WHO COULD TAKE OVER THE SPIDEY SUIT?

If you have not heard about the news that Sony Pictures has scrapped the plan for Spider-Man 4 and instead going for the reboot button for a new fresh air, where were you? It comes to no surprise because of politics in ideas and opinions, director of three previous Spidey movie Sam Raimi and Sony were in head-butt situation over the script and what's not. For sure, those hopes to see Sam Raimi making another Spider-Man movie with the familiar faces like Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will not materialize. Read here, here and here for more.

So, Empire Online has been kind enough to make this. Well, as always, I'm not the kind of person who loves to predict what is going to happen. I am not a fortune-teller and I am not so into fortune cookie either. But, let's ask yourself this - DO YOU NEED ANOTHER SPIDER-MAN THAT GOES TO HIGH SCHOOL (AGAIN)?

What did the fortune teller back at Empire Online told you? Oh, here are top ten choices for the next Peter Parker.

(1) ZAC EFRON

High School Musical lead and considered as studio frontrunner. Young, charming but too pretty for Peter Parker role.

(2) JIM STURGESS

You have seen in Across The Universe and 21. Good actor and have great fond for his role in Sony's 21 but he is 32.

(3) REEVE CARNEY

Current choice for planned Broadway Spider-Man. Not a familiar face you may know but this option is good too.

(4) ANTON YELCHIN

As Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation and Chekov in Star Trek. Impressive year for this lad but I hope he don't speak Russian if he is indeed Peter Parker.

(5) DANIEL RADCLIFFE

Who else if he is not Harry Potter? Still young and will probably need to drop his British accent for the role, and also he is too short for Peter Parker.

(6) ROBERT PATTINSON

Edward of Twilight may venture into Spidey? Possible and since he is the biggest young people draw at the moment. The issues were his hair and pale face.

(7) JAKE GYLLENHALL

Tobey Maguire's brother in Brothers and also will be bigger in Prince of Persia. His name appeared when Maguire wasn't able to return for Spider-Man 2 because of back injury. But he is too old for a reboot.

(8) AARON JOHNSON

He will kicking ass in Kick-Ass. His role in Kick-Ass looks the same with the reboot settings - in a high school and as a superhero.

(9) JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT

He is from (500) Days of Summer and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. If Marc Webb is in, I think he will be too. He is versatile - romantic (Summer), action (G.I. Joe) and funny (3rd Rock From The Sun) but he is approaching 30.

(10) JOSH HUTCHERSON

Bridge to Terabithia, Cirque Du Freak and Journey to the Centre of the Earth star. He's 18 and what an appropriate age for the reboot. But again, he is even shorter than Harry Potter or maybe his growth spurt has accelerated.

So, here are the top ten guessing names for a possible replacement for Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. What say you? Yet still, is it necessary to have another Spider-Man movie that deals with high school?

MALAYSIA INTERNET SLOW LIKE HELL!!

The internet connection is a holy grail when we are talking about how fast the connectivity and surfing experience is. What is the use when you have an internet router service but you find it so frustrating when the speed you pay for is not even match in what you were told. 2Mbps as promised by the provider turned out in real life is only 2kbps. Frustrating? Yes indeed.

The faster the connection is, the more enjoyment in surfing the world wide web is, or the faster files travel across the user and recipients, or even the faster a file is downloaded. Well at least that is the stuffs we ever keep imagining that someday that will happen. In Malaysia however, we rarely enjoy a real "fast" internet connection. Call us the first world country with third world mentality and facilities.

Of course nevertheless, we have so much failed advertisements around us. Heartache but true, a slow internet connection can make a country less attractive. Foreign investors knew how dreadful our internet line is till they made this comment.

First we have the POTONG SAGA (not so related though)

Then we have the POTONG ads by P1

Now, you have the WHY POTONG ads by TMNet to counter the POTONG P1 Wimax ads

Regardless which site you are choosing, the losers are still you and the winners are still them. Why we are still listening to their crap when in the end of the day, they don't give you what they promised?

P1 Wimax has a higher speed than Streamyx but the connection is really unstable, so people said. Test running on P1 (I am writing this post while surfing Facebook, Tweet Deck and watching Zombieland online), I have to say that this is fairly stable. Probably P1 trying to lure me in by giving me a stable line. However according to the owner of the P1 set, things can be pretty ugly as well on time. The red lights on one of the LED indicator can be very annoying. When it is red, it is disconnected. Say I am lucky or what!? As far as I can see, the lights are still blipping blue.

TM Net unveiled their so called fastest ever, most coverage and most stable. Streamyx of course is nothing but a slow-speed yet fairly stable internet connection at least what people said. Test running on TM Net, I have to say it is as bad as you can imagine off. The line is actually fluctuate; in terms of speed or stability. When you download, it can get very frustrating because the ETA timer says 99 hours to go. The worst, the so called fast connection becomes slow due to bandwidth. In the end, you got no value.

In the nutshell, P1 Wimax may still have the edge over TM Net Streamyx. Claimed the fastest or what ever to poison our mind. The facts will remain the facts. When you have both, you do not actually have much choices to choose for.

According to the international web server testing site, SpeedTest.net placed Malaysia pathetically at number 87 for its download speed and disastrous number 79 in upload speed.

