如何判断你的电脑是否中毒(新手必看) ( 2 )

病毒的分类及各自的特征 要真正地识别病毒，及时的查杀病毒，我们还有必要对病毒有一番较详细的了解，而且越详细越好！ 病毒因为由众多分散的个人或组织单独编写，也没有一个标准去衡量、去划分，所以病毒的分类可按多个角度大体去分。 如按传染对象来分，病毒可以划分为以下几类： a、引导型病毒 这类病毒攻击的对象就是磁盘的引导扇区，这样就能使系统在启动时获得优先的执行权，从而达到控制整个系统的目的，这类病毒因为感染的是引导扇区，所以造成的损失也就比较大，一般来说会造成系统无法正常启动，但查杀这类病毒也较容易，多数杀毒软件都能查杀这类病毒，如KV300、KILL系列等。 b、文件型病毒 早期的这类病毒一般是感染以exe、com等为扩展名的可执行文件，这样的话当你执行某个可执行文件时病毒程序就跟着激活。近期也有一些病毒感染以dll、ovl、sys等为扩展名的文件，因为这些文件通常是某程序的配置、链接文件，所以执行某程序时病毒也就自动被子加载了。它们加载的方法是通过插入病毒代码整段落或分散插入到这些文件的空白字节中，如CIH病毒就是把自己拆分成9段嵌入到PE结构的可执行文件中，感染后通常文件的字节数并不见增加，这就是它的隐蔽性的一面。 c、网络型病毒 这种病毒是近几来网络的高速发展的产物，感染的对象不再局限于单一的模式和单一的可执行文件，而是更加综合、更加隐蔽。现在一些网络型病毒几乎可以对所有的OFFICE文件进行感染，如WORD、EXCEL、电子邮件等。其攻击方式也有转变，从原始的删除、修改文件到现在进行文件加密、窃取用户有用信息（如黑客程序）等，传播的途经也发生了质的飞跃，不再局限磁盘，而是通过更加隐蔽的网络进行，如电子邮件、电子广告等。 d、复合型病毒 把它归为“复合型病毒”，是因为它们同时具备了“引导型”和“文件型”病毒的某些特点，它们即可以感染磁盘的引导扇区文件，也可以感染某此可执行文件，如果没有对这类病毒进行全面的清除，则残留病毒可自我恢复，还会造成引导扇区文件和可执行文件的感染，所以这类病毒查杀难度极大，所用的杀毒软件要同时具备查杀两类病毒的功能。 以上是按照病毒感染的对象来分，如果按病毒的破坏程度来分，我们又可以将病毒划分为以下几种： a、良性病毒 这些病毒之所以把它们称之为良性病毒，是因为它们入侵的目的不是破坏你的系统，只是想玩一玩而已，多数是一些初级病毒发烧友想测试一下自己的开发病毒程序的水平。它们并不想破坏你的系统，只是发出某种声音，或出现一些提示，除了占用一定的硬盘空间和CPU处理时间外别无其它坏处。如一些木马病毒程序也是这样，只是想窃取你电脑中的一些通讯信息，如密码、IP地址等，以备有需要时用。 b、恶性病毒 我们把只对软件系统造成干扰、窃取信息、修改系统信息，不会造成硬件损坏、数据丢失等严重后果的病毒归之为“恶性病毒”，这类病毒入侵后系统除了不能正常使用之外，别无其它损失，系统损坏后一般只需要重装系统的某个部分文件后即可恢复，当然还是要杀掉这些病毒之后重装系统。 c、极恶性病毒 这类病毒比上述b类病毒损坏的程度又要大些，一般如果是感染上这类病毒你的系统就要彻底崩溃，根本无法正常启动，你保分留在硬盘中的有用数据也可能随之不能获取，轻一点的还只是删除系统文件和应用程序等。 d、灾难性病毒 这类病毒从它的名字我们就可以知道它会给我们带来的破坏程度，这类病毒一般是破坏磁盘的引导扇区文件、修改文件分配表和硬盘分区表，造成系统根本无法启动，有时甚至会格式化或锁死你的硬盘，使你无法使用硬盘。如果一旦染上这类病毒，你的系统就很难恢复了，保留在硬盘中的数据也就很难获取了，所造成的损失是非常巨大的，所以我们进化论什么时候应作好最坏的打算，特别是针对企业用户，应充分作好灾难性备份，还好现在大多数大型企业都已认识到备份的意义所在，花巨资在每天的系统和数据备份上，虽然大家都知道或许几年也不可能遇到过这样灾难性的后果，但是还是放松这“万一”。我所在的雀巢就是这样，而且还非常重视这个问题。如98年4.26发作的CIH病毒就可划归此类，因为它不仅对软件造成破坏，更直接对硬盘、主板的BIOS等硬件造成破坏。 如按其入侵的方式来分为以下几种： a、源代码嵌入攻击型 从它的名字我们就知道这类病毒入侵的主要是高级语言的源程序，病毒是在源程序编译之前插入病毒代码，最后随源程序一起被编译成可执行文件，这样刚生成的文件就是带毒文件。当然这类文件是极少数，因为这些病毒开发者不可能轻易得到那些软件开发公司编译前的源程序，况且这种入侵的方式难度较大，需要非常专业的编程水平。 b、代码取代攻击型 这类病毒主要是用它自身的病毒代码取代某个入侵程序的整个或部分模块，这类病毒也少见，它主要是攻击特定的程序，针对性较强，但是不易被发现，清除起来也较困难。 c、系统修改型 这类病毒主要是用自身程序覆盖或修改系统中的某些文件来达到调用或替代操作系统中的部分功能，由于是直接感染系统，危害较大，也是最为多见的一种病毒类型，多为文件型病毒。 d、外壳附加型 这类病毒通常是将其病毒附加在正常程序的头部或尾部，相当于给程序添加了一个外壳，在被感染的程序执行时，病毒代码先被执行，然后才将正常程序调入内存。目前大多数文件型的病毒属于这一类。

病毒：分享]如何判断你的电脑是否中毒(新手必看)

各种病毒时至今日也可算是百花齐放了，搞得人心惶惶，一旦发现自己的电脑有点异常就认定是病毒在作怪，到处找杀毒软件，一个不行，再来一个，总之似乎不找到“元凶”誓不罢休一样，结果病毒软件是用了一个又一个，或许为此人民币是用了一张又一张，还是未见“元凶”的踪影，其实这未必就是病毒在作怪。 这样的例子并不少见，特别是对于一些初级电脑用户。下面我就结合个人电脑使用及企业网络维护方面的防毒经验从以下几个方面给大家介绍介绍如何判断是否中了病毒，希望对帮助识别“真毒”有一定帮助！ 病毒与软、硬件故障的区别和联系 电脑出故障不只是因为感染病毒才会有的，个人电脑使用过程中出现各种故障现象多是因为电脑本身的软、硬件故障引起的，网络上的多是由于权限设置所致。我们只有充分地了解两者的区别与联系，才能作出正确的判断，在真正病毒来了之时才会及时发现。下面我就简要列出了分别因病毒和软、硬件故障引起的一些常见电脑故障症状分析。 症状 病毒的入侵的可能性及软、硬件故障的可能性详解 经常死机翰《敬蚩诵矶辔募蛘加昧舜罅磕诖妫徊晃榷ǎㄈ缒诖嬷柿坎睿布敌阅懿畹龋辉诵辛舜笕萘康娜砑加昧舜罅康哪诖婧痛排炭占洌皇褂昧艘恍┎馐匀砑ㄓ行矶郆UG）；硬盘空间不够等等；运行网络上的软件时经常死机也许是由于网络速度太慢，所运行的程序太大，或者自己的工作站硬件配置太低。 系统无法启动：病毒修改了硬盘的引导信息 ，或删除了某些启动文件。如引导型病毒 引导文件损坏；硬盘损坏或参数设置不正确；系统文件人为地误删除等。 文件打不开：病毒修改了文件格式；病毒修改了文件链接位置。文件损坏；硬盘损坏；文件快捷方式对应的链接位置发生了变化；原来编辑文件的软件删除了；如果是在局域网中多表现为服务器中文件存放位置发生了变化，而工作站没有及时涮新服器的内容（长时间打开了资源管理器）。 经常报告内存不够： 病毒非法占用了大量内存；打开了大量的软件；运行了需内存资源的软件；系统配置不正确；内存本就不够（目前基本内存要求为128M）等。 提示硬盘空间不够：病毒复制了大量的病毒文件（这个遇到过好几例，有时好端端的近10G硬盘安装了一个WIN98或WINNT4.0系统就说没空间了，一安装软件就提示硬盘空间不够。硬盘每个分区容量太小；安装了大量的大容量软件；所有软件都集中安装在一个分区之中；硬盘本身就小；如果是在局域网中系统管理员为每个用户设置了工作站用户的“私人盘”使用空间限制，因查看的是整个网络盘的大小，其实“私人盘”上容量已用完了。 软盘等设备未访问时出读写信号：病毒感染；软盘取走了还在打开曾经在软盘中打开过的文件。 出现大量来历不明的文件：病毒复制文件；可能是一些软件安装中产生的临时文件；也或许是一些软件的配置信息及运行记录。 启动黑屏：病毒感染（记得最深的是98年的4.26，我为CIH付出了好几千元的代价，那天我第一次开机到了Windows画面就死机了，第二次再开机就什么也没有了）；显示器故障；显示卡故障；主板故障；超频过度；CPU损坏等等 数据丢失：病毒删除了文件；硬盘扇区损坏；因恢复文件而覆盖原文件；如果是在网络上的文件，也可能是由于其它用户误删除了。 键盘或鼠标无端地锁死：病毒作怪，特别要留意“木马”；键盘或鼠标损坏；主板上键盘或鼠标接口损坏；运行了某个键盘或鼠标锁定程序，所运行的程序太大，长时间系统很忙，表现出按键盘或鼠标不起作用。 系统运行速度慢：病毒占用了内存和CPU资源，在后台运行了大量非法操作；硬件配置低；打开的程序太多或太大；系统配置不正确；如果是运行网络上的程序时多数是由于你的机器配置太低造成，也有可能是此时网路上正忙，有许多用户同时打开一个程序；还有一种可能就是你的硬盘空间不够用来运行程序时作临时交换数据用。 系统自动执行操作：病毒在后台执行非法操作；用户在注册表或启动组中设置了有关程序的自动运行；某些软件安装或升级后需自动重启系统。 通过以上的分析对比，我们知道其实大多数故障都可能是由于人为或软、硬件故障造成的，当我们发现异常后不要急于下断言，在杀毒还不能解决的情况下，应仔细分析故障的特征，排除软、硬件及人为的可能性。

Ten years to cure 'water crisis'

Britain's water systems are in crisis and the government has a decade to put things right, according to a coalition of conservation and angling groups.
They are setting out a 10-point plan to make UK water systems sustainable, including fair pricing, slashing waste and upgrading sewerage facilities.
People should have personal allowances and homes should be metered, they say.
EU regulations require member nations to have plans for restoring natural watercourses in place by 2009.
The European Water Framework Directive prescribes that the ecology of rivers, lakes and wetlands should be restored by 2015.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity," the coalition's report announces.
"With the Blueprint for Water we, a coalition of leading environmental organisations representing some six million people, are calling on the government to act now."
Going with the flow
It is perhaps unusual to find conservation groups such as the Wildlife Trusts, WWF and the RSPB in league with angling associations.
But on water, they find common arguments, namely that Britain should:
waste less water
keep rivers flowing and wetlands wet by barring damaging abstraction
price water fairly
stop pollutants entering watercourses and make polluters pay
upgrade sewerage and drainage systems to avoid fouling of human population centres and sensitive ecological areas
support water-friendly farming
restore and maintain rivers, wetlands and floodplains
"It's clear that adequate supplies of clean water are essential, not only for our lives but for the health of the habitats, species, landscapes and soils we depend on," said Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of the National Trust.

