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Her depression made her gullible

2011-03-01T06:55:00.000-08:00

( photo : asiaone )

WHEN student Evangeline Tay Su Ann, 22, was fined $2,000 on Feb 8 for paying someone to take the rap for her traffic offence, it raised eyebrows for two reasons.

One, she had appeared scantily clad in a men's magazine in 2007.

Two, she had escaped with a fine while her two accomplices had earlier been sent to jail.

Tay could have been jailed up to seven years for perverting the course of justice under section 204A of the Penal Code.

District Judge Jill Tan's written judgment, made available on Feb 22, shows that she had considered two psychiatrists' reports that Tay was suffering from depression at the time of her offence.

Apart from the reports, the judge also considered Tay's age at the time and the low likelihood of her re-offending.

In January 2008, Tay sought help from Kelvin Choo Yew Beng, 40, a senior police officer then, after she was caught driving without a licence.

Tay said that Choo told her she could "get someone to take the rap for her". He then arranged for her to bribe property agent Leung Man Kwan, 35, to take the blame for her offence.

The trio were later caught. Leung was jailed three months in November 2009 and Choo was jailed for six monthslast March.

The two psychiatrists diagnosed Tay as suffering from a major depressive episode when she committed her offence.

According to Tay's psychiatrist, Dr Ko Soo Meng, she had developed the depressive disorder in 2007.

She began treatment in 2009, but later stopped due to financial reasons. She started seeing him again last year.

Dr Ko's opinion was that Tay's depression caused her to take Choo's advice.

He stated in his report that "in a state of depression and desperation, and being ignorant and naive", Tay was "gullible and would likely succumb to any offer of assistance from onewhois supposed to uphold the law, and thus would probably know the law much better than her".

He stated that her state of depression "could have clouded her objectivity in her judgement".

Tay was also referred to Dr Jerome Goh at the Institute of Mental Health. He found her to have a major depressive disorder around and at the time of her offences.

He was also of the view that her depressive condition "might have impaired, though not completely eroded, her judgment in considering the consequences of her action" at that time.

While Judge Tan accepted that Tay's mental condition was a contributing factor to her eventual course of action, she said Tay's condition "was not a licence for her to abdicate responsibility for her own actions".

The judge said that while Tay may not have come up with the idea and may have "foolishly accepted Choo's advice in the belief that it was sound", it was "undeniably a course of action that benefited her".

The judge said Tay's error was in failing to appreciate what would happen if she was found out.

In sentencing, the judge considered Dr Ko's report that Tay was responding positively to treatment and that she did not display any sociopathic traits.

Dr Ko advised against a prison term as it could worsen Tay's depression.

The judge was of the view that Tay was at low risk of re-offending and had learnt her lesson, and "did not see the need to rehabilitate her".

She also did not think probation was necessary for Tay as she "had fended for herself for some five years andwas no longer an impressionable youth".

Probation would require Tay to attend sessions with a probation officer and perform community service, which would take time away from her studies as a business undergraduate at the Singapore Institute of Management.

Judge Tan felt probation would not benefit Tay as she noted that it was when Tay was "attempting to cope with the burdens of studying and working in 2007 that her various physical and psychiatric issues first surfaced".

She said that in Choo's case, he was a senior police officer and "would have been well aware of the consequences of his conduct", while Leung was "already a 33-year-old adult".

In contrast, Tay was only 19 at that time. After Tay's case was reported in the media on Feb 9, she topped Google Trends' search list for Singapore that afternoon when word spread that there were bikini pictures of her in the June 2007 issue of now-defunct men's magazine Maxim.

It was also reported that the former model was crowned Best Legs in 2007 under Maxim's top 100 girls list and was a "Suitcase Girl" in Channel 5's Deal or No Deal Season 2.

But Tay's mitigation painted a far less glamorous life. Her parents divorced when she was young and she grew up in the care of her physically abusive mother.

Chased out of flat

In 2005, her mother caused her to have a fractured cheekbone and chased her out of her flat.

Tay then lived in rented rooms or with boyfriends, working to support herself.

In 2007, she was studying at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and working part-time when she developed recurrent panic attacks as well as acute gastritis. She also attempted suicide.

In January 2008, Tay, then 19, was living at Duchess Crescent with her Bulgarian boyfriend, a business manager.

On Jan 22, when her boyfriend was overseas, Tay drove his car out to buy food at Upper Thomson Road as she was having gastric pains.

She beat a red light while driving without a licence and was caught on camera.

Her boyfriend was furious and she moved out of his place before he returned to Singapore.

Tay initially wanted to appeal against the fine, but paid in the end.

Comment :

I think its another case of pretty lady getting away lightly as usual. Beautiful people tend to get a more lenient sentence. Its statistical.

More funny thing is how could a $2000 bribe be enough for such an offence. especially for those guys who have relatively good earning potential.

General Elections in May ?

2011-02-21T06:19:00.000-08:00

The Budget unveiled on Friday has sparked talk of Singapore holding its General Election (GE) in May.

This is because the bulk of goodies, in particular the Growth Dividends, will be handed out to the public on May 1.

The average Singaporean household is expected to receive S$3,500 from this year’s Budget. All adult Singaporeans can also expect to receive Growth Dividends of up to $800 each.

Singapore Management University lecturer Eugene Tan told The Sunday Times, “We shouldn’t be surprised if an incumbent tries to seek an advantage out of a generous Budget, so it is likely to be May, when Singaporeans will receive the benefits in a tangible manner.”

He added, the labour movement celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and the ruling party might want to leverage on May Day celebrations to make more commitments to workers.

Sembawang GRC MP Lim Wee Kiak sadded, “May will be a good time, after people get some relief.”

His fellow GRC MP Ellen Lee said it made sense to hold the election, due by February 2012, before the June school holidays when families might want to go overseas.

While Workers’ Party chief Low Thia Khiang did not want to speculate on when the GE would be, he said, “Logically it would be after people get the money, and before they have finished spending it.”

Meanwhile Yahoo! users’ reactions to the Budget were mixed.

Close to 130 people responded to the question, “What do you think of the Budget measures?” we posed on Yahoo! Answers on Friday.

Some such as user Haslina Binte Bidin said the Budget was generous.

“I am simply happy with the new Budget,” she said. Her children will benefit from the kindergarten subsidies and Edusave grants, while the “ang bao” for each individual was a “pleasant surprise”.

“I am currently not working and my husband’s salary falls under the middle income. This will certainly help us a little,” she added, adding she would definitely save the extra cash.

User Noentil said, “It’s a very generous budget. The cancellation of RTV licence is timely. I am glad my children will get the most benefits as they plan the future of their children. As pensioner, I was greatly surprised that I will get extra Singapore Allowance.”

User Kay Chuan Goh added, “I am glad that the government is returning the funds it has taken from the reserves, which an irresponsible government could have readily used to sweeten its image during election year.”

But many also felt more should have been done.

User 670413 wanted the government to look into the raising cost of healthcare and give more subsidies to elderly care and care givers, while Sharifah Faizah was disappointed that there was no announcements on the Baby Bonus scheme.

User Mummy wanted child care leave to be extended for children up to 12 years old and said, “I do hope the Government would look into “supporting families with children” for children from 7-12 yrs old too.”

Others also wondered why there were no measures announced to curb property prices.

Comments :

Save your $800 bucks. Don't spend it all and you will be happy at the end of the day =)

Woman whacks male friend below the belt with high heeled shoe

2009-08-27T02:02:00.000-07:00

A woman was seen hitting, what we can only assume to be her boyfriend, in the groin repeatedly with her shoe and he just stood there taking the hits without retaliating. She was seen standing outside a white Lexus, whacking him over and over again!
She hits him unforgivingly below the belt 3 times. Then she smashes her heeled shoe into his face in a fit of rage. After she's done with the shoe, she uses her bare hands to grab and yank him below the belt.
The woman seemed unconcerned about her surroundings. Without checking if anybody was watching, she meted out her punishment harshly.
While we can see her furiously yelling at him, the passerby who took the video could not catch much on audio. We can only assume,this guy committed a very serious 'offence' that warrants this sort of punishment from whom we assume to be his girlfriend.
The Stomp contributor who alerted us to this incident said she was pounding him and there was a traffic jam as a result of the scene this couple created. The traffic jam is not caught in these videos. Click on the links below to view them.
Says netizen Jiulongzi, "It is sad that people do not know how to behave or react to problems, they just vent at anytime they want."

from the looks of it, the guy seems to be guilty of something to be standing there to be whacked

source : http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090827-163727.html

Why are uni camps still so risque?

2009-08-27T01:47:00.000-07:00

A netizen recently expressed concern over what he deemed ‘sexually suggestive’ photos taken at an orientation camp.
In an email to Singapore’s citizen journalism website, STOMP, he claimed that he chanced upon the pictures online, which he said were taken during an orientation camp at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
One of the photos showed a girl bending forward to eat a banana, placed suggestively over a standing male student’s denim-clad crotch area.

According to the contributor, such actions will “make our young think that sex is a very open thing”.
He called the actions “totally unacceptable”, and continued: "Imagine knowing that your daughter is doing such things to guys in school.
"The shame that she will bring to the family."
All freshman orientation camps are screened: NTU
In a reply to STOMP over the photo, an NTU spokesperson said all orientation camps are screened and organisers are asked to remove any inappropriate activities.
According to the spokesperson, activities which "cause embarassment or loss of dignity or well-being to another student" - also known as "ragging" - are considered an offence.
He said NTU will be meeting with the student organisers to investigating the matter.
Lewd acts committed at orientation camps
Reports of 'lewd acts' being carried out at university orientation camps are not new.
A Straits Times report last year revealed that freshman at the National University of Singapore (NUS) were not spared either.
According to a female student who was interviewed, "girls had to lie down and the guys had to do push-ups over them" during one activity.
While some students deem such physical acts are "no big deal", others condemn these sexually-charged activities.
Universities contacted however, say "they put a firm foot down on any demeaning activities" conducted.
However, why do orientation camp organisers still continue with such risque themes despite repeated warnings?

source : http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090826-163668.html

S'poreans grossly under-insured: Study

2009-08-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

THE average Singaporean now needs about $495,000 of life insurance, but is covered for only one-third of that amount - a drastic shortfall that needs urgent attention, an expert has warned.

According to a new report by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Associate Professor David Yee, workers here aged from 20 to 64 are under-insured by as much as $525 billion nationwide.

An average Singaporean needs life insurance protection of $494,851. However, his existing life cover is only $165,628 on average, even after including mortgage insurance and CPF savings. This leaves a stunning shortfall of $329,223.

source : http://business.asiaone.com/Business/My%2BMoney/Building%2BYour%2BNest%2BEgg/Insurance/Story/A1Story20090821-162517.html

Sex services offer when doing facial

2009-08-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Read this from OMY - http://news.omy.sg/News/Local%2BNews...535-84817.html

Reporter disguised as customer to do facial at People Park and the ladies doing facial treatment insisted on providing sex services.

Love-making sounds were heard repeatedly inside the shop when the reporter rejected the sex offer.

Search: Arsenal enjoy six of best in early Premiership title warning

2009-08-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

LONDON (AFP) - - Arsenal hammered out an early English Premier League title warning on Saturday when they crushed Everton 6-1 at Goodison Park, a timely reminder to Manchester United who begin their championship defence on Sunday.

Elsewhere on the opening day of the new season, Chelsea came from behind to defeat Hull 2-1 while moneybags Manchester City beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0.

Arsenal were 3-0 in front before half-time against an Everton side who finished fifth last time out with Brazilian midfielder Denilson putting the Gunners ahead with a 26th-minute curling shot that gave Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard no chance.

Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen marked his debut by heading in from a Robin van Persie free-kick and it was a similar story when the equally unattended William Gallas nodded in from a Cesc Fabregas set-piece four minutes before the break.

Fabregas made it 4-0 early in the second-half when he crowned a rapid, length of the field, counter-attack with a stylish finish before the Spaniard scored his second after being allowed to run free by the Everton defence.

Eduardo added a sixth two minutes from time after Andrei Arshavin's shot came back off the post before Louis Saha pulled one back for Everton.

"Everything went for us today. We were always in charge and dictated the game," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

But the Frenchman refused to get carried away.

"From not competitive at all before the game, we do not now suddenly become a super-favourite as well."

Everton manager David Moyes was dumbfounded by the defeat.

"The defending was terrible for the set-pieces. We need to do better, I need to do better," he said.

At Stamford Bridge, Didier Drogba sealed all three points for Chelsea when, in the second minute of added-on time, his cross-shot floated over Hull City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill at Stamford Bridge.

Stephen Hunt had scored on his Hull debut as the Tigers took a shock lead before Drogba equalised in the 38th minute.

Drogba admitted his last-gasp winner, in coach Carlo Ancelotti's first taste of Premier League action, was lucky.

"It was a cross but the intention was good," said the Ivory Coast international.

"The belief is strong as always. I think today we showed it, we fight until the end of the game."

