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Here I Go Again #2

Am currently writing this in the train on the way to King's Cross. I didn't know all East Coast trains had free WiFi on them, although a little slower. But it makes the 5 hours a lot more enjoyable, haha. I'll be in King's Cross in under 2 hours time. Till then~

Here I Go Again

I'm off to London in about an hour's time. Then it's a night at Paul's place and then KL!! Whoop!

Feel's good to be home~ it always does.
Song of the Moment: The Kinks - This Time Tomorrow

Hypocrisy

Here we have dozens of opposition figures, being detained without proof of court order, and ex-PM Anwar claims to be held for a while by Immigration officers. I foresee a sequel of the 1987 hit under the PM's predecessor.

A couple of questionable press statements were made in recent days, but it all began with the now-famous line Saya Pantang Dicabar. Then we became more hostile in foreign relations, telling people to 'lay off', and that these are 'internal affairs'. Hmm I guess the same psychological mindsets can be used against one, like... how 'bout laying off Myanmar for instance, .. and laying off Palestine, laying off Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Venezuela, Russia, Taiwan, etc?

Governments of the world nowadays I tell you, are always trying to hump the other country when no one's looking, damn busybody wan.

Ok now, 31 people are charged for attempted murder filed by the AG himself, and the hearing's next year. Hmm, I guess he means that the poor guy got whacked hard by the 31 accused. Yes, like a Rambo scenario, 1 on 31. Well I'd agree to that if that's the case, but .. fat chance.

Or maybe it wasn't about the poor chap, but the officers in general. Harm probably would be a better term to use, without any malicious intent. It's exaggeration by calling it attempted murder. Say, if I happen to be an innocent bystander, and you lob tear gas into my face, shoot water at me, then rough me up with batons and shields, I'd be blowing the whole thing out of proportion and risk losing my case if I decide to sue and call it attempted murder. See what I'm trying to get at?

So, back to the original topic, when one wielding power feels threatened by the fear of losing it, one silences his opposition. Ah, the classics. But we'll have to be glad as well lah, I mean imagine if it was under the Tun's patriarchal rule, even bloggers will be detained with ISA nowadays lol. Then I'd be afraid. Heh. Remember the AUKU(Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti), that was a mean one.

The author decided that he'll probably let out a wee bit of steam from exam preparation and there'll be a few more rants because he's in the mood to do so. Heh. Don't blame him, blame accounting.

Accountancy Sucks

With an accounting exam this Friday, I'm still struggling with the basics because of myself missing out lectures. That, and also because I hate accounting.

Why
lah have to study accounting. You're probably asking now, why is this sohai fella studying something he doesn't like. Because.. I need it, it complements finance. Sigh.

So, I've compiled 5 reasons why I hate accounting.
#1 It's boring. There's no doubt about that.

#2 Churning the same numbers over and over again.. sucks. Not only that, I have to create 20+ accounts and cross reference them here and there and close them all again.
Sien.

#3 Being an idiot, 30% of the time my balance sheets don't balance.

#4 Not only does my balance sheet not balance, my trial balance doesn't balance sometimes.

#5 Accountants are boring fat chums sitting behind desks dressed in short ties and boyish haircuts churning numbers all day long, only to leave at 5pm driving their Proton Wira back home to their rented apartment, to their fat wife and fat kids, watching Astro WahLaiToi at night.

Ok that last part after leaving work .. is completely unnecessary. All made up hahaha.
. and that completes my rant this time around. kthxbai.

Today's Topic

Since there's an economics exam tomorrow, today's topic will be on economics!

Boooo... sau pei lah, so free until blog about economics? Sien douu..talk about something else la tiuu..


I admit it's a desperate and stale topic, but it'll be educational! =P


Ok, to show everyone the power of failing to understand the basics of economics, please turn over to look at Zimbabwe, once dubbed the the Kitchen of Africa (or something along those lines). President Robert Mugabe (a graduate of the same university I'm at, eek!) and his version of Mugabenomics has created a typical textbook version of hyperinflation which is a good study for any economist, and in the process, made everyone in the country unwilling millionaires.
The gameshow Who Wants To Be A Millionaire will surely be condemned in this situation.

It all started when his government seized control of commercial farms, controlling all food output. That put workers out of jobs, and pretty much destroyed the agricultural industry. Then what happens, is a recession, followed by inflation.

US$50 makes u half a millionaire in Zimbabwe.

So, as each day passes during the inflation period, the government's coffers are getting emptied, so, unable to pay for the high prices of stuff, the Central Bank prints more money to finance it's expenditures. Beeep, wrong move. Effectively, as of now, the government is probably bankrupted, but it still prints money to finance it's expenditures.

Official inflation rate is at 7500%, but unofficial ones predict above 15000%. Official exchange rate is at 250ZW$ per US$ but black market rates push past 120,000ZW$ (120,000,000 in old currencies) per US$. Golfers prefer to buy drinks before they tee-off because by the time they come back they won't be able to afford the drinks.

