Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Thank You My Precious Angels, Just Look At What We Did In Numbers...







Now the Numbers Aren't In Yet,

But Just from Country Wings Alone,

I think we raised about $250.00 give

or take a few. I am so Over the Top

THRILLED. We are BIG in Numbers.







We all worked together, we had
FAITH in
what the Lord wanted
us to do, and we have
now helped
in the next miracle makeover


for another in need.








I applaude each and every one of you.

I am standing, I am clapping and I have

tears of joy running down my cheeks.



I am Country Wings hear me Roar,

In numbers to big to ignore.

$250.00 more.



For the next big miracle makeover,

Just around the corner you will see.

Maybe a sister, daughter, mother

or could be someone's brother.



Have you written to Guideposts?

Asking Sweet Kelee to help?

She'll be saying,
"you're the one,
our selection, yep is done."


We're gonna have fun, fun, fun.



I have so enjoyed myself in helping host

this miracle weekend. I hope you have had

fun sharing your miracles with us too.
Kelee


has the numbers posted you must go and

read. I am jumping with joy on this one.



As always, thank you for stopping by

my little piece of heaven, here in the

desert that I so love to call home.

Country hugs and much love,



post signature


Menghormati agama lain

TAMBAHAN 5.45PAGI - No joke! 

One thing that I often admire Malaysia for, unlike a seriously-serious Singapore (yawny!) officialdom, is its ability to laugh at itself.
One can make jokes about politicians and government officials and everyone will laugh, and then move on.
I remember in mid-1990s enjoying on video the Instant Cafe comedies - someone recorded them for posterity. One was making a comedy out of Anwar Ibrahim the then deputy prime minister as a girly-man, and Dr Mahathir as a haughty boss. This was before 1998 when Anwar became entangled with the courts with sodomy accusations and Dr M became 'MahaFiraun'. Hearty laughter for the paying audience.
No harm done, except perhaps to make everyone loves politicians more because they seem more human rather than idiotic robots.
Errr but now, I think some people cannot take a joke anymore.
Benda gini pun nak bawa gi court. Are you see-rai-ous?
Apa nak jadi nih?


--------------------------------------------
Earlier post - Menghormati agama lain 

Ada soalan di posting sebelum ini tentang nak bersolat jika kerja di Singapore.
Baik masuk bab agama sikit eh, walau saya bukan ahli agama ke mana!
Saya alim-alim kuching, nampak ikan baham juga!
Di sini kita lihat orang lain hormat pelancong umat M ni.

1) Di Jerusalem 

Saya tulis komen panjang di bawah posting tentang bagaimana jika kita ke tempat ibadah orang, kenalah sopan ikut cara tuan rumah.
Saya tulis di situ juga, jika masuk gereja dan synagogue - tempat sembahyang orang Yahudi - kenalah hormat cara mereka.
Sama juga jika masuk ke kuil Hindu atau kuil Cina.
Sama juga jika kita masuk masjid.
Jika tak tahu hormat orang lain - atau rasa 'berdosa' berada di tempat suci orang lain - sila beredar dengan baik. Barulah orang hormat umat M ni.

Di Western Wall di Jerusalem, tempat paling suci orang Yahudi (juga dipanggil Wailing Wall), lelaki dan wanita sembahyang di tempat yang berasingan.
Apabila saya nampak dulu, wah, saya kata dalam hati, baik aku petik gambau, biar orang lain nampak.
Inilah GAMBAR nya.
Wanita di sebelah kanan tembok rendah tu yang memisahkan mereka.

Nak bersembahyang untuk wanita kena pakai selendang hitam, tapi tak wajib saya rasa - sebab tu ada wanita tak bertudung. Ini saya teka, takut salah tafsir pula.
Meja-meja kayu depan gambar digunakan untuk meletak kitab semasa orang lelaki berdoa.

Saya harap jangan sebar gambar ini, takut mereka sensitif. Kita perlu hormat agama orang.
(Jika ada orang kata ini sensitif, saya akan cepat delete gambar. Semasa saya petik dulu, tak ada yang larang).
Saya letak di sini sebab nak tunjuk cara kaum lain di tempat suci mereka yang jarang kita lihat.
Dan agar kalian faham sedikit sebanyak tentang sejarah tempat ini.
Mudah benar orang kata 'halau Yahudi, ini tanah Palestin'. Atau 'Halau Palestin, ini tanah Yahudi'.
Pada saya, penghuraiannya ialah dengan berkongsi tempat ini.

Saya di sana masuk sebelah kiri - syaf lelaki.
Rakan wanita dari group humanitarian Mercy Relief Singapore ditunjuk oleh penjaga tempat itu supaya masuk ke syaf wanita, jika nak lihat dari dekat.
Mereka hormat pengunjung, hingga boleh berdiri dan bergambar, dan pegang pun, tembok suci mereka.
Sama seperti kita umat M beri orang non-M penghormatan dengan tak kacau pelawat yang ke masjid Putrajaya dan Masjid Negara, serta Masjid Sultan di Singapoora. Sebab mereka hormat tradisi kita.

Sayang saya tak sempat ke gereja paling suci Kristian di situ - Church of the Holy Sepulchre - di mana mereka percaya Nabi Isa disalib dan dikebumikan. Saya ke sana bertugas, jadi kena pilih nak lawat Masjid Al-Aqsa dan Masjid Kubah, atau ke tempat lain, di masa ada break antara meeting.

PULAK. Mamat mengong ni masuk bab dia ke Israel lagi, kata kamu! Boringlah!

Errrr, saya nak quote apa yang dikatakan oleh jeneral yang disegani dalam tentera Amerika apabila Israel kata nak teruskan membina rumah di tanah Palestin.
Kata General David Petraeus:
- "Enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbours present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the area of responsibility."
- "Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples [in the region]."
Cerita penuh di sini.

