not disappointed with all those memories... with all those oddities and beauties both in mankind and enviroments;
time stood still while it changes...
irony; ???
i⋅ro⋅ny; /ˈaɪrəni, ˈaɪər-/
[ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-]
an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected and the the incongruity of this,
objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc. et al btw like the vase & teapot ? sadly, they are there no more...
Thaksin's call for red-shirt uprising finds receptive ears
By Sopon OnkgaraThe NationPublished on March 31, 2009
THAKSIN Shinawatra's periodic phone-ins seem to have profoundly negative effects on the stability of the Democrat-led coalition. They began with tirades, then disclosures of internecine events relating to coup plots over two years ago. Whether the issues have become credible or otherwise, some people think the fugitive has gone too far.What can the government do as a counter-measure? So far, nobody seems to care much about the phone-ins and video links Thaksin uses to rouse his supporters all over the country, begging for them to rise against the Abhisit Cabinet. The Democrats have been traditionally regarded as very crafty in the blame game and smear campaigns. It is not so this time around. They have become politicians displaying gentlemanly conduct, standing on the high moral ground, shrugging off the guerrilla tactics used by their chief adversary in self-imposed exile. Thaksin's verbal salvos have hurt a lot of people in high places. He must have been trained well by his international media consultants, possibly the Baker Botts firm. Whatever he says, it will be enough to create "reasonable doubt" about his enemies. Obviously, his accusations stick. Now that red-shirted supporters of Thaksin have begun to gather in many provinces to demand dissolution of the House of Representatives or the resignation of the Democrat-led coalition, the venom of the fugitive's hard-charging tirades poses a political threat. It started in many provinces in the North yesterday, and surely will spread to the Northeast and other regions like wildfire. Who is to blame? The Democrats have got themselves in deep trouble after underestimating the real potential of Thaksin, and his huge war chest, to stir up dissent. The Democrats have been too slow in responding to Thaksin's challenge, failing to use the state-owned media as a retaliatory measure, especially against his disinformation and propaganda campaigns. Thaksin must be beaming over his success in creating a new political crisis for the Abhisit Cabinet. Had he known that his wild charges against the government would be so powerful, he would have made them long ago. Now that the Democrats feel the heat and are sweating, it is almost too late for their crisis response. By being complacent and allowing Thaksin's supporters to hold key positions, especially in the Public Relations Department, the police and other agencies, the Democrats have found the rude awakening with the rise of "red power" is their own fault. The Democrats have been cocky and overconfident since they gained power. Now, after 100 days in office, with their position seemingly impregnable, they have found that their real status is quite vulnerable. Thaksin will instigate his rural supporters to provoke the government into using force to quell their dissent, if not their rebellion. Abhisit leaves today for the G-20 summit meeting in London. While he expects to gain a higher profile on the international stage, he will be deeply perturbed by the ongoing crisis back home. He will face questions about the unsettled political situation. Doubts over his government's stability could even crop up. The immediate problem is how to do something that will shut Thaksin up, for good if possible. That might also be too late. His supporters would be even angrier, now that they have become addicted to the fugitive's moaning about unfair treatment and the call for insurrection.The protest rally in front of Government House also takes deeper root. The heat from the scorching sun has failed to drive them away. The rally thins during the day, but swells during the night, with several thousand people gathering to hear more verbal attacks against people in high places. Never before has the Privy Council, especially the president, judges and other respected figures, been lambasted by such crude words in public. Thaksin's cronies and goons have been doing so nightly. The public, especially the business sector, needs urgent reassurance from the government that the crisis is not getting out of hand. Intervention by the armed forces would be gleefully welcomed by Thaksin's cronies and supporters. It would allow them to rise in full force and Thaksin could either form a government in exile or ask for international assistance. The Democrats have got their backs to the wall. They will need more than crafty skills and scheming to get out of trouble. Thaksin has lit his fire of revolution. As a man with nothing to lose, he has burned his bridges while his adversaries feel the heat. Are we headed for a new crisis of unknown proportions? We will certainly know before Songkran day. It will not be fun this year.
Thaksin will go down in the history of Thailand as being the ablest of their many Prime Ministers but sadly through the hidden hands of the monarchy he is exiled and the people were silenced.
He was the one that brought Thailand back from the brink of bankruptcy but instead of being feted, and hailed as a hero, he was accused wanting to dispose the monarchy.He is too smart for that because instead of disposing the monarchy himself, the Crown Prince Vajialongkorn will do that himself when Rama 9 called it a day.Luckily for Thaksin, his grassroots supports remained strong and hopefully in the near future he will once again make his presence felt and the poorer section of the societies will reap the benefits of his guidance.
Above is the image of Phra Buddha Chinarat of Phitsanulok, reputably the best looking specimen in all of Thailand.
But I bet she is not as she is one excellent driver !!!!
What the world scares most are these women drivers....... Just wondering, why some of them still like to drive really big car instead of something small and easier to manuevre ?The question of status comes into being and in this late developement of human stage, anything that is bigger than your neighbours are supposed to be good and aphrodisiacal. You just can't beat the inner greed of a fellow homosapien....sigh.....
Party conferences are seldom thrilling but this week’s gathering of over 2,500 ruling-party faithful in Kuala Lumpur has the eyes of the nation upon it. For, as Umno goes, so goes the country.Since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957, Umno’s chosen leader has always become the country’s leader. This year the torch is passing from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the prime minister, to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his deputy, who is standing uncontested as Umno leader and due to be sworn in as Malaysia’s sixth prime minister next week. But his ascension to the top has its difficulties. A resurgent opposition is riding a wave of discontent as the country slides into recession. Some types of old-fashioned repression, like the decision to suspend two opposition newspapers, no longer work in a digital age. The party is widely seen as corrupt and self-serving. Its record on economic growth and maintaining order still attracts support from older Malaysians but counts for much less with younger voters. Everyone in Umno agrees that trouble lies ahead. Can it be averted? Najib talks of “massive changes”. But Malaysians have heard it all before, most recently in March 2008, after Umno’s dreadful showing in a parliamentary election. The spasm of introspection soon turned into a blame game and Abdullah was forced to say he would resign. The ensuing scramble for positions in Umno has done little to change a widespread view that the party has been in power too long. The only person willing to stand against Najib, the consummate insider, was Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a veteran outsider. Such a contest might have produced a debate about the party’s direction. Instead, Tengku Razaleigh’s candidacy was quashed by party chiefs. The underlying problem — for Umno and Malaysia — is, to use the favoured euphemism, “money politics”, meaning backhanders paid for public-sector contracts or, where Umno is concerned, seats at the high table. On March 17 the party’s disciplinary board said it had found 15 members guilty of money politics. They included Datuk Ali Rustam, chief minister of Malacca, who was campaigning to become deputy party leader. He was duly disqualified. Ali did not, however, step down as chief minister, nor is he facing criminal charges. Such episodes make talk of reform ring hollow. For all his fumbling, Abdullah seemed to recognise this. It is unclear whether anyone in the new ruling circle does.
