Tommy Peters' Bicycles

Monkey God! Someone said an artist is merely a scribe, and her intended message is immaterial, but what the viewer interprets from her piece becomes its reality. Once her art is born, her soul exits her body. The artist does not own her work. Hence, she cannot ascertain who gives it life or takes it apart. Her job description is giving birth to her next piece, period!  Monkey God is a sublime piece of oil born in the era of the Darwinian ape, where Nietzsche proclaims God is Dead. Hitler moves ethnic cleansing to its logical conclusion. At the same time, Freud pushes psychoanalysis toward a vibrant sexual revolution with the mantra 'If it feels good, do it. This culminates in Krishna's consciousness  for Brahmavamso to offer suicide bombers some monk magic to align their mental issues with dharma rather than drama. Twelvers' Well As a child, he disappears into a well while attending the funeral of the eleventh, then ascends into a state of occultation. He ...

Carrying from where they had left off at Jonker Walk, Malacca (2015) Kiehl's Wall Mural has now (2019) descended upon the Silang neighbourhood. It paints over the sputum of our vibrant betel-leafers.  Art trivia is coming at you from Spitters' Paradise at Soong Kee's heritage wall in a gloriously showy mode for art critics to chime in their two cents. It embodies our diverse cultures habituating in Chinatown. The simplistic, flat, two-dimensional approach isn't without reason. It is convoluted to be sucked into a three-dimensional vortex of, say, the weed-inspired Kobra fleshed out by Eduardo, our South American cousin.  It is safe to assume the Brazilian and our brothers under the bridge are using the same bong with a different plant. Yet, they possess an eye for graffiti like no other. But then, that is what we do with the minimalist approach in Kiehl's offering. It wakes up the child in us and avoids all paths which may invoke the wrath of our local censorshi...

Harry Truman and Tunku Abdul Rahman are analogous. Upon completing his presidential term, Truman stepped out of the White House, took a train, and went home. When Tunku stepped down as Prime Minister of Malaysia, a friend paid his taxes because he was broke. They both drew government pensions until they died. They were rare examples of politicians who drew  only power , rather than wealth, from their craft.  Lance Armstrong and Mahathir Mohamed are analogous. Despite bagging seven Tours, Armstrong came out of a cushy retirement for his eighth at the prodding of his sponsors. He was back for one last job, which, incidentally, retired robber barons are known to itch for. The thing is, Armstrong denied a disgraced ex-teammate, Floyd Landis, a place in his team. In response, a spurned Landis, who knew where the bodies were buried, spilled the beans on Armstrong's 20-year doping history, which unravelled his legacy. Safe to assume Armstrong regrets coming out for that, one last job...

Imagine Malaysia a century from now, driven by secular values and developed into a vibrant financial centre while regarded as 'the introvert' of the region. Quiet, yet powerful. In the backdrop of this plausible scenario, a question for those running our foreign policy. Was it worth the drama, or should we have employed discretion and avoided the faux paus, given that we are back to square one, where our nine citizens are returned in exchange for the corpse of the North Korean. But as in Altantuyaa, our 'abhorrence' for government assassins is left exposed, prosecuting two alleged killers with no apparent motive or investment in their victims? Pyongyang's geo-political position provides a talking point for our imagined phobia, not about being attacked but about a fear of being attacked, a rape fantasy, if you will. Analogous to an extrovert, strident in the notion that she presents such an irresistible figure that she is sure to be raped; our nation presents herself...

Preamble: Depravity is the key to controlling the POTUS. Trump has not reached the same level of depravity as our 'selected' Hillary. Sal: Mr. Netanyahu, will you attend Clinton's inauguration next year? Your 'selected' war hawk will be happy to see you grace her milestone, right? Bibi:  Sal, I run this Punch and Judy show disguised as the 'US Presidential'. If the Professor appears, the audience may realise this was a 'selection.' Sal: Can I go then, Mr. Netanyahu? I need some white buzz, if you get my drift! Bibi: Sure, get all the white buzz you need, but be mindful of the word around the 'missing 28 pages.' Although we instructed Obama to veto the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, I hear the thing is hot with the families of the 911 victims. They want your ass, Sal, if you get my drift! Sal: It's confusing, Mr. Netanyahu, but why in the first place did you implicate our House of Saud with the '28 pages' then redact ...

Haron Din: A Proposed Eulogy was published by Tommy Peters Bicycles on September 16, 2016 Pas Spiritual Leader Haron Din passed on September 16, 2016, and will be buried at a Muslim cemetery in Livermore, California. A proposed eulogy must speak first to those in the front row, saying he stood for king and country and fought for and protected his religion above all else. Then, it must talk to those at the back with a toned-down missive, saying he was consistent with his divine end objective, even as he dropped the ball on his partners. Finally, to the outside world that regards him as a bridge between a secular Malaysia and an impending Islamic Malaysia while tiptoeing around his choice to be medically treated by and put to rest in the U.S., a nation regarded by the world as the understatement of separation of church from state.  The emotion in the air is a calming balm as it will encourage his detractors, who count ironically as partners, to back off and appreciate his austere lif...