lu orang bersih tak? ( are you people clean?)

News about the BERSIH rally:

Bersih 2.0 Will Happen At Stadium Merdeka On July 9th	Share
Steering Committee of Bersih 2.0 Thursday, 07 July 2011 06:07
Bersih 2.0 is disappointed in the manner in which the Prime Minister and his cabinet has reneged on their offer to provide a stadium for us to hold our peaceful gathering. As members of civil society that are committed to principles of integrity, we fully intend to abide by the advice of Tuanku DYMM SPB YDP Agong and hold our gathering in a stadium to state our demand for clean and fair elections.

Even the Malaysian diaspora are involved now:

Bersih Taipei: Malaysians in Taiwan show the meaning of courage and spirit

And sadly, but as expected, the Malaysian government prefers to behave like a pouting spoiled brat rather than a mature and principled organisation. Didn't you agree to the king's recommendation to sit down to discussions? And did you not offer to provide the use of a stadium?

Police To Decide On Use Of Merdeka Stadium For July 9 Rally

Thursday, 07 July 2011 05:44
KLANG -- Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said on Wednesday the decision to allow the July 9 rally at the Merdeka Stadium rested with the police.
"We have left it to the authorities, particularly the police, to decide in terms of security and so on," he told a news conference . . . . . . .
Asked when he was meeting S. Ambiga, the chairman of Bersih 2.0, the prime minister said: "I didn't say I will be meeting Ambiga. The government can mean anyone; government doesn't mean me specifically."

Permit condition in bad faith, says Ambiga
By Yow Hong Chieh
July 06, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has accused the authorities of “lacking good faith” for demanding that the group apply for a permit to hold its planned stadium rally this weekend.


And this is just what a bully does - cause lots of disruption, and then say "its their fault for not doing what I want"....
PKR: Putrajaya choking trade with shutdowns, roadblocks
PETALING JAYA, July 7 — PKR today accused the Najib administration of choking business activities in the Klang Valley ahead of Saturday’s Bersih rally with police roadblocks and disruptions to public transportation.

I WANT FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN MY COUNTRY, MALAYSIA.

Beginning Today

Suddenly, today, this song came to mind, and I want to make note of it.

"Beginning Today my mornings are yours, 
The hope that downs in their light. 
Beginning today my evenings and dreams, 
my gift to you is my life."

The words above are the chorus to a beautiful song.  For more of the lyrics, please click on any word in the chorus above.

In the few references to this song that I have seen on the internet, most mention this as a wedding song.  Indeed, it is played at weddings, and verse 1 has words appropriate for a couple.  But look further to verse 2, and you will see that the song speaks of a love greater even than that between spouses.

He gave His life for us, and invites us into his forgiveness and his wonderful light.  Today, I write this entry as my morning prayer.  I pray that I will always remember that:
"Beginning today, my mornings are yours..."

Follow the instructions

Like everyone else, I get my share of friendly spam. I define "friendly spam" as the forwarded email that friends send to you just to show they're thinking of you, but dont necessarily have anything important to say.

Or, "friendly spam"can be something your friend thinks is important (poisonous spiders hiding in the toilets of Setapak, Perfume samples with knockout gas, alleged words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama - you know, that kind of thing) but you may not believe yourself.

Or, it can be a joke or a list of jokes your friend thinks is funny and wants to share with you (I must have received a dozen or more sets about marriage alone over the years).

Anyway, its not often you get one that's indecent and innocent at the same time. I got such a one today, and to celebrate the occasion, I post it here:

Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married.

She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.

One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room.

She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.

As he sat facing her old Hammond organ the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl sitting on top of it.

The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom!

When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.

The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.

'Miss Beatrice' he said, 'I wonder if you would tell me about this?' pointing to the bowl.

'Oh yes' she replied, 'Isn't it wonderful?' I was walking in through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven't had the flu all winter'

Brilliant - that's all I can say.

No thanks, I have nothing to celebrate this 31/8

31st August is our "Merdeka" or "Independance Day".

