Malaysian Mr Teflon - Kee Thuan Chye

The very boldly outspoken and patriotic Malaysian

Kee Thuan Chye aged 61 is a Malaysian actor, dramatist, poet and journalist. Acting in theatre, films, and on television for more than 30 years, he continues to do so. In 1981, Kee co-founded the theatre group, KAMI, in Kuala Lumpur. A noted civil rights activist, he would express in his plays whatever he could not express through the newspapers under Malaysia's repressive Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA).

For speaking out without fear or favour, Kee was among the first recipients of The Annexe Heroes Freedom of Expression Awards when it was launched in 2008. In 2010, he was also voted the 34th Most Trusted Malaysian in a poll conducted by Reader's Digest.

At the New Straits Times, Kee Thuan Chye received numerous memos from his editor-in-chief for trying to push the parameters and opening up public discourse on what was deemed 'sensitive' issues. Firmly believing that the responsibility of a journalist to the public is to inform them of the truth, he had to battle with his superiors and as a consequence, he was often punished, marginalised, and shut out. In 1988, Kee received his master's degree in drama from the University of Essex, after being awarded a British Council Fellowship for postgraduate studies in England.

In 2001, Kee Thuan Chye became the Associate Editor of The Star in Kuala Lumpur, creating and editing the English column, Mind Our English, until retirement in May 2009. His Sunday Star column, Playing the Fool, which he began in April 2001, ran for only two instalments before it was cancelled. In his inaugural article, Kee had written that he would be speaking out frankly on social and political issues, without fear or favour. His second article, hitting out at racial discrimination in Malaysia, was published but when it came to his third article, the editors got jittery and suppressed it. The Star finally decided to terminate the column after Kee submitted his fourth article.

                              Books Authored:

·        Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More! 2013

·        No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians, 2012

·        8 March: Time for Real Change, 2010

·        8 March: The Day Malaysia Woke Up, 2008

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Malaysia insults Israeli Wind Surfer

Facebook user Jonathan Ong Ujang is heating up the social network with his apology post on behalf of Malaysia and an “I love Israel” remark after the Middle Eastern nation’s sports body accused Putrajaya of being difficult, forcing it to withdraw its two athletes from an international windsurfing tournament in Langkawi.

Ong, whose Facebook profile shows him to be a Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris student from Kuching, Sarawak, sparked debate with his sympathy for the Israeli athletes caught in a diplomatic policy row.

“On behalf of Malaysia, I would like to sincerely apologise for causing Israel much humiliation and burden. You are an national entity and have the right to be proud of your nation and national symbols. It is too bad that the government policy dictates that they do not recognise the State of Israel. Once again, deepest apologies to Israel. I love Israel,” he wrote yesterday on the Facebook page of Israeli news portal, The Jerusalem Post.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Israel Sailing Association chairman Amir Gill blamed Malaysia for delaying the visa application and putting “unacceptable” restrictions on its two athletes Yoav Omer and Noy Drihan who were set to defend this titles at the Langkawi youth windsurfing tournament Sunday.

Gill claimed Omer and Drihan would not be allowed to compete under the Israel flag, nor would they be allowed to wear any symbol to identify them as Israeli, or even have their national anthem played if they should win the gold medal, as is customary.

He reportedly added that Israel is considering suing Malaysia and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) for not allowing its athletes to participate.

Starbuck CEO Howard Schultz

Schultz was born to a Jewish family on July 19, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, the son of ex-United States Army trooper and then truck driver Fred Schultz, and his wife Elaine. As Schultz's family was poor, he saw an escape in sports such as baseball, football, and basketball, as well as the Boys and Girls Club. He went to Canarsie High School, from which he graduated in 1971. In high school, Schultz excelled at sports and was awarded an athletic scholarship to Northern Michigan University – the first person in his family to go to college. A member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Schultz received his bachelor's degree in Communications in 1975.

After graduating, Schultz worked as a salesperson for Xerox Corporation and was quickly promoted to a full sales representative. In 1979 he became a general manager for Swedish drip coffee maker manufacturer, Hammarplast, where he became responsible for their U.S. operations with a staff of twenty. In 1981, Schultz visited a client of Hammarplast, a fledgling coffee-bean shop called Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, curious as to why it ordered so many plastic cone filters. He was impressed with the company's knowledge of coffee and kept in contact over the next year, expressing interest in working with them. A year later, he joined Starbucks as the Director of Marketing. On a buying trip to Milan, Italy for Starbucks, Schultz noted that coffee bars existed on practically every street. He learned that they not only served excellent espresso, they also served as meeting places or public squares; they were a big part of Italy's societal glue, and there were 200,000 of them in the country.

