Movies: The Jacket (2005) Starring Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley

Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night coz the fire alarm rang. It hadn't rung for quite a before yesterday. Still, it's a false alarm (as expected). I woke up but didnt go out. Instead, I went on to heat up my leftover dinner (buffalo chicken fingers) and also grabbed a bottle of Coca-cola Blak. Turned on my TV box and browsed through the channels, and stopped at HBO. It was showing a movie, with Adrien Brody in it. So heck, I watched it. It was good. Whichever movies that relates to time travel totally turns me on. Like for real, for real. In the end I found out the title of the movie, The Jacket.

Recommended.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366627/
http://wip.warnerbros.com/thejacket/

Sports: Where is Brian Calhoun #2 going in the NFL Draft?

My own's Wisconsin Badgers' running back/tail back is in the NFL draft. He's reported to be the 5th best running back in the draft. There's no doubt of his zigzagging abilities and also his burst of speed. The only thing that matters most is size. Size does matter. Some say he's too small for NFL. The amount of pounding you get in the NFL is nowhere near that of college football. Afer emerging as the MVP for the Capital One's Bowl in Orlando (which I gleefully attended), he decided to skip his senior year and enter the NFL draft. Understandable. You go out on a high. That'll give a player good prospect values for the draft.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Calhoun

Sports: Could Vince Young be available when it's the 5th pick time for Green Bay Packers?

That's just one of the several speculations flying around.
It's projected that te Green Bay Packers will get Ohio State's A.J. Hawk.
The Packers could use that guy to boost up their defense a lil bit.
But what if, Vince Young goes undrafted uptil 5th pick. What decision will the Packers make? I say let's take Vince Young. Some might express their doubts, a quarterback for the 2nd straight year?
YES. Although Vince Young has been heavily criticised ever since the National Championship game, he's a talent I tell you. People say he's not NFL-ready, unlike USC's Matt Leinart. His throwing mechanics is not right. He won't be able to use his playing style in the more agressive NFL. Those might be true. But y'all must see what a talent you;re gonna miss out if you pass him. For him to almost singlehandedly win the Rose Bowl against a very very solid USC team is just amazing. He did it on national stage. That was the biggest game of the year and he was up to it. A rushing quarterback definitely adds an extra dimension to anyone's offense. What more to say Vince Young who clearly showed us that he could serve that purpose very well.
After winning the Rose Bowl, everyone admitted. He's good, better that they thought (unfair judgement). In-VINCE-able were the headlines.

Yellow + orange = what color?

Anglenature threw that question at me a week ago. To my surprise, I wasn't able to answer it on the spot. I used to be good at colors and arts stuff. Coz during Pendidikan Seni (from Stantdard 4 up to Form 3, they stopped giving us P.Seni in F4&5) I liked that class. Coz it's something not related to history, maths or science. So it's fun. Especially when the teachers I had in Standard 4, 5, 6 and Form 1, 2, 3 were good. Not just some random artless Math teacher of PJK teacher.

It started back in '94 when I was in Standard 4. Puan Sabrina Ong. She's our English teacher AND P.Seni teacher. She's pretty good and she teaches us to make something out of nothing. I started out as a sucker. The only time I got A's for my P.Seni were when my Dad did them for me. I still remember the Fish Collage my Dad did. The final product: A green and white fish collage made out of bits of papers, some punched calendar picture I (strongly) believe. I got an A for that, yeah, I was happy. Standard 4, uh uh. This Song Wei la... Ivy la... Chun Chow la... Amy la... all damn terror. So I just try to copy their artworks, but I was nowhere near their level. What do u expect? Somehow the talent was missing in me. And that went on to the end of primary school, my SRB St. Joseph Miri.

Form 1, I remember we did a Color Wheel (Roda Warna). But I couldnt answer Yellow + orange = what color? Dissapointed, yes. So I googled the color wheel thing to seek out the truth. X-Files taught us, the truth is out there. In the end, Yellow + orange = yellow-orange. Those 2 colors are side by side in the color wheel. Dang.

Betting.com.my

That was the headline for an article reporting the busted football (soccer) betting syndicate in Malaysia. Catchy. And I like it. Very original and caught my attention. That particular bookie has accepted bets from as far as Spain and Italy. Too bad he got busted before the World Cup 2006.

Tech: Loki - Location-Based Internet Search & Navigation aka Local Search

Location-Based Internet Search & Navigation

Loki is the first application to combine the physical with the digital to make the Internet a truly personal and local experience. We let you harness the World Wide Web by automatically identifying your exact physical location and then making the web revolve around you.
With one click, instantly find the nearest jazz band, directions to the closest Thai restaurant, the cheapest gas prices in town...or even pinpoint your exact location on a map. You can even share that location with others.
Loki is currently in Beta – which means that while it’s not quite perfect, it’s getting there quickly.
With Loki You can get there from here.

