Creative Minds Are Nurtured

RICE FIELDS OF JAPAN

Looks ordinary enough
but watch as the rice grows!

Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice fields in Japan, but this is no alien creation. The designs have been cleverly planted! Farmers creating the huge displays use no ink or dye.

Instead, different colour rice plants have been precisely and strategically arranged and grown in the paddy fields.
As summer progresses and the plants shoot up, the detailed artwork begins to emerge.








A Sengoku warrior on horseback has been created from hundreds of thousands of rice plants.

The colours are created by using different varieties of rice plants, whose leaves grow in certain colours.
This photo was taken in Inakadate, Japan.



Napoleon on horseback can be seen from the skies.
This was created by precision planting and months of planning by villagers and farmers located in Inkadate, Japan.





Fictional warrior Naoe Kanetsugu and his wife, Osen, whose lives are featured on the television series 'Tenchijin' appear in fields in the town of Yonezawa in the Yamagata prefecture of Japan.




This year, various artwork has popped up in other rice-farming areas of Japan, including designs of deer dancers.

Smaller works of 'crop-art' can be seen in other rice-farming areas of Japan such as this image of Doraemon and deer dancers.



The farmers create the murals by planti! ng littl e purple and yellow-leafed Kodaimai rice along with their local green-leafed Tsugaru, a Roman variety, to create the coloured patterns in the time between planting and harvesting in September.



The murals in Inakadate cover 15,000 square meters of paddy fields.







From ground level, the designs are invisible, and viewers have to climb the mock castle tower of the village office to get a glimpse of the work.





Closer to the image, the careful placem! ent of t he thousands of rice plants in the paddy fields can be seen.

Rice-paddy art was started there in 1993 as a local revitalization project, an idea that grew from meetings of the village committees.

The different varieties of rice plants grow alongside each other to create the masterpieces. In the first nine years, the village office workers and local farmers grew a simple design of Mount Iwaki every year. But their ideas grew more complicated and attracted more attention.

In 2005, agreements between land owners allowed the creation of enormous rice paddy art. A year later, organizers used computers to precisely plot the planting of four differently colored rice varieties that bring the images to life!

TRULY A WORK OF ART!!

MACC must show independence, not impotence

From Robert Phang, via e-mail

AG Gani Patail is again courting controversy by the revelation in Malaysia Today, which appeared on the Aug 24, 2011. If the allegation is not thoroughly investigated, it will be perceived badly by the Rakyat.

Malaysia Today produced documentary evidence of what appears to be AG Gani Patail receiving gratification to take sides in a corporate boardroom tussle in Ho Hup Construction Berhad.

Previously, photographs had already surfaced in various blogs of AG Gani Patail with that companys previous managing director, Vincent Lye.

This revelation would surely destroy any residual credibility left about the AG Chambers. It appears that criminal prosecution is instituted at the whims and fancies of Gani Patail not on the basis of right or wrong but on might is right.

I have previously criticised Gani Patail over his Haj Trip with Tajudin Ramlis proxy, one Shahidan Shafies. Instead of taking action against Gani Patail, alarmingly I was subjected to an immediate investigation by the MACC based on just a false allegation in an anonymous blog.

I was then publicly humiliated when the MACC Operations Evaluation Panel (OEP) chairman, Hadenan Abdul Jalil only conditionally cleared me. My demands for an unconditional and unequivocal clearance have yet to receive any response from the MACC.

The invoices, receipts and cheque shown in Malaysia Today do not require complex forensic accounting. These documents paint a thousand words of the alleged renovation works done for Gani Patails bungalow at Seremban 2 Sri Carcosa.

These documents constitute clear evidence of corrupt gratification. The MACC must show independence and courage by acting swiftly to investigate this matter! . To fac ilitate such an investigation, Gani Patail MUST immediately step down.

These are clear steps that must be taken to preserve the integrity of the AGs Chamber and the Government. Otherwise, the MACC will be regarded as impotent and dare not take action against those in the corridors of power.

The BN Government of the day, now under the Premiership of Najib Tun Razak has to address and solve many issues. This revelation on Gani Patail will certainly further discredit Najibs Government.

