Waving The Flag inThe Arab Desert..

K'naan (pronounced /ˈkeɪnɑːn/), born Keinan Abdi Warsame (Somali: Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, Arabic: كنعان عبدي ورسمه‎) in 1978, is a Somali-Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist.

Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most famous singers. K'naan's grandfather, Haji Mohammad, was a poet. He is Muslim, and his name, Keinan, means "traveler" in the Somali language. He spent the early years of his life listening to the hip-hop records sent to him from America by his father, who had left Somalia earlier. When he was 13, K'naan, his mother, and his three siblings, older brother, Liban, and younger sisters Naciimo, Sagal were able to leave their homeland and join relatives in New York City, where they stayed briefly before moving to Canada, to the Toronto neighbourhood of Rexdale, where there was a large Somali community and his family still resides. There, K'naan began learning English, partly by listening to hip hop albums by artists like Nas and Rakim. Despite the fact that he could not yet speak the language, the young K'naan taught himself hip hop and rap diction, copying the lyrics and style phonetically. He then also began rapping.

He is married to Deqa, a pharmacist. They have two sons, born in 2005 and 2007

K'naan is now based in Canada and won the 2010 Juno Awards for Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.

p/s : This is the answer to my very own question... "Who Is Knaan?"

You Are My KNIGHT In Summer DAY?

Knight And Day di mata JaseMario :

Saya kira ramai yang ke panggung hanya untuk memonton Tom Cruise !!! Mungkin juga ada yang tertarik dengan gabungan Cruise-Diaz yang pertama kali dulu pernah muncul dengan Vanilla Sky.

Sebuah filem komedi aksi musim panas yang sedikit tidak tiba di puncak. Seperti ada yang tidak kena dan menghalang terutama dari segi suntingan, kesinambungan dan plot secara keseluruhan.

"Lots of Fun, buuuuuuuuuuuuuut leave your brain at home" Sungguh banyak yang tak mampu di terima akal yang rasional ini.

A little more time developing why these strangers come to care for each other might have helped, and ultimately, it’s a failure of script/screenplay more than performances.

It is actually BAAAAAAD than Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher in Killers !!! Hahaha... Seriously !!!

p/s : Saya menonton Knight and Day di GSC Berjaya Times Square bagi tayangan 'Sneak Preview' lewat Rabu lalu...

Jika Haiwan Ada FB...:)

Cicak : Tuan rumah baru beli reket elektrik, gua kenduri nyamuk BBQ mlm nih…

Nyamuk : Baru habis ronda rumah Ajoi… kenyang burp, Alhamdulillah...

Nyamuk Aedes : Baru jer selamat bagi injekan maut, yeah!!!

Ayam : Tidaaaaaaaaaaaak, Besok majikan gua mau buat kenduri kesyukuran, gua mau di sembeliiiiihhh!...

Cicak : Isteriku tersepit pintu

Kucing Betina : “Anak i yang ke-5 baru tanya siapa bapaknya. I bingung nak jawab apa. I sendiri lupa bapaknya siapa.”

Ayam : Kawan2…kalu esok guwe tak update…bererti guwe udah di goreng….I luv u all… jangan luper wat kenduri arwah untuk I yaa...

Nyamuk : Siot, sekali drug addict gua hantam daaaa. Gua positif HIV AIDS... uwaaaaaaa

Cicak : Mau ke ke bilik air anak tuan rumah jap … baru beli videocam baru …

Kucing: Baru je add awek sebelah umah... keturunan PARSI beb!!!

Tikus : Operasi malam ni... selongkar kitchen kabinet... sape nak ikot?

Katak : Malam ni nk wat konsert la..da lama x ujan ni..hangat oii..

Ular : Rasa mcm nk makan lauk telo la malam ni..mana nk cari ek..

Anjing : Aku tension bila ada mat rempit berkumpul tepi rumah aku tiap malam. Nak tido pun x senang hanjeng punya org.

Kuda: Patah kaki; Rider aku bangang salah timing bila nak lompat pagar,sekarang rehat kat kandang.

Kura-kura: Aku sakit hati bila bini aku berjalan. Lembab mcm siput babi

Siput babi : Aku sakit hati bila bini aku bergerak. Lembab mcm kura2

Gagak: Tadi jumpa ayam KFC. Jangan jeles

Burung Kakak Tua: Penat betul nk ubah stigma masyarakat. Walaupun aku Burung Kakak Tua, tapi aku burung Jantan!!!

Babi Hutan: Susah betul nak cari makanan halal sekarang ni.

Kera : semalam GF aku bagi bunga. Sedap jugak kunyah

Tikus : Aku makan mee goreng mamak kat Al Naz maju@precint 9. Meh la join sekali.

Lalat : Asyik hurung bangkai je. Alhamdulillah hari ni jumpa nasi bungkus.

Sotong : Aku bengang bila tapak sulaiman ejek aku si lembut

Kucing : update petang karang tepat jam 5.00pm slow ngendap ala2 pink panther nyurik ikan bawal kepunyaan kaklelamajnun...

Lipas : merasmikan pengunaan kepak baru sekali bila dikembangkn...gerun tengok mmber aku kene tarik dgn jeli2 panjang kepunyaan cik cicak..eee seram nyeee....

Itik Serati : hahahhaa lawak2 ayam serama tu ade hati jalan tersengguk2....nk tiru aku le tu.. lol....

Ikan Laga: Boring sey, duduk sorang2 dalam tanki ni.

Ikan Parang : Kurang asam punya manusia, letak gambar aku kat depan bekas keropok

Ikan Jerung : Kenapa x de sorang pun nak add/approve aku. :-(

Ikan Sepat : Terkenang jiran sebelah yang dah dijadikan ikan pekasam. Al Fatihah

Ikan Bilis : Wah ramainya kawan kita. Tahniah remy, ko kawan aku yang ke 5000.

Ikan Arowana: Cantik tak sisik I? Cantik kan ?

Ikan Mas Koki : macam mana nak kurus nie?

Nota Jase : Disebabkan banyak sangat orang forward 'lawak antarabangsa' ini ke e-mel saya maka saya pun ambil kesempatanlah untuk 'copy' dan 'paste' di blog saya. Ini kira ubat untuk gelak-gelak ketika berduka... Lelucon, kelakar dan lucu !!!

