Virginia Tech Massacre

I was shock, and still am, when I turned on to CNN where I was informed by the tragedy in Virginia Tech.

My thoughts and prayers for the victims, their families and those affected by the tragic event on Monday. Be strong and know that we, the rest of the world, mourn for and with you.

To my fellow students in Malaysia, we should all be grateful that nothing of this nature has happened in our varsities and our schools. We must remember, however, that times are changing and anything can happen anytime and anywhere. As we remember the victims, we should count our blessings and remember to not take things for granted.

Although I’m no proponent/supporter of Pres. Bush, in times of tragedy, let us put our differences aside and stand together.

DON’T PLAY THE PREACHER

DON’T PLAY THE PREACHER

With the publication of the previous entry titled “That Golden Necklace”, I continue with another entry on which I find deserves its own entry. Guys, irrespective of who you may be, please do not play the preacher with me. Don’t come to me and try to do comparative religion sessions just to prove me wrong. You’ll end up looking like a fool in front of me, at least. Should I opt to complain to my family and my friends, you’d be criticized in ways you never knew. Remember, I am but human and my anger must be addressed. Stepping on the wrong stones would only cause you to fall down the cliff.

After all these years, I still remember what I read in the Good News Bible. As I type this entry, I have a collection of digital bibles, thanks to e-Sword. My obsession with Christianity in the past saw me wanting to be a priest. I even wanted to do a degree in Theology and Divinity. The funny thing is I never saw my non-Anglican friends as “deviant”, “lost”, or “damned for eternity”. I never dared to even try to play God! Today, I see many people trying to play God. Before they do that, do they know who God is? Do they know His attributes? Have they faced and talked to God so often and frequent that they think they can speak on His behalf? Only God knows.

Friends, giving you the benefit of doubt and considering that you are my friends, do not play the preacher. Before you come to me to speak of the beauty of your religion, please fix the problems of your fellow believers first.

If you say I have no salvation, how can you tell? How about yourself? Do you have salvation?

One would say “followers of the true faith will have no problems whatsoever because God will help them out”. Show me one religion which believers have no problem.

Religion will only remain sensitive as long as emotion and ego is present. Adding to that, it will always be sensitive if the person in that discussion sees only his or her religion as right and all others are wrong. I remember when I was in Form 1. My friends and I, Muslims and Christians, were discussing about the End of Days. Never once did we accuse nor imply each other as lost or wrong. We merely shared information. Till today, we’re still friends and in speaking terms. That was eight years ago. Funny thing is the students of Universities are worst than that.

Lead yourself before you lead others. Solve your problems before you can solve others’. Don’t play the preacher outside your community. Even preachers listen, why don’t you?

The Station of the Cross (it’s Good Friday)

Way of the Cross

(Also called Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa). These names are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations.

Taken in the former sense, the Stations may be of stone, wood, or metal, sculptured or carved, or they may be merely paintings or engravings. Some Stations are valuable works of art, as those, for instance, in Antwerp cathedral, which have been much copied elsewhere. They are usually ranged at intervals around the walls of a church, though sometimes they are to be found in the open air, especially on roads leading to a church or shrine. In monasteries they are often placed in the cloisters. The erection and use of the Stations did not become at all general before the end of the seventeenth century, but they are now to be found in almost every church. Formerly their number varied considerably in different places but fourteen are now prescribed by authority. They are as follows:

1. Christ condemned to death;
2. the cross is laid upon him;
3. His first fall;
4. He meets His Blessed Mother;
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross;
6. Christ’s face is wiped by Veronica;
7. His second fall;
8. He meets the women of Jerusalem;
9. His third fall;
10. He is stripped of His garments;
11. His crucifixion;
12. His death on the cross;
13. His body is taken down from the cross; and
14. laid in the tomb.

The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death, and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn. It is very usual, when the devotion is performed publicly, to sing a stanza of the “Stabat Mater” while passing from one Station to the next.

