Thursday, May 30, 2013

The Malay Melee

Hello, BN cybertroopers, (the extremely ineffective) Unit Media Baru UMNO, anti-PR people and pro-BN online supporters, have you heard of Kamil Karim?

You can go to his Facebook page here. I mention him because he, along with a few anti-PR people like Shen Yee Aun and Amri Rohayat(Rohayat X) as well as others on Facebook are doing a way better job than any BN/UMNO-sponsored team on all social media.

I've always maintained my political neutrality and I always will. However, that will not shut me up from commenting on campaign as well as communication tactics. It is my belief that while both BN and PR lied and continue to lie, cheat and con the Malaysian public, we are more predisposed to believing PR's bullshit, not questioning their statements and taking it all on face or emotional value.

While BN's campaign was almost a total failure on social media this GE13, despite their wealth of resources, manpower and whatever else, it was actually up to these unpaid individuals to make any sort of dent or ask any (ANY) question against PR's social media machinery.

While they take their sources from reports and blogs, they provide something in the vacuum of BN's communication strategy - engagement.

Any communication campaign online relies on three basic pillars - a repository of information, a means to promote the information, and engagement. While controlling ALL of mainstream media - behemoths like The Star, Media Prima, the paid and unpaid bloggers have all stockpiled information. Their audience and visibility in Malaysia is second to none. However, the machinery failed in engagement. Look at the BN-sponsored Twitter accounts.

BNCybertroopers, Panglima Perang Cyber and Unit Media Baru are totally ineffective, possibly manned by total retards and don't even converse with people properly.

I know that the UMNO/BN top people, like PR's, only read some shit online they share among themselves, and pat each other on the back for articles nobody else reads. They are entirely inadequate, stupid and should be killed on sight due to their sheer stupidity.

The BN rabid supporters way has always been to cheer someone with enough balls to say something pro-them, even if that thing is stupid, offensive, a lie, or blatantly racist. They have no idea on effective communication, psychology or even have the capacity to listen or be honest. This is one of the many reasons why I hate the BN culture - it is undeniably stupid.

Their frontliners are manned by failures in life who suckle on the giant teats of BN and UMNO. Is it any wonder then, that after PR successfully campaigned for people NOT to be informed - they asked everyone NOT to read newspapers or watch TV, making them the ONLY source of dogmatic information - that you get results such as the recent GE13?

For BN, you need to stop being monkeys and evolve. Leave your dirty, stupid, corrupted ways. Learn from these people and those who know and understand better than you.

For the people, I don't give a shit who you support, but please do not be misinformed or malinformed. Devour information, collect data, facts, discard emotion, weigh both sides, and make your decision.

For me? I just hate seeing people lied to, and I hate conmen coming up to me and saying racist bullshit or try to insult my intelligence. This has happened from both sides and it has taken all my willpower not to kill them with my melee attack weapons.

Towards a More Perfect Union

In an effort to understand, and despite my sore throat and having lost my voice, I spent the whole day talking to people.

These days, people glibly and gleefully throw hateful comments at one another, across polling centers, cyberspace and football fields.

Even those who claim to 'fight fire with flowers' are not throwing sex organs of plants, unless those are mushroom clouds blooming.

Some idiots even taunted me, pointing out that I no longer do or write funny stuff. I don't feel like comedy, really. I feel the writhing beast under the thin facade of normalcy, and I fear the hateful monster will soon be upon us.

I like to think that I was both gifted and cursed by the capacity to understand humans. I feel like Martian Manhunter most of the times - a dreary, overpowered superhero whose only weakness is that he is a pussy. An empath is always a pussy. I guess I'm a pussy.

I have met, spoke and consulted many people. Most of them my friends. The only conclusion I can derive is that the Malaysian public was and are conned by a hateful sub-species of primates - politicians.

I have often warned people of the dangers of politicians, and yet they still went ahead and believed the hot, steaming piles of bullshit that comes out of the front orifice of politicians. They rally, curse, write, taunt and threaten.

High emotion rule the day, while rational minds cower in fear. The scientific method is no longer mentioned, replaced by straw-men, ad hominem, et cetera. There is a taint of pre-judgement, of automatic sentencing in the court of public minds and the word proof - as mentioned by a friend - is now a swear word.

"I HATE it when people ask for proof," he said.

I wanted to say, "But we always ask for proof and evidence before we make our conclusions. That is part of the achievements of our systems, culture, our laws and administration. It is the only way we can be scientific. The only way we can be fair and just."

But I didn't. Because I understand. I understand the frustration, the pain, the hurt, the fear, the betrayal, the lies and the truth. Empaths are always pussies.

Ideals? Ideals are great. Principle? Ethics? Even more so. These things are taking us beyond the physical human evolution. However, all I see, from all sides, are hate-filled rhetoric, victim stories and more whining.

And yes, when we have run out of our excuses, what shall we do? In desperation, what do we turn to? And what do we turn into?

Oh well.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Degeneration M

One Gen Y dude once branded me an iconoclast. I had to look up what it means on Google.

Well, it's not difficult to be cynical in Malaysia, and I'm glad I'm not the only one, albeit the only one with brains. My entire generation is filled with people who smile at bullshit. However, cynics, in their rejection to believe in the normal, sometimes believe in the paranormal.

Let's back up a bit. We give the Malaysian education system a bad time. Tonight, I will tell you some of the reasons why, from my perspective.

