Earth, all the fresh water in lakes, streams, and rivers represents only one-hundredth of the Earth's total water.
Each year, 1 million sea birds, 100,000 marine mammals, and 50,000 fur seals are killed as the result of eating or being strangled in plastic.

Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every year, and 2.5 million plastic beverage bottles every hour.
Americans throw away about 40 billion soft drink cans and bottles every year. Placed end to end, they would reach to the moon and back nearly 20 times.

Eighty-four percent of a typical household's waste--including food scraps, yard waste, paper, cardboard, cans, and bottles--can be recycled.
Using recycled paper for one print run of the Sunday edition of the New York Times would save 75,000 trees.

If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees a year.
Each year, 40 million acres of tropical rain forests--an area larger than the state of California--are destroyed through logging or burning.

Only 10 percent of the 35,000 pesticides introduced since 1945 have been tested for their effects on people.

With so many options for "Going Green" today and many of those products are so economical there really is no reason not to try. Go and find anything and make a difference. I be live that the small act of scouring the sink can be apart of the giant act of saving the world.

Todd Hansonhttp://www.liveyoungernow.com
Discover How Green You Can Be

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Hanson

Be Wary of Green Washing

2008-06-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Products on market today that claim to be recycled or have recycled content in them may not be true. Because there are not any regulations in place about recycled content, it's often confusing and misleading to consumers. By distinguishing the difference between what Post Consumer Waste and Post Industrial Waste, Consumers can make more educated decisions on the products that they purchase.

Post-Consumer Waste can be defined as paper that has already been used and returned through a recycling program, and keeping it out of the landfill. This process usually involves removing the inks from these materials and then processed to make new paper or board. Office paper waste makes up the majority of post-consumer waste content that is used to make recycled copy and printing papers.

Pre-Consumer or Post Industrial Waste can be materials that have not met their intended end-use by a consumer and include allowable waste left over from manufacturing, converting, and printing processes. Examples: mill-converting scraps or trim to pulp substitutes.

Some products claim to have recycled content by using mill broke (trim and bi-product removed during production) and low or no Post Consumer Content. Read the fine print! As a nation, we create a lot of post consumer waste that should be converted into new materials. Rebinder is made from a minimum of 35-38% Post Consumer Recycled Waste.

There are some binders on the market claiming to be made from "Recycled Vinyl". Vinyl is not recyclable unless you are using left over bi-product from producing vinyl binders! It's great that they are reusing the waste that they produce, but don't be confused with the idea that people are recycling their used recycled binders.

Another binder manufacturer on the market, claims that their product is "PVC Free" and "100% Recyclable". The ring metals are riveted into the plastic. If you can find some way to disassemble this binder, just try recycling one of these binders at your curbside one week. Your curbside recycling pick up will not take it!

Why buy a product that is not recycled or cannot be recycled? We are confident that you will find our recycled binder product to be as durable as a vinyl binder. Replacing your cover with a new one is cost effective and easy to do.

Protect Your Documents While Protecting Your Environment! REBINDER

http://www.sustainablegroup.net

Recycling Center

2008-06-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

In order to preserve the environment for future generations and to ensure good health for all, recycling has become the need of the day. The act of processing used or abandoned materials and creating new goods out of it is called recycling. Many everyday goods can be recycled, including automotive equipment, batteries, construction equipment, electronics, glass, metal, paper, organics, plastic, and paint products.

There are recycling centers all across the country where citizens can deposit their unwanted waste. In order to encourage citizens to recycle, many communities have curbside recycling services. People have to separate their waste and the local authorities will, on specified days, pick goods from the curbside. There are even some recycling centers that pay you for dropping off recyclable goods.

People need to be told which kind of material can be recycled and where it can be dropped off. Batteries, for example, leak toxic material into the soil. It’s cheaper in the long run to buy rechargeable ones. Watch and calculator batteries can be taken to a jeweler for recycling. Old car batteries should be taken to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Center where they’ll be recycled. Unused or out of date medicines should not be junked at home. Take them to your local chemist where they will dispose of them safely for you.

Old books, tapes, records, CDs, videos, games should be taken to the local second-hand music or charity shop where they’ll be donated or re-sold for charity.

Plastic is expensive to recycle and takes 500 years to biodegrade. There are however, a number of neighborhood recycling centers to which you can take your plastic bottles. Some stores collect plastic bags for recycling. Most Neighborhood Recycling Centers have paper banks and glass banks.

Some cities have started schemes to impart 'ownership' of a recycling center to the local community in which it is located. Through this they hope to reduce problems of vandalism and increase the weight of waste paper, glass and cans collected for recycling.

Ross_Bainbridge

What's So Great About Recycling?

2008-06-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Recycling is integral to living a ‘greener’ life, but many people don’t really understand the environmental benefits of separating their rubbish for this purpose. Whilst it is perhaps clear that the less we recycle the more landfill space we use, the other environmental plus points of recycling are less widely appreciated. And there are many plus points, all of which add up to recycling being a crucial activity in combating climate change.

The reduction of landfill is certainly important, with space running out and landfill gases contributing themselves to global warming. But in addition to this are a number of other very good reasons for not simply discarding everything we use. In terms of raw materials, recycling reduces the consumption of these, which can have a very positive environmental impact. Use of materials such as wood is causing serious environmental issues, so recycling paper products is an easy way to reduce this requirement. In addition, the energy expended in making products from ‘virgin’ materials is offer much greater than using recycled materials. For example, each tonne of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 4000KW of energy and 7000 gallons of water! And similar savings apply for other materials. Recycling one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes, whilst recycling two glass bottles saves enough to boil water for five cups of tea.

There are also added economic benefits of recycling. The recycling industry creates jobs when compared to landfilling rubbish, and income generated from selling second hand, and therefore recycled, products is vital for many charitable organisations.

So recycling is important, but is it easy? Well it is certainly getting easier as more and more rubbish is collected by local authorities in the UK for recycling. In addition, recycling centres are available in many communities for those items which would otherwise be destined for landfill sites. For other items, charity shops, online auction sites and car boot sales are a few of the options open to us, often making us money in the process.

Recycling has many benefits, not least those of an environmental nature. And with global warming reaching crisis point, every little helps.

Hayley_Jones

Wanted

2008-06-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

A Universal release, presented with Spyglass Entertainment in association with Relativity Media, of a Marc Platt/Kickstart production, in association with Top Cow. Produced by Platt, Jim Lemley, Jason Netter, Iain Smith. Executive producers, Adam Siegel, Marc Silvestri, Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber. Co-producers, Mark Millar, J.G. Jones, Chris Carlisle, Sally French, Jared LeBoff. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Screenplay, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Chris Morgan; story, Brandt, Haas, based on the series of comicstrips by Mark Millar, J.G. Jones.

"Wanted" devilishly ups the ante to a new level in adapting violent graphic comics to the bigscreen. By confidently grafting nastily creative, high-tech new ways to kill people onto traditional dramatic themes involving professional assassins and family revenge, Kazakhstan-born Timur Bekmambetov assures himself the distinction of becoming the first modern director to emerge from Russia to carve a high profile in Hollywood. Relentless, in-your-face action and a classy cast led by a beefed-up James McAvoy and a heavily tatted Angelina Jolie combine to promise powerful B.O. prospects worldwide for Universal.

As the man responsible for the two highest-grossing films in Russian history, "Night Watch" and its sequel "Day Watch," Bekmambetov, a helmer with muscular visual skills akin to those of top commercials directors, was a good bet to supply the desired edge and a distinctive flavor to this type of genre fare. Often fruitfully and sometimes gratuitously, he gooses every shot with some extra jolt or manipulation, be it an abrupt change in camera speed, skip-framing, odd pulsation or just good, old-fashioned rack focus. He can even use the leading character's accelerated metabolism as a plausible excuse to create a visual correlative in the film's often breathless rhythms.

Like it or not, "Wanted" pretty much slams you to the back of your chair from the outset and scarcely lets up for the duration.

Opening action sequence provides a pretty good indication of what's in store in this adaptation of the popular cult comics created by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones: After deftly avoiding assassination in his office in a Chicago skyscraper, the formidable-looking Mr. X (David Patrick O'Hara) leaps through glass and across the void to the roof of the building across the way, only to finally lose a gun battle fought with bullets that follow curved trajectories when fired by shooters who know what they're doing.

