tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40142642011-12-30T08:05:39.678-08:00The Malaysiana DigestsPersonal Commentary of Najah Nasseri, a Kuala Lumpur city dwellerNajahnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-1163484297718391832006-11-13T22:04:00.000-08:002006-11-13T22:04:57.953-08:00Lunch Yummy Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-940496142003-05-09T06:21:00.000-07:002003-05-09T06:22:30.000-07:00The Malaysiana Digests Has Moved! I have moved to www.najahnasseri.org. Please bookmark accordingly. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-935654112003-04-30T18:08:00.000-07:002003-04-30T18:08:44.330-07:00najahnasseri.org Finally bought a larger piece of real estate. Very excited. My contractor is building the house now! :) Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-935167832003-04-29T23:36:00.000-07:002003-04-30T00:45:29.000-07:00Getting to the Malaysiana Digests Ever wonder how people got here? I do - I check my stats regularly. More questions arise. Today's referrals came from Google searches for "Siti Nurhaliza kena bomoh" and "Hishamuddin Hussein and family". The weirdest one I got so far is "KLCC women's toilet pictures". Given that AIM was held last weekend, and Siti was upstaged by a newcomer called Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-934687422003-04-29T08:03:00.000-07:002003-04-29T08:13:00.000-07:00If thou must love me, let it be for naught by Elizabeth Barrett Browning If thou must love me, let it be for naught Except for love's sake only. Do not say `I love her for her smile -her look -her way Of speaking gently -for a trick of thought That falls in well with mine, and certes brought A sense of pleasant ease on such a day' - For these things in themselves, Beloved, may Be Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-933907712003-04-28T03:16:00.000-07:002003-04-28T03:16:50.150-07:00Time To Reflect Positivity is abundant around me. The speculation of our re-organisation exercise has been revealed, and although it yielded more questions than answers, it was heartening to note that the questions were being furiously noted down by the decision and policymakers. Sometimes, that's all it takes. Forget the corporate communication packages and carefully worded statements. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-933372652003-04-27T04:43:00.000-07:002003-04-27T04:51:18.000-07:00Blogging as a Culture I'm helping the PROMUDA ECM committee to organise a workshop for the INFOSOC conference to be held this June. Still haven't finalised a title with "Ummph!" as Johan would put it, but it'll come to me, eventually. The conference is aimed at youth practitioners, and is organised by the NITC. The theme for this year is "Catalysing Youth for Value Creation Leveraging on Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-933250352003-04-26T20:22:00.000-07:002003-04-26T20:23:37.000-07:00Sleeping In Saturday was unusually productive for me. I woke up early (for a Saturday), went for breakfast (see below), tried to learn how to use my new camera, went out for a facial (which was an adventure on its own), had the most scrumptous Caribbean seabass, and went home. I fell asleep at about 6 and didn't get up until 10 this morning. Huh? I'm still wondering what could have Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-932755532003-04-25T19:46:00.000-07:002003-04-25T20:25:55.000-07:00Images from a Breakfast Peek-a-boo! Aiz, Sharizal and I had breakfast this morning to discuss Project Kugiran. I'm not going to talk about the project, all will be revealed either here, here or here, in due time. I took the new camera for a spin. Wow. But I do have to warn you, I still don't know how to use the damn thing (or the photoediting software). And I haven't set up a Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-932688212003-04-25T16:43:00.000-07:002003-04-25T16:47:39.000-07:00I Got Thish Now... I've been in secret negotiations with a certain someone, on the procurement of a sophisticated articificial image capture and rendering device. The operation began some 2 months back, via mobile device communications between Little Havana and Seputeh. Two days ago, an S&P agreement was drafted, and yesterday, it was accepted in full. We have a camera! And before someoneNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-932237882003-04-24T22:28:00.000-07:002003-04-24T22:46:29.000-07:00The Blogosphere Courtesy of Maporama You will find this term used over and over again to describe the 'area' where bloggers can be found. I have recently found the most wonderful feature addition - the GeoURL, which will add reference in terms of what I am (what you see on the Malaysiana Digests) and where I am. Look out for this icon on the sidebar: Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-931873722003-04-24T10:12:00.000-07:002003-04-24T22:32:04.000-07:00What I Want This Year Once a year, I allow myself to become a kid again. As adults, we learn to not ask for things - we find it hard to ask for a raise, promotions, the love of another. Anything that seems selfish is deemed out of bounds, because adults have to be more 'adult' about things. So, once a year, I let myself ask for things - although this year will be the first time that I Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-931715382003-04-24T04:39:00.000-07:002003-04-24T04:41:40.000-07:00There's No Other Place Like It Ironic enough, the one place I have always wanted to be is here. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-931652992003-04-24T00:46:00.000-07:002003-04-24T03:06:42.000-07:00Mac and Harm I was very much captivated by a particular episode of JAG - the engagement party. Hmmm... Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-931646702003-04-24T00:25:00.000-07:002003-04-24T00:31:52.000-07:00Agitated 2 We're in the midst of some major reorganising and things are not so happy around the block. I won't talk about the mechanisms of how it's going to happen (because no one seems to really know) or about the speculations of what's going to happen. I'm just going to focus on my reactions to the reactions around me. Over lunch, I bumped into an ex-colleague who had bumped into our Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-930933352003-04-22T21:57:00.000-07:002003-04-22T21:57:43.100-07:00Google Me With all the technology advances the world has to offer, sometimes I wonder, how close are we in reality to Big Brother as compared to what is portrayed in Hollywood? And if Big Brother is truly watching, what is he feeling? Thanks to kottke.org, the KLCC of blogs (ok, so only one person would get this at the moment, but I will pursue a more academic explanation of this claim), I Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-930891222003-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:002003-04-22T20:31:46.870-07:00Role-Based Access Control The more services a company wants to offer, the more consolidation is required. With consolidation, one will have to find a way to tune the technology to suit information protection policies and its associated risks. I've summarised my task for this week into something that's jargonless. Found a good place to start. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-930505672003-04-22T08:24:00.000-07:002003-04-22T08:25:41.000-07:00Memorable Lines "Thank God for the starch, or there'd be nothing holding you upright!" -Frasier Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-930472332003-04-22T07:27:00.000-07:002003-04-22T07:35:34.000-07:00Ever Had One of Those Daze? Been distracted lately. It's as if something is trying to get my attention in my head, but hasn't had room to surface. Once in a while, lack of sleep causes me to stare into blank space, and I found myself close to figuring what it was, till I was interrupted by Noreen. Hmmph! Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-930288852003-04-21T22:23:00.000-07:002003-04-21T22:23:48.576-07:00I Don't Understand Products I am not a student of the marketing arts. Hence, when I attended Telekom Malaysia's Business Solutions Seminar this morning, I was puzzled by the wide array of products that all talk at you, rather than to you. Some were typical, like hosting services. Some were new and refreshing, like the vehicle tracking service (although it was limited to 10 vehicles, which Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-929801422003-04-21T06:13:00.000-07:002003-04-22T06:52:03.000-07:00Definitions Lots of people would like to define what a weblog is. Some fail, because they try to define a blog by what it isn't (which also excludes some of the more exuberant ones). Trying to define it also limits the formats in which the would-be blogger is free to experiment with, or at the very least, undermines the efforts of someone who is learning the ropes, or whose intentions are not Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-929744362003-04-21T02:37:00.000-07:002003-04-21T06:55:42.000-07:00Malaysians are Generally Judgmental, No Matter How 'Open-Minded' They Say They Are I think we Malaysians truly have an identity crisis. See my archived post on hypocrites. Proof: We like to stare. We like to cast our gaze on 'unusual' people, or 'unusual' situations. When we stare, we usually think. And when we think, we judge. It's a national pastime, and while I am making this claim, I amNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-929706512003-04-21T00:02:00.000-07:002003-04-21T00:02:16.233-07:00What Do You Look For in a Job? A friend of mine recently hit a career milestone. She was working for her dad, doing a business which she will inevitably inherit. She has the best working hours someone with her pay can ever hope to achieve, and her future in the company is pretty much assured. She recently got offered a job with a well-known brand, which may or may not put her masters Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-929663812003-04-20T22:04:00.000-07:002003-04-20T22:10:04.000-07:00It All Went AOK (No Thanks to Procrastination) I slept at 2am this morning. Got to work on time for my presentation at 9am. It was all Procrastination's fault. I finished my paper, which, I honestly feel would not have been so simple if not for the R&R time I had due to Procrastination. The presentation went well, and as with all things that go smoothly, I ended up with more work (whichNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-928893402003-04-19T07:58:00.000-07:002003-04-19T08:31:22.000-07:00I Have Run Out of Things to Procrastinate With Via Kanthara's Loft This is what happens when my 'engines' get stalled. I was on a roll - even for Friday evening, and I hit a speed bump. It's been stuck for more than 24 hours now. I woke up late today, picked up my sister at UiTM for lunch - which wasn't good at all because it was 3 and there wasn't much food left. Went to pick up Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-928314662003-04-18T04:04:00.000-07:002003-04-18T04:04:39.170-07:00Talk About Sense of Accomplishment Shahril delivered his first baby! Congratulations! Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-928309692003-04-18T03:41:00.000-07:002003-04-18T03:51:21.000-07:00Sense of Accomplishment I had a big day today. I had to handle a room of 30 people, make sure that everything runs on time and according to format (format is important!), so that at the end of the day, I get material for my report. I got there on time, which was a mean feat considering that I haven't been on time for a while now. And considering all the things that could have messed up, I Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-927493172003-04-16T18:20:00.000-07:002003-04-16T18:20:06.796-07:00Bon Voyage Dharsh Got a nice surprise phone call from a certain Miss Dharshini Benoit this morning on my way to work. She's in town for 2 hours, on her way back to Australia from a 2 month stint in India. For those who know Dharsh, update, she's been accepted to do a Bachelor in Medicinal Chemistry (yes, she's veering off the course of a career in Optical Networks). As usual, she is as brave Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-927142742003-04-16T06:45:00.000-07:002003-04-16T06:47:35.000-07:00* L O L * MORE Hilarious. Still can't stop laughing! Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-927132882003-04-16T06:24:00.000-07:002003-04-16T07:01:53.000-07:00Am I Me or Am I You? Sounds like it should be a title to a song. I'm not good at writing songs, or singing them for that matter. Used to play the violin, but that's a story for another day. Came across this article which shows, yet again, the 'insignificance' of our existence. Once in a while, it's good to think from this perspective. Personally, it makes me less 'emotional', especially Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-926434462003-04-15T04:29:00.000-07:002003-04-15T04:29:01.076-07:00Fairness in Islam I won't go into the details of Syariah Law. Another site tends to focus on it quite a bit (ok, once in a while...). But one thing I would like to highlight, or question, here in my blog is our definition of fairness. Our human definitions of fairness are sometimes limited to what we see from the point of view of a limited timeline - birth to death. The fundamental of IslamNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-926306292003-04-14T21:49:00.000-07:002003-04-14T21:52:07.000-07:00Do The Difficult Thing: Make Peace, Not War It is evident that brilliant minds are not involved in US and UK foreign policies concerning 'eye-rack'. The 20th Niwano Peace Prize (which carries an award worth £100,000) was awarded to a Dr Priscilla Elworthy, 59, founder and head of the Oxford Research Group (ORG) for her work on the resolution of conflicts through non-violent means. About Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-925653132003-04-13T22:21:00.000-07:002003-04-13T23:08:39.000-07:00One Man's Food is Another Man's Poison: Generation Gap in Politics Over lunch one day, Sharizal and I prompted a discussion on a young rising star in local politics (who shall not be named). His eloquence in conveying uncommon and refreshing perspectives on Islam, the Malay world and everything else under the sun has made him a name in the local political scene. His youth apparently was not a Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-924981402003-04-12T13:21:00.000-07:002003-04-12T13:38:06.000-07:00Furious. Again. I managed to stay away from the news for 1 week now, and even when Baghdad fell, I only succumbed to excerpts from colleagues and friends. I picked up the paper this morning, and literally shed a tear in public looking at the front page. The despair of a family who lost 3 male family members who were shot when their van didn't stop as it was passing a US-controlled building Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-924201932003-04-11T03:56:00.000-07:002003-04-11T03:56:56.513-07:00Warnings Heard about those leaflets? Seen it yet? A bit late, but for those who haven't, go here. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-924195942003-04-11T03:35:00.000-07:002003-04-11T03:39:21.000-07:00Some Logic Behind the War Here's someone who has also been playing around with tools. I really should go home/coffee/or something, but it's raining outside and I hate going anywhere when it rains. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-924194582003-04-11T03:29:00.000-07:002003-04-11T03:29:53.546-07:00Navigating through the Mess I am not cut out to be a project manager. After finishing 2 gruelling days of MS Project training (yes, we went all the way down to all those 4-letter acronyms), I realised that keeping track of other people's work is beyond my capabilities. Firstly, we have to track schedule. That's fine. I can keep track of other people's schedule. Then we have to track cost. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-924071332003-04-10T21:29:00.000-07:002003-04-10T21:29:12.793-07:00Sleepy Oops! I actually have a mood indicator for that... Anyway, I still can't be bothered to think up of a suitable title for my after Toastmasters high. I've only gone twice. Last night was the second time. Actually getting to the session was difficult, almost as bad as getting myself to go to the gym. I decided to leave things to fate last night, and fate made me bump into Jack. He wasNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-922762382003-04-09T00:14:00.000-07:002003-04-09T00:17:59.000-07:00Petty Petty Petty The report: On 26 March 2003, U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa introduced a bill demanding that code division multiple access (CDMA) technology, not Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), be used to reconstruct Iraq's mobile communication infrastructure after the war. Reasons include a desire not to favor non-U.S. patents and the claimed superiority of CDMA in Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-922659382003-04-08T20:39:00.000-07:002003-04-08T20:39:00.530-07:00I've Got Mail I was under my desk yesterday rummaging through my boxes of stuff which I haven't unpacked since I moved to my new department in January. I need to clarify at this point that it's not because I'm lazy, but cabinets are among the many many things this department is short of. I found my copy of Journey's Through Southeast Asia by Karim Raslan whom I properly met at the last PROMUDANajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-922065662003-04-08T00:05:00.000-07:002003-04-08T02:41:50.000-07:00To DVD or not to DVD A friend of mine told me once about the link between the pirate VCD/DVD trade here in Malaysia and underworld-type activities, specifically the kidnapping of young girls for the purpose of prostitution. Never checked it out (How could I? Do I go up to the stalls and ask "Eh, you ada bagi duit sama itu gangster pelacur ka?" - just not done, my friend...), so I never really Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-921400002003-04-07T03:07:00.000-07:002003-04-07T03:07:32.326-07:00Good Evening This is the part where I use my blog as self-therapy. It's raining buckets outside, and my floor is eerily quiet. Time to reflect on my horizontal career move recently. If I were upstairs, I wouldn't be alone. I'd be surrounded by workaholic geeks (and non-geeks forced to be geeks), joking around about the birds and the bees, and rounding up 'geng' to have drinks with. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-921285402003-04-06T21:50:00.000-07:002003-04-06T22:26:05.000-07:00All This Technology is Making Me Sick Pitfall of working in the technology sector, you lose all attraction to the damn thing. I am THE gadget geek. I like gadgets of all kinds - give me a digital camera, PDA, mobile phone (separately or together) and I'll figure out how to crash it in a matter of minutes. When I have the money, I splurge, although lately, I have been focusing my resources Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-921160332003-04-06T17:55:00.000-07:002003-04-06T19:12:49.000-07:00I Never Learn My heels have been growing higher and higher as the days go by. Last year, I was granted a 2-week MC for messing my back, a recurring problem since I fell on my *** caving with Bad and Penny at Gua Tempurung a couple of years back. The doctors told me to lay off the high heels, but once I achieved balance, flats just don't do it for me. Today, I trudged into work with a Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-919710802003-04-04T00:38:00.000-08:002003-04-04T00:53:08.000-08:00The Office My colleagues are nuts. They're especially nuts when the bosses are away. No, they don't run off to watch a movie or anything (seeing that we're oh sooo close to TGV...), they all of a sudden become themselves - interesting people. On a side note, I'm worried about Fische. The last time I talked to him a couple of days ago, he was sick at home in Singapore under self-imposed Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-919520592003-04-03T18:05:00.000-08:002003-04-03T19:57:09.000-08:00Excited About Pens Ok, I am almost officially nuts. I ran out of pens yesterday as I tested every single pen in my possession for one that has a decent supply of ink. I used to own 2 very nice non-disposable pens. Won't say the brand because it still pains me that I lost them. Having cleared my stationary stash, and not finding one that was functional, I made a mental note to shop for one Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-918334012003-04-02T01:32:00.000-08:002003-04-02T01:35:00.000-08:00SARS and MARS Seems like no place is safe from the deadly SARS virus. Having heard of the suspected cases here in Malaysia, everyone becomes a suspect. The guy who sniffled as he passed my cubicle, the friend who confessed to having a fever, the lady on the LRT who sneezed without covering her mouth. Eating in public places starts becoming a difficult endeavour. Is it safe? Every single Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-917509642003-03-31T19:28:00.000-08:002003-03-31T19:38:30.000-08:00Back from Kijal We had our internal user conference yesterday in Awana Kijal near Kerteh, Terengganu. Overall, it was a fruitful session, it's always good to keep in touch with the people you're working for. The theme was on "Business Resilience through the use of ICT". There was a good exchange between participants on how they've 'creatively' used IT to make their business run better, Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-915187482003-03-27T18:34:00.000-08:002003-03-27T18:34:31.733-08:00Friday Blues On Monday, I couldn't wait for Friday to come. On Tuesday, I forgot about Monday and went about my business. On Wednesday, I got my pay. It was the happiest day of the month. I also realised that I was officially fat. On Thursday, realised had bills to pay. Gave myself a break for going to the gym on Wednesday. On Friday, today, I wish it was Monday, because I have to work this Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-915135372003-03-27T16:51:00.000-08:002003-03-27T17:56:05.000-08:00Generations Rereading Generations, a compilation of articles written by 3 young columnists (who have now moved on to greener pastures in the arts, politics and more writing - namely Amir Muhammad, Sheryll Stothard and Kam Raslan. The setting is pre-reformasi, and the most significant event in this book was their arrest due to their involvement in a secret meeting to discuss the East Timor Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-914760162003-03-27T04:46:00.000-08:002003-03-27T04:46:33.606-08:00Coconut Content in France Cakes This was how someone got to my site. I spent a total of 15 whole minutes thinking about how this translated to my site. Finally figured out it must have been due to the many references to Jerome's heavenly cakes. Laying off the cakes for a while. I have declared myself officially fat, although I have been told that I have been a successful non-fat poser so Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-914710132003-03-27T02:00:00.000-08:002003-03-27T02:00:51.496-08:00Digging Everyday, some of us find ourselves facing difficult situations. Do we do something that's easy, or something that's been done before and is considered 'legal' or what's right? As you can see, I'm obsessed with this. Sometimes, one is asked to do something that leads to a can of worms. At this point, one can continue digging (hence the term, can of worms), or stop and find the path Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-914655842003-03-26T23:08:00.000-08:002003-03-26T23:08:34.200-08:00Definitions optimism - noun 1 the tendency to expect the best and see the best in all things 2 hopefulness; confidence 3 the doctrine of the ultimate triumph of good over