MY SPACE

Free your mind and let it all out..

2012-01-06T00:13:00.000+08:00

Most of us, myself included, often try to suppress feelings of frustration, anger, or a bad mood – hoping that if we can just ignore it long enough, it will go away, it will get better, or we’ll at least get through the day. The unfortunate truth is that we have to PURGE all those negative feelings out of us – keeping them in is like drinking poison – it is toxic to the natural state of well-being.

Every once in a while to just let it all out and SCREAM! Of course you have to make sure you are all alone or people could think you're crazy. Pressures in life seem to build at times in our lives and we all need to let off steam or else explode or worse implode and break down or lose control .After a particularly trying day, I just let out a SCREAM! That scream set me free from 'insanity'

It sucks.

When you are feeling uneasy, apprehensive, frustrated, anxious, uncomfortable, victimized, and resentful or ANY other negative feeling, it is absolutely, positively NECESSARY for YOU to get those feelings OUT! …Out of your head, off your heart and out of your thoughts! And no, I am not just talking about venting when something upsets you.

The best way I have ever found to do this is to write Angry Rants. Good Angry Rants can be A LOT of writing, but it’s just writing, and it’s the only way to get it out of YOU, where it can’t hurt you anymore, and allow your mind the space and peace to receive the good feelings and thoughts you deserve!

What a relief unloading all the pent up feelings and emotional garbage.

“What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.” ― Martha Graham

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...

2011-12-26T08:52:00.000+08:00

Nine years ago I lived through a nightmare that I thought would surely break me. I became a single mum. Strength is what gets you through the other side...Courage is what it takes to take a stand.

Smile. Today would be a wonderful day not to take life so seriously. Today may end up the way you prefer - and it may not. Happiness is not about being a winner - it's about being gentle with life - being gentle with yourself. Let life be a dance, and choose the kind of dance you want for today - perhaps a gentle loving dance. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

I have learned that sometimes, no matter how much it hurts, you have to stand up for yourself. You have to trust in your heart, have faith, and know that while the eventual outcome is still a big, fat, scary mystery, in the end everything will be OK. I've learned a lot about myself. The good AND the bad. And the bad is never any fun to face, and incredibly humbling to admit. But once you do it, it can change your life. As the old year ends and new year nears, now is the time everyone starts to make plans. Resolutions. Goals. And for 2012, I have just one.

LIVE.

Live my life to the fullest every day. Enjoy every second of my life. Do not look back. Do not wallow or fret. No envy or pity. Know that everyday that I face brings adventure if only I will seek it, thus I will meet it head on with a smile on my face. Just LIVE. For so far in my life, not much has gone the way I have planned it, but somehow it still always seems to turn out OK. And while the immediate rough times are certainly not over, I am still truly and wildly blessed, and I have faith that while I might not be where I had hoped right now, I am on a greater path to end up where I am meant to be. I will never take this beautiful life for granted.

The timetable

2011-12-21T16:40:00.000+08:00

After becoming responsible for the timetable I was concerned that I would struggle to complete a timetable for a school of 2000+ students and a staff of over 150 with some facilities and staff shared with between the morning and afternoon session and the complicated structure of the school curriculum.

Having built up the database, armed with the program and with a little bit of guide from the wizard helpline I completed the timetable in a relatively short space of time once final staffing was confirmed. One year I had to produce four unique school timetables and if it was not for the ease of use of Winjaws and the power of the software there would have been embarrassment. The software has been invaluable ...particularly useful at times when timetable changes are necessary due to staff changes, or rotation of electives.

It just gives me pleasure and satisfaction to know I gave a hundred per cent and did my best. Yes, feeling a sense achievement is a very powerful motivator to keep us going in every chapter of our life.

Educational administrators everywhere will attest to just how difficult it is to solve the perennial problem of school timetabling: How to ensure adequate teaching resources and teachers are available in the appropriate classrooms with the appropriate students. Indeed, mathematicians have proved the school timetabling problem to be hard. Hence the educators' perennial headache. Until now, solving the school timetabling problem was done manually, or at best with the help of a spreadsheet program. Typically, a manual solution requires expert attention and can take many weeks for large schools. Moreover, because of the problem complexity, planners are not always able to take the best decisions, building schedules that are inconsistent with teaching requirements and do not satisfy all teachers' needs.

I spent the past few days untying knots and went to school spent a few hours in my room printing the fruits of my labor. The teachers’, the classes, the analysis, the master table for classes and teachers all have to be ready for distribution and inspection by visitors from the state department. I don't feel any different, other than an utter and complete sense of RELIEF that the work is DONE!

For the first time this coming semester I feel unburdened. I feel on top of things. I just want to take a little mid-week break and do nothing but go for yoga classes, read my chemistry notes. Nothing but the immediate and necessary tasks, in other words. (Hey, yoga is immediate and necessary!). I ll work on lesson plans for next semester, all of which is untaxing, soothing, and full of hope for the future. And this is why I got into this profession (well, one of the reasons, "because my work fascinates me" and "it suits my talents")

Sharing Christmas Cheer

2011-12-19T10:39:00.001+08:00

What an awesome, blessed and Merry Christmas party it was this year for the children. As cheesy as it sounds, deck the freakin’ halls. Christmas decorations always provide some movement of the spirit. We listened to Christmas carols from the praise team. I am all for Christmas songs! It helps to get attendees in the spirit of Christmas. But what made the occasion most memorable was the very talented clown who is actually a pastor. Besides juggling acts and quick performances with tiny musical instruments, the clown kept the children in the "pink" with lots of giggling and sharing. He also shared a message and ended up with many artistic pieces which he created with his bags of balloons. I felt good to be there and did my small part in charge of registration and gift exchange.

2011-12-10T08:03:00.000+08:00

There's always a warm glow in the air whenever Christmas season comes around. The radio starts playing our favorite holiday hits, everyone is in a merry spirit and looking forward to time off from work to relax and enjoy time with loved ones. This joyful Christmas spirit starts early December and usually lasts until a week and a half into the month before people transform into mass crazed shoppers bent on endless and senseless trips to the mall. While Christmas is my all time favorite holiday I despise the materialism and "gimmee" spirit that abounds.

Think about the people on your list and what would be meaningful to them and try to give something that will show them that you care. Give gifts from the heart that your recipients will love and in turn will bring you a personal sense of fulfillment.

Listed below gifts that do not cost a cent(author unknown).

THE GIFT OF LISTENING...

But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...

Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...

Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...

It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...

A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job," or "That was a wonderful meal"can make someone's day.

THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...

Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...

There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...

The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. Really, it's not that hard to say, "Hello" or "Thank You".

2011-11-25T17:35:00.000+08:00

Letting go is scary. It’s a free fall, an act of surrender. It’s releasing ways of being and things you thought were important, and then being okay with the fact that they’re gone.

It takes courage to look at your life and say, this is a helluva pickle I’m in and I need to lighten my load —my emotional load, whatever kind of load it is — so I can deal with the reality at hand. Just as tears are a doorway to the future, so, too, is letting go. When you let go you take an active role in shaping your life because you are taking responsibility not only for an immediate change but also for whatever comes after.

We’re not used to letting go. We’re used to hanging on for dear life. We hang on for lots of reasons: because something is familiar; because the past is a known commodity and the future is a question mark; because we lack imagination and can’t conceive of a future better than the past we’ve had.

We hang on because we’ve been taught that persistence is good and we should never give up. Or we’re simply afraid of the free fall, afraid of coming alive as ourselves. But if you don’t let go of who and what you once were, you won’t be available to become whoever and whatever this crisis is inviting you to become.

Letting go isn’t blocking memories or thinking sad thoughts, and doesn’t leave emptiness, hurt, or sadness. It’s not about giving in or giving up. Letting go isn’t about loss and it’s not about defeat. To let go is to cherish the memories, but to overcome and move on. It is having an open mind confidence in the future.

Letting go means acknowledging that this piece of your life, this relationship, this way of doing things has served its purpose and so it is time to let go of it completely.

Letting go is best expressed in the oft-quoted prayer: "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference

The best things in life

2011-11-16T22:19:00.001+08:00

The bumper that quotes “the best things in life are not things”

Not money or fast cars. But laughs, friends and hugs -- all these best things in life come for free. It's the simplest things in life that do not cost us anything which seem to bring us the most happiness." These are my pick of the best things :

The feel of the sun on your face, glimpsing a sunrise, watching sunsets.

Time to be alone with your thoughts, sharing a poem, learning something, love songs, good memories

The wonder you feel from seeing something beautiful , holding a new born baby, leafing through old photographs.

Reading a good book, walking along the beach and getting into bed with clean sheets.

The joy you get when someone shows you tenderness, they love you, .

The comfortable feeling you get from warm, fuzzy things, a good meal, a familiar place or face.

Accomplishment when completing a worthwhile task

The satisfaction you get from being self-supporting, or helping someone, standing up for something good, caring

The moon belongs to everyone. The stars belong to everyone. They gleam here and there for you and me.

A reminder to fully enjoy the moment, enjoy all the wonderful things happening to me, instead of just 'stressing' towards the next appointment, task or responsibility!

Yoga and Me

2011-11-05T23:29:00.000+08:00

Practicing Yoga = Fit Body = Active Mind = Glowing Skin = Anti Ageing

Yeah!!! All the more reason to practice Yoga! Why didn’t I discover about Yoga earlier?

Thanks to Yoga, I am free of the debilitating back pain that I have suffered from the last seven years. Yoga is therapeutic and healing. Yoga to me is like some form of adjustment I receive when I go for my chiropractic session.

Yoga helps in slowing down the aging process, by providing elasticity to the spine, firming up the skin, removing tension from the body, strengthening the abdominal muscles, eliminating the likelihood of a double chin, improving the quality of loose arm muscles, correcting poor posture and so on. I am definitely more toned now.

Thanks to Yoga, I am more aware of my body, which makes me fall in love with myself. This helps you get rid of negative things in life like negative self talk, draining relationship, careers without passion and purpose, tension in body, stress in the mind, and unhealthy habits and addictions. Through meditation, breathing exercises; you can banish all your stress and lead a healthy life. Cheers for Yoga again!

Constant practice of Yoga will result in enhanced flexibility. A body part, which was rigid at the beginning of learning Yoga, would experience a remarkable flexibility in all parts, with regular practice. With stretching, the body develops a sense of harmony and balance. Also, with increased flexibility many tensions and conflicts are erased on their own. The more flexible a body, the better it is for the individual as it saves the body from unnecessary torture and pain.

The pain and stress we feel while stretching are nothing, but blocked, jammed, misplaced and misused energy. Increased flexibility opens these energy blockages and releases the energy circulation. I feel so good that now I can twist and turn and contort my body when I hold a pose.

Joy, Grace, Hope, Strength, Soul through Yoga

Loving Yourself.

2011-11-02T06:18:00.000+08:00

Loving Yourself.

When’s the last time you said something nice about yourself out loud? If it’s been a while (or maybe never), you’re long over due. You can’t wait for people to notice the good things about you. You have to recognize and celebrate them for yourself. I mean, after all, if you don’t like you, who else will? Throw away the big O, Obligation. Give up the G word, Guilt. And make a commitment that everything you do, you do because you want to. Know that you deserve to be all of you, all the time. Be brilliant. Be you. And never apologize for it. “Speak positive things about yourself everyday.” So go for it. Don’t be shy; toot your own horn.

All You Need is Self-Love

Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.

Lucille Ball

Embracing the Flaws

"If you can learn to love yourself and all the flaws, you can love other people so much better. And that makes you so happy."

Kristin Chenoweth

Love More Than Enough

"I don't like myself, I'm crazy about myself."

May West

Don’t Break Your Own Heart

"Self-love seems so often unrequited."

Anthony Powell

The Secret to Happiness

"To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness."

Robert Morely

Develop the Right Attitude

"Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the right attitude toward others."

Wilfred Peterson

Inspire Others to Love You

"The first stop on the road to romance is you. Honoring and loving yourself opens the door for another to truly do the same."

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Honor yourself first

"You really have to love yourself first. Honor yourself first. Trust yourself first. You have to develop a partnership with yourself first."

Christine Arylo

Focus on the blessings

2011-10-28T11:07:00.000+08:00

I have learned from my heroes that, no matter how horrible life may seem on the outside, it is so important to focus on the beauty. As we go about our daily lives, we take so many wonderful things for granted. It's now time to notice.

Strangely, this is hard to do, especially when we have our eyes focused on the bad. It sounds ridiculous, but we actually have to train ourselves to notice all the beauty in our lives. And train ourselves, we must... because focusing on the blessings is an absolute necessity for diffusing our fears about the future.

It is in the noticing of the little things that you truly get the feeling of a life well-lived... that wonderful hot shower, that kiss from a loved one, the fact that your car started, that great dinner you are eating, the warm rays of the sun, a candy bar, a wonderful television show.

Life is full of really good things. I love gazing at sunsets. The smell of flowers and baked bread. The smell of the aroma from my cuppa. Raindrops on the roof. The splashing of the colours of the rainbow across the sky. The taste of Mom's cooking.Yes, Mum cooks for busy me. So much to take in and enjoy.

Happiness is all around you. And it doesn't care how much money you have or the circumstances of your life. Cultivate enjoyment and greatness at work by remembering your true work is the evolution of yourself. Yes my life revolves around my students, preparation of lessons, thinking of the day to day business of life.

Someone once said, “The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.” I like that; it’s a great reminder. It doesnt matter. I ll continue doing good as I am continually blessed with the good things in life.

The joy of work.

2011-10-28T11:04:00.001+08:00

I have long chosen to have my vocation be that which I truly enjoy. Now that doesn’t mean that my vocational pursuits are without bumps But, I can deal with the bumps because I am doing exactly what I want to be doing vocationally

I’ve always felt sorry for people who aren’t able to find joy in their chosen occupation. Work is and always has been the ticket to ride in life. Without satisfaction from our work we quickly devolve and denigrate into shells of our former selves.

When I return home from school, I’m physically tired to the bone; but emotionally, I’m happy and satisfied. Work remains one of the most satisfying features of our lives. That is why men and women become seduced by the luscious, extravagant feelings and become work-a-holics.. If one isn’t passionate about one is doing, then one is giving the best hours of their life away.

Work is a commitment to diligence. I think we all have unique talents and gifts inside we need to find. True passion is an evolution. Not something you wake up one day and find. Life is all about the ride. Enjoy it.

I celebrate teaching as a satisfying journey filled with joy, happiness, laughter, and personal reward. It means, obviously, liking young people, enjoying their noisy exuberance and intense questioning, which is their process of growing up. Teaching well comes from the integrity of the teacher, from his or her relation to subject and students, from the capricious chemistry of it all. That is my calling.

Letting go

2011-08-07T22:51:00.000+08:00

2011-03-16T11:51:00.000+08:00

It s a pity when I reflect on what's happening in Japan and the grim reports by CNN reporters who are doing on the spot and round the clock reporting, covering news from where they are, it is not enough to jolt some senses. Anderson Cooper is already there. He is always in the thick of major happenings. I have been glued to CNN cable every now and then and it is indeed heart wrenching to see images of a town erased and washed out by the ferocity of the waters. My heart cried out for the people of Japan.

Not only that, CNN engage experts through all sorts of means to give their opinion and a deeper understanding on the events that followed especially on the latest nuclear fallout which looms large and threateningly. Of course the Japanese authorities are doing everything possible to contain the threat. People are "scanned" to check for radiation exposure. The air is also monitored for radiation levels and using weather data they are also tracking the direction of the wind as parcels of radioactive pollutants can be blown and carried elsewhere.

This disaster has ripped so many lives to the core and the Japanese are going to cope with a lot more as food and water are in short supply what with the cold season around the corner. The government has set up a phone bank to allow relatives to call for survivors. Here in Malaysia we are still bickering over petty issues on race, religion and language. What a shame!

2010-12-11T20:14:00.002+08:00

For the past few days I have been suffering anguished moments over what has happened between my son and his girl friend. I feel sad that they have parted ways. I need to console myself and get out of these feelings of despair. I am not happy at what my son has done but I cannot condemn him too much. Much as I adore the girl, I cannot encroach on her feelings and she has decided. I look towards happier days ahead and the peace of God to fill in me.

