FOR THE SEXUALLY ACTIVE, CERVICAL CANCER CURE AVAILABLE WITHIN MONTHS

Cancer drug (Gardasil) cleared for sale; developed by Australian of the Year - Dr Ian Frazer.

DR IAN FRASER spent 20 years developing this effective cure - now approved by US FDA and the drug is set to be on sale in the US within three months

Good news for the sexually active (13 years to 26 years), a cure has been found to be very effective against CERVICAL CANCER.
Now you can sleep in peace. Life is spontaneous, enjoy yourself more without fears.

A REVOLUTIONARY cancer vaccine developed by an Australian scientist could be on sale within months after being declared safe and 100 per cent effective by a top US government committee.
The vaccine against cervical cancer, the No.2 cancer killer in women, was developed by Australian of the Year Dr Ian Frazer.
It would be prescribed to teens as young as 13 after the leading advisory board to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday voted unanimously to support the drug Gardasil.
It came after studies showed it was completely effective in stopping a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer and kills 290,000 women a year worldwide.
It Dr Ian Frazeris estimated Gardasil could cut up to two-thirds of the cervical cancer deaths caused by the virus, human papillomavirus, or HPV, or about 191,000 lives a year around the world.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus and affects more than 50 per cent of sexually active adults.
Next month the FDA is expected to follow the advisory board recommendation, the drug is set to be on sale in the US within three months.
Gardasil would be given to children before they became sexually active and would consist of three shots over six months at a cost of up to $655.
"The data speaks for itself," Dr Frazer, who spent 20 years developing the vaccine, said.
"This is a vaccine that in several clinical trials done by several different groups has proven 100 per cent effective in preventing not only the infection that causes cervical cancer, but also the pre-cancer lesions of the disease that needs to be treated.
"With data like that, plus the excellent safety record the vaccine has demonstrated over the 25,000 women that have been given it now, it would be surprising if they had not recommended it.
"With cancer the most common cause of death in Australia, we need to do everything we can to prevent the disease, as well as treating it."
Gardasil was developed by US company Merck and Australian biotech company CSL, which is expected to earn up to 7 per cent of the royalties from the drug's estimated global sales of $4.3 billion a year.
CSL would produce the drug under licence for the Australian market.
Merck claims Gardasil could be the biggest advance in preventing cervical cancer since development of the cancer screening pap smear.
Head of the FDA's advisory committee Dr Monica Farley said the drug was "certainly a wonderful, good step in addition to our screening processes".
The FDA is set to recommend it be given to females aged 13 to 26. A final decision is expected in early June.

Source AUSSIE NEWS

PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING TEST FLAWS – MALAYSIA FAX MACHINE FAILED TO GET MESSAGE

Pacific tsunami warning test reveals glitches in Malaysia & Thailand

The last time there was one fax number in Malaysia that didn't receive the information, but that place received the information another way as well, so there was no big problem," said Osamu Kamigaichi, the agency's senior tsunami expert, a geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii, which coordinated the test.

Two test exercises were carried out recently to test how rapidly they were able to relay the warnings to local alert systems.

At the start of the FIRST TEST, a beeping sound filled the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, signaling a mock magnitude 9.2 earthquake off the coast of Chile. Within 10 minutes, warnings clearly labeled as part of the exercise went out from the Hawaii facility, as well as the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center near Anchorage.
Bulletins were issued for two hours - or eight hours of compressed exercise time - until the tsunami was simulated to have crossed into the central Pacific and across most of the South China Sea.
Glitches included an overloaded telephone network in Thailand that prevented Thai officials from issuing a public alert by text messaging.
"We had some difficulties with telecommunication links, so the SMS messages were delayed by five minutes or more," said Smith, speaking from Prachuab Khiri Khan province on the Gulf of Thailand.

The test warnings were also sent by fax to hotels and broadcast on television.
All other locations received the test message without problems.

The SECOND TEST was simulated to be generated by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake north of the Philippines at 20�N, 120�E on May 17 at 0200 UTC.
Earlier Reuters reports from Malaysia indicated all was well but later it was discovered that one fax machined failed to function. But with other ICT facilities intact, the message got through by way of email.

