NEW YORK TIMES PICTURES OF THE OPENING OF BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS

NEW YORK TIMES PICTURES OF THE OPENING OF BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS

NEW YORK TIMES PICTURES OF THE OPENING OF BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS

SOME MORE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS HIGHLIGHTS -- SELECTED FROM NYT

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS PICTURES

POSSIBLY THE MOST FAMOUS OLYMPIAN AT THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS: MICHAEL PHELPS

MORE CLASSIC BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS PICTURES

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS PICTURES

MORE CLASSIC OLYMPIC PHOTOS FROM NYT

LAUNCHING A WAR WHILE THE WORLD IS DISTRACTED WITH THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS

IT'S A DIRTY TRICK BUT THE RUSSIANS DID WHAT ANY MILITARY TACTICIAN WOULD PREDICTABLY DO -- WHILE THE WORLD WAS DISTRACTED BY THE IRRESISTIBLE PULL OF THE OLYMPICS GAMES, THE RUSKIES PULLED OFF AN ATTACK ON GEORGIA. IT IS A CASE OF TEXT-BOOK WAR TACTICS FOR THE MODERN MEDIA-SATURATED AGE. AND A VERY SAD DEVELOPMENT, CONSIDERING THE LOSS OF SO MANY LIVES.

VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS PULLED OFF A COUP AS A RUSSIAN, BUT WORLD LEADERS AND PUBLIC OPINION ARE AGAINST THE ATTACK ON GEORGIA. THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS THAT AS THE WORLD FROWNS ON WHAT THE RUSSIANS HAVE DONE -- PUTIN'S FROWN OUTDOES THEM ALL! :-(

NEW YORK TIMES OLYMPICS PHOTOS...

PHOTO OF SWIMMER DARA TORRES IN ACTION, ON NYT WEBSITE.

THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS

FOR THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHS AND COMMENTARIES AND NEWS REPORTS ON THE BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008, I'D STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT READERS LOG ON TO THE NEW YORK TIMES (NYT) WEBSITE BY CLICKING ON THE TITLE OF THIS ENTRY. I WILL DO MY BEST TO UPLOAD PHOTOS FROM NYT ON THIS BLOG SO THAT YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY SEE THE PHOTOS WITHOUT HAVING TO LOOK FOR THEM ON THE NYT WEBSITE.

(PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME PHOTOS ARE TAKEN BY NYT'S OWN TEAM OF PHOTOGRAPHERS WHILE OTHERS ARE FROM WIRE SERVICES LIKE REUTERS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GETTY IMAGES ETC. NYT HAS AN EXCEPTIONAL KNACK FOR CHOOSING THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL IMAGES FROM ITS OWN IN-HOUSE TALENTS OR FROM OTHER NEWS PROVIDERS.)

ENJOY!

THESE PHOTOS OF SWIMMING-LEGEND-IN-THE-MAKING -- MICHAEL PHELPS -- WERE POSTED ON NYT.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE PARALLEL BARS AND OTHER GYMNASTICS PARAPHERNALIA?

THE OLYMPICS IS UNDERWAY AND THE GYMNASTICS ARE QUITE A DRAW INDEED, IN TERMS OF VIEWERSHIP.

BUT I DO WONDER IF THE PARALLEL BARS AND THE OTHER EQUIPMENT USED BY THE VARIOUS GYMNASTS ARE NOT UP TO OLYMPICS STANDARDS. THERE ARE JUST WAY TOO MANY GYMNASTS FALLING OFF THEIR ROUTINES OR LANDING BADLY AFTER AN ALMOST FLAWLESS PERFORMANCE. (THIS WAS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY -- THE 9TH AND 10TH OF AUGUST 2008.)

LET'S FACE IT -- ALTHOUGH CHINA HAS DONE AN INCOMPARABLE JOB IN ORGANISING THE BEIJING OLYMPICS, ON THE OTHER HAND CHINESE MANUFACTURERS, BUSINESSMEN, FARMERS ETC HAVE A HABIT OF PASSING OFF SUB-STANDARD PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN THE NAME OF PROFIT. COULD THE "TOOLS OF THE TRADE" THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO GYMNASTS BE OF SUB-STANDARD QUALITY?