	System Requirements
	Windows XP SP1
	Internet Explorer 5, 5.5, 6
	Mozilla Firefox available here
	Linux or Mac user? Support for these are on the way. Check back here or our What's New section to find in the latest.

Loki

With one click, instantly find the nearest jazz band, directions to the closest Thai restaurant, the cheapest gas prices in town...or even pinpoint your exact location on a map. You can even share that location with others. Loki is currently in Beta – which means that while it’s not quite perfect, it’s getting there quickly. With Loki You can get there from here. See how Loki can make the most of the world around you by adding location to your Internet experience Take an in-depth look at Loki's features - location based search, sharing your location with others, finding directions...

You can get there from here

• Find Me instantly pinpoint your location on a map
• Location Channels one click to find the nearest HotSpot, the coolest events and the local traffic, weather and news
• Share email your location to others - and directions on how to find you - or publish Your location for friend finder

Sports: Brett Favre is Coming Back for Another Season 2006 - Green Bay Packers

On Tuesday morning, it was announced that Brett Favre has decided to return for the upcoming 2006-07 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. I mentioned about the only player with 3 MVP honors a while back in this post.
He's coming back for his 16th season and currently holds the record of 221 straight starts.
He's coming back from a 4-12 season. How much of a change can he bring to this new season? There's no doubt about this quality. His experience. His leadership. But it's a team game. He can win a game, but not a season. Brett Favre coming back for another season (might be his final). That has been the headline splashed across papers and ESPN. They're now talking about Draft Day, and in the middle of it, Brett Favre coming back for another season.

Now hopefully the Packers can get at least a quality pick in AJ Hawk or Mario Williams in the draft this Saturday.

Tuesday's Entry Here

Wishlist: Saint Seiya Complete Collection DVD Box Set

I watched this cartoon when I was a kid. I remember I had the game which had all the Japanese characters in it and I couldn't understand what the missionwas. (with the old Genesis console.)

I came across Saint Seiya again last week when there was a sale going on at an anime site.

Of all the covers, I find this one (above) the most memory-representing one. I bet my whole life that I watched this volume. Heck yeah, I remember the faceless Golden Saint!


Seems like they don't have a complete total collection version for US. Asia has one:

Saint Seiya ---- The 12 Sanctuary Chapter: 8 DVDs (episode 1-73)
Saint Seiya ---- The Asgard Chapter-The Nebula Saint Ring: 4 DVDs (episode 74-99)
Saint Seiya ---- The Poseidon Chapter: 3 DVDs (episode 100-114)
Saint Seiya ---- The Hades Chapter ---Hades : 7 DVDs (115-127+Special)includes a bonus feature by studio staff
Saint seiya animation movie.---- the evil god (1 DVD)
Saint seiya animation movie.---- heat battler between god (1 DVD)
Saint seiya animation movie.---- the real boy( 1 DVD)
Saint seiya animation movie.---- the final warrior (1 DVD)

Sports: Spring IS here

I wrote this post a while back but kept it as a draft instead. Dont ask me why.

You know spring is here when....

The baseball season is on.
They're talking about the NFL Draft.
Student football tickets are on sale.
NBA's getting to playoffs.


Additional notes to original post:

Green Bay Packers. Brett Favre.
He hasn't made up his mind yet. And the NFL Draft is less than 2 weeks away! Brett Favre is really annoying some Packers fans out there. But wait a minute, he's a legend at Lambeau Field. He's contributed so much to the association that he's allowed to get off with his delay-after-delay on his decision whether to come back for another year? Maybe he's entitled to that. He's one of the greatest quarterback out there ever in NFL history. No doubt about that. But as a leader, he should think about the future iof the Packers as well. IF the Packers had lost its final game last season, we would have had the 3rd pick, godamnit! A 3rd pick is HUGE. (in this upcoming season's draft) A 3rd pick would guarantee us a Matt Leinart at least, not to forget Reggie Bush or Vince Young. If we had the 3rd pick, I dare to say that Brett Favre would have retired and see his #4 jersey retired and wait for the day to be inducted in the Hall of Fame.

Now back to reality. Last season was one of his worst, one of Green Bay Packers' worst. I understand Brett Favre does not wanna go out on a low. Everybody wats to go out on a high note, with a bang. But he's just waiting to see what the Packers are going to do to reinforce the below average team. Nothing much to date. **Gasp**. No major free agent signings. Javon Walker issue still there. So I think Brett's eventually gonna annouce that he's through.