"For too long, we've taken water for granted - we hope the Blueprint will mark the beginning of a concerted effort to put this right."
While advocating better management of natural watercourses is standard fare for conservation groups, they step outside their conventional boundaries in advocating fair pricing and metering.
Within two years, their report says, the government should publish a plan for metering every home. The meters should actually be installed throughout England at least by 2020.
It wants the government to set a consumption ceiling of 125 litres per person per day in most areas, and 100 litres in areas of scarcity.
By comparison, a bath uses about 80 litres, flushing the toilet about 5-10 litres, and a hosepipe 500 litres per hour.
The coalition will present its report to environment minister Ian Pearson in Parliament on Tuesday.

性教育!!(爆笑版~~有创意!)

儿：听说？第一次？很痛，是怎么个痛法呢？
妈妈：想象把一根胡萝卜塞到？鼻孔里…..

女儿：那生小孩呢？听说更痛？
妈妈：想象把一颗西瓜塞在？鼻孔里再拉出来…>
女儿：…..?????????

儿子问老爸:『为什么嘿咻嘿咻时会很舒服啊！』
老爸说：『就像你挖鼻孔一样，当然舒服了。』

儿子又问：『那为什么嘿咻嘿咻时女的比较舒服呢？
爸爸说：『因为你挖鼻孔时，舒服的是鼻孔，而不是 手指！』

儿子再问：『那为什么女性被强暴时会很难过呢？』
爸爸说：『如果有一天你走在路上，有人过来挖你鼻孔，你会舒服吗？』

儿子又问：『那为什么月经来时就不能嘿咻嘿咻呢？
爸说：『如果你流鼻血，你还会继续去挖鼻孔吗？

儿子继续问：『为什么很多男人不喜欢戴保险套？』
爸爸说：『你会戴手套挖鼻孔吗？ 』

女人七品 男人七版

女人有七品：
小女孩是半成品
少女是成品
處女是極品
少婦是上品
自己的老婆是日常用品
別人的老婆是補品
老處女是.....紀念品

男人也有七版:
三歲以下的男BB是完美版
少男是暢銷版
處男是絕版
自己的老公是翻版(次貨)
別人的老公是參考版
老處男是....科幻版
好男人是天堂版 (只限天堂有售)

两公婆的SMS

老婆：
我想念你好耐了,
每天發條訊息比你,
想住你粉紅色的嘴唇,
令我牽腸掛肚,沒有你,
生命像行屍酒肉般沒有意義,
請跟我開心地過每一個時刻.

我對你的愛.....
盡在每行的第4個字.

老婆的回覆:
老公你咁忙也發送電郵,
沒有很多女人有這種福氣,
作為女人,有你這樣的丈夫,
為你而死,也值得哦!
但你知唔知,每一分一秒,
我都想見著你,你這麼好,
當初對你的付出,全都賺回來了,
對你至死不渝,今生無悔.

我對你的愛.....
也盡在每行的第4個字.

使你的网站更专业－－谈网站优化

建设一个网站，在互联网上安个家并不难。申请一个域名，租用一个服务器空间，找人或自己设计几个网页就算了事。但是，要使网站真正发挥作用，还需要对它进行网站优化，使它具有专业水平。就象无暇的钻石需要雕琢，一个网站也需要优化，这样它才能在网上立足、得到发表，并吸引用户. 　 想知道到底是哪些因素决定了一个网站是个制作"专业"的网站吗？让我们擦亮眼睛看一看吧!你不需要花费几千元来设计网站，但要保证下载速度快，并有一个简明的导航系统，还要保证你的访问者觉得在你的网站上花费的时间物有所值。此外还要密切注意内容。如果你在阅读时产生了一些疑问，那么你的顾客也会这样。 　 目前互联网上最热门的话题就是搜索引擎优化，这是专业站点又一个颇有争议但也很重要的内容。最近的调查显示，搜索引擎流量中超过40%的部分来自Yahoo,写好"title"和"description"，这件事情今天就更重要了。首先，从""head"上就要开始竞争，要选择多于你域名的关键词。在把站点提交到搜索引擎以前做这些准备工作是非常有利的，你可能忽视了这一点。"title"不要超过5个单词，并且要包括最重要的关键词，尽量把"description"限制在25个单词以内。记住，Yahoo不会象其它搜索引擎那样看待你的"META"标签，title"和"description"写得质量更高一些!如果你是第一次向Yahoo提交，记得之后也要向Google提交，它是Yahoo 的合作伙伴。Google 通过查找第一个加粗(bold)的单词来形成网站的"description"。每个站点管理员都应该分析一下关键词的数量，最重要的关键词应该是全部关键词的5%--8%，如果你的百分比太高了，搜索引擎会认为你的网站是"spam",那么它在任何搜索目录中的排名都不会进入100位以内了。在搜索引擎上，关键词和相关的优化可以在一夜之间使一个网站从默默无闻变为颇受注目。马上着手去做吧，我会在搜索引擎的前列看到你。当然，目前大多数搜索引擎不再采用机器手搜索网页，不过这些细微又一次性的工作建议你在建设网站的时候就考虑到。注意到浏览器上下的标题栏目吗？许多有心记的网管从这里就开始了工作，而不是让客户打开您的网站看到一个 untitled document! 　　您的网页容易读吗? 　　您有了自己的在线生意站点，内容丰富，提供许多人需要的产品或服务，甚至通过成功的营销，有一定的访问量，看来不错。但有时候情况令人沮丧，没有销售，没有定单，甚至没有询问。这是什么原因呢？ 　　或许其中有许多原因，站点中的图片太大，站点充斥大量的Java程式或动态效果，导致页面下载速度太慢，访问客无法忍受而悄悄溜走。除此之外，还有什么原因？ 　　网页的可读性！使访问者相信您，理解您的在线生意，这需要时间与耐心。这不是页面中几句话能解决问题的。您希望您的访问者在站点中多逗留些时间，充分看懂您的营销词句，理解越多越好。问题是您的网页是否容易读？许多站点忽视了这点。 　　产品的竞争，服务的竞争，站点的竞争，内容的竞 争，但千万不要忘了自己网页的可读性。 我们罗列常见的影响网页可读性的因素. (1),谨慎考虑背景图案：没有多少人喜欢在背景图案中阅读文字，如果要用，尽可能将颜色调得非常淡且柔和，不强眼为底线，拒绝晃眼的背景图案。 (2)谨慎使用颜色：尤其是内容中的文字，还是保守为好，白底黑字。这是常人的普遍习惯。文章标题等的颜色也应保持克制，少用为好。这就好比人们看待女人的淡妆与浓妆的态度一样。 　　(3)避免使用满屏：注意在页面的边界留有空地。观察传统的印刷品都是这样，优秀的广告也是这样。同时，文章避免大段落，尽可能切换成小段落。 　　(4)如果有英文页面，避免使用大写字符，要强调的话，可用粗体。 　网站优化是一个艰苦的过程，但为了保住你在市场上的位置，这是必不可少的工作，在现在这样一个"速成化"的社会里，耐心和坚定这样简单的美德已经很少被提倡了。经营你的网站，花一些时间来表达你的理念，如果你做好了哪怕一件事也要和你的用户分享，你做这些不是为了别的，纯粹是因为兴趣，这样你的用户就会欣赏你的努力，这是让你的访问者成为你的读者的第一步。 　　坚持不懈地努力，就象经营一段长期的事业，那么晚上你就可以安然入睡，不必担心你的网站会消失了。

innovation of today technology

YouTube, the trailblazing site that has brought internet viewing to the mainstream, embraces everything from people filming themselves on hand-held camcorders to endless archive clips of music and TV.
The imagination and enthusiasm of some home-made offerings put the professionals to shame, even if the vast majority never rise above silly dances and inane rants.
Despite its sudden rise, YouTube still exists in the internet equivalent of the Wild West, where the copyright sheriff has not gained control.
And that is arguably the secret of its success - enter the name of your favourite band or programme and you will be presented with a string of nostalgic clips happily ripped off from TV or video.
Dozens of other video-sharing sites also now exist - some of the biggest are Google Video, MySpace Video, Revver, iFilm and Metacafe.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a hormone disorder that can cause problems with the kidneys, legs and feet, eyes, heart, nerves, and blood flow. If left untreated, these problems can lead to kidney failure, gangrene and amputation, blindness, or stroke. Diabetes is on the increase, probably because people are living longer, getting fatter and leading increasingly inactive lifestyles.
There are two types of diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes - also known as insulin-dependent or immune-mediated diabetes - is a disease that destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin.
Insulin is needed to control blood sugar levels. Without insulin death is inevitable.
Type 1 sufferers, who typically develop the condition as children or young adults, are usually unable to produce any insulin at all.
They need to boost their insulin levels, either by regular injections or by wearing a pump which dispenses the hormone under the skin.
It cannot be administered as a pill because it would be destroyed by the digestive process before it had a chance to work.

What are the symptoms?
Type 1 diabetes often appears suddenly. Signs and symptoms are:
High levels of sugar in the blood;
High levels of sugar in the urine;
Frequent urination (and/or bed-wetting in children);
Extreme hunger;
Extreme thirst;
Extreme weight loss;
Weakness and tiredness;
Irritability and mood swings;
Nausea and vomiting.
What causes Type 1 diabetes?
The cause of the disease is unknown, although there is evidence that it might be inherited.
Other environmental factors and illnesses seem to trigger the disease.

Can Type 1 diabetes be controlled?
People with type 1 diabetes can live happy, healthy lives provided they follow a diabetes treatment plan.
Blood sugar levels must be kept as close to normal as possible through insulin injections, regular exercise and control of diet.
Blood and urine tests will show if the disease is under control. The presence of ketones in the urine indicates that there are problems.
Type 2 Diabetes:
Type 2, or non-insulin dependent diabetes is the most common form of the disease. It usually occurs in people who are over the age of 45 and overweight.
Type 2 sufferers do not make enough insulin, or are unable to make proper use of it.
Without enough insulin, the body cannot move blood sugar into the cells. Sugar builds up in the bloodstream and causes health problems.
What causes Type 2 diabetes?
Again the cause of the disease is unknown, but is probably inherited. As with type 1 diabetes, other factors appear to trigger the disease such as obesity.
What are the symptoms?
Type 2 diabetes often develops slowly. Most people who get it have increased thirst and an increased need to urinate.
Many also feel tired, irritable and nauseous. Some people have an increased appetite, but they lose weight.
Other signs are:
Repeated or hard-to-heal infections of the skin, gums, vagina, or bladder;
Blurred vision;
Tingling or loss of feeling in the hands or feet;
Dry, itchy skin.
The symptoms can be so mild that they go unnoticed. They may also be confused with signs of ageing. It is thought that millions of people worldwide suffer from type 2 diabetes without realising it.
What is the outlook?
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by keeping blood sugar levels as close as possible to normal.
This can be done by regular exercise and diet control alone.
Losing weight helps some overweight people to bring their blood sugars into the normal range.

