After a bit of encouragement I am finally,
Putting a bit a of my thoughts into a soft copy. Hve you ever met a person who is better than you in everything and after a period of admiration that person becomes unbearable as your attempts to catch well aren't a match for that person's natural in-built talent. Somehow that person is better than you in things that you are good at. NO amount of hardwork helped you. Well the truth there are things that you ARE good at because God is always fair and love his children but the fallen side wants the visible gifts that can be seen by other men. Girls will crowd roud the pianist who can play any song requested. No guessing how many crowded round the guy who has utmost patience but has nothing else. Yet most will say that the patient person has the greater gift but that is in theory. In reality the the pianist gets the glory. We shouldn't strive for it but we crave it.
I saw this line in No Left Turns which described Beowulf, the hero of the oldest piece of English literature which is translated to modern English: "He made the best of all he had..... putting each imperfection to the service of integrity...was good because he accepted there things of him that were bad."
This is literature seeking to teach us timeless wisdom all the while maintaining the beauty of the language and the naturalness of speech. What it means is he accepts that he is not supremely talented and accepted his lot but instead using his time to compete he used what he had to basically do good.
Not to discourage all the budding guitarist in church but what are your motives? Rather serve integrity. It lacks glory but builts character and at the end of the day it is probably that which matters.
8 Dec 2005
19 Nov 2005
What are you going to do when a bald guy who is taller than you,
Comes in and say we are going to lunch now. Well you stop blogging and go for lunch. Sorry to all my readers for a substanceless post yesterday. Anyway continuing what I said yesterday. I been through all the systems and yet they were all found wanting. In capitalism we assume that the individual is good and will make the right choice that will benefit society. In socialism we assume that the government will make the right choice and make decisions that will benefit society as a whole. But the fact of the matter is individuals and governments are humans and therefore are victims of vices such as greed and selfishness. So in all nations there is corruption at all levels and self-enrichment. Though it can be argued that socialism is worse because if you have one bad nut or a group of bad nuts at the top the whole country is screwed like if a dictator wishes to fill his swiss bank account rather than a hospital with equipment. While in a free-market society though most people are selfish but it can be argued that there will be enough people with a conscience to feed and provide healthcare for the poor to make up for it. This is demonstrated by the number of hospitals around the world that is run by private funds though it must be admitted that there are not enough.
As you can see there are a lot of suffering around the world and we can sometimes act to prematurely before we are ready or prepared to tackle which sometimes can make matters worse. But the urge to do something is that separate humans from animals and one of our instincts that we lose too easily when we get older and cynical. Call me naive but i believe that if we hold on to this trait long enough to acquire the skills and knowledge to do something useful we can actually chnge the world. Unfortunately we most often lose this trait in the midst of getting the knowledge and skills i.e. the years in university and the first few years of our working life.
One of the things we try to do is to change the political system. We are forever trying to search for the perfect one. It can't never be found as all is dependent on the ruled and the ruler. If everything so I can form my opinions in perfect knowledge. in the ideal world i would like to hear the and read the responses of people of all political believes propose and defend their believes adn also read the evidence in history. At the moment i support the American model of capitalism. There are flaws but it really fantastic to see that for a all the bad press the US gets an unlimited amount of Muslims want to go and live in that anti-Muslim and Zionist-dominated nation. You don't hear Malaysian women wanting to go live in Saudi Arabia but plenty want to go to the decadent West.
The basic outline of what interests me at the moment in t he Pentateuch is the combination of the best of what we will call now socialism and capitalism even before these ideas came into existence. Aspects of capitalism are: 1. Low-taxes 2. Welfare in the hands of the individual not the state. A brief look at the Pentateuch will convince that individuals must take care of their parents, then relatives, and if they can still afford it after that their neighbours and so on as they can afford. 3. A small government, in fact no government except for priests who wield no influence outside religious matters and local judges.
Aspects of socialism: 1. The reversion of property to the original owners in the year of Jubilee. 2. No one can take absolute profits. they must in way give chance to the poor.
This is a basic outline that I hope to explore later and debate with people and i hope someone will correct me if get things wrong.
Comes in and say we are going to lunch now. Well you stop blogging and go for lunch. Sorry to all my readers for a substanceless post yesterday. Anyway continuing what I said yesterday. I been through all the systems and yet they were all found wanting. In capitalism we assume that the individual is good and will make the right choice that will benefit society. In socialism we assume that the government will make the right choice and make decisions that will benefit society as a whole. But the fact of the matter is individuals and governments are humans and therefore are victims of vices such as greed and selfishness. So in all nations there is corruption at all levels and self-enrichment. Though it can be argued that socialism is worse because if you have one bad nut or a group of bad nuts at the top the whole country is screwed like if a dictator wishes to fill his swiss bank account rather than a hospital with equipment. While in a free-market society though most people are selfish but it can be argued that there will be enough people with a conscience to feed and provide healthcare for the poor to make up for it. This is demonstrated by the number of hospitals around the world that is run by private funds though it must be admitted that there are not enough.
As you can see there are a lot of suffering around the world and we can sometimes act to prematurely before we are ready or prepared to tackle which sometimes can make matters worse. But the urge to do something is that separate humans from animals and one of our instincts that we lose too easily when we get older and cynical. Call me naive but i believe that if we hold on to this trait long enough to acquire the skills and knowledge to do something useful we can actually chnge the world. Unfortunately we most often lose this trait in the midst of getting the knowledge and skills i.e. the years in university and the first few years of our working life.
One of the things we try to do is to change the political system. We are forever trying to search for the perfect one. It can't never be found as all is dependent on the ruled and the ruler. If everything so I can form my opinions in perfect knowledge. in the ideal world i would like to hear the and read the responses of people of all political believes propose and defend their believes adn also read the evidence in history. At the moment i support the American model of capitalism. There are flaws but it really fantastic to see that for a all the bad press the US gets an unlimited amount of Muslims want to go and live in that anti-Muslim and Zionist-dominated nation. You don't hear Malaysian women wanting to go live in Saudi Arabia but plenty want to go to the decadent West.
The basic outline of what interests me at the moment in t he Pentateuch is the combination of the best of what we will call now socialism and capitalism even before these ideas came into existence. Aspects of capitalism are: 1. Low-taxes 2. Welfare in the hands of the individual not the state. A brief look at the Pentateuch will convince that individuals must take care of their parents, then relatives, and if they can still afford it after that their neighbours and so on as they can afford. 3. A small government, in fact no government except for priests who wield no influence outside religious matters and local judges.
Aspects of socialism: 1. The reversion of property to the original owners in the year of Jubilee. 2. No one can take absolute profits. they must in way give chance to the poor.
This is a basic outline that I hope to explore later and debate with people and i hope someone will correct me if get things wrong.
17 Nov 2005
Ahh it is good to be back,
Blogging took a back seat for a while. Not only did I have exams which are actually a pretty lame reason for not blogging...some on some of the most successful bloggers in the Us are a bunch of lawyers who have families and yet still have time to analyse the news of the day ad post it......so not only was it the exams but very much my lack of ideas.
There are a few ideas I ahve been bandying around but they aren't really that developed because for one thing if you don't think through your ideas before you really say them out after a while when you look back that idea will look really stupid.....that is what I am trying to prenvent but it is at the expense that of not blogging for extended periods because hwere can you find the time to read economics and the like and at the same time trying to get on top of your work?
But today I decided to briefly write down the brief outline of some of them.
The first up is the perfect political system. I have been a capitalist, communist, socialist and everything in between. Lunch call will be back.
Blogging took a back seat for a while. Not only did I have exams which are actually a pretty lame reason for not blogging...some on some of the most successful bloggers in the Us are a bunch of lawyers who have families and yet still have time to analyse the news of the day ad post it......so not only was it the exams but very much my lack of ideas.
There are a few ideas I ahve been bandying around but they aren't really that developed because for one thing if you don't think through your ideas before you really say them out after a while when you look back that idea will look really stupid.....that is what I am trying to prenvent but it is at the expense that of not blogging for extended periods because hwere can you find the time to read economics and the like and at the same time trying to get on top of your work?
But today I decided to briefly write down the brief outline of some of them.
The first up is the perfect political system. I have been a capitalist, communist, socialist and everything in between. Lunch call will be back.
6 Nov 2005
Was it Menalaus who got Paris in the end?
Paris burns..so says the news..the analysis in the blogosphere is not good...note to all in Europe... visit Paris NOW cause there won't be much left to see...but it could all the overblown....I am skeptical that 900 cars can be torched in one night...sounds like sensationalism...anyway i need someone on the ground to tell whether anything is under control....if this turns out not to be sensationalism then there could very serious trouble...as this could spread..it seems it is already in Denmark next the netherlands then even Germany...the thing is it involves Muslim youths..that make up quite a large minority....and it is not about iraq or poverty because France was against the war and welfare in France..is to put it mildly scandalous...you even get paid for not working.....not much news here in the Malaysian papers..they try to cut the bad news..trying to keep the festive mood....read most of the media...I want to know the ordinary people's perception of things on the ground....that is the most important thing..the people in Paris will the best..but I don't know any Parisians....truth issuch a precious commodity as it will right many wrongs...now if it turns out that the news media got it wrong...our views will be forever coloured by what we read...people will stop visitng Paris..but what is the truth?
