Tuesday, December 16, 2008

YF Camp 2008 and what's next

I was up in the highlands for the past few days for a youth camp. It was cold. I suppose Cameron Highlands still is quite cold, despite all that global warming going on, which is a good thing!

When you come of age, you take on responsibilities. They pile up, and camps that were once primarily laughter and sunshine become a bit less sunny. I had to play the bass for practically all the sessions, and hardly had free time to go aimlessly gamboling around. But I suppose it was enjoyable too, in it's own way.

But it was great up there, enjoying the food and fellowship of friends all around. Oh, and a family reunion as well. Two cousins, an aunty, a sister and a dad were there as well, so I never ran out of things to laugh at.

















Our mini family reunion. We were supposed to put on emo faces, but as apparent in the picture, I didn't feel quite sad enough.

























The graduating YF bunch. We're spiraling all the way awaaaaay! Off to uni and what-not.


It was fun while it lasted, but camp concluded whatever fun I'm supposed to have for the rest of this hols. University applications are The-Next-Big-Thing on The List. Got to apply to a million and one unis, which are all royal pains in my very royal places.

Even when I thought the work was over - IB finals, SAT subject tests, TOEFL, SAT reasoning tests, there are few major hurdles left.

Back to work. Bah, humbug.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

I went to the SU Young Writers' Camp 2008

Hello everyone,

Guess where I went in my most recent escapade? If you guessed the SU Young Writers' Camp, you're absolutely brilliant! I'm still recovering from the sudden loss of things to take pictures of, and really awesome things to write about. So I thought I'd start blogging again, you know, to keep them creative juiceses a flowin'.

It was really a terrific camp. The premise for this year was simple, really. We're divided into different groups, and each group simulates a media company, meaning that by the end of each day at camp we had to publish a FULL LENGTH (two-page) newspaper!

How's that for awesome?

The camp was held at a place I like to call 'In-the-middle-of-nowhere' simply because it was. You're driving inside some unknown oil palm plantation somewhere in Gopeng, Perak when all of a sudden - WHAM! It's a huge palatial bungalow thing!

Seriously, I kid you not when I say that it wouldn't look out of place in say, Tropicana, or any other upmarket housing estate. It's got a swimming pool and lots of garden around it. Sure, the garden is mostly oily palm trees, but hey! it's HUGE.

















Our campsite, Harvest Haven Gopeng.

Besides the programme lines up for us, we also had awesome facilitators/teacher dudes. Besides being totally competent writers and editors, with field experience, credentials to boast about, etc etc, they are immensely engaging to talk to. Maybe it's just a sign that I'm getting old, thereby having a harder time relating to them young un's.



















From left to right - Em (The Edge), May (MPH Publications), Deb (The Nut Graph), Uncle David (Black Adder & Watchmen aficionado).

My group's paper was aptly named 'The Eleventh Hour', simply because we were Malaysian. And how can you resist a tag line like 'First-hand last-minute news'?

The other groups were Papyrus, Newsforest (a pun on News for us), and the ubiquitous Toilet Paper. And oh my word. It really was ubiquitous (this big word means 'you see it everywhere'). It all began when we were introducing ourselves to the other campers and they asked for your name, and a random fact.

'Hi, I'm Jonathan, I live in PJ and . . . I didn't bring any toilet paper with me to camp'.

And oh no. The madness began. Toilet paper became a running gag throughout the entire camp. Jokes were told about it, newspapers were named after it, comics were drawn about it.

















It was even interviewed!

The first day of editing and writing was a tough on everyone. Being relatively new to this craft, we went about not really knowing what to do. But in the course of working, it became easier. But it really is no joke at all, writing articles, the entire editing process, deciding what goes in and what does not. You even had to stick to a word limit! I haven't had one since 'Rumusan' in Form 5.

Looking back in retrospective, when I read the papers this morning, I was just stunned for awhile at the sheer awesomeness of a complete newspaper. They did it in one day! How often have we grumbled that a day is never enough to finish that essay or that lab report, and yet somehow our papers have been faithfully delivered to us day after day.



















Fresh off the printing mill!

I stayed up till 2.30am one night, just to witness the completion and birth of the next-day edition. Incredible, I thought. Little are we aware of the dozens of layout artists who stay up through the night to set out your newspapers. I started appreciating 'The Star' a little more, regardless of some bits of political bias :)

As the days progressed, naturally, writing and compiling a paper came more easily to us than before. Soon we were churning out our stuff by the afternoon, leaving the writers idle and in that, idly content. You could say that we enjoyed large chunks of freedom, and leisure took the form of general recreation - swimming, going around photographing, and napping in the afternoon warmth.

Oh! what bliss.
























This is a dog. Her name is Jelly.



















This is a smiley face in the sky. Or dorky, however you see it. Or even as Uncle David put it, 'It looks sinister'.

We also went out gallivanting through the caves one day.
























This was our cave-guide, whose name I have inconveniently forgotten.

It's a good thing we didn't find any guano (bat poopoopoo) because I'm sure he would have liked to grab a handful and fondle it. It's in my line of work, he proudly exclaims, or so he says anyway.

There was a point in the cave where we were asked to extinguish our torches for a moment and to keep silent. Everyone is excitedly chattering away, and then a great hush.

You blink a few times to adjust to the darkness. There simply is no light. It is a world devoid of any sensory input. No sound, no light. Your ears too, attune to the silence. Then your ears are flooded with a deafening silence. And you wait, not even daring to breathe for fear of shattering this unearthly silence.

'Alrighty then, time to go'.

We picked up our torches and trudged on.



















And we stepped into that marvelous light.

Then, lunch by the roadside.

















It was quite a sight, some 50 odd campers contently sitting by a road tucking into their packets of nasi. We were muddy and fatigued, but chatty all the same.

