South Korea has the highest download speed in the world with 22.59 Mbps (average value of course), while Malaysia only has 1/11 of their speed. If downloading a movie file with 120 kbps is consider fast for us, try times 11 of that - 1.32 Mbps.

So, when they announced that the lucky Malaysian will get a "true" high speed broadband connection in the next 7 years, which will be monopoly by TM Net, you know they are just a bunch of cuckoos and greedy people.

Too bad that we as the Malaysian consumer can't have their complaint getting fixed. The reason when you dialed 100 and no one really cares about your complaints is relatively understandable. Who cares about you when they have already monopoly everything.

GOOD LUCK MALAYSIAN!!!

THE H1N1 SAGA IS HERE...

The outbreak of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic seems like to be the most talked about story yet so far. It was only last month that the total of cases of reported to the Ministry of Health was only less than 150. However, a full month later, the number of cases leaps more than 600% to over 1,100 cases. Only in this week alone, 4 deaths were reported.

I sensed that with the outbreak been a little beyond and out of control where more than 50 cases reported daily, it was not that hard to convince myself that someday the outbreak will eventually hit the area inside my campus fences. What feared the most were that the outbreak will become more widespread and situation might get worst with time.

The prediction eventually came true on Sunday (July 26, 2009). Not that I am glad that this thing had happen but the implications will not be pleasing at all. With the difficulty to content the widespread, the pandemic will eventually hit the campus finally if not now. With the announcement that the Influenza A (H1N1) has finally arrived, my campus was officially shut down for a period of a week.

Guess what happen and that day, it kinds of making me frustrated and irritated.

DAYS BEFORE: There were reports of students in the hostel fell ill with showing symptoms of flu-like

SUNDAY (26 JULY): An estimated more than 50 students were ill and shows flu-like symptoms in the hostel. Suspected cases of H1N1 were reported and the hostel administration received letter from the MOH to shut down the hostel for a week for quarantine purposes.

MONDAY (27 JULY):
8.00 am – Class as usual as if nothing had happen. I arrived at my campus and there are many students still around.
9.26 am – Some students informed our lecturer that the students should go back to the hostel or their home with immediate effects. Hoax or false alarm you may call it but it eventually was true.
9.54 am – Now I felt limbo because since there were official announcement been made on the official university site or from any notice board, I cannot leave just like that. The administration was still discussing whether total shut down is necessary (WHAT!!)
10.40 am – Morning classes for my faculty has been cancelled but afternoon classes still in limbo.
10.52 am – I went to library but it was closed. I realized that the laboratory, computer lab and clinics were closed, leaving me nowhere to go.
12.30 pm – Afternoon classes were cancelled but classes for the next day remains in limbo. For update, we have to stick ourselves to the Facebook. (AGAIN WHAT!!)
2.54pm – I received text from a friend of mine that the classes will be suspended for a week.

What irritates me is the fact that they were so limbo and inefficient in taking actions.

1. If there are students been infected and been asked to close down the hostel, why didn’t they do it in the first place on Sunday night? They still allowed students to leave the hostel for classes when quarantine was supposed to be undergone. So what happen to the “Quarantine”?
2. If the hostel was closed, why didn’t the campus been closed at the first place? If no one was supposed to leave the hostel, how many people will attend for classes then? With more than half of the students staying in hostels, would it be logical that classes still be held?
3. When instructed to return to the hostel and while other students from other faculty have done so, why do we have to wait for so long for a so-called ‘Official Decision” to be announced? If the classes needed to be suspended in the wake of such circumstances, why would they need to discuss for such a length until a decision was made?

Logically, should they take the actions sterner and appropriately in the first place? Why risk more local transmission among the students who went to the campus because they didn’t shut down the hostel in the first place? Why would take a long time to decide what to do?

In emergency time when outbreaks occur, would you expect things like this to occur? Blame it on the bureaucracy, please! Things like this should not have happen. Failed professionalism, failed mentality. That’s Malaysia.

NOW ALMOST EVERYONE CAN FLY

Hello people, I am currently in my hometown in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Since I stay in Kuala Lumpur for much of the time for study commitment and considering the fact that both cities are seperated by the South China Sea, air transportation is the only medium available to connect both cities.

For those who never fly before, you will probably can't imagine those excitement and experience while boarding a plane to go from point A to point B. Yet, with the continuous effort and competition between air traveling companies, now almost everyone can fly. Air Asia, Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and many other companies are begining to offer a much affordable fare for people to travel, thus boosting the local tourism and the frequency of people like me to travel back to their hometown. Promotions of low fare , more additional customer friendly-services as well as more approaches for low budget travels has been a tool to beautify the ads section of newspaper and other forms of media these days, so I believe that now almost everycone can fly.



With modern and enhanced technology, now you can buy a ticket via internet, no longer depends solely on ticket booking that need to be purchased from a conventional travel agency. There is also lesser need for the traveler to need to keep the ticket anymore because these days, everything can be done via online - with no tickets and free-seating approaches. While purchasing tickets have become easier these days, the excitement of air travel still ignited with the need for one to board a plane. for my flight home today, I was only given a piece of printed paper that contains my particulars, flight code and time. Long gone the days we need any papered-tickets.

