Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by minority

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima

minority — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:09:13 +0800

QUOTE

Brazil's Ronaldo to quit in 2011

Two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo has announced he will retire from professional football at the end of next year.

The Brazilian, regarded as one of the best footballers ever, has spent most of his career in Europe but will end it with Corinthians in his homeland.

"I've already made up my mind - these will be my last two," said the striker.

Ronaldo, 33, has scored 62 goals in 97 appearances for Brazil and hopes to be in squad for this summer's World Cup.

The striker, who is the all-time leading World Cup finals scorer with 15 goals, said there was "still a possibility" of a call-up for the South Africa tournament - despite not playing for Brazil, which will host the 2014 competition, since 2006.

"But for 2014 it's impossible - time goes by for everyone," he added.

Ronaldo extended his contract with Corinthians on Monday and said of his remaining time at the club: "I'll give my best and I'm hoping to have some fun and win many significant titles."

It will bring an end to his 17-year-career, during which time the Brazilian formed part of the World Cup winning teams of 1994 and 2002.

The striker also played in the 1998 World Cup final, when Brazil were beaten by France.

The match became famous as Ronaldo's name was mysteriously missing from the team sheet, but reappeared shortly before the kick-off and he gave an under-par performance.

It subsequently emerged that he had suffered a convulsion but had been cleared to play in the match in Paris.

The striker, who began his career with Cruzeiro in his home country, won the Fifa Player of the Year and the Ballon D'or awards in 1997 and 2002, also being handed the former prize in 1996.

He moved to PSV Eindhoven while still a teenager, scoring 42 goals in 45 matches.

The striker soon came to the attention of Sir Bobby Robson's Barcelona, whom he joined in 1996, scoring 34 goals in 37 league matches.

But he only stayed at the Nou Camp for a season, switching to Inter Milan for a then-record fee of £18m, helping the Italian side win the Uefa Cup during his five years with the club.

However, it was at Inter that he suffered the first of a series of debilitating knee injuries that would affect the rest of his career.

His next club was Real Madrid, who won the Primera Division crown during his first season at the Bernabeu.

He returned to Italy in 2007 with AC Milan but made 20 only league appearances, before later joining Corinthians.

As to his future after he hangs up his boots, Ronaldo's agent Fabiano Farah said: "Ronaldo will become a representative of Corinthians abroad.

"We will combine his name and the importance it has with the strength of the club."

Sausage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8529228.stm

You can now start weeping.

Or you can remember the time you first saw him (slim) working those legs.

And then realise how old you are since the last time he was slim was long ago.

End of an era though.

cheers

[addedon]August 20, 2010, 7:18 pm[/addedon]Oh, and shoot me twice in the gut for slowness.

China Police

minority — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:30:16 +0800

Rich professional in China was stopped by a man who says he needs a ride because his stomach was hurting. Rich dude gave him a ride.

Rich dude got arrested for operating an illegal taxi.

The following is Rich dude "R" complaining to the cops "U".

QUOTE

[Complaint] Unit: You are XXX?
Response: Yes.
U: Do you already know about your matter?
R: Know what?
U: Your matter of illegally operating a black taxi.
R: What I am appealing to you is that I was not operating a black taxi, I was driving my own car on the road to work.
U: That person wanted to ride your car.
R: Initially I did not let him aboard, but then he said his stomach was hurting very badly, that [where he needed to go] was just ahead, that he couldn’t find a taxi, and begged me to help him a little.
U: You gave him a ride just because he asked you to give him a ride? Did you know him?
R: I did not know him, he said he stomach hurt. Initially I told him that that I am a regular driver and I won’t take him [because he is not a taxi or black taxi], but then my heart softened and I let him get on the car.
U: What does his stomach hurting have anything to do with you?
R: …(silent for a moment)
R: Aren’t you [the government] telling everyone that we’re hosting the World Expo, that Shanghainese people must show their manners? Aren’t we supposed to warmly treat foreign friends and help people?
U: …(two second silence), did you know him? What are you talking about these things for?
R: I am saying the ZF calls on us to do these things, aren’t these what is being promoted to citizens?
U: You let him aboard is intent of illegal vehicle operation [operate black taxi].
R: How can you say this? Then the donations to the earthquake disaster area, did the entire country’s citizens all know those people? I also donated, but I bet you and the Minhang District Traffic Enforcement Unit did not.
U: Don’t drag in these things, if you did not know him, then what did you let him on the car for?
R: I let him on truly because I sympathized after he asked to get a ride because his stomach hurt.
U: You not knowing him but still letting him on means you were operating a black taxi.
R: Those people Lei Feng helped, he did not know any of them.
U: (suddenly exploding) O yo, you compare yourself to Lei Feng, you are really something.

