Category: General

Posts that don’t quite fit a specific category

Highway 61 (But Not Revisited)

How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

Robert Allen Zimmerman, “Like A Rolling Stone”, Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

A few weeks back, I began my journey down Highway 61, having reached the end of Highway 60 on my annual traipse around Sol. So, if you were excited that this post might be yet another review of Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited… well, sorry to disappoint.

So yeah, Happy Birthday to me… But seriously, no wishes necessary; I consciously chose that my 61st circumambulation be without fanfare, without any fuss. Pretty much like how most of my recent circumambulations have been.

About the only reason why I chose to reference Dylan’s 6th studio album is because of the title. By the way, the album will celebrate its 60th this year (released on 30 August 1965), a year-plus younger than yours truly. Give it a listen if you haven’t before. And if you have, give it a listen anyway.

While I am at the age I am, it might be of interest to know that Walski – that pesky third person who used to write on my behalf – is many years younger. Walski was born into this world sometime in the mid-1980s, courtesy of my very close college friend Jeff Suhy, who came up with the nickname during one of our close-knit group’s late-night mind-melding sessions. Let’s just say it was around 1987, give or take. Which makes Walski a very youthful 38 this year. The bastard…

Walski represents the repressed petulance I wish I could express in my everyday life. He is the conduit for my idealistic and liberal thoughts. Those who have followed my blog – both here and in the original Blogspot-based one – would realise I used to write in a third-person voice. As Walski himself.

But Walski hasn’t been repressed in any way, just so you know. He is alive and well, and still is who/what informs my general outlook when I write what I write here. And just because he doesn’t have a “voice”, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a voice. If you know what I mean.

It’s not easy being me. Been that way as long as I can remember. Growing up, nobody else I knew loved the music I loved, read the things I read. TV shows were perhaps the one commonality I had with my school friends. Speaking of school friends, my family moved from place to place every three years or so, due to my late dad’s career as an educator, and as a result, I never really had friends I’ve known since elementary school.

And now, I once again live a nomadic kind of life, co-running the art business with my better half; we do art fairs and collaborations around the region, so we’re never in Malaysia for any significant period at a time. Connecting the dots, life’s come full circle in that respect.

Other than in my college years, I never really had a peer group – friends with similar interests and outlooks – save for a small handful. But even they don’t completely have the same interests and outlooks as I do.

Does that sound like I’ve had a very lonely life? Well, to be perfectly honest, it does feel that way sometimes. There’s so much I’d like to share, so many thoughts to express… but hey, I’m not complaining. I mention this only because it kind of explains why I write what I write and express what I express. It’s better than talking to myself, and certainly much better than talking to Walski… ha ha.

If you’ve gotten this far, a quick thank you for putting up with this aimless verbal/textual diarrhoea.

But yeah, I’m a few weeks into my traversal down Highway 61. I think I’ll survive. Again. But with the completely FUBAR world we live in right now, who knows? Walski and I can only hope it will not end in tears. Or worse, nuclear winter.

As the world cycles through swinging as far right as the pendulum of reality allows, those of us closer to the other end of the political spectrum can only hope the pendulum doesn’t snap altogether.

And in times like these, I dare say that hope may just be the only counterbalance the pendulum has to swing back to territories of normalcy… at least the cautious optimist in me thinks so.

Just to let you know…

I have too many responsibilities and principles. There’s no time for ‘guilty’ pleasures

A.R. Rahman

By now, you’re probably tired of me apologizing for not updating this blog more regularly. Well, be ready to get more tired: Sorry for not updating this blog as much.

Nonetheless, I thought I’d squeeze this posting in, if for no other reason, to let you know I’m still alive. Unlike most of my posts, this one will be a bit aimless.

What’s been going on since I last posted on January 9? The quick answer: a lot. Very, very a lot.

