Low-life political cheap thrills

Technorati tags: Politics, Scandal, Elizabeth Wong, Nude, Naked, Pictures

Checking one of myAsylum's blog traffic trackers yesterday, Walski found out that a great number of hits came from search engines - by folks looking for naked pictures of Elizabeth Wong.

And if that's how you found your way to this post.... well, sorry to disappoint you perverts, but you'll find none of those on this blog.

Poor Eli... it's a shame that some people in this country can sink to such lows. Real scumbag, low-life types, if you ask Walski.

And then, of course, there are those so quick to make parallels between what happened to Eli Wong, and the Chua Soi Lek sexcapades.

Morons.... but more on that later.

Meanwhile, Walski thought it appropriate that he post the complete press statement made by the Yang Berkhidmat earlier today (via Malaysiakini).

And Berkhidmat is exactly what she has been doing, long before being elected to the Selangor State Assembly last year.

I was informed on Friday, Feb 13, 2009 by journalists from the Malay Mail that they have in their possession intimate photos of myself and that the newspaper will be publishing a story about these photographs.

I was told that some people are trying to distribute photos/videos showing me asleep in partial nudity and also in intimate positions.

The distribution and publication of these photos/video is a malicious attack on my personality. This constitutes a gross outrage on my modesty, a gross invasion of my privacy, and in particular the sanctity of my personal life. It is being done by unscrupulous persons to embarrass and discredit me.

I am a victim in this incident.

I have yesterday lodged a police report in relation to this matter and I will fully cooperate with the police in their investigation. I will therefore not speculate publicly about those responsible for this gross invasion of my privacy.

I have received a lot of support from my supporters, friends, colleagues and members of my constituency. I wish to thank them for their concern, support and encouragement.

My family members are standing behind me. I would like to appeal to the media to give me and my family members some breathing space in this trying time so that I can weather this huge challenge.

I will in the meantime continue to carry out my task of serving the people of Selangor faithfully.

Elizabeth Wong
Bukit Lanjan assemblyperson
Exco for Tourism, Environment and Consumer Affairs

Yes, Eli. Carry on you definitely should. 
(reactions from the political fraternity, and more, in the full post)

For the most part, outrage expressed by the political fraternity has been almost unanimous. Bipartisan, even. With some notable exceptions.

"This is a moral issue. Previously, (former health minister and MCA deputy president) Dr Chua Soi Lek had also resigned over a similar incident," he told Malaysiakini.
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required)

That silly snippet came from former Selangor Chief Minister - now Opposition head - Dr. Mohd Khir Toyo.

Now let's put Tempe Man's definition of "similar" to the test:

• Chua Soi Lek was cheating on his wife, Elizabeth Wong is single. Similarity test analysis: FAIL
• Eli's photos, as far as is known, were taken while she was asleep. Chua's videos were taken while he was humpity-humping away. Similarity test analysis: FAIL
• Eli's photos, as far as is known, were of her alone, fast asleep in the buff - taken obviously without her knowledge or permission. Chua's videos may have been taken without his knowledge, too. But, he'd been boinking the same person, in pretty much the same hotel room, for quite a while - it was a boring sex video waiting to happen. Similarity test analysis: FAIL
• Eli immediately filed a police report when she was informed. Chua admitted his infidelity when his video became popular Internet fodder. Similarity analysis: FAIL
• It is not immediately known whether Eli's photos (and possibly video, too) were of her alone, or with a companion. Chua was definitely not alone. Similarity analysis: INCONCLUSIVE

4 FAILs and 1 INCONCLUSIVE. Verdict? Not Similar. QED.

But then again, coming from Khir Toyo, low-ball opportunist politician that he is, it's no big surprise, really.

What DID pleasantly surprise Walski was this statement of support from Minister in the PM's department, an UMNO feller, Datuk Nazri Abdul Aziz.

"I sympathise with the executive councillor, this thing should have not happened as she the people's representative and she had been performing her duties.

Therefore, to foil what she has done for the community in this manner is not good. But I hope her spirits (remain strong) and she will not bother about what has happened."
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required)

A wrong was committed, and the minister did the morally right thing, and lambasted the wrongdoing, instead of taking a political cheap shot. Good on you, Nazri.

But the biggest knuckle-head quote of the day came from our own Home Minister, Syed Hamid Albar.

Cheapo thrills... and cheapo political cheap shots... Some politicians not only don't have class, but are really clueless. Seriously... But Walski has heard hearsay that Syed Hamid's favorite exercise is jumping to conclusions. So, there you go!

Walski hopes that whichever scumbag is responsible for this is brought to justice. Fast. And Walski also hopes that this recent spate of low-blow politics doesn't continue for much longer. Enough is enough.

Like the majority of people around the nation, Walski stands behind you and walks with you. And if you're on Facebook, there's a group you can join to show your support for one undeservedly wronged Executive Councilor...

Well, Eli... chin up! You were obviously wronged, and screw those who refuse to acknowledge this - but not literally, of course.

Click here for the full post......

The scary Musawah bogeywomen

Technorati tags: Islam, Musawah, Protest, PUMPP

Related post: Musawah: Maligned and Misunderstood

At present, Walski is reading The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. While Walski does not fully agree with everything that's written in the book, Dawkins does make some very relevant points. Among them is this:

If the advocates of apartheid had their wits about them they would claim - for all I know truthfully - that allowing mixed races is against their religion. A good part of the opposition would respectfully tip-toe away. And it is no use claiming that this is an unfair parallel because apartheid has no rational justification. The whole point of religious faith, its strength and chief glory, is that it does not depend on rational justification. The rest of us are expected to defend our prejudices. But ask a religious person to justify their faith, and you infringe 'religious liberty'.
(source: Dawkins, The God Delusion, p. 45)

A similar situation holds true for Malaysia, pertaining to the leeway given to anyone claiming to speak on behalf of Islam - regardless of whether sensible or not. 

Last week the Pulau Pinang branch of the Ulama Association of Malaysia (PUMPP - great acronym, by the way), issued a scathing press statement about the Musawah global meeting that's currently ongoing in Kuala Lumpur, until February 17th.

Within days, the statement was picked up and repeated by several other blogs, more or less parroting what PUMPP had to say, basing their commentary purely on what scant information they know, and letting their prejudice do the rest.