This is very serious more so that this is the month of Ramadan. The Rakyat needs to know and certainly Gani Patail, must enlighten the Rakyat on the truth or otherwise of this latest allegation against him.

Over to MACC. You need to do this investigation independently, without fear or favor and to not be impotent.

The writer is a Justice of Peace and chairman of Social Care Foundation

Even PR 'applicant' on electoral roll...

The controversy surrounding the 1,000-odd purported permanent residents listed as voters on the Election Commission (EC) website took another twist with a temporary identity card holder found in the mix.

Following a tip-off by members of PAS Youth, Malaysiakini found that Yusnati Haris Lakmana, 27, who is listed as a voter on the EC website, is a holder of a temporary identity card.

A temporary identity card is green in colour, while permanent residents are given red IDs and Malaysian citizens, blue.

Checking the National Registration Department (NRD) database, publicly accessible on their website, revealed this.

The NRD check showed that Yusnati is a holder of a green identity card (MyKad), and has collected the card.

This means that Yusnati, a voter in the Chempaka state constituency and Pandan parliamentary constituency, is not yet a permanent resident but is in the process of applying to be one.

Malaysiakini has contacted the NRD, which said that it will run a check to confirm Yusnati's status on Monday as it does not operate on weekends.

'Technical' error says EC

The Election Commission said that it will only be able to run checks after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri break as the officer responsible is already on leave.

In the case of the 1,000-odd permanent residents previously found on the roll, the NRD and EC clarified that this was due to "technical negligence".

EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof said that the NRD had neglected to update their database to show ! that the se permanent residents had been granted citizenship.

Most prominent was the case of Mismah, an Ijok voter who had been listed by the NRD as a permanent resident on Aug 2.

Her status was updated on the NRD database four hours after Malaysiakini's checks on the same day, stirring up much speculation.

The NRD later clarified that Indonesia-born Mismah had, in fact, been granted citizenship on Jan 31, 2011 after 29 years as permanent resident.

However, no explanation was given as to how a foreigner with no qualifications managed to gain citizenship, when in the same period the Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein himself told Bernama that citizenships were hard to obtain.

source:malaysiakini

Pemohon PR dikesan pula di daftar pemilih

Kalau tak semak semua 1000 PATI pemegang PR akan mengundi dalam PRU ke-13 nanti. Pengerusi SPR cakap ini kecuaian teknikal...ptuiiiih!!! bangang punya alasan.

Sebenar ini adalah angkara SPR nak tambah pengundi hantu, agar UMNO boleh menang besar....

cheers.

Face Your Fears and Break Free, Folks!

Time to evolve beyond totems and taboos!

Some rights reserved Antares/Magick RiverYou may borrow and/or modify content for your own blog but please credit and backlink, thanks.

The Asian power squeeze

By Gareth Evans

CANBERRA: As China gets closer to overtaking the United States as the worlds largest economic power, and its disinclination to accept US military dominance of the Western Pacific grows more obvious, Americas Asia/Pacific allies and friends are becoming increasingly anxious about their longer-term strategic environment.

The nightmare scenario for policymakers from Seoul to Canberra is a zero-sum game in which they are forced to choose between their great economic dependence on China and their still-enormous military reliance on the US.

No one believes that the US-China relationship will end in tears any time soon, not least because of the mutually dependent credit and consumption embrace in which the two countries are currently locked.

But the outlook a decade or two from now is already generating a mass of analysis and commentary, focusing on the tensions that have long festered in the South China Sea, bubble up from time to time in the East China Sea, and are forever lurking in the Taiwan Strait.

What, if anything, can those regional countries with competing interests and loyalties do to avoid the pain that they would certainly face if US-China competition turned violent?

Probably no single one of us can do very much to influence the larger picture. But there are several messages some accommodating, but others quite tough that could very usefully be conveyed collectively by Japan, South Korea, the major Asean players, and Australia to China and the US, spelling out how each could best contribute to keeping the region stable.

Giants are not always especially tolerant of lesser mortals, but in my experience the US tends to listen most and respond best to its friends when its policy assumptions are being challenged and test! ed, whil e China has always respected strength and clarity of purpose in its partners and interlocutors.

