masterwordsmith-unplugged

The following is a satire that I wrote based on the the Gini coefficient which is a measure of statistical dispersion developed by the Italian statistician Corrado Gini and published in his 1912 paper "Variability and Mutability". It is commonly used as a measure of inequality of income or wealth. If you look at the map at THIS LINK on Gini Coefficient World Human Development Report 2007-2008, you can see that Malaysia has one of the highest Gini Coefficient in Asia of between 0.45 to 0.49.



Another report HERE said this:

But when we look at Malaysia’s international position in terms of individual inequality, the position is quite different. According to the latest internationally comparable data from the World Bank, individual inequality in Malaysia (as measured by the common Gini coefficient) is the second worst in all of the Asian countries for which data is available. Only Papua New Guinea ranks worse. In fact, out of 127 countries, Malaysia ranks 101 in terms of the Gini coefficient – the commonest measure of inequality. Aside from Papua New Guinea, the only countries in the world with worse individual inequality than Malaysia are in Central and South America – a region of notoriously high inequality – and some areas of sub-Saharan Africa such as South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Generally speaking, countries with higher levels of human development have lower levels of inequality; Malaysia thus stands out as an exception as a country with relatively high human development but also with relatively high inequality. As Table 1 shows, Malaysia’s Gini coefficient is the highest in all of ASEAN (no data were available for Myanmar). While the government’s official data shows that inequality had reduced slightly since these measures were taken to around 46.1 in 2002, this would still place Malaysia alongside the Philippines as joint worst in ASEAN, assuming that the Philippines itself hadn’t improved its position over the same period.

Individual inequality in Malaysia, then, is a serious problem. Yet the government appears to pay little or no attention to it at all. The Mid-Term Review of the Eighth Malaysia Plan, for instance, makes no mention of individual inequality, except for reporting the Gini indices. No programmes or policies have been developed or implemented to reduce overall inequality. Instead, the focus of discussion for income distribution is almost entirely in terms of ethnic inequalities, with passing reference to regional inequalities between states. Have we let our obsession with our relatively successful experience in ethnic restructuring cloud the fact that Malaysia remains a deeply inequitable society?

THE FROG AND THE GENIE

There once lived a little frog called Zack. He was a careless, idle frog who would do nothing but play all day long in the pond with little idle frogs like himself. This so grieved the father that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's tears and prayers, Zack did not mend his ways.

One day, when he was playing in a bigger pond as usual, a stranger asked him his age, and his trade, at which the frog hung his head, while his mother burst into tears. On learning that Zack was idle and would learn no trade, he told him that he would give Zack a magic lamp.

Next day the stranger frog hopped his way into some beautiful gardens a long way outside the city gates. Zack followed. They sat down by a fountain and the stranger pulled a cake from his girdle, which he divided between them. Then they journeyed onwards till they almost reached the mountains. Zack was so tired that he begged to go back, but the stranger beguiled him with pleasant stories and lead him on in spite of himself.

At last they came to two mountains divided by a narrow valley. "We will go no farther," said the stranger. "I will show you something wonderful; only do you gather up sticks while I kindle a fire." When it was lit the stranger threw on it a powder he had about him, at the same time saying some magical words.

The earth trembled a little in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by.

"Fear nothing, but obey me. Beneath this stone lies a treasure which is to be yours, and no one else may touch it, so you must do exactly as I tell you."

"Go down the stairs," said the stranger; "At the foot of those steps you will find an open door leading into three large halls. Tuck up your gown and go through them without touching anything, or you will die instantly. These halls lead into a garden of fine fruit trees. Walk on till you come to niche in a terrace where stands a lighted lamp. Pour out the oil it contains, and bring it me." He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Zack, bidding him prosper.

Zack found everything as the stranger had said, gathered some fruit off the trees, and, having got the lamp, arrived at the mouth of the cave. The stranger cried out in a great hurry: "Make haste and give me the lamp." This Zack refused and hopped away so quickly that the stranger could not find Zack.

While in the shadows, Zack rubbed the ring. Immediately an enormous and frightful genie rose out of the earth, saying: "What wouldst thou with me? I am the Slave of the Ring, and will obey thee in all things."


Zack fearlessly replied, "Deliver me from this place!" whereupon the earth opened, and he found himself outside. As soon as his eyes could bear the light he went home, but fainted on the threshold. When he came to himself he told his mother what had passed, and showed her the lamp and the fruits he had gathered in the garden, which were in reality precious stones.

