Love is all around
Quick update before I hit the sack.
1. The earthquake has been upgraded to 9.0 on the Ritcher scale.
2. The quake caused 1 200 km of seabed to "break apart" - whatever that means.
3. The quake caused tsunamis that went out as far as Somalia, in east Africa. The tsunami arrived 6 hours after the quake and wiped out quite a few coastal villages there.
4. Attached is a short appeal in the Singapore Straits Times today:
Dec 29, 2004
How the public can help
(Aid) Requested by Sri Lanka
Tents, pre-cooked or ready-to-eat meal packs, water purification tablets,
wheat flour, rice, other staples, medicine (paracetamol, antibiotics), wound
dressings, suture material, vitamins, rehydration salts, vaccinations for
cholera, malaria tablets, saline intravenous infusions, portable generators,
clothes and blankets.
Drop-off venues
For Sri Lanka: Ananda Travel's branches during office hours. Tel:
6435-8422/18.
Virar's Rehab Centre at 553A Balestier Road.
No 2, Changi South Avenue 2,Singapore 486354.
Small parcels can be sent to SriLankan Airlines, 133 Cecil Street, Keck Seng
Tower, #13-02, Singapore 069535.
Donations can be sent to the Sri Lanka High Commission, Goldhill Plaza,
#13-07/12, 51 Newton Road, Singapore 308900.
For Sri Lanka and Indonesia: Restaurant 1827, The Arts House, Old Parliament
Building, 1 Old Parliament Lane.
General collection
Singapore Polytechnic, at counters along the walkway between Dover MRT
Station and the polytechnic. 6pm to 9pm.
Donation of essential food
From Jan 1 to 31 next year, the public can buy NTUC FairPrice Food Relief
Packages, comprising milk, rice, tuna and cream crackers, for $10. The
purchased packages will be directed to Mercy Relief for airfreight to
stricken areas.
Donation boxes are available in NTUC FairPrice outlets and Shell petrol
stations islandwide.
IP Address:203.116.59.24
5. Went to get some medicines for the Sri Lankans today. To cut the long story short, my friend and I were immensely thankful and touched by the staff of the Eastpoint Unity Pharmacy. They donated a total of several thousand dollars worth (easily $10k, I would think) of medicines and medical supplies. They really deserve our deepest admiration as they scrambled to find all the usable stuff for us to send over to the Sri Lankans.
6. We are also thankful to the helpful staff who were manning the collection centre at No 2, Changi South Avenue 2,Singapore 486354. This is Yusen Air Cargo (or something like that). They are collecting stuff on behalf of Sri Lanka Airlines and they had been most patient, accommodating and appreciative of all items they receive. For the willing donors who are not sure where they are really situated, the place is within walking distance of the Expo MRT station. As you exit (with the Singapore Expo behind you), the collection centre is at your 2 o'clock position. It's the first compound on the right-hand side of Changi South Avenue 2.
7. News today carried reports of an outpouring of donations from Singaporeans. However, most of the officials from the affected countries request for basic medicines because these are the most urgently needed items now.
Some of the stuff we bought/donated by the pharmacy included:
Paracetamol (go for the generics - they are a good 80% off the branded item!)
Alcohol swabs
Lomotil (anti-diarrohea medicine - again, go for the generics)
Charcoal pills
Gauze
Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
Saline for injection
Saline for irrigation
Chlorhexidine (for disinfection)
Chlorhexidine handwash (does not require rinsing)
Antihistamines (such as piriton/chlorpheniramine)
Therma Dots (disposable thermometers, where temperature is shown by the dots which have changed colours)
Syringes
Hydrating salts
Thermometer sleeves
I suppose other required items might include vitamins (e.g. A, B, C, D, E...), Dettol disinfectants, bandages, etc.
Do approach the pharmacists/staff in the pharmacy and tell them your intention to donate these medicines to the quake affected countries. Give them your budget and they will be able to recommend some stuff for you. For ease of purchasing, go for two or three items but in large quantities (but we tried not to exhaust supplies in the pharmacy). This could help in reducing confusion when the medical personnel are sorting out the stuff.
Get the stuff packed in boxes before dropping them off. One step which is very useful is to list the items inside the boxes. This is something we failed to do today and then we realised that the unpackers will have a hard time finding stuff.
8. All these people who have chipped in to help shows that there is still warmth and caring in our concrete jungle. Singapore, I'm so proud of all of you!
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Monday, December 27, 2004
Boxing Day 2004
Boxing Day 2004
Started my secondment on 15 Dec 2004. Wasn't a good start - went on two days' sick leave right after reporting. Damn! The flu bug is a resistant one. The cough is still there.
New place, new people, new routines, new environment, new politics, new information, new challenges, new working style... Except no (re)newed enthusiasm. Well, it's all right for me. I'll just learn whatever is there and equip myself with the skills needed to do the job well. Hey! When's my next promotion? My neck's growing and soon I'll be a giraffe... with a pig's body.
So, Christmas has come and gone. Boxing day is what I am more concerned with in this post.
This year, Boxing Day took on a new meaning. Before much of south Asia could unwrapp their presents, they had to place many of their loved ones and visitors into empty "boxes". A major 8.9 earthquake hit Indonesia, off Aceh, and sent tidal waves crashing into other countries like Sri Lanka (where I had just returned from a fortnight ago!), India, Bangladesh, Sumatra (Indonesia), Phuket (Thailand), and Penang, Kedah, and Perlis (Malaysia).
The death toll so far has exceeded 10 000 and is expected to rise. This is probably one of the biggest misfortune to hit this year.
In fact, it may seem quite out-of-place here but my travelling companion will tell you that I've actually mouthed that a major calamity will hit Sri Lanka while I was on my trip. I even told him it won't be 6 months before the even occurred and this event will wipe out most of the coastal regions (especially from Hambantota all the way up the Capital city, Colombo).
It seemed contrite now to say so but the signs were obvious. I stayed one night at the Unawatuna Beach Resort after visiting the Tea Plantation in Nuwaya Eliya, and at the UBR, I was terribly irritable and jumpy. Nothing felt right. The entire room looked downcast and forebearing. I was crumbling under the weight of the atmosphere in the room and this, to me, does not bode well.
Dinner and breakfast were terrible and I just wanted to get out of the UBR. Actually, there was a reason for not mentioning this during my earlier post - it could be just me or my demanding standards not being met. It's not fair to run down a beach resort establishment just because I feel awkward. But it's very rarely that I get so worked up over a stay there but it just didn't feel right. I simply hated that place.
The morning that we left, I told my travelling companion that UBR is facing something that could just wipe the whole thing out. It's just so bad and "evil".
Enroute, I had visited the Galle Reform Church during my visit and while I was in the toilet, the entire toilet turned a crimson shade of red. I thought it was me or my eyes making fun of me but I noticed the sunlight between the roof and the wall and nothing changed and then the room shone red again.
I finished my business, scampered out of the loo and resolved to stand at the gate of the church, never to step foot into it again. (A meditation master told my mum last week, as she recounted my experience, that this could mean that there is imminent danger and it could be a warning for me to get out of that place.) But who would have thought?
I went up to another resort at Wadduwa, up the western coast. I didn't enjoy my stay at Wadduwa either. The waves were exceptionally high that day. It was just about to rain and just for that, I could see the waves rise like 2 metres. There was an angry roar of the waves all throughout the stay. I commented to my partner that if the waves came in any higher, the pool, which lies between the sea and the rooms, would be entirely over-run, and if it were just that much higher, the rooms would be hit.
I cannot imagine the state that it's in now.
The entire feeling was simply not that good all the way up on the coast. To think about it, the first night when I arrived, I asked the porter, who was leading us to our room, if the hotel building housing our room was ex-British army barracks. I was told it wasn't but it still didn't diminish the feeling that I'm "descending" into "hell" as I walked towards my cell...
I'm just so glad that I'm back safely and yet, I'm so saddened by the fact that a simple ripple could do so much damage. Many of these places are enjoying an influx of tourists who are there to escape the harsh winters. Unfortunately, they could not escape the rising waters.
It will be a long while before these countries can get back on their feet again.
Boxing Day would never feel the same again for many many people.
Started my secondment on 15 Dec 2004. Wasn't a good start - went on two days' sick leave right after reporting. Damn! The flu bug is a resistant one. The cough is still there.
New place, new people, new routines, new environment, new politics, new information, new challenges, new working style... Except no (re)newed enthusiasm. Well, it's all right for me. I'll just learn whatever is there and equip myself with the skills needed to do the job well. Hey! When's my next promotion? My neck's growing and soon I'll be a giraffe... with a pig's body.
So, Christmas has come and gone. Boxing day is what I am more concerned with in this post.
This year, Boxing Day took on a new meaning. Before much of south Asia could unwrapp their presents, they had to place many of their loved ones and visitors into empty "boxes". A major 8.9 earthquake hit Indonesia, off Aceh, and sent tidal waves crashing into other countries like Sri Lanka (where I had just returned from a fortnight ago!), India, Bangladesh, Sumatra (Indonesia), Phuket (Thailand), and Penang, Kedah, and Perlis (Malaysia).
The death toll so far has exceeded 10 000 and is expected to rise. This is probably one of the biggest misfortune to hit this year.
