VIVA LA LIBERTAD DE INFORMACION !!

In recent times, the freedom of information is essentially an agenda (or an idea, for the matter) is a lot to be desired with. Regardless whether one wishes to view it from the macro or micro outlook on it, the idea of free and uninhibited dissipation of information is intriguing to our modern intellectual groups of the global society (In blunt words, to those who finds it more beneficial to keep up with current events, rather than investing their time on MTV-Bieber-Taylor Swift-Harian Metro-Kosmo-Mastika nonsense).

With that in mind, the world braces itself for the advent of a ground-breaking, no less provocative and eye-opening source of media - a source that contains and boasts classified governmental documents, which may (not exhaustively) debunk all of these mainstream news information that the global community received thus far. Dear readers, does this ring a bell?

Lo, here cometh Wikileaks!

                                                Picture courtesy of wikileaks.org/

WikiLeaks, which operates through its web domain wikileaks.org/, is an international media organisation that circulates previously classified governmental and high-end corporate documents, all thanks to anonymous contributions or leaks - hence giving its the name.

Make no mistake however, contrary to the popular belief out there, Wikileaks is in no way related to Wikipedia - a statement issued by the Wikipedia main man Jimmy Wales. Rest assured readers, the word "wiki" is not a brand name, so you may use the name for whatever purpose you seek. And no, you cannot use Wikiporn, as it is already taken.

Back to the topic of information freedom, Wikileaks is seen as an alternative, yet revealing source if news, as it publishes never-seen before leaked documents concerning governmental conducts in recent world events. Take the US-led invasion in Iraq and Afghanistan for instance. This exposure of information has certainly landed the White House and Downing Street top brass in hot soup, as calls for the arrest of Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks become increasingly vocal.

                               Dear imperialists, here's your new war cry. "Yes We Can" is so 2008.

Being casually intrigued by this finding, THE AQUINAS is curious to find out more about the leaks.

Only to find that the website is apparently blocked on campus grounds.

Freedom of information has got to be inside someone else's rectum right now.

THE AQUINAS has spoken.

It's About Time. Really. Part II - GLOBAL YOUTH SYMPOSIUM 2010 PROMO

HOLLA!

It has been QUITE A WHILE since THE AQUINAS has updated this blog of his - owing to the usual and blogspot-overused excuse of being occupied, committed to real-life commitments, competing priorities etc etc. Therefore, THE AQUINAS thinks that he should at least one post before this wonderful year of 2010 ends.

                          Talking about self-explanatory. Picture courtesy of  http://www.cartoonstock.com/

Since THE AQUINAS mentioned "real-life commitment" at the top of this post, he will tell his dear readers out there what he is so committed to this past few months - among a few other commitments, one stands out - The Global Youth Symposium 2010.

The Global Youth Symposium 2010, or the GYS'10, is student-driven international event where students from all around the world converge and voice out their thoughts and opinions on the pressing global issues affecting our world today. This ambitious movement sets out to gather the views of young people from all around the world and ultimately put these important views together into a significant document called the GYS'10 Declaration - a significant document containing roadmaps, suggestions and solutions to these global issues.

That is just not all about it, dear readers. We are stepping it a notch, whereby this Declaration will be subsequently sent to government leaders worldwide as a form of positive pressure and youth activism. In other words, this GYS'10 is like the mini-UN. How's that for young people running a global show, eh?

                                                                        The GYS'10 Offcial Poster.

Back to the early mention of commitment, this is the cause that THE AQUINAS has been committed to, and still committing himself to, for the past few months. That is because yours truly, THE AQUINAS is the Director of this ground-breaking initiative of the young generation of today. THE AQUINAS truly feels more than grateful for the opportunity of holding the mantle and pedestal, leading a team of talented young people in making this event a great success.

The GYS'10 si just around the corner - and THE AQUINAS means it literally. The GYS'10 will be held from the 16-20 December 2010, and he hopes that this Symposium will serve as a beneficial and fruitful platform in realising the true objective of the GYS'10 - that is to promote youth activism and leadership, a cause that is dear to his heart.

It is also, realistically, a yardstick and field test for us the Organising Committee, to see how far we have come and achieved, considering the amount of dedication and effort we have collectively put together for these past few months.




P/S: The time where this generation faces the task of fixing the s**t that the previous generations had made; has come.

