Jumaat, 17 Januari 2014

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Yummy Yee Sang, Posh Burger and more

Posted: 17 Jan 2014 04:45 PM PST

BY EU HOOI KHAW
January 18, 2014

Tossing the Yee Sang at Living Food for prosperity.The Yee Sang was an attractive palette of colours – pink pomelo, white kelp noodles, spirals of carrot and cucumber, cashews, kale and flax crackers. There was of course the Wild Robinson Sea Bream in a fish ceviche.

To bring it all together was the mandarin orange sauce stirred with a little olive oil and sprinkled with black sesame.

Yee Sang with Wild Robinson Sea Bream Fish Ceviche, kelp, vegetables and fruits.It's the Yee Sang the Living Food Bistro/Cafe has started serving for the Chinese New Year. We tossed this Yee Sang with relish, loving the crunch of the carrot, cucumber spirals and flax crackers, the luscious fish that had been lightly poached in oil and the tangy mandarin orange sauce.

It had balanced, fresh flavours. Altogether it was an amazing combination with the tangy, zingy sauce that had a light sweetness, unlike other Yee Sang sauces.

I liked the generous portion of sweet fish circled with dark green kale at the side, so different from the few slivers of raw salmon we usually get.

If it's good health you wish for, this is the Yee Sang you should have.

Raw Vegan Roll with Homemade Jeju Sauce.We had started with some Raw Vegan Rolls, with kale, carrot, cucumber, walnut pate, mint and pineapple rolled up in soft, silken rice paper and served with a dip of homemade Jeju sauce. This was a combination of Korean or Gochujang sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil.

The rolls were a textural delight and delicious with the perky, lightly sweet dip.

Grilled Wild Pearl Snapper in a pimento pepper marinade with cucumber linguine.We also enjoyed the Grilled Chermoula Pearl Snapper in a pimento pepper marinade served with cucumber linguine. The thick fillets of the fish, which is rich in Omega 3, burst with sweetness with each bite of its smooth, firm flesh, lifted by the spicy pimento pepper sauce.

The fish sat on a twirl of cucumber "linguine", drizzled with a nut butter sauce.

These were just the appetisers; we were raring for more of what Ashley Yinn, the young and creative chef of Living Food Café had to offer. We settled on the Golden Million Steak, which is chilled organic grass-fed steak with tangerine soy sauce and a lotus root salad.

Golden Million Steak.It's tender, naturally flavourful meat that did not need a heavy or rich sauce. The citrusy sauce was just nice with it. The lotus root salad was also dressed in this sauce, giving it some juicy and crunchy piquant bites.

The three of us shared the Living Vege Loaf, which had layers of marinated spinach, mushroom, avocado and walnut paste. It was a mellow, creamy and tasty combination, with the pieces of mushrooms popping up at every bite. It was served with flax crackers and rosemary bread.

The Posh Lamb Burger was yums. It was pure, juicy lamb, all 150g of it, in the patty, with a slice of brie melted over it, and sandwiched in a specially made red yeast bun.

Posh Burger in a red yeast bun.Arugula and lettuce in a balsamic dressing, sliced tomato, and a nut cream drizzle brought it altogether. It wasn't the first time I had eaten this, but it's such a wonderful burger that I would recommend each time to friends when I'm there.

Dessert was a Black Forest Brownie that takes four days to make, according to Ashley, as it's a raw flourless chocolate cake baked with almond meal, vanilla chocolate butter, eggs and walnut. It tasted like pure chocolate inside, with a nut cream, raspberry and cherry sauce poured over it. It was superb.

Black Forest Brownie with Raspberry Cherry Sauce.The Apple Crumble is another of my favourite desserts there. It has a crumbly shortcrust base, and it's chunky with caramelised apple and nuts, topped with an oat and nut crumble.

A big slice of this is as good as a meal, a really scrumptious one.

Living Food is about raw food that's cooked at a low temperature of about 42 degrees Celsius so that its natural enzymes and nutritional value are not destroyed. Salads and raw fish are also living food.

Apple Crumble.At the Living Food Bistro/Cafe, Ashley and her mum Emily Chak make sure the food is not only healthy but also delicious, and both chefs are amazingly good at pushing boundaries and creating new dishes.