I should mention that since that last posting, I’ve not been in Malaysia a whole lot. And when I’m away – usually for work – the last thing I want to do is get my mood fouled by the political and social goings on in Malaysia. And so I stay off X/Twitter most of the time, and if I do get on the app (it’s how I get most of my news, by the way), I just read and don’t engage other than doing the occasional RT.

It would be a worthless exercise to try recapping everything that’s happened since then, so I won’t even bother. Maybe just a few highlights. Or lowlights, depending on how you view them.

Malaysia is chugging along okay for the most part. Apart, of course, from the tireless outrage farmers who never fail to find something to get pissed off about. The most recent being the 130-year old Hindu temple issue – which has apparently been settled amicably (more or less).

Elsewhere in the world, Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians continues, a year and a half since the October 7, 2023 HAMAS raid, which has led to the near annihilation of Gaza. The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues. And the cherry on the “world is total shit” cake, Donald Trump is once more in the White House.

If you thought Trump 1.0 was bad, Trump 2.0 (now in its 76th day) has been a daily routine of me going “WTF?!?“. It’s been literally a case of another day, another facepalm. The latest, of course, is the broad “tariffs” on the rest of the world, based on some really dubious math.

For those of you who are interested, there’s actually a tabulation on Wikipedia of what the Trump administration has done within the first 100 days. The sweeping tariffs include the base 10% on an island whose only inhabitants are… penguins (and reportedly one seal).

‘Nowhere’s safe’: How an island of penguins ended up on Trump tariff list

The more serious implication of the announced tariffs, made on April 2, 2025, or what Trump has called “Liberation Day” – stock markets in the US and around the world reacted as you’d expect them to react. They tanked.

It appears as if the only thing that got liberated that day was a chunk of the average American’s disposable income. Why? Contrary to what Trump’s sycophants and the average MAGA dimwit think, tariffs are an IMPORT TAX, and not some looney tunes made-up tax the US imposes on other countries.

And who pays for import taxes? The importer. Which then essentially INCREASES the cost. Which, in all likelihood, gets passed on to the consumer. Feel liberated yet?

So, there you have it. Four months into 2025, and the year already feels like if there’s something that can go wrong, it most certainly will.

On my part, no promises that there will be more regular postings. But I will try. I do write the odd bit now and again in other places, like on X/Twitter or Medium. If for some odd, unfathomable reason you actually miss my writing, go find me in either one of those places I mentioned.

Cope as best as you can, won’t ya? The world is a wonky place these days…

2024 in the rear view…

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.

William Vaughn, American author & columnist

So here we are, hours away from saying goodbye to another year. In my case 3 hours (UTC +8), as I write this. And it’s a good time as any to look back at 2024.

Frankly, there’s too much to summarize when it comes to Malaysia in general, particularly when it comes to the nation’s political scene this year. So don’t expect a blow-by-blow sort of posting.

When it comes to politics here is some of what I have observed this year:

  1. What appears to be efforts to clamp down on free speech, often on the pretext of making the Internet “a safer space”, particularly for social media. The imposition on social media platforms to formally be licensed is to me treating the digital space no different from printing presses. Different animal, same old tired licensing regime…
  2. UMNO’s obsession with wanting to exonerate Najib Razak, driving the narrative that his trial wasn’t a fair one, and propping him up as a “hero” by the party
  3. The MIB (Malaysian Islamic Bureaucracy) increasing their authoritative flex, with any dissenting voices lambasted by the usual right-leaning Malay political entities (PAS in particular) and NGOs
  4. Promises of reform seem to be remainig just that – promises. Not an entirely fair view, in my opinion, but effective messaging of reforms that have happened, and the resulting optics, haven’t been properly managed, IMHO.
  5. The judiciary has performed well, in my view, underscoring their position of independence, more than what has been seen in previous administrations. Yes, there have been some very glaringly unpopular decisions (dismissing of a few high profile cases, for instance), but these were done on merit, in my opinion. But the optics of this doesn’t bode well for PMX’s administration, with lingering accusations of interference and such. The remedy to this – splitting of the public prosecutor and attorney general roles – has taken its own sweet time to materialize (although there has been some progress reported). Methinks the lacking sense of urgency is the main reason why this still hasn’t happened.
  6. Politicians tainted by corruption seemingly rewarded has been one area that I personally am sore with. The latest being Musa Aman’s ascension to becoming the Yang Di Pertua of Sabah, and him being gifted with a Tun-ship in the process.

