Life is just beautiful!

The haze has gone. The sky is clear and shiny. The morning sun looks glorious with its piercing rays. What a beautiful morning. The smell of fresh morning dew and its welcoming voice has woken us from the deep slumber. Today is another chance to excel and be better than yesterday. We have our faults and missteps, but today is a new day. Let us make full use of it, and fill it up with sincere efforts and stern resolution. 

The haze has been coming in and our annually. When the burning season comes, the haze will be the direct product of it. There is no way for anybody to control the haze. The wind will blow the haze far and wide. Far and wide enough to affect all the neighbors. The choking and uncomfortable irritation in the throat and eyes are typical symptom of the haze. Sometimes they are just too thick until it is no longer safe to go outside. There is no where to run except we stay indoor and pray that the rain will fall the soonest. Humans are too weak and vulnerable. We have no where to turn to except to God. To Him we put all our trust and hope.

Yes, the haze will come again next year. We just need to be prepared for any contingencies. But of course, no matter how much we prepare, the element of surprised will always be there. This is life. The variables are too many, and also too unpredictable. In this life of uncertainties, we must learn to adopt, adapt and be grateful. Life is just beautiful!

Attending a briefing...

I’m attending a briefing session on how to apply for industry-based research grant. I can see many young faces in the room. The professor speaking is already very established in his own right – no doubt. The money being discussed is provided by the government of the day. The amount is huge, amounting to millions. It has been going-on for the past two years and apparently many have benefited from the grants. I’m sure those early pioneers have gained much from the initial stages. Normally, in the early stages the rules are a bit lax and the chances to get the grants are higher. This is very typical. So, early birds catch the worms – so they say.

Now, I’m still in the room, listening to young researchers asking mundane questions about the amount one can get, the type of equipment one can buy, the amount you can actually get from the funder etc. Yes, they are certainly very excited about the opportunity of getting ‘free’ money. Yes, you can smell and see the adrenalin rush around you.

But wait, why am I here? Well, I was hoping to apply for this grant with the hope that I can work on one or two projects that will actually produce a marketable output. And, in pondering on this matter I’m struggling to find a niche area which I can work in. Yes, differentiate or die. I need to differentiate in the product I intent to develop and later, hopefully, to commercialize them.

Ok. I’ll stop now and focus on the slides...

Hazy times..

The hazy season is here again. This time around, the haze is actually quite thick. Muar and Ledang in Johor have just been declared to be in state-of-emergency, i.e. the Index of Pollution (IP) value is now at the dangerous level. Schools have been instructed to go for holidays. Probably for a few days until the haze level goes down at  a more tolerable level. The mask's seller is having a day with the sales. People have this assumption or notion that, somehow, the mask they are wearing will save them from the hazards and perils of living in thick haze. We just cannot run away from the haze. It is everywhere, and it is sticking into our nose relentlessly. We just have bear with the uncomfortable situations. Just imagine those with asthma or any other breathing-related problems. They must be having a worse time than the majority of us. For us, it is more about not having the luxury to breath clean air and admiring beautiful scenery. For those unfortunate individuals, they may not be able even to breathe. Each one of us take the haze problem in our own stride. We even responds to its effect differently. 

In this hazy time, please wear the appropriate safety and protective gears. As much as we can, we should filter and not take in the polluted air. But then we can only do so much, the rest we will leave it to God. Amin . InsyAllah...

TOMS's Experience...

Last night I had another reading of the book on TOMS. The profit-oriented donation driven company few years back has benefited countless children around the world by providing them free shoes. Free shoes so that the children can continue with growing without having to bear the pain of walking and doing their daily chores. One would not expect a new shoe will bring so much change to a child's life. In fact, it did and there are so many that can be the witness to this claim. A new shoe brings a new hope and determination for many. When we do not have anything, a new shoe is the only thing that we truly have. And, to ensure the noble effort is sustainable, the creator of TOMS, make sure the there are making profit that will feed back into sustaining the company. They have been very successful so far, and I do hope they will continue to be in the future. 