All thirty countries involved are studying their respective reactions to the warning to examine how efficient they are in responding to the potential tsunamis. The drill is being co-coordinated by the Hawaii Tsunami Warning Centre who has so far judged the exercise to be largely successful with Centre director Charles McCreery highlighting the levels of cooperation between so many countries.
More details from
BBC
and glitches and
Thai tsunami drill a minor disaster

THE POINT OF POWER IS IN THE PRESENT

That point is not in the PAST unless you abjectly decide to acquiesce to the worn-out beliefs that NO longer serve you.
Looking back for your source of current problems can get you into the habit of seeking only NEGATIVE episodes from your past and prevent you from experiencing it as a source of pleasure, accomplishment, or success. You are in effect structuring your earlier life through the dissatisfaction of the present and therefore reinforcing your problems.

It is just like reading history book devoted to failures, cruelties and errors of a race, ignoring all its accomplishments. Such practices of constant examination of the past to discover what is wrong only reinforce the negative experience from which you are trying to escape with the resulting condition that you become frightened and have doubts at various periods of your lives.

The question, “What is wrong with me?” will lead you to create further limitations and to reinforce those that you do have , through exaggerating such activities in the present and projecting them into the future.

Which you and which world you want are to be answered in the “NOW” (your power of action is in the PRESENT) and not in your PAST

To rid yourself of all your fears and annoying restrictions, re pattern the past from the present. Whatever your circumstances, use your past as a rich source, looking through it for success. When you search looking for what is wrong, you become blind to what was right so the past only mirrors the shortcomings you face now.

The loving acknowledgement of your own uniqueness would in itself show you how to use your abilities in your own way and trust the present situation. The ideal may not yet materialize. The essence of a direction is there and that direction can only be found by using what you have in the now that you know and be acquiescing to your own opportunities and abilities and using those through the Power of the Present.

You create your life through the inner power of your being, whose source is within you and yet beyond the selves that you know. Use those creative abilities with understanding abandon. Honor yourselves and move through the godliness of your being.

SNARL THE SEXUAL PREDATORS (LECTURERS) IN LOCAL UNIVERSITIES

EASIER SAID THAN DONE!
The above is the heading of a direct response to an earlier letter posted in Malaysiakini on 15th May 2006 . See here my earlier blog on this harrassment.
In the absence of a report and concrete and documented evidence from the victims, the hands of the police are tied to nab these predators who take advantage of the innocent (or some willing?) students. It takes great courage as victims to openly become accusers in such circumstances.
How many would bring themselves to such exposure and be openly identified. It is sad indeed that these state of affairs in institutions can continue.
The following is a reproduction of the above response for easier reading.

"This whistleblower who has blown the lid on cases of sexual harassment of female medical students perpetrated by their university lecturers ought to document the facts and report the matter to the police and proper authorities.
Without proof and a formal complaint, it is difficult for the cases to be investigated and the culprits be brought to book.
While such cases are often delicate and hard to prove, it is not difficult to snare lecturers who prey on vulnerable students. The students who are preyed upon must not be afraid of these sexual predators even though they have power to pass or fail them. They must report any incident of sexual pressure brought to bear upon them and cooperate in a sting operation.
If the predators know the risk of being caught, it may eradicate this unethical practice. Those who have power over others must never abuse that power for personal advantage especially in an immoral act of sexual gratification. Lechery is no respecter of persons, and it behooves those who have a sexual problem to seek help or change their ways before their lust destroys their careers and families in acts of pleasure that will inevitably be regrettable.
I just hope there is a reliable group or someone that students who are victims of sexual harassment can turn to for help. It is indeed a sad day to read of such improprieties perpetrated by the highest echelon of society. Let's hope the black sheep are culled expeditiously before they can damage innocent lives."

Electricity rates -WIN-WIN for the TNB-IPPs – why?. Legal loophole – can TNB allowed more than one meter per household?

NO HIKE IN TARIFF RATES FOR NOW

It must be a bit of relieve for Malaysian that the proposed increased in Electricity rates has been put off (see Star, Power rate put off) but not for long. The Government dare not approve the increase - coming so close to the 30 sen fuel hikes otherwise there would be more demo.

And the reason for hike? Not so much of the hike in fuel prices affecting the IPPs but the SKEWED contracts that the IPPs are holding against TNB.
There is NO official disclosure, but reports have indicated the IPPs are charging TNB “15-16 cents per kWh compared to 8 cents wholesale generation cost by TNB” and these are passed on to the consumers.

