David Cook's Triumph At The American Idol 2008

"American Idol" winner David Cook (2nd R) is surrounded by fellow contestants, including finalist David Archuleta (L), onstage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles May 21, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Son Of My Father

SON OF MY FATHER :
singer : CHICORY TIP
COMPOSER : GIORGIO MORODER
published : 1971

Father said to me we gotta have your life run night
off you got to school where you can learn the rules there right
be just like your dad lad
follow in the same tradition
never go astray and stay an honest lovin' son.

Son of my father
moulded I was folded I was preform-packed
son of my father
commanded I was branded in a plastic vac'
surrounded and confounded by statistic facts.

Tried to keep me in but jumped out of my skin in time
I saw thru the lies and read the alibi signs
so I left my home I'm relly on my own at last
left the trodden path and separated from the past.

Son of my father
changing rearranging into someone new
son of my father
collecting and selecting independant views
knowing and I'm showing that a change is due.

Son of my father
moulded I was folded...

Son of my father
moulded I was folded...

Songfacts:

This was originally recorded by the Italian producer Giorgio Moroder. It was called "Nachts Scheint Die Sonne" in Germany.

This was the first ever UK #1 to feature a synthesizer. The Moog synthesizer was played by engineer Chris Thomas, who went on to become a famous producer.

This was Chicory Tip's first and biggest UK hit. They went on to record 2 more Top 20 singles - "What's Your Name" and "Good Grief Christina." (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above)

Comments:

thanks Clark, got to get me some of that Chicory Tip.........hmmmmm Chicory Tip - pete, nowra, Australia

son of my father was also the first uk#1 to use the entertainer rolf harris's 'stylophone' and also was used on david bowies space oddity - jeff, liverpool, England

Chicory Used in salads or cooked like spinach or greens, good-quality chicory will have inner leaves that are crisp and pale green in color. There are a number of varieties of chicory including heading and loose-leaf. Avoid product that has wilted, brown-edged or discolored leaves. Chicory is available year-round - depending on the variety. - Clark, Milroy, PA

so what's a chicory tip??????? - pete, nowra, Australia

what the hell's a chicory tip????? - pete, nowra, Australia

When i visited my father's grave recently at Jeruk Puruk, located in the Jakarta suburbs , i traveled about 30 minutes from the Gran Melia Hotel where i resided for a few days, going through an orderly traffic and passing through many new sights i have never seen before.
It was the last day of my stay in the city and even though i had been there several times in the past few years i did not make any effort to call in for a visit. The last time i paid him my respects was in 1998,almost 10 years ago. There was no guilt conscience or regrets about it because i believe that i have never felt his physical loss since the day he was gone and i think he is with me everytime and whenever i thought about him anyway. I knew that as i say or perform my daily prayers, my thoughts for him will always linger there invariably.

My dad was a unique person as compared to all his brothers, whom i dearly called my uncles. He was the youngest of 5 siblings consisting of 4 males and 1 female and as of today, he is survived only by his second sibling,my Mak Ngah as we fondly calls her.
As the youngest child in his family, i have seen and noticed the respect and acknowledgment of my father's character as someone that has got a lot to do with public relations and kind-heartedness that is zestful and unrequited. He was a man of jovial persona, very well liked by his older nephews and often poked fun with sometimes by his nieces for his 'cheeky" and outspoken traits. In other words, my father was a simple person and he cares more to provide his love and laughter to whoever appreciates it. He was unmistakably himself like no other among his siblings. My other uncles somehow looked as though they had little or no sense of humour at all. Rigid to the brim i should say. Sighting them could be regarded as having seen a hungry ghost in the Chinese 7th lunar month festival ! My friends and neighbours could'nt agree more ! It wasnt a pleasing encounter so to speak.


I always believe that nobody can speak honestly of his own head of family unlike his own children, and i feel i have this duty to relate some of life's most precious and unforgettable moments with a person i call " Abah". Apparently Abba ( minus letter "H" also means father in Hebrew.)

I have quite a large family . When i was a bit younger, my family was of course a bit smaller too. Over the years the family expanded and coming from a Malay family, a big family is often regarded as a form of gift from God Almighty. Perhaps when you are the child in your own family, size does not relate any negative presumptions or inconveniences or dislikes. It is only when you grew up later that you realised their natural existence was very much like a coincidence or to be taken for granted and you begin to recognise them as your siblings too. However i also found out that some of my other friends have even bigger family members as compared to mine when i went to school. It was not our worry to know why we had additional sisters ( in my case) or even brothers. It was expected of us to welcome them into our home.

As a man, who comes from a 'big' family group, maybe it could have been my father's wish too to emulate that virtuous "fertile " family size . Size does not matter and so i find out too that my father was a very "hardworking" man indeed. What i actually meant was that he had always wanted more and more sons. My mother blessed him with daughters instead ! after my birth that is.
In my family , there were 2 sons , me and my elder brother, who presently is residing permanently just across the causeway. I suppose that was fated too by God that my father will have daughters all the way after me.

My father was a very simple person but he is almost a strict administrator on the other side of his character. Although my mother often called the shots as the perfect lady of the house in its overall family management, my father had very exacting house principles to call his own. He has perfect hopes like any father has or aspires. I often believe that he was so confident of his own family that he has not much to worry about it, especially in the upbringing of his children.
My mum would have played an important role in making my father's aspirations came into being and through her greatest maternal abilities.
These observations will later on influence all our lives.

I would say that i had a very happy but quiet life and under my father's tutelage and upbringing, i never felt any better and comfortable. No, he did not gave me tuition nor help me with my studies. I was never scorned about my studies as he knew that i could do well without much supervision.I guess my father was lucky that he was not bogged down with such chores.
Nor did he bring me to the playground to play with .What he did was to exercise freedom and independence to all his children.
I remembered vividly having my own limited collection of toys, fun trips to the amusement parks,movies, weddings, vacations to back country during the school holidays and much more that i could not even remember that my father actually participated with me and that was a wonderful memory indeed.
Our house even had a movie projector that played very short films and the monkey star was full of fun to watch. When the film ended i continued playing in the shadows on the wall using my hands and fingers to imitate some birds or other gestures. It was sheer fun.