Manchester City who, thanks to their Abu-Dhabi based owners, spent nearly 100 million pounds during the close season, saw one of their new signings give them the lead at Blackburn when Emmanuel Adebayor, the former Arsenal striker, turned in Shaun Wright Phillips's third-minute cross.

Stephen Ireland added the second in the last minute.

City boss Mark Hughes praised Adebayor's goal.

"It was a great finish," said Hughes. "He was excellent today, along with a number of other players. The goal settled him down. He worked hard for his team-mates."

Portsmouth, beset by uncertainty surrounding the proposed takeover of the club by Arab businessman Sulaiman Al-Fahim, were undone by Fulham at Fratton Park when Clint Dempsey's 13th-minute shot deflected off Bobby Zamora and past goalkeeper David James.

Wigan, in Roberto Martinez's first match as a Premier League manager, stunned Aston Villa 2-0 when Hugo Rodallega let fly from long range with a dipping shot that beat Brad Friedel before Jason Koumas made the three points secure the 56th minute.

Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent secured Sunderland's 1-0 victory against Bolton with a fifth-minute header.

It was a bad day for two of the promoted teams.

Mark Noble put West Ham in front at Molineux against Championship winners Wolves with a curling first-half shot before Matthew Upson's header from a corner doubled the Hammers' lead in the 69th minute.

Stoke were 2-0 up inside 34 minutes against Burnley, playing their first top-flight match in 33 years, after Ryan Shawcross headed them in front before Stephen Jordan's own-goal.

Champions Manchester United begin their quest for a record fourth successive English title at home to Birmingham on Sunday while arch-rivals Liverpool go to Tottenham.

Arsenal is back with a shout !

Neck injury wrecks Schumacher comeback

2009-08-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

BERLIN (AFP) - - Former world champion Michael Schumacher has abandoned plans to return to Formula One racing at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23 due to a neck injury, he announced on his website on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old German, who won the world title seven times before retiring in 2006, had been primed to replace the injured Felipe Massa in the Ferrari team for the race in Spain and possibily for the rest of the season.

But he injured his neck in a motorcycle accident in February and medical tests showed that he had yet to fully recover.

"Yesterday evening, I had to inform Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali that unfortunately I'm not able to step in for Felipe," Schumacher said on his website.

"I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn't work out.

"Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private F1-day in Mugello, even if medically or therapeutically we tried everything possible.

The door for a sensational Schumacher comeback to the sport he dominated for so long was opened when Brazilian Massa sustained serious head injuries during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest on July 25.

That looked certain to rule him out for the rest of the season and the Italian team immediately turned toward their former top driver to step in.

His planned comeback to racing added more spice to what has already been a dramatic season, but was not welcomed by all, especially Formula One rivals Williams, who invoked rules and regulations to block his testing Ferrari's current car ahead of Valencia.

That would have left him desparately short of practice for the race, but as it turned out it was physical more than mechanical reasons that spoiled his return.

"The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike-accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe," he said.

"That is why my neck cannot stand the extreme stresses caused by Formula 1 yet. I am disappointed to the core.

"I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me. I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power. All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races."

Ferrari announced that the team's test driver Luca Badoer would take the place of Schumacher replacing Massa for the European Grand Prix.

The 38-year-old Italian has competed in five Grands Prix during his career, the last being in 1999.

Team boss Luca di Montezemolo said he was disappointed that Schumacher had been forced to pull out of the race in Valencia as he had already shown his enthusiasm and dedication to winning were intact.

"His return to racing would have been good for Formula One and I am sure we would have seen him fighting it out for the victory," he added.

Schumacher won five of his seven world titles with Ferrari and he had been working as a consultant with the Italian team this season.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090811/tsp-auto-prix-ferrari-schumacher-5820418.html

Apple's iPhone emerges as gaming platform

2009-04-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple's iPhone has emerged as a serious videogame platform, fulfilling the long-held promise of mobile phone gaming and positioning itself as a legitimate competitor to handheld consoles.

The Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last week was abuzz with plans about games for the iPhone and its WiFi-only cousin, the iPod touch.

With around 30 million devices on the market -- 17 million iPhones and 13 million iPod Touches -- and access to thousands of games at their slightest whim, consumers are buying and playing games by the tens of millions.

Meanwhile, game designers are diving headlong into the market, churning out offerings at a furious pace.

Some say the iPhone's unique features -- GPS capability, connectivity, a touch screen -- and sheer variety of content gives it an edge over its more established handheld console competition, Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP.

The DS franchise has shipped more than 100 million units and the PSP more than 50 million since both came to market in late 2004.

"The iPhone is a threat to other portable game platforms," said Mitch Lasky, a partner with venture capital firm Benchmark Capital, and the former CEO of Jamdat Mobile, which was sold to Electronic Arts in 2005 for $680 million. "It could be just massive."

Apple's App Store went live only last July, but an entire network of developers has sprung up to create thousands of games, ranging from puzzles and arcade games to action and shooter games. Developers take 70 percent of the revenue, while Apple keeps 30 percent.

Game publishers include big names such as Electronic Arts, Gameloft and Glu Mobile, up-and-coming outfits like ngmoco and small developers working out of a cubicle.

Sanette Chao, director of public relations for Gameloft, said the company has made more money selling iPhone and iPod touch games in the past eight months than it has made overall from some other carriers.

"The mobile industry has been waiting for some sort of tipping point...when the App Store was launched, that was the tipping point," Chao said.

Gameloft offers 27 games in the App Store and has sold 2 million copies so far.

According to the latest data from analytics company Mobclix, more than 7,300 of the iPhone's 31,000 applications are games, or roughly 23 percent. Around 5,500 of those games charge a fee.

Users play simpler games for an average of 6 to 8 minutes, but play more complex games for an average of 22 minutes, said Mobclix co-founder Krishna Subramanian.

"That shows it's a serious gaming platform," he said.

The prices on many games can shift quickly with demand. Ngmoco introduced its popular game "Rolando" last year for $9.99 before cutting it to $5.99 and then $4.99. Subatomic Studios introduced its "Fieldrunners" games for $4.99 and cut the price to $2.99 on a "spring break special" earlier this month.

Because of the volume of offerings on the App Store, developers say the key to success is maneuvering a game onto a top 10 or top 25 list, where consumers can easily find them.

John Casasanta, founder of iPhone application development company tap tap tap, said the App Store has been "hugely lucrative" for the company, generating more than $500,000 in sales.

The company scored a hit with a non-game offering, "Classics," after Apple featured it in an ad, and is currently trying to get traction with a 99-cent game called "Parablox" via word of mouth and mailing lists.

"One of the biggest problems with the App Store now is it's just hard to cut through it for independent developers, there's just so many applications."

Apple will release its new iPhone 3.0 software this summer, including new features sure to please game makers, such as peer-to-peer capability allowing gamers to square off against one another. It will also enable developers to offer subscriptions and sell content within their applications.

Many analysts expect Apple to launch an updated iPhone device this summer, although the company has been mum on that point. The second-generation 3G iPhone was released last summer.

Police nab Norwegian pair during high-speed sex

2009-04-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

OSLO (AFP) - - A Norwegian man faces a heavy fine and a driving ban after police caught him having sex with his girlfriend while speeding on the motorway, police said Monday.

The unnamed couple, a 28-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, were caught in the act late on Easter Sunday by traffic police on the E18 highway, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Oslo.

Officers who clocked the couple's silver Mazda 323 racing at 133 kilometres per hour in a 100 zone realised they were doing more than just breaking the speed limit, police told AFP.

"It was veering from one side to the other because the woman was sitting on the man's lap while he was driving and doing the act, shall we say," said Tor Stein Hagen, a superintendent with Soendre Buskerund district police.

"He couldn't see much because her back was in the way," he added.

"Why they did it on a highway with such a high risk we don't know."

After following the couple for nearly a kilometre, officers pulled the car over at a service station.

"We have taken away his driving licence because of the danger that he caused," Hagen said.

Prosecutors will decide within the next week what his punishment will be, with police having filmed the incident to use as evidence against the driver.

Hagen said he expected the man to face a fine of "several thousand Norwegian crowns" and a lengthy driving ban.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090413/tts-norway-sex-offbeat-c1b2fc3.html

More graduates turn to entrepreneurship as job market sours

2009-04-11T23:18:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE: He is looking out for job opportunities but undergraduate Wang Wei Xiang, 26, has more than employment on his mind as graduation looms.

The Singapore Management University business management student is also considering a partnership to start a consulting firm, given that the job market is less than rosy.

“Having a job would mean more security and that’s important for me, but if there is a promising idea I would explore it to see if it could become a business,” said Mr Wang, who attended the National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC) first job fair for graduates on Monday.

He is not the only one thinking of striking out on his own. According to Corrine Ong, director of the National University of Singapore’s Career Centre, more graduating students have been bringing up this idea.

The fair — which drew 800 jobseekers — also catered to the enterprising. Spring Singapore was present to introduce its Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Startups for those under 26. Over 300 graduates are already registered to be part of Spring’s database, with a handful equipped with plans to start a business, said Patrick Lim, Spring’s head for new business support.

But most do not know what being a young entrepreneur really entails. According to Spring, just 13 of the 30 applications received since the fund was launched in November have been accepted.

Apart from good ideas, entrepreneurs need to be prepared to work even harder to drive sales in a poor economy. They should also ensure they have sufficient partners to execute a business plan, said Mr Lim.

But even with the interest from graduates, the fair focused mainly on job and attachment positions, with 2.48 per cent, or about 149 of the 6,000 openings, related to entrepreneurship.

NTUC assistant secretary—general Josephine Teo said on Monday that some eight per cent or about 1,000 of this year’s 12,000 graduating university students may find themselves without a job even after six months — if the employment rate of 87 per cent during the Sars period in 2003 is anything to go by.

Meanwhile, the labour movement will be organising three sector—specific networking sessions for graduates this year. Those seeking employment advice can also access NTUC’s new online advisory service at www.youngntuc.org.sg.

NTUC secretary—general Lim Swee Say urged graduates to keep an open mind. “One door will lead to another and you never know where life will take you to. If you give your very best ... any job (which) may not come across as a dream job can turn out to be better than your dream job.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20090406/tap-659-more-graduates-turn-entrepreneur-231650b.html

S'pore teens parents at 14

2009-03-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

SHE had been pregnant for seven months, but the underage girl did not know it.

It was discovered only after her parents sent the then 14-year-old for a check-up last year, after they confronted her.

In September last year, the baby was born and later put up for adoption.

Yesterday, the baby's father, also 14 at the time, was placed on a year-long supervised probation by the Juvenile Court after he pleaded guilty to two counts of carnal connection.

His offences were uncovered four days after the baby boy was born, when an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer who registered the birth informed the police.

The father could have been jailed for up to five years and fined up to $10,000 on each charge if he had been 16 or above when he engaged in the acts.

He was also ordered to stay indoors from 9pm to 6am during this time and will have to perform 120 hours of community service.

Both teens, who are now in Secondary 4, cannot be named to protect their identities.

In sentencing, District Judge Wong Li Tein reprimanded the father for his actions which resulted in 'serious' consequences.

There are many carnal connection cases, she noted, but few had led to a baby.

Part of the reason why the offences were committed was because he had been watching pornography, and the judge ordered him to stop doing so.

She also told him not to contact the girl any more.

The teens met in July 2007 through the Internet when they were both 13.

Within a month, the 'casual friends' had become an item. She started going over to his flat and, later that month, engaged in sex for the first time.

The young couple had sex again some time in December 2007 at the boy's place.

At that time, no one was at the flat, and he invited her into his room to use the computer. They ended up having sex instead.

They did it again in June last year, when she was already six months pregnant. But it was only in July last year that the girl suspected she might be expecting, after missing her period for several months.

But she did not take any action, as she 'did not know what to do'.

It was also at around this time that her parents confronted her. The girl denied it initially, but a subsequent check-up showed that she was 28 weeks pregnant.

The teen mother joins a growing group of girls in Singapore who are having sex below the age of 16.

Last year, there were 310 such girls caught engaging in consensual sex - nearly 45 per cent more than in 2007.

This was also a huge jump from the 163 girls found doing so five years ago.

Provisional figures also showed that there were 10 babies born to mothers under 15 last year, and 798 babies born to mothers aged 15 to 19.

source : http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090327-131368.html

Zhang Ziyi on cover of sex disc

2009-03-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

A pirated sex disc with Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi's photos on its cover is a hot favorite in the Hong Kong piracy market. Besides the beach photos that paparazzi took of her last year, in the disc are five other sex video clips unrelated to her.

A Hong Kong reporter found the disc which is currently retailing at HK$30 (about S$6) in the Hong Kong piracy market. Zhang's beach photos, taken by paparazzi and breached privacy rights, were used unscrupulously to solicit business.

The disc is exquisitely packaged in two layers of wrapper, a colored cardboard cover and a transparent case. Printed on the cover are her portraits and six classic photos in the beach series, in fine prints are the words "Zhang Ziyi Nude Photos". The inside cover also has a short summary of about 100 hundred words on Zhang's series of topless photos disseminated on the Internet.

