Sekiranya anda ada menonton siaran langsung 'the 55th Emmy Awards', anda akan melihat seorang pelawak/pelakon yang menjadikan si calon Arnold Schwarzenegger dan Secretary of StateSecretary of Defence Amerika Syarikat, Donald Rumsfeld sebagai bahan lawak. Sifat-sifat aneh, dan peribadian dan perlakuan mereka ditertawakan oleh semua yang hadir di auditorium itu, dan juga berjuta-juta penonton di rumah. Namun, sampai hari ini, tiada apa-apa berita mengenai tindakan undang-undang ke atas pihak penganjur majlis anugerah ini dan pelawak itu.
Bukan itu sahaja, nampaknya pemenang Emmy untuk kategori Variety Show, The Daily Show yang diterajui oleh Jon Stewart memang banyak menggunakan Presiden mereka dan isu perang Iraq sebagai bahan lawak dan asas perbincangan dalam 'show' mereka. Pemenang tahun-tahun lepas, David Letterman juga selalu mengejek kebodohan dan kejahilan Presiden mereka.
Mungkin bentuk humor ini memang sebati dengan industri hiburan dan televisyen mereka.
Adakah ini bermakna mereka tidak hormat langsung kepada pemimpin mereka? Adakah ini disamakan dengan kelakuan tidak hormat, tidak berdisiplin? Adakah mereka 'a whining' nation' kerana mereka menerima sindiran ke atas pemimpin mereka sebagai suatu bentuk hiburan?
Tentulah tidak. Rakyat Amerika Syarikat adalah antara yang paling patriotik. Ini jelas jika anda lihat betapa sayangnya mereka adalah pada bendera dan perlembagaan mereka. Mereka begitu bangga dengan jenis demokrasi mereka. Kadang-kadang terlalu bangga.
Sebenarnya, yang jelas adalah mereka mempunyai kematangan dan citarasa humor yang lebih tinggi. Mereka bersikap terbuka terhadap kelemahan dan keburukan orang-orang ternama (public figures) seperti bintang-bintang Hollywood dan para pemimpin. Mereka tahu bagaimana untuk ketawa pada diri sendiri. Mereka diberi kebebasan untuk menerima dan memilih apa mesej yang ingin disampaikan.
Tetapi keadaan di sini sangat berbeza. Kita seperti orang yang pandai kecil hati. Kritik sedikit pun hal besar jadinya. Jangan harap televisyen akan menyiarkan apa-apa yang secara langsung mengkritik mereka dalam barisan pemimpin, walaupun dalam bentuk humor. Perdana Menteri kita telah menjadi suatu 'personality cult' sehingga beliau hanya dipuji-puja dan tidak sama sekali boleh dijadikan bahan lawak.
Lihat apa yang hampir terjadi kepada Instant Cafe Theatre. Yang masih mempunyai kebebasan meluahkan pendapat dan mempunyai 'audience' yang cukup matang dan bersikap terbuka mungkin tinggal sahaja para bloggers.
Namun, ini tidak bermakna kita patut mengkritik kerana ia seronok dibuat. Tidak patut kita mengorek ataupun mencipta cerita untuk memburukkan pemimpin kita. Apabila patut dipuji, kita puji. Apabila silap, kita kritik. Haruslah seimbang.
Tetapi media sekarang hanya mengandungi puji-pujian, dan tiada kritikan. Seolah-olah mereka ini manusia perfect.
Kalau ada kritikan pun, parti pembangkang seperti PAS yang dijadikan mangsa. BN dan UMNO selalu diberi imej yang positif.
Lama-kelamaan, kandungan media sebegini tidak lagi menjadi propaganda personaliti sejati yang berkesan, tetapi menjadi bahan yang mencaci kebijaksanaan kita sebagai penonton yang berfikir.
If I read correctly, the fast food giant McDonalds is spending about USD 1 billion on their new advertising campaign, "I'm lovin' it". Well, nothing wrong, I guess, advertising is part and parcel of business, and remaining in market control.
However, looks like the giant has spent an unnecessarily huge amount of money just to pay the vomit-inducing Justin Timberlake to sing the theme song. Huh, the style is an imitation of Eminem's, might as well ask Eminem to do it.
Or better, instead use the money to give free burgers and fries to underprivileged people. That's a much wiser way of spending money on advertising. A much better gimmick.
After all, how can that Justin fit in in the McDonalds picture? Eww, yucks, for all the superb french fries they make, suddenly I lost appetite for them when I thought of that fella singing, "I'm lovin' it..."
UM wins top Physiology prize Wow, marvellous. As I was reading Star Education today, I saw a photo of some of my most,most,very,very,very hardworking (except one Shean Tang,a genius) juniors. For me, Physiology is both interesting and tough. For 2nd years to remember those facts and details, they must be really good. And to beat teams from other schools, wow, I'm proud of them. But then again, it is not really that surprising, you should see them in college...all study gila babi.
