No Community Shield for Manchester United

Shucks! I was hoping to be posting a winning picture of Manchester United with the Community Shield but alas, it is not to be.

Instead, the silverware goes to Chelsea FC winning 4-1 on penalties at Wembley. The actual score was 2-2 right up to the last minute.

Oh well... There are worse things in life. Take for instance, the havoc that is being caused by Typhoon Morakot that hit several countries in Asia causing hardship and devastation in The Phillipines, Taiwan and China.

Let's take a peek from BBC.
After the storm, came the floods, as Typhoon Morakot swept through The Philiipines, Taiwan and south-eastern China. Deluge of rain caused dams to burst. More than 10,000 forced from their homes in provinces north of Manila. In some areas whole villages were affected.





















In Taiwan, an entire hotel collapsed after flood waters undermined its foundations.





















And in China, a million people have been evacuated as water level rises in the Fujian province. Tens of thousands of fishing boats were ordered back to shore. Hainan Island was not spared as fourteen villages were struck by Typhoon Morakot.






















And we think a bad hair day or a missed date is the pits? Most of us do have A LOT to be thankful for. I am counting my blessings and my heart goes out to the victims and their families.

Shopping via Rewards Redemption

I have some bonus points accumulated on a credit card so thought I should do some redemption before the points expire.

I am thinking about redeeming a watch, maybe a purse too (limited choice, unfortunately), that rugged Camel slingbag (I know someone who would love it), a travel bag, a Black & Decker car vacuum, an induction cooker, that lovely pewter coinbox from Royal Selangor (a collector's item) and that cute pair of salt and pepper shakers to spruce up someone's dining table. Alternatively, I could redeem some shopping or dining vouchers. Unfortunately, no voucher for dental discounts. Those would come in handy, I am sure.

Mid-air Collision over Hudson River

Oh my goodness, a mid-air collision over the Hudson River, New York..

August 9 H1N1 Update - Malaysia

I get hits like "Is it safe to visit Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia in view of H1N1?". Thought I'd give a brief update on the situation in Malaysia.

Yes, it is safe to visit Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia for that matter. The government is monitoring the situation closely and has advised the people to be vigilant and take the necessary steps to contain the flu. Below is an update on what is being done.

With the death toll risen to 18 todate, the Malaysian Health Minister said that H1N1 has established foothold and yesterday announced three new strategies to counter the pandemic.

The new measures are aimed at making H1N1 testing and treatment more widely available and accessible to the public, and will take immediate effect.

The three new strategies are:

* all clinics and hospitals, both private and public, are encouraged to use rapid influenza screening tests for those with flu-like symptoms who request to be tested. Such tests should be done as close as possible to the onset of symptoms. All cases testing positive for H1N1 can be treated immediately with the antiviral oseltamivir;

* all clinics and hospitals, both private and public, can now treat patients suspected of having contracted H1N1 with oseltamivir. This is particularly essential for those who test positive on the rapid test and those with risk factors and co-morbidities. However, those with more severe illness, with associated risk factors and co-morbidities, should be referred to hospitals for treatments; and,

* the ministry will make all efforts to ensure the supply of antiviral in the market would not be disrupted.

A statement issued by the ministry yesterday, however, pointed out that the rapid tests are only 70-75 per cent accurate and advised patients with flu-like symptoms but tested negative for influenza A to also observe all precautions and seek further treatment if their condition worsened.

The Ministry will also stop daily reporting on the number of tested and confirmed cases in Malaysia, in line with the World Health Organisation’s stand in stopping such reports. This is because the WHO feels that such reports no longer give an accurate view of the actual situation on the ground.

However, the number of cases admitted in hospitals for inpatient treatment and deaths will still be reported. The ministry would continue to monitor and report on cluster outbreaks to make sure preventive measures can be put in place quickly.
Source: NST


All clinics and hospitals in the public and private sectors could now treat patients suspected of having contracted A (H1N1) with oseltamvir, better known as Tamiflu.
SourceL The Star


While in the United States..
Most schools should be able to stay open even if swine flu outbreaks occur again this fall, government officials said Friday as they issued recommendations for dealing with the illness when the school year starts.

The nation has 130,000 schools, 55 million students and 7 million staff members. Closing schools may mean that parents have to stay home or find child care, which some cannot afford.

The advice to schools includes telling staff members and students to stay home when they are sick and not to return for at least 24 hours after the fever goes away. This differs from earlier guidelines, which advised staying home for seven days.

I wonder why people in the US are still calling this Influenza A (H1N1) the swine flu..
Source: New York Times

Heineken, Serving the Planet

Robin asked if I've seen this Heineken commercial. Have you? The tagline is Heineken, serving the planet. Indeed, it is - saving both genders as in clothes to-die-for for women, and beers for men. Watch this hilarious short commercial.

Wedding Photography Workshop

Photography enthusiasts in and around Kuala Lumpur may be interested in this free Wedding Photography Workshop.

Sorry, this could be a little late but I just got wind of it.

Friday Frolics - The Jungle Test

I've been bogged down with work this week, something like getting in the thick of the jungle so I've chosen the Jungle Test for this week's quiz. Take an imaginary walk through the jungle to find out who you are.

You Are Dramatic

You are colorful and charismatic. You get and hold people's attention. Right now, you are seeking peace and tranquility in your life. You are drawn to people who are energetic and blissful. You feel like there are a few minor things in your life that need to be changed. You find that any decision you have to make needs to be slept on... often for multiple nights.

The Jungle Test

Other Fun Quizzes

Paula Abdul not on American Idol Season 9

Auditions are underway for the new Season (9) of American Idol but we will not be seeing Paula Abdul this time around. Paula has decided to leave American Idol after being with it for the past eight years from the very beginning. I heard her request for a higher paycheck was not met.

Do you think not having Paula Abdul on the American idol will make any difference? Perhaps three judges - Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Simon Cowell - are good enough? Whatever... the show is going on, though viewership has been on the decline from one year to the next.

And I am still hooked on Adam Lambert's version of Mad World. Give it a listen. You may be haunted by it too.