81 photos of Zhang frolicking on a Caribbean beach with her boyfriend Vivi Nevo while they were on a holiday in January 2009 spread like wild fire on China websites. The photos showed Zhang baring her top and lying on the beach for a sunbath while Vivi "buried" his head into her butt.

A custom spokesperson said they will follow up with investigations should the copyrights owner of the photos decide to file a complaint. When found guilty, the infringer may be sentenced to a maximum of four years imprisonment and receive a fine of HK$50,000 for each infringed material. According to previous reports, an anonymous man has paid an astronomical price to buy the exclusive copyrights of these photos in Taiwan, Japan, Korea and America. For three months between Jan 9 to Apr 9, media in the four countries are not allowed to buy or publish the related photos. It was not reported if copyrights of the photos were bought in Hong Kong.

Woman killed after being hit by train at Clementi

2009-03-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE: A woman was killed after being hit by a train at Clementi MRT station early Tuesday morning.

SMRT said the incident at 6.15am caused westbound service between Queenstown and Jurong East MRT stations to be affected.

To maintain service on the unaffected stretch of the East—West line, westbound trains were turned around at Queenstown MRT Station.

Train service between Jurong East and Joo Koon stations were not affected by the incident.

SMRT also activated a bus bridging service from Queenstown to Jurong East stations to ferry affected passengers.

The first bus arrived at Queenstown MRT Station at about 6.50am.

Train services resumed at 7.03am.

SMRT said about 6,250 passengers were affected during the incident.

Passengers who were unable to complete their journeys due to the disruption can claim a full fare refund from the Passenger Service Centre in any of the 53 SMRT stations within the next three working days.

SMRT is assisting the police in investigations.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20090324/tap-290-woman-killed-hit-train-clementi-231650b.html

Annie Yi announces end of nine-year marriage

2009-03-24T03:50:00.000-07:00

Mr. and Mrs. Yu is now history. Annie Yi announced her divorce with Harlem Yu last Friday through her management company in China, HB Stars.

The release in Chinese stated: I, Annie Yi, has signed a divorce agreement with Harlem Yu, and ended our marriage relationship. I hope our families can enjoy peace again.

The release did not mention about their only son's custodian rights. However, Yi's godfather Xia Yushun revealed recently that the seven-year-old boy would remain in the custody of the Yu family while Yi enjoyed access rights. Yu denied this and said that they have not received official notice on their son's custody.

When reporters called up Yi's Taiwan manager Ren Yueqin, she said she did not receive notification on the release.

Yi and Yu were married in Los Angeles, United States, on Feb 14, 2000, and gave birth to their son two years later on Mar 16 also in the States. From almost a decade of courtship to their nine years of marriage, Yi has reportedly been in several other affairs though Yu had always trusted her.

On Nov 12 last year, the photo that showed Yi holding hands with male artiste Victor Huang in China was exposed on the Internet. Though Yi and Huang did not admit to the scandal, with photos as evidence, Yi and Yu's marriage still broke up.

During Chinese New Year this year, news of their divorce agreement broke out after the family of three went for a holiday at Hokkaido where the two adults took the chance to work out the marriage. According to sources, Yu still has feelings for Yi and was in an emotional struggle when he decides on a divorce.

Mid November last year, Yi once expressed that she will respect Yu's decision and status on their marriage will be based the latter's official statement.

However, on Mar 6 this year, Yi had already hinted their break up on her blog in a post titled "One Man's Journey": Without relying on anyone, [I will] live life to its fullest, face the future by myself with courage and no fear. And now that she sends out a release on Mar 20 to announce their divorce before Yu does, the Taiwan media found Yi going against her earlier promise.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/xin/20090323/ten-842-annie-yi-announces-nine-year-mar-3c1b9bc.html

More female engineers wanted

2009-03-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE: Twelve—year—old Laura Ong has several ambitions: Writer, doctor, engineer. The Greenridge Primary School student told Today: “I’m attracted to engineering because my father is an engineer.”

On Thursday, she got a little help to decide on her future path. She was among some 100 female students from five schools given a glimpse into what it would be like working as an engineer — a male—dominated career.

Agilent Technologies invited the students, aged 12 to 14, to its “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day”. The company noted how, in 2007, more than 33,000 males enrolled for engineering sciences courses in polytechnics and universities, but just 11,000 women did so.

Female engineers, it added, are essential to the industry as they look at problems in a more holistic view, considering both internal and external factors before delving into the problem — a finding revealed at a Stanford University conference last year.

Agilent’s general manager, Rob Young, said: “Having more women can bring more diversity to engineering design, and is helpful to push the engineering industry forward.”

Besides talks by female engineers at Agilent Technologies, the students took a laboratory tour and played games that promote electronic concepts.

The event to mark International Women’s Day was in collaboration with the National University of Singapore.

Cecilia Cheung lashes out at Edison Chen

2009-03-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

On the first day that Edison Chen made his appearance for work purpose, female celebrity involved in the same sex photo scandal, Cecilia Cheung, took on Hong Kong-based i-CABLE Entertainment News Channel exclusive interview and broke her silence for the first time after the scandal. Besides speaking of her feelings for the past year, she also scathingly denounced Chen as "shedding crocodile tears". She also specially thanked her husband and in-laws on the programme for their support during the past year.

"This incident has happened slightly more than a year ago. It is my misbehavior and there is nothing much that I can say about. This time I am breaking my silence because all young people make mistakes but we may not know how to admit them or find the best way to accept it. This scandal is way too serious! Why have I kept silence for so long? I am not afraid or embarrassed; I am learning how to face the mistake and bear the full responsibilities. This time I do not want to talk about it because I am both the judge and culprit of the matter. I sentenced myself to 'jail'. There is a time bomb in me. I am very scared. I do not know how to talk about the incident. This is actually very private. Mr. Chen promised he will not show the photos to a third party. So I told myself then that everything will be fine. In fact he really said he will not show it anyone else," Cheung said.

She recalled, "When the photos first leaked out, I was really afraid. Lucas (her son) was only seven to eight months old then. I went into the room to carry him but I could not. I can't describe how scared I was. My legs went soft and I lost balance. The moment I carried my son, I looked at him and thought, 'if I have no courage to face the music as an adult, what about such a helpless child? He's only seven to eight months old. He's so helpless! What should I do?' So I told myself: No, I have to stand up. I thought I would go crazy, but I didn't. The day that the papers published the photos, I had a commercial shoot. My company and the client thought I will not turn up but I still carried on with work. It was very awkward!"

"I've been silent for a year. Everyone knows that nothing on earth really frightens me. I chose to sentence myself to a punishment. I have to bear all the responsibilities. I keep quiet, do not clarify, do not get any compassion, but I still appear in public. It was really hard! As a woman, it's really hard. But for my son's sake, I have to do it. I will tell my son in future that mummy has done wrong, but fortunately, mummy has very good parents. If you're wrong, admit it; if you deserve punishment, take it. I still bring my son out in public because he should not be punished for what I've done. I have to bear the gaze of the public. I take it as a self-punishment. I will not choose to escape. Some people think I'm pitiful and support me. Of course, different people have different perspectives and I accept them all. If I want to admit my mistakes, I have to bear everything," she added.

Chen and his mother has said numerous times in public that he would rather go to jail and do all he can to protect the female celebrities involved. He also expressed hopes recently that they can make a smooth comeback. Cheung was disdainful about this.

"One year ago when the scandal broke out, he held a press conference and said he will do all he can to protect the female victims, but he did not do what he said! We, the victims, did not say we want any compensation, but he did not protect us. When the photos went online, he has done nothing to stop them. How can we recover? Firstly, he did not do anything. Secondly, he can only be described as 'shedding crocodile tears'. Since the scandal broke out, he has not expressed a single word of apology to us. He only apologized to the public! The day my manager found out about the photo scandal, he picked up the phone and called Edison to ask him what on earth happened. We have already expected the ending; nothing can be done to salvage the situation. But he just said, "I'm in a meeting now. I will fix it as soon as possible. It'll be quick!" I tried to call him personally after that but his phone was already off and I never manage to get in touch with him anymore. If he is sincere about protecting us, he should at least give us a call in private and apologize, but he did not! I represent all the female victims here: if he has not admitted his mistake, he should not have said anything!"

Since the scandal broke out, the media and public have been very concern about Cheung and Tse's marriage. There had been numerous reports that they were planning on divorce and also that Cheung's mother-in-law was not happy about her past. Cheung was in fact full of gratitude to the Tse family as she spoke of the past year, and also tears several times during the interview.

"On the first day the photos were leaked out, my father-in-law came to my place. He did not say anything but just pretended to be visiting Lucas. I think he was trying to send me a message: If there is anything, the family will bear it together! My mother-in-law gave me a porcelain figurine of two dolls holding a lotus leaf on which four Chinese characters 'feng yu tong lu' (meaning: we'll brave the wind and rain together) was engraved. I believe it was a message to me. My husband did not ask anything but just said, "Dear, it's fine. I'm here for you!" My parents are also very supportive of me. I have not cried for myself throughout the whole incident but I cried for my mum. I will usually only tell my mother the good news about myself but at that time, I knew I was wrong and have hurt my mother. She called me and said, "Girl, I'm fine. Mum will go through this together with you." At that moment, I could not hold back my tears. I only cried that once. Having heard what my mum said, I told myself I have to be brave and face my mistakes."

Speaking about her friends, Cheung was filled with gratitude. "At that time when friends came over to visit for Chinese New Year, I was feeling really awful. Especially when my friends pretended to be alright in front of me, the feeling was terrible. I was upset that my friends have to pretend that nothing had happened in front of me. I am really glad to have this bunch of friends."

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/xin/20090303/ten-722-cecilia-cheung-lashes-edison-che-3c1b9bc.html

Supermodel Bundchen ties knot with football star Brady

2009-02-27T22:42:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (AFP) - - Supermodel Gisele Bundchen and American football star Tom Brady have wed in a low-key ceremony in California, People magazine reported Friday.

Bundchen, 28, and Brady, 31, "quietly got married in a small, private ceremony" in Santa Monica, California on Thursday, the magazine said citing unnamed sources. It was the first marriage for both.

"The New England Patriots quarterback and the Brazilian supermodel wed just before 6 p.m. at Saint Monica's Church, less than a mile (half-kilometer) from the beach," People reported.

Brady's 1-1/2 year old son, John Edward Thomas, was present. Brady and former girlfriend actress Bridget Moynihan are his parents.

Bundchen, a Victoria's Secret lingerie girl, was discovered at a McDonald's restaurant in her home country before becoming a queen of the catwalk. In 2007 she earned 35 million dollars, according to Forbes magazine.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090227/tts-entertainment-fashion-amfoot-bundche-c1b2fc3.html

Canto-pop star in court over sex photos

2009-02-26T01:55:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, Canada (AFP) - - The Hong Kong-Canadian pop star who took photos while having sex with a string of female celebrities told a court Monday he was shocked when the images were plastered across the Internet.

Edison Chen, one of Asia's biggest entertainment stars, gave evidence in the case of Sze Ho-Chun, a computer technician charged in Hong Kong with illegally posting the explicit photos online.

The photos became an Internet sensation when they were posted last February, forcing Chen, 28, into early retirement and sending him fleeing to his childhood home of Canada.

The pictures showed Chen in compromising positions with various celebrities, including Canto-pop star Gillian Chung, actress Cecilia Cheung and former actress Bobo Chan.

Chen told the unusual hearing in Vancouver that the photos were his, but that they had been stored on a personal laptop computer that had gone missing last year.

He told the court he believed the release of the photos was due to "some foul play" by workers at a computer store he used in Hong Kong.

"I'm quite a private person," said Chen. "This was never meant for anyone else to see."

The hearing was scheduled for a week but wrapped up in just a day.

A crowd of two dozen photographers, many from Asian tabloids, mobbed Chen as he left the court building surrounded by burly private security guards.

Hong Kong's Department of Justice flew a legal team, including Hong Kong's chief magistrate, to Vancouver after Chen had refused to return to the southern Chinese city to give evidence.

The decision to fly over the legal team and the intensity of the original police investigation have been criticised in Hong Kong, with some claiming the case has garnered special attention because of Chen's celebrity status.

The Vancouver native of Portuguese-Chinese parents was discovered a decade ago by a talent agent in a Hong Kong club and became an icon in the music, film and fashion industries in Asia.

Chen, whose full name is also known as Edison Chen Koon-hei, recorded 16 albums under the EEG (Emperor Entertainment Group) label, of which the latest is 2007's "Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself."

Before his retirement Chen had a cameo role in the 2008 Batman movie "The Dark Knight," and a voice-over in the Cantonese version of the animated children's movie "Shrek."

But his career was destroyed by the appearance of hundreds of the sex photos, which caused a storm in celebrity-obsessed but culturally conservative Hong Kong.

Chen's cause was not helped by the fact he was reportedly dating Vincy Yeung, the niece of the head of EEG, effectively Chen's boss at the time.

He soon announced his retirement and said he would be focusing on charity work.

The scandal spread across Asia, where Hong Kong stars are hugely popular, with police in Taiwan and China arresting around a dozen people for allegedly possessing and distributing the photographs.

