Because my journal is one of the first results to show up under a Google search for my RL name, I've decided to make this journal Friends Only. Just comment to be added.

This design was made by scholarslayouts. Friends-only banner made by filousophe.

Selamat Hari Wesak to all our Buddhist friends!

Edit: Salah post! Was supposed to go into the malaysians community. Oh well!

Edit:
So someone sent me a message via Facebook which said this --

Incidentally, there was an entry on Wesak Day in your LiveJournal blog titled 'Vaisakhi', which I think is slightly misleading. Wesak Day is named after the month it falls on, which is indeed called Vaisakha/Vaisekha or variations thereof, but that particular romanization you used is more strongly associated with the Sikh festival of Baisakhi/Vaisakhi, which commemorates the establishment of the Khalsa by the Tenth Guru, Guru Gobindh Singh.

When I was growing up someone started a rumour saying that there was a fatal mishap in the local Coca Cola factory. A Bangladeshi migrant worker (it just had to be one, doesn't it?) fell into a Coca Cola vat, but before he could be rescued he was sucked in by the machinery, churned into tiny pieces, and distributed along with the drink into Coca Cola cans. The company could not trace which cans had pieces of him inside, so they just sold all of them to the market. We have only one clue to work with: the cans that had him inside were all of the special, World Cup edition.

The second time a similar rumour popped up affected the town of Sibu, Sarawak. Someone took a look at the water reservoir in town and discovered that there was a rotting corpse of a man floating in the reservoir.

The second incident proved to be too much and the government threatened that anyone who started similar gory rumours would face legal action. In both situations the rumours turned out to be extremely effective in diverting the local market from competitors and directing them to alternatives, for an example, bottled water.

• 10:40 is tired.
• 10:51 is tired and upset.
• 10:52 is tired, upset, and frustrated.
• 10:59 7 yr old boy kidnapped in BU on 10 April 2009; lookout for him! -- is.gd/su8g (link from USJ Forum confirming true)
• 11:40 is.gd/sutf irrawady dolphins! cutest animal on earth!
• 12:55 RT: @emailcopywriter: 17 More Images You Won't Believe Aren't Photoshopped is.gd/sli2
• 12:56 (note:can't watch office block) RT: @redsheep Guys, would you date Lindsay Lohan after watching this video: is.gd/sjOV? Let me know.
• 13:02 RT: @dustyhawk: #malaysia tinyurl.com/c3ass4 this is you in all its fuckking glory. WHOOOH
• 13:56 RT @RealHughJackman Will donate 100K to individual's favorite non profit.Of course,you must convince me why using 140 characters or less.
• 14:13 RT: @PixelProject: @RealHughJackman Money's good, but u walking in red heels, shorts of yr choice and a mile would be MUCH better. Join us?
• 14:23 is.gd/svDy the comment by mythlord made me cry tears of happiness. Oh universiti malaya!
• 14:25 People, @PixelProject is trying to get @RealHughJackman to walk in high heels for Women's Aid Organization. Support it!
• 16:46 Announcement: The " @RealHughJackman 2 walk 1 mile in red heels for Violence Against Women" petition has begun. Pls tweet him yr petition!
• 16:50 I'm glad Eli Wong is staying. It's good to not give in to unreasonable demands from the conservative groups.
• 17:38 RT: @TheNutGraph: Eli Wong's full statement. See tinyurl.com/ce9u5f
• 19:03 all these people eating donuts make me feel unhappy and fat =/