The press statement, originally published online on PUMPP's official blog (in Bahasa Malaysia), characterizes the way conservatives behave (be they religious or secular) the world over - that they are the only ones that are correct and have truth on their side, even when they are not fully informed about what they are protesting about in the first place.

Walski has translated the release into English, and has included some excerpts here. The full translation can be read at myAsylum reLoaded, the companion blog to this one.   
(all PUMPP'd up and nowhere to go, in the full post)

First, let's look at what PUMPP's all pumped up about (pun intended). From Walski's translation of their press release, dated February 12, 2009 (emphasis by myAsylum):

The Pulau Pinang branch of the Malaysian Ulama Association hereby strongly condemns the ‘Musawah’ program, i.e. Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family, organized by a major Malaysian proponent of the deviant Islam Liberal, Sisters in Islam (SIS). The Musawah meeting is seen to want to challenge the many basic principles of Islam, particularly in the area of syariah laws pertaining to women and family, that have been agreed upon and accepted by the consensus of eminent ulama.

Now, the ulama (or Islamic clerics), just like anyone else, are human, too. And humans can sometimes make judgmental errors (like the one Walski's probably making here in writing this post). Just because something has been "agreed upon and accepted" doesn't make it immutable, especially when situations leading to such consensus and agreement have changed.

Simple example from Malaysia: in 1984, the National Fatwa Council stated that only the Zaidiyah and Jaafariah branches of Shiah would be recognized as acceptable, in addition, of course, to the Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah. Fast forward 12 years later, the National Fatwa Council repealed the earlier edict, making Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jamaah the only valid Islam in Malaysia and therefore, making the two branches of Shiah deviant (source: The People's Parliament). Both decisions were reached through consensus and agreement, in all likelihood. So, which one is wrong (and why)? If the first decision was immutable, can a second immutable decision override the first?

The press release excerpt above, incidentally, is from the first paragraph of the statement. Immediately, the conference and it's initiator are painted as scary bogeywomen. It's a known fact that the Malaysian ulama circles, dominated by conservatives, have a beef with SIS. So, how to quickly raise alarm bells within the Muslims (many of whom, when it comes to what the ulama say, have this strange ability to turn off their otherwise functional logic, and put their thinking caps on standby)?

Simple - "Islam Liberal" and SIS - two things that invoke all kinds of scary ideas, whether or not much (or anything) is known about either.

So, the first paragraph sets up the event (which Walski doubts PUMPP know enough about to comment) as something sinister... Moving along, the second paragraph starts off by saying,

This meeting is expected to be attended by various Liberal Muslim personalities whom the eminent Islamic ulama find objectionable...

and goes to mention who these persona non grata are. Why are they found to be objectionable? No explanation is given, other than (implicitly),"Because we say so".

And of course, as Walski had half expected, and was by no means disappointed, came this bit:

200 Muslim Liberalists have been invited from 40 countries, and will meet at the 5-star The Prince Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, on February 13, 2009, to attend the 5 day meeting. This closed-door meeting also does not allow participation from any party other than those by their closed invitation. PUMPP sees this well-funded meeting as possibly being supported by Western interests with the intention of liberalizing Islam, and hopes that the authorities will investigate the source of funding for the program.

Yes, folks - no tirade is ever complete without invoking the Evil West.

You can read the remainder of the translation at myAsylum reLoaded, but the following paragraph, to Walski, is the clincher as to why he thinks that PUMPP are making an ill-informed condemnation.

This meeting will also give a negative perception of Malaysia, which may be seen as a country practicing Shariah laws that discriminate against women, especially when the meeting will be brought to the attention of representatives from the United Nations, with the presence of Professor Yakin Erturk (The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women), who will officially launch the meeting.

Calling the event the "Musawah Global Meeting" - by virtue of it being a global meeting - should have clued PUMPP that Musawah is not about Malaysia alone, per se. It is a global movement - pergerakan sedunia, untuk mereka yang mungkin kurang faham.

Yes, while it's true that women's rights and interests in Malaysia, even for Muslim women, are in a far better state than in many parts of the world (but with room to improve), the same cannot be said about many other Muslim countries worldwide.

In fact, Musawah makes no secret as to where they get their funding from - it's stated quite clearly at the bottom of their Who We Are page. Go look for yourself, if you want to find out.

And that's the problem Walski sees with the conservative cleric class - and those who blindly and uncritically support them - there doesn't seem to be any need for proof, nor do they have to justify any claims they make, regardless of whether they're accurate or not. Everybody must accept their authority. Without question. Which is exactly the point Dawkins is making, in the excerpt Walski chose to open this post with.

The world is changing around us. From a technology standpoint, change happens faster than it takes Walski to write up a blog post, in all likelihood. Okay, he's kinda slow, too. But that's beside the point.

Society, too, has changed. A whole heck of a lot since the 10th century. But sad to say, there has not been much of anything ground-breakingly different since then, when it comes to Islamic scholarship or jurisprudence. Whatever consensus, agreements and what-not are based primarily on scholarship and research carried out over a millennium ago. And yet, few question this. Why?

If the Syariah laws are supposed to be immutable, why is it that almost every nation, state and sometimes even district, the world over has its own and different interpretation of it?

It's a reasonable question, he thinks, and Walski could go on endlessly about this. But he won't.

Two key things: the first is that Musawah is not something sinister, nor is it going to do what PUMPP claims that the meeting is trying to accomplish. Go to their newly launched website for yourself, and read up what they're all about. You can even read some of the papers presented during the ongoing global meeting in KL.

Second: there's nothing wrong with criticizing something you don't agree with - it's your right. But at the very least, find out what that something is all about first. Making clueless allegations only goes to damage your own credibility.

What's really a sad indication of how some people have taken the path to not think, but instead parrot-without-thinking, can be seen in the blog reactions to the PUMPP statement. One blog has called for SIS and Musawah to be banned (to save the ummah, it seems). Another even called for SIS to be detained under the ISA!

PAS Youth, too, came out with their usual diatribe - another group of wasted "youth" who have chosen the path of the faithful parrot.

Once again, a bogeyman is born - a bogeywoman this time around. Born out of ignorance, conjecture, and hearsay... from the imagination of those who cannot and dare not question, and ever so eager to regress into the idealism of an anachronistic past...

Click here for the full post......

