The credibility of media and reporters

Many media pride themselves as serious and credible institutions reporting and producing news that are reliable and newsworthy. But when it comes to political agenda, many drop their guards and went on a rampage printing silly news, ridiculous news, unsubstantiated housewives gossips etc etc. The darling of such gossips and petty news, if they are news, is North Korea and its leaders. It is almost a daily occurrence, and the source is often western, and often reproduced in silly Asian media, things like the successor of Kim Il Sung has gone for a plastic surgery to look like his grandpa? Or Kim Il Sung is buying French wines etc etc. How credible are such media and their reporters when they resort to petty gossips of little minds and published them as news! At best it makes their newspaper like evening tabloids famed for scandals or comic strips. At worst, it puts off serious readers for insulting their intelligence. Why would serious and reputable media willing to put up such craps as news? Do they have a special agenda or are they paid to do so?

What's there to grief?

Human beans have made progress in many fields, in leaps and bounds. The one area that is most neglected is life's journey, living and dying. All the best brains do not think the understanding of the meaning of life is that rewarding and devote their energy in science and technology and in fields that are more rewarding in material comfort. What ended up is that the meaning of life is left to many rascals and half literates to interpret and formulate for the rest of the beans to observe and follow. Why should there be grief when someone passes away to start another journey in a different realm of existence? For those who believe that dying is the end and nothing happens after that, dust to dust, I can accept their belief. I can also accept whatever beliefs about life after death. My belief is that there is life after death and living is just a short sojourn on earth. No need to go into big argument about the different beliefs here. My question is that why should there be sorrow and pain when someone has lived a good life, a life of abundance, a life of comfort and luxury, having everything there is to have? There could be some sadness for the living that the deceased will not be around anymore. But it is nothing more than going on a long vacation. Grief and sorrow are understandable for the down trodden who did not live a good life, depending on one's individual interpretation of good and bad of course. The deprived, the people who are struggling to have the minimum of material comfort and necessities, full of wants but not having them, those who died living behind dependents to eke out a living on their own, those who left behind young and helpless children, those who have many unfulfilled dreams, unfinished tasks, there are reasons to grief and to be sorrowful about. The Chinese custom also acknowledges that people who lived a good life calls for a celebration. The green joss sticks were changed to red joss sticks. There will even be live shows and orchestras at the funeral. Such death is called 'hee song', meaning happiness cum sadness, a mixed of both. But in most instances like this, the family is well off, abundance of children and wealth, and the deceased live through a ripe age, generally above 80 with at least three generations of family relations, and passed away peacefully. It is time to understand and appreciate life and what is a good life. It is time to re edit the customs to see life in another perspective, and call for celebration in recognition of a life well lived.

Indonesia an up and coming big power?

Indonesia's aspiration of becoming a respectable big power took a knock in Holland yesterday. Yudhoyono had to cancel his 3 day state visit for fear of being arrested by the Dutch court. The court was to hear a trial against him lodged by the separatists from the Maluku Islands. Another reason quoted was the indignity of the trial of an Indonesian President in its former colonial master's court. Is Indonesia still a colony of Holland? Or what audacity would the Dutch court think that it has the jurisdiction to trial an Indonesian President or even an Indonesian citizen? The whole issue is so absurb that at best it was a rude reminder to the Indonesians who their master was. The Dutch court is totally ridiculous and pretentious to think that it is proper to put an Indonesian President on trial. The Dutch govt is wholely arrogant and disrespectful to even allow the trial to go on. Indonesia is no longer a Dutch colony. But the colonial mentality and mindset is still prevalent among the Dutch. So what if Indonesia is being dined and wined in the White House? It is still regarded as a colony or at best a pariah state in the eyes of the western powers. What aspirations of greatness is poof poof and smoke in the air. Yudhoyono should just go ahead with the visit and tell his rude host to get lost in their face if Indonesia is to be respected as an equal to Holland. It is unimaginable that the Dutch would dare to touch him or arrest him in Holland. And to conduct the trial during his state visit is totally disrespectful and a slap in the face of Yudhoyono and all Indonesians.

I am impressed with Western Australian Police

Saw this video clip on Australian Police manhandling an aborigine man on the news last night. I was so impressed by the use of force to protect the policemen. Oops, I mean to protect the aborigine. The whole episode should be used for training purposes for policemen around the world on how to handle a ‘violent’ aborigine. Let me try to recall the procedure involved. First you will need about 6 to 8 burly policemen, preferably twice the physical size of the victim. Then give them a Taser gun each. The next important thing is to handcuff the victim. When the victim, in this case an aborigine, is safely secured, take turns to use the Taser gun on him. The safety of the policemen is guaranteed. But just a precautionary statement, don’t be over zealous in the application of the gun. And never exceed 13 times. By 13 times, death is highly possible. In this case the aborigine died after being hit by the Taser gun for 13 times. Oh, one more precaution. When conducting such an exercise, make sure that no one is video taping it, whether by a handphone or a close circuit TV. The aborigines in Australia are in good hands. They are safe under the protection of the Australian police.

Behind the veil of civility

Everything on the surface looks fine and nice. All the pleasantries and heaps of praises poured in. Everyone has something good to say, so refined and well mannered, so cool and measured. Everyone is so sweet. Why am I seeing things? Behind the veils of niceties and civility I am seeing the face of a beast. I can’t really figure it out, could be a tiger, a wolf, a hyena or a crocodile, but a beast alright. The great pretence is first class, betterer than anything MediaCorp can produce. It even beats the best make up artistes of Hollywood. The battle will soon be fought. The daggers are hidden for the time being. Occasionally a little blinding reflection flashes across the scenery when a knife is unsheathed prematurely, only to be quickly put away. Brutus, where are ye? Brutus, my good friend!