Project Petaling Street Blog

The image above belongs to Lim Zhi Xin, a fine young photographer. However, I used it without first obtaining proper permission, and I also failed to adhere to the Creative Commons Deed. In the true spirit of Merdeka, I should have respected the creative property of a fellow Malaysian. This oversight is my mistake and I take full responsibility. I sincerely apologise to Zhi Xin.

Today's young Malaysians are unique because they are caught between two different spheres of influence. The first sphere is conservative and inward looking, where young people are encouraged to study hard, secure a good job and pursue a steady living. The second sphere is more generous and outward looking, where globalization is nudging young people to use their talents and dreams to make their mark on the international community.

It is intensely exciting to be a young Malaysian today.

Hence, there are two kinds of patriotism. Official patriotism and personal patriotism. Official patriotism is symbolic, which involves displaying the national flag or singing the national anthem. These things can be very prominent, but they often end up being routine and unremarkable. Citizens may do these things for the same reason that they put up a Christmas tree.

What is more important is personal patriotism. Devoting yourself to what was set in stone by the founding fathers of Malaysia. Values like tolerance, openness and honor; and ideals like social justice, true equality and freedom from oppression.

Merdeka Day is special to me, because it’s a time to reflect whether we have lived up to these values and ideals. Personal patriotism may be largely unseen, but it is infinitely more powerful than displaying a flag. What truly makes me proud is to see young Malaysians using these values and ideals to make a positive difference throughout the world.

As a young writer, I have often been asked why I write about places like Sudan and the Balkans, instead of concentrating on Malaysia. The answer is simple. Having grown up in a multicultural society with its share of challenges, I can identify with the struggles that people face in those parts of the world. This is my empathy as a Malaysian.

Young Malaysians must be mindful that Merdeka is not just a holiday to celebrate our victory in 1957. Merdeka is about what we have become as human beings since then.

Are we personal patriots who sacrifice and strive to fulfill the vision of our founding fathers? Or are we just flag-waving people who play it safe?

Posted by at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (31) | TrackBacks (1)

An unforgettable image.

An ordinary man, carrying two bags that appear to be his shopping, courageously stepping in front of a column of tanks. The tank at the vanguard steers to go around him. The man defiantly scurries to block the advance. The tank steers in another direction. Again, the man does the same.

The year was 1989, and hundreds of thousands of protesters had gathered at Tiannanmen Square to denounce the Chinese regime's political corruption. There was to be no happy ending. Tanks and heavily-armed troops were ordered into the square to break up the protest. Anywhere between 1000 and 7000 people were killed.

It was within this context that the anonymous lone rebel appeared, a common man who dared to stand his ground against machines of oppression. After half-an-hour of blocking the tanks, he promptly clambered onto the lead tank and had a heated conversation with its commander. We will never know for sure what words were exchanged between them, but our best guess is: "Why are you here? My city is in chaos because of you!"

Ironically enough, the location where the confrontation took place was called the 'Great Avenue of Everlasting Peace'. Eventually, the stalemate was broken when concerned onlookers pulled the lone rebel down from the tank and absorbed him into the crowd. The tanks then went on their way.

To this day, no one knows for sure who he is or whether he is still alive. But it's safe to say that his image has been imprinted on the global memory, more so than Winston Churchill or Albert Einstein. When Chinese leader Jiang Zemin was asked what had happened to this symbol of Chinese freedom, he coolly replied, "I think never killed."

And perhaps that's true. His image will always be immortal.

Look closely, and you will see more than one instance of heroism in that picture. The tank commander--probably as young and confused as the protestors he was being sent to crush--disobeyed his orders and refused to mow down the lone rebel. For the crime of having a conscience, he was later court-martialed.

A reminder that the blind courage of the young can sometimes transcend the blind cynicism of their elders.

Posted by at 02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The People's Princess was robbed off her life in a car accident 8 years ago. The tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales occurred on Sunday, 31 August 1997 following a car accident in Paris, France. The vehicle in which the Princess was travelling was involved in a high-speed accident in the Place de l'Alma underpass in central Paris shortly before midnight on Saturday, 30 August. The Princess was taken to the La Pitie Salpetriere Hospital, where she underwent two hours of emergency surgery before being declared dead at 0300 BST.

The late Diana, Princess of Wales was born Lady Diana Frances Spencer on 1 July 1961 in Norfolk. Lady Diana Spencer married The Prince of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 29 July 1981. During her marriage the Princess undertook a wide range of royal duties. Family was very important to the Princess, who had two sons: Prince William and Prince Henry (Harry). After her divorce from The Prince of Wales, the Princess continued to be regarded as a member of the Royal Family. Right until the end of her life she was involved with charities working to help children, homeless people and AIDS sufferers, as well as with the campaign to ban land mines.

During her marriage, the Princess was president or patron of over 100 charities. The Princess did much to publicise work on behalf of homeless and also disabled people, children and people with HIV/Aids.

In December 1993, the Princess announced that she would be reducing the extent of her public life in order to combine 'a meaningful public role with a more private life'.

Following her divorce, the Princess resigned most of her charity and other patronages, and relinquished all her Service appointments with military units. The Princess remained as patron of Centrepoint (homeless charity), English National Ballet, Leprosy Mission and National Aids Trust, and as President of the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street and of the Royal Marsden Hospital.

In the year before her death, the Princess was an active campaigner for a ban on the manufacture and use of land mines. In January 1997, she visited Angola as part of her campaign. in June, the Princess spoke at the landmines conference at the Royal Geographical Society in London, and this was followed by a visit to Washington DC in the United States on 17/18 June to promote the American Red Cross landmines campaign (separately, she also met Mother Teresa in the Bronx, New York). The Princess's last public engagements were during her visit to Bosnia from 7 to 10 August, when she visited landmine projects in Travnic, Sarajevo and Zenezica.

It was in recognition of her charity work that representatives of the charities with which she worked during her life were invited to walk behind her coffin with her family from St James's Palace to Westminster Abbey on the day of her funeral.

Commemoration of the Princess

In the wake of the Princess of Wales's premature death, Diana, the Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was established to receive charitable donations from members of the public. Its goal is to commemorate the life of the Princess and to support the causes with which she was associated.

The first disbursements, totalling £13 million, were made from the fund in March 1998. The six causes of which the Princess of Wales was either patron or president at the time of her death each received grants of about £1 million ($1.6 million). These were: Centrepoint, the English National Ballet, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, The Leprosy Mission, the National AIDS Trust and the Royal Marsden National Health Service Hospital Trust.

The Osteopathic Centre for Children, for whose new centre the Princess was to have launched the 'Sweet Pea Appeal' in September 1997, also received a grant of £1 million.

The Trustees further set aside around £5 million (£8 million) to be shared between the 95 charitable causes with which the Princess had previously been involved. These organisations were asked to submit proposals to the Fund based on projects for 'vulnerable young people', 'children', 'the socially excluded' and 'survivors'.