Paris burns..so says the news..the analysis in the blogosphere is not good...note to all in Europe... visit Paris NOW cause there won't be much left to see...but it could all the overblown....I am skeptical that 900 cars can be torched in one night...sounds like sensationalism...anyway i need someone on the ground to tell whether anything is under control....if this turns out not to be sensationalism then there could very serious trouble...as this could spread..it seems it is already in Denmark next the netherlands then even Germany...the thing is it involves Muslim youths..that make up quite a large minority....and it is not about iraq or poverty because France was against the war and welfare in France..is to put it mildly scandalous...you even get paid for not working.....not much news here in the Malaysian papers..they try to cut the bad news..trying to keep the festive mood....read most of the media...I want to know the ordinary people's perception of things on the ground....that is the most important thing..the people in Paris will the best..but I don't know any Parisians....truth issuch a precious commodity as it will right many wrongs...now if it turns out that the news media got it wrong...our views will be forever coloured by what we read...people will stop visitng Paris..but what is the truth?
31 Oct 2005
Wow it has been a while since I was here,
I like to take the excuse that I have exams approaching and i don't have the the time to blog but the fact of the matter is that I have exams and I am not even studying and I prefer to laze a around and let my thoughts wander instead of engaging in some serious thought processes.
So I have assignments deadlines looming but because I am not interested in them they have been consigned to to be done later box. Sad to say i am more interested in other things like articles about all manner subjects that are available over the internet so in the end I might be a very knowledgable doctor but not necessarily in the art of medicine which actually spells the defeat of my original prupose. Why is it so. difficult for me to be a single-minded person? Ill-discipline on my part really, God help me.
On another unrelated front i realise how terrible my prose have been and definitely I wouldn't be able to take on schoolchild of eleven from 19th century Britain. If British education has deteriorated over the pass one hundred years
-actually the rot only started 40 years ago with liberals taking over education-how much more the Malaysian education system. Well I can complain or I can set about doing something that includes improving myself and correct bad habits which I shall do right now by going off-line and start studying.
I like to take the excuse that I have exams approaching and i don't have the the time to blog but the fact of the matter is that I have exams and I am not even studying and I prefer to laze a around and let my thoughts wander instead of engaging in some serious thought processes.
So I have assignments deadlines looming but because I am not interested in them they have been consigned to to be done later box. Sad to say i am more interested in other things like articles about all manner subjects that are available over the internet so in the end I might be a very knowledgable doctor but not necessarily in the art of medicine which actually spells the defeat of my original prupose. Why is it so. difficult for me to be a single-minded person? Ill-discipline on my part really, God help me.
On another unrelated front i realise how terrible my prose have been and definitely I wouldn't be able to take on schoolchild of eleven from 19th century Britain. If British education has deteriorated over the pass one hundred years
-actually the rot only started 40 years ago with liberals taking over education-how much more the Malaysian education system. Well I can complain or I can set about doing something that includes improving myself and correct bad habits which I shall do right now by going off-line and start studying.
20 Sept 2005
Reading my own blog,
Is such a torture. First there is my lousy typing and editing, and then there is my long-winded way of writing prose which is incoherent to say the least. Back in the old the school master would have forced me to rewrite my essays until I have gotten all my spelling and grammar correct. Ah the joys and pains of the odl days. Also after a while you will realise that some of the things you say are quite ignorant and daft but I guess we are always learning and can't have perfect knowledge of everything and make the correct judgement all the time.
That is why we should always have principles that has proven to work for the past two thousand years and also learn from other people's mistakes and experiences. He is wise who learn from experience but even wiser who learn from the experience of others. Because of this I enjoy reading the life stories of other people and of course the Bible which for all its errors and inconsistencies has proven to be quite a remarkable book, in fact miraculous and its principles still apply for today. There are contentious amd controversial points like is Saint Paul a misogynist and women's role in the church but that does not negate its power in anyway if one honestly read throught the WHOLE Bible. The very error and inconsistency is what prove to be a genuine human document of God's dealings with Mankind but because of that one has to read the whole thing to understand what is principle and what was clearly a compromise like divorce in the Pentateuch and also the election of a king in Israel. There isn't enough space for me here and I am lazy to type out everything but let me assure you that the Bible is one book you can't do without.
Is such a torture. First there is my lousy typing and editing, and then there is my long-winded way of writing prose which is incoherent to say the least. Back in the old the school master would have forced me to rewrite my essays until I have gotten all my spelling and grammar correct. Ah the joys and pains of the odl days. Also after a while you will realise that some of the things you say are quite ignorant and daft but I guess we are always learning and can't have perfect knowledge of everything and make the correct judgement all the time.
That is why we should always have principles that has proven to work for the past two thousand years and also learn from other people's mistakes and experiences. He is wise who learn from experience but even wiser who learn from the experience of others. Because of this I enjoy reading the life stories of other people and of course the Bible which for all its errors and inconsistencies has proven to be quite a remarkable book, in fact miraculous and its principles still apply for today. There are contentious amd controversial points like is Saint Paul a misogynist and women's role in the church but that does not negate its power in anyway if one honestly read throught the WHOLE Bible. The very error and inconsistency is what prove to be a genuine human document of God's dealings with Mankind but because of that one has to read the whole thing to understand what is principle and what was clearly a compromise like divorce in the Pentateuch and also the election of a king in Israel. There isn't enough space for me here and I am lazy to type out everything but let me assure you that the Bible is one book you can't do without.
15 Sept 2005
Here in Penang Medical College,
The lot of us, yes all 101 of us, are divided into twelve groups. And these twelve groups goes to the Accident and Emergency department every two weeks to observe the going ons in there.
Last night was my group's turn. I went to get some money, crossed a busy road, bought some credit for my handphone, had dinner at Rawther's. He has started opening up to midnight and sells dinner where before he only do breakfast and lunch. Had some nasi minyak with mutton kurma with chapati and kima. drank a glass of air bandung( Bandung is a town in Indonesia, the drink is actually just condense milk mix with syrup.
As I walk into the hospital back gate I can hear the wail of the siren. Interesting night this is going to be. As I walk past the acute emergency room there was a guy lying there. Nothing special. Only later I learnt he had multiple compound fractures which caused me to venture for a second look but by then it was already covered by the piece of sterile cloth.
There was no going ons so I went to the other A&E room. It was the usual stuff. Asthma, a nick here and there. Then a group of guys went for dinner and I followed them.
ANyway I am boring even myself. The guy have to have an emergency amputation. So we were there looking at the slicing by the surgeon, smelling the burning flesh and slash and dosh of the sucker and instruments beign passed around. It was interesting until you realise that the person will never use the leg again and he is only 22 years old. I can imagine him lasying football with his friends and now longer able to join he just drifts away from them. How will he react when he regains consciousness. What about the family? Is he the only that the whole family has put their hopes on? I am sure his parents will be glad that he is alive but ten twenty thirty years down the line who will take care of him? Will he marry? Or will be forever lonely knowing that the only reason is that he only has one leg and can barely support himself?
I can never understand the pain he will go through because I don't I will ever go through a fraction of what and I don't plan to and I pray I don't have to. I am the scion of of the middle class, with enough money to pay for a private medical education. Am I not privilege. But I am too self-absorbed.
The fact is I will be back later. Got something to do.
The lot of us, yes all 101 of us, are divided into twelve groups. And these twelve groups goes to the Accident and Emergency department every two weeks to observe the going ons in there.
Last night was my group's turn. I went to get some money, crossed a busy road, bought some credit for my handphone, had dinner at Rawther's. He has started opening up to midnight and sells dinner where before he only do breakfast and lunch. Had some nasi minyak with mutton kurma with chapati and kima. drank a glass of air bandung( Bandung is a town in Indonesia, the drink is actually just condense milk mix with syrup.
As I walk into the hospital back gate I can hear the wail of the siren. Interesting night this is going to be. As I walk past the acute emergency room there was a guy lying there. Nothing special. Only later I learnt he had multiple compound fractures which caused me to venture for a second look but by then it was already covered by the piece of sterile cloth.
There was no going ons so I went to the other A&E room. It was the usual stuff. Asthma, a nick here and there. Then a group of guys went for dinner and I followed them.
ANyway I am boring even myself. The guy have to have an emergency amputation. So we were there looking at the slicing by the surgeon, smelling the burning flesh and slash and dosh of the sucker and instruments beign passed around. It was interesting until you realise that the person will never use the leg again and he is only 22 years old. I can imagine him lasying football with his friends and now longer able to join he just drifts away from them. How will he react when he regains consciousness. What about the family? Is he the only that the whole family has put their hopes on? I am sure his parents will be glad that he is alive but ten twenty thirty years down the line who will take care of him? Will he marry? Or will be forever lonely knowing that the only reason is that he only has one leg and can barely support himself?
I can never understand the pain he will go through because I don't I will ever go through a fraction of what and I don't plan to and I pray I don't have to. I am the scion of of the middle class, with enough money to pay for a private medical education. Am I not privilege. But I am too self-absorbed.
The fact is I will be back later. Got something to do.