The prices: The Yee Sang is RM68, Golden Million Steak RM45, Chermoula Pearl Snapper RM45, Raw Vegan Rolls RM32, Living Vege Layer Loaf RM32. The desserts are RM10 each.

Living Food Bistro/Cafe is located at G-04, Ground floor, Menara Tan & Tan, 207 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2181 2778. Two new cafes will be opening in Bangsar and KLCC in March. – January 18, 2014.

The country deemed to have the healthiest eating habits may surprise you

Posted: 17 Jan 2014 03:58 AM PST

January 17, 2014

A traditional Dutch pea soup called snert. - AFP/Relaxnews pic, January 17, 2014.Thanks in part to a diet that places emphasis on vegetables and dairy products, the Netherlands has been named the healthiest country in the world to eat. Conspicuously absent on the top 10 list? The US, Canada and the UK.

Though the country is better known for its liberal drug laws than its cuisine, the Dutch diet ranked the healthiest out of 125 countries in a wide sweeping report out of Oxfam that looked at factors like food availability, affordability, food quality and obesity rates.

According to the index "Good Enough to Eat", the Netherlands emerged the leader thanks to relatively low food prices, low prevalence of diabetes, and better nutritional diversity than its European rivals.

Overall, the list is dominated by European countries, with France and Switzerland tying for second place, followed by Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden tying for third.

Notable absentees include the UK, Canada and the US.

Asian giants South Korea and Japan, meanwhile, performed the best when it comes to healthy eating habits and food availability, given their lower rates of diabetes and obesity and equally low rates of malnutrition in children.

At the other end of the spectrum, Chad landed dead last on the list, due to high food prices, poor nutritional value as well as limited sanitary conditions that includes access to clean water.

Second from the bottom are Angola and Ethiopia.

Interestingly, when it comes to unhealthy eating habits, Saudi Arabia was the lowest scoring country, ranking the worst for its high prevalence of diabetes – a whopping 18% of the population is diabetic. A third of the population is also considered obese.

The fattest country on the list is Kuwait, where 42% of the population is obese.

To compile their ranking, researchers looked at figures from eight studies published out of international groups like the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the International Labour Organisation.

Meanwhile, a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that a healthy traditional Dutch diet – defined as a high intake of vegetables, fruit, dairy products and potatoes – was more feasible and healthier for the longevity of older Dutch women, compared to a Mediterranean diet.

Here are the top countries for healthy eating, according Oxfam's "Good Enough to Eat" index:

1. Netherlands
2. France, Switzerland
3. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden
4. Australia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal - AFP/Relaxnews, January 17, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Man City juggernaut bearing down on 100-goal barrier

Posted: 17 Jan 2014 07:35 AM PST

January 17, 2014

Manchester City's Edin Dzeko (right) shoots to score during their FA Cup third round match against Blackburn Rovers at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, northwest England, January 15, 2014. - Reuters pic, January 17, 2014.Cardiff City have the onerous task of stopping the Manchester City juggernaut smashing through the 100-goal mark tomorrow.

The struggling Welsh club travel to the Etihad Stadium looking like lambs to the slaughter against a City side needing only one goal to become the first English club to score 100 times by the end of January.

Manuel Pellegrini's team have racked up 99 goals so far this season in 33 games, the last five coming in Wednesday's FA Cup third round replay against Blackburn Rovers.

City are almost unbackable at 50-1 on to score a goal with bookmakers William Hill while odds on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Cardiff keeping a clean sheet are out at 16-1.

While the Blues have been creating a heady brew at The Etihad, scoring 64 goals there this season, manager Manuel Pellegrini remains a sober figure.

"We will try to do a good game for the fans – so far we are doing well but every game is different," the Chilean told a news conference. "Cardiff only lost to Arsenal late on in the game so we are not thinking it will be an easy game.

"More goals are better but we prefer to be a balanced team."

City have scored 59 goals in the Premier League as they look to chase down a number of records as well as trophies.

Aston Villa hold the record for most goals in a domestic top flight league campaign with 128 in 42 games in 1930-31 and Chelsea hold the Premier League record of 103 in 2009-10.

