They taught me

People I would like to meet before I fade away: Lee Kuan Yew, Condoleezza Rice, Maya Angelou, Archie Weller. And not just to meet, but to hear them pour their hearts out about things that matter to them, to take in their experiences, to receive their wisdom, to learn from their mistakes and to hold them in admiration and respect.



They have each impacted me in ways unique to their lifetime contribution to the world at large: Lee Kuan Yew politically, Condoleezza Rice intellectually, Maya Angelou racially, Archie Weller socially.



















If I were to write a biography of a famous person, it would probably be Maya Angelou. Why? Because she went from a victim of abuse to a fighter of cause. She fights for the cause of women; black women particularly, justice, human rights, Aids, political stability and a whole lot of other causes affecting the voice-less; people who can't speak or fight for themselves.

Though I live and breathe in a comfortable, progressive and stable environment, I owe it to Maya Angelou to fight my fledgling cause of being a writer - to document the history, aspirations and achievements of our lives and to offer solace to others who identify with my writings.

Superhuman Incentive

Click this link to read a recent New York Times coverage on Michael Phelps' activities post-Beijing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/sports/olympics/10phelps.html


Michael Phelps - quipped as a "superhuman" for his feat in sweeping 8 gold medals in the recent Beijing Olympics Games, setting 7 new world records and 1 Olympics record. This article centres on his hectic travelling and media appearance schedule after his mega swim-(star)dom at the Games. But what caught my eye wasn't the media attention he's getting - but the US$ 1.6 million advance he got to write a book.

See? Stories tell. Books sell. And for the celeb author - it all goes well. Especially when one thinks about what Phelps could do with US$1.6 million in advance, plus the balance payment (more millions) and subsequent royalties (much much more millions) from the sale of the book - all of which amounts to countless millions - or if you like - super millions.

And my guess for the title of Phelps' book? "From Pool to Cool". I'm looking forward to his book for sure. ;)

Beijing Olympics - In a Nutshell

To sum up the grand Beijing Olympic Games 2008, here's a nutshell taken from a TIME article:

To a large extent, China, an emergent superpower, got what it had craved from these long-sought games: a dominant effort by its athletes to top the gold-medal standings for the first time and almost glitch-free organizing that showcased world-class venues and cheerful volunteers to the largest-ever peaceful influx of foreign visitors.

A significant moment in the Games – where sports overshadow politics and brought the world together in unity:

Led by Phelps and Bolt, athletes broke 43 world records and 132 Olympic records during the games. Yet (IOC President Jacques) Rogge, who visited every venue, said the most touching moment for him came after the 10-meter air pistol event, when gold medalist Nino Salukvadze of Georgia embraced runner-up Natalia Paderina of Russia even as their two countries' armies fought back in Georgia.

"That kind of sportsmanship is really remarkable," Rogge said.

Source: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1835682,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

Farewell, the Games. Hello, China superpower!

Beginning of Greatness

BOG: Beijing Olympic Games / Beginning of Greatness

It is hard to understand how something so remote as an international sports event could leave such a deep impact in the hearts of many around the world, particularly a Malaysian girl living and working in Singapore for the past 10 years.

From day 1 of the Games, she had her heart lost to the swimming event, barely missing a swimming event which ran for 10 consecutive days. For 10 days she could hardly concentrate on more pressing issues like work and school, with water and flying men and women filling her heart, mind and soul. When she closed her eyes she saw Michael Phelps, Kosuke Kitajima, Darra Tores and Libby Trickett. When she swims in the pool, she sees not her body limited by amateurism, but an expounded spirit able to contain international feats as her new-found water-agile heroes and heroines.

When the swimming events gave way to other sporting events, she found a replacement in water-related sports like the diving events. She found humility and outstanding consistency in a young Chinese diver, He Chong. He was sent to sports school by his construction worker father, simply because it was cheaper than a normal academic school. At fourteen he started diving internationally, but was soon sidelined from the national team due to poor performance. He worked hard in proving himself and within a short time, made his way back into the national team. At 21 this year, he did China and his dad proud by diving his way to gold.

What has the Games done to her? It has made it impossible for her to return to a mediocre life – to go back to what she used to do before the Games. To go back to History Channel, National Geographic or Discovery Travel and Living. To go back to a life of non-tv until the Games hit her world these past 2 weeks.