In fact, it may seem quite out-of-place here but my travelling companion will tell you that I've actually mouthed that a major calamity will hit Sri Lanka while I was on my trip. I even told him it won't be 6 months before the even occurred and this event will wipe out most of the coastal regions (especially from Hambantota all the way up the Capital city, Colombo).
It seemed contrite now to say so but the signs were obvious. I stayed one night at the Unawatuna Beach Resort after visiting the Tea Plantation in Nuwaya Eliya, and at the UBR, I was terribly irritable and jumpy. Nothing felt right. The entire room looked downcast and forebearing. I was crumbling under the weight of the atmosphere in the room and this, to me, does not bode well.
Dinner and breakfast were terrible and I just wanted to get out of the UBR. Actually, there was a reason for not mentioning this during my earlier post - it could be just me or my demanding standards not being met. It's not fair to run down a beach resort establishment just because I feel awkward. But it's very rarely that I get so worked up over a stay there but it just didn't feel right. I simply hated that place.
The morning that we left, I told my travelling companion that UBR is facing something that could just wipe the whole thing out. It's just so bad and "evil".
Enroute, I had visited the Galle Reform Church during my visit and while I was in the toilet, the entire toilet turned a crimson shade of red. I thought it was me or my eyes making fun of me but I noticed the sunlight between the roof and the wall and nothing changed and then the room shone red again.
I finished my business, scampered out of the loo and resolved to stand at the gate of the church, never to step foot into it again. (A meditation master told my mum last week, as she recounted my experience, that this could mean that there is imminent danger and it could be a warning for me to get out of that place.) But who would have thought?
I went up to another resort at Wadduwa, up the western coast. I didn't enjoy my stay at Wadduwa either. The waves were exceptionally high that day. It was just about to rain and just for that, I could see the waves rise like 2 metres. There was an angry roar of the waves all throughout the stay. I commented to my partner that if the waves came in any higher, the pool, which lies between the sea and the rooms, would be entirely over-run, and if it were just that much higher, the rooms would be hit.
I cannot imagine the state that it's in now.
The entire feeling was simply not that good all the way up on the coast. To think about it, the first night when I arrived, I asked the porter, who was leading us to our room, if the hotel building housing our room was ex-British army barracks. I was told it wasn't but it still didn't diminish the feeling that I'm "descending" into "hell" as I walked towards my cell...
I'm just so glad that I'm back safely and yet, I'm so saddened by the fact that a simple ripple could do so much damage. Many of these places are enjoying an influx of tourists who are there to escape the harsh winters. Unfortunately, they could not escape the rising waters.
It will be a long while before these countries can get back on their feet again.
Boxing Day would never feel the same again for many many people.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Break
Break
Had wanted to write before embarking on my trip to Sri Lanka at the beginning of the month but fate dictated that I couldn't because Blogger WON'T load up. Some internal errors. We are all ridden with internal errors. We carry these internal errors and one fine day, these internal errors will do us in.
Morbid but true, nonetheless.
So, I've gone to Sri Lanka.
The journey was a tough one. It was quite physically demanding (if you are going to climb historical sites like the 220 metre high Sigiriya Lion's Rock or the 100 plus metre tall Dambulla Rock Cave Temples) and food-wise, the foodie in me found no satisfaction.
Still, the trip was remembered as a hiatus from "mankind". Not that the Sri Lankans were not human - they are terrific hosts - but the fact that you hardly get to see any newspapers or periodicals that are in your lingua franca, you feel like you can really leave the world behind.
For me, it was an escape of sorts. No doubt, it was tiring, I also had a very very wonderful time in Sri Lanka. Somehow, the serenity of the place (this peaceful country was recently rocked by protests against an Indian rock concert) makes the entire trip worthwhile.
The picturesque place is deeply etched in my memory. The feeling of being free from the world for those 9 days is priceless.
Do visit them one of these days.
Had wanted to write before embarking on my trip to Sri Lanka at the beginning of the month but fate dictated that I couldn't because Blogger WON'T load up. Some internal errors. We are all ridden with internal errors. We carry these internal errors and one fine day, these internal errors will do us in.
Morbid but true, nonetheless.
So, I've gone to Sri Lanka.
The journey was a tough one. It was quite physically demanding (if you are going to climb historical sites like the 220 metre high Sigiriya Lion's Rock or the 100 plus metre tall Dambulla Rock Cave Temples) and food-wise, the foodie in me found no satisfaction.
Still, the trip was remembered as a hiatus from "mankind". Not that the Sri Lankans were not human - they are terrific hosts - but the fact that you hardly get to see any newspapers or periodicals that are in your lingua franca, you feel like you can really leave the world behind.
For me, it was an escape of sorts. No doubt, it was tiring, I also had a very very wonderful time in Sri Lanka. Somehow, the serenity of the place (this peaceful country was recently rocked by protests against an Indian rock concert) makes the entire trip worthwhile.
The picturesque place is deeply etched in my memory. The feeling of being free from the world for those 9 days is priceless.
Do visit them one of these days.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Another Has Fallen
Another Has Fallen
2004 marks somewhat a watershed year for the world - deaths, violence, elections, civil unrest, natural disasters...
A few memorable people have left us, among them former President Ronald Reagan, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, "Superman" Christopher Reeve, and jazz singer Ray Charles. The list is intentionally kept short.
Much violence has been reported in many parts of the world but most notably, the Middle East. I hope the war will come to an end soon. I wonder how many people understand the human cost of a war - a war takes away three generations of good men! Either way, I wish that the killings will stop but I also know that it does not work out that easily. Still, a wish is a wish and I do hope that the trouble makers can be eradicated and in so doing, the world becomes a safer place to live in.
Elections. Self-explanatory.
Civil unrest has been reported in many countries. Main cause of such violence stem of poor living conditions. Many of these countries, if their GDP were to be raised by some US$3,000, might not see any of such unnecessary activities going on. To think about it, when you are in a job that keeps a roof over your head, food on your table, clothes on your body, shoes on your feet and knowledge in your mind, would you actually bother to riot about things? You'll probably think twice. Perhaps a solution to such problems is indeed education. If education (brain-washing) could spur youngsters to become suicide bombers for their religion, then perhaps education can spur them to become the next generation of rocket scientists. Who is to say not?
The world this year is also ravaged by many natural disasters. Typhoons, cyclones, earthquakes, and what not have rocked us. I'm getting rather immune to seeing pictures of dead people on the news. Too much death.
I actually meant to write about Yasser Arafat's death. I think it marks the passing of an era. I still vividly remember him as this gun-toting, checkered head-scarf wearing, uniformed man on TV, with whom a lot of deaths, violence and unrest are often associated with. It comes to my surprise that he was already 75 when he died! I am getting old!
The occurrences this year have profoundly affected my life. I suddenly feel so "old", so vulnerable. I feel so inadequate, yet I also sense that so many people around me are beginning to value what I say, and some have even come to me for opinions. It seems to me that in the unpredictable world, I seem still predictable. I wonder if I'm alone.
Indeed, I do feel that age is creeping up. My hair is turning white (more visibly so now!) and I'm getting less bothered about the nitty-gritties of life. I now keep worrying that I do not live my life fully enough. I've stopped futile pursuits and have started prioritising and deciding what is worthwhile.
Fortunately, I've not lost the sense of adventure. In fact, my adversity quotient is rising. I thrive in challenging environments and I am very happy to be at the forefront of stuff. I still love a good argument and I still enjoy breaking new frontiers in research (even though what I do seem small-scale). I learn the importance of letting go yet I temper it with the good sense of knowing when to persevere.
I know I've aged when I've stopped looking around. I have found some focus. I hope I will age with grace and intellect. I hope to leave my mark and if not remembered by the world, at least be at peace with myself that I've done my best and lived a life that's full. It would be quite a crying shame if one day when I'm gone, I'm just another statistic.
Another has fallen.
2004 marks somewhat a watershed year for the world - deaths, violence, elections, civil unrest, natural disasters...
A few memorable people have left us, among them former President Ronald Reagan, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, "Superman" Christopher Reeve, and jazz singer Ray Charles. The list is intentionally kept short.
Much violence has been reported in many parts of the world but most notably, the Middle East. I hope the war will come to an end soon. I wonder how many people understand the human cost of a war - a war takes away three generations of good men! Either way, I wish that the killings will stop but I also know that it does not work out that easily. Still, a wish is a wish and I do hope that the trouble makers can be eradicated and in so doing, the world becomes a safer place to live in.
Elections. Self-explanatory.
Civil unrest has been reported in many countries. Main cause of such violence stem of poor living conditions. Many of these countries, if their GDP were to be raised by some US$3,000, might not see any of such unnecessary activities going on. To think about it, when you are in a job that keeps a roof over your head, food on your table, clothes on your body, shoes on your feet and knowledge in your mind, would you actually bother to riot about things? You'll probably think twice. Perhaps a solution to such problems is indeed education. If education (brain-washing) could spur youngsters to become suicide bombers for their religion, then perhaps education can spur them to become the next generation of rocket scientists. Who is to say not?
The world this year is also ravaged by many natural disasters. Typhoons, cyclones, earthquakes, and what not have rocked us. I'm getting rather immune to seeing pictures of dead people on the news. Too much death.