Next day, put-upon account manager Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) is abruptly informed by a mysterious woman (Jolie) standing in a supermarket line that his father, one of the all-time great assassins, died yesterday. Suddenly, this woman, whose name aptly happens to be Fox, is in a firefight with Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), the man who killed dear old dad -- a duel that continues in insanely speeding vehicles on the Chitown streets. That's two hyperventilated action sequences in the first 25 minutes.

Fox takes Wesley to the fortress-like headquarters of the Fraternity, where a nattily attired Morgan Freeman, as the org's boss, Sloan, explains how the 1,000-year-old institution takes it upon itself to eliminate people who are fated to die for reasons dictated by hidden patterns in textiles woven at the factory. Learning that this is as good a reason as any to bump off people he doesn't know, Wesley undergoes training -- repeatedly getting the living crap beaten out of him by menacing guys with names like the Repairman, the Butcher and the Exterminator -- in brutally sadistic interludes designed to make the wimpy loser tough enough to take on the rogue former Fraternity brother Cross.

Once he's graduated by perfecting the art of the bending bullet, Wesley achieves his rite of passage to ultimate manhood -- defined as being able to kill without hesitation or remorse. Wesley's transformation, from one-time pushover to indestructible powerhouse, is not unlike that of any number of Marvel heroes,although the context and implications here are much darker than in the worlds of Spider-Man and his brethren.

Desperate to go toe-to-toe with Cross, Wesley heads to Europe and the birthplace of the Fraternity, where, under duress, its monkish leader (Terence Stamp) arranges a rendezvous aboard a train. This spectacularly outlandish action sequence, which parallels multiple earlier scenes of Wesley and Fox training on top of Chicago's El, would seem designed to cap things off. But as concocted by scripters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (who collaborated on "3:10 to Yuma" and "2 Fast 2 Furious") and Chris Morgan ("The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift"), there are multiple betrayals, avenged misdeeds and literal mind-blowing still to come in a film that never lets up.

The diminutive McAvoy might have seemed an unexpected choice for this sort of kickass role, but the always inventive thesp proves he's got a bit of Russell Crowe in him as he brandishes an impressive amount of muscle, grit and anger. He may be one of those rare actors who can do just about anything. Fox is a perfect role for Jolie, a sort of fancified extension of her Mrs. Smith that allows her to be a tough babe and also gently send up the caricature. While intoning the dialogue with his usual elan, Freeman gets to be nastier than usual as the big boss in charge of all the secrets. Most of the supporting thesps register strongly on the basis of being memorable physical types.

Bekmambetov's Russian films showed he knows how to achieve the visceral effects he wants, and the vastly greater means at his disposal here provide him with the tools to supercharge his work; he will have his pick of projects now. He and his highly pro team of lenser Mitchell Amundsen, production designer John Myhre, editor David Brenner and myriad hands in the effects, makeup, stunt, location and other departments manage a consistent blend of live-action with computer effects, and Prague studio work with Chicago and New York street shooting. As if the picture needed it, Danny Elfman's score provides additional propulsion.

Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen), Mitchell Amundsen; editor, David Brenner; music, Danny Elfman; music supervisor, Kathy Nelson; production designer, John Myhre; supervising art director, Tomas Voth; art directors, Patrick Sullivan, David Baxa, Martin Vackar; set designers, Katerina Koutska, David Vondrasek, Frantisek Weber, Steven Saylor, Allan Fleischman; set decorator, Richard Roberts; costume designer, Varya Avdyushko; sound (DTS/SDDS/Dolby Digital), Petr Forejt; supervising sound editor, Wylie Stateman; re-recording mixers, Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montano; visual effects supervisors, Stefen Fangmeier, Jon Farhat; visual effects, Bazelevs, Framestore CFC, Hammerhead Prods.; special effects supervisor, Dominic Tuohy; stunt coordinators, Mic Rodgers, Nick Gillard, Martin Hub, Rick Lefevour; fight coordinator, C.C. Smiff; assistant director, Luc Etienne; second unit director, Dmitry Kiselev; second unit camera, Tim Wooster; New York unit camera, John Toll; casting, Mindy Marin. Reviewed at Mann Chinese 6, Los Angeles, June 18, 2008. (In Los Angeles Film Festival -- Galas, opener.) MPAA Rating: R. Running time 110 MIN.

Why Men Give Women Chocolate?

2008-06-22T05:20:00.000-07:00

For generations men have been giving women chocolate to show their affection for them. Chocolate makers love to see Birthdays, Christmas and Valentines Day come around. They know that it's money in their pockets. It's as common a gift as flowers and diamonds when a man wants to apologize or make up for something. But what is it about chocolate that's made it the symbol of love? Is it more than just a modern marketing ploy?

One chemical in chocolate is phenethylamine. It acts like a antidepressant and makes us feel good. Another chemical in chocolate is anadamine. It also contributes to feelings of well being and euphoria. These chemicals encourage the brain to produce serotonin which encourages feelings of well being. These chemicals combine to give women many of the same feelings as being in love. So you can see why men are so keen to give it as a present!

Research shows that the chocolate melting in your mouth causes an increase in your brain activity and in your heart rate. The chocolate increases these even more than hot and heavy kissing does.

This phenethylamine has the same affects as a sexual stimulant. Women who eat chocolate have been found to have more interest in sex. They have higher levels of desire and arousal. They also reported greater satisfaction.

Chocolate makes women feel better, helps relieve stress, helps get them in a romantic mood and results in greater pleasure and satisfaction. Why would any man not want to give chocolate to the woman heís in a relationship with or cares about?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Antony_Gardner

Health Benefits of Chocolate

2008-06-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of talk lately about the health benefits found in chocolate. New research is coming out talking about its positive effects regarding lowering blood pressure, regulating insulin levels in diabetics, helping pregnant women, dental health, cardiovascular, sleeplessness. The list goes on.

Before you go on a chocolate binge at your local grocery store, keep this in mind. All Chocolate is Not Created Equal!

Most candy bars and chocolate foods commonly found in grocery stores are not what you're looking for. These are typically high in refined (white) sugar, milk fats, and hydrogenated oils-ingredients that replace the truly healthful nutrients found in cocoa. It is basically Junk Food, and should be eaten in moderation.

Healthy Chocolate is totally different than store bought chocolate.

The true healthy chocolate products combine the antioxidant benefits of the finest, all-natural European cocoa powder and the Acai berry (Ah-Sigh-EE) from the Amazon Rain Forest. Healthy Chocolate is the perfect delivery system for the potent antioxidants in dark chocolate. The processed chocolate found in candy is laden with fat, wax, fillers, and sugar (not to mention that processing chocolate actually kills about 75% of its antioxidant capacity). Healthy chocolates contain completely natural, UNPROCESSED chocolate which retains 100% of its antioxidant and nutritional value!

With 10 times the antioxidants of grapes and over 7 times the antioxidants of blueberries, the Brazilian Acai berry (AH-sigh-EE) is considered to have the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth.

Healthy Chocolate vs. "Candy" Chocolate

The following list compares the Healthy chocolate to commercially produced "candy" chocolate products

The top healthy chocolate uses non alkalized, cold processed, premium grade cacao vs Candy Chocolate which generally uses low grade,alkalized and lecithinized cacao.

The top healthy chocolate contains no wax, fillers or added caffeine vs candy chocolate which contains various waxes, fillers and added caffeine.

The top healthy chocolate uses raw cane juice crystals, an unprocessed natural sweetener and crystalline fructose, a low glycemic (Gl 20), all natural sweetener, while still providing an exceptionally sweet taste. Contains natural cocoa butter vs candy chocolate which contains high amounts of refined sugar, the most detrimental ingredient in most chocolate candy. Substitutes milk solids and oils for cocoa butter.

The top healthy chocolate is exceptionally high in antioxidant content - in fact, possesses one of the highest ORAC scores of any product in the marketplace. vs candy chocolate where antioxidant content varies from product to product, but is typically low.

Below is a list of the Top Antioxidant Foods: ORAC Values of top antioxidant foods (per 100 grams) Unprocessed Cocoa powder 26,000, Acai Berry 18,500 Dark Chocolate 13,120, Prunes 5,770, Raisins 2,830, Blueberries 2,400, Blackberries 2,036, Strawberries 1,540, Spinach,Raw 1,260, Broccoli Florets 890, Red Grapes 739, Cherries 670. What is ORAC? ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. The USDA uses the ORAC scale to measure the antioxidant capacities of different foods.

What is the Acai Berry?