13 Sept 2005
As I walked home on Sunday,
I looked back and though the sun has set of it rays were still being reflected on a tall cumulus cloud. Majestic was the description. For a moment i can see th big picture and then when I reached home and had my bath, I lost it and began concentrating on my pathetic little self and whining about my loneliness. In this world there are literally billions less fortunate than me and yet for a moment I lose sight of how truly blessed I am and my vision tunneled where just moments before I was looking at the majestic sky speckled with birds tired from a had days work scavenging and going to the nest to feed the brood. Feeling the slight breeze from passing vehicles, the sight of their drivers not knowing but only speculating the thousand stories of joy and tragedy, of love and romance and how every single thing is interconnected and somehow some hwere in the world we know someone who knows this other person and through this person and so on we connected to everyone, and ancestors whom we never knew may have crossed each other paths by marriage, war and trade. Oh to know the story of every living person on earth and the stories they never knew themselves. The well-traveled asphalt laid over many times. The smell of figs and jittery shadow of the flitting bat darting in and out of sight guided by none but the sweet scent of the mango blossoms blooming beneath the moonlight of a night as hot and humid as humid as any summer in Dublin.
Life is beautiful but still why do I want pity?
I looked back and though the sun has set of it rays were still being reflected on a tall cumulus cloud. Majestic was the description. For a moment i can see th big picture and then when I reached home and had my bath, I lost it and began concentrating on my pathetic little self and whining about my loneliness. In this world there are literally billions less fortunate than me and yet for a moment I lose sight of how truly blessed I am and my vision tunneled where just moments before I was looking at the majestic sky speckled with birds tired from a had days work scavenging and going to the nest to feed the brood. Feeling the slight breeze from passing vehicles, the sight of their drivers not knowing but only speculating the thousand stories of joy and tragedy, of love and romance and how every single thing is interconnected and somehow some hwere in the world we know someone who knows this other person and through this person and so on we connected to everyone, and ancestors whom we never knew may have crossed each other paths by marriage, war and trade. Oh to know the story of every living person on earth and the stories they never knew themselves. The well-traveled asphalt laid over many times. The smell of figs and jittery shadow of the flitting bat darting in and out of sight guided by none but the sweet scent of the mango blossoms blooming beneath the moonlight of a night as hot and humid as humid as any summer in Dublin.
Life is beautiful but still why do I want pity?
6 Sept 2005
Dear anonymous,
Thanks for the comment. I get that only very rarely so you don't how much it means to me. But more important than being read and given a comment is that I hope someone will practise my ideas.
Marx never achieved anything except writing a few books that weren't even that widely-read or considered best-sellers. But people who bought his ideas changed the lives of billions. Unlike Marx I hope my ideas will be a force for good.
If any case there is no one to practise I then must be the one to do it. Even if I do that fear not for the loss of idea-man for most of my ideas aren't orignal but are rather derived from an umcompromising reading of the Bible. Read the Bible. It is the one book that does not contain everything but enough of everything to amke this world tolerable.
Thanks for the comment. I get that only very rarely so you don't how much it means to me. But more important than being read and given a comment is that I hope someone will practise my ideas.
Marx never achieved anything except writing a few books that weren't even that widely-read or considered best-sellers. But people who bought his ideas changed the lives of billions. Unlike Marx I hope my ideas will be a force for good.
If any case there is no one to practise I then must be the one to do it. Even if I do that fear not for the loss of idea-man for most of my ideas aren't orignal but are rather derived from an umcompromising reading of the Bible. Read the Bible. It is the one book that does not contain everything but enough of everything to amke this world tolerable.
3 Sept 2005
Anyone familiar with the concept of total war?
Well it is commitment of all its resources, time and manpower of a nation to ensure its victory.
Christians have a more important enterprise...to ensure that everyone hears of the love of God through Jesus Chirist and receive a taste of that love through grace-empowered and love-compelled Christians....why aren't we pouring all resources into it instead of church buildings?
This enterprise is a bit like war..God can do so much of the fighting but a lot of it is up to us.....the US can overthrow Saddam and give the Iraqi people a chance to build a democratic and free nation...but it is up to them to do it but they can also choose to take vengeance and plunge the nation into darkness again...more important than a democratic and free society..though especially the free is important in the spread of the Gospel..is people hearing it...
Personally I am too afraid to do street evangelism but I know I have enough guts and detached enough from the world to work some rural areas...and there be the hands and feet of Christ..
I feel uncomfortable with prosperity gospel in many curches..God blesses but is it not so it can go into the total war effort and not the new church building?
Well it is commitment of all its resources, time and manpower of a nation to ensure its victory.
Christians have a more important enterprise...to ensure that everyone hears of the love of God through Jesus Chirist and receive a taste of that love through grace-empowered and love-compelled Christians....why aren't we pouring all resources into it instead of church buildings?
This enterprise is a bit like war..God can do so much of the fighting but a lot of it is up to us.....the US can overthrow Saddam and give the Iraqi people a chance to build a democratic and free nation...but it is up to them to do it but they can also choose to take vengeance and plunge the nation into darkness again...more important than a democratic and free society..though especially the free is important in the spread of the Gospel..is people hearing it...
Personally I am too afraid to do street evangelism but I know I have enough guts and detached enough from the world to work some rural areas...and there be the hands and feet of Christ..
I feel uncomfortable with prosperity gospel in many curches..God blesses but is it not so it can go into the total war effort and not the new church building?
Revelations tell us how it will be,
But we are the ones who will determine the details...whether in the end it will the majority persecuting a minority or the minority persecuting a Christian majority...we decide by what we do today...that is why feel it is so vague but very clear about the conclusions.
But we are the ones who will determine the details...whether in the end it will the majority persecuting a minority or the minority persecuting a Christian majority...we decide by what we do today...that is why feel it is so vague but very clear about the conclusions.
I have a fascination with cemeteries,
I like reading the epitaphs on the Western..you learned how long they lived and tragically short it is.....I saw this once..the mother died a few days after giving to the baby and the baby followed a few days too..this was in Ireland....it doesn't happen there any more...but it still does in the rest of the world...she was only about 20 or so....I am 23..glad to be alive though I am single...saw this one in Cheras this lady lived till a 106...long or short God determines it...we can't say that God was unfair..because of a short the person..missed out on more misery...lived till a hundred you could have sepnt 50 years of it in misery...sometimes I wonder about the victims of the Japanese who were tortured to death....sure death was a respite but did they really wanted to die...would it have been worse if they survived and have to live with memory of dead friends for the rest of their lives...some of us would like to live when actually it would be better for us to be dead..and the other way round...I am glad my life is in God's hands..so I don't have make the decision and mess it up..at least you know it is int he hands of the omniscient one..or ctnically who to blame.....but don't go quoting this at a funeral...they don't needd answers or rationale just a warm hug, listening ear, and a shoulder to cry on until the grief is over...and soon people will get over it and accept the fact...widows and widowers remarry....not that they don't love the decease anymore but people move on. No one love a person that much that will cry everyday for the next 50 years. ..we are only human....in that situation though you would think you can cry forever..but the truth....
Accept death and live life to the fullest..and love all who are alive.
I like reading the epitaphs on the Western..you learned how long they lived and tragically short it is.....I saw this once..the mother died a few days after giving to the baby and the baby followed a few days too..this was in Ireland....it doesn't happen there any more...but it still does in the rest of the world...she was only about 20 or so....I am 23..glad to be alive though I am single...saw this one in Cheras this lady lived till a 106...long or short God determines it...we can't say that God was unfair..because of a short the person..missed out on more misery...lived till a hundred you could have sepnt 50 years of it in misery...sometimes I wonder about the victims of the Japanese who were tortured to death....sure death was a respite but did they really wanted to die...would it have been worse if they survived and have to live with memory of dead friends for the rest of their lives...some of us would like to live when actually it would be better for us to be dead..and the other way round...I am glad my life is in God's hands..so I don't have make the decision and mess it up..at least you know it is int he hands of the omniscient one..or ctnically who to blame.....but don't go quoting this at a funeral...they don't needd answers or rationale just a warm hug, listening ear, and a shoulder to cry on until the grief is over...and soon people will get over it and accept the fact...widows and widowers remarry....not that they don't love the decease anymore but people move on. No one love a person that much that will cry everyday for the next 50 years. ..we are only human....in that situation though you would think you can cry forever..but the truth....
Accept death and live life to the fullest..and love all who are alive.
I think I will reutrn to the days of regular blogging,
Been having a lot of ideas lately but then some of them are pretty long and I don't have the time but these are only excuses so I am back or try to be back.
First up, about a patinet I saw in the ward. He was in the British Army escaped into the jungles when the British was defeated. Got strafe by Japanese planes. Showed me his wound. Since then he has never been to hospital. He is 81 now and so for the pass 60 years he was fine until now when he is diagnosed with can cer of the ascending colon. Don't know if he will make it but even if he does..most definitely he will need a colostomy bag which is quite psychologically debilatating..imagine to survive so much only to be down by cancer.
Even as I reflect on his situation, one thing is sure: nothing in life is guaranteed. IT may be your wedding day and you are finally going to get what you have been waiting for and then you get killed on the way to the wedding. Those people that you see get killed in accidents with their blank stares looking out of the papers...well they never thought they would appeared as news when they read about a fatal accident the day before....people in New Orleans collected money for tsunami victims not knowing of the great floods that hit them.
Appreciate each day you have. If you feel bored you are not using the gift God has given you..you are taking life for granted.
The people in Noah's days were getting married and getting on with life when the flood came..imagine drowning on your wedding day..OK I am obssessed aabout getting married but..my ideas are relevant..no one expect that it will change..that it won't be same as it had happen for the pass 100 years.
