Patience has its limits

I came to realize that living in a condo community not only has its good points but also bad. I made quite a few good friends here. However, the downside are the difficult neighbours. Like when I found that water leaks from the upstairs unit to my son's room, destroying all the paintwork on one side of the wall, the unit owner had not heeded my repeated requests to get her piping fixed. I think I shall approach her calmly one last time, after which I may have to make a written compaint to the management as a last resort.

I remember the quote by Titus Maccius Plautus "Patience is the best remedy for every trouble", but I would add that patience also has its limits!

Goodness is the only investment that never fails

Today I felt very sad when my friend announced that he has decided to close down the company which he started 8 years ago. The company was actually already on its track 3 years into its formation. However, internal personality problems 2 years ago sidetracked its development. I had been helping him on a part time basis since 2 years ago. Maybe we did not try hard enough , maybe it was a lack of entrepreneurship on our part, and maybe it is the nature of the business, being very competitive. Whatever the reason, I really feel very sorry that I had failed him. And, I feel sad for him because the truth is he had actually kept it open for sentimental reasons much longer than we should have. I wish the best for my kind friend who has so much goodness in his heart and I have no doubt he will continue to enjoy much happiness in his golden years.

" Goodness is the only investment that never fails."--- Henry David Thoreau

What this country needs is more unemployed politicians

What this country needs is more unemployed politicians -Edward Langley speaking about the United States of America in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Looking at the antics of our own politicians, with their ridiculous claims and counter-claims, support for Statutory Declarations and support for withdrawals of Statutory Declarations and tearing the hair out of each other like cavemen, we should make sure the whole lot join the ranks of the unemployed politicians! One good cost-cutting measure!

Work is either fun or drudgery, it depends on your attitude.

Spent the whole day from about 7 am Saturday until 10 minutes ago, working on my report. Except for the 1 hour break for my regular walk at 6 pm and a few shorter breaks in between, I was at the computer the whole day, making it a total of more than 17 hours to complete the first draft of the report. That's how it is for me every Saturday, a day in which I would try my best to write at least the first draft of my weekly report, without major interruptions. The next few days, until I have to deliver on Friday, I would spend a couple of hours improving on the report. That's how it has been for me for the last 7 years, but I am not complaining.

Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun -quote Colleen C. Barrett

Best shopping tip in times of inflation !

Source: http://www.nirmaltv.com/2007/12/15/weekend-fun-funny-cartoons/

The innocent, the beautiful and the angelic

Case 1

In New Hampshire, USA, a woman age 29 is accused of repeatedly throwing her 8-year-old stepdaughter down the stairs and beating her with a belt over a nine-hour period on July 10. A police officer called it the "worst case of child abuse I've ever seen." The 8-year old girl, who suffered kidney and liver damage, three broken vertebrae in her neck and three broken ribs as a result of the attack, is a patient at Children's Hospital in Boston where her condition was upgraded from critical to serious. She was badly beaten on July 10, a Thursday, but didn't receive medical attention until the following Saturday night, when her father took her to Concord Hospital. After seeing how badly she was injured, doctors contacted police.

Case 2

In Jackson County, USA a 27 year old Army paratrooper who served in Iraq was sent to prison for child abuse. The Judge said the extent of the girl's injuries, which included nearly 20 broken bones, injuries to her private parts and brain bleeding, inspired him to impose a stiff penalty. He said "This case is one of the most horrible I have ever seen. The reality is, but for the grace of God, the girl would probably be dead." She was only 3 months old at the time!

We must first set our hearts right

Every day when we open the newspapers we are confronted with a barrage of accusations and counter-accusations...so much so that I no longer care what is true what is not and who is right or wrong. Actually what all our politicians should do is to stop fighting and to look deep into their hearts.

To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right - quote Conficius

97th Birthday!

We organized a 97th birthday celebration for our father Joon Sang Chew recently on 12 July. Present at the gathering were 3 of his 5 children who are in Malaysia, their spouses, 7 of his 16 grand children (2 came with spouse /girlfriend) and 2 of his 5 great grandchildren.

He is 97, belonging to the group of the oldest old. Alhamdulillah (praise to God) he is healthy for his age. This reminds me of an article I read recently (written by Dr. Thomas T. Perls) that “contrary to the belief that the incidence of chronic, disabling disorders, particularly Alzheimer's disease, increases inexorably with age …when I became a fellow in geriatrics, I was surprised to find that the oldest old were often the most healthy and agile of the senior people under my care”.

