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Concert review: Chris Knight, Cody Canada and Evan Felker swap songs and stories at Off Broadway, Friday, March 22
There is a haze of cigarette smoke and coffee stains as the memories of a few hours ago settle in. This midnight oil burns as daylight starts to arise. The songs of Chris Knight, Cody Canada and Evan Felker are a not-so-distant memory.
At Off Broadway on Friday night, three chairs lined the stage and in those chairs three of today's best songwriters passed the proverbial guitar around. This relay of songs conjured fantasies of times gone by, a distant past when poets with guitars would sit around the kitchen tables with a bottle of Jack Daniels, a case of beer and other substances, just to bullshit, sing, laugh and pass the guitar. The sight of Knight, Canada and Felker trade songs made that fantasy come just a little closer to reality.
Beer and whiskey flowed with rowdy abandonment as the crowd was let into a world that only songwriters and pickers usually get to see. The sound that filled Off Broadway was the pure essence of what these three songwriters are known for. They are the writers and singers of songs, songs that have been stripped naked and vulnerable to expose an undiluted emotional core.
Cody Canada took center stage where he acted as ringmaster. He opened the show with a welcome and a first song. This Oklahoma native, best known for his work with Cross Canadian Ragweed, showcased a deeper sense of song-craft, one that gets lost in his rowdy, high-velocity electric country musings. Alone with his guitar, he was clearly an artist with more to offer than country-rock ear candy. Canada's songs became almost unrecognizable as they took on a new life that allowed room for each of his songs to resonate.
There was nervous energy for Evan Felker as he waited his turn. He showed a desire to prove to himself and to the audience that he was on par with Canada and Knight's years of experience and craft. The leader of the Turnpike Troubadours took his place with a sound inspired by a New York folk/country tradition influenced as much by Ryan Adams as it is the folk scare of the late '50s and early '60s.
Felker's songs have a great pop sensibility, but they also have roots in the traditions of the south and Appalachian Mountains. The intimacy of being alone with his guitar was countered with a cocksure rock attitude that resulted in rousing versions of "Whole Damn Town," "Every Girl" and "Before the Devil Knows We're Dead." He led the crowd in sing-alongs with cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Stag hoisted high into the air.
Sitting quietly, waiting, listening, watching was Chris Knight. He embodied the elder-statesman with songs that reached down into the heart and soul pulling at the strings of humanity. His songs expressed a loss and reverences, a feeling that no longer are you "like" a rolling stone but you have "become" a rolling stone.
As his hands touched the neck of the guitar and his voice carried out his first song, "In the Meantime," he made you believe he had lived these songs. His voice evoked the spirit of Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle. Songs like "Rural Route," "Enough Rope" and "The River's Own" speak to the dissipating rural life that was so prominent when Woody Guthrie took to the trains to find America. The America that Guthrie saw may be gone, but Knight digs deeply into the heart of those who care to keep the dusty American roots alive.
As with any show, the crowd was ready for one more song and one more beer. After the main set, Canada, Knight and Felker returned to the stage to give the audience a musical nightcap. Knight started the encore with the title track from his most recent album, "Little Victories." On the strength of the audience's response Canada quickly followed up with a rousing version of the Neil Young classic "The Needle and the Damage Done." This version seemed to set the final tone for his portion of the set, a way to say goodbye with one of the most amazing songs about love and loss.
But it was Felker that finished off the night. With harmonica in hand he launched into a rowdy version of "Long Hot Summer Day." Canada supplied the guitar while Felker took his harmonica to the mic stand to create the rhythm of hammers and pickaxes landing to the ground. It was the spirit of the classic work songs that sent the crowd into one last frenzy.
Concert review: Robert Earl Keen (with Andrea Davidson) thrills a sold-out Off Broadway, Thursday, March 7
I often get my pre-show cocktails wrong. Mescaline, for example, was not the right choice for "West Side Story" at the Fox. Although, I must say the all-iguana Jets vs. Sharks rumble was pretty cool. But a tall beer and a whiskey back was perfect for a night with Texas songwriting raconteur Robert Earl Keen at Off Broadway on Thursday night.
While he didn't marry Julia Roberts or front a butch Patsy Cline act like some of his contemporaries, he is mentioned in the same fine company as Townes, Nanci and Jerry Jeff when songwriting is being discussed. It was my first time seeing him but his live act is a famous mix of cowboy-bodhisattva storytelling, an oeuvre containing enough out-and-out party songs to rival Jimmy Buffett — plus a kick-ass band. Keen and his gang have been together for the best part of two decades and have been asked to record no less than six live albums. They also sold out Off Broadway just last September.
REK carries heavy mojo in the songwriting and recording industry. His last album, 2011′s "Ready for Confetti," was produced by Nashville super producer and Dixie Chick papa, Lloyd Maines, and the list of artists that have covered Keen songs on their albums is too long to list.
Also: Keen once called the Kings of Leon "pussies" for canceling a show. Yup. I had high expectations.
A sold-out show at Off Broadway is the most sold out show you'll likely ever see. The venue must have a very good working relationship with fire-code officials. The crowd was mixed in age, but a feeling of camaraderie permeated the room that said this probably was not the audience's first rodeo. It felt a little like a Lone Star Dead thing.
As Joe Ely once sang, "If you've done it before, you'll be doing it some more." Joe was talking about sex though.
Andrea Davidson opened up the show and warmed the crowd with a strong, percussive solo presence. Sometimes beatboxing into an electronic delay looper and often playing harmonica to flesh out her strong guitar playing, Davidson played nine songs, singing in a rich, confident voice, and took several occasions to pump up the crowd up for REK between her songs. Davidson showed great aplomb, carrying on after breaking a string on her eighth song and getting help from backstage, in the way of another guitar, to do her final number. The audience appreciated her tenacity. Davidson also opened for Keen in September, by the way, so it just seemed like friends all around.
After a short break that seemed just long enough to take care of necessities, Keen and his band took the stage and, before playing a note, he turned to a rather famous and slightly rude picture of Johnny Cash hanging behind the bar and gave it the finger. You know the picture so, to be fair, the picture started it. To the delight of the audience, Keen yelled, "Fuck you, too, Johnny!" Then, seeming satisfied and a bit calmed by the act, he said, "I feel better about that now" and launched into the first of the 17 songs comprising the main set with three songs in two encores to follow.
Keen said early on that since they had just been at Off Broadway some few months back, they were going to try to not play all the same songs. Keen knows his crowd and the set list was masterful. It was like a slow crescendo, rising from the first song, expertly managed, mixing humor and poetry and picking along the way.
An early highlight was "Wild Wind" which Keen said he wrote on a guitar he paid way too much for. And then he said he sold the guitar with a copy of the lyrics inside. Hopefully for a lot more money still.
Concert review: Everything that rises must cohere with Samantha Crain and Indian Blanket at the Gramophone, Tuesday, February 19
The greatest foe of the musicians who played Tuesday night at the Gramophone was the slew of libations administered by the bartenders.
The onslaught of conversational lubricants gave the Gramophone a noisy bar air. With their movements circumscribed by size of the club, it seemed patrons were being ushered by their instincts to the bar. They were like bees to blossomed flowers.
As the crowd imbibed, their chatter grew and eventually drowned out opener Indian Blanket. The St. Louis outfit was difficult to hear anywhere in the bar. What could be heard of singer/guitarist Joe Andert's vocals came across as desperate jabs that created pockets of comprehensible vocals through the crowd's din. When Andert sang, "I can't hear you anymore," it felt timelier and had more perceived direction than any other sparsely audible lyric. He would get his chance to be heard when he joined Samantha Crain midway though her set for a spell. It was a lovely gesture, and Andert took the opportunity to sing beautifully and give the audience a taste of what the had opted to miss. To hear Indian Blanket play to a room that appreciated its cello and fiddle scoured-folk would be the equivalent to a daydream. Half-tactile, half-lucid dream and wholly wanted.
As suspected, the crowd piped down for Oklahoma's Samantha Crain. She and an assembly of talented backing musicians moved around the stage during sound check with diffused smiles. Outside the solitude of a vocal booth, Crain's music lights a fire within its own belly. Songs off her latest album, "Kid Face" are linear and have a less apparent melodic edge than when translated live. "Somewhere All the Time" ripened into a fruitful jam the moment Crain sang and the backing band bopped along to Anne Lillis' drum work. Lillis reined in her unblemished percussion on every song. Kyle Reid's ethereal lap steel guitar echoed Crain's insatiable wanderlust. Each musician's awareness of the role they were asked to play gave Crain room to be a frontwoman; she was never outshone for more than a blink of an eye.
Indeed, if the audience had closed its eyes during "Equinox" off "You (Understood)" they would have missed John Calvin Abney's olympian bid for the 2016 Men's Gymnastics Team. He became so enthralled behind the Wurlitzer that he, in a great show of charm and ironic athleticism, fell backwards off the stage and stayed on his feet with his seat in-hand. He looked more like a child in the throes of amusement when he came back on the stage. He peered across the stage at guitarist Kyle Reid with his eyes the size of flying saucers and his mouth wide enough to fit one of Reid's homemade cigar box guitars. Thankfully, when everyone but Crain and Calvin left the stage for the engaged pair to perform together, his bottom was firmly planted behind the Wurlitzer.
