Laptop lost by Navy Hospital bore patient info

A laptop computer containing personal information on 38,000 Pensacola Naval Hospital patients is missing, and hospital officials are warning affected patients to monitor their financial records for signs of identity theft.

The laptop, which disappeared sometime after Aug. 18, contained a database with the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of every patient who used the hospital's pharmacy in the last year, hospital officials reported.

The laptop did not contain patient medical records. But it contained disability ratings and spouse information for some patients.

Navy Capt. Maryalice Morro, the hospital commander, said there is no evidence the data has fallen into malicious hands. The computer had a broken screen and may have been disposed of, she said.

Still, officials are advising patients to monitor their bank accounts and credit card statements for suspicious activity, which may indicate their identity was stolen.

"While there is no evidence to suggest personal data has been compromised, it is the Department of the Navy's policy to apprise individuals whose personally identifiable information may be at risk," Morro said. "We regret any inconvenience or undue concern this may cause. We take this potential data compromise very seriously."

Rod Duren, Naval Hospital spokesman, said the hospital started sending notification letters Wednesday to all of the patients who have been affected. The letters, which will be mailed out over several days, contain information on how patients can protect themselves against identity theft.

Retired Navy Capt. Morris Hayes said he and his wife use the hospital pharmacy frequently. As of Thursday, they hadn't yet received notification of the possible data loss.

But he wasn't too worried about the information on the laptop being used by identity thieves.

"They obviously are a danger. You read about it every day," he said. But he added: "I'll tell you the truth, I'm not very much concerned. Nowadays, they want your Social Security number so many places, and it's on your ID card."

He said he'd never had a fraudulent charge to his credit card or had anyone illegally access his bank account.

"Either I'm pretty lucky, or it doesn't happen with the frequency that some people would lead you to believe," he said.

No tweeting at U.S. Open? 'We'll see,' says Roddick

Andy Roddick will have to keep his tweets to himself Monday. (AP)

Tennis star Andy Roddick took to his Twitter account late Friday to challenge new rules for this year's U.S. Open that would forbid players and their entourages from using Twitter during the tournament.

"i think its lame the US Open is trying to regulate our tweeting," Roddick said on the popular microblogging site. "i understand the on-court issue but not sure they can tell us if we cant do it on our own time.... we'll see."

The Associated Press reported Friday that players will be greeted Monday when the tournament starts with signs about the new rules: "Important. Player Notice. Twitter Warning."

The sport is nervous tweets could provide inside information that could violate anti-corruption rules.

Roddick isn't so sure.

"i definitely respect the rule about inside info and on court, but u would seriously have to be a moron to send 'inside info' through a tweet," he tweeted late Friday. "not very subtle/smart ..... come on."

The notices come after a summer where Roddick and other marquee U.S. tennis stars have built big followings on Twitter.

Serena Williams, the reigning Twitter tennis queen, has nearly 1,000,000 followers and Roddick has more than 100,000 of his own.

Williams and Roddick have been known to entertain the Twitter community by playfully bantering back and forth.

Just Friday, Williams tweeted that she outperformed Roddick while throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium, something Roddick had done the night before.

"This prove not only have I crushed @andyroddick in tennis, but now at baseball!! What's next Andy?? Football?? I got u there too!! Lol," Williams tweeted.

Roddick responded: "happy to play any sport anywhere/anytime. u threw it further? so over the catchers head? distance first pitching. congrats!"

Even while big business and news organizations practically stumble over themselves to build buzz on Twitter, engage users and farm the network for information, the world of sports largely has been afraid of what Twitter could mean for athletes.

Earlier this year, Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva was chastised by his coach for tweeting during halftime.

Maybe a little mid-match trash talk or supportive feedback from followers wouldn't be such a bad thing for the sport.

Don't you think tennis has an opportunity here to spice up the game with a little on-court tweeting?

Is the Recession Finally Starting to Turn Around?

Companies starting to rehire laid-off workers

There are a lot of different factors that could be signs of the recession easing up. Though in some sectors we’re still seeing evidence that the recession continues to get worse, a few rays of hope are starting to shine through.
CNN Money reports that companies are starting to recall previously laid off workers, giving them back their old jobs. This is a good sign that economic conditions are improving. Paired with the stable unemployment rate, I’d say there’s definitely potential for some prosperous days ahead.

Other economic indicators

JP Morgan Chase has lost a lot of money in its credit card division, and this company sees that as a sign that the recession is not getting any better, especially because it is continuing to lose money. However, I think it’s a sign that people are getting smarter about credit and discovering alternatives like installment loans instead of using their credit cards like there’s no tomorrow.
I think the fact that people are using credit cards less even though there are strong indicators that economic conditions are improving is another piece of evidence to support the idea that people are simply changing the way they spend money and use credit. Here are some statistics from CNN Money that show we’re headed for better economic times:

• About 38% of employers have indicated they anticipate some type of recall of cut workers, according to a recent report from the Labor Department.
• General Motors, Ford Motor, Dell, AK Steel and truck maker Oshkosh, have already reached out to previously laid-off employees to meet rising demand.
• In a survey, 18% of laid-off workers who landed new positions were rehired by the employer that let them go, up from 13% in 2005, according to Right Management’s outplacement services, a division of Manpower.

Not out of the woods yet

Though some companies are able and willing to rehire their laid-off workers now, the economy is still pretty unstable, and we will definitely still see more layoffs before the recession ends. But it’s important to remember that laid-off workers really can and do get hired back by their former employers.

Getting laid off is tough. It makes people scared, depressed and usually very angry. However, remember that if you get laid off, the way you handle it could come back to haunt you later. It’s easy to have fantasies about telling off your employer and saying all of those horrible things you’ve imagined saying to your coworkers, but finding a job is not easy, and if you have the chance to get your old job back while you’re still looking for another, wouldn’t you want to take it. So always leave companies on a good note. Don’t count on being rehired, but make sure you consider the possibility that it could happen and behave accordingly.

More from CNN Money:

There are many upsides to rehiring former employees, according to management professor Peter Cappelli of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The positives include savings on recruiting and training costs, maintaining associations between customers and employees, and the fact that the rehired employee doesn’t need an introduction to his or her colleagues.
But redundant firing and hiring can also be costly for the company, particularly in the form of severance payments, and can even be disruptive to workforce performance.

Advertising And User-Targeting Network Lookery Heads To The Deadpool

Lookery, a startup that focuses on collecting demographic data about users and sites around the web and then selling this information to ad networks to target users, is heading to the deadpool. In a blog post, Lookery’s CEO Scott Rafer confirmed that the startup will be shutting its doors after launching in 2007.

Lookery initially started as an ad network for social applications on Facebook, and quickly encountered the troubles of making money off ads on social networks. Lookery ran a promotion for advertisers, offering a guarantee of 12.5 cents per thousand ad impressions (CPMs) in January of 2008. Lookery also made a bold play for ads on traffic from European markets, guaranteeing 25 cents per thousand impressions per advert from European traffic. But things clearly weren’t working out — by July, Lookery was downgrading its guarantee offering 7.5 cents per ad impression, cutting its rates nearly in half.

Although the network served around three billion ad impressions per month, Lookery sold its ad serving business to online advertising network Adknowledge in November of 2008. By that time, Lookery had already branched out into collecting anonymous demographic data from websites and providing this info to advertisers, social networks, dating sites, ISPs, and e-commerce sites.

