got this TOP TEN list from here. pretty interesting stuff.
I was going over them, wondering whether it was applicable to me and wifey.
We need to talk No so much of a dangerous phrase to me. I got that a lot, usually when she's bored and I am too busy doing some nonsensical stuff, like writing this piece of blog entry =)
Whatever Usually, this is my phrase. At times, pissed her off in a certain way. She demands clear answers, probably confirmation of me paying attention to her (which I do) but not particularly being particular bout all the options.
Is there anything new you want to try in bed tonight? Private & Confidential...
Nothing This was used very very frequently. Extremely dangerous. Practically a bullet-stopping phrase. But I am well-accustomed to this, so 'Nothing' always means everything to me.
The decision is yours This is a killer phrase. And I always keep my finger crossed if I decided to stay with my decision. If I am right, no prize for guessing it right. If it's the other way, I'll probably be verbally blown up into pieces.
You're right I should do that .. Never been used before.
Do you know what day is it today? Usually I do know. I religiously keep an annual alarm for important dates.
Listen to me. Are you listening Comes fast and furious. No serious repercussions ensue usually as once I pay attention, my reply will get her full appreciation. I will make sure it does.
What are you doing? Do you have to do this now? Now, this happen regularly, but I fully appreciate this phrase. At least I know our meteors are now in the path to collision. Definitely super safer than 'Nothing'
You're not wearing THAT, are you? I never get that from her. Hideous attire never do and never will make it into my closet.
I am a heavily-opinionated fella. Heavily-opinionated is a good adjective. It is the other word for stubborn and busybody. Though, not all my opinions ever see the light, because from my experience, not all opinions are welcomed no matter how helpful they might be, because most of the opinions in life are good antithesis to the current climate of things. That’s why they coined the word ‘inertia’ for the incapability or difficulty or discomfort to accept changes or antithesis in life.
Here’s a good poem by my good ‘old friend’, teacher Quah.
“Stop it! You naughty boy!”, you said
Am I wrong to experiment?
I just want to hear…
Different sounds combs and brushes make
When I throw them out of the window
“Stop it! You naughty boy!”, you said
Am I wrong to construct?
I just want to see…
What kind of tower I can construct from pots and pans
“Stop it! You naughty boy!” you said
Am I wrong to explore?
I just want to know…
What it tastes like
When I mix chocolate powder with apple juice
When you twisted my ear so hard… I stopped!
Don’t blame me…
When our country is short of scientists…
When our country is short of engineers…
When our country is short of inventors…
All I did was to listen!
Be a follower!
And a good boy!!
That is what you want, right?
This poem was a standpoint of how we shouldn’t bar the creativity flow of an explorative child.
I was exposed to similar idea when I attended a talk at the Sin Chew Headquarters when I was in 2nd year of medical school. The speaker was a director and producer from Hong Kong spoken about how the general public is the barrier to the births of many good directors or producers simply because since young, we have been discouraging creativity. He quoted an experience when he encountered a child stringing in multiple ice rings (ice cubes with a hole in middle) to form a ‘necklace’. As the child presented it to the mother, the mother did not even praise the child for such creativity, but instead gave that unfortunate child a round of scolding. The child went into a submissive stance.
Therefore, the big question is “WHY ARE WE PUSHING AWAY CREATIVITY?”
Here’s another angle to view our natural response to ‘naughtiness’ of our children.
Before I go on and dissect my good friend’s poem, I just like to apologize to her beforehand, just in case any words of mine might hurt her or probably drive her to end our friendship.
“Stop it! You naughty boy!”, you said
Am I wrong to experiment?
I just want to hear…
Different sounds combs and brushes make
When I throw them out of the window
This first passage attempts to justify that experimentation as a work of the intelligence, not of the devil. But, by throwing combs and brushes out of the window may cause serious repercussions. If there were people or pets outside, they may be injured by those combs and brushes. Even if they aren’t injured, all the mess may cause harm later if slipped or stepped on it accidentally. If it was beyond the house compound, the parents may have to suffer some amount of fine by City Council for loitering. If those combs and brushes were from poorer quality, they may be disfigured in some way or another.
“Stop it! You naughty boy!”, you said
Am I wrong to construct?
I just want to see…
What kind of tower I can construct from pots and pans
I must admit this is another good effort to discredit naughtiness by passing it as an early construction capability. Nevertheless, the towering kitchen utensils may seems to be the most dangerous construction if they crumbled down. Plus I couldn’t imagine the enormous quantity of noise pollution and tools disfigurement that will tag along with it.