Inasmuch as the Way of the Cross, made in this way, constitutes a miniature pilgrimage to the holy places at Jerusalem, the origin of the devotion may be traced to the Holy Land. The Via Dolorosa at Jerusalem (though not called by that name before the sixteenth century) was reverently marked out from the earliest times and has been the goal of pious pilgrims ever since the days of Constantine. Tradition asserts that the Blessed Virgin used to visit daily the scenes of Christ’s Passion and St. Jerome speaks of the crowds of pilgrims from all countries who used to visit the holy places in his day. There is, however, no direct evidence as to the existence of any set form of the devotion at that early date, and it is noteworthy that St. Sylvia (c. 380) says nothing about it in her “Peregrinatio ad loca sancta”, although she describes minutely every otherreligious exercise that she saw practised there. A desire to reproduce the holy places in other lands, in order to satisfy the devotion of those who were hindered from making the actual pilgrimage, seems to have manifested itself at quite an early date. At the monastery of San Stefano at Bologna a group of connected chapels were constructed as early as the fifth century, by St. Petronius, Bishop of Bologna, which were intended to represent the more important shrines of Jerusalem, and in consequence, this monastery became familiarly known as “Hierusalem”. These may perhaps be regarded as the germ from which the Stations afterwards developed, though it is tolerablycertain that nothing that we have before about the fifteenth century can strictly be called a Way of the Cross in the modern sense. Several travellers, it is true, who visited the Holy Land during the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries, mention a “Via Sacra”, i.e., a settled route along which pilgrims were conducted, but there is nothing in their accounts to identify this with the Via Crucis, as we understand it, including special stopping-places with indulgences attached, and such indulgenced Stations must, after all, be considered to be the true origin of the devotion as now practised. It cannot be said with any certainty when such indulgences began to be granted, but most probably they may be due to the Franciscans, to whom in 1342 the guardianship of the holy places was entrusted. Ferraris mentions the following as Stations to which indulgences were attached: the place where Christ met His Blessed Mother, where He spoke to the women of Jerusalem, where He met Simon of Cyrene, where the soldiers cast lots for His garment, where He was nailed to the cross, Pilate’s house, and the Holy Sepulchre. Analogous to this it may be mentioned that in 1520 Leo X granted an indulgence of a hundred days to each of a set of scuptured Stations, representing the Seven Dolours of Our Lady, in the cemetery of the Franciscan Friary at Antwerp, the devotion connected with them being a very popular one. The earliest use of the word Stations, as applied to the accustomed halting-places in the Via Sacra at Jerusalem, occurs in the narrative of an English pilgrim, William Wey, who visited the Holy Land in 1458 and again in 1462, and who describes the manner in which it was then usual to follow the footsteps of Christ in His sorrowful journey. It seems that up to that time it had been the general practice to commence at Mount Calvary, and proceeding thence, in the opposite direction to Christ, to work back to Pilate’s house. By the early part of the sixteenth century, however, the more reasonable way of traversing the route, by beginning at Pilate’s house and ending at Mount Calvary, had come to be regarded as more correct, and it became a special exercise of devotion complete in itself. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries several reproductions of the holy places were set up in different parts of Europe. The Blessed Alvarez (d. 1420), on his return from the Holy Land, built a series of little chapels at the Dominican friary of Cordova, in which, after the pattern of separate Stations, were painted the principal scenes of the Passion. About the same time the Blessed Eustochia, a poor Clare, constructed a similar set of Stations in her convent at Messina. Others that may be enumerated were those at Görlitz, erected by G. Emmerich, about 1465, and at Nuremburg, by Ketzel, in 1468. Imiations of these were made at Louvain in 1505 by Peter Sterckx; at St. Getreu in Bamberg in 1507; at Fribourg and at Rhodes, about the same date, the two latter being in the commanderies of the Knights of Rhodes. Those at Nuremburg, which were carved by Adam Krafft, as well as some of the others, consisted of seven Stations, popularly known as “the Seven Falls”, because in each of them Christ was represented either as actually prostrate or as sinking under the weight of His cross. A famous set of Stations was set up in 1515 by Romanet Bofin at Romans in Dauphine, in imitation of those atFribourg, and a similar set was erected in 1491 at Varallo by the Franciscans there, whose guardian, Blessed Bernardino Caimi, had been custodian of the holy places. In several of these early examples an attempt was made, not merely to duplicate the most hallowed spots of the original Via Dolorosa at Jerusalem, but also to reproduce the exact intervals between them, measured in paces, so that devout people might cover precisely the same distances as they would have done had they made the pilgrimage to the Holy Land itself. Boffin and some of the others visited Jerusalem for the express purpose of obtaining the exact measurements, but unfortunately, though each claimed to be correct, there is an extraordinary divergence between some of them.