It is an exciting feeling to read of one's ambition and idea turned into a successful venture that brought so many joy and happiness. The points are to face our fears of failures and to do something that we love to do. Not being too critical that leads to a condition termed "Analysis Paralysis" where too much analysis leads to not knowing what to do - i.e. paralysis. As long as the intention is noble and we believe in the importance, we should go and do it. Reading a book on TOMS is so inspiring. I wish all of us will be able to emulate the success of TOMS. Making our life worthwhile and meaningful is so much better than having all the riches of the world, and the hoards do not bring happiness to our hearts. 

11.10 USM N.Tebal

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CHUFFED (Adj)

1. annoyed; displeased; disgruntled.

2. delighted; pleased; satisfied.

Quotes:

He was really chuffed  about the fire as well, because Mrs Pearson from up the stairs had her washing ruined by the smoke.

-- Irvine Welsh, Marabou Stork Nightmares , 1997

Well, we can discuss that when we get there. Declan will be chuffed  when I tell him, the family never usually goes to these things.

-- Cecelia Ahern, P.S. I Love You , 2007

Origin:

This British term comes from the obsolete chuff meaning "chubby," used in the seventieth to nineteenth centuries. In the 1800s, chuff  took on the sense of "pleased." Since the mid-1900s, chuffed  has been used to mean both "pleased" or "displeased,"depending upon the context.

Election again - pt. 2.

When people become frustrated, it is because they felt a sense of lost and grief that what they thought is within grasp is now nowhere to be seen. Their hopes are dashed, and all the sacrifices seemed to be wasted. The frustrations can led one who was sincere in the beginning to act very different to what was expected initially. Frustrations can hurt someone ego and feeling of worth. It makes people do weird things, sometimes very unexpected things.

During election season, there will be many frustrations at many levels. Those who have worked hard to be a candidate, now find someone else, an unknown and outsider, filling his post. All the hard work and sacrifices to garner supports for the party have suddenly been 'hijacked' by an unexpected turn of event. The frustrations can led one to betray whatever they are fighting for. They now forget about the greater struggle, and is only worried and concerned about his personal fate. People do change, and normally frustration seldom fail in changing people's opinions. 

One should be able to handle frustrations if one's intention is clear and the aim is not self-serving. To make it simpler, if one is fighting for the people, no worries. But, if one is so concern about the amount of gain he is making, then frustration will be a barrier that he won't survive. 

1.17pm TBP

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ESOTERIC (adj):

a : designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone

b : requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group ; broadly : difficult to understand

c : limited to a small circle

d : private, confidential

e: of special, rare, or unusual interest

Walking in the rain...

If you walk in the rain, you will get wet. This is so obvious to everyone. Of course, if you use an umbrella, at least your head will be spared. Depending on the intensity of the rain (and wind), the clothes we are wearing either will be soaked or spared, it depends so much on many factors. It may be drizzling or pouring heavily, the chances are we will be the victim, one way or another. The alternative is to wait under a shelter or somewhere, until the weather gets better and we can get on with our lives. We can just wait, since even the heaviest thunderstorm would not go on forever. It will end, and we can get on with our daily chores. But, as usual, seldom we can just wait and do nothing until everything settled. Life will demand we do something, there and then. Well, we can just wade through the rain or we could use an umbrella or a rain-coat, so that life will continue as usual. Rain will be always be there, once in a while. It is not something unusual. Life must regain its normality. 

In this election season, slanders are like rains. They fall on us on daily basis, and we just could not find a way to avoid the fall-outs. Wading through the accusations-laced slanders are not easy. There are so many who are more than willing to believe all that come to their alleys.  It is as if there is not sense of logic and common sense among some sectors of the society. A slander is there to smear someone's credibility, especially those vying for a post, and it is there to gather support to the other party. Yes, slanders are akin to rain. They are very difficult to avoid, and one would be very lucky to avoid them, or the least to be an insignificant part of the unseen and surely viral loop. Sometimes, the act of asking for clarification from others, is actually, contributing to the spread of the false accusations. Unknowingly, one suddenly becomes the agent or the carrier of the slander. In today's interconnected social network, via the internet backbone, and wireless communication platforms, a simple act of sharing an unverified story, will be the start of the unstoppable momentum. There is literally no way of a 100% withdrawal of stories or news from the widespread social media web which has unknown borders. If you a bit unlucky, few years down the road, you will be shared stories which will look very familiar to you . Yes, the news we created are coming back to roost.

