Happy New Year 2009

New Year is coming!! Hooray, and I hope no more boring resolutions this year.. I want to get rid of the spectacles.

Personally I sometimes think that wearing spectacles could be rather annoying. It somehow feels unnatural. And having short-sightedness is a pathology anyways.

And its actually affecting many people. And buying new spectacles are not cheap at all.

But The popular online eyeglasses shop, Zenni is offering cheap, as cheap as $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses. Could you believe that! I would want to get a pair as soon as possible. Mine is getting old.

The variety of Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical are diverse and totally exotic. You can choose from a big selection and they are trendy!

Its finally Christmas

Counting down 2 days to Christmas Day!

And the weather updates for today : A shivering -7 degrees out there I guess.

When I was a kid, Christmas for me means toys, candies and lots of gifts. Our parents told us the story of the birth of Jesus and how the kings at that time went out of their way just to go to the manger where Jesus was born and bring some gifts.

And the best part is that we need to attend the Christmas Eve Mass in church which is going to be full of people. But I enjoyed the carols and crowd. Haha

I guess everyone has got a wish for this Christmas day. My friends are so eager and hoping for the best gifts from their parents. Mine is simple, I hope for the very best in my studies and the best health to my family members.

CEIVA, the market leading brand in digital photo frames offers you a fun Christmas video experience.Check out the special CEIVA Sit on Santa lap webiste, submit a photo and tell Santa your wish, could be granted.

The great thing about the digital frame is that The CEIVA digital frame automatically receives photos by phone or wireless connections. There is even a lifetime warranty. If it breaks, there is a warranty for repair.

As for the contest, 1 random entry will be selected for each day of the contest; cash prize of $500 per winner. I've uploaded mine and its hilarious.

Its your turn now to do the same, and you could be the winner of 500 dollars!

Big Tobacco undermined research in Asia

BANGKOK: Two studies released Tuesday allege that big tobacco companies tried to undermine anti-smoking policies in Asia by infiltrating a research institute in Thailand and providing funding for one in China.

Public health researchers from the University of Sydney and the University of Edinburgh analysed internal industry documents made public following litigation in the United States.

The researchers claimed that Philip Morris planted a scientist in Chulabhorn Research Institute in Bangkok in a bid to get researchers to play down the impact of secondhand smoke.

A separate study including a Mayo Clinic researcher alleges that British American Tobacco provided funding in China for the Beijing Liver Foundation in a campaign to shift the focus there away from smoking dangers to ailments like liver disease.

Both companies denied the charges presented online in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal. The two studies were partly funded by the National Cancer Institute in the United States.

Anti-smoking groups say big tobacco for years has sought to covertly influence government smoking policies and squash scientific findings highlighting the hazards of smoking.

Earlier reviews of company documents have claimed that cigarette companies worked to defeat a tobacco advertising ban in Europe, pressured drug companies to tone down marketing for smoking-cessation products and placed consultants at the World Health Organisation (WHO) to try to subvert efforts to reduce smoking.

Critics contend the companies are turning increasingly to Asia where smokers are on the rise.

WHO estimated this year that 30% of the world’s smokers now live in China and 10% in India. Thailand has seen the number of cigarettes smoked more than double since 1972 to 42 billion sticks in 2004.

“There is no doubt that the WHO regrets the unethical behaviour of tobacco companies that infiltrate research organisations to influence the research process and the findings of such organisations,’’ said Edouard Tursan d’Espaignet, epidemiologist with the WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative.

In the Thai study, University of Sydney’s Ross MacKenzie and University of Edinburgh’s Jeff Collin allege that Philip Morris scientist Roger Walk was able to lecture and organise conferences at the Thai government-funded Chulabhorn from the early 1990s to at least 2006.

The researchers say this allowed Philip Morris to develop relationships with key officials and scientists in efforts to discount the threat of secondhand smoke.

Spokesman Marija Sepic of Switzerland-based Philip Morris International -- which separated this year from the US branch of the company -- dismissed the documents as outdated and said the company never hid its affiliation with Walk.

However, Chulabhorn associate vice-president Jutamaad Satayavivad said the institute was not aware Walk worked for Philip Morris until about a decade into his tenure. After seeing the study, institute officials plan to bar him because he was“not straightforward in sharing with us,” she said.

