Merdeka Day in Kuala Lumpur

Today, August 31, is Malaysia's National Day. It is the nation's 52nd anniversary. Because it falls in the Ramadhan (fasting) month, national celebrations this year have been scaled down. Instead of the usual two-hour national day parade, it has been cut down to a mere forty minutes involving only 1600 participants allowed entry into the grounds. The location has also been changed to a smaller one (at the Parliament Square) instead of the usual place at Merdeka Square (locally known as Dataran Merdeka).

This is Merdeka Square.


And this is where the parade normally passes where the dignitaries are seated.


There is not much in the form of decorations this year. The people have been asked to maintain low key. There is only the usual flag displayed in business premises and some giant flags draped across buildings and some buntings. No fireworks display at KLCC and such. Overall, it's going to be a quiet national day.

I was at Suria KLCC last week and true to form, the decoration was indeed low-key. Too low-key I thought.



Decoration at Parliament grounds..


..at National Heart Institute Foundation


But hey, Google Malaysia has not forgotten to commemorate the occasion..


How is the decoration at where you are?


Happy Merdeka, Malaysians!


Image source:
The Star
Wikipedia

H1N1 Latest Update - Aug 30

Tens of thousands of people around the world die of flu every year. Is the Influenza A (H1N1) flu virus any different from the regular flu virus?

Just because it is a new strain is it more deadly and more to be feared? Should we continue to go about our business like nothing is happening which is quite the case really according to a World Health Organization report.

The report says that Malaysians are a complacent lot when it comes to dealing with Influenza A(H1N1) and that many Malaysians did not take the disease seriously. The report also said Malaysians had a poor understanding and knowledge about how A(H1N1) spreads.

The WHO officials were invited here to conduct a study in view of the rising number of A(H1N1) patients and fatality. They were in Malaysia for a week studying the flu situation before they submitted their report to the Health Ministry.

However, it was noted that Malaysia’s efficient and sensitive surveillance system was able to accurately record the number of deaths in the country while some other countries were still unable to confirm if patients had died of the disease.

Malaysia's death toll has risen to 72 from 71 a few days ago which is cause for worry though still within limit set by WHO. The officials recommended that more beds be set up at the intensive care units of hospitals, which treat A(H1N1) patients with chronic conditions.

At the same time, WHO warns of the appearance of a severe form of A(H1N1) virus that goes straight to the lungs causing severe illness in otherwise healthy people. According to WHO, the virus travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard-of speed. In six weeks it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover.

Earlier, WHO reported that H1N1 had reached epidemic levels in Japan, signalling an early start to what may be a long influenza season this year, and that it was also worsening in tropical regions.

In case you are interested, these are current stats on Malaysian cases:

365 patients (48 in ICUs) are still infected with the virus; 442 patients admitted for ILI (influenza-like illnesses) while 353 have been discharged. A total of 1598 patients are being treated for ILI in 107 hospitals nationwide including four private hospitals.

So, should we all be more vigilant and play a bigger part in helping keep the virus at bay?

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

August 29, 2009 - Michael Jackson would have been 51 if he were to be alive today. Happy Birthday, Michael..

A couple of nice videos to remember him by.

Ben live Triumph tour - Give this a listen. It's a great live version, plus a nice video of him with some of his pets.


Beautiful song and nice video..


And I might as well add in this rehearsal for his London concert. It was his last performance. He died two days later on June 25.

Sight Reading Music

There is more to piano-playing than meets the eye. Apparently, not everyone can pick up a sheet music and play without stumbling on the piece. I have heard comments that it is not easy to master sight reading.

If you are a pianist who needs some help in this area, you do not have far to look. Sight reading tips are available online. Simply sign up for the tips with just your name and email address.

Why not go a step further and be a proficient piano sight reader? Take up an online advanced sight reading course and learn the techniques of sight reading. Secrets like how to read both treble clef and bass clef notes at the same time, the best way to read a group of notes at the same time, the techniques of using lines and spaces to identify any note, and many more will be revealed in this well-designed course.

The entire package comes complete with a 45-minute DVD, 1 CD-rom of computer exercises for note recognition, harmonic intervals and melodic intervals recognition. It also comes with a 177-page set of sheet music exercises. This well-thought out course is sure to make you a master of music sight reading in no time.