She is left lost not without a reason. She is left lost that she may find her way to unprecedented passion. A passion for the unachievable, made possible by the human will of perseverance and the tenacity of discipline. Sounds like hard work? It sure is. The road up is never easy.

Beijing Olympics - U.S. 400m relay team

An incredible highlight last night in the swimming department. The U.S. 400-meter relay team set an Olympic record with a pool-shattering timing of 3:08:24.

Source:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-olyswim12-2008aug12,0,4620758.story

Garrett Weber-Gale, left, and Michael Phelps of the U.S. react as 400-meter relay teammate Jason Lezak of Irvine ran down then world-record holder Alain Bernard of France in the final few meters and out-touched him at the wall for the gold medal.

Michael Phelps celebrating with teammate Garrett Weber-Gale after Jason Lezak's stunning anchor-leg swim and letting loose a deep and forceful primal scream.

"My and Garrett's reaction, yeah, I let out a pretty fierce yell. It just shows how emotional it was and how excited we were. It was just an amazing race."

Maria Shriver

My inspiration for the day - to be 2 things: (1) a journalist, and (2) a good mother.

Here is an excerpt from an article I read in Time Magazine on Maria Shriver, the First Lady of California, aka Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife.

Source: Time

(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1736724,00.html)

Q: Do you ever find yourself at odds with being from a prominent Democratic family and being married to a Republican?

A: It's definitely different to be married to someone from a different political party. It has really taught me to look beyond labels, which is something my dad [Sargent Shriver] was really adamant about. Get rid of all that and look at who the person is, and you're much better off.

Q: If you didn't get into broadcast journalism, what do you think you'd be doing today?

A: I have no clue. Maybe writing poetry. I was so relieved when I discovered journalism. When my dad was running for Vice President, [I would] sit in the back of the plane with the journalists, and it opened my eyes. I thought at the time that politics and how people view politicians will be made by the people in the back of the plane a lot more than the people in the front.

Q: Now that you've written a book about becoming who you are, how do you help your children become who they are?

A: I try to say to my children, I love you for who you are. You don't have to get into some fancy college. You don't have to go off and become President of the United States. If you want to go off and open a coffee shop or a bakery, I love you. And you, and you alone, are good enough.

Q: You credit a lot of your success to your relationship with your parents. Do you use the same techniques with your children?

A: I try. I said to my mother, I pray to God that I'm half as successful with my children as my parents have been. For any parent, to sit back and see your kids really enjoying each other, understanding each other, accepting who they are, is a huge joy.

Q: What do you want to be doing in 10 years?

A: At 16 I said, I want to be a journalist. I want to work on a newsmagazine. I want to do a documentary. I had it all planned out. Now I'm gentler with myself. I say, I'm a work in progress. I could be writing books in 10 years. I could be living on an island. I could be traveling around the world.

The people's President

Hailed as one of the greatest and kindest President Americans have had, the legacy and memories of Ronald Reagan live on as he lived his life in submission to God and love for people.

From The White House Biographies and Wikipedia:

He was born Ronald Wilson Reagan on February 6, 1911. He attended high school in nearby Dixon and then worked his way through Eureka College. There, he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. Upon graduation, he became a radio sports announcer. A screen test in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During the next two decades he appeared in 53 films.

As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry; his political views shifted from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes; he was re-elected in 1970.

On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. Only 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but quickly recovered and returned to duty. His grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar.

Reagan had an easy-going but deep Christian faith. Reagan's mother, an active Protestant, taught Reagan lasting values at an early age, such as a strong sense of personal responsibility and Christian tolerance for other people. Reagan recalled in his autobiography An American Life that "my mother always taught us: 'Treat thy neighbor as you would want your neighbor to treat you,' and 'Judge everyone by how they act, not what they are.'" He was appalled when he witnessed discrimination and was taught repeatedly that racism and was one of the worst sins possible. "My parents constantly drummed into me the importance of judging people as individuals", Reagan recalled.

By the time he became president, Reagan held a few simple but firm convictions about God and life, and he believed that living by these basic principles would solve many personal and society problems. Reagan warmly looked back to his childhood in Dixon where "you prayed side by side with your neighbors, and if things were going wrong for them, you prayed for them - and knew they'd pray for you if things went wrong for you", he wrote in An American Life. "Every individual is unique, but we all want freedom and liberty, peace, love and security, a good home, and a chance to worship God in our own way; we all want the chance to get ahead and make our children's lives better than our own."