银行与阿窿没有多大的分别国家银行应该保护消费人避免签署不合理合约

银行在不到3年的时间内将分期付款额由原本的7千令吉提高至1万令吉，这是不是意味着银行与阿窿根本就没有多大的分别？当借贷者提出抗议时，他被告知贷款合约允许银行这样做。银行要消费人签署不合理的合约，然后利用这份合约为所欲为。现在是国家银行阻止银行这样做的时候。
在上述的个案中，大众银行批出，在贷款的合约下，是否提高分期付款额可以每年检讨。
在2000年9月，借贷者签署一份定期贷款合约，并规定他每个月分期付款7千令吉。到了2002年10月，他的每个月分期付款额提高到8千令吉。到了2003年4月，每个月的分期付款再度提高到1万令吉。
不过，借贷者继续偿还每个月7千令吉的款额，因为他没有能力偿还新的分期付款额。他感到震惊分期付款额增加，因为他每个月都准时地偿还贷款。
银行增加分期付款额的理由是借贷者已经老迈，如果分期付款额提高，贷款将可以提早清还。
（当然，如果借贷者不能如期偿还付款，银行可以充公所抵押的产业然后拍卖，那么有关贷款可以如银行所愿那样提早还清）
另一个个案，就是一名借贷者向大马金融借一笔贷款，而利息是基本贷款利率加0％利息。当金融公司与大马银行合并之后，他以为可以享受更低的利息，因为银行的基贷率比金融公司低0.9%。
不过，银行通知她，她的贷款利率现在由0％增加至0.9%。因此，她最后必须支付同样的利息。
许多消费人错误地以为，利息或基贷率幅度是固定的。
让银行有绝对的权力改变利率或是每个月的分期付款的条文，不应该纳入任何贷款合约内。一旦出现在任何合约内，有关条文不应该生效。
更令伤口加盐的是，借贷者还必须付款给拟定合约的律师楼。
借贷者被逼支付律师费，但是却不允许选择本身的律师（有关律师楼必须是银行委托的成员）。借贷者没有办法唯有签署对银行有利的贷款合约。
不合理合约的问题比收取过份服务费和费用的情况更久，然而，国行却没有采取步骤摆正这样不平衡的情况。
槟消协已经写信给国行在求落实合理的贷款合约，以及让银行支付本身的律师费。
没有贷款却要欠下2万4千令吉
对银行的投诉并不新鲜。或许你认为你已经知道所有的投诉，但是有时你还是会发现令人惊讶的个案。其中一个个案是一名男子签了一笔贷款，尽管有关贷款并没有发放出去，但是最后他却欠了2万4千令吉的债务。
这个罕见的个案是在2003年8月发生，当时洪先生向花旗银行的槟城分行申请一笔贷款。
在2003年8月，花旗银行销售办室处通知他，他可以通过花旗银行再融资他的贷款。在这个时候，洪先生已经向大众银行贷款，他是以两个产业，也就是一间店屋和一间房屋作为抵押品。
花旗银行表示没有兴趣再融资他的店屋，不过这银行的职员保证通过花旗银行再融资他的房屋绝对没有问题。
由于信托有关的职员，他在2003年9月签署申请贷款便利书，以贷款19万8千642令吉(包括2万3千642令吉MRTA保费)。
当他在2004年7月向槟州消费人协会投诉时，他的贷款还没有发放。不过，自从2003年11月起，花旗银行已经对2万3千642令吉MRTA保费贷款收取利息。开始时，他支付利息，因为他以为贷款很快就会发放。
不过，当他发现贷款并没有发放时，他停止支付利息。
洪先生这时便开始接到花旗银行发出的律师信，要求他偿还所拖欠的利息。
并不令人感到惊讶的是，洪先生觉得他所借贷的17万5千令吉贷款并没有发放，而他却要对MRTA保费支付利息，对他来说是不公平的。这相等于将费用（和利息）丢进水沟里。
他要求如果花旗银行不能够提供贷款的话，花旗银行就应该解除有关合约，以及取消他的MRTA和所拖欠利息。我们将这事件带上国家银行。
花旗银行答覆是MRTA不是有关贷款规定必要的，所以可以取消。洪先生接受有关答覆，不过保险公司只归还他1万7千275令吉的款项，比原本的款项少掉6千367令吉。此外，洪先生还要被花旗银行收取6千令吉的利息费用。
我们过后写信给花旗银行坚持，洪先生必须获得退还全部的保费，因为没有贷款所以MRTA并没有提供任何保障。不过，花旗银行继续对剩下的6千367令吉计算利息。
我们再次寻求国行的协助。到了2005年1月份，洪先生的问题才获得最后的解决。

一年在几时开始和结束?
第一年这个名词对消费人和银行而言经常有不同的意义。
许多获得银行提供第一年非常低利息房屋贷款的消费人，发现他们可以享有的低利息时间少过12个月。
有一个例子，一名贷款人受到土著联昌银行的房屋固定贷款（提供给兴建中房屋的贷款）吸引，这贷款第一年的利息仅1.68%。
她向该银行借了10万令吉贷款，而她认为第一年是银行开始付第一笔款项时开始算起的12个月。
不过，她发现原来第一年是在他签署献议书后开始算起。有关献议书开始生效，第一年的利息便从当时开始算起。
她的献议书是在2005年4月12日，而银行的第一笔1万1千令吉的付款是在2004年12月17日发出，也就是签署献议书之后的8个月。
所以，她享有的低利息时间并不长。
所以，希望寻找低息房屋贷款的消费人，不要被第一年的低利息所迷惑，特别是如果有房屋还在兴建的阶段，更要特别注意。你根本无法从贷款中省到多少的钱。
不过，你可以寻找当你的贷款完全发放之后，利息仍然处于低水平的贷款。这样，你将会省下很多的金钱。
最大赢家是大马银行
消费人都是银行“重要客户”，因为银行可以从消费人中获利，大马金融（现称大马银行）的客户便对此深信不疑。
在志期2005年5月30日的信件中，大马金融致给亲爱的重要客户，内容是：“兹通知前大马金融客户，大马金融与大马银行合并工作已经完成，以使我们可以更有效率地为您服务…”因此，这将会更改定期存款/投资户头的存放方式。
在大马金融，定存的利息通常是每半年志入，不过现在大马银行定存，利息只有在12个月满期之后才支付，视何者为先。
此外，如果定存在满期前提出的话，利息不再根据存放日算起直到满期为止计算，而是根据定存存放日算起的整个月份计算。
这意味着，如果在2005年8月31日期满的12个月定存，不过却在8月30日提出，大马银行只支付11个月的利息。之前，大马金融将会支付11个月又30天的利息。
存款人在大马银行的处境恶劣，那么，借贷人的处境又如何呢？他们会否从大马银行的低基贷率中受惠呢？
不，他们并没有受惠。
他们也接到志期2005年6月1日的亲爱的重要客信件，这信件通知他们，他们的利息和分期付款额保持不变，因为他们贷款的利息幅度已提高。（见主文）
所以，不管你是借贷人或是存款人，你都是输家。银行是永远是赢家。
我们银行中的威尼斯商人?
在莎士比亚名剧本中的威尼斯商人夏洛克，在他的欠债人无法以金钱还债时，便要求欠债人以一磅的肉来偿还债务。几百年之后，这种情况显然没有改变。
来自亚罗士打的Dr NS在1997年1月买了一辆VolVo 850GLE，而向丰隆金融借了13万令吉。到了2002年3月15日，他必须缴会总额22万572令吉40仙。这分结单也通知他的欠款是827令吉16仙。经济不景气的时候，在1个星期内清还这笔款项的确不容易。
原以为这笔贷款已经全部清还，那里知道丰隆金融在2002年3月22日又来了一封信，追讨另外30仙的欠款。（没错，丰隆金融的信件的确是写明追讨30仙）。NS没有急着去还这30仙。接着他接到一封志期2002年4月5日收回抵押品意向书，里面写着..“在收到信之后的7天内，到40 Jln Putra, 05100 Alor Setar的丰隆金融偿还在2002年3月22日信件所列明30仙款项，不然我们将收回抵押品。”
NS致电丰隆金融询问有30仙的事宜，而他接到答案是，他现在必须偿还6.30令吉。接着，他接到志期2002年5月15日的律师信，要他偿还6.30令吉，以及连同由2002年5月15日算起年率8.00%的利算，直接有关款项偿还为止。
最后，律师信通知变成惯用的恫吓语气，就是“除非在7天内偿还律师费75令吉，不然我们的客户将会采取法律行动..”
NS在他志期2002上6月15日的信件中询问他支付的全部利息是否不足够。（他的总付款额为22万1千392令吉42仙，扣除贷款13万令吉，相等于利息9万1千392令吉42仙）。
这是金融公司对待客户的态度？我们认为这已经乖离我们领袖极度重视的爱心社会概念。

征收费用银行进账十亿

“打抢银行怎能比拥有银行好呢？”－－巴托特.布列茨特（Bartolt Brecht）
2004年，银行单从服务费及其他费用便收入马币10亿元。
原来是这么大笔利益，难怪银行对顾客的众多投诉都充耳不闻。
我们曾询问国家银行，银行在服务费方面的收入有多少。但是，国行答覆说没有这项数字。
因此，我们翻阅了9家银行的年报，查找它们的服务费收入。我们发现，这些银行在2004年总共收了马币7亿元。
各银行的服务费收入不同。马来亚银行的收入是马币3.29亿元；大众银行1.01亿元；安联银行1,200万元及丰隆银行2,200万元。
因为还有一些银行未包括在附表里，所以，10亿元是保守的估计。
这是最容易不过的方法，使银行轻易获得10亿元。银行做的，不过是把以前不收费的加收服务费：本来收费的，就增加收费。
难怪，服务费、其他收费和非利息收入( 如信托基金和保险)，已成为银行越来越有赚头的项目。
2004年，收费进账占银行和金融公司收入的17.2%，而在2003年是15.6%。
银行提供的是一种必需服务。但这并不意味银行就有权任意欺负处于劣势的消费者。许多服务费和其他收费都是极不合道理的。
开玩笑吗？
对不起，银行从来就不懂幽默。
一通简短的本地电话收费200元？你应该赞许南方银行有收这200元的胆量。
迟付还贷款，除了罚款，还要加收100元行政费？渣打银行似乎认为，迟还钱受加倍处罚是合理的。
买银行支票的费用增加了150％？它的成本到底是怎样增加了150％，使马来亚银行把开银行支票的收费从2元增加到5元？
当银行的收费太过分了，消费人要向谁求助呢？
国家银行？答案可以是，也可以不是。
说是，是因为国行对银行的收取费用，已施行一套管理准则。根据规定，银行要增加对个体客户或中小型企业的现行收费率，或者是实行新增收费项目，都必须事先得到国行的批准。
“对于现行各种收费，银行必需提出理由，证明收费合理。”
“在这方面，国行将确保这些收费是适当和合理的、符合成本和节省成本的。”（《国家银行2004年报》）
说不是，这是因为各银行在征收这些费用方面做得不亦乐乎，而且没受到对付，因此可以假定国行是知道的。国行没有行动，这就表示国行默许这些收费了。
除了实行《基本来往账户》和《基本储蓄账户》的规定外，还看不到国行有任何其他帮助消费人的行动。
收费200元的一通本地电话
问：什么时候一通简短的本地电话费要收200元？
答：当这通电话是南方银行打来的时候。
开始时，南方银行的客户接到银行的电话，通知账户里存款不足，叫他们赶快进钱；他们非常感激银行和感到放心。
可是，当他们发现这通电话费是每张支票收200元（这表示，假如一通电话关系到8张支票的话，南方银行就会收费1,600元）之后，感激变成愤怒和难于置信。这是存款不足，在每张支票罚200元之上再加一笔！
因此，南方银行的来往账户们要注意，存款不足支付开出的支票，每张支票可能使你破费400元…还是避之为上。

