For You Smudge

Isn't this the sweetest thing to do? The commentator said, "If Alan Smith is watching this now, there may be some tears in his eyes." LOL.

And Smudge must be the most adorable name in the world~

What A Girl Notices In A Football Game IV

I love my football posts. Even more so when friends take part. Some of the following were contributed by my friends. However, it does not mean that I agree with all of them. Anywayz:

It's their noses, I guess.

Erm... I'm not sure...

Striking ~


His spindly long arms and legs make him look worse. And he hunches too.

At first, I wanted to say this...

Then I realised this...

Head over to What A Girl Notices In A Football Game, II and III for more~

Hyperthyroidism

Few days ago, I got my blood test results. After that I was so distraught I needed someone to comfort me. I called ten people who might be in school, telling them I needed someone to accompany me when I was silently crying out for someone to hug me and pat me.

I got rejected by ten. Some were at home, some at class, some at project meetings. None of them, other than Agnes realised my voice was a little high pitched and trembling. I knew it really wasn't their fault but I wanted to vent my frustration on somebody. Calls of concern from Agnes and Siyi made me spill tears along the Law corridor.

But I have since recovered from the trauma. So not to worry. I will be strong.

Hyperthoidism (adpated excerpts from Wikipedia)

The thyroid is one of the larger endocrine glands in the body. It is located in the neck and produces hormones, principally thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), that regulate the rate of metabolism and affect the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body.

Hyperthyroidism (or "overactive thyroid gland") is the clinical syndrome caused by an excess of circulating free thyroxine (T4) or free triiodothyronine (T3), or both.

The production of thyroxine is regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), released by the pituitary. The thyroid and thyrotropes form a negative feedback loop: TSH production is suppressed when the T4 levels are high, and vice versa. The TSH production itself is modulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone, which is produced by the hypothalamus and secreted at an increased rate in situations such as cold (in which an accelerated metabolism would generate more heat). TSH production is blunted by somatostatin (SRIH).

Major clinical features in humans are weight loss (often accompanied by a ravenous appetite), fatigue, weakness, hyperactivity, irritability, apathy, depression, polyuria, and sweating. Additionally, patients may present with a variety of symptoms such as palpitations and arrhythmias (notably atrial fibrillation), dyspnea, loss of libido, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In the elderly, these classical symptoms may not be present and they may present only with fatigue and weight loss leading to apathetic hyperthyroidism.

Neurological manifestations are tremor, chorea, myopathy, and periodic paralysis. Stroke of cardioembolic origin due to coexisting atrial fibrillation (SHIT. Atrial fibrillation actually gives rise to stroke!!) may be mentioned as one of the most serious complications of hyperthyroidism.

Remember the doctor suspected I had thyroid? I was sent home for more than a week of heartbeat monitoring. Turned out my pulse rate is 80 - 107 at rest, when the average girl's was 60 - 70. So I went for a blood test. The test came back positive. And very serious positive. The anxious doctor called me the next day to ask me to go for treatment when was I scheduled to meet her a week later.

For almost ten years, my condition has gone untreated. My level of TSH was extremely high stopping my body to produce enough T4, resulting in faints, racing heart, trembling hands, tremors, fatigue and abnormal metabolism. Question: Since I have been neglecting the condition for years, it won't hurt if I don't do anything now right? No. If my TSH level continue to rise out of control, it would cause my heart to beat so fast that it might suddenly stop, or simply make me lose my mind. Lucky I'm born mild tempered, else my heart would have burst from the stress of anger long ago.

An estimated two years is needed for treatment. Now, I have to eat 5 tablets a day. The doctor has given me the heavy dosage for three weeks. By then, hopefully things will be much better. But hey, don't worry and ask me to take care and think I'm going to faint any time. The medicine supposed to make eliminate my faint spells. I can play sports as always. I don't succumb to flus as always. Only drawback of the medicine is it will reduce my white blood cells. So it'll be dangerous if I cough, catch flu, develop rashes, or cut myself.

As the medicine stablises my condition, my metabolism rate will go down too. There's a high possibilty that I will have to give away my Levi's 24. This is retribution for my cockiness.