That's gone too.

Being the master of his own version of economics, President Mugabe ordered inflation to be illegal, banks do not allow more than $10000 to be withdrawn in a day, and in order to buy support from his allies, has promised to triple current salaries to $33m a month, and printing even more money to flood his close circle of allies with.

So we all know that the theory in Mugabenomics is doing everything contrary to the economic dogma practised everywhere.
One should cease printing money because printing money isn't gonna work, it only makes the current amount of money even more worthless. One should also not continue spending, but the government cannot afford to cut it's expenditure (to maintain support), and are using draconian policies to stem money growth. Price controls and economy regulation exacerbate the situation. But President Mugabe did it anyway, and even forced a legislation to say that prices are to be cut by 50%.

This corrodes confidence in both the government, and the money. So people will move back to the stone ages where barter trade is used. Once, money was stored in the bank, now money is stored as bread. The newest currency is $20million in plastic bag of $500 notes. (The $500 note cannot be used to even buy one ply of tissue paper.)

The latest currency is bags of money.

For the people, a majority of whom depend on remittances in US$, or earn in South African rands, are coping well with the situation. But poor souls who are trapped have to suffer and rely on aid organisations distributing food.

At this point, if you're still failing to grasp the theory of hyperinflation. Take your bank balance, let's say $100 push it back by 5/6 zeros, then try to buy a 30 cents loaf of bread with that. Kind of tough isn't it. That's if you were unlucky enough to have your money in a bank when that happens.
Ok, enough for today, I feel smarter already typing through all this.

The author would like to clarify that he's not a boring person with no life but studying economics and talking about politics. Nononono, that's not true. He's in fact an ah-beng who slacks around, plays DotA, talks crap, and listens to trance, techno, dance, electronic, n house. He also lives most of his life on Facebook, and MSN. =P

Heresy

BERSIH's gathering will be held on the 11th of December. That means I'll be missing out on that march as well. Yikes! =.= Trying to stay a step ahead of the YdP Agong by amending the Federal Constitution is downright disrespectful I tell you. You level-4 crooks are despicable. So, is the (Mis)Information guy going to rap again? Let's see what lies you can cook up this time.

All these half-past six power-corrupted pariahs who strictly abide to the phrase "By Hook or By Crook" should all be condemned internationally. Bah.

10 days

I beginning lose my sanity over the staleness of things that's been going on since I came back from Glasgow. Every day I wake up at 11-12, sit in bed while reading news for a while, laze around, get some food then lurk around the internet for the rest of the afternoon. Then as evening approaches, typified by the darkening skies at 4pm, I start doing a little bit of work, on some days I'll just hop out to the shops for groceries. Then 5.30-7 will kinda be dinner time including prep.

After that I'll continue revision.. until 10 or so, I'll start nudging people in MSN. All the way till 12/1 I'll do what I did in the afternoon, lurk around the net, surfing and resurfing the same sites over and over again (wtf, no life at all). Until sometime around 1+ I'll lie in bed and read a dozen pages or so from this new book that I've got. (It's really good), then lights out.

And I'll wake up to the same thing the next day.
And this has been going on since 10 days ago.
And there's 10 more days to go till the final exam.
And I wish that my exams were more closely packed together.
And I wish that time would fly faster, just for these few days.
And I wish that someone would DotA with me.
And I wish everyone else wasn't so busy studying because it makes me look slacky.

Sigh, I realise I lack discipline =P , at times.

10 days to go!

An Open Letter

Mr Badawi,

The word 'transparency' has been at the core of your manifesto when you entered office in late 2003. I don't see that now when your minister tabled for first reading the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2007 that seeks to extend the, well you know, on November the 20th in Parliament. The motive and the timing of the proposal is questionable. Not only did you not consult the rakyat, (through publishing it in the press?) I don't even know whether you have consulted The Yang-diPertuan Agong and the Conference of Rulers on this or not.

I'm merely suggesting this, but could it be that you need him for next year's GE? Similarly the IGP's and the ACA-DG's tenureship have all been extended. You even tried to extend the tenureship of one of the key figures in the 'Lingamgate' episode, Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz. Or did you already? I apologise but my memory fails me. But anyway he's not in office so it doesn't matter now.

One explanation has popped up so far, and I believe it's the answer you'd prefer. These men have served their posts well and you'd like them to do it for another few months/a year right? Very well, but there's another explanation that I've thought of, that you'd like for them to 'help' you out through the most crucial stages of your stewardship as PM due to the strategic positions they each hold. You mean to say that the ACA Director-General, Inspector General of Police, Chief Justice and Election Commission Chairman aren't key posts to you?

I have my right and reasons to suspect and question your fuzzy motives, and so do the people.

