Bridge Over Troubled Water
When you’re weary, feeling small,
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;
I’m on your side. When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
When you’re down and out,
When you’re on the street,
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you.
I’ll take your part.
When darkness comes
And pain is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Sail on silvergirl,
Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine
If you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
© 1969 Paul Simon
Chronic Chronicles:
Dear Digory, Who was the ‘guru’ who said that: “Change is a Constant”; what if “humanity does not pass through places as a train passes through stations; being alive, it has the privilege of always moving yet never leaving anything behind. Whatever we have been, in some sort we still are” (Downing, 2005, XIV). Can we start a new adventure without letting go of our existing ways? Can we be “A reasonable soul … with a moral sense and a rational sense, with free will and the power of speech”? (Downing, 2005, 73) Or do you believe that predestination will determine our daily lives and our final destiny? Polly
p.s. I'm setting a timeline - if by Awal Muharram, I do not receive a properly verbalised or written invite from you, then I will cease to entertain your shenanigans, because it's a waste of my time and it had affected my productivity; I'm sure there are zillions of girls out there willing to spare their time to read your mind and clues and jump at your signals for the "dangled prize" and "treats". If you want a proper person, then you have to do it the proper way. Or you could join AO's Club of Poor Little Rich Boys!
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Bet's Bites:
"You can be too proper for an improper world"
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Bet’s Take:
100 Years of Radio
It must have been yesterday or the day before that I heard Faridah Merican (Actors’ Studio) talking over Red104.9fm about the centennial celebration of radio broadcasting in Malaysia.
Radio broadcasting has come a long way since the early years of the last century, when those ‘hammies’ (ham radio operators) started ‘wireless clubs’ in Singapore, Penang and Johore Baharu in modernising Malaya. Of course, the technology then became an ideological state apparatus in ‘winning the hearts and minds of the people’, first by the Colonial Brits and Japs, then the ‘gomen’ of the day. Radio is also entrenched in our memories of childhood, adolescence and young adulthood (P.Ramlee and Saloma, Fantastic Facts and Fancies, Patrick Teoh, etc.)
However, many intelligent commuters who are daily assaulted with the ‘mind-numbing’ trivia, otherwise termed ‘info-tainment’ (talk about ‘newspeak’, to borrow Orwell’s term in 1984), lament about the dearth of mentally stimulating content over local radio stations. It seemed that whenever there is a ‘station of substance’, somehow it could never acquire sufficient funding to sustain its existence. Remember Talk 108fm, 99.3fm with Yasmin Yusuf’s signature laughter, nerve-grating “Good Morning” greetings and reasonably smart programs, Rock and Opus, which were subsequently made available over ASTRO TV?
Funding, or the financial basis of ideological and cultural content (to use the academic jargon favored by progressive scholars, including yours truly), is an important issue in determining not only freedom of speech or expression (‘pushing the parameters of dissent’) but also the quality of information and discussion over the air. Apart from the State and Commercial Models, Malaysians do not have the options of Public Service and Community Broadcast within the country, like the BBC, PBS, Radio Pacifica, WORT (Talk Radio), etc. Although the Internet technology has spurred the growth of independent and community journalism by leaps and bounds (Jeff Ooi’s Screen Shots is one fine example), the development of alternative web radio (and television) broadcasting has been somewhat thwarted by conceptual and financial factors. I personally have to clue in to the progress of Malaysia.tv and Cyberjaya TV. Tune in to mental stimulation.
Links:
http://www.Pacifica.org
http://www.Malaysia.tv
http://www.cyberjayatv.net
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Policing the Police
The planned formation of the special independent panel to monitor the police force must have called for a celebration for ‘accidental’ activists such as former controversial radio deejay, Patrick Teoh (chastised for highlighting corruption amongst the PDRM personnel) and Opposition MP, Teresa Kok (catapulted into international fame over the infamous ‘ear squat’ incident).
Unlike the Islamic Family Law that had received public criticism for failing to consult special interest groups, the public is now encouraged to air their grievances regarding the conduct of the police force directly to the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (The Star, 25/01/06, N4).
Hopefully, this will lead to enlightened public participation in democratic decision-making process in this nation.
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Mobile Malay Males
The findings from the Hand Phone Users Survey 2005 (MCMC) revealed that Malays make up 53.9 percent of mobile phone users, and 57.4 percent of the users are males. However, it did not bracket the age group, and the questions are skewed towards the benefit of service providers on the ‘m-readiness’ of consumers (necessity of 3G services and awareness of VOIP). The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is apparently not interested in promoting ‘m-democracy’, the use of mobile technology for social cohesion and democratic participation.
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