Poll Position: MACC's Accountability

Technorati tags: Poll Position, Opinion Poll, MACC, Teo Beng Hock

This is probably the most boring pie chart Walski has ever seen.

Okay, admittedly 100% would’ve been even more boring. But it does say a lot, boring as it may be.

The loudest thing it screams at Walski, though, is just how eroded the confidence of the public has in MACC has become. And it also tells Walski that Malaysian’s believing whatever official spiel from the government is no longer a given.
(accountability, and why, in the full post)

Actually, 1% is being generous – out of the 165 persons who responded, only ONE voted No, making it 0.6%. It could very well be that the “MACC is a Malay right” people don’t frequent this blog. But it could be an actual change in the people’s attitude towards government talk.

In fact, Malaysians today are a more discerning and skeptical lot when it comes to official government talk. Gullibility when it comes to celebrity gossip, on the other hand… Ok, so we’ve got a ways to go yet, but we’re getting there.

To recap, here’s what we do know:

• Teo Beng Hock was called in for questioning (as a witness) to the Selangor MACC office, located in the office tower block of Wisma Masalam in Shah Alam, on the afternoon of July 15, 2009
• He was “questioned” throughout the night – MACC claims that he was released at around 3:45am on July 16, and was last seen alive around 6am the same morning
• His body was found at 1:30pm on July 16, on top of the podium roof of Wisma Masalam

So, should MACC be held accountable? Hell yeah, they should. At the very least, accountable for his safety, and the fact that he died, apparently from a fall from the same building housing MACC. And if this can happen to an MACC “witness”...

Once again, in no way is Walski implying that MACC was responsible for his death, though – that’s for the inquest to find out whether or not the agency had anything to do with it.

But accountable? Well, the poll result speaks for itself, innit?

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

Crime & Retribution

Technorati tags: Crime, Punishment, Retribution, Penal Code

This thought came to Walski today. For no particular reason, really. There seems to be a lot of whipping, or intentions of whipping, around lately. He read in today’s Borneo Post that a robber in Sandakan was sentenced to nine years jail and some whipping thrown in (print edition, page A9).

And then, of course, there’s the punishment of whipping for this chick who was caught drinking beer in Kuantan. For some reason, the husband, who was with her at the time wasn’t charged with anything – presumably because he either a) wasn’t having any beer, or b) is a Singaporean. Or all of the above.

In any case, we seem to love giving the whip as a means of punishment for crimes. Which, of course, brings to mind this 80’s classic.

You can watch Devo perform it here (the video had embedding disabled).

But the real question that popped up in Walski’s mind is this: when it comes to crime, is it more important, and effective: punishment, or rehabilitation?

Or put another way, when we punish, is it to rehabilitate, or is it an institutionalized form of retribution?  
(punishment or torture, and more, in the full post)

Don’t know what made Walski think along these lines, but once a thought pops up in his mind, it takes some effort to get it to move along someplace else. Blogging about it helps, too, maybe.

Incidentally, the Bahasa Malaysia translation of Penal Code is “Kanun Kesiksaan”, which when re-translated into English becomes Cannon of Torture. Institutionalized torture, in addition to retribution, almost.

Yes, a criminal committing a crime must be punished, no beef there. But once that’s over and done with, what guarantee is there that the ex-criminal will not go back to being a criminal, especially if that person doesn’t have any other useful skills? Apart from from the death penalty or life imprisonment, of course, since there hasn’t been a documented case of zombie crimes in Malaysia. Yet.

And since we’ve going down this train of thought, are the penalties in our Penal Code commensurate with the crimes, or are they over-the-top sometimes?

Lawyers reading this, your learned opinions, please – with electricity becoming more expensive soon, we need all the illumination we can get ☺.

But seriously, what are your thoughts on this? And yes, non-lawyerly opinions are more than welcome, too.

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

Blinky needs a second home...

Technorati tags: Lynas Malaysia, Hazardous Industries, Rare Earth, Lanthanoids, ARE, Environmental Hazard, Blinky

Meet Blinky.

As far as we know, Blinky is only indigenous to the beautiful, but radioactively contaminated, waterways of Springfield, that quaint and insane home of Walski’s favorite brat in the whole wide world, Bart Simpson.

But if Lynas Corporation and Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd have their way, you may one day find Blinky, or an equally hideous cousin of this 3-eyed monster, in the waterways surrounding Gebeng, Kuantan.

Now, Walski has to apologize profusely to blogger Writestreet for keeping silent on this issue, despite having been alerted to her efforts to highlight this over a month ago. Yes, same excuse – time-related problems. Not having Hiro Nakamura’s superhuman abilities didn’t help any, either.

As much as Walski is a lover of animals (as opposed to an animal lover), Walski doesn’t think that we should be welcoming Blinky into our ecosystem anytime soon.

Let’s just say that it has to do with this thing called Rare Earth (the element, not the band), our previous nasty experience with it at Bukit Merah, and the unsatisfactory answers given at a recent Q&A session (once again via Writestreet).

Don’t know about you Kuantan folks, but if it were Walski’s neighborhood, he definitely wouldn’t want to give Blinky a home any place nearby. 
(what rare earth is, Walski’s beef, and more, in the full post)

So, what’s the fuss all about? What’s Rare Earth anyways?

Simply put, Rare Earth elements are a group of 17 elements comprising of scandium, yttrium, and 15 lanthanoids (via Wikipedia). They’re not exactly rare, by the way, as they can be found quite abundantly. But the historical name is still in use.

In the case of Lynas, the elements that they focus on are the Lanthanides (or more correctly, Lanthanoids), the 15 elements between the atomic numbers 57 (Lanthanium) and 71 (Lutetium), inclusive of the two elements.

These elements are used in modern electronics, lasers in particular, but the widest use is in the automotive industry, for the production of catalytic converters.

So yeah, Rare Earths are useful elements. With that Walski has no beef. What he does have a problem with are the processes and waste products, some of which are radioactive. Some Lanthanoid ions are known to be hazardous to human health (and probably Blinky’s, too), and therefore process safety is a big concern.

The main issue that bothers Walski , however, is the waste disposal.

