You are currently browsing the monthly archive for February, 2008.
Kenya rivals agree to share power
I just read this news in BBC and phew.. am i glad that they got together, which will (hopefully) result in the end of Kenya’s devastating violence, which has killed about 1500 people.
For those who need an up to scratch explanation of the situation in Kenya (it’s quite interesting, so read up):
The main opposition party leader, Raila Odinga, has believed that the Kenyan elections was rigged. Pretty blatant, in my opinion. Even the electoral commission somewhat acknowledged it. As a result, Raila Odinga, who has won parliamentary elections, refused to accept defeat and acknowledge Mwai Kibaki (the president) as the leader. This has resulted in violence.
The main victims of the violence are people of the Kikuyu tribe. This tribe, which makes up 22% of the Kenyan population, are seen as the main supporters for the current president, Mwai Kibaki. The Kikuyu tribe are also seen as better off. They hold strong political influence on Kibaki, which favours them in economic opportunities. An example would be the seizure of land belonging to another tribe to be given to farming businesses owned by people of the Kikuyu tribe.
Under the new deal, Mwai Kibaki will retain his post as president. A new post of Prime minister will be created, which will be held by Raila Odinga. Raila’s Orang party will also be given the power to appoint HALF of the cabinet members in the Kenyan government.
Far from complete resolution, such compromise and sacrifices will hopefully pave the way for a more peaceful and brighter Kenya.
Now… Why the hell can’t such COMPROMISE and COOPERATION be showed by the Hamas and Fatah party for the Palestinian goverment? People are dying and they are still fighting over each other. Pathetic. It shows you that these people are in just for the power rather than making things better for everyone. I condemn the Hamas party of Palestine. I will do so until compromise and a vision for peace is materialised.
I finished the literature review phase of my research (thank god, it was getting depressing) and it’s off to play around with the simulator. Unfortunately, since i can’t afford a $10k software, i’d have swing by into the black hole of the campus, the petroleum school.
Nothing has changed, literally. The computers in the lab are still the same old pentium 4 computers with old massive CRT monitors with refreshing rates so pitiful, i swear i’d get blind if i spend one more year in university doing work there. I’m having delusions already, man. Someone change those monitors before i hit on someone ugly.
Internet is still blocked in the computer room and the printing room is still locked, denying student’s right to use the photocopy and printing machine. Jeebus, i can’t believe we’re actually doing research and consulting work in this school.
I did notice a new notice..
Whaaat? Say whaaa? You printing 2 pages of shit (with pictures) about a damn spider but you’re denying my access to print far more important research materials? There’s penguins and shit relying their fate on me. Hey, i’ve seen red back (black widow) spiders crawling around in uni and even my bed! so i am NOT taking any chances, no way, not in Australia. If it’s got 8 legs, i will smash the mofo down, even if it’s massive, fluffy and holding a ‘Visit Sydney Acquarium’ sign. I mean, how am i going to know that dude isn’t gonna rob me?
I did meet two new faces. 2 new Swedish students finishing their work here in Sydney. I was shocked though, one of them is a female. I mean… a female? in the petroleum school? Wicked. I mean, you rarely see females in the petroleum school, they’re not really females. No ummi, i’m not insinuating that weren’t a female or a butch (…alright, i am). Just kidding wah, peace, harharhar.
I was also very-very tempted to stereotype after they said they were swedish..
“Sweden? Aaaah!! Ikeaaa!!” lol
Looking forward to the new phase of research now. Can’t help that i’m the tua bagak dude of the school now haha. Nda apa.. van wilder, van wilder.
On a meeting with the boss supervisor
Me: “I found a paper on WAG in gas but it was more to condensate so i don’t know if the same thing applies to natural gas, the assumptions are a bit dodgy so i thought i’d ask for your opinion..”
Supervisor : “let me see.. you got the paper?”
Me: “Here.. in the pen drive”
*scrolls down the files list*
S/V: “Hmmm.. they’re all paper numbers.. do you remember whats the paper number…”
Me: “err.. i forgot.. i think it’s 1-0-something something something.. long number”
S/V: “hmm.. there’s one here… its 1067*mumblemumble*… with a .flv extension”
Me: ” .flv? …. NO DON’T OPEN THAT”
S/V: ” Ok… but what is that?”
Me: “It’s erm… mmmm… *scratches head*…. it’s porn.”
(Awkward silence with a wtf look)
Then good ‘ol Geology AND Drilling lecturers come to join the party. Perfect timing.. phew..
BWEEEKK, taste like shit and the dude tells me that this is the best testing one. This thing tastes like cardboard man… liquified cardboard.
