Birthday week..

Hehe...last week was my birthday week (main day was 6.7.08, same as bro Akmal's).

Nothing major....just hanged out with friends on Wednesday nite. We went to one of the hotels for coffee and cakes. The cakes there are half price after 6pm. Forgot to bring the camera to take pictures of the cakes.

Saturday night had dinner with my GF at one of the retaurant in town (Lush is the name of the place).

I had a plate of Spaghetti. Not to my liking. A bit dry.

My GF had a plate of Chicken with mash potato. Very tasty and better than what i ordered.

I think this is one of a mexican dish called Fajita...tasty. Its like the mexican version of chinese spring roll..:)

On Sunday we went for Japanese style steam boat. Again forgot to take pictures of it. The above pictures were taken from my GF's hand phone.

Family was away so this year did not celebrate with them. GF bought me a pop soda shirt. White colour buttoned. She 'secretly' bought the shirt on Friday. Have already told her no need to get me anything...but she insist.

Thanks again sweety....love the shirt...:)

One year on....

Got this tag from Yatie. Thank you Yatie. Good timing...:)

Will like to share this award to my fellow friends here. To all of you, thank you for your friendships and encouragements. May God bless you always (which also includes silent readers too).

Time sure passed by very fast. On the 6.7.08, will be my 1 year in the blogging world and 30 something years in this world. Here was my first post.

So what is my thoughts after 1 year in the blogging world?

I get to make friends from all over the place. Blogging has made the world smaller. hehe....even met up with one...all the way from US of A..:)

Blogging to me is like visiting a friend's place....thank you to all for welcoming me.

But Daphne is the best, she has met up with some of the top bloggers of Malaysia..:) Good on her. And 6.7.08 is also Akmal's birthday. Happy birthday bro.

For the past few years...usually celebrate my birthday with my friends, girlfriend and the actual day itself with my family. Celebrate with friends...usually go for Karaoke session...:)

But this year....a bit quiet because of high prices of EVERYTHING...just had supper with close friends and dinner with GF. Family is away....so home alone.

Any way...many things to write but just do not know how to put it here. Before i post this...just another round of thanks to all of you.

I sign off with this lovely msg from KL aunty.

Smooth roads never make a good driver :)

smooth sea never make a good sailor :)

clear skies never make a good pilot :)

problems free life never makes a strong person :)

Be strong enough to accept the challenges in life!

Don;t ask life, "Why me?" instead to say "Try me" :)

I wish you the best at all times :)

Memories....

Hope you all will like this song..:)

Can't believe time passed by so fast..on the 6.7.08..will be 1 year since i started blogging.

Will post my thoughts as the day gets closer....in the mean time...have a great week ahead.

Cheers and God bless.

SMS....

Got this from you know who...:)

If Yesterday didn't end up the way YOU planned,
just remember....GOD created TODAY for YOU to
START a new one!

The BEST is yet to come!

Have a great day and weekend, God bless.

Be careful....

Got this from Sting's blog.

I was shocked to read it and will like to share it here so you all be careful and warn your family and friends. Its a real thing that happened to her friend and she shared her friend's email.

Dear all

Hope you are well. Would just like to share with you something that happened yesterday afternoon in hope that the knowledge will help parents prepare against such a happening.

There was an attempt to kidnap my baby from my parents’ house yesterday late afternoon (6.45p.m.). A black coloured car (make unknown) with a young Chinese couple (well dressed, polite and well spoken) came by my parents house. When my mom answered the door bell and went to the front gate they claimed to be relatives of my husband (said my husband’s surname) and that they had been asked the grandmother to come pick up my baby to bring my baby back. My mom told them that she is the grandmother and they responded by saying its my husband’s mom. Luckily my mom told them to wait and that she was going in to call my husband. When she went back into the house (locked both the grill and wooden door after her) and called my husband, they left.

We confirmed with my mother-in-law that she hadn’t send anyone over. Nor did most of his relatives know our house. Have made a police report.

Please take the following precautions (please tell your kids/maids/moms/babysitters):
-Don’t go near the gate – make sure you stand a distance away when you speak with any visitors so that they cant reach and grab you or spray things into your face

- Keep the phone number of the security guard or local police beat in a prominent place both upstairs and downstairs for emergencies.

-Brief (and repeat on and off) your kids/maid/moms/babysitters to never let your children go with anyone other than yourself or to first call and verify and confirm with you.

Tiger Woods..

First off congratulations to Tiger Woods in winning the 2008 US Open. And he did in pain. After not playing for 2 months, recovering from knee surgery after the Masters in April. He came back with out playing any competition or played any 18 holes golf. This open is the best one and it will be the talk of golfers for many years to come.

Can catch the new here ...ESPN.

When i heard that he was playing through pain, i knew he will be out after the US Open and may missed the British Open in July. What i did not know is that he will be missing the rest of 2008 season. Another operation to fix his knee, so that he can continue to play in the long run. Can catch the story here.

After hearing this news, already people are talking that golf attendance might drop because the world top golfer won't be playing. This will give the rest of the players a chance to win some tournament. Tiger's world ranking points is so high, that if he does not play for 2 years, he will still be world number 1 (and it is based on the points between him and world number 2).