KAU PERGI JUA (VERSI NASYID)

VERSE:
WAJAHMU...
SEINDAH SERINYA PELANGI NAN INDAH
SEHARUM MAWAR PUTIH SEGAR BERKEMBANG
WAJAHMU...
MASIH TERBAYANG JERNIHNYA DI MATAKU
SEHINGGA TERKENANG DI DALAM MIMPIKU

SAHABATKU...
TAHUKAH KAU DI DALAM HATIKU INI
TERHIMPUNNYA SERIBU DOA NAN SUCI
SESUNGGUHNYA...
WALAU HILANG MU JAUH DARI MATAKU
TETAP KU ABADIKAN DALAM JIWAKU

CHORUS:
SEPINYA
HARAPAN YANG SELAMA INI KU BAWA
JATUH BERKECAI MUSNAH JUA AKHIRNYA
SEMUANYA BAGAIKAN SEBUAH MIMPI

KAU PERGI JUA
KETIKA PERJUANGANMU MEMBARA
BELUM PUASKU MEMANDANG WAJAHMU
KAU PERGI TAK KEMBALI

VERSE:
SAHABATKU...
TAHUKAH KAU DI DALAM HATIKU INI
TERHIMPUNNYA SERIBU DOA YANG SUCI
SESUNGGUHNYA...
WALAU HILANG MU JAUH DARI MATAKU
TETAP KU ABADIKAN DALAM JIWAKU


END/lyric modified by SLEN

Nota Jase : Lagu Kau Pergi Jua ini adalah nyanyian asal Adam Ahmad yang amat popular di tahun 80 an. Lagu ini pernah dirakam semula oleh Irwanshah (menjadi artis solo setelah keluar dari Kumpulan Nasyid Sons of Adam dan Brothers - entah kemana beliau menghilangkan diri kini) dan Dayang Nurfaizah dengan menggunakan lirik asal. Secara peribadi, saya merasakan lirik asal lagu ini tidak sesuai dinyanyikan oleh penyanyi wanita. Bagi versi naysid ini, liriknya telah digubah semula oleh Slen. Lagu dengan lirik baru ini sebenarnya ditujukan khas untu Allahyarham Ustaz Asri (penyanyi utama Kumpulan Rabbani) yang telah kembali ke rahmatullah tempoh hari. Kau Pergi jua Versi Nasyid ini kali pertama telah dipersembahkan secara eksklusif semasa Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 2009 di Arena All Stars awal April tahun ini oleh 4 vokalis utama kumpulan nasyid antaranya Hijjaz, Rabbani & Raihan.

Happy Belated Birthday ZAKUMI !!!

The official mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is Zakumi (born 16 June 1994)(age 16)), an anthropomorphised leopard with green hair, presented on 22 September 2008. His name comes from "ZA" (the international abbreviation for South Africa) and the term kumi, which means "ten" in various African languages.The mascot's colours reflect those of the host nation's playing strip – yellow and green.

Zakumi's birthdate coincides with a day known and celebrated as Youth Day in South Africa and their second group match. The first non-racial nationwide elections in South Africa were in 1994. Zakumi will turn 16 in 2010. Andries Odendaal, from Cape Town, created the original character design.

Zakumi's official motto is: "Zakumi's game is Fair Play." The motto was seen in the digital advertisement boards during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and it will also appear at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

A contract for the manufacture of Zakumi figurines was awarded to a company owned Dr. Shiaan-Bin Huang,who is an ANC representative member in the South African parliament.The manufacture of the figurines was outsourced to Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products in the PRC.The value of the contract was in excess of USD 112 million[citation needed]. Due to concerns over the loss of jobs in the South African manufacturing sector, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has suggested that more 2010 merchandise be sourced locally. Allegation of sweatshop conditions at the Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products factory led to an audit by Global Brands Group (master licensee of the Fifa World Cup 2010 brand), which revealed a number of non-compliance issues with GBC policies.The manufacturer denied the allegations of sweatshop conditions and claimed that the working conditions at the Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products factory were "very good".

The Open Road "Justin is Brilliant !!!"

Jeff Bridges and Justin Timberlake memegang watak ayah dan anak lelaki yang mempunyai hubungan yang agak sukar, bermasalah dan mengelirukan. Namun begitu kedua-duanya adalah pemain bola lisut (seorang legenda dan seorang lagi sedang mengejar puncak). Sebuah 'dramedi' yang merangkak agak perlahan untuk tiba ke kemuncak, itulah 'The Open Road'. Epilog yang agak mungkin tidak di gemari ramai. Lakonan yang amat mantap oleh Justin Timerlake. Sesungguhnya beliau memang mempunyai bakat lakonan yang cemerlang dan mampu menggondol Anugerah Academy jika kena pada watak yang diberikan kepadanya di masa hadapan. (Saya terpaksa menonton DVD ini untuk melepas lelah 'stress' bekerja hari ini... Huhuhu).


Sinopsis :
The movie centers on Carlton Garrett (Justin Timberlake), the adult son of baseball legend Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges) and a minor-league baseball player with the Corpus Christi, Texas Hooks. One night, after another game in which he continues to slump at the plate, Carlton gets a phone call from his grandfather Amon (Harry Dean Stanton), who tells him that Carlton's mother, Katherine (Mary Steenburgen) has fallen ill and is at the hospital. Katherine requires a surgery that the doctors recommend; however she refuses to sign the waiver until Kyle comes to visit her. After Carlton agrees to find his estranged father, together with his ex-girlfriend Lucy (Kate Mara), the two of them fly to Columbus, Ohio to break the news to Kyle, who is there for an autograph signing and doesn't have a cell phone.

After a tense meeting, in which it's revealed that Carlton and Kyle haven't seen or spoken to each other in five years, Kyle agrees to fly to Texas to see Katherine with his son and Lucy. The next morning, while preparing to get through airport security, Kyle realizes that he's lost his wallet and hence his identification, therefore he's not allowed to board the flight. Lucy suggests that the three of them rent a car and drive. While at a gas station one evening, Kyle asks Lucy to bring him his bag which contain painkillers for his various aches. Lucy notices Kyle's wallet in the bag, revealing that Kyle intentionally misplaced his wallet in hopes of not having to get on the plane and thus not make the trip; Lucy keeps this discovery a secret from Carlton.

As the trip progresses, Carlton and Kyle attempt to piece-together their fragile relationship. Also, Lucy tells Carlton that she's engaged to a new man; this creates a tension between the two, as their love towards each other remains. Many delays occur, as Kyle becomes increasingly anxious about seeing Katherine and becomes more and more unreliable. He seems to make up for this, however, when he tells Carlton and Lucy that he knows someone who works at the Memphis airport who can get him through security without I.D. While waiting for their flight, Kyle tells Carlton that the employee he knows doesn't exist and it was a cover-up story. Carlton realizes that Kyle has had his wallet the entire time and has purposely been delaying the trip. He angrily storms off to talk to Lucy, leaving Kyle unattended. After an argument with Lucy, whom he finds out knew about the wallet the whole time, he returns to where Kyle was sitting to find him missing. Carlton and Lucy get on the flight anyway and Carlton exits the flight to look for his father but not before telling Lucy that if he doesn't come back before takeoff, to get off the plane. Mad at Carlton and their argument, Lucy decides to stay on the plane anyway and she flys home; Carlton is also unsuccessful in finding Kyle. Carlton calls Katherine and she tells him that if his father is anywhere in Memphis, he'd be at The Peabody Hotel downtown.

When Carlton arrives at the hotel he finds out from the front desk that no one by the name of Kyle Garrett has checked-in. Tired at this point, Carlton takes a room for the night. Later that evening, during a conversation with the Peabody Hotel bartender (Lyle Lovett), the bartender tells him that Kyle Garrett is indeed staying in the hotel but under an alias. Furious, Carlton confronts Kyle in Kyle's room. After forcing himself in, Carlton and Kyle wrestle each other to the ground, where Kyle tells Carlton that he loves Katherine but loves himself even more. Soon Kyle agrees to continue with the trip. The next day Carlton gets a phone call: Katherine has gotten an infection and the doctors have been forced to operate earlier than expected.