Cakap mudah: Jika kamu orang Israel terus buli rakyat Palestin, jangan harap Amerika boleh buat baik dengan umat M ni di bahagian dunia yang lain sebab orang semua marah.
Apabila jeneral ni kata gini pada March lalu, woi, marah Israel dan lobi Yahudi di Amerika sebab ini kali pertama orang paling top tentera sudah buat link antara apa yang dilakukan oleh negara Israel, dengan peperangan hearts and minds America di tempat lain, termasuk di Iraq dan Afghanistan.
Heboh semua media di sebelah sana buat analisa.
Media kita tak faham berapa pentingnya komentar Petraeus, jadi mereka terus hebohkan Perkasa lawan KJ.
Mamat jeneral ni begitu popular di kalangan tentera sehingga orang kata depa boleh jadi presiden. Berani lawan tauke orang politik. CVnya di sini.

Jadi kenalah pak chic ni ulang-ulang cerita negara Israel ni dari masa ke masa.
Biar semua faham akan kerumitan isu, jangan nak salahkan satu pihak saja.
Sebab kadang kita pun marah betoi dengan pak arab ni - si Hamas gaduh dan berbunuh dengan Palestinian National Authority, macam mana nak bincang dengan Israel. Kamu sama sendiri hancur (eh! macam Umno, PAS pulak!!!).

OKlah, enough said. Tak suka boleh baca part kedua kat bawah ini.



2) Di Hong Kong


Ini terminal baru di pulau tu - airport mereka di Lantau island, sebuah pulau yang jauh dari pulau kecil Hong Kong, dan dekat dengan tanah besar Kowloon (lebih setengah jam dari downtown Hong Kong).
Saya pernah masuk terminal lama mereka - tak nampak surau.
Lagi lapar, cari makan - nasib baik ada fast food halal Popeye!

Kat bangunan baru ini, terminal baru dibuka beberapa bulan apabila saya ambil connecting flight Chicago-HK-Singapore.
GAMBAR signboard paling jauh ialah untuk tukar diaper baby, lepas tu toilet pompuan, lepas tu saya nampak - eh apa benda nih!
Rupa-rupanya gambar orang solat. Dalam tu ada sejadah. Jadi betul ler.



3) Di Changi

Di Terminal 1 dan Terminal 2, ada surau jika kamu dah melepasi imigresen.
Kamu cari signboard orang tadah tangan berdoa!
Tapi kerana Singapork negara sekular, tak ada agama rasmi, jadi surau ni dipanggil 'multi-religion prayer room'.
Jika dipanggil 'Muslim prayer hall', nanti orang agama lain pun minta gereja kecil, kuil kecil, synagogue kecil, lama-lama penuh tempat ibadat.
Dalam dua-dua, ahem, prayer hall ni ada tempat wuduk - lelaki, pompuan kena campurlah, sebab ada 3-4 paip wuduk. Ada toilet berdekatan jika nak wuduk di sana.
Nak rilek baring-baring pun boleh jika tak ganggu jemaah lain. Eeks marah nanti imigresen Singapore saya kata boleh baring kat sini.
OK, jangan baring, boleh duduk rehat orang tak ganggu jika flight delay.

Terminal 1 ialah yang paling lama (kecik, digunakan AirAsia dan Jetstar), Terminal 2 lebih kurang 15 tahun (???, digunakan MAS, SIA) dan kini ada Terminal 3 di Changi (SIA dan syarikat penerbangan yang besar2 sebab sewa terminal ni mahal, sebab baru). Saya baru masuk ke dalam T3 sekali, jadi tak sempat cari ada dewan solat ke tidak.
Di Budget Terminal, jika tak salah kat dalam saya ternampak ada 'Prayer Room' - tapi selalu naik Firefly ni tak sempat rilek kat dalam, masa singkat.
GAMBAR di sini semua di Terminal 1 (di bawah gerai money changers)

Monday, August 30, 2010

Prosper the brand. Not weaken it




- Value peace, stability (NST).
- Hargailah keamanan (Utusan).
- (All Malaysians) have crucial role to play in country’s growth (The Star).
- Kita boleh hancur (BH).
- Don't let extreme attitudes destroy our way of life (The Sun)
- Ingat sebelum nasi jadi bubur - Raja Nazrin (AgendaDaily).
- Jangan Biarkan Perkauman, Provokasi Agama Musnah Negara (umno-online)

- Najib resists call for crackdown (Insider).
- Tunku's vision poisoned by racism (Malaysiakini).
- Time to heed Tunku’s call for courage to change (freemalaysiatoday)
- Our past struggle: Lest we forget the true Merdeka spirit (MalaysianMirror)
- Surau: Hassan (Ali) akan dipanggil Khusrin (JAIS) (Harakahdaily)
- Kelantan saman Petronas berhubung royalti minyak (Suara Keadilan).

ONCE UPON A TIME...........


30th,August,2010
Monday
Dear Friends,
         Good Morning!
I had been to the capital city-Thiruvananthapuram and came back today morning.It is raining and the whole atmosphere is cold.We had our family functions held at Tvpm and after a long time I could  meet many of my relatives.Strengthening the bonds and reliving the memories we had a very  nice time.I was at the mike at the party inviting and encouraging one and all to present an event.I did sing a Hindi number dedicated to little baby,darling..After the dinner we had a real bash dancing to the different numbers in Hindi.I loved and enjoyed dancing  with Kishen,Maza and Vidya.We had fun.
A huge ball of jasmine garland was given in a big lotus leaf and I really loved the enchnating flowers.The strands were put beautifully on the hair.
Everyone at some stage needs somebody to talk .We are surrounded by close relationships.All our relationships have a special  place in our lives and affect us in different ways.They are all important to make our lives happily.Smoothness in relations is a must orelse the peace will be taken away.The greatest joy and sorrow come with relations.Today's post is on the pain the attachment has brought in someone's life.The friendhip has strained due to misunderstanding and tensions.
'Time makes us to forget some persons.But some persons make us forget time.Such  a lovely person is reading this post now.Hearty welcome!
Often we reach the  crossroads of life;
Getting confused where and how to go,
When we stand without moving ,
We wish for the sincere voice that guides us correctly.
But then it is not necessary we have the voice always;
It thus happened to the most wonderful friend of mine.
She is a chatterbox always bubbling with high spirits.
Reaching out to her friends when the need arises.
For her, friends meant a lot !
She loved each and everyone!
And she had someone special too!
He always had a listening ear whenever she needed!
She made others feel life is so meaningful and beautiful.
Deep  within the soul,they knew,
They shared a love unlike others;
His thoughts brought out emotions which she never knew.
She felt the magical moments,
By his words and mails and phone calls.
She learnt to love the heart that hurts her
But never hurts the heart that loves her.
Thinking back she remembers,
How vibrant and meaningful the friendship was,
And how good and comfortable they used to feel.
As  the time flew,she got busy with life,
Not knowing that changes are taking place in relations!
Her fingers wanted to get entangled with his,
And she wanted t lie down on his chest,
Listening to his heartbeats!
And she always felt that heart beats are for her!
She always thought he is forever her  friend
May be she was overconfident;
It was really shocking even for the special occasion,
He did not reach her to wish her,

