I love a lot of things. Two of them are history and architecture. So, it shouldn't be too astounding if I'm attracted to old buildings.
This one was taken in Chinatown, Singapore. It's a shophouse, typical kind of building in towns and cities throughout what was once known as Malaya; Singapore included. I don't know about Sabah and Sarawak though.
I have a picture with a row of shophouses from the same place in a previous entry of mine if you are interested.
Sometimes, I can't help but feel amazed at how two countries have so much in common but simultaneously so different from each other. Sometimes, it's shocking to see how two countries may have shared history or even dependent on each other but the air in between them is so full of distrust.
Human nature I suppose.
Kill all Singaporeans! LOL!
p/s - Judith Miller is freed. According to NYT (reg. req.):
If there is justice in this world, Cheney will be in trouble soon. I believe there's justice somewhere underneath a dusty table. Hey, Tom DeLay finally got indicted. That should be of some proof that this world is not too unfair.
pp/s- Primate Noise posted an entry about SPCA's effort to persuade the Malaysian government to amend Animal Ordinance 1953 into a tougher piece of legislation. Do your part by expressing your support for SPCA.
This one was taken in Chinatown, Singapore. It's a shophouse, typical kind of building in towns and cities throughout what was once known as Malaya; Singapore included. I don't know about Sabah and Sarawak though.
I have a picture with a row of shophouses from the same place in a previous entry of mine if you are interested.
Sometimes, I can't help but feel amazed at how two countries have so much in common but simultaneously so different from each other. Sometimes, it's shocking to see how two countries may have shared history or even dependent on each other but the air in between them is so full of distrust.
Human nature I suppose.
Kill all Singaporeans! LOL!
p/s - Judith Miller is freed. According to NYT (reg. req.):
Ms. Miller was freed after spending more than 12 weeks in jail, during which she refused to cooperate with the inquiry. Her decision to testify was made after she had obtained what she described as a waiver offered "voluntarily and personally" by a source who said she was no longer bound by any pledge of confidentiality she had made to him. Ms. Miller said the source had made clear that he genuinely wanted her to testify.
That source was I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, according to people who have been officially briefed on the case. Ms. Miller met with Mr. Libby on July 8, 2003, and talked with him by telephone later that week, they said.
If there is justice in this world, Cheney will be in trouble soon. I believe there's justice somewhere underneath a dusty table. Hey, Tom DeLay finally got indicted. That should be of some proof that this world is not too unfair.
pp/s- Primate Noise posted an entry about SPCA's effort to persuade the Malaysian government to amend Animal Ordinance 1953 into a tougher piece of legislation. Do your part by expressing your support for SPCA.
Malaysian 2006 national bajet budget is fast approaching. One of few things that I wish is that the government won't run populist policies, like preventing fuel prices hike for instance. In fact, I do hope, however unlikely it might be, an introduction of floating fuel prices regime in the end future. Gradually, of course.
Worry about inflation? Let the government worry about fiscal-side and let the central bank worry about monetary policies. It's time we differentiate the two institutions clearly. By differentiate, I do mean an independent central bank. There are proofs that countries with independent central bank have significantly lower inflation.
Worry about unemployment due to lower inflation? Ah, that's another problem. Rest assured however that in the long run, both inflation and unemployment don't matter!
While some of us are nervously wondering what awaits us in that Pandora's box, we must realize that there is more than one way to skin a cat or cats. One way is to wash them rigorously in a washing machine.
Another wish is total elimination of income tax and introduction of consumption tax. (wait, we'll have both income tax and consumption tax in 2007! Somebody is cheating us!) In short, full cost accounting. Heh, a green's wet dream.
A not-so-bad news in the eve of budget day is the recently released World Economic Forum's competitiveness ranking. Malaysia's ranked 24th out of 117, up seven rungs from last year.
And, erm, no cat was harmed in any whatsoever way.
Inconvenienced? Well, the mother cat was pretty mad. Very.
p/s - cool stuff! KoRn with World of Warcraft!
pp/s - added Primate Noise to my blogroll.
ppp/s - Santa is real! Be afraid. Be very afraid because the Danish Air Force learned about Santa the hard way.
Worry about inflation? Let the government worry about fiscal-side and let the central bank worry about monetary policies. It's time we differentiate the two institutions clearly. By differentiate, I do mean an independent central bank. There are proofs that countries with independent central bank have significantly lower inflation.
Worry about unemployment due to lower inflation? Ah, that's another problem. Rest assured however that in the long run, both inflation and unemployment don't matter!
While some of us are nervously wondering what awaits us in that Pandora's box, we must realize that there is more than one way to skin a cat or cats. One way is to wash them rigorously in a washing machine.
Another wish is total elimination of income tax and introduction of consumption tax. (wait, we'll have both income tax and consumption tax in 2007! Somebody is cheating us!) In short, full cost accounting. Heh, a green's wet dream.
A not-so-bad news in the eve of budget day is the recently released World Economic Forum's competitiveness ranking. Malaysia's ranked 24th out of 117, up seven rungs from last year.
And, erm, no cat was harmed in any whatsoever way.
Inconvenienced? Well, the mother cat was pretty mad. Very.
p/s - cool stuff! KoRn with World of Warcraft!
pp/s - added Primate Noise to my blogroll.
ppp/s - Santa is real! Be afraid. Be very afraid because the Danish Air Force learned about Santa the hard way.
I watched Ajax played against Arsenal last night. Somehow, the match reminds me of why I like Ajax in the first place � huge but local, young yet technically skillful, a darkhorse but feared by many. But Ajax has always have problems with its finishing ever since Ibrahimovic and Mido left. This was hurtfully apparent last night.Arsenal�s first goal was swift and punishing. I�d wish Ajax hadn�t been so relaxed.
Arsenal�s second goal is another story altogether. It was a penalty and it�s definitely a lie. Reyes dived in the penalty box and even the commentators cast doubt on the referee's decision to award Arsenal a penalty kick. Even if the decision were appropriate, Reyes was offside and the linesman had clearly raised his flag. Somehow, the ref chose to ignore that.
When Ajax�s captain, Tomas Galasek tried to talk to the ref about that penalty, the ref refused to listen. Instead, Galasek was booked with a yellow card. Some of Ajax�s fans at Ajaxtalk.nl mourn that the ref was biased to his fellow countryman, Reyes about that penalty. I don�t know about that but I know the ref sucks.
Immediately after the penalty, Ajax�s then rushed to Arsenal�s penalty box and scored.
Yet, it wasn�t enough and again, the statistics � possession, number of shots, corners � is not reflected in the result. Cruel as it is, only the final result that matters in the end. Realization of this cruelty is what most Ajacieds - fans, players and coaches alike - are unable to grasp on.
The game itself was entertaining despite I was clearly frustrated. Nevertheless, Ajax players were fantastic and exciting. Babel, Pienaar, Rosenberg, Galasek and Boukhari did a lot of good stuff to the ball. Ajax as a team played great passing and attacking style. Yet, it never really managed to cash in on its many opportunities that it created so elegantly.
If only Ajax has another Ibrahimovic, Ajax could be a force to reckon with. It�s clear that many of Ajax players like Sneijder, Pienaar and other that I�ve mentioned earlier are maturing into great players.
p/s - a guy talking about World Animal Day in Malaysia. Or lack of.
pp/s - this entry also reminds me why I hate Italian teams so much.
ppp/s - Michigan clinched third place in WSC. Dutch Nuna 3 secured first place while Australian Aurora 101 managed second.
This week, college students throughout Malaysia are polling to elect Student Representative Council members. Pro-opposition student groups allege that there are several irregularities going on however. They also claim unjust policies are being implemented by universities' administrators to make it harder for them to participate in the election. As an act of protest, pro-opposition groups have decided to boycott the election.
A boycott could have a myriad of effects on many players. Unfortunately, the boycott is affecting the pro-opposition badly while their rivals are free and unscathed. Reason is, the boycott effectively hands over sufficient number of seats to pro-government student groups while the pro-opposition gains practically nothing.
As such, future ruling by the Student Representative Council will ignore pro-opposition�s dissenting views simply because pro-opposition won�t have noticeable voting power in the council.
If the pro-opposition groups hadn't boycott the election, they could have a number of seats in the council. With their representatives, they could vote for an enquiry over the alleged irregularities and unfair policies. Thanks to the pro-opposition bright leadership however, such notion is harder to realize. Moreoever, their groups will become irrelevant this time around.
For the pro-opposition student groups� leaders, c�mon, think for a sec. Do you think your opponents are losing sleep because of your boycott? Hell no! They are probably jumping joyfully while trying to lick their free fat, fat candy. Only a group of fools would disfranchise themselves and the pro-opposition groups are that fools.
As for now, I simply hope that none of the pro-opposition student groups' leaders will lead any opposition political parties in Malaysia. If they are, then the opposition parties will have a lot of problems.
p/s - Ajax is up against Arsenal in a few hours. I hope Arsenal will get a good beating though I myself are unsure of Ajax's recent performance.
A boycott could have a myriad of effects on many players. Unfortunately, the boycott is affecting the pro-opposition badly while their rivals are free and unscathed. Reason is, the boycott effectively hands over sufficient number of seats to pro-government student groups while the pro-opposition gains practically nothing.
