Mid-Week Thoughts - "Serial" Forwarders

If spam mails are annoying, then some forwarded mails are a nuisance.

At least with spam they are easily recognizable and you just have to grit you teeth, highlight them and banged hard on the ”delete” key. Done.

But not with these forwarded mails. Inevitably, they are from people you know and with subject headings that belie their contents. So what would you do if you receive one from a close relative and with a subject like “Fw: Stroke!! Next Killer”? And you yourself had suffered one not too long ago. You tell yourself how thoughtful this relative is and double click.

What do you find? That the mail is a “forward” within a “forward”. That it contains “D.I.Y.” procedures on treating a person who has just been struck with a stroke (word rhyming not deliberate).

Don’t rush him to the hospital in an ambulance; the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst. Prick his ten fingers first to let out some blood until he is normal. If the victim's mouth is crooked, then pull on his ears until they are red. Then prick each ear lobe twice until two drops of blood comes from each ear lobe.

Wow, I never knew this. Pantai hospital would have lost a patient if I had this know-how earlier. But on further reading it appeared that the mail was actually a testimony on the merits of the art of “letting blood” as taught by one, Mr. Ha Bu-Ting, of Sun-Juke (Timbuktu I have heard of, this place never). Ah, that’s the catch.

More seriously, the point I want to make here is that some netizens are forwarding mails INDISCRIMATELY. Besides using up bandwidth, they are also wasting the recipients’ time with forwards containing this or that “warning”, this or that “advice” and “did you know this fact” type, most of which are usually unverified or are hoaxes and sometimes even border on the ridiculous. Not to mention the nuisance factor of having to clear the mail box daily or else suffer clogging when you are unable to check your mails for a couple of days.

What’s with these “serial” forwarders, anyway?

Can’t handle the empowerment the Internet has given them? All of a sudden they find the whole world is an audience. What better opportunity than now to play the part of citizen of the world and continually disseminate, to all and sundry, truths, half-truths and hoaxes.

Or is it an ego thing? All the time people think I am not well read and not in tune with history or current affairs, in short I know nothing. Wait till they read all the mails I forward to them – any topic also got one. See how wise and knowledgeable I am.

Maybe they just have a case of “gullible(tities)”, having been infected with the Gullibility Virus.Reading a mail, they suddenly exclaimed, “Aiyo, like that ah. Serious man. Must, must tell they all one”.

Oh no, my incoming mail reminder just Beep. Got to go and check before things get worse. Until this weekend, bye.

A Potpourri Of My Thoughts

On a Sunday morning, over a mug of my favorite coffee (Douwe Egberts’ medium roast and with strength 3) and reading the weekend editions of the local dailies, lots of thoughts flit through my mind.

So my weekend blog this week is a Potpourri of my thoughts.


First things first. A happy day to fellow Malaysians, who are Muslims, on this the first day of the Islamic (Hijri) Calendar (Awal Muharram 1425).

And as always, at the start of any year it is good to reflect on the past and take stock of the present. To this end, in these times of “excesses”, here is something to ponder on –

What shall we tell our children
now
the trees are gone
the skies blackened…..
What shall we tell our children?

What shall we tell our children
now
they can no longer play in the parks
build sandcastles on sludge-licked beaches….
What shall we tell out children?

Shall we explain
we did it with the best of intentions;
we did it to secure a more affluent future for them;
and THIS is the price one pays for development.

What, in God’s name
can we tell our children

[Pen & Eye column. Cecil Rajendra. NST Nuance Feb 22. 2004]


Oh, I thought too of Premiership Saturday. The “high” I achieved last night sans spirits and drugs was really something. Arsenal 2 and Chelsea 1 was enough to induced this.


Top of the table now. Champions by May? Monsieur Wenger and yours truly included had to swallow our words last year. Maybe we should just let the opponents speak this time –

Asked if the defeat had ended Chelsea’s title hopes, Ranieri told Sky Sports: “Yes, at this moment.

“I think nine points are too much (to make up). But we must continue to build and we must not give up.”

What about the Red Devils? Not just anybody, but their Gaffer himself (MU’s boss Alex Ferguson), have said that while remaining optimistic, his side now faced a difficult task to retain their title.

Quote: “It’s achievable. It’s amazing what this team can do when they get into their stride, we just need to get into our stride,” he told the club’s website.
“But, this is as big a mountain as we have ever had to climb.”

(http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/2/22/sports/7374211&sec=sports)

So if things do turn otherwise for the Arsenal, remember this blogger never said anything.


And then there was this report in Sunday Star’s front page, “Big drive to get customary rites couples to register”.

To give context to this report, last month, in a divorce proceeding, the “Federal Court ruled that non-Muslim customary marriages solemnised after March 1, 1982, when the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 came into effect, were not recognised under the law”.