Slanders are the norm in today's elections. It should not be the case. Why can't truth and facts be the norm? Why can't we outright reject all those who create and spread the lies and unfounded news? Why can't we be more inquisitive and more critical to what are presented to us? Why can't we be honest and not do to other what we do not unto ourselves? We fight for the leadership posts to bring a better future for the nation. If one gets to the top via slanders and false claims, then what hope are we putting to our future survival?

Let us stop the slanders!

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• contentious

• DEFINITION

adjective

1

: likely to cause disagreement or argument

2

: exhibiting an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes

• EXAMPLES

Although she is very pleasant in person, Katie has a tendency to become aggressive and contentious in online discussions.

"The issue of affordable housing in New Jersey, one of the nation's most densely populated states, has been contentiousfor decades…." — From an article by Anthony Campisi, The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), January 28, 2013

Suborn

suborn

PRONUNCIATION:

(suh-BORN) 

MEANING:

verb tr.: To induce another to perform an unlawful act or give false testimony.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin subornare, from sub- (secretly) + ornare (to equip). Other words that derive from ornare are adorn and ornate. Earliest documented use: 1534.

USAGE:

"Would a senior lawyer, proven in a court of law to attempt to suborn a witness, be allowed to continue to practice law?"
TSR Subramanian; It's Imperative to Free CBI and ED from Government Control; The New Indian Express (Chennai, India); Mar 3, 2013.

"Regulators were suborned by lobbyists and ministers."
Simon Jenkins; Ignore Their Howls of Protest; The Guardian (London, UK); Mar 5, 2013.

Election again - pt. 1.

It has been few days since I have written anything on this blog. Today, it seems I'm a bit free and just craving to write something. Hope it the writing will be of benefit to many.

The election mood is here. The EC has confirmed the nomination date is to be held on the 20th of April 2013, and the proper election day will be on the 5th of May 2013. Malaysians will have about 2 weeks to campaign for their choice of party and candidates. The campaigning proper will start after the 20th until the election day, although the ground campaigning has been going on since the end of the last election, about 4 years ago. Politics is a full-time vocation. Once you decided to become a politician, there is not rest for you. Work is perpetual. 

The rumour's mill is at it again. There are so many news and information being spread around over the conventional and social mediums that one often found it very difficult to distinguish the truth and the not-so-true stories. An actual incident can be spunned in may ways. Depending on who will gain, the story will be tailor-made accordingly. Hence, the onus is on the voters to be wary and selective in how we acquire, gather, perceive and making sense of information that are being laid-out in front of our eyes. 

Few months back, the opposition pact showed and announced their manifesto to the Malaysian public. It was received positively by some sectors, and condemned by others on the reason that it will bankrupt the country, and make life a living hell. Our national debt will increase, and the people will, basically, suffer if they opt for theses "ridiculous" list of empty promises and unrealistic pledges. The government was on the offensive. The "Buku Jingga" or "Orange book" was criticised and ridiculed, although no real and tangible analyses were given to justify these kind of responds. And, suddenly, come Monday - 8th of April, the government launched their own manifesto, and, unbelievably, quite a number of the pledges, mimicked what the opposition has been saying. And, the issue now is not whether the policies are good or not, but who is copying who. The turn of event got more interesting when, out of a sudden, the DPM it the BN's manifestos which were copied or plagiarised. He is a politician, indeed!

The voters are getting ready to be bombarded with daily and seemingly perpetual advertisement and political ploy to get their votes. I really hope things will be handled professionally and with etiquette. We are Malaysians, and all of us look forward to the morning of 6th of May 2013 with a  government that will, finally and hopefully, get all of us out of this terrible mess.

Ini kali-lah!

9.13am

Seri Ampangan

Fishy is not Fish or Fishing!

One must always be sure of the meaning of the words being used. Not just the direct or literal meaning of it, but also the context and actual usage of such words. Accusing someone of having a bad intent or desire on the conclusion which was derived from our own misunderstanding and limited knowledge of words, really shows the level of one's intellect. It also indicated the desperate decision to throw accusations and claims on baseless and unfounded information. To add insult to injury, one also make a fool of oneself by calling others to listen to those accusations with a false hope of getting others to support. This incident really shows desperation and serious lacking of any real issues or substance. 