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Malaysian's biggest political party is facing implosion/indigestion akin a very fat man taking a very big chunk of food and selfishly gobbling it eventhough that food is way past its expiry rate and the chorestrol level is skyrocketing but being such a glutton it is impossible to let go.It had to comsume due to the crumbs that are dropping to feed the parasites that have congregate around it. Imagine Jabb The Hutt with his coterie of parasites and that is the visual UMNO !!!
In honor of the 36 gold medals won by the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Fourth-Place Medal presents 36 interesting facts about the overall medal count:
1) China won the most gold medals at the Beijing Games with 51. They become the first country to crack the 50-gold mark since the Soviet Union in 1988. The most golds ever won in a single Olympics is 83 (United States, 1984).
2) It's the first time since 1936 that a country other than the United States or the Soviet Union has led the medal count.
3) China won more golds in Beijing (51) than they did total medals in Atlanta (50).
4) 'Project 119' was a Chinese initiative designed toward winning golds in the medal-rich sports of swimming, track, rowing, kayaking and sailing. Reports are already crediting Project 119 with China's dominance in the gold medal count, but Chinese athletes won just four golds in those sports. Their total was instead augmented by even better performances in Chinese-dominated events like diving, gymnastics and table tennis.
5) The United States won the same amount of golds (36) that they did in Athens, continuing a remarkable consistency that the nation has exhibited over the past half-century. American Olympic gold totals since 1952: 40, 32, 34, 36, 45, 33, 34, 83, 36, 37, 44, 38, 36 and 36. (The outlier of 83 was from the boycotted 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.)
6) The overall medal count was won by the United States for the fourth consecutive Olympics. The U.S. earned 110 medals, compared to China's 100.
7) Per capita, China won one gold medal for every 25 million people in the country. The United States' per capita rate was one gold for every 8.5 million. The tiny island nation of Jamaica, which won a staggering six golds in Beijing, had a per capita rate of one gold for every 450,000 residents. Had China won at that rate, the country would have earned 2,889 golds.
8) Greece won 16 medals as the host country in 2004. Four years later, the founders of the Olympics managed just four -- their lowest total since 1992.
9) African countries won a total of 40 medals, the highest total in history for the continent.
10) Six countries won their first ever Olympic medals: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Mauritius, Sudan, Tajikistan and Togo.
11) Great Britain won 47 medals, the most in their history and a 17-medal increase from Athens. Expect an even higher total in 2012, when the Games will be held in London for the first time in 68 years. The last time Great Britain competed in a Summer Olympics on its home turf, they earned a disappointing three golds.
12) India has 17% of the world's population. They won 0.31% of Olympic medals.
13) China: 19.8% of population, 10.4% of medals.
14) United States: 4.6% of population, 11.5% medals.
15) Jamaica: 0.041% of population, 1.15% medals.
16) Iceland was the least populous country to win an Olympic medal.
17) Pakistan was the most populous country not to win an Olympic medal (164 million residents, sixth-largest nation in the world).
18) Michael Phelps would have finished tied for 9th in the gold medal count, ahead of countries including France, Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Switzerland, Brazil and Mexico.
19) The rest of the world won seven golds in men's swimming events. Phelps, of course, won eight.
20) The United States won the most golds (7) and most total medals in the track competition (23), despite having what was widely considered a disappointing meet.
21) More proof that boxing is dead in the United States: the country earned just one medal (a bronze) in the 12 boxing events. Even after three straight disappointing boxing performances at the Summer Games, the U.S. has still won the most Olympic boxing medals (109) in history.
22) China won 8 out of 12 possible medals in table tennis and 7 of 8 possible golds in diving.
23) Great Britain won 7 of 10 golds in track cycling and won 12 medals overall. The rest of the world earned 18 medals in the sport.
25) Sweden had the best medal tally (4 silver, 1 bronze) without winning a gold.
26) Armenia won 6 bronze medals, but no gold or silver ones.
27) Speaking of former Soviet states, members of the former Soviet Union won a total of 173 medals in Beijing.
28) In 1992, Cuba finished 5th in the gold medal count. In 2008, the nation finished 28th.
29) From 1980 to 2008, Jamaica won three Olympic golds. In a span of six days in Beijing, Usain Bolt won three.
30) Sweden was a fixture in the top-three of the overall medal count for the early part of the 20th century. In Beijing, the Scandinavian country finished 38th and was shut-out in golds for just the second time in history.
31) Panama and Mongolia won the first gold medals in their respective histories.
32) China won 27 gold medals in judged sports.
33) The United States won 4 gold medals in judged sports.
34) China's "real" medal tally was 24/17/14/55.
35) The "real" medal tally for the United States: 32/31/27/80.
36) In all, 958 medals were handed out to athletes from 87 countries, the most medals and medal receipients in Olympic history.
Are Malaysians seeing the start of the Najib crackdown from events of the past week? These developments include: 16.3.09: DAP MP for Puchong Gobind Singh Deo suspended for one year in “kangaroo court” proceeding in Parliament without parliamentary pay and privileges for asking the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak whether he was involved in the murder case of Mongolian Altantuya Shariibuu. 17.3.09: DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Gelugor Karpal Singh charged under the Sedition Act 1948 for stating that a State Ruler can be brought to court in their official and personal capacities under the Constitution. 18.3.09: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) showed utter contempt for the doctrine of separation of powers and continued harassment of the Perak State Assembly Committee of Privileges chaired by Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar for suspending usurper Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir and his illegitimate six exco members from the assembly, by subjecting the committee members to questioning for the offence of corruption in misusing their powers. 23.3.09: Unreasonable and undemocratic three-month suspension of PAS’ Harakah and PKR’s Suara Keadilan; 23.3.09: Indiscriminate police firing of tear gas and chemical-lacked water on 5,000-people ceramah at Bukit Selambau, Kedah minutes after Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took the podium. Since the unethical, undemocratic, illegal and constitutional power grab in Perak on 5th February 2009, personally orchestrated by Najib, the PM-in-waiting has confirmed the worst fears that his ascension as the sixth Prime Minister would see a return of Mahathirism and a Najib crackdown. Media reports of the parliamentary debate on the Witness Protection Bill yesterday have been sanitized to remove all reference to questions about Najib’s suitability, integrity and legitimacy to become the new Prime Minister, so long as he is not prepared to take the necessary actions to clear all doubts haunting and hounding him, whether about mega defence deal commissions, the Altantuya Shariibuu murder case or the undemocratic, unethical, illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak. During the debate, I referred to the spate of adverse international media reports about Najib’s coming ascension - in London Sunday Times on Sunday, Paris Liberation last week, as well as in Thailand and Australia - questioned the seriousness and the political will in the purported reform to root out corruption (of which the Protection of Witness Bill is part of the package), the disappearance of private investigator Bala Subramaniam after two statutory declarations highly detrimental to Najib’s reputation and integrity, and the urgent need for Najib to respond frontally to the many swirling allegations dogging him by establishing a Royal Commission of Inquiry to vindicate his innocence, as he had claimed. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz avoided all these burning issues with the stance that they were totally irrelevant to the Bill. Who is really being protected - Najib?
