Categories
History & heritage

[285] Of Mina fire

It’s Dhu’l-Hijja the ninth, year 1424 AH. I am really indifferrent to this date.

However, I woke up at five in the morning and the first thing I read in the news concerned a stampede near Mina. First, the news said a few people are feared to have died. I checked out fifteen minutes later, the figure went up to 50. Hold your breath because an update later, the number jumped to almost 200%.

It has been reported that 244 people died in a stampede near Mecca. I really hope that the Malaysian Embassy in Saudi Arabia won’t issue any unwanted statement because if it does, there is a possibility it would affect me and that sucks.

p/s – I’ve just read the updated version of A History of the Malay Peninsula and I found one particular paragraph to be extremely funny despite the author’s serious mood:

They were soon joined by a Siamese warship but the vessel took great care to anchor much further away from the coast to avoid Malay cannon fire. When the British invited the captain to join their blockading line much closer to the ramparts, he would just shake his head and mutter “Tidak bagus! Tidak Bagus!” (No, that’s not good, not good!). He refused the offers so many times that the British – who were not told what the name of the formidable vessel was – from then on referred to His Majesty Siam’s ship as the “Tidak Bagus!”.

LMAO!

Categories
Gaming Politics & government

[284] Of PAS and rape

Recently in Malaysia, a rape and homicide case roused the public. People were enraged. They still are. Who wouldn’t anyway when the victim was a mere 10 years old girl?
Even the harsh punishment urged by Islam’s Syaria Law seems acceptable for the inhuman raper.

A few moments of outrage later, a member of PAS (Parti Islam Semalaysia or simply the Fundamentalist) made a statement – the tragedy is a punishment from God on Malaysian society for failing to implement divine arrangement. That statement was endorsed by the political party president.

Maybe, I could accept that in spite of being a liberal Muslim. And by accepting PAS’ statement, I would also go on further along the line of logic by saying that the current pathetic economic and welfare situation in the states ruled by PAS is also a God-sent punishment for failing not to manipulate the sanctity of Islam for political gain.

I have always thought PAS was supposed to be God fearing, delusional people. Now I think they are simply a bunch of apologists. For God’s sake, they are blaming God for everything. God swears. God kills. God is everything that PAS said.

Wow. Looks like God is more human than PAS and PAS is more God than God. All hail to PAS the almighty.

PAS, I wish you would be burnt in the deepest hell of God. And if I were going to hell, I would wish not to share the same hell with you because even the Satan couldn’t match your achievements.

p/s – check this out. It’s the URU credit page. My name is on it. I know it’s nothing but hey!

Categories
Personal

[283] Of summer internship

Eastern Europe for the whole spring and summer anybody? Looks like my chance of getting an internship is going brighter than expected. w00t!

Anyway, a friend invited me to go to some conference. Sounds fun but it’s Friday. All I want to do on Friday is to complete my work on ReCom Newsletter, settle some annoying insurance issue (all due to the incompetent people. I hate incompetent folks.) and then catch up some sleep before hell week starts.

But then, I made an explicit promise. So, I’ll be in Business School for some part of the day. The only problem is that it makes me nervous hanging around with business people.
Who could expect what those devils are thinking all the time?

I bet it’s world domination. Hey, Michigan Business School is only second after Harvard’s. I’m sure they are thinking big.

Categories
Environment Personal Society

[282] Of life and homework

Life is unfair. It is just about the third week of class and I have one exam to worry on Thursday, 3 more assignments, one computer based and an interview for an internship abroad. The pressure of a computer assignment is already tremendous. Add that up with an exam, another grain of sand is going to suck me up.

And then, instead of that grain of sand, an interview has just been called up.

I can’t take the pressure. Must graduate in December 2004. Must… graduate…. earlier….

Noooooooooooo…

Anyway, Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior (admittedly, the ship name is totally gay) is in Indonesian waters, most probably hunting down illegal loggers. I know it’s old news but, w00t!

One bad news though, bird flu is attacking Asia. Two of Malaysia’s neighbors, namely Thailand and Indonesia have been struck with the epidemic. I suspect Malaysia would announce it first case of bird flu in the near future.

First it was the encephalitis (which was luckily contained with the help of US’ CDC), then bird flu, then SARS and then bird flu again and then and then and then den den den den…

Boy, what has Asia become? Africa?

p/s – Ghost in the Shell 2 is coming out this spring! For its extended 5 minutes trailer go to http://anime.section12.eu.org/. Sorry, I don’t think I should link to it directly. You will need to search for the trailer manually there. And why should you watch the trailer? Because Ghost in the Shell is one of the best animes ever!

Categories
Environment Humor Science & technology

[281] Of biotech

Samizdata has just changed their template. Looks better. Check them out here.

Anyway, a joke on biotechnology. The heading reads Biotechnology: The New Fruits of Science. Ignore it. I’m more interested in the humor the cover represents. The image is taken from OECD’s L’Observateur.