Crain's adept backing band was supported by Crain's ability to let them ad lib. Wurlitzer wizard and guitarist Abney soloed on his guitar the last 10 seconds of the song with the kind of bottled energy we have come to realize in shaken soda products. Daniel Foulks, on fiddle, and Penny Hill, on bass, were mixed so well that when necessary, their instruments took precedence over Crain's vocal delivery. It was a treat to hone in on members of Crain's band to hear them interpret "Kid Face." Each intrigued the listener with their obvious skill. The level of musicianship and camaraderie displayed refreshed any stale notions that live shows are an amalgamation of calculated practice. Each member, Crain included, was so content to play that they each introduced to the mix a different style of grout that made the whole cohere.
To wit, Crain gives the band a skeleton set list that rearranges like Tetris. She judges the crowd's reactions and mood and will huddle the band up and instruct them to play a song that fits. It is up to the band to be prepared for this, and with every change, anticipate and play regardless of surprise. It is a brave way to play a show and is a conspicuous hint towards the level of excellence Crain and company have attained together.
Concert review and set lists: Tea Leaf Green and Tumbleweed Wanderers blossom at the Firebird, Thursday, February 14
On Valentine's Day in St. Louis, a Galactic show at the Pageant offered competition for music fans' affections, but Tea Leaf Green still drew a healthy crowd of loyal supporters and date-nighters to the Firebird.
The attire ranged from jeans and Grateful Dead t-shirts to sport jackets and sweaters and even included a few party dresses and finer hats as the diversity of the crowd reflected the diversity of sounds on stage. Whether looking to rock, jam, groove or just dance, the show was sure to deliver.
Tumbleweed Wanderers opened the evening and complemented the headliners' style well. Based just across the bay from Tea Leaf Green's San Francisco home, the Oakland ensemble blends the sounds of soul, folk and rock into an eclectic groove. Dressed with a disregard for uniformity, each member of the five man group offered their own flavor to the mix through an assortment of instruments. With three vocalists, each song offered its own style and opportunities for deeper harmonies.
The band's set featured a selection of original compositions based in the roots of jam style music, and was capped off with a soulful cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me." Still relatively new to the scene, the band and its set provided a good foundation for concert jams and studio albums, but the confidence to experiment and explore seemed to lack at times while the solos often proved that each musician was more than capable of doing so. It would be great to see these guys again in a couple years as they will likely blossom and reach the level of groups like the headliners.
As the set break let-up, the crowd quickly began to vie for position at the front of the stage and had filled in quite densely. Josh Clark stepped to the mic and began with a simple, Simpsons inspired introduction, "We're Tea Leaf Green and we choo-choo choose you." By the end of the opening song and jam session, the entire crowd had gathered tightly in front of the stage, leaving all of the other sections of the venue eerily empty. The total number of fans may have been just off their pull last summer, but it felt like a full house to everyone in the pit.
Without releasing any new material, Tea Leaf Green tours extensively with a different feel and sound in each show so that even the most dedicated fan never has the same concert experience twice, even if they were to repeat songs. This show had a different feel from the last as they opened with many of their high energy tunes before exploring the other depths of their sound mid-set and building back to a few favorites at the end.
While each and every member of the band is worthy of praise and attention, it was the bands cohesion that stood out. Josh Clark and Trevor Garrod often started the songs with their individual vocal styles, but the jams highlighted everyone, even during the solos. For those unfamiliar with Tea Leaf Green, one of the most distinctive aspects of the act is the drumming duo of McMillan and Scott Rager who demonstrate the bands cohesion with every rhythm, neither ever dominating with rhythms over accents. As veterans, they've become a prototypical assembly of musicians and a role model to others in the scene.
Often it was the break-down segments and introductions that stood out in the set, but perhaps the most distinctive moment was a two song segment featuring an acoustic trio set-up. Reed Mathis and Josh Clark put down their electric bass and guitar for the organic alternatives, while Garrod picked up a banjo and joined the others center stage. The three played and sang huddled around a single microphone as they played "Stick to the Shadows" and "I Believe," which pulled the slowly spreading crowd back to the front again.
Concert review: Carrie Rodriguez shares a little heart and soul at the Old Rock House on the eve of Valentine's Day, Wednesday, February 13
There is nothing quite like the emotion that pours out of a singer-songwriter when she's plying her trade. Carrie Rodriguez filled the room with love of her songs and her audience Wednesday night at the Old Rock House.
Before the show began, guitarist Luke Jacobs threw some old-time tunes on the record player that was set up at stage right, setting the mood as he moved slowly and deliberately around the stage making sure that the instruments were tuned up and ready to go.
Carrie Rodriguez took the stage without much fanfare, smiling from ear to ear as she grabbed her fiddle and said hello to the crowd. Without wasting any time, Luke grabbed his guitar and started strumming the chords to the first tune of the evening.
The pair ran through a bit of Carrie's recorded output, from a very powerful "Seven Angels on a Bicycle" and "She Ain't Me," to a handful of tracks from her latest album "Give Me All You Got." There were a pair of covers in the mix as well, a fantastic duet of Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again" and an encore of "La Puñalada Trapera," a staple of her mariachi singing great-aunt, Ava Garza.
This was one of the best sounding shows I've seen at the Old Rock House. Josh was running the board and did a fantastic job of capturing the power of Carrie's voice and the subtle nuances of her fiddle playing. Luke's acoustic guitar was about as perfectly balanced tonally as you can get and his electric had an overdriven fuzz with tone as thick as a baby's arm.
Carrie was in excellent form, her fiddle expressing mournful cries and exuberant joy often in the same song. She also played a little guitar and plucked out a few songs on her Epiphone Mandobird, which I covet almost as much as Quintron's Rhodes/Hammond combo. Vocally she has a strong country flavor, along the lines of Zoe Muth or Carrie Underwood. The passion that she puts into her lyrics translates into her singing, giving her an edge above most female country vocalists that you hear on most of the corporate stations.
Carrie and Luke have been playing together for a long time, something that was obvious in their performance. They weave their solo parts in and out of the framework of the songs with precision, each one complimenting the other's parts without competing or fighting for dominance. They are comfortable with the songs but don't come off as stale or over-rehearsed.
The between song banter was also enjoyable, none of it forced and all of it given with an ear-to-ear grin. It is obvious that Carrie loves what she does and appreciates her fans, something that translates into everything about her performances. Luke's story of how the tour poster was created was both comical and a reminder of why you should never make deals after a night of drinking.
Oddly enough, the last time Carrie Rodriguez came through St. Louis was two years ago almost to the day. She was on the Acoustic Café tour sharing the stage with Erin McKeown, Tania Elizabeth and Mary Gauthier. I reviewed that show as well, my biggest complaint of that night being that the individual sets were too short.
Now that I have seen Carrie play a full set by herself, I can say that my instincts were right. Although it took two years for her to return, the same fire and passion still burns in her voice and fiddle.
Concert review: American Aquarium (with Hymn River Suite and Blackwater '64) rock the twang at Cicero's, Thursday, February 7
Maybe it was the whiskey I wasn't drinking messing with my head, but American Aquarium sounded too big for a room the size of Cicero's.
When frontman BJ Barham introduced the Raleigh, N.C. band before playing "Katherine Belle," all I could think was that it felt stadium-size huge despite the room not being particularly open. They were every bit as tight as on recording, but with an added oomph from the air vibrating around me.
A few hours prior, Alton, Ill.'s trio Hymn River Suite had started things out — two acoustic guitars and three voices melding together for a set of twangy country songs and covers — poking fun at themselves as they vied for the attention of the people chatting by the bar. "Grace, Peace, and Whiskey" stood out in their set, as well as the "totally hipster, pop-country cover" of Little Big Town's "Boondocks" in all its foot-stomping glory.
Things got louder when Blackwater '64 took the stage with their take on twangy rock. Pleading attempts to get people to move closer to the stage were somewhat effective, but chatter provided the backbeat for almost every song of the evening. The din proved annoying during quieter, slower songs — when the drummer and bassist took a break, the thrum of voices near the bar almost overshadowed Ben Martsolf's crooning during "Westbound."
American Aquarium's set started off loudly and seamlessly — the transition between "Ain't Going to the Bar Tonight" and "Saturday Nights" was so smooth that the crowd didn't even get a chance to applaud. That proved to be a turning point in the set, after which almost every song received its own introduction, which ranged from Barham explaining that he's a "terrible waiter and worse bartender" before "Casualties" to a rant about his ex before "I Hope He Breaks Your Heart."
"It's only been 5 years. I'm not bitter," he explained, before singing over a weeping pedal-steel guitar; the tenderness of the first half of the song belied his venom.