No wonder people loose weight over these things cause all the body wants to do now is to CRAP IT OUT.
For those of you who are wondering why i bought protein shakes, let me explain. I eat 3 meals a day and i spend most of my time awake in front of the computer doing work. In most of the time, i find myself extremely weak. Unless running can churn me complex diffusitivity equations and permeability correlations, DON’T yap me bout it because with the deadlines i’m ramming into, i don’t have time. So i went to GNC and ask them if i could get any supplements (pills) to boost up my energy. What i got instead was a complete change of a diet plan and filler meals would be supplemented by the shakes. That’s it.
oh.. and i bought new shoes (YES, I’M A WHORE)
I don’t *know* if people are aware of this but this has been bugging my mind ever since i was a little kid.
Don’t you think that it’s stupid that the medicine for a BLOCKED NOSE is AN INHALER? The most annoying thing is that chemists (pharmacists) insists that this is the best option. What is this, a joke? In case they forgot one minor detail..
I CAN’T INHALE WITH A BLOCKED NOSE, MOTHERFUCKER. HELLOOOOO~
People continue to look stupid when they struggle to inhale the dumb thing with a nose. You try to inhale the piece of shit until your ears pop. Not to mention some people who have no shame in shoving the thing deep inside their noses, which if i may add, achieve nothing more significant than a finger could do.
Do you know what the inhaler really is?
That’s right, i said it. It doesn’t cure your nose block, it doesn’t work and people jam in like guilty pleasures. Just look at the design at the bugger. Why not a cuboid, triangular or even a simple rectangular design? This little bugger has VIOLATED the dignity of many many noses.
DAMN THE BWOCKED NOSE, ARGGGGG
I really gotta stop ending my sentences with ‘dude’ or ‘man’ everytime i speak. I say those even to a woman. It’s starting to be a bad habit and i better stop before it gets stuck forever.
I can’t imagine how awkward or gay i’d sound when it’s time to say the special words to the special woman (take note, woman) in that special moment..
“I love you, man”
or
“Will you marry me, dude?”
*shivers*
Danish Press Reprints Prophet Cartoon
What are you guys? 8 years old? What does reprinting the cartoon actually do? Show solidarity of freedom of press? My ass. Solidarity means to bring together people, would showing cartoons bring people together? it’s just tearing people and societies apart.
Wouldn’t solidarity involve a joint effort with the danish muslim and muslim worldwide to condemn this issue, rather than insult them again and again??
First of all, what is really shown in the cartoon? The cartoon is undeniably offensive to muslims, do you guys even realise that fact? By reprinting it, it’s not a stand for freedom of press, it’s saying, “Hey, let’s punish and insult the 1 billion muslims worldwide again just because 3 radical muslim guys wants to kill the the cartoonist.”
If that’s the case, go on, stick a Klu Klux Klan Logo on the aussie flag for the Cronulla beach riots last year. After all, the action of few justifies the spirit of many, is that what you stand for? Or now with the persistent attitude of the danish media, let’s label Denmark and Anti-Islam country. How does it FEEL to be labeled like that? Being labeled for something that you do not even believe in, just because those guys are called muslims.
Look at the recent news of the shootings at Northern Illinois University or the Louisiana Technical College, when was the last time you saw a news that stated “Christian Student Involves in Shooting”?
Sure, there is such thing as ‘freedom of expression’. Everyone has an opinion and there’s nothing you can do about it and you have to accept it, Muslims accept that. You can’t please everyone, yet alone make everyone happy. However, when this hate opinion gets published in the newspaper that is read by millions, (make that countless newspapers), this becomes an entity or a collective message of HATE and propaganda. It’s not a stand for freedom of expression, it’s a stand to send a message of HATE. Nazism was after all, started from the propaganda of one man’s hate opinion, was it not?
Furthermore, It doesn’t make sense. The perception that Islam is a terrorising religion is simply because the action of the few (the radicalist) speak more louder than the majority. With bombings, suicide bombings and murders, what news can top that, those are the events that ride on the waves of news sensation compared to a multi-religious faith conferences.
Again, there are a billion muslims worldwide, a small percentage of that (even one percent) is such a strong number. Yes, there are violent protests around the world but don’t you think that if every muslim stood what these violent people stand for, all the embassies, relations with the west would be destroyed long time ago?
Coupled with a Dutch MP’s film to condemn Islam, this reprinting brings great sadness to the peaceful and true muslims worldwide. In addition, this will also bring greater hatred and resentment to the radical muslims worldwide.We are feeding hatred to the radicals which in the end will bite us all back, don’t you realise that.
