Category: Society

Categories
Economics Politics & government Society

[690] Of Bolivia, coca and cocaine

Very soon, the Bush administration might have another source of headache. Bolivians have just elected a socialist and an ally of Venezuelan Chavez as President. Some have gone farther and declared that this is Washington’s nightmare.

Bolivia Elects a President Who Supports Coca Farming

By JUAN FORERO
Published: December 19, 2005

LA PAZ, Bolivia, Dec. 18 – Evo Morales, a candidate for president who has pledged to reverse a campaign financed by the United States to wipe out coca growing, scored a decisive victory in general elections in Bolivia on Sunday.

What interest me the most about Morales is that he’s a former coca farmer.

Coca could be processed into cocaine. During the US War on Drug, the US had aggressively conducted coca eradication in Bolivia. Coca eradication continues even today. But not for long it seems.

Furthermore, Morales’ party, Movement to Socialism – scary name by the way – has its origin as a coca interest group. Given the US hostility towards coca farming, it won’t take a rocket scientist to predict what Bolivia’s foreign policy will look like.

But what will happen to coca plantation? Will there be an expansion? If yes, would there be an increase of cocaine in the world market?

I think yes.

p/s – Boris tagged me but I’m being rather uncreative at the moment. But I’ve thought of one. I love old weird nationalistic songs. Currently, I can’t get Ca-na-da, a song popular in 1967 celebrating 100 years of confederation, out of my head. The song could be heard at Expo 67. Found it while looking for Malaysia Forever, another nationalistic song sung in 1963 in Malaysian Singapore if I’m not mistaken.

So, one down, four to go.

Categories
Photography Society

[674] Of time’s eating Kuala Lumpur alive

On the same day I digitized the Jamek Mosque, I took quite a number of photographs in and around Kuala Lumpur . This is a row of deteriorating, badly damaged shophouses in the capital. Specifically, around the Dang Wangi light rail transit station. In spite of the building appearance, surprisingly, it hasn’t been abandoned.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

It’s a disheartening feeling to see buildings that once characterized Malayan cities falling into disrepair, eaten by time relentlessly. Compare all this to Singaporean shophouses. What a difference it is.

To be fair, there are other better preserved buildings of similar type here in the capital but I wish there were more. Malaysians certainly could learn a thing or two from our friends down south.

When I wanted to get shots of the structure for my collection, at first, I was a bit apprehensive to approach it. The place rather secluded; you’ll never know when a prick’s going to come up to you and ask for your wallet. Nevertheless, in the end, my curiosity got the better of me. And nothing unsavory happened.

About the photo, I had to ticker with it so that the colors are more defined. The original is rather bland; too bland to be of any interest. I feel my photo don’t do justice to my subject. While I was there, I was awed at the sight. There was something grand and sad about it. And the original failed to capture that feeling. Even the edited version doesn’t properly convey the message across.

Categories
History & heritage Society

[669] Of Stanczyk by Jan Matejko

I’ve been in love with Jan Matejko’s Stanczyk for several months now. I first came across it on Wikipedia possibly last year and I can’t seem to shake it out of my head at the moment.

Public domain.

The painting doesn’t look too special at first glance. Indeed, if wasn’t for the story behind the painting, I wouldn’t chance a second look.

The person on sitting the chair is Stanczyk, a Polish court jester. He, according to Wikipedia, “is the only person at a royal ball to become worried after the news that the city of Smolensk was captured by the Russians reaches the court.”

I don’t know about you but that’s the wow factor for me – it definately captures human’s foolishness and life’s irony.

Any parallel to Malaysia? I hope not.

Categories
Environment Politics & government Society

[667] Of gobble, gobble, gobble and gobble

Aww. But Google doesn’t have a doodle for today. =(

And no turkey. =(

Bah. Who needs turkey when you have nasi lemak and roti canai…

p/s – whoa. Just saw on local TV that Indonesia is planning a military exercise near Ambalat . Reuters has more:

Jakarta plans exercise near sea disputed by Malaysia
24 Nov 2005 04:08:44 GMT
Source: Reuters

JAKARTA, Nov 24 (Reuters) – Indonesia’s navy will hold its biggest ever exercise next month, involving landing amphibious tanks near potentially oil-rich waters disputed with Malaysia, a navy spokesman said on Thursday.

This news breaks a day after the US lifts military embargo against the country, as I’d mentioned earlier.

Is Indonesia trying to tell Malaysia something? Hinting too hard maybe?

pp/s – should be interesting to know what the local media has to say tomorrow about this. Right now, Malaysian administration has no moral right to criticize the US on Abu Ghraib incident.

Anyway, a good by-election ammo for PAS. Might even be a silver bullet.

ppp/s – Ha. Ha. Ha! (via)

Categories
Humor Politics & government Society

[665] Of so much hate

A few days ago, I noticed one of sixthseal.com’s posts, which is full of extremely disturbing comments. It’s awfully hard to maintain my composure after passing through it even at fastest possible speed. What started out as a complaint against the author of the blog ends up with racists people scouring all over for a chance to abuse free speech.

I don’t really quite comprehend on how the issue is being turned into racist’s capital. Why couldn’t people just say fuck you instead of fuck Malay or any other race for that matter. Why must race come into the convoluted and irrational equation in the first place?

Perhaps, it’s merely trolls. Or perhaps, there really are people out there that prefer a racist to a liberal society – looking for every chance to undo so much that has been done.

I guess, so much for a Malaysian dream.

p/s – BN Kelantan dug its own grave. After much demand of dissolution, offer of resignation, counter-demand and counter-offer between BN and PAS on Kelantan state assembly, deputy chairman of the Election Commission speaks out in Utusan today that if anybody resigns, such person will be barred from running for office for the next five years, as stated in EC rules. The Prime Minister, from BN himself, echoes the EC deputy chairman’s words.

This is sure to embarrass BN and particularly UMNO Kelantan while putting a stop to all these silly demands.

pp/s – does this mean Flying Spaghetti Monster is to be taught as a mythology too?

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Creationism and intelligent design are going to be studied at the University of Kansas, but not in the way advocated by opponents of the theory of evolution.

A course being offered next semester by the university religious studies department is titled “Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and other Religious Mythologies.”

Ouch.