But later she was heartbroken when her friend told her,
She received a greeting call from him!
Now life has taught her pain can be the wonderful teacher,
The life-changing incidents do occur unexpectedly.   
Now she has lost the word TRUST
from her life.
She does not find a calm moment now,
As she is attacked by the situations.
Still she strings words beautifully,
Bringing a smile and cheer.
She suffers the moments of silence now,
And they have become unbearable.
She was tossing restlessly in her sleep.
She was behaving quite oddly these days;
I can never think of my friend in pain or stress,
As she is my best buddy and a gem .
Removing the doubts and fears from the mind,
She is slowly moving on....
And I am with her assuring emotional and moral support..........
Friends,
           Relations  if they start taking their toll on our mental,physical and emotional health,it is better let go;move on.Depression and loneliness should not affect us.Some friendships will never mend again.We can hardly change people but we can change ourselves and our attitudes.Getting involved in activities and work let us live life in a better way.Now give  me a smile.Tonight I need it very badly.:)
It's Anu signing off..............
Kal usko dekhkar yaad aaya
Hum bhi kabhi mohabaat kiya karte they.
''We can not direct the wind;but we can adjust the sails''.
Requesting you to be very careful in building relations,
And see that the heart you love does not ache.
Praying her silence won't haunt him,
 Reminding Anu loves you,dil se,
Wishing All Of You A Wonderful Month Of Septemeber,
                                                    Sasneham,
                                                             Anu

A Bevy of Books and DVDs and Big Changes at Studio Madge!

Hey Howdy Hey!

Behind the scenes here at Studio Madge, there are some pretty big things happening. I can't talk about them yet, but it's been a whirlwind. These things are going to have a huge impact on my career, this blog, my viral marketing efforts, every aspect of my life. There are endless little details to be worked out and clarified and there are huge decisions to be made and quite frankly, it's always unsettling to stand in the face of big changes. I'm just taking it one moment at a time and trying not to let it overwhelm me.

Life just keeps moving forward and we have to either jump on the train or get run over!

I have been so busy this summer that I've not had a lot of time for book reviews. Please forgive me if you've sent me a book and I've not yet posted about it. Since my work load is about to increase ten fold, I'm going to do some book recommendations today. Call them mini-reviews, if you will.

First congrats to Gina Rath for winning the final free copy of my book Bead Chic. Please forward your snail mail to margot@margotpotter.com. I've been buried, but I promise to get all of the prize copies out a.s.a.p.! Hang in there! If you have the book and you like it, please consider leaving a little review for me on Amazon. The more good reviews it gets, the better it's going to sell and my kid really needs some back to school clothes!

Also one of my Bead Chic contributors, Angela Bannatyne of Avenue A is giving away a copy of Bead Chic AND the gorgeous necklace she created for the book. Go to her blog and leave a comment to win.


If you've not met the force of nature that is Shannon Okey a.k.a. Knitgrrl, you've really been missing out. She's not only a smart cookie, a best selling author and one of the top experts in the knitting community, but she's a terrific writer and a superstar at self promotion. Even if you don't knit, her new book The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design is overflowing with fabulous advice for building a career as a design expert through writing books, magazine submissions, direct sales and online marketing efforts. Shannon talks in frank detail about contracts, publishing and every aspect of what it takes to make your expertise into a full time career. I have a free copy of this book to give away today...and believe me when I tell you you'll love it. Get this book, Shannon knows of what she speaks. Trust me. Leave a comment to win and I'll announce a winner next week.

I DO NOT have 'free copies' of the remaining items, just reviews and links to places you can buy them! Believe me, they're all worth the price of admission. I simply can't part with them...that's how good they are!



I recently received two absolutely amazing DVDs from Interweave created by the uber talented Ronna Sarvas Weltman. These are master classes with a master artist and well worth adding to your craft library. Metalwork is a primer for shaping, texturing and antiquing wireworked jewelry and Mixed Media: How to Make Polymer Clay Beads shares how to condition, shape, cure and texture poly clay beads. Ronna includes information about color, trouble shooting common clay issues and shares a host of innovative techniques. Good stuff abounding in both of these DVDs.


I was also sent a fabulous book to peruse from the fine folks at Interweave Press by renowned author and jewelry designer Lisa Niven Kelly of Beaducation.com. Stamped Metal Jewelry is a must have for any jewelry maker who wants to explore metal working. You'll learn how to stamp, texture, form, punch and rivet metal into designer style jewelry. Lisa shows you how to Link
oxidize, polish, cut, saw and dap metal blanks and sheet metal through gorgeous projects that will ignite your creative imagination. There's even a bonus DVD with the book! If you've been itching to try something new, this book is just what the bead doctor ordered.

Oh and one more thing! My aunt Shane Devine has a song on the rotation at Women of Substance radio! She's hoping to get 'You're a Part of Me' into the top ten, so if you can pop by and give her a thumbs up that would be fabulous! Kudos, Shane!

