Teah Abdullah

It has come to my attention that you recently criticised my country, ie. Brunei, of its unexamplary human rights records, ranging from the lack of labour rights, religious tolerance, and the populace’s inability to change the government. Okay, fine. Some of these are valid, but I couldn’t help noticing one area that made me scoff my morning tea while I was in my office a few days ago: The lack of women’s rights.

Here’s the thing, America. You seriously need to stop thinking of yourself as the God of Democracy. Fine, Brunei doesn’t have any governmental/high-level elections, and sure, the rights of migrant workers are abysmal, but when you put women’s rights as an issue that really should be looked into by the government, then you’re proving yourself to be doing a half-assed job while you were conducting this research. That is if you even did any.

Hey, America, let me be kind here: Remember how you don’t have a basic rule of equal pay for men and women? Remember that? Yeah, Brunei has that. Doesn’t that sort of make us a hell more superior in terms of women’s rights than you do? Hello, God of Democracy? You can kiss my equally paid ass.

Also, America, how about the fact that your insurance agencies are always so hesitant to provide women with insurance because they “will very likely get pregnant”? Ever heard of free healthcare? Canada and I are laughing at you, America.

Now, I know what you’re going to say to me, America. “OH, THERE’S NO HIGH LEVEL WOMAN IN BRUNEI’S SOCIETY!” If you did any research in the past year, America, you would know that our newly elected Attorney General is a woman. Don’t let the headcover fool you. Our men don’t wear headcovers here as far as I know. Also, don’t even let me go into detail about our permanent secretaries. We have a stack load of women bossing ministries around.

You can say a lot of things about our democracy and human rights issues, America, but criticising our women rights is just borderline rude.

So, America, the next time you want to divert human rights attention from yourself to other countries because, you know, you’re so democracy-chic, at least do some actual research instead of rehashing what you’ve written ten years ago. You’re saving the embarrassment for all of us.

Love from a woman,
Teah

thedailywhat:

New Music Video! The Lonely Island (feat. Julian Casablancas) - “Boombox”

The latest Incredibad hit to get the SNL Digital Short treatment. Remember: Only you can prevent reckless boomboxing.

[thelonelyisland.]

thedailywhat:

Buy This: City Lights Earth Globe from XUMP.

The suggestion is made that this globe can show both daytime and nighttime simultaneously, but that is apparently not accurate. Still, the Earth-at-night feature is neat, and the globe itself rotates, which is also nice. And it’s $30 off the list price! So, you know, if you need a globe, this one has some pretty sweet things going for it.

[redferret.]

I have always wanted a globe, but always found really crappy ones. But I think I finally found a perfect globe.

So You Say by Siobhan Donaghy

This woman is absolute brilliant.

Oh there, Moustache, on your upper lip,

Hairy and prickly, and moves as you speak,

Oh Moustache, like a caterpillar yonder,

Dancing around to the movement of your speech.

Moustache wiggles to the left,

Moustache wiggles to the right,

A white hair emerges on the side of your lip,

Free and uncaring to all worldly things.

Moustache as epic as epic as moustaches can be,

Handlebars, pencilled, toothbrush and walrus,

Horseshoe, fu Manchu, they move as your whisper,

Yours, I regret to inform, is barely a cat’s whisker.

vinnyvedecci:

Joanna Newsom - Good Intentions Paving Company

Like a bump on a bump on a log, baby.
Like I’m in a fist fight with a fog, baby.
Step-ball-change and a pirouette,
And I regret, I regret

How I said to you, “Honey, just open your heart.”
When I’ve got trouble even opening a honey jar.
And that right there is where we are…

Oh my God, this song is perfect. Give it a try. Especially if you’ve never really liked her before, this song is so different and so good. I can’t stop listening. It reminds me of the music we would listen to when we would go on road trips when I was kid. Listening to this makes me want to cry and laugh and I can feel the sun on my face whenever it plays. There isn’t a second I don’t love.

Jesus Christ on a stick. The perfection of this song is almost too much to bear.

