The Blogging God Hari Raya wish...

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 29, 2008

Greetings everyone. As you all know, the Muslims will be celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri, tomorrow, Wednesday the 1st of October 2008. Therefore, the Blogging God would like to take this opportunity to wish all his Muslim friends and fans out there, Selamat Hari Raya. He really hope that he can meet all of you people again because he miss you as much as you are missing him. He look forward to meeting anyone who wants to meet him. He might be a Blogging God, but he is afterall, a human being, just like you and he cannot escape for making mistake. So if he has hurt you in any way, whether intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly, he would like you to forgive him just like he have forgiven you for your past sins and mistakes towards him.

He hope that everyone will be happy alongside their family and friends on the joyous occasion and he also hope that you will remain in good health. He would like to remind all not to forget and throw away all the gains that have been achieved thoroughout the Ramadan period and to continue doing good. He would also like to remind that only invited people are allowed to come to his home during Hari Raya. If you want to come but you're not invited, then get yourself invited. Till then, Selamat Hari Raya once again.

*As he would be very busy during the first week of Hari Raya, normal blogging will resume in one week's time. He will also not be responding to any invitation request being done here.

Counting down to Syawal: Part 5...

Im back with my special 'Counting down to Syawal' series in which I have been talking about issues that are related to Hari Raya. This will be my final part to the series and today, I want to talk about your baju raya or raya clothings. I know I have discussed this topic before in my first part. Now if you remember, in my first part of the series, I asked about whether you think there is a need to buy a new baju raya every year but for today, I want to ask your opinion about having your entire family wearing the baju raya with the same colour.

I believe it has become a very common trend for people nowadays to wear the baju kurung of the same colour with their families. I have done it before in the past. I dont know about you, but for me, I think wearing the baju raya of the same colour represent unity and togetherness in the family. It is also good when you are visiting your relatives with your family because it would be easier for other people to know which is the family that you belong to if you are wearing the same colour. However, nowadays, I dont really follow that trend anymore because I think everyone has their own choice of baju raya and their preferred colour, so it would be unfair for the children in particular to listen to what their parents are saying and doing what they want when they are not happy at all. That is why I have decided to go my own way and wear what I like rather than wearing what my parents would like me to wear in terms of the colours. Since I have a little bit more of time to talk, Im going to ask another question and it is going to be about having an open house. As you know, Hari Raya is a time for everybody to get together, from your friends to your relatives. Some of you might have many people to invite to your house and sometimes you are very busy during the weekdays. Therefore, the weekend is probably the only days that you are able to visit or invite guests to your house and since that is the case, you think it would be much easier if you invite everyone at once, so you organise an open house.

My parents had organised an open house before, and I have to say it was a really fun thing. I mean you have so many people coming to your house, eating the delicious food, it was like a buffet. During that time though, I was about 15 or 16 years old so it was easier for me to get green packet then as compared to now. I got a lot and I was really happy, but the same couldnt be said for my parents though. An open house means anyone can come to your house, people that you know of course, and usually the will bring the entire family with their small kids, so my parents had no other choice but to give away more and more green packets. But overall, I enjoy the experience. The situation is different though if I went to an open house because usually, there will be many people and I dont really like crowded places. The good thing about going to an open house is probably you have a lot of food to choose from. Im not saying all of them are nice, if you are fortunate, they will cater the food but if you are not, they will cook it. If it is catered, of course the food will taste better but if it is not, then you have to judge it for yourself.

Alright, Im done with my special series. I hope you have enjoy reading all of it. Feel free to share with me your views on the topics here or any other topic in the series for that matter. Ive got nothing more to add now. Till next time, see you.

Alonso wins drama-filled F1 Singapore GP...

Formula One world championship leader Lewis Hamilton extended his title advantage after an extraordinary pit lane incident scuppered the hopes of his main rival Felipe Massa in the inugural Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton finished third behind Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg to open up a seven-point lead over Massa with just three rounds remaining. Ferrari's Massa had been comfortably leading the first-ever night Grand Prix when the safety car was deployed following a crash which saw Renault's Nelson Piquet Jr. hit a trackside wall.

Massa and the other leading contenders took the opportunity to refuel but the Brazilian attempted to pull away while the gasoline rig and hose was still attached to his Ferrari. A pit crew member took a nasty tumble in the ensuing chaos and Massa was forced to come to a halt further up the pit lane. His support team desperately fought to pull off the trailing hose but by the time they had succeeded he was in 18th spot and dead last. The Brazilian was given a drive-through penalty for unsafe release because he almost collided with another car while leaving the pit with the hose. The mechanic who was brought down by the snaking hose was carried away on a stretcher for a check-up at the on-track medical center. Hamilton, who also slipped back in the confused situation, picked his way through to a distant third behind Alonso and Williams driver Rosberg before the race was given yet more added drama when Adrian Sutil crashed his Force India car to set up another safety car situation. Alonso, who had the good fortune to come in for an early pit stop before the accident involving his Renault team-mate Piquet, drove peerlessly away after the second safety car delay, with Hamilton content to settle for third place.

It was the 20th win of former world champion Alonso's Formula One career. Toyota driver Timo Glock was fourth with Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel following up his win in Italy this month with fifth. BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld took sixth. Hamilton had gone into the Singapore round with a slender one-point lead over Massa having failed to overturn his demotion from first to third in the Belgian Grand Prix. He was making little impression behind the pace of the polesitter until the incidents that changed the course of the race and possibly the world championship race. The six points claimed by Hamilton also took McLaren into first place in the constructors' championship with Massa's Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen carelessly colliding with the wall while in fifth place. [End of report]

Well, if you didn't watch the race yesterday, then I think you have missed a lot of things. What a great race it was and Im not saying this because Im a Singaporean myself, but as a Formula 1 fan and Im sure other fans watching the race throughout the world did enjoy it too unless of course you're a Ferrari supporter. As you all know already, it was the first ever night race in the history of the sport and I have to agree with Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 supremo when he said that it was a success and he even went on to describe that it is the new jewel in the sport's crown. I wont go that far as to say it is the new jewel in the sport's crown yet, but it definitely has the potential to do that. Let's focus now on the race. Who would expect, at least at the start of the race itself that Fernando Alonso would have win it. I certainly didn't. If you know me well enough, you should know that Alonso is my favourite driver and Renault is my favourite team. It was because of Alonso that I started supporting Renault, well before he decided to join McLaren last season. During that time however, things were going very well for Renault. Alonso became the world champion and Renault won the constructor's championship, but after he left, everything started to go down. I was sad to see him leaving the team but I still supported him but as a driver only, so when he decided to come back to Renault this season, I was really happy.