This is my group, The Awesomes (our official name, of course was The Eleventh Hour).

















Unbelievebly wide smiles plastered on faces? Check.
Brightly coloured clothing conveying a sense of youth and merriment? Check.
Blue sky and lush palm frond waving in the air? Check.
Looks like it was taken out of a magazine (or education publication)? Check!



















That's me on the ground, and I'm burning up on the unbelievably hot tarmac. Ouch.

Perhaps one of the things I found most enjoyable about the camp was the people. They were all writers, and that in itself speaks volumes. They read books (not only text books), uphold the same ideals and principles as I do, and are really really smart! We've all been through that age when identity was a struggle, and trying to fit in was always a battle. I smiled myself silly when I saw myself in some of their selves.

And with that, we went our seperate ways. There were no prolonged, tearful goodbyes. But to each writer (or maybe just me), he goes home carrying genuine contentment in his heart.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

A Pain in the DNS

Here's a picture of me doing something I don't normally do.


















Just in case you're wondering what I'm doing, I'll tell you.

I'M SNIFFING MY ROUTER! RAWRRRR!

WHY?????


Because it STINKS!!!!
















Okay okay, I'm not sniffing it BECAUSE it stinks, I'm sniffing it to FIND OUT if it stinks.

And YES! IT STINKS!!!! )(*$#%)($#&%**#$*)#$

Do yourself a favour and NEVER NEVER buy a Belkin router. It gave me endless headaches for a year, and even after changing it for brand new units a few times. Seriously, I don't know why I didn't go out and buy a new one any sooner.

Yesterday I got myself a spiffy new Linksys WRT54GL, which can be custom flashed with third-party firmwares! No more cheap stock firmware! DD-WRT, Tomato and the like!

Before I scare you off with too many technical terms, here are pictures to keep you happy.


















That's Tomato, the firmware thing I was talking about. And it comes in Pink, so it's less intimidating.
























That's the brand new Linksys, although I have to admit it's ugly (the bad kind of ugly, like Michael Jackson kind of ugly) next to the old Belkin.

edit: Proof that Michael Jackson is ugly.

I haven't sniffed it yet, but it's been working PERFECTLY since yesterday, and I haven't had to restart it since. Honestly, I've forgotten what it's like to stream a whole YouTube video without getting cut off and having to refresh the page a gazillion times over.

Say no to capitalism! Buy Linksys!

Woooooooooooooooooooooo!



Postscript:

This post was not endorsed by wither company in either way. However, if you are from Linksys reading this and are considering it, do drop me a message :D

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Emancipation

Edit:

I've had people complaining (in a nice way) that my posts are hard to understand because I use big big words. Sorry :(

If you think you might be one of these people, skip to the bottom of this post, where a simplified version awaits you.

Regards,

The Management Team
@hamnoj.blogspot.com





First things first - IB is OVER.

It was weird that of all sudden - IB was over, just like that. We walked out of the exam room after a horrendously difficult Math 3 paper and that was it; no more IB.

No more having to stay up to finish that darned World Lit Essay/Extended Essay/Internal Assessment ever again! No more friends staying over for 3 weeks just to study and study and nothing else for the upcoming finals. No more having to crack your brain about poem structures, onomatopoeia, or having to memorize what the electroweak gauge bosons are.

Yet, somehow, it didn't sink in that the exams were finally over. We sat there lamenting over the loss of the so-many marks from out Math paper, not fully comprehending what freedom lay ahead. It was like a harrowing ordeal you are suddenly sucked out of. To quote Brian Keenan, 'Freedom comes slowly at first'.

And it was the last day of school, so we went around snapping pictures of ourselves with various teachers/girls. Okay, maybe not with the girls after all.



















From right to left - A, Lee, Laoshi, Mah.




















Mr. Masukor, one of the coolest math teachers ever.

Then the great triumvirate (consisting of Riza, Winson and I - The Illustrious Aleemah) trudged to the chemistry lab. You see, the lab is a sanctuary of sorts, a haven for the weary and downtrodden. We breathed in the aromatic compounds (benzene, toulene, etc etc) in the chemical laden air and at last, felt some semblance of peace.



















Of course, and not forgetting to kick and abuse the skeleton. That's Mr. Lawrence (second from left) kicking the skeleton's non-existent umm, balls.


It was really calming, just sitting in the lab chatting with Mr. Lawrence as one would to friends. Our freedom was slowly returning. And after awhile, I quipped the age-old question.

'So. . . want to make a smoke bomb?'



















Boom, baby!


Anyway, we sat there for a few hours brewing our noxious ingredients. That beaker holds a LOT of potential little smoke bomblings.



















We had to watch it carefully lest it ignited, and risk the entire school being shrouded in a dense cloud of smoke. Not good for your rapport, at all.




















Mr Lawrence likes caramelized Potassium Nitrate very much, me thinks.


You know, the end products look remarkably like sticks of candy. Imagine that - Oh candy! Lick lick lick, KABOOBABOOM and smoke all around. Cue evil grin and evil music. Heheh.

Below is a short video, in which we ignited the piece of candy Mr. Lawrence is holding in the picture above.



We laughed and screamed with ecstasy at the large plume of smoke filling the sky. It was our way of release, our way of escape into freedom once more. Gradually, the smoke dissipated, and in that small way, I felt free.

Later on the three of us wandered aimlessly, not sure of what we might be doing next. It was a blessed reprieve; the very fact that we didn't have to plan ahead was consolation enough. Walk walk walk, never knowing where we're going. Walk into the unknown that lies ahead, never knowing, never sure of where you're going. But ah! that's the life we all share.

Our freedom takes its form in the very fact that you are given that opportunity to take that step.

You walk, and you are free.