pinched from YB LIM'S BLOG
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Najib will possibly goes down in Malaysian's history as the shortest reigning PM ever, shorter than even his EVIL FATHER Tun Abdul Razak. We will watch with glee now as his once assured world starts stumbling and his bad karma will do him in.He possibly will have to pay dearly for all the sins commited by him and his father. Karma's a BITCH and we will just let the law of nature takes its course. Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy the show and be a schadenfreude and the best part is when he suffers, we will feel better.
A FRENCH arms company is at the centre of a deepening scandal involving the sale of three submarines, the murder of a beautiful Mongolian interpreter and the man most likely to become prime minister of Malaysia next month.
All three have been linked in a sensational sequence of revelations that has convinced many Malaysians that the woman was killed to silence her claim for a share in the rewards of the transaction.
The scandal exploded last week after French newspaper Liberation alleged the submarines deal and the murder of Altantuya Shariibuu, 28, were connected.
Model's jungle death linked to arms deal 06:00 AEST Tue Mar 24 2009 16 hours 57 minutes ago By ninemsn staff Mar 24, 2009 The murder of a stunning Mongolian model who moved within Malaysian political circles has been linked to an international arms deal. Asian beauty Altantuya Shariibuu, 28, who was shot and then blown up with explosives in 2006, may have been killed to silence her demands for a share in arms profits, UK newspaper The Times reports. The scandal erupted last week after French media alleged that the arms deal — involving three submarines sold to the Malaysian government — and the murder of Ms Shariibuu were connected. The glamorous Ms Shariibuu grew up in St Petersburg, spoke Russian, Chinese, Korean and English and has been dubbed "a Far Eastern Mata Hari". She moved in elite circles and was the mistress of a political aide to Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak. Ms Shariibuu's fragmented remains, which could only be identified forensically, were found in the Malaysian jungle in 2006. Her body had been blown up with military explosives but it has been established she died from bullet wounds. Two members of an elite Malaysian police unit that protects top politicians are now on trial for her murder in Kuala Lumpur, with a verdict expected next month. But there are also allegations that Ms Shariibuu was trying to extort money from her lover Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of Mr Razak, at the time of her violent murder. Officially, Mr Baginda has been cleared of any involvement in his model girlfriend's murder, but questions have been raised in Malaysia's parliament accusing him and his political boss Mr Razak of being involved in the killing, The Times reports. Mr Razak was the country's defence minister at the time French warship firm DCNS Armaris sold the three submarines to Malaysia in 2002 for $1.96 billion. French newspaper Liberation last week published details of a $223 million payment made to a Malaysian company called Perimekar in 2006, which opposition leaders alleged in parliament was a "commission" for intermediaries involved in the arms deal and that Perimekar was secretly owned by Mr Baginda. Mr Razak has denied the payment was a commission and said that Perimekar was a "project services provider". Liberation claims that Ms Shariibuu learnt of the payment and was demanding her share of the profits when she was brutally killed.
HOPEFULLY ALTANTUYA'S GHOST WILL HAUNT HER KILLER/S AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR HER DEATH.
SHE WILL BE REMEMBERED BY MALAYSIANS OF ALL WALKS AND LIVES.
SHE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR BEING THE CATALYST THAT LET TO THE DISMEMBERMENT OF THE HATED UMNO PARTY.
Here are some links:Arms deal link to death of model - TIMES ONLINE UK Arms deal scam: Death of model rocks Malaysia - The Times of IndiaMurder of 'Far Eastern Mata Hari' linked to Malaysia's PM-in-waiting - The Australian The Altantuya Shaaribuu Case: How and why she was killed - The Nation, Thailand. Model's jungle death linked to arms deal - 9 NEWS, Australia Malaysiakini report entitled 'PM Najib': Int'l media's underwhelming reception' says it all. From London and Paris to Jakarta and Brisbane, notable publications have cast doubts on the Najib Abdul Razak’s worthiness for the PM’s office. It is safe to say that no prime ministerial succession – we have had five in the last 38 years – has had as underwhelming a reception in the international media as Najib’s. Read more at: http://takenotetakeheart.blogspot.com/2009/03/altantuya-it-is-everywhere.html
RUNNING SCARED !!!! The Malaysian Government is digging its own grave and writing its own obituary !!! The FRU are at it again.
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http://mt.m2day.org/2008/ By Shannon Teoh SUNGAI PETANI, March 23 — Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) forces fired tear gas and used water cannons tonight on thousands gathered at a ceramah in Bukit Selambau just as Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was beginning his speech. At about 10pm, the FRU engaged the crowd gathered in an open field in front of a shophouse that is being used by PKR as its operation centre for the April 7 by-election. The opposition leader and other Pakatan Rakyat leaders were holed up in the operation centre until nearly 11pm as police continued breaking up the crowd outside. According to PKR’s Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, those arrested include fellow party member Zamri Yusuf who is a Senator from Kedah and Anwar’s chief of staff Ibrahim Yaacob. He added that the crowd of thousands dispersed into nearby housing areas with the FRU giving chase as they continued to fire tear gas. Others arrested include aides to Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak and S Manikumar, the candidate for the Bukit Selambau by-elections. According to PKR party workers, about 50 people were detained and taken to the police headquarters in Kuala Muda. “I am so angry that the FRU used water cannons and tear gas on 5,000 people gathered to hear DSAI speak,” Dr Jeyakumar stated. He also told The Malaysian Insider that there were rumours that the authorities wanted to detain the PKR de facto leader. Other PKR sources have also told The Malaysian Insider of such rumours since last week when Anwar first hit the campaign trail for the three simultaneous by-elections in Bukit Selambau, Bukit Gantang and Batang Ai. Anwar did however manage to leave the scene after 11pm after being escorted by his security personnel to his car. Jeyakumar also said that many were injured in the attack as the crowd were ambushed from the back. The police and FRU also dismantled the tents, confiscated the rostrum and all the PA equipment from the site.