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• 08:35 RT: @jemufo: Outrage as Amazon removes thousands of gay authored and themed books from sales rankings tinyurl.com/dg995h
• 08:36 rt @PixelProject: If you are in Malaysia and need help re domestic violence, contact Women's Aid Organisation's helpline at 03 7956 3488
• 09:47 Congratulations to @PixelProject for hitting 300 followers. Follow @PixelProject for tips and awareness on domestic violence against women
• 11:09 RT: @PixelProject: What happens when she leaves? A sad overview about what happens if a woman leaves her abuser bit.ly/9aPP
• 11:11 is.gd/shtK new scans from Newtype. I like the big sized Sakura and Syaoran.
• 11:17 is.gd/shwZ Terengganu people are revolting!
• 12:10 RT: @PixelProject: Sanctioned Violence Against Women: “fraud in the inducement” bit.ly/11HTHh
• 13:49 RT: @lainie: tinyurl.com/d8c36r Lainie's farewell party. You are invited for it. Yes, really. Byob and come, come!
• 15:57 www.spurgeongems.org/prayers.htm good site for Puritan prayers
• 17:27 is.gd/sk7Q amy search dan nik aziz, bagai irama dan lagu. amy search minat masuk PAS, nik aziz minat amy search.
• 17:31 fun fact: when i was a child, i always confused PBB the sarawak political party with the united nations. so i always added an extra 'B' for
• 17:33 - for the sarawak party.
• 18:07 www.stop-stoning.org/faq_honour inspired by a recent case. it's time for international condemnation. enough is enough.

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• 08:03 tinyurl.com/cw4k8d police brutality? Adi Anwar drank thinner in police custody, was he forced?
• 14:21 *groans* this taib mahmud write-up is taking forever
• 14:23 sorry taib, i've got a few other things to see to right now *packs*
• 14:30 RT: @lainie: RT @skinnylatte: RT @luke_bkk: Starting to think thai political issues are just a conspiracy to sell more tshirts.
• 16:27 tinyurl.com/cshatp Yellow shirt team of Thailand blog, on the red shirt disruption of ASEAN summit
• 16:33 tinyurl.com/d4ngr6 Pics as red shirt team storm into ASEAN summit. 2nd pic is hilarious, aka 'so bored with this revolution'
• 16:50 thailandjumpedtheshark.blogspot.com/ - is what it says. Thai guy (girl?) blogging about recent Thai Shirt events.
• 16:57 Oh, the red shirt team is retreating. I guess they didn't know what else to do after taking over the fort.
• 20:51 Sometimes, I get really, really, really, really, really tired of American Christianity.
• 20:52 The only reason why I'd not be glad of the Reformation is because now, we can't excommunicate this pile of white privilege gun-loving jerks.

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• 15:13 Good Friday rain finally arriving in Cyberjaya.
• 15:44 The rain is extremely heavy! It looks as if Heaven is in mourning.
• 16:01 : 7 yr boy kidnapped @ 830am today @ Bandar Utama by 4 Indian men in dark Proton Satria (BFW 3347). Call police or 019-237-6677. RT @jL
• 17:08 ...i still can't register najib as prime minister.
• 17:45 doing a write-up on taib mahmud for LKW uni. hadn't realized how much taib owns everything in the state. EVERYTHING.
• 18:13 I hunger for donuts

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• 11:11 there are always conspiracy theories, but i always take occam's razor.
• 11:18 ack, that was meant to be @geminianeyes
• 14:57 New Cabinet to be announced SEVEN minutes from now1
• 16:04 hmmm, my antivirus detected a massive spyware when i wanted to add tian chua as a facebook friend and opened his blog. conspiracy? *eyebrow*
• 16:47 is.gd/ryAe -- ladies and gentlemen, the crappiest political commentary in post 8 march malaysia i have ever seen.

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Oops, forgot to remove the conversations! Sorry!

