For Real?

This makes interesting reading for all concerned Malaysians...although it would not be something you would pick and up and see on our mainstream media. Courtesy of Malaysia Today:

Malaysia’s organised crime syndicate: all roads lead to Putrajaya
The roaches are scurrying and the rats are hurrying

Well, if you are as cynical as I am in our government, the continued silence on these accusations pleads guilty loud and clear. We have all seen how brutish and loud these defenders of the government can be and how quick they can come to the interested party's defence, but why the stunned silence until now? Confident that control of mainstream media is enough, or that these accusations are easily deflected? Or is Mr. Sleepyhead hoping that all this will blow over because Malaysians have very short term memory? I just wonder what the response is, if any...

TV Season: The End - Part Two

Continuing my two cents worth...

CSI: Las Vegas (Season 7)

CSI: Miami (Season 5)

CSI: New York (Season 3)

I dunno...I feel the CSI series are nearing the end of their staying power. After all, the cases almost look the same, and the forensics are generally so well known now that it becomes second nature to the regular followers. Hence the attempts to spice up the series, while interesting, only holds one's attention for a short time. But they have their days too.

I particularly like the Miniature Murderer theme for CSI: Las Vegas - goes to show that a murderer can get away with it and that the CSI team is not the all-knowing geniuses they turn out to be, and the gripping finale to the season where another CSI is in distress (but not as great as the finale of Season 5, which in my opinion is the best of all the CSI episodes!). I find CSI: Miami a bit humdrum, and I was hoping Delko would have died after being shot - now there seems to be a love story in the making between him and Calleigh; and I wonder how much more of a role Ryan Wolfe will play... Personally I think CSI: New York has the most potential of the two spin-offs, I guess because of Gary Sinise. And I think there's more to the characters in that series that meets the eye, which can be explored to make things interesting...

Criminal Minds (Season 2)

This was a series I missed early on, mainly because it was not such a popular series. But I find this series more interesting than the CSI series, mainly because it explores the human psyche and their criminal behaviours - which lead to the science of profiling. I like the genius (and comic, aren't geniuses always ridiculed?) in the team: Spencer Reid. I especially like his capture, torture, flashbacks and coming to terms: a realistic view. Mandy Patinkin as Jason Gideon is just fantastic! But in general there's not much in terms of action; more talk and thinking. To me it's a must see series!

Bones (Season 2)

Another series that is not too widely popular, but interesting as it is loosely based on real-life experiences of a forensic anthropologist. The various episodes are not too fantastic, but really like the interactions between the characters in the series especially Dr. Brennan with Agent Booth; Angela and Jack; and with Zach as the comic. I loved the episodes when Booth shot a ice-cream truck clown, and his psychiatric evaluations that followed! I think this show has got potential too...

House (Season 3)

Aah, my favourite all-knowing, all-hating, all-sarcastic doctor. Hugh Laurie is great, and deserves his Emmy. I mean the cases are not that believable, but as a character, House is the doctor everyone loves to be. This season we see the softer side of House, as he nearly lost his practice licence after his contemptuous behaviour with a detective and over the resignation of his team. And there is his love-hate relationship with Cuddy and Wilson. Wonder how the series will play out next season? Can't wait...

Pak Lah Ties The Knot...Again

Well congratulations Pak Lah!! That's for his wedding to Jeanne Abdullah today. I guess he'll be busy with their honeymoon after this...

So when you come back to work, please try to keep as much of your promises you made in 2003 in what little time you have left in office. Less sleeping and more working please!

Celebrity Shenanigans

Geez...who does Paris Hilton think she is? Just three short days after starting her 45-day jail term for drunk driving, she was released from prison for home confinement by the Los Angeles County sheriff, against the presiding judges orders!, citing medical reasons such as unwillingness to eat jail food. This created public uproar, and rightly so! After all she was a rich b*&^%...

Unfortunately for her, her newly-found freedom lasted only a day, and she was dragged in tears back to jail. It goes to show that she cannot have her way no matter what. No one is above the law (or obviously she is not rich or influential enough) Justice is served!!

Can we see this happening in this country? Obviously never, since the judiciary is so corrupt that any rich man/woman worth his/her salt can escape jail sentence...

More Questions...

OK, so it was touted to be the trial of the year: the trial of the three individuals who has been accused to have blown up Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibu. Eyes and ears of all interested Malaysians as well as the rest of the world waited for the story that followed. And they got one! The trial was postponed to June 18 because the prosecuting team was changed at the very last minute!!

