Thought of the Day

Who is fleecing who?

2012-01-25T12:45:00.000-08:00

Next time when you roam the countryside of a European Union country looking for sheep, make sure you are extra vigilant. Otherwise, Shepard there may pull some wools over your eyes. And you may mistake some white objects on far away hills as sheep grazing calmly on remote grassland.

Recently I watched an old BBC television production. It tells the stories of many enduring characters' lives in a fictional Irish village, Ballykissangel.

In this particular episode, a young couple was about to be married. But the groom got cold feet after he almost got killed by a falling boulder from the roof of the parish church. Happily, the wedding went on as planned. Among other alluring plots in this hour-long production, writer(s) for this episode showed us how enterprising and imaginative an otherwise harmless old farmer can be when the matter affects his pocket books.

It is not unlike what other countries do to help out their farmers. Under EU’s agricultural policy, farmers in European Union receive monetary subsidies based on the volume of what their farm had produced. To make up many invisible sheep this crafty Irish farmer had on the government's books, he dotted the green pasture on the hillsides with white wooden sheep he made in his barn. - Ayee

A Win-Win Proposition

2012-01-18T12:25:00.000-08:00

Although I would love living in a heritage house, I am not very keen on antiques. If ever I was given a piece of rare artifact, I would definitely turn it over to a public museum so it can be displayed for many others to enjoy it as well. This is why I am applauding the government’s decision to conserve the wondrous beauty of the country’s iconic old dame, the Grand Canyon National Park.

The US government’s recent extension of a moratorium on staking mining claims on the public land off the Park makes everyone a winner.

Now without anyone lifts a single pick, the fragile rock formations in the Park can be preserved at Mother Nature’s pleasure in the next 20 years. The water supplies from the great Colorado River that runs through the canyon will also remain pristine without any deadly pollutants from the nearby mines. While the nature is adding extra touches onto the jaw-dropping and leg-jerking scenery, the grand old lady gets to flaunt her rare endowments to millions of tourists from around the world. I bet people in the State of Arizona, including the keen prospectors and their over-worked donkeys, can live pretty well from the benefits of the three billion plus dollars these awe-stricken tourists left behind each year.

Therefore, I, like many others, am fully supportive of the government’s new law on safeguarding the Park from further encroachments. - Ayee

Kid! He is looking at you.

2012-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

The other morning on my way to run an errand, I stumbled on something I had never seen before.

Even with proper directions, I managed to get lost on a dead end street in my old neighborhood. Like the old man who lost his horse in a Chinese fable, the wrong turn I made on a secluded street did make me tread a few extra blocks that I did not need. But it also led me to an enigmatic yard ornament.

On that crowded street teeming with parked cars, I saw an unusual carving in a front yard of a vintage house. On the top of a cement pedestal, there is a human-size face carved on a block of earth-tone substance. The simple hairdo this serene face wears resembles a clergy or a Christian monk.

We often find gnomes or pink flamingos in people’s yard. So it is not common to see a carving of a human face in the middle of an overgrown private garden.

Another unusual thing about that gentleman’s face on the stone pedestal is its interactive eyes. We were exchanging glances while I was walking by them. They were looking at me. Their attentive gazes followed me until I stepped onto the sidewalk in the front of their neighbor’s property. These watchful eyes of the carving were not intimating. But they did make me feel somewhat eerie and unsettled.

Unfortunately, the neighborhood was deserted at that time of the day. So I did not get to ask the passers-by if they knew the story why the owners of this house would choose a carving of a gentleman’s face for a yard ornament? - Ayee

Good News

2012-01-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

When I saw people lining up at the store front in early hours to buy the gifts of their choices, I wondered if the U.S. economy is really as bad as we are led to believe. The tally on how much the consumers spent this holiday season is not yet known. But even with a near 9% unemployment rate, the US economy does seem to be heading towards the north. Otherwise, where are the hordes of Christmas shoppers coming from? I have also heard DisneyWorld had a busier than expected Christmas.

In addition to unruly shoppers and happy tourists, there are, indeed, other subtle signs of recovery on the dismal horizon.

The other encouraging trend is how American corporations were reinventing themselves over the past few years. Too-big-to-fail has become a cliche. Now instead of merging with or buying out competitors, through reorganization and divestiture, the size of the restructured American corporations has actually shrunk.

In the New Year, Kraft Inc., a processing food giant, will become two separate operating entities. We have all ridden on elevators made by Otis. Pretty soon Otis Elevator Company will have a new manufacturing plant in the States to replace the one it closes in Mexico. Furthermore, there are also other companies spinning off strategically incompatible products and services from their operation. So they can stay focused on their core business.

And all these organizational changes in corporate America create jobs. - Ayee

Divine Intervention

2011-12-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, by accident from a book* I read, I learned of another thirteen-century Franciscan monk. It was suggested that praying to Saint Anthony can help us find lost items.

Incidentally, that book is about how a distraught family found their lost puppy in a remote wooded area. During the searches for its little dog, the family’s ordeal in losing a pet became a community’s challenge. Total strangers offered their unconditional assistance to find the reddish-color dog. A few of the good people whom the family met on scouring the area where their strayed pup was last seen asked the family pray to Saint Anthony. And the story of finding Huck did end well to everyone’s satisfaction.

Not long after I read of Saint Anthony in Huck, I did put what I learned from that book to good use when I misplaced my personal items. I resorted to Saint Anthony on many occasions when I was not able to locate keys, eyeglasses and some other trivial personal articles. And soon after my plead for the patron saint's divine intervention, the lost items reappeared.

The other day at the mall, before heading home, I discovered I had left my favorite jacket behind in the mall. After I exhausted the logic that helped me trace my whereabouts in the busy mall, I remembered to ask Saint Anthony for help. Eureka! By the time I made the beeline the second time to the mall’s Lost and Found department, a beige-color jacket was on the counter there waiting to be returned to its rightful owner. - Ayee

*Janet Elder, Huck, 2010

Mental Fatigue (II)

2011-12-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

Imagine how an average person would fare at his work place if he has not had sufficient sleep to rejuvenate himself after a day’s hard work.

According to Bloomberg News, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making changes in the airline pilots’ work schedules. These changes will make the pilots work less and rest more between flights. Aiming at improving public safety, after the changes are implemented, the airline pilots must have a 10-hour rest period before they are allowed to taking on their next flying assignment. These amendments are to ensure the professionals in the cockpit of a jetliner have at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep before taking command of their next flight.

I remember in April this year many air-controllers were found snoozing over their control module. But the sky above us does appear to be friendlier after the government stepped in and amended the air-controllers’ inhumane work schedule. Even though the benefits of such changes are hard to quantify, I am sure the FAA’s changes in pilots’ future working condition will have the same positive effect as what the government had done to the air-controllers’ in the past. - Ayee

Homes on Wheels (ll)

2011-12-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

May be it is becuase the Magic Kingdom is nearby, for the people in Seminole County, Florida, Christmas has come early this year.

Voluntary aids from private citizens to the homeless in Florida brought hope and comfort to many wayward citizens there. Now the parents whom Scott Pelley interviewed in his previous reports on 60 Minutes are no longer unemployed. Their families, including the one lived in a yellow truck, are off the street and have secured living space they can call home. And that little girl who with her two dogs and a cat used to live in her family sedan will also have a real roof under which she can hang Christmas tinsels this year.

Who said there is no Santa Claus? - Ayee

School Uniform

2011-12-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

Seeing a teenage girl in a pair of tights in public is no longer a big deal. But what unusual about what I saw on a chilly day are the file of young high school boys cheering a few feet behind the girl in leg-huggers and her cohorts. I am sure the girls in front heard the jeering from these boisterous fellows behind them loud and clear. The tights this girl wore that day were definitely not the normal attires anyone would wear to school.

Perhaps, it is a high time we bring uniform back to all schools.

I remember the days when school uniform was debated in earnest. Unfortunately, freedom of expression and extra clothing costs had tramped over the good senses why uniform is still in vogue in some schools.

The scene of that girl in tights reminds me of the times when all school kids were required to wear uniform to school. They were the times when children did not have to express themselves through the type of clothes they wore.

We have all heard of traditional schools. Wearing school uniform is one of the many rules such schools require of their impressionable pupils. While many kids in schools where students can dress up as they please have floundered, more of their counterparts in traditional schools are flourishing with good behaviors, good grades and bright futures. These kids have certainly expressed themselves well under the plain uniform they proudly wear.

On the cost side of the debates, in these days and ages school uniforms are bargains when we compare the price of a set of basic uniforms to the cost of a pair of specially labeled jeans. Today, young people latch their fashion choices on the whims of their favorite pop star. And we all know how fickle some pop stars are.

It may be a far-fetched notion. I have also thought of having the kids worn uniform to school may lessen bullying in school. Uniform does give us a feeling of affiliation and belonging. This connection may inspire empathy in all of us. Wearing uniform to school can also eliminate the conflicts among kids who have and the kids who have not.

This is why I think all publicly funded grade and high schools should require their students wear the school’s unique uniform to school. - Ayee

Homes on Wheels

2011-12-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

We all know homelessness is not a new problem in America. In the past, the homeless were mostly unemployed single persons. But today’s wayward population consists of many working people who, many of them, are also victims of the housing bubble in America. The country’s working poor toil on their job during the day and slumber in their family car by the night. It is no accident that many children have also become members of this displaced group.

Attributable to the fallouts of the construction boom in central Florida, now one-third of homeless Americans are in Seminole County, Florida. Nine months ago, Scott Pelley of the 60 Minutes shared with us that in Orlando, Florida, many families, who lost their homes through foreclosure, lived either in a one-room motel or the family car. School buses had to reroute. So they could also pick up the kids who no longer lived in their parents’ spacious house in a quite cul-de-sac.

According to Mr. Pelley, in response to his previous report on the plights of the homeless in Florida, generous financial supports for the devastated countrymen in the sunshine state were overwhelming. Nearly $4 million in private donation had since poured into the region. Now through social agencies, many families in Seminole County will soon be moving their four-wheelers from public parking lots to permanent living quarters.

We have all heard of a saying that God helps the people who help themselves.

Last Sunday, on 60 Minuites Mr. Pelley recounted his second visit to the homeless in Florida. This time, the CBS anchor found that by being creative, a few resilent Floridians did manage to receive aids and to secure shelters for the families. In one instance, a family bartered their painting skills for accommodation. In another, a family of three settled down in a med-size u-haul like truck. Last but not lest, a father of three has since secured a gainful employment. - Ayee

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate . . .

2011-12-03T23:04:00.000-08:00

Recently, a city-run animal shelter had to put down its entire cat population but one. The untimely death of these well-cared for kitties had sure made me question the effectiveness of the yearly vaccination shots to dogs and cats.

It was reported in the local papers that cats in the shelter were infected with a deadly strain of cat flu viruses. Even though all of them had their annual boosters including the vaccine for calicivirus, one died of the infectious disease. The shelter had to put down the other 25 to contain the cat flu epidemic.

In this case, it looks like the annual calicivirus vaccine had failed to help this group of infected cats. - Ayee

Another one bites the dust.

2011-11-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

Not long after the City of Harrisbury’s bankruptcy in Pennsylvania, now there is another local government in America seeking protection from its creditors.

Finally, after many years of wrangling, Jefferson County of the State of Alabama is now officially bankrupted. Last week, the County filed the largest bankruptcy ever in America by a municipal government. This filing involved a bond issue of $3.1 billion that is more than twice the amount of which Orange Country of California had filed in the 90's.

The proceeds from the bond sale were spent on a new sewerage system. But borrowed money to finance expensive drain pipes were not the only liabilities that came with a variable rate bond issue. The County also got itself into the muddy water by entering an interest rate swap deal. The intention to protect itself from the fluctuation of borrowing costs on a large bond issue was a prudent one. But the outcome of the bet on interest rates had not been favorable to the County. In addition, there were many hikes on the County's sewerage rate in the past. Apparently, the extra revenue from the higher charges could not help the County's finances either.

Now while the courts in Alabama mete out measures to put the Jefferson County’s treasury in order, 750,000 County residents will be on the hook of paying more and more their good money to flush their toilets in the future.

With the way the economy is now in America, I do wonder which government or local district will be the next one in such an unenvious position. - Ayee

A Beloved Curmudgeon

2011-11-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

Now we have all heard that the CBS’s long time reporter, Andy Rooney, had passed away four weeks after he retired from 60 minutes. We all know that Mr. Rooney closed the popular weekly news program with “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney.” Occasionally, his candid comments on the show did get him in the hot water. Sometimes he did sound like a grumpy person who complained a lot. He could not understand why anyone would want his autograph either. He also did not cherish the idea of being bothered when out enjoying a meal at the restaurant. But most of his pet-peeves he shared on the air was insightful and thought provoking. Evidently, on the amount of letters he received from the veiwers, he did well to get the public’s attention to some ridiculous and wasteful things we do.

Five Sundays ago, he announced his retirement from 60 Minutes in an interview with Morley Safer. He told his long time friend and colleague how appreciative he was of the good life he lived and the many good friends he made. He loved his job at CBS. If he was given the opportunity, he would like to be that lovable curmudgeon all over again.

In his last “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney,” appearance, it looked like this 92-year-old with bushy eye brows had a complete make-over. In a dark suit, Mr. Rooney looked wonderfully well and serene. And there were no rants in his gracious last words either!

Andy Rooney must have lived his life right. - Ayee

Occupy Wall Street

2011-11-06T12:08:00.001-08:00

The 99% of our population does have a point. Today the rich are getting richer and the poor become poorer.

But I do not think capitalism was the culprit that put many of us out of works. It was the greed, corruption and easy money that made us lose our jobs, homes and hard earned savings.

Wall Street used to be a place where capital was raised to invest in business that creates jobs. Instead of creating more jobs, the thousands of business mergers and acquisitions that are taking place in the business world now have actually cause many jobs to disappear. In addition, thanks to the government’s low interest rate policy to combat inflation, we speculate on many convoluted financial products not many of us can understand. Even though it is already an old story, it is totally unthinkable to me that many bankers who got us into these financial mess still receiving bonuses.

In the meantime, nearly four years from the 2008 financial meltdown, it remains a challenge for many job seekers in their quest for a gainful employment. While there are millions of able and willing bodies between jobs, there are few privileged ones who are multi-jobbers. In the past we got hired on merits. Today, the mantra in one’s career is networking. We need to know the right people. - Ayee

May you all rest in peace.

2011-10-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

In these days and ages, disturbing events became a way of life.

A few weeks ago, a backyard zoo keeper committed suicide on his farm in Zanesville, Ohio.

It appears the deceased fancied wildcats, particularly the exotic ones. At the time of his death, there were 56 wild animals, 18 of them belong to an endangerd species, were kept on the farm. Since there are no laws in the State of Ohio ban ownership of exotic pets, this lush and seemingly peaceful pasture became homes to Bengal tigers, lions, leopards, both black and grizzly bears and monkeys.

For whatever the reason that prompted this one of a kind cat fancier to release these foreign animals before he shot and killed himself to unfamiliar grounds, the consequence of letting unpredictable animals, wild or tamed, loose into populated area is not hard to predict. But it is difficult to understand why anyone would put these innocent animals at great risks. Now fifty of these beautiful creatures met their untimely death. One monkey is still at large. And only five of the fifty-six are in the care of a local zoo.

Unfortunately, no one would ever know if the horrific outcome of this preventable tragedy will lessen our desires of owning a wild animal as a pet. While more government interventions on protecting animals, both local and not local ones, may hinder this cruel and objectionable incident to repeat, we, the people, holders of the highest rung on the evolution ladder, must think of the pain and suffering these wild creatures have to endure when they are being uprooted from their native habitat.

Perhaps to love them is to leave them at where they are. - Ayee

Cost cutting is the key.

2011-10-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

It looks like Greece is not the only government in dire fiscal strait. The financial downturn in 2008 continues to erode the economic condition in the United States. At present, America, once the greatest nation on earth, is under tremendous pressure of high unemployment and low consumer confidence. Evidently, the effects of the overly stretched economy have now trickled down onto the municipal level.

After Jefferson County in Alabama averted its bankruptcy, a week so ago, Harrisbury, Pennsylvania, where the capital of the State of Pennsylvania is, had earned itself another distinguished honor of being the first American city ever filed for bankruptcy.