For those who never or seldom fly, I think it is best for me to tell you how is the procedures. To fly, you basically need a confirmed seats on a plane (you have buy your virtual tickets), an identity card, a passport with or without a visa (if you travel across the international borders) and of course your luggages. Thank God I just get back my lost IC yesterday, or else I won't be able to step back to my home. Traveling across Malaysia is relatively easier these days - with just an IC. I can still recalls that even 15 years back, those originated from West Malaysia needed to have a passport in order to enter Sabah and Sarawak. Then, they need to fill in a form like a visa before all of those procedures been abolished and made simplify with just an IC.

You need to get yourself to the airport early, preferably 2 hours before your scheduled flight time for domestic or 3 hours for international flight. Scan your luggages and get tagged before proceeding to the check-in counter to perform the "check-in" procedure - where you are required to confirm your attendance for the scheduled flight and to put your heavy luggages into the cargo of the plane. In returns, you will be given a boarding pass which contains your seat number and the designated boarding gate.



Preferably not more than 30 minutes before the flight time, you must present yourself into the boarding gate. Here, you will undergo a heavy security check-up to ensure you do not bring any hazardous materials into the cabin. Sharp objects, volatile materials, drugs and even a certain amount of shampoo are just some of the stuffs that are prohibited. Here, your hand luggage as well as yourself will go through a scanner and metal detecting machine. However, pregant mother may not need to go through the machine but required to fill in a special form.

Passenegrs are usually allowed to enter the aircraft at least 15 minutes before the scheduled flight time. With a final check before allowed an entry into the cabin, you must produce your boarding pass and your identification-proof (IC or passport) before allowed the entry. Well once you are in the cabin, make sure you find your seat, switch off your mobile or other electronic devices and fasten the seatbelt.

During the departure, the air crews will demonstrate some safety instruction that may be vital during the flight. Then, the pilot will so-called "taxi" the aircraft from the boarding gate to the main runway at a very slow speed. Once it reaches the main runway for a take-off, the pilot will hit the speed to a full max, throttling it at a high speed along the 3km runway (depending on the aircraft you are boarding) before it make a gradual ascend. For the first timer, this can be a difficult period but otherwise, the most exciting one.

Here is the tips:
1. Straighten your seat as instructed
2. Open the window shield so you can look outside as instructed
3. Have some chewing gum (not recommended though), sweets or anything you can bite and chew on during take-off
4. Sometimes you may feel funny sensation on your ear during the take-off due to the changes in atmospheric pressures, you should swallow your saliva or simply open your mouth, or just chew something

After the ascending period, I would say the flying excitement is over and everything can be so boring. Unless you have something to do, or else you really do not what to do, or otherwise, wait for your food or drink to be served.



If you are flying internationaly, you will spend your bored time with some in flight entertainment. You can watch movie or listening to music or even played game with the remote controls on your hand. I can still remember how I fill my 14 hours journey to Amsterdam by watching 5 movies, finishing the Super Mario Gameboy game and watching 4 episodes of 'Friends'; a set of beef steaks meal, a set of English breakfast and multiple glasses of orange juice; constantly locating myself on the satellite map on the screen and walking around the cabin including walking into the business class seats.


After all, the other exciting part will be the touch-down period, when the plane make gradual descend, land on the runway and taxi back into the arrival gate.

Well, if you have not yet experience the flying session inside any aircraft, you should. With low fares, seriously almost everyone can fly. I think most of us have fly before, don't we.

IN ENGLISH OR NOT IN ENGLISH!!

I do not know if you want to consider this as something good or the opposite way - Malaysia is fully blessed with tonnes of sensational issues. While people are just starting to take the Perak political saga issue lightly, in which the helm of administration is in the hands of a bunch of losers, another issue is gathering full attention these days.

Malaysian educational system is regarded as the best in the world but I have to say nothing is great about it in reality. It may have the best in terms of facilities and product potential but yet again, like any fields and sectors you can name in Malaysia, bureaucracy and political involvement will always be the obscures for achieving our aspiration and hopes for greater achievement can be.

TEACHING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN ENGLISH

Since 2003, the education in Malaysia switched into globalisation aspiration. Mathematics and science subjects are taught in English. The reasons were rather simple - to ensure the standard of English usage been raised and to cultivate a better environment for students to use English as a secondary language than their native tongues.

Over the years, the standard of English usage and the outcomes from this ambitious program seems minimal. Thus, people starts to question the effectiveness of such idea to teach this two critical subjects in English. Some more, there are certain sects are objecting the idea and want it to be scrapped. Funny thing is, they argue that it is time and need to rectify the national language - Malay, back into medium of teaching.

Why English? English is an universal language for science and mathematics, used as a convenient medium of communication and research. Worldwide, scientist from different country, background and culture uses English to interact and to present their ideas and results of their research.

