The world's hottest place: Death Valley National Park
The highest air temperature ever recorded on Earth was 134 degrees Fahrenheit, at Death Valley National Park on July 10, 1913.
The world's coldest place: East Antarctic Plateau
On the high ridge of the East Antarctic Plateau, the temperature can drop to as low as -135.8 degrees Fahrenheit, recorded in August, 2010.
World's most populated city: Shanghai
At a whopping 24,150,000 permanent inhabitants, Shanghai is the single city that is home to the most people in the world.
World's least populated city: Vatican City
With a paltry population of 842, the city-state of Vatican City is the smallest city and state in the world.
World's wealthiest city: Tokyo
That tower might as well be made of gold, since Tokyo tops the charts with a GDP of $1,520 billion (only beating New York by a mere $310 billion).
World's poorest city: Kinshasa
Kinshasa is probably the poorest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the poorest country in the world, at a GDP of $55 billion. Many of its residents live on less $1 a day.
Highest point in the world: Mount Everest
Towering 29,029 feet in the air, the top of Mount Everest is the closest you can get to touching space, while still standing on Earth.
Lowest point in the world: Challenger Deep
The lowest known natural point in the world is Challenger Deep, 35,797 ft below sea level at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Only three people have ever made it to the bottom, one of which was filmmaker James Cameron.
Most photographed place: The Guggenheim
Photos have always told stories, but in today's world of cell phone cameras and social media, that story is relayed as data to companies who monitor everything we do. Geotagged data was culled by Sightsmap using a Google-based image sharing software, and can now show us the most photographed places in the world, right down to the landmark. The Winner? The Guggenheim in New York.
The world's most popular country: Germany
The results of the annual BBC World Country Rating Poll are in, and Germany came out on top as the most positively viewed country in the world among people probably under the age of 85 (at a 59% positivity rating).
The wettest spot on Earth: Mawsynram, India
Rainwise, anyway. In Mawsynram, India, it rains an average of 467.35 inches per year, and with a record of 1000 inches in 1985.
The driest spot on Earth: The Atacama Desert
The 600 miles of South America's Atacama desert is the driest place on Earth, no contest. The Desert sees an average of 4 inches of rain every thousand years. Yes, you read that right.
Sunniest Place on Earth: Yuma, Arizona
In Yuma, Arizona, the sun shines for an average of 11 hours a day. Its forecast is sun for 90 percent of the year, averaging a total of 4015 daylight hours a year.
Most expensive city to live in: Singapore
The new champion of the world, Singapore has recently beat out Tokyo for the title of "most expensive city" for 2014.
Cars can cost between 4-6 times in Singapore what they cost in the US or UK (for example, a Toyota Prius actually costs about $150,000.00 there).
Least expensive city to live in: Mumbai, India
At the other end of the spectrum, Mumbai, India, is the cheapest place to live in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Index 2014. For some perspective, a loaf of bread that would cost $3.36 in Singapore, would only cost $0.91 in Mumbai.
Country that consumes the most food: United States
I suppose there must be a reason why Americans have a food-related reputation when it comes to other countries: we eat an average of 3,770 calories a day each.
The world's oldest city: Damascus
There's quite a bit of controversy over which city gets to officially claim the title of "oldest continuously inhabited city."
With evidence of civilization that extends back over 11,000 years, Damascus in Syria is probably the safest bet.
Youngest country in the world: South Sudan
The people of South Sudan were formally recognized as an independent country in 2011, making it the youngest country in the world to-date.
The world's most visited city: London
After a several-year bout with Bangkok, London has regained its place as the world's most visited city (according to MasterCard's 2014 Global Destinations City Index). The city sees about 18.69 million international visitors annually, generating $19.3 billion in revenue.
The world's least popular country: Iran
On that same rating scale, Iran has come in dead last (at a 59% negativity rating).
Only 15% of people polled viewed Iran in a positive light.
The world's most dangerous city: San Pedro Sula, Honduras
In San Pedro Sula, Honduras, there are over 3 murders a day. The violence stems from the city's role as a major hub for illegal drug and arms trafficking.
Most caffeinated country in the world: Sweden
The coffee in Sweden will put a spring in your step, and hair on your tongue. The Swedes consume an average of 388 mg of caffeine in coffee per person, per day (that's almost 5 Red Bulls).
Most drunken country in the world: Belarus
In Belarus, each person above the age of 15 drinks an average of 4.62 gallons of alcohol every year.
The most bicycle friendly city in the world: Groningen, Netherlands
By comparing cities along the criterion of average number of bicycle trips made daily, one city reigns supreme: Groningen in the Netherlands. In Groningen about 50 percent of the population commute via bike daily, making it the city with the greatest proportion of cyclists on the planet.
World's most energy efficient city: Reykjavik, Iceland
All of the energy and heat used by the citizens of Reykjavik Iceland come from geothermal plants and renewable hydropower, making it the most sustainable and energy efficient city in the world. On their mission to be completely free of fossil fuels by 2050, the city has also been replacing traditional buses with hydrogen-fueled buses, from which the only emissions are water.
Most cat friendly country: United States
With a pet cat population of 76.43 million feline friends, the United States dominates the world stage for most cat friendly country in the world.