This season though hasn't been what I had expected. The car hasn't been competitive enough and as the driver, you can only do what the car is capable of. I think everyone knows Alonso is probably one of the best drivers in the sport, and he still is despite the poor results this season. I dont wish to talk about his teammate Piquet though. Before the start of the race on Sunday, even before during the qualifying and practise session, I didnt expect much from Renault or Alonso, but he did well during practise and qualifying as well until the car failed him once again. He started in 15th position, and being a street circuit, there is limited chance of overtaking. So I thought that there was no chance he would get anything from the race, much less a first place finish! How wrong I was! Not only did he finish the race, but he also won it although I have to say luck was on his side. And ironically, if it wasnt for Piquet's incident, he probably wouldnt be where he was yesterday after the race. If you look at the entire duration of the qualifying and practise sessions, it was Alonso who had dominated, so I think he deserve the win, adding to the fact that he had try his best with the car throughout the entire season so far, he deserve to get something out of it so it was a sweet thing for me to see him winning. Its been a long time coming, I cant remember when was the last time he last stood on the podium as the winner.

There has been a lot of talks on whether he will stay with Renault for next season. The situation is still unclear, even after the win. He has been linked with a possible move to BMW Sauber. There was talks that he might move to Ferrari or even go back to McLaren but both the drivers from the two teams have confirmed that they will remain at their team for next season. For me personally, I really hope to see him staying at Renault but given the state the team is currently in, I will understand if he decides to leave. Renault needs to have a big improvement if they want to have any chance of keeping Alonso for next season. Well, that is about it. It was a great race with great results as far as I am concerned. Right now, Im not particularly concern about who will win the driver's championship because Im not a big fan of neither Ferrari nor McLaren, so I dont really care who will win it. I just hope that Renault can finish the season in fourth position. That would be a nice way to end the season after all that we have gone through. The night race has been very successful and Im glad that Singapore is the first ever country in the world to host it. That doesnt mean that there wasn't any problems though. The track for example is very bumpy, so maybe the organisers can do something to improve the situation for next year's race.

Im sure after our success, other countries in the world, particularly in this region, will want to have a night race as well. This would ensure the race was televised during the all-important Sunday night prime time in Europe. The organisers of the Malaysian Grand Prix had plan to hold a night race as well for next year, but they have decided to push back the starting time of the race to 5pm instead for the same reason that the night race was held, as they say it would cost them too much for the lighting and stuff. However, there might still be other night race in other parts of Asia. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has already hinted he would like the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka next year to be held under lights. I have also just heard today that the organisers of the Abu Dhabi race, which is to make its debut as the season finale next year, had taken note of the impact made by this event and would also run their race at night. I just hope that there will not be too many night races in the future because it might lose its novelty. One thing that will continue to remain the same is the fact that the first ever F1 night-race was held in our beautiful country of Singapore. Till then, drive safely.

*The report was taken from CNN.

Counting down to Syawal: Part 4...

Hi guys. Im back again with my special series leading up to Hari Raya next week and today's topic will be about which place do you prefer most to celebrate your first few days of Hari Raya at. No, Im not talking about your grandparent's house or something like that, but Im talking about whether you prefer to celebrate it at your kampung (if you have one) or right here in Singapore. Now, I know some of you have your own kampung back in Malaysia, I myself have one in Malacca, so if you are in the same position as me, Im sure that sometimes, your family would prefer to celebrate it at your kampung just to experience something different.

First of all, most of my family members in particular my uncles and aunties were an immigrant, including my mum. Now, I dont know what exactly happen which made them move to Singapore but I am certainly glad they did because if they had'nt made the decision to come here, I would probably be raised as a kampung boy. Nevertheless, my family here in Singapore still have some sort of connection with the people at my kampung, though Im not sure what it is nor am I interested to know. Therefore, this pose a problem for me because we can either celebrate our Hari Raya in Malacca or stay here in Singapore. If given a choice, I prefer to celebrate it here because most of my friends are here and it is much easier for me to visit one another. If I celebrate in Malacca, there is not much people that I know of, so it will be kind of boring to spend my Hari Raya with people who I know little about. Another reason that I prefer to celebrate in Singapore is because of the money as in the green packets. In the past, I used to get a lot but Im all grown-up now, so things have changed a little bit since. I still get the green packets, but not much. If I celebrate in Malacca, which I have done before, interestingly I dont get much. I dont know the reason why, but even if I get a lot of it, the bad thing about it is that if I convert the Malaysian ringgit into Singapore dollars, I only get about half of it.

The good thing about celebrating Hari Raya at the kampung I guess is that the celebration is much more livelier as compared to Singapore. Everyone would just be very excited and on the eve of Hari Raya, everyone will get together and help one another preparing for Hari Raya. And unlike Singapore, you are able to play the 'mercun', a type of firework that will launch up into the air when you start to light it up. It might sound dangerous but it is not at all. Ive tried it before and it was a great fun. Then there are the traditional food such as the ketupat and lemang. Of course you can find those food here as well, but most of it are ready made. Actually you can make the ketupat yourself if you want to, but Im not sure if I have seen anyone preparing the lemang here. The situation is different though in the kampungs, because it is very common to see the people preparing the lemang themselves, a process which is usually done out in the open. As you know, most of us live in HDB flats here in Singapore, so it is very difficult for us to do such a thing here. So there are things that you can find or do at the kampung that you cant do it here but the same can be said otherwise as well.

Having said all that, I think you should probably know that I very much prefer to celebrate it here because I was born here and most of the people I know live here. I would feel like I am missing something if I celebrate it at my kampung. Im just glad that my family are planning to celebrate this year's Raya here but Im not sure about you. Tell me your views people. Even if you dont have any kampung, just share me your thoughts. Till then, enjoy your weekend.

More Street Circuits in F1: Good Or Bad?

If you're living in Singapore, Im sure you know what is the latest buzz that is currently happening in town now. No, Im not talking about next week's Hari Raya, but rather the distinguished sound of the fast and furious Formula 1 cars. This weekend, the country is currently hosting the latest race in the Formula 1 World Championship Race calendar for the first time ever on the streets of Marina Bay and it will also be the first night race in the sport's history. As an avid Formula 1 fan myself, I am very excited about it and Im sure even if you don't follow the sport closely, you are feeling just as excited as well.

When I first heard about the possibility that the race might happen in Singapore last year, I thought it was just another one of things that would never materialise, but of course I was wrong about it. So you can imagine how happy I was when I heard it will indeed happen, and even more exciting, it will be held under the dark clouds of the night. Another first about the race here is that it is the first ever street circuit race held in Asia, and that will be the topic that I would like to discuss about today. Now, street circuits isn't a particularly new thing in F1. Over the years, we have seen a lot of race being done on street circuits, with the most popular one being at the Monaco GP. Apart from Monaco GP, we have seen a lot of new and some old street circuits come and gone, either because there are plans for other street circuits race being held in other countries or because the country that used to host a street circuit race have now build a permanent race track that are more suitable for racing events. The question I guess is whether more street circuits is actually good for the sport. Just like the normal race track, a street circuit also have their positive and negative points. The negative side of it is that first of all, there is the safety concern. Being a street circuit, it means that the race will be much closer to the people and to the surroundings which could be dangerous, both for the drivers and the spectators. If we take the Singapore GP as an example, with it being held in the middle of the city, there are so many buildings and landmarks around the race track and should there be any accident, that would create a very dangerous situation despite having precaution measures such as the safety barriers.

