Archive for January, 2007

—-

Jan 31, 2007 in My Shout Outs

I have been reading up on the call to ban cats and dogs in hdb flats, citing reasons such as filth, noise, and that flats are meant for humans and not animals.

– Mr Peter Kuan’s letter, ‘Why HDB should ban cat and dog ownership in flats’ (Online forum, Jan 25), had given many seemingly logical reasons to support the current ban on cat ownership in HDB flats. However, on close scrutiny, one can see that these ‘reasons’ are just the biases of a person who does not like animals.

Firstly, the so-called problems are all caused by humans. Dogs and cats all defecate in the same manner, that is, tell them where and they’ll do it. If the owner tells the dog to defecate at the common areas and refuse to pick up after his dog, is it the fault of the dog or the owner? Also, animal welfare groups in Singapore have been calling for neutering as part of responsible pet ownership. Territory-marking, or spraying, is usually done by unneutered animals.

As for the noise and smell issues, having noise around us is part and parcel of HDB living. I have grown up to the noise of babies crying, toddlers screaming their lungs out and the noise of a child being caned for naughty deeds. One thing I’m sure is the decibel of a baby’s cry is definitely much higher than that of a dog’s bark. Also, the smell is caused by irresponsible owners, not the animal. Imagine not washing your toilet for a week, I’m sure it’ll smell as bad. The case quoted by Mr Kuan is a good illustration of how problems are caused by irresponsible pet owners.

It is official that Singapore is rabies-free, so I am not very sure how Mr Kuan came to the conclusion of ‘dog-bite = rabies’. I have been living with cats for many years and despite the voluminous research I have done, I can find only one disease that can be passed on by a cat to a human being – by way of consuming the faeces.

On the other hand, my research also yielded dozens of reports in scientific journals pointing to the advantages of having pets in a household, especially those with children or the elderly. Pets can teach social skills to children, reduce the blood pressure of working adults and provide company to the elderly who are often alone at home.

Coming to the point of animal abusers, all abused animals are strays without a home. The reason why they are without a home is that HDB’s ruling says that no cats are allowed in HDB flats. If HDB relaxes the ruling and allow one cat per household, I believe the number of stray cats available to animal abusers will be greatly reduced and we will see a huge decrease in animal-abuse cases.

I would like to appeal to HDB to consider relaxing the ruling on cats and come up with a full set of dos and don’ts of cat-ownership in HDB. A few suggestions will be to make sterilisation mandatory and the cat should not be allowed to roam outside the unit. My cats are already part of my life, and my parents treat them like their grandchildren. Do you really want to take my family apart?

While I agree with the writer on some points, I wonder if he missed out on certain points. A pet is not just another animal. Many have considered their pets as their own family members. It is proven that animals can also provide good therapy to the depressed and elderly. It lightens their mood considerably. There is this dog that goes on its rounds led by an organization to different old folk’s home once a week. You can see how their faces light up when the dog’s brought to them.

In China, new laws restrict the ownership of dogs. I see it as a never ending cycle. If dogs are banned cause of their noise and filth (which I dispute!) then cats are next, how bout hamsters? Sure they don’t run around like cats do, but then again are cats and dogs really let out on their own anyway? They are all confined in their own space right? Dog or hamster, what is the difference? If you say dogs are noisy, then what about crying babies? With all due respect, I think they make the most noise, especially in the middle of the night. So what if they are ‘humans’? Is it not a family member? Is my dog not a family member then? My dog may not be to my neighbours, but their baby isn’t my family member either. Do I have the right to complain then?

So you see, the chain reaction is endless with one dumb ruling. This is something I learnt at work too. Take the MRT carriages. Some asked for a all ladies’ carriage. Sooner or later people will ask one for the elderly, for those with small kids. And whoever said we will abide by the rules? I don’t think we will. The way we think? “I pay for my MRT ride. She also pays for the MRT ride. Why must she have special services just cause she is female?”

The debate is endless when it comes to gender equality. I have written about condemning women who ask for equality but insist on ‘women’s rights’ too. This is pure rubbish. MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

Using the law to discipline citizens isn’t going to work for everything. If I keep a pet, I will try my best to ensure my neighbours are not inconvenienced. Of course people who abuse such privileges should bear the consequences. Why hurt the vast majority over the doings of a minority? Making a mountain out of a molehill indeed.