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

2010-11-07T16:25:00.002+08:00

I have spent a substantial amount seeking cure for my back. I have tried massage, acupuncture, creams and negative ions garment and now a package of 40 chiropractic sessions with Chiropractic First.

Before I have also signed up for sessions on the therapy bed where I get to lie down on a bed where my back gets heated up first with infrared and then the rolling session to align my spine begin.

Every morning when I get up I feel the pain most. I have to go behind my infra red lamp to get the blood circulating before I can move around to get ready for work. Heating by the lamp is my daily morning ritual. There is so much I want to do. I cannot live doing nothing. I need to do some light housework, I need to teach, think, read, solve problems. I need to be mentally challenged and I need to move about to get things done.

Today a visiting pastor said in church that it is God’s desire for His people to be healed, free of disease and pain and we need to plant the healing seed.

I trust God will work his healing power in the chiropractor that I have been visiting. Keep the faith. This is a reminder to keep in my heart.

2010-10-14T23:28:00.003+08:00

To God be the glory, great things he hath done! What a feeling, what a moment!

What a country and what a leader rallying the citizens of the country to pray to provide moral support for the rescue team. God's hand was there in the minds of those who were trapped several hundred feet below and it was also there for those who brave the cold and ignored tiredness of body to bring out every single miner.

Miracles do happen! Imagine after a period of 69 days,miners held on to hope that help would arrive. Hurrah for the human spirit! And what an example to the rest of the world who follow in awe the resilience of the vicitims and the selfless unflagging efforts of the fellow coutrymen to bring out all the miners. Chile to the rest of the world said, "We are so proud to be Chileans"

Yeah raise our hands again to triumph of the human spirit!

2010-06-22T00:12:00.001+08:00

ARE YOU IN IT - TO WIN IT? by Chris Widener

Have you ever heard this? "It isn't whether you win or lose. It is how you play the game." I am sure you have. But do you know who said it? Some guy who came in second place!

You see, I have a problem with that statement. It presupposes, or at least strongly suggests that winning and playing the game "right" are mutually exclusive propositions. Perhaps we ought to have this as our goal as we pursue success: We want to win, while playing the game right! I totally disagree with the statement that we should win at all costs. Instead, we should do everything good that we can to win at this game we call life. And we ought also do all that we can to help others win.

With all of that...here are some thoughts on being in the game - to win!
Any "game" worth playing is a game worth pursuing a win in. If I get into a game, I play to win. What nobility is there is playing like a slacker? What virtue is purposeful mediocrity? None! I live my life to be a winner - Spiritually, financially, physically, emotionally, relationally - every area of my life! If it is worth doing, it is worth playing for the win!

It is good to win. We live in an age now where people have reacted to sore winners by saying that we shouldn't strive for winning. Many of our schools have abandoned the idea of competition, and our educational scores show that. Kudos to all of the teachers out there who still tell their kids that they can be winners! It is good and noble to win! It is something to strive for. It is good to push ourselves, to stretch and reach for victory. It is a grand thing to want to win!

There doesn't have to be a loser in life. Yes, in teamed competition, there are always losers (but more on that in a bit), but in life, you can all win! We can all strive for the best and give it our all to win.

Winners are the ones who move families, businesses, organizations, cities and countries ahead. Winners are the ones who push progress. You don't think that couch potato is the one who will cure cancer or open up the next great technology do you? No - it will be a person who has chosen to be a winner!

Losing can mean winning. Just because your score in a game or contest is the least at the end of the game doesn't mean all is lost. You can still be a winner in that you gave it your all, you competed at your highest level, you learned new skills and strategies, and you became a better player and person. That is winning in my book!

Winners help others win. That is right, good people, people who pursue winning by excellence, are also people who stop to help others so that they, too, can enjoy the spoils of victory. Pursue the win, but help others achieve all that they can as well! Winners make everyone better. When I get into athletic matches I want to play against the best. Yes, I may come up short in the score, but I will be better because that winner will make me grow in every area of my game! Winners stretch the losers so they can become winners too!

Questions for reflection:
Are you afraid of winning?
Do you think it is wrong to win?
Are you living each area of your life as though you are a winner?
Are you enjoying your wins?
Are you helping others win with you?
Friends, we need to be in the game of life full force! We need to be in it, and we need to be in it to win it!

2010-06-15T18:31:00.002+08:00

Yeah!!! Japan 1 Cameroon 0.

The players mostly blondehaired guys were all over holding on to the score and defended to the death to maintain that score. There were scary moments when Cameroon slogged relentlessly to equalise.

Believe it or not, another Asian country triumphed.Suffice to say that Japan have got off to a wonderful start in a match that was certainly a must-not-lose match. Obviously i m ecstatic about the result. Thumbs up again for Asia.I was screaming with joy when the final whistle blew!

It ll be interesting to see if the Japs can contain the lethal orange shirts.

2010-06-13T22:25:00.002+08:00

This is exciting and inspiring. At long last meritocracy is realised. This is truly laudable. Let’s give applause for such a noteworthy affirmation. I concur with the PM that high flyers with potential to become global champions should not have their wings clipped by the quota system

But then, where are our gifted individuals? Are they still in our backyard? They have been so negligent in addressing this long-standing deficit in the educational system and that is why the best brains are tapped elsewhere. Good people are devastated by an educational system that does not reward excellence.

What Matters Most: Words into Action or else we just have to lift and shrug our shoulders and dismiss it as another brouhaha or another case of "syiok sendiri"

Goody goody good! South Korea downed Greece. Congrats S.Korea! U guys really make Asian people proud of defeating a former European champion! Go, go Korea, Japan and make Asia proud.

And what a disappointment for a football nation England held to a draw by a basketball nation the United States. What a big fumble by the goalkeeper!

So how will the Socceroos perform against giant Germany tomorrow morning? German Chancellor Angela Merkel predicts “her” team will beat Australia 2-0 in their opening Group D World Cup match. Let's see.

2010-05-28T21:23:00.002+08:00

We hate the fact that our students whine when they don't get A's and B's. We hate their sense of entitlement. And because we dish out A’s and B’s so freely, many of these students whine and cry foul when they do not land on the scholarships they apply for. And yet quite a lot of us award those grades even when students haven't earned them. Does anyone seriously believe that the A+ grade is for score above 90?

The whole higher education culture now seems built around keeping the customers happy. When exams scores are the only measurement of teaching effectiveness, it is surely tempting to play the game and come out a "winner." It is better in the long run to do what is right, rather than what is easy or expedient.

The unearned A's and B's we keep giving our students are but a reflection of facts no one really wants to face. We have an inflated grading system in our schools and colleges that can be traced to the inflated opinion we have of ourselves. We keep awarding unearned A’ s and Bs.

In the end, the ones being hurt the most are the students. The ones we are trying to avoid and appease -- or discipline. They will be living with the fall-out of this mess we've made. We can't fix the whole system, but we can be truthful about the grades they are earning in public examinations.

Can you imagine during the 70’s only a handful (less than a hundred) throughout the whole nation can only achieve the maximum A’s? In the 70’s the maximum number of subjects taken then for the MCE(SPM now) was eight and if one score something like five or six distinctions, that was a matter of pride.

Finally, in regard to the complaints of failing to clinch a scholarship, many do not know how to do anything BUT complain when things don't go their way. In the minds of the complainers, the world does not seem right or fair, the rules for success are hard to figure out, being mediocre is entirely acceptable, blaming others instead of taking responsibility is a way to get out trouble, and talking the loudest or going to the press seem to get the most attention.

Most of our students think they are in A range. We are not and we are screwing their future. It’s only when they study in high ranking universities in Hong Kong and Singapore, that they realize where they stand. It is so telling our standard when they put themselves in competitive situation. My student in Nanyang Technology University was telling me how top scorers in STPM find the going tough studying alongside with students from the Republic of China who achieve perfect score in Mathematical discipline with ease.

2010-05-10T00:20:00.003+08:00

What a magnanimous gesture!

And we silly Malysians are still acting so childishly squabbling over rights of this and rights of that. When people of different faiths in other countries can co-exist and offer mutual help to support each other, here in Malaysia we are breathing down each others neck demanding the removal of this place of worship and of that.

Why cant these immature adults let things be and stop talking about their rights being whisked away as too much leeway have been given to the minorities to pursue their religious obligations?

Why do we always have to "bersengketa"? Where are our spiritual moorings? Cant we treat each other as equals? Let's make Malaysia a better place to live by not harping on our differences. Stop tearing each other. We are all one made up of the same stuff. We are all capable of good. Do not allow the demons to enter our minds and create havoc. Let's sow the seeds of love, care and empathy for people around us. The world will be a better place with less strife.

2010-04-03T00:18:00.003+08:00

Under the 1Malaysia blanket cover, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second.

So now from the very top we are hearing that Race supercede Nationality. So when Lee Chong Wei battle his heart out in the All England, it is not for Malaysia. It is for the Chinese. And when M. Magendran and N. Mohanadas reached the of summit of Mount Everest and planted the Jalur Gemilang there, it is also not for Malaysia. It is for the Indians. We can now kiss goodbye to all the hullaballoo of 1Malaysia.

It is all artificial and unreal of 1Malaysia when damaging statements are made as to the superiority of one race over another. Belligerent personalities are on the warpath demanding that the status quo of one race to be maintained and never to be questioned. There is no such thing as equal rights as the demand for special privileges are not to be questioned. Woe betide thee if is questioned. Not even a murmur lest a thousand bricks fall on you. There you go again the merry go round of nation building. Just as NEM was about to take flight to uphold 1Malaysia wardrums and siren were sounded to give way to the warlords warning not to upset the pillars of NEP.

There again. The foundation of 1Malaysia is quivering. It remains unstable as ever.

2010-03-15T01:31:00.003+08:00

Finally.....................
Lee Chong Wei is the newly crowned All England Champion! But what a fight Japanese qualifier Kenichi Tago put up. A cliffhanger and nailbiting match indeed as the young Japanese trained under Park Young Joo fought nail and tooth to close the gap. It wasnt an easy victory as the stubborn Japanese despite his inexperience has a indomitable spirit and warrior's attitude till the end.

Yea...................... What a feeling!

And how he endears himself to the crowd readily shaking hands and signing autograph and displaying the Malaysian flag proudly

Even with his feet on the ground, he deserve to put himself on cloud nine as this is the first time he has won the elusive title despite clinching all other major titles.

Yea, indeed Chong Wei boleh. What a night for Malaysia to taste glory in badminton.

2010-03-02T21:26:00.000+08:00

Teaching on the subject of sex is one of the hardest things to do, so it would be much easier to dodge it. 90 percent of parents have never talked with their children about such topics. Teachers don't want to be the first to bring them up with children present. That would violate the parents' rights. Teaching about sexual matters is fraught with possible problems. It could offend people.

Yet the topic cannot be ignored. Young people are making mistakes because they're getting behavioral cues from all the wrong sources. We're committed to talking about sex responsibly as opposed to ignoring it until it causes unnecessary damage like the problem of pornography. Sex is not a taboo subject.

After all, what's on the mind of teenagers? Anything that occupies that much of their thought life and powers that much of their personality ought to be addressed because some of those thoughts are misguided and in need of correction. Such delicate matters don't need to be pushed underground until they emerge in the wrong place.

Making sex a permissible subject of conversation breaks open stereotypes regarding sex as dirty and vulgar. Putting sex in perspective and within well defined boundaries would prevent the ugly scars of misappropriated sex in the forms of unwanted pregnancies, rapes and promiscuity. There would also be no rescuing people from the devastation of distorted information if such delicate matters are hushed up and frowned upon.

2010-02-25T22:11:00.004+08:00

So much has been said about the declining standard of education in our shores, it is just as bad as in UK. So if one looks down at our very own system the British one is not any better for all the money that is thrown in. Not just for the money, but the values and the discipline that is also lacking. I read some interesting comments about the sad state of affairs in UK.

The British education system is woeful. It is living in the 19th century turning out uneducated kids and near useless university graduates with degrees in geography, politics and other highly desirable 'arts' degrees.

Whenever a supplier becomes disconnected with the demands of the buyer the buyer will soon look elsewhere. UK employers need properly educated people, there are plenty of these coming from other countries.

The sad thing about the education dumbing down, and it applies not only to schools/universities, but to the professions too, is that there has been a move away from objective academic tests of knowledge and understanding where several papers had to be sat and passed in one sitting, toward course work and the ability to sit one paper at a time every year or so, and keep re-taking again the one paper if failed the first time.

Not to mention that to achieve top grades the pass mark has been lowered and lowered. I have no idea how employers or universities can distinguish the bright from the not so bright anymore.

Have you seen how pathetic GCSE and A Levels are? Even a deranged monkey could get an A* sitting one of our exams. And a recent Times article showed us that a record number of students are cheating in exams! We're not just churning out the enemployable, we're churning out complete no-hopers.

This dumbing down of the education system is set to continue with renewed vigor by forcing everyone to stay at school until 18. Far too many unqualified students are in Universities without the needed intellect and far too many are in school who will not learn any more there and have no chance to learn about real life outside school by getting a job even if that job is a low paid unskilled job. That's the consequences of not having the intellectual capacity to get into advanced learning and study, and only serves to insulate them in a juvenile boring environment where there are no skills available to take them into what will still only be low end jobs.

Meanwhile all this social engineering and attempts to level the playing field is creating opportunities for the smarter foreign graduates and reducing opportunities for all UK graduates.

Reduce school leaving age for those who cannot progress further, reduce minimum wage, and halve the intake of University Graduates by increasing the pass required and clear out half the courses that not directly related to the needs of major employers

I've worked with graduates from across Europe, as well as the Middle East and India, and found that none exhibited the same sense of eternally adolescent entitlement and woeful lack of professionalism as an embarrassingly large number of their British counterparts.

This was confirmed for me when I was out one evening a couple of years ago with a few friends of various nationalities. A Norwegian member of the group, who studied at Heriot Watt University and has travelled throughout the UK, remarked that she'd been dismayed to find the vast majority of British university students incredibly immature in comparison to their peers in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe; much to my embarrassment, all the other foreign graduates at the table wholeheartedly agreed. Since then I've asked a few other friends and colleagues from abroad what they thought of her observation - all immediately agreed.

It's time to take a long, hard look at UK s education system. Oh yes not just anybody can afford an education. Not just any Tom, Dick or Harry. Some think it's posh to study in UK. But with all the negative vibes mentioned above, probably looking down south will be a better option.

2010-02-18T03:13:00.004+08:00

What in the world is Malaysia coming to?

Without a tinge of conscience the media is having a field day reporting the shameful episode of the sodomy case attracting unnecessary attention on our shores. Day after day there seems to be no end of nitpicking on each other within the party. After the destabilising of one state, another two states is now targeted to face the same situation. It's all venom and spite and hatred that's stifling the atmosphere.

Have they no qualms about all these can cause to our economic state of affairs? Have they no qualms of how the rest of the world is viewing Malaysia as a country, always in the throes of internal strife? There is the airing of dirty linen in public on prime time television, the self pompous one laden with hypocrisy and a hidden agenda running down another one and this is played over and over again the next day. This is so obvious that after the fall of one domino, two now on precarious situation ready to fall. There's one here, another one here and another here. The onslaught of attacks continue unabated while urgent matters like education, inflation, crime, public transportation are not given urgent and immediate attention. Talking about NKRA's and KPI's, the nation 's attention is diverted towards unnecessary dramas like this and this

How on earth can we achieve the desired NKRA's with so much time and energy wasted on internal strife and politicking? I have to make a callous remark and said, "To hell Malaysia, you are beyond redemption if you carry on with what you are doing right now". Somebody please prove I am wrong!

2010-01-18T20:29:00.002+08:00

My heart goes out for the parents of these students. Young lives full of hope taken away in this manner. What a cruel blow to the bereaved families. The dragon boat tragedy has taken away six lives. I have been updating my son on the news as he is also bidding for a spot in the NUS team.

Eric Tan Leong Yit, 17, said his friend, who survived the tragedy, was the first to alert the police on the incident as soon as he came ashore.
"However, it took the police 45 minutes to arrive. It seems like the police initially did not believe it was a genuine emergency call," he told reporters at the scene.

This is so heart pricking the fact that a call for help can be taken lightly.

Earlier in the day, the body of Jason Ch’ng was identified. His family members broke down and had to be helped into a tent nearby.