And messages coming in convoy are harder to pick off than those offered in isolation.

Messages for China

The first set of messages to China should be reassuring. We accept that it has always been more serious than most about achieving a nuclear weapons-free world, and we understand its need to ensure the survivability of its minimum nuclear deterrent so long as such weapons exist.

We understand its interest in having a blue-water navy to protect its sea-lanes against any contingency. We acknowledge that it has maritime sovereignty claims about which it feels strongly. And we recognize the strength of national feeling about Taiwans place in a single China.

But these messages need to be matched by others. As to its nuclear and other military capability, mutual confidence can be based only on much greater transparency not only about doctrine, but numbers and deployment than China has traditionally been willing to offer.

Any increase in Chinas nuclear arsenal is destabilizing and utterly counterproductive to its stated goal of global nuclear disarmament.

If other countries in the region are to diminish their reliance on the US nuclear deterrent (and not acquire any nuclear capability of their own), they must be confident in their ability to deal with any conceivable threat by conventional means.

In this context, China should expect no diminution in the commitment of Americas traditional allies in the region to that relationship, and to the US support that might be expected to continue to flow from it.

And while the defence planning of others in the region assumes no malign intent by China, such planning must be conducted as evident in Australias recent Defence White Paper with the capability of major regional players squarely in mind.

Balance distribution

Likewise, any aggression by C! hina in pursuing its territorial claims, including on Taiwan, would be disastrous for its international credibility, for regional peace, and for the prosperity on which the countrys internal stability is premised.

In the South and East China Seas, competing sovereignty claims should optimally be litigated in the International Court of Justice; failing that, they should be frozen, and arrangements for mutual access and joint resource exploitation peacefully negotiated.

The regions messages to the US need to combine traditional sentiment with some equivalent hard-nosed realism.

Our appreciation for the security support given to us in the past, and which we hope will continue in the future, remains undiminished.

But, paradoxical as it might seem, the Asia/Pacific regions stability could well be put more at risk by Americas continuing assertion of absolute primacy or dominance than by a more balanced distribution of conventional military power.

The wisest single message that its regional allies and friends could now give the US is one that I heard former President Bill Clinton articulate in a private gathering in Los Angeles ten years ago:

We can try to use our great and unprecedented military and economic power to try to stay top dog on the global block in perpetuity.But a better choice would be for us to try to use that primacy to create a world in which we will be comfortable living when we are no longer top dog on the global block.

Gareth Evans, Australias Foreign Minister from 1988-96, is Chancellor of the Australian National University, Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and President Emeritus of the International Crisis Group.

- Project Syndicate

Semen in rectum

Like many, I have been following Anwar trial via the media network. I notice that all the counter arguments by the defense team were never highlighted in the MSM. Some people say that it is acceptable. I say it is expected but not acceptable. The latest question posed by the prosecutor is that how is that Anwar semen ends up in MSB rectum. The foreign DNA expert was not able to commit to a firm and clear answer.

To recap, it was after 48 hours after the alleged event that MSB made a report and it was several hours more before he was examined. I read somewhere that the samples were taken 56 hours after the alleged event and yet the quality of the semen remains pristine despite not being stored in ideal conditions. I have written before that for a man who did not defecate for 56 hours, his rectum must be full of shit that would have clouded his thinking. There is no way a HRS (High Rectal Swab) or LRS (Low Rectal Swab) would have come out clean. The doctors would have been swiping feces.

The questions that need to be answered are what were given to the Chemistry Department? Is it really the swab taken from MSB at the hospitals or swabs prepared at the hospital or somewhere between the hospital and the chemistry department? Going by the pristine nature of the sample, I suspect that it did not come from MSB anus.

Therefore when the prosecution asked how is that Anwar semen was found in MSB Anus, I believe the answer is obvious. It was not there and was never there. It was a prepared sample and the sample is not even Anwar. The so called Male Y DNA is indeed Anwar but must have been planted DNA materials into the samples. It does not take much to plant such sample.