Read these articles in the Malaysian Insider:
1. Protesters threaten bloodshed over Hindu temple

2. Not Quite 'Selamat Merdeka'

One of the commentators (Perlyrose) below the article #2 makes an interesting point - the demonstration and desecration (see #1) may have been bait to initiate a larger disturbance.
But whether it was a baiting, or whether it was just what it was (a group whipped into hysteria by misinformation), it bodes ill for Malaysia.

Not too long ago, we Catholics were offended by the desecration of our religious artifacts by the Al Islam magazine, now the Hindu's are being offended.

This August 31st, I think I will just stay indoors and mourn for Malaysia. Celebrating Merdeka would be hypocritical.

H1N1- Unpublicized preventive steps (Personal)

My question - how big is a virus, and how fine is the filter of the face masks we are spending money on?
It is answered in the email I got below. I suppose I must be a typical Joe-average, since every time I think of something, I find someone else has written or blogged about it.....

Thanks to media hype about H1N1, I’ve received calls from several who trust me, to advise. The hype in media about the utility of face masks and N95 as a tool for general protection against H1N1 can’t be deplored enough. Today, a friend who listened wanted me to write down briefly what I advised so that he could tell others in similar words. Hence this short email to friends whom I have advised recently. Please realize that this is not an official advice, especially the one about face masks or N95.

Most N95 respirators are designed to filter 95% particulates of 0.3µ, while the size of H1N1 virus is about 0.1µ. Hence, dependence on N95 to protect against H1N1 is like protecting against rain with an umbrella made of mosquito net.

Tamiflu does not kill but prevents H1N1 from further proliferation. H1N1, like other Influenza A viruses, only infects the upper respiratory tracts and proliferates (only) there.. The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not the problem but proliferation is. While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps — not fully highlighted in most official communications — can be practised (instead of focusing on how o stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications)
2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Sutra Neti (a very good Yoga asana to clean the nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

Happy breathing!
Best regards.

The Sutra Neti is intriguing. I first was told about it by a friend who took up yoga after retirement, and now looks as young as she did 10 years ago. She does this nasal and sinus washing almost daily, but it is easier to do these things when you are retired I guess. She swears it helps the health enormously. I was also surprised to see this in the Oprah Winfrey show, demonstrated by a SYT and being recommended by an American Caucasian doctor (the type that do health shows and run spas).

I wonder if it would help my own slight sinus problem, but even though I have seen it done on TV, I have no idea how to do it myself. Any SYT out there willing to teach me?

Phones do NOT start fires at petrol stations

OK, Now that I got your attention, I should say nothing is absolute. But having said that, I would thank you all to STOP forwarding those emails warning people that mobile phones start petrol fires. There has been no evidence to show this is true, other than the email from your mothers' sisters' third-cousin four-times-removed.

Here is a website that says this clearly.

I append the following exerpt from the website. You are encouraged to read more at the PEI website here.

The Petroleum Equipment Institute began investigating mysterious refueling fires in the mid-1990s. We learned that static electricity—the same thing that shocks you after you drag your feet on the carpet—can ignite gasoline vapors at the pump.
Watch the video of an actual refueling fire incident: AVI | MOV

Almost 200 incidents have been reported to PEI that appear to be related to static electrical discharge. We've made our full report of Refueling Fire Incidents

available.

Three Rules for Safe Refueling

1. Turn off engine.
2. Don't smoke.
3. Never re-enter your vehicle while refueling.

Are Cell Phones Responsible?

No. We have not documented a single incident that was caused by a cellular telephone.

Muhyiddin blames ‘ungrateful’ fallout on Chinese media

You can read this article in the Malaysian Insider. I was going to give vent to my own disgust at Muhyiddin's "bodoh sombong" behaviour, but scanning the comments following the MI article I see that most of what I want to say is already said. I only wish to reproduce the following comment here - it is quite far down in the comment log, and might be missed. This is worth a read:

UMNO must learn humility or it faces irrelevancy
written by Umran Kadir, April 14, 2009
Muhyiddin's comment typifies exactly what is wrong with the mindset of UMNO's leadership.

