Talking about sex at 11 can reduce teenage pregnancies

Should parents talk to their children as young as 11 about sex informally and often if they want them to delay sexual experiences and take fewer risks? Yes, says the British Government!

Banana shake right from mommy’s breasts!

Danish researchers advise how to make breast milk taste like banana milkshake.

Nursing mothers were today shown how to produce the human equivalent of a banana milk shake from their breasts. It seems all they have to do is munch a banana an hour or less before feeding time.  They can give their milk other flavours the same way.

To detox or not to detox?

Dawn Page

£800,000 High Court settlement for detox dieter left epileptic

This is serendipity!

Traffic deaths fall as gas prices climb

It was reported by MARK WILLIAMS, (AP Business Writer) that rising prices at the gas pump appear to be having at least one positive effect: Traffic deaths around the US are plummeting, just as they did during the Arab oil embargo three decades ago.

The researchers with the National Safety Council reported a 9 percent drop in motor vehicle deaths overall through May compared with the first five months of 2007, including a drop of 18 percent in March and 14 percent in April.

Ice-cream van jingles causing noise pollution?

This must be what the Worcester City Council is thinking otherwise why it is passing a law to order the jingles to be cut down to four seconds?

It further wants to prohibit the vans from making any noise outside places of worship, schools during lessons and in narrow or restricted places. The ice-cream van sellers were angry, they disliked this being  added to their other woe (facing competition from the supermarkets).

Beware and be cautious!

This is an article ran by the ‘Metro’ of London. All should take the message seriously to save ourselves of a lot of inconveniences and embarrassment. Can you imagine what it can do to a family – total devastation. Hope the people perpetrating this will have some consideration for their intended victims. Would you like to have a family member going through the same ordeal?

Sacked because she worked too hard!

What are we suppose to do here? Are we to laugh or are we to sigh or are we to cry?! This story really occurred in the UK. It happened in Marshchapel Primary School in Lincolnshire where the headteacher was sacked. What was unusual about the sack was its cause – she was dismissed because she has worked too hard!!! Yes, you heard it right she was given the sack because she had put in more hours than had been required of her.

Online Buying – Can it catch on in Malaysia?

It is reported that in the UK,  online shopping in the first half of 2008 has shot up by more than a third compared with last year. Web purchases over the past six months has hit £26.5billion, trouncing the £19.2billion spent in the corresponding period last year. Just hear this – online sales now account for more than a sixth of retail shopping. This is according to the IMRG Capgemini Index.

Using it to prolong life or to shorten life….

First story:

Doctors at St. George University of London carried out a research on cannabis which shows it could be used to treat many forms of cancer. It seems the drug contains an ingredient which slows tumour growth and prevents the reproduction of cancer cells. Its effects are seen in all cancers but particularly in those of the lung, and brain, and leukaemia. But scientists warned against smoking the drug, saying the only safe version was that created in the lab.

Young Malaysians a responsible lot?

It is reported that young people accounted for half of all new sexually transmitted infection (STI) last year, despite making just one-eighth of the British population. Of the 380,000 newly diagnosed STIs in clinics, almost 200,000 are related to people aged 16 – 24. The British Health Protection Agency said the overall total was six percent higher than the level for year 2006. Of this, new cases of genital herpes rose 20 percent while there was a seven percent increase in genital warts and chlamydia. The HPA views a ‘casual shag’ as merely a method of contracting new infections. Professor Peter Borriello, director of the HPA’s centre for infections says ‘Shag now stands for syphilis, herpes, anal warts and gonorrhoea’.

According to HPA young people accounted for 65 percent of chlamydia cases, 55 percent of genital warts and 50 percent of gonorrhoea infections dealt with by the sexual health clinics last year in Britain.

Does the Malaysian government compile such figures? Does it keep tab of such social infections amongst our young? Those who know more about these things, do we have sexual health clinics in Malaysia? Young people it is your responsibility, do take care. Don’t injure your loved ones and spoil your futures.

It’s a spam, it’s a shame!