An Institution Restored

Technorati tags: History, Victoria Institution, Heritage, VI Illustrious Alumni

Those of you who know Walski personally may (or may not) know that from the ages of 7 to 17, he went to many different schools. To be exact, 5 different primary schools, and 3 secondary schools. No, Walski wasn't one of those scholastic rejects that no school wanted. It's just that his dad, for work reasons, got transferred from town to town every two years on average. And Walski refused to go to boarding school.

Out of those schools, there is one that Walski proudly claims he is an alumni of (there is one other, but we'll leave that for later). And today, that school's good name has been restored.

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Victoria will revert to its old name of Victoria Institution (VI) from today now that is has gained national heritage status.

“The world already knows the school as Victoria Institution so it is my pleasure to announce that its name beginning today will be Victoria Institution,” said Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Shafie called for the school’s heritage to be conserved as each characteristic “be it a wall, a window, balcony, roof, tower or its field has its own story."
(source: The Star)

Victoria Institution has always sounded better to Walski's ears, befitting it's rich history and significance. And February 15, 2009 will be the day that VI started is journey towards restoration.
(VI's distinguished alumni, and more, in the full post)

Blame it, perhaps, on the crap way that history is taught in school, and the crap curriculum that accompanied it, but as a primary and secondary student, Walski hated the subject called History. It was always dates, people and places - but never emphasized enough was the story behind the event. And it's usually the story that evokes a greater sense of why a particular event is important.

Walski's love for history came a lot later in life, when he began to wonder why certain things, ideas and ideosyncracies are the way they are. By no means is he today a history buff - it's just that Walski has a much greater appreciation for history now than he ever did while in school.

But, yet once again, Walski digresses...

If one were to look at a list of distinguished (and recognizable) VI alumni, it becomes clear that this august institution has produced many persons of great caliber. But more importantly, that list also reflects the true multicultural nature of Malaysian. And that is something to be very proud of. Walski, at least, is.

Among the recognizable names (in no particular order):

• HRH Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah - Sultan of Brunei
• Haris Ibrahim
• Dr. Ng Yen Yen
• Rustam A. Sani
• Sivarasa Rasiah
• Ezam Mohd Nor
• T. Ananda Krishnan
• Mohamed Noordin Sopiee
• Raja Petra Kamaruddin
• Francis Yeoh
• Amir Muhammad
• The Sidek Brothers (Misbun, Jailani, Razif, Rashid & Rahman)
• Kamahl
• Lord Panda
• Soo Beng Khiang
• Harjit Singh Hullon

And that's just a very, very small sampling. Not at all a bad list to be associated with. Especially when Lord Panda is on it....

It's sad that in the zeal to establish a national identity, the path taken is to sometimes whitewash history. It's no shame that we were a former British colony. The British, while responsible for creating the separate-but-one nation we live in today, also gave us a lot of good things. No point in pretending that the British years never happened.

But pretend it never happened is precisely what has been done in the past, consciously or not, by doing things like changing road names, and in the case of VI, making it as though it were just another generic National Secondary School.

Well, generic it is definitely not. And today, Victoria Institution has been given back its rightful and historic identity.

For this old boy, it's post-Valentine's Day traumatic bliss...

Click here for the full post......

LRTQ: So long, and thanks...

Technorati tags: Quran, Reading, Knowledge, Blog Campaign

All good things, as they say, eventually come to an end. Same goes with this campaign. But sometimes, the end of one endeavor marks the beginning of another. Walski hopes that the same goes with this campaign. Officially over, but sparks the beginning of a greater journey of discovery...

Peace be with you 

It is mid February, the year has just begun, and the four of us Marina, Syed Akbar, Walski and Anas feel that we have started something meaningful to kick off the year. .

Perhaps it is because it was on the very first day of the year, on January 1st that we took the first step to organise this campaign. Encouraging not just Muslims but also our brothers and sisters from the other faiths to read and ponder the Quran. Many have expressed enthusiasm towards the campaign, as you can gauge from the comments below..

We would like to thank you for being with us, contributing, sharing comments and reading our posts. Ribuan terima kasih to our fellow Bloggers, more than 50 blogs who proudly hosted the campaign logo thus helping us reach a much bigger audience.

We also would like to thank those who were opposed to our approach; for their gentle words, comments and disagreement, truly Islamic in behaviour. We are brothers and sisters of the same faith, we are not enemies. We can agree to disagree. Our platform maybe different, but our goal is the same. Let’s keep this at heart.

While our campaign officially ends today February 14th yet our commitment to make Quran relevant in our lives is unending. Let’s continue this good work as the Quran says,

“And if all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea (were) ink, with seven (more) seas yet added to it, the words of God would not be exhausted: for, verily, God is almighty, wise.” (Quran 31:27)

“Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding” (Quran 39:18).

Salam and thank you,

Marina Mahathir
Syed Akbar Ali
Walski
Anas Zubedy

(selected comments from the campaign posting, and more,  in the full post)

The following are some selected comments left by our readers, as the result of postings for the Let's Read The Quran campaign, compiled from all four of our blogs.

Yusuf Martin
What an excellent idea - it is better to understand the Quran, its nuances and meanings if you also have access to it in your own language. I read the Quran - 4 versions - in English

Anon:
Certainly a worthy goal. As a non-Muslim I can guarantee that I know more about Islam (it's history and culture)than 95% of Malay Muslims. However my knowledge of the Quran (and other scriptures) are pretty basic so an understanding of the Quran can only be a good thing especially in a multi-racial setting such as ours.

Michelle
I decided sometime last year that I'd read the Quran too. Good to know about this campaign. Looking forward to many interesting posts from you guys!

Estrelita
Isn't this a nicer way to educate and reach out? Thanks!

Kim Chow
Hi

This has caught my attention. It has never crossed my mind before to read the Quran.

The ongoing bloody and brutal Gaza bombardment by Israel makes my stomach churn.

Last night, I received an email asking Christians to support Israel.

This Chinese New Year there is little reason for me to celebrate knowing that so many lives have perished like worthless creatures. I keep thinking of the children who have been maimed, crippled and orphaned.

Etched in my mind is the image of this cute and adorable two-year Palestinian girl who appeared on Aljazeera. I pray that God will keep her and her family safe.

Yes, I am interested to read the Quran.

Bard
It is always good to see any initiative which will remove Muslims from their hibernation and an initiative which will paint a true picture of Islam to the masses who are misinformed by the media. All the best Insha Allah!

Das
I have read The Holy Book from cover to cover. The whole 114 Suras and I came away from it with an over-abiding sense of respect and awe.

