Thursday, March 15, 2007

I'm back from AWOL!

IT'S been a revealing month in many ways. I stayed away from my blog and visited others. I read most of the pieces offered and found affinity in many of the postings and comments. The blogs offer a variety and diversity of views, and one need not agree with all of them.

I echoed some of the postings in a few blogs at teh tarik stalls when meeting friends and new acquaintances. Nothing like going down to the ground to assess actual feelings and opinions.

Somehow, I wasn't surprised that a fair number of individuals agreed with most of the postings. There were individuals whose comments were outright rude about the establishment, and didn't mince their words when speaking out.

In the one month of blog-silence, I gathered evidence of betrayal among friends; I learned of cheats who use connections to win recognition and cut deals; I met desperados who survive on glib tongues and other people's money; alas, I also met people in high places who claim that they have the divine right to determine the destiny of other mortals.

Friends betraying friends aren't new really. As do friends shunning friends. Today, certain bloggers have gained a reputation for speaking out, making them shunned by friends and buddies. On the flip side, some of these bloggers have endeared themselves to certain sections of the people, turning them into spokesmen for the small men seeking redress.

My last posting was on feb 13. Between then and now, the blogs gained a lot more recognition, enough to attract general statements from those who potrays that they come from the highest of moral grounds. One, it seemed, has labelled bloggers as liars, forgetting that the likes of him would never ascend to high office if they had stayed the path of truth, and only the truth.

A friend kept reminding me that money, and only money, talks. No money, no talk - we all realise that. Sometimes, rather painfully. Another friend realised that to win Government contracts, one has to pay just to be considered. Imagine the price one has to pay to win one!

One reseacher for the establishment pronounced, sounding quite disillusioned: "The system have no room for small players. The system has been monopolised by the powerful, simple as that.."

Which is why small-time individuals like Zakaria groaned when it takes five months to get paid for a RM70,000 Government job; which also explained why some good businessmen are thinking of packing up and going abroad for good.

Today, being politically-correct is the single most important criteria for survival among many individuals regardless whether they are businessmen or civil servants. It has always been like this, a friend argued. But the degree today is far more comprehensive and pervasive.

Nevertheless, I must thank some commentators for their postings and apologise for not including them this time. I've been away for far too long and am glad to be back. I don't think I'll be AWOL from now onwards...Hehehe.

Salams

15 comments:

syed syahrul zarizi b syed abdullah said...

Selamat pulang!

Patutlah lama menyepi, moga posting-posting akakn datang lebih
menyengat

Anonymous said...

Hari-hari buka, tapi tak ada. Hari ini ada. TQ. Besok mesti ada. Jangan lupa.

ibrahim yahaya said...

bro,
banyak rindu...ingat dah tak nak tulis lagi...mana boleh kan, wartawan kalau tak tulis...tangan gatal..betul tak?

Anonymous said...

a very good comeback posting!

Anonymous said...

I am a first time visitor to your blog. It is refreshing to read a fair and objective piece. I am rather tired of reading the frustrations and grievances of some bloggers plus the Government, Pak Lah and Khairy bashing of others. Granted all are not that perfect right now but we must accept the fact that we have to move on and try to make the best of things. I still remember the time when it was fashionable to bash TDM and call him all sorts of names. If we have been axed or became an ex, we must remember that once we were the ones that replaced those that were axed. We had our times, we enjoyed it while it last. Now, we must look forward Pahit Manis,Rocky Bru, Noraina et al from NST. Bitterness will only eat you all up. Please try not to print responses that are abusive and rude, there are amany ways to skin a cat surely!.
NanaDJ

Anonymous said...

i hv been reading ur writings in this blog and previous column in NST. So far, still reading...
What an anlysis for u to come back. i believe everybody has a right to voice-out their thought as well as right to accept or not to accept others' views. As long as people has their own stand (not like lalang), we can agree to disagree with respect. So tepuk dada tanya selera. At the same time not to forget, banyak orang banyak ragam.. baik, jahat, p.h.d, pandai, bodoh, leader, followers, kaki ampu...and so on....

Hanturaya said...

"Sometimes, rather painfully. Another friend realised that to win Government contracts, one has to pay just to be considered. Imagine the price one has to pay to win one" . . . . brother we should acknowledge that money makes money. To cut is short . . . "no money no talk". adioz.