After explaining they weren't going to do the whole encore thing, the rockers played the title track off their latest record, "Burn.Flicker.Die." Ending with a polite, "Y'all have a safe night," the five men left the stage to mingle with the crowd.
Album review: Kris Kristofferson may be 'Feeling Mortal' but he still has superb songs to sing
Kris Kristofferson
"Feeling Mortal"
KK Records
Many songwriters lead storied lives, no doubt, but few are as successful and iconic as Kris Kristofferson.
It's a cliché to say, "Seen it all, done it all," but one gets the impression that the Country Music Hall of Famer has, in fact, done just that. A boxer, Rhodes scholar and military officer, not to mention an actor and singer-songwriter, Kristofferson has found success in a variety of vocations.
His notoriety as a songwriter allowed him to launch a career as a performer, and he began recording his own songs, releasing his first album in 1970. However, success as an actor came more readily than as a singer and he appeared in many films throughout the 1970s and beyond.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that Kristofferson is perhaps better known to the public as an actor, as a songwriter he has been an influential force in country songwriting. His songs are both personal and reflective, yet strike a chord with a variety of people in all walks of life. His latest album is no exception; it is the work of a man at peace with both his demons and his legacy.
"Feeling Mortal" is Kristofferson's first album of new material in four years and also his first independent release on his own KK Records label. It is the third record in a trilogy, produced by veteran producer Don Was, that began with "This Old Road" (2006) and "Closer to the Bone" (2009).
"Wide awake and feeling mortal/At this moment of the dream," he sings on the opening line of the title track, a song which finds the singer facing his own mortality; reluctantly perhaps, but with gratitude and without regret. At the forefront of this record is Kristofferson's weathered voice, no longer the voice of a young man of course, but still strong, with a gentle grace and a hard-won wisdom.
The musicianship is excellent throughout; a fine band backs the veteran performer and also features Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, lending vocals and violin. The record consists of 10 songs, all penned by Kristofferson, with the exception of the old 1970 song "My Heart Was the Last One to Know" co-written with Shel Silverstein. Originally recorded by Connie Smith, the tune is a simple and beautiful country classic.
"Stairway to the Bottom" is another vintage piece, a rerecording of a song that originally appeared on "Spooky Lady's Sideshow" in 1974. But "Bread for the Body" and "You Don't Tell Me What to Do" are among the most enjoyable on the record, the former a song of realization about what's important in life and the latter an ode to freedom and an independence of spirit.
And I will go on making music
and whiskey
and love for as long
as the spirit inside me
says you don't tell me what to do.
If the songs on "Feeling Mortal" are any indication, it looks like Kristofferson will be doing just that for a few more years.
Concert review: Deadstring Brothers (with the Dock Ellis Band and the Bengsons) provide some soul, some country and something completely different at Plush, Friday, February 1
"This is gonna be awesome when the guitar gets plugged back in!" Abigail Bengson shouted with a smile on her face during a slight hiccup during the Bengsons' set.
Despite this minor setback, they put on an incredible set at Plush on Friday. While the venue never quite had to worry about reaching the maximum occupancy limit, that didn't stop a trio of traveling bands — including the Dock Ellis Band and headliners Deadstring Brothers — from putting on a show.
Those who did attend the Plush festivities were treated to two opening bands with a touch of twang and a charming performance style. The first 50 patrons were also treated to a free Stag beer that would be eventually added to the newly christened wall of Stags growing on the right side of the main bar.
The headliners hailing from Detroit capped off the night with some slick slide guitar that would leave any exile excited to be alive. Deadstring Brothers played their hour-long set with a less than commanding stage presence, but with their Mick Jagger-esque vocals and early '70s Rolling Stones sound, there was no need to be showy.
The five-piece band brought the willing from their seats to the front of the stage with its alternative country feel. The patrons seemed to enjoy a little bit of spinning and sliding on the dance floor. The Brothers played the night out with a song dedicated to bassist Jeff Cullum's future ex-wife, the room thanked California for her wine — not to mention St. Louis for its Stag — and the show came to an end.
Before Deadstring Brothers took the stage, the Dock Ellis Band seized its moment. The St. Louis country band made it apparent why Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton had been playing on the PA system throughout the night, and brought to the stage the classic sound of old country mixed with a bit of off-color comedy. Tunes such as "Get That Pregnant Woman Another Beer" and "Dumpster Baby" had the onlookers cautiously cutting up as they tossed their empties into the Stag bin.
While the two main bands might have had more local notoriety, the act that truly stole the show was a lesser-known folk duo from New York City. Shaun and Abigail Bengson met one day years ago playing in a pickup band and found themselves getting married two weeks later. As the Bengsons, they've been playing, teaching and learning together ever since.
After a brief technical issue when the guitar was accidentally unplugged at the beginning of the show, the couple didn't miss a beat as they continued to entertain the crowd. They brought an incredibly fun and delightful performance to the stage as they excitedly jumped around during songs and shared swigs of water out of a gallon jug between them.
Their chemistry and genuine enjoyment of their art shined as they shared smiling glances to the sound of simple guitar chords and solo drum beats played behind their lyrics of life, love and the pursuit of music. The Bengsons' lighthearted melodies provided a rare type of energy that enchanted the audience and reminded those present in the room that true love still exists in the world.
On top of touring and making music, the Bengsons are currently weaving together a rock opera called "Hundred Days," which tells the story of two lovers who know that their time together is limited, and they've promised themselves to live their 100 days like an entire lifetime together. "Hundred Days" is set to be completed early 2014.
The evening at Plush was filled with a wide variety of entertainment that marked another successful night of music in St. Louis — and a successful night for the Stag wall.


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Megan Fox: Proud of "Powerful, Confident Vagina"by Hilton Hater at . Comments
We apologize ahead of time for the following post, ladies. You may wanna go stare at Zac Efron calendar photos for a bit, as Megan Fox is at it again.
The actress covers the latest issue of Rolling Stone, inside which she rambles on - again! - about the power of the vagina.
"Men are scared of vaginas," she said, telling the magazine that a woman is most powerful when she's "completely in charge of her sexuality."
As for her own musty dugout? Fox says she possesses a "powerful, confident vagina." We can think of approximately 17 million men that would like to find out first hand if that's true.
Regarding the girl-on-girl make-out session with Amanda Seyfried in Fox's new movie, Jennifer's Body, the actress is honest about its intentions.
"Clearly I can't argue that it's not gratuitous, because it is."
The same pretty much goes for the following Megan Fox photos from Rolling Stone. Click on each to enlarge:
ya fuck them i meen holy shit look at you you are an amazing actress and smoking hot and a great actress you shoudent care about what other people say about you just what you say about youre self is what matters and did i mintien that you are smoking hot i meen holy shit hot lol but really think about my adfice and email me if it helps
I'll admit I don't like it when a vagina is cocky. But this isn't fair, I know women are scared of uncircumcised penises.
Fuck all them damn crittics...thay juss wish thay had a body like ur's...ur a fucken goddes...like 4 real....smoken hottttt.....lol..keep up the good work....halla..
Pfft. Horrible RStone photographs. Not one of them shows imagination, most are soooo ordinary. Cover shot is salvageable "nice." Must have been a budget shoot, in a hurry. She deserved better than 35mm approach...limbs are foreshortened, out of proportion body parts, dime store flash, so-so/been there-done that/blah poses, zero-conceptualization. Stone eats crow on this shoot! This isn't even decent reportage. What does it say about her? This is a cover story!? Duh?! One would swear photographer went out of the way to make her look average Hollywood good looker/valley girl. I don't even care to know who did the photography let alone see the issue on a newsstand.
Clearly, any person who has to talk this much about her female power, her distaste for many men, MUST have issues. Usually people do that when they are trying to compensate for something. If she was so secure in her sexuality and being a woman then why the need to constantly remind us about it. Plus, who is she anyway? Isn't she only like 21 years old? My God, she hardly began to experience life yet.But we're supposed to think she knows it all. Let's check back with her in 20 years and see how she's doing. She seems pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside.


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BJP Makes Inroads in Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal, Trinamool Scoffs
India | Written by Monideepa Banerjie | Tuesday September 16, 2014
In West Bengal, after a 15-year drought, the BJP now has an MLA in the state Assembly. The party's Samik Bhattacharya has won Dakshin Bashirhat. In 1999, the BJP had won the Ashoknagar assembly seat in alliance with the Trinamool.
Coming Soon: a Report Card for BJP Members of Parliament
India | Reported by Akhilesh Sharma, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Thursday July 31, 2014
The ruling BJP has reportedly made it clear to its MPs that slacking off is not an option and their performance in Parliament will be monitored.
Opinion: Budget 2014 Should Ease Service Tax on Rent Payable by Small Retailers
Friday June 27, 2014
Being the first budget of the newly formulated NDA Government, this is surely a prime setup for the government to pass across a strong message in its road to delivering the high expectations, which it has sought to boast about during the prolonged el...
