Two Years Old Today

World Speakers’ Coalition Kuala Lumpur are an alternative public speaking platform conceived by Cyril Jonas and Victor Ong exactly two years ago – and today, we celebrate our second anniversary.

We’re a modest band of people who meet once a month in a dinner-and-drinks setting to promote confident communication. Our joy comes from celebrating friendships and advocating rhetoric to champion eloquence. After all, good friendship begins with good communication. 

We came into being during the Covid pandemic. Admittedly, that wasn't a good time because its ferocity forced us to lay low for seventeen months in total. But we stuck together and when we could, we had our events. A total of seven meetings todate.

Anyway, we are here to stay! 

We are a very young fraternity – and so, we can expect to be in a state of constant flux. Still, public speaking remains the focal point of who we are and what we are.

Yes, we are also small in numbers – but that's a good thing because that is how we like it. 

The fact is, Life is meant for good friends and great communication – and that is what World Speakers’ Coalition is all about.

P.S. This month's meeting:

#publicspeaking

#theartandscienceofrhetoric

#confidentcommunication

#communicationinnovations

#worldspeakerscoalition

Ms Tang Yu

In what sounds like a page from a sci-fi novel, a Chinese technology company, NetDragon, has appointed an AI-powered virtual humanoid robot, as their new CEO of their subsidiary business just last week.

Heading Fujian NetDragon Websoft Co Ltd, "Ms Tang Yu" will be tasked with streamlining process flow, enhancing the quality of work, and improving the speed of execution. 

“The appointment is a move to pioneer the use of AI to transform corporate management and leapfrog operational efficiency to a new level”, says the firm in a press release.

Not to be outdone by her human counterparts, Ms Tang Yu will serve as a real-time data hub and analytical tool for day-to-day operations, as well as being enabled as a risk management system.

“We believe AI is the future of corporate management, and our appointment of Ms Tang Yu represents our commitment to truly embrace the use of AI to transform the way we operate our business”, explains Dr Dejian Liu (left), Executive Director and Chairperson of NetDragon.

“We will continue to expand on our algorithms behind Tang Yu to build an open, interactive, and highly transparent management model as we gradually transform to a metaverse-based working community”, he adds. 

By 2025, the worldwide metaverse market is expected to be worth $280 billion with players like Microsoft and Meta investing in it. 

Chinese companies too have been quick to jump in on the potential of the metaverse. Earlier this year, companies such as Alibaba, Bytedance and Tencent announced that they were staking huge amounts of money on the metaverse.

Jail Sentences And Hefty Fines

In the aftermath of Najib Razak’s and Rosmah Mansor’s court hearings, there have been loud noises that the fines laid on the couple, in their respective convictions, were way too hefty. 

FYI, on August 23, the Federal Court upheld the High Court’s conviction of Najib as well as his sentence of 12 years’ jail and a RM210 million fine. And on Thursday, the High Court found Rosmah guilty and imposed a jail sentence of 10 years and a fine of RM970 million. 

Already, UMNO Supreme Council member, Puad Zarkashi described the RM1 billion-plus in fines imposed on the former prime minister and wife, as a death sentence on their family. He said the fines were inhumane and would mean a life of poverty for their family. 

Whatever! In any case, it should be pointed out that it was all done according to the law. Section 24 of the MACC Act says an individual found guilty of bribery would be sentenced to a jail term not exceeding 20 years, and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe as stated in the charge made against the accused. 

The enactment was put in place by the then UMNO-led administration in the Dewan Rakyat on December 16, 2008. At that time, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (right) was prime minister and Najib was the deputy prime minister and the bill was tabled by former law minister Nazri Aziz. 

So, we have to give thanks to Pak Lah, Najib and Nazri because they are the ones who enacted the said law. In doing so, they prevented judges from fining Najib and Rosmah any less than the sums they were fined.

US Town Cuts Down Trees To Deter The Homeless

In the US, the lack of affordable housing has led to high rent burdens (rents which absorb a high proportion of income), overcrowding, and substandard housing. These phenomena, in turn, have not only forced many people to become homeless; they have put a large and growing number of people at risk of becoming homeless. 

According to endhomelessness.org, in January 2020, there were 580,466 people experiencing homelessness in America. Most were individuals (70 percent), and the rest were people living in families with children. And they lived in every state and territory. 

On and off, I have blogged about this issue – one post “Blast the Homeless” was published on July 19, 2019 and another post “US City to Solve Homelessness by Moving People Elsewhere” published on March 31, 2022 are a damning indictment of US society’s well-being. 

And I came across this September 01 news story on HuffPost. A New Jersey township is facing stern criticisms after cutting down the trees in its town square to prevent homeless people from congregating in the shade. 