Their line of thinking espouses that if a certain segment of the electorate does not vote for BN then the fault lies with the voters concerned because BN and in particular UMNO have done absoutely nothing wrong.

Muhyiddin's statement belies an astounding level of arrogance.

To those who still think UMNO is capable of reform, read between the lines of Muhyiddin's statement and weep.

Here's the solution: kick out UMNO and kick out BN. THEN IF THEY PROVE TO US THAT THEY ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THE RAKYAT'S SUPPORT then we may consider giving them a second chance.

Also, I am Malay and would like to say SHAME ON YOU MUHYIDDIN FOR TURNING BN'S ELECTORAL DEFEATS INTO A RACIAL ISSUE. Race has nothing to do with it.

To UMNO's leaders: stop trying to turn every issue into a racial issue so you can hide behind them and continue dividing Malaysians. The Malaysian people have awakened and are not falling for that trick anymore.

Keep it up if you want your party to continue on its course towards certain irrelevancy.

The question in my mind is; do the members of the UMNO supreme council really believe in Ketuanan Melayu, or are they actually consciously using it as an idea to divide the country and make Malays toe the party line?

All indications are that the idea has taken hold and been internalised, and that UMNO really believes (like some feudal lord of 100 years ago) that all natural resources and even the population 'belong' to them. That would certainly explain (in my mind) the massive blind spot Muhyiddin displays, to our national embarrassment.
TDM may have sung the same song, but dont forget that in "The Malay Dilemma" he actually does not have a high regard for the race his ancestors joined. Could he have, even back in 1970 when the book was published, been planning and manipulating for his takeover? He is, after all, a brilliant strategist. Just ask AAB and KJ, and soon, NTR.

Blogger reports of the recent UMNO AGM also disturbingly seem to support my idea - members saying that 'money politics should be legalised' and 'UMNO must have more control' raising the spectre of a partisan civil service (as though we don't already have one) and conflicts of interest.

Even NTR's ascending to the UMNO presidency shows this ingrained arrogance - he was chosen first, the transition plan was put in place, then the nominations and elections were had (as part of the transition plan). Being the product of such a process, can anyone expect hime to now say "Lets throw this all away and use fair and egalitarian processes"? Dream on.

As the song goes, 'you dont know what you've got till its gone', and I say we have not yet fully appreciated AAB for unlocking (or, some would say, not hindering the growth of) the most important resource Malaysia has - her peoples' ability to think rationally. That his own party should scorn him for this, and even blame him for failures caused by their own irrationality perhaps marks the divergence of UMNO as a party from the path of Malaysia as a unified nation. We must make sure mention it on their epitaph.

One Malaysia - but some are more ONE than others?

The Malaysian Insider has this commentary on our dear PM's "One Malaysia" announcement.
Today, the Umno-owned Mingguan Malaysia ... put in perspective that One Malaysia means no one in the country will be sidelined but affirmative action policies will continue.
Jeff Ooi reports the same thing.

Have you ever read "Animal Farm" by George Orwell?
If the report above is true, and this is what One Malaysia is meant to be, then this is exactly what the pigs said after they took over the farm:
"All animals are created equal.
But some are more equal than others."

Just my luck to be living in a comic tragedy of Orwellian proportions.

In another report,
KANGAR, April 12 — The mentris besar and chief ministers are more suitable for appointment as the respective State Umno Liaison Committee Chairmen, said Perlis mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu, today.
This is, to me, an extension of TDM's method of ruling where power was consolidated under one person. This avoided the inconveniences of checks and balances, the need of coordination (or, at least, complicity) between different leaders, and the possibility that ones objectives might be thwarted by such mundane issues as conflicts of interest or (horror of horrors) ethics.
(references: a superficial retelling of the last day of 2008 UMNO General Assembly and ESPECIALLY UMNO blew my fuse )

Justice not served....

and seen not to be served.
Too many things have been ignored, not persued, and not opened to scrutiny.
When the executive, the police, and the judiciary all behave like they have something to hide, can anyone believe them when they say there is nothing to hide?

