1
POPSMahathir the blogger?
Unspun is still unsure o whether the news that Mahathir now has a blog is the truth or a hoax. Assuming that he has actually opened a blog with th stated intention below then he needs to be told a truth or two. If all he wants to do is publish his " writings as and when I am able to pen my thoughts and opinion," and have the Press, academics and others too lazy to do their own research to quote him, then he should have opened a just a website instead. A website is part of the one-way communications that traditionalists, authoritarians, Umno politicians past and present and other who do not get IT about the new media and conversations start and maintain. A weblog or blog is about conversations. Someone who starts a blog does so because they want to engage others with teir point of view. They are aware that others may hold different views but they nonetheless want to communicate them and have discussions with them, in the underlying belief that no one is all wise and that we
1
POPSSex and Science book review, warts and all Old friend and Queen of Sex and Science Elizabeth Pisani has finally released her book The Wisdom of Whores and it's received a rather, er, interesting review by Will Selg. What Unspun can't figure is what's Prince Harry's photo got to do with anything in the review in the Evening Standard?
3
POPSBlogger in the House Malaysian uber blogger Jeff ooi made history recently by being the first person to use his blogging as a platform to enter politics - and the Malaysian parliament. So what happens when you have a blogger in the House of Representatives? He blogs and tells all about the proceedings there. Will this change the behavior of politicians? Will this constant stream of posts and updates bring about a welcome change to the Malaysian Parliament, or would it dissipate into the ether? Time, as the cliche goes, will tell.
0
POPSSurabaya's healthy bloggers Dunno what bloggers elsewhere get up to but the Surabaya bloggers seem to be a healthy lot with morning runs before the sun rises. Anyone Jakarta bloggers up for an invigorating run at 5.30am?
1
POPSDaddy, that man was nasty to me It is a serious matter if the President of another country accuses a journalist of assisting rebels to assassinate him. But serious as it is, isn't it a bit precious for a journalist to ask President SBY for protection? The police and the courts should be the proper institutions to handle such allegations, if they had indeed been made. Getting the Press Council and assorted journalistic andpro-free press associations is also fair game. But to go running to the President just because Horta made an allegation? Precious. Precious.
1
POPSHow to buy a Chinese Indonesian wife Not all Chinese in Southeast Asia are rich and in Indonesia there are many poor ethnic Chinese. Some of them are concentrated in Singkawang that has traditionally "produced" wives for sale to men from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, China and where there are pockets of ethnic Chinese. Unspun bets that the bridegrooms in this case are as old and unsavory as the old unsavory Westerners preying on young nubile Asian women that we often see. But if it makes them both happy, who's to say its wrong?
0
POPSStinky behavior What's offending he olfactory nerves of Marina Mahathir? the article also raises interesting behaviors of the Malaysian male (and the males of other societies as well, Unspun supposes) when it comes to women. In Hokkien they are called low heow, in Indonesian they are called om om genit, and they refer to a certain type of male that get their kicks from being totally lewd, unctuous and reprehensible when it comes to their behavior toward women. They like to touch, pass suggestive remarks, grope...you wonder what goes on in their minds. Do they think that they are so desirable that the women would respond? Do they feel macho because they can do all those things to women? Aren't they even midly sensitive to what stupid fools they make themselves out to be?
1
POPSTibet, China, the Olympic Torch and the White Man's Burden Unspun's often wondered about the rightness of foreigners taking up causes in other people's countries. Unspun wonders if the Dutch citizen arrested in today's pro-Tibet-anti-China Olympics rally ever thinks of the following questions: - what if the majority of Indonesians are indifferent or support the Olympics? - what if the majority of Indonesians can't give a toss about the tiff between those protesting on behalf the Tibetans and China? - what if Indonesians feel that its their home and if anyone is to do the protesting it should be them rather than some Dutch guy with a self imposed White Man's Burden on his shoulders?
1
POPSHuman rights and Islam? Protesting that others aren't doing it right like yourself when it comes to religion is common fare. But you have to wonder by what great short circuit of logic did the protest leader (in the third paragraph below) surmised that he and his fellow believers' human rights were being violated by Ahmadiyah "disturbing" their practice of Islam. Was something lost in translation or has the protest leader decided to abandon all logic in his leap into faith?