And stop blaming the actions of the few as if all of the muslims worldwide hold accountable. We must understand that many people hold many interpretations of the Qur’an (Koran). For most muslims, the book is used for guidance to find peaceful and honest lives, after all, one follows religion to gain inner peace. However, for some few, skipping out or isolating a few sentences or verses without understanding the whole context of the chapter can mean something more destructive. These is how radicals monger their ideas.
For example, in Christianity, why is it that Catholics refrain themselves from drinking alcohol, while other christians freely drink them? Why do the church of latter day saints believe that the dead should be baptized? Why are there a lot of version of the bible, King James, New Testament. Why not stick to the Old testament, which is considered the earliest version? These variances represent a difference in interpretation of what the fundamental book stand for and it goes the same for Islam and the holy book for Qur’an.
One could simply read a verse and it might remotely say ‘you should kill’ but miss out ‘only if you have to defend yourself’ that’s found in the next sentence. This is an abuse of the book. If the west is really serious about stamping out extremism, then don’t do things that will set us apart. Work with us, share knowledge, educate the masses, build understanding and more importantly, get every muslim involved to condemn the radical jackasses who call believe that Islam is violence, whether they are muslims nor not.
Danish people need not to be sorry for their actions. If solidarity is what they want, they should bring us together and condemn extremists and condemn the danish press for utter disrespect. If people really do want to end extremism, how is this further provocation going to help things? Please, tell me. How is making hateful people become more despised of the western culture going to bridge the differences?
Are conflicts most peaceful to be resolved through more wars and conflicts or is it better to get everyone involved to root out the problems. Boy, for those people who hold high up int he governmental position, you can sure be pretty stupid.
On a side note: The Danish newspaper that printed the cartoons had refused two years earlier to publish illustrations deriding Jesus. Well, how about that.. how about that… It does tell you the hidden agenda behind the prophets cartoon…
To learn more about the pain and the prior refusal for the govt to apologise, click here
I don’t know how lucky i am to be alive and in Australia for one of the most historical day in Australian history. It’s been a decade since a recommendation was made for an apology to the stolen generations of aboriginal and torres strait islander people, it’s finally made.
This hit me strongly because millions of Australians have been struggling and protesting to then Howard government (who refused to apologise), to apologise in the spirit of reconciliation. It took a change of government to achieve that. Wow, what a struggle!
I respect how the people kept struggling and finally got what they wanted. I respect Kevin Rudd for honoring his promise and at least, putting at ease some of the pain endured by relatives of the stolen generation.
It is indeed very hard to picture such inhumane action, where children were taken away from their mother, simply because of their race and lineage. It’s almost like hardcore communism. The pain for mothers to lose their children and never to see them again, i think, is unbearable. Heck, i’m already missing mom from my 4 years of uni, just imagine getting taken away since i was a kid. How devastating.
I think it’s also taught an important lesson, that for whatever issues, it’s always proper to treat it with awareness through education, consultation with everyone followed by actions to improve rather than commit early unilateral action or intervention. The Iraqi War, AIDS epidemic and even Bruneian random crazy raids on local businesses. It seems the essence of history just keeps on repeating.
On a side note: I went to visit the Bruneian consulate in Canberra during Hari Raya 2005. I saw Kevin Rudd, back then, he was still the foreign minister for the opposition party, under the uncharismatic Kim Beazley (who succeeded the suicidal Mark Latham… talk about labour party fiasco). Now, he’s the prime minister of Australia. DAMN, should’ve talked to him back then. At least, i would’ve talked to an important figure in Australian history..
Barack Obama used to study in a normal primary school in Indonesia when he was a kid (his mother remarried to an Indonesian). Now he’s the frontrunner candidate for the democratic party with stronger momentum after winning Virginia, Washington State and Maryland primaries. Damn, just imagine, if only those kids were best friends to the future President of the United States of America… funny how fate plays around.
I don’t celebrate valentine (well, i never had a reason to anyway). Don’t pity, i like to call myself ‘experienced’ on missing it. But i find the postsecret video below ve-ry cool. It’s refreshing or optimistic…in a weird way.
Back at home, there’s always religious hoo-has on how we shouldn’t celebrate valentine. The tone of resentment is always in the lines of, “bah antam, amput tah kamu”. Don’t call it valentine’s day… call it, love day or something. It’s not like we’re worshipping the christian saint or anything like that. In fact, i doubt anyone cares about who St. Valentine is anyway.
Hey, if there’s any reason to express love, go for it, no?
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