Reagan formed his general policies around these views and then left the details to others to handle. Reagan believed that his presidency had a higher meaning to be treated as a temporary gift of responsibility. As president, Reagan spoke to numerous Christian groups and naturally attracted voters with traditional values. However, his son Ron Reagan said at his father's memorial service that he did not blatantly "wear his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage".

Numerous people reflected in their memoirs that President Ronald Reagan was personally one of the kindest men they had ever met. Even his political enemies found it hard to hate him, since he was so sincere and charming.


Reagan's burial site is inscribed with words that President Reagan said at the opening of his presidential library:
"I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there’s purpose and worth to each and every life."


Top left:
From the trailer for Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938), one of Reagan's earliest films.

Centre:
Ronald Reagan on the cover of Time as "Man of the Year", 1980.

Bottom right:
Vice President Bush, and President Ronald Reagan and Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev in New York City in 1988

Bottom most centre:
Speaking in front of the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987 Ronald Reagan challenged reformist Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to go further with his reforms and "tear down this wall"

Robert Mapplethorpe - Art & Sensuality

When does provocative art become educational? When society liberates itself to accept the freedom of expression in a talented individual enough to recognise his/her giftings in a particular field of art. For example, Robert Mapplethorpe (1946 - 1989), the famous New Yorker photographer who created much controversies with his choice of photography. The purpose of this post is not to promote undesired art/images, rather it is written and published with the view to encourage an open, adaptable and unrestricted worldview.

The long article below is entirely plucked from a unique site (http://www.glbtq.com/arts/mapplethorpe_r.html).

Gifted American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe brought rigorously formal composition and design, and an objectifying "cool" eye, to extreme subject matter. In so doing, he sparked a firestorm of outrage that led to debate about the public funding of art in the United States.

Born into a Catholic family in Queens, New York on November 4, 1946, Mapplethorpe grew up in suburban Long Island. He studied painting, sculpture, and drawing at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn from 1963 until 1969, when he moved to the Chelsea Hotel with the singer and poet Patti Smith, who was to become one of his favorite models.

In the early 1970s, Mapplethorpe began making black and white photographs. In 1972, he began a long-term intimate relationship with Sam Wagstaff, former curator of the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford and the Detroit Institute of Arts, who served as his mentor as well as his lover.

Wagstaff encouraged Mapplethorpe's photography and helped arrange for his first solo show, "Polaroids," at the Light Gallery in 1973. Subsequently, Mapplethorpe began exhibiting widely and quickly earned a reputation as an extraordinarily accomplished photographer.

In 1978, Mapplethorpe published the X Portfolio and the Y Portfolio in limited editions. X centers around photographic images of S&M behavior, while Y focuses on flowers and still lifes. In 1981, Mapplethorpe published the Z Portfolio, which focuses on black men, also in a limited edition.


Together, these three portfolios represent his best known work and his persistent themes. His photographs typically combine rigorously formal composition and design with extreme - often explicitly sexual - subject matter. Even his still lifes and other non-sexual images convey a strong sexual aura.

Mapplethorpe's gaze is particularly noteworthy for its cool detachment even when recording scenes of intense sexual activity. The artist typically presents masculine bodies as objectified icons of desire.

Mapplethorpe's objectification and fetishization of the black male body has been particularly controversial, especially since the publication of The Black Book in 1986. The controversial photograph "Man in a Polyester Suit" (1980), for example, features a black man in a slightly wrinkled three-piece suit. The image is cropped both at the chest and above the knees. Hanging from the suit's fly is a large, semi-erect, uncircumcised penis.

In another image, "Philip Prioleau" (1979), a naked black man is seated on a wooden pedestal, his back facing the viewer, a paper backdrop in the background.

But the accusations of objectification and exploitation have been countered by readings of these images that point out the artist's practice of naming his sitters and that emphasize the erotic balance between sitter and photographer. As a gay photographer, Mapplethorpe was frequently implicated in his own, sometimes transgressive, sometimes idyllic, desire.

In 1986, Mapplethorpe was diagnosed with AIDS. The following year his companion and mentor Sam Wagstaff died of complications resulting from AIDS.

