As I read the regular influx of auto-delivered emails from the Malaysian Bar and KL Bar Committee's various sub-committees and notification mailers, I read two of the Bar Council's press releases released yesterday and today which led me to writing this post.
The first was a welcome to the end emergency-related legislation. Due to Parliament's ending of Malaysia's emergency statuses year, all emergency-related regulations and laws cease effect within 6 months of the status' by virtue of a Constitutional provision, and that 6 months ended yesterday. As a citizen, I welcome today as an important milestone in our country's move towards a more progressive liberal democracy.
Today also marks World Refugee Day, and the Bar Council's second press statement was an appeal for the recognition of refugees' dignity, to provide them access to and recognition of their lawful work, and to move towards local ratification of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.
I may not agree with everything the Bar Council does, nor am I always proud of my legal fraternity, but today I stand strongly and completely behind these press releases as a proud member of the Bar.
You may say press releases are dime a dozen, but I recall what my boss just told me yesterday when we were considering the testimony of two witnesses. I said "I don't see how Witness B can justify his position." My boss replied "At least he takes a stand! Witness A is completely unhelpful".
Taking a stand is a small but definite step despite its lack of immediate effect. The rate and breadth of legal reform in this country is not up to par, and to mark the end of emergency legislation by reminding the government of its commitment to reform is proper. As to the second press release, I know that too few Malaysians are even aware of the issues surrounding refugees here, and many simply do not care. I hope in time this will change and am glad the Bar Council is assisting in the right direction.
Showing posts with label International Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label International Events. Show all posts
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Monday, 14 February 2011
East or West, Mum is Best!
Even before I read her words, I had heard about her and her memoir, the rather militantly titled 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother', from other sources. Amy Chua's everywhere on the net these days.
But when I actually read her article on Wall Street Journal's website, excerpted from her memoir and titled 'Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior' (subtlety is not Chua's strong point), I was moved. Really.
I moved through shock and horror, understanding and empathy, anger and humour. I reluctantly conceded some points while strongly disagreed with others. Chua is definitely blunt in many places (she's sparked a mini clash of civilisations after all) but as a child who grew up in a home environment indirectly shaped by Confucian values, her stabs were not new ones.
Before you jump the gun, let me tell you bluntly myself: my mum is not Amy Chua. Not at all. Neither is my dad. They no doubt share many of her values and beliefs: that education is of supreme importance, that parents should wield authority over their children, that parents objectively know better the real needs of their children, that bolstering a child's self-esteem is not the primary objective of parenting—providing for the child is, especially in terms of education, but they are no where near as iron-fisted as Chua.
Compared to many parents I personal know or know of, mine are relatively strict and very conservative (that is not a criticism, mind you), but compared to Chua, they are almost hippies. It seems to me Chua takes the imposition of her values on her children to the extreme, to a point where it could probably lead to diminishing returns. Her kids might be tough and come out great, but I can imagine many others getting nervous breakdowns by 12, regardless of ethnicity.
I do not doubt Chua loves her daughters and wants the best for them and their future (at least by her standards), and I am not here to judge whether she is a bad mother or a good mother, or whether or not her style of parenting is superior in any sense of the word. I will not comment on any emotional effects her parenting will have on her kids, their happiness or their adult relationship with her.
What I can say is this. What Chua and her 'type' are doing to their kids is merely to produce perfect conformists. People who will have stable jobs and live in safe neighbourhoods and watch 20 seasons of American Idol and die anonymous to the world. Can anyone say if there's something wrong with that? Not really.
In many ways I am one of them. This 'safeness', this 'stablity' in life (encompassing financial, familial, societal safety and stability) is something that my parents and their parents treasure above many, if not all, other things. And because they believe this security and stability comes from education, they endeavored to give me the best they could afford in that area. No, not the best toys and Play Stations and gadgets and laptops and summer camps, but the best tuition and books and colleges and universities. I will admit I have not always been thankful, or even aware of this.
But now, this security and stability, this safeness, is something I am thankful for every morning. I know that, unless I make horrendous blunders in life or my society turns upside down, I will always have food and clothing and shelter because I have an education which assures my employment. And I know I have my parents to thank for it, and I also know it came to me at no small sacrifice on their part. I know all this very well. Yet, this safety and stability is the same thing I sometimes resent at night. It is this same thing that I feel has limited my options and negated my desires for a different, freer, less conventional life.