Another concern about having the race on a street circuit is that the race might get boring for both the spectators and drivers alike as well. We have to bear in mind that the streets on the road was created only for the purpose of everyday transport, and not for high-speed cars such as the F1 cars. That is why you will see a lot of street circuits having a type tight and narrow tracks, such as the one in Monaco which means that there will be fewer opportunities for the drivers to overtake during the race, but it also means that there will be no room for error as far as the drivers is concerned. Just one mistake and you might be out of the race. So during a street circuit, you will not usually see a lot of overtaking action but most probably, incidents such as car crash. For some people, they like to see a race which has a lot of crashes while others overtaking. For me, I prefer to see overtaking action more than crashes. Its like watching football. You dont like to watch players get injured but rather, you will like it more if they do some tricks or score a goal. Even for the Singapore race, there is not much opportunities for overtaking, but that is how most of the street circuits layout are design for. The good thing about street circuits at least for the driver I supposed is that it punishes mistakes, like Ive said earlier, which will only help to improve their driving skills. The biggest winner in having a street circuit in my opinion is probably the country/cities hosting the event.

Let's take the Singapore GP for example. We are not a country that is particularly well known as a sports hub as compared to countries such as Paris or London. We have never organised a sports event of this magnitude, so getting the rights for the first-ever night race in the series is a big coup for the country and it will definitely bring in a lot of revenue for us. I heard that the race will bring an estimated $150 million into the economy and considering what the Government has paid for the event, which I believe is $90 million, it is definitely worth it. We should also remember that the race is being held in the middle of the city which means that there is entertainment close by after the event and it also means that the business in the city area will benefit from the race. Well that is what they are expecting but I heard that as a result of the road closures, most of the business there has reported a drop, but there was before the race had actually begin. Im sure things will start to pick up this weekend when the race reaches its climax. The hotels here were expected to be fully booked for during the whole period of the race, but that was not what I heard. Im not sure if this is true or not, but I heard most of the fans who come here to watch the race are staying in the hotels in JB instead, because it is much more cheaper quite understandably, considering the fact that they already had to pay huge sum of money to watch the race itself. Afterall, they are much more interested to watch the race than to have a look around of the country.

At the end of the day, the answer to the question on whether more street circuits are good or bad for the sport is debatable. It depends on how you look at it. As far as I'm concerned, more street circuits are good for the sport but to a certain extent. It would be boring to have the race being held at the permanent race tracks everytime. It is definitely good to bring something new to the sport, because let's be honest, watching the cars going past each other for almost 2 hours get sometimes be boring, so sometimes the backdrop to the race track can be a huge distraction from the cars, in a good way. At the same time, I also think that having the race on the streets are stunts to promote tourism in the city, but for the people who are living in the city that the race will be held for the first time ever like Singapore will be a welcome news Im sure. I guess you can put it as a win-win situation for all parties if you like. One thing for sure that we Singaporeans can be proud of is the fact that we are the first country in the world to hold a Formula 1 night race, and that is something that nobody can take away from us. I just hope the race on Sunday will be a spectacular one, and to demonstrate to the critics that street circuits can sometimes be entertaining to watch.

Counting down to Syawal: Part 3...

Alright people, this is going to be the third part to my 'Counting down to Syawal' series which will focus on issues that are related to Hari Raya. Today's topic is going to be about which mode of transportation do you prefer to travel during your Hari Raya visits. When I say transportation, it does not include public transports such as the train or bus though. I know that some of you prefer to book a private bus, while others the lorries, so let's take a closer look on the different types of transportation that are popular with the majority now.

Now, some of you might think that whatever method of transportation you prefer would not matter much. I think you are slightly mistaken if you think it as that way. Which kind of transport you use to travel with is sometimes important because if you pick the right one, you could visit more house on a particular day than you had previously plan to, or you could bring along your friend or relative to travel around with after you visited their home. Let's take the bus for example. I think it is becoming more common to see families booking a bus to travel with, and Im not just talking about those private mini bus, but Im sure you have seen some of them travelling on the bigger bus, like the coach bus for example. I think travelling in the bus is a good thing because first of all, it is comfortable. I mean you can enjoy the ride with your loved ones in the cool surrounding of the bus, and if you are tired or anything, you may have a comfortable nice nap on the seat. Nevertheless, booking a bus is not cheap. So you may have to consider other mode of transportation if you are trying to save your money. Lets move now to the lorries then. The lorries is not as comfortable as the bus if you are seating at the back, but it is much more cheaper than the bus. If it is a big lorry, then I think you can fit in the same number of people in the bus. The bad thing though is that some of the lorries are not protected at the back. This mean that you are open to the rain if there is any changes to the weather, and this will not be good as you will probably need to hold an umbrella while travelling or you will need to wait for the rain to stop before proceeding to the next house.

Just for your information, I had a similar experience once. My family and I was on our way to Woodlands when it started raining in the middle of the journey. Unfortunately though, we were still somewhere on the highway and there was no bridge for us to take cover from the rain. The nearest underground bridge was about 20 to 30 mins away. We did though brought our umbrellas for emergency use and we had no other choice but to use it. It was not a fun experience at all because I had to hold on to the umbrella very strongly as the winds were very strong. I was just worried that the umbrella would slip out from my grip but fortunately, nothing of that sort happened. We did reach the underground bridge soon but the rain had not stop. Im glad that the torment was over but I didnt like the fact that my entire jeans had been wet drenched in rain. But still, I have to say that the lorries are my favourite transport to travel with during Hari Raya because you are able to be out in the open if you are sitting at the back and this is a good thing because I always like to wish Selamat Hari Raya to any other families which I spot travelling on another lorry. Then there are the cars. It is undoubtedly the most efficent way of travelling, but I just feel it is kind of boring if you are traveling with only your parents and siblings when you can do it with your entire family.

Im done giving my views on the topic. I would love to hear from you though. Which is your preferred choice of transportation during Hari Raya? Tell me please. Till then, take care.

My babysitting experience...

I know that I am not used to share about my personal life here, and that is because Im the Blogging God, so I can do whatever I want. However, there is a problem currently that is happening to me, which I would like to share with others, and I dont think there is any other group of people which I think would be better to share my problem with than you, my fans. I just have to let it out so that I will feel much better. The problem that I am having right now is that I have been babysitting my cousins for a few times now, at first I was fine with it, but after a while, it has become an irritating experience.

First of all, I would just like to tell everyone that I love kids very much and I always thought that babysitting would be an easy thing to do, well at least for the newborn babies. Unfortunately my cousins have grown up a bit. The whole thing actually started from my aunt. She currently has 4 kids, all boys, the oldest of them is in Primary 3, the second one in Primary 1, the third in nursery and the fourth, well he will start schooling next year. Now their father, which is of course my uncle, doesnt earn much with his job, so you can imagine how difficult it is to support his family, especially when he is having 4 young kids and he is in his late 40s. So his wife, which is my aunt decided to help in and so she got a job at some factory I think. In the past, she only went to work during the night and came home in the morning, but right now, she she also going to her work during the days as well. Obviously, she isnt required to come during the days, but because she wants to earn extra income, hence the decision. The first time she had to do that, it was because she was asked to came down, but after that, she is going on her own accord. So with both her and her husband out working, there is nobody to care for her child so she has no other choice but to dump them here for me to look after. During the first few occasion she did that, I had no problem with it but it has now.