It is a crying shame that corporations are now facing the disturbing fact that only one in twenty eight e-mails is legitimate (this accounts for more than ninety-six percent of e-mails). Researchers at IT security company Sophos say what is even more troubling is that hackers are now using social networking sites and mobile phones to spread junk mails.

Hackers involved in the game should please pause and consider how their actions are impacting others and also how the actions will impact the economy. I am sure they themselves would rather not receive and read junks mails, so it would help if they could spare others the same inconvenience. Computers and e-mails are supposed to make communication easier and faster, it is supposed to help us enjoy life more, please help us keep it his way.

Much time and money are required for those working in corporations to clear the spams. These time and money should rightly be used to work on matters related to their work. The financial costs taken to clear the spams can be substantial, this is unproductive cost. This money lost could surely be put into better use.

Hackers, to me are intelligent people and they are definitely IT savvy. They could use these admirable quality and skill to help us all in building a better quality life.  Society could definitely use this help.

Come visit this site again. Thank you.

Coming together ….There must be a reason

People always come into your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason,you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends.

LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway);, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Thank you for being part of my life…..

Author Brian A. “Drew” Chalker

“ I came across this on www.indianchild.com and I had to share it. I love the way he expresses the importance of having awareness of people that come into our lives, and his belief is very much similar to mine, but yet said in a more profound and articulated way. Definitely words to stay with you”……said wotserface

There is nothing much to add to what had been said but would just like to say this is certainly a meaningful piece of writing. It is writing like this that lifts us from our mandune selves and helps us to see the ‘finer’  persons in us.

US RESEARCHERS HAVE GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT YOUNG CHILDREN!

Young children may often act like little dev*ls but they are basically born good. US researchers found that the under-twelves have an in-built tendency to care. When youngsters were shown cartoon characters deliberately being hurt, the areas of their brains showed increased activity – indicating they ‘felt the victim’s pain’. The researchers conclude that the findings, which suggest feelings of empathy are ‘hard-wired’ into brains by birth, and this could help to unravel the causes of bullying.

So, science now confirms men are born good, that is nice to know. Hadn’t the Buddha who told us so 2500 years ago? Children may act like dev*ls but they do so because they know no better, they have not learn what is right or wrong, what is proper and improper. We should not fault them for such normal childish behavior. That is why parenting is important. That is why teaching the children the basic human values is important.

THE WIVES MAY NOT LIKE TO HEAR THIS!

Researches at Brunel University suggest the joy of being a parent lasts just two years and the euphoria of getting married is similarly short-lived.  They say people quickly adjust to marriage and children. They do not experience long-term positive reactions to such major life changes.

This study was not one of those ‘flash-in-the-pan’ thing, it was a study of happiness done over a 25-years period. Ladies, you need not be too concern or upset over this. We, men are still responsible creatures even though we may have got over the euphoria that soon. We still will carry out the duties and obligations of a spouse and a parent to the T. For those ladies who are still unmarried, trust that things will work out fine. The generations of your sisters before you have proven men to be so!

Some are ’sitting on billions’, others are ’sitting on their backsides, spending on something they don’t have’

A union in Britain claims that British city councils are sitting on billions of pounds, if that is true it shows how efficient these councils are. Not too far back, many Malaysian city councils are said to be on the verge of bankruptcy and that they are owing billions of ringgits to the Federal government.  The Malaysian city councils are doing basically the same jobs as their British counterparts, aren’t they?  They collect revenues from the population and in turn provide public facilities and services, why, then, can the British councils be in the black and our councils are in the red. Is it that the Malaysian city councillors and administrators have been so influenced by the Chinese that they have to keep everything in red.

Our Malaysian councillors should focus on learning how to run a sound financial administration when they are on their ‘annual foreign study tours’.  Visiting the pig-rearing farms and learning on beautification projects may be  more fun and exciting but if you have no money in the till, you cannot do much on what you may have picked up, can you? Keeping on borrowing from the Federal government is not the answer!

Good news for cancer patients!!!

