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Bahn Mi: No ordinary sandwich Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:27 PM PDT Vietnamese chopped pork sandwich Bahn Mi. KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 — It wasn't really love at first sight... more of love at first bite. Hurrying down the crowded street of Chinatown in Perth, I was desperate to find something quick that would pacify the rumbles of my empty tummy. I spotted people emerging with sandwiches of some sort from a Vietnamese stall, and I proceeded to order "one of those". One bite was all it took to stop me dead in my tracks. Banh Mi, as I found out later, is a mouth-watering Vietnamese-meets-French sandwich, a product of the influence of the French colonisation of Vietnam. It consists of julienned pickled carrots and radish, flavourful minced pork, chillies, Dijon mustard and fried egg, garnished with a few sprigs of fresh coriander and slices of chilly, all of these sandwiched between a light, airy Vietnamese baguette which has been halved, hollowed and slathered generously with thick, mayonnaise. This light Vietnamese baguette is slightly crisp and crusty on the outside and delicately soft on the inside. The pickled carrots and radish gives the sandwich a gratifying crunch and an exotic taste, whereas the mayonnaise gives it a richness that settles deep within your taste buds. The coriander provides a refreshing herby flavour that beautifully complements the other ingredients, and it succeeds in enhancing the meaty flavour of the minced pork. According to the older folks who lived way back when the French were still in Vietnam, only the rich French who were missing the taste of home could afford this sandwich originally stuffed with pate and other imported ingredients. Once the French left, the Vietnamese went on to give it a cheaper and more appetizing makeover, introducing pickled vegetables and infusing them with authentic Vietnamese flavours such as fish sauce. The result? Paradise at first bite! This sandwich is not only simple to prepare, it is also a delight to your tummy. The numerous fillings makes it a perfect replacement for a hearty meal, guaranteed to make you sigh with pleasure. Bahn Mi, anyone? Bahn Mi Prep time: 10 minutes + 1 hour (for pickling shredded vegetables) Cooking time: 10 minutes Serves 4 1 large baguette, slightly toasted and almost sliced into halves 500g pork belly, roughly chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon palm sugar 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon vegetable oil A dash of black pepper 1 chilli, seeds removed and thinly sliced 2 eggs, fried Dijon mustard, to be spread on the baguette Handful of coriander/cilantro, roughly torn apart For pickled carrots and daikon, 1 carrot, coarsely grated 1/4 daikon, coarsely grated 1/4 cup vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar     1. For the pickled carrots and daikon, mix carrots, daikon, vinegar and sugar in a clean bowl. Marinade mixture for about an hour. Strain carrots and daikon, and set it aside. 2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over high heat. 3. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. 4. Add minced pork, dark soy sauce, palm sugar, fish sauce and pepper in a pan and fry until pork soaks up the sauce. 5. To assemble, spread Dijon mustard on baguette. Layer with half a fried egg, followed by chopped pork, pickled carrots and daikon, chillies and lastly coriander. 6. Repeat for 2nd, 3rd and 4th Banh Mi. 7. Eat with your hands. For more recipes, go to www.chopstickdiner.com

Dip into chocolatey goodness Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:13 PM PDT dip 'n dip originates from Syria and it offers a wide selection of chocolate drinks and desserts. – Pictures by Lydia Koh KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 — Chocolate, coffee and good conversation — nothing beats this kick-ass combination when it comes to destressing. So if you are a chocoholic, you should check out the newly-opened dip 'n dip cafe in Bangsar. Located on Jalan Telawi 3, right next to Cziplee Books & Stationery, is this warm, inviting chocolate dessert place that originates from Syria. You will notice that the chocolatiers are mostly Middle Eastern and they are a friendly bunch. It was the soft launch of dip 'n dip that day when my friends and I dropped in around 9pm. Earlier that day, the waitress told me to come by because they were offering free treats with every order. Each treat was a surprise, she said. What an irresistible idea! Immediately, I made plans to head over to dip 'n dip after dinner. I thought a chocolate affair would be a good way to end the night. Little did I know that it was going to be a chocolate indulgence I'll never forget. What's your flavour? Unsure of what to order, we asked the waitress to recommend. The Fettuccine Crepe caught our attention, looking at the photo in the menu, it looked like pasta drizzled with milk chocolate and white chocolate sauce topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We ordered the "small" portion but when it arrived minutes later, it was as large as a pizza for four people! Fettuccine Crepe is a delightfully sinful treat. After Eight Hot Chocolate is a must-have for chocolate mint lovers. The crepe was cut into fettuccine-like shapes so it looked like you're having pasta. Once the dish is served, a chocolatier will come with either milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate and drizzle the oozey, gooey chocolate onto the "pasta" — his hands high up in the air and the chocolate flowing down like a stream. We dig in, enjoying the taste and texture of this unusual dessert. I tend to overindulge so up next was the After Eight Hot Chocolate. The others ordered Earl Grey tea and White Belgian Hot Chocolate, safe choices if you are going to have chocolate anyway. I loved the mint flavour of my After Eight Hot Chocolate and although it was chocolate overdose, I loved every bit of it because I'm a fan of Max Brenner's, a chocolate chain from Australia. dip 'n dip reminds me of Max Brenner because everything on the menu has chocolate in it and it was equally good. While chatting and eating, the chocolatier came with our first surprise, a Waffle Stick dipped in milk chocolate. It was really yummy but after awhile, we found it to be rather sweet. Delectable and luxurious, you must not miss out on the Chocolate Mousse! My friend asked me to try a bit of the White Belgian Hot Chocolate. All I tasted was milk but it was alright. I thought it would have more of a white chocolate flavour but it was really milky. Just when we thought we had filled our chocolate quota for the day, another surprise came in the form of the Chocolate Mousse. I think I would definitely come back here for more of this rich and creamy dessert next time. If you asked me which were my favourites, I would say the Fettuccine Crepe and the Chocolate Mousse. "I think I ate enough chocolate to last me a year," said my friend, patting her belly. "I'm going to go home to do sit-ups. Imagine how many calories we've consumed in this single seating!" another one said. I just smiled, knowing that I will definitely come back even if I did exceed my chocolate quota (and calories) for the year.

