When does the Chinese New Year actually begin?
In China's time zone, the first day of the Ox Year is February 4th, 2009, because February 4th, 2009 is the first day of Tiger month and the Tiger month is the first month of the year in Chinese Fortune-Telling Calendar system.
In the Chinese Fortune-Telling calendar, the first day of the first month, Tiger month, is called "Start of Spring" (Li Chun), which is when the sun enters the 315th degree on the tropical zodiac.
According to the Feng Shui masters, each year we observe what happens to us on the 4th February 2009 and if good things happen then it means that it is going to be a fantastic year!
However, if negative things occur then it means that the year is not going to be smooth.
So make sure you go to the bank today and bank in a cheque or cash to your name and wear red.
Current financial crisis explained in simple terms.....
One day, a plain-looking man came with a pretty-looking OL (Office Lady) to the LV store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
He chose an LV bag worth HKD 65,000 for the OL. When it came time to pay, the man took out a checkbook and wrote out a check. The salesperson was hesitant because the couple hadn't shopped there before.
The man discerned what the salesperson was thinking and he said calmly:
"I sense that you are concerned that this check may bounce, right? Today is Saturday and the banks are closed. Let me suggest that I leave the check and the handbag here. When the check clears on Monday, you can deliver the handbag to this lady. How about that?
The salesperson was reassured and gladly accepted the suggestion. In addition, he waived the delivery charges. He promised that he would personally make sure that this gets done.
On Monday, the salesperson took the check to the bank. The check bounced! The irate salesperson called up the client, who told him: "What is the big deal? Neither you nor I have suffered any loss. Last Saturday night, I went to bed with that girl already! Oh, by the way, I thank you for your cooperation."
This story reveals the nature of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. When people have high hopes for huge future returns, they lower their guard about the potential risks. This pretty girl thought that the HKD65,000 LV bag was going to come home on Monday, and so she lowered her guard. Therefore, she believed that her investment in the ONS (one night stand) was worth it even though it was based upon huge and highly uncertain risks.
Investment companies are great with packaging high return (but high risk) deals. The stock speculators are like this pretty woman. As such, they deserve to lose money. Without people like these, how are people going to make money from the stock market? As for the media and the stock analysts, they often play the role of the LV salesperson.
China clamps down on Internet sex search
This article came from Variety Asia Online:
Tuesday, 06 January 2009
China has launched a crackdown against high-profile websites including Google that officials accuse of threatening public morals by spreading pornography and vulgarity.
The crackdown was announced the same day as newspapers and websites were plastered with paparazzi photos of Zhang Ziyi in topless and intimate embrace with her boyfriend Vivi Nevo. Snaps were apparently taken as the pair were holidaying in the Caribbean.
Warning is the latest effort to rein in the Internet in China in what’s not expected to be a great year for online freedom in the country.
The Communist Party is attempting to stifle dissent and protests as the economy slows and as China enters a year of major anniversaries, including the 20th year since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 1989 and the 60th since the revolution that brought the party to power.
The crackdown follows a public outcry after a Shanghai shop assistant was detained by police for posting an online video of herself having sex.
The campaign was launched by China's powerful Ministry of Public Security and six other government agencies Monday. The report on state TV showed officials taking away digital equipment from some unspecified site.
Apart from Google, a state-sponsored industry org called China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center listed China’s main search engine Baidu, as well as Sina.com and Sohu.com as among those that have "spread pornography and threaten youth's morals."
The org threatened to tighten regulations on these groups after the discovery of 19 websites providing pictures, text, video clips and Web links "inappropriate for young people."
"The list exposes a number of websites that violate public morality and harm the physical and mental health of young people," it said.
Altogether, 19 Internet operators and websites named had failed to swiftly cut "vulgar" content and had not heeded warnings from censors, the org claimed.
All Things Malaysian
NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR HAIR LOSS:
Maggi Mee.
NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE:
Traffic Jam.
NATIONAL CONDOM:
None. Most Malaysians still feel embarrassed buying condoms. So they rush into a 7-11, hurriedly grab the nearest pack, any pack, pay and leave before the cashier can even blink an eye.
NATIONAL FRUIT FOR INDUCING MENSTRUATION:
Pineapple
NATIONAL APHRODISIAC DRINK:
Stout. Many swear by it.
