Critical Thoughts Retro

Came across an old Scouting membership card of mine that I’ve found after all the months I thought I had lost it.

Once a Scout, always a Scout.

Now here is damning evidence that the anjing kerajaan monkey that was recently sent into space was exactly just that…an anjing kerajaan monkey. So its pretty much official that there goes my father’s tax money on yet another useless “ego-project”, i.e. in space. Instead of repeating what I have said before that vindicates my position, I’ll lay down the evidence where you can form your own conclusions from it.

Evidence 1:

From the caption in the NASA website.

The Expedition 16 crew members pose for a portrait at the Johnson Space Center. From the left (front row) are Russia’s Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, flight engineer and Soyuz commander; astronaut Peggy Whitson, commander; and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. From the left (back row) are European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Léopold Eyharts, astronaut Garrett Reisman and astronaut Dan Tani, all flight engineers.

Evidence 2:

Definition of “spaceflight participant” from Wikipedia.

Spaceflight participant is a term used by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) for people who travel aboard space missions coordinated by those agencies who are not part of the crew. The term serves to distinguish the tourists and other special travelers from the career astronauts.

Conclusion:

Form your own conclusions. If this is not an ego project, I do not know what is!

Related posts: See here and here.

Very interesting video which strengthens the case for the return to a gold standard.

As I was talking about Penang with an old friend and former classmate about several subject matters and Penang society in particular, he made a remark about one particular issue which summarily sums it all up, “we are holding the fort!” I certainly agree with the statement.

One day I will join him to “hold the fort” as well, when I return to Penang with a wife and kids in tow.

Tomorrow I am taking a morning flight to my “unofficial” hometown….Penang. Why “unofficial”? Because although I lived in Penang for at least 17 of my growing up years before my family moved to this stink-hole you call “Klang Valley”, we still consider ourselves connected to Penang although we don’t have relatives there. Going back to Penang will be a trip back into memory lane, to be sure. Before there was Queensbay Mall (I certainly have to pay a visit there!), there was KOMTAR. Before there was those GSC Cineplexes that you can now find in BJ Complex and Prangin Mall, there was that Cathay Cinema along Jalan Penang (which last I saw, has turned into a KAMDAR Store, sheesh). And who can forget Roadwalk behind the City Stadium or Chowrasta with their delightful collection of second-hand books?

Not sure if I am going to have the time to visit all these places since I will be doing something else. But if I have the opportunity, its certainly something I will not miss.