The other night on Quite Frankly by Steven A. Smith, the owners of the Sacremento Kings, the Maloof brothers, mentioned that Ron Artest liked the Kings fans. He referred them as the best. "They are like the Green Bay Packers of NBA". Form my one and only trip to a last Christmas' game at Lambeau Field, I couldn't have agreed more.

What About Brian? [on ABC]

Mondays at 10:00 p.m., from April 17, with a special preview/premiere Sunday, April 16

From the producers of Lost and Alias and the screenwriter of City of Angels and For Love of the Game comes a contemporary, heartwarming ensemble show about a group of supportive friends in various stages of romantic relationships and friendships living in Los Angeles.

There are the just-married Nic and Angelo, the seemingly happily married Dave and Deena and the newly-engaged Marjorie and Adam.

But -- what about Brian? Of this close-knit group of friends, everyone else has paired off, while Brian has emerged as the last bachelor standing. At 34, regardless of his run of bad luck in matters of the heart, Brian still holds out hope that one day he'll open the door and be blinded by love. However questions about his fate have been popping up more frequently in his head. The most pressing question is – and it's one that only he can answer -- could all of his problems stem from the fact that he is harboring a crush on the picture-perfect Marjorie, his best friend's girl?

Adam, Brian's best friend since childhood, was going to break up with Marjorie but found himself proposing to her instead. He's a lawyer and Marjorie is a pediatric surgeon. Their busy lifestyles leave them little time to plan their upcoming wedding and, oddly enough, that seems to have given them more time to re-evaluate whether they're indeed doing the right thing.

Brian's fortysomething sister, Nic, and her boy-toy husband, Angelo, are trying hard to start a family, but something's not right. Nic's high-stress work as a record executive and Angelo's fledgling acting career have created some anxiety in the new marriage. Now they're torn between conceiving a child the old-fashioned way or using modern medicine to speed up the process.

Dave, who runs a video game business with Brian called Zap Monkey, is married to stay-at-home mom Deena. They've been together for 13 years, have three little girls and a lackluster sex life. This prompts the frustrated and unconventional Deena to suggest to the more content Dave that they consider having an open marriage. Like all married people and their single friends, they can't wait for Brian to join their "club," though they're not exactly sure why.

What About Brian stars Barry Watson as Brian, Matthew Davis as Adam, Sarah Lancaster as Marjorie, Rick Gomez as Dave, Amanda Detmer as Deena, Rosanna Arquette as Nic and Raoul Bova as Angelo.

The creator/executive producer of What About Brian is Dana Stevens and the executive producers are J.J. Abrams, Jeff Judah, Gabe Sachs, Thom Sherman and Bryan Burk. The co-executive producer is Dan Lerner. The producer is Carol Trussel. The series is produced by Touchstone Television in association with Bad Robot and will premiere in March 2006.

What is CMOS? The definition of CMOS.

CMOS ("see-moss"), which stands for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, is a major class of integrated circuits. CMOS chips include microprocessor, microcontroller, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits. The central characteristic of the technology is that it only uses significant power when its transistors are switching between on and off states. Consequently, CMOS devices use little power and do not produce as much heat as other forms of logic. CMOS also allows a high density of logic functions on a chip.
The word "complementary" refers to the fact that the design uses pairs of transistors for logic functions, only one of which is switched on at any time.
The phrase "metal-oxide-semiconductor" is a reference to the nature of the fabrication process originally used to build CMOS chips. That process created field effect transistors having a metal gate electrode placed on top of an oxide insulator, which in turn is on top of a semiconductor material. Instead of metal, today the gate electrodes are almost always made from a different material, polysilicon, but the name CMOS nevertheless continues to be used for the modern descendants of the original process. (See also MOSFET.)
A chip with a large number of CMOS transistors packed tightly together is sometimes known as CHMOS (for "Complementary High-density metal-oxide-semiconductor").
The combination of MEMS sensors with digital signal processing on one single CMOS chip is sometimes known an CMOSens.

Source: Wikipedia

What is exorcism. The definition of exorcism.

exorcism (ĕk'sôrsĭz'əm) , ritual act of driving out evil demons or spirits from places, persons, or things in which they are thought to dwell. It occurs both in primitive societies and in the religions of sophisticated cultures. The term is applied to all those acts that seek to dispel or frighten away demons or spirits, as distinguished from those rites that aim at propitiating or evoking their assistance (see magic and shaman). Exorcism may be applied to a particular person or thing or may be used in a more general way. In central Europe during Walburga's night (or Walpurgishnacht, May 1), the traditional witches' sabbath, witches and demons are exorcised from the town by use of holy water, incense, and loud noises of all kinds. The scriptural justification for exorcism is found throughout the New Testament, and many instances of Jesus' ability to cast out devils are recorded.

