kueytoc

Highlights of 2009 before the New Year 2010 begins.

Van der Sar granted leave after wife collapses AFP - Wednesday, December 30 MANCHESTER (AFP) - – Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has been granted indefinite compassionate leave after his wife suffered a brain haemorrhage, according to manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The 39-year-old former Dutch international, who has been absent since last month's win over Everton with a knee injury, is still regarded as United's number one choice goalkeeper ahead of Thomas Kuszack and Ben Foster when he is fit. Van de Sar had returned to the Netherlands over the festive period to receive treatment from the national team doctor. But his 36-year-old wife Annemarie van Kesteren collapsed last Wednesday as Van der Sar and his young family were preparing to celebrate Christmas and the goalkeeper has been granted permission to stay away from Manchester. Ferguson said: "Annemarie had a problem over in Holland a week ago and has been admitted to hospital. That is the best place for her to be. They have examined her twice and are trying to get to the root of it. "I have told Edwin to stay over there. There is no point in him being here. The best thing is for him to be with his wife. Hopefully she will make a good recovery." On the footballing front, Ferguson is convinced that although his side and league leaders Chelsea are seen as the two dominant sides in the Premier League, teams much lower down the table will still believes they have a chance of winning the title this season. If United beat Wigan on Wednesday, they will close the gap on Chelsea to just two points and only 10 points separate the top five sides. "It is so tight, when you see it grouped up like that, even teams as low as eighth will think 'maybe we can do it this year' and football is like that," Ferguson added. "It gives you an optimism that might not be realistic but you should be optimistic about your chances. "It is that kind of league at the moment which has been lacking a consistent team that can win a few on a row." When United last played Wigan in August, they comprehensively outclassed the Lancashire side to win 5-0 at the DW Stadium. Yet Wigan have beaten Aston Villa and Chelsea this season to underline that they are a stronger side than their lowly league position of 15th suggests and Ferguson is determined not to underestimate Wednesday's visitors to Old Trafford. "I know we have a good record against Wigan but you have to respect the victories they've had against Chelsea and Aston Villa this season and they play football. "That's the way (manager) Roberto Martinez wants his team to play. He's got a good philosophy so it should be an entertaining match. I'm pleased we've got centre backs back and it makes a difference for us." United have indeed been buoyed by the return of Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic - two recognised central defenders - although they are still missing the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea and Jonny Evans. United were forced to employ midfielders Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher in defence earlier this month as their defensive plight looked increasingly desperate but the return of Brown and Vidic for the Hull City match on Sunday has steadied Ferguson's side. United will be further helped by the unexpected return of Gary Neville to the squad for the Wigan match as he has made hasty progress from his groin problem and Paul Scholes and Anderson will also be back in contention after recovering from slight knocks. United Star In Vigil As Wife Fights For Life Yesterday, 12:11 pm, ©Sky News 2009 Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is keeping a vigil at his wife's bedside after she suffered a suspected brain haemorrhage. The 39-year-old former Dutch international, who has been absent since last month's win over Everton with a knee injury, had been given permission to return to the Netherlands over the festive period for treatment from the national team doctor. But his 36-year-old wife Annemarie van Kesteren collapsed last Wednesday as the couple and their young family were preparing to celebrate Christmas. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson gave him leave to stay away from club duties for as long as he needs. "Annemarie had a problem over in Holland a week ago and has been admitted to hospital," Sir Alex said. "That is the best place for her to be. They have examined her twice and are trying to get to the root of it. "I have told Edwin to stay over there. There is no point in him being here "The best thing is for him to be with his wife. Hopefully she will make a good recovery." Van der Sar's agent Rob Jansen said it was "private business" but the star is said to be deeply shocked and is being supported by relatives. The couple met when he was shopping in Ms van Kesteren's brother's grocery store and they were married in Amsterdam in 2006. They live in Cheshire and have two children, Joe and Lynn. Van der Sar, who is Holland's most-capped footballer with 130 appearances, arrived in England in 2001 to join Fulham after a successful spell with Italian giants Juventus. He joined United in 2005 where he has won three Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008.

WOW !...this GEMster is worth every $$$ spent. Good catch mate.

WOW !!!...new acquisition ???

