When The Matters Of The Heart Matters

I went for my follow-up check up yesterday morning, so more blood test; after 45 days on Vytorin 10/40, Niacin and Pristin Fish Oil. My younger brother had had his angiogram done. The cardiologist is not too happy with what he saw as my brother’s Left Descending Anterior Artery is 20% blocked/damaged at its stem as opposed to being further downstream where it would be somewhat easier to remedy.

This is the typical young smokers’ disease. My brother smokes around 26 sticks a day. He exercises regularly, even more than I do, but eats very little of fish and other white meat. What he had forgotten is that my paternal grandfather died of a heart attack at the age of 41 (when my father was 13 years old), why my father had his first attack at the age of 37. My father was a chain smoker too, then, and gave it up immediately; went for his first coronary bypass at the age of 42, an angioplasty at the age of 57, then his second coronary bypass at the age of 61.

Me..everyone expected me to have a bad medical test result. Very little exercise and so on. My first lipid profile back on January 15th is as follows:

Total Cholesterol: 6.4mmol/L (desirable <5.2)
Triglycerides: 1.97mmol/L (desirable <2.28)
HDL Cholesterol: 0.96mmol/L (desirable >1.42)
LDL Cholesterol: 4.6mmol/L (desirable <3.4)
% HDL-Cholesterol Ratio: 15% (desirable >25)

Everything was undesirable except for my Triglycerides’ level.

With Vytorin 10/40 and the increase in my number of dives, the new results are as follows:

Total Cholesterol: 4.1mmol/L (desirable <5.2)
Triglycerides: 1.17mmol/L (desirable <2.28)
HDL Cholesterol: 1.36mmol/L (desirable >1.42)
LDL Cholesterol: 2.2mmol/L (desirable <3.4)
% HDL-Cholesterol Ratio: 33% (desirable >25)

No wonder they call Vytorin the miracle drug. It’s not cheap too. A box of Vytorin 10/40 for 30 days costs more than RM300.

My dosage’s gone down to 10/20 now.

It’s also time for me to watch what I eat. My kids still need me.

I Am Somebody’s Wife

Disclaimer: The government has warned people not to believe bloggers and what they read on the Net. This story may be based on a true event…maybe!

I am somebody’s wife.

My husband is well-known and is somewhat powerful.

Therefore, as the wife, I am more powerful than he is.

If you want projects, you don’t have to see my husband. He will tell you to see me, as I am more powerful than he is. Just give me RM5 million for me to start doing things…maybe.

If I want donations for charity organisations, I’ll lift the phone and make a few calls stating how much I want them to contribute. Once my husband is in a better position, I don’t have to call anymore as these people will give me money without my having to ask.

I am somebody’s wife.

My husband is well-known and is somewhat powerful.

Therefore, as the wife, I am more powerful than he is.

Oh, and you did not get that project after giving me the RM5 million?

Did you hear me promise you anything? I only said it’s for me to start doing things…my own things.

Condolences to Icecool

Tony (Icecool)‘s father passed away this morning. Tony’s father served in the Royal Communications Regiment before switching service to the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and retired a Warrant Officer.

My prayers are with Tony’s father as well as Tony and family and may God grant them the strength to overcome this darkest hour.

In the words of General Douglas MacArthur: “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”

Sound the Last Post.

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What’s In A Name?

Nine years ago a chinese friend of mine sought to embrace Islam when she was in the United States. Among the questions she asked the scholar was the need for her to rename her father as Abdullah (Subject of God) as being practised in Malaysia. The scholar said no where does it say that she needs to change her father’s name.

This topic is in response to the current dilemma that came about after the Mufti of Perlis, in the state of Perlis’s Fatwa Meeting, deemed the act of renaming one’s father upon embracing Islam as “sinful”.

Yes, sinful.

Those opposed are crying foul citing examples like: Ahmad bin Pope, or Ali bin Subramaniam and so on, saying those names are unIslamic.

I am a proponent of the call by the Mufti of Perlis. The opponents should realise that one of the reasons non-Muslim families shudder at the thought of any of their members embracing Islam is the need to change the father’s name to Abdullah: psychologically side-lining the father and the family. What they should also realise is that it is the embracee’s name that needs to be changed to something nicer should his non-Muslim name sound or mean bad things: ie. KULOP, BATANG, TOILET and so on. The embracee is still his/her father’s child. Therefore it would be very unjust to deny the father of the embracee his claim over his own child. I believe the changing of the father’s name to Abdullah psychologically severes the tie that binds them as father and child.

May I quote from my source, the Holy Quran, which is my A1 source of information on Islam, as I do not hold the words of scholars to be true and just, from Surah al-Azhab (The Confederates) 33:5:

Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allâh. But if you know not their father’s (names, call them) your brothers in faith and Mawâlîkum (your freed slaves). And there is no sin on you if you make a mistake therein, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allâh is Ever Oft­Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Take A Leak

Today, the Exco for Religious Affairs of Selangor announced the existence of another deviationist cult preying on people who want to cleanse their sins and perform Haj but do not have enough money to do so. He mentioned that the Selangor Religious Affairs Committee has enough evidence and is waiting for the right tie to nab these people. When asked of the name of the individuals and the name of the deviationist cult, he refused to give them out for fear they might lie low and escape arrest.

Who on earth voted in this stupid person to become exco?