Since its beginnings in 1997, the fund has continued to give grants to charities and similar organisations as a 'living memorial' to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Money from the fund is not being used to meet the costs of memorial projects for the Princess which have been approved by the Memorial Committee.

Reference: Princess Diana Memorial Site

A chinese proverb goes, 'It's how you live that matters, and not how long you live". Although Princess Diana died at a young age, but she lived a very meaningful life dedicated to charity. At the end of the day, what truly matters is her compassion for the lives of others. Arguments about her death will fizzle in time, but memories of her kindness remain in our hearts forever.

Posted by Yvonne at 09:19 AM | Permalink

The traditional framework of peacekeeping and humanitarian intervention is only workable when warring factions show a willingness to cooperate with UN prerogatives. If aggressors are determined to prolong the violence, then there is little that the UN can do to stop them in the short run. Aggressors may also reject humanitarian intervention on the grounds that it represents a form of neocolonialism. Their justification is that UN peacekeeping is used by first world countries to impinge upon and dominate weaker ones. In such instances, the very principle of respecting state sovereignty proves to be a stumbling block for the UN.

In 1999, the citizens of East Timor decided to vote for independence after two decades of Indonesian rule. As a direct result, violent gangs backed by elements of the Indonesian military went on the rampage to reverse the vote. Over 2000 people were killed and much of the country's infrastructure was devastated. Troops led by Australia had to wait for almost a month for consent from Indonesia before any intervention could happen. It is now believed that the reason for this delay was to bring about a scorched earth policy; to give the gangs the chance to inflict as much damage as possible.

Another consideration is the rigid rules of engagement (ROE) that UN troops must abide by. These rules dictate how, when and where military force may be applied. Once UN troops are allowed into a country, they are seen as nominal guests operating within the parameters of state sovereignty. They must try to perform their duties in a neutral and non-threatening manner. Aggressive posturing is strictly forbidden, hence the requirement for peacekeepers to be lightly armed. They can only discharge their weapons in self-defense. Unfortunately, such restrictive ROE has proven to be counterproductive.

In Somalia, the UN faced problems delivering supplies to the people who needed them most. Humanitarian aid was made difficult with the presence of heavily armed roaming militia. These militants were xenophobic by nature and distrustful of the peacekeepers. As a result, a number of them were killed and maimed because they lacked the means to properly defend themselves.

In Rwanda, General Romeo Dallaire led a peacekeeping force that was grossly under-equipped and vastly outnumbered. He managed to save over 20,000 civilians only by disregarding the UN ROE.

In Bosnia, the peacekeepers at Srebrenica could do nothing to enforce the safe area and protect the victimized Bosniaks. They were simply outmatched by the hostile Serbians who were wielding superior weaponry.

In Sierra Leone, rebels of the Revolutionary United Front broke the ceasefire in 2000 and overwhelmed hundreds of peacekeepers, taking them hostage. Most embarrassingly, arms, ammunition and vehicles belonging to the peacekeepers were seized and used to further the rebel assault on the ruling government.

It can be readily observed that in many of these instances, the UN Security Council has failed to act swiftly and decisively in the face of serious upheavals and violence.

This is largely due to the fact that the UN does not have a standing army of its own. It draws its troops from its member states on a voluntary basis. A peacekeeping force is only put together in an ad-hoc style when a crisis occurs. This produces delay and inefficiency. The decisions made on a political level may not match the pressing realities on the ground. Logistics, for example, is notoriously hard to coordinate at such short notice.

This shortcoming is the direct result of the UN’s founding principle of respecting state sovereignty. It does not impose peacekeeping commitments on its members and must wait for contributions to be greenlit before it can proceed with any intervention.

To remedy this problem, a proposal has been put forward for a rapid reaction force to be organized and maintained under UN jurisdiction. Such a force will be specially trained and placed on standby, for prompt deployment in the event of emergencies. This development will free the UN from relying solely on the goodwill of its member states. More importantly, the very existence of a rapid reaction force has the potential to cut through the red tape and save many lives in the long run. Serious discussions on this will take place next month as part of the UN summit on reforms.

However, there still remains the prickly issue of political will to contend with. When a contradiction exists between the desire to pursue humanitarian intervention and the need to respect state sovereignty, the UN suffers a breakdown of collective security. This is a twilight zone where it is easier for the international community to drag its feet, rather than get involved in civil conflicts.

Statesmen such as Henry Kissinger and Robert McNamara have substantiated doubts about the traditional notion of collective security. They believe that it is far too idealistic to function effectively in today’s world.

Firstly, the resources and effort required to carry out humanitarian intervention are often very costly. Conversely, the benefits gained from such action may be very low. No one really has the desire to forcibly intervene in a civil conflict and end up making enemies.

Secondly, unless the international community is directly threatened, the members of the UN may be slow to react. A crisis erupting in a country may be perceived to be an internal matter. Intervention will not be exercised to the fullest extent out of blind respect for state sovereignty.

Thirdly, the democratic conventions of the UN may prove to be a drawback. Decisions are made because they are popular, as opposed to being moral and humane. It is quite possible for a country guilty of genocide to use such conventions to rally support against humanitarian intervention.

Fourthly, the UN runs into a brick wall when it cannot secure the participation, support and funding of the United States. Despite being the world’s leading power, American troop commitments comprise less than 2% of total UN peacekeeping forces. This is due to the fact that the United States is reluctant to hand over command and control of its troops to the UN. The United States also owes the UN over $1 billion in arrears. All too often, the UN has been used as a global platform by critics to attack American foreign policy. Because of this, the United States withholds funds in a deliberate effort to pressure the UN to tone down and comply with its wishes.

The United States is arguably the most fiercely independent sovereign state on the UN Security Council. Because of its tremendous power and influence, its stubbornness can be terribly obstructive. This handicaps the UN, which cannot pursue humanitarian intervention with absolute effectiveness.

We have explored the various ways in which state sovereignty impacts and undermines the pursuit of humanitarian intervention. But does humanitarian intervention effect state sovereignty?

As mentioned earlier, there are those who believe that humanitarian intervention only serves to usurp state sovereignty. Since the collapse of European colonialism, military/political control of the Third World has largely ceased to exist. But it is now alleged that powerful countries use alternative means to dominate and exploit underdeveloped ones. This is known as neo-colonialism.

Seen in this light, intervention by the UN is merely an extension of the old colonial philosophy known as the White Man’s Burden. Non-European cultures have historically been perceived as being backward and immature. Without outside assistance, they will continue to be mired in poverty and conflict. It is therefore the responsibility of the West to civilize them and guide their development until they can take their place in the world.

