Rainy day.

Don’t blame the rain for soaking you inside out literally. and all your notes.

Don’t blame the wind that blows off your hood.

Don’t blame the coldness that you have to bear.

Don’t blame the car for spattering mud onto you.

Don’t blame the bumps and hollows on the road.

Don’t blame the dim road condition that almost landed you in a cross- bar accident.

Don’t blame the weather.

Blame yourself. Why can’t you afford a car? 鬼叫你穷？

All the problems would not have arise if you own a car. So the root cause of the problem is actually no money. Because you can’t own a car, you can’t blame the problem of you going through to the city council, the drivers sped by, nor the rain god.

Poverty is a sin. Poor people complain the most because they always have so much problems. All of the problem human kind face today can be attributed partly to no money. That is the original sin that makes the poor people doomed from the start and the curse lingers on long after your death, and continues on to the next generation. It is true that Money can’t buy happiness, but poverty can certainly promise dejection.

金钱不是万能，但没钱却是万万不能。

Poverty. We all need salvation.

No one shall pretend to be aloof from material pursuit. We all need to earn more money to liberate ourselves from the curse of poverty.

人穷命苦，无可救药。

自命清高，冷死活该。

Rainy day. Bad mood.

Worries of a phish

Parents always worry about their children, sometimes unnecessarily. The first time I went for a strike, they warned me of possible danger; when I decided to sign up for a meditation course, they advised me against that… then when I tell them I am going to Ecuador for a volunteering program, they worry again… but I think they maybe right this time and I am starting to worry also…

Yes I spent 3000 euros (RM 15,000!!) to go to Ecuador for a one-month volunteering activity… right after I submitted my deposit, I begin to think about my parent’s word… how can I be sure that this ISV organization really exist and it is not a bogus one? Based on the leaflet? The website? The letter sent to me? The M-16 girl (that talks like a firing gun)? I don’t have anything to verify its existence let alone its authenticity.

This is the problem with transnational organization. You can't see a physical building or anyone in charge… only a website and a pamphlet… nothing tangible… I felt just like being dubbed into a phising site as I volunteering my information to some unknown place while they are lurking in the dark awaiting to rip me off… then I think of the people involved in Skim Cepat Kaya (Rapid Wealth Scheme?) in the 80’s… that’s probably a reason why so many people got deceived… but my predicament here is like having paid the first installment only to find that the developer may not exist at all…

Amidst my worry then Sean came and told me that his mum nearly fall into the trap of a phising site. She was asked to verify (actually to cancel) a fake paypal transaction and the website requires all her paypal account details including the password… ohh… when more enterprises are going cyber ironically I would now prefer the traditional paper work system in a concrete building… the world is such an insecure place that I can't really trust anything intangible…

300 and 3000… to pay or not to pay?

历史

临处决前他还紧怀着一个愿景：他希望他的牺牲能为下一代带来和平……

四十年后，当历史已被载入史册，印在课本，年轻人坐在舒适的课室里，此时清风翻书，血泪无痕。

当斗争开始时，没有人想到结局会是这样子的。在压迫最紧的时候大家都忍了下来，为什么现在才要提反抗呢？最后是四个年轻人在枪声中打破了僵局，四名英军被击毙。Damien 在策划此事时从没有想过要开创历史，他只是存粹不想再受英军欺压。

和平愈发维艰。无知的村民仍期待着不流血的解决方案，年轻人却决定抛弃这天真的想法。事实上，他们也没有其他的路可选择，英方正在彻查昨天下午的命案。他们离开了家到森林去，为即将来临的游击战做好准备，但他们的行踪却一个小子被卖给了市长。

当Damien 被押着拷问时，他已准备舍生取义，宁死不屈。不过有些痛楚是比死还难受。他在自己的惨叫声中听到隔壁囚室同志的爱国歌声，他勉力挣扎却昏了过去。最后他们被一个爱尔兰狱卒放走。霎那间他突然领悟到：在这非常时期，最可怕的不是敌方的枪火，而是自己国人的军心。

逃出生天后，他第一件要做的事就是巩固军心。他找来了出卖他的小子及效劳英方的市长，当众处决他们。枪杆对准了他们，他有点为难。那小子其实也是身不由己，他知道他的苦衷。可是该做的必须去做。他完成以后丢下枪支转身就跑。他须要一点时间冷静。杀人须要勇气，尤其是杀死认识的人更是，不过他已经在培养这一切。

革命没有想象中的简单。他有澎湃的热血，不过他仍须要战斗技巧的磨练。离开了家的安逸，他现在是与丛林为伍。但他不以为苦，因为他有女友的坚定支持。两人有着共同的目标。

他们埋伏突袭一支军队，射杀了全军13个人，夺得了许多火器。他们的第一次出击就拿到了他们要的东西。战争已经开始了，英军严阵以待这股新崛起的势力。现在的他终于明白，想要不费一兵一卒就把英军驱逐出境是多么天真的想法。如果流血是无可避免的，他只希望流的是敌人的血，而不是自己的。

敌方很快就搜上门来。他站在丘上，看着英军楸出自己的女友，放火烧屋。他怒火中烧，要不是伙伴的极力压制，他早就冲下去了。这场战役他最放不下的就是她，他多么害怕如果失去了她，他是否还有战斗下去的意志。但他没料到最后他却比她先走一步。

正当他准备好硬碰硬迎战英军时，和平条约的签署却使整个局面发生了变化。许多人都以为事情已经结束，英军准备撤离了。但他和她很清楚条约并不是那么的简单，他们仍在大英帝国的统辖。爱尔兰人分化整两派，大家对下一步的行动激烈的争辩。他的朋友这时决定投靠政府，为重建爱尔兰尽一份力。此举就注定了日后的悲剧。

他的第二次起义失败被捕。在牢中他的朋友劝服他不果，他始终坚持自己的想法。当他写下他的遗书，他一心只想让爱尔兰的下一代能够在和平自主的土地生长。这时的他已不是五年前为了革命而革命的毛头小子了。遗书在处决的下午快马送到。他的朋友看着失声痛哭的她，想到刚才亲自主持的开火令，久久不能自己……

editted from the movie the wind that shakes the barley

historical background: History of Ireland

In Bree’s closet

Bree Van De Kamp has this little secret in her closet that she just want to keep to herself… until one day Lynette’s children ran away while under her guardian. It was then revealed that she is an alcoholic…

At the weekend of Halloween Tesco was having a promotion on all wines… and so happen that I found a wine opener in the house… then I ended up with a bottle of wine in my fridge now. Ever since I have been drinking wine every night… I found wine is so versatile: it is good for casserole, any meats or fish, excellent with cheese and above all great to enjoy by itself. I reserve little moment at night to relish my wine… until I see the prospect of turning into an alcoholic…

Who on earth become alcoholic by drinking wine alone? Well, Bree does. The one thing that I learned from this TV show is that a wine drinker can also turn to an alcoholic… ohh, I better curb myself before the crave grows further…

Then on the weekend came a surprising news from Harvard University that successfully proved that red wine contains a substance resveratrol that can help to extend life while maintaining quality of life in mice. Read more

The finding was a timely relief to my worries particularly the part that mentions that red wine can help lowering cholesterol level. Also as stressed by the researcher you need to drink up to 100 glasses of wine to take in the same dosage of resveratrol... it simply means that the more the merrier! Now there is no more problem for me to profess my liking for wine. I sincerely appreciate the research and I am sure Bree will agree with me too. Cheers to David Sinclair!!