Even in my youthful days, my father would share some kind of mutual jokes and laughter when the situation reckoned or when the lively spirits of coexistence appears in our impromptu family get togethers , although these are rare towards the later part of lives. ( One occasion that i vividly remembered was about his physical absence at home when we had breaking of fast because he had traveled to Bangkok.)

The fact that his job with the government office is tying his schedule in the rather unusual 9 -5 routine as most people do, he still managed to interact affectionately with his children.
Why he preferred a shifting timetable for work for almost all his life i did not quite understand.
My mother will certainly be able to explain better on this choice of situation. After all he still comes home to sleep except that his sleep times are not the usual everyday person way of routine. His work hours routine examples looked something like this : 7- 3, 3- 11, 11- 7 , OFF .
It was diligently pronounced in writing on the " Horse Racing Calender" that was mounted on the door that leads into our kitchen. It was so easy to track down my father's occupational activity after all !!!. My mother must have been very glad about these daily trademarks. On his free time, i will watch him jot down all these work schedules and he could even complete them months ahead ! maybe 4 or 5 months using his Parker ball pen. The pressings on the calender paper was so hard that you could see their line marks or bulges on the opposite sides .

I remembered sneaking into his uniform pockets to read his work schedule manifest. It was a pocket size like notebook with all his recordings of his daily work routine. He had so many times
written the clock times as 1700 hours, 1500 hours etc and i realise that it was "military time"schedule after that. I noticed also that he had so many of that stuff dumped in his baju melayu pocket hung up behind the room door. I suppose the baju melayu top attire was used due to its vast pockets that could hold practically anything at that time. Call it a perfect letter/ utility rack of sorts. The baju melayu sure comes in handy after the Hari Raya festival, i guess.

I remembered too giving my father a scare of his life, when the school authorities called home via the Charge Room, the office section as we knew by its function in our government quarters, one afternoon informing my father that i had been bitten by the school dog ! He would have almost jumped frantically i guessed and not made any quick second thoughts about the report but just dashed to my school to find out what had really happened.

I was pretty sure that he was very angry at me too at the same time but as i had seen him in the ambulance that carried me later to the General Hospital, he portrayed a feature of a kind man not the least worried but a man full of conviction about his son's awful behaviour deep inside his heartful emotions. I faded into my doze soon afterwards after enjoying the cool interiors of the ambulance, that enhanced me with its relaxing respiratory instruments. The ambulance is in fact a nice and comfortable place to be in and i remembered that it was green in colour.


The other incident which was just as serious if not dangerous was when my eye was blow- piped with a hard solid clay (using a slim aluminum pipe- similar to the tv antenna) by one of my play friend neighbours . I was just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I just came into being to share play a game of hide and seek with some other friends at the nearby canteen,which was located next to my house by means of just hopping across the wall divider. As i entered the place, i felt a soft thud in my eye that suddenly blanked off my right vision almost simultaneously and at the same time, i noticed the person 's face responsible for the uncanny prank. I felt blinded by that foreign object and i just ran home to get it washed away. For a few seconds , i thought i was going to lose my eyesight and i panicked emotionally. It was painful and it was horrible.

I just cannot recall how i was sent to the hospital again to be inspected and treated for that unfortunate incident. My father was very upset with the neighbour's son who played the antic on me, who happened to be my very own classmate in primary school. Wearing an eye mask to class the following days were much of a personal embarrassment to me. Speak about the one - eye Jack or other comic characters' familiar resemblance!, but during those days, no TV series had such an icon as far as i could remember except the story books and novels.

How many of us can recall those kinds of tragic incidents in our lives ,but i must have been lucky that some people in comparison would have experience even far worse situations than me.
I wish my father would not have to go through those exasperating nightmare again. Fathers knows best.

I recalled, one breezy afternoon, just after school started, my father came knocking at my class room door while my teacher was in her high teaching enthusiasm session.
That could be the reason why my father had always insisted that his children be enrolled in nearby schools. In my case it was just a walking distance of 10 minutes from home without even having to cross any street or dangerous roads. How safe and convenient life was way back then.
(Incidentally, this scenario repeated itself all through my secondary school days.)

My father's hair looked neat as if he had just combed it, as he liked to apply Brylcreem on his hair. His face seemed like in daze and was like he had just woken up from his unfinished afternoon nap. He excused him self politely informing my class teacher that he has to bring me to the National Registration office to apply for my NRIC. I was 12 at that time and it was an offence, culpable to certain punishment to miss out the last date of registration, as the compulsory ruling warranted.

My father chatted with me briskly as we moved out of the school grounds which did not allowed him to cycle up to the entrance due to its sloping terrain . He told me that he will parked his bicycle somewhere and that we will continue our journey by bus near the Singapore River to get to the NRIC office. If i could remember too well, it was the second time my father have seen me at school though he could have done that earlier, when i was first registered in primary one a few years ago.

It has been a long time indeed that i have not been to this part of the city and i knew i would love the stroll because it was such an historic place according to my knowledge. The Victoria Memorial Hall was there, Sir Stamford Raffles monument was there too and of course the traditional tongkangs and barges that ply down the nasty scenting Singapore River.

