Exactly one week tomorrow, politicians in Malaysia have been busy campaigning since their nomination as candidates.
It is easy to get intimidated and distracted as I do my research. I look at other people's achievements or at least at what they have attempted to do, and I felt very insufficient or redundant to say the least. Chains suddenly built up. And the movement is limited or paralyzed. Why? Egoism and pride. Humility must prevail. The Bible says we ought to be humble.
2/3 denial for BN is still within sight but opposition is giving me the impression that they are getting too lame. The momentum is slowing for them. We shall see how things progress.
Friday, February 29, 2008
AH! THAT COFFEE AROMA & CREATIVE MIND
Hello! It is not that early but it is early enough for me. 8:30am, and it is the 1st of March 2008. Can you believe it? It is already the third month of the year.
I want to feel like a creative person, and so I woke up early, see my wife off to work, and here I am in front of a computer writing... with a cup of coffee - I like the aroma of it and that explains why a lot of creative minds do the same to keep them fresh/alert/awake. (Remember I was both an architecture and art&design student - and we stayed up many times till 3am.) Adrenaline rush.
I am thinking of writers like Bob Woodward. Yes, a political writer for conservative Washington Post and he wrote many things about the Bush presidents.
And John Grisham? I accidentally read an article about him and I was impressed. He was a US lawyer and politician who writes blockbuster books. He made millions out of that and needless to say, he is now living comfortably, and also he seems and claims to be writing effortlessly now as compared to his earlier days when he said that he had to discipline himself and woke up early every morning (with a cup of coffee!) to start writing as he had then started his full time career as a writer (with the backing of his wife).
I am thrilled with several Malaysian-born writers - and they are famous now. Who does not want to be famous? Most of the time it makes a person wealthy and influential - and if he is wise enough, he can get things done easier. But then again, reality may have it differently. Oh well.
Rehman Rashid. When I was young and small, I remember reading his articles in the local New Straits Times. Now he has found his niche as an articulate observer-cum-writer of the Malaysian way of life.
Karim Raslan. He caught my attention with his book "Cerita Lah!". He was born in Malaysia and raised in Britain. That gave him quite a unique perspective or outlook of this country and its culture - somewhat, the kind of opportunity I had when I was in Texas for five years (1988-93).
Tash Aw. FIRST NOVEL WINNER: TASH AW - THE HARMONY SILK FACTORY. Less is more. This speaks loud enough.
Tunku Halim. Another accidental encounter. I saw him one morning on a TV talk show. He has a weird/strange mannerism. With an Australian accent? Man, this guy is creative.
Marina Mahathir. Her dad's a very influential person in Malaysia. I like her Liberal Doses.
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/index.php?id=1386478
http://www.fusionview.co.uk/2007/03/the-best-malaysian-books-for-my-suitcase/
I want to feel like a creative person, and so I woke up early, see my wife off to work, and here I am in front of a computer writing... with a cup of coffee - I like the aroma of it and that explains why a lot of creative minds do the same to keep them fresh/alert/awake. (Remember I was both an architecture and art&design student - and we stayed up many times till 3am.) Adrenaline rush.
I am thinking of writers like Bob Woodward. Yes, a political writer for conservative Washington Post and he wrote many things about the Bush presidents.
And John Grisham? I accidentally read an article about him and I was impressed. He was a US lawyer and politician who writes blockbuster books. He made millions out of that and needless to say, he is now living comfortably, and also he seems and claims to be writing effortlessly now as compared to his earlier days when he said that he had to discipline himself and woke up early every morning (with a cup of coffee!) to start writing as he had then started his full time career as a writer (with the backing of his wife).
I am thrilled with several Malaysian-born writers - and they are famous now. Who does not want to be famous? Most of the time it makes a person wealthy and influential - and if he is wise enough, he can get things done easier. But then again, reality may have it differently. Oh well.
Rehman Rashid. When I was young and small, I remember reading his articles in the local New Straits Times. Now he has found his niche as an articulate observer-cum-writer of the Malaysian way of life.
Karim Raslan. He caught my attention with his book "Cerita Lah!". He was born in Malaysia and raised in Britain. That gave him quite a unique perspective or outlook of this country and its culture - somewhat, the kind of opportunity I had when I was in Texas for five years (1988-93).
Tash Aw. FIRST NOVEL WINNER: TASH AW - THE HARMONY SILK FACTORY. Less is more. This speaks loud enough.
Tunku Halim. Another accidental encounter. I saw him one morning on a TV talk show. He has a weird/strange mannerism. With an Australian accent? Man, this guy is creative.
Marina Mahathir. Her dad's a very influential person in Malaysia. I like her Liberal Doses.