Source: Answer.com


Exorcism is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities which are supposed to have possessed (taken control of) a person or object. The practice is quite ancient and still part of the belief system of many religions.
The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a priest, or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use religious material, such as prayers and set formulas, gestures, symbols, icons, amulets, etc.. The exorcist often invokes some benign supernatural power to actually perform the task.
In general, possessed persons are not regarded as evil in themselves, nor wholly responsible for their actions. Therefore, exorcism is generally thought more as a cure than as a punishment. However, the two concepts are often confused in practice, and exorcism has often been (ab)used as a pretext for harsh physical punishment, or even sadism.

Source: Wikipedia

Fast food healthiest in Denmark, worst in US

COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Fast food from McDonald's is healthiest in Denmark and worst in the United States, a Danish study comparing levels of the deadliest kind of fat, trans fatty acids, showed.

The study, conducted by researchers at Gentofte University Hospital in Denmark and published in this week's edition of the
New England Journal of Medicine, compared meals bought at McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken in 20 countries around the world.
A large meal of chicken nuggets and french fries at McDonald's in the United States contained 10.1 grams of trans fatty acids, while the same meal in France contained 5.9 grams and just 0.33 grams in Denmark, Steen Stender, who headed the research project, told AFP.
"Many people think that wherever you go in the world you get the same thing at McDonald's, but in fact that is not the case," Stender told AFP.
The low Danish levels are the result of low-fat legislation introduced in 2004. Under the new law, no more than two percent of fats in foods sold to customers can be industrially-produced transfats. Food producers violating the law risk two years in prison.
For a meal of chicken nuggets and potato wedges at Kentucky Fried Chicken, the lowest level of trans fatty acids was registered in Germany, with 0.4 grams, compared to the highest level in Hungary, which had 24.1 grams.
Trans fatty acids clog the arteries and are linked to increased risk of heart disease.
"Studies show that five grams of transfat per day increase the risk of heart disease by 25 percent," Stender said.
Food manufacturers add trans fatty acids to cut costs, as they prolong the shelf life of prepackaged foods. In the case of fast food restaurants, french fries can be fried in the same oil several times and the frying fat can be stored longer.
Since the new Danish law was introduced, "Danish customers have noticed no difference in foods," Stender said, noting that flavours remain unaffected by the change.
"It can be done without anyone noticing it. It's very rare that you can remove a risk factor like that," he said, citing the example of the difficulty of quitting smoking.
Fast food restaurants "can produce food without transfat. I think they are working too slowly" to remove it around the world, he said.
Ironically, despite mounting concerns over rising levels of obesity worldwide, the
European Union has urged Denmark to withdraw its anti-fat legislation, arguing that it presents a trade barrier.
"It's shameful of the EU," Stender told AFP, noting that the EU was far behind not just Denmark but also the United States and Canada which require food producers to provide information about fat levels on packaging labels.
Danish officials have said they will fight to keep the law.

I missed it! Argh.

Woot had 66 of this The Ultimate Matrix Collection Limited Edition Collector's Set for just USD34.99. (That's CHEAP)
By the time I reached the page, it's already sold out. Arghhhh!

It's Official: Indonesian Playboy Magazine

Moves to stop Indonesian Playboy
By Clare Harkey BBC East Asia editor


The Indonesian edition of Playboy contains no nude photographyThe head of police in the Indonesian capital Jakarta is to hold a meeting on Thursday with the publishers of the local edition of Playboy magazine.
General Firman Gani said he would ask the magazine not to publish a second issue.
Playboy appeared for the first time in Indonesia, without nude photos, a week ago.
It has been a hugely controversial project in Indonesia despite the fact that pornography is widely available.
The famous Playboy brand name has proved a magnet for criticism by Muslim groups in particular, worried about its effect on local morals.
There have been frequent demonstrations against the magazine. On Wednesday its offices were stoned by protestors.
The magazine has now changed locations.
The capital's police chief is having a meeting with the publishers and although he has no powers to stop publication, he says he will ask the magazine to delay the next issue to prevent what he called "more reaction".
The Playboy issue is part of a wider debate in Indonesia, where parliament is being asked to consider an anti-pornography bill.
Critics say the draft law is too vaguely worded and could lead to women, Hindus and traditional tribes being discriminated against.

The picture above shows the 1st Edition's cover. 1st Editions always have higher collection values. Furthermore, it's in a Muslim country such as Indonesia. Although it doesn't contain nudity, it still sparked debates in the country with the world's largest Muslim population, at an estimated figure of 182,570,000 according to aneki.com or 245,452,739 (July 2006 est.) according to CIA.gov

If Malaysia does this too, I'll buy 50 copies of the 1st Edition.

