How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

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.)

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Talent Corporation - looking for horses after they have bolted

From a layman's point of view, our government seems unwilling to provide scholarships to excellent students based on meritocracy, regardless of race. Every year, we have stories of students with excellent results complaining they have not been selected for scholarships or places in our institutions of higher learning.

Surely, if we are serious in overcoming this problem of brain drain, we should look at the root causes and try to solve the problems, instead of looking out for them and trying to entice them back. Many of those who left for overseas did so by choice (if they could afford it) or forced to find alternative ways to look for opportunities overseas since none was available to them. Under such circumstances, would they be willing to come back knowing full well how they will be discriminated against in employment, business or research in Malaysia? Unless and until our system is conducive to meritocracy and equal opportunities, initial incentives might look attractive but will not be good enough in the long run.

Singapore has been attracting Malaysian brains for years with their Asean and other scholarships with examinations conducted in Malaysia for those interested. After education, the graduates invariably work for Singapore, contributing to their brain gain at our expense. Why can't we offer similar scholarships on merit, followed by good employment opportunities? Is it so difficult to implement such a simple concept? I know, I know, we have to think of race and superiority.

Even at post-graduate level, there are opportunities to tap into students who need financial help to do Masters or Ph. D and it is a question of offering and publicising the scholarships available.

I am prompted by the following article which appeared in Kit Siang for Malaysia:

Ipoh born, Cambridge educated, Malaysia’s loss, Singapore’s gain
By Mariam Mokhtar



In fact, we do have facilities preparing students for Cambridge, Oxford and other universities, but what seems lacking is the availability of enough government scholarships to meet the demand of those who qualify:

Kolej Yayasan UEM:

Before we embark on prestigious projects like 100-storey Warisan Merdeka, a look at a typical young Malaysian worker's lifestyle and see if we should instead look after their interests as priority:

From Loyarburok: A Young Malaysian's Dilemma:

Najib's famous 'change your lifestyle' comes to mind. How could someone who has been travelling in a motorcade with police outriders for 30 years know how ordinary Malaysians live?
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You are what you eat and more...

My friend forwarded to me this information which I feel I should share with others:

For non-Christians, you can ignore the Bible part but the rest of the article is invaluable. For those who have been hearing (and tired of) my constant 'advice' on health, you will now agree that this doctor is saying the same things, especially on sunlight ... Keep healthy!

http://seniorsaloud.blogspot.com/2009/06/cancer-survivor-dr-tom-wus-recipes-for.html

At the age of 30, Chinese doctor Tom Wu was diagnosed with advanced stages of lung cancer, and was told he had only a few months to live.

However, Dr Wu, who recently spoke with Mylife, has already reached 70 years old, and to our surprise, he still looks like a young and healthy man in his 50s.

Not only has he survived, but the doctor has maintained a healthy life. The cancer is all gone, and he said he's never caught a cold or other illness for 40 years.

He has stopped going for blood tests.

"My body and feelings tell me I'm well, that I'm truly in good health," says Dr Wu.

His secret lies in the power of natural healing. Dr Wu always says that no wonder drug can cure diseases. But our own internal healing power, our immune system, can. And what can strengthen our immune system are simple foods from Mother Nature, and a healthy lifestyle.

In his view, diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease can be overcome by changing the diet.

Dr Wu says people get sick because they eat the wrong foods. Fried food, for example, causes blockage in the arteries, bad circulation, cholesterol, and heart disease.

"Instead of taking a cholesterol lowering drug, I would urge them to stop eating greasy food. My suggestion is to eat clean food, which is high in phytochemicals," he says.

Phytochemicals are natural cleansing agents that will help rid plaque from your arteries. They come from natural foods such as vegetables, fruits with their seeds, and common garden herbs. Phytochemicals will nourish the body's cells so they can fight against any foreign substances that invade your body.

Dr Wu's outstanding contributions to the development of natural medicine earned him the "World Famous Doctor Award" from the UN in 2001, and the "Best Wellness Doctor of the World" award from India's World Wellness Open University in March.

The secrets of how he won the fight against lung cancer and maintains a healthy body are revealed in his first book, Dr Wu's Principle of Natural Cures, which has recently been translated from its original Chinese version into a Thai edition, Thammachart Chuay Chewit, published by
Nanmeebooks Publications.

It was launched in Thailand in March.

Dr Wu says what's written in the book is unique and easy to understand because "the author is both the doctor and the patient himself". All the ideas and guidelines suggested in the book come from his own experience as well as what he has learned from his patients.

Dr Wu turns to natural medicine.

Dr Wu had first studied Western medicine in France, and then furthered his education in alternative therapy, earning a doctorate degree.