The other study alleges that London-based British American Tobacco used the Beijing Liver Foundation to lobby China’s Health Ministry in a campaign to forestall smoke-free legislation.

The researchers say documents show that the company provided training for industry, public officials and the media to spread its message that secondhand smoke was an insignificant source of pollution.

“Our findings show that despite the tobacco industry’s public efforts to appear socially responsible and to assert that they are part of the solution to the global tobacco epidemic, there is a fundamental conflict between the interests of tobacco companies and public health,” said the Mayo Clinic’s Monique E. Muggli, who conducted the study with Kelley Lee, Quan Gan, Jon O. Ebbert and Richard Hurt.

China’s Health Ministry did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

British American Tobacco spokesman Catherine Armstrong said it was illogical to suggest that any link the company has to a medical charity “was an attempt to divert attention away from smoking related disease.”

Counting down to Christmas

Finally counting down to another 4 days and its Christmas day! I've been longing so much for this day to come.

Anyways, we've got lots of programs lined up on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself. We'll have a party with my friends on the eve, and of course a Christmas Mass in church the next day.

I think every child has got a wish in their tiny hearts. And that is to meet Santa. My childhoodstories about Christmas is all about Santa Claus visiting homes and giving out presents.

However, I personally think that this term does not really apply to us. Because back in my hometown, unlike western countries we don't have chimneys, and that's why my gift sock was never filled with gifts!

I came through this interesting website that day, about a wish for Christmas. This nice site lets you upload a picture of yourself for a contest and tell Santa what you want for Christmas. I do not take a lot of pictures so I chose the one I took after I voted.

Besides, there is a little video of Santa and one of his special helper elves. The picture is displayed on the CEIVA digital frame Santa is holding on his lap. I've never sat on a Santa's lap before, but I've met a lot of Santa in disguise and giving out gifts.

As for the contest, 1 random entry will be selected for each day of the contest; cash prize of $500 per winner. Sounds amazing? So don't forget to participate as everyone stands a chance to win!

Making a difference

Being aware is more important than what you wear, says designer Kenneth Cole.

SEEN in a store window: “No good deed should go unpublished.”

Those words were splashed across the window display of a Kenneth Cole store in midtown Manhattan just before the Thanksgiving season.

The window display of the Kenneth Cole store near Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, New York, promoting Awearness.

But the American designer wants to make more than just a fashion statement. His latest project is called “Awearness” to mark his 25-year effort to raise social awareness on topics as diverse as volunteerism and HIV to gun control.

To commemorate the occasion, Cole has edited a book which contains 86 essays contributed by an endless list of who’s who; Robert Redford, Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, Lance Armstrong, Bill Clinton, Jane Fonda and so on.

Fonda, for example, talks about preventing teen pregnancies, New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg touches on public health policies, while TV host Rachael Ray shares her endeavours to get children to eat healthy food.

“It should be an embarrassment to every American that any child would go hungry in a country of plenty,” she writes.

Cole, who promoted Awearness: Inspiring Stories About How to Make a Difference at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Tribeca recently, spoke of the heartening encounters during his previous book events.

American designer Kenneth Cole’s Awearness project marks his 25-year effort to raise social awareness on various issues.

He recounted the story of a man who came up to him with a confession.

“Not so long ago, I stole a jacket from your store,” the guy told Cole. He wanted to know how he could pay for the jacket.

The designer took the news in his stride. “Send me an e-mail on how you did it,” he told the self-confessed thief, who did just that.

In the end, Cole said, “I was inspired, and so was he.”

He said the book would be an extraordinary gift to give to friends and loved ones. “It would even be a good gift for someone you don’t like,” he joked.

To him, there were many wonderful, untold stories about people who had done good.

“I’m not the author. I am just an accessory, a facilitator,” he said.

Cole, who started in fashion with a shoe business in 1982, explained that his venture into social awareness was prompted by the public consciousness which swept the nation throughout the 1980s.

“There were Live Aid and Hands Across America, which fought against hunger,” he recalled as examples.

Those events, he said, were astounding because people were joining hands to help others from far-flung countries such as Ethiopia.

Back then, he was already working towards removing the stigma about HIV and AIDS.

“There was little talk about it then. Nobody wanted to deal much with it because people would assume that you had the disease,” he said. More so for a single male designer like him then. Cole, who is now married with three daughters, is currently the chairman of The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

He believed that it was incumbent upon communities to help and provide for one another.