In 1988, the artist established a charitable foundation to support AIDS Research and photography projects.

In 1988, Mapplethorpe's first American retrospective was presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. However, the following year, shortly after the artist's death on March 9, the traveling exhibition, "Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment," begun at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, created a fire-storm of controversy.

Senator Jesse Helms actually destroyed an exhibition catalogue on the floor of the United States Senate, igniting a debate that ultimately decimated public funding for the arts and challenged First Amendment rights. In a shocking capitulation to political pressure, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D. C. cancelled the show just prior to its opening.

Some of the controversies sparked by Mapplethorpe's photographs have settled, but his work continues to remind us that the perfect moment may be as fleeting as the click of the camera's shutter.

Postmodern Painting

A project on postmodernism got me and my friend on a research spree. Here's one on a painting by postmodernist painter, Francisco Clemente. Below's our synopsis of the painting in light of our understanding of postmodernism.

Title of the painting: Play
Artist: Francisco Clemente

Synopsis: A young boy entangled in the game of love and confusion. There’s a saying that warns us not to play with fire. Falling in love at a young age, without the maturity to handle the commitment and complexity of love, throws the boy into a state of total confusion. He wants to escape but is chained to “love”. He loses his mind and is in a wreck.

Moral: Dabble not in love without the heart to commit.

My Ladies

My indulgence in reading has introduced me to a large world beyond mine (mine’s disgustingly small, I confess) – it has brought me across the shores of the tropical peninsula and tiny garden city to the proud American soil, introducing me to its rich resource of phenomenal women. My introduction to these charismatic ladies has been a journey of discovery and healing for me personally.

I have previously posted separated entries on my heroines; this post now serves as a combined tribute to my life-shapers.

My inexpressible gratitude to these heroines I have never met in person, and I may never do, but in the event I do by divine appointment, the cheeriest lady I would be. ;)

I learnt extreme discipline from the orderly life of Condoleezza Rice.


I learnt empathy and patience towards colored people through Maya Angelou’s detailed autobiography of her struggle to overcome prejudice, discrimination and abuse.


I learnt the power of charisma and truth enmeshed in media through Oprah’s talk show which has the far reaching effect of influence and inspiration.


A three-cord common thread runs through all 3 women – colored skin, wisdom and tenacity.

I do believe the color of their skin opened wide the door of narrow paths and dark alleys that generated much grit and inner strength for them to scale heights that many others, particularly the whites have not the privilege to encounter.

When culture and society gather all they have to push you down and trap you in, you get large on the inside, rise above the tide, and triumph over impossibilities.


Disclaimer: No amount of research I put up on my blog space here would justify the wide expanse of these women’s contribution and influence to their society and worldwide. For more information, may I suggest you google them up. Cheers.

More on Oprah

I just watched another episode of Oprah on StarWorld TV. Iconic figures and personnels, the rich and famous, the envy of all society across geographical regions view it an honor, a privilege to appear on her show. Here's the influence of Oprah, the inspiration to women (and c'mon, admit it gentlemen, you too) worldwide.

Here's an excerpt from Time.com

"Winfrey stands as a beacon, not only in the worlds of media and entertainment but also in the larger realm of public discourse. At 44, she has a personal fortune estimated at more than half a billion dollars. She owns her own production company, which creates feature films, prime-time TV specials and home videos. An accomplished actress, she won an Academy Award nomination for her role in The Color Purple, and this fall will star in her own film production of Toni Morrison's Beloved.

But it is through her talk show that her influence has been greatest. When Winfrey talks, her viewers — an estimated 14 million daily in the U.S. and millions more in 132 other countries — listen. Any book she chooses for her on-air book club becomes an instant best seller. When she established the "world's largest piggy bank," people all over the country contributed spare change to raise more than $1 million (matched by Oprah) to send disadvantaged kids to college. When she blurted that hearing about the threat of mad-cow disease "just stopped me cold from eating another burger!", the perceived threat to the beef industry was enough to trigger a multimillion-dollar lawsuit (which she won)."

Oprah on Life

She emerged from poverty and abuse to being one of the highest paid women talk show hosts in America today. Her career on t.v. appeals to millions worldwide, bringing on people and topics quite unlike the typical media content. Wholesome, truthful, informative as well as therapeutic, The Oprah Winfrey Show tops charts and bags awards throughout its 20 years in show history. Women all round the world love Oprah because here is one who has the courage, charisma and confidence to speak like no other American icon.