A few cells from skin scrapings woul! d be eno ugh or buccal mucosa cells obtained from a toothbrush and the whole process can be reverse engineered. How else would one would get unknown DNA in one sample? I believe there has been an unknown donor of semen which was later mixed with Anwar cells obtained illegally while he was kept overnight in the Dang Wangi IPD lock up. My own conclusion is that there is no semen but full of shit in MSB rectum and DNA material was planted after the event. It has been a shitty affair.

Somebody going to get a hurt real bad Russell Peters

PERBUATAN MANUSIA KEMBALI KEPADA DIRINYA SENDIRI

Firman Allah bermaksud:

Allahlah yang menundukkan lautan untukmu supaya kapal-kapal dapat belayar padanya dengan seizin-Nya, dan supaya kamu dapat mencari sebahagian kurnia-Nya dan mudah-mudahan kamu bersyukur.

Dan Dia menundukkan untukmu apa-apa yang ada di langit dan apa-apa yang ada di bumi semuanya (sebagai suatu rahmat) daripada-Nya. Sesungguhnya pada yang demikian itu benar-benar terdapat tanda-tanda kekuasaan Allah bagi kamu yang berfikir.

Katakanlah kepada orang-orang yang beriman hendaklah mereka memaafkan orang-orang yang tiada takut akan hari-hari Allah kerana Dia akan membalas sesuatu kaum terhadap apa-apa yang telah mereka kerjakan.

Barang siapa yang mengerjakan amal yang soleh maka itu adalah untuk dirinya sendiri, dan barang siapa mengerjakan kejahatan, maka itu akan menimpa dirinya sendiri, kemudian kepada Tuhanmulah kamu dikembalikan.

[ Surah al-Jatsiyah: 12-15 ]

Malaysia education equivalent to disadvantage refugees

TEACHERS who always give their students time to ask questions, who ask challenging questions themselves and who tell students how their work will be judged can dramatically improve literacy performance.

Advertisement: Story continues below

The study is based on students' assessment of their teachers. It identified five key areas of teacher practice that, if used in most or all lessons, can improve a child's literacy scores by the equivalent of one school year.

Those teacher practices are: gives students the chance to ask questions, asks students to explain the meaning of texts, tells them in advance how their work would be judged, gives them time to think about their answers and asks questions that challenge them to better understand a text.

Research shows the difference between good and poor teachers can amount to two years of student achievement. Not surprisingly, the impact of bad teachers in succession is particularly disastrous.

A US study which shows the average eight-year-old, in a class with a high performing teacher for three years, can rise from the 50th percentile to the 90th; a student with a low performing teacher for three years will drop back to the 37th percentile.

The report states: ''The difference between good teachers and poor teachers can amount to two years of student achievement.''

The difference between students who suffer under three bad teachers and those who thrive for three years is equivalent to the educational disadvantage of newly arrived refugees in Australia who are only beginning to learn English.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^! ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Malaysia has more low performing teachers than high performers. This explain why our education system has gone from bad to worse. How long more do we allow our politicians to flip flop according to their moods? Can we have the Education Ministry answerable to Parliament instead?

End game for Tripoli

Sim Kwang Yang

AT the time of writing, rebels in Tripoli are closing down on forces loyal to Gaddafi to deliver a conclusive blow in the long, drawn out battle for Libya.

Six months after the revolution began, the world is finally on the verge of witnessing the end of the historic struggle of the Libyan people for their freedom to determine their own fate.

Thousands have died in the struggle, as Gaddafi continues to cling to the last vestiges of his hold on power. The dictators whereabouts are unknown.

But in the last moments of his grip on his country, all parties are prepared for some kind of last ditch effort. He is expected to deliver as destructive a final retaliation as possible.

It is now more than apparent that the days of Gaddafis seemingly endless reign in Libya are now numbered.

The world is witnessing, with some nervousness, an uncertain outcome of the conflict in this strategically vital corner of the Arab world.

For months on end, the Arab universe has been caught in this historic turmoil, a rebellion that was unimaginable just a year ago.

Egypt and Tunisia have already fallen to the revolutionary zeal of the Arab population. Syria is repressing the peoples dissent in the most brutal manner possible, while the revolt of the ordinary citizens continues unabated.