I actually meant to write about Yasser Arafat's death. I think it marks the passing of an era. I still vividly remember him as this gun-toting, checkered head-scarf wearing, uniformed man on TV, with whom a lot of deaths, violence and unrest are often associated with. It comes to my surprise that he was already 75 when he died! I am getting old!
The occurrences this year have profoundly affected my life. I suddenly feel so "old", so vulnerable. I feel so inadequate, yet I also sense that so many people around me are beginning to value what I say, and some have even come to me for opinions. It seems to me that in the unpredictable world, I seem still predictable. I wonder if I'm alone.
Indeed, I do feel that age is creeping up. My hair is turning white (more visibly so now!) and I'm getting less bothered about the nitty-gritties of life. I now keep worrying that I do not live my life fully enough. I've stopped futile pursuits and have started prioritising and deciding what is worthwhile.
Fortunately, I've not lost the sense of adventure. In fact, my adversity quotient is rising. I thrive in challenging environments and I am very happy to be at the forefront of stuff. I still love a good argument and I still enjoy breaking new frontiers in research (even though what I do seem small-scale). I learn the importance of letting go yet I temper it with the good sense of knowing when to persevere.
I know I've aged when I've stopped looking around. I have found some focus. I hope I will age with grace and intellect. I hope to leave my mark and if not remembered by the world, at least be at peace with myself that I've done my best and lived a life that's full. It would be quite a crying shame if one day when I'm gone, I'm just another statistic.
Another has fallen.
Friday, November 05, 2004
It's Bush for another 4 years!
It's Bush for another 4 years!
What can you say?
I heaved a sigh of relief when I found out that Bush was re-elected to another term. Seriously. Although America is not less than 20 or so hours from me, I still feel that who is the President of the Unites States matter to me.
We thrive in a world where there are attempts to keep peace. I don't think Kerry could provide that.
We need an environment where clear leadership is seen - a leader is someone who does what is right, even if it is unpopular, not just heard. Bush has shown what he is capable of.
We are again at cross-roads nonetheless, not knowing whether to hate or to love the man that the world's only hyper-power put in the president's office. But we should still look back in anticipation and hope that with age and time come maturity and wisdom.
I think and hope I'll see a better Bush.
What can you say?
I heaved a sigh of relief when I found out that Bush was re-elected to another term. Seriously. Although America is not less than 20 or so hours from me, I still feel that who is the President of the Unites States matter to me.
We thrive in a world where there are attempts to keep peace. I don't think Kerry could provide that.
We need an environment where clear leadership is seen - a leader is someone who does what is right, even if it is unpopular, not just heard. Bush has shown what he is capable of.
We are again at cross-roads nonetheless, not knowing whether to hate or to love the man that the world's only hyper-power put in the president's office. But we should still look back in anticipation and hope that with age and time come maturity and wisdom.
I think and hope I'll see a better Bush.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Monsters Inc.
Monsters Inc.
XP
Life is interesting these days. My computer crashed last weeks and everything was in a big mess. Prior to that, life at school was terrible too.
The Kerry Bush Fight
Maybe about as terrible as the poor Americans watching the "Bush-fight Kerry-on" to no end. I wonder how the elections will go over there but I know who I'll vote for if I'm there. Me, of course! Seriously, I'll give it to Bush. I have my reasons, and being a Republican supporter since early days is not a good enough reason (I am aware of that!).
1. I think Bush is not smart. But, I find Kerry dishonest. Between a bumbling fool and a conniving cheat, I'll choose the former. Hopefully, you can teach the fool a little.
2. Bush may not know what he's doing in the Middle East but Kerry may more likely not do what he knows (he has to do). Make a Democrat president and all the soldiers can wait for surer death.
3. Stem cell research may be stemmed to free funds for other things, if Kerry were elected into office. You know how those presidents are known for making about turns.
I can go on more about why I would choose one over the other but it is to no avail. These are EXACTLY the same things that an average American who intends to vote for the coming elections are pondering over.
So, it all boils down to condition number x.
x. I will vote for Bush because I cannot stand Kerry's face.
Don't take me to task for this: I've read enough faces in my life to know who to and who not to trust. It's a sixth sense, instinct, kind of thing. Most aquarians are blessed with it. I'm sharing my observations here.
Kerry has this dark side which he has kept suppressed. I think he's more dangerous than OBL and Saddam Hussein put together. Just a feeling.
And his partner looks like a over-eager beaver. Spells trouble, whichever way I look at things.
Ok, let's put it this way: Kerry looks capable of self-destruction (whatever that means) and Edwards looks capable of encouraging or hastening the demolition.
Monsters Inc.
My class in school has been officially renamed "Monsters Inc.".
You get the drift.
XP
Life is interesting these days. My computer crashed last weeks and everything was in a big mess. Prior to that, life at school was terrible too.
The Kerry Bush Fight
Maybe about as terrible as the poor Americans watching the "Bush-fight Kerry-on" to no end. I wonder how the elections will go over there but I know who I'll vote for if I'm there. Me, of course! Seriously, I'll give it to Bush. I have my reasons, and being a Republican supporter since early days is not a good enough reason (I am aware of that!).
1. I think Bush is not smart. But, I find Kerry dishonest. Between a bumbling fool and a conniving cheat, I'll choose the former. Hopefully, you can teach the fool a little.
2. Bush may not know what he's doing in the Middle East but Kerry may more likely not do what he knows (he has to do). Make a Democrat president and all the soldiers can wait for surer death.
3. Stem cell research may be stemmed to free funds for other things, if Kerry were elected into office. You know how those presidents are known for making about turns.
I can go on more about why I would choose one over the other but it is to no avail. These are EXACTLY the same things that an average American who intends to vote for the coming elections are pondering over.
So, it all boils down to condition number x.
x. I will vote for Bush because I cannot stand Kerry's face.
Don't take me to task for this: I've read enough faces in my life to know who to and who not to trust. It's a sixth sense, instinct, kind of thing. Most aquarians are blessed with it. I'm sharing my observations here.
Kerry has this dark side which he has kept suppressed. I think he's more dangerous than OBL and Saddam Hussein put together. Just a feeling.
And his partner looks like a over-eager beaver. Spells trouble, whichever way I look at things.
Ok, let's put it this way: Kerry looks capable of self-destruction (whatever that means) and Edwards looks capable of encouraging or hastening the demolition.
Monsters Inc.
My class in school has been officially renamed "Monsters Inc.".
You get the drift.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Back to Work
Back to Work
Spent a whole week at home nursing the pink eye. Tomorrow, I'll be back to work and I cannot tell you the INERTIA I'm feeling.
Hate work. Not accurately so, actually. Let's see. I love my work but hate the place I work in as well as some of the people I work with. That's by far a more accurate picture.
Anyway, I'm damned sick and tired to know that I've got to go back to work again. I can't be who I am and worse, I've got to resume teaching trigonometry to a bunch of innumerate kids.
Sigh.
Life? Sucks.
Spent a whole week at home nursing the pink eye. Tomorrow, I'll be back to work and I cannot tell you the INERTIA I'm feeling.
Hate work. Not accurately so, actually. Let's see. I love my work but hate the place I work in as well as some of the people I work with. That's by far a more accurate picture.
Anyway, I'm damned sick and tired to know that I've got to go back to work again. I can't be who I am and worse, I've got to resume teaching trigonometry to a bunch of innumerate kids.
Sigh.
Life? Sucks.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Spondylolysis
Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis
Description
The most common X-ray identified cause of low back pain in adolescent athletes is a stress fracture in one of the bones (vertebrae) that make up the spinal column. Technically, this condition is called spondylolysis (spon-dee-low-lye-sis). It usually affects the fifth lumbar vertebra in the lower back, and much less commonly, the fourth lumbar vertebra.
If the stress fracture weakens the bone so much that it is unable to maintain its proper position, the vertebra can start to shift out of place. This condition is called spondylolisthesis (spon-dee-low-lis-thee-sis). If too much slippage occurs, the bones may begin to press on nerves and surgery may be necessary to correct the condition.
Risk Factors/Prevention
Genetics: There may be a hereditary aspect to spondylolysis. An individual may be born with thin vertebral bone and therefore be vulnerable to this condition. Significant periods of rapid growth may encourage slippage.
Overuse: Some sports, such as gymnastics, weight lifting and football, put a great deal of stress on the bones in the lower back. They also require that the athlete constantly over-stretch (hyperextend) the spine. In either case, the result is a stress fracture on one or both sides of the vertebra.
Symptoms
In many people, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis are present, but without any obvious symptoms.
Pain usually spreads across the lower back, and may feel like a muscle strain.
Spondylolisthesis can cause spasms that stiffen the back and tighten the hamstring muscles, resulting in changes to posture and gait. If the slippage is significant, it may begin to compress the nerves and narrow the spinal canal.
Diagnostic tests
X-rays of the lower back (lumbar) spine will show the position of the vertebra.
The pars interarticularis is a portion of the lumbar spine. It joins together the upper and lower joints. The pars is normal in the vast majority of children.
If the pars "cracks" or fractures, the condition is called spondylolysis. The X-ray confirms the bony abnormality.
If the fracture gap at the pars widens, then the condition is called spondylolisthesis. Widening of the gap leads to the fifth lumbar vertebra shifting. It shifts forward on the part of the pelvic bone called the sacrum. The doctor measures standing lateral spine X-rays. This determines the amount of forward slippage.