Critics of the UN believe that such an approach is racist and smacks of imperialism. Humanitarian intervention is merely an excuse to justify the thinly-veiled self-interest of the West. By making the Third World dependent on them, they hope to enjoy the benefits of cheap labor and raw materials. They may even seek to manipulate events to their advantage.

Countries like the Netherlands and Italy are major suppliers of military equipment and weapons. What is hypocritical is that they pursue peacekeeping efforts in the very countries that they sell arms to. This creates a serious conflict of interest. Any intervention by them may only be short-term and questionable, while long-term structural problems are left unresolved.

The involvement of UN peacekeepers in sexual slavery and prostitution has also recently surfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The embarrassing scandal has involved the exploitation of under-aged girls. These abuses show a lack of respect for state sovereignty and introduce foreign problems into an already volatile landscape.

In coming to conclusion, the relationship between state sovereignty and humanitarian intervention is a close but tenuous one. They both influence each other to a tremendous extent. Most tellingly, if the international community is not careful, they run the risk of undermining one while championing the other. We can only hope that the upcoming UN summit will lead to solid reforms that will strike a more realistic balance between the need to respect state sovereignty and the need to pursue humanitarian intervention. The ability of the UN to save many lives in the future may very well depend on such a compromise.

Posted by at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In recent weeks, Oxfam-an international famine relief organization based in Oxford, UK-has called upon major powers such as the United States and Russia to support the implementation of sweeping reforms within the United Nations in the area of peacekeeping and humanitarian intervention. This strongly-worded proposal will make the international community responsible for taking swift and decisive action to protect populations from genocide and crimes against humanity. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will spearhead these discussions at the UN summit taking place this September. He calls them the "the most far-reaching reforms in the history of the United Nations", aimed at bringing conflict resolution and peacekeeping in line with "today's realities." Past and recent failures such as Rwanda and Sudan will no doubt cast a long shadow over the summit's proceedings.

While countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Canada have voiced their support for these reforms, others have objected heatedly, citing that the UN must not become overly interventionist and undermine state sovereignty. Those who support these reforms have stood firm with claims that intervention for the sake of human life should take precedence over state sovereignty.

But what is state sovereignty? Why is it so important in relation to humanitarian intervention? Let us explore the obvious and not-so-obvious answers to these questions.

State sovereignty is defined as the exclusive right to practice supreme authority over a certain region or a group of people. It also means total control over the affairs that happen within a territorial and geographical area. This concept is so significant that since its founding, the United Nations has pledged to respect and uphold the sovereignty of member states. This has had great consequence for humanitarian intervention and peacekeeping.

The United Nations promotes peace through a doctrine known as collective security. Member states agree in principle that any breach of peace involving one is of concern to all. Such breaches ought to be remedied through collective action. This, in theory, discourages any member state from acting in a manner that will provoke conflict.

To its credit, collective security has been successful in averting the kind of total war that devastated the first half of the 20th century. One of the ways in which collective security is maintained is through multinational peacekeeping operations that are performed under the auspices of the UN.

Traditional peacekeeping is divided into three phases. The first phase involves getting the warring factions to agree to a ceasefire and consent to the entry of peacekeepers. In the second phase, the ceasefire is now in place, allowing for the deployment of lightly armed troops who wear blue helmets and use vehicles that are painted white. They will function as a buffer between the warring factions and act as impartial observers, ensuring that the terms of the ceasefire are being followed. This allows tensions to be steadily defused and nonviolent relations to be encouraged. In phase three, a window opens for relief work to be performed to ease the sufferings. Institutions and infrastructure that have been damaged or destroyed in the conflict are rebuilt. Diplomatic efforts to cement peace are facilitated.

However, collective security through peacekeeping has been unsuccessful in deterring wars of lower intensity, such as the 1982 Argentinean invasion of the Falkland Islands and the 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq. Most embarrassingly, the UN has been ineffective in curtailing violent civil conflict and delivering humanitarian intervention at critical junctures throughout the 1990s.

In 1993, the UN failed to deliver food and medicine to the famished citizens of Somalia. These supplies were seized by ruthless warlords such as Mohammed Farrah Aidid. US Special Forces resorted to launching a raid in the capital city of Mogadishu to apprehend allies of Aidid. The mission triggered a humiliating 15-hour bloody battle that led to the end of American participation in Somalia.

In 1994, the UN failed to take decisive action to prevent Hutu extremists from murdering almost one million Tutsis and Hutu moderates over the course of three months. Reliable intelligence had been gathered beforehand on the preparations for ethnic cleansing, but UN did not authorize actions that would have stopped the extremists.

In 1995, the UN failed to prevent one of the largest European massacres since the Second World War. Dutch peacekeepers stationed in Srebrenica, Eastern Bosnia—which had been declared a safe area—were unable to do anything as over 8,000 Bosniaks were murdered by Serbian forces.

These catastrophes have highlighted the manner in which UN protocols related to humanitarian intervention have been limited and hampered by state sovereignty. There are circumstances in which seeking the consent of local authorities before taking action is clearly not workable.

Some experts believe that the number of people killed by their own governments goes beyond those killed in both World Wars. It is therefore not unknown for governments to perpetrate aggression against their own citizens with alarming regularity.

This can be readily observed during acts of ultra-violent genocide. Aggressors will often behave in a manipulative fashion, denying that such acts are taking place. They may take elaborate steps to obstruct or blindside the UN. They may even insist that the situation is strictly an internal matter, and forbid journalists and independent observers from entering the area. This makes it difficult for the UN to ascertain the depth and scale of the violence.

The ongoing Darfur Crisis in Western Sudan is an example. Since 2003, government-backed Arab militants known as the Janjaweed have singled out black African villages for attack. Hundreds of thousands have died, while two million more have lost their homes to massive land seizures. The remoteness of Darfur has made it easy for the Sudanese regime to institute cover-ups and issue blatant denials.

Posted by at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

August 31, 1975 Raleigh Roundtree, tackle for the San Diego Chargers
August 31, 1974 Andrei Medvedev, born in Kiev, Ukraine, tennis star, 1991 French Open junior
August 31, 1974 Jeremy O'day, CFL offensive linebacker for the Toronto Argonauts
August 31, 1974 Jessy Viceisza, Miss Universe-Bonaire 1996
August 31, 1973 Earl Scott, WLAF OL for the Amsterdam Admirals
August 31, 1973 Priest Lauderdale, NBA center for the Denver Nuggets
August 31, 1973 Reggie Geary, NBA guard for the San Antonio Spurs
August 31, 1973 Scott Niedermayer, Edmonton, NHL defenseman for the New Jersey Devils
August 31, 1971 Greg Jefferson, NFL defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles
August 31, 1971 Mike Caldwell, NFL linebacker, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals

August 31, 1970 Deborah, Debbie, Gibson, born in Brooklyn, New York, singer, Only in My Dreams
August 31, 1970 James Robinson, NBA guard, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers
August 31, 1970 Steve Nikataras, cricketer, left-arm pace bowler for NSW 1996-97
August 31, 1969 Andrei Trefilov, Kirovo Russia, NHL goalie, Buffalo Sabres, Oly-S-98
August 31, 1969 Andrew Phillip Cunanan, serial killer, Gianni Versache
August 31, 1969 Javagal Srinath, cricketer, Indian right-arm pace bowler since 1991
August 31, 1969 Nathan Minchey, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox
August 31, 1969 Victor Alexander, NBA forward and center for the New York Knicks
August 31, 1968 Glenroy Gilbert, Trinidad, Canadian 4X100m sprinter, 1996 Olympics gold
August 31, 1968 Hideo Nomo, born in Osaka, Japan, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers
August 31, 1968 Jennifer Azzi, born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, basketball guard, 1996 Olympics gold
August 31, 1968 Jim Bob Howard, Wichita Falls Texas, actor, Flash and Bone
August 31, 1968 Jolene Watanabe, born in Los Angeles, California, tennis star, 1994 Futures-Evansville
August 31, 1967 Diane Madl, Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, field hockey forward/midfielder 1996 Olympics
August 31, 1967 Melanie Sullivan, Branford, Connecticut, WPVA volleyballer, National-13th-1994
August 31, 1966 Jeff Frye, born in Oakland California, infielder for the Boston Red Sox
August 31, 1965 Willie Watson, cricket pace bowler, NZ
August 31, 1963 Reb Beach, heavy metal rocker, Winger-17
August 31, 1963 Sonny Silooy, soccer player, Ajax
August 31, 1962 Wanda Guenette, Winnipeg Manitoba, volleyballer 1996 Olympics
August 31, 1961 David Chastain, heavy metal rocker, Chastain-Rule of Wasteland
August 31, 1959 Rachel Dennison, born in Knoxville, Tennessee, actress, Doralee Rhodes-9 to 5
August 31, 1959 Tony DeFranco, rocker, DeFranco Family
August 31, 1958 David H Mattheisen, Blue Island, Illinois, PhD/astronaut, STS 73 alt
August 31, 1958 Julie Brown, American Actress
August 31, 1957 Gina Schock, rocker, Gogos-Our Lips Are Sealed
August 31, 1957 Glenn Tilbrook, London, rock vocalist and guitarist, Squeeze-Tempted
August 31, 1957 Tom Candiotti, Walnut creek California, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers
August 31, 1955 Edwin Corley Moses, Dayton, 400m hurdler, Oly-2 gold/br-76, 84, 88
August 31, 1954 Tula, [Barry Kenneth Cossey], England, transsexual, For Your Eyes Only
August 31, 1954 Robert Kocharian, Statesman
August 31, 1953 Marcia Clark, [Kleks], Berkeley California, LA DA, OJ Simpson Case
August 31, 1952 Bruce Soboroff, born in Chicago, Illinois, rocker, Buckinghams
August 31, 1952 Rudolf Schenker, German rock guitarist, Scorpions-Virgin Killer
August 31, 1949 Richard Gere, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, actor, Breathless, Cotton Club, Pretty Woman
August 31, 1949 Rick Roberts, rocker, Firefall
August 31, 1945 Itzhak Perlman, Tel Aviv Israel, violinist and polio victim, 14 Grammys
August 31, 1945 Leonid Ivanovich Popov, U.S.S.R., cosmonaut, Soyuz 35/37, 40, T-7
August 31, 1945 Van Morrison, British Musician
August 31, 1944 Clive Hubert Lloyd, cricketer, "Supercat", 110 Tests 1966-85
August 31, 1942 Carole Wells, born in Shreveport, Louisiana, actress, Pistols 'n' Petticoats
August 31, 1942 Isao Aoki, Abiko Chiba Japan, PGA golfer, 1983 Hawaiian Open
August 31, 1941 Emanuel Nunes, composer
August 31, 1941 Henk Terlingen, Dutch radio/TV-host, Paul Meier Show
August 31, 1940 Alain Calmat, France, figure skater 1964 Olympic silver
August 31, 1940 Jack Thompson, [John Pain], Sydney Australia, actor, Breaker Morant
August 31, 1939 Jerry Allison, Hillsboro, Texas, rock drummer, Buddy Holly and Crickets
August 31, 1937 Guido de Moor, Dutch actor, Apart, Because the Cats
August 31, 1937 Warren Berlinger, Brooklyn, actor, Larry-Joey Bishop Shop, Take Two
August 31, 1936 Marva Nettles Collins, educator, west side preparatory school
August 31, 1935 Eldridge Cleaver, Black Panther turned Republican
August 31, 1935 Frank Robinson, baseball player/manager, MVP 1961-NL 1966-AL
August 31, 1932 Benito Wogatzki, writer
August 31, 1932 Robert [Franklin] Adams, U.S., sci-fi author, Castaways in Time
August 31, 1932 Roy Castle, entertainer
August 31, 1931 Dan Rather, news anchor, CBS-TV
August 31, 1931 Jean Marc Beliveau, NHL center, Montreal Canadiens, 10 Stanley Cups
August 31, 1930 Owen B Pickett, Rep-D-Virginia
August 31, 1930 Tiny Little, Jr., Worthington, Minnesota, pianist, Lawrence Welk Show
August 31, 1929 Julio Ramon Ribeyro, writer
August 31, 1928 James Coburn, Laurel Nebr, actor, Our Man Flint, Magnificent Seven
August 31, 1928 Jeremy Stephen Maas, writer/art dealer
August 31, 1926 Georgiy Petrovich Katys, Russia, cosmonaut, Voskhod 1 backup
August 31, 1926 Jan de Koning, minister of Agriculture/Social Businesses, CDA
August 31, 1924 Klaus Hashagen, composer
August 31, 1924 Buddy Hackett, American Comedian
August 31, 1923 Larry White Grayson, British comedian, Generation Game
August 31, 1923 Serafina K "Sera" Anstadt, Polish/Dutch actress/author
August 31, 1920 James Lanphier, New York, actor, Flight of Lost Balloon
August 31, 1918 Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist composer, Lerner and Loewe-My Fair Lady
August 31, 1918 Lucrecia Roces Kasilag, composer
August 31, 1916 Daniel Schorr, broadcast journalist, CBS
August 31, 1914 Richard Basehart, Zanesville, Ohio, actor, Voyage to Bottom of Sea
August 31, 1913 Michiel P Gorsira, 1st Dutch Antillean in charge of Curaeao, 1951-67
August 31, 1912 Ramon Vinay, operatic tenor/baritone
August 31, 1912 Reinoud Anders, [Lady Blits], Dutch actor, Hamlet
August 31, 1911 Hilde Jarecki, educationist
August 31, 1908 Lab Rachel Katherine Hamilton-Russell ouchere, local historian
August 31, 1908 Peter Conrad Baden, composer
August 31, 1908 William Saroyan, U.S., novelist/playwright, Time of Your Life
August 31, 1907 August F Hawkins, Rep-D-CA, 1963-
August 31, 1907 Ramon Magsaysay, Philippines, statesman, U.S. Legion of Merit-1952
August 31, 1906 Vivienne Byerley, publicist
August 31, 1905 Dore Schary, producer/writer/director, Act 1, Boys Town, Big City
August 31, 1903 Arthur Godfrey, New York City, radio/TV host, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout
August 31, 1903 Bernard Lovell, England, radio astronomer, founded Jodrell Bank
August 31, 1900 Roland Culver, born in London, England, actor, Thunderball, Encore
August 31, 1899 Paul E Garber, U.S. founder/1st curator of National Air and Space Museum
August 31, 1899 Walter Muller von Kulm, composer
August 31, 1897 Frederic March, Wisconsin, actor, Dr. Jeckyll-Acad Awards 1932/1946
August 31, 1897 Marianne Bruns, writer
August 31, 1897 Fredric March, American Actor
August 31, 1895 Joseph Moiseyevich Schillinger, composer
August 31, 1892 Claire DuBrey, Bonner's Ferry ID, actress, Lightnin' in the Forest
August 31, 1889 A Provost Idell, father of modern volleyball
August 31, 1888 Ramon de Basterra, Spanish writer/diplomat, La Obra de Trajano
August 31, 1887 Friedrich A Paneth, Austrian/British chemist
August 31, 1885 DuBose Heyward, novelist, Porgy
August 31, 1884 George Al Sarton, Belgian/US historian
August 31, 1880 Wilhelmina HPM, queen of the Netherlands, 1898-1948
August 31, 1879 Joshihito, emperor of Japan, 1912-26
August 31, 1879 Viktor Alexandrovich Uspensky, composer
August 31, 1878 Albert Riemenschneider, composer
August 31, 1870 Maria Montessori, Italy, educator, spontaneous response
August 31, 1864 Max Wilhelm Zach, composer
August 31, 1856 Nikoghayos Fadeyi Tigranyan, composer
August 31, 1855 Stefan Surzynski, composer
August 31, 1852 Georges/Joris Helleputte, Belgian Catholic minister
August 31, 1834 Amilcare Ponchielli, Paderno Italy, composer, I Lituani
August 31, 1828 George Leonard Andrews, Bvt Major General Union volunteers
August 31, 1823 Galusha Aaron Grow, MC, Union, died in 1907
August 31, 1822 Fitz John Porter, Major General Union volunteers, died in 1901
August 31, 1821 Vaclav Hugo Zavrtal, composer
August 31, 1811 Goode Bryan, Brig General Confederate Army, died in 1885
August 31, 1811 Theophile Gautier, Tarbas France, writer/poet, Albertus
August 31, 1775 Francois de Paule Jacques Raymond de Fossa, composer
August 31, 1755 Johann Ignaz Walter, composer
August 31, 1749 Radistschew, writer
August 31, 1748 Jean-Etienne Despreaux, composer
August 31, 1741 Johann Paul Aegidius Martini, composer
August 31, 1696 Johann Paul Kunzen, composer
August 31, 1663 Guillaume Amontons, French physicist
August 31, 1602 Amalia, countess of Solms-Braunfels, wife of Gov Frederik Hendrik
August 31, 1569 Djehangir/Jahangir, great mogol of India
August 31, 161 Lucius A A Coomodus, emperor of Rome, 180-91
August 31, 12 Caligula, [Gaius Caesar], 3rd Roman emperor, 37-41 AD