Because this historical city of 50,000 residents was not able to find funds to make a scheduled repayment on nearly $300 millions of the money borrowed to refurbish a couple of moth-balled incinerators, its civic leaders decided bankruptcy was the way to sort out the city's imminent financial troubles. It does seem ominous to me that a city of this size would burn that much cash just to reignite a couple of old furnaces. Obviously, the City of Harrisbury has got itself into something which has become too “big” for it to manage.

In the past, I often thought municipalities must live within their receipts from property taxes. But from what has transpired in Harrisbury, Pennsylvania, it looks like this local government has been endowed with borrowing power that is beyond its tax bases.

From the saga of the Harrisbury's bankruptcy, I noticed there is another worrisome trend in government finances. On money matters, governments today do not operate like their constituents. Taxpayers cut their expenses when their purse strings are tight. But whenever our governments face a budget shortfall, invariably they seek out new avenues to raise taxes. Somehow they never think of looking for ways to cut their operating costs. - Ayee

A Sizzling Hot Blooded Dog

2011-10-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Amid the chaotic riot scenes over the last few days in Greece, a stray dog had unexpectedly captured the hearts and minds of many around the world. Now pictures of Loukanikos, also known as Sausage in English, barking at the riot police are all over the cyberspace and newspapers.

About stray dogs, they are common sights in Greece. Because it is against their culture, Greek people do not believe in euthanasia. Greece’s wayward canine population became the ward of its altruistic government sometimes before the 2004 Olympics. Unlike animal shelters in other countries, Greece’s stray dogs programs do not corral homeless dogs in the kennels. Instead, after being tagged and altered, they are set to roam freely in public places. While they are lounging around at city squares, these nomadic pooches have eventually become everyone’s best friends.

Today in Athens there are about 2,000 dogs under the City’s care. Sausage is one of them. After the riots against the government’s austerity programs broke out in Athens, this lovable mongrel at the riot zones became a four-legged symbol of freedom for his highly charged countrymen.

Despite being a bit hot blooded, Sausage is a favor of his care giver. He has been a staunch participant of the recent demonstrations against the government. Interestingly to note, this brave doggie is always taking the sides of the protesters. Not surprisingly, Sausage’s constant appearance in the standoff sites woofing furiously at the law enforcement has earned him a nickname: Riot Dog.

Riot Dog did what many other dogs do for us, their two-legged pals. They lick our wounds and get rid of our woes. By showing his unwavering supports to the protesters, Sausage had brought much needed respites to both the rioters and their baton-wielding enforcers.

Loukanikos, you are priceless. - Ayee

Ole! The bulls are coming.

2011-10-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

It looks like the European Union(EU) member countries are not only very protective to their human constituents through generous social and welfare programs. By enacting various laws, the EU communities have also helped out many other creatures.

Some of us may have heard that last Sunday the City of Barcelona had just hosted its last bullfighting event in Europe. A EU law will take effect in the next year that rids of a 600-year-old senseless tradition for good. The law makes the bullfighting an illegal activity in all EU countries.

But stopping the bullfights is not the only measure that EU takes to protect other animals.

Not until recently, I have no idea that Russia and her neighboring countries export tortoises*. My ignorance led me to believe all turtles burrow themselves under the hot sandy beach not frigid Siberian plain. So it was an eye-opener when I read of the pet turtles we got from the pet stores might be from Russia and many of her neighbors. Because these poor creatures were handled badly in transit, many died on routes, the EU has the wisdom to ban imports of all turtles.

The EU communities also ban the imports of all seal products. I am sure all of us have seen how these helpless baby seals were harvested on floating ices.

Now I can see the Pomploma bull run will also become a thing of the past soon. - Ayee

*The Last Chance Dog, 2003, Donna Kelleher, D.V.M.

To Buy or Not to Buy (I)

2011-09-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

On account of the extremely low mortgage rates and the depressed house prices, I think maybe now is the opportune time to buy our own home. Historically, equity in our home is always a reliable asset that helps us finance our well-deserved retirement. Even though many of us are facing the dismal prospect of losing our jobs, we and our family still need a place to live. We all know a home is one of the four basic needs in life. Owning our own home not only provides us with a stable living environment, it also forces us to save painlessly through the periodic mortgage payments.

However, if I were in the position to buy a new home, location and size will always be my prime concerns.

Instead of a “nice” neighborhood, I would definitely choose a home that is located close to where I work and is near public transit and shopping area. I would also like to live close by my relatives and friends. We have all heard it takes a village to raise a child. Relatives and friends living nearby are extra lifelines when we are in need.

My new home should require the least day-to-day maintenance. With an average size of a typical family at about three persons, there is no reason why we would need a home with four to five bedrooms. Whenever I saw many palatial homes with cathedral ceilings on televised home shows, I always wondered how much would it cost to warm up all these empty spaces? I also speculated on how long would it take to refurbish these towering walls?

Furthermore, today reliable tradesmen are like needles in a haystack. We should consider ourselves lucky if we ever find one.

To me a smaller castle translates to a simpler life. It also means a smaller mortgage payment, lower property tax and maintenance cost. By carrying a more manageable financial burden, we will be less likely worried too much on our obligations to the bank when the time is bad. - Ayee

Knowledge Is the power that leads to everything.

2011-09-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I watched on television many professional woman golfers competing on a beautiful golf course near Montreal, Canada. Because of its generous purse, Canadian National Women’s Open is considered a major tournament in the ladies’ golfing circuit. Besides other mementos, this year’s winner also won a hefty cash prize of $337,500.

But that Sunday was definitely not a good day go golfing. Thanks to Irene, the hurricane, all players not only had to battle against each others on a tough course. They also had to face the inclement weather for the entire 18-hole round. Even though the weather could be friendlier, the defending champion from Hawaii, Michelle Wei, did put on a good effort against this year’s winner, another American, Brittany Lucicome, by just one stroke.

About the last year’s champion, she is known for competing in professional man’s tournaments when she was just a teenager. Now, at 21, she seems to becoming a mature young lady. Recently, she was being criticized for not playing the professional tour full time. Instead of encouraging the golfing protege finish her schooling at Stanford, some of her peers on the tour think becoming a pro golfer is more important than getting a university degree. - Ayee

Food for Thought (V) Food Poison

2011-08-31T12:24:00.000-07:00

In life we take many things for granted. One of them is the ordinary refrigerator we all have one in the house. When we get a new fridge, of course, a simple one, all we have to do is to plug it in and set the temperature. And voila!

Because they are so-well made, many of them last tens of years. I remember an old fridge our parents had years ago. Maybe it was a deliberate design to deter the kids. Its door handle gave out electrical jolts whenever we opened it to retrieve cold treats. And it needed a lot of power to run it too.

Today’s refrigerator neither emits dangerous shocks nor requires a lot of energy to operate. Inside it resides a mechanical gremlin who purrs almost nonstop to preserve our foods, and to even make ice cubes for us. Defrosting a fridge used to be a tedious process. But today, the electricity-run ice box can get rid of the built-up frost in its freezer automatically when needed.

The advanced technology used in manufacturing electrical appliances has certainly made fridge one of the most reliable household equipment.

However, in hot weather like the one we had over the past few weeks, besides air-conditioners and electrical fans, refrigerators are the other home appliances that had to work overtime. A scorching hot day causes us to visit our fridge more frequently than usual. Consequently, the little motor in the big box has to chug harder to maintain the preset temperature in the cooler section of the indefatigable fridge.

During these same hot summer days, milk in our fridge turned into curds many days before its “best before dates.” Then it was discovered that the cooler part of the fridge was not cold at all while the freezer on the top oozed out white foggy air when its door was open.

Fortunately, we discovered the mishap before anyone got sick from eating the spoiled food in the fridge. However, before calling the lonely Maytag repairman, we did consult the user’s manual as well as the manufacturer’s website. But we did not learn anything from there that will help our fridge hum happily again. However, when we were removing the foods from the fridge, we discovered the air vents in the freezer covered with ice. Since the effort to scrap the excess ice off the vents was futile, we decided to lower the temperature in the cooler, so it did not have to work too hard during the night before it is repaired the next day.

Unknowing to us, lowering the ice box’s temperature was the thing to do. A few hours later, our reliable fridge started humming again but with a softer tone. And the temperature in the cooler part was restored too. It appears so far the old-faithful has returned to its old glory.

This time, the experience with a mundane object helped us learn a practical lesson. We did feel bad on throwing away some foods that we thought were spoiled. We also realized that we must, in both summer and winter, give a pat or two to this big ice box to ensure it is working properly and is in good repairs. - Ayee

Preauthorized Payments

2011-08-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

This instance made me wonder the wisdom of signing up those preauthorized payment plans at the bank.

Many years ago, our friend got an early visit from the jolly Mr. Claus.

Like many other people, our friend had this bank paid all his bills. By a stroke of a pen, he gave his banker authority to use the money in his account to pay off his various personal obligations when due. This arrangement did save our friend a lot of times. It worked out well for years until one day when he noticed his telephone bills were a couple of months in arrears.

After many phone calls and personal visits to the bank, my friend was told without any explanation that someone else had been paying his phone bills in the past. It is apparent that payment had since stopped.

In this case, our friend was the unwitting recipient of these errant payments. We could not stop laughing when hearing of our friend’s good fortunate and asked him what he had done to deserve an early Christmas gift. But seriously, our friend could also be on the giving side of this foolproof banking arrangement. - Ayee.

The Moral of the Story Is . . .

2011-08-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

It pays to listen.

According to one of America’s funniest men*, a golfing ledgend, Sam Snead, once earned himself a two-stroke penalty in a professional event.

I would think Mr. Snead a superstar in a mind boggling but popular sport called golfing. We all know winning a professional tour event is not a child’s play. But in his lifetime, Mr. Snead had won 81 professional tournaments. And quite a few of them were majors. I do not know if there is another professional golfer who had won more tournaments than Mr. Snead did. Definitely, it would take a very patient and dedicated sportsman to reach such enviable position.

But this three-time Master winner was very impatient with his caddy when competing in one particular L.A. Open. In that tournament, his unwillingness to listen to the caddy must have cost him aplenty. Instead of hearing what his caddy had to say, Mr. Snead interrupted his obliging adviser and hit his last approaching shot to the 18th hole with someone else’s ball. - Ayee

*I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This!”, Bob Newhart, 2006

A Big Machine for A Small Job

2011-08-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Recently, I went to a neighborhood laboratory for some blood works. It was the same lab I visited about six months ago. With pleasant staff and efficient services, this testing office had certainly impressed me as a well-run services provider.

When I was there the first time, its waiting room was teeming with people. The room not bigger than an average size of a family dinning room was Spartan but functional. To register our presence, we pull a triangle-shaped paper tab from a small pear-shape red box on a metal stand. It is the same kind of device many businesses and medical clinics use to check in their clients.

My second visit to the same lab was a painless one too. In twenty minutes or so, I was called to sit facing the same big and bright windows. Before I realized what was taking place, the gentle technician had already got what she needed. And I was out there in about 30 minutes.

However, since my last visit to this lab, its waiting room has been enlarged to twice the size of the previous one. It has also acquired a new numbering machine. By its entrance now stands a tall and bulky black box. Apparently, this electricity-powered metal device has replaced the old manual one. A paper tab exactly like the one from that little plastic red box drops down as soon as someone pushes a large red button on the chest-high fixture. While the color of this new contraption matched the color of the chairs in the room, a large computer generated sign hung over the face of the machine may have ruined whatever the aesthetic appeal this new equipment has to offer.

I hate to be opinionated. But in the age of conservation, do we really need an electronic device to pull a little paper tab for us? - Ayee

Be Aware!

2011-08-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

It looks like there is a new format that the SPAMmmers are using to invade our personal cyberspace.

In the past, my Internet Service Provider had done a good job on filtering junk mails. This is why I seldom had unwanted e-mails. But recently, I saw SPAMS started to surface. The ones I received now always included legitimate business names, like my IPS’s, in the subject line, to bypass detection, I think, whatever the security software has in place.

Remember in the old days when we first started e-mailing to each others. The number of junk mails I had in my e-mail account was insurmountable. Although it took a bit of times to delete them, it was rather easy to do so without any perceived risks.

But to delete unwanted e-mails now, I must click on them first before I can zap them. This makes me feel I may expose myself to the unwanted message whenever clicking on any of these intrusive e-mails. Of course, this becomes a concern for me.

Even though I realize whether they are SPAMS or not, there is no such thing as a secure site in the virtual world. I always consider e-mail the invention of the century. It takes over the indispensable role our telephone uses to be in our lives. Now instead of phoning our friends and family members, we e-mail them. I find it is a rather neat medium through that I can send not only words but videos to others without visiting a post office.

Besides, in a globalized business community, e-mail enables us to communicate with our worldly partners both efficiently and effectively. The e-mails are our words. They can be used as evidences in courts.

Therefore, it is so incomprehensible to me that someone would want to spoil the good things that e-mail has to offer. - Ayee

Hooded Larks

2011-08-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

The other day in the park, I saw a flock of small birds feeding on some bread crumbs. They with dark brownish feathers are the types of the birds we often see in our back yard and the shrubs around the cities. While foraging, the group chirped out some pleasant notes. But one of them stood out on its own. It did not join the others after the trails of broken-up breads. Finally, this timid bird got its picks and disappeared.

This little flying machine may not belong to this flock. It does look a bit different from the others in the group. There are some soft plumes like a paper fan sticking out from the sides of its wee head. They are not unlike the head dresses that many Catholic nuns wore in the old days. And this little bird with a habit-like hood got me excited. I thought I had come upon the hooded larks that were very dear to a thirteen-century saint from Assisi, Italy.

Because these hooded larks dressed like nuns, they symbolized what Brother Francis had preached: humility. Sister larks became very special to the most reverend saint in the Catholic church.

We all know Saint Francis of Assisi for the poor was akin to animals too. There were incredible stories of him negotiating a truce between a big bad wolf and the townspeople. So both the man-eating beast and its prey could live side-by-side in the same neighborhood peacefully. He once set free a live tench that was given to him into the water. And when Brother Francis spoke, the birds listened.

As it is told in God’s Fool*, during the last Christmas celebration before the humble Saint’s passing, Brother Francis was wishing the festivity in which the rich put on splendid feasts for the poor and other creatures would never end. For his love of the birds, he declared if he was to see the emperor, he would ask him to order grains be scattered on the roads on Christmas day for the birds, especially his sisters, the larks.

To my great disappointment, I never saw that hooded bird again. But the chance sighting of this little creature prompted me to revisit these brotherly interactions between the late Saint and many wildlifes around him. - Ayee

*From Julian Green's God’s Fool, translated by Peter Heinegg in 1985

“Free Willy”( III)

2011-08-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago on television, I saw three whale watchers risked their lives to save a humpback whale off the California coast.

It looked like the huge whale was already dead. When one of these three good people snorkeled to get a closer look at the lifeless body, he was surprised to see a distressed animal tangled in fishing nets was looking at him too. Sometimes, direct eye contact can be intimidating. But this one between a man and a beast put this near-death humpback at easy. It seemed to know that it was in good hands. It did not panic while its rescuers leaned over the edge of their boat to free it from some greenish nets.

Once the great whale was out from the deadly entanglement, before swimming away from its elated rescuers, it put on a spectacular show by jumping in and out of the water or breaching for umpteen times. Scientists said whales use breaching to communicate with others. So by frolicking in and out of the blue sea, this awesome creature was displaying its huge gratitude to three selfless lifesavers.
- Ayee

To Rent or Not to Rent

2011-07-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

It’s encouraging to learn that the US government is considering a new strategy to handle the glut of unsold homes.

Resulting from many defaulted mortgages, the Fed through its mortgage insurance agencies, Federal Home Mortgage Corporation (also known as Freddie Mac), and Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), has become the de facto owner of about a quarter of a million of foreclosed homes. And efforts to sell these vacant homes only depressed the house prices further. So instead of dumping additional homes to an already oversupplied housing market, the government is considering renting out the homes it owns.

By reducing supply, the people behind this idea think renting out the excess inventory can help the housing market to recover. In addition, demands for rentals are rising and so are the rents. The steady rental income can definitely help defray some of the expenses the government spends on maintaining the unsold inventory.

At present both Freddie and Fannie have already rent out many of the homes they own. Therefore, it is really a nonissue when the people against this idea consider both these two mortgage insurers are unfitted landlords.