If the vertebra is pressing on nerves, a CT scan or MRI may be needed before treatment begins to further assess the abnormality.
Treatment Options
Initial treatment for spondylolysis is always conservative. The individual should take a break from the activities until symptoms go away, as they often do. Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen may help reduce back pain. Occasionally, a back brace and physical therapy may be recommended. In most cases, activities can be resumed gradually and there will be few complications or recurrences. Stretching and strengthening exercises for the back and abnormal muscles can help prevent future recurrences of pain.
Periodic X-rays will show whether the vertebra is continuing to slip.
Treatment Options: Surgical
Surgery may be needed if slippage continues or if the back pain does not respond to conservative treatment and begins to interfere with activities of daily living. A spinal fusion is performed between the lumbar vertebra and the sacrum. Sometimes, an internal brace of screws and rods is used to hold together the vertebra as the fusion heals.
Description
The most common X-ray identified cause of low back pain in adolescent athletes is a stress fracture in one of the bones (vertebrae) that make up the spinal column. Technically, this condition is called spondylolysis (spon-dee-low-lye-sis). It usually affects the fifth lumbar vertebra in the lower back, and much less commonly, the fourth lumbar vertebra.
If the stress fracture weakens the bone so much that it is unable to maintain its proper position, the vertebra can start to shift out of place. This condition is called spondylolisthesis (spon-dee-low-lis-thee-sis). If too much slippage occurs, the bones may begin to press on nerves and surgery may be necessary to correct the condition.
Risk Factors/Prevention
Genetics: There may be a hereditary aspect to spondylolysis. An individual may be born with thin vertebral bone and therefore be vulnerable to this condition. Significant periods of rapid growth may encourage slippage.
Overuse: Some sports, such as gymnastics, weight lifting and football, put a great deal of stress on the bones in the lower back. They also require that the athlete constantly over-stretch (hyperextend) the spine. In either case, the result is a stress fracture on one or both sides of the vertebra.
Symptoms
In many people, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis are present, but without any obvious symptoms.
Pain usually spreads across the lower back, and may feel like a muscle strain.
Spondylolisthesis can cause spasms that stiffen the back and tighten the hamstring muscles, resulting in changes to posture and gait. If the slippage is significant, it may begin to compress the nerves and narrow the spinal canal.
Diagnostic tests
X-rays of the lower back (lumbar) spine will show the position of the vertebra.
The pars interarticularis is a portion of the lumbar spine. It joins together the upper and lower joints. The pars is normal in the vast majority of children.
If the pars "cracks" or fractures, the condition is called spondylolysis. The X-ray confirms the bony abnormality.
If the fracture gap at the pars widens, then the condition is called spondylolisthesis. Widening of the gap leads to the fifth lumbar vertebra shifting. It shifts forward on the part of the pelvic bone called the sacrum. The doctor measures standing lateral spine X-rays. This determines the amount of forward slippage.
If the vertebra is pressing on nerves, a CT scan or MRI may be needed before treatment begins to further assess the abnormality.
Treatment Options
Initial treatment for spondylolysis is always conservative. The individual should take a break from the activities until symptoms go away, as they often do. Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen may help reduce back pain. Occasionally, a back brace and physical therapy may be recommended. In most cases, activities can be resumed gradually and there will be few complications or recurrences. Stretching and strengthening exercises for the back and abnormal muscles can help prevent future recurrences of pain.
Periodic X-rays will show whether the vertebra is continuing to slip.
Treatment Options: Surgical
Surgery may be needed if slippage continues or if the back pain does not respond to conservative treatment and begins to interfere with activities of daily living. A spinal fusion is performed between the lumbar vertebra and the sacrum. Sometimes, an internal brace of screws and rods is used to hold together the vertebra as the fusion heals.
Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
Acute conjunctivitis is redness and soreness (inflammation) of the clear covering (the conjunctiva) which coats the white of the eye and lines the inside of the eye lids. This comes on relatively quickly and lasts for a fairly short time. Acute conjunctivitis may clear on its own, but often needs treatment from your doctor.
Symptoms
Mostly both eyes are affected, but often one starts before the other.
The eye is red, with the blood vessels over the white of the eye more visible and swollen. The lining of the eyelids also looks redder or pinker than usual.
The eye is sticky, with a discharge, which is worse when you wake up.
The eye is itchy or painful.
Sometimes people do not like to be in bright light (photophobia).
Causes
The commonest cause is infection with bacteria.
Virus infection may also occur.
Allergic reactions, eg hayfever, may cause conjunctivitis, but do not usually cause a sticky discharge.
Diagnosis
The doctor will want to rule out more serious problems, which might affect the vision, and may examine you with a special torch for looking into and at the eye (an ophthalmoscope). In some circumstances, if there is doubt about the diagnosis, your doctor might use special fluorescent eye drops to examine the eye better.
Sometimes, especially if the treatment is slow to work, the doctor may take a specimen of the germs in the eye on a small swab (like a cotton bud) and send it to the laboratory for analysis.
Treatment
It helps to bathe the eyes with water or water with a pinch of salt in it. Beware, conjunctivitis is often very contagious. Wash your hands after touching your eyes (or your child's eyes, if you are nursing them), as it is very easy to infect others by spreading the germs on your fingers or on tissues etc.
Over the counter eye cleansing solution can also soothe the eyes, but in the presence of a bacterial infection, you need to see the doctor as antibiotic eye drops or ointment are necessary. In some rare infections, antibiotics are also given by mouth.
If the problem is a virus infection, then it will not respond to antibiotics, and your body will have to fight off the infection.
If your doctor thinks that the problem is allergic, then you may be prescribed antihistamines, sodium cromoglycate eye drops, or nedocromil eye drops.
There are proprietary eye washes and lotions which may soothe the eyes, and at least one eye treatment which is for mild infections, but in general these are merely a temporary measure. You should see your doctor for further advice.
Your doctor may prescribe drops or ointment, or both. Drops stay in the eyes for a shorter time, but ointment tends to blur the vision. Sometimes the doctor may prescribe drops by day, with ointment at night.
Prevention
You are more prone to conjunctivitis after a cold, but anyone can pick it up. Certainly it is important to avoid spreading the germs, and anyone with conjunctivitis, and those treating them, should be scrupulous about washing their hands after touching the eyes, and disposing of tissues straight into the bin.
Symptoms
Mostly both eyes are affected, but often one starts before the other.
The eye is red, with the blood vessels over the white of the eye more visible and swollen. The lining of the eyelids also looks redder or pinker than usual.
The eye is sticky, with a discharge, which is worse when you wake up.
The eye is itchy or painful.
Sometimes people do not like to be in bright light (photophobia).
Causes
The commonest cause is infection with bacteria.
Virus infection may also occur.
Allergic reactions, eg hayfever, may cause conjunctivitis, but do not usually cause a sticky discharge.
Diagnosis
The doctor will want to rule out more serious problems, which might affect the vision, and may examine you with a special torch for looking into and at the eye (an ophthalmoscope). In some circumstances, if there is doubt about the diagnosis, your doctor might use special fluorescent eye drops to examine the eye better.
Sometimes, especially if the treatment is slow to work, the doctor may take a specimen of the germs in the eye on a small swab (like a cotton bud) and send it to the laboratory for analysis.
Treatment
It helps to bathe the eyes with water or water with a pinch of salt in it. Beware, conjunctivitis is often very contagious. Wash your hands after touching your eyes (or your child's eyes, if you are nursing them), as it is very easy to infect others by spreading the germs on your fingers or on tissues etc.
Over the counter eye cleansing solution can also soothe the eyes, but in the presence of a bacterial infection, you need to see the doctor as antibiotic eye drops or ointment are necessary. In some rare infections, antibiotics are also given by mouth.
If the problem is a virus infection, then it will not respond to antibiotics, and your body will have to fight off the infection.
If your doctor thinks that the problem is allergic, then you may be prescribed antihistamines, sodium cromoglycate eye drops, or nedocromil eye drops.
There are proprietary eye washes and lotions which may soothe the eyes, and at least one eye treatment which is for mild infections, but in general these are merely a temporary measure. You should see your doctor for further advice.
Your doctor may prescribe drops or ointment, or both. Drops stay in the eyes for a shorter time, but ointment tends to blur the vision. Sometimes the doctor may prescribe drops by day, with ointment at night.
Prevention
You are more prone to conjunctivitis after a cold, but anyone can pick it up. Certainly it is important to avoid spreading the germs, and anyone with conjunctivitis, and those treating them, should be scrupulous about washing their hands after touching the eyes, and disposing of tissues straight into the bin.
The Winner
The Winner
So Bambang won the Indonesian elections. But who is the real winner? Let's wait and see. Things can go either way but I do think that the elections this time around has been a democratic one.
Few wishes to Indonesia:
1. Mdm Megawati graciously concedes defeat. Do not waste precious time and resources trying to overturn the results - these should be used to improve the living conditions of the people.
2. Pak Bambang is able to have a peaceful first 100 days. If internal strife between the political parties is going to mar his honeymoon period, then little can be done. Even less can be achieved. The people will be the losers.
3. The Indonesian economy grows a little. I don't need a miracle but do let the economy grow. The people need it.
4. Less violence, fewer terrorists.
5. Greater stability for south east Asia. We have enough of uncertain times.
So Bambang won the Indonesian elections. But who is the real winner? Let's wait and see. Things can go either way but I do think that the elections this time around has been a democratic one.
