Autistic Basketball Manager's 20 Point Game

He name is Jason McElwain. He is one of God's child and a symbol of hope and inspirations for other.

Larry King

Here is a transcript from Larry King Which talks about children with Autism.

I feel it is a good read and who knows it might be able to help people.


Jason McElwain from the above clip.



Jason McElwain (born October 1, 1987), informally nicknamed J-Mac, is an autistic American teenager who graduated from Greece Athena High School in Greece, a suburb of Rochester, New York, USA, in 2006. He is noted for scoring twenty points in four minutes during a high school basketball game on February 16, 2006. The game was the last home game of the 2005-2006 season for Greece Athena.

McElwain had never made the team because of his height (5'6" (167 cm)) and his skill at the time, but his love and passion for basketball led him to stay with the team as their manager. Proud of his dedication, coach Jim Johnson felt that it would be a fitting show of gratitude to put McElwain in the final home game of the 2005-2006 season, as long as the team was ahead by several points. Greece Athena had a comfortable lead late in the game against the Spencerport High School Rangers, the coach put McElwain in the game. His appearance on the court elicited a loud cheer from the supportive home crowd.

McElwain's first three-point attempt was an airball; followed by a missed layup. However, within a four minute period at the end of the game, McElwain seemingly entered "The Zone", redeeming himself in spectacular fashion by scoring one two-pointer and six three-pointers. His last three-pointer was the final shot of the game, and as the final buzzer sounded, the crowd erupted with wild jubilation, stormed the court, and swarmed around him as his teammates lifted him up onto their shoulders. The moment was captured on the team's camcorder (taped by a student), still photographs by freelance photojournalist Eric Sucar,[1] and reached a national audience over the following days.

McElwain's achievement was immediately noticed locally and was a popular story in local media the next day. A few days after the game, media outlets beyond the local area began taking notice, and the story has spread quickly since then. (The CBS Evening News aired a story about McElwain the Thursday after the game; they received so many requests to re-air the story that they re-broadcast it on the show the next evening.) McElwain, Johnson, and others have received continual interview requests and numerous requests for development rights to the story.

The team experienced this media attention as the regular season ended and they prepared for the postseason, but McElwain continued to encourage them with his mantra: "Stay Focused". Greece Athena ended up winning the Class AA championship for Section V (the Rochester area), but lost the qualifying game against Class AAA Fairport High School to move into the state tournament.

McElwain also met with President George W. Bush on March 14, 2006 when the President came to Canandaigua, New York. McElwain greeted President Bush off Air Force One at the Rochester airport, and the two spoke with each other and with the media for a short time. President Bush commented that he wept when he saw Jason's performance and then he gave him a bookmark and a presidential tie clip. When parting ways McElwain said to the President, "It was an honor to meet you." whereupon Bush responded, "No, my honor.".[2]

In April 2006, McElwain received the 'Perseverance in Sports Award' at Syracuse University's First Annual Charity Sports Auction.

In April 2006, McElwain reached a deal with Columbia Pictures to produce a film of his life story.[3] Laura Ziskin, who produced the Spider-Man movies, will oversee the project. Two-time Oscar winner Alvin Sargent is slated to write the script.

McElwain appeared as a guest on Oprah on April 25, 2006. The following day, he met with Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who is executive producing the film, during a visit by Johnson to Greece Athena.

On July 12, 2006, ESPN awarded McElwain an ESPY Award in the "Best Sports Moment" category in recognition of his 20-point game. The other nominees for the award had been Dakoda Dowd's LPGA tournament appearance, Kobe Bryant's 81-point game, and the George Mason University men's basketball team's appearance in the NCAA Final Four.

On July 26, 2006, McElwain threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Rochester Red Wings baseball game, where the first 3,000 fans received "J-Mac" bobblehead dolls.

Jason was awarded the Performance of Courage Award on August 20, 2006, at the nationally televised Teen Choice Awards. The award was presented by actor Ashton Kutcher. McElwain ended his acceptance speech shouting "God Bless America" and "The sky's the limit!"

On February 15, 2007, McElwain appeared on The Today Show.

On March 8, 2007, McElwain visited the Victor Junior High School building to promote "Awareness Week" at the school.

On April 5, 2007, McElwain received the Doug Flutie Jr. Award Presented by Doug Flutie and his wife, Laurie at the Annual Autism Update in Waltham, MA Sponsored by The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism and Children Making Strides.

McElwain has an autograph insert in 2007 Topps Baseball Allen and Ginter.

Personal life
Jason currently works at a Wegmans bakery in the Rochester area and lives at his parents' home.

1 Liter of Tears

In one of my previous post, i mentioned that i seldom watch dramas. Only one i did watch was Winter Sonata. My GF watches them and tell me the stories. She is a good story teller. When she tells me the story, i pictured it in my mind. The latest one she watches is called '1 Liter of Tears', Japanese drama based on a true story. For those who want to watch it on line, can get it from here. Its in Japanese but with English Sub.

Yesterday she told me the ending, i nearly cried (i was driving). Well here is the story from wikipedia

1 Litre of Tears (1リットルの涙, Ichi Rittoru no Namida?) (also called A Diary with Tears or A Diary of Tears) is a Japanese television drama for Fuji Television about a girl who was diagnosed with an incurable degenerative disease at 15, but was able to continue her life until her death at the age of 25.

The drama is an adaptation of the diary of a Japanese girl named Aya Kito (木藤亜也, Kitō Aya?, July 19, 1962 - May 23, 1988), who suffered from spinocerebellar ataxia. She began keeping a diary at the suggestion of her doctor, and continued to write until she could no longer hold a pen. The diary, titled 1 Litre of Tears, was published shortly after her death.

Synopsis

This drama is based on the real-life struggles of a 15-year-old girl named Aya who suffered from an incurable disease, but lived life to the fullest until her death at 25. The script is based on the diary Aya kept writing until she could no longer hold a pen. The book that later followed entitled "One Litre of Tears" has sold over 1.1 million copies in Japan alone. Aya Kito proved her courage and positive attitude towards an uncertain future when suffering such an illness, spinocerebellar ataxia. The drama spans a decade, during which she graduates from school while her conditions worsen.

The story begins as Aya prepares for the new semester. Despite being happy, she suffers from slight physical problems, which only her mother seems to notice. However, one day, she falls unconsciously on the floor.

After she is sent to the hospital, she is shortly diagnosed with the disease. Despite the fact that she is diagnosed with the terminal illness, she does not lose the will to survive.

She still makes friends with others, including her first love, Yuji. She later develops an interest in Haruto. Although somewhat cold, Haruto was still kind to her. Meanwhile, her health continues to deteriorate.

Knowing that she will not survive for long, she returns a gift to Haruto, who discovers the fact when he reads the love letter that Aya gave him.

In the last episode, she dies peacefully, and her parents mourn her.

