Almost a week has passed and the burmese are still holding on to their so-called principles. Slowly and indirectly, they are killing their people by not letting aid into the country be it from foreign countries or local volunteers.
By Aung Hla Tun YANGON (Reuters) - More than 200 people have been killed in military-ruled Myanmar by a Category 3 cyclone that ripped through Yangon and the Irrawaddy delta, where it flattened two towns, officials and state media said on Sunday. Packing winds of 190 km per hour when it hit on Saturday morning, Cyclone Nargis devastated the former Burma's leafy main city, littering the streets with overturned cars, fallen trees and debris from battered buildings. "Utter war zone," one Yangon-based diplomat said in an email to Reuters in Bangkok. "Trees across all streets. Utility poles down. Hospitals devastated. Clean water scarce." A government official in Naypyidaw, the ruling general's new capital 390 km to the north, said the latest death toll was more than 200. The BBC, citing a report on state television, said 243 people were dead and more than 20,000 homes were destroyed. State MRTV later said the death toll was 241, including 19 in Yangon and 222 killed in the hardest-hit Irrawaddy division southwest of the former capital. Official newspapers in Yangon said only one in four buildings were left standing in Laputta and Kyaik Lat, two towns deep in the rice-producing delta and accessible mainly by boat. There were no details of casualties. In Yangon, many roofs were ripped off even sturdy buildings, suggesting damage would be severe in the shanty towns that sit on the outskirts of the sprawling riverside city of 5 million. Foreign aid workers, whose movements are restricted by the ruling military junta, had not managed to reach many impoverished areas to assess the impact. "I have never seen anything like it," one retired government worker told Reuters. "It reminded me of when Hurricane Katrina hit the United States." Although the sun was shining by Sunday morning, the former capital was without power and water, and food prices had doubled, with many storeholders unsure of when they would be able to replenish stocks. Most shops had sold out of candles. An Electricity Board official said it was impossible to know when the power supply -- hit-and-miss at the best of times in one of Asia's poorest countries -- would be restored. "We still have to clear the mess," the official, who did not want to be named, said. United Nations disaster experts said it would be days before the full extent of the damage was known in a country ruled since 1962 by secretive and ruthless military regimes. Bunkered down in Naypyidaw, the junta's top brass will almost certainly have avoided the worst of the storm. The military authorities declared a disaster in five states and state media carried footage of soldiers clearing trees from roads and Prime Minister Thein Sein, a lieutenant-general, meeting people sheltering in a Buddhist pagoda. DEATH TOLL COULD CLIMB The death toll could climb yet further as authorities slowly make contact with outlying towns and villages along the coast, where weather forecasters had predicted a storm surge of up to 3.5 m. They are also likely to uncover victims beneath some of the buildings that collapsed in Yangon under the force of the cyclone, which had been gathering steam for several days in the tropical waters of the Bay of Bengal. "It was a direct hit on a major city," said Terje Skavdal, regional head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). "The government did warn people to stay inside and that might have had an impact, but the material damage is enormous for sure," Skavdal said. The U.N. had made an offer of assistance but was yet to receive a response from the junta, he added. It remains to be seen what impact the storm will have on a referendum on an army-drafted constitution scheduled for May 10. The charter is part of a "roadmap to democracy" meant to culminate in multiparty elections in 2010 and end nearly five decades of military rule. The opposition and Western governments say it allows the army to retain too much control. An official at Yangon International Airport said all incoming flights had been diverted to the second city of Mandalay, in the middle of the southeast Asian nation, and all departures from Yangon had been cancelled. Thai Airways in Bangkok said flights would not resume before Monday. State media said four vessels sank in Yangon harbour, and jetties in ports had come loose. By 0900 GMT, Nargis had tracked northeast into northern Thailand, where it was dumping large amounts of rain but with dramatically reduced wind speeds. My mouth dropped open reading this on the news. It is utterly heart-wrenching to see, disasters of that scale hitting developing countries who may be struggling with their own country's financial and political status. Over 200 dead as cyclone devastates Myanmar
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks a believer...
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill, but God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?
(Student does not answer.)
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
(Student has no answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I have only my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. That is the problem science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No, sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any farther after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly, you have nothing, and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So, what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life, and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an ongoing endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it, sir. The link between man and God is faith. That is all that keeps things moving and alive.
(courtesy of A collection of Touching stories, poems and articles.)
Something to ponder about....
Happy Labour Day! and Happy birthday to my nephew, Ryan, an absolutely funny and cute terrorist at home.
Brought the girls to Earth Cafe @ Upper Thomson yesterday night.
Was surfing online for pets apparels and houses. Saw so many cute stuff for both my babies... Must save up and buy for them soon... There are so many choices and designs. I must wait for pay day then buy three or four pieces for them.... hahahaha....