This is why I get puzzled by the many pronouncements about Islam by so called Important Persons in the media.

For instance, in Sura 18, in the story about the 'people of the cave' God entrusts the safety of the group with a DOG, which is made to lie at the mouth of cave to discourage any passersby from molesting the group whom God has made to sleep for an age.

And the pig on the other hand kept the people of the Islamic world safe from Pests and Pestilence by eating up all the offal that people threw out. Since sewerage systems need water to work, it is the pigs that fulfilled this function and kept society healthy.

"Thou shall not consume the flesh of swine that feeds on offal"

God did not want the pigs killed and eaten.

This to me makes more sense than to claim that God condemned these two animals as unclean. Who created these animals in the first place?

I'll stop by making this observation. If I live a life true to Islam, when I die would God reject me because some Kadi or other has not confirmed me as Muslim as such?

Oh, by the way I am a non - muslim.

Father Fez
This is a great idea. If the non Muslims could also read the Quran and understand the timeless message it would do a lot of good in promoting better understanding.

Perhaps then, the brainless antics of some of our leaders in the name of Islam, can be seen as "brainless antics."

Basha
great... a departure from the many verses that just stereotyped Quran into a book about how one would be punished in the hereafter. Nice linkage to ordinary events.

Snuze
What a beautiful way to interpret the Gift that is the Al-Quran. Sometimes we forget that everyone is a creation of Allah SWT deserving of respect and communion. Lovely.

Pah Nur
I think religion is a tool to unite the human race of different variety, be it black, white, sawa matang, or shades in between. But most had chosen to stay obtuse, rather, use religion to separate the human beings according to "branding", which is sad.

My
Let’s Read the Quran Campaign.....well done!!..It’s realy.. really good initiative as the Quran is applicable for all generations and for all people regardless their races... Allah sent down the Quran to mankind as a book of guidance and an avenue for knowledge in every aspects as well as a medium to unite people to the right path

Abdullah
The secret is when we appreciate each other for who we are, and the things we share in common...

Focus on the differences and that's all we're going to see.

So, with the official campaign at an end, a reasonable question you may be asking yourself is probably, "What now?"

For Walski, personally, if there were a journey that's never-ending, it would have to be the study of the Quran. So, the campaign end only means continuing with his journey of discovery and learning.

If anyone out there has something interesting to reflect on, based on the Quran, please feel free to blog or write about it. And you may even use the LRTQ logo in relation to your post, if you so wish. It's not copyrighted in any way, and the four of us decided to allow free usage of it.

The only thing we ask is that you take responsibility and ownership over what you write, and a reminder that it will not belong to the just-ended campaign.

It was a fun initiative to do, although Walski must say that he's sorry he couldn't contribute more. He also hopes that this small effort has been beneficial for you.

Oh, incidentally - Walski does remember a whole list of questions left by reader CKGord in the initial posting. After some consideration, he's decided that addressing those questions should be outside the campaign - so hang tight, buddy... Walski will address them soon.

Thanks, too, to all who picked up on the campaign, and either posted something on your respective blogs, hosted the logo, or mentioned the campaign. In all, as far as the four of us could tell, there was participation from about 50 blogs!

Finally, Walski hopes that this has been beneficial to you as it has to him. The journey of discovery closes another chapter here. But continue it does, nevertheless, charting new experiences and discoveries...

Click here for the full post......

LRTQ: Let's talk about Love...

Technorati tags: Quran, Reading, Love, Valentine's Day, Blog Campaign

Being that today is the official last day of the Let's Read The Quran (LRTQ) campaign, and the fact that it's Valentine's Day, Walski thought that it would be appropriate to talk a little bit about love.

And before he forgets, Happy Valentine's Day to one and all... not that it really means a whole heck of a lot to Walski personally. Why? Well, more about that later in the post.

There are, of course, many types of love: the platonic kind you have for friends, the love you have for family, the sort you have for the country... so on and so forth. Today, Walski will focus on the romantic kind. The L-O-V-E kind of love...

It may come as a surprise to many, but there actually is at least one verse in the Quran that talks about romantic love.

Valentine's Day, to Walski, is part of the crucial process of evaluation whether or not that certain someone is the one. After all, forever ever after is a pretty darn long time to be stuck with someone you aren't completely comfortable with... and Walski's pretty darn sure that God didn't put us on this Earth to be miserable.  
(love, Valentine's Day, and more,, in the full post)

Walski mentioned earlier that Valentine's Day (or "VD" for short) doesn't mean a whole heckuva lot to him. And in truth, just like most other mass-observance days, it's become way too commercialized. But having said that, Walski is not against anyone who puts some level of importance on the day and celebrates it.

Hey, if you wanna spend money on over-priced roses, red heart-shaped cushions, soft toys or whatever red that strikes your fancy, it's your damn money. No chaff off Walski's skin. Neither is he going to go on a mad tirade about how Valentine's Day is more dangerous than AIDS, Ebola, or Cholera...

Walski doesn't think he needs to add anything - the ludicrousness speaks loud and clear for itself. Mostly loud. And once again, we hear about exclusivity surrounding Islam - taking the idea of "resembling" to further lengths than logically necessary...

God made us different (see Surah 49, Verse 13) from one another - into different tribes, so to speak - not so that one tribe can be dominant over another or to be isolationist. Rather, it's so that we can learn how to appreciate diversity, and adopt the best from different cultures and practices. And not for the "tribes" to isolate themselves. This isolationist and exclusivist view is part of the reason why many Muslims are in the sorry state as they are in today, by and large.

But Walski digresses...

God made us, as He did the rest of his creation, in pairs. Yin & Yang, Male & Female... that sort of thing. Some cultures may believe that love can come after wedlock (i.e. arranged marriages), but many don't subscribe to such practices anymore. And in actuality the process of courting and falling in love can be a very fun and enjoyable one to go thru.

Walski mentioned earlier that VD doesn't mean a heck of a lot to him. Well, after 10 years of marriage, we don't wait for February 14th to express our love for each other. Every day, in fact, is Valentine's Day. That said, we do go out for a nice dinner on some years. Except that this year we chose not to, and instead opted to spend VD with close friends. Whom we love, too.

In Walski's opinion, celebrating VD is fine - it would be grossly unfair to assume that vice is the only thing on the minds of young lovers, or those who think they're in love. Let's not jump to bad conclusions about people all the time. But if there is going to be sex involved, eventually, make sure it's protected sex. For your own safety (it's not called "protected" for nothing).