Certainly not a comprehensive list, but these are among some of the broad areas. There is a lot more I’d like to add, particularly on the religious front, but I’ll save that for another post. Like I said, don’t expect a blow-by-blow in this one.

Internationally, 2024 has been mostly about the many ongoing conflicts around the world, primarily in Gaza and Ukraine. Syria overthrew the Assad Regime, and that country’s future lies in the balance, although there is some comfort to note that the likelihood of Syria being ruled by another Taliban-like entity like in Afghanistan is minimal.

South Korea demonstrated to the world why strong institutions are critical for democracies. The attempted Martial Law maneuver by President Yoon Suk Yeol was unanimously met with big fuck you from the country’s National Assembly. Hurrah for South Korea!

Across the Pacific, the United States declared their own fuck you to the world when Donald Trump got elected as the next POTUS. Again. There are lessons for Malaysia to be learnt from that election, but we won’t get into that discussion right now. Nonetheless, the Trump 2.0 era will likely be an interesting one, not just for the US but for the entire world. Let’s just hope while the rhetorical foreign policy will be fiery, the actual damage done to the world will be minimal.

But enough of domestic/world politics…

Personally, 2024 has been an interesting year for me. As part of the business operations of the gallery I co-run, I’ve been spending a lot of time this year in Manila, Philippines. This is on top of the other cities I go to because of the gallery biz.

It’s also because I’m away from Malaysia so much that I decided to not pay more attention to what’s been going on in Malaysia. Best to focus on work, since any obsession on my part isn’t going to affect what happens politically or socially at home. The downside has been neglecting this blog, but I have a remedy planned for 2025.

One of those remedies is to write more about other things apart from ranting about Malaysia and her political circus as the main focus. Not that I’ll completely abandon commenting on politics, just not put

Before I forget: one personal 2024 highlight I should mention is that I turned 60 this past April. In the Philippines, this age qualifies one to be regarded as a Senior Citizen. In Malaysia, a 60-year-old is just a Senôr Citizen, at best – with the one exception I’ve personally encountered: turn 55 and you get a discount for Muzium Negara tickets.

So yes, the rumour you’ve probably heard is true: Walski be old. Ha ha…

Frankly speaking, this post has one and only one primary purpose: to get another post done before the end of the year, so that I can keep up the momentum of updating it come 2025. So treat anything else you get out of reading this as a bonus.

My apologies if you were expecting a post with more substance. Perhaps I’ll work on doing some of that in the new year. Which happens in less than an hour from now.

Until then, hope you folks enjoy New Year’s Eve; this old man just plans to chill at home with the Mrs.

So, Happy New Year 2025… may the next 365 days be kinder to one and all compared to the past 365.

A quickie Christmas post

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live

George Carlin

So I thought I’d post a quickie to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays…

Whether you like it or not, Christmas is for everyone and anyone who loves to enjoy life every now and again…
so you may as well enjoy it!

Christmas is different things to different people, but the most important thing about it is anyone can have a jolly ho ho ho good time. In my book anyways.

Sure, there’ll be some Malaysians of a certain demographic that will make a fuss about this time of year being offensive to their beliefs and what not. Well, it’s their right to live life as miserably as they want, just as long as they don’t insist everybody else join in their misery.

In any case, have a great time with family, friends and loved ones; enjoy responsibly, and remember: it’s better to spend a bit more on a ride-hail than it would be on the hospital bill, or posting bail… if you know what I mean.

Have a wonderful year-end, and if I’m up to it – or if Walski bugs me enough – there may be room for another post or three before 2024 says goodbye…

Has it been that long?