Here are a couple of quotes from Oprah which I find astounding:


"I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose a child or a family member. I wonder: Will [victims of the Oklahoma federal building bombing] ever sleep again?

My father turned my life around by insisting I could be more than I was.

Although I'm grateful for the blessings of wealth, it hasn't changed who I am. My feet are still on the ground. I'm just wearing better shoes.

My grandmother taught me that prayer is the most valuable tool you could have. And always pray on your knees because one day you won't be able to bend down."

For Zidane's Cause

After a harmless attempt by the French team to score a goal in the the extra time of the World Cup finals between enigmatic France and resilient Italy, the players were walking back to the field, with Italian player Metarazzi steps behind French captain Zidane. In a single unexpectant moment, Zidance spun around and head butted Metarazzi in the chest. It almost seemed uncalled for, as the camera caught no sight of Metarazzi mouthing violently at Zidane to warrant such an act. Zidane even looked calm and composed (as he always is) throughout the entire spectacle.

When the pride of the world is at stake, men lose integrity and forsake courtesy. Whatever Metarazzi muttered under his breath to aggravate Zidane at the crucial closing minutes of the game was no gentleman's act. They say all's fair in love and sports. This bad-mouthing ain't no fair deal. Zidane was critized through and through for his lack of restaint in the pitch... wait a minute, was Metarazzi? for his bad-mouthing? Metarazzi acted under cover, Zidane above board. Who's to say the latter is wrong and the former isn't?

I say, Zidane acted like a gentleman through and through. He played his game well, he stood for his integrity, he reacted on the pitch right where the verbal insult was made, he held his peace and details of the insult to this day, only releasing to the press that Metarazzi "said something very serious to him". Had he been a hot-headed head-butting ram, he would have leashed back at Metarazzi and called for a press conference to reveal to the whole world what the Italian muttered to him on the pitch that made him lose his cool, gaining him a red card and an unglamorous exit from such an important match; also, his last game before he retires from football.

I say Zidane is truly a football star - and well deserving of the Golden Ball award - notwithstanding the world's opinion of his retaliation on Monday morning. He may have lost fans, trust, victory and pride for his nation; nevertheless, he won the game of integrity. He acted like a real hero - on and off pitch.

Bruce Philosophies

More than a martial arts enthusiast, an actor, a director and film producer, Bruce Lee was a loving husband to Linda Lee Caldwell, a great father to Brandon and Shannon Lee and a devoted family man. Unknown to many film enthusiasts, Bruce Lee majored in philosophy in the University of California where he met his wife Linda. Reading up on his biography did a thing or two for my self check. Here's some...

On Marriage:

In marriage, the excitement of romance is bound to dwindle with the years; in its place must grow the day-to-day companionship that would endure throughout the adventure that is human life.

Marriage is a friendship, a partnership based solidly upon ordinary, everyday occurrences. Marriage is breakfast in the morning, work during the day – the husband at his work, the wife at hers – dinner at night and quiet evenings together talking, reading or watching television. Marriage is caring for children, watching over them in sickness, training them in the way they must go, sharing worry about them and pride in them.

A married couple isn’t one and one. They are 2 halves that make a whole. You have to apply yourself to be a family – 2 halves fitted together are more efficient than either half would be alone!

On Life:

The oak tree is mighty, yet it will be destroyed by a mighty wind because it resists the elements; the bamboo bends with the wind, and by bending, survives.

Be pliable. When a man is living, he is soft and pliable; when he is dead, he becomes rigid. Pliability is life; rigidity is death.

Life is a process. Through the ages, the end of heroes is the same as ordinary men. They all died and gradually faded away in the memory of men. But when we are still alive, we have to understand ourselves, discover ourselves and express ourselves. In this way, we can progress, but we may not be all successful. But at least we are closer to truth.

Thomas Lang

"The pulse of life is the heart as the pulse of music is the drum." - yours truly, ahem! A.T.

Here's one young, superb and promising drummer-cum-producer, Thomas Lang. Below are excerpts from his homepage.