Later on my father gave me a treat at the movies. I suppose this was the first time i never went to sleep while watching a movie. ( but it was an afternoon show anyway) It was a war movie called " Blue Max " starring George Peppard. ( October 1, 1928 – May 8, 1994)

(Quote : " Peppard developed a tendency to choose tough guy roles in big, ambitious pictures where he was somewhat overshadowed by ensemble casts; for example, his role as German pilot Bruno Stachel, an obsessively competitive officer from humble beginnings who challenges the Prussian aristocracy during World War I in The Blue Max (1966). For this role, Peppard learned to fly, earned a private pilot's license and did his own stunt flying."

The Blue Max is a 1966 British film about a German fighter pilot on the Western Front during World War I. It was directed by John Guillermin and starred George Peppard, James Mason, Ursula Andress, Karl Michael Vogler and Jeremy Kemp. The screenplay was written by David Pursall, Jack Seddon, and Gerald Hanley, based on the novel of the same name by Jack D. Hunter. )


QUOTE : MOVIE PLOT -

Bruno Stachel (George Peppard) is a corporal in the German infantry who, in spring 1918, leaves the fighting in the trenches to become a fighter pilot in the German Air Service. He sets his sights on winning the highest decoration, the Pour le Mérite, nicknamed the "Blue Max", for which he must shoot down 20 aircraft.

Coming from humble origins, Leutnant Stachel is driven to prove himself better than the aristocratic pilots in his new fighter squadron, especially Willi von Klugermann (Jeremy Kemp). Their commanding officer, Hauptmann Otto Heidemann (Karl Michael Vogler) is an upper-class officer whose notions of chivalry conflict with Stachel's ruthless determination.

On his first mission, Stachel shoots down a British S.E.5, but does not receive credit for his "kill" because there were no witnesses. He searches the French countryside for hours in a pouring rain looking for the wreckage, giving the other pilots the impression that he cares more about it than the death of the man he flew with.

Soon afterwards, he attacks an Allied two-man observation aircraft, incapacitating the rear gunner. Then, instead of downing the helpless victim, he signals the pilot to surrender and fly to his base. However, as they near the airfield, the wounded man revives and reaches for his machine gun, unseen by the admiring observers on the ground. Stachel is forced to shoot the aircraft down, but Heidemann believes Stachel simply murdered the crew in order to gain a "confirmed" kill.

The incident brings Stachel to the attention of General Count von Klugermann (James Mason), Willi's uncle. When the general comes to the base to award his nephew the Blue Max, he meets Stachel. As a member of the masses, "as common as dirt", the pilot has great potential for propaganda purposes. That night, the general's wife, Kaeti (Ursula Andress), mistakenly enters Stachel's room. She is carrying on a discreet affair with her nephew by marriage, with her husband's knowledge.

Soon afterwards, Stachel is shot down going to the aid of a red Fokker Dr.I attacked by two British fighters. He survives the crash landing. When he returns to the airfield, he is stunned when he is introduced to the man he saved: Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron. Grateful, von Richtofen offers Stachel a place in his squadron. He regretfully declines.

With Stachel temporarily grounded owing to a minor injury, General von Klugermann orders him to Berlin to help shore up crumbling public morale. While there, von Klugermann invites Stachel to dinner so that Kaeti can sleep with her latest hero.

When Stachel returns to duty, he and Willi von Klugermann volunteer to escort a reconnaissance aircraft. British fighters attack. Stachel's guns jam, but Willi downs two of the enemy on his first pass, then a third on Stachel's tail, and the rest disengage. As the two are returning to their base, Willi challenges Stachel. Spotting a bridge, Willi dives under the wide middle span, but Stachel tops him by flying under a much narrower side one. Seething, Willi clears the smaller span, but clips the top of a nearby brick tower and crashes. When Stachel reports his death, Heidemann assumes that the two verified victories were Willi's. Insulted, Stachel impulsively claims the kills, even though it is discovered that he had only fired 40 bullets. Outraged, Heidemann reports Stachel's lie to his superiors, but is told that Stachel's victories will be confirmed.

Then, during a strafing mission to cover the retreat of the German army, Stachel disobeys Heidemann's order not to engage enemy aircraft; the rest of the squadron follows him. Afterwards, Heidemann has Stachel arrested, furious that nearly half the pilots were killed in the ensuing dogfight. Stachel, however, cares only that he has shot down enough aircraft, even without Willi's kills, to qualify for the Blue Max. The two men are ordered to Berlin. There, General von Klugermann tells Heidemann privately that Stachel is to receive the Blue Max. Heidemann resigns his command in disgust when the general orders him to withdraw his report; he accepts a desk job.

Later that evening, the countess visits Stachel and suggests that they run away to Switzerland since Germany's defeat is inevitable. She storms out when he refuses to be one of her "lapdogs".

The next day, Stachel is awarded the Blue Max by the Crown Prince in a well-publicized ceremony. However, a field marshal telephones von Klugermann to inform him of an impending investigation into Stachel. The general asks how the field marshal became aware of Stachel's lie. While listening on the phone, he turns his gaze to his wife. Desperate to avoid a scandal, von Klugermann takes advantage of Heidemann's report that the new monoplane which he has just test-flown is a "death trap", with fatally-weak struts. He orders Stachel to take the aircraft up and to "show us some real flying." During strenuous aerobatics, Stachel's aircraft breaks up, plunges to the ground and bursts into flames. The General stamps and signs his personnel file and sends it to the Field Marshall. "It is the personal file of a German officer," he says, "and a hero."

Incidentally, my father was an ardent movie goer and a great P.Ramlee fan too, having brought me to many shows with the rest of the family especially with my brother. I always insisted to follow them but will eventually sleep through the whole event as my father loved to book the 9.pm show ! My father did not waste his money on the seat as i always sat on his lap or we just had an extra seat bonus when the next door patron failed to occupy the empty seat.

