H1N1 Update - June 30

Go here for the update on August 9 - 18 deaths todate

I noticed my blog stats recorded a hit to a query, "Is it safe to travel to KL in view of the H1N1 flu". If you, the enquirer happens to be reading this post, let me assure you that it is safe to travel to KL and Malaysia for that matter.

We are doing all we can to contain the spread and nurse those infected. We have even gone to the point of urging Sarawakians studying in Australia not to come back to curb H1N1.

Todate, there has been a total of 144 cases with 20 new H1N1 cases being reported - 16 were imported and four locally transmitted involving 13 Malaysians and seven foreigners – a Vietnamese, a German, an Australian, a Japanese, an American and two Indonesians.

Indeed, there has been an over-emphasis of the H1N1 flu and has affected tourism. By comparison, SARS has killed more people with a mortality rate of one per 12 vis-a-vis one per 220 for H1N1 according to the World Health Organisation.

A letter published in The Star a few days ago highlighted that at the Tuas checkpoint, there was no health screening on the thousands who entered Malaysia (from Singapore) via the checkpoint. Could it be because the H1N1 flu spreads easily but is not so deadly? And, chew on this, there is no H1N1 screening at Heathrow in London. This is a tweet on Twitter: Arrived in London yesterday - no H1N1 checks at Heathdrow, not even forms to fill and no cameras! Unbelievable!

Give the Gift of Silberman's

Forgot to get your dad a Father's Day gift or perhaps you need to get a male relative or friend a gift for a birthday? Here's an idea.

Give the gift of a pair of pants. How about a pair of Levi's or a pair from the Wrangler Western Wear collection? You may be wondering, why pants?

In the Chinese custom, the word pants has the same sound as wealth or prosperity, so presenting a pair of pants for someone's birthday is a most auspicious gift. Yeah, I'm traditional that way..

Alternatively, the most versatile gift would be gift certificates from WorkingGear.com. Their Silberman's Army and Navy gift certificates would be a splendid choice. Besides shirts and pants, Silberman's stocks a wide range of boots, from Timberland Pro to Wolverine boots to even Harley Davidson boots, and more.

Are You an Event Organizer?

Going to a trade show these days can be quite a delightful experience, be it a computer fair, a furniture fair or an exporter's fair. The trade show booths are colourful, informative and very appealing. Professionalism seems to be the order of the day. Even the table skirts are attractive and comes in various designs.

Nowadays, it is no longer a hassle setting up display booths for a trade show. Everything from truss to trade show flooring, banner stands, directors chairs, light boxes, exhibit counters & cabinets, literature Holders, trade show furniture, booth pipe & drape, table covers, and exhibit graphics can be purchased from one-stop trade show display shops.

Take Camelback Display Inc., for instance. They supply all of the above and more and have been around since 1999. They are the leader in providing real options for companies needing trade show booths. The company practically sells every type of portable display under the sun.

If you are in the trade show business or an event organizer, or even one who organizes school exhibits, Camelback Display is where you would want to get your materials from.

Gone Too Soon..

From the album: Dangerous
Performed by:
Michael Jackson Written by:
Larry Grossman & Alan ‘Buz’ Kohan

Gone Too Soon

Like a comet
Blazing ’cross the evening sky
Gone too soon

Like a rainbow
Fading in the twinkling of an eye
Gone too soon

Shiny and sparkly
And splendidly bright
Here one day
Gone one night

Like the loss of sunlight
On a cloudy afternoon
Gone too soon

Like a castle
Built upon a sandy beach
Gone too soon

Like a perfect flower
That is just beyond your reach
Gone too soon

Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
Here one day
Gone one night

Like a sunset
Dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon
Gone too soon

How to Moonwalk like Michael Jackson

Looks like news of Michael Jackson will be hogging tv and radio for at least until he is laid to rest. The Internet is filled with news of his death and other aspects of his life (and death). There is one of the day before he died, Michael Jackson's final hours, if you will.