THE AQUINAS has spoken.

It's About Time. Really.

THE AQUINAS was scrolling through the array of online news portals just moments ago, and he happened to stumble upon this : the possibility of the introduction of minimum wage in Malaysia.

SAY WHAT?

Why create the hoo-ha now? By the reasonable standards of a developing nation currently pursuing the objective of becoming a high-income nation, we should have this in our blueprint A LONG TIME AGO.
Yes, for some quarters, regardless of which side of the political divide that they might come from, this is a much-welcomed move. That is IF this plan is put into serious implementation. Added with the cut in subsidies and the journey towards economic recovery, the enforcement of a minimum wage legislation, or even a policy to say the least, should in some way or another ease the economic burden of the lower-to-middle income society - who happen to make up about 60% of the Malaysian working demography.

Achieving happiness at the workplace without minimum wage. BLAH. Picture courtesy of stevenaitchison.co.uk

The lower-to-middle income group are arguably the driving force of the nation's economy. These group of dedicated people also happen to be the main engine constantly revving up to ensure the top notch performance of this fine vehicle called Malaysia (no offence to Proton, that is). However, we, as a collective nation are actually not doing these group of people any favour - since their employers are still able to issue them any amount of wage as they please, while seeking refuge behind the curtains of a demand-and-supply economy. This is all due to the absence of a minimum wage cap.

For the benefit of THE AQUINAS' readers out there, there was this National Employment Return study conducted last year, there is a staggering amount of 1.3 million workers, or 43% of the Malaysian workforce, who were earning less than RM 700 per month. RM 700 per month? What are these people going bring to their dining table? Just mere kangkung for every meal? To make things worse, this is actually lower than the national poverty line of RM 720 per month!

And according to the World Bank (whose credibility and impartiality THE AQUINAS doubted to a certain extent, but chose to quote here anyway), the yearly salary increment in our beautiful Malaysia for the last 10 years stands at a mere 2.6%, a stark contradiction with the 10%-15% increase in the cost of living within those years.

As you can see, people, you do not need actuarial science Mathematics to appreciate these figure (NERDS..).

                                                  Picture courtesy of untoldentertainment.com

And this is one of the many reasons why THE AQUINAS contends that we are not doing justice to the group of people who are busting their bones not only to make ends meet for themselves, but also significantly contribute to the ongoing progress of the nation's economy.

However, it is important to note that any implementation without intense pre-planning and detailed scrutiny will eventually lead to the failure of the policy itself. We are all too familiar that the Government has this penchant of diving into the ocean of policies without knowing its depth and the problems they might face undersea. It would only be a question of time as to when their oxygen supply runs out. Remember what happened to the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English policy? We might even end up by scrapping this whole policy altogether, not surprisingly only months after its celebrated debut. At the end of the day, we will have people feeling the pinch of we resort to that. And THE AQUINAS is referring to the lower-to-middle income group, of course.

Let's not have this dedicated people eat nothing but kangkung for their meals.

                                               Picture courtesy of asrichascroesus.blogspot.com

THE AQUINAS has spoken.

Make 'em Today, Dump 'em Tomorrow

If one would flip the pages of any of the local papers nowadays, one could not help but to shudder and express, in their own ways, their feelings of disgust, sadness and perhaps anger when one would come across unfortunate yet real stories of babies being discarded and disposed off in the most unlikely of places ― garbage dumps, bushes, monsoon drains, dark footways, toilet bowls etc.

In some instances, these media reports may contain photo shots of the dead foetuses, or perhaps graphic description of these babies being ravaged by stray dogs, succumbed to insect bites and defenselessly exposed to harsh weather conditions. It is even no longer surprising if we come across news of babies found dead with their umbilical cord STILL attached to their bodies.

                                                Picture courtesy of http://www.dimensionsguide.com/

The next question that  typical Malaysian would ask is "who should be blamed for this societal mess??". (GOTCHA THERE DIDN'T I?). Yes, a very-the-typical Malaysian spirit, constantly seeking as to whom the blame should be put on when there is any issue affecting our society. Certain quarters even went to the extent of blaming pornography for this so-called societal illness.
.

                                          This is no porn.  Picture courtesy of http://medindia.net/ 

Just for the record, THE AQUINAS will not point his finger towards anyone in this matter, since there are many others who are more than willing to do just that for him. 

