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PSG linked to Malouda as Ancelotti rumours grow Posted: 27 Dec 2011 02:57 AM PST LONDON, Dec 27 – France winger Florent Malouda is thinking of leaving Chelsea with reports saying Paris St Germain is his preferred destination as rumours grow that Carlo Ancelotti is set to take over the Ligue 1 leaders. Malouda (picture) has mainly been on the bench for Chelsea this season and with his spot in France's Euro 2012 squad under threat, the 31-year-old may push for a move in the January transfer window. "I'm not getting enough playing time. It's too limited for the ambitions I have. I can't be happy with that. If it is necessary, I will leave," Malouda, who joined Chelsea from Olympique Lyon in 2007, was quoted as saying by French media today. The Parisien said Malouda was interested in joining PSG and his former Chelsea coach Ancelotti, who reports suggest was set to take over with Antoine Kombouare poised for the sack despite leading the French standings. PSG, who are also in talks to bring David Beckham to France in January, issued a short statement last week saying only that they were having "serene discussions" with Kombouare. Pundits took that to mean his days are numbered as his low profile does not fit with PSG's ambitious Qatari owners. Sporting director Leonardo worked with Ancelotti at AC Milan and reports say a deal in principle had been agreed with the Italian, who previously said he wanted to work again in England. – Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Krasnozhan is new coach at wealthy Anzhi Posted: 27 Dec 2011 01:58 AM PST Former Brazilian fullback Roberto Carlos (R) of Anzhi Makhachkala challenges Alexander Anyukov (L) of Zenit St.Petersburg in their Russian cup match in the Chechen capital Grozny in this file photo of March 1, 2011. Big-spending Anzhi named Yuri Krasnozhan, fired by Lokomotiv Moscow this year, as coach on December 27, 2011. – Reuters pic MOSCOW, Dec 27 – Big-spending Russian Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala named Yuri Krasnozhan, fired by Lokomotiv Moscow this year, as coach today. The 48-year-old replaces Andrei Gordeyev and Brazilian Roberto Carlos who took over in a joint caretaker capacity in September when the long-serving Gadzhi Gadzhiyev was sacked. "The board of directors have appointed Yuri Krasnozhan as head coach of Anzhi Makhachkala," the wealthy club from the volatile North Caucasus region said on their website (http://www.fc-anji.ru). "The Russian coach has signed a five-year contract." Krasnozhan was sacked by Lokomotiv in June despite the club being among the league leaders at the time. The railway side said he was fired for "negligence in his job" following a controversial defeat by Anzhi. "I'm very grateful to the Anzhi bosses for entrusting me with these huge responsibilities," said Krasnozhan who made his name as a coach at North Caucasus rivals Spartak Nalchik. POPULAR CLUB "Anzhi have become one of the more popular clubs in recent times, followed not only in Russia but also round the world." The club, bankrolled by billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, had been linked with several high-profile coaches including England's Fabio Capello, Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and former Russia boss Guus Hiddink. Russian Kerimov's money helped lure Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o from Inter Milan during the last transfer window on a three-year deal. According to media reports, Eto'o is now the highest-paid player in world soccer with an annual salary of US$26.8 million (RM84.63 million). Asked if he could deal with Eto'o and Roberto Carlos, who still plays at left back, Krasnozhan said: "Anzhi are not just Roberto and Samuel. We also have a lot of other talented players, local guys. "I don't have to control them. We must be as one, as a team." Anzhi consultant German Tkachenko said he had been thinking of someone else for the job. "We, as consultants, offered a different candidate for the head coaching post," Kerimov's close friend Tkachenko told Russian media. "But the club decided differently." – Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Hollywood still struggling to focus 3D technology Posted: 27 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST Following a series of 3D flops over the last 12 months, the coming year will see a new crop of releases, including a suped-up version of 'Avatar' director James Cameron's record-breaking 'Titanic' in April. – shutterstock.com LOS ANGELES, Dec 27 – Two years after breakthrough 3D megahit "Avatar", Hollywood is still struggling to decide how best to use