Let's face it, Chua's kids (and all kids who have parents are like her) may get A's and gain scholarships and go to top universities, but they will never be groundbreaking theorists or academicians. They may play the piano perfectly, but will never be the great composers. They may be literate and communicate well, but will never write 'The Great American Novel' or an award-wining play. They will be hardworking and rise the ranks, but will never venture their own start-ups. They will be excellent managers, accountants, bankers who will be hired by many big corporations, but will never be entrepreneurs, inventors or risk takers who make the news.
There will be no Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerbergs, Tiger Woods, Richard Bransons, Theresa Tengs, Itzhak Perlmans, Meryl Streeps, JK Rowlings, Picassos, Robert Frosts, Quentin Tarrantinos, Schumanns, Stephen Hawkings, Mother Theresas, Ghandis or Thomas Edisons to come from them. It's almost impossible. I mean, can you really imagine any of those kids changing the world in any significant way?
Their job in life is just to do their job really, really well, and get ahead by pure efficiency. Their goal will be to live quiet lives away from trouble and have kids who do the same. They will pay taxes and vote and read newspapers, but will probably never get into politics. Their goal is not to create change, or initiate paradigm shifts, or to spread charity, or to lead peoples, or to cure world problems, or to make headlines, or to be brilliantly creative. But again, can anyone say this is wrong? Not really.
There is no right or wrong here, that's the point.
Chua may be right about many things when she criticizes what she calls Western style parenting. But she also must understand that encouraging creativity and freedom and self expression and self respect can lead to great failures and well as great successes, often both in the same lifetime. Her parenting may lead to success in her kids, but only a very limited, albeit perfectly acceptable, definition of success.
Also read mainland's Chinese mums' reactions at newsweek.com
But when I actually read her article on Wall Street Journal's website, excerpted from her memoir and titled 'Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior' (subtlety is not Chua's strong point), I was moved. Really.
I moved through shock and horror, understanding and empathy, anger and humour. I reluctantly conceded some points while strongly disagreed with others. Chua is definitely blunt in many places (she's sparked a mini clash of civilisations after all) but as a child who grew up in a home environment indirectly shaped by Confucian values, her stabs were not new ones.
Before you jump the gun, let me tell you bluntly myself: my mum is not Amy Chua. Not at all. Neither is my dad. They no doubt share many of her values and beliefs: that education is of supreme importance, that parents should wield authority over their children, that parents objectively know better the real needs of their children, that bolstering a child's self-esteem is not the primary objective of parenting—providing for the child is, especially in terms of education, but they are no where near as iron-fisted as Chua.
Compared to many parents I personal know or know of, mine are relatively strict and very conservative (that is not a criticism, mind you), but compared to Chua, they are almost hippies. It seems to me Chua takes the imposition of her values on her children to the extreme, to a point where it could probably lead to diminishing returns. Her kids might be tough and come out great, but I can imagine many others getting nervous breakdowns by 12, regardless of ethnicity.
I do not doubt Chua loves her daughters and wants the best for them and their future (at least by her standards), and I am not here to judge whether she is a bad mother or a good mother, or whether or not her style of parenting is superior in any sense of the word. I will not comment on any emotional effects her parenting will have on her kids, their happiness or their adult relationship with her.
What I can say is this. What Chua and her 'type' are doing to their kids is merely to produce perfect conformists. People who will have stable jobs and live in safe neighbourhoods and watch 20 seasons of American Idol and die anonymous to the world. Can anyone say if there's something wrong with that? Not really.
In many ways I am one of them. This 'safeness', this 'stablity' in life (encompassing financial, familial, societal safety and stability) is something that my parents and their parents treasure above many, if not all, other things. And because they believe this security and stability comes from education, they endeavored to give me the best they could afford in that area. No, not the best toys and Play Stations and gadgets and laptops and summer camps, but the best tuition and books and colleges and universities. I will admit I have not always been thankful, or even aware of this.