Fan reactions

There have been various reactions from fans of the drama. Some fans have found it so touching and jokingly said that they cried "1 litre of tears" while watching the drama.

The drama has also been criticized by some fans that, although it was considered a "romance" drama, Aya and Haruto never kiss, and never even hugged, held hands, or displayed other forms of affection. Some speculate that it was because the producers wanted the drama to be more realistic to Haruto's somewhat cold personality, and that the real Aya never got to experience romantic love, but others countered that true love transcends physical affection and is the most important.

There have also been comparisons between Aya and Anne Frank and their will to survive.

Special episode

On April 5, 2007, Fuji Television aired a three hour special of the series set half a year after Aya's death and focuses on Haruto Asō, who has now become a doctor at the same hospital Aya was treated in and Ako Ikeuchi, Aya's younger sister who is a training nurse. Haruto meets a 14-year-old female patient, who was bullied in school and injured herself to end up in hospital just to avoid school, as well as losing her will of living. It reminds Haruto of how Aya fought her illness and lived her life with her condition and he supports the patient. Aya reappears in the episode using a number of flashbacks from the series and in new scenes.


Wonder if there is any translation in English (the diary). I will definitely buy it.


Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is one of a group of genetic disorders characterized by slowly progressive incoordination of gait and often associated with poor coordination of hands, speech, and eye movements. Frequently, atrophy of the cerebellum occurs. [1]

As with other forms of ataxia, SCA results in unsteady and clumsy motion of the body due to a failure of the fine coordination of muscle movements, along with other symptoms.

The symptoms of the condition vary with the specific type (there are several), and with the individual patient. Generally, a person with ataxia retains full mental capacity but may progressively lose physical control.

There is no known cure for spinocerebellar ataxia, which is a progressive disease (it gets worse with time), although not all types cause equally severe disability.

Treatments are generally limited to softening symptoms, not the disease itself. The condition can be irreversible. A person with this disease will usually end up needing to use a wheelchair, and eventually they may need assistance to perform daily tasks.

The treatment of incoordination or ataxia, then mostly involves the use of adaptive devices to allow the ataxia individual to maintain as much independence as possible. Such devices may include a cane, crutches, walker, or wheelchair for those with impaired gait; devices to assist with writing, feeding, and self cares if hand and arm coordination is impaired; and communication devices for those with impaired speech.

Many patients with hereditary or idiopathic forms of ataxia have other symptoms in addition to ataxia. Medications or other therapies might be appropriate for some of these symptoms, which could include tremor, stiffness, depression, spasticity, and sleep disorders, among others.

Both onset of initial symptoms and duration of disease can be subject to variation. If the disease is caused by a polyglutamine trinucleotide repeat CAG expansion, a longer expansion may lead to an earlier onset and a more radical progression of clinical symptoms.

It can be easily misdiagnosed as another neurological condition, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

One means of identifying the disease is with an MRI to view the brain. Once the disease has progressed sufficiently, the cerebellum (a part of the brain) can be seen to have visibly shrunk. The most precise means of identifying SCA, including the specific type, is through DNA analysis. Some, but far from all, types of SCA may be inherited, so a DNA test may be done on the children of a sufferer, to see if they are at risk of developing the condition.

Role of the media

Got this article from Kak MM's Blog. She written an article in The Star

Be sympathetic, don’t speculate

Musings
By MARINA MAHATHIR

One of the results of media sensationalism is that it creates and perpetuates certain myths resulting in certain responses. In the case Nurin Jazlin Jazimin one of the main ones is that somehow the parents are responsible for her death by being negligent. The response to that is to say that they can be charged under the law.

It’s often said that rape victims suffer twice, once during the actual trauma of the act and again when the media reports on it.

Salacious bits about the crime are repeated endlessly, gossip is flagged and when the case goes to court, curiosity about the victim sometimes exceeds that of the perpetrator.


Show understanding: It was not necessary to say Jazimin and his wife Norazain Bistaman can be charged as they had just buried their child. The statement only seems to serve public relations purposes.
Worse still when the victim is killed. One only needs to remember Canny Ong to know how true this is.

This seems to be true again in the murder of little Nurin Jazlin Jazimin. Initially her disappearance receives some mention but as the days go by, little alarm is raised.

Then 28 days pass by and things start to heat up. A body is discovered and the frenzy begins.

I have to wonder about media ethics. If a child is sexually abused and killed, does it really matter how? Is there really a need to report the more abhorrent details of her suffering?

Is there really a need to print photos of the dead child, even if the initial intention was to find out her identity? Don’t little children deserve some respect too?

Then what is the need to raise speculation about what happened and why? These are not things we will know for sure until the killer is found and caught. So why speculate?

Why not concentrate energies firstly on finding the killer and secondly on ensuring that no other child will ever suffer the same fate?

What use is it to spend time speculating on the possible reasons why this happened when each and every case may be different?

I feel sorry for the parents. Bad enough that they had to face that long agony of searching for their child and then its terrible conclusion without having to also face each day screaming headlines about things that are untrue.

It only illustrates the way the Internet and blogs have become so essential because it allows their side of the story to be heard when there is no other way.

What is the result of the media sensationalism? It creates and perpetuates certain myths resulting in certain responses.

One of the main ones is that somehow the parents are responsible for the death of their child by being negligent.

The response to that is to say that they can be charged under the law.

Firstly, whether they are or not are debatable and cannot be ascertained without proper investigation. That investigation does not need to be done immediately because it is not urgent.

Secondly, even if they can be charged under some law, is it necessary to bring it up now when they’ve only just buried their child?

When leaders are expected to have some wisdom, one has to wonder what possessed some of ours to immediately start talking as if the guilty ones are the parents. Is there not a killer still at large?

Would not issuing a statement of sympathy and condolence first be the right thing to do as well as a strong commitment to find the killer? If nothing else, statements such as these serve public relations purposes.

In countries like Japan, public officials sometimes issue apologies for failing the public. Here, they turn on the victims and make them feel like criminals.

What if in the meantime another child disappears? Do the parents immediately get arrested?

What has happened to our priorities that they can be turned so upside down?

How is it that a Government that issues ‘caring’ budgets can be so cavalier in its treatment of ordinary citizens, citizens that it has in fact failed?

If I were to call myself a leader, firstly I would visit the parents and extend my sympathies. I would have attended the funeral.

Then I would say exactly what I would do to find the killer and make our streets safe for citizens, especially our children.

I would say that that’s my responsibility and promise to the nation, not anyone else’s.

Then I would take action. A campaign to tell parents how to talk to their kids about safety would be the first thing.

Then there would be signs in public places asking people to look out for anything odd involving children, and to report those immediately.

Meanwhile the police will not rest until they catch the killer.

But I would also warn the public not to take the law into their own hands, no matter how angry they get with possible suspects.