Love,
Madge

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Megadeth 4 Live Concerts - 1999, 1994, 1992, 1990


Video Google
Megadeth in Woodstock 1999 (Live)
41:34



Video Google
Megadeth - MTV 1994 (Live)
( Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Menza ,Ellefson)
52:21



Megadeth - London 1992 (Live)
1:05:28


Live performance from Megadeth. 1. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due 2. Skin O' My Teeth 3. Wake Up Dead 4. Hangar 18 5. Foreclosure of a Dream 6. Countdown to Extinction 7. Lucretia 8. Sweating Bullets 9. In My Darkest Hour 10. Tornado of Souls 11. Ashes in Your Mouth 12. Symphony of Destruction 13. Peace Sells 14. Anarchy in the U.K
Megadeth 1990 (Live)
1:16:31


Megadeth playing at an unkown city with the " classic line-up ", before and after concert footage as well as Good mourning black friday to HOLY WARS!

Megadeth Biography
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1983. Founded by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson following Mustaine's departure from Metallica, the band has since released twelve studio albums, six live albums, two EPs, twenty six singles, thirty-two music videos, and three compilations.

As a pioneer of the American thrash metal movement, Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s and was ranked as one of the "Big Four of Thrash", along with Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, who were responsible for creating, developing and popularizing the thrash metal sub-genre. Megadeth has experienced numerous line-up changes, due partly to the band's notorious substance abuse problems. From 1983 to 2002, Mustaine and Ellefson were the only continuous members of the band. After finding sobriety and securing a stable line-up, Megadeth went on to release a string of platinum and gold albums, including the platinum-selling landmark Rust in Peace in 1990 and the Grammy nominated, multi-platinum Countdown to Extinction in 1992. Megadeth disbanded in 2002 after Mustaine suffered a severe nerve injury to his left arm. However, following extensive physical therapy, Mustaine reformed the band in 2004 and released The System Has Failed, followed by United Abominations in 2007; the albums debuted on the Billboard Top 200 chart at #18 and #8, respectively. Megadeth, along with their new lead guitarist Chris Broderick, released their twelfth studio album, titled Endgame, on September 15, 2009, which debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200.


In the band's 25 active years, Megadeth has had 20 official members, with Dave Mustaine remaining as the driving force and main songwriter.

Megadeth is known for its distinctive instrumental style, often featuring dense, intricate passages and trade off guitar solos. Mustaine is also known for his "snarling" vocal style, as well as his recurring lyrical themes including politics, war, addiction, personal relationships, and the occult.

Megadeth has sold close to 25 million albums worldwide, with five consecutive albums being certified platinum in the USA. The band has also been nominated for seven consecutive nominations for Best Metal Performance.

Controversy
For more details on this topic, see Dave Mustaine feuds and rivalries.

Dave Mustaine is notorious for making inflammatory statements in the press, usually regarding feuds and problems with former bandmates and other bands, including Slayer and Metallica. Perhaps most well known is his long standing feud with Metallica members James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, stemming from his ejection from the band, and the method in which it was conducted, as well as disagreements on songwriting credits.


In April 1988, at a concert in Antrim, Northern Ireland, Mustaine "unknowingly" dedicated the final song to the IRA. Before the final song, "Anarchy in the UK", Mustaine said, "This one's for the cause!" A fight amongst the audience ensued, as Protestants took offense and, according to Mustaine, the band had to travel in a "bulletproof bus" for the remainder of the tour of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Mustaine later alleged that he had been misled as to the meaning of the expression "the cause" by T-Shirt bootleggers outside the venue where they were performing. This incident served as inspiration for one of Megadeth's most well-known songs, "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due".

In July 2004, former bassist David Ellefson sued Mustaine for $18.5 million in Manhattan Federal Court. Ellefson alleged that Mustaine short changed him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth over to him when the band broke up in 2002. Ellefson also accused Mustaine of locking him out of merchandise and publishing royalties. The suit was dismissed in 2005, and Mustaine filed a countersuit, which was later settled out of court.

Also sparking minor controversy was Mustaine's announcement that Megadeth will not play certain songs live anymore, due to Mustaine's new identification as a Christian. In recent years Dave Mustaine has become a Born again Christian. In May 2005 Mustaine also allegedly threatened to cancel shows in Greece and Israel with extreme metal bands Rotting Christ and Dissection, due to the bands' perceived anti-Christian beliefs, which in turn caused the two bands to cancel their appearances.

Ucapan National Day S'pore.... & isu umat M

Perdana Menteri Singapore Lee Hsien Loong kini sedang berucap, live di TV.
Dari zaman bapanya dulu, National Day rally ni semacam wajib dinonton oleh orang yang nak tahu politik dan business pulau kecik ni.
Setahun sekali, perdana menteri akan explain secara detail kenapa pemerintah buat sesuatu itu, dan jawab isu-isu panas.

Dah lama saya tak nonton sebab kerja di KL dan selalu waktu hari bertugas. Hari ni tak kerja.
Tadi depa start 6.45petang. Mula dengan berucap dalam bahasa Melayu, seperti bapanya Kuan Yew dulu. Saya tak tahu masa Goh Chok Tong jadi PM dulu beliau berucap dalam bahasa Melayu ke tidak.

Terlambat, saya miss ucapan dalam bahasa Melayu.
Kini lagi bual bahasa Mandarin.
Last, dan paling panjang, baru nanti bual dalam bahasa Inggeris.

Isu-isu yang nak dikatakan termasuk Education, Foreign Talent dan Economy tempatan.
Dengan bisikan bahawa pilihanraya akan diadakan pada December atau Januari, waduh pak, speech ini menjadi lebih penting nak menarik hati pengundi.
Selain isu FT ni, warga Singapork marah tentang harga rumah yang tinggi.
Ekonomi Singapura tahun ini (KDNK) dijangka tumbuh 13 hingga 15 peratus - ekonomi terkuat di dunia (China dan India lebih kurang 9 peratus saja). Sebab ada dua kasi-no.

More later....