Sports: Manchester United unveil AIG as new sponsors (Pictures)

Zigzag Welshman, Ryan Giggs and South Korea's talisman, Park Ji-Sung posing for the press.









Arghhh, this shirt is so ugly, let's rip it apart!






Portugese sensation Cristiano Ronaldo: Damn this shirt is ugly.





Update:







This is the image of the shirt on Manchester United's website. Available for pre-order now!

new

new

New Nestlé CRUNCH Stixx Sample in the Mail

Highlight of the day: A box of Nestlé CRUNCH Stixx. Dark Choc Flavor. Yum, yum.

Comes with free magnets too.

NEW! Yeah!

Sports: Wisconsin Badgers, We Are Men's Hockey National Champions ! On Wisconsin!

Badgers' road to the title
Midwest Regional
Green Bay, Wis.
Wisconsin 4, Bemidji State 0
Wisconsin 1, Cornell 0 (3 OT)

Frozen Four
Milwaukee
Wisconsin 5, Maine 2
Wisconsin 2, Boston College 1

Amazing finish to the game. BC had a shot which hit the pipe with 2 seconds to go. OMG. An awesome season which will go down in history as one of Wisconsin's best season. Achieving a double by emerging as national champions in both men's and women's hockey is just phenomenal.

Watch the video: http://video.nbc15.madison.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=746772&h1=Badgers Capture National Championship!!!!!!&vt1=v&at1=Homepage&d1=201300&LaunchPageAdTag=Homepage&fvCatNo=&backgroundImageURL=&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http://nbc15.madison.com/home/headlines/2601981.html&rnd=219714

Tech: From PATA to SATA I and II

"SATA has a wider data path from hard drive to processor which doesnt necessarily mean faster. PATA is max 133MB/sec, SATA 1 is 150MB/sec, and SATA 2 is 300MB/sec. Now thats the max the bus can handle, doesnt mean a hard drive can deliver it. For the most part PATA and SATA 1 drives can only deliver the same amount of data (somewhere around 25MB/sec - give or take). The wider data path means more hard drives can simultaneously transfer data. If you use 25MB/sec as what a typical hard drive can deliver, then PATA (133MB/sec) can utilize 5+ drives, SATA 1 (150MB/sec) can utilize 6+ drives, and SATA 2 (300MB/sec) can utilize 12 drives ...give or take.

Now SATA 2 has what is called NCQ which allows a hard drive to deliver more than 25MB/sec ... it's not too complicated ...the analogy I like is an elevator. PATA and SATA 1 can only take 1 person at a time to the floor they want, were as SATA 2 can take multiple people and stop at floors along the way, before returning to the bottom to pick up more peole ..something like that.

Oh by the way, like a computer parts, the SATA 2 spec doesn't require a maker to built a drive with 300MB/sec bus width or NCQ, so be sure to check the specs.

Now RAID is a great way of increasing your hard disk speed. I am personally looking to create a RAID array with two SATA 2 drives(300MB/sec and NCQ).

Oh ya, remember that to use SATA 2 (300MB/sec bandwidth and NCQ) your motherboard must support it.

Lastly, i think hardware RAID ..meaning motherboard...is better than software RAID."

Movies: Basic Instinct 2 (Sharon Stone)

Everything Interesting Begins in the Mind



Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/basicinstinct2/

Is it a flop on the market? I was expecting a better result considering the amount of publicity on TV, internet and print magazines. It's not match for a blockbuster such as Ice Age 2, but this is really disappointing.



Review from Rottentomatoes read:
Starring Sharon Stone, David Morrissey, David Thewlis and Charlotte Rampling. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Written by Leora Barish and Henry Bean. Produced by Andrew G. Vajna, Mario Kassar, Moritz Borman and Joel B. Michaels. A Columbia release. Drama. Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity, violence, language and some drug content. Running time: 113 min.
A quite unnecessary sequel, “Basic Instinct 2” manages the startling feat of making the trashy but sexy first film look like a cinematic trailblazer. This time around, femme fatale Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) has decamped to London, England, where she quickly finds a new man to entice with her sensual wiles. He’s a buttoned-down psychiatrist (David Morrissey) who’s been assigned to investigate her state of mind in order to determine if she’s a plausible murder suspect. Naturally, he falls for her, and soon enough, like Michael Douglas’ cop in “Basic Instinct,” he sees his life spiral out of control. Of course, fans of “Basic Instinct” already know that Catherine is not what she seems to be, but the sequel doesn’t do anything new with the character. Stone still looks great, but unlike the conviction she displayed in her role in the first movie, she’s only going through the motions here. It doesn’t help that her co-star is such a dull dishrag of an actor; Michael Douglas, at least, had a grungy, everyday quality that played well in contrast to the high-class, smoldering Stone.
The story, too, is boring. It’s more often than not a reprise of the first movie’s major plot points, which were none too smart or believable to begin with. The sexy frisson director Paul Verhoeven and writer Joe Eszterhas brought to the original “Basic Instinct” was its greatest strength; this one, brief nudity aside, is a pretty chaste affair, given an inappropriate, ineffective gravitas by director Michael Caton-Jones (“Shooting Dogs”). It’s left to David Thewlis as a know-it-all cynical cop to walk away with the whole film. He brings a mischievousness and wit to a movie sorely lacking in both and offers a fine example of what this sequel should have been. - Shlomo Schwartzberg
3/31/2006