Lookery raised $3.15 million in angel funding over the past two years, from notable investors and VCs including Charles River Ventures and former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. And the startup managed to raise a round of funding last September, during tough economic conditions. But in his blog post, Rafer wrote that one of the startup’s downfalls was its original dependence on the Facebook platform. Rafer also mentioned that Facebook’s Summer 2008 redesign had a negative effect on the ad network going on to say that in retrospect, he should have sold the ad network much earlier than November.

Lookery has been added to the deadpool.

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CrunchBase Information

Lookery

Website:	lookery.com
Location:	San Francisco, California, United States
Founded:	August 1, 2007
Acquired:	November 6, 2008 by Adknowledge

Lookery provides demographic marketing services in and around social networks, trying to solve the basic economic problem that social networks face: great user profiling but unpredictable ad inventory. The service makes it safe for social networks to… Learn More

Sellafield Plans $2.5 Billion Treatment Plant, an Industrial Info News Alert

GALWAY, IRELAND, Aug 21, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- Sellafield Limited (Cumbria, England) has announced a contract tender worth a potential GBP 1.5 billion ($2.5 billion) to build a plant to handle onsite radioactive effluent. Figures regarding the value of the contract range from GBP 250 million ($413 million) to GBP 1.5 billion for what the tender calls the Highly Active Liquid Effluent Facility. The project is one of the largest planned for the Sellafield site, which just this week received its first consignment of spent nuclear fuel from the Sizewell A nuclear power plant in Suffolk, England, which closed in 2006.

For details, view the entire article by subscribing to Industrial Info's Premium Industry News at http://www.industrialinfo.co.uk/showNews.jsp?newsitemID=149470, or browse other breaking industrial news stories at www.industrialinfo.co.uk.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy related markets. For more than 26 years, Industrial Info has provided plant and project opportunity databases, market forecasts, high resolution maps, and daily industry news. For more information send inquiries to europe@industrialinfo.co.uk or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe (http://www.industrialinfo.co.uk).

SF Parents Upset Students' Info Shared

A group of Sioux Falls parents is unhappy with a school district policy that allows the district to hand out student information for a cost to outside organizations.

The school district's policy allows outside groups to receive students' names, addresses, telephone numbers, age and pictures among other things. Some parents say the district has no right to give out the information, but the district says a federal law allows them to do so.

Under the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, school districts can decide what student information is appropriate to give out and not just to the public. The district uses it in many ways, like class listings to hand out to parents, honor rolls published in the newspaper and the school directory. Outside organizations can request the information and pay $100 for every two grade levels.

"We've never gone out and and actively solicited,” Bill Smith with the Sioux Falls School District said. “The groups that have come to us and asked are youth-serving agencies; over half are senior class pictures or caterers for senior parties, that kind of thing."

Smith says the cost isn't for the information itself, but covers the time and resources it takes to create those lists. But parents say it amounts to selling their student's information.

"It's a violation of rights and it's also an overstepping of their duties. Their duty is limited to educating my child," Kevin Kunkel, a parent with two children in the Sioux Falls School District, said.

Kunkel has formed a group called the Parents Action Committee and says he and more than 300 other parents aren't happy with this policy.

"It could fall into the wrong hands,” Kunkel said. “There are weirdos all over the world. There are weirdos in the places where that information is disseminated to; you can't control that."

But the district says not just anyone can get a copy. Those interested must apply, and the district consults the superintendent and its attorneys.

"We're concerned about kids' safety. We don't want to do anything to jeopardize students and we scrutinize those requests," Smith says.

Smith says that information can't be separated. If you opt out of having your child's name in the directory, their name also goes off class lists, student rosters, theater programs or anywhere where those names might be published.

"That's the way our policy is, based on the advice from our school attorneys," Smith said.

But Kunkel says it goes too far and hopes to see a change.

"What I want is for the school board to be forced to listen to the wishes of the parents," Kunkel said.

Smith says the policy's been in place since the 1970's, when the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act was enacted. KELOLAND News asked what's to stop those outside organizations from turning around and sharing or even selling that information themselves, and he says they've never had a problem with that.

Click on the video player below to hear Smith explain the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and why the district can't seperate information.

40-year-old charged with cyberbullying for posting 17-year-old's info on Craigslist

ST. LOUIS — A Missouri woman has been charged with cyberbullying for allegedly posting photos and personal information of a teenage girl on the “Casual Encounters” section of Craigslist after an Internet argument.

Prosecutors said 40-year-old Elizabeth A. Thrasher posted the 17-year-old’s picture, e-mail address and cell phone number on the Web site in a posting that suggested the girl was seeking a sexual encounter.

St. Charles County Lt. Craig McGuire said Tuesday that the victim is the daughter of Thrasher’s ex-husband’s girlfriend. The girl, who has not been named, received lewd messages and photographs from men she didn’t know and contacted police.

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The Problem With Politics

The health-care reform effort has not gone smoothly, and liberals aren't happy. With Democratic majorities in the White House, the House, and the Senate, what could possibly be going on? Matt Taibbi seems to capture the liberal mood when he writes that Obama's waffling on the public plan amounts to a "pre-emptive surrender," which he calls "disgusting."

Indeed, many on the left seem sickened by the show: Congressional liberals are threatening revolt if reform doesn't include a government-administered plan. Eugene Robinson is not pleased with Obama's politically-driven decisions: "Giving up on the public option might be expedient. But we didn't elect Obama to be an expedient president. We elected him to be a great one." Even Jon Stewart is ribbing Obama for not doing enough to maintain order and push the complete liberal reform agenda through.

Is all the chaos the result of a failure of leadership? Perhaps, but Obama's hands-off approach is a direct response to Clinton's aggressive tactics in 1994. That didn't work so well either.

No, I don't think this is a failure of leadership so much as a feature of democratic politics—and a reminder of how unpleasant and unsatisfying to nearly everyone the business of politics can be.

Democratic politics is a messy business. It's disorganized and frantic and unpredictable and frustrating. Politics is a matter of shouting, and dissent, and deal-making, and strategy, and slippery rhetoric, and compromise. It is not a matter of deciding on the "right" policy and then making it so—even when your party controls the White House, the House, and the Senate.

This is especially true when making substantial changes in the operations of a sixth of the economy—a sector that potentially affects not only people's daily lives, but their very survival.

It's not that people enjoy this; in fact, it seems to turn a lot of people off. As Robert Putnam wrote, “Most men are not political animals. The world of public affairs is not their world. It is alien to them—possibly benevolent, more probably threatening, but nearly always alien." But to a large extent, the spasms and outbursts and irritations that come with the political process are inevitable—no matter who's in charge, no matter what the polls and pundits and politicians say.

Taking Winston Churchill's notion that democracy is the worst form of government except all others that have been tried as axiomatic, it seems to me that there are a number of potential responses: Engage earnestly with the system, sit things out, or, as H.L. Mencken suggests, lean back and chuckle grimly as the farce replays itself over and over again.

I'd also add a final thought: The way to avoid the maddening convulsions of politics isn't to change them, or rise above them, or move past them, or transform them, or whatever the trendy term of art is on any given day. It's to avoid them—and reduce their power to hold sway over how we live. And the more decisions about our lives and welfare we put in the hands of politicians, the harder that will be to do.

New info in AMBER Alert for missing Boise boy, 7

BOISE (AP) - Boise police are searching for a 7-year-old boy taken from an apartment Wednesday and say the boy's mother might be involved in his abduction.

