Thursday, June 3, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup








The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, the premier international football tournament. It is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in South Africa. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August 2007 and involved 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams. As such, it matches the 2008 Summer Olympics as the sports event with the most competing nations.

This will be the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation, after South Africa beat Morocco and Egypt in an all-African bidding process. This decision left the Oceania Football Confederation as the only confederation yet to host the FIFA World Cup. Italy are the defending champions. The draw for the finals took place on 4 December 2009 in Cape Town.Africa was chosen as the host for the 2010 World Cup as part of a policy to rotate the event among football confederations (which was later abandoned in October 2007). Five African nations placed bids to host the 2010 World Cup:As the host nation, South Africa qualified automatically for the tournament. Nonetheless South Africa participated in World Cup qualifiers because the CAF qualifiers also served as the qualifying tournament for the 2010 African Cup of Nations. They were the first host since 1934 to participate in preliminary qualifying. As happened in the previous tournament, the defending champions were not given an automatic berth, and Italy had to participate in qualification.The qualification draw for the 2010 World Cup was held in Durban, South Africa, on 25 November 2007.The FIFA Organising Committee approved the procedure for the Final Draw on 2 December 2009. The seeding was based on the October 2009 FIFA World Ranking and seven squads joined hosts South Africa as seeded teams for the Final Draw. The committee also approved the composition of the other pots as well as the procedure for the final draw. Pot 2 was composed of teams from Asia, Oceania, and North and Central America and the Caribbean. Pot 3 included teams from Africa and South America. Pot 4 had the remaining European teams.

Hosts South Africa were automatically positioned as A1; the other seeded teams were drawn into the other groups B–H, but were always in position 1 of their group. Groups were drawn from A to H and the positions in the group were drawn for Pots 2 to 4. Geographical criteria also were respected, meaning that no two teams from the same confederation were drawn in the same group (except European teams, where a maximum of two will be in a group); i.e., South Africa cannot play the African teams from Pot 3 and Argentina and Brazil cannot be drawn against the three remaining South American teams. The first two African teams drawn from Pot 3 are placed with Argentina and Brazil. Similarly, hosts South Africa may not be paired with any of the other African nations (also placed in Pot 3).



Lion dance







Lion dance (simplified Chinese; traditional Chinese is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistaken as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people. Also, in a lion dance, the performers' faces are covered, since they are inside the lion. In a dragon dance, the performers can be seen since the dragon is held upon poles. Basic lion dance fundamental movements can be found in most Chinese martial arts.

Lion dances can be broadly categorised into three styles, Chinese Northern , Chinese Southern , and Taiwanese

The Chinese Northern dance was used as entertainment for the imperial court and elsewhere. The northern lion is usually red, orange, and yellow (sometimes with green fur for the female lion), shaggy in appearance, with a golden head. The northern dance is acrobatic and may include dangerous stunts.

The Chinese Southern dance is more symbolic. It is usually performed as a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits and to summon luck and fortune. The Chinese southern lion exhibits a wide variety of colour and has a distinctive head with large eyes, a mirror on the forehead, and a single horn at center of the head. Lion dance costumes are considered to be spiritually protective when used as they are traditionally blessed before usage.

The Taiwanese dance integrates with martial arts. The focus on martial arts is very different from the Chinese Southern dance whose fancy style is more suitable for circuit shows. In addition to dance steps, the differences between the Taiwanese and the Chinese Southern dance lie in the lion appearance and music. Unlike the Chinese Southern lion whose eyes and mouth can be moved, the Taiwanese lion is less elaborate and can be roughly divided into two categories: open-mouth lion and closed-mouth lion .

The Lion dance is often confused with the Chinese Dragon Dance, which features a team of around ten or more dancers. The Lion Dance usually consists of two people.

Langkawi







Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (Malay: Langkawi Permata Kedah is an archipelago of 99 islands (an extra 5 temporary islands are revealed at low tide ) in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border. On July 15, 2008, Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah had consented to the change of name to Langkawi Permata Kedah in conjunction with his Golden Jubilee Celebration. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of some 64,792, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Langkawi is also an administrative district with the town of Kuah as the capital and largest town. Langkawi is a duty-free island.