案例1
有一位曾先生，根据南方银行信用卡付账办法规定，使用该行的信用卡。
在2005年3月，曾先生开出了两张支票，总额约马币10,700元。据他计算，他的来往账户里还有足够的款项来应付这两张支票。由于他忘记了最近与南方银行对付账的办法作了新的安排，结果，他不知道银行已扣出500元作为信用卡费用。
跟着他便接到银行的电话，通知他账户里存款不足，若要支付支票，就要在上午十点半前存款进其账户。
后来他发现银行向他收费400元，把他吓了一跳。
“我询问银行高级职员；他告诉我，200元是账户存款不足的罚款，另200元是打电话通知我进钱的费用。
“我要求减收费用，得到的答覆却是绝不通融…
“假如银行不打电话给我，我还可省200元呢。”曾先生诉苦说。他还是该行的十年老客户呢。
案例2
一位陈女士在2004年10月接到南方银行的一通电话，说她的账户不够钱支付她开的支票。她感到很奇怪，赶快再存入一笔钱。
有关支票共8张，总额不过1,200元。
结果南方银行仍然每张支票收取400元费用，也就是说，她一共要付3,200元。
她觉得，银行向她收3,200元费用是非常不公平，因为她还有以定期存款取得的5,000元银行担保可使用…为什么银行不用这项担保？
此外，虽然涉及支票是8张，但是南方银行只打了一通电话，因此不应该征收1,600元。
对于陈女士的投诉，南方银行作了标准答覆，说有关收费是因“行政费增加”和依据“市场惯例与规则”行事。
据我们所知，南方银行征收的费用超出“市场”惯例许多，而且我们非常肯定马电讯公司没有提高本地电话收费。
在南方银行所列的收费表中，我们也找不到200元一通电话这一项。

服务越来越差
只有银行才相信他们自己打的广告：以客为尊。（或者只适用于富有的客户。）对一般客户，现实是你要嘛就接受银行定的规则（订得对银行有利），要嘛就别用银行。
因此才会有一间马来亚银行分行，规定每周只接受两次儿童存入硬币。（这间银行一定是把扑满看成浪费时间。）
他们只在星期二和星期四上午九点半到十一点半接受存入扑满的硬币（就是每周仅4小时而已）。银行里没有通告。不过，对于弄错了日子所带来的扑满，出纳员绝对不会通融。
在向马来亚银行总行投诉之后，该分行却说是一场误会（虽然当天有3位银行职员确认那曾是该行的规定），该行在任何一天都接受扑满。
就是这间分行，假如你要开个账户，你必须先约定时间。
在顾客的印象中，开账户是银行业务的组成部分；但是，这绝对不等于他们可随时进来办。
不行！顾客必须受教遵守银行规则，这才方便银行工作。
这就是为什么当银行有了存支票机，你就不能到柜台存入支票。存支票机是受欢迎的，因为顾客可以在任何时候存入支票，也免掉排队。不过，我们也不理解，假如一位顾客选择排队到柜台存入支票（或许支票的面额大而他认为这样比较安全），为什么不允许呢？为什么要剥削掉顾客这一选择？
同样的，顾客要兑现别人开给他的支票，为什也要受罚？因为“干扰”出纳员，他们必须每张支票付2元到5元；不同银行有不同收费。一两年前，这还是免收费用的。
如今所有的金融公司已经变成银行的分行，这等于你再也不能避开人潮，下午四点过后才去办事。金融公司是到下午四点半才关的，而银行是三点半或四点就关门了。
过去有些金融公司提供星期天办公的便利，现在是不可奢望了。
谁来帮助银行客户？
今年5月，当汽油和柴油起价时，国内贸易与消费人事务部呼吁厂家、商人和交通业者不要起价，因为这对消费人非常不利。
过去两年，银行已经增加收费率和收费项目，可是没有人出声阻止。有关收费增加超过100％，可是对此却完全没有行动。
国行说，收费必须反映成本，必须先获得国行批准。
假如国行可以批准南方银行的200元电话费，那就很清楚地向消费人传达了这样的信息：对国行来说，他们不比银行重要！
因此，谁来帮助消费人反对银行的不合理的收费呢？财政部？国会议员？
要向银行和国行表明消费人无法忍受这种太高的收费。我们建议消费人大量向财政部寄发投诉信，同时把副本寄给国行。

学校应该教导理财知识

我们的青年应该被教导如何明智用钱，而传授这个知识的最恰当时机就是中学时期。
由于我们现在出现了才二十出头的破产人，因此，理财知识不可再受忽略。
当儿童逐渐长大，他们在钱财使用方面就有更多的决定权。这可能从决定花多少零用钱在食堂和储蓄多少钱来买特别的东西开始。当他们第一次打假期工，或者是离校时，怎样用钱的决定也就越来越复杂了。
因此，学校应该为学生准备好面对现实世界的能力，教导基本的个人理财知识，协助他们在用钱时懂得作出正确的抉择，因为这是他们终身将会面对的问题。
例如，当我们的青年离家出外深造或工作时，他们应该对个人的生活费有基本的认识。他们应该懂得要花多少钱在房租，要懂得作为租户所应有的权利。应该告诉他们如何节省伙食费和交通费，使他们能自力更生。
还有一件也很重要的事，就是要让我们的青年知道，容易得到的贷款，是很危险的。应该教他们认识，信用卡可以变成非常昂贵的东西；在他们签申请书时，是没有人会这样提醒他们的。
也应该让他们知道，租购或分期付款的购买方式，实际花费是超过每月付出的小数目。他们更应该知道，即使是买的东西被收回去了，他们仍然可能欠银行的债。
学校里教理财方法，可以使他们终身学以致用。
有了正确的基本个人理财知识，日后在他们不断地面对别人推销“金融产品”时，就能更好地加以分析。这样，从学校学得的知识，便可使他们较能免于成为金融骗局的受害人。
英国、美国和澳洲等国家，认同教导年轻人善用钱的重要性，已经展开了教导理财知识的计划。
为了不要让我国青年的生活一开始就陷入债务泥沼，我们强烈促请教育部把理财知识引进学校；可以将它放进生活技能科，作为课程的一部分来教导。
毕竟，精于理财已是当前重要的生存技能之一了。

Doctors repair heart born outside baby's body

Using a piece of Gore-Tex fabric to make their repairs, doctors performed corrective surgery on a baby born with his heart outside his chest and said that the youngster should be able to lead a close-to-normal life.
Naseem Hasni underwent surgery to put his heart inside his chest hours after being delivered by Caesarean section Oct. 31 at Holtz Children's Hospital.
He remained in critical but stable condition Wednesday.
"He's not going to be able to play certain kinds of sports where a blow to the sternum to you and me wouldn't be a problem, but in him it would be. So I think some competitive sports are going to be out," said Dr. Eliot Rosenkranz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, "but he's going to be able to participate in other sorts of activities."
He added: "Certainly the goal is as normal a childhood as he can achieve."
Before the surgery, Naseem's heart looked like a peeled plum sitting atop his pink chest, with the aorta diving back underneath the skin. Nevertheless, the heart was beating away normally.
During the six-hour operation, surgeons first wrapped Naseem's heart in Gore-Tex, then a layer of his own skin, to substitute for his missing pericardium, the sac that encloses the heart. The heart was then slowly eased inside his chest.
The baby was born with an extremely rare congenital defect, ectopia cordis, in which the heart grows outside the body and the chest wall and sternum fail to develop. The defect was spotted in an ultrasound exam in late September after the mother, Michelle Hasni, 33, began feeling unusual movement from the baby.
"He was having hiccups, but it was constantly and it was every day. I wasn't sure what the movement was," the Miami woman said.
Naseem was delivered at 36 weeks, a few days early. Surgeons made a larger incision than normal to ensure that the heart would not be squeezed or touch any part of the womb. Other than the heart defect, Naseem had developed normally: He was 21 inches long and weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces at birth.
In a few weeks, Naseem will be fitted with a protective piece of plastic to wear over his chest. When he is about 6 months old, surgeons will graft pieces of his own ribs across his chest to create a sternum, or breastbone.
While doctors had not initially been sure that Naseem would survive until Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday, he could be home with his family as early as Christmas, Rosenkranz said.
Ectopia cordis occurs 5.5 to 7.9 times per 1 million live births, and the survival rate after surgery is less than 50 percent, the boy's doctors said.

Blue videos spark panda love, researchers say

After years of painstaking research, scientists say they have unleashed a baby boom among one of the world's most beloved but endangered animals, China's giant panda.
A bit of panda porn has helped too, they say.
"It works," enthuses Zhang Zhihe, a leading Chinese expert, about showing uninitiated males DVDs of fellow pandas mating.
It is one of many techniques tried over the decades to get captive pandas -- notoriously poor breeders -- to do it, and do it right. The efforts to understand and simulate conditions for mating and raising cubs have paid off in China, the panda's native habitat. Now comes the next test: getting the magic to work outside China.
The big day will come in January, when Prasertsak Buntragulpoontawee hopes to bring off a successful mating between male Chuang Chuang and partner Lin Hui in this northern Thailand city.
The audio-visual approach "is the same idea as chimpanzees seeing people smoke and then copying it," says the Thai researcher.
Zhang, director of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, attributes this year's record high births not to any single breakthrough but to an accumulation of research on panda biology, nutrition and genetics while "trying to imitate nature better."
The result, by his count: In the first 10 months of this year 31 cubs were born in captivity in China, of which 28 survived. That's up from 12 births in 2005 and just nine in 2000. Of this year's births, 14 came through natural breeding, while artificial insemination or a combination of the two produced the rest.
Among the roughly 20 pandas outside China, no cubs were born this year through mating, Zhang told a conference here of 140 panda experts. But at Zoo Atlanta on Sept. 8, artificially inseminated sperm from panda Yang Yang yielded an offspring for mate Lun Lun.
JoGayle Howard, an animal reproduction specialist at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., said the goal of raising the captive breeding population to 300 from the current 220 is rapidly being reached. This would prevent inbreeding, widen the genetic pool and enable more captive animals to re-enter the wild, where the panda population is estimated at 1,600 to 3,000.
Howard said the biggest challenges in panda breeding are an extremely high rate of incompatibility and the very narrow window of opportunity -- females are ready to mate for as few as 48 hours a year.
"At first people thought that you just put two animals together and they would figure it out. But it didn't turn out that way," she said. "Now we know how to take care of the panda better. We've really made progress. But we're still learning a lot of even basic things."
Captive animals used to lack proper socialization; with no companions around, when the male and female met for breeding "they just freaked out and fought," Howard said. Now enclosures are bigger and contain more animals.
There's also a push to keep cubs with their mothers longer, for up to two years, to give them more natural sex education.
Scientists have also learned more about sex and aggression. In the wild, Howard explains, females in heat will climb a tree while suitors below fight for her. In captivity, with no male rivals around, pandas often take out their aggression on the female.
Adds Zhang: "In the wild they have their own choices when mating. But when we breed them in captivity it's like taking two human beings and forcing them to mate."
But despite the advances, there are still only about 15 captive male adults which breed naturally. Second best is artificial insemination, and after years of study frozen semen can now be shipped around the world and applied according to a comprehensive genetic database.
Prasertsak is prepared to use both methods as he readies his couple for mating at Chiang Mai Zoo, which has rented the animals from China for research and tourism purposes.
The pressure is on. Last year Lin Hui showed promising symptoms but they turned out to be a pseudo-pregnancy, not unusual among pandas.
Will the blue movies help?
Opinions differ on the visuals, but Zhang and Prasertsak agree on the sound track.
"It's the sounds of breeding that stimulate them," Zhang said. "Pandas are just like human beings. They understand everything."