Now I think that only happens in Bolehland...but this is ridiculous for such a high-profile case! This turn of events brings up even more questions: why was the team changed, and at the very last minute at that; and would the head of civil division be the best person to conduct the prosecution of a criminal case (after all he replaces the heads of the criminal division)? Was there any instructions to the Attorney-General to 'manipulate' the trial? Ahh...so many questions...and yet the Attorney General was simply too silent. On the other side, one of the counsel for the defendents excused himself, citing 'interference' from third parties which does not enable him to discharge his duties to the best of his ability: now who are these third parties?

And a last twist to the story: the father of the murdered model is suing the Malaysian Government for RM 100 million as a result of this farce.

Wow, this is getting interesting...let's wait in anticipation for the latest in what is Bolehland Law!

TV Season: The End - Part One

So that's it. The end of TV season in the U.S. A break of about three to four months before the new season comes online. And a break for me too... My thoughts on some of the series that I have followed throughout this season:

Heroes (Season 1)

I actually first saw the Pilot episode in August and found the concept very interesting. I remember at the end of the episode I was very excited to know what would happen next. And it turns out that this is the top new series for the year. A modern, more believable X-men type series. A lot of twist and turns, with the characters revealed bit by bit ala-Lost, but in a controlled manner, and at the same time not so confusing. And the general storyline was well thought of too. Well, the one month break in between March and April ruined the build-up slightly, but in all it was still riveting. I guess the crowd favourite character was Hiro (my personal favourite too!) but Peter (I had a bit of a problem figuring out what his powers were) and Sylar (the baddie with a taste for cerebral matter) were fantastic too. Let's hope Season 2, and it's spin off: Heroes Origins will be no less exciting.

Jericho (Season 1)

This was also a new series about a town called Jericho and it's aftermath following a nuclear attack on the United States of America. It's interesting because it explores what could be a reality in the near future. Although the characters were a bit shallow, the whole storyline was also well thought of: uncertainty, confusion, tension, danger and survival. The season ended with a cliffhanger. So it was to my aghast that CBS has decided not to renew the series because of its poor ratings. I guess this series is the type you need to follow for it to grow on you, and it has a lot of potential! The latest news is that CBS is reconsidering it's decision - I'm praying that they would at least prolong the series to give it some finality.

Battlestar Galactica (Season 3)

OK, this is a modern remake of the 1980s classic - with a modern undertone. Hmm, cylons taking on human form...interesting. So the season is all about the human journey to Earth. From the Cylon occupation of New Caprica to their rescue and escape by Galactica to their travels on the way to Earth, the fillers got a bit boring and side-tracked along the way (most Sci-Fi shows are anyway); we still have no idea who the remaining human-form Cylons are. I guess my favourite character is still Gaius Baltar (I love to see how he interacts with humans and Cylons alike). Starbuck's 'death' was premature (as expected) and it'll be interesting to see how she leads the convoy to Earth.

Stargate SG-1 (season 10)

So finally the series come to an end. Personally I thought the best time to have ended the series was at the end of Anubis' defeat at the hands of the Antartic Ancient weapon, or when the Replicators were defeated at Takkara. But no, they had to bring out the Ori as the new adversary to vanquish. Interesting as it was, it was getting a bit stale after ten seasons. So when they decided to end the series, they had to finish off the storyline rather quickly...hence the quick demise of the Ori, adaptation of the Asgard technology and defeat of the Ori ships (which until then no one could destroy). Well, it's not totally over: there are another two direct-to-DVD episodes to tie up all the loose ends. And of course there's still...

Stargate Atlantis (Season 3)

The spin-off! New galaxy, new enemies, old enemies. First they had the Wraith, the Genii, and finally the Replicators (in the form of the Asurans). An interesting mix. And this season we saw the death of Dr. Beckett, the resident doctor on Atlantis (hmm, the Stargate series like to kill off their medical doctors don't they?). So will McKay find a way to guide the powerless Atlantis hurtling through deep space to another planet? Of course he will. And in Season 4, he will renew his love-hate relationship with Capt. Samantha Carter as she crosses over to the Atlantis series. Can't wait for it! All in all, Atlantis is less interesting than the first few seasons of SG-1, but I hope the producers will rediscover the old formula, otherwise we might be looking at another premature end.