The turning point arrived when he was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 30. Modern medicine gave him no hope; it was too late to remove the damaged parts of the lung. The cancer had already spread to other organs, and the doctor told him he had only a few months left.

In his despair, Dr Wu picked up the Bible and prayed to God. Then the Bible fell to the floor, and he read the page it opened to carefully. The chapter talked about the days God created the Earth and everything needed for human beings. Then he created Adam and Eve, and told both of them that plants, vegetables and seeded fruits growing on Earth have been provided for them to eat.

"I thought about what I had eaten in the past - meat, fish, fried and grilled food, sweet cake, but God simply wanted us to eat vegetables and sour fruits.

I was confused and doubted whether I would become weak if I ate too many vegetables and less meat," says Dr Wu.

Yet he decided to follow the Bible's guidance. He ate a lot of vegetables and fruits, drank clean water, and completely adjusted his lifestyle - his sleeping, breathing and exercise habits.

Nine months later, he went for a check-up, and surprisingly no cancer cells were detected.

He advised people in his family and in the neighbourhood about his discovery, and studied
natural medicine until he received a doctorate degree in naturopathy and nutrition from the US.

Dr Wu has been a frequent speaker at worldwide forums, spreading his knowledge on natural cures and the use of organic food.

He advises people to use the most simple foods in the most natural way in order to fight illnesses and maintain good health.


Dr Wu's secrets to good health
Published: 7/05/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Mylife


The human body has the power to heal itself. The immune system has a self-defence mechanism to block and destroy bacteria or viruses that invade our bodies, while the self-healing mechanism will get us back on the road to recovery. When you have a cold and take medicine, the medication may kill the virus but your immune system will not fully function, and its efficiency will decrease. As a result, your body will be more vulnerable to germs.

Dr Wu's principle is to strengthen the immune system, and avoid medication as much as possible. In his book, he offers the following guidelines to good health:

1. Have at least three bowel movements a day.

Other health experts may advise one bowel movement a day, but Dr Wu says that's not enough. You need three to four bowel movements a day in order to excrete all the accumulated faeces from your intestine. Your liver will not be overburdened and it also helps reduce cholesterol in your body.

2. Drink at least three glasses of fruit or vegetable smoothies each day.

This is a way to ingest enough phytochemicals to strengthen the body's cells and immune system.

Use not only the flesh, but also the skin and seeds of fruits and vegetables to make smoothies, as they are rich in phytochemicals.

Most of the fruit seeds have small amounts of cyanide which kill bacteria and viruses without damaging the body.

Actually the recommended smoothie diet is six glasses a day, two in the morning, one before lunch, two more in the afternoon, and one more before dinner.

However, if that's too much, you may start with three glasses a day. Use a high powered blender (at least three horsepower) as it can release phytochemicals from the fibre. It's best to choose sour fruits like green or red apples, grapes, pineapples, kiwi and lime.

3. Sunbathe 30 minutes daily.

We often hear that the Sun's UV rays will damage our skin, and many people apply sunblock before going out.

But Dr Wu says the opposite. He says the UV rays will help convert cholesterol underneath the skin into vitamin A which helps moisten the skin and prevent skin cancer, and also vitamin D that helps prevent colds, osteoporosis, and certain kinds of cancer.

"Therefore, use the Sun. Expose yourself to sunlight about one-half hour a day, at noon or another appropriate time based on your local climate.

The Sun will make you healthier," says Dr Wu.

4. Exercise 30 minutes a day.

Don't exercise for more than 30 minutes. If you go beyond that, your body will be overworked.

"If you do it more than half an hour, that will become labour, not exercise. Your heart and your body will be working too hard," he says.

5. Shower with hot, then cold water.

Try an alternating cold and hot water shower: Three minutes of hot water followed by 30 seconds of cold water, then repeat twice more.

This process will bring a rush of blood and energy to your body. It helps increase your immune system, blood circulation, and metabolism.

6. Drink a lot of water, in the correct way.

How much water you need to drink each day depends on your specific situation. If your office is air-conditioned, drinking six glasses of water a day is enough.

If your work involves lots of walking, you have to drink 8-10 glasses a day. If you work under the hot sun, then 10-12 glasses of water are required.

The way you drink is also important. The correct way is to sip it little by little, to give your body cells time to absorb the water. If you drink the whole glass down at once, your cells can't absorb it all, and the water will be excreted as urine.

7. Eat according to your blood type.

Your blood type determines what you should eat. Eating the wrong foods will make you sick.