He then asked for some food. "Alas! Zack," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I have some worms and will go sell it." Zack bade her keep her worms, for he would sell the lamp instead. As it was very dirty, she began to rub it, that it might fetch a higher price.

Instantly a hideous genie appeared, and asked what she would have. She fainted away, but Zack, snatching the lamp, said boldly: "Fetch me something to eat!" The genie returned with a silver bowl, twelve silver plates containing rich meats, two silver cups, and two bottles of wine.

And so they had eaten all the genie had brought, Zack sold one of the silver plates, and so on until none were left. He then had recourse to the genie, who gave him another set of plates, and thus they lived many years.


Zack and his family lived in wealth and were fattened while the rest of the frogs in the area either barely survived or died from hunger. The disparity was clear between Zack and the others. And what made that difference? Whenever Zack was in need, he rubbed the magic lamp and then the genie rained rubies and emeralds from heaven and provided for his needs. By Jove, the genie even helped him and his family to go for holidays in far away lands...

Obviously, Zack hopped in the right direction, didn't he? But not every creature in that jungle would want to do the same. Would you?

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Note: The frogs and the stranger in this story are metaphorical constructs. No actual frogs were harmed or consumed in the writing of the story. Any resemblance to any living creature big or small, dead or alive or yet to be born is a pure coincidence. :-) This is a work of satire and parody. That means the statements and information contained in these pages are by no means fact, and are offered solely as satirical/entertainment/literary material or as individual imagination.

Please leave a comment if you wish or do add your version of how the story should end. Thanks! Have a lovely evening!

Have you ever had a dream? I'm not talking about a dream that we all experience while we sleep. I'm talking about a dream that shows a new career or pursuit.



Most people have these kinds of dreams and some people have the same one over and over again sometimes consuming their every waking moment. Is there anything wrong with this kind of dream?

Some people might suggest that to have a recurring dream that depicts a new reality is simply daydreaming where this dream only acts as a way to fill the void from a less than satisfying job and provides a necessary escape from their current reality making it somewhat bearable. The interesting and more significant point though, is that this dream may be what should be turned into a day-to-day reality that provides a more pleasing and fulfilling life.

So, why not invest the energy wasted on dreaming by developing a plan that will move you closer and closer to what you really desire? Some reasons for not starting is just that; you never start; you never take any steps whatsoever in taking any steps or actions. If you find yourself in this situation, one positive action is to talk with someone you know who has changed their career, someone who has had to make sustained effort to change despite obstacles or circumstances. Why?



Simple. The person who has taken action to move beyond an unsatisfying career has learned what it takes; has developed a set of procedures; has formulated an action plan; and one who has learned to overcome obstacles. Wouldn't it be a lot easier to ask them for guidance or suggestions than going it alone, or, worse still, staying mired in current circumstances where the only positive is your dream?

written by by Byron Pulsifer

Do take care and don't give up our dreams for a better world for all of us. Please leave a comment to share your dreams if you wish. Thanks! Next sopo post will be up later. Have a nice day!

Think you're having a bad day? A man was working on his motorcycle on the patio, his wife nearby in the kitchen. While racing the engine, the motorcycle accidentally slipped into gear. The man, still holding onto the handlebars, was dragged along as it burst through the glass patio doors.



His wife, hearing the crash, ran in the room to find her husband cut and bleeding, the motorcycle, and the shattered patio door. She called for an ambulance and, because the house sat on a fairly large hill, went down the several flights of stairs to meet the paramedics and escort them to her husband.

While the attendants were loading her husband, the wife managed to right the motorcycle and push it outside. She also quickly blotted up the spilled gasoline with some paper towels and tossed them into the toilet.

After being treated and released, the man returned home, looked at the shattered patio door and the damage done to his motorcycle. He went into the bathroom and consoled himself with a cigarette while attending to his business. About to stand, he flipped the cigarette butt between his legs.

The wife, who was in the kitchen, heard a loud explosion and her husband screaming. Finding him lying on the bathroom floor with his trousers blown away and burns on his buttocks, legs and groin, she once again phoned for an ambulance. The same paramedic crew was dispatched.

As the paramedics carried the man down the stairs to the ambulance they asked the wife how he had come to burn himself. She told them.. They started laughing so hard, one slipped, the stretcher dumping the husband out.
He fell down the remaining stairs, breaking his arm.

Still having a bad day? Just remember, it could be worse....
The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdes oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers.
A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.