Cross-city rivals Manchester United hold the record goals haul in all competitions with Matt Busby's side netting 143 in the 1956-57 season.

City have scored five goals three times, six goals three times, including against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, and struck seven against Norwich City.

Worryingly for their rivals, their recent burst of scoring has been without Sergio Aguero who returned in midweek.

"(Edin) Dzeko and (Alvaro) Negredo are in very good moments and Sergio is just coming back from injury, so it's good we have the three," Pellegrini said.

"Sergio coming back from a long injury, he played 20 minutes the other night – we'll see tomorrow if he starts."

Negredo has scored 21 goals and Dzeko has helped himself to 15 so far this season while the returning Aguero has 20 and powerhouse midfielder Yaya Toure 13.

City will also have revenge on their mind after losing 3-2 to Cardiff earlier in the season – a defensive wake-up call according to Pellegrini.

"They scored with their first two corners which I think are the last two corners we've conceded from," he said.

Ex-Man United striker Solskjaer faces a daunting trying to stop City but was making all the right noises today.

"We're relishing the challenge ahead. Going to the Etihad – you're tested to your maximum," he told Cardiff's website.

"You enjoy that. We feel we didn't get what we deserved last weekend (in the defeat by West Ham), especially after our performance in the second half." - Reuters, January 17, 2014.

United manager Moyes fined for comments about referee

Posted: 17 Jan 2014 07:15 AM PST

January 17, 2014

Manchester United manager David Moyes (pic) was fined 8,000 pounds (RM43,364) by the English FA and warned about his future conduct today over comments he made about match officials.

Moyes admitted a misconduct charge following his outburst after United's 2-1 League Cup semi-final first-leg defeat at Sunderland on January 7.

The Scot said his side had to play the officials as well as the opposition and criticised the performance of referee Andre Marriner during the Sunderland game. - Reuters, January 17, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

Extreme devotion on display as Malaysia marks Thaipusam

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 11:59 PM PST

January 17, 2014

A Hindu devotee makes his way towards the temple during the Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, today. - The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, January 17, 2014.Malaysian Hindu devotee Karthi Gan grimaces while tapping his feet to the beat of ritual drums as two men plunge dozens of sharp hooks into his chest and back.

The painful ritual is Karthi's way of giving thanks to the Hindu deity Muruga as part of the country's colourful annual Thaipusam festival, one of the world's most extreme displays of religious devotion.

Celebrated also in India and other areas with significant Tamil communities, the three-day festival that kicked off today is marked with particular zest among Malaysian Indians.

Hordes of Hindus flock to temples across the country with offerings, many showing their fervour via extensive piercing or by bearing the elaborately decorated burdens called "kavadi" that are carried to religious sites.

"I got what I asked from Lord Muruga," said Karthi, a 31-year-old engineer, who prayed during last year's festival for "a good life".

"I got a new-born baby. I got a new home," he said late last night, when he and thousands of others began the slow and painful process of affixing their kavadi in the northern state of Penang.

His styrofoam kavadi structure – a frame attached to his hips and crowned by a peacock-eye design – was relatively light.

The piercing, however, had him feeling "a little nervous" ahead of the ritual just outside a Hindu temple, but he soon joined dozens of others who submitted to the ordeal.

Installing the kavadi, however, is merely the beginning.

In Penang, devotees then paraded barefoot for hours today through the streets of the state capital Georgetown, carrying kavadi that can weigh as much as 100 kilogrammes.

Participants swayed trance-like to drumbeats that had throbbed since yesterday.

Devotees make their way towards the Batu Caves temple on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, today. - The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, January 17, 2014.Cheered on by friends and family who danced and chanted, the processions culminated in an 800-step climb to a hilltop temple for prayers.

Thaipusam commemorates the day when, according to Hindu mythology, the goddess Pavarthi gave her son Lord Muruga a lance to slay evil demons.

Concentrating as he plunged skewers through a man's cheek and tongue, Segar Chelleiah, a 46-year-old lorry driver, said he helped prepare about 20 people within a few hours at one of Georgetown's many small temples.

After driving large hooks through devotees' backs, ropes attached to the hooks are pulled to stretch the skin out. The whole process is surprisingly bloodless.