evil 4 the philosophical doctrine that this is the best of all possible worlds [ETYMOLOGY: 18th Century: from French optimisme, from Latin optimus best, superlative of bonus good] naive - adjective 1Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-914645802003-03-26T22:42:00.000-08:002003-03-26T23:10:52.000-08:00Does Optimism = Naivety? I found the responses to my earlier post on this to be quite interesting. It ranged from catty (i.e. maybe the person who called me naive was naive himself), to presumptious, and to the supportive. In my own defense, yes, I am young, hence my views may not be as sophisticatedly formed as say... an old person of 35. However, most of it is formed from experience and 'Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-914011202003-03-26T01:00:00.000-08:002003-03-26T01:00:33.810-08:00Ministry of Infants We always here snide remarks about how 'Youth' in Malaysia actually refers to people up to the age of 40 years. A foreign observer might want to attribute that to the longevity of our life expectancy, but with most Malaysians barely making it to 55 due to our obsession with teh tarik, 40-somethings hardly qualify as youths in any country, with the exception of Malaysia. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-913826742003-03-25T17:57:00.000-08:002003-03-25T18:01:10.000-08:00Naive or Optimistic? An old friend stumbled upon my site recently. Having had minimal contact with him for the past few years, I asked what he thought of this site, in reference to what he knows about me. Naive. That was the word he used to describe the Malaysiana Digests. Not that I took offence, he's one of those people that I can take pretty much anything from, and I know that our Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-912857052003-03-24T08:21:00.000-08:002003-03-24T19:33:53.000-08:00Bit Thots: How Much Does It Cost to Stop Terrorism? I heard on CNN that the war on Iraq is going to cost roughly USD75 billion. If the US really wants to make the world a peaceful place, wouldn't that money be better spent elsewhere? Estimates anyone? 1.Saddam Securities 2.War With Iraq: Costs, Consequences, and Alternatives by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences - Note to myself: Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-912843192003-03-24T07:54:00.000-08:002003-03-24T19:36:20.000-08:00Salam Is Back! Salam is back, with more news of what is actually happening in Baghdad. He thanked the goodwill of Blogger, Google,www.industrialdeathrock.com etc for keeping his site online in some form or other. If only countries can cooperate in the same way... I don't want to become a warblogger, but really, what else can I write about? I've stopped keeping track of which side lost what/Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-912578092003-03-23T19:54:00.000-08:002003-03-24T19:42:03.000-08:00Where is Salam? Salam has found Raed, but I'm sure that the world, like me, is looking for Salam. He hasn't updated his site since Friday. Aid organisations reported yesterday that basic infrastructure like water and electricity has been cut off in Baghdad. Media coverage of the war is becoming nauseating. Especially if the English-speakings ones all sound the same, with the exception of Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-911934892003-03-22T12:56:00.000-08:002003-03-22T13:28:25.000-08:00Letters To the United Nations, dated 1948 "As I see it, this is the way for the nations of the world to break the vicious circle which threatens the continued existence of mankind, as no other situation in human history has ever done ..." MORE from Einstein ... - - - To the United States "Now that the war in Iraq is finally underway, let’s pause to consider what America has to Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-911894102003-03-22T11:06:00.000-08:002003-03-22T11:14:20.000-08:00Take Five I thought I'd ask myself some questions and see what I answer, but that would be too premeditated. So I found some random questions someone else asked (courtesy of The Friday Five). Here we go: 1. If you had the chance to meet someone you've never met, from the past or present, who would it be? Hmm... can't think of one single person. I'd probably come up with a list of 50 Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-911764712003-03-22T04:32:00.000-08:002003-03-24T19:47:22.000-08:00Freedom of Speech in Malaysia: A Subjectively Objective Matter Going through Salam's latest posts on his blog, I followed a link to another blog of a virtual friend of his in the States. She talked about her friendship with Salam, about how journalists from all over the world has been emailing her to find out if Salam is real, perhaps about who Salam actually is? Being at the right place atNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-911757652003-03-22T03:57:00.000-08:002003-03-24T19:47:37.000-08:00The Rise of Extremism Salam made a comment about how people in Iraq turn to religion when the times became bad after the UN sanctions began, resulting in the rise of ultra-conservatives in his society (hope I got this right). An acquaintance of mine talked about the reverse effect, the increase of 'liberal' interpretations of Islam in response to highly-publicised hard line conservatives. And Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-911354892003-03-21T09:58:00.000-08:002003-03-24T19:58:43.000-08:00Hilf Al-Fudul While reading through The Eternal Message of Muhammad by Abd al-Rahman Azzam, I came across a pre-Islamic pact called Hilf al-Fudul or the alliance of the virtuous. This was a pre-Islamic pact which originated as an agreement among members of the league to protect the defenseless and ensure the safety of strangers in Mecca. It was reported that a stranger from Yemen had sold Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-911163372003-03-21T02:39:00.000-08:002003-03-24T19:55:28.000-08:00Why I Don't 'Talk' About War The title