Langkawi means reddish brown eagle in colloquial Malay. The Malay word for eagle is helang - shortened is "lang". Kawi means the colour reddish brown.[citation needed]
A sunny, hot and humid, tropical climate with an average annual temperature of about 32 degrees Celsius. The rainy season is during August/September, although there are occasional showers throughout the year.
Langkawi, a cluster of 99 islands separated from mainland Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca, is a district of the state of Kedah in Northern Malaysia and lies approximately 51 km west of Kedah. The total land mass of the islands is 47,848 hectares, while the main island of Langkawi itself has a total of 32,000 hectares. The main island spans about 25 km from north to south and slightly more for east and west. The coastal areas consist of flat, alluvial plains punctuated with limestone ridges. Two-thirds of the island is dominated by forest-covered mountains, hills and natural vegetation.

The island's oldest geological formation, Gunung Matchincang, was the first part of South-East Asia to rise from the seabed in the Cambrian period more than half a billion years ago. The oldest part of the formation is observable at Teluk Datai to the north-west of the island, where the exposed outcrop consists of mainly sandstone (quartzite) in the upper parts and shale and mudstone in the lower parts of the sequence.


barbecue







Barbecue or barbeque abbreviations BBQ, Bar-B-Q and Bar-B-Que; and diminutive form barbie, used chiefly in Australia and New Zealand; and called Braai in South Africa) is a method and apparatus for cooking meat and various other foods, with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of charcoal, cooking gas, or even electricity; and may include application of a marinade, spice rub, or basting sauce to the meat or vegetables. The term as a noun can refer to the meat, the cooking apparatus itself, or to a party that includes such food. The term as an adjective can refer to foods cooked by this method. The term is also used as a verb for the act of cooking food in this manner. Barbecue is usually cooked in an outdoor environment heated by the smoke of wood or charcoal. Restaurant barbecue may be cooked in large brick or metal ovens specially designed for that purpose.

Barbecue has numerous regional variations in many parts of the world. Notably, in the Southern United States, practitioners consider barbecue to include only indirect methods of cooking over hardwood smoke, with the more direct methods called grilling.

In British usage, barbecuing and grilling refer to a fast cooking process directly over high heat, while grilling also refers to cooking under a source of direct, high heat—known in the U.S. and Canada as broiling. In US English usage, however, grilling refers to a fast process over high heat, while barbecuing refers to a slow process using indirect heat and/or hot smoke (very similar to some forms of roasting). For example, in a typical U.S. home grill, food is cooked on a grate directly over hot charcoal, while in a U.S. barbecue, the coals are dispersed to the sides or at significant distance from the grate. Its South American versions are the southern Brazilian churrasco and the Argentine asado.

Alternatively, an apparatus called a smoker with a separate fire box may be used. Hot smoke is drawn past the meat by convection for very slow cooking. This is essentially how barbecue is cooked in most U.S. "barbecue" restaurants, but nevertheless, many consider this to be a distinct cooking process called hot smoking.

The slower methods of cooking break down the collagen in meat and tenderize the tougher cuts for easier eating.

Hindu deities






Within Hinduism a large number of personal gods, are worshipped as murtis. These beings are either aspects of the supreme Brahman, avatars of the supreme being, or significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards to each deity varies between differing Hindu denominations and philosophies. Often these beings are depicted in humanoid, or partially-humanoid forms, complete with a set of unique and complex iconography in each case. In total, there are 330,000 of these supernatural beings in various Hindu traditions.
The origin of the name Shiva means "the supreme one". Adi Sankara, in his interpretation of the name Shiva, the 27th and 600th name of Vishnu sahasranama, interprets Shiva to mean either "The Pure One", "the One who is not affected by three Gunas of Prakrti, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas" or "the One who purifies everyone by the very utterance of His name." Swami Chinmayananda, in his translation of Vishnu sahasranama, further elaborates on that verse: Shiva means "the One who is eternally pure" or "the One who can never have any contamination of the imperfection of Rajas and Tamas".

Pengakap(scouts)







Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia (The Scout Association of Malaysia, PPM) is an organisation for boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 17, based in Malaysia. Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia is part of the global Scouting movement and national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). It is the only uniformed body in Malaysia to have been established and officially regulated by an act of parliament through the Scouts Association of Malaysia (Incorporation) Act 1968

A Junior Scout's uniform consists of a short-sleeve (girls wear long sleeves) grey shirt, with two pockets with buttons on the left and right breast, the official neckerchief, the forage cap, navy-blue pants, the official bronze belt, navy-blue socks and black canvas shoes with laces. A miniature Malaysian flag is stitched on the right breast pocket and the Tenderfoot badge stitched on the left one. The neckerchief, with red, white and blue stripes, is worn about the collar, fastened with the official woggle. The forage cap has a badge with the Malaysian Scout emblem on one side.