Writestreet reported on a recent Q&A session with Lynas Malaysia conducted last Thursday, July 23rd in Kuantan. Here are some choice concerns raised during the Q&A, and the less-than-satisfactory answers (mostly "borrowed" from Writestreet’s post):

1. Is the waste product radioactive? Answer: various answers were given at various points during the Q&A, but "technically, it is not radioactive" - the level of radioactivity is 300 times less than in Bukit Merah. Ummm… so yeah, it’s radioactive – particularly if you have lots of waste gathered in one place.
2. What will happen to the waste once Lynas decides to close the plant? Answer: no answer was given – in fact, they didn’t want to talk about the waste at all. Hmmm… looking at Blinky, this doesn’t sit well with Walski at all.
3. In the case of a problem during waste handling, an accident, contamination, etc, what will happen? Answer: We do not anticipate any problem at all.

It is generally at this point that all kinds of alarm bells were ringing in Walski’s head. “We do not anticipate any problem at all” in hazardous material processing is the kind of answer that indicates Lynas Malaysia doesn’t have a clue. And that’s not at all comforting.

Now, in case you were wondering, Walski has been involved with the process automation and safety industry for the good part of the last 18 years. Rest assured that when Walski says he’s concerned, his is a very well-informed concern.

For him, crap answers (especially #3 above) to plant safety-type questions are a sure recipe for environmental disaster. All kidding (and Blinky) aside.

Why? To answer this question, we’d have to rewind back about a decade-plus or so, to Bukit Merah, once the site of Asia Rare Earth (ARE), that was forced to close down because of environmental damage that the plant caused. To be more precise, radioactive contamination.

A blog set up to disseminate information, and to serve as a warning about just how nasty radioactive waste is, Menentang Sisa Radioaktif, gives us a chronology of events relating to ARE.

If what’s contained in that blog is not enough of a jolt for you folks, Writestreet has compiled a list of thirteen casualties of Bukit Merah, consisting of all kinds of exotic leukemia variants, and birth defects. Walski’s sure Blinky would’ve felt right at home…

For the record, Walski recognizes the importance of Rare Earth elements to our modern lives. He is, after all, a geek. But even geeks have concerns for the environment. And being that Lynas Corporation is relocating this proposed plant from Zibo, in Shandong Province, China – citing “tightening of the regulatory environment” as one of the reasons why they considered moving to Malaysia – the kind of brush-off answers given during the Q&A indicate that there are grounds for great concern.

At the very least, Lynas Malaysia was, quite simply, unprepared – enough for Walski to be worried for the people of Kuantan, being that we are talking about some pretty hazardous shit here.

Walski’s sure that his firm stand on this will disappoint Blinky. But for now, the 3-eyed bastard’s safe in Springfield, and Walski hopes that it gets to stay there for as long as it wants. Sorry, but no second home in Kuantan for ya, buddy.

All things considered, though, Walski believes Blinky will grudgingly understand…

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

Horny Devil...

Technorati tags: Humor, WTF, Horny Devil, Sex, Offbeat News

This post would’ve been out yesterday had it not been for the bit of unnecessary wtf news, courtesy of Kosmo! that Walski blogged earlier. Monday July 27 sure had more of its fair share of bizarre news.

Why The Star even bothers to pick up such fodder (from Harian Metro’s Sunday edition, no less), is really beyond Walski. But he admits that it makes for an amusing read.

The headline probably seems innocuous enough – but reading through the entire article is another matter, altogether. Makes you wonder which is worse, though – too little, or too much.

In this particular “too much of a good thing” case, it seems that it’s all the fault of The Devil… the horny bastard! 
(evil horny twins, horny devil expert, and more, in the full post)

Walski usually tries to avoid doing cut ‘n paste. But this bit of news kinda warranted it. From the aforementioned article in The Star, continuing with the second case (emphasis by myAsylum):

Nazri said according to the wife, the husband had the ritual of going to the bathroom before having sex with her.

“It all started when he had sex with her 17 times on their wedding night. The wife did not suspect anything then as she thought he was merely performing his duty as a husband.

“But when the situation persisted, she discussed the matter with her mother-in-law, who told her that it was a normal behaviour.

She told her own mother, who brought her to the religious department to file a report because the latter thought it was sexual abuse,” he said.

Investigation found that the husband’s demeanour was strange.

The wife and her family had a shock when they found “two individuals” that look alike in the bathroom.
(source: The Star)

Evil horny twins? Or was it a devilishly strange object called… a mirror? And did they look different outside the bathroom? In any case, no details were given in the report as to whether the additional guy disappeared eventually. Or if they eventually had a threesome.

Stranger still is that Malaysia has expertise in the area of horny devils.

Religious leader Datuk Abu Hasan Din Al-Hafiz claimed that it was not impossible for a man to have sex many times in one night if he was “friendly with the devil”.

“It is not impossible for the devil to have carnal intercourse with the man’s wife.

“This happens because the devil can appear to look like the husband,” he said.

He said that while it was normal for a man to want sex two or three times a day, anything more than the usual would most probably not be the husband but the devil.
(source: The Star)

Oh, and an authority on being horny in general, too. So, let Walski get this right: two, or three times… OK! Anything more than that…

SATAN! SATAN! SATAN!
(sorry folks, just couldn't resist that)

Meanwhile, in other not so related news…

The best part of this story is what the girl gets as part of the grand prize: a free plane ticket to Malaysia!

How ironic. Lil’ Miss Morality gets to travel to Malaysia… where the Horny Devils roam.

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

WTF is up with KOSMO?

Technorati tags: Kosmo, Utusan, Yasmin Ahmad, Insensitivity

If you’ve been following Walski’s neck of the Twitterverse woods, you’d probably have heard the totally insensitive front page (and page 2) story about the late Yasmin Ahmad that Kosmo! decided to run today.

And for what? Circulation? Ok, they got to sell one extra copy today, but only because Walski needed to see exactly how insensitive these Utusan fucks can be. And what did the front page and page 2 say, exactly? Well, read it for yourself (in PDF – alternatively downloadable from here).

Walski really wonders what goes thru the minds of these idiots sometimes... and if you haven’t already, isn’t it high time you stopped buying any Utusan publications?  
(the insensitivity of Kosmo!, and more, in the full post)

Granted, the article wasn’t written viciously – it was, in its own twisted way, a tribute of sorts. But that’s not the point.