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‘Great Expectations’ rounds off London film festival Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:42 AM PDT LONDON, Aug 30 — An all-star film adaptation of Dickens' classic novel "Great Expectations" will round off the London film festival this year, marking the 200th anniversary of the author's birth, organisers said today. Starring Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch and Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham, the film will have Jeremy Irvine playing Pip, an orphan who is catapulted out of poverty and transformed into a gentleman by a mysterious benefactor. The film, directed by Mike Newell and scripted by "One Day" author David Nicholls, will make its European premiere at the festival on October 21, before hitting British cinemas on November 30. Both Fiennes and Bonham Carter, whose partner Tim Burton will kick off the festival with his animated film "Frankenweenie", are expected to attend. "I'm proud that our new version of 'Great Expectations' should be presented this year, the bicentenary of Dickens' birth," said Newell, who directed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". "I've tried to make a film that is true to the theatrical vividness, energetic characters and high colour that he is loved for, while mining the deep seams of emotional cruelty and madness that underlie one of Dickens' darkest-shadowed stories," Newell said. This year's British Film Institute (BFI) London film festival runs from October 10-21, and the full lineup will be announced on September 5. — Reuters

French pianist admires Debussy as ‘hedonist’ of sound Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:05 AM PDT LONDON, Aug 30 — Pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard describes Claude Debussy as a "hedonist" of sound, and perhaps that's what makes both of them so French. "I know that if I use these words in this country, or in Germany, this would be interpreted in another way," the voluble 54-year-old titan of the modern piano repertoire, as well as the classics, told Reuters over coffee at a London hotel. "In France, not at all," he said, adding that Debussy was admired and appreciated for his "deep intensity, soft sensuality and incredible precision". Aimard chose his words carefully during an interview while on a visit to pick out a piano for a BBC Proms recital on September 3 in which he will play the second book of the late-19th, early 20th-century composer's famous preludes. The second book contains some of Debussy's most popular works, such as "La Cathedrale Engloutie" (The Submerged Cathedral), which the Japanese composer Isao Tomita turned into a 1970s hit in an arrangement for Moog synthesizer. Aimard has recorded both books but the second is the gnarlier of the two, which is perhaps why Aimard — who loves nothing more than to tackle a fiendishly difficult etude by his one-time close friend, the late Hungarian composer Gyorgy Ligeti — will play it at Cadogan Hall. "Why No. 2? Because of the development of everything in the second book, how it stretches in terms of harmonies, space, ambiguity," he said. "Debussy was one of the three big modernist composers, with Stravinsky and Schoenberg, but without making a revolution, almost discreetly. You could say he's deep, but in a tradition of hedonism in music. "He adored food, women and he adored music, and when you hear his music you hear sounds that are incredibly well put together and highly inspiring." Aesthetics, or what he calls "the pleasure of sounds", mean a lot to Aimard, who said that next year he was going to be taking a sabbatical. "I will make a tour, playing Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms ... and the sabbatical is afterwards. So you will not meet, you will not hear from me." It is not unusual for someone with a demanding schedule, like Aimard, who also is the artistic director of the Aldeburgh festival founded by the composer Benjamin Britten in the seaside town in Suffolk, England, to take time out, but he has more on his plate than most. Aimard thinks a lot about programming, interpretation, the future of music, and the future of the performing tradition. "I try to learn something every day and if I don't I feel very unhappy," he said. He spent, by his own reckoning, 15 years working with Ligeti, in effect as a collaborator, on the set of piano etudes, a piano concerto and other piano works that increasingly are recognised as among the great works for the instrument from the latter half of the 20th century. Repository of tradition Since Ligeti's death in 2006, Aimard is the repository of the playing and performance tradition of those works. "What was important was for the interpreter to be the witness for the creator, so there will be a memory, otherwise when we forget, that's bad." He hopes that one way or another the tradition can rub off on the younger generation of pianists, who as they come out of conservatories are technical wizards, who have no trouble tackling the toughest that Ligeti, or any other composer, has to offer, but perhaps, Aimard said, lacks artistic depth. "I think that a lot of people think that the technical level of young piano players is often very high but a lot of people are not sure that the artistic level is as high as one would wish," he said. "The question is to know what society wishes to have: I think that society needs to have people with ability but we need especially good cultural education, that is the priority for our society." — Reuters