Few wishes to Indonesia:
1. Mdm Megawati graciously concedes defeat. Do not waste precious time and resources trying to overturn the results - these should be used to improve the living conditions of the people.
2. Pak Bambang is able to have a peaceful first 100 days. If internal strife between the political parties is going to mar his honeymoon period, then little can be done. Even less can be achieved. The people will be the losers.
3. The Indonesian economy grows a little. I don't need a miracle but do let the economy grow. The people need it.
4. Less violence, fewer terrorists.
5. Greater stability for south east Asia. We have enough of uncertain times.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Elections
Elections
Indonesia just concluded her Presidential elections the day before. The initial ballot count shows Bambang the challenger ahead. I wonder what will happen if he wins? Will it be good for Indonesia?
I am ambivalent towards Megawati Sukarnoputri. While I don't think that she has done a great job with Indonesia, I must be fair in noting that no one would have done a good job there. An archipelago of over 13 000 islands is NOT an easy country to manage. To do well is even more difficult.
Nonetheless, I still want Indonesia to be politically stable.
The JW Marriot blast last year and the Australian embassy blast this year show gaping holes in Indonesia's defence against terrorist activities. The vast number of islands probably provided the hideouts required for the insurgents to hide in and this would have hampered any efforts at clamping them now.
I still recall very recently a conversation with a guy friend over why Singapore had to abolish kampungs (rural villages) and squatters. I was telling him that it was a means of the government to curb the communist insurgency during the years 1948 to 1960. Political/historical tadpoles would not have known this but when these people were resettled into government housing flats, the communists simply had to retreat further and further into the jungle to look for their needs such as shelter and food there. Subsequently, when everything else was deprived to them, they went into the jungles around south-east asia and hid there. Some never returned to homeland. That fellow simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "I've never learnt that in my history lessons."
Convenient.
But the parallels are quite obvious. The vast majority of Indonesians live beneath poverty lines. If nothing is done to help them, then the average discontent levels will be high. It becomes, probably and correspondingly, easier to convince them to provide some "convenient accesses" such as food, shelter, storage for some pittance. Pittance, but when you have next to nothing, it may seem not so much of a pittance anymore.
Poverty really makes people do the strangest thing.
I don't think I'm in any position to prescribe any cure for their ills. I can only think of how, with their sheer size and population, can provide a stabilising force in ASEAN and south-east asia. This can only be achieved through wise and enlightened leadership. Let's hope the better candidate wins!
Indonesia just concluded her Presidential elections the day before. The initial ballot count shows Bambang the challenger ahead. I wonder what will happen if he wins? Will it be good for Indonesia?
I am ambivalent towards Megawati Sukarnoputri. While I don't think that she has done a great job with Indonesia, I must be fair in noting that no one would have done a good job there. An archipelago of over 13 000 islands is NOT an easy country to manage. To do well is even more difficult.
Nonetheless, I still want Indonesia to be politically stable.
The JW Marriot blast last year and the Australian embassy blast this year show gaping holes in Indonesia's defence against terrorist activities. The vast number of islands probably provided the hideouts required for the insurgents to hide in and this would have hampered any efforts at clamping them now.
I still recall very recently a conversation with a guy friend over why Singapore had to abolish kampungs (rural villages) and squatters. I was telling him that it was a means of the government to curb the communist insurgency during the years 1948 to 1960. Political/historical tadpoles would not have known this but when these people were resettled into government housing flats, the communists simply had to retreat further and further into the jungle to look for their needs such as shelter and food there. Subsequently, when everything else was deprived to them, they went into the jungles around south-east asia and hid there. Some never returned to homeland. That fellow simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "I've never learnt that in my history lessons."
Convenient.
But the parallels are quite obvious. The vast majority of Indonesians live beneath poverty lines. If nothing is done to help them, then the average discontent levels will be high. It becomes, probably and correspondingly, easier to convince them to provide some "convenient accesses" such as food, shelter, storage for some pittance. Pittance, but when you have next to nothing, it may seem not so much of a pittance anymore.
Poverty really makes people do the strangest thing.
I don't think I'm in any position to prescribe any cure for their ills. I can only think of how, with their sheer size and population, can provide a stabilising force in ASEAN and south-east asia. This can only be achieved through wise and enlightened leadership. Let's hope the better candidate wins!
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
No guts, no glory
No guts, no glory
Tay Yek Keak
[http://www.straitstimes.com/columnist/0,1886,951-272322,00.html?]
It takes a strong stomach to be a contestant on reality shows, as horse rectum and reindeer testicles are someof the delicacies on the menu.
IT'S easy to jump from an airplane or drive across treacherous sand dunes in a desert. But eating 0.9kg of caviar, that's really a lot harder to swallow.
The fear factor about it is so great, a person can pass out.
In all those sweaty, panting reality TV shows - from The Amazing Race to Fear Factor to Survivor - nothing slows competitors down more than eating weird stuff.
They are obstacles so scary they literally make people throw up.
In one episode of the The Amazing Race, Brandon and Nicole, a couple still in the running, were in danger of elimination when she almost couldn't make it past caviar in Russia.
The poor girl looked like she was ready for the hospital when she was laid out flat on the floor.
Food, it turns out, is the most unnerving ingredient on the reality contest menu. It also happens to be the most fun (to the viewer, that is) in terms of its high euuuuu value.
And if done in an urgent Galloping Gourmet manner, a la The Amazing Race, where participants shove it down to move it on, it becomes an exciting three-part act.
First, there is the unveiling of the fare.
Next, the priceless look of horror on the contestants' faces.
And then comes the dreaded consumption itself, ranging from quick suicidal gulps to tentative and torturous diarrhoea-inducing ingestion.
'Don't look at it! Just shovel it in your face!' goes the typical pep rally.
On Fear Factor, the stuff is so gross - bugs, slugs, worms, sheep eyes, maggoty cheese, cod sperm, horse rectum, reindeer testicles and, memorably, a bull snout complete with fur - it could make even Klingons puke.
Now, that show, proud of its Fear Factor Pizza, made of cow bile, rancid cheese and coagulated blood topped with fish eyes and worms, takes extreme pleasure in serving it Klingon-style.
There is an art, I tell you, in putting something into your mouth while it is still moving.
Not all of God's creatures, it seems, especially snails, cockroaches and larvae, qualify for basic animal rights.
Sometimes, to make it yummier than your average sewer stew, they combine everything in a blender.
Now the burning question, besides whether there is a cleaning crew standing by, is whether any of those things can even be eaten.
Apparently, they can be gobbled since there has been no report so far about a person convulsing violently from a reality show food fest.
In case you think all the fare is bad, even the sweetest sins can be quite a mouthful.
One challenge in The Amazing Race had the contestants gagging on the over-consumption of rich, delicious chocolate.
But the thrill of the munchies is definitely in the offering of bad food as good reward.
Survivor, the stranded-contestants show, likes to spice things up by making unsuspecting visitors chew it up.
The sooner one's Mum can devour, say, that huge, hairy spider, the faster one can spend the day with her.
The mouth, you see, is an awesome weapon in reality TV. It's a potent fast-forward tool.
In The Amazing Race, one contestant named Chip who's called the 'Michael Jordan of eating', swallowed caviar like ice cream and made minced meat out of a scrambled, gigantic ostrich's egg.
The mouth is also a most dramatic device. Especially when it starts spewing like the Merlion.
Channel 5 has been pitching its upcoming based-in-China series, Extreme Gourmet, by exhibiting the American Pie antics of its host, Lum May Yee, and others hurling on cuisine from maggot fried rice to donkey testicles.
Speaking of such Asian delights, our eatables here have actually crossed into the realm of American TV entertainment.
The stuff we put into our mouths with relish, such as century eggs, is apparently scary to those macho men.
One man's meat is truly another man's poison.
In one classic episode of Fear Factor, massive, muscled pro wrestlers were spooked by the durian, describing it as a very nasty fruit.
When two of those heavies came to Singapore for a wrestling show last year, they were filmed eating in dread at a restaurant in Chinatown.
I think they were terrified by our bird's nest soup.
Tay Yek Keak
[http://www.straitstimes.com/columnist/0,1886,951-272322,00.html?]
It takes a strong stomach to be a contestant on reality shows, as horse rectum and reindeer testicles are someof the delicacies on the menu.
IT'S easy to jump from an airplane or drive across treacherous sand dunes in a desert. But eating 0.9kg of caviar, that's really a lot harder to swallow.
The fear factor about it is so great, a person can pass out.
In all those sweaty, panting reality TV shows - from The Amazing Race to Fear Factor to Survivor - nothing slows competitors down more than eating weird stuff.
They are obstacles so scary they literally make people throw up.
In one episode of the The Amazing Race, Brandon and Nicole, a couple still in the running, were in danger of elimination when she almost couldn't make it past caviar in Russia.
The poor girl looked like she was ready for the hospital when she was laid out flat on the floor.
Food, it turns out, is the most unnerving ingredient on the reality contest menu. It also happens to be the most fun (to the viewer, that is) in terms of its high euuuuu value.
And if done in an urgent Galloping Gourmet manner, a la The Amazing Race, where participants shove it down to move it on, it becomes an exciting three-part act.