The Acai berry is relatively new to the North American USA market, but it has been consumed by millions in South America for hundreds of years, perhaps for thousands of years. The Acai berry tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature's perfect energy fruit. The Acai berry is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. The Acai berry is considered nature's number one "superfood". The top healthy chocolate uses unprocessed cacao (cocoa) powder and the Acai Berry in all its products. Because the fermentation, drying, and roasting processes are closely monitored, healthy chocolate delivers the optimum amount of the antioxidants naturally found in the cacao (cocoa).

Do your research and look before you buy. Not all chocolate is healthy, but picking the right chocolate can be good for your health.

To find out more information about the best healthy chocolate and the research behind healthy chocolate visit http://www.darkchocolateresearch.com

Criticisms of Recycling

2008-06-21T05:14:00.000-07:00

Humanity has advanced so much in terms of technology, society, and culture. It is necessary; we need to advance as we live in a world that has become more complex by the day. Unfortunately, we are abusing nature for this advancement. Our factories have emitted greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The need for timber and dwelling places resulted in the denudation of our forests. Our marine travel polluted seas. Our landfills contaminated groundwater. That is why we now have stronger hurricanes, more massive landslides, warmer climates, and escalated extinction; these are the consequences of damaging our world and the fragile ecosystems.

Astronomer Carl Sagan said in as commencement exercise in 1996 regarding a photograph titled The Pale Blue Dot (referring to the earth as seen by Voyager 1 6.4 billion miles away), we have “to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” How true. And one of the easiest ways to save our world is through recycling. Recycling is the reprocessing of old, used, and ready-to-throw materials into new products. In the past few decades, recycling has gained a lot of support. That’s because people have realized the benefits recycling contribute to nature. Furthermore, the effective promotion and awareness programs with regards to recycling have garnered even more support.

However, not all people are convinced that recycling is the way to get rid of the world’s garbage. Here’s why:

1) Recycling instigates environmental problems rather than reducing it. That’s because the processes and materials used for recycling are pollutants themselves. For example, filtering chemicals used for recycling paper are actually toxic. Ironic considering that recycling is supposed to save the environment. Indeed, critics say that recycling won’t matter since pollutants and waste sleaze their way into the recycling industry.

2) There isn’t any garbage problem; therefore, there is no need to recycle. Critics say that the garbage crisis is false propaganda. That’s because there are lots of areas that can be used as landfills. Also, landfills are easily treated and covered, and are cost effective ways to store garbage. The garbage problem, they say, is an overreaction.

3) Recycling gives us a false sense of security. Akin to the first reason, recycling causes harmful environmental impact. However, the false propaganda and massive information campaign makes people think that no harm is done when recycling. In effect, people will tend to buy more environmentally harmful products (such as plastic bottles or diapers), believing that they can be recycled anyway. This kind of thinking is called entitled consumerism.

4. Recycling actually hurts the economy. That’s because recycling equipment, chemicals, and processes are actually expensive. In fact, recycling, in some cases, is more costly than producing virgin products. Thus, the endeavor becomes an economic liability. Furthermore, recycling certain products is difficult and not always successful.

5. A steady supply of recyclable materials and a strong demand for recycled goods are needed for the endeavor to be fully viable. Government intervention is needed here.
Charles Taft is a very fortunate 63 yr old grandpa of six wonderful grandchildren. He can mostly be described as a lifelong entrepreneur. Owning many different businesses spanning various industries and trades, Charles has found his most promising work to be in education. He has now turned his focus to recycling education and products. His core values are energy and enthusiasm and his mission is to add value to every situation he finds.
Get more information regarding recycling.

Consumer Beware - What is in Our Drinking Water Maybe Harmful to Your Health!

2008-06-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

Though many people have heard the warnings about drinking water from the tap, many people are still actually unaware of what is in our drinking water.
Even more people have no concerns what so ever about drinking water that comes from their faucet because they believe it must be safe and they have no actual idea of what is in our drinking water that can be harmful to us.

The environment is inundated with chemicals everyday that will eventually find their way into the water that we drink if it is not filtered with a quality drinking water system that filters these harmful chemicals out.

When we consider what is in our drinking water and come to the realization that the drinking water system in the United States contains over 2,100 chemicals that are toxic and can cause cancer, we quickly see how important a quality filtration system is.

Most consumers believe that the water they have coming from their faucets is properly filtered by the water company. They are completely unaware of what is in our drinking water, and do not realize that the filtration used on the drinking water system at most water processing plants does not remove any of these harmful chemicals.

Most water processing plants still use an old fashioned form of filtration that is nothing more than a process that removes visible debris from the water. They then use chlorine bleach to make the water clear. During spring time, often times the water treatment plant of smaller towns can't even keep the water crystal clear due to water run off.

This leaves behind a great deal of harmful toxins and chemicals in the drinking water system. These chemicals make their way into our homes and our bodies and pose a high risk to those that drink this barely processed water.

Pesticides and herbicides are some of the most common toxic chemicals that are found in the drinking water system, however there is a huge number of other chemicals from medications to dry cleaning chemicals that can be found as well.

Once a person is aware of what is truly in our drinking water, most will immediately start to consider purchasing a quality water filtration system that will help to remove all of these harmful chemicals from the water that they drink.

Having your own water filtration system in place in your home is the only way to protect your family from the high amounts of chemicals that can be found in today's drinking water.
By learning about the harmful chemicals that can be found in standard tap water, a person can take action to ensure that their family is protected from these chemicals by purchasing a quality water filtration system for their home.

You will have great peace of mind by having a water filtration system in place and you will no longer have to worry about the chemicals your family is consuming when they drink a glass of water.

Robert D. Clemens is an avid proponent of healthy living and a researcher of water purification systems. To learn more about drinking water filters or which one Robert recommends and trust for his family in their home, visit http://www.Filtered-and-Safe-Water.com

Plasma TV Or LCD TV - How Do I Decide?