On the left sleeve are one's patrol's name and merit badges. On the right sleeve is one's state, district, and troop number. The advancement badge is sewn below the troop number when a Junior Scout earns it. Depending on a Junior Scout's rank and/or badges, he/she may be allowed to wear a lanyard.

A Senior Scout's uniform is the same as the Junior Scout's except for the position of badges. The King's Scout badge is worn on the left sleeve, five centimetres below the patrol badge. On the left sleeve is one's patrol's name, and one's advancement badges. The Senior Scout's have up to five advancement badges. Once taken, the Senior Scout will go on to become a King's Scout. The King's Scout badge is worn five centimeters below the patrol badge in place of all five Senior Badges.
Once one has obtained the Rambu Pengakap Muda and Rambu Pengakap Remaja, one is eligible to become a Pengakap Raja (King's Scout). The qualified candidate will hand in his/her application form to the district commissioner together with his/her logbooks and certs (of all badges received). He/she will be evaluated and made to undergo a Ujian Sikap Pengakap Raja (King Scout Code of Conduct Examination), which consists of five components: Tanggungjawab (Responsibility), Pengembaraan (Expedition), Perkhidmatan Masyarakat (Community Service), Kegiatan (Activity), and Berdikari (Independence). This evaluation is either done in a camp (three days two nights) organized by the district or state level or done as part of a five-day four-night expedition. Either way, all five components are covered.


Rottweiler






Rottweiler
Nicknames Rottie
Rott
Country of origin Germany
[hide]Traits
Weight Male 50-60 Kg (110-130 lbs) weight relative to height
Female 40-48 Kg (90-105 lbs) weight relative to height
Height Male 61 to 69 cm (24"-27")
Female 56 to 63 cm (22"-25")
Coat Double coated, Short, hard and thick
Color Black and tan or black and mahogany
Litter size average 8 to 12 although larger litters are known
Life span 9-12
Classification and standards
FCI Group 2 Section 2 #147 standard
AKC Working standard
ANKC Group 6 (Utility) standard
CKC Group 3 - Working standard
KC (UK) Working standard
NZKC Utility standard
UKC Guardian Dog standard
Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
The Rottweiler is a breed of domestic dog known for its medium to large size and its strength. They originate from Rottweil, Germany and were known as "Rottweil Butcher's Dogs" (German: Rottweil Metzgerhund) because they were used to herd livestock as well as pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market. Some records indicate that earlier Rottweilers may have also been used for hunting although the modern Rottweiler has a relatively low hunting instinct. It is a hardy and very intelligent breed.

The Rottweiler was employed in these traditional roles until the mid-19th century when railroads replaced droving for getting livestock to market. While still used in herding, Rottweilers are now also used in search and rescue, as guide dogs for the blind, as guard or police dogs, and in other roles.
Although a versatile breed, used in recent times for many purposes, the Rottweiler is primarily known as one of the oldest of herding breeds. A multi-faceted herding and stock protection dog, it is capable of working all kinds of livestock under a variety of conditions.

The breed is an ancient one, whose history stretches back to the Roman Empire. In those times, the legions traveled with their meat on the hoof and required the assistance of working dogs to herd the cattle. One route the army traveled was through Württemberg and on to the small market town of Rottweil. The principal ancestors of the first Rottweilers during this time are believed to be the Roman droving dog, local dogs the army met on its travels, and dogs with molosser appearance coming from England and The Netherlands.


Sunway lagoon








Sunway Lagoon is an amusement park in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. It was officially opened by the then Prime Minister Tun Mahathir bin Mohamad on April 29, 1993. It features rides in both the water park and the adjacent dry park. The park has slowly been adding rides and play areas, with the aim of substantially improving the attraction by 2008. In late 2008, new parks had been added and had cleaned the place slightly.This is the park's latest attraction and simulates a journey into the African wilderness. It has water slides and other rides and attractions Congo Challenge, Cameroon Climb, African Pythons, Elephant Walk, Sunway Surf Beach (formerly known as Jeffrey's Bay), Zulu Walk and Kalahari Kids.
This place is designed in such a way that it makes you feel like walking on a street in a cowboy style town in a movie filled with saloons, dancing girls, cowboys, horses, totem poles and so on. It features The Vulture, Video Game Parlour, Niagara Falls Flume Ride, Buffalo Bill Coaster, Butch Cassidy's Trail, Chief Crazy House Carousel, Grand Canyon River Rapids, Apache Pots, Colorado Splash and Wagon Wheel.The Voodoo River, also known as Juju in Africa, is a journey through a "replica" of the river. It is originated from the Yoruba people. The journey compromises of going into the water of the river.