Still think you are having a bad day?

A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Up to that moment, he had been happily listening to his iPod.

STILL think you're having a bad day?

Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending swines to a slaughter house in Bonn, Germany. Suddenly, all two thousand swines broke loose and escaped through a broken fence, stampeding madly. The two hapless protesters were trampled to death.

What?! STILL having a bad day??

Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn't pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with 'return to sender' stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits..

Sometimes when we go through bad times, we may think of the worst but be strong and of good courage. It will pass...and the truth is, it could have been worse. Be at peace and have the faith that things get worse before they get better...and they will get better. Have a nice day!

In this very eloquent speech to the full Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson used the phrase "we shall overcome," borrowed from African-American leaders struggling for equal rights. The speech was made on March 15, 1965, a week after deadly racial violence erupted in Selma, Alabama, as African-Americans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination.



Discrimination took the form of literacy, knowledge or character tests administered solely to African-Americans to keep them from registering to vote.

Civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King and over 500 supporters planned to march from Selma to Montgomery to register African-Americans to vote. The police violence that erupted resulted in the death of a King supporter, a white Unitarian Minister from Boston named James J. Reeb.

A second attempt to march to Montgomery was also blocked by police. It took Federal intervention with the 'federalizing' of the Alabama national guard and the addition of over 2000 other guards to ensure protection and allow the march to begin.

On March 21, 1965 the march to Montgomery finally began with over 3000 participants, under the glare of worldwide news publicity.

We Shall Overcome speech by Lyndon B Johnson
March 15th 1965

Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, Members of the Congress. - I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy.
I urge every member of both parties, Americans of all religions and of all colours, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause.

At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama. There, long-suffering men and women peacefully protested the denial of their rights as Americans. Many were brutally assaulted. One good man, a man of God, was killed.

There is no cause for pride in what has happened in Selma. There is no cause for self-satisfaction in the long denial of equal rights of millions of Americans. But there is cause for hope and for faith in our democracy in what is happening here tonight. For the cries of pain and the hymns and protests of oppressed people have summoned into convocation all the majesty of this great Government - the Government of the greatest Nation on earth. Our mission is at once the oldest and the most basic of this country: to right wrong, to do justice, to serve man.

In our time we have come to live with moments of great crisis. Our lives have been marked with debate about great issues; issues of war and peace, issues of prosperity and depression. But rarely in any time does an issue lay bare the secret heart of America itself.

Rarely are we met with a challenge, not to our growth or abundance, our welfare or our security, but rather to the values and the purposes and the meaning of our beloved Nation.

The issue of equal rights for American Negroes is such an issue. And should we defeat every enemy, should we double our wealth and conquer the stars, and still be unequal to this issue, then we will have failed as a people and as a nation. For with a country as with a person, "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem. And we are met here tonight as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, we are met here as Americans to solve that problem.

This was the first nation in the history of the world to be founded with a purpose. The great phrases of that purpose still sound in every American heart, North and South: "All men are created equal" - "government by consent of the governed"-"give me liberty or give me death." Well, those are not just clever words, or those are not just empty theories. In their name Americans have fought and died for two centuries, and tonight around the world they stand there as guardians of our liberty, risking their lives.

Those words are a promise to every citizen that he shall share in the dignity of man. This dignity cannot be found in a man's possessions; it cannot be found in his power, or in his position. It really rests on his right to be treated as a man equal in opportunity to all others. It says that he shall share in freedom, he shall choose his leaders, educate his children, and provide for his family according to his ability and his merits as a human being.

To apply any other test - to deny a man his hopes because of his colour or race, his religion or the place of his birth - is not only to do injustice, it is to deny America and to dishonour the dead who gave their lives for American freedom.

THE RIGHT TO VOTE

Our fathers believed that if this noble view of the rights of man was to flourish, it must be rooted in democracy. The most basic right of all was the right to choose your own leaders. The history of this country, in large measure, is the history of the expansion of that right to all of our people.

Many of the issues of civil rights are very complex and most difficult. But about this there can and should be no argument. Every American citizen must have an equal right to vote. There is no reason which can excuse the denial of that right. There is no duty which weighs more heavily on us than the duty we have to ensure that right. Yet the harsh Act is that in many places in this country men and women are kept from voting simply because they are Negroes.