So, you are a fan? Think you know everything about Michael Jackson? Take the quiz to find out.

At 24 then, Michael Jackson made dance-floor history on March 25, 1983, when he took an obscure break-dancing move and transformed it into one of the most recognizable routines of all time. Jackson debuted the moonwalk during his performance of "Billie Jean" on the ABC television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. The moonwalk was born. What's a moonwalk, you ask?

The moonwalk looks so fluid, so effortless but is really not so easy to do.

For a demonstration (or two or three) of the moonwalk, check out the routine at 0:20, again at 1:07 and one more time at 1:20 of the video below.




But how exactly do you moonwalk? Here is what TIME finds out.


Goal: To learn to moonwalk

Supplies:
• A slick floor
• Black pants
• White socks
• Black loafers
• Years of dance training (optional)

Step 1: Start with your feet together. That's easy enough, right?

Step 2: Raise your right heel so that you're standing on the ball of your right foot.

Step 3: Shift your weight onto that still raised right foot so that the left one feels weightless.

Step 4: Lower your right heel slowly while moving your (still weightless) left foot backward until the toes of your left foot are aligned with the heel of your right foot. If you do it right, it should look like your left foot is floating backward across the floor.

Step 5: Lift your left heel and shift your body weight so that you're now standing on the ball of that foot.

Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5, this time with the opposite feet.


And that's the moonwalk. When done correctly, the dance will produce the illusion of walking forward while actually moving back. You can swing your arms with every step, or copy what Jackson did and hunch up your shoulders while grabbing onto your hat. You are wearing a hat, aren't you? You should probably wear a hat.


Source: Time.com

Friday Frolics - What Remote Button Are You?

The tv remote controller has become such a great friend that we can't imagine living without it. Little wonder that channel-surfing is so fun and that obesity is on the rise. Even schools are now having lessons on diet for children who are obese. But that's for another day perhaps.

If you were part of a remote controller, which button do you think you would be? This, my friends, we will find out in today's quiz. Check it out..

I Am 'Play'

Compared to most people, you are very active and energetic. You have a daring, challenging spirit. You're willing to go into something blind. You are playful, carefree, and optimistic. You are up for trying anything. If you dream it, you usually end up doing it. You're not one for putting your dreams on hold.

What Remote Button Are You?

Other Fun Quizzes

Latest update on H1N1 - June 26

I read that screening for the flu virus is not done at airports in London. Despite Malaysia taking strict measures, we are still seeing increasing infections daily. Is England not seeing an increase? I wonder..

As of yesterday, the number of cases in Malaysia has risen to 91 with 11 new infections - three locally transmitted and eight imported cases. A 19-month-old baby is among the eleven.

According to The Star..

The toddler, the 84th case, was among those placed under home quarantine after being found to have had contact with the 72nd confirmed case in the country, an 11-year-old Indonesian boy who arrived at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal on board Flight AK702 on Monday at 1.55pm. The child’s three other family members who were also quarantined have tested negative.

One of the three locally transmitted cases involved a foreign student in Kuala Lumpur while three of the imported cases were foreigners – from Ireland, Australia and the Philippines.

The foreign student is a 24-year-old Yemeni studying at a private institution and living in Kuala Lumpur, who had contact with the 63rd confirmed case on Tuesday – a Yemeni on holiday here.

In Alor Setar, the Kedah Health Department is looking for those who came into contact with a 29-year-old woman from Sungai Petani, who is the 86th patient in the country.

The woman was among 10 people who had gone to Phuket for five days before returning to the LCCT on Flight AK823 (Seat 28A) at 10am on Sunday.

The group continued its journey to Penang the same day on Flight AK5368 (her seat was 22F) and arrived in Penang at 4.30pm.

Three other people confirmed as having the virus in Kedah were a 21-year-old university student, who returned from Toronto with his two sisters aged 18 and 25.

35 of the patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.


Source: The Star

'King of Pop', Michael Jackson is dead

This is indeed sad news for the entertainment industry and for fans around the world. Michael Jackson has left the building, for good.