While I was searching for an air freshener holder that Shalina and I were completely obsessed about for a good four months, I managed to find a stack of instant photos inside a food container.

I conclude that this is why I love instant photos so much. The physical touch that is entwined to them really sets it apart from what digital cameras captures. Every picture of a human being I have taken with my Instax shortly follows the human subject to grab the picture in order to see the process of the photo developing before their eyes. It acts as a gentle reminder of the physical presence of the people I have loved and left behind in my life in Singapore, particularly.

Also, their finger prints are on it. Thus, I am scheming to find the prints and use it against them. *Evil laughter*

I am not a toy collector, but I would be very happy to have this sexy motherfucker on my shelf.

(I think I need to clarify that: no, I do not want my man muscular. I just want him to be part wolf, part human being. That is all.)

This gorgeous woman, Joanna Newsom, is releasing a triple-disc album today called Have One on Me. It sounds absolutely amazing.

(via hysterio)

Gorg. Happy national day, Brunei.

Rollin’ thru my hood. nbd.

A co-worker told me several months ago to keep doing what I do despite work. At that moment, I was writing a novel which I knew I would force myself to finish. I finished it then, telling myself that it isn’t difficult to balance work and… my other work as a writer. However, after writing the novel, I find myself slacking a little bit. I would come home and watch a sinful amount of DVDs, at the same time I would do some work to prepare for the next day. I vowed to redraft my novel in January, but alas, January has long passed. I told myself I would read 30 books in 2010, and I have finished not even one. I bought a bunch of comics in December that I haven’t even cracked open.

Sorry, this whole balancing thing? It’s actually a little bit difficult.

I’m trying to find a way to discipline myself. While I find myself well organised at work (well, minus my table which looks like a hurricane went through it, where the messy does nothing to me but love it even more), I couldn’t get myself to actually sit down and write a story, or read a book, go out and exercise or redraft the novel when I am at home. I view myself in retrospect and have concluded that I am disgusting to have amount myself to this with just 4 months of work life in my hand.

I’m writing this entry to let the readers scold me to write, read, or do something else other than watch DVDs or just wander around my house annoying family members. I’m trying to remember that I did not go to work to neglect the past lifestyle I possessed, but to add it into another something I could be passionate about.

As of now, my flame of passion and creativity is fading away. And now, I shall open the document for my novel and read what I wrote back in November.

birdwillbirdwont:

‘81 by Joanna Newsom

“Honey, I’m hot for you! It’s like a fever. Do you think it’s viral meningitis? I bet it is. I touched the light switch and who knows what germs were on there. Then I thought about you, and infected you—it’s a viral brain infection, so of course it’s transmitted through brain waves, that makes perfect sense. We should probably just drive to the hospital right now.

Wow, this sounds like one of my IMs when I’m being ignored.

(via crashinglybeautiful)

travors:

Too Much Coffee Man

This picture. It speaks truth.

eatsleepdraw:

Farts

LMAO!!!!!!

ohyeahfacts:

The hair that is visible on the human body is dead hair – when hair is alive it is still beneath the surface of the skin. Nothing you add to the hair can make it healthier – it can merely add shine or color. Once the hair is out, there is nothing you can do to make it healthier.

(source)

What is-I don’t even know anymore!

Isn’t that term a bit degrading? I’ll take the usual scenario when the term is used: very often said in order to allow a woman to enter or an exit the room first.

SEXIST!

Sexist because when the man allow the woman to pass the door first while they tail behind, it’s obvious that they’re checking the woman’s bum. How is this gentlemanly, ladies?

danogj:

This is Jonathan Kambouris’ Last Meal Project feature along the Esplanade underpass in Singapore. The pictures depict those commited to lethal injection and their last meal requests.

This guy, John W Elliot wanted tea from a tea bag and six cookies. There’s another who asked for a jar of pickles, and one who asked for “justice, world peace and…” (something else, I forgot) and all he got was a sheet printed with those words.