the new technology, as filmgoers tire of the novelty and say no to annoying glasses. While 2011 ends with a couple of well-received 3D movies – including Steven Spielberg's holiday smash "Tintin" and Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" – filmmakers need to focus on what works in three dimensions and what doesn't, say experts. Following a series of 3D flops over the last 12 months, the coming year will see a new crop of releases, including a suped-up version of "Avatar" director James Cameron's record-breaking "Titanic" in April. But experts say filmmakers can no longer count on the simple fact of putting "Now playing in 3D" on the posters to attract cinema-goers wary of paying a few extra bucks for a questionably improved experience. "3D film distribution in 2011 has been a lesson in learning for studios and theatres alike," Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at industry data provider Exhibitor Relations said. "While there were nearly 40 (3D) films released this year, studios have been scaling back in terms of the type of films released in this new format. The reason? Audiences won't pay for a 3D engagement that isn't a premium picture." The 3D revolution – or the latest attempt to bring 3D to cinema, following earlier failed efforts – comes as the film industry is struggling to reinvent itself as the ways of watching movies multiply. Hollywood could arguably be said to be seeking its "iTunes moment," like the arrival of the Apple song purchasing site for the music industry, as pirate copies of films proliferated from DVDs to illegal downloads and online streaming. But signs that 3D has struggled came this year not only from summer box office flops – "Fright Night," "Conan the Barbarian," "Glee," and "Spy Kids – but also from flagging sales of 3D televisions. "Two of the major pain points for consumers are still the price of the TV and the need to wear glasses," market research company NPD said in April, although sales figures later in the year looked better. Japanese games giant Nintendo was forced to slash the price of its new 3DS console by up to 40 per cent in July, following disappointing sales of the new version of its popular console. Nevertheless, filmmakers keep embracing the new technology. At the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea in October, low-budget 3D productions were keen to take on the big studios at their own game. "Budget doesn't matter, it is story that matters in cinema and its the same when you are using 3D," said South Korean Choo Sang-rok, director of the 3D feature "Persimmon." Back in Hollywood, Spielberg says that 3D should be used only when appropriate. "I disagree with my colleagues who believe that every film should be in 3D. It's another tool in a very large tool chest," he told the industry daily Variety. "I think 3D should be used when there is something to be achieved from it, not just to be able to slam the 3D brand on a movie ad," he said. There have been reports that Spielberg is contemplating making a 3D version of his iconic movie "Jurassic Park" by converting it – a process which critics say is purely a money-making ploy. Proper 3D movies are filmed using two slightly off-set cameras, the images from which are fed into a moviegoer's left and right eyes by the glasses handed out to watch the film. Converted 3D movies – or "fake 3D" – are films made with normal cameras, but then processed using computers in post-production to give the impression of multiple layers of depth. A number other other classic films are also set to be revived in three dimensions, including "Star Wars," said Exhibitor Relations expert Bock. Others, like "The Lion King," have already appeared in 3D. Scorsese meanwhile said he was apprehensive after deciding to make "Hugo" in 3D. "We were scared," he told the BBC. "It was like walking a tightrope, the whole picture." "People start to have rules: You can't do this, don't do that," he recalled. "I said: 'I don't want to hear what can't be done." "I'm not usually that intrepid but I wouldn't let people confuse me," he said. Analysts say Hollywood is not going to turn its back on 3D, but will learn from its mistakes. "Studios are going to be much more savvy as to what they choose to release in 3D in the years to come. Make no mistake – 3D is not going anywhere, it's just adapting, as long as the audience responds," said Bock. Hollywood 3D movies expected out in 2012 include "Men in Black III," "The Amazing Spider Man," "The Avengers" and "The Hobbit," he said, but added that one of the biggest films of the year will only be available in 2D. "The one that won't be: 'The Dark Knight Rises.' Which