As such, future ruling by the Student Representative Council will ignore pro-opposition�s dissenting views simply because pro-opposition won�t have noticeable voting power in the council.
If the pro-opposition groups hadn't boycott the election, they could have a number of seats in the council. With their representatives, they could vote for an enquiry over the alleged irregularities and unfair policies. Thanks to the pro-opposition bright leadership however, such notion is harder to realize. Moreoever, their groups will become irrelevant this time around.
For the pro-opposition student groups� leaders, c�mon, think for a sec. Do you think your opponents are losing sleep because of your boycott? Hell no! They are probably jumping joyfully while trying to lick their free fat, fat candy. Only a group of fools would disfranchise themselves and the pro-opposition groups are that fools.
As for now, I simply hope that none of the pro-opposition student groups' leaders will lead any opposition political parties in Malaysia. If they are, then the opposition parties will have a lot of problems.
p/s - Ajax is up against Arsenal in a few hours. I hope Arsenal will get a good beating though I myself are unsure of Ajax's recent performance.
Seven pieces of cake with chocolate coating and seven strawberries on top are seen today on Google's front pape. Can't click on the image but the image is located at http://www.google.com/logos/7th_birthday.gif (sorry but I will not hotlink it. I hate hotlinking and I wish you do too. To see it, copy and paste the URL manually into your address bar).
Also, personalized Google finally gets to the front page?
p/s - Michigan's currently second in the World Solar Challenge in Australia. w00t!
Also, personalized Google finally gets to the front page?
p/s - Michigan's currently second in the World Solar Challenge in Australia. w00t!
Something that's unheard of during my four years at Michigan - Michigan is unranked.
The winningest team in the history of college football team is unranked for the first time in more than seven years.Michigan is 2-2. I'm 2-2, too and there goes the national championship.
Michigan fell out of The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, ending a streak of 114 straight weeks in the rankings, which was the longest in the nation. The last poll that didn't include the Wolverines was Oct. 18, 1998.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many illegal foreign workers here in Malaysia? I�d imagine the most common answer is porous border. Now, how porous our borders are?
Well, the Malaysian-Singaporean border is very, very porous. Technically, you need to present some kind of identification to enter Malaysia � most of the times, it�s passport. In reality, there, you really don�t need any ID. Just cross the border at the immigration center; Malaysian immigration officers won't mind.
At least, that was what I experienced. I�m not sure how widespread it is but I certainly hope that this is an isolated issue. My friend however told me that this happens all the time.
At the border, I spent approximately an hour negotiating red tapes - not too bad considering the amount of people there.
The Singaporean half was kind of easy. Choose which counter(s) is (are) for Malaysians, line up, go to an immigration officer, make sure to get your passport stamped and then you�re on your way to Johor, of which, the last time I checked, was still part of Malaysia. Johor�s restroom state convinces me that Johor is in fact a Malaysian state.
On the Malaysian half, it was, surprisingly, much more, goddamned, easier. Notice the number of superlative adjectives. Look out for counter with the longest line, cut through some non-existence lines, rumble through pass an opening of what seems to be a set of five electronic counters � four were closed by the way while three immigration officers were having a chat that concerned something apparently more important than national security - and then you are free to chew your bubble gum. Nope. No need to stamp or scan your passport.
Given that, I can�t help but wonder why all those aliens are trying very hard to get pass Malaysian navy in order to be in Malaysia illegally. There are, maybe, two ways of trying; trying hard or trying smart.
Here�s a tip to all that plan to enter Malaysia easily and illegally. Get a tourist visa from Singapore, cross the causeway, slip pass the Malaysian immigration officers while they are busy talking about nonsense and - voila! � Welcome to Malaysia.
Seriously though, our security down there is lagging badly. Wait. Lagging is the wrong word. Lacking should be very descriptive. The people in the immigration are being paid for doing practically nothing.
Well, the Malaysian-Singaporean border is very, very porous. Technically, you need to present some kind of identification to enter Malaysia � most of the times, it�s passport. In reality, there, you really don�t need any ID. Just cross the border at the immigration center; Malaysian immigration officers won't mind.
At least, that was what I experienced. I�m not sure how widespread it is but I certainly hope that this is an isolated issue. My friend however told me that this happens all the time.
At the border, I spent approximately an hour negotiating red tapes - not too bad considering the amount of people there.
The Singaporean half was kind of easy. Choose which counter(s) is (are) for Malaysians, line up, go to an immigration officer, make sure to get your passport stamped and then you�re on your way to Johor, of which, the last time I checked, was still part of Malaysia. Johor�s restroom state convinces me that Johor is in fact a Malaysian state.
On the Malaysian half, it was, surprisingly, much more, goddamned, easier. Notice the number of superlative adjectives. Look out for counter with the longest line, cut through some non-existence lines, rumble through pass an opening of what seems to be a set of five electronic counters � four were closed by the way while three immigration officers were having a chat that concerned something apparently more important than national security - and then you are free to chew your bubble gum. Nope. No need to stamp or scan your passport.
Given that, I can�t help but wonder why all those aliens are trying very hard to get pass Malaysian navy in order to be in Malaysia illegally. There are, maybe, two ways of trying; trying hard or trying smart.
Here�s a tip to all that plan to enter Malaysia easily and illegally. Get a tourist visa from Singapore, cross the causeway, slip pass the Malaysian immigration officers while they are busy talking about nonsense and - voila! � Welcome to Malaysia.
Seriously though, our security down there is lagging badly. Wait. Lagging is the wrong word. Lacking should be very descriptive. The people in the immigration are being paid for doing practically nothing.
Hah. Continuing a short entry naming tradition initiated by a person stuck on an island down south and taken up by another person that originates from another island in the west. But I love Singapore.
In many superficial ways, Singapore doesn't look or feel very different from Kuala Lumpur. Both cities have similar old shophouses that date well before pre-Independence period, filled with food stalls selling nothing too alien to Malaysians with modern highrises threatening to dominate the blue sky above while steel lions roaming the streets below.
I mean, c'mon, take a look at this photo.
If somebody else had taken this one, I wouldn't be able to tell whether this shot was taken in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. But of course, a visit to a restroom gave me a sudden pang in the head and quickly reminded me that I wasn't in Malaysia anymore.
I took the photo at Chinatown, Singapore.
The one thing that I regret about this trip is the fact that most of my shots are either spoilt or I don't like it. The ones that are decent need to be edited. So, I definitely need to pay Singapore a second visit in the near future and concentrate on shooting better pictures.
I also have decided that I need better camera for night shots. Most of the times when there is a lack of lighting, my current camera�s shutter speed is simply not suffice.
And then there were these two veggies.
Passersby were heard of saying an equivalence of ZOMG!!!!!1one, that's huge in Chinese. By the way, I don't know these guys. It just so happened that I shared the same table with them.
When I got home, my mom asked, "does Singapore still have trees?"
Dumbfounded by the question, I took a couple seconds to recuperate. I'm not sure why she asked that but maybe she meant green spaces. With regained composure, I replied, "no but they do have plastic trees though."
My mom, being a loving mother, let it passed.
p/s - World Solar Challenge is on. A remark by world renown team Aurora, winner of 1999 WSC.
GO BLUE!
In many superficial ways, Singapore doesn't look or feel very different from Kuala Lumpur. Both cities have similar old shophouses that date well before pre-Independence period, filled with food stalls selling nothing too alien to Malaysians with modern highrises threatening to dominate the blue sky above while steel lions roaming the streets below.
I mean, c'mon, take a look at this photo.
If somebody else had taken this one, I wouldn't be able to tell whether this shot was taken in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. But of course, a visit to a restroom gave me a sudden pang in the head and quickly reminded me that I wasn't in Malaysia anymore.
I took the photo at Chinatown, Singapore.
The one thing that I regret about this trip is the fact that most of my shots are either spoilt or I don't like it. The ones that are decent need to be edited. So, I definitely need to pay Singapore a second visit in the near future and concentrate on shooting better pictures.
I also have decided that I need better camera for night shots. Most of the times when there is a lack of lighting, my current camera�s shutter speed is simply not suffice.
And then there were these two veggies.
Passersby were heard of saying an equivalence of ZOMG!!!!!1one, that's huge in Chinese. By the way, I don't know these guys. It just so happened that I shared the same table with them.
When I got home, my mom asked, "does Singapore still have trees?"
Dumbfounded by the question, I took a couple seconds to recuperate. I'm not sure why she asked that but maybe she meant green spaces. With regained composure, I replied, "no but they do have plastic trees though."
My mom, being a loving mother, let it passed.
p/s - World Solar Challenge is on. A remark by world renown team Aurora, winner of 1999 WSC.
The action was really on today at the Hidden Valley racetrack as another five international teams arrived: Two teams from Taiwan of the three entered, the mighty University of Michigan fresh from their win in the North American Solar Challenge, AGU Agilia from Japan, and finally the new team from Calgary, Alberta.
GO BLUE!
Well, I'm off to Singapore soon. Ah, more pictures for my collection.