运动 -- 最佳保健法

越来越多科学研究结果已证实运动是最佳保健法。
运动比吃药好
一篇 2005年5月《消费人报告》指出在美国，针对4万6千人作出的调查结果发现，以运动解决普通健康问题的效果，比起医药疗效，有时是有过之而无不及的。接受这项调查者也认为运动比其他治疗法如按摩、草药及针灸等较为适合。调查结果也显示运动比其他自然疗法对敏感症、抑郁症、高胆固醇、失眠及呼吸管道病症来说更为有效。
可媲美医药治疗
一提到“医药”，我们常以为是指服食或注射药物。运动虽非以“吃”而是以“做”来进行，它却不失为一剂良药。
运动作为良药，不但可预防，尚且可治疗不少残疾或致命疾病 ...心疾、癌症、高血压、慢性肺阻疾病、糖尿病及骨质疏松症等，其他能以运动来治疗的病症包括肥胖症、关节炎、抑郁症及血脂蛋白异常症等。这些病症都会导致残废或过早死亡。日益增多的临床与流行病学研究结果认同特定的运动项目极其有效来预防及治疗上述病症并可增进身体健康。
运动对增进健康的功效不单局限于治疗某些病症而已。运动能减少血液凝块情状，提高自我形象、振奋低落情绪、减少压力、美化容貌、增强活力并让人们充满幸福感觉 (或许是透过刺激脑啡。)它鼓舞人们转向正确生活方式如健康的饮食习惯及戒烟等。它也能启发人们的创造性思维。
此外，在恢复器官、肌肉、关节及骨骼的功能方面，运动的效果比起医药或外科手术更胜一筹。然而，令人百思莫解的是现代医药治疗却主张在养病其间应多休息，少活动。

Global warming already killing species, analysis says

Animal and plant species have begun dying off or changing sooner than predicted because of global warming, a review of hundreds of research studies contends.
These fast-moving adaptations come as a surprise even to biologists and ecologists because they are occurring so rapidly.
At least 70 species of frogs, mostly mountain-dwellers that had nowhere to go to escape the creeping heat, have gone extinct because of climate change, the analysis says. It also reports that between 100 and 200 other cold-dependent animal species, such as penguins and polar bears are in deep trouble.
"We are finally seeing species going extinct," said University of Texas biologist Camille Parmesan, author of the study. "Now we've got the evidence. It's here. It's real. This is not just biologists' intuition. It's what's happening."
Her review of 866 scientific studies is summed up in the journal Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics.
Parmesan reports seeing trends of animal populations moving northward if they can, of species adapting slightly because of climate change, of plants blooming earlier, and of an increase in pests and parasites.
Parmesan and others have been predicting such changes for years, but even she was surprised to find evidence that it's already happening; she figured it would be another decade away.Just five years ago biologists, though not complacent, figured the harmful biological effects of global warming were much farther down the road, said Douglas Futuyma, professor of ecology and evolution at the State University of New York in Stony Brook.
"I feel as though we are staring crisis in the face," Futuyma said. "It's not just down the road somewhere. It is just hurtling toward us. Anyone who is 10 years old right now is going to be facing a very different and frightening world by the time that they are 50 or 60."
While over the past several years studies have shown problems with certain species, animal populations or geographic areas, Parmesan's is the first comprehensive analysis showing the big picture of global-warming induced changes, said Chris Thomas, a professor of conservation biology at the University of York in England.
While it's impossible to prove conclusively the changes are the result of global warming, the evidence is so strong and other supportable explanations are lacking, Thomas said, so it is "statistically virtually impossible that these are just chance observations."
The most noticeable changes in plants and animals have to do with earlier springs, Parmesan said. The best example can be seen in earlier cherry blossoms and grape harvests and in 65 British bird species that in general are laying their first eggs nearly nine days earlier than 35 years ago.
Parmesan said she worries most about the cold-adapted species, such as emperor penguins that have dropped from 300 breeding pairs to just nine in the western Antarctic Peninsula, or polar bears, which are dropping in numbers and weight in the Arctic.The cold-dependent species on mountaintops have nowhere to go, which is why two-thirds of a certain grouping of frog species have already gone extinct, Parmesan said.
Populations of animals that adapt better to warmth or can move and live farther north are adapting better than other populations in the same species, Parmesan said.
"We are seeing a lot of evolution now," Parmesan said. However, no new gene mutations have shown themselves, not surprising because that could take millions of years, she said.

Gene makes wheat more nutritious

Scientists have found a way to boost the protein, zinc and iron content in wheat, an achievement that could help bring more nutritious food to many millions of people worldwide.
A team led by University of California at Davis researcher Jorge Dubcovsky identified a gene in wild wheat that raises the grain's nutritional content. The gene became nonfunctional for unknown reasons during humankind's domestication of wheat.
Writing in the journal Science on Thursday, the researchers said they used conventional breeding methods to bring the gene into cultivated wheat varieties, enhancing the protein, zinc and iron value in the grain. The wild plant involved is known as wild emmer wheat, an ancestor of some cultivated wheat.
Wheat represents one of the major crops feeding people worldwide, providing about 20 percent of all calories consumed. The World Health Organization has said upward of 2 billion people get too little zinc and iron in their diet, and more than 160 million children under age 5 lack adequate protein.
"We really can produce wheat with more protein and more zinc and iron," Dubcovsky said in an interview. "So if that is grown in a developing country or is used as food aid, it will really provide more of those needed things in places where it's necessary."The team included scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Haifa in Israel.
In making the wheat more nutritious, the researchers did not change how it tastes, Dubcovsky said. "We're not changing the composition or anything very dramatic in the grain," he said.
"I don't think a simple step like this will solve hunger in the world. I'm not that naive. But I think it's heading in the right direction," Dubcovsky said.
The gene made the grain mature more quickly while also boosting its protein and micronutrient content by 10-15 percent in the pasta and bread wheat varieties with which the researchers worked.
"What this gene does is it uses better what is in the plant already, so rather than leave the protein and the zinc and iron in the straw, we've moved a little bit more into the grain," Dubcovsky said.
Annual wheat production is estimated at 620 million tons of grain worldwide.
The wheat varieties bred by the scientists are not genetically modified, which could help them become accepted commercially, they said.We didn't do it by genetic modification. The normal wheat crosses perfectly well with the wild wheat. So we just crossed it after normal breeding," Dubcovsky said.
Dubcovsky heads a consortium of 20 public wheat-breeding programs called the Wheat Coordinated Agricultural Project.

Enhanced genome map could help disease research, scientists say

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Researchers say they have developed an enhanced map of the human genome that could yield breakthroughs in understanding the genetic origins of illnesses such as heart disease, Alzheimer's and various forms of cancer.
The map, charted by an international team of researchers, shows genetic variations in the general population. That will provide researchers in labs around the world the landscape for comparing the genetics of disease, said Dr. Stephen Scherer, one of the researchers who took part in the study.
The more than 20,000 genes in the human body determine our gender, the color of our hair and how tall we are. For the most part we're pretty similar, but the new research -- published in the journal Nature -- suggests that the complexity of our differences may one day help determine who is at risk for disease.
Scherer, one of the study's authors, said the new map is a "wake-up call" that will change the way scientists look at all genetic studies in the future.
In 2000, researchers presented working drafts for more than 90 percent of the 3.1 billion genetic elements or "letters" that make up who we are by mapping key chromosomes, including those which contain vital information about kidney disease, certain cancers, hypertension and diabetes. New technology helped Scherer's team update these drafts and provide a 3-dimensional view of the strands of DNA.
"The old study was like a road map and you couldn't see where the road was going because of too many folds in the map," he said. "New technology allows us to scan a genome and get a dimensional view, like a Google Earth view."
Researchers from Canada, Europe, the United States and Japan compared DNA from 270 people with Asian, African and European ancestry and found large blocks of DNA that, when unraveled, could help determine an individuals' susceptibility to various disorders.When you find a disease chain, it can help you perform diagnostics very important for life planning," he said.
The study also found that the genetic differences in our individual DNA are greater than originally thought. For example, it is not uncommon to find in some people large sections of DNA moved to a different location, or missing altogether.
Researchers are already in the process of furthering the study. Over the next two years scientists plan to monitor 1,000 people from a range of populations worldwide, with the hopes of either having a more specific map or confirming what is already available.
"From a scientific perspective, it will change the way people study the human genome. I think this will push science up to the next level," Scherer says.

8种避免喝软饮料的理由

软饮料，也许是对我们身体最糟糕的饮料。这儿将列出8个理由，告诉你为什么。
1. 软饮料可以导致身体脱水。每当饮用一杯软饮料，我们就必须喝8-12杯的清水，以弥补由软饮料所引起的脱水状况。
2. 软饮料并不能达到解渴的效用，然而清水却能做到这一点。经常饮用软饮料将会造成慢性的细胞脱水状况。这将会减弱我们的免疫系统和引发各种疾病。相反地，每天饮用5杯清水可将患大肠癌的风险减至45%，大幅度(79%)减低患乳癌的机会及减少超过一半患膀胱癌的机会。而每天只喝8-10杯的清水就可以很明显地使超过80%的患者减轻他们的痛苦。
3. 软饮料可以滤去身体中极重要的矿物质。这将会引发心脏病(由于缺乏镁) 及骨骼疏松症(由于缺乏钙质) 等疾病的产生。大多数的维生素在缺乏或无矿物质的情况下，也不能发挥其预期的效果。
4. 此外，软饮料会严重地影响我们的消化系统。软饮料中的咖啡因及高含量的糖精可中止我们的消化过程。
5. 低糖份的软饮料含有人造糖精(aspartame)。而这人造糖精与忧郁症、失眠症、神经病症及众多病症有着直接关系。美国食品及医药机构接获超过10000宗有关人造糖精的消费人投诉，其中超过80%的案件涉及食品添加剂。
6. 软饮料是高酸性的饮品。我们体内的天然pH介于7.0左右，而软饮料的pH则介于2.5左右。这也表示，饮用软饮料将使我们体内原本的酸性提高两倍。在这种酸性的环境下，致使各种疾病趋向恶化。由此可见，那些患上癌症或关节炎的病人，他们体内的pH比平常人来得更低。而事实证明，一个人的体质越弱，他体内的pH越低。

. 软饮料含有很高的糖。在槟消协过去的调查中，平均每罐软饮料就含有4-15茶匙的糖。每天喝两罐软饮料表示我们可能已经吃下了30茶匙所谓的“纯净、洁白及致命” 的物质。调查显示，每天摄取24茶匙的糖将会毁坏我们抵抗或消灭细菌的能力。
8. 众所周知，软饮料中的气泡，即二氧化碳，是人类的其中一种排泄物。然而，当我们饮用软饮料时，我们却把这排泄物一并喝下。
要增肥？请喝软饮料吧！
尽管我们在饮食中只摄取少许的卡路里，软饮料中的高份量人造糖精就可导致肥胖。这是由于软饮料中含有一种称为果糖(fructose)的成份。这果糖成份并非来自水果，而是源自于商业化的人造糖精。由于果糖的甜味非常高，因此被普遍地用在食品加工业中。当然，软饮料也不例外。
根据幸幸那蒂大学的最新研究证明，果糖可改变我们体内的新成代谢，迅速地贮存热量于脂肪中。
2005年7月北美肥胖研究联合会的官方杂志指出，从事有关肥胖课题的研究者，让几只老鼠自由地选择清水、含果糖的糖水或软饮料。研究发现，那些选择果糖糖水或软饮料的老鼠，尽管已减少摄取在固体食物中的卡路里，但体内的脂肪却相对地提高。软饮料可提高卡路里的吸取量及增加体重已是不争的事实。有关果糖与肥胖直接关系的新发现，更加地肯定了饮用软饮料会引发的过度肥胖的问题。在美国及其它的国家，正持续不断的上升中。
根据早期在加洲大学的研究结果发现，人类体内控制体重的荷尔蒙，包括胰岛素，只会对碳水化合物，如葡萄糖起着一定的作用，但并不会对果糖有任何的反应。
从以上的资料，许多的研究者相信，果糖在我们体内的作用，是有别于其它的碳水化合物。这包括了一般的糖，即葡萄糖。
因此，若您不想增肥，就避开饮用软饮料吧！