seems odd, considering that all I have been talking about in recent posts is about war. Personally, I consider my blog my own little piece of real estate on the web, you can wander onto it, but I won't be screaming off the top of my lungs for people to come visit. In real life, the only times I have talked about what's been happening is after the factNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-910420742003-03-19T21:59:00.000-08:002003-03-24T20:39:44.000-08:00Surrealism in the Real World I attended a seminar today, focusing on reducing the complexity of IT systems for businesses. As I sat in listening to how companies can use web services to make the 'easy' transition from legacy systems to web, I received SMSes from friends back in the 'real' world on how America has launched its war against Iraq. The bombs have descended upon Baghdad. Today isNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-909149042003-03-18T02:24:00.000-08:002003-03-24T20:34:54.000-08:00Permutating Perceptions: Anti-Masculinists As expected, there were a lot of not-so-favourable responses from men who were told of Sharizal's mini-involvement with the MP campaign. Most felt that he 'betrayed' man-kind by supporting an 'anti-polygamy' campaign. To set the matter straight, it was not an 'anti-polygamy' campaign, it was pro-monogamy. There is a very distinct difference. Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-908276502003-03-16T17:24:00.000-08:002003-03-24T20:40:50.000-08:00Monogami Pilihanku One thing lead to another, and Sharizal and I ended up in Amcorp Mall on Sunday morning for the launch of the "Monogami Pilihanku" campaign organised by the Women's Aid Organisation. The thing to note was my scepticism prior to attending the seminar. We were running through other potential car sticker candidates (the symbolic event being the handing over of car stickers Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-905712152003-03-11T22:04:00.000-08:002003-03-21T03:49:03.000-08:00Life and Faith You can expect this post to be about something awful. Most people go through most of their lives surfing on the edge of faith. Somehow, somewhere, we were all taught to see life as a series of random events, and those who believe in fate/faith/God/any higher power are declared saps. There is also the argument that religion serves as an emotional crutch. What's wrong with Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-905560842003-03-11T17:14:00.000-08:002003-03-11T17:14:02.403-08:00Me and Breakfast Breakfast, if done ceremoniously, can be a very significant meal of the day. I won't bore with the details of cancer rates and health points. Breakfast, when taken late enough in the morning but early enough away from the lunch crowd, can be wonderful. The best breakfast menu I have met so far has to be from Chinoz KLCC. After sampling a few dishes, I have to say, I am in Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-905049662003-03-10T21:42:00.000-08:002003-03-10T21:42:30.903-08:00Citibank Vomited Back My Cash Refer to the post below. I got my money back, today. But only after I reaffirmed the all-important rule of being an adult - "It's not what you know, it's who you know." Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-904536002003-03-10T05:05:00.000-08:002003-03-10T05:25:13.000-08:00Citibank Ate My Cash I'm in the middle of a little fiasco with Citibank. Two Saturdays ago, I went to the branch in KL to pay my credit card bills. I was unfortunate to have the ATM die on me during a transaction. The response from the staff on duty was helpful. The guard immediately closed off the machine and led me to the phone and advised me to make a report. He called an officer to check Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-904383992003-03-09T21:05:00.000-08:002003-03-09T22:31:21.000-08:00Green Funny that of all the things that I write that can really get up someone's nose, the thing that got up most people's noses today was my blog's new look! Yes, I have gone green. My offline critics have gone into great detail to explain the impact of my newfound green-ness: Here's one: najah: is my green too green? Mohamad: it is ok lah ... Mohamad: most important you like itNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-902176942003-03-05T20:16:00.000-08:002003-03-24T20:33:49.000-08:00Participating in Democracy Last night's PROMUDA event was a talk on Young Professionals as Leaders of Tomorrow by Youth and Sports minister, Dato' Hishamuddin Hussein Onn. In his speech, he outlined major characteristics of a leader and related it to examples we see in our country. One issue he highlighted was on increasing political apathy among youths. Citing Electoral Commission Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-901046292003-03-04T02:03:00.000-08:002003-03-04T02:03:37.513-08:00Happy New Year Today is Awal Muharram - the Muslim New Year's Day. The whole of Malaysia has the day off, but it seems like it's just another weekend - with the exception that it's actually Tuesday. I didn't do anything special to mark the day except the doa to mark the beginning of a new year. There is one to mark the end of the old one, only that I sort of missed it on the count of havingNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-900283222003-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:002003-03-02T19:22:20.000-08:00Babysitting Sharizal and I baby sat two Saturdays ago. With some help from Zeehan. Najwa and Azrol wanted to go watch a movie, something that's virtually impossible for couples with new borns to do. Lucky for us we bought a book before the babysitting job. It was the Pinceton's Guide on Infant Care for 0 - 12 months, and it describe many common ailments and symptoms that appear in Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-898916722003-02-28T00:58:00.000-08:002003-02-28T01:03:28.000-08:00"Won't You Be My Neighbor?" In tribute of Mr Fred Rogers, who died yesterday