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Eco-commune flourishes as Greek economy withers Posted: 30 Aug 2012 08:46 AM PDT A group of Greeks have quit their jobs in Athens to set up a self-sufficient commune that lives in yurts and grows its own vegetables. – Reuters pic AGHIOS, Aug 30 – Web designer Apostolos Sianos and three friends startled Greek villagers when they quit well-paid jobs in Athens to set up a self-sufficient commune that lives in yurts and grows its own vegetables. In California, or Scandinavia, such a move might have gone unnoticed. But in deeply conservative rural Greece – where green thinking is strictly the domain of urbanites – the project made suspicious locals uneasy, or was laughed off as ridiculous. But now, two years and a brutal economic crisis later, Sianos and his friends are the ones laughing. With Greece's economy in freefall, nearly one in four out of work and the desperate jobless turning to the land to survive, the group's focus on growing their own produce and cutting down their reliance on money and a bankrupt state suddenly make practical sense to many Greeks – and some are now turning to the vegan commune for advice. "Even two years ago, everyone thought we were crazy. But not any more," says Panos Kantas, 29, a pony-tailed former computer programmer who co-founded the Mount Telethrion Project with Sianos and two others. "The crisis validated a point that was obvious to us and now it's obvious to everyone." They had a rocky start in 2010, when the former city-dwellers struggled to gather firewood to keep warm in winter and found sceptical villagers asking, in all seriousness, if they were transmitting signals into outer space. But the commune now has about 15 to 20 enthusiasts living there at any time. As Greece's crisis has deepened over the past year, dozens more have inquired about moving to the commune – perched on a hilly slope on the island of Evia, or Euboea, and looking out to sea, near the village of Aghios. More than 2,500 curious visitors have stopped by, the commune's founders reckon. In particular, the workshop training sessions they offer on organic farming and building houses with a traditional adobe mix of clay, sand and straw – cheaper than bricks and mortar – have drawn interest from crisis-hit Greeks escaping a dire job market to return to tending land in their villages. "People come asking, 'How do you get started on cultivating land? What are the first steps for sustainable farming? How can you manage without a pay cheque?'" said Sianos, 32, as he sat at a table recycled from an abandoned wooden cable drum. A few feet away, a dozen young Greeks squatted on the floor of the commune's workshop area to pit yellow plums they had gathered from the nearby forest while others laid out slices of tomatoes grown in their garden to dry under the sun. About 80 per cent of the food – all vegan – consumed in the commune is produced in the garden, Sianos says, and the group tries to get the rest by bartering produce with villagers; the residents can offer their sun-dried tomatoes and a vegan chocolate substitute made from carob, tahini and hazelnuts. The commune's lofty ambitions of cutting money out of the equation altogether still have a long way to go – cash is still needed for electricity and for a new domed structure being built on land nearby as part of plans to expand. But the group tries to rely on as little cash as possible. The housing in yurts – large, round canvas tents modelled on those of Central Asian nomads – was chosen after it turned out to be the only structure they could put up without having to apply for a costly permit from state planning authorities. Other necessities like toothpaste – using baking soda, white clay and peppermint – and soap are made at the workshop. NO LAUGHING MATTER The commune is one of several ecological initiatives that have benefited as the debt crisis forces Greeks to rethink their way of life – especially the big-spending, consumerist urban lifestyle partly blamed for bringing Greece to the brink. "As a general trend, the crisis for several people was an opportunity to change the way they think and try to be organised in a different way," said Theocharis Tsoutsos, professor at the Technical University of Crete who has studied sustainable energy projects. "For instance, doing things on a smaller scale, creating their own garden, or trying to promote ecological issues on a small scale, or promoting low-cost agricultural initiatives." Greenpeace says the crisis has seen environmental policies popularised by former prime minister George Papandreou – a keen cyclist and believer in "green growth" – pushed off the political agenda. But niche initiatives like the project on Evia are thriving as Greeks to return to their rural roots, it says. The commune would have found few willing takers among Greeks riding high on an economic boom a decade ago, said the lobby group's Greek campaigns coordinator Dimitris Ibrahim. "People