When and if the Fed follow through with this idea, it can implement this measure expediently by simply changing the laws without outside investors. So both Freddie and Fannie can rent out all the homes they still own.

I remember seeing on television that showed many Americans are now living in motels and hotels. Therefore, I think it is high time the US government make good uses of many vacant homes to house millions of its homeless populations.

Moreover, many bankers and accountants would know that value of a property increases when it generates income. Schemes to rent or rent-to-own can also be a savior for lenders with many foreclosed properties.

Therefore, I think in this case to rent is a win-win proposition - Ayee .

Food for Thought (V) - Food Allergy

2011-07-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, a case of acute urticaria (hives) got my attention to what I eat when taking antibiotics.

It all started in the middle of the night when my sweet dream was interrupted by some unbearable itches. Thereafter, some reddish patches on me spread like a wild fire. While medicated talcum powder, aloe vera and calamine locations did give me some reliefs, I was determined to figure out what has caused my skin to irrupt into red itchy splotches!

Quickly, I narrowed down to the new antibiotics I took that day for a cat bite. Not many hours after I took a blue-colored capsule, my very first one, the outer layer of my body exploded. We all know some antibiotics do cause rashes. Based on my past experiences, it would take more than one dose for the rashes to surface. And my switching to another antibacterial drug did not help either.

Then I remembered what some elderly family members had told us in the past. They said that seafood can cause itchy skin. I have also learned that sometimes berries can give us havoc too.

It looks like seafood, fresh berries and antibiotics do not complement each others well. On that memorable night, I did have my favorite fish for dinner. Making a bad situation worse, while on a different antibiotic, I snacked on bowls of natural yogurt topped with those juicy raspberries. - Ayee

Food for Thought (IV) - A Balanced Diet

2011-07-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

According to a posting on The Fool on The Hill website, we may prevent and cure cancer by maintaining a certain level of alkaline in our body chemistry*(1).

That posting, Combat Cancer*(2), tells us what a Chinese doctor had discovered in the blood chemistry of cancer patients. Dr. Lu Geling, who is said to have practiced at Majie Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, in the forties, found body chemistry of 600 cancer patients all acidic.

In addition, the good doctor observed that there were no reported cancer cases amongst Chinese monks and nuns. As we know, the serene and benevolent Buddhism followers live ascetically on strict vegetarian fares. They also invariably reside close to nature where the air is fresher and the grass is greener.

Together with the knowledge that cancer cell cannot survive in an alkali environment, Dr. Lu concluded that besides living a simple and caring life, maintaining a "weakly" alkali body chemistry can help prevent and cure cancer.

Somehow there is very little background information on Dr. Lu, his hospital and his research on cancer and body chemistry. But an alkaline-rich diet did help two lung cancer patients became cancer free and healthy.

To reflect what this fool has just learned from reading Combat Cancer, now I also know cancer is not a modern-day ailment. But thirty or forty years ago, I had never heard of anyone I knew died of cancer. I wonder why?

Finally, let’s put aside the debate on whether a diet change can or cannot prevent and cure cancers. Just think how relieved and joyful many cancer sufferers will be if they know there are other simpler and gentler alternatives they can choose to fight this dreaded disease. - Ayee

*(1) At pH level between 3.35 and 3.45
(2) From http:/dfoolonthehill.com/health-Combat Cancer

Not A Dog's Day

2011-07-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

July Fourth always reminds me of my late friend’s little dog: Kiku. But I would never consider this rumbustious furry ball a patriotic pooch, she loathed the nation’s birthday.

On the night of one particular July Fourth, while everyone else was embracing the display of bursting fireworks, this wee doggie squeezed through the garage door and escaped. The next morning she, with cuts and bruises all over her small body, was found on the door mate of a neighbor she knew. Kiku must have quite an ordeal before she reached her friend’s house. Definitely, the July Fourth celebration was a very painful experience to this pint-size but wise dog.

And Kiku is not the only one who fears abnormal noises. I remember one of our cats ran away one night when one of our neighbors decided to light up a few fire crackers in their back yard. It took us a long, long time before the frightened kitty was coaxed out from his hiding place. In this instance we were lucky. Our pet did not run too far away from home. Unfortunately, to escape from this unusual and scary noises many other family pets may not end on a happy note. This explains why animal shelters everywhere are inundated with many disoriented dogs and cats days after the July Fourth holiday.

So this year, when we are ready to set up the sizzling grills for the July Fourth party, be sure keep close eyes on our pets too. - Ayee

Friendly Pet Owners

2011-06-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

People who have pets seem to be more relaxed and congenial. So it ‘s not hard for pet owners engage causal conversation with strangers, particularly other pet owners.

The other day at the store buying some supplies for the kitty, the customer in front of me asked me to take her place to pay for my purchase, a heavy box of kitty litter. It happened she is also a pet owner. I was so envious of her when she told me she and her family live with two dogs and two cats. Of course, I am most appreciative of her kindness to let me get out of the store sooner.

On another occasion during a visit to the vet, while waiting for our turn an elderly lady with her calico cat told me not to feed the cat dry foods. She said dry ones are too hard. I did not get the chance to ask why her cat was at the surgery. I bet her pretty cat, cuddled up to the back of her carrier, was suffering some kinds of dental problems from devouring on too many hard kibbles. She said to mix some wet ones with the dry foods. It happens gum disease is no stranger to me. One of our kitties, Purdy, the super mom, suffered this painful disease before she disappeared. She overindulged on dry foods made specially for senior cats. Luckily, that particular cat food is no longer available for sale.

This kind lady also took upon herself and moved my pet taxi. She put it right outside the exam room. So my gravely ill cat could slip into his carrier without being spooked by the dogs in the waiting room.

What a thoughtful person that kind lady is! - Ayee

A Perfect Gift for A New Mom

2011-06-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

I have just discovered a new gift item for expecting parents.

We all know breast feeding is back. And many of these nurturing activities are taking place in public. Just the other day, I saw two young moms sitting in the seats outside of an ice cream parlor. One of them was feeding her baby. Both the mother and the child were strategically covered under an Afghan. But this white blanket with green trims was not big enough to reach the mother’s back. Unknowingly, the nursing mom exposed her entire backside.

After I passed by that young parent, I was thinking that she could have used a bigger blanket to avoid such embarrassing moments. Immediately, a poncho came to mind. A poncho is a simple overgarment natives of Central and South America wore to fight off the chill in the Andes. It is made from a piece of heavy clothes with a hole in the middle. It has also been made in other durable materials. Like a cape, it’s loose. So a poncho can discreetly keep the bonding between a mother and her baby comfortably away from the general public. - Ayee

An Ideal Corporate Director

2011-06-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

Recently corporate governance is in the news again. CEO and director compensation remains a thorny issue. Top executives and board members are important members of a corporation. By all means they should be paid adequately but not extravagantly. And the board’s duty to appoint and fire top executives makes its effectiveness crucial to a company’s well-being. Therefore, shareholders should not take their right to elect company directors lightly.

Probably most shareholders do not personally know the individuals who run for corporate directors. Personality issue or showing disrespect is never the factor in the shareholders’ minds when voting for directors. Choosing an effective board has become a serious business decision.

If I am asked to choose a board member today, I think my ideal director will be an engaged one. This individual is not a CEO or COB of other public company. He or she does not spread his or her times too thin by sitting on too many corporate boards, particularly the ones outside his or her expertise. My ideal director should not have to travel a great distance to attend boarding meetings either. Lastly, this individual must have a genuine interest in the company. - Ayee

Food for Thought (III)/Parsley Tea

2011-06-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

One of our senior family members is under the weather. It is our near 20-year-old kitty. Due to a thyroid medication he is on, his kidneys are not functioning as well as they were a year ago. In addition to many jars of baby foods that contains salts, he is also on a low-protein diet. Unknowingly, a compromised kidney condition together with low-protein intakes has made him prone to a health condition called edema.

The vet, a locum, after many x-rays, decided our cat did have too much water in him. The excess fluid in his abdominal cavity has caused sudden weight-gain. It has also impeded his breathing. However, before additional tests that determine the causes are done and assessed, the vet would not use any diuretics on the poor cat. Instead, he recommended keeping our kitty in an oxygen tent for the next 24 hours at an emergency animal hospital. Somehow the vet thought using of diuretics, an effective and common treatment for edema, would be harmful to the patient.

Making a long story short, I decided to look for some natural diuretics before a visit to our regular vet. Certainly I do not want to jinx my dear cat’s recovery. But I did come upon a simple parsley tea* in Myra Cameron’s book, Lifetime Encyclopedia of Natural Remedies(1993). Soon after feeding my cat his normal food spiked with a couple spoonfuls of the said tea, our kitty seems to be feeling better. He becomes more responsive when speak to. Evidently, the parsley tea has worked on him.

In my search of a natural product for my cat, I have also discovered that parsley is full of beneficial properties like potassium, and vitamins A and C. Among many other indications, this humble herb can also provide aids to our digestive system and thyroid functions. - Ayee

*Parsley Tea:
"Add one cup of chopped fresh parsley in a quarter of boiling water, simmered for 40 minutes. Strain and drink a cup with each meal."

Dog Story (II)

2011-06-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

While waiting for friends at a local park, I saw two dogs, one, a black Labrador, and another, a German Shepherd, chasing a tennis ball in a grassy area outside the fenced-in tennis courts.

They were running after the ball their owner volleyed into the air with a tennis racket. Eagerly they ran side by side until one of them brought the ball back for the next round. The two mates were not competing against each other. They were just enjoying a friendly game of run and fetch on a sunny day at the park.

But if they were, the Lab would definitely be the undisputed winner. He scored all the runs. His mate, the scoreless Shepherd, was always a head-length behind him. After a few more runs, the Shepherd somehow gave out an impression of defeat or maybe fatigue. He was crestfallen for not being able to fetch the ball even once until an errant tennis ball flew right over a metal fence. It landed near where these two dogs were. And I could see right a way how excited that Shepherd was when he saw there was another ball nearby. He was elated. Finally when he ran toward his owner with that stray tennis ball in his mouth and his wooly head high, he was kind of telling the onlooker: "See, I can fetch too!"

Unfortunately it was not a good day for the Shepherd. Celebration for his home run was brief. The ensuring tug-a-war between the beast and man was laborious. The poor dog was so adamant about returning that slimy ball to its rightful owner.

What I observed of these two dogs romping around in the park may be so inconsequential. But the spontaneous smile and laughter their innocent acts brought out of me are simply priceless. - Ayee

Food for Thoughts (II)

2011-05-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, I rediscovered a perfect snack in popcorn. For years, I have deprived myself of this simple pleasure. In addition to its nutritional value, the puffed up corn kernels are delicious and are very low in calories. No matter how the cloud-like popcorn is seasoned, it is always a welcoming treat. Moreover, a cup of plain corn kernels has only *27 calories. Corn is also a good source of fibers and many other beneficial nutrients including protein and Vitamins.

The other day, I decided to get some new crunchy snacks. So this armchair-golfer would have something different to munch on while watching the PGA competition on television. A bag of white cheddar cheese popcorn seemed to fit the bill. I do realize store-bought ones may contain too much salt and extra fats. But I am certain this healthy snack will not harm my body and spirit if I choose carefully for what I buy and I do not overindulge myself on them. Since corn is a veggie, consuming some popcorn now and then will definitely help me add more vegetables in my simple diet.

Popcorn is an inexpensive treat too. It does not break our piggy bank when we decide to pop a batch of the crunchy morsels ourselves. A half cup of corn kernels in a few tablespoons of cooking oil can yield a bucketful of the fluffed up goodies. This perfect snack has also being used in making cakes, granola bars and even Christmas decorations.

Now let us get ourselves some tasty popcorns and be aMAIZEd - Ayee

* From Frances Towner Giedt’s POPCORN!,1995

Doggie Story ( l )

2011-05-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

This is about my neighbor’s two gentle dogs.

Skipper, a Keeshond, is the older one. His pal, Bear is a cream-color Samoyed. Their dear owners tethered them to a sail boat berthed in front of their garage. The lengthy ropes on the dog’s collar allowed the pair to wonder around the unfenced yard. There was also a homemade dog house in the yard. But their favorite spot appeared to be a cement block in the shade of the sail boat.

During the summer months, the retired couple would pitch a tent on the north side of their bungalow. To escape the stuffy heat, they lounged there with Skipper and Bear by their side. A portrait of a happy and content family never failed to bring smiles from the neighbors passing by.

Both Skipper and Bear looked very healthy and were well adjusted to each others. They, like many other dogs, barked perfunctorily when neighbors walked by. Now and then when I knew I would be passing by their house, I always remembered having a few dog biscuits for them. They seemed to know I was their friend. And our milk bones fortified relationship flourished for many years until one day I saw Skip, with Bear next to him, in great pain at the pair’s favorite spot.

On that day I was on my way to run a few errands. When I was near Skip’s house, I heard him howling. I found part of Skip’s body was covered in his own blood. Without hesitation, I alerted Skip’s owners of their pet's desperate call for help. Extremely unfortunate for Skip, because of the hefty vet bills, my elderly neighbors decided to let Skip go in peace.

Of course, I was saddened by the loss of an otherwise healthy dog. And Bear lost his long time pal. Not long after Skip died, I went by to visit Bear one day. It was hot and muggy. I saw Bear, the gentle giant, lied on his side napping on the lawn in the shadow of a camper. This time he growled at me when I pet him. I did not know if Bear was upset by the fact that I was the one caused Skip to disappear or the fact that I woke him up from his afternoon nap. I thought memory of the tasty treats would make bad feeling more tolerable. But there was a clear message from this wooly doggie that suggested "LEAVE ME ALONG OR ELSE." Tell me animals have no feelings!

I have not returned to visit Bear and his elderly owners since I moved a few years ago. But the fond memory of being friends with Skip, Bear and their dear owners always made me feel blessed for having neighbors like them. - Ayee

A Curmudgeon's Cat

2011-05-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

Last year, I got to read a few books on cats and their people. Four of them are by the late TV Guide critic, Cleveland Amory. He, a Harvard graduate and self-proclaimed curmudgeon, had certainly ruffled many feathers as a relentless advocate for animal rights. He was not kind to his prestigious alma mater either. A few practices at this Ivy League school had appalled him.

This former newspaper editor is best known for his book about an irresistible white kitten he rescued from a New York City alley on Christmas Eve. The Cat Who Came for Christmas* made Polar Bear, the curmudgeon’s cat, an instant celebrity.

Mr. Amory’s uncle and aunt taught him be kind to animals. Black Beauty was his favorite book when he was a lad. Years later, he founded "Funds for Animals" for which he was the unpaid president until his death in 1998. He also co-founded the Humane Society of the United States, one of the most powerful animal welfare lobbies in the States. Through these establishments, they airlifted more than three hundreds burros from the Nevada desert. They exposed the corrupted and cruel practices at a government agency that rounded up wild horses. Among many other animal rescue missions, they also financed the effort of Sea Shepard, an anti-whaling ship, to disrupt a seal hunt in Canada.

In The Cat Who Came for Christmas, this best seller author chronicled what was like living with a stubborn cat. To satisfy a stray cat’s appetite, he had to keep Tender Vittles in his night stand so Polar Bear could have a quick snack in the wee hours of the day. To prevent his Christmas kitty from falling off from the balcony when birdwatching, he cordoned off half of his Park Avenue apartment balcony. He even resorted to animal psychics so he could understand sometime very disagreeable Polar Bear better. Obviously, he, like many other pet owners, would do anything to please his furry friend.

It is also noted in this best seller book that cats can jump as high as seven times of their body length. This explains why the normal six-foot fence can never keep a cat in the yard for long. In addition, according to the professions the author conferred, left-pawed cats are more perceptive than their right-winged peers.

In any case, I am sure Polar Bear would agree with his extremely accommodating human friend that all animals, great and small, deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. To do what he preached, Mr. Amory built an animal sanctuary in Texas. The Black Beauty Ranch is now home to many retired, displaced and injury animals.

Once I wrote to a newspaper reporter on the benefits of pet ownership. One of the many we agreed upon was the enjoyment we got out from reading the books on pets and animals. - Ayee

* The other three Cleveland Amory’s books are:
- Cat and The Curmudgeon
- The Best Cat Ever
- Ranch of Dreams

Feathered Apes (II)

2011-04-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

The other day I got a pleasant surprise from a neighborhood crow.