Another week to my beautiful cutie pie's birthday, feel so sad that I did not have the time to celebrate her birthday and throw her a big party. I promised myself to do it this year since I did not last year but in the end I still did not throw her a party due to many constrains.... *sad face*
Should I take up Muay Thai or just continue with my Yoga sessions? (I have abandoned them 2 years ago since school started) Or should I just pay for gym membership in the same club as my colleague and workout together?
Chopper attack after complaint over cold chicken rice
Incident stuns diners at Smith Street
April 09, 2008
A CHICKEN rice chef allegedly went berserk on Sunday night in Chinatown, slashing a customer with a chopper after he had complained that the chicken served was too cold, reported the Lianhe Wanbao.
The incident happened at 8.40pm, just as the dinner crowd was out in full force at the stall in Smith Street. Stall helpers had taken back the customer's dish after his complaint, allegedly dunking his chicken into hot soup to warm it up. They also told the customer he need not pay for his meal. But the man, who was there with his girlfriend, remained unsatisfied. Eyewitnesses said he walked up to the glass counter separating the kitchen from the dining area and scolded the chef, and allegedly challenged him to a fight.
One eyewitness, Mr Tan K C, a lawyer in his 40s, claimed: 'The customer was hurling vulgarities, scolding the chef's father and mother.'
The chef kept silent and continued working as the dinner crowd looked on stunned.
He ignored the customer's taunts but, as the man turned to leave with his girlfriend, the chef snapped. He charged outside with his chopper and allegedly ambushed the customer as he was walking down the road, slashing him on his back and thigh.
CHEF TURNS HIMSELF IN
The customer collapsed, bleeding profusely, as his hysterical girlfriend scrambled around for tissue and cloth to stop the bleeding. Eyewitnesses said the chef looked shocked afterwards and fled, before returning later to turn himself in. In the meantime, the customer was taken to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
The chef started working at the stall about four years ago. Helpers at the chicken rice shop said the chef would often buy food for them or treat them when he won the lottery.
'He was always joking around,' said Mr Andy Puah, 26, a stall assistant.
Mr Tan said the customer was about 1.8m tall and weighed about 90kg. A police spokesman said they recived a call at 8.40pm about a fight at Smith Street. When they arrived, a man in his 40s was found with injuries on his back and thigh. The spokesman added that the police later arrested a man in his 60s.
Investigations are ongoing.
.........................................................................................................................................................................
Personally, I think the customer had it coming. What's the big deal right? Just a cold plate of rice or chicken. The stall people had already offered to heat it up and best of all, he got his chicken rice for FREE. What more to ask right?!
You may argue that maybe the customer had a bad day or had a big fight with the girlfriend or something earlier on or whatever, but that does not give him the right to scold someone's parents, best part over a miserly plate of chicken rice! Who would not be pissed immediately? I would definitely F*** him big time, stupid jerk! If he had the guts, why not just wait for him to get of work and challenge him face to face or even better complainhis attitude to the boss or someone who could do something about it.
Apparently, he's just one of those people who belong to the group NATO "No Action Talk Only". ha! He deserved it.
Anyways, apparently, I think the chef had a even worst day than him and it's just his luck. *smirk*
It's pretty tiring being a hawker already, with all the heat and oil and picky people.
(I'm one of them sometimes. runs away in fear of being stoned)
To ice the cake, this jerk comes along and the carefully buried anger and frustration got let loose, the volcano erupted.
I'm not encouraging the venting of anger in such a violent manner, however, I think that one should be able to manage your emotions properly. Attend anger management class if the need arises. :P
Remember my last post on friends? I guess it was all on my own willingness on my part that I thought some of the people were my best friends, when I was more of a utility and pleasure based friend to them. Those people whom I used to be less intimate with, have surprisingly became closer in terms of friendship with me. Hopefully, it's not just my own thinking and willingness again.
I have noticed that certain things have changed ever since I have started night classes. These so called best friends seem to me that they are alright and understand my stand but if they do, I would not be feeling this way today and knowing certain things that perhaps I should not know. I'm grateful I did forget to give them my new mobile number.
The first few people which I thought about during important events in my life were them and upon invitation to celebrate the joyous occasion, came excuses that did not even require a second to churn up, Oh, really??? congrats ya, I have to work OT or I will not be in town so you have fun ya.... While the others who have been closer to me now, answered Yes, I'll try to be there asap or I'm not feeling well so I'll just hang around for a short while then go home and rest if it's alright with you.
The latter are the replies that I thought I would have gotten but instead they disappoint me and brought my friendship with other group whom are old friends, just don't used to be so close before, to greater heights. Well, from now on, all I can do is beware not to get hurt due to friendships and wear my glasses when I see people.