2008-06-20T00:19:00.000-07:00

Plasma TV or LCD TV? What's REALLY the difference?
It's no doubt that there's still a lot of confusion and misinformation when it comes to the differences between Plasma TV and LCD TV. So how do you know which technology is right for you?
Well, it's not a simple matter of Plasma TV is better, or LCD TV is better. It really depends on your circumstances and preferences. Let's talk about the differences and the pros and cons for each, as well as some of the misconceptions regarding these TVs, and hopefully that will help you in your decision making process.
Many people confuse Plasma TVs and LCD TVs because at a quick glance they look the same...they're both flat screen TVs, with a thin profile, which can be mounted on a wall. They're definitely both very cool technologies. They share other similarities, of course, such as screen resolution, input types, and a few others, but Plasma TVs and LCD TVs are totally different technologies, and there are differences that you should be aware of.
The purpose of this article isn't to explain the technical operation of Plasma TV and LCD TV, but rather to talk about the practical, real world differences that will help you in your decision making process. A very brief explanation of the basic operation, however, might help in your understanding of why the differences exist.
The pixels in a Plasma TV consist of phosphor lined cells filled with xenon and neon gas. Each pixel consists of a red, green and blue component, which combine to reproduce the full spectrum of colors. Plasma TVs are an "emissive" display technology, which means it's self-lighting.
LCD TVs are different in the sense that they are a "transmissive" display technology. Meaning the light is not produced by the LCD crystal, but rather from a light source behind the panel. A diffusion panel is used to redirect and scatter the light from behind the LCD panel. The LCD Panel itself is formed by two transparent panels with a liquid crystal solution between them. Each crystal is a like a shutter that either allow a predetermined amount of light to pass through, or block light from passing through.
So with that very basic explanation, and all of the information and misinformation out there, how do you decide which is better for you? Each technology has its pros and cons, so let's talk about those now. Keep in mind that within both technologies, there is a huge range of quality, so our comparisons will be comparing Plasma TVs and LCD TVs which are of equal quality.
What are the advantages of Plasma TV?
Probably the three most notable advantages Plasma TVs have over LCD TVs are their ability to produce very good black levels, their wide viewing angles, and a faster response time. Better black levels mean that when you're viewing a black image, the Plasma TV reproduces closer to a true black than an LCD TV, and you'll also see better contrast in the black images. If you're viewing a dark scene in a movie, you'll notice the color on a good Plasma TV appears black, whereas on even the best LCD TV is appears to be a very dark gray or dark blue. You'll also notice more detail in the Plasma TV on dark scenes. This is because of the LCD TVs are transmissive, and when they're reproducing a black image, they're blocking the light from passing through. A tiny amount of light is able to leak through, which is why LCD TVs are not able to reproduce as good of a black level as Plasma TVs. LCDs have made big improvements in their black levels, but Plasma TV is still better in this area.
For the same reason, Plasma TVs have a wider viewing angle. This means if you're viewing the TV from the extreme side, or above or below, the Plasma TV pictures will remain bright and sharp. LCDs will display some loss of brightness and become harder to view from extreme angles, although their viewing angles have improved significantly so that this is not an issue for most people.
The response time refers to the time it takes a pixel to go from black to white, then back to black. Plasma TVs have a better response time than LCD TVs, which means that they do a better job with fast motion images, such as sports and video games. LCD TVs have been know to produce what's know as "ghosting" because of a slower response time. As with black levels and viewing angles, this also has significantly improved in LCD TVs as many are now rated at under 8ms, and many think it's a non-issue now. Some, however, still think complain about slight ghosting effects with LCD.
Some of the common misconceptions with Plasma TVs are that they will only last 5 years, the plasma gas leaks and needs to be replaced, and if you leave an image on the screen for a couple of hours you will "burn in" the screen.
The early generation plasmas were not rated to last very long, but over the last few years the life expectancy of the plasma panel is usually around 60,000 hours...which translates to 20 to 25 years for most people. This is now very much in line with the life expectancy of LCD TVs, and your electronic components of both your Plasma TV and LCD TV are far more likely to go than the plasma panel itself, so this really isn't a practical concern for either technology.
Although not heard so much anymore, the question of gas leaking still comes up from time to time. The gas inside of the plasma panels is sealed in during the manufacturing process and there are no issues with the gas leaking and having to be replaced. If something goes wrong with the panel itself, it must be replaced. It cannot be refilled, recharged, or repaired, so this is a misconception.
Since the Plasma TV is a phosphor based image, it is susceptible to screen burn in, meaning if you leave a static image (CNBC Ticker symbol, video games, etc) on the screen for long periods of time, it will become permanently ingrained into the TV, effectively ruining your TV. Manufacturer's Warranties do not cover this and this was a concern in the early Plasma TVs. While it's a very real issue, in my many years of retail sales, I've only seen this in a small handful of cases. The Plasma TV manufacturers have taken steps to almost eliminate this as a concern for most users. With that said, if you are taking things to the extreme and only watching one channel every day for three weeks, there's a good chance it will be an issue. In this case you're better off with an LCD TV, which does not have this issue.
So what are the advantages of LCD TVs?
Some of the advantages to LCD TVs are they are more energy efficient than Plasma TVs, they are physically lighter, they produce a brighter picture, and most LCD TVs have an anti-reflective screen.
Being more energy efficient doesn't just save on the electrical bill, but also saves on the life of your electronics. The hotter electronics run, and the harder they work, the shorter they last. Plasma TVs tend to be less efficient and produce more heat than LCD TVs. LCD TVs are lighter than Plasma TVs, because Plasma TV panels are made with two glass panels, which add quite a bit to the weight, particularly in larger sets. It's nice when you have to hang your TV on the wall, or move it, but you must still take the same care when you're mounting it, as they're still heavy and awkward to deal with.
For the same reason, LCD TVs are often a better fit in bright rooms. The glass that's used on Plasma TVs is most of the time very reflective, which means if you have a lot of direct light, then you'll experience a lot of glare with your Plasma TV. Most LCD TVs have a flat-finish, or anti-glare screen which deflects glare making it almost a non-issue. There are some LCD TVs that use a reflective screen over the panel, so if this is an issue, be sure to check before you purchase your TV.
LCD TVs are also brighter than Plasma TVs, which can be an advantage, but not always. In bright rooms, this will help with viewing but in low light situations, often times a TV with lower brightness will display a better picture.
LCD TVs were priced quite a bit higher than Plasma TVs even up to a year ago, but their prices have rapidly declined as manufacturers figured out how to manufacture larger panels, which means they can "cut" more of the smaller LCD panels out of a larger panel. This has driven the prices down significantly and now prices are much more in line with Plasma TVs. LCD TVs have also gotten the jump when it comes to the newer 1080p resolution, which displays a progressive 1920 x 1080 resolution. There are more LCD TVs available in 1080p, although in the last 6 months there have been more Plasma TVs coming out with this resolution.
So what do we think?
It's hard to say definitively which technology is better, or which technology you should invest in. In my opinion, Plasma TV still has the better picture. But of course, that's subjective, and I know many people that think that LCD TV has the better picture. To me, the Plasma TV picture is more natural, with a more accurate color reproduction, and it still has much better black levels than LCD TV.
But it's a tough decision, because LCD TVs have dropped in price quickly and the outstanding issues with LCD TV have been greatly improved so that the two are very close. Of course, the picture quality verses the price will influence your decision, but now you can get either technology for a great price.
So what things should you consider when making your decision? Keep in mind your viewing situation. Are you in a very bright room? Will your TV have direct light shining on it? Are you mostly watching a single channel or playing video games all day? If so, I'd say an LCD is probably the way to go.
If you're watching a lot of sports, strictly concerned about picture quality, and you're in a light controlled environment, I'd recommend a quality Plasma TV. Either way you go, both Plasma TV and LCD TV have gotten so good I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Homemade Greenhouse - Build it For Less Using Local Materials and Basic Tools

2008-06-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to build a greenhouse -- a quality homemade greenhouse. Start growing vegetables year round and free yourself from the ever rising cost of produce. That's exactly what I have done.
A quality homemade greenhouse isn't difficult or expensive to build -- I've constructed three different designs with no previous experience. All are well built metal and wood structures that will last a lifetime. If you are serious about growing vegetables and you want to save money, then you should seriously consider building a quality homemade greenhouse.
Here is how I built my second homemade greenhouse. It started as a large patch of weed infested ground, and now it's a nice strong hot house that serves me year round. The idea was to create two 3 foot wide by 36 foot long raised beds with a sunken walkway in between. A metal and wood frame greenhouse would then be built on top.
I dug it. The first steps of the process involved creating the sunken walkway that would run between the large raised beds. This was done with a backhoe and skidsteer. The backhoe dug out most of the walkway, and the skidsteer was used to do the final digging and smooth out the floor of the walkway so it would be level for the walls of the raised bed.
The walkway was dug plenty deep, about 5 feet, to allow for high walls and a deep bed of sand to cover the walkway. It also had to be excavated a little bit wide so the walls could be installed and lined with corrugated metal to keep the power poles from touching the soil in the raised bed. Outside and end walls were also constructed in a similar manner.
The upper story. The basic design of the greenhouse is similar to a single car garage. The walls are vertical and 5 feet tall. The roof is 10 feet from eave to ridge with a 45 degree pitch to capture light and shed snow. Metal tubing is used for the walls and rafters, with 90 degree EMT conduit elbows used at the ridge to connect the rafters. Metal tubing is also used to create purlins, angle bracing for the walls, and diagonal bracing across the structure.
Chain link top rail serves as the primary metal tubing for construction. It is light, easy to work with, inexpensive and readily available at the local home improvement store. Chain link fencing end clamps are used extensively to fasten together walls, top plates and rafters. Walls are secured to the power pole foundation by drilling holes and pinning them in place with lag screws. Diagonal bracing is secured to the power pole foundation with large spikes.
The ends of the building are constructed from 2 by 4 lumber painted white. Vents and an exhaust fan are installed, both controlled by a single temperature switch. The building is covered with woven ripstop poly in three pieces. One piece for each end, and a single piece that covers the walls and roof. The poly is stapled to the wood ends, and held in place across the structure by plastic lath and self-tapping screws.
Note: this project required 2 people and heavy equipment because of its size and the heavy materials used in construction of the base. If you build something similar without heavy equipment, you can limit the challenges by choosing lighter materials like railroad ties at 80 pounds a piece, making the beds shorter, and making the sunken walkway more shallow.
The finished greenhouse is now in full production. In the summer we grow two dozen summer and winter squash plants, and about 20 cucumber plants. In the winter we grow kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, about 8 plants each. All of the resident vegetables seem to enjoy the warmth that the enclosure provides, and the high winds out here on the prairie don't have a chance of drying out our precious crops.

How To Live Fulfilled Life

2008-06-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

One of the things that most of my coaching clients have in common is that they want to live a fulfilled life. After all, who really wants to live an unfulfilled life? So the question that you may have is How do I live a fulfilled life? Here are 3 keys to help you live the life that you want.

1. Know what you want out of life.

Imagine that you were hungry and really wanted to eat. You go to a restaurant and when the waiter asked you what you want you said ‘I just want to be full so just bring me some food.’ A few minutes later they bring you out the most disgusting food you have ever seen. This is what it can be like in life as well. Just because you want to live a full life doesn’t mean you will. Only when you know exactly what you want out of life can you start to live a fulfilled life.