Us Malaysians live a prosperous life especially the middle-class and beyond. Your typical teenager can expect to finish school, go to college, drink at Starbucks, go to some uni overseas, come back get a job, meet someone, get married and knocked someone up or get knocked up or the other way round...and go on living as they have lived....oblivious as they are to the poor and suffering all around the world..and even closer to home the Orang Aslis..but it is not going to last forever..war is going happen one day...Orang Aslis are going to decide one day that they have enough of being treated like second calss citizens and start launching suicide bombs, China with its excess men will need to blow off the energy and invades Taiwan and plunges the whole region into chaos...1930's was one the most prosperous times in Europe...culture was at its height...everyone can be said to be living a decadent life and then bang world war 2..and many years of hard rebuilding..
we should live our lives carefully..ready for life's uncertainty but not to the extent we don't enjoy anything..but when it happens we can't we never thought it woulod because as history, the Bible, logic, science, economics and everything tells us the good times won't go on forever.
Thinking about buying a house and car..live simply..if you are going to have only two kids....a simple double storey will do and Wira..no need fro the Mercedes and bungalow..because when war comes ..will it matter.no difference except you spent your whole life working to the bone paying for that big house when you could have spent more time with your family if you went for a smaller one and it is all wasted by one bomb, or storm, or vandal..when you are starving..you wouldn't care you ahve a mercedes or not....when you are dying of cancer..you won't care about the car you never had but the lost friendships and relationships.
In short, some things are important but we don't like they are and we chase after those that aren't only to regret later.
Been having a lot of ideas lately but then some of them are pretty long and I don't have the time but these are only excuses so I am back or try to be back.
First up, about a patinet I saw in the ward. He was in the British Army escaped into the jungles when the British was defeated. Got strafe by Japanese planes. Showed me his wound. Since then he has never been to hospital. He is 81 now and so for the pass 60 years he was fine until now when he is diagnosed with can cer of the ascending colon. Don't know if he will make it but even if he does..most definitely he will need a colostomy bag which is quite psychologically debilatating..imagine to survive so much only to be down by cancer.
Even as I reflect on his situation, one thing is sure: nothing in life is guaranteed. IT may be your wedding day and you are finally going to get what you have been waiting for and then you get killed on the way to the wedding. Those people that you see get killed in accidents with their blank stares looking out of the papers...well they never thought they would appeared as news when they read about a fatal accident the day before....people in New Orleans collected money for tsunami victims not knowing of the great floods that hit them.
Appreciate each day you have. If you feel bored you are not using the gift God has given you..you are taking life for granted.
The people in Noah's days were getting married and getting on with life when the flood came..imagine drowning on your wedding day..OK I am obssessed aabout getting married but..my ideas are relevant..no one expect that it will change..that it won't be same as it had happen for the pass 100 years.
Us Malaysians live a prosperous life especially the middle-class and beyond. Your typical teenager can expect to finish school, go to college, drink at Starbucks, go to some uni overseas, come back get a job, meet someone, get married and knocked someone up or get knocked up or the other way round...and go on living as they have lived....oblivious as they are to the poor and suffering all around the world..and even closer to home the Orang Aslis..but it is not going to last forever..war is going happen one day...Orang Aslis are going to decide one day that they have enough of being treated like second calss citizens and start launching suicide bombs, China with its excess men will need to blow off the energy and invades Taiwan and plunges the whole region into chaos...1930's was one the most prosperous times in Europe...culture was at its height...everyone can be said to be living a decadent life and then bang world war 2..and many years of hard rebuilding..
we should live our lives carefully..ready for life's uncertainty but not to the extent we don't enjoy anything..but when it happens we can't we never thought it woulod because as history, the Bible, logic, science, economics and everything tells us the good times won't go on forever.
Thinking about buying a house and car..live simply..if you are going to have only two kids....a simple double storey will do and Wira..no need fro the Mercedes and bungalow..because when war comes ..will it matter.no difference except you spent your whole life working to the bone paying for that big house when you could have spent more time with your family if you went for a smaller one and it is all wasted by one bomb, or storm, or vandal..when you are starving..you wouldn't care you ahve a mercedes or not....when you are dying of cancer..you won't care about the car you never had but the lost friendships and relationships.
In short, some things are important but we don't like they are and we chase after those that aren't only to regret later.
11 Aug 2005
Just some gloating before I start,
I just finished reading Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine from cover to cover. Ok to be honest I started on page 253 read until the end and then started at page 1 until page 253. I have covered 1320 pages in seven weeks! Ok It wasn't all text I would have gone mad. There were lots of nice pictures and colour coded diagrams and of course was readin through like you would Harry Potter with as much understanding i can muster. Now my friend owes me a dinner.
Usually people go out and celebrate after such a monumental task. Me? The moment I looked out my window I know I am not going anywhere. At 341 the API is one and a half times greater than when the haze was at its worst in 1997. But for the hazards to my health and social life, it is actually beautiful. The view outside my window looks like some 30 year old faded photo. It even looks lke a scene from 30 years ago because all the tall buildings which are the signs of the times have been occluded. so I geta retro view n the year 2005.
A short note on what I have read during my Bible-reading. In Deuteronomy 26:12 to 14, the recipients of tithes you give out was not only the Levites but also the orphans and widow and et cetera. Nowadays most of the tithes is given to the church which is the modern equivalent of the levites because the serve God full-time. But i have always been uncomfortable that the more often than not misuse such a big amount. If you read the passage carefully the distribution of tithes were in the hands of the person ho gave it not some third party and they give it to whomever they see fit. Whether it is a poor relative or something. Yes support the Levites but they shouldn't be the only one receiving it and it is not the church deciding where the tithe goes but the giver. God gave you that freedom.
I just finished reading Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine from cover to cover. Ok to be honest I started on page 253 read until the end and then started at page 1 until page 253. I have covered 1320 pages in seven weeks! Ok It wasn't all text I would have gone mad. There were lots of nice pictures and colour coded diagrams and of course was readin through like you would Harry Potter with as much understanding i can muster. Now my friend owes me a dinner.
Usually people go out and celebrate after such a monumental task. Me? The moment I looked out my window I know I am not going anywhere. At 341 the API is one and a half times greater than when the haze was at its worst in 1997. But for the hazards to my health and social life, it is actually beautiful. The view outside my window looks like some 30 year old faded photo. It even looks lke a scene from 30 years ago because all the tall buildings which are the signs of the times have been occluded. so I geta retro view n the year 2005.
A short note on what I have read during my Bible-reading. In Deuteronomy 26:12 to 14, the recipients of tithes you give out was not only the Levites but also the orphans and widow and et cetera. Nowadays most of the tithes is given to the church which is the modern equivalent of the levites because the serve God full-time. But i have always been uncomfortable that the more often than not misuse such a big amount. If you read the passage carefully the distribution of tithes were in the hands of the person ho gave it not some third party and they give it to whomever they see fit. Whether it is a poor relative or something. Yes support the Levites but they shouldn't be the only one receiving it and it is not the church deciding where the tithe goes but the giver. God gave you that freedom.
18 Jul 2005
I am just going to blog just often enough to this thing going,
There are a flourish of activities in my head but most of it old and exposition on older ideas.
Just a few thoughts for the London bombers and al-Qaeda. If your reason for bombing London as a act of vengeance for the Iraqi CIVILIANS hurt in the Gulf War 2( well the US did declare war so Saddam and co aren't covered) well then why stop there. Onwards to Beijing( oppresion of Uighurs in Xinjiang), Khartoum( Darfur crisis), Rabat( occupation of Western Sahara), Jakarta( heavy handling of Acheh).
You see given the numbers the Brits killed, at least they are paying reparations by rebuilding infrastructure. Quite unlike settling thousands of Hans to make you the minority, starving the Furs and preventing aid from reaching them, hunting down REAL freedom fighters and the likes. To fight for oppressed Muslims you must fight all the oppressors and not just those in the West...or are you just rascist?
I need to note that I do not think for one moment tat US and Britain are oppressing the Iraqi people. If they are why bother helping them rebuild and forming a democratic society. If they wanted oil they could have much more easily opened the Alaskan Nature Wildlife Reserve or Invaded Venezuala( the US got allies within and without the country and it is much much closer and doesn't have this suicide bomb crap); if it is Saddam Hussein they should have just left after capturing him and dropping a few more extra bombs to make sure the Iraqis don't get out of the Stone Age until sometime the next century instead of helping rebuilding Iraq which is a thankless job and it is the most cited reason for attacks against you.
I suspect a much nobler course. Cleaning up the mess for 4 decades of real-politik that includes turning a blind eye to people like Saddam. Would have saved us this mess and thousands of Kurds and Shiite if George Bush 1 pushed all the way to Baghdad in Gulf War 1. Why he didn't? Most likely real-politik. You see they were only sanction to save Kuwait. Ahh the Un but that will be for another time.
There are a flourish of activities in my head but most of it old and exposition on older ideas.
Just a few thoughts for the London bombers and al-Qaeda. If your reason for bombing London as a act of vengeance for the Iraqi CIVILIANS hurt in the Gulf War 2( well the US did declare war so Saddam and co aren't covered) well then why stop there. Onwards to Beijing( oppresion of Uighurs in Xinjiang), Khartoum( Darfur crisis), Rabat( occupation of Western Sahara), Jakarta( heavy handling of Acheh).
You see given the numbers the Brits killed, at least they are paying reparations by rebuilding infrastructure. Quite unlike settling thousands of Hans to make you the minority, starving the Furs and preventing aid from reaching them, hunting down REAL freedom fighters and the likes. To fight for oppressed Muslims you must fight all the oppressors and not just those in the West...or are you just rascist?
