Categories
Activism Education Events

[1683] Of come visit Michigan booth!

USA For Students, an education fair is on for this Saturday at Wisma MCA on Jalan Ampang. Come and visit us. In fact, do come and visit the Michigan booth. We are at Booth 19.

And I am also part of Michigan’s recruiting program (I am not sure what I am suppose to do yet; I am still unclear of how that happened too but people in the alumni association and the admission office want me to adopt a school in Malaysia; I am thinking the Malay College of course!). So, you may want to talk to me if you want to hate Ohio State for the rest of your lifetime!

Hating the Buckeyes is really an entertaining and fulfilling activity. Really. You can start practicing “I hate Buckeyes” by visiting this link and write 100 times “I hate Buckeyes” on every post written by Tim.

And damn you all Malaysian Wolverines, what have you done for your school lately?

Yeah, yeah. I am over-excited about it. But who can blame me? Just earlier this week, while in a meeting with a person tagging along with a visiting World Bank team, the person asked, “did you go to school?”

I do not what prompted that question (it is probably my supposedly youthful look — shaving does not help — which allegedly makes me looks like a teenage who is supposed to be in school) but when I said Michigan, he was shocked?

“The University of Michigan?” with wide eyes.

“Yea, Ann Arbor”.

And guess what he said after that: “Me too!”

And then it was all about Lloyd Carr and Coach Rodriguez!

Before he left, he said, “It is really good to see a fellow Wolverine, especially a Malaysian”. And this guy has never been to Malaysia. Ja, vie Woverin arr all oer ze vold!

It is like a sign with the phrase “Go Blue” all over it.

Okay, back to the usual programming involving dull subjects suitable for angry people.

Categories
Humor

[1682] Of Dorm Life!

I have been watching this since last weekend.

[youtube]AeBlTS1P8tI[/youtube]

And I think I am in love with Brit, which reminds me of my teaching assistant for an economics class whom I had a crush on! LOL!

Categories
Sports

[1681] Of hup Holland hup!

Need I say anything?

Hail Marco van Basten! Ajax’s new coach.

And ah, hell. If the Italians are so mad with Nistelrooy’s goal, let’s just disallow it and win 2-0 instead. It is still a win!

Categories
Liberty Poetry

[1680] Of give me your tired, your poor

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The New Colossus. Emma Lazarus, 1883

Categories
Economics

[1679] Of Dr. Mahathir’s got his economics wrong

Spot the error:

In the first place the Government should not have floated the Ringgit. A floating rate creates uncertainties and we cannot gain anything from the strengthened Ringgit. Certainly the people have not experienced any increase in their purchasing power because of the appreciation in the exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Ringgit.

Actually the Ringgit has increased by about 80 sen (from RM3.80 to RM3.08 to 1 US Dollar) per US Dollar, i.e. by more than 20 per cent. Had the Government retained the fixed rate system and increased the value of the Ringgit, say 10 per cent at a time, the cost of imports, in Ringgit terms can be monitored and reduced by 10 per cent. At 20 per cent appreciation the cost of imports should decrease by 20 per cent. But we know the prices of imported goods or services have not decreased at all. This means we are paying 20 per cent higher for our imports including the raw material and components for our industries.

Since oil prices are fixed in US Dollar, the increase in US Dollar prices of oil should also be mitigated by 20 per cent in Malaysian Ringgit.

But the Government wants to please the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and decided to float the Ringgit. As a result the strengthening of the Ringgit merely increased our cost of exports without giving our people the benefit of lower cost of imports. [Oil Price. Dr. Mahathir Mohamed. June 5 2008]

If you cannot find the mistake, I would like to point out that the former Prime Minister does not appreciate the concept of ceteris paribus.