Raj Thackeray Announces He will Contest This Year's Maharashtra Assembly Election
Election 2014 | Tejas Mehta | Sunday June 1, 2014
In perhaps the most significant development in Maharashtra post the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray announced on Saturday at a rally in Mumbai that he will contest this year's Assembly polls.
Twitter to Take India Election Innovations Global
World | Reuters | Saturday May 24, 2014
U.S. social networking company Twitter is planning to replicate parts of its India election strategy across countries that go to polls this year, after it emerged as a key tool for politicians and media companies during the world's largest democratic...
'Who Will Take On Modi in Parliament? Dimple Can't Speak': Mulayam's Worry At Party Meet
Election 2014 | Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Friday May 23, 2014
A furious Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today tore into his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhikesh Yadav, over the party's rout in the national election and wondered at a meeting - "how will we tackle Narendra Modi in Parliament?"
Amid Clamour for Priyanka, Rahul Gandhi's Team Launches Defence
Election 2014 | Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Friday May 23, 2014
At a time when the Congress' epic defeat in the national election has brought Rahul Gandhi's leadership under harsh scrutiny, his close aides have launched a detailed defence.
This State Tops in Lok Sabha Voter Turnout
Election 2014 | Indo-Asian News Service | Thursday May 22, 2014
The highest turnout of voters in the 16th Lok Sabha election was recorded in the northeastern state of Nagaland, with 87.82 percent of electors exercising their franchise, while the lowest turnout of 49.52 percent was in Jammu and Kashmir, the Electi...
Anandiben Patel Takes Charge as Gujarat's First Woman Chief Minister
Election 2014 | Edited by Zoya Anna Thomas | Thursday May 22, 2014
Anandiben Patel took over as Gujarat's chief minister on Thursday afternoon. She was administered oath by the state's Governor Kamla Beniwal. On stage, was her predecessor Narendra Modi, who will be the country's next prime minister.
NDTV.com Sets New Record for Highest Traffic on an Indian Website in a Single Day
Election 2014 | NDTV.com | Thursday May 22, 2014
NDTV.com registered over 13 billion hits on May 16, election results day, a new record for the highest traffic on an Indian website on a single day.
Arvind Kejriwal Apologises to Delhi For Quitting, 'Sorry Sabhas' Soon
Election 2014 | Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Wednesday May 21, 2014
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is meeting this morning after its chief, Arvind Kejriwal, asked Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung not to dissolve the Delhi assembly. The party has told Mr Jung that it wants a week to seek public opinion on whether it should ...
Gujarat Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel Likely To Replace Narendra Modi As Chief Minister
Election 2014 | Reported by Rohit Bhan, Edited by Devesh Kumar | Wednesday May 21, 2014
Narendra Modi, Gujarat chief minister, will resign today after addressing a special session of the state assembly. His revenue minister Anandiben Patel is the front-runner to replace him in the state.
Legal Lacuna in Dealing With Menace of Paid News: Chief Election Commission
Election 2014 | Press Trust of India | Tuesday May 20, 2014
There is a legal lacuna in dealing with the growing menace of 'paid news' in the Indian elections and there is a need to make it an offence under the electoral law, says Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath.
Did Social Media Really Impact the Indian Elections?
Rohan Swamy | Tuesday May 20, 2014
The Lok Sabha elections have been touted as the first "social media" election in India. Do likes and retweets really translate into votes for politicians?
Blog | Captain GR Gopinath | Friday May 30, 2014
Captain Gopinath on why the AAP story is not over.
Narendra Modi for PM: Advani Proposes, BJP Makes It Official
Election 2014 | Edited by Surabhi Malik | Tuesday May 20, 2014
Narendra Modi will this afternoon meet President Pranab Mukherjee to stake claim to form government, after a series of ceremonial elections that will officially make him the head of the BJP and the national alliance it leads, the NDA, in parliament.
Rahul Gandhi Writing at Congress Working Committee Meet: What Surfers Have to Say
Cheat Sheet | NDTV.com | Monday May 19, 2014
As the Congress introspected on its massive drubbing in the national election, Rahul Gandhi, who led the party's campaign, was seated by his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi. In footage of the Congress Working Committee meeting, Rahul, 43, was...
Cabinet Hopefuls Line Up at Narendra Modi's Doorstep
Cheat Sheet | Edited by Zoya Anna Thomas | Monday May 19, 2014
Three locations in the capital - the RSS office, Gujarat Bhawan where prime minster to be Narendra Modi is and party chief Rajnath Singh's residence - have been buzzing all day as the BJP finalises the contours of Team Modi at the Centre.
Election Commission Withdraws Model Code of Conduct in Tamil Nadu
Election 2014 | Press Trust of India | Monday May 19, 2014
With the process of conducting election to 16th Lok Sabha coming to an end, the Model Code of Conduct in Tamil Nadu has been withdrawn with immediate effect, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar said today.
Election Commission Submits List of New MPs to President
Election 2014 | Indo-Asian News Service | Monday May 19, 2014
The Election Commission on Sunday, submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee, a notification certifying the names of all the members elected to the 16th Lok Sabha.


text:
Meet the one guy who was annoyed Shredder wasn't in the latest TMNT movie. The sparkly blue suit was a hand me down from a "flamboyant" uncle.
This guy was so popular they made a bobble head out of him.
Go Go Gadget Cosplay.
10 points for originality and execution.
Head to toe here's how to pull off a costume the right way.
This page is an archive of recent costumes in the Complex category.
Simple is the next category.
Find recent costumes on the main index or look in the costume archives to find all Halloween costumes


text:
Loui Jover. This Soul. Pen and ink.
Psalm 139:4
Psalm 139:4
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A new song. Hope you like! Share please! Thanks!
My new sounds:
Here's the first song I wrote this year. I was going to re-record it but I haven't gotten around to it. One of my faves!


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Hurry over to check out the sale on Kidorable coats, books, backpacks and more on sale today – you'll find a variety of styles from Princess to Pirates and more. Keep your little ones dry and warm, while having a lot of fun!
This Dragon Knight backpack is just too cute – or should I say – "tough" – for the little knights you have at home. :)
And I love these Fairy Rain Boots with little wings – I know my daughter would love these! (She still wears her Tinker Bell slippers from Halloween).
Remember that you also get FREE shipping and returns with all orders at MyHabit. Prices and availability are subject to change. As a daily deal site, deals go fast, so grab them while you can.
Don't forget to check out the Coupon Database for all available coupons. This site uses affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.


text:
After losing the Florida primary in a landslide, Newt Gingrich had to know that the rest of February did not look good for him either. The upcoming contests in Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, and Maine all looked tough. Of all those states, Missouri had the most voters sympathetic to Newt's message, but his campaign failed to even get on the ballot in the Show Me state.
So, late Saturday night, after Newt received his anticipated beating in the Nevada caucuses, he emerged onto a stage, not to thank supporters at a rally, but to take questions from the press.
As National Review's Victor Davis Hanson writes, what came next can only be described as ugly:
Gingrich is becoming a caricature of petulance: no concession in Nevada, no call to Romney, no awareness that his inability to raise money at levels of a political rival or to match a competing campaign organization is not necessarily unfair. That's politics, and Gingrich knows it. I don't understand why he thinks now losing to Romney in 2012 is solely due to Romney's innate deviousness in a way McCain beating Romney in 2008 was not — given that Romney was about the same in both 2008 and 2012. Gingrich seems oblivious to the fact that McCain's style and history gave him advantages over Romney's money and hardball in ways Gingrich's own proven liabilities apparently do not.
Gingrich should carefully play a tape of his post–Nevada caucus performance, and then he would quickly grasp that it was little more than a litany of excuses, whining, and accusations — characterized by stream-of-conscious confessionals and rambling repetitions. And, I think, will hurt him more than anything yet in the campaign.
Newt is expected to lose big tomorrow in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. No one is expecting any concession calls. On Saturday, Newt will again get crushed, this time in the Maine caucuses. Then there is a break until the February 22nd Arizona debate.
But will Newt even make it that far? How many more these crushing losses can his ego take?
Campaign 2012
Romney: Ahead of the March 6th Ohio primary, The Columbus Dispatch endorsed Mitt Romney for president yesterday: "American voters need someone who offers an alternative to the failed policies of President Barack Obama. Romney is the candidate best able to do that."
Gingrich: Former Rep. Dick Armey, R-Texas, who worked along side Newt Gingrich in the House, advised Gingrich to stop attacking Mitt Romney yesterday: "I feel bad for him. I think he's digressed into a state of taking a second-rate campaign and turning it into a first-rate vendetta," Armey said. "I thought that last night was really sad for him," said Armey about Gingrich's non-concession speech after Saturday's Nevada caucus lost. "Quite frankly again so much of Newt's whole life is overstated, he overstates the case in such a hyperbolic fashion, it just looks vindictive."
Polls: Public Policy Polling, the only firm releasing their results in each state, has Mitt Romney up big (40 percent to 26 percent) in tomorrow's Colorado caucuses and Rick Santorum narrowly ahead by 2 in Minnesota.