After the movie at Capitol cinema, we both walked to MPH at the corner of Stamford Road and Coleman Street. Once there, i was surprised with the vast array of imported toys being displayed in the 1st Floor department of the huge building. I remembered too, having visited MPH to follow my brother to purchase his textbooks there a few years earlier. I love the old lift that brings up the respective floors as it was like a cage and you could see the hollow structure as it moves up and down the well. It reminds me of the Virginia House lift at Keppel Road where the Chartered Bank once stood. I just love riding in the car through the open space and see the thin cables move like a rope that glides above and below you. It was definitely safe for kids lke me. At the toys department, i felt like an opportunity to make my X'mas wish come true. And of all the things found there, i selected an item called, Harmoni Pet - a made in Japan musical instrument that resembled a pianica. It was a 12 key plastic mouth instrument with a colourful keyboard on its face. I was delighted in having it as a gift from my father.

I learned from that day in my adult years that every parent must buy their children a present in order to make their children appreciate their father's generosity and kindness in later years. It does not have to be expensive but it was the thoughts that counts as everybody say.

It was such a fun and delightful activity for me that afternoon. But Ooops i actually cut school that day but with parental approval that is !








To be continued.........

Muhammad in Islam A Guidance to follow

Muhammad in Islam A Guidance to follow

Monday, 19 May 2008 17:03 Pakistan Daily

Muhammad as a man had already died, but as a Prophet he left behind him a legacy in the form of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. He stressed the urgent need to hold firmly to these two sources during his Farewell speech in the valley of Arafat. If people hold fast to them, they will never go astray.

The teachings he left for us if put into practice in their true spirit and proper way will bring a happy life in this world and besides the indubitable rewards that will be received by those who believed in them in the life after death.

In this sense, Islam is a worldly religion which cares first for the worldly affairs of humanity. The hereafter is merely a continuation of the worldly life. It is difficult to portend that man can be saved in the hereafter without being saved in this world. The safe way is to follow the way shown to us by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). When his wife, ‘Aishah, was asked by a companion about the Prophet’s daily conduct, ‘Aishah replied that the conduct of the Prophet is the Qur’an which is the guidance from Allah and Muhammad was given authority by Allah to interpret it. That is why his conduct is exemplary of human conduct. Islam as brought by the Prophet Muhammad is very much misunderstood as a religion of rituals only like prayers, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage. Thanks to the new developments in the world, Islam is now looked upon In a wider perspective than the narrow-minded view.

The increased interest in Islamic studies by Muslims and non-Muslims supported by the advanced printing technology, has begun to open the eyes of the world about the true teaching and intrinsic values of Islam.

Economy:

In the field of economic development, the goal is not material gain, but human welfare in general. Islam exhorts that the balance between the material and physical aspects, between the individual and societal needs, be maintained in order to narrow the gap between two opposite sides of human world. It is stated in the Qur’an:“Say, who is there to forbid the beauty which Allah has brought forth for His creatures, and the good things from among the means of sustenance. Say, they are for those who believe (in Allah) In this worldly life, to be theirs alone in the Hereafter on the Day of Resurrection …… Say, the only things my Lord forbids are the shameful deeds, be they open or secret, the sin, unjustified envy, the ascribing of divinity to aught beside Allah, and the attributing unto Allah of aught of which you have no knowledge”

So everyone is free to conduct any business he likes outside the harmful circle he has been warned not to indulge in. If he does not listen to this warning, he will be in trouble. Every good quality as precondition to a successful business is encouraged by Islam.

The Prophet himself was a businessman before he was appointed as a Prophet. His ability to run business prudently, by his fairness and truthful conduct in dealing with people had won him the heart of his employer, Khadijah who later offered him mariage. He advocated Muslims to follow the spirit of Prophet Daud (David) of hard work, earned his living from his own labour. He also said that faith of a Muslim is not complete If he is not good in his profession. He said: “If you leave matters to those who are not professional, you are waiting for the disaster”.

If he works in the production line, his products must be compatible with products of other companies or factories. In order to be marketable, it must suit the taste of buyers and their standards of living. In this regard, Islam teaches not to cheat in offering the product to the market. It must be shown as it is without any publicity it does not deserve. In the life time of the Prophet, he found many cases in market places where the merchants tried to cheat the customers. The Prophet said to them: “Whoever cheated are not from amongst us (Muslims)”.

Islam laid many regulations in the field of economy such as trade, leasing, business transaction, contract and others to prevent unfair dealing within the community and in the world of business at large. What is also prevented by Islam is a monopoly and exploitation -by one man or one group at the expense of the others.

Cleanliness:

The first thing in the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad is the care of cleanliness. The concept of cleanliness in Islam covers physical and spiritual, mundane and religious domains.

Before performing any rituals, prescribed by Islam, one should cleanse his body, and his dress, his place of worship and his environment should be clean.

Before performing his prayers or starting for pilgrimage, one has to make his ablution (wudu’). If he or she is in a state of unclean after having had a lawful Intimate intercourse or post-natal period or other reasons, he or she has to take a complete bath by pouring clean water over the whole body.

In the case of daily prayer, every Muslim has to clean his/her private parts, face, hand, feet, mouth, nose and ears at least five times every day for the five daily prayers. This also reminds him/her to keep his/ her soul clean from unlawful deeds.

Cleanliness is not in the physical sense only. The body should be purified as well from evil doings that might harm his relationship with others and with God. He has to clean his mind from bad intentions or committing unlawful acts. He has to clean his heart from jealousy, hypocrisy and other evil desires. He has to embody hope, truthfulness, forgiveness, compassion, holiness, the sense of brotherliness, neighbourliness and other noble qualities.

He has to pay special attention to his diet against all unhealthy food medically and religiously. He has to keep his eyes, ears, tongue from evils. These are among the noble characteristics as exemplified by Prophet Muhammad.

To clean the wealth, Islam instituted the zakat system (way of purifying wealth). A person whose wealth has reached a certain point is obligated to pay zakat (alms) which is a duty enjoined by God and undertaken by Muslims in the interest of society as a whole.