These Shoes Ain't Made for Walking..

This happened in Singapore at a parking lot. A woman, believed to be in her 20s, was caught on video hitting the private parts of her boyfriend with her high-heeled shoe. Ouch!

A passer-by recorded the 'brutal' act and subsequently uploaded the 31-second clip onto the Internet.

The video clip showed the woman reprimanding her boyfriend with shoe in one hand. She was also seen slapping him with her high-heeled shoe at least four times and subsequently repeatedly attacking him on his private parts with the shoe.

The man tried to ward off the blows with his hands but she continued to attack him by slapping him in the face with the shoe.

Not sure if it's on YouTube but I couldn't find it. I found something else instead - a clip from Malcolm in the Middle, a tv series. Take a look..

Friday Frolics - Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

I saw a documentary about London the other day. I am a city girl so cities always fascinate me and if this quiz could be a guide to where I should spend summer, Europe would be it. So, tell me, have you been to London - to see the Queen? hehe..

You Should Spend Your Summer in Europe

You're in to almost all forms of culture - art, music, architecture, food... And spending a summer at the beach sounds pretty darn boring to you. So head off to Europe, where you can have your tiramisu (and even eat it on the beach!)

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

Other Fun Quizzes

Orlando Vacations

Coming across these packages for orlando vacations sure reminded me of a visiting colleague from the US. He managed to talk a few of us into planning a trip to Disneyworld and we were supposed to hire a vehicle so that we could see more places and do more driving from the west to the east. Yeah, big dreams, but it all came to a halt when he passed away due to heart failure. That was many years ago. We still talk of him with fond memories.

Are You Moving House?

I don't know about you but when I see new neighbours moving into the neighbourhood, it gives me a good feeling. But when someone moves out, the feeling is one of sadness.

The other day a huge truck was parked in front of a house that has been empty for quite a while. I noticed it was a movers truck and workers were moving in boxes of stuff.

These days, moving house is less of a hassle for home-owners. At least they can outsource the hardwork part of literally moving furniture and stuff. Even interstate moving service is just a call away. One of those long distance movers would be readily available for a real professional moving job.

Help with Disability Insurance Claims

Most people in Malaysia do not have medical insurance. When they fall sick, they can always get treatment in government clinics or hospitals found all over the country.

The financial problem arises when they are too ill to go back to work and over an extended period of time, their income will be affected. If one is a member of Social Security, he will be able to file in a claim. Unfortunately, such financial claims are normally a long-winded affair.

In the US, Allsup is one Social Security Disability Representation company that helps disabled people with their disability insurance claim and help get their award faster. I wonder if there is such a helpful service here in the country.

R.I.P. Senator Edward M. Kennedy: 1932 - 2009

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal lion of the US Senate, has died after battling a brain tumour. He was 77.

Kennedy's family announced his death in a brief statement released early Wednesday.

For nearly a half-century in the Senate, Kennedy was a dominant voice on health care, civil rights, war and peace, and more.

To the American public, though, he was best known as the last surviving brother of a storied political family.

Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1962, when his brother John was president, and served longer than all but two senators in history.

Over the decades, Kennedy put his imprint on every major piece of social legislation to clear the Congress.

Source: The Star


Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a son of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew triumph and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died Tuesday night. He was 77 .
Continue reading..Edward Kennedy, Senate Stalwart, Dies - NY Times

Andy Lau and Carol Chu have left Kuala Lumpur..

The Andy Lau saga is winding down. Image below shows Andy Lau (inset) clutching the hand of long-time girlfriend, Carol Chu. at the departure lounge yesterday, Tue, Aug 25. They were heading home to Hong Kong.

Andy was also snapped at the grave of Carol's late father. From news and reports, Andy was not at the funeral. All that umbrella-shielding was a decoy. He was the whole time at Carol's family's home in Bukit Jalil.




Meanwhile, Andy Lau posted an online message on his fan club's message board Sunday morning, mourning the loss of girlfriend Carol Chu’s father.

Referring to Chu’s father as his “ancestor”, Lau wrote on the Andy World Club site: “Family members must be very worried. I am okay. My biggest wish is for the ancestor to go on his final journey peacefully. Amitabha!”