As a tribute to Michael Jackson, I have put together here, reports of his death from all the popular news sources.

The entertainment industry has actually lost two famous people at the same time, the other being Farrah-Fawcett Majors, one of the original Charlie's Angels of the 70's. In fact, she was the most popular of the three angels back then. Farrah-Fawcett succumbed to cancer.


'King of Pop', Michael Jackson is dead - CNN

Michael Jackson, the show-stopping singer whose best-selling albums -- including "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad" -- and electrifying stage presence made him one of the most popular artists of all time, died Thursday, CNN has confirmed. He was 50.


Singer Michael Jackson dies at 50 - BBC

Pop star Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles, aged 50.

Paramedics were called to the singer's home around midday local time on Thursday after he stopped breathing.

He was pronounced dead two hours later at the UCLA medical centre. A spokesman for the centre said the star died of a suspected heart attack.


Michael Jackson, 1958-2009
'KING OF POP' DIES
Singer Michael Jackson dead at 50 - MSNBC

Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the “King of Pop” and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50.

Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Ed Winter, the assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, confirmed his office had been notified of the death and would handle the investigation.

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

Michael Jackson had been planning to start a series of comeback concerts in London and had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months. Promoters of the shows said in March that he had passed a lengthy physical examination.


Michael Jackson, 'King of Pop,' dead at 50 - Yahoo!

Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop" who once moonwalked above the music world, died Thursday as he prepared for a comeback bid to vanquish nightmare years of sexual scandal and financial calamity. He was 50.

Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.

"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother Jermaine said. Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.


Michael Jackson's Death: The Talent and the Tragedy - Time Magazine

The tragedy of Michael Jackson's death at age 50, reportedly from cardiac arrest, pales in comparison to the tragedy of his life. To understand all that Jackson had and lost requires wiping away three decades of plastic surgeries that deformed him, erratic behavior that made his name synonymous with the warping powers of fame, and a 2005 trial for sexually abusing a child that, even though he was spared of any finding of wrongdoing, made him a pariah to all but the most brainwashed of fans.


How Michael Jackson Became a Pop God - Newsweek

He might have died a sudden death, but Jackson leaves us with a music legacy for the ages.







Michael Jackson Dies At 50 - MTV

Michael Jackson died Thursday afternoon (June 25) at the age of 50 after suffering cardiac arrest.

Reports say the legendary pop singer collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest at his home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills. A doctor present at the time of the incident performed CPR on the singer but could not revive him. He was not breathing and had no pulse when paramedics arrived after a 911 call around 12:26 p.m. PT. They administered CPR and took Jackson via ambulance to UCLA Medical Center but were unable to revive him.


Michael Jackson Dies after Apparent Cardiac Arrest - People

Michael Jackson, the onetime child star turned King of Pop, died in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest in his home. He was 50 years old.

Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center not far from his rental mansion in the Holmby Hills. The cause of death wasn't known. An autopsy is set for Friday.








Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett both die - The Star, Malaysia

The entertainment world suffered a double blow when it was reported early Friday morning (Malaysian time) that both pop giant Michael Jackson and 1970s TV star Farrah Fawcett had died in Los Angeles.

Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the “King of Pop” and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday at the age of He was 50.

Michael Jackson is seen in file pictures from top left, 1971, 1977, 1979, and bottom left, 1983, 1987, and 1990. Jackson has died in Los Angeles at age 50 on Thursday, June 25, 2009. (AP Photo) - The Star


























Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears Pay Tribute to the Late Michael Jackson

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are paying tribute to the late Michael Jackson, who died Thursday after going into cardiac arrest at age 50.

Spears - who performed with Jackson at a 2001 party celebrating the 30th anniversary of his career - was planning on catching one of the King of Pop's comeback next concerts next month in London

"I was so excited to see his show in London. We were going to be on tour
in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him," she tells Usmagazine.com. "He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated he's gone!"

