Thursday, April 30, 2009

Import and Sale of Pork ban in UAE

UAE bans import and sale of pork 'as a precaution against swine flu'

By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
Last updated: April 29, 2009, 15:28

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has banned the import and sale of pork in the country as a precautionary measure against swine flu, a senior official told Gulf News on Wednesday.

General Secretariat of Municipalities [GSM] issued a circular on Monday banning import and sale of all types of pork in the country, Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Manager of Communication and Information Department at Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) said.

The ban covers cooking the pork in hotels [for non Muslims], he added.

GSM had already banned import of pork from Mexico and the US on Sunday, but extended it to a blanket ban, considering the alarming situation, Al Reyaysa said.

"Only two outlets in Abu Dhabi have the license to sell pork (for non-Muslims) and our inspectors have already informed them to remove the pork from the shelves," the official said.

Read the full article Here from "Gulfnews"




Sunday, April 26, 2009

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao vs Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton "East VS West" 24/7 video

It is most awaiting bout on Sunday morning May 3, 2009 from the East and Saturday night May 2, 2009 from the West. Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao VS Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton...

Please watch this video from HBO...







See you on May...

Friday, April 24, 2009

Red Tide hits the coast of UAE

For almost a week now I always read from the news about red tide was present in United Arab Emirates coastline. So what Red Tide and what is the effect of this in our environment.

Photo Source: Gulfnews

What is Red Tide?
Red Tide is caused by a "population explosion" of toxic, naturally occurring microscopic plankton (specifically, a subgroup known as dinoflagellates). "Algal Blooms" of the poison-producing plankton are coastal phenomena caused by environmental conditions, which promote explosive growth. Factors that are especially favorable include warm surface temperatures, high nutrient content, low salinity, and calm seas. Rain followed by sunny weather in the summer months is often associated with red tide blooms.

An algal bloom is a rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic system. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of phytoplankton species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration of the water resulting from the high density of pigmented cells. Although there is no officially recognized threshold level, algae can be considered to be blooming at concentrations of hundreds to thousands of cells per milliliter, depending on the severity. Algal bloom concentrations may reach millions of cells per milliliter. Algal blooms are often green, but they can also be yellow-brown or red, depending on the species of algae.


Does it really color the water?
Yes, water in coastal areas can be colored red by the algae, thus the term "red tide." Although toxic blooms often turn the water reddish brown, many nontoxic species or reddish brown plankton cause the same discoloration. Conversely, toxic plankton may be numerous enough to toxify shellfish, but not sufficiently abundant to discolor water. Discolored water should always be regarded with suspicion. However, it should be noted that even during high concentrations during a red tide event caused by Alexandrium fundyense, there is no risk with regard to swimming in the water.

What seafoods are unsafe to eat from waters where red tide occurs?
Only a few marine animals accumulate these toxins. Shellfish, including hard-shell clams, soft-shell clams, oysters, mussels and scallops, are particularly prone to contamination as they feed by filtering microscopic food out of the water. If toxic planktonic organisms are present, they are filtered from the water along with other nontoxic foods. Whelks and moon snails can also accumulate dangerous levels of the toxin during red tide as they feed on contaminated shellfish.

During red tide blooms, hard-shell clams, soft-shell clams, oysters, mussels, whelks, and moon snails harvested from areas affected by the blooms are not safe to eat. Since toxins are stored in the digestive tract (stomach) and viscera (intestines) of these animals, scallops are safe to eat as long as only cleaned adductor muscle (the only part generally eaten) is consumed. Lobster meat, crabs, shrimp, and most finfish do not normally accumulate toxin and are safe to eat from affected waters. Lobster tomalley (the green part or liver) is not safe to eat in general, and particularly during red tide events because this part of the lobster can build up high levels of toxins and other pollutants.

What happens if toxic shellfish are consumed?
Eating toxic shellfish can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in humans. PSP is caused by saxitoxin, which is produced by Alexandrium fundyense and is one of the most potent toxins known to scientists. After ingestion, this poison immediately affects the nervous system, with symptoms usually occurring within 30 minutes. Severity depends on the amount of toxin consumed. Initial reactions are tingling of the lips and tongue, which spreads to the face, neck, fingertips and toes. Headache, dizziness and nausea follow. These symptoms may be mistaken for drunken conditions and are further aggravated by alcohol consumption. In severe cases, muscular paralysis and respiratory difficulty may occur within 5 to 12 hours. Fatalities from respiratory paralysis have been reported.

What should one do if accidental ingestion of toxic shellfish is suspected?
Seek proper medical attention immediately. If a family doctor or other physician cannot be reached, the person should be taken to the nearest hospital emergency room or medical clinic. If none of these options are available, contact the nearest poison control center. The diagnosis of PSP is a reportable disease. Cases of suspected PSP poisoning should be reported to the Center for Environmental Health, Food Protection Program, at 617-983-6712 or to the Center for Hospitals and Clinical Laboratories, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, at 617-983-6800.