And since I can't think of anything to write right now (really, just being plain lazy while watching lame p0rn featuring stupid female elf with male troll with oversized tusk), let's piss off some animal rights extremists.
Live mollusks (cockle?) facing torture.
Dead mollusks facing digestion.
Somehow, I feel bad.
p/s - goddamn. I'm thinking too much.
Come to think of it, most of us can't help but feeling humane only to humans, mammals, birds, reptiles and large fishes (practically, large animals). Other "lesser" beings like mollusks and small fishes seem to slip that kind of humane treatment. Caught fishes are left to suffocate in open air while salt water mollusks are drown in fresh water.
I wish I hadn't tried to piss off those weirdos. Now, I'm pissed.
Need to stop thinking or I won't consume fishes again, ever...
And since I can't think of anything to write right now (really, just being plain lazy while watching lame p0rn featuring stupid female elf with male troll with oversized tusk), let's piss off some animal rights extremists.
Live mollusks (cockle?) facing torture.
Dead mollusks facing digestion.
Somehow, I feel bad.
p/s - goddamn. I'm thinking too much.
Come to think of it, most of us can't help but feeling humane only to humans, mammals, birds, reptiles and large fishes (practically, large animals). Other "lesser" beings like mollusks and small fishes seem to slip that kind of humane treatment. Caught fishes are left to suffocate in open air while salt water mollusks are drown in fresh water.
I wish I hadn't tried to piss off those weirdos. Now, I'm pissed.
Need to stop thinking or I won't consume fishes again, ever...
Every city has its own charm, including Kuala Lumpur.
I have no idea whether this shot points to north, south, east or west without looking at a map. The concept of direction in this city is meaningless. But who cares when the sky is gay, true?
Yet, the photo might suck a bit since there is this big ass glass screen in between the camera and the scenery(?).
And, wow, being highlighted by Jeff Ooi bites a lot of bandwidth. Thank goodness it happened in the middle of the month.
Still, thanks! Appreciate the traffic. But most of all, I glad I see him celebrate September 16. Hail to the Federation.
Again, no, I'm not a nationalist. I just love shouting and turn everybody's excite switch on. To me, nationalist tends to have a closed mind but their passion is something to be admired. Nationalist, especially patriot, always move me - my mind works only after my heart stops. Maybe, that's why I think I'm a bit brash.
Ah, the curse of being a youth.
p/s - Germans, please vote for Schröder. Schröder is green, by proxy.
pp/s - on second thought, I can determine the direction by observing the shadow on the buildings. I also know that this photo was taken after noon. So, this shot probably points anywhere between north and west.
Heh, astronomy and geography are handy. I know I used the moon for direction when I was "lost" in Sierra Nevada.
ppp/s - in New Zealand, Greens will be back in power since they have assured Labour of assistance. Labour is expected to win without majority.
p4/s - Michigan 55 - 0 East Michigan. Michigan is now 2 - 1. I'm 2 - 1 too!
I have no idea whether this shot points to north, south, east or west without looking at a map. The concept of direction in this city is meaningless. But who cares when the sky is gay, true?
Yet, the photo might suck a bit since there is this big ass glass screen in between the camera and the scenery(?).
And, wow, being highlighted by Jeff Ooi bites a lot of bandwidth. Thank goodness it happened in the middle of the month.
Still, thanks! Appreciate the traffic. But most of all, I glad I see him celebrate September 16. Hail to the Federation.
Again, no, I'm not a nationalist. I just love shouting and turn everybody's excite switch on. To me, nationalist tends to have a closed mind but their passion is something to be admired. Nationalist, especially patriot, always move me - my mind works only after my heart stops. Maybe, that's why I think I'm a bit brash.
Ah, the curse of being a youth.
p/s - Germans, please vote for Schröder. Schröder is green, by proxy.
pp/s - on second thought, I can determine the direction by observing the shadow on the buildings. I also know that this photo was taken after noon. So, this shot probably points anywhere between north and west.
Heh, astronomy and geography are handy. I know I used the moon for direction when I was "lost" in Sierra Nevada.
ppp/s - in New Zealand, Greens will be back in power since they have assured Labour of assistance. Labour is expected to win without majority.
p4/s - Michigan 55 - 0 East Michigan. Michigan is now 2 - 1. I'm 2 - 1 too!
Several prominent bloggers, some of them I considered as liberty vigilantes, are threading on a thin line between free speech and thought crime. From my point of view, they risk veering to the other side in their quest to extinguish racism. Read Jeff Ooi, Brand New Malaysian and Peter Tan for background.
I neither support racism nor do I believe in supremacist ideas. I do however have strong libertarian beliefs and subsequently, I hold that all individuals should have the liberty to do as they wish with themselves and their property as long as those actions do not infringe on the same liberty of others. This applies to racists and as such, it�s their right to have racist ideas and expresses their point of views.
This is an unfortunate consequence. I would be more than happy to see legal actions against all the racists in this world. However, if a racist�s right to express his or her thoughts is being suppressed, an infringement of civil liberty has occurred. After all, Mahathir escaped unscathed after his Jews rule the world by proxy speech. Why should we apply double standard when it concerns some unknown racist but coward stranger?
What I suggest is this. Blog owners� should practice discrete censorship with clear rules if they have certain allergies toward certain kind of opinion, regardless whether it�s cut and paste or originally written. Blog owners definitely have the right to practice censorship since their blogs are their private properties.
The law might offer a course to convict racists via several avenues with so-called seditious act. But did it cross anybody's mind that these set of laws itself infringes civil liberties?
Voltaire was misattributed of saying I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. That misattributed saying truly describes my general feeling against the hoo ha. Abuse of free speech has occurred, yes. Nonetheless, a right remains a right.
As for the bloggers that are lodging a police report against that racist stranger(s), I can say with clear conscience that I�ve eroded confidence for these bloggers - whom claim to carry the torch of freedom - because they are trampling on liberty.
Behind the infringement of right, perhaps there are silver linings. Perhaps, from this episode, Malaysians will learn the ethics of free speech that, quoting an overquoted line, great power comes with great responsibility. Perhaps, the end justifies the mean.
Perhaps.
nb - changed my mind about the police report after seeing similar trolling activities at ReCom.org done by a person. This person has trolled before and has been given countless warnings to stop posting hateful messages.
Thinking it over, blogs and forums are private properties in a sense that they are owned by somebody - owners pay for hosting sercives of those sites. Therefore, that racist person violates private property.
If the owner of the site or the moderator or anyone that serves similar function as an owner has warned a person not to post offensive message earlier but that person still do it again regardless, the owner might be able to take actions againt him/her.
However, I do prefer banning and censorship to real police action. Using such legal measures comes too close to sides of whom I'd rather not be with. Unless if that violator has a real thick skull and wouldn't take a hint even after banning.
But I still contend that nobody has no right to censor a racist or any opinion in public space.
I neither support racism nor do I believe in supremacist ideas. I do however have strong libertarian beliefs and subsequently, I hold that all individuals should have the liberty to do as they wish with themselves and their property as long as those actions do not infringe on the same liberty of others. This applies to racists and as such, it�s their right to have racist ideas and expresses their point of views.
This is an unfortunate consequence. I would be more than happy to see legal actions against all the racists in this world. However, if a racist�s right to express his or her thoughts is being suppressed, an infringement of civil liberty has occurred. After all, Mahathir escaped unscathed after his Jews rule the world by proxy speech. Why should we apply double standard when it concerns some unknown racist but coward stranger?
What I suggest is this. Blog owners� should practice discrete censorship with clear rules if they have certain allergies toward certain kind of opinion, regardless whether it�s cut and paste or originally written. Blog owners definitely have the right to practice censorship since their blogs are their private properties.
The law might offer a course to convict racists via several avenues with so-called seditious act. But did it cross anybody's mind that these set of laws itself infringes civil liberties?
Voltaire was misattributed of saying I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. That misattributed saying truly describes my general feeling against the hoo ha. Abuse of free speech has occurred, yes. Nonetheless, a right remains a right.
As for the bloggers that are lodging a police report against that racist stranger(s), I can say with clear conscience that I�ve eroded confidence for these bloggers - whom claim to carry the torch of freedom - because they are trampling on liberty.
Behind the infringement of right, perhaps there are silver linings. Perhaps, from this episode, Malaysians will learn the ethics of free speech that, quoting an overquoted line, great power comes with great responsibility. Perhaps, the end justifies the mean.
Perhaps.
nb - changed my mind about the police report after seeing similar trolling activities at ReCom.org done by a person. This person has trolled before and has been given countless warnings to stop posting hateful messages.
Thinking it over, blogs and forums are private properties in a sense that they are owned by somebody - owners pay for hosting sercives of those sites. Therefore, that racist person violates private property.
If the owner of the site or the moderator or anyone that serves similar function as an owner has warned a person not to post offensive message earlier but that person still do it again regardless, the owner might be able to take actions againt him/her.
However, I do prefer banning and censorship to real police action. Using such legal measures comes too close to sides of whom I'd rather not be with. Unless if that violator has a real thick skull and wouldn't take a hint even after banning.
But I still contend that nobody has no right to censor a racist or any opinion in public space.
