My Dream Vacation

My dream vacation is to visit heaven? How bout u? What is your dream vacation?

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Leeds United Craze!

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There are more than half dozen of Leeds United related news on their triumph against the almighty Man Utd.

The story mainly focus on the young, pacy and obviously talented but usually wasteful Jermaine Beckford, as well as the 40 years old, ex Blackpool manager, current gaffer of the whites – Simon Grayson…

Before all the craze go away, i decided to compile write something about it…

Jermaine Beckford

Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford used to be an RAC repair man before his move from Wealdstone to Elland Road nearly four years ago. Yesterday, he rammed United off the road to FA Cup glory and, for once, there was absolutely no-one to come to their assistance.

The rewards are sure to be more lucrative than ever for Jermaine Beckford as he basks in the glow of knocking Manchester United out of the FA Cup and weighs up his next move.

Leeds are desperate to tie him to a new long-term contract, while Newcastle are just as intent on offering him a short cut to the Barclays Premier League, as they look to bolster their promotion campaign.

Either way, he will be coining it after another stunning reminder of his finishing skills at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Wealdstone manager, an accomplished front-runner himself for Portsmouth and Denver Dynamos, can still picture an early sighting of Beckford’s eye for goal and knew instantly he had stumbled on a rare talent. The hard part was still to come, though.

‘I remember watching him for Middlesex Under 18s and being struck by his unbelievable ability,’ he said. ‘He failed to score that day, though I’m still not sure how.

‘He hit the woodwork with his right foot, then again with his left and finally had a header brilliantly saved. They were all absolutely outstanding efforts and I knew then we had found someone special.

‘I remember it all clicked into place after he returned from his second stint at Uxbridge.

‘By then he’d become a dad and started a job with the RAC, replacing windscreens, and it was apparent he had matured as a person and player.

‘That was the season it all started happening for him. Yeovil came on with an offer of £10,000, and by the time we accepted Leeds’s bid of £70,000, I’d taken no fewer than 20 calls about him inside a month.’

‘I had Les Ferdinand when I was at Southall but they have totally different qualities. There is no one to touch Jermaine for instinctive and often spectacular goalscoring.

‘He has a confidence that borders on arrogance in front of goal. It doesn’t bother him if he misses a chance, because he always backs himself to stick the next one away.

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has stepped up his interest in Jermaine Beckford after the striker’s Old Trafford heroics.

Hughton is keen on bolstering his attacking options ahead of the club’s push for a Premier League return – and is eyeing a move of Beckford before his contract expires at the end of the season.

Leeds apparently have put a £2million price tag on FA Cup hero Jermaine Beckford.

Simon Grayson

Martin O’Neill is not surprised that his protege Simon Grayson masterminded Leeds’ shock win over Manchester United.

While Aston Villa boss O’Neill was Leicester manager, Grayson won the club’s player of the year award in 1997 – the season that they won the League Cup. After his playing career finished, Grayson quickly went into management at Blackpool before switching to Elland Road.

The 40-year-old former Blackpool boss has won 41 of his 60 games since taking charge in December 2008 and Leeds are sitting pretty on the summit of League One. Grayson described Sunday’s win as the proudest moment of his short management career, but for me it was also an emphatic mark of his ability and ambition.

Grayson believed he could win, and his players believed him. “We had stressed to all of them that somebody could be a hero today,” he said afterwards, but this win was down to more than just an inspiring team-talk. Tactically, Leeds were spot on too.

“We had a gameplan to come here today but we’ve had a plan that when we go away to any club – that we work hard, we have a good shape and organisation,” he explained. “We also know we have got people that can pick a pass and take any opportunities and that proved to be the case here. Jermaine will get the credit with the goal he scored but we’ve got our results this season as a group and a squad and hopefully that will continue. It was a fine example of what the players have been doing on a regular basis so far this season.”

With the managerial merry-go-round about to start spinning as Bolton wait to speak with Owen Coyle, minds are already beginning to turn to who Burnley might turn to if, as expected, their Scottish boss quits for the Reebok Stadium.

Grayson is bound to figure high on that list, having impressed at Blackpool before leaving for Leeds 12 months ago, since when he has patiently built a team that look certain to gain promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship this season.

His blossoming reputation was further enhanced yesterday when Leeds recorded their first win at Old Trafford since 1981, dumping Manchester United out of the FA Cup to book a fourth-round trip to Tottenham.

However, any thought Burnley might have of offering someone familiar with the area a chance to cut his managerial teeth in the Premier League can be dismissed immediately.

‘My commitment to Leeds United has never been in question,’ he said.

‘I left Blackpool a year ago to join the football club I supported. Leeds is a fantastic football club and I am not interested in going anywhere else.’

He has done fantastically well, really brilliantly. I am delighted for him because he is a genuinely great fellow and he has the potential. He went to Old Trafford without any great fear and they went on to win that game.’ said Martin O’Neill.

Sources

Woot! Woot!

i just copy paste alot of text from articles around the net!