To be continued...

Health care issues

My thoughts on a few health care issues that were highlighted recently in the papers:

Qualifying exam for doctors

First it was exams for those graduating from unrecognised universities, and now this. It seems that the Ministry of Health has got little to do these days. All in the name of safeguarding the standards of new doctors in this country. So what is the reason for recognising a university anyway, if you don't want to trust the doctors they produce? And what about the standards of doctors coming right out of our medical universities here? While the Ministry is right about safeguarding the standard of medical care in this country, they must understand such a measure entails additional cost expenditure and time. Currently it takes about six months from the time these doctors graduate until they start work (if they pass their exams). Imagine if this was to apply to all the doctors graduating from foreign medical schools. Time we cannot waste while the whole public health care remains under considerable strain.

30 protest over ambulance blunder

Not another one! It appears the lesson of two months ago has not filtered down to the grassroots level. All ambulances must be available, in working condition and fully fueled at all times, especially those identified for inter-hospital transfers. It is this simple! Ensure proper individuals are in-charge; perform regular spotchecks. Offenders have to be punished. Where possible such a rule must encompass the basic minimum equipment needed for transfers: here the ambulance oxygen supply and resuscitation equipment is usually overlooked. It is also essential that medical transfers are performed by trained personnel, whether it be a doctor or a paramedic. Ambulance services is essential and it is time the Health Minister pays attention. Don't go around spending millions promoting practice of traditional Chinese alternative medicine when even the basic services are in shambles! We don't want incidents such as this and in Seberang Prai to happen all over again. Please get your priorities right Mr. Chua!

Chan wants report on asthma death at LCCT

I wonder why this has caught the attention of the Deputy Transport Minister when the Health Minister and Director-General of Health did not see it fit to be on their agenda. And this coming in the wake of a well-known entertainer having a heart attack just a few short months back at the LCCT! So much for promises of medical services there. Obviously nothing has been done. And now another person has died. While there is a medical clinic (presumably) at the KLIA, none is available at the LCCT; and we know how far apart the two are. If one gets a severe asthma attack, heart attack or something that requires immediate medical attention I wonder where he/she would get the help from. The nearest hospital (Serdang or Putrajaya) would be 30 minutes away at least. One would be already dead by the time they arrive! But I can see that no amount of deaths among commoners would suffice. I think it has to be a well-publicised death of a VVIP or foreign national (where our local media could not suppress) to bring this the attention it needs.

More dengue deaths

Dengue fever is an endemic disease in this country. It gets more attention than another major killer - malaria - because it primarily affects urban areas. We can go into the various details, but suffice to say that the number of cases are increasing because of increased awareness, change in strain of the virus itself and environmental promotion of breeding of the Aedes mosquito. Urban hospitals are continuously under strain to admit patients suspected to have dengue fever; while admission is always advisable, it is never practical. We can build a whole new hospital for dengue fever patients and it would still be overcrowded. The public must be made aware of the important signs and symptoms of the disease (there's hardly, if any, public health awareness programmes on the television or radio!) and not to see a doctor just because of a fever. General practitioners must also play their role in giving out proper medical advice and also exercise judicious blood investigations. Medical officers in government hospitals must be doubly alert as they need to triage the ones needing admission. And finally public health officials must do their job in controlling the breeding places of the vectors of this virus.

New hospital’s ceiling panels fall off

Not again! Now this involves the new Sultan Abdul Halim hospital in Kedah. Well, with problems plaguing each and every new hospital that is being built I'm not surprised. It'll be a matter of time before something happens and kills someone. I shudder at the thought of that, killed in a place that is meant to save lives! Of course until then the government will continue to turn a blind eye to things... Seriously though, how can they not see some steps have to be taken to rectify the shoddy workmanship that has been affecting government buildings recently - hospitals, the Parliament, government offices in Putrajaya and the new court complex? In other countries action would have been taken immediately (just look at our neighbour down south!) This is indeed Bolehland...

Shame, shame...

Corrupt customs officers at Johore-Singapore Second Link
Customs officer transferred to desk duty after allegations

Well we can all now see how the Malaysian government treats corrupt civil servants. Even blatant transgressions such as this - soliciting a bribe - is merely punished by transferring the individual to a desk job. And we are scratching our heads why the civil service is unnecessarily bloated, and filled with irresponsible and ineffective individuals such as this. And mind you, this person is not the actual plain customs officer involved, but his superior. Would not such a person be punished more severely as a deterrent to others? Of course not...instead he is merely transferred, and still with a chance to continue his corrupt ways. I'm not surprised that after this 'transfer' he would still get his salary increase along with his other perks...