Did you know that Lee Kuan Yew was born on September 16 1923?
I found this out after reading Lee Kuan Yew's The Singapore Story. Also, hah, his name is Harry Lee Kuan Yew. Harry.
Consider also a much unknown fact that Malaysia was formed on the same date, 40 years later (alright, sarcasm doesn't work on the net. Read with tongue-in-cheek). Coincidence?
Heh, now I know why the formation of Malaysia was postponed from the planned August 31 1963 to September 16 1963. Maybe this is why a lot of people are trying to shun Malaysia Day altogether.
Damn that bugger. Forever will we as Malaysians celebrate his birthday.
p/s - crazy talk.
My, those Trojans must be fuming by now.
pp/s - this totally reminds me of my meeting with my econometrics professor. Who was the professor? The famed Daniel Hamermesh. Yup yup. Looks like him too.
I found this out after reading Lee Kuan Yew's The Singapore Story. Also, hah, his name is Harry Lee Kuan Yew. Harry.
Consider also a much unknown fact that Malaysia was formed on the same date, 40 years later (alright, sarcasm doesn't work on the net. Read with tongue-in-cheek). Coincidence?
Heh, now I know why the formation of Malaysia was postponed from the planned August 31 1963 to September 16 1963. Maybe this is why a lot of people are trying to shun Malaysia Day altogether.
Damn that bugger. Forever will we as Malaysians celebrate his birthday.
p/s - crazy talk.
There's a buzz in Los Angeles this week about a certain local football team. Its senior quarterback is completing passes like a seasoned pro. Its electrifying tailback is breaking big runs and even bigger punt returns. There's talk that maybe this could be a special season.
And USC is looking pretty good, too.
My, those Trojans must be fuming by now.
pp/s - this totally reminds me of my meeting with my econometrics professor. Who was the professor? The famed Daniel Hamermesh. Yup yup. Looks like him too.
For the past few weeks, I have been over my head, talking about how Malaysia could expand its boundary with the ascension of Brunei, Sumatra, several troubled Malay Thai states and Singapore into the Union. Imagine the excitement of a greater Malaysian Federation. Nevertheless, I would prefer Malaysia to be a union of 13 states, as it has been since 1965. Malaysia, as it is, is stable and progressive nation. When there's trouble brewing up in Southeast Asia, Malaysia will be one of the last few places that I would expect a meltdown. Inclusion of any other state mentioned earlier - perhaps excluding Brunei - will definitely disturb Malaysian equation.
Why is so?
Let's take Sumatra first. The reason I gave for annexation of Sumatra is to internalize Sumatra environmental problem. It's a method to solve Malaysian yearly haze issue but the cost far outweighs the benefit. After all, who in his sane mind would bring Malaysia to war with Indonesia. Indonesia has more than 200 million people while Malaysia has merely 26 million. Though Malaysian military is far better-equipped than its Indonesian counterpart, it will be an endless war - the Iran-Iraq war offer a glimpse of things to come if we blunders into war. Moreover, Malaysia is strong because of its economy. War will only wreck havoc to both Malaysian and Indonesian bloodline.
War is not the answer. Indeed, the answer to almost anything is always economics. With regard to environmental externality caused by open burning in Sumatra, Coase theorem in particular provides a roughly guideline on how to tackle it effectively.
Futhermore, Sumatra is prone to natural disaster and Sumatra has always been Malaysia's natural shield against mother nature's fury. I'd rather somebody else get hold of Sumatra. Let them face the challenges of managing Sumatra. Moreover, like some have mentioned, NEP for millions more is not really a pretty sight.
Then we have the Malay Thai states.
I've always believe that happiness is always easier to achieve if we as a society work towards economic prosperity. It's true that life is more than hard cold cash but trust me, it's money that enables us to engage life to the fullest. Economic prosperity demands a stable environment. It follows that it's Malaysia best interest to not undermine the situation in southern Thailand.
The current conflict will affect trade and that will affect Malaysians that are dependent on trade near the Malaysian-Thai border. For the sake of our own well-being, Malaysia must proactively work towards a harmonious southern Thailand. As such, it is only natural for Malaysia to assist Thailand in any way we can to defuse the tension while observing human rights.
Finally, it's Singapore. Singapore is always a fun punch bag to be with. Incorporating the island into Malaysia will only deprive us of one. But seriously, Singapore will also be something for Malaysia to look up for. Singapore has managed to overcome serious developmental issue. Subsequently, Singaporean experience is valuable. As time goes by, I'm sure the people on the other side of the strait will provide Malaysia an excellent ongoing case study.
I might however love to see Brunei ascends into the Federation though; not for its natural resources or about having a greater Federation. It's simply an act of realizing the original dream our founding fathers. A friendly reinvitation is definitely not uncalled for and both Brunei and Malaysia have a lot to gain together. Singapore was part of the Federation but they and us chose to go separate paths and we as Malaysians must respect that.
Of course, the state of our current union is anything but perfect. But then again, there is no such thing as utopia. Discrimination is an open secret while inefficiency still hunts us. And somehow, there are still some distrust between east and west Malaysia. All we can do is perpetually strive for the best for a better union.
If ever we seek a greater Federation, ASEAN should be enough. Either way, globalization will diminish artificial barriers and in the end, there will only be one - humanity itself.
Still, all hail to the Federation.
May our ideal of a perfect union outlives time.
p/s - salute to The Colonel's Diary - the only other blog that I know of in Malaysian blogosphere that celebrates September 16, the date of the formation of our Federation.
Why is so?
Let's take Sumatra first. The reason I gave for annexation of Sumatra is to internalize Sumatra environmental problem. It's a method to solve Malaysian yearly haze issue but the cost far outweighs the benefit. After all, who in his sane mind would bring Malaysia to war with Indonesia. Indonesia has more than 200 million people while Malaysia has merely 26 million. Though Malaysian military is far better-equipped than its Indonesian counterpart, it will be an endless war - the Iran-Iraq war offer a glimpse of things to come if we blunders into war. Moreover, Malaysia is strong because of its economy. War will only wreck havoc to both Malaysian and Indonesian bloodline.
War is not the answer. Indeed, the answer to almost anything is always economics. With regard to environmental externality caused by open burning in Sumatra, Coase theorem in particular provides a roughly guideline on how to tackle it effectively.
Futhermore, Sumatra is prone to natural disaster and Sumatra has always been Malaysia's natural shield against mother nature's fury. I'd rather somebody else get hold of Sumatra. Let them face the challenges of managing Sumatra. Moreover, like some have mentioned, NEP for millions more is not really a pretty sight.
Then we have the Malay Thai states.
I've always believe that happiness is always easier to achieve if we as a society work towards economic prosperity. It's true that life is more than hard cold cash but trust me, it's money that enables us to engage life to the fullest. Economic prosperity demands a stable environment. It follows that it's Malaysia best interest to not undermine the situation in southern Thailand.
The current conflict will affect trade and that will affect Malaysians that are dependent on trade near the Malaysian-Thai border. For the sake of our own well-being, Malaysia must proactively work towards a harmonious southern Thailand. As such, it is only natural for Malaysia to assist Thailand in any way we can to defuse the tension while observing human rights.
Finally, it's Singapore. Singapore is always a fun punch bag to be with. Incorporating the island into Malaysia will only deprive us of one. But seriously, Singapore will also be something for Malaysia to look up for. Singapore has managed to overcome serious developmental issue. Subsequently, Singaporean experience is valuable. As time goes by, I'm sure the people on the other side of the strait will provide Malaysia an excellent ongoing case study.
I might however love to see Brunei ascends into the Federation though; not for its natural resources or about having a greater Federation. It's simply an act of realizing the original dream our founding fathers. A friendly reinvitation is definitely not uncalled for and both Brunei and Malaysia have a lot to gain together. Singapore was part of the Federation but they and us chose to go separate paths and we as Malaysians must respect that.
Of course, the state of our current union is anything but perfect. But then again, there is no such thing as utopia. Discrimination is an open secret while inefficiency still hunts us. And somehow, there are still some distrust between east and west Malaysia. All we can do is perpetually strive for the best for a better union.
If ever we seek a greater Federation, ASEAN should be enough. Either way, globalization will diminish artificial barriers and in the end, there will only be one - humanity itself.
Still, all hail to the Federation.
May our ideal of a perfect union outlives time.
p/s - salute to The Colonel's Diary - the only other blog that I know of in Malaysian blogosphere that celebrates September 16, the date of the formation of our Federation.
Most of the times, I find that the best shots are impromptu in manner. This one is a shot of a window at my home. I really like the photo.
The green backgroud seems to be out of focus. I'm not sure whether it would be better if I were to focus on the background instead of the curtain. I still need to learn a lot about photography, it seems.
Whatever it is, and don't forget, tomorrow, September 16, is the 42nd anniversary of the Federation.
p/s - what would you do if you met a Datuk/Dato' (a Malay honorific somewhat equivalent but not as nearly pretigious as the title Sir), of whom asked which school you attended, in which you replied Michigan, in which he asked Michigan State, in which you replied Michigan State sucks and University of Michigan rules, only shortly later to find out that that Datuk graduated from Michigan State?
pp/s - World Solar Challenge will start on September 22! Go Blue! We conquered North America. Now is the time to conquer the world!
