An uplifting email from the indefatigable Bruno Manser Fund...

Bruno Manser (25 August  1954 ~ ???)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,

We would like to inform you that the Bruno Manser Fund is about to release an explosive report on the Malaysian Taib family, one of South East Asia's most notorious kleptocratic clans.

Sarawak has been in Taib Mahmud's
greedy clutches for more than 30 years

The report entitled The Taib Timber Mafia: Facts and Figures on Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) from Sarawak, Malaysia contains twenty portraits and details on the corrupt business connections of long-term Sarawak Chief Minister, Abdul Taib Mahmud ("Taib"), and his closest family members and associates. Taib is the main culprit for the destructive logging of the rainforests of Sarawak, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.

As an exclusive, the report will give estimates on the net worth of 20 Taib family members and associates and will systematically expose their business ties to the timber, plantation, construction and media sector in Malaysia and other countries such as Australia, Canada, the US, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. The report follows up on our earlier research on the Taib family, published in December 2011.

The unembarrassable Dompok:
politician with a rhino hide

On Wednesday, 19 September 2012, the report will be presented in Brussels to the EU Commission on the occasion of a visit of the Malaysian Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Bernard Dompok.

The report will be released to the general public on Thursday, 20 September 2012, 3 p.m. GMT. Copies will be sent to all major international financial services providers as well as to cabinet ministers and government agencies from OECD and ASEAN countries. The Bruno Manser Fund calls on the international community to take decisive action against the Taibs, in particular to freeze their illicit assets and to prosecute them for corruption, money-laundering and related crimes.

Interested journalists may obtain a copy of the embargoed report beforehand, by sending us an email.

Your BMF team

Legacy of rainforest "Robin Hood" lives on
11 March 2005

Bruno Manser: officially dead
but not forgotten

Environmentalist Bruno Manser has been declared officially dead by a Swiss court, five years after he disappeared in the Malaysian jungle.

But Manser’s efforts to save the rainforest have not been forgotten and continue to influence attitudes towards tropical wood.

"It’s five years since Bruno vanished without a trace, so it’s not just a legal step, but also a symbolic one," said Lukas Straumann, director of the Bruno Manser Fund, set up by the environmentalist to spearhead his campaign.

"Friends and family have had to say farewell to him in stages."

Manser became a household name in Switzerland in the 1990s, when he staged a spectacular 60-day hunger strike outside parliament in Bern to highlight the plight of Malaysia’s Penan tribesmen.

The Penan, who still live a nomadic lifestyle in the forests of Sarawak on the island of Borneo, are threatened by illegal logging practices that encroach on - and destroy - their habitat.

Manser became interested in the Penan in the 1980s and often clashed with the Malaysian authorities and timber companies as he defended tribal land rights.

Hero

"Bruno Manser is still a hero to the Penan because he made their struggle known to the world," Straumann told swissinfo. "He also made a stand when fighting deforestation and related human rights violations was not very popular."

The environmentalist spent six years living with the tribesmen. He was banned from Sarawak after launching his campaign against rainforest logging.

He disappeared in May 2000, when he is believed to have entered Sarawak secretly. Investigations by the Malaysian police and Swiss activists failed to find any trace of Manser.

Many of his friends believe he was killed because of his campaign, which embarrassed the Malaysian government and earned him plenty of enemies along the way.

But despite vanishing, Straumann says that Manser has had a powerful influence on attitudes towards tropical wood. "He is the person who made it headline news in Switzerland," he added.

[Read the rest here.]

BRUNO MANSER: TRIBUTE TO AN ECO-WARRIOR

Anil Netto reports on Anwar's 14 September visit to Skudai...

Something is happening in Johor

A crowd of 8000 people attended the largest Pakatan dinner in Johor on Friday, 14 September, sending shivers down the ranks of the BN.

The 800-table dinner was held at Sutera Mall near the upmarket Taman Sutera Utama residential area in Skudai, though many of those who turned up seemed to be from outside the neighbourhood.

A thunderous roar from the multi-ethnic crowd greeted Anwar when he arrived with his entourage.

Two observers, a veteran journalist and a former journalist, were struck my the range of people present at the dinner, with all ethnic groups significantly represented. “They were completely unfazed by the heavy presence of police. And they hung on to Anwar’s every word until midnight,” said the veteran journalist.

Entire families were there from grandmothers to children. When Anwar spoke, some of those at the back surged forward giving the impression that some of the tables at the back were half empty.

One of the main organisers was Chua Jui Meng, and the observers were impressed with his ability to draw in the people.

Mat Sabu was a big hit as was Sallahudin. Anwar himself spoke about high-level corruption and the privatization that has benefited cronies.

How does this large turnout translate to seats?

[Read the rest here.]

An Iranian nuclear engineer may hold the key to the planet's future...

Mehran Tavakoli Keshe is an Iranian nuclear engineer who has made some truly astounding breakthroughs in plasma drive systems that will completely revolutionize the technological landscape of our planet - once the massive resistance to Mr Keshe's utopian vision has been overcome.