Unfortunately he is only one of the few who are caught. For each one, there are probably ten or more out there still plying their trade. It is quite blatant these days; no more under the table incidents - now it is not just on the table, it is in the open. It happens everywhere: you name it, you'll find it. So much for reducing corruption in the civil service; like I said before, there will not be an improvement in civil service mentality without a mindset change i.e. perform or get the boot...

'Cemerlang, gemilang, terbilang?' My foot...

Another show?

RM22,500 fine for selling Milo at RM1.80

An episode at every turn: when there is a pay rise, when there is an increase in prices of foodstuff, utilities etc., around the festive seasons, and so on and so forth. SO predictable...but they must (put on a) show the public that they mean business.

But this must be taking thuggery to new levels. OK, The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs are well within their rights to slap fines on businesses as they see fit, (probably) confiscate merchandise but tearing down signboards? And I wonder where the confiscated foodstuff goes to? Yeah, probably to the lucky officers' pantries and kitchens...

There is something called supply-and-demand, which is probably an unfamiliar term in this country due to the manifold subsidies and monopolies. Basically when there are choices, people will naturally go to a cheaper alternative. It's an economic check-and-balance in the business world. Now I really wonder whether there is an ulterior motive in all this (read now laid-low Dr. Z's satay competitor - literally bulldozed), i.e. abuse of power... There is no reason to be overly excited with slapping fines on petty shopowners when the larger fish escapes (read steel producers, for example); or is this just another sandiwara for the masses?

Let's see what is the next episode in this series, but I won't hold my breath...

Now that's a lot of pig!

MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) -- Hogzilla is being made into a horror movie. But the sequel may be even bigger: Meet Monster Pig.

An 11-year-old boy used a pistol to kill a wild hog his father says weighed a staggering 1,051 pounds and measured 9 feet 4, from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail. Think hams as big as car tires.

If the claims are accurate, Jamison Stone's trophy boar would be bigger than Hogzilla, the famed wild hog that grew to seemingly mythical proportions after being killed in South Georgia in 2004.

Hogzilla originally was thought to weigh 1,000 pounds and measure 12 feet long. National Geographic experts who unearthed its remains believe the animal actually weighed about 800 pounds and was 8 feet long.

Regardless of the comparison, Jamison is reveling in the attention over his pig.

"It feels really good," Jamison said. "It's a good accomplishment. I probably won't ever kill anything else that big."

Jamison, who killed his first deer at age 5, was hunting with father Mike Stone and two guides in east Alabama on May 3 when he bagged Monster Pig. He said he shot the huge animal eight times with a .50-caliber revolver and chased it for three hours through hilly woods before finishing it off with a point-blank shot.

Through it all, there was the fear that the animal would turn and charge them, as wild boars have a reputation for doing.

"I was a little bit scared, a little bit excited," said Jamison, who lives in Pickensville on the Mississippi border. He just finished the sixth grade on the honor roll at Christian Heritage Academy, a small, private school.

His father said that, just to be extra safe, he and the guides had high-powered rifles aimed and ready to fire in case the beast, with 5-inch tusks, decided to charge.

With the animal finally dead in a creek bed on the 2,500-acre Lost Creek Plantation, a commercial hunting preserve in Delta, trees had to be cut down and a backhoe brought in to bring Jamison's prize out of the woods.

It was hauled on a truck to the Clay County Farmers Exchange in Lineville, where Jeff Kinder said they used his scale, recently calibrated, to weigh the hog.

Kinder's scale measures only to the nearest 10, but Mike Stone said it balanced one notch past the 1,050-pound mark.

"It probably weighed 1,060 pounds. We were just afraid to change it once the story was out," he said.

The hog's head is being mounted by Jerry Cunningham of Jerry's Taxidermy. Cunningham said the animal measured 54 inches around the head, 74 inches around the shoulders and 11 inches from the eyes to the end of its snout.

"It's huge," he said. "It's just the biggest thing I've ever seen."

Mike Stone is having sausage made from the rest of the animal. "We'll probably get 500 to 700 pounds," he said.