Thankfully, though, the rest of their coverage on Yasmin was full of praise – they should’ve been sensible enough to have kept it that way throughout. But, hey… this is, after all, the spawn of Utusan we’re talking about. Intelligence is not exactly what Walski would associate Kosmo! with. Or, for that matter, sensitivity.

Truth be told, this is not the first time Walski had heard of such stories regarding Yasmin, and if you had bothered to look, there are quite a few blogs writing stories and posting pictures of Yasmin Ahmad along the same tired storyline.

But seriously, true or not – who the hell cares? Walski doesn’t. Because it doesn’t take anything whatsoever away from the fact that Yasmin Ahmad, through her work, inspired the nation. It’s as simple as that.

And that, folks, is what matters in the end – how you lived your life and contributed to the betterment of those around you. That’s how Walski chooses to remember Yasmin – for the wonderful films she made, her positivity, and her ardent hope that one day we can all live together as one people.

Let’s face it – we all know the kind of dirtbag journalism Kosmo!, and it’s sister-publication Utusan, choose to practice. Running the story the way they did comes as no surprise to Walski whatsoever.

What can Walski say… dirtbags are as dirtbags will be. They can print all the crap they want, but it doesn’t mean that Walski – or anyone else – has to buy it.

Kosmo! and Utusan? Well, the solution is actually quite simple: if the buying stops, maybe the lying will, too… 

Perhaps it’s high time the MSM hartal got back into gear (via The People’s Parliament)… Well, count Walski in, for sure…

  

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

In Memoriam: Yasmin Ahmad (1958 - 2009)

Technorati tags: In Memoriam, Yasmin Ahmad, Film, Filmmaker

Around in the neighborhood where Walski lives, the heavens were crying when he woke up this morning. Apt, perhaps, to accompany the sadness that the nation feels today.

This post is one he dreaded he’d have to write, ever since Walski heard about Yasmin’s stroke last Thursday. At the very least, not have to write for a while yet. We all prayed, and hoped, Walski’s quite sure. But sometimes, it’s not up to us to decide. Or even wish. Unlike taxes, the other certainty in life, we can’t ever predict when our time is due.

The news of Yasmin Ahmad’s passing came as a shock to many. Walski got word about an hour after she passed on, peacefully he’s told, at around 11:25pm last night. The Twitterverse, once again, was abuzz with (mostly) kind thoughts and prayers, for the loss of whom Walski considers a Malaysian cinematic icon – the most important person in our fledgling film history since P. Ramlee, as far as Walski is concerned.

She was laid to rest earlier today, around 12:40pm at the SS20 Muslim Cemetary in Petaling Jaya.

Malaysia has just lost a cinematic icon, exactly one month to the day the world lost a music icon in Michael Jackson. Ironically, both passed on at the age of 51.

Yasmin Ahmad’s work in film and television appealed to many Malaysians across the divides of culture and faith, something the nation hasn’t seen, in Walski’s opinion, since the passing of P. Ramlee. And not just at home, either – Yasmin’s work received critical acclaim in international film circles, as well.

And who can forget the iconic series of television commercials she made for Petronas?

Today, Walski, like the rest of the nation, mourns the passing of a true Anak Bangsa Malaysia. And it was probably with that realization the the heavens wept this morning.
(mourning the loss of a great talent, and more, in the full post)

Walski’s no poet, nor can he write anything seriously profound. It’s damned near impossible for him, therefore, to properly pay tribute to someone who leaves behind a lasting impression of how we ought to be as human beings. Her uncompromising ideals, translated to celluloid, made us realize one very important thing – we are all, after all, human. The differences between individuals is nothing more than noise – it’s the commonality that is, after all, more important.

Of all the Twitter and Facebook messages that Walski has seen since early this morning, a deceivingly simple, yet particularly poignant one that sticks in his mind is the following tweet, penned by Walski’s online and real-life friend, Ahmad Kamal Abu Bakar (whom Walski owes a dark brew several times over):

"Your films changed a generation. This generation will now rise to break down more walls of ignorance. Rest in bliss, Yasmin."

Ahmad Kamal Abu Bakar’s generation is one that’s slightly younger than Walski’s own, and so these words are indeed comforting. And yes, there are numerous walls of ignorance that need breaking down in our lives. One thing for sure, Yasmin did facilitate the deconstruction of ignorance and bias through her films.

Not to say that Yasmin Ahmad didn't have her share of naysayers and brickbats, particularly from those critics whose minds have already been irreversibly honed and shaped by the rigid and dogmatic view of life. Those who felt religious dogmas are things ordained and written in stone didn’t take kindly to the fresh viewpoints and perspectives that Yasmin showed us.

But Yasmin took these criticisms in stride, and treated them as challenges. And to Walski, inability of those who could only see her work in a negative light… well, their loss, actually.

Walski thinks that Malaysia has only become richer in spirit, for the right reasons to boot, because of Yasmin Ahmad’s work. He hopes that it won’t be too long a while before like-minded talents come to the fore. Yasmin left us at a time when her continued vision is what we sorely need. But as Walski mentioned before, sometimes it’s not up to us to decide. When the time comes, the time comes.

And you know what? The best way we can honor the memory of Yasmin Ahmad is this: if each and everyone of us pledges to make her vision of a color-blind and creed-irrelevant Malaysia a reality. It’s not an impossible task – Yasmin’s showed us the way, after all. In the end, it really is up to each and every one of us. That, at least, is what Walski himself pledges he will do – work in his limited capacity as an individual to achieve.

Ironically, one of Yasmin’s works that she did earlier this year for Singapore’s Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) was themed on a eulogy at a funeral. And it is fitting, he thinks, that Walski ends this post with that very piece.

Humans are imperfect, but humans are probably the only species that are aware of their imperfections, and can do something about it. Like all humans, Yasmin was not perfect. But try she did, and in most cases, she succeeded in giving us something meaningful to ponder upon through her work.

But it’s the perfect imperfections that made up Yasmin Ahmad’s life that Walski chooses to remember her by. Imperfect as she was, what she gave us was the hope that one day, we, too, can all be as colorblind as she was.

Rest in peace, Yasmin, you will be sorely missed, but never ever forgotten…

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

To Yasmin, our prayers for your speedy recovery...