Later there is even more ridiculous and shamelessness…

The complaint telephone line’s continued absurd logic and shameless rhetoric:

U: You should just see this matter this way, just settle the problem, making a fuss is not good either.
R: I do not understand what you are saying, how should I settle the problem?
U: By accepting that even if you are not a professional black taxi operator, your action of carrying the passenger yesterday is operating a black taxi.R: I already said, I did not accept a single fen [cent] of money, did not intend to let him board, and it was only because he said his stomach hurt and that his house was only up ahead that I let him get on.
U: Enough, enough, this is how it will be, further complaining will be no good for you, you are an educated person.
R: Educated or not, citizens who have not violated the law all have the right to defend their own name/innocence.
U: How can you not even understand this, do you understand what I mean?
R: I don’t understand, you’re trying to say that paying the fine would “reduce a big problem into a small problem, and a small problem into no problem”?
U: Exactly exactly, this way is better for everyone.
R: Then do I still need to pay 10,000 and accept the charge of operating a black taxi?
U: If you continue this way then there is nothing else to say to you.
R: I still want to ask how your so-called “law enforcement officers” are any different from bandits and robbers? Why did they immediately twist both of my arms back and grab my neck [headlock?]? I asked them to present their arrest warrant but they didn’t have one, and then they pushed me onto a van, I asked them to produce their papers and all they did was flash them from afar while covering the names. I did not break the law, so what right do they have to do all of this?
U: That was because you were not cooperating with law enforcement.
R: What law did I break?
U: If you do not cooperate then there is only forceful enforcement.
R: What law did I break?
U: You are suspected of operating a black taxi.
R: If there is only suspicion, then you cannot determine there was a violation of the law. So why did those seven-eight people twist my hands behind my back and hold me by my neck?
U: I told you, you were not being cooperative.
R: If they were law enforcement officers, they should show their papers/credentials/identification, and I would cooperate. Besides, how could I as one person fight against seven-eight people? These seven-eight people immediately pressed me down and held me by my neck the momen they got on, and then pushed me onto the van. This is restricting my physical freedom.
U: This was for your protection.
R: Protect me from what? So absurd, violently coercively twisting my arms behind my back and holding me by my neck is considered protecting me?
U: Of course it is protecting you.
R: There is this kind of protecting? This is violating me, restricting my physical freedom.
U: In the process of enforcing the law, there is even more/worse hitting of criminals.
R: Hitting criminals is also not right, and I am not a criminal either.
U: You were uncooperative, I did not say you were a criminal.
R: Since you admit I am not a criminal, and have said it is only suspicion, then why do you still believe this kind of violent action is correct?
U: Some people who have been caught will find a brick to hit their own heads, or hit themselves against walls, so this was to protect you.
R: I did not hit myself against a wall, nor did I nor would I use a brick to hit my own head. The situation right now is that this group of people violently coercively kidnapped me. Do I need this kind of “protection”?
U: This was for your own good.
R: I seriously think you guys are not being reasonable, much less moral/ethical.
U: You are not listening. Even after I have explained to you, you still are this stupid.
U: I will not say anything more, you look out for yourself…(hangs up phone)….

sausage: http://www.chinasmack.com/stories/driver-a...hai-black-taxi/

Hilarious.

cheers

Scientists make sperm in lab

minority — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:15:32 +0800

In case you're wondering, this is NOT A STORY ABOUT SCIENTISTS MASTURBATING IN A LAB.