Despite his retirement, Chen's fame has not faded.

He was the most-searched personality late last year in Asia, according to Google, and Asian media regularly report ongoing boycotts of restaurants and stores associated with his name.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090224/tap-entertainment-music-canada-hongkong-900e8df.html

Divorced? Annie Yi says final outcome will surprise everyone

2009-02-16T02:12:00.000-08:00

Rumors of Annie Yi and Harlem Yu coming to consensus over their divorce agreement, after the couple's meet-up in Japan, have been sprouting lately. However, Taiwanese media has also reported that Yi expressed that the final outcome between Yu and herself is bound to surprise all!

Recent reports mentioned that the couple met up during their Hokkaido trip and has made arrangements for their divorce. Official proceeding has not been finalized as it was felt to be a sensitive period currently. Yi was caught on camera carrying numerous large baggages and flying to Beijing alone. Reports even claimed that Yi had moved out of Yu's residence since two years ago. Yi's liquidation of her properties in Taiwan has also sparked many to believe that she is getting ready to move to China for good.

In light of such reports, Yi's manager commented that she has not heard about a divorce and even appealed for the reporter behind the rumor to step out and show proof.

Yu on the other hand, refrained from commenting on the matter and even lock himself in the dressing room on set for his variety show to avoid the press. Yu's manager, too, said that there is no news of divorce.

In addition, according to Taiwan's United Daily News, a friend of Yi said that she was bent on divorce before Lunar New Year, but the Hokkaido trip seems to have resulted in a subtle change.

While Yi may be focusing her career in China now, she said, "I must provide Harrison with a good childhood, children needs a complete home." That was also the reason, to accompany her son, behind her rejection to cast in drama series in China. Yi did not reveal much on the outcome of her marriage to her friend, but only said the outcome would surprise everyone.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/xin/20090212/ten-609-divorced-annie-yi-says-final-out-3c1b9bc.html

British boy becomes father at 13

2009-02-16T02:11:00.000-08:00

LONDON - A 13-year-old boy pictured in a British tabloid cradling an infant is reportedly one of the country's youngest-known fathers.

Baby-faced and only 4 feet (1.22 meters) tall, the boy, Alfie, was just 12 when he impregnated Chantelle, now 15, The Sun said. Shown in a video posted Friday to the tabloid's Web site, Alfie looks more like he's 8 _ not 13 _ as he takes the newborn girl in his arms.

Asked what he would do to support the child financially, Alfie asks in a high-pitched voice, "What does financially mean?"

The girl was reportedly taking birth control pills but missed one, the newspaper reported. Friends and relatives left the family home near Eastbourne, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southeast of London, without speaking to reporters waiting outside Friday. The teenagers could not immediately be contacted.

The Sun did not say whether any tests were conducted to prove the boy's paternity.

Police and child services in Eastbourne, in southeast England, said in a statement that they were "aware of a 14-year-old girl that had become pregnant as the result of a relationship with a 12-year-old boy," adding that they were offering support to both young people.

Alfie's front page picture has sparked renewed debate about teen pregnancy in Britain. The country has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe, and government figures show that about 39,000 girls under age 18 became pregnant in 2006. More than 7,000 of those girls were younger than 16.

"I don't know the individual details of the case, but of course I think all of us would want to avoid teenage pregnancies," Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Friday.

Britain had 27 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 between 2000 and 2005, according to a report published by Population Action International. Comparable figures are 10 per 1,000 for Spain, 8 in 1,000 for France, and 5 in 1,000 for The Netherlands.

Britain's teen pregnancy rate, however, is still far below that of the United States, which registers 44 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 and are more line with English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand, which have 17 and 27 births per 1,000 women between 15 and 19, according to the report.

In a controversial move last year to tackle the high teen pregnancy rates, British education officials announced they would start introducing sex education earlier in English schools. Beginning next year, children as young as kindergarten age will be given basic sex education.

Local lawmaker Nigel Waterson called the situation "a very sad story which will have a huge impact on both the parents and the child," adding that it raised "huge questions" about the sexualization of children in British society and the effectiveness of the country's sex education.

The Sun said Chantelle gave birth Monday and that the newborn and her mother were released from the hospital Thursday.

In its profile, The Sun described Alfie as a boy whose voice has not broken yet and likes things boys usually like _ computer games and soccer.

"I thought it would be good to have a baby. I didn't really think about how we would afford it," The Sun quoted Alfie as saying. "I don't really get pocket money. My dad sometimes gives me 10 pounds (about $15)."

Alfie's father, Dennis _ who reportedly has nine children _ said his son told him it was the first time he had sex. He was reportedly allowed to sleep over at the girl's house.

"It hasn't really dawned on him," Patten, 45, was quoted as saying in The Sun.

"I will talk to him again and it will be the birds and bees talk," he said. "Some may say it's too late but he needs to understand so there is not another baby."

Britain's youngest-known father was said to be a 12-year-old boy in a suburb north of London who impregnated a young neighbor in 1998.

Boys can usually impregnate a girl when they reach puberty, which is normally between the ages of 9 and 13.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20090214/twl-eu-britain-father-at13-c8e2916.html

Dial S for sex on a telephone chatline?

2009-02-10T20:55:00.001-08:00

It took Jim (not his real name) only 30 minutes to convince a total stranger, an 18-year-old, into having sex with him.

The 19-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF) had met the girl on a telephone chatline after he left a message: 'Looking to meet pretty ladies.'

That same day, the two met in Bugis and had sex in a nearby Bencoolen hotel.

'It's an easy, fuss-free way to meet girls. I've met two in just a month,' Jim said. He had sex with the other girl too.

Last month, in a twist to this 'easy sex' gambit, a court heard that a 16-year-old girl had tried to get a man she had met on a chatline to have sex - with a 13-year-old.

She admitted to five of the 11 charges and will be sentenced later. The offences took place in June last year.

The teenager, angered by remarks the younger girl had made about her, contacted the man on a chatline and later met him at a block of flats in Woodlands, where she briefed him on his 'role' - to rape the 13-year-old.

But he was unable to do so and the younger girl was instead forced to perform oral sex on him. The man, whose identity is unknown, left the scene after the incident.

Between 2004 and 2007, there were 75 sexual offences such as rape and outrage of modesty involving victims who knew their culprits via telephone chatlines or the Internet. Most of the victims were in their early 20s.

Between 2000 and 2004, there were 53 reported sexual offences linked to chatlines. In more than half the cases, girls between 14 and 16 had sex with men they met on a chatline.

Chatlines were implicated in 20 rapes reported and nine other girls reported being molested.

It is an offence to have sex with girls under 16 years.

Chatlines became popular here early this decade, when there were about 30 providers. There were about 10 main players which made millions of dollars from callers who befriended strangers via the telephone.

But complaints arose about chatlines being used to solicit for sex.

In 2004, the Media Development Authority (MDA) imposed new rules on chatline providers to protect the young from sex predators.

The operators had to remove sexually explicit messages, exclude users below 18, compile blacklists of users who had left abusive or offensive messages, and share them with other operators.

Mr Samuel Lim, former president of the Audiotex Service Providers Association, told The Sunday Times that the industry's image was cleaned up after the new regulations.

He said the steps the MDA took were 'necessary and the operators became more responsible because they knew the penalties'.

Mr Lim, who quit the industry in 2007, believes there are now only five operators left, running between 10 and 15 chatlines.

Most that gave up the business had been badly hit by the entry of free computer-based Internet chats. Most chatlines charge 50 cents to $1.50 a minute.

The Consumers Association of Singapore said 23 complaints were lodged against chatlines between 2005 and last year, mostly about unsatisfactory service and sales tactics.

In one case, a consumer's 16-year-old son chalked up over $500 in calls to chatlines in 2006. The consumer was unhappy that there was no monitoring to ensure that callers are above the age of 18.

Parents interviewed also said that 'provocative advertisements' touting chatlines can still be found in magazines and newspapers.

When The Sunday Times rang up three chatlines, sexually explicit messages were still heard although there were reminders stating that 'there should be no unpleasant or offensive language'.

Many of those chatting solicited for sex while others looked for 'open-minded girls'.

Some of the 24-hour chatlines, targeted at men, also hire women for chatting. Most are from China and Malaysia.

One woman from China, who wanted to be known only as Jenny, told The Sunday Times that she makes 30 cents per minute of chat. She and about 20 others operate from flats in Chinatown, Clementi and Ang Mo Kio.

'The guys mostly want us to talk dirty to them,' said Jenny in Mandarin. 'The boss says it's a chatline, but it's really more of a 'sexline'.'

Girls who want to make extra cash meet the callers in person for sex, she added.

Ms Yuvarani Thangavelu, MDA's senior assistant director (market policy), media policy, said operators are required to ensure that their services do not contain material that offends against good taste or decency, and are 'not used for the solicitation of prostitution or any other immoral activities'.

She added that the public can give feedback to the MDA on offensive messages found on the chatlines and action will be taken.

Jim, meanwhile, is still hooked on chatlines.

He said: 'The warnings are merely disclaimers. Do you really think we guys are paying so much just to chat?'

source : http://digital.asiaone.com/Digital/News/Story/A1Story20090210-120885.html

Dealing with bad breath

2009-02-10T20:53:00.001-08:00

IMAGINE these parting words from your ex-boyfriend: "And by the way, your breath smells." If the break-up was not depressing enough, realising you have bad breath will certainly have you down in the dumps.

Surprisingly, many who suffer from bad breath or halitosis are unaware that they have this condition. And those who do, however, do not know how to treat it.

According to Dr Geoffrey Speiser, a dentist and halitosis expert, professional help should be sought as cleaning the mouth by simply using mouthwash or brushing your teeth will not work in treating the condition.

"Even professionals who suffer from this condition do not realise that they have bad breath. The woman who was told that she has bad breath by the ex-boyfriend is actually a dentist. But she never realised it as no one had told her."

Speiser says that bad breath is caused by bacteria in the mouth, as well as lifestyle and personal hygiene issues. Each factor has to be addressed differently, including changing one's lifestyle and type of bacteria inhabiting the mouth.

"Since people are not sure how to treat the condition, they simply resort to using mouthwash or changing their toothpaste. Actually, there is no one particular product that can fix bad breath. If you do not suffer from chronic bad breath, mouthwash is fine, but it will not work for those with a more serious problem.

"They need professional help. We have to reduce the amount of protein in the mouth, discourage a high acid diet or prevent a dry mouth."

Dr Speiser, who runs a breath clinic in Sydney, Australia, says there is a machine that is able to detect the different smells. With it, the doctor will be able to gauge the strength of the smell, determine its causes and find out where in the mouth the bacteria is existing.

"Then we can target the treatment. If we clean the protein from the tongue and the gum, teeth and back of the throat, then obviously we remove a lot of food source and bacteria that cause the smell.

There are two types of bacteria that live in the mouth. One thrives on oxygen while the other can live without it. The latter can flourish if you do not clean your teeth, or if you have a high acid or dry mouth condition.

Studies have found that one in four will have chronic bad breath and as you get older, the condition will worsen if left untreated.

"As you get older, your saliva flow starts to slow. Saliva is the mouth's natural defence mechanism against bacteria and if you continue to have a dry mouth, you will have chronic bad breath."

To determine if the person has chronic bad breath, they will be tested using the "smell line". If their breath is above the three main smell categories, they have it. The three smells are methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulphide and dimethyl sulphide.

Methyl mercaptan smells like faeces, hydrogen sulphide smells like rotten eggs and dimethyl sulphide is the smell of cabbage, sulphur and gasoline put together. If your breath is above these three, then it does not matter if you clean your teeth, tongue or use mouthwash as the smell will never go away, said Dr Speiser.

Treatments include an intense cleaning programme for five days to remove the bacteria and protein directly from the mouth, tongue and back of the throat.

The patient also needs to change his or her lifestyle and lower protein intake and ensure he or she does not have a high acid or dry mouth condition.

"Halitosis sufferers need to change their lifestyles and start taking probiotics. They also need to avoid dairy products, egg yolks, soft drinks, coffee, snacking and smoking. People do not realise that every time they eat, they create an acidic condition in the mouth. And acid stimulates bacterial growth.

"So does snacking. My advice is that you never skip breakfast, lunch and dinner. After each meal, wash your mouth with a glass of water and chew sugarless gum for five minutes to increase saliva."

Meanwhile, Dr Roland Chia, who has set up a breath centre in Kota Kinabalu, believes that many Malaysians are unaware of the causes of and treatments for bad breath.

"People know about bad breath but they just do not know where to seek treatment.

"There is a way to measure bad breath, and treat and manage it. One cause for bad breath is gum disease and in Malaysia, this is on the rise."

Those who are on long-term medication can also suffer from bad breath, especially those taking medication for blood pressure, allergies and sinuses, indigestion and heartburn. Antidepressants, sedatives and relaxants can also contribute towards halitosis.

source : http://health.asiaone.com/Health/Wellness%2B%2540%2BWork/Story/A1Story20090210-120944.html

Coldplay Announce Singapore and Hong Kong Concerts

2009-02-10T04:51:00.000-08:00

Coldplay have just announced another two tour dates for 2009's itinery - in Singapore and Hong Kong.