will probably be the highest grossing film of the year. So, what does that tell you? It still comes down to story," said the Exhibitor Relations expert. "Always does. Always will," he said. – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Van Halen unveils new tour with Roth aboard Posted: 26 Dec 2011 10:49 PM PST David Lee Roth (right) and Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen perform at Tiger Jam XI in Las Vegas on April 19, 2008. — Reuters pic LOS ANGELES, Dec 27 — Veteran rockers Van Halen unyeiled plans yesterday for a tour with original lead singer David Lee Roth returning to the stage. In a video posted on the band's website, www.van-halen.com, Eddie Van Halen, brother Alex and son Wolfgang play the hit "Panama" while Roth runs around on stage. Underneath reads "Van Halen On Tour 2012" with tickets going on sale January 10. No other details were announced, but the video confirms music industry buzz that the band is together again with Roth. An album is said to be in the works, too, after Van Halen signed a record deal in November. A separate posting on the Van Halen News Desk website said the video was shot at the Roxy Theatre along Los Angeles' Sunset Strip while the band performed "a brand-new song." The news site speculated about a possible February release date for a new song or album, and said the record was produced by Ross Hogarth. It is the band's first full album with Roth since the CD "1984," which was released on December 31, 1983. Van Halen's relationship with Roth has been a stormy one over the years. Roth left the band in a bitter breakup in 1985, only to rejoin for a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996, then quickly depart in another bitter split. He returned to Van Halen for a tour in 2007-2008. The band, whose early hits include "Runnin' With the Devil" and "Dance the Night Away," was among the leading rock acts of the late 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s when Sammy Hagar replaced Roth as singer. Michael Anthony was the original bassist, but alongside Hagar he has joined another band, Chickenfoot. Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's son, took over on bass. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Stressed Chinese fight back — with pillows Posted: 26 Dec 2011 10:56 PM PST SHANGHAI, Dec 27 — A whirlwind of pillows bearing the names of bosses and teachers filled the air as hundreds of Chinese gathered to blow off stress in Shanghai, staging a massive pillow battle. The annual event marked its fifth year with such a surge in interest from stressed young office workers and students that organisers held two nights of pillow fighting before Christmas Day and plan another for December 30. "Nowadays there are many white-collar workers and students that are facing huge pressures at work and at school, so we hope to give them an outlet to release their stress before the end of the year," said Eleven Wang, the founder and mastermind behind the epic pillow fights. "Sometimes we have pressure on us by our bosses, teachers and exams, so today we can go crazy. Everyone will get to write onto the pillows the names of their bosses, teachers and exam subjects, and enjoy and vent to the maximum. "After releasing the stress, we can once again face our daily life with joy." Pillows were handed out at the door as participants entered, then emotion stoked by a rock concert, with many on the floor of the huge event space rocking and waving their pillows in time to the music. Then came the fighting. Pillows filled the air, with many combatants opting for throwing rather than using them to whack opponents. A few hapless participants shielded their heads with as many pillows as they could hold, but most ventured eagerly into the fray. "I really enjoyed the fight, but my friend was useless," said 24-year-old Chen Yi. "He joined in for two ticks and could not go on, he was afraid of getting beaten by other people. "I thought it was pretty meaningful. I've just been working so much (at the office) and never get to break out in a sweat, so it felt really good." Others gamely said they enjoyed the experience even though they ended up as attackees rather than attackers. "I don't know who pushed me, but all of a sudden I was in the pile of pillows, where I became the target of many people, and was beaten by all sorts of people," said university student Zhu Shishan. "Very meaningful." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