No wonder people say we are a city of complaints. We must have rules to everything. Like hello? Processes are dead, humans are alive. If we have to live by rules on everything we do, we are just at best, one notch better than a robot taking instructions from codes written on a computer.

—-

Jan 31, 2007 in My Shout Outs

Living my tai tai life as I am on medical leave till next week. Not too bad at all since I can prance around after 1 day *grins*

A tai tai life indeed, watching Making Miracles on mobtv. That serial will be telecasted in March but I have almost finished the whole 20 episodes now. I vote a ‘yes’ as one of quality.

Gotta rearrange my music for the jamming session too, so quite a lot of work to be done at home too!

I wanna check out Brewerkz soon. They look like they have delicious offerings and great beer! :P

—-

Jan 29, 2007 in My Shout Outs

I was looking at birthday attacks in relation to computer security and came across the Birthday paradox.

Simply put, this is what it says:

In probability theory, the birthday paradox states that given a group of 23 (or more) randomly chosen people, the probability is more than 50% that at least two of them will have the same birthday. For 60 or more people, the probability is greater than 99%, although it cannot actually be 100% unless there are at least 366 people.[1] This is not a paradox in the sense of leading to a logical contradiction; it is described as a paradox because mathematical truth contradicts naïve intuition: most people estimate that the chance is much lower than 50%. Calculating this probability (and related ones) is the birthday problem.

I tried to absorb as much logic and mathematical information about the paradox but failed to do so. Gave up after a few minutes. Not something I want to do on a lousy monday morning. But if you are interested, here’s the URL : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_paradox

—-

Jan 26, 2007 in My Shout Outs

I agree with the blog entry written in the article below. A false sense of security is one of the worst, if not the worst position an end user can ever be. There are flaws in systems and security and unless these are ‘patched’ we may just be making things worse. As it is, users are already clicking ‘next’ and ‘ok’ on error and warning alerts (when was the last time you clicked ‘ok to continue’ on a browser? Not very long ago I believe) and these warnings may be legit warnings but are written so poorly the average security professional does not know the reasons behind the message, let alone a non-technical end user. He or she will just click ‘ok’ to get on with what they set out to do. And crimminals are capitalizing on this trend. Jut ONE of the infinite trends happening in the world..


JANUARY 25, 2007 | Cybertrust today launched its Extended Validation SSL certificate offering, joining VeriSign and other certificate authorities in supporting the new browser security standard. But some experts are still skeptical that the emerging specification will really hinder serious hackers.

EV SSL, developed by a forum of major certification authorities, is designed to reduce phishing and Website spoofing by allowing legitimate sites to be cleared through a security screening process. If a site is certified via EV SSL, its address will show up in green on newer browsers such as Microsoft’s IE Version 7, reassuring the user that the site is safe to surf.

Cybertrust is offering an implementation of EV SSL that automatically extends to IE 7 running on Windows XP, making it possible for users with the most current Windows software to see the green IE toolbar when EV SSL is present, just as they do with SSL’s lock-and-key icon.

“Cybertrust EV SSL certificates are one of the biggest improvements in the ability of businesses to create trust online, as users receive confirmation of their identity,” says Stijn Bijnens, senior VP for identity management at Cybertrust.

Cybertrust’s chief rival, VeriSign, unveiled its EV SSL offering last month, but the IE 7 browser recognition wasn’t available yet. VeriSign is expected to announce that capability early next month.

One of the first companies to embrace EV SSL was Overstock.com, a large online retailer, which is using VeriSign’s implementation. “When customers see the green browser bar and trusted VeriSign Secured Seal on our site, they can be confident that their online transactions are secure,” said Jacob Hawkins, senior vice president of marketing at Overstock.com.

But as retailers and certificate authorities hailed the arrival of EV SSL and IE 7 as a major step toward safer Web surfing, some experts were a bit more dubious. One of the most articulate arguments comes from the blog of Mike Sutton, security evangelist at SPI Dynamics, a Web application security provider.