Now, what i am peeved about is another golfer who i don;t know either jealous or a bit of ding bat, i am sure Cat Cat and Mr GQ will agree with me..he should have kept his mouth shut. Got this from here. I hope Tiger sees this news and when he comes back, beat the crap out of this ding bat. And he better do not say he was misquoted or that sort thing.

European stars back injured Woods

Some of Europe's top players have backed Tiger Woods after Retief Goosen questioned the severity of the injury he played with in winning the US Open.

The South African suggested Woods, who had a third operation on his left knee in April, could have been faking.

But Woods's announcement on Wednesday that he will miss the rest of the season to have surgery back up claims that players heard noises from his leg.

Woods said he will subsequently miss the Open at Birkdale and the Ryder Cup.

The world number one will also miss the USPGA to have reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and to rehabilitate a double stress fracture of his left tibia which came about in preparation for the US Open.

Speaking to a German television station ahead of the BMW International Open in Munich, two-time US Open champion Goosen said Woods's injury seemed to come and go throughout the tournament.

"It just seemed when he hit bad shots his knee was in pain and on his good shots he wasn't," he said.

Asked if he felt Woods could have been faking it, Goosen said: "I think so. When he made the putts and he went down on his knees and shouting 'yeah', his knee wasn't sore.

Goosen later claimed he was just being "light-hearted," but added: "No-one but Tiger knows how badly hurt he was. But if he was really badly hurt, he would have withdrawn, wouldn't he?"

But Paul Casey said that Robert Karlsson's caddie heard Woods's knee creaking. "He was right there and clearly he was suffering," said Casey. "Noises from the knee doesn't sound good to me."

Niclas Fasth, the defending champion in Munich, said: "I didn't speak to Tiger, but he was obviously hurting."

And Graeme McDowell added: "Tiger is the first person to win a major on one leg - he's the greatest of all time. It was great drama and I don't care if he was injured or not. It made for fantastic television.

"Technically, physically, mentally he's better than everyone else and that's a scary thought. When he is on his game nobody is even close."

Woods play-off win at Torrey Pines secured his 14th major and he is now just four behind Jack Nicklaus's record haul.


Me and some fellow friends...usually say we don;t mind Tiger lose to so and so...like for example, we would not mind if he had lost to Rocco in this US Open.

But there are a few we do not want Tiger to lose to. And this ding bat just made the latest list of golfers we hope Tiger will pounced on.

To Mr Tiger Woods, i hope and pray that the knee surgery will be a success and you will recover well and be ready for 2009. Take care and God bless.

My Baby you...Mark Anthony

This song is dedicated to my girlfriend. Its her birthday today.

Girl,

Just a small dedication to you on this lovely day.

I am thankful that you are in my life.

I am not perfect but will do my best in making you happy.

Life is short and we must lived it to the fullest the best we can.

And i will always love you.


Hope you like this song....:)

Joke....

SMS from you know who....:) Due to recent bad news in the papers, hope this post will cheer you up. Enjoy...:)

What is the difference among girls aged 8,18,28,38,48,58,& 68?!

@8- you take her 2 bed & tell her story.

@18 - U tell her story 2 take her 2 bed.

@28 - U don't need 2 tell her story 2 take her 2 bed.

@38 - She tell U story & take U to bed.

@48 - U tell her story 2 avoid going 2 bed.

@58 - U stay in bed 2 avoid her story.

@68 - If U take her 2 bed, that'll be a STORY!!!

8 million clicks needed...

I got this tag from Monica. Thank you.

Please do this tag...i urge you. It is for a good cause. It is a breast cancer awareness thingy.


I'm sure the issue of breast cancer is painfully close to many people's hearts. To reduce the number of mothers, sisters, daughters and friends lost to this disease, The Breast Cancer Site was founded to help offer free mammograms to women in need, with a particular focus on minorities, low-income, and working-poor women.



Join their efforts together to protect women's health. Just click the pink button at The Breast Cancer Site as many times as possible in order for their premier sponsor to donate $ 10,000 for more free mammograms by this month.

6 (Non)sensical Stuff

Got this from Yatie....thanks again...:)

The rules for this meme are easy:

1. Link to the person that tagged you - Yatie
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag someone.

Hmmm....Not an easy one to do...

1) Do not like most customer services in Malaysia. It seems these people only serve
well to hot shots or VIPs.

2) Do not like bullies of anyforms.

3) I love golf and hope Tiger woods will win next week's US Open.

4) I love to read books (just finished another Ann Rule's book).

5) Really hope the recent oil price increase will not burden the people too much (will see next week, what are the things the government will do to ease the burden).

6) Love Phua Chu Kang.....can never get enough of his entics....:)


Hmmm....probably most of you have done this tag...feel free to do so if you have not.

June 6...64 years ago....

Before i go off on the oil price increase thingy...will like to do this post first.

Every year around this time, i will take a moment to thank the World War 2 veterans and those who fell for what they did on this day.....June 6 1944.

It was the day when Allies (Americans, British, French, Canadians, Polish and etc), stormed the Normandy Beach in France to take back Europe from Hitler's Germany (which had gained control since 1939). Many American soldiers had trained for this crusade and many died on the beach, some without even fired a single shot.

Therefore i am thankful for the sacrifices these men had taken, in wanting to secure a peaceful world.