On that beautiful sunny day, I decided to visit a friend across town. My friend lives in one of the more pleasant neighborhoods in the City. With lush mountains as its backdrop, it sits not far from an inlet by the blue sea. And there are always wild birds including crows swooping up and down around the many tall trees in the area. When I was about a couple of blocks from my destination, I could smell the fresh and crisp spring air from the sea.

Armed with good direction, I found the right street with no fanfares. But the lamp post on the corner of that street, not like the others, bears no road sign. Based on details on hand, I made a right turn on that unmarked block any way. While searching for my friend’s home, a flock of blackbirds flying noisily above me. Finally they settled down on a tree a few houses away. I also saw one lone crow perching quietly on the top of a low metal gate down the road. It was the only gate on the block had a live bird on it. And to my greatest surprise that gate opens to the house I was looking for.

After I told this nebulous incident to my friend, I learned their home is a bird-friendly one. The mistress of the house always has goodies for wild birds visiting their bountiful back yard. Therefore, there are always birds, particular crows, hanging around the house. This somewhat explained why sometimes there would be crows sitting on their gate welcome visitors! - Ayee

Mental Fatigue

2011-04-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks there were many close-calls in the sky.

It started with a Boeing airplane losing a portion of its ceiling in midair. Then, our attention was directed to the pilots who had to land their good planes on their own while the exhausted air traffic controllers dozed off in the towers. And recently, millions of us saw an oversized aircraft side swiped a smaller commuter jet on the runway.

Luckily none of these mishaps had caused any fatalities. But these worrisome incidents, particularly the weary air traffic controllers, can bring fatal consequences. They are also wake-up calls, no pun intended, to the sleepy sky cops who had to work many shifts straight. I have since learned there were six or seven similar incidents reported so far this year. One of the offenders was on his fourth consecutive shift. Clearly this scheduling practice defies common sense. No average healthy individuals have enough stamina to work productively say a couple of eight-hour shifts continuously. In addition, we all know sleep deprivation can cause devastating harms to us both physically and mentally.

To the sleepers on the job, they, whatever their jobs are, have my personal sympathy for having to work long hours in one sitting. This practice of extending working hours can certainly undermine public safety. It also borders on slavery. So the governments are making new laws that do not allow air traffic controllers work consecutive shifts. Except I think, the law makers should also look into the scheduling practices of other service-based industries. I do not think air traffic controller is the only profession that requires working unreasonably long and uninterrupted shifts. - Ayee

Contracting Out Is A Bad Idea.

2011-04-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

It is unbelievable that some esteemed banks had used forged documents to foreclose mortgages. Bankers are supposed to be the prudent men who are learned and trustworthy. But in this case they made themselves a costly mess that will take years of undoing. Their sloppy works also cost many unfortunate people undue hardships that can never be righted timely.

According to a story on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, millions of houses were foreclosed with invalid documents. Thanks to an observant home owner. She noticed the signatures on the legal documents were not genuine and were penned by different persons. Now many former home owners, whose homes were foreclosed wrongfully, are suing the banks on losing their homes. Hopefully, they can return to their homes soon.

This story brings to mind the perils in contracting out: One of them is losing control.

By buying out their competitors, the modern banks are getting bigger and bigger. They are getting so big to a point they farmed out the loan servicing part of the business to a third party. This explains why on occasions when we could never get hold of the original banker who financed our home. We, the borrowers, are simply becoming faceless numbers on a loan servicing company’s books. I grant this division of labor has its merits. But when the scheme is getting too large, inefficiency and malfeasance creep in. - Ayee

Integrated Medicine

2011-03-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I got a good surprise from being a couch potato. On the popular Dr. Oz’s television show, I was hearing the good doctor telling his many enthusiastic audiences benefits of three herbal teas. I remember not long ago doctors practicing western medicine would have nothing to do with the alternative medical treatments. Therefore, I was so taken aback when hearing an allopathic practitioner goes public on what sage, nettle and one African tea can do for us. What I saw on Dr.Oz's show suggests to me that the less invasive alternative medicine is no longer a taboo to allopathic doctors.

We all know the science-based allopathic medicine is indispensable in health cares. Penicillin has saved many patients from infection. Cardiac surgery has mended millions of broken hearts. Organ transplants are now common practices.

And we have also learned there are other ways to cure diseases. Some doctors prescribed high dosages of vitamins to cure mental illness. Others used acupuncture needles to manage their patient’s physical pain. It is no wonder that a new industry, nutraceutical, has emerged in the alternative health care regime. The manufacturers of nutraceuticals add healing foods into their products. Even in veterinarian cares, we can now obtain naturopathic therapies for our four-leg friends.

And I think it is a good thing that more alternative health treatments are becoming accetable therapies to the allopathic practitioners. Although the alternative ones are based on anecdotes, many of its regimes were put in use for years before the western medicine did. - Ayee

Be Humble and Respectful

2011-03-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

Last Friday’s earthquake in Japan was another wake-up call. It showed us how powerful and ruinous Mother Nature can be. Historically, the "big ones" occurred many hundred years apart. But at present it seems earthquakes have become norms in our everyday lives. These days, they came and went too often. The tremors and the unstoppable Tsunami in Japan came soon after the earthquake and flood that devastated New Zealand a month ago. And remember the big one in Haiti only a couple years ago?

According to Encarta Encyclopedia, what we do to the earth, like filling up a reservoir, injecting liquid into the earth or conducting underground nuclear test, can all cause earthquakes. Therefore what we do to our good earth now may bring us deadly side effects later. What goes around does come around!

Every time I walked by a deep hole dug for a new high-rise apartment building, I often wondered how many tons of pressure the digging of this gigantic cavity had thrust upon the earth below. Whenever I saw a picture of a humongous tractor that dwarfed the people standing by it, I thought of what this powerful equipment does for us may also harm us.

Over the years, many smart people had made leaps and bounds in the science of detecting earthquake and forecasting inclement weather. But so far no one can yet predict precisely when or where the gusting wind or destructive tremor will strike. Even a well-prepared country like Japan, her advance warning of the incoming tidal waves had failed to save all her citizens. To ensure there are still livable spaces available for the next generations, we shall learn from these devastating natural disasters and be gentle and respectful to Mother Nature. We shall also be humble and think small. Last but not lest, we shall not attempt to conquer a world that is beyond our own frailty and limitation. - Ayee

Spooky's Last Will and Testament*

2011-03-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

"I, Spooky Bezanson, being of poor health, do hereby bequeath to my friend and master, last will and testament, to be recalled fondly whenever he may think of me.

My time on earth has been a happy time, full of joyful memories and carefree hours. I take with me no worldly possessions, because possession and property have never been my primary concerns. What was important to me was earning your trust and praise, being obedient, and always faithful. But the one thing I possessed and will cherish above all else was my master’s love, for no one could have loved me more.

When I was gone and you have occasion to think of me, do not feel sad, for I am at peace and no longer feel any discomfort or pain. All the maladies that age and circumstance had thrust upon my physical being are no longer a concern to me. I am free to romp with the wind at my face and the grass tickling my feet. I nap in the warmth of the sun and sleep under a blanket of stars. In this joy I wait for you.

Because we shared so many happy times together, I know you feel like I cannot ever be replaced and that perhaps you should live the remainder of your life without another pet as a faithful companion. My friend, don’t try to replace me, for what we shared is irreplaceable. We grew together, through some pretty hairy (and cold) times. But don’t deprive yourself of the warmth and love another companion can bring to you. I would not want you to be alone.

Most of all, remember, dear master, I will always be with you, in your heart, in your mind, and in your memories. For what we shared was special, today, tomorrow, and always. And if you should ever feel a cold nose on your skin, and there‘s no animal around, just know, in your heart of hearts, it’s me, saying hello."

**********************************************************************************
*"Spooky" is one of the nine stories in Vicki Myron’s new book Dewey’s Nine Lives. It is a poignant account of unconditional love and devotion a disturbed Vietnam war veteran and a little innocent black cat had bestowed onto each other.

Bill, the former soldier, saved a badly maimed kitten he found on the roof of his car. Two of them had certainly met each other under the most bizarre and spooky circumstance. But this inexplicable gathering under the unfriendly sky of the City of Angels had forged a strong friendship between two fragile beings. During the turbulent 21 years they were mates, Spooky was always there for his best friend in both good and bad times. So was Bill. To illustrate their unwavering faith in each other, once a vindictive landlady dumped Spooky to a far away landfill. Against all odds, three weeks later, a thinner black cat appeared at the door of that mean woman’s house where Bill was. Both of them knew neither of them would leave that house without the other.

I think it was by a divine design that Spooky literally flew into Bill’s troubled life. Like his keeper, this venturesome pussy had also cheated the death in umpteen times. Spooky’s staunch will to live his nine precious lives had inspired Bill to facing the terms of his own survival from a miserable war in Vietnam.

Spooky suffered feline leukemia in the later part of his long life. He was 21 years old when he died in the arms of his best friend.

It was not known who had helped Spooky drawing up his Last Will and Testament. But it was learned later that it was from the animal clinic where a compassionate veterinarian, Dr. Call, practiced.

This touchy story also sheds a light on the plight of returned war veterans. They have become part of a growing homeless population in many places. - Ayee

Humans vs. Machines

2011-02-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

Like million other Jeopardy fans, I too watched the show last week. It was a special edition of this popular quiz show in which a super computer, Watson, challenged two top Jeopardy champions, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. A joint effort of twenty five learned engineers over a four-year period made Watson, named after IBM’s founder Thomas J. Watson, a reality.

To me, a foreigner in the land of computer science, it’s awesome to see what smart people can do. Through maybe millions of motherboards, chips, and many other peripheral parts, they transplanted human intelligence into a cold steel box. In this case, they groomed Watson with boundless of detailed information. In addition to his deft ability to listen, to speak and to choose clue categories, it appeared he could also push the buzzer quicker than any others. I remembered hearing that having a fast thumb is a must for the contestants of this fast-paced quiz contest. So it is not a big surprise for many of us to see Watson became the latest champion of the favorite American quiz show. After all it is a brain child of twenty five very smart persons.

Putting aside the extraordinary entertainment and advertising value of this brains versus brains contest, the task of Watson’s creators does not end here. Now I am counting on them and their competitors to come up with new generations of computer systems that are friendly to both the users and their environment. - Ayee

Gold-plated Health Cares

2011-02-16T15:56:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, on a sunny morning I tripped over an uneven sidewalk and required emergency cares. Contrary to all the horrible stories I heard on unsatisfactory yet costly health cares, the timely treatment I received from a local hospital was nothing but professional. And I am sure that four subsequent visits to a specialist and many x-rays during the month after the initial emergency care had also helped me recover quickly from this minor injury.

Certainly I have no qualms on the competent cares I had received at that hospital. I am also grateful for having a reliable medical plan to fall back on when I need it. But I do remember a previous emergency room visit about three decades ago. During a night I spent at the hospital ward and following six or seven weeks I hobbled on one good leg, I did not remember that I had the cares from that many medical professionals.

But on that day during the six hours I was at the hospital, I was provided with cares from at least ten hospital staffs that included a most apologetic doctor. Each of the staff members performed their specialized assignment on me. The care team of the day included receptionists, nurses, nurse-aides, and technicians. They admitted me, x-rated me, wheeled me, and prepared me for intravenous drips. In addition before I was discharged, a group of four led by the aforementioned physician set a clay cast over the broken bones while I was sedated.

When I was on the gurney waiting for treatment, many thoughts, mostly depressing ones, came upon me. One of them was why healthy care costs had risen so much over the years. At this time our health insurance premium is still affordable. But it may reach to a point when we no longer can afford to be sick.

On that eventful day I had certainly wondered and was somewhat convinced that fine division of labor and specialization in care are not the best prescriptions to rein in the exorbitant amount of money we, both the government and the patients, must spend on health related services. - Ayee

To Susie and Her Many Kennel Mates: May You All Rest in Peace!

2011-02-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

Nearly one year after the 2010 winter Olympics, an animal cruelty case is now under police investigation in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

A gruesome story of the killing of healthy sled dogs surfaced recently in this picturesque ski resort. It happened in April of last year not long after the Olympic crowd had left the town. A sled-dog ride operator decided to cull the dogs they did not want to keep. If not for an insurance claim filed by the individual who did the slaughtering, no one will ever know that 100 lively dogs were put through agonizing pain and fear before their grisly death.

While the outcome of the government investigation of the matter is anyone’s guess, no justice can undo the fact that this is a preventable tragedy. Even though these working dogs are no pets, they deserve as much caring and kind consideration as their human counterparts when retiring from their work place. Therefore, it is so unthinkable that someone would take upon himself to expedite the "firing" of his many workmates in such a horrible manner.

This distasteful story has certainly reflected the dog’s owner, the operator of the sled dog ride business, badly. It also prompts many of us to ask these questions.

Why there was no one steps up before this wanton act was about to happen? Where was the vet who refused to help before the inhumane cull? And where were the animal protection agencies who suppose to speak for the ones who cannot speak for themselves?

It appears to me most of the animal cruelty cases came to public knowledge after the fact. By that time the horses have already left the barn. - Ayee

A Feisty Flying Ace

2011-01-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

The other day on my way home, I saw a Snoopy like dog rocketing around on a quiet residential street. Since I saw no one was guiding this furry flying machine, I worried the little pooch might have slipped out of the house without his best friend’s knowledge. So I was thinking about alerting the dog pound of this wayward dog.

At first, I saw a white dog on the lawn of a street corner. Despite his small stature, he, with his back legs, was fervently scratching the grasses beneath him and brought rains of grasses and dirts onto the street behind him. But the way he held his head up gave me an impression that he was not on his own turf. He knew very well what he was doing would fetch him some unpleasant attentions. While his back quarter was busy digging, he held his head upright and looked out for any interlopers.

Then suddenly, he decided to move onto a greener pasture. He zigged and zagged onto another street corner a few houses down and started his destructive excavation again. But once he realized I was watching him, before he disappeared into a hedge in front of a house nearby he gave me a defiant look as if he was telling me "See if you can catch me!" - Ayee

Pennies from Heaven

2010-12-31T22:49:00.000-08:00

There is a saying that a penny saved is a penny earned. But inflation has taken a big bite out of the value of our hard currencies. Even in a recessionary time like now, no one would pick stray coins on the street, particularly the pennies.

The other day, there were many reddish coins strewn all over a parking lot outside a coffee shop. Since I am a firm believer of the good luck these errant copper pieces can bring to the persons who keep them, I, a self-professed penny pincher, decided to put these orphans to some good use. So I bent down and got all of them from the wet ground. Except this time I did not put them into my pocket and add them to my lucky penny jar. I decided to share my new found fortune with a stranger.

About this person, he might be a panhandler. But I would not say he looked scruffy or unkempt. Somehow he did seem to be by the coffee shop a lot. That day, he was at his usual place, a spot a couple feet from the entrance to the store. In the past whenever I walked by him there after I got my coffee from the shop, he always muttered a few words asking for some spare changes. It surprised me on that day, this individual did nothing to these shining coins either. Perhaps he was not as bad-off as I thought. But he did accept my heavenly offerings with good humor. Hopefully, this humble gesture of mine will bring many good tidings this individual needs so he can live a better life that he deserves. - Ayee

Peace on Earth

2010-12-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

It’s a known fact that dogs and cats do not normally get along. Many cats got badly injured from their face-off with Fidos. There were also dogs who learned in a hard and painful way to leave certain Fifis alone. This is why sometimes we would say people fighting like dogs and cats. But what I heard recently of four cuddly furry ones has proved this saying hogwash. This two-dog and two-cat team get along peacefully. Matter of fact, one of the doggies, I speculate because of his pint size, not only thinks himself a kitty, acts like one too.

Lucy, a mid-size mongrel, is the oldest of the bunch. She should be credited for igniting the pet fever in her two-legged friends. One day many years ago, she followed a relative of her adoptive family home. And the rest is history. Evidently, this gentle pooch had brought immeasurable pleasure to a family that never had a single pet before. After Lucy’s arrival, her family added two cats and a small terrier named Cody to its household. Without much ado, this furry quartet has adapted to each other rather well and lived under one roof harmoniously thereafter.