The trees in Lakewood Township’s town square, also known as Red Square, were chopped to the ground last month, local news outlet The Lakewood Scoop reported at the time. But the story gained renewed attention after the Asbury Park Press covered the situation this week.

Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles said the township decided to get rid of the trees due to an unspecified number of complaints about homeless people “harassing” others in the square, as well as the presence of human faeces. The police department’s “Quality of Life Unit” then recommended that the township lopped off the trees, according to Coles. 

The story spread on Twitter too, with many people condemning the decision and also observing that in addition to not helping homeless people, it also made the square worse for anyone else who enjoyed shade. 

Reverend Steve Brigham (right), an advocate for unhoused people who runs Lakewood Outreach Ministry Church, blasted the decision as cruel and unhelpful. 

“These trees were over forty years old, and offered shade to the poor and homeless that would come there to find respite…”, Brigham wrote on Facebook on August 09 shortly after the trees were cut alongside a video showing the barren square. He posted additional video two days later of more trees being cleared at a public parking lot across the street from the square. 

Brigham also accused the township of repeatedly taking away resources that homeless people used, including by demolishing a community center that people previously used for showers. 

This is plainly detestable and of course, the town authorities have shown themselves to be mean-spirited and uncompassionate!

This Ain't No Bedtime Story

Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh is a comfort character for many. 

For much of the character's 98-year history, the AA Milne and EH Shepard creation was known as a cuddly bear with a love for "hunny", whose kind-hearted thoughtfulness reflected in his friendships with Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and others in Hundred Acre Wood. 

Pooh is an anthropomorphic teddy bear belonging to Christopher Robin, and the character first appeared onscreen in the 1966 Disney short, "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree". 

Sometime in January 2022, the Winnie-the-Pooh universe entered the public domain – except for Tigger's character, which is still copyright protected – meaning anyone can take the essence of the character and transform it into anything they deem fit, as long as it is original. 

Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield has injected a macabre aspect into his upcoming slasher horror, "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey", in which an iteration of Pooh is a monstrous killer! 

First-look images from the film feature an individual wearing a frightening Pooh mask, and a rather messed-up version of Piglet, who are "the main villains going on a rampage" after being abandoned by an adolescent Robin: 

"Christopher Robin is pulled away from them, and he's not [given] them food, it's made Pooh and Piglet's life quite difficult. Because they've had to fend for themselves so much, they've essentially become feral. So they've gone back to their animal roots. They're no longer tame: they're like a vicious bear and pig who want to go around and try and find prey". 

Check out the trailer:

 

Waterfield went on to describe the tone of the film as one that balances horror and comedy within the ambit of "a wacky concept". 

While there has been ample room for reinterpretation due to the "Winnie the Pooh" franchise being in the public domain, Waterfield has altered the appearance of the characters drastically, adding an ominous tint to the familiar creatures. While Pooh dons a lumberjack-like attire with suspenders, Piglet wears all-back, as opposed to the tell-tale pink the character is known to don. 

While the limits of human imagination are boundless, turning a bear who is clearly a symbol of friendship and kindness into a frightening killer indulging in weird, twisted shenanigans surely does push boundaries in terms of artistic liberty. 

A release date has not been revealed for "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" at the moment, but the slasher is expected to release sometime this year. 

Watching the trailer seems like a train wreck and honestly, I'm all for it! I love movies that are so bad they're good!

The Rosmah Mansor Verdict

Najib Razak's spouse, Rosmah Mansor has been sentenced to 10 years jail and fined RM970 million after being found guilty on all three corruption charges involving a RM1.25 billion hybrid solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.

Malaysia's High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan delivered his verdict this afternoon after dismissing the defence’s last-minute application for his recusal this morning. 

The Star Online today even quoted her as complaining: "Nobody saw me taking the money, nobody saw me counting the money. But if that is the conclusion, takpe lah" ("never mind lah") [03:32 PM MYT posting].

However, the court granted Rosmah’s bid to suspend the jail sentence and fine pending her appeal before the Court of Appeal. 

Her trial formally started in February 2020. Hearing concluded in February this year, with 23 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, including Rosmah, testifying during this two-year period. 

Whatever Jürgen Klopp may say, Liverpool were lucky to win 2-1 against Newcastle United yesterday at Anfield. 

The Reds labored and they struggled. I wasn't at all surprised the Magpies scored first in the thirty-eighth minute. Only in the sixty-first minute, did the equalizer came when Roberto Firmino sent a crisp finish beyond the Newcastle keeper from Mohammed Salah's pass. And with only seconds left in the game, substitute Fabio Carvalho pounced at the far post after the visitors failed to clear a corner to give Jürgen Klopp's side victory. 

Even if three points were secured, it has been a poor game from Liverpool.