This post is a salute to the men and women who risked their lives for their families and strangers of the world. The world might have been a different place, had the attacked failed.

And if any readers have relatives that fought in that war, please extend my gratitude. Veterans from that war is getting lesser and lesser each year. We must make sure ...that we won;t forget their sacrifices.

from Wikipedia...

The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied Powers' invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during World War II. D-Day for the operation, postponed 24 hours, became June 6, 1944, H-Hour was 6:30 am. The assault was conducted in two phases: an air assault landing of American and British airborne divisions shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 06:30 British Double Summer Time. It required the transport of soldiers and materiel from England and Wales by troop carrying aeroplanes and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. There were also subsidiary operations to distract the Kriegsmarine and prevent its interference in the landing areas.[1]

The operation was the largest single-day invasion of all time, with over 130,000 troops landed on June 6th 1944. 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel were involved.[2] The landings took place along a stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sections: Gold, Juno, Omaha, Sword and Utah.

The Allies assigned codenames to the various operations involved in the invasion. Overlord was the name assigned to the establishment of a large-scale lodgement on the Continent. The first phase, the establishment of a secure foothold, was codenamed Neptune. According to the D-Day museum:

"The armed forces use codenames to refer to the planning and execution of specific military operations. Operation Overlord was the codename for the Allied invasion of northwest Europe. The assault phase of Operation Overlord was known as Operation Neptune. (...) Operation Neptune began on D-Day (6 June 1944) and ended on 30 June 1944. By this time, the Allies had established a firm foothold in Normandy. Operation Overlord also began on D-Day, and continued until Allied forces crossed the River Seine on 19 August 1944."[3]

A full moon was required both for light, for the aircraft pilots and for the spring tide, effectively limiting the window of opportunity for mounting the invasion to only a few days in each month. Allied Expeditionary Force Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower had tentatively selected June 5 as the date for the assault. Most of May had fine weather, but this deteriorated in early June. On June 4, conditions were clearly unsuitable for a landing; wind and high seas would make it impossible to launch landing craft, and low clouds would prevent aircraft finding their targets. The Allied troop convoys already at sea were forced to take shelter in bays and inlets on the south coast of Britain for the night.

It seemed possible that everything would have to be canceled and the troops returned to their camps (a vast undertaking because the enormous movement of follow-up formations was already proceeding). The next full moon period would be nearly a month away. At a vital meeting on June 5, Eisenhower's chief meteorologist (Group Captain J.M. Stagg) forecast a brief improvement for June 6. General Bernard Montgomery and Eisenhower's Chief of Staff General Walter Bedell Smith wished to proceed with the invasion. Leigh Mallory was doubtful, but Admiral Bertram Ramsay believed that conditions would be marginally favorable. On the strength of Stagg's forecast, Eisenhower ordered the invasion to proceed.

The Germans meanwhile took comfort from the existing poor conditions and believed no invasion would be possible for several days. Some troops stood down, and many senior officers were absent. General Erwin Rommel, for example, took a few days' leave with his wife and family, while dozens of division, regimental, and battalion commanders were away from their posts at war games.

Atlantic Wall
Main articles: Atlantic Wall and English Channel

Standing in the way of the Allies was the English Channel, a crossing which had eluded the Spanish Armada and Napoleon Bonaparte's Navy. Compounding the invasion efforts was the extensive Atlantic Wall, ordered by Hitler in his Directive 51. Believing that any forthcoming landings would be timed for high tide (this caused the landings to be timed for low tide), Rommel had the entire wall fortified with tank top turrets and extensive barbed wire, and laid a million mines to deter landing craft. The sector which was attacked was guarded by four divisions.

Armoured reserves
Rommel's defensive measures were also frustrated by a dispute over armoured doctrine. In addition to his two army groups, von Rundstedt also commanded the headquarters of Panzer Group West under General Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (usually referred to as von Geyr). This formation was nominally an administrative HQ for von Rundstedt's armoured and mobile formations, but it was later to be renamed Fifth Panzer Army and brought into the line in Normandy. Von Geyr and Rommel disagreed over the deployment and use of the vital Panzer divisions.

Rommel recognised that the Allies would possess air superiority and would be able to harass his movements from the air. He therefore proposed that the armoured formations be deployed close to the invasion beaches. In his words, it was better to have one Panzer division facing the invaders on the first day, than three Panzer divisions three days later when the Allies would already have established a firm beachhead. Von Geyr argued for the standard doctrine that the Panzer formations should be concentrated in a central position around Paris and Rouen, and deployed en masse against the main Allied beachhead when this had been identified.

The argument was eventually brought before Hitler for arbitration. He characteristically imposed an unworkable compromise solution. Only three Panzer divisions were given to Rommel, too few to cover all the threatened sectors. The remainder, nominally under Von Geyr's control, were actually designated as being in "OKW Reserve". Only three of these were deployed close enough to intervene immediately against any invasion of Northern France, the other four were dispersed in southern France and the Netherlands. Hitler reserved to himself the authority to move the divisions in OKW Reserve, or commit them to action. On June 6, many Panzer division commanders were unable to move because Hitler had not given the necessary authorisation, and his staff refused to wake him upon news of the invasion.

