Interloper View

Two weeks ago, I went to see an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist after having my cough for more than a month (and consuming two and half course of antibiotic). After examining me, he concluded that the problem was with my sinus, and it will continue to cause me problems if not addressed. A CT scan was performed to verify the extend of my sinus infection and the scanned confirmed that most of my sinus cavities are filled. I was admitted to the hospital and administered intravenous antibiotics over the weekend and scheduled for surgery on Monday. The surgery was carried out on Monday, May 15, 2017, at 8 am. I had to fast from midnight so that I would not throw up during the surgery. The procedure was called functional endoscopic sinus surgery (also known as FESS). According to the doctor, he used a scope and laser to remove the polyps and widen my nasal passages. The whole procedure took about 45 minutes due to the number of polyps that had to be removed. I was under genera...

I lost 20 kilograms within nine months in 2005 using willpower and determination. I learned a lot from the experience, losing weight is not a simple process of exercise or just diet; it is a combination of both. By 2011, I regained almost all the weight loss and now weigh more than when I started. I tried the process again but have failed multiple times. I know I have strong willpower but that is not enough because I have to think about it and make conscious decision like what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat. It takes too much mental power to do that and there is always the urge to skip one day and then skip one week. There has to a better way. It is time I created a process that I can follow without making much decision and turn it into my routine. The routine will need to: Ensure that the calories in my food intake does not exceed the calories I will burn daily. Have enough exercise so that I will continue to be strong and flexible. Get enough sleep. I had no...

I recently noticed something in the bible that I had not noticed before. Adam lived to the age of 930 years old, Noah until 950 years, and Abraham until 175 years. It made me wonder why our lifespan has decreased so dramatically and seems a bit strange that there are increasing articles regarding increasing lifespan due to advancement in Science and Medicine. I wander what determines the lifespan of a person, is it their lifestyle, diet or sense of purpose. If given a chance to grow that old, would I want to? Is growing old a curse or a blessing? What if everyone in the world has the potential to live that old, what is the implication of on food supply, resource availability and living conditions. The problems with overpopulation in certain parts of the world have shown us the potential hardship it will bring. I do not have any answers, just questions.

It saddens me to see that our way of life is being destroyed. We had a culture of harmony and peace, nobody worried about what races and religion or offending each other; there was always mutual respect. We are now under attack from within. When somebody tries to be helpful, we question their sincerity and look for ulterior motive. There are boogie-men everywhere. There is increasing distrust between brothers and sisters because of their race or their beliefs. Foreign cultures are adopted, replacing the beautiful cultures of love and beauty. Unfortunately, no one dares to voice out for fear or being attacked and chastised by so called religious police and non governmental groups. Do we have so little regard for our culture and our way of life that we allow the few in power to destroy our culture all in the name of religious harmony. Can a simple sign or words cause people to change their beliefs and convert to a different religion? Do the way we dress turn normal citizens in...

Three weeks ago we came across a body of a young man who just committed suicide. He was a 24 year old engineer. I do not know why he committed suicide at such a young age. However, he fail to realize the anguish his death has to his family and those who loved him. Imagine the amount of sacrifice a parent has to go through to pay for his further studies. Sometimes when we are lonely and have no one to talk to, our mind starts to wonder and ending it seems to be the easiest thing to do. This is especially true when we are also faced with other problems like owing money or being rejected by someone we are in love with. At that moment, everything is all gloomy and sad and we just want it to go away. I felt like that for a moment while in college. At that moment it was very tempting to end it and call it quits. The best movie to illustrate how a person can have impact to others without realizing it is the 1946 movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I recently came across an article of s...

The last time I looked for sportsband was back in 2009 when I was training to be the fastest man (i.e. the fastest marathon runner). In order to use the sports band, you had to have a Nike+ sensor in your shoe. Nike shoes had cavities to insert the sensor but Nike shoes were not suitable for me. Unfortunately, I lost the chip sensor 2 weeks after I purchased the set. I continued to use the sports band as a watch but the quality of the LED was lacking. After a few accidental pressure of the display, the display was no longer usable - most of the display turned black. Recently, I noticed my colleague using BitFit Flex. I decided to check the number of sports band (now known as fitness band) that are now available. The new generation of sportsband uses the sensors similar to the ones in smart phone. They do not need the additional chip sensor and are able to track activities beyond running. I looked at the alternatives and found the following: Nike Fuel BitFit Flex Jawb...

This is a snippet from the following url  which I thought may be useful for those dealing with Stock Market.  The summary of the article is as follow: Trading Do not wait for a reason for price movement. Do not trade when conditions are not favorable. Do not blame the market. Learn from losses. Find the path of least resistance Lose small and win big Be patient and sit tight through the bull run. Do not try to pick market top and bottom Average up not down. Do not have a position too large for your psychology Reverse your instincts. You cannot beat the market. Do not focus on how much money you are going to make. Do not listen to others. Do not trade the market to clear your debts. Know yourself Booms and bust will always happen because human nature does not change Sell after a reaction Do not follow or give tips Learn how to diagnose the market Manipulation Find an appropriate time to unload a large position. Make a stock active during the bull run. ...

The following are a collection of nice thoughts: If you judge people, you have no time to love them. - Mother Teresa In a day, when you don't come across any problems, you can be sure that you are travelling a wrong path - Swami Vivekananda If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means that they had never tried a new thing in their life. - Albert Einstein. Never break four things in our life - Trust, Relations, Promise & Heart because when they break, the don't make noise but pains a lot. - Charles Dickens Three sentences for getting success: Know more than other. Work more than other. Expect less than other - William Shakespeare. If you win, you need not have to explain... If you lose, you should not be there to explain! - Adolf Hitler. If we cannot love the person whom we see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see ... - Mother Teresa I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered 1000 ways that can cause failure...

Its been two months since I was training to be the fastest man on earth. As I mentioned in that blog, I retired after I was mugged. I found that I can't just quit. My body has adjusted and is absorbing and building up a lot of energy in itself. Every thing I eat or drink just increases the energy in my body. I feel like a balloon all bloated. It also cause me to feel very lethargic and sleepy. As I try to drink coffee to keep awake I feel worst. Just like trying to pump more air to a balloon that is already fully inflated. My head just feels like exploding. I managed to get a few short runs recently, which helps quite a bit. If only I can get more running sessions!! I need to burn all these excess calories stored in my body.