“Stop it! You naughty boy!” you said
Am I wrong to explore?
I just want to know…
What it tastes like
When I mix chocolate powder with apple juice
Now, this is something with minimum damage, except for little culinary intrusion, and not much of damage to the health, unless the taste buds couldn’t take it and vomiting reflex kicks in.
When you twisted my ear so hard… I stopped!
Don’t blame me…
When our country is short of scientists…
When our country is short of engineers…
When our country is short of inventors…
Now, this paragraph simply puts the complete blame towards parental nasty approach in suppressing the creativity development of the young, denying the nation from scientists, engineers and inventors.
The thing is by ‘our country’, I am guessing it was indicating our Bolehland. Well, our country never short of scientists, engineers or inventors, just that most of them grow and spread their wings globally in other countries, because our country ain’t fertile enough, even after more than half a decade of independence.
All I did was to listen!
Be a follower!
And a good boy!!
That is what you want, right?
I guess this last paragraph was meant to be an antithesis.
But I couldn’t have agreed more with every line, and I would have answered at the end.
‘Yes, that is what I want!’
Now the dissecting works go bit deeper.
All I did was to listen.
Listening is definitely a skill worth learning, starting as young as possible. Miscommunication in the world happens over and over again, when people failed to listen. They hear, but never listen.
Be a follower.
Being a follower is the first step to being a great leader. To be able to command a grand fleet of army, one must first be able follow command.
And a good boy.
Yes, otherwise to be a bad boy, would be a disastrous outcome.
That is what you want, right?
Well, definitely.
Intelligence and creativity are borderless competencies.
That’s why they coined the catchphrase ‘think out of the box’.
However, it is a double-ended blade that as much good it’ll do, it can also bring harm.
P.S. Our country is NEVER short of scientists, engineers, inventors or brilliants, they are just found globally elsewhere except back at home.
P.S.S. No, creativity doesn't include speaking Hokkien in a freaking way.
31 Ogos datang lagi! Masa aku buat research untuk filem ’10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka’ & ‘Revolusi ‘48’ aku jumpa banyak fakta menarik pasal sejarah perjuangan kemerdekaan negara kita. Jadi today sempena hari merdeka, aku nak kongsi my top ten favourite myths pasal kemerdekaan 31 Ogos 1957 yang masih banyak bikin kita confuse.
#10. Lagu “Tanggal 31” dicipta oleh Sudirman Sudirman only covered lagu Ahmad C.B. from the 60’s & changed one line from the lyrics. Kalau tak percaya, listen to this!
Tanggal 31 Original version oleh Ahmad CB .
Tanggal 31 Cover version oleh Sudirman .
#9. Kita ada “Social Contract” masa merdeka Where got? Idea kontrak ‘bukan-Melayu dapat citizenship in exchange for hak istimewa orang Melayu’ mula surface in the 80’s. “Ketuanan Melayu” also the same. .
#8. Malaysia sebuah “negara Islam” sejak merdeka Sebenarnya Malaysia negara sekular dengan Islam sebagai official religion, bukan Islamic-state! .
#7. Malaysia bebas 100% dari penjajahan British masa merdeka Until 1970’s British controlled over 60% kekayaan ekonomi negara dan British military terus stay kat Malaysia sampai 1971! .
#6. UMNO-MCA-MIC mulakan kerjasama politik antara kaum untuk merdeka Putera-AMCJA dah start much earlier in 1946. Tengok filem ‘10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka’ kalau tak percaya. .
#5. Mamat yang design bendera Malaysia tak ciplak bendera US Sure or not? :) .
#4. Perjuangan gerila komunis masa darurat bukan untuk kemerdekaan In 1948, gerila komunis & non-communists lancar revolusi angkat senjata untuk halau penjajah British dari Malaya. Tengok filem ‘Revolusi ‘48’ kalau tak percaya. .
#3. Tugu Negara simbol perjuangan kemerdekaan Malaysia Kita berjuang untuk kemerdekaan dari komunis atau dari British? Masa kecik, tugu ni buat aku confuse. .
#2. UMNO pengasas perjuangan kemerdekaan Before UMNO (est. 1946), Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (est. 1945) fought for merdeka oredi. Before PKMM, Kesatuan Malaya Merdeka (est. 1938) fought for merdeka oredi. Before KMM, Communist Party of Malaya (est. 1930) fought for merdeka oredi. .