First, there is the unveiling of the fare.
Next, the priceless look of horror on the contestants' faces.
And then comes the dreaded consumption itself, ranging from quick suicidal gulps to tentative and torturous diarrhoea-inducing ingestion.
'Don't look at it! Just shovel it in your face!' goes the typical pep rally.
On Fear Factor, the stuff is so gross - bugs, slugs, worms, sheep eyes, maggoty cheese, cod sperm, horse rectum, reindeer testicles and, memorably, a bull snout complete with fur - it could make even Klingons puke.
Now, that show, proud of its Fear Factor Pizza, made of cow bile, rancid cheese and coagulated blood topped with fish eyes and worms, takes extreme pleasure in serving it Klingon-style.
There is an art, I tell you, in putting something into your mouth while it is still moving.
Not all of God's creatures, it seems, especially snails, cockroaches and larvae, qualify for basic animal rights.
Sometimes, to make it yummier than your average sewer stew, they combine everything in a blender.
Now the burning question, besides whether there is a cleaning crew standing by, is whether any of those things can even be eaten.
Apparently, they can be gobbled since there has been no report so far about a person convulsing violently from a reality show food fest.
In case you think all the fare is bad, even the sweetest sins can be quite a mouthful.
One challenge in The Amazing Race had the contestants gagging on the over-consumption of rich, delicious chocolate.
But the thrill of the munchies is definitely in the offering of bad food as good reward.
Survivor, the stranded-contestants show, likes to spice things up by making unsuspecting visitors chew it up.
The sooner one's Mum can devour, say, that huge, hairy spider, the faster one can spend the day with her.
The mouth, you see, is an awesome weapon in reality TV. It's a potent fast-forward tool.
In The Amazing Race, one contestant named Chip who's called the 'Michael Jordan of eating', swallowed caviar like ice cream and made minced meat out of a scrambled, gigantic ostrich's egg.
The mouth is also a most dramatic device. Especially when it starts spewing like the Merlion.
Channel 5 has been pitching its upcoming based-in-China series, Extreme Gourmet, by exhibiting the American Pie antics of its host, Lum May Yee, and others hurling on cuisine from maggot fried rice to donkey testicles.
Speaking of such Asian delights, our eatables here have actually crossed into the realm of American TV entertainment.
The stuff we put into our mouths with relish, such as century eggs, is apparently scary to those macho men.
One man's meat is truly another man's poison.
In one classic episode of Fear Factor, massive, muscled pro wrestlers were spooked by the durian, describing it as a very nasty fruit.
When two of those heavies came to Singapore for a wrestling show last year, they were filmed eating in dread at a restaurant in Chinatown.
I think they were terrified by our bird's nest soup.
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Some try to forget
Some Try To Forget
I avoided blogging on Sept 11. It is not because I did not or could not give a damn, but for someone so far away, to claim that I'm "affected" by the blast, my heart "goes out to..." is a bit exaggerated and remote.
I don't pretend to be who I am not. I looked at the event as an outsider. When it happened, I recall myself trying to get to sleep because I had to wake up early the next morning to get to work. I read the papers the next morning and to tell you the truth, I never felt anything much, other than the fact that the WTC towers had collapsed and along with that, x number of people have died.
I can't say that the event has changed my life. I can't even say that it has any impact or this or that. I can't be what I'm not. I simply cannot bring myself to do anything more than to empathise and sympathise.
I read with wonder and amazement when people talk as though "they were there". I cringe inwardly when they talk about the "unnecessary waste of life", the "evil of terrorists", the "carnage beyond believable proportions". I think these people are too drama-mama.
I have friends in America with whom I chat over Yahoo messenger. To tell you very very frankly, I don't even feel half their "passion" towards this event. They are riveted by it, then they let it pass. Like most ordinary folks, what needs to be done has to be done, and life goes on. But there are really great extraordinary folks online as well. Like John R, who is so politically astute that his simple logic ain't that simple. He writes great sense and he is obviously fully aware of the meaning of his words. Old Whig as well, and not to mention the two soldiers in Iraq whose blogs I also read. These people are deep in action and they know what they are talking.
All others should be qualified as rants and raves.
Just to complete my final look at the world at large, there are the really indifferent, and those who try to forget.
The last group are those to whom I salute. These people may be the worst struck - remember the foreigners killed whose bodies were never found - to whom and to where do the suffering family members seek redress? They could either bear a never-ending grudge for life or they try to forget. They are also heroes.
I avoided blogging on Sept 11. It is not because I did not or could not give a damn, but for someone so far away, to claim that I'm "affected" by the blast, my heart "goes out to..." is a bit exaggerated and remote.
I don't pretend to be who I am not. I looked at the event as an outsider. When it happened, I recall myself trying to get to sleep because I had to wake up early the next morning to get to work. I read the papers the next morning and to tell you the truth, I never felt anything much, other than the fact that the WTC towers had collapsed and along with that, x number of people have died.
I can't say that the event has changed my life. I can't even say that it has any impact or this or that. I can't be what I'm not. I simply cannot bring myself to do anything more than to empathise and sympathise.
I read with wonder and amazement when people talk as though "they were there". I cringe inwardly when they talk about the "unnecessary waste of life", the "evil of terrorists", the "carnage beyond believable proportions". I think these people are too drama-mama.
I have friends in America with whom I chat over Yahoo messenger. To tell you very very frankly, I don't even feel half their "passion" towards this event. They are riveted by it, then they let it pass. Like most ordinary folks, what needs to be done has to be done, and life goes on. But there are really great extraordinary folks online as well. Like John R, who is so politically astute that his simple logic ain't that simple. He writes great sense and he is obviously fully aware of the meaning of his words. Old Whig as well, and not to mention the two soldiers in Iraq whose blogs I also read. These people are deep in action and they know what they are talking.
All others should be qualified as rants and raves.
Just to complete my final look at the world at large, there are the really indifferent, and those who try to forget.
The last group are those to whom I salute. These people may be the worst struck - remember the foreigners killed whose bodies were never found - to whom and to where do the suffering family members seek redress? They could either bear a never-ending grudge for life or they try to forget. They are also heroes.
Friday, September 10, 2004
Potpourri
Potpourri
Bleak bleak news recently.
Witch-hunting is in season, well ahead of Halloween!
"Jakarta vows to hunt down embassy bombers" while there were "6 Chechens among Russian school raiders". These witches must be rich pickings, for "$10m bounty up for Chechen leaders after school siege" surged to no less than Russia offers "$17m bounty for top rebels" just overnight!
The biggest race to be the second worst guy in the whole wide world seems to be generating a lot of heat and finger-pointing. I'm keeping mum who's I'm gunning for to Dad the world's hyper-power. Anyway, it's still extremely scary to know that the "US (is) campaigning a case of 'the other guy's worse'". In the long run, I just hope that the US doesn't sneeze too often because we catch a cold when it does!
The bleakness has come to a point that people can even make uninspiring stuff news: (Taiwan President) Chen grabs headlines with uneventful trip abroad.
And as life was so bad that living seems generally pointless, people have resorted to using biological weapons such as poultry infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. Fortunately, our kind neighbour, Malaysia, has tasked "KL to crack down on fowl smugglers". Hopefully, we won't be too badly affected.
Talking about this, the egg shortage situation has become quite acute. I have given up a source of comfort food, FRESH CREAM CAKES, because the egg substitutes simply won't work. But on a lighter note, my pants are getting a little less tight.
There is another twist in the evolutionary cycle. Apparently, "extinction figures may be dead wrong" because "when a species vanishes, others may die too, and experts say this effect has been under-estimated". Unfortunately, that does not seem to work for terrorists and dumb people.
However, to balance out the fear that Earth may be underpopulated by various living species, it was found that for the case "of lice and men: Dispute finally over", there are indeed 'two genetically distinct populations' of lice. I wonder how Noah told one apart from the other.
Anyway, lest this get any bleaker, here's something to rejoice! "Time really does fly when you're having fun". "Scientists say this is because when our minds are engaged, our estimation of the passage of time is shorter than it really is".
I had fun writing this. What about you?
Bleak bleak news recently.
Witch-hunting is in season, well ahead of Halloween!
"Jakarta vows to hunt down embassy bombers" while there were "6 Chechens among Russian school raiders". These witches must be rich pickings, for "$10m bounty up for Chechen leaders after school siege" surged to no less than Russia offers "$17m bounty for top rebels" just overnight!
The biggest race to be the second worst guy in the whole wide world seems to be generating a lot of heat and finger-pointing. I'm keeping mum who's I'm gunning for to Dad the world's hyper-power. Anyway, it's still extremely scary to know that the "US (is) campaigning a case of 'the other guy's worse'". In the long run, I just hope that the US doesn't sneeze too often because we catch a cold when it does!
The bleakness has come to a point that people can even make uninspiring stuff news: (Taiwan President) Chen grabs headlines with uneventful trip abroad.
And as life was so bad that living seems generally pointless, people have resorted to using biological weapons such as poultry infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. Fortunately, our kind neighbour, Malaysia, has tasked "KL to crack down on fowl smugglers". Hopefully, we won't be too badly affected.
Talking about this, the egg shortage situation has become quite acute. I have given up a source of comfort food, FRESH CREAM CAKES, because the egg substitutes simply won't work. But on a lighter note, my pants are getting a little less tight.