Then days after this hairy group settled down nicely in their new home, empty cookie packages started to appear on the kitchen floor in the morning. The family thought of their two cookie-loving pooches the prime suspects of the crime. But the inviting morsels were high up on the counter top. And neither dog can jump that high a distance to reach the counter. Finally, the cookie bandit,rather bandits were nabbed. In the wee hours one night, Bonnie and Clyde in feline costume were seen on the counter stealthily pushing the package of cookies to the slobbering Cassidy and the Kid below. - Ayee

Money makes the world go around

2010-12-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

It’s this time of the year again.

Recently, I experienced some kind of epiphany about giving to charities.

Since our economy is still in the doldrums, and the unemployment rates are at a record high level, creating new jobs is now on the top of politicians’ to do list. The bad job markets also put many of us in a more vulnerable position as far as our future employment is concerned. And likely we may not be as generous as we used to be to others. But do not despair. There is another way we can do to help many unfortunate neighbors. We can follow what the governments around the world had done. Individually, we can also improve the sacking economy by spending within our means.

We all know there is a profound multiplying effect from our spending on goods and services. As you can see that our constant support to various business prompts the business owners to hire more employees. More working people translates to more spending and more spending means more money in people’s pockets, etc., etc . . .

Money, the medium of exchange, indeed makes the world go around.
-Ayee

Food for Thoughts

2010-11-28T19:13:00.001-08:00

Whenever I was having toasts for breakfast, I often wonder why toasted breads are such a common fare on our kitchen table. The very first reason I can think of is that toasts are the simplest food to prepare. It is a very versatile one as well. The delicious way to dress a piece of golden-brown toast is endless. A working toaster is all we need to make perfect toasts any time of the day. The others, sliced breads, even the day-old ones, butter, and jams or jelly whichever we fancy, are easily accessible. Besides being tasty, they are inexpensive sources of many basic and beneficial nutrients such as carbohydrates and fibers. Toast is also portable and a good finger food. In the morning when we are late for office, we can always grab a piece of toasts and run. To sustain me till noon, all I need are a couple slices of well toasted and buttered bread with two eggs and a hot beverage.

Since I love to eat and always pay attention to nutritious foods, I did look into the health attributes of the lowly toasts have to offer. I find psychologically the burnt and crunchy surface of my favorite bread sates my need to chew. Lastly, the ubiquitous brown crumbs from the toasts also act as a friendly cleansing agent that sucks out any harmful toxin from my digestive tracts. - Ayee

Make Sure It Is Plugged!

2010-11-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

Contrary to what I thought that it would never happen to an infrequent surfer of the cyberspace like me, this time last year, a virus contaminated my computer.

Of course, I felt violated and helpless as well. I cannot imagine some persons would deliberately mess up other people’s computers. This criminal activity is not unlike some uninvited strangers ransacked through our personal belongings. This incident made me feel even more vulnerable while using the computer.

Fortunately, there is anti-virus software we can install to protect us from the hackers. So in this case I was not as helpless as I thought. However, I was told before installing a new firewall in my computer, I must first get rid of the offending virus from the hard disc. If one has never had to evict intruders from his or her computer, the process to do so can be very onerous. To the credit of some smart engineers, they helped clean my desk top after my numerous calls to their far away call-center. My final call with an extremely patient techie lasted more than an hour. After at least two trying days, my computer was restored. But my task to prevent my computer from being infected again was far from over.

The protective program I installed last year expires soon. Although I was warned that installing a new anti-virus software can also be a frustrating business, I decided to do the installation myself. This time I was diligent and proactive. Before down loading a new spy ware to my computer, I asked family members as well as salespersons about the particular software I was about to purchase.

Since I had done what I could to prepare myself, I was ready for the upcoming challenge.

Before copying the new program, I removed the soon-to-expire program from the memory first. Then I made sure there was sufficient virtual space left in the hard drive. These steps seemed to be logical and easy. Therefore, the loading of the new program was a breeze except one unforseen glitch. With the new firewall, my computer could no longer get access to Internet. Certainly, it caused a havoc to me. So I had to call my ISP’s remote help-center. After nearly an hour long of probing, poking, booting and rebooting, finally, it was detected that there was a bad connection in my desk top. And you guess it! I was the trouble maker who plugged one of the ethernet cables into a wrong phone jack! - Ayee

Horse Business

2010-11-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

Over the last few weeks, there were a lot of media coverages on a female racing horse. Due to their bigger physique, it appears that mares do not run as fast as their male counterparts. That is why the six-year at 1,200 pounds Zenyatta is so impressive. She made history in thorough breed racing. Her curriculum vitae, besides enjoying a strong and dark beer a day, include a record of winning all 19 races in which she had entered. Her jockey said of her a fierce horse on the track but a gentle soul off the course. Last week at Hollywood Park, California, she added another Breeders’ Cup pennant in her crowded trophy case. She finished her illustrious career with a second place in that race. Now, as I heard, she is to retire from racing to concentrate on motherhood.

The winning story of this special horse reminded me of the days I was at the oval.

There was a time when I thought rooting for the horses I had picked was fun. The fun doubled if the ones I picked also won. But after I read in the papers on what some ruthless horse owners did to their injured racing machines, sort of like boycotting, I quit betting on horses for good. The terrible stories of burning the stables down to collect insurance money on the dead horses are something I can never bear and tolerate.

Years ago, "60 Minutes" had a story on the US government’s Land Management Department. This government agency was allowed to round up mustangs in the West. Sadly, instead of getting the corralled creatures adopted to good families, many of them were shipped to slaughter houses in the most deplorable and inhumane manner. Since lately there was not many news on that government branch’s horse gathering activities, hopefully, the Land Management Department has since made their business a humane and caring one.

Now, Zenyatta have an extra Guinness for me! - Ayee

Hurrah to the Chilean Miners

2010-10-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

We have just witnessed the seamless execution of the rescue at a remote Chilean gold mine. The plan that saved the trapped miners was a resounding success. In this unfortunate case, the advanced technology had played a pivotal role in the safe return of 33 miners. Without the timely and learned input from NASA and mining industry engineers in drilling and designing, the miners might still be in their dingy underground refuge waiting to be rescued. But common sense, decisive leadership and cooperation had also prevailed and attributed to a favorable outcome of a life- and- death situation. And lastly I bet God pitched in too.

I just learned the reason why the search for live miners was not called off days after the mine had collapsed. This badly maintained mine did not emit any sign of lives. But it did not exude the "smell of death" either. Thanks to this smelly indicator, the search and rescue work for live miners continued.

The other reason the rescue was a success was their top politicians’ caring vow to save the trapped miners at any costs. Both the Chilean president and his minister of mines had personally followed up on the logistics side of the various rescue plans to ensure the work-in-progress proceed as envisioned. Incidentally, both of them are accomplished businessmen before entering politics. Evidently, with them they brought much needed business acumen in undoing this disastrous event.

In addition, we should not overlook the leadership of the miners’ foreman either. It must take him some doings to ensure all his fellow workers survive both mentally and physically 2,000 plus feet below the mine site.

Working side by side as a team of various groups also played an indispensable role in this rescue effort. Good helps were from all around the world when the disaster struck. Now we know when we cooperate with each others, everyone wins!

And having some faith in God is not a bad idea when we are in distress. Without their unwavering confidence in God, I do not know how the miners and their families could survive the many days they were waiting to see their loved ones again. - Ayee

Amazing Kitties (II)

2010-10-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Middy, short for Midshipman, is an amazing seafaring cat.* And the story of this stubborn but self-reliant feline goes like this:

The crew of a small schooner, "Eyvor," was ashore one day. On their way to town, they spared a defenseless cat from the sticks and stones of a group of abusive boys. When the yachtsmen were back at their dinghy to return to their yacht, they found a small grey and white cat they saved already aboard the tender. It appeared this furry creature decided to return the favor by joining his two-legged saviors to sea. After many pushes and shovels with hisses and outreached claws, the yachtsmen gave in and decided to have this persistent pussy with them on the cruise.

Once on board the yacht, a meeting was called to decide what this new recruit's duty would be on board the ship. While no one knew what exactly a midshipman was, they appointed their newest crew member Midshipman, and named him Middy.

After the initial induction had been said and done, Middy started to flex his paws with a vengeance.

First, he made friends with two most important persons on board: the captain cum professor, and the ship cook. Middy followed the skipper around during the day and bedded with the boss in the night. However, to show his impartiality, each night before hunkered down next to his beloved benefactor, Middy would run over to all the berths in the cabin to ensure that each and every one of his loved mates was tucked in and was ready for bed.

Obviously, Middy’s trust in the captain was insurmountable. When he invited himself to accompany his best friend target shooting one day, Middy was not at all fazed by the loud shots flying all over him. To show his unwavering faith in the shooter, Middy, as cool as a cucumber, took his beauty nap right in the shadow of a boulder from which the marksman fired his shots.

I think Middy was a seaman in his previous life. He never got sick from the ups and downs of a tumbling sea. Thanks to his seafarer’s instinct, this taciturn kitty once had single-pawed rescued himself from being part of a ship wreck.

His know-how on staying afloat on the sea got him to where he wanted to be. I bet Middy would never tell a lie. But he must have an extra long nose. His keen olfactory ability might be his GPS that led him to his rescuers’ dinghy on the very day they met by a woodpile. He also knew who were the most important persons on the ship. Last but not lest, acting on his own reconnaissance he jumped into the cold sea water and fast paddled to a nearby yacht where two adorable kittens resided.

When the summer cruise ended, Middy was boarded with a lady artist in the Boston area. But he disappeared after a few months from the pleasant studio. Sadly no one had ever heard of him since. But John Coleman Adams, one of Middy’s mates on "Iyvor", believed his furry friend ran away to look for his old mates and the little schooner. Since he could find neither of them, being a born sailor, Middy once again stowed himself away onto a tall ship in yet another voyage on the open sea. - Ayee

*"Midshipman, the Cat," John Coleman Adams (1849 -1922),The Best Love Cat Stories, The Reader’s Digest, 1997.

Recipe for Success

2010-09-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Recently I got myself a pleasant surprise when I went to a neighborhood laundry mat to wash a few area rugs. It was the same one I had used before. The proprietors there were pleasant but their service area was poorly lit. Its Spartan facility could also use a coat of fresh paint to spruce the place up a bit.

On that day the moment I walked into that shop, I was taken aback by what I saw. The place is bright and spotless. The shining chrome frame on many washing machines gleams with the soft lights from the many florescent tubes above. A coat of pastel blue-colored paint also emits some pleasantry in the air.

I learned later that this essential business provider has a new owner. Obviously, the simple improvements the new owners made to their investment over the last two months have brought them the expected results. While one of the mild-manner owners took care of the drop-off business, the other patiently explained to a customer of the different features an oversize washing machine provides. It is certain that their newly acquired business is booming!

As a consumer, this much improved laundry mat is a good news to me. Now I know there is a pleasant place to bring my future laundry business to. Unlike the many businesses, small and large, that I have known, invariably their services deteriorated after there was a change of the ownership. - Ayee

Amazing Kitties (I)

2010-09-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

I thought my cats are smart ones until I read about "Eponine" in "The White and Black Dynasty."*

I will not go into the details on why this petite female kitty was so named. Perhaps growing up in the household of a literary family has something to do with a name like "Eponine."

Theophile Gautier, a renown nineteen century French poet, writer and critic, kept a pair of Angora cats with ermine like pure white coats. This handsome and gracious couple bestowed upon the prolific writer three jet black kittens. One of them was named Eponine.

Eponine must be the great poet’s favorite. She adored her famous keeper a great deal as well. Eponine always followed her master around when he was home. To return the many favors he had for her, she kept him accompanied whenever he was at his desk writing his next book. Furthermore, to earn her keep, Eponine became a page for the house. When the door bell rang, she would go to the door greet the guests, then usher them to the drawing room.

Unlike other cats, this endearing furry ball ate at the dinning table instead off the kitchen floor. Imagine a little black cat sits on an oversized dinning table chair for supper! Sitting next to her most beloved, she polished off her three-course meal with a half glass of water in style.

We all know cats are crazy about fish. When Eponine detected that delectable seafood was in the air, she would try to skip her soup. Her feline rationale on skipping the soup is no different from any of ours: less soup means more room for fish. Unfortunate for her, her master read her smart logics, and told her if she was not hungry for soup, she was not hungry for fish either. Eponine somehow got the message loud and clear and would finish her soup quickly whenever there were fish in the offering.

Eponine also knew when she was not invited for dinner. When silverware was placed by the dish on the table at where she normally sat, she knew to retreat to other place in the house during dinner time. However, Eponine would still get a few tasty morsels under the table from the guests who she knew had a few soft spots for her.

Such an amazing kitty Eponine is. It is no wonder that her dear master cast her as the star in one of his many short stories. * - Ayee

Eggs on Our Face

2010-08-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

This week on PBS, The Nightly Business Report included a discussion on the recent massive egg recalls. The suspected eggs were from two of the largest egg producers in the States.

It is daunting to see on television millions of chicken cramp in barns many times of a regulation football field. The lit chicken house does not impress me as a hospitable place. The size of it also makes me wonder how the well-being of these all white birds is monitored? To me it will very likely take a chicken catcher a long time to reach a distressed hen in an over sized barn.

Contrary to the reason for the recent egg recalls, the proponents of mass production system suggested that the better and bigger equipment these big companies can buy help to improve the safety of the foods they produce. But I am with the critics of the food industry that our food producers are getting too big. The dominant position of five or six producers in the country enables them to dictate the fares on our dinner table. And efficiency has also taken a toll on safety. Now food recalls have become common occurrences.

In old days, we were taught to be appreciative of the foods on our table and the clothes on our back. Now these days there are many families still pray before enjoying their bountiful meals. Perhaps now we should also think where our daily bread is coming from - Ayee

Life is not fair.

2010-08-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Steven Slater has my sympathy too. What he did on that JetBlue flight may not be the best way to vent his frustration or to land himself a realty show act, he did bring to our attention of the plights of many front-line workers now facing. Airline attendants, customer services agents and even fast-food cashiers are all convenient and easy targets for irate customers.

Now economy is in the dog house. Company cut their work force to the bone. The poorly paid front-line employees not only have to work harder. In addition to unhappy customers, they also face the grim prospect of losing their stressful job. This explains why now we saw more often of irrational outbursts, some with deadly consequences, of rank and file employers in the news.

This also brings out a sore point on the ultra generous multimillion dollar compensation to many company executives. If one of them were paid one million dollars less, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out on how many additional workers the company can hire.

Lately, there was not much news on what had happened to Mr. Slater: whether or not he still works for JetBlue. But I do hope his employer through this unruly incident sees the light in the tunnel, and takes steps to improve the working conditions of their many hard-working but discontented employees. - Ayee

Too much is no good either!

2010-08-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

It is always a happy and satisfying occasion for me when I found a stray cat a new home. But there was one instance that I wished I could undo what I did to a gentle pussy whom I named Billy. All the extra attention this good looking cat was provided with at his new home did not do him any good as far as his longevity is concerned. Many cats, particularly the indoor ones, can live up to 20 plus years. Billy died of cancer not more than three years after he was with his new family. And he was only about five or eight years old then.

Billy with short white hair came to us like many other strays did. He entered through a toll-free cat flap. When we first saw him at our home, his entire body was covered with some yellowish oily substance. After a head-to-tail bath, he turned out to be a prince-charming. A grayish smidgen on the top of his white round head made him stand out among his peers. He was also a gentle cat. He might know a thing or two about not getting into fights or avoiding hostile confrontation while out courting. Unlike other toms we saw, he did not have a single bite or scratch on his bony body.

Soon, a neighbor decided to adopt this espeacially handsome cat. But this kind lady might have erred on being too cautious on Billy’s health care needs. Each year, she made sure Billy had his annual booster. At his new home, he, an indoor cat, was also given flea remedy each year even though he was free of any parasites on or in him. I did see Billy a few times when I was taking care of him while his dear mistress was away. Despite the facts that he was showered with the best care, undivided love, and tasty kibbles, he did not seem to be happy. One day I met his owner by accident. I was in shock when I heard that Billy had died of cancer.