Police say the boy's name is Luca, he is 4 feet tall and weighs 60 pounds. He is described as having brown eyes and brown, shoulder length hair. Police say he was last seen wearing a black "Star Wars" T-shirt with an image of Darth Vader and camouflage print shorts.

Police say the boy was taken from his east Boise apartment and the suspect is a bearded man with light brown hair.

Authorities believe the suspect was acting in cooperation with Luca's non-custodial mother who does not live in Idaho.

Authorities say the boy may be in a Chrysler Minivan with California license plates.

Anyone with information on the boy's whereabouts is urged to call 911.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

---

Luca Principali

Boise PD is looking for Luca Principali.
The event occured at 463 Ave H, #213, Boise ID on Wednesday, August 19th at 3:45PM.
A male suspect knocked on the apartment door and asked to see Luca because his mother wanted to see him. The victims sister heard a scream and when she looked out the victim was gone. Possible parental kidnaping

Victim 1, Luca Principali is described as being a 7 year old White male, Brown hair, Brown eyes, 4'0 60lbs Shoulder length bowl style haircut Wearing: Last seen wearing Black Star Wars T-shirt with a picture of Darth Vader and the Emperor on it, camoflauge knee length shorts, and was barefoot. Goes by the nickname of Goober

Suspect 1, Unknown. is described as being a 45 year old male, White with Brown hair, Weighing (Aprox): 190lbs.
Full beard with a short hairstyle that is thinning on top.
Wearing: Red/white/purple/green horizontal striped short sleeve t-shirt, blue jeans and unknown style shoes.

Vehicle 1, Silver 2009 Chrysler Town & Country Mini Van CA license plate. Plate number 6GQC981. Vehicle description: Suspects were possibly driving this vehicle when the abduction occurred. Person of interest Ekatrina Principali aka Moryakova.

If you have any information on this incident, please call 911 or contact the Boise PD at (208) 570-6457.
For additional information about the victim(s), suspect(s) or vehicle(s) visit http://www.idahoamberalert.com/

Mooresville Police Announce Reward For Info In Deadly Shooting

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Mooresville investigators hope an additional $10,000 in reward money will entice someone to come forward with new information in the slaying of a man during a home invasion.On June 9, Matthew Stewart was gunned down inside his home on Shepherd Hill Drive as he lay in bed with his wife and young son.On Thursday, Mooresville police, Stewart's family and the governor's office announced they’re offering a combined $11,000 reward for information that leads to the killer.“Hopefully this will kind of re-energize people in the community who may have information,” said Mooresville police Chief Carl Robbins.Investigators are not revealing many details about the investigation, but autopsy results show Stewart was beaten, stabbed and shot at least five times with two different guns.The violence is still unsettling to Stewart’s neighbors, who said they hope the reward money will convince someone to come forward."The fact that they are upping the reward, I think they think there is somebody that knows something," said neighbor and family friend Danielle Allen.“I want to see that person caught as soon as possible so we can feel safe again in our community,” neighbor Tim Gudhsall said.Stewart's wife, Angela, was also shot in the arm during the attack but survived. Eyewitness News asked investigators if she's been ruled out as a suspect, but police would only say she's been very cooperative.Anyone with information is asked to call the Mooresville Police Department at 704-664-3311.

Dems to insurers

Leading Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have told more than 50 top health insurance companies to provide information on executive compensation, financial performance and operations.

Recipients of the letters, from the Energy & Commerce Committee chairmen Henry Waxman (D-Cal.) and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), include Blue Shield of California, Health Net of California and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. A response is requested by Sept. 4.

The requests comes as Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives and Senate battle over possible health-care reform, leading to charges from Republicans and others that the letters are politically motivated and intended to intimidate insurers from opposing plans backed by Democrats and President Barack Obama. Those plans would place restrictions on some insurance company practices and might include a public-owned alternative that would compete with them.

Through their trade organization, America's Health Insurance Plans, insurance companies have opposed some parts of the plan, particularly the creation of a public competitor.

A spokesman for the AHIP called the letter "politically driven" and "a fishing expedition."

Waxman has been a consistent critic of insurance industry practices and launched an investigation into them last year. His committee passed a health-care reform measure in June.

Alignment in Design

The alignment of elements in a web page is a very important aspect of a good web design. In this info-comic, The Brads illustrate important concepts and best practices for alignment.

The Bads - Alignment in Design

Links mentioned in the webcomic

• 5pieces
• Elliot Jay Stocks
• Jason Santa Maria

Other info-comics by Brad Colbow

• The Brads – Learning About Contrast in Design
• Misunderstanding Markup: XHTML 2/HTML 5 Comic Strip

Can I save money and buy the best, safest backpack for my child?

Is an overweight backpack an injury waiting to happen?

Children suffer from back pain much earlier than previous generations and overweight backpacks is a contributing factor, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). A study by the American Physical Therapy Association found that 55 percent of the children surveyed carried backpack loads heavier than 15 percent of their body weight. Before purchasing your child’s next backpack, take precautionary measures to protect your child’s back and your pocketbook.

Nine tips to prevent back injuries caused by heavy backpacks

1. Make sure your child’s backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause your child to lean forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, rather than on the shoulders.

2. The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking.

3. A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively. Make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child’s back.

4. Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry-and the heavier the backpack will be.

5. Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps. Lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause the disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain.

6. Wide, padded straps are very important. Non-padded straps are uncomfortable, and can dig into your child’s shoulders.

7. The shoulder straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to your child’s body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignment and pain.

8. If the backpack is still too heavy, talk to your child’s teacher. Ask if your child could leave the heaviest books at school, and bring home only lighter hand-out materials or workbooks.

9. Try a roller backpack to prevent carrying the weight of the books on the shoulders and back.

For safety and durability, check for these backpack features:

• Lightweight, sturdy material

• Two straps to distribute the weight of the bag evenly, placing less stress on the shoulders and upper back.

• Backpacks with wheels reduce stress on the back. Check to see if your school allows wheeled backpacks.

• Wide double pads with adjustable two-inch shoulder straps

• Padded shoulder straps and back

• Waist belt and sternum straps to distribute weight

• Ergonomic-design

• Sturdy zippers, straps and bottoms

• Lifetime guarantee with no conditions

• Well-designed to hold books and supplies

• Reflective trim for walking safety

Ways to save money

• Before buying a new backpack this year, check to see if last year’s backpack is still in good condition.

• Wait until after school begins and shop sales.

• Buy backpacks with lifetime warranties. If the backpack does not hold up, it is replaced.

• Avoid fads.

• Do not take your kids shopping.

• Sew patches on a generic-looking backpack to make it unique.

Ten popular backpacks

Columbia Umatilla Cyberpack Features:

• Full length closed cell foam padded back with wicking knit polyester

• Padded laptop compartment

• S curve laminated shoulder straps with EVA foam

• 1 tubular haul loop filled with EPDM rubber

• Full-sized thumb loops

• Taped seams

• Abrasion resistant zippers

• Nickel-plated zipper sliders

• MP3 pocket with rubber cord port

• Acetal and nylon hardware

• Dual industrial mesh expandable water bottle pockets accommodate quart-sized bottles

• Hypalon reinforced daisy chain

• Two external zippered slash pockets

• Reflective safety accents

• Organizer panel

• Key clip

• Dimensions: 18.5 x 12.25 x 9

• Fabric: 600D polyester

• Full length padded back and EVA foam laminated straps for ergonomic comfort and support.