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

Two things: first, an apology for not posting for so damned long; the last posting was in April… of last year… Like, seriously?!?. The second, and arguably the more important thing, is that Walski has made the decision to stop writing in the third person (except for this sentence).

Yeah, it’s tiring, truth be told, and somehow puts me in the same league as those entertainment gossip columnists in Malaysian media we so love to loathe. So there… as I – and Walski before me – break with tradition. Again.

I could go into all kinds of reasons why – mostly made up – I haven’t updated this blog in such a long time, but quite simply it’s because 2024 has been a busy year for me in the real world. As you may or may not know, I co-run an art business and since it’s now a nomad gallery, travelling has been a big part of running said business.

These days Walski shuttles back and forth snugly hibernating in my suitcase between KL and Manila, and only gets the opportunity to leave the confines of baggage and breathe some fresh air whenever something ire-inducing pops up on X/Twitter (and other social media outlets).

Which arguably is becoming more often than I like it to be these days.

Domestically, the primary source of ire is how a coalition I had put my trust in to introduce positive reform has instead been mostly regressive in their 2+ years in office. Making matters worse is an opposition block that, to put politely, has been not much more useful than a zoo full of morons (except for a few monkeys).

I won’t go into a blow-by-blow account of how disappointing the PH-led government has been, or the legislations they’ve pushed through that are more problematic than they are helpful or progressive. To be fair, the PH-led “unity government” has achieved some positive milestones, like the model of government itself for one, and the abolishment of the mandatory death sentence, to name another.

Personally, I see that the achievements made thus far are few compared to the amendments to, and applications, of restrictive laws, in some cases make them more vague and more open to abuse; the most recent example being amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act that were rushed through the house despite calls from all and sundry for it to be sent to a Parliamentary Select Committee for scrutiny. Oh, and the amendments also give MCMC almost unrestricted powers. Hurrah for freedom to shut the fuck up, or else…

But why has PH, which ran on a promise of broad institutional reforms and freedoms, turned retrograde and regressive? IMHO the answer lies in the elephant-sized albatross that’s also part of the “unity government”, better known as UMNO and the handful of hangers-on that form the rest of BN. PH couldn’t have formed a government if not for this unity arrangement, which I’ve mentioned on X/Twitter sometime back is far from ideal. But here we are. And it is what it is for now.

And don’t even get me started on the MIB (Malaysian Islamic Bureaucracy) and its tentacled network of affiliates (both private and public sectors)… But I will mention one discomforting initiative on their part: the proposed F.T. Mufti Bill.

Internationally, the world seems pretty messed up these days. Gaza, Syria, Ukraine, and the FUBAR attempt at martial law in South Korea… just to name a few recent global events. Topping off the global shit-cake is, of course, the orange-tainted cherry of Trump 2.0.

So yeah, loads and loads to bitch and moan about, but so little bandwidth…

I am hesitant to make any promises that this post will mark a comeback to posting more regularly. Time and again things in the real world have come up causing me to go on hiatus and Time being the elusive animal it is, refuses to tell in advance.

But we’ll see… where there’s a will, there’s a way; and a horde of relatives fighting for the deceased’s estate…

Hasta la later, sports fans… unless you’re a Manchester United fan, then it’ll probably be much, much la later… 🤣

Time, and other illusions

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)

Remember what Walski said in his post early this year, about wanting to post more, better time management, etc.?

Well, while he didn’t outright lie about his intentions at that point, time had other ideas. And what Walski had intended didn’t come to pass. On that count, Walski apologizes. Profusely.

The reality, though, is that what’s happening in Malaysia today – and how it gets reported in the news and on social media – means that there are too many issues and too much stuff going on to comment on every single thing that irks him. Unless he’s willing to be stuck behind the computer screen indefinitely, which he doesn’t.

To summarize 2023 thus far, Malaysian Islamists seem to be winning the narrative game. And it doesn’t help that the government seems to be bending – or at least acquiescing – to what they want. Granted, PM X has Islamic (and some argue Islamist) credentials. But is the current governmental stance going to help in the long run?