Warfare and half-truths StarMag today published a few letters in response of last week's article about Chin Peng and his book. One accused Chin Peng as his father's murderer, and Dr A.Soorian dismissed the book as lies and half-truths, saying Chin Peng should never be allowed in, questioning his love for the country. Hah, I cannot agree to more than half of the mail. Some of the malicious deeds attributed to the CMP, I believe, is not the intention of Chin Peng but some eager young communists. The chain of command and communications at that time is poor, because their camps is in the jungle.
In warfare, there must be killings. Communists get killed too, they too have children. Their children are also orphaned, by the Japs and then the British. Question the historical facts and understanding formed in our schooling days, which may have been deceived and swayed by British propaganda. Whatever it is, we should acknowledge that the CMP has contributed to the fight against occupation and for independence. They suscribe to the principles of communism, they are willing to fight for it, it is just the same as any army fighting for their principles.
You see, in China, the communists won, and the Kuomintang were made to look like coward, greedy dogs. In Malaya, the British won, and the communist were made to look like terrorist-murderers. That's manipulation.
Time should be allowed to dilute all enmity and bitterness. What is done cannot be undone, what do we gain by disallowing someone to pay his last respects before he dies? If we do not see the whole picture, then let's not be too proud of our opinion of others.
This book should not be the source of renewed argument about Chin Peng and CMP, but a source of alternative historical accounts, which until now, have been clearly biased towards the British story and the present government. We should admire Chin Peng's bravery and willingness to fight for what he belives. In his generation, the imperialism and occupation is at its peak, and he fought for it. Ask yourself if you are willing to go through what he went through. If not, shut up. I should shut up too.
What a waste of opportunity Just realised that our Form 6 class were blessed with many many nice eligible sweet girls. It's a wonder none of us guys then make any moves, well,umm, clear moves except Voon Chin. Look what happenned now, most of us are still bachelors while those good girls kena 'conned' by Sam Tet boy, KL boys, Penang guys, Indian doctors, ... yucks !!!
Kledang Hill is so easy after the Kinabalu climb!!!
Mom's diet gone haywire My mom's BioWheatgrass diet gone wrong on the 2nd day. Vomitted. Stupid program anyway. As I do more reading, realised that the basic principle in a weight-loss diet program is to take out the unnecessary carbo, fat, junk in our diet. Our metabolism is established in the ancient days where we have limited food and carbo content. Different scenario now after the gelombang pertama. So, a low-carb, high protein-fat diet like Atkin's have its substance. So does the Okinawan diet, which I think may be a better, balanced, less radical way. Anyhow, eating healthy is something important, yet elusive for us good food-loving Malaysians.
Thursday in New Horizons - The cool, raining morning was too nice to not sleep through it, but sigh, got to teach some children. And in the end, it is worth it. Nice seeing Qun Ming, Alicia, Aqilah, and the gang. They call me cikgu, it is so worth sacrificing some nice sleep.
Infernal Affairs 2 Damn, they are going to make Edison Chen as Lau Kin Ming, again. Anyway, I guess the story will be too good to miss. So, I just have to persevere that boy toy. Actually, I am really looking forward to its opening. Would love to watch it in Ipoh before I return to PJ.
Holidays will be over in 2 weeks Sigh, sigh, sigh. I only read 'Electrolyte Balance' in Kumar&Clark and the first 2 chapters in Talley's, browsed through OHCM. Still did not finish 'The Gift of Pain'. Still did imoprove my Mandarin, still no guitar, the room's still messy. Hmmm....while 3rd year medical students of other schools are actually preparing for maybe their 2nd posting exams, we are just still trying to speculate what's going to happen when we enter the wards this coming semester. UM is weird....
Sphygmo...baby... I remembered laughing at Joy, an IMU med student, for buying a sphygmomanometer (BP set). After all, there are bundles of them in the hospital and labs. Why waste the ringgits? Yesterday, I bought one myself. Very pricey. I finally realise that while there are heaps of them in the hospital, none exists in our family. With one of my own, I can measure my uncles', aunties', parents', cousins', friends,... free of charge. They are getting old, and worried after all.
Hong Kong serials Back at home, I return to my routine of watching TVB serials. So far, I really enjoyed 'Seven Sisters' and the currently running 'Taste of Love'. I liked 'Healing Hands'(a doctor drama) initially, but it is becoming more draggy with sad stories.
Wok with me - Took over the kitchen from my mom today. And I made one of the best tasting fried kacang botol with dried prawns and cili padi. My father enjoyed it very much.
Guilty as charged:-
i) Islam 'fundamentalists/terrorists' - they rather kill than debate
ii) Bush and the other hawks - US is the way, the truth, and the life. Without us, there is no future, no earth, no humanity, no freedom
ii) Christian doctrinalists - if others does not see the way we understand the Bible, man, they must be sinners
iii) Mahathir- I know what's best for Malaysia, yang lain nak sabotaj kita saja
iv) UMNO - Merdeka is because of us, Malay rights is because of us, without us, there is no Malaysia, no land, no water, no money, no NEP
v) PAS - Semua ada di Koran, tak payah-lah seks education, nanti your mother, your daughter yang kena......bohsia dan bohjan berpesta.....oh ya, dan kamilah pendukung Islam yang sebenarnya
vi) Ariel Sharon - I kill bad people, Arafat kill my good people. I am the way to Peace, Arafat kacau the peace
vii) everybody else on this earth - that is why we continue to fight, to slander, to plot against each other......
