Thursday, July 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Oil Price Debate - Annuar VS Shabery
Everyone in town was talking about this issue. Secondary students were not happily taking about PSP games nor going to fight games at cyber cafe. There are now talking about Anwar, Najib, protest at Kelana Jaya Stadium and "government blocked Anwar from going to Parliment' Where did they learn all this? In school or from where. Hope there is no second 'Saiful' again!
Housewives in the wet market do not talk about Anwar, they talked about "everything is so expensive, that stall is selling so expensive and that stall is lelonging and the noise goes on everywhere. Well, this is the place for them to debate.
Yesterday's live debate across Malaysia on this issue was well controlled, aired live from TV9, Bernama Astro and Armani with analysis from Astro AEC, Armani and Bernama. TV aired repeated live at 11.00pm. Everything went fine with the experience moderator Johan. Anwar and Shabery handled the stage well and Agenda Daily had done a perfect programme.
News were all over the internet. Newspapers were so saleable with one buying all languages. Nothing compared all news, this is the best so far that I have read online.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 from Stocktube
Oil Prices Debate – Shabery slaughtered by Anwar
After watching the debate between opposition de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and Information Minister Shabery Cheek, I finally understand why the Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and his deputy Najib refused to enter the ring but instead sent the Information Minister instead. Anwar had earlier challenged both the PM and his deputy to debate with him – two against one. It is without doubt that the sleepy PM would be cooked alive while his deputy would be trembling like Mr Bean the moment the word
Obviously Anwar won the applause for tackling the questions the smart way and chewed up Shabery alive. Anwar wasn’t so convincing with his opening statement and to a certain extent looked quite nervous, probably he felt somewhat intimidate with the presence of police force outside the building where the debate was taking place. Hey, who can blame him for being suspicious of an arrest immediately after he step out of the building? After all, about 15 police officers were sent to his house in an apparent effort to harass and intimidate his family members especially his grandchild even though he had promised to co-operate to give his statement to the police earlier on. In fact the smart police had even obtained a court order barring Anwar from coming within three miles (five kiilometers) of Parliament but strangely the police station to which Anwar was suppose to attend is located inside this perimeter. So Anwar was perplexing whether to go or not to go.
Today, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) Group announced that it posted a record profit of RM61bil for the financial year ended March 31, 2008, which was a 31.5% increase from RM46.4 billion a year ago. Petronas Group’s revenue rose 21.2% to RM223.1 billion from RM184.1 billion; its total assets rose 15.2% to RM339.3 billion from RM294.6 billion while shareholders’ funds rose 17.6% to RM201 billion from RM170.9billion. Its’ chief executive officer Tan Sri Hassan Merican said the national oil corporation also decided to pay out a special dividend of RM6 billion to the Federal Government.
For the year, Petronas Group paid out RM67.6 billion (63.1% of the Petronas Group profits) to governments, bringing the group’s total payments to governments to RM403.3 billion since its incorporation in 1974. Of the RM67.6 billion payment for the year, he said RM62.8 billion was paid to the Federal Government comprising RM30 billion dividends which included a RM6 billion special dividend, RM20.6 billion in the form of petroleum income tax, RM5.4 billion in corporate income tax, RM2.1 billion in export duties and RM4.7 billion of royalty payment.
Anwar revealed the magic figure when he claimed he could immediately reduce the petrol price by RM0.50 a liter tomorrow if he were to form the government today. He justified that Tenaga Nasional Berhad (KLSE: TENAGA, stock-code 5347) has to pay 40 percent excess capacity (inline with what StockTube has wrote in previous articles and also the reason why I believe the country do not need another white elephant – Bakun dam project) to government’s cronies (the IPPs) and if the excess could be reduced to only 20 percent and plug the corruption leakages, the government could spare RM3 billion which can be used to reduced the petrol price by RM0.50 a liter. Make perfect sense I would say.
Credit should goes to Shabery at the initial debate because he argued well but as the debate continues the vessel seems to be losing steam and focus when he started to launch personal attack at Anwar, while the latter slowly gained his composure. Shabery also never learnt from the past mistake by constantly compared Malaysia with Venezuela, Iran and other countries in an attempt to run away from the question raised by Anwar’s representative – where was the promise from the RM0.30 petrol hike in 2006 to improve public transportation? Shabery went around beating the bush by repeatitively say the global oil prices affect all the countries including
It was funny that Shabery chose to compare
At one point Shabery tried to create fear and confusion (and hope to score some points) when it was his turn to ask Anwar question about his subsidy policy when the country would have no more oil to export by 2015. Of course the well-equipped Anwar cheekily questioned Shabery from where did he get the fact that it was a sure thing that there would be not more oil after the date as the job of Petronas is to continuosly explore more oil fields; the same way when it was predicted 30 years ago that the country’s reserve would be empty by 2005 (smart ass).