Moving on. With regards to this pertinent issue, there is currently a notion that suggests the perpetrators of such inhumanely act to be charged for culpable homicide or in the extreme cases, murder. The sentence for the latter, in Malaysia, is of course punishable by death, thanks to Section 302 of the Penal Code. The rationale behind it? However arguable this may sound, please allow THE AQUINAS to lay down some knowledge on this rationale, as knowledge by itself is the only asset that never depletes when given away..

The significant ingredient for murder, besides the very act of killing itself, is of course the wrongful state of mind while committing the act of murder. If you non-legal entities would like to impress your peers with some Latin lexicons, THE AQUINAS' legal brethrens call this element mens rea. To cut to the chase, the knowledge that such act would result in death, on the part of the perpetrator, can be considered as a mens rea. With the bare legal essentials done, let us now try to piece this together. When a person contemplates as to whether or not to dump his/her baby, it is not impossible to rule out the possibility that he/she has the knowledge that the chances of the baby dying is in fact very material. However, he/she decides to do it ANYWAY. In other words, he/she has the knowledge that such act of dumping babies could lead to the death of the baby itself. Simple as it may sound, but believe me, the real process of pursuing a criminal liability against a person is far from easy as compared to what THE AQUINAS had painted.

What does THE AQUINAS think about this? Well, to him, THE AQUINAS is of the opinion that imposing a death punishment is not at all an automatic call to end this societal menace. Well, the death punishment didn't even stop people from murdering one another, why would it stop baby-dumpers? I can still recall the time when we heard of people lobbying a death sentence for rapists. As per one of my esteemed lecturers, this is the Malaysian attitude - impose the death sentence, end of story.

THE AQUINAS has spoken.

ENTER SOPHIA MOORE Part II

As my fellow comrades continue to march on to the sophomore battlefield, lots of things has been crossing the mind of THE AQUINAS lately. Not to discount the fact that a lot of things too that has happened. Lots.

Thus the reason why THE AQUINAS is sort of lagging behind when it comes to the issue of  "please-feed-me-baby-bloggy-i'm-already-starving". - Quoted from Eyharara Yusof . Not that THE AQUINAS owes this statutory obligation to updates anyways.

The moment you're reading this post, THE AQUINAS has just another mere 10 minutes accounted for before his Administrative Law tutorial class. 10 minutes to 6pm, that is.

Gonna update once the time conditions are more favourable.

THE AQUINAS has spoken.

ENTER SOPHIA MOORE Part I

The AQUINAS is officially in his second year!

                                          Picture courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?               pid=4419847&op=1&o=global&view=global&subj=1495119165&id=636334232#!/album.php?id=636334232&aid=190422&s=20&hash=e17c508f993e3cd77ab58d92a2544877

The reality of me entering into my sophomore year has finally set in, as this new semester promises lots of excitement and anticipation (for me, at least) ahead.

Safe to say, THE AQUINAS & Co. kicked off this new semester on a high note, credits to the numerous activities awaiting the UM Law School Fraternity just after the new semester opens its curtain. Talking about a complete and rapid shift from a stagnating off-season to a fast-pace, and of course hectic championship season, huh.

For starters, the wonderful people of the UM Law School welcomed the new first year's batch to its illustrious family. As per tradition, there is no better way of welcoming these new family members of ours other than the Orientation Week. =P

The UM Law School Orientation is unique in its very own way, whereby the end result is that the freshies are able to establish a familial bond between themselves and of course, with the rest of the faculty. This long standing tradition of this faculty in many ways has helped the new members of the law faculty in terms of adjusting themselves to life in law school - a demanding and hectic one, yet exciting and rewarding. Orientation Week propagates respect, humility, self-consciousness, the mental acumen, the ability to handle pressure, voicing thoughts and opinions and of course, self-worthiness. These qualities are just some of the values that a student need in order to survive law school, apart from the other qualities that one picks up on their own as he or she  matures throughout law school. At the end of the day, the goal of the Orientation Week boils down to a significant one: To orientate, not disorientate.

