Money is a representation of wealth. A US dollar represents a fraction of the total wealth of the country. This definition underlies any discussion of currency, whether physical cash or digital tokens. Gold and silver have traditionally been used to represent a store of value that is intrinsic to a coin minted from

The lever-action shotgun has been with us for a long time, and here’s to hoping it will be around a lot longer.

THERE is good news for close to 15,000 University Malaya [UM] undergraduates returning to campus this October – homegrown retailer MR DIY will be distributing RM300 to each student to help them purchase essential supplies to facilitate their return to campus.

Dubbed #DIY4UM, the RM4.5 million cash aid distribution programme is being implemented in partnership with Touch ‘n Go via its eWallet platform.

The cash aid will be made to students on their Touch ‘n Go eWallets in three equal payments of RM100 each on Nov 1 and 30, and Dec 30.

Announcing the #DIY4UM aid programme, MR DIY CEO Adrian Ong said the programme was aimed at helping students make the back-to-campus transition as smooth and worry-free as possible.

He said: “The reopening of campuses is a major milestone for university students. After many months of lockdown, they will finally be able to reconvene on campus to fully benefit from the in-person learning experience and enjoy the academic social interaction with lecturers and fellow students alike.

“We believe it’s important that they are well equipped with protective and learning essentials to keep themselves safe while staying focused on their studies, which is why we are distributing this cash aid to undergraduates at University Malaya.”

He said students will be able to easily equip themselves with everyday student essentials, Covid-19 protective equipment and a wide range of stationery items at MR DIY retail stores as well as its online platform using the cash credit given.

In addition, the first 11,000 students who utilise the funds will be entitled to RM10 cashback when they spend a minimum of RM20 using the Touch ‘n Go Wallet.

The promotion applies at MR DIY Group stores, MR DIY Online, as well as the MR DIY mini programme available on Touch ‘n Go eWallet.

The programme is part of a strategic collaboration between MR DIY and Touch ‘n Go which was inked in July this year.

Commenting on the aid programme, Touch ‘n Go group chief executive officer Effendy Shahul Hamid said: “We are extremely pleased that the partnership between our companies has been extended into a benefit for society, in this case, students of University Malaya.

“We stand ready to support this initiative and we commend MR DIY for stepping up during these challenging times.”

All active Malaysian undergraduates at University Malaya are eligible for the aid. They are required to register online via Portal Maya UM by Oct 3, and ensure they have a valid Touch ‘n Go eWallet.

The initiative was lauded by Universiti Malaya’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr Mohd Hamdi Abd Syukor who said: “We are confident this initiative will be of great help to students as they return to campus.”

The #DIY4UM initiative is the latest in a series of collaborations between MR DIY and University Malaysia. MR DIY has for the past four years joined hands with UM and the Ministry of Education to organise the “DIY Made Simple” competition for schools with UM’s Community and Sustainability Center (UMCares).

The competition is a CSR initiative to cultivate awareness of sustainability among schoolchildren.

Visit MR DIY’s website at www.mrdiy.com, e-commerce platform at www.mrdiy.com.my, and social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.

DURING my visit in 1985, I had met the management staff at the plantation in Ghana. The one I remember most was Al Doku.

He was the chief accountant, about 45 years old, working for the managing director, Bill Morrison.

At the meeting in Morrison’s office, he could remember the figures well, and I was impressed. It was just that he was quiet for most of the time, and I could see that his eyes were sad.

At that time, there were many reasons to feel that way. The cedi was devaluing every week, and to go for dinner in town was a major decision for it would involve bringing your money in big wads to pay for it.

This is despite the income from gold that Ghana was blessed with as well as cocoa, which has a flavour that commands a premium. The country also produces shea nut, the fruit of massive trees that grow in the north. The oil is like cocoa butter.

However, that year the food shortage was bad, even potatoes were hard to find. They had to be imported.

Morrison had helped with giving breakfast to the workers, and they would line up for the palm oil, tapioca and fish cooked in large pots in front of them before they started work for the day.

Due to the shortage of hard currency, the plantation too had to make do without many things, and building of workers’ houses was one of them as no imported material was used.