Although Lau’s online revelation shows his close relations with the Chu family, Lau has not openly admitted his relationship with Chu, 43. This has prompted many netizens to criticise Lau for being unfair and not acknowledging her.
More here on...Andy Lau acknowledges girlfriend's late father online

A couple of photos..


Andy Lau in concert


Carol and Andy in younger days



Sources:
hkmdb.com
news.sina.com.tw
asiaone.com
6park.com
gloriajoyvictor.blogspot.com

Spa Treatment Body Wraps

Have you heard of body wraps? Body wraps are usually associated with body treatments at spas but these days, you can even do your own body wrap treatment at home. That is right, there are now spa body wrap home kits available in the market and they are very easy to do. Simply warm the mud, apply it, wrap it and wait for 45 minutes..

Also referred to as mineral, seaweed, herbal and heat wrapping, body wraps are quickly becoming a best-seller for the men and women (yes, men too) who want to lose weight quickly or lose weight fast especially in the belly, abdominal or stomach area. Results are instant and with repeated use the results seem to become cumulative.

For a start, you may just want to order the inch loss body wrap which is a top-seller 5-15 Body Wrap Kit meaning that you will be able to lose 5 to 15 Inches in just 1 Wrap. Is that fast enough for you?


Body wraps have been proven to work on cellulite, as an agent for detoxification, weight loss including slimming the face and torso, skin firming on the arms, body, neck - a total rejuvenation!

Along with other beauty products such as hair care and skin care products, beauty and celulite creams as well as products for stretch marks, spider veins, dark circles and vitamins, body wrap treatments are gaining importance in the world of beauty and health.

Model to be Caned for Drinking Beer

This has become international news on BBC, CNN and others.

The Syariah High Court here sentenced a model to a RM5,000 fine and six whippings after she pleaded guilty to consuming an alcoholic drink in public last year. Kartika was accused of consuming a beer at Cherating Bay Lounge, the Legend Hotel in Cherating at about 11.40pm on July 11 last year.

Kartika, a Malaysian married to a Singaporean, will be the first Malaysian woman to be caned under Syariah laws applicable to Muslims.

She will be fully clothed and kneeling, and struck on the backside with a small thin cane using moderate force.

Kartika will now be caned after the fasting month.

I hope they will waive the whipping. Even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib said that model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno can still appeal against the Pahang Syariah Court decision to cane her for consuming alcohol. What are your thoughts on this punishment? Are you for or against it?

Miss Venezuela is 2009 Miss Universe

Miss Venezuela, Stefania Fernandez, has won the 2009 Miss Universe pageant.

Venezuelan Stefania Fernandez, an 18-year-old brunette, won the Miss Universe 2009 title on Sunday, giving her South American country its second consecutive win and its sixth title in the beauty pageant.


Source: The Star

Andy Lau - Popular Keyword

Andy Lau sure has a lot of fans in this region or at least in Malaysia if the list of search keywords hitting my blog is anything to go by. 80% of today's keywords are related to Andy Lau. It was 100% at one point yesterday.





Born on September 17, 1961, Andy Lau Tak-Wah, MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, film actor, and producer. He has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the 1990s. Andy Lau has since appeared in more than 100 films and 300 mini series with Hong Kong's TVB channel, and has a huge fan base throughout Asia with the success of both his onscreen performances and his musical career.

Did you notice the MH and JP after his name? Andy Lau is the proud recipient of the Medal of Honour (MH). The Medal of Honour is part of the honours system in Hong Kong. It was created in 1997 to replace the British honours system after the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China and the establishment of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This medal is awarded in recognition of community service in a district or in a particular field over a long period of time.

Andy Lau is also a Justice of the Peace.

With a long list of TVB series, movies and music to his credit, (he is also a film-producer), it is little wonder that he has a huge fan-base in this part of the world. This Heavenly King of Cantopop has won many accolades in both film and music.

Interesting statistics this one:

In 2005, Andy Lau was awarded "No.1 Box Office Actor 1985-2005" of Hong Kong, yielding a total box office of HKD 1,733,275,816 for shooting 108 films in the past 20 years. It is compared to the first runner-up Stephen Chow (HKD 1,317,452,311) and second runner-up Jackie Chan (HKD 894,090,962). "I've never imagined that would be as much as 1.7 billion!" he told the reporters.