For certain groups, they argued that teaching both Science and Mathematics in English can cause:
1) Potentially demotivating students with poor English commands to excel further
2) Depromote and down-grading the absolute level of the national language
3) Other developed countries use their own mother tongue to teach

POINT ONE
I simply believe learning English is like learning other languages or even like learning the mother tongue. Difficulty in learning English should not be a reason to withdraw such absolute claim. In learning language, it will be ample if one has effort, guidance and understanding. Many fail to realize, good English does not always mean a bombastic English. English like any language should be learned as a way that we can listen, read and speak a language fairly well. You don't need to get an A to understand English but with learning both subjects in English, it is a chance for students to get more exposure while improving it.

POINT TWO
How on earth this can happen? Malay language itself is a unique language that unites the people from all four corners of the nation. Besides, Malay language remains the main medium of teaching for other subjects - Bahasa Malaysia, History, Civic, Moral, Accountancy, Geography, etc. In case you do not realize, science subjects are only taken by the science Stream students and therefore, other streams are less affected. Although English is been used, Malay language remains as a national language and there is no move to down-grade it or sort of. Those who think such way must be some sect that is narrow-minded, unvisionary and chavism.

POINT THREE
It is true that countries like Japan, German or France use their own national language to teach Science and Mathematic and yet they are the great achiever in such a field. I do not have to remind you that comparing such cases is not the brilliant way. Even if Science and Mathematcs are teach in Malay language, what achievement will we get in the upper hand. Before 2003, Malay language was used but the conceptual and acceptance of Science and Mathematics were low. As I said earlier, English is the universal language for scientist and mathematician around the world. In the end of the day, whether you like it or not, globalisation is taking place!!

I once in Stockholm for the Nobel Prize Ceremony back in 2002, and I have met the Nobel Prize winners from all parts of the earth - United States, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Japan, yet the language they were speaking on their lecture was none other than English. In fact, they spoke English very well although they never learned through English.

In the end of the day, it is not the matter of if Science and Mathematic should be teach in English, but the matter of mastering or at least learning English should be the main concern. As a nutshell, LEARN YOUR ENGLISH and please be remember THE CONCEPTUAL OF LEARNING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IS ONLY A CATALYST FOR INITIATING THE MOTIVATION AND ENVIRONMENT TO UPPERHAND ENGLISH.

HOW MUCH YOU CONTRIBUTED IN BOX OFFICE

One day, you feel like you want to watch a particular movie. So, you call and text your friends, seeking around who and whom are interested to accompany your desire. Then you drive to the nearest cinema, have some gathering, some great meal and then you queue up to purchase your movie tickets. You pay RM 11 each ticket because it is weekend and the movie is opening on that day.

With that amount, can you imagine how much a movie can rake if it is shown in a cinema?

THE MATHS IN BOX OFFICE

For instance, let's say, one big blockbuster movie is opening on Thursday (In Malaysia, movies are tend to open on Thursday). The movie is 2 hours long and the cinema decided to use 2 large halls to cater the demand. With the running time of 2 hours, a hall can show the same film 7 times a day and in total you have 14 show times. Each large cinema usually have (22 seats per row with 15 rows, roughly) 320 seats. If the movie received a huge demand and all the show times are fully seated (FULL HOUSE), you will get....

Each ticket = RM 11
Total seats = 320
Show times = 14
One day you will get = RM 11 x 320 x 14 = RM 49,280 each cinema per day
Then, the first weekend from Thursday to Sunday (4 days) = RM 49,290 x 4 = RM 197,120 in a weekend

Total cinemas in Malaysia are roughly around 50 but after considering the variety in size and capacity of show time, RM 197,120 times 30 = RM 5,913,600 grand total in theoretical calculation.

THE BOX OFFICE

A total of ticket sales for a movie showing in cinema is called BOX OFFICE. Box Office by standard is a measure of success of power purchase by a group of movie audience. Box Office is solely calculated by the amount of movie ticket sold, therefore it is based on the total amount of audience who are watching the movie. Over the years, box office particularly in Malaysia has grown so much and is still in fact expanding. Thanks to more cinemas been open and now some rural areas have cinemas in fact.

In general, audiences prefer movie as a form of entertainment compared to any form of entertainment. However, like others, the film industry suffers so much due to illegal copyright and piracy activity. Recently, drip DVD version of unfinished X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked and available online for download. Also, Malaysian audiences in general prefer import production than the local one. This is the reality and dilemma that the audience, movie producers and actors face here.

Nevertheless, although Cinema Online reported a summarized form of top ten movie over the weekend Box Office in Malaysia, I am sure not many know how much a movie gross and finally tabulates actually. Thanks to Box Office Guru, which is regarded as the best box office tracking for both American and International Box Office, we are able to determine how much a movie gross over a certain fixed period.

HOW BIG IS BIG?

According to my own investigation and nominal figure calculation, following are the records held on the local box office.

THE LARGEST FIRST WEEK OPENING (DEBUT)
Malaysia: Spider-Man 3 US$ 1,544,778 (RM 5,453,220)
US: The Dark Knight US$ 158,411,483

THE LARGEST ALL TIME TAKING (OVERALL)
Malaysia: Transformers US$ 5,326,029 (RM 18,144,183)
US: Titanic US$ 600,788,188

THE LARGEST ALL TIME TAKING FOR A LOCAL PRODUCTION (OVERALL)
Jangan Pandang Belakang
or maybe Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula

Well, that is how a box office is calculated.

