Queen's Speech

The British Monarch officially opened the 59th session of the UK Parliament during her reign, on 25th May 2010.
This ceremonial ritual dates back to the 16th Century.
Wonder how much the 5-minute Queen's Speech (actually prepared for her by the new Government) and the entire pomp and pegeantry show, would cost the British people? Maybe close to a million pound?
The only cost-saving in the entire procedure, in the 21st Century context, was the non-use of fossil fuel for the Queen's journey from Buckingham Palace to the Parliament House, a distance of about 5 km. However, the horse-drawn coach must be costing the people more in terms of horse-power and man-power for that 15 minutes journey. Just look at the number of people (and horses) dressed ceremonially and in uniform, involved in the entire ceremony!
The House of the Lords was packed to capacity - 1ooo strong? So much so that the members from the House of Commons, led by the Speaker and Prime Minister have to be squeezed standing at the back of the Lords Chamber to listen to the speech they had prepared for the Queen.
No wonder the British Government is having a huge current deficit of 156b pounds - there are more lords than servants in the UK!!

Deal or No Deal?

This "Deal or No Deal" TV reality show must be one of the favourites of the Malaysian PM. Watching his Sibu by-election campaign video at Sibu Rejang Park on 15th May, 2010 has convinced me that this is true.

Najib was playing this "Deal or No Deal" game live with the people in Rejang Park by saying that if you return the BN candidate Robert Lau on Sunday, he would instruct on the following Monday, that a cheque of RM 5m (up from initial RM3m request, whilst he was speaking), be presented to the people, to help solve the flood problems in Sibu.

He even quoted his "deal" of RM3m to a Chinese school in the Hulu Selangor which he subsequently won BN the by election there several weeks earlier.

Unfortunately, for BN, they lost the Sibu by election by a small margin. Maybe RM5m was just a bit short.

The MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission), pressured by public uproar, has opened a file on this case in Sibu and may call on the PM in its corruption investigations.

Najib's recent retreat in Singapore has resulted in another big "deal" with the Singapore Government on the KTM land parcels at Tanjung Pagar, Kranji and Woodlands. KTM will move it terminal (and the immigration point) to Woodlands by July 1, 2011. The official deal will be pursued vigorously by the two countries' officials within the next 12 months...
Of course the public will not know how the game of "Deal or No Deal" was played behind closed doors cumulating in the press conference announcement of the "Deal" on 25th May 2010.

That is how 1Bolehland is being run.... deal or no deal?

God's answers to Prophet Habukkuk

Habukkuk was the questioning prophet in the 600BC. Observing all the chaos and evils in his time, he complained to God and asked two questions:

Question 1: How come God allows evils, wickedness, violence and injustice to prevail? And apparently indifferent to my cries for help? (Habukkuk 1: 1-4)

Answer 1: I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told... raising up the Babylonians to execute my judgement; using an aggressive nation that thinks it is serving his own god and purpose (Habukkuk 1: 5)

Question 2: How can a holy God employ such an impure and godless nation to destroy another nation of evil? (Habukkuk 1: 12-17)

Answer 2: Part I: I will judge the proud (Habukkuk 2: 5-8); those who build empire through cruelty and godless gain ( Habukkuk 2: 9-11); those who build cities with bloodshed (Habukkuk 2: 12-14); those with cruelty in their judgement of those they conquered (Habukkuk 2:15-17) and those who given over to idolatry (Habukkuk 2:18-20).
Part II: The righteous and faithful will live and prevail (Habukkuk 2:4)

In today's context on Answer 2 Part I:

The 2003 Iraq invasion by allied forces led by the US and UK, was on the pretext of destroying a dictatorship in Saddam Hussein and an evil country with weapons of mass destruction. President George W Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair worked hand in hand to justify such invasion, defying the UN, in doing so.... Iraqi's oil resource must be one key factor in the use of force. Yes, Saddam has been removed and executed but Iraq is in chaos..
However, the evil aggressors are not spared by God as promised .... 2008/2009 subprime mortgage collapse and the worst economic recession hit the USA and UK, together with many natural and man-made disasters challenging the two countries namely, Typhoon Katrina; California bush fire; Iceland volcanic eruption ashes forcing the non-fly decisions of UK and European airlines; BP oil spill off the Gulf coast states etc.... God is progressively displaying his just judgement onto the wicked , the bully , the greedy and the proud?