Iron man movie







Iron Man is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character debuted in Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963), and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby.

Born Anthony Edward Stark, and usually called Tony, he is an industrialist playboy and ingenious engineer who suffers a severe heart injury during a kidnapping in which his captors attempt to force him to build a weapon of mass destruction. He instead creates a powered suit of armor to save his life and escape captivity. He later uses the suit to protect the world as Iron Man. Through his multinational corporation, Stark Industries, Tony created military weapons and his own metal suit is laden with technological devices that enable him to fight crime. Initially, Iron Man was a vehicle for Stan Lee to explore Cold War themes, particularly the role of American technology and business in the fight against communism. Subsequent re-imaginings of Iron Man have gradually removed the Cold War themes, replacing them with more contemporary concerns such as corporate crime and terrorism.

Throughout most of the character's publication history, Iron Man has been a member of the superhero team the Avengers and has been featured in several incarnations of his own various comic book series. Iron Man has been adapted for several animated TV shows and films. The character is portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr. in the live action film Iron Man (2008), which was a box office success. Downey reprised the role in the sequel, Iron Man 2 (2010), and also played the character in a cameo in The Incredible Hulk (2008). Downey will also play the role in the upcoming film The Avengers (2012) and the planned Iron Man 3.

Stand out comedian(Russell Peter)









Russell Dominic Peters (born September 29, 1970) is a Canadian stand-up comic and actor.Russell Peters was born in Toronto, Ontario to Eric and Maureen Peters, and raised in Brampton. He is of Anglo-Indian descent. His father was born in Bombay, India and worked as a federal meat inspector and his mother was born in Calcutta, India. He has an elder brother named Clayton who was also born in Calcutta.
He went to Georges Vanier Catholic Elementary School from kindergarten to grade 8, Chinguacousy Secondary School for grade 9-10 and North Peel Secondary School for grades 11-12 in Brampton.Peters began performing in Toronto Ontario in 1989. He has since also performed in the United States, UK, Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Denmark, South Africa, the Caribbean, Vietnam, New Zealand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sweden, India, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, and Trinidad among other places.

He has been nominated for four Gemini Awards, the Canadian television awards. He has also been nominated for Best Male Comic at the Canadian Comedy Awards.[citation needed] Peters has been featured at such shows as Montreal's Just for Laughs (Juste Pour Rire) Comedy Festival, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival. He hosted the Canada Day Comedy Festival 2006.

His comedy special Russell Peters: Outsourced, aired on Comedy Central on August 16, 2006. The DVD version features his uncensored performance. The DVD has been popular, especially in Canada, selling over 100,000 copies. Outsourced remained on the National DVD Chart over one and a half years after release.

Paintball






Paintball is a game, first played in 1981 in New Hampshire, in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by hitting them with capsules containing paint (referred to as a paintball) from a gas-powered device called a paintball marker. The game is regularly played at a sporting level with worldwide leagues, tournaments, professional teams and players, but is also used by armies to supplement military training.

Depending on the venue, games are played on either indoor or outdoor fields of varying size. A game field is scattered with natural or artificial terrain, which players use for strategic play. Rules for playing paintball vary, but can include capture the flag, elimination, defending or attacking a particular point or area, or capturing objects of interest hidden in the playing area. Depending on the variant played, games can last from seconds to hours or even days in scenario play.

The legality of paintball varies between countries and regions. In most areas where regulated play is offered, players are always required to wear protective masks, and game rules are strictly enforced. The game and its associated equipment has attracted controversy worldwide due to incidents of injury on and off the playing field, and criticism due to its military theme.

Nanotechnology









Nanotechnology, shortened to "nanotech", is the study of the controlling of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures sized 100 nanometers or smaller in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.

Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale.