The Technorati tags: Yasmin Ahmad, Prayers, One Malaysia

The Twitterverse was abuzz yesterday, from about 4pm on. News about Yasmin Ahmad, acclaimed Malaysian filmmaker, was being tweeted so intensely, that it went right to the top of the Twitter trend stack. Walski will post some thoughts about the Twitter aspect of yesterday later on.

But first, on to more important things…

Rather than repost pictures of Yasmin taken in the hospital – which quite frankly is something Walski finds quite distasteful – Walski will instead post the press conference that was conducted sometime last night.

We now know that Yasmin suffered a stroke, and had to have emergency surgery to ease the swelling caused by the hemorrhage. She is said to be in critical, but stable condition.

There’s been a lot of tragedy of late. For that reason, Walski’s prayers and thoughts go out to Yasmin, in hopes that she recovers speedily, and recovers well.

Walski may not know Yasmin Ahmad personally (although he has friends who do), but he is very concerned for her wellbeing. For several reasons, which hopefully he’ll make clear in a moment.

But in the meantime, let’s all say a little prayer to the big guy up there, for this very special and important daughter of Malaysia. Positively good vibes, and kind thoughts count, too, by the way.

It’s been a few weeks of consecutive tragedy, of late. And Walski doesn’t know if he can stomach yet another. But there is a much more important reason why Walski’s thoughts and prayers are where they are right now…
(simple yet powerful, and more, in the full post)

Walski could write endlessly about why Yasmin is so important to him, and to us all.

Through her work, Yasmin has taught us a number of things about life and the society we live in. Some religious conservatives have found her work offensive, but only because what she’s had to say through film hurts their rancid agendas of exclusivism, control, and hate.

She’s successfully articulated and visualized many of the same ideas and feelings that Walski, too, has. One of her more recent works is a perfect example.

In a nutshell, it’s quite simply this: Yasmin Ahmad is the true embodiment of One Malaysia… she’s someone way too precious to be lost at this important point in our collective history.

Walski’s thoughts, sincere love & admiration, and his prayers…

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

Book review pre-warn

Technorati tags: Books, A History Of God, Things In Common, Review Preview

This will be a short post – the filler type when Walski can’t conjure up more than the allotted 24/7. And when work takes precedence over other things he’d prefer to be doing. Blogging being one of ‘em.

In any case, over the past few weeks, Walski has also managed to read a few book that he thinks are important, and which he considers must-reads for all Malaysians. Especially bearing in mind some of the trends he’s seeing that will shape our nation’s future.

Politics aside (and boy have we had more than our fair share, huh?), it’s the growing religious conservatism that Walski’s seeing. But more than just conservatism, it’s the exclusivist undertones (and overtones) that come with it.

In fact, generally touching on this subject, there are 2 books in particular that Walski has just finished reading (one of them a re-reading).

These 2 books are important because they point to the fact that there is A LOT of commonality when it comes to faith, nevermind which one.
(the 2 reviews coming your way soon, and more, in the full post)

The first book is by internationally renowned writer Karen Armstrong. “A History of God” is an international best seller, but more importantly, one of her books that’s not banned in Malaysia.

The book looks at all three Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – tracing the development of each one’s theology and philosophy, and looks at the role each one has played on the development of the others.

Walski feels that this is a very important read for many reasons, which he will go into more detail when he posts the actual review.

Suffice it to say, for now, that all three faiths have enjoyed a symbiotic coexistence over the centuries, and more importantly, makes us realize that rather than being divinely ordained, each faith’s claim to exclusivity is entirely man-made.

In other words, all three monotheistic faiths have many things in common.

Which brings us to the second book whose review Walski will unleash upon you folks within the next week or so: Syed Akbar Ali’s “Things In Common”.

Like Ms. Armstrong’s work, Things In Common touches on all three Abrahamic religions, but looks at them from a very different angle. To elaborate any more than this would be to kinda spoil the review.

Well, okay, Walski will add that he’d done a report on the book launch, which took place about a month ago here in Kuala Lumpur.

Again, the idea of Islam as being such an exclusive (as opposed to inclusive) faith is debunked. In a way, it provides an interesting context to Karen Armstrong’s book, that is, about how cross-polination has shaped religions to what they are today, as opposed to the time of their initial revelation.

But if you’re really curious, and have not yet read the book, Walski’s blog buddy (and real life friend) Nizam Bashir has done a review, which you can read here.

So, there you have it – a preview of what you can expect to be posted here at myAsylum over the next calendar week or so. Stay tuned…

 

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

Humpday Literal Musicavisualocity

Technorati tags: Humor, Literal Music Video, YoutTube, Offbeat

Some people call Wednesday hump day. No, not because it’s a day to get all fuck-a-delic, or anything like that. Quite literally, Wednesday falls smack in the middle of the work week (if you count from Monday) – just like a hump in the middle of a camel’s back.

And if today goes well, the rest of the week should also. In theory at least, and barring any other stupid tragedies like what we saw last week.

But sometimes it needs a little help from the unexpected. Well, this time, it came in the form of a music video of a song from the 80’s. But if you’re having something to eat or drink – STOP before you watch the video. Don’t say Walski didn’t warn you…

This choice find is courtesy of blogger Geminianeyes, who clued Walski to the hilarious video. Wel, Walski and the rest of the Twitterverse.

Thanks @geminianeyes – you just made Walski’s week. And his knees weak – from laughter. 
(Literal music videos galore, in the full post)

Done rolling on the floor, yet?

Apparently, the original literal music videos were created by a filmmaker named Dustin McLean, aka Dustball, who operates Dust Films. You can view his hilarious literal takes on A-Ha’s Take On Me, Tears For Fears’ Head Over Heels, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Under The Bridge, and Billy Idol’s White Wedding, all neatly compiled on one web page (and also available on YouTube).

After watching the Bonnie Tyler video literalization – and literally almost spewing a mouthful of coffee onto his keyboard and desk – Walski did a little digging around YouTube, and found a whole host of music video literal makeovers.

There are a lot more that Walski didn’t bother checking out, but here are the best ones that he’s found so far.

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion

Staind Creed - With Arms Wide Open

Meat Loaf - Anything For Love

The Starship - We Built This City

That should tide you over for a bit, Walski reckons. Any more, and you’ll probably tear a tummy muscle – and Walski wouldn’t want you to do that.