I need to note that I do not think for one moment tat US and Britain are oppressing the Iraqi people. If they are why bother helping them rebuild and forming a democratic society. If they wanted oil they could have much more easily opened the Alaskan Nature Wildlife Reserve or Invaded Venezuala( the US got allies within and without the country and it is much much closer and doesn't have this suicide bomb crap); if it is Saddam Hussein they should have just left after capturing him and dropping a few more extra bombs to make sure the Iraqis don't get out of the Stone Age until sometime the next century instead of helping rebuilding Iraq which is a thankless job and it is the most cited reason for attacks against you.
I suspect a much nobler course. Cleaning up the mess for 4 decades of real-politik that includes turning a blind eye to people like Saddam. Would have saved us this mess and thousands of Kurds and Shiite if George Bush 1 pushed all the way to Baghdad in Gulf War 1. Why he didn't? Most likely real-politik. You see they were only sanction to save Kuwait. Ahh the Un but that will be for another time.
30 May 2005
Pretentiousness
One thing about having a pretentious name as new ideas is,
You realise quickly how pretentious it is because the new ideas after a while seem to run out. But what to do it is already called that and I think it will stay that way. Hopefully I will do more things with my life and then I will have more ideas so for you new readers out there, go and read my older works.
You realise quickly how pretentious it is because the new ideas after a while seem to run out. But what to do it is already called that and I think it will stay that way. Hopefully I will do more things with my life and then I will have more ideas so for you new readers out there, go and read my older works.
10 May 2005
It has been a while since I visited these parts,
Mostly because I am lazy to update and it is a momentum thing. Once you stop it takes while to get started again or never.
Well my most recent thoughts have been the Law has NO business in being compassionate, it should only just. That is it. The moment it tries being compassionate like in a welfare state there will be fraud( people trying to live off the state)...That is why in the Bible the welfare is most often in the hands of the closest relatives. Only in extreme circumstances is it the responsibility of the state. Even then most of the time it never reaches that level for for it to reach that the death of all relatives, then neighbor's then private citizens must ensue.
When welfare is in the hands of the state what is the picture a centralise and highly bureaucratic disbursement of help. Inherent in this structure is fraud. The money being swindled or lying idle and there is much of the people it is designed to help don't get help. Then there is the dependency where like drugs people get addicted to handouts.
The model propose in the Torah is one where Man is commanded to be compassionate and go beyond that compassion to make sure the person get back on their own two feet.
My thoughts are disjointed now but just for the sake of blogging I am putting this post up.
Mostly because I am lazy to update and it is a momentum thing. Once you stop it takes while to get started again or never.
Well my most recent thoughts have been the Law has NO business in being compassionate, it should only just. That is it. The moment it tries being compassionate like in a welfare state there will be fraud( people trying to live off the state)...That is why in the Bible the welfare is most often in the hands of the closest relatives. Only in extreme circumstances is it the responsibility of the state. Even then most of the time it never reaches that level for for it to reach that the death of all relatives, then neighbor's then private citizens must ensue.
When welfare is in the hands of the state what is the picture a centralise and highly bureaucratic disbursement of help. Inherent in this structure is fraud. The money being swindled or lying idle and there is much of the people it is designed to help don't get help. Then there is the dependency where like drugs people get addicted to handouts.
The model propose in the Torah is one where Man is commanded to be compassionate and go beyond that compassion to make sure the person get back on their own two feet.
My thoughts are disjointed now but just for the sake of blogging I am putting this post up.
26 Feb 2005
The debate about whether Vijay Singh was lucky he didn't Malaysian PR,
Is a non-starter. For one he had unquenchable desire to succeed so whether he went to Fiji or stayed in Malaysia he would have succeeded. Furthermore you could argue that he would have succeeded earlier had he stayed in Malaysia because how many golf-courses can you fit in Fiji?
But I think deep down every Cabinet minister is kicking themselves because Vijay Singh would have the first world champion since the late 80's and early 90's when the Sidek brothers dominated badminton. Furthermore it can be said that golf as a game is more famous and played by a lot more people than badminton.
Is a non-starter. For one he had unquenchable desire to succeed so whether he went to Fiji or stayed in Malaysia he would have succeeded. Furthermore you could argue that he would have succeeded earlier had he stayed in Malaysia because how many golf-courses can you fit in Fiji?
But I think deep down every Cabinet minister is kicking themselves because Vijay Singh would have the first world champion since the late 80's and early 90's when the Sidek brothers dominated badminton. Furthermore it can be said that golf as a game is more famous and played by a lot more people than badminton.
24 Feb 2005
Doctors I admire.
I had this conversation with a friend recently and I guess it make for interesting blogging,
So in no particular order: William Gorgas http://www.archives.state.al.us/famous/w_gorgas.html; Norman Bethune http://collections.ic.gc.ca/heirloom_series/volume4/58-63.htm; Albert Schweitzer http://www.schweitzer.org/english/aseind.htm; David Livingstone http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorplivingstone.html; Ronald Ross http://stevenlehrer.com/explorers/chapter_6-5.htm; Paul Brand http://www.tlm-ni.org/brand.htm; Hudson Taylor http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorptaylor.html; Robert Koch http://nobelprize.org/medicine/laureates/1905/koch-bio.html.
Well these are the guys whom I would say reading baout their lives changed and shaped the way I view my career and I believe that their lives should be required reading at least to Christians intent on becoming doctors. I might add Jonathan Kaplan to my list but it is not good and can be downright embarassing to include still living persons. Ones work can only be judged when they no longer have the ability to tarnish it.
So in no particular order: William Gorgas http://www.archives.state.al.us/famous/w_gorgas.html; Norman Bethune http://collections.ic.gc.ca/heirloom_series/volume4/58-63.htm; Albert Schweitzer http://www.schweitzer.org/english/aseind.htm; David Livingstone http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorplivingstone.html; Ronald Ross http://stevenlehrer.com/explorers/chapter_6-5.htm; Paul Brand http://www.tlm-ni.org/brand.htm; Hudson Taylor http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorptaylor.html; Robert Koch http://nobelprize.org/medicine/laureates/1905/koch-bio.html.
Well these are the guys whom I would say reading baout their lives changed and shaped the way I view my career and I believe that their lives should be required reading at least to Christians intent on becoming doctors. I might add Jonathan Kaplan to my list but it is not good and can be downright embarassing to include still living persons. Ones work can only be judged when they no longer have the ability to tarnish it.
This is a weird idea like all my other ideas,
But I have been thinking if frnace has a French Foreign Legion. http://www.info-france-usa.org/atoz/legion/what.asp why can't Israel have a Israeli Goyim Legion. Consisting goys like me who are interested in defending Israel against her enemies. I do not support all of Israel's actions but I do believe that she has a right to exists and thus have a right to be defended. Not that Israel will need any help because as far as I know she is capable of defending herself and of course there is the Divne hand but men are the instrument of God and maybe and just maybe should they need help we will be there. Uriah one David's mighty men was a Hittite and he had a group of personal bodyguards consising of Gittites so using foreign elements has always been a norm.
But I have been thinking if frnace has a French Foreign Legion. http://www.info-france-usa.org/atoz/legion/what.asp why can't Israel have a Israeli Goyim Legion. Consisting goys like me who are interested in defending Israel against her enemies. I do not support all of Israel's actions but I do believe that she has a right to exists and thus have a right to be defended. Not that Israel will need any help because as far as I know she is capable of defending herself and of course there is the Divne hand but men are the instrument of God and maybe and just maybe should they need help we will be there. Uriah one David's mighty men was a Hittite and he had a group of personal bodyguards consising of Gittites so using foreign elements has always been a norm.
23 Feb 2005
Iraq just just had its elections,
Good or bad, legitimate or illegitimate I let those who are more informed judge but I ask just one thing that the Iraqi people be given the benefit of doubt, trust, and choice to choose the person who they think will lead them best. If it is a mad mullah in the style of theocratic Iran so be it. The only thing is that fair and open elections muct be held so even that when people realise to their horror they have made a mistake they are given an opportunity at the end of it to correct it. Dictators only remain in place because there are no free elections and therefore they don't have t be accountable to the people. Even in politically homogenous Singapore which is a virtual dictatorship the very fact that the epople have a choice to vote some one elase if they want to ensures that it is not a dictatorship in the style of Sudan or Syria and its people are actually enjoying better lives in the of economic prosperity access to health and so on. They is accountability. Free elections must be enshrined in the Constitution and it must stated in such a way so that martial law can't be used to remove this freedom ala Pakistan.
Good or bad, legitimate or illegitimate I let those who are more informed judge but I ask just one thing that the Iraqi people be given the benefit of doubt, trust, and choice to choose the person who they think will lead them best. If it is a mad mullah in the style of theocratic Iran so be it. The only thing is that fair and open elections muct be held so even that when people realise to their horror they have made a mistake they are given an opportunity at the end of it to correct it. Dictators only remain in place because there are no free elections and therefore they don't have t be accountable to the people. Even in politically homogenous Singapore which is a virtual dictatorship the very fact that the epople have a choice to vote some one elase if they want to ensures that it is not a dictatorship in the style of Sudan or Syria and its people are actually enjoying better lives in the of economic prosperity access to health and so on. They is accountability. Free elections must be enshrined in the Constitution and it must stated in such a way so that martial law can't be used to remove this freedom ala Pakistan.