With regard to the number of Stations it is not at all easy to determine how this came to be fixed at fourteen, for it seems to have varied considerably at different times and places. And, naturally, with varying numbers the incidents of the Passion commemorated also varied greatly. Wey’s account, written in the middle of the fifteenth century, gives fourteen, but only five of these correspond with ours, and of the others, seven are only remotely connected with ourVia Crucis:

• The house of Dives,
• the city gate through which Christ passed,
• the probatic pool,
• the Ecce Homo arch,
• the Blessed Virgin’s school, and
• the houses of Herod and Simon the Pharisee.

When Romanet Boffin visited Jerusalem in 1515 for the purpose of obtaining correct details for his set of Stations at Romans, two friars there told him that there ought to be thirty-one in all, but in the manuals of devotion subsequently issued for the use of those visiting these Stations they are given variously as nineteen, twenty-five, and thirty-seven, so it seems that even in the same place the number was not determined very definitely. A book entitled “Jerusalem sicut Christi tempore floruit”, written by one Adrichomius and published in 1584, gives twelve Stations which correspond exactly with the first twelve of ours, and this fact is thought by some to point conclusively to the origin of the particular selection afterwards authorized by the Church, especially as this book had a wide circulation and was translated into several European languages. Whether this is so or not we cannot say for certain. At any rate, during the sixteenth century, a number of devotional manuals, giving prayers for use when making the Stations, were published in the Low Countries, and some of our fourteen appear in them for the first time. But whilst this was being done in Europe for the benefit of those who could not visit the Holy Land and yet could reach Louvain, Nuremburg, Romans, or one of the other reproductions of the Via Dolorosa, it appears doubtful whether, even up to the end of the sixteenth century, there was any settled form of the devotion performed publicly in Jerusalem, for Zuallardo, who wrote a book on the subject, published in Rome in 1587, although he gives a full series of prayers, etc., for the shrines within the Holy Sepulchre, which were under the care of the Franciscans, provides none for the Stations themselves. He explains the reason thus: “it is not permitted to make any halt, nor to pay veneration to them with uncovered head, nor to make any other demonstration”. From this it would seem that after Jerusalem had passed under the Turkish domination the pious exercises of the Way of the Cross could be performed far more devoutly at Nuremburg or Louvain than in Jerusalem itself. It may therefore be conjectured, with extreme probability, that our present series of Stations, together with the accustomed series of prayers for them, comes to us, not from Jerusalem, but from some of the imitation Ways of the Cross in different parts of Europe, and that we owe the propagation of the devotion, as well as the number and selection of our Stations, much more to the pious ingenuity of certain sixteenth-century devotional writers than to the actual practice of pilgrims to the holy places.

With regard to the particular subjects which have been retained in our series of Stations, it may be noted that very few of the medieval accounts make any mention of either the second (Christ receiving the cross) or the tenth (Christ being stripped of His garments), whilst others which have since dropped out appear in almost all the early lists. One of the most frequent of these is the Station formerly made at the remains of the Ecce Homo arch, i.e. the balcony from which these words were pronounced. Additions and omissions such as these seem to confirm the supposition that our Stations are derived from pious manuals of devotion rather than from Jerusalem itself. The three falls of Christ (third, seventh, and ninth Stations) are apparently all that remain of the Seven Falls, as depicted by Krafft at Nuremburg and his imitators, in all of which Christ was represented as either falling or actually fallen. In explanations of this it is supposed that the other four falls coincided with His meetings with His Mother, Simon of Cyrene, Veronica, and the women of Jerusalem, and that in these four the mention of the fall has dropped out whilst it survives in the other three which have nothing else to distinguish them. A few medieval writers take the meeting with Simon and the women of Jerusalem to have been simultaneous, but the majority represent them as separate events. The Veronica incident does not occur in many of the earlier accounts, whilst almost all of those that do mention it place it as having happened just before reaching Mount Calvary, instead of earlier in the journey as in our present arrangement. An interesting variation is found in the special set of eleven stations ordered in 1799 for use in the diocese of Vienne. It is as follows:

1. the Agony in the Garden;
2. the betrayal by Judas;
3. the scourging;
4. the crowning with thorns;
5. Christ condemned to death;
6. He meets Simon of Cyrene;
7. the women of Jerusalem;
8. He tastes the gall;
9. He is nailed to the cross;
10. His death on the cross; and
11. His body is taken down from the cross.