                A picture perfect gift for the disoriented. Picture courtesy of  http://images.allmoviephoto.com/


In other words, everyone is considered as a worthy part of this wonderful family of the law faculty, ONCE they have took part in the Orientation week. Unfortunately, there are some haters out there who cannot seem to comprehend this idea of Orientation Week, what more to register this into disputably-functional head of theirs, labelling such event as a "platform for overzealous seniors to vent their seniority on freshies". The reality is, haters, if we would want to be so-called "overzealous", we might as well do it without the Orientation Week. THE AQUINAS would like to apologize if this ruins your orgasmic experience of dissing the Orientation Week, but you haters should experience this hallowed tradition in order to appreciate the underlying message of it (which is something that you haters have not done), before you can see yourself in a justifiable position of pursuing such an outburst. Well, these haters indeed do a great job in making the hoots on what is on the surface don't they? To put a little bit of cliche to it, look into the mirror and have a good look at yourself before you tell on others.


THE AQUINAS has spoken.

Knocking on Miss Sophia Moore's Door

It is only a matter of a day before THE AQUINAS embarks on a one-year relationship with one Miss Sophia Moore.

In all honesty, THE AQUINAS has no knowledge of what to expect in this one year relationship. Thus, I told myself to expect anything and everything, and do my level best to take on whatever Miss Sophia Moore throws in my path.

                                        Picture courtesy of http://eclecticenigma.files.wordpress.com

This relationship, as how I am able to fathom at this current point of time, requires a commitment of an unmeasurable magnitude. Yes, relationships do require this fuel every now and then, however, THE AQUINAS strongly believes that you folks out there (to my legal brethren,especially) would agree that we should somehow be substantially equipped in facing this kind of relationship. Those relationships that determine of what is to become of you in the future. Your relationship with life.

Well, in all fairness, I cannot say that I am substantially prepared either. Maybe it is primarily because I do not know what to expect, and thus having no idea on how should I get ready for this relationship with Sophia Moore. As what I have mentioned , I am aware that the commitments will pile up. Workloads will be talking to themselves, "Let's be fruitful and multiply". A lot of things will get harder and more complicated. As a result, we might not see things the same way as how we might have seen them before.

                                                       Picture courtesy of http://www.vivagoal.com/

If Sophia Moore looks like this, I would not mind dating her for YEARS.

THE AQUINAS has spoken.

THE WONDER WOMAN

This is, ladies and gentlemen, a special blog feature on a very good friend of mine, THE WONDER WOMAN, Miss Eyharara Yusof!!

         Picture courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile=1&id=555702788#!/photo.php?pid=3984037&id=555702788&fbid=397261107788

20 years ago on the 5th of July, an innocent baby girl was born in a serene and tranquil golf park way back in the northern region of Malaysia, in the heartland of the Malaysian Rice Bowl, called Beam Star.

Fast forward 20 years, this baby girl has grown up so much to her own delight (that's of course), and also much to the delight of those who love and cared about her.

How would THE AQUINAS describe Eyharara Yusof? THE AQUINAS is of the undivided opinion that she is truly a strong person in her own right. As I am indeed lucky to have known her as a batchmate, a colleague, a teammate and most importantly, a friend, I have seen her risen from the nadir of her life, only get a stab back at it. Apart from that, future employers, if you are looking for someone who is capable of compartmentalising personal problems from career tasks, this is THE PERSON that you are looking for. In fact, this ability of her really amazes me, as I have never came across a person so willing to pour dedication into a task that she is committed to in the midst of a personal problem. On a personal level, she was always there in my time of need of a companion. She's my morale booster, a spirit lifter, a person who accepts me the way I am.

                   Picture courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2659469&id=555702788

To a lady of strength, much vigour and courage, here's a birthday toast to you, specially from THE AQUINAS.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALADY!!

THE AQUINAS has spoken.

Spitting on the Footie Field, and Licking It Back

I watched the news on a local TV network just moments ago when this struck me. The sports segment of the news did a cover on the possibility of the FAM (Football Association of Malaysia) lifting the so-called ban on imported players in our local football leagues.

SAY WHAT?

As far as my memory serves me correctly, this is certainly not the first time the FAM contemplates as to whether or not allow foreign players to ply their trade in our local leagues. Back in 2008, Khairy Jamaluddin announced an "infinite decree" that foreign players will be barred from competing in the local football league effective January 2009, stating the reason "after years of allowing import players to play in our leagues, they did not improve our football standards at all'".

A year has passed, and now there's news of the possibility of lifting the ban on imported players. This possibility is in fact welcomed by fans and pundits alike, but let us not forget that there are some opposing views regarding this notion of allowing foreign players to come to our local leagues.