Simplified version:
  1. Exams finished. Yay, whopee-do, happy happy joy joy.
  2. But Math paper very difficult. Sad, cry cry, boohoo-ness.
  3. Took pictures with teachers.
  4. Went to chemistry lab to make smokey smokey bomb bombs.
  5. We exploded the smokey smokey bomb bombs. (Watch the video)
  6. I feel happy again. Yay.
The end.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Kerismuddin strikes back!

I was reading Malaysiakini today and Hishamuddin's infamous keris waving incident was brought up. When I saw his picture again after so long, there was your proverbial 'click', and I really couldn't resist a spot of photoshopping fun.

Remember,

TONIGHT WE DINE REALLY WELL!!!!!!!!
















(Click on image to enlarge)

Haha! :)

Both of them have just about the same expression, so I really couldn't help laughing to myself.

Alright, I'll be good and get back to nerd-ing overtime.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Stella

Some months back, Jorrel introduced me to this (near) unheard of Japanese artist - Kashiwa Daisuke and his album, 'Program Music 1'.


















The man himself, Kashiwa Daisuke.

Needless to say, since then I've gone raving mad about it. I must confess that I downloaded the album to give it a listen, considering that it's impossible to find in Malaysia. After a few listens I was totally captivated. I could honestly say it was the most beautiful piece of music I had ever heard.


















Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music 1


So yes, in defiance of the typical Malaysian spirit of 'download and listen but never support the artist in question', I decided to purchase the album, but after trawling through pages and pages of the internet, I still couldn't find anywhere to buy it. After months of antagonizing over it, Jorrel found this local distributor that ACTUALLY IMPORTED GOOD MUSIC. Huzzah!

Well, nuff said. We placed an order and waited. Patiently. And waited some more. Between the both of us, we bought 5 copies, at RM45 each. Oh, and the whole album consists of two songs. I only like one of them.

AND SHE ARRIVED TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tell you, the whole purpose of having your own personal blog is the document your life's achievements/memories/girlfriends, etc etc. AND TODAY IS WHERE I REALISE THAT DREAM! I'm sorry for typing in caps, but I'm ridiculously ecstatic about it.

After school we drove of to meet the distributor guy/person/dude. I couldn't wait.

Stella (the title of the first song) was waiting, all 5 of her.



















So beautiful, sniff.


So there she was, sitting demurely on my lap (all 5 of her, again). Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks, unbeckoned. Okay lah, maybe not. But I couldn't wait to get home to listen.



















Diagonally.



















Sideways.



















Topdown. Yeah, she looks good from all angles.


Oh Stella. I took her in my hands, slowly peeling away the flimsy low density Polyethylene that covered her frame. Basking in the rays of the glorious sunlight, she was a sight to behold.




















Unpretentious, unwrapped for all to see, and still so lovely it's making me want to cry.


















Oh the shinyness!

Then, with her in my hand (and Jorrel), we ventured into the Sanctuary of Surround Sound, as I placed her upon the pedestal of DVD player awesomeness. In my haste, I dropped her. I nearly cried :(

I picked her up again, ever so gently. This time, round and round she whirred, until a barely perceivable whisper sounded from the recesses of her being.

















It was Stella.

For 36 minutes and 7 seconds, I sat there, eyes shut, body immobile. And just listened.

















There it is, happiness in a CD case.


You'd think we're crazy, shelling out 45 bucks for one CD (one song, actually), and then sitting in total darkness for 36:07 minutes, without twitching a muscle. I think I'm going crazy myself, but just sitting there, listening to beauty laid bare, removed from the earthly world for those minutes that just flew by, it's almost unfathomable to regret.



















Stella is stellar, indeed.

Hmmph. And they said money couldn't buy you happiness.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Hey there's somthing over there looming ominously in the corner! OMGWTFBBQ! Wait, I think it's a. . .no! It's not a . . ! But it can't possibly be...!

Right, it's exam season again. Just yesterday I took my SAT subject tests along with Winson and Jorrel. Yeah, sat (past tense of 'sit') for my SATs (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) on a sat(urday). Punny Funny eh? To put it simply, I didn't know nuts about what the test was about, much less what to expect. I knew there would be 'Math' questions, 'Physics' questions and 'Chemistry' questions, but I suppose that doesn't tell you a great lot. So yes, I wasn't very prepared.

In fact, just that morning, a dialogue much like this took place in the car, on our way to the test:

Jonno: Hey, winson, it says here I need pencils for the test. I don't have any. How leh?

Winson: I sorta expected that from Jon. Here. (Passes me ONE pencil).

Jorrel: I don't have pencils either.

(silence and dot dot dots)

Jonno: Uhm, I uh, don't have an eraser.

Winson: Me neither.

(after much persuasion, Jorrel relents and we divide his extra eraser into two)


Jorrel: You owe me another eraser.

Jonno: Say, would anyone happen to have an extra calculator on hand?

(more dots follow)


Uhuh, to say the least, we weren't at all prepared for the SATs. It would actually be funny if I did well for Math.

And with exams, I can't afford any more distractions. Have to switch back to asexual (pretend-not-to-like-girls) mode. You know, the past raya week has been considerably productive, considering I studied for like, 4 or 5 WHOLE days. I think just this week, I've spent more hours poring over books and mathematical equations than I have for SPM and PMR, added together.

But with the IB exams looming just around the corner, there's no time for anything else! They're only 29 days awaaaaaaaaay!

And yes, as a few of you might have already deduced, this means I can't visit, much less update my blog for a month or so. Yealah, it's not like it's not already dead, but this is the officiating statement :

THIS BLOG IS DED. DEEEEEEEED (pronounced 'dead'), or will be for the next month.

I've really got to spend all the time I have studying lah. I'm the type who sits at my desk for two hours, but really only about 20 minutes of it gets into my head. So long, farewell, I'll be back before you know it so don't fret or lose sleep over not having intellectualy stimulating for an extended period of time.

