In the next five months, I will…
Oct 14, 2008 People
I’m turning this into a game of sorts. I was just reading Marina’s blog this morning and she had this post (from which I curi-ed that title). It was in reaction to a report which states that our Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, or Pak Lah, had set his agenda for the next five months (he will not re-contest in the Umno elections) which includes revamping the judiciary and police force, and step up on the fight against graft.
I can only assume Marina was being cynical (or realistic) - as I am, considering the story I just heard from a friend who had to deal with the higher authorities yesterday. How do you change a lifetime of havbit and ego, in five months?
So, Marina listed five things she wanted to do in the next five months. Of course, she also says:
Of course I’ve been saying this for the last five years or so. But guess I’m not the only one who’s berangan-angan…
So here goes:
In the next five months, I will…
1. Pay off my credit card debt.
2. Clean my mess in all the different parts of the house.
3. Run in a half marathon.
4. Start eating healthy.
5. Read all the books laying by the side of my bed.
I’m not tagging anyone, cos it makes people obliged to respond. But feel happy and free to continue this “game” on your blog.
9.59am Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Pak Lah
Pasta Hut, special delivery
Oct 13, 2008 Sounds Like Pop
The caller dials 755 2525 1300 88 25 25.
Operator: Hello, Pasta Hut. Can I help you?
Caller: Pasta what?
Operator: Pasta Hut.
Caller: Oh, sorry wrong number. *click*
Umm, in case you guys didn’t get it, the caller was actually looking to call Pizza Hut. But that conversation might not be so strange in the future. Already, in Britain, the pizza franchise is about to change their name to Pasta Hut.
Their reasoning? In Britain, more people eat pasta than pizza.
Wow.
Anyway, the article states that they will “temporarily” change their name, so I don’t know if it’s long-term or if it’s a worldwide rebranding. I personally think it’s a stupid idea, but I suppose we’ll have to wait for the numbers to find out if it’s a successful campaign or not, huh?
5.23 Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
9 local to 1 foreign song on radio?
Oct 13, 2008 Rantings
I must have missed the story before, but there was an interview today with Commercial Radio Malaysia president Datuk Borhanuddin Osman in the NST.
The interview was to get Borhanuddin’s reaction to Karyawan’s appeal to the Government for a more fair group on privately-owned radio stations. Apparently, in August, the Malaysian Artistes Association’s president Freddie Fernandez had presented a memorandum to the Energy, Water and Communications Minister, appealing for a 9:1 ratio of local to foreign songs.
Aiyo, it’s good to know that it’s not only our politicians who make stupid remarks.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for supporting local artistes. But to listen to nine of their songs before I get to listen to one foreign song? Er, no thanks.
I mean, let’s not even get into the argument of quality. But quantity wise, it just doesn’t make sense. After all, the ratio of musicians around the world is probably hundreds of thousands to one. Even a 1:9 ratio would be too much.
Even Borhanuddin said:
The other industries in Malaysia do not employ a 9:1 local to foreign ratio. Otherwise, 90 per cent of cars, magazines or food sold here would be locally-made.
Other products or consumer services are enjoying the freedom of choice so why should radio listeners be any different?
It’s like saying there can only be one BMW (or Mercedes, or Toyota, or Honda) to five Protons and four Peroduas. Oh, the horror (although, I do love my Waja).
I understand that efforts are being made to find a way to get more local music out there, but I think that organisations like Karyawan should be more creative.
Because I think that if such policies, or worse, legistlations, are put into place, then it will be the users who will get more creative. And the industry will lose out even more.
Already most radios in cars have CD players (so we don’t actually need to listen to the radio) but also, there are so many options. iPods can be transmitted via airwaves to play on your radio quite easily and new phones have features which allow us to listen to foreign radio stations.
But you know what, I’m not even upset. I find this extremely funny. And I think it will be even funnier if the Government actually does implement this.
10.53am Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Remembering Matthew Shepard
Oct 12, 2008 People
Ten years ago, today, a young 21-year-old University student in Wyoming - a small town in rural United states - was lured from a bar, tied to a fence, beaten up and then left to die.
His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was gay.
The incident caused a national and international uproar and people started calling for lawmakers to introduce laws to deal with Hate Crimes.
About 7 years ago, while I was studying in Australia, I wrote an article about Matthew Shepard’s death. I posted it online somewhere, but I am unable to find it now. What I did find was this icon I created (this was the days before I was familiar with image editing software and relied on online button and icon creators).
Even back then, I was very specific about how I wanted the icon to look. My reason for creating the icon, to go with my article, wasn’t to promote gay rights - it was to embrace diversity. Hence, I remember being concious of avoiding using the colour pink (which is often associated with the gay rights struggle, perhaps becuase of the pink triangle from the days of Hitler), and conscious of not using the word “gay” in the icon.
Because for me, hate is hate - whatever its motivation is. Most of the time, when it comes to hate crimes, this stems from prejudice , presumtions and most dangerous of all, ignorance. There is of course, the question of psychology as well - how can you hate something or someone so much to want to cause hurt to another human being?
Matthew Shepard was hardly the first, nor was he the last, to be a victim of hate. People hurt other people around the world each day - from the common layman to people of standing.
So, today, on the 10th year after Matthew Shepard was killed, I hope that people will realise that while they are entitled to how they feel - and disliking and dissaproving of something or someone else - one shouldn’t judge others by their own set of values. Whether we are talking about sexuality, race, culture, to name a few, each person should be allowed to live his or her own life (within the laws, of course).
We can choose to disassociate ourselves, with this person, but no one has the right to hurt anyone else - physically, verbally or mentally.
This is a call for tolerance, and love. Celebrate diversity.
Note: To read more about Matthew Shepard, visit this Wikipedia page. Following his death, Matthew’s family set up the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and his mother Judy has been traveling around the country to speak about her experiences and the battle for hate crime laws. She writes on the Foundation’s website about how things have changed (or rather not) in one decade.
There was also a play by Moses Kaufman, later made into a movie, titled The Laramie Project. It is an interesting read/watch because it doesn’t deal so much with the actual incident but is a compilation of interviews done with the residents of Laramie, Wyoming, in the couple of years following Matthew’s brutal murder. Time magazine has an interesting repository on The Laramie Project. The Associate Press too writes about Wyoming, 10 years later.
9.29am Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: diversity, gay, hate crime, Judy Shepard, Laramie, Matthew Shepard, Moses Kaufman, The Laramie Project, Wyoming
Divorce: Let’s split the house - literally
Oct 11, 2008 News Breaks
This is too weird man. Have a long busy day today but thought I’d post this really quickly.
A 42-year-old man and his 35-year-old wife in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, has just gotten a divorce and they were going to split the house. I’m not sure if the husband is unaware of the concept, spiteful or just plain stupid - he and his family went over to saw the house into half - LITERALLY - and carted all the debris away with him.
Click here to see the picture. Story is here.
How strange is that? I don’t know if this is like a really late April’s Fool joke but it reminds me of the time when, as kids, we used to joke about splitting a RM1 note between two people by tearing it into half.
Maybe some people just don’t grow up.
9.38am Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