Ch’ng’s body was found under a boat not far from the Macallum Street Ghaut shore at 2.45pm. He was still wearing a life jacket.

Even a life jacket is no guarantee for the protection against the fury of the wave.

This must be so heart wrenching to those who are grieving. Condolences and prayers to the parents and their loved ones.

A prayer.

Lord of Mercy, please grant these families relief from their pain. Please grant your comfort in these senseless matters where so many of our youth are suddenly and without apparent cause, taken from us. Please heal those who have been affected by this. Those who have died now be in peace and in happiness. Bring their loved ones together and help them care well for each other.

2009-12-29T01:17:00.002+08:00

It's been a long haul after three hours from Cairo to Bahrain and about eight hours from Bahrain to Kuala Lumpur. This blog has been left idle after a eleven days nine nights trip to Egypt and I have been in the blur of what is happening in Malaysia.

The whole day after landing home have me doing three rounds of laundry of myself and my son who's back from NUS and my daughter who has taken annual leave to go on this trip.

There's too much about Egypt that has left an impression on me. Not at the moment can I pen my thoughts. Probably the next two days until I gather my thoughts together will everything fall in place. And probably after my son has given a copy of all about 700 shots he took with the new digital camera I bought from him.

Will have to start work soon and get my brain in gear for the year ahead. It's just about three days to the new year. And here's a message of hope I received thro the mail.

YOU STILL HAVE HOPE
Author Unknown

If you can look at the sunset and smile,
then you still have hope.

If you can find beauty in the colors of a small flower,
then you still have hope.

If you can find pleasure in the movement of a butterfly,
then you still have hope.

If the smile of a child can still warm your heart,
then you still have hope.

If you can see the good in other people,
then you still have hope.

If the rain breaking on a roof top can still lull you to sleep,
then you still have hope.

If the sight of a rainbow still makes you stop and stare in wonder,
then you still have hope.

If the soft fur of a favored pet still feels pleasant under your fingertips,
then you still have hope.

If you meet new people with a trace of excitement and optimism,
then you still have hope.

If you give people the benefit of a doubt,
then you still have hope.

If you still offer your hand in friendship to others that have touched your life,
then you still have hope.

If receiving an unexpected card or letter still brings a pleasant surprise,
then you still have hope.

If the suffering of others still fills you with pain and frustration,
then you still have hope.

If you refuse to let a friendship die,
or accept that it must end,
then you still have hope.

If you look forward to a time or place of quiet and reflection,
then you still have hope.

If you still buy the ornaments,
put up the Christmas tree or cook the supper,
then you still have hope.

If you can look to the past and smile,
then you still have hope.

If, when faced with the bad,
when told everything is futile,
you can still look up and end the conversation with the phrase... "yeah...BUT.,"
then you still have hope.

Hope is such a marvelous thing.
It bends, it twists, it sometimes hides,
but rarely does it break.
It sustains us when nothing else can.
It gives us reason to continue and courage to move ahead,
when we tell ourselves we'd rather give in.

Hope puts a smile on our face
when the heart cannot manage.

Hope puts our feet on the path
when our eyes cannot see it.

Hope moves us to act
when our souls are confused of the direction.

Hope is a wonderful thing,
something to be cherished and nurtured,
and something that will refresh us in return.
And it can be found in each of us,
and it can bring light into the darkest of places.

NEVER LOSE HOPE!

2009-12-08T18:34:00.004+08:00

Is this for real? Or just another sideshow?

This nation is already divided without all these courses. It will be even worse if the powers within the ranks insist on its continuance. Worse that it is compulsory and affects the confirmation of the status and posts of participants who refuse to attend. So they are coerced to accept all these brainwashing without question.

The rakyat is already impoverished with spiraling prices, looming GST, stagnation of the economy and we are still arguing over the running of these courses.

This is still happening despite the fact that much has been allocated to the force to fight crime. And the problem ridden tranport system as testified by this letter and of which my daughter is subjected to as she travels to work by train and LRT.

Sometimes I wonder where our nation is heading for. How I wish back for yesteryear when we hardly talk about our differences. I wish for the good old days when English medium schools existed, when there was only HSC(equivalent to STPM), only one route to local universities, when our universities were high in the rank, when the good old mission schools like the Bukit Bintang Girl's School(my alma mater)was allowed to flourish without restrictions. I wish for yesteryear when children find joy in attending sports activities and not like present times where they are herded to tuition centres after school.

And now one by one all these like the wave of a wand, all is gone. So called mission schools which have churned outstanding personalities has lost its character and is dwindling in numbers. There is the flip back to studying Mathematics and Science in Bahasa Malaysia. Matrikulasi which caters mainly for one group is given a shorter and easier route to institutions of higher learning. And there is the craze for taking more subjects in the race for scholarships when eight was the maximun in the 70's. And grades are inflated to an extent that one cannot separate the mediocre from the excellent.

Nothing seems right about the nation. Everything seems to be in the doldrums. Medical colleges are sprouting in greater numbers and there seems to be no quality control over the type of graduates produced. Frightening to think whether patients are treated by competent doctors in the public hospital. And leaders are not leading by example. People at the helm are each other's throats. Those who have retired are still stirring hatred by making statements that can invoke ill feelings.

Who now, what now, where now can Malaysians hope for, to turn the nation around and lead it to splendour glory?

2009-12-01T21:18:00.003+08:00

Stumble upon this.

Size truly doesnt matter in the eyes of the world.

Small is good.

And "Wow"

And the list is long. 50 good reasons.

Wow again.

The little red dot scores so highly.

Lee Kuan Yew's name certainly sell, no matter his age.

Wow he certainly has appeal.

President Obama regards Lee as legendary

And where does Malaysia stand?

Oh God, this doesnt sound good. This is alarming!

With so much politicking, debate over whether BTN should be continued, so much energy and time all frittered that the business of governing is neglected. So we the poor tiny pelanduk gets squeezed when the "gajah sama gajah berjuang".

Public transport remains as inefficient as ever. The queue in the immigration department remain as long as ever. Machines that are suppose to speed up the application process breaks down with no speedy repair. And there is the looming dreaded GST. So another round of inflation. We get squeezed again.

2009-11-30T16:18:00.003+08:00

Why even bother about this

So much storm and fuss about this and in the first place what merit is the program that so much importance is attached to it and the federal government insist that it must go on? I am quite sure the budget to run all these is not cheap and it could be put to much better use.

What is their agenda behind all these that they are so adamant to have it continued? Isnt 1Malaysia all about 1people united together, 1nation sharing the spoils of the earth, 1 people working for the common good, 1people coming together hand in hand working together to build the nation? And all I hear is "We are the masters of the land and you have to be thankful for your place here and you have no rights to question privileges given to a select group?

Arent we all Malaysians born and bred here entitle to equal rights just like any rightful citizen, why should there be a distinction on the grounds of race?

Is God racist? Isnt it a fact that red or yellow, black or white, all are equally precious in His sight? Why should there be this cry of Ketuanan be drummed into the minds and souls of our impressionable young minds.

God save this nation before it gets sucked deeper into the black hole

2009-11-23T15:42:00.000+08:00

Dear Ping,

As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to wish you and your family a peaceful, safe and blessed holiday.

To me, Thanksgiving is a day to look into your heart and give thanks for everyone in your life, all that you have become and all that you have been given.

Be Thankful

Thanks for not having
Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Thanks for lacking knowledge
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Thanks for difficult times
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Thanks for limitations
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Thanks for challenges
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Thanks for mistakes made
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Thanks for exhaustion
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made the effort.

Thanks for setbacks
It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Thanks for troubles
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

~ Author Unknown ~

Happy Thanksgiving, my friend, I am grateful and thankful for you.

Wishing you the best, each and every day of your life!

Marlene

Obama's visit to China.

2009-11-15T20:44:00.006+08:00

The Dragons forges ahead of the Yankees and it seems like the Chinese have the upper hand. China has expanded its influence in Asia. America needs to start paying more attention to China and as President has said that the United States will not contain the rise of China. They need not be rivals. The days the US could make demands of Beijing are over—they can bargain all they want, but at the end of the day, the States know that China is their bank. Eager to achieve a successful summit, the two leaders avoided spats on economic issues. With America's budget deficit soaring to a yearly record of $1.42 trillion, China is the No. 1 lender to Washington and has expressed concern that the falling price of the dollar threatens the value of its U.S. holdings.

The President has said,"I do not believe that one country's success must come at the expense of another."

Highlights

A lesson from China

America and China working together is important.

Recognition for merit

2009-11-14T13:31:00.004+08:00

Hurrah, recognition for merit at last!

This report said it all

"We will create more opportunities, more excitement and more buzz in Malaysia to attract the Malaysian diaspora and expatriates to the country," Najib said last night

This is indeed enticing.

Speaking at a dinner he hosted for the Malaysian community here, the prime minister said that in the current challenging world, Malaysia needed the best talents and brains to develop and prosper the country.

So this is acknowledgement for merit, isnt it? How good it would be if this is put into practice!

So how come this is happening?

Isnt this patriotism denied and rejected to somebody who wish fervently to make a difference to the educational establisment?

Hear this, hear this.

.................new administration should be judged by its deeds and not by promises as he was determined to make Malaysia a worthy place to live in, and provide prosperity and stability to all Malaysians.

So all you good and brainy Malaysians, it's time to answer this clarion call. Do come back home. Malaysia is opening its arms wide open to accept you!

Beautiful and Glorious Malaysia loves you!

Try a little kindness

2009-11-10T22:21:00.003+08:00

Kindness begets kindness. And if one is blessed with goodness in life, I believe one must learn how to give back whatever one has. It could be your time, energy, or one's talents. It is so blessed to give than to receive. You benefit more by being good to other people – not by being selfish or self centered. Glen Campbell, the singer immortalized the words of "try a little kindness".

Part of the lyrics .................
If you see your brother standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he sowed
If you see your sister falling by the way just stop and say you’re going the wrong way
You’ve got to try a little kindness just show a little kindness
Shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness you’ll overlook the blindness
Of the narrow minded people on the narrow minded streets

An act of kindness brings joy to both the giver and the receiver. We are and have what we are and have because someone around us will need to be blessed by what we are and have. I believe somehow when I perform random acts of kindness, I am blessed in return with good health, the well being of my children, and renewed energy to do the best for my students and people around me in my organisation.

Love for yourself and people will always propel you to give and live a lifestyle of giving…it may be just a smile, an encouraging word or even giving fellow car owners, space to get ahead of you in traffic!There are so many ways to show acts of kindness. Donations for a good cause, donations to relieve the burden of the downtrodden and again I believe for every act of kindness,somehow again somehow our good God will return in good measure. What goes round, comes round and the harvest no matter how long it takes to mature, far exceeds the seeds sown.

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can for you shall surely, in one way or the other, reap the reward.

Every habit has it consequences, the concequences of a good habit is a good reward. You never know how far the little gesture you offer will go in affecting the person next to you. Really,we can never imagine how timely or relieving a little show of kindness from us could be to those in need.

Lets sow kindness this season and beyond and watch how wonderful our lives will be.

2009-10-31T13:39:00.002+08:00

What would one think of 72 year old do in their sunset years? Taking a good well laid rest, staring into the sunset? But not Roberta Flack who is still doing music at the age of 72! Talk about declining abilities in old age, Miss Roberta on stage was an inspiration to all. She could even sway her body and in between crack a joke or two and got the audience to sing along. Oh yes there were many in the audience, the young ones who were spellbound by her soulful tunes. Miss Roberta Flack's music hold sway! And her memory is still as good as ever. She could even relate her earlier musical career experiences.

Yes I was there attended a one night Miss Roberta Flack LIVE in Concert at Grand Ballroom Hilton KL. Opening act for the night was our very own entertainer of legendary status herself Datuk Khatijah Ibrahim.

Gosh at that age most would experience difficulty in walking and although Miss Roberta sat most of the time she managed to stage her concert for slightly more than an hour which is a feat considering her age. She entertained us with her evergreen classics such as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"; "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and "Feel Like Makin' Love", as well as "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You" and “Tonight I Celebrate My Love”. She performed her signature tunes, as well as her interpretations of jazz, blues, and pop standards

Robert Flack was born February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She is best known for her love ballad 'Killing Me Softly With His Song', released in 1969. She earned a music scholarship to Howard University and graduated with a BA in Music. She briefly taught music after graduation from college. She is known as a singer of soulful jazz and pop ballads.

Many in the audience must have gasped in amazement at how a person like Roberta Flack has ignored the march of time and still live it up.

Cheers to Miss Roberta Flack!

2009-10-10T20:46:00.002+08:00

Cheers again for President Obama. A toast to the President for the award he won.

The Nobel Peace Prize, which President Obama described as a “call to action,” Not bad for his first 10 months in office now. Another feather in the cap for President Obama who recently made a reconciliation speech to the Muslim world in Cairo. Even then many were thinking that this award was a bit premature. Some remarked he achieved nothing but gave a bunch of speeches and he got the Nobel Prize, when there were activists who have actually done something to further peace in the World. Some Democrats privately questioned whether he deserved it.

Still, Mr. Obama, who was described as “very surprised” when he received the news, said he himself was not quite convinced, adding that the award “deeply humbled” him.
“To be honest,” the president said in the Rose Garden, “I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who have been honored by this prize, men and women who’ve inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.”

At present, he is stuck in a very difficult position with regard to Afghanistan. If he pursues the present strategy, he will be responsible for yet another US quagmire and the deaths of many Afghans but if he leaves he will be handing the Taliban a victory and opening the door for them to dominate the region.

At least America's reputation has been restored by this President in the world community. America has long been vilified when Mr George Bush was in charge. It may seem a bit early to get this kind of award, but it recognizes that he has, single handledly and in just a few months, changed the face of the USA and broke a new era of diplomacy and good-will between nations. The USA has now regained the respect that had been lost in the last years. Amazing, just amazing to see the recognition the Nobel Price Committee is giving to Obama and his diplomacy efforts!

2009-10-04T23:06:00.002+08:00

"Mamma Mia!" "Ma, u got to see this," my daughter kept on calling me while I was doing my teaching notes and And boy, am I glad that I did! I can safely say that I enjoyed every second of it.

The whole movie was infused with songs by ABBA, the Swedish pop group who won the Eurovision song contest many, many years ago. Meryl Streep was a big big bowl over with her performance. Meryl Streep like you've never seen her before really let her hair down on this movie. She makes older women feel so good the way she swoon and dance the teenage giddy girl dance. Wow, doing all these jigs at 59. She is a phenomenon.

You'll love this movie for trio of older woman characters. Ha, they were all so funny. Even though their singing leaves much to be desired, Streep, Bosnan(yes Mr James Bond),ultimately it was the songs of ABBA that brought back nostalgic moments of the good old 70's. It was nice to just watch and be happy with these characters and you can't help but laugh at the predicaments that they get themselves into. Sweet, sensitive, and charming I feel like "having the time of my life". Meryl Streep certainly leads the way. I really wanted to dance when the girls were dancing to 'dancing queen!' What a breath of fresh air to see an older cast given roles full of fun and energy!

2009-09-25T17:33:00.005+08:00

After almost twenty years of hiatus, I took time off to visit my son who is studying in NUS. So many changes have taken place and in so many areas I saw how the City of Lion has shot past us.

Of course their transport system is without parallel. The system is so efficient, so tourist friendly, so punctual and so very convenient. No doubt one has to walk to get from one point to another point. But the positive side of it, the walking promotes a healthy heart and the public transport eliminates the need to own a car.
Everywhere at the subways, at the bus stops there's signboards with maps and bus routes, there's comfortable seats and paying transport fare is so hassle free with the ez-link card.

Despite the heavy volume of passengers there is hardly any delay. In fact one can criss cross the whole island using public transport. To see Singapore one has to take public transport. Singapore streets are mostly without jams. Anyway I was given to understand that it is very costly to own and maintain a car. In a way it is good less environmental pollution and the air is clean.

Wow, this must be something worth trumpeting.

So is this for real? I am shaking my head. I thought we really have so much to learn on managing our resources and looking towards down south to learn a thing or two on managing our transport system. We are really many steps behind Singapore in this area. How is it that we can be looked upon as a case study in managing a crisis? We cant even manage the crime rate, the train delays that my daughter faces in her daily trips to her office?