At the housing project for workers, I had no time to ask about Al Doku.

I watched Bill giving instructions to the building supervisor. He was using earth to make a thick wall to build a house, and when it was dry after a few days, he added another level, until the building had a coat of cement and more walls for the rooms. I had not seen a building made in that way before. Bill was thorough.

“Saves a lot of money,” he said, as we had breakfast back in his bungalow. I had fried eggs and a lot of tapioca done very well that they looked like baked potatoes.

I knew that in London Leslie Davidson had advocated using raw materials for buildings, and even for expatriates, he said they could save by eating what is available in the local market and eat like what the locals do, but as usual Bill did not do anything by halves.

“We should be leaving soon to see the country, first to the slave castle at Cape Coast.”

It was in the car that he talked about Al Doku.

“He is going to London on a course that I had arranged for him. But the other reason is it gives him a chance to take his daughter there for treatment. She is losing her eyesight and probably it could be saved by the doctors there.”

“Let him know that I will be in London. I will take him to my house and have lunch with him. He impresses me.”

At the slave castle in Cape Coast, Bill had paid a guide to take us through the full tour. I saw the high white walls and the dark cellars made for the incarceration of human captives. The guide said they were standing in human waste until the time the ship arrived, and they were whipped and pushed through a small exit that all would call the “door of no return”.

We climbed into bright sunlight again to the chapel and the quarters of the commandant. The castle had been fought over by the Swedes, the Norwegians, the Danes and the Dutch before it fell to the English. They traded the slaves in the New World, coming home with cotton and sugar, and out again with cloth and guns to the Gold Coast, and the cycle went on for years.

I was tired after the tour. Bill said to me: “Now I will take you to Elmina castle.”

I did not expect that. It was more or less the same, tiring, as I walked on the hot open yard with rusted cannons lined over the thick stone walls facing the Atlantic below. Coconut trees leaned by the shore where lazy waves lapped away at the sand.

But where our car was parked, we were stopped by many hawkers, who made a brisk business selling handicraft, and what interested me most was the colourful cloth weaved in bright red, yellow and green that I knew was the work of skilled people. The pattern attracted me.

“Fine kente cloth, but tourist prices,” Bill said.

“Can you ask Al Doku if he can bring back a piece and I will pay him in London.”

That was how Al Doku met me again and on a weekend. I invited him for lunch with my family in Surrey and he brought the piece of cloth. It must have cost him a lot of money, and I did not mind paying him a premium for his effort, and it was very beautiful, and probably fit for a minor chief to wear in Ghana.

His daughter was getting medical treatment at a hospital.

I did not hear of Al Doku for many years after I left Unilever, but I still thought of his visit and the lunch like it was yesterday. I had always wondered how he got on after all these years. I remembered him warmly.

By chance, I met him again when he was attending an oil palm conference in Kuala Lumpur. It was just before the conference dinner. I was delighted to see him again and hugged him. I felt a glow of old friendship.

“But I don’t remember you,” he said.

I drew back and explained that he was my guest for lunch in England, and I had bought the kente cloth. I asked him how his daughter was.

But he still could not remember me. Long years had passed but surely he could not have forgotten.

I was told by then he was the managing director of the plantation business. I was upset through the courses of the dinner.

It was at the dessert stage that Al Doku walked up to my table and said with a smile.

“I am so sorry I could not remember you. I think I can remember you now.”

He tried to smile again.

“That’s all right,” I said returning to my dessert.

He tried to be nice to me but the glow of friendship was gone.

The writer has extensive experience in the management of oil palm plantations. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Higher system-wide sales and contributions of recently acquired South Korean value coffee brand boosted earnings of Asian food conglomerate Jollibee Foods Corp. by nearly a quarter in the nine months ending September.

The House of Representatives saw quite a toned-down but more gutsy version of former President Rodrigo Duterte as he refrained from swearing at the House probe into his bloody anti-narcotics campaign.