“Overall, EV SSL certificates are based on the assumption that criminals would not qualify or be willing to apply for the certificates. That second assumption can be written off immediately,” Sutton writes. “Given that millions of dollars are available to phishers, criminals are already willing to go to great lengths to further their crimes. If criminals will hire hackers to write custom exploits, they’ll certainly try to obtain the certificates if it will help ‘business.’”

To qualify for an EV SSL certification, an entity must only provide proof of incorporation and a physical business address, Sutton observes.

“This approach mistakenly assumes that a legal entity is somehow a trustworthy entity. Incorporating a company is not a difficult task. It can be done online for a few hundred dollars and it’s a paperwork exercise, not a lie detector test,” Sutton writes. “Requiring that only legal entities can obtain EV SSL certificates will only deter small time criminals and it will punish legitimate small businesses that would not qualify to receive them.”

In the end, Sutton writes, “the two entities that will benefit from EV SSL certificates are CAs [certificate authorities] and criminals. CAs will make more money, as they now have a more expensive product to sell. At the same time, organized and motivated criminals can now obtain a seal of approval to make their operations appear legitimate. End users, on the other hand, will receive a false sense of security which will lead to further confusion about the security provided by SSL certificates.”

—-

Jan 25, 2007 in My Shout Outs

Am into the 5th episode of Making Miracles (I stand corrected from my post below).

I love the serial! It is so my kinda shows. Doctors. Issues. Money. Life.

Speaking bout doctors, my colleagues and I were bitching about new courses in poly and how we wished we weren’t born so early. I was bitching bout the new diploma in vet science from temasek poly. If I took it, perhaps I might have a fighting chance of getting into vet school. *sigh*

But the best part of it all? My team lead (i nickname her winnie) wanted to be a vet too! She didn’t wanna be a doctor, but wanted to be a vet specifically. Like me!

—-

Jan 22, 2007 in My Shout Outs

How accurate is the analysis? Mine is like 50%. But then again, it is hard to say. hmm…

Aries Employee Profile (march 21 – april 19) Aries employees make
excellent troubleshooters.They’ll usually want to be out in the field
at a variety of different work sites fixing things. They certainly
won’t be happy for very long behind a desk in a 9 to 5 schedule.
The bored Aries employee who has been forced into a square hole will
typically be restless, angry, and careless with details. No amount of
money would compensate for being stuck in a routine job. Money in fact
isn’t why they are working at all. They do want to be paid fairly and
need a status position to satisfy their competitive tendencies but even
more importantly, they’ll want challenging new projects . They
typically like to have a sense of responsibility and need to feel
needed. In return, they’ll give their all and provide detailed,
consistent work. They will literally work themselves to exhaustion to
prove themselves. If you want to keep your Aries co-worker productive
and happy, you’ll want to give them the opportunity to work
independently or let them help and lead less experienced workers.

Taurus Employee Profile (april 20 – may 20) Taureans make some of the
best employees. They are loyal, hardworking, and no-nonsense. They work
methodically and follow projects through until they are complete. Some
may appear to work a little too slowly-usually because they are so
careful-but they will always finish what they start. They thrive on
structure, schedules, and routine. You’ll find them doing the same
exact thing at the same time every day. Taureans, however, are not
exactly the malleable workers that they often appear to be. If they have
to work in a chaotic environment, they won’t be happy and will be prone
to child-like temper tantrums and stubbornness. They might react
similarly if they have to work around ignorant people or at a job where
there is no obvious potential for advancement. Taureans will be very
unhappy if there isn’t a ladder for them to climb. Even in the worst
situations, they will find a way to advance slowly, winning over the
most difficult people who may stand in their way of progress. Taurus
employees will only take so much patiently and happily before they feel
they are being taken advantage of. They will gladly accept orders and
do whatever dirty work needs to get done, but they expect rewards. They
want material gain, salary increases, and the potential for more power.
To make your Taurus employees happy, be sure to give them projects
through which they will see tangible results-hopefully something that
will allow them to express their unique creativity in addition to their
practical side. They don’t want to feel mired in details for long
periods of time. Make sure to schedule regular performance and salary
reviews. This show of respect should keep them loyal to the company.