There is another twist in the evolutionary cycle. Apparently, "extinction figures may be dead wrong" because "when a species vanishes, others may die too, and experts say this effect has been under-estimated". Unfortunately, that does not seem to work for terrorists and dumb people.
However, to balance out the fear that Earth may be underpopulated by various living species, it was found that for the case "of lice and men: Dispute finally over", there are indeed 'two genetically distinct populations' of lice. I wonder how Noah told one apart from the other.
Anyway, lest this get any bleaker, here's something to rejoice! "Time really does fly when you're having fun". "Scientists say this is because when our minds are engaged, our estimation of the passage of time is shorter than it really is".
I had fun writing this. What about you?
The Price of No Progress
Point: The Price of No Progress
SEPT 9, 2004
Bomb rocks Jakarta, at least 7 killed
JAKARTA - A powerful bomb which exploded near the Australian Embassy rocked a major business district in southern Jakarta on Thursday, killing eight people and wounding close to 160, witnesses and officials said.
Witnesses saw smoke rising near Rasuna Said Street, which is home to several foreign embassies and businesses, shortly after 10.15am (0315 GMT). Four cars, including a police vehicle, were damaged and a section of the high metal fence surrounding the Australian Embassy was flattened. The windows on at least 10 surrounding high-rise buildings were shattered.
Initial police investigations have confirmed that the blast was caused by a car bomb, said police chief General Dai Bachtiar.
He said the blast bore the hallmark of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror group, as the modus operandi was very similar to the other attacks -- referring to the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2003 Marriott blast -- done by the JI.
Casualties
About a dozen Australians were slightly injured, mostly by flying glass, an Australian Embassy spokesman said. Four Chinese nationals were also injured in the blast, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.
An Associated Press photographer on the scene saw at least three dismembered bodies on the wide six-lane street close to the embassy. A doctor at a nearby hospital said 98 people were admitted for treatment.
Security officials said an Indonesian guard manning a post outside the gate was among those who died in the explosion. Three policemen guarding the building were also killed.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said that the death toll 'could be six'. 'We cannot at this stage be certain but the evidence to date indicates that it was a car bomb.'
He also said Foreign Minister Alexander Downer would travel to Indonesia on Thursday night, together with Labor Party member Kevin Ruud, and some nine federal Australian bomb experts and medical staff.
Mr Downer has said that the blast was 'clearly a terrorist attack' directed at Australia.
No embassy workers were injured in the blast, said Australian foreign ministry spokesman Lyndall Sachs. She said the windows of the building were shattered and that the power was down, adding that the mission was evacuated in line with standard procedures.
Past terror attacks in Indonesia
In recent weeks, several Western embassies, including those of the United States and Australia, have warned their citizens about possible attacks by militants.
It is still unclear who was responsible for the blast.
In the past few years, Indonesia has been hit by a series of deadly bombings against Western targets, including last year's suicide attack on the JW Marriott hotel in the same district, which killed 12 people.
In 2002, two nightclubs in Bali were bombed, killing over 200 people, including 88 Australians. Both attacks were blamed on the Jemaah Islamiah militant group, a South-east Asian terror network linked to Al-Qaeda.
Mega rushes back from Brunei
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, in Brunei to attend the wedding of the Crown Prince of Brunei, cut short her trip and returned to Jakarta - six hours ahead of schedule.
Malaysia suspects JI brain behind blastMalaysian security officials said in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday that the bombing near may have been the work of a British-trained engineer who has eluded capture for nearly three years.
Azahari Husin, a Malaysian, is one of Asia's most-wanted men and a member of the Al Qaeda-allied Jemaah Islamiah terror group. He has been linked to numerous bombings in Indonesia, including the Bali attack.
Azahari and another Malaysian fugitive, Noordin Mohammed Top, are believed to have made the Marriott bomb with dynamite and ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser that can be transformed into explosives.
The two men narrowly escaped a police dragnet on Oct 31 in Bandung city in Indonesia's West Java province.
Azahari, a British-trained engineer and former university lecturer, and Noordin fled Malaysia to escape a nationwide crackdown against Islamic militants after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
Azahari had close relations with Indonesian cleric Riduan Isamuddin, known as Hambali, who was considered Jemaah Islamiah's operations chief before his arrest in Thailand last year.
Philippines on high alertPhilippine troops went on full alert on Thursday following the bombing, amid fears of terrorism linked to the anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks in the United States, officials said.
The country's entire 120,000-strong military and 114,000-strong police force was on red alert - the highest of a three-level system.
National police chief Edgar Aglipay said extra police had been posted at the Australian and US embassies in Manila. Special police troops, bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors have been deployed.
Financial repercussions for Indonesia
JAKARTA - The car bombing near the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday rattled Indonesia's financial markets, driving the stock market lower and prompting the government to warn it may delay the sale of state-owned assets.
Analysts, however, said the blast wouldn't drive foreign companies out of Indonesia, since most companies already here have come to expect violence after a string of bombings across the archipelago in recent years.
Shares on the Jakarta Stock Exchange plunged on Thursday. At midday, the stock exchange was down 29.651 points, or 3.8 per cent, at 759.484. Shares did manage to end off their lows, and the market recovered to close down 6.485 points, or 0.8 per cent, at 782.65.
The rupiah, meanwhile, fell 0.4 per cent to 9,330 against the US dollar.
Meanwhile, the government said it may delay plans to sell assets in state-owned companies because of the blast. The government was in the process of selling a 51 per cent stake in its lucrative Bank Permata and a 30 per cent stake in Bank Negara Indonesia.
Analysts say such a delay could mean a bigger 2004 budget deficit.
Bashir condemns blast
JAKARTA - Jailed cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who is accused of heading the militant group blamed for Thursday's bombing of the Australian Embassy, condemned the attack but predicted he would be blamed for it.
'I'm very upset. I'm against all bombings like this,' Bashir said according to his lawyer Mahendradata, who visited the cleric in jail shortly after the blast, which killed at least eight people.
'But (the authorities) will still use this to attack me,' he said. 'In their desperation, they will accuse me for this attack just like they have the others.'
Bashir has denied any involvement in terrorism and claims that Jakarta buckled under pressure from Washington to arrest him as part of a crackdown on Islamic activists in the world's most populous Muslim nation. -- AP
Taken from http://www.straitstimes.com/latest/story/0,4390,271720,00.html?
SEPT 9, 2004
Bomb rocks Jakarta, at least 7 killed
JAKARTA - A powerful bomb which exploded near the Australian Embassy rocked a major business district in southern Jakarta on Thursday, killing eight people and wounding close to 160, witnesses and officials said.
Witnesses saw smoke rising near Rasuna Said Street, which is home to several foreign embassies and businesses, shortly after 10.15am (0315 GMT). Four cars, including a police vehicle, were damaged and a section of the high metal fence surrounding the Australian Embassy was flattened. The windows on at least 10 surrounding high-rise buildings were shattered.
Initial police investigations have confirmed that the blast was caused by a car bomb, said police chief General Dai Bachtiar.
He said the blast bore the hallmark of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror group, as the modus operandi was very similar to the other attacks -- referring to the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2003 Marriott blast -- done by the JI.
Casualties
About a dozen Australians were slightly injured, mostly by flying glass, an Australian Embassy spokesman said. Four Chinese nationals were also injured in the blast, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.
An Associated Press photographer on the scene saw at least three dismembered bodies on the wide six-lane street close to the embassy. A doctor at a nearby hospital said 98 people were admitted for treatment.
Security officials said an Indonesian guard manning a post outside the gate was among those who died in the explosion. Three policemen guarding the building were also killed.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said that the death toll 'could be six'. 'We cannot at this stage be certain but the evidence to date indicates that it was a car bomb.'
He also said Foreign Minister Alexander Downer would travel to Indonesia on Thursday night, together with Labor Party member Kevin Ruud, and some nine federal Australian bomb experts and medical staff.
Mr Downer has said that the blast was 'clearly a terrorist attack' directed at Australia.
No embassy workers were injured in the blast, said Australian foreign ministry spokesman Lyndall Sachs. She said the windows of the building were shattered and that the power was down, adding that the mission was evacuated in line with standard procedures.
Past terror attacks in Indonesia
In recent weeks, several Western embassies, including those of the United States and Australia, have warned their citizens about possible attacks by militants.
It is still unclear who was responsible for the blast.
In the past few years, Indonesia has been hit by a series of deadly bombings against Western targets, including last year's suicide attack on the JW Marriott hotel in the same district, which killed 12 people.
In 2002, two nightclubs in Bali were bombed, killing over 200 people, including 88 Australians. Both attacks were blamed on the Jemaah Islamiah militant group, a South-east Asian terror network linked to Al-Qaeda.
Mega rushes back from Brunei
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, in Brunei to attend the wedding of the Crown Prince of Brunei, cut short her trip and returned to Jakarta - six hours ahead of schedule.
Malaysia suspects JI brain behind blastMalaysian security officials said in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday that the bombing near may have been the work of a British-trained engineer who has eluded capture for nearly three years.
Azahari Husin, a Malaysian, is one of Asia's most-wanted men and a member of the Al Qaeda-allied Jemaah Islamiah terror group. He has been linked to numerous bombings in Indonesia, including the Bali attack.