• 08:19 tinyurl.com/dcrkp8 - Charles Hector on S'wak results. Ultimately, the high support for BN shows a rejection of Peninsular parties.
• 08:35 tinyurl.com/cljpo4 najib could be announcing new cabinet tomorrow
• 12:07 @geminianeyes PR can't really govern states because almost all the income streams are still Federal dominated.
• 12:13 @geminianeyes it depends on how much division and boundary is there between State and Federal governments.
• 12:14 @geminianeyes it's not the same with every state. Eg. East M'sian states have a lot of autonomy and are very protective of it.
• 12:25 @geminianeyes Yes. PKR's loss this time was also due to the image of the party being a 'Malaya party'.
• 13:44 tiny.cc/rC78S discussion on whether temple prostitution really existed during St. Paul's time. good lead for further study.
• 14:22 @geminianeyes aaah, internet investigation
• 14:29 RT @geminianeyes There's more to the #savejon story than you think. tiny.cc/w2o59
• 14:42 oops, the link to the temple prostitution bit was friends-locked. sorreeee...
• 15:05 apa beza krispy kreme ngan donut lain?
• 15:09 @nasamaria same with j.co or better?
• 15:25 @fatcatlim yes it has opened, part of the empire of vincent tan, along with starbucks. mu mu mu
• 15:26 @redsheep the best quote i heard about democracy came from a russian professor at UM. "you choose whom you prefer to oppress you"
• 15:26 @redsheep of course, he was a fan of lenin.
• 16:43 RT @geminianeyes #savejon can be confirmed to be a scam. website was pulled down after became extremely popular.
• 17:56 ever since facebook changed its interface, I've been interested in it less and less, and opted for twitter instead.
• 17:57 after all, the status update section is about the same thing now. *bins another annoying quiz result*
• 19:22 is.gd/rnpR I know no one cares, but the first analysis of why Jawah lost at Batang Ai. Written in Iban.

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My entire Twitter post today was dedicated to the By-Elections, specifically the Batang Ai results. I decided to include the conversations, to reflect some of my emotions through this entire day.

BN = National Alliance. PKR = People's Justice Party, part of the People's Pact. PAS = Pan Islamic Party, part of the People's Pact.