Four Peas School Backpacks and Toddler Backpacks

• Extra-sturdy

• 100% PVC free

• Main compartment with ample room for books, gym clothes and more

• Additional pockets ideal for smaller cargo such as cell phones, water bottles and other essentials.

• Cool designs from fairies to monkeys to motorcycles and more.

• For extra individuality, monogram your kids' backpacks for only $10 each.

• Size: 16" x 13" x 7.5" for the School Backpack

• Size: 12.5" x 10.5" x 5.5" for the Toddler Backpack

Ful J.T. Backpack Features

• Suspension contoured back straps aid in weight distribution making the bag comfortable when carrying heavy books and laptops.

• CD/MP3 pocket with headphone wire audio port

• Detachable cell phone holder on the back strap

• Laptop compartment with EVA foam padding

• Dimensions: 19" x 12" x 9"

High Sierra Metra Features:

• Size: h 18.75" x w 6.75" x l 14"

• Padded crossover shoulder strap with cell phone pocket

• One main compartment holds books, clothing or accessories

• Portable CD player pocket with molded headphone port

• Two side mesh water bottle pockets

• Adjustable bottom straps hold extra gear

• Organizer with zippered mesh pocket, pen pockets and removable key fob

• Padded back and grab handle

• Adjustable bottom straps

• Cell phone pocket

JanSport Air Juice Daypack Features:

• Includes an organizer compartment and a larger compartment holds all of your books, lunch, and other goodies

• Comes in lovely colors

• Airlift'® s-curved, ergonomic shoulder straps have shock absorbing technology

• One large main compartment and a front utility pocket with organizer keep your essentials handy

• liquid 2 go hydration system customizes any bottle for easy access to fluids

• bungee cord gear stash

JanSport SuperBreak

• #1 selling school pack for students around the world for nearly 35 years

• 30 or more patterns and colors

• Size: 16.75" x 13" x 8.5"

• Weight: 12 oz

• Warranty: Lifetime

• Padded straps as well as a padded back for superior comfort when toting tons of books, gym clothes and other important gear

JanSport Wasabi Features:

• Ergonomic AirCore shoulder straps with one large main compartment

• Front utility compartment with organizer keeps essentials handy with front zippered stash pocket

• Easy access V-Loft pocket and mesh water bottle pocket

• 2/3 padded back panel for cushioning comfort and Web haul loop

• Ergonomic S-curved shoulder pads

• One main compartment and a half compartment with an organizer

• V-Loft security pocket for quick access to your CD player and valuable items, and a cord port for easy access to your audio player

• Front stash pocket

• Side mesh water bottle pocket

• Web ergo handle with reinforced hold on the top of the pack

• Weight: 1 pound

• Dimensions: 19 x 13.25 x 7 inches

• Fabric: 600D Poly, 420D Velocity

Lands' End FeatherLight Backpack Features:

• Sized for kids ages 5-14

• FeatherLight backpack is lighter than any other full-size pack we sell

• Exterior bungee perfect for stashing a jacket

• Padded back for added comfort

• Padded c-shaped shoulder straps sit just right

• Sternum strap keeps shoulder straps in place

• Mesh side pockets hold water bottles

• D-ring lets them clip on a lunch box

• Reflective trim

• Super-strong ripstop nylon

• External bungee system to attach a jacket

• Side compression straps keep the load stable

• Sternum strap keeps the shoulder straps in place

• 100% ripstop nylon with 600-denier polyester base for added strength

• Size: 18" x 12" x 7"

• Warranty: Lifetime guarantee is unconditional.

Targus Sport Backpack Notebook Case Features:

• Fits notebooks up to 15.4” screens

• Padded slipcase provides added protection for transporting notebook

• Standard Warranty Lifetime Limited

• Exterior Material Nylon

• Weight 2.75 lb

• Compartment Height 14.2", Width 2", Depth 11.6"

• Removable mobile phone pouch on padded shoulder straps

• Protective PVC material on bottom of case repels water

• Increased storage options include: New top front pocket with padding & protective nyflex lining to protect PDA or sunglasses against scratching

• Headphone line out jack for use when carrying CD or MP3 players

• Larger side pockets

• Side mesh pockets for water bottle storage

• Improved front pocket now includes business card holder, pen loops and key clip

• Carry your notebook computer with this backpack

• Padded computer compartment to protect your notebook

• Multiple compartments for your files and accessories

• Padded shoulder straps

The North Face Yavapai Backpack Features:

• Angled bottom panel and compression straps move the load close to your back to reduce strain

• Padded laptop sleeve holds a 17-inch electronic brain

• Shoulder straps and the padded foam back make the Yavapai comfortable enough to wear all day

• Mesh side pockets

• Airmesh back panel

• BackSaver bottom panel

• Waist-belt, sternum strap and hip strap

• Pockets: 1 front with water-resistant zipper, 2 side water bottle, 1 mesh on shoulder strap

• Lifetime Unconditional 100% Guarantee: We guarantee complete satisfaction and an unlimited lifetime warranty. If at any time - now, next month, in 30 years - you're not 100% satisfied, send your gear back for a full refund. No questions asked.

For more information:

Back pack troubles from back-to-school backpacks

Is your child's backpack making the grade?

Finding the right size for her

School backpacks: choose a backpack that makes the grade. What you need to know about choosing, packing and wearing school backpacks.

Even home school children can use a good back-to-school backpack

Back to school: backpacks and backaches

Take a load off: back-to-school backpack safety

Blogsperiment

I like to try new stuff and gizmos. It’s just the way I am. So over the past couple of days, a few new blog experiments have been launched. As always, no promises that they’ll be permanently ensconced here.

First up, the Wibiya toolbar. Take note at the bottom of the screen:

This toolbar is the last thing to load, give it a couple of seconds if it’s not displaying. Also, it doesn’t work if you are using Internet Explorer 6. If you’re using IE6, you’re now two versions behind and either need to upgrade, or ditch IE altogether and get a better browser like Firefox or Chrome.

This is kind of a nifty thing. It’s got an area to search (either the blog or Google), recent posts window, a random button that will pull up a random post from the archives, a photo button (pulls from a Flickr photo set), RSS feed button, sharing sites, access to the TPREG Facebook Fan Page, a Facebook Community page (please join!), Facebook Connect implementation and even a Twitter client (that I can’t get to send Tweets. Yet.).

I could, if I were so inclined, also put up “notifier” messages to all visitors as well as send messages to the Facebook Community.

If the tool bar annoys you, you can minimize it by clicking the down arrow on the right of the tool bar.

Wibiya provides some usage statistics:

What’s the point? Theoretically this helps increase page views, time on site, etc. Who knows if that’s really the case, time will tell. I look at it as more of a service to the readers here. The search seems to work quite well. The post navigation page could prove useful for some. “Community building” is all the buzz now, and the Wibiya system may just facilitate that.

Local Market Explorer

Speaking of community, a new Wordpress plugin, Local Market Explorer (LME), was released this week that “mashes up” real estate and community info from Zillow, Education.com, Flickr, Walk Score and Yelp.

You can see a sample page here.

I’ve set up pages for several Phoenix area communities, which you can see on this page (the Local Market info pages are accessed via the “real estate info” links).

Of note: I disabled the option to display Flickr photos. I’m not too keen on random photos I have no control of being shown on the blog. Who knows what might pop up. I’d like to see an option to only display photos from Flickr sets I designate.

