Folks,
I love the way these guys have sung about a real problem in our society today. Very gritty.
Ninja
]]>http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/358767/1/.html
Folks,
Now, THIS is how the errant and wayward are taught to learn never to offend again. I bet this kid will never, ever even think about stealing again.
I just wish our lawmakers would grow a set and start meting out some serious discipline through our justice system.
Ninja
]]>http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/358540/1/.html
Folks,
This is exactly the sort of childish nonsense that detracts good people from resolving the very real challenges that face Malaysians and the potential of their nation becoming a failed state within the next 10 years.
When this private investigator fronted up with Anwar Ibrahim last week to expose the shenanigans of the country's deputy prime minister, he was to retract his sworn statements barely 24 hours later under allegations of having made his statements in duress the day before.
You be the judge, but for my money, I'd say that this man and quite likely his entire family have been spirited away by Malaysia's shadowy secret police to be kept away from the media's prying eyes.
There's an almighty political battle going on and guess who's in the middle of it all?
The battle of ideas cannot be played out in Malaysia while the application of blunt instruments of law such as the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the corrupt arms of the country's attorney general and police force are in cahoots with the people at the top.
Now's the time for Malaysians of all backgrounds to unite and show the world who's actually in charge.
Ninja
]]>Folks,
I'm sure that we're all living through the nightmare of higher costs of living these days. It doesn't matter where you happen to be on the income scale - everyone's hurting somewhere.
I saw how business people and ordinary folks in Thailand and Malaysia were being pushed to extreme actions to get their governments to do someting, anything, to address their concerns.
Most surprising was some direct feedback from a Malaysian chap who told me that Australians won't really hurt because our salaries were higher, hence we'd absorb the higher costs easily. Pig's arse! I set him straight right there and then. I think the notion of stagflation hasn't quite reached the man on our streets yet.
That's just my point; it doesn't matter if you're in the First or Third World... we're all suffering.
And this debate we're having in Australia about a carbon trading scheme - literally a sin tax which we all have to pay for just the mere act of consuming - is probably one of the hardest things to sell to an already-jaded/cynical/taxed out population.
I've got no answers, but heck, I'd like a crystal ball to see what people will do if we're going to cop petrol prices that are possibly going to be $3-4/litre.
Ninja
]]>http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/06/2295634.htm
Folks,
I'm 100% behind the PM on this. It's one thing to protest about freedom of expression. It's quite another issue to use the image of a naked child to make a point. Why is there such a huge rush to display naked kids as "art"?
Are we seeing the beginnings of a push by certain groups to prmote an agenda out there?
Leave the children alone, ya slimeballs!
Ninja
]]>Folks,
For those of you who have been following the drama in Malaysian politics in the past week, you'll know about the following:
1) Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was alleged to have committed sodomy against a young political aide. You'll note that almost 10 years ago, he was "charged" for the same "offence" and copped a jail term plus beating whilst in detention. His conviction was quashed a few years back and the whole sordid affair was nothing but a sham;
2) The incumbent Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib, is currently embroiled in an alleged murder case where a Mongolian hooker was literally blown up to cover up a litany of corruption and sexual improprieties. Oh, his wife is also alleged to have been a witness to the alleged murder of this Mongolian woman;
3) The incumbent Prime Minister is nowhere to be seen or heard amidst this kerfuffle, which now threatens to bring the country to a gridlock;
4) The resurgent opposition parties are planning a massive rally this weekend to protest about the high cost of petrol, and I'm sure also about a laundry list of pretty piss-poor decisions taken over the years by the Malaysian government.
My question is, in relation to the latest allegations against Anwar's supposed homosexual tryst, why not show medical evidence that something like this actually happened? Where's the kid who made these allegations against Anwar? Why is he in hiding? If Michael Jackson could be hauled into a police station to have his privates photographed as evidence of child sexual abuse, then why not show us graphic evidence that someone did raid his Hershey Highway? Bring out the undisputed evidence or shut up.
This is a bit crude, but hopefully you get my point. I am sick to the back teeth of all this bickering and counter-allegations by a bunch of no-hope politicians who, frankly, aren't talented enough to run a school fete at my local kindy. And they're running Malaysia!
The chickens have come home to roost, my friends. When affirmative action policies have been abused to the extent that they have in Malaysia, and patently unqualified MPs get "elected" into positions of power, the whole friggin' country suffers - especially the poorest of the poor.