Most dog friendly country: United States
Similarly, America more than doubles the amount of pet dogs any other country has, with a dog population of 61.1 million.
Most sexually satisfied country: Switzerland
Switzerland might just be the most progressive and least sexually repressed country in the world.
Between liberal views on pornography and prostitution, and sex ed that starts in Kindergarten, over a fifth of the population consider their sex-lives "excellent." They even recently opened up a very successful array of tax-funded drive-in sex boxes in Zurich. Bonus, in spite of all this, Switzerland also holds the title as one of the lowest teen birth rates in the world.
Least sexually satisfied country: Japan
With its extreme conservatism, Japan is the country with the least sexual satisfaction, as only 15% of individuals reported having a fulfilling sex life. Furthermore, over 45% of Japanese women report being either uninterested in, or actually despising, sexual contact
Most emotional country in the world: Philippines
Polling citizens in 150 countries over the years of 2009-2011, researchers found that the people of the Philippines were the most likely to respond emotionally to simple questions about their day.
Least emotional country in the world: Singapore
That same study revealed that Singaporeans experience the least emotion on the day-to-day. Only 3 out of every 10 reported having any emotional reactions to basic scenarios or when describing their days.
Country with the longest life expectancy in the world: Monaco
According to the World Health Organization's study from 2013, Monaco tops the charts for longest living citizens, with an average life expectancy of 87.2 years. Men in Monaco live an average 85.3 years, and women live to an average of 89 years.
Country with the shortest life expectancy: Sierra Leone
On the other side of that coin, the population of Sierra Leone live to an average of 47 years.
The men of Sierra Leone live to an average of 47 years old, whereas women live an average of 48 years.
Sexiest country in the world: Brazil and Australia
There will always be a debate about which countries are home to the most attractive people, in part because who's to say what is objectively attractive? Though the means are hardly scientific, a recent poll found quite a disparity between which countries men
believe are the sexiest, and which countries women find the sexiest. For men, Brazil tops the charts for the most attractive people.
For women, it's about the thunder down under in Australia.
Most stressed-out country in the world: Nigeria
By looking at the dimensions of Homicide Rate, GDP per capita, Income inequality, Corruption, and Unemployment, one thing is clear: Nigeria is hands-down the most stressed out country in the world.
Least stressed-out country in the world: Norway
Along the same dimensions, Norway was at the far-end of the other side of the spectrum, and is deemed the least stressed-out country in the world.
Country with the highest average IQ: Hong Kong
There are a lot of factors that can affect an IQ score, ranging from national and personal wealth to simply who makes the test.
As a result, these findings are highly controversial, but seem to suggest that Hong Kong is the country with the highest IQ, at an average of 107 points.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China meaning that it falls within the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China, yet does not form part of Mainland China, and has it's own government.
Country with the lowest average IQ: Equatorial Guinea
According to "IQ and the Wealth of Nations," Equatorial Guinea caps the low end of the global IQ range, with a national average of 59 points.
World's most well-connected city (for internet): Seoul, South Korea
Surprisingly, despite it's 618 million internet users spending an average of 18.7 hours a week surfing the net, China didn't even make the top 10.
Along the dimensions of average connection speed, availability (weighted towards free access), openness to innovation, support of public data, and privacy/security, Seoul in South Korea is the champion of internet-connectedness. With 10,000 government supported free WiFi spots dotting the city, and an internet speed that goes unchallenged globally, Seoul is an internet junkie's paradise.
Thanks to Angela who shared this.
Please CLICK HERE to read this very interesting article which I am happy to share with thanks to Angela,
Just sharing two articles about L'Wren Scott and also my observations which I have posted at the end of the two articles. Your comments are appreciated. Thanks!
Some of the kindest people who have touched my lives are those I never ever met before - eg Mr LYK, Mr TSK (whom I only met years later), Encik Shakirin, Mr Krishnan, Mamasita, Cat-in-Sydney (whom I met years later), Antares, Miriam, Angela (whom I met later) and a few others. Thank you..
If only she had stuck around to read Lady Arabella Victoria's comment where she wrote:
L'Wren wasted her 12 years of her life on a totally worthless man and then she felt hopeless. Mick Jagger's past is the best indicator of his present behavior. Women have GOT to realize that there are billions of men on the planet and they have to move on when a man does not act right. I agree with you that L'Wren found out she wasn't special and was devastated when she realized Mick is incapable of being a provider or protector. Sadly, L'Wren didn't know how to walk away when it became glaringly apparent that Mick had no intention of committing to her. The lesson for all of us is that we need to have standards and boundaries to ensure that men treat us with dignity and respect (e.g., The Rules).
Why did she have to die? I guess it is because she saw no more reason to live...the despair, disappointment and desperation must have overwhelmed her so much that she had no other choice but to end her misery..so sad. If only someone had reached out to her...and had convinced her that regardless...there IS hope...but then again, how many really cared enough to do that and without judging her? Painful.
In the late 1980's to mid 1990's when I was teaching Sociology in an international school, my students were aghast when I broached the subject of polyandry (which was part of the syllabus on Family Structures). Then, we did not have access to internet resources and it was tough to convince those bright kids that indeed, it was still being practised then, even now.