:D

Jonno

Monday, September 22, 2008

I want English, lah

This is a letter I wrote a few weeks back, supposedly for theStar. I mailed it to the editor, but it never saw the daylight of publication :(

Too long? Too controversial (haha, I'm beginning to reek of controversies)? You be the judge. Censure me in your wisdom, and all that. I wrote the letter in about an hour, so it's not exactly Martin Luther King. All the same, I put my views forward and if you like, you can do so too. There's a handy little 'comment' button down there :)




As of late, much has been said regarding the role of English as a teaching medium for Science and Mathematics in our current education system. More recently, we’ve had many worried parents expressing their concerns on the apparent indecisiveness of the government on the medium of teaching for the two subjects.

In 2002, the government announced its decision for the introduction of English as the medium for teaching Science and Mathematics, two subjects that were constantly evolving and changing. The decision was based on the justification an English medium would better prepare Malaysian students for a world that was rapidly being globalised. The teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, while not a new concept has only been implemented since 2003 and already there is talk of reverting back to Bahasa Malaysia for teaching.

If we are indeed to revert to Bahasa, let us first examine the rationale for this decision. Firstly, it has been claimed that many teachers are incompetent for the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English. This comes as no surprise, as even veteran teachers would have initial difficulty in adapting to the new method of teaching. Moreover, the younger and less experienced teachers would have even greater difficulties adapting, considering most of their training was facilitated in Bahasa Malaysia (verify claim). However, should these teachers truly be competent and well-versed with their knowledge of their subjects, it should be a relatively simple to acclimatize themselves to the new teaching environment.

Unfortunately, many parents still have qualms about the standard of teaching being imparted to their children. Clearly, the issue of competence among our school teachers has to be addressed. It is foolhardy to abolish the current system because of this. Put in perspective, the move could be likened to refusing medicine simply because it was difficult to swallow it. Furthermore, if there is a genuine inability on the part of the teacher to teach adequately in English, reverting back to Bahasa Malaysia is definitely no cure. In all probability, the teacher’s inadequacy stems from the fact that as a student, he or she did not receive as English based education, hence the inability to express himself in English as a teacher. Hence, it is critical that we realize this is a self-propagating cycle that must be broken. And if not now, when? Simply put, reverting back to Bahasa Malaysia for Science and Mathematics will only compound the problem, not solve it.

With this is mind, I see absolutely no reason for reverting the medium for teaching Science and Mathematics back to Bahasa Malaysia. Proponents of the move might justify it with the most recent examination results, in which it was shown that many students chose to answer the papers in Bahasa Malaysia, compared to English, or that students generally performed better when the Science and Mathematics was taught in Bahasa Malaysia. However, I believe this issue is closely entwined with the competence of the teacher. Given time and proper training, the teachers should become familiar teaching in English, and the performance of students should follow suit.

Returning again to the original vision of the government in its 2002 declaration, the situation has not changed. It is still imperative that Malaysian students are well equipped for the globalized world. Knowledge is power, but practicality helps a great deal as well. To be brutally honest, Bahasa Malaysia has no value where Science and Mathematics are concerned. In the world today, a large portion of the advancements in technology are carried out in English. Hardly anywhere in the world is research being done where Bahasa Malaysia is the language of instruction. For this reason, it is totally impractical to further the teaching of these subjects in Bahasa Malaysia. Countries such as Japan and Germany are still able to maintain the teaching of Science and Mathematics in their own native tongues because it is of some use. These countries are bustling hubs for research and development of new technologies, while Malaysia, unfortunately, does not even come close in this regard.

However, one cannot doubt the role of Bahasa Malaysia as a unifying subject, as common ground on which the races can build their foundations of harmony. As the national language, it will be used for the teaching of most of the non-science subjects, but with the continuation of English based Science and Mathematics subjects, a healthy balance of both languages can be introduced, and hopefully this will encourage a proliferation of English proficient students.

In recent years, many of our local graduates have found difficulty in getting employed, chiefly because of their poor command of English. If we examine this retrospectively, we find that these are the students who have been subject to a wholly Bahasa Malaysia based syllabus. As a result, there is practically no room for the development of their oral and written English skills. They may be able be score A1s for their SPM English, but in reality any grasp of a coherent sense of the language is lost to them. A language is not something that can be mastered through the teaching of the language alone. Consistency and regular usage are necessary to be English proficient. At least, with a few subjects taught in English, students will have to read, write and speak it on a regular basis, which will help them better grasp the language.

For the reasons I have stated, I wholeheartedly advocate the teaching of Science and Mathematics in the English language. In a world being shaped by rapid globalization, we cannot deny the fact that English has become one of the most important languages in the world. Teaching in English will not result in the corrosion of our culture and our national language. Let not misguided patriotism blind our judgment. Let us not politicize our education, as it has been oft done in the past. All we want is for Malaysia to advance as a country, and I believe it begins with education.




Hai, it's me agein.

Remember, COMMENT, COMMENT, THINK, THEN COMMENT AGAIN.

Tenkiu very much :)

Saturday, September 13, 2008

The Imminent End of The World

edit:

A little Ben told me that there's actually a website you can visit to check if the LHC has destroyed the world yet. Keep yourself updated! Click HERE, HERE and HERE to visit.





Early this week something happened up in France/Swisscheeserland that was bound to shock, excite, made you scareded, or potentially bore, but mostly excite everyone in the world. Yup, they turned on the LHC on Tuesday. Didn't do anything spectacular or smash things up at really high speeds, just turned it on.

Well, the main reason I'm so happy that they invented the LHC machine-collider-dude-thing is because it's could screw a lot of things up! Yeah, selfish, I know.


