A space-y issue

So our very first Malaysian astronaut went up into space and came back down to earth safely. Should we break out the bottles of champagne? I dunno. With all that talk about sending the second fella up now, it's not very good news for me and my taxpayer ringgits.

The news today said that the second Malaysian astronaut could probably take off in the year 2010 - 2011 as the Russian space agency had offered. But I agree with the statement by Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad that a second bid *may* eat into funds. In my opinion, it's highly likely that that will happen.

So gee, I'm paying to send a man into space. How exciting. Not!

'Because he's already trained'

Forgive me if I sound unpatriotic Mr. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, but why should I stand a few inches taller just because one man (albeit a Malaysian) has blasted off into space? I am but a normal Malaysian on the street and while I think it's great we launched a man into space... it wasn't our technology. It wasn't our training, we had to send him to learn from others. It isn't our space shuttle. Borrowed one nia. It isn't our space mission. Just kinda like hitching a ride.

And... once was alright la, in my opinion. Now you want to send the next fella just because he's 'trained'? Not disrespecting that second fella and his dreams, but if I were to train an orangutan, you'd also send it just because it already received training, izzit?

Makin' musical HIStory?

Time now for a bit of feel-good, Malaysia Boleh news.

The Star online reported here that a six-year-old musical prodigy was recognized last night by the Malaysia Book of Records as being the youngest composer ever in Malaysia. Already a published musician at age six, Julian Chan's book of music titled Original has 10 of his compositions since 2005.

I can't remember what I was doing at age six. Still playing masak-masak and reading books, I guess.

Now we have a musical prodigy, a golf prodigy and who knows what other talented kid will pop up next? Truly, Malaysia Boleh!