                                   Picture courtesy of www.abinesh.com/delirium/posts/m...am-only/

On a personal level, THE AQUINAS is of the opinion that this policy is just one of the numerous foolproof evidence of FAM's penchant of backtracking on its decisions. The FAM reasoned that the ban on imported players is somewhat necessary, for the sake of improving the standards of local football. Furthermore, the imported players, as I would quote Khairy J, did not improve our local football standards.

Maybe it is just me, but THE AQUINAS cannot help to think that there is an obvious flaw in the reasoning dispensed by the FAM. How can they point their fingers towards the foreign players for the lack of standard displayed by Malaysian football? The case might be true if the foreign players make a huge part of the squad of each participating teams. However, that is not the case, as each team is only allowed to have THREE imported players in their squad. If you ask me, this just does not make sense mathematically. How can you expect three people in a football team to screw up the whole football system? Even the Calciopoli needed several teams to screw up the Serie A. A complete failure in the logic department, I may say.

And that is just the top of it. These turn of events also illustrate the tendency of FAM of putting the blame on others whenever they come under criticisms. Blaming the foreign players for the downfall of Malaysian football? Nice segway, big shot. Honestly speaking, roping in foreign imports without any substantial domestic effort will not do our local football scene any favours. If this happens, we might as well brace ourselves for the next official statement from the FAM "re-banning" foreign players.

What we need right now is a total revamp of the national football administration system, especially at the top level. We need to change the way things are run. We need to send our top players to play abroad, so as to gain valuable exposure and experience, instead of spending every off-seasons playing equally less-than-stellar teams in the Middle East or Hong Kong.

Please do not take my word as it is. Look at South Korea and Japan. Their domestic leagues have only a handful of imported players, but there is a considerable number of their local players plying their trade in Europe. As a result, they have a world class national team playing at the World Cup, beating formidable opponents before their unfortunate elimination from the tournament. How I wish Malaysia could do the same, or achieve something a little better.

They better do so before my 45th birthday.


THE AQUINAS has spoken.

Tick Tock

REALITY CHECK. As of today, I have less than two weeks to enjoy the remainder of my semester holidays before the new semester kicks off.

On a personal level, it is some sort of a mixed feeling for me, as I am now on the verge of entering my sophomore year in law school. There will be heaps of new challenges, ups and downs, the amount of workload (which is undoubtedly synonymous with law school) and of course excitement as we "proudly" welcome the incoming first year's batch into law school. (heheh >=P)

At this point, I can't help but to ask myself, am I actually prepared for my second year in law school? Honestly, I have not been doing anything academically substantive during these holidays, apart from getting my nose buried in several student body activities and the GYS 2010, of course.

I have been wondering, as to whether I can maintain my academic performance that I had in my first year? They said that as the years go along in law school, things will get tougher. What the hell, EVERYTHING gets tougher as the year progresses. As far as I am concerned, this applies to almost everything in everyday life. Speaking of which, I admit that I set high standards of achievement for myself in life, and it would be nice if I could get things started on a high note.

As reality sets in, we couldn't help but to realise that things do not just fall into place as what we have initially planned. The Rock once said that when things get  thrown at you unexpectedly, you've got to call an audible
(that is a term in American football), call the play and score!!! *CROWD CELEBRATES* In other words, we ought to learn to deal with these unexpected events, and how can we turn these events to work in our favour.

                                                Picture courtesy of http://www.bostonherald.com/ 

On a happier note, I am really looking forward to meet my close friends back at law school. It is really amusing to watch their antics in everyday life in law school. As for me, I could just sit there and watch them lashing out at each other over the littlest things possible - which is already entertaining for me. Hmm thinking of which, I wonder if they can dish me with ideas for The Dirty Diss™...

                         Pose and smile however you want, I won't post nice pictures of you guys. haha =P




Looking forward to meet you guys!


THE AQUINAS has spoken.

The Dirty Diss : Episode 2 - The Three Pussy Cats

The Dirty Diss™ is now back with its second episode!

Well, this is more like an accidental episode of The Dirty Diss™, after watching England crashing haplessly out of the World Cup thanks to a superior Germany. If you have watched that match (in which THE AQUINAS is sure that you did), Rooney and Co. deserved to lose the match given their horrid display of schoolyard football.


