All I want for Christmas is …
Nov 18, 2008 Rantings
… is The Retail DNA Test.
What is it? Apparently, it is what Time calls:
“… a $399 saliva test that estimates your predisposition for more than 90 traits and conditions ranging from baldness to blindness. Although 23andMe isn’t the only company selling DNA tests to the public, it does the best job of making them accessible and affordable.”
Okay, so I don’t know the consequences of having such a test, and data, available so easily publicly but what caught me was that the device would be able estimate susceptibility from anything from Lactose Intolerance to Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to Truemors, where I first read about it.
This is because I am kind-of Lactose Intolerant - I spew *yes, gross I know* if I eat cheese or drink fresh milk but am okay buttering up my bread or having ice cream. This device might end the mystery once and for all.
Still, I thought it was kinda cool. The device was created by Google founder Sergey Brin’s wife Anne Wojcicki. That has nothing to do with anything, but how’s that for trivia of the day?
8.32am Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: 23andme, anna wojcicki, dna, lactose, sergey brin, Time, time magazine
Two letters to America
Nov 16, 2008 Rantings
In the days following the win of US Presidential-elect Barack Obama, I waited for the euphoria to die down so that I could get to the analysis stories. Being a news junkie, I am interested to listen to different takes on the historical event.
Now, I don’t know if it’s from lack of time due to my extremely busy past couple of weeks (and therefore, not being able to find many stories), but I was quite dissapointed. Most of the ones I read were the same old, same old - they could have been rehashed stories from his Democratic nomination win, for all I know.
Today, however, I came by two interesting articles related to the US Presidential elections - both on the same page in The Star - Page 3 of StarMag. Both were by StarMag’s regular columnists - Wide Angle by Huzir Sulaiman and Stray Thought by A Asohan.
Huzir wrote an open letter to Americans, congratulating them on a good choice of President-to-come - especially after the disaster that was the past eight years under the ‘W’ administration. He talks about how, although we’re not Americans, that our lives are so much influenced by them. He invokes the names of Pollock, Warhol, Miles Davis. B. B. King, David Sedaris, House of Pain - all such a global force.
Huzir wrote about Obama’s 2004 Democratic Convention keynote speech, and the latter’s talk about small miracles.
We looked around our own part of the world, and we wanted those small miracles for our own countries.
We wanted them so badly for ourselves, America, that it hurt all the more that you could enjoy them at home and yet behave in the way that you did abroad.
Then there is Asohan’s piece, a reality check of sorts. Yes, his was similar to others I have read which talks about numbers - Obama got 43% of the white vote as compared to John McCain’s 55%. And McCain’s 5% compared to Obama’s 95% of black votes (according to BBC exit polls).
But it was the last two paragraphs that resonates the most.
But the world’s declaration that America has looked beyond race in electing Obama is naive.
It is an important first step, sure, but America will only have transcended race when a white man votes for a black man, and a black man votes for a white man, without giving a damn what his skin colour is.
I don’t know if many people would agree with the two of them - if Americans will give us that wee bit of ownership of their talent, or if people still think that we’ve got a long way to go in terms of “looking beyond race”.
But for me - a Malaysian who believes in the ideals of the United States, who grew up with a lot of American influences and who followed painstakingly, the election just past (and the couple of elections before that) - it is certainly food for thought.
And that is why I love the post-europhia/buzz articles.
11.20am Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: A Asohan, america, Barack Obama, Elections, huzir sulaiman, John McCain, politics, Presidential Elections, United States
Malaysian National Sports Convention
Nov 13, 2008 Rantings
Until I read this article a couple of days ago, I didn’t even know we had such a thing. Not surprising, after all, the last time the convention was held - also the first ever, if I gather correctly - was in 1996.
From reports, there appears to be a genuine concern (oh, finally!), if Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Sports Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s words are anything to go by. The Star writes:
Same old problems and issues in Malaysian sports were highlighted during a two-day National Sports Convention, which ended yesterday at the Putra World Trade Centre here.
But this time, there were promises of new approaches and fresh starts to deal with them in a bid to steer Malaysian sport in the right direction. At least, that was the assurance given by Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Well, it’s about time, I say. The NST summarises the convention here but the Malay Mail reported the dirt - there was apparently a whole lot of blaming going on.
Some lambasted public varsities for their strict entry requirements for athelets while others ridiculed our schooliong system and questioned the sincerity of the revelent ministries - mainly the Education and Sports Ministeries - for not working in tandem towards the beterment of sports.