Guilty as charged. Punishment ? - our days are numbered
Wong Chun Wai and The Star Mag wrote about Chin Peng's book today. So, when I saw my uncle coming back with a copy of "My Side of History", I quickly loaned it for 2 weeks, but I finished most by today.
Apakah tema akan bersilih ganti,
mengejutkan dia yang leka bermimpi
terlalu bangga dengan tapaknya berdiri
mencari makna di ruang kosong dan sunyi
bagaikan katak yang ingin mengahwini puteri
air liur ditelan air mata dibiarkan
perut diikat tapi maruah diketepikan
apakah makna berdegil tanpa kebijaksanaan
mengundang kekalahan sebelum pertarungan
bagaikan lembu yang tidak nampak harimau di hadapan
inspired from the frustration of watching KL Menjerit
Thank you extremely very much! Terima kasih yang sungguh teramat sangat! Arigato arigato! Hmmm... what can I say more... I am so touched! Yo buddy... thanks man... now it seems that visitors of this blog will know that I turned 22 today! HAHA... it's been great! 22 years... thank God for everything and especially a buddy like you! Risau tu tak ler risau sangat, cuma a bit errr nervous = "jan jeong" lah tu... anyone in my situation will have the same feeling I am sure... anyway, "let Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven"... cheers! miss having supper with you at the baba nyonya's stall... SS2 Sri Murni lah tu! ;-)
Ever since I posted an entry which I mentioned the name 'Canny Ong', people have been coming into the warung through such google results of such words :-
1) canny ong photos
2) canny ong sexy
3) canny ong
4) canny ong rape murder
5) canny ong photos sexy
Gee, they must be disappointed when they entered the warung and saw nothing but decent, plain black and whites, with nothing sensational. I did not even write anything elaborate about Canny Ong.
Are they just simply curious or are they too keh-poh or perverted to even let a dead soul rest ? Cut it out, freaks. (Okay, okay, there must be a certain few who googled about her for research or for information sake, so yang ini punya tak kira)
Klinik Ikanbakar 02 : makan ubat atau telan ubat ? The things you should know about your ubat
Introduction It is interesting to note that some people only accept ‘medicine’ as the English word for ubat. Drug, which is a more commonly used term especially among the healthcare fraternity, may give the wrong impression to some that it only meant dadah, which is a BM word associated with narcotics. Anyway, it should be clarified that drug and medicine share the same meaning. After all, dadah can also mean ubat-ubatan.
A drug or medicine is a substance that modifies the physiologic and chemical function and environment in the body in order to achieve a change from the initial condition that may be therapeutic and relieving. When the dosage is too low, no effect may be observed. If too high, the drug can be toxic. One should only use drugs for treatment and health preservation, and not be abused as a pleasure-giver.
Good drug habits 1. How much do you know about the drugs that you are taking? Do you know its name – the brand name and the generic name? Example: Viagra(brand) : sildenafil(generic). Do you know how does the drug help you? For what purpose and how is it going to do that? Do you know about the side-effects and the contraindications (certain food, other drugs and condition that will make the drug harmful or less effective)? I suggest you read the little piece of paper of the drug info if available, or bug the doctor/pharmacist for more information if he appears to be quiet, or the internet.
2. Take your drugs regularly, not erratically. There is a reason why you are instructed to take your drugs 3 times a day or once a day. If you are not going to follow the instructions, better don’t start at all. You see, the drugs that we take are like normal food. It needs to be absorbed, to go through the liver, and distributed all over via the blood, and later excreted via urine, sweat, faeces.
It means the drug is continuously leaving the body. For the drug to be effective, it should remain in the bloodstream at a steady concentration. Therefore, one should replenish the depleting concentration by a new dose, at regular intervals.
Imagine this whole thing to be like a bucket of water with a hole at the bottom. The water is continuously leaking out (metabolism and excretion of the drug), but you need to keep the bucket full of water (a steady concentration). Therefore, what you do is to pour water into the bucket at regular intervals and with a constant amount each time. If you pour in too much or too early, it will overflow, if you pour in too late, it will leak so much it is not full anymore.
Therefore, if you want your drugs to be at its best potential, do not skip a dose. There is no point to compensate by taking a larger dose later, or taking it earlier. Remember, you need to maintain a steady concentration of the drug in your blood.
Metabolism of drugs Basically, drugs are poison. The National Poison Centre in Universiti Sains Malaysia is an important learning and research centre for pharmacy undergraduates there. However, the poisonous effect would only take place when the concentration is above safe level in the body. We are blessed with a very good detoxifying agent – the liver, and a very good drainage system – the kidney. With normal liver and kidney function, there should be no problem. However, a liver or a kidney patient may find certain drugs to be accumulating in the body because it is not metabolised or not excreted. This accumulation would cause a dangerously high concentration in the body, and bring about the toxic effects of the drug.