This comes 24 hours after Dubai media sources published news that Coldplay were heading to Abu Dhabi for the first time, although that date is yet to be officially confirmed. Chris Martin told sources he was looking forward to playing in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi and urged fans to get their tickets early to avoid disappointment. "It will be amazing and we can’t wait," he said when contacted by tabloid! on the weekend. The info on the two confirmed tour dates are as follows, courtesy of Anchorman:

We're pleased to confirm two more upcoming Coldplay shows, in Hong Kong and Singapore. The details are as follows:

Singapore
Monday 23rd March 2009 - Singapore Indoor Stadium
On sale Monday 16th Feb from www.sistic.com.sg
Hong Kong
Wednesday 25th March 2009 - Asia World Arena
On sale Tuesday 17th Feb from www.hkticketing.com

Search: Annie Yi reflects on the past year: Everything has been great

2009-01-31T21:41:00.001-08:00

Singer Annie Yi updated her blog with a greeting post on the first day of Lunar New Year. She wrote, "In the past year, many memorable things happened; just as they flashed back before me, I realized how great things had been for me." She was being criticized for giving thanks despite coming face on with a major scandal in her life.

Yi was caught in an extramarital affair when she was seen hand in hand in Beijing with Taiwanese celebrity Victor Huang last November. She is married to popular Taiwanese host and singer Harlem Yu and has one son. Yi and Yu had always been looked up to as a model couple.

It has only been two months since her affair saw light, yet Yi expressed thanks for the beautiful things that had happened in the past year, seemingly unregretful about the scandal which broke up her "model family".

As soon as reports on netizens' reactions on her blog post were published, her blog was found to be locked.

However, some media pointed out that Yi has revealed hopes to change to become a better person in the year of the Ox. She said, "Allow myself to be honest, clear-headed, simple and brave."

While she sent her wishes to everyone in general, Yi did not mention a single word about her husband Yu. The relationship of the couple, who met in China for the first time on a countdown party last December after Yi's affair came to light, seemingly did not change for the better.

It was also said that through an overtone Yi added at the end of the blog post - "believe in staying together forever" - there seems to be a chance for the relationship to be saved in the New Year.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/xin/20090129/ten-524-annie-yi-reflects-past-year-grea-3c1b9bc.html

Andy Lau will not allow himself to die a lonely old man

2009-01-30T02:40:00.000-08:00

Heavenly King Andy Lau was seen wearing a ring on his right ring finger when he was in Guangzhou to promote his new movie "Look for a Star". Lau explained that it is purely a promotional tool, but also said he will not spend his entire life being a single man.

"Please be assured that the day (of marriage) will come. I will not live in solitude all my life. I'm very afraid of spending the rest of my life alone. I have never done anything bad, so I believe god will take care of me," he said.

Marriage of the 48-year-old celebrity has been a limelight of his personal life throughout his years of being in the entertainment scene. Lau has been rumored to have dated Carol Chu, a Malaysian, for over 20 years.

Lau added that the ring he was wearing at the event was sponsored and he has to wear it every time he is promoting the movie. "I have to return it to them every time I'm done with it. They refuse to give it to me," he said.

Lau, who acted as a wealthy man, courageous in pursuing his love, revealed to have not met or done anything romantic in real life. "Perhaps I entered showbiz too early in my life; I'm always busy everyday and am always pursuing something. I always do romantic things in movies, but in reality, I think I've never really done anything romantic. I've not found real romanticism in my actual life yet. At this point of time, I think romanticism is not about doing something, but being together with someone I love and waking up to see her everyday."

Naked couple surprises diners in Singapore stroll

2009-01-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

SINGAPORE, Jan 28 - A couple treated open air diners to a 15-minute naked parade in Singapore, triggering both embarrassment and applause for a scene almost unheard of in the conservative city-state.

Pub manager Terence Chia told the Straits Times newspaper he saw the couple taking off their clothes on Saturday night at a staircase in a block of flats in Holland Village, known for its popular nightspots.

"Then, clothes in hand, they coolly walked in their flip-flops towards the market," he said, adding when the couple did a U-turn a sea of spectators was ready and poised with cameras.

"There were more than 200 people and everyone was taking pictures," the newspaper on Wednesday quoted Chia as saying. "Even women were busy clicking and people were cheering, whistling and applauding like crazy."

Police said the couple, a Caucasian man and an ethnic Chinese woman in their 20s, had been arrested and released on bail. If convicted under Singapore law, they could face a fine of maximum fine of S$2000 , up to 3 months in jail, or both.

Protests are rare in Singapore and only made legal last year in a designated area called "Speakers' Corner", modelled on London's Hyde Park.

"They looked really comfortable walking down the street, which led to many curious stares," wrote blogger Leonard Tan. "Singapore is getting more and more exciting."

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20090128/tap-singapore-naked-c3bb44c.html

Eva Mendes crowned "most desirable" in poll

2009-01-21T22:38:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES - Actress Eva Mendes was crowned as the most desirable woman of 2009 on Wednesday in a poll by online men's magazine AskMen.com that organizers swear is not all about looks but overall qualities.

Mendes, 34, topped the online magazine's 9th annual list of "Top 99 Most Desirable Women" after AskMen.com readers cast more than 10 million votes to rank the women with the best qualities for the ideal girlfriend or wife.
She took the top slot from actress Katherine Heigl after placing fourth last year while actress Megan Fox ranked second and Victoria's Secret model Marisa Miller came in third place.
James Bassil, editor-in-chief of AskMen.com, said the list was a "pulse-check" of the women that readers were not only following but also perceived as more than just a pretty face.
"Obviously good looks are one quality but intelligence, ambition and humor also count," Bassil told Reuters.
"There are women in their mid to late 30s on this list who may be old by industry standards but you see more mature women on this list. The younger women getting a lot of play on gossip sites haven't had the time to accumulate the achievements that a lot of these women have."
Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie were not on the list while Britney Spears, in the midst of staging a comeback, was back after dropping off the list for a couple of years. She was ranked at No. 90.
The list included perennial favorites like Beyonce at No. 50 and Jessica Simpson at 70 but also some newcomers such as Australian actress Isla Fisher and singer Katy Perry .
French singer Carla Bruni, the wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy, made her debut on the list in 76th place while comedian Tina Fey, who was widely praised for her Sarah Palin impression this past election season, made the list at No. 97.
Bassil said readers could have voted for the U.S.'s new First Lady Michelle Obama or Republican vice-presidential contender Sarah Palin but they did not garner enough support to make the list with the poll largely conducted before the U.S. election.
Brooke Burke, a former model-turned-TV personality who won the seventh season of TV show "Dancing with the Stars," rose to No. 14 in the list from No. 32 last year.
Burke, 37, who has four children, said it was a compliment to be included -- and to have jumped a few slots.
"It is great to get that attention. I do think it is more of an intelligence vote and people are looking at who they would like to have as an ideal mate and not just their average pinup," Burke told Reuters.
Rounding out the top 10, in the following order, were:
4. Keeley Hazell
5. Anne Hathaway
6. Alessandra Ambrosio
7. Scarlett Johansson
8. Rihanna
9. Kristen Bell
10. Kate Beckinsale

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20090122/img/pen-entertainment-us-women-a01a7e2fae14.html

Singapore opposition leader appeals to Obama on rights

2009-01-21T01:04:00.000-08:00

SINGAPORE (AFP) - - The leader of a Singapore opposition party, jailed numerous times for defying local protest laws and for other offences, has posted a video message asking for US President Barack Obama's support.

Chee Soon Juan, secretary general of the Singapore Democratic Party, posted his "message to President Obama" on the video sharing website YouTube, where he called Obama's Tuesday inauguration "an occasion of great moment."
Chee expressed hope that the United States "will pay more attention to the human rights abuses of the Singapore government and take positive steps to help Singapore join the community of democracies."
Chee, dressed in a dark suit and a tie, sat at a desk to deliver the message lasting more than five minutes.
He said his party was especially encouraged by what Obama, the first black president of the United States, has said about human rights.
"Under your leadership I look forward to a world that is freer, more democratic and more just," said Chee.
He is one of the few Singaporeans who have publicly spoken against Singapore's People's Action Party, which has ruled since 1959.
Since independence in 1965, Singapore has grown from a Third World country to an Asian economic powerhouse. But critics say this has come at a price, in the form of restrictions on freedom of speech and political activity.
The ruling party has all but two of the 84 elected seats in parliament, and the opposition's complaints include a lack of access to mainstream media in the country.
Except for a park that serves as a designated area for limited free speech, it is illegal to hold a public gathering of five or more people in Singapore without a police permit.
Singapore's leaders say tough laws against dissent and other political activity are necessary to ensure the stability which has helped the city-state achieve economic success.
The government has said allegations that Singapore fails to meet international standards for political and human rights are without substance.

source : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090121/tap-us-politics-obama-singapore-politics-06f3cb7.html

Inaugural Luncheon Menu

2009-01-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

President Obama entered Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol building to trumpet fanfare. He gave a warm welcome to Congress and his campaign opponent, Senator John McCain, launching his administration.Catering company, Design Cuisine, served the inaugural luncheon at the U.S. Capitol. It looked to past President's favorite dishes for inspiration. The main dish was served on replica China from the Lincoln Presidency.Some 200 guests enjoyed a plentiful three course menu:

Seafood stew
Molasses Whipped Sweet Potato
Winter Vegetable Medley
Duck Breast with Cherry Chutney
Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing
Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake.

source : http://wearecentralpa.com/content/fulltext/?cid=57191

OBAMA-MANIA HITS CELL NETWORKS

2009-01-21T00:52:00.000-08:00

A cell-phone-generated blizzard of voice calls, text messages and pictures swept through the nation's capital as President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration neared - sparking scattered reports of delays and blocked calls. Wireless service operators said the problems weren't any worse than they expected, and they repeated their advice for keeping the voice and data traffic running smoothly.
Cell-phone crushBy some estimates, millions of mobile-phone users have converged on the Washington area for Tuesday's inaugural ceremonies. To cope with the expected crush, service providers have been adding as much capacity as they can to the area's wireless networks, said Joe Farren, spokesman for CTIA, the wireless industry's trade association.
That includes bringing in portable cell-phone switching equipment on mobile trailers ("cell on wheels," or COWs) and trucks ("cell on light trucks," or COLTs).
Despite those measures, the wireless companies still expected some glitches to crop up. "If 3 or 4 million people show up, and they're all trying to get on the Internet to send pictures, there could be congestion," Farren said.
Based on his own experience over the weekend, NBCWashington.com's Matthew Stabley said beefing up the wireless networks may not have solved the problem entirely.
"Sunday night, my cell phone mysteriously lit up at about 11 p.m. with a voicemail message that'd been left two hours earlier. Just before midnight, several text messages sent throughout the evening appeared all at once. Then another text message took a half hour to receive. ..."
Representatives from Verizon Wireless and AT&T, the nation’s two largest wireless carriers, said they had not heard of any problems other than the delays that had been anticipated.
“This is obviously an unprecedented situation, and we’ve been planning for it for months,” said Mark Siegel, spokesman for AT&T Mobility. He said his company increased its staffing levels in the area by 60 percent and brought in backup generators as well as cell-on-wheels stations.
Even so, he said, “Think of this as an entrance ramp to a highway, and when that ramp gets really crowded, people could experience a delay. The laws of physics are at work here. It could be people have occasional difficulty placing a call or getting access to the Internet using their wireless devices."
Jeffrey Nelson of Verizon Wireless said he knew of no problems. “And I would know,” he added. He said he lives a half-mile north of the White House.
Sprint spokeswoman Crystal Davis reported that her company's network "performed as expected," despite a dramatic rise in cell-phone traffic over the weekend.
"Specifically, on Sunday in the D.C. metro area, we successfully experienced more than double the amount of voice calls and text messages on our CDMA network in comparison to last Sunday," she said.
“There were some periods of minor call blocking, but this was expected considering the large number of people in the area and the varied nature that people use their phones for today - capturing and emailing videos and photos, using social media sites, and texting a large number of people at once.”
How to beat the jamCTIA's Farren has some standard advice to counter congestion if you're caught in a cell-phone traffic jam, on Inauguration Day or any other day: The first rule is "text, don't talk." Text messages take up only a few hundred bits of data, which means those messages can piggyback securely right on top of the more data-heavy voice traffic.
Farren said the photos and videos you capture on your cell phone should be saved for sending later, after the data jam eases. And if you have a mission-critical need for voice or data communications, think about identifying a backup plan that involves a land line, just in case the wireless networks are jammed.
Speaking of jamming, Secret Service agents do have the capability to jam wireless communications in the immediate vicinity of the president - that is, if they think there's a threat. But if you have trouble getting through from the parade route, it will probably be due to the congestion rather than national security.
Watching on the WebOf course, you could also get in on the action from the comfort of your own home or office, thanks to the Internet. Obama's presidential campaign set a new standard for high-tech, high-touch politics, so it's no surprise that his inauguration has been cast in the same mold.
Plans are in the works for Webcasts of the ceremony as well as some of the inaugural balls around the nation's capital, but that's just one way to experience Tuesday's events from afar: The Presidential Inaugural Committee's Web site, PIC2009.org, is offering all the tools that helped put Obama in the White House, including a text-messaging channel and an online database that points you to the nearest TV-watching party.
The inaugural Web site looks a whole lot like the Obama team's other online properties, ranging from MyBarackObama to Change.gov. That's by design: The same outfit that handled those earlier political Web sites, Blue State Digital, is behind PIC2009 as well.
Working with Obama's operatives, Blue State Digital engineered a platform that collected millions of e-mail addresses, offered a map-based interface to point supporters to events, and kept the site's users up to date on the campaign's progress (and needs). The inaugural site is built the same way so that users know what to expect, and can easily navigate their way around the site's features, said Thomas Gensemer, managing partner for Blue State Digital.
The PIC2009 blog is updated daily, of course, not only with snippets of text but with YouTube videos and Flickr slideshows as well. If you need a quicker fix of PIC bits, you can check the inaugural Twitter feed or sign up to have text updates sent to your mobile phone. The Obama campaign's "house party finder" application has been adapted for the inauguration as well.
Party all night on the NetThe inaugural ceremonies will be widely Webcast - as they have been since the Clinton era. This year, you're likely to see video of Inauguration Day's parties as well. PIC2009 has promised Web video from the Neighborhood Ball, which is scheduled to be the first stop for Obama and his wife, Michelle.
Gensemer told me that the Web site would offer "roving-camera coverage" of the First Family's partygoing throughout the evening, but the current plan doesn't call for PIC2009 to provide real-time video of the action at the other inaugural balls. That will be left up to the party organizers on a case-by-case basis: For example, MTV.com is gearing up to Webcast the Youth Inaugural Ball. (If you know of other inaugural events on the Web, pass them along as a comment and I'll add them to the list.)
You can bet that someone at PIC2009 will be blogging the night away next Tuesday. The Web site just might be jammin' as hard as the bands at that MTV party, but Gensemer said he and his team were confident they could keep up with the traffic.
"We had the biggest event possible on Election Day, although this is going to be a close second," Gensemer said.

