The Nativity

It's Christmas again, the day many people look forward to.

Instead of a religious celebration of the birth if Christ, this "Christmas Day" has become nothing more but a "Pagan Winter Solstice Holiday" to the multitude. It is very depressing and disappointing to see how people these days associate Christmas with presents, Santa Claus and other pagan traditions.

I am not entirely against these practises as there is nothing wrong in these practises in as much as it promotes family bonding and alms giving. However, it is quintessential for Christians (Catholics are Christians in case you think otherwise) to remember the true essence of Christmas and not to be deviated solely towards pagan traditions.

Take Christmas Carolling for example, do you really mean what you sing? Or are you just merely enjoying the melody? Are you truly praising God or just having fun singing? I do wish to be a 'Holier than thou' wise guy hypocrite who condemns the wrong doings of others. But sadly, this is the realities of today.

I feel like a really lousy Christian. Didn't I know better that Christmas is about God sending his own son to be sacrificed for the sins of man? Was I even prepared for advent? No.

The Lord will give you a sign in any case: It is this: the young women is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.

- Isaiah 7:14

~

Okay, enough of the ranting.

Speaking of ranting, rants are very interesting to be read if they are written properly. Just like the book "The catcher in the rye" where the main character rants about almost everything that comes his way. The irony of the story is that the main character often calls almost everyone he meets a 'phoney' when he himself behaves like a 'phoney'.

I pray that I won't be visited by 3 ghosts tonight for lambasting the pagan realities of Christmas.

Besides, I am not against it but I just hope that the true meaning of Christmas will not be forgotten. Remember, Jesus saved you, not Santa Claus.

Without wasting any more of your Christmas time, I would like to


Wish you a Merry, Blessed and Holy Christmas.

Bless me father for I've sinned...

...for 17 years.

Finally, I am old enough to hold a driving license.

The typical Malaysian 'stepping stones'

12 - Malaysian IC
17 - Probationary Driving Licence
18 - Tobacco and Liquor
21 - Nightclubs, discos, any form of gambling
55 - Senior citizen discounts

Well, I know that I don't really need the rights at 18 and 21. xD

First of all, I am very thankful for the birthday wishes via SMS, MSN, phone call and voice message. You know who you are, Thank You!

And to my good friend who is currently in a Church Camp in Sarawak, a special thank you to you too for your hard effort. Hope you will be back in KL safely after 3 months.

Thank you all, I promise that I will try to remember yours as well!

I found that this birthday is more 'adult' compared to the preceding ones. My internet connection decided to take an unexpected break, leaving me disappointed and with no choice but to hit the sack early. A test of patience and discipline.

This morning, I went to church for a penitential service. For those of you who do not know what a penitential service is, you basically confess every single sin you committed to a priest. (Not because it is my birthday, because Jesus' birthday is round the corner) I was told to read the bible more and help the poor.

Then, my father wanted to take me to 1U, but his car malfunctioned half way there. The car was still drivable but it's like driving with the handbreaks on. Sent the car for repairs and then I was once again on the way to 1U in a different car.

Had Carl's Jr. for lunch and then my father insisted that I get some new clothes for the festive seasons coming ahead. The funny part was when my brother and father were choosing some dinner shirts and realised that the buttons were 'on the wrong side*'. Luckily they didn't even try them on!

* In case you didn't notice, the buttons for male and females shirts are on different sides. According to 'The economic naturalist' by Robert H. Frank, the reason why shirts are made this goes back all the way back in history. In the middle ages, men wore their own clothes while women had servants to put the clothes on for them. And since the majority are right handers, it would be easier for right-handed men and servents to button the clothes. Today, history has made life easier for left-handed women.

I was in MPH looking for some books to spend my book vouchers, I wanted to buy Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. While looking for the book by Huxley, I realised that it would be more satisfying if I buy three fiction books instead.


Why are non-fiction books so expensive? Why do some publishers print their books using such 'glaring' fonts? Maybe it's because of astigmatism due to the torturous amount of time (for my eyes) spent on the computer and books. The last fiction book I finished a few days ago was "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. One of the best fiction books I've read so far.

"Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft." - Baba in 'The Kite Runner'

The chocolate cake was great, very rich and moist. I hope that the calories in it will help me gain some weight! The song "Love Story" by Taylor Swift is stuck in my head. A very long time since I heard a female singer this good.

"It's a love story, baby, just say yes." - 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift

Of nostrums, quack and more quackery

I was at my aunt's house for Christmas Carolling last night, the food was excellent and the carollers were ever enthusiastic. It is a common practise and maybe 'tradition' when the adults would sit down and just talk about recent events and the latest 'new thing'.

Apparently, the topic of the day was "Health" and then people started to share their miracle products recommended by their friends and giving their personal testimonies on why they too should give the miracle product a try.

Repressing my scepticism, I sat down quietly and listened.

So the first product was a glass disc that feels like plastic. It is claimed that the glass disc will somehow energise the water as water flows through it and consuming the water will detoxify your body.

One of the many proofs is:

Putting a glass of alcoholic drink on top of the glass and then drinking it after 15 minutes will prevent the tipsy feeling.

Magic? But wait, remember Chapter 2 of Form 5 Chemistry? Alcohol is extremely volatile, even without the glass disc, the alcohol will simply evaporate away due to its volatility.

And best of all, that magic disc costs a stunning thousand ringgit. I would rather spend the money on an Original Tag Heuer Kimi Raikkonen Series Photocromic Glassses. (The same one which is sitting below a freshwater lake in Langkawi xD)

There was a similar product which was apparently a crystal-like sort of rock that can energise water as well. Want to hear the story on how did the a "Professor" from France found this crystal?

One day, this "Professor" was hiking up Mount Fuji in Japan and was exhausted. So he sat down on a rock to rest. Suddenly, he felt very energised and refreshed after sitting on that rock. Thus, he brought the rock back to France and did his research for 40 years and found the true nature and potential of the rock. Today, that rock a.k.a crystal sells for big money.

So, this is how you make money by selling rocks.

I was shocked to learn that the ordinary looking plastic jug on the table has some special properties. It has a filter inside of it to turn normal water into alkaline water. Right, no questions asked, you can turn any water alkaline by simply adding an alkaline metal into it.

But what is the logic of the benefits of alkaline water? It says that our internal body is naturally acidic and being too acidic will cause various health problems. So what is the proof that our body is overly acidic? Blowing into a Universal Indicator will show positive result for acidity.

I think this two words are a little over used a few months back but... SO WHAT!!?!

Carbon Dioxide is acidic and it is carried around in our body in the form of Carbonic Acid which makes our body pH slightly acidic.

Besides that, if your alkaline water is so effective, how can you explain the benefits it will bring after it is completely neutralised in Hydrochloric Acid in your stomach? Furthermore, our internal pH is regulated by our bodies and do you think that you can mess with it just by drinking water? Think again.

On top of all that, the plastic jug costs RM 300~400

Coffee Enema, it is known to many as one of the uncontroversial ways to detoxify your body. What is there to lose anyway right? Wait until you know how does this work.

Basically, they take coffee (Yes, real coffee) and pours it into your anus (The same place where crap comes out). And the coffee is supposed to clean everything up on its way out from the way it came in and at the same time detoxify your body.

So, I heard that it was through the process of osmosis that the toxic products comes out from your bloodstream in your intestinal lining into the coffee (hypertonic). Maybe Chapter 3 of Form 4 Biology would explain all of this. Osmosis is the process of water moving from a region of low solute concentration to a region of high solute concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. Did it say anything about your toxic and poisons?

So what's next? Beer? Wine? Coke? Tea? Milo?


As a conclusion, please do not fall for these marketing scams. Brush up on your scientific knowledge so that you would be able to discern between facts and fables.


At least you know now.

Execution

The electric chair, a method of execution in certain countries.


"Ah there's the problem, this wire came out..."

I was inspecting the Christmas tree lighting that wasn't functioning, and I came across a wire disconnected from the transformer. Without much thought, I took the wire and pushed it back in place with my left thumb.