Every device of which human ingenuity is capable has been used to deny this right. The Negro citizen may go to register only to be told that the day is wrong, or the hour is late, or the official in charge is absent And if he persists, and if he manages to present himself to the registrar, he may be disqualified because he did not spell out his middle name or because he abbreviated a word on the application. And if he manages to fill out an application he is given a test. The registrar is the sole judge of whether he passes this test. He may be asked to recite the entire Constitution, or explain the most complex provisions of State law. And even a college degree cannot be used to prove that he can read and write.

For the fact is that the only way to pass these barriers is to show a white skin. Experience has clearly shown that the existing process of law cannot overcome systematic and ingenious discrimination. No law that we now have on the books- and I have helped to put three of them there - can ensure the right to vote when local officials are determined to deny it.

In such a case our duty must be clear to all of us. The Constitution says that no person shall be kept from voting because of his race or his colour. We have all sworn an oath before God to support and to defend that Constitution. We must now act in obedience to that oath.

GUARANTEEING THE RIGHT TO VOTE

Wednesday I will send to Congress a law designed to eliminate illegal barriers to the right to vote.

The broad principles of that bill will be in the hands of the Democratic and Republican leaders to morrow. After they have reviewed it, it will come here formally as a bill. I am grateful for this opportunity to come here tonight at the invitation of the leadership to reason with my friends, to give them my views, and to visit with my former colleagues.

I have had prepared a more comprehensive analysis of the legislation which I had intended to transmit to the clerk tomorrow but which I will submit to the clerks tonight. But I want to really discuss with you now briefly the main proposals of this legislation.

This bill will strike down restrictions to voting in all elections - Federal, State, and local - which have been used to deny Negroes the right to vote.

This bill will establish a simple, uniform standard which cannot be used, however ingenious the effort, to flout our Constitution.

It will provide for citizens to be registered by officials of the United States Government if the State officials refuse to register them.

It will eliminate tedious, unnecessary lawsuits which delay the right to vote. Finally, this legislation will ensure that properly registered individuals are not prohibited from voting.

I will welcome the suggestions from all of the Members of Congress - I have no doubt that I will get some - on ways and means to strengthen this law and to make it effective. But experience has plainly shown that this is the only path to carry out the command of the Constitution.

To those who seek to avoid action by their National Government in their own communities; who want to and who seek to maintain purely local control over elections, the answer is simple:

This post is truncated. Click the next link to read more.

I was rather tied up in the earlier part of the day and have not been able to write until now. My next sopo post will be before dinner time. Here's an article on How to Stop Absorbing Other People's Negative Emotions adapted from Judith Orloff's book. I hope you find it helpful. I am sharing it because we never know how some people can deliberately pass on negative comments or emotions to us because of their hidden agenda.



Recently, a blog reader left very negative comments to which I responded with patience, forbearance and a willingness to reach out and meet him or her in a middle road stance. Some readers responded and that reader persisted in labeling us as racists etc. I decided to delete his negative and derogatory comments together with all other responses including mine in all fairness. I certainly hope that such characters will not damage the ambiance of this blog which I painstaking built over the past two years. I appreciate positive and constructive comments but NOT virulent, derogatory, accusing and confrontational comments from people with malicious intent. I had no choice but to delete such damaging comments.

Thanks to StraightTalking and wits0 for their responses to this character. Thanks also to all my readers who have been observing decorum and leaving lovely, inspirational and constructive comments. Take care. DO leave a comment as always. Have a lovely evening!
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How to Stop Absorbing Other People's Negative Emotions

In "Emotional Freedom," Judith Orloff emphasizes the importance of learning how to stay centered in a stressful, highly emotionally charged world. Since emotions such as fear, anger, and frustration are energies, you can potentially "catch" them from people without realizing it.

If you tend to be an emotional sponge, it's vital to know how to avoid taking on an individual's negative emotions or the free-floating kind in crowds.

Another twist is that chronic anxiety, depression, or stress can turn you into an emotional sponge by wearing down your defenses. Suddenly, you become hyper-attuned to others, especially those with similar pain. That's how empathy works; we zero in on hot-button issues that are unresolved in ourselves.

From an energetic standpoint, negative emotions can originate from several sources. What you're feeling may be your own; it may be someone else's; or it may be a combination. I'll explain how to tell the difference and strategically bolster positive emotions so you don't shoulder negativity that doesn't belong to you.

This wasn't something she could always do. Growing up, her girlfriends couldn't wait to hit the shopping malls and go to parties, the bigger the better -- but she didn't share their excitement. She always felt overwhelmed, exhausted around large groups of people, though I was clueless why. "What's the matter with you?" friends would say, shooting her the weirdest looks.