(Source)

Posted by Yvonne at 09:45 AM | Permalink

Merdeka is week is upon us. For those outside Malaysia, Merdeka is our National Day, and the 48th one at that.

If our nation were a person, he or she (let's just use 'he', I don't like typing) would be past his second bout of mid-life crisis, probably with a slight pot-belly, cringing at or looking forward to retirement. His children would probably be facing major exams, or doing the college gig, which would mean serious financial commitments. He'd probably always be having one sentence conversation with his long-suffering wife, usually with a tinge of sarcasm and unsaid connotations.

Seriously though, as a person Malaysia has seen some pretty harrowing times. From a bout of internal bleeding (changed his dietary habits and lifestyle since then), to a prodigal son ('still my son', dad says), to a tragic death in the family. But there were good times, too. From victories, to marriages, to all-round happy times.

But I suppose in recent years, Malaysia the bloke is well known to be an affable guy, liked by everyone (well, mostly) for being a moderate in his beliefs and diplomatic to his friends. Even to his chain smoking neighbour.

Thanks, Malaysia, dan Selamat Hari Merdeka!

Posted by simon at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

For close to 20 years, she was an iconic image without a name.

It was National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry who immortalized her. He was wondering through a refugee camp on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in 1984 when he glimpsed a Pashtun girl with piercing aquamarine eyes. Almost on impulse, he raised his camera and snapped away.

It became a heart-stopping moment frozen in time. The very face of war. The face that no one could forget. National Geographic called it the most recognized photograph in the history of its magazine.

Until recently, she was known only as 'Afghan Girl'. In 2002, after the fall of the oppressive Taliban regime, McCurry was finally reunited with the face that had haunted his dreams for so long. Using biometric technology, McCurry matched her iris to those of the photograph.

She is Sharbat Gula, now a woman with girls of her own. Her age is unknown, but estimates place her in her early 30s. Tragically, the ravages of a hard life have aged her tremendously. She now looks more like a woman of 50.

Because of her, people now take a greater interest in humanitarian work and peacekeeping. And why not? Her face is one that none of us should ever forget.

Posted by at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

At the height of the Second World War, German aircraft are raining fire from the skies over England. Thousands of youngsters are evacuated from the cities into the countryside.

Four children go to stay with an elderly professor in a big house. They soon discover a wardrobe that is a portal into the magical world of Narnia, where a stunning battle rages between good and evil.

The White Witch is a cruel tyrant who has forced Narnia into an eternal winter. Opposing her is Aslan, a noble speaking lion and the rightful ruler of Narnia. The two are destined to clash, with the liberty of this land hanging in the balance. But this is one war that Aslan cannot fight alone. Prophecy has foretold the arrival of four humans who will tip the balance. That time is now.

Thus begins a tale of high adventure and superb mythology. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first of The Chronicles of Narnia, a seven volume fantasy series authored by C.S. Lewis, a colleague and friend of the great J.R.R. Tolkien.

Called the granddaddy of children's fantasy, it has greatly influenced writers such as Phillip Pullman, J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman. Now, you can witness it for yourself on the big screen in December.

Visit the official website at www.Narnia.com.