ZAPPP

The electricity was good, it went up my left arm and towards my left shoulder. But my reflexes was good too, I hand jerked away as the current radiated towards the middle of my chest.

"Haha, I forgot to turn off the electricity!"

I still managed to crack a joke or two and continued fixing the Christmas tree lights as if that electric shock was nothing. (In fact, it was nothing at all)

The immediate effect the electric shock was a sudden increase in alertness. Never have I thought of how dangerous or deadly it was.

~

The next day, as I was on the way home from a debate session, I was deep in thought thinking about various events that occurred during the day. Somehow, my mind associated the phase "Allow them to opt for the death penalty instead" and "Electric chair" with the electric shock I experienced the day before.

I was fully aware the that the standards for electric current in Malaysia is 13 Amperes. A quick search up the internet then revealed that 1 Ampere is more than enough to cause instant death. I was shocked.

I ran downstairs and checked the wire that gave me the electric shock, and learned that it was the neutral wire which transports the lowered current (Probably less than milliamperes due to my body resistance) out from the Christmas lights. And next to that wire was the live wire, which delivers a whopping 13 Amperes and 240 Volts.

This fact got my head spinning in circles, what if I touched the live wire instead? It was just next to the neutral wire, a 50/50 chance. Life versus Death. If I did touch the live wire instead, I would have just disappeared from the face of this earth in a flash. No last words, no final request and worst of all, the last thing I see is a lifeless electrical appliance?

~

"You too must stand ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Luke 12:40

That night, I sat on my bed praying and thinking. The message was clear, God gave you many chances and this could be your last. (A related parable in Luke 13:6-9) Maybe being electrocuted to death is a peaceful way of dying. But will that bliss outweigh the pressure of being judged by God? He has every right and authority to throw this sinner down to hell.

Yes, I still want to live, to be here and to see you. However, God's decision transcends and supersedes all human will. Everything can be taken away if He wishes to.

This is yet another lesson on why we should be grateful for the things we already have.

I really hope that I lived up to His expectations when the time really comes.

~

Enough of the death talk.
I got a life to live. (:


...and an undang exam to study for.


Edit: Based on the book the driving school provided me with, I learned that I am severely colour blind!


I can't do the questions marked with a question mark.

I see:
17) 2
18) 6
19) 8
20) 5
22) 25
23) 5
24) 12

Argh, colour-ists...

To break the impasse

There must be a reason why people choose death over life. As any economist will tell you, we human beings tend to behave and react rationally towards incentives.

Maybe some people felt that there isn't any more meaning or reason to continue living.

~

I was in the hospital this morning to visit my grandmother, we know that there is no way to cure her illness as it was a problem with the bone marrow. With a bone marrow which is barely spurting any haemoglobin, she is dependant on frequent blood transfusions.

Fortunately, my grandmother is a very religious person, she sees the challenges she face in life as part of God's purpose. Although she dislikes living in a dull and plaintive environment of the hospital, she sees it as a mission to spread the Good News to the other patients around her.

"A very mysterious God, He has a reason and purpose behind everything that happens to us."

But there was another old lady lying on the opposite side of my grandmother, I noticed that she was admitted into the hospital due to some gastrointestinal complication. The way she slept and the dolorous look on her face reflects the amount of pain she was going through.

Suddenly, a team of doctors came in the room and started to discuss about her condition.

"We've tried everything on our side, put her on palliative..."

That sentence kept me thinking of the role of medicine in our society. To cure the disease or to cure the symptoms? There are so many controversies in modern medicine that people lose hope it in and resort to traditional or "revolutionary" medicine that promises a cure their disease.

I was sceptical at first, but it worked for my father's high blood pressure. Is the pharmaceutical industry conning us by providing medicine that must be consumed on a long-term basis? Or is it merely a placebo effect?

It is undeniable that there are certain diseases that cannot be cured at the moment. But are we trying hard enough in search for a cure?

~~

"The bible, it speaks to you..."