In spite of warnings from PM and IGP that the rally is illegal and stern action will be taken
and they paid for their own fares!
Government fed by the people
Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.
Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?
When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.
Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
As a last resort when PM refuses to listen...
Can Nazri claim this is not a crowd?
In spite of warnings from PM and IGP that the rally is illegal and stern action will be taken
and they paid for their own fares!
In spite of warnings from PM and IGP that the rally is illegal and stern action will be taken
and they paid for their own fares!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Schoolboy fantasy and fatal attraction
This is every schoolboy's fantasy
and this is fatal attraction
and this is fatal attraction
More rantings from Marina...
Friday, November 9, 2007
Young Women Deserve Better, Don't They?
Hat-tip to Nuraina Samad for alerting us on Puteri UMNO chief Noraini Ahmad's dimwit speech at the UMNO GA.
At a time when young women are more than 60% of university students and are facing all sorts of challenges, what they need most are good leaders and examples. That means women who care about them and who inspire them with their intelligence and ideas. Noraini unfortunately is not it. Which disappoints me greatly because I have met her before and she seemed like a bright enough spark.
One thing I do know about leadership is that you can't come to the table with absolutely no ideas yourself. You have to have the ideas, you must be able to articulate and persuade people why you think they are good ideas and you must be open to criticism on them and work out some solution to those. You cannot simply repeat what has been said before and even then with the shallowest of introspection of whether those ideas are worth anything or not.
I happen to believe that the future of this country belongs to young women and will be driven by young women. In them I have seen the most eagerness and enthusiasm to do something good. None of the complacency that you find in many young men who think that the world owes them a living. There are many young women who have so much talent, creativity and drive...all they need is the opportunity to fulfil that potential.
What Puteri UMNO and other organisations should be doing is ensuring that the space that young women have to achieve their ambitions is constantly enlarged and made safe. That means ensuring that laws that discriminate against women are repealed, that violence against women is an issue that is taken very seriously as a blight on society, that women's voices are heard in every arena that affects them. Which is pretty much everywhere, including in politics.
But when a little girl is killed, what does Puteri do but blame the parents? How simplistic is that, not to mention insensitive?
When many women are bloggers, why does Puteri call on the government to come down hard on blogging as in this report in The Sun: She said the Sedition Act, Internal Security Act, Officials Secrets Act and Printing Presses and Publications Act must be enforced to the fullest as irresponsible acts by bloggers caused tension among people of different races and religions. Oh my, my! I'm surprised she didn't mention bloggers causing tension between the sexes (with her flag firmly planted on the male side of the fence!).
And how's this for a simpleton's analysis? On the brain drain experienced by Malaysia, Noraini said if students fail to come back and serve the country once they completed their studies, they should be penalised with higher interest on her loans.
"To avoid brain drain, local universities must be strengthened to be on par with international standards."
My dear, firstly, the brain drain is not caused by people not coming back. It's caused by people leaving. There is a subtle difference. You have to look at what's making them leave, not just not wanting to come back. And how do you even collect repayment of loans with higher interest (eh, isn't that unIslamic?) from people who aren't here?
Secondly, yes I do agree that local universities need to be strengthened and be on par with international standards. After all, most university students are young women and we should expect high standards from them. But that's not going to be enough to stop people leaving. We need academic freedom, we need a university environment that supports and celebrates diversity, we need wholistic university experiences that encourages students to participate in many activities and sports and one that that does not segregate by race. What is the point of having students who graduate with the inability to adapt themselves in a society that is socially diverse and competitive? One way to make sure there is no 'brain drain' is of course to make sure that nobody speaks English well. Then there is absolutely no hope of them leaving the country for greener pastures. Hey, how's that for a Puteri-worthy solution?
Read the blogs by young women, Noraini. There you will find a whole slew of different opinions and ideas, not just the type that your pink ladies will eagerly tell you. There are young women who are keen to change the world, and not in the Puteri way (not that Puteri wants to change the world anytime soon by the looks of it.). They are sharp and smart and they don't need the approval of men to affirm them.
(Marina Mahathir is getting very popular (unpopular to Umno) for being critical. My wife likes her objectivity and style. Don't we?)
Young Women Deserve Better, Don't They?
Hat-tip to Nuraina Samad for alerting us on Puteri UMNO chief Noraini Ahmad's dimwit speech at the UMNO GA.
At a time when young women are more than 60% of university students and are facing all sorts of challenges, what they need most are good leaders and examples. That means women who care about them and who inspire them with their intelligence and ideas. Noraini unfortunately is not it. Which disappoints me greatly because I have met her before and she seemed like a bright enough spark.