Simon Cowell will leave "American Idol": report Reuters - Wednesday, December 23 LOS ANGELES - "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell has decided to quit the top-rated TV talent show when his contract ends in 2010, according to a report in British tabloid The Sun, which would deal a blow to the Fox network. Cowell, 50, has been with the TV juggernaut since the start of "American Idol" in 2002 but his contract expires after the end of Season 9, which starts in January and ends in May 2010, and in the past he has hinted at being bored with his role. His insults to tone-deaf singers are a key factor in luring viewers to the competition that over the past three years has seen its ratings slip, and this season already sees the departure of another original judge, popular Paula Abdul. Cowell's brother Tony, who hosts a weekly radio podcast called "The Cowell Factor", said in a broadcast on Tuesday that Simon was preparing for his last season of "Idol". "A press statement is being prepared which will confirm what everyone expected -- Simon will leave 'Idol' at the end of 2010 to concentrate on bringing the American version of 'The X Factor' to US TV in 2011," Tony Cowell claimed, according to Britain's Sun newspaper. The Sun, like Fox television, is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp media empire. The podcast could not be found later on Tuesday. The Sun report said Tony Cowell had "blurted out the claim" and that the podcast had since been removed. Cowell's publicist and the Fox network in Los Angeles, where "Idol" is produced, both said they had no comment on the reports. Cowell, who has his own record label and produces three other TV talent shows, hinted repeatedly earlier this year that he was growing bored with his stint on "Idol". Abdul quit earlier this year, and she will be replaced on the upcoming season by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. While still America's most-watched TV show, "Idol" audiences slipped in 2009 to an average 26.3 million per twice weekly episode from a high of about 30.8 million in 2006. Cowell, one of the biggest earners on U.S. television, spoke in a British magazine interview earlier this month of his plans to bring his own "The X Factor" British talent show to Las Vegas in a global pay-per-view Internet venture.

CONGRATS !!!...is IT a 'Boy' or 'Girl' ???

WOW !...can zoom-zoom in on ya exotic SCOLYS

Watchmaker 'stands with Tiger' amid new cheating reports AFP - Wednesday, December 23 PALM BEACH, Florida (AFP) - – Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer showed support for embattled Tiger Woods on its website even as a new report emerged that Woods and Rachel Uchitel have resumed their relationship. Four days after Tag Heuer announced it was pulling images of Woods from US advertising in the wake of the sex scandal that has swirled around him, the watchmaker appears to have decided the time was right to back Woods. Tag Heuer's website home page has a huge photograph of Woods with the words "Tag Heuer stands with Tiger Woods" and a link to a news release from last week saying the ad pullback was a supportive move since Woods has announced an indefinite hiatus from golf to work on his personal issues. The move mirrors one made earlier by razor manufacturer Gillette but falls short of the full sponsorship cut made by consulting giant Accenture. Woods has admitted cheating on wife Elin while at least 14 women have claimed to have had affairs with him. Elin has reportedly hired a Hollywood divorce attorney with possible losses for Woods, a 14-time major champion, in a divorce deal including estimates of more than 300 million dollars. His estranged wife is also seeking custody of their children, two-year-old daughter Sam and 10-month-old son Charlie. In Touch magazine reported on its website Tuesday that Woods, who turns 34 next week, has been seeing Uchitel, 34, in Florida near where his yacht "Privacy" is docked. The magazine, quoting an unnamed friend of Uchitel, reported Woods is still involved in a sexual relationship with Uchitel, a New York showclub host who was in the same Australia hotel as Woods when he was there for an event last month. "They have been sleeping together the entire time since the scandal broke," the source told In Touch. "They hooked up in a condo she has been staying at in Palm Beach." "She's madly in love with him and she believes that he loves her as well," the source told In Touch. It was a tabloid report about Uchitel's relationship with Woods two days before the crash that set the stage for the firestorm which has followed. Uchitel had called a news conference earlier this month but canceled, reportedly after being paid more than one million dollars by Woods for her silence.