Rockybru said...

kalau pergi untuk bertapa, tak apa bro. sebab resmi pendekar selepas bersemayam dalam gua yang gelap selama 33 malam akan pulang dengan ilmu dan idea baru. yang dirisau ialah bila seseorang itu pergi menyepi kerana membawa diri, lari dari teman yang menikam teman, lari dari bulan dan matahari, lari dari cubaan dan dugaan duniawi.

alhamdulillah, sdr pulang mengenal manikam dari manikavasagam.

selamat berjuang!

Pasquale said...

Ahmad Talib!

The fact of the matter is nobody really care if you are AWOL or wot! I don't because we are not really that good a friend, we never really talk on the phone, you never answer my calls, yes calls!
Once upon a time you were someone powerful yourself yes, now you are not, so what! Life must go on! Frankly Mat if it was a friend I don't think he or she will betray you! So what ever this person is, is not your friend! Look at Rocky, he quits he did not moped around he still has many friends! Let me tell you this Mat I think you know who I am! I have tried to bond with you and you never really open up yourself, you know what I said to myself "thats okay, that the way he wants it" and I never really had any ill or bad feelings about my attempt to bond with you! Now you are angry hey over what man! Lighten up my friend! Life is too short! No body cares about me for example but so what!

(let see if you post this!)

Anonymous said...

WElcome back Dato'.

Done with your duty of looking for good doctors?

Like akulamat, I too go to your blog everyday. And what a frustration when I dont see any new entry but a story of Karim. No, I dont mean to belittle Karim, I just want to read new entry in Pahit Manis at least once a week.

So I am glad that you are now back to walking on the track that you have left for many many weeks.

Ahmad A Talib said...

Hi Pasquale! I'm not sure if you're the Pasquale that people are referring to. I'm told you sometimes use your real name when posting comments. That's great!

Am not sure of your definition of 'bonding' though. But this 'bonding' thing can sometimes be good or otherwise. Anyway, there are times people help people even when there's no real 'bonding.' I'm sure you're not the sort of person who won't help others in need even when there's no real bond between the two of you. It's the same with many people, I think.

You must have helped me some times, and I may have helped you some times! That's life I guess. We tend to be forgetful once in a while..heheh!

But beb, I'm not writing about myself being betrayed by friends or non-friends. I'm writing about individuals I came across in the last month or so! Salams.

*cosmic freak* said...

Dear Sir,

I personally think, its up to you in choosing friends. if you chose the right friends, they wont betray you. not to condemn one on their preferences of friends, but I've met people who are quite selective in friends, and end up having great friends and never got betrayed.

in my own experience, alhamdulillah, setakat ini tiada lagi kawan2 yang betray. cos my friends are all happy people, living simple happy life. we are the young ones who struggles hard, going to work wee hours of the morning and get back home late at night, trying hard to make amends with our folks in the weekends whilst slotting time for friends here and there.

one thing about betrayal, is how you perceive it. if you take it seriously, the joke is put on you, how bad your decision of creating that friendship at the first place. if you take it lightly, pity the perpetrator instead, the joke will be on him/her.

good thing you're back. its enlightening to read views like these. a bit nauseating to be caught up in all those political talks. as much as I'm a supportive blogger, there's too much scandals and controversies online as there's too much reality show in tv these days.

salam.

Alliedmartster said...

FUnny how things go around? I don't mean Kharma.
Pasquale, sounds like you may have an axe to grind?
Funny I say, because, I met Dato (He insist I call him Ahmad!) when I was trying to sell him my car!
I explained it as it was, that I was experiencing difficult times, and guess what? He never took advantage of it!
And? I did not make attempts to 'bond' with him, but he saw it fit enough to answer my calls (about the car) and even took some time off to advise me on some matters.

Oh...I am and am still a 'nobody' in the social world. But I am most definitely a daddy, a friend (to some), a colleague (to some) and a jobless liar (to one).

Try to mix around genuinely and openly (not behind some pseudonym) and perhaps others too will open up.

Alliedmartster said...

Oh, how rude. Dato, welcome back.

Tony Yew a.k.a alliedmartster
www.muststopthis.blogspot.com
'Landy Tony' to you!

Salaaaam

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