Certain drugs can also induce the liver to achieve a higher metabolic rate of another drug. This kind of interaction may cause one to be tolerant to the drug and require a higher dose. Example: phenobarbitone, a type of barbiturate would cause one not to respond to the normal dose of warfarin, an anticoagulant because the liver is made to destroy warfarin at a higher rate. On the other hand, some drugs can also inhibit the liver to metabolise a certain drug at the normal rate, thus causing an accumulation of that drug. Example: Cimetidine, a gastric-ulcer drug can increase the concentration of warfarin so high till it causes excessive bleeding, because the liver is made to to destroy warfarin very slowly.
Therefore one should be careful about the interactions between different types of drugs one is taking. This include the kacau effect of the traditional herbs and health supplements on your medication. (The tauke has yet to do a proper documentation about the kacau effect) Tell your doctor about all the drugs you are taking before he write a prescription for you.
Adverse effects The list of adverse effects for each drug is scary. A paranoid medical or pharmacy student may feel that all drugs are not safe. However, it is because of the manufacturer’s honesty that all possible effects are listed out in the info paper. There is no need to be frightened but we should be cautious as well.
There are drugs that are clearly toxic to the kidney. This is especially true for elderly patients. A type of antimicrobial (aminoglycoside) may be too much for an old pair of kidney to handle. In the end, instead of helping the old patient to fight off an infection, he is now further maligned with kidney failure. So be careful. Question the doctor’s decision on his prescriptions if you are aware of the side effects. A doctor may be too overworked, too old or too careless to remember what he has learned in his pharmacology lectures and tutorials.
The popular drug for fever and headache, Panadol, a type of paracetamol needs at least two tablets (500 mg each) to be effective for an adult. However, an intake of more than that can be toxic to the liver (one should take not more than 8 tablets in one day for adults, less for children. (Eida informed that there are formulations of 650 mg, Uphamol i guess, which should do the work in one tablet. 4 times of that dosage would cause toxicity, less for children.)
Are drugs really necessary ? Drugs are agents that can modify the settings in your body, with the hope to set things right, and relieve pain and discomfort. Its efficacy depends on many factors. It is possible for one to recover without any substantial influence from drugs. One’s homeostasis and immune system and the will to survive are equally important, if not more.
In the market today, there are many phoney drugs with heavenly claims but plainly unnecessary. These include weight-loss drug, and health supplements.
Antibiotics A large chunk of patient load consists of those with mere fever and respiratory tract infection (cold/selsema). A normal healthy person should be able to fight off this infection by his own immune system, sooner or later. However, with the availability of antibiotics (antimicrobials, actually, to be more precise*), the use of antibiotics is so prevalent that when a doctor chose not to prescribe one, he is considered as a lousy doctor. Therefore most doctors pander by happily giving out tetracyclines and other broad-range antibiotics. (Giving antibiotics to a patient with viral fever is of no use. The recovery is natural, and not assisted. The drug is meant for bacteria, not virus)
Now, this is dangerous because there are bacteria that have adapted so well by changing their biological character that they are resistant to the assault of most antibiotics. The more they are exposed to these drugs, the faster and easier the adaptation and mutation process would be. Soon, many antibiotics would be obsolete, creating the need for newer and far more expensive antibiotics.
Cheap and expensive drugs The cost of medication can be very high, especially for those with chronic disease. Actually, you should be aware of our options regarding drugs. Firstly, try to buy from a pharmacy instead of the doctor’s dispensary. Now, I do not mean Guardian Pharmacy or Apex Pharmacy. I mean a decent pharmacy in town. The cost is lower because they buy in bigger bulk. Try to avoid buying drugs from private hospital pharmacies. They make you wait but charge expensively.
Be aware of the game of drug pricing. A newly patented drug would of course be priced astronomically. The drug company wants to compensate all the expenses made in research and advertising. New drugs like Viagra and Vioxx are expensive. However, old drugs like aspirin and L-thyroxine should be dirt-cheap. There is no reason why you should be charged more in the doctor’s dispensary or private hospitals for such drugs. They are generic drugs after all.
Then there is the question of branded and generic** drugs of the same active property. Which one is better? Well, this depends on your financial ability, how much you are willing to compromise on quality and your body response. Scientifically speaking, they are made of the same thing, therefore the performance should be the same. The process and the quality control may be different though. But then again, those branded drugs have a larger promotional expenditure, hence, the higher price.
Conclusion People are eating whatever the doctor gives. No question asked. Actually, the more drugs, the better the doctor is, the more he is concerned about me. That is the general misconception.
Since you are the one paying for the drugs, you should make an effort to know what it is doing to you and what it can do to you. There are drugs of the same potential with varying prices. There are drugs of the same kind but varying degrees of adversity. There are drugs with impossible claims, but basically useless. You have a part in deciding your drug therapy, don’t just follow blindly what your doctor say or what that direct-marketing salesman say.