Cops to hang for Altantuya murder

SHAH ALAM, April 9 — Policemen Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar were today sentenced to death by the High Court for murdering Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, ending one of the longest trials in Malaysian history.

NTR has made statements rejecting allegations of his involvement, but that alone is not enough when there is a significant body of resonable doubt that he not involved. Read this By Yusseri Yusoff (The Malaysian Insider) and "Hard to blow off stench of allegations — The Malaysian Insider".

With so many questions ignored and unanswered, Azilah and Sirul will always seem to me to be the hands that were cut off, even though it was the head that that ordered the deed to be done.

References: allegation-article-1, allegation-article-2, search-article-by-name, Why did Altantuya have to die? snippets from The Times of UK.

KL to have one of the world's biggest Ferrari and Maserati showrooms

Quoting from The Malaysian Insider:
By Shannon Teoh

PETALING JAYA, March 19 – Naza Italia will open what is possibly one of the largest Ferrari and Maserati centres outside of Italy at the end of the month with the launch of its "4S centre" for the two luxury marques.

A riddle - Which famous person is this rhyme about?
Let the people eat cake, if they can not have bread.
She who thus jested made a dreadful mistake;
Her callousness cost her her head.

The answer is NOT:
Marie Umtoinette

A Monday Adventure

IT helps to put things in perspective if you start your Monday morning with an adventure.

I was walking to the office across a muddy tract of land (it is being cleared to become a car park I am told) and I was navigating around the puddles. I came to a big one, and chose to cross the higher ground to avoid it.

This is where not being an outdoor-and-camping kind of guy becomes a disadvantage.

The 'higher ground' turned out to be just a pile of soft mud deposited there by the earth mover. My left foot sank in up to the ankle; I lost balance, and moved my right foot only to place it into the same pile of mud. Still off balance (because now both feet were stuck), I had to crouch and put my hand out to steady myself. Yes, my right hand also sank into the mud.

To his credit, my friend who was walking behind me did not burst in laughter. He kept his head, and gave me a hand - like Indiana Jones pulling someone out of quicksand.

The mud had taken a liking to my shoes, but I was determined (they were new until 5 seconds ago) and hooked them with my feet as I was pulled out onto terra firma.

I waddled to the office (my shoes were encrusted in mud and looked like a pair of rocks), located a water pipe outside the building, and carefully washed the mud away from my shoes. My friend went into the office to find a pair of alternate footwear, which he thankfully did. I had to bin the socks.

And so, I am waiting for my shoes to dry sufficiently so I can put them on and go home to change…. Amazingly, even though I was almost knee deep in mud, my trousers (also relatively new - I bought them while on holiday in Canada last August) are not totally soaked in the stuff. Hooray for Canadian brands. This is a Mantles trouser. Absolutely a must-wear if you plan to walk though mud on the way to work.

Of course, my luck being what it is, someone just HAD to take photos of my latest fashion statement and email them to me.

So I present you with the very latest in Malaysian office attire. I call it the earthy look.
(Caution for the faint hearted - pictures contain graphic representation of an ugly pair of feet)





Lesson learned – my friend says stick to those areas that have tyre tracks. You know those are firm enough to support a vehicle.

Helping out with RVGSC

RVGSC (see their business card at right) is a Voluntary Welfare Organisation committed to improving the lives of women, girls and children in crisis.

The centre is one of the many houses run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Malaysia. This is a charity I fully support. After the 2006 Tsunami, the local house was collecting funds to send to their sister house in Ceylon, and I gladly chipped in - something I would not do for any government organised fund collection. (Not that government itself cannot be trusted, but that one can never be sure all the people involved are on the level).