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The Star:
SUNGAI PETANI: Police fired water cannons and tear gas to disperse a large crowd that had gathered at a PKR ceramah at Taman Ria Jaya here last night. It was learnt that the ceramah did not have a police permit. Kedah PKR chairman Ahmad Kassim said police arrested 18 people including Senator Zambri Yusof, the former Kedah PKR chairman, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s special assistant Ibrahim Yaacob as well as one of Anwar’s bodyguards. Police moved in with water cannons and tear gas after Anwar started speaking at the event at 9.50pm. Anwar was there to launch the Kedah Wanita PKR operations centre for the Bukit Selambau by-election, which will be held on April 7. Eye-witnesses said the rowdy crowd threw water bottles and other items at the police with some hurling abusive words
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Tindakan ini bermakna kedua-dua media ini tidak boleh membuat sebarang liputan terhadap peralihan kuasa dari Datuk Seri Abdullah kepada Perdana Menteri baru hujung Mac ini. Siasah Newspaper: Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) hari ini menggantung permit suara rasmi PAS, Harakah dan suara rasmi PKR, Suara Keadilan masing-masing selama tiga bulan berkuatkuasa serta-merta.Surat arahan yang dikeluarkan oleh Setiausaha bahagian Unit Kawalan Penerbitan dan Teks Al-Quran KDN Che Din Yusoh itu tidak memberi sebarang alasan tindakan tersebut.Arahan itu telah difaks kepada pejabat Harakah dan pejabat PKR hari ini.Surat kepada Suara Keadilan dialamatkan kepada Presiden PKR, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail dan difaxkan kira-kira 5 petang ini yang berkuatkuasa serta-merta."Dukacita dimaklumkan bahawa kementerian ini telah membuat keputusan untuk menggantung permit penerbitan akhbar Suara Keadilan selama tempoh tiga (3) bulan berkuatkuasa serta-merta," surat KDN kepada PKR dipetik.Tindakan ini bermakna kedua-dua media ini tidak boleh membuat sebarang liputan terhadap peralihan kuasa dari Datuk Seri Abdullah kepada Perdana Menteri baru hujung Mac ini.Turut terlepas adalah pilihan raya di Batang Ai, Bukit Gantang dan Bukit Selambau 7 April nanti. Isu terakhir Harakah menyiarkan di muka depannya tentang kuasa Yang Dipertuan Agung untuk melantik orang lain dari bakal presiden Umno, Datuk Seri Najib sebagai PM.Suara Keadilan juga membuat berita mengenai perkara yang sama iaitu Abdullah akan kekal sebagai PM.Sejak kebelangan ini Harakah dan Suara Keadilan sering dirampas di merata-rata tempat oleh KDN dengan alasan dijual di kedai-kedai akhbar sedangkan syarat telah ditetapkan ia boleh dijual kepada ahli sahaja.Sebelum mendapat permit dari KDN tahun lalu, Suara Keadilan telah sekian lama berada di pasaran tanpa sebarang permit.Harakah pula mula mendapat kembali permit dua kali seminggunya tahun lalu selepas kuasa dua pertiga BN hilang dalam Dewan Rakyat di samping kehilangan lima buah negeri kepada Pakatan Rakyat.Sejak Mac 2000 permit Harakah telah dijadikan dua kali sebulan berbanding dua kali seminggu sebelum itu.
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OPPOSITION NEWSPAPERS ARE BANNED
FREE SPEECH ARE BANNED
BUT THE RAPE AND PILLAGE CONTINUES...... The people will rise up and all these GESTAPOS will be put on trials for crimes against the people.History has shown us that eventually the people will be the judges.These Gestapos and Kempeitais survived so far as the people are reluctant too mild-mannered to show their anger overtly but with the brutalities that had been dished out on the people, an uprising is just a matter of "WHEN" and not "IF". The government of the day has run out of ideas in how to adminster the country and has resorted to high-handed tactics in the hope of quashing all oppositions. FAT HOPE indeed !!!! The anger and despair of the people will peak and hell will breaks loose but the coming generations will be thankful that a stand was made on their behalf in the country's hour of need in salvation.
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By Anwar Ibrahim Malaysia menyaksikan satu lagi kitaran kekerasan dan penindasan dibawah penguasaan Najib Razak. Belumpun secara rasmi dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri, beliau sudah pun sanggup bertindak keras dan zalim ke atas rakyat. Semalam, perhimpunan yang dihadiri 10,000 rakyat terdiri daripada pelbagai bangsa, telah dihujani dengan tembakan gas pemedih mata serta semburan air kimia oleh pihak polis. Kejadian tercetus hanya selepas beberapa minit saya memulakan ucapan diBukit Selambau. Dalam suasana gawat tersebut beberapa orang telah ditahan termasuk Ketua Staff Pejabat saya dan beberapa Ahli Parlimen serta seorang pegawai kanan Menteri Besar Kedah. Bagi menghalalkan tindakan zalim serta pencabulan hak rakyat malam tadi, pihak berkuasa telah mengistiharkan perhimpunan tersebut sebagai haram. Jelas ianya satu pencabulan undang-undang dimana perhimpunan tersebut telah diadakan di dalam kawasan milik persendirian. Malam semalam kerajaan yang kini di bawah pengaruh Najib Razak telah menggunakan kuasa kuku besi bagi menyekat kebebasan dan hak rakyat. Semalam juga “Suara Keadilan” dan “Harakah” telah digantung permitnya oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri tanpa alasan yang jelas. Apa yang berlaku mutakhir ini mengingatkan kita kepada sikap dan ciri pemerintahan zalim yang pernah diamalkan beberapa tahun yang lalu, di mana pasukan polis bertindak seumpama gerombolan penceroboh. Media pula terus ditekan dan sesiapa yang ingin menyuarakan ketidakpuasan hati mereka disekat kebebasannya daripada melaporkan kebenaran melalui ugutan penahanan dan sebagainya. Institusi pentadbiran negara dijalankan dengan cara melanggar garis sempadan undang-undang oleh mereka yang berkepentingan demi mempertahankan kekuasaannya.Sekiranya negara kembali ke era tersebut, ianya akan menyebabkan kemusnahan ke atas negara dan masyarakat antarabangsa pula akan mengecam tindakan zalim tersebut. Ini juga jelas menunjukkan bahawa tawaran untuk berkerjasama itu adalah merupakan helah Najib semata-mata. Dua minggu lagi Malaysia sekali lagi berdepan dengan 3 pilihanraya kecil. Buat pertama kalinya kesemua pilihanraya kecil itu dijalankan serentak, penipuan dan pengundi hantu akan diupah oleh kerajaan UMNO-BN bagi menewaskan gagasan pembangkang. Namun demikian, kita tetap yakin bahawa rakyat Malaysia akan menyertai referendum ini,sama seperti yang telah ditunjukkan diPermatang pauh dan Kuala Terengganu dimana rakyat menolak penindasan yang diamalkan kerajaan sekarang. Gerakan perubahan kearah pembaharuan di Malaysia akan terus mara kehadapan dan menemui kejayaan ANWAR IBRAHIM KETUA PEMBANGKANG