The soldier who was sent by Abdullah Badawi to be slaughtered tried to trap Anwar by accusing him as dirty as his accusation since he was part of the government when the concept of IPPs started together with the lopsided PPA (Power Purchase Agreement). Anwar replied that he didn’t agreed to the IPPs clause in pushing all the 100% of electricity generated into the throat of TENAGA (regardless whether the utility body needs it or not) so much so that former TENAGA boss Ani Arope resigned in protest.
But the funniest part was when Shabery’s representative asked a stupid question when it was his turn to do so. Come to think of it, it was more like an attack statement rather than a question. He (can’t remember this dumbo’s name) accused Anwar of deviating from the original topic of oil by linking it to IPPs. Every Tom, Dick and his dog know that IPPs is related to oil and gas but it’s super-strange that such a stupid person was chosen as the government’s representative. No wonder we won some rocks while
Other Articles That May Interest You …
- KL under siege – frighten of own shadow of collapse?
- Windfall Tax - Punishment or Desperation for Money?
- Windfall Tax - why Discriminate and Petronas not in?
- Still steamy hot with fuel hike? Why not kick Badawi’s arse?
- SIME aborts cable, no more cheese or the Rats move it?
- Fuel hike from RM1.92 to RM2.70, Char-Kuey-Teow RM7.50
Monday, July 14, 2008
When your body really starts going downhill.....
I can feel that I am getting older year by year. If one does not feel it, she must be lying or trying to lie. Grab a mirror with a magnifying reading glass and check the wirnkles around your eyes, laugh lines, throat and the most visible, your hands.
When I read this article of Angela, I found this information valuable and excellent. If you do not realize that you are getting old, read on.
• BRAIN
Starts ageing at 20
As we get older, the number of nerve cells - or neurons - in the brain decrease. We start with around 100 billion, but in our 20s this number starts to decline.
By 40, we could be losing up to 10,000 per day, affecting memory, co-ordination and brain function.
In fact, while the neurons are important, it's actually the deterioration of the gaps between the brain cells that has the biggest impact, says Dr Wojtek Rakowicz, a consultant neurologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London.
We all assume grey hair and wrinkles are the first signs of ageing, but some parts of your body are worn out long before you look old
These tiny gaps between the end of one brain nerve cell and another are called synapses. Their job is to ensure the flow of information from one cell to another, and as we age we make fewer.
• GUT
Starts ageing at 55
A healthy gut has a good balance between harmful and 'friendly' bacteria.
But levels of friendly bacteria in the gut drop significantly after 55, particularly in the large intestine, says Tom MacDonald, professor of immunology at Barts And The London medical school.
As a result, we suffer from poor digestion and an increased risk of gut disease.
Constipation is more likely as we age, as the flow of digestive juices from the stomach, liver, pancreas and small intestine slows down.
• BREASTS
Start ageing at 35
BY their mid-30s, women's breasts start losing tissue and fat, reducing size and fullness.
Sagging starts properly at 40 and the areola (the area surrounding the nipple) can shrink considerably.
Although breast cancer risk increases with age, it's not related to physical changes in the breast.
More likely, says Gareth Evans, breast cancer specialist at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, our cells become damaged with age - as a result, the genes which control cell growth can mutate, causing cancer.
• BLADDER
Starts ageing at 65
Loss of bladder control is more likely when you hit 65.
The bladder starts to contract suddenly, even when it's not full.
Women are more vulnerable to bladder problems as, after the menopause, declining oestrogen levels make tissues in the urethra - the tube through which urine passes - thinner and weaker, reducing bladder support.
Bladder capacity in an older adult generally is about half that of a younger person - about two cups in a 30-year-old and one cup in a 70-year-old.
This causes more frequent trips to the loo, particularly as poor muscle tone means the bladder may not fully empty. This in turn can lead to urinary tract infections.
• LUNGS
Start ageing at 20
Lung capacity slowly starts to decrease from the age of 20.
By the age of 40, some people are already experiencing breathlessness. This is partly because the muscles and the rib cage which control breathing stiffen up.
It's then harder to work the lungs and also means some air remains in the lungs after breathing out - causing breathlessness.
Aged 30, the average man can inhale two pints of air in one breath. By 70, it's down to one.
• VOICE
Starts ageing at 65
Our voices become quieter and hoarser with age. The soft tissues in the voice box (larynx) weaken, affecting the pitch, loudness and quality of the voice.
A woman's voice may become huskier and lower in pitch, whereas a man's might become thinner and higher.
• EYES
Start ageing at 40
Glasses are the norm for many over-40s as failing eyesight kicks in - usually long-sightedness, affecting our ability to see objects up close.
As we age, the eye's ability to focus deteriorates because the eyes' muscles become weaker, says Andrew Lotery, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Southampton.
• HEART
- Starts ageing at 40
The heart pumps blood less effectively around the body as we get older.
This is because blood vessels become less elastic, while arteries can harden or become blocked because of fatty deposits forming on the coronary arteries - caused by eating too much saturated fat.