Also, the plugin requires a minor edit to work with the Thesis theme used here and on many other real estate blogs.

Here’s what has to be done to get LME to work in Thesis:

1) Open the plugin file lme-client.php in a text editor (NOT Microsoft Word)
2) Find this line (Line #36): include(TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/page.php’);
3) Replace it with this: include(TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/custom_tempate.php’);
4) save and upload the edited file to the LME plugin folder on your server

I’ve also noticed the plugin conflicts with plugins and widgets related to recent posts. If you have a recent posts plugins (or the Thesis Killer Recent Entries widget) installed, you’ll see an error in your sidebar (or where ever you have these plugins out-putting information).

This plugin dynamically generates some pretty useful information. It’s not going to help you in search engines, but if you run a real estate blog, you ought to be posting material for your readers, not Google. I’m pretty certain some will label it a Zillow link love fest. But I’m liking the compilation of a lot of city specific information all on one page. I’d like to see the ability to get even more specific – down to the zip code level or even subdivision level. Perhaps this will be available in a future release.

As always, thoughts – good, bad or indifferent – are welcome!

The Sunday Papers

Sundays are for downloading Indie Strategy Games, sipping tea and compiling an enormous list of the fun and fascinating reading from across the week, while trying my jolly hardest to not link to some fine 80s indie miserablism which I found myself listening to this morning…

• RPS and assorted friends-of-RPS have been nominated for the GMAs. That is, the Games Media Awards 2009. I’ll hand you over to the justly nominated for specialist online writer, Simon Parkin to talk about it. While still clearly enormously silly, it’s… well, I was going to say “getting more credible”, but it’s still very silly. Just not as silly as before. We’re in the blog category, as opposed to last year, when we were in the website category. VG247 is in both, somehow. And Nowgamer -as much a website as Eurogamer or C&VG is – is in blogs. It’s gloriously mental. At least it’s a good excuse for a piss up, eh?
• Actually, while on the subject of Si-Si The Parkster, here’s his interview with Ex-Goldeneyer Martin Hollis about what he’s up to now and how he got there. Hollis is one of my favourite developers, because – er – he’s lovely. Sometimes it really is that easy. Great stuff.
• Over at Edge Chris Dahlen wonders whether we’ll ever play videogames on an interplanetary scale. He talks to NASA about it. Conclusion: Urban Dead’s more likely than Left 4 Dead 2. And not because Martians are big for the L4D2 boycott.
• Robin Clarkes’ had a busy few weeks, y’know. Retrospective on the ever-awesome Deluxe Paint. Arguing why APB MUST succeed. And most relevantly to RPS, a hefty over-view of the history of the Shareware game.
• Valve are studying sign-language for a deaf-Half-life character. Interesting.
• Talking about Devs I Like, I liked to Randy Smith’s new Iphone game earlier this week.Now he writes about the experience over at Edge. Er… making the game. Not me blogging about him.
• I haven’t gone through all of it yet, but the New York Time’s enormous piece on Rock Band Beatles and the whole rhythm-action-toy-game-thing is seriously hefty. Double-multiplier points for its title: While My Guitar Gently Bleeps.
• The web’s finest home of AARs, The Blue Casket, starts another one. It’s Peggle Noir. Yes.
• Popmatters’ Jack Patrick Rodgers on Final Fantasy VIII. Heartfelt and clever, but more than a little disingenuous when it claims that FFVIII was reviewed badly. FFVIII almost drowning in in reviewer semen was actually the moment my dislike of Final Fantasy hardened into an actual grudge. Those unskippable guardian forces are literally unforgivable.
• Lou Castle, now of Instant Action, thinks the industry is on a “Bad Spiral”. Specifically, spending all the effort to please whining sods like us lot.
• We haven’t done an interview DoubleBear on ZRPG because we thought it was probably too early. RETICULE THINKS US COWARDLY KNAVES!
• Very Cute. Bobsy obsesses over the Cricket and Spelunky simultaneously.
• Couple of pieces from Resolution. Firstly, Fraser McMillian on loneliness in Indie Games. Not in, “you have to be lonely to play them”. And the final part of that games-and-militarism series I’ve talked about before.
• Paul Wedgwood starts a dev-diary on the forthcoming Brink over at the Bethblog.
• Videogame advertising used to be amazing. You seen the Club Centipede advert for the Atari?
• Actually, before I go onto the less-game-related stories, just something I’ve been thinking about. The Sunday Papers seems to have been ballooning in recent times. Which is great, but I can’t but help feel by having so much stuff here, a lot of it’s going to be overlooked. I’m thinking of actually spinning more stuff into actual RPS posts, leaving a body of work for here, but moving stuff which perhaps needs more concentrated debate to their own story. I mean, to choose one from the last few weeks, the Abandonware Interview was probably a post in of itself. I mention this to feel people out. Of course, it wouldn’t even be an issue if we were the 20-posts-a-day style blog like Kotaku or whatever. It’s just that with our relatively low turn-over, it may appear a little odd. Or maybe not.
• I liked this fake NYT story about Peter Parker writing about his mutant room-mate.
• Lady Gaga: Puppet Of The Illuminati. One for the Deus Ex 3 writers to consider integrating, methinks.
• Jim loved this hefty conversation between Francois Roche, Geoff Manaugh and Warren Ellis over at Tomorrow’s Thoughts Today.
• You’ll have seen the Billion Dollar Gram. But in case you haven’t…
• The Smiths – What Difference Does It Make?

Cloud computing

Two weeks ago, I suggested examining customer relationships for their key components. Byrefining service, customer by customer, you can build a better, stronger business. Become something special for a specific group.

As a result I was asked what computer tools are needed for a small business. When I suggested CRM (Customer Relationship Management), I heard groans. Just selecting the right software can be exasperating. Downloading, installing and configuring the software, then training staff to use it consumes time and patience. Evidently that's why CRM often ends up as an expensive software investment whose real value lies idle.

Unless you're an IT fanatic, most likely you've never heard of ``cloud computing.'' Cloud computing offers small business an escape from software problems and offers a clear opportunity for growth.

Let's simplify: Cloud computing replaces software stored on your computer with an online service created within a ``cloud'' of computers. Your people work with the service using an Internet browser. They need no knowledge of, expertise in or control over the technology infrastructure in the cloud that supports their work. Cloud service is likely to be more efficient; you get better information at lower costs.

Worldwide more than seven out of 10 people use Google's search engine. The rate at which Google's cloud has grown is as amazing as its size. In March 2001, when the company served about 70 million Web pages daily, it had 8,000 servers. A new Google cloud of 45,000 servers is located at The Dalles, Oregon. Today, the best guess is that Google now has more than 500,000 servers spread over at least 25 locations around the world.

Google Docs is one of Google's cloud services. From your browser, you can access a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tools, notes and attachments. Work with your head in the clouds: Prepare, share and collaborate. With your feet on the ground, everything is safely stored. There's nothing to install or crash. Best bit: Google Docs is free (and loaded with extras). Take a few minutes: Visit YouTube; search for ``Google Docs'' or do a Google search with the same words.

Aerospace Composite Products is a family-run composite materials distribution and manufacturing company based in Livermore, Calif. The company focuses primarily on military and medical applications and supplies materials to a variety of industries including automotive and sports equipment. It solved its CRM problem and built a better business with Salesforce.com -- a pioneer in cloud computing.