Reference i. Mycek MJ, Harvey RA, Champe PC. Lippincott’s Illustrated Reviews: Pharmacology. 2nd Ed. USA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2000.
ii. Neal Mj. Medical Pharmacology at a Glance. 3rd Ed. UK: Blackwell Science, 1997.
*antibiotics merely refer to substance produced by living things and is able to destroy or stop the growth of harmful bacteria that have entered the body. The most well-known one would be penicillin, which is produced by the fungus Penicillum notatum. Nowadays, we have a broad range of synthetic drugs that act like antibiotics. Together, this brand of drugs should be known as antimicrobials.
** When a patent of 20 years expired, the drug no longer belongs to any drug company exclusively, thus allowing other companies to produce the same drug. However, there would still be a price difference for certain generic drugs. Some of these generics are still given a brand name by its maker, to suggest it is of a better quality. The price is higher too.
*** Disclaimer: This is merely what the tauke interprets from his 1.5 years of the pharmacology course and does not represent the views of a qualified health professional. The tauke welcomes feedback and corrections.
"Good morning, what seems to be the trouble lately?": what should happen when seeing a doctor
You may be surprised to know that despite all the hoo-ha about blood tests, MRI, X-Ray and many other complicated medical investigation gimmick, the most important and useful tool for a doctor in making a correct diagnosis is his pair of hands, and his mouth.
Mouth to ask the right questions, and hands to touch and feel the right places. Therefore, your visit to the doctor's clinic is the first and most important step in getting a good treatment to your problem.
Here's a list of the things that should happen (according to a student doctor's textbook) ; compare this with your real-life clinic experience.
1) The moment you stepped in, the doctor's eyes should be all over you. Observing your facial expression and appearance, the way you walk, to see if you are limping or in pain. Also as a gesture of welcoming you.
Hmm…: Benarkah? One famous cardiologist in Ipoh was typing happily with his eyes on the screen when I brought my late grandfather in.
2) Then the doctor should introduce himself, and shake your hand, and address you accordingly(your name and title). Then, he should ask, "What has been the trouble recently?" or "When were you last quite well?"
Hmm… : Except for junior doctors or one freshly back from a British hospital, the doctor is highly unlikely to engage in such a British manner. Gosh, I myself would not ask a question like that. Maybe a more common way of asking would be: "Hello auntie/uncle….What's the matter?" or worse, "Yes, apa sakit?". Or if you encounter one like that Ipoh cardiologist, he would continue typing some dunno-whats into his PC while waiting for you to open your mouth.
3) The conversation between you and the doctor should be a natural, smooth one. There should be no element of interrogation by the doctor's tone and words. He should be conversational, asking general and specific questions interchangeably. In short, you should be made relaxed, and comfortable. You should not be shy to ask any questions. After all, you are paying.
Hmm… : Surely there are many doctors who practice this style, unless you are unlucky to meet one like that Ipoh cardiologist.
4) What should the doctor ask? Many things. This Q&A session should be fruitful for both you and the doctor. For the doctor, your history of the illness, and social and past medical history is indispensable to a proper diagnosis-making. Type of questions:-
i) About your current problem/presenting complaint: you should answer according to how exactly you feel. Try your best to recall correctly when did it start, the duration of the pain/problem, the character of the pain/problem, about your last meal, your travel history, etc.
ii) About your medication and allergies:- Are you taking any drugs currently? What about traditional herbs and tablets? Any drugs that make you miserably and itchy?
iii) Your past medical history:- your previous hospital stay, types of surgery, are you diabetic, asthmatic, hypertensive(high blood pressure), HIV positive, stroke, epileptic, etc. This is very, very important. Do not lie to the doctor, or hide any important information from the doctor. A genuine, ethical doctor would keep everything you tell confidential, and would not use against you.
iv) Your social history: - your marital status, your family tree, your sexual activity, your occupation, your travel history, your hobbies, your habits, your financial sources, etc. Trivial it may seem, but it may have some vital clues that help the doctor.
For you, this interview should be useful for you to clarify any doubts and alleviate any unnecessary fear. Be relaxed. Your anxiety may confuse the blood pressure and pulse reading.
Hmm… : This is the ideal situation for the doctor-patient interview. What really transpire is up to the time available, the doctor's enthusiasm and methods, and also your co-operation. This is why a good, classic example of a doctor visit should last for at least 20 minutes. However, the heavy patient load in the local setting normally does not allow such luxury.
5) Next, the doctor would perform a physical examination on you. Bluntly said, he would touch you. He may even have to ask you to undress. All this should be done in a professional, clinical manner. You should give full trust to the doctor and his character.
Normally, the doctor would pay specific attention to the area(system) of the body thought to be most probably the problem, after obtaining clues from the interview. However, a proper, thorough examination should include all systems. This can be time-consuming, and a waste of precious time, especially in an emergency. Nevertheless, a doctor must not fail to appreciate the general signs and appearance.
