Mahathir's great leisure-time activity is carpentry -- another pointer to his loner status -- and he is known to have constructed at least one serviceable boat as well as a functioning steam train.

CNN: Mahathir Mohamad

Local and national newspapers in every country, including the United States where I worked as a journalist for more than 20 years, face the same alarming prospect - readers being slowly drained off by competing leisure activities, including television, our favourite activity that consumes more of our time than any thing else except sleeping.

BBC: "I think it's great, and it leaves more room on the counter."