"I know where to put the skewers. My grandfather taught me," Segar said, before thrusting a thick metal rod through a devotee's cheek, taking pride in not spilling a drop of blood.

He later hung 600 miniature pots of milk – a typical ritual offering – on an equal number of hooks embedded in the bare upper torso of another devotee who quivered and perspired under the ordeal.

Segar eschews antiseptic, saying prayer and Muruga's mercy prevent infection, along with devotees' days of strict vegetarian dieting and abstinence from sex and other vices ahead of the festival to purify the body.

A Hindu devotee with her cheeks pierced makes her way towards the Batu Caves temple on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, today. - The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, January 17, 2014.More than two million of racially diverse Malaysia's 28 million people are ethnic Indian, mostly descendants of labourers brought in under British colonial rule. Most are Hindu.

Devotees are free to choose the design of their kavadi, giving rise recently to modern themes including logos of Manchester United and other popular football clubs, along with the typical peacock feathers and colourful replicas of Muruga.

The Muslim-majority country's main advisory body on Hindu worship, Malaysia Hindu Sangam, issued guidelines for this year's festival banning such "inappropriate" kavadi as well as excessive noise.

The aim is a more "presentable" Thaipusam, its president Mohan Shan told AFP.

"Lately we see this is a big problem. It's not right in our religion," he said.

A Hindu devotee with her cheeks pierced makes her way towards the temple during the Thaipusam festival at the Batu Caves on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, today. - The Malaysian Insider pic by Najjua Zulkefli, January 17, 2014."We have to make our Hindu devotees follow the correct rituals."

Religious tension has risen in Malaysia over a number of disputes, most recently an escalating row over whether Malay-speaking Christians can use the Arabic "Allah" to refer to God.

Conservative Muslims insist only followers of Islam can use it.

But Thaipusam festivities seemed no less colourful this year.

Yesterday, a silver chariot carrying the image of Muruga was pulled through Georgetown's streets by two bulls as crowds of the faithful offered up platters of fruit while others smashed coconuts in its path, a key annual rite.

"We just want peace in our country, so we have to respect each other's religions," Krishnawani Ramakrishnan, 48, said after handing her platter to white-clad riders on the chariot as Tamil music thundered through the city. - AFP, January 17, 2014.

Build it and they will believe, says defiant China tycoon

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:05 PM PST

January 17, 2014

This picture taken on December 31, 2013, shows a 130-foot high pyramid (left) built by Chinese multimillionaire Zhang Yue, on his corporate campus in Changsha, China's Hunan province. A Chinese multimillionaire who built himself an Egyptian pyramid and a replica of Versailles vows to construct the world's tallest building in just six months – despite authorities preventing work amid safety concerns. – AFP pic, January 17, 2014. A Chinese multimillionaire who built himself an Egyptian pyramid and a replica of Versailles vows to construct the world's tallest building in just six months – despite authorities preventing work amid safety concerns.

Zhang Yue is worth an estimated US$180 million (RM600 million)and has grandiose aspirations, the biggest of them to build an 838 metre tall tower he calls "Sky City" by the year's end.

It is designed to be 10 metres higher than the current title-holder, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai – which took five years to construct.

But he admits the project has run into fierce opposition. "There are not many people who support us," Zhang told AFP. "There are too many bad people."

Zhang, 53, made a fortune selling air-conditioners and was the first Chinese entrepreneur to own a private helicopter, but has sought to reinvent himself as a green crusader.

He retains a down-to-earth manner, eating in a staff canteen and spitting casually into a tissue as he talks, but sees himself as a visionary hoping to reshape China's cities.

The decades-long movement of hundreds of millions of people from China's countryside to its towns and conurbations is the largest migration in human history, and both a cause and effect of its economic boom, but he sees it as a road to environmental disaster.

"We have to quickly move out of this mistaken kind of urbanisation," he said, describing Sky City, with energy-saving materials and reduced use of land, as "one such way out".

Zhang's company Broad Sustainable Building has already built a 30 storey hotel in 15 days in the central Chinese city of Changsha.

A time-lapse video of the construction has been viewed more than five million times on Youtube and shows the concrete and metal sections being slotted into place and bolted together, akin to a gigantic Lego set.