Macmillan Cancer Support, a British charity, conducted a new research and came out with the finding that the number of cancer survivors in Britain has hit two million. This, it seems, is a big increase on previous estimates. Until now health charities have been quoting findings from the early 1990s that showed that Britain has I.2million people living with or after cancer. Macmillan Cancer Support also warns that health trusts’ failure to provide emotional and practical support for patients was creating a “ticking time-bomb’. It further states that it must be recognised that care and supoort cannot stop when initial medical treatment ends.

This piece of good news would lift the spirits of cancer patients everywhere, it would provide much encouragement to them. At the same time, the report also tells care-givers not to cut down on the quality and quantity of care and support once the medical treatment ends. This bit of advice suggests that family members (the primary care-givers) should continue to give the very necessary support to the cancer patients in their families. Hope those from the financially-strapped families will find the best way to provide such care and support.  Money is, of course, important but emotional support is equally important.

Forests may be ruined … who are the losers?

Rights and Resources Initiative, based in the US, says rising demand for food, fuel and wood threatens to destroy the world’s forests. It asserts large-scale deforestation would make climate change more severe and push billion of people who are dependent on forests further into poverty and cause war and conflict. It cautions that unless steps are taken, traditional forest owners and the forests themselves, will be the big losers.

China and India, countries with gigantic populations, have been blamed for causing the fuel price-hikes. Are they to be apportioned a share of the blame here, for they, too, have huge demand for food and wood. What is more important and meaningful here is for each of us as individuals to do our own little parts. Let us, ourselves, cut down on our use of fuel and our use of things made from wood, as well as, cutting down on our wastage on food consumption. We can do more walking, more cycling and use more public transport. We can help chop down less trees each year by cutting down on the use of paper. And we can reduce our demand for food by buying only what is necessary and when we order our food to order what we can finish. Yes, this is definitely what each of us can do to save the forests. The traditional forest owners and the forests are not the only losers, the whole human race will also lose. The world will become less habitable and our future generations will miss out on what the forests can offer.

Alternative employment in time of recession, what are Malaysians’ options?

The British politicians feel that Britain is edging towards recession and many British employees are worried. They are looking into alternative employment that can help them withstand the economic shocks. According to the British Trade Skills Centres – BTSC ( a training group), as many as one thousand a week people are ringing a helpline for prospective plumbers. BTSC’s managing director Allen Jackson said that no matter how much technology affects other industries, society will always need plumbers and that Britain does not have enough of them.

What alternative employment choices do Malaysians have if recession were to descend on us? Are there trades that can tide us over the hard times? Looking at the past, when jobs were hard to come by, many people took up hawking. But with the prices of things moving up so much, and many of us cutting down on eating outside the home, is this a feasible alternative this time around? Hope those of you who read this blog will post your suggestions here so that options can be made available to other Malaysians if they choose to change trade for a more secure future. Your contributions may prevent heartaches for others.

Marks and Spencer -TKOed?

It was reported Marks and Spencer (the British retail chain) didn’t expect receiving a beating from big-busted customers. The chain was said to have taken a knock for putting a £2 surcharge on bras bigger than a DD cup. The report said the Big-chested women have hit back by forming a Busts 4 Justice group on Facebook. The M&S boss Stuart Rose claimed he has looked “like a man clobbered by the full force of our collective breasts’.

Clobbered? Hope he suffered bruises to show for it.

Act of Compassion inspired by a homeless man.

The story will boggle our minds. It is not the huge sum of money involved that will stagger us but  the true strength of  characters and the genuineness of commitment of this great family. This story inspires us and shows that there is still hope for the future. It directs our minds to dwell on decency, compassion, altruism, loving-kindness, and love. A far cry from the qualities our politicians are exhibiting.

I give this quote from Pantanjali which describes how such wonderful gestures from our fellow beings will impact us.

