Creating a Third Eye post

It begins by having a keen sense of the absurd, a wicked sense of humour and clear idea when you might put your job on the line.

Then browse Bernama. Some days you'll be spoilt for choice and some days are slim pickings but when it comes to absurdity, contradiction and bold face hypocrisy, Bernama is never impoverished.

Most times a single story will do, at other times a combination is necessary. Let me demonstrate:

I began with this piece on former PM Abdullah A. Badawi:

UUM TO CONFER HONORARY DOCTORATE TO TUN ABDULLAH

ALOR SETAR, July 5 (Bernama) -- Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) will confer an honorary doctorate to former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a special convocation on July 17.

UUM vice-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Nordin Kardi said Tun Abdullah would receive the Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Democracy for his untiring efforts towards the promotion of democracy among the people.

Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah would present the honorary doctorate to Tun Abdullah, he told reporters here. "Pak Lah (Tun Abdullah) has been consistent in his efforts to promote democracy among the people. He also recognises their role in safeguarding the
country's peace and harmony," he said.

-- BERNAMA

This was insufficient mostly because I try to minimise the use of my own words to fill the 116-118 word allowance I have developed as the parameters for a Third Eye post.

Trawling Bernama I found this:

6,000 STUDENTS IN MANIK URAI TO RECEIVE SCHOOL UNIFORMS, BAGS

KUALA KRAI, July 5 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry is providing free school uniforms and bags to 6,142 primary, secondary and religious schools in Manik Urai.

Kelantan Umno liaison chief Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said he was informed of the aid by Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin several days ago for all the students in Manik Urai.

"This gesture by the ministry is to lighten the burden of the people here," he told a news conference at the Manik Urai Barisan Nasional (BN) operations centre, here, today.

Mustapa said for a start, 300 students received the free school uniforms and bags today, and the rest in stages. He had earlier presented the aid to the pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Manik
Urai Baru here on behalf of Muhyiddin.

-- MORE

From this I produced this:

TUN DOCTOR

UNIVERSITI Utara Malaysia will confer an honorary doctorate to former PM Tun Abdullah. UUM vice-chancellor said he would receive the Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Democracy for his untiring efforts towards the promotion of democracy among the people. The Sultan of Kedah Sultan would present the honorary doctorate to Tun. "Pak Lah has been consistent in his efforts to promote democracy among the people. He also recognises their role in safeguarding the country's peace and harmony," he said. Meanwhile the Education Ministry announced it is providing "free school uniforms and bags to 6,142 primary, secondary and religious schools in Manik Urai" where a by-election is coincidentally taking place.

Part of the Malaysian theory of electoral democracy, Tun?

End.

The idea is to end on a rhetorical question addressed to someone or an institution or the public. And if a smile creeps across the face of your reader you've done well.


Now you give it a try.