“To play the unplayed… ” That is the self-proclaimed lifelong aspiration of drummer/producer Thomas Lang. Given his astonishing independence of limb and his stalwart dedication to improving his craft – Lang’s aspiration is more than well on the way to reality. Thomas Lang has dedicated his life to the exploration of all things drum.

A native of Vienna, Austria, Lang took up drums at the tender age of five. Inspired by a televised performance of a heavy metal band, Lang assessed (quite rightly!) that he wanted to be a drummer when he grew up because, “the drummer looked like he was the boss – AND he got to sit down!”

I religiously follow a constantly-evolving practice routine. It’s not glamorous, but for me daily practice is a principle source of growth and inspiration in my playing,” says Lang.

Despite his reputation as an innovative and prolific drummer, Lang has a surprising take on technique. “Technique has nothing to do with music. It’s like a tool, like a hammer. You can build a shed – or you can build the Sistine Chapel,” Lang told Modern Drummer magazine. “Some days I want a shed – some days I want the Sistine Chapel – or a villa… or maybe a bowling alley…!

On the Da Vinci Code

My first introduction to Marina Mahathir is her weekly contribution to the Malaysian local newsfeed, The Star Online, her column titled "Musings by Marina Mahathir".

Below is an excerpt in relation to the infamous Da Vinci Code, now made even more famous with the movie starring Tom Hanks.

Musings by Marina Mahathir (excerpt):

A friend was relating how after her daughter had read the Da Vinci Code, she had wanted to read the Bible. Which is not in itself a bad thing except that she was concerned that an impressionable young mind would not be able to differentiate fact from fiction. Also it seemed that perhaps what was needed is a Da Vinci Code-type book for Muslims to spark off the same level of interest in young people in their own religion.

Except that if anyone tried to write a similar thriller based around Islam, they'd be hounded and pilloried and threatened with death, thousands would riot in protest and people who would never have been able to read the book either because they are illiterate or can't afford it would have died.

Such is the difference between our religions. While there are many Christians who are upset about the book and movie, they are countering it with seminars and other educational events to balance what is being said in the book, even if the book is only fiction. There have not been Da Vinci Code-related riots or deaths thus far. Which speaks volumes for the adherents of the faith.

It would be nice if everyone could brush off similar challenges and say "we are strong enough to withstand any attack". Even if a book or a movie becomes a runaway hit, compared to the total number of any faith's followers, the numbers sold can never match it. Books are by nature, in a world where illiteracy is still common, a luxury item. As are American movies, no matter what arguments people make about cultural imperialism.

_____________________________________

Woo-hoo! Amazing isn't it? That this actually flows from the viewpoint of a female Muslim apologist. And she hails from my birthland, mind you. ;p

Am proud, real proud, of her. ;)

Marina Mahathir

In all aspirations, there is often a neglect of home-grown resources or resources within the vicinity of one's background, experience and knowledge.

One good example, of which I am humbled, is my new found discovery of Ms. Marina Mahathir, a prolific writer and Muslim apologist, whose mention of name would have you immediately associate with Malaysia's former premier, Dr. Mahathir Muhammad.

Hailing from Malaysia, I realised how much of a well-frog I have been, oblivious to the many intellects, writers and thinkers in my nation who are progressively making headlines with their contributions in their respective fields of expertise.

Ms. Marina Mahathir is no small name in the Muslim as well as international world. From the many acclaims of his service in the Malaysian political scene, Dr. Mahathir has been hailed as the engine of modern Malaysian growth, and given his leadership calibre and keen mind, his offspring is no less significant in the intellect department as well.

As staunch a Muslim as she may be, and contrary to the expected behaviorials of staunch faithful adherents of certain groups, she is a liberal minded and impartial thinker and writer. Maybe it is her social background - she is twice married to foreigners and lives overseas.

It is truly liberating to know that there are Muslim advocates for an impartial judgment of Malaysia.

In an article she wrote for the AsiaWeek magazine, the title of her article reads: A Need To Truly Value Women, and a quote to which I applaud with all enthusiasm: "In Malaysia, we should change the way society looks at their (women's) roles." (Click on the bold & underlined caption to read the full article)

A highly interesting read, please do not pass this up. You are sure to be as liberated as I am!