• 09:44 tiny.cc/El3rf Philosophy bites: podcasts of top philosophers interviewed on bite-sized topics in a nice, digestible, approachable way
• 11:02 www.linasoo.com/batangai.html Live updates from the Batang Ai elections.
• 12:35 @fatcatlim I can never get twitter to work on my phone. Do you know how to fix it?
• 12:41 Lina Soo updates and says Batang Ai many pro-Jawah. Insider updates and say 70% have cast votes. THIS ONLY MEANS.
• 12:42 Against the odds! Against the odds!
• 12:45 @geminianeyes it depends. In rural locations like Batang Ai, many of these people just happen to be old and will go to vote anyway.
• 12:46 @geminianeyes old = always vote dutifully
• 12:51 @geminianeyes the voters in Batang Ai are mostly old people.
• 13:24 *fingers are still crossed for Batang Ai*
• 13:29 @fatcatlim didn't bother me at all, dude.
• 13:35 Latest from a comment on Malaysia Today: Pakatan 2, BN 1. Bkt Gantang 3000, Bkt Selambau 1200, Btg Ai 300.
• 13:36 Btg Ai predicted to fall to BN by 300, that is.
• 13:36 *waits anxiously*
• 13:37 Very close fight in Lubok Antu.
• 13:47 It's nearly 2 pm now. Batang Ai to offer early poll results by 3 pm.
• 13:49 nadai.name -- Nadai Nama Nama blogger reporting LIVE from Lubok Antu
• 13:50 PS. Nadai Nama Nama is politically neutral, I follow this blogger once in a while.
• 13:51 @fatcatlim these tri-elections mean a lot to a Sarawakian. So much depends on so little. It's about how my state relates to the whole nation
• 14:01 At 10.15 am report from Engkilili by uchukeling.com, siding BN.
• 14:04 Rephrase: people from Engkilili seem to be on BN's side. Ballot boxes now being counted.
• 14:04 Quoting Linasoo: "There are many changes to where ballot boxes will be counted"
• 14:14 @nasamaria haha sorry. *sweatdrop*
• 14:33 Thank God for good weather in Batang Ai, especially since almost all ballot boxes were airlifted. Sky looks cloudy at 2:22 pm.
• 14:45 ...why the hell does the UM library include negative news about the varsity on its main page?
• 14:48 Lina Soo reports: Early polls say PKR ahead in Batang Ai! Two and a half hours left until closing.
• 14:58 As of around 3pm, PKR is leading against BN in Batang Ai despite all odds. Nothing left to do now but wait until tonight.
• 15:19 Stand proud, Sarawakians. Batang Ai has the highest voter turnout (unofficially over 70%) . Gantang around 60% and Selambau 50%.
• 15:56 Lina Soo updates: chances of BN or PKR winning in Batang Ai still 50/50.
• 15:58 Selambau people all came out late, sudden surge of voters now. Anil Netto confirms tear gas used against PAS supporters in Gantang.
• 16:17 Unofficial results of Batang Ai by polling centre are now being posted at Lina Soo's. Currently 6000 people are following her site.
• 16:20 Boycott Chris Brown RT@Lainie - Be a real man and accept responsibility for your terrible behaviour. Denial doesn't help. Not one bit.
• 16:29 Oops, that last one was supposed to
• 16:29 Ahem SUPPOSED TO BE @PixelProject
• 16:31 Via Anil Netto, from commenter named achong: PAS won in Gantang with 3,361 majority. Close shop, Nizar has champ'ed.
• 16:33 From Anilnetto, BarTee reports: lost cause at Btg Ai for PKR. From Anilnetto, Edwin reports Staronline reports that BN winning over PKR big.
• 16:35 M'kini reports violence in Selambau by BN (MIC members throwing water bottles at people)
• 16:37 Batang Ai via Lina Soo. PKR 203 votes and BN 529.
• 16:40 @lainie it's fucking frustrating, especially when I just got an order from my boss to do a write-up praising Pek Moh by Monday.
• 16:42 Sigh. You only know how much you've been oppressed when you've left.
• 17:29 Total results from 9 polling stations in Batang Ai: BN 1956 PKR 406
• 17:34 Unconfirmed, but the chances of it being different are not likely.
• 17:37 For Sarawakians, this is all I got: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Taib_Mahmud
• 17:38 And this: the average salary of an Iban employee working in Kuching city is RM 400.
• 17:39 @geminianeyes, no, not likely. My dad used to be one of those box lifters and it's slim. More likely PKR supporters were more vocal.
• 18:26 dayaknation.com/blog/ complete report on suspected phantom voters in the Batang Ai polls. busloads and vanloads.
• 18:37 Lina Soo declares BN in Batang Ai winner by a majority of 1065.
• 18:38 RT @geminianeyes: Mkini reports BN winning with 'unassailable majority' of 1600 in Batang Ai.
• 18:39 RT @danny_lim reports that Muhyiddin will be holding press conference elsewhere -- an indication of defeat. Gantang to Nizar.
• 18:40 Which means that the only other place with no report is Selambau.
• 18:40 @nasamaria ?
• 20:34 The blame game in Batang Ai is already beginning. Sigh.
• 23:00 Yay! I've lashed out and flamed at least one stupid Peninsular blogger already!
• 23:12 @geminianeyes yet another Peninsular blogger who pretended to care for Sarawakians as equals and wouldn't respect their votes.
• 23:52 @geminianeyes sorry pat, i'm just extremely angry at so many things.