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/index.php?id=1386478
http://www.fusionview.co.uk/2007/03/the-best-malaysian-books-for-my-suitcase/
IT’S HOW CHILDREN PROCESS THE EXPERIENCE
Children who are spanked or given some form of physical punishment by their parents may be more likely to have sexual problems as adults, a new study finds.
An analysis of four studies by Murray Straus, co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire-Durham, found that children who suffer physical punishment in the form of spanking, hitting or slapping are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior as adults, it is reported by USA Today.
The study, presented Thursday to the American Psychological Association, suggests that spanked children also are more likely to be "physically or verbally coercing" to a sexual partner and engage in masochistic sex, including arousal by spanking, later in life.
Elizabeth Gershoff, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, who reviewed 80 years of spanking research in 2002 in the APA's Psychological Bulletin, said Straus' work appears to be the first to link spanking to sexual problems, USA Today reported.
Gershoff said that even though many children are spanked by their parents, future problems often depend on how the children process the experience and whether they ultimately equate love with physical pain.
An analysis of four studies by Murray Straus, co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire-Durham, found that children who suffer physical punishment in the form of spanking, hitting or slapping are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior as adults, it is reported by USA Today.
The study, presented Thursday to the American Psychological Association, suggests that spanked children also are more likely to be "physically or verbally coercing" to a sexual partner and engage in masochistic sex, including arousal by spanking, later in life.
Elizabeth Gershoff, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, who reviewed 80 years of spanking research in 2002 in the APA's Psychological Bulletin, said Straus' work appears to be the first to link spanking to sexual problems, USA Today reported.
Gershoff said that even though many children are spanked by their parents, future problems often depend on how the children process the experience and whether they ultimately equate love with physical pain.
BLIND MAN REGAINS SIGHT AFTER TOOTH IMPLANT IN EYE
Check this out... a medical phenom!
Bob McNichol has been fighting to get his sight back, tooth and … eye?
The 57-year-old Irishman was blinded two years ago after an aluminum explosion at a recycling plant, AFP reported Thursday. His sight has been miraculously restored after doctors inserted his son’s tooth in his eye.
"I thought that I was going to be blind for the rest of my life," McNichol told RTE state radio, AFP reported.
After doctors told McNichol there was nothing more they could do for him, he heard about an offbeat operation called Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis (OOKP) being performed in England.
OOKP, first performed in Italy in the 1960s, involves creating an artificial cornea by using the patient’s tooth and surrounding bone as a support, AFP reported.
McNichol’s son Robert, 23, donated a tooth, its root and part of his jaw for his father’s surgery. McNichol’s right eye socket was rebuilt, and a lens was inserted into a hole drilled in Robert’s tooth. The procedure required two surgeries lasting a total of 15 hours.
"It is pretty heavy going," McNichol told RTE state radio. "I have enough sight to get around and I can watch television. I have come out from complete darkness to be able to do simple things.”
Bob McNichol has been fighting to get his sight back, tooth and … eye?
The 57-year-old Irishman was blinded two years ago after an aluminum explosion at a recycling plant, AFP reported Thursday. His sight has been miraculously restored after doctors inserted his son’s tooth in his eye.
"I thought that I was going to be blind for the rest of my life," McNichol told RTE state radio, AFP reported.
After doctors told McNichol there was nothing more they could do for him, he heard about an offbeat operation called Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis (OOKP) being performed in England.
OOKP, first performed in Italy in the 1960s, involves creating an artificial cornea by using the patient’s tooth and surrounding bone as a support, AFP reported.
McNichol’s son Robert, 23, donated a tooth, its root and part of his jaw for his father’s surgery. McNichol’s right eye socket was rebuilt, and a lens was inserted into a hole drilled in Robert’s tooth. The procedure required two surgeries lasting a total of 15 hours.
"It is pretty heavy going," McNichol told RTE state radio. "I have enough sight to get around and I can watch television. I have come out from complete darkness to be able to do simple things.”
Saturday, February 23, 2008
I WANT THE CHICKEN BREAST
Aha... it is the election fever again... not only in America but also right here in Malaysia.
And it is at this time that we see many lobbyists at full throttle.
One candidate Yong Teck Lee finally gets to contest in this election after a court case that disqualified him to contest in the last Malaysian polls (2004).
He is a party president; he was a former chief minister of Sabah. He has all the connections and privileges of a powerful politician. In my perspective, he has been given the opportunity to have at least a "chicken feet" of the political meal.
But Yong is Yong. He wants the best. He wants the chicken breast.
He could have chosen Tawau. Instead he replaced the incumbent Shim Pau Fatt and gave it to Chua Soon Bui. What generous man he is. Talk about leadership by example.
The following day he explained that no one is a "spare tyre" in his party. And he would patiently wait for an opportunity to get his "chicken breast"... which is the prized Kota Kinabalu seat. "I am not familiar with Tawau. I have lost touch with the constituents there. Let a local handle Tawau," he said.