Because in the real reality of what we call real life, AIDS is far, far more dangerous than Valentine's Day - no matter what one very uptight Egyptian cleric may want us to believe.

Happy Valentine's Day, people... whatever it may mean to you.

Click here for the full post......

Brainwash Boogie

Technorati tags: Friends, Music, Video

Recently, thanks to Facebook, Walski got back in touch with many people from his college years. Those were really the formative years of Walski's life, all things considered - the good, the bad... but for some reason he couldn't think of any experience that he'd categorize as ugly, per se. True, there were some ugly people in the mix, but they were usually quite nice to Walski.

In any case, one of those people is a gentleman named Scott Burright, who was Walski's housemate for about a year. While Walski is still kind of fuzzy as to what Scott does as a day job nowadays, he does make some really nice music, and some really cool videos to complement the tune-age.

Like this one...

(more Burright genius, in the full post)

The video is posted here with Scott's permission - to post it wherever someone might look at it - in his own words. And then Walski found another video that Scott did, which is as good, if not better, than Brainwash Boogie.

The stuff Walski's friend does for fun is something that some people struggle to do for a living. Hope to see more stuff in the near future - and you can count on Walski to post them up here.

Thanks Scott, for making Walski's day with the superb videos!

Click here for the full post......

YAPP on YAPP

Technorati tags: Opinion Poll, Politics, Malaysia, Perak, PollDaddy

Reading the post title, right about now, you're probably going... HUH?!?

Perhaps some explaining is in order... and the significance of the graphic used for this post. All in good time, kiddies...

The first YAPP stands for Yet Another Perak Poll. Yes, there have already been a few done in the last few days, to assess the feelings of the people on the ground about what's been going on in Perak.

The first one that Walski came across was conducted by Malaysiakini earlier this week, with the results announced yesterday (emphasis by myAsylum).

A survey conducted by Malaysiakini saw an overwhelming majority of readers disagreeing with Sultan Azlan Shah's decision in the transfer of power in the silver state.

A total of 34,617 out of 39,411 readers, or 87.8 percent said they were against the sultan's decision in the four-day survey which ended yesterday.

However, 3,862 (9.8 percent) survey respondents said they agreed with the sultan's decision while 932 readers (2.4 percent) answered "Don't know".
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required)

Now, you might be thinking that the Malaysiakini poll may not be representative of what the people of Perak think. And you're probably right - unless, of course, all of Malaysiakini's readership live in Perak, or are from the state. Not likely, Walski thinks.

What it does indicate is the view of Malaysiakini's readership at large. Which arguably probably isn't very objective. 
(but another poll tells the same story, and the other YAPP, in the full post)

But before you can jump up and down with joyous uncertainty, and shout "Hidup BN", the result of another poll has been announced by The Malaysian Insider. And this time, it's more representative of what the Perak folks think.

It doesn't get anymore representative than this, folks. Walski can't wait to see how the Merdeka Centre's poll will be reported in the mainstream media (MSM). Or if it gets reported at all.

After all, why would the mainstream media want to rock the boat telling the world how the people of Perak really feel about the true democratic process that's just been shoved down their throat, right?

Which brings Walski to myAsylum's on poll - which of the two do you think is the legitimate Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Perak? Not that it matters an iota in the real world, but Walski's merely curious as to what y'all think. The poll can be found where you usually expect to find it, in the sidebar on the right, and you have until the end of February to cast your opinion.

And speaking of the new poll, you're probably wondering what the other YAPP stands for, right? Well, it's the abbreviated form of Yet Another Poll Platform.

If you've been visiting this blog with any degree of regularity, you'll have noticed that the new poll is on a different platform - from PollDaddy.com, to be exact. Walski thought that it was high time that he tried a different platform from the one that he's been using for the past year or so.

It looks oh so much more Web 2.0, don't you think?

So, tell Walski what your opinion is. And incidentally, the new poll system allows you to insert comments after you've voted, so if you've got something more to say, go for it.

Click here for the full post......

Perak: PopTV and Damaged Goods

Technorati tags: Politics, Law, Perak, UMNO, Permanent Head Damage

The latest installment of PopTV (a wonderfully hip online talk show, by the way) has, as its guest, lawyer and fellow blogger Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who talks about his perspectives on what's going on in Perak, the allegations of treason, and the complications surrounding the whole situation.

While the interview does give a kau-kau and sober perspective on what's going on, it's clear that there is still no clear-cut answer to many questions. 
(Malik's perspectives, what PhD really means, and more, in the full post)

On his blog, Disquiet, Malik has articulated in two posts his perspectives on the Perak Controversy. In the first post, he tries to make sense of what's going on, from the perspective of his legal mind. In the second, Malik comes to the conclusion His Royal Highness may have erred in directing the resignation of the Menteri Besar.

Another lawyer/blogger, Art Harun, however, has a slightly different view from Malik.

"The notion that the Rulers are a part of check and balance mechanism to the wide powers of the executives is to me, wishful at best. The reality is the Rulers are not part of the administration of the country. The check and balance mechanism embedded into our system (and every democracy with a constitutional monarch) only consists of the executive, legislative and of course, the judiciary (in some Scandinavian countries, an ombudsman is an integral part as well).....To adopt a literal approach would vest a certain level of absolute power in the Ruler where such power does not exist in the first place. Can we imagine a situation where the Ruler may decide mid-term to change an MB because he thinks that MB does not command the confidence of the majority anymore?

We are now riding the populist wave of a political reform yet unseen before. It is a result of deep rooted anger against the BN government. But lets not allow our emotion to colour our judgement by creating, or allowing to create, a dangerous precedent, a precedent which we all may live to regret later."
(source: ARTiculations)

And then there's the question of treason, an allegation that has been thrown on those who are of the opinion that the Perak ruler erred. In particular, UMNO has been on the offensive to throw the book (and whatever furniture that's not nailed down) at Karpal Singh, Mohamad Nizar, and whomever else that dares question the sultan.

Which is kinda strange, considering that UMNO in the past, when the tables were turned, were right there in the front row questioning the royal institution. Which, Walski supposes, only goes to show the true character of the party - opportunistic and hypocritical, among other things.