0
POPSThe Naked Truth about Advertising Remember Fletcher Reede, that character played by Jim Carrey in the movie Liar, Liar? Fletcher was a lawyer and therefore trapped in a profession highly allergic to the truth. But because of his son's birthday wish was compelled to speak the naked truth. Advertising is also a profession that is highly allergic to the truth, and some would say also of logic. Wouldn't it be funny if they were all condemoned to speak the truth like Fletcher Reede? Well, a company, Naked, has turned the profession on its head and is offering clients some good old-fashion truth and honest logical advice for a change. And guess what? They are making tons of money. About time, says Unspun.
1
POPSLetting loose the dogs of war in the blogosphere? When will they learn that technology changes nothing except that it helps you reach more people, faster, and with less expense? Umno's problem, alas, is not one of logistics but of credibility. Unless the party members change the way they think, come off their high horse and genuinely engage their intended readers and voters, all the blogs in the world won't help but rather hurt them. Gautama would have said that you needed the right intention and right thought to accompany your right action, otherwise it oesn't count.
0
POPSPhysician heal thyself If you are a PR practitioner, give yourself some good PR advice itself. And if you fail then you make spinmeisters of the rest of us. Read the article below about how Burson-Marsteller's CEO Mark Penn shamed his firm or of Edelman's fiasco in Wal-Mart, which is now a classic story of what NOT to do in the blogosphere. This is a cautionary tale of how big names in PR aren't always better.
1
POPSOf sleeping leaders As we all know and the Malaysian Government keeps telling us, it's all the fault of Mahathir. For what? Whatever. The proof? See story below. If Mahathir had acted like SBY and, in his time, chastised upcoming leaders for sleeping on the job, the Barisan nasional would still be holding on to the two-thirds-majority, Malaysia wouldn't be in the shits and bloggers would not be in elected offices. It's all the Mamak's doing!
0
POPSThe China-Tibet issue needs unspinning Unspun thinks that China is being treated unfairly by the Western press. This is not to say it is squeaky clean, does not oppress some of its citizens and the model of human rights. But fair is fair and the western media is not. Sezs who? Sez the article below and also here
1
POPSWhat to do with an Anti-Blogger Government Expert The blogging community in Indonesia is mighty pissed off over a certain Government expert and presidential advisor on technology who has been maligning bloggers as hackers and up to unsavory things. Last night Minister for Information Muhammed Nuh met with bloggers and when asked what should be done about the so-called "expert" his advice was:
0
POPSBlogilitics: Now Malaysians say blogs influence elections Before the humiliation of the General Elections in Malaysia last month the Badawi Government was stridently insisting that bloggers were only engaged in masturbation and were not influencing anyone. Now ministers, ex ministers and all and sundry are embracing the new conventional wisdom that blogs are influential in politics. The irony of it all is that the power of the Malaysian bloggers are actually the creation of the Malaysian Government - if it was not so obsessed with controlling the mainstream media to the extent that it lost all credibility, Malaysians would still be happy trusting their newspaper, TV and radio stations instead of the blogs. So what now for the Malaysian Government. If Unspun was Machiavelli and advising the ABB Government he would tell them to free up the Malaysian media. if they can control it make sure that the enditors they put in place are good, professional and share the same vision as the government (assuming its got one). Once this is don
1
POPSMalaysian in Thailand blogs about wellness, life Meet Amyra Mah, a Malaysian who's invented Body Renew, a spiritual-physical wellness program and who's an excellent observer and writer about life. She now works in Thailand helping people get more energy into their lives and she's started blogging to offer "guidance, tips and inspiration for those who seek relief from all degrees of inner torment and its many forms of manifestation." Unspun's known Amyra in our former lives and thinks that if you're into such interests she's a great read. Check her out.
0
POPSPiracy in Indonesian blogosphere Iman, my sifu in all things diving and jorok, has found someone pilfering his blog postings and cutting and pasting them into a book on Soekarno. Iman is mad and is thinking of taking legal action. Unspun'd be mad too if he was in Iman's shoes. How should the Indonesian blogosphere react to plagarists who come into their territory and pilfer the goodies?
