Friday, July 3, 2009

Of a proverb and vocabulary

1. A drowning man will clutch at a straw just to save himself.
A very apt proverb , especially and specifically suitable to describe a person who has been caught with his hands in the cookie jar . In other words , a person who is desperate will lie through his teeth and react even dangerously like a cornered animal to cover up his mistake .

2. 'Badmouth'

I have seen another word being used in a context which is dangerous and may the person using it may actually be defaming the character and integrity of another , and defaming the character of a person may actually bring a host of problems to you.

'Badmouth' . If you accuse a person of badmouthing a group of people, it is valid if you are telling lies or belittling them.

However if you are telling the truth, no matter how bad it may be, THAT is not 'badmouthing',.


According to the dictionary , the synonyms are :-

Synonyms: belittle, criticize, disparage, knock*, malign, pan, put down*, rap, rip, roast*, run down*, slam, slander, tear down*, cut down to size, dis, dump on, find fault, mudsling, pooh pooh, take a dig at, take down a peg, tear to pieces



3. 'Unethical'
Here's another word which I came across this week . Again , wrongly used, it can lend you into a lot of trouble legally. When you used it to describe a person, especially in writing , you may , again be attacking the person's integrity . You are actually accusing the person of ,according to the dictionary


base, dishonorable, dishonourable, immoral


Again , the synonyms given in the dictionary are:

Synonyms: cheating, corrupt, crooked, dirty*, dishonorable, disreputable, fake, fishy*, flimflam*, fly-by-night*, illegal, improper, mercenary, scam*, shady*, sharp*, slick*, slippery*, sneaky*, two-faced*, two-timing, underhand, unfair, unprincipled, unprofessional, unscrupulous, wrong, dirty-dealing, double-crossing.



4. Force


When you accuse someone of using force on you, it better be specific in its form. Even to the point of saying that 'a person used force to make you confess to a wrong deed' may fall back on your face .


Lets look at the implication of such a statement . You are actually accusing the person of , again , according to the dictionary:



verb (used with object)
18. to compel, constrain, or oblige (oneself or someone) to do something: to force a suspect to confess.
19. d. They forced ir into his lungs.
20. to bring about or effect by force.


22. to put or impose (something or someone) forcibly on or upon a person: to force one's opinions on others.
23. to compel by force; overcome the resistance of: to force acceptance of something.
24. to obtain or draw forth by or as if by force; extort: to force a confession.

26. to break open (a door, lock, etc.).

28. to press, urge, or exert (an animal, person, etc.) to violent effort or to the utmost.
29. to use force upon.
30. to rape.



Can I finish this with two Malay proverbs.

1. ....kerana mulut , badan binasa...
2. Tepuk dada, tanya selera.

Wonder if there is an English version close to it ?






Computer signages !


I've heard of sperm-whales. But sperm-mouse ?




yup--party pooper !




Anyone with a yearning to burn computers ?




Yes--you may p***-off but don't screw-off !

The Evil Gentle(?) Gender…

‘Evil Gentle’, hmmmm is that a paradox…. I wonder..

They say all is fair in love and war. And the evil that exists in mankind is fairly shared between the two genders. So out of interest I found these two web-sites, of which this posting is based on ,
http://listverse.com/2007/09/09/top-10-most-evil-women/
http://www.yoshke.com/2009/03/02/top-9-most-evil-women-in-history/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Fandey

Like one of the writers on the web-site wrote, ‘Evil knows no gender’ !Although generally, women are the weaker, gentler and more caring gender, sometimes we fail to notice ‘that the gentler gender has their fair share of evil-doers.

Its just that the world failed to notice them because we tend to focus more on male atrocities !
However having said that, we should never forget (and rightly so) the contributions from the gentler gender to make this world a better place, (and of course the joy they have been bringing to us males !)

Anyway I have listed here some of the most evil women in our world.

Having done that, I started thinking about evil women in our country. One of them , of course, Mona Fandy.

Do you know of any you’d like to add to the list here ?



1. Mona Fandy

After leaving the music business, she became involved in spiritual witchcraft activities and was known to be a bomoh, a local shaman.

It was reported that Mazlan Idris, a state assemblyman for the constituency of Batu Talam in the state of Pahang, wanted to boost his political career and sought the services of Mona to achieve this end.

At that time, Mona worked with her husband Mohamad Nor Affandi Abdul Rahman, 44, and their assistant Juraimi Hassan, 31. Mona and her husband promised to help Mazlan by giving him a talisman consisting of a cane and headgear which was supposedly owned by former Indonesian President Sukarno.

Mona convinced Mazlan that he would be "invincible" if he held the talisman. In return, Mona emanded RM2.5 million.Mazlan paid the couple RM 500,000 as deposit, and gave them 10 land titles as surety for the remaining RM 2 million.