“Otherwise, we are not going to make it,” he said.

But Cole acknowledged that in these tough economic times, philanthropy and social service are going through hard times, too.

“Unfortunately, that is needed even more these days, as more people are going to be homeless,” he said. “These days, you wake up and you read the news, it kind of makes you want to run in front of a truck.”

His social awareness project was a humbling experience for him as a designer.

“Nobody needs what we sell. We’ve got to convince them that they do. No woman in America needs another pair of black shoes,” he said.

The designer has been quick to make his political statements. At 4am, just hours after Barack Obama’s acceptance speech on Nov 4, his company put up a billboard in Manhattan to congratulate America’s first black president. “A precedent we can be proud of”, the billboard said.

There was a Plan B if John McCain had won. The billboard would have stated “Out with the old, in with the older”.

Asked which contributor in the book had inspired him the most, Cole said: “In the essence of being prudent, I would say it’s my wife.” Maria Cuomo Cole heads the country’s largest non-profit developer and operator of housing for the homeless.

“She works tirelessly every day,” he said.

The designer has also established the Awearness Fund to help charities dealing with HIV and the homeless.

“We have always believed that being aware is more important than what you wear,” he wrote in the introduction to Awearness.

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Vegas Rules

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Why would you travel there? Believe it or not, there's more to Las Vegas than debauchery, including a world-class restaurant scene and fantastic shopping.

Las Vegas celebrated its centennial in 2005 – not that it needed an excuse to party. “Sin City,” “Lost Wages,” “The City That Never Sleeps” – call it what you will – this Nevada desert city will awe you from the moment you fly over its glittering expanse to the day you leave.

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The Automobile

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Hong Kong heartthrob Andy Lau to marry Malaysian girl

After 23 years of keeping their romance under wraps, Hong Kong heartthrob Andy Lau Tak Wah and his Malaysian girlfriend Carol Chu will walk down the aisle next year.

The couple, who got to know each other in 1985, have chosen Pulau Redang in Terengganu, as the site for their lavish wedding ceremony to avoid paparazzi.

Hong Kong magazine “Three Weekly” reported that the 47-year-old Lau got the idea of getting married on the resort island from his buddy Tony Leung Chiu Wai, who recently tied the knot with China beauty Carina Lau Kar Ling.

The magazine reported that Andy had been vehemently denying his relationship with Chu for fear that his fans would not support him but Chu’s appearance at Lau’s concert early this year had fuelled the rumour mill.

During a concert last month, Andy set tongues wagging when he asked his fans if idols could have girlfriends and get married.

Fans greeted his question with happiness and responded that he should openly show his love for Chu.

Andy was said to have used that statement as a test of his fans’ reaction towards his marriage plans.

Chu’s romance with Andy is believed to have started not long after she was named second runner-up in a beauty contest in 1985.

In May this year, Andy was spotted at the wedding ceremony of Chu’s sister in Kuala Lumpur.

When contacted by press over the news, Andy’s former Taiwanese girlfriend Yu Ke Xin said:

“I am very happy for him. It is time he settles down.”

Christmas Season

Christmas is just around the corner and I remember that every Christmas we will receive gifts from everyone, have activities in the Church and paint Easter eggs.

During the wonderful season Santa will always be there and giving out presents. However, I do not think I have sat on Santa’s lap myself since I was young.

And for this year, I got a wish for myself! I want to get something I have dreamed of for a long time. A new cell phone! It is my chance now!

There is this nice site which lets you upload a picture of yourself for a contest and tell Santa what you want for Christmas. I do not take a lot of pictures so I chose the one I took after I voted.

Besides, there is a little video of Santa and one of his special helper elves. The picture is displayed on the CEIVA digital frame Santa is holding on his lap.

The great thing about the digital frame is that The CEIVA digital frame automatically receives photos by phone or wireless connections. There is even a lifetime warranty. If it breaks, there is a warranty for repair.

Winners for the contest will be chosen (one for each day of contest) with random entry selected for each day of the contest. 1 random entry selected for each day of the contest get a cash prize of $500.

That sounds amazing to you? So what are you waiting for? Everyone stands a chance to win!!

Just quit smoking

Strategies to help you quit smoking successfully.

