Rabu, 28 November 2007

AIDS, but why??

Just read an article from Guardian about six women from Lesotho who were AIDS positive. They all have children and some passed the virus to them, some managed not to.

40 % young women have AIDS. I assumed, men as well, because women have partners.

The question that nagged me is how could the percentage that high? 40% Give or take, it means half of the people.

Why?

Using the same needdle with HIV positive might give you the virus. But, we don't use needle alot. I mean, the chance is very slim if only from needle alone.

HIV is not TB which can spread through the air.

Why don't they test themselves before married to know their status, positive or not.

But, if you are virgin, and not a drug addict who use needle, how on earth you get a virus, then?

It's really bother me.

We live in society of fearing God. I mean, Lesotho is a religious community.

So, where do we do wrong in there?

How can we let babies die because of ignorance?

Wish there are answers

the story is here

Selasa, 27 November 2007

No More Peace in Here

8 years ago, it was a friendly and warm country, welcoming you to the fold. Now? Began after new eastern countries joined EU, Britain is less and less like its old self. 

Everyday newspaper full of the lament of native Brits. How they lost a sense of a nation, how immigrants stole their country, how immigrants changed the shape of society.

We read newspaper about exactly how many million pound British taxpayers pay for the newcomers. How rude and strange they are. How the country is being milked dry.

I agree with most issues. British government is too politically afraid to bring new regulation that can protect their citizens.

Imagine this:

Hundreds of Roman children are dumped in front of Slough civic centre by mafia/human trafficking. Every month. These children costed Slough Council 1/5 million  pound a month. 1000 new babies is born by Polish parents in NHS hospital each month! More than half student in many school are not British and cannot speak English, and therefore put more burden to school to provide translator and parent support adviser.

Council have to print pictures that warned the Polishes not to chase geese, kill swan, and eat them. Or, forget to mention, not to fish the fishes in the river!!

More bizarrely, some Polishes barricade public toilets and use them as free hotels!

What about this: Million Eastern Europe claim child benefit!! While they are not living here!

It hurts. I pay taxes and NI contribution and never claim benefit because not entittled to it. But, I keep paying NI contribution that suppossedly for my pension in later age.

Well, okay, leave me aside. Think about the majority Britons.

They left grumbling and unsatisfied.

That's why the Westminster drama which unfolding now is such a welcome!

Labour received illegal fund. (See, even the Brits have it )

The discs contain millions sensitive datas lost in the post. Million parents scrambled to change their bank account.

Jacquis Smith dodged question in the Question Time too obvioulsy. She was just not capable.

Oh yeah, one more, why oh why Sarah Brown curtsyed to Camilla?

*I feel the peace has gone from this place.....*

Indonesia kami dataaaang.

**Tetap lebih baik di Inggris, Mun. Percaya deh. Kalau aku bisa balik, aku pingin balik deh**

Lebih bahagia bersama negara tercinta...

  

 

 

The Dark Trilogy is the New Hit *Phillip Pullman

Sudah beberapa pekan ini noticed ada berita terkait film 'The Golden Compass', tapi agak cuek.

Baru ngeh ketika baca 'Dakota Blue, the New Harry Potter'. Wah, apa maksudnya? gadis usia 13 tahun yang akan mungkin mendiktekan bayaran jutaan pound jika film perdananya sukses.

Oh no. Oh YES. Film termaksud (The Golden Compass) ternyata 'The Northern Light-Phillip Pullman yang berubah judul sesuai dengan judulnya di Amerika.

Mrs Coultier dimainkan Nicole Kidman, sedang Lord Asriel oleh Daniel Craig (Is it the right spelling?) Katanya, yang memerankan James Bond tea.

It will be nice to see how they adopt the good book into movie.

Lord of the Ring movies are better than books, although on some principles I disagree wholeheartedly with the movies. For examples, the appearance of Mordor's soldiers which are very much middle eastern-ish. Shame on the director!

Or too much weight put on the relationship between Eowyn and Aragorn. The movies are  sexier than the books. I hate the notion that good movie should include this thing.

Smart director will able to make good movie without this. Very few can be brainier. Innit?

Question is, who will be Will?

Foto is taken from here

Jumat, 23 November 2007

After the Sacking, What They (Exactly) Say about Managing the Lion? *Football!*

Shame Shame oh SHAME of it. England LOST!!!

Sacked Steve, so what next?

Some names appeared and being talked to manage England team. Here are the hillarious dramas pinched from Dailymail:

The Brits

MARTIN O'NEILL
ODDS: 4-1
WHAT HE SAID ON MONDAY: 'I am committed to Aston Villa. cannot end speculation. I have had it for years and years. No matter what you say I have a big commitment to Villa.'