Posted by at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Power to the Females. Just don't go the men's to do breast-feeding and make up too long. Man need their space.

Why on earth who a woman want to pee like a man or even enter the smelly men’s room ? Ridiculous. This is turning into a Ally McBeal nightmare and I need to wake myself up !

P-Mate is a device allowing women to pee while standing up. Apparently, it’s been around in Europe for awhile, and is expected to begin sales by the end of this month in Colorado, a known hot-bed for female vertical-urination.

Karen Diamond, the President of Go Your Way, the first US distributor of the P-Mate, says...

“This is a revolutionary product that has taken Europe by storm. It allows women to pee standing up, just like the boys, giving a whole new slant on equal rights for women.”

Source of P-mate

Posted by Colbert at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

One of Malaysia's most entertaining bloggers (in my opinion, anyways), is holding a haiku contest. Go quick and take part. Who knows, the itchy cat might just scratch your back if you win! :)

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at 05:24 PM | Permalink

The Malaysian blogosphere has been awash with Google Talk-related stories lately; PPS has been flooded with people wanting to blog about it -- what it can do, what it can't do, etc, etc.

But the question that i've not yet seen anyone ask is, "Why is Google doing this?"

Some very nice possible answers by Forbes:

By distributing the program, Google could also cash in on its core business of helping Internet users find information, selling advertising space on those search results. Ultimately, Google could charge advertisers extra for a "call me" button, providing consumers with a direct link to call a business they find in a search. Imagine searching on Google for details about a local restaurant and calling for reservations without leaving your search results page.

The full article is definitely worth a read.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This is a very, very cool project!

If you come across a good blog, a good entry, you submit a post. You tell us, the editors, why you think this post is worth recommending. You submit your story, and you pull out an excerpt to show us, 'Hey you have to take a look at this, cos he's just great!'

Blogsmalaysia.com -- a welcome addition to the Malaysian blogosphere. Check it out.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The existences of individuality in us are but such intrigue uniqueness in common day commonness. Our so called ordinariness of independence with ourselves is but an excuse to what seems to be ignorance to the conception of individualism. This is why our egoism is perceived as self-centeredness and insensitivity amongst this society of so called friendly sociable and modest unpretentious minds. Which beget my notion of human identity in the direction of empty nonsensical words which cannot truly be grasped nor comprehend. Afterall, no one really understood anyone in totality for sure. If you have read till this sentence, you would realized that the prior 149 words are truly meaningless. I too have problems understanding my tangerine self.

Yet reading my own words are at least identifiable compared to dry understanding of my own feelings. I'm still fascinated at how I can adore someone so much that I can also hate them at the same time. I can yearn for such great longing for certain person and in addition willing to let go for the sake of their lifelong happiness. And I sometimes say that I love someone indefinitely only to realize that I love myself more than to sacrifice everything for love. For which I question myself, do I adore my condone detestation, desiring every freedom of infidelity as well as loving individuals for the intention of imminent self-satisfaction? If I were to optimistically rephrase my thoughts, then my decency would have transpire adoring love for my enemies, rendering selfless passion of unpossessive devotion and saying the three magic words only because I know that being with that significant other will make me an even better person. My insight of my existence is truly grey, neither black nor white. Surely my eyesight observing my self reflection leans to beauty in all ways possible. Then again, I rather identify autonomy alike playing the piano. It's when I varied the fusion of both black and white ivory keys that I will result promising sheer music of desires. Afterall, most masterpieces are shaped by many notes.

Posted by charlyn at 06:00 PM | Permalink

You've heard of wordpress.org. This is not fresh news but yet not many noticed the new Wordpress.com, tomorrow's web-based blogging tool. Most of us should be familiar with what blogger.com does, and wordpress.com does quite the same, only better. So to those without personal webspaces and wish to avoid hassle, then wordpress.com is your answer. Because honestly, Wordpress is certainly the best blogging platform I've ever used.

Now, a little sneakpeak about what wordpress.com can do.

The wordpress.com site is run by the amazing WordPress MU designed to be run on a single site with multiple users blogging on their own individual site. While it can be used to set up multiple blogs on an individual’s site, it is really designed for the corporate company or host server to manage hundreds, even thousands of WordPress sites. It is powered by WordPress 1.6 alpha, which means it is still under development.

With wordpress.com you can set up a working blog within seconds. No more dealing with setting up the database and running install - all that work is done for you. You just sign in with your user name and password.

To set it up, go into Users and Options and set up your user profile with the Blog site name and your author and contact information. Then switch easily to the Presentation panel to choose from the various Themes. Then click WRITE and write your first post wordpress 1.6 upload paneland you are now officially a blogger.

You can write about anything you want, though some people are choosing to write about WordPress, since it is in the URL, but you can write about any topic.

You can upload images, though you are limited, right now, to a total of 15 megabytes. That’s plenty for thumbnails and low resolution images to get you started. When you upload the image, you get a choice to resize the saved image as it is or with two different “thumbnail” sizes or a custom size. When you upload the file, the link to the file is provided to copy and paste into your post.

WordPress 1.6 manage panel You can easily set up categories and post now or set the posts to publish in the future, just as you can with the traditional WordPress. In fact, a lot of what you can do is similar to what you can do with WordPress 1.5, just with a slightly different looking interface, but nothing that is dramatically different. For the most part, WordPress users are going to really love the new interface and adapt quite easily. It’s cleaner and, in many ways, easier to use.

WordPress 1.6 WYSIWYG write post dynamic editor The new WYSIWYG HTML editor is available which basically allows you to see a semi-formatted view of what you are writing. You can see the font styles and the images, but currently, they reflect a simple HTML layout rather than your Theme. Some Theme CSS styles may be incorporated in the future, I hope.

You can choose from the WYSIWYG Dynamic Editing screen or choose the HTML version which is what WordPress users are more accustomed to. With the Dynamic Editing, you can see the image in the editing window when you add it. You can click on it and move it around or change the properties. When you add the image, you are given the option of adding its positioning on the page, which is a very nice addition. Links look like links and headings look like headings.

The Post Preview is still there and it currently is the same view as the traditional WordPress version, keeping to a simple non-styled layout with the images so you can read through easily to look for grammar and spelling errors.

There are some very sweet new features that will be awesome once they are finalized, and so there is much to look forward to in the new version, but for now, let’s focus on what you can, and can’t, do on wordpress.com.

The focus for WordPress has always been to concentrate the user on the content, not the code underneath, and this is what the new version does. It keeps your eye on the prize, the writing and images, so you can blog to your heart’s content and start putting your new WordPress site to the test.

Many thanks to Lorelle for the insider. Head over to her blog to read more about this exciting venture!