2. Actively pursue it.

This may seem very obvious but just think about the things in your own life that you want but aren’t actively pursuing them. You may have all kinds of reasons, excuses, doubts, and fears why you aren’t but if you really want a fulfilled life you are going to have to get over all that stuff and just start pursuing it.

3. Follow your passion.

There are things on the inside of you that you dream about doing that you know you were meant to do. If you don’t do these things you won’t live a fulfilled life. It doesn’t mean that your life can’t still be good. It just means that you will look back on your life wishing you could have done what was in your heart.

The Right To Be Rich

2008-06-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Shannon Baldwin

There is nothing wrong in wanting to get rich. The
desire for riches is really the desire for a richer,
fuller, and more abundant life; and that desire is
praise worthy.

There are three motives for which we live; we live
for the body, we live for the mind, we live for the
soul.

No one of these is better or holier than the other;
all are alike desirable, and no one of the three--body,
mind, or soul--can live fully if either of the others
is cut short of full life and expression.

It is not right or noble to live only for the soul
and deny mind or body; and it is wrong to live for
the intellect and deny body or soul.

We are all acquainted with the loathsome consequences
of living for the body and denying both mind and soul;
and we see that real life means the complete expres-
sion of all that people can give forth through body,
mind, and soul.

Whatever you can say, no one can be really happy or
satisfied unless their body is living fully in every
function, and unless the same is true of their mind
and their soul. Wherever there is unexpressed poss-
ibility, or function not performed, there is unsatis-
fied desire.

Desire is possibility seeking expression, or function
seeking performance.

You cannot live fully in body without good food,
comfortable clothing, and warm shelter; and without
freedom from excessive toil. Rest and recreation are
also necessary to your physical life.

You cannot live fully in mind without books and time
to study them, without opportunity for travel and
observation, or without intellectual companionship.

To live fully in mind you must have intellectual
recreations, and must surround yourself with all the
objects of art and beauty you is capable of using and
appreciating.

To live fully in soul, you must have love; and love
is denied expression by poverty. Our highest happiness
is found in the bestowal of benefits on those we love;
love finds its most natural and spontaneous expression
in giving.

Lifetime Powertrain Warranty On New Dodge Cars And Trucks

2008-06-14T20:24:00.001-07:00

Chrysler announces "The Best Warranty Coverage in The Automotive Industry". This new warranty covers the 2008 Dodge lineup including the new Dodge Nitro, Dodge Caliber, Dodge Charger, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Magnum and the newly redesigned 2008 Dodge Caravan. Chrysler Lifetime Powertrain Warranty represents Chrysler's commitment to manufacturing quality vehicles.

This new warranty program is available on all 2006, 2007 and 2008 Dodge cars and trucks (with a few exceptions) purchased on or after July 26 2007 are covered by this warranty. The Lifetime Powertrain Warranty covers the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair covered powertrain components which include the engine, transmission and drive system on front wheel drive, all wheel drive, rear wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles.

The Lifetime Powertrain Warranty is an extension to the basic 3 year 36,000 limited warranties and is available to consumers who purchase Dodge cars and Trucks from Dodge Dealerships. Chrysler states; “88% of their vehicles are covered by the lifetime powertrain warranty” with exclusions to vehicles used for taxis, postal delivery, police vehicles, limousines, ambulance rental, and government use. In addition SRT models and Dodge Sprinters are only covered by the basic warranty.

The Lifetime Powertrain Warranty is good for a lifetime to the “original” owner of the purchased or leased vehicle. The warranty has no deductible and is not transferable. Second owners of the vehicles are not covered by the lifetime powertrain warranty even if they are within the same family. Chrysler will require free vehicle inspections every 5 years, the inspection must be made within sixty (60) days of each 5 year anniversary of the in-service date of the vehicle. You must have the inspection performed by an authorized Dodge, Jeep or Chrysler dealer to continue this coverage. Full detail for the Lifetime Power Warranty can be found at LifetimePowertrainWarranty.com

For consumers requiring additional warranty information go to http://www.lifetimepowertrainwarranty.com

Once in a Lifetime

2008-06-14T20:23:00.001-07:00

A subscriber recently wrote to me and asked me to consider this common phrase – Once in a lifetime.

“Isn’t every moment of our lives, once in a lifetime?” he asked.
Touché! Indeed, he is correct. Every moment of our lives is the last chance we get to live that moment.

What happens though is that we figure we will be able to live another moment in the same way we are passing on right now. Time becomes a commodity that we trade… and the riskiest commodity of all – futures! We pass on this moment for the option to live it in the future.

The problem is that there is no guarantee of the future…

Take some time this week to think about the Once in a Lifetime opportunities you are passing up each day:

The opportunity to play with your children or grandchildren.

The opportunity to love your spouse.

The opportunity to take that business risk.

The opportunity to take that dream trip you have thought of for years.

Live for today my friends. Make today the best day that you can. Be aware of every moment and how it is the last time you will be able to make the decision on how to spend it.

Today is your once in a lifetime opportunity to live your dreams, love your family, and make a difference. As the marketing profession would put it:

Don’t miss this Once in a Lifetime Opportunity!

Chris Widener is an Internationally recognized speaker, author and radio host. He has authored over 450 articles and nine books, including a New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best-seller. He has produced over 85 CDs and DVDs on leadership, motivation and success In addition to being a featured contributing editor to the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan, Chris is a regular guest speaker receiving rave reviews! Chris demonstrates a style that is engaging and versatile while providing life-changing principles of leadership, motivation and success. If you would like to order Chris' products, including his Newest Release, The Art of Influence as well as The Angel Inside or his CD series, Winning with Influence, to subscribe to Chris Widener's Ezine or to book him to speak at your next event, go to: http://www.chriswidener.com Contact Chris at: http://www.chriswidener.com/speaking.asp or call 877-929-0439.

The Most Powerful Celebrities In The World…

2008-06-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

[Images: UPI/Bauer Griffin]

Everybody loves a pointless list so seeing as it’s Friday and there’s not a great deal going on in celebville we thought we’d share this one with you. After all this isn’t just any kind of list, it’s a Forbes list and if there was a list of the most reliable lists Forbes would sit comfortably at the top. Are you still following????

1 Oprah Winfrey
2 Tiger Woods
3 Angelina Jolie
4 Beyonce Knowles
5 David Beckham
6 Johnny Depp
7 Jay-Z
8 The Police
9 J.K. Rowling
10 Brad Pitt
11 Will Smith
12 Justin Timberlake
13 Steven Spielberg
14 Cameron Diaz
15 David Letterman
16 Le Bron James
17 Jennifer Aniston
18 Michael Jordan
19 Kobe Bryant
20 Phil Mickelson

Reciprocal Link Exchange A Way To Increase Website Traffic

2008-06-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

By Vishal Vasani

Effective link exchange can attract larger, quality and targeted traffic for your web site. The link exchange process helps you establish innumerable fruitful links with other web sites. Thus, you can win more quality and targeted visitors from your link partners . The Reciprocal link exchange is capable of winning more traffic through your link exchange process. If you want to promote your web site on a limited budget, link exchange is the best option. Link exchange can save a lot of money that you otherwise would have spent on other means of Internet advertising. Link exchange is a very effective and inexpensive approach of gaining popularity and prosperity on the web. Link exchange your will get back link to your website & also receive new visitor from other website. Firstly more links that you exchange more change of visitor from other website follow the link.

Secondly, your website will be perceived more importantly by search engines.

More Link back to your website mean more visitor will come to your website and with more link gets in search engine. More relevant back link help in search engines optimization.

Things to be kept in mind for Reciprocal Link Exchange:

1) Only link exchange with website similar to your website theme.

2) Do not Link exchange with page that have unorganized Links

3) Do link with sites that will be of interest to your visitors

4) Don't use link farms or FFA pages. You are unlikely to get extra traffic using these methods and the search engines may penalize you.

5) Do stay organized. Use link exchange software, or a spreadsheet to keep track of the link exchanges you have requested and the contact details of the webmasters.

Cyclone Nargis - A Tsunami Scale Disaster?

2008-06-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

Nargis formed into a tropical cyclone on April 27, 2008, in the central Bay of Bengal about 360 miles off of the southeast coast of India. Cyclone Nargis was, when it made landfall around the mouth of the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) river, about 220 kilometres south-west of Rangoon, a Category four storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane strength, with sustained winds of 132 mph. Nargis is the deadliest cyclone to hit Asia since 1991, when 143,000 people perished in Bangladesh from a land-falling cyclone that year. The formation of Tropical Cyclone Nargis in the Bay of Bengal coincides with the start of cyclone season in the North Indian Ocean, which typically runs from April through December.

