Facing the dreadest moments in our life...

THIS IS SO TRUE AND BEAUTIFUL...

To all mothers, daughters....and sons too....and to all other senior citizens, life is so beautiful when we age with grace to face our dreadest moments of our life..

Though the days as senior citizens are numbered but may we have the sensibility to treasure more and more of their great golden moments together so that they may brace their ageing days with great dignity.

HAPPY SENIOR CITIZEN DAY !!!!!!!!!!!

Scroll down and browse left and right to see how great they are!!!!!!!!!

My dearest daughter..

the day you see me old..

I ask that you please have patience and that..

above all, you try to understand..

My dearest daughter...

If, when I talk to you..
I repeat the same thing a thousand
and one times..

Don`t interrupt me to point out
that I have already told you that,
instead, please just listen to me

and remember a time when you
were a little girl when I would read
to you the same story, night after
night, until you went to sleep..
When I do not want to have a shower, don`t scold me..

and please don`t try to embarass me.
Remember, instead.. a time when I had to chase you with a thousand excuses..

I invented, in order to get you to bath,when you were a little girl...



When you see my ignorance of new technologies..
Give me the neccessary time to learn..

And please don`t roll your eyes or look at me with a mocking face.

Remember, my dearest..
I taught you how to do so many
things...
to eat properly...
to dress and groom yourself...
and how you can confront and deal with life..

The day you notice I become old,

my dearest daughter..

please have patience and above all,

please try to understand me..

If , occasionally, I lose the memory or the thread of our conversation,
let me have necessary time to remember..

and if I cannot do it, don`t become
nervous or impatient or arrogant.

Instead, just know in your heart,
that the most important thing
for me is to simply be with you
and have you listening to me.


And when my tired old legs can`t
let me walk on as before...

Give me your hands in much the
same way I did for you,when you made

your first step.

And when some day,

I tell you that

I do not want to live any more,

that I am ready to die.

Please do not get upset or angry..

Because one day, my dearest daughter,

you will understand..

Until then, just try to understand ,

that at old age we have reach a point

where we do not live anymore..

We just exist...

When this day come for me ,

You must not feel sad and or incompetent

for seeing me like this..

Instead I ask that you be with me,

that you try to understand me,

that you help me..

Help me as I journey to the end of my life

with love...

And with a deep understanding and
appreciation for the gift of time.
And love we were blessed to share

together...

MOTHER!

You are truely the most beautiful beings on earth..without you, this world is nothing.

I am so glad I could share these moments with you all on this Senior Citizen Day. For your information, my dear listerners, the above dreadest cum golden moments were send to me by one of our fellow listeners -thank you for sharing this with us.

According to the one of the findings from the Fourth Malaysian Population and Family Survey done in 2004 by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), 10% of the elderly in Malaysia live alone, especially in rural areas. Alone here means staying by themselves in their homes. Loneliness increases with age. Elderly widows and widowers are more lonely than those who are divorced.

The survey also showed that one in five elderly people did not receive any financial assistance from children who did not live with them.

Three out of four elderly people, aged 70 and above, have health problems and need special care.

To fill in, Malaysia has 2 million or 7% of the population ,elderly people over 60.

There are 600 million people over the age of 60 worldwide.More than half live in Asia. Japan has the highest number of elderly people-22% of its population with age 65 and above.

It is estimated that by 2050, the elderly population in Asia, for the first time in history, will outnumber the population of children aged 0 to 14.

To help you understand this uprising phenomenal, here is the decline in fertility rate in Malaysia:-

950 - - 7 children per family,

1980 - - 4 children per family,

1990 -- 3 children per family,

2025 -- 2 children per family,

2050 -- 1 child per family.

So my dear listeners, let us brace ourselves as we approach the twilight zone .. let us age with dignity and grace. Perhaps we should let the elderly work longer and be less dependant on the government and their families. That way they can also contribute to the economy and society

And ...HERE`S MY DEDICATION TO ALL MY SENIOR LISTENERS:-

BRAVO-This cartoon is going to be classic

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Coping economic meltdown- to cash- in or out ????

Greetings my dear listerners! Its been a long time since we had communicated. Today I am sharing a story which I have heard along the way which is amusingly quite relevant.

Ladies and genteleman !!!!!!!!!!

` If you have difficulty in understanding the current world financial situation, the following should help... It has been simplified, simply the Indian way.....

Once upon a time in a village in India , a man announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10. The villagers seeing there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10, but, as the supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their efforts.The man further announced that he would now buy at $20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer rate increased to $25 and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now act as buyer, on his behalf.

In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers: "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when he returns from the city, you can sell them back to him for $50."

The villagers squeezed together their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man or his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!