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01:29 Mahathir is Shakespeare's Lear: parted with his kingdom and split his crowns, he'll be rudely hit by his irrelevance in Malaysia today. #

01:30 I almost feel sorry for him. #

01:32 ...and then felt really lame with making that Shakespeare allusion. #

10:38 is upset. #

10:56 @geminianeyes thanks, nothing much, work-related. #

12:04 @danny_lim Dr. M's mom is still alive? #

15:27 RT @geminianeyes: Logo designer accused of stealing his own work. Please help RT/blog: tiny.cc/XI4k2 #savejon #

17:51 I might have underestimated Mahathir. #

18:01 @geminianeyes I actually prefer him over the Wannabe Despot, but I just don't like his company. Heh. #

18:04 @geminianeyes you know if both were younger and better looking I'd be writing slashfic, their fighting is kind of adorable. #

18:08 @geminianeyes who's the third, NAJIB? *vomit!!* #

18:12 @NajibRazak no offense dude. #

18:25 @redsheep less photos of the guy? kidding kidding! umm. less student@work clutter, more statesman. your company designing ah? pitching? #

18:32 @redsheep, why is it *so you* when the country is making a big decision! and the only thing that really bugs you is his website design? ;p #

18:36 @redsheep why then -- pitch :) #

20:56 RT @dustyhawk group of frustrated passengers hold AirAsia crew hostage tinyurl.com/c2o7v5 HAHAHA you indonesians are funny *thumbsup* #

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Edit:
For the next Loudtwitter entry, I'll be removing all the tweets that are conversations. Sorry for the various results of Twitter experimentation, just trying to see what works.

• 00:28 I'm cynical of the PPP shift. Anwar just needs another MIC in PKR, and PPP could never replace old Samy's party under the blue daching. #
• 00:47 Aaa, he probably made his "Surprise!" announcement late to grab the headlines tomorrow morning (today by now). Smart pelican. #
• 11:35 tinyurl.com/cpnn8m - rights of migrant Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia brought to light by international media again. #
• 15:39 @redsheep. *cough* my patriotism also tells me some PR company is getting well paid for this. did you see lainie's twitter spoof of the guy? #
• 15:44 @redsheep i lost the link to it, i dunno where it is now. #
• 15:51 @redsheep though, what kind of twitter feed would it look like if it was on topic? "official lunch sucked, waitress was pretty hot though" #
• 17:05 tinyurl.com/d6nadg RASUAH!! #

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• 11:56 @emailcopywriter Ayn Rand admired a murderer who slaughtered a child for ransom in her youth. You might reconsider quoting her. #
• 12:39 I don't get it. I thought this thing is supposed to be for the phone, but all you guys are posting from the web. #
• 12:41 Also, I can never seem to verify my phone. #
• 16:55 old but good: tiny.cc/feVTF - why it is a maternal instinct to kill newborns. re: abortion & shakespeare sister article on adoption #
• 18:55 Love between USA and Iraq: preemptivelove.org -- life-saving heart surgeries for Iraqi children who can't afford them #
• 19:38 tinyurl.com/ckwzfg Why many women do not report their rape cases. Note: this is in the US, and the issue is not shame. #

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 Cloud
by Sandra Cisneros

If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud
floating in this sheet of paper.
—Thich Nhat Hanh

Before you become a cloud, you were an ocean, roiled and
murmuring like a mouth. You were the shadow of a cloud cross-
ing over a field of tulips. You were the tears of a man who cried
into a plaid handkerchief. You were a sky without a hat. Your
heart puffed and flowered like sheets drying on a line.

And when you were a tree, you listened to trees and the tree
things trees told you. You were the wind in the wheels of a red
bicycle. You were the spidery María tattooed on the hairless arm
of a boy in downtown Houston. You were the rain rolling off the
waxy leaves of a magnolia tree. A lock of straw-colored hair
wedged between the mottled pages of a Victor Hugo novel. A
crescent of soap. A spider the color of a fingernail. The black nets
beneath the sea of olive trees. A skein of blue wool. A tea saucer
wrapped in newspaper. An empty cracker tin A bowl of blueber-
ries in heavy cream. White wine in a green-stemmed glass.

And when you opened your wings to wind, across the punched-
tin sky above a prison courtyard, those condemned to death and
those condemned to life watched how smooth and sweet a white
cloud glides.

Via breathe_poetry.

Welcome to Livejournal, ey me.