To run or not run? Better run but not run too much.
Basically, some scientists separated mice into groups of active, overactive and lazy mice. Actually, forced the mice to be active or superactive. Then they exposed those different groups to a flu virus. So what they found were the overactive and lazy mice succumbed easily, only a handful of the active mice were affected.
They interviewed (human) marathon runners and found that one-fifth usually fall ill 3 weeks before or after the race.
My parents had open house Hari Raya on the 5th October 2009. I took pictures.
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| 2009-10-05 |
Mostly I’m too old and too married to be given angpow/duit raya/gifts during raya. But in that absence I’ve realize what Hari Raya really means. I’ve also realize how humongous this one event is.
To help non-muslims and non-malay countires to understand I’ll relate to other holidays.
Hari Raya is like:
1. Thanksgiving – family members, close and distant relatives get together and catchup. and oh yeah.. some houses visited are “open houses” meaning they prepare a buffet for visitor to eat…where’s my turkey pants!?!
2. Christmas – People go last minute shopping and decorate their houses with lights and ornaments. no dolls or or pictures of animals and stuff. Almost Everyhouse is dressed in its best decor! watch out for the electric bill :p
3. Independence day (and Chinese new year) – After a whole month of fasting the whole day, (not night as well) people love to celebrate with a bang! firecrackers, cherry bombs, and even fireworks. This year i’ve seen a lot of people buy 6 pack sized fireworks that produce a few seconds worth of July 4th! Watchout for the firehazard. I feel sorry for people who want to sleep early.
4. Halloween – okay, so people don’t dressed as ghouls.. but they dressed their best out of the whole year. and there are a lot of candies for everyhouse you visit.. my sisters often grab some candies and put them in their hand bags.. oh yeah.. their in their 20’s. hmm..this also the time we usually visit the graves of our loved ones… hmmm… so its haloween..ish? :p
5. Valentine’s day… okay so its not lovers’ day…but hey.. Some people send to each other letters, postcards (kad raya), e-mails and sms’s celebrating the holiday.. and couples tend to dress in similar colours when visiting other people’s houses. hmmm… I don’t get kad raya anymore… anyone out there still does this?
Apparently there are slight differences, between islamic countries, but its more or less the same. I heard Middle east muslims celebrate it for that day only and call it Eid Mubarak. But us malays (Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei) call it Aidilfitri and celebrate it upto the whole month of syawal! (arabic calendar) Let the celebration continue!!!
We often say to each other Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin. directly translated as Good celebration Day of Aidilfitri (that word’s arabic, i’m not sure what it means), and Apologies for any physical or emotional/spiritual mistakes. Oh its also a time of forgiveness..I especially love that part 
Okay, I hope I painted a good picture of raya.
Happy celebrations and Apologies for any misgivings.
My wife has been bothered by my snoring, and i’m often not satisfied with my sleep, (allegedly to my snoring as well).
finally a solution! Just sharing this with anyone who may have a problem..
reminder to myself to reduce snoring..
1. find cause of allergy. Probably have to cleanup room.
2. Reduce weight.. yes, i have to admit… i’m overweight 
… Shahbandar? Here I come!
According to this article. http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/daily/tips/daily-shower-skin.htm
If you had to many showers you can have crack or irritated skin. I’m already showering twice a day! I don’t think i can do any less. hmmm… solution… remind myself to buy moisturizer for my cracked heels.
Found interesting Article on
http://www.livescience.com/health/090918-bad-health-tips-1.html
Basically the summary is:
7. Runner’s have better knees than non-runners
6. UV ray even those in tanning salons are dangerous, but we need the sun to produce vitamin D.
5. health food junkies might be eatings wrong and therefore might be a new eating disorder – orthorexia nervosa (the compulsion to eat right?)
4. Margarine like any highly processed food product is unhealthy, Butter is better.
3. Eggs are healthy (YAY!!!) as it contains a lot of nutrients, and doesn’t really alter your cholesterol level that much.
2. Vitamin Supplements may not provide extra health benefits, (damn, what am i gonna do with all this supplements?!)
1. Aspirin therapy good for people who are at risk for hearth attacks, but might risk healthy people to hemorrhage.
23rd February 2009
Spent the National Day at My Sister-in Law’s Place in KB. Watched TV most of the day. Interestingly I found that the Oscars were happening at the same “time”. National Day Parade in the morning in Brunei, Oscars happens in US, the other side of the world at the same time, but different dates.. makes you think. Anyway, I “almost” cried to tears when I saw Heath Ledger Post-humously receiving an Oscar. There was a standing ovation. Damn. Again.. Makes you think.. He deserve it though. We can only wonder what his future performance would show.. but alas..
national day info at www.nationalday.org.bn
Oscars info at www.oscar.com
I actually always feared landslides in places with hills that were more than 45 degree slope. Never acknowledged that hill was on my usual route. It was raining hard in the middle of the day. You’d think this kind of thing happens at nights.
I don’t blame any deforestation for this landslide, I guess all the rain in the past few weeks have turned the land mushy, and the thunder may have have shaken it up a bit.
I actually love rain, but this is just too much.
http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Feb09/02/nite01.htm
Landslide
Just remembered one of my new year’s resolution. Post at least one post a month on my bobbyofbrunei blog. well, i missed january by a day, I’ll post another one soon.
For Bruneians There have been 3 New years close together, The hijrah new year, the gregorian new year and the Chinese new year.
Some of my plans this year are..
-expand my computer school.
-get my wife knocked up (pregnant) :p
-start another business project (the plan was short list in the think big biz plan competition)
-improve myself (that’s a whole other list)
Since I have been interested in options trading, I have been following up on political and financial news. The news that surprised me the most was of the rejection of the $700 billion bailout. especially after the president himself “approved” of the action, but apparently the decision lay in the hands of the house of representatives. and apparently a majority of them decided to against the president’s approval.
I wonder if the people making the decisions fully understood what they were voting on.
Or was it of fear, those that fear financial meltdown voted yes for hopes of rekindling the economy. Those who voted yes, may have feared backlash from their colleagues who are against the bailout. I wonder if people care at all.
I thought the idea was better than no idea at all, obviously left to themselves the financial market will get worse.
I don’t have a degree in economics, but I am just guessing where this will be headed, the ones who support the bailout will try again until a majority says so, or/and when it is too late the market will crash harder. Of course there is a matter of foreign intervention, as I have read through wikipedia to study the previous US recession and depression. Foreign countries some how played a role in bringing down or up the US market. Looks like the crashing market might, cause the prices to go low enough that banks in other well off countries will be tempted to buy them out when the price couldn’t go low enough or when they think it will profit them. unfortunately other foreign stock exchanges have also felt the dip when US stocks is diving down.
Warren Buffet has already invested $5 Billion into a financial institution, I can’t help but wonder whether if he thinks it will go up, or he thinks it will go up if buys it(i think it did) or he thinks it will stay up if he puts in $5 billion votes of confidence. $5 billion should still be a significant amount of money, even if is from one of the richest man in the world.
I guess we will just to have to wait and watch…
Paraphrasing a line from anthony hopkins in the movie “the edge” – When men get lost, most of the time they die of shame, ashamed that they got lost in the first place, rather than focusing on what could have gotten them out – thinking.