Gemini Employee Profile (may 21 – june 21) Gemini employees can have
difficulty concentrating on one thing for long periods of time. They
have quick-moving minds and love to talk and communicate their ideas
with others. They thrive on social interaction even if their jobs don’t
particularly support it. You’ll be able to find them wandering from
desk to desk gossiping about all the sordid news in the office. They
can be powerful persuaders in their speech and make ideal salespeople
and mediators. They love to negotiate and can work out the best Deal
for everyone involved. When properly stimulated, they can manage to
keep their wandering mind focused and actually be quite productive.
When they are bored, bogged down with mundane detail-work, or forced to
work with people who they consider droll, they can become mean-spirited
and gossipy. Their moods can fluctuate vastly day to day, as well as
their productivity . It is really against their nature to be forced
into an average workday schedule and environment. They are happier
travelling. lf they are in an office they will need constant new
stimulation. Most will be wanting advancement if they see this as a way
to escape the limitations of their jobs. This can motivate them to put
extra effort into their job.
If you work with a Gemini, try to avoid getting into any debates with
them. They will surely win and it could end in some hard feelings on
your part. They will need an accepting environment-one that supports
their need for multi-tasking.

Cancer Employee Profile (june 22 – july 21) The Cancer employee isn’t
at work to feed their ego . Their job is just a job and a means to get
paid. They work steadily and are usually very reliable. You’ll be able
to depend on them to show up on time and do what is necessary. They
won’t get involved in power struggles or get upset when someone
advances before them. They are able to accept the situation because
they see it simply as a rung on the ladder up. Their motivation is
security. They’ll want more money the longer they’ve stayed at a job.
They don’t want to have to worry about how they’ll make ends meet
tomorrow so they’ll need a stable position without much risk. Cancerian
workers can slip into some dark moods on occasion. During these periods
productivity tends to drop as well as everyone else’s in the office.
Thei r! moods can be so strong everyone becomes affected. To avoid the
frequency of these occurrences, managers and co-workers s hould try to
make the work environment as homey as possible-keep it well heated,
cozy, and friendly.
Don’t press them to reveal their true inner thoughts-their tendency is
to be secretive and protective, and they could see prying as an attempt
to disturb their security.

Leo Employee Profile (july 22 – august 21) Leo workers want to be
first and at the center of the office. Even if they can’t lead, they’ll
look for every opportunity to increase their own status and if someone
else seems ahead of them, look out. They will make it clear that they
aren’t happy by pouting and complaining. They want advancement so much
that they’ll take on more responsibility and carry a heavier load than
anyone else does in the office. And they are self-promoters. It is
likely that they are telling everyone in the office what a great job
they are doing as well as giving everyone unwanted advice. They know
they are superior and want everyone to know it as well.
This arrogance can sometimes cause problems when working with
management.
But typically, they are just hard workers out to demonstrate just how
good they really are. They thrive in sales positions. They can promote
a product or company just as well as they promote themselves. Their
strength and arrogance isn’t just show either. In a crisis situation,
Leos really demonstrate their true courage. Leos want to lead and will
be pushing for more responsibility and rewards. They are happy to train
and mentor new co -workers as they enjoy giving advice and being in
positions of authority.
If you are trying to manage a Leo employee, you’ll need to give them
plenty of praise, responsibility, and independence. They will certainly
want to help lighten your load of management responsibilities. Just be
careful the next thing you know they could be taking over your job.

Virgo Employee Profile (august 22 – september 22) In the right
situations Virgos love to work. They make ideal employees, happily
working late into the night to make sure everything is perfect and in
order. If you are looking for an employee who doesn’t mind starting
from rock bottom in the most entry level position at the company, hire a
Virgo. They’ll have no complaints about the position being beneath them.
They are CONTENT with basic, honest hard work. Their contentment isn’t
always apparent, however. They love to complain and worry. They are
quick to criticize the way things are done around the office and are
the first ones to grumble disapprovingly at what they consider to be
extravagance or laziness. They are blunt and honest and don’t mince
words over what they feel just isn’t right. Usually, this will be
brought on by someone doing a half baked job or not being considerate
of other co-workers. You’ll want to constantly reassure them, but this
will do little to quell their anxieties. They actually enjoy worrying,
and there is little you can do about it. Just give them a detail
oriented project and let them work alone on it. You won’t have to
supervise a Virgo worker. They’ll check all the facts before getting
started and catch their own errors when they are done. To keep a Virgo
employee happy, you should also make sure their environment is orderly
and calm. You should also provide small gestures of appreciation. They
don’t need extravagance, just let them know you appreciate them in
small ways that won’t embarrass them. They will probably just shrug
their shoulders and say, “It’s no big deal.” But deep down inside they
need these little reassurances.