Since the early 90s until their gradual retirement after 1997, Andy Lau, along with Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai were referred to by the Chinese media as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings (四大天王). They dominated all levels of media from magazines, TV, cinema to music.

Andy Lau has been known for his perseverance and hardwork. Since 1992, Lau has appeared in concert more than 180 times.

He made it into the Guinness World Records for "Most Awards Won By A Canto-Pop Male Artist". By April 2000, Andy Lau had won an unprecedented 292 awards, for a singing career that began in 1988.

From TVB’s Jade Solid Gold Award Ceremony since 1990, he has won

- the “Most Popular Hong Kong Male Artist” award 6 times. and
- the “Asia Pacific Most Popular Hong Kong Male Artist” award 10 times.

In 2004, Andy Lau became the first ever singer in the history of TVB’s Jade Solid Gold Award Ceremony to win both the “Most Popular Hong Kong Male Artist” award and the “Asia Pacific Most Popular Hong Kong Male Artist” award.

As well as being a versatile singer, Andy Lau also writes his own lyrics and composes the music. He does it for others as well.

If you are a gamer, you could have noticed Andy Lau's cameo apprearance on the video game, Prototype. Andy Lau is alleged to have been featured as a non-player character (NPC) as a random pedestrian in a sandbox-style action video game called PROTOTYPE. The game was released on Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in early June 2009. The striking resemblance of Lau is well-recognized especially by gamers in Asia where Lau is tremendously well-received.

The Four Heavenly Kings in a tribute to Leslie Cheung in 2003


Whether Andy Lau is married or not, I believe his fans still love this Heavenly King. (Did I hear "Peter Pan of Cantopop"?!)


Source: Wikipedia

Related articles:
Andy Lau, the Son-in-law?
Quite a ‘scene’ at funeral of Chu’s dad

H1N1 - Better be Safe than Sorry

Best to wear a mask in crowded places like these..



Good to read Many still complacent about anti-H1N1 measures

Perhaps it's too early to tell but the good news today is that No H1N1 deaths reported for second day in a row.

The number of deaths due to the flu remains at 68 while 1,476 cases are being treated at 102 hospitals nationwide including three private hospitals.

In the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, the H1N1 pandemic is still active in 182 countries. The WHO had reported 1,227 new cases and 34 deaths, raising the overall total of H1N1 cases to 234,569 and the number of deaths to 2,433.

Andy Lau, the Son-in law?

It is customary in the Chinese community, to avoid a funeral unless the deceased is a family member or a close friend. This is so that the bad vibe (of death) will not rub off on the attendee or his family. Yes, there are a lot of customs and beliefs in the Chinese community.

Yesterday, in Bukit Jalil, caution must have been thrown to the wind (for curious persons) as fans of Hong Kong superstar was hoping to get a glimpse of their idol, Andy Lau Tak-Wah.

It was the funeral of a late Mr Chu whose daughter, Carol Chu, whom Andy Lau has been having a relationship for the past 24 years. A wedding was scheduled for April but was called off due to (get this) news of the nuptials being leaked out.

Andy Lau has always kept mum on the status of his relationship with Carol Chu (a former beauty queen) and has never publicly acknowledged his relationship with her. However, their 24-year relationship is an open secret in the entertainment circle.

It has been reported that they registered their marriage in Canada in 1992 and have a daughter. A former minister had once disclosed that they had registered their marriage in Malaysia. There is talk that Andy has bought a piece of property in Malaysia in Carol’s name.

Check out the picture of the funeral procession below. Notice bodyguards with large silver umbrellas shielding a person from photographers. According to Chinese custom, the son-in-law of the deceased must walk in front of the hearse, but it could not be confirmed if the shielded person was Chu's long-time partner, Hongkong superstar Andy Lau.



Although no one has been able to confirm if the person being shielded was Andy Lau, it is believed that the Hong Kong superstar has been at Carol’s family house in Bukit Jalil for days.

Family members and those who attended the funeral were told not to carry their mobile phones to protect his privacy.