6)What will the doctor do? The doctor will do the following: looking(inspection), feeling(palpation), tapping(percussion), and listening(auscultation), using primarily his eyes, fingers, palm and the stethoscope. He would also do some measuring like your blood pressure, weight, height, heart and breathing rate. Your body is hidden with clues.
Example:
A. a yellow discolouration of your sclerae and skin would mean you are jaundiced, which mean you most probably have problem down there in your liver, or gall bladder.
B. A bluish discoloration of your tongue, skin would mean that you are cyanotic - lack of oxygen in your blood. A pale appearance would mean that you are anaemic - you lack haemoglobin in your blood.
C. The amount of hair or the lack of it location of fat deposition in your body, your skin can tell if you have a hormonal problem.
D. Swollen(oedematous) hands and feet, or face may mean a broad range of problems(kidney, heart, circulation, nutrition, infection).
E. Any nodular swellings in your groin, your neck, your armpit may mean an infection. Lumps and enlargements may indicate tumour growth.
F. The feel and character of your nails, fingers and palm is a good indicator of a number of conditions.
7) There can be a conflict between the need for a thorough inspection and the need for modesty. For certain parts to be accessible like the inner thigh, genitals, and breasts require the patient to undress. These parts can be covered temporarily while other parts are being examined. If the doctor is a male, a chaperon must be present.
Hmm… : I recall there was a story in the newspaper about a woman who claims she was sexually mishandled by a doctor who obviously did a very thorough examination on her, although she merely complained of stomach discomfort. Now, from a clinical point of view, the doctor did nothing wrong because it is justifiable, at least theoretically, to examine thoroughly so that he would not miss any clues, which can be harmful if missed. What transpired after that news, we do not know. Nevertheless, females should ensure the presence of a chaperon when examined by a male doctor.
Conclusion Diagnosis has been defined as 'the crucial process that labels patients and classifies their illnesses, that identifies (and sometimes seals) their likely fates or prognoses and that propels us towards specific treatments in the confidence that they will do more good than harm.* Therefore, you should ensure that you have co-operated well with the doctor, and aided him in making THE diagnosis by giving the correct answers and vital information, and also by trusting him.
References: i. Talley NJ, O'Connor S. Clinical Examination: A Systematic Guide to Physical Diagnosis. 4th Ed. Singapore: Apac Publishers, 2001.
ii. Longmore M, Wilkinson I, Torok E. Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine. 5th Ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
* Sackett DL, Haynes RB, Tugwell P. Clinical epidemiology. A basic science for clinical medicine. Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1985.
The thought of a Chinese movie starring Takeshi Kaneshiro and Gigi Leung does not sound interesting to me. After all, they are not my favourites, and Hong Kong movies kind of suck these days. What more if it is a romantic movie. But the mood of a beautiful Wednesday made me pay RM 6 for this Chinese romantic.
Johnie To and Wai Ka Fai, compared to the lecherous Wong Jing, make good clean Hong Kong films. This time around, I am rather impressed with their interpretation of the Taiwanese novel 'Turn Left,Turn Right'. The title carries the theme for this love story - about not having the 'jodoh' even though they are just near each other, but one chose to turn left and the other turn right.
This movie advocates fate and destiny, and uncertainties and surprises in life and love, despite that. Kaneshiro and Leung should be familiar with such roles, and they played out their role effectively.
This movie believes in love at first sight and the miracles of coincidences, but steers clear from the vomit-inducing theme of 'Love surpasses everything', which defines the stupidity of other romantic films like Moulin Rouge.
The plot is believable, and touching to say the least. Leung's crying scenes are always effective to accentuate the feeling of desperation and frustration during the story's build-up. The climax is purposely delayed but well-timed, and the final scene is simple, yet adorable, and omit any mushy,mushy notion of 'living happily ever after'.
This movie has a good sense of humour. Although most of the jokes come from making a fool out of a doctor character, which coincidentally has a surname of Hu, which is also mine.
Nevertheless, this movie is still a fairy tale. Why? Because the characters are good-looking, and they are made sophisticated with the splendour of violin music and poetry and foreign languages.
All-in-all, this movie did not fail to be a feel-good movie. The direction of the story changes before it becomes an overkill, and the lovable villains leave before you get too tired of them.
However, due to the nature of the love story, I have to say that I am able to enjoy this story more than those who watched it as couples. It can be confusing to those who are in love or dating (who thought they have found the one). For singles like me, this one is truly a feel-good love story. Highly recommended.
This long break is starting to make me lazy, and enjoying the luxury of having so much time to myself.
Going around Ipoh with the public transport again tomorrow. After the Italian Job and cheap comics last week, I am looking forward to a good outing tomorrow. Maybe a McDonald's breakfast with The Sun, and later a Chinese movie would be good.
Where Is The Nash Equilibrium?
Finding The Equilibria Between Fine Art And Economics.
By Clarissa Lee Ai Ling
I know this lady, Clarissa Lee for quite some time. I know she is a writer, I know she graduated with a physics degree. But I never knew she has such intelligence and depth to marry both arts and science. Too humble to show off, perhaps. And me too 'dungu' to notice.