It will be noticed that only five of these correspond exactly with our Stations. The others, though comprising the chief events of the Passion, are not strictly incidents of the Via Dolorosa itself.

Another variation that occurs in different churches relates to the side of the church on which the Stations begin. The Gospel side is perhaps the more usual. In reply to a question the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, in 1837, said that, although nothing was ordered on this point, beginning on theGospel side seemed to be the more appropriate. In deciding the matter, however, the arrangement and form of a church may make it more convenient to go the other way. The position of the figures in the tableaux, too, may sometimes determine the direction of the route, for it seems more in accordance with the spirit of the devotion that the procession, in passing from station to station, should follow Christ rather than meet Him.

The erection of the Stations in churches did not become at all common until towards the end of the seventeenth century, and the popularity of the practice seems to have been chiefly due to the indulgences attached. The custom originated with the Franciscans, but its special connection with that order has now disappeared. It has already been said that numerous indulgences were formerly attached to the holy places at Jerusalem. Realizing that few persons, comparatively, were able to gain these by means of a personal pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Innocent XI, in 1686, granted to the Franciscans, in answer to their petition, the right to erect the Stations in all their churches, and declared that all the indulgences that had ever been given for devoutly visiting the actual scenes of Christ’s Passion, could thenceforth be gained by Franciscans and all others affiliated to their order if they made the Way of the Cross in their own churches in the accustomed manner. Innocent XII confirmed the privilege in 1694 and Benedict XIII in 1726 extended it to all the faithful. In 1731 Clement XII still further extended it by permitting the indulgenced Stations to all churches, provided that they were erected by a Franciscan father with the sanction of the ordinary. At the same time he definitely fixed the number of Stations at fourteen. Benedict XIV in 1742 exhorted all priests to enrich their churches with so great a treasure, and there are few churches now without the Stations. In 1857 the bishops of England received faculties from the Holy See to erect Stations themselves, with the indulgences attached, wherever there were no Franciscans available, and in 1862 this last restriction was removed and the bishops were empowered to erect the Stations themselves, either personally or by delegate, anywhere within their jurisdiction. These faculties are quinquennial. There is some uncertainty as to what are the precise indulgences belonging to the stations. It is agreed that all that have ever been granted to the faithful for visiting the holy places in person can now be gained by making the Via Crucis in any church where the Stations have been erected in due form, but the Instructions of the Sacred Congregation, approved by Clement XII in 1731, prohibit priests and others from specifying what or how many indulgences may be gained. In 1773 Clement XIV attached the same indulgence, under certain conditions, to crucifixes duly blessed for the purpose, for the use of the sick, those at sea or in prison, and others lawfully hindered from making the Stations in a church. The conditions are that, whilst holding the crucifix in their hands, they must say the “Pater” and “Ave” fourteen times, then the “Pater”, “Ave”, and “Gloria” five times, and the same again once each for the pope’s intentions. If one person hold the crucifix, a number present may gain the indulgences provided the other conditions are fulfilled by all. Such crucifixes cannot be sold, lent, or given away, without losing the indulgence.

The following are the principal regulations universally in force at the present time with regard to the Stations:

• If a pastor or a superior of a convent, hospital, etc., wishes to have the Stations erected in their places he must ask permission of the bishop. If there are Franciscan Fathers in the same town or city, their superior must be asked to bless the Stations or delegate some priest either of his own monastery or a secular priest. If there are no Franciscan Fathers in that place the bishops who have obtained from the Holy See the extraordinary of Form C can delegate any priest to erect the Stations. This delegation of a certain priest for the blessing of the Stations must necessarily be done in writing. The pastor of such a church, or the superior of such a hospital, convent, etc., should take care to sign the document the bishop or the superior of the monastery sends, so that he may thereby express his consent to have the Stations erected in their place, for the bishop’s and the respective pastor’s or superior’s consent must be had before the Stations are blessed, otherwise the blessing is null and void;
• Pictures or tableaux of the various Stations are not necessary. It is to the cross placed over them that the indulgence is attached. These crosses must be of wood; no other material will do. If only painted on the wall the erection is null (Cong. Ind., 1837, 1838, 1845);
• If, for restoring the church, for placing them in a more convenient position, or for any other reasonable cause, the crosses are moved, this may be done without the indulgence being lost (1845). If any of the crosses, for some reason, have to be replaced, no fresh blessing is required, unless more than half of them are so replaced (1839).
• There should if possible be a separate meditation on each of the fourteen incidents of the Via Crucis, not a general meditation on the Passion nor on other incidents not included in the Stations. No particular prayers are ordered;
• The distance required between the Stations is not defined. Even when only the clergy move from one Station to another the faithful can still gain the indulgence without moving;
• It is necessary to make all the Stations uninterruptedly (S.C.I., 22 January, 1858). Hearing Mass or going to Confession or Communion between Stations is not considered an interruption. According to many the Stations may be made more than once on the same day, the indulgence may be gained each time; but this is by no means certain (S.C.I., 10 Sept., 1883). Confession and Communion on the day of making the Stations are not necessary provided the person making them is in a state of grace;
• Ordinarily the Stations should be erected within a church or public oratory. If the Via Crucis goes outside, e.g., in a cemetery or cloister, it should if possible begin and end in the church.

In conclusion it may be safely asserted that there is no devotion more richly endowed with indulgences than the Way of the Cross, and none which enables us more literally to obey Christ’s injunction to take up our cross and follow Him. A perusal of the prayers usually given for this devotion in any manual will show what abundant spiritual graces, apart from the indulgences, may be obtained through a right use of them, and the fact that the Stations may be made either publicly or privately in any church renders the devotion specially suitable for all. One of the most popularly attended Ways of the Cross at the present day is that in the Colosseum at Rome, where every Friday the devotion of the Stations is conducted publicly by a Franciscan Father.

Psychology Test

Select a shape below that appeals to you the most and then scroll down to read about your personality.

A psychologist developed these shapes. They have been tested worldwide, over a period of several years. As we received feedback from our research, we carefully adjusted the color and/or form of each shape, then tested again, until we were left with a highly successful set of shapes. These represent the nine basic personality types.

	1.		2.		3.
	4.		5.		6.
	7.		8.		9.

Now, look up what personality type you are
based on your selection!

1.

Introspective Sensitive Reflective

You come to grips more frequently and thoroughly with yourself and your environment than do most people. You detest superficiality; you’d rather be alone than have to suffer through small talk. But your relationships with your friends are highly intensive, which gives you the inner tranquility and harmony that you need in order to feel good. However it is no problem for you to be alone for extended periods of time, without becoming bored.

2.

Independent Unconventional Unfettered

You demand a free and unattached life for yourself that allows you to determine your own course. You have an artistic bent in your work or leisure activities. Your urge for freedom sometimes causes you to do exactly the opposite of what expected of you.

Your lifestyle is highly individualistic. You would never blindly imitate what is “in”; on the contrary, you seek to live according to your own ideas and convictions, even if this means swimming against the tide.

3.

Dynamic Active Extroverted

You are quite willing to accept certain risks and to make a strong commitment in exchange for interesting and varied work. Routine, in contrast, tends to have a paralyzing effect on you.

What you like most is to be able to play an active role in events. In doing so, your initiative is highly pronounced.

4.

Down to Earth Well-Balanced Harmonious

You value a natural style and love that which is uncomplicated. People admire you because you have both feet planted firmly on the ground and they can depend on you. You give those who are close to you security and space. You are perceived as being warm and human. You reject everything that is garish and trite. You tend to be skeptical toward the whims of fashion trends. For you, clothing has to be practical and unobtrusively elegant.

5.

Professional Pragmatic Self-assured

You take charge of your life, and place less faith in your luck and more in your own deeds. You solve problems in a practical, uncomplicated manner. You take a realistic view of the things in your daily life and tackle them without wavering. You are given a great deal of responsibility at work, because people know that you can be depended upon.