INFLUENZA ATTACK: PART THREE

In part three of the Influenza Attack series, let's look at how we as blogger and reader can do something to prevent, avoid or manage this crucial scenario.



As mentioned in Part One and Part Two, Swine Flu is beginning to spread in an unusually high across the borders of Mexico, thus prompting a pandemic outbreak may just beginning to threatening us. But, before you hit any panic button, please make sure you are ready when things like this happen.

SYMPTOMS OF SWINE FLU

Like any other common flu or Avian Flu in the past, the symptoms can be very similar and may varied from one to another. In general, these symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Body ache
• Lethargy (feeling tired or fatigue)
• Lack of appetite
• Diarrhea and vomiting also been reported increasingly in swine flu

TREATMENTS

The swine flu can be treated by using several influenza antiviral drugs that have been approved for use in United States by Center For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC). These drugs are:

• osletamivir (known as Tamiflu - approved to both treat and prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people one year of age and older)
• zanamivir (known as Relenza - approved to treat influenza A and B virus infection in people 7 years and older and to prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people 5 years and older)
• amantadine
• rimantadine

These drugs help to relieve the symptoms, making the illness become milder while in long term, help to prevent serious influenza complications such as pneumonia (infection of the lower respiratory track).

Besides that, do take special care and consult with physician if you are pregnant or have a health condition (diabetes, heart disease, asthma or emphysema). Ensure the people with swine flu (like any other flu) to stay home for 7 days after the symptoms arise and get plenty of rest. Symptomatic treatments like drinking clear fluids and medications like Panadol to curb fever are the best to provide relieve.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

The main way that influenza viruses are thought to spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. Here are several ways you can do to prevent the spread of swine flu:

• Always maintain a high standard of infection control - frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Get yourself a trivalent influenza vaccination although standard vaccination provides only minimal protection against H1N1 due to its new strain nature.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with paper tissue and throw it away into trash can.
• Avoid close contact with the others.
• Seek for immediate health care and stay home if you show symptoms of swine flu.
• Avoid touching your eye, nose or mouth because the disease can spread that way.

With the three part series on "Influenza Attack", I hope the readers will benefit the most. Be cautious when you are at outdoor, do not panic and remain calm! Although Swine Flu is spreading, as long as you take preventive measures and know what to do when emergency arrives, you will be okay!!

INFLUENZA ATTACK - PART TWO

(NOTE: This post/article is heavily-fuel. If you are unsure of what you are reading, it is absolutely normal. Please contact the author if you have found any inquiries about the topic. Questions are welcome]

To read the previous article regarding the introduction, read here.

SWINE FLU: THE OUTBREK BEGIN

After some introduction regarding the virus itself, where on the last part, I talked about the common influenza virus, let's talk about the outbreak. Due to the current condition where the concern of an outbreak of a new pandemic influenza virus is beginning to plague the world community. However, contrary to normal flu where hospitalization and deaths are common in high-risk groups like elderly and chronically ill patients, the Swine Flu affected the normal healthy people more severely.

The 2009 Swine Flu, or more appropriately H1N1 or Mexican Flu began back in the early of this month. In early reports, many thought that it is a common winter-seasonal flu of the subtype of H1 that annually hit the northern hemisphere during the winter. Early outbreak has been reported but not until April 24 that the scientist had it confirmed as a new strain of influenza virus. Analysis done at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified four different genetic assortment components in this new strain, from human flu, avian flu and swine flu viruses.

STATUS OF OUTBREAK

The centre of outbreak, La Gloria in Mexico has initially reported an unusual respiratory illness back in February. The first suspected case of H1N1 was recognized on March 18, while it was uncertain and difficult to predict how great the outbreak would be.

April 13, the first person died of the swine flu and WHO was later been notified about the outbreak to maintain a pandemic alert. However, after the report of the first death case in USA, confirmed as a H1N1 Swine flu, World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to Phase 5.

Due to the gravity of the outbreak, the Swine Flu is regarded as a major threat and possesses high chances for another major global pandemic.

HOW BAD IS SWINE FLU

So far, Mexico as the epicentre of the outbreak has reported the most number of cases and deaths so far. While its neighbouring nations have also taking the toll of its effect, the flu has spread to several nations outside the Northern America continent but no cases of death recorded yet.

LATEST
DEATH: 177 (9 CONFIRMED)
ILL: 3,872+ (244 CONFIRMED)
COUNTRIES WITH DEATH: 2
COUNTRIES AFFECTED WITH CONFIRMED CASES: Mexico, USA, Canada, Spain, UK, New Zealand, Germany, Israel, Costa Rica, Peru, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands

** Sorry for the long lectures that leave many clueless. Again, this post is not made to confuse but should be used as merely to point out how deadly an influenza virus can be. Although in normal cases of influenza can still kill about 1% of those who catches it. In a severe and deadly types; H5N1 can kills half of those who catches it.

In part three of the series, we will look at how to prevent and protect yourself from Swine Flu.

