If only things were this easy…
Take a quiz and it tells you if you are rich or not. Oh well… Happy New Year 2007
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Your Chances of Being a Multimillionaire: 72% |
 You have a good chance of being a multimillionaire. Better than most people. You simply have a natural knack for money and the personality for success. |
Yay, Malaysia will be celebrating it’s 50th Independence Day in 2007. But somehow or rather, I wonder if we are living a lie or just simply more accepting of what God gives us. Sadly, our views are not shared by many. I was given this article to read sometime after Christmas.
While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
By Michael Backman
The Age
November 15, 2006
MALAYSIA’S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races
 the Malays and the Chinese  owns. It’s an argument that’s been running for 40 years. That wealth
and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it’s time Malaysia grew up.
It’s a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about
how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.
The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the
Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other
races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.
Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9
per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a
local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose.
The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is
Chinese.
“Malaysia boleh!” is Malaysia’s national catch cry. It translates to “Malaysia can!” and Malaysia certainly
can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the
national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds
up against the wall.
This all happens in the context of Malaysia’s grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.
Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are
world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia’s tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a
map much less name its prime minister or capital city.
As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce
that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn’t pronounce the city’s name and so
made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers  Kuala Lumpur is
inland.
Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for
a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia’s problem. The
very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess.
The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest
buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point. It certainly wasn’t that there was an
office shortage in Kuala Lumpur  there wasn’t.
Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The
money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean
companies. They don’t even run the shopping centre that’s beneath them. That’s handled by Australia’s
Westfield.
Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket  the first Malay in space.
And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and
Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There’s
no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there’s even a chance that they will
consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There
are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are “boleh”.
The trouble is, they’re not. It’s not their space program.
Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near
the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and “get used to cold weather”. But
the summer Olympics are held in the summer.
So what is the complex’s real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to
London to check on the centre’s construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a
clue.
Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city  Petronas has paid for them all.
It’s been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.
Why? Because Malaysia’s oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil
importer in 2011  that’s just five years away.
So it’s in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.
It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome
burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space
when Malaysia’s inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth
distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.
That’s not Malaysia “boleh”, that’s Malaysia “bodoh” (stupid).
Below is the website link to Michael’s website.
Michael Backman
Am in a cybercafe now…
The noise is too loud so my head hurts.
Can’t blog when my head hurts.
as compensation….
This is the Quiz Yu Jean sent me.
1. FIRST NAME? You all know me as Adeline so we will stick to that.
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I am not sure but my name had to rhyme with my sis, Pauline.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Last Sunday
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not really
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Who actually likes Lunchmeat?
6. KIDS? None. Thank goodness… Not now…
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Maybe
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes
9. YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Depends
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yup
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Just did it a couple of weeks ago. 3 times in a row. Yup. I am nuts
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Blueberry Morning or anything with Cinnamon
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Too lazy
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Do you mean physically or emotionally?
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Coffee and chocolate
16. SHOE SIZE? Usually 6 but I can sometimes fit into 5 or 7 depending on the design
17. RED OR PINK? Red
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My temper
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Need I answer this
20. Do you want everyone to send this back to you? Depends on them
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue and slippers
22. LAST THING YOU ATE? chicken pie
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? people screaming profanity. I am now in a cybercafe with really stoned gamers
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? rainbow?
25. FAVORITE SMELL? Clothes that has been dried out in the sun.
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My boss
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO: Eyes
28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? No comment. LOL
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Mixed fruit juices
30. FAVORITE SPORT? Bowling and hula hoops
31. eye COLOR? Dark brown
32. HAT SIZE? No idea
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope
34. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate and Cheese though not necessarily together
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Scary movie for sure
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIES? Death Note
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT Are you wearing? Red
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? Chocolate on top of chocolate
41. WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Busy people
42. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Bored people
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Not books but currently 3 scripts for various projects
44. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? No mouse pad
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? House
46. FAVORITE SOUNDS? This is a trick question…
47. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles
48. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME? USA
49. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? triple loop tongue
50. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN ? July 26, 1982, Petaling Jaya
51.Who sent this to you? Ch’ng Yu Jean
Support up and coming talents
These are videos from the musical team from Universiti Sains Malaysia known as The Wanderers.
The videos are amateurish but pretty good.
I know some of the actors in the music videos. I mean why not, after all USM is my former uni.
My good friend Elmen is in Blurred and once in a while you can catch Kidt.
Funeral of Love
Blurred
Ostrich
Concern
Blue Notes
3rd Hand
I have no idea what a Dosha is… But the quiz sounded interesting enough.
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Your Dosha is Vata |
 Creative and restless, you take in all of life’s pleasures (maybe a little too much!). You’re quick witted and very talkative, but you also tend to have a spotty memory. You tend to get very into ideas, people, and lifestyles… but only for a short time. It’s difficult to hold your attention, and you sometimes feel with what life has to offer. With friends: You are very uncomfortable in new situations or with new people In love: You fall in and out of love very easily To achieve more balance: Live in a warm climate and spend some quiet time in nature |