Some complicated looking part in the LHC. Well, don't ask me what it is!

Quite basically, the LHC is the Large Hadron Collider. They don't collide 'Large Hadrons' in a Collider, they just collide Hadrons in a 'Large Collider'. Confusing, I know. They make little particles fly around happily at speeds nearly reaching the speed of light (which is superbly fast, mind you), until they collide into each other and they're not so happy anymore. Then they kinda blow up and the little bits and pieces fly all over the place. Then they look at the little bits and say things like 'Ahah! This squiggly line proves that the Higgs boson exists!' and then they'll go publish it in the papers and get lots of money for it. That's the essential theory of it, lah.

Right, anyway, some people are worried that the LHC will make little black holes things that will magically expand in size and gobble the world up. Fear #1 - The world gets totally screwed.

Besides that, the current model of the atom, called the Standard Model, might also get screwed if we find out that the Higgs boson doesn't acutally exist. But if it does exist then that might prove the Standard Model, but not necessarily. But if they can't find it, then they'll have to rethink almost everything about the current atomic model. Or if we find something totally weird in the BANG BANG experiments, the model might be totally disproven altogether. It's all very confusing, but let's forget that now and let ourselves get deluded by the 'appeal to authority' fallacy (that means we believe whatever the scientists say because they claim to be smart-pants-scientists). So Fear #2 - The Standard Model gets screwed.
Either way, if the world or the Standard Model gets messed up big time, I'd still be happy. You see, my IB exams are in 53 days (and counting) and to put it in the simplest term(s):

DIE lah.

So really, if the world meets it's calamatystic fate because some little hadrons beat each other up, I won't have to sit for my exams!

If the Standard Model of the atom is proven (at best) wrong or (at worst) partially incorrect and therefore dude for numerous revisions, hopefully the IB Organization will understand this and take out that part of our syllabus from the exams!

The world loses, but hey! IB students worldwide would rejoice.

Alrighty, back to trying to study.

Monday, September 8, 2008

And we've waited 51 years to get here

I know I haven't been blogging for some time, but I'm really not my usual self right now, so I'll just be talking a bit about the Malaysian political scene (yes, again).

For those who don't follow the happenings, I'll quickly bring you up to speed.

Recently, during the Permatang Pauh by-elections, both BN and PKR were campaigning like mad to woo the voters. Obviously, Anwar won. Even our former premier, Dr. M thought so. During the whole campaigning frenzy, a local UMNO assemblyman got a little too excited and made a bad boo-boo.

"Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail had called the Chinese pendatang (immigrants) at a ceramah prior to the Permatang Pauh by-election."

Source: The Star (3 Sept 08)

  1. Soon after, the Chinese based parties (Gerakan, MCA, etc) start complaining about his 'alleged' remark.
  2. Najib apologizes on behalf of UMNO.
  3. Chinese leaders don't buy it.
  4. Ahmad Ismail pulls a disappearing act, so not even the PM can find him. Then he remains elusive for some few more days.
  5. He returns and says something stupid that totally screws everything up.
Essentially, he refuses to apologize for his 'pendatang' comment, effectively snubbing the UMNO leaders (Abdullah and Najib). He then insists the newspapers who reported the issue should apologize, for taking his comments 'out of context'.

You know, a lot would have been resolved if he had just said sorry there and then, instead of 'allegedly' going for a sepak takraw match (I bet he spent those days cooking up a good reason for saying what he did). But NO, he had to drag it on and on, trampling on whatever rapport the nation has built among the races. Honestly, I can't help but feel a little hurt by what he said. It's not only insensitive, it's especially idiotic considering his arguments are somewhat weak. It's not too hard to see that he's just beating round the bush, trying feebly to turn the tide back on the Chinese people (who've just been snubbed pretty badly, mind you) by playing the oldest trick in the book, the 'Ketuanan Melayu' issue.

I'm a bit pissed to be thinking coherently now, so I realize my arguments aren't really going wherer they should be. But ARGH! I can't help but feel that whether Ketuanan Melayu or not, what he did was absolutely intolerable (non-sequitur, my reasoning today, sorry that).

What infuriated me more was an article I read on Malaysiakini today:


"Penang Umno leader Ahmad Ismail, the man at the centre of the ‘racial slur' controversy, warned Chinese Malaysians not to mimic American Jews who not only seek to control the country's economy but also its political power."


Dude, it's not like the Jews were there FIGHTING and DYING for the independence YOU now share. GAH, the idiocy really irks me! And then:

"Earlier, Ahmad told the minority Chinese not to go overboard in hurting the feelings of the Malays and Muslims. "I want them to know, I want them to take this as a warning from the Malays. Malays and Muslims have been provoked many times. We have been patient because we want to maintain stability in the country," he said. "Remember! The patience of Malays and Muslims has its limits. Do not push us to the wall, where we will be forced to reject the Chinese for the sake of our survival."