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be”. –Pantanjali

Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible, it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could. –Barbara DeAngelis

Selling 1 House to Serve 30 Villages:

One day while driving with her father, Hannah Salwen noticed a Mercedes stopped next to a homeless man sitting on the curb. “I said to my dad, ‘If that guy didn’t have such a nice car, then that guy could have a nice meal,’” the 15-year-old from Atlanta, recalled. And so began the tale of what the Salwen family calls “Hannah’s Lunchbox.” The family began seriously thinking through what they actually needed, and what they didn’t, ultimately deciding to sell their 6,500-square-foot mansion to move in to a home half its size — and giving away half the proceeds: $800,000. What started as Hannah’s simple reflection is now responsible for housing and development projects in 30 villages in Ghana, serving the needs of tens of thousands of people, all for the price of half of an American Dream. [more]

Altruism, Compassion, Commitment, Sacrifice!

There are many a story about act of sacrifices, many of the doers of such acts do not blow their own trumpets. They go about doing their things in an a quiet and unpublicized manner.  Many outsiders are greatly impressed by such fine and noble spirit. They feel such altruistic acts should not go unnoticed and unsung. The story below is one such stories of caring, sharing and giving without any expectation of returns.

The caring soul whose sacrificing deed I wish to highlight here was a Catholic priest. His heart was greatly troubled by the numerous cases of broken homes and the consequent sufferings inflicted upon the innocent children in their own homes.

Yes, he was a Catholic father but because of the bold action he had initiated he has now become ‘father’ to hundreds of children from broken homes and children from abusive and neglecting parents. His compassion initially moved him to take in a few of these unprivileged children under his care. From the very beginning he sought to create a conducive environment for them so that they could have the right atmosphere and conditions to pursue their studies. His wish was and still is to create a home atmosphere so that the children will not miss out on privileges only one’s own home can provide..

He askes no money from the unfortunate parents but he provides the children with lodging, food, clothing and even provides them with things for their schooling and takes care of all the expenses. His support initially came from his own family members but as more and more people came to know of the good work he is doing, he gains more public support, both in money and in kind.

He has never deviated from his original intention nor has he changed his method of running the place. In his younger days, he took care of, as many as, fifty children. Now, as he is getting older (he has since retired from pastoral work) he has brought the number down to about thirty. Over the years, hundreds of children have ‘graduated’ from this home Father Bala has created.  He has never made it a condition that they repay his effort by making a small contribution back to the home. Some of these children (now adults) had even studied up to the tertiary educational level through his concern and generosity.

The way I have put it makes the sacrifice seems very mundane and ordinary. But to those of us who are parents and have to provide support for their own children, we would appreciate what an awesome burden this self-imposed duty is. Most of us have to provide for only the few children of our own and we already find it such a heavy burden. Imagine, he has to take care of twenty to fifty of other people’s children each year and has done it for decades.

I have nothing but respect and admiration for Father Bala. Pray for his good health so that he can continue his tremendous work and keep  ‘Fatima Home’ running. The world is a better place because of such compassionate and committed individuals.

If there are any persons who are in Malacca and who feel empathy with what Father Bala is doing, they can go and support the Home (Fatima Home) at Bandar Hilir (behind the Sek. Rendah Kebangsaan IJC). They can also go by the Melaka Raya way, the home is behind New Good World Restaurant. I am sure any contributions in cash or kind will be greatly appreciated.

Please do not pass any used items to the Home as Father Bala is very protective of the children. These, you can contribute to the Salvation Army as it can wash and clean them and resell them in its shop. Father Bala wishes the children to have high esteem of themselves.  He feels if we have the heart to care we should give the best so that we may not wound the dignity of the children unwittingly. In this, I agree with him.

For those caring people from outside Malacca, I will try to get the address so that you may contact the Home.

Come visit again, thank you.

One man’s meat …

Like everything in this world, some of you may find the article below useful and some may not subscribe to the points put forth. For those who, for one reason or another, do not like the content, just give it a pass. For those who find the steps of some use, internalize them and be on your way to your own spiritual growth. All the best to one and all.