Posted by Yvonne at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The blog-iverse, blogosphere -- whatever you want to call it -- is undeniably alive. Just like the physical world, the blog-verse has got its ups & downs, its deaths (i.e. blogs flaming out and dying), its births (e.g. the brand spanking new PPS RSS), its politics (e.g. can anyone spell "K-e-n-n-y-S-i-a"?) and its economy (e.g. Google Adsense for blogs?). So much going on, so little time to figure it all out.

Here in Malaysia, PPS sometimes plays the role of telling the pulse of such Malaysian-blogosphere issues. Out there, in the big international scene, two pretty good blog-news sites are The Blog Herald and the Blogosphere News. I personally prefer the former; its kinda cool.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at 03:00 PM | Permalink

A new PPS project has been undergoing some development in recent weeks, the Project Petaling Street RSS. First suggested by Boringest on 5 August 2005, the PPS RSS is the second of 3 new additions in recent months to the PPS suite of online services for the Malaysian blogging community. *the third is still under wraps and is tentatively scheduled for a Merdeka Day 2005 release into BETA.

The PPS RSS is now open for submissions, so head on down and check it out.

Please note that its still very much a BETA service, so EXPECT weird behaviour from time to time as i continue to tweak it.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at 09:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

The end of August isn't a very auspicious time of the year for bloggers. I suppose so since none one of us made any postings in the last four days. Now that ought to encourage curiosity since there are 7 of us. How can so many people suffer writers' block at the same time? But personally, I haven't been blogging as passionately on my other blogs either. Maybe there is thingie that pushes us into another direction, after some time of constant updates. Working in groups isn't as simple as it seems. Even without disputes, there's something called aura that we need to mamage. I think we need to hire a geomancer on this. Everybody! surrender your time and date of birth to me before nightfall.

Nah... just kidding.

But considering the fact that we're strangers to one another, our sudden change of blogging 'flow' is not at all surprising. Do you realise, how long two friends take to be in communion? Yeah, something like that. Not just co-operation or black-and-white agreement, but people working in a team should get to know each other more closely. As in, become REAL friends?

But if its the lacking of ideas that we're suffering from, then let me just suggest some panadol for this situation.

1. Find something interesting in the newspaper and comment on it in this blog.

2. Try the new frappucinno mocciatto at the nearby mamak stall and write a review on it here. Maybe snap a picture or two of the abang pulling his teh tarik and turning some roti canais into flying saucers. But no renumeration for camera batteries.

3. Tailgate the next PM speech and quote him off, word by word. People like me have poor listening skills and would greatly appreciate the secondhand news.

4. Those living abroad should become insiders and report about the next Blair & Bush co. barricade. You know lah, Malaysia is at the other end of the world and news often turn stale before it reaches our shore. Even if it doesn't, the news might already be heavily condensed.

5. I think we need to hire some virtual reporters.

Blah... I ran out of ideas, so proves that I'm not a very creative person after all, and I sure don't know any better. So do you know any other hooks and crooks of blogging? Do give us a tip.

Posted by Yvonne at 04:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The end of August is here that rounds up the 2004/05 season of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Like any other year, the MPO has an Open Day this weekend to mark the beginning of a new season.

There will be four FREE concerts for the public, this coming Saturday (21st August 2005). In programme 1, Resident Conductor Datuk Ooi Chean See leads the MPO to present you "Classical Tasters", a repertoire of timeless masterpiece by great composers. In programme 2, Associate Conductor Kevin Field and the MPO perform "A John William's Spectacular" featuring music from blockbuster movies such as ET, Jurassic Park, Star Wars and MORE!

Tickets are required for all concerts and are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis two hours prior to performances. They can be collected at the Box Office starting from 10.00am. For more information, please visit the website of The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Posted by Yvonne at 07:09 PM | Permalink

Victoria Beckham has stunned fans by her admission that she has never read a book in her life. This lurid confession comes only three months after the publication of her 500-page biography "Learn To Fly".

Controversy has reignited about whether we are being misled each time a celebrity authors a book. The book in question may actually be the work of a ghostwriter, a talented hack who does his work quietly and anonymously.

In the past, it was common for ghostwriters to receive a partial credit, signified by "with" or "as told to". These days, the truth is more blurry. There may be no outward indication that a book is ghostwritten, other than a note in the preface thanking someone for his or her "invaluable contribution".

Misleading? For sure. But so long as a celebrity's name continues to rake in megabucks, it is a practice that will only become an unyielding habit.

Posted by at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I was reading the Independent on Sunday when a marching struck up a beat outside. This was no normal band, it had this exquisite screeching instrument.

When I went outside I realised it was a 6 bagpipers causing that sound, accompanied by a snare drummer and a bass drummer, all in smart matching uniforms.

Some BC staff were handing out flyers promoting the 'Celebrate Scotland' month, that explains the small tartan flags i've been seeing stuck to the desks since Monday.

'Celebrate Scotland' at British Council

There are a hosts of exciting events all month long, with some cool contests to be won. Prizes include a trip to the Highlands (Scotland, not Genting), and stuff sponsored by MPH and Times.

So if you think you know your Macbeth and your Rankin, surf over the website.

'Celebrate Scotland' at British Council

Posted by simon at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Over the past few weeks, much commotions have been going on since our tech-savvy blogger publicly suggested himself to be a problogger. We all know that this geek currently holds a daytime job as a web developer for some local company next to Singapore (Johor). By doing his daytime job in front of the computer, Liew has all the time to blog and even chat with me via MSN anytime he wishes.

Now the question is, "Would Probloggers survive in Malaysia?". I didn't come up with this question myself so please don't flame me.

To me, I don't feel that being Malaysian limits the prospect of problogging. The internet doesn't belong to any nations and our website visitors come from all over the globe. As long as your topic concerns a global audience, I don't see why not.

Problogging is about blogging very frequently based on a particular niche topic and earn a profit from it. There is no clear horizon on where the borders of leisure blogging lies, so practically, we might all be probloggers without even knowing it. Transition between personal and profesional blogging can be so gradual, avoiding stereotypes and criticism altogether. In fact, many established probloggers do not claim themselves to be one. Just by the looks of their content, there is no doubt that they are indeed successful and established probloggers.

P/S: Just a side note that I'm not a problogger myself. This is just my 2 cents worth after observing the problogging scene for some time.

Posted by Yvonne at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

He was a quiet and shy baby on summer holiday at his grandparents' farmstead. Gentle and placid in nature, he was also the youngest amongst his noisy, boisterous brothers and cousins who had all come together for a great big family get together over the summer.

The children were all very young, too young to know what was right and acceptable, good and bad. Their parents were happy to leave them to play on their own devices. Before long, a pattern emerged. The older ones quickly learnt that they could do as they wished with the littlest ones. When a toy was in dispute the stronger one always won. When the older child hurt a younger child, the older child was not admonished. In this atmosphere of free for all, he, a mere babe of 11 months, found himself pushed around, kicked over and his toys snatched at will, little myriad incidents of no great signifiance when weighed individually but over the long days of summer, the frustration built up.