then were more interested in their welfare, making money, the stock market. These people would have been laughed at – Greek society was not ready to hear this kind of message," he said, adding that other, less developed eco-communes have also sprung up in Greece in recent years. "Now it's really relevant. It goes to the core – every Greek knows someone who is moving to these practices." Showing off his commune's cultivation of mushrooms and compost toilets which use worms to turn waste into cheap natural fertilizer, Sianos marvels at the project's fortunate timing. Raising capital to support the initiative has been a struggle due to the financial crisis, but on the other hand there's no shortage of interest from people eager to leave behind despair in Athens to start afresh on a remote mountain: "Ten years ago we may have easily found the money to build the site," he said. "But no one would have been here to live in it." MOANING AND WHINING For 21-year-old Anna Sofroniou, the laidback vibe and the sense of collective action in the face of a paralysing national crisis pushed her to return to the commune after unsuccessfully hunting for a job as teacher over the past year. "Throughout the crisis, you see people moaning and whining without doing anything," said the recent college graduate. "In Athens, everybody just talks about politics and problems." Instead, at the commune, she found little talk of the crisis and a range of communal chores ranging from foraging for berries and wild herbs to building a wooden shed to fill her time. Yannis Razakias and Maria Eikosipentaki, a couple from Athens who have lived at the commune for three months, stumbled upon the project on the Internet and were similarly drawn to it as an escape from an urban lifestyle beset with anxieties. "The crisis definitely affected us psychologically in our decision. Our clients, our employers, everyone talked about the crisis and how they could get through it," said Eikosipentaki, who quit the hairdresser job she had for 14 years to move here. "In Athens, the only things on our minds were things like how we could make it, how we would get through this or that, how we could find some money to go on a trip." Indeed, Greece's crippling recession seems a world away this summer as night falls and pasta with herbs is cooked for a communal dinner under a large fig tree. Only the chirp of cicadas accompanies chatter. The main topics of dinner table conversation across Greece – the crisis, the reviled foreign bailout keeping the country afloat and the much loathed troika of lenders bankrolling Athens – are absent. The commune still has its challenges, including lingering scepticism and mistrust among some of the local villagers. "They are very suspicious – like, 'What are these long-haired people from Athens doing here?'" said Sianos. "They don't understand what we're trying to do. If you tell them we're an eco-community they look at you like you're an alien." Opinion has softened somewhat, Sianos says, but winning over locals remains harder than convincing crisis-hit Athens natives. In the centre of the village of Aghios, farmers sipping their morning coffee at cafes said they had yet to figure out what the commune was up to its midst and how it got by. "They can't get be getting by without money and with just a small piece of land," scoffed Stathis Raxiotis, a 65-year-old farmer as he nursed a small cup of strong black coffee: "We've been farmers for decades," he said. "We have hundreds of trees, lots of land – and, with the crisis, even we can't get by on farming alone." – Reuters

China’s ‘Eagle Dad’ renews debate on strict parenting Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:00 AM PDT QINGDAO, Aug 30 — "Tiger mother" became a buzzword last year for tough love and parenting in the United States, but in recent months across the Pacific a Chinese "Eagle Dad" has sparked a new furore with his own brand of discipline. He Liesheng created a storm in February when a video of him making his 4-year-old son run nearly naked in the snow while on holiday in New York went viral on the internet, leading to talk about whether He was teaching toughness or being abusive. Recently he has encountered similar criticism in the media and on China's Twitter-like microblogs for forcing his son to sail a dinghy single-handed. Some said his parenting style risked leaving lasting scars. In 2011, the book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Chinese American Amy Chua similarly prompted furious debate about ultra-strict parenting. Chua has said she meant much of the book to be parody. But He, who comes from Eastern China and has been branded "Eagle Dad" by the Chinese media, has said his extreme parenting is serious and meant to prepare his son for the future. "The big eagle pushes the young eagle off the cliff. As it falls, the little eagle has no choice but to spread its wings, and learns how to fly," He explained, quoting a Chinese proverb. He also brushed off comparisons with Chua. "She educated her children by threatening and scolding them," He said. "I would never do that. I use the environment, like the waves, to do it instead." But Jessica Ho, director of Against Child Abuse in Hong Kong, said the video made her feel