An appointment was made for the necessary cleansing rituals to be performed at Mona's house. Mazlan was told to lie on the floor face up where Mona placed flowers on top of him. She then told Mazlan to close his eyes and wait for the money to "fall from the sky".

Juraimi then, using an axe, chopped Mazlan's head off. They also dismembered and partially skinned Mazlan's body. His body was found in 18 parts buried deep in a storeroom near Mona's house in Pahang.
Refer to http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/fandey.html for details.


2. Katherine Knight Born: 1956

The first Australian woman to be sentenced to a natural life term without parole, Katherine Knight had a history of violence in relationships. She mashed the dentures of one of her ex-husbands and slashed the throat of another husband’s eight-week-old puppy before his eyes.

A heated relationship with John Charles Thomas Price became public knowledge with an Apprehended Violence Order that Price had filed against Knight and ended with Knight stabbing Price to death with a butcher’s knife.

He had been stabbed at least 37 times, both front and back, with many of the wounds penetrating vital organs. She then skinned him and hung his “suit” from the door frame in the living room, cut off his head and put it in the soup pot, baked his buttocks, and prepared gravy and vegetables to accompany the ‘roast’. The meal and a vindictive note were set out for the children, luckily discovered by police before they arrived home.

3. Karla Homolka 1970

Death Toll: 3 (at least 5 others suspected)
Karla Homolka is a Canadian serial killer who attracted worldwide media attention when she was convicted of helping her husband, Paul Bernardo, rape and murder teenage girls, including her sister Tammy Homolka.

Karla videotaped her husband brutalizing and murdering young women – these videotapes were used against them in court and parts have leaked on to the internet despite the fact that the Canadian government ordered the videos destroyed. Shockingly, Homolka was released from jail in 2005 after just 12 years and is now living in the sunny paradise that is the West Indies. Justice commonwealth style.


4.Imelda Marcos - Shoe Diva

Imelda Marcos was once the wife of the Philippine dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, and was also known as the "Steel Butterfly." She led a life of corruption, political chaos and financial scandals. She and her husband had to flee the Philippines to Hawaii but she returned after his death. In 2001, she was arrested and charged with corruption and illegally obtaining riches - basically, stealing from her country.

It seems Imelda spent a lot of that money on jewelry and shoes. Rumor has it that at one time she had more than 3,000 pairs of shoes, although she claims she only had 1,060. She says she collected them because it was like a symbol of thanks and love. Ummmm... ok.


5. Beverly Allitt Born: 1968

The “Angel of Death, Beverley Gail Allit, is one of Britain’s most well known serial killers. Working as a pediatric nurse, she is responsible for the murder of 4 children and the serious injury of 5 others in her care. When available, insulin or potassium injections were used to precipitate cardiac arrest; smothering sufficed when they were not.

Although convicted with death or injury in nine cases, Allit attacked thirteen children over a fifty-eight day period before being caught red-handed. Allit has never spoken of the motive for her crimes, but Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy explains her actions.

This debatable personality disorder involves a pattern of abuse or harm to someone in your care in order to garner attention (Alitt was known as a child to wear bandages and casts over wounds, but would not allow them to be examined).


6. Myra Hindley Born: 1942; Died: 2002


Myra Hindley and Ian Brady were responsible for the “Moors murders” occurring in the Manchester area of Britain in the mid 1960’s.

Together these two monsters were responsible for the kidnapping, sexual abuse, torture and murder of three children under the age of twelve and two teenagers, aged 16 and 17. A key found in Myra’s possession led to incriminating evidence stored at a left-luggage depot at Manchester Central Station.

The evidence included a tape recording of one of the murder victims screaming as Hindley and Brady raped and tortured her. In the final days before incarceration, she developed a swagger and arrogant attitude that became her trademark. Police secretary Sandra Wilkinson has never forgotten seeing Hindley and her mother Nellie, leaning against the courthouse eating sweets. While the mother was obviously and understandably upset, Hindley seemed indifferent and uncaring of her situation.


Of course there are others , but thata another story !

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Just For Laughs.

1. A class of students did not want a particular Lecturer to teach them. So , they told him, " Sir , we don't want you to teach us. If we become your students next term, we will poison you! "

The lecturer looked at them, shook his head and replied, " If you all were my students, I would rather be poisoned ! "



2. A professor in a class somehow always relate his topic to prostitution in one way or the other. The girls in the class were getting fed-up. So the leader of the group told them to follow her , get up and walked out of the class !

The next day, the prokessor started his lecture with these words. " Do you all know that there is an acute shortage of prostitutes in Bangkok..." Before he could finished it, the female leader got up , and a few of the girls followed suit and were walking out of the class in a hurry !