But now, this security and stability, this safeness, is something I am thankful for every morning. I know that, unless I make horrendous blunders in life or my society turns upside down, I will always have food and clothing and shelter because I have an education which assures my employment. And I know I have my parents to thank for it, and I also know it came to me at no small sacrifice on their part. I know all this very well. Yet, this safety and stability is the same thing I sometimes resent at night. It is this same thing that I feel has limited my options and negated my desires for a different, freer, less conventional life.
Let's face it, Chua's kids (and all kids who have parents are like her) may get A's and gain scholarships and go to top universities, but they will never be groundbreaking theorists or academicians. They may play the piano perfectly, but will never be the great composers. They may be literate and communicate well, but will never write 'The Great American Novel' or an award-wining play. They will be hardworking and rise the ranks, but will never venture their own start-ups. They will be excellent managers, accountants, bankers who will be hired by many big corporations, but will never be entrepreneurs, inventors or risk takers who make the news.
There will be no Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerbergs, Tiger Woods, Richard Bransons, Theresa Tengs, Itzhak Perlmans, Meryl Streeps, JK Rowlings, Picassos, Robert Frosts, Quentin Tarrantinos, Schumanns, Stephen Hawkings, Mother Theresas, Ghandis or Thomas Edisons to come from them. It's almost impossible. I mean, can you really imagine any of those kids changing the world in any significant way?
Their job in life is just to do their job really, really well, and get ahead by pure efficiency. Their goal will be to live quiet lives away from trouble and have kids who do the same. They will pay taxes and vote and read newspapers, but will probably never get into politics. Their goal is not to create change, or initiate paradigm shifts, or to spread charity, or to lead peoples, or to cure world problems, or to make headlines, or to be brilliantly creative. But again, can anyone say this is wrong? Not really.
There is no right or wrong here, that's the point.
Chua may be right about many things when she criticizes what she calls Western style parenting. But she also must understand that encouraging creativity and freedom and self expression and self respect can lead to great failures and well as great successes, often both in the same lifetime. Her parenting may lead to success in her kids, but only a very limited, albeit perfectly acceptable, definition of success.
Also read mainland's Chinese mums' reactions at newsweek.com
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Holden At Fifty
Louis Menand writes on "The Catcher in the Rye" for New Yorker magazine, October 1st 2001. Click on the post title to read the essay.
In memory of Jerome David Salinger, (1919-2010).
In memory of Jerome David Salinger, (1919-2010).
Monday, 18 January 2010
When The Going Gets Tough...
Yes, your job is crap, but try to remember that you have not lost hundreds of family, friends, neighbours, leaders and colleagues to a natural disaster. You have not witnessed your entire country come to ruins. You do not deal with civil strife and unrest on a daily basis. You do not live in a country that needs to be run by UN peacekeepers because half the population wants to kill the other half. You are not dying, starving and fighting for medicine and food.
You have a job. You are alive.
You are blessed.
Please pray and aid the people of Haiti, in whatever way you can.
Have a grateful week ahead!
Algy
You have a job. You are alive.
You are blessed.
Please pray and aid the people of Haiti, in whatever way you can.
Have a grateful week ahead!
Algy
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Happy Birthday Sesame Street!
Like many kids in my socio-economic demographic, my exposure to the intricacies of the English language started through Sesame Street, and I still have a soft spot for the adorable muppets and monsters who inhabit that lovely neighbourhood.
This year, the venerable kids TV show turns forty, and celebrations are underway around New York. James Y. Lee of Time Out New York writes on the inspiration behind the show's set—a place many of us lived our childhoods in, along with Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Telly, Oscar the Grouch, the Count, Grover, Kermit, Ernie and Bert.
Click on the post's title to visit the article.
At Gothamist, there's a small gallery of photos from the actual set.
Click on the post's title to visit the article.
At Gothamist, there's a small gallery of photos from the actual set.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
The Big Giant and the Little Giantess
SKR, this one's for you...
Beijing recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of communist China on an immense scale with much pomp and circumstance. In Berlin however, they celebrated the fall of communism in Europe and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall's on a (relatively) smaller scale without any gigantic weapons, rockets, tanks or armed forces marching.
Click on the post title to enjoy more pictures from The Big Picture blog. I find the symbolism behind the performance engaging and meaningful. Hmm...I wonder if KL will ever see any public spectacle of this sort.