App aims to make a social network more personal Posted: 26 Dec 2011 10:32 PM PST TORONTO, Dec 27 — Interested in sharing more personal moments of your life to a small group of friends rather than a large network? An app called Path could help. Originally conceived as a way to post photos and videos for close family and friends to see, the app was re-released this month as a "smart journal" to enable users to share more about their lives. "Because Path is a smaller network that's built for the people you love — the closest friends and family in your life — people are willing to share more intimate content as a result of that," said Matt Van Horn, a vice-president at Path. He said although some details of life might seem mundane when broadcast to the masses, they can take on a new light when shared with closer connections. "Taking a photo on the porch with your sister if you were to post to a larger network might not be that interesting. But if your mom, who is on the other side of the country, sees it then it's magical," he said. The app also learns a user's habits, such as favourite places, and can recognise deviations in patterns and broadcast them to their "path", the social stream visible to a user's connections. Path, inspired by British anthropologist and Oxford professor Robin Dunbar, limits the number of social connections a user can have to 150 people. It is considered the upper limit of the number of trusted relationships a person can have, and is a direct function of our biology. The average user on Path has five to 10 connections. Since Path's relaunch, it has had a 30-fold increase in the number of daily users, according to its creators. Although the app is free, users must pay for some features. But the company said it would not include ads on the site. "We believe in creating quality products that our users will want to pay for," Van Horn said. Path, available for iOS and Android devices, also integrates with Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Tumblr to allow cross-posting to the social networks. Similar apps for creating digital journals include Momento and Day One. "Facebook changed the world," said Horn. "People were themselves for the first time, putting their real name on the Internet, and then connecting with every person they had ever met. "But we really believe the next generation of social is going to be personal." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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‘DAP dan PAS akan menghadapi masalah bentuk negara bersama,’ kata Ibrahim Ali Posted: 27 Dec 2011 03:37 AM PST 'DAP dan PAS akan menghadapi masalah bentuk negara bersama,' kata Ibrahim Ali KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Dis – Datuk Ibrahim Ali hari ini menjelaskan, komponen Pakatan Rakyat, PAS dan DAP akan menghadapi masalah untuk memimpin negara secara bersama ekoran terdapatnya perbezaan ideologi dalam kedua-dua parti berkenaan. "PAS dan DAP akan menghadapi masalah membentuk kerajaan bersama sekiranya mereka memerintah, mereka perlu menyelesaikan masalah perbezaan ideologi sebelum menjadi pemerintah," katanya di sini. Ibrahim berkata demikian selepas ditanya pemberita berkenaan pandangannya terhadap manifesto yang akan dikeluarkan Pakatan Rakyat pada 14 Januari depan. "Perkasa akan melihat siapa penganjur dan pemimpinnya sebelum menyokong manifesto berkenaan, kami tidak mahu ambil risiko, semua orang boleh berjanji, tapi masalahnya adalah menunaikan janji berkenaan," katanya ketika sidang media di sini. Menurut Ibrahim, sebarang perubahan terhadap dasar negara ini memerlukan pendekatan yang berhati-hati kerana banyak negara luar yang mengalami perubahan menjadi semakin buruk. "Kita lihat kes Dataran Tahrir, Mesir bukan sahaja tidak berubah, malah menjadi bertambah buruk," katanya lagi. "Evolusi negara ini bukan perkara mudah, ia memakan masa dan perlu lebih berhati-hati, pendirian Perkasa jelas, kami akan melihat sejauh mana mereka betul-betul ikhlas, kemudian baru kami akan bat keputusan," jelasnya. Mengulas berkenaan isu Hasan Ali yang dipelawa Perkasa untuk meyertai mereka, Ibrahim menjelaskan keputusan itu terletak di tangan bekas Pesuruhjaya PAS itu sendiri. "Itu pendirian beliau, dari segi perjuangan Perkasa melihat kami mempunyai persamaan, memartabatkan institusi Raja, mempertahankan Bangsa Melayu dan agama Islam, tetapi sekiranya dia (Hasan) menolak, itu haknya. "Sekiranya Hasan benar-benar ikhlas mempertahankan tiga perkara berkenaan, matlamatnya akan jelas, namun sekiranya itu sekadar kenyataan politik Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Gombak Setia itu kerana cakap-cakap orang dirinya tidak dicalonkan, kita akan tahu kebenaranya nanti. "Pelawaan kami terhadapnya masih terbuka," tambahnya lagi. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Ibrahim Ali: Anwar gunakan rakyat demi kepentingan diri Posted: 27 Dec 2011 03:17 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Dis – Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas, Datuk Ibrahim Ali menganggap Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menggunakan rakyat demi kepentingan diri dalam kes perbicaraan tuduhan liwatnya terhadap Saiful Bahari. Menurut Presiden Perkasa ini lagi, ketua pembangkang itu seolah-olah memperlekehkan sistem perundangan negara dengan melancarkan perhimpunan pada 9 Januari ini-ketika keputusan kes perbicaraan tuduhannya meliwat Saiful akan diumumkan mahkamah. "Ini kerja menghasut ... menghina sistem kehakiman dan perundangan negara, dan mencabar keluhuran Perlembagaan Negara, Anwar (gambar) ingat dia bersih?," tegasnya selepas mempengerusikan Mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi Perkasa di Kampung Bharu di sini. "Keputusan belum dibuat, tetapi mereka sudah merancang untuk bertindak seolah-olah hukuman sudah dijatuhkan atas nama kuasa rakyat, mereka akan gerakkan perhimpunan besar-besaran itu," tambahnya lagi. Menurut Ibrahim, perbicaraan kes liwat tersebut sudah dijalankan secara terbuka dengan memanggil pakar-pakar daripada luar negara, namun pembangkang masih menuduh terdapat konspirasi dalam perbicaraan berkenaan. "Mereka nak macam mana lagi, mereka katakan itu adalah konspirasi, pelbagai tuduhan mereka lemparkan kepada sistem perundangan negara," katanya dan menyifatkan tindakan menganjurkan perhimpunan tersebut merupakan penghinaan terhadap sistem kehakiman negara dan akan merugikan banyak pihak. "Justeru, Perkasa mendesak kerajaan dan pihak keselamatan menggerakkan seluruh tenaga bagi mengelakkan insiden yang tidak diingini daripada berlaku dalam perhimpunan yang dirancang mereka. "Mereka hanya tahu menghuru-harakan negara, peniaga-peniaga akan mengalami kerugian, akan berlaku kerosakan harta benda awamdan kecedaraan dalam perhimpunan tersebut," jelasnya lagi dan menganggap tujuan mereka itu hanya ingin memburukkan nama negara di mata dunia. Pihaknya turut mendesak penganjur menunggu dan memberi peluang untuk badan kehakiman negara menjalankan tugas mereka daripada terus menghukum dan menimbulkan kekacauan. "Perkasa dengan ini menyeru kepada semua pihak agar tidak menyertai perhimpunan yang dicadangkan terbabit sekiranya mereka cintakan tanah air ini, dan cintakan keamanan negara yang wujud sejak merdeka ini," katanya lagi. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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No wigs, please Posted: 26 Dec 2011 04:11 PM PST DEC 27 — My nine-year-old daughter has a lovely head of glossy brown hair; why would she need to wear a wig? But Amy and her team-mates were the only ones showing off their natural locks. Every other girl performed underneath a crown of perfectly coiled synthetic ringlets that jigged up-and-down almost in rhythm to the fiddler's tune. This was the annual Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas (Irish for gathering) championships held in Pennsylvania, and that last weekend in November was our first foray into the closed world of competitive Irish dancing. At 8am on Saturday, the ballrooms of Philadelphia's Marriott Hotel filled with hundreds of young dancers and their "Feis" mums (pronounced "fesh", meaning festival in Irish) armed with hefty vanity cases. The tap-tapping of hard shoes on wooden floors soon resonated through the vast dressing-room area, and those not feverishly practising were being groomed. Careful applications of stage make-up onto poised faces; stray ringlets teased into shape; "sock glue" rolled onto fake-tanned legs to prevent sock slippage; tweaking of sparkly tiaras and zipping up of neon costumes encrusted with Swarovski crystals. Gulp. "In the real world 'conforming to expectations' means you wouldn't wear a wig, but in the competitive world of Irish dancing it means you would," said Niall O'Leary, former World Irish Dance Champion. What were we getting into when we signed Amy up for Irish dance classes in Kuala Lumpur two years ago? But watching Irish dancers perform to a "live" folk band is an incredibly uplifting experience. And performing is what Amy does: She takes an impish delight in spontaneously breaking into a slip jig or reel — transfixing onlookers with rapid movements of her feet and legs, seemingly detached from her fixed upper body — be it at the bus stop, school playground or during homework time... "Absolutely everyone here [Oireachtas] is chomping, I mean, you know... trying really hard to place high enough to qualify for the World Irish Dancing Championships," Texan mum Linda Cooper explained while stitching the cuffs