One thing I do know about leadership is that you can't come to the table with absolutely no ideas yourself. You have to have the ideas, you must be able to articulate and persuade people why you think they are good ideas and you must be open to criticism on them and work out some solution to those. You cannot simply repeat what has been said before and even then with the shallowest of introspection of whether those ideas are worth anything or not.
I happen to believe that the future of this country belongs to young women and will be driven by young women. In them I have seen the most eagerness and enthusiasm to do something good. None of the complacency that you find in many young men who think that the world owes them a living. There are many young women who have so much talent, creativity and drive...all they need is the opportunity to fulfil that potential.
What Puteri UMNO and other organisations should be doing is ensuring that the space that young women have to achieve their ambitions is constantly enlarged and made safe. That means ensuring that laws that discriminate against women are repealed, that violence against women is an issue that is taken very seriously as a blight on society, that women's voices are heard in every arena that affects them. Which is pretty much everywhere, including in politics.
But when a little girl is killed, what does Puteri do but blame the parents? How simplistic is that, not to mention insensitive?
When many women are bloggers, why does Puteri call on the government to come down hard on blogging as in this report in The Sun: She said the Sedition Act, Internal Security Act, Officials Secrets Act and Printing Presses and Publications Act must be enforced to the fullest as irresponsible acts by bloggers caused tension among people of different races and religions. Oh my, my! I'm surprised she didn't mention bloggers causing tension between the sexes (with her flag firmly planted on the male side of the fence!).
And how's this for a simpleton's analysis? On the brain drain experienced by Malaysia, Noraini said if students fail to come back and serve the country once they completed their studies, they should be penalised with higher interest on her loans.
"To avoid brain drain, local universities must be strengthened to be on par with international standards."
My dear, firstly, the brain drain is not caused by people not coming back. It's caused by people leaving. There is a subtle difference. You have to look at what's making them leave, not just not wanting to come back. And how do you even collect repayment of loans with higher interest (eh, isn't that unIslamic?) from people who aren't here?
Secondly, yes I do agree that local universities need to be strengthened and be on par with international standards. After all, most university students are young women and we should expect high standards from them. But that's not going to be enough to stop people leaving. We need academic freedom, we need a university environment that supports and celebrates diversity, we need wholistic university experiences that encourages students to participate in many activities and sports and one that that does not segregate by race. What is the point of having students who graduate with the inability to adapt themselves in a society that is socially diverse and competitive? One way to make sure there is no 'brain drain' is of course to make sure that nobody speaks English well. Then there is absolutely no hope of them leaving the country for greener pastures. Hey, how's that for a Puteri-worthy solution?
Read the blogs by young women, Noraini. There you will find a whole slew of different opinions and ideas, not just the type that your pink ladies will eagerly tell you. There are young women who are keen to change the world, and not in the Puteri way (not that Puteri wants to change the world anytime soon by the looks of it.). They are sharp and smart and they don't need the approval of men to affirm them.
(Marina Mahathir is getting very popular (unpopular to Umno) for being critical. My wife likes her objectivity and style. Don't we?)
Friday, November 09, 2007
Longest place name in the world
Taumatawhakatangihangak oauauotamateaturipukaka pikimaungahoronukupokaiwhe nua kitanatahu (85 letters )
The Mäori name of a hill in New Zealand, it translates "The place where Tamatea, the man with big knees, who slid, climbed, and swallowed mountains, known as land-eater, played on the flute to his loved one."
The Mäori name of a hill in New Zealand, it translates "The place where Tamatea, the man with big knees, who slid, climbed, and swallowed mountains, known as land-eater, played on the flute to his loved one."
Bank customer fights back...
A 98 year old woman in the UK wrote this to her bank. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in the Times.
Dear Sir,
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three 'nanoseconds' must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement, which, I admit, has been in place for only thirty eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.
My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person
My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact Statuswhich I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof. In due course, I will issue your employee with PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons as follows:
1 - To make an appointment to see me.
2 - To query a missing payment.
3 - To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4 - To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5 - To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
6 - to transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7 - To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the Authorized Contact.)
8 - To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through to 8.
9 - To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.
Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.
Your Humble Client
(Remember: This was written by a 98 year old woman; DOESN'T SHE MAKE YOU PROUD?)
Dear Sir,
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three 'nanoseconds' must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement, which, I admit, has been in place for only thirty eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.
My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person
My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact Statuswhich I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof. In due course, I will issue your employee with PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons as follows:
1 - To make an appointment to see me.
2 - To query a missing payment.
3 - To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4 - To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5 - To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
6 - to transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7 - To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to the Authorized Contact.)
8 - To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through to 8.
9 - To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.
Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.
May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.
Your Humble Client
(Remember: This was written by a 98 year old woman; DOESN'T SHE MAKE YOU PROUD?)
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