Jamison, meanwhile, has been offered a small part in "The Legend of Hogzilla," a small-time horror flick based on the tale of the Georgia boar. The movie is holding casting calls with plans to begin filming in Georgia.

Jamison is enjoying the newfound celebrity generated by the hog hunt, but he said he prefers hunting pheasants to monster pigs: "They are a little less dangerous."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. Story courtesy of CNN.com

Proton: Where to now?

Proton saga continues
What's the deal with Proton?

Proton: our national car company. Once pride of the nation, now the sick man of the nation. How did you go from such lofty heights to murky lows? Where is your long-awaited saviour? Or will there be a saviour? Or will Proton fall victim to the backroom dramas of the political tussle that is now Mahathir vs. Badawi?

To recap: Proton was the brainchild of our then Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad in 1985, who was to transform Malaysia from an natural resource-based industry into one based on manufacturing. Indeed it was a far-sighted plan as at the time, most of the region still imports cars from established countries like Japan, Korea and the United States as they are without a national-car company of their own. And with Proton's success it would spur a whole new growth of industries that would eventually ebb and flow along with Proton. Initially Proton was a success, propelled by a combination of national pride and heavy import taxes that made foreign vehicles out of reach for most Malaysians. Proton even exported its Iswara models to various countries (you can see one in an episode of Mr. Bean comedy series!) But somehow Proton lost its direction along the way. Now it is in dire-straits, faced with falling market share, lack of new models and the looming liberalisation of motor-vehicle imports, one wonders what the Government plans to do with Proton...or will the government do anything for Proton? A whole industry on its last legs...not a pretty sight to see.

Where did the rot first start? It probably would be not difficult to pinpoint: in protecting Proton our leaders robbed the company from competitiveness that would have provided the impetus to move forward. Instead it languished behind as the other car makers moved forward while we made copycats of older foreign models. Slow and unable to respond (due to inertia of the government and company management) it relied to heavily on high import taxes on foreign cars to maintain sales. The purchases of Lotus and MV Augusta which was to help transfer technology and improve on branding failed miserably. It also had to support the various industries it spawned with it's creation: the various spare-parts suppliers and car dealers; too dependent on Proton, it's staring at oblivion in the face.

The birth a second national car, Perodua didn't help matters. Initially unspectacular, it gradually caught on with Malaysian car-buyers, especially after the 1998 Asian financial crisis, for its affordability and better quality. (Better quality is still relative; foreign cars are still better) It's Kancil and Kelisa models were very popular; now with it's Myvi models selling like hot cakes, it has overtaken Proton in sales.

No decision on Proton partner
VW chief yet to turn up for Proton partnership talks

Two years ago, there was a ray of light: possibility of a tie-up with a foreign marquee - Volkswagen AG of Germany. However, with national pride overriding business concerns, talks stalled and failed. In the meantime, Proton continued it's spiral downwards. Early this year, hopes were revived again - apparently with all parties involved bending over backwards to make the tie-up a success. The March 31st dateline came and went without even a whimper; now we wonder whether the powers-that-be have decided to let Proton die a painful death. Or would the government continue the bailout the likes of Bank Bumiputra, Renong and Malaysian Airlines of the past?

Things going from bad to worse for Proton dealers

The quality of Proton cars rolling off the assembly line leave much to be desired. Admittedly this slow degradation occurred over a long period of time: the initial models of Proton Saga and Proton Iswara were well-built, but with many various industries to support, quality issues took a back seat to quantity. It was apparent that Proton was churning out more cars than it could sell; upstream providers needed the business. But those unfortunate enough to be downstream: the car dealers, suffered. As the country progressed and people got richer, more were turning away to foreign models. Now, not even RM 28,000 price tag could sell enough cars to make a difference.

I wonder whether there is actually a concerted effort to save Proton. It is after all a 'Mahathir' project, and with the new Prime Minister stamping his mark, little attention would be given to Proton (just look at the Multimedia Super Corridor). And of course those depending on Proton for survival, would have to be compensated, as well as relocated to other in-vogue industries. Proton, unfortunately has become a political pawn which will eventually have to be sacrificed to advance the agenda of others. Let's hope that this does not come true.

Pirates Ahoy!

OK, OK I couldn't stand the suspense and hoop-la behind the movie...so I had to go and see it on it's second day of release. And this coming from a person who can't remember a thing about the second movie except Jack Sparrow being chased by a horde of angry cannibals...