Malaysia is known for consolidating the banking, insurance and financial institutions following the 1998 currency crisis, said Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Malaysia in a statement Friday.

“Harvard would also bring to attention how the country positions itself on free trade agreements with other countries and how its economic zones are poised for further foreign direct investment attractions.

“We in the alumni are proud to be associated with such a work as the study would become part of the syllabus programme and taught to thousands of international students.

This must be a joke! Oops I must say that this is a proud moment to cherish.

2009-08-29T00:25:00.002+08:00

All the Kennedy brothers are now gone, the Kennedy family endured many heartbreaks during their lives. They embodied the principle that if one is born into great wealth and privilege, they have an obligation to public service and to bettering their country. Edward Kennedy, the last of the brothers . . . they're all gone now. Flaws are human in all men. He had his personal flaws, but as a legislator he was a class act.

Despite his family wealth, he never forgot the common man, in all that he did. Ted Kennedy served his country with dedication and distinction. Like almost all politicians, he had his scandals, but unlike most he actually did something to make a real difference in the lives of regular people. Senator Kennedy's never wavering commitment to better the lives of working people and the poor has earned him a place of honor among American Statesmen.

Great heroes have foibles, and are still capable of monumental things.
Rest in peace, true American hero.

2009-08-21T23:33:00.002+08:00

Amazing! Amazing! Unbelievable speed! Another great show from Usain Bolt.This one is gonna stay for years or perhaps forever unless they let a horse run the race.
He is erasing chunks of time from records that normally take years to break. He is beating the so-called competition by body lengths. Power, power all the way. No fight.

And the kind of respect that he is getting from other athletes
"He's a gift to this earth," said American sprinter Shawn Crawford, who finished fourth. "He's a blessing to the track game.

"Even if I run the best turn of my life, I'm still going to be behind," said Spearmon, who finished with the bronze. "

Former sprint star Michael Johnson, whose record of 19.32 stood for 12 years before Bolt broke it last year, believes the 19-second barrier might be next.
"Anytime Usain Bolt steps on the track, a world record is possible," Johnson said.

And you can see that this guy loves to run. The playful bow and arrow pose. The people of the world are captivated by Bolt. He is on his way to becoming a legend. No question about that.

2009-08-06T21:30:00.002+08:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Kudos to Bill Clinton.

My eyes welled up with tears when I saw this video.What a beautiful scene - families reuniting after such a horrible ordeal. This video is heartbreaking. A mother separated from her young child. And their reunion was full of heartbreak and relief.

A government that thinks, a government that talks, a government that works. For all. Great coordinated job with a successful outcome, the coordinated efforts of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, and President Obama. It’s great to see powerful people using their clout to actually help ordinary hardworking Americans.

God bless you, Laura Ling and Euna Lee!

2009-07-31T01:14:00.002+08:00

It is normal and a common fact how our daily lives are extremely focused on our everyday worries and concerns. It’s green on the other side of the fence… That’s a popular saying we might have heard countless times. It means we are always interested in what others have or what more we can get and do not appreciate what we have. Yet, no matter how embedded our problems and challenges are, it is amazing how we can also get carried away when we begin saying out loud what we are thankful for. Right away our focus shifts from our problems to God's graciousness, his promises and love.
It is a personal matter what we want to thank God for. We can count our blessings with specific personal list of gratitude to the gifts and graces from God each day. God has been very good to me.

I am alive and kicking! And I love life and living.
I have a reasonably sharp mind, can think on my feet and believe I’m good at my job. I actually have elevated myself to a higher grade.
I have two children who have done me proud and I am proud I have brought them up well. My son is in NUS and before he went there he took off one year to “start his own business”. Even then he is not left behind as he went through express class. My daughter has secured a job as a journalist.
I am happy most of the time.
I have never hurt anyone intentionally so far and I don’t think I ever will. When I am angry I feel bad and apologize later. And I am totally transparent and cannot be manipulative.
I am not a miser but I am careful with money. I believe in saving and buying what I can pay for. I know the difference between needs and wants, most of the times!
I like to read and my eyes have not given up on me yet! My reading source most of the time– the blogosphere!

Phew! That’s enough for now.

2009-07-11T17:08:00.002+08:00

Imagine the amount of money going down the drain.

The thousands of books in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics.General and Additional Science published in English under the Book Aid scheme and from Primary One till Six, Forms One till Form Five.

Imagine the amount of money spent on training teachers to adapt to the syllabus in English under PPSMI policy and incentives given to teachers who teach Maths and Science in English.

Imagine the amount of money spent on equipping teachers with courseware, laptops, LCDs and training teachers to use them.

Imagine now the money that is going to be spent on publishing new books in Bahasa Melayu.

Take into consideration the whole of Malaysia every state down to every district that has a certain number of schools under its jurisdiction. Do the Maths and one can see that it is indeed quite a colossal sum runnning into millions.

It is very burdensome to change terms like hydoxylammonium sulphate, partition coefficient, disproportion, hybridization in Bahasa. So now Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka people now have to come up with booklets on glossary and terms in Bahasa.

This is all so exasperating!

Alright I agree that at the primary level the students be given the choice to study Mathematics and Science in their mother tongue or the national language but on reaching secondary level they should be in a state of readiness to study Mathematics and Science in English if the teaching of English is given emphasis at the primary level. Thank God at the form six and pre U level English is maintained as the language of instruction.

What now? How many times they have flip flopped? At the expense of our children's future? What the heck are these people doing? Stop the damage, stop the wasteful spending of resources. Imagine at the secondary school level students are studying science in Bahasa when so much of reference materials online are in English.
Talking about sending our scholars overseas, doesnt one think that he or she will be severely handicapped? Enough said. Stop experimenting with our children's mind. After six years later now they are telling us to go back to Bahasa. Urrgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am fuming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-06T18:32:00.005+08:00

Yea, cheers for Cheers and my niece captained the winning team. What a glorious moment and a delight to watch over and over again the squeals of ecstacy. You can feel the energy coming forth and the liveliness of the boisterous crowd. The ooos and the aaahs. I, too felt some of the 'stunts" executed looked a bit 'dangerous'.

My brother must have felt proud for her daughter. We bask in the success of our children and others who are dear to us. And the bounty for the great performance.

Cheers again! What a feeling!

2009-06-26T18:08:00.002+08:00

He is gone. He is no longer with us. "Heal the world. Make this world a better place for you and me and the entire human race. There are people dying," sings Michael. What a sad day. Can't believe Michael Jackson has passed away!

Despite his quirkiness, he is one in a million. It still hasnt quite sink in. Michael Jackson the superstar famous for his stage moonwalking is gone. Farrah Fawcet the golden girl of Charlie Angels is also gone. Isnt it quaint?

I grew up on his music. “Ben” will live in my heart. I adore the song, so soulful. So tragic to see him go like that. A legend like John Lennon and Elvis Presley. He will truly be missed.His songs live with us though he is gone. We lost the most iconic figure of our time. People will remember what MJ gave us; music, talent, and great entertainment.

Michael made a lot of mistakes with adverse publicity of child molest but cannot deny that he is the greatest of all time. It was a sad thing to see him degrade himself towards the later years. His actions were very bizarre, but he was human; fallible just like the rest of us. Through the years he struggled with trials and tribulations of both the media and personal life. If one is the biggest artist in the world the pressure mutiplies. He was hounded everywhere he made an appearance. Now he rest in peace.

2009-06-14T00:34:00.002+08:00

Bravo! So well said! Good piece. Brutally forthright and well admonished.

Yea, give it to them. Yes stop the hanky panky. Stop the fiddling not just at the university level but also at the PMR, SPM level. Stop the handling of As on a platter. Overnight we have a ridiculous number of thousands of students scoring As by the tons. Stop the delusion and lowering of marks to allow a certain quota to score As. Give true value to an A. In the 70s when we have the MCE and the HSC we had only a handful scoring As. We only took eight subjects and scoring five to six distinctions was a feat then.Oh yes then the examination was run by the Cambridge Board in UK and even our certificates was signed by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Stop the falsehood for God's sake. If a student is not up to the mark, then so be it. All these padding of marks have victimise students who are truly outstanding. Suddenly they are on the same level with students who do not deserve the credit that they get. Yes, I said aloud what kind of people we passed as doctors, lawyers, teachers and engineers. For everybody's sake stop making a fool of ourselves and regard our country as one with world class mentality when we set such low criterias for distinction, when marks can be tweaked to make a student look good.

2009-06-06T17:53:00.002+08:00

Another charismatic speech. Bold step by Obama to deliver a speech to reconcile the relation with the Islamic world. He has already won the support of the entire world by being a moderate and optimistic president and has now won over the heart and minds of the Muslim world by what he said in Egypt. Obama's speech is a giant step in the right direction. America can NOT be enemies of the worlds 1. 5 billion Muslims.

"I have come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition," the president said.

"In fact, faith should bring us together. And that’s why we’re forging service projects in America to bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews. That’s why we welcome efforts like Saudi Arabian King Abdullah’s interfaith dialogue and Turkey’s leadership in the Alliance of Civilizations. Around the world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service, so bridges between peoples lead to action — whether it is combating malaria in Africa, or providing relief after a natural disaster."

Well done President your speech was inspiring as every sentence denoted your good intentions.

2009-06-02T22:44:00.003+08:00

I was wondering with this kind of blunder how on earth can USM qualify to become an Apex university.

I remembered reading how students flocked to take the admission tests at different venues arranged by USM and for critical courses like medicine some have to attend interviews conducted by USM panel. I know of a STPM student who have to travel all the way from Kuala Lumpur to Kelantan to attend an interview for the medicine course. With STPM grades AAA/A-, he wasn't even granted any course from USM. What a letdown!. Matriculation students seemingly gets the priority.Smells rotten all these events that have taken place.

One of my students was offered chemical engineering at an earlier date and was full of joy when he broke the news to me only to be told of the techmical error and was told that he was given polymer engineering instead. What kind of people we have handling this mess? What a shame when so much funds was channelled to this university after achieving apex status! There is no committment to administer good and fair service to the public.

And of late there seems no end to all the controversies surrounding the awards of JPA scholarships. A student was discovered cheating on his grades in his appeal for JPA scholarship. From an 13 A1s and 2 A2, he tried to change it to all 15A1s. The height of desperation!.

The Exam Board really have to raise the bar for the A grade to stop all these nonsense of students scoring multiple A's. I ve come across students scoring As in SPM but not able to pass the subject at PreU level. This is so glaringly obvious that the As obtained must have corresponded to a mediocre score. That clearly shows that many students do not deserve the JPA scholarships. With no transparency of the actual score how can one tell that a student deserve more than another for the award.

My son did the Edexcel Alevels and all his scores for the subjects were shown. I knew he would ace in Mathematics. He had always top scored in Additional Mathematics while in school. He actually had perfect score for four of his Mathematics papers for his Alevels. Come to think of it the JPA granting of awards really sucks. The condition for application requires one to score a distinction in History and Moral studies regardless of the choice of course.

Enough said. The yearly whining of not getting the JPA scholarship has become one big yawn. No end to it. Year in year out the same story.

2009-05-10T19:31:00.002+08:00

Mothering is the ultimate journey of transformation and discovery, a rich and life-changing activity. My greatest strength as a single parent is leading by example and praying about everything. I believe that God has given me great gifts in my life that I have tried to use. I forge ahead looking at the brighter side of life and see the glass as half full rather than half empty.

As most people in life I have had my challenges though. Through hard work and perseverance I have excelled. I have been over protective and like to micro manage everything. I remind myself to 'Let Go and Let God' daily.

My children are 22 and 18. My son will be leaving to study in the National University of Singapore. He is gifted in Mathematics and possess great analytical skills. My daughter is finishing university and will be doing internship with The Star. She is creative, articulate and compassionate.

My son has been working for a year after his Alevels. He obtained his results in August and it was a little bit late to apply to the universities in Singapore which started their academic year in the first week of August. UK and Australia were a bit steep in fees for me. I am on my own and are supporting the kids too; a financial crisis is the last thing I need. But thank God he gained acceptance for his first choice in both NUS and Nanyang though he can only accept one. Being an express student (he skipped Primary 4), he is still a year ahead of his cohort who will be entering in AY2009/2010.

For a single mother, motherhood is like the two sides of a coin - while you have the joys and the bliss of being around your children, the difficulties and the stress associated with it, cannot be ruled out as well.The absence of the influence of a male role model runs high in the life of my son.

2009-05-01T23:19:00.004+08:00

This is truly amazing. A God given talent in this singing dynamite and at a precocious age of 16. I caught her duet with Celine Dion on Oprah's show where she dedicated Celine's hit to her mother. Her voice is so supremely beautiful.

This is Gloria Gaynor's disco hit in the 80's

And more of Charice her duet with Celine. So magnanimous for Celine to share the stage with this sensation.

A song dedicated to her mom. And yea Mother's Day is not far of. A beautiful moment to cherish.

And more and more of Charice. Just cant get enough of her. Absolutely stunning.

2009-04-30T22:15:00.002+08:00

This is too good to be true. My son got another golden offer this time around from the National University of Singapore and a course that my son wants that is Business. God has been so good to me. I want to shout and say Yea! Yea! Yea!

Getting the Accountancy program from Nanyang is like striking the jackpot. Because of its world ranking the course is highly reserved for Sporeans and very few Malaysians can secure a place because applications for international category comes from other countries. It s highly competitive. Too good to pass it up. I actually sent his detailed results with his scores to Nanyang. He actually had perfect scores in some of his Maths papers and also accountancy.

This is so uplifting for me. All the years of struggle and hopes for my children has seen the light of day. I am truly happy.I will continue to return my blessings to those immediately close to me and that is my students. I make an effort to teach well and do things for their wellbeing.

Yea yea, I want to shout in exhilaration and thank my God for His goodness to me. Kind of remind me of Usain Bolt when he won the 100 metres and did a jig and was sort of "rebuked" for showboating. But I am doing it in front of myself.

2009-04-24T06:37:00.004+08:00

The much awaited news that an anxious mother hope for her son. Yea! It has come.

The university with such a formidable reputation. Nanyang Business School is the only Singapore business school and third in Asia to be accredited by both the EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) and AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). These are the most widely recognized European and American quality assurance standards for accounting and business education. They assure graduates that their degree will be both recognized and valued around the world.

Nanyang Business School is home to one of the world’s top 25 MBA programmes (Financial Times 2009). NBS is the first and only Singapore business school to have made it to the world top 25 ranking for full-time MBA programmes.

The email from Nanyang that has me glowing with joy.

Greetings from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore! I am very pleased to inform you that you have been selected for admission to the Nanyang Technological University in academic year 2009-10 for reading Accountancy under the subsidized tuition fee category.

I believe that our rigourous academic curriculum coupled with other exciting factors such as the resources, facilities, cutting-edge research, diversity and residential living etc., best define the Nanyang Technological University's global standing and recognition. It would be my pleasure to welcome you to the NTU family.

Your selection from a pool of highly qualified applicants is a strong recognition of your academic achievement and our belief that you will Take The Lead as a student of the NTU community. I extend to you my heartiest congratulations and look forward to your participation in a challenging and stimulating academic grooming at NTU.

Yea again. A prayer answered and goodness and bountiful of it will I give and keep on giving to my students. God's goodness has to be shared. There's still the outcome from NUS which has yet to be known.

But for the fleeting moment, indulge in the spark of glowing joy. Yea, yea.

2009-03-21T10:46:00.002+08:00

Nothing else but politics, politics and politics hogging the limelight while the economy quakes and people gets lay off by the thousands and I wonder who will be those taken in as layoffs and unemployment affects all ethnicities and in trying times rubbing salt into the wound with this unkind cut. Encounter of the Eli's Wong kind where one's privacy is intruded on to cause embarassment. So many sickos on the prowl.

Good grief in a week or two we will be anticipating a change of guard something that most of us do not feel comfortable with. What can we Malaysians expect? A change for the better? Dare we hope?

But then our country is a peaceful country, isnt it? So they say what with all sorts of Acts to maintain the peace and calm in the country. Unlike Thailand where there is uprising against the Prime Minister for not performing up to expectation. What avenue is there now for Malaysians to voice their dissent for the ills that has been plaguing the nation? The next election?

Malaysia, oh Malaysia wherefore thou art?