@@(Sources from Wikipedia, CDC)

INFLUENZA ATTACKS - PART ONE

(NOTE: This post/article is heavily-fuel. If you are unsure of what you are reading, it is absolutely normal. Please contact the author if you have found any inquiries about the topic. Questions are welcome]

I am sure many readers out there have heard about the report of the latest pandemic disease - Swine Flu. Over this decade alone, there are several reported cases of such diseases; started with 2003's SARS Virus, and later that year, Avian Flu, another half global pandemic disease which killed many and destroyed the poultry industry; accompanied with few others small-scaled epidemics and pandemics thereafter.

THE GLOSSARY

Before we start, here are some glossary terms you need to clarify before hand:

EPIDEMIC = "New cases of a certain disease occur in a human population, during a given period, substantially exceed what is "expected," based on recent experience. It is an infectious; may be restricted to one locale (an outbreak), more general (an epidemic) or even global (pandemic)."

PANDEMIC = "An epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region; for instance a continent, or even worldwide."

INFLUENZA = "An infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), that affects birds and mammals. This term is too general to describe each of it."

AVIAN FLU = "Refers to influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds. This is particularly caused by Influenza A Virus"
SWINE FLU = "Refers to influenza cases that are caused by Orthomyxoviruses endemic to populations of pigs. This is particularly caused by Influenza C or some subtypes of Influenza A Virus."
HUMAN FLU = "Refers to influenza cases caused by Orthomyxoviridae that are endemic to human populations (as opposed to infection relying upon zoonosis). It can caused by vast variant of Influenza Virus of subtypes A, B and C."

PARAINFLUENZA = "Refers to lower respiratory tract infection, caused by a group of four distinct serotypes of single-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the paramyxovirus family."

INFLUENZA VIRUSES

In general, influenza virus derived has the following characteristics:

GROUP: V (five) due to its negative single-stranded RNA
FAMILY: Orthomyxoviridae
GENERAS: [Influenza A] - causes pandemic and attacks humans, birds and mammals; [Influenza B] - attacks humans; [Influenza C] - attacks humans and pigs; [Thogotovirus] - attacks other vertebrates and invertebrates; [Isavirus] - attacks Atlantic salmon

Due to the nature of calamity, we shall focus our attention solely into Influenza Virus A. Over the years, researches have found out that while the type B and C had caused some serious pandemic outbreaks, both types show some significant lower degree of disease nature and lower mutation ability. Looking on historical dark era in human epidemeology, incidents like Spanish Flu 1918, Asian Flu 1957 and the recent Avian Flu had pointed directly to the Influenza A Virus.

INFLUENZA VIRUS TYPE A

Influenza A viruses occur in many variants that therefore can only be identified by using a special tests that will allow viral surface proteins to be recognized. There are two types of proteins on the surface:

• Hemagglutinin (HA) component is a substance that causes red blood cell to agglutinate (clumps). Consisting of 16 subtypes, that is where you have the H1 to H16 nomenclature. HA is useful as it helps to vitus to target at specific human cells and entry of the viral genetic into them.
• Neuraminidase (NA) is a glycoside hydrolase enzymes that cuts the glycosidic linkages of neuraminic acid. Consisting of 9 subtypes, that is where you have the N1 to N9 nomenclature. NA is useful to help the virus to bud out of the host target cells and releasing its danger particles into the body.

With 16 possibles of HA and a further 9 NA, that leaves us with a possible 144 variants with further genetic alteration on a higher level will produces even more variants. The virus genetic information is stored within the 8 single RNA strands (human is DNA which is a reverse - DNA produces RNA proteins to live, while RNA proteins in virus produce proteins that alter the original DNA) capable of releasing 11 types of proteins including HA and NA.

NAMING AN INFLUENZA

An Influenza virus can be named based on the following:
Virus Type - Type A, B or C
Geographic - Origin of the discovery of a certain flu virus
Strain number -
Years of isolation -
Virus subtype - Based on its HA and NA components

** Sorry for the long lectures that leave many clueless. Again, this post is not made to confuse but should be used as merely to point out how deadly an influenza virus can be. Although in normal cases, flus can still kill about 1% of those who catches it. In a severe and deadly types; H5N1 can kills half of those who catches it.

In part two of the series, we will look at the real problem - Swine Flu.

@@(Sources from Wikipedia, CDC)

PLEASE VERIFY BEFORE YOU BLOG - 22 JULY HOAX

You must be worried by now after there is a much hyped circulating rumour in the net that a possible earthquake and tsunami will occur following the upcoming solar eclipse on this July 22. A check on my inbox, I have received several similar forwarded message about this rumour and I thought it might be just a hoax. Peoples have been; by the urge of responsibility and concern has put it up on their blog and heavily asking for nangs and attention on. I think it is great deed that bloggers have pass down this piece of note to alert the others whom may not received any words yet about this. (THE HYPES HERE AS WELL)

THE WARNING SOUNDS LIKE THIS.....

However, I was left to ponder, how a total solar eclipse can cause a massive earthquake that is enough to trigger a tsunami. Although I am not a geologist, astronomer, astrophysicist or some guy with psychic telekinetic ability, I can strongly tell you it is a HOAX and FALSE. (PROOF 1 and PROOF 2)

Cross checked on NASA, Wikipedia and several other references, I found nothing concerning the relationship of earthquake and tsunami with total solar eclipse. Remember when was the last tsunami incident happened? 26 December 2004. There was no solar eclipse happened on that day as far as I remember. (PROOF 3)

July 22 Total Solar Eclipse event will be the first total eclipse since August 1 last year. "The path will cross a narrow corridor through northern India, eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanmar, central China and the Pacific Ocean, including Ryukyu Islands, Marshall Islands and Kiribati." - Wikipedia of the event and confirmed on the NASA page.

