The Great Magician

Cyril: Simply Magic

November 2009

By Joe Hizul

Cyril: Simply Magic

Can magic change the world? That’s what Cyril Takayama intends to find out.

Cyril, born of a Japanese father and a Moroccan-French mother, is best known in Japan for his street magic performances, in the same vein as that other, better known street magician, David Blaine. Mention street magic around, and chances are, Blaine’s name will crop out more often than Cyril’s. Hardly surprising since Blaine’s TV series has aired world wide since 1997, whereas Cyril is well-known only in Japan and on the WWW. But thus said, Blaine is more famously, or some would say infamously, known for his outrageous and outlandish endurance acts, while Cyril just do very simple but entertaining and cool street performances, which many fans says simply trumps Blaine off completely.

Netizens certainly will need no introduction to Cyril as he is quite popular on-line. He is also very big in Japan, in fact he’s so popular there that it was reported that to go out, Cyril need to wear disguises. A lot of his performances are readily available on You Tube, and I must say, they are quite entertaining. One of Cyril’s signature tricks is having his head fall off his shoulder, and this he does so convincingly that the first time I saw it, it gave me goose bumps.

Cyril: Simply Magic marks Cyril very first TV special made outside of Japan, and will attempts to give international TV audiences this best kept (magic) secret from Japan. In this TV special, Cyril will not only share his amazing magic skills, but bring along viewers on a journey of self-discovery.

Here, Cyril focuses on the idea that magic can affect people’s lives positively, that it’s more than just entertainment. Cyril will prove that magic has the potential to bring happiness, and through happiness, brings hope. Watch as he interacts will all kinds of people from all walks of life. Share his desires; his insights; his dreams… stuff that you won’t see on You Tube.

At the start of the special Cyril asks, “Can a flip of a card change lives? Can an illusion change emotion? Can magic change the world?...” . Find out for yourself in this 3-part TV special. You be the judge.

As Cyril keeps on saying, Anything can be real!. I couldn’t agree more.

Church attacks: Voices from Malaysia

(BBC News) Several Christian churches have been attacked since Friday in Malaysia in a dispute over the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims.

A High Court ruling overturning a government ban on the use of Allah by non-Muslims has raised concerns among Muslim groups that by using a name so closely associated with Islam, Christians are trying to win converts.

Here, Muslims and Christians in Malaysia discuss the issues behind the attacks.

Pat Lu, web consultant, Kuala Lumpur

I am one of the administrators of a Facebook group which calls for everybody in Malaysia to be allowed to use the name Allah. The group has been growing rapidly in the last few days and we now have more than 68,000 members.

Because of the Facebook group, people take me as a leader, so I've received many calls and messages from Christians from all over the country saying how concerned they are about the attacks.

Because violence triggers more violence we are discouraging all Malaysians, irrespective of ethnicity and religion, from joining any street protests. It's better to participate in a cyber rally and have a dialogue online.

This has never happened in Malaysia before - attacking places of worship. Ours is a multi-cultural society, we've always lived in harmony.

The government should take responsibility for what's happened. They should not mix religion with politics and they should allow people to practise their faith. It's none of anybody else's business how I call my God.

Hussin Zin, retired company manager, Petaling Jaya

I appreciate the concerns of some Muslims in Malaysia, but I do not condone violence. The general view here is that this is the work of extremists. Malaysian Muslims are peaceful people, we are not of the terrorist kind.

We enjoy religious tolerance in Malaysia and different religious groups celebrate their festivals together.

There are fringe elements in every society. I am not so concerned about the attacks, but about the way the government is handling this issue.

Instead of banning the word in a Christian journal, they should have pushed for an inter-religious dialogue and invited religious groups to discuss and come up with a solution.

Everyone's been talking about this issue in the last week or so and there has been a strong reaction and many different views.

Most Muslim people, especially those who are well educated, are open-minded. The name "Allah" is used by Christians in the Middle East. Why should there be a problem? It's between you and God.

Nordin Abdullah, businessman, Kuala Lumpur
There is a concern in the country that Muslims could be misled and confused with Christians using Allah to address God. There are concerns that certain Christian groups are trying to convert Muslims this way.

Many Muslims will agree that it's not the use, but the misuse of the word. "Allah" means one, undividable God. It becomes misleading when used outside its historical context.


It's against Islamic teachings to attack churches and I am sure the majority of Malaysians don't think it's acceptable
The main problem is the idea of Allah having a son - this is not the original context of the word.

Whatever the views on this subject, nobody wants to see any kind of tension, whether it's ethnic or religious. The attacks on Christian churches are not the right way to respond to the issue. They are not very Malaysian. Differences should be resolved through an open discussion, not violent attacks.

It's interesting that these attacks are happening at a time when our prime minister is promoting the idea of "One Malaysia", where the emphasis is on the common ground, not on ethnic or religious divisions.

I don't know if this is a coincidence, but it seems strange that this tension is happening at a good time, when things are beginning to get better for everyone.

No-one seems to have the answer. If you ask me - these attacks are not organised, they are not part of something bigger. It's stupidity and it's against Islamic teachings to attack churches and I am sure the majority of Malaysians don't think it's acceptable.

Waihon Liew, university lecturer of global religions, Rawang

The attacks are very sad because we have managed to live harmoniously in the past. I was a bit nervous that they could escalate and get bigger, but I am happy that didn't happen.

The government is taking a lot of security measures around places of worship and I don't feel scared about going to church. Our government is doing the right thing, they are looking to promote dialogue and better understanding of religious issues.

I believe there might be a different agenda behind these attacks, not necessarily to do with the religious issue. It's still early to make a final decision, but it's possible that behind it are people who do not want to see the country as a tolerant and harmonious society. But this is a small group of people.

I think the government is in a tricky situation, it is not an easy task to govern a multi-racial society and it's not possible to please everyone. We need to find a middle ground, we need to cultivate peace and harmony, but we don't want to compromise in terms of religious doctrine.

The name Allah belongs to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Some Muslims may not even realise that it's been used long before Mohammad by Jews and Christians. Allah cannot be called anything else.

http://www.malaysia-today.net

Mr.Bean - "The library" 1990

NNEY Favourite

May I please borrow RM 25?

A woman came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find her
5-year old son waiting for her at the door.

SON: 'Mummy, may I ask you a question?'
MUM: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the woman.
SON: 'Mummy, how much do you make an hour?'
MUM: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the
woman said angrily.

SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'
MUM: 'If you must know, I make RM 50 an hour.'
SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: 'Mummy, may I please borrow RM 25?'

The mother was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money
to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room
and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.'

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The woman sat down and started to get even angrier about the little
boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the woman had calmed down, and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that RM25 and
he really didn't ask for money very often. The woman went to the door of the little boy's room
and opened the door.

'Are you asleep, son?' She asked.
'No Mummy, I'm awake,' replied the boy.

'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the woman.
'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you.
Here's the RM 25 you asked for.'

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you Mummy!'
he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The woman saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.
The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his mother.
'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the mother grumbled.
'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied.

'Mummy, I have RM 50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?
Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'

The mother was crushed.
She put his arms around her little son, and she begged for his forgiveness.

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip
through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us,
those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that RM 50 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us
in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for
the rest of their lives.

Be very careful when playing near waterfalls.

I love this Doctor

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster.
Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc. Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present.'

Gold Fish - Truly Shocking ----see it to belive it!

This is an amazing creation of the The Lord, Creator. Gold Fish, which was found in the sea in Taiwan was put to display in Taiwan’s Natural Museum. Scientists have found that some of the parts of this beautiful fish are of 24 carat pure gold. The fish entirely is golden in color.