| KL, if you're stuck in the 20th century, is home to the tallest buildings in the world. The Petronas Towers are a shining example of what is possible with unlimited vision, the will to achieve, and large helpings of taxpayers' money. Truly, I have to admit that a more splendid, skyline-defining giant H would be hard to find. In any case, I'm sure you'll agree that they look better than those other twin towers did. |  |
A couple of views of Malaysia's rubberstamp Federal Court, located in the Sultan Abdul Samad building. It was in front of this building that the glorious 1999 people's revolution (brought to you in 24-bit colour by international sponsors AOL Time Warner, Fox, and the International Monetary Fund) took place.
The rubberstamp Federal Court is located directly across the old Padang (green, now called Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square) from the Royal Selangor Club, one of those timeless bastions of Empire. You know it's timeless by how GURLS aren't allowed in the bar.
And here's a view of the Dataran Merdeka itself. Back in the old days, they used to play cricket on this ground (last recorded result: Bukit Aman Second XI bt England by an innings and 496 runs; England selectors vow sweeping changes).
Under the Dataran itself is a massive carpark, shopping arcade, food court and center for operations for the Illuminati fnord. Don't try to find them; they'll find you. Also, there are no Al-Qaeda operatives in the Federal Court, the Royal Selangor Club, or under the Dataran Merdeka.
The Royal Selangor Club isn't the only remnant of Empire to be found in KL. There's also the Royal Lake Club, located next to the Lake Gardens near the city center. You can tell this is the British Empire we're talking about, because only the British could have come up with such BORING names.
As you might have heard, Malaysia will soon be home to a regional counterterrorism training center to be operated in conjunction with certain foreign nations. In the meantime, few are aware that these operators are already in the country!!! Here is a contingent of elite United Nations counterterrorist secret agents at the Royal Lake Club. You can't see them? Well, naturally! You don't spend millions of Euros on elite counterterrorist secret agents and FORGET TO TEACH THEM HOW TO REMAIN SECRET, NOW DO YOU?
This training did not go unnoticed by other parties, though. Notice below the Al-Qaeda operatives in the background on the left, trying to look inconspicuous while all the time observing the United Nations personnel. Watching them in turn is a CIA field agent on the right. Again, you can trust me on all of this, because I always check my facts before posting nonsense to web pages.
But enough about bastions of Empire. Some other parts of KL also look like they haven't changed since the 20th century, but not in quite the same way. Petaling Street, for one. Walking past an open shopfront, I was assailed by an overpowering smell, redolent with the stench of corruption and decay, as of thousands of voices crying out suddenly in alarm... oh hang on, that's Star Wars Episode I: the Phantom Menace. Never mind.
Traffic in Petaling Street is almost, but not quite, less chaotic than traffic elsewhere in KL. There are no Al-Qaeda operatives in these pictures, as far as I can ascertain (although that red trashcan loitering around looks damn suspicious, if you ask me).
Petaling Street is KL's Chinatown (to the extent you can have a "Chinatown" in a country that's 30% Chinese), and what better place than Chinatown for a Hindu temple? The Sri Maha Mariamman temple has been here, tending to the needs of the Chinese Hindu faithful, for centuries.
A quick search of the interior showed it was clear of Al-Qaeda operatives...
... although a statue of Shiva, also known as "the Destroyer", was found. NOW IS THAT SPOOKY OR WHAT? Some people claim that Shiva's REAL title is "the Transformer", but they are obviously being silly. WHICH KIND OF TRANSFORMER? is the question I want to put to these people! AUTOBOT, OR DECEPTICON? HA!
I think it's time for a drinks..;P.
CAIRO, Egypt - Osama bin Laden accused Pope Benedict XVI of helping in a "new crusade" against Islam and warned of a "severe" reaction to European publications of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that insulted many Muslims.
Bin Laden's new audiotape message raised concerns al-Qaida was plotting new attacks in Europe. Some experts said bin Laden, believed to be in hiding in the rugged Afghan-Pakistan border area, may be unable to organize an attack himself and instead is trying to fan anger and inspire his supporters to violence. read more from yahoo news
MSNBC
Hey Adam , We would like to add our personal congratulations on this most special of occasions, your wedding. We know that you will enjoy your lives together and will share many special moments, which you should cherish forever.
Be good to one another as love is a two way street! Don't forget that you are not alone. Enjoy your life....!
Don't forget full of fun you had with your friends earlier and don't forget your friend.
Absolute poverty is defined according to an absolute minimum standard, often called the ‘poverty line’. Relative poverty means that you are poor in relation to those around you. Income poverty (‘less than a dollar a day’, for example), means that you are poor if you have less money than the defined poverty line for your country. Human poverty takes into account other factors, such as life expectancy, infant malnutrition, illiteracy and lack of food or clean water. Basic needs definitions also go beyond money, to include all the things that a person needs in order to survive – including employment and participation in society.
Measuring poverty is always a problem, especially if you recognize that just using money is not enough. There are a number of new measurements emerging, like the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare.1 This measures ‘quality’ economic activity by, for example, making a subtraction for air pollution and an addition for unpaid household labour.
Another method is the Human Poverty Index. This is ranked according to three main areas of deprivation: survival; knowledge and a decent standard of living. In the industrial world, where the Index also includes social exclusion, some 7 to 17% of the populations are classified as poor. The higher the percentage figure, the greater the poverty in that country. read more
BARBIE, that plastic icon of girlhood fantasy play, is routinely tortured by children, research has found. The methods of mutilation are varied and creative, ranging from scalping to decapitation, burning, breaking and even microwaving, according to academics from the University of Bath.
The findings were revealed as part of an in-depth look by psychologists and management academics into the role of brands among 7 to 11-year-old schoolchildren.
The researchers had not intended to focus on Barbie, but they were taken aback by the rejection, hatred and violence she provoked when they asked the children about their feelings for the doll.
Violence and torture against Barbie were repeatedly reported across age, school and gender. No other toy or brand name provoked such a negative response. read more
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Thirty years after the movie thriller ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ hit the silver screen “sQuba” is the first car that can actually ‘fly’ under water.
“Dive it again, James!” If the situation gets too hot for the secret agent he’ll go underground - or under water. So demonstrated impressively by Roger Moore in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me” in 1977 when he dove below the waves in a sleek vehicle that moments before seemed to be an ordinary car. The only problem: The scene never really took place; it was an animation...read more