Well, enjoy your hump day… and hope that these funnies help you get thru the rest of the week, happily ever after…

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

Man On The Moon

Technorati tags: Science, Space, Apollo 11, Man On The Moon, R.E.M

It was 40 years ago this week, when Walski was a wee brat of 5, while KL and Penang (among other places) were still reeling from what happened earlier in May that year, that something truly historic happened.

One small step for Man… and for those fake landing theorists, still a giant leap of faith for Mankind. For the rest of us, however, it was an historic moment.

Personally, Walski doesn’t thing any other song could be more appropriate to commemorate Neil Armstrong’s historic first step, and the inadvertent creation of a cliché, than this lovely ditty by R.E.M.

No, the song has nothing whatsoever to do with actually landing on the Moon, but is, in fact, a tribute to the late Andy Kaufman, a zany comedian whom many Malaysians may not even know of, or heard about.

But Andy Kaufman did have one thing in common with the Apollo 11 mission – both dared to venture into then uncharted regions.    
(Apollo 11, the Moon, and beyond, in the full post)

And still uncharted, or at least, unreached, is much of our solar system. Today, Mars seems to be humankind’s next target, four decades after setting foot on the Moon.

Walski does vaguely remember watching the moon landing on TV, way back in 1969, when he was an impossible kid aged 5 living in Kulim. He didn’t totally understand what the fuss was all about, but does remember it being fascinating for some unknown reason.

And if memory serves him correctly, It was perhaps Walski’s first brush with the realm of science. It also caused him to get interested in things mechanical and electrical.

The Apollo 11 mission was a culmination of a challenge posed to the American people by the late great John F. Kennedy, almost a decade earlier. Inspirational leaders do have a knack of getting folks do the impossible. Makes Walski wish we had some inspirational leaders of our own, thinking about this.

President Barrack Obama, on Monday, hailed all three of Apollo 11’s crew – Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins – as “genuine American heroes”. And perhaps Obama, four decades later, will inspire the current generation to explore space further, something both Armstrong and Aldrin support, calling upon the President to properly fund NASA so that man can return to the moon, and perhaps venture out to Mars.

Who knows… perhaps in Walski’s lifetime, even. Until then, however, humans reaching the Moon, and returning to tell their story, is still something of an achievement.

Definitely a much bigger achievement than the quest to obliterate one another over silly things like power and influence… or, for that matter, bickering over what language to teach Math and Science in.

 

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

De·fen·es·tra·tion

Technorati tags: Defenestration, Teo Beng Hock, MACC, Torture

Defenestration.

Now there’s a word Walski hadn’t heard in years. Until Jeff Ooi brought it up in one of his recent posts.

It’s a word that usually applied metaphorically. Occasionally, it’s application is literal.

Confused as to why this post now? Well, perhaps it’s time to give your brain a little exercise: connect the dots, and do the fucking math. 
(metaphorically cool, literally un-cool, and more, in the full post)

Yes, one of Walski’s pet peeves is people who expect to be spoon-fed all the time. He’s been know to defenestrate such individuals. Metaphorically, of course.

Etymologically, the word defenestration derives from the Latin words de (from, or out of) and fenestra (window or opening).

Metaphorically used, it’s usually in conjunction with throwing out ideas, concepts and paradigms “out the window”. And the idea of people expecting to be spoon-fed all the time, too, probably.

Literally, and historically, is a totally other matter altogether, much more terrifying than it’s metaphorical cousin. It’s been used as a method of execution, some notable ones included (via Wikipedia). As an interrogation method, threats of defenestration are sometimes used to extract information – you’ve seen it in films before, Walski’s pretty darn sure. If you’re one of the more morbidly curious, you can check this video out (hat-tip: Dr. Azly Rahman).

Sometimes these threats are followed by follow thru. Sometimes, they can be accidental, so Walski’s told. RPK thinks so, anyway.

The writing was already on the wall very much earlier. Alarm bells were wailing like banshees. But this was largely ignored. It was ignored because it was Malaysia Today that had triggered the alarm bells. Malaysia Today is not the most reliable source. It does not offer the best of information. What Malaysia Today dabbles in are rumours and innuendoes.

...

“Where is the smoking gun?” they ask. “Show me the body!” they demand. No gun, no body, then no crime has been committed.

Well, today, there is a body. It is the body of a most unfortunate Chinese opposition member who was arrested and tortured by the MACC officers. Yes, he was tortured. And he was tortured because the MACC wanted him to talk.

...

The unfortunate young man panicked. He went ballistic when he saw the distance he would have to travel before hitting the ground floor. He struggled. They could not hold onto him. Gravity took over and the life of this young man was prematurely snuffed out.
(excerpted from: Malaysia Today)

The strange thing about stuff that gets published on Malaysia Today, innuendos, rumors or what not, is that in many cases, they end up being true. Walski will not go as far as to say that the MACC is responsible, only that it is a plausible scenario. Like a few other plausible scenarios.

Be that as it may, if the scenario that Teo Beng Hock committed suicide is not plausible (being that he was about to get married and all), then the questions we should be asking are WHO and WHY? We pretty much already know how, and for some of you, learned a new word in the process.

Another popular theory floating around at the moment is one that pro-UMNO blog Empayar Malaya has offered – the theory being that the DAP snuffed Teo out to protect their own behind. The (real) basis of their argument is that government agencies can’t do any wrong.

To be fair, we probably shouldn’t speculate who actually was responsible for the defenestration. It may have even been a sinister giant chicken for all you know, since the police have yet to rule out fowl play.

But one thing is for sure - about the only way to get a true picture of how MACC operates, and in particular, what happened to Teo Beng Hock, a Royal Commission of Inquiry is probably what's needed.

In the meantime, in case you were wondering, to date, 99% of the respondents to the latest poll say that MACC should bear some responsibility. If you haven’t yet put your vote in, mouse-pointer to pixel, the poll will be up until midnight this Friday.

Defenestration, come to think of it, is really a cool sounding word, isn’t it? Not so cool when you think about what it means, though. Unless you’re thinking about it metaphorically.

But literally? Please… defenestrate that thought…

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

In Memoriam: Capt. Yusof Ahmad (1945 - 2009)

Technorati tags: In Memoriam, Captain Yusof Ahmad, The Ancient Mariner

Being that Walski wasn’t connected for most of the weekend, he only got to know moments ago. And it’s something that Walski feels sad, and a tad bit disturbed about.