I went through 16 years of the local education system. There are millions of us - the majority of the populace, in fact. In primary school, for kids between seven to 12 years of age, we were told not to ask questions. I asked several which got me in trouble - why can't Muslims eat pigs? If Heaven can provide us with all our heart's desires, can I exchange virgins for a transforming jet like in Macross?

Those questions got me and my classmates to stand on our chairs. The teachers were ready to punish the entire class for my questions, in order to create a situation where other kids would view me as a troublemaker, hence pressuring me to refrain from asking these awkward questions they do not even dare to answer.

In secondary school, I had these questions which again got me in trouble - I once had to remove my desk from class and sit near the staircase at the end of the block. I also noticed how society and culture was forming around me.

High school to me, was like Lord of the Flies, Sleepers and Shawshank Redemption rolled into one. But mostly for me - Lord of the Flies. I saw how society, culture and the whole structure was supported by the belief of all individuals on certain laws, rules.

For instance, no matter what happens between kids, you never, EVER, tell an adult. Anyone who broke those rules found themselves ostracised or worse. It was a society run by fear. It was the most potent currency - something that will keep mass numbers of people in line.

There was also popularity, but that is not unique to Malaysia.

In college, I saw a bunch of kids running around asking why is the world hurting them so. They had no idea why they were there, or where they were going. Hell, I didn't know what the fuck was going on.

Given the opportunity not to attend classes, I decided to play Super Robot Wars 2 on a friend's Gameboy instead. For the first time in my life, I properly failed a subject at the end of the semester - co-curriculum, because I only went to two and a half of the classes.

I saw in my course-mates the vacant stare of young people who were mostly aimless. They did not know what they wanted in life. Those who do, merely imitated their parents and what they wished for their children.

Have you ever seen a 20-something guy or girl with the dreams of a 50 year old? It's fucking sad.

I admit that I was still ruled by fear back then. I was scared. The fuck was I gonna do? Later, I decided that a degree is just a degree. I was going to graduate and fuck everything - I was going to be a writer.

Meanwhile, I still had those questions about why Muslims can't eat pigs. So I went to UM's Akademi Pengajian Islam (API) and asked an Ustazah there. She told me to come on a Saturday morning so she could make me stand in front of a classroom to be heckled by API students for daring to ask such questions.

From primary school to college, the reaction to questions was the same. In 16 years, the message was loud, clear and ultimately repeated over and over again. Do not question, and be afraid.

Nowadays, every day when I question everything I read or hear from any source, I think back to the Malaysian education system and my immense mental capacity projects a huge astral construct - a fist stretched outwards with the middle finger straight to the sky.

Who's afraid now, bitch?

Monday, May 27, 2013

Stop Racialism, Start Racism

I hate the word 'racial'. It's not racial, it's racist. It's not racialism, it's racism.

Now who are racist? Perkasa, definitely. Zulkifli Noordin said some racist things. Race-based parties are by default racist. UMNO, MCA, MIC are racist in nature. DAP is also racist, but are better when it comes to hide their racism - this is no accusation, just an opinion.

PKR is not racist. PKR is stupid. A bunch of conned wankers. PIS-M AKA PAS is not racist, so long as you are a Muslim.

People use the word racial simply to dilute the thing from what it actually is - racism.

In my short 33-year-old life, I have experienced racism from all quarters. Some Malays were racist to me, some Chinese were racist to me and some Indians were racist to me as well. I got one white guy who was racist to me in Malaysia, but to be fair, it wasn't personal - he was racist towards everybody. I also encountered some racist fucktard tourists in Thailand, but never from the Thais.

It's sad, but that's the way people choose to live, to be. Yes, racism is a choice made by these idiots. They boycott businesses, overtly or covertly, they refuse to do certain things with certain races or even acknowledge them.

AT the core of it is distrust and ego. Distrust of other people, and the ego thinking you are better, SIMPLY. Why are you better? Can you run faster? Can you lift more weights? Does that make you better?

No, everyone is too lazy for that. Nobody got time for that. They are better, SIMPLY. God has given them a mandate that they SIMPLY, are better than everyone else.

I sense the brewing storm in Malaysia, and I can't help but allow it to affect me. I feel the murderous intent bristling, and I do not believe some simple gestures will make it all better again.

This is why, coming back to KL from Kuantan I bought some melee attack weapons, some duct tape, epoxy glue, some condoms and stocked up enough food to last me two weeks or so, should the unthinkable happens.

This is the energy I have been sensing, and I don't know how to make it stop.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

The Hangover

Today, I feel like killing people, so I decided to stay at home.

I woke up in a foul mood. And a headache. The cleaner came in the morning, but left since I was fast asleep after downing cough medication last night.

So I woke up and answered a call from him. I let him in and then went out for brunch.

I can sense the energy in KL - it is hostile and violent. Cold and harsh. Underneath a thin veneer of normalcy, I sense dark energy signatures. I blame this all on politicians.

Some of my Opposition friends are doing their legwork, running around, selling their bullshit. BN folks are up on their high-horse, feeling victimised and all that shit. The fact is, they are all stupid.

For decades, BN has maintained a stranglehold on funds and resources in this country. They appoint their children, nephews and nieces, mediocre girls they want to fuck or sucked their dicks to positions of power. Unqualified, stupid, inhuman baboons.

Sure, they did employ some brains - somebody has to do all the work - but in the end, the corruption has resulted in stupidity after stupidity.