Why am I down with this condition when someone in the States won the Toto there worth USD100 million?

The Great Boy-Girl Debate

I say, "I will definitely send my baby to a boys/girls school." Mum violently protests.

Mum says:

Boys/girls school will mould boys and girls into two extremeties - boy/girl-crazy on one end, homosexual on the other end. Because of the exposure to the views of the opposite sex, both boys and girls get to see things from a wider perspective. They are more skilled in affairs of the heart because they can consult their friends of the opposite sex.

I say:

Who cares about the opposite sex - children in boys/girls school have so much more fun in school. Children in coed schools will never get to learn the art of changing in public without exposing a part of themselves. They will not get to see male teachers blush when they teach girls about the birds and bees. They will not get to feel the unity of the cohort during a stripping event. They are less likely to develop a crush on a teacher. They are less likely to need to nurse secret heartaches developed from tuition classes. They are more likely to be obsessed with their appearance in school. They mature too early. Boys and girls really should not bother about love so early. Longer, innocent childhoods will make them into happier, more cheerful adults. But I agree that children need to be exposed to the opposite sometime in their childhood. My solution - coed school for primary education; boys/girls school for secondary school.

What do you think?

一人有一个梦想

不管是希望拥有千万身家，大汽车，大洋房的商人，希望成为备受敬仰的舞蹈员，医生，或是简单地希望拥有完美的伴侣和美满的家庭，大家小时候都曾对将来抱着无限的期望。会有谁没有梦想？


我想我们的父母也一样。他们年轻的时候也一样梦想着拥有悠闲的家园，漂亮的跑车，还想要飞黄腾达和环游世界。但是，二十年后的今天，他们实现了多少愿望？

试着在一个角落望着你的父母，你可能会发现他们的脸上布满着一生的遗憾。他们曾把无法实现的梦想寄托在你身上，却只换来数不尽的失望。无法完成梦想，我想往往都是因为生命里有太多负担。家里有父母，兄弟姐妹要照顾？家里负债累累，你不能不管？家有妻小等着你来抚养？自己胆小懦弱，胸无大志？


我们现在伟大的梦想，二十年后会不会实现呢？也许，我们会和长辈们一样，步入中年，却只抱着一生的遗憾。中年危机不过就是想着自己过了大半世却一事无成，而感到沮丧。

子曰，四十而知天命。步入中年却还未实现梦想，是否唯有听天由命？我想在我们热血沸腾地追求梦想前，或许可以放慢脚步，抱抱自己的父母，让他们知道他们为我们奉献一生，而放弃梦想是值得的。

If You Cared

I got back the blood test results. It's not good. I have got two years more.

The Island The Joke

I was forced to watch it a second time during class today. It only made me remember that the whole movie is a big joke.

You know it's a Michael Bay film when you heard the exclamation, "Run!", no less than four times throughout the film, said the Straits Times when the movie was first released. I was very tickled by the statement because it made Michael Bay sound so shallow. Armageddon I enjoyed but Pearl Harbor was so shit I didn't want to watch another Bay film again. Unfortunately, I was convinced by Baby to watch The Island cos she said it was damn good.

We learn from Marketing that

Expectation"<"Actual Performance (or Perceived Value) = Satisfaction

Well, I went into the theatre with zero expectation, and still came out thinking it was shit. I just wanted to laugh at everything. Not 好笑 but 可笑. Damn I even spent $7 at Bedok Princess. It was not worth a single cent.

It has to be the worst career move for all the actors in it. Scarlett Johansson's sophistication level (thankfully acquired from Lost in Translation) hit rock bottom by acting as such a bimbo in such a commercialised film. The black guy who chased the two protagonists in the show was such a poseur. Ewan McGregor? As I watched him in the show, I could just imagine him following Ben Affleck's footsteps, ending up as a Gigglo Gigli.

The directing was outdated - overlong action sequences, aerial shots that like airline ads (contibuted by Minxiu), excessive explosions, the flowy drapes in the inevitable love scene. (Didn't Josh Harnett and Kate Beckingsale frolick amongst some drapes too?) And the unneccessary slow motion. I CAN'T stand the slow motion shots. How passe is that??