The seriousness of this ruling cannot be more emphasized when all of a sudden spouses and their partners, some after living as much as 20 years as husbands and wives, become no longer “married” in the eyes of the law and their children, in turn, becoming illegitimate. I can imagine the upheavals in the families concerned.

In a lighter vein, picture long-suffering spouses (of either sex) snapping at the opportunity to say bye, bye without “compensation”(read alimonies). Or a fortyish couple saying “I do” in front of the Registrar of Marriages with their twentyish children acting as witnesses.

I was lucky that circumstances forced my wife and I to register our marriage almost 2 years after we went through a customary one. My better half, Tammy, a Singaporean, had to renew her social visit pass every 3 months because she was not a Permanent Resident and only a legally married spouse can apply for this status.

In the event, we re-married one fine morning at an office in a corner of Sultan Abdul Samad building before the Registrar, one Mr. Thong Wee Kee and with a one-year old daughter (who now styled herself as “No. 1 Sister” in her comments on Niki’s and my blog) in tow.

Many more thoughts, but I don’t want to bore you all. Suffice it to take my leave with this comment on technological advances –

“The only way I can get my daughter’s attention is by ringing her mobile”

One parent’s response to claims that technological advancement is damaging traditional family life.

[Talking Heads. NST Nuance Feb 22. 2004]

Bye for now.

Mid-Week Thoughts - On War

Today I read about Two more Americans killed in Iraq. That makes it 545 since March last year when the Iraq War was launched. Others died too, the soldiers from the countries that make up the “coalition of the willing”. Of course the Iraqis were not spared, the armed ones and the innocent ones.

When will it all end, these killings? Was it necessary to start the war in the first place? Or better still do we need war at all?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yet Again - the Gooners won.

If this post is different, it was because yesterday was English FA Cup day involving Arsenal. No self respecting Gooner would want to miss the game, let alone spend time blogging. And to gloat over the result this Monday morning - Arsenal 2, Chelski (opps Chelsea) 1.

For you fellow Gooners, in blogsphere, this is what Arsene Wenger has to say about the players and game -


...on the impact of Jose Reyes

"You need to be patient but not for that long! The first goal was a big lift for him. We could see a different player afterwards. But I preferred the second goal because it showed the quality of our movement and the quality of our passing."

...on the performance

"Our team play was very good, we were strong defensively, our passing was good and we were mentally strong. Even at half time when we were one down you could see that we would come out well in the second half. After Reyes' superb first goal I felt we would win the game. We had the psychological advantage then."

...on the problems Chelsea caused

"They caused problems with long balls in the first half. We dropped too deep and Adrian Mutu gave us problems. But in the second half we pushed up more. Chelsea gave a lot physically in the first half when they were closing us down well. In the second half we moved the ball better. Also, Scott Parker was very central in the first half and they made it a tight midfield."

...on Dennis Bergkamp

"Dennis played very well today. He was sharp, alert and made some great passes in and around the box."

...on the latest injury news

"We don't know if Thierry will be fit for next Saturday yet. Ray Parlour has also picked up an injury and Sol Campbell will not play for England on Wednesday. I did not want to play him today because he had inflammation of the groin but the FA Cup means a lot to us and to the English players especially. Sol played well, he is a winner."

[from here]

Mid-Week Thoughts - A Monkey Story

True to their character, the monkeys have been mischievous. I don’t mean
him, the Green Wooden One of 2004, but real monkeys.

If you drive along Jalan Pudina in Bangsar between 8 and 9 in the morning, you see plenty of them. Leaping for one rooftop to another, “performing acrobatics” on the telephone wire strung across the road and “ransacking” garbage bags. Some even have the audacity to swoop down on the offerings of fruits and cakes left at the outdoor alters of Chinese families. Thank heaven, they stay for only an hour or so. This has been going on since ……… you got it right……. Chinese New Year day.

Of course, if you live in Jalan Pudina you can’t help feeling annoyed at the whole thing. But, on the other hand, we are partially to blame for not putting the garbage bags in proper bins or making time to take in the “offerings”. And one or two senseless neighbors offering the monkeys fruits and left-over roti canai whenever they are around further compound the problem.

That said, what has happen in Jalan Pudina, is part of a bigger problem, a world problem in fact. The natural habitats of many birds and animals have been affected by development, both economic and human.

The Pudina monkeys are a case in point. They probably are the former “tenants” of the pockets of small forests in the Damansara/Bangsar hills area stretching to the lake gardens (Taman Tasik Perdana). This was where they live and feed. With all the property developments that has taken place in this area, the forests are not even small anymore; they have become mere clusters of trees. And the consequence of this? The monkeys have become “urban migrants”. Not having the skills to build squatter huts, they squat on your roofs and the children playground nearby (where at least there are some trees for shade and to sleep in).