Sports: Man United unveil AIG as new sponsors

Man United unveil AIG as new sponsors
Manchester United have agreed a British record £56.5million shirt sponsorship deal with US finance giant American International Group (AIG).

United chief executive David Gill confirmed the four-year deal, which dwarfs the £10million-a-season contract Premiership champions Chelsea have with Samsung, at Old Trafford this lunchtime.
Although the figure is less than Gibraltar-based gaming company Mansion were prepared to pay, there were widespread concerns within club circles about being linked so heavily with a gambling organisation.
It means AIG will be only the third company to have their name on the famous red shirt, following on from Sharp and Vodafone.
While sum is slightly less than the world record £15million-a-year Juventus receive from Libyan oil company Tamoil, it still represents a major coup for Gill and his negotiation team, who have confounded the predictions of many pundits who felt they would struggle to match the £9million-a-year deal Vodafone decided to terminate two years early.
'Let's be clear,' said Gill.
'We passed up the opportunity to do the world's biggest shirt deal to do the right shirt deal, one that is right for Manchester United and one that underlines our position as the world's leading club.
'AIG's global operations complement our great fanbase and we are excited about the global prospects this relationship brings.
'This is a blue chip deal for a blue chip club.'
Today's announcement had been widely anticipated following Mansion's public accusations of 'double-dealing' on Monday when they confirmed United's commercial director Andy Anson had terminated discussions with the company on Sunday evening.
Anson has been widely criticised by some vocal sections of the United support for his failure to secure a replacement more swiftly but he was extensively involved in talks over a new deal, along with Gill and Bryan Glazer.
Red Devils officials have been angered at frequent suggestions that the much-cherished 'United' brand had been badly tarnished by the Malcolm Glazer takeover and the figures involved in the AIG deal provide proof the American's controversial £790million buy-out has had no impact on the club's standing in the commercial world.
Neither, it appears, has the recent relative lack of success affected the club's popularity and the club are likely to set a new ground attendance record for a league game at Old Trafford this Sunday when Champions League semi-finalists Arsenal visit.
Gill added: 'On and off the pitch, Manchester United always seeks to be both the first and the best.
'We do things differently to others. Whether it's our faith in our Academy over the years, or our approach to sponsors - we are unique.
'The Manchester United shirt is the most iconic image in world sport and the chance for companies to appear on it is very rare.
'This deal re-establishes the club firmly among the most valuable names in world sport.'

Sports: Manchester United to unveil new sponsors

Man United set to unveil new sponsors

Manchester United are set to announce their new shirt sponsors this lunchtime.

Old Trafford chief executive David Gill seems certain to confirm a record sponsorship deal to replace the existing arrangement involving Vodafone, which the telecommunications company decided to terminate two years early.


Although Red Devils officials have refused to name the company involved, there is widespread speculation that American insurance giant AIG are set to sign a four-year contract.

Earlier this week, it was revealed United had cut off negotiations with internet casino group Mansion over a contract which would have netted them up to £70million.

If United have been able to secure a similar sized deal from a company not involved in the gaming industry, it would represent a major coup for Gill and commercial director Andy Anson, who has been castigated in some quarters for his failure to tie up a successor to Vodafone more swiftly.

Despite the criticism, which continued this week following Mansion's stinging attack over alleged 'double-dealing', Anson always remained confident he would strike a massive deal.

Working closely with Gill and Bryan Glazer, Anson embarked on a globe-trotting mission which has now finally borne fruit.

It would be highly surprising if the new deal did not eclipse the £10million a year Chelsea receive from Samsung and maybe even the £15million a season Juventus net from Libyan oil company Tamoil, which is the largest shirt sponsorship contract ever agreed.

Whatever the final figure, it seriously undermine the claims of many financial experts at the time of Vodafone's exit that United's name had been tarnished by the Glazer family takeover, re-establishing the club firmly among the most valuable brand names in world sport.