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—PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— 24th Mac 2009 A phase of repression descended on Malaysia as Najib Razak seizes control of the reins of power, even before officially taking over as Prime Minister, and unleashes his brutality and violence on the people. Last night, a rally of about 10,000 people from all races was mercilessly attacked by the police with tear gas and acid-laced water cannon minutes after I began my speech in Bukit Selambau. Scores of people were arrested including my chief of staff, MPs, and senior aides to the Chief Minister of Kedah. To justify their iron hand tactics and blatant violation of the people’s fundamental liberties, the police have claimed that the rally was illegal. These are baseless claims as the event took place on private property and adhered to the rules. Last night’s show of brute force is but the latest in a series of harsh and dictatorial action by the government under Najib against the people. Also yesterday Suara Keadilan and Harakah were banned by the Home Ministry without any justification. These events only too starkly remind us of the cruel and authoritarian style of leadership under which Malaysians suffered for many years. The police force has become a band of marauders. The press is muzzled and those who speak the truth about the abuses carried out by the ruling clique are arrested, beaten and bullied. The institutions of governance serve the interests of an elite clique which will exceed all boundaries of the law to retain power. A return to that era would be a disaster for this country and people of conscience around the world should condemn these unscrupulous actions. It is quite clear that despite his superficial offers for cooperation and bipartisanship, the olive branch which Najib Razak extended to the opposition early this month is really a dagger in disguise. In two weeks Malaysians will once again return to the polls in three important by-elections. Once again all forms of trickery, cheating and bribery will be employed by the UMNO led BN government in order to defeat the opposition. But we are confident that Malaysians will register a referendum, much like they already have done in Kuala Terengganu and in Permatang Pauh, against the brutal and inhumane policies of the government. The movement for change and reform in Malaysia will push forward and will succeed. ANWAR IBRAHIM HEAD OF OPPOSITION
25 Surprising Things That Google Knows About You 10 Mar Posted by: Site Administrator in: Personal Security By Courtney Phillips Google is the go-to provider of many things online-search, email, maps, and more. But have you ever stopped to consider all of the information you’re sharing with Google? Read on, and find out all of the dirt that Google has on you. 1)What you’re searching for: Google is used by millions of people worldwide-and they know what every user is searching for, even if it’s not personally identifiable. 2)The web pages you visit: Google AdSense is used by many web pages for online advertising, and Google’s cookies record your visits to web pages with their ad program on them. 3)The blogs you read: If you use Google Reader, Google knows the blogs you subscribe to. Even if you’re not on Google Reader, Google knows all of the Blogger pages you visit. 4)Your financial information: Users of AdSense and/or Google Checkout share financial information, addresses, and other personal information with Google. 5)The strength and popularity of your website or blog: For users of Google Analytics, Google knows what sites you control, how they are doing, and their trends. 6)Who and what you’re emailing: GMail users, and those who send mail to GMail users share a variety of personal and business information with Google. 7)What’s on your PC: If you’re using Google Desktop, Google knows everything that you keep on your computer. 8)Your research paper, bills, upcoming blog post, etc.: Docs and Spreadsheets are great web-based office tools, but using them means exposing the information in your documents to Google. 9)Your schedule: Google Calendar opens your personal and business schedule up to the prying eyes of Google. 10)Your social network and interests: Google indexes sites like Orkut, Facebook, and Digg, and as such, has access to information about what you’re interested in online. 11)When you’re going to get the flu: Google can track flu related searches to find out where and when the flu happens. 12)Where you and your friends are: Using Google Latitude, cell phone users can share their location with others. Even if you’re not using Latitude, Google Maps for mobile can approximate your location. 13)What you’re watching on YouTube: Google owns YouTube, and knows about all the dirty videos you’ve been watching. 14)What and where you study: Google Books, Scholar, and University Search are tools that can reveal your academic life online. 15)Everything you’re looking at online: Users of the browser Google Chrome allow Google to see all of the web pages they are visiting. 16)Your problems: Asking a question or giving an answer on Google Answers will reveal your problems and personal life to Google. 17)Your medical issues: Do you use Google Health? If so, you’re sharing your entire medical history with Google. 18)Your home address: Use Google Maps, AdSense, or Checkout, and there’s a good chance Google has your home address. 19)Mobile number: On SMS, Google Mobile, and Gmail, you can reveal your mobile number to Google. 20)How your voice sounds: Using Google Talk will share the sound of your voice with Google. 21)What you, your friends and family look like and do: With the photo editor Picasa, you’re revealing your photographs, friends, and moments to Google. 22)Everything you do online: Google Secure Access encrypts your data, so everything you’re doing online is recordable. 23)What you want to buy and have bought: Product search and Catalog search can reveal what you’re buying and shopping for. 24)What your business is about: Keywords and purchasing patterns on Adwords share information about your business with Google. 25)What’s important to you: If you’ve set up Google Alerts, Google knows all of the things that are most important for you to know about online.
HER eyes gleam for a moment under her dark lashes and her voice hardens.
Valentane Huang says she doesn't care what people think, and it's difficult not to believe her.While others may be more circumspect, the 25-year-old Miss Singapore World 2008 finalist coolly reveals that she has had 50 boyfriends.She has been dating for just over 10years, since she was 14.'That's just five in a year - about one every two months - not too much,' she added.It is all part of growing up, she said. There is gossip. But she pays no attention, she said.At first glance, hers seems the typical story of a spoilt little rich girl who played a bit too hard.Valentane, or Val as she prefers to be called, said she works as a logistics manager in her father's company. And she wasn't hiding her wealth.She looked immaculately groomed. A Yves St Laurent chain dangled from her Samsung handphone. Her car key unlocked a black Mercedes S300, which was her ride on Wednesday, when she met The New Paper on Sunday.She pulled back her sweater to show this reporter a gold Rolex she said was worth $30,000. A gift from her father.At home, she claimed she has two more Mercedes-Benz cars. She would have driven the convertible, but she had come from the office, and her father - the boss of a property company here - considers it 'inappropriate for work'.