source : http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/19/1743829.aspx

Search: Zhang Ziyi caught in intimate moments with fiancé on Caribbean beach

2009-01-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

A series of 81 photos of international superstar Zhang Ziyi sunbathing topless and frolicking on a Caribbean beach, was exposed over the Internet. The website which hosted the photos attracted a sudden high traffic which once paralyzed the system.
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Zhang was photographed in a red bikini on the beach, doing tough yoga movements and sun-tanning without her bikini top. Vivi was seen applying suntan lotion on her, licking her back and even lying on her bare back in a sexually suggestive manner.

Though tourists did not recognize the international star, the couple was still caught by a Los Angeles-based paparazzi agency on the Caribbean island of St Barts.

The photos were first published on a foreign website and then duplicated on China's websites. Netizens were aroused by the photos and immediately sourced for the original website which at one moment failed to work because of the high traffic visit. Outraged netizens also bombarded Chinese Internet forums with comments. Renowned China host Yang Lan expressed his view on this incident by writing on his blog, appealing for more respect and privacy for artistes.

Zhang expressed her anger for the outrage of her privacy, saying that she was holidaying with her fiancé and is part of her normal life.

According to sources, Zhang has ended her vacation and returned to Beijing to start on a new movie.

The Hottest FPS to hit the market : Left 4 Dead

2009-01-05T03:41:00.000-08:00

Left 4 Dead is a first-person shooter but makes use of the third-person perspective during certain events, such as healing or being knocked down. In Campaign and Single-player mode, the player takes control of one of the Survivors; if four human players are not available, then the remaining Survivors are AI-controlled bots. They play through the levels fighting off the "Infected"—living humans who have been infected with a mutated rabies virus to which the Survivors are immune.^[5]

The game is focused on cooperation and team play; colored outlines of teammates are visible through walls to help players stick together and coordinate their movement. If a Survivor falls off a ledge, then they may automatically hang onto it and can only be helped up by another Survivor. If a Survivor's health is depleted, then they become incapacitated and can only be revived by another Survivor, at which point they continue playing with a low amount of health that decreases over time. If a Survivor has been incapacitated and revived twice without tending to their wounds, then they will experience distorted black-and-white vision, and the next incapacitation will kill the player. If a Survivor incurs enough damage while incapacitated, or is not eventually helped up by teammates, then the incapacitated player will die. If a Survivor is killed, then they will respawn in a closet or other enclosed space after a period of time (except during key points in the scenario), but must be freed by another Survivor to rejoin the team. Otherwise, the player must wait until the next level.^[6] Survivors can share first-aid kits and pain pills and help each other heal. Left 4 Dead has friendly fire that cannot be disabled, increasing the need for caution around other Survivors. On the Easy difficulty level, friendly fire does not harm teammates but still registers as having occurred.

The Survivors communicate by voice commands that are accessed by quick menus, and some sound off automatically when performing actions such as reloading or spotting Infected.^[7] Over 1000 unique lines have been recorded for each Survivor.^[8] Additional communication of player actions is conveyed through character lights. Also, weapon-mounted flashlights and muzzle flashes help the players in determining whether their companions are shooting, performing melee attacks, reloading or moving. Due to control issues and the likelihood of players using a LIVE headset, the Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead omits the quick phrases feature.^[9]

The game is experienced through four campaigns that take place in various urban and rural locales. Multiple visual in-game hints, including license plates, park signs, and markings on airport equipment, imply that these locations are in Pennsylvania. Each campaign is divided into several chapters marked by safe rooms, which are checkpoints where players can heal, re-arm, and revive players who were killed.^[10] Specifically, the four campaigns are: "No Mercy", an urban setting; "Death Toll", a small-town and countryside setting; "Dead Air", an airport setting; and "Blood Harvest", a woodland and farm setting. The levels are essentially linear, with distinct beginnings and ends, but there are a number of alternate routes to follow with more supplies, helping to create a sense of non-linearity.^[11] In the final chapter of each campaign, the players must defend a position from an onslaught of Infected until rescue arrives.^[8] Each campaign typically lasts between 45 and 75 minutes depending on the difficulty level.^[12]

MediaCorp Ch 8’s "The Little Nyonya" is highest rated series in 15 years

2009-01-05T02:31:00.000-08:00

SINGAPORE: MediaCorp’s Chinese language drama, "The Little Nyonya", has raked in massive ratings to become the most watched Channel 8 drama in the past 15 years.

The series attracted an average of 993,000 viewers over the one month that it was aired.

The next highest drama was Portrait of Home 2 which was telecast in 2005 and attracted an average of 917,000 viewers.

"The Little Nyonya", starring actress Jeanette Aw, traces the life of a long—suffering Peranakan woman.

Aw plays both the lead character Yue Niang and her mute mother Ju Xiang. Both overcame the odds despite being ostracised and tortured by their relatives.

The storyline spans over 70 years, starting in the 1930s.

"The Little Nyonya" is telecast on weekdays from 9 to 10 pm.

The series will end next Monday (January 5) with a two hour telecast from 8 pm.

keywords: the little nyonya mediacorp, channel 8 drama,

Source : here

Ryoko Hirosue goes nude for new movie

2009-01-05T02:28:00.000-08:00

Japanese actress Ryoko Hirosue's charm in movie "Okuribito" has re-made her popularity. In new movie "Goemon", she will be pushing her yardstick further and bares her body for the public.

Jumping out of the kawaii (cute for Japanese) young girl stereotype, Hirosue's brand new image as a mature woman has been drawing many romantic encounters. Sources reveal that the "single again" Hirosue is currently dating a hunk she had work with for a previous TV drama. The relationship is progressing fast and the couple has been sighted on multiple occasions strolling hand-in hand. Rumors have it that Hirosue might even re-marry in 2009.

Hirosue is best known for her role as a bubbly young girl in drama serial "Beach Boys", where she was awarded "Best Supporting Actress". Her marriage and motherhood in 2004 decreased her workload. Since her comeback in 2006, she has been bold in the roles she takes on but had not been able to make a breakthrough.

After her divorce with designer Takahiro Okazawa in March this year, Hirosue took on movie "Okuribito" where there were scenes of intimacy with actor Motoki Masahiro, who plays her husband. In a 2009 new movie "Goemon", directed by Kazuaki Kiriya, husband of pop star Hikaru Utada, Ryoko will even bare it all for a shower scene and have an intimate bed scene with the male lead.

keywords : ryoko hirosue, nude ryoko hirosue, new movie Goemon

Source : here

Bangkok fire kills 58 New Year clubbers

2008-12-31T23:46:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A blaze at a top Bangkok nightclub killed at least 58 people celebrating the New Year on Thursday and injured more than 100 others, rescue workers and witnesses said.

Some said the fire was caused by fireworks, others that it was an electrical fault.

"We were all dancing and suddenly there was a big flame that came out of the front of the stage and everybody was running away," partygoer Oh Benjamas told Reuters on the street outside the smoldering wreckage of the Santika club.

Although details are still sketchy, Oh said clubbers were given sparklers shortly before midnight and as soon as the clocks heralded the start of 2009, fireworks started going off inside the dance area, sparking a conflagration.

"People started running for the doors and breaking the windows," she said.

Dozens of bodies wrapped in white cotton sheets lay on the pavement outside as fire crews moved in to douse the embers of the club on Ekkamai, a street popular with foreign revelers and high-society Thais.

Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition and the blaze had completely gutted the building. Rescue teams used pick-up trucks to ferry the corpses from the scene.

Witness Tos Maddy, who estimated 400 people were packed inside the building, said he heard what he thought was an electrical explosion around 1230 a.m. (1730 GMT), followed by a stampede for the exits.

keywords : bangkok nightclub fire, santika club, thailand fire, bangkok club fire, bangkok nightclub

Robin Thicke Announces 2008 Tour

2008-12-31T23:40:00.000-08:00

Robin Thicke is embarking on a short tour this December-end, where he will be performing on four consecutive days in four different cities. The Grammy Award winner will be seen holding his shows in Birmingham, Washington, Atlanta and Los Angeles, from the 26th of December to the 29th.

Thicke’s first studio album was ‘A Beautiful World’. The thirty one year old won his first Grammy in 2004, for Usher’s ‘Confessions’, where he collaborated with the star. Thicke won the MTV Video Music Award for ‘Best R&B/Soul Album’ for his studio set - ‘The Evolution of Robin Thicke’. His third solo album, ‘Something Else’, was released in September this year.

Robin Thicke Tour Dates 2008
12/26/08 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Concert Hall
12/27/08 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
12/28/08 - Atlanta, GA - Boisfeuillet Jones Civic Center
12/29/08 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia

Dick Clark Still "Rockin" Despite Walker, Wheelchair

2008-12-31T23:37:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES — Four years after a stroke, Dick Clark is relishing the prospect of another New Year's Eve, determined to help host his 36th celebration from Times Square. And he's hardly surprised by the current state of the music industry he helped build _ he predicted this, after all.

Clark, who turned 79 last month and has been in front of the cameras for 61 years, said in a recent interview by e-mail that his appearance on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2009," diminished though it may be, is a labor of love and "not really a job."

"Obviously, I'm not able to be as actively involved as I used to be out on the street, up on a platform and interacting with the crowds in Times Square" in New York, Clark wrote. "Thank goodness my friend Ryan Seacrest is able to handle that end of the activity on the show these days.

ABC-TV's 3 1/2-hour live extravaganza will include performances by Natasha Bedingfield, Fall Out Boy, Jesse McCartney, Ne-Yo, Pussycat Dolls, Solange and Robin Thicke. Fergie hosts the Hollywood segments.

Clark woke up with right-side paralysis on Dec. 6, 2004 _ "Your life changes overnight," he said. (Regis Philbin filled in for Clark on the New Year's Eve show that year.) Clark still uses a walker or wheelchair, and speaking is difficult.

"I am one of the fortunate ones who survived and have been minimally impaired, so I'm just thankful I'm still able to enjoy this once-a-year treat of bringing in the New Year."

The "American Bandstand" icon and longtime producer of the American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and Golden Globes has long considered them "my television kids."

He's also watched their ratings plummet in recent years.

"There was a time when they attracted a huge audience," Clark wrote. "The audiences have dropped off as the years have gone by because of increasing television competition.

"What we are seeing is more and more talent and less emphasis on people getting awards. Television's award shows have now become gigantic showcases for variety."

Clark was there at the birth of rock 'n' roll ("American Bandstand" kicked off in 1957), and he's watched dramatic changes in the music industry. Not that those changes would come as much of a surprise.

"I can remember writing an article several years ago where I let my imagination run wild," Clark wrote. "I said we'd see the day when music is delivered directly to our homes, and delivered to us in some form of wireless communication.

"The fun of actually holding a record in our hands will disappear and we'll all have our own individual library of our favorite songs that we'll listen to at home, at work, in the car wherever we happen to go."