A neighbour of the family claimed that she saw a female teenager at the procession, giving rise to speculation that she could be their daughter.


No pictures please: Video taping the funeral procession is a no-no and this bodyguard is intent on carrying out his duties.

Ahh... the price of fame..

Me? I just want to be little ole me...to be able to go anywhere I please and be just who I am. Bliss..


Source: The Star..‘Son-in-Lau’ goes under cover at Chu’s funeral

Related articles:
Andy Lau - Popular Keyword
Quite a ‘scene’ at funeral of Chu’s dad

1Malaysia Touch n Go Card

In line with moving towards a “cashless society” in Malaysia, more people are using the electronic payment system. Even banks are migrating from the regular card for account-holder to debit cards.

If you are a card collector, you would want to get your hands on this Touch 'n Go card which features the theme of 1Malaysia. The one in the picture is a mock-up, of course.

Like all Touch 'n Go cards, this RM10 card can be used to pay for public transportation, parking charges and at certain fast-food outlets. Strange that there are 5.9 million Touch ’n Go cardholders in the country but only 3.2 million use the card to pay toll charges. The rest must be in collectors card-albums, I suppose.

If you intend to get one of these 1Malaysia cards, hurry because only a total of 150,000 cards have been issued. They can be bought at Touch ’n Go sales offices along the highways at RM10 each. The card has a value of RM10, its cost of RM10 has been waived.

Friday Frolics - The Road Trip Test

Needless to say, what we do or say is the result of our personality. Our experiences in life, mould our personality, shape our outlook on life generally.

Each experience, good or bad, has a bearing on how we react to things or decide on our course of action. Even our actions relating to something as common as a road trip have their roots in our individual personality. Am I making sense? Perhaps not, but no matter, let's just do this road trip test to take a little peek into our personality.

By the way, most of you here may not know why I'm having this Friday Frolics segment. I was thinking once a week on a Friday, I'd like to inject something interactive, something silly if you will, and let everyone hang loose for a brief moment, afterall the weekend is nigh.

Life is hard as it is so why not let down your hair, throw inhibition to the wind, and have yourself some fun, at least sometimes. You don't have to do the quiz, of course, but if you do, it'd be nice to see everyone's assessment in the Comments. Lest you think I'm being self-centered or anything like that by posting my evaluation, trust me, I am not. I am just trying to get the ball rolling and playing fair. I certainly can't have you tell us your score and not show mine, can I?

Now that I've got that out of the way, let's get started and hope you'll have some fun here every Friday. Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

You Take the Road No One Travels

You see life as precious and special. Heritage and family are very important to you. You live life at a fairly leisurely pace. You take time to enjoy the sweeter parts of life, even when you're busy. You are all about risk and randomness in your life. You travel off the beaten path... in fact, you're often the one carving the way! You are able to find a fairly healthy balance between work and play. You work when you need to, but you never let yourself burn out. You could have owned an indie bookstore or boutique in another life.

The Road Trip Test

Other Fun Quizzes


I could have owned an indie bookstore or boutique in another life? Niceeeee.....

Hungry Ghost Festival

The Hungry Ghost Festival is here again. Today marks the first day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar.

It is believed that for one month, starting today, the gates of hell will open letting out inhabitants of the other world where they are free to roam the earth - something like a yearly vacation.

Chinese of Taoist/Buddhist faith will light up incense and candles as well as offer food, clothes, money and other items including houses, cars, high-tech products like VCRs and others. You can read more about this festival in the Hungry Ghost Festival post.

During this month, any significant personal activity will most probably not be scheduled. Engagements and weddings will not happen, so will house-moving and business-launchings. There will normally be more overcast weather and rain in the 7th month where stray ghosts and lost souls share the earth with the living. Swimming activity will also be reduced. People are extra mindful and cautions.

I have not personally encountered anything unearthly (thank goodness) but I do believe in the other world. Tell me what you think of these spooky tales.

Most of you would have heard or know of a haunted place in your town or city. Kuala Lumpur has some favourite haunted spots herself. See if you are familiar with these 10 haunted places in KL as compiled by Klue from suggestions submitted by its readers.

Do you have any ghostly tale to share? Come on, tell..

Does Exercise Reduce Cancer Risk?