Spirograph Scolymia is the ultimate high definition coral Do not attempt to adjust your screen. The above image is very real and having seen this coral specimen in person we can attest that this coral looks exactly like the image, no camera or light tricks. The crazies over at Aquatic Auctions have somehow made their peace with selling this coral and they will be listing the top shelf specimen before the weekend. The bidding will start at $1 and we look forward to seeing what the free market value of this ungradable Scolymia turns out to be. Furthermore, this picture is just a sneak peek of the “Spirograph Scoly†and if you think that the pic is wysiwyg, the image crop actually cuts out a lot of additional detail and features in this truly unique coral. The Spiro Scoly is the Silver Arrow of corals and we’ll be spectating the AquaticAuction to see just how fanatical rare coral seekers can get when it comes to the cream of the crop.

WOW !!!...swee pics. Any CHEVRON babe ???

Any PICs ???

No big deal: Ong Ai Leng isn't fussed about endorsing bust-enhancement Xin.sg - Friday, December 18 Ong Ai Leng's career got a lift recently. It has nothing to do with TV, though. The 31-year-old is one of the two celebrity spokespersons (the other being fellow actress Priscelia Chan) for a beauty salon chain's bust enhancement treatment. Though she hasn't appeared on TV much lately (her last drama was the Singapore-Malaysian co-production Romantic Delicacies, which aired here in August) and her newest drama The Best Things in Life will debut only in March next year, the Malaysian-born lass says she already "gets recognized more often [here] nowadays. Maybe it has something to with this ad campaign." You may have seen the print as well as TV commercials featuring the two ladies dressed in fuss-free outfits but with one consistent, outstanding detail - an unadorned, plunging neckline. "I felt comfortable throughout the whole campaign process, doing it with Priscelia. It was kinda funny shooting the commercial, like having two women showing off their chests!" Her hearty guffaws and toothsome smiles weren't the overt embarrassment or annoying enthusiasm one would have expected when questioned about the whole bosom beautifying thing. "I didn't mind trying this [treatment] out. It didn't require surgery," she quips noncommittally. Her take on the matter is, er, firm. "I feel that breast enhancement is something you should do for yourself. It's not to impress other people. And I think it's important for women to take care of their ######, like wearing the right bra size, making sure they don't lose their shape and firmness." she added. Coming from a family where "my sisters are unbelievably big [at the chest]," the self-confessed late-bloomer, who "used to be teased for being a fei ji chang," (literally 'airport' in Mandarin, referring to a flat chest) must have experienced some kind of ######-envy. Apparently not. The former model "never had an issue with my chest. I never thought that they were too small or I'm not satisfied with them." Rather, her love for bikinis may have had a part to play in inking the deal. "When you see girls who are well-endowed wearing bikinis, you naturally imagine what it'll be like if your chest was like that (laughs)." Her bra size has since increased from its previous B-cup after a few months' worth of treatment (which included massage and essential oils). In fact, she says it's "doubled to a D-cup. Which came as a bit of a shock, because you'd imagine the most they'll increase would be by one cup size. But that was a nice surprise!" she beams. "I texted my sister later that day, saying 'Eh, D-cup leh!' Haha!" She won't be getting a brand new wardrobe to show off her fuller chest, though. "For the ads, the clothes were selected such the results are really noticeable. But in real life, I won't deliberately wear something revealing. Unless the occasion calls for it, I'm dressed casually like this (points to her striped tee-shirt)." Clearly this is one gal who's comfortable with her body, which she describes as "proportionate". And, as we found out, the body part she likes most still aren't her twin peaks, instead it belongs to the lower section-her legs. We couldn't agree more. Sporting denim shorts during our interview, the statuesque one (she's 1.7m tall) has such shapely pair of gams that seem to go on forever, we think a beauty deal for those lean, long limbs is only fair. Any takers for shaving or depilatory cream ?

Nocturnal Emissions... Ooops !

It must have 'beo-woof' ya sexy mermaid pics...until it 'beh-tahan' liao.

Yeah hoping to see ya swee-swee exotic 'IKON'.

Yeah I agree. Ya GEMs are a real beauty mate.

Sigh...!!!

'Flame Hater'...apa ini ???

Welcome Back mate !...eagerly anticipating a great tank.

Hurry...Hurry...more solid PHOTOs please !

Wah...the 'UNWANTED' is the most COVETED.