Carlton, Kyle, Amon and Carlton's grandmother Virge (Lenore Banks) wait anxiously in the hospital waiting room. Soon Lucy shows up and her and Carlton reconcile. The doctor comes out and tells the family that the operation was a success. The next morning, while still at the hospital, Carlton tells Lucy that he's quitting baseball to focus on becoming a writer and Lucy tells Carlton that she's not a 'fiancee' anymore. At this point it's assumed that the two have gotten back together. Carlton drives Kyle to the airport, where Kyle agrees to come visit on New Year's and Carlton agrees to visit Kyle for Christmas. The ending scene shows Carlton clearing out his baseball locker and walking to his jeep, where Lucy is waiting for him. The two drive off together.

Kurbaan Cinta Berdarah Khalid

Sinopsis
Avantika Ahuja (Kareena Kapoor) who lives in the US returns to Delhi after her father has a cardiac arrest. While in Delhi she meets Ehsaan Khan (Saif Ali Khan), a University professor from Mumbai. Being in the same career field at the same place, love blossoms between the two. Meanwhile Avantika gets a return call from New York asking her to rejoin her job. She breaks this news to Ehsaan and expresses her desire to work in the US, Ehsaan agrees and joins her but before that Avantika's father has some reservations about his daughter marrying a Muslim.However he gives in as the couple has decided to get married. Eventually they get married and move to the USA. Avantika helps Ehsaan in getting a job at the same university where she teaches and Ehsaan is appointed as a professor to teach Islam and the Modern World. Avantika's life changes when her neighbor Salma (Nauheed Cyrusi) informs her about her house arrest and requests Avantika to help her by contacting her friend Rihana (Dia Mirza), a TV reporter. Avantika meets Rihana and tells her about Salma's problem and meanwhile she meets Riyaz (Vivek Oberoi), Rihana's boyfriend and colleague who takes Salma's problem as a case of domestic violence. Unfortunately, Rihana has to fly out of the city before meeting Salma and she gets her flight information when Avantika is still at her office. Avantika becomes pregnant and waits at her house to share this with Ehsaan but when she hears voices coming from their neighbor's house, she investigates and finds out that her neighbors Bhaijaan (Om Puri) and the others are planning to send Tahir and blast the flight in which Rihana is traveling, and have also killed Salma as she wanted to expose them. Her neighbors see her and chase her to her house where she meets Ehsaan who consoles her but soon reveals that he is also a part of the terrorist group. Bhaijaan ask Ehsaan to kill her in order to make their operation successful, however Ehsaan denies after learning that Avantika is pregnant. Ehsaan keeps Avantika in house arrest and threatens to kill her father in India if she tries to inform anyone. Avantika realizes that she is a pawn in Ehsaan’s game. It turns out he married her to legitimately obtain Social Security Cards and a new identity in the USA. Avantika calls Rihana and leaves a voice message on her office number to stop her from boarding the flight. Unfortunately, the plane explodes killing Rihana.

Riyaz, heartbroken and revengeful finds Avantika's voice message for Rihana and begins a mission to uncover the real culprits behind the flight bombings. Riyaz also joins Ehsaan's lectures and soon befriends him. Ehsaan finds him to be a perfect replacement for one of his group member Aqeel (Salma's husband) who was killed by Ehsaan while they were taking out Salma's body to bury it. Ehsaan introduces Riyaz to Bhaijaan who becomes suspicious of Riyaz's thoughts to fight against the Americans. Ehsaan makes Riyaz a part of their next mission to bomb several subway stations in New York.

Riyaz tries to spoil the plan with the help of Avantika. Time starts running out for Riyaz & Avantika and they become helpless when Bhaijaan advances the mission by 3 days. While carrying bombs in the subway Riyaz's colleague bumps into him and tells Ehsaan & Bhaijaan about his real identity. Riyaz tries to escape and in the chaos, shoots Bhaijaan. While taking his last breath, Bhaijaan informs Ehsaan that there are 3 more bombs placed in the bags of 2 wives of the terrorists involved and one of it placed in Avantika's bag which is being escorted by Aapa (Kirron Kher). He has a change of heart to save his love and child and doesn't kill Riyaz when he corners him and instead they both make a plan to stop all the other terrorists. Riyaz tries to save the people at the train stations but 2 bombs explode killing Hamid and another terrorist. Ehsaan kills Aapa while saving Avantika. Ultimately he sacrifices himself at the end to save the innocent Avantika. Ehsaan dies by committing suicide and Riyaz arrives to see Avantika.

Cast
Saif Ali Khan as Ehsaan Khan/Khalid
Kareena Kapoor as Avantika
Vivek Oberoi Riyaz Masood
Om Puri as Bhaijaan
Kirron Kher as Nasreen/Aapa
Dia Mirza as Rihana (Special appearance)
Nauheed Cyrusi as Salma (Special appearance)
Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Riyaz's father
Rupinder Nagra as Hamid

Nota Jase :
Saya memang peminat filem hindi. Cuma kebelaknagan ini agak sukar untuk menonton filem hindi memandangkan 'tiada kaki'. Lewat bulan lalu saya terjumpa akan VCD Original "Kurbaan" lakonan Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor. Filem ini mendapat liputan yang agak meluas kerana ia lari daripada tema cinta seperti kebanyakan Filem-filem Hindi. Dari segi lakonan ketiga-tiga pelakon utama Siaf, Kareena dan Viviek telah melaksanakannya dengan cemerlang. Dari segi runut bunyi, ia juga cemerlang dengan latar yang bersesuaian dengan keadaan. Penceritaan pula, meskipun ia masih berpaksikan kepada norma-norma biasa filem hindi yang adakala mengambil mudah soal kelangsungan antara plot, babak dan watak. Ia masih boleh dibanggakan. Mungkin perlu ada kajian yang lebih mendalam jika ingin mewarnakan watak-watak yang kononnya 'terrorist' di kacamata Uncle Sam !!! (Satu ketika dahulu, poster filem ini juga pernah mencetus kontroversi). (Saya sesungguhnya terpaksa menonton 2 malam berturut-turut untuk menghabiskan 3 keping VCD !!!)

Keroncong Kasih Menyusur Zaman (Sisi Sesudah)

Terima Kasih kepada petugas DFP/MPO yang sudi untuk mencetak semula kedua-dua tiket kami yang telah basah terkena air. Kalau tidak malu juga untuk mendapatkan tanda tangan Dato' Yusni Hamid dan Bob Yusof Mesra. Kan... Kan... Kan...

Adilla Idris yang di katakan Ikon kepada Keroncong Generasi Baru. Tetapi bagi saya Adilla masih belum sampai ke tahap ikon meskipun saya tahu beliau amat porpular sekitar lewat 90an dengan versi keroncong lagu Bukan Aku Tak Cinta dan kemudian Janji Kekasih. Saya kurang meminati vokal Adilla yang bagi saya kedengaran agak mekanikal.