I cant exactly remember how many times she had dumped her children here, probably about 4 to six times now. I will tell you why I am unhappy. First of all, I think she is taking advantage of my kindness for her own benefit. She knows that I am a guy that is difficult to say no to something, so that is why she keeps on asking me whether I am willing to babysit her children. She knew the answer is going to be yes, in actual truth, I am not willing at all though, but I dont know why it is difficult for me to say no. It is unfortunate that we live close to each other, just one bus stop away, which doesnt help my cause. So usually, she comes at around 11 in the morning, dump her children here, go to work and come back 4 or 5 in the afternoon. You might say, what's so difficult looking after a few kids, well Im sure you know that all kids are not the same and unfortunately, my cousins behaves like some small little devil, especially the second and the third one, so I always have problems handling them. If given a choice, I rather take care of a small pet, such as the cat than taking care of them. It is fine with me if my aunt wants to go to her job once or twice every month, but not every week though. I dont know if her main intention for working in the afternoon was because she wants to earn extra income or whether she wants to meet up with her friends. I hope its the former because I hope she knows that my house is not a welfare home for her to dump her kids as and when she like.

My situation has been made tougher by the fact my grandfather is living with me now as well. It tough for me to multi-task, especially when I have to babysit and elderlysit at the same time. During the morning and early part of the afternoon, I am mostly at home alone. Even when my sister come back home in the afternoon, she hardly tries to help with anything. I would like to think Im the most hardworking member of the household after my mum. I would also like to say that my grandfather is also not the typical kind of grandfather that most of you have. He is just difficult to handle with too. I know some of you are saying how could you say such a thing about your grandfather, but I have known him for 18 years so I think I should know what I am talking about. The good thing about all this is that my aunt is giving me some money for my service, but I dont think it is worth the job I am doing. She pays me pennies, the most that I have ever got was $5. It's during times like these that I really wish I had a job. As I am writing this post right now, the little devils are at my home for the second consecutive day. I hope they wont give much problem like they gave me yesterday. God help me please.

I hope this will be the last time I have to babysit them, next month will be the month of Hari Raya, so I would like to think that I should be kept busy to be doing my aunt's dirty works. After October, I think my life will get back on track after almost a year. Im not sure what will happen but as long as it is not babysitting them, I will be fine. Put in me Tekong or anywhere else that I will not have to see their faces again. Well till then, I got to take care of the little devils.

Counting down to Syawal: Part 2...

Before I start, I would just like to let you know that this is a continuation from my previous post "Counting down to Syawal" in which, as you can read in that post, I will talk about issues that are related to Hari Raya. The first topic was about whether you think that there is a need to buy everything new to replace your old stuff such as curtains or carpets in preparation of Hari Raya, but my second topic for the series will talk about everyone favourite part of the celebration, well at least for the children, and that is the green packets or in malay we like to call it 'duit raya' which means raya money.

I know that the Chinese also have their own red packets as well but since Hari Raya is coming up, lets just focus on it. I would like to know at which age do you think someone should stop receiving the green packets. From my experience, I can say that the 'official age' is at 18 years-old. I think most people will stop giving green packets to someone who have completed their secondary school years. That was what I noticed from my previous Hari Raya experience. When it is time for you to leave, you will have to shake the hands of the elderly, and they will then give you the green packet. Now for people of my age, Im sure you would agree with me that it is becoming a much more awkward situation for you to shake hands with the elderly, especially with someone whom you dont really know. If you are fortunate, he/she will give you the green packet without asking your age or whether you are still schooling or working, but if you're not, then they will ask your age or whether you are still a student. The definition of student though varies with different people. Some of them will give you even if you are not schooling in a secondary school anymore, but some of them will stop giving once they hear you are studying in a higher institution such as the Polytechnic or ITEs.

Then there is another group of people, and these are the ones who doesn't ask you anything when giving out the green packets. They will try and make a guess on your age or whether you are schooling anymore by looking at your body size or your looks. I think you should have some friends who do not look like most of the people their age. They might be 18 but their physical appearance might give them the impression that they are only 15 or 16 or otherwise. They could either count themselves lucky or unlucky because it all depends on what others think of them. If they are lucky, then they will receive the green packet without any question asked, even though most people of their age doesn't get it but if they are unlucky, then of course they will not get any even though technically speaking, they are 'eligible' to get them. You dont expect them to ask the guests why they didn't received any green packet because that is just a rude thing to do. You still can though 'cheat' the guest of their green packets. If you are going to somebody house that you dont really know of, it could be your parents friend, and you are really sure that they have no idea of what your age is or where are you schooling, you should ask your parents to start a conversation with them about their child's education, and then tell them about yours, by lying to them. What I mean is, you should tell your parents beforehand to lie about your age or your education status, if it is being ask by someone that you dont really know of by telling them that you had yet to graduate from secondary school when in actual truth, you have.

Well, thats it from me. Last year, I still managed to get some green packets, it was not much, but still who doesn't love money. Im not sure about this year though, maybe I will get, maybe not. I think this year, even if I get, it will mostly be $2 especially with the current uncertainty in the global economy. $2 is better than having nothing, so if anyone gives me money, I cant say just say no. If I can get at least 100 bucks, I would be grateful. Till then, share your views on the topic.

Conservative Aso chosen as Japan PM...

Japan's ruling party Monday chose conservative Taro Aso to be the country's next prime minister, tasking him with steering Asia's largest economy away from recession and running in high-risk elections. Aso, 68, an outspoken former foreign minister, easily won the party's leadership election, paving the way for him to succeed Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who stepped down three weeks ago amid plunging approval ratings.

The flamboyant but gaffe-prone politician - who supports public spending to revive the Japanese economy - won in his fourth try for the top job in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), defeating four other candidates. Aso saluted his rivals as he was proclaimed the winner at the vote inside the LDP headquarters, where the walls are filled with giant portraits of other leaders from the party that has ruled Japan almost continuously since 1955. Aso received 351 out of the 527 votes, party election chief Hideo Usui said. Kaoru Yosano, the minister for economic and fiscal policy and a critic of Aso's economic policies, trailed in second place at 66 votes. The other candidates included former defence minister Yuriko Koike, who was the first woman to seek to become Japan's prime minister. She came in third with 46 votes. Aso enjoyed strong support in struggling rural areas as he has promised to use public money to stimulate the economy, a break from a long push in the LDP for free-market reforms, which Koike had pledged to bring in. Rivals accused Aso of putting Japan's ailing finances further at risk, and popular former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, who championed economic reforms during his 2001-2006 tenure, openly backed Koike.