We all know that exercise is good for us. It keeps us fit and our body healthy. What else is new? Based on a new finding, exercise can reduce our cancer risk.

According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Finnish researchers recently concluded that, if you wish to ward off lung or gastrointestinal cancer, you might want to spend your leisure time jogging instead of picking berries, mushroom gathering or fishing.

The study found that the more arduous the exercise was, the more protective it proved for the 2,560 middle-aged Finns studied. The health of these subjects, all men, was studied over the course of about 17 years. They kept diaries of their daily activities for a year. Jogging was the most strenuous activity studied, fishing among the least. The men who jogged or otherwise exercised fairly intensely for at least 30 minutes a day had “a 50 percent reduction in the risk of dying prematurely from cancer.

Results of other findings include:

The most active people are 24 percent less likely to develop colon cancer than sedentary people are, regardless of their diets, smoking habits or body weight.

Women over age 30 who defined themselves as “highly competitive” by disposition and who exercised more than the average for the group had much less risk of developing breast cancer than women who worked out for less than 60 minutes per week.

In order to use exercise to reduce the risk of cancer, you must make yourself sweat. In the Finnish study, the most beneficial exercise was both frequent and demanding.

If you are not that hardworking when it comes to exercising, at least moderately intense physical activity is more beneficial than low intensity physical activity in the prevention of cancer. The takeaway, in other words, is that jogging trumps berry picking.

How many of you hit the gym a few times a week or go jogging or engage in other active sports? Good for you.


Source: NY Times

Online Piano Lessons

If you are a pianist, how would you like to play better and take your piano playing to the next level?

Now, piano lessons are available online drawn up by an accomplished pianist and piano teacher (who is in the Who's Who listings). Yoke Wong has been playing the piano since the age of seven.

On yokewong.com, you will find piano courses on hand coordination to sight reading to how to read music to Jazz tutorials. Online piano lessons on piano playing tips, piano chords and advanced piano lessons are also available. Free sheet music is also available. Sign up for free lessons today. Only information on your name and email address is needed.

And if you are looking into buying a piano, the site offers tips on piano buying. There is a guide each for the different types of pianos in the market.

From Clothes to .....

Anything goes in fashion and style. This creased wool jacket must be the dream of those who don't believe in ironed uncreased clothes. This three-buttoned blazer of rumpled texture is 100% wool which unfortunately may not fit in well with our weather. Think Genting Highlands or Cameron Highlands, then it will be perfect.


With its casual exterior pockets and one-of-a-kind fabric, this slim suit jacket's disheveled charm makes it easy to wear with the old shirt you picked up off the floor this morning.

Talk about fashion and style, I came upon an interesting article the other day about jeans and what cut suits what body-type. Let me see if I can find it in my archives. Look out for it here.


And I wonder if one can buy condoms at the Marc Jacobs store at the Pavilion just like you would be able to at this Marc By Marc Jacobs new store at Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Condoms at the latter are part of the brand's collection of low-priced "special items" of offbeat goodies ranging in price from $1.50 condoms to $7 leather bracelets, $14 cashmere ankle socks to $28 rain boots and everything in between. Prices quoted are in US dollars, of course.


Still on the subject of that rubber(y) product, here's something amusing I read yesterday in relation to the current H1N1 flu scare.


Someone from the USA’s Centre for Disease Control noted:

“20,000 people die from novel 2009-H1N1 and everybody wants to wear a mask. 9 million people die from AIDS and no one wants to wear a condom.”

…and presumably the same people who are worried about H1N1 smoke, eat fried / salty / sugary food and ride motorbikes without helmets.


hmmm..

Armchair Shopping for Men

For guys who find going out shopping a chore, shopping online would be your answer to this mundane activity. Whether you are shopping for yourself or searching for that perfect gift for someone else, here is just the store for you.

GSelect men's boutique features a distinctive array of quality merchandise. You can find products ranging from the essential face, teeth and hair treatment products such as their GESSATO face TREATMENT's cell regeneration serum to shopping bags to home furnishings and decorations to artsy lighting fixtures and fancy storage units.

Check out their finest blankets, cushions and pillows money can buy. These richly-colored items by Thomas Eyck create a true explosion of colors in the interior. These luxurious blankets, cushions and pillows are made of 84% merino wool and 16% cotton.