Perhaps subconsciously realising this, they have kept the public stupid. Malaysian education is amazingly pedantic and overbearing, allowing little room for the development of young minds. Take it from me - I went through 16 years of Malaysian education, from primary, secondary to tertiary levels. In fact, I've never left South East Asia.

Literature, arts and whatever have been neglected and sometimes curbed so there would be little chance for older minds to grow, for the public to have access to better thinking.

A friend of mine said that he agrees with me that Malaysians are monkeys, and that it is necessary to rule over them with an iron fist, because they are monkeys.

Anyway, after BN  has kept the public conned and lulled, they believe they can be in power forever. They were arrogant, not because the public has become smarter, but simply due to the fact that there are other conmen ready to exploit the gullibility of the public.

Enter Anwar, who taught the PR conmen how to con the Malaysian public, BN style, but with a contemporary spin.

I saw droves of people being conned by these fuckers. Some of these conmen even approached me, but whenever I ask for proof or evidence for their accusations, they get angry.

I mean, what the fuck? I am all ready and willing to see the lies and corruption of the Government exposed for all to see, but I am not going to sit  there like a monkey and believe in anything without proof. I want to believe, but - sorry - I am not a monkey.

I believe that the BN Government is corrupt, and I believe there should be proof or evidence if this is so. We live in a world where everyone has recording devices. Most can read, even if they are monkeys.

And no one is making any suggestions on making our lives better anyway. Zahid Hamidi is busy arresting people. Muhyiddin went to Phuket. Najib is somewhere, licking his wounds. The BN machinery has failed and they don't know what else to do, other than some idiotic blatantly racist boycott and shouting insults.

Anwar and his monkeys are organising street rallies to try and topple the Government by force - to me a purely selfish and power-crazy move that would sacrifice a lot of people so he and his family can break open the country and steal what's left of the money.

By sacrifice, I mean people will die. If this continues, with this kind of energy and emotionally charged bullshit, people will die.

And none of the politicians care if and when people die. They don't give a fuck. You think Anwar, Najib, KJ, Shahrizat, Lim Kit Siang care if people start killing each other on the streets? No. They'll just do a dumb memorial somewhere, and plant flags or flowers, and that's that.

I want a country where politicians debate issues, and not spend all the time talking about themselves and how their rivals are fucktards - YOU ARE ALL FUCKTARDS. We know that. You are all corrupt, you are all liars, and you are the most selfish bunch of hypocrites the universe has ever seen.

But I'm more angry at the people. Wake up. These fucktards are not for you, they are not on your side. What have they ever done for you or the country? Nothing. Everything has only been for themselves. It is up to the people to push for an issues-based political scene.

And instead of killing each other, should the riots and the violence spill on the streets, we should all go and kill politicians first. ALL politicians. They are the butt-cancer of this country and they should all die first.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Crimson Tide

I woke up this morning reading social media on calls for a boycott of Chinese businesses and Chinese goods.

Read here, here and here.

This call was started by dunno who and is now being promoted by pro-BN bloggers. Buy Malay first, Buy Chinese last.

This is the kind of stupidity that will get BN and UMNO to lose everything.

First of all, this thing is blatantly, overtly racist. Talk about reconciliation? Fuck you, man. You're driving the wedge even further apart.

How can anyone, in any good conscience, say this is acceptable?

I understand, the Chinese voted overwhelmingly for the Opposition in GE13. So? Free country, mah. Ko marah apasal? The fact that some took BN's money and then didn't vote for them - so? Sue them la, in the court of law.

I believe BN's pride was hurt cause they got conned. Ha-haa! Well, you used to con people, now when people con you, it's a travesty?

Ko letak ramai conmen dalam Gomen, lepas tu marah bila ko kena con? Ko bodoh ke beruk?

You remind me of fuckers who criticise other people's work, but when people criticise theirs, they go ballistic  Fucking whiners.

Yes, everyone can vote with their money, but this is too much. Too blatant. Too stupid.

If a race riot happens, the Malays will be blamed because of these racist rhetoric. The racist Chinese (quite a few) hide their racism well. Learn from them at least, you stupid fucking monkeys.

Plus, the Chinese have all the money. While dumb-ass BN kept the Malays working RM2,500 jobs, telling them to bersyukur with five kids, the Chinese breed less, spend less and invest more.

Yes, the Malay buying power is awesome, but that leaves Malays with little to no cash. What the fuck, man?

You dug this hole for over 50 years, Barisan Nasional. Now you complain you're in a hole. Fuck you. I've been telling you for years. Did you listen? Noooo. So fuck you.

I am not joining this boycott as I consider it as ridiculous as boycotting Jewish products or pro-Israel companies.

I will also NOT go the pathetic Malay apologist route and buy stuff from Chinese shops because I feel guilty or don't want to be seen as racist.

I will buy things based on my needs and my funds, logistics and whether I like your face.

There are as many Malay conmen as Chinese conmen. I don't do business with conmen. If you're a conman, I don't give a shit what race you are. To me, you are an animal.


The Greatest Mind of the 21st Century

Today, I met with four people while in a foul mood.

Starting smoking again after being disappointed with e-cigarette vendors have left me coughing and I lost my voice. As a voracious communicator and loquacious talker, I find this experience annoying. Since most Malaysians don't listen, it is definitely harder to communicate.

The Malaysian way of communicating is shouting and yelling louder and louder until they go deaf with their own message, their own words, their own voice. It is an extremely childish mannerism as Malaysians are trapped in a very childish culture.