Your pronounced strength of will projects your self-assurance to others. You are never fully satisfied until you have accomplished your ideas.

6.

Peaceful Discreet Non-Aggressive

You are easy-going yet discreet. You make friends effortlessly, yet enjoy your privacy and independence. You like to get away from it all and be alone from time to time to contemplate the meaning of life and enjoy yourself. You need space, so you escape to beautiful

Speeding

Jack, a rich guy, loved fast cars and he did have a few in his possession. He loved to speed and could not be bothered about breaking speed limits. Many a time he was caught by the cops and speed radars, fined, but still he never bothered until…

One day as he was driving at a very high speed as usual, he saw a cop following him in his police car. The cop overtook him finally and asked him to stop and checked his license.He then took out his pad, started writing and then handed over the sheet of paper to Jack.

“How much was this one going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket.”

Jack began to read:

“Dear Jack,

Once upon a time I had a lovely daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it - a speeding driver’s car. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his all his three daughters. I only had one, and I’m going to have to wait until Heaven, before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I’ve tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again.

Even now. Pray for me.. And be careful, Matt, my son is all I have left.”

Jack turned around in time to see the cop’s car pull away and head down the road. He watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.

Life is precious. Handle with care. This is an important message; Please pass it along to your friends. Drive safely and carefully. Remember, Cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.

Egyptian Horoscope

EGYPTIAN HOROSCOPE

- God of Prophets
(January 1 to February 2)

Those born under this sign have a sure talent for recognising Mr./Ms. Right the first time they see him/her - for them it’s often a matter of love at first sight. When this happens, usually at a chance meeting in public places like shopping malls or restaurants, you can attract him/her by radiating happiness. You’ll find it will captivate him/her

- God of the Sacred Nile
(February 3 to March 4)

Better known as the Crocodile god, Suchos guarded the treasures of ancient Egypt. Those born under this sign are attracted by beauty, and ancient wise men warned them not to be blinded by it. “Look beyond an attractive appearance and find the real man beneath” they warned, “Listen to your heart, instead of what your eyes tell you.”

- God of Fertility
(March 5 to April 9)

If you were born under this sign, don’t expect to fall in love at first sight. Those ruled by Osiris need time for love to put down roots in their hearts, but it will grow stronger until it blossoms into a romance that will last a lifetime.

- God of Truth
(April 10 to May 2)

Ptah’ s people are very sincere and have to be careful to avoid being hurt in romance. You’ll find your Mr/Ms Right practically on your doorstep because you’ve known him/her for a long time. Because he’s / she’s a down-to-earth type who appreciates sincerity, he’ll / she’ll be attracted to you sooner or later, so don’t be pushy when you recognise him /her.

- God of Life
(May 3 to June 16)

The hawk-headed god rules a fickle sign - those born under it have roving eyes and a passionate nature. Life for them is finding a series of Mr/Ms Rights, and they have no trouble doing it. For true romantic happiness, you need a very strong, steady type of man/woman who can tame your restless spirit and still give you the excitement you crave.

- Goddess of True Love (June 17 to July 21) Beautiful Nephtaphis watches over this most dreamily romantic of all signs. Her children are incredibly loyal to their lovers, and are actually capable of becoming one with them in body, mind and soul. For this reason they have to be careful to choose men/women as caring and considerate as themselves, or they will cruelly be taken advantage of.

- God of Thunder and Lightning (July 22 to August 1 Like their turbulent guardian, those born under this sign have quicksilver temperaments and have to keep their thermostats lowered if they want their love lives to heat up. You need an even-tempered, understanding type who can put up with your occasional outbursts.

- Protector God
(August 19 to September 21)

If you were lucky enough to be born under this sign, you can look forward to life-long romance that will never stop growing. Mr/Ms Right for you is the mystery man type who has a multi-faceted personality and will Forever be revealing new and fascinating aspects of himself/herself, Thereby continually giving you something new about himself for you to love.

- Sun God
(September 22 to October 15)

You’ll have no trouble finding Mr/Ms Right because you’re what every man/woman is looking for - tender,understanding, passionate, and Intensely loyal. Men/Women will flock to you, so you can afford to be choosy. Pick the man/woman who is most deserving of the prize you are, and don’t look back. Your only fault is a tendency to wonder if you made the right choices in the past, so keep your eyes peeled on the future.