Justin Sparr, vice president at ACP, explained how the business evolved. ``My parents started this business in 1984 out of our garage,'' he said. ``My father left his full-time job in 1996 to run the business full-time with my mother, and it has grown to a staff of 10 people.

``When I came on board in 2006, they had no network in the office, just a series of workstations with different operating systems. We had no central database of our customers or vendors, so the first thing I did was to implement Salesforce CRM and start collecting all of our business contacts, sales opportunities and manufacturing processes. I implemented it myself in about seven days of tinkering.''

Summing up the experience, Sparr said, ``Salesforce CRM helped us grow from a $600,000 company to a $3 million company in just a few years. I'm seeing 40 percent growth year over year, and we're holding steady at that rate.''

2011 Bentley Mulsanne

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Bentley

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• 2011 Bentley Mulsanne - Official Photos and Info

Top Competitors

• Audi S8
• Maserati Quattroporte
• Maybach 57
• Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG
• Rolls-Royce Phantom

Bucking industry convention, Bentley chose not to unveil its glitzy new Mulsanne at an auto show, but rather take it directly to the people who can afford to buy one. The new flagship, which brings back the Mulsanne name and effectively replaces the heavy and huge Arnage, was rolled onto the verdant lawns of the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where the tarps came off at high noon.

My, What Big Eyes You Have!

Six inches longer than the Arnage but similar in height and width, the Mulsanne is indeed flagship-sized. Certainly, the most dominant aspect of the big Arnage’s design is the pair of gargantuan Gatling-gun headlamps flanked by smaller ancillary lights, an arrangement that recalls some of Bentley’s grand saloons of the past. The grille is huge and cliff-like, while the lower air intake spans the width of the car and features a matching mesh. It is, as intended, unmistakably Bentley, with a nod to the present in the form of an octet of Audi-like LED driving lights.

Moving down the body and around the back, one encounters plenty of pretty surface detailing but no surprises. It's easy to pick out cues from the Arnage (the chrome latticework around the windows), the Brooklands (C-pillar, taillamps), and the Continental Flying Spur. The body side rises over the rear fender, keeping the rear from looking droopy in spite of its long overhang, which elegantly slopes down to the rear bumper and its pancake-flat twin exhaust tips. The wheels are no less than 21 inches in diameter, and come wrapped in 265/40 series Pirelli P Zeros.

“The Driver’s Choice.” Really . . .

Visually, the new Mulsanne is not as gauche as the Rolls Royce Phantom with which it will go head-to-head in the marketplace. Nor, however, is it as dull as the Maybach 57. “We wanted it to be the driver’s choice” in its segment, said Dirk Van Braeckel, who spoke to us during a private unveiling the night before the Concours. He cites the slim windows and “almost coupe-like roofline” as elements that say “I’m a driver’s car.” His words, not ours.

Whether or not the Mulsanne truly is the “driver’s choice”—in a segment where many owners don’t drive—remains to be seen. Certainly, the engine will be key to this, but other than saying it's a completely redesigned version of its famous 6.75-liter engine, and one which will deliver “the effortless wave of torque for which Bentley is renowned,” Bentley is mum on details.

We imagine this means it will outperform the 500 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque produced by the Arnage final series, and as the Mulsanne is said to have been inspired by the palatial 8-Litre Bentleys of 1930 and 1931, we wouldn’t be surprised if it displaces eight “litres.” We also expect that it will be able to run on E85, since Bentley has pledged to tread more lightly on the environment with its future products, although we shudder to think of what sort of fuel economy it will get on the stuff.

Coming to a Country Club Near You in Mid-2010

The Mulsanne will go on sale within a year and will be shown next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where Bentley will give us more information on the car, which at this point will only be displayed in standard-wheelbase form. Long-wheelbase and “Speed” versions will probably end up being part of the portfolio, with a Brooklands-esque coupe and Azure-like convertible likely to follow sometime down the road. As for price? Bentley made a point to prepare us for a price increase by saying the Mulsanne "is not a replacement for Arnage" and that it will be "at the pinnacle of the ultra-luxury segment." Given that, we don’t expect Mulsanne customers to get much change back from a $350K bill.

Pemburuan Botak Chin

ADA sekurang- kurangnya 35 foto hitam putih tergantung di beberapa sudut sebuah restoran baru dinamakan Kedai Kopi Blues di Jalan Reko Sentral, Kajang.

ADA sekurang-kurangnya 35 foto hitam putih tergantung di beberapa sudut sebuah restoran baru dinamakan Kedai Kopi Blues di Jalan Reko Sentral, Kajang.

Uniknya foto itu, ia memberi gambaran perjuangan, kesungguhan dan kesetiaan seorang bekas pegawai polis yang pernah berkhidmat dari 1951 hingga 1986.

Jika diamati satu persatu, tidak keterlaluan dikatakan akan ada tertanya-tanya siapakah gerangan pemilik potret itu.

Malah, jika ditunjukkan wajah pemiliknya dalam foto itu dan diberitahu namanya sekalipun, persoalan sama pasti terngiang-ngiang di fikiran.

Apapun, dikenali atau tidak, realitinya empunya foto itu, Datuk Syed Meer Wahid Al-Hubshee Syed Ibrahim, 78, bukan sembarangan, walaupun beliau seperti ‘wira yang tak didendang’. Jasanya cukup besar,

Kesempatan bertemunya baru-baru ini membongkar banyak kisah menarik sepanjang beliau bertugas sebagai pegawai polis.

Paling menarik membabitkan kisah penjenayah terkenal yang mengakui dirinya sebagai ‘Robin Hood’, Botak Chin atau nama sebenarnya Wong Swee Chin.

Sejarah tertulis, penjenayah itu berjaya ditahan selepas satu serbuan di sebuah kilang papan di Jalan Ipoh pada 16 Februari 1976, namun di sebalik serbuan itu, Syed Meer atau lebih sinonim dengan panggilan Syed Meor adalah pencetusnya.

Menurut Syed Meor, sebagai Ketua Polis Daerah Campbell (kini Dang Wangi) ketika itu, beliau turut serta dalam usaha menangkap penjenayah paling dikehendaki itu.

Malah, selepas Timbalan Ketua Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Kuala Lumpur, mendiang Deputi Superintendan (DSP) S Kulasingam cedera ditembak konco Botak Chin dan dirawat di hospital, beliau memangku jawatan berkenaan.

“Peristiwa penangkapan Botak Chin bermula pada satu malam apabila seorang pemberi maklumat memberitahu ada kegiatan penjualan heroin di sebuah kilang papan. Saya suruh dia menyelusup ke kilang itu tetapi ada halangan.

“Kesudahannya, saya sendiri turun padang memantau lokasi itu. Ketika itu saya melakukan penyamaran dengan memakai serban supaya tidak dikenali,” katanya.

Ketika tiba di lokasi berkenaan, beliau melihat kelibat orang kanan Botak Chin, Pangkor Chai (Beh Kok Chin) dan yakin Botak Chin ada di kilang itu.

Syed Meor berkata beliau terus memaklumkan kepada Ketua Polis Kuala Lumpur ketika itu, Mohamed Amin Osman (kini Tan Sri) dan beberapa pasukan dihantar memantau kilang berkenaan.

Katanya seingat beliau, ada tiga pasukan dihantar.

“Kami melakukan persediaan dengan memintas panggilan telefon dari kilang itu untuk memastikan Botak Chin ada di situ,” katanya.

Selepas menunggu empat hari, tiada sebarang panggilan telefon dibuat menyebabkan serbuan tidak dapat dilakukan.