The Malaysian bloggerhood just lost one heckuva blogger – Captain Yusof Ahmad, aka The Ancient Mariner, who passed away early this morning, at the young-ish age of 64. He leaves behind a wife, and four children.

The late Capt Yusof Ahmad (with author Syed Akbar Ali)
(photo taken from Pokku's Post)

Walski can’t say that he knew the late Captain well, as he’d only met the guy a couple of times during a few of the blogger-attended events, over the past couple of years.

But the dedication this man showed in helping expose (and explain) the PKFZ scandal is to be admired. That, and speaking up against the many injustices and scandals that have cropped up.

His passing is a big loss to the bloggerhood, without a shadow of a doubt. Here’s one man who would have deserved a grand Viking funeral…
(a long list of blog tributes, and more, in the full post)

In truth, he can’t speak much about Capt. Yusof as Walski hardly knew the man personally, apart from having the honor of meeting the man a couple of times.

There are, however, loads of tributes from those who did know him better (in chronological order, as of the time of posting):

• nini talk
• OutSyed The Box – Alfatihah: Capt Yusof Ahmad
• Rocky’s Bru – Alfatihah for The Ancient Mariner
• The Malay Male – The Last Voyage
• Another Brick in the Wall – Al Fatihah To Capt Ahmad Yusof
• Barking Magpie – Ancient Mariner may you rest in peace bro!
• The People’s Parliament – Ancient Mariner has passed on 
• O.B.E – Al-Fatihah
• Tok Mommy – Al fatiha: The Ancient Mariner
• Write Away – Al Fatihah: Captain Yusof Ahmad @ The Ancient Mariner
• Jaff Point – Ancient Mariner@ Capt. Yusof Ahmad ...Left us lastnite
• Perisik Rakyat^® – Al-Fatihah: The Ancient Mariner Kembali Ke Rahmatullah...
• Welcome to Petpositive - CAPTAIN YUSOF AHMAD: A MAN WHO CARED ABOUT HOW DISABLED MALAYSIANS WERE TREATED
• “I” of the Storm – MSL: Capt Mariner, Ancient Yusof Ahmad
• Euphoria in Misery – Goodbye Captain
• Seventh Rangers (Mechanized) – Condolences to the family of Captain Yusof Ahmad
• Frank’s Fun Blog – Alfatihah for The Ancient Mariner
• Shanghai Fish – Ahoy there Capt’ Yusof!
• Jelas.info – Marking the last voyage for the Ancient Mariner, Capt Yusoff Ahmad
• Mahaguru58 – Blogger Ancient Mariner (1945-2009) passes away. Al Fatihah!
• Mindful Mariner – A Sailor’s Farewell to Captain Yusof Ahmad
• Let’s Go Land – So long, Good ‘ol Captain!
• Pokku’s Post – Goodbye Captain
• Can you see it? – Bon Voyage Capt

This past week has indeed been one filled with tragedy. This time around, it is a big loss for the Malaysian bloggerhood. Walski’s sincere and deepest heartfelt condolences to the family of the late captain.

Al Fatihah… and may God have mercy upon the soul of Capt Yusof Ahmad, The Ancient Mariner, now en route on his last, and greatest, voyage to that great unknown…

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

Opinion Poll: Should MACC be held accountable?

Technorati tags: Opinion Poll, MACC, Teo Beng Hock

It’s probably obvious from the title what the latest opinion poll is all about. If it’s not, then read Walski’s post from yesterday.

Essentially, in the matter of Teo Beng Hock’s death, should the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) be held accountable?

(click on image for source)

It’s a simple poll with 3 simple multiple-choice answers – Yes, No or Don’t Know.

But at the same time, let’s make it clear what Walski means by being accountable. 
(it’s about accountability, and more, in the full post)

First of all, let Walski make it crystal clear that he’s not saying the MACC directly caused the death of Teo Beng Huat.

Rather, when deciding how to respond to the poll, take these facts into consideration:

• Teo was in MACC's custody the night before he died, being questioned.
• His body was found on the roof of a building adjacent to the tower where the Shah Alam MACC office is
• Teo was not a suspect, but a witness, according to MACC. It would be safe to assume that if that’s the case the MACC would at least be interested in Teo’s safety.

So, accountability here means that the MACC should bear some responsibility over events that led to Teo’ demise. After all, Teo was their “guest”, and he cooperated, from what MACC themselves are saying.

The poll will run for a week, beginning today, until midnight next Friday, July 24th 2009. If you operate a Blogger-based blog, you can easily put the poll up by clicking on the icon below the poll (located where it usually is, on the right sidebar).

Walski wants as wide a demographic spread to participate in this. He can guess (more or less) how the regular audience will respond. It’s the opinion of the rest that he’s also interested in.

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

MACC Mystery Death

Technorati tags: MACC, Teo Beng Hock, Death In Custody, Scandal

Minister in the PM’s department, Nazri Abdul Aziz has said some pretty stupid things in the past. For those who don’t learn, history usually has a tendency to repeat itself.

Via Malaysiakini:

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz cautioned against pointing the finger at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for Teo Beng Hock's death.
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required)

Okay, fair enough. But Teo was in the custody of MACC for questioning, so they do bear some responsibility. Especially since they only released him at the ungodly hour of 3:45 am. And then, Nazri gets insensitively stupid.

MACC's investigation division director Shukri Abdull had told reporters earlier that Teo was released at 3.45am but he continued to remain in the building.

Commenting on this, Nazri said: "I was informed by MACC earlier that he (Teo) was released yesterday (early this morning)."

"Then he should have gone home (instead)....and how would we know that he would jump out of the building?" the de facto law minister added.
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required)

The question Walski has for this fucktard Nazri: how the fuck did HE know Teo jumped? 
(once defective, always defective, in the full post)

Yes, this mystery is still under investigation. Yes, we shouldn’t speculate. And neither should Nazri. Being the defective de facto Law Minister does not give him immunity to speculate either.

But here are the irrefutable facts:

• Teo was picked up by the MACC for questioning. This has been widely reported, and confirmed by the MACC themselves.
• The MACC took statements from Teo, as reported by Malaysiakini, from between 5pm on Wednesday, until around 3:45am early Thursday morning.
• Teo did not go home immediately and asked to be allowed to lie down until later in the morning (so close to his wedding? Strange, if you ask Walski).
• The last time MACC say they saw Teo alive was at around 6am Thursday morning.
• Teo’s body was found on the roof of an adjacent building at 1:30pm on Thursday.