- Goddess of Miracles
(October 16 to November 9)

Those born under the sign of this ancient Egypt’s chief goddess have a magic touch. With a smile, they can captivate any man/woman who attracts them. Finding Mr/Ms Right is easy for Isis’ sons/daughters - they can spot him/her a mile off and snare him/her with their great charm.

- God of Light (November 10 to December 3) Thoth’s children have a hard time displaying their feelings, especially the romantic ones. When you meet Mr/Ms Right, show him how you feel - don’t keep him/her guessing.

- Goddess of Music and the Arts
(December 4 to December 31)

Hathor’ s children are in love with love. They tend to fall head over heels in love with the first man that shows any interest in them, and they stick to them like glue. Keep a level head and be sure he’s really Mr/Ms Right. Your type of man/woman likes harmony, and you have to show him/her that you’re the one who can provide it.

Resignation from the SRC Secretariat

It took me a while (really, just a few hours) to come to my decision to resign. No, I did not do it with a “heavy heart”. Make life simple, here’s the Main body of the Resignation Letter:

“I would like to offer my resignation from the office of Deputy Exco for Academic and Careers and, effectively, Secretariat membership with effect from the above mentioned date. The reasons for my resignation are as explained.

2. I joined the Secretariat for the cause which it initially was created for: to help and manage student affairs and welfare, academic and non-academic wise. As the time progress, the Secretariat is more and more becoming and emulating LawSoc and other student club. Instead of helping the Faculty and Student Representative Council address and resolve student-related issues, we are too preoccupied in conducting activities to increase our reputation and popularity. For the sake of these activities, we neglect the responsibilities we bear to the student body and lost track of our objectives and purpose. I cannot be committed neither to a cause which does not exist nor to a cause which conflicts with my principal priority – my academics.

3. I am a staunch believer and proponent of the concept and doctrine of collective responsibility. Either I support the decision of the Secretariat and defend it or I resign. I cannot support organizing a major event, or any event for that matter, within 4 weeks of the Final exams. Also, it is against my belief that students who carry any paper should be allowed to hold any position; how can one lead others when one cannot lead oneself. These are, among others, my reasons under this heading.

4. The responsibilities and expectations of being a Secretariat member surpass that of being a student. Some members demand absolute commitment to the Secretariat, even if it means sacrificing their academics. One may be relieved of or resign from office and remain a student of the University. On the other hand, if one is dismissed by University, one may not hold any student leadership position – and that is the least of one’s problems. Under the same reason, some members of the Secretariat have the understanding than full commitment must be given. Unfortunately I have other priorities and responsibilities and the Secretariat, after having no relevant and reasonable cause, is no longer a priority. I am needed else where and I have more important things to do. On top of that, we joined on the grounds of volunteerism and there, we have our limits.

5. These are, among others, my reasons to resign my office. I have no intention to waste anymore taxpayers’ money over the matter and therefore resolve as stated.

Thank you.”

Studies, Life & ….

My week is just a headache!!! If my mom knows what’s going on, she’s so going to pull the plug… No point on appealing… The appallete “courts” would just uphold the judgement…

Shell Scholarship
I tried applying for the Shell Downstream Scholarship. I sent my mom the forms and copies of the certified certificates (how absurd that seem to sound) last Tuesday. For those who live off PTPTN/Student loan, you might not understand why.

I was told my my mom to not apply for any loan whatsoever since I entered UiTM on November 20th, 2004. If I wanted financial aid, apply & work for scholarships. There I agree with her. Considering that PTPTN would not even help me in the long run (the money is never enough) and you’re getting deeper and deeper into debt at a young age. On top of that, you have to pay it back per se.

Students on scholarship have the “more exclusive” status. Anyone can obtain a loan but not all can get a scholarship. It must be backed with excellence, consistency and performance. PTPTN does not give a damn when you are kicked out of college - as long as you pay them back. In the long run, I’m not into jobs. I don’t intend to be controlled by the punch card until retirement. At least for scholarship, you can secure an entry level position compared to a loan where you have to look for jobs yourself.