软饮料应有如香烟盒的警告标签

美国一消费者醒觉团体说，软饮料应标上如香烟盒上的健康警告标签。原因何在？主要在于软饮料可导致肥胖、糖尿病、蛀牙及骨骼疏松症。
美国公众利益科学中心(Center for Science in the Public Interest - CSPI) 近日向美国政府提呈请愿书，要求在软饮料上标上健康警告标签。根据该中心，软饮料是美国人民最大的卡路里来源。在2004年，平均每位美国人民食用37加仑或59000卡路里的含二氧化碳饮料。
目前，已有几项科学实验证明软饮料与体重增加有直接关系，而体重增加更是造成第二类型糖尿病的主要因素，据该中心，这个问题第一次成为美国成人及青少年的问题。
随着年龄增长，过重症也可引发心脏病、中风及癌症。
现代青少年饮用太多CSPI称为“液体糖果”的软饮料，基本上，软饮料是一种由高果糖玉米糖浆、清水及人造调味料所组成的混合液。美国官方数据指出，美国男性青少年平均每日饮用3罐12盎司的软饮料，而女性青少年饮用超过2罐。
“软饮料中的空卡路里会造成各种健康问题，尤其是过重症及肥胖症，这种现象在软饮料消费量急升期间尤为显见。”CSPI在其长达46页的《液体糖果：软饮料如何伤害美国人民的健康》一报告中指出。
此外，该报告也指出，经常饮用软饮料可提高骨骼疏松症、肾生石及心疾病的风险。软饮料中的不良成份软饮料在两方面为健康带来风险，第一、软饮料的成份 （包括超量卡路里、糖及防腐剂），第二、软饮料所替代的食物 （包括提供人体维他命、矿物质及养份的健康食饮料）。
让我们看一看软饮料中的部分成份：
* 糖。在美国，软饮料制造厂是人造糖精最大的使用者，科学实验已证实糖份会增加人体的胰岛素水平，继而造成高血压、高胆固醇、心疾症、糖尿病、增重、提前老化和许多其他副作用。（注：大马槟消协过去的调查显示，每罐软饮料含有4－15茶匙的糖份）
* 咖啡因。许多受欢迎的软饮料都加含一种名为咖啡因的兴奋剂，与咖啡因同一组的碱性化学物包括吗啡、尼古丁、可卡因、净化剂和士的宁等。这些碱化物都有使人上瘾的共同点。此外咖啡因对提高钙质的分泌有轻微的影响。
含咖啡因饮料可造成精神紧张、失眠、高血压及心律失常，此外，它也会提高血液中的胆固醇水平、消耗体内的维他命及矿物质、造成胸部生肿块、引发先天缺陷及癌症。
单单在1至2罐的含咖啡因饮料中，所含的咖啡因份量（1罐软饮料可含高达40毫克的咖啡因）就可对人们的工作状况和情绪造成影响，此外，这些咖啡因也会增加儿童的精神紧张及减少睡眠

* 磷酸盐。阻碍身体吸收钙质的能力，继而造成骨骼疏松症及牙齿和骨质软化。磷酸盐也可中和胃中的盐酸，阻碍消化及营养吸收。
*人造色素。尤其是黄色5号(Yellow No.5)，可减低儿童的专注能力及造成过动症。此外，它也可导致皮肤病、哮喘及其他过敏症。
(详细资料，请参考槟消协指南－《软饮品的真相》一书)
您知道吗？
高腐蚀性：软饮料含有高度的酸性(pH 2.5左右)，要中和一杯可乐，需要用32杯的高碱性液体！几乎所有的二氧化碳软饮料含碳酸－一种可去除污垢及溶解沉积锈斑的物质。
在一项实验中，几颗被浸在可乐饮料的牙齿，在两天内，变成很软及流失珐琅质中多数的钙质。
在另一项实验中，一群被提供正常食物的老鼠，只被提供可乐作为饮料，在六个月内，这群老鼠的臼齿被腐蚀至牙龈线。
很难被燃烧：要燃烧一罐20盎司里的250卡路里，一位体重135磅的人必须：在45分钟内行走3英里、打40分钟的篮球或踩22分钟的脚车。
一岁即上瘾：基于有效的宣传手法及容易获得，目前，含二氧化碳软的饮料已成为美国人民最受欢迎的单一饮食，就连小孩也喝软饮料！调查指出，在每5位1至2岁的美国儿童中，就有一位有饮用软饮料。这些小孩平均每日饮用7盎司，也就是将近1杯的软饮料！

The price of free trade

As the struggle for regional economic dominance in Northeast Asia heats up, the battle for free trade agreements (FTAs) has reached a new level, which may not only see the weakening of the multilateral trade system, but also the cancerous growth of geopolitical influence in regional trade. Today, nearly 55% of world trade occurs through free trade agreements, but economists differ on their virtues. Some see them as stepping stones to freer trade - they are easier to negotiate and can achieve more than multilateral deals. Others see them as potholes on the road to freer trade - adding unnecessary complexity and diverting valuable negotiating resources. But nobody can argue that the importance of free trade agreements to regional states has grown. As economist Peter Lloyd noted, free trade agreements are like street gangs, if everyone else in your neighborhood is in one, you'd better be in one too. It is widely accepted that recent US trade policy has been somewhat tainted by its cozy relationship with Bush administration foreign policy goals. Strong supporters of US action in Iraq, Singapore and Australia were rewarded with expedited free trade agreements. Others opposed to action, such as Chile, had their agreements postponed, while other countries long opposed to US policies such as New Zealand - which since the 1980s has refused to admit nuclear-powered or armed vessels in its waters - were not even allowed in the negotiation room. The use of trade to support and reinforce foreign policy is anything but new. The United States' first free trade agreement occurred back in 1985 with Israel, a country that accounted for an indistinct fraction of US trade. The economic benefit to the US was negligible; the geopolitical benefit was much greater. The US, arguably, bolstered its position in the Middle East and ensured the economy of its key ally remained strong. More recent free trade agreements with Jordan, Bahrain and Morocco fit into similar moulds, with questionable economic benefit but immeasurably more geopolitical gain. Free trade agreements in Northeast Asia may be following the same trend. China and Japan are well aware that the regional economic dominance that both seem to be struggling for depends on the ability to control the direction of regional economic integration. South Korea, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia and New Zealand are all thrown into the fracas as Japan and China compete. The start of July saw the first dent in Japan's economic armor with the implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA). The ACFTA will allow immediate duty reductions for over 7,000 products, with all duties to be removed by 2010. This will soon be followed by services and investment liberalization. However, the real benefits are geopolitical. With an already extensive expatriate and ethnic Chinese network ready to exploit potential economic gains, China's political influence will naturally increase. In contrast, negotiations toward a Japan-ASEAN agreement have only just begun and full implementation is not expected until 2012. China is clearly edging ahead. The importance and size of the Chinese economy to the region lends it substantial weight in obtaining political leverage in return for increased trade. It is quickly becoming the most important trading partner for each individual economy in the region and with analysts predicting that growth will continue, the temptation for it to use free trade agreements as foreign policy tools will only grow greater. China is already proving to be more strategically astute than the United States in trade geopolitics. New Zealand, with which the United States refused to negotiate a free trade agreement, has been steadily tempted to the Chinese way of thinking. New Zealand was the first Western nation to reach a bilateral deal with China on its accession to the WTO, and similarly the first to recognize China's full market economy status; in return, in 2004 it became the first to commence negotiations with China toward a bilateral free trade agreement. With the US having already used its FTA leverage with Australia, it is now China's turn. The promise of a free trade agreement with China has already seen the Australian government recognize China's market economy status, respond favorably to relaxation of the European Union arms embargo, and turn a blind eye to accusations of Chinese spy networks operating in Australia. Here lies the real threat to free trade. In the extreme, free trade agreements can become comparable to the use of economic sanctions in their attempts to influence political behavior. Preferential trade agreements are simply the opposite side of the coin - the "carrot" as opposed to the "stick" of sanctions. Both are discriminatory trade measures that deviate from the happy medium of the "most favored nation principle" which lies at the heart of the multilateral system. Most favored nation dictates that trade privileges between any two states should also extend to third parties. Discriminatory trade measures can be used to influence political decisions; either positively, in the case of FTAs, or negatively, in the case of sanctions.
Sanctions have a long and sordid history of ineffectual political interference in international commerce - diverting trade, harming domestic producers and exporters, and creating economic inefficiencies. It seems free trade agreements could be going the same way. Complexities abound for the average exporter today. They must wade through the rules of origin and the thousands of product codes that govern the applicability of preferential tariff rates. This has to be repeated for each market and sometimes more than once for each market. For example, for Thai exporters to Australia, there will be the Australia-Thailand free trade agreement preferential tariffs; Australia-ASEAN preferential tariffs; and Australian developing country preferential tariffs. After the question of which preferential rates apply, comes the question of who applies them, the exporter, the importer or the importing country customs official...and so on. Multilateral trade is far from perfect, but is definitely less prone to geopolitics, and for the average exporter in Asia, is always going to be simpler as the "spaghetti bowl" of free trade agreements gets ever deeper.