Libra Employee Profile (september 23 – october 22) Libra employees are
detailed, dedicated workers with sensitive natures.
Managers and co-workers sometimes find them difficult to get a handle
on.
They pick up the energy of the office and are unable to prevent it from
affecting them. Loud noise, flashy colors, and discordant vibrations
will put them off so much that they will have difficulty fulfilling
their obligations at work. One day they may seem like the most bright,
hardworking, ambitious employee around. The next day they might be down,
irritated, and unable to produce. Co-workers shouldn’t fret when Libra
employees are in a dark mood. It really won’t last, as a happy state of
mind can come over them just as quickly. When Libra employees are in a
balanced frame of mind, they can be a powerful presence at work . They
have a way of gracing everything they touch. Underneath that mess of
moods, they really are basically happy and stable people. They are
capable of profound logical thought and evaluate all sides of a
situation before acting. They are one of the most intelligent signs
around. They are expert researchers and mediators. And their
sensitivity to their environment makes them naturals at keeping things
looking gr eat. They will easily help others resolve conflicts and can
act as a go between with workers and management so that everyone ends
up happy. If you want to keep your Libran worker smiling, give them the
respect they are due and put them in a position where they can project
their great charm and diplomacy. They won’t be CONTENT to take orders
for very long, either make sure they are given increased
responsibility.

Scorpio Employee Profile (october 23 – november 21) Scorpio employees
usually exude a quiet self-confidence. They are self-sufficient and do
not depend on others for a sense of self worth.
They keep their private life separate from work and take complete
responsibility for their actions and their situation. They don’t make
excuses; they just take care of business and expect everyone else to do
the same. Those who don’t, co-workers and managers will have to endure
the Scorpio wrath. They don’t mind being completely vocal about what
they feel is wrong with any given situation. And if you tread on their
fire be sure to expect retaliation. They won’t take insults or
opposition lying down. If you manage a Scorpio employee, be sure to
follow through with your word and don’t break any promises . Scorpio is
keeping track and building up some heavy resentments against you if you
do. You may not even be aware of it until too late-but when Scorpio
gets too m uch, you’ll be sure to know. Scorpio employees will react
towards those around them exactly as they are treated. When they get
what they want, they will be very accepting. If you are trying to work
with or motivate a Scorpio co-worker, be sure to treat them
respectfully and act professionally. Give them challenging work that
allows them to utilize their awesome self-confidence and courage.

Sagittarius Employee Profile (november 22 – december 21) The
Sagittarian employee is head strong, cheerful, and willing to help.
They exude self-confidence and take on tasks like there’s no tomorrow.
They are willing to tackle even the toughest of projects as long as it
is challenging and gets them out of the routine. Lucky for them, their
shining personalities and honest enthusiasm seem like a bright spot in
the office otherwise co-workers might begin to build animosity towards
someone so arrogant and extravagant. Their tendency to exaggerate and
take on more then they can handle usually results in missed deadlines
and dropping the ball not because they are lazy of procrastinate, but
because their enthusiasm just gets the better of them sometimes. Don’t
let their non chalance fool you. They really do care about what they a
re doing.
They just have an easy going attitude that allows them to keep on
smiling even when they just messed up big time. Just because they are
flexible and easy going doesn’t mean they won’t tell you exactly how
they feel what is working for them and what isn’t. And they won’t just
blindly take orders.
They need to understand the method and reason behind the process. If
you are trying to motivate your Sagittarian employee, be sure to feed
them plenty of challenging new projects and hint that some business
trips might be on the horizon once deadlines are met. And whatever you
do, try not to question their intentions . It is the quickest way to
make them upset.
They aren’t capable of deceit.