But after a few pints they start swearing at everything.. .
NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (MEN):
Food Poisoning
NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (WOMEN):
Menstrual Pain
NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY WOMEN WHEN REFUSING SEX:
Headache, kids not asleep, maid not asleep, mother-in-law around, early appointment, period, haven't removed make-up, haven't had a shower, no water supply, going to watch 'Desperate Housewives', depressed, no mood, etc...
NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY MEN WHEN REFUSING SEX:
None. Malaysian men never refuse sex. (oh ya??)
NATIONAL CURE FOR HEADACHES:
Panadol. The 'cure for all'. If it fails we have another secret weapon; Tiger Balm.
NATIONAL CURE FOR DIZZINESS:
Minyak Angin Cap Kapak
NATIONAL CAUSE OF DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES):
Happy Hours
NATIONAL INSTANT CURE FOR DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES):
The sight of a police roadblock.
NATIONAL RUBBISH DUMP:
Anywhere. As long as it is not your house.
NATIONAL MOST MIS-PRONOUNCED NAME:
Carrefour. Sometimes even pronounced as Carry 4!
On second thought, why bother pronouncing stupid French brands like Peugeot, Renault or Citroen correctly. I think it sounds better,when the local mechanics say 'Pew Jeot'. When I was in school, Milo was always 'MeeLo', now that I'm sophisticated, I say 'My Lo'. So don't be embarassed saying 'Carry 4' when the ! Mat Sallehs shamelessly pronounce orang utan as 'rangootan'.
NATIONAL ROADSIDE DISTRACTION:
The Bra-less Tourist. See how heads turn and traffic slows down when a bra-less Mat Salleh backpacker goes 'bouncing' about on the streets.
What To Do If Stopped By Police
This is is very useful information..............especially the women folk!
The next time you are stopped by persons who claimed they are plain clothes police, you are under no obligation to answer their questions or follow their orders, lawyers told Malaysiakini today.
'Policeman who is not wearing his uniform does not have the authority to stop anyone,' lawyer and human rights activist Sivarasa Rasiah said.
Sivarasa was commenting on the alleged gang-rape of an 18-year-old Uni student by four men claiming to be police officers on New Year's Eve. The girl said that her car was stopped in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur and were asked by the men to open the car bonnet. She was then told that she had committed an offence and ordered to follow the men to a police station. The girl was driven in her car along the North-South expressway to the Tapah-Cameron Highlands road before she was raped in an oil palm estate.
This incident, and many others, have sparked confusion over the procedures which motorists must follow when flagged down by the police. The most common problem is that most people take instructions without determining if the other person is really a cop,' lawyer Annie Santiago said.
However, if you are stopped by a uniformed policeman, then you are required to stop. But you need not get out of the car because you are not expected to do so, Santiago said. He other rule to follow is to provide your identity card only when you are asked to do so. 'Even then, you should get his ID first to confirm if he is a cop. There is no harm in calling the relevant police station to verify if he is supposed to be on duty that day,' Sivarasa said.
Both lawyers said that motorists should never follow an officer to the police station unless one is under arrest . 'If you are not sure, and your instincts tell you that something is wrong, then drive off to the nearest police station and lodge a report,' Sivarasa said.
In response to the alleged gang-rape of the 18-year-old, Women's Aid Organisation executive-secretary Ivy Josiah called on the police to launch an education program to teach the public about their rights to prevent them from being victimised by bogus police officers.
Procedures to follow in the event you are stopped by uniformed police Officers while driving:
1. Stop the car and wind down your window.
2. If the police officers ask for your documents, request to see their IDs first.
3. If you are satisfied about their identity, ask them if you are being summoned, and for what offence.
4. Produce your identity card and driver's license and wait to collect your summon ticket.
In the event that the police officers ask you to follow them to the police station:
1. Ask if you are under arrest and for what offence.
2. If you are not under arrest, you have the right to leave.
In the event you are flagged down by persons you believe could be plain clothes police:
1. Do not stop because plain clothes police officers do not have the authority to stop you.
2. Drive to the nearest police station and lodge a report. (The same procedure applies to pedestrians)
In the event the police come to your house:
1. Do not let them in before checking their IDs.
2. If you are not satisfied, phone the nearest police station and confirm if they had been sent to your house.
3. You are under no obligation to allow them into the house if they don't have a search warrant.
4. Do not go with them if you are not under arrest.
In the event persons who claimed to be plain clothes police come to your house:
1. Do not let him in because they do not have the authority to do so.
2. Lodge a report at the nearest police station.
The next time you are stopped by persons who claimed they are plain clothes police, you are under no obligation to answer their questions or follow their orders, lawyers told Malaysiakini today.