The law must be seen to work.

Leaving it to the public may result in vigilantism. What if they get the wrong person?

Two wrongs do not make a right.

There have been too many Nurin Jazlins. People are fearful for their kids. It wouldn’t hurt for our leaders to be more sensitive to that.

My Desktop Free view

Got this tag from Puteri..hehe. Did not know can do this screen thingy..."print screen button"..Never press the button before...haha. Thanks again Puteri. Learn something new today. As for tagging. Please feel free to join in. This time round, not going to tag any one...:)

Note: Copy Starts Here! My Desktop Free View Instruction:

A. Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. You can do a screen capture by:

Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key).

Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V).

If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it.

B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of Icons, things like that.

C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well.

D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants.

iRonnie - I Set No Corner
Thess - Thesserie
Rebecca - Skippy Heart
Knoizki - A Dialogue With K
Beng - Kauderwelch
- domlawrenceOSB
- bluepanjeet™ OTWOMD™
Marie @ Vanidosa Marie and Vanidosa at blogspot
and Ems @ Just Let Go and Pieces of Me
Angie The Daily Matters and The Simple Times In Life
Puteri @ Puteri's Musings, Puteri's Musings 2 and Health and Beauty Notes
Nightwing @ Carpe Diem

New Kids On The Block - Let's Try it Again (Providence)

Boy band before BSB, Westlife, Boyzone. One of my fav song from this group.

This is serious...

From CNN.

Radar fails in Memphis; hundreds of flights affected.

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Air traffic controllers were forced to use their personal cell phones to reroute hundreds of flights Tuesday after the Federal Aviation Administration's Memphis Center lost radar and telephone service for more than two hours, snarling air traffic in the middle of the nation.


The FAA's Memphis Center lost communication service Tuesday, affecting FedEx flights and others.

A spokesman for FedEx, which has its hub in Memphis, Tennessee, said the package delivery company had diverted 11 aircraft to other cities. But most of its flights take off and land after 10 p.m., so FedEx expected the impact to be minimal, the spokesman said.

Air traffic was halted at 12:35 p.m. ET when a major communication line that feeds all the telephones at the FAA's Memphis Center failed, said FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.

Service was restored at 3 p.m.

The malfunction, which occurred inside a telephone company's switching office, made it impossible for air controllers at FAA's Memphis Center to communicate normally with adjoining centers to hand off control of flights, Bergen said.

In addition, three of nine long-range radar systems were lost, causing the FAA to temporarily ground traffic within a 250-mile radius of the center, affecting flights in seven states, Bergen said.

Adjacent centers in Atlanta, Georgia; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri; and Fort Worth, Texas; were pitching in to try to reroute planes, she said.

There was no indication the failure was deliberate, she said.

Doug Church, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, called the failure "a major safety problem."

At the time of the outage, controllers "were thrust into an immensely chaotic situation in which they had to use personal cell phones to talk to other air traffic control facilities about specific flights that they could not communicate with themselves," he said.

"Significant delays" resulted at airports in the middle of the country, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, he said.

Memphis Center's airspace includes 100,000 square miles of airspace, covering Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and parts of Alabama and Kentucky.

Church predicted that flight operations in the affected area "are not going to be 'normal' for quite some time."

A spokesman for Northwest Airlines said the impact on the airline was "pretty minor," with 13 flights canceled and 19 others diverted out of 740 scheduled flights for the day.

A spokeswoman for Delta Air Lines said it canceled six flights and rerouted several others as a result of the incident.

What does love means?

Got this from here, would like to share with you. Happy reading...


Slow down for three minutes to read this.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4
to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were
broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you
think:


"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and
paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands
got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving
cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your
French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a
sip
before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7


"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of
kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop
opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a
friend
who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it
everyday."
Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still
friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I
looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and
smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6


"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he
is handsomer than Brad Pitt."
Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him
alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4


"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old
clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4


"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if
you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked
about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was
an
elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old
gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little
boy said,
"Nothing, I just helped him cry"

Brian Hyland - Sealed with a kiss 1962

You Make Me Feel Brand New －The Stylistics

Love this song. Have been looking for it a long time. Hope you all will like it.

SUBJECT: DESSERT PERSONALITY TEST

Let us have some fun with this. Pick the favourite dessert and i will post the answer and the meaning on the comment section. See if what has been describe is really u. Just for the fun of it.

If all of the desserts listed below were sitting in front of you, which
would you choose (sorry, you can only pick one!).
Now don't cheat on this one, go with the first dessert you choose!!!
Trust me....this is very accurate. Pick your dessert, and then look to see
what psychiatrists think about you.


Here are your choices:

1. Angel Food Cake

2. Brownies

3. Lemon Meringue Pie

4. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing

5. Strawberry Short Cake

6. Chocolate on Chocolate

7. Ice Cream

8. Carrot Cake

OK - Now that you've made your choice this is what the research
says about you...

The Fern and Bamboo

One day I decided to quit.... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality..... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo".

He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.

In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.

He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others."

He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come," God said to me. " You will rise high!"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you........

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you Happiness.

Bad days give you Experiences.

Both are essential to life.

Keep going...

Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrows keep you Human,

Failures keep you Humble,

Success keeps You Glowing,

But Only God keeps You Going!

Have a great day! The Sun is shining!!

God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small.................

He can curl up inside your heart!

God's love...

This story is dedicated to all the angels out there. You are the unsung heros. One may not know it, things we do some times can make an impact to another person's life.

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the
Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and
hand out Gospel Tracts.

This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and
his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold
outside, as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his
warmest and driest clothes and said, "OK, dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?"

"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out." Dad
responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't
people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."
Despondently, the boy asks, "Dad, can I go? Please?"

His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go.
Here are the tracts, be careful son.."

"Thanks Dad!"

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. his eleven year old
boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing
everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract.

- - - / - / - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lifecoaches - / - / - - -

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled
wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and
looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were
totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the
sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell,
but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one
answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something
stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and
knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something
holding him there on the front porch! He rang again and this time
the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-
looking elderly lady. She softly asked, "What can I do for you,
son?" With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this
little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just
want to tell you that *JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to
give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about
JESUS and His great LOVE."

- - - / - / - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lifecoaches - / - / - - -

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She
called to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the
pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have any
testimony or want to say anything?"

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her
feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from
her face, "No one in this church knows me. I've never been here
before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My
husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this
world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was
even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I
no longer had any hope or will to live.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into
the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in
the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the
rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and
brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud
ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought,
"I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away." I waited and
waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more
insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly.
I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever
rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck
and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder
and louder.

- - - / - / - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lifecoaches - / - / - - -

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes,
for there on my front porch was the most radiant and
angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I
could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth
caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he
exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, "Ma'am, I just came to tell you
that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU." Then he gave me this
Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I
closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then
I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be
needing them any more.

