Quaint Ain’t It?

3 04 2009

A bit of a Malaysian’s observation for today. I’ve always found it a little interesting years ago when I heard that those who took the office of prime minister in our country seemed to follow an acronym. That acronym was based on the name of the country’s first PM name, thus we arrive at R.A.H.M.A.N.

A slightly loose rule that limited it to any occurrence of the starting letter to any portion of their name. The trend seemed to show itself as subsequent premiers filled the portfolio.

And so Malaysian history went on to show …

Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al – Haj
Tun Abdul Razak b. Hussein
Tun Hussein b. Onn
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (earlier thought to be Mr. Anwar)

And today, if things stand as they are, the final ‘N’ as there will be the inauguration of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. So there we go, the so called ‘R.A.H.M.A.N prophecy’ fulfilled. It’s funny how some of these things go. šŸ™‚

Now, on a more important note, let’s continue to pray for the leaders of this country. For wisdom to govern justly and honestly. To do the right thing.

Also for peace in the land such that there is freedom for the gospel to be preached near and far. Let us remember that it’s not the shouts of protests, supposed freedom of press or even the abolishing of certain laws that will really free men in this country. Indeed history has shown that more often than not, man’s idea of freedom is the right to say and do whatever they desire irrespective of what God says is right. That certainly is not ‘freedom’, but rather a distortion of it. No, it is the light of the true gospel which brings true freedom and liberation in the hearts of men, and this freedom is found when men live in light of God’s rule upon their lives. If we believe this, it will affect our witness.


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Categories : Country, Gospel, Hmm.., Interesting, out of the blue

Train of Thought

14 11 2008

Empty seatsWith my slightly heavy laptop bag strapped on, I hurriedly climbed the stairs that led to double platform at Kelana Jaya train station … alas, only to find that one had just sped off. Slightly dissapointed that this had set me back a couple of minutes till the next train arrived, i slowly observed, picked my spot and slotted myself into behind a lady who was lining up behind one of the marked queue lanes.This was good news of course, because being closer to the front gives one quicker access to a modern PJ morning rarity… empty seats. Yup, so to kill time, I picked up the morning paper and perused the sports section while some unintelligible sounds were being mumbled through the crackling loud speaker. I couldn’t quite make out what was being said.

Now, it wasn’t too long after that, that a train arrived in front of me. How fortunate! And it wasn’t even more than a 3 minute wait. As soon as the doors swung open and people stepped out of train, I was ready to board. I was taken a little aback that the lady waiting in line in front of me didn’t budge. Already in motion, I abruptly braked to prevent myself from knocking into her from the back. While the crowds jostled and pushed their way into the vacant coach to quickly get seated, I stood in silent bewilderment. A couple of split seconds later, and it was only when i heard a whistle blowing from the station marshall who was yelling for the newly boarded to vacate the vehicle that I realized the train was to be put “out of service”. Happens every now and then here… just that this time the muffled muted message through the intercom actually did mean something.

Lesson #1: If you didn’t pay attention to the message, you’re likely to find yourself hopping onto the wrong train.

I was slightly gleeful having been spared the ignominy of being unceremoniously shooed off a train. And so with a little smirk on my face, I unfolded my newspaper and resumed my very enjoyable reading of Liverpool’s recent misfortunes in the Carling Cup. The doors of the train before me (now forcefully vacated) shut close and then pulled away in the direction of the repair docks.Ā  Still second behind pole position and with an ever increasing trail of people lined up behind me, no problem. I continued my leisurely wait.

Lesson #2 Don’t get too caught up with being first (in line for this case). Sometimes it even pays to be in second.