When left is right

If only economist Milton Friedman were still alive, he would weep at the recent turn of events encompassing Asian politics in recent weeks. No, I am not talking here about North Korea's nuclear weapons or even the US economy's downward spiral, but instead the rising dominance of Asian communists. Even as China confronts its age-old corruption problem and India attempts to re-equalize the playing field, the chief beneficiaries have been diehard communists in these countries. A leftward tilt
in Asia spells disaster for the region's growing economies, and will likely herald an era of falling stock and property markets. The backdrop for this surge in populist policies is surprising. Asian economies have continued to grow, mainly because of the ability of Chinese and Indian consumers to expand their purchases even as the American consumer begins to show signs of self-doubt. The primary factor has been the growth of income inequality, which combined with greater political liberalism has imperiled the current economic equilibrium across the continent. At its most extreme, one thinks of countries such as Nepal, where a communist insurgency has nearly wiped out government infrastructure, replacing it with a parallel state. Similar problems prevail in other parts of Asia, to varying degrees. All these micro-trends, though, pale in comparison to the surge toward the left in China and India. Gini lets the communist genie out A lot of newsprint has already been expended on the crackdown on corruption in China, which netted prominent members of the Shanghai clique, which owed its allegiance to former president Jiang Zemin. While the process of replacing bureaucrats and ministers under new administration is hardly new - and particularly not in China, where new emperors frequently changed their generals and key ministers - what might be left unnoticed is that it is more traditional communists who are being tapped to take up these vacancies. The idea that "communism with Chinese characteristics" has rendered many officials corrupt [1] is neither new nor surprising, but the notion that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has not suffered as a result is contentious. Indeed, the rising number of "public disturbances" and "mass incidents" over the past few years is well documented by Chinese authorities. These show that protests over the provision of services, embezzlement, lack of policing and other civic issues have been on the rise. In an earlier article, [2] I wrote about the factors limiting the reform impetus in China, including the fear of authorities that accelerating the pace of industrial reforms would produce far too many unemployed people, in turn affecting social stability. This is a lost opportunity for China, as it will become more expensive and difficult to institute reforms in future years when the country's demographics worsen. Another factor that imperils the ability of authorities to impose reforms is the significant increase in wealth disparity. China is estimated currently to have a Gini coefficient (a way of measuring economic inequality) higher than that of the United States, [3] suggesting that a trend toward the "robber baron" politics of Russia where a handful of people control more than three-quarters of all output isn't impossible. From the perspective of Beijing, the above adds up to a fear of losing control over the population, particularly if recent experiences with citizen activism are an indication of future potential. Accessing more media including blogs and mobile-phone text messages, Chinese are now able to communicate faster, even with the presence of censors and monitors. In turn, authorities have to "behave" themselves, which is why Beijing chose to crack down on the most egregious examples of power abuse in cities such as Shanghai. Going forward, more focus is likely to be placed on addressing the growing wealth inequality in society, hence a resurgence of "redistributing" income as a way to maintain support for the CCP. For example, in the area of housing, it is possible that various city and local governments will be forced to increase their investments in public housing, which are designed to be given to needy party members. This reverses some of the gains made by private developers in China in recent years, but will prove populist enough to be pushed through by the party. For the same reasons, China will prevent its banks from withdrawing liquidity from loss-making companies, to avoid employment losses. This will surely disappoint investors who have bought into recent bank listings from the country, but would hardly surprise political analysts. The shroud strikes backIf Chinese authorities face resurgent communist ideology focusing on a redistribution of income, Indian politicians have a more basic problem. The current United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government got into power in India on the platform of debunking the previous government's record on economic growth by pointing to growing inequalities. India's Gini coefficient is better than China's, and yet the level of fretting from politicians would lead one to believe that a Russia-type situation has prevailed already. Recently Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian National Congress, gave a speech to the chairpersons of the other parties making up the UPA coalition in which she called for an end to the country's obsession with becoming a superpower, and urged instead a focus on more basic issues. Her slogan, on which speechwriters must have spent a few hours, used a catchphrase - "It's not about e-quality" - referring to the country's burgeoning information-technology-led service exports - "but rather equality that matters." That simple statement unfortunately takes the Congress party and its cohorts in the UPA back to the disastrous experiments with socialism that characterized the era of Indira Gandhi and her father, Jawaharlal Nehru. Already saddled with hare-brained schemes such as the Rural Employment Guarantee program, India's federal government will likely embark on more populism in coming months. This comes at a dual cost to the economy - the government, first, wastes money that would be much better utilized by the private sector (the "crowding out" effect), and second, incurs substantial borrowings for limited gains. That the Congress party will find itself in an indefensible position on reforms comes as no surprise to me, [4] but the speed at which this eventuality has come about is staggering. Failing to notice that the country needs to create wealth before it can be redistributed has been a hallmark of Indian politics, and Sonia Gandhi appears to represent no exception to this. The regressive tax regime that still pervades the country and the general mistrust that Indian society shows toward successful business people both operate as key impediments in India's path toward growth. It is not without reason that Sonia Gandhi has been dubbed by the Indian intelligentsia the "Shroud of Turin", a reference not so much to her Italian ancestry from that city as to the apparent inability of any sound economic thinking to get through her intellectual defenses. In this scenario, lower economic growth is almost certain for India in the next few years. This is, however, not fully priced into the country's surging stock and property markets, much like the experience in China. When the time for a reckoning comes about, perhaps accelerated by the slowdown in the US economy, investors in both China and India will realize the deleterious impact of left-leaning thought in these two countries. There is yet time for redress, but the window grows shorter by the hour.

Industri burung layang-layang di Kelantan sumbang RM1.5 juta setahun

Kerajaan Kelantan dijangka dapat memunggut hasil sebanyak RM1.5 juta daripada produk burung layang-layang yang kini diternak secara meluas di Kelantan.
Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pentadbiran Awam, Perancangan Ekonomi, Kewangan dan Kebajikan Masyarakat, Dato’ Husam Musa berkata, pendapatan itu bakal diperolehi daripada bayaran deposit dan lesen menternak burung.
"Sehingga kini terdapat lebih 200 pengusaha di seluruh Kelantan," katanya selepas menerima memorandum daripada Persatuan Pengusaha Industri Sarang Burung Layang-layang Kelantan, di sini hari ini.
Memorandum berkenaan diserah pengerusinya, Tan Choon Hwa.
Husam berkata, kutipan hasil dijangka bertambah pada masa akan datang berikutan bilangan pengusaha yang semakin meningkat.Beliau juga memberi jaminan akan mengentengahkan rayuan persatuan berkenaan berhubung kadar lesen tahunan yang dicadang mereka diselaras kepada RM500 setiap rumah burung tanpa mengira keluasan atau jumlah tingkat.
Menurutnya pengusaha burung tersebut mendapat keuntungan lumayan memandangkan mereka tidak perlu menyediakan keperluan makanan kepada burung yang singgah di rumah disediakan.
“Pengusaha hanya perlu menyediakan rumah sahaja, jadi sudah tentu kos yang dikeluarkan tidak besar,” ujarnya.
Sebelum ini pengusaha dikenakan bayaran sebanyak RM1,000 setiap tahun bagi saiz rumah burung seluas 1,000 kaki.
Bagaimanapun memorandum daripada pengusaha tersebut mahu kerajaan negeri mengurangkan bayaran kepada RM500 setahun.
Husam turut mencadangkan pengusaha mempelbagai produk termasuk memasak terlebih dahulu produk yang dihasilkan bagi membolehkan ia dieksport ke luar negara antaranya China, Thailand, Hong Kong dan Jepun.
Tan Chon Hwa merakam ucapan terima kasih kepada kerajaan negeri kerana begitu prihatin terhadap masalah dihadapi pengusaha industri terbabit termasuk mengeluarkan lesen kepada mereka.Katanya, dengan adanya lesen pengusaha burung layang-layang dapat menjalankan perniagaan secara sah.
“Bagaimanapun mesyuarat kami di Kota Bharu semalam telah menerima pandangan dan rayuan daripada ahli terhadap jumlah bayaran lesen yang telah diumumkan kerajaan baru-baru ini.
“Untuk itu kami di sini ingin merayu agar kerajaan negeri mempertimbangkan iaitu kadar lesen tahunan diselaraskan kepada RM500 setiap rumah burung tanpa berpandukan keluasan atau jumlah tingkat,” ujarnya.
Sementara itu, Husam juga berkata, rakyat Kelantan digalak memproses pokok depu sebagai produk seperti kayu gaharu memandangkan ia banyak didapati di kawasan pertanian atau dusun.
Katanya, sebelum ini hanya pokok gaharu sahaja yang boleh digunakan untuk membuat wangian, bagaimanapun hasil teknologi sekarang pokok depu juga boleh mengeluarkan haruman seperti gaharu.“Sebagaimana yang kita tahu, pokok ini begitu mahal di pasaran antarabangsa dan dengan perkembangan ini ia merupakan berita gembira buat penduduk di kampung.
“Mereka boleh mencari rezeki bukan sahaja menerusi industri burung layang-layang, sebaliknya mencari pokok depu untuk dijadikan bahan pewangi,” ujarnya

液晶屏在生活中无处不在户外视频成中国广告霸主

“广告什么时候有效？当人处在比广告更无聊的时间和空间的时候，就能把无聊变成钱。”一直在广告业摸爬滚打的分众传媒（Focus Media，美国纳斯达克股市证券代码：FMCN）创始人江南春，正是在自己等待电梯的无聊时候，“悟”到楼宇广告这一商机，并成功开辟了楼宇广告这一新兴的广告载体。江南春控制的分众传媒于2005年创造收入6800万美元，净利润2300万美元，同比分别增长138%和620%。这也使得江南春本人进入《2006年胡润百富榜》并居于第52位。这个身家超过亿元的33岁年轻人赚钱的方式其实很简单：把液晶电视（LCD）装在人多的地方播放广告，然后向广告主收取广告费。
在创办分众传媒之前，1994年，年仅21岁的华东师范大学中文系三年级学生江南春成立了永怡传播公司。几年后，永怡公司成为上海最大的资讯工艺广告代理商，占有这一市场95%份额，营业额突破一亿五千万元人民币。

反思传统广告模式
然而，2001年互联网泡沫破灭，其广告客户仿佛一夜之间销声匿迹，永怡公司的营业额严重缩水。异常艰苦的2001年，促使江南春开始反思传统的广告模式。这一年，正是陈天桥率领盛大在网络游戏《传奇》取得“传奇式成功”的一年。早与陈天桥相熟的江南春，在吃惊之余颇受启发，另辟蹊径创造新的商业模式。
在中国，报章和电视是属于政府直接管制的媒体，没有政府支持很难兴办这些媒体；杂志即使做得再好，利润空间仍然不多；户外广告是赚钱，但在上海最繁华的徐家汇地区考察，楼顶、街道灯箱、地面，甚至是座位上已经布满广告，而在不远的外滩，上海市政府为了维护城市景观的需要，开始在拆户外广告。在一连串的思索中，江南春从电梯里贴的海报得到灵感。他起初想在商业楼宇的大门口贴广告，但被大楼管理层所否决。之前曾经帮LG做过液晶显示屏广告代理的江南春，就利用其优势将液晶显示屏安装到楼宇里。
2002年6月到12月，江南春争取到了最早的一批高档写字楼。他当时最困难、最关键的，就是如何说服第一批商业大楼客户，允许安装一个整天播放广告的液晶屏在楼宇里。一些大楼的物业管理者担心会遭到客户投诉。江南春提出先装一两天，只要有人投诉便拆除，但结果反而不错。
到2003年初，上海50幢高档写字楼的电梯旁装上了300台液晶显示屏。最初的表现形态，还只是上海电梯间一块小小的液晶电视屏，为各大写字楼的白领们打发等待电梯的无聊时光。经过近五年的打滚，现在他的液晶广告已经遍布全中国75个城市的中高档楼宇和卖场。无可否认，江南春也许并不是第一个提出概念的人，但他至少是第一个系统地做的人。一个有趣的现象是，迄今为止，类似模式仅在中国大陆获得成功。据说纽约曾有人对此做过尝试，但因为欧美国家对私秘性的要求很高，有的写字楼甚至严禁发出声音，加上进入这些大厦的成本非常高，到现在也不成气候。
分众也在尝试进入香港，但突破也是非常困难。香港写字楼的物权比较集中，掌握在不多的几家财团手中，一旦决定不做，可能成片的大楼都决定不做。在这样的财团面前，分众没有谈判优势。在中国大陆，写字楼的物权分散，一楼一个业主，分众可以很容易就做到各个击破，以便宜的价格拿到租约。