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'Don't mess me around this time.'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Should be saluted for building a Villa side around young English talent. FA must hope his refusal is a bluff.

STUART PEARCE
ODDS: 12-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: 'I've got no reason to comment at this time.'

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'Come on England!'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Star fell after sacking at Man City, but his work with the Under 21s has been impressive. Too soon to promote.

HARRY REDKNAPP
ODDS: 8-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: 'Who knows who they will appoint. Anyone would love to manage their country. No English manager could turn it down.'

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'Oh, go on then…'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Gets the best out of his players but has never managed a top-level team. Knowledge of world football is in his favour.

ALAN SHEARER
ODDS: 8-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: The Newcastle legend — and his 'people' — refused to be drawn on the matter.

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'Secretly, I quite fancy it.'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Shearer is far better off in the TV studio, where he says practically nothing of any interest and still gets paid a fortune for it.

The Foreigners

JOSE MOURINHO
ODDS: 4-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: Dodging the question — 'This is sad. A championships without England is not the same as one with them.'

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'Forget it. I'm the next manager of Real Madrid.'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: 50 per cent of the country want him, but they all happen to be female. A sexy choice, it would be fun while it lasts as he tries to resist slagging off his bosses.

LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI
ODDS: 10-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: 'I am the manager of Portugal.'

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'If you can wait until after Euro 2008…'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Sorry, Phil, not after last time. Embarrassed and humiliated the FA by flirting with their top brass in Lisbon and then petulantly throwing a copy of the Daily Mail across an airport lounge because he had been rumbled. No chance.

GUUS HIDDINK
ODDS: 12-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: 'I have a contract with the Russian Federation.'

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: '… And it's for £130,000 a week with a £15million break clause. Can you trump it?'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Stock rises and falls faster than Northern Rock. One minute he's a tactical genius, the next he is exposed by Israel. Still, he led Holland and South Korea to World Cup semi-finals and guided Russia to Euro 2008. An outstanding candidate.

FABIO CAPELLO
ODDS: 3-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: 'The England job would be fantastic.'

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'Anyone got Brian Barwick's number?'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Has won eight league titles with four different clubs (Real Madrid, Milan, Juventus, Roma), plus a European Cup with Milan. Man-management skills in question — just ask Becks. Doesn't have 'friends' in the media. Perfect.

JURGEN KLINSMANN
ODDS: 25-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: No official comment.

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'Ha, you want a German to save your nation?'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Took Germany to third place in their own World Cup, but let's face it, apart from putting out Argentina on penalties, who did he beat? A real leap of faith to hand him the keys to Soho Square.

FRANK RIJKAARD
ODDS: 40-1
WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY: His agent, Brian Bergkleef — 'If Frank wanted it, 100 per cent he would do a brilliant job. He has all the qualities necessary.'

WHAT HE REALLY MEANT: 'He's happy at Barcelona, thanks. And, anyway, he will be Chelsea manager next season.'

NEIL ASHTON'S VERDICT: Over-qualified for the job after leading Holland to semi-finals of Euro 2000 and winning European Cup with Barca. Worth an approach, but knock-back inevitable.

Rabu, 21 November 2007

What advice would you give to new writers?

 

Been browsing Guardian:

Here are what I got

What advice would you give to new writers?

David Mitchell

On a Post-It note by my laptop is something Tom Stoppard said on the radio a few years ago: "It's all about people, Stupid!" (I don't think he added the "Stupid": that's there for my own benefit.) A maximum of one killer metaphor or simile per page should be ample, and watch out for the word "seem": it debases one's own currency, somehow. Think about how the writers who you love manage to make you love them. Prose that contains too many sentences beginning with the word "I" soon gets as tedious as people who begin too many sentences with the word "I".

Louis de Bernieres

Don't be at all hesitant to exaggerate and tell lies. People get trapped by stories which usually happened to themselves or to people they know, and they feel obliged to tell the truth. To tell it as it was. But the important thing is to know how to change the truth to make it a better story.

Beryl Bainbridge

I don't think you should ever try to make things up. We all lead such strange lives that there is no need to. Use your own experiences and then twist it a bit. You should read what you have written out loud. I write a paragraph at a time and I walk up and down reading it out loud. It has to go te tum te dum te tum te dum. If it doesn't, then there's a word wrong. It hasn't got rhythm, so I re-write it.

Phillip Pullman

"Don't. You'll never make it. You'll never earn a living. Get a decent job and forget all about it. It's a silly idea. There's no future in it."

Maeve Binchy

Always write as if you are talking to someone. It works. Don't put on any fancy phrases or accents or things you wouldn't say in real life. Say someone cried - don't say: "tears coursed down her face". Take it nice and easy, don't try to impress.