You see---I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of
your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here
to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in
the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in
hell."

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and
honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building,
Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the
little angel was seated.

He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no
church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe
has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his
son... Except for One.

- - - / - / - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lifecoaches - / - / - - -

Our Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark
world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of
heaven shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His
beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and
every name that is named.

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.

Don't let this message die, read it again and pass it to others.
Heaven is for His people! Remember, God's message CAN make the
difference in the life of someone close to you.

Please share this wonderful message...

"Faith is the affirmation and the act that bids eternal truth be
present fact." Coleridge

- - - / - / - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lifecoaches - / - / - - -

==============
Just 3 Words
==============
Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person -
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose-
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable -
1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain -
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person -
1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work

Three things that are truly constant -
Father - Son - Holy Spirit

I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today;
to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way.
God's love is always with you, God's promises are true.

And when you give God all your cares, you know God will see you
through.

Pass this along to People you want God to Bless!

~~~***My God Reigns***~~~

No one falls in love by choice, it is by CHANCE.
No one stays in love by chance, it is by WORK.
And no one falls out of love by chance, it is by CHOICE

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If you love this man
please forward this message.

He did something for you, now do something for him.

Spread his word, and you'll be rewarded.

How will you be rewarded?

"Whoever acknowledges Me before men,
I will acknowledge him before My Father in heaven.
But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown
him before My Father in heaven" - Matthew 10:32

Mazzy Star - Fade Into You - Rita Hayworth/Fred Astaire

For the fans of this lovely starlet...

Audrey Hepburn Montage - The Way We Were

Audrey Hepburn -

Dedicated to the fans of this great Starlet...especially to Uncle Lee.

Nice words....

An aunty from KL sms me this message. So would like to share with all of you.

The Secret of Happiness?

Can be found in your HOME.

The WALLS say BE STRONG,
The CEILINGS say AIM HIGH,
The DOORS say BE OPENED,
The WINDOWS say LEARN TO GIVE AND TAKE,

The CLOCKS say TIME IS GOLD,
The CALENDER says LOVE EVERYDAY Till THE LAST,
The CABINETS say KEEP THINGS IN ORDER,
The BEDS say TAKE TIME TO RELAX,

The LAMPS say BE THE LIGHT,

And GOD, who is found everywhere in your house says -

KEEP THE FAITH BECAUSE I AM WITH U....:)

Update - other side of war

Last month posted an article, can read from here

Here is the latest news from for the above story.

Just want to say thank you and i salute the American public for love and donation you all have shown to this child and family. God bless all of you.

U.S. soldier: I cried for Youssif

SHERMAN OAKS, California (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier who served in Iraq was so moved by the story of Youssif he had to do something.

A young girl wrote Youssif a note and enclosed $1 to help his family. One person sent a check for $45,000.

1 of 2 more photos » "I thought I was tough," the soldier wrote the Children's Burn Foundation. "But when I read the story about Youssif, I cried."

The soldier's reaction was like that of more than 13,000 others who opened their pocketbooks to help the 5-year-old Iraqi boy who was doused in gas by masked men and set on fire on January 15.

One person sent a check for $45,000; another mailed in $10,000. Most were much smaller contributions, ranging from $5 to $100. Each was equally appreciated, said Barbara Friedman, the foundation's executive director.

Donations came in from across the globe, from England to Lebanon to the United States. Many of the donors were members of the U.S. military, she said. Others were children.

"I feel really bad for what happened," one young girl said in a handwritten note. She included a dollar bill.

A mother sent this: "As a mom myself, I cannot imagine the pain you and your family have gone through. Please know that you are not alone."

See how you can make a difference
The generosity has been so great that Friedman said she's been left "literally in disbelief."

The foundation had estimated it would cost $300,000 to provide Youssif and his family all the costs associated with his surgeries, medical care, living expenses and whatever else they might need. See Youssif's transformation »

The donations have far surpassed that amount, according to the foundation. Youssif's parents have asked that any extra money be used to help other burn survivors.

"I'm just blown away by the outpouring of support for this boy and this family," said Doug Mancino, the foundation's board chairman. "I've never seen anything like it."

He also praised the parents' generosity. The extra money will go to help other children with things like reconstructive surgeries and pressurized masks to much smaller help like transportation costs for low-income families to visit their children in the hospital.

"It's a real gift from this family that will benefit many, many other children," he said. Watch Youssif meet Spiderman »

The foundation worked to bring Youssif, his parents and his younger sister to the United States. They found an Islamic community in the Los Angeles area to help the family adjust to their months here. They put the family in an apartment complex where other Iraqis live.

Their job now will be to help Youssif get the psychological care he needs after suffering such trauma. Dr. Peter Grossman, the surgeon donating his services, will work on his physical looks. The foundation will work on his long-term emotional care.

"One of the goals in taking care of Youssif's emotional well-being is helping him become a boy again, helping him feel safe," said Keely Quinn, the foundation's program director.

Soon, Youssif will go on an outing to the zoo with about 40 other burn survivors in the Los Angeles area, thanks to the foundation.

From their nondescript offices, the foundation organizers sent a message for others. As horrific as Youssif's story is, many burns are easily preventable.

An estimated 250,000 children are burned every year in the United States seriously enough to require hospitalization, the foundation said. Most of those will be children under the age of 5; about 65 percent will be scald burns.

Keep a close eye on your children around stoves and ovens, they advised. It just takes one second for spilled coffee to cause a third-degree burn, Friedman said.

As for Youssif, he's a special boy they'll never forget. His story began with the utter depravity of mankind -- an attack on a defenseless child -- but has transformed into a story about the best of humanity.

"It's overwhelming in a good way," Quinn said.


Or maybe Francisco Saenz put it best when he wrote the foundation. "All I can say to you, from the bottom of my heart, is THANK YOU, YOU ARE AN ANGEL, GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION."

It's the same message Youssif's mother, Zainab, has given them. It's the same message she has for all those inspired by her son. "Thank you."

Why?

Some may wonder why i have been posting youtube lately... This few days, a lot of sad news in the newspaper...child missing, child been murdered, robberies, even rape. And this is in my own country.

International....the usual middle east thingy...like a never ending story.