She realized that she didn't like crowded places and would leave nervous, depressed, or with some horrible new ache or pain. Unsuspectingly, she was a gigantic sponge, absorbing the emotions of people around me.

With her patients, she saw how absorbing other people's emotions can trigger panic attacks, depression, food, sex and drug binges, and a plethora of physical symptoms that defy traditional medical diagnosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than two million Americans suffer from chronic fatigue. It's likely that many of them are emotional sponges.

Here are some strategies from "Emotional Freedom" to practice. They will help us to stop absorbing other people's emotions.

Emotional Action Step: How to Stay Centered in a Stressful World

To detach from other people's negative emotions:

* First, ask yourself, "Is the feeling mine or someone else's?" It could be both. If the emotion such as fear or anger is yours, gently confront what's causing it on your own or with professional help. If not, try to pinpoint the obvious generator. For instance, if you've just watched a comedy, yet you came home from the movie theater feeling blue, you may have incorporated the depression of the people sitting beside you; in close proximity, energy fields overlap. The same is true with going to a mall or packed concert.

* When possible, distance yourself from the suspected source. Move at least twenty feet away; see if you feel relief. Don't err on the side of not wanting to offend strangers. In a public place, don't hesitate to change seats if you feel a sense of depression imposing on you.

* For a few minutes, center yourself by concentrating on your breath: This connects you to your essence. Keep exhaling negativity, inhaling calm. This helps to ground yourself and purify fear or other difficult emotions Visualize negativity as gray fog lifting from your body, and hope as golden light entering. This can yield quick results.

* Negative emotions such as fear frequently lodge in your emotional center at the solar plexus. Place your palm there as you keep sending loving-kindness to that area to flush stress out. For longstanding depression or anxiety, use this method daily to strengthen this center. It's comforting and builds a sense of safety and optimism.

* Shield yourself. A handy form of protection many people use, including healers with trying patients, involves visualizing an envelope of white light (or any color you feel imparts power) around your entire body. Think of it as a shield that blocks out negativity or physical discomfort but allows what's positive to filter in.

* Look for positive people and situations. Call a friend who sees the good in others. Spend time with a colleague who affirms the bright side of things. Listen to hopeful people. Hear the faith they have in themselves and others. Also relish hopeful words, songs, and art forms. Hope is contagious, and it will lift your mood.

Keep practicing these strategies. We don't have to reinvent the wheel each time you're on emotional overload. With strategies to cope, we can have quicker retorts to stressful situations, feel safer, and our sensitivities can blossom.

Adapted from Dr. Judith Orloff's new book, "Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life" (Harmony Books, 2009).

Have a nice day, dear reader! My next post will be before dinner time.

It has been quite a while since I posted self-help stuff here so I thought these ten pointers would be a welcome inspirational change to jump start our day. I chanced upon this while surfing the net in the wee hours of the morning :-) and I thought it is applicable for our personal lives and the political landscape. As always, do leave a comment to share your thoughts. Take care and have a lovely day!

Ten Ways to Worry Less and Accomplish More

1. Don't think of problems as difficulties. Think of them as opportunities for action.

2. After you've done your best to deal with a situation, avoid speculating about the outcome. Forget it and go onto the next thing.

3. Keep busy. Keep the 24 hours of your day filled with these three ingredients: work, recreation, and sleep. Don't allow yourself time for abstract thinking.

4. Don't concern yourself with things you can't do anything about. Armchair generals don't win battles, but they do have nervous breakdowns.

5. For the time being anyway, eliminate daydreaming completely. Stop building air castles.

6. Don't procrastinate. Putting off an unpleasant task until tomorrow simply gives you more time for your imagination to make a mountain out a possible molehill. More time for anxiety to sap your self-confidence. Do it now, brother, do it now.

7. Don't pour woes and anxieties to other people. You don't want their sympathy - it'll merely make it easy for you to feel sorrier for yourself.

8. Get up as soon as you wake up. If you lie in bed, you may use up as much nervous energy living your day in advance as you would in actual accomplishment of the day's work.

9. Try to arrange your schedule so that you will not have to hurry. Hurry, a blood brother to worry, helps shatter poise and self-confidence, and contributes to fear and anxiety.

10. If a project seems too big, break it up into simple steps of action. Then negotiate those steps-link rungs in a ladder...one at a time. And don't allow yourself to think about the difficulties of step number two until you've executed step number one.