Extracted from Mike Huckabee's address at RNC

On the first day of school in 2005, Martha Cothren, a teacher at the Joe T. Robinson High School in Little Rock, was determined that her students would not take their education or their privileges as American for granted. And with the principal of her school's permission, she removed all the desks from her classroom on that first day of school, 2005.

Now, the students walked into an empty classroom and they said, "Ms. Cothren, where's our desk?" She said, "You get a desk in my classroom when you tell me how you earn it."

Well, some of them said, "Making good grades." She said, "Well, you ought to make good grades in my class, but that won't earn you a desk." Another student said, "I guess we get a desk when we behave." Martha said, "You will behave in my classroom."

But that won't get you a desk either. No one in first period guessed right. Same for second period. By lunch, the buzz was all over the campus. Ms. Cothren had flipped out, wouldn't let her students had a desk.

Kids started using their cell phones. They called their parents. And by early afternoon, all four of the local network TV affiliates had camera crews out at the school to report on this teacher who wouldn't let her students have a desk unless they could tell her how to earn it.

By the final period, no one had guessed correctly, so the students filed in. Martha said, "Well, I didn't think you would figure it out, so I'm going to tell you."

And with that, she went to the door of her classroom and motioned, and in walked over 20 veterans, some of them still wearing the uniforms from days gone by, every one of them carrying a school desk. And as they carefully and quietly arranged those desks in neat rows, Martha said, "You don't have to earn your desk, because these guys, they already did."

These -- these brave veterans had gone halfway around the world, giving up their education, interrupting their careers and families so that we could have the freedom that we have. Martha told them, "No one charged you for your desk, but it wasn't really free. These guys bought it for you. And I hope you never, ever forget it."

BN Leadersip Tips #320 - Reasons Don't Have to Make Sense

Based on an explanation inspired presumably by turtle soup, the Terengganu state government has defended the purchase of 14 Mercedes E200 Kompressor cars at RM3.43mil for the use of its state executive councillors and senior officials.

Extracted here, the explanation goes:

Please understand that the Proton Perdanas go through continuous long-distance journeys. It’s costing us a lot of money due to high cost of maintenance.

“We are not saying that the national car is not good but in reality we are coughing up more money for maintaining the Proton Perdanas, particularly the gear boxes,” he said.

Ahmad cited the example of the Proton Perdana of state Commerce, Industry and Environment committee chairman Toh Chin Yaw, which has twice undergone expensive repairs costing RM50,000 within 36 months.

As an onwer and user of 2 proton cars in the past, I have some questions on my mind which I have no other choice but to put in bold:

#1 - Where on earth has Toh Chin Yaw been to carry out his duties?? Will giving him a vehicle that cost RM 245,000 solve the issue? Is his bill the highest? Where does he take the car for servicing? Surely it has to be EON... And if the problem lies in the make, then is Terengganu giving the national car a massive thumbs down?
#2 - The Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata cost approx. RM 150,000 for the 2 litre variant. What is the justification of spending RM 1.4 million extra since all these cars are recognized for reliability?
#3 - What is the cost of maintenance by breakdown? And what are the items most regularly changed? Also, since these are state reps and councillors, exactly how far does the MB refer to when he says "continuous long distance journeys"? Maybe there's a case in there for road upgrades too...
#4 - When quoted "The funds to procure the cars were from our own coffers and has nothing to do with the oil royalties” - exactly whose coffers? The officials or the state "rakyat" money? Either way, there's questions to be asked...
#5 - Exactly how dumb does the state government think Terengganu people are?

In Remembrance of Dr Foo Ong Pin

My babies lost a paediatrician, I suspect, humanity lost a good man. May he rest in peace.

Here are the words of someone who knew him better.