TOBACCO epidemic death toll:

·100 million dead in the 20th century

·By 2030, there will be more than eight million deaths every year

·By 2030, more than 80% of tobacco deaths will be in developing countries

·One billion estimated deaths during the 21st century – WHO report on the global Tobacco epidemic, 2008

Tobacco use is a major cause of premature and preventable death in the world. It is currently responsible for the deaths of about 10,000 Malaysians each year and more than five million worldwide. If current smoking patterns continue, it will cause more than eight million deaths annually by 2030. It has been shown that up to 50% of long-term smokers will die of a smoking-related disease.
According to the World Health Organization, 95% of smokers who attempted to quit without assistance did not make it. – Reuters

Cigarettes and other smoked tobacco products rapidly deliver nicotine to the brain immediately after smokers inhale. But because the effects of smoked tobacco last only a few minutes, smokers experience withdrawal symptoms unless they continue to smoke.

Although standard cigarettes are the most commonly used type of smoked tobacco, other smoked tobacco products, such as bidis, kreteks and shisha, are gaining popularity – often in the mistaken belief that they are less hazardous to health. However, all forms of tobacco are lethal.

Smoked tobacco in any form causes up to 90% of all lung cancers and is a significant risk factor for strokes and fatal heart attacks.

The feel-good effect of nicotine reinforces the sustained need for tobacco, thus creating nicotine dependence. Because nicotine is so addictive, quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to do.

According to Assoc Prof Mohamad Haniki Nik Mohamed, Head for Department of Pharmacy Practice, smokers not only need to deal with physiological changes but also psychological and physical dependence to be successful at quitting and staying quit.

When you stop smoking, the absence of nicotine in your system will cause withdrawal symptoms. Among the symptoms you may experience are restlessness, fatigue, dizziness and irritability. Heavy perspiration, diarrhoea or constipation, and headache are common symptoms as well.

Learning to deal with withdrawal symptoms is an important part of the quitting process.

Assoc Prof Haniki highlighted the fact that many smokers want to quit, but are unaware that professional assistance is available to overcome nicotine dependence.

Most smokers attempting to quit today still make unaided quit attempts, or what is commonly known as “cold turkey”. According to the World Health Organization, 95% of smokers who attempted to quit without assistance did not make it. Most smokers take five to seven attempts, without assistance, before succeeding.

There is growing evidence that smokers who receive clinician’s advice and assistance with quitting smoking reported greater satisfaction with their healthcare than those who do not. A series of new data presented at the 2008 annual congress of the Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (SRNT) reinforces the need for healthcare professionals to proactively support smoking cessation.

Assoc Prof Haniki said: “There are numerous effective medications available for nicotine dependence, and clinicians (physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, etc) should encourage their use by all smokers attempting to quit.”

Medications approved as first-line for smoking cessation treatment which reliably increase long-term smoking abstinence are divided into two groups, non-nicotine and nicotine based.

The two current non-nicotine based medications are bupropion SR (sustained release) and varenicline, the latest drug launched in the local market recently. The nicotine based products include: nicotine gum, nicotine inhaler, nicotine lozenge and nicotine patch.

“Some smokers would require a combination of the above medications, but this should be done with the assistance and supervision of a healthcare professional,” added Assoc Prof Haniki. “In Malaysia, all of the mentioned medications for smoking cessation are available through the pharmacist without prescriptions, except for bupropion SR and varenicline, which are prescription items. Smokers need to discuss with their pharmacists or doctors to determine the right course of therapy.”

Both counselling and medication are effective when used independently for treating nicotine dependence. However, the combination of counselling and medication is even more effective than either alone.

Based on Assoc Prof Haniki’s experiences in smoking cessation, a support programme is also crucial to the success in quitting smoking. Do remember to get the support of a close friend, co-worker and family members.

Some may find cessation programmes using the telephone (help or quitline) as well as the internet to be supportive and useful. When in need, reach out to a pharmacist or doctor for a helping hand or tips on coping skills.

As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail”.

Assoc Prof Haniki advises smokers who want to quit to have a quit plan, which can help a smoker significantly achieve smoking cessation. You should plan on the quitting strategy, i.e., cutting down (gradual reduction) or cold turkey (giving up totally and abruptly), methods to overcome withdrawal symptoms, especially craving and how to stay tobacco-free. Knowing the important benefits of quitting, a list of situations in which you smoke and the reasons for smoking, for example, should help you identify what are your “triggers” to lighting up – and finally, a list of healthy alternatives to replace smoking.