uncomfortable. "At his age these activities are not appropriate ... From the clip, it is clear he is very scared," she said. "The father is very achievement-oriented and the psychological well-being of the child may have been overlooked. "The father says he wants to push the boy to his limits and that if the boy is pushed off the cliff, he will fly — but if he hasn't yet grown wings, how can he?" On Sina Weibo, one of China's hugely-popular microblogs, indignation far outweighs support. "This 'Eagle Dad' is clearly mentally unstable after a dark childhood. Poor little Duoduo," wrote MumaoXX. In February, the Eagle Dad's video showed tiny He Yide — known as Duoduo — in his underpants doing push-ups, crying and begging his father to hug him in temperatures well below zero. Now, He is training Duoduo to sail, hoping the rough sea and natural elements of the ocean will strengthen his young son. "I think that after Duoduo has been through around half a year of this kind of training, he should have the ability to sail out into the open sea, with the coach nearby," He said as he watched the small boy tack and jibe with obvious reluctance around a marina in the coastal city of Qingdao. "He is wearing a life-jacket, and he can swim, so although there is still danger, it is greatly reduced." Duoduo was born prematurely at seven months, and suffered from illnesses such jaundice and pneumonia, He said, citing this fragility as a major reason for his strong parenting style. He also is keen to see that Duoduo is not pampered like many only children born under China's one-child policy. But Duoduo is unconvinced. "Sailing is a bit boring," he said with a frown, when prompted by his dad. "It's really slow." He has taken full advantage of his "Eagle Dad" moniker, promoting what he calls "eagle education" and even writing a book, "I am Eagle Dad." Anita Chan, an expert in child education in Hong Kong, said if a if a child does not have the talent and is forced him to do these things, "there will come a day when he will defy and resist". "Even if the child forces himself to do as you say, that would result in a personality that is distorted and extreme." — Reuters

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Book Talk: Treasure hunts and tomb raids in Asia Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:59 AM PDT A Buddhist monk and a dog look at the Cambodian jungle from a lookout point. Author Kim Fay's debut novel, 'The Map of Lost Memories,' follows archaeologist Irene Blum as she meets fellow adventurers seeking to be the first to discover a long-hidden temple and a set of ancient scrolls in Cambodia. – Reuters pic TOKYO, Aug 30 – After being passed over for promotion in 1925, archaeologist Irene Blum finds new purpose thanks to a mysterious map that promises a life-changing find and leads her on a quest to Shanghai and deep into the jungles of Cambodia. Author Kim Fay's debut novel, "The Map of Lost Memories," follows Blum as she meets fellow adventurers seeking to be the first to discover a long-hidden temple and a set of ancient scrolls. Fay, who spent four years living in Vietnam, said her passion for Asia was sparked by her grandfather's tales of his adventures as a sailor there in the 1930s. She spoke with Reuters about her book and the challenges of writing about different cultures and time periods. Q: What got this book going? A: "I had moved to Vietnam to teach English and give myself time to write. I knew I wanted to write a novel and I was working on a satire, a completely different novel ... I read 'Silk Road,' which was a story of Andre and Clara Malraux. Andre was the minister of culture for Charles de Gaulle, but when he was in his early 20s, he and his wife 'liberated' a bas relief from the temple of Banteay Srey. They came up with a whole plot ... They got as far as Phnom Penh before they were caught. "That was the spark. There was something in that story I just started thinking about – the obsession. I think I was also still enamoured with that part of the world. The novel I'd been working on, which is not even worth remarking on, didn't touch me in any way. I wanted to write about the place, mainly. It became one of those obsessions. I wanted to write about these people who were obsessed." Q: The settings are almost characters in their own right. How did you make them so vivid, given that they're historical? A: "I was lucky. When I lived in Vietnam, I lived in Saigon, and (when) I moved there in 1995, it really hadn't changed. All of the old French buildings were there. There were no skyscrapers. Granted, there were a lot of American buildings and things that had been built, but it truly was the old city. I also visited Phnom Penh in the 90s, so I was lucky in that respect as well. Even when I went to Shanghai, in 2000, and retraced my grandfather's path, the city hadn't been built up in that really modern way yet. "But I also did things. For example, I knew Phnom Penh, but I got an old map from the 20s. Then I went online and found every postcard I could from the 20s and rebuilt the town in my house. So I actually rebuilt Phnom Penh in the 1920s, like a diorama, so my characters could walk through the different areas. In the jungle, I went up the Mekong River and got on a bicycle and went