Charlie Wedemeyer

Throughout his lifetime Charlie Wedemeyer has been an inspiration to others. He played quarterback for the Michigan state team and was national athlete for the state of Hawaii in the 1960s. He went on to coaching football and was promoted to head football coach for the Wildcats in 1977.

Just a year later in 1978, Wedemeyer, at age 32, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, the debilitating disease that attacks motor neurons, slowly causing the person with ALS to lose his or her ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. At the time of his diagnosis, doctors said Wedemeyer would only live one to three more years – it’s been almost thirty.

Wedemeyer, now 59, is a testament to the phrase `life goes on.' His life didn't stop with the diagnosis or when faced with the effects of ALS. Through the help of his wife, Lucy, Wedemeyer continued his everyday activities, including both teaching and coaching. He taught math until 1981, and coached football until January 1986 in a golf cart on the sidelines, with Lucy by his side reading his lips to interpret plays and instruct players.

Wedemeyer is a great example of living life to its fullest, overcoming the odds and achieving great success. He passed those lessons on most recently to the Spartans as they prepared for play in the Silicon Valley Football Classic in 2001. With Lucy reading his lips, Charlie spoke to the players the day before the game about the importance of teamwork, and concluded by saying, "Never give up."

The Spartans didn't give up, defeating Fresno State 44-35, and the same goes for Wedemeyer, three years later he still hasn't given up.

Today, he can only move his eyes, eyebrows, lips and is on 24-hour-a-day life support. Through the years, Lucy gently and patiently loves and cares for him.

In 1993, Charlie and Lucy founded the Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping ALS patients and their families by offering hope through raising funds for research and patient services, by raising awareness, and by way of example.

______________________________

My humblest salutation to Charlie for his perseverance and Lucy for her unconditional love.

Benjamin Franklin

America has never forgotten Benjamin Franklin because he did both. He lived these words of wisdom by writing as much as he possibly could and by doing even more.

One of the greatest assets to the history & development of humanity & American society, Benjamin Franklin, in his lifetime, distinguished himself above others with the multi-faceted contributions he made as a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a printer, a philosopher, a musician and an economist.

(Now who says men can't multi-task??)

Some of Benjamin Franklin's words of wisdom from A - Z:

A An empty bag cannot stand upright.

B Be always ashamed to catch thyself idle.

C Cheese and salty meat should be sparingly eat.

D The Doors of wisdom are never shut.

E Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

F Full of courtesy, full of craft.

G God helps them that help themselves.

H Hunger never saw bad bread.

I If you'd have a servant that you like, serve your self.

J If Jack's in love, he's no judge of Jill's beauty.

K Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee.

L A Lie stands on one leg, the truth on two.

M A Man without a wife is but half a man.

N Nothing but money is sweeter than honey.

O One today is worth two tomorrows.

P Pay what you owe and you'll know what's your own.

Q A Quarrelsome man has no good neighbors.

R The Rotten apple spoils his companion.

S Speak little, do much.

T Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

U Up, sluggard, and waste not life; in the grave will be sleeping enough.

V Visits should be short, like a winter's day.

W Well done is better than well said.

X A good example is the best sermon.

Y You may delay, but time will not.

Z There are lazy minds as well as lazy bodies.

Bob Dylan

A tribute to the legend of our time...

He has been described as the voice of a generation, but he has been much more. His songs beat to the pulse of our country. His tears of rage are tempered with the truest patriotism and vigilance, his acid humor with a disarming sweetness. His music is always drenched in the colors of hope. He has been an unlikely pop icon, a shy superstar and reluctant rebel, the sincerest social activist and the most distinctive of poets.

He was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth and grew up in the mining town of Hibbing, Minnesota. His family owned a hardware store. He formed a high school band called the Golden Chords, then struck out solo during his freshman year as he began to sing in coffee houses around the University of Minnesota. He changed his name as a tribute to his favorite poet, Dylan Thomas, and headed for Greenwich Village, New York, where the folk-rock revolution awaited just his sort of natural genius.

He has been controversial, iconoclastic, charismatic, and impossible to ignore, perhaps the most influential figure in American popular music in our time. His songs have become so inextricably woven into American culture that it is sometimes difficult to remember that anthems such as "Blowin’ In The Wind" and "The Times They Are A-changing" are not folk songs, that one inimitable poet from the heartland created them out of his own confrontation with turbulent times.

-Kennedy Center