However, the rumour started to surface following an article in this blog that somehow the author ran a simulator that somehow he or she thought that there was a way to predict a forthcoming earthquake based on the theory that the earth tectonic plate will be pulled upon gravitation by the moon during the solar eclipse.

Until today, seismologists, geologists and other climatologist and earthquake experts are still clueless about the idea that earthquake and particularly tsunami can be predicted precisely. Let's take the event of 2009 L'Aguila earthquake in Italy that occured on April 6.

Despite the controversy that there was a possible early warning, the technique used by the now famous Giampaolo Giuliani was different from any computer simulator can have. Giuliani predicted the earthquake precisely but not the timing unfortunately. He based his prediction by his adventurous study by measuring the increased of radon activity emitted from the ground.

"Predicting earthquakes based on radon emissions has been studied by scientists since the 1970s, but enthusiasm for it has faded due to inconsistent results." So, where is the total solar eclipse?

The reality is no one can predict an earthquake nor even a tsunami. With only the based on fringe and pseudo science? Well, in the world of fringe science, maybe, just maybe an eclipse can work its way. (CONFIRMED HERE AND HERE)

"In the last 110 years or so, there have been about 85 really big earthquakes," Professor Kerry Sieh of Singapore's Earth Observatory explained in a statement to Channel News Asia. "And only two of those occurred on the same day as an eclipse. And even those were a partial eclipse, not a total eclipse. They happened in a different place from where the eclipse happened."

Somehow, it fits another bill of human fear!!

In the end, it's just a FALSE CALAMITY!!

LESSONS LEARNT FROM TODAY'S CLASS

Well, let's look at what I have learn on one fine Thursday afternoon.

THE TOPIC OF TODAY is "FACIAL INJURY and MOTOR VEHICLES ACCIDENT (MVA)"

MVA is so common in Malaysia because of the rate and number of road traffic accidents in Malaysia is on an alarming high. Dozens fatality occur each day and it makes it to around 7000 each year. Press those throttle speed and move your car to above 110 kmph, but be aware, that even at modest speed of 60 can kill you once an impact occurs.

Much said, MVA, along with assaults and domestic violences, are one of the three most common attributors for facial injury (or maxillofacial trauma). Maxillofacial trauma involves fracture of bony structure of the face bone, bleeding into the tissue and may eventually lead to less commonly severe life-threatening conditions. From the aspect of MVA, my lecturer suddenly talks about the differences in local and imported car. He reasoned that types of car can influence the type of severity in injury and prognosis.

Imported cars - with the names like Mercedes, Honda, Toyota and so on has flourished in our streets for ages. The same goes with our national cars of Proton and Perodua. Automobile industry in Malaysia is still relatively new and any high technology engineering incorporation will takes time. Its been 3 decades but the impact of such booming industry was so imminent. In general perception, a middle class will buy a local product while the rich can go with an AP (Approved Permit) and to grab one of those fancy imported car.

Now for comparison, let us look at a Mercedes 230C and a Proton Perdana...some of those popular classy sedan vehicle of all time among the Malaysian. Mercedes 230C can be bought at a price of exceeding RM 350k while a Proton Perdana costs around RM 100k. Now as a Malaysian with an ordinary salary of RM 3k per month, which one would you buy? It is easy to say that one will pick the Proton Perdana for its cheaper price tag.

Well, let us go deeper.

• In Malaysia, the local automative industry was well-protected by imposing strict and higher sales and import duty on the imported cars. 200% import duty and you will get a Mercedes 230C at a price of RM 350k, whereas the real price for it is USD 40k or about RM 150k.
• In overseas, people usually do not buy cars, either first or second hand via bank loans. They usually buy their cars via direct full cash payment. However in Malaysia, loans are available everywhere and it makes any Tom, Dick and Harry can own a car. Now the problem of finance and debts, Malaysia has a high amount of car-loan debt in the world!!
• There is some question why AP is such an issue. You can freely imports a car. Not surprisingly, some civil servant can even afford such a car. I wonder where they get their finance to support their ambition. Corruption or ah long?
• The imposing of seemingly unfair price over the same types of sedan has created an unfair environment of both cars to compete in the market. with the consumer power with an average incomes, it seems that as easily predicted, one will prefer Perdana over a Mercedes because it is cheaper. With such, the local car manufacturer will have an upper hand of advantage with more sales and profit compared to the imported one. Thus, the market value becomes uncompetitive for the locals.
• Local cars are not that local anyway. Technology from overseas, components from overseas but been assembled locally. That is what defines it as a local made car?
• Due to lack in competition, one can easily sees a decrease in quality making of the subsequent batches of car. Proton over the years, have trouble in producing such a good-quality car. In its earliest years, a Proton Saga is like a Mitsubishi engine contained in an aluminum body work! Because of the quality issues, safety issues will arise.
• To proof this, I have an experience when I was in my brother-in-law's car few years back - his 90's batch of Proton Saga. Upon the traffic light, the Proton Saga slowed down as the light had already turn red. Out of nowhere...."Boom", and looking at the front mirror, a Mercedes at the back with its handsome driver on his mobile phone on one hand and a document on one hand (I wonder how he drive) hit the bumper of our car. It seems like he was not able to stop his car in time because he is apparently busy. Now, with such a light impact, guess which car suffered more damage?
• Another proof of safety concern, there was a test in the past where we have an experiment to see at which car can brakes into zero in the shortest time. Again, a Proton model with a Toyota model. Not surprisingly, Toyota can brakes into zero in a shorter time than a Proton, enough for it to stop and to avoid an experimental cone located 200 metre from its starting point.
• Now for most of us, a car can be troublesome, besides of its price and difficulty to endure a city traffic jam. The option is a motorcycle. Now, you do not need to be a genius to figure out how dangerous this vehicle with no surrounding barrier to protect you from a direct impact in an accident. You can easily fly a few dozens metre once get bumped over by a car.
• In a car accident, you either survive with minimal injury, or get killed...less likely a severe injury.
• In a motorcycle accident, you either survive with very bad injury or an instant kill.
• Not surprisingly, with the fact that a low quality cheaper cars and million of motorcyclists roaming on the streets across the country, now you know why MVA is so common.

