Deebate

It is dee..bait. The bait, the hook, the spin, the whole nine yards.

The baits, as experience debaters would know almost all situations of debate contexts can be pre-prepared. Learn a few and teach them to your newbies. See how fast they can grow.

It's like knowing when to use 'threfore' or 'because' and when to use effective - causal argument or causal-efcetive arguments. Teach them these tricks. Maybe they will grow faster.

How life was then.

The thing about me and rugby was the simple truth that I was persistently mediocre, low mediocre in all actuality. Everytime there was a game for a period of two looong years, I was the perennial last 5 minute man or not needed player. I'd be lying if I say I was happy with the situation, I certainly was not.

However, I kept coming and rugby being rugby, someone's bound to be injured so I got to play sometimes the whole 40 minute half. Nobody in their right mind would have questioned my enthusiasm but nobody in the right mind would also pass me the ball even if I was the only one within range. Slightly frustrated but I kept coming and coming and coming till i got my macho break.

I was selected to start because the first three choices were unavailable through real injuries, girl friend induced injuries (oouch) and (someone must have whacked his head repeatedly with a blunt object) heart injury to the third stringer who thought that it was better for me to play. I gleefully accepted the challenge and was a picture of swagger and confidence until I saw the guy I was suppose to be marking. Not a guy, maybe an ogre, so no wonder the third stringer stepped down.

Nonetheless, I had a plan. I will just jump on him and hang on long enough till the cavalry arirrives. We've been playing for 4 or 5 minutes when he came at me after busting through two tackles and with made believed ferocity, I jumped on him and he ducked and I hit my friend instead who in turn whacked my forehead.

Was feeling stupid, stood up and tried to look cool. Wiped my forehead and all the coolness left me as blood was all over my forehead. Knees buckled, tried to stand but in vain. Still, i had enough in me not to be stretched out and was send to the clinic for my first set of stitiches, all eleven of them. That was it. I was a bonafide rugby player as I got stitches. Girls loved it and I was perplexed but rather suprisingly happy as the stitiches turned me from a never will be to the second stringer.

Not bad.

Things to plan ... vacation and stress busters

We should try to spend at least some romantic days enjoying the sunny and breezy weather north of Malaysia. We must go jungle trekking in the oldest rainforest in the world. It is pianfully difficult to see the proof of this 'oldest age' but who cares, we are debaters and we should claim something is, until someone else bombs us with better facts and rebuttals.

The state of Perlis and Kedah for example gleefully invite you to enjoy their hospitality and beautiful rice fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Their charming home stays will give you authentic Malay daily life experience, if not working is suppose to be the authentic way. Just spend lazy days watching the clouds drift by or spend active days hiking the glorious hills, talking to wonderful mak ciks, buying an old pak cik coffee. These activities do not cost much, but they are bonafide stress busters.

Or, you could watch G.I Joe. Your choice, your call and your money.

The Role of Leadership in Good Governance

I found it rather strange that this is the topic that people are now presenting in seminars and conference. It is not that I have anything against leadership and good governance but in the fact that these two highly interrelated issues are now discussed as if they can be separated from each other. Maybe there are simply too many areas of studies nowadays that in reality only complicate issues.


In is only in these days that we are supposed to define issues that that were very, very simple then. Good governance simply denotes leadership or rather good leadership. How then can we be expected to define the role of leadership other than it is needed essentially in order to have and ensure good governance.
As in many definition of leadership, all issues in any organization must be known and acted on by the designated leader of that organization. This in turn, denotes a high degree of responsibility as the leader must be aware of all issues in the organization and thus must plan for the effectiveness and betterment of every aspect.
He or she is responsible for the people, process and also the vision and policy that should drive the organization forward. He is the policy maker and he is also the ultimate HR man especially in the current world work climate where people usually work for the highest bidder. He must take care or the organization and also the people that work for it.


The leader must also have the right knowledge, skills and attitude to plan for challenges and overcome shortfalls. He must be in the know and thus must possess enough resources to be referred to by his or her subordinates when the crunch time comes knocking.
A responsible leader might and should delegate responsibilities but is ultimately responsible for the results achieved by the organization; good or bad.