There are also products for your pet dog, as well as books on various topics including architecture, design, food and wine and books on eco-solutions.

GSelect truly has a collection of high-end merchandise created for today's discriminating man. And at GSelect, you will find that they are passionate about providing you with a memorable online shopping experience.

The World in Pictures

Nice graffiti - artistic artwork indeed. Life is like that. We live among beauty and ugliness side-by-side sometimes.

The children in the picture look like they are in play but in reality, they are not. The caption reads Somali children run across a front-line between Islamist militants and soldiers in the capital, Mogadishu, where clashes have flared. The country has lacked a functioning central government since 1991.

Such is the state of affairs in Somalia which if you recall is the source of all that high-profile piracy off the coast of Africa.

The image above is one of BBC's selected pictures of the week. A few more have been compiled below. You can visit site for more.

Venice - One Cent A Room

People don't stop to pick up one-sen coins anymore. Before the round-off was introduced, one-sen coins were still in circulation and seen in tip-boxes at restaurant and supermarket checkout counters. These days, they are a rare sight. Ten sen won't get you much, let alone one sen. But recently, a hotel room in Venice went for one cent - err...due to an error.

Venice for one cent a room error

A hotel near Venice has accepted that its rooms were mistakenly advertised online at a mere one-hundredth of a euro instead of up to 150 euros (£129).

Nearly 230 people took advantage of the offer, booking on average more than six nights per person at the Crowne Plaza.

It is 20km from central Venice, one of Italy's main tourist destinations.

The hotel is run by the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) which says it will honour bookings made while the mistake was online.

The company say the mistake was made at the offices of IHG in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States.

"Although a pricing error, IHG is committed to honouring the 1-cent rate for guests who have a valid confirmation," the hotel group's Monica Smith said.

The wrong pricing for 1,400 room nights could cost the company up to 90,000 euros (£77,800).

Venice depends on tourism, attracting 15 million visitors a year.



Source: BBC

Woodstock - 40th Anniversary

Tomorrow, Aug 15 2009, marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Forty years ago - seems like eons away, most of us were not even born yet. Still, it must have been an experience of a lifetime for those who were at that festival of music and peace.

Forty years ago, LIFE's photographers and reporters were on the scene when half a million young people -- "lured by music, the country and some strange kind of magic" -- came together on a dairy farm in upstate New York. From Aug. 15-18 of 1969, they created a colorful, amazingly functional community whose ideals would reverberate for much longer than those three days. To celebrate the anniversary of Woodstock, LIFE.com presents the best photos from the festival -- shots that evoke its spirit of peace, love, music, and mud.

Young people lie in the shade under an umbrella, the crowd behind them endless. From LIFE's Special Issue: "As singer Janis Joplin flew in, the chopper pilot turned to her and pointed: 'See that hill over there -- the one that's not green. That's all people.' 'Far out,' she murmured. 'Even Billy Graham doesn't draw that many people.'"

And after three whole days of peace, love, music, rain, mud, (some nudity) a couple twists a blanket between them, probably trying to squeeze out the water. Scattered around them: evidence of the acres of trash that were left behind by the crowd. Nearly 500 people stayed behind to help in the daunting cleanup.




Must-see LIFE's best photos of Woodstock..



While over in Europe, another music festival anniversary is being celebrated - The Polish Woodstock, organized by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, a non-profit foundation dedicated to raising money for children's health. The festival kicked off in 1995, free of charge, as a way to thank the group's volunteers.

The three-day summer concert evokes the spirit of the Woodstock Festival that took place in 1969. Its motto is: "Love, Friendship and Music."


I didn't know the man but would still like to pay tribute to a music legend, Les Paul. Paul passed away on Aug 12, aged 94.


He was an inventor and an inspiration. He pioneered recording on tape, creating dozens of layers of sound with an early reel-to-reel tape machine. He designed (though he did not construct) one of the first synthesizers. He devised the first eight-track tape recording system, which would not become generally accepted until 15 years later, when the Beatles made their White Album. And he invented the Gibson Les Paul, an instrument used in various models by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and loads of other Guitar-zans. - Time


Death of the Guitar Man: Les Paul (1915-2009)