#1. Malaysia mencapai kemerdekaan tanpa pertumpahan darah Inilah bapak segala merdeka myths, ditulis dalam semua buku teks, reinforced setiap tahun sejak merdeka. Realitinya, ribuan gerila anti-British terkorban dalam anti-colonial war of independence melawan British. Ribuan askar Melayu terkorban dalam perang penjajah melawan komunis. Ribuan rakyat juga terkorban kat tengah-tengah… .
Dedicated to the heroic fighters in the cause of liberty, justice and equality. Selamat Hari Merdeka.
When the cigarette's price went up, many people cheered. Some shook their heads, laughing at another futile effort to battle the 'sin' of puffing, simply because cheap, smuggled cigarettes are available nationwide. Correction: easily available.
Yet, as an ardent anti-nicotinics, I must really give thumbs up for hyped-up effort in comparison to the 'Tak Nak' campaign under Tun Lah which drained out some part of public fund with only small ripples.
As a matter of trend, I guessed the biggest task at hand is to stop the marching rise of 2 particular class of smokers. The females and the youngster, which will take up more than simple message of disease prevention.
2 main things drive a woman to smoke: to keep fit (by reducing appetite) and to keep up with the trend. More women are open to smoking these days after dropping the yesteryear's notion of smoking is reserved for the bad, wild, rugged people. One thing to really cook up their distance from smoke will be how smoking would age them faster.
As for the youngsters, puffing symbolizes gaya, mutu and keunggulan, without realizing they are picking up a habit that will break the hearts of their family members, as vividly portrayed in the TV advertisement lately.
See below.
Though a good TV advertisement, the chances of seeing it on air is just appalling thin.
It is a good move to educate the people that the nicotine from the smoke not just go into the lungs, but it travels all over the body.
You just don't die after the short moment of shortness of breath from lung cancer, you have to live after your ischaemic leg got chopped off or you have to sport the hideous face after cancer eaten off some parts haphazardly.
In UK or US (if not mistaken), their campaign drummed up success against teenage smoking after picking on the nicotinic poisoning of manhood. The advertisement simply shows female teenagers laughing away at the smoking teenage boy and making hand signs acknowledging the boy's package going south, sooner or later.
Without a doubt, that kind of campaign would not have seen the light in our country due to our religious-inclination of certain quarters.
Nevertheless, religion manages to join this battle as well.
For example, how smokers were being described as lesser than a cow.
See below.
Even, the Health Department of Kedah decided to drop smokers from any award, citing medical personnel that smokes are bad example for the public.
It took them after so many years just to realize this fact.
No wonder Najip decides to drop the 'bonus for civil servant' despite cute peckings by Cuepacs.
If you wonder if I hate smokers, well, I don't.
I just prematurely sympathesize your current bad breath and teeth, current or near future sexual deprivation due to ED (and frustration that goes with it) and the future agonizing heart attacks.
For other things, I still love them for their other charismatic sides. My most enjoyable lecturer of basic sciences in my undergraduate years was a smoker. Though, I don't enjoy sitting in first few rows.
but reverse it's something else. Kind of amusing seeing so many of my friends sporting them at graduation, casual lunch or even in wedding photo.
Probably ignorance is bliss.
Here's what Oscar Wilde said about it: "I'm not sure how it's different from the forwards version, but it still gives me an erection"
While an artist painted it:
Historian believes:
This sign is from the time when English bowmen were feared all over Europe for their firepower and accuracy. It was a defiant gesture to the enemy who would cut off the first two fingers of the bowman’s right hand if they were captured. Loosely translated it means "come and get me" or "up yours".
Many weeks ago, a major storm of uncertainty was brewing wildly within the department over the mode of delivery for an unfortunate baby with gastroschisis at gestation 36weeks, borderline prematurity.
Decision was made after discussion between the head of department with the paediatric surgeon. Much anxiety came from the referral center which failed to read the vital line in the nicely paragraphed conclusion after the detail scan which clearly stated ‘no contraindication for vaginal delivery’, and misinformed about the prior knowledge by the paediatric surgical team. In summary, it was a breakdown of communication due to misinformation.
With the termination of the pregnancy by which I meant delivery, much anxiety was terminated as well.
It struck me as a trainee how little I knew about fetal gastroschisis. Therefore, I looked it up.