Last week, reader YK brought to my attention the following article which was posted HERE.
Brothers Wed The Same Woman by The New Paper
When Tashi Sangmo was 17, she married a 14-year-old neighbour in a remote Himalayan village in Nepal.
As part of the package, she also agreed to wed his younger brother.
In ancient times, the sons of almost every family in the region of Upper Dolpa would jointly marry one woman but the practice of polyandry is dying out as the region begins to open up to modern life.
"Things are easier this way because everything we have stays in one family. It doesn't get divided among many wives and it is me in charge," said Ms Sangmo, who spoke through an interpreter. "Two brothers bring in the money and it's me who decides what to do with it."
When she wed Mingmar Lama 14 years ago, it was understood that her spouse's brother Pasang, then 11, would later join the relationship in a centuries-old practice thatpersists in a few isolated Himalayan villages.
Between them, they now have three sons aged eight, six and four.
"I wanted to share this bond with my brother because life would be easier for both of us," said Mr Pasang, 25, speaking at the family home in Simen village, 4,000m above sea level and five days' walk from the nearest town.
Traditionally part of the caravans that plied the route between Nepal and Tibet, the people of Upper Dolpa still follow the trade, leading yaks that bring salt from Tibet and rice from the southern Terai plains.
In the thin air high above the tree line, arable land is in short supply and farms are tiny.
But polyandry prevents the practice of each generation of a family dividing their holdings, and food supplies just manage to cover the locals' basic needs.
CLICK HERE for more.
Interestingly, Paul Harvey's radio programme featured a segment called “The Rest of the Story” where he spun fascinating stories which intrigued his listeners. Undoubtedly, his innocuous voice and articulate delivery engaged listeners like no other could. Apparently, he would sign off dramatically, by saying out his name, and then a long suspenseful pause would follow after which he would give a snappy “good day!” You can listen to it when you watch the YouTube clip of the original programme posted at the end of this post.
*Thanks to Angela who sent me the 1999 version that intrigued me so much that I spent many hours reading about his life.
1. The Star reported today that three nurses and a female medical officer at the Serdang Hospitals' Emergency Department were injured when 15 ceiling pieces measuring 2 ft x 2 ft each collapsed at 2.45am on Monday. The hospital's director Datuk Dr Ardi Awang said the initial investigation found the incident happened when a screw holding the ceiling pieces together had come off, sending the pieces crashing down.
According to the report, this incident was the second such incident at Serdang Hospital which has been operating since December 2005, after the first incident involving the ceiling at the main lobby which collapsed in January last year.
2. Sabah DAP reported here that a large section of ceiling in the QE1 medical ward collapsed in July this year. A large piece of concrete fell down and seriously hurt a patient who was in the ward. CLICK HERE for more details.
3. In May this year, The Malaysian Insider reported that the Penang State Assembly which was due to sit in two days time, suffered the misfortune of a portion of the ceiling in the sitting hall collapsing yesterday. However, there were no casualties. Speaker Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain said approximately 70 per cent of the ceiling over the media and public galleries and where the Hansard writer sits came tumbling down at 3.30pm.
“At the time there were two or three assembly staff in the hall. Fortunately no one was injured,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
He said the Public Works Department had been asked to carry out a probe into to incident and inspect the safety of the premises.
On July 23 2008, four square metres of plaster ceiling in the lobby of the same building came tumbling down and narrowly missing people present.
4. On December 14th 2010, NST reported that it was a close call for 15 mothers and their newborn babies when the plaster ceiling of the Penang Hospital maternity ward came crashing down yesterday morning. Fortunately, no one was injured in the 8am incident.
The incident was believed to have been caused by a leaking pipe after the contractor changed the piping system from steel to PVC back in 1998. The mothers and their babies were evacuated to enable repair works to be carried out.
A study by Azuin Binti Ramli, Zainal Abidin Bin Akasah, Mohd Idrus Bin Hj. Mohd Masirin of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia on Building Safety and Health Modelling Framework for Polytechnic Buildings in Malaysia revealed:
The implementation of safety and health measures on building should be addressed during their life cycles to improve the occupants’ quality of life. Review of literatures shows that the design and management systems of building safety and health should be an integral part of all building systems.
Otherwise, they may pose safety and health hazards to the occupants and affected the performance of polytechnic buildings in Malaysia. More effort is necessary to boost this application especially towards the safety of buildings.
The safety of new and existing buildings must be well planned to ensure that its occupants can live in it safely.
Comprehensive ways, tools and concept must be develop to determine performance indicators and criteria for safety and health building, focusing in general on the prevention of safety and health problems.
The development of frameworks will intend to guide research efforts consolidate past
research and to construct a relevant concepts and theory of the systems that can serve as a common point of reference and integrate them into descriptive or predictive models [1].
It is hoped that such a structured approach will enhance better communication with shared understanding in which effectiveness research can build in specific areas.
There are numbers of unpleasant incidents, which occur due to failure of design, structural, materials used and maintenance problems.