One condolence though, I still have my favorite people of all times, MY FAMILY & DOGS!!!!
Thank GOD for them. :)
This is so so cool...
Only in my dreams my Suki will do this. Well but at least she responds by licking my face and lips when possible... *giggles*
It was cute and funny. Worth the price since it relaxes both of us and prepares us for the new week.
The only character that I did really fancy was the kangaroo mum (right). So bossy and domineering. Imagine Horton could just crush her with his big toe..... hahahaha... *evil cackles*
Somemore cute and funny photos:
Another thing... Check out the official webbe too.. got very cute games... kekekeke
YES !! I got this phone at last. It is my new favourite toy. Not at a cheap price though and apparently it's out of stock and A bought the last two phones. hehehehe.... so happy, it was a gift for the 'directionless' me :p
I know I might sound like a 'tortoise in a well' (direct translation) but this phone is so cool. It's even got Quickoffice and Adobe Reader functions so I can do some of my reading or paperwork on the run too... not that I do that, but who knows, I might be forced to use it someday , if my boss gives me hell of a great time at work. *slap head for you* yes, I seem like a dork now... Thanks.. :p
Story By: Anonymous
On my wedding day, I carried my wife in my arms. The bridal carstopped in front of our one-room flat. My buddies insisted that I carry her out of the car in my arms. So I carried her into ourhome. She was then plump and shy. I was a strong and happybridegroom.This was the scene ten years ago.
The following days were as simple as a cup of pure water:
we had a kid;
I went into business and tried to make more money.
When the assets were steadily increasing, the affection between us seemed to ease.
She was a civil servant. Every morning we left home together and got home almost at the same time. Our kid was studying in a boarding school. Our marriage life seemed to been viably happy. But the calm life was more likely to be affected by unpredictable changes.
Dew came into my life. It was a sunny day. I stood on a spacious balcony. Dew hugged me from behind. My heart once again was immersed in her stream of love. This was the apartment I bought for her. Dew said, you are the kind of man who best draws girls' eyeballs. Her words suddenly reminded me of my wife. When we were just married, my wife said, Men like you, once successful, will be very attractive to girls.
Thinking of this, I became somewhat hesitant. I knew I had betrayed my wife. But I couldn't help doing so. I moved Dew's hands aside and said you go to select some furniture,O.K.? I've got something to do in the company.Obviously she was unhappy, because I had promised to do it together with her.
At the moment, the idea of divorce became clearer in my mind although it used to be something impossible to me. However, I found it rather difficult to tell my wife about it. No matter how mildly I mentioned it to her, she would be deeply hurt.
Honestly, she was a good wife. Every evening she was busy preparing dinner. I was sitting in front of the TV. The dinner was ready soon. Then we watched TV together. Or, I was lounging before the computer, visualizing Dew's body. This was the means of my entertainment.
One day I said to her in a slightlyjoking way, suppose we divorce, what will you do? She stared at me for a few seconds without a word. Apparently she believed that divorce was something too far away from her. I couldn't imagine how she would react once she got to know I was serious.
When my wife went to my office, Dew had just stepped out. Almost all the staff looked at my wife with a sympathetic eye and tried to hide something while talking to her. She seemed to have got some hint. She gently smiled at my subordinates. But I read some hurt in her eyes.
Once again, Dew said to me, He Ning, divorce her, O.K.? Then we live together. I nodded. I knew I could not hesitate any more. When my wife served the last dish, I held her hand. I've got something to tell you, I said. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the serious topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I'm serious. I avoided her question. This so-called answer made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer,because my heart had gone to Dew.
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. I felt a pain in my heart. The woman who had been living ten years with me would become a stranger one day. But I could not take back what I had said.Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to
Late that night, I came back home after entertaining my clients. I saw her writing something at the table. I fall asleep fast. When I woke up, I found she was still there. I turned over and was asleep again.
She brought up her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but I was supposed to give her one month's time before divorce, and in the month's time we must live as normal a life as possible.
Her reason was simple: our son would finish his summer vacation a month later and she didn't want him to see our marriage was broken. She passed me the agreement she drafted, and then asked me, He Ning, do you still remember how I entered our bridal room on the wedding day?
This question suddenly brought back all those wonderful memories to me. I nodded and said, I remember. You carried me in your arms, she continued, so, I have a requirement,that is, you carry me out in your arms on the day when we divorce. From now to the end of this month, you must carry me out from the bedroom to the door every morning. I accepted with a smile. I knew she missed those sweet days and wished to end her marriage romantically.
I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she does, she has to face the result of divorce, she said scornfully. Her words more or less made me feel uncomfortable. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. We even treated each other as a stranger.
So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, Let us start from today, don't tell our son. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for a bus, I drove to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. We were so close that I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this intimate woman carefully for a long time. I found she was not young any more. There were some fine wrinkles on her face.