These days, Clark divides his time between his Malibu home and Burbank office. There's an hourlong therapy session each morning, then he answers mail and phone calls, attends meetings and reads.

The day ends with his devoted wife Kari.

"My wife and I may join friends for dinner at a restaurant, attend a movie or just grab a bite to eat by ourselves away from home," Clark wrote. "Occasionally, we'll attend a music concert. Recently we've seen Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Frankie Valli and Cher."

Joe Nieh's lover apologizes to Vivian Chow

2008-12-30T22:27:00.000-08:00

Miffty Zhang, girl involved in scandal with Hong Kong writer Joe Nieh, sent out a press release through her lawyer in Hong Kong on Monday, expressing her deepest apologies to everyone affected.

The scandal was exposed on tabloids when they were caught in passionate kisses at a nightspot and created a drama for Nieh's relationship with girlfriend Vivian Chow. Both Chow and Nieh announced their break up on Dec 11; four days after the photos were published. On Dec 18, Nieh surprise the public by announcing that he has successfully proposed to Chow and is currently amidst their wedding preparations.

In Zhang's press release, she said:

"The incident at Lam Kwai Fong happened about a fortnight ago. I am just a 22-year-old student who is in Hong Kong to pursue my studies. I am not a public figure and I cannot handle the fictitious reports and criticisms on various media. I chose to return home, reflected on my behavior and sought my family's opinion on the matter.

It seems that the matter lost control. Media fabricated stories and various blogs passed off my identity, conjuring untrue reports and messages, affecting my family, friends and school. I am deeply regretful for my actions or behavior which has brought pressure and trouble. On accepting my family and friends' advices, I am now facing up with responsibilities and hereby, I would like to express my sincere apologies and clarify the misunderstandings the public have of me. This will be my one and only response regarding the matter."

However, a Hong Kong weekly magazine reported that Zhang has been bombarding Nieh with SMS and phone calls after knowing that he has chosen to marry Chow. She also threatened to end her life if he continues with the wedding. To avoid staging a tragedy, Nieh has persuaded Chow to postpone their wedding.

keywords : Miffty Zhang, Joe Nieh, Vivian Chow, scandal

Reports: Blagojevich to Appoint Burris to Replace Obama

2008-12-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

Two Chicago newspapers are reporting that scandal-tarred Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans this afternoon to appoint 71-year-old former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris to President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Blagojevich, reports the Chicago Sun-Times, will hold a press conference at 3 p.m. Eastern in Chicago at the building that houses the governor's office.

Burris, who was the first African American to win a statewide race in Illinois when he become comptroller in 1979, went on to serve as Illinois attorney general from 1991-1995. Burris also ran for the U.S. Senate, losing the Democratic primary to Paul Simon in 1984. He later made unsuccessful bids for the Illinois governor's mansion in 1994, 1998 and 2002. In his final gubernatorial race, which Blagojevich ultimately won, Burris was endorsed by then-state Sen. Barack Obama during the Democratic primary. Obama later backed Blagojevich at Burris's urging.

"When Blagojevich beat me, I told Barack to get on board with him," Burris told The Post earlier this year. "It was kind of like swallowing his pride a little bit, because he didn't really see that they had anything in common."

Congressional Democrats are expected some time today to reiterate their objections to an appointment by Blagojevich, who is the subject of impeachment proceedings by the Illinois statehouse. Those objections were laid out in a letter earlier this month.

"We write to insist that you step down as Governor of Illinois and under no circumstance make an appointment to fill the vacant Illinois Senate seat," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wrote in the letter, which was signed by all 50 sitting Democratic senators. "In light of your arrest yesterday on alleged federal corruption charges related to that Senate seat, any appointment by you would raise serious questions."

Burris's name first surfaced as a potential long-shot pick shortly after Obama won election on Nov. 4. If seated, Burris would be the third African American senator from Illinois, after Obama and Carol Moseley Braun, who served from 1993 to 1999, and the only African American in the Senate.

keywords : ag burris, burris, temple shalom chicago, joliet herald news, man in attic, roland burris

Cynthia McKinney Aboard Boat Headed for Gaza, Intercepted by Israeli Naval Force

2008-12-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, unimpeded by the "closed military zone" imposed by Israel, was among 16 people aboard a medical supply boat that collided with an Israeli naval ship Tuesday as it tried to enter coastal waters around Gaza.

The yacht, owned by the U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement, was reportedly carrying 3.5 tons of medical supplies donated by Cyprus. A press release from the group claimed "several Israeli gunboats intercepted the Dignity she was heading on a mission of mercy to Gaza." They said the Israeli military fired machine guns into the water in an attempt to stop the Dignity's progress.

The boat, registered under the flag of Gibraltar and with an English captain, reportedly took on water and experienced engine problems, according to the group's Web site. It also said the incident occurred 90 miles offshore in international water. The boat's captain was given permission to dock in Lebanon, where it was regrouping to try again.

Israel's foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told Reuters that an Israeli vessel and the 60-foot Free Gaza Movement boat did make "physical contact," but only after the aid boat failed to respond to radio contact. He denied any gunfire had occurred, and he said no one was hurt in the incident. He told Reuters the Israeli ship escorted the damaged boat back to Cypriot territorial waters.

keywords : mckinney, uss liberty, kevin colvin, at7t, daftar npwp online

Organizers strip Mexican beauty queen of title after drug bust

2008-12-29T23:23:00.000-08:00

Source : here

LA PAZ (AFP) - - Laura Zuniga, the Mexican beauty queen jailed after she was picked up with an alleged drug cartel leader and heavily armed men, has been stripped of one of her titles, Bolivian organizers said Saturday.

Zuniga lost her title as Queen of Hispanic America, said Promociones Gloria, the Bolivian group that organizes the event.

Vivian Noronha Cia of Brazil now takes the tiara "as consequence of the events known to the public in which Miss Laura Zuniga... was involved," Promociones Gloria said in a brief statement.

Zuniga "failed to follow the rules of the contest, which state that the winner must display correct behavior, stay away from scandals and bad habits, and be a good example to society," Tatiana Limpias de Tarabillo, who heads Promociones Gloria, told the Bolivian daily El Deber.

Zuniga, 23, was picked up late Monday at a military checkpoint in the western Mexican state of Jalisco while traveling with seven armed men in two vehicles carrying 100,000 dollars in cash. Authorities said they found two AR-15 rifles, three pistols, 633 cartridges and 16 mobile phones in the vehicles.

A judge on Friday ordered "the cautionary measure" of 40 days detention for Zuniga and the men "for probably committing crimes" relating to drug trafficking and transporting weapons, the office of Mexico's attorney general said.

Zuniga was picked up along with Angel Orlando Garcia Urquizar, "presumed to be one of the leaders of the Juarez Cartel," the statement read.

Police earlier identified Zuniga as Garcia Urquizar's girlfriend.

The group was "just coming to town. They came from different places and the young woman said that the money was for making purchases in Bolivia and Colombia," said Jalisco public security director Alejandro Solorio at the time of the arrest.

Zuniga is originally from Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, birthplace of one of Mexico's most powerful cartels.

There has been no word on whether Zuniga will keep her title as "Miss Sinaloa," which she won in July.

Miss world Singapore : Faraliza Tan

2008-12-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

Source : here

Faraliza Tan is a beauty queen who is representing Singapore in Miss World 2008 in South Africa. She has clinched two subsidiary awards during the finals of the national pageant, Miss Body Beautiful and Miss Popularity. She is an undergraduate student in communication studies at Nanyang Technological University. She wants to be a journalist or presenter.

Faraliza has completed her six-month professional internship at MTV Asia, where she helped allocate shows to suitable time-slots, and doubled as an award-presenter during the MTV Asia Awards last month at Genting Highlands. In addition, she has maintained on the dean's list in her faculty for three consecutive years, proving that she is a beauty with brains.

More signing up for Twitter

2008-12-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

Have you signed up today ?

Source : here

WASHINGTON, US - MICRO-BLOGGING service Twitter is gaining 5,000 to 10,000 new accounts a day and most of its users have joined this year, according to a study released on Tuesday.
Internet marketing company HubSpot, in a 'State of the Twittersphere' report, said 70 per cent of the estimated four to five million people using Twitter have signed up in 2008 and 20 per cent have joined in the last 60 days.
It said the average user has been on the real-time short-messaging service for about 275 days.
'A year ago Twitter was a relatively small community of techies and Web 2.0 geeks, now it is going mainstream,' the report said.
'Twitter is not only being talked about and used by a lot more people, but more and more marketing industry events and conferences are using Twitter as a standard means of communication,' it said.
HubSpot said 35 per cent of Twitter users have 10 or fewer 'followers' - people who subscribe to receive their 140-characters-or-less messages - while nine percent of Twitter users follow no one at all.
The average number of followers for a Twitter user is 70, it said, and the average person follows 69 people.
The report said Twitter traffic was the highest on Wednesdays and Thursdays and dropped off by about 30 per cent over the weekend.
Launched in August 2006, Twitter has been embraced by a number of celebrity users including Mr Barack Obama, who racked up more than 150,000 followers during the US presidential campaign, and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal of the Phoenix Suns.
Twitter users have also made news recently by providing lightning fast on-the-scene updates from events such as the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Over the weekend, a Twitter user was on a Continental Airlines jet which skid off a runway at Denver airport.
He fired off a 'tweet' after safely exiting the plane: 'Holy f****ng s**t I wasbjust in a plane crash!'

The Little Nyonya

2008-12-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

This drama revolves about the Peranakan families during the pre-War times and follow on till after the war and during the British Colony. Jeanette Aw plays both roles, of which she played a deaf-mute girl (JuXiang) and later as JuXiang's daughter. The show goes through 3 generations of family and sees a lot about the richness of Peranakan heritage, their importance in food and preparations, the aesthetics and craft and also about how in those days young women folk were betrothed to marry off by their parents and grandparents.

This is probably one of the best if not the best drama series of the year 2008. It really generates awareness to the baba and nyonya culture to many like myself and the stories behind those old black and white photos.

Here is the opening theme of the show :

173 people trapped on Singapore observation wheel

2008-12-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

Source : here

SINGAPORE — More than 170 people were trapped Tuesday on the world's tallest observation wheel after fire damaged the wheel's control room, a television station reported.

Rescue workers scrambled to get passengers to the ground but only five people had made it to safety from the 165-meter (541-foot) wheel, known as the Singapore Flyer, by late Tuesday, Channel NewsAsia reported.

The passengers — who reported that the air conditioning was temporarily cut off — were trapped for more than six hours since about 4:15 p.m. local time (0815 GMT).

The wheel had two other malfunctions since it began operating in February, the report said.

The Singapore Flyer is about 100 feet (30 meters) taller than the London Eye, formerly the world's tallest observation wheel.

Undergrad shocked at Vivian, Joe's reconciliation

2008-12-23T06:28:00.000-08:00

Source : here

Mother and fans disapprove of wedding

Vivian Chow and Joe Ni's dramatic break up and make up continues to fuel interest and speculation in the Hong Kong media.

Hong Kong magazine, Oriental Sunday, reported that Joe Ni's about-turn and subsequent proposal of marriage to Hong Kong singer Vivian Chow, including her magnanimous acceptance of the straying boyfriend, had been "scripted" and "orchestrated" by the former himself, after Joe Ni's infidelity was exposed by the paparrazzi.

It also seemed that Vivian's mother did not approve of her daughter's impending wedding to Ni. She had asked Vivian to reconsider her decision, to no avail.

Throughout this time, Vivian has remained uncontactable, while Joe has acted as spokesman for the couple.

Mifty Zhang wants Joe Ni back

It seems that Mifty is more than just a fling for Joe. The undergraduate has since returned to her hometown in Haikou, and is reportedly shocked by the wedding announcement of the celebrity couple.

A good friend of Mifty's revealed to the media that she believes the 23-year-old may even turn up to disrupt the wedding, since she has sacrificed her studies and even her reputation for Ni.

Netizens will boycott Vivian's concert

The recent scandal caused by Vivian's boyfriend may have jeopardised her career and public image.

Netizens have started an online poll on whether they will attend Vivian Chow's upcoming concert in May, with 73.97 per cent responding that they would boycott her concert, while some have even said that they are going to the concert to protest their idol's choice to marry Ni.

In another poll, more than 90% of netizens felt that Chow should not marry Ni.

Wedding preparations

Meanwhile, the couple's Jan 5 wedding is reportedly a simple affair to be held near Joe Ni's current residence at Hong Kong Parkview. But there are also reports that the couple were also considering holding their celebrations at the Hong Kong Turf Club in Happy Valley.

Vivian Chow's wedding gown is to be designed by close friend Dorian Ho, whose eponymous label is being sold in Tokyo and New York.