--------------------------------------------
ALAMAK, 7.40pm hingga 8pm ada break pulak! Lepas tu baru nak cakap bahasa Inggeris.
Baru saya tanya dalam hati tadi - nampak ramai muka Melayu dalam dewan tu, macam mana mereka nak buka, bermaghrib?
Setahu saya, selalunya tak ada break gini.
Takbir! (mampoi polis Singapore tangkap aku).

--------------------------------------------

(Cerita tentang ucapan PM Lee - baca sini dan sini).


--------------------------------------------
BAIK SAYA JAWAB INI 
 
Di posting sebelum ini,
Pinggoo said...

Hi Rem.
I am beginning to be addicted to your blog. I think I am not the only one....hee hee.
Btw, what do you think of the 2 umat M yang kena tangkap kat Singapore tu? They are very brave and courageous to face the PAP machine. Habis tu mamat yang kena ISA itu hari...apa hal? Citer la sikit.
Kesian diorang, bulan puasa pulak tu ...terus kena cekup...
Sape sape nak tahu, pergi lah kat sini....temasekreview.com
Selamat berpuasa.


JAWAPAN:
Eeks, tak payah puji-puji beb. Ini tulisan syiok sendiri.
Harap jangan gunakan apa yang saya tulis sebagai fatwa atau investment advice. Ini macam kita duduk kat kedai kopi bual-bual kosong, pakai apa ilmu yang ada.
Sama macam di kedai kopi, jika orang tak sedap dengar apa yang kita kata, mereka akan beredar ke tempat lain.

Tentang mamat Singapore yg kena cekup tu. Utk pembaca yg tak familiar, di Singapour baru selesai diadakan Youth Olympic Games atau YOG. Buat pertama kali dalam sejarah.

Untuk pengkritik - pemerintah buang duit ratusan juta. Tak ramai yg nonton, volunteer dapat makanan basi hingga ada yg sakit perut.

Untuk penyokongnya pula - orang muda dan keluarga mereka dari 204 negara kini dah masuk Singapork dan tahu brandname pulau ini. Macam saya gi US dua minggu dulu, mereka yg masuk ke sini tu ditunjuk macam-macam benda yg baik dan cantik. Dan bakat muda pun dah mula nampak dalam sukan Singapour - team bola under-15 tu menang tempat ketiga (bronze medal). Wah. Team table tennis dan swimming pun bagus.

Salah satu pengkritik ialah budak Melayu yg menggunakan bahasa kasar, dalam mengkritik YOG dan menteri belia. Baca sini dan sini. Lalu mamat ni kena cekup polis dan nak dibawa ke mahkamah.
Adakah pemerintah dan polis over-react? Itulah yg jadi isu panas di cyberspace.

[Kat Singapore ni siapa nak baca pengkritik pemerintah baca TemasekReview atau TheOnlineCitizen (antara banyak website kritik Sinkapour).
Di zaman internet, pemerintah dan ulama dah tak boleh control spin lagi. The people talk back. They ask difficult questions. Yes, sometimes these websites and blogs ask stupid questions and give shallow answers.
Kalau kamu kata pemerintah Singapore tak boleh kena kritik, salah juga. Baca saja artikel-artikel di dua website too - lebih dasyat dari blog Petra].

Kes kedua pun mamat Melayu juga.
Errr Pinggoo, ada link mamat ni? Saya terbaca kat New Paper tapi dah lupa kesnya, jika tak salah kritik YOG juga.

Jawapan saya kepada kes orang lawan pemerintah Singapork:
Pemerintah PAP dalam keadaan kukuh serba-serbi. Macam Umno-BN zaman Mahathir dulu. Ia tidak biasa dipersoal secara kasar.
Jadi jika nak raise issue tu, kena gunakan bahasa yang slow.

Macam saya jika di pejabat kerajaan Malaysia, mahupun pejabat kementerian Temasek: 'Encik, minta maaf, kenapa saya kena tunggu 5jam nak kollect satu benda ni? Orh, pegawai gi makan 3jam? Terima kasih ya, tuan'.


INI cerita-cerita lama di Singapore ni (detail cerita ni mungkin kurang tepat, tapi lebih kurang beginilah. Jika ada info tepat tolong beritahu):

1) Kira-kira 20tahun lalu (jika tak salah), umat M di Temasek dah tinggi sifat agamanya, mahu anak perempuan dan lelaki mereka memakai seluar panjang semasa Senaman di sekolah, PE atau Physical Education.
Macam mana nak minta pemerintah? Ini isu sensitif ni sebab kaum lain semua anaknya pakai seluar pendek semasa PE.
Maka katanya (lebih kurang gini ler) pemimpin umat M slow talk di belakang tabir dengan menteri pelajaran dan sebagainya. Kerana tak lawan tauke dengan cara kasar, maka ianya dibenarkan. Tak masuk paper pun jika saya tak silap, takut jadi isu meletup.
Siapa nak pakai seluar panjang nak tutup aurat, go ahead. Kalau tak nak, suka hati juga.

Isu tudung? Dulu umat M nak anak pompuan masuk sekolah pakai tudung.
Pada saya, mungkin saya silap, ada pihak yang nak minta hak ini cara kasar. Masukkan media, guna bahasa marah-marah.
Takkan pemerintah nak go-stan jika kamu cabar kekuatannya.
Kalau slow talk dulu, mungkin dah dapat.

2) Umat M nak buat masjid di sini tak cukup wang. Takkan nak minta pemerintah PAP kasi wang cukai rakyat - nanti orang lain minta bina gereja dan kuil pula.
Slow talk lagi.
Maka dimulakan skim MBF - Mosque Building Fund. Pemerintah kapir Singapork bantu umat Islam indirectly dengan memastikan setiap majikan potong gaji umat M yang ditolak untuk buat masjid. Jika anda tak mahu, boleh opt out.
Belasan masjid dah dibuat, setiap satu berjuta dolar - yang empat tingkat pun ada. Semua guna duit umat M sendiri yang tak kaya ke mana pun. Tapi kami tak minta sedekah dengan orang lain, tak pakai duit cukai dari casino dan kilang arak. Semua duit keringat umat M jadi office boy dan drebar, jadi pegawai bank dan ahem, wartawan terbilang, gemilang dan hampir hilang.