On the third day, she whispered to me, the outside garden is being demolished. Be careful when you pass there.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I seemed to feel that we were still an intimate couple and I was holding my sweetheart in my arms. The visualization of Dew became vague.
On the fifth and sixth day, she kept reminding me something, such as, where she put the ironed shirts, I should be careful while cooking, etc. I nodded. The sense of intimacy was even stronger. I didn't tell Dew about this. I felt it was easier to carry her. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
I said to her, It seems not difficult to carry you now. She was picking her dresses. I was waiting to carry her out. She tried quite a few but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I smiled. But Isuddenly realized that it was because she was thinner that I could carry her more easily, not because I was stronger. I knew she had buried all the bitterness in her heart. Again, I felt a sense of pain.
Subconsciously I reached out a hand to touch her head. Our son came in at the moment. Dad, it's time to carry mum out. He said. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had been an essential part of his life. She gestured our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face because I was afraid Iwould change my mind at the last minute. I held her in my arms,walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, as if we came back to our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad.
On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. She said, actually I hope you will hold me in your arms until we are old. I held her tightly and said, both you and I didn't notice that our life lacked intimacy. I jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my decision.
I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door. I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I won't divorce. I'm serious. She looked at me, astonished. The she touched my forehead. You got no fever. She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I can only say sorry to you, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of life, not because we didn't love each other any more.
Now I understand that since I carried her into the home, she gave birth to our child, I am supposed to hold her until I am old. So I have to say sorry to you. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove to the office. When I passed the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet for my wife which was her favorite. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card.
I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out everymorning until we are old
.......................................................................................................................................................................
Quote: 'Never take someone for granted cos u'll wake up one day and realise u've lost a Diamond while collecting Stones...'
Isn't it a touching story?! This is what it should be. "...Till death do us part..." *smile*
Just received a piece of disheartening news.
I was a wee bit disappointed as things have not turned out the way I would have liked it for one. But then again all these are not actual facts since I only hear from one side of the story and would not be able to find out know how this story will continue.
It's a business world where dog eats dog and whoever is stronger will survive. I just hope that things will turn out to be fine , there will not be any awkwardness and relationships will stay on rock hard grounds, and lastly this reputable name so far will not be too tarnished at the end of it.
Actually I can read a map just not very good at it. I have comments that I absolutely have a terrible sense of direction and sad to say I totally say so myself. After watching the new Nokia commercial yesterday night on discovery channel.
I am contemplating to get this phone, the new Nokia 6110 navigator:
~
Just another thought.... Must-read book/books : 'Why Men don't listen and women can't read maps' by Allan & Barbara Pease. Coincides with the topic hur... hehehehe....
Actually their series of "self-improvement" books are nice to read and some parts are kinda funny too.
Another one which I read which I prefer better than the previous one is 'Why men lie and women cry".
Go get it and enjoy your quiet moments with a nice warm cuppa. Cheers!!!!
How infuriating.... the dieting stuff that I have ordered online from the U.S is still not here yet. No wonder I still feel my fat cells expanding and colonising my already plump body... sobs... They even dare to email me this:
"Seven days ago we shipped your order #ABCDEFG from our warehouse as quickly as we could. You deserve the best possible service and our goal is to give it to you! The order should arrive any day now if it hasn't already."
I hope the stuff arrive this week then I can start on my dieting and exercise regime... No... not couching out in front of the TV, really find time to at least workout at home, doing some crunches, stretching and push-ups the 'pussy' way as my guy friends so politely point out, or even go for a swim or jog when my schedule allows me to.
Must cut down on the drinks and sugary stuff which I can't possibly live without...*whines*
Result: A svelte body and healthy lifestyle.... hopefully
I'm not a big fan for fantasy movies and stuff but I'm a sucker for fantasy movies that has a good critic to it. Movies like LOTR and the recent Spiderwik chronicles. It was a good movie with all the adventure and of course the touching scenes in it. It surrounds a plot of family ties and the power of a dark secret unleashed.
It is indeed a movie that is well animated in terms of the characters in it. There are particular scenes that I loved and thought it was absolutely dream-like if I was the character in it....
Thimbletack, one of the cute characters that has a nasty temper only to be removed by drinking loads of honey.... How cute, I mean diabetic is that???!!!!
A water sprite (something like a fairy) guards over one of the characters
The way they sort of camouflage in the flowers around you and fly out when
being told they could... so cute.....
Lastly one of the most touching scenes, undoubtedly those of family reunion is where both the old Spiderwick and the daughter are whisked away to an island where these sylphs dominate.
Nice ending to the film and good ol' adventure with magical and tear-dropping scenes. Worth the watch!!! At least that's my opinion.
Go catch it... it's in theatres now...
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