2009-03-08T17:30:00.000+08:00

This is taking things too far and making my stomach churn the fact that these people have to go to this extent to champion a language and deprive our children of moving forward with the times. So where do we go from here? Are we to succumb to this pressure applied by this group? Are we going to pander to this group and undo what has been implemented about six years back?

Do they not know that the references in most sciences sourced from internet and top research papers are published in the English? So they prefer to allow our children to remain under the coconut shell? So they prefer to see our students handicapped when it comes to acquiring information related to the sciences? So they prefer to see our students being left behind in areas of competitive research of scientific academia?

Enough has been said. It is always the excuse that the rural children are left behind because of lack of proficiency in the English Language. Does it mean that if one studies Mathematics and Science one does not “cinta Bahasa sendiri” What is wrong with the rural masses? Why is it so difficult for them to master the language when so much incentive has been given to the teachers to teach the subjects in English? Did they not study English from year one? Isnt six years of English lessons not enough to prepare them for the Year Six exam? Why is it so wrong to study just two subjects in English while the rest are still taught in Bahasa Melayu? Why still dillydally on this issue? Why cant it be allow to continue on until fruition? Why allow time and money to go down the drain when millions has been allocated for resources and teachers training to implement this PPSMI policy ?

Why? Why? Why?

How long will it last?

2009-03-01T14:26:00.003+08:00

To keep afloat grab anything at hand.

The recession is global: exports, production and consumption are in high-speed descent. The prices of stocks and real estate continue to fall, and thus it will take more time for consumers and companies to pay off debt.

And how long will it last A big question mark that begs a changing lifestyle for those who have been having it good. The economic malaise that plagued Japan from the 1990s until the early 2000s brought stunted wages and depressed stock prices, turning free-spending consumers into misers and making them dead weight on Japan’s economy.

Today, years after the recovery, even well-off Japanese households use old bath water to do laundry, a popular way to save on utility bills. Sales of whiskey, the favorite drink among moneyed Tokyoites in the booming ’80s, have fallen to a fifth of their peak. And the nation is losing interest in cars; sales have fallen by half since 1990.

After a catastrophic year for global markets, dazed investors are emerging from their shelters to ask if 2009 will be any better. The consensus among professionals? Do not expect the big rebound that usually follows a sharp downturn.

Nobody knew, or could know. Bear markets end when investors give up hope. Hope sustains life, but misplaced hope prolongs recessions. Modern-day booms are the products of low interest rates and easy credit. People overborrow, overpay and overindulge. They love the things that borrowed money buys, but the debts become insupportable. Then the assets, or some of them, must go.

Wishing that this weren’t happening to them, hopeful business people and homeowners resist making necessary adjustments. Some refuse to sell the house they can’t afford. Others won’t think of selling the stocks for which they paid what seemed a reasonable price only last year but which are one-half of that reasonable price today.

The decline can also be used as an opportunity to change financial behavior. Some people lived beyond their means, while others lived to their limits, figuring the bull market would never end. Both groups have to face the choices they made.

The crucial question is how people will live when times improve. Will they return to their spendthrift ways or live below their means?

A sobering message

2009-02-23T17:50:00.004+08:00

From the Daily Bread, something to mull upon with regard to all that is happening at the moment.

Although unprincipled people in power may gain quick success, they and their followers always reap the consequences of their immorality and opportunism. The old testament writers vividly described the results of evil leadership
Psalm 7:11-16
11 God is a righteous judge,
a God who expresses his wrath every day.
12 If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 He who is pregnant with evil
and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.
15 He who digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit he has made.
16 The trouble he causes recoils on himself;
his violence comes down on his own head.

Good character may limit a person's options at times, but wisdom flows from good character
Psalm 111:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Proverbs 3:3-4
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Dedication to principle and genuine concern for others may on occasion be a short-term disadvantage, but in the long run it will attract loyal followers, create lasting success, and earn the blessing of God

Psalm 37:34
34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Galatians 6:9
9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Another round of madness.

2009-02-16T23:34:00.006+08:00

Another round of insanity. It seems to be the preoccupation now to hurl as much mud or dig as much dirt, hitting below the belt to bring down a person.

Gosh what's next? Have these people nothing else to do? There seems to be no end to all these senseless madness. It is so sickening that these thing are happening one after another when there are more pressing issues to deal with.

We should be talking about how to stimulate the economy, create more jobs. We should be concerned about the crime rate, faulty traffic lights that is creating jams, vandalised public facilities, unmaintained public toilet, queues in public departments, Mat Rempits, truancy among students, lackadisical attitude of public servants in dealing with complaints

What right does a double face hypocrite has talking about credibility, asking for the poor lady's resignation.Look at yourself first. Are you clean in your heart? If not get off from the high moral ground you are standing. Can you imagine that the illegally taken photos can be classified as pornographic materials? This is disgusting! These people are beyond redemption. They want to make a mole out of a mountain hill just because it serve their unscrupulous agenda. This is all so distasteful. Within these two months, we have all these nonsense to divert people's attention. No, we will not be fooled. Scandals, controversies, we have enough of these. Let there be sense and sensibility in this country.

Leaving a Legacy

2009-02-15T16:01:00.002+08:00

These are core principles to live by if you want to become the kind of person who leaves a lasting legacy.

1.Life is best lived in service to others. This doesn’t mean that we do not strive for the best for ourselves. It does mean that in all things we serve other people, including our family, co-workers and friends.

2.Consider others’ interests as important as your own. Much of the world suffers simply because people consider only their own interests. People are looking out for number one, but the way to leave a legacy is to also look out for others.

3. Love your neighbor even if you don’t like him. It is interesting that Jesus told us to love others. But he never tells us to like them. Liking people has to do with emotions. Loving people has to do with actions. And what you will find is that when you love them and do good by them, you will more often than not begin to like them.

4. Maintain integrity at all costs. There are very few things you take to the grave with you. The number one thing is your reputation and good name. When people remember you, you want them to think, "She was the most honest person I knew. What integrity." There are always going to be temptations to cut corners and break your integrity. Do not do it. Do what is right all of the time, no matter what the cost.

5. You must risk in order to gain. In just about every area of life you must risk in order to gain the reward. In love, you must risk rejection in order to ask that person out for the first time. In investing you must place your capital at risk in the market in order to receive the prize of a growing bank account. When we risk, we gain. And when we gain, we have more to leave for others.

6. You reap what you sow. In fact, you always reap more than you sow—you plant a seed and reap a bushel. What you give you get. What you put into the ground then grows out of the ground.…It is one of the truest laws of the universe. Decide what you want out of life and then begin to sow it.

7. Hard work is never a waste. No one will say, "It is too bad he was such a good, hard worker." But if you aren’t they will surely say, "It’s too bad he was so lazy—he could have been so much more!" Hard work will leave a grand legacy. Give it your all on your trip around the earth. You will do a lot of good and leave a terrific legacy.

8. Don’t give up when you fail. Imagine what legacies would have never existed if someone had given up. How many thriving businesses would have been shut down if they quit at their first failure? Everyone fails. It is a fact of life. But those who succeed are those who do not give up when they fail. They keep going and build a successful life—and a legacy.

9. Don’t ever stop in your pursuit of a legacy. Many people have accomplished tremendous things later on in life. There is never a time to stop in your pursuit of a legacy. Sometimes older people will say, "I am 65. I’ll never change." That won’t build a great life! No, there is always time to do more and achieve more, to help more and serve more, to teach more and to learn more. Keep going and growing that legacy!

Jim Rohn

We need God fearing leaders.

2009-02-09T09:55:00.004+08:00

Seizing power through sham defections. Where will this leadthe country to? This is gutter politics of the lowest and vulgar level. Imagine the country is run by people who have no integrity, no principles, no respect for the mandate of the rakyat.

Imagine people who speak with forked tongues and does otherwise. Do you expect people to believe one will be a leader for all? Can one expect to win the hearts and minds of the rakyat who has witnessed daylight robbery?

Where are the God fearing people? Oh those pesky ordinary folks who took to the streets and shouted treason on those who questioned the illegal takeover. We know they have been manipulated by people who have never taken a consistent stand and by those who have earlier called the kettle black in earlier incidents where our esteemed Majesties made decisions not in their favour. We respect our Majesties and the symbol our Majesties represent, protector and custodian of the people's rights.

Can we trust our country to be led by this group of people who were enticed with lucrative carrots? Can people with dubious character be trusted to run the country?The public’s revulsion isn’t mindless class hatred.

Madness!

2009-02-05T06:10:00.004+08:00

This is madness. At a time when attention and energy should be channeled towards uplifting the economy these people are playing games!

What the heck! Do they not have principles? Do they not have priorities? What do they take us for? That we the people can be tossed about like play items? Do they have no respect for the mandate given to them?

Another election means another round of rhetoric and unnecessary waste of money and resources. Goodness, when are these people going to grow up? There are so many things that needs straightening up. Hi there we do not need these diversion or excitement.

Counting blessings

2009-01-30T21:31:00.004+08:00

All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition: that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors.
- John Calvin

It has been a hard year so far, with financial and corporate meltdowns requiring drastic decisions on the part of our leaders, with election rhetoric heating up the airwaves and recriminations flying back and forth between politicians, with job loss looming for many folks.

Counting blessings is a great way to feel good about yourself and your life, even during the worst of times. Counting your blessings, instead of the losses and focusing on the positive aspects of life can help in shifting attitudes and life challenges. Blessings come to us in all different ways. Often blessings come in small ways and those are the ones most often overlooked. When we really give it thought, there is so much to be grateful for.

I have a lot to be grateful for—family, health, and job security (in a job I love), to name just a few. I do wake up each day with pain on my lower back and stiff shoulder but I am thankful that I can move around with ease after a dose of infra red therapy from Philips infra care. In our homeland and around the world, there are people every day who struggle to feed, clothe and shelter their families, while I sit and “surf the net.” They have the right to whine. In these situations I found a reminder about appreciating life--not sweating the small stuff--remembering to put things in perspective and appreciating and enjoying the journey.

We should certainly count our blessings. But, we should also make our blessings count.
- Neil A. Maxwell

The moment

2009-01-21T00:07:00.003+08:00

The moment has arrived and I was waiting with bated breath the swearing in and the inaugural speech of the newly elect president. It's an extraordinary moment - the beginning of a collective effort to repair and renew the values and the hopes that America was built upon, guided by a leader of profound calm, intellect, humility and wisdom. People around the world were watching and this would be the largest audience viewing either from their TV sets or following the news from their laptops. By the hundreds of thousands they came from every part of a nation that has rarely been in such peril and yet is so optimistic about its new leader.

I listen to every word of his speech and the speech is both powerful and subtle. President Obama’s gift for putting words and their meanings together so magnificently requires me to reread them again and again to gain their full significance.

President Obama declared: “On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn- out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.” President Obama did offer hope in his speech. He may not have made believers of his biggest detractors, but he certainly showed that he is willing to win them over. He also threw down a challenge to all Americans to help him achieve his goals, and that will require hard work by all Americans to make it happen.

Finally a calm, firm voice of reason. But Obama faces enormous challenges. The words will become rhetory if thoughts and actions do not match. One man can't change the world by himself. But Americans together, by finally voting into office someone who is intelligent, articulate, positive, and a product of diversity, together have taken an enormous step toward changing the world for good.

SOWING AND REAPING

2009-01-04T18:36:00.004+08:00

Thought for today.

"Good thought and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles." - As A Man Thinketh

Most everyone understands the biblical concept of sowing and reaping because we can grasp the simplicity of the logic. If we were to plant corn in our backyard garden we wouldn't expect spinach to come up. But even thought we can grasp the logic, we don't always as if we understand the power of this principle. And we certainly don't act as if this principle will affect us.

An example: For many years my morning ritual began with a thorough reading of the newspaper, most days spending an hour or more before dashing off to the office. I did not know then that our minds are most impressionable immediately upon rising in the morning and just before sleep in the evening.

Fresh from the reading (and thoughts) of the day's murders, indictments, invasions by foreign dictators, and all other manner of "news", it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that my sowing of these thoughts would reap an "attitude" toward the rush hour drivers who were "conspiring" to slow down my arrival at work. Thus, by the time I did arrive, I had set the tone for my day, and it was not a positive one.

I gave up my morning ritual ten years ago and replaced it with a ritual of reading and meditating on some works that will sow "good thoughts" and thus reap "good results." I wasn't aware at the time that this was some sound advice offered up by the Apostle Paul, who wrote, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about."

We always reap what we sow and that is especially true with our thoughts. As Emmet Fox writes, "The secret of life then is to control your mental states, for if you will do this the rest will follow. To accept sickness, trouble, and failure as unavoidable, and perhaps inevitable, is folly, because it is this very acceptance by you that keeps these evils in existence. Man is not limited by his environment. He creates his environments by his beliefs and feelings. To suppose otherwise is like thinking that the tail can wag the dog."

Vic Johnson

And that's worth thinking about.

2009-01-02T16:55:00.001+08:00

I'm hoping to see an end to the debate on the issue of teaching of science and mathematics, and also the proposal to have a single school system so that we as a nation can move forward. This issue, that seems so near and dear to all Malaysians, can not be used to divide us. Those of us that live with our finger on the pulse are the ones that are in the know here. Please, place politics aside this time and do the next right thing.

The needs of kids across Malaysia have changed dramatically in the past fifty years. Arcane ideas are not what we need. Change requires a firsthand view of the lives of our children both inside and outside the classroom to strike the right balance. Our national schools need drastic revisions to make them flourish. We must begin to look at the outside lives of the suburban student too, whose parents can not be available to support them in the ways that they have in the past. Schools are picking up a huge portion of the slack, and that must be factored into the puzzle. There's so much to think about here.

There is a solution here, but it can not be a one-size-fits-all. In the classroom, we are expected to differentiate for all the needs of our children. The leaders at the top need to do the same. So many in industries think because they sat in a desk, they know the genre of the classroom. We've got way too many "entitled" MAs, Phds and what-have-you who moved up and away from the classroom. Spend the time to become clear and informed by walking in the shoes of the teachers and the students in the classrooms. With open minds, and a clear understanding of the nitty-gritty job of educating kids, anything is possible. We can get it right this time.

A major problem with education today is the lack of classroom experience among leaders. They try to lead and perform based on what the textbook says and can't adjust when it doesn't work. They also can't acknowledge that they don't have all the answers. Educational leaders need significant classroom experience to be effective. Maybe, if our political leaders were to let their children attend public schools they might find out what they are really like, and then there might be some hope for the change they keep talking about.

2008-12-28T16:29:00.002+08:00

There again the lopsidedness of the civil service where one ethnic race is top heavy on the distribution of promotional posts in the public sector, so there again the minorities are left with the little crumbs that fall off the table.

Reported here in the Star.

KUALA LUMPUR: 3,169 graduate education officers have been considered for promotions in the Education Ministry’s Graduate Education Officers Service.

Education Ministry secretary-general, Tan Sri Dr Zulkurnain Awang said that of the total, 2,534 were Malays, 445 Chinese, 144 Indians and 46 from the other races.

On working out the Malays constitute around 80%, the lion's share while the Chinese, the Indians and the lain-lain made up the rest in the following percentage,14; 4.5; and 1.5.

So you can expect education policies to also be shaped along ethnic lines.

The inequity of the system has forced the others to leave the country to seek greener pastures elsewhere. Ethnic dissension on education will continue to be on the roll when control is heavily rested on one domineering race.

Perhaps only when policy-makers are directly held accountable for the failures of their ill-conceived policies, or their abject failure to implement good policies, will they be inclined to consult with those who have more experience and wisdom in the field.

Through the years these policies will continue to create divisions among the people.

Exactly when a race does not constitute 80% of the population,why is this distribution so permeated in excess of the actual percentage? A question that begs for justice and equality.

2008-12-15T10:12:00.003+08:00

I think I am drowned. All over blogosphere I read arguments and counter arguments non stop, here and here and here and here and another good one here.

No, the cows haven’t come back home. This debate on the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English will drag on and on until it snowballs and we all get crushed because we cannot come to a consensus.

Wong from the Star staked his argument here and Professor Khoo who was hurled missiles for his stand fired back.

Our Minister of Education will be in for a long haul. It will be tough to please all sides. By the look of it, there will more round table discussions to deliberate on this touchy issue and 2008 is drawing to a close. Education has always been a sensitive issue. Press the wrong button and the siren will wail and snarl at you.

