My Easter break starts on Monday. We have a long break this year because it is combined with the Chinese holiday "Ching Ming" or grave sweeping day. It is a day to go honor the memory of parents or siblings who have died. The Chinese ancestor worship is involved but it is possible to celebrate the holiday as a Christian and not sin as the ancestor worship is optional. My wife will go to her mother's grave in China on Sunday.
My wife has also informed me that I'm going to get back on my exercise program over the break. She wants me to run, walk or ride my bike 3 hours a day. I guess she has confused me with an over achiever.
My idea of a vacation is a recliner, a big screen TV with lots of DVD's, a Computer with some new games and telephone that only calls for pizza.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Lazier than the Average Bear Blogger
Friday, March 31, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
Rain
It has been raining for a week.
I once heard Hong Kong described as the city of 6 million eye level umbrellas. Boy is that apt!
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Almost Got His Eyes Poked out On The Way To Work Blogger
I once heard Hong Kong described as the city of 6 million eye level umbrellas. Boy is that apt!
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Almost Got His Eyes Poked out On The Way To Work Blogger
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Evil, Depraved Barbarians
Here is a link to a story about a girl that was married at the age of four in Afghanistan.
AS IN 4-Years OLD!!!!!
It gets worse. They made her do hard labor, denied her any form of education and beat her almost daily.
AS IN 4-Years OLD!!!!!
It gets worse. They made her do hard labor, denied her any form of education and beat her almost daily.
What kind of society marries grown men to four-year old little girls? A society of misogynist child molesters that's what kind.
She ranaway from her husband and in-laws after enduring years of torture and abuse at the age of 11.
Limped away is probably a better term. When she left they'd broken her right arm and foot. She hide under a rickshaw and was taken to the city of Kabul where she was able to get help.
She has huge, ugly scars all over her back and legs. She has a bald spot on her head where they poured boiling water over her head.
If you are female can you imagine being a victim of spousal abuse for 7 years by the time you were 11-years old?
First Abdul Rahman and now this.
If this is indicative of the type of society that exist in Afghanistan and the rest of the Islamic world then I say they are not worth saving from the dictators they've allowed to rule them. If this is what Arab society has become, and it apparently is, as this sort of thing seems to be very wide spread; then Arab society is beyond redemption. If these are examples of the "Moderate Muslims" that the US went into Afghanistan to rescue from bin Laden and the Taliban then I say they are not worth saving.
While it is true that such things happen in the West; it isn't true that they are tolerated by neighbors and people who do such things are DENOUNCED in church and synagogue. Child molesters are not allowed to openly abuse children or spouses for years. They must do it in secret. This happened and many people knew, they made the girl sleep outside, in the cold without a blanket. It isn't enough that after she was discovered by the authorities they arrested the father-in-law. They should executed the whole family and put the neighbors in jail.
I am almost, not quite ready to say that the kindest way that the world could deal with Muslims would be to simply kill them. Every man and every woman and every child over the age of 12. As cruel and hard as that sounds it would alleviate so much misery, hate and violence it might be worth the price. I'd not want to be the person that gives the order to do that.
Islam is a death cult. It is maintained by evil depraved men and if non-Islamic nations really believed in justice they would take steps to abolish Islam, by force if necessary. Islam makes the Nazi's look good. The sooner it goes extinct the better.
If some Muslim reads this and wants to call a Fatwah on me go ahead. But, before you come after me go kill the men that did this to a little girl and caused me to defame Islam. If the god of Islam condones this type of behavior or thinks it is ok because, as one Muslim has told me, "Women are more sinful than men" then I am a proud unbeliever. Allah is not the God that I believe in. Allah is at best, a demon. More probably Allah is a creation of a man who had a deep seated need to control and abuse women. I wouldn't treat a dog or cow or horse way that this girl was treated and if these people had lived next door to me I'd have taken whatever steps were needed to have stopped this abuse. But, then I'm not a Muslim am I? Kind of makes those Muslim men in Abu Gharib look like pansy-assed whinners too. Geez, wouldn't it have been nice if they'd only made this girl where underwear on her head?
I am appalled that I would write this. I am more appalled that a religion as barbaric, backwards and evil as Islam could deceive so many people of the world. It is apparent that Islam is a cancer devouring a large portion of humanity. It takes people and turns them into monsters. I also hate what Islam does to me and I'm not Islamic. It tempts me to hate a whole group of people. It causes me to wish for the deaths of millions. My God, what a monstrous evil. It even causes those who don't follow it to sin.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Horrified at Islam and His Visceral Reaction to it Blogger
As IN 11-YEARS OLD!!!!!
Limped away is probably a better term. When she left they'd broken her right arm and foot. She hide under a rickshaw and was taken to the city of Kabul where she was able to get help.
She has huge, ugly scars all over her back and legs. She has a bald spot on her head where they poured boiling water over her head.
If you are female can you imagine being a victim of spousal abuse for 7 years by the time you were 11-years old?
First Abdul Rahman and now this.
If this is indicative of the type of society that exist in Afghanistan and the rest of the Islamic world then I say they are not worth saving from the dictators they've allowed to rule them. If this is what Arab society has become, and it apparently is, as this sort of thing seems to be very wide spread; then Arab society is beyond redemption. If these are examples of the "Moderate Muslims" that the US went into Afghanistan to rescue from bin Laden and the Taliban then I say they are not worth saving.
While it is true that such things happen in the West; it isn't true that they are tolerated by neighbors and people who do such things are DENOUNCED in church and synagogue. Child molesters are not allowed to openly abuse children or spouses for years. They must do it in secret. This happened and many people knew, they made the girl sleep outside, in the cold without a blanket. It isn't enough that after she was discovered by the authorities they arrested the father-in-law. They should executed the whole family and put the neighbors in jail.