He was helpless to defend himself being so small and weak. One day he discovered something new. He learnt that his aggressors become frightened and back away when he bites. He learnt that this was the only way he had of defending himself.

But biting is a totally unacceptable social behavior in a child.

Does this innocent family scenario strike an insidious element of deja vu with you with what's happening in the larger world?

Posted by Tinkerbell at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Individual preferences are truly complex and multifaceted in comprehension. Because at certain angle, it is still from the heart – the nucleus of affection trap between the mind, body and soul. Unbounded and illogically irrational at times. Will you choose a regular aged apartment room over a full facilitated condominium space? It's like choosing between an ordinary uncomplicated guy over a stylish sophisticate wealthy chap.

So I see the choice for choosing a partner is very much like renting a room. To be frank, no one can really be 100% satisfied with their rented loft simply because it's by no means their possession. It is when time matures that maybe two will come together in purchasing a permanent place and lives happily ever after. Meanwhile, fairy tale dreams are but fantasy. The reality for some – room to let.

But even choosing a room can be worrying and distressing. There is what you want individually and there is what the society perceived as what you need. I realized that most people yearn for exclusive and sophisticated garnishing but deep down their heart, they want very much the simple things in life. Little things like an unpretentious cheerful smile. A sweet reply that is worth giggling about. A sincere gesture of care and concern. A gentle hi and a tender bye. And there is nothing worth more that a cozy bed where one can snuggle and nuzzle in quiet peace within a comfy space enjoying his or her favorite read. So I guess timepiece, diamond and platinum are nice but nothing as lovely as a genuine interest in each others life. Even if it's between you and the room.

Posted by charlyn at 05:00 PM | Permalink

Exactly 60 years ago, Emperor Hirohito went on national radio for the first time in Japanese history. Hiroshima and Nagasaki had just been incinerated by a terrifying new weapon, and Imperial Japan was boxed into a tight corner by the United States and the Soviet Union. Left with no other choice, Hirohito called upon his citizens to "bear the unbearable" by accepting defeat. The Great East Asian War was over; millions dead and millions more traumatized.

Today, modern Japan's ambiguity about its wartime past is a source of much tension and anger.

This year, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has decided against visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which commemorates the soldiers who died for Japan, including notorious war criminals. His public apology admits that his nation "caused great damages and pain to people in many countries, especially our Asian neighbours, through colonization and invasion. We will not forget the terrible lessons of the war, and will contribute to world peace and prosperity."

Emperor Akihito, the son of Hirohito, has also released a statement of his own, expressing hopes that Japan would never again wage war.

However, these messages ring hollow and may do little to pacify Asian anger. Members of the Prime Minister's own cabinet have announced their intentions to make personal pilgrimages to Yasukuni.

Elsewhere in Asia, thousands of elderly women are solidying their harrowing calls for greater atonement and remorse from Japan. They are former 'comfort women', sex slaves who were brutalized by the Imperial Japanese Army in order to service the needs of their soldiers.

"The world may move on," says an 80 year old activist who was 17 when she was enslaved. "But I can never forgive."

For her, and those like her, the bitter poison remains.

Posted by at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Just days ago, I blogged about Reader's Shack, the new online book rental service in Malaysia. Without any hesitation, I went on to place an order for myself, Falling Leaves, by Adeline Yen Mah. I must admit that I'm a little outdated in reading books but this is life when books are so costly.

All correspondence were done through text messaging (I'm deaf, just in case you're wondering) and it didn't take us long to decide on a time and place to meet up. In a timely fashion, the guy only known as Lau, waited for me at the spot that we agreed on. The only interruption was that, I had expected him to be a girl instead. Otherwise, the process went as smooth as silk.

Just like any ordinary book rental services (I pressume), I paid him the full selling price (RM35) and upon return, I will be reimbursed with RM32. That makes the rental price RM3. Transaction was proven with a receipt and additionally, I was also given a free bookmark that has the company's imprint on it.

This service seems to be favourable because its inventory mainly consist of personal collections, unlike most rental services where their inventories are usually outdated. At reader's shack, I have the luxury of going through their list of books in the comfort of my own home and even choose the place to meet up for making transactions.

If you're tight in the pocket for new books, how about giving Readers Shack a try?

Posted by Yvonne at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Definitely an Mobile Phone Killer.

A 2-megapixel camera, comes default with 512MB memory stick pro duo but supports the Sony memory stick pro duo capacity up to 2GB (what about 4GB?), 9 hours of talk time, 30 hours of MP3 playing time while switch off. You will hardly need a charger since the standby time is estimated to be 400 hours. My wife is planning to ditch her T630 for this baby. Just got word that it could be launched in Malaysia next week.

Marking the availability of the world's first walkman-branded handset, Sony Ericsson today announced that its W800i has begun selling across EMEA markets. Boasting software especially developed for the purpose of providing an improved music experience, the tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz handset offers 38 MB of internal memory - far from enough to hold a full CD, but that's what its included Memory Stick Pro Duo expansion slot is for.

Other features of the W800i include a 2 Megapixel camera, as well as an integrated stereo FM radio and a 262K colour screen with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels. Expected to sell in the €525 EUR range, the handset will soon see a companion in the recently announced W550i, Sony Ericsson's other Walkman branded handset to date.

Source : Sony Ericsson W800i walkman phone now out

Posted by Colbert at 10:23 PM | Permalink

While some of us were busy typing away during blogathon last week, most dog lovers chose to spend their day at USM's Dogathon. I've written about Dogathon here and later promised that anyone with pictures taken during the event will be featured on this blog. So yeaps, I'm keeping to my words. But due to storage capacity issues, I can only provide the link to Stanley Ho's Multiply website, where the photographs by this 21-year-old animal rescuer is stored.

So here you go....... our furry friends!

Posted by Yvonne at 04:20 PM | Permalink

I bet the whole Klang Valley has disappeared from the satellite view. Just one whitish grey puff of smoke. Maybe they should update the google map.

While the average Malaysian is suffering, what is the Indonesian gomen doing? They blame it on Malaysian logging companies. On who's soil?

At the end of the day, its no different from a neighbourhood spat. Imagine your neighbour burns his rubbish everyday and smoke fills your house and yard. You don't dare to tell your neighbour off, he's a big guy with many gangster friends, plus he drives a Pajero.

Your wife pesters you to speak to him, since both your kids are down with asthma already. And your mother-in-law is bedridden for 4 days now.

And as the man of the house, what did you say?

"We cannot. In the interests of neighbourly relations, we must sit down and discuss and consult. This is the common interest. We have no other alternative (?), we cannot go into an open conflict, that will not be good for the region neighbourhood. That will not be good in terms of our relationship. So that is not the way that we will adopt..."</