The start of Iraq war based on a picture?

An excerpt from 'The Picture Problem' in 'What the dog saw and other adventures' by Malcolm Gladwell.

In February 2002, just before the start of the Iraq war, the Secretary of State Colin Powell went before he United Nations to declare that Iraq was in defiance of international law. He presented transcripts of telephone conversations between senior Iraqi military officials, purportedly discussing attempts to conceal weapons of mass destruction. He told of eyewitness accounts of mobile-biological weapons facilities. And, most persuasive, he presented a series of images - carefully annotated, high-resolution satellite photographs of what he said was the Taji Iraqi chemical-munitions facility.

"Let me say a word about satellite images before I show a couple," Powell began. "The photos that I'm about to show you are sometimes hard for the average person to interpret, hard for me. The painstaking work of photo analysis takes experts with years and years of experience, poring for hours and hours over light tables. But as I show you these images, I will try to capture and explain what they mean, what they indicate, to our imagery specialists." The first photograph was dated November 10, 2002, just three months earlier, and years after the Iraqi was supposed to have rid themselves of all weapons of mass destruction. "Let me give you a closer look," Powell said as he flipped to a closeup of the first photograph. It showed a rectangular building, with a vehicle parked next to it. "Look at the image on the left. On the left is a closeup of one of the four chemical bunkers. The two arrows indicate the presence of sure signs that the bunkers are storing chemical munitions. The arrow at the top says 'Security' points to a facility that is a signature item for this kind of bunker. Inside that facility are special guards and special equipment to monitor for any leakage that might come out of the bunker." Then he moved to the vehicle next to the building. It was, he said, another signature item. "It's a decontamination vehicle in case something gone wrong.. It is moving around those four and it moves as needed to move as people are working in the different bunkers."

Powell's analysis assumed, of course, that you could tell from the picture what kind of truck it was. But pictures of trucks, taken above, are not always clear as we would like; sometimes truck hauling oil tanks look just like trucks hauling Scud launchers, and, while a picture is a good start, if you really want to know what you're looking at, you probably need more than a picture. I looked at the photographs with Patrick Eddington, who for many years was an imagery analyst with the CIA. Eddington examined them closely. "They're trying to say that those are decontamination vehicles," he told me. He had a photo up on his laptop, and he peered closer to get a better look. "But the resolution is sufficient for me to say that I don't think it is - and I don't see any other decontamination vehicles down there that I would recognize." The standard decontamination vehicle was a Soviet-made box-body van, Eddington said. This truck was too long. For a second opinion, Eddington recommended Ray McGovern, a 27 year CIA analyst, who had been one of George H. W. Bush's personal intelligence briefers when he was vice president. "If you're an expert, you can tell one hell of a lot from pictures like this," McGovern said. He's heard another interpretation. "I think," he said, "that it's a fire truck."

Mockery of the highest order

"When we heard Obama's victory speech last week, most would be touched by the humbleness and sincerity.. but when we look at the Palestinian plight then we see a mockery of that at the highest order.."

So said my supervisor, I couldn't agree more.

A story not to be judged

A dear friend came up to me one evening, very subtly putting things in my mind, testing the water. I've been through this before. And finally she confessed,

"I've an affair with somebody's husband."

...

"Don't judge me."

"I'm not!" Yes, truth is I was not. I was too busy judging the guy actually, and their marriage.

There will be some times in your life, you couldn't help but reflecting yourself and relating all the stories you heard. There must be a reason why she talked about this to me. And a reason why I heard about this from her.

See, it works both ways. Perhaps I was sent from the above to help her. And she was sent from the above as a reminder to me.

"What made him attracted to you?" I asked.

The usual answer. Wife is a successful lady in her career. Too intelligent to impress whatever he has to say about his works. My friend is way younger and of course intelligent successful man tends to be charismatic to her.

Noted. Big bold caps lock statement in my head.

"So what now?"

"I want to get out, but I don't know how. What do you think?"

"Honestly, if you stay, you're breaking your own heart. Would you stay knowing that with someone else you'll always be that someone's priority."

"But he did things for me that I don't think I can find in other guys."

Old habits are like that. Very hard to get away from the familiarity you have, very scared to walk to uncertainty, paranoid to lose what you thought was the best, but that's life. If you stop the adventure, you stop life.

"Baby steps ok."

But yesterday, about two weeks after she decided to tell me the whole thing, from the hardest time to even make the decision to walk away, she took a giant step to stop everything and walk out of it straight away.

A win win win situation. I could not be prouder.

Shortcuts

Shortcuts, don't we all love them?

What is not to like?

It saves time, it's efficient, much shorter way to get to the destination.

But, life is not a shortcut.. Like it or not.

You need to wander around, make mistakes, get lost once in a while, in order for you to be sure and to remember the correct path to the destination.

The same applies to research life.

If you think you can do a research via shortcut, don't bother calling yourself a researcher, seriously.

Sinister

I have an obsession with..

..a real life..

serial killer :(

I know.. I know.. Please don't judge me.

It all started with Zodiac the killer. Then after years, I found my shelf started to fill up with some serial killer books and I was glued on documentary about them and at one time, I had to stop myself from finding out about them when I was pregnant.

Such obsession that I was not at all proud of.

I found it mind stimulating about how they managed to deceit the police; on how they teased them, I mean come on.. Are you not challenged by this??

I guess, when I read/watched about them, I am more focused on the clues they left behind. Or the covering up they did, such genius people, but for the wrong purpose.

But after watching 'Sinister' yesterday, my glass shattered. I never actually imagined 'how', always 'why' they killed their victims.

And the 'how' is really sickening! Made me dizzy the whole day yesterday.

