Author: Hafiz Noor Shams

For more about me, please read this.

Categories
Politics & government

[537] Of Philip A. Cooney

Several days ago, the New York Times revealed that reports concerning climate change published by the White House had been repeatedly distorted by a former oil industry’s lobbyist. According to an article by the NYT (reg. req):

A White House official who once led the oil industry’s fight against limits on greenhouse gases has repeatedly edited government climate reports in ways that play down links between such emissions and global warming, according to internal documents.

In handwritten notes on drafts of several reports issued in 2002 and 2003, the official, Philip A. Cooney, removed or adjusted descriptions of climate research that government scientists and their supervisors, including some senior Bush administration officials, had already approved. In many cases, the changes appeared in the final reports.

The revelation continues to prove that the Bush administration is not serious in fighting climate change, claiming uncertainties in science as an excuse. But this development goes beyond uncertainties and downright pure manipulation of scientific report. Understandably, a lot of people are very unhappy upon this finding.

About three hours ago, Philip Cooney resigned from the White House.

WASHINGTON – A former oil industry lobbyist who changed government reports on global warming has resigned in a long-planned departure, the White House said Saturday.

White House however is still defending the former oil industry’s lobbyist after such fiasco. Well, I’d suppose that is to be expected. I mean, clear lies are the basis of invasion of Iraq and the administration is still looking for some kind of weapons made by leprechauns.

I must admit however, finding a leprechaun is hard.

Categories
Photography

[536] Of boredom

I went for a little walk today in the evening and managed a couple shots.

This is my favorite.

Categories
Economics

[535] Of another victory for free trade

Amidst the Europhobics’ victory cries and even some ridiculous calls for a return of the Franc and the Deutsche Mark, there is a good news originating from the middle of Europe.

Switzerland has voted to join the Schengen zone.

Signaling Swiss desire for closer integration with the EU, about 55 percent of voters, or 1.47 million people, supported joining Europe’s passport-free “Schengen” zone by 2007.

Hail to free trade.

p/s – and yeah, today’s World Environment Day. Then again, everyday is Earth Day.

Categories
Economics Society

[534] Of Friday sermon at Ann Arbor Islamic Center

Every Friday around noon, I’m supposed to attend a Friday prayer at a nearby mosque. I have not missed any one yet lately, save the one day that I departed for San Francisco.

As it typically goes, there is a sermon prior to the actual prayer. Unlike in Malaysia where the sermon is almost for certain boring, politically biased and lacks logical flows, the sermon at Ann Arbor most of the time gets the wheel inside of my head cranking. The sermon is interesting because most of the time, it relates to issues that I follow.

Lately however here in Ann Arbor, the Friday sermon has somewhat become a fundraising session. Every recent Friday sermon that I’ve attended as far as I can recall, the sermonizer will start on how donating is good and god will reward a person that gives in the afterlife and what’s not. The sermonizer will continue rambling until a punch line – “there is a poor community in Charlotte, South Carolina that is building a mosque” or “your brothers and sisters in Columbus, Ohio need your help to complete an Islamic center”.

I have nothing against fundraising. As I wading through a very difficult jungle out there, I do see how almost everything needs capital. The statement becomes especially true when it concerns religion. No matter how much cash is thrown into the mosque, the church, the temple or anything, it will needs more and more money. Plus, a couple more cents.

However, I feel it is outrageous to see somebody explicitly soliciting for monetary contribution during a Friday sermon. In my opinion, an announcement before or after the whole praying session would suffice. A flier would suffice. A sandwich man would serve the purpose too. Imagine a sandwich man wandering around soliciting for donation at religious sites – would love to see that!

I don’t know. I don’t get myself involve into the local Muslim community too much. Perhaps that might nullify my opinion. Nevertheless, seeing a sermon session becoming a soliciting session is distasteful.

Oh, well. I guess I should be looking forward to attend another fundraising session before performing the Friday prayer, or I could skip the soliciting session, or, skip the prayer altogether and play Warcraft 24/7 until I rot in hell.

But I wonder, if I had stopped attending the prayer because I hate the sermon cum soliciting session, would I pull the sermonizer cum solicitor into hell with me?

This of course, assuming that God exists, I’m in the right religion, heaven and hell exist, blah, blah, blah…

Categories
Activism Photography Travels

[533] Of MF2

I was in San Francisco about two weeks ago. There was a conference, or sort of, about Malaysia called the Malaysia Forum, organized by Malaysia Forum at Stanford. I know, it is hard to imagine why Malaysia Forum that was held at Stanford was organized by Malaysia Forum at Stanford. There is an actual challenge to figure out the connection. But then again, the obvious link is not really quite obvious, like in psychology where everything is about sex. Well, to be fair, wherever Freud is available.

The forum was not bad. I can’t say I was disappointed nor can I say I was impressed since I didn’t set anything in my mind beforehand. However, one thing that caught my mind in first hour on first day I was at the forum was the lack of Malay. If my memory serves me well, there were only five Malays – me, Syamsul the Recom.org founder, Omar with an interesting perspective on Islam and the Malay culture, one person that I didn’t quite get the face and Bakri Musa. If you count Hishamuddin Rais, that’s six but I don’t count socialist in. I do however, count MCP in. MCP is indispensable to the society. Totally dude.

Putting socialist cum MCP aside, it’s a perplexing scenario indeed. Out of more than 80 attendees, less than 10 were Malays. It might be entirely possible that the composition actually describes the Malaysian population in the Bay Area and its environs. Then again, I came all the way from Michigan. Who knows.

Too bad, the Alliance doesn’t out-zerg the Horde on Destromath anymore.

Nevertheless, I actually enjoyed Malaysia Forum. I got to meet new people and somehow got myself into a new project. The project looks interesting but only time will tell.

Till then, goddamn, I need to find a job near the Bay Area! The Malaysian community over there is so vibrant.

Also, sambil menyelam minum air!

Transamerica Building! w00t!p/s – via Laputan Logic. Google Sightseeing.