China-style Internet censor in Malaysia

As a vivid internet user, i am greatly upset with the news.Here’s the abstract from the Star Online, Authur by JO TIMBUONG.

PETALING JAYA: Online and wire agency reports that the Government is mulling an Internet filtering system similar to China’s controversial “Green Dam” project has got the local online community in a huff, while technology experts questioned the viability of the project. Online portals and wire agencies reported earlier Thursday that the Government has called for a tender for a system that could block “undesirable websites.”

Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim, whose ministry issued the tender, also plans to secure direct control over the content and monitoring division of Malaysia’s Internet regulator, Reuters quoted a source as saying. Rais himself said last month that he would introduce measures to “control the bad” elements on the Internet. Neither Rais, nor any of the government bodies related to technology, were available for comment at press time.

If they seek power and control, why dont they just announce communism in the country? Below compiled opinion or thoughts on the matter:

The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) was disappointed with what it said was the Malaysian Government’s attempt to censor the Internet. “It has gone against its word to ensure the medium remains open and uncensored,” Pikom chairman David Wong said.

The MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees specifies that the Internet will not be censored to ensure the success of the MSC Malaysia initiative, he noted. “It will also be difficult to filter ‘harmful content,’ especially that found in blogs, on the Internet as it knows no boundaries,” he said.

Wong said Internet users did not share their thoughts only on blogs, but also through social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, as well as chatrooms and forums. He said a better and more viable measure would be to educate the public on the consquences of spreading harmful or irresponsible content.

GG, no Facebook…no poking…

Technology advocate Dinesh Nair said the Government’s efforts might just be in vain. “They can try to filter the Internet but it won’t work,” he said. He also believed that if the main reason was to block “undesirable content,” the Government would be better off using the educational approach.

If the Government were to block one “harmful site,” another would just pop up in its place, he added. Internet users, he said, view online censorship as damaging and will always find ways to circumvent any such barrier. “It’s better to educate the rakyat (people) to be proactive and identify these sites and exercise good Internet surfing habits, rather than censoring the Internet,” he said.

NO… DONT TRY AT ALL

Artist and new media advocate Muid Latif said Internet censorship would only contribute to the negative growth of the Malaysian information and communications technology sector, especially in the area of creative content. “This ridiculous restriction will reflect badly on Malaysia and potential investors will think twice about making an investment here,” he said.

Many in the Government have blamed the vibrant and critical Internet culture for Barisan Nasional’s losses in the 12th General Election in March last year, and there has been pressure from some quarters to muzzle the medium. The Government had previously considered registering bloggers, many of whom are critical of the ruling coalition.

Blaming the internet?

Here’s another article in Star Online by LESTER KONG and ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN on the matter with comment by the Prime Minister.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will not impose any censorship of the Internet, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said. He said such a move would be ineffective and could cause dissatisfaction among the people. He said this immediatelty after Infor–mation, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim confirmed there were plans to develop an Internet filtering system, although only for pornography. Dr Rais said the move was to protect Malaysian children from online smut.

Speaking to reporters after launching the Majlis Jalinan Rakyat at the people’s housing project at Batu Muda here yesterday, Najib said: “Such a policy (to filter the Internet) will usually be decided by the Cabinet, but we have no intention to do it because it will be ineffective. “So far, there is no change in the Government’s policy in this issue.”

Najib said information travels freely in the developing world of information and communication technology. “If we put a form of control, the people cannot accept it,” he said. Earlier, when confirming that he was looking at an Internet filtering system, Dr Rais said authorities such as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) who were responsible for policing Malaysia’s cyberspace were told to look into implementing the system.

“I have asked the authorities to find ways to implement this and study how developed countries have successfully overcome the problem of pornography,” he said. Dr Rais however side-stepped a question on the tender process for companies to develop the system. Online and wire news agencies had reported that the Government had called for a tender to develop an Internet filtering system similar to China’s controversial Green Dam project to block “undesirable websites”.

Commission chief executive officer and acting chairman Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi confirmed that it was only looking into developing filters to stop elements of pornography, scams, spam and phishing. Sharil said that the commission had been conducting surveys to find out “what makes Malaysians tick” when it comes to online content from a development standpoint. “The study may show that parents want more controls to filter pornography and spams to protect their children,” he said. He added that it was not feasible for the Government to monitor and block access to all websites that were deemed “undesirable”.

To filter pornography? Protect Malaysian children from online smut?

There’s plenty of parental control software out there that can filter the online content, concerned parents and individual can try out or purchase those software instead. Why spend millions to create a new filtering system? Need one system that can filter political comment? Then it justify. lol.

Filter pornography? To protect our kids? Its 21st century, teach sex education early in school and your problem solved.

Testing water by some related parties? 10 years old kid also know that such censoring initiatives will definitely get bad reception from the people. Poor Dr Rais, he is merely a messenger, to test the water.

Lonesome George!!! My old friend

Lonesome George (Spanish: Solitario Jorge) is the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoise, subspecies Geochelone nigra abingdoni, one of eleven subspecies of Galápagos tortoise native to the Galápagos Island

Edit: No clue on why the photo wont show!