of one of our team's modest burgundy and gold appliquéd dresses. Although, the chances of her daughter Rosemary, 18, doing so "are nearly impossible because at her level, it's just so technical." She is quietly optimistic that her son William, 16, already a "national qualifier", might. To win at the annual World's championships (heading for Belfast, April 2012) is a serious achievement. And it's the prestige that accompanies the title; the prize money barely covers the cost of a solo dress ranging from US$1,500 (RM4,732) to US$5,000. Amy's Irish dance teacher Niall O'Leary, who started dancing long before he could tie his own laces, won the World Championships in 1989. His mother, a dancer herself, blessed his career by hooking him up with Kevin Massey, former coach to Michael Flatley, famous for catapulting Irish dancing onto the worldwide stage through Riverdance. O'Leary headed to NYC 15 years ago to pursue his "two passions in life — Irish dancing and architecture." The exuberant and often outspoken character (when his thick Southside Dublin accent can be understood) has made a quite name for himself in Manhattan through the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance formed in 1996, his own architecture company and as president of the Irish Business Organisation of New York. As his four-hand céilì team dancers stopped practice for lunch, I asked O'Leary, why he was bucking the wig wearing trend that has prevailed over the past two decades? "You don't need to wear wigs, everyone on the team has lovely hair. Other people of other teams probably have lovely hair too, but they feel they have to wear wigs or go for a certain look, or because it is more convenient." No curlers, no hassle. The love affair with ringlets is historical: Only a few decades ago children in Ireland went to dance classes directly after church still wearing their Sunday best, and for girls, curls formed from a night spent with damp hair in rag curlers. Niall O'Leary's under 12s four hand reel (Amy first on left), the only Oireachtas team to go wig-less! Although they could have picked one up from several wig stands at the event carrying signs like: "all wigs come in 28 colours" and names such as 'Colleen' ($80), a Sinead or a Grainne ($126) Some say the bouncy wig-ringlets give the impression dancers are lifting higher off the floor than they actually are. But it's the footwork the judges are interested in, not the hair, nor for that matter the dancers' appearance; one judge once told O'Leary (who occasionally judges competitions himself) that she had given "plenty of ugly girls" first place! Winners are those "with the best technique and style, who get all their moves right on the day", O'Leary remarked. "It is sad some girls only wear wigs because they feel they have to look normal, and what looks normal at an Irish dancing competition is not necessarily what the general public see as normal." Indeed, the beauty pageant-styled presentation of dancers and costs associated with the ornate costumes often leads to negative publicity; something the Oireachtas committee were keen to avoid by banning press attendance this year. O'Leary has just heard of "a big name school in Ireland that recently decided to drop the wigs." He firmly believes more will follow, "but it will happen gradually, and in a good way." And for Amy, the "dancer from Malaysia", as O'Leary takes great pride in mentioning at every gig she attends, she'll find a set of foam curlers and hairspray in her Christmas stocking, but most definitely not a wig. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

From the comfort of our armchairs Posted: 26 Dec 2011 04:04 PM PST DEC 27 — Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the armchair. All hail the ingenious inventor who came up with the idea of affixing comfortable armrests to sitting furniture. It is generous and cosy. It usually fits one. It is what most people look forward to after a day of stressful deadlines and difficult bosses in the office. It goes very well with a television set and a can of beer (or Coca-Cola, for the non-drinkers). It's very comfortable. We lean back. We dig our elbows into the squishy armrests. We feel at ease. We feel at home. From our armchairs we face animated screens and we watch (or read) the local news. From our armchairs, we face people and we talk, comment and criticise. It is so easy. It is so comfortable. We never want to leave our seats. It is easy to talk, because talk is cheap. We flip through the papers and skim the headlines. The government announces a new project — an MRT line connecting numerous areas which will increase general accessibility