'Policeman who is not wearing his uniform does not have the authority to stop anyone,' lawyer and human rights activist Sivarasa Rasiah said.
Sivarasa was commenting on the alleged gang-rape of an 18-year-old Uni student by four men claiming to be police officers on New Year's Eve. The girl said that her car was stopped in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur and were asked by the men to open the car bonnet. She was then told that she had committed an offence and ordered to follow the men to a police station. The girl was driven in her car along the North-South expressway to the Tapah-Cameron Highlands road before she was raped in an oil palm estate.
This incident, and many others, have sparked confusion over the procedures which motorists must follow when flagged down by the police. The most common problem is that most people take instructions without determining if the other person is really a cop,' lawyer Annie Santiago said.
However, if you are stopped by a uniformed policeman, then you are required to stop. But you need not get out of the car because you are not expected to do so, Santiago said. He other rule to follow is to provide your identity card only when you are asked to do so. 'Even then, you should get his ID first to confirm if he is a cop. There is no harm in calling the relevant police station to verify if he is supposed to be on duty that day,' Sivarasa said.
Both lawyers said that motorists should never follow an officer to the police station unless one is under arrest . 'If you are not sure, and your instincts tell you that something is wrong, then drive off to the nearest police station and lodge a report,' Sivarasa said.
In response to the alleged gang-rape of the 18-year-old, Women's Aid Organisation executive-secretary Ivy Josiah called on the police to launch an education program to teach the public about their rights to prevent them from being victimised by bogus police officers.
Procedures to follow in the event you are stopped by uniformed police Officers while driving:
1. Stop the car and wind down your window.
2. If the police officers ask for your documents, request to see their IDs first.
3. If you are satisfied about their identity, ask them if you are being summoned, and for what offence.
4. Produce your identity card and driver's license and wait to collect your summon ticket.
In the event that the police officers ask you to follow them to the police station:
1. Ask if you are under arrest and for what offence.
2. If you are not under arrest, you have the right to leave.
In the event you are flagged down by persons you believe could be plain clothes police:
1. Do not stop because plain clothes police officers do not have the authority to stop you.
2. Drive to the nearest police station and lodge a report. (The same procedure applies to pedestrians)
In the event the police come to your house:
1. Do not let them in before checking their IDs.
2. If you are not satisfied, phone the nearest police station and confirm if they had been sent to your house.
3. You are under no obligation to allow them into the house if they don't have a search warrant.
4. Do not go with them if you are not under arrest.
In the event persons who claimed to be plain clothes police come to your house:
1. Do not let him in because they do not have the authority to do so.
2. Lodge a report at the nearest police station.
Instructions for new Drive-Through ATM
A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads:
"Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts.
After months of careful research, MALE and FEMALE procedures have been developed.
Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender:
MALE PROCEDURE
1. Drive up to the cash machine.
2. Put down your car window.
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.
FEMALE PROCEDURE
1. Drive up to cash machine.
2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.
3. Set parking brake, put the window down.
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card.
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
8. Insert card.
9. Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
13. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt.
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
17. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release Parking Brake.
"Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts.
After months of careful research, MALE and FEMALE procedures have been developed.
Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender:
MALE PROCEDURE
1. Drive up to the cash machine.
2. Put down your car window.
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.
FEMALE PROCEDURE
1. Drive up to cash machine.
2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.
3. Set parking brake, put the window down.
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card.
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
8. Insert card.
9. Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
13. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt.
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
17. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release Parking Brake.
Burma Viral - a message of peace and support
The following public service announcement entitled "Burma Viral" invites viewers to visit the website http://mtvburmaaction.com/, where you can send messages of support to the people of Burma in honor of their continuing struggles against the notorious practices of their oppressive military government, learn more about the devastating effects caused by the recent cyclone, and find ways to contribute to relief efforts.
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