Around the Bigs
The New York Times, A Mortgage Tornado Warning, Unheeded: New documents show that Fannie Mae knew for almost a decade before the crash that loan-servicing companies that worked for Fannie routinely filed false foreclosure documents.
The Wall Street Journal, Shaky Profits Threaten U.S. Stock Rally: Profit margins at S&P 500 companies fell the last quarter of 2011, a possible warning sign that the stock market may soon fall.
The New York Times, Egypt Defies U.S. by Setting Trial for 19 Americans on Criminal Charges: Egypt's military-led government said Sunday that it would put 19 Americans and two dozen others on trial in a criminal investigation into the foreign financing of nonprofit groups.
USA Today, Editorial: Contraception mandate violates religious freedom: "The administration tried to strike a balance and simply failed. The First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom deserves more weight than the administration allowed."
Righty Playbook
In the USA Today, The Heritage Foundation's Stuart Butler explains why Heritage can not be blamed for the individual mandate: "in the legislation we helped craft that ultimately became a preferred alternative to ClintonCare, the "mandate" was actually the loss of certain tax breaks for those not choosing to buy coverage, not a legal requirement."
The Weekly Standard's jay Cost takes a closer look at Fridays jobs report.
Hot Air's Jazz Shaw asks if former Rep. Pete Hoekstra's new ad against Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., is the "wost" political ad of 2012: "The team is describing it as satire, but there's absolutely no way this doesn't just fan the flames and come off as racist."
Lefty Playbook
ThinkProgress attacks the Susan Komen for the Cure Foundation for seeking advice from Ari Fleischer.
Reporting on the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, Talking Points Memo's Brin Beutler asks, "Are Senate Dems About To Cave On GOP Union-Busting?"
AFSCME has launched a new website called "Razing Arizona," attacking Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer for her new government union reform plan.


text:
Attack Techniques
|Hell's Hand
|Heruzu Hando
|Dark Claw
|Extends a giant decaying hand from underneath its cloak and claws at the enemy with it.
|Death Charm
|Desu Chāmu
|Evil Charm
|Casts an evil spell of darkness that washes over the enemy, and sap away its life.
|Nightmare Wave
|Naitomea Uēbu
|Emits a dark wave that hypnotizes the enemy, amplifying their doubts and driving them mad.
|Poison Breath
|Poizun Buresu
|Blows out a poisonous smoke.
|Ghost Chop
|Gōsuto Choppu
|Vanishes and reappears before enemy, karate chopping it.
Evolves From
- Agumon Hakase[7]
- Bakumon[8]
- Candmon[4][9][10]
- Elecmon[7][11]
- Falcomon (2006 Anime Version)[8][7]
- Goburimon[7][12]
- Hagurumon[8]
- Impmon[9][13][10]
- Kamemon[7]
- Keramon[6]
- Kudamon (2006 Anime Version)[7]
- Kunemon[11][14]
- Patamon[14]
- Pico Devimon[1][8][13][15][16][10]
- Shamamon[4][9][13][16]
- Tsukaimon[8][17][18]
- Tyumon[10]
- Wormmon[16]
- Yuki Agumon (2006 Anime Version)[8]
Evolves To
- Blossomon[7]
- Blue Meramon[10]
- Death Meramon[8][10]
- Fantomon[8][17][18][19] (Jogress with or without Wizarmon[20] or certain Digimon from the Pendulum series)[15][21]
- Giromon[11][14]
- Lady Devimon[22]
- Megalo Growmon[7]
- Metal Fantomon[23]
- Mummymon[24] (Jogressed with or without Fugamon or Hookmon)[18]
- Pumpmon[25] (Jogress with or without Garurumon[26] or certain Digimon from the Pendulum series)[15]
- Shawujinmon[7]
- Skull Greymon[11]
- Tyilinmon[7]
- Vademon[11]
- Vamdemon[15][27][6] (Jogressed with or without Sangloupmon)[18]
- Yatagaramon (2006 Anime Version)[7]
- Waru Monzaemon[10]
Digimon Adventure
Bakemon are among the residents of Overdell Cemetery on File Island and scared the Chosen Children. Vamdemon also used many Bakemon as its soldiers and used them to round up children while they were in the Real World to try and determine which one was the eighth Chosen Child.
Digimon Adventure 02
Several Bakemon appear as slaves of the Digimon Kaiser, being under the control of Evil Rings.
Digimon Frontier
Digimon Savers 3D: The Digital World in Imminent Danger!
Digimon Xros Wars: The Boy Hunters Who Leapt Through Time
Digimon Adventure: V-Tamer 01
A Bakemon was the underling of Lord Vamdemon. It was able to disguise itself as a Patamon.
Digimon Next
Digimon Xros Wars
Video Games
Digital Monster Ver. S
Digimon World
Bakemon are among the residents of Overdell Cemetery. If you speak to a Bakemon floating around on the right and answer his questions correctly, he joins the city and patrols the square at night time... you can't tell what he's saying though, until you have Bakemon as your partner Digimon.
Digital Monster Ver. WonderSwan
Digimon Adventure: Anode Tamer
Digimon World: Digital Card Battle
Digimon Adventure: Cathode Tamer
Pocket Digimon World
Digimon World 2
Bakemon evolves from Tsukaimon with 0-2 DP and evolves into Fantomon with 0+ DP.
Digimon Adventure 02: Tag Tamers
Digimon Adventure 02: D1 Tamers
Digimon World: Digital Card Arena
Bakemon appears as an opponent and an obtainable Black Card.
Digimon Tamers: Battle Spirit
Appears as a field enemy.
Digimon RPG
Digimon World 3
Digimon Story
Can be evolved from Goburimon if above level 14, or can be found at Chrome Mine.
Digimon Story: Sunburst & Moonlight
Can be evolved from Tsukaimon if above level 19, and Dark EXP above 420, or can be found at Thriller Ruins. Can evolve to Phantomon if above level 34 and Dark EXP 4200.
Digimon Savers: Another Mission
Bakemon is an obtainable evolution of Lalamon. A Bakemon was reported causing an electrical disturbance in Sneyato Forest. During battle, it evolved to Vamdemon.
Digimon Championship
Evolves from Tsukaimon, Bakumon, Hagurumon, Pico Devimon, Falcomon or Yuki Agumon. Can evolve to Death Meramon or Fantomon.
Digimon Masters
Digimon Story: Lost Evolution
Digimon Story: Super Xros Wars Blue & Red
Digimon Collectors
Digimon World Re:Digitize
Bakemon is an unobtainable enemy Digimon. It is only obtainable as a collectible card.
After you have evicted the Fluorescent Cave mansion's previous resident, Platinum Numemon soon realizes that its new home is haunted at night, and refuses to set foot in the mansion until it's safe. When Taiga then checks the mansion at nighttime, he finds Bakemon, who once again speaks using only his name (eg. Bake bake?). If Taiga answers the questions correctly, Bakemon will join the city, but if answered wrong, Taiga must fight and defeat it before it will join.
Digimon Crusader
Digimon Adventure
Digimon World Re:Digitize Decode
Digimon Fortune
Virtual Pets
Digital Monster Ver. 3
Patamon: 4+ Calls, Train 32+, Overfeed 3+, 0-6 Sleep Disturbances. Kunemon: 4+ Calls, Train 8-15, Overfeed 0-5, 5+ Sleep Disturbances. Can be evolved to Giromon.
Digimon Pendulum Ver 3.0 Nightmare Soldiers
Bakemon evolves from Pico Devimon with 3+ Calls, Training -24 times. Can be evolved to Vamdemon with 1 or less calls, Winning percentage: 40% or higher, Training 40+ times, Battle 30 times. Can be Jogressed with compatible Digimon to obtain Pumpmon or Fantomon.
Digivice Version 1
Bakemon is an enemy Digimon in Area 03 and 04.
Digivice iC 20X
Evolves from Elecmon, Falcomon, Goburimon, Kamemon, or Kudamon with 0 DigiSoul or Reliability 0-10. Can evolve to Blossomon, Megalo Growmon, Shawujinmon, Tyilinmon, or Yatagaramon.
Digimon Xros Loader
|Hyper Colosseum
|Battle Terminal
|Digimon Jintrix
Image Gallery
Video Games
|Digimon World
|Digimon World
|Digital Monster Ver. WonderSwan
|Digital Monster Ver. WonderSwan
|Digimon Adventure 02: D1 Tamers
|Digimon Adventure 02: D1 Tamers
|Digimon World: Digital Card Arena
|Digimon World: Digital Card Arena
(battle portrait, English)
|Digimon World: Digital Card Arena
(small portrait)
|Digimon Story
|Digimon Story
|Digimon Championship
|Digimon Savers: Another Mission
|Digimon Masters
|Digimon Masters
|Digimon Collectors
|Digimon Collectors
(EX Card)
|Digimon Collectors
(EX Card)
|Digimon Collectors
(EX Card)
Virtual Pets
|Digital Monster
|Digivice iC
|Digimon Xros Loader
|Line art of Bakemon for Digimon Adventure
|Line art of Bakemon for Digimon Adventure


text:
Mobile Homes
Database Search
Learn How To Sell YOUR
Mobile Home Online
Other AWSM Sites
Researching the
best way to list your mobile home online?