April 5th Annual CSS Naked Day

What happened to the design?

This site's being stripped! Don't worry, it's not your browser's problem. Everything will resume to its orginal state after April 5th.

What happened to the design?

To know more about why styles are disabled on this website visit the Annual CSS Naked Day website for more information.

In the meantime, please support my site by visiting the sponsors.

WWE Wrestlemania 22 (PPV Main Event)

Before I set off to Memorial Union to catch my bus to Chicago, I had breakfast, of course. It was a failed imitation of McGriddle. Looks the same, but doesn't taste as good as the McGriddle.

Made sure I had all my tickets ready. And off I went.

My pre-Wrestlemmania preparations:

I had previously won a big time WWE poster from a contest on WWE.com

Yesterday's April Fool, Today's Wrestlemania 22

I just came back from Lionel's place (was watching F1 - the Australian Grand Prix)

I was searching for information about Wrestlemania 22 when one search result directed me to this DVD set at Amazon. It's due to be released n May 23rd. I think I can see myself buying it.

More pics and updates to follow after I get my ass back from Chicago.

Someone: Poverty is no excuse, Me say: Poverty can be an excuse

Referring to an article published on TheStar:
Quote 1:
"Students should not drop out of school due to poverty and parents should not use financial constraints as an excuse to ask their children to stop studying, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. "

True. We should encourage the children of today to gain as much education as we can offer. And I believe we should somehow try and help them by encouraging them to continue to strive and succeed in their studies. Poor families should not discourage their children to drop out of school and get a job in the department stores like Ngiu Kee, 20-Sen, Parkson or Everise before they even complete 11 years of education (which in Malaysia, is Form Five)
But el gobierno is not effective in completing its own task to do their part to help out.

Quote 2:
"The Government would need the cooperation of all parties, especially parents, to meet its objective of getting every child to complete 11 years of basic education within the Ninth Malaysia Plan period. "

Yes we all know this. This is a typical line in students essays. And it is a fact not carried out properly leh.

Quote 3:
"The important thing is to think positive and not let poverty hinder their children's education." All I wanna say is, poverty does hinder their children's education. Touch financial situations put a mental block in some of their minds. They know, that their family won't have they money to send them to Universities if they don't get scholarships. I know that too when I was at MMU (Malacca Multimedia Univ.) and then I got the offer to UTM(Univ. Teknologi Malaysia). My Mom called me about it and asked me if I wanna go to UTM. Heck life's better and livier at MMU. But UTM's school fees are like 40% of MMU's. MMU was like ±RM12,000 per year, UTM was like ±RM4000 per year. A whopping 60% savings. I knew in my heart what would work best for my family. I have 2 younger sisters behind me and I wouldn't wanna be selfish and suck all the money out of my Pop's Standard Charted just because I can live comfortably and have fun at MMU. That my friend, was the money factor in action. I'm lucky that my family and I are not in the poverty bracket, but heck, I was eligible for Skim Pinjaman Buku Teks (SPBT), well only in Secondary school coz the family was doing pretty well before the KLSE stock market slump in the 90's, yep my Pop was part of it, and still is. At one point, my Pop just said my sis's should just buy new textbooks instead of doing SPBT. I was like WTF? He hated the forms, coz you need to have payslip from employer (my Pop doesnt have I think) and also fill in Tax details n shit?. Maybe he didn't like his children to feel poor? Buying textbooks every year for 3 kids going to school sucks, big time. Money flows out. Shoes, school uniforms. PBSM uniforms for my sis's. I know how fast children can outgrow their uniforms. Poverty isn't an excuse? Pardon me?
Luckily for me JPA came into play and offered me a scholarship. I wouldn't be where I am today without it. I swear. Never dreamt of this as well. So those who just took the scholarships and wouldn't wanna go back to repay and serve the country, I am sorry they dont have nilai Kesyukuran in their heart. I really do. Well, sometimes I wonder why these people from very-high-income family get the scholarships. I really hoped that these kinda scholarships be rewarded to those who can really benefit from it, financially and patriotically. I don;t know. Yes they are smart, and maybe they deserve it. What if maybe they don;'t?

Quote 4:
"Poor families, he said, should apply for financial aid through their state assemblymen or MPs, the Education department or other relevant authorities like the Pahang Foundation."