She must be one of the genuine smart people around. Not even that distinction student in my batch would be of the same league.
Really proud to know this lady. Please visit this website to see what I'm talking about.
Yesterday was eventful. I met back many people, of the forgotten past. Somewhat forgotten.
I met Mr. Tan at Ocean Supermarket. Not long after, he would start telling me about the problems at Ist Ipoh Company, the organisation I once gave my heart and soul to.
Before that, I met back some Ipoh church friends, some I have not seen for more than a year. It forced me to think back, of what made me not see them for more than a year.
I have made my presence felt in the past, left lots of footprints and memories for those who are left behind. To those I have, conveniently abandoned, out of frustration and out of the need to move on, to start afresh.
So, the present is at odds with the past.
The past was overwhelming. The present is dull. The future would be dreadful.
Like it or not, it is September 11 again. It was only 2 years ago that fanatic terrorism and foolish arrogance ruined the happiness, hope, and joy of a great number of people.
I have to admit, the first time I heard US was attacked that night, I was delighted to know that they have been taught a lesson, but when I saw the extent of the horror that the attack has caused, I was ashamed of my initial response.
After all, September 11 taught US nothing but to revert back to cowboy-time conservative, chauvinistic methods. Like what Michael Moore said, the stupid white men ruled again.
Religious confusion and twisted national pride still favours chaos in this world. They make lives look cheap, and make us humans look ugly and despicable.
Today, The Star published an article (pg 26) by Shahanaaz Habib, the journalist for the Iraq War, titled-"The horror of Sept 11 revisited". A well-written piece. The irony and stupidity of it all is so glaring:-
1) The 911 attackers were from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, none were Iraqis. But the Iraq War was Bush's primary agenda on his phony war on terror. Meanwhile, Saudi and Egypt are still good friends.
2) Israel, the rogue nation that killed thousands and violated numerous UN resolutions, did not receive similar treatment like Iraq, who were also accused of violating regulations. US is always veto-happy to save their little brother, but got so mad at France for veto-attempt to stop the Iraq War. So mad till they want to change French Fries name to Freedom Fries. This is REAL, SAD STUPIDITY.
3) The same 'regime change' mentality of the US caused a horrible period for the Chileans. The US supported the coup by General Augusto Pinochet, causing a 17-year of military rule and the loss of more than 3000 Chilean lives.
4) During the Gulf War in 1990, US troops left behind 40 tonnes of depleted uranium, causing a 700% rise in cancer rates from 1991-1994 in Iraq. That is some sort of subtle, slow, cruel mode of mass destruction, isn't it? Can Bush Sr even sleep at night?
5) Ariel Sharon, the general that led the killings of so many Arabs and Palestinians is now receiving good publicity, even to the extent of being labelled a man serious about peace. Meanwhile, Arafat is dismissed as a rogue and an obstruction to peace. Let those who have ears hear.
6) US wage war on terrorism by equally terrifying methods. Does that not make them terrorists too? The whole world cried for the lives lost on September 11, 2003 but only half the world (or less) cried for the thousands of civillian lives lost in the Iraq War.
The list continues. The world is going to end one day, anyway. It can be destroyed by plagues, by asteroids, by flood, by any natural disasters. But for it to be destroyed by sheer human stupidity, it would not be worth all these years of struggles for existence.
Yet, there are some people around who still want to justify war and bombings. They engage in intellectual political, social debates. They used the brilliance of historical accounts. They pretended to be smart. But seriously, when it comes to this, a simple law prevails - "Do unto others what you want others to do unto you".
Forgive us, Lord, for we do not know what we are doing.
From WHO: Disease Outbreak Reported
Singapore has a laboratory-confirmed case of SARS coronavirus (CoV) infection. This single case is in a 27-year-old postgraduate medical student who worked in a virology laboratory in Singapore. The patient developed fever, was hospitalized, isolated and his fever has now resolved. Contact tracing is continuing but it has not identified any secondary cases arising from this infection. - Details here
We can make a few observations from this matter:-
1) Being in virology or bacteriology, can be very risky. This is especially true if one is really of genuine interest in research
2) Singapore health authorities should be commended for being honest and open about the latest SARS case, risking a renewed damage to the stock market and SIA, and the Singapore ROARS campaign
3) I wonder if Chua Jui Meng would do the same if we were in the same shoe.
KL Motor Show Just came back from a fantabuluos 5 hours excitement of the KL Motor Show. Well, I have just to admit that I am an automotive freak; this kind of opportunity shouldn't be missed at all! Somehow, my dream of sitting inside dream cars especially Nissan 350 Z has come true. Apart from those cars, those girls are just too lovely. Too bad, I don't have any camera (classical and digital). If not...wow!!! I will be hugging them (especially the girl from Lotus and those from Hyundai) and take dozens after dozens of pics!!! :-p Voluptuos! What a day!!!
Boat rides. Meeting old friends and seniors. Visited Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Visited the Museum. Stole the Saban flag.
Climbed the highest Mountain of the region, experienced near-zero temperature.