3) Lagi satu. Umat M kat sini ramai juga yang papa. Maka ditubuhkan Majlis Pendidikan Anak-Anak Islam Singapura (Mendaki), dan kemudian Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) pun naik sendiri, nak bantu pendidikan kami.
Di zaman saya dulu belum ada Mendaki dan AMP - yang offer cheap tuition, bantu scholarship dan macam-macam lagi. Masuk website mereka ni dan baca kalau mahu. Dulu nak tuition bayar sendiri, nak scholarship kena queue panjang sebab hanya ada beberapa persatuan Islam kecil yg ada duit.


Jika dulu bising depan-depan minta hak (macam Hindraf dan Dong Jiao Zong) pastinya pemerintah tak kasi. Jika tak silap pemerintah kasi rental sangat murah untuk sekolah-sekolah yang dijadikan HQ Mendaki dan AMP ni.

Jadi itulah saudara: Kamu tak setuju tak apa.
Tapi pada saya, cara nak betulkan pemerintah yang kuat ni ialah dengan slow talk, bukan direct confrontation, tunjukkan marah.
Tapi ini utk Singapore saja ler. Di Malaysia dan Indonesia, India dan China, cara berhadapan dengan pemerintah dan dapatkan apa yang dikehendaki, lain-lain.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Masuk masjid biarlah sopan, tuan dan puan

Saya serba salah nak masuk bab ini atau tidak, sebab takut nanti orang Malaysia Darul Mais dan Darul NikAziz marah.Tapi kena masuk juga sebab saya rasa janggal dan kurang enak.
Lagipun ah moi DAP ni pakai uniform Singapore Airlines masuk surau, jadi okaylah saya warga Temasek boleh komen.

Saya rasa betullah kata Al Haj Prof Hamirdin, blogger pro-PAS, bahawa orang bukan Islam ni boleh masuk masjid.
Jika baca 'fatwa' online pun nampaknya begitu - di sini dan sini.

Saya pernah masuk gereja, kuil Hindu, kuil Cina dan juga Wailing Wall - tempat sembahyang orang Yahudi yang paling suci, di Jerusalem.

Di Wailing Wall tu semua lelaki kena pakai topi Yahudi, dan semua wanita digalakkan tutup kepala (GAMBAR di sini. Ada orang beri semua pengunjung lelaki topi kertas ni supaya pakai. Nak keluar, letak balik topi tu - sama macam orang nak masuk Masjid Putrajaya kena pakai baju labuh warna pink agar nampak sopan).
Kalau pakai songkok haji Muslim pun okay. Rakan saya, pengarah Mercy Relief kaum Benggali pakai sarban Singh, okay juga. Pokoknya tutup kepala menghormati tempat suci orang lain.

Pada saya itulah pokoknya. Hormat tempat suci orang lain.
- Jika kita masuk gereja, kena BUKA topi dan songkok - untuk menghormati adab Kristian. Pompuan nak pakai tudung (seperti nun mereka macam Mother Teresa) atau tak tutup kepala pun tak apa. Masuk gereja boleh pakai kasut.
- Jika masuk tempat Yahudi, TUTUP kepala untuk lelaki dan pompuan. Boleh pakai kasut.
- Masuk kuil Cina dan Hindu, dan masuk masjid, sila buka kasut.
Jika saya pakai seluar pendek atau baju kotor berbau busuk (baru jogging misalnya), saya gerenti kamu, saya tak akan masuk gereja atau kuil kerana tidak mahu mencemarkan tempat ibadat orang lain.
- Jadi tentunya kamu boleh pakai sopan sikit jika kamu non-Muslim masuk tempat Islam.

Mungkin ada yang kata orang non-Muslim dianggap bukan dalam keadaan suci tak boleh masuk masjid langsung, tapi memang ada riwayat non-Muslim memang masuk masjid di zaman Rasulullah.

Jika DAP nak masuk masjid dan surau, pada saya orang bukan politik dan orang Muslim bawahan, tak salah.
Tapi biarlah pakaian bersopan, bukan uniform SIA (GAMBAR dari blog TheUnspinners).
Ini pendapat peribadi.
Dah setengah abad saya hidup, tak pernah nampak orang pakai gitu masuk masjid dan surau, apatah lagi non-Muslim.

Saya khuatir jika ini tak ditegur, nanti ada mamat Melayu masuk masjid nak solat pakai cargo pants (tutup lutut, tapi seluar tak sampai ke buku lali). Kalau kamu nak marah depa tak boleh - tutup aurat dah. Nanti ditempelaknya pula - 'Si ah moi SIA tu boleh sedangkan tak tutup aurat, saya ni tutup aurat, nak solat lagi'.

Kat sini, boleh pula beliau pakai tudung (GAMBAR).



Tentang orang politik ni nak cakap politik dalam masjid, pada saya, patut dilarang - baik Umno, PAS mahupun DAP.
Nanti satu dah start, semua pun bermula dan pecahkan belahkan orang dalam masjid.
Saya tak tahu apa yang disampaikan pompuan uniform SIA tu. Katanya, bukan politik. Tapi kalau kamu bukan Islam masuk surau di Malaysia mustahil bukan kena mengena dengan politicking (baik orang Umno dan PAS pun). Tapi baguslah jika tak directly bawa isu politik.



HARMONY CENTRE 


Di sebuah masjid di Singapork - dekat dengan rumah saya, ialah Masjid An-Nahdhah. Dalam masjid ni ada Harmony Centre, dibuka tahun 2006.
Ia untuk mengadakan dialog dengan non-Muslim dari mana saja dalam bahasa Inggeris.
Kenapa diadakan ini? Dalam konteks Singapork ia perlu selepas peristiwa 911 dan orang non-Muslim jadi syak wasangka terhadap umat M. 'Mereka ni dalam masjid plotting nak bunuh kita ke? Apa ni sembunyi-sembunyi dalam masjid?'

