Category: Politics & government

Categories
Politics & government Sports

[498] Of the largest courthouse in the world

And yes, it will be in Malaysia! (via)

KUALA LUMPUR: The new Kuala Lumpur court complex, scheduled for completion in February next year, will be the biggest in the world, with 77 courtrooms.

The RM290mil complex will house the magistrate’s courts (26 courtrooms), Sessions Courts (21 courtrooms) and the High Court, including the Family Court (30 courtrooms)…

(Cough) I’d suggest Malaysia strengthens the separation between the executive, the judiciary and the Parliament before we start building the world’s largest parliament house. As in right now, the Parliament is under Jabatan Perdana Menteri (that’s the Prime Minister Department for those that are mentally challenged in Malay), which technically, as I understand it, means that the Parliament is under the power of the executive branch of the government.

I’d suppose next year, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building is nothing but history.

p/s – Danny Blind is the new Ajax coach. Ajax for Ajax!

Categories
Economics Environment Politics & government

[497] Of ANWR in the second term

Here we go again.

He said drilling in ANWR should be part of an overall energy bill that would promote conservation, increase domestic energy production and modernize infrastructure such as power grids and pipelines.

Yes, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would indeed promote conservation. What a wonderful logic!

Somehow, it is consistent with the idea of ‘saving the forest by cutting the trees down’. Ooo, I love the forest. Wait, what is this tree doing here? Cut it down! It’s blocking my view of the forest!

Bullshit.

The last time the bill was brought to the floor, it was killed. It was not easy but it was taken by its throat and thrown off into the drain nonetheless. This time around, with record price at $54 per barrel, with Bush on his second term and a Republicans-filled House, killing the bill should be harder. Way harder.

p/s – for the past few days, tension has been running high between Malaysia and Indonesia. Though war is unlikely, some Indonesians have attacked Malaysian government websites. Counterattacks have been done against Indonesian property on the net. Screenshots has more.

It’s quite weird however seeing the local Malaysian dailies being unexcited about the current development at Ambalat in east Borneo. Indonesian press on the contrary is going balistic.

Categories
Activism Economics Environment Politics & government

[492] Of Coke resolution

I was there again in MSA Chamber observing the confusing proceeding to pass a resolution against Coke. The victory was confusing too but bottom line is, MSA supports the resolution to call the administration to not renew the University’s contract with Coke.

There were some that voiced their opposition towards the resolution. Coke obviously disagrees with the resolution and sent two representatives into MSA Assembly despite the fact that Coke does not represent the students in Michigan.

College Republicans object the Coke resolution. It seems to me that the Republicans oppose the resolution just because the sponsors of the resolution seem to be on the other side of the spectrum – basically, I see the Republicans objecting without having any real concern for the issue. But whatever the Republicans think, it doesn’t matter. They are the minority here in Michigan. Their opinion hardly influences anything, as proven in MSA.

And another opposition came from, from my perception, a recipient of Coke scholarship, or at least somebody that benefits from Coke’s support to the University. It is my opinion that the opposition expressed from this quarter as the strongest of all. The coalition is somewhat lucky that the system somehow worked against the person that spoke for this one group.

I would say no further until I read the Daily tomorrow.

And also, Channel 4 was in the MSA Chamber too.

Categories
Activism Economics Environment Photography Politics & government

[491] Of Surviving Scrutiny protest

A protest was held at the Business School last Thursday in conjunction of Surviving Scrutiny: Corporations in the Age of Global Business. The representative from Coke was obviously uncomfortable with the presence of protesters during her talk.

The Michigan Daily on the other hand didn’t quite report what really happened. At the same time, their report seems to be inaccurate.

Anyway, more pixels!

I don’t know whether that is legal or not but it’s way too cool!

In front of Hale before the talk started.

Getting the 125 feet bottle-link into the auditorium. The person from Coke was distracted by it – when the moderator asked her a question, she asked the moderator to repeat to question.

In the auditorium.

A close-up of the banner in the previous photo.

p/s – switched backed to Blogger’s commenting system. The improvement brought by the Blogger team looks good but I can’t make it work at the moment.

pp/s – the commeting system is now working. And I didn’t even touch the code and it somehow worked.

Categories
Economics Environment Politics & government

[490] Of Michigan Student Assembly and the Coke resolution

I was at the Michigan Student Assembly Chambers yesterday, hearing the tabling of a resolution against Coke. Before the session started, probably hundreds of emails flew here and there, presenting idea, news and opinion on the resolution. Seriously, I do think the Killer Coke coalition needs a proper forum instead of a mailing list. It is a daunting task to read all of them with some time constraint in place, especially in a mailbox. However, the highlight of all these email storm was the one sent by the MSA president to the protesting coalition.

He wrote and later said in the meeting that he and others in the MSA board want to postpone the tabling of the motion for another seven days. Reason – they claim that they simply are not sufficiently educated on the issue, despite more than a week worth of effort from certain quarters to inform them of the situation.

Some try to resist the postponement. The Killer Coke coalition obviously wanted the resolution to be voted swiftly but the coalition unfortunately stood almost alone on that. After a few somewhat heated discussions, the MSA voted something like 30 ayes to 2 nays on not voting on the resolution in yesterday session. The representatives from the Coke Bottlers that were there are obviously pleased with the adjournment motion.

Immediately after that, a few people were allowed to speak, both from the coalition and from the Michigan Coke. A person from the coalition, a graduate student from the School of Natural Resource and the Environment as I was informed by a colleague, criticized the MSA board for giving an excuse of ignorance for adjourning the motion after she had read a declaration from workers in India.

A few others from the coalition spoke but most of them only echoed the SNRE graduate’s disappointment on MSA postponing the issue to another week. And so, here goes the lobbying again. And I expect, my huge mailbox to be battered some more.

Finally, this coming Thursday, which is tomorrow, somehow, representatives from Starbuck, Nike, Timberland and, drum roll please, Coca Cola are coming to the Michigan Business School for Surviving Scrutiny: Corporations in the Age of Global Business. Imagine the perfect timing of Coke sending in a high level manager to Michigan. Unfortunate for them – definately couldn’t be better for us – that the coalition is organizing a huge protest for them.

Boy, this is exciting. LOL!

p/s – also yesterday, I attended a lecture by Joseph Stiglitz.

He is the person with the tie.He basically talked about the same issues he has written in Globalization and Its Discontent, plus a bit of humor. The auditorium was full and I had to squeze in. More at the Michigan Daily.

pp/s – also, thanks to the Brazilian Maxwell, Ajax 1, Auxerre 0. van der Vaart’s pass was great.

ppp/s – Kyoto. =)