Knowledge Jihad

Can I Say.....I TOLD YOU SO....

Just read the headline.....full story here.

Fires under control, but air quality remains low

When will the authorities admit that our smog problem is not due to fires in M'sia or Indonesia but good 'ole fashioned pollution? The truth is it never really made sense that peat fires can cause this thick haze blanketing the Klang Valley. See previous post here.

One good thing that may come out of this......“They have been instructed to publish the index in the newspapers so that people can plan their outdoor activities,” the Prime Minister told reporters after opening the RM1.8bil manufacturing plant in Proton City in Tanjung Malim, Perak, yesterday

we will see two things. 1. will it happen. 2. if it does will they publish the actual index number or something like this OVER 100 BAD.

Najib is Right.

The DPM is spot on as the former colonizers would say. How sad is the state of sports in Malaysia when the 2nd Highest Office in the land says (with a straight face) that Vijay Singh would not be as great if he would've been allowed to live in Malaysia? Yes, Malaysia that black hole of sports in Southeast Asia. We are the Siberia of the sports world. Want to punish your goalkeeper for an own goal? Send him to Malaysia.

Sadly, I agree with him. Now think about this, golf is a solitary sport. All you need is some clubs, a ball, and a golf course to call home. We can't even get that right?

update: Background on Vijay and his Malaysian ties here and here.

Inhale A Pack of Cigarettes Without Paying!

the thick, brown smog is back. this time it's not Indonesia's fault. it's ours. actually it's the peat fires if you believe our two leading papers. here and here.

come on folks, as a previous resident of one of the smoggiest places on earth (los angeles), i can tell you that fires only aggravate our condition. does Seremban have smog? no. why not? they have fires burning there dont they? how about Ipoh? or any other city? if it's purely the peat fires than surely other cities will have smog just as bad if not worse (considering their proximity).

that's because peat fires do not cause it. it's pollution plain and simple. normally we get plenty of rain to dissipate the smog. but since it's dry, it just stays caught in the valleys with no where to go.

meanwhile enjoy the quote of the day from the illustrious NST.....

The Air Pollution Index (API) reading at nine monitoring stations in Port Klang, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Gombak, Kajang, Putrajaya and Nilai was considered unhealthy.

The air quality is considered moderate when the API readings are between 51 and 100 while any reading of more than 100 is considered unhealthy.

notice how they dont tell you what the ACTUAL reading was, just that it was over 100.

Good Luck Tracking Down Defaulters

By now everyone has heard of PTPTN's problem. For those outside of Malaysia, a little background here and here. In my opinion everyone is missing the real issue. Of course the loan defaulters should pay up. Of course the Government should use every means necessary to ensure collection.

Mark my word, hardly any money will be collected. Why? Because I guarantee you that PTPTN does not have any idea how to track down these culprits. I moved to Malaysia three years ago and I still get loan letters for the previous owner from Standard Chartered (despite writing 3 letters to let them know he moved). Just think what the database of a Government Agency will look like? Land Office anyone? Good Luck.

India Here I Come

I'm off to India tomorrow. No, I'm not pulling a Jeff Ooi Tech Sabbatical, I'm going for a more traditional boring business--plantations.

Wouldn't you know, yesterday I got that scratchy feeling in the back of my throat. You know the one that says "Your getting sick, better cancel your plans." Unfortunately, I can't. Too many commitments. We are flying to Cochin via Singapore and will then be driving 4+ hours to Coimbatore. Normally I'd be rearing to go with anticipation but this trip is probably going to be Hell on Earth. No offense meant to my potential Indian partners. It's just that travelling is hard. Much less travelling with a fever and sore throat.

Will be back Tuesday (Hopefully I'll be better by then) with lots of cool pics. See Ya.

Dominant/Recessive Traits

I remember when my wife got pregnant, everyone asked me if our child would have blue eyes and blonde hair (like me). They seemed to forget about dominant/recessive traits so I always felt the need to explain that unless my wife (melayu) had some unknown mat salleh blood in her gene pool, the answer would be no.