Discovering Myself –Posted by soulvibha on Jul 10, 2008

This is my true experience of discovering myself. My spiritual evolution has occuredme major seemingly horrible events in my life. But with each passing event, my faith in God became stronger. There was more clarity about self and learnings for self improvement. It was during one such episode that I learnt to forgive and that helped me to heal. Though the fight for justice is still on but by forgiving I cleared my energy. The logic is that if i do not fight for justice, this person will feel encouraged and keep on harassing many more. And so has happened in this case. I want to share with all of you how my spiritual growth took place. It has been very simple – no rituals, no offerings, just self conduct and self awareness. Not escaping and facing the situations head on Sharing spiritual experiences on a daily basis with a very close friend…my spiritual guru. Writing notes of my experiences, may be smiply scribbling at times Exressing gratitude to many folks for their acts of kindness in my life Thanking God for all the things in my life Praying, not to demand for material things but to ask him to give me opportunity to do good Reading some good book s, highlighting some parts in the books and applying those in daily life Browsing useful websites, and taking prints of good material and pasting in the most common places, even the loo !!! Drawing automatically like minded people in my life and weeding out naturally the negative influences Practicing first and then suggesting others Reaching out by listening and financial help Understanding difference between ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ and shopping accordingly Observing, feeling by slowing down and by being mindful Enjoying the present, becoming more of ‘here and now’ person Laughing aloud and smiling often Loving and respecting myself all the more Respecting others but not letting them exploit or demean me These are my 16 lessons in nine years. Believe me I am sharing purely from my experience and it works. I am still evolving and in the process, have gained from postings on this forum. And I am thankful to you all for the same. Let me close this message by thanking God that in this process I could meet my twinsoul and my spiritual journey got a boost. Big thanks TSM!! Its like a miracle and because of my twinsoul not only I have more reasons to smile but I am also spreading smiles through my creation, my baby………..our non profit  organization Muskaan. http://www.muskaan.cfsites.org

Trying to have a baby?

Researchers in the Netherlands reckon drinking too much coffee or tea cut the chances of a woman getting pregnant by a quarter if she already has fertility problems. They claim the effect is the same as drinking excessive alcohol. They came to this conclusion after they had looked at 8,669 women who had undergone IVF treatment and they also found the likelihood of pregnancy was significantly reduced for those who smoked, drank too much coffee and alcohol, and were overweight.

Well, anything and everything carried to excessive level brings on detrimental effect. Watch your intake of caffeine. No harm taking the findings and abstain from taking in too much caffeine. Think – you want the baby more or the caffeine more. The abstinence may bring about a positive result. Go on, give it a go. Wish you luck.

Giving, it is true but is it done with thoughtfulness.

The lady in the story gave away a gift but she did it with real thoughtfulness. Many a time, we are careless when doing charitable acts, we carry out the acts thoughtlessly. I spend some time each week in a non-profit organization doing recycling work. What can be seen is many new, unopened and unused articles and items are just being dumped along with the used and soiled articles and items and carted to the centre for disposal.

Spending time there and witnessing such acts reveal to us that many Malaysians have grown affluent. Things are bought based on desires rather than on needs. This triggers a tinge of guilt in myself as I had done the same thing in the past. There is a lesson for us in the story, let us read it and remind ourselves to cut down on wastage.

A Midwife, the Sea, and Sharing

–posted by JackieHall on Jul 9, 2008

I have been trying to think of ways that I can give without having to spend money, as I’ve been finding it quite hard to do. I was cleaning out my 18-month-old son’s bedroom when I found the packaging to his sea-life-themed bedroom set, which cost about $250 and included stacks of things to create a full bedroom theme. I loved it and really enjoyed putting my baby in a room with these surroundings. I justified the price at the time by keeping the packaging and vowing to sell the stuff when I was finished. However, i decided that instead of selling it, I would wrap it up with a gift bag and a card and take it up to the hospital and let the maternity nurse decide who needed it the most and who may not be able to afford something similar. The midwife was really touched by the gesture and secretly indicated a young girl who had been in the hospital for 3 weeks waiting for the arrival of her newborn baby. The midwife said that this gift would really cheer the young girl up and that she would absolutely love it. I left before the gift was given – purposely, but boy did I have a smile on my face, and so did the midwife too. So far, I would say that this was the most rewarding act of kindness I have done, and I am grateful that I found this website that inspires me to keep finding new ways to inspire and help others to change the world one kind act at a time. Thank you all so much for your inspirational stories and support.