Was it hard to figure it out!! Once my lecturer touched on this, it becomes clearer to me now!!

WHO EVER THEY ARE, HUMAN ARE JUST ARROGANT

It was supposed to be match of the week, but after 74 minutes into the game, it turned sour and it turned very ugly. After 90 minutes of lifeless performance by my favourite team, it quickly turned hopes into dopes. I agreed, should the nervousness and the plans went well, the ending may not be like this. Eventually I could not stand it anymore, walked out of the cafeteria where all eyes of the fans or the anti-fans were fixing to the medium-sized television in the dining hall. Later, I went to my room and I just bursted into tears while still typing the message into the Innit chatbox.

Yes, last Saturday, it was the day when all Manchester United fans gloomed. We mourned for our lost in the hands of the in-form Kop. We failed to defend our good record against them in our home, Old Trafford since 1936. We failed, outclassed, outpaced and outsmarted in all forms. I don't really care if they lost the game but the defeat at such number is a humiliation. However, as the disappointment looming and growing expansionally, with the jeers of all the Liverpool fan; I was still fortunated that there were some good words coming out from peoples surrounding me.

Oh yes, losing a game even as terrible as this will not make any differences. Manchester United is still on a less-cushioned 4 points lead with an extra gane in hand. Losing a game whether a big margin or small margin still gives no point and winning a game big or small is still worth a three points. There is one even reminded me that any teams in the world will eventually need a wake up call. Barcelona and Real Madrid were once a champion of Europe. So do Juventus or Inter Milan or even Liverpool itself whom had won any trophy they contested. Once a champion, there is no assurance that you will remain a champion tomorrow.

1-4 defeat to Liverpool is really a wake up call. A solid defence line up for the past two seasons headlined by Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand with Edwin Van Der Sar on the goal mouth had rarely did mistake for all this while. Truly last Saturday was not their night. Performances on the midfield failed to shine as well with most passes mis-Q terribly. However, those dark episode is just one of hundreds episode need to endure by each giant team every season. It is a lost that humiliate us and make us humble-down-to-Earth and this is just football. Whatever written on the piece of paper may not translate well into a result. Champion or no champion, some day they will bow down.

This morning, when I read the paper when Mr. Rafael benitez claimed that since Liverpool had beaten both Real Madrid and Manchester United in a single week, especially Manchester United been the European champion and world champion, they can now claimed themselves as the true champion. Manchester United fans may regard this remark as somehow arrogant. It is the same way the Liverpool fans may regarded all those remarks made by Sir Alex Ferguson himself over the last two seasons. The same statement was uttered by Rafa few years back when they won the Champions League which in the end, they did not defended their title at all and mostly played as rank third behind Manchester United and Chelsea.

Even the mastermind of once mighty Chelsea, Jose Mourinho when they were the dominant in 2006 and 2007, although failed to win the European Champions League, also once said that Chelsea was the best team in the world. Ironically, they failed to win the European club title, not at one under Mourinho's helm. Not to forget, Arsene Wenger also claimed that they have the best and talented team in the world but yet still unable to make any impact, while winning three times of the Premier League since inauguration in 1992.

So, who ever they are, human will always been arrogant. In football, tell me which of them never been arrogantly said that they are the best team in the World? Who said Fergie didn't? Who said Rafa never said so? Who said Chelsea or Arsene Wenger never? In football, arrogancy plays a vital role in building the team spirit or destroying reputation once they fall.

Come on, tell me who is not selfish and arrogant in this world? As a football fans, you only have two options, two roads in front of you - Manchester United fan or no Manchester United fan. What disgust me the most, some people wearing Arsenal's or Chelsea's jerseys and pledged support for Liverpool. Or else some Liverpool fan supported Chelsea or Arsenal when playing against Manchester United. This is reality. It's either you love or you hate them.