Therefore, posting the MTV's...get away from it all and have a moment to listen to songs of yesteryears...at least for a moment listen to the singers who uses their God given talent for good...for a moment...we forget the problems of the world.

Hope you will enjoy it.

Whitney Houston - Greatest Love Of All - Statue Of Liberty

Julio Iglesias feat. Stevie Wonder - My Love

A parrot name Moses...

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around,
looking for valuables, and when he picked up a CD player to place in his
sack, a strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus
is
watching you."

He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight out, and froze.
When he heard nothing more after a bit, he shook his head, then clicked
the
light on and began searching for more valuables. Just as he pulled the
stereo out so he could disconnect the
wires, clear as a bell he heard, "Jesus is watching you."

Freaked out, he shone his light around frantically, looking for the
source
of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam
came
to rest on a parrot.

"Did you say that?" He hissed at the parrot.

"Yep," the parrot confessed, and then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn
you."

The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?"

"Moses," replied the bird.

"Moses?" the burglar laughed. "What kind of people would name a bird
Moses?"


"The kind of people that would name a Rottweiler "Jesus".

Josh Groban sings

Welcome to Sarawak and Sabah...

From the Star.

Italian reality travel show goes to Sabah and Sarawak

KUCHING: Six women will be driving across Sarawak and Sabah over the next few weeks to document their adventures for an Italian reality travel show called Donnavventura.

They had already clocked more than 12,000km around South-East Asia in their Mitsubishi Triton vehicles since beginning their journey in Kuala Lumpur on July 19 before arriving here for their second Malaysian leg.

They have visited Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Benedetta Delogu, 24, said she took part in the programme because it allowed her to visit many countries.

“The best part is getting to know new cultures and lifestyles, try the local food and meet different people.


Thrill seekers: The six participants of ‘Donnavventura’ programme posing with the Mitsubishi Triton in Kuching on Wednesday.
“We’re always given a warm welcome by everyone,” she said at a press conference yesterday.

For team leader Stefania Donati, 26, contacting her family in Italy only once a month proved to be a challenge.

“We are not supposed to use handphones, Internet connection or get in touch with our families except once a month.

“This is very hard because we’re abroad with new people and we miss our families,” she said.

She added that they had to drive all day, organise video and photo shoots and write articles about their adventures for Italian newspapers.

“We work for 17 or 18 hours a day until late at night, but it is a good experience and I’m very proud to be here,” she said.

Urban Development and Tourism permanent secretary Akit Sebli, who represented Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh in welcoming the team, said the event was timely in view of Visit Malaysia 2007.

“I believe Malaysia will offer an exciting journey for you. While in Sarawak we encourage you to appreciate our rainforest and the rich culture of our ethnic groups,” he said.

The team will head for Miri and Kota Kinabalu before returning to Kuala Lumpur next month.

Vehicles for their trip were sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.

Celine dion and Josh groban live - the prayer

Elvis Presley and Celine Dion on American Idol

Please Help!!!

Have join fellow bloggers Pi Bani and Zach in posting this..Please help this missing child and here is the link to the website that was set up.

UPdate: 21.9.2007...DNA result has shown that the girl in the bag is the same that went missing.

I hope the police will catch the buggers who did this and punish them accordingly.

This is sick - update

Latest news

Video footage holds key to girl’s murder

By RASHITHA A. HAMID

PETALING JAYA: A video footage of a motorist leaving a sports bag at the staircase of a shop here holds the key to solving the case of a little girl whose naked body was found at the site.

It is learnt that police are viewing the recording captured by closed circuit television (CCTV) and are hoping to obtain crucial information that can lead them to the arrest of the sadist who murdered the yet-to-be identified girl.

Also recorded were images of a woman loitering around the area and getting into a car.

Sources said police had several other leads but are tight-lipped to ensure that investigations into the much-publicised murder are not jeopardised.

It is learnt that several strands of hairs, not belonging to the girl, were also found on her.

Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm (II) Mazlan Mansor, when contacted, confirmed that police have some leads but declined to elaborate.

However, police are stumped as to why no one has come forward to identify the body or report about their missing daughter.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohd said the post-mortem conducted on the girl revealed the cause of death as a ruptured intestine and massive bleeding.

“However, no seminal stains were found in the girl’s private parts, besides the cucumber and brinjal,” he said.

On Monday, the naked body of the girl, believed to be between six and nine years old, was found stuffed into a sports bag and left at the staircase of a shoplot in PJS1/48 Petaling Utama.

There were bruises on her neck, suggesting that she may have been strangled, and her hands.

Police also took DNA samples from the parents of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, an eight-year-old girl who has been reported missing since Aug 22 after she went to a pasar malam near her house in Wangsa Maju on her own.

Nurin’s parents were called to view the body of the girl on Monday and had said it was not their daughter.

ACP Arjunaidi said police also contacted all district police stations to check on their missing-girl reports.

The body-in-the-bag girl weighed about 18kg and was about 150cm in height. Police also found a birthmark on her left thigh.

A supervisor with a book distributing company found the black-and-blue bag at 8.30am at the staircase of her office. She thought the bag belonged to her employer who had just returned from Singapore.

Her boss, who came into the office later, was horrified when he opened the bag and saw a pair of legs.

Police are appealing to those with missing daughters to call the district police headquarters here at 03-7966 2222.

Meanwhile, MCA Public Complaints and Services Department head Datuk Michael Chong said a RM20,000 reward would be given to those who could provide information leading to the arrest of the girl’s killer.

He said RM10,000 was from the MCA and the remaining RM10,000 from a Datuk who did not want to be identified.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the public, including children, had the right to live, work, study and play in a safe and secure environment.

He said DAP hoped the police would solve the case soon.

Congratulation to Lee Chong Wei

Congratulations to Lee Chong Wei for winning the Japan open and beating top players too. It was good of him to 'move on' after the world championship in KL. May he maintain this form in the Taiwan Open. He can play the game, just need to toughen up his mental game and stay focus. But kudos to him for bouncing back. Hope the doubles pair can do the same.

17/09/07, 13:35:51

By RAJES PAUL

PETALING JAYA: National number one Lee Chong Wei restored his pride by winning the Japan Open title for the first time in sensational fashion in Tokyo yesterday.

In contrast to his disastrous performances in the World Championships last month, a rejuvenated Chong Wei dished out a classy show to beat Indonesian superstar Taufik Hidayat 22-20, 19-21, 21-19 in the men's singles final. The match saw brilliant performances from both players in the 65-minute battle.


National number one Lee Chong Wei
It was Chong Wei's second win over Taufik this year. The first was in the semi-finals of the China Masters in July and then, it was the first time too in two years that he had beaten the Olympic champion.

With the win, Chong Wei becomes the second player under the charge of Misbun Sidek to win the Japan Open after Mohd Roslin Hashim in 2001.