Even the media were not spared for giving too much space on foreign sports instead of local affairs.
Even the NST picked up on that, and dedicated a short article to the media bashing. Now, I have to put a disclaimer - I am not defending the media just because I’m one of “them”. I am writing the following few sentences as just an individual, one who finds the argument extremely flawed.
The NST article reads:
Several delegates said the media should play its role in developing local sports rather than focusing on what is happening abroad.
So, what do they want? Nicol David and Lee Chong Wei’s face on the back pages all the time? How many athletes do we have in the country that really warrants heavy media coverage? I don’t write for sports but even I can tell that most events involving Malaysians are covered in the papers.
And I don’t know about you, but as a reader, I enjoy reading major stories about our sportsmen/women but moderately. I am interested in other sports as well. And let’s face it, there are more tournaments happening around the world that doesn’t involve our athletes - so percentage wise (7 cover stories a week), does it not make sense to have more stories about foreign sports?
I didn’t hear his whole speech, but this blurb in the Malay Mail but Najib, I think makes perfect sense.
“When people read the papers, they read the front page and quickly flip to the back page. They don’t want to read about Lewis Hamilton or Manchester Uited. They want to see our locals making it to the back pages.”
I think the operative term here is “making it” and I would be glad to read more about our fellow Malaysians who has done well because let’s be honest: who wants to be affiliated with losers?
I know it’s a bit of a catch-22, and that it’s hard for sports to develop without public support, but the focus has to be on the development, and not the politics which IMHO has marred our nation’s glory in sports.
The Sports Minister sounds like he’s serious about revamping Malaysian sports. I hope he is, and wish him all the best, because as much as I admire our current (and past greats), I for one would love to read more about our other successful athletes.
4.32pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: ismail sabri yaakob, Najib Tun Razak, national sports convention, sports
Fatwa on tomboys
Oct 24, 2008 Rantings
In today’s Page 3 of The Star, a Bernama article headlined Fatwa on tomboys:
The National Fatwa Council has ruled that tomboyism, where a girl behaves or dresses in a boyish manner, is forbidden in Islam.
Its chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin said the decision was prompted by recent developments as there had been cases of young women inclined to behave like men and indulging in homosexuality.
Sigh. Let’s not even go into the studies that have found that being a tomboy does not indicate a person’s sexual identity.
But when you think about how crime is high, and corruption is rife. And the amount of cases of murder, rape and molestation - surely there are more important things to focus on.
12.38pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: fatwa, homosexuality, tomboy
Najib the magnanimous
Oct 23, 2008 Rantings
Is this a sign of the times to come? Or too early to tell?
Either way, kudos to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for taking the high road and accepting the apology of online news site Malaysiakini after one of its editor’s ran a story pertaining to a purported “manifesto” which it received via email from a “Najib support group”. The Deputy Prime Minister had earlier condemned the report.
Today’s report in The Star indicated that Najib has indeed forgiven Malaysiakini, stating:
“The journalist who wrote the article has also resigned as a sign of accountability over a fake story. This shows professionalism on her part,” the Deputy Prime Minister said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby on Wednesday.
“I’m satisfied with the apology from the editor of Malaysiakini and also the journalist who has taken full responsibility over the story.”
I hope that with this, the issue would be laid to rest. After all, I think that mistakes happen and the news site was quick to remove the article, and publicly apologise. I really don’t think there was any malicious intention on Malaysiakini’s part. Of course, I am not condoning such methods of journalism (print/upload/broadcast first, then apologise later) but shit happens, and genuine incidents should be taken at face value.
I hope this means that the DPM will not be taking further action against the news site.
Najib’s reaction is a far cry (and fitting of a statesman) from Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar’s reaction in yesterday’s The Star.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said “somebody” should lodge a report against the article in Malaysiakini so that police could initiate investigations.
On whether Malaysiakini’s apology was enough, Syed Hamid replied: “They put in a false report and then apologise for it, that’s not good.
If that is not being a batu api, I don’t know what is. “Somebody” should lodge a report? Aiyah, you are Home Minister and since you love the ISA so much, just use it lah.
Yes, the perpetrators of the original email needs to be caught - and yes, perhaps even punished if it is indeed fake - but surely one can let nature take its course instead of adding fuel to the fire I think.
My two sens.
3pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: malaysiakini, manifesto, Najib Tun Razak, politics, syed hamid albar