off by myself into the jungly bit." Q: What are the challenges of writing about different countries like this – especially in Asia it's either stereotypes or too much exoticism. How did you handle this? A: "I struggled with that and had a really hard time. Take the tribespeople up in the jungle. Everything I wrote I found in books, and I found information and I talked to people. But the problem was the way that a Caucasian or a Westerner from the 1920s would look at those people, and how they would describe them and judge them. It would be very stereotypical and almost cartoonish. I've found travelogues from that time and thought 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe you just said that' ... "I pulled back from that, it's something that's on my mind all the time. That's why my editors kept saying there weren't interactions with the Cambodian people. It's because I would have been writing from a very hyper-aware 21st century viewpoint, and every time I tried to write from the mindset of that time period it became so stilted and so one-dimensional. I couldn't get there and I didn't want to do that to any of the characters, and I didn't want to present just another 'really wise old Asian man' ..." Q: What were the main pleasures with this book? A: "The research was definitely a pleasure. I read more than a hundred books, on every topic ... Another one of the pleasures was just writing about place. Truly my favourite thing to do is to sit and try and describe something in a way that I think the reader will actually feel it. I thought a lot when I wrote this book about my grandmother. "Before she passed away she was housebound and she watched TV and she read. Reading took her places. There are a lot of people who will go there and the book will mean a lot to them because they've been to Angkor Wat. But there are probably more people who will never go there, and will never go to a jungle, and will never feel that kind of heat, so the pleasure is thinking you're going to be able to take the reader to another place and give that place to them." – Reuters

Amazon: Kindle titles downloaded over 100 million times Posted: 29 Aug 2012 06:19 PM PDT LOS ANGELES, Aug 30 — Amazon announced that its 180,000 books readable on Kindle had generated over 100 million downloads or rentals. Access to the majority of these titles is unlimited to people who subscribe to a US$79/year package. This summer, War Brides by Helen Bryan was the most popular title with 270,000 downloads. Karen McQuestion's collection A Scattered Life, Easily Amused and The Long Way Home, passed the 500,000 mark. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Jangan politikkan kes kematian lelaki yang ditembak di Ampang, kata polis Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:49 AM PDT SHAH ALAM, 30 Ogos — Polis hari ini meminta semua pihak agar jangan mempolitikkan dan mensensasikan kes kematian seorang lelaki berumur 26 tahun yang dipercayai anggota kumpulan samseng selepas ditembak polis di Ampang Selasa lepas. Ketua Polis Selangor Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah berkata kes kematian itu dimainkan sesetengah pihak dalam media sosial dan tindakan sedemikian hanya akan mengganggu siasatan polis. "Biar polis jalankan siasatan secara telus tanpa melindungi sesiapa bagi memastikan keadilan kepada semua pihak," katanya dalam sidang akhbar di Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen Selangor di sini hari ini. Dalam kejadian 1.15 pagi itu, polis menerima laporan mengenai pergaduhan dua kumpulan di kawasan pangsapuri di Pandan Perdana sebelum menghantar sepasukan lapan anggota ke tempat kejadian. Menyedari kehadiran polis, suspek dan empat lagi rakannya masuk ke dalam kereta jenis Hyundai untuk melarikan diri sebelum dikejar pasukan polis yang kemudian mengesan mereka di Tasik Permai. Kelima-lima suspek berumur 26 hingga 30 tahun itu kemudian meluru keluar daripada kereta dan cuba menyerang anggota polis menggunakan parang, pisau pemotong daging dan besi, sebelum polis bertindak melepaskan dua das tembakan ke arah suspek dan menahan mereka. Bagaimanapun, lelaki berusia 26 tahun itu cedera ditembak selepas menyerang pasukan polis ketika cuba menahannya dan disahkan meninggal dunia di Hospital Ampang kira-kira 6 pagi dua hari selepas kejadian. Tun Hisan berkata polis sehingga kini merakamkan 33 percakapan berhubung kejadian itu dan enam individu yang disyaki terlibat dalam pergaduhan berkenaan dituduh di mahkamah pada Jumaat dan Isnin lepas. Beliau meminta keluarga si mati dan seorang lagi rakannya yang membuat laporan polis berhubung kejadian itu agar tampil ke hadapan untuk memberikan keterangan. — Bernama