Feudal mindsets, especially when it's expedient politically, once again comes to the fore.... rulers are human, too, and they therefore have the capacity to make mistakes. Wake up and smell the 21st century, people.

And then there's the strange interpretation of democracy, as seen thru the eyes of the newly sworn in Perak Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, during a recent press conference (via The Malaysian Insider, hat-tip to Aisehman, and emphasis by myAsylum):

When asked today if he thought he has the support of a majority of the public in Perak, Zambry said: "That is why we are here."

When it was pointed out that he did not gain his position as menteri besar via an election, he grew visibly defensive and snapped back: "What do you mean? This is a democratic process.

"Do you understand democracy? I am asking you, do you understand the political philosophy of democracy?

"I am asking you back. Why are you not asking them (Pakatan Rakyat) back when they are talking about the party hopping?

"When they triggered everything right from the very beginning. You should ask yourself about that."

When it was clarified that the question was not about defections but whether he feels he has the support of the majority of Perakians, he finally replied: "God willing, when you prove to the people your worth.

"Do not talk about democracy process if you do not understand democracy.

"This is the true democratic process."
(source: The Malaysian Insider)

So, a true democratic process needs no elections, huh? Strange conceptual understanding of it, if nothing else.

Ironically, Zambry is a Doctor by virtue of a PhD in Contemporary Politics from Temple University, and before that a Masters degree in Political Philosophy and Religious Comparison (via Bernama). It would seem that being in UMNO does cause one's intellect to rot. At least publicly.

Either that, or the guy suffers from Permanent head Damage - which is another thing PhD could be an acronym for.

Although there isn't a single universally accepted definition of democracy (via Wikipedia), any form of government that claims to be a democracy of some flavor must meet certain key criteria, namely:

• all members of society must have equal access to power, and enjoy basic universal fundamental rights as citizens
• free and fair elections

To claim that one is in power through circumstances such as those in Perak, and claim that the process is "true democracy" is either ignorant, stupid (or both), or lying through their teeth. It may have been a legal process (and even that is in contention), but it certainly wasn't democratic.

At the very least, to prove his hand-me-down legitimacy, what Zambry needs to do is to call for fresh state-level elections. It's as simple as that. Forcing one's way into office, calling it democratic, in hopes that he has the support of the people of Perak, if he proves his worth, is by no means democracy. Not in the real world. Not by a long shot.

And it doesn't require one to have Permanent head Damage to realize that...

Click here for the full post......

LRTQ: A Rose, by any other Name...

Technorati tags: Quran, Reading, Allah, Controversy, Blog Campaign

No, no... Walski's not trying to link Shakespeare into the campaign. What Shakespeare wrote, in any case, is this (from Romeo and Juliet):

What's in a name? that which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet.

It's just that once again, we're hearing an uproar about the use of the A-word by people of faiths other than Islam. The familiar refrains of Jangan cabar Islam (Don't challenge Islam) and Jangan bangkitkan kemarahan umat Islam (Don't provoke the Muslims' anger) are once again used as clarion calls.

And the reason this time? Because the Catholics want to use 'Allah' in their literature when referring to God, citing that the Bahasa Indonesia bible does it too, as part of their justification. Which, in fact, is true, albeit not at all with any sort of consistency (via OutSyed The Box).

Walski won't delve into the argument to any degree of detail here, except to say that the uproar does make him wonder exactly how fragile the minds of the Malay/Muslims are. And also wonder why they're so pissed off and volatile all the time. Walski, however, will have to keep wondering, because we're not going to discuss either one of these wondering thoughts in this post.

The real point, and questions, are: are there any limits or bounds as to what moniker we use to call God's name? And who has the right to use which moniker?

As always, we'll refer to The Quran for some answers...
(God's name from the Quranic perspective, and more, in the full post)

Consider these three verses:

Yes, God has dibs on all the cool names to call him by. And will not acknowledge any un-cool or rude ones. God is referred to as Allah in the Quran, which is what all Arabs call Him, Christian, Jew or Muslim alike. Which is not surprising, because the Quran was revealed in Arabic, in the Arab lands of what is today Saudi Arabia.

It would be safe to assume that God doesn't wear a name tag with Allah on it (or any name, for that matter). Neither does He carry a MyKad - which would be complicated when it comes to what to put under "religion". But let's not go there....

The point is that anyone can call upon him, and call him by pretty much any name. Provided that it's not an insulting name.

Take the historical inscribed stone of Terengganu - the Batu Bersurat. God, on that stone, is referred to not as Allah, but as Dewata Mulia Raya - a way-cool and respectful term to use at that time and age. But based on the rest of the inscription, it is evident that the name refers to the one monotheistic God.

So, if the Malaysian Catholics choose to also call Him Allah, and since most Muslims would consider that a very beautiful name, what then is the problem?

Why would that be an insult to Islam?

Of course, we then come to the perceived intention of the Catholics, and there lies the real crux of the discontent, not so much in the name per se. The Malay/Muslims don't want Christians (or anyone else) to prostelyze to them, especially not in the national language. Particularly since it's stated in the Federal Constitution, which also defines what a Malay is. Muslims, on the other hand, can protelyze all they want, to whomever they want.

It's very much an unfair situation, truth be told, but that's how it's written in the Constitution, unfortunately. And so unless it's amended, that's how things will stay.

But even if the Constitution were to be amended to be fair to all, when it comes to religion...

You can't force belief onto anyone (or for that matter, un-belief). Kinda like the old saying that you can bring a horse to water, but you can't make it play water polo... or something to that effect. Belief is what's in one's heart, and something that one has to willingly embrace.

Furthermore, regardless of how God is referred to in any religious text, the nature of what that religion is becomes evident quite quickly.

But be that as it may... all the beautiful names belong to God. The word Allah is how the Arab's refer to the Almighty, regardless of their faith. Here in Malaysia, perhaps, there is this notion that the word is exclusive to Islam, and therein lies the sensitivity. But it's really no insult for anyone other than Muslims referring to God to use the word Allah, and perhaps the big fuss over the usage is but a storm in a teacup, so to speak.

And according to the Quran, you can pretty much call Him by any good name. After all, the cool and nice ones are His anyway.

Click here for the full post......

Too Legit...

Technorati tags: Humor, Music, Politics, Perak, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin

Walski's not entirely sure why he didn't think of this angle to the Perak coup saga before. It took Antares' superb tribute post to Mohammad Nizar to bitch-slap Walski into actual realization.