Burma, devastated by Nargis, is undergoing a natural and human disaster. As Tropical Cyclone Nargis swept over the Irrawaddy River Delta, pummelling the area with high winds, storm surge, and heavy rains, many tens of thousands of people have lost their lives. The Associated Press noted that a Burma state-run radio station reported on May 5, that more than 22,464 people were confirmed dead, and thousands were missing. Burma is isolated from the rest of the world at the best of times. Due to the nature of the disaster, the large area involved and the secrecy and mistrust of the Burmese government, it is impossible to get an accurate recording of the tragic human loss, but some are estimating lives lost in the hundreds of thousands, rather than the tens. This puts the Nargis disaster on a par with the 2004 boxing day tsunami which killed 300,000 people.

Tropical cyclones are amongst the most powerful and destructive meteorological systems on earth. They are a product of the interaction of between the atmosphere and the oceans. The pressures recorded at the centres of tropical cyclones are among the lowest that occur on Earth's surface at sea level.

Despite the long season, the region, which includes the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, on average has just over five named storms per year, with only two becoming full tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones are compact, circular storms, generally some 320 km (200 miles) in diameter, whose winds swirl around a central region of low atmospheric pressure. The winds are driven by this low-pressure core and by the rotation of the Earth, which deflects the path of the wind through a phenomenon known as the Coriolis force. As a result, tropical cyclones rotate in an anti-clockwise (or cyclonic) direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a clockwise (or anticyclonic) direction in the Southern Hemisphere.

During World War II, tropical cyclones were informally given women's names by US Army Air Corp and Navy meteorologists (after their girlfriends or wives) who were monitoring and forecasting tropical cyclones over the Pacific. From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc. While tropical cyclones can produce extremely powerful winds and torrential rain, they are also able to produce high waves and damaging storm surge. Although their effects on human populations can be devastating, tropical cyclones can also relieve drought conditions.

Tropical cyclones are known by various names in different parts of the world. In the North Atlantic Ocean and the eastern North Pacific they are called hurricanes, and in the western North Pacific around the Philippines, Japan, and China the storms are referred to as typhoons. In the western South Pacific and Indian Ocean they are variously referred to as severe tropical cyclones, tropical cyclones, or simply cyclones. All these different names refer to the same type of storm.

With increasing global temperatures adding energy to the earth's weather systems there is a chance that storms on the scale of Nargis may become more common place, once again hugely impacting vast populations living in vulnerable coastal and delta regions of the world.

Mark Boardman BSc dip.hyp is an experienced Hypnotherapist and highly qualified EFT and TAT practitioner. After a childhood interest in the Weather Mark went on to study Climatology at University and has continued his studies for the subsequent 20 years. Weather News & Articles

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Boardman

Online News : Nargis : Mayat mangsa masih dibiar bergelimpangan

2008-06-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

Walaupun lebih lima minggu kejadian taufan Nargis melanda Dataran Irrawaddy, Myanmar, mayat-mayat mangsa terkorban masih boleh dilihat bergelimpangan di kiri dan kanan jalan. Malah lebih teruk, mayat-mayat itu dicampak ke dalam terusan atau kubur besar yang digali tanpa sebarang tanda.

Pemerhati misi bantuan Kijang Care ke Myanmar, Syed Azidi Syed Aziz berkata, keadaan tempat yang dilanda taufan Nargis amat dahsyat dan sukar digambarkan kerana persekitarannya yang rosak teruk dan mayat mangsa korban masih dibiarkan begitu sahaja.
“Berbanding Tsunami yang melanda Acheh pada 2004 lalu, memang segala-galanya musnah tetapi mangsa korban masih mendapat perhatian tetapi tidak di sini (Myanmar) usaha membersih kawasan yang dipenuhi mayat masih tidak dilaksana sepenuhnya lagi,” katanya yang baru pulang dari misi bantuan tersebut.

Misi bantuan Kijang Care menjalankan operasi kemanusiaan di Myanmar bermula 2 hingga 6 Jun lalu yang disertai lima petugas membawa bekalan makanan, ubatan dan pakaian kepada mangsa ribut yang masih hidup.

Katanya, pasukan yang diketuai oleh Dr Rosli Alaani Abdul Kadir itu tiba di daerah Talaa, wilayah Yangon pada 3 Jun dan mendapati semua petugas bantuan tidak dibenarkan berada melebihi dari wilayah berkenaan.

“Ketika di Talaa, kami dibawa ke kawasan komuniti beragama Islam. Di situ kami melawat beberapa buah masjid yang rosak dalam kejadian tersebut,” ujarnya.

Lebih memilukan, sebilangan anak-anak yatim yang masih tidak mengetahui nasib kehidupan selepas ini apabila tempat tinggal mereka turut musnah teruk akibat taufan Nargis.

“Ada anak yatim yang menghuni di rumah anak yatim dan ada juga menjadi yatim selepas tragedi tersebut. Mereka berada dalam keadaan yang cukup naïf,” jelas Azidi.

Sehubungan itu, Kijang Care telah menghulurkan bantuan kewangan kepada penduduk untuk membaik pulih masjid-masjid yang kebanyakannya rosak di bahagian bumbung. Manakala untuk anak-anak yatim pula, Kijang Care menyalurkan bantuan berupa bekalan makanan kepada hampir 100 orang golongan ini yang terselamat dalam bencana berkenaan.

sumber:: husammusa.com

Paris Hilton Is Amazing..

2008-06-09T01:45:00.001-07:00

Amazingly horrendous that is! Come on have you ever seen anyone camp up a shopping trip like she manages to? We guarantee you haven’t and it is actually quite a skill…

Paris posed and pouted her way around Samantha Thavasa Omotesando Gates shop in Tokyo over the weekend. How much do you reckon they paid her to show up??

Adultery: Why Men are Prone to Adultery

2008-06-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

Adultery is only a joke for those who are not devastated by it. The assumption for thousands of years has been that men are more prone towards adultery due to their genes and their need to spread their seed for continued survival. This may have been true at the beginning of time, but in our over-populated world, have we not evolved enough for our minds to control our behavior? Men may also be more prone to adultery because many men find it easier to separate sex from love than women do. In addition, men may have more power and money so women may put up with adultery because they feel responsible to take care of the children and thus, feel trapped.

Main shifts in the power balance in marriage have altered adultery. The incredible shrinking double standard in matters of sex has created a shift of heroic proportions in the nature of sexual infidelity. According to recent findings with a sample pool of 37,000 persons, 15% of wives have reportedly cheated on their spouse. These statistics appeared in Oprah Magazine in 2004. It is suspected that the percentage for men could be slightly higher but at the same time it would not be surprising if it were slightly lower. While this suggests that adultery is an equal opportunity, what's surprising about the new research is that men are getting more emotionally involved with their extracurricular partners.

In the past, many male adulterers did not want to disrupt their marriage and the sexual affair usually did not make much impact on the husband's satisfaction with his marriage. This difference was built mostly on the wife's sense of powerlessness. Recent findings suggest that female liberation has changed perceptions. Men have become more sensitive -- just as women say they wanted them to be -- but the sensitivity generally rewards the working woman, not the wife. Nowadays adulterers are more likely to find fulfillment with a work mate. The work relationship becomes rich, while things at home may become pressurized and child-centered. As a result, adultery is more disruptive and threatening to the marriage and more likely to lead to divorce. Working wives even have more sexual opportunities. The sexual revolution, like all revolutions, has shaped unintended consequences. While cultural changes are not thought to manipulate biology, it's clear that the messages exchanged between men and women have changed activities. Some men now get facials and pedicures just like women. The hottest group to come out of the clothes closet is the man who wants a makeover to liberate his feminine side. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, a reality TV show, explores the ways five gay men use their decorating and aesthetic savvy to alter a heterosexual male into a straight guy with style. This “new” urban heterosexual man even has a descriptive term – “metro sexual.” This term was originally applied sarcastically to the self-consumed male consumer of traditional women's products, such as bath oils, perfumes and face creams (and plastic surgery.) It's now a label worn with pride by the homo sexualized straight man that's moved from drab to fab.

According to a poll of over 5,000 women on WomanSavers.com, over 52% said they believe adultery should be prosecuted in courts. In early 2007 an Arizona court prosecuted two married adulterers for the first time in over 30 years. Only time will tell whether other states will follow in these types of adultery prosecutions.