Sigh, when will all these end. Hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel.

Anyway on the brighter side since Christmas is around the corner let'scheer ourselves with this carol.

A forgiving spirit

2008-12-11T20:54:00.004+08:00

A Korean immigrant who lost his wife, two children and mother-in-law when a Marine Corps jet slammed into the family's house said Tuesday he did not blame the pilot, who ejected and survived.

"Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident," a distraught Dong Yun Yoon told reporters gathered near the site of Monday's crash of an F/A-18D jet in San Diego's University City community.
"He is one of our treasures for the country," Yoon said in accented English punctuated by long pauses while he tried to maintain his composure.

"I don't blame him. I don't have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could," said Yoon, flanked by members of San Diego's Korean community, relatives and members from the family's church.

But to Don Yun Yoon, his faith appears to be his rock and instead of asking us to pray for him, he’s asking us to pray for the pilot, for Yoon fears he will be destroyed by the loss of innocent human life that resulted from his jet slamming into Yoon’s house. This is grace in action. A man who has suffered a staggering loss has shown to the whole world the meaning of grace. An incredible act of forgiveness in contrast to the senseless act of violence in Mumbai.

Let English stay with Science and Maths.

2008-12-10T22:33:00.004+08:00

I pity the insecurity of those who oppose English, but for their righteousness and chauvinism, they deserve my contempt. I wish they would all disappear, but alas they would not.

Rightly said. We have read about how certain groups vehemently oppose the policy of teaching science and maths to the extent that they would go on strike on a nationwide protest. It seems the reason for them to do this is that the academic results since the language-switch policy was implemented have shown that the policy does not help students to improve their proficiency in English. Then something must be wrong down the line.

If the teaching has been done at an earlier stage, I see no reason why the students are not able to cope. Again it must the overemphasis of their mother tongue or the teachers themselves have not used the language widely. Why the fear of using a language that has wide applications in every discipline? Yes carry on with the use of vernacular language in other subjects but please do not restrict the use of a language that allows a student to get ahead in life especially across international borders.

Enough have been said on how difficult it is for students to make the transition from vernacular language to the English Language when they enter secondary schools where the teaching of the sciences is continued in English. It is the incompetence in the English Language that have caused scholars to fumble when they were sent overseas on taxpayers money in countries like UK, the States and Down Under. I am quite sure they would have cope well if given an earlier start in the language.

Please remember it is just the sciences that is taught in English while other subjects remain to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia. Our national language must be given due importance. And for goodness sake please do not regard the teaching of Science and Maths in English as a "betrayal of the position of Bahasa Melayu as the national language. No, no, no. My preU students who studied the sciences in vernacular and national language had earlier hiccups when I taught them but along the way this cleared up when I used both Mandarin and Bahasa to explain certain terms. Most of the time I speak to them in English.

If a total of RM3.2 billion has been spent over the past five years in carrying out the teaching of Science and Maths in English, with a large portion being spent on the purchase of ICT equipment, why abandon the project half way? It would be a disaster to do a flip flop on this policy. A policy must be given enough time to see it through its success.

Look at the Singapore's model. Although the medium of instruction is English most Singaporeans including the Malay and Indian Singaporeans, I was told by my brother speak fairly good Mandarin. I guess it must be the daily interaction with each other that they pick up each other's language just like how the Myanmars in the restaurant pick up Cantonese or other dialects. I myself have never attended Chinese school or Mandarin lessons but through interaction with my students I have acquired a certain amount of proficiency and I have no problem in speaking Mandarin with a Chinese national when I go for my monthly massage to ease my back pain.

On vernacular schools

2008-12-07T16:59:00.003+08:00

I read this and I also read this over the brouhaha and the flak directed at Datuk Mukhriz's suggestion to create a single school system to solve the problem of polarisation.

I also read a very lengthy post on this issue. It took me the whole night to digest an article written with very well supported examples and arguments why as a nation a cohesive nation we must come together as one with no tribal feelings but one feeling of belonging and to achieve that according to the author we must speak, think and schooled in one common language all under one roof right from young and not as separate entities. According to the author, we must assimilate the culture and the language of the majority just like the Thai Chinese and the Indo Chinese. Then there will be no divisiveness among us. This is his wordy and lengthy post.

Chinese like me during the 60's and 70's enrolled in National English Schools and although I am not able to write Chinese I am able to coverse quite confidently in Mandarin. I am able to write my own name in Chinese and simple Chinese words. I can play many Chinese tunes with my accordian and I also have my favourite Chinese singers like Emil Chao and R&B singer David Tao.

But the sad part is, every year there are thousands of drop-outs among the Chinese students simply because they are not able to cope with the change in the medium of instruction from Chinese to English in the 1960s and 1970s and thereafter to Bahasa Malaysia.Many ended up as labourers, farmers, plumbers, mechanics, VCD pedlars and unskilled workers.

I have to swallow my tribal feeling and have to agree with Roger that the abovesaid is also my observation. I do notice that those who graduated from national schools have a better command in the English and National Language. I do not know whether maybe it is because of the overemphasis of the mother tongue that vernacular schools students lose out to those who went through national schools.

Yes, Yes I do believe and support parents rights to have their children acquire proficiency in their mother tongue. The fact that parents enrol their children in vernacular is because of the declining quality of national schools where there have been reports of how teachers mete out unfair treatment to students of other ethnicities. Another sore point is the poor administration of pupils own language classes in national schools by the administrators. Parents fear discriminatory treatment by teachers if they place their children in national schools. We have read reports on teachers using racial slurs on students in estate schools. We have heard how certain students are favoured to take part in competition over more deserving ones. Until all these nitty-gritty problems are solved, national schools will not be a first choice for the parents of the minorities.

2008-11-28T09:47:00.004+08:00

Naysayers outlook for 2009.

Fellow citizens, don't listen to the Badawi regime's fairy tales. Prepare for the worst and the worst is yet to come...
"We must tighten our belts, save for the stormy days that will surely come and not spend, spend as advocated by the Badawi regime's ministers," he stated, painting an alarming picture of what he expected to happen next year.

So what do we do? Should we all just lie down and die? Probably he is right. the fat cats must learn how to live with leaner livestyle.

Too many fat cats have no real knowledge of what it is like to be a working class citizen...."main street"....."middle class".....low income or otherwise.

They can pay lip-service to it - but they never really know what it is like to have to decide at the grocery store which item (or items) to put back because it put's you over your weekly budget.....or wanting a nicer pair of shoes - but because you had to wait for them to go on sale the size you needed is gone.....or putting off expensive dental work because the money is needed for children's expenses, or a new roof....car repair or medical expenses.......the list goes on.

The KEY to our NATION's problem - BUY! BUY! BUY! SPEND! SPEND! SPEND! Worry about the bill later. When so much of our economy is based on buy-buy-buy, aka consumerism, the point at which we are now is not surprising. The pursuit of wealth at the expense of others is also coupled with the pursuit of "things" we think we need, but don't.

This begs the question: Why doesn't our politicians set an example by taking pay cuts as well? Why don't they give up their perks to reduce the cost of operating a government?
Deals which result in huge salaries and bonuses merely for being connected to the right people need to be made illegal. Living beyond one's means should be a socially unacceptable lifestyle.

2008-11-27T20:48:00.002+08:00

What a shame and a hollow sham. Students on government scholarship blundered in international exams.

It was reported that our students were performing poorly consistently. Seventy per cent of Malaysians had failed their examinations, had taken 10 years to complete their four-year courses and had failed to grasp Arabic. This equates to 2,800 students.

A sham when grades are inflated for low scores and the public is imbued with a false sense that our students have performed well. And when such a large number score A's without knowing the true value, scholarships are unfairly awarded while the truly deserving ones are denied. What a waste of taxpayers money! This really stinks when true and total merit is not practiced in the awards of scholarships.

We have to be honest with ourselves. Or rather, the government has to take stock of the situation and rectify this before we become a worldwide object of ridicule and rejection.
The bottom line is that our education system is failing our students.

Exactly stop fiddling with the scores and set a reasonable standard. And please do not talk about sending our students to English speaking countries when our politicians downplay the importance of the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English. How can one expect a student with a poor grasp of the language follow up with lessons and materials in English? For God's sake we live in a globalised world of science and technology. It is pathetic to see our students conversing in substandard English Language and not able to write or communicate confidently. So where is the competitive edge when it comes to seeking employment?

Time for a rethink. By the way more opinions of the inflated grades. Another letter from the Sun.

Exam slips must tell more

THERE have been various opinions expressed on the quality of our students and some quarters have questioned the validity of exam results. I for one, do not think that our quality of education has improved and believe that the "curve" has dropped to show year by year achievement. To prove me and others wrong, this is my suggestion to the Education Ministry.

When the PMR and SPM results are announced, the result strip, instead of just reporting the aggregate, should include the marks and the range (minimum and maximum) of the aggregate.

This way, students, universities and colleges would be able to compare applications between students at the top of the curve and bottom of the curve.

It would prevent or minimise disputes on who’s more qualified for places. The ministry should also provide such details when reporting the results and making comparisons against previous years.

2008-11-25T18:36:00.003+08:00

Lawan tetap lawan. Syed's take on the war of the Amazons while this is the Iron Lady's side of the story. She was definitely incensed that her deputy dare to challenge her. It 's all written on her face the bitterness, the venom, the spitefulness of going to the media to belittle the number two. Exactly for a woman scorned, she is furious.

So what's wrong if her deputy takes up the gauntlet at the urging of the grass roots. Let the delegates decide whom they want to be in the lead. If they think that it's time for her to go, then go.She has warmed the seat for too long. She has her chance. Why cant she be magnanimous and take up the challenge in a sporting spirit?

The challenger who was emboldened to put up a fight also have her say. So say the men, "Let the delegates decide. "

And for the rest of us ordinary mortals who are more concerned with the economy, our children s education and our day to day survival, it will be just another side show forthcoming.

Of course we are concerned about good governance. And as we await our Education Minister's announcement of the language of instruction for Science and Mathematics, we fervently hope there will not be blind patriotism and stubbornness to do what is best for the future of our children.

The world's economy is in shambles and dark clouds are gathering on our own horizon. Our revenue is dwindling because of the fall in prices of our commodities and oil. People are also wondering whether our savings in the bank is safe.When people panic, they look for a strong leader who will give them what they want and make their financial problems go away. At a moment when we should unite to solve our economic problems, here in our midst we have people engaged in pettiness like making stupid police reports about having road signs in multiple languages, people protesting about a temporary appointment of a lady in charge of a state corporate body. We really have so many misfits who are still living in the dark ages and whose minds are incapable of expansion.

Forget about him.

2008-11-24T23:14:00.003+08:00

Hi there, what's the big deal whether he comes or he comes not?

Why so much fuss over one who doesnt seem to attach much significance to the title that is going to be bestowed upon him? Arent there Malaysians who have contributed much more and deserve recognition over somebody who probably stood out in looks and his starry glow?

Dont they get it? Why drool over somebody who cannot find the time to attend a ceremony which is to be graced by the Governor and other state dignitaries? They just dont get it.

Wow! Hear this.

“It will be the first time that an international Bollywood star is given the honor of donning the official Malay costume, which would be viewed by the entire world,”

They are giving him superstar coverage. Probably it must be his scent. He smells good and the rest of us doesnt. Goodness, whenever are they going to give priority to our own people. Such contempt for our kind and VIP treatment for someone who was only here for a short stay and yet held in such high esteem. Wonder whether other countries lay out the red carpet for him.

Hello there, he is just an ordinary man, neither God nor Saviour. Nobody special. Take care of our rakyat first. Let's see whether his godly presence will uplift our humdrum tourism industry. If really his presence can bring hordes of tourists, then maybe he can be elevated to "Tan Sri" status.

Next change

2008-11-22T22:18:00.005+08:00

Can I see a show of hands? How many people want George W. out and Barack in?

A great many Americans have been counting the days all year on their 2008 George W. Bush Out of Office Countdown calendars. In happier days, Bush may have nurtured hopes of making it into the list of America’s mediocre presidents, but somewhere between Iraq and Katrina, that goal became a mountain too high.

If Bush gives up doing nothing by giving up his job, it’s possible that someday history might elevate him to the ranks of the below average. The person who would like this plan least probably would be Barack Obama. Who would want to be saddled with the auto industry’s problems ahead of schedule? An instantaneous takeover would also ruin the Obama team’s plan to have the tidiest, best-organized presidential transition in history.

And this reminds me of something of similar nature back home. There were calls badgering for our own PM to step down and the loudest and vociferous cry came from none other than our former PM.

There is no way that Bush doesn't win as worst president. Sleeping through Katrina and overseeing the collapse of the global economy while losing 2 wars and declaring war on the environment guarantees that he wins the spot.

And doesnt this remind us again of the same thing during the big floods in Johore? Our own PM was holidaying Down Under while Johoreans were besieged with flood woes. Haha remember reading this funny post where he was caught as somebody had said in deep thought.

And he leaves with the most broken economy in U.S. history, while traveling to Peru to lecture the world on how to live.

And ours isnt in good shape either. While the Americans are hoping for Mr Bush to relinquish his position in the White House and the pendulum swing from Bush to Obama, we are not so sure of our future incoming PM. For the moment, I think we just dream a little and not hope so much. Do we Malaysians have the luxury of somebody with some leadership? Dare we hope for change?

Fifty years after Independence we are still in the quagmire of racial bigotry. Our universities are nowhere at the top 100 rungs in the THES University Rankings. Our educational system is in the rot. Our public exams may produce students with strings of As but of which the value is not transparent. So now the authorities are very happy that the students are indeed getting smarter? Well done Boleh-land! So krever! Perhaps, this is why we have a host of students with an impressive string of 'As' who can hardly construct a decent sentence!

Gender Problem

2008-11-19T18:20:00.002+08:00

A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English,

nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa..'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'

A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun.
Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora'), because:

1 No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

(THIS GETS BETTER!)

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador'), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

Send this to all the smart women you know...and all the men that have a sense of humor.

2008-11-16T15:22:00.003+08:00

For God's sake, stop the delusion game and stop inflating the grades of non deserving cases. Wong rightly bare the true situation of our examination system in his weekly column. How can excellence be justly measured when grades are inflated for mediocre scores?

Many also take a highly sceptical view of the Mathematics and Additional Mathematics results at SPM level because the perception is grading has been lowered.

In short, it is easy to score distinctions because the bell curve is adjusted to reduce the number of failures.

It is definitely unfair when undeserving cases scored A because of this adjustment of the bell curve. It is common knowledge that students who have been know not to do well end up with As in these subjects. Their mediocrity shows up when these students take the international A levels or IB. It is definitely unfair when genuine deserving cases for scholarships are turned away in favour of those whose grades were propped up because of this unfair adjustment.

The point is this – we have compromised the quality of our education. We have refused to admit it, preferring to live with the delusion that all is well. Worse, our politicians get carried away sometimes with their rhetoric of “world class education” when they should worry more about the basics of the education system.

We have so many students with so many As who think they deserve to be in medical schools now and get JPA scholarships. It is a bottleneck created by the administration and it doesn’t help that every year, there is a feeling of unfairness in the awarding of these scholarships.

This is so very true when there is no proper screening of the value of the As that the students obtained. It is unlike the Alevels where the marks are shown next to the grade and anyway A levels grading are very stringent. One needs to score above 80% to clinch an A.

Our public exams remain a farce when there is no transparency in the awarding of grades. Forget about world class education when there is dumbing down of grades. We can hardly get anywhere with this mindset of mediocrity and compete with others when we set the bar so low.

2008-11-13T10:22:00.002+08:00

Another great stirring speech to add to my collection.

Barack Obama delivers his acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colo.

The world is waiting for President-elect Barack Obama, and some of its most prominent leaders are flying into the United States this weekend clamoring to meet with him. But they will have to keep on waiting.

This is the magnetic appeal of Obama.

Instead, the Obama team is scrambling to arrange for surrogates to meet with visiting foreign officials while emphasizing that Mr. Bush remains the nation’s leader until Jan. 20. “It’s not appropriate for two people to show up for this meeting,” said John D. Podesta, co-chairman of Mr. Obama’s transition team.

It will be an uphill task a steep slope for him when he takes over. Let's wait and see whether he can turn America around.