0
POPSBloglitics Jeff Ooi, the popular Malaysian blogger who probably made blogging history by being the first blogger elected to Parliament finds that politics and blogging aren't compatible demanding mistresses. Jeff's a certified industrial strength blogger and an untested politician. Will he emerge to be good at both blogging and politics and wield them deftly like a two-handed gun slinger, will he have to give up one or will he end up midway and mediocre juggling between the two?
0
POPSAnd what do Javanese girls think? Here's advice for travelers and tourists about dating Javanese girls. <strong>Unspun </strong>wonders what the Javanese girls themselves have to say about such wisdom about them?
0
POPSYonder sits the Fifth Estate The shock from the earthquake that was the Malaysian General Elections has yet to settle but we are already seeing the aftershocks. The first of probably many to come is the Opposition DAP's decision to get its State Assemblymen to stay away from the swearing in of the Perak Chief Minister - because the Sultan had favored a PAS candidate rather than the DAP candidate. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? With the credibility of the executive, judiciary, parliament and mainstream media in doubt and with the present national government in disarray and the Opposition moving into their newfound positions of power- and bickering about it - the question arises as to which institution it is who would keep everyone real and honest on behalf of the rakyat. it seems that the Malaysian bloggers are the only ones who are in a position of playing the role of people's custodians. But even in the blogosphere there have been changes. Some of the bloggers like Jeff Ooi have gone into politi
0
POPSWhen anonymous blogging can kill? Here's one for the debate on whether someone should blog anonymously. Unspun's firmly in the camp that says you should have to cojones to put your name to your bitching. Others do not think so. Where do the rest of you stand?
0
POPSCould aply to any newspaper Unspun recently wrote about how The Jakarta Post is trying to cope with change and technology by revamping its website and trying to incorporate interactive features like RSS and comments -- although it could have gone further. The Post is apparently in good company - no less than The New York Times -- when it comes to Luddite journalists and board directors. Is Marc Andreessen too gloomy or are the days of the traditional newspaper numbered? Can dailies printed on paper survive the next few years if they do not have an interactive strategy to back them up? Andreessen may be gloomy but Unspun thinks he has a point. That's why Unspun began blogging and dabbling in new media: in a world where traditional media is of little importance, there is no need for PR persons of the traditional mold.
0
POPSWhere Mahathir eats There was a time when Malaysian leaders used to frequent Jakarta restaurants. Mahathir, as the story below, went to Natrabu. And Anwar Ibrahim frequented Medan Baru, in Krekot, whose specialty, apart from the fish head curry was the sambal ganja. On wonders where present Malaysian leaders go to eat when they visit jakarta these days? Sashimi at 1001?
0
POPSProtect your banana Tired of having a squishy banana? The male half of the Indonesian duo in Singapore, Indi, recently impressed his colleagues recently when he brought his banana in a banana guard into the office. "Yesterday, I put a banana in it and brought it to office for the first time. What did my colleagues say when they saw the "thing"? Men and women were staring at it! Some women even chose to touch it! It looks like the "thing" knows how to catch everyone's attention." What is thing and where can Unspun get one for the Pisang Raja and Pisang Ambon that Unspun's in possession of? Do the Kiwis make Banana Guards of such proportions?
2
POPSSpace cadet menu This has got to be on the same league as Malaysia's plan to have its first astronaut make teh tarik in space.
0
POPSLove makes Malaysia go round lah Can you not just feel the love of these Malaysians? Hearts-a-beating, sincerity seeping out of every pore, every molecule and every atom of their beings consumed with the love for their leader? Now, why can't bloggers be more like them and transmit their love for the Great Leader via RSS? Unsoun is sure some brilliant Malaysian scientist will find a way to do this soon. Malaysia Boleh 2.0!
0
POPSEquality for ethnic Chinese citizens Some of Unspun's Malaysian friends think he's telling fibs when he says that a person of Chinese ancestry can feel more equally treated in Indonesian than Malaysia. Bear in mind that this the President of a country where ethnic Chinese comprise only 10% or so of the population. Another thing for the neighbors up north to learn about from Indonesia.
1
Clips
Latest Pops
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Tags
Print
Save
Turn on live update