Beijing recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of communist China on an immense scale with much pomp and circumstance. In Berlin however, they celebrated the fall of communism in Europe and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall's on a (relatively) smaller scale without any gigantic weapons, rockets, tanks or armed forces marching.
Click on the post title to enjoy more pictures from The Big Picture blog. I find the symbolism behind the performance engaging and meaningful. Hmm...I wonder if KL will ever see any public spectacle of this sort.Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Only in China
There are nearly enough Chinese named Zhang Wei to populate the city of Pittsburgh (and that's just in China).One of those "I simply have to share this" things. I found this New York Times piece on ay-es's blog (thank you! See, I credit). Click on the post title to go to the article.
The Chinese government is issuing out computer generated identity cards, but their computers only read "32,252 of the roughly 55,000 Chinese characters", so the government there does what no other administration could pull off: ask people to change their names if the character is unrecognisable.
The article humoured me and annoyed me at the name time. On one hand the problem is typically and uniquely Chinese, and actually funny in a this-is-unbelievably-sad-and-hilarious sort of way. On the other hand, the approach taken clearly reflects common views about the government there: bureaucratic, insensitive, inflexible and authoritarian.
They are also introducing "a standardized list of characters for people to use in everyday life, including when naming children". Only in China, right?
Monday, 27 April 2009
Sri Lanka
It saddens me that in Malaysia, when the Israeli onslaught on Gaza started, local news media immediately picked up on it and gave it plenty of (expectedly anti-Israeli) coverage, but the conflict in north-east Sri Lanka (Al-Jazeera link) hardly gets mentioned. In fact they are still having talk shows on the Israeli attacks, thanks to Ahmadenijad's address in Geneva.
While I myself feel very strongly about the Israeli attacks, I don't think it's acceptable that the Sri Lankan problem is sidelined, even as the situation is so fragile there. The UN estimates that about 50,000 non-combatants are caught between government troops and the LTTE fighters. That's a lot of people under risk, and that's a lot of people to ignore. I'm praying that things get better, although I really don't know how that will happen.
I suppose everyone knows the Malaysian political and religious implications and interests in the Israeli situation. And of course everyone also knows how much local news media is politically influenced. Unlike when Palestinians are involved, the Sri Lankan conflict is just another news item, just another local squabble that doesn't unnerve or anger us personally or puts Malaysia at great risk (Australia is worried that there will be a huge influx of asylum seekers, but Malaysia is obviously not a country high on granting asylum status, so I guess we're not worried even if we are just across the sea from Sri Lanka).
To be fair to the Malaysian media, I know for a fact that around the world there is plenty of biased coverage, but in developed countries especially, this is more often due to the editorial and political stance of papers and news agencies rather than top-down political interference, and those stances are for the most part clear and widely known (eg: The Times in the UK is centre to centre-right and in the US, the Washington Post and Wall Sreet Journal are right-leaning papers, PBS is a liberal tv station, etc). Moreover, the general public has a wide selection to sift through, allowing them to read both sides and then deciding for themselves, should they so choose. Obviously that the same is not available to Malaysians. But I digress, I am not here to examine the news media landscape of Malaysia.
But also in their defense, I cannot also say that the Sri Lankan situation is getting any more coverage in other countries than it is here. The fact is that this problem has been going on (and off) for 37 years, and maybe people are just tired of hearing old news. The same could be said about Sudan, and many other conflicts. People sometimes just choose to be ignorant (cf: Rwanda).
But then again, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has lasted for even longer, yet it still gets plenty of attention here..
While I myself feel very strongly about the Israeli attacks, I don't think it's acceptable that the Sri Lankan problem is sidelined, even as the situation is so fragile there. The UN estimates that about 50,000 non-combatants are caught between government troops and the LTTE fighters. That's a lot of people under risk, and that's a lot of people to ignore. I'm praying that things get better, although I really don't know how that will happen.
I suppose everyone knows the Malaysian political and religious implications and interests in the Israeli situation. And of course everyone also knows how much local news media is politically influenced. Unlike when Palestinians are involved, the Sri Lankan conflict is just another news item, just another local squabble that doesn't unnerve or anger us personally or puts Malaysia at great risk (Australia is worried that there will be a huge influx of asylum seekers, but Malaysia is obviously not a country high on granting asylum status, so I guess we're not worried even if we are just across the sea from Sri Lanka).