The blood supply to the heart is then reduced, resulting in painful
angina.
Men over 45 and women over 55 are at greater risk of a heart attack.
A recent study by Lloyds Pharmacy found the average person in the UK has a 'heart age' five years older than their chronological age, probably due to obesity and lack of exercise.
• LIVER
Starts ageing at 70
This is the only organ in the body which seems to defy the ag ing process.
'Its cells have an extraordinary capacity to regenerate,' explain David Lloyd, a consultant liver surgeon at Leicester Royal Infir mary.
He says he can remove ha a liver during surgery and it will grow to the size of a complete liver within three months.
If a donor doesn't drink, use drug or suffer from infection, then it is possible to transplant a 70-year-old liver into a 20-year-old.
• KIDNEYS
Starts ageing at 50
With kidneys, the number of filtering units (nephrons) that remove waste from the bloodstream starts to reduce in middle age.
One effect of this is their inability to turn off urine production at night, causing frequent trips to the bathroom.
The kidneys of a 75-year-old person will filter only half the amount of blood that a 30-year-old's will.
• PROSTATE
Starts ageing at 50
The prostate often becomes enlarged with age, leading to problems such as increased need to urinate, says Professor Roger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London.
This is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia and affects half of men over 50, but rarely those under 40.
It occurs when the prostate absorbs large amounts of the male sex hormone testosterone, which increases the growth of cells in the prostate.
A normal prostate is the size of a walnut, but the condition can increase this to the size of a tangerine.
• BONES
Start ageing at 35
'Throughout our life, old bone is broken down by cells called osteoclasts and replaced by bone-building cells called osteoblasts - a process called bone turnover,' explains Robert Moots, professor of rheumatology at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool.
Children's bone growth is rapid - the skeleton takes just two years to renew itself completely. In adults, this can take ten years.
Until our mid-20s, bone density is still increasing. But at 35 bone loss begins as part of the natural ageing process.
This becomes more rapid in post-menopausal women and can cause the bone-thinning condition osteoporosis.
The shrinking in size and density of bones can lead to loss of height. Bones in the back shrivel up or crumble between the vertebrae. We lose two inches in height by the time we're 80.
• TEETH
Start ageing at 40
As we age, we produce less saliva, which washes away bacteria, so teeth and gums are more vulnerable to decay.
Receding gums - when tissue is lost from gums around the teeth - is common in adults over 40.
• MUSCLES
Start ageing at 30
Muscle is constantly being built up and broken down, a process which is well balanced in young adults.
However, by the time we're 30, breakdown is greater than buildup, explains Professor Robert Moots.
Once adults reach 40, they start to lose between 0.5 and 2 per cent of their muscle each year. Regular exercise can help prevent this.
• HEARING
Starts ageing mid-50s
More than half of people over 60 lose hearing because of their age, according to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.
The condition, known as presbycusis, happens due to a loss of 'hair cells' - tiny sensory cells in the inner ear which pick up sound vibrations and send them to the brain.
• SKIN
Starts ageing mid-20s
The skin starts to age naturally in your mid-20s.
According to Dr Andrew Wright, a consultant dermatologist with Bradford NHS Trust, as we get older production of collagen - the protein which acts as scaffolding to the skin - slows, and elastin, the substance that enables skin to snap back into place, has less spring and can even break.
Dead skin cells don't shed as quickly and turnover of new skin cells may decrease slightly.
This causes fine wrinkles and thin, transparent skin - even if the first signs may not appear until our mid-30s (unless accelerated by smoking or sun damage).
• TASTE AND SMELL
Start ageing at 60
We start out in life with about 10,000 taste buds scattered on the tongue. This number can halve later in life.
After we turn 60, taste and smell gradually decline, partly as a result of the normal ageing process.
This can be accelerated by problems such as polyps in the nasal or sinus cavities. It can also be the cumulative effect of years of smoking.
• FERTILITY
Starts ageing at 35
Female fertility begins to decline after 35, as the number and quality of eggs in the ovaries start to fall.
The lining of the womb may become thinner, making it less likely for a fertilised egg to take, and also creating an environment hostile to sperm.
Male fertility also starts to drop around this age. Men who wait until their 40s before starting a family have a greater chance of their partner having a miscarriage, because of the poorer quality of their sperm.
• HAIR
Starts ageing at 30
Male hair loss usually begins in the 30s. Hair is made in tiny pouches just under the skin's surface, known as follices.
A hair normally grows from each follicle for about three years, is then shed, and a new hair grows.
However, with male-pattern baldness, changes in levels of testosterone from their early-30s affect this cycle, causing the hair follicles to shrink.
Each new hair is thinner than the previous one. Eventually, all that remains is a much smaller hair follicle and a thin stump of hair that does not grow out to the skin surface.
Most people will have some grey hair by the age of 35. When we are young, our hair is coloured by the pigments produced by cells in the hair follicle known as melanocytes.
Sources from dailymail
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