Harmony Centre dah banyak jadi host kepada non-Muslim groups dari gereja, kuil, persatuan sivik mahupun individu.
Seperti biasa, nak jadi kawan, kamu kasi mereka makan briyani dan satay, kueh puteri mandi dan kueh puteri solat. Teh tarik dan kopi latte.
Lepas tu cakap pasal Islam, tentu semuanya lunak! Hehehe.
Website Harmony Centre. Boleh nonton apa di dalamnya dan buat booking jika nak adakan lawatan.

Saya cerita ni bukan apa. Cuma nak kata, kenalah bawa non-Muslim masuk masjid agar mereka tak takut dengan Islam.
Cuma mereka yang jadi tamu, kenalah hormat juga kepada sensitiviti tuan rumah.

Cerita-cerita Kasi-NO

1) Minggu lalu saya tiba di terminal murah Singapork, Budget Terminal, naik pesawat Firefly dari KL.
Sedang tunggu teksi, maklumlah Lembughini saya masuk workshop, saya ternampak pasangan tua yang naik pesawat low-cost sama dengan saya tadi.

Sebuah kereta BMW 7 Series dengan drebar beruniform sedang menunggu. Di tepi BMW hitam itu tertulis 'Marina Bay Sands' (GAMBAR KANAN).
Aiyomama. Kalau bukan tamu VIP, takkan ada kereta besau tunggu brader.
Orang kaya Malaysia naik budget airline, lalu disambut sebagai VIP di Singapork. Ish ish ish....


2) Cerita panas terbakar di Singapork - satu kesan berjudi yang membuat ramai orang geleng kepala.
Seorang boss sebuah company kalah judi S$26 juta (RM60juta) dalam sehari!!!! Aiks.
Kini mamat ni sue kasi-no Resorts World Sentosa (syarikat Genting) (GAMBAR BAWAH) kerana memberinya kredit untuk terus berjudi walaupun dah kalah. Kalau dah naik loktang judi, begitulah.

Beliau, Henry Quek, boss sebuah syarikat import-export seafood, memang orang kaya. Tapi apabila kalah $26 juta dalam sehari tentunya menyesal tak sudah.



3) Orang Melayu terkaya Singapork, Salleh Marican, boss syarikat Second Chance dan First Lady (banyak kedai pakaian ni di Malaysia, termasuk di Carrefour Wangsa Maju), sudah ban tujuh eksekutif atasan syarikatnya daripada berjudi di kasi-no.
Salleh kata ini bukan atas sebab Agama, tapi Corporate Governance. Sebab berdasarkan apa yang terjadi dengan Quek tu, jika orang tahu anda kalah judi teruk, syarikat anda akan terjejas. Di sini.
Siapa Salleh dan Second Chance? - saya pernah tulis di sini. Taklah se-kaya (dan se-margarine) orang Malaysia.

Di Temasek, jika anda khuatir ahli keluarga akan masuk kasi-no dan berjudi, boleh tulis surat nyatakan bahawa: Mr ABC, IC No 1234xxx, alamat gini, saya larang dari masuk ke dalam. Saya adalah isteri/abang/ibu kepada Mr ABC. Satu jawatankuasa berjudi akan check details, lepas tu akan ban orang ni masuk kasi-no.

Sebab dah mula ada cerita tentang warga tempatan syiok gi tempat tu pagi-pagi, petang balik rumah buat dunno. Duit beribu dah habis.


4) Dua kasi-no itu akan menambah nilai S$2 billion (RM4.6 billion) setiap tahun kepada ekonomi Singapore, kata sebuah bank tempatan.
Jika dikira ikut GDP atau KDNK, ia disenarai dalam sektor perkhidmatan / services.
Saya pernah kata bahawa walau saya tak setuju buat kasi-no, saya tak marah pemerintah sebab ia cara nak tambah Buzz Factor kepada negara kecik ini. Tambah peluang pelancongan dan pekerjaan.
Semua ada strategi masing-masing.
Yang saya harap pemerintah dapat kekang ialah nafsu orang nak berjudi sebab jika dulu, nak main judi kena cuti 2-3malam pergi Genting Highlands atau naik kapal Resorts World yang ada kasi-no. Kini dah ada depan mata - naik teksi saja, dalam 20 minit dah sampai dari rumah ke pintu kasi-no royale.


Oh maaf, kita tak panggil kasi-no kat sini, tapi IR! Integrated Resorts. Heehee.


TAMBAHAN 6 PAGI

5) Tadi lagi sahur terbaca cerita dalam akhbar (perangai lama: sambil makan, baca).
Kata jurucakap Resorts World Singapore, setiap hari 20 hingga 30 biji bas masuk dari Johor. Jika hujung minggu lebih banyak bas lagi.
Kita katalah 20 bas x 5 hari, campur 30 bas x 2 hari hujung minggu = Jumlah 160 bas seminggu.
Satu bas boleh masuk 40-50 orang? Kita katalah hanya 25 orang dalam sebuah bas pun (bas tak penuh pun kena jalan juga).
Maka yang masuk Singapork = 25 x 160 bas = 4,000 orang.

Ada dua kasi-no di sini, kita andaikan = 4,000 x 2 kasi-no = 8,000 orang. Ini jumlah seminggu.
Jika dalam sebulan, 8,000 x 4 minggu = 32,000.

Saya terbaca dua minggu lalu, dalam bas tu ada nonya dan unkerr, dan ada mamat Melayu pun = sebab IR ni bukan saja orang ke sana nak berjudi. Ada hiburan lain termasuk Universal Studios, shopping, makan-makan.
(Dan mungkin orang naik bas ni dah sampai Sentosa island atau Marina Bay area tu gi tempat lain!)
Jadi kita katalah yang 32,000 orang ni berbelanja secara jimat = S$200 seorang atau RM460. Mereka main slot machines, bukan kat baccarat table.
Jadi 32,000 x S$200 = S$6.4 juta atau RM14.7 juta wang masuk ke Temasek dari Johor (dan Melaka?) setiap bulan.