Oh sure, he's the one making idiot comments, and he's warning the Chinese not to hurt the feelings of the Malays and Muslims.
Really, words almost fail me here. I was just furious that anyone could even be this dense. Any semblance of peace we had between races doesn't seem to get into that head of his. Why does he think every other Chinese person wants to usurp the rights of the Malays, or that we want to take over Malaysia and turn it into Singapore? Obviously, the Chinese don't wish to get along peacefully with their fellow countrymen, and they obviously don't want the best for the country that they and their families live in. After all, they're only SQUATTERS (and ONLY since the pre-independence era).
How can you tell someone who has known only life in Malaysia that he is a 'pendatang'? In fact, the Chinese (and Indians, at that) have been shorter-term 'pendatang's than the Malays, who are in fact 'pendatang' to this land themselves! But let's not go there. The point is, after all these years of 'Independence', it's so frustrating that so many are still not 'Independent' of their own thick-headed bigotry. After 51 years, after generations of Born and Bred in Malaysia Malaysians, we still have bigots calling other people names.
These are the issues 'true' racists harp on all the time, and yet he has the nerve to brand himself as a not-racist.
In the same press conference from which I quoted previously, the Malay leaders went really gung-ho about snubbing the Chinese.
"The press conference, which was held at the Penang Umno headquarters this afternoon, ended with shouts of ‘Hidup Melayu' from about 50 local party leaders who were there.
Soon after the event, former Penang Umno committee member Zainol Abidin Hashim, with the help from his colleagues pulled down the photo of Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon which adorned one of the walls in the party headquarters.
Koh's picture frame, which sat next to the photos of the Penang governor and his wife, was subsequently smashed.
As the glass broke into pieces, Zainol removed Koh's photo from the frame and tore it into half.
Koh, who is former Penang chief minister, has been trading barbs with Ahmad, the Bukit Bendera Umno division chief, over the issue."
They were even kind enough to include photos of the peaceful gathering.
Hidup Melayu, bangkit kebodohan?
But really, I don't make any sense, and you can totally discount whatever I've said (or tried, at least). I'm only a kid of the kid of the kid of a 'pendatang', so technically my arguments are already inferior to that of a 'lesser-pendatang', for what it's worth.
I'm sorry if I offend anyone, I'm just really, really angry. I can't think of another word for it.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Forget CO2!

Attention everyone! Our world is in grave danger from a very real threat - DHMO. Forget the whole ruckus about CO2 (carbon dioxide), DHMO (dihydrogen monoxide) is at least a thousand times more abundant in our atmospheres than CO2 ever will be. read the following article for more info. Lastly, don't forget to boycott all products that use DHMO! Together we CAN make a difference!


BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE!

Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there.
Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.
Dihydrogen monoxide:
· is also known as hydroxl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
· contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
· may cause severe burns.
· contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
· accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
· may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
· has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Contamination is reaching epidemic proportions!
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the midwest, and recently California.
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
· as an industrial solvent and coolant.
· in nuclear power plants.
· in the production of styrofoam.
· as a fire retardant.
· in many forms of cruel animal research.
· in the distribution of pesticides.
· as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation." In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.
Oh btw, to those who don't quite get it, try writing out the chemical formula for DHMO. This goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you read from emails or blogs nowadays. Well, except for this one, of course.

Cheers, and have a good day :)

Thursday, August 7, 2008

GG-ed!

Everyone's stressed out by an insane Math paper, except those who've practically memorized the answer scheme. Never mind, it's picture time!


I seriously ROFL, LOLed, BBQed, DVDed, whatever. I just love Lolcat, don't you?

The Making of a Sciencey Person

I have a friend who is an artist, and he sometimes takes a view which I don't agree with. He'll hold up a flower and say, "Look how beatiful it is," and I'll agree. But then he'll say, "I, as an artist, can see how beautiful a flower is. But you, as a scientist, takes it all apart and it becomes dull." I think he's kind of nutty.


First of all, the beauty that he sees is available to other people-and to me, too, I believe. Although I might not be quite as refined aesthetically as he is, I can appreciate the beauty of a flower. But at the same time, I see much more in the flower than he sees. I can imagine the cells inside, which also have a beauty. There's beauty not just at the dimension of one centimeter; there's also beauty at a smaller dimension.


There are the complicated actions of the cells, and other processes. The fact that the colours in the flowers have evolved in order to attract insects to pollinate it is interesting; that means insects can see all the colours. That adds a question: does this aesthetic sense we have also esxist in lower forms of life? There are all sorts of interesting questions that come from a knowledge of science, which only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe of a flower.


It only adds. I don't understand how it subtracts.

 -Excerpt from 'What do YOU care what people think?' by Richard P. Feynman

The short excerpt was taken from the a book compiled from the memoirs and interviews with Richard Feynman. He is sort of a hero to me, representing everything I've wanted and still hope to be.

The main reason I felt like sharing the extract was because a lot of people, I'm sure have a certain preset notion about the 'Sciencey' breed of people in the world. We're supposed to be boring, dull people who spend the rest of their days cooped up in some lab somewhere. We take everything apart, so there's really nothing left to appreciate. So it really struck a chord with me when he says, "It only adds (beauty). I don't understand how it subtracts".

A good friend of mine once told me that as a kid, he would gawk in awe at the rainbows in the sky. They has an ethereal, magical property to them. Then progressing up the ranks of study, science broke down the beautiful rainbows into nothing more than the refraction of light through water particles acting as lenses. In that sense, it removed the mystery, the wonder of something you didn't understand.

But then again, after the rain has fallen, I still look up to the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the multi-hued arches in the sky. I understand how a rainbow is formed. I understand it on a deeper level than the average passerby. It's almost like an exclusive secret I can keep to myself. It is still magical, it is still beautiful.

It only adds. I don't understand how it subtracts.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Of running, fasting

I'm now a volunteer for World Vision's annual 30-hour famine!


Click for more info.

It's this nifty thing where you don't eat or bathe (honestly, I have no idea why) for 30 hours (hence the name). Somehow or other, it's meant for you to experience the hardship and poverty of the impoverished people of the world. It's a great idea, really! But for a ridiculous bunch of people who have just as ridiculous metabolism rates (like me!), die loh. No, really. I don't know how I'm going to last 30 hours. I don't think properly if I don't have my second breakfast. I get moody if I don't get my lunch. How? HOW LAH TELL ME WEI. I thought I could get away by being a volunteer.

'Alrighty now, everyone start fasting! But since I'm a volunteer, obviously I need my energy to volunteer properly, so I won't be joining you *snicker*.'

But that didn't work. Turns out volunteers have to fast too. Bah.