By claiming the Japan Open title, Chong Wei has nailed the first of his “Big Four” on the international stage. He also wants to be the champion in the World Championships, Olympics and the All-England.

“This victory makes up for all the pain and agony that I went through after my defeat at the world championships,” said Chong Wei in a telephone interview.

Chong Wei carried Malaysia's great hope to end a 30-year wait for a world title but he went down in a most uncharacteristic fashion to Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the third round.

“It was very important for me to get back on my feet after the world championships. All my hard work has paid off,” he said.

“This time, there was no disturbance from anyone and I was really focused on the tasks at hand. I had a tough draw and I played every match with determination to prove to myself that I am still a good player. At this moment, I just feel very, very satisfied.”

The win yesterday certainly did not come easy for the world number four. After losing the first game narrowly, the unseeded Taufik made a spectacular comeback, winning eight consecutive points to take a 17-15 lead before going on to force a rubber.

In the decider, Chong Wei bounced back strongly to take a 19-13 lead but Taufik looked as though he would spoil the party for Malaysian. But Chong Wei pressed home the advantage.

“Taufik just did not want to give up. I did not want to come this far and lose. Fortunately, I held on for a victory. It feels good to win my third title this year (after the Indonesian and the Philippines Opens),” said Chong Wei, who won US$16,000 for his efforts.

Misbun was pleased with Chong Wei's overall performances and he wants the player to ride on the success.

“We cannot predict when and how Taufik will attack but Chong Wei did well to retrieve many of the tricky shots. Chong Wei was strong in the head and handled the tense situation well. This will see him going far in future tournament,” said Misbun.

“I am not telling that he is superior right now but he had indicated here that he is still a true fighter. No many can make a quick rebound from a debacle such as one in the world championships. But I am glad, Chong Wei has come out of it.”

Chong Wei next tournament is the Taiwan Open, which begins on Wednesday in Taipeh.



Courtesy of The Star

Tiger Woods - Player of the year.

Tiger Woods wins Tour Championship… and $US11m
by Andrew Both

Tiger Woods has shot the lowest score of his illustrious career in blowing away the field to win the Tour Championship by eight strokes in Atlanta.


Woods led throughout the final round, carding a four-under-par 66 in pleasant conditions at East Lake in the final event of the new FedEx Cup play-off series.

He finished at 23-under 257, two strokes better than his previous best total of 21-under 259 at the 2000 NEC Invitational.

Woods also smashed the Tour Championship record low score, at the same time securing his fourth victory in his past five starts and emphatically clinching the FedEx Cup title.

And he posted his 61st victory on the US PGA Tour, remaining fifth on the all-time list, just one behind Arnold Palmer.

“It’s been just a phenomenal week. I just hit shot after shot and when I got on the greens my speed was good all week,” he said.

Woods started the final round with a three-shot edge over Calcavecchia, and was a little shaky early, with a bogey at the par-3 second followed by a three-metre par save at No.3.

However, he found his groove from there, picking up three birdies in four holes starting at No.6 to go four shots clear at the turn.

The back nine was pretty much a lap of honour, as he added three more birdies before bogeying the 17th, which did not stop him from shattering the tournament record by no fewer than six strokes.

Woods not only collected $US10 million ($A12 million) for winning the FedEx Cup, but also received $US1.26 million ($A1.51 million) for winning the tournament.

Woods decided after a mediocre performance at the British Open in July to alter his swing, and spent the following week at home working on the changes.

When he turned up at the Bridgestone Invitational the following week, his revamped swing was the talk of the range.

Astute judges said it looked better than ever, and so it has proved as he has finished no worse than second since.

Woods will play only twice more the rest of the year - at next week’s Presidents Cup in Canada, as well as his own unofficial tournament in California in December.

His peers can only hope he doesn’t bring his current form into 2008, or they will have no chance.

By Andrew Both - © 2007 AAP

Following are some of the American’s highlights since he turned professional in 1996.

* Becomes the youngest Masters winner with a tournament record aggregate of 18-under-par 270 at Augusta National in 1997. His victory margin of 12 shots is the biggest in the tournament’s history.

* After a lean spell in 1998, when he revamps his swing with coach Butch Harmon, Woods wins eight titles in a golden run on the 1999 PGA tour, including his second major at the PGA Championship where he holds off a charging Sergio Garcia.

* In 2000, Woods produces one of the most successful seasons in golfing history. Romps to victory by a record 15 strokes in the US Open, coasts home by eight shots in the British Open and claims his second PGA Championship.

Becomes the fifth and youngest player to win a career grand slam of all four majors. Ends the year with nine titles on the PGA Tour, having completed his sixth in a row at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February.

* Wins his second Masters in 2001 to become the first player to hold all four professional major titles at the same time.

* In 2004, he fails to win a major for the second year in a row after embarking on the second revamp of his swing since turning professional. Breaks Greg Norman’s record for most weeks as world number one with a combined tally of 332 but his five-year reign at the top finally ends in September when Fijian Vijay Singh takes over.

* One year later, Woods wins his fourth Masters title and his second British Open. Reclaims world No.1 ranking in June and has held it ever since.

* Has an emotional 2006, having to deal with the illness and death in May of his father Earl. After tying for third at the Masters in April, he takes a nine-week break before missing the cut in the US Open on his return, the first time he has done that in a major as a professional. Comes back to win the last two majors of the year, the British Open at Hoylake and the PGA Championship at Medinah. Ends 2006 with 11 titles worldwide, including six in a row on the PGA Tour.

* In his first start of 2007, claims the Buick Invitational by two shots at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California to stretch his PGA Tour winning streak to seven, the second best in history.

* Cruises to an eight-shot victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio on August 5, his 14th individual title in a World Golf Championships (WGC) event.

* One week later, Woods clinches his 13th major and fourth US PGA Championship by two shots at Southern Hills Country Club. Only Jack Nicklaus, with a record 18 career majors, lies ahead of him.

* Wins his 61st PGA Tour title by eight strokes at the Tour Championship after closing with a four-under-par 66, plus a $US10 million ($A12 million) bonus as the inaugural FedExCup champion.

Kuching trip..pic 1

On Saturday went down to Kuching, family emergency. Stayed at Hilton with my dad and my bros (i am eldest). Brother 4 and 5 share bed with dad, i slept in the other room, on the sofa. My first time staying there. Not bad the room.

Here are some photos taken from the hotel. Some from the executive lounge. They also have photocopying machine, 2 computers for guest to use. I used it to checked my blog..:)

This picture is taken from the room. Uncle Lee would have been to a few of this long houses back then.



Opposite the river, still in construction is the new State assembly for Sarawak State government. If not mistaken, this building cost about RM 400 over million.









Some old shop houses, India street and carpenter street are located there. They are famous tourist spots for handicrafts.





This is the executive lounge, breakfast, lunch, tea breaks and dinner is served. Love the cheese cake. Duh of me not taking pictures of it.



Used the computer here to check my blog and some sports news.





Saw the orchids, thought they are nice. This picture is dedicated to orchid lovers.

This is Sick...