Perhaps you'd show some accountability to the people, and at the very least, give a soundful explanation on why The Constitution has to be amended for the sake of one civil servant, at this very time on the eve of the General Election. Please, do not give some layman arrogant excuse like your subordinate in the Prime Minister's Department of having the backing of the majority to do so, because you don't have the proof, like what all you and your subordinates have demanded when grouses are filed against yourselves.

Does your subordinate in the PM's department have proof of 2 million Indians backing him in his press statement recently? No. Do we have proof of the EC's shortcomings? Not substantial, but there is some (note: some) clear evidence of the lack of accountable governance on the EC's part (See: Ipoh Barat and Ipoh Timor constituencies). Various ministers have demanded that opposition voices show clear proof of wrongdoing or shut-up-sit-down-and-don't-stir-up-trouble.

So, will you also do your part, and show us, the people, that your actions are justified, in other words, proof? Or else, please do your people and nation a favour, and leave The Constitution alone, or so to rephrase the general notion that's being brought up from time to time.

Thank you for your time. Oh and by the way, I'm assuming you, because you're the head of government.. right?

Regards,
Tee Haow Kang
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Someone who's been reading the news would know that a further 3 rallies are planned for December. One by the Bar Council to celebrate Human Rights Day and another by BERSIH.

BERSIH's question this time around is simple. Why change the constitution for one civil servant? EC Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman turns 66 at the end of this year, and Minister in the PM's Department Nazri Aziz is spearheading the proposal to amend the constitution to allow the EC Chairman to retire at 66 instead of 65.

So the gazillion-dollar question lies here. Is it justifiable that The Constitution (note, The Constitution) be amended just because of one man? Surely the underlying reason isn't very clear.

Additional informative reads here, here, here and here. That's if you'd spare some time and think for the sake of the country =). Call me a pessimist if you will, but I'm worrying for this country's constitution at this current rate. I also personally think that royal intervention is needed for this, to put this on record.

(Witness the power of >66% majority, 377 specific amendments to 183 articles in the Federal Constitution thus far. zomg!!)

Papers Make Me Pissed

Every day I get my dose of pissage from the mainstream papers. Of recent, is the toll hikes. Yeah, hike somemore hike somemore, next time I use the highway also toll cost more than petrol wtf.

So now, toll concessionaires are better friends than the public? Don't stay in Sungai Siput
sana mana ada toll? of courselah menang!, come to KL and contest against DAP's Fong Kui Lun in the Bukit Bintang constituency or any other constituencies in KL for that matter, then you'll see the capital's grouses against you.

Look at how many f**king tolls we have in our capital, and how many of them are toll-ed.

Highways with no tolls
KL-Seremban highway, Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), Federal Highway, Puchong-Sg Besi highway, can't think of any others.

These are the best roads to use. But lots of idiots hang around these roads especially on the MRR2. To those stewpid people, if you wanna cruise at 60km/h on the fast lane don't be blind to the queue of cars behind you. Sure kena assfuked tiu wan if you provoke people like that. Just because I've got a P sticker on my windscreen doesn't mean I have to follow behind you
nias*ng.

KESAS - rm2.20, (tiuuuuu this is the most painintheass one)
LDP - rm1.60, (everytime i use this road sure stress, after tollplaza sure jam)
Sg Besi expressway /BESRAYA - rm1.30/1.50, (because of this stupid toll, terpaksa use detour through kampung)
SPRINT -
Kerinchi link - rm1.50, (use only once, and that was by accident)
SPRINT -
Penchala link - rm2.00, (kena tipu also)
SPRINT -
Damansara link - didn't use before so i dunno,
Ampang-KL Elevated Expressway - rm1.60
SILK - rm1.00
ELITE - (rarely used so I don't remember)
NPE - rm1.60
Salak Expressway - rm0.50
Grand Saga Expressway - rm1 (those ulu ulu places =P)
NKVE - always end up by mistake on this highway from ELITE on the way back from KLIA.

These are just the few that I've remembered, still got the ones in Subang and westward. One new one which I think will be particularly handy is the KL-Putrajaya Expressway, starting from Kg Pandan passing through Kuchai Lama, then one interchange at Bukit Jalil, but the interchange only links to KESAS so it'll be another painintheass exiting the highway but not entering it.

This has got to be one of the most confusing interchanges.

It's easy to enter from the west to KL but not to Putrajaya.
It's easy to exit from KL to the east but not the west.
It's easy to enter from the east to both KL and Putrajaya.
It's easy to exit from Putrajaya to the east but not to the west.

I might have made it even more confusing =P Oh well.

But the main point remains, it sucks to drive in KL because of all these tolls! Coupled with parking charges and whatnot, a day out in the city or elsewhere will result in either getting caught in a jam or parting with at least rm5-10. That's a lot okay! Think of the bowl of extra large hor fun or chicken rice that I'm missing out on.

So, conclusively.. you better get out of office, because all you're doing is burdening the people with unnecessary toll increases. Sigh, and I'm done with my quota of rants for the day.

P.S: Is the KL-Putrajaya highway open yet? I haven't been catching up with that.