What would your last meal be?

thedailywhat:

Fantastical Furniture of the Day: Whimsical wardrobes, darling dressers and other magical movables from Straight Line Designs.

Check out the rest of the collection here.

[dudecraft.]

Future husband, be prepared.

Party in the USA covered by Danielle Ate The Sandwich.

Main reason why she’s my girl crush.

Yes. So, basically, before and after every meal, my friends and I would do a round of cardio because we couldn’t be bothered to drive the car a few blocks to get food. Good/Horrid times!

Ask!

thedailywhat:

Make way for penguins.

[picshag.]

OMG.

The complication of the situation of the world is the very fact that our interests are divided to the point that we have forgotten the idea of compassion. Human beings have selfishness inserted into them. Collect a group of people to form an organisation (eg: government, companies, civil society groups, etc) you get a larger form of selfishness, added from the individuals you have collected in that one group. The selfish attitude, though, doesn’t have to be negative. It need not be exploitative for your own interest, but there are positive ones such as: “I believe in the idea of human rights, and I will fight for human rights in any form I can even it means I have to blackmail so and so politician”*.

Like the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, or like the 9/11 attack, it took major loss and major disaster for people to come together. Haiti has been added to that list of historical disasters. No hospitals, and parliament building in shambles, hence destroying its government. Images captured captures our eyes, and latched on to that one feeling of compassion we have over strangers we have never even met. Donations there, donations here. Let’s help these people get back on their feet.

Isn’t it sad though? The very fact that makes us come together and turn ourselves in selfless creatures involves loss and panic? Isn’t that a gross description of what human beings are? Isn’t it disgusting that government has come to this?

Not only that, these empathies are done in a moment of euphoria. Once the hype dies down, we’d forget, and we’ll go back to our egocentric nature until the next catastrophe comes in. See Aceh, see the Irrawaddy Delta: They’re still recovering, and we have forgotten them.

* This is an awesome scenario!

thedailywhat:

Kickass Kicks Ad of the Day: To announce the launch of their new line of Star Wars-branded sneakers, Adidas released this eye-popping, move-busting 60-spot, which features Snoop Dogg, David Beckham, Calle 13, and Daft Punk, with a special appearance by His Eminence, Lord Vader.

[adrants.]

This is the worst thing to come across when you’re in a middle of a Star Wars marathon, which is what I’m doing.

thedailywhat:

Rachitick: “LadyHarry”

Best. Crossover. Ever.

[more.]

Instant reblog.

thedailywhat:

Mike P. Mitchell: “I’m With Coco”

Spread the word. Show your support. Coco 4 Prez. Etc.

[more.]

Always. Forever.

stumblrfumblr:

too lazy to sing teah a bday song myself, i delegated marilyn monroe and shasha to do it.

HI, I LOVE YOU BOTH. YOU’RE AMAZING. BEST PRESENT EVER.

Ran and planned a human rights event, was more involved in Singapore’s civil society, graduated with a BA from a stupidly difficult school, did really well in school, got a job, got called from too many ministries, drew a lot, wrote even more, wrote a freaking first novel, used snail mail a ton. Travelled in and out of Brunei and Singapore too many times, faced the lowest of lows in my family, partied hard, literally and metaphorically (partied hard in life!), finally travelled out of Asia. Alone. With my own money. Met some friends I’ve never met, and made more, road tripped from North to South California, from Singapore to Malaysia, touched down on America and South Korea. Lost friends, kept friends, made friends. Went to a Harry Potter symposium, went to Comic-Con, was in a room with Andy Samberg, Stan Lee, and the cast of LOST. Reverse bungeed, possibly had too much carbon footprint with the amount of air travel I did. Sorry, globe. Really. Blew bubbles at Takashimaya as a sign of peaceful protest, ran a lot, tackled a boy down at a party, went up on a lot more rollercoasters, got hit on the back by Chris Rankin, fell in love and fell out of love, fell in love, fell out of love, realised the perfect man was in front of me the whole three years, but it’s something that will never happen, and forgot the fact that I was 22, and not 21.