Timberlake, who was so influenced by Jackson that he wore a fedora and glove and showed off Jackson-esque dance moves in his "Cry Me a River" video, also is mourning.

"I can't find the words right now to express how deeply saddened I am by Michael’s passing," he wrote on his Web site. "We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music."


CNN AC360 has set up a live blog at ac360.com. Here’s your chance to talk directly to AC360° during the program. Send instant feedback and sound off on tonight’s headlines. Read and react to what viewers have to say, right here, right now.


Rest in Peace, Michael..
Rest in Peace, Farrah..

Reality Show: Jon & Kate Plus 8

TV audiences around the world have been inundated (yes, inundated) with reality shows especially from the United States. It is a good thing that not all of them come to our shores as some of them are really skanky reality shows.


Several months ago while channel-surfing, I stumbled upon two that I found interesting enough to have me watch on and off over time.

One of them is about a couple of little people and their family, (the title escapes me right now), the other being Jon & Kate Plus 8. This one has an element of cuteness as it talks about a Southeastern Pennsylvania couple, Jon and Kate Gosselin, who have their hands full raising twins Cara and Madelyn, and their sextuplets, Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah and Joel. This reality series follows the Gosselins through their crowded daily routines.



The twins were born in 2000 and sextuplets born in 2004, after Kate Gosselin underwent fertility treatments. Gosselin is also a registered nurse and has authored books on her experiences with motherhood. She became well known to audiences when she began co-starring with her husband, Jon Gosselin.

Jon Gosselin became a famous face when he became the co-star of a reality show about his family in 2005. Gosselin also co-authored books with his wife about their parenting experiences.















































Last season, Jon and Kate went to Hawaii and renewed their wedding vows. The entire family was present. How sweet!














Raising eight children and in front of the cameras must have taken its toll on Jon and Kate and their relationship. In Monday's episode, Jon and Kate announced their separation. How devastating. I feel sad for them, especially for the kids. The show will still go on, however. Some viewers feel that they are exploiting the kids for fame and money but then again, without this show, the kids may not be living the way they are living right now - in this wonderful big house which is central to the show. Both parents will take turns to be here with the kids for the show. Some arrangement, but, that's life.

Have you watched Jon & Kate Plus 8? What do you think of it?


Meanwhile, the 10 finalists of the American Idol Season 8 are prepping up getting ready to go on tour nationwide (US), starting off at Oregon on July 5.

H1N1 - Today's latest update

Read LATEST UPDATE HERE - June 30

LATEST UPDATE: A(H1N1): 12 more cases, 10 imported and two locally transmitted; total cases now at 80


Gosh! You must be so bored with my updates on the H1N1 flu. I apologise. For some strange reason, I'm keeping tab on its spread for my own awareness and if you find it useful too, I am glad. If otherwise, do what you please. Hey, it's Summertime!

Looks like Melbourne deserves the title of H1N1 center or something to this effect as yet another returning student came back from Melbourne with the virus. This makes it the 70th case in the country.

The Star reported that

Johor has reported its first confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) case of a 19-year-old female student who returned from Melbourne via Changi Airport Singapore on flight SQ0238 on June 22.

She is now being treated at Hospital Sultanah Aminah while her family members and the taxi driver have been placed under home quarantine for a week.

The student’s 16-year-old brother is from Sekolah Dato Jaafar while her 17-year-old sister studies at SMK Infant Jesus Convent.


Yesterday...

Latest: Seri Cempaka, Assunta 1 schools closed for a week

The Health Ministry has urged students returning for holidays from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and the Philippines must quarantine themselves at home for seven days as most imported cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) reported in the country involve people who returned from these countries.

The number of cases nationwide has increased to 69 with 10 new cases, two of which are local transmissions.

Meanwhile, the Seri Cempaka International School in Batu 9, Cheras in Kuala Lumpur became the fourth school to be ordered to be closed for a week after a student tested positive for the flu.



