Other countries like North Yemen and Bahrain are still caught in the internal contradictions of repressing their own people from expressing their demand for reform.

!

These are unusual times, and the people of the Arab streets are turning new pages in the brand new history of their world.

As the battle for Libya slowly grinds down to a painful end, the opposition forces that gather in Tripoli now have the momentum to complete this historic process.

The prayers of peace-loving people all over the world are offered up for the conflict to end soon, without incurring too much bloodshed and killing. The next few days should see the murky picture clarify somewhat for us.

Meanwhile, Nato forces are continuing their air attacks on Libyan government forces. It can be concluded that without Nato at the front line of allied air attacks, the Libyan uprising would not have made so much ground in the past six months.

Libyas Transitional National Council in Benghazi now has the world focused on its role. It must not be seen to be vindictive, and must through its actions prove that the council intends to diminish the national grief suffered by the Libyan people as a whole.

The most important job of the Transitional National Council is to heal the wounds of the conflict.

The situation in Tripoli is still fluid, and full of hidden risks. As we watch from the sidelines in Malaysia, we cannot help but feel a deep sense of compassion for the ordinary citizens of Libya. They have suffered much, and we wish them well.

It will take many years for Libya to achieve a kind of resolution and rehabilitation. This nation, rich in culture and oil resources, has been dealt such a gigantic blow to their national spirit.

But they have shown extraordinary courage in the process of their rebirth and their self-rejuvenation.

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Shanti a true Malaysian

By Chan Li Lin Sin Chew Daily

In the residential area where they live, many from the Chinese community know 49 year-old Shanti and her daughter Sharmala. Whether they are in the wet market or eateries, many residents will greet them with a smile whenever they come across each other.

Considering Ghost Festival as a blessing ceremony

The mother and daughter do not have a huge network of friends and they are not prominent figures. People know them because they are frequent visitors to the Ghost Festival celebration in South Puchong. In the latest celebration, it marked the seventh year they become volunteers at the festival.

At the venue of celebration, she is known as aunty Shanti. Her distinctive complexion also enables her to easily stand out in the crowd. By looking at the way she skillfully folds the incense papers, handles offerings meant for the spirits, as well as participates in religious rites with joss sticks in hands, it is hard to imagine that she is neither a follower of Taoism nor Buddhism. A Hinduism believer, she does not speak a word in Mandarin but many people feel that she is more sincere a devotee when it comes to the Ghost Festival, which is largely celebrated by the Chinese community.

Im a Hinduism follower and there is no such celebration in my religion. I consider the Ghost Festival as a blessing ceremony while the Guardian God of Ghosts is also a God of Protection. Blessing my sons who work abroad with good health and safety, He also protects my family so that we can enjoy a smooth sailing life journey, she said.

Influence on children

Shanti began to serve as a volunteer ever sin! ce the f irst edition of the Ghost Festival was held in South Puchong. It all started by chance when her neighbour Guan Zi-ting, also the chairman of the ceremony, invited her to lend a helping hand leading up to the event. In the beginning, the mother of three had only one thought. Besides wishing that her children would be blessed with good health at all time, she also hoped that her sons who worked overseas could always come back safely.

Almost backed down in first visit to Ghost Festival

As marine engineers, both of her sons spend most of their time working on sea. When words reached Shanti that providing prayers and offerings to the spirits of the deceased could protect her family, she did not even hesitate to participate in the ceremony. It also didnt cross her mind that the Ghost Festival would subsequently turn into an annual event for her. Moreover, her children also extend their help to make the festival a success because of her influence.

I still remember I almost backed down when I first joined the event, especially after looking at the paper-made statue of the Chinese deity Da Shi Ye, or Guardian God of Ghosts. Initially, I was frightened by His fearsome appearance but became used to it later, she said.

During the period when the Ghost festival is celebrated, Shanti arrives at the worshipping premise at 10am in the morning and will only take a shower at home at 7pm. After that, she returns again to offer her helping hand until midnight. Just like other volunteers, she is kept busy folding the incense papers. Holding joss sticks and on her knee, she often joins the prayers when rites are being held. Besides volunteering at the place of worship, she also brings incense papers home so that she can fold them at home. Folding 15 huge bags of incense papers during a single festive period remains her highest record.