in the Klang Valley. We sneer and make derisive comments on how it is once again "feeding time" for the cronies. Then we throw in that little "racial politics" card just for an added kick, and say that the project was intended to punish the pro-opposition Chinese just because it happens to involve the acquisition of Petaling Street. Somehow, the fact that we would all probably benefit greatly from the MRT line, just as we currently do from the LRT and Monorail services, goes unnoticed. Who wants to talk about that? It's boring, and it's stating the obvious. No, it has to be about the cronyism and the money-swindling, we say firmly. Besides, the country would be in absolute ruins if it weren't for we who sit in our armchairs and point our fingers at all the shenanigans the government gets up to. And then we reach for another can of beer. Bored with the standard fodder that all mainstream papers feed us, we log onto the Internet and access alternative media. The Internet, being a fertile breeding ground for emerging talent and intellect, is a fresh marketplace of alternative ideas. We read articles, written by none other than our fellow rakyat, proposing new ideas and policies for more efficient crime control, or to curb loan sharks, or to reduce the bullying of consumers by big establishments. We dismiss them one by one and say it would never work. Why? Corruption will nip the new policy in the bud. That, or the lack of enforcement. Actually, why stop there? We go the whole nine yards and launch the one-size-fits-all argument, that any sort of solution (short of kicking out the entire government altogether) to any sort of problem will never work, because nobody will carry out that solution. We shoot every last idea down, not because of its merits or lack thereof, but because we think that the government won't put it to work, or that any implementation will be poorly done. Any idea is crap, we argue, because Barisan Nasional will screw it up. So, undilah Pakatan Rakyat! Like a broken record, we rinse and repeat this argument for every new article that appears in cyberspace. It's a convenient argument, because we don't really need to think, judge and evaluate the particular merits of each individual idea. Why would anyone want to do that? It's exhausting. So what's the point of suggesting anything new at all, if it is true that all possible solutions, short of having a brand new government, are useless? We shrug and pop open our third can of beer. We don't have any better ideas to contribute, but that's not our job anyway. It is not for us to add anything of value to the discussion, oh no, we decide what is of value and what isn't. For we are the great armchair critics, perched on our padded thrones, delivering our sardonic judgments from behind online screens of convenient anonymity. Unsatisfied, we go a step further and we get personal. It is insufficient for us to parade around shooting ideas down and rewriting articles for the writers themselves, oh no, our armchairs grant us greater powers than that. To the fresh-faced university student who tries to see both sides of the argument, we accuse him of being exceedingly naive and wet behind the ears. We accuse him of being paid by the government to write what he writes. We note that he is currently studying in one of the best universities in the world, and promptly take it to a personal level: "Why do you write such stupid stuff which I disagree with? Hasn't your Ivy League education taught you anything?" To the writer who spent a considerable amount of effort trying to provide an academic analysis on a particular government policy, say, on the feasibility of the JPA scholarship programme, we lambast him for "wasting his time", and ridicule him for not writing an article that focuses, instead, on corruption. To the writer who chronicled several observations of her own, we jeer and sneer, accusing her of being ignorant and having "not done any research", just because we know a friend of a friend of a friend who experienced something to the contrary. We don't write anything ourselves because we don't have anything better to say. But we condemn writers for having the audacity to write about Topic A, when we want to read about unrelated topic B. We fling unwarranted personal attacks just because we can. We brutally kill off ideas. And we do all this from the comfort of our armchairs, in our safe, air-conditioned rooms. * Yizhen Fung has recently completed her undergraduate studies in the University of Oxford. This will be her last article for this column. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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