If you went to see it for its action, it was great. A lot of great special effects and CGI - the crabs carrying the Black Pearl to the sea, the battle scenes between the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl, the marine crew of the Black Pearl (Davy Jones included) to name a few. But the storyline while intact, was to me a bit confusing. And coupled with fast waning slapstick comedy and puns interspersed in between too. Where did Calypso come into the picture anyway? And why the scene with the imaginary Jack Sparrow crew? Lord Beckett's death was too dramatic (just die lar...). Maybe that's because I didn't finish watching the second series (but I managed to gather enough from the crumbs to make out a coherent story). The actors were great and no fantastic acting required - this is of course an action movie. Maybe Chow Yun-Fat's character could have been granted greater time on the show though - he died too fast for my liking. I'm also not sure whether the movie needed the almost-three hour running time it had; it could have been more gripping (and less tedious) if unnecessary scenes were cut out.

The ending left an option for a sequel, which I think would be ill-advised. Too many sequels spoil the trilogy (look what happened to Star Wars). And oh, for those cinema-goers, don't leave the cinema so soon after the credits...you might miss something!

Win One, Lose One

So this is the morning after...a mixture of elation and dejection. Two finals - evenly spread results.

UEFA Champions League Finals: AC Milan vs. Liverpool
Alas it was not to be: a repeat of the result two years ago. Milan nicked it this time with a 2-1 win. Most expected it to be quite one-sided and it was, but unexpectedly it was Liverpool who was doing most of the footballing last night in Athens. Yeah, Rafa got his midfield and defence spot on - Kaka and co. was neutralised for most of the match, and I actually can't recall a single clear cut chance for Milan in either half apart from both goals. On the other hand Liverpool came out firing, and could have been 2-0 up inside the first twenty minutes. They created the chances throughout the match, but could not find the finishing touch. Even as Kuyt scored the goal near end of normal time, the spirit of 2005 was very much alive; the referee put paid to that by playing only 2 1/2 minutes of the allotted 3 minutes of stoppage time. Admittedly I don't think it would have made much of a difference, but at least there could still be one last chance. Inzaghi was the difference, taking Milan's little chances where Liverpool failed miserably: the first was a chance deflection of a freekick; the second more sublime, with Kaka's throughpass beating Liverpool's offside trap for the first and last time. But all credit to Ancelotti and Milan. For Liverpool, while we mourn today, the team can only get better next season. Rafa and our new American owners will see to that.

American Idol 2006/2007 Finals: Blake Lewis vs. Jordin Sparks
This is hot off the TV set! Jordin beats Blake after 74 million votes America-wide. I think that the beat-boxing wore thin after a while, and America came to their senses after their blooper last week. The judges all called in her favour and this time they were not disappointed. The singer won; after all this is a singing competition, though Blake gets top marks for his performances. And the finals show looked so different now; a bit dreary and protracted for my liking, but they have to do something to fill the two hours... They had a tribute to Sanjaya too! (love him or hate him, he was one of the reasons to remember this season) They should continue with the Golden Awards gimmick - it's good publicity, celebrating the good as well as the awful - thanks William Hung! For me, I will be following the top three's music career closely now - to see whose is most successful.

Till next season, adieu!

Tale of Two Finals

The big day: 23 May 2007. Two finals I closely watch will play itself out today, and there'll be only one winner in each.

UEFA Champions League Finals: AC Milan vs. Liverpool
OK i'm a Liverpool fan at heart, and I really want them to win the championship for the sixth time. But wait: in their way is AC Milan, the very team that swept away Manchester United two weeks ago. The very team that Liverpool so miraculously came back from to edge in extra-time two years ago. Let's face it, on paper, AC Milan has the better team in terms of style and players. But finals are a funny thing, and Milan experienced it two years ago. Rafa has almost always got it right in European competitions, and I'm sure he has a game plan to shackle Milan's star players as well as a way to prise the Milan defence and hopefully nick a win. It'll be sweet.

American Idol Finals: Blake Lewis vs. Jordin Sparks
Let's face it: the winner was voted out last week. So this is like an anti-climax. Sure there were a lot of cheering fans at the Kodak centre last night, but the judges couldn't hide their disappointment. I sure was not impressed by Blake, again with his beat-boxing: to me it was just getting stale. Jordin was consistent with her singing, but not fantastic. Well, it's a voting competition: it's just difficult to judge the winner, especially after last week's shocker. But I'm rooting for Jordin - she's a better singer than Blake, although I admit Blake is the better performer.

