RIFLE RANGE BOY

Syed Husin takes swipe at Prof Khoo Terence Netto 8:49AM Jan 22, 2012 Senator Syed Husin Ali, who ought to know a bit of the history of the left-wing movement in Malaysia because of past involvement in it, said historian Khoo Kay Kim has been inaccurate with some of the facts of that history. This is ironic as Professor Emeritus Khoo is often at pains trying to dispel popular misconceptions about historical personages and events and generally laments the lack of seriousness with which the subject is treated in the academic and public spheres. The former president of Parti Rakyat Malaysia who led it to merge with Parti Keadilan Nasional to become Parti Keadilan Rakyat in 2002, Syed Husin disputed several points of left-wing history that Prof Khoo had raised in an interview with Malaysiakini. "It's not my intention to engage in polemics with him," said Syed Husin, 75, who in his youth in the 1950s was immersed in left-wing politics and befriended se...

Once upon a time, there were 5 friends who descended from the heavenly kingdoms where people were cultured and wise. They were brave, feared no man and had mystical powers with a mythical dagger and was loyal to the country. They maintained law and order in their newly embraced state and were exemplary in their conduct. The leader of the the 5 had the tenacity to scale the unscably elusive Mount Ophir (Gunung Ledang) which is said to house the ever youthful princess who had found the fountain of youth. And he was indeed summoned by reigning Sultan to represent Him for to propose His hand for marriage. For the longest time, generations have come and gone listening to the escapades and brave deeds of the famous and noble five! One peninsular away (against the rotation of the Earth), in India, was told of a prince born out of divine intervention, who was literally bigger than life. Every single act done was praised till high heavens, what he did and did not was immorta...

Joel Sartore Rift in Paradise  Albertine Rift, Uganda A tree-climbing lion stirs in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park. "This photograph is so beautifully executed. The color is magnificent, with the cobalt blue sky in the background and the warm light on the lion. The composition is perfect. Yet underneath all that beauty is a message: Lions are in trouble. Joel Sartore has devoted himself to photographing animals out of balance, endangered, crying for a voice." —Chris Johns, Editor in Chief Carsten Peter   Conquering an Infinite Cave  Minh Hoa, Vietnam  A giant cave column swagged in flowstone towers over explorers swimming through the depths of Hang Ken, one of 20 new caves discovered last year in Vietnam. "Carsten Peter thrives on adventure. The more difficult the place, the more he wants to go. What's special about this photograph is its otherworldliness. It truly looks like another planet, because no one's ever seen it before. And the way th...

One of my favourite TV series that never fail to impress me each time I watch is the 1955 to 1962 production of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'(AHP). Over the past few years, Universal Studios have had the joy of sadistically slow release of these old TV shows' DVDs at a snail's pace much to the disappointment of die hard mature Hitchcock fans. There was a lot of excitement recently in November when news broke out that the 5th season DVDs were due to be released on 3rd January 2012! For those who have been living in outer space and are in the dark about AHP, these are 25-minute shows (before the current familiar 45-minute format was norm) that dwell on morbid subjects like death and murder (usually of spouse) presented by Alfred Hitchcock himself. In a sense, Hitchcock was just a compere who introduces the show in a witty way and finds joy taking jabs at the advertisers, at the beginning of the show, at beginning of the take-over of the world by advertisers and commerciali...

My running buddies and I were just thinking... Running events were supposed to be a community social responsibility projects of mega companies to wash off their sins and write off some expenditure for income tax purposes. However, looking at the escalation of entry fees and the diminishing amount of freebies in their goody bag, the runs itself are becoming a money making ponzi scheme. In the name of health and zest to liquefy the fat accumulated from inactivity and fast food, more and more are participating in these runs but the quality of the merchandise remains mysteriously the same if not a turn for the worse! The T-shirts are sponsored, so are the drinks, snacks and the contents of the goodie bag. So, why the RM60 entrance fee? To line their pockets? Interestingly the last major running events had the same colour T-shirts (MPI, Newton and today event - Mizuno Wave 10km Run) - only the cuts are different. Did they use the remnants of the material...

The slow family trip up north was an educational trip for the youngsters in the clan - that their parents were indeed not born with a silver spoon but rather through sheer hard work of their ancestors did they reach where they are. Hopefully the message synced in, minus the preaching on our part. A point to note too is that other people too (not RRB alone) strive to come up in life. Two interesting stops in Ipoh were my wife's childhood neighbourhood and a famous Nasi Kandar restaurant whose co-owner (deceased) was my wife's family friend. Fit old timer guarding nest When I was small and  Christmas trees were tall, this drain looked a river! The refurbished property where it began: 1lot with a house divided by 3 families, to harbour wife and children while men ventured far to bring home the bacon.  Families weathered storm and went on by with a little help from friends and neighbours. Chicks back to roost, only...

Wow, I always thought that Charlie Chaplin only did slapstick comedies in silent movies. I was pleasantly surprised when I bumped upon an excerpt from his old movie (he does not have new movies anyway) titled 'The Great Dictator'. For indulgence have a listen to the greater orator of all time who managed to transform and hoodwink the minds of the Germans into thinking that they were from the superior Aryan race even though he himself was Austrian. If only the German Institute of Arts had accepted the application of this vegetarian, the world would not had to endure the misery of another great War after the Great Trench War 2 decades afterwards. We would have more pictures to appreciate of the German country side and of Oktoberfest!