THIS HAS TO BE IMMEDIATELY CHECKED AND CORRECTED. I THINK A REMATCH SHOULD BE ALLOWED THE GYMNASTS SO THAT THE TRUE STARS WILL SHINE AT WHAT THEY DO BEST.

PARIS HILTON BITCH-SLAPS JOHN MCCAIN -- IN HER OWN GENTLE WAY, OF COURSE

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Paris Hilton is possibly the most famous person on this planet who is famous for being famous -- does that make sense at all? Anyway, in the beginning Hilton was famous for no apparent reason at all, other than having a famous surname -- but the girl has developed a delightfully dizzy sense of humour over the years and has even managed to poise herself as a valid fashionista.

Recently the smug-faced US Presidential candidate John McCain took a swipe at the trinity of Barack Obama- Britney Spears-Paris Hilton in McCain's anti-Obama ad campaign. He'd wanted to tar them with the same brush -- but he's the one who's clucking with the feathers now.

This is because, if you take a swipe at Mizz Hilton, be very prepared: IF SHE SEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO MILK WHATEVER SHE CAN FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH -- expect her to zip out her platinum credit cards and swipe the card readers like crazy till they sizzle and smoke and she is able to cash in on the occasion -- and then we all get to see Mizz Hilton run away with the publicity borne out of it, tittering all the way to the bank.

In this case, all I can say is that McCain deserves the skewering he gets (for being so condescending and pop culture averse) and the best thing is that Paris Hilton still comes across as the vacuously pretty gal that she is. Hurrah.

BERNAMA TV AND ASTRO AWANI

It is quite pleasing to note that two local TV stations have taken the standard of Malaysian news reporting to excellent heights.

First and foremost is, of course, Bernama TV. This excellent TV stations has solid news anchors and an excellent palette of Malaysian news coverage that gives viewers quite an extensive view of life in Malaysia. The many faces on the Bernama TV are news veterans and it is good to see them doing well.

Next, although I am only placing it second to Bernama TV, Astro Awani can surprise viewers with exceptionally relevant and extremely current interview segments (like Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek appearing on Analisis Awani to talk about MCA and its battle to remain relevant as a political party for the Chinese Malaysiana -- this episode aired on Saturday, 9th August 2008 at 4.30pm)

The interview with Dr Chua was an eye opener as Dr Chus spoke excellent Bahasa Malaysia and spoke in a very clear and concise manner on what he feels MCA needs to do. Dr Chua is definitely a leader of high caliber in Malaysia and it is good to see capable and intelligent men like him given air time to talk about politics.

AN ILLUMINATING DARK KNIGHT

The surprise hit amongst the recent batch of movies for me was the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman sequel, The Dark Knight.
What a compelling movie it turned out to be thanks to the wonderful performance from Heath Ledger and Nolan's gripping script. The ovie just kept going to greater and greater heights -- challenging each character to their limits and showing what a malevolent character Ledger's Joker was.

The Joker has no special gadgets or armour or tricks -- he practically gives the middle finger to the Grim Reaper in his relentless deathwish -- and is such a malevolent force that he is truly frightening. The Joker unleashes a staggering amount of mayhem with the most minimal of effort. In addition, the humour with which Ledger plays the Joker only adds to his multidimensionality -- especially when he dresses up as a nurse or does his neat disappearing pencil trick.

The pathological side of the Joker also emerges when he keeps feeding others different variations of how he ended with a scarred face, making his origins a true mystery. He tells lies effortlessly

Go see this movie to get a glimpse of what a genius of a performance Ledger gives us all, before his untimely death.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH -- BEIJING 2008

WOW! WHAT A SPECTACULAR SHOW THE CHINESE PUT UP AT THE OPENING OF THE 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING. THE BIRD'S NEST STADIUM IS A WORK OF ART ND THE ORGANISATION OF THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS PRCTICALLY FLAWLESS. CHINA HAS IMPRESSED THE WORLD AND NOW THE ATHLETES -- BOTH CHINESE AND THE REST OF THEM -- ARE GOING TO AWE THE WORLD'S POPULATION FOR THE NEXT 16 DAYS!