There has been much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics, biomaterials and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted.One nanometer (nm) is one billionth, or 10−9, of a meter. By comparison, typical carbon-carbon bond lengths, or the spacing between these atoms in a molecule, are in the range 0.12–0.15 nm, and a DNA double-helix has a diameter around 2 nm. On the other hand, the smallest cellular life-forms, the bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma, are around 200 nm in length.

To put that scale in another context, the comparative size of a nanometer to a meter is the same as that of a marble to the size of the earth. Or another way of putting it: a nanometer is the amount an average man's beard grows in the time it takes him to raise the razor to his face.

Two main approaches are used in nanotechnology. In the "bottom-up" approach, materials and devices are built from molecular components which assemble themselves chemically by principles of molecular recognition. In the "top-down" approach, nano-objects are constructed from larger entities without atomic-level control.

Areas of physics such as nanoelectronics, nanomechanics and nanophotonics have evolved during the last few decades to provide a basic scientific foundation of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology Takes Off - KQED QUEST

honda civic







The Honda Civic is a line of compact cars developed and manufactured by Honda. In North America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded. Having gone through several generational changes, the Civic has become larger and more upmarket, and it currently slots between the Fit and Accord.

It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door coupe, followed by a three-door hatchback that September. With the transverse engine mounting of its 1169 cc engine and front-wheel drive like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions. Early models of the Civic were typically outfitted with a basic AM radio, heater, foam-cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers and painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap. As the years went by, it has become much more upscale with options such as air conditioning, power locks, and power windows, leather upholstery, satellite-linked navigation, and a six-speed manual transmission. Initially gaining a reputation for being fuel-efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly, later iterations have become well-known for performance and sportiness, especially the Civic Type-R and Civic Si.

The Civic has been rebadged for international markets with such models as the Honda Ballade and Honda Domani/Acura EL. The Civic platform also served as the basis for the CR-X sport compact, the CR-X del Sol targa convertible, and the CR-V compact SUV.

As of 2008, the Civic has been the top-selling car in Canada for eleven straight years. With high gas prices and a weak economy in June 2008, the Civic supplanted the Ford F-Series to become the top-selling vehicle in the United States for that month.

Honda Civic review from topgear

University College Sedaya International(UCSI)







UCSI University is a private university in Malaysia with primary campuses located at Cheras, Kuala Lumpur; Marang, Terengganu and Kuching, Sarawak. The campuses combined host a student population of 8,000. It also has a daughter campus, Perdana College, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. UCSI has an international focus, collaborating with universities in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. 38% of its student population is international.Originally the Canadian Institute of Computer Studies, the school has evolved with accreditation. In 1990, it became Sedaya College, later Sedaya International College. In 2003 it became University College Sedaya International (UCSI), and in 2008 when it became a full university was retermed UCSI University.
UCSI's Co-Operative Education Training Programme, established in 2004, collaborates with over 700 employer organisations to provide work experience to students during their years of education. For each year at UCSI, students work for two month


UCSI University's Corporate Video 2009

Arsenal fc







Arsenal Football Club (PLUS Markets:AFC) (often simply known as Arsenal or The Arsenal, or by their nickname The Gunners) is an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London. Arsenal play in the Premier League and are one of the most successful clubs in English football, having won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups. They hold the record for the longest uninterrupted period in the English top flight and are the only side to have completed a Premier League season unbeaten.
Arsenal Football Club was founded in 1886 and, in 1893, became the first club from the south of England to join the Football League. They won their first major trophies—five League Championship titles and two FA Cups:—in the 1930s. After a lean period in the post-war years they became the second club of the 20th century to win the League and FA Cup Double, in the 1970–71 season, and in the 1990s and 2000s recorded a series of successes – during this time Arsenal won a Cup Double, two further League and FA Cup Doubles, and became the first London club to reach the UEFA Champions League Final.
The club's colours, traditionally red and white, have evolved over time. Similarly, the club have moved location; founded in Woolwich, south-east London, in 1913 they moved north across the city to Arsenal Stadium, in Highbury. In 2006 they made a shorter move, to the Emirates Stadium in nearby Holloway.
Arsenal have an estimated 27 million fans worldwide, and the fans have long-standing rivalries with several other clubs; the most notable of these is with neighbours Tottenham Hotspur, with whom they regularly contest the North London derby. Arsenal are also the third-richest club in the world as of 2010, valued at $1.2 billion. The club have regularly featured in portrayals of football in British culture. Arsenal Ladies are the most successful English club in women's football and are also affiliated with the club.