Categories
Economics Environment Politics & government Science & technology

[691] Of worst floods, rice and climate change

Northern Malaysian states on the Malay Peninsula are suffering the worst flood in 30 years . It has been raining like crazy. Even in Kuala Lumpur, located hundreds of miles south, it’s been raining like cats and dogs. I’m surprised that the city hasn’t experience any flood.

The sky is starting to remind me of Ann Arbor; I could hardly see the sun everyday. Southern Thailand isn’t spared too. If borders are drawn with a huge pen, the floodwater would’ve erased them with ease. After all this, the weather still won’t relent.

The Weather Channel. Fair Use.

As you can see, it won’t end soon. Also, check out a current tropical storm that will hit Vietnam anytime soon today.The floodwater, among other things, affects rice harvest in Malaysia. Paddy fields are devastated by the overflowing water. This is especially bad considering that northeast Malaysian states are the main rice producers in Malaysia and that the fields are scheduled for harvest in this coming January. Looks like the rice industry will have to import more rice soon. I doubt local fields will be able to provide the share it usually offers to the market.

Worse, it isn’t just Malaysia that will suffer shortage of rice. Vietnam, which is one of the largest rice producers in Southeast Asia, suffers the same situation. Prices of rice in Southeast Asian markets should go up in the near future given that supply has been cut.

Digressing, price of chicken has gone up by 20 sen. Earlier, I had predicted a price decrease due to bird flu. Unfortunately, while playing around with the demand curve, I’d overlooked the supply function. The hike in chicken prices, ignoring inflation, could be due to the culling of chickens in Asia. With this flood, price could go up further, assuming demand curve is constant.

Though heavy raining this time of the year is typical in this part of the world, this year, the amount of rainfall is above average. Consider also the current situation in China and Japan – record breaking snowfall – and Vietnam – also record breaking rainfall. Finally, keep in mind that 2005 is, according to World Meteorological Organization, the second hottest year on reliable record.

Climate change? Too soon to ascertain but it’s good to keep the possibility in mind.

p/s – Kristof versus O’Reilly. Fight! This is the best yet since Bush versus Kerry.

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
Sports

[689] Of from seventh to fourth and on fire

Ajax won 2-0 against NAC. That’s three consecutive victories in the Eredivisie. At the same time, excessive good luck brought Ajax from the seventh place to four.

On the same day Ajax faced NAC, all Ajax’s nearest competitors ate too much grass and hence, allowing Ajax to march on. The sweetest is, of course, Feyenoord’s loss to ADO Den Haag! Seeing Feyenoord losing to a team that sticks at the bottom is even better than seeing Manchester United failing to progress beyond Champions League’s group stage.

Another much needed good news is Rosenborg. He seems to have found his form, scoring three goals in the last five matches. It might be too soon to celebrate but if Ajax has found its striker, the world will tremble.

Currently, AZ Alkmaar sits on top of the table, sharing points with second placed PSV. Feyenoord’s third and Ajax, as mentioned earlier, up in fourth.

All in all, this revival looks good. w00t!

Categories
Pop culture

[688] Of a tribute to Leo McGarry, to John Spencer

A tribute to Leo McGarry, a great character in a great TV series. A tribute to a great actor, John Spencer.

According to Wikipedia further:

During the episode The Portland Trip, it is strongly suggested by a conversation between the President and Leo that Leo attended the University of Michigan, at least for undergraduate work.

Fair Use. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:John_Spencer.jpg

You will be missed.

‘West Wing’ Actor John Spencer Dies at 58
By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES – Actor John Spencer, who played the role of Leo McGarry in “The West Wing,” mirrored his character in several ways: Both were recovering alcoholics and both were driven.

“Like Leo, I’ve always been a workaholic, too,” he told The Associated Press in a 2000 interview. “Through good times and bad, acting has been my escape, my joy, my nourishment. The drug for me, even better than alcohol, was acting.”

Spencer died of a heart attack Friday. In a sad parallel to life, his character on the show had earlier suffered a heart attack that forced him to give up his White House job.

Spencer died after being admitted to a Los Angeles hospital during the night, said his publicist, Ron Hofmann. He would have been 59 on Tuesday.

I’ll be sacrificing my Wikipedia user page for him for a few days.

Go Blue. And God bless.

Categories
Sports

[687] Of ABTFI!

In the next round of Champions League, Ajax will be up against – guest who? Hint: Italian team. Hint 2: Familiar faces. Drumroll please – Inter f-Milan!

Goddamned f-again! For the love of everything sensible in this world, why must Ajax face Italian teams and Arsenal every time there’s a Champions League season at hand?

I’d have prefer anyone by the f-Italian. Somebody must’ve cursed Ajax over something: thy shall play the Italian (and Arsenal) forever and ever. Bah!

I don’t believe Ajax has a chance to progress further beyond the last 16 stage. All seven possible teams that Ajax could have gone up against, namely f-Juventus, Barcelona, Villareal, AC f-Milan, Inter f-Milan, Lyon and Liverpool are too huge to handle given Ajax’s current sorry state. Ajax’s currently stand at sixth in the Eredivisie, under team such as NEC and RKC. Most embarrassing. Luckily, in the last few match, Ajax’s bucking up.

Right now however, knowing that Ajax will be up against an Italian team again, Ajax must win. A Dutch win will show the crybaby in Milan how to differentiate between the beauty and the beast.