Check it out at the Asian Development Bank’s study report
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/Developing_Best_Practices/Power/appendix.pdf

Our Ministers and officials maybe are No Good in negotiating with other countries (over the scenic bridge?) but are TOO GOOD in negotiating with their own cronies and the buddies. And the same goes to the N-S tolls and other multi billion projects contracts.

Look at what Dr LKY said: “a win-win situation for both TNB and the IPPs,” and for the Rakyat?. You and I would be “pocket sakit” with full of holes.

The report specifically stated that users below RM30 would be spared the hike. How many housholds I wonder in the urban areas are consuming RM30 electricity per month?
And here is a loophole we may take advantage. Can a household be allowed to have more than one Electricity meter? Then we can have a meter in each room or one upstairs and one downstairs to make sure your bills are below RM30.
This is just wishful thinking perhaps as TNB will not entertain such a request.

Update: May 25 from AWSJ
From AWSJ May 25, 2006
Malaysia Power Rates Rise
State-Run Utility Wins First Increase In Nearly a Decade - By ELFFIE CHEW

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysia said it will raise electricity prices for the first time in nearly a decade, in a politically sensitive decision that may cause higher inflation but benefit national utility Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

The cabinet agreed to allow Tenaga to raise electricity prices an average 12% beginning June 1, the first increase permitted by the government since 1997.

In a related move, the cabinet asked independent power producers to renegotiate the price they charge when selling electricity to Tenaga. The government said that if these producers lower their rates, they can have longer-term supply contracts with Tenaga.

The higher price of electricity will add 1.5 billion ringgit ($415 million) to Tenaga's annual revenue of around 19 billion ringgit, according to Minister for Water and Power Lim Keng Yaik. "We have to allow for the increase in tariffs so that Tenaga can recover its costs," he said. "In approving the proposal the government considered the rising cost" and the need for Tenaga to invest in new equipment.

Tenaga, which supplies two-thirds of Malaysia's power and has a monopoly over distribution, had sought an increase in electricity rates to expand output, build new power plants, offset rising fuel costs and pare its 30 billion ringgit debt.

Higher power rates will reduce Tenaga's negative cash flow to 700 million ringgit from 1.38 billion ringgit in the year ending Aug. 31,said Chief Executive Che Khalib bin Mohamad Noh.

The company will continue to be cash-flow negative in 2007 because it will spend more on capital expenditure. Capital spending is estimated at five billion ringgit a year for the next five years.

The 12% price increase was less than a 20% rise Tenaga had asked the government to approve, although it was in line with investors expectations. In 1997, Tenaga raised power prices by 8.3%.

The price rise will lift Tenaga's net profit by 26% to 2.1 billion ringgit this fiscal year and by 89% to 3.7 billion ringgit the following year, brokerage firm UOB-Kay Hian said in a note to clients.

Tenaga, with a market capitalization of 35 billion ringgit, has gained 9.2% this year and last traded at 8.65 ringgit a share before trading was suspended ahead of esterday's announcement.

The electricity price rise is Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's second politically tough decision this year. Facing record oil prices in March, he approved a 19%-to-23% increase in the retail price of gasoline, which led to countrywide protests by opposition politicians and a quickening of inflation.

Higher power rates will add to inflation pressures, but the impact will be milder than the increase in gasoline prices, analysts said.

Citigroup economist Chua Hak Bin estimates that higher power rates will add around 0.4 percentage point to the change in June in consumer prices from a year earlier. Consumer prices rose 4.6% in April from a year earlier.
Mr. Lim, the water and power minister, stressed that average Malaysians won't be affected, as 59% of Tenaga's 6.2 million users won't see their electricity bills rise. Those with average monthly usage of less than 200 kilowatts won't be charged more, he said.
Check out how the tariff increase affects KLSE in KUALA LUMPUR SHARES END MIXED AMID INFLATION WORRIES ON POWER TARIFF NEWS

WHY WOMEN ARE NOT GETTING MARRIED AND NOT WANTING CHILDREN?

Are they "directing themselves" making their own choices in association with "WHAT YOU WANT and NOT WHAT IS EXPECTED"?.
There is this nagging question often asked: “Why are there so many single, successful, beautiful girls out there who have beautiful characters, charming, and smart (too smart perhaps) and are independent but single and some choose not to get married and not to have children?”
One reason given is that males felt intimidated by females who are too smart and independent and some guys who feel they must earn more than their girlfriend, or smarter.
Others complain that females are too materialistic and too choosy, looking for that RMS (rich man son) but most of them are realistic in their choices. Many would just prefer a simple career minded right partner who can contribute and support a family.