Come visit again. Thank you.

Political suicide or as He claims he says it like it is!

Guess who said that fat people, alcoholics and drug addicts should blame themselves for their conditions. That their problems are a result of personal choices and not factors outside their control. He claims society now talks about people being at risk of obesity instead of talking about people who eat too much and take too little exercise. He says this is a symptom of an overly politically correct society in which people are afraid of  ‘appearing judgmental’ on social issues. He further asserts society fails to say what needs to be said. Bad, good, right, wrong.

Tough talk, isn’t it?  Who do you think uttered these words? If they came from the mouth of a politician, it would be suicidal, won’t you say? Have you made your three guesses? Here is the answer – these words came from none other than the Conservative leader in UK!  Mr. David Cameron certainly is a brave man. Stay tune for his political future.

This man may have something – we are see more and more of the politically-correct politicians who mouths sweet nothings to win popularity. Sad but true!

Who is helping our senior citizens on this?

It is reported that older people are three times more likely to have depression than dementia. Revealing isn’t it, here in Malaysia we hardly heard of older people afflicted with depression.  This may be an area worth our concern and focus, both as family members and as members of our society. The royal colleges (UK) representing GPs, Psychiatrists, and nurses feel more attention has been paid to treating older people with dementia than those afflicted with depression. They are calling for more help for the ‘depressed’ senior citizens. Hope the Malaysian government is aware of this and is giving some focus to tackle the issue. So far, we have not heard anything on this affliction from the Health Ministry. Come to think of it, nothing has also come from the Malaysian Medical Association.

Which comes first, depression or dementia?  Could prolonged depression bring on dementia?

Come visit again. Thank you.

How would Malaysian TV viewers react?

If the Malaysian TV were to show an advert showing two men sharing a kiss, how do you think the viewing public would react? This actually happened in the UK, Heinz ran an advert featuring this scene.

Do you think it would go down well in Malaysia?  It didn’t go down too well in the UK, too.  After running it for under a week, Heinz had to pull it off the air-waves because of complaints by the public to the Advertising Standards Authority. The nature of the complaint was that it was “offensive” and “inappropriate to see two men kissing”.

No companies in Malaysia would approve of such theme to be carried in their adverts in the first place, left alone run the advert, don’t you agree?  A liberal country like the UK didn’t approve of the advert, for a conservative nation like ours, it is definitely a no-no!

Would you allow your children to watch the advert?

Malaysian Politics – Not to give up on

After all that had been dished out for us by the Malaysian politicians, it needs no great effort for us if we wish to give up on it.

I am, somewhat, put off by all this and my mind just refuses to take anymore of this rubbish ! That’s is why no comment will be made on their idiotic words and actions, from now on. The mind refuses to be polluted by it.  What more, it refuses to be insulted.

But this doesn’t mean, I’m giving up my desire for change in this area. When occasions and opportunities arise for me to put forth my `two-cents’ worth (on a personal basis), I’ll not let them go. But I simply refuse, from now on, to give space and time to the `worst’ of Malaysian politics. There are better things to do than `honoring’ these idiots by commenting on their foolhardiness.

The Joy, the Admiration, the Appreciation

My apologies for not having made any posting in the past nine days.  We were in London and then proceeded to Belfast in Northern Ireland.

It was a joy to see the famous places of London and the natural beauty of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.  This was a double joy for me and the wife as we were in Belfast to attend the convocation of our daughter. She received a PhD from Queen’s University.

A sense of admiration overtakes me whenever I see the beautiful designs on Britain’s old buildings. Appreciation should be given to them for the conservation and preservation of their heritages. To share what we had enjoyed I will be posting some of the photographs taken on the ‘flickr’ at the bottom of this blog page.  Hope the beauty can also captivate some of you.