Why? Because blue eyes are recessive. In order for a recessive trait to show up in your child, you need two recessives. Therefore, my in-laws past would have to contain a blue eye recessive trait. This would mean that someone along the line had to marry a mat salleh. If not, then all of our kids will definitely have brown eyes. Because brown eyes are a dominant trait.

This is the same reason it is false to look at your bald father and think that you, one day, will be bald. Because baldness is a recessive trait, your mother must carry the bald gene also (this doesn't mean she has to be bald). It takes two to tango the recessive dance. (sorry bad joke)

Now if my daughter (she carries the recessive blue eyes trait from me) marries a mat salleh (who also carries the recessive blue eye trait), then her kids will have blue eyes.

Confused? Let's go to some links.

For anything that has to do with heredity, you must see the father of heredity Gregor Mendel.

Planning on marrying a mat salleh? Want to know what features your kids will have? Use a punnet square.

Genetics and Race Mixing

Aiz had an interesting about mixed marriages....read it here. In typical mat salleh fashion, I ventured off topic when one responder Hafiz stated that

those ppl dunno the BENEFITS of inter-racial marriage or relationship. one of them, ur children will have a high IQ personality. correct me if im wrong

While I don't think you can quantify his statement, he may have a point. It got me thinking about the breeding of dogs. Certain dogs have built in deficiencies. Sharpeis have heart problems, Dachsund bad backs, Yorkshire Terriers have stomach problems, etc.

Over 300 genetic health defects have been documented in dogs, and in many purebreds, the incidence of defects is extremely high. Reasons for this include:

1. A limited and closed gene pool. Most breeds were built on relatively few founding dogs, so the same sets of genes have been reproduced over and over since the breed began. Registries such as the AKC require that all future offspring come from the mating of dogs registered with their club. This restriction eliminates the vast majority of other dogs that would otherwise be available for breeding.

   Without the introduction of new and unrelated genes, in the long term all living creatures suffer "loss of genetic diversity," which inevitably leads to weaker animals with health problems. This is happening right now with purebred dogs.

Why can't the same thing be true of people? So the next time you do a double take at a mixed couple, think about this---Maybe their kids will be smarter than yours!

Next Post: Dominant and Recessive Genes (who will have what)

Who's the Boss?

Hey this title reminds of that show by the same name. Did you ever see it? Tony Danza as the father and little Alyssa Milano as the daughter? I had a big crush on her. Still do on Charmed.

Anyway, to my post. By now most of you have heard of the Proton board of directors controversy. If you haven't, a quick primer here. Leela Barrock at The Edge points out just how confusing it's gotten. Apparently, the Board wanted to get rid of Tengku Mahaleel (CE0) because he was non compliant to them. The former Prime Minister thinks that he should be judged on his track record and not by other things. Apparently, Abu Hassan (Chairman) decided that he couldn't take it anymore and resigned. Good for him.

My friends, only in Malaysia can a CEO be found to be non compliant to the board of directors and still have a job. Forget about who is influencing whom for a minute and look at the big picture. Proton Holdings is a publicly listed company. Therefore, the shareholders are the owners of the company. The board is responsible to the shareholders. The management (i.e., CEO) are responsible to the the board. This is how it works in every legit country in the World. What would happen to you if you found non compliant to your boss? Raise your hand if you think Proton will die when ASEAN trade agreements kick in around 2008? Wonder why?

Recently Found

I just found an interesting blog by a fellow American Expat in Southeast Asia. While his politics are typically TEXAN, if his new TEX-MEX restaurant is legit, I won't care. Check it out for yourself.

Off topic, it reminds me of something that really pisses me off about Texans. They like to claim to the rest of the world (the ones that dont know any better) that they are from the South. They are not from the South. They are from the Southwest. Sure they have a Southern type accent but it is distinctly different than THE SOUTH. Tennessee (my home), Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina are the South. Additionally, Florida is not the South. It's geographical location is the southern part of the United States but it is NOT the South.

I'm Back!!!!!

1,2,3. Is this thing on? Yes I'm back. Sorry it's been so long. I could list the typical blog absence excuses. I was busy. I didn't have anything to say. Blogger burnout. etc. But really it does not matter. I am back. Hope that my very small following will come back and join in the discussions.

Ahhh....It's good to be home.