SJK (C) Jalan Davidson here and SRK Assunta 1 and 2 in Petaling Jaya were closed earlier after students were confirmed with the virus.

SMK Seksyen 9 Shah Alam, SMK Damansara Utama in Petaling Jaya and SM Wangsa Maju in Kuala Lumpur have each had one class stopped from Monday.

Source: The Star


In the ASEAN region..

A(H1N1): Philippines suspends legislature on flu fear

MANILA: The Philippine House of Representatives suspended operations Tuesday for five days after news that the country's first swine flu-related fatality worked at the legislature. The legislature building will be sanitized.

Australia reported its second swine flu-related death - the third for the Asia-Pacific region.

The Philippines confirmed 28 more infections, bringing the country's total to 473.

In Australia, a 35-year-old man with a range of medical problems died in a Melbourne hospital Saturday after seeking help for a flu-like illness Friday, an official said.

On Friday, a 26-year-old man with multiple ailments including swine flu died at a hospital in the southern city of Adelaide.

Authorities are not certain in either case that swine flu was the main cause of death.

Australia had 2,733 confirmed cases of swine flu by Tuesday.

Malaysia's Health Ministry said it closed a fourth school Tuesday as 10 new cases were reported.

Three other primary schools remained closed this week.

Chinese authorities issued a plan for schools to contain future outbreaks as 27 more infections were confirmed, bringing the mainland's total to 441 cases.

The ministries of health and education said that if an outbreak spreads through a school and affected surrounding areas, classes in all schools in the area should be suspended.

Cases where only one classroom has been affected would trigger disinfections and daily health checks at all schools in the area.

New Zealand confirmed another 61 cases of swine flu, taking to 364 the tally of cases nationwide.

Thailand's Public Health Ministry confirmed 125 new cases of swine flu Tuesday, bringing the country's total to 899.

The World Health Organization has declared a flu pandemic. As of Monday, it said more than 52,000 cases had been reported worldwide with 231 deaths, mostly in Mexico and the United States.

Source: The Star

Let's Vacation in Bora-Bora

Need a sunshine vacation but The Caribbean is a little too far off a place for you? How about Bora-Bora instead?

Bora-Bora is in the Pacific Ocean, and a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France.

An expat colleague while on assignment here several years ago, made a few trips to Boro-Bora with his wife. Looking at these beautiful pictures it is not difficult to see why they go back again and again. It is just the place to unwind and do nothing else except to frolic in the waters with the dolphins and turtles and bathe in the lovely sunshine. Vacation packages are aplenty. Just check them out online.


Photo by Leah Ashley





Photos by Carioto


Photo by Roxy Photos


Photo by Easy Tahiti


More stunning pictures here..

H1N1 Status in Singapore

And if you think Singapore is in a better condition where the flu is concerned, it is on the contrary.

A(H1N1) spreads in Singapore

SINGAPORE: The island republic confirmed another 26 new cases of Influenza A(H1N1) on Monday, comprising 17 local cases and nine cases with travel history, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 168.

In a statement Tuesday, its Health Ministry said it appeared that community spread had gathered momentum with more cases from local transmission reported.

The ministry said it was gearing up local polyclinics and a few hundred general practitioners to treat suspected cases, and these clinics would help to manage patients with influenza-like illness as the government moved from containment into mitigation mode.

The 17 new local cases involved those who attended a church function, an entertainment club and a religious camp.

The nine patients had travelled to Australia, Britain, Canada, the Philippines and the United States. -- Bernama


Source: The Star

H1N1 Update - Latest todate

The Influenza A(H1N1) infection is still spreading worldwide. Here in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur in particular, more cases have been reported and appropriate action taken. In the meantime, life goes on as usual for the general public. Shopping malls and cinema-halls and other places where people usually congregate are still packed and busy.

For those of you living in KL, are you cutting down on your routine or going out less?

Below is an update in The Star today:

Assunta 2 closed, classes in four others stopped

PETALING JAYA: More schools have been affected by the spread of the influenza A (H1N1) virus.