What is gastroschisis? - Inherited congenital abdominal wall defect - Intestines and sometimes other organs develop outside fetal abdomen through opening in abdominal wall
Gastroschisis also known as? - Paraomphalocele, Laparoschisis, Abdominoschisis
How to differentiate gastroschisis from omphalocele? - Omphalocele involved the cords, and organs enveloped by visceral peritoneum
Embryological maldevelopment of gastroschisis? - Failure of fusion of lateral body folds from ventral to midline - At fourth week of development - Bowel herniates through rectus muscle, lying in the right of umbilicus
What is the prevalence of gastroschisis? - 1 in 10,000 - Male more than female
What is the sonographic features of gastroschisis? - bowel outside of abdomen
What is the risk factors of gastroschisis? - young maternal age - low parity - maternal smoking, drug abuse - maternal urinary tract infection, sexually transmitted disease
What is the genetic inheritance of gastroschisis? - usually autosomal recessive - can be also sporadic mutation and autosomal dominant
What is the ideal mode of delivery for fetal gastroschisis? - no difference in neonatal outcome between vaginal and abdominal delivery - abdominal delivery only by obstetric indication - may opt for abdominal delivery in the event of lack of resources
What is the ideal timing of delivery? - no consensus, but ideally at term or with evidence of lung maturity through amniotic sampling
What is the prognosis of gastroschisis? - 90% survival
What factors badly affect the prognosis of gastroschisis? - prematurity - presence of other congenital anomaly - in utero infection
What is the most common accompanying congenital anomaly? - atresia of intestine with obstruction - other malformations are rare
What is the expected neonatal management for baby postdelivery?
At birth, the exposed intestines will be carefully wrapped to prevent heat loss and dehydration and the newborn baby will be transferred immediately to the Children’s Hospital. One option is to bring the baby to the operating room soon after birth and attempt to return all the intestines inside the abdomen. This is called a one-stage or primary repair. In some cases, this is not possible since the abdominal cavity is “too small” relative to the amount of intestines that need to be placed inside. In these cases, we construct a “silo” that we sew to the abdominal wall. The excess bowel is left in the silo and each day a little bit is pushed inside until the silo can be removed. This is called a staged repair. More recently, another option is the placement of a “spring-loaded silo” that can be placed at the bedside without general anesthesia. The definitive closure in the operating room takes place a few days later.
"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle." — Thich Nhat Hanh
For a slight moment, anger and frustration came to me like a spark in the spark plug when the key went the right way. The engine did not get started or heated up, but still it's among the possibilities, closer to probable than possible.
I could not really comprehend the religiously-strayed people (if I can still regards them as human) of the world going into violence and coercion and called it a religious struggle. The only struggle that they are actually doing is struggling in comprehending their own religion.
Gautama Buddha once had a short discourse on the superpowers (No, He is not talking about neither US nor China).
He reached the riverbank. Someone shouted at him - not in a rude way. "Hey, Lord Buddha, people hah say you so powerful, I also powerful, you want to see what I can do" (contemporarized, translated) "Well, what can you do?" "I can cross the river without getting wet." "Seriously?!"
And without further explaination, the man flew off the ground and stepped on the water. He did not sank, but continue to stride above the water till the other side.
And he came back to Buddha the same awesome kungfu way, that some of you might have watch those move in most Hong Kong movies.
"Buddha, you see that?" "Yes, how many years you've trained?" "20years." "Let me show you how can I cross the river without getting wet" "Awesome. This I must see."
Pheeewwwittt.. Lord Buddha stepped into a boat. "Hi, boatman, how much to take me across the river?" "Oh, usually I charge few pennies, but for Lord Buddha, it's my pleasure"
Lord Buddha turned back to the Kungfu Guy. "As you can see, you had wasted 20years to attain what can be done with few pennies."
Now, the final word about superpowers and miracle is actually to disassociate with them, but instead seek practicality in life.
Asking God/Higher beings/Devas for a lottery strike or wrong bank transaction which ended with few billions surplus in your account is what I called as association with miracle.
Throwing your money for kid's education or food into donation to temple and donation to lottery and hoping for a miracle is not practical.
When your house is on fire, you should go and get a bucket of water to put off the flame,
And not rush to a temple to pray that the fire will cease by itself.
If you do, there can only be one sole outcome -
you'll lose your house (never play with fire)
have to stay in the temple (which is not a bad thing considering one has much to learn about practicality in Buddhism)
Nuff said.
P.S. My effort in explaining is as futile as trying to explain 'Barr Chin' to my fellow Malaysians, because they are off the older generation or in one word - elders.
Basically (don't you just hate people who start a sentence with this word) when I welcomed my daughter into this home, it was a much relief for my wife.