Capricorn Employee Profile (december 22 – january 20) A Capricorn
employee with too much to do is a happy worker. They need plenty of
projects and responsibility. There is no sadder sight than a Capricorn
worker without a sense of responsibility. They need to be needed. They
are covertly ambitious usually not flashy or obvious about it but you
will usually know that they are serious and determined about advancing
themselves. They are completely scrupulous, so much so that they can be
self disparaging. But they are no pushovers. They can wear down even
the toughest customers. Their persistence is incredible. Once they set
their sights on a goal, they work away at it until the bitter end
whether the goal be that hard sell or the new hardware release.
Capricorns don’t work for free, however. They expect to be paid
handsomely and be given more and more responsibility. They need to come
out ahead of the pack in the end, and they see the work environment as
their primary vehicle. They won’t go in for the typical office gossip
and politics, though. They want to get down to business at work and see
it as no place for fooling around. With a strong sense of duty and
respect towards their superiors, it is rare they will join in on boss
bashing or knocking the system. They can get frustrated, however, with
blue sky management schemes that lack common sense, and they will
interject their dry sense of humor in the most critical ways. If they
want change, they will be unyielding.
If all their effort leads to naught the result will be deep moods of
darkness and depression with a sense of hopelessness. Keep your
Capricorn employee happy by paying them fairly and giving them plenty
of hard work.
Arrange for a path of advancement within your organization for them. If
you don’t, you might find them looking for o! ther opportunities.

Aquarius Employee Profile (january 21 – february 19) The Aquarius
employee can’t tolerate unfairness in the office. Hair brained schemes
will get the positive attention they deserve if an Aquarian has
anything to do with it. They’ll try to help everyone see the good side
of a bad situation if it’s the last thing that they do. They are so
smart . They can’t help but hold management in disdain if they feel
that they are being unfair and unintelligent. It isn’t that they are
overly ambitious and think they could be doing a better job just that
they think people in power should know better. Most Aquarius workers
are still looking for themselves and will want to try their hand at a
variety of jobs in the workplace. Whatever they are doing, they will do
conscientiously. They usually have strict personal codes that include a
strong work ethic. Their bright, off beat intelligence, and
trustworthiness will typically gain them many friends-in and out of
work.
Beneath that sometimes odd ball behavior is solid, concrete thinking
and sensitivity to co-workers. Keep your smart Aquarius co-worker happy
by giving them plenty of opportunity to learn news kills. Raises are
less important to them. No amount of money will make it worth their
while to stay in a stagnant position. Don’t let them get too bored or
they will simply find another job as easily as they found this
one-their genius is easy to spot.

Pisces Employee Profile (february 20 – march 20) The Pisces employee
can be a loyal and hard working, if unconventional, worker. In the
right position, they are able to keep their daydreams in check and
buckle down on the detail work giving their all to the boss and
corporation whom they feel are worthy of devotion. On the flip side,
there is no image of extreme misery like that of an ill placed Pisces
worker.
They will act as though their cubicle were a prison cell as they
daydream of their own business or next vacation. Unhappy Pisces workers
usually won’t stick around too long. Often Pisceans will drift from one
job to another looking for that ideal environment to which they will be
able to commit and feel a sense of purpose. And if things are going in
a bad direction at the office, Pisces will be the first to sense it.
They’d rather pick up and leave then wait until the problem reaches a
head.
Pisces are often misunderstood by their co-workers. Typically timid and
introspective, they usually keep their true nature hidden, for fear it
wouldn’t fit with the corporate culture. What motivates a Pisces
employee to not only stick around but also excel . Try compliments. And
show them how their work impacts the entire organization. They need to
know that what they are doing is worth something on a grander scale.
Acceptance of their unconventional organization and planning will be
necessary. Just because their sales report isn’t in the typical format
doesn’t mean it is any less effective. Keep their environment bright
and upbeat; and an after-work cocktail wouldn’t hurt.

—-

Jan 22, 2007 in My Shout Outs

Geez I have always dreaded Monday mornings. Today is a classic example. People are on MC. The weather was warm. The bus was full. I was running late. Yada yada.. you get the drill.