SRK Assunta 2 was closed for a week beginning yesterday, after a locally-transmitted case was detected. It is the second school closure in the country due to the disease.

Four other schools — Seri Cempaka International School in Batu 9 Cheras, SMK Seksyen 9 Shah Alam, SMK Damansara Utama in Petaling Jaya and SM Wangsa Maju — have each had one class stopped.

● Three new locally-transmitted cases were detected yesterday, bringing the number of such cases to seven.

● A total of 58 cases have been recorded in the country so far, with eight new cases yesterday.

● Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has asked the public to adhere to measures instituted by health authorities to curb the spread of the disease.

● Schoolchildren returning from the United States, Australia and the Philippines have been urged to stay away from school for a week, from the day they arrive home.

Related Stories:
Second school hit by A (H1N1)
Sarawak’s first case
Action committees to be set up in all districts
Parents on high anxiety
School authorities urged to check for flu symptoms

Microsoft is Giving Away Ten Grand

Click here for rules and clues..

What is Your Favourite House Plan?

A relative and his family are waiting for their new house to be ready so that they can begin the house renovation.

Source: Houseplansandmore.com

Here in Malaysia, most house-buyers would make some house-renovations before they move in, that is, if space permits.

Besides having the wardrobe and cabinetry done, the kitchen area would most likely be altered to include a dry and a wet kitchen. This seems to be the trend here.

I can foresee many hours would be spent studying the home plans and going over them with the home renovators. House-owners would also need to pay attention to the extent of renovation involved as any alteration to the exterior would need the approval of the local authorities.

A friend and his family recently moved into their sprawling home which they commissioned a house-builder to have it built. The entire process took a couple of years from idea to home plans to fruition of seeing the physical house. Theirs would have been luxury home plans the house being located in an exclusive area of guarded properties.

Some house-buyers may not like the hassle of designing their own home. For them, there are home-plans readily available, from a range of many types of architectural styles, such as cottage home plans, bungalow, country house, farmhouse, lake-house and many others. One can choose the home plan that best suits one's needs.

Summer in The Caribbean

Malaysia has sun, sea and surf for every holiday-maker. However, being at home all-year round can be rather boring and uneventful. Everyone needs some fun and new experiences every now and again to put some zest back to one's life and routine.

What better way to get new experiences than to go on a vacation especially overseas and what better time than now, being summer. A caribbean vacation will surely provide the best rejuvenation and get you all refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead.

Breezes.com is a wonderful resource for all inclusive vacations. With all inclusive vacations, all essentials are taken care, including deluxe accommodations, all meals and snacks, unlimited premium beverages, land and water sports and more.

And if it's resorts you are looking for for that well-earned vacation, Breezes also caters to all inclusive resorts with beautiful resorts in the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Curacao, Panama and Brazil. Breezes has just the right Super Inclusive vacation for everyone.

Belated Happy Birthday, Sir Paul McCartney

You would have noticed the video clip posted on the sidebar, Paul McCartney's "When I'm 64". This one:




Ex-Beatle, Paul McCartney, celebrated his 64 plus 3 birthday on June 18, Thursday last. Paul is two of the four surviving Beatles, the other being Ringo Starr. I have always enjoyed The Beatles' music, so I thought I'd do up a belated birthday post for Paul and The Beatles. Coincidentally, I stumbled upon an interesting article on this popular British 60s/70s pop group, popularly known as The Fab Four, so I thought I'd borrow it for your reading pleasure.

The Beatles and Liverpool

In the Town where I was Born... Liverpool today is a tourist destination for more than just the Beatles: from Tall ship races to Tate Liverpool , Aintree horseracing to Albert Dock, this is a city with a real buzz about it. But for millions of music lovers, since the early 1960s Liverpool has been synonymous with the most influential band in rock and pop history.

