Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
I do not know whether to laugh or to cry !!! Probably Cry!!
Friday, November 17, 2006
M'sianAstronauts To Spin Top, Toss Batu Seremban In Space.
"Whatever floats your boat, but these things should be the novelty part of the trip. Where is the hard research here? Please don't try to kid us that this is serious research that is going to produce ground breaking results. Or even produce results which can lead to modest improvements for human existence. As for the fighters involved in the payment... I remember reading somewhere that we were also throwing palm oil into the deal as well. All this when we badly need more properly equipped schools, with teachers delivering a curriculum which will produce well rounded Malaysian minds. We do not need this kind of nonsense". - From Jeff Ooi's blog by LLtwigs
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian pioneer astronaut will spin top and toss "batu seremban' (five-stone game) as part of an experiment during his space travel. "The astronaut will also paint a batik motif and make 'teh tarik' ('pulled' tea) which would be shared with his fellow astronauts," said Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim.
Rohani, who was representing the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) in the Dewan Rakyat, here Wednesday. ('Batu seremban' is played by throwing one stone and sweeping another on the floor and then simultaneously catching the one thrown earlier.)
On Marcus's original question, Rohani said a lot of scientists had forwarded their research proposal in space to the astronaut. "The main objective of sending an astronaut into orbit is to carry out scientific experiments under microgravity - a situation alien to the earth. As such the National Aerospace Agency has opened doors to our scientists to show their mettle and capabilities through the National Astronaut Programme," said Rohani.
She said the outcome of the experiments would be studied on earth with the hope that it would unravel the mysteries in science, education and medicine. "The National Astronaut Programme is not only aimed at despatching an astronaut into space but it will be a continuous affair as it will benefit the people." She said the programme was not borne by the Treasury, but derived by offsetting the purchase of Sukhoi jet fighters from Russia by the Defence Ministry.
Two Malaysian astronaut candidates Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Kapt Dr Faiz Khaleed are now undergoing rigorous 12-month training at Star City, Moscow where eventually one of them will be selected as the pioneer Malaysian astronaut who will lift off from the International Space Station. BERNAMA
Some more juicy comments from Jeff Ooi's Blog
"In the first place, the price for the Sukhoi jet fighters would have included the cost of including the malaynaut, add-on the commissions paid to the local contacts for lubricating the approval. So we've paid for it. It is not a free ride. In the second place, more money has been committed to track the space flight using new equipment; some RM95 million, we have been told. As to what this special equipment will be used after the flight, no one knows.
In the third place, spinning a top, throwing stones, painting with a liquid and drawing teh-tarik in a gravity-less capsule will present hazards to the occupants and vessel. May the Russians mercifully put us out of our combined miseries by not approving these salubrious suggestions. Fourthly, such suggestions themselves suggest that either they are smoking pot in parliament, or the state of research in this country is so esoteric that it has become exotic, or we have progressed from third-world mentality to out-of-this-world mentality. Or, we are just..mental. Whatever it may be, we're sure not losing time advancing from the coveted title as the laughing stock of the world to the laughing stock of the century. This 21st.
But more seriously, those in this ummh--nooo gomen should take a step back, now, and ask of themselves, individually, and collectively, as.a.herd, whether they're suffering from some delusion or paranoia about their lack of progress that they should still be trying so hard to do their damnest to make a fool of Malaysia. Why not ask our malaynaut drape the planet with the jalur gemilang instead? Sure beats facing the Mummy if you try doing it over the egyptian pyramids.
If there's a confidence crisis, conduct boot-camps to rah-rah the spirit using mind and motivation games. If there's poverty amidst the folks, re-energise the economy with new economic models and operational efficiencies. If there're racial gaps, bridge them with candid policies that look into long-term national benefits. If there's a fall-off in national competitiveness, soberly analyse the causes and execute the remedies.
Because in space you can't even pee without controlled equipment. What more draw and drink teh tarik. Another two hundred million, at least, down the drain. The register rings on." - by Neil