Some have accused him of being a fraud, others question his scientific credentials - since he has taken pains to distance himself from scientific academicians who serve the existing power structure.

It is obvious, in any case, that the oil, gas and nuclear power industries view the work of the Keshe Foundation with fear and loathing, because widespread acceptance and use of his cutting-edge plasma reactor tech would make fossil fuels utterly obsolete - and inevitably liberate humankind from corporate bondage.

I am in no position to technically assess or review M.T. Keshe's pioneering work in plasma reactor tech. I can only go with my instincts; and my gut feeling is that the Keshe Foundation is very much part of the lineage of visionary scientists like Nikola Tesla whose work was sadly subsumed and neutralized by gross commercial interests with extremely myopic and petty concerns, mainly maximizing on quick profits for themselves and their shareholders, without any serious consideration for the fragile ecosystem or the ultimate well-being of all species.

Don't forget to sign the online petition urging the United Nations to override private interests for the public good.

Visit the Keshe Foundation website for more info.

Everyone was offended. But nobody died. Take it easy, folks!

No one murdered because of this image

Following the publication of the image above, in which the most cherished figures from multiple religious faiths were depicted engaging in a lascivious sex act of considerable depravity, no one was murdered, beaten, or had their lives threatened, sources reported Thursday.

The image of the Hebrew prophet Moses high-fiving Jesus the Christ as both are having their erect penises vigorously masturbated by Ganesha, all while the Hindu deity anally penetrates Buddha with his fist, reportedly went online at 6:45 p.m. EDT, after which not a single bomb threat was made against the organization responsible, nor did the person who created the cartoon go home fearing for his life in any way.

Though some members of the Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist faiths were reportedly offended by the image, sources confirmed that upon seeing it, they simply shook their heads, rolled their eyes, and continued on with their day.

[Source: The Onion]



Last night I watched some footage on AlJazeera of frenzied mobs going on the rampage in... I don't even remember where... Egypt? Tunisia? Yemen? Sudan? Hard to believe that all this violent outrage was triggered by a 13-minute trailer on YouTube of quite possibly the worst movie ever made by a completely dubious character named Bacile... or is it Becile, as in "I'm Becile"? I doubt more than a handful have seen the complete movie - or if it even exists.

The whole thing smacks of yet another Black Ops project designed to catalyze unrest and upheaval in the Middle East and thereby provide an excuse for further military intervention. It's also possible that there exists a fanatical cabal of well-heeled fundamentalists who are eager to precipitate some sort of Armageddon and Final Apocalypse scenario just so they can get to Heaven sooner - or at least reap vast profits from their investments in defense industries.

That's right, these idiots want to create Hell on Earth... rather than Heaven! Don't worry, folks... they've already been quarantined. So relax and enjoy your weekend.

[Thanks to Karen Lea for alerting me to the hilarious piece in The Onion]

World's Most Unfortunate Brand Names

So much better than old, stale cok...

Well of course, Asse just had to be chocolate.

Be gone, I say! 

For Paris Hilton?

I really shouldn't find this funny...

Mine's Happy anyway!

What are you looking at me for?

Hard to refuse!

Hope that's not the the scent!

Not to be confused with Hetero sausage.

I hope Marie knows about this.

Wow! MEGAPUSSI!!!

Only one thing better than regular Shito
New, improved Shito.

Spicy Hot Shitto!

Soooo refreshing!

Good Luck! Bet it doesn't taste the same in a can... 

Insect repellent? Are you sure that's what it's for?

Yup... it's all about branding, folks.

[Forwarded by V. Menon]

An alternative Merdeka anthem ~ Janji Dicapati!

55 years ago, Malaya was declared an independent nation. Independent of whom? The question remains unanswered...

JANJI DICAPATI!

OUT YOU GO, BARISAN NAJIS

My grandson Max turned 12 today!

NERF blasters... not for NERDs!

Even before his birthday, Max already received a whole stack of goodies...

Max befriends Bonzo, Magick River's baby dog

Max with feisty sister Reiya Sunshine (23 August 2012)

With his beloved Grandma, a prolific blogger and activist!


IN LOVING MEMORY

Molly Fu

(28 August 1950 - 12 June 2006)

Max shares a birthday with his magnificent grand-aunt Molly
who babysat him a lot - and who also took care of Belle
and her sister Moon when they were babies.
"An Angel returned to Heaven..."
is how Belle describes this beautiful, gentle soul.

END OF THE LINE...?

 

NOPE... LOTS MORE TO GO!

Explosive Evidence on 9/11 ~ a 2-hour documentary released November 2011

Over 1,700 architects and engineers demand a REAL investigation!

This is the expert-packed feature-length, pre-release v1.3, low-res documentary by Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. Help us to make the most of the opportunity provided by the 10th anniversary of 9/11 to publicize the evidence about the destruction of the 3 WTC high-rises on 9/11. Visit the dedicated website to watch or download the high-res video. Support AE911Truth by sharing the website with your family, friends, and associates - and have them watch it on high resolution pay per view and/or download the film also.