For those able persons whose wealth does not reach the minimum rate point, he can also give voluntary contribution to the needy. This does not mean that the needy should always be receiving help from the able.

Prophet Muhammad said: "The upper hand (giver) is better than the lower one (receiver of help).”

If the receiver of zakat can grasp the spirit of the Prophet’s saying, he will try his best to be the giver instead of the receiver by endeavouring to better his life as encouraged by the teachings of Islam.

In Islam the possession of more wealth does not raise a man’s dignity, nor does poverty degrade him. It is true that wealth is necessary for man to live on this earth, but It is only a means, not the end. The end is happiness in life by attaining the higher values and not losing sight of in the pursuit of wealth.

Among the great virtues of Islam is the command to do good and the prohibition to do evil. The good should be preserved and the evil should be discarded. In short, Islam is actually composed of a series of commands and prohibitions. All the commands and prohibitions are for the good of humanity. Allah the Most Knowing, the Most Merciful, did not decree any law and regulations but for the good and benefit of his creatures.

The prohibition was decreed because of its evil implications to humanity. The evils were created to test the human conscience and challenge their freewill in choosing between right and wrong.

All the commands and prohibitions from Allah as transmitted through His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was intended to purify the human soul in order to live a pure and clean life adored by Allah and human genesis.

Orderliness:

One of the other teachings of Islam is about orderliness. Discipline, regulation, management, planning and all other terms relating to organisation are mostly. understood as alien to Islam. On the contrary, Islam exhorts people to live in orderliness and to put the right thing in the right place. The foundation of Islamic order rests on two main principles, the crucial -faith in one God (Allah) and the oneness of humanity. All the frame works were laid down in the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad applied himself to working out the essential details of that order.

One of the great values taught by Islam in this regard is to make use of the time left to humanity. The Qur'an and the Sunnah (Traditions) mentioned about time, day, week, month, year and century. People are lost if they did not spend the time available to them during this life for good things. It is a great loss if people have to waste the valuable time they have at their disposal for useless activities. It is true that life should be enjoyable but not at the expense of human resources and values which are essential for the continuation of their wellbeing.

Allah the Most Knowing had created time and space suitable for human activities for they can attain achievements in life. There are times for work, study, recreation, resting and even celebration. All are parts of activities in worshipping Allah and serving His cause. The Qur'an says that Allah had created day for earning and night for resting and enjoyment. He created the sun, the moon and all outer-space objects co that man on the earth can fix the time and arraflge the calendar. By having a standard time and standard calendar and the movements of astronomical objects, people are able to regulate their time table in choosing the right moment for them in doing business and carrying out their activities.

Islam prescribes certain times for the daily prayers, certain month for the obligatory fasting and certain time during life time for performing the haj pilgrimage which indicates that the religion brought by Prophet Muhammad places the life of Muslims in systematic order. For every move and occasion made by Muslims there is a rule governing it, be it in the form of advice, spiritual guidance or practical directive. If all these directives are followed and understood properly, people will have high discipline and a well-managed life.

Islam encourages people to think correctly before taking any action. This means planning. There are many verses in the Qur'an admonishing against doing things unthinkingly and jumping to conclusions.

The Prophet also showed good example in fulfilling promise and staying true to treaty, agreement or contract made between parties.

As a man of honour he always remained true to the principles agreed in the treaty, depicting his high discipline and inclination of doing everything in proper order.

Friendliness:

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a warmhearted and faithful friend. He loved his companions. He extended greetings to those he knew and to those he did not know. He treated all people around him with kindness and affection.

He was very courteous to all those who met him. He never contradicted anybody who is not opposed to the teachings of Islam. He treated equally the humble and the lofty. He claimed no distinction and lived amongst his companions as if he was not their leader.

Neighbourliness:

He regarded the neighbours as brothers and sisters because of their closeness and living in the same vicinity. He once smelt the aroma of the soup cooked by his wife. He told her to give some of it to the neighbours who also smelt it. He said it was not right for a Muslim to sleep with a full stomach after having had a good meal but let his neighbour starve. He laid the foundation for a friendly relation and cooperation among neighbours exemplifying that living as a neighbour one has one’s right and responsibility.

In regard to the rights of a neighbour, the Prophet said: “Help him if he asks your help; give him relief if he seeks your relief; show him concern if he is distressed and when he is ill; attend his funeral if he dies; congratulate him If he meets any good; sympathize with him if any calamity befalls him; do not block his air by raising your building without his permission and do not harass him.”

Goodwill:

He was a good exemplar to those who subscribe to a harmonious society. Islam exhorts people not to violate the rights of others and injure their interest, but should positively cooperate with each other and establish a mutual relationship and social cohesion.

To safeguard the unity and solidarity of the nation and to achieve the welfare and wellbeing of the community, Muslims have been enjoined to avoid mutual hostility, social dissension, backbiting one another, and hurting others with their hand or tongue.

Islam as brought by the Prophet Muhammad exhorts Muslims to visit the sick, to help the needy and assist the weak. Islam makes no discrimination on the basis of race, colour or language. Its appeal Is to the entire humanity.

Women:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought changes for the betterment of women.

Woman is recognised by Islam as a full and equal partner of man in the procreation of humankind. He is the father, she is the mother, and both are essential for life. Her role is no less vital than his. By this partnership she has an equal share in every aspect; she is entitled to equal rights; she undertakes equal responsibilities, and in her there are many qualities and so much humanity as there are In her partner.

She is equal to man in bearing personal and common responsibilities and in receiving rewards for her deeds.

She is equal to man in the pursuit of education and knowledge.

Islam enjoined the seeking of knowledge upon Muslims, it makes no distinction between man and woman.

She is entitled to freedom of expression as much as man is. Her sound opinions are taken into consideration and cannot be disregarded just because she is a female.