The green backgroud seems to be out of focus. I'm not sure whether it would be better if I were to focus on the background instead of the curtain. I still need to learn a lot about photography, it seems.
Whatever it is, and don't forget, tomorrow, September 16, is the 42nd anniversary of the Federation.
p/s - what would you do if you met a Datuk/Dato' (a Malay honorific somewhat equivalent but not as nearly pretigious as the title Sir), of whom asked which school you attended, in which you replied Michigan, in which he asked Michigan State, in which you replied Michigan State sucks and University of Michigan rules, only shortly later to find out that that Datuk graduated from Michigan State?
pp/s - World Solar Challenge will start on September 22! Go Blue! We conquered North America. Now is the time to conquer the world!
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! AD nauseam INFINITUM!
C'mon Thun! You can do it! Hahaha!
There will be no trace of Feyenoord when Ajax meets Arsenal in the next matchday.
p/s - I pity Thun. They deserve a good round of applause. Thun should have gotten their one point.
And thank god for Ajax for Sneijder. Yet, Ajax should have won! Ajax had 27 shots but not one goal until the 90th minute!
There is no justice in this world.
pp/s - I've finally done my own *.ico
. It's a modification of 
.
The yellowish circle in the middle of the icon, and indeed the *.gif file is a sunflower. Sunflower is usually depicted as a greenie symbol. I know, it's gay but hell.
C'mon Thun! You can do it! Hahaha!
There will be no trace of Feyenoord when Ajax meets Arsenal in the next matchday.
p/s - I pity Thun. They deserve a good round of applause. Thun should have gotten their one point.
And thank god for Ajax for Sneijder. Yet, Ajax should have won! Ajax had 27 shots but not one goal until the 90th minute!
There is no justice in this world.
pp/s - I've finally done my own *.ico
. It's a modification of .The yellowish circle in the middle of the icon, and indeed the *.gif file is a sunflower. Sunflower is usually depicted as a greenie symbol. I know, it's gay but hell.
We have Brunei, the whole Sumatra island and a couple of southern Thai states incorporated into Malaysian Federation. Thus, only a piece of land remains � Singapore, Singapura in Malay or Temasek as it was known in not-so-ancient time.
We�ll start with a re-invitation into the Federation. The Lee royal family � hey, Singapore is run by the Lees - will most likely reject the offer. Upon rejection, we�ll move swiftly to plan B.
Plan B is the Kra Canal. We'll cut through the Kra isthmus just for the sake of annoying the people living on an island drinking you know what. Of course, Malaysian ports will suffer what Singaporean port will do � decline of ships calling for port. However, we�ll have new port at Kra. That new port will be the new Singapore. So, Malaysia can afford to see Klang and other ports to slowly degrade into relatively unimportance. Singapore, unfortunately, cannot. Their economy will suffer a large dent or two as Singapore loses its entrep�t status.
Nevertheless, Singaporeans are resourceful people. I can personally guarantee you that. As such, I�m sure they will think of something to rejuvenate their disturbed economy. I've read somewhere that they are going into biotechology. Furthermore, they have a strong tertiary institutions. That itself may make Singapore into a world-class learning center, based on kiasuism.
Regardless, after the opening of Kra Canal, the Federation should offer its gate to Singapore once again. This time, the Federation has truly the upper hand. If they refuse, then there is only one option left � plan C. That's invasion.
This war will be the war to end all wars. It will be the finale of Mahathir versus Lee Kuan Yew, UMNO versus PAP, Xia Xue versus ShaolinTiger (or not); you name it. It�s the event that we all have been waiting for since 1965. It�s Bolehland versus Kiasuland, round nth!
So, assuming Brunei ascends into Malaysia, along with annexation of Sumatra and several southern Malay Thai states� decision to join the Federation, before Singapore:
Assuming Malaysian victory, entirely dependent on our boleh spirit:
Somehow, this map doesn�t give the satisfaction of occupying Singapore. I wonder why�
Maybe it�s not worth running over Singapore. I mean, you can�t even see that island on the map. Maybe, we should go for a larger prize.
Australia is fun!
We�ll start with a re-invitation into the Federation. The Lee royal family � hey, Singapore is run by the Lees - will most likely reject the offer. Upon rejection, we�ll move swiftly to plan B.
Plan B is the Kra Canal. We'll cut through the Kra isthmus just for the sake of annoying the people living on an island drinking you know what. Of course, Malaysian ports will suffer what Singaporean port will do � decline of ships calling for port. However, we�ll have new port at Kra. That new port will be the new Singapore. So, Malaysia can afford to see Klang and other ports to slowly degrade into relatively unimportance. Singapore, unfortunately, cannot. Their economy will suffer a large dent or two as Singapore loses its entrep�t status.
Nevertheless, Singaporeans are resourceful people. I can personally guarantee you that. As such, I�m sure they will think of something to rejuvenate their disturbed economy. I've read somewhere that they are going into biotechology. Furthermore, they have a strong tertiary institutions. That itself may make Singapore into a world-class learning center, based on kiasuism.
Regardless, after the opening of Kra Canal, the Federation should offer its gate to Singapore once again. This time, the Federation has truly the upper hand. If they refuse, then there is only one option left � plan C. That's invasion.
This war will be the war to end all wars. It will be the finale of Mahathir versus Lee Kuan Yew, UMNO versus PAP, Xia Xue versus ShaolinTiger (or not); you name it. It�s the event that we all have been waiting for since 1965. It�s Bolehland versus Kiasuland, round nth!
So, assuming Brunei ascends into Malaysia, along with annexation of Sumatra and several southern Malay Thai states� decision to join the Federation, before Singapore:
Assuming Malaysian victory, entirely dependent on our boleh spirit:
Somehow, this map doesn�t give the satisfaction of occupying Singapore. I wonder why�
Maybe it�s not worth running over Singapore. I mean, you can�t even see that island on the map. Maybe, we should go for a larger prize.
Australia is fun!
I found out that the New York Times is placing part of my favorite section, the Op-Ed, under paid subscription, the TimesSelect. No fun. Not sure how many sections will fall under this TimesSelect scheme but we'll see soon enough. I do hope however that this won't be a reason for me to stop reading NYT. (via)
And a lot of people in England are jumping wildly. Australians on the other hand are sulking and all this is because of a game called cricket.
Yeah. Really. I wish I'm making this up but unfortunately, not. It's true. Cross my heart. May somebody up in the sky strike me is a bolt of lighting right now if I'm lying.
I'm still alive. Really. I'm still here.
Now, let's talk about real sport.
Ajax will be up against Sparta Prague in its first Champions League 2005/06 season match. And screw Arsenal. Hup Ajax hup!
Nope. No lighting yet.
p/s - Bush: One of the worst disasters to hit the U.S.. Heh. (via)
pp/s - blackout in LA. It's Bush's fault! =p
And a lot of people in England are jumping wildly. Australians on the other hand are sulking and all this is because of a game called cricket.
Yeah. Really. I wish I'm making this up but unfortunately, not. It's true. Cross my heart. May somebody up in the sky strike me is a bolt of lighting right now if I'm lying.
I'm still alive. Really. I'm still here.
Now, let's talk about real sport.
Ajax will be up against Sparta Prague in its first Champions League 2005/06 season match. And screw Arsenal. Hup Ajax hup!
Nope. No lighting yet.
p/s - Bush: One of the worst disasters to hit the U.S.. Heh. (via)
pp/s - blackout in LA. It's Bush's fault! =p
In recent past, separatist movements in southern Thailand are becoming active again after being dormant for decades. Despite this being Thailand�s internal matter, unfortunately, Malaysia has been unnecessarily dragged into the chaos. Along the way, Thailand has been accusing Malaysia of aiding and fuelling the rebellion. Malaysia denies such allegation. Personally, I�m tired of seeing Malaysia becoming Thai authority�s scapegoat. Now, it�s time to make a stand in a true Pat Robertson�s style � if they think we�re covertly aiding the Malay Thai separatists, we ought to go ahead and do it.
Malaysia is not foreign to covert operations. During confrontation with Indonesia back in the 1960s, Malaysia along with its Commonwealth allies managed to stimulate a coup d�tat in against Sukarno and the communist in Jakarta. That in effect ended the Malaysia-Indonesia war. Another proof of Malaysia�s ability is Mindanao rebels. Malaysian subterfuge activities in southern Philippines were retaliatory in nature. It was done to counter the Philippines� effort to plant separatist ideas in Sabah despite the north Borneo states' decision to join the Federation. Several decades later, we can clearly see how the Philippines is still trying to contain the rebels while Sabah remains as a member of the Federation. The expertise gained in previous missions could be utilized to throw these Malay Thai rebels a party.
Malaysia doesn�t need to explicitly send troops to Thailand to aid the separatists. It�s sufficed to force Thailand to conduct a plebiscite via the United Nations - self-ruled or continuation of Thai sovereignty � just like how East Timor gained its independence from Indonesia. The Malay Thai states that should be offered the option are Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
Maybe even Satun. We could return the province back to Kedah or merge it with Perlis. All three modern provinces were part of the Malay Sultanate of Pattani, closely related to Malaysian states of Kedah and Kelantan. In short, this is a great way to undo the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909.