Welcome to WALL STREET !!!`

Undeniably,what has started off as a financial crisis has become an economic meltdown.While the West is contemplating different ways to recover from this unprecedented setback, one important issue that has been neglected is what an economist will term it as the potentially dangerous DEFLATION.

And what is DEFLATION my dear listerners?

And this is what I learned:-` DEFLATION happens when peole are reluctant to spend for fear that they may face a bleak future without cash in hand.In short they are hoarding cash.`

I was told if people are spending less, the economy will have less money in circulation and that will effectively mean the companies are unable to sell their goods because people are not buying them.When companies cannot sell their goods, it mean employees have to be laid off to cut losses.When companies lay off their employees, it means all those who are jobless will have less or almost nothing to spend.

For your information my dear listerners near and far, our Finance Minister had recently pumped another RM 7 billion into budget.This I believe would put more cash into the market to help to deter further economic meltdown.

Then there is this plan to cut employees`s EPF contribution from 11% to 8% next year to put more money into the consumers hands. Many factions disagree with this plan of action because this microscopic amount is too insignifcant in channelling more cash into the market. But to the lower income group, this is a handy help-out to boost their spending power.

Recently there was this move by many major hypermarkets to reduce the prices of many basic items to boost consumer spending in this time of financial crisis. Hope such price reductions will not just remain as lip service only or a means for these traders to enjoy free media publicity and sales promotion. Consumers be smart when purchasing these items if you were to optimise your spending power.

All in all, the government is trying to put more money into the market to contain the economic meltdown and to assist recovery. But more importantly the masses must be encouraged to SPEND BUT WITHIN THEIR LIMITS despite all the negative scenario all around; and the companies to hold back retrenchment by cutting cost and unnecessary expenditure.


If to contain inflation,the government and banks can increase interest rates, but FOR OTHERS WHO HAVE THE EXTRA CASH, do not adopt the wait -and-see attitude, hoping the prices will drop further despite the already falling prices of goods and fuel, properties and air travel among others. Making investments will contribute to the recovery of the nation`s economy-BUT THAT IS ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE THE EXTRA MONEY TO SPARE.Remember you need to spend thriftly to weather through this negative economic storm first



All claps for such a wise move-savings

But do not forget, savings if re-invested
can be more lucrative.

This is especially so when Bank Negara
has recently lowered interest rates for fixed deposit so as encourage masses
to spend more or to save-invest in other forms that can spin the economic engine.


Yeah! we can collectively deter further deterioration of the economy-TOGETHER WE ARE A FORCE -we can either cash- in or cash -out at this time of economic meltdown. SPEND WITHIN YOUR LIMITS but do not hoard cash !!! If you are facing personal financial meltdown, seek AKPK-Agensi Kaunseling Pengurusan Kredit, for help.

Sincerely at this time of the day, no one can tell which is the best way to handle your household economy but be wary because all the households` economy when sum together will affect the road to nation`s economic recovery or downturn ie. paint our 1st quarter of 2009 -will it be sunshine or ugly and scary as speculated ???

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Dimensions of DECEPTION-defining moments ! ! !

We feel elated when some one is freed from jail or acquitted from court. But do we feel the same when some one is heading towards a marriage breakup? Often people say if there is already a crack in the mirror, there is no way that crack can be patched up. Then let me ask cracked mirror, mirror on the wall ,what can be done to prevent the cracks from forming.

Yeah, talking of cracks my dear listerners, recently a sensational case involving a celebrity caught my attention.The said wife wanted a divorce as the result of betrayal/deception in their relationship. I even asked myself what were the unseen hands that caused this breakup-paparazzi, media insensitivity, societal factors or what?

Coincidentally too, I am alarmed at the rising rate of marriage/family breakups all over the world. Many blamed it to the human inability to handle stress ,commitments cum responsibilities in their marriage and home. This trend is supposedly quite alarming among newly married couples ,working professionals, celebrities and even now the older matured couples. It makes me curious what is wrong with the modern society? In life,what are the people looking for in actuality?

Often than not, the wife and /or the appearance of another woman is deemed as the cause factor while the man`s action is never questioned at all and the children as victims of circumstances.

Let us look from the aspect of the husband , the so called the man/master of the house and family.Why did he go wayward or want to walk out of his wife and children? Did he suddenly wake up after some years of marriage, probably after some kids were borned, to realise the issue of incompatibility?- NO ! adjustment and accomodation would have long done by then.

Did he suddenly panic when finances don`t work , become a lameduck and make for exit? NO ! as any sensible and reponsible wife will never demand more if he is still in charge of himself and role! Co-operation and understanding should have long taken place! But YES ! if he shed his responsibility and senses.