Flashback some 3-plus decades past: Dr. M the then PM, as a response to PAS’s growing influence opened the Islamist floodgates by making the government more “Islamic”, albeit in a moderate manner. Walski won’t rehash what’s transpired since, but the moral of the story: once the Islamic genie has been unleashed from its bottle, there’s no way to rein it back in.

When it comes to the current government, Walski can think of two possible thinking modes why the strategy is what it is: one, being friendly with the Islamists and acquiescing to what they want is to prevent losing in the upcoming state elections; or two, the idea that the Madani government can manage it better than Dr. M.

That’s Walski’s guess anyway.

On other fronts, UMNO wants Najib to be pardoned, and UMNO’s president (who’s also Deputy PM) wants the charges against him dropped.

It is Walski’s ardent hope that neither comes to pass.

And that’s all he can do – hope.

Because if there’s one thing Walski’s realized and come to terms with after all these years: just like time, citizen empowerment in Malaysia is an illusion. There may be the occasional small wins, but almost negligible compared to the major losses that have come in tandem. About the only saving grace: the current government is serious about institutional reforms.

Whether or not it will be allowed to realize those reforms, without too much compromise (that would make those ‘reforms’ pointless), is left to be seen.

In any case, Walski really wanted to post more here since the aforementioned January post, but had to give in to other more pressing matters. There’s only so much headspace in his advancing years, and priorities had to be made.

The ugly truth is that keeping this blog alive with content (that folks wanna read) has become a chore. And frankly, compared to the other stuff he has to do, myAsylum is of low priority. Walski realizes that he doesn’t have the luxury of time like he used to, particularly since with every passing day time is slowly but surely running out.

Be that as it may, Walski will return once in a while to populate this blog with his thoughts. Hopefully thoughts that matter and not simply barking like a rabid dog against a deluge he cannot stop, and for a cause that is, for all practical purposes, lost.

And that lost cause? Malaysia.

Walski, on this tenth day of April 2023 is one dejected son of a bitch… and that, dear reader, is the honest truth.

But he sincerely hopes you’re having a better day. And an even better tomorrow.

p.s. – before Walski forgets, his real-world alter ego decided to start writing on Substack recently. While there’s nothing much of interest posted there – yet – Walski thought you might be interested to know. Reportedly, it is supposed to be less ranty. Good luck with that…

Till death do us part…

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom’s a junkie
Strung out in heaven’s high
Hitting an all-time low

“Ashes to Ashes“, David Bowie (1947 – 2016)

If there’s one thing that’s been important in Walski’s life, apart from visual art, it’s music. He feels blessed that he was introduced to music at a very young age, primarily through his late dad. Never mind if that music came in the form of what dad liked: Andy Williams, the Ray Conniff Singers, Bing Crosby… these became important touchstones that would be the seeds germinating to become Walski’s own eclectic music sensibility.

One thing about Walski’s dad, when it came to music, while he liked what he liked, dad never tried to impose his likes onto Walski. Apart from introducing stuff (that he liked) for Walski to listen to; but to impose what could or couldn’t be listened to, not ever. At least that’s how Walski remembers it.

Walski’s not entirely sure why he’s penning this, to be absolutely honest. Maybe it’s because of the visit to see mom yesterday (we talked about dad for a spell). Or that it’s approaching the end of another year. Or maybe the news of Terry Hall‘s death today, reminding Walski of the many music icons in his life that have passed on, particularly in the past decade.

2012 was the year that Andy Williams died, the same year that saw the passing of Robin Gibb, Whitney Houston, Ravi Shankar, and Donna Summer, to name a few personalities from the music world, all of whom died that year. And in the years following, more and more personalities from the music world that played a part in shaping Walski’s musical spectrum began dropping out.