液晶屏在生活中无处不在
现在，人们的生活半径所至：商厦、美容厅、酒吧、KTV，甚至超市、卖场、机场、酒店……都安装上他们的液晶电视，并日夜不停播放各种广告。“如果液晶屏在生活中无处不在……”，这个听上去有点恐怖的场景，正在分众的步步为营中变成现实。
分众传媒今年进军移动领域：四月进军手机、五月开始在上海商业最繁华的徐家汇、南京路等高密集商业街安装了100多个户外液晶显示屏，每六分钟一个循环播放广告。收购手机广告商北京凯威与影院广告商ACL（Appreciate Capital Limited），也是打造“生活群媒体圈”战略的一步。
顺带补充一下，ACL的商业模式，是从各家电影院租赁每场电影开播前的三分钟广告时段，然后销售给广告主。ACL覆盖中国120多家电影院，票房收入约占全中国的85%。分众通过收购ACL，使得分众将网络覆盖扩张至电影院，在收购完成后，ACL更名为分众“影院网络”。
以往的电视广告主要覆盖家庭等固定空间，现在人们的生活流动性变大，移动广告的影响正在变大，但路牌等传统的户外广告形式太分散，针对性不强，而特定场合如楼宇广告相对目标明确，效果比较好。楼宇广告甚至可以称为“广告领域的狙击手”，然而楼宇广告也存在没有原创内容、形式单调、覆盖面相对较窄、广告内容循环播放较为单调、缺乏互动性等局限。广告主原来以媒体为中心，把广告预算分派在不同种类的媒体上的模式在“分众模式”下需要重新思考。现在则以受众为中心，考虑各自的目标群体是谁，什么是媒体接触点，什么是最佳传播渠道。
目前，分众针对其目标群体归纳出了七个网络：包括商务楼宇联播网、领袖人士联播网、时尚人士联播网、商旅人士联播网、医药联播网、大卖场联播网、超市便利店联播网、中国公寓电梯联播网（框架平面媒体）、户外大型液晶彩屏网络。
摩根士丹利的分析员就称赞江南春找到了新的广告模式，“创造了自己的蓝海”。（“蓝海”一词源自于目前商界最热门的畅销书《蓝海战略》，意即蕴含庞大需求的新市场空间。）
然而，分众传媒独创的在楼宇电梯旁装设液晶屏播放广告的模式，在创造出惊人利润的同时，也迅速地引来了大量的仿效者。其实这个模式最大的优点，就在于在现代都市人群的“垃圾时间”里，嵌入了一个不需要内容、只需要占据地盘的广告载体。而其最大的缺点是，它几乎没有什么高科技含量，进入门槛除了资金之外也没什么了。

Thaksin's wife in tax fraud probe

Thailand's anti-corruption agency is considering criminal charges against the wife and brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, the deposed prime minister, for allegedly failing to pay nearly $15 million in taxes. It says Thaksin's wife, Pojaman, called the transfer of 4.5 million shares to her brother "a gift", to avoid paying tax on it. The military appointed investigators ordered Bhanapot Damapong, Thaksin's brother-in-law, to pay nearly $15 million in taxes. A ruling is expected next week, in what could be the first graft conviction against Thaksin and his family since he was ousted in a military coup on September 19. Bhanapot was chairman of Thaksin's media empire, Shin Corp, at the time of the deal in 1997. Thaksin transferred shares in Shin Corp to relatives and associates, including one of his maids, Duangta Wongpaki, before taking public office. Investigators say Thaksin's wife, Pojaman, subsequently bought the shares from Duangta and transferred them to her brother, calling the "a gift" to avoid tax. The anti-graft agency says Pojaman and Bhanapot engaged in illegal activity to avoid paying taxes and ruled the deal a handout. In a separate case, Thailand's revenue department ruled that Thaksin's son and daughter would have to pay taxes on the family's sale of Shin Corp earlier this year to Temasek Holdings, the Singapore government's investment arm. Drugs war probe Last week, the Thai government ordered investigations into alleged abuses during Thaksin's "war on drugs" campaign. About 2,500 people were killed during the campaign which started in 2003. Thaksin's government said the deaths were largely the result of drug dealers killing each other. But rights groups say they were mostly due to extra-judicial killings by police. Thailand was inundated with methamphetamine from neighbouring Myanmar at the time the campaign kicked off. It initially succeeded in cutting off supply, but anti-drug agencies say business soon returned to normal levels. Thailand's military leadership has come under criticism in recent weeks for not being aggressive or decisive enough in fighting and investigating graft. It has also come under fire for giving top government posts to soldiers.The interim government used Thaksin's "high crimes" as justification for the coup and has promised to make curbing corruption a top priority.

Health expert calls for rise in tobacco duty

Public health experts have criticized the government for ineffectual legislation and policies while at the same time pledging to create a smoke-free city.
"I find it totally bewildering that a government which wants to raise money through a goods and services tax, does not increase tobacco duty, foregoing the health benefits which would follow," Anthony Hedley, professor of public health at Hong Kong University, said at an annual conference of the International Society for the Prevention of Tobacco Induced Diseases.
Hedley said his department estimated the cost of tobacco damage to health in Hong Kong each year amounted to US$700 million (HK$5.46 billion). This is before taking into account the value of the lives lost.
"This means the real cost of an average pack of cigarettes here is not US$2.60 but rather US$32," he said.
International bodies such as the World Bank and the World Health Organization, as well as the entire public health sector, recognized the hazard of cheap tobacco and the importance of imposing a tobacco duty in reducing consumption among young people, Hedley said.
A tobacco tax generates revenue for the government to offset falling demand and to meet the high community cost of tobacco, Hedley said.
"But in Hong Kong both our chief executive and finance minister have repeated the mantras of the tobacco industry that smuggling occurs because of the high taxes, and that `cigarettes are already expensive,"' Hedley said.
"Not true. In Hong Kong we have some of the cheapest tobacco in the world in relation to GDP [gross domestic product] per capita and we have not had a single cent increase on tobacco tax in six years."
Hedley said this year was a landmark in tobacco control with ratification of the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control by more than 125 countries and successive waves of cities, regions and countries declaring a smoke-free status in workplaces and public places.
But the Hong Kong government is lagging behind, he said.
Hong Kong lawmakers on October 18 overwhelmingly passed a controversial anti-smoking bill banning smoking in all indoor workplaces and restaurants and selected outdoor areas such as parks and beaches
But Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow Yat-ngok was criticized for doing a U-turn by proposing smoking rooms be installed in some public areas.
Eric LeGresley, adviser to the Council on Smoking and Health, said changes made to the smoking bill last month were too narrow, and the tobacco companies would simply change their marketing techniques to get around the law.
He said more controls were needed to restrict the information on packets.
Hedley agreed the current legislation for tobacco control left many loopholes and opportunities for tobacco companies to bypass legislation, opportunities they would seize if allowed to.
"Arguably the biggest and over- riding problem is the original bill proposals were not all written by public health specialists who have the essential insight into tobacco industry politics and marketing strategies," he said.

High hopes for Mazda3

Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd (CCB) is set to sell 600 units of the upgraded Mazda3 next year, thanks to the warm response to the award-wining model.
Speaking before the launch of Mazda3 yesterday, managing director Steve Foster said prior to the launching, the company had already received bookings for 50 units.
The company, which currently has five dealers, planned to appoint three more, Foster said.
CCB, the distributor of Mazda, Peugeot and Mercedes-Benz marques, had targeted to sell 600 units of the face-lifted Mazda6 when it launched the model earlier this month.
Mazda3 is the new version of the Mazda 323, once the most popular Mazda model in Malaysia, and Foster said he believed the new model would be as successful as its predecessor.
Foster said Mazda3 would come in two engine variants – the 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre for both the hatchback and the sedan versions, both with sequential valve timing. The 2.0-litre model has an electronic throttle to improve flexibility at low engine speeds while offering a strong top-end performance.
“We are currently offering special introductory prices from less than RM112,000 for a 1.6-litre sedan and less than RM130,000 for a 2.0-litre sedan, on-the-road without insurance,” he said.
Mazda3 is manufactured by Japan-based Mazda Motor Corp, which also produces Mazda cars in the Philippines.
Foster said throughout next year, the Mazda3 would be imported from Japan.
“We are now talking to the principal to allow us to bring them in (from the Philippines) under Afta and gain the lower-tariff advantage,” he said.
In a related development, CCB has invested RM2mil to refurbish a Mazda outlet in Ampang in a bid to bolster the Mazda brand.
It appointed Wawasan TKH Holdings Bhd’s automotive arm Clear Marque Sdn Bhd dealer to run the showroom.

MAS expected to announce special fares

Malaysia Airlines is expected announce a special package for international fares early next year to help promote Visit Malaysia Year 2007 (VMY 2007).
Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Donald Lim said the Tourism Ministry had requested MAS to be more competitive with other international airlines.
“Recently, my minister and I have travelled quite a fair bit. There are a lot of complaints that MAS’ fares are expensive,” he told reporters at the announcement of winners of the Small and Medium Businesses recognition award 2006 here on Friday.
“For domestic fares, we leave it to the Transport Ministry but the international portion is what we are very concerned about. We are asking them to look at the whole fare structure. That’s most important because that kind of pricing nobody can control, not the Government.”
Lim said the ministry held a discussion with Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and the airlines’ top management officials yesterday, and MAS had come up with proposals to help the tourism industry with a special package for VMY 2007.
He said the special package would hopefully restore the confidence of the public and foreign tourists.
Lim said a special task force would also be formed to ensure all went well for VMY 2007 and to resolve any problems. Currently, he said there was only a joint committee on posters and billboards to be put up for the VMY 2007.
Lim, who is MCA SME bureau chairman, also said the ministry was in talks with small-and-medium entrepreneur (SME) banks to ensure that loan applications for SMEs carrying out tourism-related projects be approved within two or three months.
“Some applications take a year to be approved. We are looking into ways to cut down the red tapes,” he said, adding that if required, financial advisor services could be engaged to look at project viability.
On the ministry’s request for the Special Tourism Fund and Tourism Infrastructure Fund be increased from RM1.2bil each to RM3bil each, he said the ministry had yet to receive approval from the Finance Ministry.
“We have written to the Finance Ministry and hope the Government will approve it as soon as possible because there is more or less nothing much left of the existing RM1.2bil we got for the Tourism Infrastructure Fund under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.”

PlayStation 3 has problems playing old games

Sony Corp. said Tuesday that users of the newly launched PlayStation 3 may have problems trying to play games designed for older versions of the console. Some 200 software titles out of 8,000 sold for the PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation have problems running on the PS3, said a spokeswoman for Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "We don't want to call them defects, as the problems are sort of inevitable when introducing totally different hardware. "The type of problems vary from software to software. In some cases the only problem is no sound, and in others the screen freezes up. We're working day-and-night to provide software to solve the problem," she said. The problems were revealed just days after Saturday's sell-out launch of the hugely anticipated new console. Sony has suffered technical problems with the state-of-the-art new machine and was forced to delay the global launch by about six months due to problems with the high-definition DVD player, and again in Europe until March. Sony has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into PlayStation 3 and its success is considered vital to the iconic company's future following a series of setbacks, including recalls of millions of faulty computer batteries. With just 100,000 PS3 consoles available on launch day, the PS3 quickly sold out as people queued up all night for the prized new machine, which Sony had previously said was compatible with PlayStation and PS2 games.

Maxis does broadband in Penang

Maxis Communications Berhad (Maxis) has expanded its broadband service to Penang.

This will enable Internet connections of up to 768kbps in Tanjung Bungah, Bayan Baru, Bukit Jambul, Pulau Tikus and selected parts of Georgetown, with more areas to follow, according to Maxis.
Maxis chief executive officer, Datuk Jamaludin Ibrahim said, "We have the confidence in our product and will continue to build broadband hub coverage in town centres – where the need is greater – before extending it to the rest of the nation. Our plan is to have Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Bahru adequately provisioned with broadband by the first quarter of next year."
Maxis uses HSPDA (High Speed Data Packet Access), a high-speed upgrade of the 3G network, for residential broadband.
At speeds 3 times faster than current 3G connections and up to 15 times faster than traditional dial up, HSDPA offers consumers greatly improved Internet access to browsing, email, video streaming, online gaming and music downloads.
The company has spent RM5 million to deploy HSDPA across Penang on top of its 3G network investment in delivering affordable, reliable mobile broadband services to its customers.
It is expected that Maxis will invest some RM700 million to build out its broadband services over the next 3 years.
Two broadband packages bundled with home voice service are available, with monthly fees at RM68 and RM98 respectively, inclusive of modem rental. The RM68 package offers speeds up to 384 kbps, while the latter offers speeds up to 768 kbps. There will be a one time RM100 activation fee and a RM88 installation charge.
Consumers can sign up for a Maxis Broadband at any Penang Maxis Centre and at selected Maxis Broadband dealers.