The terms - "fishy" and "fishing" or "fish" really carries different meaning. "Fish" is a noun, i.e. the name of the specie or organism. "Fishing" is the verb (or gerund) i.e. the act of trying to bait and catch the fish, whereas, "Fishy" is an adjective which is trying to further clarify certain noun, such as fishy action, fishy words, fishy arguments. It has nothing to do with the actual fish, but it has something to do with the smell of a fish when it is rotten, or due to the bad odour form handling fish that normally sticks to one's hands or clothes.  This is what "fishy" means. Or, some action which is not as what can be seen, i.e. having ulterior motives normally associated with ill-intent. If one intends to use words, please do check the meaning (and associated nuances) and proper implementations or utilisations of the words. Of course, this is to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.

We certainly do not know what are others are thinking or feeling. We can only just guess and make some assumptions. But, once the words are spoken, there is nothing else to do, but to accept the words on face value, whatever the impacts they may carry. So, if you are interested to become a politician, please mind your language! One cannot afford to have an equivocal appreciation of the matter.

Some people is saying, if a politician has drown in a river, it will cause pollution. If all politicians got drown, it will be a solution...ha ha.

Pity the politicians...

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Equivocal (adj)

1

a : subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuseb : uncertain as an indication or sign

2

a : of uncertain nature or classificationb : of uncertain disposition toward a person or thing : undecidedc : of doubtful advantage, genuineness, or moral rectitude

Decision-making time!

As we go through life, we just cannot avoid having to bump into crossroads, and facing the task of making decision for the next direction. It can be very confusing at times, and many have failed to make the correct and wisest decision due to many reasons. Some are just to afraid to make the commitments, and just to uncertain in making sense of all the input. Some sort of paralysis due to a feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control. The end result is a standstill and a person hesitating to move in path where staying still may not be the best option. People and events are moving all around, and a static object may not be welcomed in the fast changing path. One must either move or be moved out. Decision has to be made the soonest at the juncture of life. It is much better to make a premature decision, than having to spend time trying to formulate the, presumingly, wisest decision. Of course, we must consider and analyse the situation, but we must not overdo the process and being too cautious about things. There are so many things which we cannot control, and we just have to learn to live with the outcome. Be flexible and be realistic. Ideals are there for guidance, but some element of pragmatism must not be negated.

In elections time, we are expected to make the best decision. We need to decide based on facts, and not perception. We must not put self interest above the interest of the nation. What more putting one's interest above the commandment of God. We must be able to consider the actual policies from all the glitters of publicities and hackneyed arguments. We must be very objective in our decision making process. Creating history is not an easy task, especially when one realises that this may be the last chance for the nation. 

Decision-making time is already here. Be participative in the discussions and discourses. We must get as much information as possible, while not forgetting the lessons from history. 

We are the hope of the nation, and future generations. 

Make the right decision!

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• Hackneyed

adjective

: lacking in freshness or originality

 

About Ratiocination...

When the facts are there in front of us, how can we not but accept them? How one claim to be blind when one can see? How can the knowledge that one knows about something suddenly be erased, and one become oblivious to the know beforehand? Facts are one aspect of decision making, the other is the will of the heart to admit the truth. The logical and rational mind of a normal human being is there to process and evaluate information from the various input senses. The ratiocination skill may not be innate in all of us, but it can be trained and one can be an expert it evaluating the truth about events and occurrences. But, the next important thing is the decision or follow-up action to the completed analysis. Are we correct or are we in the wrong? At this juncture, the will of the heart will take over. The emotional side will often win the battle. The truth may be on one side, the final decision may be on the other. This is where logic does not seem to have a place. The emotional side or how one feel about something will, normally, at the end decides all. This is the sad thing about decision making. 

In all this potential and probable mass, there is exception. Decision can and would be made mainly on analyses and rational judgement, if it is done in the open and according to a set rules of decision making. Some sort of a reference point or look-up table. The factor of the heart may no longer wield such a strong decision-influencing factor. Everything will be based on facts, and emotion has very small role. 

In a nutshell, at the individual, emotion and feeling may the king, but at the public and formal domain, logic and rational will be the only criteria of truth and falsehood.

Hope you agree with me....

RATIOCINATION

1

: the process of exact thinking : reasoning

2

: a reasoned train of thought

You're OUT!