You may be
asking yourself that nagging question, "How can I sell my mobile home
Your mobile home is
much like a car or boat, it has a title and can be sold just like
you would one of those items.
Suggestion #1 - Set a fair price for your
mobile home, make a list
of what is going to be sold with the home, what is not and what may
be negotiated.
Suggestion #2 - Be sure it is in a presentable condition
(paint, clean in and out, skirting is in good repair, etc.)
Suggestion #3 - GET YOUR MOBILE HOME EXPOSED! Let's
face it, you can generally move your car or boat to a highly
visible area to get exposure in your efforts to sell it. Your
mobile home is a totally different concern. That is why a website
like ours is so important. Many people today begin their major
purchases online researching, categorizing, etc. Find a website
which is found at the top of the major search engines consistently,
this will provide traffic to the site and eventually to your ad. Be
sure the website is easy to navigate, provides detailed listing
information for each ad AND IT MUST BE AFFORDABLE. (Our
website is going to have over
14 million hits this year!! and we are
still growing!! Click here to sell your home)
Suggestion #4 - Be available to show your
mobile home to
prospective buyers. If you are unable to show your home, be
sure to secure a neighbor, friend or someone to show it for you.
Suggestion #5 - Be prepared to close the deal. Have an offer
to purchase contract, a receipt for a deposit or full purchase price
receipt when you receive that offer on your mobile home.
If you haven't
already, take a moment to read our "Seller's
Testimonials". See how we have helped others who have answered
that nagging question of "how to sell a mobile home" by using our
Business Here
Business Above
© Copyright
All rights reserved.
AWSM Project


text:
Today I had the privilege of creating some cupcakes for a sweet big sister!!! Emery turned 4 years old today and wow, she was such a beautiful princess in her big white gown!! Here mama and aunt made a sweet tea party for her to celebrate her special day!! This is one of those parties however that reminded me how blessed I am to be in a season of life with many many good things going on, and how I need to be more thankful for that...because not everyone is walking that simple road right now.
Everyday we embark on a journey without knowing what tomorrow will bring. Sometimes the Lord has for us hard climbs in life to endure...to strengthen us, to give us empathy for others, to show us what is really important in life, to show His strength and love is sufficient for today, and always to draw us closer to Him.
The "M" family has been called to endure a great climb. Emery's little sister is going through chemo for leukemia...and today, because of a fever, her and her daddy were in the hospital missing her big sister's party. Life may not always seem fair...and it's not supposed to be. But what is amazing is how the light of Jesus shines through this family in good times and in bad. The Lord's great love and strength are always enough to carry us through today...and they are a living testimony to that! My hope is when those challenges come (because they will), the Lord will fill me with unspeakable grace and peace...that He will use me, like He is using the "M" family, to shine His goodness and joy...because He is good...no matter what we go through!
The party was simple, but I wanted Emery to have something beautiful to look at and yummy to eat! Her mama wanted lemon cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, black covers on the cupcakes, pink frosting and white flowers on top...how I did that was up to me! :) I love creative freedom! :) hehe!! I made Emery and her little sister their own special flower pot cupcake because it was Emery's day and because I wanted her little sister to feel so important and special too. Her sister will be enjoying her cupcake in the next day or two when she gets home! :)
The party was perfectly sweet! Happy Birthday Emery!


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Stop Software Installation Tool 188.8.131.52b
Children are a leading cause of viruses, spyware, and adware being installed on computers. Children download programs, play games, and tinker with computers. The Stop Software Installation Tool allows you to prevent users of your computer from installing unwanted software with password protection. You can specify rules according files masks to block software installers execution.
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Monday, January 20 – A Day of Service
The MLK Day of Service, will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at various sites in Little Rock. Our targeted areas we will be volunteering are the following locations: United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), Salvation Army, and Our House. Students will have a chance to work on projects for each agency, earn volunteer service hours, and will receive a hoodie after completing their projects. Please sign up in the Office of Campus Life.
Tuesday, January 21
Diversity Scholarship Workshop
Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter A, 11:00 a.m.
This workshop will help underrepresented students apply for scholarships. Please stop by to learn more about receiving free money!
The deadline for most general private scholarships is March 1, 2014. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of Campus Life's Diversity Programs, Non-Traditional Student Programs and UALR Private Scholarships
Wednesday, January 22 & Thursday, January 23
Blue Jean Drive
Donaghey Student Center Solicitation Area
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Donate a pair of jeans and receive a FREE hoodie! Jeans will be donated to Our House Shelter.
For more information on MLK Week call 501.569.3308.


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|Results in parliamentary ridings
|Results in parliamentary ridings
|Results in parliamentary ridings
Malaysian general election, 2008
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|Results in parliamentary ridings
This article is part of the series:Politics and government of
|Other countries · Atlas
Politics portal
Political parties were reported to have begun preparations for the polls as early as January 2008.[2] As in 2004, the incumbent National Front coalition, the ruling political alliance since independence, as well as opposition parties represented primarily by Democratic Action Party (DAP), the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) contested the election.
As with all preceding general elections following independence, the parliamentary election was won by BN, but yielded one of the worst results in the coalition's history. Opposition parties had won 82 seats (out of 222 seats in parliament) or 36.9% of parliamentary seats, while BN only managing to secure the remaining 140 seats or 63.1%. It marked also the first time since the 1969 election that the coalition did not win a two-thirds supermajority in the Malaysian Parliament required to pass amendments to the Malaysian Constitution. In addition, 5 of 13 state legislatures were won by the opposition, compared with only one in the last election.[3]
[edit] Dissolution of the ParliamentThe Malaysian Parliament was dissolved on February 13, 2008 by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi with consent of the Agong,[4] from which a general election will be required to be held within the 60 days,[5] between February 13, 2008 and April 13, 2008. The announcement of the dissolution was done a day after the Prime Minister publicly denied that Parliament would be dissolved on February 13.[6]
[edit] DateSpeculation on the exact polling date was rife, as political analysts expected polling to be held after the Chinese New Year on February 7 and during the week-long school holidays from March 7 to 16,[2] as schools will be available for use as polling stations. Political analysts saw a March election as an attempt by the Prime Minister to garner a fresh mandate before a slowdown in the global and Malaysian economies, and in an effort to bar Anwar Ibrahim from contesting, as he is permitted to re-enter politics on April 14, 2008.[5]
On February 14, the Election Commission announced nominations would be held on February 24, with general election set for March 8.[1] This will allow for 13 days of campaigning to take place.[7] Anwar Ibrahim subsequently criticised the Prime Minister on the choice of date, calling the move a "dirty trick"[7] and a sign of "Prime Minister Abdullah [...] getting personal."[8] There were expectations that a Member of Parliament from Anwar's party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, would resign after that date to pave the way for a by-election which Anwar could contest to attempt a comeback in Parliament. At the time these claims were unsubstantiated, however, the expectations were fulfilled when Anwar's wife vacated her seat.
[edit] Issues and public sentimentsCoalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH), racial equality especially as highlighted by HINDRAF, Internal Security Act detainees, the case surrounding the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video Clip and the eligibility of former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anger among ethnic Indians regarding issues such as restrictions on jobs, education, freedom of religion, right and a widespread feeling of loss of dignity have played a part during the 2008 parliamentary elections in Malaysia.[9] One of the other main issues brought up has been whether the election would be conducted fairly. The opposition has pointed out these issues are gerrymandering of electoral districts, uneven media access, outdated electoral systems, election fraud and vote buying. [10]
Besides, it was also alleged that the anti-Khairy Jamaluddin sentiment became another main factor of the National Front's heavy losses, as stated by Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad. Khairy Jamaluddin is the son-in-law of the current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and was alleged of influencing the Prime Minister when making critical decisions.[11]
[edit] SeatsThe general election involves 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state assembly seats.[6] In the last election, 219 parliamentary seats were up for contest. The three newly created seats — Igan, Sibuti and Limbang — resulted from a border re-demarcation exercise in Sarawak.[12][13] There are in total 576 state seats but Sarawak did not dissolve its state assembly in anticipation of the election. The last state election for Sarawak was held on May 20, 2006.