I compare this to European culture and Thai culture which really offers more finesse in their communication. And yes, given enough funds and opportunity, I would migrate in an instant.

One of the four I spoke today said she felt after the election, Malaysia has become a more vicious, desperate and colder place. I agree with her. This country is growing up, and with it will come lots and lots of pain and lessons.

Dr M said it in his last interviews - as printed in The Star - that while he has managed to build an amazing infrastructure and systems for the country, his only regret is that he has failed to improve or even change the Malaysian mindset.

I believe that for the over 50 years, the Malaysian Government has kept most Malaysians mostly stupid so the populace would be easier to control. You wanna talk about realpolitik? This IS realpolitik, where the end justifies the means.

One only has to look at the kind of bullshit our leaders have forced us to believe over the decades to see that they believe all the people of Malaysia to be retards, idiots and buffoons.

"Kalau hari-hari hujan siapa salah? Tuhan salah! (Bukan saya atau syarikat kakak ipar saya salah! Kami tak makan duit haram! Ayoyo!)" - Datuk Seri Dr S Samy Vellu.

"Kalau tino comey takyoh kejo. (If you are a beautiful female animal, you don't have to work. Just suck your husband''s dick at home, biatch! *Pimp Stride*)" - Datuk Nik Aziz

"Saya ada berkotak-kotak bukti rasuah! Saya akan dedahkan semua!" - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, 1998.

"Kepala Siapa Botak? Bini Mahathir!" - Ceramah Reformasi, 1998. Attributed to Anwar.

"Orang tu sama tak macam saya? Perut dia buncit tak?" - Anwar Ibrahim to reporters, before coming up with the beer belly defence.

"Kalau tak suka dengan sistem negara ini, bolehlah berhijrah ke negara lain." - Zahid Hamidi

"Kalah GE13, salah siapa, nyah?" Her Majesty the Queen Azmin Ali

"Mereka nak serang saya!" - Sharizat.

"Why Cookie Rocket? Uh uh uh aaah aaah aaaaahh!" - KJ, outside the US Embassy for some dumbass monkey protest whatever.

"Ka-kaa! Woo hoo hoo!" - Mat Sabu

Our leaders take advantage of our easily-duped nature. They are working on the same concept of conmen in this country - preying on our gullibility. They should be selling e-cigarettes. Or 'ubat kuat'.

If you want to go partisan, I blame BN for keeping people stupid and gullible, to allow PR to take advantage of them. It has certainly backfired for BN.

When PR takes over, all of you who had worries before should calm the fuck down. Nothing will change. From what I can see, there would still be enough corruption to keep the country going - perhaps more so. And all of us who did not benefit from the BN corruption can buy a lottery ticket and bank on the PR Government's corruption starting 2018.

So yes, the country has become a colder, edgier place. I feel like Alan Moore when he contemplated migrating as he wrote V for Vendetta.

Countless times, every day, I get approached by people with their bullshit and they expect me to swallow it, when I assure you I can see through cons a mile away. Why do conmen like to try and fool me? Because I am the Greatest Mind of the 21st Century. These idiots are insecure about their intelligence, as they know deep inside their hearts they are idiots. Their thinking is, if they can get me to believe in their lies, they would be smarter, higher, better.

Our country and its countrymen are still growing, so I let most of this slide.

I mean, most Gen Y talk like this - "Mak ittew ckp, ittew tomei (Our cunt of a mother told us we're cutie-pies)". It is a clear sign that our people are fixated to becoming infantile degenerate monkeys. Then, according to Freud, this means they are at an anal-fixation stage, hence the 'geniuses' in BN believe selling Anwar's buttfucfking story over and over again will placate the masses.

So even though we live in a meaner Malaysia, these are interesting times. The people demand better stories. So far, I see none in BN can spin anything plausible or even feasible. They are too stuck in the old thinking, believing something that worked for 50++ years will continue to work for another 50 million years. BN people are delusional.

Meanwhile, PR right now is all shout and no action. I hope they come up with something - anything. Just demonising BN is wasted effort - that's done already. WE KNOW BN IS CORRUPTED. Now what are we going to do once they are out of the picture? Don't give me abstract concepts and sweeping bullshit like 'we will eradicate corruption!' 'We will develop Malaysia!'. Hey, stupid, a five year old can say that. Tell me HOW.

I don't work on wishy-washy bullshit, and even though some see me as an impulsive risk-taker, I am extremely conservative and would not venture into anything blind, like how I don't believe in simply taking the MyCreative funding thing as there are too many variables that CANNOT be ascertained until it is too far into  the game.

Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks, and do not take the Malaysian public as fools either.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

MyCreative and My Creative Freedom

I heard rumours that My Creative was a venture capitalist company with 200 million ringgit worth of funds to invest in creative projects. For equity share and the IP as collateral, you get funds to do your creative projects.

However, after a meeting with them yesterday, I don't think I will be taking any MyCreative funds. It might be great for some people, but it's not for me.

They're working more as a bank to give out loans to creative projects rather than an out-and-out VC company. While I understand their motivations - profit - and I do not disagree with it, I always refuse to take any offer that has changed from its initial rumours/details.

Hearing MyCreative as a magic VC company had my expectations up, but I also have to deal with the harsh realities and real possibilities of businesses failing. As I'm not in this alone, I also refuse to drag one of my best friends and his entire family down a financial hellhole, should the business fail to turn a profit or even recover the money in 3 years' time.