PAS may find popular music rather distasteful, based on their recent ban-actions. Music of pretty much any kind, it would seem. Walski, on the other hand, is a music freak. Music of pretty much any kind. However, he's not entirely fond of certain artistes and genres.

Included in the rather wide "Walski Dislikes" category is once über-popular, tool-shed apparatus turned rapper/dancer, MC Hammer.

Nothing personal against The Hammer, though - it's just that Walski's never been a big fan of rap - with the possible exception of Run D.M.C. and Public Enemy.

That said, MC Hammer does provide us with the real reason why Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin refuses to quit his post as the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Perak...
(MC Hammer, the REAL REASON, and more, in the full post)

There, the REAL reason - plain and simple: he's too legit to quit!.

If PAS would let up on their severe distaste for music, Walski would humbly suggest that Nizar use this tune as the anthem for his legal campaign. Maybe even do a dikir barat version, if that is more in line with the cultural sensibilities of PAS.

Speaking of which, and taking into account that the whole Perak mess was initiated by politicians frogging around, Walski thought that it would be appropriate that he included this little YouTube ditty in this post.

But the real point is, dear Najib, when it comes to the Perak Chief Minister's post:

Cue music, dawg...

Click here for the full post......

Slivers of Silver

Technorati tags: Humor, Politics, Perak, Constitutional Crisis

Being that Perak, the longest state in Peninsular Malaysia, is the center of attention right now, Walski can't help but have several disjointed thoughts about the current political situation in the state.

Disjointed, because that about sums up what Perak is right now. BN has proven that it's okay to do a froggy as long as it's to BN's advantage. Not okay if the other guys do it. Some might call it political savvy. Walski chooses to call it for what it is - hypocrisy.

For those of you who aren't Bahasa Malaysia speakers, the word "perak" means 'silver'. Perak, once upon a time, was perhaps the world's largest producer of tin. Being that tin is silvery in color, hence the name of the state. Confused? You haven't heard the half of it...

Tin is also classified as a "Poor Metal" - the category in which you'll also find Bon Jovi. Speaking of metal, a sub-genre of rock, is this interesting headline, via Malaysiakini.

In normal circumstances, one would never expect the words "rock" and "Kuala Kangsar" to appear in the same sentence. Walski remembers that in November 2006, a rock concert was banned in the very same royal town (via Ricecooker). So we're not talking about a very hip town here. But circumstances in Perak are anything but normal.

If you've been following the Perak Political Comedy Show from the beginning - Walski, unfortunately hasn't because of his recent travels - you'll know that the balance of power held by the 3-seat Pakatan Rakyat (PR) majority was finally tipped by the Jelapang State Rep, Hee Yit Foong, who decided to leave PR component party DAP to become independent. Prior to that, 2 other PKR assemblymen defected to BN, and the re-defection of Nasarudin Hashim, who'd defected from BN to PKR earlier, back to BN, caused the slim PR majority of three to now become a BN majority of 2.

Confusing, yes? Even more confusing is the fact that Hee is a she.

Adding to all this, the Perak palace stepped in and gave Perak back to BN.

On a silver platter.
(slivers of silver that actually is tin, and more, in the full post)

You see, according to the Perak state constitution, the Chief Minister can only be ousted by a no-confidence vote in the State Assembly, which currently is in recess. The Perak Sultan, on the other hand, insisted that he give the Chief Minister the boot. Which, to Walski, is unconstitutional. Requests for dissolution of the State Assembly, and fresh elections, were refused by the sultan. The latter course of action would have been kosher constitutionally, but would have spelled disaster for BN.

So, why is Sultan Azlan Shah seemingly playing political favoritism, abandoning the people's democratic voice, and more importantly, due process? Many people have come up with numerous theories, including coercion by potential future ex-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, commercial family interest (via The People's Parliament comments), and what not.

Or was the Sultan simply caught between BN and a hard place?

Many are very disappointed with the recent actions of the state's ruler, being that he was once Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia. But looking at the Sultan Azlan Shah's unexpected ascension to the throne, it could very well be that the current situation the ruler has found himself in is not his choice. Politics work in mysterious ways. In the case of BN, deceit is also sometimes one of those mysterious ways.

Oh, well... Walski's merely speculating here. But the reality is that Sultan Azlan Shah is now being seen as not acting in the best interest of the people of Perak. Whose interest is a matter of speculation that Walski will not delve into further.

Faster than you could have said "Constitutional Crisis in Perak", BN's shoe-in for Chief Minister was sworn in yesterday. But wait, what about Datuk Seri Dr. Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, the Chief Minister before the BN coup?

Well, it appears that now, Perak has not one, but two Chief Ministers.

Perak Darul Confused, indeed.

Nizar has refused to resign, as "advised" by the Palace, which swiftly swore in BN's Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir. And the people of Perak, that Poor Metal State of Confusion, are not at all pleased.

Due process would have had the state assembly sit, issue a vote of no-confidence against Nizar (who'd then gladly resign, since he's a due-process kinda guy), and the Sultan would then appoint an individual that the assembly holds in high confidence, not one that BN tells him to.

But like "democracy", "due process" is probably another concept that's only practiced when it's convenient to BN, who now have the dubious honor of paving the way for its own demise in the next General Elections, going by how people feel about the coalition.

If BN thought that March 2008 was a bad month, wait till we get to March 2009, when presumably Najib will take over the reigns as Prime Minister. Having sold the people's mandate one sliver of silver at a time, he'll be taking up office as perhaps the most unpopular Prime Minister in our nation's history.

Meanwhile, Najib has assured that Dr. Zambry will be a Chief Minister for all Perakians, regardless of what race. But here's an interesting thing, as reported by The Star (hat-tip: Gord's Bizarre Rants):

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has given his word that non-Malays in Perak will not be side-lined under the new Barisan Nasional-led government.

“I guarantee that the non-Malays will not be neglected (under the new government),” he told a press conference after attending the 44th South East Asia Central Banks Governor’s Conference at Bank Negara Malaysia.

“I have already told the new Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir that the Barisan government is for all races. The party will fight for everybody’s interests,” Najib said.
(source: The Star - with an alternate version here)

So, the new Chief Minister had to be told that BN is for all races. Bad choice of words, or freudian slip? The more interesting question is: what did Dr. Zambry initially have in mind? Before he was told otherwise, that is. Gee... poor Dr. Zambry.... what a disappointment, eh?