And please spare me the race card. This isn't about racial politics; this is about getting Malaysians the best government that they deserve. Right now, it's got nothing that even resembles a functional government that can look after the interests of its citizens. I do not say this lightly: the tragic lessons of Zimbabwe can easily happen in Malaysia if people don't wake up to themselves and be totally, brutally honest.
Let me state unequivocally here: Malaysia's current coalition government - the National Front - needs to either perform or get out of the way. It has had 50 years to do good. It's failed dismally in my book. Time for Malaysians to show some balls and help themselves... because God help this current government! It hasn't got a clue.
Ninja
]]>http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23971495-601,00.html
Folks,
I don't know about you but I have my views about our tax system.
I am keenly aware, as are most Australians, of the stupidly high rates of income tax that we pay in this country. Most of the execs I know are paying close to 49 cents for every dollar earned, which is why - and this shouldn't come as a surprise - many seek whizzkid accountants/lawyers to try and mitigate those payments to the ATO.
Tell me, would anyone be happy giving away almost 50% of what their own hard work brought home?
Now, I know that we have a lot of social services to be maintained in our country. Heaven forbid that we scrap the welfare safety net or removed the many benefits such as Medicare or Family Support or Disability Pensions or Unemployment Benefits etc.
But, something's got to be done to introduce a lot more equity into our tax system so as to stop the high-flyers like Paul Hogan from feeling so aggrieved that he has to leave Australia to seek economic refuge in the US. I mean, who wants to lose half of their earnings to the tax man??? Seriously.
Don't even get me started on the dis-incentives to working hard in this country when the tax system penalises you heavily for earning too much. Something's got to be done about this.
I'm not a huge fan of Paul Hogan, but he has a point in wanting to challenge the Australian Tax Office. I sense his fight isn't about money; it's a question of principle.
Ninja
]]>Folks,
I love the way these guys have sung about a real problem in our society today. Very gritty.
Ninja
]]>Hiya folks,
Just got home. Bone tired and weary, but happy to be home with family again.
But despite my physical condition, I was still a little stunned about the sodomy charges raised - AGAIN - against Malaysia's former deputy premier (now leader-in-waiting), Anwar Ibrahim.
I am so hoping that Malaysians will not be fooled by this bullshit again.
Ninja
]]>Hey all,
I'm now in Bangkok snake oiling my way through this lovely country full of beautiful, gentle people. I just enjoy Thailand and Thais. They are an exremely gentle and patient people, which helps because I'm sure I often come across as one big pain in the caboose... even though I do not intend to cause offense.
Will be in another place tomorrow.
Depending on net access, I'll try blogging later.
Be good now.
Ninja
]]>
Folks,
I cannot stand bullies - whether they are in school or anywhere else.
At school, even though I was always one of the smallest kids around, I never got bullied because everyone knew they'd cop a blood nose at the very least. Nobody dared to mess with me, seriously. Even the big kids with bullying tendencies showed me respect.
At work, I've been known to take no prisoners in meetings and my boss certainly copped an earful last week, with finger-pointing, table thumping and the works.
But I always play the ball, never the man. And that's why I think I've been able to get away with my ways.
But what's happened to this boy - and I am sure, many others like him with apparent and not-so-apparent handicaps - is totally inexcusible.
The strategies to deal with bullying is to broaden the issue to beyond the school compound. A lot of the attitudes to bullying start at home. That's right. When adults sit around the dinner table and talk about minorities groups or the less-fortunate, guess who listens intently and absorbs it all?
I think I might have told this story before.
When the Ninjettes were in primary school and I had the afternoon off to pick them up after school, I witnessed a young boy about to be set upon by a gang of older kids who had surrounded him in the carpark, just outside the school fence. This happened right in front of my car. I got out and pretty much chased the older boys away and told them to go home and learn some manners, so to speak. But I left my sharpest venom for the other parents/adults who stood nearby and chose to watch this unfold with arms folded across their chests like it was a normal thing.
They were probably gobsmacked as nobody dared to respond to this little man who berated them in broad daylight for their shameful lameness. I was quite sad that day because I knew that not everyone has the guts to do the right thing anymore - it was moral decay that I had witnessed in broad daylight. I withdrew the Ninjettes from that school at the end of that term as I didn't think they'd be protected by other parents/adults of that school community if the need ever arose.
Kids are not cruel by nature. That's a learned behaviour.
Ninja
]]>