The 21st Panzer Division (Generalmajor Edgar Feuchtinger) was deployed near Caen as a mobile striking force as part of the Army Group B reserve. However, Rommel placed it so close to the coastal defenses that, under standing orders in case of invasion, several of its infantry and anti-aircraft units would come under the orders of the fortress divisions on the coast, reducing the effective strength of the division.
The other mechanized divisions capable of intervening in Normandy were retained under the direct control of the German Armed Forces HQ (OKW) and were initially denied to Rommel

The various factions and circuits of the French Resistance were included in the plan for Overlord. Through a London-based headquarters which supposedly embraced all resistance groups, Etat-major des Forces Françaises de l'Interieur (EMFFI), the British Special Operations Executive orchestrated a massive campaign of sabotage tasking the various Groups with attacking railway lines, ambushing roads, or destroying telephone exchanges or electrical substations. The resistance was alerted to carry out these tasks by means of the messages personnels, transmitted by the BBC in its French service from London. Several hundred of these were regularly transmitted, masking the few of them that were really significant.

Among the stream of apparently meaningless messages broadcast by the BBC at 21:00 CET on June 5, were coded instructions such as Les carottes sont cuites ("The carrots are cooked") and Les dés sont jetés ("The dice have been thrown").[11]

One famous pair of these messages is often mistakenly stated to be a general call to arms by the Resistance. A few days before D-Day, the (slightly misquoted) first line of Verlaine's poem, Chanson d'Automne, was transmitted. "Les sanglots longs des violons de l'automne"[12][13] (Long sobs of autumn violins) alerted the resistance of the "Ventriloquist" network in the Orléans region to attack rail targets within the next few days. The second line, "Bercent mon coeur d'une langueur monotone" ("soothes my heart with a monotonous languor"), transmitted late on June 5, meant that the attack was to be mounted immediately.

Josef Götz, the head of the signals section of the German intelligence service (the SD) in Paris, had discovered the meaning of the second line of Verlaine's poem, and no fewer than fourteen other executive orders they heard late on June 5. His section rightly interpreted them to mean that invasion was imminent or underway, and they alerted their superiors and all Army commanders in France. However, they had issued a similar warning a month before, when the Allies had begun invasion preparations and alerted the Resistance, but then stood down because of a forecast of bad weather. The SD having given this false alarm, their genuine alarm was ignored or treated as merely routine. Fifteenth Army HQ passed the information on to its units; Seventh Army ignored it.[13]

In addition to the tasks given to the Resistance as part of the invasion effort, the Special Operations Executive planned to reinforce the Resistance with three-man liaison parties, under Operation Jedburgh. The Jedburgh parties would coordinate and arrange supply drops to the Maquis groups in the German rear areas. Also operating far behind German lines and frequently working closely with the Resistance, although not under SOE, were larger parties from the British, French and Belgian units of the Special Air Service brigade
Sword Beach
Main article: Sword Beach

British troops take cover after landing on Sword Beach.The assault on Sword Beach began at about 03:00 with an aerial bombardment of the German coastal defences and artillery sites. The naval bombardment began a few hours later. At 07:30, the first units reached the beach. These were the DD tanks of 13th/18th Hussars followed closely by the infantry of 8th Brigade.

On Sword Beach, the regular British infantry came ashore with light casualties. They had advanced about 8 kilometres (5 mi) by the end of the day but failed to make some of the deliberately ambitious targets set by Montgomery. In particular, Caen, a major objective, was still in German hands by the end of D-Day, and would remain so until the Battle for Caen, August 8.

1st Special Service Brigade, under the command of Brigadier The Lord Lovat DSO, MC, went ashore in the second wave led by No.4 Commando with the two French Troops first, as agreed amongst themselves. The 1st Special Service Brigade's landing is famous for having been led by Piper Bill Millin. The British and French of No.4 Commando had separate targets in Ouistreham: the French a blockhouse and the Casino, and the two German batteries which overlooked the beach. The blockhouse proved too strong for the Commandos' PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti Tank) weapons, but the Casino was taken with the aid of a Centaur tank. The British Commandos achieved both battery objectives only to find the gun mounts empty and the guns removed. Leaving the mopping-up procedure to the infantry, the Commandos withdrew from Ouistreham to join the other units of their brigade (Nos.3, 6 and 45), moving inland to join-up with the 6th Airborne Division.

Juno Beach
Main article: Juno Beach
The Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach faced 11 heavy batteries of 155 mm guns and 9 medium batteries of 75 mm guns, as well as machine-gun nests, pillboxes, other concrete fortifications, and a seawall twice the height of the one at Omaha Beach. The first wave suffered 50% casualties, the second highest of the five D-Day beachheads. The use of armour was successful at Juno, in some instances actually landing ahead of the infantry as intended and helping clear a path inland.[15]


Personnel of Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando "W" landing on Mike Beach, Juno sector of the Normandy beachhead. June 6, 1944.Despite the obstacles, the Canadians were off the beach within hours and beginning their advance inland. The 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) and The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada achieved their June 6 objectives, when they crossed the Caen–Bayeux highway over 15 kilometres (9 mi) inland.[16] The Canadians were the only units to reach their D-Day objectives, although most units fell back a few kilometres to stronger defensive positions. In particular, the Douvres Radar Station was still in German hands, and no link had been established with Sword Beach.