Kali ketiga sebenarnya saya bertemu dengan Dato' Yusni Hamid secara 'live'. Sebelum ini sekitar 5 tahun lalu ketika saya terlibat dengan salah satu pertandingan nyanyian di sayrikat saya bekerja, kami ada menjemput Dato' Yusni Hamid menjadi salah seorang juri (saya kira Dato' tentu sudah lupa). Dato' Yusni Hamid memang lagenda dalam lagu-lagu keroncong (setidak-tidaknya bagi saya). Namun begitu saya paling minat mendengar Dato' Yusni Hamid mendendangkan lagu Kasih (nyanyian asal hetty Koes Endang).

Mengikut ceritanya, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali (isteri Tun Dr Mahathir) amat meminati suara adik Jamilah ketika mendendangkan lagu-lagu keroncong. Memang jelas terbukti apabila pada malam saya menonton kedua Tun Dr Mahathir dan Tun Dr Siti Hasmah juga datang untuk menyaksikan persembahan ini. Adik Jamilah baru berusia 15 tahun tetapi suaranya teramat 'matured'.

Bob AF2 Mesra... atau kini dikenali sebagai Bob Yusof memang mempunyai suara yang amat lunak. meskipun tidak begitu dikenali sebagai penyanyi keroncong naum Bob telah melaksanakan tanggung jawab beliau dengan baik sekali pada persembahan tersebut. Untuk rekod, Bob yang mewakili Malaysia di Pertandingan WCOPA di Hollowood pada tahun 2009 telah memenangi 4 pingat emas dan 1 perak bagi kategori solo. Kejayaan ayang amat mebanggakan.

Nota (Tambahan) Jase :
Daripada 18 lagu dengan alunan vokal dan 2 lagu instrumental terdakat 5 persembahan yang amat-amat mengkagumi saya. Pertama persembahan MUNGKIN oleh Bob. Wow !!! menakjubkan sekali. Kedua, AMPANG PECAH oleh Dato' Yusni Hamid. Sungguh menterujakan !!! Ketiga, Pergi oleh Dato Yusni Hamid. Naum begitu terdapat sedikit kesalahan maklumat di dalam buku program yang mencatatkan lagu ini ciptaan Aizat. Sebenarnya lagu PERGI adalah Ciptaan Patric Teoh dan lirik oleh Amran Omar. Keempat pula dendangan Adilla BUKAN AKU TAK CINTA (mengenagkan kemabali zaman kegemilangan lagu ini dalam versi slow rock) dan akhir sekali PAHLAWANKU oleh Bob sekali lagi. Terdapat perubahan lirik kepada lagu yang dinyanyikan oleh Bob untuk disesuaikan dengan penyanyi lelaki. Tahniah.. !!!

Petua Bermusafir ke Negara Bukan Islam

Salah satu daripada Arca yang menarik perhatian saya di tengah-tengah kepesatan Bandar Taipei, Taiwan. Lokasi arca ini juga berdekatan dengan Taipei 101.

Ini adalah peringatan untuk diri sendiri dan rakan yang membaca blog saya. Maklumat-maklumat ini saya ekstrak daripada Majalah Libur (Edisi Jun 2010).

01. Makanan Halal - Ini adalah perkara wajib. Takkanlah kita hendak makan makanan segera sahaja yang dibawa dari tanah air sahaja. Untuk mengetahui lokasi makanan halal kita bolehlah layari laman sesawang ini.

02. Arah Kiblat - Meski di mana kita berada, tunaikanlah Solat 5 waktu. Lagipun kitakan boleh ber'jamak' dan ber'qasar'. Jika terlupa membawa kompas arah kiblat; kita boleh semak di sini.

03. Waktu Solat - Untuk kepastian akan waktu solat pula bolehlah merujuk kepada laman sesawang ini.

04. Menetukan Keadaan Cuaca - Keadaan cuaca akan menentukan jenis pakaian yang perlu di bawa. Dapatkan infomasi berkenaan keadaan cuaca sesuatu bandar di sini.

05. Jika ke Negara Uncle Sam dan ingin mengetahui lokasi Masjid. Klik di sini.

06. Bekalan Makanan Segera Halal - Sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga bolehlah juga membawa bekalan makan segera (roti, rendang dalam paket, mee segera dsb) yang halal untuk beberapa hari pertama di tempat tersebut. Jagan lupa untuk membawa bekas dan peralatan mencuci juga.

07. Perbelanjaan - Duit negara yang di lawati, RM dan juga Kad Kredit !!!

08. Maklumat Kedutaan - Maklumat ini penting seandainya berlaku sebarang musibah. Ada syarikat Telco negara akan memaklumkan maklumat ini setibanya anda di negara yang dilawti tatkala anda menghidupkan perkhidmatan perantauan antarabangsa.

SELAMAT MELANCONG !!!

The World Cup 2010 Songs !!!

"Waving Flag - K'naan feat David Bisbal"
Nota Jase : The Song is quite catchy. Tambahan lagi dengan ada versi 'spanish' David Bisbal menambahkan lagi kemeriahan lagu ini. Dari mana munculnya K'naan ni?


"Waka Waka - Shakira"
Nota Jase : Shakira tampil sekali dengan lagu tema untuk Piala Dunia setelah muncul dengan lagu yang begitu hebat di tahun 2006 "Hips Don't Lie (HDL) (feat Wyclef Jean). Sedih sedikit kerana lagu ini tidak dapat menandingi kehebatan HDL !!!


"Oh Africa - Akon feat Keri Hilson"
Nota Jase : Tidak syak lagi lagu yang menjadi lagu tema Kempen Piala Dunia Pepsi ini adalah yang paling 'catchy' ditambah dengan klip video padang bola sepak manusia yang bergerak yang amat kreatif itu akan membuatkan kita akan teringatkan ia sepanjang masa.

Nine Reasons to Drink Green Tea Daily

Have you been wondering “what’s all the fuss about green tea?” Now you can stop wondering and start drinking ... green tea, that is. This flavorful beverage offers many health benefits to anyone who drinks it regularly. Green tea contains a potent plant nutrient known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, for short. But don’t fret, you don’t have to keep track of its chemical name to reap the health benefits.

Here are nine reasons to start drinking green tea or continue drinking it if you’re already hooked.

1. Green tea is a superb fat fighter. Its active ingredient, EGCG, increases the rate at which fat is burned in your body.

2. It targets belly fat. Research at Tufts University indicates that EGCG in green tea, like other catechins, activate fat-burning genes in the abdomen to speed weight loss by 77 percent.

3. Green tea keeps energy stable by balancing blood sugar levels. EGCG improves insulin use in the body to prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes that can result in fatigue, irritability, and cravings for unhealthy foods.

4. Research shows it may be helpful against lung cancer. In an April 2010 study published in Cancer Prevention Research, EGCG was found to suppress lung cancer cell growth.

5. Green tea may halt colorectal cancer. In numerous other studies, EGCG appears to inhibit colorectal cancers.

6. In research, it appears to cause prostate cancer cells to commit suicide. A March 2010 study in Cancer Science indicated that EGCG aids the body by causing prostate cancer cells to commit suicide.