After hearing this grave news, I often wonder Billy’s untimely death. I wonder if too many vaccinations and flea control medications are harmful to our pets. In the past before these new effective and strong medications were invented, I had seen cats lived up to 18 plus years. One of them, Lucky, an adorable toothless gray and white mixed Ragdoll, lived to twenty-some. Moreover, I do not know if it is a coincident or the outcome of poor care, over the past several years, three of my cats all died at a young age. All of them had been treated with parasite control meds. - Ayee

Dog Business

2010-07-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

The other afternoon, a disobedient dog got my attention. He and his young mistress were crossing the same intersection as I was. This bullterrier like young dog with extraordinary long floppy ears did not seem to be happy at all. He constantly resisted his mistress’ lead. He looked about six to eight months old and would soon become a full grown mongrel. This might explain why his rib-cage was sticking out from his lanky body. Or maybe he was hungry, hence, his unwillingness to heel.

After we reached the other side of the streets, I decided to offer a few dog biscuits that I had with me for one of my canine friends to this "hungry dog." The offering was welcome but the interest in the treats was fleetingly short. While his mistress and I stopped to chat, unlike other pooches, hungry and not hungry, who would devour the treat in one bite, he dropped the biscuit on the pavement. When I bent down to pick the cookie, he took a few side steps to the grassy area next to the sidewalk where we were. On that patch he started to relieve himself. Once he had emptied his bladder, without any enticement or coaxing, he was next to his owner and ready to trot.

From our brief chat, his young owner told me that she had just adopted him and that is why she had not had a name for him yet. And it was a he. I also learned that he was either starving or mistreated in any way. And he is going to start a new life with this seemingly responsible and caring young woman. While waving goodbye and wishing them the best, I saw a changed dog in him. Wthout any resistance, willingly he followed his owner to continue their unfinished journey. - Ayee

To Insure or Not to Insure

2010-06-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Recently, we relocated to a smaller residence. Once we found the place, the first thing we did was to book a date with a mover. Since there was a local mover who served us well in the past, naturally we decided to use the same company for this time as well.

When I called to book the move, the gentle voice on the other end of the line sounded friendly but very businesslike. It gave me a feeling that since our last move six years ago this family business has grown. In the past, when we called to book the move, it was a done deal once the date and time were agreed upon. This time, the young person on the phone had to advise me of additional information. They included terms such as a minimum four-hour charge, maximum 50-pound per box and the requirement of a deposit. Yet, these were not the only extra conditions we, the customers, were subject to.

On the moving day came a marked van manned by two young fellows. Before loading any boxes onto their dolly, one of the movers with an intimidating clipboard asked if we wanted to insure our household goods in case they were damaged in transit. Since we had our own insurance, I declined the offer.

Once the required formality was adhered to and the waivers were dotted, the two young men sprang to action. But somehow, they appeared to be not as apt in their job as their colleagues in the previous moves. Finally their laborious mission came to an end after five long hours.

And this time to my utmost surprise there were some damages to one of the end-tables and a lamp shade. In addition, three boxes were placed upside down on the floor at our new home. Apparently, the young movers had paid no attention to the wine glass direction on the cardboard boxes. Fortunately the damage to our worldly possessions was not catastrophic. But this instance did make me wonder what the outcome would be if we insured our belongings as offered?

It also illustrates that bigger is not better. Now this reputable business charges their customers nearly 100% more than it did nine years ago. To my disappointment, its higher tariff did not translate into a better services thou! - Ayee

Random Kindness

2010-05-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to pick up my newspaper at a neighborhood drug store. After I found my daily, I lined up like many others did at the checkout stand. There were only about four or five customers ahead of me so I expected I would be out of the store soon, and still have time taking a leisure stroll home. Wrong! An elderly lady at the front of the line seemed to have problems with the battery she needed for her hearing aids. Since she herself did not know which one is the right one, the cashier at the till was totally lost in a maze of many button-like batteries. Even though no one was complaining about the wait, the line was getting longer. And that poor senior remained baffled as to the type of the specialized battery she needed. Then, a young fellow in a dark suit next to this flustered senior citizen decided to take the matter upon himself. He asked the cashier wait on other customers while he sorted out the arrays of disc-like power cells for a somewhat confused senior. By the time it was my turn to pay for my paper, I could see that well-dressed young fellow was no near to that Eureka moment he was looking for.

On my way home, I could not help but marvel at an act of selfless kindness unfolded in front of us at the store. Even though, I did not offer my service to this senior in need, I was pleased to see someone else did. - Ayee

A Super Mom

2010-05-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

There is a no better day than Mother’s Day to remember a super mom.

In the spring of 1997, upon my return from a holiday, I found my feline family had grown again. Not only I got one extra kitty but a pregnant one. I bet when the mouse was away the cat played. After a Found ad failed to find this purring machine’s owner, I kept her and named her Purdy.

Luckily, care for an expecting queen was not a hard task. Purdy also got along with the other cats well, particularly Sweetie. Finally on the B-day, actually it was in the wee hours of the night, Purdy brought me the most precious gifts in the world: four helpless kittens. Voila! She managed to give birth to bundles of joy without a hitch. At the time when I discovered what Purdy had just accomplished, her newborns had already latched on their mommy feeding. Their deft mother also left their birthing place spotless clean.

During the ensuring weeks, Purdy fussed over the newborns 24/7. The kittens were in shipshape conditions. They became more and more appealing by the day. When the babies were still blind, Purdy hid them in different places. Once the kittens could see and negotiate their own little steps, their dear mom would round them up on the floor like what Lassie did to the sheep on the farm. When my other cats were near, she would chase them except Sweetie away from her pride and joy. Sweetie, a neutered tom, sat proudly by the kits as a surrogate dad. The sight of her lying on her side nursing her four little furry bundles was so soothing to watch. It also brought comforting feeling in me.

Motherhood and raising children are complicated and taxing matters. But for a devoted mom like Purdy, it all came naturally. Raising four kittens at once was a piece cake for her.

Sadly, Purdy is no longer with us. Our super mom disappeared from our home six months ago. I still had no clue as to what had happened to her. But for the good old time’s sake, I am here to wish her a happiest Mother’s Day. Purdy, our super mom, do come home soon! - Ayee

Liberation Procedure

2010-05-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

Recently there was a breaking news on a new treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is thought to be an autoimmune-related ailment. Currently MS patients are under the care of neurologists. Now an Italian doctor thinks blocked blood vessels are the causes of this debilitating disease. And a surgical procedure, similar to angioplasty, an accepted and proven medical practice, called Liberation, can help lessen MS symptoms, hence sufferings.

Dr. Paolo Zamboni’s theory on the MS seems to be plausible. We all know blood is life. If for any reason its conduit, blood vessels, fails to function, serious disease ensues. A few of MS suffers had the procedure and found good results. Some of them got to start walking again. Now due to the lack of research on this new treatment for MS, hospitals in both America and Canada are not allowed to provide Liberation treatments. Despite the prohibition, desperate MS patients now seek the treatment in overseas hospitals.

First I commend the medical professions for their cautious stance on this new discovery. But in the meantime, they should also respect their patients’ need as well. - Ayee

"Stand and Deliver," A 1988 Film

2010-05-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is a story of a very special high school teacher in a Hispanic neighborhood in East Los Angeles. I did not see the movie but Garfield High School does ring a bell to me. Jaime Escalante, the greatest teacher in America, believes mathematics is the power to a better life. He, an immigrant from La Paz, Bolivia, moved to Los Angeles in 1964. He started his esteemed career at Garfield ten years later. The student body there is mostly immigrants from Mexico. Most families in this school district had struggled to make ends meet. They often left their children fend for themselves without any parental guidance. But this disadvantageous social and economical situation did not discourage this great teacher. Through his Calculus classes, he inspired his many students to do their best. By hard working, he helped his students from underprivileged families believing in themselves. Many studied at the late Mr. Escalante’s classes had gone to college and followed their mentor’s footsteps becoming teachers and professors themselves, in math, of course.

Exactly one month and four days ago, Mr. Escalante died in Sacramento, California, of bladder cancer.

Years ago, I read articles about the demise of professionalism in many professions that included teachers. So the story of the late Mr. Escalante is so encouraging and refreshing. What he had accomplished during his long tenure at Garfield is also truly incredible. - Ayee

It's time to be humble.

2010-04-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

On the weekend, while watching the Professional Golf Association’s Zurich Classic on television, I learned the tournament’s second day play was delayed due to the inclement weather in New Orleans. The lightening came along with a thunderstorm that struck a tall tree on the course. Fortunately, no one there was injured from this mishap. But some residents in a neighboring state were not that lucky. A tornado swept through the State of Mississippi left ten people dead and many homeless. Not mention the devastating earthquakes that shook the world from Haiti and Chile in Americas and Tibet in China. Then a volcano in Iceland continued spewing out its deadly hot lava into the air and stopped all air travels at many European airports for many weeks.

All of the above mentioned destructive phenomena happened one after another since January of this year. The world has become smaller. And bad news does travel fast. But in the years past natural disasters had never occurred one after another like what has happened so far this year.

I do not know if these are the ways Mother Nature tells us that enough is enough. But I do know no one can decipher what exactly the nature has in stores for us. Perhaps it is time that we take a back seat to reflect and be humble. So we can assure ourselves that the next carbon footsteps we are about to take are smaller and gentler ones. - Ayee

An Eye-Opener

2010-04-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

The other day Sweetie got to try on two new things.

First, he got to use a new cat carrier. The old one we had is made of wood with a rigid steel wire dome. I had many good uses of it. But because of its solid sturdy construction and size, it is quite heavy. So I decided that we should get a new one that is smaller and lighter. The new one I got from a supermarket is made of canvas-type clothes with mesh on the sides. The floor of this pet taxi is padded with soft fleece material. Usage of velcro on the handle plus the adjustable long shoulder straps make travel with our pets a less strenuous exercise. That day I did not have to use any trickery to get Sweetie inside the cage. Putting him down into the carrier through an opening on the top is a cinch. He seemed to be quite at ease sitting up inside his new cab. This is the first time that he rode in his cage all the way to the vet’s office without much whimpering.

Then, believe or not Sweetie, our sweet old chap, got to have his blood pressure tested for the heart murmurs the vet detected during our last visit.

Since I never heard or read of checking b/p on animals, it is something entirely new to me. But for the sake of my kitty’s good health, I decided to put my poor cat through this testing procedure. I also stayed with Sweetie and observed what the vet had to do to get an accurate b/p reading from a fidgeting cat.

The measuring device on animals is a smaller version of the manometer our doctor used but it reads diastolic pressures only. It did not take long to fasten the cuff onto one of Sweetie’s front leg. But it took the vet and his assistance an embarrassingly long time to locate the right spot to stick a probe between the toes of the same leg. Apparently, this is not a frequently practiced diagnostic procedure. Then once the probe was at the right place, we could hear a rhythmic swishing sound emitted from a metal box labeled "Ultrasound Profiler." After many gentle squeezes of a rubber pump, the dial in the round-face meter settled on a couple of readings in the range between 118 and 120. According to the vet, Sweetie’s ticker seemed to be all right! And he also became the first cat in our feline family who had been tested for blood pressure! - Ayee

Arm-Chair Golfer

2010-04-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

Spring is always a welcome season when warm sunshine returns and cherry trees blossom to their best. It is also the time when the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) starts to air its competitions on television regularly on weekends. This armchair golfer has once again geared up for the world’s best players to show case their incredible shots on beautiful but challenging courses.

Talking about the incredible shots, the PGA tour players with the latest model of over sized drivers on hand plus their equally large biceps can send a tiny little object into stratospheric distance with the utmost accuracy. What a feat! It looks easy when they were playing the shots. I suppose being a pro golfer golfing becomes a job. They must always play well in order to earn a decent living and to be qualified to play in the next season.

However the recent revelation of the world number one player’s discretion off-course did change my view of professional golfers somewhat. Perhaps in my humble opinion the tournament’s monetary prize is getting too rich. Pro golfers are human beings. So they are no different from other well-paid sports figures. After the game it is party time for everyone. But I do hope golfing remains a gentleman’s sport in which integrity is always the most important component of the game. Fore! - Ayee

Bigger, But Not Better

2010-03-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

It did not sound right when I heard Toyota recalling 8.6 million plus cars for faulty gas pedals. The company is known for making luxury and reliable cars such as Lexus, Camry and many others. Years ago, its quality circle manufacturing process was the envy of their counterparts around the world. Ironically, the malfunctions in Toyota cars surfaced not long after this Japanese car maker overtook General Motors Company as the largest automobile maker in the world.

Undoubtedly, this massive recall now in progress tarnishes the good name Toyota has earned over the past 75 years. It will also be a costly proposition to the company. But, there is a gleaming light in this dire situation. Toyota becomes the world number one car maker because it sold more cars than all other makers. Unlike many others, Toyota has a rich equity base so it did not have to incur much debt to finance its expanded business bases. For this reason, many financial analysts predicted that fiscally Toyota will survive the massive recalls of its cars and resulting lawsuits.

Hopefully, after Toyota redeemed itself in this recall fiasco at great costs, it also cured itself the so-call "big company disease." - Ayee

“Ten Ways to Be Kind to Our Neighbors’” Author Unknown

2010-03-10T11:45:00.001-08:00

We found this posting on the Net. I thought it would be a good idea we spread this gospel further. Matter of fact, sharing good news is the tenth suggestion on this to-do list.

While we do not know who posted this item, based on its straightforward content, I speculate possibly it is originated from either Buddhism or Taoism’s altruistic philosophy. My English translation from its Chinese text may lose some of its insight in the process. But definitely it is a worthwhile task that I am happy to undertake. Here they are:

When street peddlers begging for spare changes, we offer them foods. When asking for food, give them money.
On the bus, give up our seat to the disabled, the elderly or mother-to-be without a big fuss.
When the weather is not agreeable, we make extra effort to buy something from the street vendors. So they can all get out of the cold and soaky night and go home sooner.
When seeing lost kids or disoriented seniors, we escort them home. If it is not possible, put them on the right bus or accompany them to the police station. Help them make a phone call home will also get them home sooner.
When hearing someone asking for direction, do not be bashful if we know the place. Offer what we know voluntarily.
When found a purse with cash, if we are in a dire strait, we return it without the money to its rightful owner. However, we must remember who this money belongs to. When we are back on your feet, we return the temporarily borrowed money to its owner with an apology.
If we can, help out and encourage the young students who must work to support themselves or their families.
When shopping at the night markets, we buy more if you can without haggling. So the poor vendors can sell out their goods sooner in a cold night.
If we are financially well off, do not transgress to having a concubine. Helping a few poor students anonymously will make us happier.
If we find these ideas make good sense to us, do share this to-do list with others.

Now, let’s be kind to each others. - Ayee

Fins and Paws

2010-03-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

It appears day by day animals have become more and more of an integral part of our society. Now encounters between men and beasts are very frequent. This explains why mesmerizing animal stories become staples of our daily news. The other day my newspaper reported two such tales on the same page.

One is about the death of an experienced 40-year-old trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida. She died while performing with "Tilikum," a 30-year-old killer whale. Mind you, this is not a win-and-lose game. This tragedy does not end here. Now this playful orca’s fate is at stake. Because this is not the first time the star attraction at SeaWorld is infamously linked to the loss of a human life, SeaWorld may have to put Tilikum out to the great yonder if it is found to be the culprit of this deadly incident.

Then the other story is about a bomb-sniffing black Labrador named Treo. It was in London receiving a bravery medal for preventing NATO soldiers as well as innocent Afghans from being blown up by roadside bombs. Certainly it is wonderful to see this smart pooch receives its well-deserved award live and well in "person."

After reading these two stories, I am glad at least one of them had a happy ending. - Ayee

Look Befroe Your Cross

2010-02-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

The other morning while I was waiting for my bus at an intersection, I noticed on a kiddy corner to me there was a grey squirrel on the curb. It was prepared to cross a busy east/west thoroughfare in the morning rush hour. The bus was late so I got to watch a small fur-clad rodent crossing a busy street unscathed.

From where I was I saw this little four-legged being braved itself down to the payment from the curb and was set to go. Before it descended to the asphalt, not unlike the flashing amber lights at some intersections, this hairy creature waved its bushy tail up and down to alert the oncoming traffic to stop. But none of the speeding east bound cars noticed this tiny bundle’s friendly signal. For a few times, it nearly got zapped by the fast-moving vehicles zooming by it

Because many daring attempts bore no fruits, to skirt the dangerous traffic, it decided to change its path. Instead of running against the traffic, it went with the flow.