Azahari and another Malaysian fugitive, Noordin Mohammed Top, are believed to have made the Marriott bomb with dynamite and ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser that can be transformed into explosives.
The two men narrowly escaped a police dragnet on Oct 31 in Bandung city in Indonesia's West Java province.
Azahari, a British-trained engineer and former university lecturer, and Noordin fled Malaysia to escape a nationwide crackdown against Islamic militants after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
Azahari had close relations with Indonesian cleric Riduan Isamuddin, known as Hambali, who was considered Jemaah Islamiah's operations chief before his arrest in Thailand last year.
Philippines on high alertPhilippine troops went on full alert on Thursday following the bombing, amid fears of terrorism linked to the anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks in the United States, officials said.
The country's entire 120,000-strong military and 114,000-strong police force was on red alert - the highest of a three-level system.
National police chief Edgar Aglipay said extra police had been posted at the Australian and US embassies in Manila. Special police troops, bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors have been deployed.
Financial repercussions for Indonesia
JAKARTA - The car bombing near the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday rattled Indonesia's financial markets, driving the stock market lower and prompting the government to warn it may delay the sale of state-owned assets.
Analysts, however, said the blast wouldn't drive foreign companies out of Indonesia, since most companies already here have come to expect violence after a string of bombings across the archipelago in recent years.
Shares on the Jakarta Stock Exchange plunged on Thursday. At midday, the stock exchange was down 29.651 points, or 3.8 per cent, at 759.484. Shares did manage to end off their lows, and the market recovered to close down 6.485 points, or 0.8 per cent, at 782.65.
The rupiah, meanwhile, fell 0.4 per cent to 9,330 against the US dollar.
Meanwhile, the government said it may delay plans to sell assets in state-owned companies because of the blast. The government was in the process of selling a 51 per cent stake in its lucrative Bank Permata and a 30 per cent stake in Bank Negara Indonesia.
Analysts say such a delay could mean a bigger 2004 budget deficit.
Bashir condemns blast
JAKARTA - Jailed cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who is accused of heading the militant group blamed for Thursday's bombing of the Australian Embassy, condemned the attack but predicted he would be blamed for it.
'I'm very upset. I'm against all bombings like this,' Bashir said according to his lawyer Mahendradata, who visited the cleric in jail shortly after the blast, which killed at least eight people.
'But (the authorities) will still use this to attack me,' he said. 'In their desperation, they will accuse me for this attack just like they have the others.'
Bashir has denied any involvement in terrorism and claims that Jakarta buckled under pressure from Washington to arrest him as part of a crackdown on Islamic activists in the world's most populous Muslim nation. -- AP
Taken from http://www.straitstimes.com/latest/story/0,4390,271720,00.html?
The Price of Progress
Counterpoint: The Price of Progress
SEPT 9, 2004
Scholarships to help rural Thais result in tragedy
Officials move to help students after one kills herself because she was unable to adjust to life overseas
By Nirmal Ghosh
BANGKOK - The tragic death of a star pupil last month cast a pall over a well-intentioned scholarship scheme championed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The government is now trying to retrofit the 'one tambon (municipality), one scholarship' scheme that is supposed to open doors to opportunity for Thailand's relatively poor rural families.
Miss Natchanon Mekhee, who killed herself while she was on a scholarship in Germany, had told her shocked family in a phone call that she felt miserable.
The 18-year-old was an outstanding student, as are all the 923 young Thais chosen under the scheme to go overseas to study for degrees in countries as diverse as India, Germany, The Netherlands, China and Japan.
The idea is to give their families - all earning less than 100,000 baht (S$4,000) a year - a door out of relative poverty and into the world.
But beyond the small towns and villages of tropical Thailand with its rice fields, temples and slow rivers, it can be a meat grinder of a world.
Miss Mekhee's tragic death was met with nationwide dismay. Officials and academics said the government had ill prepared young people - almost all of whom have never left Thailand - for life in a strange country.
The reasons for her actions may never be known. Officials and academics put it down to homesickness and the inability to cope with having to learn German in order to function in Mannheim, a small industrial town near Frankfurt.
Deputy secretary-general Mantana Piyamada of the Office of the Civil Service Commission, which together with the Ministry of Education oversees the project, told The Straits Times: 'The girl was an outstanding student, but she was overprotected at home, so she was not prepared for life in the outside world.'
Local papers quoted education officials as saying the programme may have been pushed through too quickly.
Officials moved swiftly to set up a three-day preparatory camp for students waiting in line to go overseas, which the Bangkok Post daily said was a case of 'too little, too late'.
The camp concluded late last week in Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok.
One of the students who went through it was Miss Khattiya Surarak, 19, who is off to The Netherlands next month to study international relations.
She agreed that the camp helped build camaraderie and hinted at what students could expect - but facing the realities of life overseas in a country with different social mores, food, culture and above all, language, would be a different matter.
'I feel very sorry for Mekhee and her family. It is such a waste,' she told The Straits Times.
Like her friend Saowaluk Jantaracheewin, 19, who is going to Vienna to study computer engineering, she will get an allowance of 860 euros (S$1,700) a month.
The girls are currently learning Dutch and German through CDs - criticised as totally inadequate by some teachers here.
But they hope their first six months of language training in Amsterdam will give them enough language skills to get by.
Following Miss Mekhee's suicide, a government official will stay in each country where students are deployed to monitor them for a few weeks and assist with logistics such as opening bank accounts and buying insurance policies, before leaving them on their own.
Afterwards, if there are Thai Embassy officials in those countries, they are supposed to keep in touch with the students, who either stay in hostels or as paying guests in local households. Some band together to rent apartments.
For Miss Khattiya's father, Mr Suchart Surarak, 46, a teacher, the project has the potential to make a huge difference.
'It reaches small villages, it opens up opportunities and the students can bring their skills back to Thailand.
'Of course, I am nervous, but it is best to let Khattiya have the opportunity to experience everything for herself.
'I am proud of her,' he told The Straits Times.
Taken from http://www.straitstimes.com/storyprintfriendly/0,1887,271678,00.html?
SEPT 9, 2004
Scholarships to help rural Thais result in tragedy
Officials move to help students after one kills herself because she was unable to adjust to life overseas
By Nirmal Ghosh
BANGKOK - The tragic death of a star pupil last month cast a pall over a well-intentioned scholarship scheme championed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The government is now trying to retrofit the 'one tambon (municipality), one scholarship' scheme that is supposed to open doors to opportunity for Thailand's relatively poor rural families.
Miss Natchanon Mekhee, who killed herself while she was on a scholarship in Germany, had told her shocked family in a phone call that she felt miserable.
The 18-year-old was an outstanding student, as are all the 923 young Thais chosen under the scheme to go overseas to study for degrees in countries as diverse as India, Germany, The Netherlands, China and Japan.
The idea is to give their families - all earning less than 100,000 baht (S$4,000) a year - a door out of relative poverty and into the world.
But beyond the small towns and villages of tropical Thailand with its rice fields, temples and slow rivers, it can be a meat grinder of a world.
Miss Mekhee's tragic death was met with nationwide dismay. Officials and academics said the government had ill prepared young people - almost all of whom have never left Thailand - for life in a strange country.
The reasons for her actions may never be known. Officials and academics put it down to homesickness and the inability to cope with having to learn German in order to function in Mannheim, a small industrial town near Frankfurt.
Deputy secretary-general Mantana Piyamada of the Office of the Civil Service Commission, which together with the Ministry of Education oversees the project, told The Straits Times: 'The girl was an outstanding student, but she was overprotected at home, so she was not prepared for life in the outside world.'
Local papers quoted education officials as saying the programme may have been pushed through too quickly.
Officials moved swiftly to set up a three-day preparatory camp for students waiting in line to go overseas, which the Bangkok Post daily said was a case of 'too little, too late'.
The camp concluded late last week in Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok.
One of the students who went through it was Miss Khattiya Surarak, 19, who is off to The Netherlands next month to study international relations.
She agreed that the camp helped build camaraderie and hinted at what students could expect - but facing the realities of life overseas in a country with different social mores, food, culture and above all, language, would be a different matter.
'I feel very sorry for Mekhee and her family. It is such a waste,' she told The Straits Times.
Like her friend Saowaluk Jantaracheewin, 19, who is going to Vienna to study computer engineering, she will get an allowance of 860 euros (S$1,700) a month.
The girls are currently learning Dutch and German through CDs - criticised as totally inadequate by some teachers here.
But they hope their first six months of language training in Amsterdam will give them enough language skills to get by.
Following Miss Mekhee's suicide, a government official will stay in each country where students are deployed to monitor them for a few weeks and assist with logistics such as opening bank accounts and buying insurance policies, before leaving them on their own.
Afterwards, if there are Thai Embassy officials in those countries, they are supposed to keep in touch with the students, who either stay in hostels or as paying guests in local households. Some band together to rent apartments.
For Miss Khattiya's father, Mr Suchart Surarak, 46, a teacher, the project has the potential to make a huge difference.
'It reaches small villages, it opens up opportunities and the students can bring their skills back to Thailand.
'Of course, I am nervous, but it is best to let Khattiya have the opportunity to experience everything for herself.
'I am proud of her,' he told The Straits Times.
Taken from http://www.straitstimes.com/storyprintfriendly/0,1887,271678,00.html?
Thursday, September 09, 2004
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