amleenology

Despite being a Linux user who will probably never again buy a Microsoft product, I am not a Windows-basher. I don’t particularly like Windows, but it’s not terrible. If you force yourself to operate as a limited user (instead of the default administrator), it’s as secure as Mac OS X or Linux, and it generally gets the job done.

There are endless operating system wars among fans of all three major platforms (and even some minor ones you may not have heard of). Ultimately, though, for everyday use, they’re pretty much all the same. Click on the icon or use a keyboard shortcut to launch the program. Use the program.

Every now and then, though, something happens that just makes me want to throw my Windows computer at work through the wall (I must resist the urge to do so, of course, since the computer and wall are the company’s, not mine). Yesterday, I was in the middle of doing some work, and, as usual, I had about six programs open. All of a sudden, this message appeared:

As you can see from the screenshot, the Restart Later option is greyed out, meaning that Windows is basically telling me, “I don’t care if you’re in the middle of doing something important. Close all the programs in the next five minutes; otherwise, I’ll close them for you!”

by iqbal

PUTRAJAYA 30 Jun – Kedutaan Turki mengesahkan tidak menawarkan suaka politik atau jemputan kepada Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk mencari perlindungan di situ, sebaliknya Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) itu sendiri meminta kebenaran berada di situ mengikut tempoh yang akan ditetapkannya.

Perkara itu dimaklumkan oleh Duta Besar Turki ke Malaysia, Barlas Ozener kepada Menteri Luar, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim ketika dipanggil ke Wisma Putra, di sini petang ini, bagi menjelaskan kekeliruan tersebut.

Menurutnya, atas permintaan Anwar itu, maka Kedutaan Turki telah membenarkannya berada di situ atas dasar kemanusiaan.

“Berikutan penjelasan Duta Turki itu, maka Kementerian Luar tidak menerima ia (kehadiran Anwar itu) sebagai satu jemputan tetapi jika tempoh itu berpanjangan maka istilah tetamu itu dicurigai dan kita akan memberi pengiktirafan lain.

“Kerajaan juga sudah meminta Kedutaan Turki supaya tidak menghalang proses siasatan polis terhadap Anwar, jika polis tidak dapat menjalankan tugas maka itu dianggap menyalahi proses undang-undang di negara ini,” kata beliau pada sidang akhbar di Wisma Putra, di sini hari ini. - Utusan 30/06/2008 3:50pm

VIENNA - Spain ended their 44-year wait for a major international title with a 1-0 victory over Germany at the Euro 2008 final here on Sunday.

Fernando Torres scored the only goal of the game in the first half as football's perennial underachievers finally banished that unwanted tag to the history books.

It was the first time Spain had won the European title since 1964 and their first final since 1984.

They seemed to start tentatively and a mistake from Sergio Ramos gave Miroslav Klose a glorious opportunity after just four minutes, but after taking the ball past Carles Puyol his next touch was too strong and he ran the ball out of play.

Spain gradually started to settle but three-time champions Germany still had the next chance, Thomas Hitzlsperger hitting a tame shot straight at Spain captain Iker Casillas.

Just before the quarter-hour mark Jens Lehmann came to Germany's rescue as a cross from Andres Iniesta deflected off Christoph Metzelder's boot and only a stunning reaction save from the Arsenal stopper prevented a goal.

Spain were starting to take control and Torres headed a Xavi free-kick over the bar.

On 23 minutes Sergio Ramos cut in from the right and crossed to the back post where Torres climbed above the considerably taller Per Mertersacker; his downward header beat Lehmann but unfortunately for Spain not the base of the post.

Up the other end Spain's slightly suspect defence was struggling to cope with the direct running of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski but Germany created little despite captain Michael Ballack's volley being blocked by Sergio Ramos.

Then on 33 minutes Torres put Spain ahead with a moment of sublime quality. He latched onto a piercing through ball from Xavi, outpaced Philipp Lahm and chipped the ball over the advancing Lehmann with a flicked shot that could have threaded the eye of a needle.