To be fair to the Malaysian media, I know for a fact that around the world there is plenty of biased coverage, but in developed countries especially, this is more often due to the editorial and political stance of papers and news agencies rather than top-down political interference, and those stances are for the most part clear and widely known (eg: The Times in the UK is centre to centre-right and in the US, the Washington Post and Wall Sreet Journal are right-leaning papers, PBS is a liberal tv station, etc). Moreover, the general public has a wide selection to sift through, allowing them to read both sides and then deciding for themselves, should they so choose. Obviously that the same is not available to Malaysians. But I digress, I am not here to examine the news media landscape of Malaysia.
But also in their defense, I cannot also say that the Sri Lankan situation is getting any more coverage in other countries than it is here. The fact is that this problem has been going on (and off) for 37 years, and maybe people are just tired of hearing old news. The same could be said about Sudan, and many other conflicts. People sometimes just choose to be ignorant (cf: Rwanda).
But then again, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has lasted for even longer, yet it still gets plenty of attention here..
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Earth Hour 2009 Revisited
I simply had to share this.
The Big Picture's piece on the not too long ago Earth Hour 2009 is simply spectacular. Particularly arresting is the that readers are shown the 'before' shots, then asked to click on the photos to see the 'after' shots. I felt like I was clicking an all-powerful on-off switch to each city's lights. It's really something.
Click on the post title to go to the post, and you'll see what I mean.
Nota Bene: The Big Picture is a photo-reportage blog which features photos of current events around the world collected from various sources. All of the posts contain amazing reportage imagery. They say a picture speaks a thousand words, and that truth is very much reflect here.
The Big Picture's piece on the not too long ago Earth Hour 2009 is simply spectacular. Particularly arresting is the that readers are shown the 'before' shots, then asked to click on the photos to see the 'after' shots. I felt like I was clicking an all-powerful on-off switch to each city's lights. It's really something.
Click on the post title to go to the post, and you'll see what I mean.
Nota Bene: The Big Picture is a photo-reportage blog which features photos of current events around the world collected from various sources. All of the posts contain amazing reportage imagery. They say a picture speaks a thousand words, and that truth is very much reflect here.
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Oscars 2009
I watched the Oscars on Monday. For many years I've tried to watch the Oscars if I could, and then after that I usually wonder why I bothered.
While the format for this year's show was noticeably different (5 previous winners giving away each acting award and the other awards presented as parts of the movie making process), nothing unexpected or awe inspiring happened. Pretty much everyone who was expected to win in the major categories fulfilled predictions—Slumdog Millionaire swept nearly everything and Meryl Streep lost yet again!
While there were a few laughs here and there, nobody did or said anything remarkably funny or stupid which wasn't scripted, although Danny Boyle did look endearing during his Tigger moment. And the clothes were all so-so, nobody wore anything particularly inventive (Halle Berry in 2002) or particularly stunning (Julia Roberts in 2001) or particularly ridiculous (Bjork was nowhere to be found, dang it!). Honorable mentions go to Penelope Cruz, Alicia Keys and Sarah Jessica Parker, who all looked gorgeous, albeit predictably conformist. Side note: Meryl Streep is unarguably one of the greatest actresses alive, but she wore a frumpy potato sack of a dress. Her daughter looked more of a star than she did. Get a new stylist, will ya Meryl?
There were a few highlights: host Hugh Jackman breaking into song in the opening sequence, Heath Ledger's family graciously and touchingly accepting the award for Best Supporting Actor and the musical medley directed by Baz Lurhman with Beyonce and Jackman. But the best moment for me was the performance of the songs nominated for Best Song. Here, Bollywood and Hollywood really blended into a scintillating swirl of colour and music. (All staged and choreographed, no doubt, but admirable nonetheless). There were the dizzying dancers and drummers in over-the-top Bollywood garb spinning beautifully on stage as A.R. Rahman sang "O Saya" from Slumdog, and then there was John Legend singing a Disney song ("Down to Earth" from Wall-E) in a sharp Prada suit, before both sang together in the last number, "Jai Ho", which won the Oscar.