Hot Model : Stephanie Ly

2008-12-23T04:08:00.001-08:00

Date of birth:	1981-11-27
Height:	5'1" / 155 cm
Weight:	103 lbs / 47 kg
Measurements:	34C-24-34 / 86C-61-86
Hair:	BROWN / LONG
Eyes:	BROWN
Ethnicity:	CHINESE
Dress size:	1
Shoe size:	6

More photos here

Shanghai woman detained over Internet sex video

2008-12-22T06:46:00.000-08:00

'Porn star' detained for posting sex film on Internet

"SHANGHAI - A woman who made a video of herself performing sex acts and then uploaded it to the Internet has been detained, the public security bureau in Shanghai said on Friday.

The woman, surnamed Huang, was detained for spreading pornography online, it said.

The 12-minute video first appeared on the Internet at the end of October under the title "Kappa girl at Shanghai No 1 Department Store's east building", in reference to the sportswear shop in which Huang worked.

It soon became one of the most popular downloads on the mainland, with thousands of people downloading it last month, the bureau said.

Initial reports said the video originated on a blog belonging to a Shanghai resident surnamed Lu. However, police later determined that Lu was Huang's alter ego.

She set up the blog in a bid to profit from her notoriety by offering advertising space and interviews in exchange for cash, police said.

In the blog, Huang said she would give interviews and provide exclusive information about herself for 30,000 yuan a time, they said.

The would-be porn star is also accused of sending a copy of the video to a former colleague surnamed Wang. Although police have been attempting to remove all traces of the video, it is still available online.

A man from Hubei province is suspected of spreading the video, and police are investigating, the bureau said.

Beijing lawyer Lu Heping said: "Anyone who films, uploads or distributes such videos, is guilty of disseminating pornography.""

Public transport fares among issues raised at MacPherson dialogue session

2008-12-22T04:39:00.000-08:00

Source: Public transport fares among issues raised at MacPherson dialogue session

SINGAPORE : It would take a further 1.5 percentage point hike in GST if bus and train rides were to be made completely free.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim revealed this at a dialogue session with MacPherson residents on Sunday.

One resident at the session said: "(During) this tough and uncertain period, I hope there will be no increase in transport fares."

With leaner times ahead and recovery not yet in sight, public transport fares — always a hot issue — dominated the discussion.

And while Mr Lim is making no promises, he said he understands ground concerns and pointed out that the Public Transport Council will look carefully at economic conditions before considering any increase.

But if things became really bad, will the government consider subsidising public transport fares?

Mr Lim pointed out that even with subsidies, it will still be the public which ends up paying.

Mr Lim elaborated: "There are only two persons who pay when it comes to public transport fares. One, I use — I pay. Or two, I use — you help me subsidise my ride. What happens when you subsidise my rides? That means the taxpayers are now paying."

Going to the other end of the spectrum, if rides were to be made completely free, that would impose a heavy tax burden on the people, as it takes S$1.2 billion just to run the bus and train systems annually.

Mr Lim said: "The money still must come from somewhere, right? It is about a 1.5 percentage point increase of your GST. So, now it is 7%. You want it to be free, do you want the GST to go up to 8.5% to run a completely free bus and train system?"

But with oil prices — which operators traditionally cite as one of their high cost factors — dropping significantly in recent months, why have bus fares not come down in tandem?

Mr Lim explained: "This is because the public transport fare is not directly linked to the oil prices. We link it to national factors, like the inflation level in Singapore, and the wage level in the whole of Singapore."

Moving to a cheaper form of transport, one resident asked: "I would like to know... whether we are having, in the near future, a pro—bicycle government policy, where it can provide shady bicycle tracks all over the island."

For now, Mr Lim said using two—wheelers as a form of transport is good for just intra—town travel. And it cannot be applied uniformly across the island but has to be adapted for different communities.

Apart from Tampines, authorities are also looking at Yishun and Sembawang for pilot cycling projects.

MacPherson is a constituency which has a high number of compact high—rise HDB flats, and a population that has a higher proportion of the elderly above the age of 50 who are more likely to be from the lower household income group.

It is not surprising then that not just public transport fares but also other cost of living issues that dominated the dialogue session. These included questions on whether costs of goods and services are expected to come down during this recession.

Another topic touched on was that of foreigners working in Singapore. One issue raised was whether the policy of letting foreign workers go first should also apply at the management level.

Mr Lim pointed out that this differs from company to company, and depends on how badly the particular company needed the special skill sets of those management staff. — CNA/ms

The Bikini Bash Battle Royale

2008-12-21T02:23:00.000-08:00

Source : The Bikini Bash Battle Royale

A lot of times the WWE winds up with the Divas bikini wrestling.
Usually it's an " accident" ( Like the beginning of the Victoria Christy Hemme feud), but recently it was intentional.......

The Bikini Bash Battle Royale:

" This wasn't terrible and it gave some of the Divas a chance to show a few moves, but it just took way too much time. When every Diva gets a full ring entrance, it really takes up time and then the match itself goes on longer than it probably should. I guess it was only 6 minutes long, but it seemed like much longer. I was actually distracted being worried that the Divas were going to slip and hurt themselves with all of the water in the ring. They tried to have a sexy water fight while at the same time a real Battle Royale. And it just didn't work. Why not just have a sexy water fight without the Battle Royale where they were clearly trying to elevate Michelle McCool. That would be o.k., but not in his type of match. As it was, it was mostly just a sloppy mess."

RCA Dome Implosion Saturday Takes Place After Six Months of Preparation

2008-12-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

The RCA Dome was imploded Saturday morning, as the stadium was demolished after nearly 6 months of preparation. The RCA Dome Implosion took place just after 9:30am, and took less than 25 seconds to take down the stadiums upper floors. Up to this point, the RCA Dome had been the smallest of the NFL's stadiums, and had served as the home to the Indianapolis Colts since 1984. This season the NFL's Colts had moved to the newly built Lucas Oil Stadium, where quarterback Peyton Manning and his team have been doing quite well in the 2008 season.

The RCA Dome had to be prepared over a nearly 6 month set-up for the implosion, including the removal of many supporting wall, and having installed protection for many of the surrounding buildings. It was a historic building that had seen much success for the Indianapolis Colts franchise, and had also hosted several NCAA Final Four tournaments and the Circle City Classic. The RCA Dome had also been the locale for many concerts and conventions for the area, and had helped the downtown area for many years. As has happened in many other cities though, it was time to take down an aging building and replace it with a brand new one that can bring in even more revenue for the city of Indianapolis.

It took nearly 800 specifically placed (and timed) charges to bring down the RCA Dome, and as crews stood by during the demotion, a massive plum of dust, debris, and smoke could be seen for miles as the demotion culminated. In place of the old dome will be a brand new and expanded convention center that the city can enjoy, and as the Indianapolis Colts already have a new stadium, the old field wasn't being used enough to keep it standing. Now the RCA Dome has been demolished for the sake of progress in the area.

Source : here

Actor Chew Chor Meng says he has muscular dystrophy

2008-12-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

Popular Singapore television actor Chew Chor Meng has muscular dystrophy.

The actor with MediaCorp, Channel NewsAsia’s parent company, disclosed this at a church Christmas event on Friday night.

Chew said when he first learnt about his illness, he tried to hide it from his wife and two young daughters — aged two and six — for fear of worrying them.

Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease. While not life—threatening, it is incurable and causes progressive muscle weakness.

"It’s unfortunate I have this illness. I can still go on with my daily life, but I may age faster than a normal person. In the next seven, 10, 15 years, it may be harder for me to move around," he said.

Chew began his acting career with MediaCorp nearly 20 years ago after he won the bi—annual nationwide talent contest ’Star Search’.

Since then, he has starred in numerous Mandarin dramas and crossed over to star in local English sitcom ’Mr Kiasu’.

In 2000, he was voted Best Actor in the Star Awards for his role in ’Hainan Kopi Tales’.

Chew is also a well—known face in Malaysia and has gone on to host major events locally and abroad. — CNA/de

Source : Yahoo News

The Christmas Story

2008-12-19T19:23:00.001-08:00

"About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's hometown, for the census. As a decendant of David he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancee, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the hostel.

There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: "Glory to God in the heavenly heights; Peace to all men and women on earth who please Him."

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the shepherds talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the shepherds were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The shepherds returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!" (Luke 2:1-20).

yes man - review

2008-12-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

There are about three different comedies shuttling around uncomfortably inside the loose frame of Yes Man, and all of them probably would have been more successful on their own. It starts as a high-concept, "what if...?" comedy straight from the Liar, Liar playbook, morphs for a while into an overly twee "opposites attract" kind of romance, and ends with a mess of self-help platitudes and clincher scenes that seem airlifted in from other movies. The narrative meandering is matched by an inconsistent, overly vulgar comedic tone, so while scene by scene it can be funny, it all starts to feel pointless long before Yes Man reaches the end.

Surprisingly, Jim Carrey isn't at the root of the problem. For a comedian whose most successful role of the decade was sullen Joel in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Carrey's rubber face and manic energy are welcome here, picking up the slack in scenes where the writing is lacking. He even starts off a little like Joel, playing bank loan agent Carl, who's so depressed over his divorce three years that he still stays home and watches 300 rather than getting out in the world. It doesn't help that his only social options are his over-enthusiastic, geeky boss Norman (Rhys Darby), smugly engaged Peter (Bradley Cooper) and Lucy (Sasha Alexander), and the entirely personality-free Danny Masterson.

But somehow an old friend talks Carl into joining him at a "Yes Man" self-help conference, where nutty New Age guru Terrence (Terrence Stamp, hilarious) admonishes him to start saying "yes" to every single question. Immediately after Carl says yes to a homeless man's request to drive him into a park, which kicks off a chain of events that leads Carl to Allison (Zooey Deschanel), a standard-issue free spirit who rides a scooter and sings in a concept art band called Munchausen by Proxy. As Carl keeps saying yes to everything else, from throwing Lucy a bridal shower to taking Korean lessons, life leads him repeatedly back to Allison, and they start up a strange, age-inappropriate romance.

The pickles that Carl gets himself into as a "yes man" range from truly funny, like Norman's Harry Potter party, to downright icky, like his tryst with his elderly neighbor (You know those randy old lady jokes! They never get old!) Even some of the scenes that are more inspired, like a bar fight or Carl's unexpected friendship with a Korean store clerk, go on so long that they drain the humor out of the setup. It's a problem that applies to the movie as a whole: great concept, but no one has any idea what to do with it once they've gotten there.

Screenwriters Nicholas Stoller (having done such a better job on Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel must have known going in that the concept of Yes Man provides a serious narrative problem. If saying yes to everything automatically makes Carl's life better, where's the conflict? For about an hour and a half the movie progresses as if none of this crossed their minds, with Carl and Allison frolicking in their romance and all of Carl's customers leaving his desk with their loans happily in hand. Because this was made before "subprime mortgage" became a bad word, the money issues are left alone as conflict, and instead Homeland Security-- no kidding-- comes along to play bad guy and break up the happy couple. The issues at hand are genuine, with Allison asking Carl, if he says "yes" to everything, how can she know what he really wants or needs? But it's all handled in such a rushed way that it never fits into the overall story, and the movie can only answer its own questions in a fit of aphorisms and self-help talk near the end.

Yes Man wins points for not being excessively crude or mean, even though several swear words and "naughty" scenes seem mostly inserted to get the PG-13 rating that teenage boys will want to see. A few tweaks could have made this a gentler, PG, family-targeted movie, and I think it would have been better for it. As it is Yes Man is reaching to be both raunchy boy humor and broad-appeal Jim Carrey movie, both making fun of self-help gurus and accepting their teachings as fact, and generally throwing every kind of joke at the wall to see what sticks. Some of it does, more of it doesn't, and the whole jumbled production suffers from the lack of coherent vision.

Source : Cinemablend.com

OK, you burned yourself — now what?

2008-12-19T19:05:00.000-08:00

In Alaska, burns can be caused by many things. We can be burned by trying to light our woodstoves, enjoying the outdoors, or simply cooking a meal at home. I’d like to briefly educate you on the different kinds of burns, the classifications of burns and what to do if you are burned.

First, let’s get the boring stuff over with. The different classes of burns are full thickness (third degree), partial thickness (second degree) and superficial (first degree). The degree of burn should always be determined by a health care practitioner. The science behind it is determined by the amount of layers of the skin that was damaged by the burn.

Superficial burns involve the epidermis (first layer) only. They appear red in color, have no blisters and are painful. Mild sunburn is an example of a superficial burn. Partial thickness burns involve the epidermis and parts of the dermis (second layer). The symptoms of a partial thickness burn are blistering, painful to touch, shiny skin, swelling, whiteness and/or discoloration of the skin. Lastly, a full thickness burn involves the epidermis and the entire dermis. This type of burn can appear as black, white, yellow, and/or dry leathery skin. It may not be painful because the sensory nerve endings were destroyed.

This is what you should do if you or a loved one has sustained a thermal burn. Place the burned area into cold water and cool the burn to avoid further damage to other tissues and seek medical attention. Avoid ointments or home remedies unless otherwise specified by a health care practitioner. If you are out in the wilderness, keep the burn site clean, moist and covered until you can seek medical services. Treatment for your burn may involve physical therapy for burn management, skin grafting by a specialized surgeon, and/or medications prescribed by your family practitioner, and always lots of tender loving care.

Read the full story here