Reports by Lai [2] revealed the ceiling collapse at the Serdang Hospital’s main lobby and to worsen the cases of roof collapse at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium after a year officially opened to host the 2008 Sukma Games [3].
Thus, the Housing and Local Government Ministry is responsible the implementation of Uniform Building By-laws towards sustainable development in Malaysia. Efforts are being made to provide a robust basis for policy development to make Malaysian buildings more safety, health and environment-friendly.
The amendment of the By-laws will incorporate green building technologies and features include building materials and architecture [4].
Therefore, a safety and health framework will be created and planned according to local design, construction quality, climate, environment conditions and the use of existing buildings in Malaysia. Furthermore, the comprehensive and efficient framework can support building policies, regulations and maintenance [5,6,7] to provide detailed safety requirements and regulations with clear guidance for easy implementation by designers, architects and building managers.
CLICK HERE for ACT 514 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT 1994 (incorporating all amendments up to 1 January 2006).
This link leads you to ACT 663 BUILDING AND COMMON PROPERTY (MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT) ACT 2007.
This site is where you can read GUIDELINES ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
IN THE SERVICE SECTOR.
It is time the authorities concerned step up efforts to monitor the safety of buildings that members of the public can walk into any building and not fear the roof will fall on their heads. They must seriously consider the development of safety and health requirements/standards which can be used as an assessment framework, process and benchmarking tool for building performance evaluation in terms of safety and health.
Safety First Above All Else!
Did you know that seven people walked past snatch theft victim Tan Kim Chuan, 60, without lifting a finger to help her as she lay unconscious on the road with a cracked skull at the Rifle Range flats in Penang?
According to The Star, CCTV footage showed her lying on the road for about seven minutes (see sequence of events HERE).
Nine hours later, Kim Chuan, who fell and knocked her head on the road in the 6.02am incident on two days ago (Tuesday) succumbed to her injuries at the Penang Hospital.
The victim was a widow who had just moved into the Rifle Range flats two weeks ago. She was walking alone near Block J of the flats when her handbag was snatched by a motorcyclist.
At about 6.10am, three good Samaritans (including airport cargo worker B. Saravana Kumar, 37, and fellow flat resident, Khoo Ean Ooi, 57) lifted her to the side of the road and called for an ambulance.
Another Rifle Range resident who only wanted to be known as Beh, 77, who was captured on the CCTV footage walking away from the victim, said he had intended to help, but was too frail. (Click here for the report on the good Samaritans)
This incident, which echoes the Parable of the Good Samaritan is but one example of how many in modern society have forgotten how to care, to love and to help others.
A similar event happened to the mother of one of my former students, C.C.S., Regional Manager of a Foundation in another Asian city. She was walking along Leandros Lane in front of Bellisa View when two motor-cyclists came close to hear and tried to snatch her handbag. As she had her American passport with her, she struggled and hung on to her bag. Tragically, the pillion rider took off his helmet and smashed her head with it a few times. She fell to the ground and hit her head and was bleeding badly. Passers-by rushed her to the hospital where she passed away a few hours later without regaining consciousness. A tragic death, C.C.S. never got to see his mom who never got the chance to attend his graduation. :-(
What has happened to Malaysian society? Why are many lacking in compassion and in sympathy for the less fortunate or those in need? Do we have the desire to develop civic consciousness and to help? What good is it if we enjoy material success and have forgotten how to feel, to care and to help those in need? We would be worse than animals.
When there is an accident, people usually surround the victims because:
- they want to note the number plate of the vehicles involved in the accident so that they can buy those numbers at the four-digit centres
- they are touts working for tow-truck companies
- some unscruplous ones try to steal stuff from the victims...my friend's daughter who had a very bad accident lost her phone, handbag and even her designer shoes!!!!
The focus on self seems to surpass the collective good of society and this can be seen in:
- the way many (especially Penangites) park their car haphazardly in no-parking zones
- how some honk and/or weave their way through traffic just so they can reach their destination in time
- how many cut queue when trying to board the plane, especially for Air Asia flights
- how some declare their political apathy or unwillingness to vote just because they do not think their votes can make any difference
- the way some practise double standards when they persist in law-breaking behavious
- how littering is still a problem
- how some rather do good to themselves than to others in a show of selfishness
- how many just do not care about others and are reluctant to lift a finger to help, even neighbours, friends or relatives, let alone strangers
- how many also forget the value of friendship and the way some have helped them along the way
- etc etc
Granted that conflicts exist which disturb all of thinking Malaysians. It is common knowledge that many inequalities exist and distribution of resources is fairly inequitable. All that is disturbing but more importantly, in our bid to progress in society, to be a winner in the rat race, the element of being human is startlingly MISSING.
Poor leadership, weak political will and the lack or even absence of towering Malaysians, exemplary behaviour or demonstrations of civic consciousness and the lack of civic consciousness and civic awakening are all missing or deficient. Even at public events, how many actually reach out to welcome others to such public meetings? I have attended so many and notice that many group in their cliques without engaging other newcomers or those who do not belong to any clique. Instead of being a self-serving community, we must really be more caring towards one another.
With little caring for our fellowmen, even with good leadership, plans may not be able to take off.