So, in this edition of The Dirty Diss™, THE AQUINAS couldn't help himself but to lay the dirt on The Three Lions (hereinafter referred to as the Three Pussy Cats), England!

                          We English blokes love kicking arses all over the park. Literally looove kicking arses~

                                                         Picture courtesy of http://www.epltalk.com/

England made their way into the 2010 World Cup after several impressive displays at the qualifying rounds. Under one Fabio Capello, England's authoritarian and full-time disciplinarian manager, The Three Pussy Cats' World Cup hopes seemed so bright that Posh Spice had to buy herself a new pair of sunnies.

           " I gots to love em sunnies cos I can't trust me real eyes"  Picture courtesy of http://piras.wordpress.com/

But all that early hopes and expectations changed as England's dismal performance at the group stages casted doubts on the ability of the English squad as a whole. They did qualify, indeed, but merely finishing second of their group behind their less stellar group opponent, the USA. So much for this over-confident headline of this renowned English tabloid.

                 Reality check pussy cats. You ain't The Beatles. Picture courtesy of http://www.thesun.co.uk/

The Three Pussy Cats then marched a la World War II to the Round of 16, again under the so-called burden of expectations (despite their continuous display of mediocre performances), facing the vibrant and young Germany squad - another World Cup hopeful. Hoping to obliterate the force of Berlin just like what their forefathers did in World War II, England again screwed up when it matters the most, when they succumbed to a 4-1 defeat against the Germans.

England's display of football was horrendous, as if it was another media-hyped practice session. There was no passion, coordination, team cohesion (and all those footie terms yada yada yada ) from the English side, which saw the Germans simply ravaging the pieces like a German shepherd gobbling up a box of English strudels.

                       insegnami a maledire in inglese! Picture courtesy of http://www.gettyimages.com/

SO, Three Pussy Cats, what's in store for you guys next? Firing Capello, rope in a new gaffer and screw up *again* in the next Euro 2012?

Awwww. I'm sorry. As a temporary remedy to your grief, here's a special gift from THE AQUINAS to The Three Pussy Cats:-

Eat some dirt!



THE AQUINAS has spoken.

Change, We Can Bring!

 As a proud member of today's youth, I could not help but to feel rather concerned regarding the pressing global issues affecting our world today.

The thought of seeing our unfortunate counterparts from the most destitute regions all around the world struggling to make ends meet really shudders me. Coupled with innocent children being manhandled and succumbed to the deeds of violent abuse and torture, I cannot help to think whether is this the kind of society that we want to live in? Put environmental issues in the mix, there you go, a concoction of all the problems that the global community have to face.

                               This is NOT couture.  Picture courtesy of http://gysmalaysia.blogspot.com/

As today's youth what can we do about it? THE AQUINAS says that it is now time for us to let the brass of global leadership hear our unified voices, despite the differences that we might have. To show that WE CARE.

                                           Picture courtesy of arisyakob.typepad.com/blog/weblogs/

In the words of Neil Armstrong, "a small step for man, a huge leap for mankind", we, the youth of today, took the initiative to organise the GLOBAL YOUTH SYMPOSIUM 2010, a wholly student-organised international project aimed at gathering the voices of youth from all across the globe regarding to pertinent issues in today's global society. A small step it may be, but we are going all out in making our voices heard.

                                              Picture courtesy of http://gysmalaysia.blogspot.com/

Willed on by this year's theme, "Empowering Youth - Meeting Global Challenges", I, THE AQUINAS, was given the honour to helm the 2010 installation of the GYS 2010 as the Project Director. On a personal level, it is a huge honour for me to coordinate a student-driven project of this magnitude, and at the same time, to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that everything runs smoothly, albeit there are bound to be some hiccups along the way.

I see this as an opportunity to play a part in making the voices of today's youth be heard on an international level. Of course, I am not able to do so without the assistance and cooperation from the ever-diligent GYS 2010 Organising Committee whose dedication towards the realisation of the GYS 2010, is by far, unrivalled.

The GYS 2010 is scheduled to be held from the 16-20 December 2010, at the University of Malaya. For more information, do visit us at http://gysmalaysia.blogspot.com/. Responses regarding participation is encouraging so far, and I, THE AQUINAS, am looking forward to more participations from all of you. Latest information will be posted from time to time=).