How is red tide monitored so that toxic shellfish are not marketed?
All shellfish-producing states have monitoring programs that test water, sediments, and shellfish for contamination. The action level for humans is 80 micrograms per 100 grams of shellfish meat. In Massachusetts, for instance, the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is responsible for year-round testing of shellfish and shellfish growing areas. Monitoring efforts are more intensive in the spring, summer and, fall. The DMF notifies affected city and town officials of closures. When blooms subside, shellfish purify themselves of the toxin, and when testing indicates a return to safe levels, the areas are reopened. Monitoring programs may differ in other states.

What precautions should recreational fisherman take?
Recreational shellfish gatherers should look for posted warnings and pay close attention to local media announcements. Also, it is advisable to contact appropriate state agencies and local shellfish constables for current news on closures.

Under no circumstance should individuals harvest shellfish from any area closed to shellfishing.

Toxic shellfish will taste and appear no different than nontoxic shellfish, and cooking does not destroy the red tide toxin. Testing is the only way to determine if shellfish contain unsafe levels of toxin.
Should consumers feel safe when purchasing shellfish at seafood markets?
Yes, consumers should feel confidant about purchasing shellfish from established markets. Harvesting regulations for shellfish are strictly enforced. Even during periods of red tide, clams, oysters, mussels and whelks in seafood markets are harvested from clean waters. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration visits state labs to observe routine testing procedures, and public health officials regularly monitor shellfish markets to ensure that only safe, nontoxic shellfish are available to consumers.

Source: Mass.Gov and Wikipedia




Tuesday, April 21, 2009

10 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100

As I surf in the internet and while opening my yahoo mail I saw this in their latest news regarding Health Tips and since all of us wants to live longer I read it. And I'm Happy to share it here in my blog... As what the article said....

10 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100

"You don't need to eat yogurt and live on a mountaintop, but you do need to floss."

By

The biggest factor that determines how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A new study published in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following four things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.

Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits by following these 10 habits.

1. Don't retire. -"Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." Farming isn't for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.


2. Floss every day.- That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," stresses Perls.

3. Move around. -"Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight lifting.


Click Here to Read More the Rest Of 10 Habits




Thursday, April 16, 2009

Latest List of Rischest Man in The World

After the fall financial world a new list of richest man in the world from Forbes.com come out. And here it is the Top 25 from the list...

RankNameCitizenshipAgeNet Worth ($bil)Residence
1 William Gates III United States 53 40.0 United States
2 Warren Buffett United States 78 37.0 United States
3 Carlos Slim Helu & family Mexico 69 35.0 Mexico
4 Lawrence Ellison United States 64 22.5 United States
5 Ingvar Kamprad & family Sweden 83 22.0 Switzerland
6 Karl Albrecht Germany 89 21.5 Germany
7 Mukesh Ambani India 51 19.5 India
8 Lakshmi Mittal India 58 19.3 United Kingdom
9 Theo Albrecht Germany 87 18.8 Germany
10 Amancio Ortega Spain 73 18.3 Spain
11 Jim Walton United States 61 17.8 United States
12 Alice Walton United States 59 17.6 United States
12 Christy Walton & family United States 54 17.6 United States
12 S Robson Walton United States 65 17.6 United States
15 Bernard Arnault France 60 16.5 France
16 Li Ka-shing Hong Kong 80 16.2 Hong Kong
17 Michael Bloomberg United States 67 16.0 United States
18 Stefan Persson Sweden 61 14.5 Sweden
19 Charles Koch United States 73 14.0 United States
19 David Koch United States 68 14.0 United States
21 Liliane Bettencourt France 86 13.4 France
22 Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud Saudi Arabia 54 13.3 Saudi Arabia
23 Michael Otto & family Germany 65 13.2 Germany
24 David Thomson & family Canada 51 13.0 Canada
25 Michael Dell United States 44 12.3 United States




Please visit Forbes.com to view the new complete list from top 1 t0 top 793.

Monday, April 13, 2009

MR. RTA

I received an email with a subject of MR. RTA ( Road and Transport Authority in Dubai) UAE best email of the year...
And I think it is worth sharing the honesty and sense of humor of this guy.

English Translation: "I Swear to Allah that I do not have Coins, and am just here for 10 minutes, so PLLLLEEEEAAAAASSSSSEEEE Mr. RTA, am sure you can understand and not fine me"


So what do you think this guy is a Smart!!!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Transformer 2 - Revenge of the Fallen

'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' Robots Revealed

Now, to get the fans even more energized, Paramount Pictures has released to us the full list of all the giant robots that will appear in the new movie. Plus we have new photos with first looks at two of the evil Decepticons that will battle the heroic Autobots when the movie hits theaters this summer.