By the end of D-Day, 15,000 Canadians had been successfully landed, and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division had penetrated further into France than any other Allied force, despite having faced strong resistance at the water's edge and later counterattacks on the beachhead by elements of the German 21st and 12th SS Hitlerjugend Panzer divisions on June 7 and June 8.


[edit] Gold Beach
Main article: Gold Beach
At Gold Beach, the casualties were also quite heavy, partly because the swimming Sherman DD tanks were delayed, and the Germans had strongly fortified a village on the beach. However, the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division overcame these difficulties and advanced almost to the outskirts of Bayeux by the end of the day. With the exception of the Canadians at Juno Beach, no division came closer to its objectives than the 50th.

No.47 (RM) Commando was the last British Commando unit to land and came ashore on Gold east of Le Hamel. Their task was to proceed inland then turn right (west) and make a 16-kilometre (10 mi) march through enemy territory to attack the coastal harbour of Port en Bessin from the rear. This small port, on the British extreme right, was well sheltered in the chalk cliffs and significant in that it was to be a prime early harbour for supplies to be brought in including fuel by underwater pipe from tankers moored offshore.


[edit] Omaha Beach
Main article: Omaha Beach

U.S. Army troops wade ashore on Omaha Beach during the landings, 6 June 1944. They were brought to the beach by a Coast Guard manned LCVP.
Survivors of a sunken troop transport wade ashore on Omaha Beach.Elements of the 1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division faced the veteran German 352nd Infantry Division, one of the best trained on the beaches. Allied intelligence failed to realize that the relatively low-quality 716th Infantry Division (static) had been replaced by the 352nd the previous March. Omaha was also the most heavily fortified beach, with high bluffs defended by funneled mortars, machine guns, and artillery, and the pre-landing aerial and naval bombardment of the bunkers proved to be ineffective. Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of landings to drift eastwards, missing their assigned sectors, and the initial assault waves of tanks, infantry and engineers took heavy casualties. The official record stated that "within 10 minutes of the ramps being lowered, [the leading] company had become inert, leaderless and almost incapable of action. Every officer and sergeant had been killed or wounded […] It had become a struggle for survival and rescue". Only a few gaps were blown in the beach obstacles, resulting in problems for subsequent landings. The heavily defended draws, the only vehicular routes off the beach, could not be taken and two hours after the first assault the beach was closed for all but infantry landings. Commanders (including General Omar Bradley) considered abandoning the beachhead, but small units of infantry, often forming ad hoc groups, supported by naval artillery and the surviving tanks, eventually infiltrated the coastal defenses by scaling the bluffs between strongpoints. Further infantry landings were able to exploit the initial penetrations and by the end of the day two isolated footholds had been established. American casualties at Omaha on D-Day numbered around 3,000 out of 34,000 men, most in the first few hours, while the defending forces suffered 1,200 killed, wounded or missing. The tenuous beachhead was expanded over the following days, and the original D-Day objectives were accomplished by D+3.


[edit] Pointe du Hoc
Main article: Pointe du Hoc
The massive concrete cliff-top gun emplacement at Pointe du Hoc was the target of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, commanded by James Earl Rudder. The task was to scale the 30 metre (100 ft) cliffs under enemy fire with ropes and ladders, and then attack and destroy the German coastal defense guns, which were thought to command the Omaha and Utah landing areas. The Ranger commanders did not know that the guns had been moved prior to the attack, and they had to press farther inland to find them but eventually destroyed them. However, the beach fortifications themselves were still vital targets since a single artillery forward observer based there could have called down accurate fire on the U.S. beaches. The Rangers were eventually successful, and captured the fortifications. They then had to fight for two days to hold the location, losing more than 60% of their men.


[edit] Utah Beach
Main article: Utah Beach
Casualties on Utah Beach, the westernmost landing zone, were the lightest of any beach, with 197 out of the roughly 23,000 troops that landed. The 4th Infantry Division troops landing at Utah Beach found themselves in the wrong positions because of a current that pushed their landing craft to the southeast. Instead of landing at Tare Green and Uncle Red sectors, they came ashore at Victor sector, which was lightly defended, and as a result, relatively little German opposition was encountered. The 4th Infantry Division was able to press inland relatively easily over beach exits that had been seized from the inland side by the 502nd and 506th Parachute Infantry Regiments of the 101st Airborne Division. This was partially by accident, because their planned landing was further down the beach (Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr, the Asst. Commander of 4th Division, upon discovering the landings were off course, was famous for stating "We will start the war from right here.") . By early afternoon, the 4th Infantry Division had succeeded in linking up with elements of the 101st. American casualties were light, and the troops were able to press inward much faster than expected, making it a near-complete success.


[edit] War memorials and tourism

The Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.The beaches at Normandy are still referred to on maps and signposts by their invasion codenames. There are several vast cemeteries in the area. The American cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, contains row upon row of identical white crosses and Stars of David, immaculately kept, commemorating the American dead. Commonwealth graves, in many locations, use white headstones engraved with the person's religious symbol and their unit insignia. The largest cemetery in Normandy is the La Cambe German war cemetery, which features granite stones almost flush with the ground and groups of low-set crosses. There is also a Polish cemetery.