Before the lure of London and New York took the Fab Four away from their Merseyside home, they left an indelible mark on the place, a fact celebrated at many venues across Liverpool. The National Trust is in on the act, preserving John Lennon 's childhood home, Mendips , at 251 Menlove Road in Woolton, and Paul McCartney 's humbler counterpart at 20 Forthlin Road in Allerton and there is a combined tour of the two available for fans.

When the future musicians moved on to senior school, Paul (like George after him) got into the prestigious Liverpool Institute, John, already noted as a very difficult pupil, Quarry Bank Grammar. The serendipity of the meeting of the two central Beatles is seen in the proximity of John's art school, Liverpool College of Art, which backs the Liverpool Institute, which is said to have facilitated impromptu rehearsals in their earliest collaborations.

Paul and John met, however, at St Peter's Church Hall, in Woolton, a place that John's Quarrymen band played before their encounter. In the churchyard there is the grave of the Rigby family, including one Eleanor. Paul, who wrote the song, thought he got the name from other sources, but perhaps was subconsciously influenced by seeing it.

As musicians and students everywhere will, the Beatles enjoyed a good drink. Pubs all over the city lay claim to their custom, but some have a better right than others: Ye Cracke in Rice Street is pretty authentic still; and The Philharmonic was one of John‚s favoured watering holes in Hope Street, not far from the art school.

When they graduated to performing the boys played local clubs like Pete Best‚s Casbah Coffee Club in West Derby, and of course The Cavern, where they played nearly 300 times (the original site was knocked down to make a supermarket, but the bricks were saved and a replica rebuilt nearby in Mathew Street).

For those wanting to make a fuller - and easier - day of it, there are organised Beatles tours. Or you can drift around the city on your own, spotting Lime Street from their version of Maggie May, or Mae as they preferred; Strawberry Field, the former Sally Army kids home is another for the list, and Penny Lane of course.

If you are short of time, The Beatles Story on Albert Dock is a quick and quality induction, and The Beatles Shop on Mathew Street has a vast array of Fab Four product on display. You'll not be alone of course, the draw of the band bringing crowds still: Where do they all come from? From all over the world actually!

So, there you have, if you make a trip to Liverpool, the places mentioned here would be the places you don't want to miss.


Source: information-britain.co.uk

Latest Update on the H1N1 flu in Malaysia

Go here for the latest update on the flu situation

This is a picture of the first school in Malaysia to be closed until June 26 after an 11-year-old student tested positive on Friday for the Influenza A(H1N1) and the virus was also transmitted to two classmates. It is a Chinese national type primary school at Jalan Davidson. Another eight new cases were reported Sunday bringing the total to 50 cases.

Meanwhile, several Asian countries have ordered mass school closures, some in the thousands, to stem outbreaks of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.

- The Hong Kong government has closed all primary, kindergarten, nursery and special schools since last week after the Chinese territory recorded its first case of the virus.

- Japan has closed 4,466 schools in six prefectures, mostly primary schools, kindergartens, junior, according to its Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

- Thailand has authorised schools to suspend classes if necessary, without seeking the Education Ministry’s permission.

- The Philippines, which has suspended classes in 11 schools and universities after detecting one case in each, told school authorities to report any influenza-like illnesses among their students, especially those who have recently travelled to affected countries.

The Director-General of Health advises students on what they can do to curb the spread of the flu.

Students returning from vacation in countries affected by the Influenza A (H1N1) virus to seek immediate treatment if they have cough and fever and to limit their interaction with friends, including avoiding classes until they get better.

The D-G urges the public to cooperate with the authorities by postponing their travel to countries hit by the flu, “and travel only if absolutely necessary” as the chances of contracting the virus when flying to an affected country has increased, whether traveller is in that country or during the flight there.

These are the numbers (03-8881 0200 and 8881 0300) to get in touch with the Health Ministry should you come in contact with those who had been tested positive for the flu virus, including passengers on the same flight and crew members.

The public can follow the latest developments on the flu outbreak via the ministry’s website at www.moh.gov.my.