Tiada sebab untuk pertikai tema ‘Janji Ditepati’, kata Najib Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:42 AM PDT ALOR SETAR, 30 Ogos — Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak menegaskan tiada sebab untuk sesiapa mempertikaikan tema sambutan Hari Kebangsaan "Janji Ditepati" kerana ia merupakan asas yang mulia. Beliau (foto fail) berkata Janji Ditepati merupakan prinsip dalam agama Islam, sesuatu yang universal dan sebagai orang Islam, perlu untuk mengikat janji. "Tiada sebab untuk pertikai tema ini melainkan orang itu tak biasa tunaikan janji. Saya akan pertahan prinsip ini sebagai teras asas yang mulia. "Janji dengan Allah adalah yang terbesar. Janji sesama manusia, orang akan percayakan kita kalau janji itu ditunaikan," katanya ketika berucap pada Majlis Aidilfitri 1Malaysia Bersama Perdana Menteri di perkarangan Stadium Darul Aman di sini hari ini. Perdana Menteri berkata soal janji juga bukanlah terhad kepada kerajaan atau wakil rakyat semata-mata, malah rakyat biasa turut perlu berjanji. Najib berkata sekiranya mahukan negara aman, stabil dan bertambah makmur, rakyat mesti berjanji untuk menyumbang kepada keamanan dan kemakmuran. "Semua pihak ada janji masing-masing, pada Allah, manusia dan kerajaan, maka manusia akan bertambah maju dan berjaya. Sebagai kerajaan kalau berjanji, perlu ditunaikan," katanya. Turut hadir isteri Perdana Menteri Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung, Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Negeri Kedah Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah dan Timbalan Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Negeri yang juga Timbalan Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir. Majlis yang dianjurkan oleh Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) negeri itu dihadiri lebih 50,000 orang. Setiap Umno bahagian dan parti komponen BN turut mengambil bahagian dengan menyediakan gerai pelbagai jenis makanan. — Bernama

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Burhanuddin Helmy, PM yang tak pernah kita miliki Posted: 29 Aug 2012 05:05 PM PDT 30 OGOS ― Di atas robohan kota Melaka, Kita dirikan jiwa Mereka, Bersatu padulah segenap baka, Membela hak keadilan pusaka. Pantun Dr Burhanuddin bin Muhammad Nur Al Helmy atau dikenali sebagai Burhanuddin Helmy semasa galak melawan penjajah British melalui parti pimpinannya, Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM). Insan ini adalah insan hebat dan istimewa yang berjaya menyatukan rakyat pelbagai kaum pada ketika itu melalui Putera–AMCJA (gabungan Pusat Tenaga Rakyat dan All Malayan Council of Joint Action) menawarkan Perlembagaan Rakyat sebagai persiapan untuk mengambil alih Malaya dari British. Perlembagaan Rakyat setebal 60 muka surat, hasil usaha Pak Sako yang dirumuskan dan diluluskan pada bulan Ogos 1947. Sebahagian daripada kandungannya ialah: • Persekutuan Tanah Melayu merdeka termasuk Singapura. • Kerajaan Pusat dan Kerajaan Negeri dipilih oleh rakyat. • Kedaulatan Raja-Raja Melayu sebagai Raja Berpelembagaan. • Bendera dan Lagu Kebangsaan ditetapkan. • Taraf warga negara samarata kepada semua penduduk yang taat setia. • Melayu sebagai nation (negara bangsa) bukan Malayan. • Agama Islam ditadbir oleh Majlis Mesyuarat Khas. Putera–AMCJA melancarkan Hartal selepas British menolak gagasan mereka menyebabkan Malaya ibarat "dilanggar Garuda". British yang takut dengan perkembangan ini mengisytiharkan darurat. Putera-AMCJA diharamkan. Termasuklah pergerakkan politik lain seperti PKMM, PKM, API AWAS, GERAM dan banyak lagi. Ramai ditangkap termasuklah Dr Burhanuddin dan Ahmad Boestaman. Gagallah satu usaha progesif yang mahu memerdekakan Malaya. Dr Burhanuddin terus keluar masuk penjara walaupun selepas Merdeka. Dituduh komunis dan menjadi ancaman negara. Malaya gagal untuk hidup dibawah pimpinan seorang tokoh hebat yang diiktiraf dunia dan terus dibelenggu masalah perkauman selepas 55 tahun Merdeka. Fakta kemerdekaan Walaupun sudah 55 tahun merdeka, penjelasan perlu dibuatkan tentang salah tanggapan yang meluas mengenai sejarah negara. PKMM adalah parti pertama buat orang-orang Melayu, bersifat progresif dan anti penjajahan. Dr Burhanuddin bersama-sama dengan Ishak Haji Muhammad (Pak Sako), Musa Ahmad, Ahmad Boestamam, Shamsiah Fakeh, Abu Bakar Bakir, Abdullah CD dan ramai lagi bergerak aktif memperjuangkan kemerdekaan Malaya bersama parti yang ditubuhkan pada tahun 1945 itu, sebelum United Malay National Organization (Umno) ditubuhkan. Tidak tepat jika Umno mendakwa mereka mempelopori perjuangan kemerdekaan. Lebih tepat jika Umno katakan, British lebih selesa kemerdekaan Malaya dipimpin oleh Umno berbanding PKMM. Mengapa? Kerana PKMM mahukan kemerdekaan penuh daripada British. Ertinya, jika PKMM menang dalam perlawanan memerdekakan Malaya dan Dr Burhanuddin menjadi Perdana Menteri pertama Malaya, semua kepentingan British di Malaya akan lenyap. Lihatlah apabila Malaya merdeka ditangan Umno, syarikat seperti Guthrie hanya berjaya diambil alih kembali oleh anak tempatan pada tahun 1980an. Selagi penulisan sejarah tidak ditulis semula untuk memberikan keadilan semua pejuang tanpa mengira latar belakang politik, selagi itulah semangat patriotik rakyat tidak akan kuat. Minggu lalu di sebuah kedai kopi di Brickfields saya dan dua orang teman memerhatikan bagaimana hanya dua kereta yang meletakkan Jalur Gemilang melalui dari pukul 11 malam sehingga pukul tiga pagi. Tidakkah kita merasakan ada masalah tentang patriotisme disini? * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