We'll know the winners in a few hours. I need to get some sleep, and get prepared. It's gonna be a busy day ahead...

Windfall Indeed?

Pay rise for civil servants
Civil servants pledge to be responsible and disciplined

Wow! Now that is a huge amount: RM 8 billion a year - the amount needed to fund the salary hike granted by the to 1.2 million civil servants starting from this July. Granted that this has long been in coming, one cannot shrug off that nagging feeling on the government's affordability, and whether such a hike will contribute to a feeling of increasing inflation. It was hoped such a pay rise would lead to increased efficiency and productivity among civil servants as well as reduced levels of corruption but I will not hold my breath. As long as there is no 'get out if you're not functioning' mentality, coupled with an impartial assessment of civil servants' performances, we will continue to experience the current levels of service, albeit with a slight improvement (I hope).

Nik Aziz: Pay rise timed for elections
The public sector deserves raise and Government can afford it now, says PM

Gracious as the move was, one cannot hide from the fact that such a move was ultimately politically motivated, what with the General Elections around the corner. Why wasn't the pay hike approved last year - with increases in petrol, electricity and water tariffs and oil prices at its height? No one can deny such a move now is definitely politically motivated. But of course not something that came out of the blue. The Government was slowly preparing for this - the recent increase in working hours in all Government Departments was an example.

While there is no increase in basic utility and petrol prices this year, one cannot say the same after the General Elections. While we may be able to afford it this year, how is the Government going to fund the increased salaries in the coming years? The world economy is leaving us behind while we bicker about equity percentages in our businesses, delaying approvals for businesses which wish to set up shop in this country, and which of our laboured industries we intend to save. The Malaysian stock market is a laboured entity, pushed and prodded at the whims of foreign investors. There is only one way: the very people that so-called benefits from the salary increase - the people of this country. I expect widespread increases in utility, petrol and toll prices after the elections, maybe not immediately but eventually. And God forbid, a rise in the income tax.

So a windfall indeed? Maybe, but we are going to have to pay...literally, eventually.

Bocor - what's next?

Let off despite ‘sexist’ remarks
Groups slam MPs for making sexist ‘joke’ against women

Bocor - in the Malay language this means leak. Well, it used to just mean what it means - that is until two Member of our Parliament used it to refer to the monthly 'leaks' (periods) a woman has, during a debate on leaking roofs on our Parliament buildings. Of course such unsavoury remarks are not tolerated by our partisan Opposition voice in the house - which made headlines in the local (and I'm sure foreign) media as well. And over the next few days various women's groups came out to voice their unhappiness at this derogatory remark by these two MPs.

Malaysian law minister defends alleged sexist remark by Parliament colleagues
MP says sorry to women, then retracts his apology
MPs say sorry

Ruling cabinet ministers and MPs added fuel to the fire by making ill-judged remarks, and claims that it had been blown out of proportion by the Opposition and media. No apology was forthcoming until ordered by the Cabinet, and last Friday, a closed door meeting followed by an 'apparent' apology was tendered by the two MPs involved. Worst part is, the apologies were insincere and tantamounts to an insult to all those offended by the incident. However, as far as we are (supposed to be) concerned, it's over. But we of course know that it is all mere sandiwara for our entertainment (why not, since terrestial TV programmes are pathetic, and pay TV is getting expensive!)

There they go again

Well it is no secret that our Parliament has long ceased to function as the executive body it once was. Now controlled by the ruling party, it has degenerated into a mere playground where Government policies are rubber-stamped and intellectual debates are of little merit. Try as they might what little voice the Opposition has are usually stampeded into submission - remarks such as this are common, and will not be the last. And it's not just the MPs which are the problem.

Samy finds rubbish, debris clogging roof gutter
Wear and tear among reasons for leaking roof at Parliament House
Government has no choice but to fix roof immediately, says Najib
Electrical wiring is just as bad

The physical building itself is in shambles - leakage in the roof may lead to collapse of the structure if not quickly attended to. For a 44-year old building, some problems such as this would be expected. But coming in the wake of a RM90 million renovation just two years ago, questions have to be answered - then again, a lot of them have been posed but not answered in the Parliament debates either, so don't expect much. More of course will be expected in monetary terms for inspections and repairs, even as we hold with bated breath.