If the Malay Thai states ever decide for self-rule, years later after things have quieted down, Malaysia could offer these states places in the Federation. So, before; given Brunei's ascension into Malaysia along with a successful annexation of Sumatra:
After the inclusion of southern Malay Thai states:
Heh, imagine what kind of new national flag we would have. Messy.
Oh boy, I�d imagine PAS would rule supreme in northern Malaysia. On second thought, we should first get all PAS members into ISA and then get to work with Malaysia imperialism. Did I say imperialism? I meant federalism.
This way, we don't have to worry too much about those Islamists.
Maybe, just maybe, for the sake of screwing up Singapore with a new Kra Canal:
Next:Natuna islands are ours! Huzzah! (maybe Singapore too)
erratum - Natuna is part of Riau. At least, politically. So, I'd assume annexation of Sumatra would include Natuna. w00t! More black gold to be misused!
Malaysia is not foreign to covert operations. During confrontation with Indonesia back in the 1960s, Malaysia along with its Commonwealth allies managed to stimulate a coup d�tat in against Sukarno and the communist in Jakarta. That in effect ended the Malaysia-Indonesia war. Another proof of Malaysia�s ability is Mindanao rebels. Malaysian subterfuge activities in southern Philippines were retaliatory in nature. It was done to counter the Philippines� effort to plant separatist ideas in Sabah despite the north Borneo states' decision to join the Federation. Several decades later, we can clearly see how the Philippines is still trying to contain the rebels while Sabah remains as a member of the Federation. The expertise gained in previous missions could be utilized to throw these Malay Thai rebels a party.
Malaysia doesn�t need to explicitly send troops to Thailand to aid the separatists. It�s sufficed to force Thailand to conduct a plebiscite via the United Nations - self-ruled or continuation of Thai sovereignty � just like how East Timor gained its independence from Indonesia. The Malay Thai states that should be offered the option are Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
Maybe even Satun. We could return the province back to Kedah or merge it with Perlis. All three modern provinces were part of the Malay Sultanate of Pattani, closely related to Malaysian states of Kedah and Kelantan. In short, this is a great way to undo the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909.
If the Malay Thai states ever decide for self-rule, years later after things have quieted down, Malaysia could offer these states places in the Federation. So, before; given Brunei's ascension into Malaysia along with a successful annexation of Sumatra:
After the inclusion of southern Malay Thai states:
Heh, imagine what kind of new national flag we would have. Messy.
Oh boy, I�d imagine PAS would rule supreme in northern Malaysia. On second thought, we should first get all PAS members into ISA and then get to work with Malaysia imperialism. Did I say imperialism? I meant federalism.
This way, we don't have to worry too much about those Islamists.
Maybe, just maybe, for the sake of screwing up Singapore with a new Kra Canal:
Next:
erratum - Natuna is part of Riau. At least, politically. So, I'd assume annexation of Sumatra would include Natuna. w00t! More black gold to be misused!
Four years ago, around this time, I woke up and was getting ready for chemistry class. On my way, vividly in my mind, I saw something so incredible that I was in a mode of disbelief. I saw tears falling down most strangers' cheek in the land of the free and home of the brave. I suspect, none of them realized that they were crying - I know I didn't. And for a tiniest moment then, I had thought I was an American.
But of course, Bush and his neo-con friends made me say much later, thank heavens I'm not an American.
Nevertheless, this post is dedicated to those of whom I saw cried on that day.
p/s - UK is overrated. Go to the US instead. (pst, Go Blue)
But of course, Bush and his neo-con friends made me say much later, thank heavens I'm not an American.
Nevertheless, this post is dedicated to those of whom I saw cried on that day.
p/s - UK is overrated. Go to the US instead. (pst, Go Blue)
Hah! Finally!
I've always thought it's amusing that there is no Malaysia Forum in Malaysia while there are Malaysia Forums in Stanford, LA, Boston, NY etc. Finally, somebody close to MF is proposing an informal meetup in Malaysia in the near future.
I've been to MF at Stanford last May and had the pleasure of meeting some good people there. So, I'll look forward to MF in Malaysia, or Kuala Lumpur.
Stay tuned for unofficial updates as I scoop my own mailbox.
But if you want to learn more about MF, http://smf.stanford.edu/ should be a good start.
p/s - hail to the Federation. It's the 60th anniversary of Kuching's liberation from the Japanese.
Alright, there is no Malaysia 60 years ago but Sarawak is in fact a member of the Federation. And I'm still no nationalist. I just love history.
pp/s - oh fuck (excuse my French). At least Iowa and Ohio State also lost. That should give Michigan some cushion. Whatever it is, I'm now 1 - 1. Heh, so is Michigan ironically.
ppp/s - at least, (I've been using too many at least) Ajax won 2 - 0 against Willem II Tilburg.
I've always thought it's amusing that there is no Malaysia Forum in Malaysia while there are Malaysia Forums in Stanford, LA, Boston, NY etc. Finally, somebody close to MF is proposing an informal meetup in Malaysia in the near future.
I've been to MF at Stanford last May and had the pleasure of meeting some good people there. So, I'll look forward to MF in Malaysia, or Kuala Lumpur.
Stay tuned for unofficial updates as I scoop my own mailbox.
But if you want to learn more about MF, http://smf.stanford.edu/ should be a good start.
p/s - hail to the Federation. It's the 60th anniversary of Kuching's liberation from the Japanese.
Alright, there is no Malaysia 60 years ago but Sarawak is in fact a member of the Federation. And I'm still no nationalist. I just love history.
pp/s - oh fuck (excuse my French). At least Iowa and Ohio State also lost. That should give Michigan some cushion. Whatever it is, I'm now 1 - 1. Heh, so is Michigan ironically.
ppp/s - at least, (I've been using too many at least) Ajax won 2 - 0 against Willem II Tilburg.
An awful lot of Malaysians are happy with the road tax reduction in the face of rising fuel cost. The government assures more is to come. The libertarian part of me jumps with joy. My green half however warns me that the government current policy might be unsustainable.
Fuel prices have been marching forward continuously for many months now. Give and take a jump of another USD20, crude oil price will be at an all-time high. The highest price in 2005 term is USD86 per barrel. Crude oil prices are currently around USD65 per barrel. Roughly a week ago, it was USD70 per barrel.
Consequently, all countries running gasoline subsidy are finding out that the program eats a lion�s share of their expenditure. Indonesia is a perfect example of this. Its subsidy program is so huge � a quarter of government expenditure in fact - that capitals are flowing out of Indonesia at a frightening rate. That capital outflow then forces Rupiah, the Indonesian currency, to plummet 10% against the USD this year alone. This could happen to Malaysia too and it�s crucial to reduce or even eliminate Malaysian fuel subsidy.
The Rupiah today rose after the Indonensian authority confirms that they will cut fuel subsidy further. Almost similarly, Malaysian government has allowed fuel price to increase step-wisely a few times this year. Three times if I'm not mistaken. That in effect reduces deadweight loss.
Despite so, the government has made several promises that are too bold.
First and foremost, the government promises that there will be no more price hike till the end of the year. There reason why this might be more than the goverment could chew is that there can be no guarantee how the global crude oil prices will react in the short term. The market is too susceptible to immediate events like Katrina, of which had forced the crude oil to break the USD70 benchmark. Not to mention, for the northern hemisphere, winter is looming in four months time. Given the no-hike promise, a too liberal price increase could match or even outdo the reduction in deadweight loss.
Second is the promise of more tax cuts. Bigger cuts mean lower revenue.
Combining possible fall in income from taxes with the inability to reduce expenditure, this is a formula only Republicans will endorse. It�s a recipe for budget deficit. A fall in income must be followed with a fall in expenditure if a budget is to be sustainable. Of course, economics allows greater expenditure against an inferior income but it must be noted that only in time of crisis should anybody allow that. This is where normative and positive economics diverge. On top of that, Malaysian 2004 budget deficit stands at 4.5% of its GDP. 2005 deficit is expected to stand at 3.8% of the GDP.
This is type of economics practices by Republicans � from Reagan to W. Bush - might increase the expected deficit for 2005. Our government is doing what a economic populist would do.
This might backfire soon - all the cheer might turn into jeer when the deficit swells in size.
p/s - even the World Bank is worried of climate change.
pp/s - fun flash animation. Don't you love your SUVs?
Fuel prices have been marching forward continuously for many months now. Give and take a jump of another USD20, crude oil price will be at an all-time high. The highest price in 2005 term is USD86 per barrel. Crude oil prices are currently around USD65 per barrel. Roughly a week ago, it was USD70 per barrel.
Consequently, all countries running gasoline subsidy are finding out that the program eats a lion�s share of their expenditure. Indonesia is a perfect example of this. Its subsidy program is so huge � a quarter of government expenditure in fact - that capitals are flowing out of Indonesia at a frightening rate. That capital outflow then forces Rupiah, the Indonesian currency, to plummet 10% against the USD this year alone. This could happen to Malaysia too and it�s crucial to reduce or even eliminate Malaysian fuel subsidy.