There are cases of adultery among celebrities too. Country music singer and ‘Dancing with the stars’ contestant Sara Evans had divorce with her husband on the grounds of adultery. She had found him having multiple partners and thus ended up the relationship. This isn’t the only case in celebrities, but there are many instances where celebrities cheat their partners and commit adultery.

Honestly speaking, it is very difficult to find the statistics on adultery. The most sought after testing viz. DNA has revealed that 15% of birth certificates identify the wrong man as the father of a child. About 30% of DNA paternity tests do not confirm the identity of the purported father of a child. Since DNA paternity testing includes unmarried females and unmarried males, it cannot be an accurate measure of adultery.

In summary, adultery statistics are rare and outdated and many are flawed due to those who feel uncomfortable telling the truth about their adulterous behavior. Whether cultural changes of women in the workplace and increased divorce rates will cause men to cheat less will remain to be seen.

Tambang bas sehala JB-KL naik hingga RM60

2008-06-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

JOHOR BAHRU 7 Jun – Segelintir pengusaha bas ekspres di Terminal Bas Larkin di sini didakwa menaikkan tambang mereka melebihi 40 peratus dengan alasan kenaikan harga minyak.

Tindakan tersebut membebankan pengguna yang terpaksa membeli tiket yang mahal itu kerana tidak mempunyai pilihan lain.

Seorang pelajar, Farah Ishak, 16, berkata, dia membeli tiket bas untuk perjalanan dari Johor Bahru ke Shah Alam pada harga RM55 untuk perjalanan sehala berbanding harga RM30 sebelum ini.

“Terkejut juga saya sebab selalunya kalau tambang naik pun setakat RM5 sahaja tetapi kali ini ia naik sampai RM15 berbanding tambang asal,” katanya ketika ditemui di terminal itu hari ini.

Mingguan Malaysia juga difahamkan terdapat penumpang yang membeli tiket untuk perjalanan sehala dari Johor Bahru ke Kuala Lumpur dikenakan harga RM60 berbanding kadar biasa RM25.

Seorang lagi penumpang bas, Siti Norizan Sulaiman, 25, berkata, perbuatan menaikkan tambang secara sewenang-wenang itu dilakukan oleh pengusaha bas yang tidak takut kepada tindakan penguatkuasaan agensi kerajaan.

Pekerja kilang itu berkata, bagi pengguna yang menjadikan bas sebagai pengangkutan utama, mereka tidak mempunyai pilihan selain terpaksa membeli tiket pada harga yang ditawarkan.

“Kami tiada pilihan, mahu tidak mahu kami terpaksa membelinya walaupun mahal,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun, tinjauan juga mendapati terdapat beberapa pengusaha bas terutama yang mempunyai kaunter sah di terminal berkenaan masih mengekalkan kadar tambang sebelum kenaikan harga minyak 5 Jun lalu.

Seorang pelajar, Zahirah Abdul Ghani, 20, bersyukur kerana tiket bas yang dibelinya masih mengekalkan harga yang sama seperti sebelum ini.

Dia menggesa pihak berkuasa menjalankan langkah penguatkuasaan secara lebih tegas supaya pengguna tidak terus menjadi mangsa pihak tertentu yang mahu mengaut keuntungan berlebihan.

HANIZA HASSAN:: UTUSAN

Adultery: Why Men are Prone to Adultery

2008-06-06T20:01:00.001-07:00

Hukum Peraduan SMS Menang CAMRY

2008-06-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

Sebuah berita menyebut :-

KUALA LUMPUR : Celcom ( Malaysia ) Bhd menawarkan 100 unit Toyota Camry 2.0E 1AZ-FE kepada pelanggan pasca bayar dan pra bayarnya menerusi peraduan 'Celcom 100 Hari 100 Kereta' bermula hari ini.

i. sebuah kereta akan diberi setiap hari selama 100 hari berturut-turut kepada pemenang peraduan berkenaan.

ii. Pelanggan perkhidmatan Celcom yang berminat menyertai peraduan itu hanya perlu menaip kata kunci CARS dan hantar melalui SMS ke nombor 22222. Promosi itu terbuka kepada pelanggan sedia ada dan baru Celcom.

iii. Pelanggan yang dapat menjawab 10 soalan dengan tepat serta mendapat mata paling banyak akan dipilih sebagai pemenang.

iv. Peserta dengan mata tertinggi juga berpeluang memenangi tambahan sebuah kereta Toyota Camry model sama pada hujung minggu.

v. Setiap SMS yang dihantar dikenakan RM5.

vi. Kempen itu berlangsung selama 100 hari bermula hari ini hingga 9 September ini. Pada masa ini, Celcom mempunyai 1.5 juta pelanggan pasca bayar dan 6.3 juta pelanggan pra bayar.

vii. Beliau berkata, promosi 100 hari itu bertujuan memberi ganjaran kepada pelanggan setia atas sokongan yang diberikan kepada syarikat berkenaan

ULASAN UZAR :

Secara rasmi dan mudahnya, ia adalah peraduan yang haram di sisi Islam kerana perjudian. Ini kerana semua peserta yang menghantar SMS terdedah kepada kerugian RM 50 (kerana mesti menjawab 10 soalan terlebih dahulu, sedangkan satu sms = RM 5) atau berpeluang mendapat untung sebuah kereta. Hanya seratus orang akan berjaya dari berjuta peserta. Syarikat pasti meraih untung yang lebih berbanding peserta.

Ia tidak ubah seperti peraduan "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" dengan sedikit perbezaan sahaja.

Peserta mungkin berkata

"Alah, apalah sangat dengan RM 5 atau RM 50 .. redha sahaja, kami tidak rasa dizalimi pun"

Namun wajib diingati, pengharaman perjudian adalah hak Allah swt dan sebarang keredhaan dalam perkara yang menjadi hak Allah adalah TERTOLAK. Redha dalam hal dosa seperti ini, adalah redha maksiat. Malah lebih dahsyat dari itu, kerdehaan dalam perilaku dosa yang mencarik hak Allah adalah akan menjadikan ia sebagai satu dosa yang lebih besar.

Mungkin juga ada yang berkata :-

"Tapi ustaz, bukankah ada manfaat untuk kita peraduan sebegini, bukan senang nak dapat peluang "

Memang benar ada manfaatnya, namun keburukannya jauh lebih besar, sebagaimana yang ditegaskan oleh Allah swt sendiri :-

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَآ أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا

Ertinya : Mereka bertanya kepadamu tentang khamar dan judi Katakanlah: ""Pada keduanya itu terdapat dosa besar dan beberapa manfaat bagi manusia, tetapi dosa keduanya lebih besar dari manfaatnya ( Al-Baqarah : 219 )

Saya teringat pernah menonton "National Geographic" yang mendokumentasikan perihal pusat perjudian di Macau. Saya masih ingat kata-kata pengusaha dan pemain judi dalam interview dengan wartawan dokumentasi itu,

"dari 10 kali main, biasanya hanya sekali menang dan 9 kali kalah".

Berikut pula info yang amat jelas dari seorang yang telah menyertai peraduan ini, saya petik dari ruangan komen di bawah. Ia sangat membuktikan ia judi yang amat menindas dan zalim.

Pada 2 Jun (iaitu tarikh bermula peraduan tersebut) saya mula hantar SMS jam 8.30 mlm. Sehingga pukul 1 pagi, keseluruhan SMS yang saya terima daripada syarikat tersebut lebih kurang 200 SMS. yang di caj RM5 ialah lebih kurang 60 SMS. Dengan harapan yang menggunung untuk memperolehi kereta tersebut, saya telah melabur sebanyak RM300.

terus terang saya katakan,saya turut menunaikan solat hajat untuk memenangi pertandingan ini. Hajat saya jika menang ialah dapatlah saya ringakan beban saya membayar hutang kereta yang sedia ada, selain dapat menggunakannya untuk buat ibadat (pergi kerja, berteduh, masjid)-- adakah tindakan saya betul ustaz??

Setiap SMS yang diterima sangat teruja dan membuatkan pelanggan akan sentiasa ingin ber SMS dan menjawab soalan. Maka, saya telah terperangkap dalam permainan ini.

Itulah sifat judi, pengusaha akan sentiasa lebih mendapat manfaat dan keuntungan. Ia sememangnya sebuah permainan yang amat buruk.