There have been a lot of going ons in the Middle east,
Iraq and Afghanistan gone democratic. Very soon Lebanon will experience the same and there is talk that the mullahs of Iran and the dictators of Syrian will not last much longer. But ladies and gentlemen there is no denying the value of freedom and the power to choose one's own destiny but what I fear is a repeat of the former Soviet states scenario. They got their independence but their economies are busted and there are signs they are going back to their old Soviet leaders or people who emulate them. Going much farther back we can see a precedence in the independence of many African nations. They got independence and after tat it is pretty much down hill. What can we do to prevent this?
Iraq and Afghanistan gone democratic. Very soon Lebanon will experience the same and there is talk that the mullahs of Iran and the dictators of Syrian will not last much longer. But ladies and gentlemen there is no denying the value of freedom and the power to choose one's own destiny but what I fear is a repeat of the former Soviet states scenario. They got their independence but their economies are busted and there are signs they are going back to their old Soviet leaders or people who emulate them. Going much farther back we can see a precedence in the independence of many African nations. They got independence and after tat it is pretty much down hill. What can we do to prevent this?
22 Feb 2005
The UN has so much redundant agencies and so inefficient,
We need someone to clean it up. More money is spent on admin than helping it was design to help. Same with humanitarian organisations. Most of them fail to deliver. For example the eradication of polio is 7 years overdue! Now if Toyota is 7 years late in producing a new model it will go under. Many NGo's don't fulfill their purpose and yet they are still getting money. They should be treated like companies if they don't deliver they must be closed and money should go to the ones that are the most efficient and do the most number of good because at the end of the day we have finite resources and man-power and heck billions been poured into Africa and it is still a shit-hole.
So I am nominating Jack Welch to be the head of the UN. First off fire all the redundant staff, streamline the organisation, merge redundant agencies or subcontract the work to other agencies that can do a better job for a lower price, have reports like you would a in company and audits. Where does our money go? Jack Welch we need you.
We need someone to clean it up. More money is spent on admin than helping it was design to help. Same with humanitarian organisations. Most of them fail to deliver. For example the eradication of polio is 7 years overdue! Now if Toyota is 7 years late in producing a new model it will go under. Many NGo's don't fulfill their purpose and yet they are still getting money. They should be treated like companies if they don't deliver they must be closed and money should go to the ones that are the most efficient and do the most number of good because at the end of the day we have finite resources and man-power and heck billions been poured into Africa and it is still a shit-hole.
So I am nominating Jack Welch to be the head of the UN. First off fire all the redundant staff, streamline the organisation, merge redundant agencies or subcontract the work to other agencies that can do a better job for a lower price, have reports like you would a in company and audits. Where does our money go? Jack Welch we need you.
I read in the papers that Malaysia will have new procedures,
For entry into medical school. It includes an entry exam and considering extra-curricular activities as part of the points. I predict that it will degenerate into a farce as always. The point is whatever system they use it will be be discriminating against those who truly want to serve and favour those who 'point-hunters' or people whose teachers are willing to falsify their involvement in extra-curricular activities. Thus we have house captains who can hardly do any sports or any skills save doing well in studies. This is a fact of the Malaysian school system.
A better idea and an improvement over one I have earlier is having a pool of students with the top ten percent results and have write a thirty year plan of their careers and practise an market style in the selection. The student with the most attractive 30 year proposal will be selected and must sign a contract base on that 30 proposal. Just like a tender. No one will begrudge the kid with 90 points who is going to serve the rural areas for thirty year getting a place over the kid with 100 whose only passion is status and money.
prospective students will have to count the cost and we will know that there won't be any with some false idea of what entails and in the end we overcome the reluctance of most graduates to go to the rural areas. You can apply the same thing for scholarships and other fields of studies. It is a win-win situation. No one will complain about the system because it inherently favour future Nobel prize winners, saints, and renown humanitarians who are under no illusions the sacrifices they must make and of course the people get served. I am still waiting for a phone call from the Prime Minister.
For entry into medical school. It includes an entry exam and considering extra-curricular activities as part of the points. I predict that it will degenerate into a farce as always. The point is whatever system they use it will be be discriminating against those who truly want to serve and favour those who 'point-hunters' or people whose teachers are willing to falsify their involvement in extra-curricular activities. Thus we have house captains who can hardly do any sports or any skills save doing well in studies. This is a fact of the Malaysian school system.
A better idea and an improvement over one I have earlier is having a pool of students with the top ten percent results and have write a thirty year plan of their careers and practise an market style in the selection. The student with the most attractive 30 year proposal will be selected and must sign a contract base on that 30 proposal. Just like a tender. No one will begrudge the kid with 90 points who is going to serve the rural areas for thirty year getting a place over the kid with 100 whose only passion is status and money.
prospective students will have to count the cost and we will know that there won't be any with some false idea of what entails and in the end we overcome the reluctance of most graduates to go to the rural areas. You can apply the same thing for scholarships and other fields of studies. It is a win-win situation. No one will complain about the system because it inherently favour future Nobel prize winners, saints, and renown humanitarians who are under no illusions the sacrifices they must make and of course the people get served. I am still waiting for a phone call from the Prime Minister.
Imagine this hypothetical situation OK?
Some guy in the heart of Africa lost his family ala Job. He wishes he was dead and contemplates suicide. Very normal except I was thinking to myself what if this guy was one of the children I gave up everything to immunise so that he would not be another statistic and live old enough to have loved, be loved and fulfill the first command God give man and one that we are all hard-wired to obey. As I progress in this thought I experiment I find that I was very offended by this person and should his attempt succeed I am angry for I would've said to him that did not give up all that he had a chance to enjoy for him to throw his life away in this manner. If I can live without it and countless others why shouldn't he? Instead of he leaving for the sake let us not waste this tragedy and take it as they leaving it so you can pursue the Kingdom of God. Maybe in way now I understand the sarcastic tone of God's answer to Job.
To all married, engaged, and dating couples out there. Remember and sear into your head all this is temporary and so do not develop too deep an attachment for God has every right to take it away at any moment He so chooses. Yes love your wife as God commanded but know also she may be taken and prepare yourself so that you do not commit the sin of leaving God. You can be angry ike Job butk know that He is righteous.
Some guy in the heart of Africa lost his family ala Job. He wishes he was dead and contemplates suicide. Very normal except I was thinking to myself what if this guy was one of the children I gave up everything to immunise so that he would not be another statistic and live old enough to have loved, be loved and fulfill the first command God give man and one that we are all hard-wired to obey. As I progress in this thought I experiment I find that I was very offended by this person and should his attempt succeed I am angry for I would've said to him that did not give up all that he had a chance to enjoy for him to throw his life away in this manner. If I can live without it and countless others why shouldn't he? Instead of he leaving for the sake let us not waste this tragedy and take it as they leaving it so you can pursue the Kingdom of God. Maybe in way now I understand the sarcastic tone of God's answer to Job.
To all married, engaged, and dating couples out there. Remember and sear into your head all this is temporary and so do not develop too deep an attachment for God has every right to take it away at any moment He so chooses. Yes love your wife as God commanded but know also she may be taken and prepare yourself so that you do not commit the sin of leaving God. You can be angry ike Job butk know that He is righteous.
18 Feb 2005
Sometimes we continue to serve God even when it is hard,
Because we keep on telling ourselves in our head that is it is worth it. Nothing wrong with that but a sermon recently changed my paradigm and have implications on my life. Basically the sermon can be summed in this line ' don't serve God because it is worth it( whether in this life-doesn't happen most of the time- or in the next-that we have been guaranteed,) but because He is worthy.
There is a difference. So even I am imprisoned all my life and die a terrible death because of my service for God, I must continue to do so not because it is worth it but because He IS worthy. Of course God is not that cruel and after all the trash Job went through God made it worth it while but I think another lesson in Job can be no matter what God is still worthy to be served.
In my context, I know for sure that if I was to serve God with all my heart and go into the depths of the jungle to be a vessel of His love I will lose my chance to marry the girl of my dreams( quite literally), give up any chance of having a big family( the life of Livingstone and Carey, clearly demonstrate missions and family don't mix), while others can live my dream and live a life of poverty( not extreme but a tour of Europe would be out of reach). You know what? It is not worth it but He is worthy. Still I am hoping God will be nice and give me a wife that is willing to the field with me( that is all I ask and of course loads of kids), He might make it worth my while but if not who am I to complain for He is worthy.
Because we keep on telling ourselves in our head that is it is worth it. Nothing wrong with that but a sermon recently changed my paradigm and have implications on my life. Basically the sermon can be summed in this line ' don't serve God because it is worth it( whether in this life-doesn't happen most of the time- or in the next-that we have been guaranteed,) but because He is worthy.
There is a difference. So even I am imprisoned all my life and die a terrible death because of my service for God, I must continue to do so not because it is worth it but because He IS worthy. Of course God is not that cruel and after all the trash Job went through God made it worth it while but I think another lesson in Job can be no matter what God is still worthy to be served.
In my context, I know for sure that if I was to serve God with all my heart and go into the depths of the jungle to be a vessel of His love I will lose my chance to marry the girl of my dreams( quite literally), give up any chance of having a big family( the life of Livingstone and Carey, clearly demonstrate missions and family don't mix), while others can live my dream and live a life of poverty( not extreme but a tour of Europe would be out of reach). You know what? It is not worth it but He is worthy. Still I am hoping God will be nice and give me a wife that is willing to the field with me( that is all I ask and of course loads of kids), He might make it worth my while but if not who am I to complain for He is worthy.