The Rupiah today rose after the Indonensian authority confirms that they will cut fuel subsidy further. Almost similarly, Malaysian government has allowed fuel price to increase step-wisely a few times this year. Three times if I'm not mistaken. That in effect reduces deadweight loss.
Despite so, the government has made several promises that are too bold.
First and foremost, the government promises that there will be no more price hike till the end of the year. There reason why this might be more than the goverment could chew is that there can be no guarantee how the global crude oil prices will react in the short term. The market is too susceptible to immediate events like Katrina, of which had forced the crude oil to break the USD70 benchmark. Not to mention, for the northern hemisphere, winter is looming in four months time. Given the no-hike promise, a too liberal price increase could match or even outdo the reduction in deadweight loss.
Second is the promise of more tax cuts. Bigger cuts mean lower revenue.
Combining possible fall in income from taxes with the inability to reduce expenditure, this is a formula only Republicans will endorse. It�s a recipe for budget deficit. A fall in income must be followed with a fall in expenditure if a budget is to be sustainable. Of course, economics allows greater expenditure against an inferior income but it must be noted that only in time of crisis should anybody allow that. This is where normative and positive economics diverge. On top of that, Malaysian 2004 budget deficit stands at 4.5% of its GDP. 2005 deficit is expected to stand at 3.8% of the GDP.
This is type of economics practices by Republicans � from Reagan to W. Bush - might increase the expected deficit for 2005. Our government is doing what a economic populist would do.
This might backfire soon - all the cheer might turn into jeer when the deficit swells in size.
p/s - even the World Bank is worried of climate change.
pp/s - fun flash animation. Don't you love your SUVs?
A little bit over eight more days to 42 years of Malaysian Federation.
But heh, I wonder if that lamp post works. That lamp post stands right beside this crosswalk light.
Seeing how things are being done here makes me feel gloomy. But hey, about 400 years ago, somebody said A sable cloud turns forth its silver lining on the night. That is where every cloud has a silver lining originates from.
I wonder if that guy ever got to see his silver lining.
Anyway, I doubt an awful lot will feel anything like August 31. I do think however Xia Xue could change that. Anything coming from Singapore will be able to rile up almost any Malaysian. Heck, she manages to make a Brit stands up for Malaysia.
Well, internet soap opera in the making.
p/s - wtf? Gold Lego bricks?
But heh, I wonder if that lamp post works. That lamp post stands right beside this crosswalk light.
Seeing how things are being done here makes me feel gloomy. But hey, about 400 years ago, somebody said A sable cloud turns forth its silver lining on the night. That is where every cloud has a silver lining originates from.
I wonder if that guy ever got to see his silver lining.
Anyway, I doubt an awful lot will feel anything like August 31. I do think however Xia Xue could change that. Anything coming from Singapore will be able to rile up almost any Malaysian. Heck, she manages to make a Brit stands up for Malaysia.
Well, internet soap opera in the making.
p/s - wtf? Gold Lego bricks?
Voila!
Finally, 500px instead of 400px. Looks good.
Anyway, it seems to me that, University of Malaya's application form for master's degree is as thick as Princeton's undergraduate application form. Somehow, it makes filling up tax return form a walk in the park. Well, it depends on how large the park is.
And forgot the mention something for the sake of my vanity. I sent something for theCicak. The stuff is essentially a modification of my earlier post. I notice that there's a grammatical problem that slipped my eyes when I sent it. And apparently, it also slips theCicak's eyes. Hah.
And I'm not ReCom.org's founding fathers as stated in the sort of footnote. But hey, is UMNO really our freedom fighters? Or is it they and the commies and everything in between? Increasingly, it's becoming, who cares.
So, who cares if I were one of the founding fathers...
Hmm, maybe somebody out there might.
Finally, 500px instead of 400px. Looks good.
Anyway, it seems to me that, University of Malaya's application form for master's degree is as thick as Princeton's undergraduate application form. Somehow, it makes filling up tax return form a walk in the park. Well, it depends on how large the park is.
And forgot the mention something for the sake of my vanity. I sent something for theCicak. The stuff is essentially a modification of my earlier post. I notice that there's a grammatical problem that slipped my eyes when I sent it. And apparently, it also slips theCicak's eyes. Hah.
And I'm not ReCom.org's founding fathers as stated in the sort of footnote. But hey, is UMNO really our freedom fighters? Or is it they and the commies and everything in between? Increasingly, it's becoming, who cares.
So, who cares if I were one of the founding fathers...
Hmm, maybe somebody out there might.
UMNO strongman Khairy Jamaluddin challenges leading Malaysian opposition Lim Kit Siang to a debate in the Parliament on whether who actually is, or are the Father(s) of Independence of Malaysia/Malaya. It all started when Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew of DAP questions the legitimacy of accepting early UMNO leaders as freedom fighters. I found out about the challenge from an article by Utusan Malaysia. It's on the front page.
Lim Kit Siang, of whom maintains a blog, gives a prompt reply. My favorite point is:
The truth is, everybody back then fought for an independent Malaya. Well, almost. Whether they were communists or Malay nationalists, radicals or moderates, apologist or whatever, they all fought what they thought best for our country. With that's said, in many ways, the Malayan Communist Party and many others did contribute to an independent Malaya. They did fight the our independence, regardless of their political slant.
Still, I don't agree with Mr. Ronnie Liu when he says Tunku Abdul Rahman and UMNO aren't the real fighthers for Malaya independence. It's foolish to discredit Tunku Abdul Rahman and anybody else for that matter based on whether they worked with or against the British.
What really needs to be addressed here is Barisan Nasional's - and in particular UMNO - monopoly on Malaysian history. Instead of overlooking UMNO leaders, communist party or everybody elses' contributions, we should acknowledge all Malayans and Malaysians' contributions.
But, heh, thank god for the Malayan Emergency. It would suck to live under communist rule.
p/s - the shame is on me. I call myself a green but had never really gave a thought for the other victims of Katrina until now. Salutation to Primate Noise.
Lim Kit Siang, of whom maintains a blog, gives a prompt reply. My favorite point is:
Firstly, Khairy should not challenge anyone to a debate in Parliament until he has become a MP himself.In chess, people call it check, Khairy.
The truth is, everybody back then fought for an independent Malaya. Well, almost. Whether they were communists or Malay nationalists, radicals or moderates, apologist or whatever, they all fought what they thought best for our country. With that's said, in many ways, the Malayan Communist Party and many others did contribute to an independent Malaya. They did fight the our independence, regardless of their political slant.
Still, I don't agree with Mr. Ronnie Liu when he says Tunku Abdul Rahman and UMNO aren't the real fighthers for Malaya independence. It's foolish to discredit Tunku Abdul Rahman and anybody else for that matter based on whether they worked with or against the British.
What really needs to be addressed here is Barisan Nasional's - and in particular UMNO - monopoly on Malaysian history. Instead of overlooking UMNO leaders, communist party or everybody elses' contributions, we should acknowledge all Malayans and Malaysians' contributions.
But, heh, thank god for the Malayan Emergency. It would suck to live under communist rule.
p/s - the shame is on me. I call myself a green but had never really gave a thought for the other victims of Katrina until now. Salutation to Primate Noise.
Malaysia is doing the right thing by not sending the Thai refugees immediately back to Thailand. I�m especially glad that the Malaysian government is acting so despite the country doesn�t officially recognize refugee status. This is especially so when Thaksin insists that those 131 refugees are separatists while Thai foreign minister believes that the group consists of innocent Thais instead. The Thai upper echelon does little to guarantee the refugees� right to safety by issuing contradictory statements. Hence, it falls on Malaysia�s shoulder to provide the refugees such assurance in the name of human rights.
The conflict in southern Thailand may well indeed be Thai internal matter. ASEAN members at the same time practice non-interventionist principle. However, it�s clear that Thailand has been unable to contain its internal problem and now, it�s spilling into Malaysian northern state of Kelantan. According to some sources, about 1000 more Thais are planning to cross into Malaysia. The presence of 131 refuge seekers in Kelantan and the possibility of another exodus of refugees make the conflict as a Malaysian matter too, regardless of Thaksin�s opinion.
Thailand in recent past accuses Malaysia of shielding some of Pattani separatist leaders. Malaysia denies that and some within Malaysia have hinted that Thaksin might be looking for a scapegoat. Whatever it might be, southern Thailand crisis is rocking the relationship between the two countries and the recent refugee development is rocking the boat even further.
Malaysia is stuck in a quagmire � return the refugees back to Thailand and face possible domestic and international criticisms, or, keep the refugees safe for the moment and take the Malaysian-Thai relationship to a new low.
I personally prefer the latter to the former option. It is simply so because, as stated in an earlier entry, I believe Malaysia has a moral obligation to do so. To me, it�s simply a matter of human rights. To me, the gain from sheltering the refugees is greater than the cost.
Hence, again, I am glad that the Malaysian government refuses to handover the refugees to Thai authority just yet. Those that have interest in Malaysian human rights issues should be glad too. So, let's applaud the Malaysian government just this one time.
p/s - w00t! Malaysian Federalism: Pattani coming soon. Heh, read Brunei and Sumatra to anticipate the fun of a greater federation!