Assoc Prof Haniki further elaborates that in order to get the quitting plan moving, smokers should choose a quit date that is the nearest (eg within two weeks or so) and most suitable (eg birthdays, anniversary, etc) because simply reducing without absolute cessation does not work.

A quit date is the beginning of becoming smoke free, and towards a new, healthier life. During the initial week, you may experience more intense withdrawal symptoms. The use of appropriate medication as suggested by your pharmacist or doctor should help you reduce these symptoms significantly.

In addition, remember DEAD, an acronym for “Delay, Escape, Avoid and Distract”. Apply one or more each time you feel like having a cigarette. Also remember that the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms gradually decrease with time. So, stick to the plan and avoid “slips” as much as possible to ensure a successful attempt as well as preventing relapse.

Other tips to quitting successfully, provided by Assoc Prof Haniki, include drinking a lot of water (six to eight oz. glasses are ideal) to flush tobacco-related toxins from your body and facilitate expulsion of phlegm.

Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and limit your fat intake. This would also be useful in preventing the weight gain after quitting, as often experienced by smokers.

Another tip to prevent weight gain associated with cessation is to include more physical activities in your daily routine, and exercise is also a great way to improve your stamina and health.

Grant My Wish

Its the digital world now. Most of the things we are using now are all computerized and digital. Take for example the basic things in life such as the telephone, the computer, the television set, cell phones, digital cameras and a lot of other stuff.

Basically, given a day without electricity and all these digital stuff, I guess I'll suffer so much from boredom.

And now, with the digital camera so handy you can take pictures anywhere at anytime you want. A friend of mine just recently bought a Sony DSLR digital camera and its really a nice one. The photos taken are really clear and beautiful.

So, if you wanna save all the trouble of developing the photos, now you can use a digital photo frame, its so easy to use and convenient. Just upload the photos into it and you get to change the photos everyday.

Now, CEIVA Digital Photo Frame is a unique brand to recommend. Visit their website and watch the video there, its really a hilarious one! I've shared it with my friend and they were all excited to know more about it.

There's more, now that there is a contest available. The contest, Got a Wish Sweeepstakes will get 1 random entry selected for each day of the contest; cash prize of $500 per winner.

Obama rolls out national security team

President-elect Barack Obama on Monday announced Sen. Hillary Clinton as his pick for secretary of state, calling her an "American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence."

Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances," Obama said at a news conference in Chicago, Illinois. "I have no doubt that Hillary Clinton is the right person to lead our State Department and to work with me in tackling this ambitious foreign policy agenda."

Obama also confirmed that he is keeping Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his current post.

Rounding out his Monday announcements, Obama named retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones as his national security adviser, Eric Holder as attorney general, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as homeland security secretary and Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations.

"I am confident that this team is what we need to make a new beginning for American national security," Obama said.

Clinton said leaving the Senate would be difficult for her, but said she believes that the best way for her to continue to serve the country is by joining Obama's administration.

"Mr. President-elect, I am proud to join you on what will be a difficult and exciting adventure in this new century," she said at the news conference.

Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, who was not at the event Monday, issued a statement expressing his support for his wife.

"In her service to the people of New York and our nation, Hillary has demonstrated the knowledge, passion, resilience, and capacity to learn that our country needs at this critical time.

"She loves being a Senator from New York, but as she has in all the thirty-seven years I've known her, she answered the call to serve. I commend President-Elect Obama for asking her to be a part of a great national security team. America will be well-served," he said in a statement.

In assuming this new post, Clinton will have some control of her staffing, like picking the assistant secretaries, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Clinton, Obama's former rival for the Democratic nomination, also has been told by the Obama team that they will help her fundraise in the next 60 days to help clear her campaign debt, which is about $6.5 million, the sources said.

Asked Monday how he can be sure that his administration will function as a team of rivals and not a clash of rivals, Obama said he has assembled a group of "outstanding public servants" who share a core vision for the country.

"I am very confident that each of these individuals are not going to be leaving the outstanding work that they are currently doing if they weren't convinced that they could work as an effective team," Obama said.