How can any body do such a thing is beyong me. I hope they catch the person resposible for this act. From the STAR

Child found sexually assaulted and killed

By RASHITHA A. HAMID

rashitha@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: She was just a little girl. But that did not stop some sick monster from killing her after sexually assaulting her.

Her naked body was stuffed into a sports bag and left at the staircase of a shop lot in PJS1/48 Petaling Utama yesterday.

There were bruises on her neck, suggesting that she may have been strangled. There were also bruises on her hands.

The girl, said to be between six and nine, was initially feared to be eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin who has been reported missing. But Nurin Jazlin’s parents, who rushed to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur mortuary, said it was not their daughter.

A supervisor with a book distributing company Cheng Yan Fang, 32, found the black-and-blue sports bag at 8.30am outside the premises. She thought the bag belonged to her employer who had just returned from Singapore.

Jack Yeoh Huat Lip, 51, the general manager of the company came in 30 minutes later and said the bag was not his.

When he opened it, he was horrified to see a pair of legs. He immediately called the police.


“Saturday was a half day and the office was closed yesterday,” Yeoh said, adding that the supervisor who left the office at 1pm on Saturday did not see anything near the staircase then.

Petaling Jaya police chief Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohd confirmed a post mortem report that the killer had placed a cucumber and a brinjal in the girl’s private parts.

“She must have endured so much pain before she died,” he said.

Police believe the girl, whose identity has not been ascertained, had been dead for more than six hours before her body was found.

Police are appealing to those with missing daughters to call the district police headquarters here at 03-79562222. No arrest has been made yet.

Another set back for badminton players.

By the time i post this, i wonder if Lee Chong Wei had make it to the Semis at the on going Japan Open.

COME ON PLAYERS!!! PLAY WELL AGAIN. LOSE, LOSE IN 3 Games and not straight sets. Don;t give up...fight till the end. Like Nicol David and our national bowlers. Be like Tiger Woods, whose mental game is so strong that on final days, most players faulter under pressure just because he is playing with them.



Chong Wei the only Malaysian left in the fray

By RAJES PAUL

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei reached the quarter-finals of the Japan Open badminton championships in Tokyo yesterday but our men’s doubles suffered their worst ever results this year when none cleared the early rounds.

The 25-year-old Chong Wei, determined to make up for his poor showing in the World Championships at home last month, battled for 51 minutes to beat Singaporean Ronald Susilo 19-21, 21-8, 21-10.

Chong Wei, the only Malaysian left in the fray after the second day of action, will take on China’s Chen Jin in today’s quarter-finals.

Nusa Mahsuri’s Mohd Roslin Hashim and Yeoh Kay Bin crashed out in contrasting fashions yesterday.

Roslin gave a fighting performance before bowing out 11-21, 21-18, 11-21 to top seed and reigning world champion Lin Dan of China while Kay Bin went down at 11-21, 16-21 to Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.

It was, however, a good day for South Korean Park Sung-hwan, Hong Kong’s Chan Yan Kit and Indonesian Simon Santoso. They pulled off upset wins over Denmark’s Kenneth Jonasssen, China’s Chen Yu and Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana respectively.

The biggest letdown were the Malaysian men’s doubles players.


Good show: South Korea’s Park Sung-hwan and Hong Kong’s Chan Yan Kit (inset) scored upset wins over higher-ranked shuttlers – Kenneth Jonassen and Chen Yu respectively – in the Japan Open yesterday.
With the shock defeats of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah yesterday, Malaysia failed to have at least one pair in the quarter-finals for the first time in an Open tournament this year.

The second-seeded Kien Keat-Boon Heong went down 19-21, 19-21 to Indonesians Alven Yulianto-Luluk Hadiyanto. It was their first defeat to the Indons.

Seasoned campaigners Tan Fook-Wan Wah, who were Malaysia’s top performers at last month’s world meet, fell 18-21, 16-21 to Indonesian-born Hendra Kurniawan Saputra-Hendra Wijaya of Singapore.

It was a double blow for Wan Wah as he aggravated an injury to his right knee.

National chief coach Yap Kim Hock played down the doubles wipe-out.

“It is a setback for us that none made it to the quarter-finals. We do not want to be too worried with the results of only one tournament,” said Kim Hock in a telephone interview from Tokyo. “Besides, there were other upsets too. Our goal is the Beijing Olympics and I am confident our players will get back on the right track.”

In the women’s singles, Wong Mew Choo failed to reproduce the form that saw her beat Xie Xingfang of China in the third round of the world meet. Yesterday, she lost 9-21, 15-21.

Music and songs

I like listening to music (not into heavy metal though). When i was growing up, my generation is not really into Bee Gees, Air Supply and golden oldies songs. But each time when some of this songs being played over the air waves, i suddenly knew the tune to the song.

At first did not think much of it, when go Karaoke (when age permitted), most of the songs i know are from golden oldies. One day i asked my aunty, she told me, when i was young, i was exposed to those songs. Sort of like being stored in my memory bank. Hidden some where at the end. hehe...that explain why i like songs from Air Supply and Bee Gees.

Yesterday, only found out that i can post youtube to my blog. Hope you all don;t mind, will be posting some songs up...hehe.

Favourite songs? Too many to choose from. But Bee Gees's Tragedy is one of them.

Favourite groups? Il Divo, Michael Learns to rock, Westlife, NKOTB, Air Supply, Bee
Gees,

Favourite Male Singers? Josh Groban, Elvis, Julio Iglesias, jeff Chang, Michael
Wong.

Favourite Female Singer? Celine Dion, Jolene.

bee gees tragedy

il Divo_Mama

Flag Burning..

Yesterday was reading NST. Saw one article with a picture of one motorcycle helmet guy burning the Malaysian Flag. Very disappointed. Here is the article.






KUALA TERENGGANU: The rioters at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat ceramah here on Saturday night caused RM1 million in damage.

State police chief Datuk Ayub Yaakob said 23 people were arrested for rioting in the incident, adding that three were injured along with four policemen.

He said two of the rioters who were injured had been shot by a policeman when he was attacked.

He said the constable had fired twice in the air after being pushed to the ground, somehow hitting the two suspects.

Ayub said the two men and the constable were warded at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital, but the policeman was discharged yesterday.

Also warded was Federal Reserve Unit personnel Lance Corporal Azmi Hussein, who was assaulted with sticks by a group of about 20 men.

The others injured were given outpatient treatment at the same hospital.

The 23 suspects, in their 20s and 30s, will be charged under Section 148 of the Penal Code for rioting and for other offences.

The incident on Saturday saw 350 police and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel quelling about 600 rioters.

A crowd of 200, which had been waiting for a ceramah by Keadilan treasurer Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in Jalan Sultan Mahmud, Batu Buruk, turned unruly after the police Light Strike Force asked them to disperse.

The crowd later swelled to 600 and began attacking the Light Strike Force, forcing it to call in the FRU.

The FRU then used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd, which became even more aggressive and began hurling Molotov cocktails and burning sticks.

The FRU started to retreat around 1am, three hours after the incident, hoping that the crowd would become less aggressive.

However, the mob pursued the police and FRU personnel.

Three bonfires were lit using plastic road dividers, tree branches and construction material.

Several flags were thrown into the bonfires.

Commenting on the incident in Petaling Jaya, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he felt police had acted according to the law.