Aso is thought likely to take advantage of the moment to call snap general elections - possibly for as early as late October - in the hope of thwarting an increasingly popular opposition. But some pundits doubt whether the LDP leadership race did much to incite enthusiasm among the general public. The leadership race came as Japan wrestles with the impact of the global financial crisis and a scandal over pesticide-laced rice that was served to hospital patients and schoolchildren. Aso is expected to be installed by parliament on Wednesday. General elections must be held by September next year, but calling a snap poll could also be a risky strategy for the LDP. The party last year for the first time lost control of the upper house of parliament, and the Fukuda government's approval rating last week stood at a mere 15.6 per cent. His popularity plunged after he raised medical costs for the elderly, whose growing number is badly straining public finances. The opposition has promised to scrap the medical plan and Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe hinted recently that Aso would do so as well. At its own convention Sunday, the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan gave another two-year term to its leader Ichiro Ozawa, 66, a veteran political tactician who stormed out of the LDP in 1993.

News reports said that Aso would likely give posts to his defeated rivals in a bid to ensure party unity, including keeping Yosano as fiscal and economic policy minister. The other candidates were military expert Shigeru Ishiba and younger-generation reformist Nobuteru Ishihara. [End of report]

Well, I dont think I have to mention that it was an expected result, one that I welcome very much. I have always supported Aso right from the start, that is why I am very happy with the result. There was never any doubt in my mind that he would lose in the contest because quite honestly, there wasnt much competition from the other candidates. I have to admit though that I am surprise by how well Yuriko Koike, the only female candidate in the contest did. She managed to finish in third place, even though the number of votes she received was relatively small, as compared to Aso's. I think she will be one to watch for the future. Anyway, back to Taro Aso, even though his LDP party's popularity has plunged over the last few years or so, as a result of the failure from his previous two predecessor Shinzo Abe and Yasuo Fukuda, he remained a largely popular guy with the Japanese people. I think the reason why he is popular with the people is because they are able to relate well with him, not just as a politician, but as a normal individual as well. If you ask me, I think he should be the Prime Minister a long time ago, after the departure of Koizumi. I mean as you can read from the report, this was his fourth try in his bid secure the top job in LDP. You just got the feeling that he would eventually be the leader of the party sooner or later, and his time has finally arrived.

Having secure the leadership position now, he can now focus his effort in rebuilding the country, which will not be an easy task. The foremost problem that he would most likely to deal with first is the country's sagging economy. Inflation is at all time high and the economy hasn't been doing well ever since Shinzo Abe took over from Koizumi. Aso advocates an increase in public spending and tax cuts to stimulate the economy, which as you can read from the report is not something that is popular with most of the people. It is difficult to say whether it will work or not, so Im not going to judge it until I see the true results of the move. You can also read on the report that the LDP is expected to call a snap election, as early as next month. Now, I have talk about my views regarding having an early snap election in one of my previous post, so I wont comment much on the issue. I just think it would be a very risky move on LDP's part. Im not sure if majority of the Japanese people share the same view they have on Aso along with LDP. What I mean is that they might like Aso, but I dont think the same could be said on LDP's part, not with everything that has happened when Abe and Fukuda was in charge. The party has already lost control of the upper house of parliament last year, and to lose again in the election would be a huge blow.

As far as I am concerned, the LDP should not rush into having a snap election. They should not expect to get the support that Aso is receiving from the people as quickly as they would like to just because they have chosen him to lead the party. The plan could backfire and any gains they have made to get back the trust and support from the people could be jeapordised. I think they should wait for at least a few more months before calling an election. They should give Aso the time to do what he needs in order to gain back the public trust before they decide to do anything else.

*The report was taken from AFP.

Counting down to Syawal...

Greetings to all of my fans out there. How are you doing? I hope everyone is doing fine and for those of you who are fasting, continue to do so. As you all know, we only have a few days left before Ramadan leave us once again, so use every time and opportunity given wisely. After Ramadan, the Muslims will of course be celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri and over the next few days leading to Hari Raya, I am going to talk about some topics that are related to the celebration.

My first topic is going to be about new accessories. Today, I want to ask you whether you think it is necessary to buy new accessories such as furniture, curtains or cushion covers everytime when it comes to Hari Raya. For me, I dont really think that it is necessary because I dont see why we should be wasting our money, especially during the current surrounding, where everything, from food to electricity bills are going up when we can use the old ones, considering it is still in good shape. I think about 90% of the people who come to our home during Hari Raya only do it once, and that is during Hari Raya itself, so I doubt that they will remember if we are using the same stuff from the previous year, unless you have any pictures taken from the Hari Raya last year and place it in the living room or something for everyone to see. Actually to be honest, there is nothing for you to be embarrass about if you are planning to use the same stuff to decorate your house for this year. Afterall, it is your house and you can do whatever you want with it. I know that it is important to give your guest a good impression of your house, but I dont that is the reason for them to visit, but rather it is because Hari Raya is an opportunity for everyone to get together and get updated on what has been happening over the course of the last one year or so.

Well, accessories and decorations aside, lets move on to talk about something that is much closer to your heart, something that you probably bring along for most part of your Hari Raya visits. Yes, I am talking about your 'baju raya' or raya clothing of course. I dont know about you, but for me, it is a must to buy them every year. I just dont feel very excited if I dont have a new baju kurung every year. It just doesnt feel right. I am willing to use the same 'kain samping' every year but not the baju kurung. Some of you might argue why the need to buy a new one when you only use it for a few times during Hari Raya. You are in someway right in saying that but there are other occasions that you can use it again such as going to the Friday Prayers or any religious related event. I think it is much easier for the guys to select a baju kurung but for the girls, it is much more complicated because from my experience, most of them prefer to have it tailored to their liking and most of them prefer to have at least 2 sets of baju kebaya which is understandable I guess.

Alright, I have shared some of my views regarding today's topic. I would love to hear from you now. Do you agree with me or do you have a different opinion. Please feel free to tell me. Hari Raya is coming in a few days time and I have yet to buy my baju kurung for this year, got to rush down to Geylang soon! Until then, happy fasting!

The Blogging God will help to inject in new tags...

For Immediate Release

Office of the Press Secretary

September 20, 2008

As most of you probably know already, the world is currenly experiencing trouble times in the economic sector. It is very unstable at the moment and the world is trying to come up with every kind of steps they could think of to ease the situation a little bit. The core of the problem seem to have started from the U.S. and the U.S. government is now trying to find a bailout plan to prevent the problem from escalating further.

Here in the blogging sector, the Blogging God has also noticed a similar problem, but it does not involve anything with the economy, but if left unresolved, it could be facing the same fate as the global economy, which is a total meltdown. The world major central banks has pumped in a lot of cash into their financial market to stabalize their own situation, but the Blogging God has decided to pump in new tags on blogs for anyone who needs them. He understand that for some of you, having a chatbox that is not active is not a good sign because you feel that nobody is reading your blog. You will start to panic and you will start asking people to tag your blog because if it does not start happening soon, you will start to think of closing down your blog. That is not the worst thing though. For him, there is no person that is more pathetic than the ones who tag their own blog using a different name and continue to tag again using a different name, thus creating a situation in which he/she is talking to him/herself to attract attention. These are the people who are suffering from, what the Blogging God like to call, the 'Blog-al Depression.'