Speaking of A.R. Rahman, when I first heard his acceptance speech for Best Song, I thought it sounded terribly cheesy, but upon reflection, it's actually quite profound:
While the format for this year's show was noticeably different (5 previous winners giving away each acting award and the other awards presented as parts of the movie making process), nothing unexpected or awe inspiring happened. Pretty much everyone who was expected to win in the major categories fulfilled predictions—Slumdog Millionaire swept nearly everything and Meryl Streep lost yet again!
While there were a few laughs here and there, nobody did or said anything remarkably funny or stupid which wasn't scripted, although Danny Boyle did look endearing during his Tigger moment. And the clothes were all so-so, nobody wore anything particularly inventive (Halle Berry in 2002) or particularly stunning (Julia Roberts in 2001) or particularly ridiculous (Bjork was nowhere to be found, dang it!). Honorable mentions go to Penelope Cruz, Alicia Keys and Sarah Jessica Parker, who all looked gorgeous, albeit predictably conformist. Side note: Meryl Streep is unarguably one of the greatest actresses alive, but she wore a frumpy potato sack of a dress. Her daughter looked more of a star than she did. Get a new stylist, will ya Meryl?
There were a few highlights: host Hugh Jackman breaking into song in the opening sequence, Heath Ledger's family graciously and touchingly accepting the award for Best Supporting Actor and the musical medley directed by Baz Lurhman with Beyonce and Jackman. But the best moment for me was the performance of the songs nominated for Best Song. Here, Bollywood and Hollywood really blended into a scintillating swirl of colour and music. (All staged and choreographed, no doubt, but admirable nonetheless). There were the dizzying dancers and drummers in over-the-top Bollywood garb spinning beautifully on stage as A.R. Rahman sang "O Saya" from Slumdog, and then there was John Legend singing a Disney song ("Down to Earth" from Wall-E) in a sharp Prada suit, before both sang together in the last number, "Jai Ho", which won the Oscar.
Speaking of A.R. Rahman, when I first heard his acceptance speech for Best Song, I thought it sounded terribly cheesy, but upon reflection, it's actually quite profound:
(A)ll my life I had a choice of hate and love. I chose love and I'm here. God bless.My fellow Malaysians, choose love.
Saturday, 7 February 2009
Hot N Cold
Katy Perry got it just right.
My friends in Europe are either complaining endlessly of the cold or in mindless awe of the ridiculous snow levels (re: Malaysians), many loudly proclaiming the fact on Facebook via status updates and putting up numerous photos of themselves making snow angels or walking on snow covered streets with white cars, white trees and white rooftops and white people in black coats.
Now, why the heck didn't it snow like this when I was there? Sheesh.
My friends in Australia are facing deadly heat waves and are hitting the beach to cool down.
There were reports of cold spells in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, countries which usually use air conditioners to cool the air down! Maybe Malaysia will see snow in the not-too-distant future, and I won't have to travel to somewhere cold to get frostbite!
Someone else got it quite right as well: "We had better make sure we don't come to face a global environmental crisis, because unlike an economic crisis, we may never recover from it."
My friends in Europe are either complaining endlessly of the cold or in mindless awe of the ridiculous snow levels (re: Malaysians), many loudly proclaiming the fact on Facebook via status updates and putting up numerous photos of themselves making snow angels or walking on snow covered streets with white cars, white trees and white rooftops and white people in black coats.
Now, why the heck didn't it snow like this when I was there? Sheesh.
My friends in Australia are facing deadly heat waves and are hitting the beach to cool down.
There were reports of cold spells in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, countries which usually use air conditioners to cool the air down! Maybe Malaysia will see snow in the not-too-distant future, and I won't have to travel to somewhere cold to get frostbite!
Someone else got it quite right as well: "We had better make sure we don't come to face a global environmental crisis, because unlike an economic crisis, we may never recover from it."
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Wow! I Mean...Like...Wow!
I just heard the Inaugural Address of #44. My God, that man can give a speech.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
He's Just Misunderestimated, Really!
He's going everywhere on American TV defending his administration's past 8 years, saying he doesn't care about popularity, and ohmygosh, he's calling not finding WMDs and Abu-Gharib 'disappointments'. Wow, this guy needs English lessons, amongst other things.