16 Feb 2005
Well a hypothetical situation OK,
not so hypothetical because these people exist. X is super good-looking, so good-looking that in fact he models, he is a medical student in fact and also a top student, plays three different instruments very well, have life, visit old folks, orphans, goes to church..in short he has everything in life. Under normal circumstances a lot of people will envy X and instead enjoying their own lives they make miserable by comparing themsleves with X but that is not my point. Neither is the fact people spend their time looking for a chink so they can tear X down. Why do this to a Christians brother.
Friends these are all superficial. We may perceive that X has everything but deep down he is probably as insecure as the rest of us. By the way X's life can be cut short any moment. Look at the Lebanese billionaire and ex-prime minister. He is the top one hundred richest man in the world. He held the highest post in his country adn now he is just a corpse. Unfair maybe, but the fact in a race you don't look around to see others are doing because it will slow you down from your full potential.
not so hypothetical because these people exist. X is super good-looking, so good-looking that in fact he models, he is a medical student in fact and also a top student, plays three different instruments very well, have life, visit old folks, orphans, goes to church..in short he has everything in life. Under normal circumstances a lot of people will envy X and instead enjoying their own lives they make miserable by comparing themsleves with X but that is not my point. Neither is the fact people spend their time looking for a chink so they can tear X down. Why do this to a Christians brother.
Friends these are all superficial. We may perceive that X has everything but deep down he is probably as insecure as the rest of us. By the way X's life can be cut short any moment. Look at the Lebanese billionaire and ex-prime minister. He is the top one hundred richest man in the world. He held the highest post in his country adn now he is just a corpse. Unfair maybe, but the fact in a race you don't look around to see others are doing because it will slow you down from your full potential.
10 Feb 2005
I heard an interesting question the other day,
Someone asked is God's will linear i.e. that is will is we do that one thing and if we don't we are not in His will. I didn't answer that guy but it made me think and I can bravely say no.
When David conducted the census against God's command. God sent the prophet Nathan with a choice of threee punishment for David...three..had he chose either one....it would have been in fulfillment of God's will though they all have different consequences from the others.
This reminded of the fantasy adventure game books my brother used to read like the Lone Wolf Manakai. In it he is given the choices and they all have different consequences and will affect his quest but the choices and effects are determined by the author long before. Likewise I see God in the same position in His infinite wisdom He has mapped out all the choices and consequesnces so in effect He has pre-determined everything like the author..no one else can give input....yet the reader has the choice..so also we the beings with free-will...and the Bible is like the clue book or cheat book that provides the strategy so that you get the best results...not that you won't be scratch but with as much of your life-points and treasure as is possible.
Someone asked is God's will linear i.e. that is will is we do that one thing and if we don't we are not in His will. I didn't answer that guy but it made me think and I can bravely say no.
When David conducted the census against God's command. God sent the prophet Nathan with a choice of threee punishment for David...three..had he chose either one....it would have been in fulfillment of God's will though they all have different consequences from the others.
This reminded of the fantasy adventure game books my brother used to read like the Lone Wolf Manakai. In it he is given the choices and they all have different consequences and will affect his quest but the choices and effects are determined by the author long before. Likewise I see God in the same position in His infinite wisdom He has mapped out all the choices and consequesnces so in effect He has pre-determined everything like the author..no one else can give input....yet the reader has the choice..so also we the beings with free-will...and the Bible is like the clue book or cheat book that provides the strategy so that you get the best results...not that you won't be scratch but with as much of your life-points and treasure as is possible.
This is a quick one,
There are many questions as to whether God provided another paths of salvation. I don't think there are any except Jesus but I am sure that before Jesus He has send many to point to Him but except they sort of garbled up the message for Paul has said God did not leave Himself without a witness.
I am inclined to think that Guru Nanak the founder of Sikhism and Muhammad, founder of Islam did hear from God....they were from polytheistic societies and all the sudden they go monotheistic...however due to human nature and pride the message was diluted and polluted and in time to to peer pressure the 'prophet' doesn't speak as God speaks but out of their own heart or from what the masses think. Even Peter was a victim of this when he refuse to eat with the Gentiles. The difference though he repented they did not and the polluted message goes on today.
There are many questions as to whether God provided another paths of salvation. I don't think there are any except Jesus but I am sure that before Jesus He has send many to point to Him but except they sort of garbled up the message for Paul has said God did not leave Himself without a witness.
I am inclined to think that Guru Nanak the founder of Sikhism and Muhammad, founder of Islam did hear from God....they were from polytheistic societies and all the sudden they go monotheistic...however due to human nature and pride the message was diluted and polluted and in time to to peer pressure the 'prophet' doesn't speak as God speaks but out of their own heart or from what the masses think. Even Peter was a victim of this when he refuse to eat with the Gentiles. The difference though he repented they did not and the polluted message goes on today.
2 Feb 2005
It seems that I have more or less finish milking,
My current account of knowledge and experience for ideas and the ideas have been flowing slowly and they have only been elaborations of older ones. My theory of ideas is that inasmuch as we want to make good and informed ideas( any idiot can come up with ideas even good ones but to the extent we want consistency in giving good ideas that will stand the test of time is what I am talking about) we must have knowledge( which we gain by reading, going to lectures, seminars, conferences, reading journals, magazines listen to debates, reading commentaries), and experiences( talking to people, seeing things for yourself, living the life and understanding the culture which will open up new paradigms enabling new ways of thinking). Since coming to Ireland well I have gaining a bit of knowledge though not as much as I like in some of the fields I want to because namely I spend too much time literally waiting for e-mails and lots of experience coming to Ireland but there is only draw as much water as there are in the cistern when it is empty it is time to humble oneself and go own the pilgrimage of seeking again. So I guess I will be blogging less, e-mailing less and spend less time online and focus more on my knowledge and experience base. I will be back. Hopefully soon, fresher, more knowledgeable and wiser.
p.s. I still will blog rubbish from time to time to keep my page.
My current account of knowledge and experience for ideas and the ideas have been flowing slowly and they have only been elaborations of older ones. My theory of ideas is that inasmuch as we want to make good and informed ideas( any idiot can come up with ideas even good ones but to the extent we want consistency in giving good ideas that will stand the test of time is what I am talking about) we must have knowledge( which we gain by reading, going to lectures, seminars, conferences, reading journals, magazines listen to debates, reading commentaries), and experiences( talking to people, seeing things for yourself, living the life and understanding the culture which will open up new paradigms enabling new ways of thinking). Since coming to Ireland well I have gaining a bit of knowledge though not as much as I like in some of the fields I want to because namely I spend too much time literally waiting for e-mails and lots of experience coming to Ireland but there is only draw as much water as there are in the cistern when it is empty it is time to humble oneself and go own the pilgrimage of seeking again. So I guess I will be blogging less, e-mailing less and spend less time online and focus more on my knowledge and experience base. I will be back. Hopefully soon, fresher, more knowledgeable and wiser.
p.s. I still will blog rubbish from time to time to keep my page.
27 Jan 2005
Today is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz,
And today we choose to remember the 'Shoah'. We say never again and yet it is happening. we cannot keep our words. Oh, how fickle we are barely a month after the tsunami and it is already out of our consciousness. It is not that we should let us burden forever for death is such a common occurence. Look at the people who died in the train crash in California. They were probably pitying the tsunami victims and did their part little knowing their time came so soon.
We must a seek a balance be conscious but yet at the smae not let it drain the joy of our lives that we may appreciate which we have and they not. All men's life is but a slow march to his grave. Though he may resist and march he must and in he goes waiting to be reawaken or expecting never again. If go we must at least we as a brave. With music, fanfare like a band down the main.
And today we choose to remember the 'Shoah'. We say never again and yet it is happening. we cannot keep our words. Oh, how fickle we are barely a month after the tsunami and it is already out of our consciousness. It is not that we should let us burden forever for death is such a common occurence. Look at the people who died in the train crash in California. They were probably pitying the tsunami victims and did their part little knowing their time came so soon.
We must a seek a balance be conscious but yet at the smae not let it drain the joy of our lives that we may appreciate which we have and they not. All men's life is but a slow march to his grave. Though he may resist and march he must and in he goes waiting to be reawaken or expecting never again. If go we must at least we as a brave. With music, fanfare like a band down the main.
26 Jan 2005
This guy is a fellow lizard,
But I like his idea about stopping abortion. Here is the blog: http://wyattstorch.blogspot.com/2005/01/maternal-lien-real-world-solution-to.html however I amnot an economist so I can't really analyse the idea. Can someone do it for me and put the answer in my comment box?
But I like his idea about stopping abortion. Here is the blog: http://wyattstorch.blogspot.com/2005/01/maternal-lien-real-world-solution-to.html however I amnot an economist so I can't really analyse the idea. Can someone do it for me and put the answer in my comment box?
24 Jan 2005
People are really generous,
And I guess this should be the way but you know sometimes I ask why is the motive epople give? Is it to soothe their conscience? Like we all know that throwing money at anything has never sloved the world's problems. They are solved by people going in and doing the job on the ground.
I never really trusted all this impulse giving because you are just setting yourself up to be scammed and I can assure that there are plnty of opportunists out there. Hwy is everyone holding somekind tsunami fund-raiser? The worse would be the organisation of such an even costing more than the amount collected but I guess it happens. Some out of malicious intent, some people just naive.