Then the organisation which offers the scholarship is important as well. Example for my classmates in UiTM, the last thing they want is to be sponsored by the American-Israeli Committee thingy. For non-smokers and stauch Muslims, I doubt that they wanna be sponsored by and work for the tobacco and alcohol industries. Why did I choose Shell? My family have been working with Shell one way or another. Great-grandpapa Tinker worked there before coming to Betong and forming the Sarawak National Party. Mom & Dad worked at Shell at one time… My mom became project engineer after 17 years with Shell… Shell has been contributing to the State’s economy for over 100 years (not that West Malaysians would understand…).

My mom called last night. She told me she’ll send the application to the office today. She told me to study harder to convince Shell. I agree, but my peers can’t seem to understand that.

Love My Faculty, Hate Their Student Leaders

I love being a Law student and I take pride that my Faculty has produced some of the bast Law students in the country. I am, indeed, proud to be here. Although at times I may forget my own words and go astray but fact of the matter is I appreciate my time here studying. The story is different, however, for the student leaders. They seem to forget their responsibilities academic-wise but also their responsibilities to the student body.

I joined the Law Faculty’s SRC Secretariat in October/November 2006 as the Deputy Exco for Publicity. Earlier this year I was made Deputy Exco for Internationalisation on the grounds that I can converse in English and do so frequently. That and I was told that I had a feud with my boss, the Exco herself. Immediately after that I request to be exchanged with a colleague; currently I am the Deputy Exco for Academic Affairs. When I joined the SMPP, I had the impression that we were to help the Student Representitives by taking care of the welfare of the student body in our faculty. After over six months, we have yet to done that. We’ve organised activities, I admit, but student welfare? We have neglected that. We are so obsesed in getting known and recognised by the Student body that we lost track of our goal. Ask any Secretariat member on what they know about student problems, they don’t know. We don’t know. Why? We wanted to emulate the Law Society, Mooting Club, EnLAC etc.

I was asked las Monday, why have I failed to commit to SMPP? Why have I not turned up for meetings. The inquisitor said that I talk about commitment and I failed to show any. My reply was simple. “When I joined SMPP, I joined for the cause and to that I am committed. Right now, we have no cause. Why should I waste my time when my commitments are required in other areas? The Karate-Do Club where I’m President for example. The SMPP, in my view, has no cause since we’re emulating other clubs.”

Fine, ladies, I know you have periods. That is not a reason for you to be moody. Just like us guys. Just because we have a dick and sexual urges we don’t do f**king everything that comes in our way. “Oh, she’s having her period.” You want equality, act like it. Don’t just talk about it.

Here’s where I hate my values, particularly my support and belief of collective responsibility. Sometimes enough is enough. Just because you’re a senior or had done this or that does not in anyway make you superior than any other student. You talk about Islam, where did equality before Allah go to? Are you saying that “equality before Allah” only applies to Him and you don’t need to treat people equally? Are you that superior to your own God? I expect you to say “keep religion outof this”. For people who includes religion into everything, you are one good hypocrite. Last line of the Surah al-Kafiruun. Just so you know, I have a little history with Islam.

I don’t simply say. I say when I am right.

Student Leaders (at large)
I told my immediate past Board of Directors prior to the Karate-Do Shitoryu Club Annual General Meeting that I don’t mind not being elected as president. I ask that when they cast their vote and nominate their candidates, pick someone responsible AND who would not forget their origins (bertanggungjawab dan tidak lupa daratan). I have to emphasize on the later because I have seen many students who go power crazy/hungry when given authority. They forget their origins. They forget that they are students as well and that being president or holding any other position dos not make you autocratic. You are not entitled to the authority of veto unless your Constitution says so! What’s sad is even Law students forget this.

Guys, as much as you want to “discharge your duties and responsibilities to the best of your abilities”, never forget that the main reason you are here is to study. If you’re not a nerd or bookworm, your academics still must come first. Exam’s are close. It begins on April 23, 2007. There used to be a 4-weeks rule. I don’t know what happened to that.

Give students authority and freedom, they abuse it. Don’t give them, they complain. In the United States, those as early as the age of 18 can vote and stand election. How did that come to be? Because those at the age of 18 were drafted to be sent to war. National Service aint a draft. There’s always a reason to everything the West does, unlike here, bukan untuk suka-suka.