Jauhilah darinya, apatah lagi solat hajat dalam berjudi. Segeralah sampaikan kepada adik beradik, rakan-rakan dan taulan. Jangan sampai sebuah kereta Camry menyebabkan penyesalan tak sudah di alam barzakh dan akhirat kelak.

Ini pula satu lagi pengakuan penting dari pekerja di syarikat tersebut :-

Cuba baca pengakuan seorang pekerja di syarikat tersebut ini (saya petik dari ruangan komentar artikel ini). "Saya adalah seorang yang bekerja dengan xxxxxm, saya akui memang saya menentang sekeras-kerasnya peraduan ini yang memang jelas berunsur perjudian.. Ada jugak kenalan-kenalan yang dah terjebak dengan peraduan ni dan ada juga customer yang tanya dengan saya bila nak dapat kereta sedangkan diorang ada yang telah melabur sebanyak RM3000++ (ada bukti) tapi masih belum menang... memang agak memeranjatkn saya apabila ada yang sanggup belanja beribu-ribu untuk peraduan ni..."

Bayangkan betapa ghairahnya orang di zaman ini dalam bab duit dan harta segera, sehingga mudah kerap ditipu, diperdaya dan terjebak judi. Mereka berlumba-lumba menjawab soalan dari sms CELCOM ini kerana ingin mendapat mata tertinggi setiap hari bagi meraih sebuah kereta CAMRY, hingga terkorban RM 3000 sehari !! tanpa camry, tetapi hanya minyak yang naik harga RM 0.78 seliter.

Akhirnya firman Allah s.w.t tentang pengharaman judi yang disamakan dengan najis dan kerja Syaitan:-

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالأَنصَابُ وَالأَزْلاَمُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

Ertinya : Hai orang-orang yang beriman, sesungguhnya (meminum) khamar, berjudi, (berkorban untuk) berhala, mengundi nasib dengan panah, adalah perbuatan keji termasuk perbuatan Syaitan. Maka jauhilah perbuatan-perbuatan itu agar kamu mendapat keberuntungan ( Al-Maidah : 90 )

Bagi pihak saya, saya telah memaklumkan isu ini kepada YB Dato' Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dan juga beberapa orang Mufti. Moga mereka dapat membantu umat Islam sesegera yang mungkin melalui kuasa dan autoriti mereka.

Sekian,

Zaharuddin Abd Rahman

www.zaharuddin.net

3 Jun 2008

sharing a kiss

2008-06-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

Every major gossip rag and website in the US has been desperately clawing away to reveal the truth behind the relationship of “just good friends” Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan. But last night one of the girls gave away a startling clue about the whole affair, which might just crack the case wide open…

Earlier last week reports emerged that Lindsay Lohan had turned down a $1 million offer from OK! magazine to come out about her rumoured relationship with gal pal Samantha Ronson. Apparently the magazine tried to persuade Lohan to do a cover story where she "comes out" about her relationship with Ronson. One source revealed that Lindsay really wanted to do the deal because she desperately needed the money. But Lohan's spokesperson strenuously denied this accusation, stating:

"They sent offers and we passed."

But whilst Lindsay seemed to be been doing her best to avoid whispers about a potential romance, Samantha has been trying to indulge the allegations. Last night, out-and-proud lesbian Samantha, changed her MySpace profile picture to the infamously risqué snap of her and Lindsay sharing a kiss. Later that evening however, she removed the incriminating photo as her main profile picture and added it one of her galleries. We don’t know why Samantha suddenly decided to change the picture, but could this be the sign we’ve been waiting for? Or are they just a pair of sad-attention seekers? We’ll let you decide…

Milk does a tummy good

2008-06-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

These researchers thought to question how things have always been done. If you’ve ever had to chug barium before a CT scan of your tummy, this story will sound too good to be true.

For years, countless people have had to force down about 1,200 cc of a barium contrast drink before having CT scans of their abdomen and pelvis to diagnose bowel disorders and abnormalities. The barium coats the insides of the esophagus, stomach and intestine, appearing dark while the intestinal wall appears brighter. The contrast from the barium allows radiologists to better visualize the bowel wall and more clearly delineate the bowel cavity and soft tissue. Barium drinks, however, can come with unpleasant side effects like constipation, diarrhea, nausea and cramping. The acidy-burning taste of the chalky, milky liquid can make getting it down one of the most unpleasant parts of the diagnostic test. Children especially balk at drinking the barium–based drinks.

Researchers at St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City wondered if milk might work just as well.

They conducted a randomized blinded trial of 215 consecutive patients, giving half of the patients whole (full-fat) milk before their CT scans and the other half the usual 0.1% oral barium contrast drink, VoLumen. Two radiologists independently examined the patients’ films, blinded as to what contrast agent each patient had received. They graded the degree of bowel distention and bowel wall visibility. The researchers had presented their preliminary findings at the Scientific Assembly of the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago and the final results were just published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Their findings? There was no statistical difference between whole milk and VoLumen as a contrast media for visualizing the bowel wall and bowel distention. The images of the patients given milk were just as useful as the images of the patients given the barium, said Dr. Chi Wan Koo, M.D., lead author. Patients rated the milk as preferable and reported far fewer abdominal side effects. Plus, the researchers noted, milk is considerably cheaper than the $18 VoLumen per patient.

As was reported by Mike Mitka of the Journal of the American Medical Association, “of the 30 to 40 million CT scans performed annually in the United States, about 30% are for abdominal conditions where milk could be used.”

A show of hands as to which drink you’d choose. Now the question is, if strawberry or chocolate-flavored milk works just as well. :-)

Happy Belated Birthday Angelina Jolie

2008-06-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Angelina Jolie celebrated her 33rd birthday and while many men would be envious of Brad Pitt's relationship with the intensely beautiful lady we're sure they wouldn't envy the task of finding her a special gift. What do you buy the woman that has everything?

Well with that question ringing is his ears 44-year old Pitt headed to a contemporary design art furniture fair in Switzerland and surprised dealers when he splashed some enormous amounts of cash. First he blew £150,000 on a hollow (yes, hollow!) white marble table and if you think that sounds extravagant you aint heard nothing yet as the film star then went on to order a rug made of aluminum, a couple of fancy chairs and a gold lacquer-coated Fiberglas sofa totaling £200,000. Do you think they saw him coming?

But what we really want to know is what did he buy for Ange? Well apparently he spent a meager £50k on some art for her, doesn't sound all that impressive now does it.

Google perluas pasaran ke Malaysia

2008-06-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

SYARIKAT enjin pencari Internet terkemuka di dunia, Google Inc kini dalam usaha melaksanakan kajian mengenai pasaran negara ini termasuk faktor bahasa, budaya dan gaya hidup serta tabiat pelayaran di kalangan pengguna Internet tempatan.

Naib Presiden dan Ketua Pegawai Internetnya, Vinton G Cerf berkata, syarikat itu masih meninjau peluang dan masa yang terbaik untuk meluaskan pasarannya ke negara ini.

“Pasaran Malaysia semakin penting kerana rakyat negara ini adalah pengguna terbesar kemudahannya di Asia Tenggara,” katanya yang turut dikenali 'bapa Internet'.

Katanya, tabiat pelayaran Internet pengguna berbeza dari satu negara ke negara lain kerana ia berkaitan dengan budaya, bahasa dan kepercayaan masing-masing.

“Kajian yang dilaksanakan penting kerana ia memberi kefahaman terhadap keperluan dan kemahuan pengguna Internet dan tabiat pelayaran mereka di negara ini yang menjadi penentu kejayaan Google,” katanya.

Cerf berkata, kaedah yang diguna pakai syarikat itu adalah tertakluk kepada sejauh mana organisasi terbabit memahami bahasa dan tabiat pengguna melayari Internet untuk memperoleh maklumat seterusnya menaikkan nama Google di pasaran.

“Google akan terus mengekalkan model perniagaannya yang menumpu kepada sektor pengiklanan untuk menjana pendapatan,” katanya.

Syarikat enjin carian Internet itu turut memiliki operasi di negara lain di Asia seperti China serta India dan sedang mencari peluang meluaskan aktiviti perniagaan khasnya di Asia Tenggara.

SEXIEST, HOTTEST HOTEL POOLS

2008-06-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

The Biltmore Hotel

Holding 700,000 gallons of water, the Biltmore is the largest hotel pool in the country, and often features Busby Berkeley-style water shows and high dive competitions. But tucked out of view into the palm trees that surround the pool are a slew of upscale cabanas -- private sunbathing areas with rain showers and dedicated butlers -- that can be reserved by the day or night.
(photo courtesy Biltmore Hotel)