7. Green tea may prevent skin damage and wrinkling. EGCG appears to be 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at destroying skin-damaging free radicals. Free radicals react with healthy cells in the body, causing damage, so lessening their numbers may help reduce wrinkling and other signs of aging.

8. It contains a potent antioxidant that kills free radicals. Because it is a potent antioxidant green tea can positively impact a lot more than skin cells. Free radicals are increasingly linked to many serious chronic illnesses like arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.

9. Green tea tastes good. If you’re not wild about the flavor, try a few different kinds. Try it iced or hot. Add some of the natural herb stevia to sweeten it if you want a sweeter drink. I wasn’t crazy about green tea the first few times I tried it, but now I love it with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a few drops of stevia over ice -- et voila! Green tea lemonade. Mmmmm.

Reap the rewards
Add one or two teaspoons of green tea leaves to a cup of boiling water, preferably in a tea strainer. Let steep for five minutes. Pour over ice if you prefer a cold beverage. Most experts recommend three cups daily. And, don’t worry, green tea contains a lot less caffeine than coffee or black tea.

By Michelle Schoffro Cook, Care2

(Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook. Adapted with permission from The Life Force Diet. Michelle Schoffro Cook, RNCP, ROHP, DAc, DNM, is a best-selling and six-time book author and doctor of natural medicine).

My World Cup Collection (2)

Seperti yang dikatakan... Koleksi World Cup saya akan bertambah-tambah. Hahaha... 'Green Bag' Argentina tuu daripada F.O.S. Harganya cuma RM10.00 sahaja. (Jangan risau, 'team' lain pun ada juga.) Stokin Argentina tuu pula juga RM10.00 untuk sepasang tetapi jika beli 3 pasang ia cuma RM23.00, berbaloikan !!!

Kalau rajin nak tengok wayang di TGV, sekarang ni ada promosi World Cup juga iaitu untuk minuman bergas dan bertih jagung kita akan diberikan percuma 'lanyard' dan jadual perlawanan saiz poket (yang mudah untuk rujukan). Mudah kan !!!

Kerjaya Terkini Mawi !!!

Percaya atau tidak yang Mawi kini telah jadi 'Tuan Direktor'. Tapi untuk penerbitan apa ya? Filem? Telemovie? Drama? Muzikal? Dimana pula saya dapat jejaki lokasi penggambaran ini? Bila pula mereka membuat penggambaran?Tunggu yaa untuk 'update' yang teramat 'gempark' ini.....!

Kenduri di Teratak Senyum Simpul

Terima Kasih kepada Tn Hj Kamil & Haj Ramlah (Tok Bah & Tok Mi) kerana telah memanjangkan undangan kepada saya dan Lisa untuk menghadiri Majlis Persandingan puteri sulong mereka Tante Tessa dengan Uncle Amir. Sebenarnya saya memang tidak menjangka akan menerima utusan ini kerana Tok Bah memamg telah lama bersara daripada syarikat saya bekerja. Dan sebenarnya saya mengenali Tok Bah di peringkat awal saya memulakan kerjaya setelah tamat pengajian di Menara Gading. Ketika itu Tok Bah adalah salah seorang daripada Pengurus Kanan di syarikat saya bekerja. Setelah sekian lama, setelah saya berpindah dan kembali semula. Alhamdullillah, masih ingat lagi yaa Boss Besar ni kat saya.

Kad Jemputan Kahwin Tessa & Amir ini memang ringkas tetapi sangat kelakar dan melucukan. Memang ia akan menjadi momento kepada mereka yang menerima kad ini. Kendurinya pula klasik habis, ala-ala kopitiam dan hidangan 'first class' !!!

Untuk Tante Tessa & Uncle Amir. Semoga Berbahagia sehingga ke akhir hayat !!!

Manis Berbicara

Sementelah menunggu untuk menonton Killers minggu lalu saya dan Lisa sempat untuk menjamu selera (kira-kira seperti Tea Break Afternoon lah ni) di Cafe Sweet Chat. Ini merupakan cafe francais jadi boleh di katakan terdapat banyak juga cafe ini pusat membeli belah di sekitar Kuala Lumpur. Cuma kami yang baru berkesempatan untuk datang. Deko yang indah. Tambah-tambah lagi suasana di Mines lebih menarik kerana ial terletak di pinggir terusan. Seperti Venice lagaknya. Menu yang menarik, banyak pilihan sehingga rambang mata. Yang lebih penting, cafe ini mendapat Sijil Halal daripada JAKIM !!! Jom...

Kecoh Betul dengan Si Bell ?

KECOH BETUL merupakan antara sebuah kisah kehidupan anak-anak muda hari ini. Mengisahkan tiga orang pemuda yang berkawan baik. Aiman, Belon dan Joe bekerja sebagai dispatch delivery order di sebuah restoran makanan segera di ibu kota.

Mereka berdepan dengan cabaran hidup di kotaraya. Kehidupan mereka dikelilingi dengan keseronokan. Cabaran hidup mereka apabila keseronokan tidak dapat dinikmati kerana kekangan kewangan. Semuanya kerana wang. Mereka sanggup melakukan sesuatu perkara tanpa berfikir panjang kerana wang. Tiga sahabat ini obses dengan motor. Kehidupan mereka juga tidak lari dari motor. Ketiga-tiga mereka terlibat dengan aktiviti-aktiviti sosial seperti merempit dan bersukaria. Sehinggalah pada suatu hari mereka tidak dapat memenuhi tuntutan sosial mereka kerana masalah kewangan. Mereka terjebak dalam kancah Ah Long apabila mereka meminjam duit dari mereka. Mereka terpedaya dengan iklan mendapat duit dengan cepat telah terperangkap dalam perangkap Ah Long.

Dalam pada itu, mereka juga menghadapi konflik dalam diri mereka sendiri. Dalam mencari identiti mereka sebenar mereka tidak dapat lari dari kancah percintaan. Aiman jatuh cinta dengan gadis yang pernah ditolongnya akibat kes ragut sebelum ini. Dayana seorang gadis yang pernah diperdaya oleh teman lelakinya sendiri yang merupakan seorang pengedar pil ectasy. Aiman bertekad untuk mengubah hidup Dayana . Belon yang berminat dengan wanita berusia terpikat dengan tuan rumah yang merupakan seorang ibu tunggal, Salmah. Joe pula berusaha memikat anak gadis Salmah, Yatt@Yati yang agak kasar perwatakannya.

Kekecohan berlaku apabila mereka memerlukan wang untuk menyelesaikan hutang mereka. Dayana telah diculik kerana ketiga-tiga mereka tidak berjaya melunaskan hutang.

Mampukah mereka menyelamatkan Dayana? Mampukah mereka mendapatkan wang untuk melunaskan hutang-hutang mereka? Bagaimana mereka mengatasi kekecohan ini?

Semuanya menjadi kecoh, betul punya kecoh dan anda dapat merasai kekecohannya dengan menonton KECOH BETUL.