Apart from that, we don't know anything else, other than the fact that Teo was supposed to have gotten married on Friday.

Now, again, Walski asks – more calmly this time – how the hell can Nazri say that Teo jumped? Does he know something we don’t?

Walski will not speculate any further, nor is he implying anything sinister on the part of the minister – apart from Nazri being an idiot for saying what he did. Not to mention being insensitive.

Now, Walski has to apologize for something that he is about to do. The following photograph, or others like it, has been published on several sites.

Walski knows that putting this up may be insensitive to the family of Teo Beng Hock. And for that he apologizes. However, he has edited the original photograph for reasons Walski hopes are obvious. He will be more than happy to take it off at a later time, if required. But for now, it is a photograph that everyone should remember.

This is the first death of someone while in MACC custody. Nevermind that Teo was only a witness. That’s irrelevant. And when an agency has somebody in their custody, the responsibility of that person’s safety lies with said agency.

That, and the veracity of MACC selectively investigating anything and anyone to do with Pakatan Rakyat is what a section of the public is pissed off about. It’s almost appearing like a witch hunt.

The Malaysian government will proudly advertise, on just about any public infrastructure project notice, that it is “another BN government project”. The MACC is a Malaysian government agency, directly under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Therefore, it is not an independent body, but a BN government agency. Let’s not forget that.

In the meantime, investigations into this very unfortunate incident is ongoing. Walski hopes that the investigation will be carried out without any stone unturned, no matter whom or what they may find underneath.

Walski would also like to extend his deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Teo Beng Hock. Untimely deaths like this are tragic, especially when surrounded with many unknowns and political undertones. Without a doubt, this is a sad day for all concerned Malaysians. Apart from, it would seem, pro-BN bloggers who seem to be silent about this tragic incident.

With the number of deaths in police custody, and now the MACC, is there anybody that we can trust with our safety anymore?

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

1Najib's Hundred

Technorati tags: Politics, Najib's First One Hundred Days, 1Malaysia, 1BlackMalaysia

Walski's post tardiness forenote: As has been the case lately, caused by Walski’s failure to synthesize more time in a day than the standard 24 hours, this post has been wallowing in draft for the past 5 days. He apologizes if some of the stuff here seems dated. In the bloggerhood, anything more than an hour old seems stale…

One hundred days – many consider this a landmark, of sorts. It’s a popular remembrance point for the deceased in many cultures and religions, for instance. In politics, it is also a benchmark to rate persons in office, particularly in the US. Barrack Obama’s first 100 days, for example, was reported on the world over, by all and sundry.

On a slightly smaller scale, and closer to home, Najib’s just had his first hundred yesterday, Saturday July 11th.

The reality of it is that Najib only officially started becoming PM in March this year. His tenure unofficially started a lot earlier, a view articulated by former Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (via The Malaysian Insider), and one which Walski happens to agree with. This is because unlike his predecessors, Najib transitioned into his premiership without a general election. His is actually the mandate given to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s March 8, 2008 election bid.

In the big picture, furthermore, the first 100 days doesn’t really count for much, except for giving us an indication of how the rest of his tenure as Prime Minister may be. But since Malaysian politics can be very unpredictable, the first 100 days are rough indicators, at best. Very rough, in fact.

And since every other netizen seems to be wanting to comment, Walski, too will look at 1Najib’s first hundred.

In a nutshell, it’s been a hundred days of mixed signals, to put it mildly. 
(Walski’s selective ratings, and more, in the full post)

Walski’s assessment is in no way comprehensive. He’ll be the first to admit this. But it does cover areas that Walski feels are important, both to him, and to the nation at large. As with any hundred-day report card, we can classify Najib’s performance as either good, bad, or so-so, in the various categories Walski has chosen to look at.

Political Integrity
Now this is a kind of hot potato, from Walski's perspective, because it all depends on from which point you want to keep score from. The Perak Fiasco, for which Najib is clearly the mastermind, happened before our current PM’s inauguration.

Similarly with the current most talked about fiasco – the Port Klang Free Zone mismanagement. So to be fair, you can’t really blame the guy.

However, looking at his cabinet, and the statements and policy positions that have emanated, Walski is unimpressed, at best. Worst case, Walski is rather worried. But one thing clear is that very rarely does Najib butt in when his ministers make not-so-intelligent remarks (and there have been quite a few).

But it does seem like Najib’s making some headway in the political acceptance department, evidenced by the jump in his approval rating, from 45% to 65%, according to the Merdeka Center’s latest survey (via The Malaysian Insider), and by the Manik Urai by-election last Tuesday, where PAS managed to retain the seat, but by a measly 65 votes, which some are calling a moral victory for UMNO.

Walski thinks that the victory, in a big way, has to do with the so-called Unity Talks that UMNO (especially their grassroots) is still aggressively pushing for, and factions within PAS taking the bait. Believe you Walski, the Unity Talks will benefit one, and only one, party – UMNO. PAS will end up looking like another UMNO, except in silly, out-of-season desert garb. And because there is a good part of PAS that can see this, it may very well end up splitting the party in the process.

Or maybe Walski is being over-analytical, and BN’s promise of a new bridge had something to do with PAS’ sliver slim victory margin. Which, if so, does constitute an election “bribe” in some people’s books. So much for political integrity…

In a nutshell, the best Walski can rate Najib in this department is a resounding so-so. Or 50-50, if you’re more numerically inclined.

Civil Liberties 
This is one area Walski can safely say has suffered tremendously since Najib’s come into office. And by civil liberties, Walski includes freedom of assembly (from teargas and water cannons), freedom to wear black, freedom to deliver butter cakes, freedom to light candles, and freedom to use certain words like apartheid (via The Malaysian Insider).

Instead, what we’re seeing is arrests for no other apparent reason than because the police feel like it. And then, deny the detainees legal representation.

The most recent seemingly arbitrary arrest of two non-Malay USM students over the weekend for alleged “criminal trespass” onto a “Malay-only area” in UM (via Jelas.info) is not only shocking, it’s disgusting. And yet, Hishamuddin balks when the word apartheid is used?