Islam grants woman equal fights to contract, to enterprise, to earn and posses independently. Her life, her property, her honour are as sacred as those of man.

Islam has also given woman a share of inheritance. Before Islam, she was not only deprived of that share, but was herself considered as property to be inherited by man.

Statehood:

When Prophet Muhammad arrived at Madinah, he initiated the formation of an Islamic state. After establishing political brotherhood and the authority of the state of Madinah, he began negotiations with various tribes around the dy and made treaties with them.

When the Makkan unbelievers launched a series of attacks on Madinah, Prophet Muhammad was able to confront them, and when the Makkans were finally defeated in the battle of the Trenches (Al-Khandaq), he was able to make truce with them at Hudaibiyah for ten years. This treaty was a masterpiece of practical statesmanship on the part of Prophet Muhammad.

His diplomacy in sending and receiving envoys to and from the various chiefs of tribes and foreign rulers, his fairness In conducting judiciary, and his general pardon at the liberation of Makkah, was another proof of his lofty statesmanship.

The State he established in Madinah was not a matter of chance. It was the very nature of his mission that he would establish a state to enforce the way of Allah. People might accept a new faith but it would take time to change their habits, custom and way of life. And even If a small group of people succeeded In changing their way of life, there would be many others who would not let these people practise their belief and try to stop them by force. So the Islamic State became an urgent necessity to protect the Islamic way of life.

The State founded by Prophet Muhammad was invested with physical force, as every State must necessarily be, to fulfil its function of stopping aggression and oppression.

A democratic system In Islam is expressed through the term shura (council). The Qur'an says: “And those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer and their affairs (of government) is by council among themselves and who spend out of what we have given them.”. Pakistan Daily (www.Daily.pk)

Malaysian Boleh

Photo credit : OXYMANUS

The mobile phone or cell phone or hand phone or by whatever name you called it; must have been the century's most ingenious invention of all times due to its almost ever changing innovations and utility functions.
Many people have benefited from its features as well as the cost of having it. Companies have gained so much profits from it and likewise ventured into multi million dollar R & D studies to improve its performance day by day. Similarly telcos are fast riding on a high level of business trading opportunities in the supplementary services that comes along with it for the end-users. Wow !, what a canny investment !

With the advent of the telecommunications industry's mobile telephone services, the world is now closer to one another and news and conversations are gathered into our homes even much faster and clearer.The shapes and sizes of that phenomena is unimaginably outrageous and it has outgrown that old heavy machines of yesteryears. Today handphones are so commonly seen and its importance has exceeded other things which were long regarded more special before and that every household now would have almost 2 to 3 of such units, encompassing users like young children and old pensioners irrespective of their age and income.

Call me an old fashioned gentleman; but i think i have just woken up from my long years of slumber in modern Malaysia. Malaysia has indeed "progressed in leaps and bounds " to my shocking awe. Ever since my first encounter with a mobile phone ( ATUR) here in this country, i.e. when a visitor carried it into one of Kuala Lumpur's once popular hill resort situated in Gombak, it took me quite a while to realise it as a sure necessity or truly appreciate it to reward me with one, someday. The gadget's price and design could have been one of the main factors that took me off my interest until 1993, when i was convinced to buy my first mobile apparatus from a friend for RM 1,000. Called it daylight robbery but i was too naive about the situation at that time not even to mention about its gadgety operations system.
At that time, It would also make me one of the first people in my office to actually use a mobile and people would stare at you as if you want to emulate or imitate the CEO of your own company as it is considered a status symbol or somebody you must be in order to use one.

Yesterday, 14 May 2008, a Malay tabloid in its frontpage headline screaming to announce that there are more than 3,000 websites in the internet that featured Malay based/ supported pornography sites. And surf i did just to find out how much truth it prevailed. Sure enough, within a click seconds, i was already whisked to such fantasexual streaming of personal delight.
There were lots of them but as i tried to evaluate their origins and purpose, i realise that many people who had posted them would have done it for the value of money . To some, what might have started as a hobby to shoot people's faces and scenes would eventually take on a more creative hobby by engaging in a more adventurous film making" stunts" and brusque editing, quite amateurishly i might describe. Well you can't blame technology can u ? There are now Ipods, GPS ,web cams, alarm security systems, digital cameras, plasmas,DVD's, PDAs and of course the commonly ubiquitous mobile phones. An array of techies( ??) indeed for future living !

The mobile phone i believe could trigger as the most powerful instrument of all times. You can get rich by it, get toppled from your ranks by it, get slandered by it, make scandals out of it, get happy birthday messages across the miles in an instant by it, listen to music from it, watch your stocks tumble in it and also see your favorite football matches from it.
What i also realised is that many future generations minds are going to be "damaged" and possessed" by it too unless any government or even the inventors do something to prevent it from happening. Not even "control" or "restraint" would stop anything. The mobile phone has reached its identity as an instrument of "ingenuity and creativity" as far as the owner's conquest of communications freedom is concerned. From sex , i was transported to politics,travelled from one area to another region and alas !, to another country bit by bit by means of its clicking processes eventually and rather endlessly.

The political scenes of Malaysia in its run up to the last elections was by far the most shameful and embarrassing moments to watch. Malaysians too ( those involved in the uploading of such materials into the internet) for public viewing ought to be labeled as one of the lowest class citizens ever to have lived on this planet. Much substances are build upon to destroy another person's image and dignity. Others are just plain stupid to blatantly broadcast publicly their" sexual tinted projects" purposely or unknowingly through friends and foes, which was taken by sex hungry paparazzi reporters or sheer thrill seekers and money hungry mobile phone slinging sex crusaders who wanted to earn "something big ." out of "something small" - i'm refering to the small camera lens that penetrates the vision . Many uneducated people also finds this equipment amusing as it looks using it with lack of sensitivities while the educated ones manipulate its characteristics pretty wittingly with sinful intentions.