Nota Jase :
Saya sempat menyaksikan filem ini tadi (4 Jun 2010) jam 4.30 petang di TGV Mines. Filem ini mula memasuki pawagam sejak semalam. Ketika menyaksikan filem ini tadi, boleh dikatakan penonton tidak begitu ramai, sekitar 150 orang sahaja. Mampukah ia menjadi Filem Pecah Panggung? Kita nantikan sahaja...

Secara mudah filem ini berkisarkan kepada persahabatan anak-anak bujang mengharungi rencah kota raya, mat rempit, pengedaran dadah, aksi komedi, 'ah long' dan cinta. Semuanya di sentuh secara luaran sahaja tanpa mengupas dengan lebih mendalam. Memandang filem ini muncul setelah beberapa filem rempit (samada aksi atau komedi) yang memenuhi pawagam sebelum ini ia nampak seperti langsung tiada istimewanya. Watak hitam 'Mat Rempit Pelumba Haram Penjual Dadah' dimatikan secara tiba-tiba tanpa memberi kesedaran nyata kepada penonton. Dari segi lakonan pula pujian memang harus diberikan kepada Nabil Raja Lawak dan Bell Ngasri yang memang begitu bersahaja dan 'natural' memegang watak masing-masing. Pendek kata kita tidak sakit mata atau sakit hati apabila melihat kedua pelakon/pelawak ini muncul di layar perak. Sesungguhnya banyak juga aksi-aksi yang akan membuatkan anda ketawa terbahak-bahak hingga pecah perut, memang kech betul lagaknya.

'Menampilkan Luda.."

Break Your Heart The Video - Taio Cruz feat Ludacris


Baby The Video - Justin Bieber feat Ludacris

Ada dua buah lagu sedap yang sedang hangat di Carta Billboard Hot 100. Kedua-duanya menampilkan Ludacris untuk sisi rap. Dua-dua menarik. Jadi saya kongsi bersama di sini. Justin Bieber merupakan anak didik Usher. Di Malaysia album beliau di pasarkan oleh Universal Music Malaysia. Sementara Taio Cruz saya sendiripun tidak tahu dari mana munculnya. Tetapi mungkin asalnya 'black singer' dari Britain.

Keroncong Kasih Menyusur Zaman

Irama Keroncong (bukan kecorong yaa seperti kata Adam AF2) akan disemarakkan kembali melalui Keroncong Kasih - Menyusur Zaman oleh Kumpulan Seni Persembahan PETRONAS dengan menampilkan Adilla Idris, Bob 'Mesra' Yusof (AF2), Dato; Yusni Hamid dan penyanyi cilik Jamilah Abu Bakar. Persembahan ini adalah gabungan 'essemble' keroncong dengan simfoni orkestra ini dipimpin oleh Ahmad Muriz Che Rose.

InsyaAllah saya akan menonton pada 7 Jun 2010 ini. Jumpa di sana... di sana... di sana...

Persembahan akan berlansung selama 2 malam. 7 & 8 Jun 2010 bertempat di Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS. Persembahan akan dimulakan tepat jam 8.30 malam. Tiket berharga dari RM15, RM30, RM50 dan RM60 sekeping. Hubungi 03-2051 7007 atau dfp.com.my untuk maklumat lanjut.

'Campur Tolak Kali Bahagi'

Bukan mudah untuk sebuah kumpulan baru dapat bertahan. Apatah lagi berjaya menghasilkan 3 buah album dalam sela masa lebih kurang tiga tahun. 6ixth Sense yang mula-mula menjengah kancah persada muzik tanah air dengan lagu 'cover version' J. Mizan 'Hari Ini dan Semalam' sebenarnya telah berjaya mencairkan hati para peminat seni tanah air dengan dendangan demi dendangn seperti Tak Bisa Memilikimu, Tanpa, Seteguh Karang, Cinta Yang Sempurna (menampilkan Neo Letto) dan yang terbaru Khatimah Cinta. Kumpulan ini sebagaimana yang kita ketahui telah dua kali berturut-turut berjaya menggondol Anugera Lagu Popular bagi rancangan Hits 1/ GAH 1 di TV2 dengan lagu Tanpa (2009) dan Khatimah Cinta (2010).

Usai memenangi anugerah di GAH 1 di TV2 Ahad lalu lantas pihak pengurusan 6itxh Sense (Universal Music Malaysia) mengambil kesempatan untuk melancarkan Album Terbaru mereka yang berjudul 'Campur Tolak Kali Bahagi' pada 1 Jun 2010 bertempat di Hard Rock Cafe, Kuala Lumpur. Sebuah tajuk album yang boleh dikira sebagai kreatif ini membawa maksud kepada SEBUAH KEHIDUPAN. Umpamanya, perlakuan baik perlu ditambah (+) dan diteruskan setiap masa, menolak (-) segala sifat jahat, menggandakan (X) usaha dalam mencari rezeki yang halal serta mengagihkan (/) rezeki tersebut juga buat yang lain.

Album 'Campur Tolak Kali Bahagi' telah memasuki pasaran pada 14 April 2010 yang lalu. Apa yang membanggakan ialah ia merupakan karya sepenuhnya 6ixth Sense. Ditampilkan dengan hanya 9 trek yang mana 2 daripada trek yang terdapat di dalam album ini telah serasi dengan halwa telinga pendengar muzik iaitu Khatimah Cinta dan Cinta Yang Sempurna. Jadi cuma tinggal 7 lagu sahja yang perlu di nilai. Soalan yang mungkin ditanya oleh kita semua ialah : Berbaloikah untuk memiliki CD Original album ini?

Ada dua lagu yang kali pertama saya mendengarnya terus menangkap di kotak fikiran. Trek 1 - Yang Sempurnakanku dan Trek 2 - Pemilik Hati. Namun malangnya kedua-dua trek ini terlalu pendek; sekitar 2 minit lebih sahaja. Kedua-dua lagu ini juga mempunyai melodi tarikan dan gabungan Wali Band & ST12. Terasa amat melayu dan jiwa kampung sekali.Dengar ceritanya sebahagian daripada album ini di rakamkan di Bandung. Mungkjinkah ini antara sebabnya.

Jika berminat dengan lagu yang ada unsur 'strings' maka dengarkan 'Menyesal' di Trek 8. Ia memang meruntun jiwa. Jika masih tidak puas hati untuk di hanyut gelora; dengarkan 'Cinta Mati di Trek 9 !!!

Apa yang pasti. Album ini memang berbaloi untuk dimiliki (Terima Kasih kepada Universal Music Malaysia yang menjemput saya ke Majlis Pelancaran album ini, maka saya pun dapatlah memiliki CD ini). Dalam pada itu, jika ingin memuat turun lagu-lagu dari album ini dalam bentuk MP3, True Tunes atau sebagai CRT, pastikan ia yang original ya !!!

