That 16 days have passed.
Don’t forget your history, lest somebody will rewrite it.
Happy birthday Malaysia. (tag)
Author: Hafiz Noor Shams
For more about me, please read this.
Editors at Wikipedia has labelled the article “El Niño-Southern Oscillation” as current news. Surprised, I checked up the news and it seems Wikipedia is right. The little boy is back:
NEW YORK — El Niño, a warming of equatorial waters in the Pacific Ocean that wreaks havoc with world weather conditions, has formed and will last into 2007, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Wednesday.
I remember the last time it struck, life wasn’t too comfortable:
In Asia and South America, the last severe El Niño killed hundreds of people and caused billions of dollars in damage as crops shriveled across the Asia-Pacific basin.
With Ramadan around the corner, this will get ugly. But in the same article:
This El Niño has caused drier-than-average conditions across Indonesia, Malaysia and most of the Philippines.
Really? If it’s not, I haven’t felt it. For all I know, it’s been raining for almost everyday for the past few weeks now.
In economics, price ceiling introduces shortage given the right condition.
In Malaysia, price ceiling combats shortage in the same condition:
Controlling prices to ease sugar shortage
13 Sep 2006
Fay Angela D’cruzKUALA LUMPUR: Fine sugar has been made a controlled item, with its price fixed at RM1.55 per kg in West Malaysia, and RM1.65 per kg in Sabah and Sarawak.
This move follows the tendency among refineries to produce more fine sugar as it was not a controlled item, resulting in the shortage of coarse sugar in the market.
Before the decision, fine sugar was sold between RM1.90 and RM2.50 per kg. Coarse sugar is controlled at RM1.40 per kg.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal announced the decision, which is effective from today.
He said the government hoped the move would help solve the coarse sugar shortage in the retail market.
May a higher being saves us all.
For previous entries on sugar shortage, see post [824] Of sugar: price ceiling and oligopoly, [810] Of doctor says sugar is unhealthy and [763] Of honey, ah sugar sugar.
Where Google falls, Wikipedia takes the lead. At The Observer (via):
The founder of Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia written by its users, has defied the Chinese government by refusing to bow to censorship of politically sensitive entries.
Jimmy Wales, one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine, challenged other internet companies, including Google, to justify their claim that they could do more good than harm by co-operating with Beijing.
Wikipedia, a hugely popular reference tool in the West, has been banned from China since last October. Whereas Google, Microsoft and Yahoo went into the country accepting some restrictions on their online content, Wales believes it must be all or nothing for Wikipedia.
Maybe Google should give up its claim to “don’t be evil” philosophy and surrender it over to Wikipedia.
Some music peep?
Although Michigan won, some are unsure how to celebrate the win:
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan has won its first two games by an average of 22 points.
The 10th-ranked Wolverines beat Central Michigan 41-17 Saturday after handling Vanderbilt in their opener, but still don’t know if they are merely good or potentially great.
This is the curse of being historically great football school (tag). Being good is not enough. Winning is not good enough.
The real test starts next week at South Bend – it’s the Fighting Irish; Notre Dame. Unlike the Fighting Illini — a team fighting in name only — Notre Dame will be a tough fight. Notre Dame indeed defeated Joe Paterno’s #19 Littany Lions 41-17. The Littany Lions, surprisingly, was a strong team last year.
Michigan is was ranked #10 for Week 2 while Notre Dame ranked #4. Last year, #3 Michigan lost to #20 Notre Dame 17-10 at home.
Despite the fact that the Notre Dame-Michigan game is a non-conference one, this game is important because a win for the Wolverines will boost Michigan deep into the top 10.
More crucially, a win will get Michigan closer to #1 Ohio State and thus limiting any psychological advantage the Buckeyes might have on the Wolverines for The Game on November 18. By the way, the Buckeyes routed #2 Longhorns; Texas is the defending champion. To make the Buckies’ victory even more impressive, OSU won at Texas:
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Before the Longhorn band played a somber “Eyes of Texas,” Ohio State offensive lineman Kirk Barton ran to the sliver of the stadium filled with Buckeyes fans and flashed the Hook ’em Horns sign with both hands aimed down.
The message was clear: Ohio State showed the defending national champions who’s No. 1.
Alrighty.
Bring ’em on.
p/s – don’t forget, Ajax – Vitesse later today.
w00t!
pp/s – Ajax Amsterdam 3 – 0 Vitesse Arnhem:
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored twice to help Ajax to a 3-0 win over 10-man Vitesse Arnhem in the Dutch league on Sunday.
Huntelaar collected a pass from Mauro Rosales to score his first Eredivisie goal of the season in the 32nd minute.
Ajax doubled its lead in the first-half stoppage time when Roger beat Vitesse Arnhem goalkeeper Harald Wapenaar with a low shot from close range.
Midfielder Wesley Sneijder set up Huntelaar for Ajax’s third goal in the 55th.
Ajax is now second in the Eredivisie with three wins out of three matches. AZ Alkmaar is currently first and only tops Ajax due of goal difference.