If a leader is responsible the way the definition stated it, then the leader would be a good cog in any organization. The leader would be the pillar that the whole organization can depend on. He or she would the captain of the ship who would be the first to fend off danger and the last one out when the heat is on. If we have someone responsible at the helm, that is it not than logical to believe that good leadership will ensure good governance? If the leader is knowledgeable and with the right experience and attitude like Dato Idris Jala the CEO of MAS, would it not than lead to the creation of good governance as what we now can plainly see in MAS. Mind boggling at times, the issues people nowadays talk about. But when you allow ridiculous charges like the one against Karpal Singh to be brought to court, what more can we say. Just slide away sheepishly and hope that not a soul saw you there.

Life and the lefty feel

It is sometimes just the feel, the gut is ticking a wee bit to the left. You just do not feel you could hack it this time. You look at the odds , whoa staggering wold be an understatement. Funny, it was just slightly under yesterday but it didn't feel so BAD.

Well, that's life. The feel, the odds, the challenges, the whole mix really depends on the perception. Thus, my undying love towards Han Solo who would not ever want to hear the odds quoted to him.

Man, well woman too, should just hack it and be hopeful that it will be better tomorrow. Like there's no such thing as a truly fit top-grade professional footballer - they are all playing with bits that are breaking or falling off. What sets the best of them apart is an ability to play through the pain and discomfort. That is the main difference between a man and a kid. Play through the pain and take a few punches, who knows, maybe tomorrow you're the one throwing them bombs.

It is understood that some speakers are powerful and loud, some are analytical, some are psychological, some are soft, some are humorous and all of them can succeed or fail at achieving the goals of their speech. How do we ensure success? There are many ways and all of them, have you, the speaker at the center.

Some speakers do not even care to view or follow other speakers or acquire pointers in lectures or books. Some speakers would emulate others or their styles but great ones would come out with their own styles and ways that are best suited for their character, voice and abilities. Therefore, all the pointers and reminders that anyone could give or find should be used in accordance to the person’s character, voice and ability. If your are not the humorous type than do not try to be and if you are not psychological in manner than do not try to be since you could end up being misunderstood. Use your strengths and find pointers, guides or reminders that will enable you to bring out the best in you.

In ‘Rambo III’ Richard Crenna(Col. Trautman) mentioned to Sylvester Stallone (Rambo) on the fact that he did dot make Rambo the way he is ( the perfect killing machine). He was just a good teacher as well as Rambo was a good student. Richard’s character in the movie mentioned that Rambo was like a beautiful statue in solid granite. The statue was already in existence and as a good teacher; he just pulled out the chips that would enable the statue to translate itself into being. ( I know, very Leornado da Vinci like but Rambo is certainly more muscular)

We should be like Rambo and his teacher and help loosen ourselves to bring out the statue of the greatest speaker ever, from within ourselves. We must learn to recognize the problematic chips( fear, intonation, structure, language and etc.) to bring out, how big is the chip and also how to bring it out. It is not impossible and nobody can do it better than the person, himself or herself, since the chips are within the person. Give it a go and find out the speaker in you.

The ends sometimes...

In line with Machiavelli’s view, I would first state that the way to achieve our ends should not be everything under the sun. However, when the opportunity arose such as the use of public figures for the betterment of the society, it must not be turned away but exhausted to aid the good aims of our society. People would exhaust and try sometimes dangerous and evil means to achieve even peaceful ends and it would really be an insult to our intelligence if we do not use our public figures for the betterment of our society.

How can they, the public figures help to contribute towards the betterment of the society?

Public figures(PF) are automatically influential in the society. This influence can be used to send the right message to the society such as the fight against AIDS and corruption.
PF are also mostly society leaders and respected members and hence be focal point of reference for the members of the society. This would enable to influence, persuade and inform the society with better effectiveness as not only people would follow what they say, they would also need less government expenditures on them as there would be smaller needs for media payment for advertisements and campaigns for awareness and education for the society.

The most important reason other than cost saving than effectiveness would be on the fact that they are the most effective tools. If they are not effective, companies would not be spending billions to pay public figures to lobby and advertise for their cause or products. They know who they are and what they can do and thus I urge extremely public ones like datin Seri Rosmah to be given more coverage and more airtime but at the right places and junctures that can really make a big difference.

Prsentation skills

In order to be able to get started with the presentation part of things, we need to get familiar with the various terminology used in discourse parlance. Lesson 1, Proficiency in selecting and developing a topic, organising and planning a written speech and attainment of various forms of supporting materials are crucial before the actual points preparation activity could be set in motion.

But, even before that, at least two steps before, please o please prepare yourself to want tobe the presenter. As if you do not look like as if you want to, why oh why would people want to listen to you.

Show them, tease them, cajole them and maybe all that time spent in preparing the points are worth it.