Considering the fact that the interest rates and loan repayment scheme will only be made visible AFTER the pitch, I have no way of knowing whether or not it would be feasible and whether any of my intended failsafes  should we run into problems would be viable. Too many fuzzy details and too many variablesI am not sure of, so it's a no-go.

I will be contacting them during office hours this morning to tell them I won't be taking the project further with them.

The good thing that has come out of this is - I now have a 75% completed business plan to set up a comic book company. In my rudimentary calculations, I believe the business can be made profitable after 3-5 years, IF comics gets good reception in Malaysia and/or I manage to take the content beyond these shores and beyond the initial platform of print.

I'll be looking for some angel or even demon investors, maybe have a look at Kickstarter or Mystartr for crowd-sourcing the funds I would need. There is also the BSN loan.

One thing's for sure - I won't take unnecessary risks and endanger the financial well-being of people I know. Not even to further my dreams of doing something for comics.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Pengembaraan E Cigarette/Vapor Yang Pukimak


Beberapa bulan lepas, aku bercita-cita nak berenti hisap rokok, jadi aku pun membeli set e-cigarette/vapor kedua aku.

Pada mulanya, aku berhenti hisap rokok secara sempurna dan beralih ke e-cigarette. Tetapi, oleh sebab sikap dan cara e-cigarette ini dikendalikan oleh pengedarnya, aku membuat keputusan untuk menghisap rokok kembali dan memusnahkan set e-cigarette aku selepas bekalan cecairnya habis.

Mula-mula sekali, mungkin sebab e-cigarette sebenarnya haram digunakan, tempat-tempat mendapatkan bekalan e-cigarette semuanya kat tempat jin bertendang.

Perlu diingat, e-cigarette ini perlu sentiasa diganti spare partnya. Kalau tidak, jahanam.

Selepas itu, yang paling teruk, berlaku keadaan 'kekurangan bekalan' yang aku percaya dibuat-buat oleh penjual dan pengedar e-cigarette. Secara tiba-tiba, mereka tidak menjual bekalan spare part yang beberapa minggu sebelum itu berlambak.

Semua mengambil keputusan, contohnya, untuk tidak menjual spare part ViViNova atau VCore - jenama tank. Ini akan memaksa pengguna membeli tank baru. Aku berani jamin, dalam masa dua-tiga minggu lagi, mereka akan beralih ke benda lain pula, untuk memaksa pengguna membeli daripada mereka lagi.

Aku dah membajetkan RM250 sebulan untuk liquid dan spare part yang berupa atomiser, biasanya. Nampaknya, mereka hauskan lebih banyak duit aku. Diorang nak semua.

Hampir setiap pekedai aku jumpa di Uptown Kota Damansara pernah menipu atau cuba menipu aku, kecuali satu kedai. Maaf, aku takkan ke Uptown Kota Damansara lagi seumur hidup aku. Dia buat-buat bodoh, jual aku spare part takileh pakai, jual tank yang dah short circuit, cuba sumbat bateri yang tak muat, bateri yang nak meletup, cuba jual dua kali ganda harga, jatuhkan tank aku supaya jahanam dan harapnya aku beli tank baru, cuba 'repair' tank tapi sebenarnya rosakkan, cuba jual atomiser yang tak muat, dan bermacam-macam aksi beruk sarkas yang menyebabkan aku cakap - tak payahlah, dik.

Paling ringanlah, dia buat-buat tak paham order aku.

E-Cigarette ini kebanyakannya dijual oleh berukera. Jadi, dengan sedih, aku berhenti menghisap menatang ni dan kembali hisap rokok. Sesapa masih mau hisap, aku nak jual koleksi liquid yang aku ada, dengan 30% discount.


Sunday, May 19, 2013

Cross-Hatching


We never forget our first loves, and mine was and still is comic books.

My original dream was to drop everything else and write comic books. That was all I wanted to do. All the movies and TV series, animated features, newspaper work, books and all just came and gave me something to do and fed me, clothed me and provided a roof over my head.

I am also a public relations/political/corporate strategist specialising in social media, but my roots and my greatest education, was in comic books.

My parents were poor. Bla bla bla. My family lived on top of a hill, in the swamps on the outskirts of Kuantan, so comic books were a luxury. Growing up, I had a total of three comics magazines. Just three issues. One Gila-Gila, one Batu Api and one Gelihati. They were unsold back issues I found at the market and after some emotional blackmail, managed to get all three.

When I was in high school, I begged, borrowed and stole reading material. The Sun's Megazine at the time reprinted some pages of The Sandman Comics - a very mature fare years beyond my comprehension.

I didn't have money for comic books so all I could do was read the reviews of comic books. I read them, and as soon as I was online in 1994, I began looking for more material.

Back in those days, it took three hours just to download one picture. But there I was, in 1996, when my father bought our first computer and 14.4kbps dial-up modem, downloading porn.

Besides porn, I also downloaded studies on comics (comics were not online back then and the bootlegged versions still required a lot of downloading). There was an English master's thesis on The Sandman and another on Watchmen, so I read those. For days, over and over again. There was hardly anything else, other than porn.

So with my first paycheque from my first real job, I spent most of it on comic books. Buying comic books sent me into credit card debt which took me five years to clear.

There is something I am working on right now that might allow me to write and publish some comic books I have always wanted to do. These stories I have kept with me since I was 19 years old. Some are even older.

But first thing's first. There's that novel I need to finish.