TROUBLE AT HOME
Growing up, she had everything, materially. But her childhood wasn't exactly idyllic.Her parents divorced when she was 9, having separated three years earlier. And she felt 'glad' at first.When they were married, her parents were strict, the sort who would put her and her three siblings through lessons - ballet and piano in her case. (She dropped ballet because she was too chubby).'Then, suddenly, freedom,' she said.And loneliness.The family was big but each member lived his or her own life, she said.Her older sister was taken care of by her grandparents. Her older brother by a nanny. Her parents divorced shortly after her younger sister's birth.Only Valentane was looked after by both parents, at least for a while.She has lived in two worlds. One is her father's Bukit Timah three-storey house; the other, her mother's Clementi four-room HDB flat.Her mother had walked out on her father and the life of a rich tai-tai for reasons Valentane said she couldn't understand at first. (Valentane did not say what they were, but she said they did not include adultery.)As a 12-year-old she said she chose and registered herself in secondary school and bought her own books.She said she deliberately chose a secondary school which she thought had a poor reputation, as a cry for attention.Her mum said go ahead. Her father simply rolled his eyes, she said.Then there was the time she picked up a cigarette and smoked in front of her dad. His reaction?He recommended a better brand.'Dad tends to spoil us so long as we don't disgrace him or bring him a bad reputation in a major way,' she said.Her father was aware of all her boyfriends. She said he didn't mind as long as she didn't get pregnant.She said the vast majority of her relationships, many of which lasted three months to half a year, were non-sexual. Most of the men she didn't even allow a kiss on her cheek, she claimed.'I'm not saying I'm a virgin. I'm just saying I did not have sex with most of them.'One-night stands are definitely out. 'That's so degrading!' she yelped.Her record is five boyfriends at the same time - but she said it was just 'dating' and all five were aware she was not 'exclusive'.Not all her boyfriends liked that.The craziest case was an architect. He was 27, and she was 17 or 18. He had asked her if he was the only one. She said no.He wasn't even one of her favourites, she told him.He snapped and started stalking her.She claimed she had to call the police, and get a restraining order on him.'I learnt that I cannot be too honest with guys,' she said.She declined to put us in touch with any of her former boyfriends.After we asked to speak to one of her family members, a woman, who said she was her mother, called us.She identified herself as Madam Huang, 53, a manager at a Chinese restaurant, and said Valentane had taken her surname after the divorce.About her daughter's many romances, she said in crisp Mandarin: 'I know she has had a number of boyfriends. She talks to me about them sometimes.'But I know she's independent and strong-willed and she knows how to take care of herself. I have a lot of confidence with her.'If she is not happy in a relationship, she'll leave.'Valentane said most of her boyfriends were upper class, country-club types, children of rich parents, like her. Lawyers, architects, doctors and so on.She said she keeps most of the presents she gets from boyfriends, including a gem-encrusted Rolex watch, but she claimed she returned an unlimited Amex credit card without spending a cent on it - and a Mercedes.The three she has were bought with her own, or her father's money, she claimed.She has also dated guys who are not as well-off. But it never works out, though she's not a 'typical pampered rich spoilt snob'.She knows Spanish but the language she is most comfortable with is Hokkien. As a logistics manager, she spends a lot of time with drivers and that is their language.She was wearing a $25 top and said she sometimes shops at This Fashion.
EGO ISSUES
The problem is the men's egos. She remembered how poorer boyfriends would refuse to take her convertible, even when she offered to let them drive.After one refusal, she remembered she told the guy she was not getting into his small car either.So they took a taxi.Valentane has been single for a year. 'No dating, no boyfriend, no side dating, nothing,' she said.The reason? She just ended a relationship of four years, with a lawyer - her Number 50.'He was my only exclusive boyfriend. For him I dumped all others,' she said.She said they broke up because he cheated on her five times.'What goes around comes around I suppose,' she said, almost wistfully, laughing.
I joined beauty contest because...
'IT'S kind of a shallow reason,' said Valentane Huang when asked why she joined beauty pageants.It was - you guessed it - because of a boyfriend.This one used to boast about dating models, pageant winners, actresses and Valentane said she was the only one who wasn't 'famous' in this area.One day, as a joke, she told him maybe she might win a pageant someday too.'So go ahead and prove it to me,' she recalled him saying.So she went and took part in Miss Singapore Chinatown last November and got into the final five.The 1.7m-tall Valentane, who has modelled part-time since she was 14, decided to join the bigger Miss Singapore World in March.Miss Singapore Chinatown didn't give her a great sense of accomplishment as it was only competing among the Chinese, she said, while Miss Singapore World is multiracial.What does her father think of her participation?'Not encouraging but not discouraging either,' she said.She didn't even tell him - or colleagues, friends and other family members - that she was taking part.He got wind of it only when Lianhe Wanbao ran a story on her and he only brought it up briefly, she said.She recalled how, during the preview shows, the parents and friends of other contestants would shout their support, but when she went on stage it was very quiet.
One forumer described her succinctly;
This kind of girl with 50 boyfriends, or even more, is simply playing hard to catch. She treats males like toys. Just like how playboys treat girls like toys. The only diff is what she said she didn't have sex with most of them. This I do believe, because such girls are not "any riders". They are built in a more complex way than males. Playboys are "any riders". kekekkekekeBut this kind of people will fall when one day they really fall in love with someone. They love challenges. Because the 50 boyfriends to her is like a target or a challenge. If you like her and take initiative, she wouldn't bat her eyelid. Probably you can be her boyfriend, only just for a while. When the excitement goes, there goes. You can start looking for another one.She is the kind where if she takes a fancy on any guy, she will take initiative, and this kind of people will fall when the guy bo chup (cannot be too bothered) with her. That is the kind of challenge that she will look out for. They don't like fish on platter, they like to fish for their food. The harder it is, the more excitement. You can be poor, no car, but if she takes a fancy at you and you cannot be bothered with her, she will start to stick to you like glue. Because she always gets her way, gets what she wanted. If the man is hard to get, she will start to stumble.
Poor little rich girl sure missed out on a lot of love.
I'm often asked about Thai women and to be perfectly honest, it gets rather tiresome
reading the same misconceptions over and over again on countless websites, forums and blogs, most of which are perpetuated by clueless bar stool expats or 2 week holiday experts. If you're smart enough to be using a computer to find this article, you should be smart enough to think for yourself and put aside what you think you know. Here I will address some of the most common and absurd statements made about Thai girls...
'Thai girls have no interest in Thai men and are desperate to find a Foreign Romeo"
Nonsense. If you saw some of the aged losers that live in Thailand and embarrass us all, you'd be asking why on Earth Thai girls would have any interest in us foreigners in the first place, compared to our snake hipped Thai male counterparts. While there may be a nugget of truth to the concept that Thai men are a bit old fashioned and chauvinistic, there sure are plenty of good guys with lovely wives and you wouldn't have a chance with their womenfolk. If you believe what you hear the bar girls tell you ('Thai man no good')... then marry a bar girl.