There is absolutely no glory in those outright obscene material offerings ( depending on how it is being categorise or exemplified by the uploaders ) except shame and guilt feelings of those who were featured in them and for those who had photographed / shot. The photograhers at large, who shot the scenes would have to pay heavily in hell when they leave this Godly world. I am not preaching ethics or spiritual knowledge here but the consequences upon society on those bawdy visual chapters are just another sick person's anxiety of lack of self- reputation morality and if i may put it very "subtly" , a very low standard "pariah" work of art ????!! . Who won and who loses, in the final destination, will only explain the type of society Malaysians wants to be associated with . No wonder in certain countries, internet regulatory controls are strongly monitored and autocratically imposed.

Pornography is so readily available 24/7 if you have a reliable internet connection but what it might do to any person is also up to the own individual's perception of what was seen. (As it is sometimes watching too much of cartoon on TV is also bad for the child.) It's not a DIY sex education programme channel.

Surfing into these explicit sites is like opening a chaotic treasure full of unfit and unsound goods for the full of it or for the lack of it ( as in a cliff hanger video that leaves the viewer to imagine the next step of action or erection.) Imagine a mind full of sexual hunger and sexual desires and when a sex related criminal case takes place, another life is in danger forever and then someone wants to try to press the panic button. I suppose this is the price to pay for technology, no pain no gain and that necessity is the Mother of Invention . But again, the pain is in everyone's ass. Ask your neighbors with children.

Oh No , Not another Headache & Heart ( Hard) " Brake" ???

Photo credit : OXYMANUS

While returning from Bangi after visiting my mom this afternoon, i took the usual Seremban - Sungai Besi Highway towards KL. Surprisingly the traffic movement was not too congested as i would have expected. Incidentally, i was visiting a client in Puchong earlier after lunch, briefing them about their forthcoming Kuching trip next month. Once over and done with, i made a beeline to my intended rendezvous i.e the Bangi Golf Resort.

Where i almost reached the Tun Razak Road going through the underpass opposite the Indonesian Embassy, there was suddenly an impromptu traffic police halt right just at the end of the tunnel. It was a kind of dangerous blockade i would realise later that would do more harm than good if such operations are practised at peak hours, all in a matter of a split second. The VIP entourage was seen making its way home and mobilised by the relevant traffic authorities, resulting in the other public vehicles having to station or simply reduce their speed to heed the law when such VIP cars criss cross our public roads. Somehow, certain impolite and selfish drivers who were impatient about making a temporary interruption of their journey, suddenly swerved to the right lane trying to avoid the traffic policeman(often with their big bikes parked at eased temporarily on the road.) As i was driving rather swiftly along the outer fast lane on the extreme right side, i suddenly applied my brakes to avoid an approaching car that has encroach into the right lane of my passing car. I was helplessly shocked and angry. Suddenly i realised that by swerving to avoid that idiotic son of a gun driver's car, i had no choice whatsoever but to force my car to move to the already limited void area which is the kerb structure of the road divider. I thought my car would have flung over the other side of the road when i realised my tyre grips were dysfunctioning, ( as unhumorous as i want to be, my tyre threads we quite "bald" so to speak and i must admit that i have not replace them for quite a while - and i was pretty guilty about it nonetheless .)My superior point in raising this note is that i simply cannot tolerate what the other driver was doing to me.As you can see, the maximum limit imposed on that particular stretch is around 60 - 70 kms which is clearly portrayed on the traffic signage, if i can strongly remember since i am a regular user of this road, which is a very long trunk road by itself and formerly known as Jalan Pekeliling in those post Merdeka days. I also believe this must be the longest road in KL as far as my school days map reading memory is concerned. I even find out that it was once called Circular Road due to its circumbulation plan.

But what the other driver has done by going into my lane obtrusively for that split second moment , was tantamount to endangering my life as well as the destruction of my car, had i been unlucky or undefensive at that time. The screeching sounds was loud enough to make me shock and wonder what will happen next and the scent of burnt rubber that was emitted for a while due to the friction on the road surface could have made any person nauseate. I was trusting my car will be fine but the fact that i was more concerned for my car's well being rather than for my life was far more important. I suppose i had some other fixations or replacements on my car parts made just a few days ago and i would like to connect this event to the the dry cell battery problem which i had experienced a few days earlier.

After seeing the damage on my tyres, i decided to drive into Eaton Road and locate a temporary car park to further examine the extent of my car's damage. There was scratches / little dents on the right hand side of the car near where the tyres are; adding more physical "facelifts" to some existing scarred surfaces . I cannot help but wonder why such a predicament has befallen on me again and frowned in dismay. I made a call to the tyre shop manager and manage to speak to him at his land line after a failed call to his mobile was transferred to his voice mail. It was so frustrating indeed and while i was talking to him relieving him of my situation, my mobile battery was fizzled off. Oh that was really too much. I blamed that he yakked unnecessarily that i could not get my message across perfectly to him of only he had listen to my grouses.

Damn it i said to myself, and i just prayed that i can still start the car and drove instantly to Setapak to his motor workshop. At the same time, it was the rush hour traffic where drivers are driving home after work. I just hope that nothing high risk or unfortunate will turn out later or it will surely make me so desperately distressed.
I managed to pass through the extremely busy roads of Tun Razak and Jalan Pahang and finally made it around almost 7.20 pm at the motor workshop. The rest of the story will be continued ...........



What happened at that time was that while i was about to perform the ignition, i heard a rather slight explosion that came from underneath my car bonnet whose sounds likened to a minor cracker blast and i could watch some people who were sipping their afternoon "teh- tarik" ( pulled tea beverage) by the side of it, displayed faces of wonder and a little stirred up by the commotion of sound they have just heard. I prayed in my heart that my car did not really "explode" or physically damaged or otherwise i will have a big problem ahead of me wondering what has actually happened as it literally exploded the wits out of me. Probably i was not a technical person or anyone that specialises in the know how or tips to discover mechanical faults related to an automobile.