Theoretically one should wake up a little earlier, put on some nice music and take one’s time getting ready for work. Waking up and rushing through everything would put one in a lousy mood usually. Would it not? At least for me.

A ‘tai tai’ life I was living all weekend. In the past tai tais would borrow video tapes of drama serials and all to watch. We’re a tad bit more hi-tech these days. I download serials to watch! From the current PCK, to the yet-to-be released Miracle of Life (or something like that), it occupied me all weekend long.

The new drama starring Darren Lim, Fann Wong and Terrance Cao revolves around life as doctors. Along the way, they grapple with issues on ethics, doing what is right while battling relationship issues. In the first 2 episodes alone there were so many issues uncovered. Should a hospital turn away a patient cause he was unable to foot the deposit?

If you found out your child was suffering from lukemia, and then realised he is not your real son, what would you do? You’ll hunt for his real parents based on hospital records as a bone marrow transplant can only be done if the bone marrow matches. Usually only family members are suitable for the transplant, so what do you do? Dig up the real biological parents of the boy, chance upon THEIR boy who is probably YOUR child bioogically. How do you deal with that?

Should a doctor help attach a severed arm of a ganster, only to see that same attached arm attack another person out of revenge? Ethics, morals and emotions are dealt with. Very good I felt. Worth the watch.

*yawn* What a sleepy and slow day. I need lunch. I’m hungry. grrr…

I can expect another 2 weeks of life as a tai tai during surgery recovery. But knowing myself, I’ll get bored of it soon enough and head out, bleeding wound and all aint gonna stop me. :P

—-

Jan 18, 2007 in My Shout Outs

And so the surgery date has been set. Saw my surgeon and anesthetist and everything is in order. Work wise, have considered everything so it should be all good. I can work on my reports while on MC at home. Don’t really require much movement in doing reports..

Conversing with my epal at work. Rhonda lives in Iowa, USA under the same company of course. She sent me an email a long time ago that was meant for another Mark Lee (it still happens today, from other people!) and I replied her informing her of the error and we began talking since then. She is really cool! :P

And we were on the topic of divorce and all. Without going into details, I was telling her indeed the girls just have to know a divorce does not imply that the parents do not love their kids anymore. It sounds like an obvious ‘duh’ but I can tell you, if one can understand that, than one is old enough to handle the whole thing. You see, as a kid I never really understood why. I had to come to conclusions, made assumptions, go through everything alone. It is quite terrifying to go through something which you don’t have the vocab to express.

If you ask me if it is easier going through such unfortunate events as a kid or as a grown up, I’d say a kid is harder. Unfortunately that is how things go too so a lot of parents wait till their children are older before getting a divorce. It is probably a good thing. For one, it gives them time to see if they can work out their relationship. May succeed, may fail. It is never a pleasant event to go through, but many a times it is for the best. Unfortunately and fortunately. We don’t want to see a blood soaked room.. A crime scene of a gross murder. A crime of passion.

—-

Jan 15, 2007 in My Shout Outs

Another person close in my circle is facing another parental seperation.

My initial reaction? “Oh well here we go again.”

I have grown used to the fact that that’s a way of life somehow. It is not if it will happen but rather, when it will.

The difference between a child and an adult going through a parental divorce can be quite different. Which one is harder? I can’t say for sure. Wait hang on, maybe I can.

As a child, alone with nothing more than my blanket for comfort, I saw cover ups. What happened was never really explained to me then. I was left to watch, assume and conclude. I grew resentful that people treated me as if I was blind and stupid, that I couldn’t see what was happening around me. All that to protect me? That is nonsense. Kids know a lot more, and can understand a lot more if things were explained to them, thank you very much. At least, that is how I am. As long as I am reasoned with I am good. It didnt’ come from me. That’s from my paternal grandma who took care of me most of the time. I did enjoy that period of time I was with her and dreaded the nights when I had to go ‘home’. I hated home. And I still do. The only place it seems that I could call my own was my bed, with my comforter (a blanket that was with me since I was 2 or 3). For the following 20 years, it was with me. It saw me grow up. It understood me. It carried many of my tears, blood, and even pee (I was still a toddler at 2).