At this point there isn't much he can say to change people's minds, because his words sound ridiculously ironic when you compare them to his record of actions. In his farewell address, he said, "Around the world, America is promoting human liberty, human rights and human dignity" and "Murdering innocents to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere" and "America needs to maintain its moral clarity." Huh? What? I'm sorry, I think I missed the plot.
I was shocked when I heard that he took more holidays than he gave press conferences. I mean, anyone in a high ranking public office would be embarrassed of that statistic, but then I remind myself that this is arguably the worst president America has every had, it may not be such a big deal. I wouldn't know, I wasn't around during Nixon's time, let alone the earlier ones, so I can't conclude if he's the absolute worse.
Well, I shall miss his Bushisms. Here are some vintage lines, on the BBC News website. The world will miss nothing else.
Goodbye, W. I hope your wing that humans and fish will coexist peacefully will take dream. You can now do what you do best: take a holiday. Forever.
Good luck, #44.
At this point there isn't much he can say to change people's minds, because his words sound ridiculously ironic when you compare them to his record of actions. In his farewell address, he said, "Around the world, America is promoting human liberty, human rights and human dignity" and "Murdering innocents to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere" and "America needs to maintain its moral clarity." Huh? What? I'm sorry, I think I missed the plot.
I was shocked when I heard that he took more holidays than he gave press conferences. I mean, anyone in a high ranking public office would be embarrassed of that statistic, but then I remind myself that this is arguably the worst president America has every had, it may not be such a big deal. I wouldn't know, I wasn't around during Nixon's time, let alone the earlier ones, so I can't conclude if he's the absolute worse.
Well, I shall miss his Bushisms. Here are some vintage lines, on the BBC News website. The world will miss nothing else.
Goodbye, W. I hope your wing that humans and fish will coexist peacefully will take dream. You can now do what you do best: take a holiday. Forever.
Good luck, #44.
Friday, 16 January 2009
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
When Will It End?
I have not posted for a while—longer than I had wished, for various reasons; fatiguing classes, mundane errands and being harassed by a line of unwanted disturbances, from (among others) blown out lightbulbs to a tooth problem, which, while all relatively minor, put a damper on my spirits.
Perhaps the most distressing event of all, which no doubt set me into a deliberately negative mood till today, was when I found out last week that the death-toll in Gaza topped 800 people (it's now topped 900) and that UNRWA was to stop aid work in Gaza due to one of its staff members being shot at (it has now resumed aid). Even as we speak more tanks and troops are entering Gaza.
The Malaysian Parliament has passed a motion condemning Israeli action (surprise, surprise) but I wonder, what's it all for? While I am glad my country takes a firm stand, realistically, this isn't going to change anything. The OIC, which Malaysia is secretary general to, has already unequivocally condemned the attacks from day one, and Malaysia has never had diplomatic ties with, and has always been critical of Israel, so it's not as if we need to trumpet our stance or offer more moral support—neither will make any difference on the ground for the Gazans who are dying and suffering as our parliamentarians put on a good show.
And while I laud the pledging of money in aid of the Gazans, how much of that money is going to actually reach Gaza in time after bureaucracy, 'discounts' and 'administrative fees'? There seems to be little detail on how the money is to be used or chanelled, it seems like nothing but an empty promise. Even if the money does reach the borders of Gaza in kind, will it get it? Aid organisations are making it clear that even if the so called '3 hour lulls' are respected (they are not), there is no physical way they can enter Gaza, give aid, and then leave in 3 hours.
I ask: when will anything make a difference? The UNSC's resolution was ignored by Israel and Hamas (I suppose it was just wishful thinking that the resolution would be followed) and the deathtoll has reached a epic level as the offensive. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is not even a situation anymore, it's basically disastrous. Even the Red Cross is crying foul and claiming that the IDF is not following international codes of conduct. How many dead and injured people will it take to end this? 1000? 2000? 10,000?
The Israeli authorities are claiming they are using precision rockets to hit only Hamas targets. Then why the 'accidental' deaths of 40 civilians at a UN school? Why so many women and children dead? Why is Hamas still fighting back if Israel authorities claim they are close to reaching their aim? When will Hamas stop fighting back? When half the population is wiped out?