Seen the blue starfish, bitten by sea urchin and the bloody black fish, experiencing pain, ecstasy, humour, frustrations, and satisfaction.
Bargaining at the Tamu, speaking Sabahan BM, learning Dusun, admiring the Pasok Mumugun signboard, cramming in minibuses, sleeping on the floor, spending money like water.
Dealing with speaking Hakka and toilet flushes, and eating tarap and bundu. Feeding chickens and climbing to a bat cave. Bathing in hot water at 5am, and a phobic canopy walk. And great meals and dances at Sugar Bun.
Tomorrow, Thursday, the 4th of September 2003, is UM polling day and yet one more time (the last one in fact), I shall fulfill my responsibility to cast my vote. I know my responsibility as a UM student and an eligible voter, but frankly, I do not know who I am going to vote for. After all, I do not know who are contesting! Whatever the outcome is going to be, I hope that those chosen will justify and uphold their more than perfect manifestos, and more importanty, champion the rights for voices of students to be heard.
A question which has always been prominent regarding UM's election is, how far is the election free from the influences of external-national-level political parties? As far as I am concerned, candidates are basically divided into 2 categories, one is pro-gov (obviously pro-BN) and the other one, correspondingly, is anti-gov (anti-BN lah tu!). These two coalitions are then comprised of smaller parties, which I don't know at all how they move about and how they function?!
I was ackowledged by one of my friends that one of the small parties is UMANY, which is mainly a Chinese anti-gov party in UM. I read a notice this evening at the Faculty of Accountacy. The notice reads that UMANY is no longer a registered association in UM, nor it is free to hold any activities, in short, it is "haram"! With regard to this, I assume that many of the Chinese contesting, are of the pro-gov side. I am not surprised. After all, do they really understand what politics is all about? Or they are just lured and making use of the huge amount of money allocation from the gov and to stand for latter in UM? I wonder whether they can see justice and "fighting for rights" above glory, glamour and money?
One Malay candidate in my fac, who also happens to be my coursemate (same major with me), was campaigning when I bumped into his crowd of supporters. I was wondering, am still thinking, would I and could I, vote for a "faithful" all-time smoker and class escapee?!?!
In fact, living in this world is full of wonders and thoughts.
I was still in my hometown, Ipoh, when the electricity supply to 5 states in the northern of Peninsular Malaysia was cut off. When it happened, my mum was busy calling friends and relatives elsewhere, everywhere in Perak, outside of Ipoh, and soon we came to a conclusion that a mass cut off of electricity supply had occurred at that time. Never we knew that, it was not just Perak, but also 4 other states, namely Perlis, Kedah, Penang, and Kelantan, that suffered!
This incident reminds me of the finding of electricity. If you guys have known me long and well, you must know that I have asked many times what is human greatest and useful finding? And my answer is always electricity. Don't you think it is true? Humans will all be paralysed by the "disappearance" of electricity. Things cannot be done! Everything will come to a halt! Chaos! Trafffic madness! Perplex! No more sense of direction! It is like human life is literally stopped and become static. What a simple but wonderful formula V = IR. My utmost respect for all electrical engineers will continue to stay and soar!
Elections! Yeah... as many political-seers in Malaysia are busy speculating when the next general election is going to be, UM is going to have its next student representatives election in a couple of days. This time around, it really catches my attention and my blogging gland to blog about it! Why? I was in Faculty of Accountancy and Business this morning as I was attending my "luar fakulti" (Financial Planning) lecture there, where I saw banners and posters being pasted and put up here and there. To my surprise, majority of the election candidates are chinese! In fact I can see more chinese candidates' banners and posters than the malays'. Maybe, the Malays have not actually geared up. I don't know.
Nonetheless, it is already obvious that the number of chinese candidates has increased quite tremendously. At this point, I wonder what is the main force that drives them (the chinese) to involve in politics because I don't really think that interest is the main reason. One of the many chinese candidates is my ex-schoolmate and roommate, who is currently in his final year of study in sports science. As far as I am concerned, politics didn't seem to be of a topic of talk between him and me. And I was complaining to Fooji all the time that I can't really find any friends who have the interests and can discuss politics with me. But now, this ex-roommate of mine is contesting for a place in the Council of Students' Representatives. I am in confusion. Have I not made deep efforts, all these while to talk politics with people or it is just that, people around me now have different thinking already and politics has become a part in their lives? or it is just for the sake of contesting?
Another chinese candidate, from my faculty, never seems to be a serious person for his outward look. From his appearance, you will have an impression that this guy ain't going to talk serious stuffs, looks rather playful and not interested in pursuing real academic excellency (just for the sake of getting a degree attitude), how much more about politics! I apologise for my spooky, cocky, bias, and judgemental statements. I would eat back my words at anytime if I am proven wrong.
*W.I.B is the personal blog of fooji. He works for the ministry of health seven days a week, skips his breakfast and looks forward to a good dinner at the end of the day.
w.I.b:warung ikan bakar:
Mt.Kinabalu
Manukan Island