55,000-Year-Old Steaks

This story makes a re-appearance on Friday in US-based NPR News – and it warrants sharing. 

In 1979, researchers unearthed the mummified body of a 55,000-year-old Steppe bison in the Alaskan tundra. Shortly after, they sliced off a piece of its neck – to eat! 

So, here's that news story told in rhyme:

This is not a traditional story. 
Not many names or dates, so don't worry. 

It's also not incredibly timely, 
But it's about an ice age Steppe bison 
And a man whose thought process defies me. 

Let's start with the creature, lived more than 55,000 years ago 
Was brought to his knees by a lion-ancestor foe. 

Down went the bison on permafrost ground, 
Which kept him from being eaten or found. 

Neither predator nor man disturbed the behemoth mass 
As it remained encased in a protective frozen glass. 

Leaping forward to 1979, 
a team of explorers venture out to mine 

Gold is what they are on the lookout for, 
on the spot where the bison hit the floor 

With a hydraulic mining hose, they melted away, 
Some frozen sludge, 'til someone said, Whoa! Stop! Hey! 

They reported their findings to University of Alaska Fairbanks officials 
Dale Guthrie, led the excavation, limiting interstitials.

The skeleton, the skin, the muscles – all in near-impeccable condition, 
Guthrie named it Blue Babe, then sliced off a piece for a culinary mission. 

"You know what we can do?", he asked 
Host a dinner party and with cooking the meat, I'll be tasked. 

The Blue Babe neck steak served eight, 
With veggies and spices, and lots of booze they ate 

Years later, writing about the taste, 
Guthrie said, When thawed, one could mistake 

The aroma for beef, not unpleasantly earthy. 
But once in the mouth, his wife, Mary Lee Guthrie, 
Told podcasters from Gimlet, it was worse than beef jerky. 

Still, it was a great party, she fondly remembered, 
A dreamy symbolism of the meal that endured. 

It was a feast; by all counts a true celebration 
An "imagining of the human experience on earth!", 
She said, with elation.

Merdeka 2022

Selamat Menyambut Hari Merdeka 2022!

Good news for Scotland! The first-ever direct sea shipping container route has been opened between China and Scotland. 

The Allseas Pioneer which arrived from China on Saturday was laden with items including textiles, furniture and toys for sale in Scotland. And on its return trip, there would be more than a million bottles of Scotch whisky. 

Three sailings in each direction are due to take place each month, calling at China’s Ningbo and Shenzhen before arriving in Greenock in Scotland via its “sister” container terminal at Liverpool. 

The new freight route between the Chinese ports and Greenock Ocean Terminal is a partnership between KC Liner Agencies, DKT Allseas and China Xpress. 

The direct sailings will almost halve transit times, compared to feeder services via continental Europe or other southern UK ports. The move was in response to growing global supply chain pressures. 

Hailed as a game changer for Scotland, this trading link to China is anticipated to be a massive boost for Scottish businesses.

The Next Sustainable Fashion Material

Plant-based leathers have the potential to revolutionize the fashion industry. 

Now, MycoWorks, a California, US-based biotech company, have created a new eco-friendly, vegan leather derived from fungi. Currently marketed as a luxury fabric, it can be grown to order.

The leather turns mycelium – threads from the root structure of mushrooms – into a material that imitates the look and feel of animal-based leather, reports Jess Cartner-Morley for the Guardian. 

"It's the first time that a company is able to produce a vegetal product which is matching or even exceeding the quality and durability and aesthetics of a natural one. It's a super achievement", Patrick Thomas, former Hermés CEO and a MycoWorks board of directors’ member, said in a statement. 

While the material is mushroom-based, MycoWorks create their rigid, patented material using engineered mycelium cells. As the cells grow into 3-D structures, they become densely intertwined, eventually forming a tough material, dubbed Fine Mycelium, which has the strength, durability, and performance of traditional leather, according to the MycoWorks website. 

In fact, Fine Mycelium can be tanned and finished to look and feel like animal leather's unique grain. The result is the product MycoWorks call Reishi™️, a leather that is processed using chromium-free chemistry, a chemical found in tannery wastewater, reports Frances Solá-Santiago for Refinery29.

 

The vegan leather has already made a high fashion debut. In March 2021, luxury fashion brand Hermés debuted their Victoria bag, which featured MycoWork's Fine Mycelium material, reports Olivia Rosane for EcoWatch.

Other companies, including Adidas' with their Mylo-made Stan Smith shoes and Lululemon with their mushroom-based yoga products, have likewise jumped on the eco-friendly bandwagon, per Refinery29. 

Note that it differs from other types of vegan leather made with mushrooms. Most mushroom leather is made from a compressed solid foam that mycelium forms naturally, but without engineering, it lacks the same look and feel as other animal and synthetic leathers.