The Blogging God does not wish to see such thing happening not especially to his friends and as such, he has came out with a rescue plan of his own. He will be offering unlimited tags for those who really need it so that those people will at least have a sense of feeling that their blogs are being visited by others and will then feel better to continue blogging. Therefore, feel free to ask him to tag your blog anytime you want. This offer will end in 1 week's time.

North Korea preparing to restart nuclear facility...

North Korea said Friday it was undertaking "thorough preparations" to restart its nuclear reactor, accusing the United States of failing to fulfill its obligations under an international disarment-for-aid pact. It was the first time the North has confirmed it has begun reversing what it has done so far to roll back its nuclear program, though it has warned it would do so in anger over Washington's failure to remove it from the U.S. terrorism blacklist.

"We are making through preparation for restoration works" at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, Pyongyang diplomat Hyun Hak Bong told reporters. He did not say when Yongbyon would be operating again.

Hyun spoke to reporters in the border village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone before sitting down for one-day talks Friday with South Korean officials on sending energy aid to the North as part of the six-party disarmament deal. The landmark 2007 pact — made with the United States, China, South Korea, Russia and Japan — called on Pyongyang to disable its nuclear program in a step toward its dismantlement in exchange for the equivalent of 1 million tons of energy aid. North Korea began disabling the complex last year, and the process was 90 percent complete, with eight of 11 key measures carried out "perfectly and flawlessly," Hyun said. The accord ran aground in mid-August when Washington failed to take North Korea off its list of states that sponsor terrorism. The U.S. has refused to change that status until North Korea agrees to an international plan to verify a declaration of its nuclear programs submitted in June. North Korea responded by halting the disabling process and is now "proceeding with works to restore (Yongbyon) to its original status," Hyun told reporters.

South Korean and U.S. officials say it would take at least a year for the North to restart a completely disabled reactor. The latest impasse followed major progress made in late June when the North submitted its long-delayed account of its nuclear activities and destroyed its nuclear cooling tower in a show of its commitment to denuclearization. Hyun warned Washington not to press the verification issue, saying verification was never part of the deal. He said forcing the North to comply with such an inspection would exacerbate tensions. "The issue of verification won't be resolved if (the U.S.) applies a robber-like inspection method in the name of an international standard," he said. The White House had no immediate reaction early Friday. The six-party talks last convened in July, and a new round has not been scheduled amid the standoff between the U.S. and North Korea. Seoul's delegate to Friday's talks reassured Pyongyang that the rest of the energy aid promised to North Korea would be sent to the North.

The tensions come amid reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has suffered a stroke. Kim, 66, has not been seen in public for more than a month, and missed two big public events: a military parade marking North Korea's 60th birthday and Thanksgiving. [End of report]

The fact that North Korea is preparing to restart nuclear facility is very worrying. There were some reports earlier that North Korea has begun to reassemble its main nuclear facility, but it didnt came from any of its officials, but now that it has been confirmed by one of their diplomat, I guess we can say that the reports were indeed true. It is worrying to hear the news because it could jeopardise the six-party deal that was made last year, which as you can read from the report, called on Pyongyang to disable its nuclear program in a step toward its dismantlement in exchange for the equivalent of 1 million tons of energy aid. It wasnt an easy task to achieve that deal and if North Korea somehow manage to restart the Yongbyon reactor, then I think all the hard work that has been done by all the parties involved would be wasted. In short, North Korea wants the U.S. to remove it from the list of terror sponsors but the U.S. instead wants to see North Korea agreeing to a plan to verify an accounting of nuclear programs it submitted in June if it wants to be taken off the list. The North Koreans are saying that verification was never part of the deal. I dont know if this is true though.

I dont particularly trust the North Koreans but I think what they are saying is true. If it is, then I think it was a mistake on the part of the U.S. and the other 4 parties involved in the deal to not include the verification issue. This has definitely put North Korea in a better position to be negotiating because they hold all the playing cards right now. As much as the country needs the aids that it is currently receiving, I think it could still do without it but as far as the other parties is concerned, they would want to see the Koreans honouring the deal which they have all work very hard for to achieve. I dont think having a nuclear North Korea would be a good idea, that is why it is important to ensure that they do not restart the Yongbyon reactor. There have been evidence that shows the North Koreans are trying to assemble the parts of the reactor, and to restart it would be a long process. South Korean and U.S. officials has said it would take at least a year for the North to restart a completely disabled reactor, but still, that is a risk that is not worth taking in my opinion. They have come this far, so why wait another year when things will only get more complicated. But then again, Pyongyang might just be putting up an act to put more pressure on the U.S. to listen to its demands. They might be trying to assemble the reactor, but maybe they dont have any plans to actually start it all over again.

I really hope both the U.S. and North Korea can find a peaceful solution to all the problem. I think it would be a big disappointment if they fail to find any kind of agreement and to see the North Koreans restarting the nuclear reactor. There have been a lot of progress made so far on the issue and for it to end like this would not just be a shame, but it will also mean the world need to worry about the possibility of a nuclear North Korea again. I dont think this will do any good for everyone.

*The report was taken from Associated Press.

Israel poised for first female leader in 34 years....

Israel's foreign minister declared victory Thursday in a tight race to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as the head of the governing party, getting a chance to be the country's first female leader in 34 years. Tzipi Livni, 50, said she would immediately turn to the task of trying to cobble together a new government. Official results showed Livni winning by a 1.1 percentage point margin in the Kadima Party primary elections — a far narrower victory than the double-digit romp polls had predicted.

Livni, a political moderate, barely edged out hawkish rival Shaul Mofaz, a former defense minister, in a contest that could have far-reaching implications for peacemaking with the Palestinians and Syria. Livni said she would launch coalition talks on Friday, even though President Shimon Peres cannot officially ask her to try to put together a government until Olmert resigns the premiership. After she is assigned the task, she will have 42 days to form a new ruling coalition. If she succeeds, she will become Israel's first female prime minister since Golda Meir stepped down in 1974. If she fails, the country will hold elections in early 2009, a year and a half ahead of schedule. Olmert, who is stepping down to battle multiple corruption allegations, will remain as a caretaker leader until parliament approves a new Cabinet. Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said the prime minister called Livni to congratulate her on her victory and would notify the Cabinet on Sunday that he would resign. "After that, he will resign," Regev said, without specifying when.

Israeli media reported Thursday that Mofaz called Livni to congratulate her, rejecting a legal adviser's proposal to challenge the results. Three TV exit polls released just before the voting ended Wednesday night had showed a clear victory for Livni over Mofaz, about 47 percent to 37 percent, leading to premature celebrations. But official results saw that margin shrink dramatically, to 43.1 percent for Livni and 42 percent for Mofaz — a 431-vote edge. This was not the first time exit polls have badly missed their mark here. Livni needed 40 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff next week. Two other candidates lagged far behind in the tally. A fast-rising star in Israel's political firmament, Livni is Israel's lead negotiator in peace talks with the Palestinians and a rare female power figure in a nation dominated by macho military men and a religious establishment with strict views on the role of women. A lawyer and former agent in the Mossad spy agency, she is eager to continue the low-decibel diplomatic efforts. She says she hopes diplomatic efforts to halt Iran's nuclear program will prevail, though she says all options are on the table.

With opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline Likud Party polling well, neither Kadima nor its coalition partners appear eager for a new election. But the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, which could be key to building a new coalition, has already served notice that it would not join a government that is willing to negotiate the fate of disputed Jerusalem with the Palestinians. As lead peace negotiator, Livni is committed to discussing all the outstanding issues between Israel and the Palestinians, and the future of Jerusalem is at the heart of the conflict. Shas' position will require some deft political maneuvering on Livni's part if she is to sidestep elections. [End of report]

Im very pleased with the result. If given a choice between Livni and Mofaz, I would definitely choose Livni because I like her level-headedness and tenacity approach as compared to Mofaz, who is a much more aggressive type of person. Being the foreign minister herself, she would have a lot of experience when it comes to dealing issues involving countries such as Palestine or Syria. She herself has been in talks with the Palestinians for almost a year regarding the peace deal. The job doesnt end there for her though. Winning the contest to replace Olmert as the leader of the Kadima Party is only the first step. The next step for her of course is to try and form a new coalition and that is not going to be an easy task. As you can read from the report, she has only 42 days to form a coalition that is acceptable to parliament. She will need to try everything to avoid a general election but convincing some of the parties to join her coalition would, like I have said earlier, not be an easy task. The party that could be a stumbling block for her would be the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party.

Now they have made their feelings known that they would not join a government that is willing to negotiate the fate of disputed Jerusalem with the Palestinians. Therefore, she will have to do everything in her power to convince them that she has a good plan. Another reason why it wouldnt be good if a general election were to take place is that the peace talk between Palestine, would be put in jeopardy. I dont know how the other parties would react if they were in charge. There have been some achievements that has taken place in the peace talk, and in order to sustain it, it would be much better if the Kadima Party remains in power. The Palestinian Information Minister Riad Malki has came out today and said that he was hopeful that peace talks could succeed under Israel's new leadership. I certainly share the same hope as well. The peace deal was actually started by the U.S. if you can remember and as much as they wanted it to be done with by the end of this year, I doubt it will happen. Should there be a general election, the Likud Party is expected to win, so that is not a good sign for her and her party. I believe she can do a good job as a Prime Minister. After the failure of Olmert, I think she is a fresh change to the politics in Israel.

With both the U.S. and Israel leadership set to change by the year end, it is very difficult to say where the peace deal with Palestine will be heading to. I just hope that whoever the leaders will be, it will not have a huge effect on the deal and that all parties could continue to do what their predecessors did. Of course there are other issues to be dealt with as well such as the Iran nuclear ambitions along with Syria. I dont know how much will the leadership differ when it comes to dealing with those issues, but I just got a huge feeling that Livni will do a better job than Olmert. I guess we will have to wait and see for now.

*The report was taken from Associated Press.

Fed in AIG rescue - $85B loan....

U.S. authorities engineered an $85 billion rescue of insurance giant American International Group Inc (AIG.N), staving off bankruptcy and bringing a measure of calm to shell-shocked global markets. The bailout, made amid a cataclysmic week for the financial sector, marks a reversal of Washington's vow not to step in and calls for the U.S. Federal Reserve to lend up to $85 billion to AIG for two years in exchange for a 79.9 percent equity stake. It came just two days after U.S. authorities refused to rescue investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (LEH.N) (LEH.P), forcing it into bankruptcy court despite pleas from Wall Street's chiefs.

AIG's lifeline bought time for investors to digest an unprecedented run of events that has altered the shape of Wall Street, but did little ease a funding squeeze caused by the turmoil. Asian stocks were mostly higher after Tuesday's dramatic selldown, with Tokyo's Nikkei index (.N225) up 1.2 percent and the MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan stocks index up 0.9 percent. Oil rose more than $3 a barrel, and major European markets were expected to open as much as 2.1 percent higher. The Fed stepped in amid worries that a collapse of AIG could cause far-reaching damage to the global financial system, although some market players argued that the government's move brings just a short-term respite and could do long-term harm. Around the time the AIG deal was announced, British bank Barclays Plc (BARC.L) gave Wall Street another boost: It agreed to buy several parts of Lehman, the Wall Street investment bank that went bankrupt on Monday, for $1.75 billion. U.S. stocks earlier had clawed back from their largest one-day drop in seven years on speculation about the AIG and Lehman deals. The two largest U.S. investment banks, Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N), also reported better-than-expected earnings.

The AIG deal overshadowed a Fed decision earlier on Tuesday to hold its benchmark interest rates steady despite market's counting on an economy-boosting cut in borrowing costs. Central banks in Japan, Australia and India pumped $33 billion into global money markets as the AIG bailout did little to ease the funding squeeze triggered by Wall Street's crisis. The rescue keeps AIG from surpassing Lehman as the largest U.S. corporate failure ever. It comes on the heels of a government bailout just over a week ago of mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae (FNM.N) and Freddie Mac (FRE.N), and six months after the Fed helped to finance the fire sale of failed investment bank Bear Stearns to JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N). The move comes at a sensitive time given job losses and tax rates are key issues in the battle for the White House between U.S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. Both candidates struck populist tones in speeches on Tuesday, with Democratic candidate Obama accusing Republican rival McCain of being an opponent of regulation who turned a blind eye to market recklessness. McCain said Obama had taken big donations from mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

AIG will pay interest at a steep 8.5 percentage points above the three-month London Interbank Offered Rate, equal to about 11.4 percent. That gives AIG a big incentive to embark on a massive asset sale program to pay back the loan quickly. AIG's bailout brings to about $900 billion the total of U.S. rescue efforts to stabilize the financial system and housing market. Authorities may get much of that sum back provided asset prices don't continue to slide. Senior Fed staff told Reuters that AIG's broader business ties and its retail products meant a rescue was necessary, unlike in Lehman's case. Critics said that the Fed may have wiped out what credibility it won resisting Lehman's rescue pleas and may have opened the door to countless other companies to come calling for help. [End of report]

I think everyone would agree with me that it has been a crazy week in the global financial market over the past few days or so. I mean, you got the Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy and AIG on the verge of demise as well, only to be rescued by the Feds. When I first heard the news about the Lehman Brothers, I was shocked, along with everyone else I believe but at the same time, the news shouldn't have come as much of a surprise because the signs were there and I guess it was only a matter of time before it went bankrupt. Some of you might be wondering why didn't the U.S. government went to the aid of the Lehman Brothers when they had asked for it, and instead went to rescue AIG instead. Well that is because, unlike Lehman Brothers, AIG is a much more bigger player in the market and the U.S. government just couldn't allow it to follow in the same direction as their Lehman Brothers counterpart, not especially in the current situation. You can just look at the impact that the news of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy is having, I cant imagine what would happen if AIG went bankrupt as well. AIG, with 103,000 employees and more than $1.0 trillion of assets, is more than an insurance company, if it was unable to honor its obligations it could have set off a cascade of problems around the world.