Honestly I have grown sick of a lot of things a long time ago. I gave my mom and all one last chance. I took up this homo issue and all. They gave the MOST ridiculous opinion IN MY LIFE. I talked about it here before so go dig it out.. I shan’t repeat it cause it is absolutely STUPID.

That whole talk, that whole night sealed our fate forever. A lot was at stake. To embrace or to stray. It resulted in my shutting them out of my life more than ever. Their appearances simply irk me. Their ‘noise’ drives me up the wall. My darling has NO idea how much I want out of there. I want it out more than a zillion times than he does. But he won’t know..

Now, if this pair were to seperate, honestly, I don’t really give a damn. As a matter of fact, you have one stubborn woman and one egoistic man with stupid ideas, what do you expect out of it? Something good? Prove me wrong.

Whoever said homosexuals can never have a proper relationship. I don’t see it happen among MARRIED straight couples either. The conclusion? Having a marriage cert is just the beginning. Keep that cert in a folder large enough to hold more, cause seperation and divorce certs will follow suit in time.

I hate it when people (str8 and gay alike) go homos cannot have proper relationships. You show me ONE straight married couple who can, and I WILL match it point for point.

But for the adult son or daughter going through a parental divorce, I really doubt anything will change. Sure someone has to move out, maybe have a new step mom and dad eventually. But a divorce doesn’t equate to parents not loving their kids anymore. What a divorce is, is that the adults are still kids themselves and cannot work out their issues, dragging the entire family down with them. Yes. Selfish bastards. BUT, nothing out of the ordinary now. Happens all the time isn’t it. Throw a stone and you’ll hit someone who has been involved in a divorce.

Often enough a couple at such a stage is best seperated anyway. They may still be friends, VS murders at each other’s throats.

So far in my circle of friends, only Colin my best friend seems to have a pretty good background. For his sake and everyone else, I really hope it is true and stay that way for a long time to come. For everyone else, it is not the end of the world. Let the ‘grown ups’ do their own thing and settle what they need to. I only hope you will watch and learn from them in the process. To not make the same mistakes and bring such nonsense forward. It is easy to say “I will never allow my child to go through what I did” but you need to deliver that promise. Trump would say, talk is cheap. If you can’t deliver what you say you will, you are a loser. So do you wanna be yet another statistic on that loser list? The choice is yours.

There is no need to be paranoid, nor be fearful of relationships. The problems have nothing to do with relationships in general. It has everything to do with the 2 people involved in it. So blame not relationships, but look at yourself and work on that instead.

Cupid, the Dr of relationships and love, is just as much a victim as all of us are..

—-

Jan 15, 2007 in My Shout Outs

And it is back to work on a monday.

I was watching Without Warning, a local series broadcasted on TV some time ago. It features 3 different attacks that terrorists can use and it simulates everything from blood to emotions. It was very good, very real and very emotional. First 2 episodes featured a bomb attack in Toa Payoh MRT, a Sarin chemical attack at Dhoby Ghaut MRT and multiple bombings on buses stuck in jams across different parts of Singapore. Next 2 episodes featured terrorist disabling our power supply causing a near nation-wide blackout. The last 2 featured a new bio attack with a virus brought in by 3 terrorists who later died from the disease. It was a modified coronavirus similar to SARS but had a very high mortality rate. In fact, everyone who was infected died until a vaccine was found.

All 3 scenarios were very real and I do recommend it to everyone in this country like me, who has been rather lucky so far and have not witnessed an attack. However the threat is very real indeed and we must be prepared for it and stay vigilent. I don’t wanna sound like an announcement over the MRT announcement speaker system, but honestly I’d rather hear what we all hear now, rather than “We are closing this station for security reasons. Please leave the station immediately!”

Singapore will survive if we all stand together.

To view the 6 episodes, you can log onto mobtv.sg, and sign up for subscription access. You will find all the local shows archived there too. A pretty good day, only $10.90 per month. It is a ‘yes’ from me. Saves me time from watching shows live with all the commercials. I love watching an entire series at one go indeed.

My guess is someday they will up the prices, or put in some commercials eventually to earn more revenue… but anyway, go watch Without Warning, now!