We all know that. However, I know this is hard to accomplish. Maybe easy to apply, but hard to get. Even if they get it, I don't think it's enough. (I'm talking about low-income/poor families in the Poverty case) I have seen it, not all but some. My Dad's decision to "force" me to accept the admission to Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang is a blessing in disguise. (that's my secondary school, Americans call it high school). Many of my close friends come from rural areas all across Sarawak Bumi Kenyalang. From longhouses. From areas only reachable by sampans. Yes they are poor. They don't have air conditioning units or Astro like some of the city kids have. They have many many siblings. And the later years of secondary school are a struggle to many of them due to a lack of support (financial, educational and moral wise). Had I gone to St. Joseph's secondary school, I bet I would just hang out with the Chinese students, as I had in my primary school. I don't mean I totally don't mix with my schoolmates of other races, but it was just at a minimal ratio compared to what I think is the ideal level. Primary 4C, I sat next to my friend Mohd. Afif bin Johan. He's a small boy, pretty much like how I was. 130-140cm, small built. He then transferred coz his family is moving to another city. His father is a car dealer, driving a Volvo. Still Primary 4 (year 1994, 2 years after we won the Thomas Cup), my badmiston partner for the ko-kurikulum was Zacheus Dorus, who I met again in Lower Six A in 2002 after not seeing him for 6 years (after 1996). Boy was I surprised to see him in the class, another one is Natalie John (also from class 4C-6C in St. Joseph's primary school). Primary 5C I sat next to Usmang. Primary 6C I sat next to I don't remember clearly who, but during Kelas Tambahan I sat next to Jennifer Ee (mixed Chinese-Iban) way at the back. 2nd row from the back and near the rear door. See I remember. Form 1 (1 Cekal) I sat next to erm, Albert I think. 2 Cekal and 3 Cekal I sat with David Luhat Ngau, a very funny guy who's very good at BM karangan., somehow in Form 4 and 5 he wasn't preforming very well in his studies. Form 4 Tekun I sat next to Jackson Dandi (a guy transferred from Lutong). They all struggle, financially. Form 5 Tekun we switched places many times, Form 5 bah, I sat with Garit Majang, Wilson Donadus, Wek (Jackson), Albert Lukas, Sandeep Singh, Nicholas Gala Bato, Emily Mabel, etc.

IMPORTANT!!!
The news article's title is misleading. Once I saw it there's a rush in me to say No No No, and all these sentences, which might not relate very well I must admit. Bottom line, poverty is a problem, as I can see in the BN-majority-Sarawak, in places that el gobierno doesn't put focus on, unless there;s a need to.

Again, the news article's title is misleading. So I have written here is just to ease my moodswing and means no offense to anyone mentioned, (or not mentioned) and it's just a public rambling from the humble me. If anyhow you feel disrespected, angered, I apologise for my ignorance. No disrespect nor hatred nor dissent. I am not that kind of person, anf if I really behaved that way, I must have just waken up from my sleep. I cursed at my friends when I was disturbed(and sometimes not) after I just woke up from my sleep. I have no idea why I do that. I remember in Shah Alam I cursed angrily with hatred at MengPeun in front of a lot of people in my room. Last month, I scolded disrecpectfully Steve for the same thing. I called Laura ugly/obscene names through MSN. That's just not me in real. Really sorry about that. Just like how my sis who cries for no reason when she woke up from her afternoon naps. Neither she nor I really have an answer to that. Well, it has stopped now for her. LOL.

Adidas Japan Blue Xbox 360 Kit For World Cup 2006

This is interesting, for me at least.
Microsoft rides World Cup fever with new FIFA Xbox 360 bundle; package includes limited-edition faceplate, EA's 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.






TOKYO--With the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany just months away, Microsoft is looking to capitalize on World Cup fever as the Xbox and Xbox 360 have been named the official game consoles of the international tournament. In Japan, where soccer has always been popular, the company is collaborating with FIFA, Adidas, and Electronic Arts to release a limited edition Xbox 360 bundle themed around the World Cup.
Today, Microsoft said it would release a limited edition Xbox 360 bundle--the Xbox 360 Blue Limited Edition: 2006 FIFA World Cup--alongside the launch of Electronic Arts' 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany soccer game on April 27 in Japan.
The bundle will feature the console, several accessories, and a copy of the Electronic Arts game. The console will also be tricked out with an Adidas Japan Blue faceplate featuring the colors of Japan's national soccer squad. The bundle will be limited to a shipment of 10,000 units. It will be open priced, meaning that it doesn't have a MSRP, but some online retailers are selling the package for around $430.
The items to be bundled in the Xbox 360 Blue Limited Edition: 2006 FIFA World Cup package goes as below:
Xbox 360
Xbox 360 hard drive (20GB)
Xbox 360 wireless controller
Xbox 360 media remote control
Xbox 360 HD AV cable
Xbox 360 LAN cable
Xbox 360 AC adapter
Xbox 360 Adidas Japan Blue faceplateAdidas Japan Blue original bandana2006 FIFA World Cup Germany game from Electronic Arts