As life’s comedy would have it, a train suddenly roared into the station. However, this time it did not arrive in front of me … rather, behind me on the other side of the double platform. Suddenly, the tables were turned and from a position of certainty of getting a seat it turned into a pitiful turn around i had to make to head for the newly arrived train. There was a slight look of dismay in the eyes of some of those who had waited in line in the front for all this while only to see it all go to waste. In the blink of an eye, the poor people who were right at the back of the line were first to the sliding doors, bundled their way into the empty carriage. I never make a dash for these things, and so by the time I unhurriedly got into the train … there was but left one seat left vacant. Ah, amidst all the drama i was really grateful that there was still a spot for me. It was a shortlived respite for me, as at the very next stop a little old granny embarked … and I stood up to give her my last vestige of of hope of not having to carry my bag for the next 30 minutes to my distant stop. That was where i realized my third lesson for this early morning.

Lesson #3: “And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.” (Luke 13:30)

Friday’s 3 reminder lessons to me with their own practical spiritual applications coming from one on a track mind.


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Categories : Hmm.., Life, Perspective, Trains

Tainted Rabbits

7 10 2008
poor little wabbit

poor little wabbit

I used to really love those milky white rabbit sweets with the edible wrappers. But with this latest tainting scandal, these China imported bunny candies are now outlawed in this country due to their harmful melamine levels. Who would have imagined that the cute little fellas would be toxic? Also, one wonders how long ago the production lines have been running with bucket loads of that “M” substance being tossed in. It may very well date back to the time when I was consuming it as a kid. One would never know now.

It’s been pretty alarming to see just how far reaching this particular tainted milk problem goes. Even we have stopped giving our little boy his favourite “Baby Bites” because it has skimmed milk from China listed in the content packaging. I am a Chinese (and am not racially prejudiced), but I am well aware as to what extent my fellow folk could go to just to stretch a buck, doing whatever it takes to arrive at an end product. Masking is a diabolical art not foreign to Malaysia & China food production processes. Example, toilet paper used in asam laksa to imitate fish pounded to pulp, fried onions fried with rafia string (to get them shiny and keep them crispy for longer periods)… some ingeniously use plastic straws!, boric acid used to whiten noodles … even plaster of paris added into the soya bean milk. There’s talk of a special chemical solution they use which can apparently turn stale fish to look good as new, reports of recycled used cooking oil filtered from drains… the list could really goes on. There is nothing really new to all this… I just think that this time it’s gotten real personal. Infants are dying and many are very sick as a result of this malpractices. It’s just not a matter of funny trivia anymore.

In my simple opinion, much of the good work China did in promoting the country through the Olympics 2008 has been undone by this recent exposing of the penchant many of their country men have for falsification (eg. opening ceremony footprints video?) and evil business practices as shown in this massive milk tainting scandal. The world is up in arms (and rightly so), but I feel this can only certainly be the tip of the iceberg.

Who knows where the rabbit trail will lead us to?


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Categories : China Products, Hmm.., Melamine Scandal

Dear Diary …

16 09 2008

Dear Diary,

Apologies for not having written anything over the past few weeks since my last entry. I’ve been so busy with so many things that have cropped up lately that i didn’t quite had the time to sit down and pen my thoughts. This of course was unintentional and I didn’t mean to neglect writing for so long.. you know what they say, days turn into weeks, weeks turn into seasons and seasons into years. 2 weeks isn’t so quite as bad when you look at it that way, i guess. šŸ˜‰

Lots have taken place over the past many days, mainly work commitments that’s been taking up most of my time. Some things you can’t quite run away from. Would love to write but i’ve got to run … will hope to write more soon.

sincerely,

*me*

I used to keep a diary (correction… diaries) when i was young boy. Each one was always started out with great gusto and then my interest would peter off until it reached patchy blurts of hi & bye entries (much like the sampling above). Back then i rarely had much to say. Simply because i didn’t quite have the staying power or the more obvious reason that I didn’t have anything really meaningful to write about. How often could one milk the themes of where one cycled, the amount of homework to be finished, or where one went for dinner ? There was also that growing impediment where i somehow felt that keeping a diary was closer to a chore than something pleasurable. To top it all off, I could not bring myself to archive some of the more exciting stuff of my adoslescent years (eg. puppy love incidents, fights, embarrassing situations … etc) imagining an ‘Anne Frank’ could happen to anyone at any time. That was always a real possibility with a twin who had full access to the room. All my diaries have been long lost and forgotten, and i really don’t think i have to worry about anyone finding anything incriminating in them. Such has been my consistency. šŸ˜‰

As for this blog, I’ve probably got to put in a bit more effort to ensure it doesn’t suffer the same DSF (diary syndrome fate). Will post a bit more soon, hopefully.