It's worth a paragraph here to talk about high society girls in Thailand.
The gulf between rich and poor in this country is huge, there is no other way to describe it. If you think you're some kind of rich guy in a poor country with your million Baht of savings, think again. The Thai elites are fabulously rich, more so than most wealthy foreigners If you find yourself knocking around with a hi-so girl and have dreams of romance and marriage, you'd better be ready for the family. Generally speaking, you would not be immediately welcomed by the family as a foreigner and it's possible they'll be preventing the relationship, that's if they even know about you... it's also just as likely you'll be kept a secret from the parents, as she's knows very well their reaction could be negative. High society families will often expect their children to marry a Thai and a rich one at that. However, let's be optimistic and your proposal of marriage is accepted, are you ready for the enormous Sin Sodt (dowry) you will likely be required to pay? Millions of Baht could be asked for. In Thai culture, you have to show you are suitable marriage material in terms of wealth and social class and you can be sure of having to pay a handsome sum of money if you're to marry into a wealthy family... are here lies another myth, that you can whoosh any Thai girl off her feet with what you think are your good looks and overseas salary. Hi-so Thais are rich beyond your wildest dreams, be in no doubt about that.
'You can approach any Thai woman and pay her some money for sex'
This is probably the biggest clanger of them all, usually propagated by working class idiots in the West, who only spent a two week holiday in Pattaya. In truth, if you we're to offer a non bar girl money for sex, it's more likely she'll call the police and have you arrested. You won't make any friends in Thailand by spreading such nonsense. Contrary to what certain types of tourist think, it is also NOT acceptable to touch or grope a Thai girl in a public place and doing so will get you into hot water... (See Idiot Foreigners).
'Thai girls love money... They'll bleed you dry if you're not careful'
It's unfortunate for newbie arrivals in Thailand, that they will often seek advice from the wrong people, usually some crusty old sexpat who's been there, seen it and done it all in Thailand (according to him). In fact, it's more likely he's taken zero interest in his environment, except for his narrow tunnel vision view of Pattaya or Sukhumvit and only sees ordinary Thais when they walk past the entrance to the beer bar he spends his life in. He probably can't even communicate in Thai, although he'll claim his handful of well rehearsed standard Thai catchphrases makes him fluent... and then Khun Newbie sits at the next bar stool for a beer and listens to the exaggerated stories of how Thai girls robbed him blind etc etc.
In fact, all countries have their fair share of Gold diggers, including Thailand... but in truth, most stories of lost fortunes come from silly old fools that married a girl from a bar without even getting to know them first. It's truly amazing how many foreigners are trawling the bars in search of a wife and like many short cuts, there is a price to pay. If you want to find the sweet, wholesome girl of your dreams, stay away from the bars. Learn to speak Thai. Stay in Thailand for a long time, giving you the opportunity to meet the right girl and get to know her... but you knew that already, didn't you?
If you spend your life in Farang bars with sexpats and prostitutes, you'll never advance yourself in this country and you'll always be clueless. A good Thai girl will always be looking out for your best interests and taking good care with money. Leave these stupid myths with the morons in the bars.
'You can find a wife in a day in Thailand... they're desperate to marry you!'
Why on Earth would you believe this rubbish?
For a start, the culture gap is vast, truly vast. If you think you can come to Thailand for a short break and find a suitable mate in 2 weeks, you need your head examining. Failing to appreciate the fact that you know NOTHING about Thai girls and the way their heads are wired up is pure folly and your heading for trouble and heartache.
Most foreign men think the girls here are just sexy little versions of the girls back home. Of course, Thailand is different in just about every way imaginable, including the people, their attitudes to relationships, morality, loyalty, money, sex... you name it, they have their own way of thinking, period. To a lot of Thai girls, a lie is just a different shade of the truth. That doesn't mean they're all liars, of course not, just an example of how different the mindset can be.
What does all this mean... simple, you're just not going to learn about all of this in a day. You need to spend years on the ground in Thailand, living with Thais, dating your girlfriend, learning about the culture etc before you are going to have any hope of coping with the culture shock of having a Thai wife.
The "dude" craze began in New York City in 1883. The figure had existed before under different names, such as "swell" and "dandy" and "fop" and "masher." Oscar Wilde's 1881 trip to the United States further popularized this personage. The origins of the word (Yankee doodle? duds?) are uncertain, but the popularization of "dude" is clear. I examined the "dude" in depth in the October 1993 issue of Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology. The "dude" still survives today in the New Yorker figure of Eustace Tilley. The word "dude" has undergone many changes. I discovered the following poem that really started it all. 14 January 1883, New York World, page 9:
The True Origin and History of "The Dude" [The following "poem," somewhat inscrutable by THE WORLD is published as of probably interest, "to whom it may concern," like A. Lincoln's Niagara letter to Horace Greeley]:
DUDE AKA DODO
Long years ago, in ages crude, Before there was a modern Oh! There lived a bird, they called a "Dude," Resembling much the "Dodo."
Its stupid airs and vanity Made other birds explode, so They christened it in charity First cousin to the "Dodo."
It plumed itself in foreign plumes, And thought home products no=no For idiocy it ranked with "Lunes," And hence surpassed the "Dodo."
When Darwin's theory first saw light, "The Dude" he tried to think of, But monkeys being far more bright, He made the missing link of.
Not lately in this hemisphere, Through some amalgamation, A flock of Dudes, I greatly fear, Are added to our nation.
In form and feature rather young- Somewhat resembling man, sir- They flit about and speak a tongue That is not worth a damn, sir.
Their features, first I would explain Are of the washed-out order- Mild dissipation, feeble brain, With cigarette smoke border.
Their feathers over their brow they bang, Their cheek resembles leather; Their style, inclusive, is in slang, The "Strike me with a feather."
Their father's cuff supports a hat- The head just seen between them; A coachman's riding coast at that Envelopes and screens them;
Save just below the coat is seen, Where muscles ought to be, sir, A pair of pipe stems, cased in green. Skin-tight and half-mast high, sir.
To this please add a pointed shoe, Verandas built around it; A necktie, either white or blue, C'est fini, if you doubt it. (...)
15 January 1883, New York World, pg. 5: Great excitement was caused yesterday in the clubs by the news of a great disaster resulting from the publication in THE WORLD yesterday of what was intended to be a harmless lecture in verse on the natural history of the Dude.
24 February 1883, New York Mirror, pg. 2: THE DOOD During the past few days a new and valuable addition has been made to the slang vocabulary of the period. It is not only likely to rival in popularity the favorite word Masher, but it gives early promise of entirely superseding it. We refer to the term "Dood." For a correct definition of the expression the anxious inquirer has only to turn to the tight-trousered, brief-coated, eye-glassed, fancy-vested, sharp-toes shod, vapid youth who abounds in the Metroplis at present. He is a Dood. Where or how the name originated we cannot say.