“Malam keempat adalah malam terakhir kami menunggu dan tiba-tiba ada panggilan telefon dibuat. Sah, suara panggilan telefon itu dibuat Botak Chin.

“Botak Chin menghubungi konconya di Ipoh dan mereka merancang untuk menyerang Genting (Highlands),” katanya.

Syed Meor berkata, sebaik mengetahui Botak Chin ada di kilang berkenaan, polis terus melakukan serbuan dan berlaku tembak menembak.

“Selepas tembakan dihentikan dan keadaan reda, dua orang kanan Botak Chin ditemui mati, namun Botak Chin tidak kelihatan.

“Ketika itu, Ketua Polis Daerah Sentul yang saya tidak ingat namanya masuk ke dalam dan menemui Botak Chin terbaring di bawah meja.

“Botak Chin memanggil... ‘sir please help me’ (Tuan, tolong saya) dan ketika itu penjenayah terbabit ditarik keluar. Dia ditemui dalam keadaan cedera di tangan dan badan kesan dua hingga tiga das tembak bersama beg yang mengandungi lebih daripada satu senjata api,” katanya yang memegang jawatan Ketua Polis Daerah Campbell dari 1971 hingga 1979.

Selepas ditangkap, Botak Chin ditahan selama setahun sebelum mengaku bersalah apabila dihadapkan ke mahkamah terhadap dakwaan mengikut Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) yang membawa kepada hukuman mati mandatori.

Disebabkan peguamnya membuat rayuan terhadap hukuman itu hingga peringkat Privy Council, Botak Chin dibicara semula pada 1 April 1980 tetapi dia tetap didapati bersalah pada 16 Mei 1980 dan rayuannya kepada Mahkamah Persekutuan dan Lembaga Pengampunan ditolak. Pada 11 Jun 1981, Botak Chin menjalani hukuman gantung.

Selain kes Botak Chin, Syed Meor turut terbabit secara langsung dalam tragedi bangunan 12 tingkat, AIA di Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Kejadian dicetuskan lima pengganas Tentera Merah Jepun (Japanese Red Army) pada 4 Ogos 1975, lantaran tuntutan untuk pembebasan rakan mereka yang ditawan di penjara di Tokyo, Jepun.

Seramai 52 orang rakyat negara ini dan beberapa pekerja kedutaan Jepun, Amerika Syarikat dan Sweden, termasuk wanita serta kanak-kanak menjadi tawanan pengganas terbabit.

Ketika kejadian terbabit, Syed Meor berkata, beliau berkesempatan bersemuka dengan pengganas terbabit.

“Untuk masuk ke dalam kawasan yang ditawan pengganas itu tidak boleh kerana sudah dikelilingi wayar bom. Begitupun saya sempat bersemuka dengan pengganas terbabit yang memberitahu supaya tidak masuk campur dan menyuruh saya menjaga ‘orang’ saya saja.

“Mereka beritahu tidak akan menimbulkan masalah, melainkan kami yang mencetuskan masalah,” katanya.

Selain memberi amaran berkenaan, pengganas terbabit turut meminta dibelikan makanan yang bukan daripada kedai makan biasa tetapi hotel berdekatan iaitu Hotel Merlin.

Permintaan mereka itu terpaksa dipenuhi polis.

Dalam kejadian itu, Syed Meor berkata, beliau sendiri membantu membawa turun beberapa orang yang tidak dijadikan tebusan, tetapi terperangkap dalam bangunan berkenaan.

“Situasi ketika tragedi itu memang bahaya. Seorang anggota polis cedera ditembak di kaki apabila cuba naik ke lokasi pengganas terbabit bersembunyi,” katanya yang tidak pulang ke rumah selama tiga hari akibat tragedi berkenaan.

Tragedi itu berakhir tanpa pertumpahan darah. Semua 52 tebusan dibebaskan dan hasil rundingan yang dibuat pengganas terbabit, 5 pengganas terbabit dan lima tawanan penjara Jepun yang dibawa bersama dari Jepun dihantar ke Libya.

Melihat dua kisah itu, penulis tertanya-tanya mengapa namanya tidak dikenali ramai.

Sambil tersenyum, Syed Meor menceritakannya, biarlah penulis saja yang tahu.

Tiada kesilapan yang dibuat kerana beliau seorang yang sangat mementingkan disiplin dan membenci rasuah.

Jika hendak mengetahui prestasinya, lihat saja bagaimana keadaan daerah Campbell yang dikawalnya.

Menurutnya, jika turun padang, senyap sunyilah lokasi panas seperti Chow kit hingga beliau digelar 'town tamer' (penjinak kota). Habis semua kongsi gelap, judi, pelacuran dan dadah dibanteras habis-habisan.

Seperti yang diceritakannya, beliau pantang dicabar sehingga ada sebuah kelab malam milik kakak seorang pelakon veteran ketika ini habis diserbunya sehingga terpaksa ditutup!

“Kakak pelakon itu cabar suruh datang serbu. Saya serbu sampai kelab malam itu bankrap,” kata Syed Meor.

Begitupun, lumrah sebagai pegawai polis, beliau turut tidak terlepas daripada berdepan ancaman daripada penjenayah.

Paling diingatinya adalah kejadian keretanya ditembak bertalu-talu oleh penjenayah di Taman Overseas Union Garden (OUG), Jalan Klang Lama pada 1979.

“Ketika itu saya hendak melakukan serbuan terhadap sekumpulan penjenayah daripada kumpulan 'pang'. Setibanya di rumah teres dua tingkat yang dijadikan tempat persembunyian mereka, mereka menembak saya bertalu-talu.

“Habis kereta saya berlubang, namun saya selamat. Apabila penjenayah itu cuba melarikan diri, habis semuanya mati ditembak,” katanya.

Hakikatnya pengalaman Syed Meor bukan setakat berhadapan dengan penjenayah, tetapi beliau mempunyai banyak pengalaman bertempur dengan komunis ketika menyertai Police Special Squad Group dan Police Field Force sekitar 1960 hingga 1968.

Syed Meor kini masih gigih bekerja sebagai peguam dan memiliki firma guaman sendiri. Menariknya pejabat firma guamannya itu terletak di Kompleks Campbell.

“Membangkitkan nostalgia”, kata Syed Meor

Info

Syed Meor menyertai polis pada Mei 1951. Selain memegang jawatan Ketua Polis Daerah Campbell, antara jawatan lain yang dipegang adalah Ketua Polis Daerah Kulai, Simpang Renggam dan Alor Setar, Ketua Trafik Utara dan Ketua Siasatan Jenayah Narkotik Utara. Kali terakhir beliau bertugas di unit inteligen di Johor dari 1980 hingga 1986. Pernah memegang jawatan sebagai Pengarah Keselamatan Bank Negara selama tiga tahun. Ketika bertugas di Sarawak mendiang Temenggung Jugah Anak Barieng pernah menghadiahkan Syed Meer seguni kepala tengkorak manusia sebagai satu penghargaan kepadanya. Selain kisah dengan penjenayah, Syed Meor turut mempunyai pengalaman membunuh seekor harimau bersaiz 2.4 meter seorang diri di Tumpat, Kelantan. Orang kampung hanya menghantar beliau ke lokasi harimau itu membaham seorang anggota polis Inggeris. Beliau berjaya menembak harimau itu pada jam 2 pagi dalam keadaan muka beliau disapu tahi gajah bagi mengelak harimau berkenaan mengesan kehadirannya.