Did he suddenly want to indulge in immorality to boost his self ego? PROBABLY ! and that is called mid-life crisis. But if a man believes in this deception, he is mentally sick as he is dwelling in high risk and there is a price he has to pay at the end of it. If its boredom , then it is another deception created by man himself. It`s also call cow- sense or a foolish act to dare change.

Did he stumbled into immorality because he could not withhold his feelings and emotions for someone younger,more beautiful , seductive and a free-willing pillar for him to escape to --if its love, its bullshit! Love has many other constructive dimension. Its escapism! He is supposed to be readied with his emotional, physical and financial shield before he takes his marriage vows so as to lead and guide his charges.

What then cracked mirror,mirror on the wall are the defining moments for a man`s deception? Please enlighten me if you care.

Next let us look at the wife`s dimensions of deception.She that would give her life to care and defend her spouse and children. She that would not give up her spirit for the family even in sickness and pain or at her last breathe. She who is ever a gentle, patient and caring lion for her den.What would made her ask for a divorce?

PROBABLY ! she felt tired and meaningless going uphill witholding her duties and responsibilties alone while the man is having a wild spree outside. PROBABLY too! she wants some justice for her scarifices.

PROBABLY ! the moments of betrayal and deception were too great for her to bear anymore. Its a deception if a wife can openly accept another woman into her home and family eventhough there are factions that say such mutual understanding and acceptance is becoming a modern norm.

LEAST PROBABLY! she would shed her commitments towards her spouse and children for career advancement.

Did she neglect her wife/motherly role,duties and responsibilities as a busy professional career woman? NO ! God has given every woman the capability to breast feed and instinct to care for her infants. God has also given every woman the supernatural power to balance her life between her basic role as a mother cum homemaker and career. We must salute women for that two great dimensions in their lifes.

Now for the causal hand.In this case , supposedly it`s another young woman entering frame. Is she doing it out of desparation for companionship, attention or just to change history? In the past young girls are the victims of trap/seduction by immoral man.But in the present age there is a changing trend in mindset of young and educated girls.They no longer care about long term commitments and responsibilities.They yearn for mobility and freedom for their selfish needs.

Are these young girls living lifes of self- created deceptions ? Do we see these dimensions of deception as a modern transformation of norms or a result of liberalisation in modern education for these young girls ?

Given the various dimensions of deception for all invovled, cracked mirror,mirror on the wall how do we define the moments of deception for them all. There is no doubt mankind need to change for betterment but I fear if these changes were to come especially to Asian societies.

For peace and harmony to thrive in every household, I strongly urge all to redefine your needs , wants and be responsible for your actions.

`A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another. But be wary of its flames for it has power to destroy everything..`

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Melamine in milk &you- Our rights to know!!!!!!!!!

China milk poisoning incidents make everyone afraid to look at the daily news report. Everyday the reports are changing. No one can clearly tell us what to eat and not to eat. Enforcement seem so lagging that what should be banned is not banned but still looming large on our food production.

For me, the best way to learn is not from hearsay but to ask lots of questions, questions that may seem silly to others but may be a lesson learnt never too late for others.Its our right to know and lobby for safe food.

1.What really is poisoned milk?

It is the milk powder mixed with "MELAMINE". Melamine is an organic compound not soluble in water and does not react to acid.

2. What is Melamine use for?

It is an industrial chemical use in the production of melamine wares.It is safe to use melamine wares for hot food

It is also used in home decoration."US resistant board"got it? Melamine is use in industrial production! It cannot be eaten

3.Why is Melamine added in milk powder?

The most important nutrient in milk is protein. And Melamine has the same protein that contains "NITROGEN"; it has 66% nitrogen mass and is only dangerous in powder form and when added to food.

Adding Melamine in milk reduces milk content and it is cheaper then milk so it lowers capitalization. It can give the business man more profit!

Below is Melamine. It doesn't look like milk! It doesn't have any smell, so it cannot be detected.

4.When was it discovered?

Wayback in the Year 2007 in US when cats and dogs died suddenly. Then they found that pet food from China contained Melamine.

Starting 2008, there was an abnormal increase in infant cases of kidney stones in China:-

August 2008 : China Sanlu Milk Powder was tested with Melamine.

September 2008 : The New Zealand government asked China to check this problem

September 21, 2008 : lots of food products in Taiwan were tested with Melamine

5.What happens when Melamine is digested?

Melamine remains inside the kidney. It forms into stones blocking the tubes. Pain will be eminent and person cannot urinate. Kidney will then swell.Although surgery can remove the stones, but it will cause irreversible kidney damage. It can lead to loss of kidney function and will require kidney dialysis or lead to death because of uremia.

6.What is dialysis?

In fact, it should be called "blood washing". It is filtering all of the body's blood into the machine and then go back to the body. The whole process takes 4 hours and it is necessary to dialysis once for every 3 days for the rest of your life!