Obama added that he is a strong believer in "strong personalities and strong opinions."

Obama also noted, however, that he would have the final word in setting national security policy. "The buck will stop with me," Obama said.

All of the selections are people who have been mentioned often during weeks of fevered speculation about the likely nominees.

The president-elect has made no secret of his interest in having divergent views within his Cabinet, and Gates has served in various national security roles under Republican presidents, including as CIA director during former President George H.W. Bush's administration.

To some, the choice demonstrates bipartisanship and conveys that Obama has the self-confidence in his leadership abilities to keep one of the more widely respected members of the Bush administration.

"We've got confidence, continuity, and I still think the mission to get out of [Iraq] as soon as possible will be accomplished. So I think it's a great choice," Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel told CNN's "Larry King Live" last week.

Others say keeping Gates could delay the change that Obama promised during his campaign, because it could lead to potential policy conflicts over missile defense funding and a speedy Iraq pullout.

"If we don't have good civilian personnel alongside our good military personnel, we're not going to reform. It can't happen. You need the right people to make it work," former Pentagon comptroller Dov Zakheim said.

As for Clinton, some observers have raised concerns about her husband and suggested that the former president's international business dealings, global foundation and penchant for going off script could present a significant obstacle for the incoming commander-in-chief.

"These are issues that I'm sure are being discussed, and they will have to be worked out, and it's legitimate to ask these questions," said James Carville, a former aide to the Clintons and CNN contributor.

Obama's transition team was given access to Bill Clinton's finances and post-presidential dealings, sources said. As part of the early vetting process, the team looked for any negative information that could jeopardize the prospect of Hilary Clinton as secretary of state.

A particular issue of concern, observers said, was the donor list of Bill Clinton's global foundation, which might show connections to international figures who push policies that could conflict with those of the new Obama administration.

Since exiting the Oval Office eight years ago, Clinton has reportedly raised more than $500 million for the foundation, a significant portion of which financed the construction of his presidential library. The foundation has also doled out millions for AIDS relief in Africa and other charitable causes around the world.

Amid repeated criticism from Sen. Clinton's primary opponents, Bill Clinton would not reveal the extent of the foundation's donor list earlier this year. But The New York Times has reported the list includes some foreign governments, including members of the Saudi royal family, the king of Morocco, a fund connected to the United Arab Emirates, and the governments of Kuwait and Qatar.

The former president has also reportedly solicited funds from international business figures connected to human rights abuses that his wife has criticized, including the governments of Kazakhstan and China.

During the New York senator's White House bid, critics repeatedly said that foreign governments and business executives could try to exert influence through donations to the foundation, which prompted a pledge from the former president to publicly disclose all future donors.

Black Friday

Its really boring here at the place where I study.

There is basically no entertainment here, well, not for us international students.
And the cinema's are practically all dubbed in Russian Language, which we haven't even mastered well.



And, the internet service here is bloody expensive. Slow lagging connection and you have to pay so much for it for the running traffic. Sounds ridiculous, right?

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Get 1 Charter service for $25, Buy the 2nd Charter services for $75, Buy 3 Charter Services for $150, Buy the complete Charter’s Ultimate Bundle and get $250 gift card!

As the offer is named, black friday you get High Speed 10 Mbps internet, exclusive TV programmes such as :

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Sports View
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HBO/Cinemax
Starz/Encore
Showtime/The Movie Channel

and Unlimited Calling Service through the phone!

And that's not all, you stand a chance to win an X-box 360 game console!

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When thoughts collide

In an age when headlines and sensationalism attract our attention, there is a need for us to understand some, if not all, of the different religions that exist.

I ONCE bought an English-Hindi/Hindi-English dictionary to give to a friend. However, I changed my mind and gave her a different gift and that dictionary remained on my bookshelf.

Flipping through it, I found that some words looked strangely similar, if not the same, as those used in my mother tongue:

angur (grapes); akal (wisdom or intellect); akhbar (newspaper); agar (if, so as to); adab (etiquette); anu-grah (favour/grace); asli (true/pure); adat (habit/ custom); ibadat (worship/ adoration); ilm (knowledge/learning); iman (faith/belief); usul (principle); qayamat (day of resurrection/ last day of judgment); karya (work/vocation); kismis (raisins); kursi (chair); khazana (treasury/trea­sure); khas (peculiar/special); and zahir (obvious/clear), among others.