The German War cemetery in La CambeStreets near the beaches are still named after the units that fought there, and occasional markers commemorate notable incidents. At significant points, such as Pointe du Hoc and Pegasus Bridge, there are plaques, memorials or small museums. The Mulberry harbour still sits in the sea at Arromanches. In Sainte-Mère-Église, a dummy paratrooper hangs from the church spire. On Juno Beach, the Canadian government has built the Juno Beach Information Centre, commemorating one of the most significant events in Canadian military history. In Caen is a large Museum for Peace, which is dedicated to peace generally, rather than only to the battle.

Nice words....

Hehe..no need to mentioned who sent this...:) Will like to share with all of you.

ABCD_FGH_JK_NOPQR_TUVWXYZ...

Where are E,I,L,M & S?

Hmmm....i told them to appear on your face, to make you "SMILE"!

So, keep on smilling always. Cheers..:)

Man...is he stupid or what.. (if the case is true)

From Star...

Lets hope this is not sweep under the carpet (if the case is true).

Ministry waiting for Taiwan molest facts

PETALING JAYA: The Tourism Ministry is waiting for the case facts regarding a Malaysian tourism deputy director reportedly arrested for molesting a female shop assistant in Taiwan, before deciding on the next course of action.

“We cannot take action just based on media reports. If there is a case, we will refer it to the disciplinary board for further action,” Tourism Ministry director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said yesterday.

“We are waiting for the facts of the case from his superior,” he added.

On Thursday, it was reported that Ahmad Junaidy Yahya, deputy director of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board’s representative office in Taiwan, was detained on Tuesday evening for allegedly groping a woman’s back and private parts.

He was questioned by the police but released on Wednesday morning after apologising to the victim. But she reserved the right to press charges of sexual harassment.

“The disciplinary board will have to consider the gravity of the situation, but the maximum penalty is expulsion,” said Mirza, who earlier launched the Asia International Tourism Expo (AITE) 2008 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here.

On the three-day expo, Mirza said it was a good platform for smaller players in the travel industry to show what they had to offer, as “it is very expensive for small players to take part in big international fairs.”

He said that there were some 156 international buyers and 71 seller organisations at this “maiden expo.”

It is jointly organised by the Association of Tours and Travel Agents, the Bumiputra Tours and Travel Agents Association, the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association and the Malaysian Indian Tourism Association, in close relationship with the Tourism Ministry and Tourism Malaysia.

Nice words....

Another gem by KL aunty....:)

Do u get the feeling....

that someone is thinking about u

in a special way...

U're right...it's me sending

happy thoughts your way to wish

u a great day and have a happy weekend:...Cheers...:)

What have i read lately...

For the past month, i have been reading these books. "Every breath you take by Ann Rule", "Inside Laci Peterson murder by Michael Freeman" and "First to die by James Patterson.

Loan from my aunty. Very interesting books, two are based on real stories and the other are fiction.

Start off with Ann Rule's "Every Breath you take".



ISBN: 0743224000
A True Story of Erotic Obsession, Revenge, and Murder

http://www.highlandco.org/BookReviews/Staffrev2.html

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you


The true story of the murder of Sheila Bellush takes its title from the 1983 Police song "Every Breath You Take," and the lyrics quoted above chillingly illustrate the obsession that led to the crime. Allen Blackthorne never forgot that his ex-wife Sheila had defeated him in court, so he hired someone to murder her almost ten years after they divorced. This book is as much about the making of a sociopath as it is the narrative of a woman's life cut short as her children watched helplessly.
Allen Blackthorne was a sadist from the time he was a child who intentionally caused the death of a family pet.

Author Ann Rule traces the history of violence, neglect, and sexual abuse that were Allen's heritage from generations past. Sheila Bellush, his ex-wife, feared for her life even after escaping Allen, remarrying, giving much-publicized birth in Texas to quadruplets, and moving to Florida. What makes this book unique is that it may well be the first book ever to be written at the request of the crime victim. According to Sheila Bellush's sister, Sheila had read several of Ann Rule's books, and during a televised version of Rule's best-selling book Dead by Sunset, she made the request, "If anything should happen to me, find Ann Rule and ask her to write my story." Every Breath You Take is the fulfillment of that tragic request.

Rule helpfully includes a "Cast of Characters" section, a necessary addition to help the reader sort out family members, friends, neighbors, multiple ex-spouses, and law enforcement officials in two states. The "Author's Note" details how the case finally came to the attention of Ann Rule, and the book is very appropriately dedicated to Sheila Bellush and her children, with Rule saying, "I hope I got it right." Twenty-four pages of photos chronicle happier times in the lives of the victim and her family, the crime scene, and courtroom shots of those involved in the conspiracy to kill. In an afterword, Rule speculates on what could cause an intelligent, attractive millionaire like Allen Blackthorne to detach from human feeling to the point that he was able to have the mother of his children murdered in cold blood. Unfortunately, the answers remain murky.

Every Breath You Take is also available abridged on audio cassette and CD, with the author's note and afterward read by Ann Rule herself. Although this book is not as compelling as Rule's The Stranger Beside Me, in which she chronicles the crimes of serial killer Ted Bundy (another case in which she was personally involved), Every Breath You Take is a recommended book for those interested in true crime and its psychology.


My take on this book; as the author gives the historical background on the people involve...it shows a series of broken marriages and the lost of family value. I.e Allen blackthorne(the master mind behind the murder of his ex wife), his own father married 3 times. He himself married 3 times too.