I'll just have to deal with it when I get there. Stay awake all night and sleep through the 30 hours? Maybe. Play COD for 26 hours straight? Maybe. Options, options.

Speaking of which, on the exact same day of the famine countdown, there is this other event I would have reeeeally liked to have gone to. It's the (also) annual SAFRA Singapore Bay Run! The coolest thing about it is the sheer number of participants. If I remember correctly, there were about 10 to 15 thousand runners for one of the previous years. And also, Singapore has a good reputation for organising enjoyable runs.


And Singapore is a lovely place to run. I mean, all island with no place else for the smog and pollutants to go to. Lovely, lovely indeed. All urban landscape with close to zilch greenery. But let's not forget the other spectrum of the view - the girls!

I mean, honestly, probability dictates that at least some of them will be acceptably gorgeous. And they'll be running! Flushed red cheeks, windswept hair! What more could you ask for?

Oh wait.

PB and Jelly it. I can't run because I've volunteered to starve myself and deprive myself of food. GAH! NO! I can't believe the alternative. It's either Run With Pretty Girls or Starve Myself For 30 Hours.

Sigh, persevere, Jonno! It's for a good cause. Think of the little kids in Somalia, starving! Or Zimbabwe, think of the poor kids who have to lug around back-breakingly huge mounds of money just to buy breakfast only to find that the price went up due to their hyper-inflation rate, pegged at about 2.2 million % due to the power crazy splurges of their evil dictator leader who does not want to negotiate in talks with the opposition leader but oh why am I telling you all this, lets just get back to the point!

Zzz....

Dilemmas, dilemmas, but I'll keep you posted. Good night world!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

I swear it!

Recently, Winson and I gave some presentation in school about some Energy Audit project we did a month ago. It was quite well met, which made me quite glad actually.

The now (in)famous picture of Riza, imprinted in the minds of them impressionable school kids.

Of course, there were a couple of things we forgot to do. Forgetting to inform Mr. Jonathon (our IB coordinator) was obviously the biggest mistake. Besides the obvious, it turns out I was also a little rude on stage. ‘’Jonathan, you don’t use words like ‘darn’ or ‘crud’ on stage’’, said he, very civilly.

‘’Oh dang it’’, thought I.

Perhaps I was getting a little used to saying not-so-rude or crude words every time something slips, or every time I stub my toe on something. Well, fine. As much as possible, I’ll try not to say ‘darn’ or ‘dang’ or anything of the sort from now on. But ah, I need some sort of milder substitute to slowly wean myself off. Sorta like a nicotine patch for chain smokers.

I know! I’ll start swearing by ‘peanut butter’.

Yes lah, it’s very lame and nonsensical, but it gets the job done. Plus, I probably get points for coolness. Imagine a situation where Dai Ah Long (gangster guy) and I are walking and both of us almost got run over by a car.

Beep beep beep boop boobity boo beep beep beep’ (Guy starts swearing in Chinese, obviously censored. Plus, I don’t know enough Chinese to swear)

And then you’d hear ‘Peanut butter!’

Haha, I know, it sounds insane, but I happen to think it’s insanely cool as well.

Then you’d ask me, why bother? Just swear and be done with it. Well, I don’t really know. It might just be me who thinks it sounds a little crude to be swearing all the time.

I asked one of my classmates today why he was constantly swearing all the time.

"Oh, swearing amplifies the emotion I’m trying to convey. Say, if I was happy I’d say I’m ***************** happy so I would sound happier."

Right. I don’t think that’s an adequate enough justification, but all the same, if you enjoy swearing so much, by all means go ahead. I’m not the one making a fool of myself. The thing is, with every other person uttering expletives at every other thing nowadays, it’s become just so commonplace, so ordinary. Why, I might even dare say it’s downright boring and redundant.

Take for example, an exceedingly infuriated person. If he were to swear, he would probably sound like this:

Oh my BEEP you BEEPing BEEP BEEP BEEP, I’m am so going to BEEP BEEP your BEEP BEEP BEEPing BEEP and BEEP your BEEP up so that BEEP BEEP BEEP until you BEEP and BEEP and also BEEP, but not forgetting BEEP!! You BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP and your dog BEEP BEEP argh! You BEEP mushrooms are BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!! Tuna is BEEPing expensive BEEP BEEP BEEP. . .

And so on, so forth, etcetera, etcetera. . .

Practically nothing is left to the imagination. It’s all spelt out in beeping graphic detail for you. Another thing I have against swearing outright is that it’s just so . . . brainless (for lack of a better word). Any idiot could just start shouting random cuss words (in no particular chronological order) and that would constitute swearing. Bah, such humbug. Really, I think it's a particularly bad habit, much like scratching our bums in public or sneezing in the general direction of other people.

So if anyone asks me why I'm generally 'goody-good' and why I choose not to swear, now you know. Of course, there is the whole moral perspective, but besides that viewpoint, now you know.

Cheers :)

Oh and by the way, for some good intellectual swearing (hah, I keep telling myself there is such a thing) in action, honestly, none do it better than the English. Here’s a short clip from the movie ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ for your enjoyment. Watch out for them Frenchies!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

A Small Death

My mouse died on a Sunday night. It was so strange, so sudden. Walking down the stairs to get my dinner, I stopped, stopped and noticed that one of my two mice was missing. It couldn't have escaped, I told myself. Rummaging through the heaps of bedding, a small head peeked out.

It's eyes were closed. It's mouth was agape.

It was dead.


















I didn't quite know what to do then. I held it gingerly in my palm, and it was stiff and devoid of warmth. 'I suppose I must bury it', I then told myself. In the garden I shoveled a shallow pit for my mouse. It was dark, and I couldn't see. I couldn't even see when I had to pat down the earth around the small, frail frame. But it was probably better that way. I couldn't bear the sight of the carcass bloated, a mere shell of what used to be.