Spain were suddenly rampant and Iniesta crossed to the back post where the unmarked David Silva had a rush of blood to the head and lashed a volley wildly over.

Spain seemed brimming with confidence at the start of the second period and both Xavi and Silva went close with long range efforts before Torres again outpaced the German defence but couldn't quite reach the ball before Lehmann came out to smother.

Germany coach Joachim Loew responded by sending on a second forward in Kevin Kuranyi to replace midfielder Hitzlsperger.

That immediately shifted the momentum of the game and on the hour a mistake from Puyol was almost punished as Ballack fired just wide; moments later Casillas came storming out of goal to take a cross from Ballack off Kuranyi's head.

Spain remained dangerous and Sergio Ramos forced Lehmann into a fine block with a powerful header from a Xavi free-kick before Torsten Frings cleared a shot from Iniesta off the line.

Brazil-born Marcos Senna came within inches of settling the game in the final 10 minutes but he couldn't quite stretch his leg out far enough to meet substitute Daniel Guiza's downward header with the goal at his mercy.

- AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will press the Turkish ambassador to reconsider his decision to give refuge to opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim, who has said he fears for his life, a report said on Monday.

Anwar fled to the embassy on Sunday after denying allegations he sodomised a male aide, the same charge that saw him jailed a decade ago.

"I have been told that my assassination has not been ruled out as a means to subvert the people's will and bring an end to the transformational changes taking place in Malaysia," he said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said ambassador Barlas Ozener will have to explain why he gave refuge to Anwar in a meeting at the ministry scheduled for Monday, the Star daily reported.

"We will ask the ambassador to reconsider (giving Anwar refuge) as it is meddling in Malaysia's internal affairs," Rais told the paper.

"If (Anwar) is evading any sort of preventive law like the (Internal Security Act), then it is a different matter," he added.

"But he is being sought for an investigation involving sodomy, which is a crime under the penal code," Rais said.

"When you run away from the law, it is not the same as facing some political persecution. As such, the embassy cannot grant him any sort of protection."

Anwar, a friend of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, took refuge on the invitation of the ambassador.

Anwar has denounced as a "complete fabrication" a police report allegedly lodged by the 23-year-old aide, saying it was an attempt to sideline his spectacular return to the political stage.

His opposition alliance seized a third of parliamentary seats and five states in March elections that threaten to unseat Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who faces calls to quit over the polls debacle.

Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998 and convicted on sodomy and corruption charges which he said were politically motivated. He spent six years in jail but was released in 2004 when the sex charge was overturned.

"I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress," Anwar said on the weekend.

The new sex charges triggered fears that Anwar faced imminent arrest, but police said they would first carry out an investigation.


- AFP/so

KUALA LUMPUR – Orang ramai tidak perlu bimbang risiko penyakit terhadap ayam import khususnya mengenai wabak selesema burung kerana setiap ternakan itu yang masuk telah melepasi prosedur penilaian yang sangat ketat.

Malah, ayam itu juga sudah dipastikan status halal sebelum dibawa masuk.

Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Perkhidmatan Veterinar, Datuk Dr. Abd. Aziz Jamaluddin berkata, syarat pertama yang dititikberatkan sebelum pengimportan ayam ialah memastikan negara itu bebas penyakit.

Sebagai contoh, Abd. Aziz memberitahu, kerajaan tidak mengamalkan dasar mengimport ayam dari Indonesia kerana negara itu masih dikategorikan sebagai belum bebas wabak selesema burung.

“Buat masa ini kerajaan memilih sumber dari China, Amerika Syarikat, Denmark dan Belanda untuk import ayam,’’ jelasnya kepada Kosmo! sebagai mengulas laporan akhbar ini berhubung dakwaan Persekutuan Persatuan-Persatuan Penternak Malaysia (FLFAM) mengenai risiko penyakit selesema burung.

Bagi menambahkan lagi keyakinan pengguna bahawa ayam import memang selamat dimakan, Abd. Aziz memberi contoh sebanyak 17,500 metrik tan ayam telah diimport dari Shandong, China pada tahun lalu.

info dari KOSMO