AUTOBOTS

  • OPTIMUS PRIME: The Autobots' leader - alternate form: Peterbilt truck (see photo).
  • IRONHIDE: Weapons specialist - GMC Topkick.
  • RATCHET: Medic - Hummer H2.
  • BUMBLEBEE: Friend and mode of transportation for Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) - 2010 Chevorlet Camaro.
  • ARCEE: A female Autobot - motorcycle.
  • SIDESWIPE: A Lamborghini in the toy line, here he transforms into a silver Corvette Stingray concept car.
  • JETFIRE: An older Decepticon who switches sides - SR71 Blackbird jet.
  • JOLT: The original toy was a Decepticon, but in the movie he's a good guy - Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.
  • SKID & MUDFLAP: a.k.a. "The Twins" - Chevrolet Beat and Trax concept cars.



  • DECEPTICONS
  • STARSCREAM: Formerly Megatron's second in command, he escaped at the end of the first movie (see photo); F-22 Raptor jet.
  • SCORPONOK: The mechanical scorpion that attacked the American troops in the desert.
  • THE FALLEN: One of the original Transformers, he's called "the most elemental bad guy" by the screenwriters.
  • SIDEWAYS: The Audi R8 seen crashing through a building in the trailer.
  • SOUNDWAVE: A cassette player in the original toys; his alternate mode will be a communications satellite.
  • RAVAGE: A four-legged, cat-like robot (see photo).
  • THE DOCTOR: A spider-like crawling robot.
  • WHEELIE: A small, radio-controlled truck.
  • DEMOLISHER: One of the Constructicons that transform into construction vehicles.
  • DEVASTATOR: A giant robot formed by the Constructicons joining together; individually, they are: Scavenger, Scrapper, Hightower, Longhaul, Rampage, Overload and Mixmaster.
  • Wednesday, April 08, 2009

    Why Easter Egg during Easter Sunday?

    EASTER and EASTER EGGS

    Delve into the history and origins of the Christian festival of Easter and you come up with a few surprises. For instance, Easter eggs do not owe their origins to Christianity and originally the festival of Easter itself and the giving of Easter gifts had nothing to do with Christianity either. A closer look at the history of both Easter and the Easter Egg reveals a much earlier association with pagan ritual and in particular, the pagan rites of spring, dating back into pre history.

    For us, the ancient rites celebrating the Spring Equinox are most obviously associated with the mysterious Druids and places like Stone Henge, but most ancient races around the world had similar spring festivals to celebrate the rebirth of the year. The Egg, as a symbol of fertility and re-birth, has been associated with these rites from the earliest times.

    History Of Easter

    Easter, the principal festival of the Christian church year, celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion. The origins of Easter date to the beginnings of Christianity, and it is probably the oldest Christian observance after the Sabbath (observed on Saturday). Later, the Sabbath subsequently came to be regarded as the weekly celebration of the Resurrection.

    Meanwhile, many of the cultural historians find, in the celebration of Easter, a convergence of the three traditions - Pagan, Hebrew and Christian.

    According to St. Bede, an English historian of the early 8th century, Easter owes its origin to the old Teutonic mythology. It was derived from the name Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, to whom the month of April was dedicated. The festival of Eostre was celebrated at the vernal equinox, when the day and night gets an equal share of the day.

    The English name "Easter" is much newer. When the early English Christians wanted others to accept Christianity, they decided to use the name Easter for this holiday so that it would match the name of the old spring celebration. This made it more comfortable for other people to accept Christianity.

    But it is pointed out by some that the Easter festival, as celebrated today, is related with the Hebrew tradition, the Jewish Passover. This is being celebrated during Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew lunar year. The Jewish Passover under Moses commemorates Israel's deliverance from about 300 years of bondage in Egypt.

    It was in during this Passover in 30 AD Christ was crucified under the order of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate as the then Jewish high priests accused Jesus of "blasphemy". The resurrection came three days later, on the Easter Sunday. The early Christians, many of them being brought up in Jewish tradition regarded Easter as a new feature of the Pascha (Passover). It was observed in memory of the advent of the Messiah, as foretold by the prophets. And it is equanimous with the proclamation of the resurrection. Thus the early Christian Passover turned out to be a unitive celebration in memory of the passion-death-resurrection of Jesus. However, by the 4th century, Good Friday came to be observed as a separate occasion. And the Pascha Sunday had been devoted exclusively to the honor of the glorious resurrection.

    Throughout the Christendom the Sunday of Pascha had become a holiday to honor Christ. At the same time many of the pagan spring rites came to be a part of its celebration. May be it was the increasing number of new converts who could not totally break free of the influence of pagan culture of their forefathers.

    But despite all the influence there was an important shift in the spirit. No more glorification of the physical return of the Sun God. Instead the emphasis was shifted to the Sun of Righteousness who had won banishing the horrors of death for ever.