What we see is the disintegration of society where we become alienated from one another and maybe even ourselves and then dwell in the cold comfort of delusion.
Many years ago, one of my A-level students was absent for a few lessons. I asked the students about him and none new. Then I asked if any of them had his telephone number and some had. So I told them that if they had his number, they should call him. What if he was terminally ill or had died? The class went silent. One of them called him after the lesson and we were shocked to learn that he had been diagnosed with liver cancer and had had an operation to take out a section of his liver (about 10x2cm). Months later, the cancer re-surfaced and had penetrated the bones and lungs. A brave man, he advised us and his family not to be saddened by the turn of events and even gave instructions for his last rites. As requested, he was wearing his favourite MU football jersey on his final journey. We really wept at the wake service and the funeral.
It hurts to care. It is even worse to care too much. Even though I have been hurt/disappointed many times, that does not stop me from caring, loving or helping people. Those episodes have certainly taught me to be wiser in my association with people. Having said that, despite the cold and cruel world we live in, I will always reach out to genuine ones in need and to others - with lots of discretion and wisdom.
Some of us may find it difficult to grow up and give up our hopes, dreams and ideals - especially those who have been fed a staple diet of fairy tales, of princesses and princes living happily together forever. Moving into adulthood once we have the right to vote, some may carry forward the airy fairy feeling into aspirations for the motherland.
In the midst of struggles and strife, we may think some have the magic potion or magic wand they wave to make it work with their brand of political magic, or so we think.
Realistically, the time has come to break the magic spell. We need to look beyond personalities, and branding to see the substance of which these politicians are made.
In the fairy tale world, we had our fair share of encounters with fairies, elves, giants, ogres (see most are :-) male) where the villain is vanquished by knights in shining armors, animals with the gift of speech or suave super heroes that swoop down on earthlings to save the day.
Sadly,in our world conflict exists sans harmony and unity. And how many are the real 'heroes' who can save the day? How many actually do what they pledged to do?
If we just stop to look beyond the fairy tales of old, we can see how the protagonists also had their fair share of struggles eg. right to the throne (The Princess and the Pea), over women (Cinderella), family fortunes (Snow White), promises/covenants that were broken (Rumpelstiltskin), property and inheritance (Beauty and the Beast), class struggles and poverty (Tom Thumb, Jack and the Beanstalk), spells (Shrek) etc etc.
It was not a smooth sailing ride for the characters but the kid in us probably remembered the happy ending and forgot the long journey to liberty that they had to take.
In the same vein, perhaps some of us are like that. We cannot see beyond the surface and we think all is fine and so and so are such brilliant leaders when in reality, they have effective smokescreens/masks or other tricks to delude us.
Yet, we try to make sense of what we see by perceiving the political landscape in line with our hopes and dreams.
All the time, we hope the magical spell will not be broken and the happy ending will come.
Who is to be blamed?
The common folk for having dreams and aspirations that blinded them from seeing the 'heroes' as they are or the main players for deluding us?
Whatever the case, the time has come to cast aside airy fairy politics.
Rumbling, groaning, lambasting etc etc ....ings are completely pointless.
How many are willing to walk the extra mile to do something positive?
And how many are just contented to indulge in verbal diarrhoea?
The truth is very painful and perhaps that is why it is saner to dwell in airy fairy politics, or is it?
Pardon my skepticism. The magic spell has to be broken!
Do leave a comment to share your views.
Aikido derives mainly from the martial art of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, but began to diverge from it in the late 1920s, partly due to Ueshiba's involvement with the Ōmoto-kyō religion. Ueshiba's early students' documents bear the term aiki-jūjutsu.
Ueshiba's senior students have different approaches to aikido, depending partly on when they studied with him. Today aikido is found all over the world in a number of styles, with broad ranges of interpretation and emphasis. However, they all share techniques learned from Ueshiba and most have concern for the well-being of the attacker.
READ MORE HERE.
- different type of cocoa is used
- transfats instead of full cream milk
- less in quantity and quality e.g. 220g instead of 250g
- etc..
So with all these examples that we see in everyday life, are we enjoying a better quality of life today?
I beg to differ. In the basket of goods and services, our ringgit is getting lighter and cannot keep pace with the rising costs of living. Sighs...
Do share your experiences/comments/observations. Thanks!
International Women’s Day falls on March 8, but the women who have made recent headlines in Malaysia do so for the wrong reasons.
They include self-styled ‘First Lady’ Rosmah Mansor, the Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the ladies of the Obedient Wives Club and the Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen, whose latest brainwave is to turn taxi drivers into “tourism ambassadors”.
Perhaps, one of the taxi drivers should replace the high commissioner in London.
Last week, Ng (right) said: “After they have been selected by our appointed judges, the taxi drivers will be undergoing a one-day awareness course organised by the ministry where we will explain to them their role as tourism ambassadors.”
When Jean Todt, the husband of ex-Bond girl Michelle Yeoh, was made a Malaysian ‘tourism ambassador’, he received an annual fee of RM593,000 and an allowance of RM388,000 towards his holidays in Malaysia.
Will the taxi drivers, our “tourism ambassadors”, be given similar financial incentives? Or do “gwai lohs” get preferential treatment?