Si Kembar Dua

Berdiri Megah
Menuju Angkasa
Si Kembar Dua
Lambang Peradaban
Sebuah Bangsa Merdeka

Aku Terpatri
Pada Sebuah Kejayaan
Padu dan Jitu
Pada Sebuah Perjanjian

Di Sini Aku
Mendongak Lagi
Melihat Tinggi
Menggapai Langit

Angankan Kukecapi

22 Mei 2010

Daily Kopitiam @ Pavilion

Jika tiada tempat lain untuk menjamu selera bolehlah ke sini... Huhuhu... Jangan marah ye Daily Kopitiam !!!

My World Cup 2010 Collection

Anda semua sudah bersedia untuk Piala Dunia FIFA South Africa 2010? Sudah tentu. Saya juga begitu. Ini adalah Koleksi World Cup 2010 saya sehingga 2 Jun 2010. Hahaha... Ayatnya seperti akan bertambah lagi koleksi sedikit masa lagi... Huhuhu. T-Shirt World Cup FIFA South Africa 2010 berwarna biru ini boleh di dapati di Kedai Mesra PETRONAS di seluruh negara. Murah sahaja, iaitu RM33.90 sehelai. Sementara sandal Crocs 'Crocband Nation Argentina' ini adalah 'limited edition' yang dijual di seluruh Crocs Concept Store. Edisi terhad sempena Piala Dunia ini dijual dengan harga RM179.00 sepasang. Sepanjang Piala Dunia berlansung, setiap belian akan di hadiahkan rantai kunci dari model sandal Crocs yang sama. Sementara 'landyard' berwarna biru muda itu adalah edisi pasukan Argentina. Anda boleh mendapatkan lanyard ini daripada saya dengan harga RM7.00 satu atau tiga dengan harga istimewa RM20.00 !!! Apa lagi? Jom !!!

ISRAEL: A Terrorist Success Story

If there was an Academy Awards ceremony for terrorism, Israel would sweep every category — and every acceptance speech would have to thank the government of United States, whose generous support has made Israel the most successful terrorist state in the world.

How do you measure the success of terrorism? Is it by the numbers of civilians killed, maimed and terrorised or the level of disruption and fear brought to peoples' daily lives? Israel scores very highly on both these counts.

Surely though, the ultimate measure of success is the ability to use terrorism to achieve your aims and get away with it. By this measure, Israel is the most successful terrorist state of the 20th century and looks like continuing its winning streak into the 21st century.

Israel has its own special way of recognising the achievements of its great terrorists — by electing them its prime minister. There are no less than three Israeli prime ministers who have long terrorist histories.

The current prime minister, Ariel Sharon, cemented his place in the hall of fame with his leading role in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, including the massacres by Israeli-backed militias in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. Earlier in his Israeli army career Sharon was responsible for the slaughter of 69 civilians in the Qibia village in Jordanian-controlled territory in 1953.

The Israeli prime minister at the time of the 1982 invasion, Menachem Begin, was a leader of the Irgun, one of the main terrorist groups in the Zionist movement. In the 1930s and 1940s the Zionists were trying to establish the Israeli state in what was then British-occupied Palestine.

In 1937, the Irgun launched a terror campaign against Palestinian civilians, setting off bombs in markets and attacking buses. In one attack on the Haifa fruit market 74 Arabs were killed and 129 wounded. In 1946, the Irgun set off a bomb in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem killing about 100 Arab, British and Jewish victims.

Another Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Shamir, started his career in this same period as a leader of the Zionist terrorist group, the Stern gang. The Stern gang was responsible for the assassination of the UN mediator in Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, and a French UN observer in September 1948.

As central leaders of these groups Begin and Shamir both went on to play a crucial role in the terrorist activities carried out during the 1948 war.


'Ethnic cleansing'

The term "ethnic cleansing" came into general use when it was used to describe the atrocities carried out by the Serbian nationalist forces in their push to create a Serbian state in Bosnia.

To carry out this particular form of terrorism is one thing, but as former Serbian ruler Slobodan Milosevic has found out, it is quite another thing to get away with it. In terms of getting away with ethnic cleansing, Israel is in a class of its own.

Ethnic cleansing was always going to be essential to achieving the Zionist movement's aim of creating a Jewish state in Palestine. This movement sought to escape the oppression suffered by Jewish minorities throughout history by setting up a state controlled exclusively by Jews, ruling over a country in which Jews were the majority. The process of creating such a state in Palestine would inevitably involve systematic discrimination against the non-Jewish people of Palestine.

Through a combination of lobbying, military force and terrorist activity the Zionist movement was able to win the support of the US and other powerful nations for a UN partition plan which would create a Jewish state in Palestine. The 1947 UN partition plan violated the right of the Arabic-speaking Palestinian people to national self-determination, as it denied them the opportunity to vote on whether or not they agreed to the UN plan to hand over a part of their national homeland to a colonial-settler state.

The UN plan was also grossly unfair in that it granted the 30% of the population who were Jewish 54% of the land of Palestine, including the most fertile areas. Despite the obvious bias of the UN plan in favour of Zionism, it did not resolve the "Arab question".

In the area allocated to the Jewish state, Jews only barely outnumbered Palestinians (498,000 Jews to 497,000 Palestinians) and at this time the Zionist settlers only owned 6% of the land.

The solution was ethnic cleansing. By waging a war of terror against the civilian Palestinian population, the Zionists were able to occupy 81% of the total area of Palestine by the end of the 1948 war.

One of the worst acts of terror during this war was the Deir Yasseen massacre. On April 9, 1948, the Irgun and the Stern gang attacked the village of Deir Yasseen and massacred 120 villagers. To ensure that the massacre had maximum effect in forcing Palestinians to flee, the terrorist forces raped women and girls, butchered infants and cut open the womb of a nine-months pregnant woman.

This was just one of a number of massacres that terrorised more than 90% of the Palestinian population into fleeing their homes.

After forcing the Palestinian population to flee the villages, the Israeli forces would often blow up the houses to ensure the residents had nothing to return to. To reinforce the point, the Israeli authorities then "legally" confiscated the homes, fields and property of all Palestinians who had not been in their "regular place of residence" on September 1, 1948.

The media coverage of the attacks on New York has emphasised that the victims of terrorism are not just those killed and injured but also their families, and the society as a whole. Today there are more than 3.7 million Palestinian refugees registered by the UN and about another two million who are not registered. These refugees are the victims of the acts of terrorism carried out in the 1948 war and of further terrorist acts carried out in the last 53 years.

In the Balkans, some refugees have been allowed to return — but not in Israel. There, Palestinian refugees are not allowed to return, despite the fact that under international law they have every right to. UN resolution 194 passed in 1948 explicitly affirms this right — but Israel's ethnic cleansing and defiance of this UN resolution goes unpunished by the UN and the US.

While the Palestinian victims of Israeli terrorism are left to rot in refugee camps, Israel struts the world stage claiming to be a democracy. This Israeli form of "democracy" is based on driving out more than half the indigenous population of the country and thereby denying their right to participate in any aspect of society.

Meir Kahane, one of Israel's best known civilian terrorists, openly acknowledged this fact. According to Kahane: "There is no question of setting up democracy in Israel because democracy means equal rights for all, irrespective of racial or religious origins. You can't, on the one hand, want a Jewish state and, at the same time, give non-Jews the right to become a majority."