at the age of 74, my headline today is 'misspelt'. As I child, I remembered the calming effect Mr Rogers had on my day. Watching him come in the door, take off his jacket and put on his cardigan was an introduction that I truly enjoyed. It was reminiscent of an element of television in the 60s where all Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-898203242003-02-26T21:20:00.000-08:002003-03-24T20:47:47.000-08:00Ignorance I went to a PROMUDA talk last night entitled "Social and Economic Issues affecting Muslims in the United States and Worldwide Post 9-11" sponsored by the United States Embassy and Council of American Muslims for Understanding (CAMU). The main speaker was Dr Malik Hassan, Chairman of CAMU, with an opening address by Mr Robert A Pollard, Deputy Ambassador to Malaysia. Panelists Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-897454442003-02-25T17:11:00.000-08:002003-02-25T17:19:05.000-08:00Google Ate Blogger Ok ok... Google Bought Blogger. This piece of news came out a couple of weeks ago but I hesitated to comment until more news came out of it. Since then, there has been much speculation and excitement in terms of what this means to global internet culture as a whole. The Internet, in general, is still very much context-less. Sophisticated tools have made it much more Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-896301482003-02-23T18:51:00.000-08:002003-02-23T18:51:01.430-08:00Hair: A Guide to Choosing Your Stylist Over the weekend, I made some substantial purchases for grooming products at the pharmacy. I was looking forward to getting a haircut at Holis, but due to my hectic 'social' schedule (read babysitting ... ), I had to postpone it till at least the middle of this week. Around the Kelana Jaya roundabout, another twenty-something decided she couldn't Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-894766152003-02-20T20:22:00.000-08:002003-02-20T20:25:50.000-08:00Superstitions With my streak of bad luck, I'm surprised that no one said anything of it earlier. The first person to mention anything on it was Mat Piah, who suggested that Sharizal, myself, the car and our licences mandi bunga to ward off bad luck. Yesterday, someone mentioned in passing that maybe we were victims of supernatural forces (kena buat orang). In Malay culture, superstition hasNajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-893137112003-02-18T08:41:00.000-08:002003-02-18T16:49:36.000-08:00In the Wrong Century I know of people who have often declared that they were born in the wrong century. These people, whose fetishes range from black and white silent films to aversions to any form of new technology, often exhibit symptoms of 'fashion/lifestyle' displacement rather than true 'temporal' displacement. I once lived pretty much like that. During my uni days, I hardly ever Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-892802642003-02-17T19:28:00.000-08:002003-02-17T19:30:48.000-08:00Song Bird I am ashamed to admit that I am one of those Malaysians who have almost no appreciation for local musical talent. Not that I don't think that they're any good, but the way the local entertainment media hypes up an artist makes us know too much about them, instead of their music. Hence, the few local artists that I have acquainted myself with have been some of the most Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-892420252003-02-17T07:12:00.000-08:002003-02-17T07:18:19.000-08:00Thank God for the Little Things Remember when I was struggling to look forward to anything at all (see posting below)? It's amazing how life is really like a roller coaster that goes underwater sometimes, you never know where the next turn, the next minute, the next day will take you. Overall, I would rate today as a good day. I'm glad I decided to have lunch with Shima. When things go bad,Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-890962332003-02-14T07:57:00.000-08:002003-02-14T07:58:02.000-08:00Keeping My Face to the Sun, So that I don't see the Shadows I haven't been blogging at night for a while, and I noticed that it shows in the topics I choose to write on. This post will be somewhat introspective. I went into the PROMUDA e-groups, haven't been in for a while, and it's good to see that it has been flourishing with debates on the status of women, France's stand on things, Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-890750882003-02-13T21:21:00.000-08:002003-02-13T21:25:56.000-08:00A Full Circle I had lunch with a Yoda yesterday. We had the most delightful ayam kampung goreng (fried country chicken) at a place near Masjid Jamek LRT station. While munching on the crispy succulent flesh of the leanest chicken I've ever tasted, we talked about convenience. I commented on how my life, when it comes to grocery shopping, has become a routine. Milk and bread. That's my Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-890253462003-02-13T02:35:00.000-08:002003-02-13T02:35:19.423-08:00Names for Machines A good friend of mine has this habit of naming his computers. Not a weird thing to do, considering men usually name their cars. I wouldn't know what women name, haven't given it enough thought to discuss the matter with my friends, but personally, I name body parts, or its attributes and actions. Someone with a pot belly might find his pot belly being named, or even have a Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-888812122003-02-10T16:39:00.000-08:002003-02-10T16:40:33.000-08:00Harapkan Pagar There is an old Malay saying - harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi, which means that those whom one relies on to protect you sometimes takes advantage of the situation. In the course of getting the accident sorted out, we have been harassed by not-so well meaning agents of police officers and lawyers, who, in a time when families are already overwhelmed with grief and much