There is this strong feeling that things will be changing soon in the country, especially after the delayed announcement by the PM yesterday. The mood is of the people tired of waiting and would want to change. Change for the better, hopefully. 55 years are far too long. Things got stale and sort of saturated. The actions of these last few days speak volume of the desperate urge to win over voters and influence the mood of the public. It seems not to be effective any more. People are not taking it seriously anymore. I wonder who are the think-tank behind all these unwise campaign moves. Change is in the air. In fact everybody is talking about change. Depending on your geographical location, you would want to change or maintain the status quo. The choice is ours. We have the chance to make history or allow it to pass, and we can later dwell on our dastard attitude and laid-back behaviours.

Saya pilih Malaysia! Ini kalilah! Ubah! are some of the slogans being shouted around. Basically the people are already tired with all these slogans. We just to move forward and vote and get on with our life. Of course, we would like, if possible, to vote the best and most effective leaders. We do not politicians per say, we want leaders, who can bring the country forward and who are not obsess with power and the implications of having power. The responsibility of the voters is to elect the best leaders, not the paltry and opportunistic individuals who are only interested in their own selves and the gains waiting to be horded. We already to many of them already on-board. We, the people, would like to change these already stale leaders to others, newer and better ones, hopefully.

Yes, I just cannot wait to vote, and contribute in nation building. Yes, I love this country, and I hope to vote-in leaders who share the same feeling. 

Ini kalilah!

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Paltry (Adj)

1: inferior, trashy

2: mean, despicable

3: trivial

4: meager, measly

The wicked behaviour...

When I opened this morning newspaper, there is at least one shooting incident in the news. This time, a trader, was shot at least 7 times point blank, after someone knock his window and the victim rolled it down. The perpetrators did not give him an inch of leeway. He was a target. This nefarious act is being repeated ever once so often in the country. The frequency is getting larger and safety is really an issue. It is as if a new culture has descended on the land, from the movies and crime-series melodramas on television. How safe are we then? Ultimately, one just have to be careful and alert. Being careless and easily distracted can be a recipe for becoming a victim. 

Another hope is that the gun-slinging way will not be touted as the problem solving tools for problems among us. There are other means of settling scores. We can talk and discuss, and look for more civilised way. The breakdown in one mode of communications should not stopped us from exploring other approaches. I, for one, always feel that there will an amicable way to sort out any disagreements or problems. Violence should not be one of the options. Unless, of course when our life is being threatened and there is no other option. We can never fight fire with fire. Things can only get worse. Hence, there is a need for cool head and warm heart. Things can be sorted out.

The nefarious thing about an un-examined life is that sometimes we take things for granted and we forget that we are only a single breath away from death. Be wary my friend!

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ne·far·i·ous  

/niˈfe(ə)rēəs/

Adjective (of an action or activity) Wicked or criminal: "the nefarious activities of the organized-crime syndicates".

Synonyms wicked - villainous - vile - infamous - mean - evil

Magnanimous..anyone?

The word for today is magnanimous, which means generous or forgiving especially towards a weak rival. It originates from the latin: Magnus - great and animus - soul or mind. Hence, great soul or great mind.

This is certainly an excellent which one should have. It is not easy to restraint oneself from taking action towards a worthy rival when opportunities arise. The one who is strong will stop short of unleashing his or her anger towards the enemy due to this praiseworthy trait.

Being magnanimous means to absorb all anger and ill-feeling towards others in a situation where one can justifiably take counter action from others' follies. Being forgiving and then being generous to others, even when at one point in time we were the victims.

Certainly it is not easy being magnanimous.

Provenience...

Today's word is PROVENIENCE - meaning ORIGIN or SOURCE.

Frankly speaking this is the first time I use this word to mean origin or source of something. It sounds a bit bombastic and mouthful, but interesting. It adds colours to the sentence. And it also adds a bit of confusion to the reader.

I also learned that in order to attack tasks and problems, we need to execute the task in small portions, but do it continuously. Inch by inch - as they say. It works wonders. I've managed to complete a number of tasks today and I hope some more tonight - insyALlah.

This is the provenience of a successful worker :-)

It has been quite a while since I wrote something on this blog. Hope this short jotting will be the beginning of a consistent flow of notes of my life experiences, with the hope that it will enlighten someone out there. 

The word for today is:

Deus Ex Machina (noun) - some event or someone who change the outcome of some seemingly non salvageable situation.