THEN WHY SO MANY ARE LEFT ON THE SHEVES? Like that unsold left over duck on the hook?

I believe since we moved into your new millennium our new century there is this shift in consciousness in women not wanting to get married and not wanting children. This is becoming more and more commonly expressed and less and less unusual with the female gender.

One of the elements of this shift in consciousness is a shift from the male energy to the female energy, which is expressed differently. The male energy is intellectual, the female energy intuitional.
In this, there is a tremendous shift in energy within our reality, and this is also redefining our roles. It is not eliminating our beliefs, but it is redefining our roles.
The emphasis of this shift in consciousness is upon the individual and directing of themselves, not upon the direction of authorities or allowing other individuals to be directing in expectations, but each individual directing themselves, which is shifting beliefs.
This is not to say that the beliefs are being eliminated. They are not. But our association with them is shifting, for we are directing of ourself and generating your own choices in association with WHAT YOU WANT and NOT WHAT IS EXPECTED.
Throughout your history, there has been a very different expression of energy, and therefore, there has been a responsiveness with you all in association with authority of some type or another, not necessarily even an individual. It may be a concept; it may be a philosophy, a belief which generates expectations.
Not necessarily those other individuals generate the expectation, but in association with the beliefs, you generate the expectation of yourself.
But this is shifting, and the female gender is not necessarily designed merely for procreation. These are beliefs. It is a CHOICE. And what do you think ladies & gentlemen?

Sexual Harassment Allegation in a Malaysian Medical Faculty.

Female Medical students sexually harassed - believe it or not?

This is a serious allegation and a “no fire without smoke” situation or another BON (Believe it or not) case.
No wonder the standards are dropping. If medical students can offered themselves -“in return for personal guidance and tutorials in preparation for the clinical exams” then we are at a very low end of the scale.

“Claims of sexual harassment are even more perturbing as they transcend the hierarchy or the organization, implicating young, rising lecturers as well as senior clinicians much respected in their respective fields”.

The allegation is in a published letter. In practical down-to-earth matter, truth should represent accurately your awareness of something. If I were to repeat what someone said, or if I were to explain what I did, then my common definition of it would be that I presented that information as accurately as possible to the person and therefore expressing truth as in the letter.
So the problem is when trying to communicate your truth to somebody who is different, it almost … there becomes a question of honesty, rather than truth.
This allegation is really juicy, read the full details from here by Call for Help, dated Mon, 15th May 2006.

Sexual harassment in a workplace is very common, so are you surprise it can happen in a University? The stakes in passing the finals are very high indeed for some.

A MOTHER’S UNDYING LOVE AND SELF-SACRIFICE??

“I GAVE UP MY LIFE FOR YOU”

There is no such thing as SELF-SACRIFICE, and there is no such road and do not advocate it to anyone. Many people make a great show out of helping others, for example encouraging them to lean upon them. They might believe this to be a quite holy, virtuous enterprise. Instead they are keeping other people from recognizing and using their own innate strengths and abilities.

There is no merit in self-sacrifice. For one thing it is impossible. The self grows and develops and cannot be annihilated. You must not expect to be “perfect” – a state of fulfillment beyond which there is no further growth, and no such state exists.

Self-sacrifice usually means throwing the “burden” of yourself upon someone else and making it their responsibility.

Even a mother telling her child, “I gave up my life for you” is speaking nonsense. In basic terms such a mother believes, no matter what she says, that she did not have much to give up and the “giving up” gave her a life that she wanted.

Similarly a child who says, “I gave up my life for my parents and devoted my life to their care” means “I was afraid to live my own life, and afraid to let them live theirs. And is so ‘giving up’ my life I gain the life I wanted.”

Love does not demand sacrifice. You do not help your children by keeping them chain to you, but you do not help your parents either by encouraging their sense of helplessness

The natural force of love is everywhere within you, and the normal methods of communication are always meant to bring you in contact with fellow creatures.

You must love yourself before you love another. When you love others, you grant them the innate freedom and do not cravenly insist they attend you. There is no basic difference between the love of a child for a parent or vice versa, a wife for a husband, a brother for a sister. There are only various expressions and characteristics of love, and all love affirms. There are many errors frequently committed in the name of love.