Remember though, this is for fun, not my official standing. I might not mind having Brunei as the new 14th state however. =p
The conflict in southern Thailand may well indeed be Thai internal matter. ASEAN members at the same time practice non-interventionist principle. However, it�s clear that Thailand has been unable to contain its internal problem and now, it�s spilling into Malaysian northern state of Kelantan. According to some sources, about 1000 more Thais are planning to cross into Malaysia. The presence of 131 refuge seekers in Kelantan and the possibility of another exodus of refugees make the conflict as a Malaysian matter too, regardless of Thaksin�s opinion.
Thailand in recent past accuses Malaysia of shielding some of Pattani separatist leaders. Malaysia denies that and some within Malaysia have hinted that Thaksin might be looking for a scapegoat. Whatever it might be, southern Thailand crisis is rocking the relationship between the two countries and the recent refugee development is rocking the boat even further.
Malaysia is stuck in a quagmire � return the refugees back to Thailand and face possible domestic and international criticisms, or, keep the refugees safe for the moment and take the Malaysian-Thai relationship to a new low.
I personally prefer the latter to the former option. It is simply so because, as stated in an earlier entry, I believe Malaysia has a moral obligation to do so. To me, it�s simply a matter of human rights. To me, the gain from sheltering the refugees is greater than the cost.
Hence, again, I am glad that the Malaysian government refuses to handover the refugees to Thai authority just yet. Those that have interest in Malaysian human rights issues should be glad too. So, let's applaud the Malaysian government just this one time.
p/s - w00t! Malaysian Federalism: Pattani coming soon. Heh, read Brunei and Sumatra to anticipate the fun of a greater federation!
Remember though, this is for fun, not my official standing. I might not mind having Brunei as the new 14th state however. =p
I ran a little errand yesterday. My eyes were a bit wilder than usual, ceteris paribus (read: controlling for sexy girls factor). While wandering almost aimlessly, I saw a couple run down wooden squat houses with modern highrise as backdrop.
Two images of Kuala Lumpur in one shot. In my opinion, a good juxtaposition of two realities.
I can't wait what Selangor - the only self-declared developed state in Malaysia - has to offer. Fantasyland should be better than Kuala Lumpur.
It's ludicrous for Selangor to declare itself as a developed state. And I still think it's ridiculous to call Selangor capital of Shah Alam as a proper city. Forgive me for comparing but I think Ann Arbor is larger and more exciting than Shah Alam. Shah Alam doesn't even have a cinema to start with.
And I think I need a better camera. Or maybe, I just need to stop scaling down my photos for posting purposes. Yeah. Next time, I'll use 500px for width instead of 400px. Or I just need Photoshop instead of some stupid imaging software.
Argh! I want my old computer!
Two images of Kuala Lumpur in one shot. In my opinion, a good juxtaposition of two realities.
I can't wait what Selangor - the only self-declared developed state in Malaysia - has to offer. Fantasyland should be better than Kuala Lumpur.
It's ludicrous for Selangor to declare itself as a developed state. And I still think it's ridiculous to call Selangor capital of Shah Alam as a proper city. Forgive me for comparing but I think Ann Arbor is larger and more exciting than Shah Alam. Shah Alam doesn't even have a cinema to start with.
And I think I need a better camera. Or maybe, I just need to stop scaling down my photos for posting purposes. Yeah. Next time, I'll use 500px for width instead of 400px. Or I just need Photoshop instead of some stupid imaging software.
Argh! I want my old computer!
I am probably one of many that are blaming Bush for Katrina fallout that is hitting New Orleans. Hey, Al Gore invented the internet and let's blame Bush. What's new?
But listening to Ray Nagin during a WWL interview on CNN makes blaming Bush more than a joke. It�s quite hard not to look at the federal government and Bush himself, eventually. The federal government has been slow in reacting and Bush was still on vacation a day after Katrina struck the American south.
However, I cannot take it when I hear some people mutter under their breath that "America deserves this". Please do realize that not all Americans agree with those hawkish policies. There are innocent people down there regardless how many of us disagree with US foreign and environmental policies.
And no, it has nothing to do with god or some deity up in there sky. Not even some meatball monster with spaghetti all around it.
Today, it�s them. What if tomorrow�s our turn? How would you feel I say that you deserve it?
Please. Quit saying "they deserve it".
p/s - Saw something like this on CNN news ticker: British Foreign Secy. Jack Straw: EU considering disaster relief, aid to U.S. rather than gasoline.
I'm not sure what to make out of that...
pp/s - New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin was calling for aid but the federal government said earlier that they had yet to receive formal request for help. Also on CNN, CNN International was interviewing Jan Egeland of the United Nations earlier and the United Nations say, they are ready to help but they have yet to receive formal request from the US.
I wonder if what seemingly to be a failure to mobilize rescue effort by almost everybody is actually due to red tape.
ppp/s - a Republican said New Orleans is not worth rebuilding. Something that might worth discussing but I don't think that Republican appreciates the timing of his remark. He retracts his statement soon after several Democrat senators fired their free bullets.
But listening to Ray Nagin during a WWL interview on CNN makes blaming Bush more than a joke. It�s quite hard not to look at the federal government and Bush himself, eventually. The federal government has been slow in reacting and Bush was still on vacation a day after Katrina struck the American south.
However, I cannot take it when I hear some people mutter under their breath that "America deserves this". Please do realize that not all Americans agree with those hawkish policies. There are innocent people down there regardless how many of us disagree with US foreign and environmental policies.
And no, it has nothing to do with god or some deity up in there sky. Not even some meatball monster with spaghetti all around it.
Today, it�s them. What if tomorrow�s our turn? How would you feel I say that you deserve it?
Please. Quit saying "they deserve it".
p/s - Saw something like this on CNN news ticker: British Foreign Secy. Jack Straw: EU considering disaster relief, aid to U.S. rather than gasoline.
I'm not sure what to make out of that...
pp/s - New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin was calling for aid but the federal government said earlier that they had yet to receive formal request for help. Also on CNN, CNN International was interviewing Jan Egeland of the United Nations earlier and the United Nations say, they are ready to help but they have yet to receive formal request from the US.
I wonder if what seemingly to be a failure to mobilize rescue effort by almost everybody is actually due to red tape.
ppp/s - a Republican said New Orleans is not worth rebuilding. Something that might worth discussing but I don't think that Republican appreciates the timing of his remark. He retracts his statement soon after several Democrat senators fired their free bullets.
Flying Spaghetti Monsterism is my new religion! Convert now! Only Flying Spaghetti Monster can save your soul! Pay our prophet a visit at http://www.venganza.org/
Wikipedia has an article on it. NYT has hilariously more (reg. req.):
This article makes my day. And this post is definately dedicated to proponents of intelligent design. And oh, to Kansas Republicans too.
Wikipedia has an article on it. NYT has hilariously more (reg. req.):
In perfect deadpan he wrote that although he agreed that science students should "hear multiple viewpoints" of how the universe came to be, he was worried that they would be hearing only one theory of intelligent design. After all, he noted, there are many such theories, including his own fervent belief that "the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster." He demanded equal time in the classroom and threatened a lawsuit.
Soon he was flooded with e-mail messages. Ninety-five percent of those who wrote to him, he said on his Web site, were "in favor of teaching Flying Spaghetti Monsterism in schools." Five percent suggested that he would be going to hell. Lawyers contacted him inquiring how serious he was about a lawsuit against the Kansas board. His answer: "Very."
This article makes my day. And this post is definately dedicated to proponents of intelligent design. And oh, to Kansas Republicans too.
There has been new development in southern Thailand. Three bombs exploded earlier and 15 are confirmed dead. Fearing backlash from the Thai military, a number of Thais have crossed into Malaysia. Further report has it that security near the Malaysian-Thai border has been tightened. Bangkok Post has more.
Malaysia has yet to sign the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and hence, does not officially recognize any asylum seekers (pdf). In fact, it�s all too possible that these refugees might be deported back to Thailand ,as what had happened to asylum seekers from Aceh. But surely, we don�t need to sign another piece of paper in order to be humane.
The bombing is a deplorable act and will only worsen the conflict in southern Thailand. Malaysia must assist Thailand in the name of, heh, ASEAN spirit. That however doesn't mean Malaysia has no responsibility towards those refugees. Malaysia has the moral obligation to guarantee these Thai refugees safety.
And trust me, the world, even those misguided fundamentalists, will have our back if we stand up for the refugees.
Malaysia has yet to sign the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and hence, does not officially recognize any asylum seekers (pdf). In fact, it�s all too possible that these refugees might be deported back to Thailand ,as what had happened to asylum seekers from Aceh. But surely, we don�t need to sign another piece of paper in order to be humane.
The bombing is a deplorable act and will only worsen the conflict in southern Thailand. Malaysia must assist Thailand in the name of, heh, ASEAN spirit. That however doesn't mean Malaysia has no responsibility towards those refugees. Malaysia has the moral obligation to guarantee these Thai refugees safety.
And trust me, the world, even those misguided fundamentalists, will have our back if we stand up for the refugees.