Good job Yong. I can't say you are not "greedy". But I can say that you are playing your card well! Others (especially in Sabah and especially the Bumiputeras) have much to learn from this matured and learned politician!
And it is at this time that we see many lobbyists at full throttle.
One candidate Yong Teck Lee finally gets to contest in this election after a court case that disqualified him to contest in the last Malaysian polls (2004).
He is a party president; he was a former chief minister of Sabah. He has all the connections and privileges of a powerful politician. In my perspective, he has been given the opportunity to have at least a "chicken feet" of the political meal.
But Yong is Yong. He wants the best. He wants the chicken breast.
He could have chosen Tawau. Instead he replaced the incumbent Shim Pau Fatt and gave it to Chua Soon Bui. What generous man he is. Talk about leadership by example.
The following day he explained that no one is a "spare tyre" in his party. And he would patiently wait for an opportunity to get his "chicken breast"... which is the prized Kota Kinabalu seat. "I am not familiar with Tawau. I have lost touch with the constituents there. Let a local handle Tawau," he said.
Good job Yong. I can't say you are not "greedy". But I can say that you are playing your card well! Others (especially in Sabah and especially the Bumiputeras) have much to learn from this matured and learned politician!
Monday, February 18, 2008
POLITICS OF THE TIMES
Someone told me that I have the gift of loyalty and insights. I am going to use my gift of insights to share with the world of the Malaysian and American political scenario.
I didn't go to Harvard or Yale or MIT, or Oxford or Cambridge. But I went to Texas A&M to study architecture, albeit incomplete with one year to go for a BED -- but I may not do it. Anyhow, I completed a BFA in Graphic Design at West Texas A&M. With this academic credentials as my background, I share my thoughts.
And oh, I have also been in the journalism realm for 10 years in 2008. Why journalism and not graphic design, one may ask? I like to think and share through words, not merely through visuals.
My family political background influenced me. Dad's brothers were pioneer politicians in Sabah and so does mom's brothers; so my family is like the Kennedys or Bushs of Sabah politics. But unfortunately for me that has been forgotten -- at least for now. The Federal brand of politics has bulldozed its way into Sabah thus changing the local landscape. The Manjajis and the Mojuntins have been silently marginalised.
Never mind all that. Life goes on.
Barack Obama is going to be the next president of the US. He is creatively intelligent and he knows how to use that to his political advantage, and now his popularity is like none other in his generation -- he is akin to that of a rock star. He makes Americans interested in politics again. But once he takes office, who knows what is going to happen after that. Jimmy Carter's record possibly provides some hint.
BN in Malaysia will again form the government come March 8. But they will lose their 2/3 majority. Why? Because non-Malays and non-Muslims are fed-up with the BN government's extremely pro-Malay and pro-Muslim policies. I am not a die-hard Hindraf fan, but the people there lead the way for minority Malaysians. Having said all that, let's hope the peace and economic progress would continue to prevail in the country.
I didn't go to Harvard or Yale or MIT, or Oxford or Cambridge. But I went to Texas A&M to study architecture, albeit incomplete with one year to go for a BED -- but I may not do it. Anyhow, I completed a BFA in Graphic Design at West Texas A&M. With this academic credentials as my background, I share my thoughts.
And oh, I have also been in the journalism realm for 10 years in 2008. Why journalism and not graphic design, one may ask? I like to think and share through words, not merely through visuals.
My family political background influenced me. Dad's brothers were pioneer politicians in Sabah and so does mom's brothers; so my family is like the Kennedys or Bushs of Sabah politics. But unfortunately for me that has been forgotten -- at least for now. The Federal brand of politics has bulldozed its way into Sabah thus changing the local landscape. The Manjajis and the Mojuntins have been silently marginalised.
Never mind all that. Life goes on.
Barack Obama is going to be the next president of the US. He is creatively intelligent and he knows how to use that to his political advantage, and now his popularity is like none other in his generation -- he is akin to that of a rock star. He makes Americans interested in politics again. But once he takes office, who knows what is going to happen after that. Jimmy Carter's record possibly provides some hint.
BN in Malaysia will again form the government come March 8. But they will lose their 2/3 majority. Why? Because non-Malays and non-Muslims are fed-up with the BN government's extremely pro-Malay and pro-Muslim policies. I am not a die-hard Hindraf fan, but the people there lead the way for minority Malaysians. Having said all that, let's hope the peace and economic progress would continue to prevail in the country.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
BARACK HAS A DREAM
Barack Obama was at his spine-tingling best in this speech on Sunday 22 January 2008 at King's Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, reaching oratorical heights that the other candidates could only dream of. It was Martin Luther King day and the South Carolina primary coming up, and the Democratic frontrunner was reaching out for the African-American votes. Obama went on to win Georgia and South Carolina primaries.
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