A small hole is required in the arm to insert the sub-dialysis catheter

7.Why is it more serious in babies?

Because the kidney is very small and they drink a lot of milk powder. China currenty has 13,000 infants hospitalized. It does not matter how much a human being took Melamine. The important point is "It cannot be EATEN "

8.What are the foods to be avoided?

In this China`poisoned milk` context, foods that contain dairy products should be avoided.Remember: Foods with creamer or milk should be avoided. Or at least check it out with your nearest Ministry of Health department in your country.

9.What do we do next?

Avoid the `above foods` that are found to contain melamine for at least six months. If you have snack bar, restaurant or coffee shops , STOP selling those `dairy products` for the meantime.

Mothers - if you have infants at home, change to mother's milk or find other substitutes.

Women, especially mothers and wives, can champion for the good cause by keeping watch over the food that is supposed to be banned and act accordingly.

Learn to read more carefully the label on your food product and be aware of where and what the product is made from. The bar code will indicate the place/country of origin and the label will inform you of its contents -makeup .

For your information, the first 3 digits of the barcode is the country code wherein the product was made.

Sample all barcodes that start with 690.691.692 until 695 are all MADE IN CHINA. 471 is Made in Taiwan

This is our human rights to know.

00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA

30 ~ 37 FRANCE

40 ~ 44 GERMANY

49 ~ JAPAN

50 ~ UK

57 ~ Denmark

64 ~ Finland

76 ~ Switzerland and Lienchtenstein

628~ Saudi-Arabien

629 ~ United Arab Emirates

740 ~ 745 - Central America

All 480 Codes are Made in the Philippines.

Once again - IT IS OUR HUMAN RIGHTS TO KNOW - yes, to know whether our food is contaminated with Melamine or not. I hope the little information above will make us more informed and help us to understand what the whole world is shouting about.

YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IF YOU KNOW YOUR FACTS RIGHT !!!!

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Is 1929 =2008 ?

Many people equate the great Depression in the 1930s to the present global economic turmoil.Many people too are pondering whether we are heading towards a similar kind of depression- 1929 vs 2008?

What really happend behind the 1929 Wall St. crash that kickstarted the Great Depression?And this is what I learned from the wisdom of investment adviser:-

1.According to Ben Bernake, the US Fed chairman, the main reason behind the 1929 Great Crash was due to the tight monetary policies adopted during that period. He said the high interest rate back then caused the US economy to fall into a recession that led to the market crash in October 1929.

For your information the great depression in the US started in August 1929 and ended only in March 1933. The stock market started to recover eight months before the US economy ended its depression.

2. As the US dollar was backed by gold, the acute selling of dollars for gold resulted in a run on the dollar. The Fed continued to increase the interest rates in an effort to preserve the US dollar. As a result, the high interest rates caused bankruptcies for many companies.

3. To add in all, the massive withdrawals of cash by pancky depositors brought about a total collapse of financial institutions. In that period, bank deposits were uninsured and the collapse of banks caused depositors to lose their savings. And due to the economic uncertainties, surviving banks were reluctant to give out new loans.

4. Another culprit was the margin financing which caused excessive speculation in the stock market. Investors needed only to put up 10% capital and borrow the rest from bank to invest in the stock market. The collpase of stock prices led to margin calls and further selldowns.

5.At the peak of the Great depression, the US uneployment rate hit 25%.

And this is what actually happened to the 2008 crash:-

1.The banking and credit-market crisis was mainly due to property boom and subprime bust. The collapse of the subprime loans sparked the credit crunch which in turn dragged some financial institutions into trouble.

2. As a result of the securitisation and the creation of innovative financial products like collateralised-debts obligations and credit-default swaps, the collpase of one financial institution has a domino effect, leading to the collapse of other financial institutions.

Are we heading for a similar depression?

1.It is believed that given the fast , concerted actions taken by central banks around the world, the global economy will not fall into a depression.

2. It is believed too that the reduction of interest rates and the increase in money supply will help cushion the impact of the credit crunch. Besides , deposits placed with most financial institutions are guaranteed by central banks.

3. Thus it is greatly believed that the economic turmoil will recover faster and the magnitude of the fall will be far less than the one in 1929. The rescue packages being implemented throughout the world will help stabilise the financial system.


So in a layman term, to be prudent at this point of time is the way out of this storm. And the good news is that Malaysians have a high propensity to save. It is only their current savings behaviour that is lacking proper planning.

And my advice to all my listerners far and near--LEARN TO LIVE IN MODERATION AND BE MORE PRUDENT TO WEATHER THIS CRISIS. Rest assure my MALAYSIAN LISTERNERS, we are not heading towards a recession- more probably, an inevitable economic slowdown.

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