We were in Petaling Jaya today - 1Utama shopping centre. We were helping RVGSC setup their booth at the community counter. They will be there today (19Feb2009) till Sunday (22Feb2009).

As you can see, its a cheerful counter, and it's selling delicious cookies and ikan-bilis sambal. There's also handicraft made by members in East Malaysia.

Prices are resonable (not cheap, but well within the range of what you'd pay for stuff at 1-Utama) and the staff are shy but friendly. They all dashed away the moment I said "lets take a picture".

Here is a picture of their sambal (in the bottles), special mixed nuts (with just a dash of spice to make your mouth water) and cookies. Their London biscuits are amazing - I literally sucked the chocolate off the wrapper after eating the biscuit.

Below this is a picture of their handicraft. mostly cute little stuff, but one thing to look out for, for those with an eye for the unique and beautiful, is the hand painted river stones.

I picked out the one with the tiger face on it. You can see it in this picture, a little left of centre. Truly amazing. The price, however, was a little over my budget, so I reluctantly put it down. Someone else will get luck and take it home with them.

I hope all of you reading this (yes, both of you) stop by and give them your custom. (That's good Engrish for 'buy their stuff' lah). After all, if we personally can not help people in trouble, the least we can do is sponsor someone we can trust to do it on our behalf.
The RVGSC booth is located at the first floor of the OVAL, New Wing, 1-U. They are directly across the Oval from the escalators.
Update on Tue 24Feb.: Thanks to all my friends and relatives for showing up and giving the sisters your custom (i.e. you were their customers - thats there the word comes from I think). I was told that She-Ra and friends even ordered several bottles of salt-fish pickle (which is pretty good too, so I dont know why they didn't stock any to start with) which will have to be imported from Ipoh. Good show. Maybe I can convince She-Ra to invite me over to her place for chicken curry and salt-fish pickle one day... ha ha ha.

Book Review: The River of Time, By David Brin

Being an Issac Asimov junkie, I did not at first recognize the name 'David Brin' and thought it might end up a "ho hum" book. In fact, I had a long and thoughly enjoyable read right to the end of the book, where I discovered a familiar gem - the short story "The River Of Time" was one of the earliest science fiction stories I read, when I was still in school, and asks a simple question - "What if time is like a river, and we are only flowing along in 1 tributary stream right now?

This is a collection of short stories grouped around four themes: Destiny, Recollection, Speculation, and Propagation. It was not immediately apparent to me how these themes were developed, but thinking about it, they were. And that's the problem, in a sense. You need to think to get the full impact of these stories.

Don't read this book if you like your Science Fiction to be just mindless (ok, near-mindless) shoot-em-up entertainment (star wars?), or worse, pseudo-scientific mysticism (Galactica seems to have gone down that road, an the Matrix, to a degree, even though I like the 'Matrix' series). Here is science fiction that challenges your ideas of reality, while remaining rooted in rationality. David Brin's work is simultaneously encouraging, disturbing and thought provoking. Something like Star Trek the original series must have been to people in the 1960's and 70's.

Go to davidbrin.com and at the bottom of the page you can see the issue I bought. You can also get it from Amazon and from fantasticfiction.co.uk David Brin's website might be the best place to go, as he lets you read samples of his work.

MELAMINE: Raising agent from China banned

The news is in the Sun and the Star. (Wouldn't know about the "Crooked Times" and "Beri Cerita Harian" as I don't read those rags).

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=26685
X snip X
The decision to ban the raising agent, which takes effect immediately, was made after analysis made on samples from two biscuit factories -- Khong Guan in Johor and Khian Guan in Penang -- found that 18 of 47 samples had excessive melamine levels.
X end snip X
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/17/nation/2305367&sec=nation
X snip X
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said...... "Results from our tests found that the melamine level in the ammonium carbonate used for Khong Guan and Khian Guan biscuits is 33.4ppm and 508ppm respectively,” he told a press conference on Thursday.
etc... etc...
Khong Guan Sdn Bhd and Khian Guan Biscuit Manufacturing Company Sdn Bhd, in a joint statement, said they would fully cooperate with the ministry and would ensure that the products were recalled quickly.
The two companies said they have ceased using ammonium bicarbonate from China and had switched to those sourced from other countries.
X end snip X

Looks like I have to add biscuits and baking power to my list in my blog on things Made in China.
Oh - and I think I need to correct something: In 2007, when pets were dying because of Melamine in their food in the US, I think the food was not made in China - one of the ingredients was.