25 February 1883, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, pg. 1: A new word has been coined. It is d-u-d-e or d-o-o-d. The spelling does not seem to be distinctly settled yet, but custom will soon regulate it. Just where the word came from nobody knows, but it has sprung into popularity within the last two weeks, so that now everybody is using it.
3 March 1883, New York Post, pg. 2: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DUDE
2 April 1883, Brooklyn Daily Times, pg. 2: The Dude Our language has been enriched by a new word; the "Dude." The article to which the name applies is not new, however; it is an old thing in a new dress and a high collar. The Dude, in short, is a fop, a little more lifeless, a little more stupid, a little more negative than the average fop...
9 April 1883, The Morning Journal, ppg. 2: The Dudine 28 April 1883, Brooklyn Sunday Eagle, pg. 2:
Now the young man saves his cash, And lunches straight on hash, So's to be all sound for Coney Isle; For when summer breezes blow, He will to the sea side go, And with his dudette spend his pile.
There's a lot more on this New York character. The dude is worth a book, but I'll stop here.
The Strollers, yes, The Strollers, not some baby prams or whatever you call it but a great Malaysian band that brought back great memories of yesteryears.... Comprised five great musicians, namely Michael, Nand, Hassan, Ramli and Billy. Psychedelic Rock was their forte but I really loved their Silly Jokes...
Cool band if there was ever one from Malaysia.Really dig those hairstyles !!! Those were the days when English language reigned supreme instead of I speakee no Engrish....
Aranjuez, un lugar de ensueños y de amor Donde un rumor de fuentes de cristal En el jardín parece hablar En voz baja a las rosas
Aranjuez, a place of dreams and love Where the rumour of crystal fountains in the garden seems to whisper to the roses
Aranjuez, hoy las hojas secas sin color Que barre el viento Son recuerdos del romance que una vez Juntos empezamos tu y yo Y sin razón olvidamos
Aranjuez, today the dry leaves without colour Which are swept by the wind Are just reminders of the romance we once started And that we've forsaken without reason
Quizá ese amor escondido esté En un atardecer En la brisa o en la flor esperando tu regreso
Maybe this love is hidden in one sunset In the breeze or in a flower Waiting for your return
Aranjuez, hoy las hojas secas sin color Que barre el viento Son recuerdos del romance que una vez Juntos empezamos tu y yo Y sin razón olvidamos
En Aranjuez, amor Tu y yo
Aranjuez, today the dry leaves without colour Which are swept by the wind Are just reminders of the romance we once started And that we've forsaken without reason
In Aranjuez, my love You and I
A classical guitar rendition from one of God's four daughters, Yang Xuefei
"Music has charms to soothe a savage breast," spoken by Almeria in Act I, Scene 1.
Facebook has 20 million users worldwide, is worth billions of dollars and, if internet sources are to be believed, was started by the CIA.The social networking phenomenon started as a way of American college students to keep in touch. It is rapidly catching up with MySpace, and has left others like Bebo in its wake. But there is a dark side to the success story that's been spreading across the blogosphere. A complex but riveting Big Brother-type conspiracy theory which links Facebook to the CIA and the US Department of Defence. The CIA is, though, using a Facebook group to recruit staff for its very sexy sounding National Clandestine Service.Checking out the job adsdoes require a Facebook login, so if you haven't joined the site - or are worried that CIA spooks will start following you home from work -check them out on the agency's own site.The story starts once Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had launched, after the dorm room drama that's led to the current court case.Facebook's first round of venture capital funding ($US500,000) came from former Paypal CEO Peter Thiel. Author of anti-multicultural tome 'The Diversity Myth', he is also on the board of radical conservative group VanguardPAC.The second round of funding into Facebook ($US12.7 million) came from venture capital firm Accel Partners. Its manager James Breyer was formerly chairman of the National Venture Capital Association, and served on the board with Gilman Louie, CEO of In-Q-Tel, a venture capital firm established by the Central Intelligence Agency in 1999. One of the company's key areas of expertise are in "data mining technologies".Breyer also served on the board of R&D firm BBN Technologies, which was one of those companies responsible for the rise of the internet. Dr Anita Jones joined the firm, which included Gilman Louie. She had also served on the In-Q-Tel's board, and had been director of Defence Research and Engineering for the US Department of Defence.She was also an adviser to the Secretary of Defence and overseeing the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is responsible for high-tech, high-end development.It was when a journalist lifted the lid on the DARPA's Information Awareness Office that the public began to show concern at its information mining projects.Wikipedia's IAO page says: "the IAO has the stated mission to gather as much information as possible about everyone, in a centralised location, for easy perusal by the United States government, including (though not limited to) internet activity, credit card purchase histories, airline ticket purchases, car rentals, medical records, educational transcripts, driver's licenses, utility bills, tax returns, and any other available data.".Not surprisingly, the backlash from civil libertarians led to a Congressional investigation into DARPA's activity, the Information Awareness Office lost its funding.Now the internet conspiracy theorists are citing Facebook as the IAO's new mask.Parts of the IAO's technology round-up included 'human network analysis and behaviour model building engines', which Facebook's massive volume of neatly-targeted data gathering allows for. Facebook's own Terms of use state: "by posting Member Content to any part of the Web site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license to use, copy, perform, display, reformat, translate, excerpt and distribute such information and content and to prepare derivative works of, or incorpoate into other works, such information and content, and to grant and authorise sublicenses of the foregoing. And in its equally interesting privacy policy: "Facebook may also collect information about you from other sources, such as newspapers, blogs, instant messaging services, and other users of the Facebook service through the operation of the service (eg. photo tags) in order to provide you with more useful information and a more personalised experience. By using Facebook, you are consenting to have your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States."Is the CIA really providing the impetus and the funding behind the monster growth of this year's biggest dot com success story?
i have often told you stories about the way i lived the life of a drifter waiting for the day when i'd take your hand and sing you songs then maybe you would say come lay with me love me and i would surely stay
but now i feel i'm growing older and the songs that i have sung echo in the distance like the sound of a windmill going 'round
i guess i'll always be...a soldier of fortune.....
many times i've been a traveller,i looked for something new
in days of old when nights were cold
i wandered without you but those days i thought my eyes had seen you standing near,though the blindness is confusing,it shows that you're not here
now i feel i'm growing older and the songs that i have sung echo in the distance like the sound of a windmill going 'round
i guess i'll always be...a soldier of fortune.....yes, i can hear the sound of a windmill going 'round
i guess i'll always be a soldier of fortune.................
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