If you’ve sent kids to college, you’ve probably heard of FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). FAFSA offers federal government aid via loans, grants and work-study options. It determines how much financial aid your children will get for college based on your family’s income and assets. As a parent, that includes your income, investment […]

The post How Do I Avoid the Money in My Bank Disqualifying My Children From Financial Aid for College? appeared first on Clark Howard.

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Mother reportedly pushed her daughters into a water tank before jumping in herself.

Kowalewski’s ascent to K2 was cut short after he complained about a hernia that developed during a load-carrying trip

Group of Russian climbers were trapped after an Avalanch hit the Gasherbrum IV mountain in Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Absconders include 10 awaiting death penalty, serving life sentences

Twitter lauds Umera Ahmed's writing for the emotional reflection and character arc of the girls' PMA journey so far

These chart-topping artists traded stages for scripts, leaving viewers starstruck with their surprise appearances

Met Office warns rains may generate urban flooding; asks travellers, tourists to take extra caution

Jacob Arabo gifted Salman Khan a watch worth millions featuring 714 diamonds and an exclusive design.

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Alleged failures to address key issues lead to growing tensions between high-profile industry leaders in tech world

PM Albanese announces plans for an age verification trial ahead of new legislation aimed at enforcing the ban

This tutorial is going to show you how to create a redirect from Wordpress home page to any URL using the PHP redirect.

The post WordPress. How to create a redirect from a home page to any URL using the PHP redirect appeared first on Template Monster Help.

This tutorial shows how to make pages show posts from certain categories and assign them to top menu in Wordpress.

The post WordPress. How to make pages show posts from certain categories and assign them to top menu appeared first on Template Monster Help.

A fossil of the world's oldest tadpole, which coexisted with dinosaurs in the Middle Jurassic about 165 million years ago, is pictured next to a 3D-printed representation of the tadpole, in Buenos Aires, Argentina October 28, 2024. — Reuters

BUENOS AIRES: Scientists in...

A girl receives polio vaccine drops, during an anti-polio campaign, in a low-income neighborhood in Karachi on July 20, 2020. — Reuters First case in Chagai district confirmed. Lab detects Poliovirus Type-1 .Genetic sequencing of samples underway.

Pakistan...

Farrell died the same day as Grigori Rasputin, the infamous mystic whose story made the subject of Boney M’s hit...

Rex agreed to purchase planes for $US2 million, paying a $200,000 deposit but failed to make further payments in 2020

Afghan girls are part of a TV channel that is broadcasting the entire Afghan curriculum for girls out of school

More than 100 people remain missing, while some 800 people have been injured

Our leaders have failed to show their unwavering commitment to two of the most pressing challenges facing our nation.

In a country where millions go to bed hungry every night, 40% of the total food produced is being wasted annually.

Ryan Reynolds marked the Disney+ release of Deadpool & Wolverine on November 12 by sharing a humorous deleted scene from the film.

Four months after the movie’s theatrical debut, Reynolds celebrated its streaming launch by posting the unseen clip on his Instagram stories and X...

Karachi’s coastline is deteriorating due to plastic and sewage waste, putting marine life at serious risk.

Computerised weighing scales have been installed

Privacy: In a series of posts on this blog, we have shown how practically everything our parents took for granted with regards to privacy has been completely eliminated for our children, just because they use digital tools instead of analog, and the people interpreting the laws are saying that privacy only applies to the old, analog environment of our parents.

Once you agree with the observation that privacy seems to simply not apply for our children, merely for living in a digitally-powered environment instead of our parents’ analog-powered one, surprise turns to shock turns to anger, and it’s easy to want to assign blame to someone for essentially erasing five generations’ fight for civil liberties while people were looking the other way.

So whose fault is it, then?

It’s more than one actor at work here, but part of the blame must be assigned to the illusion that that nothing has changed, just because our digital children can use old-fashioned and obsolete technology to obtain the rights they should always have by law and constitution, regardless of which method they use to talk to friends and exercise their privacy rights.

We’ve all heard these excuses.

“You still have privacy of correspondence, just use the old analog letter”. As if the Internet generation would. You might as well tell our analog parents that they would need to send a wired telegram to enjoy some basic rights.