The plot, though interesting, was unconvincing. Everyone can't wait to go to The Island? Can't this supposed paradise have a more interesting name? How is it convincing that everywhere is so heavily guarded except the panels on the ceiling? I don't believe a couple will discern the ways of lovemaking during the first physical contact they have with members of the opposite sex. I also don't believe that the clone will have memories of the original. The excessive product placements in the show didn't help either.

I swear I will never watch a Michael Bay film again. Even if it's free. Just like you won't watch A Chinese Tall Story even if it's free.

By the way, its tagline on the posters is really amusing - You have been chosen. Ooo... Scary...

And speaking of taglines, nothing beats the tagline of The Cave -

Beneath Heaven

Lies Hell.

Beneath Hell lies

The Cave.

Irksome Colleagues

I don't have much time to ramble. So just to keep my page active, I decided to put up an article I wrote last July for the company I was attached to. In fact, I created the whole newsletter, but this is the one which I thought would be of interest to my friends. Perhaps it's a little cheesy. Well, I was trying to be funny. Hope it would be an interesting read for you.

*****
IRKSOME COLLEAGUES
You loathe them. You destest them. You wish to kill them. Unbearable colleagues exist everywhere. Here are some irritating colleagues* to serve as your dartboard during break today.
*Gender stereotypes not intended.

The Slacker
He sits as his desk surfing irrelevant websites. He takes frequent coffee breaks, taking forever to read the newspapers in the pantry. He flirts with the girls on the way back to his seat. Yet when you ask him to help lighten your workload, he claims that he has no time.

Because of his endless distractions at work, he can only achieve so much at work. In fact, he is so efficient that he takes hours to finish what you can do in half a day. The most infuriating is that the boss doesn't see him like this because he is expert at feigning busy.

The Highflyer
She has excellent qualifications that impress the bosses. She is so efficient that you feel like a tortoise compared to her. No matter how much work she has, she always looks immaculate. Everything she does is absolutely flawless.

The highflyer is one whom everyone loves to hate. It is probably not her fault that she performs well. In fact, you ought to be ashamed that you aren't like her, your boss says. But too bad, this is just the way you are.

The Bimbo
B-I-M-B-O. She can spell. No problem. But all else she talks about are cosmetics, her lovers and handsome movie stars. At work, she worries over minute details like the font color and alignment of the report. Although she is bubbly and sweet, she has no ambition whatsoever. You feel bored listening to her chatter.

It's not that you're not attractive, yet your male colleagues appear to fawn only over her. For all you know, she is only acting dumb. In view of the advantages she gets, it is perhaps worthwhile to behave just like her.


The Backstabber
Every morning, she greets you with a radiant smile. She appears to like you. She jokes with you. She is the regular jovial colleague whom everybody likes.

Little do you know; she watches your every move. She records the number of times you were late for work this month. She babbles little undesirable tales of you, behind you. Worst of all, she lifts your ideas and submits them before you, claiming all credit.


WATCH OUT.


The Bootlicker
You're disgusted by the sycophant. He gauffaws at all the boss' jokes. He compliments his mud brown tie with its horrendous yellow polka dots. You don't want to follow suit but you're afraid you will hence be marked down.


Unless you're prepared to behave like an obedient pet, you have to work doubly hard to gain recognition from you boss.


Alternatively, you can assume the role of the Backstabber (see The Backstabber) to get rid of him.


The Egoist
He thinks he's smart. He thinks he's special. He thinks he's eloquent.

He thinks he's slick. He thinks he's witty. He thinks he's chivalrous.

He thinks he's sauve. He thinks he's the man. He thinks he's above you.

He probably is all of the above. And there's nothing you can do to stop him from being smug about it.

The Geek
His toothy grin sends a shiver down your spine. He seems too enthusiatic about work. He hovers near your desk when you're chatting, hoping to get a word in. When he manages it, awkward silence befalls the group.

Try not to offend the geek. You'll never know what he is capable of.
*****

I have more in mind actually; e.g. The Blur Queen, The Act-blur Queen, etc... If I have the time...