I don’t use short URLs myself but writing sponsored posts, I am forced to use them. I can understand the need for a short URL if the original URL is too long or if we want to hide the real URL from our readers so that they would click on our link and we would get referral credit.

However, for companies to use these on their own sponsored posts, I think it’s rather risky. I may be weird to think so but what if the company which offers these short URLs close shop one day in future? Then all the links would be dead, right? Or do they know something I don’t? Can these companies that offer short URLs guarantee that these links will work forever? I don’t think so. So why would an advertiser opt for short URL which may or may not work five or ten years down the line?

If I were an advertiser, I would definitely not use any of these. Direct link is the best and even if I revamp my entire business and website, I would still have the link to my site and it is entirely up to me to ensure that the site is up.

I have been a closet reader of Malaysia Today for ages but I never commented and did not register with the site. Reading it doe snot mean that I agree with the writer whole-heartedly but I find RPK’s writing style witty and his English is excellent.

I saw the Peoples’ Petition to The Agong on the site not too long ago. I did not think anything of it. Then my friend sent me a link to the petition and asked me to sign the petition.

Anyway, I what I think is that Malaysia needs more peace and security. The recent case of the girl who was sexually assaulted, tortured and finally killed, sounds an urgent call for action as it shows us how mentally sick someone can be and he is in out midst.

I think that we should start a petition to seek peace so that we can recapture the sense of security that we have lost.

Some months back, my father received an email from his business associate with the photo of Madeleine McCann and an appeal to help search for her. My dad was totally confused and he thought that the girl was the niece of the person who forwarded the email to him. You see, my dad is not very internet savvy. As for me, I did not personally receive that email that was being circulated, but I was totally skeptical and not sure if the story about the missing girl was true.

Anyway, now the police are saying that the parents may be guilty of accidentally killing Madeleine McCann. I am not going to be judgmental and say they did it because until the court says so, they are still innocent until proven guilty.

What I would like to know is, and it has happened recently in Malaysia, how could a parent kill his/her own child, accidentally or other wise? I also fail to understand, in the Ooi Ying Ying case, how could the mother cook up a story to protect the boyfriend who had killed Ooi Ying Ying?

To my innocent mind, although I am not married and do not have children, the only person who could kill another, whether the victim is of blood relation or not, is someone who is mentally unstable OR on drugs, and worse, BOTH. Now, I am saying KILL and not die in an accident, OK?

And then there’s the case of the boy who killed the daughter of his tuition teacher, who was recently released from juvenile detention. I seriously cannot understand why he could do it and is certified mentally normal. There seriously is something wrong.

This morning, I received a surprise when I checked my traffic statistics and saw a stream of incoming visitors from Malaysia K.I.N.I. for my post, OMFG!! Dog Catching Competition!!! Forgive me for spelling Malaysia K.I.N.I. so because I do not want to be linked from there for a second time!

I SMS-ed my friend and told him, next time, I am going to use no follow tags! The fact that I am not blogging with my real name is because I would like to keep anonymous. There are not many people who know who is behind this blog or my main blog and it is by design.

Of course, the good thing is that I could write as I want but the bad thing is that most blog readers like to read blogs that they feel that they know the blogger, that they feel a closeness that they feel close to. And without providing a name or a photo, they cannot connect with me. Well, I guess I can’t have the best of both worlds.

However, I did take a screen shot to celebrate my five minutes of traffic surge. I just hope that my family did not notice that link out.

Just as I am still disgusted with the issue on The Plight of Malaysian Monkeys, this one really takes the cake. Dogs are close to my heart and I understand that the issues of stray dogs are a concern, what more when more than half the population in the country is anti-dogs. However, is this the way to handle the situation??

I cannot in the life of me believe that there is someone this smart to come up with a dog catching competition. I hate to think what fate belies dogs that are caught, if they are still alive.

And for the sake of getting one more dog, I believe that the safety of even real pet dogs with owners and a dog licence would be at stake. Just take a look at the motivator that will be driving people to catch “stray” dogs.

Everybody, please make a collective effort to voice out your disgust whether you are a dog lover or not, the bottom line is, this is INHUMANE!!!

Let’s speak up against the Selayang Municipal Council for organizing this ridiculous competition. You can do this by highlighting this case in your blogs, by emailing all your contacts and by writing to the press.

Contacts are as follows:
MalaysianPress
editor@thestar.com
myletters@nstp.com
mynewsdesk@thesundaily.com
editor@malaysiakini.com
editorial@sinchew.com.my
bhnews@bharian.com.my
news@nstp.com.my
metro@thestar.com.my
pengarang@utusan.com
editor@nanyang.com.my
tcpb@po.jaring.my
mmnews@nstp.com.my
am@hmetro.com.my
gmkl@guangming.com.my
bgns@bernama.com

MixFM (Malaysian Radio)
richard@mixradio.com.my
shazmin@mixradio.com.my
serena@mix.fm
ika@mixradio.com.my
pietro@mix.fm

International organisations that you can write to:
wspa@wspausa.comI
nfo@peta.org
info@dogsdeservebetter.org
wspa@wspa.org
ukwspa@wspa.org.au
wspa@wspa.ca
contact@gan.ca
info@bluecross.org.uk
afa@afa-online.org
press@api4animals.org
info@ari-online.org
info@rightsforanimals.org
info@speakcampaigns.org

Spread the news, and take the time to just write a short note to all our local papers as well as the international organisations mentioned above.

Have you read the news that monkeys in Malaysia are no longer protected under the Wildlife Protection Law and they are to be captured and exported overseas for their meat? If you have not, then you should read my article, God Save The Monkeys, and the picture essay by TV Smith, A Monkey’s Last Stand.

Photo: TV Smith Copyrighted

Take a look at this photo. These monkeys are a part of the land that we call Malaysia and they have a right to live here. Is this the way to treat them?

Dare we claim that we have matured as a nation after fifty long years of independence? What a shame! Please blog about this and let your voice be heard. We need to create awareness that we are against this act of cruelty against the monkeys.

I was told that there will be a very exciting boxing fight in Sandy, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA at the South Town Exhibition Center on 18th August, 2007, between heavyweight, as yet undisputed Roman Greenberg against veteran Damon Reed. With a ten year age gap, we will have to see if Damon Reed still has what it takes in the ring!

I have previously written on Roman Greenberg before on this blog. He is a very talented boxer who was born in Russia but raised in Isreal. He now trains in the UK and he has been sponsored by Backgammom Masters from the onset of his boxing career.

For those of you who do not know Backgammon Masters, it is a site where backgammon lovers can play backgammon online with other players from around the world.

Backgammon Masters offers free download of its top class backgammon software plus provide feature articles on how to get started on playing backgammon, including rules, tips and strategies.

You may be wondering why I am talking about sports and casino games on this blog, but I remember that some time back, Backgammon Masters hosted a charity auction on Roman Greenberg’s boxing shorts in support of Arab and Jewish youth in distress. I am interested to see if there will be another charity auction in store should Roman Greenberg win this bout against Damon Reed. What do you think?