Resulting from this change of direction, it quickly crossed a north/south feeder road of the same intersection without any fanfares. Now it was on the sidewalk at the east/north corner of the same intersection. It still faced the risky task that would get it over to the south side of these crossroads. Not like a few of its peers whom I saw sometimes crossing busy streets by the overhead electrical wires, this little one took advantage of the many bare cherry trees there. It jumped onto the dry branches of the trees from one to another. Continuously it traveled in the air until it reached the midway of this short block. From there it came down to the concrete sidewalk. Finally, it was in a spot that was in a safe distance from the busy intersection and got itself crossed over to the south side of the busy streets safely. - Ayee

"A modest life, a giving nature"*

2010-01-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

This week’s Giving Back section of The Globe and Mail featured an Alberta philanthropist Frank Flaman.

At present, Mr. Flaman owns nine stores in two Western provinces in Canada that sell exercise and farm equipment. This 76-year old multi-millionaire lives modestly in a two-bedroom condo. Instead of a new Rolls Royce which he said he did not need, he drives an energy efficient smart car. But each year he gives generously in the tune of $1 mm to different charities. Last week, Mr. Flaman donated $500,000 to the Salvation Army and Oxfam for their relief works in Haiti.

The facts attract me to Mr. Flaman’s story are not only he is an ultra caring and generous giver but also the reason why he sells stationary bikes in a farm supplies store.

Twenty years ago after a bout with depression, Mr. Flaman learned the benefits of exercise. With this new discovery in mind, he "threw the Prozac away," and started the fitness equipment business. - Ayee

*Report on Business, The Globe and Mail, January 23, 2010

My New Year's Resolution

2009-12-28T20:59:00.001-08:00

Some of us think watching too much television is not the best pastime. Yes, I agree that being a full time couch-potato leads me to nowhere. But sometimes, lucky star does shine upon me, a remote control snatcher with an over size thumb. Once for a while, I do get to learn a thing or two from this passive activity.

And this is one of these shinning moments for me.

A few weeks ago, unknowingly I got to revisit an ancient Chinese philosophy on a British detective show I watched. The popular television program "Heartbeat" is based on the books of a retired Yorkshire bobby, Nicholas Rhea. Mr. Rhea told stories of the simple but hearty people of a remote farming village well. But I would say his patch over the heather-covered moors be the last place one expects to hear teachings of Laozi, founder of Taoism beliefs in 600 B.C.

In that night’s episode, "Ups and Downs," its clever producers wrote in a busload of Laozi’s devotees in the script. On their way to deliver a gold-gilded Buddha statue, their double-decked bus conveniently stalled at the village square. Among other stories in the plot, the precious statue got stolen but recovered. Upon departure, the spokesperson of this pious group shared the tenets of their religion with the hospitable locals. He told them they believed in:

- Kindness,
- Simplicity,
- Modesty.

As usual, "Heartbeat" is always an entertaining and enjoyable show to me. But this episode left me with something extra to wonder about: the perceptiveness of an old Chinese religion.

Their beliefs seem to be straight forward and simple. But the relevancy of these principles is timeless. And they were embraced by a humble Chinese philosopher some 2,600 years ago. He taught his followers to be kind to other beings(including Mother Nature), to live a simple life, and to be modest. If the people in Laozi's generation had practised what they learned from this insightful master, none of us will be living in the midst of the disastrous consequences of wars, climate change and financial meltdowns today.

I do not know if I am able to live a life according to Laozi. But I do know that I have to look no further for my New Year’s resolution. - Ayee

Tales of Two Stores

2009-12-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

Recently, I needed a new television. So I visited a couple of stores in the neighborhood. One is a well-established department store where I did most of the shopping in the past. The other is a new kid on the block that had just opened at its present location for a short time. It is a big box specialty retailer that sells both brand name and generic electronic equipment.

Like it was in the past, I started my search for what I wanted at the department store whom I know well first. The afternoon of a chilly day was also a perfect time to shop in a warm and invitingly decorated store. I walked around the store’s displays of many television sets, big and small. While the selections there were somewhat limited, I did find one I liked. But to my utmost surprise, there was no salesperson in the department to help me and a few others buy what we wanted. Like the other five or six would-be customers I walked away from my favorite store’s electronics department empty handed.

At the specialty store across the street, I got a very cheerful welcome at the entrance. I also found a similar-made television set there quickly with the help of its knowledgeable staff.

Now I know which store to go when I need a few electronic gadgets. - Ayee

Good News

2009-12-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

This morning for a change I woke up hearing the news that I was happy to hear.

It is not about the overdue world peace that has just arrived in time for Christmas. It is about the suspension of a local veterinarian’s license to practice. And this is not the first time this particular vet was headlined in the news either. I remember a few years ago, it was shown on the television a crowd of angry placard-yielding pet owners demonstrating outside his 24/7 so-called low-cost animal hospital.

About eleven years ago, I used this vet once at the recommendation of an animal rescue group. Unwittingly, I did find the vet had treated my dear Purdy badly. I heard my cat’s wretched cry when the vet was drawing a pee sample from her in a back room. When the vet returned Purdy to me, she became a larger cat than her usual petite self. All her fur hairs were sticking out from her body like she was wearing a space suit. Cats do not puff up their coats for no-good reasons.

Apparently my cat was not his only victim. This vet and his staff had also caused excruciating pain and unnecessary suffering to many other beloved family pets. Sadly to know that informal demonstration did not result in any legal or professional sanction against this vet sooner. So he got to operate his inhumane animal hospital until yesterday when his license to practice was finally suspended. - Ayee

Cat Ladies

2009-11-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I watched 20/20 on television. One of the stories it reported was about women who obsessed with cats. Among the many so called "crazy" cat ladies featured, two of them were caring 100 plus tail wagging felines each. What a feat! The maker of this documentary said the devastating events trigger many to seek refuge in animals. These cat lovers all happen to be females. Their maternal instinct to nurture led them into cat rescuing business.

Certainly being a pet owner myself, I can appreciate what a daunting task these women got themselves into. I know rescuing and caring stray animals can be addictive. But there are definite benefits in pet ownership, whether it is a mongrel dog you adopted from the pound, a little guppy you got for a birthday, or even an injured bird you rescued from the wild. And it is encouraging to see these "crazy" cat ladies transformed the unresolved frustration in life into loving and caring acts onto other beings.

One dog owner told others that dogs are angels. God sends them to us. I think all animals, tamed or not, are angels that God sends to us to make life better and more livable.

Now let’s find a constructive way to put these kind ladies out of business. Perhaps, opening our heart and our door to a wayward furry animal will be a very good start. - Ayee

Confusing Signals

2009-11-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

Over the past several months, I got addicted to a reality house buying show. It was aired on a garden and home channel. To me, the program is entertaining as well as informative. It showcased many spacious and opulent houses across America. It also spotlighted faraway residential subdivisions in many American cities. In the show I saw buyers of many bank-owned three or four-bedroom homes in great locations at the asking prices for not more than a couple of hundred thousand dollars. There was a couple of families acquiring vacation homes in Florida Keys and Arizona area at the tune of $1.2 million and $500,000 respectively.

From this television show, it seems to me there was no shortage of home buyers.

But this robust activity in the resale market is a stark contrast to the dismal real estate market many months ago. At that time over-priced houses lost its value drastically and so many people lost their homes to foreclosures. Furthermore, the current unemployment rates will certain not strengthen consumer confidence either. Last week, they rose to a historical high of 10.2% in the States and 8.6% in Canada.

Based on the hot housing market I saw on television and the extraordinary high unemployment rates, I am totally lost on the direction that our fragile economy is heading to. - Ayee

It's Spooky!

2009-10-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I had a cat flap affixed to a bedroom window so my cats could be in or out at their pleasure. But I did not realize this handy contraption also attracted neighborhood cats to visit uninvited. Luckily most of them decided not to over stay their welcome. One of them, I think is a boy, was a sleek tabby with evenly marked dark spots on his fitted body. One afternoon I found him lying unperturbed in the middle of my bed. Because of his spotted tawny fur, at first I thought, I had a snow leopard in our place! Since he did not cause any havoc with other cats, from that day on, he became a regular visitor to our place for many months.

Not long after his first visit, while petting him, I discovered a gruesome raw patch under one of his arm pits. The area size of a large human hand was entirely bare without any skin or fur on it. Thankfully, the affected site was clean and not infected. And this good-natured feline did not seem to be in any pain either. I was tempted to help him with some natural remedies. But being ignorant of his illness, I refrained myself from doing so. However, I did notice sometimes a patch of fur was shaved off from one of his front paws. This suggested that he was under certain care for the hideous malaise that ailed him.

For the ensuing months, I could always find him napping in the middle of my bed upon my return from the office. He would then take his leave in the early evening without notice to anyone. I never saw him touch any kibbles. He did not demand any extra attention from us other than a comfy spot to doze off for a few hours. I thought we could be friends like this forever.

Then a dreaded day came. On this particular afternoon, I did not see my handsome friend resting on my bed waiting for a pat or two. Since I got used to having an undemanding feline like him around me, I did miss him of his quiet presence a great deal.

While still counting on the return of my unassuming furry friend, one night I got a big bear-hug from him in my dream. This unconscious encounter between a spotty cat and myself gave me willies. This spooky feeling nearly jolted me out of my warm bed. A hug from a neighborhood cat I knew had somehow lessened my anxiety over the whereabouts of this beautiful cat. Through this timely embrace, he told me that he was in a happier place by the rainbow bridge where the grass is greener.

A Happy and Safe Halloween to Everyone! - Ayee

Purdy Is Back!

2009-10-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

A week after our Purdy’s untimely departure, I attended an event that was taken place in a church basement. When I was ready to leave, I decided to use the lavatory. And something strange happened as soon as I stepped into the church’s Spartan bathroom. For no obvious reason, the toilet paper on its wooden holder started to cascade like a waterfall. By the time it stopped, almost a half a roll of the paper transformed into large s-shaped ribbons piling up on the linoleum floor.

Of course, I felt eerie on what had just happened. My initial answer for this odd occurrence was that I had stirred up the calm air in the room when I closed the door behind me. Then immediately I remembered this was exactly what Purdy did to the toilet papers in our bathroom.

Soon after Purdy joined the household, we often found streamers of toilet paper all over the bathroom floor. And we could not figure out how this extremely flimsy paper could free itself from the sturdy holder on the wall. Then one day I caught Purdy red-handed. She was using the paper roll as her treadmill. While standing on her hind legs on the toilet seat cover, her two front paws were busy treading on the soft paper as a gerbil on its treading wheel. This was why we never shorted of white streamers in our bathroom for a long time.

Too bad, I did not capture Purdy's fitness routine on the camera. Otherwise, she would be an instant star as a treadmill cat in the cyber space.

Putting the uncanny apparition in a church basement aside, I realize it is very likely Purdy will not be home again. But she had certainly chosen a most appropriate place to remind me of one of her many endearing antics. - Ayee

A Life Lived Well

2009-10-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was the saddest day of my life.

It was that day I lost my dear cat, Purdy, it was also the day I had to bid the last farewell to my 88-year-old uncle. He caught pneumonia while visiting relatives in China but did put in a good fight to fend off this deadly disease for two years. I realize no one including our pets can live forever. But I hope the many fond memories I have of him will help me get over the loss of my enlightening mentor, and nurturing supporter. Instead of lamenting, I will celebrate his caring and productive long life. During the last week of his good life, he asked for his usual newspapers so he could read and know what was going on around the world.

Once in awhile I asked myself who would I choose to be my idol? Sometimes I picked Bill Gates of Microsoft or Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway. But often I picked my dear uncle. He is not a rich person by all means. He led a simple and modest life. But he is an intelligent individual with utmost integrity. During his lifetime he and his wife, my auntie, worked together, a businessman and a banker, raising a loving family of two children and three grand kids.

My uncle, a self-taught individual, joined our family when he was a teenager. He lost his father, an uncle of our father, when he was very young. During his apprenticeship with our family to become an electrician cum plumber, he learned to read and write better. He also knew how to build radios. He listened to classical music and had many LP's in his collections if I remember correctly. By the time he and our father parted under an unforeseen circumstance, he was a first class craftsman in both the electrical and plumbing business.

About four or five years ago, my uncle started to correspond with me by e-mail. At the first, we wrote to each other in English. With extremely poor eyesight, a few months later he taught himself a new program so he could e-mail me in Chinese. He never stopped to learn even in his old age!

When we were kids, I remember my late uncle took us to many different fun places on weekends. It was he taught me how to swim. On a particular occasion, he got a traffic ticket when he was driving me to get some ice cream. He also helped me choose the right high-school to attend. Among many other kind things he did for me, he financed my first three university years. I remember on another occasion to lessen my homesickness, he sent me an SOS box full of goodies after I wrote to tell him from the school that I got sick from eating some home-cured salty eggs.

Indeed, I am blessed and grateful to have a wonderful uncle like him! - Ayee

The Feathered Apes

2009-10-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Lately, an injured crow caught my attention.

This year, I noticed there was a crippled crow among the many birds who raided our back yard squirrel feeder. It has lost the uses of its right foot. The claws on that foot are curled up inward. Its plumage also lacks the normal lustrous sheen that other crows sport. When swooping down to pick some feeds, it lands only on one leg. Obviously, lacking a healthy and strong leg had hindered its mobility to move around. This explains why it’s not as big as its peers in size. But despite its noticeable disability, it has survived against many harsh elements in the wild.

Now this crow hopped into our back yard almost every day. I saw it lounging around the treed neighborhood too. On one occasion, it with its mate, I assume, was enjoying a freshly cracked walnut in the middle of the road. Luckily, the driver in an oncoming car slowed down to give the wobbling jaywalker enough time to escape to a nearby fence. At other times, it somehow recognized me when I was refilling the feeder. It awaited the treats I left for it. When there were no cats in sight, it zoomed down to where the treats were. Then it flew away to a neighbor’s roof to digest the many peanuts it managed to hold in its short beaks.

I have heard that crows are one of the smartest creatures in the animal kingdom. This is the reason some biologists called crows feathered apes. From what I have observed over the past several years since we moved to our present residence, they are indeed clever creatures. I saw crows throw nuts onto the road and let the drive-by traffic crack the nuts’ hard husk for them. Our backyard Crows also follow the grounded squirrels and watch where the bushy tailed rodents bury their peanuts. Once the furry ones are away from the cache, the feathered ones come to raid the safe and harvest the loot. How clever! - Ayee

Jumbo, The Great Croupier

2009-10-04T13:16:00.001-07:00

Talking about the smart elephants.

Years ago, one of our stepmother’s brothers told us stories of working elephants in Burma, now Myanmar, on the Sino-Peninsula. Our uncle served in the Air Force in World War II. He was fighting the Japanese in dense tropical forest. Fortunately, he was not injured during the war. So we got him back home unscathed. When visiting the family, he often amused us, the kids, with elephant stories from the war zone. We thought they were hilarious. And we never tired of hearing one particular story over and over. Imaging! A monster-sized beast like an elephant could work willingly along with its human handler.

Back in the 30's, Burmese forests were full of teaks and other oil-rich woods. Without powerful harvesting tractors like the ones we have now, the natives bred the local elephants in captivity and trained the docile resident pachyderms with their lumbering snout and curved tusks to fell and haul heavy trees. Surprisingly to know, in the old day the elephants also got paid for their hard works in the woods.

And the story goes like this:

After a day’s toiling in the humid jungles, both the elephant and its handler got paid for the day’s work. With Kyat in their pocket, or should we say in their "trunk," they returned to their camp to relax. And it's also time to get the money out of the elephant's snout for the provisions they needed. To get the elephant dislodge the money, its handler taught his workmate gambling with dice. To throw the dice cubes, the elephant must first let go of the cash held in its trunk. When the bet was placed, the happy giant was ready to roll. After each throw, to express its immense pleasure, the lumbering thrower would whirl around like what Jumbo, a circus elephant, did under the Big-Top on a small round platform. During its celebratory spin, its handler got chances to turn the dice face over to his advantage. At the end of the day, the most joyful croupier lost all of its wages to its trusted handler. - Ayee

Lucy, The Elephant

2009-09-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Recently, two Hollywood celebrities brought a zoo elephant to fame.

Bob Barker and William Shatner together with an animal welfare organization, "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals," (PETA) asked a city zoo to move the zoo's star attraction to a wildlife sanctuary in California.