But before you give this should at the back of your mind http://diplomadic.blogspot.com/ of course you should always get your sources from other places and not just one place but keep in mind that alot of the time alot of the funds don't reach the intended people.
And I guess this should be the way but you know sometimes I ask why is the motive epople give? Is it to soothe their conscience? Like we all know that throwing money at anything has never sloved the world's problems. They are solved by people going in and doing the job on the ground.
I never really trusted all this impulse giving because you are just setting yourself up to be scammed and I can assure that there are plnty of opportunists out there. Hwy is everyone holding somekind tsunami fund-raiser? The worse would be the organisation of such an even costing more than the amount collected but I guess it happens. Some out of malicious intent, some people just naive.
But before you give this should at the back of your mind http://diplomadic.blogspot.com/ of course you should always get your sources from other places and not just one place but keep in mind that alot of the time alot of the funds don't reach the intended people.
It is nice blogging again,
Once you get into the habit and overcome the block there is no limit except the closing hours of the computer lab and the start time for my lectures.
You know every year there are literally thousands of gadgets put out for people who have all our senses but what about the blind, the deaf and both?
For years we know that producing Braille books are expensive and heavy because of the need for thick paper. You can't expect blind people lugging all these books. You know all this talk about getting every child in Malaysia a alptop is pipe dream.
Why not instead of such an attainable goal an iPod with spoken word recording of major textbooks for blind children so that getting educated don't have to be so diffcult for them and draining on their parents parts. This is definitely cheaper and more feasible.
We have eBooks why not an eBraillebook? A tablet size thingie that has movable points that up and down to form the Braille letters that make up the page of a book. Since all the information can be recorded as either 1 or 0 you don't need super memory though you might need a bit more power to generate enough current to moce the plastic or rubber points up and down. At least many books can be fitted into one and there is no need to choose between lugging lods of heavies or stay at home. Give the blind a chance to experience the society which schools provide.
Once you get into the habit and overcome the block there is no limit except the closing hours of the computer lab and the start time for my lectures.
You know every year there are literally thousands of gadgets put out for people who have all our senses but what about the blind, the deaf and both?
For years we know that producing Braille books are expensive and heavy because of the need for thick paper. You can't expect blind people lugging all these books. You know all this talk about getting every child in Malaysia a alptop is pipe dream.
Why not instead of such an attainable goal an iPod with spoken word recording of major textbooks for blind children so that getting educated don't have to be so diffcult for them and draining on their parents parts. This is definitely cheaper and more feasible.
We have eBooks why not an eBraillebook? A tablet size thingie that has movable points that up and down to form the Braille letters that make up the page of a book. Since all the information can be recorded as either 1 or 0 you don't need super memory though you might need a bit more power to generate enough current to moce the plastic or rubber points up and down. At least many books can be fitted into one and there is no need to choose between lugging lods of heavies or stay at home. Give the blind a chance to experience the society which schools provide.
Some people are really funny,
Like really they are funny. ( With no disrespect to the victims of the tsunami)
A tsunami hits a Muslim nation the hardest. The Muslims take as sign and punishment that they were not devout and pious enough. The Christian far-away and is safe from all this loses faith.
I don't know but sometimes I fell all these Christians are like the ones growing among the weed. They couldn't care less about God on any given day and hardly read the Bible but yet are quick to denounce God as powerless when bad things happen.
Here is my stand. God is all-powerful and could have prevented the tsuanmi if He wanted to.
He didn't because in His infinite wisdom if would have been better if it happens. We cannot understand it and the factors that led to that judgement but it is consistent with His nature. That was the crux of God's answer to Job. Have you seen this or that and did you know? Then how can you question what had happened.
I believe in the butterfly effect that the flapping of a butterfly's wing in Africa will lead to a hurricane in America. Like in an earlier post where I put the story of man who spared Adolf Hitler's life to the detriment of millions of others. We can never understand the implications of even the smallest of our actions and reactions. We can only believe God has the best and make the best of a situation and react as Jesus would in giving assistance.
If you think I am a cop-out then so be it.
Like really they are funny. ( With no disrespect to the victims of the tsunami)
A tsunami hits a Muslim nation the hardest. The Muslims take as sign and punishment that they were not devout and pious enough. The Christian far-away and is safe from all this loses faith.
I don't know but sometimes I fell all these Christians are like the ones growing among the weed. They couldn't care less about God on any given day and hardly read the Bible but yet are quick to denounce God as powerless when bad things happen.
Here is my stand. God is all-powerful and could have prevented the tsuanmi if He wanted to.
He didn't because in His infinite wisdom if would have been better if it happens. We cannot understand it and the factors that led to that judgement but it is consistent with His nature. That was the crux of God's answer to Job. Have you seen this or that and did you know? Then how can you question what had happened.
I believe in the butterfly effect that the flapping of a butterfly's wing in Africa will lead to a hurricane in America. Like in an earlier post where I put the story of man who spared Adolf Hitler's life to the detriment of millions of others. We can never understand the implications of even the smallest of our actions and reactions. We can only believe God has the best and make the best of a situation and react as Jesus would in giving assistance.
If you think I am a cop-out then so be it.
A body in motion tends to stay in motion,
A body at rest tends to stay at rest. A blogger who blogs tends to stay blogging and one who don't will leave theirs unattended for months until prodded to do so.
Yeah from now on I will restrain myself from over-long posts that few will have the patience to read through so I will be experimenting with shorter posts that I tried earlier but abandoned.
The following is an article concerning Roe vs. Wade and also gives a nice summary of the case.
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=6364
A body at rest tends to stay at rest. A blogger who blogs tends to stay blogging and one who don't will leave theirs unattended for months until prodded to do so.
Yeah from now on I will restrain myself from over-long posts that few will have the patience to read through so I will be experimenting with shorter posts that I tried earlier but abandoned.
The following is an article concerning Roe vs. Wade and also gives a nice summary of the case.
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=6364
12 Jan 2005
It is almost certain that when Spetember 11 happened,
Some Achenese was reaing about it in the news and pitying all who died little did he know that 3 years later on Decmber 26th he would be the object of pity for either he died or lost everything. People die everyday of unnatural deaths...fire, accidents, poisoning,acts of God...and yet they escape our notice save for a short mention in the papers.
This is not to denigrate the suffering of the tsunami victims but it so happened that God allow the Angel Of Death to harvest so many souls at the same time that somehow it moves us to part money, time, effort and prayer but even everyday someone dies of a heart attack..we don't notice or donate anything..but he may leave behind widow, orphans struggling to survive....people are still dying in Sudan and all parts of the world lest we forget..now we must not and even after the tsunami of 2004 is forgotten like the Bangladeshi cyclone of 1991 and other disasters..we must always be acutely aware that this im-perfect world will not find true peace until the Prince of Peace is King and all is His footstool..to imagine that there willl be utopia is naive...after this we must be ready for the next big one..it WILL happen...don't be shocked..though man is expert are forgetting unpleasant memories.
Some Achenese was reaing about it in the news and pitying all who died little did he know that 3 years later on Decmber 26th he would be the object of pity for either he died or lost everything. People die everyday of unnatural deaths...fire, accidents, poisoning,acts of God...and yet they escape our notice save for a short mention in the papers.
This is not to denigrate the suffering of the tsunami victims but it so happened that God allow the Angel Of Death to harvest so many souls at the same time that somehow it moves us to part money, time, effort and prayer but even everyday someone dies of a heart attack..we don't notice or donate anything..but he may leave behind widow, orphans struggling to survive....people are still dying in Sudan and all parts of the world lest we forget..now we must not and even after the tsunami of 2004 is forgotten like the Bangladeshi cyclone of 1991 and other disasters..we must always be acutely aware that this im-perfect world will not find true peace until the Prince of Peace is King and all is His footstool..to imagine that there willl be utopia is naive...after this we must be ready for the next big one..it WILL happen...don't be shocked..though man is expert are forgetting unpleasant memories.
11 Jan 2005
I am back after a quite long hiatus due to exams and holidays,
A word about the tsunami since everyone has an opinion. In a way the many foreigners were like me, going on a holiday. I went to the UK. Except the UK wasn't swept by a tsunami but I can imagine just like me before their eagerly awaited trip they were telling their friends excitedly about it not knowing that they will meet their doom. It could've have happen to me.
On a tragic note it is quite ironic that I do not know anyone personally who was affected but a church friend from Switzerland knows a friend from home who was missing and presumed dead. She was upset. I don't know but to be found dead would've been much better for at least it gives some closure rather than a nagging feeling that that person might be still alive. Witness the families of Missing In Action troops in Vietnam. They are still clinging to the hope that these soldiers are still alive.
A word about the tsunami since everyone has an opinion. In a way the many foreigners were like me, going on a holiday. I went to the UK. Except the UK wasn't swept by a tsunami but I can imagine just like me before their eagerly awaited trip they were telling their friends excitedly about it not knowing that they will meet their doom. It could've have happen to me.
On a tragic note it is quite ironic that I do not know anyone personally who was affected but a church friend from Switzerland knows a friend from home who was missing and presumed dead. She was upset. I don't know but to be found dead would've been much better for at least it gives some closure rather than a nagging feeling that that person might be still alive. Witness the families of Missing In Action troops in Vietnam. They are still clinging to the hope that these soldiers are still alive.
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