Ng wanted to improve the attitude of taxi drivers and be rid of shoddy practices, like the refusal to use meters, which many locals and tourists had complained about. So will they be satisfied with just a fancy title?
She also wanted to promote Malaysia as a duty-free shopping destination and praised the ‘1Malaysia GP Sale’ which promised ‘bargains-galore’ for shoppers from March 10 to April 15.
If only Ng could persuade our self-styled ‘First Lady’ to make Malaysia her ‘buyer’s paradise’. Whenever Rosmah is overseas, it is her shopping exploits which overshadows the Prime Minster Najib Abdul Razak’s visits.
When she went to Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh in January 2011, the secretive First Lady of Malaysia department received so much attention that Najib appeares to have shut it down. Gone was the pink tinged website that used to grace the official PM’s website.
Rural people lack basic infrastructure
If only the victims of domestic violence, incest and teenage pregnancies could receive as much attention as the assorted coloured handbags and multi-million ringgit gems that adorn the First Lady’s podgy wrist and fingers.
Rosmah’s receipt of an honorary degree for education from Curtin University in Australia became a viral sensation on Facebook. In the past, Curtin was embroiled in the sex for degrees scandal; but one would not dream of associating impropriety with honorary degrees.
It must be nice receiving honorary degrees, unlike the children from the Orang Asli community or the indigenous peoples of East Malaysia, where receiving basic schooling is problematical.
Rural schools are poorly maintained and transportation is a problem. Despite the wealth from timber, oil and gas, these rural communities lack basic infrastructure. Curtin University would do well to find out the reasons these places are poorly funded and come up with solutions.
Many of us are barely surviving with the increase in food prices, petrol prices, toll charges and utility bills. It is worse for rural communities. Farmers struggle to feed their families and they spend even less on their livestock.
Animals receive reduced amounts of fodder and some may not receive veterinary care.
Spending taxpayer’s money comes as second nature to most ministers and Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s family showed a great deal of finesse, when they made good use of a RM250 million loan meant for the National Feedlot Corporation project.
With great aplomb, they bought a string of luxury condominiums, a pilgrimage and the latest Mercedes-Benz car.
For many farmers, home is a wooden shack, transportation is a dilapidated truck and dreams of going on the haj, remains just that- dreams. At least Shahrizat has a choice of houses. The homes of the Penan, which are located on ancestral lands, are now under water.
Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s vision of building mega-dams means that the interior has to be flooded to generate cheap electricity which his new aluminium smelters, will devour.
It is commendable that Shahrizat was able to protect her husband and her three children, unlike the parents of the Penan girls who were raped by loggers in the Sarawak jungles.
The women and children have nowhere to go and no-one to whom they can turn for help. They have been called “good storytellers” and “liars who often change their stories”.
If only Taib’s young wife, Ragad Waleed Alkurdi, would waddle out of her palatial home ground to enquire why these Penan women are angry. They have been stripped of their lands, an education and also their dignity.
Malaysian women certainly know how to grab the attention of the foreign media - like the titillating details of the Obedient Wives Club’s graphic sex manual.
No-one (in the west) appears to be interested in our corruption, tainted judiciary, violent thugs, radioactive waste and baby dumping, but sex sells. Especially deviant sex!
Despite setting a quota of 30 percent women in decision-making roles in government and industry, Najib has failed miserably in empowering women. With just Shahrizat and Ng as ministers, Najib’s cabinet is not female friendly. Both women are seriously flawed.
If only capable women were in positions of responsibility, the country might not be in such a state. But then why should men care? The rules are made by men, for men.
Naturally, it is hard to talk about improving the country when the women who should be good role models are busy promoting designer handbags and rings, or collecting cows and condos.
This article was extracted from Malaysiakini and written by MARIAM MOKHTAR who is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real-speak', this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.
At one point in time, the Third Force was the talk of town when some exalted the idea whilst others rejected the concept only to acquiesce in time to come. However, how many are aware of The Third Rail?
According to Wikipedia, "The third rail of a nation's politics is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that it is "charged" and "untouchable"; any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically. The term is most commonly used in North America. The "third rail of American politics" is often said to be the reform of social security; the "third rail" of Canadian politics is said to be health care.
The Chicago Tribune carried an interesting post on The Third Rail in September 2010 HERE. The New York Times also featured an article on the same topic HERE.
In very simple terms, the third rail refers to political suicide which Wikipedia has defined as "the concept that a politician or political party would lose widespread support and confidence from the voting public by proposing actions that are seen as unfavourable or that might threaten the status quo. A politician who committed political suicide might be forced to resign. A political party could stand to lose followers by deviating greatly from its core values and policies. Another term for such policies are "the third rail". Cynics may blame this concept as a reason for a lack of real change or progress in society and that actions described as political suicide are usually sound intentions shot down by reactionism and fear of change."
Mike Foil of the Canada Free Press said it beautifully in his post on Political Suicide:
We are being told that it would be unreasonable for us to expect that politician to actually do what they said they would do because the result would likely end their political career. To take that one step further, it means; keeping a promise made or taking a bold step, which may be a career ending move, is not something we can honestly expect a politician to do. Why? Because we have to realize that their careers are more important than doing what is best for the country as a whole.
Sometimes, doing what is right and best for America is not the same as what might be best for the person who has to do the hard work or make the tough decision. Doing what is best for the long-term stability of our nation may be very unpopular with the masses marching down the streets of our cities. Doing what is right, when circumstances demand hard choices, can very well end a political career. It might even launch a recall election. But, that should not be the determining factor! Their careers are not more important to the people back home than saving our country. READ MORE HERE.Has someone been committing political suicide in this country or otherwise?
If it is indeed a hara-kiri (seppuku or disambiguation), is it out of noble intentions or poor communication strategies, spinning for reasons known to the spinners alone or due to a darker side slowly emerging in a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde tradition?
Whatever the case, Malaysians must unite and stay focused to have a massive swing in votes for change to happen when a new and upright government is put into place!
Vote wisely in the next elections!
It has been a crazy week so far. My son is attending the Musica Simfonietta 2nd Music Camp and everyday, I have to drive him to Kompleks Penyayang at 8.30am and then drive home, pick him up at noon and then go home for him to shower and rest after lunch, send him back at 2.00 pm and then drive home to do my chores, pick him up at 5p.m for him to rest and have dinner, then send him to Kompleks Penyayang at 7pm and pick him up again at 10.30pm. The climax of the camp will be the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola on Monday night at Dewan Sri Pinang featuring guest conductor Donald Maurice, Professor of Music, New Zealand School of Music and Soloists Lo Mei Yoke (violin) and Andrew Filmer (viola). My son is playing the first violin in the main orchestra.
I am very happy that my son is enjoying the camp, honing his musical skills and smiling each time we pick him up - ever ready to share with us the developments in the orchestra's preparation for the concert and about the workshops he has been attending.
However, what has been most stressful is the horrible traffic jams and rude drivers on the road. As it is the long weekend, the roads are packed with out-of-town visitors. In areas that are near to coffee shops, double parking seems to be the norm.
At about half past twelve yesterday, I was so horrified to see a woman driving a Mercedes-Benz who nonchalantly double- parked her car smack between two empty parking lots!!! Can you believe there are people who can afford to buy a luxury car, but cannot afford to pay 30 cents for half an hour's car park fees and to have the audacity to deprive others from parking there??? Unbelievably stingy and selfish!!
I really don't know what is worse - her selfishness or the apathy of others, including the parking attendant. If not for the fact that my son was with me, I would have walked up to her to ask her to park properly!
A few days ago, I was driving carefully and obeying all traffic rules when lo and behold came another car who wanted to cut queue into my lane without indicating any signal light. The traffic was moving at a snarl and to my horror, this guy tried to inch his way even though the car in front was NOT moving at all. Of course I let him cut queue for otherwise, goodness knows what might happen. As if that was not enough, he had the cheek to show me his middle finger!!! What the ???????
What has happened to courtesy on the road?
In fact, what has happened to social etiquette and manners? P's and Q's (mind your please and thank-you's) are quite rare for some who take others for granted. Even a simple greeting such as 'Good morning' seems to require great effort by some. Honestly, is it that difficult to show a little bit of love, kindness and consideration to others???
In many ways, I believe that despite whatever developments we may proclaim, society as a whole is regressing - moving backwards in terms of values, ethics, manners and in many other areas.
“Love people, not things; use things, not people. ”
― Spencer W. Kimball
CLICK HERE to listen to BJ Thomas singing "USING THINGS, LOVING PEOPLE".
A few days ago, I was not feeling well as I was having gastric problems. At a local coffee shop, I ordered a hot cup of Milo to go with my soup. When the waiter brought the drink in a glass mug, I looked at the brown liquid suspiciously.
Firstly, the colour was not right. It was too brown. I thought perhaps it was because they did not use enough milk.
Secondly, there was 'Milo' powder sprinkled on top of the froth reminiscent of raw sugar, cinnamon, or other spices are often sprinkled onto the top of a hot cup of Cappucino. How can that be when we all know how the price of 'Milo' has increased????
Hesitatingly. I stirred the cup of 'Milo' and was puzzled as to why there was so much 'Milo' powder at the bottom of the mug. I thought it did not make sense that they did not add sufficient milk and yet were so generous with the 'Milo' mixture.
Gingerly, I sipped the so-called 'Milo' and almost baptised my son with that concoction which the coffee shop owner regarded as 'Milo'.
Well, it did not look or smell or taste like 'Milo'.
Feeling quite cheated, I carried the mug and walked up to the coffee shop owner. I have been patronizing that coffee shop for almost twenty years now.
"Ah Chek, what is this?" I asked him.
"Milo-lah," was his reply.
"This is NOT 'Milo'," I answered. "I ordered 'Milo' but what is this? Did you use 'Milo'?"
"No," he replied sheepishly.
"Please change this for me. Kindly give me white coffee instead," I asked quietly and walked back to my table.
The waiter then brought me a hot cup of white coffee.
It was bad enough years ago when I ordered 'Nescafe' and was given something else. And now, 'Milo' has been replaced with something else and we are still expected to pay "Milo" prices!
We have to stand up for our rights - not just for a cup of genuine 'Milo' but fundamental liberties which are rightfully ours!
I am so saddened that every which way I turn, there are those who will not hesitate to make use of others for their own advancement/benefit or profit.
And is it any wonder that such developments have taken place? The cost of living is increasing and I dread to think of what might happen by early next year. The outlook seems to be bleaker and the only thing I am hanging on to is hope - that Malaysians will be wise enough to vote out the wrong people and vote in the right government.
It is clear that some quarters are playing hard ball and yet have the audacity to pretend that they are doing us good.
With education standards declining, cost of living spiralling and ethics/etiquette at stake, I really dread to think of the kind of society that may prevail if the current regime wins in the next general election. Clearly, there are those who have no qualms about robbing us in broad daylight in direct and indirect ways. And the rot has to stop.
People, please vote wisely. Take part in civil society activities and avail yourself in as many ways as possible. Give of your time, talent and resources to develop a better nation. Volunteer and make the effort to effect change.
We have to, if we love this country we call our own.
Some Asian countries such as Vietnam, China, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines monitor internet use and block critical international sites in a move to silence web dissidents. Political censorship is practised to keep political dissent in check. At the same time, other governments have similar controls moving towards tighter regulation.
In Malaysia, things 'seem' to be slightly more rosy. PM Najib recently vowed to abolish the Printing Presses and Publishing Act, and urged his administration to follow through with additional press freedom-related reforms. According to CPJ, "Najib vowed to dismantle two harsh security-related laws--the Internal Security Act and the Emergency Ordinance--and ease legal restrictions on civil liberties, including the right to assembly, international press reports said. He has also vowed to abolish the Printing Presses and Publications Act so that newspapers do not have to reapply annually for permission to publish. The Home Ministry previously had sole discretion over whether to renew newspapers' operating licenses, and its often arbitrary decisions could not be legally appealed."
One can see many comments in popular news portals giving criticisms and comments. Once the wave begins, the other side takes the cue and a heavy exchange of ammunition follows with one press statement after another on the same issue, each refuting what the other had said previously. A good example is the issue about LGE's son. While I sympathize with the boy and the CM, those responsible must be taken to task.
Of late, I have been silently observing political developments and conclude that the vocal dissent need not necessarily be a reflection of grass root sentiments. We have the meek, the vocal and the downright silent ones.
Not everyone is ballsy to voice their discontent. Even some ballsy ones do so without revealing their true identity. Some ballsy ones may be sharing comments because they are paid to do so.
Of course, the silent majority has a view as well. If you have even half a brain today, it is impossible to remain pro-status quo unless one is either selfish/irresponsible, or evil/immoral.
So how accurate is the scene in cyberspace?
Previously, PR had the lead in defining and influencing public opinion but like what I blogged before here, BN has overtaken them and with the help of expert consultants, seem (note I say 'seem' and not 'are') to be closing in on Pakatan Rakyat as they are slowly making their presence felt in cyber world with the help of highly paid (by all of us) expert consultants.
Instead of wasting time scolding the status quo via fiery comments, I propose a few steps for us to take that can effect more positive changes.
1. Campaign Silently
If each one of us can convince our family, relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbours to vote for the opposition, there can be concrete and far-reaching positive changes.
We can do this via coffee-shop discussions, forwarding emails, inviting them to forums/talks etc and by engaging them in the most effective way possible.
Other suggestions have been listed in my post called GE 13- Real Tips.
2. Concrete Suggestions
Instead of always hammering politicians for what they do or did not do, we should come up with a list of our grouses and provide possible solutions/suggestions as to how these can be resolved.
3. Volunteer
Volunteer to be a Polling Agent, Counting Agent or a Booth Agent (“PACABA”) for whichever party that you choose to support.
4. Do not be an armchair critic
It is easy to hide behind the laptop screen and rant without doing anything much beyond virtual reality. As such, you can be part of the change by writing to your ADUN, MP or actively participating in as many events as possible.
Take a constructive stand.
Most importantly, do not say too much in cyberspace! Let them cringe in suspense as to how the rakyat really feel!
The other side has all the ammunition ready - strategies, media campaigns and are closely monitoring public opinion/activities. Read more about it in RPK's post on The 3R Program and The 3R Program: Plan B.
At this point, I don't think we should say much beyond what is necessary. Silence can be a very effective tool.
They will be confounded and confused as to what we are thinking. By throwing a spanner in the works via our 'silence', there can be little or no opportunity to attack the Opposition. They would be at a loss as to what schemes they can concoct or ploys to outwit the Opposition.
With our silence, there can be no reaction to their manufactured fear. For instance, during the Bersih 2.0 rally, heavy debate ensued about how the permit was not given etc etc. All should have kept quiet and then turned up in FULL FORCE on that day.
It is the same with the hudud issue and the Himpun rally. Let's state the bare minimum and concentrate on the positives, on what is important and then keep them in suspense as to what is our next move.
The most important move is to get as many voters to vote for the Opposition as possible.
Silence - let's use this tool to confound them! No more fodder for them!!!
Click here to listen to Simon and Garfunkel's original version of "The Sound of Silence".