Source: The Star


Here is the latest update on the H1N1 situation in Malaysia - June 23 update.

Happy Father's Day!

To All Fathers out there, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Friday Frolics - The Snow Test

In this heat, wouldn't it be nice to have snow to cool us down? Maybe not. It would be freakish to have snow here in the tropics! Here is an interesting Snow Test. See what it says about you.

Your Snow Test Says You're Independent

You feel like something good will happen to you in the next few weeks. You don't really like to work, unless work feels like play. You only are successful when you are doing what you love. You are an independent, individualistic person. You thrive when you're doing your own thing. Your biggest worry in life is your family. You stay up at night thinking about them. When it comes time to relax, you really indulge. You are all about your favorite comforts.

The Snow Test

Other Fun Quizzes

Market Communications is Key to a Business

These days, many big companies maintain their more critical operations functions but outsource their support functions, such as their market communications function.

A business will not survive without customers and a business will not grow without a continuous flow of customers. Therefore, it is imperative that an efficient line of communication is maintained for a business to flourish.

Market Communications LLC involves helping customers rapidly connect to their valued clients. It has expanded and diversified its solutions options with a variety of specific voice platforms. They specialize in sales, installation and maintenance of mission-critical trading systems and VOIP/ PBX systems from today's leading manufacturers. They can tailor a "best of breed" solution that makes true "cents" for your business. Voice platforms Market Communications LCC uses include IPC, BT America, Shoretel IP, Nortel, Avaya, Nice, Cisco, Cybertech, and Adtran.

Market Communications LLC is a full service 24X7 telecomunications provider headquartered in New York with customers located throughout the U.S.A.

A Cricket Fact

How much do you know about Sports? Let's take Cricket, for instance. Here is a little known fact I bet you would have missed. I didn't know either until I got this in the mail..



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A little known fact....Cricket



The first testicular guard was used in cricket in 1874 ......

............ ......and the first helmet was used in 1974!!!!!!



It took 100 years for men to realise that the brain is also important ..



No prizes for guessing right who (which gender) invented the cricket helmet..

We Don't Want Your Dumplings...

Are people getting badder? Blame it on food? On the environment? Perhaps on global warming?

To cater to the breakfast crowd, restaurants here start work early. Picture below shows a kitchen of a Chinese dumpling or tim sum restaurant. Wait, there is more. The man on the right is wielding a parang, a long blade knife.

Smile, you are on candid camera! I think this image is from the video camera recording a robbery yesterday in which seven parang-wielding robbers terrorised several businesses in Puchong in an hour-long robbing spree beginning at 5.30am.

Was it worth the effort? They made off with approximately RM9,000, seven cellular phones, some jewellery and a school bag after hitting five restaurants and a hotel that were just opening for business yesterday..



Source: The Star

The World is Dying.. Global Warming

Trees. They are beautiful, aren't they? The picture below is of a sugar maple tree in the United States and is one of the seven American species threatened by global warming, according to The Huffington Post.

These living plants and animals are already struggling to survive. Climate change is affecting their natural habitats and without action, it is feared that there is a good chance these species may not make it past our lifetimes.




The second species is the Monarch butterfly..



The Leatherback sea turtle is next on the list. These turtles are also seen on our eastern shores on the Terengganu beaches when they come in to hatch their eggs. I wonder if the number has also been severely decreased.



The American Pika is next. According to Wikipedia, The American Pika has a small, round, egg-shaped body, which is covered with brown fur. They have large and round ears, and no visible tail. Their body length ranges from 162 to 216 millimeters (6-8 inches). Their hind feet range from 25 to 35 mm (1-1½ in).[4] They usually weigh about 170 grams (6 ounces).



The Canada lynx. Isn't she or he a beauty? Malaysia is also having its own woes of certain animals at the risk of extinction. The tigers and sun bears are only two of many species which have seen their numbers dwindle due to poaching.



The Tufted Puffin is also on the list.



And lastly, the Polar bear is also under threat of extinction.