Ini kiraan secara konservatif.

Jika kita anggap satu bas ada 40 orang, dan mereka berbelanja S$400 seorang (tentu ramai yang tidur dalam hotel IR semalaman, terutama di hujung minggu), lagi tinggi perangkaan.
(40 orang x 160 bas x 2 kasi-no x 4 minggu x S$400)
Belanja mereka menjangkau S$20.5 juta atau RM47.1 juta sebulan.

Wooi.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

It's A Miracle Weekend and All Angels Are Invited...




Welcome to
Our Miracle Weekend.




Above are two of my favorite angels:
Kelee Katillac,
Guideposts Magazine;
on the left.




A giving angel.





Colette Gauthier,

St. Louis, Michigan,


a cancer patient;

on the right.

A receiving angel.



If you click on the photo above, it will launch


Kelee's miracle make-over for Colette.


You have to watch this moving video to


see the beautiful transformation from a


dismal hospital room, to a serene retreat


with all of Colette's colors for healing.



Get your tissues ready,

because ladies this SO heartmoving.




 





The much dreaded day


 has finally came for Colette. 


The hair has got to go.


She can no longer work with it.



 

"Well sweetie, we are all done.
You little head is as smoothe
as a baby's
bottom.
What do you think?"
"I thinkI'm gonna need
a few hats, I can feel a draft up there."




 



Colette is never without her
bands of strength.
They are a reminder for her
when she looks down.
***SURVIVOR ***
***STRENGTH***


***HOPE***

(Just to name a few of them.)









This is Colette's trip to the zoo.
 
She was
so excited when she
found a sign just for her.
The trip to the zoo was on her bucket list.
Colette sweetie, you are SO precious.




 


Yee Haw...Giddie Up Little Giraffe.


We sometimes take the littlest

things for granted. Colette does not.

Each day is a gift to be opened.









This is Colette in the van waiting


for the American Cancer Society's


Relay for Life to begin. Colette chaired


this event for 2 years when she lived


in Gaylord. She never though that


someday she would be an honoree.








Colette's luminary for the evening.
As you walk the around the track,


you can read the names of the cancer


survivors, or ones in rememberance of


someone passed from cancer.








This is Colette getting an infusion last week.


She doesn't receive chemo this way anymore,
but she still has to go twice a month. She gets


a bone hardener and a medication that cuts
off the receptors of the cancer cells. The rest of
her regimen is pain meds and she does take a
daily medicine that works on suppressing the cancer.


Each time Colette writes to me she includes this:
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet
is fighting some kind of battle."



Colette, My Precious Angel, I love you.








Now I would like to introduce you to:


Angel Dawn.
She is 11 years old and


she too has cancer.
She needs a miracle.



Barnes in St. Louis found a tumor at
the base of her brain stem. A successful
operation removed the tumor, but sadly it
was malignant. Yes, free spirited Angel
was diagnosed with cancer. Those old 'C' cells
were dividing rapidly with their uncontrolled
fury and she was hit with a double barrel
of radiation and chemotherapy. The surgery has
left her right side motor skills compromised
and four weeks into treatment Angel has lost
twenty pounds and her hair. Isn't she just
a livin' doll in her new wig???








Look at that smile, her dimples and
her little button nose. Don't you just love


her new hat? Angel it is SO you.
Oh sweetie, you are just precious
.







In Sunday School they were each asked


to finish the following sentence. The best


part of my week was... Sweet Angel said,
"I only have 10 more radiation treatments."


Jesus Loves the little Children.

All the children of the world.

Red and yellow,

black and white,

they are precious in his site.


Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World.







Now what can we do for Angel Dawn?


She could use some soft knit hats to sleep in.

( they must be lined with soft silky fabric)

She can use razzle dazzle socks,

because we know how cold hospitals are.



She wears a 16 in kids tees and a S in a women's.

She loves to read almost anything and is

keeping a journal in a plain notebook.


Ladies, we are crafters, knitters, and sewers.

Our talents are endless.


E-mail me and I can give you a mailing address

 of my friend Nezzy. She will see that

everything gets to Angel Dawn.


She is in her Sunday School class.


I just had to add Angel Dawn to my

Miracle Weekend. I mean after


all this is what it is all about.


WE NEED MIRACLES!!!



 


This Miracle Weekend is sponsored by

Guideposts Magazine,


Please go to www.facebook.com/guideposts

leave a message saying essentially....

Thank-you for the Miracle Makeover video/story.


Tell them what you liked about it. Also remember

 to click the "like" button.





For every message left at the following places,


$1.00 will be donated toward more


Miracle-Makeovers. So please, please


visit the following places and leave a comment:






Sherry's (right here gals)



Ms Beverly's



Charlotte and Ginger's


Kelee's






That is a total of $5.00 per each
of us bloggers just for leaving comments.


Please share with everyone you know.

I want this to be the BIGGEST celebration that
Guideposts Magazine
has ever seen.
Storm the Heavens with prayers Ladies.



We need Miracles.






Now make sure you each stop by and


give Kelee a little bit of love.

She is having a wonderful giveaway

at the Katillac Shack,


and you are each invited to enter.

She is having a drawing for the

following gifts of love:





Erin Houghton -
Donated a beautiful painting.




Guideposts Magazine -

3 lucky winners - subscriptions



Penny Carlson of Lavender Hill Studio -

A custom mosiac cross for you personally.



Karen Harvey Cox -
A watercolor called, "The Miracle."



Kelee from the Katillac Shack -


A Janome Sewing Machine.



So pop on over to Kelee's blog and post your


comment for a chance at this drawing.


Now ladies this runs all weekend, so don't


forget to share with everyone you know.


Remember, STORM THE HEAVENS...







As always, thank you for stopping by my little piece


of heaven, here in the desert that I so love to call home.


Country hugs and much love,


post signature