He said everyone, including Umno and other Barisan Nasional component parties, were required to get police permits before holding functions.

"Such laws apply to all and not just to the opposition parties.

"The police acted accordingly. They have the responsibility of enforcing the law."

Asked to comment on the rioters’ refusal to disperse, Najib said they had to obey the law.

"If we don’t follow them, there will be anarchy in the country with no one respecting the rules and regulations."

Earlier, Ayub said he ordered the police and FRU to retreat to prevent the situation from turning ugly.

"Our main priority is to restore public order. We would have preferred it if no confrontation had taken place, but at the same time, we had to take action to show that we are not weak," he said.

Ayub said police had invited organisers of the ceramah to the police station here for talks over the permit but up to 6pm on Saturday, no one had turned up.

The permit for the ceramah, he said, was rejected on safety grounds as it was being held at a residential area and near government quarters.

Meanwhile, Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said opposition supporters who were at the incident on Saturday had gone overboard in their actions by rioting and burning flags, including the Umno flag.


My dissapointment is, what did the flag ever do to them? Why did they have to burn it? They should be tried for treason for this.

Flags which ever country, is an important symbol for the country. Think of the men and women in Uniform who have defended this country and some even paid their lives for it.

One may not like the politicians or government of the day but who wins or loss, the Malaysian Flag stays the same.

Don;t ever disrespect our Malaysian Flag (or other country's flag).

September 11 - 6 year on

(Note: Only during lunch time i realise i type wrongly, supposed to be 6 years on)

What was i doing on this day 6 years ago? I was getting ready to go to bed (around 9 something). My dad called home and told me to switch on the tv, CNN...US under attack. So i did and not long after my dad reached home and we watched the first tower burning.

About 20 minutes or half and hour in to it, second tower got hit. My dad and I watched the whole thing unfold live. As we all know, the rest was history.

Please spare a moment to think of those who passed on, the heros who risked their lives to save people and some of them even lost it.

To the families of the victim, i am sure every year around this time, its hard for them. Please pray for them that in time, their hearts will heal.

Lest we forget

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

From Wikipedia

Some thing to share..

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't anymore. No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you."


So while we have it, it's best we love it and care for it and fix it when it's broken?­and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage...and old cars?­and children with bad report cards and dogs with bad hips and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.


Life is important, like people we know who are special, and so we keep them close!

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.

And just in case GOD calls me home ?­I LOVE YA!!! I'm so glad you're my FRIEND! And a part of my life!


Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others."
~ Pericles

Tiger Woods did it again..

Tiger woods did it again. Coming from behind to win by 2 strokes. His never give up attitude is what separate him from others. At the age of 31, already won 60 competitions which includes 13 major titles. At the moment, he is The Man in golf.


LEMONT, Ill. -- Remove yourself from all the hype and hysteria surrounding the FedEx Cup. Forget about playoffs and Player of the Year awards and piles of cash. Consider the number 60.


It used to be pretty special in baseball, and remains so in golf.

Tiger Woods does not swat home runs, but he does pile up the PGA Tour hardware. And his victory Sunday at the BMW Championship means that one version of golf's Mount Rushmore will have to make room for the man who threatens to break every meaningful record in the game.

Woods matched the tournament 18-hole record by shooting an 8-under 63 at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, becoming the first player to do so twice. He posted the lowest four-day total (262) in 104 years of tournament competition -- which beat the previous mark by five strokes. He won the tournament that used to be known as the Western Open for the fifth time, just one behind Walter Hagen.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Woods has now won five times at Cog Hill.

And he joined Sam Snead (82), Jack Nicklaus (73), Ben Hogan (64) and Arnold Palmer (62) among those with 60 victories or more in PGA Tour events.


All at age 31.

Even Woods, master of the routine, never one to be overly impressed with himself, acknowledged it is pretty special.

"I never, ever would have dreamt that this could have happened this soon," Woods said. "I've been out here, what, 11 years? This is my 12th season. And to have this many wins ... I just never could have foreseen that.

"I've exceeded my expectations and it's been a lot of fun to enjoy that whole road, that whole process, to get to 60. It's been a lot of work. There have been some changes along the way, you know? But I think that's all been great."

There have been swing changes and equipment changes. He got married, lost a father and brought a child into the world.

But other than a few brief dry periods along the way, not much changes when it comes to winning. Nobody does it better -- or more often -- than Woods. He now has won at least six times in a season five times. This year, four of his six wins have come at the biggest tournaments -- a major (PGA Championship), two World Golf Championship events (CA Championship and Bridgestone Invitational) and now a playoff event.

And his other two victories came at two of the more popular regular tour events, the Buick Invitational and Wachovia Championship.

Perhaps just as remarkable as his number of victories is the speed with which he got there. Nicklaus was 36 years old when he won his 60th title in 1976. Palmer was 41 in 1971 when he won for the 60th time. Woods could take the next five years off and still be on pace to surpass Nicklaus, Hogan and Palmer.

Or, as Justin Rose put it, "I'd have to win 15 times a year for the next four years to get there by the time I'm 31."

Rose played with Woods on Sunday and witnessed a clinic. Trailing by one when the day began, Woods made four birdies on the front nine but could not wrestle the lead away from Aaron Baddeley and Steve Stricker. When he failed to birdie the par-4 10th and the relatively easy par-5 11th, Woods simply became more determined and birdied four of the next five holes. And nobody could catch him.

For the tournament, Woods was third in the field in driving accuracy at more than 80 percent -- a scary proposition when you consider how wayward his drives can be at times. He also never had a three-putt and played just three out of 72 holes over par.

"You could just see him suddenly go into another gear," Rose said. "His focus was on to another level."

It is doubtful that Woods has ever fixed much of a gaze on the highly-promoted FedEx Cup race. He led the points standings for much of the year, stayed away from the first playoff event and fell to fourth in the standings, finished second to Phil Mickelson last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship and watched Lefty ascend to the top spot, and now has it all to himself.

There will no doubt be some fallout from the fact that Woods could be in position to win the $10-million retirement bonus that goes to the winner of the Cup without playing all four tournaments. And he has rendered this week's Tour Championship at East Lake a virtual money grab for all but four other players. Only Stricker, Mickelson, Rory Sabbatini and K.J. Choi will have an opportunity to overtake Woods to win the FedEx Cup.

Given his penchant for paying attention to detail, however, you can bet that Woods will know what he has to do this week to be the inaugural FedEx Cup champion.

Then again, the best way to get there is the only way Woods wants to get there.

"Winning takes care of everything," he said.

And nobody knows that better than Woods.

Bob Harig is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at BobHarig@gmail.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/columns/story?columnist=harig_bob&id=3012258