Kino's Journey - Land of Prophecies

One of my favourite Kino's Journey (Kino no Tabi) episodes is the third one - Land of Prophecies.

For those of you unfamiliar with Kino's Journey, it is a 13-episode Japanese animation or anime which is an adaptation of a series of 'light novels' from Japan. The series tells of Kino - a young traveller with her talking motorrad (the precursor to the motorcycle) Hermes. In Kino's world, each 'country' seems like a different planet or even a different universe as a lot of things - technology, culture, Governments, socio-economic aspects - are vastly different.

Land of Prophecies basically talks of traditions and religious beliefs, as well as perceptions of a work of art. The fact that the interpretation of religion and art was integrated seamlessly together is exceptional.

The story begins with Kino and Hermes arriving at a country that believes the world will end the next day. This is because the country has been obsessed with a book called the Book of Prophecies which has been deciphered by a holy man from their South Tower as predicting the end of the world the very next day.

As the citizens prepare for the end, Kino happily shops around as no trader would charge money since the world was ending and all.

Well, tomorrow came, and the world did not end. The people were in a panic. The shopkeepers tried to get their money back from Kino, but she declined. One guy had the best quote - "How can I continue living if the world doesn't end?!"

I find that to be very poignant indeed!

Anyway, a priest from the North Tower said the South Tower miscalculated by 30 years, and so the people were placated by the fact that the world, indeed, was going to end.

And so Kino left the place and arrived at another country that tried to convince her that they have a tradition of wearing cat ears in celebration of Cat Burglars who overthrew the king. They tried to get her to participate in the cat-dance, but she politely refused and went on her way.

As she made her way in the forest, she was stopped by a woman who directed her to a man. The man documented the latest tradition embraced by the country and told Kino of all the other 'traditions' the country tried to convince travellers as theirs.

Apparently, amongst travellers, the country had a unique reputation of featuring different traditions every time they pass by. This is because since they deposed the king, they felt their country was in adequate for not having any tradition whatsoever. And that, the old man in the woods - a descendant of their deposed king - said was their unique tradition.

The third part of the episode deals with Kino arriving at a country much like Venice, where everyone is sad due to a constant reading of a sad poem. Many years ago, the greatest poet in the land stayed there and he wrote as well as recited happy, delightful poems. The king ordered him to write a poem of sadness, or he will be killed in 19 days.

The poet drew his inspiration from himself and being happy, he did not know how to express any form of sadness. On the eve of the last day, his wife killed herself in order for him to feel and understand sadness.

And so the poet recited the sad poem but was escorted out of the palace as the King retired to his chambers, scared of the immense sadness from his words. A few days later, the king died and the poet continued to walk and recite his poem over and over again, blanketing the country in sadness, with his small child following him everywhere.

Years later, the poet died, and the citizens were allowed a brief respite. However, on his funeral, his daughter - then 14 years of age - started reciting the poem again and again, for the next 10 years, further engulfing the country in misery.

Since then, it has been the country's tradition to choose a 14-year-old girl with the best voice every 10 years and have her recite the poem all day, every day.

One of the citizens said the poem was once written down in a book called the Book of Prophecies and became very popular at a distant country. Had Kino heard of such a book and such a country?

This triggered a flashback. As Kino left the Land of Prophecies, she saw an invading army attacking the Land of Prophecies. A soldier told her they also have the Book of Prophecies and believe the only way to prevent the end of the world was to destroy that other country.

This is a striking argument as to religion and art. How one work can be deciphered so differently by different groups of people.

If we take into account the short story about the Land of Traditions in the middle of the episode, I believe that to be an analogy of atheists or agnostics who sometimes try to convince people they do have some form of belief system such as New Age, or simply 'being spiritual'.

If we look at it from the aspect of tradition, I see it as Kino's Journey commenting how silly, wonderful and dangerous they are. One country did foolish things in anticipation of the end of the world; another started a war because of tradition/religion and the Land of Sadness decided to be sad - simply because it was their tradition.

In terms of religion, this episode has many interesting viewpoints of religion as a means to control and placate people, as a cause for war - all misguided translation from one man's terrible ordeal and an enduring work of art.

I can only hope that one day I can write something as layered and multi-dimensional as Kino's Journey, but it is my tradition and my belief to just go ahead and try.

With that, I go back to writing my novel. Cheers!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Cough Cough

On my recent trip to Phuket, I met a woman who listens. The last time I met a human with the capacity to listen without having their bullshit selves drowning them out was... I can't even remember. If I make millions of dollars, I will go back to Phuket, find that woman and romance the hell out of her.

So lots of people started writing detailed reviews and analysis of how the campaign machineries of both BN and PR to have been massive failures. Actually, Pakatan's campaign was successful. BN's was a massive failure.

The real reason is this - the BN people are much less interested in listening and are more inclined to shout and yell.

I have friends in both camps and the BN camp for the past five years have been strutting as if they know more, blablabla.

Going into the election, they were all really, really overconfident and then proceeded to give the clearest  demonstration of pride coming before the fall on any instance or situation I have ever seen.

Here's the bad news. Some friends in the PR camp are showing the exact same symptoms. Man, even though I predict a PR win for GE14 in 2018, it is still PR's to lose. I think they're overusing the street rallies, making it passe and boring. I think they've started to yell and shout a lot as well.

Of course, I might be wrong, and this is what the people want.

To me, I believe you can always change the Government, but I do not believe a single bit that anything will change, except in name only.