Greeted with curiosity

Shanti admitted that it often serves up a surprise for strangers who come to know about her activity. She can! still v ividly remember that at one occasion, she wanted to utilize her waiting time by folding incense papers after sending her car for a maintenance service. Being concerned that the people around her might not be happy with her paper folding activity, she requested for permission before actually doing it.

The worker took a glimpse of me and asked whether the paper offerings were meant for the dead. He thought I didnt know! Within three hours, I managed to complete folding one large bag of incense papers. Many Chinese were curious and some didnt even dare to sit beside me. I think they had over-reacted. For me, it is just a religious approach. Even though some may not understand it, they should treat it with respect, she said.

Despite being a Hinduism follower, I visit church, Chinese temples, Buddhist centres and other places of worship. In my eyes, there is only one God in this world and the people are only embracing different religions. We must not take to heart the differences in beliefs but instead, we should accept the differences, she added.

Distribution ceremony is highly anticipated

A distribution ceremony taking place on the last day of the Ghost Festival sees the organizer distribute pouches to participants. The bags are being filled with rice and coins, which signify ample food and essential items. The ceremony is also the most eagerly anticipated event for Shanti during the festival.

Ive specially prepared a small rice bucket to keep the rice I receive every year. I think of the rice as a gift and ever since I bring the rice home, my family has always had enough to eat. Also, my children are healthy and things are going well in their jobs. Pretty soon, they will get the chance for a promotion, she said.

Santi is not superstitious in regard to the traditional Ghost Festival. However, she deeply believes that if we are offering prayers from the bottom of our heart, our prayers will come true.

Win from lucky numbers ! a gift

In fact, the festive event has resulted in many magical moments. For instance, I suffer from back pain because of prolonged sitting during the incense paper folding process. What I find magical is that every time when the festival comes to an end, the symptom will disappear in the following day. This is really inexplicable, she said.

Moreover, buying lottery on a regular basis is not a habit of mine but since I became a volunteer, I always place my bet on the lucky numbers awarded by the masters during the Ghost Festival. As a result, I manage to reap a harvest every year. Though I only win RM30 at times, the amount is not important to me as I see it only as a gift, she added.

Distributing prayer items to neighbours, relatives

Every year, Santi distributes the prayer items to her neighbours and relatives in the hope to bring them luck and blessing. She even gave some of the prayer items to the reporter who interviewed her, stressing that she only wished for happiness and bliss for every person she knows by participating in the festival which is totally unrelated to her religion.

Sharmala, 20 years old, undergraduate: treated well by others

When I was a 13 year-old, I followed my mom and joined the Ghost Festival activities. My first thought was the people had gone crazy and my mom was one of them! The people were burning incense sticks and a statue of the Guardian God of Ghosts was being put on display. I felt uncomfortable, thinking that I didnt belong there. Therefore, in the first two years, I was only there to accompany and support my mom.

After getting to know each other, the people no longer overlook my presence as an Indian girl. They will also give explanations on things that Im curious about. Everyone is treating me as one of them and our relationships just get better and better. When we are folding incense papers, we can hear gossip in our community and I find it hilarious.

Some people think that burning incense pap! ers and joss sticks during the Ghost Festival will bring about harmful effect to the environment. Im a supporter of environmental protection but after thinking of it as an old tradition, I do not oppose to the activity as it is only carried out once in a year.

Guan Zi-ting, chairman of the South Puchong Ghost Festival: Embody the spirit of religion regardless of race

It is comforting to know that this Chinese cultural and religious activity has received support from non-Chinese.

Having leapt past the cultural and religious barriers, Shanti and her family are truly embodying the spirit of religion regardless of race.

The Ghost Festival celebration needs a lot of manpower and sponsorships. For instance, the help of women is needed in helping with the incense paper folding. Over the years, Shanti has made it an obligation to serve as a volunteer here.

During the festive event, four to five masters will lead a reciting ceremony everyday. Each time, Shanti joins the rites on behalf of the events committee. Her children are also helping out due to her influence on them.