"Our aim is not making money," he said, lounging in bare feet on the hotel's top floor, as thick grey smog – a common sight in Chinese cities – blurred his view of surrounding fields.

"Once you have environmental consciousness, money loses meaning."

A short man who appears to have difficulty staying still, Zhang sipped from a giant cylinder of tea as a chauffeur drove him past the 130-foot high pyramid he built on his corporate campus.

Opposite it stands a replica of France's Palace of Versailles, designed by his wife, which Zhang plans to turn into an "environmental philosophy academy", although for now it hosts a display of North Korean paintings.

Zhang – who has renounced his helicopter citing concerns about climate change – is "not far off being an environmental activist", said Rupert Hoogewerf, compiler of the Hurun Report, an annual Chinese rich list.

China's wealthiest – many of whom have been millionaires for more than a decade – are attempting to influence social and other issues, he said.

"These are people who have the sense they have everything financially and materially they could ever want and are now looking beyond that, to legacy and extended status."

"I could make an even taller building"

Close to Zhang's office, workers in a cavernous hangar welded together the pre-fabricated building sections, and he insisted there would be "no problems" using the method to build Sky City.

"We will be finished by December," he said. "I could make an even taller building."

Construction was formally launched last year, but rapidly suspended and state-run media reported authorities in Changsha had ordered a halt as it lacked proper permits.

Independent engineering experts say the Sky City concept faces a host of problems, from lift design and fireproofing to the physical compression caused by the monumental weight of the completed building.

An audience "laughed" when Zhang's plans were first presented at a meeting of the US-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), said David Scott, a structural director at engineering firm Laing O'Rourke.

But now "people understand it's a much more serious offer", he said. "I wouldn't say it's not feasible... Properly thought through, it will work."

China's earthquake-proofing standards for skyscrapers are amongst the world's strictest, he added, and construction may have been delayed by a mandatory expert review of the project.

CTBUH director Antony Wood said: "I'm still sceptical, but it's with a massive amount of respect for what (Broad Group) has done so far. I'm not inclined to write it off."

In the hotel, Zhang – who studied art and first worked as an interior decorator – brandished one of his firm's egg-shaped smartphones, which can gauge levels of tiny air pollutants known as PM2.5.

It was an attempt to demonstrate his building's immaculate air quality – although the demonstration was rendered more difficult by the cigarette he had just smoked.

Pollution is a hot-button issue in China, but Zhang still feels victimised and misunderstood.

"In this society, if you try to do something good, no one will believe you," he said. "Society lacks basic trust, and sees everything good as bad." – AFP, January 17, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

Print-book reading tops in US despite rise of tablets

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 03:30 PM PST

January 17, 2014

Most adults in the United States still prefer ink-and-paper books despite the rising popularity of tablets and digital works. - Reuters pic, January 17, 2014.A Pew Research Center study released yesterday showed that US readers reach for ink-and-paper books despite the rising popularity of tablets and digital works.

While the portion of people who read e-books grew in the past year, most adults in the United States opted for print editions during that same time period, the Pew survey revealed.

"The proportion of Americans who read e-books is growing, but few have completely replaced print books for electronic versions," researchers said in an overview of the findings.

"Print remains the foundation of Americans' reading habits."

The percentage of US adults who read an e-book in the past year rose to 28% from 23%. Meanwhile about seven out of ten Americans reported reading printed works, in a rise of 4% from 2012.

Only 4% of readers claimed to be "e-book only", according to Pew research.

Overall, 76% of US adults read a book in some form during the twelve months prior to the survey, which was taken this month.

The survey also showed that e-book reading devices, including tablet computers, are spreading through the population.

About 42% of US adults own tablet computers, up from 34% in September of last year, according to Pew. Half of Americans have either a tablet computer or dedicated e-reader such as Kindle or Nook, up from 43% in September.

Amazon.com does not disclose sales details for its Kindle devices, but market tracker Compass Intelligence estimates the online retail titan sold 18.2 million Kindle Fire tables last year and likely sold another five million of its dedicated Kindle e-readers. - AFP, January 17, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

How do human rights lawyers stay motivated?