I am only thinking of Thailand, and the stuff I want to write, and hopefully one day be free enough to leave KL to distant shores.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Preacher, Preacher, Fifth Grade Teacher!

Coming back from Phuket, I did a few things and then last night, I went to Merdekarya to do another stand-up routine. This one was more conventional and it worked better than last time.

So that's good.

I set up a company to do digital media consultancy recently, and am hoping to set up another outfit to do something more creative. I have the workflow in my head and I know what to do with both. Right now, it's a matter of finding and landing jobs here and there, as I finish my own creative projects.

I thought the results of the General Elections are good news. Now I can consult both losers - BN and PR - on how to come up with and execute campaigns on all media.

Their previous campaigns sucked really bad. The mismanagement of resources on BN's part, and PR's overlooking the rural community since they were buoyed - too much - by their success in urban areas.

If PR wants to reach out to the rural community, it will take 4-5 years to be executed properly. DO NOT copy BN's tactics of lavish visits and fake ceremonies. Copy their other, more subtle ones. And yes, BN is not totally dumb at this game.

Rural people are like urban people, and the best way is still through insurgencies. Send a few youths and gather information as well as plant seeds of distrust and doubt. Make friends, endear yourself to the folks. This has to be done and coordinated on a massive national scale. For that, I believe the cost would be in the millions.

Set up an NGO that sends youths to rural areas. Youths who are armed with PR ideology and information, talking points and engagement protocols. People in the rural areas love gossip or 'secret information'. 'Exclusive stuff' only they know, even if it is totally untrue. So conspiracy theories would work well here.

BN needs to beef up urban support. That is a more difficult task. Their dangling of carrots didn't work last time, because the keys to the carrot bin can always be handed to the other guy. I believe the best BN can do is maintain their rural support and hope for a simple majority come GE14 in 2018.

I believe PR will win the elections in 2018. Nothing will change, of course. Politicians are politicians and they are all liars. PR politicians will replace BN's corruption with their own. Also, those BN people who are so afraid of change need not worry. It's just the same old shit, so they won't lose anything. Unless they are the big bosses of major GLCs, of course. Those people are fucked, but since they're rich, who cares?

Friday, May 10, 2013

Why Anwar Should Retire

This is a free consult for Pakatan Rakyat.

If Pakatan wants to have a confirmed win for GE14 in 2018, I believe Anwar Ibrahim should retire.

Almost the entire BN campaign was built around hatred for Anwar. Anwar the sodomite, Anwar the corrupt Finance Minister, Anwar the fucker of prostitutes, Anwar the Jewish stooge, ANwar the traitor. Word in the rural areas is a testament to BN's 'Anwar the boogeyman' campaign.

WIthout Anwar, there is no focus for the rural folks' and BN's hate. Without Anwar, I believe GE14 is a sure win for Pakatan Rakyat.

Right now, there are many in PR and PKR who can carry the opposition fight forward without Anwar - in fact, even better without Anwar. He is only there maybe as a spite against Dr M. Perhaps to prove the old man wrong. He is also holding PKR back. PKR is a weak link because of Anwar's baggage.

If you want to win, you need to set aside emotion and petty sentiment, and become completely ruthless in your execution. Getting Anwar to retire at the height of his power will also convey the right message - PR means business and its leaders are not totally in love with the idea of power and the idea of themselves in power. We won't have a Samy Vellu situation where getting an old man to retire is even more painful than removing a tumor.

If you want to convert voters from BN's camp, you need to get rid of the Anwar factor which served its purpose by establishing a platform and guiding PR on how to fight the BN way, as well as BN's own flawed tactics. Without Anwar, BN would be left with a variety of smaller targets. Gauging by how disorganised their campaign is at the moment - coupled with the fact that people who do work for BN are mostly paid for and hardly passionate free-labour volunteers like in PR's army - BN would not know how to respond.

"You want Anwar gone. He's gone. Retired as a winner. Now what?"

Imagine compiling a dossier of scandals for Nurul Izzah, Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang, Rafizi Ramli, Tian Chua, Elizabeth Wong, Karpal Singh, Tony Pua, Hadi Awang, and the rest. BN's resources would be so stretched, none of their smear campaigns would have the desired impact as they did with Anwar. They couldn't do it these past five years for these other people, and I doubt they can do it in the next five.

I am telling Pakatan Rakyat this for my own benefit - I want elections where issues are discussed and debated, not the personal backgrounds and private scandals of a few. The needs and concerns of the many should outweigh the petty considerations of  individuals given special focus.

I am for freedom of speech, so 114A MUST go. Freedom of religion is another thing. You can set funding of billions for Islam and double recognise it as the national religion. But do not allow cases like that Indian lady - what's her name? Revathi? - to happen again. If people want to choose to believe in any religion, or change their minds afterwards, they should be allowed to do so. I do not want to change mine, but I sincerely believe that it is cruel to imprison (not put in prison, just throw them in moral-correction centres) anyone and take their children away from them, simply because they choose to leave Islam.

Also, no one is talking about laws being passed that encroach on civil liberties like the draconian no smoking act. This law was executed strictly in Melaka and while I appreciate, even laud the judiciary by handing me a reduced fine, I believe this law needs to be rethought. I was not comfortable having up to 10K fine or 2 years in prison hanging over my head for smoking one cigarette.