This book is intersting to read because the victim herself was the one who contacted the author and had also told her own sister that should anything happend to her...must investigate her death. It was as if the victim knew something bad will happend. It is a sad case for all involved.

Check out this news link if want to know more.

http://www.sptimes.com/News/webspecials/ongoing/bellush.murder/default.html

Japanese Name- tag

Thank you Monica for the tag!!!

For the instructions, add your name on the list and simply spell out your name using the given Japanese letter- translations below. Tag six of your friends and inform them of the tag. Have fun.

TRANSLATION:
A - ka
F - lu
K - me
P - no
U - do
Z - zi
B - tu
G - ji
L - ta
Q - ke
V - ru
C - mi
H - ri
M - rin
R - shi
W - mei
D - te
I - ki
N - to
S - ari
X - na
E - ku
J - zu
O - mo
T - chi
Y - fu

1. OSWALD - moarimeikatate (sounds like america and states. har…. har… har…)

2. CHLOE - Miritamoku — Um…think I still prefer my given name, ha ha

3. GENG – Jikutoji — Actually, I think its cute sounding. Arigato gozaimasu!

4. CONSTANCE - Mimoto arichi katomiku — WOW! Does it sound like an authentic Japanese cuisine? YIKES! I broke it up cos it was quite a mouthful!

5. DORA - Temoshika – Sounds pretty good huh?! Does it mean beautiful woman?

6. Sting - Arichi Kitoji - Sounds like a guy's name but at least it rhymes! LOL!!

7. Amidrin - Karinki Teshikito (I was deciding between Karinki Teshikito or Karinkites Hikito. LOL... still the english name sounds much better.)

8. Osindak - Moari Kitotekame (I sound very Japanese! LOL)

9. Monica - Rinmotokimika (lol, it sounds so funny)

10. Nightwing - Tokijirichi Meikitoji.....:)

Feel free to join in...:)

Strong winds...

My city has been hit by strong wind and rain since Saturday nite, Sunday evening, Tuesday nite was the strongest by far. It seems the strong wind and rain are tail end of a typhoon from Philipines.

The strong wind on Sunday...quite a number of trees was down. Even cause one of the high way traffic jam cause of fallen trees.

The weather in the world is really something. Cyclone in Myanmar, volcanoe eruptions in Chile, earthquake in China....what's next?

"Mama"....Happy Mother's Day.

This post is dedicated to all mothers and my fellow blogging friends. I post this early in case i forget or busy this weekend.

Borrow from KL Aunty...

"LIFE comes only once,

Enjoy it to the fullest,

Try not to be 'Angry or Sad',

Because every minute of your anger and sadness,

U lose 60 seconds of Happiness.

Have a good..:) Happy..:) and Smilling day..:)"

HAPPY MOTHER's DAY!!!!

God bless always.


Hope you all will like this song.

Tags

Got this from Monica. Thanks again...:)

*START COPY*In order to be able to achieve and maintain happiness we need to, actively, be able to do two things:

1. Complain and then let go (Dump the baggage, the roadblocks to happiness.)

2. Openly Express Gratitude (The open expression of gratitude promotes happiness.)After all, everyone has something to be grateful for and/or something to complain about. If you would like to accept the challenge, please follow the appropriate link and do so: "Are You Grateful?", "Complain Complain Complain."Contributors to Are You Grateful & Complain Complain Complain:

1-Attitude, the Ultimate Power 2-Max 3-DianaCA's Metamorphoses 4-Mental Poo 5-My Thoughts 6-Baba Doodlius 7-Wake Up America 8-Life is a Roller Coaster 9-Life is Beautiful 10-pinay mommy's love blog 11-My Happiness Haven 12-And Life Goes On for a Filipino Mom 13-Blessed Sanctuary 14-Expressions And Thoughts 15-Memories by Jenn 16-Reminiscence of My Adventures 17-In the Life of Mne 18-Juliana's Lair 19-Pinay Wahm 20-Lucid Creativity 21-Winged Words 22-Irresistible Fascinations 23-A Little Time 24-See Me For What You Will 25-Greatest Reviews 26-ETC ATBP 27-Gandacious 28-We Are Family 29-Journey to this thing called LIFE 30-http://www.rajeshrana.net/ 31-http://www.rajeshrana.com/ 32-BaReFooTeD Me 33-Uncomplicated 34-Points of View 35-Pride & Prejudice 36-Colorful World 37-Nora's Notes 38-A Daily Walk With Bill & Gina 39-Strange but True 40-Everything Under The Sun ( Beth Rebokon ) 41-Kaleidoscope 42-Fil-Oz Blog 43-By Oscar Luiz 44-Comedy Plus 45-Blogging by Sandee 46-Soul Meets World 47-Mae's Memoirs 48-Beyond the Rave Reality 49-Amori, poesie, arte, chat by Hanna 50-Attached at the Hip 51-Carver's Sight or is that Site? 52-Empress Reviews 53-Simple Pleasures In My Heart 54-Lourdes' mia 55-A Grateful Heart 56-Majorsleepyhead 57-Scrappy n Happy in Ohio 58-CHOC MINT GIRL 59-Extraordinary Things 60-ZOOROPAZOO 61-BeNolSatuEm 62-As The World Turns 63-Your Caring Angels 64-Life Is Wonderful To Know Everyday 65-Sugar Magnolias 66-Little Peanut 67-Creative In Me 68-Me and Mine 69-Pea in a Pod 70-the diary of the Pink & Brown Wedding 71-good thoughts, good trades, good life 72-My Blog - all things me 73-Rainbows 74-Little Corner of Mine 75-Me, Myself and I 76-My Planet Purple 77-Amel's Realm 78-A Handful of Surprises 79-A Detour 80-Something Purple 81-Vanity Kit 82-Are You Grateful? 83-A Simple Life 84-BlogTips.Com 85-Balitang Kalye 86-Mariuca 87- Emila Yusof 88-A Total Blog 89-My Life in this Wonderful World 90-MommyAllehs 91-Things That Suck 92-A Mother's Stuff 93-Princess Vien 94-My Inner Thoughts Revealed 95-Roxiticus Desperate Housewives 96-Apples Of The Eyes 97-Nita's Random Thoughts 98-Nita's Corner 99-Thomas Digital Services 100-A Mother's Thoughts 101-Meltwater. Torrents. Meanderings. Delta 102-My Perfect Escape 103-Vanidosa. Marie 104-Confessions of a Supermodel Wannabe 105-Lynda's Loft 106-Listening..Learning..Living 107-LadyJava's Lounge 108-Asian Mutt International 109-Turn-u-Off 110-Carpe Diem