Despite all this, I did get to write a few lines for the 'About' section, which I shall put up when they're done.
Perhaps the most distressing event of all, which no doubt set me into a deliberately negative mood till today, was when I found out last week that the death-toll in Gaza topped 800 people (it's now topped 900) and that UNRWA was to stop aid work in Gaza due to one of its staff members being shot at (it has now resumed aid). Even as we speak more tanks and troops are entering Gaza.
The Malaysian Parliament has passed a motion condemning Israeli action (surprise, surprise) but I wonder, what's it all for? While I am glad my country takes a firm stand, realistically, this isn't going to change anything. The OIC, which Malaysia is secretary general to, has already unequivocally condemned the attacks from day one, and Malaysia has never had diplomatic ties with, and has always been critical of Israel, so it's not as if we need to trumpet our stance or offer more moral support—neither will make any difference on the ground for the Gazans who are dying and suffering as our parliamentarians put on a good show.
And while I laud the pledging of money in aid of the Gazans, how much of that money is going to actually reach Gaza in time after bureaucracy, 'discounts' and 'administrative fees'? There seems to be little detail on how the money is to be used or chanelled, it seems like nothing but an empty promise. Even if the money does reach the borders of Gaza in kind, will it get it? Aid organisations are making it clear that even if the so called '3 hour lulls' are respected (they are not), there is no physical way they can enter Gaza, give aid, and then leave in 3 hours.
I ask: when will anything make a difference? The UNSC's resolution was ignored by Israel and Hamas (I suppose it was just wishful thinking that the resolution would be followed) and the deathtoll has reached a epic level as the offensive. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is not even a situation anymore, it's basically disastrous. Even the Red Cross is crying foul and claiming that the IDF is not following international codes of conduct. How many dead and injured people will it take to end this? 1000? 2000? 10,000?
The Israeli authorities are claiming they are using precision rockets to hit only Hamas targets. Then why the 'accidental' deaths of 40 civilians at a UN school? Why so many women and children dead? Why is Hamas still fighting back if Israel authorities claim they are close to reaching their aim? When will Hamas stop fighting back? When half the population is wiped out?
Despite all this, I did get to write a few lines for the 'About' section, which I shall put up when they're done.
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Peace NOW!
I gather information from the net, the tv news channels, the press on the current Gaza conflict. And yet the more I know, the more helpless I feel. The more I feel that this conflict, while it unnerves me and saddens me and scares me, is simply beyond my hands, my control. I feel I can do little if anything to end the conflict.
Well, at least my country speaks up. The Star reports: "Malaysia issues ultimatum to UN Security Council".
Hopefully the Egyptian-French initiative will come through. Israel claims that it has a third and fourth stage planned, which it will enter if necessary. I do not even want to phantom that possibility. For a quick update, read this article at the Guardian (UK).
This has to end NOW.
Well, at least my country speaks up. The Star reports: "Malaysia issues ultimatum to UN Security Council".
Hopefully the Egyptian-French initiative will come through. Israel claims that it has a third and fourth stage planned, which it will enter if necessary. I do not even want to phantom that possibility. For a quick update, read this article at the Guardian (UK).
This has to end NOW.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Template Up
The new template and header image is finally up, but I have yet to tweak the colour scheme.
Meanwhile, the people of Gaza face a humanitarian catastrophe of unimaginable proportions, yet so many world leaders seem merely to be saying to Israel: "Tut, tut. Now, now. Behave, now". Except for the Bush administration, of course, which seems to be saying "It's ok boys, go on and play rough!" And this just days before Obama's inauguration. You wonder whether this goading on is a bit of a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for the man who won a lot of support because he openly criticised Bush #43.
I cry and pray for the people of Gaza. This has to end now. NOW.
Meanwhile, the people of Gaza face a humanitarian catastrophe of unimaginable proportions, yet so many world leaders seem merely to be saying to Israel: "Tut, tut. Now, now. Behave, now". Except for the Bush administration, of course, which seems to be saying "It's ok boys, go on and play rough!" And this just days before Obama's inauguration. You wonder whether this goading on is a bit of a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for the man who won a lot of support because he openly criticised Bush #43.
I cry and pray for the people of Gaza. This has to end now. NOW.
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