Denying the right of Palestinian refugees to return is therefore essential to maintaining Israeli "democracy".


Hostage taking

Hollywood has produced numerous films in which "evil terrorists", usually Arabs, take innocent civilians, usually Americans, hostage and make demands that must be met before the hostages are released.

We all know the script: the ruthless hijackers kill a hostage to show they mean business, the US government refuses to negotiate with terrorists, one of the hostages is a Special Forces-trained superhero who leads the fight against the hijackers, eventually killing them all and setting the hostages free.

These "Hollywood principles" generally reflect the public stance of the US government in relation to terrorism. This tough "no negotiations, blow the terrorists away" stance was exactly that taken by the US and its allies in relation to the Taliban's offer to negotiate on a international trial for bin Laden. Any suggestion that there should be negotiations or an assessment of the legitimacy of the territorial claims was dismissed as appeasement and rewarding terrorist aggression.

Do these principles apply to Israel?

Israel's 1948 acquisition of territory by force went unpunished. No doubt encouraged by this success, in 1967 Israel invaded the rest of Palestine and parts of Egypt and Syria, taking millions of civilians hostage. Israel demanded that its "right to exist" be recognised before it would withdraw and release the hostages. The passing of UN Security Council resolution 242 calling on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories had no effect.

So did the US launch immediate military action against Israel? No. It called for negotiations while continuing to provide Israel with massive military aid.

In 1973, Egypt and Syria took military action to attempt to free their citizens and territory held hostage by Israel, exercising their right to self-defence under international law. The US response was to provide Israel with all the emergency military aid it needed to defeat Egypt and Syria.

The experience of Egypt's 1977 peace treaty with Israel seems to confirm the argument that negotiating with terrorists only encourages them. After Egypt had met Israel's demands for recognition and had its territory returned, Israel promptly invaded Lebanon in 1978, and again in 1982.

In effect, Israel has held millions of innocent civilians hostage since 1967 and has killed thousands of Palestinians who have resisted this. While in Hollywood movies and in Afghanistan, it is quite legitimate for the "civilised world" (read, the US and its allies) to kill "terrorists", those Palestinians who have exercised their right, under international law, to resist the illegal Israeli occupation of their land have been designated "terrorists" themselves.

During the 1982 invasion of Lebanon the civilian toll from the terrorist activities of the Israeli army was 12,000 killed, 40,000 wounded, 300,000 homeless.

Over the course of the invasion the Israeli army used a range of terror weapons on civilians including cluster bombs and phosphorous bombs and shells. The use of phosphorous bombs and shells for military objectives is banned under the 1980 UN Geneva convention.

This description of their effect by journalist Robert Fisk explains why: "Dr Shamaa found that the two five-day old twins had already died but they were still on fire. 'I had to take the babies and put them in buckets of water to put out the flames', she said. 'When I took them out half an hour later they were still burning'."

The Israeli army entrusted the dirtiest work of the invasion to their right-wing Lebanese allies, the Phalangists. On September 15, 1982, the Israeli army sealed the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in West Beirut and Israeli defence minister Ariel Sharon authorised a unit of 150 Phalangists to enter the camps.

The Phalangists preceded to slaughter at least 1000 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians over a two-day period while the Israeli army looked on.

Just because Israel is the most successful terrorist state in the world does not mean there is no role for Israeli civilians in carrying out terrorist acts.

On February 25, 1994, Barukh Goldstein, an Israeli settler, massacred around 50 Palestinian worshippers at the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron. Goldstein was a well-known leader of Kach, an extreme right-wing Zionist organisation. Wearing a military uniform he entered the mosque and emptied two clips of a machine gun into Muslim worshippers. In the two weeks following the massacre, the Israeli army continued Goldstein's work by killing another 30 Palestinians.

While fanatical settlers such as Goldstein are directly involved in terrorising Palestinian civilians, it is the "ordinary" Israeli settlers who provide a cover and excuse for Israeli state terrorism and further ethnic cleansing.

Protecting these Israeli civilians provides an excuse for the Israeli army to station large numbers of troops in the Palestinian territories. The land on which these illegal settlements are built, and the "security zones" around them, is confiscated from Palestinians. To ensure the settlers can travel freely, "Israeli-only" roads have been built which divide the Palestinian territories and have required the confiscation of even more Palestinian land.

While renowned for its large-scale atrocities, Israel combines this with smaller-scale daily terrorism, which has the greatest impact. For the past 34 years Israeli soldiers have held up Palestinian civilians at gunpoint on a daily basis.

Much has been made of the fact that those killed in New York were just ordinary people going about their daily business. The fear that you be could killed at any moment for no good reason is one of the worst effects of terrorism. This is a fear that Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories have lived with on a daily basis for over 30 years.

For Palestinians, however, the people who may kill them are not invisible; they are right in front of them every day pointing automatic weapons at them as they go about their daily business. They are the Israeli soldiers at the checkpoints, who may open fire at a suspicious movement, and the armed settlers, many of whom believe Palestinians should be expelled at gunpoint.

This is not an abstract fear, as most Palestinians have a close relative who has been killed or wounded by the Israeli army or has had their home blown up or bulldozed by the Israelis as punishment for resisting the occupation. According to Amnesty International, 2650 Palestinian houses were destroyed by Israel between 1987 and 2000.

The support of the US government has been crucial to Israel's terrorist success. The US continues to provide Israel with massive levels of military and non-military aid: $US3 billion in 1997 alone and a total $US74 billion since 1949.

With the continuing support of the US government, Israel's position in terrorism's number one spot looks secure for some time. On the same day that the Israeli army continued its ethnic cleansing program by demolishing 18 Palestinian houses in Gaza, the US called on Palestinians to stop their violence and crack down on terrorism so that "negotiations" with Israel can continue.

Wednesday, December 12, 2001 - 11:00
BY ROB MILLER
From Green Left Weekly, December 12, 2001.

Free Gaza - The World's LARGEST Open Air Prison

"On May 31, 2010 Israeli Commandos stormed a six-ship aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The operation left at least 30 aid workers injured and up to 16 passengers dead in INTERNATIONAL WATERS and was answered with international condemnation."

"OK, the surprise :) .... Well, My record label Awakening and I have been thinking, planning and working for a few months now on something through which we can show the real character of our beloved Prophet pbuh. We want to reach out to people in Europe, North America and everywhere and share with them the beautiful example of our Beloved. We don't want to berate, we want to educate. And subhana Allah, the sad events on the 20th of May only highlighted the need for something like this. I'm in Los Angeles now working on this project and I ask you all to pray for its success. Finally, I want to share with you the Arabic version of Insha Allah VC. plz share with everyone :)" Extract frm Maher Zain's post in his FB about this song recently..

There are more and more reasons now for us to boycott Israel related products such as AOL Time Warner (Time Megazine, CNN), Coca Cola, Estee Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, Marks and Spencer, Revlon, Clinique, Banana Republic, Calvin Klien, Sara Lee (Jimmy Dean, Champion, Kiwi), Timberland, Starbucks & McDonald's to name few.