Now, it's left to the courts to decide whether or not Nizar's royal removal is legal or constitutional, or not. There are some differing opinions on this. Lawyer/Blogger Art Harun thinks that the Sultan acted beyond the provisions of the law (do read his' full post), with all due respect to Sultan Azlan Shah.

Well, Walski hopes the Poor Metal State enjoys the rest of the weekend, because the resolution to these messy slivers of Silver will probably only be known in the coming week, when Nizar will take his case to the courts.

Till then, the citizens of Perak will continue to see double (via Malaysiakini)...

Click here for the full post......

Top 10 Reminders I'm back in Malaysia

Technorati tags: Humor, Top Ten, Malaysia, Reminders

Re-Post Note: Due to some glitch between Windows Live Writer and Blogger, this post got over-written by a latter post. What you're reading is a re-post. Thank goodness for backups...

Yes, sports fans, Walski's finally back home, after being away for 3 weeks in the UK. The journey back to KL (via Dubai) was mostly uneventful. Our flight out of London Heathrow was delayed about an hour due to a runway de-icing exercise (causing traffic backlog), but the flight itself was quite pleasant - 2 movies, half-an-hour's nap... one happy traveler.

A hazy Dubai skyline captured on the flight home

Okay, the luggage decided that it wanted an extra day in Dubai, but other than that, the trip home was pretty uneventful. Fortunately, it was a trip home, and being that we (the Mrs & Walski) made the conscious effort to not overpack, we still have most of our clothes at home.

And then, it came time to experience for ourselves that we were finally back in Malaysia...
(the Top Ten list, and more, in the full post)

Top 10 Reminders that Walski's back in Malaysia

10. Wet Public Toilets
One of the things that Walski will miss about the UK is the lack of trepidation whenever he walks into a public toilet.

9. People working behind counters hate their jobs (and show it)
Somehow, the term "customer service" is one that is generally absent from the vocabulary of folks working behind the counter. In some cases, "thank you", as well. Okay, it's improved over the years, to be fair, but still not a ubiquitously enjoyable experience.

8. Wet, and smelly, Public Toilets
Bad enough that they're wet, but somehow the smelly-ness is one key characteristic of Malaysian public toilets that somehow no disinfectant can overcome...

7. Lanes are a figment of the Malaysian driver's imagination
Driving in the UK was truly a pleasure - not even the motorway delays, queues, the M1 closure (more on that in a separate post), or the long distance traveled (over 1,600 km) took away the joy of driving. This is another area Malaysia and Malaysians can do with some improvement

6. Crappy radio, complete with totally annoying deejays
Somehow, and not being sexist here, all female Malaysian deejays have really whiny voices, and the male ones try too hard to sound cool (and fail miserably). Walski used to deejay on radio while in college, and he knows a lousy announcer when he hears one... most Malaysian deejays fit this bill, unfortunately. And the lack of good music just makes radio in Malaysia intolerable...

5. Waking up to 30 °C rain
Rain that you can go out and frolic in... without getting pneumonia... Joy!

4. Wet, and smelly Public Toilets with no tissue, toilet paper or soap
Is further elaboration really necessary?

3. Manageable hair
For some strange reason, the humidity helps the hair stay manageable. Every day in the UK was literally a bad hair day for Walski.

2. Crappy TV (Astro really leaves a lot to be desired)
One of the nicest things in the UK was the TV. Not just the Sky cable service, but even the free terrestrial TV... and when they say adult-oriented entertainment after 8pm, they really mean adult-oriented. Not the G-disguised-in-R-rating like in Malaysia

... and the Number 1 reminder that Walski's finally back in Malaysia:

Democracy and Due Process are still two concepts totally absent from the Malaysian vocabulary.
Yes, Walski's talking about Perak... and you'll definitely be hearing lots more thoughts from him on this one...

Yes, folks... it appears that Walski's finally home.

Click here for the full post......

Snow + Unpreparedness = Chaos!

Technorati tags: Travels, UK, England, Heavy Snow, Chaos

Sorry for the silence this past week. As some of you may be aware, Walski's in the UK for some work-related stuff (plus a short holiday afterwards). It would have been an excellent trip, except for a couple of unexpected things happening:

• Walski came down with the flu - which is totally not fun when it's an average of 3 down to -1 °C
• After recovering from the flu, Walski developed a nasty tooth abcess (inside the gum), which, in addition to the obligatory throbbing toothache from Hades, caused one side of his face looking like Rocky Balboa on a bad night in the ring. This time Walski had no choice but to resort to some anti-biotics (and thank God for the British NHS), something he usually avoids, unless absolutely necessary.

And then, it started to snow.

Bridport in Dorset, South-West England, where snow is not something you normally see

Heavily - the most snow south-eastern England has seen in 18 years or so. How's that for timing, eh, luv?

Which is something Walski actually wanted (badly), since it's been over 10 years since he's seen white stuff - and there's truly nothing more beautiful than to watch snow fall. But don't tell that to the Brits, though.

Strangely enough, the last two days of snow has literally brought England to a grinding halt. Granted, it's the coldest winter in 18 years. But being this unprepared to cope with heavy snow is something that Walski has found rather dumbfounding.

It's one thing if it started snowing in Kuala Lumpur all of a sudden. But London? 
(large amounts of snow in London, and more, in the full post)

London, apparently, doesn't have enough infrastructure put into place to cope with heavy snow, like it's seen in the last two days. BBC reported all kinds of public transportation problems around London - buses unable to run, and even some parts of the Underground going out of service!

And you can just imagine the kind of mayhem it must have caused. London relies on its public transportation system for it to function properly. Yesterday and today, services were still not running 100%, and it is believed that nationwide, the economic cost of the 2-day snow-a-thon has breached £1 Billion! And that's probably the last thing that the British economy needs right now.

Granted, the Brits can be really whiny sometimes, but there are valid grouses abound that the way critical transport services responded to the adverse weather has left a lot to be desired.

Stoned cold Monday in Bridport...

Fortunately for Walski, the work part of the trip has finished, and he is merely chilling out with the family for the next couple of days, before heading back to KL. His biggest worry now is that the flight will be able to leave on time.

Or at all.

Oh, well... let's not count our worry-chickens before they're hatched, eh, luv? We'll surely cross that bridge when we have to. Which is in about 48 hrs time or so.

Click here for the full post......