Categories
Activism Photography Politics & government

[906] Of yesterday’s DAP forum

I was at a DAP forum yesterday. I came earlier than most people and sat in the third row.

I really don’t want to comment on it but I have a picture that I wanted to share.

Some rights reserved. By Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams

Nope. There’s no mistake in the photo. The focus is intentional. This is how I felt after the forum started to drag on and on with odd questions in form of speeches. Somehow, some people have trouble differentiating between questions and statements. I went straight to bed immediately after I reached home.

While I chose photography to express myself, Patrick Teoh chose a more immediate media to express his frustration at the flow of the forum in a very frank manner.

I came to the forum because of two reasons. One was to return all materials a project — that I was in — had borrowed from a friend; second, just curious why on earth we want to set Pak Lah free.

I of course came with a typical libertarian mindset – I want to be free.

Categories
Environment Science & technology

[905] Of mature forest produces zero net oxygen

So, some Indonesian official has suggested that Malaysia should pay for the oxygen that Indonesia “export” to Malaysia. It’s one of the same nonsensical remarks Indonesia gave last year instead of actually working with others to fight the fire that causes the haze. Well, I want to offer some scientific fact to that Indonesian official.

Mature forest is oxygen neutral. The Indonesian rainforest as well as Malaysia’s consume oxygen through respiration as much as it produces oxygen through photosysthesis. That basically means mature forest produces zero net oxygen.

Only growing forest produces positive net oxygen; in general, Southeast Asia has mature forest.

Given the net zero, if Indonesia exports oxygen, then Indonesia has to import oxygen in order to balance out its “account”. Therefore, if Indonesia wants to internalize the public good (oxygen) and demands Malaysia pays for the oxygen we allegedly get from Indonesian rainforest, the Indonesia must pay for oxygen they get from Malaysian rainforest.

For further reading on zero net oxygen, please read an article at Wikipedia. In particular, Wikipedia cited Wallace S. Broecker of Columbia. Also, for some math, see oxygen cycle at Wikipedia.

So dear sir, you may want to learn a bit of undergraduate biology (frankly, it’s just general knowledge) before making any statement with too much cheekiness.

Categories
This blog

[904] Of dear love

This is hard for me. Believe me, I’ve given this more than a second thought. Still, I must do this, regardless of what I feel, regardless the pain I must endure.

We met more than five years ago. I was hesitant during our first meeting. I wasn’t sure whether I was sincerely attracted to you or it was merely an infatuation. I wasn’t sure if I should approach you, lest it’d be awkward when things won’t work out. Yet, I gathered all my courage to come up to you and say hi. And it was the best thing that had ever happened to me in a very long time.

You were there whenever I was down. You were there whenever I needed you. You were willing to listen. You were willing to lend me your support whenever I doubted myself. Your shoulder was my rock. You were my rock. You were my everything.

Our relationship deepened and I felt like I was in heaven. I felt a higher being sent me an angel to take care of me. I truly did. I truly do.

Five years is a long time for me. We invested a lot together during that time. We developed trust and respect for each other. I value your partnership.

It breaks my heart every time I recall back the day things started to change between us. While I love you, you seem to be reluctant to return my love. I was confused by your sudden change of attitude. I didn’t understand why you suddenly gave me a cold shoulder after all we had been through. But I tried to be patience. I really did. I tried to work it out.

Soon, it became apparent you wasn’t interested in saving the relationship. Despite noticing things between us were becoming harder to salvage, I tried and I tried until the day when you completely shattered me. Until the day we actually raised our voice against each other. From then on, I knew it is too late to do anything. I even felt a slight hint of anger against you for the first time.

Yet, I missed the better days between you and me.

Though we rarely talk to each other nowadays, every time I ran into you, I can’t help myself to look your way. Despite that nasty exchanges, my knee still feel weak whenever I see you. My heart beats a little bit faster even by the mention of your name.

I heard rumor that you were changing your mind. That you were missing me after all that has been said and done. When you called me for the first time since we last spoke intimately, I didn’t know what to say. I apologize for that. After being with each other for five years, I could at least had uttered more words.

I’m sorry that I said no. That was the hardest no I had to say in my life. I really want be with you but part of me doesn’t want to be hurt anymore. The suffering that I went through was unbearable. I didn’t know how I coped with it for it was as if I lost my reason to live. I lost my reason to breath.

I needed to move on but I was too hopeful of us getting back together. Each second was a thousand years in the loneliest hell. I soon learned that it was hopeless to hope anymore.

So, I moved on.

I’ve taken down a path and moved on. I may haven’t been over you yet but I know I’ve moved on. I can’t linger any more and wait for you. I need to heal immediately. I need to heal so that I could do things that love; things that I shared with you when we were merrier. I need to sort my life out.

I’m seeing somebody else now. Nevertheless, I hope we remain as close friends. We’ve gone through so much together that it’d be a tragedy for us to not to be friends. Our experience together made us makes us rich.

Though whatever the future might hold, I will forever cherish the moment we had together. I hope you will too.

I’ll miss you Blogger.

But goodbye, love.

Sincerely yours.

Categories
ASEAN Environment

[903] Of Indonesia promised no haze back in May

Yes, they did. And I have proof:

Indonesia promises this year will be less hazy

Sat May 27, 11:36 PM ET

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Indonesia has said the choking haze that annually blankets parts of Southeast Asia will be reduced this year as it cracks down on oil palm plantations that clear land by burning.

Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said authorities would enforce a 2004 law that imposes stiff penalties on plantations that burn land, a practice largely blamed for contributing to the haze.

How cheap words are. I was right to be skeptical.

Categories
This blog

[902] Of migrating to WordPress

After years of contemplating, plus Blogger’s unsatisfactory service, I decided to move to WordPress. Plus, this migration forces me to learn php. I’ve always wanted to learn php and this is my chance.
I’m still migrating. I spent the whole weekends tweaking my open source template. I expect the migration to be completed by next Friday. So, forgive me for any pothole.

Oh, the new location of the blog is at http://www.maddruid.com/wp/.

To encourage move, comment facilities at Blogger-based The __earthinc have been closed while people are free to comment to my WordPress-based blog, subject to rules and regulations provided at “About” section.

Update – I’ve configured my blog to sit at my root directory. So, no need to go anywhere to change your bookmark.