anxiety,Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-888223692003-02-09T17:04:00.000-08:002003-02-09T17:04:26.726-08:00The Accident Series I would like to announce the beginning of the 'accident' series. Sharizal, my two brothers, Farhat and Fawaz, and myself, met with an accident on the 1st of February. All of us are fine, with the exception of Farhat who will be undergoing a jaw reconstruction and femur surgery tomorrow. The experience has been nonetheless traumatising for the family, and I feel that this Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-881949442003-01-28T19:43:00.000-08:002003-01-28T19:48:41.000-08:00Chinoz Butchered Jerome's Tarts Sharizal and I had a date yesterday at Chinoz in KLCC. I stuffed my face with Deep Fried Camembert Cheese, which was exquisite with cranberry sauce and rocket salad, Potato Skins with Chilli Con Carne, and wanted to wash it all down with some yummy dessert. I remembered a friend telling me that Jerome supplies Lemon Tarts to Chinoz, and imagine my delight when INajahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-880713332003-01-26T17:46:00.000-08:002003-01-26T17:46:55.760-08:00Lest We Forget My cousin passed away yesterday in a car accident. His wife is in critical condition. It is events like these that remind us of how fragile life is. Abang Khairi was alway the considerate one - he was always first to be there at a family kenduri and one of the last to leave. He was always willing to lend a hand, and when he wasn't, he always had a video camera in it. It Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-878779972003-01-22T19:28:00.000-08:002003-01-22T19:35:16.000-08:00Question I wondered about what makes a person a hypocrite. We all know that we don't like hypocrites, and I bet you that all hypocrites don't even know that they are hypocrites. Definition: 1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs. 2. a person who Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-877743432003-01-21T01:02:00.000-08:002003-01-21T20:30:48.000-08:00 The Specialist Bookstore One of my favourite haunts has always been the Specialist Bookstore on Level 3 in KLCC. I discovered it some time ago, having very dim lighting, it sort of resembles those old, dusty yet magical bookshops that you read about. Haven't been there for a while, I went through my Muslim Feminist phase there, finally bought a couple of books, and decided to do my browsing Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-877739472003-01-21T00:43:00.000-08:002003-01-22T00:44:08.000-08:00Don't Walk When You Can Run Note: Wrote this yesterday (21/1/03) but blogger went down. hmmph! Last night, PROMUDA organised the closing event of the "Perspectives from the Past, Paradigms for the Future" Lecture Series. The event was graced by the presence of YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and was attended by over 850 young professionals, industry representatives and members of the Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-877048212003-01-19T18:14:00.000-08:002003-01-19T18:14:41.673-08:00Notice I have not succumbed to the critisms of my glaring site not because I don't care about the well-being of my readers' eyes, but rather I have been busy getting adjusted to a lower altitude due to my official transfer to my new department. Since I have to make a decent enough first impression, I may not have time to write as much. Just the occassional paragraph or two whenever I feel Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-875813292003-01-17T00:47:00.000-08:002003-01-17T00:49:41.000-08:00Bye Bye You Today, I packed my stuff - all 4 boxes of it, and moved down one level to my new department. Odd that even though I routinely go there for meetings or just to chit chat with friends, today, the new place smells, looks and feels noticeably different from my old place. To my old cubicle, you have been witness to too many dramas and have served me well by keeping quiet. I Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-875759242003-01-16T21:42:00.000-08:002003-01-16T23:08:15.000-08:00Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness Sharizal told me that Smashing Pumpkins have disbanded. It probably happened a long time ago, but I have been so out of touch with these things ever since I joined the rat race. I used to listed to them as a university student. Their mass appeal was the beautiful way they expressed those feelings that makes us young - mood swings between a sense of Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-875756032003-01-16T21:34:00.000-08:002003-01-16T23:04:15.000-08:00W: Energy Received Energy Returned I had a very frustrating conversation this morning. I was asking for a favour, of course, for something that I needed. The response I got back was not only negative, the matter in which it was said was pretty negative. My immediate response to this was, of course, just as negative. The old saying of what goes around comes around really did apply this Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-875617102003-01-16T16:35:00.000-08:002003-01-16T16:35:09.446-08:00Dengue My uncle was admitted last night with dengue fever for the second time in his life. He lives in an area of Shah Alam where dengue cases are more widespread than most residential areas. We visited him last night, and while he looked much better than the first time he had dengue, we were aware that second time infections can be fatal as the body would have lost a lot of resistance Najahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4014264.post-875224042003-01-15T22:24:00.000-08:002003-01-16T00:05:23.000-08:00Orange Is orange my colour? I was really hoping it would be green, but even on a website, it makes me look pale and anorexic. After fiddling around with the design, I realised that orange really reflects how I feel inside. A bit of citrus, a bit of sunshine, and a lot of glare! Other Oranges: ORANGE, the company ORANGE, the colour A Clockwork ORANGE Najahnoreply@blogger.com