Dr. Thomas T. Perls also wrote, “What biological and environmental factors might allow the oldest old humans to reach age 95 and beyond in good health? Multiple and intertwined influences undoubtedly play important roles. So-called longevity genes seem to protect against the development of diseases; genetically or otherwise determined adaptive abilities enable survivors to avoid potentially life-threatening conditions. Modifications in everyday activities, such as not smoking, practicing better nutrition and exercising, may also help some people stay fit longer. Basic good luck surely helps as well”.

I am just grateful to the Almighty that my father is healthy, relatively agile (he walks with a walking stick which he holds in the air!), has a good appetite and definitely not senile.

Old age has its pleasures

Whenever we go on our regular evening walks, we would see an elderly Malay gentleman sitting contentedly on a reclining chair in the porch of his big house in this posh neighbourhood. Sometimes he would be just looking out, sometimes reading the newspapers and at other times reciting pieties while counting the tasbih. Whatever he might be engaged in he always stops and greets us in his usual cheerful manner. I wonder what he was like when he was younger, I wonder what he used to do for a living when he was younger...I may never know the answers to these questions, nor that it matters. He seems perfectly content and happy sittng on his reclining chair. He paints a picture of one old man really enjoying his golden years in his own way. That is what matters now.

The complete life, the perfect pattern, includes old age as well as youth and maturity. The beauty of the morning and the radiance of noon are good, but it would be a very silly person who drew the curtains and turned on the light in order to shut out the tranquillity of the evening. Old age has its pleasures, which, though different, are not less than the pleasures of youth.
Author: W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM

Beyond Mud!

It seems to be a matter of faith among our politicians that if you throw enough mud some of it will stick. I hope our politicians realize that no two persons can throw mud at each other without first getting their own hands dirty! And this time they have gone beyond mud…in 2008 we not only witnessed a big extended mud fest…but also a tsunami of dirt and filth! I hope our politicians realize too that while mud can be easily washed away, dirt and filth can be embedded in their skin! The general election campaign period is long over, just SHUT UP please and get on with what you are supposed to deliver to the people who voted for you!

Confucius said " He who slings mud at neighbor is losing ground”

Impact of soaring prices of oil and gas

Help me feed my wife and 2 cars!

Gas prices costing an arm and a leg!

Source: http://www.laughparty.com/funnypicture/Feed-my-Cars/1046/

Just a little extra effort

I had to renew my car insurance yesterday afternoon. The insurance company was a small office, on the first floor of a retail bank. Customers had to stand in line to wait for their turns. There were no chairs and no numbering system. There were only 2 girls on duty. After a good 1/2 hour I was still only 3rd in line. On top of that I had rushed there from my work place so that I could reach there before the office closes, so I hadn't had any lunch. Anyway I was hungry, tired and really pissed off. I made a decision in my mind then that I would definitely change to a another insurance company the next year. Just then a smartly dressed man in his 40s came out from a side door and walked towards us. He shook my hand and said "Madam, I am so sorry you have to stand and wait so long. You see, it happens that 2 of my staff are on sick leave. We have also ordered some chairs so the next time you come you would not have to stand. Then he went down the line shaking hands and apologizing to each one. By the time he finished apologizing, all of us were smiling. Miraculously I did not really feel that tired any more. Well, maybe the company is not that bad after all. A little effort goes a long way!

The politician

Rick Gaber: "The politician is a type of creature known for its propensity to lie, exaggerate, embellish, and use all kinds of hysterical or bombastic attention-getting."

Ronald Reagan: "Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."

Rejected by the cow and the pig!

Why is it that every couple of days, some politicians in the country are beating the shit out of one another? They should focus on governing the country and provide good wisdom to lead the country out of the doldrums. They should bring immediate solutions to help the hard core poor, think of good ways to address the huge fuel price increase. The opposition should focus on providing effective check and balance to ensure good governance. Politicians should serve the public, not obsessed with lying, scheming and conniving to bring each other down. Are we not fools to put our trust in them? No wonder the cow and the pig rejected them!

A doctor, an engineer and a politician were traveling together in the countryside. They stopped at a small country inn for the night. "I have only two rooms, so one of you will have to sleep in the barn," said the innkeeper. The doctor volunteered to sleep in the barn, went outside, and the others went to bed.

A short time later they were awakened by a knock. It was the doctor, who said, "There's a cow in that barn. I'm a Hindu, and it would offend my beliefs to sleep next to a sacred animal." The engineer said he'd be willing to sleep in the barn and left.

The others went back to bed, but soon were awakened by another knock. It was the engineer, who said, "There's a pig in the barn. I'm Muslim, and I can't sleep next to an unclean animal."

So the politician was sent to the barn. It was getting really late, the others were very tired and soon fell asleep. But then they were awakened by an even louder knocking. They opened the door and were surprised by what they saw: It was the cow and the pig!

Source: http://freedomkeys.com/politicians.htm