On the flip side, the Malaysian public is in need of regular reminders, of how and why they have been chosen (hey they are elected anyway, by hook or by crook!); and our MPs in the Parliament, for all their worth, never disappoint.

And ironically, in the furore of the whole incident: Act on sexual harassment cases, or face RM10k fine. I wonder, does this apply?

Speechless...

I'm still reeling from the shock...Melinda voted off the Finale next week! The judges tried hard to hide their disappointment, but it showed on their faces, especially on Simon's... Without taking anything away from the two Finale-ists, Americans have simply voted off the wrong person. But that is how the format is: the two highest votes go through; maybe enough her fans thought she was shoo-in and just didn't vote - a critical mistake. For as long as I have followed American Idol (three seasons now), I could not recall any other finalist ever coming close to matching her vocals or repertoire of performances. It's a loss, just a great loss...

For Melinda, greatness now beckons. I know she'll probably be very successful in her music career, maybe even rivalling Kelly Clarkson's. And she's got the repertoire to do it too. Goodbye, and good luck Melinda!!

4Mbps surfin!

Well there has to be a reason why there is so much throttling recently, and now we know why!!

The gist of the package is this:
1. 4Mbps download and 512kbps upload (sic!) for an introductory offer of RM198/month (offer period 1 month only) after which the actual monthly price is RM268
2. Available only in KL and Petaling Jaya areas, up to 3km from the exchange (but not all areas, it seems)
3. Minimum subscription period of 12 months
4. Some other associated free offers as sweeteners

Oh come on...4Mbps package? And they can't even deliver proper service to the other packages, and they're talking about a 4Mbps one. How long do you think it will last? A few months before they start throttling this package as well? Probably, since we use broadband mainly for p2p downloads...

No one needs 4Mbps just for surfing...or is the picture giving us a hint?

American Idol Triple Threat

So this season's American Idol is now down to the bottom three!! I just watched the triple threat performances: three finalists, singing three songs each, chosen by three different individuals and commented upon by three judges.

Melinda Doolitle
Can she do anything wrong? She has already amazed us with her consistency and vocal performances; she has already proven she can run through the gamut of styles without breaking a sweat; she leaves her opponents eating her dust!! I just wonder how she could be just a background singer all this while... She took on Whitney Houston and Tina Turner's songs and wowed, and even Simon predicted she would be in the finals.

Jordin Sparks
She definitely has style; she definitely has vocals. She has also been quite consistent and her performances amazing. The only thing she doesn't have is age: 17 years may be considered young for a singer - that may work against her, or maybe it won't, as Sanjaya proved in his too-long run through the Finals.

Blake Lewis
The only guy left in the Finals. But at least he's the best of the lot. His forte is beat-boxing: it adds a different dimension to the songs and his performance, but I'm just a bit worried that he has overdone the beat-boxing part and less on emphasising his vocals. Admittedly that is not his strong point, but he has a lot of support - although this is a singing competition, the voting Americans do not solely rely on vocal strength as a criterion.

Randy feels that there will be two girls in the Grand Finals; Simon voted Melinda only (making a point perhaps of the future winner?) and Paula stood on the fence.

As for me, I stick to my earlier prediction: Melinda vs. Jordin. Let's see what the Americans think...

Armed and Dangerous

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- "Bubba" Ludwig can't walk, talk or open the refrigerator door -- but he does have his very own Illinois gun permit.

The 10-month-old, whose given name is Howard David Ludwig, was issued a firearm owner's identification card after his father, Howard Ludwig, paid the $5 fee and filled out the application, not expecting to actually get one.

The card lists the baby's height (2 feet, 3 inches), weight (20 pounds) and has a scribble where the signature should be.

With some exceptions, the cards are required of any Illinois residents purchasing or possessing firearms or ammunition within the state. There are no age restrictions on the cards, an official said.

Illinois State Police oversee the application process. Their purpose, said Lt. Scott Compton, is to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, those under an order of protection and those convicted of domestic violence.

"Does a 10-month-old need a FOID card? No, but there are no restrictions under the act regarding age of applicants," he said.

Ludwig, 30, of Chicago, applied for the card after his own father bought Bubba a 12-gauge Beretta shotgun as a gift. The weapon will probably be kept at Ludwig's father's house until the boy is at least 14.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press, story courtesy of CNN.com