BN eyeing Pakatan’s ideas Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:52 PM PDT AUG 30 — It is said, with fair cause, that imitation is the highest form of flattery. From writers to kings, those who have marked their place in history, have often stood on the shoulders of giants. Christopher Marlowe is a relative afterthought to William Shakespeare; New Kids on the Block [1] eclipsed New Edition on the charts because they were decidedly white; and even Martin Luther King Jr was accused of liberally picking up choice lines from supreme thinkers. But if you really want to know, neither "Armageddon" nor "Deep Impact" with almost identical storylines in their 1998 race to the bottom via a comet or two made cinema grow except to contribute a cliché song [2] and a nasty — daddy-child fight the nerves before the surf — scene. You probably didn't, but this you want to know — Malaysia has a new hype. Copycat government. The Barisan Nasional (BN) government in a stroke of genius has decided to mimic Pakatan Rakyat (PR). The opposition is flattered, that their ideas are being applauded in a backhanded way, but suffice to say PR is also experiencing a whole range of other emotions. Because as ever, the BN is trying to eat its cake and have it too. And denying PR any credit for raising these issues. The glaring one being BN flaying PR — PKR especially — over demands to drop excise taxes and end Approved Permits [3] for automobiles, saying that it will destroy fragile local industries and deprive government of revenue, and then turning around and seed the news that they are about to lower car prices in stages. So the government reluctantly agrees with PR? If that is the case, then shouldn't the various "analysts" who have accused PR of being irresponsible with the automotive proposals train their guns now on BN leaders? Isn't turd by any other name, still turd? Of course this is not new, the two-facedness by both the "analysts" and the government, but the rapidity of the adoptions by BN presently cast a new light on the Najib administration, it fears its own shadows. The PTPTN [N], the national college-loan fund, U-turn is more subtle — but it is there to be seen. The repayment rate is now down to a monthly RM50. Effectively BN is agreeing principally to the policies they have consistently pilloried as populist. Same too, the two-tiered minimum wage plan from BN is a direct consequence of PR prodding. Still, the BN proposal is lower and there is the real danger that it will be dragged out longer if the coalition wins the general election. Mercies for a nation The dynamics of the incumbent backtracking and incorporating the ideas from the other side of the aisle is interesting viewing. It is also the way government should always be, a result of public debate. Parliament is where the general debate is synthesised. It upholds the premise that all citizens have ideas. When those good ideas are not harnessed then the system has failed, not the citizen. The "cut and paste" situation heightens the theory that the more parity in reach, discourse and decision-making then better things are in store for the Malaysian people. But it would be better cricket if the government was magnanimous in recognising they have changed tracks on particular areas due to the lobbying of those not in their ranks. It's only polite to say thank you. "We are one country," doesn't the prime minister say it in multiple ways, which does grate me just like the Aerosmith song. So in this Merdeka season, Najib might want to show Malaysian leadership and render his slogans more life than the printing-ink bearing them. For this nation cannot be one when only one half of it is right, and the other half not — all the time. "Let them copy" culture Najib thanking is a separate matter, but if the ideas being copied are half decent, then the Malaysian people are forced to consider; if PR has the better ideas, would it not be better to let them administer and not just wait for the most pressing of their ideas to be co-opted by BN? I will concede that between ideas and their successful implementation there lies a long road with other obstacles. Changes in the automotive industries' taxation system will have to be managed across the local and international realities, and there has to be a soft landing for those asked to bear the changes most. But as any work promotion must factor, all those hoisted up to positions can only be judged by the past and their suitability for the new position is based on the potential projected in the previous role. The people of Malaysia have to judge the potential projected. If the guys they are set to replace have been copying from PR, then the signs are all positive for the opposition and fairly ominous for the BN lads. It appears if the above is widely shared, then the BN team are going to have a fairly nervous Merdeka holiday period. Happy Merdeka to all, even to my distressed mates in Umno. [1] Put your head down in shame if you were an NKOTB kid... Alright, there were occasions I sang along to "The right stuff." [2] "I don't want to miss a thing" [3] To protect the national automotive industry in the early 1980s, all foreign cars had to pay higher excise taxes, and those bringing in foreign cars had to apply for the Approved Permit. [4] Most Malaysian students studying locally over the last 15 years have taken loans from the fund. There are many who have not been able to service the loan since they are unemployed or in lower-paying jobs. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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