On his return, he tried to persuade the owners (including Jerry Baldwin) to offer traditional espresso beverages in addition to the whole bean coffee, leaf teas and spices they had long offered. After a successful pilot of the cafe concept, the owners refused to roll it out company-wide, saying they didn't want to get into the restaurant business. Frustrated, Schultz decided to leave Starbucks in 1985. He needed $400,000 to open the first store and start the business. He simply did not have the money and his wife was pregnant with their first baby. Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker offered to help. Schultz also received $100,000 from a doctor who was impressed by Schultz’s energy to “take a gamble”. By 1986, he raised all the money he needed to open the first store 'Il Giornale' after the Milanese newspaper. Two years later, the original Starbucks management decided to focus on Peet's Coffee & Tea and sold its Starbucks retail unit to Schultz and Il Giornale for $3.8 million.

Schultz renamed Il Giornale with the Starbucks name, and aggressively expanded its reach across the United States. Schultz's keen insight in real estate and his hard-line focus on growth drove him to expand the company rapidly. Schultz did not believe in franchising, and made a point of having Starbucks retain ownership of every domestic outlet.

On 26 June 1992, Starbucks had its initial public offering and trading of its common stock under the stock ticker NASDAQ-NMS: SBUX. The offering was done by Alex, Brown & Sons Inc. and Wertheim Schroder & Co. Inc.

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Dr. David Gibbs lawyer and preacher

CHRISTIAN LAW ASSOCIATION

Since 1969, CLA has been providing free legal assistance to Bible-believing churches and Christians who are experiencing difficulty in practicing their religious faith because of governmental regulation, intrusion, or prohibition in one form or another.

The Christian Law Association exists to preserve Christian liberty for your children and grandchildren.

CLA received in excess of 100,000 phone calls annually, not counting the thousands of pieces of correspondence from those who are in some way facing legal difficulties for doing what the Bible commands. These cases involve Christians arrested for witnessing to others in public, public school students being told they do not have the right to read their Bibles at school, churches being excluded from communities, Christians being fired for sharing their faith at work, and thousands of other shocking assaults on our precious religious freedoms. CLA provides free legal services based in part on the generosity of God's people. Your contribution to CLA is 501(c)(3) tax deductible.

More than 40 years ago, the ministry of the Christian Law Association effectively began with a phone call from a pastor in Ohio.

As a young attorney, David C. Gibbs, Jr. could hardly believe his ears as the pastor relayed how his church was being sued by the state for operating its ministry. As he reviewed the legal documents, Dr. Gibbs was astonished that such a thing could happen in modern America. From that very first case through the present day, God has blessed Dr. Gibbs' commitment to legally help churches, pastors, and Christians free of charge. The ministry has grown substantially through God's blessing over the last 40 years as attorneys, legal assistants, and other ministry workers have joined our team of "legal missionaries." 

Jimmy Carter on grandson's sudden death

Jimmy Carter Addresses Sunday School Class Hours After The Sudden Death Of His Grandson

“I should be joyful and thankful to God for giving me both life and freedom."

 12/20/2015 Marina Fang Associate Politics Editor, The Huffington Post

Former President Jimmy Carter broke the news to his church on Sunday that his grandson Jeremy Carter died suddenly at the age of 28, using the occasion to speak candidly about grief.

As first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Carter arrived at church about 25 minutes late and told his Sunday school class that Jeremy had died just hours earlier.

Despite his sudden loss, Carter told the congregation to “be filled with a sense of joy and thanksgiving." “I should be joyful and thankful to God for giving me both life and freedom,” he said.

The former president regularly teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. Just two weeks ago, Carter, 91, appeared under more happy circumstances -- he announced to the church that radiation treatment had successfully eliminated his cancer.

The church's pastor, Jeremy Shoulta, confirmed Sunday's announcement to CNN, saying that the death of Carter's grandson was "very unexpected" and "shocking news." 

"Jeremy Carter had not been feeling well [on Saturday], and at some point later in the day he had gone to sleep, and during the course of that time, his heart stopped," he said. "[President Carter] was shaken. He was obviously sad, although he was able to teach and he was able to present the lesson as well as he always has. But it was apparent to everyone there that this was weighing on him very heavily."

Carter told the church that it was the first time he had been late to services. Fellow members told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they were moved by his words. “I’m not surprised,” Jan Williams said. “That’s the kind of Christian he is. Everything that happens in life, good or bad, he uses as a teaching experience. He lives his life as a lesson for other people to see.”

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