    The Feast of Easter was well established by the second century. But there had been dispute over the exact date of the Easter observance between the Eastern and Western Churches. The East wanted to have it on a weekday because early Christians observed Passover every year on the 14th of Nisan, the month based on the lunar calendar. But, the West wanted that Easter should always be a Sunday regardless of the date.

    To solve this problem the emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea in 325. The question of the date of Easter was one of its main concerns. The council decided that Easter should fall on Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. But fixing up the date of the Equinox was still a problem. The Alexandrians, noted for their rich knowledge in astronomical calculations were given the task. And March 21 was made out to be the perfect date for spring equinox.

    The dating of Easter today follows the same. Accordingly, churches in the West observe it on the first day of the full moon that occurs on or following the Spring equinox on March 21., it became a movable feast between March 21 and April 25.

    Monday, April 06, 2009

    Another 'Racist' journalist to Filipinos!!!

    We really don't know what really they thinks they are, and what kind of anger they have to All Filipino's...

    But actually what I'm thinking is that since a lot of Filipinos around the world and most of them have access to internet they are using Filipino's to be known and become talk of the town...

    By the way she wrote what she want to comment about Filipino's...

    She's from down under and this what she wrote...

    What? What? Can you repeat that PLEASE!!

    I read with a sinking stomach that Telecom, in their infinite wisdom, are moving 250 call centre jobs to Manila which will bring their number of call centre people there to 700.

    Must be a money saver...why pay Kiwis a half decent wage when you can get the job done more cheaply elsewhere?

    hisssssssssss..............

    I've had a lot of problems with email, am on the phone to xtra at least once a week - and it drives me nuts.

    It's bad enough that Telecom/xtra can fail in their service to us full stop, and it's even worse if that failure is not reflected in a reduced phone bill, but what's really infuriating is not being able to understand the person on the other end of the line who is supposed to be helping.


    "Filipinos learn American English and their accents are diabolically hard to understand. They are so heavy!!! "

    And because these people are as close as we get to the actual corporation I allow myself to fully vent my anger...

    E.g. after getting someone to repeat something 6 times I will yell in frustration.

    I am better with Indian call centres since I saw Slumdog Millionaire, and I can cope with Cairo, but Manila? I lose it!

    Wouldn't it be nice if Kiwis could do these jobs instead of adding to the unemployment.

    It's mental. It doesn't make sense and it makes me really really mad!!!!


    While reading some of the comments I pass these and for me its worth reading... Please Read the comments below...


    doctor jones #5 09:14 pm Feb 08 2009

    Actually, if I may.... I was setting up my home telephone and broadband just last week with telecom and their people in the Phillipines were nothing but helpful, well-mannered, and exceedingly courteous. So perhaps you're just biased.

    Incidentally, did you perhaps consider that a "nuu zuland" accent, which you no doubt speak with, is also "diabolically hard to understand" if you're not used to it? I'm not a fan of the American accent either, but why not give these people credit for doing the best with what they've got? Just like we all do these days. Because after all, kettles in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones at black pots.

    Lastly, did you ever consider that those call centre jobs that are being moved may be jobs that Telecom can't fill locally? Most people that i've met would never deign to lower themselves to work in a call centre, and those who did never planned to be there for long. Perhaps those in the Phillipines who take these jobs would be much more appreciative of them in the current economic climate than any kiwi would ever be. This coming from a left winger who thinks and acts locally by the way.

    Just a few thoughts, make of them what you will.

    doctor jones



    Why Would you ? #75 04:06 pm Apr 03 2009

    Hi Bridget, With the billions of people that exist in the world today and the ability to live in several countries you will never come across an accent that is perfect. What cries out to me is that you need to be calm, patient and allow for the differences between not only your accent (yes you have one too!) and the other person in this case those whom pick up your call in Manila.

    And Filipino accents compared to some American accents are much easier to understand, anyone who speaks another language other than english will always have an accent, I take it you've not experienced this, cause you happen to speak perfect accented English. Besides all that, the real issue and point of your stress is with Telcom or perhaps your inability to understand the problem on your end even before you pick up the phone and wreck another's day, have you ever stopped to think the problem first and foremost sits with you and not those whom you speak with on the other end in Manila?

    And, lastly why would you go to the trouble of posting such a mean spirited message when all you had to do was blast Telcom for out sourcing jobs out of NZ leaving many in unemployment at a time when the economy is so bad. I am sure you do not live in a bubble, the Filipino people are much like the polynesian people, they are overly nice, very accommodating and always helpful, you should be thank ful perhaps if it has not happened already the person on the other end has not replied and treated you as you've treated them, business aside, people should always be treated as you yourself would want to be treated. Don't stomp on others just because you yourself cannot handle the stress of your own daily life.

    regards Don't do it again


    Read the whole article here



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