This year alone, in addition to Terry Hall: Angelo Badalamenti (composer), Julee Cruise (singer of “Falling”, the iconic Twin Peaks theme song, composed by Badalamenti), Anton Fier (musician and producer), Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Keith Levene (The Clash, Public Image Ltd.), Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac), Meat Loaf (actor/singer), D. H. Peligro (Dead Kennedys, and briefly with Red Hot Chili Peppers), Pharoah Sanders (jazz saxophonist), Vangelis (composer), Don Wilson (The Ventures)… and many more, all inducted into the ever-growing Choir Invisible this year.

Gone, but certainly not forgotten. Certainly never to be forgotten is the biggest demise of 2016, David Bowie… by any measure a tremendous loss to popular music. That passing still lingers on Walski’s mind even over six years later.

But Walski reckons that’s what happens when we grow older… one by one our “heroes” fade permanently into the sunset. Each and everyone leaving a mark in the world of music they helped shape.

Which brings him to this thought: when the day comes, how will Walski, the undisputed self-proclaimed Maestro of Abandoned Dreams, be remembered?

Or, the more realistic question, will anyone even bat an eye?

Breaking Radio Silence

I don’t even know why I’m saying this in an interview situation, but I always feel like I’m not good enough for some reason. I wish that wasn’t the case, but left to my own devices, that voice starts speaking up.

Trent Reznor

Walski can truly identify with what Trent told the New York Times back in 2008. It’s these constant feelings of inadequacy, of not being good enough (for anything), and constantly wondering if the world would have been a better place if he’d never existed.

Is Walski feeling suicidal? No, he’s too chickenshit to think along those lines (see? more inadequacies). No big loss if he were, but no such luck. Sorry.

So what’s up with Walski? Couldn’t tell you even if he wanted to. It’s just that it feels like everything he touches these days seem to go to pot. Even when he “accomplishes” something, it just feels like what he did just wasn’t good enough.

If you think it sounds utterly depressing being Walski, you’re probably right.

Sure, he can act as if everything’s hunky dory A-OK. Sometimes quite well. But not well enough to win an Oscar any time soon (more creeping inadequacy… just par for the course).

But it is what it is.

Walski just wanted to pen these thoughts for a couple of reasons. One, it so happens that he’s not written anything here since May! Gosh… one whole quarter of not writing anything for this blog. Time flies when you’re running in circles, ya know?

Second, he just wanted to get this shitty feeling off his chest.

Well, a lot has happened around Walski since May.

For one, Najib Razak finaly got put away. But that mofo is still behaving like the fucking world owes him a comfortable living. Ironically, being an MP with one of the absolute WORST attendance records in Parliament, just days ago he sought approval from the Prisons Department to be able to attend sessions in Parliament. And to visit his constituents in Pekan every now and again.

That idiotic request was, quite fortunately, DENIED. Seriously, what a thick-skinned shameless asswipe mofo of a human being…

But you know what? Walski could sure use some of that same hyper-confidence shown by the erstwhile Crime Prime Minister. Exactly how does one cultivate that sort of can’t-do-any-wrong persona? Quinoa on steroids? What?

Who knows… and frankly, who cares? Walski thinks he is the way he is for a reason. Hopefully a good reason, whatever that might be.

That’s all Walski really wanted to say today. But he’ll add one thing: this post has been somewhat cathartic. Just getting stuff off his chest. Definitely cheaper than therapy, that’s for sure.

Ah, well… guess he’s stuck being the inadequate human being that nature intended him to be. Walski will certainly try to make the best of that inadequacy. Not that he has any other recourse.

Until next time…

Thought Experiment #58

Sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/115897390384173691/

Death smells like birthday cake.

Maggie Stiefvater

Just over a week ago – Friday, April 15, to be precise – something happened. For the first time in his life, Walski got to experience what being 58 years old was like. Strangely enough, it felt exactly like being 57.

There was no fanfare, no ticker tape parade… just another Friday in an increasingly decrepit Malaysia suffering the ravages of a pandemic without a known cure: performative piety. The more outwardly moral we pretend to be, and in the process force everyone to adhere, the worse off we seem to become.