Oh what a way to end my date with Love.

Khaira's first year food review

As some of you might already know, Khaira Asyikin was born a colicky baby as similar to me. As she reached 6 months old, she could better tolerate my milk, except when I ate sticky rice (pulut) of all kind be it tapai, or even lemang, then the three of us would have a sleepless night. But the new challenge was that we had to introduce her solid. And here are some guidelines for parents who are having colicky baby like ours.

Khaira started to eat solid a couple of days before she turned 6 months. Due to her condition, we followed the three days rule strictly. We first introduced her to banana. Then, we introduced her to brown rice. Just brown rice; no fruits whatsoever.

Bear in mind though, that wholesome food is more gassy than the white ones. Thus, after three days of having brown rice, we mixed them with white rice. Later we added barley, and a few days later, Khaira ate a combination of white rice + brown rice + barley + oat.

Barley help reduce cholesterol levels 

This rice combination is actually a Korean's culture, where they would put a lot of other combinations in the rice such as sticky rice, beans, nuts, even sometimes sunflower seed. I found it a brilliant idea when I had them at my MIL's place, less carbs = more nutritions = happy :)

Since I'm working, what I do is that during the weekends, I would wash the white rice, brown rice and barley, let them dry. Mix them together with oat and blend for a week's stock and store them in a refrigerator. This way, I would be able to cook the porridge in less than 20 minutes.

Until Khaira was 8 months old, she was a vegetarian. I wanted her digestive system to work slowly. I gave her all the fruits that she could tolerate; from my observations: Dates, honeydew, banana, papaya and grapes. But she doesn't fancy grapes that much. As of vegetables, she could tolerate carrot, zucchini, salad, cauliflower, and spinach. She doesn't fancy spinach that much.

Banana can diminish the uncomfortable effects of diarrhea and constipation

After 8 months, I started to introduce fish and tofu. Her favourites are Siakap and Salmon. I introduced Siakap, Salmon, Merah, Tenggiri, Dory, and Senangin. She ate three times a day, a combination of white rice + brown rice + barley + oat, fish and vege. So far, her digestive system tolerates to all the fishes that we gave her, but bear in mind that some fish gives itchiness to baby. So, I did not give to Khaira the ones that I couldn't eat during confinement.

Salmon has Omega-3 fatty acids that help your brain to work better and improve your memory

At 10 months, I introduced chicken and mushroom but she couldn't take it. She developed a skin rash, I decided to postpone them. I thought it's about time Khaira needed some snack, thus I introduced her to bread, first the white ones, then wholemeal, she loved them a lot.

As she reached a year old now, she could tolerate chicken. I added some variety to her food, yesterday I made some noodle soup for her. With onions and anchovy as a little flavour. I grilled her fish, previously just rebus, added some sesame or vegetable oil. After this, I intend to introduce spaghetti to her. Also, bought some Heinz teething biscuit for her snack, would try today.

I never added salt or sugar in her food. Ketchup or chicken stock lagilah tak. Tried to give her the healthiest that I could.

Every parents has different things that they are particular about. I'm very particular about what goes in into my baby's mouth. And yes, I received some distructive comments about what I gave to my baby. And yes, I wonder why did they feel  troubled about what I gave to my baby. I was the one who needed to carry a pan everywhere to heat up my baby food during Raya, I was the one to wake up at 5.15am every working day to cook for her.

But, really it's ok. Soon, Khaira will reach 2 years old, then she shall have more freedom to eat as what everybody else eats. Not that I wanted to take all her freedom, just thought that if she was going to spend the rest of her life, eating like us, why not just delay it a little. :)

P/S: Food that gives her colic the most: Potato, watermelon, sticky rice.

Happy Birthday, Khaira Asyikin!!

Dearest Khaira,

You're a year old today! :) How time flies..

As Ibu left to office, you were still in deep sleep. I know it might not be the best feeling in the world, waking up without Ibu and Abi by your side, but the truth is.. I couldn't bear. I couldn't bear hearing you cry and holding me not wanting to let go every time I'm about to go to work.

That's a sacrifice all of us have to make. Abi has to go to work to support us. Ibu has to work to pursue the ultimate dreams. And at times, Ibu needs to go back a little late because of my PhD. I am now in my writing process, very close to the end insya Allah. Meaning, more hard work. And Khaira has to sacrifice by spending more time with Nanny just a little while.

See, I don't believe working really hard is necessary. I believe family always comes first and that we must have a balance. I promise you, this is temporary.

Last Saturday, we made a small birthday party for you. I hope you're happy meeting all your relatives and friends. There are many types of people in this world, Khaira. And as your name suggests, be kind to each and every one of them; especially the relatives and friends. Then, they will be nice to you in return.

Each and everyone in this world has their own kindness, dig until you find them. But if somehow, the goodness inside them still couldn't make you tolerate to the evil inside them, walk away gracefully, with pride. You must always define your lines in life, Khaira. What you can tolerate and what you can't. Once you have defined them, stick to them and pray may Allah SWT guides you.

Whatever it is, Ibu and Abi will always be with you every step of your journey.

Happy birthday, Khaira Asyikin, you're a prayer come true, I can't express in words how much I love you.

There is this song in 90's called Yellow by Coldplay, and if you look at the lyrics, there is this one line,

"For you, I'd bleed myself dry.."

Without Ayah Ngah and Busu

With Khaira's milk mother and Aunty Sumay

This is an example of a good friend, Khaira :)

With Ibu and Abi!

Birthday wishes from Aunty Melissa..

"Happy birthday my sweet Khaira! Be a good daughter ya! Moga jadi anak yang solehah. Aunty Mel cant wait to see you again!"

And from Ibu's friends..