1) If you have enough evidence, arrest them.
2) The public is not interested to know what you know, but what have you done about it.
3) If you fear the deviationists escaping, why mention about their modus operandi in the first place? Now not only them will lie low.but all other deviationists that may have the same modus operandi.
4) Voters who chose this idiot to become their representative did the right thing: stupid people voting in another stupid to represent them.

How much more stupid can you get?

Classical leak of info.

Perhentian 2007 – Part 3

At the Sugar Wreck

Finally it happened. I drove the Naza Ria, picked up Derrick at the Bandar Tasik Selatan KTM Komuter station, Azlan at the Flamingo Hotel and made our way onto the Karak Highway, and then through the towns of Bentong, Raub, Benta, Kuala Lipis, Merapoh and finally a pitstop at Gua Musang. Traffic was rather heavy as it was the beginning of the school holidays.

At 3.30am we departed Gua Musang for Tanah Merah to pick up Yoon Ming and finally arrived Kuala Besut at 7.15am. Had breakfast and then got on the 8.00am boat to the Perhentians. We arrived at around 8.45am and was sked by Birgit if we would like to join the 9.00am trip to Tokong Laut. Without checking into our room, we unpacked our dive gear and next we were enroute to Tokong Laut.

I felt a bit tired, my eyes were tired and the additional salt water made it very uncomfortable. Second dive was at Terumbu Tiga where Derrick and I bumped into a Napoleon Wrasse and also an Olive Ridley turtle. I slept underwater as the surge rocked me gently. After the dive, we had lunch and slept.

Got up just before sunset, took some photos. Then geared up fpr a night dive at Batu Nisan. My Princeton Tec Shockwave LED light worked superbly. After the dive, we had dinner, and Yoon Ming, Derrick and I had a chat until 3.30am.

Morning’s dive was at the Sugar Wreck…second best vis I’ve ever had there. Current was strong though. Did some penetration. The last dive was at D’ Lagoon.

As usual, a dive trip to Perhentian is always best.

More pictures can be seen here

I’ve Been Tagged – Weird

I’ve been tagged by blogger Neomesuff…and I was in the midst of packing to go diving tonight.

So how weird can I be? Let me count the ways:

ONE – I love to read and am always hungry for quick information. If I’m eating alone, I’ll need to read something..even if it means reading what’s on the paper mat on the MacDonald’s tray. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to eat. Even when I’m taking a dump, I’ll need to read. I don’t smoke. It’s usually a newspaper or a magazine (yeah doctor says it’s bad and will give me piles). If I can’t find proper reading material, I’ll read anything on the bottle of shampoo or on the toothpaste tubes.

TWO – I get PMS. Yes, I’m a man. I get something like PMS if the period between dives go longer than 4 weeks. I get all cranky, moody, short-tempered. So if you want to be my wife, make sure you allow me to go diving when you see me all moody.

THREE – I talk to my plants more than I do with the wife.

FOUR – I’m a homely person…even homelier than my wife. I spend more quality time with my kids in a day than my wife does. I prefer staying home when not diving.

FIVE – I am allergic to a building called Uptown Two, which I think is somewhere in Damansara Uptown. In particular the seventh floor. I sneeze uncontrolably whenever I’m there.

SIX – I talk to myself sometimes, especially when I’m thinking of something important.

SEVENTH – I know I’m weird for responding to Neomesuff‘s tag. Now I have to tag others:

I’m tagging: Kimi, Mocha, Choy the AD Gunner, Icecool and Daddy In The City.

Never Asked

อาจเพราะว่าเธอไม่เคยถาม อาจเพราะว่าฉันไม่เคยรู้
เราสองคนที่เป็นอยู่ ก็เพียงแค่เพื่อนกัน
อาจเพราะว่าเธอไม่เรียกร้อง ไม่เคยต้องการไม่เคยใส่ใจฉันจึงคิดไป ว่าเธอไม่มีใจให้กัน
จนผ่านเวลามาเนิ่นนาน
เธอกลับมาทำให้ไหวหวั่น บอกกัน ว่ารักฉันหมดหัวใจ
ฉันเปลี่ยนไปแล้ว สายไป เธอควรเก็บใจไว้
ให้กับคนที่เขารอเธออยู่เสมอ
มันไม่ทันแล้ว ขอเธอ อย่าเสียเวลากลับไป กลับไปหาคนที่เขารอเมื่อเขารอเธออยู่ตรงนั้น และรักเพียงเธอตลอดมา
เลือกเขาจะดีกว่า อย่าเปลืองเวลากับฉันเลย
ให้เขาเป็นคนที่ได้รัก และเธอกับฉันก็เป็นอย่างเคยให้เราสองคน เป็นเพื่อนที่ดีต่อกันเรื่อยไปจนผ่านเวลามาเนิ่นนาน เธอกลับมาทำให้ไหวหวั่น บอกกัน ว่ารักฉันหมดหัวใจฉันเปลี่ยนไปแล้ว สายไป เธอควรเก็บใจไว้ให้กับคนที่เขารอเธออยู่เสมอมันไม่ทันแล้ว ขอเธอ อย่าเสียเวลากลับไป กลับไปหาคนที่เขารอจนผ่านเวลามาเนิ่นนาน เธอกลับมาทำให้ไหวหวั่น บอกกัน ว่ารักฉันหมดหัวใจฉันเปลี่ยนไปแล้ว สายไป เธอควรเก็บใจไว้ให้กับคนที่เขารอเธออยู่เสมอมันไม่ทันแล้ว ขอเธอ อย่าเสียเวลา
กลับไป กลับไปรักคนที่เขารอ