Later that night, as I poked at my dinner with disinterest, I would remember. Remember how my mouse used to scamper around, warm, lively, alive. I would approach their little nest, and even when they slept, their little ears pricked up when I was around. Then they would run rings around each other, and sniff longingly at the air. But that was mostly gone now. I continued eating, but it was cold. It was quiet now.















There used to be two of them, but only one remains now. There used to be two, and I'd see them play with each other. And in that small way, I suppose they did make me happy.

Was I a bad owner? Didn't I feed them enough or clean their cage often enough? Didn't I take note of the signs of ailment? I can't quite say.

As I ate my dinner, and I wondered. Why do people really bother keeping pets if they're just going to die someday? I have friends who wept buckets upon the death of a pet. I wonder if it's really worth the anguish.

I wasn't exactly lachrymose about a dead mouse, but it did leave a hollow ring in my ears when I told myself that she was gone. Really, is it worth it?

We just have to resign ourselves to the fact that life goes on, no?

Jonathan.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

My Gay Thoughts

No you didn't read that wrong. I'm here to expound a little on thoughts I was entertaining as I read news on the whole political hullabaloo that has been playing out in our Malaysian circus. You know, the whole Anwar being accused of sodomy kind of thing. But, like most other bloggers, I'm quite resigned to blogging about the political viewpoint of the matters; it's just so darn confusing at this stage.

And no, I don't literally mean 'gay thoughts', but rather a few thoughts about the homosexual movement as a whole.

It just struck me as I was reading some opinions about the allegations against Anwar. Some of the more eloquent and thought-provoking writers offered their opinions on the matter, and it pretty much went like, 'Hey, we're really not interested in whether or not Anwar did sodomize the poor chap. Considering that he was a 23 year old lad, probably at the peak of his youth and vitality, and that Anwar was 60+ and had a bad back, it must have been an act of mutual consent, and we're not at all interested in what two consenting adults choose to do in the privacy of wherever. We're only interested if it involves embezzlement of the public funds, and etc etc...'.

Or even things like, 'Malaysia is homophobic for the reason that sodomy (a homosexual act) is criminalized'. Or something to that effect.

Now, note the two main criterion most people offer for an action to be justifiable morally. One, they're adults, and thus fully able to comprehend their decisions and the ramifications of their decisions.

Two, it involves two consenting adults, and from a post-modernist point of view, that would equate to 'We're just doing our thing, and it's not hurting anyone, so just let us be!'.

Well, alright. It seems to be the perception of most people that if its done by two consenting adults, just about anything is fine.

Well, then, I was just thinking to myself about what these very same people would say to a case of incest. Yes, incest, some totally whacked sexual relationship between two people in a family. After all, it does involve two very consenting adults. So if we're really all that keen on allowing people to run around being gay, I really have to ask, why not let a father marry his own daughter? Or better still, let a grandma marry her grandson, or great great grandson, or whatever you fancy?

And doesn't incest just strike you as wrong? Why then, do you ask yourself, is incest so wrong? What, it's not natural? But oh, I never really thought homosexuality was natural either. I might be wrong and my view on things might be totally distorted because I'm a closed-minded person and a Christian of all things (oh no, it's another one!); but after all, it's just my personal take on things.

You know, the thing is, I believe this whole being 'open-minded' is a farce when it comes to homosexuality. There is no real open-mindedness. Everyone is just plain selfish (I'm not absolving myself either). I think most (I'm not saying all, mind you) proponents of homosexuality are themselves closed-minded because they refuse to acknowledge that the grounds on which they justify their claims for validity are the very same grounds that can be used for a lot of other things, which would probably tickle their moral conscience as well. So really, when you refuse to acknowledge that, then it's a mockery in itself of this 'open-mindedness' that we should have.

Of course, if you could still say, 'oh yeah, sure, incest is totally fine with me', then my argument would totally fall and I'd really have nothing else to say. I'd just go home, brood over it and seriously think that our moral state of affairs is in VERY, VERY deep peanut butter (it's the best substitute I could think of to represent something brown and mushy).

And oh, don't even go to there. Where? The, 'Oh, you're another closed-minded Christian and so your arguments are so 1940. We live in the modern age! Your old school rules are no longer relevant!'.

Seriously, -.-''

One, by calling someone closed-minded, you're already refusing to accept whatever views the other has to share, regardless of its validity and rationale.

Two, how do you really know if we're 'closed-minded'? Don't you think that in this age of thinking, we (the C-dudes) would have examined and re-examined our values and asked ourselves if this is really what we believe in?

Honestly, I fall waaaaaaaaay away from the standard of what I dare to call a 'good' Christian, but even I have my core values, which I've asked myself if they were worth protecting, and come to a resounding 'yes'. And of course we've all thought about homosexuality and whether or not it was right or wrong based on both divine standards as well as on modern standards. Well, there are some people who couldn't be bothered about forming a personal opinion, but I think they're just dumb and so they don't come into the equation here.

And look, you know that highly-touted value of being able to speak up for what you believe in? A great majority of people think its great that gays and gay-like people are able to brave ridicule and sum up the courage to tell everyone they're really gay, or stuff. They think its absolutely great that they have the courage to speak up for what they believe in and all that. Well, well, newsflash, that's EXACTLY what I'm trying to do. I'm speaking up for what I believe in, whether it irks people or not.

I could probably think of a few more things to say, but I think this post is controversial enough as it is. I'm expecting backlash from some human rights group in Amsterdam or somewhere, but it's alright. I really hope this prompts everyone to actually think. If you have a nit to pick with me, then fine, but go take some time to think about it, then type it out in a readable manner. Then, we'll sit down for tea and chat.

Lastly, peace out, yo.

:) Jonathan