Eh...Akhil Hayy lah...!!!

KUALA KUBU BHARU: “Ana harap semua kemelut dan gosip dinoktahkan dengan ijab kabul. Ini (pernikahan) juga doa daripada kalian semua (wartawan),” kata penyanyi, pengacara dan penceramah bebas, Akhil Abdul Hai atau lebih dikenali sebagai Akhil Hayy selepas selamat diijab kabulkan dengan penyanyi Waheeda, semalam.

Akhil, 40, menganggap pernikahan mereka sebagai ketentuan Allah selepas berdepan dengan pelbagai tohmahan sebelum ini.

“Sebelum ini ana ada menyatakan senang dengan sikap dia (Waheeda) dan tuan punya dunia membuka pintu hati ana untuk kembali berumah tangga selepas berstatus duda.

“Ana tidak boleh kata tiada perasaan cinta (kepada Waheeda) kerana Allah mencampakkan ke hati setiap manusia rasa kasih sayang dan ini satu amanah berat kepada ana, bukan saja untuk membimbing Waheeda malah keluarga,” katanya ketika ditemui selepas majlis akad nikah mereka di Majlis Jamek Ar-Rahimah di sini, semalam.

Pasangan itu dinikahkan Pendaftar Nikah dan Cerai Pejabat Agama Islam Hulu Selangor, Zulkhairi Jaid dan dengan sekali lafaz, Akhil dan Waheeda atau nama sebenar, Norwahidah Abdul Wahab, 31, sah sebagai suami isteri tepat jam 12 tengah hari.

Turut menyaksikan majlis ijab kabul itu ialah bapa Waheeda, Abdul Wahab Yusuf, 58, ibunya, Asri Othman, 58, ibu Akhil, Azizah Daud, 72, dan dua anak Akhil, Siti Nur Maisarah, 12, dan Mohd Syarif Idayatullah, 11.

Pada majlis pernikahan yang dihadiri saudara terdekat itu, tiada wang hantaran diberikan, sebaliknya pihak lelaki menyediakan senaskhah al-Quran. Rombongan lelaki juga memberi tujuh dulang hantaran dan dibalas 11 dulang oleh pihak perempuan.

Majlis itu menjadi hiba apabila Waheeda menitiskan air mata ketika bersalaman dengan ibu bapanya selepas selamat diijab kabulkan.

Akhil berkata, dia bersyukur kerana majlis itu berjalan lancar selepas banyak perkara ditempuhi, malah tidak menyangka ia dihadiri ramai saudara terdekat kerana cadangan asal mahu melaksanakannya secara kecil-kecilan.

“Mulanya kami mahu melangsungkan majlis ini pada 21 Ogos bagi mendapat keberkatan Ramadan, tapi keluarga mahu ia diawalkan.

“(Selepas ini) saya berharap semua peminat Waheeda dapat mendoakan kebahagiaan kami. Kami mahu menutup buku lama dan membuka buku baru,” katanya.

Akhil bagaimanapun enggan memberi sebarang komen mengenai bekas isterinya, Maizawati Zainal, 33, dan terpulang kepadanya untuk berkata apa saja.

Sementara itu, Waheeda pula menegaskan dia tetap meneruskan hasrat bersara dari dunia seni dan hanya akan menumpukan perhatian kepada anak serta keluarga.

“Sebelum ini (pakar motivasi) Datuk Dr Mohd Fadzillah Kamsah ada menasihatkan saya bahawa dugaan yang lebih berat akan membuahkan ganjaran lebih besar daripada Allah.

“Biarlah selepas ini orang nak cakap apa pun kerana banyak lagi perkara lebih penting dalam hidup ini. Saya hanya mahu menghabiskan masa dengan keluarga,” katanya.

Mengenai hantaran senaskhah al-Quran, Waheeda berkata ia permintaan bapanya kerana itu pemberian paling lengkap.

Mengulas penyakit yang menimpanya, Waheeda berkata, keadaannya teruk sejak tiga bulan lalu, namun ia kini beransur pulih.

Pasangan itu akan mengadakan majlis persandingan pada 31 Oktober ini di Dewan Orang Ramai Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam dan di tempat asal Akhil di Gopeng, Perak, seminggu kemudian.

Kontroversi mengenai keretakan rumah tangga Akhil mendapat liputan meluas media massa akhir Mei lalu berikutan Maizawati membuat pendedahan terbuka menerusi program televisyen.

Pasangan itu akhirnya bercerai pada 15 Julai lalu selepas Akhil melafazkan talak satu di Mahkamah Rendah Syariah Ipoh, Perak.

Vitali-Arreola Tix Info!

TICKETS GO ON SALE SATURDAY AT 10 A.M. PT

FOR WBC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION VITALI KLITSCHKO

AND UNDEFEATED CRISTOBAL ARREOLA

MEGA MATCHUP AT STAPLES CENTER ON SEPT. 26

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 14, 2009) –- Ticket prices for the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight world title fight between champion Vitali “Dr. Ironfist” Klitschko and No. 1-ranked Cristobal “The Nightmare’’ Arreola will start as low $25 when they go on sale beginning Saturday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. PT

The historic 12-round fight will take place at STAPLES Center, site of Thursday’s packed-house press conference that included Klitschko and Arreola talking to the media about how they plan to win the Saturday, Sept. 26 battle.

It was mentioned on several occasions on Thursday that the tickets are priced right for the sports fan and that 70 percent of the seats are priced at $100 or less.

“We feel the tickets are priced right for the fans for a fight of this magnitude,” said Dan Beckerman, Chief Operating Officer, AEG. “We want to be sure all the boxing fans in Los Angeles have the opportunity to see this fight.”

Tickets can be purchased at all TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets will be available at the STAPLES Center Box Office Monday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. Tickets are priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25.

Klitschko, of Los Angeles and Hamburg, Germany, brings a record of 37-2 with 36 knockouts into what will be an exciting, hotly contested 12-round showdown. The dangerous-punching Arreola, of Riverside, California, via East Los Angeles, is 27-0 with 24 KOs.

Klitschko has been involved in the only two heavyweight world title fights to emanate from the internationally-known home of the NBA Champion Lakers, STAPLES Center. He is 1-1, but both matches were unforgettable. The first – against then- champion Lennox Lewis on June 21, 2003 – was a bloody, exhilarating slugfest that resulted in a hotly disputed victory for Lewis.

The world title fight, which will be promoted by K2 Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions, will air Live on HBO at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Doors will open at STAPLES Center on Sept. 26 at 4 p.m.

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Early Flu Shot Info

Flu Shots in Sept, Then H1N1 Shots

Published : Friday, 14 Aug 2009, 6:20 PM CDT

Minneapolis - With the threat of the H1N1 virus, people are already preparing for the regular flu season. People usually start to get flu shots in October or November. But because of the H1N1 virus, health experts want you to roll up your sleeve sooner than you might think. At the Minnesota Visiting Nurses Agency, the first batch of seasonal flu vaccines just arrived about a month earlier than normal. Health officials want people to get their regular flu shots in September of this year. And then get an H1N1 shot when that vaccine becomes available in late October or early November, followed by a booster a few weeks later.
Health experts say people under 65 should get the H1N1 shots, especially pregnant women and children and people with chronic lung disease. The Visiting Nurse Agency has hired an extra 100 nurses. And has ordered 30,000 extra regular flu shots.

Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency