KK Mart vs. 7E
(Photo taken in Brickfields)
Quick & Easy to Copy! I bet that's their tagline!
(Photo taken in Chow Kit)
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;;So, now SPM students can enter public universities...
8 mad rant(s) » Add your own! RANDTed: Henry Yew at 12:00:00 PMBack then, SPM students with excellent results were allowed to bypass the STPM system to pursue tertiary studies straightaway after they obtain their SPM results. Later on, the Ministry of (Higher) Education issued a statement saying that SPM students are not eligible to apply for public universities and must sit for the STPM examination for the Pre-University level. And now, according to this article from The Star, the ministry once again permits students who have sat for the SPM examination this year to apply for places in public universities for the 2008/2009 session.
Little did they know that people who can do well in examinations may not have high IQ and that people with high IQ may not be able to do well in examinations.
To me, this seems to imply one thing, that the standard of the SPM examinations I sat for in 2005 was supposedly lower than that for this year. Therefore, because we are not well armed with the knowledge required before going to universities, we have to either sit for the A Levels examination (if you plan on going to private universities), the Matriculation, Foundation studies, AusMAT, Canadian Pre-U, or the infamous Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia.
However, looks like that wouldn't be necessary anymore for SPM students now. Starting November this year, students who have sat for the SPM examinations can now apply for university entry. Although they did not state specifically whether these students would be first taken into the university to do any foundation studies or just absorbed immediately as undergraduates, as far as I am concerned, there are no universities that are offering foundation studies yet. If there are, I wonder why didn't the ministry tell us so, instead of us having to do STPM examinations. Logical, isn't it? Correct me if I am wrong.
Most of us have already gone through the SPM process, and upon doing our Pre-University studies, we would have found how much lacking our knowledge is so much so that we know the reason why we were not allowed to directly apply into universities as undergraduates. The issue now is: Since we know that the SPM syllabus is simply insufficient for students to directly apply for undergraduate studies in public universities, based on what grounds does the ministry now permit SPM students this year to apply for public universities purely based on their SPM results?
Are they going to, once again, say that selection of students from the SPM level into universities will be based on the results they obtain, and that only the creme de la creme would be chosen. It certainly shortens time a lot for students, having to skip the two years in STPM, but this is like a repetition of the PTS case. Back in those days when PTS examinations were still around, we saw some of our friends skipping Standard 4 into Standard 5 because they supposedly have higher IQ compared to us, and therefore could cope even without having to go through Standard 4.
That's true to some extent. Little did they know that people who can do well in examinations may not have high IQ and that people with high IQ may not be able to do well in examinations. Perhaps they had not heard of savants back then. Hey, no offense to those who have succeeded in the PTS examination, but my point is just that a great number of those who skipped Standard 4 have also flopped in their examinations later on. Many who were regarded as potential genius in Standard 3 could not secure a straight A1 streak in their SPM examinations. Nevertheless, I must also add that getting straight A1's in the SPM examinations does not even necessarily reflect our intelligence nowadays.
So, now we have a similar situation where students who could score excellent results in the SPM examination would stand a chance to further their studies immediately in public universities. It saves money for parents to bring their children to pursue their tertiary education as public universities are far cheaper, and it saves time because they would not need to undergo STPM studies.
However, is that a good move? Many students who have gone through Matriculation and STPM studies eventually flop while pursuing tertiary education, too. Is it not too big a risk for SPM students to pursue undergraduate studies immediately? If they want to pursue any course in biology (medicine, genetics, biochemistry), what would they know about taxonomy (from kingdom to species), detailed anatomy and so on? If they want to pursue any course in physics (engineering, automotive), what would they know about statics, mechanics, kinematics, etc.? If they want to pursue any course in information technology (computer science, business), what do they know about programming, network analysis, problem solving, etc.? If they want to deal with language, what do they know about didactics, semantics, etc.? Virtually nothing.
Being Malaysians in a competitive era, we seem to favour short-cuts. We want to be over with studying. We want to venture into the working world as soon as possible. We want to start earning our first big bucks. STPM examinations seem to be for losers only. It is that kind of mentality that sometimes poison and eventually kill our minds, giving us the unnecessary distress that we could have avoided simply by being more patient.
Have I regretted doing my Foundation studies in UTP? Certainly not. I was offered the ASEAN Pre-U Scholarship too but I rejected it, knowing somehow that I would get the better offer from Petronas. But if Petronas had not offered me the sponsorship and I had rejected the ASEAN Scholarship offer from Singapore; and also assuming that I had applied for other scholarships but failed to secure one, would I go for STPM? Yes, and without any resentment. I wouldn't even consider doing A Level studies on my own. That's flat.
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;;Silent figures in the night This post is dedicated to thieves around the world. May you be forever cursed by a thousand misfortunes for every item that isn't yours.
Walk in shadows, out of sight;
You can't see us but we're there,
Watching you from everywhere.
We crawl on ceilings and on walls
While always seeking empty halls,
Seeking, tracking, looking out;
Treasure's always somewhere about.
We'll always find a trace or two
And get to doing what we always do:
Taking time to find your place
To profit from your graceless haste.
And voila! here is your door,
Behind which lies what we're looking for;
A trinket, perhaps? Something new!
Of some things one can't have too few.
A lock in place? Oh dear, oh dear.
But from it we have naught to fear:
A swish, a crick, a gentle tug,
Oh this lock's less trouble than a small bug!
The gateway yields, oh what a shame!
There is no lock that'll keep us lame-
So, in we come while you're away;
The 'mice' are here to sing and play!
Wallets, watches, coins and bills,
Dollars, cents - oh, the thrill!
Laptops, iPods, books and mags,
Even your own stash of fags!
When you get back, you'll feel bereft
'Cos everything's gone and nothing's left;
We cleaned up well without a broom:
It's just as if we owned your room!
You'll never find us how much you try
Not even when you break down and cry;
We have no soul nor sympathy,
Only greed and lust and apathy.
Silent figures in the night
Walk in shadows, out of sight;
Our itchy hands will take away
Your favorite stuff and ruin your day!
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;;Ladies and gentlemen, if you are a non-Muslim, do you have anything against the dome and the crescent moon found on mosques? If you are a non-Christian, do you have anything against the cross? If you are a non-Buddhist, do you have anything against the pagoda? If you are a non-Hindu, do you have anything against the statues, each representing every deity available in the Hindu religion?
We need to look back at why we need MPs for. Are they there in Parliament to discuss such irrelevant and sensitive issues? Have the MPs no sense for moderation of speech? While they are in need of wisdom, where has it gone?
If you answer yes to any of the questions above, then you do not belong to this country. Obviously, this country is not suitable for you, because you cannot even respect the traditions, culture and the theology of the various religions in the world. Also, you would believe that your own religion is the only correct religion in the world. People who think like this are the ones who will bring about social turmoil and unrest.
So, what has all this got to do with our Members of Parliament (MP)? Well, personally, I have nothing against them. It's just that sometimes it is indeed appalling to see how some of our representatives could not suppress their tongues from making foolish, baseless statements. It makes you think, "Have we chosen a wrong MP?"
On the 29th of October 2007, the Dewan Rakyat had its usual parliamentary meeting which started around 10.00 or 11.00 a.m. and ended at about half past eight at night. I managed to get a copy of the hansard which can be downloaded from www.parlimen.gov.my. I read most of the content (it was 147 pages long) and this one particular page got me interested. The following picture is a facsimile of one of the pages of the hansard:
Referring to the extract of the hansard above, you will see that there is this MP for Parit Sulong making an interesting statement. For those who do not know Malay, I shall tell you the gist of the extract. The MP for Parit Sulong made the following claims or allegations:
- Missionary schools such as Convent, La Salle and Methodist schools have Board of Governors that are partially administered by the Vatican City.
- The permission of the Board of Governors, in which part of it is controlled by the church, must be obtained first before a surau is permitted to be built within the premise of the school.
- Muslim parents who send their children to missionary schools complain because school sessions begin with the singing of church hymns (or church songs).
- Religious symbols are seen within the compound of the school and the MP for Parit Sulong feels disappointed to see the statue of the Virgin Mary right in front of the school should he be visiting, say, a Convent school.
The MP for Parit Sulong was then interrupted by the MP for Sri Gading, who stood up and said that a father informed the former that such missionary schools did not close during Hari Raya Aidilfitri. He then sat down, in which the MP for Parit Sulong continued to make the following statements:
- Not only are statues seen within the premise of the school, but crosses are often found as well. What the MP for Parit Sulong could not comprehend was whether the Education Ministry officials failed to see them or is it that allowing such statues or crosses displayed is within the base of the Constitution.
- Seeing it as his responsibility to himself, his religion, his race as well as his country, he proposed that the statues be demolished, the crosses destroyed and the church influence be stopped.
So much for his "factual" speech. Let me now correct all the above statements that the MP for Parit Sulong made and state them as facts:
- The missionary schools do have a Board of Governors, but they are NEVER governed by the Vatican City. Why would the Vatican City be interested with schools that are built here in Malaysia? Would it bring any economic growth to the Vatican City? For all you know, it will be a headache to them. So why, would they bother?
- No missionary school is unequipped with the surau. Permission to build a surau need not be obtained from the Board of Governors. It is just that perhaps relocating the surau from one section of the school to another section may not be approved so easily due to the lack of floor space available in the school. Face the fact, not all schools have plenty of space to waste. No school in Malaysia has a prayer room for non-Muslims AND non-Christians. So if you have one within the school premise, be contented about it and shut up (unless there are other reasons that would expedite immediate relocating of the prayer room). If you don't, then request for one.
- Never in my eleven years of study life in St. Michael's Institution (a La Sallian school) had I sung any church hymns or church songs. Complaints stating that church hymns are sung are simply a complete farce. If the singing of hymns did take place, why is it that the mass media never covered such stories, and that the Education Ministry never reported such cases? Also, why is it that other missionary schools never receive any directives regarding that matter? We would have been informed about it, would we not? By the way, while having our weekly prayers during assembly, we have a Muslim prayer followed by a non-Muslim prayer. See for yourselves how such schools actually respect and care for every religion and culture. The least you could do is show some respect to these schools and not just blurt out any baseless arguments in the Parliament.
- Not all symbols or statues are religious ones. The Paterfamilias statue standing at the foyer of St. Michael's Institution is not for a religious purpose. It represents a teacher imparting knowledge to a student. It also represents the commitment and the dedication that academicians in SMI would portray. Even if some of the structures, such as the cross, are religious symbols, does it kill you to look at them even if you are not a Christian? Also, why is it that you cannot enjoy and appreciate the diversity of culture and tradition that we have in architecture? Such structures are rare and some of them have even been sanctioned by the state governments as valuable historical sites. What the MP for Parit Sulong proposed was to eliminate such history! This is atrocity at its worst!
- The Education Ministry has nothing against the cross and the statues displayed in the compound of missionary schools. They have the wisdom in knowing that such tradition and display is rare and bear a meaningful beginning or legacy of the school. Thus, they should be left alone. If the Education Ministry does not even have anything against those structures, why should the MP for Parit Sulong even bother in the first place?
- His proposing to have the statues demolished and crosses destroyed is outrageous. Assume that a school is built with all the Islamic features available in a non-Islamic country. Now, here is then an MP who proposes that the dome be removed and replaced by a flat roof and the crescent moon be replaced by the symbol of a lion. I wonder how will the MP for Parit Sulong feel? If he is angered, what about the Christians who have now heard of his proposal to have the crosses and statues removed?
Ladies and gentlemen, did you know that many of our politicians, royalty and great personalities hailed from such missionary schools? I will name some: YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia), His Highness Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah (the Raja Muda of Perak), YAB Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik (Minister for Energy, Water and Communications), YAB Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye (former MP), Mr. Koo Kien Keat (Badminton champion), Mr. Ralph Marshall (CEO of Astro), Ahmad Farid Ridzuan (CEO of TV3) and many more! Why is it that the MP for Parit Sulong never bothered to inquire from the people available in the politicians sphere in which many came from missionary schools as well?
We need to look back at why we need MPs for. Are they there in Parliament to discuss such irrelevant and sensitive issues? Have the MPs no sense for moderation of speech? While they are in need of wisdom, where has it gone?
Members of Parliament have been chosen and elected by the people to represent them for various constituencies. They are there to see that our welfare and the economic needs are met. They are to report to the government whatever dissatisfaction that have occurred. The MPs are also responsible to help resolve certain dilemmas that are happening in their constituencies. We don't need MPs who can talk a lot of nonsense, we need MPs who can speak up for the people's rights and walk the talk!
The fact that they have been elected by the people as their representatives mean that the people put a certain amount of trust in them to lead them. However, from what we can see from the hansard, it's clearly a misuse of trust. We have elected MPs who go to the Parliament to invoke racial and religious sentiments and are so desensitised to the fact that people are hurt by such remarks. Do we need such people in the Dewan Rakyat? Clearly, ladies and gentlemen, we should vote them OFF from the Parliament. Why should we have such people wasting everybody's time with absurd, baseless, appalling remarks? It's time we get to see a show of maturity within the august House.
Our MPs really need to think first before they say anything in the august House. If they have nothing to say, it is far better that they just don't attempt to find a convenient (yet offensive) topic to speak about and just shut up. Nobody is going to penalise them for just keeping their tongue still. It is far better to keep quiet, rather than to let the tongue damage one's reputation. Better be led by wisdom rather than be led by the heart.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, my most important advice is THINK!
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;;When I read this piece of news I was stunned by the intolerant stance taken by Beijing. Apparently "security reasons" is the cause of this ban. To me this is absolutely unacceptable as it borders on the ridiculous and shows how extreme the officially God forsaken country is. Athletes are also prohibited from bearing any kind of religious symbol at Olympic facilities.
Well if Bibles are banned, are Korans banned too? Well I would think Muslim athletes will surely be denied their sacred book too. As far as I know devout Muslims will not accept such nonsense. This seems like an insult on Islam itself. To take it further are Muslim headscarves banned to? They certainly are a religious symbols and they will be banned unless Chinese are hypocrites.
Furthermore, what will happen to Jews and their skullcaps? How about the Sikhs and their turbans? Well it can go on forever but the whole message Beijing is giving that they are bigoted Mao Tse Tung butt kissers money worshipers. Good job Hu Jintao your men have insulted the whole wide world.
Of course this can only culminate in one thing - the mass boycott of the Beijing Olympics. To me this would surely make my day as I have already decided that the Chinese government has absolutely no ethics and is one hundred percent morally bankrupt. All because of oil and money China ganged up with Russia to support the rape of Darfur. Genocide takes place there because they block all international efforts to stop the Sudanese. Remember the Burmese who died in their struggle for freedom! China and the Asean especially despicable Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore gave the finger to the democracy movement.
May you burn evil China!
~multum in parvo~
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;;Buddhism and Islam: A Crisis Emerges
3 mad rant(s) » Add your own! RANDTed: stmaverick at 4:39:00 AM
From the BBC News website:
Attack on giant Pakistan Buddha
Suspected pro-Taleban militants have tried to blow up an ancient carving of Buddha in north-west Pakistan. The statue, thought to date from the second century BC, sustained only minimal damage in the attack near Manglore in remote Swat district. The area has seen a rise in attacks on "un-Islamic" targets in recent months. This is the first such attack in Pakistan and is reminiscent of the Taleban's 2001 destruction of the giant Buddhas at Bamiyan in Afghanistan.
[ Read article ]
The last time this happened was at Bamiyan, Afghanistan [ read article ], where the world's largest Buddhist statues were destroyed by the then-ruling Taliban regime for being "un-Islamic". Although the Taliban are now no longer in power, and on the run from US-NATO forces pursuing them in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan, already new extremists have stepped forward in Pakistan to continue their heinous crimes.
..the Bamiyan Buddhas survived for sixteen centuries in the remote fastness of the Afghan Hindu Kush. Neither the ravages of time, nor the conquering armies of Islam--not even the scourge of Genghis Khan--had laid them low.. - Andrew Forbes, CPAmedia.com
Supposedly following the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, an international organization was established to protect and conserve religious sites worldwide [ read article ]. Granted, their jurisdiction probably accounts for nothing in the tribal-controlled border regions of Pakistan. Still, this startling lack of action on their part (aside from the expected cries of outrage and condemnation) is worrisome, as it demonstrates the terrorists' capability to continue their activities unimpeded, despite the world's opposition and horror.
It is obvious enough that the terrorists possess an agenda against all those who are not Muslims. Even better, considering events in Iraq (and the Middle East in general), they're more than willing to wage war against Muslims as well who do not see their side of the coin. Isn't it any wonder Islamophobia is at its height, and the United States is taking an increasingly hardline stance against nations suspected of harboring Muslim terrorists?
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;;How did I get here? The pain so unexpected & undeserved & for some reason cleared away the cobwebs. I realized I didn't hate the cabinet door, I hated my life, my house, my family. My backyard, my power mower. Nothing would ever change, nothing new would ever be expected; it had to end, & it did. Now in the dark world where I dwell ugly things & surprising things, & sometimes little wondrous things spill out at me constantly, & I can count on nothing. - Robert Arctor, 'A Scanner Darkly'
Robert Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is the boyfriend of Donna Hawthorne, a Substance D dealer. Robert Arctor and his housemates, Barris (Robert Downey Jr.) and Luckman (Woody Harrelson), are all heavy drug users and spend much of their time having drug-induced conversations.
However, in secret, Arctor is an undercover operative for the Anaheim Police Department. Wearing a scramble suit that disguises his identity (even from the other police officers with whom he works), his task is to uproot the dealers of Substance D in the government's increasingly disturbing war against the dregs of society.
Codenamed "Fred", he is trying to get close to Donna to identify her supplier, but she's refusing his sexual advances, and Arctor's housemates are beginning to suspect the reality of the relationship.
Things begin take a turn for the worse when "Fred" is ordered by his superior, "Hank", to spy on Arctor because the police suspect Arctor is the key to busting a major drug operation. In the meantime, Arctor's housemates are becoming increasingly paranoid with the idea that the police are out to get them.
And so begins a strange cycle where the hunter is hunting himself, yet doesn't seem to realize the true nature of everything going on around him. The film centers a lot around the concept of paranoia and the effects of drug abuse, accentuated further by the fact that the entire film is rendered as an animated graphic novel. It seems like the whole world is being viewed through the eyes of an addict, and thus adds another layer of interest to the entire serving.
The ending might not be to many people's liking, but, without giving too much away, it also raises a few more interesting questions of ethics and 'doing the right thing for the greater good'. However, overall, I enjoyed the movie despite its overtly dark and depressing mood. Comic humor is provided by the inane conversations between Arctor and his housemates, as well as the idiosyncratic Freck, who's hallucinations are always a source of comedy.
Ultimately, if you're into twisting conspiracy theories or have a taste for intelligent fair like this, I'd definitely recommend this movie. Be prepared to not understand a lot of parts, though; as Arctor becomes lost in the convoluted world that becomes his reality, things might just be just as blur for you.
- saintmaverick -
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;;
Most people feel that we all deserve a pat on our back for helping Tee Hui Yi, our media's latest poster girl, to pull through the toughest time in her life. Congratulate us, 'cos we're all moral human beings who have now come forward, more aware of the plight of those awaiting organ donations, thanks to our brave little Hui Yi.
Think about it: isn't it just the coincidence that when a sweet little innocent girl enters hospital on the brink of death is saved by the good doctors at IJN (Institut Jantung Negara) - and they deserve kudos all around on their work - the number of organ donors who have pledged to a noble cause suddenly increases exponentially?
So unto you all I say this: hypocrites. That applies to the lot of you.
All this while we have been nothing more than chemicals; reactive more than proactive. We wait for something big and disastrous to happen before we start taking real steps to rectify matters. Need to be reminded how? Just remember two names: Canny Ong and Nurin Jazleen.
Oh, I'm sure before that there were a whole bunch of you trying to sound the alarm; need for greater awareness, more security, better lighting, etc. Good work to those of you who did bother to try, thanks for being socially aware (and I mean it). But still? No one bothered to listen, or even do anything. As a result, we have the media having a field day going about sensationalizing the rape and murder of two innocent souls.
Then we have the traditional response from the government: pledges to improve the situation, calls for the guilty to be apprehended and punished for their heinous crimes, and chills down the collective spines of the public as the gruesome and horrific details begin to emerge.
And don't tell me it's what the government's supposed to do. Where was all this fiery talk and promises before the even happened? And let's not even talk about the other issues: tired bus drivers, tilting lamp posts, little potholes, to name a few.
The government holds the responsibility of ensuring the safety of people within this country. We may not be going to war anytime soon, and perhaps we're not as likely to be bombed to kingdom come by idiot religious extremists, but the longer this attitude keeps up, the more people are going to suffer and/or die. Does it then count as sacrificing oneself for a noble cause, if that's the only way the government is provoked into responding promptly to any pressing issue?
- saintmaverick -
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;;
I suppose this post has been a long time coming. It's like a letter you wrote one hot dusty afternoon, only to stop at the postbox, then dump it into the trash can beside it. Somehow, no matter how long you think about what to say and how to say it, the words never come out right. But they say if flowers waited till everything was just perfect before they blossomed after the long winter, then we'd never see spring at all.
It's been a long time since we started RANDTS. A lot of things have happened since then. We've seen members come and go as well as visitors drop by and leave. We've even had controversy drop by once in awhile for the occasional cup of tea. And still we weathered it all.
By this time, you might be wondering, "What's this guy comin' back all of a sudden? It's not like he cares about the blog anyways..."
That's true. If I'd cared I'd have been posting frequently. Trying to fan the flame even as our heads were repeatedly dunked into buckets of cold water. I'd have been there in RANDTS' darkest hour trying alongside you guys to keep the passion going, keep the momentum up.
But the hard fact is I didn't, did I?
It's like waking up from a bad dream only to see the mask of a killer you thought you'd never see again. The glint of the jagged blade in the darkness, your scarlet blood upon the sheets and the knife. You clutch your belly to find your guts were ripped out while you were in the nightmare. As your life force ebbs away and you fade painfully into oblivion, the killer - mockingly, haughtily, dishearteningly - removes his mask. Then you realize all this while you've been afraid of your own reflection in the mirror. Was I the person who stabbed myself in the back, unknowingly?
What prompted me to write this post? Perhaps the amount of resentment, sadness - disappointment? - that is now plain for all to see on the blog. Even the message on the bulletin board below the ever-changing banner seems like a mockery of the shadow RANDTS has become. But no, that still wasn't what hurt me the most.
It was a friend that I know. Or knew, depending on who you asked. A close friend. A good friend. Many months ago he inspired me, and many others, with a heart-warming tale of triumph in adversity of the worst kind. He shared with us a cheerful optimism that many others in his situation would be hard-pressed to display. He reminded us of the brittle fragility of life, and how each moment we take a breath is a moment to be savored as if it was our last. He told us the tough get going when the going gets tough. He shared with us the power of faith and love and family, and how these continue to be his pillars in life, providing him with the strength to pull through a life most others wouldn't consider worth living.
I saw him as a God, a hero, a true man among men. He inspired me, as he has undoubtedly inspired many others. I was touched by his sheer willpower and spirit, and looked to him as a guiding light when the world is descending into darkness.
It was only recently that I saw my hero give up hope. Not because he was at death's doorstep. Not because he suffered the loss of a family member. But because I failed to commit to the vision that I and two others had created. He gave up because I did too.
How else do you convey emotions in an email? Electrons cannot show you shed tears or distant laughter. Electrons moving at lightspeed don't know the meaning of a smile in a group photo, or the hidden jokes associated with the size of the blade you hold. Electrons shooting around the world and back can only do so much to send a message, but it is memories that do the rest of the work.
Mea culpa.
For awhile I held hands and rubbed shoulders with some of the most vibrant and unique people in the world. For awhile we traded inane stories, sexy pictures, lengthy essays, fiery rants, perfect pictures, informative articles, and so many more things. For awhile I was proud to call myself a RANDTSter...
...and honestly? I still am.
Perhaps it is time we gave this blog a little peace and quiet while we start looking in ourselves and seriously ask what it is we really want out of RANDTS.
Now, I think I know what I want. Maybe not a 100%, but even an inkling's good enough. I seriously have no idea what kind of response I can expect to this post. Regardless, the burden is mine to bear. It was my fault, and for that I apologize. I'm sorry I left in your hour of need. I'm sorry I shirked my responsibilities as founding father of RANDTS. I'm sorry I ignored the blog for so long.
But most of all, to all of you here who've been here with RANDTS and I from the start - especially Albert and Jaspreet - I'm sorry for hurting you, and for that I seek your forgiveness .
Lastly, I have this to say: call me idealistic, but even after the coldest darkest winter, flowers still break through the frost and blossom into majestic beauty, heralding the beginning of spring. I'm here hoping winter ends soon... and that spring will come with the dawn of the new sun. I'm ready to rebuild the ruins of RANDTS and start anew. After all, that's what spring is about, isn't it - nature getting a brand new start?
Thank you one and all.
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;;
From The Star newspaper:
Sex romps when parents are awayA worrisome trend, no doubt?
Five schoolgirls and several boys held no-holds-barred sex romps when their parents were not at home, Harian Metro reported.
The girls, aged 13 to 17, allegedly gave their bodies willingly to the boys, who grouped under the names “Geng Apache,” “Pangkah Shell” and “Budak Shell,” the tabloid said.
The boys favoured these girls from three schools in Putrajaya over others because [saintmaverick: this is the "best" part] they are said to be promiscuous and need not be “forced” into having sex.
Sources told the paper that the girls were so daring that they carried out their exploits at either their or the boys' homes after school and when the parents were not at home.
However, their illicit activities were exposed after 25 schoolboys were caught smoking and sniffing glue in two houses at Precincts 9 and 11, Putrajaya.
Several of the boys confessed that they had had sex with the girls over the past few months without any of their families knowing about it.
Sources said no action had so far been taken against either the boys or the girls, because no police report has been made.
What is it that drives youths to be so - "daring", as it were, to offer their bodies to others for mere physical fulfillment?
Now, lest you mistake me as playing the role of the Supreme Moral Guardian of Humankind, I'm only inclined to wonder what turned our youth into sex-crazed (not that loving sex is wrong, mind you, but you can only take it so far) carnivores? Is it the media (there we go blaming them again)? More open societal attitudes towards a previously taboo issue? Let's hear about what you think.
P.S. - This should deal a blow to gender stereotypes that boys are more sexually aggressive and dominant than girls. Hurrah, gender equality! *sticks tongue out*
-saintmaverick-
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;;
This is a video by Japanese rock/metal band Dir En Grey. Watch it and you will never have the heart to abort babies. At least I did. The lyrics are written from the perspective of the aborted baby:
"Mazohyst of Decadence"
Child that will be born of adults with no sense of guilt fallen
I who have no name, why am I here I don't even understand, but
I don't know that I only have a few months to live...
I want to love, I want to be born inside this mother's body, staring
since the time I waited for conciousness two months on I sensed something fast
yet I could do nothing that cord of ours will be...
I, incomplete, my body pierced through with hooked pain
mother's screaming voice, ringing in my ears, will not cease white coated adults scooped me up
in eyes overflowing with coldheartedness bloody, without a right hand, I am reflected
just as I was, in black vinyl I am wrapped, engulfed
while my conciousness is gradually fading, I consider quietly
if I, caged, am loved as I am, that is good it cannot be forgiven
it's better that I, unloveable, die as I am
in quiet I shall sleep without giving my first cry
just once, I want to feel a mother's love
maybe this is love thank you
a door that never opens was closing tight
but I am surely your future, and so...
la la la...
my body burned, consumed until my bones become nothing burned, destroyed
goodbye
.....and 'Mazohyst' is a made-up word. I've always felt that abortion should only be allowed if the pregnancy was caused by rape. If it were by casual sex, it's like,"Hello you blardy knew what having sex entails right?" even if it was protected sex. What do you think?
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The Iraq War started in 2003.According to many sources the Iraq war has caused a sevenfold increase in terrorism. Yes, a sevenfold increase! To make matters worse they were no terrorist Iraq in the first place before the war. Using the false pretenses of supposed weapons of mass destruction under the preemptive strike doctrine brought about to destroy terrorist they (America and gang) invaded Iraq. The deposed and executed Saddam Hussien but left utter chaos behind. Civil wars are raging in Iraq. Terrorists now call Iraq the University of Terrorism (they attended terrorism school in Afghanistan). Baghdad is now the murder capital in the world. Even the humanitarian situation is worse than before the war. I call it total mission failure!
One war and America (Bush Administration) has lost its right to lead the world against terrorism (until they redeem themselves). To make matters even more dire the terrorist are back in Afghanistan ready to bounce back. These terrorist are now attacking the NATO forces there. They even control some parts of Afghanistan. You can blame opium or anything else but if America sent only troops to Afghanistan no such nonsense would have occurred.
To hell with Bush for he imperiled us all by emboldening terrorists! The world owes nothing to America but they owe us a blood debt that can never be paid.
P.S: This post is another reason why I hate politicians so much.
~multum in parvo~
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;;A girl kills herself over fake spoilers on latest Harry Potter book.
8 mad rant(s) » Add your own! RANDTed: Tasha Green at 10:07:00 PMgot this from a blog by a guy named martin. anyway, i dont know if the story is true or not, but its interesting. just as the title suggests...
A girl kills herself over fake spoilers on Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. The news report said that the girl and her mother had downloaded from a website what they believed to be the legitimate copy of “Harry potter and the deathly hallows”
It was actually a fake book in which Harry potter and his friends meet a gruesome end.
The girl’s mother said that her daughter was very “crushed” by the news and locked herself in her room. When the girl’s mother came up to call her for dinner she found that her daughter had hanged herself in her closet using rolled up bedsheets and a nightgown.
The news reporter interviewing the mother then said that the girls room was filled with all sorts of Harry Potter toys, models, posters, dolls and the six books.
quite tragic no? ahh... the bad side of being addicted to Harry Potter. i guess, this must mean that J.K Rowling is a superb writer. she's able to make people addicted to the story and made it feel real. hmmm...
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;;I read a reader’s opinion in The Star today with much interest. In it, Bobby Chan (the reader) opined that Petronas should be sponsoring a Malaysian racing prodigy by the name of Jazeman Jaafar. According to that reader, Petronas should be sponsoring Jazeman’s team instead of sponsoring some other mid-card team.
Good argument?
Allow me to put this in perspective and take Formula One as an example. If you were a driver with great ambitions and I gave you a choice between McLaren and BMW Sauber, which would you choose?
Would you pick McLaren (for their race-winning potential) or would you pick BMW Sauber (just because Petronas sponsors it?).
Fact: Jazeman has a lot of potential
Fact: He got his FIA C License earlier than Lewis Hamilton
Fact: He's already sponsored by the TM Group, YTL Corp and PLUS, to name a few. All his current sponsors are big companies, I assure you.
Why, then, does the reader feel that there is a need for Petronas to sponsor the 14-year old?
Or is he suggesting we shower Jazeman with money and spoil the guy even before he makes it to the big stage (like we have done to a majority of our our starlets)???
I sincerely hope the reader didn't bother to check on his facts before writing in...
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Who decided your future? You? Or did you take up something that satisfied your parents' wishes?
Be careful of whom you aim to please with your actions. As Eries said,
In the end, I do not know if I’m happy because I truly am or I am trying to make people happy. Is making people happy, making oneself happy?
As much as your parents want you to succeed, make sure you yourself have an interest in what you will be studying. You do not follow a future others dictate - not even your parents - simply because they prefer you take it.
Take the time to go in-depth into what you plan to do later on in life. Study places to further your studies in your chosen field, find out what your course will be about, look up possible career opportunities. The Star newspaper offers occasional supplements about institutes of higher education in and out of the country.
Most importantly, don't go about making uninformed decisions, i.e. choose to be a singer merely because you want to be rich and famous like all of them on TV. If you can convince your parents that you truly have a passion for it, that you know your stuff and the possible risks, they will be more than happy to let you go for it.
~verus rara avis~
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;;»Those communist greedy pig Chinese on top will add this as part of their unforgivable evils when they join Mao, Hitler and Stalin in the deepest reaches of hell.
Down with the Chinese who obliterate Mother Nature's creatures in the name of medicine, gluttony and avarice. The consumption of shark's fin soup will soon wipe all fish. Wild tigers will also go extinct because of my race and the money grubbing poachers they support. SARS wrought death and suffering on us all because some wretched fools in China must eat civet cats. Pollution is slowly annihilating life in all rivers of China. Woe to all who rape the Earth like lust filled maniacs.
Shark's fin soup is a must for Chinese. A course dinner is not complete without shark's fin soup. What narrow minded reckless humans we are! Sharks which are endangered are just harvested like that without any foresight. Why pity sharks when they are dangerous human killers? Well anyone who says they are dangerous human killers are extremely shallow indeed. With less than ten people killed a year they are hardly dangerous. Believe in Jaws-like movies is truly moronic. Sharks don't deserved to be wiped out. If they are to be wiped out why don't we kill all politicians using tribal headhunting methods thousands as they are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths a year. First let us sink all ships and boats (and perhaps spear fishers) that catch sharks!
With about a billion potential shark fin consumers they will go extinct. As cornerstone species their demise will wrought the demise of all fish (trust me I have details which I won't write hear). Want to be responsible for the demise of the oceans themselves? I'm quite ashamed that my race may bring so much destruction. Many won't care which includes my father but at least I don't consume shark's fin soup. I'm no hypocrite unlike some people!
Tigers are another sad situation. China wants to legalise the trade of tiger parts. Those communist greedy pig Chinese on top will add this as part of their unforgivable evils when they join Mao, Hitler and Stalin in the deepest reaches of hell. To all nut jobs who consume tigers parts (mostly Chinese) you people are also guilty as hell unless you are sorry for what you have done. Those who willingly contribute to the extinction of any creature is just evil, evil and evil. I remember some boy who has my disease who was given tiger bone soup by his mother. This is shameful. Poachers also must be gunned down to just like how they hunt tigers.
Tigers will soon be gone anyway some people may point out. At least I'm not responsible unlike many shameless Chinese compatriots. Our grandchildren may not see tigers in real life ever again no thanks to some of the useless Chinese.
SARS was another problem because of the stupid Chinese "maxim" that everything with four legs except the table and chairs must be eaten. Civet cats spread SARS to humans because the poor civets were sold in markets to eaten. People were just way too smart I guess. Chinese once again are the fools involved as some itchy Chinese morons wanted to eat something other than a domesticated animal. Anyway, did you know that Chinese civets are endangered. SARS was the revenge of the civets! Wait till the sharks and tiger take bittersweet revenge!
Chinese of course cause more problems than that. With so many Chinese I'm afraid they may become the the master rapists of the Earth who destroy more than America. If that happens I'll disown myself.
~multum in parvo~
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;;Of Leaks, Ceilings, Sewage and Chauvinism
2 mad rant(s) » Add your own! RANDTed: Albert at 7:40:00 PMbasement storeroom is now full of
s***sewage
In the UK, Parliament is basically the House of Commons. Here in Malaysia it's now infamously known as the House of Leaks. Our nation is also the home of a really disgraceful court complex. To make matters worst there is the chauvinist mosquito and the sexist one-eyed jack making a crude and vulgar joke about a opposition woman MP which insults all women and shows that they don't respect their own mothers. What has happened to my country!?
Several years ago the government spent RM 90 million to renovate the Parliament. Down the road the symbol of Malaysia is leaking in multiple places as written in this article. It's obvious somebody did something fishy, it smells of corruption. To make matters worse we then have two chauvinist monkeys denying the leaks while making a broadside vulgar insult at women just to attack the opposition. It becomes even more disgraceful with the deafening silence of Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, the asinine apologetic ministers and politicians. At the end of the fiasco all we get is a "fake" apology. At least now the government as admitting that there are leaks. Why does a leaking Parliament have to symbolise the moral bankruptcy of some of the people's representative!?
The new court complex in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur is another shame of Malaysia. First we had a crumbling roof which begs for awe and anger. Why did the contractors make an unsafe building? After that, the cafeteria ceiling had to "rain" because of a piping problem in the complex's cafeteria with press present. The incident reached a sickening low when a guard trying cover up the incident by trying to rough up reporters and shouting obscene words. That insult to guards even challenged the photographers to a fight. It's a shame that the judiciary is being undermined by obvious a shoddy building. Is corruption present here too? You guys can answer that question.
For the finale, the court complex's basement storeroom is now full of
Fusion16 wrote: "Our Prime Minister, while delivering his speech from his ultra-modern office located at Putrajaya, cowers in fear, wondering whether the poorly maintained roof will fall down on him". Soon the catchphrase won't be "first class facilities, third class mentality" but it will be "first class facilities as a facade, third class facilities in reality, third class mentality" if all these shambolic incidents keep repeating.
~multum in parvo~
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;;Islamic (syariah) courts cannot and should have jurisdiction over non-Muslims. This is against the democratic principle of the rule of law i.e, laws cannot cause injustice and unfairness. Religious values e.g, Islamic values cannot be applied to non-Muslims as this is contrary to justice and fairness. In Malaysia the Federal Constitution guarantees that only Muslims are under the Syariah Courts.
Recently we had many cases that highlighted the ongoing "tug-o-war" between the the civil courts and Syariah court. These include the cases of Shamala, Lina Joy, Nyonya Tahir, M. Moorthy, Rayappan Anthony, Subashini, P. Marimuthu, and perhaps the latest, Magendran Sababathy. One can argue that these cases are causing ethno-religious harmony to be slowly eroded. Dr Wan Azhar Wan Hamad of the Centre for Syariah, Law and Political Science, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) today has come into the fray with a suggestion that syariah courts have some jurisdiction over non-Muslims in order calm the "tug-o-war" in this article.
Forget about Wan's justification of doing this for if what he suggests comes to pass we are all finished. It will a start of a slippery slope of religious intolerance descending into outright religious persecution. First Syariah courts will start giving biased decisions which are unfair to non-Muslims. Then they will police your morals e.g., moral police will roam the streets checking for "immodest" attire like in UiTM's INTEC; touching your lover will get you slapped with a fine; spending time alone with the member of the opposite sex will land you in jail. Finally everyone may be forced to convert to Islam. Making Islamic values and rules apply to non-Muslim is outright bigotry. Religious values are of a personal nature, if I'm not a Muslim I won't have Islamic values, as simple as that. The state has no right to interfere at all unless we live in a dark place ruled by a Saudi like government.
Azhar is definitely irrational at best and a religious bigot at worst because what he suggests is outright injustice, a certain kind of religious jingoism. We all must denounce his suggestion as it will imperil our very human rights. We must have freedom of religion and expression, the state must not interfere. We live in secular democracy not a dark dictatorial theocracy e.g., Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Another bone of contention is that only Muslims are allowed to discuss the "tug-o-war" without fear as implied by the article and recent events. Remember that the Article 11 group discussion was canceled due to the threat of violence and police apathy (and perhaps some Islamic bigot(s) in the upper echelons of power). Just this week the international Muslim-Christian dialogue – the Building Bridges seminar – organized by the London office of the Archbishop of Canterbury has been canceled according British sources and postponed according to local sources. A question keeps ringing in my head, why can't we have a say about something that affects us?
Let's us hope that one day we embrace all the values of democracy, tolerance, competitiveness and equality otherwise we may go to the dogs like Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
~multum in parvo~
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;;threeplyn (09/05/2007 1:34:09 PM): MAKLUMAT TERBARU !!!!!!!!! SEKARANG NIE KRISTIAN SEDANG AKTIF DI SBN..19 ORANG PADERI MELAYU YANG BARU TIBA DARI SINGAPURA BERADA DI SINI SEKARANG.MEREKA MENGGUNAKAN SIHIR.BERHATI-HATI DENGAN JENAMA (AIR MINERAL) :- 1. ALBARAKAH 2. AL-MANSOR 3. AL-BISTARI P/SAMA ADA DIPEROLEHI SECARA PERCUMA @DIBELI.. SEMUA AIR-AIR INI TELAH DICAMPUR DENGAN “HOLY WATER” TOLONG SEBARKAN MESSAGE INI KEPADA SEMUA UMAT ISLAM /SAHABAT/SAHABIAH &DLL. SESUNGGUHNYA KITA TAK TERMAMPU MEMEGANG SENJATA UNTUK MENEGAKKAN AGAMA (ISLAM),AKAN TAPI KITA BOLEH LAKUKAN DENGAN SEND MESSAGE NIE... SEMOGA JASA BAIK INI DIRAHMATI ALLAH INSYALLAH(xkan Islam hilang didunia! Allahuakbar!)
The above message was sent to me as an offline message through Yahoo! Messenger. Threeplyn was my schoolmate in primary school but I have now marked her as a spammer. Is the message bigoted?
Certainly the message above is extremely ridiculous. No priest with a quasi-functional brain can hope of converting people to Christianity using mere holy water. Tricking people into drinking holy water in order to make them convert is trickery at best and some far off fantasy inspired mumbo-jumbo at worst. Christian teaching definitely condemns fraud.
Then we have magic coming into the fray. Just like all Abrahamic religions such as Islam and Judaism, in Christian teaching magic is Satanic. Christian priest don't perform magic, I repeat, priests don't use magic. Someone must be playing too much Warcraft because in Azeroth priests perform wondrous magic that is mystical.
Anyway, I won't buy bottled water with a weird quasi-religious sounding name. Making money out of religion (simony) is just wrong for me. Who knows that drain water was used to fill the bottles to cut costs. Even free bottles of such water will be thrown away by the Comrade. Anyone wants to buy Al-Bistari water? I'll bet you'll become a moron after drinking the water.
Seriously if Muslims really want to defend their religion they should condemn terrorism and bigotry just like this former classmate of mine known as metal_mike. Islamophobia needs to rolled back in the world today.
~multum in parvo~
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;;What are we compared to Singaporeans? We might say they are very kiasu in every aspect of their lives; they are too disciplined for their own good; some Malaysians hate their strict law enforcement down there. So are we better than them?
Take a look at ourselves for an instant, we have quite a number of faults.
- Malaysian are true devils on the road, just look at those imbeciles who weave through the highway like there is no tomorrow. Have you seen motorcyclists who wish for a horrible death? Anyone here who are speed demons like many Malaysians.
- Mismanagement is already seeping into some institutions and companies, for example there is this college in Kuala Lumpur which fails to pay part time lecturers and goes on to scapegoat one of them. We even have contractors chosen by the government who do shoddy work. Did a roof give way on top of a judge?
- "Tidak apa" attitude is already part of our culture. Most hawkers show utter contempt to the cleanliness of drains while people support such behaviour by patronising those hawkers. When someone screams for help we have idiots who stare. Even the Comrade always gets stared at when he goes out just because I can't walk.
- We youth totally fail at reading books. I can assert that most students never touch any books except their academic books. To make matters worse bookshops such as MPH are mosquitoes out to suck the blood of customers. We people also must ask our government where are our libraries? Many newspapers have also published countless articles on our book problem.
- Everyone knows that we are a corrupted nation, just look at the newspapers for stories that smell of corrupt that come out pretty often. If you dive into political blogs you may even end up shuddering in disbelief at the level of graft in Malaysia. Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) shows that we are sinking deeper into corruption each year. Everybody also knows piracy will never be wiped out so long the underworld bribes the enforcement officers.
Need more of the ugly side of us. Yet again we have to be called people with third class mentalities with first class facilities. What a shame!
Singapore is so much better than us. Drivers there are angels albeit some still turn into devils on Malaysian roads. Mismanagement is almost non-existent in Singapore, they are top notch in management. "Tidak apa" attitude is quite alien there. Corruption almost doesn't exist down in the island and corrupt people are always jailed just look at their rankings on the CPI. Books are everywhere in Singapore as they have countless public libraries unlike us. Finally, Singapore is so ahead of us in everything, they are a developed nation while we are considered less developed for crying out loud. Still want to compare ourselves with Singaporeans?
~multum in parvo~
P.S: My Public Law lecturer says that if Singaporeans are kiasu we are "bodoh".
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