And Malaysians are still asking the question: why the fuck wasn’t the IPCMC instituted, according to the Royal Commission on Police Misconduct? Instead, a much watered-down Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC) was put into place. Read this post (via Loyar Burok) why the EAIC may actually not be constitutional, while the IPCMC is.

The media, too, is slowly but surely being more muzzled than it has in recent years. One case in point: Florence Looi (of NTV7) being issued a warning letter and an immediate transfer to the station’s news desk (via the Bahasa Malaysia version of Merdeka Reivew). Her crime? For allowing a guest on her Point of View program, The Malaysian Insider’s Leslie Lau, to rate Najib’s first 100 days. It’s no secret that NTV7 is owned by Media Prima (who own ALL the free-to-air stations), and also no big secret that Media Prima is closely linked to UMNO.

Similarly, Media Prima earlier this year (according to Malaysiakini) issued a directive to all 4 of its TV stations to not mention the name Razak Baginda when reporting the Altantuya murder case. Mahathir era self-censorship?

Of course, there are a lot of other examples that Walski has not mentioned. But to put it simply, as far as civil liberties are concerned: FAIL.

Economic Liberalization 
If there is one area that Najib has actually been bold enough to reform, it is in the area of the economy, where certain Bumi equity requirements are being eased. Needless to say, this has not been received well by many within his own party, particularly those NEP-is-our-birthright types.

Blogger Sakmongkol AK47 (who happens to be an UMNO member) provides some interesting insights pertaining to the removal of the 30% equity requirement. In essence, he thinks it’s a good thing. Read what he has to say here.

Here’s the thing – the NEP was formulated in a different era, when the socio-economic strata was very different from what it is today. While the 30% Bumiputra equity ownership requirement was aimed at engineered equitable wealth distribution, it has been abused over the years. Sakmongkol AK47 explains it quite well in his posting, so Walski will not reinvent the wheel.

But Walski’s take on the NEP is this: if it is true that the Malay population are economically the worst off in this country (as claimed by the NEP-is-our-birthright folks), then wouldn’t opening up the NEP to help ALL Malaysians in need cater for the lower economic tier Malays by default? Poverty effects Malaysians of all flavors and colors.

Similarly, if meritocracy is seriously one aspect of 1Malaysia, then let’s make sure it’s emphasized, per the proper definition of the word.

This is one area that Walski gives Najib the thumbs up.

Social Liberalization 
In contrast, social liberalization still has a very long way to go. Granted, Najib’s cabinet has tried, somewhat – for instance, in the issue of forced conversion of minors. But then reality sets in.

And the reality is that religious conservatism is alive and well in this country. This is one of those other hot potato areas that Walski thinks Najib can do jack about. Conservatism is too well entrenched, no thanks, in part, to the abdication of certain civil rights to the religious conservatives on all sides of the political divide.

It is also no thanks, in part, to the fact that Islam has been politicized. In the war for the Malay Malaysian mindshare, the political “war” between UMNO and PAS has not been without casualty. And that casualty, unfortunately, is some of our fundamental rights.

The key problem is the erosion of mutual respect, cultivated by a very one-sided atmosphere when it comes to religion in Malaysia. By law, other religions are prohibited from proselytizing to Muslims. On the other hand Muslims are allowed (even encouraged) to proselytize to whomever, whenever and wherever they want. It’s not fair, but that’s the law per our Federal Constitution.

Some Muslims, however, translate this to “don’t even fucking let me see a pamphlet of your other religion”. But Muslims can do pretty much whatever they want in the name of spreading or protecting their religion. To the mainstream Muslims in this country, that is fair. Which is probably why white/yellow becomes black, and pedestrian crossings don’t mean a fucking thing in Malaysia. But that’s an entirely other rant that Walski won’t get into.

Suffice it to say, this sense of “fairness” is what’s led to the Al-Islam “investigative journalism” faux pas, which many Muslims (this one, in particular) think is no big deal, but at the same time balk (this one again, in particular) when Christian missionary folks set foot on campuses, even when their purpose there was only to conduct a survey – and end up being detained by campus security.

Walski predicts that any attempt to liberalize society will be met with strong, perhaps even violent, opposition. This is one area that Walski thinks Najib has not succeeded in his first 100 (official) days, nor will he make much headway anytime soon.

Not really Najib’s fault at all, but a thumbs down in this area, since there is not one iota of improvement.

Education 
Our education system is another mess that Najib inherits from his predecessors. And the recent decision on the abolishment of PPSMI (Teaching of Maths & Science in English) by 2012 only goes to show that Najib’s administration is only going to make it worse.

The abolishment obviously was done for reasons of political appeasement, primarily on the part of the linguistic nationalists. Granted that the program was implemented in a very haphazard and rushed manner – then again, being that Ministry of Education has been a political stepping stone ministry, populist policies (or reversal of policies) are only to be expected. To the detriment of the education system.

One question that’s been raised is this: why is it that the entire damned system has to cater for the weakest students, and not aimed instead at excellence?

National Security 
These days, a lot of things are seen to be undermining national security – candlelight vigils, organized kopi-o drink-ins, t-shirts, peaceful protests (by anyone other than those blessed by BN), etc. – a lot of things, other than the feeling of actually being safe.

Crimes are on the rise, particularly violent ones. And Walski’s not talking about peaceful civil actions that are labeled ‘criminal’ – he’s talking about real crimes, like robbery, murder

~ ~ ~o O o~ ~ ~

There are a lot of other areas that Walski has not covered – he’s decided that if this post were to ever get out, he would have to cut it short. For a more comprehensive look at what some other people are saying about Najib’s first 100 days, here are some resources for you to peruse (which in all likelihood you may already have read):

• Oon Yeoh's in-depth analysis in The Edge (in 8 parts – Part 5 is the latest to be published. Free registration required to access articles at The Edge)
• Rocky Bru’s take on Najib’s 100 Days
• Sakmongkol AK47’s view: The 100 Days Myth
• Aisehman’s KRA-zified analysis
• The mainstream media’s views: Bernama, NST, The Malaysian Mirror, and The Star, among others.

As Prime Minister, Walski thinks that Najib shows promise. Which he’s offered a lot of for a better Malaysia, and it’s left to be seen whether these promises will be delivered as advertised.

And that, folks, is what Walski will be looking out for the next hundred days or so…

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