On the same bookshelf is a copy of Don’t Be Sad, a book written by Saudi writer Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni. In it, he refers to a much earlier writer, Al Jahiz (776-868), who wrote: “The book is a companion that does not praise you and does not entice you to evil ... As long as you are remotely attached to a book, it suffices you from having to keep company with those who are idle.”

According to www.islamonline.net, Al Jahiz was a well-known Muslim scholar. He grew up in Basra, Iraq, and “attended its schools, studying under some of the most eminent scholars of Islam. One of the most important aspects about the period of Al Jahiz’s intellectual development and his life was that books were readily accessible. Though paper had been introduced into the Islamic world only shortly before Al Jahiz’s birth, it had, by the time he was in his 30s, virtually replaced parchment, and launched an intellectual revolution.”

Making comparisons of words and thoughts in different languages and religions also led me to read a little about Buddhist teachings. Buddhists believe in the eight worldly “dharmas”, which are made up of four ideas of opposites:

“... First, we like pleasure; we are attached to it. Conversely, we don’t like pain. Second, we like and are attached to praise. We try and avoid criticism and blame. Third, we like and are attached to fame. We dislike and try to avoid disgrace. Finally, we are attached to gain, to getting what we want. We don’t like losing what we have” (in When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron, 1997).

The three books mentioned above are obviously disparate from each other. Or are they? How is it that a Hindi dictionary contains words similar, if not the same, as those in the Arabic language? Why do the concepts of pleasure and pain, praise and criticism which are written by a Buddhist nun not sound alien to those of us who are not Buddhists?

Perhaps the answer lies in the nature of languages where words are absorbed from an older language into a newer one, or that the ones used in one religion can be understood by those of other religions.

In an age when headlines and sensationalism attract our attention, there is a need for us to understand some, if not all, of the different religions that exist. We should note the nuances and subtleties behind state­ments made by any one group of people.

We are living at a time when television can give us “live” news coverage via satellite. There is also the wide, unfettered realm of the Inter­net where we can remain anony­mous and write whatever we wish. ­

With such powerful media tools at our fingertips, we need to interact with each other with even more sensitivity than ever before. We must be more cautious in what we say, despite the temptation to say whatever we wish to and be considered daring or brave.

When the film The Da Vinci Code was shown in cinemas in 2006, Christian churches became the focus of international attention. The book on which the film was based questioned Jesus Christ’s life.

Both the book and the film caused much controversy. Anyone and everyone with keyboards and access to the Internet gave their opi­nions. Secular and religious figures as well as religious groups from all around the world had some­thing to say. Among the thousands of comments made, a statement by Mark Turn­bull, a BBC radio presenter, caught my eye: “I would like to suggest that our faith is far stronger than any blasphemy or work of fiction. The church has had more severe accusations leveled against her before and come through them.”

Thousands of miles away in India, Roman Catholics in Mumbai received Muslim support to protest the release of the film.

More recently here in Malaysia, a Muslim fatwa about yoga has received a lot of attention in the media. It should be noted that fatwa, or edicts, are made as a guide for Muslims only. Those practising other religions do not have to abide by or agree with them.

Indeed, those of us who are Muslims but are not scholars of Islamic religious laws have always had to depend upon the advice of our uztaz, uztazah and imam who serve our communities. We ask them for guidance when we are unsure about any facets of our daily lives. We accept the fact that religious scholars know more than us and are therefore in a position to guide us.

In addition, we always refer to the Holy Koran for guidance.

There is a Christian hymn which also speaks of guidance:

“Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us

O’er the world’s tempestuous sea;

Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,

For we have no help but Thee.”

— James Edmeston (1791-1867), England.

I remember this hymn because I attended a Church of England boarding school where we were required to go to church every Sunday. It was, for me, just a part of my weekly routine.

Recently, my family celebrated a birthday by sharing it with fellow Muslims at a nearby mosque. At home, a few friends came to celebrate with us. If there was a need to prove that race or religion did not matter, it was at that moment. We are Malays but our Chinese and Indian friends were there with us. It didn’t seem strange; after all, we live in the same city, go to the same restaurants and shop at the same supermarkets.

At a time when we are looking for answers, we really have to devote more time in seeking knowledge and to understand our fellow citizens better.