Simply because my daughter, Genevieve does not create a feeding nightmare like my elder son do. Trust me when I say nightmare, it is not just your run-off-the-mill normal kid's fussy-eating nightmare. My son can go without a feed even at the tender age of 2-3months. He didn't cry for food for 5hours plus. He pushed the away anything in the mouth with his tongue. We had to forcefeed him when he had his regular meetings with the Sandman.
If it was a repeat episode with my daughter, my wife would have shorten our future fertility plan. Luckily, it wasn't.
But now, my dearest (yes, i preferred to acknowledge my wife this-a-way) bugged me for another reason to be worry of. Yep, there's so much things to worry about. Perhaps one never ever will know that until one had a successful conception and delivery. And no, this is no bragging at all. Trust me.
Dearest: how ar?
Me: How what? (in a nice way)
D: how to answer when nurse in clinic ask whether she can 'balas senyuman' (smile responsively)?
M: If she can't, say she can't lor. (And that's the Penang's 'lor'. Soft and sweet 'lor')
D: Already near 2months, still not smile, she OK or not?
M: Still bit early lor. (Yep, the same kind of 'lor')
D: Don't want to see a doctor?
M: And you know what the doctor will tell you?
D: What?
M: Your daughter lack sense of humor.
D: (smile) haha..
M: Or if the doctor can do bit suturing, probably stitch up the angle of mouth.
D: Aiyaaa... (Yes, the Penang 'Aiya', worry with minute amount of panic)
M: Don't worry, dear. Maybe we can show her more comedy show.
D: (smile)
Basically (again), my daughter can grimace very well, response to sound and follow objects with eyes.
For a girl, I don't think attaining smiling responsivelyis that important.
More important for her to learn how to smile responsibly.
The proposed Islamic centre, two blocks from the site of the World Trade Centre attacks, has created widespread controversy in the United States.
The designs suggest it will have four floors taken up by a sports, fitness and swimming centre.
There will also be a child care centre, a restaurant, culinary school, art studios, exhibition space and auditorium.
The prayer space for Muslims will be on two levels in the basement, and the 12th floor will have a 9/11 memorial and sanctuary open to people of all faiths.
However, some inventions shouldn't be taken into consideration at face value. Everything comes with a certain value of false positive and false negative. I wonder what are the values for those 'falses'.
Secondly, I'm no scientist but DNA are just fragments of deoxyribonucleic acids and in some sequences, it will make a pig, in another sequence it will procreate human. But they at times will go into fragments in midst of procreating. And those fragments will have great similarities across few species.
And some DNA can even go into combination. For instance, from H1N1, certain parts pig DNA, certain parts avian DNA and some parts human DNA.
Thirdly, the worries about Muslims rejecting certain drugs or blood transfusions for life-saving procedures should really be thrown out of the window.
Islam in its own uniqueness, do not lead Muslims to doom.
Firman Allah Taala bermaksud:
Dan Dia tidak menjadikan kamu menanggung sesuatu keberatan dan susah payah di dalam perkara agama.
(Surah al-Hajj: Ayat 78).
Firman Allah Taala bermaksud:
Allah tidak memberatkan seserang melainkan apa yang terdaya olehnya.
(Surah al-Baqarah: Ayat 286).
Firman Allah Taala bermaksud:
Tetapi barangsiapa yang dalam keadaan terpaksa (memakannya) sedang ia tidak menginginkannya dan tidak (pula) melampaui batas, maka tidak ada dosa baginya. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Pengampun lagi Maha Penyayang.
For a treatment to be of 'darurat', 3 criteria must be fulfilled:
There's a danger without this treatment
There are no halal substitutes for it.
Confirmation from a Muslim doctor with good i’tikad (trusted in practice and spiritually)
I used to give advise to patients requiring porcine-based medication for their heart disease without fulfillment of the 3rd criteria. No wonder, my advice, no matter how lengthy and easy to understand, was rejected always, until a fellow Muslim colleague came along and further convinced the patients.
Similarly, in Buddhism, there are precepts and the 5th precepts stated in the simplest way as 'Do not take intoxicants' or
But are medications classified as intoxicants?
By strict translation, the Fifth Precept of Buddhism, translated from the Pali Canon, is "I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented and distilled intoxicants which are the basis for heedlessness."
Violating the precept requires an intoxicant, an intention to take an intoxicant, the activity of ingesting the intoxicant, and the actual ingestion of the intoxicant. Taking medication containing alcohol, opiates or other intoxicants for genuine medical reasons does not count, nor does eating food flavored with a small amount of liquor. Otherwise, Theravada Buddhism considers the Fifth Precept to be a clear prohibition of drinking.