As Walski once upon a time said, “In Malaysia, Islam is more than just a way of life, it’s an institution; and the last thing Walski wants is to live in an institution” (with apologies to Groucho Marx).

But, enough about this hellhole called Malaysia that’s becoming more of Hell as we get Hole-ier… the country’s getting uglier with every holier-than-thou asshole getting his 15 minutes (and it’s almost invariably a he).

So what’s this about a thought experiment?

In a wave of depression and feeling less than worthy, about two years ago, Walski thought up an experiment to prove once and for all just how forgettable a person he really is. The experiment he devised was simple:

  • Turn off the visibility to Walski’s birthday on Facebook (he forgot to do this for LinkedIn, so maybe next year)
  • Disallow anyone to post anything to his personal page on Facebook (Messaging remained allowed)
  • Sit back, and enjoy the depressive melancholy as more and more people Walski thought he knew be oblivious to to him celebrating another trip around Sol.

Did anyone remember? Well, only close family members (the Mrs, parent, an uncle, a cousin, his sibs, a niece, etc.), and two friends; one in Brazil and another in Pakistan. Okay, to be fair, a handful of people did wish him happy birthday on LinkedIn, but only because Walski forgot to turn it off there. Plus there was Walski’s WhatsApp group of old school friends, but only because they completely forgot last year until the following day.

And what did this thought experiment prove? Two things:

  1. We have become too reliant on technology to remind us of important dates. Not that Walski or his birthday are important to any degree… but you get the drift
  2. Walski’s existence doesn’t really matter. He could keel over dead tomorrow and most people wouldn’t even notice it. But in reality, that’s how much importance an ordinary Joe like yours truly really has in this world, big-picture speaking.

Truth be told, Walski does use calendar and scheduling apps to remind him to do stuff, too. And it would be safe to say he’d lose track if it weren’t for these apps, both online or on-phone. A long time and in another lifetime we’d have used a diary, but that era is long behind us.

More importantly, Walski is now convinced how inconsequential he is in the bigger, medium sized, and small scale of things. Maybe come Thought Experiment #59 he’ll disappear altogether. The world will probably not even notice… and who knows, the world might even be better for it.

Have a good life, and see you in the next post… whenever that might be.

Happy New Year 2022

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.

Anne Frank

Ok, so Walski is a day late. But still, with another 364 days to go until the next cycle around the sun, it’s not too late to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

From all of us here at myAsylum, a very happy, prosperous, joyous, and productive New Year…

The year we’ve just left behind, 2021, was a tough year for many. For Walski, it was a rather topsy-turvy kind of year, that brought with it measures of good, of bad, but fortunately just a smidgeon of ugly.

From a work perspective, suffice to say there was a lot to do. Mostly online, however, since Malaysia was subject to a variety of Movement Control Orders (MCO) for most of the year. That said there were a few collaborative projects with entities outside of Malaysia, primarily in the Philippines and Taiwan.

As for life in general, being confined to the home with one’s significant other can be taxing on each others’ nerves. But we persevered, nonetheless.

So yeah, as Walski mentioned, a bit topsy and a bit turvy…

Unlike the eve of 2021, there is greater optimism for 2022 on Walski’s part. Provided, of course, the Omicron variant doesn’t wreak havoc in the country. Fingers crossed… Walski has a feeling that this will be a better year, something everyone could use after close to two years being held captive by this horrid COVID19 pandemic.

There is one thing that Walski hopes to see happen, sooner rather than later, and that’s being able to travel beyond the country’s borders without hassle. From an average of ten trips abroad annually to zero is a big pill to swallow. But Walski thinks we’ll get there, eventually.

Before we end this post, Walski thought he would share this awesome thought, in pictorial form, from one of his favorite writers, Neil Gaiman. This image is courtesy of the Mrs, by the way:

And on that note, hope that y’all have a wacky awesome year ahead…

Happy New Year 2022!