Savoring Obama’s victory speech.

2008-11-08T18:52:00.004+08:00

Simply beautiful, elegant and moving and I actually listened and licked almost every word of it. Oh yes I listened to it a total of five times while multitasking on other chores. So clear and forcefully delivered

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
“Its been a long time coming, but tonight … change has come to America.”
Full text of Barack Obama's acceptance speech.

2008-11-06T23:04:00.002+08:00

Inspiring, riveting and well spoken for the defining moment. What a great speech with reminiscent flashes of the JFK type. There is an overwhelming emotion out there, and it is called hope. This is what Obama brings to the White House.

Imagine going back in time to 1955 and telling Rosa Parks, “One day a black man will be president.” It would be like going back to the 1940s and telling people we would one day walk on the Moon or fly to Mars. What seemed impossible in one time, becomes reality in another. That is progress. USA chooses change.

Would we Malaysia embrace the audacity of hope? Would the wave of change that is sweeping the States rushes ashore to Malaysia.? Well if I am not mistaken there is still a possibility, a glimmer of hope. After all our PM did say this.

Change has come.

2008-11-05T16:38:00.003+08:00

This is truly exquisite and beautiful. Change has come.

This is one of those moments in history when it is worth pausing to reflect on the basic facts:

An American with the name Barack Hussein Obama, the son of a white woman and a black man he barely knew, raised by his grandparents far outside the stream of American power and wealth, has been elected the 44th president of the United States. With a message of hope and competence, he drew in legions of voters who had been disengaged and voiceless.

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, on this election, in this defining moment, change is coming to America," Obama told his beaming supporters.

"It will be the beginning of racial healing in the country."

A triumphant Barack Obama vowed to be a president for all America and asked for patience to address the nation's problems of war and finance that he called the greatest challenges of a lifetime.

The elevation of Barack Obama to the White House is a transcendent moment. The question this time was whether a black man could win the presidency. Forty percent of all white Americans hold a negative view of blacks, according to polling by The Associated Press, and two-thirds of white Democrats express racial misgivings.

Yet on Election Day, Obama won more than four of every 10 white votes. Americans said yes, we can overcome our original sin. Fifty years from now, President Obama will be remembered for more than the color of his skin. And this moment will never be forgotten.

This is truly a moment for the rest of the world. His "extraordinary journey" to the White House would inspire people not only in his country but around the world. People the world over — many of them in countries where the idea of a minority being elected leader is unthinkable — expressed amazement and satisfaction that the United States could overcome centuries of racial strife and elect an African-American as president.

Obama's international root has the whole world backing him. He had an Asian childhood, African parentage and has a Middle Eastern name. He is a truly global president.

This remarkable election elevates America back as the country which practices a democracy that other countries can only imagine. Wonderful, wonderful, welcome America.

It's time for change

2008-10-31T17:46:00.001+08:00

It is about time, the dawning of a new era, one of hope, Obama as President.

Wisdom and intelligence in government, a high standard for governance and nothing short of high quality, Mr. Obama brings with him a paradigmatic shift in the historical role America play in the world, ushering in a fundamental change not only in how America is seen, but in how hope is understood. He has the rare stature of a statesman; possess eloquence and vision, style and reason and passion.

Obama clearly has the personal attributes to be a great president, i.e., high intelligence as indicated by his academic record, organizational ability, as indicated by his exemplary work as a community organizer, judgment in assessing complex situations as indicated by his early opposition to the invasion of Iraq.

Obama has the personality and ideas to start a new era, less materialistic, based on ideas, knowledge and science. Obama not only has deep intelligence and the proposals and a world view that are more likely to set the U.S. on a better path at home and around the globe, he has, by the fact of his racial makeup, the potential to give black Americans a gigantic psychological lift and help heal long-festering racial wounds. Obama will be the obvious choice for those who know problems that America faces today call for an end to Mr. Bush’s legacy.

Many in the media never thought they'd see a black candidate get this close to the presidency, and they desperately want this story -- the black president. It will be history in the making not just for America but for the rest of the world. The audacity of hope and with only five days left, Obama is pulling out all the stops. Let’s wait for November the 4th to unfold.

2008-10-29T16:44:00.004+08:00

In an earlier post I posted an email I received and elicited an interesting anonymous response. Anyway thanks for sharing. I decided to dig deeper on what others think about this and I stumbled on an equally enlightening one which is food for thought.

The Psalm 118:8 "centre" comes from someone incorrectly identifying 118 as the centre chapter and then asserting that verse 8 as the centre verse of the centre chapter. However, on the first point, it is easy to see that someone miscounted. 117 is actually the centre chapter in the Bible.

Secondly, 118 has 29 verses, making 8 the incorrect "centre of the centre.

"There are two reasons why these incorrect numbers are so widely reported. One is that an e-mail with this information became widely distributed a long time ago, in a way that is similar to how virus hoaxes are perpetuated (i.e., "pass this along to everyone you know"). It has been shown repeatedly that people will forward information without verifying its validity. The second reason is that other "statistics" were included in the e-mail, supposedly showing a general pattern of "1188" comes through counting chapters. The claim is that this pattern shows the "perfection" of the Bible. Unfortunately, all of this is based on faulty maths!

Ironically, Psalm 118:8 speaks to trusting God rather than man. We can only guess about the person who sent the original message. If someone attempted to "prove" the validity of Scripture through numerology, they only proved this verse by coming up with the wrong answer through human error.

Of course, the correct proof of Scripture is in the historical facts, the present changed lives, and the future fulfilment of the remainder of prophecy, not the supposed symmetry of Scripture.

Such faulty logic is further compounded by remembering that the original text did not have chapters or verses. On the other hand, if the person was malicious, they probably set out to "prove" that Christians are gullible. I doubt that Christians are any more gullible than anyone else, but perhaps it shows that we are not as careful with information about our most important book as we could be. It might also show that we focus too much on trivial information.

If we wish to use chapters and verses to establish the centre point of the Bible it seems that Psalm 103:1 (the 15551st verse) "Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name." is the centre verse and Psalm 117 (the 595th chapter) is the centre verse of the Bible.

Another response.

I don't think there is any purpose is arguing against this because it *may* be off by one chapter being the actual centre of the Bible. No one can refute how interesting this is anyway. It still is about Jesus, still is the Bible and there is no fruitfulness in making a big deal about which chapter is technically "centre". The CENTER of the Bible is Jesus Christ. Nothing else matters.

The Centre of the Bible

2008-10-29T09:36:00.001+08:00

This is pretty strange how it worked out this way.
Even if you are not religious, you should read this.

Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalm 117

Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalm 119

Q: Which chapter is in the centre of the Bible?
A: Psalm 118

Facts: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118.
There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118.

Add these numbers up and you get 1188.

Q: What is the centre verse in the Bible?
A: Psalm 118:8

Does this verse say something significant
about God's perfect will for our lives?

The next time someone says they would like to find
God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to
be in the centre of His will, just send them to the
centre of His Word!

Psalms 118:8 (NKJV)
"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

The Holy Alphabet... This is Beautiful

2008-10-27T23:10:00.003+08:00

Whoever came up with this one must have been filled with the Holy Spirit!

Although things are not perfect,
Because of trial or pain,
Continue in thanksgiving
Don't even think to blame.
Even when the times are hard,
Fierce winds are bound to blow,
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know.
Imagine life without His love,
Joy would cease to be,
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts thee to see.
Move out of 'Camp Complaining',
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone.
Quit worrying about the future,
Redeem the time at hand,
Start every day with prayer
To 'thank' is God's command.
Until we see Him coming,
Victorious in the sky,
We'll run the race with gratitude,
Xalting God most high.
Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory... where none are ever sad!

'I AM Too blessed to be stressed!' The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.
Love and peace be with you forever, Amen.

2008-10-25T08:51:00.005+08:00

This is really welcome news.

The Deputy Prime Minister said there should be gradual liberalisation of the NEP as and when bumiputras begin to feel more confident of competing with others domestically and globally. Najib added that he was glad to note more bumiputras were becoming confident of competing and doing well.

Good! acknowledgment and realization of the fact that it is time, probably a bit overdue that all Malaysians be put on equal footing and not one particular group be given a leg up. Yes, learning to be more competitive instead of expecting things to be handed on a platter.

Hey, lets give our beloved DPM a pat for saying this
.

“I am working towards a gradual liberalisation. In the not too distant future, we will see the elements of it,” he said during a televised Bloomberg interview.

But why wait and said not too distant future. You mean to say it cannot be immediately dismantled? And there's still the extension looming with no time frame. Year 1970 until now year 2008 that's a period of over 30 years. Isnt it fairly long enough for the achievement of the objectives?

Hey look at the lifestyles of these privileged people driving Mercedes, living in bungalows, holidaying overseas staying in 5 star hotels,wearing designer labels.
Arent all these indicators of the good life? How much longer do you expect to prolong the policy? What about others sons and daughters of the soil who are marginalised? Do they not deserve equal treatment?

Hear these loud and clear.

The needs and legitimate concerns of every community in the country should be addressed and the Government should be seen as being serious about solving their problems.

Let this be a testimony said on the day thereof by our beloved PM to be that he will walk the talk and not appear to look good in the foreign media. We hope that he will walk the extra mile to help those disenfranchised by this policy and ensure fairness and justice for people of ALL walks of life whether it be for Ahmad, Samy or Ah Seng that help be rendered to those who truly deserve it.

Friends, countrymen, lend me your ears;

2008-10-19T00:51:00.003+08:00

“Umno is not a ‘bully’ party, there is no such thing as bully, we are all friends,” Abdullah said in reply to a point raised by outgoing MCA president Ong Ka Ting in a farewell speech earlier.
“Their (the opposition) work is to create hatred among BN component parties.

“Do you think Ka Ting allows himself to be bullied? You think (MIC president S) Samy (Vellu) can be bullied? You think (Gerakan president Dr Koh) Tsu Koon wants to be bullied?

In his speech, he pointed out that if Umno was indeed a bully to the others Barisan would not have been a successful Government.
To a question, he acknowledged that Barisan parties had also complained about Umno being domineering but said it only happened after the Opposition raised it.

So this is justification that Umno has never been a bully.
Umno’s performance on the bully pulpit should come as no surprise.

So said this BN guy.

“The prime minister has said that it’s not true that the component parties were bullied but the perception is that Umno controls everything or the Umno’s voice seems to be louder.

“Sometimes when other component parties leaders said certain thing, you will find Umno Youth giving (us) warning,” said Kayveas who was also present at the MCA event today.

Umno is an honourable party. Umno does not bully. Umno upholds the Ketuanan Rakyat concept. Umno is always in consultation with its partners. Umno does not run rough shod over other the feelings of other component parties. Umno respect the feelings and sensitivities of other ethnic communities.

Umno believes in equal power sharing. Umno believes in the practice of meritocracy to bring out the best of our brains. Umno practises accountability and transparency in its dealings to ensure fairness to all races. UMNO is definitely not a Bully! And UMNO is an honorable party.

I speak not to disprove what Ong spoke,

But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause:

What cause withholds you then to agree with him?

O judgement! thou art blind to the Opposition,

And men have lost their reason…. Bear with Barisan;

UMNO's heart is with all component's parties.

The economic tsunami

2008-10-13T16:45:00.005+08:00

I am actually perplexed to read in the news that we will not be swallowed in by this wave of economic turmoil that s affecting the rest of many countries. I am actually dumbstruck to hear our DPM saying our fundamentals are strong. What the heck they take us for? Gullible to believe that we are fine while the rest of the world are drowned in the sea of economic downturn. Almost everyday these guys engaged themselves in shameless acts of political haggling of power when they should take measures to prevent the country from being engulfed in the economic tsunami. Yes why the hell are they not doing anything urgent as sounded by this letter?

Every other country is shivering from fear of economic collapse and here we can afford to have a laidback attitude. Stop lulling us into a false sense of security. Recession is already here and take a long hardlook of things that need to be done. We are facing a situation of complete unpredictability with a financial system fluctuating between state socialism and chaos. Indeed, the ripple effects from Europe and the United States were amplified as they spread to stock markets in other regions.Everybody is going to get caught up in this. With Europe and the United States deep in crisis, economists said, the rest of the world could not help but suffer. It's mind boggling to hear we can weather the storm.

2008-10-11T07:35:00.003+08:00

Achievement?????????

Goodness! How can one afford to feel smug when none of our public universities are within the top 200.

Khaled hails achievement

“It is something to be proud of that a number of Malaysian institutions have attained such high positions in the rankings. I believe that our local universities will improve even further in the years to come,’’ he told The Star.

How long do they want to remain in that mode before they can come to their senses that we are still in the backwaters. For God's sake, NUS from the little red dot is way up there among the top 50 and we still feel proud. Do we still want to deceive ourselves just because UM and UKM have climbed up the ladder a few rungs but nowhere within the top 200. Hey, we still have a long way to go. Buck up and for goodness sake stop saying

“I am from the school of thought that the rankings are useful but not absolute,”

The Academic Peer Review which is the centrepiece of the THES rankings is based on an online survey distributed to academics worldwide. Results are compiled based on three years worth of responses totalling 6,354 in 2008. Respondents are not permitted to submit their own institution. Weightings are applied both geographically and by discipline to ensure as fair a representative spread as possible. The Peer Review currently forms 40% of the weightings...

When merit and excellence is not given due recognition how can we can score high in the THES rankings. The rot already started more than ten years ago and we are still stagnant not moving higher but sliding down. Policy makers still remain in denial mode and refuse to appoint academics with research strength and so long as the quota system remains stubbornly in place we will score low on international factors.

International reputation is an undeniable component of today's world class universities. How better to evaluate that than to assess the proportion of international students and faculty who are attracted to that institution. Representing 5% each in this evaluation, the international students score and international faculty score are calculated based on those proportions.

Employer review carry educated opinion on the relative strength of graduates from different universities. A university will gain greatest advantage where they have a particularly strong or unique relationship with a responding employer. This is the reason why institutions with clear specialist strengths seem to perform particularly well in this indicator. This clearly shows how graduates from local public universities are losing out in terms of competitiveness because of our low ranking. Our scores in this aspect must also be quite low.

Just whenever they are going to drum sense in their heads and shore up efforts, put aside politics and rise above race to allow deserving Malaysians regardless of race to helm our universities.

Quite frankly I am sick of all this politicking with speculation of who will be the next Prime Minister, who is in the race for the no 2 position in UMNO. I am quite sick of news that our economic fundamentals is strong when almost everyday I hear of how countries around the world are badly hit by the Wall Street meltdown. It is as if we are insulated and to think that we are stupid to take in all these false news. Whenever are we going to stop deluding ourselves?

Email to wife!

2008-10-09T21:36:00.000+08:00

A man checked into a hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he
decided
to send an e-mail to his wife. However, he accidentally typed wrong
e-mail
address, and without realizing his error, he sent the e-mail.

Meanwhile... .. somewhere, a widow had just returned home from
her
husband's funeral. The widow decided to check her e-mail,
expecting
messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message,
she
fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on
the
floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Reached Safely
Date: 21 st July, 2004

I know you're surprised to hear from me.
They have computers here now,
and we are allowed to send e-mails to our loved ones.
I've just reached safely and have been checked in.
I see that everything has been prepared
for your arrival tomorrow.
Looking forward to seeing you then!
Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

Men is the cause!

2008-10-09T21:27:00.001+08:00

WOMAN AND MEN

Believe it or not.

Woman has
Man
in it;

Mrs. has
Mr
.
in it;

Female has
Malein it;

She has
Hein it;

Madam has
Adamin it;

No wonder men always want to be inside women!

Men were born between the legs of a woman, yet men spend all their life and time trying to go back between
the
legs of a woman....

Why?

BECAUSE THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Okay, Okay, it all makes sense now...

I never looked at it this way before:

Ever notice how all of women ' s problems start with
MEN?

MENtal illness

MENstrual cramps

MENtal breakdown

MENopause

GUYnecologist

AND ..

When we have REAL trouble, it ' s a

HISterectomy.

English 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10 ........

2008-10-08T23:34:00.001+08:00

This is hilarious...even an Englishman could not construct sentences using numbers!
Exclusively only to great Malaysian and Singaporean........

Ah Lek was asked to make a sentence using 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10 . Not only did he do it 1 to 10, he did it again back to 1.

This was what he came up with...