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Categories : Blogging, Hmm.., Life, out of the blue

80808

8 08 2008
Google's Olympic Opening 888 logo

Google's Cute Olympic Opening Day Logo

I’ve always had a fascination with palindromes since I was introduced to the word and concept in year 1 of Computer Science. Then, we had to make a simple C program to determine palindromes via string manipulating functions, which didn’t prove too difficult a task.

Basically, according the Merriam-Webster a palindrome is defined as ‘a word, verse, or sentence or a number that reads the same backward or forward‘. It’s really a fascinating subject and you’ll crack your head to come up with anything really smart… believe me I’ve tried. I shake my head in disbelief as to how some of these were ever formulated. Here’s a small sampling of some of the most creative ones ever devised …

A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!

Lisa Bonet ate no basil

Niagara, O roar again!

Live not on evil

Never odd or even

Madam, in Eden Iā€™m Adam

Good stuff huh?

Now, palindromic dates are a little easier to arrive at, because you don’t have to think them up. They just kinda like ‘arrive’. And Olympic commencement dates like today don’t come around too often. Though 080808 isn’t a perfect palindrome, I personally think you could always drop or keep any ‘0’ as long as it doesn’t alter the value of the date. Doing that would yield ‘80808’ or ‘888’ (aaah … 2 perfect palindromic dates). Well, that’s my humble and quirky opinion of course.

So to you i bid a Happy Palindromic Day. May you “love it, love it, love it”. Also, go for a buffet or somethin’. Why you may wonder? It’s so when people ask you what you did on 888, you can tell them you “ate, ate, ate” *Chuckle* ok ok ok… i know the puns aren’t amazing… but i couldn’t help but look for the occasion. After all, it comes once in a lifetime, and you could suffer me this once.

Here ends my slightly random posting.


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Categories : Hmm.., Interesting, out of the blue, Really Random Thoughts, Words

A Day For All

1 05 2008

For those of you who are holidaying today …

For those unfortunately having to work/study today …

For those with a particular political alignment in the United Kingdom …

For those mothers-to-be writhing in pain in a room with a midwife standing by …

Happy Labour Day ! šŸ˜‰


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Categories : Hmm.., Humour, Life

Salt, not Pepper

10 04 2008

saltedMany years ago, while having a chat with my elder in Melbourne he reminded me of the words of a proverb. I’ve already kind of forgotten the actual event and context in which it was said, but the words have been emblazoned in my memory since. Isn’t it interesting how sometimes an appropriate verse or a word at the right time sticks with you for a long long time? Words uttered (whether good or bad) may have long forgotten by ones who spoke them, but at times it doesn’t leave the mind of the ones who were on the receiving end of it.

So, instead of directly telling me to keep my mouth under wraps, he quoted “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin”. I was reminded of his words again this morning as I was reading Proverbs 10.

Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.

This still on what seems to be my subject of the month, my words. It’s amazing how much the bible has to say about restraint on our tongue. Paul wrote to the Christians in Colosse … “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. ” (Colossians 4:6)

The Lord help us all as we converse and speak.


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Categories : Hmm.., Spiritual, Words

A Nation Decides

7 03 2008

Here is my second posting covering the build up to our national elections. It’s all set. Tomorrow, Malaysia decides.

I’ve got friends who’ve stocked up on a month’s supply of groceries anticipating anything that might go wrong. I’m not following in suit. I’m hoping that it’ll all just go along rather smoothly, without commotion and street protest rallies (depending on how the votes tally up).