Racism is another issue. This one is not determined by BN or even PR, no matter what delusions they hold as to their power or influence. Racism happens because we - as a people - allow it to. It is up to us to not react or respond to hate-speech and racist talk. The responsibility is ours. We vote every day whether we should degenerate into racism, or rise above hate.

So, for the sake of less-annoying politics, Anwar should retire and prove to everyone that PR's cause is bigger than just one man. If he does that, then the cause becomes immortal and PR will be almost ensured victory in GE14, provided they take the correct strategic steps in reaching out to rural areas.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

My (Hopefully) Final GE13 Post

I just got home from a trip to Kuantan where I voted at P.84 - Paya Besar for the Malaysian General Elections number 13.

Coming back, I had to check whether there were any race riots in KL, which is out of the norm.

This, after euphoria. I believe I am the only person in Malaysia loving these results. Everyone lost, so I win!

The much-anticipated defeat of BN by PR never came, making a lot of PR supporters feeling depressed and disappointed. This was egged on by allegations (some of them already proven false and others awaiting more info) by PR that the election was rigged. Was it? Was it not? I believe any and all allegations should be escalated into police reports and investigated. It will cost some money and resources, but it beats holding another election.

To the new voters who believe their votes mean something, I say this: Haaaaa-Ha!

The world doesn't revolve around you. Go suck a dick.

Mat Sabu lost, which is a crying shame. The mammal is hilarious and should be made PM. Husam Musa also lost for daring to go into enemy territory.

The fact remains that everyone lost in this election, and I clap my hands with glee. For now.

BN lost, despite still winning the election via simple majority of 133(they needed 112). Johor - formerly a BN stronghold, lost 4 (I think) Parliamentary seats to DAP, with some constituencies thrown in.

The much-touted recapture of Selangor never happened and BN in fact lost more seats to PR. The 'drubbing' hinted at in Penang was also a no-show. Kelantan stayed with PAS and Perak remained in BN's grasp, meaning they won't have to rely on jumping politicians to steal back the state like last time.

All the touted Main Events - Gelang Patah, Lembah Pantai, Shah Alam, Kuantan, resulted in a BN loss.

To the closet BN people who came out to vote (especially in Shah Alam), thinking their absence made all the difference in 2008, I say this: Haaaaa-Ha!

The world doesn't revolve around you. Go suck a dick.

What troubles me are these racist sentiments being flamed at the moment by BOTH sides. I believe Utusan's headline was uncalled for, and I do believe PR has been fanning the flames of racism wayyyyyyyyy earlier than this and as much as BN. It's just that they were smarter in hiding their tracks and not go all out in the open like Utusan did.

Najib gave a speech after BN won a simple majority, saying things like he did not anticipate the Chinese voters' heel turn. And I'm at home, saying, "Where you been, Pakcik?" at the TV set.

Yeah, Najib has shown some balls, but I am worried where those balls will be placed.

I do not wish to add fuel to the fire, so I will not address the race issue except during my stand up perhaps next week at Merdekarya when I offer Malaysia the final solution to ending racism.

I would like to commend the EC - I got no beef with them and believe they have done a good job, all things considered.

I would also like to say that I hate, hate, HATE the campaign mechanisms employed by both parties. PR as usual spreads lies and paranoia, mixed with ugly truth. BN comes up with some stupid music videos which were quite entertaining. I will never forget BN's FT team's Love is in the Air attempt which featured the team members jumping up and down like gibbons, to the classic and legendary Beribu-ribu Tahniah MIC vid.

Before that, there was the 1M4U song which screamed propaganda. It was like, "I M for PROPAGANDA! I M for PROPAGANDA!" What the fuck, man?

These attempts at multimedia content and reaching out top the young, to me, shows how detached the BN machinery is to the real world, and also drowned out some amazing animations and animated stuff coming out from BN - yeah, I was gobbling everything up like crazy.

These five years will be about performance. Elections are all about style. Based on style, PR won, even though their stupid music video with the abundance of lens flares is equally stupid, but not stupid enough.

Another note: NST Online and some other mainstream media reported fake news during polling day. I saw one SMS and a few tweets saying Nong Chik defeated Nurul Izzah when the reverse is true. WHEN THE REVERSE IS TRUE! Same shit with Shah Alam. And results coming in at 1pm? What the fuck?

To my friends at NST, please remember that you are still a neutral news body that is expected to report real news. I am disappointed at this simply because this means NST's credibility online will continue to suffer, especially amongst the new Gen who don't have a reason to give you a fuck. Instead of being the one source people can trust when all other sources are jumping the gun and shoving said firearm into their buttholes, NST and other mainstream media should have stood tall and did it my way.


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Stand-Up Now Tell Me You're Gonna Love Me Forever - Oh Oh Oh!

So I did a stand up comedy routine at Merdekarya tonight.

There were about 17 THOUSAND  people, going by both BN and PR calculations. I felt like Andy Kaufman, really, because I did a routine I like which I don't think was the right one to get the desired effect of laughter. It was Andy Kaufman when he was Jim Carrey and did the 'Cows go moo' song in clubs.

My stand-up was more of a smile kind of thing, because lots of people smiled but laughter was far and few in between.

I can dissect it to bits, but having gone up on stage and threw away my dignity, I can safely say I am ready to do more.

It was fun simply because I get to go out and talk to people. I enjoy this some of the times, but mostly avoid it because I don't really like people.

Anyway, I'll be back on stage maybe two weeks from now, to deliver another routine. For now, I'm back to my novel and consider the ramifications of writing and perhaps publishing such an incendiary text.