HURRAH FOR THE OLYMPICS! CONGRATS TO THE CHINESE ON A VERY IMPRESSIVE AND CLASSY SHOWING!

ACHY BREAKY ART

Miley Cyrus is caught in a whirlwind of moral talk at the moment. She has been captured by photographer Annie Leibovitz in a provocative pose. The photo is, aesthetically speaking, a beautiful shot of the very young singer-actress. The half-body portrait shot shows Miley in what looks like an undressed state, seated and holding up a blanket to her front -- shot from her right side. The photo appears in the June issue of Vanity Fair.

The problem is that Miley is a 15 year old girl. And if you want to nit pick -- can even be called a child-porn photo. Parents whose children are avid fans of Miley immediately created an uproar when they caught sight of the Leibovitz-Vanity Fair photos.

Miley has already issued an apology to everyone, especially her young fans. She is a big star on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana and cannot risk tarnishing her wholesome image. The Miley merchandising machinery in the United States alone is a billion-dollar industry.

Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus who had a worldwide hit with his song Achy Breaky Heart in 1992.

Leibovitz is widely celebrated as the photographer of choice for Hollywood celebrities and politicians. She met her lover Susan Sontag in 1989 and was very close to Sontag till Sontag died in 2004.

POLITICIANS AND THE MATTER OF DIGNITY

It is about time the DAP politicians in office started behaving in a more dignified manner. They must remember that they are in office and certain level of professionalism is expected of them instead of wasting taxpayers' money by busying themselves coining choice slag-words for those formerly in office.

Get on with it, boys.

RELIGION AND POLITICS - MUST REMAIN SEPARATE

Perak Mentri Besar is showing his PAS colours and it is good that the royal house of Perak has intervened and made it very clear that the Perak Religious Department is off limits.

ALL of us in this country -- ESPECIALLY ALL THE LIBERALS AND PROGRESSIVES OF EVERY RACE, COLOUR AND SEX -- must do everything within our powers to block religious zealots from holding positions of high office. There must be a separation of religion and politics. Failing to ensure the separation of state and religion will only lead to bloodshed as religion is a powerful tool that can both manipulate and move unthinking people into violence.

MARCH 8 GENERAL ELECTION - REDUX

I was closely watching the general elections as the results were announce late into the night of March 8. Even before the elections as I went about travelling in KLand PJ, I realised that on many of the campaign posters, the BN men were all portly and extremely well-fed looking (especially the MCA fatcats). The DAP and PKR boys meanwhile looked lean and trustworthy by comparison.

Then, on election night, as the winners and losers were announced -- those who won didn't have titles. In contrast, there were tons of Datuks and Datuk Seris and Tan Sris losing in their constituencies and it was obvious that these title-laden lads were all Barisan boys. The rakyat were obviously disgusted with the state of politics of the country where basic needs like safe roads (well lit, WITHOUT POTHOLES, well-thought out etc) and affordable living (fairly priced houses, well-built houses -- too many bastard developers were getting away with building and selling shitholes disguised as houses -- good garden areas within the house compounds, safe playgrounds for children and beautiful parks for everyone to get close to nature AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL SAFE FOOD -- low sugar content in drinks, no artificial colourings in as many food items as possible, no preservatives in veg/fruits and no hormones or chemicals in meat -- AND AFFORDABLE FOOD).

Anyway, the important thing for BN and the Opposition to know is that the rakyat do not necessarily embrace the agenda of the Opposition parties but desperately wanted to teach obnoxious keris-waving/temple-destroying types in BN that the rakyat were sick of the petty, intellectually-CHALLENGED people getting away with their little Napoleon antics.

Now, it is important for BN not to be a bitch about things and start screwing states being led by the Opposition gang. THIS WOULD SURELY WRITE THEIR FORTUNES ON WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION WILL BE: COMPLETE LOSS!!!!!!!!

So, be sensible, and endear yourselves to the rakyat again, BN.

The swines who try to sabotage, lets say the Tourism activities in certain states -- should be given a public lashing. Who do these politicians think they are? Everyone is being financed by the tax payers money and no one has the right to deny any district or state of anything (I am willing to make an exception for Kelantan -- because I truly distrust PAS completely!).