See also: List of Malaysian electoral districts
[edit] Campaigning and strategies
[edit] GovernmentAbdullah Badawi's ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party and their National Front partners ran a younger crop of candidates with fewer ties to former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the architect of the country's affirmative-action policies in the election. Abdullah said he needed "one or two more terms" to successfully complete various economic projects he has started.[14]
The government wished to retake the mandate of the opposition state of Kelantan from PAS, promising the Kelantanese people major development projects and jobs.[15] Awang Adek Hussin, a deputy minister heading UMNO's campaign in Kelantan said that if voted in they would repair or build 500 mosques, including a Grand Mosque, in order to woo Muslim voters.[16]
In Sabah, chief minister and Sabah BN chairman Musa Aman announced that the same formula used in the 2004 election would be used in this election with regards to the allocation of seats among BN's component parties of Sabah. Sabah BN has used the same allocation formula for both the parliamentary election as well as for the state election. In this election, UMNO will contest in 13 parliamentary seats, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) will contest in four, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) in four, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) in two, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) in one, and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in one.[17]
BN coalition rolled out a major publicity campaign with a slogan promising "security, peace, prosperity" in advertisements that featured prominently in newspapers and on television.[18]
[edit] OppositionThe main Malaysian opposition parties, which comprise of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) planned to deny the ruling coalition a two-thirds majority in Parliament in a bid to loosen the government's five-decade grip on power as reflected by their manifestos. The three parties highlighted Malaysia's rising crime rate, consumer-price inflation and government corruption throughout the election campaign.[8] Civil Society groups unofficially merged five opposition parties under a banner called the Barisan Rakyat (People's Front) in which they agreed on certain policy matters, particularly two civil society documents: The People's Declaration, and The People's Voice; and agreed not to contest against each other in any seats.[19] The five parties include DAP, PKR and PAS, as well as Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and the United Pasok Nunukragang National Organisation (PASOK).
Part of the opposition campaign took place in cyberspace and new media, utilising new technologies such as blogs, SMS and YouTube. Currently, major newspapers and television stations, which are partly owned by parties in the government coalition, only mention the opposition in passing.[20] On March 2, PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang challenged Abdullah Badawi to hold a televised debate similar to those held by U.S. presidential candidates. However, government leaders stated there was no place for such debates in Malaysia, claiming the focus should be on debating with locals concerning local issues affecting them.[21]
The Opposition had also increased focus on Abdullah Badawi's performance in the last few years and being a poor leader who sleeps on the job. They mentioned that as a result of his weak leadership, matters such as crime, corruption and racial and religious tensions have increased.[22] On March 4, campaigning in Malaysia's general election took on a personal tone as rivals slung accusations of nepotism, hypocrisy, boorish language and sexist tactics. It was also suggested Abdullah is grooming his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, as Malaysia's future leader.[21]
In terms of raising funds, the Opposition appealed to the public through websites and blogs for supporters to contribute funds through credit cards and bank transfers to help them print campaign posters and hold public forums. The Opposition had repeatedly pointed out that they are unable to match the ruling coalition's massive spending power.[21]
[edit] Allegations of fraudPrevious elections in the country had fueled complaints that an allegedly subservient Election Commission, gerrymandering, vote fraud, compliant media, misuse of government resources and massive vote buying gave the National Front or Barisan Nasional an unfair advantage.[23] It had been highlighted to the Election Commission of Malaysia that its electoral roll has been suspect, because of the discovery that it contains nearly 9,000 people aged more than 100. This raised suspicions that the books are contaminated with dead voters which leaves the election vulnerable to fraud.[24]
Further discoveries of people who have been born in the same year possessing different identity cards (IC) and living in many different localities, were uncovered by Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel). These people are registered to vote in various places throughout the country. These issues led to questions regarding the fairness of the elections.[25]
It was also highlighted by the Opposition that certain postal voters were issued with two ballot sheets. This was discovered during checks with the Election Commission when they were preparing postal voting kits. Activists from BERSIH say each ballot was also attached to a letter identifying the voter along with the voting slip serial number, so it would be easy to trace who voted for the opposition. Electoral reform activists said that a number of seats that the opposition could win could be decided by postal votes and that those casting postal votes do not have the freedom to choose the candidate they want.[25]
Human Rights Watch, which had been monitoring the election process, stated that government restraints on expression, assembly and access to state media would deny Malaysians a fair vote.[26][27] Calling the electoral process "grossly unfair", Human Rights Watch called on the government to address concerns with fraud in the electoral rolls, and to provide opposition parties access to state media. De facto Law Minister Nazri Aziz accused Human Rights Watch of bias, saying they were attempting to discredit the electoral process because "they know the National Front will win".[28]
On March 17, a week after the release of election results and one-third win by opposition parties, BERSIH claimed the Opposition would have obtained a parliamentary majority if not for fraud. Sivarasa Rasiah, BERSIH spokesperson and newly-elected PKR MP for Subang, stated:
|[The opposition] would have had an outright win if this were a free and fair election...To win another 30 seats (to form a majority in parliament) all [they] needed was just another 56,000 votes...Just because the opposition won big does not mean the election was free and fair. [They] are calling for a royal commission to investigate the electoral process.[29]
[edit] Use of indelible ink for votersOn June 2, 2007, the Election Commission made public the proposed use of indelible ink to mark participating voters at polling stations,[30] and its use officially confirmed by the Commission's chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman on August 13, 2007.[31] Its introduction was a measure precluding electoral fraud by preventing duplicate votes, and would mark the first time indelible ink was to be used in a Malaysian general election.
Early reaction to the proposal was mixed. Both DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang welcomed the move, with Abdul Hadi's party voicing interest in the type of ink used. PKR vice-president Tian Chua initially remained skeptical unless the EC "implemented the system". Members of BN were more critical, with UMNO secretary-general Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, MCA secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan and Gerakan vice-president Teng Hock Nan proposing the use of other systems, such as a fingerprint-based biometrics system, as alternatives.[32] An additional comment by BN against the use of the indelible ink was the lack of assurance the ink used will contain safe or halal ingredients, taking into account Muslim voters.[32] On August 9, the National Fatwa Council declared the ink safe for use, after receiving a lab report from the Chemistry Department of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.[31]
On March 4, 2008, four days before polling, the Commission announced it was canceling the plan, citing concerns about the constitutionality of the measure — without a constitutional amendment permitting the practice, it could be illegal for a polling clerk to stop a voter from voting even if his or her finger was already marked with indelible ink. The Commission chair also claimed intelligence concerning possible conspiracies to undermine the electoral process by applying ink to the fingers of those who had not yet voted, and said it would be best to refrain from adopting the measure for the sake of public order and security.[33] According to the Election Commission, the decision to cancel the use of indelible ink was based on reports that certain parties tried to "sabotage" the election process in Kedah, Kelantan and Perlis. The police has arrested several persons that tried to smuggle the ink through neighboring Thailand.[34]
Opposition parties widely condemned the move. PKR Deputy President Syed Husin Ali alleged that the Commission was "colluding with BN to allow cheating in the coming general elections," and claimed that this was proof the government felt the Opposition would perform well on polling day. Dzulkifli Ahmad, a PAS and BERSIH leader, said that both organisations opposed the move, and that "We want to make it clear that we are entering this election under protest". Dzulkifli added that BERSIH would file a complaint after polling day. Lim Guan Eng declared that the decision would only benefit the ruling coalition, and demanded an explanation for the claim of adverse effects on public security: "It is ridiculous that the use of indelible ink can put the whole country into chaos and ruination." Lim condemned the waste incurred over RM2 million having been spent purchasing 47,000 bottles of indelible ink from India, as of February 23,[35] and said that the DAP would be investigating legal avenues to reverse the decision.[36][37]
Response from the ruling coalition was mixed. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, an UMNO leader, found the reversal "appropriate", citing concerns that people would be misled into applying similar-looking ink to their fingers, denying them the right to vote.[38] In a statement, MCA described the measure as "disappointing", saying the late announcement meant opposition parties would unnecessarily politicise the situation.[39]
In response, several leaders of the Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel), including Mafrel chair Abdul Malek Hussin and deputy chair Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, have refused to accept EC accrediting as official observers, saying they refused to legitimise the decision. Officially, they said, any EC-accredited Mafrel member could observe the polling process, and they would themselves carry out all other duties as observers, except those requiring EC accreditation such as observing the polling process from within polling stations. Abdul Malek added that Mafrel strongly protested the decision as contrary to its own recommendations, and compared the measure to withdrawing all currency from circulation because of the presence of counterfeit notes. He further questioned the legal reasoning behind the decision, arguing that as Parliament had speedily passed a constitutional amendment to extend the tenure of the EC chairperson, any necessary constitutional amendments could have been introduced and passed well in advance.[40]
After the election, Anwar Ibrahim claimed that the failure to use indelible ink had cost the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition 15 seats in Parliament, adding that "It is not unrealistic to imagine that we could actually have won a majority right then."[41] Two weeks after the polls, several NGOs including the Malaysian Voters Union asked the Attorney-General to officially charge four men who they alleged had been arrested for involvement in the supposed conspiracy. As of March 24, 2008, the men had not been remanded by a court, nor charged with a crime; their arrest was not publicised.[42]
In May, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar told Parliament in his written response to a question from Fong Po Kuan that "there was no evidence at all to show the ink was smuggled in from Thailand... From the witness statements, no individual, syndicate or any particular party was identified to be involved in this (ink smuggling). The complainant and witness' statement were based on hearsay and no individual was identified positively."[43]
Unused, the ink remained in storage until November 25, 2009, when it was burnt in accordance to government procedures. Prior to disposal, the ink was to be sold, but had passed its expiry date.[44][45]
[edit] Resultsvoter turnout among Malaysia's 10.9 million eligible voters estimated to be 70 percent.[46] Barisan Nasional won 91 percent of parliamentary seats in 2004 election, but its majority is expected to be clipped this time as it suffers a backlash from ethnic Chinese and Indians.[47] Early vote counting showed the Barisan Nasional was already faring badly in early tallies across the country with the exception of Sabah, Sarawak and Johor, as claimed by Kelantan United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) state chief Annuar Musa.[48] The opposition began claiming using their own estimates that they have denied the government its two-thirds majority in parliament.[49]
Barisan Nasional was able to return to power and form the next government, with a simple majority but without the crucial two-thirds majority in parliament. It is BN's worst performance in Malaysia's general election since independence in 1957, winning only 63.5% (140 out of 222) of parliamentary seats that were contested; the only other time the 14-party coalition failed to win a two-thirds majority was in 1969 when it secured 66% of the seats. Component parties in BN, including the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), and Gerakan, saw its number of state and federal seats severely reduced by half or more. UMNO also saw its number reduce significantly but not by as much as half. Also noted were MIC president S. Samy Vellu, Gerakan acting president Koh Tsu Koon and PPP president M. Kayveas, who were trounced in their respective election contests.[50][51]
The results of several states have been rather surprising to everybody involved. Many of the states BN have lost are those on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia where it has traditionally focused most of its attention to. These states experienced more development and investment than other states, and account for much of the country's population. The remaining states that have given BN its simple majority are states that are economically weaker than what the opposition have gained.