Things are really hotting up. Here’s how theSun looked like on the final day before the nation takes to the polls. Last ditch campaigning efforts from both camps in an attempt to influence the ballots. Every ad was a full sized page in the free national daily. The 1st one below depicts the solitary opposition party ad (they could only muster up a b&w print) in comparison to the rest from the ruling coalition. I couldn’t help but *chuckle* seeing the ratio.

DAP

BN-startpage BN 1 BN BN3

BN4 BN5 BN6 BN8

BN10 BN11 BN12 BN13 BN9

Let’s just keep this nation and the ruling authorities of this nation in prayer.

Happy voting (or not voting) Malaysia!


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Categories : Country, Elections, Hmm.., Humour, malaysia

Modern Mythology?

15 11 2007

I have been researching and trying to understand the recent global push to warn about global warming caused by human actions. With a catchphrase which almost sounds like “Green is good, man is bad”, environmentalist have become the modern dooms day prophets. Now, I’m all for taking care of our environment, reducing pollution and responsible development. However, what we are seeing today is quite on a different scale which attempts at a somewhat diabolical push to put the blame of global warming squarely on humans.

Here’s some interesting ‘fuel’ to the ongoing issue which i believe is never publicised on your regular National Geographic or Discovery Channels. We have been led to believe that the whole scientific community is agreeable to this, while it really isn’t the case at all. I would say I’m more inclined to believe credible scientists rather than an ousted ex-presidential candidate and some politically motivated environmentalist organisations who have their own personal interests. Only time will tell to expose what their major motivation are in their attempt to stir global awareness (more like ‘alarm’). I won’t delve into those details here.

So, for those who’ve been taking it all in without questioning it’s validity, maybe it’s time to do some personal sleuthing.

Some good links for a different perspective on the matter:

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/aginatur/moregw.htm

http://newsbusters.org/node/10604

And then for my personal favourite …. junkscience.com!

(Anyone interested in earning a cool $125,000 big ones?)

junkscience_50pct.jpg

As believers, we can know for certain that the world won’t end the way the environmentalist predict it to end. My previous article on the Californian fires touched on the major environmental disasters that are going to fall on earth. Now ‘that’, no one would be able to put on a chart, extrapolate or even look for a trend. Cataclysmic days are fast approaching, that the environmentalist have gotten partially right. But let me get you in on a secret … it just might not have anything to do with global warming.

*With all that said, let’s not get too dogmatic on this one. I brought this up just as a matter of interest*


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Categories : Hmm..

Narrowing It Down on Broadband

12 11 2007

maxis1.jpg VS izzi.jpg

The free internet connection provided in my apartment area for the past 3 years has now been terminated. All of us now have a choice to find our own service providers… the question is which?

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on what way you look at it), Streamyx is effectively not in the consideration because they do not cover the Sunway Damansara area. It is located well outside of their broadband grid. Since, I’m deciding against getting a new phone line (sticking to just cellphones) and paying $28 a month, that also strikes out Jaring for me as they rely on them. So, that trims it down to a two way decision between Maxis broadband or the Izzi 4G line (both of which have coverage). Maxis offers up to 3.6Mbps for $98 a month while Izzi offers up to 1 Mbps for just around the same value. When you look at it, you’d think the choice would be simple and straight forward. Why not just go for Maxis since it’s way faster? Well, if things were only so black or white (or the grass greener). Sadly, from my scouting around the net for feedback on Maxis broadband services, it looks to be a dud. Login issues, slow speeds, frequent disconnections, incompetent tech support and hidden charges are just a few of the things users are discontent about. Izzi however, though at a slower speed seems more reliable.

Hmm…. so should it be Maxis or Izzi? Do i go with Maxis merely because it promises ‘potentially’ faster speeds (but really doesn’t) and just hope that these are teething problems? It’s possible that Maxis is so new to this whole broadband thing and are only interested in raking in the cash without producing the goods promised. Or should it be Izzi? who too are relatively newcomers but who’s sole business model is dedicated to internet services.

I can’t decide just yet. Ideas anyone?


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Categories : Hmm..

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