AIG previously found a protector in the State of New York, which agreed to bend rules and allow AIG to borrow $20.0 billion from its operating subsidiaries. That could enable it to obtain some sort of credit facility or additional capital. It will be used to help maintain the company's credit rating. It may also be used as collateral. New York's governor gave AIG until Wednesday to secure an injection of capital or a credit facility. If it fails to do that, the agreement to let it borrow from its operating subsidiaries is off the table. The New York Fed had even asked Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase & Co. to try to arrange a $70 billion private loan for AIG, but that didn't go anywhere. That is why the Fed had decided to come in and bail it out. This is not the first time that they had done such a thing this year. If you remember earlier this month, the Treasury had bailed out the former government agencies of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and back in March, they had participated in the March rescue of Bear Stearns. It was all a very important decisions to make but I think the AIG one is the most important yet. The U.S. government will of course get something from the deal as well, as the loan is expected to be repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the firm’s assets.

The Fed's move to bail out AIG will come as a relief to many Im sure but I dont think we have heard the end of the story yet. I think it will definitely help to stabilise the global financial market in the short term, but in the longer term, nobody can predict what will happen. The U.S. mortgage crisis has shown little sign that it would be over soon, and the longer it continue, I believe we will see more big names succumbing to the pressure. Many critics are saying that the move to rescue AIG may have opened the door to countless other companies to come calling for the government to help, but I really doubt that will happen. The U.S. government cant rescue every companies that are in trouble because I dont think they have enough resources to do that. The problem might have ease a little for now, but it will not end soon. Alan Greenspan has recently said that this is a once-in-a-lifetime, or once-in-a-century event and I have to agree with him. The worst part of the problem might not be over just yet.

*The report was taken from Reuters.

Zimbabwe political rivals sign historic power-sharing deal...

President Robert Mugabe ceded some power in Zimbabwe for the first time in 28 years, signing a power-sharing deal Monday with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai amid questions on how the fierce enemies will work together to fix the collapsing economy. Thousands of supporters of the rival parties threw stones at each other as the ceremony got under way and several hundred broke through the gates of the convention center where it took place. Police fired warning shots and set dogs on the crowd, which calmed and cheered as their leaders left after the signing.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, leader of a faction that broke away from Tsvangirai's party, all pledged to make the deal work. But long-simmering and bitter differences as well as the nation's economic collapse — inflation is officially running at 11 million percent — have put the deal under intense pressure. It has already been criticized privately by some opposition leaders, who are unhappy that it leaves Mugabe as president and head of the government. They fear Mugabe will exploit that, especially by playing on tensions between the two opposition groups. Nine African leaders including mediator President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa witnessed the signing in a show of commitment to the deal, which the African Union is underwriting. Aid agencies welcomed the deal as a hopeful sign they will be able to step up food deliveries to millions of people facing hunger. Mugabe's government restricted the work of aid agencies in June, accusing them of siding with the opposition before a presidential runoff. The ban was lifted last month, but aid agencies say it takes time to gear up.

Mugabe, 84, has been in power since independence in 1980 and went from being praised as a liberator who freed the former British colony from minority white rule to being vilified as an autocrat. He and Tsvangirai, 56, have been enemies for a decade, and Tsvangirai has been jailed, beaten, tortured and tried for treason — charges that were dismissed in court. Under a complicated arrangement, Tsvangirai is the prime minister with executive powers to chair a new council of ministers responsible for forming government policies. He is deputy chairman of a Cabinet of ministers that Mugabe will head. The agreement provides for 31 ministers — down from 50 — 15 nominated by Mugabe's party, 13 by Tsvangirai and three by Mutambara. The parties began negotiating Monday which ministries they would hold and an announcement was expected later this week. Opposition leaders want the Home Affairs Ministry that would give them charge of the police who have terrorized them and their supporters this year, and Mugabe would retain the Defense Ministry. Tsvangirai saluted members of parliament for their willingness to work across party lines.

Tsvangirai said his first priority would be getting food to hungry Zimbabweans. Mugabe, in a speech that was often combative, again accused Britain and the United States of wanting regime change in Zimbabwe and sneered at the democratic process. Western countries say they will withhold the aid vital to help the country rebuild until it is clear Mugabe is committed. European Union foreign ministers meanwhile welcomed the deal but said Mugabe must prove he is willing to restore democratic rule before EU sanctions can be lifted. [End of report]

Well, it has been a long time coming but who would expect both Mugabe and Tsvangirai, a long time rival, sharing the same stage and looking as if there had been no problem between them in the past. However, behind all the smiles and the handshakes, I think there is still some elements of mistrust and hatred between the both of them. If given a choice, Im sure Mugabe will want to control everything for himself while Tsvangirai would want to see Mugabe disposed as the president of the country. The one thing that they would agree on is that they want to make the country better and they want to do it as soon as possible. I mean Zimbabwe has not had the best of time over the past few years or so, majority of its people are living in poverty, not having enough food to eat, and their economy is at all time low. So its easy to see where the anger towards Mugabe are coming from, which explains why the opposition party of Tsvangirai did fairly well in the recent elections. Considering everything that has happened in the country, I think Mugabe will feel much more happier about the deal. Although some of his power has been restricted, he is still the president of the country and he is still able to make some of the major calls in the government.

The deal hasn't been easy to come by though. Neither Mugabe nor Tsvangirai made any secret of their difficulties in accepting the accord. Tsvangirai has said that he signed the deal because he thinks that it was the only way to move the country forward but Mugabe was much more reluctant to sign it as demonstrated by the speech he gave after the conclusion of the deal. His speech managed to draw jeers from the crowd as he took swipes at Tsvangirai and lashed out at the United States and Britain, which Mugabe has blamed for undermining his regime and sowing the seeds of the country's crisis. It is not that difficult to see why he was reluctant to share some of his power, I mean he has been the president for almost 28 years. I think the reason why he finally decided to go through with the deal was because he knew he couldnt do it all alone if he wish to see the country getting better. It needs help from the U.S. and other western countries too to get Zimbabwe back on track and the only way it can happen would be if Tsvangirai is allowed to run the country in some way or another. The question now is, whether the deal will actually work. Many analysts have note that the deal is fragile, and fraught with uncertainty over the practicalities of sharing power between such bitter enemies and I have to agree with them.

You just have a feeling that with Mugabe still in power, anything can still happen. Many expect that Mugabe will continue to do his utmost to undermine the deal and sideline his opponents, while the military, which supports Mugabe, strongly opposes MDC rule. I just find it really difficult that Mugabe, who has been in power for such a long time, would suddenly have a change of mind but then again I might be wrong. At least now, there is some kind of official agreement between the both sides, something that can be use as a starting point to get the country back on track. It is just the beginning though, there are a lot of challenges that they will have to overcome in the future Im sure, one which would test how strong the deal actually is and how committed the two sides are in working together.

*The report was taken from Associated Press.