“You can still use a library freely.” Well, only an analog one, not a digital one like The Pirate Bay, which differs from an analog library only in efficiency, and not in anything else.

“You can still discuss anything you like.” Yes, but only in the analog streets and squares, not in the digital streets and squares.

“You can still date someone without the government knowing your dating preferences.” Only if I prefer to date like our parents did, in the unsafe analog world, as opposed to the safe digital environment where predators vanish at the click of a “block” button, an option our analog parents didn’t have in shady bars.

The laws aren’t different for the analog and the digital. The law doesn’t make a difference between analog and digital. But no law is above the people who interpret it in the courts, and the way people interpret those laws means the privacy rights always apply to the analog world, but never to the digital world.

It’s not rocket science to demand the same laws to apply offline and online. This includes copyright law, as well as the fact that privacy of correspondence takes precedence over copyright law (in other words, you’re not allowed to open and examine private correspondence for infringements in the analog world, not without prior and individual warrants — our law books are full of these checks and balances; they should apply in the digital too, but don’t today).

Going back to blame, that’s one actor right there: the copyright industry. They have successfully argued that their monopoly laws should apply online just as it does offline, and in doing so, has completely ignored all the checks and balances that apply to the copyright monopoly laws in the analog world. And since copying movies and music has now moved into the same communications channels as we use for private correspondence, the copyright monopoly as such has become fundamentally incompatible with private correspondence at the conceptual level.

The copyright industry has been aware of this conflict and has been continuously pushing for eroded and eliminated privacy to prop up their crumbling and obsolete monopolies, such as pushing for the hated (and now court-axed) Data Retention Directive in Europe. They would use this federal law (or European equivalent thereof) to literally get more powers than the Police themselves in pursuing individual people who were simply sharing music and movies, sharing in the way everybody does.

There are two other major factors at work. The second factor is marketing. The reason we’re tracked at the sub-footstep level in airports and other busy commercial centers is simply to sell us more crap we don’t need. This comes at the expense of privacy that our analog parents took for granted. Don’t even get started on Facebook and Google.

Last but not least are the surveillance hawks — the politicians who want to look “Tough on Crime”, or “Tough on Terrorism”, or whatever the word of choice is this week. These were the ones who pushed the Data Retention Directive into law. The copyright industry were the ones who basically wrote it for them.

These three factors have working together, and they’ve been very busy.

It’s going to be a long uphill battle to win back the liberties that were slowly won by our ancestors over about six generations, and which have been all but abolished in a decade.

Our children are right to demand Analog Equivalent Privacy Rights — the civil liberties our parents not just enjoyed, but took for granted.

I fear the failure to pass on the civil liberties from our parents to our children is going to be seen as the greatest failure of this particular current generation, regardless of all the good we also accomplish. Surveillance societies can be erected in just ten years, but can take centuries to roll back.

Privacy remains your own responsibility today. We all need to take it back merely by exercising our privacy rights, with whatever tools are at our disposal.

Image from the movie “Nineteen-Eighty Four”; used under fair use for political commentary.

Not a lot of BMX rider use a front brake. But actually many tricks like nosetap-no-footed are just possibil with a front brake and so it's just a question of time and a opinionleader will put a frontbreak and will come up with new variations and new tricks. If you want to be this leader then u should watch the kunstform?! BMX Shop How To put a front brake !

At the moment it is just in german available but will be with english subtitles soon !

On Saturday, August 31st, 2024, the legendary Bank Jam will take place in Berlin – a day full of BMX action and fun! The pre-session starts at 2:30 PM at Hasenheide, before the main event kicks off at 7:00 PM at Südstern.

Therefore, we will close our Berlin shop at 2:00 PM on that day. We look forward to seeing you at Hasenheide!

To get you in the mood, here’s the video from Bank Jam 2023 again.

Today's random set is 4728 Escape from Privet Drive, released during 2002. It's one of 17 Harry Potter sets produced that year. It contains 278 pieces and 3 minifigs, and its retail price was US$30/£24.99.

It's owned by 4,361 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $154.00, or eBay.

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