The era of Mahathir-God complex where areas that voted for the opposition had bad roads and no street lighting etc as punishment ARE OVER.

GET OVER YOURSELVES ALL YOU POLITICIANS -- YOU ALL ARE THE PUBLIC'S SERVANTS AND WE JUST WANT YOU TO DO YOUR WORK AND MAKE EVERY ASPECT OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY ADMIRABLE -- FROM THE WASTE MANAGEMENT TO FOOD PRODUCTION, TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT TO PRESERVATION OF NATURE WHERE IT IS CRUCIAL TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS TO THE SAFETY OF ROAD USERS TO THE EVERYTHING ELSE!!!!

To the Opposition, I say, you have your ticket. Win people over. Always fight everything with logic and compassion. And if you prove yourselves, the next election will be a breeze.

12th PARLIAMENT SESSION LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD STEAD

It was nice to see the 12th Parliament session and even better to see one of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat MPs coming on a motorbike and another in a Myvi. These guys are adding colour to our political landscape and it is refreshing. The PKR boys are a good reminder that politics is about serving people and not a ticket to vast riches as demonstrated by the many Barisan MPs who lost in the recent General Elections.

KL-SINGAPORE BULLET TRAIN SCRAPPED

This is coming in a bit late, I know, but it is still something I want to talk about. I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE BULLET TRAIN PROJECT BETWEEN KL AND SINGAPORE HAS BEEN SCRAPPED.

Why should Malaysian taxpayers' dollars be used to build such a thing? The conglomerate that suggested such a thing should have worked out the finances and footed the bill. Walk the talk, man! How dare people suggest things in their cheap little way and try and scrimp and save and keep their fortunes untouched but then think nothing of exploiting the public's money?

I also strongly feel that the younger generation from wealthy dynasties should find ways to make themselves relevant to the society within which they live in rather than think they are head and shoulders above everyone else and only think of devious ways of exploiting others all the time.

SARAS RAMAPILLAI....

I have had the pleasure of knowing my ex-landlady Saras Ramapillai for more than a decade now and I always enjoy our chit chats whenever I drop by to see how she is doing. She is 75 years old now and still doing well in health and her mind is still very sharp.

When I saw Saras last week, we talked politics extensively as Saras is very knowledgeable about the country's politics. We are both very excited by the start of the Parliament sessions. She told me to see her again after the Parliament is in session -- we both enjoy analysing politics in this country and Saras always makes astute observations.

TEMENGGOR IT SHOULD BE

I take great pride in the fact that I am from Penang and I speak the Penang Malay dialect fluently (in case you wondered: Penang dialect is the best in the country!) and I speak the formal Bahasa very flueltly also.

Which brings me to my recent work-related assignment to Temenggor Forest Reserve. It must be spelt with a double G (i.e 'gg'). For some strange reason, apparently the Perak state government has sanctioned the spelling of the place with a single 'g' (i.e. Temengor).

This is wrong, obviously. Malaysians spell name places with double Gs always. From TerenGGanu to TemenGGor. These places are spelt as they are pronounced -- we do not say TE-REN-GANU, we say TE-RENG-GANU.

Similarly, we do not say TE-MEN-GOR, we say TE-MENG-GOR.

I have many very dear colleagues and friends who are from Perak itself and no one says TE-MEN (as in the plural of the English word MAN)-GOR.

I suspect the person or group of people who officially sanctioned the spelling TE-MEN-GOR must be the offspring(s) of Indonesian PRs in Malaysia. No one in their right mind speaks Malay the way it is prescribed officially. Malaysians speak Malay with a classy sense of poetry and lilt. Not stiff in the way demanded by the artificiality of the Bahasa Baku format.

(Anyway, just a jibe at Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for promoting that dubious policy of introducing Bahasa Baku while he was Education Minister -- the man had better retract that strange linguistic policy. Malaysians should be speaking Bahasa the way we have always spoken it over the centuries and not speak Bahasa as if it is the Indonesian language!)

Many Malaysians in my age group -- the 40s -- are very displeased with Bahasa Baku.

TUN DR MAHATHIR SKEWERED ON HARDTALK

I had the occasion to watch Malaysia's former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on BBC the other day and the old man gloriously stuffed both feet into his mouth to spectacular effect.