People with blood type O have to eat a certain amount of meat. If they eat only vegetables for a long time, their body won't absorb all the substances they need to strengthen their immune system. The recommended diet for this group is 75% vegetables, 10% fruits, 10% meat, seafood and goat's milk (avoid cow's milk), and 5% grains.

People with blood type A, however should avoid milk and meat, while increasing grains and fruits.

People with blood type B should also avoid meat, while those with blood type AB should avoid chicken and beef.

8. Eat according to your biological clock.

Every human being has a biological clock that tells us when to eat, sleep, and wake up. If you don't follow your biological clock, the organs will lose their balance.

Toxins and wastes won't be excreted from your body, and soon you'll get sick.

According to Dr Wu, the biological clock is divided into three phases.

From 4am to noon is the time for bowel movements, so in the morning you should eat foods with lots of fibre. Fruit and vegetable smoothies are recommended.

From noon to 8pm, your body will absorb food so lunch is the most important meal. A vegetable salad with grains is recommended. Fish or boiled eggs can be added to your lunch. Avoid meat at dinner as the amino acids in the meat will disturb your sleep. Try to finish dinner by 6pm.

From 8pm to 4am, the nutrients and energy from food will be distributed throughout your body organs. The golden time for your sleep is between 10pm and 2am, as your immune and self-healing system will function at its best.


Link

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

1M = 1Malaysia or 1Madness?

The proposed 100-storey Warisan Merdeka to be built between Stadium Negara and Stadium Merdeka which incidentally are on a hillock, must be One Madness of a suggestion by whoever made it. In the face of criticisms, PM denied it was his idea!

Nataniel's Najib: Hey Big Spender:


I would agree with YB Teresa Kok that it would cause an expected severe traffic gridlock if and when it comes to fruition by (heaven forbids) 2020. I hope the people would take this as one of the reasons to ensure in the next General Elections that BN does not continue with its mega projects benefiting itself and its cronies, with the rakyat bearing the costs for years to come.

The managements of the two stadiums seem to have an understanding not to hold events (not that they have many to organize), at the same time because of parking problems.

Forty years ago, almost every morning my brother and I used to take my father to have breakfast in Petaling Street/Cecil Street area. It was his habit of wanting to take a daily car ride into KL centre, regardless of whether it was wise, coming all the way from 3rd mile, Jalan Ipoh. The place was, and of course still is, always congested with vehicles crawling amid people walking on the narrow streets. There was a popular stall on Cecil Street famous for its rice porridge. Besides the tasty meat balls, the marinaded 'wan yee' fish slices were put on top of the porridge when serving, so that they were cooked just right when we mixed them up. Anyway, to solve the problem of parking (which there were none even if we wanted to), my brother and I took turns to wait in the car while the other eat the porridge with my father!

The root cause of the parking problems of KL was the result of compromises made to building plans which did not provide enough car park spaces. So long as the developer was willing to pay Rm15,000 per space unprovided, the plans could be approved. Just imagine the cumulative effects of our property developments over the years!

Unless and until our public transport system within KL is fully functional with efficiency, any exceptionally high rise building is going to aggravate the problem. Any layman can see that, but not our self-serving politicians.

Between an MRT system and the silly 100-storey tower, I would definitely support the former, but with the condition that there should be transparency and open tenders, and not like the present 'first-come first-served' basis. It is amazing how BN seems to go against all decency in carrying out their policies on public expenditures, yet expect the public to support them in the next General Elections.
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Selected jokes on Husband and Wife

Girl : Will you love me after marriage?
Boy : This depends on your husband, if he allows me.

Wife :You changed after marriage.
Husband: I've told you before that I am not interested in Married women.

Doctor : Your husband needs rest and peace. Here are some sleeping pills.
Wife : When must I give them to him?
Doctor : They are for you.

Position of a Husband Is just like a Split Air Conditioner:
No matter however Loud he is in the Outdoor He is designed to remain Silent indoor...

"Husband is one who is the Head of the family, but his wife is the Neck, and whichever way she turns, he goes."

Are you visiting us tomorrow? Do you need directions?
I'm all set. I have the address, a GPS, and a GPS override.
What's a GPS override?
My wife.

Why do most Indian women request God for the same husband in the next life?
Because efforts taken to train him in this life should not go to waste!



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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

How a decision could have changed the course of an event...

Once there was loving couple traveling in a bus in a mountainous area. They decided to get down at some place.

After the couple got down at some place the bus moved on. As the bus moved on, a huge rock fell on the bus from the mountain and crushed the bus to crumbs. Everybody on board was killed.

The couple upon seeing that, said, "We wish we were on that bus."

Why do you think they said that?

If they had remained on the bus instead of deciding to get down, the resulting time delay could have been avoided and the rock would have fallen after the bus had passed!
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