1 day I go 2 climb up a 3 outside a house to peep. But the couple saw me, so I panic and 4 down. The man rush out and wanted to 5 with me. I run so fast until I felt 6 and throw up. So I go into 7 eleven and grab some 8 to throw at him. Then I took a 9 and try to stab him. 10 God he run away. So, I put the 9 back and pay for the 8 and left 7 eleven. Next day, I call my boss and say I am 6 . He said 5 , tomorrow also no need to come back 4 work. He also asks me to climb a 3 ! and jump down. I don't understand, I so nice 2 him but I don't know what he 1

Lessons from a crisis.

2008-10-06T17:39:00.003+08:00

The financial crisis has rekindled interest in frugality among Americans. Recent figures from companies, and interviews across the country, show that automobile sales are plummeting, airline traffic is dropping, restaurant chains are struggling to fill tables, customers are sparse in stores. People have lost their confidence. They have no buying power. They are losing their retirements, their vacation funds, and they are scared to commit to buying anything.

The constant drumbeat of negative news about the economy was becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. “They all feel poor.” And as fewer people eat at restaurants, food is flying off the shelves at grocery stores. The alternative of restaurants is buying groceries and eating at home and right now, that’s an attractive alternative.

And like they say a crisis in the US is also a crisis for the rest of the world. Global financial market are in turmoil, the result of years of denial and postponement of the inevitable. We cannot keep on fooling ourselves that our economy fundamentals are in good shape.This crisis is a reality check not just for many Americans but also for us. We've had a culture based on people buying things they don't need with money they don't have. The wisest thing anyone can do at this point is stop spending -- that includes the government, banks, corporations and consumers. There is no mercy on the horizon for anyone without survival instincts. Live a lifestyle that one can actually afford without borrowing.

Unconcious racism

2008-10-05T19:35:00.002+08:00

Senator Obama is facing what scholars have dubbed “racism without racists.”

A careful survey completed last month by Stanford University, with The Associated Press and Yahoo, suggested that Mr. Obama’s support would be about six percentage points higher if he were white. Most of the votes that Mr. Obama actually loses belong to well-meaning whites who believe in racial equality and have no objection to electing a black person as president — yet who discriminate unconsciously.
For decades, experiments have shown that even many whites who earnestly believe in equal rights will recommend hiring a white job candidate more often than a person with identical credentials who is black.

“In the U.S., there’s a small percentage of people who in nationwide surveys say they won’t vote for a qualified black presidential candidate,” Professor Dovidio said. “But a bigger factor is the aversive racists, those who don’t think that they’re racist.”

Faced with a complex decision, he said, aversive racists feel doubts about a black person that they don’t feel about an identical white. “These doubts tend to be attributed not to the person’s race — because that would be racism — but deflected to other areas that can be talked about, such as lack of experience,” he added

There has to be unconscious racism at work when Republicans can chide Barack Obama for his “lack of experience,” despite his obvious intelligence and international background, and then turn around and say that Sarah Palin, a mediocre small-town mayor who thinks the world begins and ends in Alaska, is “perfectly qualified.”

One lesson from this research is that racial biases are deeply embedded within us.. We declare ourselves non-racist, label those who are less tolerant than ourselves to be bad people, and then believe ourselves to be finished with the matter. It may take Malaysia generations to see that we are all created equal. Racism is a weed that grows in the gardens of our souls.

While race is an impediment for Barack Obama, it’s probably less of an impediment than George W. Bush is to John McCain. My hunch is that Obama will be elected despite losing some votes because of his race.

The poison that kills dreams

2008-10-04T16:34:00.005+08:00

From an article by Peggy McColl

"If someone put poison in your water… …would you drink it?"
The obvious answer is “NO"!
Chemical poisons that we can see, taste, touch, and smell can be fatal.

Fortunately we are intelligent enough to know that we do not ingest poisonous substances…

…but what about our mind?
Repeatedly, people are poisoning their minds with negativity, and though we cannot see this negativity, it is just as fatal.

Negativity is the poison that kills dreams!

And we need to stop it before it contaminates our lives.

Negativity starts with negative thoughts.

Negative thinking cripples a person's life to one degree or another. It robs people of the opportunity to live up to their full potential and of achieving their greatest desires and aims.

It condemns many to the rat race of mere survival— drudgery day after day—because they don't think they can achieve anything more. It brings depression and other mental disorders, and that in turn leads to physical disorders.

Negative thinking results in negative, destructive criticism‚ which results in destruction.

Destruction is a strong word, but that is what it results in, because the potential that has been there for good, for greatness, or for success has been destroyed.

So many people want to do great things. So many people dream of being a person who changes the world through some great work written, a great deed of courage performed‚ or great acts of compassion rendered to those in need.
But the negative feeling of "I just can't do it" robs people of that chance to make good on their dreams. (Excerpt by Maria Fontaine)

How do we eliminate this poison?

Monitor the thoughts that you allow into your mind…
... every thought!

If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts…
…think again.

Strive to think positive, empowering, and supportive thoughts.
Just as you monitor your thoughts, monitor the words that you speak.
Listen carefully to every word that is coming from your mouth.

Watch for excusitis.
Excusitis is a disease that causes people to constantly make excuses.
When you hear yourself complaining, stop yourself immediately.

Create a vocabulary of a successful, positive, inspiring individual.
Be passionate in your speech and express your enthusiasm with your words.
The energy of the words that you speak is a powerful force that is creative.

There is so much to be positive about!

You are so valuable and That should raise your self-esteem, and self-value!

Part of the process to shift your thought energy from negative to positive is to be grateful for the gifts in your life and to focus on what is great in every situation.

•Be appreciative and show appreciation to others.

•Gratitude will attract to you more of the things that you desire.

Negativity is the anchor that holds you back.

Cut yourself free today and be the most positive, optimistic person that you know!

The power of praise and positiveness is contagious.
So be a carrier!

If you've been negative about yourself in the past, turn over a new leaf in your life and become someone who is so positive that you'll be able to influence others' lives for the better.

What was once your weakness can become your strength!

The VP debate.

2008-10-04T09:08:00.003+08:00

I wasn’t waiting with bated breath but I was quite curious to know how Miss Palin would fare in the VP debate after so much trite was thrown at her for the awkward earlier interviews where she showed her lack of knowledge on certain issues. She did actually passed the test this round though at times she evaded some questions and the moderator allowed her to get away with it. Biden is a big, empathetic guy with a good but broad-based grasp of the facts. Miss Palin appears robotic & keeps resorting to broad, banner-like statements & sentiments.

It seems that the audience who tuned in to watch the one-off vice-presidential debate between Republican pick Sarah Palin and Democratic foe Joseph Biden surpassed the number of people who had watched presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain go head on in their first debate of the campaign last Friday. This is a good piece, an opinion on whether Obama would measure up.

Here's what make the debate even more interesting and watchable. Besides the grading, every piece of statement that has been spouted is scrutinized to check for its validity so there is no running away from lies. The analyst on the debates even do the Pinocchio Test. These researchers would shed as much light as possible on controversial claims and counter-claims involving important national issues and the records of the various presidential candidates.

Hari Raya message.

2008-10-02T20:15:00.004+08:00

Malaysia had proven to the rest of the world that people of various races and religions can live together in peace and harmony.

"As such, it was saddening when racial issues which can tear apart the fabric of unity that has been woven together all this while were raised of late.

"I wish to emphasise here the fact that this country belongs to all of us, every one of us. No citizen is recognised as being of a higher status than another in this motherland,"

Playing a joke on us or insulting us. This country belong to all of us and yet we had somebody calling the minorities squatters and let off with a slap on the wrist.

Speaks in bumper stickers, parroting buzz words and vague concepts. It's obvious that the racial divide in this country is much wider than most of the mainstream media wants to report.

Our country can't afford any more C- leaders. We desperately need people with the intellect and wisdom to deal with the complexities that lie ahead. We allow people with poor grades to enter universities. Lowering the bar for people to achieve A's so that we can shout aloud and claim that we have a world class education. This country has serious issues to resolve and we need the best people available. Knowledge isn't elitist, it's a prerequisite.

Let's keep our eyes on the ball, which is a failing economy, a disastrous education system which promotes mediocrity. Unfortunately, mediocrity is what many people look for in others. Lowering the bar helps those who have lowered it for themselves accept their own mediocrity, justify their lack of achievement and their anger towards those who have achieved excellence. That explains why the best never get to the top of the ladder. We have allowed this to happen. What a sad time for this country.

Palin’s Big Test Nears.

2008-10-01T01:16:00.003+08:00

Another debate to look forward to, the Vice President debate between Miss Sarah Palin and Mr.Joseph Biden.

Ms. Palin is getting ready for the debate at a time of enormous uncertainty about a highly complicated issue, the unfolding crisis on Wall Street, which makes preparing for the face off especially hard. And the McCain campaign appears to be leaving nothing to chance. This debate will probably determine her political persona for the rest of the campaign and show the country she is capable, articulate and has the leadership skills necessary to serve. She had been stuffed with facts as if preparing for an oral exam and had become nervous and unnatural in the few interviews.

And is she up to the job for the high office? And what says the Americans about Miss Palin? Some cutting remarks by observers of the presidential race.

Why should this be even necessary? Only because of her ignorance of economics, international affairs etc. - which is the result of 20 years spent not thinking or reading about them.

If she just read the New York Times or the Washington Post every day she'd hardly need all this prepping; she has self-confidence and telegenicity to burn.

I hope the nation can see that at this time we really don't need another arrogant, complacent know-nothing in the White House - it would be enough to finish us off.

How much respect would a President Palin enjoy in Congress, or among foreign leaders?

 John McCain made a big mistake picking Palin because the base needed someone who shared their right wing agenda and he needed their votes. Gov. Palin , no matter how much she is briefed and coached , is still Gov. Palin and she will perform just as she has been performing, poorly. What goes around comes around. This is John McCain's karma.

 If her interviews are any indication of her ability to lead the United States, than we will be in worse shape than we are now if she is elected VP. Scary idea, don’t you think?

 "Several Republicans said that all of this could ultimately play to Ms. Palin’s benefit, lowering expectations for her so much that a mediocre performance in the debate could be hailed as a success."

Beautiful! Mediocrity is the new excellence!! We can all relate to that!!! Brought to you by the party that invented values and absolute morals.

 I find it difficult to believe that the American people even have to consider this novice politican for our second highest position of power. Disgraceful!!

 Let's see - she went to 5 colleges to get 1 degree. She may be a slow learner, but at least she MIGHT be able to learn given enough time. How about trying again in about 20 years Sarah

 Sarah Palin is about the least qualified candidate ever picked for the VP slot. Shame on John McCain for being so craven.

 Wake up! Would you want a vice-president who has to cram for the big exam, even if she passes with flying colors? Facts absorbed in three days are not experience, they are facts that are easily forgotten. Anyone with any schooling who has crammed for an exam knows this.

 "...a lot brighter..." Why have we set the bar so low for such an important job? I think to be President or Vice President (or Senator) a person should have a lot more going for them that being bright. Breadth of knowledge and experience, studied and applied, and a full and apparent grasp of the complexities of the world and problem-solving dexterity, capacity for diplomacy both national and international...these are qualities, not being bright. Being bright gets you your first job or a foot in the door, not the Vice Presidency of the United States.

I can't believe we're reading stories about a possible vice president cramming with tutors for the office as if she's taking a midterm. It's crazy that anyone would think this woman is ready to be second in command. It's like having a surgeon whose never done a bypass operation cram with his chief of staff two days before a critical operation. How insane.

 Why should the bar be lowered for any candidate for the office of VP? Isn't this one of the most important elections of our time? This is part of the "dumbing down" of the American people taken to a very high level.

And I think that’s enough shelling for poor Sarah. Our leaders(we voted them in) some of them are in the same league.

I shall not pass my judgement on her. Whether she will be pulverised by the elderly Biden waits to be seen. I ll wait and catch the debate on October 2nd over CNN.

WHAT IS MARKETING????

2008-09-29T16:39:00.002+08:00

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say:

' I am very rich. Marry me!

- That's Direct Marketing'

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says:

' He's very rich. 'Marry him.'

-That's Advertising'

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say:

'Hi,I'm very rich. Marry me'

- That's Telemarketing'

4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car)for her, pick up her bag after she dropsit, offer her ride and then say:

'By the way, I'm rich. Will you 'Marry Me?'

-That's Public Relations'

5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:

'You are very rich! 'Can you marry ! Me?'

-That's Brand Recognition'

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say:

'I am very rich. Marry me!'

She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.
-That's Customer Feedback '

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say:

'I am very rich. Marry me!'

And she introduces you to her husband.
-That's demand and supply gap'

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her:

'I'm rich. Will you marry me?'

and she goes with him.
-That's competition eating into your market share

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say:

'I'm rich, Marry me!'

your wife arrives.
-That's restriction for entering new markets'

The Presidential debate

2008-09-27T21:49:00.007+08:00

I was thrilled to catch the presidential debate live over CNN. The world tuned in for the debate, and will be reading and talking about it tomorrow.

Barack's eye contact shows that he is serious and means business. Obama sounded well-informed, balanced and looked to the future to show what he would offer as the leader of USA. He did sound unnecessarily defensive and too ready to rebut McCain's laughable charges against him. Overall, McCain sounded scarily out of touch and unable to learn from past misjudgments like the Iraq war where he seems to want to remain forever. Obama is a far more polished and eloquent debater than he is given credit for and should do better, far better, than his Republican rival. Senator McCain drone on and on about his life experiences (this is a debate, not a documentary). McCain is one of the men of his generation who view women as sex objects (hence the Barbie doll VP) and who think black men should know their place (which is not running for President). While these attitudes were common and widely accepted in the 1940’s and 50’s, they have no place in a 21st century White House.

Back home sometime ago we also had an interesting debate on petrol price, Petronas and the economy where Ahmad Shabery was shredded to pieces by the formidable Anwar Ibrahim on the same platform.

Grading the First Presidential Debate
By MARK HALPERIN / OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI

Barack Obama
Substance:
Quite manifestly immersed in the past, present, and future details of policy, and eager to express his views, which have been expanded, honed, and solidified during the last 18 months of hard campaigning. Still, he did avoid the nitty-gritty details of policy positions in favor of broad principles and references to working Americans, thereby not presenting the kind of specifics that some voters are waiting to hear from him.
Grade: B+ ( McCain scored a B)

Style:
Polished, confident, focused. Fully prepared, and able to convey a real depth of knowledge on nearly every issue. He was unhurried, and rarely lost his train of thought even when the debate wended and winded — and uttered far fewer of his trademark, distracting, "ums." At times, however, Obama revealed the level of his preparation by faltering over a rehearsed answer. He seemed to deliberately focus on the moderator and the home audience, with McCain as an afterthought — except when on the attack. Chose to avoid humor, for the most part, in favor of a stern demeanor, and in the process, came off as cool as a cucumber.
Grade: A ( McCain scored a C-)

Offense
Linking McCain to Bush in his very first answer, he kept it up as his primary line of attack. Forcefully hit McCain for his early support of the Iraq War. Though he never drew blood, he did keep McCain a bit off balance, often with clever references to McCain's recent statements.
Grade: B ( McCain scored a C+)

Defense:
Had a reasonable answer for every charge that came his way — with little anger, bluster, or anxiety. Often interrupting McCain attacks with swift explanations and comebacks, he managed to spin accusations of being liberal as evidence of his relentless opposition to George Bush (in replies that were clearly planned). Offered a rather clumsy alternative to McCain's well-known, moving story of wearing the bracelet of a soldier lost in Iraq (a gift from the soldier's mother), with a story about a bracelet of his own. Fearless, without condescension, he attempted the gracious move of agreeing with or complimenting a McCain position, occasionally to his own detriment.
Grade: A- ( McCain scored a B-)

Overall:
Went for a solid, consistent performance to introduce himself to the country. He did not seem nervous, tentative, or intimidated by the event, and avoided mistakes from his weak debate performances during nomination season (a professorial tone and long winded answers). Standing comfortably on the stage with his rival, he showed he belonged — evocative of Reagan, circa 1980. He was so confident by the end that he reminded his biggest audience yet that his father was from Kenya. Two more performances like that and he will be very tough to beat on Election Day.
Overall grade: A- (McCain scored a B-)