Have they tested Lap Cheong and Waxed Duck yet? And Ma Ling luncheon Meat?
Bwahahahahahahahaha....

A letter from Australia

This one is hilarious.
Hey - looks like lately I have been posting more of other peoples words than my own. Well, it's just that I am finding it harder to articulate.... writer's block I guess. So I compensate for my constipation of ideas with a diarrhea of trivia.
ANYWAY - here is a joke from a friend in Australia. hmmmm... yes, in Oct they would be moving from Spring into Summer.. so here is the letter from Joe:

Spring is now coming close to 2 months already and soon summer will be here...
You can see alot of those who are staying around my place having BBQs....of course in their balconies...like i said b4...there are only apartments in my area.....

there are some rules that we need to follow over here.....

B B Q RULES
We are about to enter the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity. When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:
Routine...
(1) The woman buys the food.
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces,
and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.
(4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman.
Here comes the important part:
(5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
More routine...
(6) The woman goes inside to organise the plates and cutlery.
(7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat .
Important again:
(8) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
More routine...
(9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
(10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
And most important of all:
(11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
(12) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed 'her night off.' And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

Australia has been more or less the 'favourite' migration route for Malaysians fleeing the subtle racial and religious persecution back home. But as Erma Bombeck said; "The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank", and Joe has also sent back not-so-funny emails about the social ills of Aussie land. I don't want to go into an Aussie-bashing mode however - I think its just fair to say that every country has its own skeletons in the closet, so why not just fight the one you have back home, instead of going to look at someone elses......
Gdday mate.!

Made in China

Update: read this report in CNN - more information than local newspapers.
China's tainted milk scare spreads globally
-----------------------------
The email I got today was almost exactly like the SMS last night:
FYI, the following items have been recalled due to China's milk scandal.
* M&M's
* Snickers
* Mento' yoghurt bottle
* Dove choc
* Oreo wafer sticks
* Monmilk
* Dutchlady sterilised milk
* Wall's all natural mango
* Mini Poppers ice cream
* Magnum ice cream
* Moosandwich ice cream
* Mini Cornetto
* Youcan ice cream
Stores in Singapore have been asked by AVA Singapore to remove them. If you have any of these items at home, don't eat them. Please forward to loved one.

NO, I won't forward it... I think this is just a tad hysterical. I think it is better to just check the labels.

A lot of the ice cream in Malaysia is made from palm oil, and not milk. Also, 1 Dutchlady product in Singapore was found contaminated with melamine, but Dutchlady in Malaysia declared that they do not use any milk from China. So it may be wrong to follow guidelines from different countries too.

If you want to be ultra conservative, then avoid all milk, and anything containing milk. But I think checking labels gives you more options. I have already been avoiding buying China made foods for months – and that includes US brands that are manufactured in China. Wherever possible, I go for foods manufactured outside China. For example, I think Fernleaf is safe because it is from NewZ, and I buy peanut butter made in Australia. Better to have less to eat (because it is expensive) than to have enough and kill yourself.

I started avoiding China-made foods long ago - i think it was last year when the US found a lot of animals falling sick or dying from pet food made in China. The pet food was contaminated with - wait for it - Melamine. Obviously, since they could not put it in US pet food any more, the businessmen thought of a new use for the melamine: milk - since the quality controls were not complete in that area. Now that milk is no longer an option, what will the businessmen do with all that melamine?