[Brought to my attention by Pat Goh]

NOTE: I actually sat through this all the way - until the last couple of minutes when my Flash application crashed, as it often does. It's a snail-paced, unsensational documentary consisting mostly of expert testimonies by individuals professionally prone towards caution and measured consideration - and even if you're entirely hard-headed and muscle-brained, the inevitable conclusion is that all three WTC buildings were brought down by controlled demolition with something akin to nano-thermite. 

In order to facilitate this false flag operation, months (perhaps even years) of intricate preparation must have gone into it - which raises the question, who benefited most from 9/11?

Larry Silverstein (left), wheeler-dealer with strong financial & political links to the Likud party of Israel, made billions from insurance claims - having taken out a lease on the WTC complex only months before 9/11. His enigmatic statement on TV admitting to having given the green light to "pull" WTC7 is still hotly debated. Silverstein was recently awarded an additional $21.5 million fee to serve as "consultant" on the Freedom Tower project due for completion in 2013.


Dick Cheney (right), former US vice-president, supervised operations while the President was visiting a school in Florida. He reportedly ordered NORAD to stand down instead of scrambling to shoot down the "hijacked" planes. Cheney was also behind a series of war games "coincidentally" initiated on 11 September 2001; he was in charge of all these defense "drills."  As ex-CEO of Halliburton, Cheney remains a shareholder and benefited greatly from post-9/11 contracts in Afghanistan & Iraq. Dick Cheney has always been known to be a hawk who advocates might-is-right geopolitical policies.

Donald Rumsfeld (right), defense secretary, lied about Saddam Hussein's "weapons of mass destruction" and beat the war drums to initiate unprovoked attacks against Afghanistan & Iraq, as part of a long-term strategy to gain control of vast oil fields. Rumsfeld profited from panic sales of Tamiflu (a bird flu vaccine developed by Gilead Laboratories, in which he's a major shareholder). In the mid-1970s, Rumsfeld was president of a pharmaceutical company which pushed for the legalization of the carcinogen, Aspartame.

Dov S. Zakheim (right), Pentagon financial comptroller and defense undersecretary (4 May 2001 - 10 March 2004) under whose watch $3.3 trillion went missing. Former CEO of Systems Planning Corporation (which holds the patents for drone warfare & Global Hawk unmanned flight technology), Zakheim also had full access to WTC building blueprints via a security company he controlled. Zakheim was a major contributor to PNAC (Project for a New American Century) which openly alludes to "a new Pearl Harbor" as the best way to gain public support for all-out military adventurism.

Actually, hundreds (if not thousands) profited handsomely from 9/11 and its grotesque aftermath. Those mentioned above are just a few key players in this grand opera of making an obscene fortune from other people's misfortune.

Literally millions have lost their lives as a direct or indirect consequence of 9/11. Unborn generations of Afghanis and Iraqis will be hideously impacted by the irresponsible use of depleted uranium weaponry which spreads radioactive dust over a wide area - in the same way that Vietnamese and Cambodian children continue to be impacted by the reckless use of Agent Orange (a deadly defoliant formulated by Monsanto and Dow Chemical) in the 1960s.

WAKE UP, WORLD, AND SMELL THE FASCISM!

"Take two tablets twice daily..."

The Tablets of Stone, Stone Tablets, Tablets of Law, or Tablets of Testimony (in Hebrew: לוחות הברית Luchot HaBrit - "the tablets [of] the covenant") in the Bible, were the two pieces of special stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments when Moses ascended Mount Sinai as recorded in the Book of Exodus. Exodus 31:18 refers to the tablets as the "Tablets of Testimony."[Source: Wikipedia]

"But... but... we're still in the Analog Era!"

"How much should we retail these for?"

Only 30 centuries down the line... Time flies!

Moses presents the latest Tablet of Testimony 
(15th century painting by Andrea Mantegna)

"Moses with his Tablet" (by Michelangelo)

Steve "Moses" Jobs, the street-savvy dude 
who offered an Apple to Eve in 1976, 
now attempts to seduce her 
with something even sexier...

It must be the onset of womenopause...

(That's another name for "male menopause," my dear).

Lately, I've been thinking about TABLETS...

But the idea of being online wherever I go strikes me as

rather dangerous. 
After all, the whole point of traveling away from

my comfort zone is to get away from the internet!

At this point in time, I have yet to decide 
whether to treat myself 

to a smartphone or a tablet 
(in anticipation of some unexpected windfall).

I'd like to get some feedback from 
those of you who own smartphones as well as tablets: 

if you had space for only one device,

which would you lug around with you?

Early manifestations of The Tablet...

It has been around for eons... 

It just wasn't commercially viable... 
until Adam took a bite of the Apple 
and decided it was pretty cool. 

Wishing everyone a blessed & joyful Hari Raya Aidilfitri!