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 03:57 PM PST

January 17, 2014

Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by LoyarBurok where all your profound, abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered. Free Your Mind!

Lord Bobo, how do your human rights lawyer minions stay motivated to fight for human rights when they are destined to ultimately lose the war? Do they ever get disillusioned and think of switching practice areas? I'm a law student and will have to eventually decide what area of law to go into. (Angela B., via email.)

What makes you happy in your life? Your spouse? Your kids? Money? A new car? Or leaving a legacy?

During our sermon at the 427th LoyarBurok World Conference, we said: "It is not what you do for yourself that defines you. It is not what you have that keeps you alive. It is how you are remembered after you die that truly means something."

This was followed by mass group hug, furry belly rubs, and His Supreme Eminenceness then mind-controlled everyone to finish up their curry puffs and get back to work.

Genuine human rights lawyers are inspired to do what they do because they believe they need to fight injustice.

They feel the victim's agony. Their primary aim is to obtain redress for the client.

For many human rights lawyers, there is also a strong secondary aim of using the case to effect executive policy change or law reform through the courts.

Human rights lawyers are not naive. They understand that the road is long. And hard. And winding. And badly lit. And full of potholes. And there are faulty traffic lights. And rubbish road signs.

Plus, the expensive tolled roads with bad traffic. And there's the occasional flash flood. Or landslide. And let's not forget the road closures for more important events. Anyway, suffice to say that it is a painful journey.

But if no one took on human rights work, then apartheid, slavery, and witch-hunting would still be around today.

Rather than being content with moaning on Facebook and Twitter, there are those who will commit to taking real action. And thank Bobo for that.

Of course, there are those who do it for fame, for the profile, or because they are already in the twilight of their practice and have made their millions.

Whatever their motives, they are doing good work – and this fight needs as many soldiers as it can get.

But His Supreme Eminenceness is most heartened to see so many recent law graduates, pupils, and young lawyers taking up human rights cases.

Many do so in their "free time" because their profit-focused law firm employers wouldn't approve of such trifling hobbies.

And, of course, with LoyarBurok, there are so many non-lawyers who are also helping out with our public interest litigation (you don't need an LLB to be LB; you don't need to be a lawyer to be a LoyarBurokker).

Regarding what practice area to go into, well, that really is an individual choice.

It is wrong to assume that human rights lawyers only do human rights work.

There are many who are very good lawyers in almost every practice area there is (okay, maybe not so many conveyancing lawyers…).

Consider these questions – what's the point of work (which will take up so, so much of your life), and what legacy do you want to leave?

Would you like to be known as someone who transacted 1,000 condominiums and made a lot of money?

Or would you like to be known as someone who saved a child refugee from certain death? It is a personal decision.

Human rights work frees us. It nourishes our impoverished souls.

It purifies our inner consciousness. It turns you on like nothing else can (okay, maybe not).

It attracts the opposite sex (okay, maybe not). Standing around looking at people who are abused by the state, a lawyer – a person – can only be truly human if it triggers in him an undeniable need to take action.

You say that human rights lawyers "are destined to ultimately lose the war".

Lord Bobo disagrees. To us, it is a matter of perspective.

The modern rights movement is young, having starting out in 1945, and has seen many successes.

With this perspective, it is nothing short of amazing that the few – armed only with a sense of righteousness according to law and logic – have in a short time triumphed in getting governments to provide food, shelter and housing such in Africa while protecting minority rights in Europe.

And all this in the face of resistance from the entire state machinery.

The war is not fought only in court, but in numerous arenas which are not as visible as courtroom combat.

These invisible galaxy wars we have won aplenty, despite what the state-controlled media and capitalist information sources would have you believe.

Join the army. Pick your weapon. There is something for everyone and anyone to do. Have you freed your spirit? – January 17, 2014.

* Although Lord Bobo already knows your question before you even knew you had a question, as a practical display of your true desire to have your query answered, His Supreme Eminenceness has graciously allowed you to communicate your questions by either emailing asklordbobo@loyarburok.com or tweeting your question, mentioning @LoyarBurok and using the hashtag #AskLordBobo. Now, what the hell are you waiting for? Hear This and Tremblingly Obey (although trembling is optional if you are somewhere very warm)!

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.