The interviewer Stephen Sackur asked all the questions that angry Malaysians like myself have been waiting to ask the old man. The lies Mahathir spouted on television was staggering. Has he not hear of the word KARMA?

In the 23 years Mahathir was the prime minister of this blessed country, he hammered in a dividing wedge between the main races of this country so deeply, that the old man must never ever be forgiven for his stupidity and racist policies.

He could have used his position to bring all the races together and the country would be even more unstoppable than it is now. But he never did.

(Let's face it folks -- Malaysia is what it is today and where it is because of the dynamics of the different races living here and galvanising the country forward. For any one race to think it is ahead of another is stupid. Look at country's around us -- frankly, they are all lesser countries compared to Malaysia.)

Mahathir systematically screwed the country's education policies, encouraged racist hiring policies at public institutions, royally shafted the judiciary and the country's media simultaneously and does not have the dignity to admit what he has done.

Late in his dictatorial political career, only then did Mahathir realise what our most beloved Tunku Abdul Rahman knew from day one: that the country is a dynamic force because of the different races that make up Malaysia and that education is a key point to the salvation of the country (by bringing people together and opening young minds that are full of potential). Dr Mahathir sang praises of the important role played by the non-Malay business communities in the development of Malaysia (as if it was a new thing!) only at the very end of his dictatorial reign but it was too late -- he had royally soured the intra-race relationships in the country.

The concession to Mahathir that English be used in the teaching of Maths and Science also came a bit too late -- being multilingual has always been an asset to any thinking person and during Mahathir's reign, he should have have at least made an effort to safeguard the education institutions so that not-so-bright education ministers under his leadership didn't screw around with the nation's most important asset: EDUCATION!!!!

Most all all, Mahathir should never be forgiven for screwing around with our national anthem, Negaraku. Thank God we have reverted to the stately and dignified tempo of our beloved song under Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership.

Kudos also to our present PM for bringing back Bunga Raya into prominence. I see it being planted everywhere and it is a beautiful sight to behold indeed when the flowers are blooming -- which is throughout the year! Our national flower is a better city-beautification option than the useless non-indigenous palm trees that were being planted everywhere at one point.

BARISAN NASIONAL SHOULD NEVER DESTROY PLACES OF WORSHIP

One thing Barisan Nasional should learn from its stupendous losses in the March 8th General Election is that it must absolutely put a stop to morons in the party from destroying people's places of worship, be it Hindu temples or Chinese temples. If a road needs to be built, build it AROUND the places of worship, giving allowance for the devotees' parking needs etc. Never assume to give temples notice of eviction etc. Who do the local authorities think they are? Mini Gods? Nowhere in the development plans of this great country does it say that you must destroy places of worship to make way for something as stupid as a road. In such cases, the unwritten rule should be that a place of worship wins hands down. Everything else in life CAN give way to places of worship!

And, PLEASE, people of all religion must be of the mindset that the other person's religion is as infallible as one's own religion. This way, people will respect one another's religion. When one thinks another person's religion is fallible, then why should not the other person also think your religion is equally fallible? So, screw you superiority complex when it comes to religion and use your God given brains and respect people's faith.

MALAYSIAN POLITICS MATURES

The most beautiful outcome of the recent general election is that it shows that Malaysians are coping rather well post election. The various victorious parties alternate to Barisan Nasional are finding their groove and shaping up well. In the meantime, the Prime Minister is showing how the political due processes work in the country and even he is learning that the power of the age old consultative style still prevails over threats and harsh words (especially against the palaces).

For these reasons, Malaysians have to monitor that politicians put in place a series of systems and processes that lets politicians do their work (or get booted out of office!) and the next batch of politicians (whatever their orientation be) can step in and do what they should do in the interest of the rakyat ad infinitum.

HOT NEW TRAILER... WANTED

The new Angelina Jolie movie, WANTED, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, looks sizzling. If you like Tomb Raider and Mr & Mrs Smith, then you will want to catch this new Jolie flick as well. She brings her feminine charm and devil-may-care-attitude with spectacular style. The Russian director has an original sense of style and his vision of action is absolutely spectacular!