And it is not only birds and animals that are affected; plants, fishes and other lifeforms are too. “About 60,000 species of lifeforms on earth have become extinct each year since 2000”, United Nations Environment Programme executive director Klaus Topfer said (from here). The consequences of this biodiversity loss are immense. The report referred to above, cites as an example, this –

“The world's poor, who live on as little as US$2 (RM7.60) a day, according to the World Bank, depend heavily on biodiversity to sustain their livelihood in traditional sectors like fisheries, agriculture and forestry. Biodiversity loss also affects fresh water supply”.

It is indeed a major problem and some sort of balance is required between implementing strategies for development/progress and conserving biodiversity.

Today’s NST Editorial Comment has this to say –

Sadly, the loss is essentially the result of action initiated by governments and people. Lifting millions out of poverty and improving living standards are goals that must be pursued. However, a balance must be struck between economic progress and protecting biodiversity. If trees have to be cut down, this can be carefully planned to minimise damage to the environment. Governments should prohibit actions driven purely by commercial imperatives that ignore the larger need to conserve the planet's irreplaceable heritage.

Any offers to house the Pudina Monkeys?

It's A Sign Of The Times

IT’S A SIGN OF THE TIMES, when they all want to come to our country, the good, the bad and the ugly –


The Managers and Professionals from around the world that make up our expatriate community

Nepalese, Vietnamese, Burmese and Indonesian workers to seek employment in our companies, plantations and all

Filipina and Indonesian domestic helpers

Chinese, Indian, Central Asian and Asean lasses to join the
“flesh trade” at our health spas and karaoke centers

Thai and Cambodians monks and nuns, dubious ones at that, clad in saffron and white respectively, and begging for alms (read money) on Malaysian streets

East Europeans “tourists”, including the hugh Russian mamas, who used to “set up stalls” to ply their goods, mostly Soviet era army surplus (night vision binoculars mainly) at Petaling Street

Africans “tourists” who sell leather belts and wallets at food courts and pasar malams and those involved in the “black” moneyscam


It’s a sign that Malaysia has “arrived” as a country. A land of plenty to these people. Out to make a decent living or a quick buck in some cases.

And I dare say, it’s also because of the “welcome” we extended them. Except for the criminally inclined ones, as long as the rest of these foreigners are useful in our homes, stalls, offices, factories and plantations, we ask no questions and see no evil.

The best thing about all this is that, in our dealings with them, race and religion is often a non-issue. It is how they are as an individual that is of concern. Whether they are of good character or not? Whether they are hardworking or lazy? And so on.

Which leads me to ask if we can interact with these foreigners in this way, why can’t we deal with our fellow Malaysians the same way.

IT’S ALSO A SIGN OF THE TIMES, when, 46 years after our country gained independence, Malaysians still talk and think in terms of “We” and “Them” - Bumiputra and Non-Bumiputra or Muslims and Non-Muslims.

It’s a sign that we have not arrived as a Nation.

* Sigh *

Mid-Week Thoughts

Finally it’s back to the grind, after two long weekends. The family got together the CNY weekend at PD and again last Saturday (with the addition of the extended family members and friends) at the “open” house we hosted. All in all it was good fortnight of love, laughter, feasting and all.

Of course, when the family meets, it is also grandchildren doting time. The Mizuans, Sara (5+) and Adam (2+) never fail to touch us, the better half and me, in so many ways –


Thank God for kids there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child.

(From “Thank God For kids” by Oak Ridge Boys,
Written by Eddy Raven)

And when all the baby fat and “innocence” are no more with them, will the little ones still be as sweet? Who knows as yet another song suggest –


When I was just a little girl (boy),
I asked my mother, What will I be?
Will I be pretty (handsome) ?
Will I be rich?
Here's what she said to me:

Que sera, sera,
Whatever will be, will be;
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera,
What will be, will be.

(From “Que Sera Sera” by Doris Day,
Written by Jay Livingstone)


“What will be, will be.” Sounds fatalistic, don’t you think so? But it’s a song of the fifties. A simple question, a simple answer; in a world less demanding and at a time less complex.

Times have changed, of course. No self-respecting parent nowadays will tell their little ones. leave it all to fate. Each one of them has a “vision” for the child.
Not bad really, if not forced on the child, but as the framework to guide them to adulthood.

Have I got a “vision” for Sara and Adam? No, that is their parents’ task.

But maybe, just maybe, I hope for them to be true anak Malaysia – that is to be fully aware of their ethnicity but at the same time conscious and respectful of others of a different race and culture. The same approach too for their Faith – and also be Cosmopolitan, thinking like one and having the skills to adapt to the demands of a world becoming increasingly borderless.