QUOTE

Scientists claim sperm 'first'

By Fergus Walsh
BBC medical correspondent

Scientists in Newcastle claim to have created human sperm in the laboratory in what they say is a world first.

The researchers believe the work could eventually help men with fertility problems to have a baby.

But other experts say they are not convinced that fully developed sperm have been created.

Writing in the journal Stem Cells and Development, the Newcastle team say it will be at least five years before the technique is perfected.

They began with stem cell lines derived from human embryos donated following IVF treatment.

The stem cells had been removed when the embryo was a few days old and were stored in tanks of liquid nitrogen.

The stem cells were brought to body temperature and put in a chemical mixture to encourage them to grow. They were "tagged" with a genetic marker which enabled the scientists to identify and separate so-called "germline" stem cells from which eggs and sperm are developed.

The male, XY stem cells underwent the crucial process of "meiosis" - halving the number of chromosomes. The process over creating and developing the sperm took four to six weeks.

Understanding sperm

The Newcastle team say the sperm were fully mature, mobile sperm and they have produced a video to back up the research.

Professor Karim Nayernia at Newcastle University and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute says: "This is an important development as it will allow researchers to study in detail how sperm forms and lead to a better understanding of infertility in men - why it happens and what is causing it.

"This understanding could help us develop new ways to help couples suffering infertility so they can have a child which is genetically their own.

"It will also allow scientists to study how cells involved in reproduction are affected by toxins, for example, why young boys with leukaemia who undergo chemotherapy can become infertile for life - and possibly lead us to a solution."

However, Professor Nayernia stressed the researchers had no intention of "producing human life in a dish".

But Dr Allan Pacey, a sperm biologist at the University of Sheffield, said he was not convinced the sperm were fully developed.

"The quality of the images is not of sufficiently high resolution and I would need more data. They are early sperm, but functional tests would be needed to know exactly what has been achieved."

The sperm cannot be used for fertility treatment as this is prohibited under UK law. The scientists in Newcastle say it will be at least five years before the technique is perfected - when they believe it should be available to help infertile men.

This research also raises ethical issues. Josephine Quintavalle from Comment on Reproductive Ethics (Corethics) said: "This is an example of immoral madness. Perfectly viable human embryos have been destroyed in order to create sperm over which there will be huge questions of their healthiness and viability.

"It's taking one life in order to perhaps create another. I'm very much in favour of curing infertility but I don't think you can do whatever you like."

sausage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8138963.stm

This is madness. I oppose sperm being made in labs. It will bring a whole new undesirable meaning to porn.

cheers

Superstition

minority — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:20:01 +0800

Hi guys,

/k/ today had 444 pages:

Now feel free to fit this event into your reasoning behind why you ha such a shitty day today.

I'm superstitious myself. I never watch porn and/or see a naked woman within 48 hours before an exam. Never.

But then again, that might be quite practical.

cheers

Windows XP Setup not really setting up

minority — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 23:16:03 +0800

Hi guys,

Right I've just changed my mobo and so I couldn't boot up my old install of Windows anymore. New install it is.

Problem is, I get into the blue screen bit of the XP setup, format the partition I want to use and then it copies the needed files into. Now, by my experience it should now go into the more beautiful GUI bit of the setup but surprisingly it goes back into the blue screen part and it tells me that I already have one copy of Windows installed while at the same time I notice no change in the amount of free space in the partition I used.

Any ideas?

cheers

Temporarily Changing Mobos

minority — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:45:06 +0800

Hi there I'm planning to temporarily change my Mobo (and subsequently the processor and gfx card) for a few months and then revert to the old hardware.

Now I understand what needs to be done to move on to the newer hardwares, but is it possible to simply revert to the older components (the older ones are much much older) without doing any extra actions?

Thanks in Advance!

cheers