[edit] Uncontested winsOn the nomination day, February 24, 2008, BN secured seven parliamentary seats and two state assembly seats uncontested. PAS also won a state seat after the BN nominee was found to have been declared bankrupt, although this was later disproved.
On February 26, 2008, independent contender Junak Jawek dropped out of the polls for the new Parliamentary seat of Igan. Wahab Dolah of BN was declared the winner. This brings the total number of uncontested wins by National Front to ten seats as of February 27, 2008: eight parliamentary and two state seats.[52]
Some PKR candidates have alleged fraud, claiming they received offers from BN not to contest. Rahamat Idil Latip, the PKR candidate for the Parliamentary seat of Santubong, claimed he was told he would receive RM300,000 if he withdrew his nomination. After jokingly asking for RM3 million, he was told that it would be considered.[53]
[edit] PensianganOne of the parliamentary seats won unopposed by BN was in P.182 Pensiangan (Sabah), which was won by Joseph Kurup of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS). The two candidates who were supposed to contest in this seat were Danny Anthony Andipai (PKR) and Saineh Usau (independent). Both were disqualified after submitting their nomination forms after 10:00 am.
It was alleged by both rejected candidates that they were blocked from going to the nomination centre,[54] resulting in both candidates submitting their candidacies late, at 10:25 am and 10:30 am, respectively.[55][56] During the one-hour objection period from 11:00 am, Kurup raised objections to the late submissions and they were accepted by the returning officer; he then disqualified the two candidates from contesting.[56] Police reports were later lodged on the matter in Keningau. Joseph Kurup, on the other hand, claimed he was punched after being declared winner of the seat; he also lodged a police report on this matter.[57]
On September 8, 2008, Kota Kinabalu High Court judge Justice David Wong Dak Wah declared that the Pensiangan parliamentary seat which was won uncontested by Kurup invalid and Kurup's seat be left vacant,[55][56] paving the way for a possible by-election for this constituency. Recent amendments to the election laws, however, allow Kurup to appeal the decision at the Federal Court. The petition was filed by Andipai, and had named Kurup, returning officer Bubudan OT Majalu, and the Election Commission as respondents.[56]
On March 13, 2009, The Federal Court in Kota Kinabalu overturned an Election Court decision on Sept 8 to strip Pensiangan MP Joseph Kurup of the seat and declare it vacant.Federal Court Judge Nik Hashim Nik Abdul Rahman who delivered the verdict held that Kurup was duly elected to the parliamentary constituency of P182 Pensiangan.
Nik Hashim held that there had not been any failure on the part of the Returning Officer (RO) to comply with the election laws.
[edit] State-by-state development
[edit] PenangPenang. Although Penang was regarded as a hotly contested state, the outcome unexpectedly turned out to be a landslide win with the opposition, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) gaining the majority of the state seats. Many seats saw the opposition winning over two-thirds of the votes, rather than the usual 50-50 distribution. BN only won 2 of the 13 parliamentary seats and 11 of the 40 state seats, its worst performance in Malaysian history.
In terms of party landscape, Gerakan, which has led the state since 1969 was defeated, and essentially wiped out of the political landscape, winning only 3 state seats and 2 parliamentary seats (none of which were in this state), not being able to hold on to a single seat in state or federal level—over 30 years of rule gone in one night. Some interesting individual constituencies include Jeff Ooi, who rose to fame with his blog that was constantly critical of the ruling government and made his first foray into politics this election under the DAP, winning the Jelutong parliamentary seat.
Another significant blow was the defeat of Gerakan Acting President, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, who was looking to move up from state politics, decided not to run for his state seat and subsequently gave up his Chief Minister post of 18 years, to challenge the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat. Some speculated this was part of a larger ambition to be a cabinet member, only to lose to newcomer P. Ramasamy of the DAP by a large margin of 9,485 votes.
[edit] KedahThe state of Kedah, which along with Penang, has traditionally produced a substantial bulk of past and present BN leaders (including Tunku Abdul Rahman, and Mahathir Mohamad), also overwhelmingly rose to the call of the opposition. BN only won 4 of the 15 parliamentary seats but did better by winning 14 out of 36 state seats, while the Opposition took the remaining 22 of the 36 state seats, with the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) winning 16, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) four and the DAP and an independent, one each.[58]
[edit] KelantanPAS retained control of the state of Kelantan, despite a vigorous campaign by the ruling Barisan Nasional, winning 38 of the 45 state assembly seats along with PKR (which has won one seat).[59] It was a personal setback for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who had promised millions of dollars in development aid, intending to boost the chances of the Barisan Nasional coalition.[60] The win marks the fifth consecutive time PAS retains power in Kelantan since 1990 and surpasses PAS' previous record of continuous electoral wins in Kelantan—four between 1959 to 1978.
[edit] SelangorBeing the most developed state of the country and receiving the most absolute benefits due to spillover effects from developing the capital, Kuala Lumpur, Barisan Nasional party leaders were blindsided when Selangor rose to the call of the opposition. Many thought it was a safe stronghold of BN loyalists as it has been all along a centralist state leaning towards BN. According to The Star's summary of the state: "Barisan will undoubtedly retain the state but look out for some interesting, even tough, fights in certain parliamentary and state seats where the Opposition is fielding some strong candidates". Far from being the truth, BN ended up with only 5 of the 22 parliamentary seats and 20 of the 56 state seats, leaving the state government in opposition hands. The state Bernama news agency said that opposition parties had claimed 35 of the 56 seats in the Selangor state legislature but did not give a breakdown between PAS and the other parties.[61]
[edit] PerakIn Perak, the Barisan Nasional suffered shock losses, including MIC president S. Samy Vellu's Sungai Siput seat and PPP president M. Kayveas's Taiping seat. UMNO suffered several major setbacks in the party's traditional strongholds, while most MCA, MIC, PPP and Gerakan candidates were defeated by DAP candidates.[62]
Perak was nonetheless one of the most tightly contested state of the nation with BN-Opposition parliamentary seats split into 13-11 and state seats into 28-31, still giving the opposition the chance to decide the state's government.
[edit] Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is a federal territory divided into 11 parliamentary constituencies. In this election, the opposition won ten seats (five are held by DAP, four by PKR, and one by PAS), while Barisan Nasional won only one. In the previous election, BN held 7 seats while DAP held 4 seats.
[edit] Parliamentary results
|% of vote
|% of seats
|National Front (Barisan Nasional):
|United Malays National Organization (Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu, UMNO)
|Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan Cina Malaysia, MCA)
|Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Se-Malaysia, MIC)
|Malaysian People's Movement Party (Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Gerakan)
|United Traditional Bumiputera Party (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, PBB)
|Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak, SUPP)
|Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (Parti Demokratik Progresif Sarawak, SPDP)
|Sarawak People's Party (Parti Rakyat Sarawak, PRS)
|United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation
(Pertubuhan Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Bersatu, UPKO)
|United Sabah Party (Parti Bersatu Sabah, PBS)
|Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Maju Sabah, SAPP)
|United Sabah People's Party* (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, PBRS)
|Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik, LDP)
|People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia, PPP)
|People's Front (Now known as Pakatan Rakyat (or People's Pact)):
|People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PKR)
|Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Parti Islam SeMalaysia, PAS)
|Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik, DAP)
|Non-partisans (and others)
|Overall total
|*PBRS won its only seat uncontested on nomination day Source: Sin Chew Jit Poh[63], Malaysia