Be a part of the GYS 2010, and make your voices heard!


THE AQUINAS has spoken.

Whattaya I Want From Me?

Life as we know it, holds dear surprises.

And yes, as cliche as it sounds, there is nothing much we can do to tinker with how life runs its course. Nevertheless, this should not stop us from dreaming of achieving of what life has to offer and to strive our very best to reach the goal that we have set for ourselves.

As for myself, I am in the same bandwagon as those who are not afraid to dream big, and to achieve BIGGER.

I have been doing lots of thinking lately regarding my personal ambitions for the future. I mean, what's next for me upon graduating from law school? There's a part of me saying that perhaps it is to early for me to dwell on these thoughts, added with the fact that I am just about to enter my sophomore year. And then again, there is another part of me that persistently tells me that I should have my goals set, so as to have a path to work on.

I am currently involved in a considerable amount of student activities, student organisations and whatnot, but what's next for me once all of these come to an end? I can't be doing all these forever, as I will not stay in law school my entire life (touch wood). I would be more than happy to do all of these as a job of mine in the future and get myself a six-figure paycheck at the end of the day...and of course, speaking in realistic terms, THAT would not happen.

                                        

              hope all's good behind that mountain.  Picture courtesy of  sylviacandra.wordpress.com/2009/

Upon entering law school, I have always had my mind set on pursuing litigation as my legal field of choice (for the uninitiated, litigation is a field of law that involves going to to court and arguing cases). In working towards that, I have been occupying myself with quite a number of activities that involve communication and interpersonal skills, all in the name of equipping myself with the necessary inputs.

However, lately (again) I have told myself that I should take my dream a step ahead. I SHOULD DO OFFSHORE LITIGATION. That means I have to go out of the comfort zone of my own homeland, and do litigation overseas. I might as well make my name as one of the best regional or  international litigators around. Yes, to a certain extent, I do think that this dream of mine could be a far shot. There will be heaps of decision-making that I have to do and hard work in the process. But hell, as if I have never worked hard before.

                                               last minute prep before my case hearing, IHL Moots 2009.

I am going to strive towards that. I know my own strengths and weaknesses. I know how to use my strengths to my duly advantage. And of course, I'll be constantly seeking ways to deal with my weaknesses. I know, with INTENSITY, INTEGRITY and INTELLIGENCE™ I would be able to face whatever the world decides to throw on my path. And to that, I do need the support of my family, my friends and all those people who care for me, in my pursuit of achieving what I have aimed. 


The world better get on its feet.




THE AQUINAS has spoken.

The Dirty Diss: Episode I

You know one of those days when you just feel like dishing the dirt on some people, for whatever reason it might be? There could be a vast array of reasons leading to that, i.e. that person gave you a hard time, you had a bad day because of that person, that person has offended you in one way or another, or maybe, just for the FUN of it.

And yes, people, whenever THE AQUINAS feels like dishing the dirt on anyone, he's gonna do so on a special segment on thehornbillspeaks, called THE DIRTY DISS!


On this very first episode of The Dirty Diss™, THE AQUINAS lays the dirt on the one and only, the pre-adolescent prodigy, Justin Bieber.

                                  picture courtesy of http://www.myspace.com/justinbieber

Justin Bieber is a Canadian kid sensation who made it to the big time after gaining prominence as an online celebrity on youtube. After gaining global popularity from his debut single (what's the title again?), he "successfully" gained himself a global army of female groupies fan base of a considerable size (you're no where near Tupac  or Kurt Cobain kid), consisting largely of female audience between the age of 1 1/2-29 years old.

Here's the deal, Bieber lovers. The thing about pop culture is, nothing lasts. We cannot help but to expect one hit wonders, or those music executive puppets who made a grand entrance into the entertainment scene but merely had a quiet and uncelebrated exit from the centre stage, if not a shameful one. Remember what happened to the Jonas Brothers? Nobody's gonna talk about him in the next 5 years or so. Remember Macaulay Culkin?

I taught Bieber his moves. 5 years from now he could be just like meeee <3<3  picture courtesy of mrchevyceleb.wordpress.com/2008/...y-to-47/

Hmm I wonder what happens if Macaulay Culkin dresses Bieber up THAT WAY. I wonder if you ladies would still love him.

    OMG I would love to get my head bald and dress like Madame Macaulay. We could be flawless <3<3<3

Let me guess. You would.