Hope i am doing it right. For me i choose 'Grateful'.

Things i am grateful for: 1) For accepting Christ in my life.

2) Close with my aunties and uncles.

3) Great GF/Future wife.

4) Having friends who i can always count on, be it good time or bad.

5) Meet great people in the internet world (blogging / facebook).

*END COPY*

Follow up....

This is total BS...Insane? An insane guy can fly to Thailand for holidays?



From CNN.


Lawyer prepares insanity defense for incest captor


AMSTETTEN, Austria (CNN) -- The Austrian who reportedly admitted holding his daughter captive for 24 years and fathering seven children with her will plead insanity, his lawyer said.

Attorney Rudolf Mayer said he believed 73-year-old Josef Fritzl had a mental disorder, The Associated Press reported. Mayer said someone who was mentally ill "didn't choose" to do what police allege he did.

Mayer said Fritzl would be confined to a psychiatric institution rather than a prison if he was certified as insane and convicted, AP reported.

Police said last week that Fritzl had confessed to imprisoning his daughter in a secret cellar dungeon in his home, fathering seven children with her and burning the body of one who died in infancy in a furnace.

Meanwhile, Fritzl's sister-in-law has said his wife did not know her daughter was held captive in their basement for decades because she had been trained not to ask questions under her husband's tyrannical rule of the household, .

He was such a tyrant," said the woman identified only as Christine R. in a Saturday interview conducted and translated by AP.

"He tolerated no dissent," Christine R. added.

"Listen, if I was scared myself -- I was scared of him at a family party and I did not feel confident to say anything in any form that could possibly offend him -- then you can imagine how it was for a woman who spent so many years with him."
In the televised interview, Christine R. added detail to the bizarre story of 73-year-old Fritzl who was recently arrested and confessed to holding his daughter captive in a dungeon under the home for decades, repeatedly raping her and fathering seven kids -- with six of them surviving.

Christine R. also said Fritzl committed an unrelated rape in 1967, served 18 months in prison for that crime and that her sister continued to stay married to him in a desperate attempt to keep their family together.

Recent media reports also claimed Fritzl had been convicted of rape. Austrian police have said they are looking into the claims.

The horrifying story has shocked many locally and across the world. On Sunday, members of the Amstetten religious community held a Mass to remember Fritzl's family. After the Mass, members of the church signed a banner outside a church in support of the victims.

The story of the family's imprisonment began to unravel two weeks ago, when Fritzl's daughter, Kerstin Fritzl, fell seriously ill with convulsions and was hospitalized.

The 19-year-old girl, who had been locked in the basement her entire life along with her mother and two brothers, was in an artificially induced coma in an Amstetten clinic. She was suffering from a kidney ailment that worsened because she did not receive medial treatment sooner, authorities said.

Fritzl told his wife that their daughter Elisabeth, who is now 42, ran away from home at age 18.

The couple adopted three of the children who Josef said were left on their doorstep as infants by his runaway daughter.

In the interview Christine R. said her sister, Rosemarie, truly thought that her daughter had ran away to join a cult.

"She never believed him being capable of it," said Christine R. "We were all taken in by him and believed that she (referring to Elizabeth), was in a cult and that she wouldn't come out."

It may have been Fritzl's strict rule over the household that made it possible for him to keep his gruesome secret hidden for so long, Christine R. said.

The unspeakable ordeal has taken a toll on the whole family, Christine R. said, stating that she spoke to her sister on the phone recently.

"Five or six days after Kerstin went to the hospital I called my sister and asked her how the girl was doing," Christine R. said. "She said that she herself was doing badly, and the girl herself was doing badly and she wished with all of her heart that the girl would pull through."

Fritzl is being held in police custody. He has yet to be charged, but he can be held by police for 14 days without formal charges while the investigation is under way. That amount of time can be extended by a judge.

Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.