In my usual fancy, i came out of the vehicle and decided to go home unashamedly and without guilt, just abandon my car just like that for the night. The consolation was that it was parked so perfectly well adjacent to the 7-11 store and opposite a motorcar workshop of all buildings !. It was well parked and did not caused any obstruction whatsoever.

The following day, i came back to the spot to salvage my poor car. While i was in the cab chatting with this particular driver, a Pakistani immigrant married to a local i seek solace in discussing with him about my car problem which i had encountered the day before. He explained to me that he too had a similar sounding problem and asked me if i had use a dry cell for my car and that i was just worried not to even anticipate any other words he might utter again , should the problem had nothing to do with the dry cell.
In my mind, I was praying hard that the only problem would really be the "dry cell" and nothing else. Later, upon reaching my destination, i confidently walked to the tyre shop to seek the necessary technical assistance.

Obama Story

By : ILAN CHAIM - former chief copy editor of Jerusalem Post

A great deal has been reported - and misreported - about the religious affiliation of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama. He has been described in the media as both a Muslim and a Christian.

His alleged Islamic affiliation derives from his middle name, Hussein, which certain sleazy pundits and bigots are quick to associate by innuendo with terrorism. In fact, Hussein is a popular Arab and Islamic name. It means "good," "proper" or "handsome."

Just because there was once an Iraqi dictator with the same name doesn't mean that all Husseins are questionable. A great ally of the United States, for example, was the late King Hussein of Jordan. And for that matter, are all Josephs to be associated with Joseph Stalin?

"If I were a Muslim I would let you know," Obama has told reporters. In fact, he is a practicing Christian, a member of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. But although he is not now a Muslim, he was born to a Muslim father and spent four impressionable years of his childhood in the world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesia.

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In a meeting with voters last December at a coffee shop in Oskaloosa, Iowa, MSNBC reported, Obama described his Muslim background in simple terms:

"My father was from Kenya, and a lot of people in his village were Muslim. He didn't practice Islam. Truth is he wasn't very religious. He met my mother. My mother was a Christian from Kansas, and they married and then divorced. I was raised by my mother. So, I've always been a Christian. The only connection I've had to Islam is that my grandfather on my father's side came from that country. But I've never practiced Islam.

"For a while, I lived in Indonesia because my mother was teaching there. And that's a Muslim country. And I went to school. But I didn't practice. But what I do think it does is it gives me insight into how these folks think, and part of how I think we can create a better relationship with the Middle East and that would help make us safer is if we can understand how they think about issues."

HOWEVER, OBAMA's Muslim background - besides gaining him "insight into how these folks think" - might also give "these folks" reason to kill him.

All versions of Obama's biography agree on certain basic facts. He was born in 1961 in Honolulu to a non-practicing Muslim Kenyan father and a Christian American mother and spent his early childhood in Hawaii. After his parents divorced, he lived from age six to 10 in Jakarta with his mother and Indonesian stepfather, a non-practicing Muslim described by neighbors as someone who hung prayer beads over his bed but enjoyed eating bacon - anathema to Islam.

He returned to Honolulu to live with his Christian maternal grandparents while attending school there from the fifth grade until his graduation in 1979.

In Jakarta from 1967 to 1971, from first through fourth grade, Obama's religious upbringing depended more on the practices of the schools he attended than on any decision by his non-practicing Christian mother or his non-practicing Muslim stepfather. While enrolled at a Catholic school, Fransiskus Strada Asisia, for three years, the Chicago Tribune reported, Obama was required to pray as a Catholic - four times a day.

When he attended a public school, Sekolah Dasar Nasional Menteng No. 1, as a fourth grader during his last year in Indonesia, he learned about Islam for a compulsory two hours a week. This was because he was registered, by law, under his step-father's name as a Muslim. Whatever Islamic instruction he managed to absorb as a nine-year-old, he did so for only two hours a week - plus occasionally accompanying his step-father on a rare visit to a mosque.

It should also be pointed out that Obama's school was not the fundamentalist Islamic madrassa depicted in media reports, but a public school progressive enough for its women teachers to be allowed to wear miniskirts and ecumenical enough for pupils to be encouraged to celebrate Christmas.

So why all the concern about a candidate who really had little formal religious upbringing from either the Muslim or Christian side of his family, and who was baptized as an adult in 1988 when he embraced Christianity and became an enthusiastic churchgoer? The real concern is not over how Obama views his conversion, but how the Islamic world will deal with it.

WHETHER OR not his father was a devout Muslim, under Islamic law (Shari'a) Obama was born into Islam, which follows patrilineal descent. "I've always been a Christian," Obama tells the public - apparently meaning "always as an adult" and disregarding his lack of connection to Islam as a child. To believers, however, once a Muslim always a Muslim.

Obama's conversion to Christianity makes him what is called a murtadd, an apostate, under Islamic law. Strictly fundamentalist Islamic regimes, like that of Saudi Arabia, might have difficulty dealing with an American president whose abandonment of Islam they consider punishable by death.

(The writer is a former chief copy editor of The Jerusalem Post.)

Money Politics of An Important Gentleman

Very migrainic,compulsive articles in our political websites indeed.

Everybody wants a piece of life to themselves. But only wealth and more wealth.
In other words, wealth is the question of the day.

Money talks and everyone wants to talk the same language i.e. money.

The crux of the matter is money and the root of all evil is money.
People are disunited because of the colour of money.
Money faced, no money no honey, money penny, money money makes the world goes round. Its not about race, religion . Its about the money.
Power is money. Its all about the money no matter what creed and colour you are.