And a grand end it was; shocking, moving, a bit dragged out and maudlin, but beautiful nonetheless.
Rowling finished her series with surprising panache. Clocking in at merely 600++ pages, it is not the longest book by far, but what it lacks in pages, it more than makes up for it substance. Questions and plotholes alike are dug up, explained, seen in the clear light of day.
It all makes sense, now.
Swordfights and dragons, battles and magic and wands, power and its price. Growing up, falling in love. Family, friendship. The death of many and the death of one.
Yes, it's a children's book. But read it anyway. Because you will regret it if you don't.
(Bah, I'll rewrite this article when my head cools off a little)
21/07/2007
29/06/2007
Not much else to say
Police should not restrict media's duty to report crime
The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is concerned that police in the district of Sibu, of the state Sarawak is barring crime reporters access to crime stories by reportedly introducing several restrictions and threatening to arrest them under the Official Secret Act (OSA) if they breached the restrictions. More seriously, the police directive means reporters are put in a difficult position to produce fair and balanced reports to serve the public interest.On June 22, the Borneo Post daily (Sarawak Edition) reported that police told crime reporters they had to get police permission to write and publish a crime story. Journalists were told they could only write stories based on information given by the police and that they were not allowed to gather information from other sources or visit the crime scene. Anyone failing to observe the restrictions could be arrested under the OSA, threatened Supt Zamani Tan Sri Hamdan, who reportedly spoke on behalf of the Sibu police chief ACP Nicholas Sebastian. On top of that, reporters were prohibited from entering the compound of the Sibu police station.
Online news site Malaysiakini.com, on June 23 reported ACP Nicholas as saying that the directive came from the police headquarter Bukit Aman, at the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Federal CID Director Christopher Wan Soo Kee declined to comment when contacted by CIJ while the Federal Public Relations chief Supt. Rasdi Ramli, Supt Zamani Tan Sri Hamdan and ACP Nicholas Sebastian could not be reached despite several attempts.
As a public body, the police force has, with the restrictions, effectively prevented the media from carrying out its duties to report on matters of public interest. The restrictions paralyze a reporters' duty to report in a fair and balanced manner. When reporters are made to wait for the police to feed them stories, their situation is not much different from that of a lap-dog journalist, albeit unwillingly. The police seems intent on imposing their version of crime stories by preventing reporters from doing their investigation. The move breeds suspicion that it has something to hide in the midst of the recent controversy about the alleged link between politicians and public figures with secret societies. The public is also prevented from assessing the performance of the police when stories are only told from the police's point.
We urge the police not to hinder a reporter's duty to report in a fair, balanced and objective manner. We also urge the Prime Minister (PM) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who heads the Internal Security Ministry that is responsible for the police force, to take note of the police's restriction as it is against the PM's pledge for transparency and integrity.
The Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia (CIJ) is a media organization that aims to improve current Malaysian journalism practice and independence through advocacy, research and analysis, training and practical work. Started in 2001, CIJ has initiated various projects in developing grassroots communications skills through training, infrastructural support and direct action.
Ends
Issued by
Gayathry Venkiteswaran
Executive Director
26/06/2007
Guilty as sin
Read the paper today, was very unsurprised at the headlines; apparently the remaining family members of the deceased in the Altantuya murder case are being threatened by Razak Baginda. Something about this not being their country, and they should just go die or something.
Huh.
Admission of guilt, and I don't even need a court to prove it. Razak Baginda's so guilty that it's actually become farcical. Prima facie, the case is so ironclad that the judges should only be given 5 minutes of deliberation before hauling Baginda's ass (and those two cops, but that's not the issue here) on a minimum, manslaughter charge. Conspiracy to commit murder at the least.
But of course it won't turn out that way in court; the counsel for the defence will rally around the identification issue, and then they will drag it out into a slugfest by citing nationalistic interest, which will, of course, move our stupid, Malaysian hearts enough to give that murderer a reduced sentence. Because we're stupid, and we see a Malaysian face on that stand, of course we're not going to punish him. It HAS to be that foreigners fault, right? She seduced him, seriously, look at the guy, his wife and family, all weeping and stuff. That foreign bitch.
Not helping is the counsel of judges for this case, a more narrow minded bunch of OLD PEOPLE I have not seen since Anwar. Of course they're going to go with the national issue, swayed by public opinion. It's not totally their fault though, with the threat of death over them due to being in such proximity with that old warmonger Najib (who I hope will fall down some stairs and die, hopefully before I have any children. Actually, almost every known Malaysian political figure should burn in righteous flames. Fresh new start and all that.), they have to follow the Government stance in this issue.
Who cares about the Law anyway?
Welcome to Malaysia, Mr Foreigner. Leave your Human Rights at the door. Oh, and morality and civil liberties are not welcome here, so better leave that at home too. Have a good trip, hope you're not charged with anything while here. Because you will hang.
Huh.
Admission of guilt, and I don't even need a court to prove it. Razak Baginda's so guilty that it's actually become farcical. Prima facie, the case is so ironclad that the judges should only be given 5 minutes of deliberation before hauling Baginda's ass (and those two cops, but that's not the issue here) on a minimum, manslaughter charge. Conspiracy to commit murder at the least.
But of course it won't turn out that way in court; the counsel for the defence will rally around the identification issue, and then they will drag it out into a slugfest by citing nationalistic interest, which will, of course, move our stupid, Malaysian hearts enough to give that murderer a reduced sentence. Because we're stupid, and we see a Malaysian face on that stand, of course we're not going to punish him. It HAS to be that foreigners fault, right? She seduced him, seriously, look at the guy, his wife and family, all weeping and stuff. That foreign bitch.
Not helping is the counsel of judges for this case, a more narrow minded bunch of OLD PEOPLE I have not seen since Anwar. Of course they're going to go with the national issue, swayed by public opinion. It's not totally their fault though, with the threat of death over them due to being in such proximity with that old warmonger Najib (who I hope will fall down some stairs and die, hopefully before I have any children. Actually, almost every known Malaysian political figure should burn in righteous flames. Fresh new start and all that.), they have to follow the Government stance in this issue.
Who cares about the Law anyway?
Welcome to Malaysia, Mr Foreigner. Leave your Human Rights at the door. Oh, and morality and civil liberties are not welcome here, so better leave that at home too. Have a good trip, hope you're not charged with anything while here. Because you will hang.
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