Immediately the Professor said, "Ladies , ladies, wait . Don'r rush. The next flight to Bangkok will be in the late evening ! "




3. A woman accompanied her husband to the doctor's office for a checkup. Afterwards, the doctor took the wife aside and said, "Unless you do the following things, your husband will surely die."
The doctor then went on to say, "Here's what you need to do."

"Every morning make sure you serve him a good healthy breakfast. Meet him at home each day for lunch so you can serve him a well balanced meal. Make sure you feed him a good, hot meal each evening and don't overburden him with any stressful conversation, nor ask him to perform any household chores. Also, keep the house spotless and clean so he doesn't get exposed to any threatening germs."

On the way home, the husband asked his wife what the doctor said.

She replied, "You're going to die".

Memo to all students !

Here's something I found here.


Memo To All Students

In order to assure the highest levels of quality work and productivity from students, it will be our policy to keep all students well taught through our program of SPECIAL HIGH INTENSITY TEACHING (S.H.I.T.).

We are trying to give our students more S.H.I.T. than any other schools. If you feel that you do not receive your share of S.H.I.T. on the course, please see your lecturer. You will be immediately placed at the top of the S.H.I.T. list and our lecturers are especially skilled at seeing you get all the S.H.I.T. you can handle. Students who don't know S.H.I.T. will be placed in DEPARTMENTAL EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAMS (D.E.E.P. S.H.I.T.).

Those who fail to take D.E.E.P. S.H.I.T. seriously will have to go to EDUCATIONAL ATTITUDE TRAINING (E.A.T. S.H.I.T.).

Since our lecturers took S.H.I.T. before they graduated, they don't have to do S.H.I.T. anymore, as they are all full of S.H.I.T. already.

If you are full of S.H.I.T., you may be intersted in a job teaching others. We can add your name to our BASIC UNDERSTANDING LECTURE LIST (B.U.L.L. S.H.I.T.).

For students who are attending to pursue a carrier in management and consultancy, we will refer you to the department of MANAGERIAL OPERATIONAL RESEARCH EDUCATION (M.O.R.E. S.H.I.T.). This course emphasizes on how to manage M.O.R.E. S.H.I.T.

If you have further questions, please direct them to our HEAD OF TEACHING SPECIAL HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING (H.O.T. S.H.I.T.)

Thank you,

BOSS IN GENERAL SPECIAL HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING
(B.I.G. S.H.I.T.)

What do you say when......

Interestingly , paradox happen and reveal itself in our everyday life. Today I read an example of a paradox and I had a good laugh with my collegues.

What is a paradox ? Put simply it is a a statement that appears to contradict itself. Here are a few examples from About.com.

  • "A dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tale when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased and wag my tale when I'm angry."
    (The Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
  • War is peace."
  • "Freedom is slavery."(George Orwell, 1984)
  • "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."(C.S. Lewis to his godchild, Lucy Barfield, to whom he dedicated The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
  • "If you wish to preserve your secret, wrap it up in frankness."(Alexander Smith)


Here's an example that made me laugh.

  • A thief/conman/embezzler who was caught red-handed described the policeman that caught him as 'unethical'.

Would anyone care to give more examples ?

NEW DEVELOPMENT !

The date had to be changed a few times . 1st. August is not possible because a company has booked 34 lanes . So it was Friday, 31st, July in the evening. But this proved to be expensive ! So finally it is now Friday, 31st. July at 10.30 am. (Thanks to our Programme Manager for being sporting ).

So for that day it will be considered as a Sports Activity Day for us. So remember the new date.

Friday 31st. July 2009, 10.30 am.



( helas --I'm sorry.I've tried my best. You might have to apply for leave . I really hope you would....)

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The Date !!

 TO
BOWLERS,
KEEP
SATURDAY,1st. AUGUST, 2009
FREE !!
.
ENTRY FORMS AVAILABLE FROM 2 nd. JULY 2009 ONWARDS FROM
SUNNYSIDEUP !

photoblog

I'm trying out this --- just a photo blog here.

RULES OF THE TOURNAMENT.


RULES OF THE TOURNAMENT


1. The Tournament consists of three games per team.

2. A team may consist of the same or mixed gender.

3. The tournament is opened to all staff, current and ex-students of the CCSP programme.

4. The Team Highest Score Award is based on the grand total of the three games.

5. The Individual Highest Score Award will also be based on the grand total of the three games.

6. Changing of team members on tournament day MUST be approved by the organizers.

7. Fees payable is non-refundable

8. Participants are allowed to use their own balls and/or shoes.

9. Booing and jeering will be strictly prohibited and guilty teams will be disqualified.

10. All decisions of the judges/organizers are final.


photoblog

Pickled herring has started her photo blog here. ...not bad....

photos taken over the last three days....