Oh hey! It’s my birthday today! Here’s to a good 22 23! 22, you were fucking stellar. Best year ever.

harkavagrantfeed:

Hark, a Vagrant: batch of comics

TITS PALMER!

Click, read, nerd-out and enjoy!

stumblrfumblr:

“According to the bank’s advertisement, their customers get a cake on their birthday, complete with burning candles and a birthday song. And yes, it was my birthday yesterday.”

Woman tries to get bday cake from bank and wins.

I cannot get enough of this story because: 1) I had to face this bank for 3 years with difficulty; and 2) Customers are always right, indeed!!

‘Ello, ‘ello, Eleven!

I slept through the time when the clock strikes 12 last night because I had a long day yesterday. The day wasn’t bad, per se, but was an emotional up and down. The best news was that Popsicle had his last dose of scheduled chemoteraphy in the morning of the 31st December.

I talk about Popsicle being in a hospital now and again, and I never go around explaining why that’s the case. I’ve written many things over the past 7 months but was never emotionally inept enough to publish it.. Popsicle has blood cancer. It cannot be fixed, despite radiotherapy or the six cycles of chemotherapy he’s gone through. He’s had two major surgeries, one involving something close to his spine. He’s been quarantined for H1N1 suspicion a few times, but was diagnosed as negative. To top it all off, Popsicle hates hospital as much as I hate Mathematics.

He’s been away from the house since May, spending a month in RIPAS with little treatment. Out of all the family members, I’ve gone the longest without seeing him (since October).

He might be coming home, Insya Allah, this month. It might not be in time for my birthday, but it’s okay. I’ll take it, as long as he’s coming home.

Happy New Year indeed!

I am set for a life without wires.

Goal: 50 books.
Goal: Achieved +1.

1. Crossing the Waters by Sylvia Plath
2. The Astonishing Adventures of Octavian Nothing by M. T. Anderson
3. Exit Ghost by Philip Roth
4. Forever Princess by Meg Cabot
5. Burmese Days by George Orwell
6. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
7. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
8. Wigfield by Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert
9. Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre
10. Free-Range Chickens by Simon Rich
11. Requiem for a Paper Bag from Found Magazine
12. “A Problem From Hell” America in the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power
13. Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk
14. The Taqwacores by Michael Muhammad Knight
15. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
16. The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories by Tim Burton
17. Ant Farm by Simon Rich
18. The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba
19. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
20. Twice Told: Original Stories
21. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
22. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
23. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
24. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham
25. MySpace Darkhorse Presents Vol 1
26. Men and Cartoons by Jonathan Lethem
27. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
28. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
29. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
30. Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers by Bill Willingham
31. Fables: Legends in Exile
32. Fables: Animal Farm by
33. Fables: Storybook Love
34. Fables: The Mean Seasons
35. Fables: Homelands
36. Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days)
37. Fables: Wolves
38. Fables: Sons of Empire
39. Fables: The Good Prince
40. Fables: War and Pieces
41. Fables: The Dark Ages
42. Selected Tales by Brothers Grimm
43. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
44. 1602 by Neil Gaiman
45. Postcards From the Boys by Ringo Starr
46. Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman
47. The Maple Stories by John Updike
48. The Umbrella Academy: Dallas by Gerard Way and Gabriel B
49. Peter and Max by Bill Willingham
50. War and State Building in Burma by Mary P Callahan
51. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Here’s to another 50 in 2010? I doubt it. How about I aim for 30 in 2010?

thedailywhat:

Buy This: “AquaNotes” - waterproof notepad + dry pen set from Gadget Nation Store.

From the description:

• Artists and Doodlers: Unleash your creative and fun side in the shower to draw, sketch, or doodle in the shower.

Please Note: Product cannot be returned if damaged by unleashed doodle.

[likecool.]

Best solution to my life problems.

I was having personal issues with Zed today, so as a woman with too much wrath, I did what… well, not what many women would do.

I swear, Zed, I sincerely apologise even though this was technically not my doing*.