Lucy, a 30-year-old Asian elephant, calls a zoo in Edmonton her home, sweet home. Edmonton happens to be in Alberta, Canada, that is known for its gushing oil wells and also below zero climate. During the long winter months, the lone Lucy has to stay in an indoor shelter that does not provide her with sufficient roaming spaces. That is why Messrs. Barker and Shatner and PETA wanted to move Lucy to a greener and warmer pasture. But her keepers did not see it is a good idea.

Too bad Lucy cannot tell us what she prefers. About six years ago there was another elephant in Canada who was in the same predicament as Lucy is in now. I hope the story of Tina can help the good-hearted people who care about Lucy’s welfare come up with a decision that is good for her.

Tina faced a similar tug-of-war between a zoo in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and a few animal welfare groups. I cannot remember how old Tina was then. She was the only elephant at the zoo and had suffered bad foot infection. After much heated exchanges between the concerned parties, her keepers surrendered her to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. An arduous three-day trip in a standing room only trailer and thousands of donated dollars did bring Tina to the remote sanctuary in one piece. She seemed to be happy at the expansive and lush pasture. Alas! Good time did not last for Tina. She died of foot infection only a few months after being transported to the elephant paradise. - Ayee

Broccoli Anyone?

2009-09-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I visited a Japanese China Store that sells colorful ceramic and stone dinner wares. I was disappointed at first for not finding what I was looking for. But I did not walk out of the store empty-handed. I found something priceless on a gift-wrapped mug. The writings in a gift tag on the cup offered me some timeless ideas. Not in its exact words, this is what is printed on that tag:

Secrets of Good Health

Eat less meat more vegetable.
Use less salt more vinegar.
Take less sugar more fruit.
Eat less chew more.
Dress lightly but bathe frequently.
Do less talking more working.
Get less angry more laughter.
Do less driving more walking.
Less worry more sleep.
Less taking more giving.

Good health to everyone! - Ayee

Star War

2009-09-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

In this battle, everyone wins.

This is the second year I watch this reality show. In spite of the fact that the show’s contestants are amateurs, their acts on live television are quite creative and professional. I am talking about the NBC’s talent show "America’s Got Talent."

Many will agree with me that not only this show in its fourth season is very entertaining, its contestants also bring the viewers many compelling stories to share.

Just mention a few. One group of young men grew up in a rough neighborhood. Instead of becoming street bums, they decided to play balls. The way they shot the balls into the lofty basket made me wonder if they were Globe Trotters' poster boys. Even though this group was not voted in for the final competition, the roaring applause and accolade its members received on the show will inspire them favorably in all their future endeavors. Another group of three siblings with angelic voices woke their comatose mother up with spiritual songs. One opera singer, a cancer survivor, soothed our souls with high-octave arias. And a humble chicken catcher crooned ballads that melted our hearts. There are two other male singers. Resulting from hard work, both of them are heading to stardom soon.

Tomorrow night we will know who is the winner among the ten terrific finalists. Their final performances last night were so great. I think all of them deserve the first prize. - Ayee

Desperate Measure (II)*

2009-09-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

Even though there was no satisfactory resolution on executives’ compensation at a recent banker’s meeting in Berlin, Germany. I am pleased to learn that one of the top guns on Wall Street did have a few workable ideas for his counterparts to consider. Here is what Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sache Group Inc., had suggested to rein in excessive bonus payments:

- Ban multiyear guaranteed contracts.
- Allow claw backs on incentive pays.
- Pay bonuses in company stock that can only be sold upon holder's retirement.

It is also very pleasing for me to learn that one of Mr. Blankfein’s astute suggestions is somewhat similar to the ones that I put forward in my previous blog "Desperate Measure," of February 8, 2009. Among other things, Mr. Blankfein's other ideas do not appear to be mind-boggling propositions and are easy to implement. Now it is up to the businesses and their leaders to put these straight-forward measures to work. Aside from what Mr. Blankfein had suggested, the company should have a payroll system that is fair to all employees. And compensation to executives is set in line with how the company pays its support staff. Last but not lest, the company's fair entitlement program shall never reward managers who take undue risks with other people’s money. Ayee

*Source: "Compensation backlash gains momentum," The Globe and Mail, Sept 10, 2009

A Simple Measure

2009-09-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

For pet owners, a simple tag can save a lot of heartache.

The other day my neighbor found a wondering puppy on the street. It was sniffing around the pavement by itself. The dog responded to her call happily and was ready to play. It is a small mixed breed of maybe Maltese or Bichon Frise. This cream color dog has a pair of big intense round eyes that would melt your heart. But its collar bears neither an id tag nor a dog license. Fortunately, this little dog lives in a house nearby and its owner was quick on his feet out looking for his wayward pet. So this story had a happy ending.

But not all strays are this lucky. Many people who lost their pets can tell you how heartbroken they were when they did not know where their loved Fidos or Fifis were.

Therefore, it is a must to secure an id tag on our pets. This simple measure would definitely help speed up the return of our best friends as the information on the id tag gives our lost pet a way to tell others what is their name and to whom they belong. - Ayee

To Buy or Not To Buy

2009-09-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

I started to pay attention to the troubled insurer, American International Group (AIG), when I read about its newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO), Robert Benmosche, and his sea side villa in Croatia.

Being an accomplished former chief executive of MetLife Inc., Mr. Benmosche seems to be the right person for the challenge. But the fact got most of my attention was the new executive’s decision to manage the nearly bankrupt company at his far away vineyard by the Adriatic Sea.

Even though I do agree with Mr. Benmosche’s insightful comments on outside consultants, I, not a sour grape( no pun intended), do have some reservations about absentia managers. As I learned later, it was an issue with AIG’s directors when Mr. Benmosche did not want to cancel his planned summer getaway.

I also noticed AIG’s share price rose 400% to above US$50 a share over the last few months. With scarcely any good news on the company, I wonder why the stock of a company with such grim prospect can be this pricey? - Ayee

Bonus or No Bonus

2009-08-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Executive compensation is in the news again. And we also have a new pay czar in place in the States.

Before the companies’ annual meeting, their shareholders are inundated with proxy statements. Many companies need more than 60 pages of write-ups to inform their shareholders on how much they have paid their top executives. It also includes what deferred compensation their executives are entitled to upon their retirements. For the ones who are taking home a seven-figure pay package annually, I wonder why their employers still have to worry about their retirements!

As far as the bonus is concerned, in some cases, it is an effective tool used to motivate employees. But when a company decides to pay bonuses, whether in cash or in restricted stock option, to its executives, to be fair it should also include all of its non-executive staff in the same scheme. After all, it is the rank-and-file staff who rake in revenues to enable the company to pay salary, bonus, rent and its other financial obligations.

Since bonuses to employees will not be a thing of the past, and the company boards had failed in reining in the exorbitant executive pays, the shareholders will have to rely on the government agencies, such as the pay czar’s office, to ensure the future executive compensations, including bonuses, are pegged at a reasonable and sustainable level. - Ayee

Raison D'etre

2009-08-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Something I saw on "60 Minutes" the other night was very upsetting.

I did not see the entire program but I did see a fisherman cutting the fins from a struggling live shark. I would call the person a liar if he or she told me the shark was not in excruciating pain when someone cut its flippers off with a sharp instrument. According to the reporter, after the fisherman got the fins, he threw the injured catch back to the sea to die.

Animal science is Greek to me. But many will agree with me there is a reason why there are so many other beings around us. In the animal kingdom including ourselves each species plays a crucial rule in the ecosystem. But so far it seems to many of us that we, the humans, have done more than our shares to harm and to endanger other animals living in our midst.

On the big white sharks, they are scavengers of the sea. They preyed on the diseased and the weak to keep the population of the marine life in check. On rare occasions they inflicted serious injury to humans. When they did, it is because we chose to encroach the beaches where sharks normally gathered.

In China, shark fin soup has been a delicatessen for years. I remember long ago, our late aunt prepared for us a clear chowder that was made of shark meat, bak choy and vinegar. She had also made soup with shark fins. While I welcomed the well-prepared foods, I could never tell if foods with shark parts improved my health more than other less mundane fares.

Today we have so many choices as far as our daily breads are concerned. We are also more conscious of the way how our foods are gathered. Therefore, it is high time that we say NO to shark fin soup for good. - Ayee

On Health Cares

2009-08-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Like many publicly-held corporations, North America’s medical providers are becoming albatrosses. The new health care bill that the US government is about to sign into the law has a lofty goal. But without reforming the basics in the health care system before hand, the new law to cover more Americans is just another piece of expensive legislation.

Since governments do play a crucial role on how the health cares are dispensed, they do have the responsibility to

- educate their citizens so they know how to take better care of themselves. Education will certainly help us make more informed decisions that can affect our life style choices.

- ensure health care providers are better equipped and taught to provide their learned services. They should be held responsible for the errors they made on patients. Besides apologizing to the wronged patients, the errant doctors must return to school to be re-trained.

- provide medical cares through smaller hospitals. Services from a smaller organization can be more personal that improves the communications between patients and doctors. Small entities are more transparent. So we can see better as to who did what. Since medical care costs are rising at an exorbitant rate, a smaller hospital can be more efficient and cost less to operate.

- disallow the "de-bundle" practice in medical services. This method of costing health therapies does help increase hospitals’ revenue, but requires expensive and diligent manpower to maintain accurate records.

Now good health to everyone! - Ayee

Cooperation Instead of Confrontation

2009-07-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

It is surreal to hear that a prominent academic got himself arrested by his neighborhood police officer. If Professor Henry Louis Gates, Junior, a Harvard scholar, were cooperative and more emphatic to what Sgt. Crowley was trying to do, this incident would undoubtedly conclude amiably to everyone’s satisfaction. I would think the respected prof would have more know-how under his sleeves to defuse a touchy situation. It also appears to me that no one in his neighborhood knows him and vice versa. But his neighbor did what concerned neighbors do. She called the police to protect his property.

This unsavory incident also reminds me of a classmate I had in a research course.

Our prof assigned me to work with an African-American student who was also a teacher on a reporting project. We were scheduled to meet the prof at an agreed time for further instruction on the specific reference materials that we could get from the library. For reasons unknown to me, my partner went to meet our prof before our appointment. Then when I got to the library looking up the reference item, the page with the details we needed was not there. Someone had cut it from the nicely bound book.

To this day, I still can not fathom why someone would destroy a perfect library book. And I will be very worried if that someone happens to be a teacher.- Ayee

The Tails of Two Owls*

2009-07-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

*"A Dog Who Wouldn’t Be," (1957) Farley Mowat
"Owls of the Family," ( 1961), Farley Mowat

I did not know I would get this much fun out of readings these two books. I thank the author for sharing his childhood experiences with the public. They are priceless. I often heard life in the Canadian prairie was boring. But based on Mr. Mowat’s accounts, his interactions with gophers, birds and many other wildlife in the Canadian dust bowls are fascinating.

Now let’s go back to Wol and Weep. As the book's title "Owls of the Family" suggests, this is a story of two orphaned owls. They were rescued by a young boy, Billy, and his pals, and kept as family pets for many years. Wol was named after the owl in "Winnie- the-Pooh," while Weep got his name from the weepy sound he made sometimes. I do not know if the harsh and cruel circumstance of which these two birds experienced at the time of their rescue can influence their future behaviors. Even though they were both from the same species of the owl family, each of them had a personality of their own. Wol was found in a wooded area. And he, a fledgling then, managed to survive a wretched storm on his own. He emerged from the merciless nature as a strong one. By the time he was cleaned and fed, he decided to follow these three nice young boys home for good.

The young Weep was saved from the hands of two bullies. He was seen at the bottom of an oil drum dodging the many stones that his captors were throwing at him. His first encounter with human beings was not an inviting one. This is why he was a timid one.

Wol was the daring one who played pranks even on the family dog, Mutt. On the other hand, Weep was always not so sure about himself. Mutt had become his body guard. This is why Weep did not get mentioned in the book often. And Wol was the one who got himself and his little friend in big trouble many times. Despite the facts that they lived as free as birds, the strong bond between these two owls and the young boy made them inseparable. They were definitely not barn owls. Because of Wol’s unpredictable behaviors, he caused the family lose their capable maid. He upset Billy’s French teacher when he landed on her lap, and he also scared the wits out of the country vicar when he decided to be friendly with the man of the cloth.

The story of these two beautiful country owls and the author's dog brought many laughs out of me. I will definitely revisit them again to amuse myself. - Ayee

Gentle Cures

2009-06-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

I just learned our perfectly healthy looking neighbor is very ill. And I am not surprised to hear that he reacted to chemo therapies badly. I do wish that he will get well soon so among other things he and his furry friend can enjoy their many daily walks in the neighborhood again.

This bad news makes me wonder why it is so easy to contract cancer now. Not only people suffer great deal from this deadly disease, their pets as well. Two of our cats contracted cancer this year. Both of them were gone now. And I also know at least two of our neighborhood dogs died of cancer not long ago. One of them had been treated with surgeries and chemo therapy.

Based on what I heard, it sounded to me cancer treatments are harsh ones. Someone had said the cancer patients suffered more from the treatments than the disease itself. There must be other therapies available that can cure cancers. If there are not, then I urge the esteemed medical professions work hard on finding cures that are kinder and gentler to their devastated patients. - Ayes

To Remember or Not to Remember

2009-06-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Last night on "60 Minutes," Andy Rooney was lamenting about his discriminating memory. Over the years, he had saved many documents and objects in cardboard boxes and wooden cases. But because he does not remember the reasons why he saves these items, he has seldom gone back to the letters and articles that he has saved in different receptacles. He also does not remember many happy things happened in his life. But he has no trouble recounting the bad experiences he has had in the past.

And Mr. Rooney is not alone in this predicament.

Many of us also had glutted our storage space with tons of useless objects and papers.

With respect to our personal memory banks, we do remember the bad occasions more often than the good ones. Somehow we tend to emphasize the bad times we have had but most likely to overlook the jolly ones. Maybe this is one of the reasons why many of us are living in a very unhappy life. Granted, when bad luck strikes us, the devastating and hurtful after shock can stay with us forever.

Once again, Mr. Rooney has something for me to ponder about. - Ayee

No More Caddies

2009-05-29T14:10:00.001-07:00

I am saddened by the news that another US business icon is on the brink of bankruptcy. General Motors Corporation (GM), once the largest car maker in the world, will be reorganized under the US’s bankruptcy laws according to the news. For years, because of its dominant role in car making, it offered decent jobs to millions in the US and around the world. Their reliable and stylish cars labeled under the brand names like Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile, were most popular ones in both the States and abroad. I also noticed many governments had deployed the elegant and stately Cadillacs to transport their dignitaries. Hopefully, the upcoming reorganization of the company will make it a leaner and more competitive car manufacturer that produces only fuel-efficient and reliable vehicles.

This news also reminds me of a dark-red Buick our late parents had in the old country. It was a four-door passenger car that was a very reliable transport for our parents. While our father never learned how to drive, our mother did. She probably was the only woman who drove a motor car in our neighborhood. On the weekends, our dear uncle and his colleagues would pile us, the kids, up in the car and go sightseeing. I and my siblings certainly had a whale of good time riding in this GM car. - Ayee

To Have or Not to Have

2009-05-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

I am talking about credit cards.

Many credit card holders face financial ruins by overextending credit to themselves. To avoid bankruptcy, some of them had to cut up all their plastics. By using credit cards irresponsibly, few of card holders had already bankrupted themselves.

Recently the US federal governments have enacted some new laws to protect credit card users. But these laws may not be necessary for the 70% of card holders who always pay off their credit card balance before the next billing day as well as for the consumers who refrain themselves from spending the money they have yet earned and from buying things that are beyond their ability to pay.

Based on my own experience, I found credit cards offer me many financial and non-financial benefits. Therefore, I always use my credit cards when shopping.

My reasons for using plastics to pay for purchases are:

It is more convenient than cash and is safer than having cash in my wallet.
It protects me from unscrupulous merchants.
The cards are welcome and acceptable by almost all businesses.
I can use credit cards to pay even utility bill, tuition, and insurance premium.
It allows me take advantage of bargains on the things I need.
It consolidates all of my purchases and simplifies my bookkeeping.
In an emergency, I can use credit cards to obtain cash.

- Ayee