Eat some dirt!


THE AQUINAS has spoken.

In the Midst of the Craze

The FIFA World Cup 2010 is HERE!!!!

The timing has never been this perfect. The world's most anticipated spectacle, an event that enthralls the the whole universe once in every 4 years is actually taking place during MY SEMESTER HOLIDAYS! hahah!

Being frequent it may not, this spectacle called The World Cup is a reason for the world to anticipate, and of course, spending wee hours in the morning glued to the tube (or at the mamaks, your in-laws' house, your friends house, your girlfriend's house, or the electrical appliances store. you cheapskate=P). I, THE AQUINAS, happens to dwell in the craze as well, spending 90 minutes or more of my youth watching two teams of 11 men chasing a lightweight ball all around a field. I mean, who cares? It's The World Cup.

                   Some Oranje juice in a Cup, people? Picture courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

Speaking of which, there's another group of people who are unfortunately left out, stranded miles away from the mob of the Coupe el Monde. Yes, I'm taking about the Non-World Cup Watchers, the NWCW as what i would love to call them. These people, for whatever reason it may be, happens to not really join in the fray, or to an extreme extent, HATES the World Cup.

Kick no balls. Picture courtesy of http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2010/01/index.html

This our course, include wives and girlfriends. Guys out there, this is the time when your significant other (chewah) cringes for your attention, longing for the touch or ritual kiss on the forehead (or wherever the kiss maybe) every night at 10pm or so, but you can't do so, as Argentina or Brazil or Spain is playing at that time.

GF/wifey: Can I get a good night kiss?
Guy: Yeah, but not for long (half a second peck)
GF/wifey: Honey. That's the pillow you're kissing. Do it right this time okay?
Guy: Owh maybe not now baby, the match is about to start...
GF/wifey: Can u kiss me after your match?
Guy: Hmm I'll see about that. Coz that is when they show highlights, post match analysis etc etc...
GF/wifey: *GRUNTS*

Speaking on the behalf of my brethren, ladies, this is the time of the year...wait. scratch that. This is the time ONCE in every four years that the guys will devote every ounce of their being to the excitement and grandeur of the World Cup. You see, take it as a give and take situation. He watches World Cup, you get yourself a spa treatment. Make sure it's on him. There's a lot of "Getaway from the World Cup" packages nowadays, so give yourself a lil' time out, pamper yourself, rejuvenate yourself....so that you'll be fresh and ready for him once the World Cup is over. (evil smirk=P)

Well, till next time!


THE AQUINAS has spoken.

This Is. The Debut.

Today marks an important yet significant event in the annals of history of one Matt David, as this is his very first attempt at writing a a full-fledged blog post (tried to be dramatic right there, but sheesh. not much of an effect isn't it?).

Well, anyways, here it is, THE AQUINAS' brainchild, thehornbillspeaks is NOW HERE!=)

I have been thinking of writing a blog for quite some time actually, until this one fateful day when I thought to myself, "Hey AQUINAS, you should give it a try man. for real."

From that moment, I dragged myself to face the laptop and start ramming my fingers on the keyboard (not literally dragging myself though, as I AM sitting in front of my lappy for the most of this semester holidays). So instead of sitting around and doing nothing during the holidays, where lazing-off is still a mandatory activity (HOLLA if you agree!), why not filling my free time honing my writing prowess? perrghh.

The other reason being is that I am in fact an avid blog reader as well. I could go from political blogs to lifestyle and entertainment blogs, or those blogs which simply tell the story of everyday people in everyday life. Regardless of its genre, I do have the respect and adulation for these people behind the post writings who took the initiative (no pun intended) to share their thoughts and perspective with the rest of the world, as I do strongly believe that every person should take the opportunity to exercise their freedom of expression. Blogging, definitely is one of the many ways of doing so.

                                             courtesy of www.nrc.nl/international/Feature...o_insult

So, as far as THE AQUINAS is concerned,   thehornbillspeaks will do just that, but with a twist of course, for the sake of giving it an identity for it to stand on its own. Yes, there will be a lot of ramblings, disses, THE AQUINAS' thoughts on current situations, entertainment and sports, movie and music reviews, student activism, college humour you name it, THE AQUINAS is gonna give them all!=)

That's one hell of a rambling for a first post.

THE AQUINAS has spoken.