* Idea was mine. Physically doing it was not.

danogj:

sweethomestyle:

aristobrat:

(via taleeroe)

this is absolutely cool.

HOLY CRAP!

The latest Doctor Who (The End of Time, Part 1) episode was filled with too much intensity, less humour, and much annoyance on my part. However, I can’t think of any better ending to an episode of a TV show this whole year, nor a better build up to next week’s episode. The only thing I can think of was LOST’s season 5 finale, but then The End of Time pulled the rug away from LOST, and blew my mind. I literally flailed, and clapped my hands out of excitement. I screamed “OH MY GOD!” and “HOLY CRAP!” loud enough that my brother who was in the next room had to knock on my door to check if I was okay.

I was okay. My brain, however, somehow melted during the fifteen seconds duration of over-excitement.

Next week needs to be here NOW.

Today’s comic loot.

God bless clearances!

Friends, Lovers or Nothing by John Mayer

jess-agi:

Glee flashmob in Italy. This is what advertising should always be.

(via ohyeahfacts)

Weekly Review—By Claire Gutierrez (Harper’s Magazine) (via dalasverdugo)

Hello, irony.

I really miss you.

It sucks how out of all the five people who said last week that they would support me, only one has done that. In this current time of falling, I have yet to find a branch to hold on to, or anyone to drag me back up. I’m just on the ground now, feeling the pain of what my life had become, similar to the pain I had felt in the past. The pain this time is subtle, and much more bearable; but the knowledge of the ground below me that continues to dig in deeper makes everything hurt a lot more than it should.

Make a Plan to Love Me by Bright Eyes

He clicked the instrument with all the force he could muster and pulled the trigger once. Twice. Three times towards a general direction of the man with the handlebar moustache and the poncho covering his torso. The gun went bang once, twice and air exited it during his last trigger pull. He had closed his eyes during the duration of the shooting, the last image etched on his mind being the ponchoed man who stood thirty feet away from him. The smile on the man’s face was menacing; his upper lips covered by his handlebar moustache. That stupid moustache. How he hated it so.

He opened his eyes and looking at the gun wrapped around his hands. He cursed at the fact that it ran out of bullets, and instead threw the gun on the dirt below him. He hated the ground he stood on too. The sandy ground was making his new Levi’s jeans dirty.

He looked up from the lying gun on the floor, expecting to see a wounded man thirty feet away from him. Hoping to see the ponchoed man lying on the ground, his handlebar moustache no longer visible from where he stood. If he has the chance, he’d shave it off himself.

But nay, the man remained standing at the same position he was in merely seconds ago. He cursed again for missing his shot, and told himself how stupid it was to close his eyes as he attempted to shoot.

“Fuck!” He screamed loudly.

“Yup!” The ponchoed man replied, smirking and moving his handlebar moustache along, “I’m not shaving this, man. You lost! Three straight shots and your stupid Nerf bullet only hit me once. Deal was three shots hit me and I shave this beauty off. But nope! That ain’t happenin’”

The ponchoed man moved forward to where he stood, and moved close enough that he could reach him if he extended his hand. Instead of doing anything to him, the ponchoed man smirked again, and wiggled his handlebar moustache.

“You fucking loser,” he said.

It was all a game to you
As I lay tangled around your fingers
And I, smitten while I stapled a smile on my face
Trying to hide all the insecurities that
You made visible to my eyes
When before this I wasn’t this hesitant of myself.

Once, it was all about drum rolls and beating hearts.
Now it’s just about shattered glass and screeching chalkboards.

You’re like a cryptic message from the pyramid,
Throwing me complex allegories
As you show no care at the ball of emotions inside of me.

Take a bat and hit me real hard.
Hit me out of the park and land me in a gutter.
As long as your ego is fed, I’m the least of your concern.

With this picture laid out in front of me,
I am airbrushing you out of my life.

Things could have been different and things could have been easier
Because broken hearts aren’t easy to mend.

(Originally written on May 12th 2007)