Next you will find lap-cheong (preserved sausages) made with real plastic skin, and stuffed with recycled engine oil. Of course, it will be high in protein – from the melamine additives. I wonder if it (melamine) could be used to make tawfoo (tofoo) and soya-bean milk? Do you think I am being too cynical?

And the snake shudders....

There was a sermon I was listening to some time ago, by a brilliant priest who had a unique lesson to teach.
"Satan is already beaten" he said, "Evil is already conquered."
HOWEVER, like a snake that has had its head chopped off, the evil body threshes about in a 'death dance' causing destruction and confusion for a short time.
So what I read in today's news is very much to me part of the death throes of satan:
Raja Petra detained for 2 years
There is a lot I would like to say, but angry words only hide the truth and the real issues. So I will quote from a comment made after that article (with a few of the stronger phrases blanked out):

DAMN THEM!! They are provoking the Rakyat to take to the streets so that they can invoke the emergency and stop Anwar in his tracks. ...etc...

They want this to happen. RPK is the trigger point. Let's face it. We take to the streets and we will be playing right into their hands. ...etc... You can't take to the streets but we must bring down this entire BN/UMNO machinery. The whole country should protest about this grave injustice to one of the true sons of Malaysia.

Wear a black arm band with the words FREE MALAYSIA, FREE RPK! Place stickers on our cars. We have to show our sloidarity. While from another front Anwar should make the final push to drive the stake thru the evil heart of ..etc... This shows the true colour of the government. They are not interested in the Rakyat. They are not interested in the country. They only want to retain the power to control the Rakyat. How can the Malays support such a government? .etc...?

And before anyone misunderstands, when I say Satan, I mean the real thing - I am not using that name on any person or group of people.
UPDATE: Invitation To The Candle Light Vigil On 27th September 2008

Holiday In Canada - Aug08

The holiday of the decade!!
Read about it here: http://canadaholiday0808.blogspot.com/
(Recording begun on 09 Sept 2008... story will unfold as the days go by...)

Word for today: supercilious

su•per•cil•i•ous
–adjective:
[1] haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.
[2] having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

1. "some economists are disdainful of their colleagues in other social disciplines"
2. "his mother eyed my clothes with a supercilious air"

[3] expressive of contempt;

1. "curled his lip in a supercilious smile";
2. "spoke in a sneering jeering manner";
3. "makes many a sharp comparison but never a mean or snide one"

As in:
This article in The Independant:
Rupert Cornwell: Out of America
Barack Obama will win the forthcoming presidential election. I can report this with some confidence on the basis of my latest foray into the American heartland – both real and metaphorical.
Obama has had his troubles of late... you can't help feeling he should be farther ahead of McCain than is he is.
One reason, perhaps, is that famous Obama cool. Cool unflappability is one thing. The supercilious arrogance he is apt on occasion to display is quite another.

—Related forms:
su•per•cil•i•ous•ly, adverb
su•per•cil•i•ous•ness, noun

—Synonyms: arrogant, scornful.
—Antonyms: humble.

Sometimes, that our friends may live, we must risk death.

We are so used to seeing men in uniform assaulting DPM's and spraying chemical-laced-water on our friends that it's hard to see them as people with guts and feelings and loyalties and fears.

Here is a blog every Malaysian must read - one that puts a very human face on our Military, and bears witness to the heroism of these silent few.
To the author;
Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your life with us, and giving us a glimpse of the heroes who serve, suffer, and are ready to die in silence, that we may sleep without fear for our security.
I am especially touched by this post of a real-life search and rescue.

To be sure, the RMAF is very different from the PDRM, but this blog goes a long way in opening my eyes about ALL our men and women in uniform.

On the downside, i quote:
Other than for the crew involved in the rescue, the air force has forgotten the events that led to joy substituting sorrow. Timely recognition was miscarried. Lessons as to why of seven aircraft in search for one missing pilot only one yielded results, is now permanently lost.
It would appear that the the penchant of our leaders not to learn from mistakes (and not to appreciate those who do) is not limited to the civilian administration.