I am almost, not quite ready to say that the kindest way that the world could deal with Muslims would be to simply kill them. Every man and every woman and every child over the age of 12. As cruel and hard as that sounds it would alleviate so much misery, hate and violence it might be worth the price. I'd not want to be the person that gives the order to do that.
Islam is a death cult. It is maintained by evil depraved men and if non-Islamic nations really believed in justice they would take steps to abolish Islam, by force if necessary. Islam makes the Nazi's look good. The sooner it goes extinct the better.
If some Muslim reads this and wants to call a Fatwah on me go ahead. But, before you come after me go kill the men that did this to a little girl and caused me to defame Islam. If the god of Islam condones this type of behavior or thinks it is ok because, as one Muslim has told me, "Women are more sinful than men" then I am a proud unbeliever. Allah is not the God that I believe in. Allah is at best, a demon. More probably Allah is a creation of a man who had a deep seated need to control and abuse women. I wouldn't treat a dog or cow or horse way that this girl was treated and if these people had lived next door to me I'd have taken whatever steps were needed to have stopped this abuse. But, then I'm not a Muslim am I? Kind of makes those Muslim men in Abu Gharib look like pansy-assed whinners too. Geez, wouldn't it have been nice if they'd only made this girl where underwear on her head?
I am appalled that I would write this. I am more appalled that a religion as barbaric, backwards and evil as Islam could deceive so many people of the world. It is apparent that Islam is a cancer devouring a large portion of humanity. It takes people and turns them into monsters. I also hate what Islam does to me and I'm not Islamic. It tempts me to hate a whole group of people. It causes me to wish for the deaths of millions. My God, what a monstrous evil. It even causes those who don't follow it to sin.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Horrified at Islam and His Visceral Reaction to it Blogger
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Free Abdul Rahman
If the government of Afganistan imprisions or execute Abdul Rahman then the United States should IMMEDIATELY withdraw all of its troops from that country.
The men and women of the US military did not liberate Afganistan from a brutal tyranny only to have the new governmant allow brutal tyranny to be practiced
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The men and women of the US military did not liberate Afganistan from a brutal tyranny only to have the new governmant allow brutal tyranny to be practiced
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
Monday, March 20, 2006
The Holy Vacuum Cleaner
This past weekend my stunningly beautiful wife convinced me to go see what the Chinese call a “bonesetter” or Chinese traditional doctor. These should not be confused with the Chinese herbalist who boil various plants to make a medicinal soup. The bonsetters are more like physical therapist who treat trauma where as the herbalist treat things like colds and flu.
I’ve had chronic hamstring pain, especially in my left leg since I tore, not merely pulled the muscle when I was 13 running track in Jr. High School. I’ve spent countless hours stretching and swallowed countless numbers of aspirins to relieve pain and reduce swelling. But mainly, over the years, I’ve just gotten used to the pain.
I must admit, I’m not the biggest believer in alternative medicine. In this case I was skeptical because of the explanation of the doctor as to what she was doing. Supposedly, she was replacing the bad air or spirit in the leg. To do this she combined a very vigorous, painful message with a heat and suction treatment using a machine that can only be described as a combination vacuum cleaner, hairdryer and Plumber’s Helper. This suction heat device had an official seal of the Tibetan Medicinal Medicine Society on it so, I guess, it must have been a high quality device. Kind of a Holy Tibetan Vacuum Cleaner.
I also figured, devious man that I am that if something went wrong and I lost my legs as a result of this treatment then my wife would have to be nice to me and buy me what ever I want for the rest of my life.
The treatment consisted of alternating sessions of applied heat, massage and suction. She’d use this thing that applied heat to the muscle in either a contact mode or by blowing hot air over the area she was working on. It felt like it was going to bake my leg. I mean this was uncomfortably hot and very concentrated. The purpose of this was to place good air or spirit into the leg. I was sure I was going to have burns on the back of my leg.
She would then massage the affected, but now very warm muscle. Massage is perhaps the wrong word. The idea of massage to me means relaxing, pleasant and enjoyable. This hurt. She would sort of pinch the muscle and lift and twist it. It felt like a dog was taking bites out of the back of my leg. The purpose of this was to both work the good air into the leg and loosen the bad air. I just knew I was going have bruises on the back of my leg when she was done.
After burning and twisting she applied suction with that device that looked like a vacuum cleaner hose with a plumber’s helper on the end. We aren’t talking about the little suction cups that physiotherapist sometimes use. This thing was big and powerful. I bet the people at Kirby, Rainbow, Hoover or Eureka would be envious of the airflow this thing produced. We are talking about feeling like this thing was going to eat the part of my leg that the dog hadn’t taken! This was suppossed to suck the bad air out of my leg. At the very least I thought I was going to have vacuum cleaner hickies all over the back of my leg
This whole process took about 40-45 minutes as she repeated the process several times.
She said I need to go back several more times.
As I said, I was skeptical. Having been a bicycle racer and long distance runner I know that doctors do not recommend applying heat to an injury but rather cold. Also, the goofy Buddhist philosophy explanation was absolute hokum and made me think that this was going to be a worthless, though expensive waste of time.
Amazingly, I have neither burns nor bruises and I don’t have vacuum hickies either. My hamstring hasn’t felt this good since I was 13 years-old.
What I decided was the therapy works but not for the reason the Chinese bonesetter believes. I think it is kind of like Ptolemaic astronomy. If all you are interested in is finding the time of sun rise tomorrow it works just fine. However, the reality behind the theory is wrong. But, if a Ptolemaic astronomer predicted an eclipse over Hong Kong, I would probably be safe in believing that an eclipse would occur. I have to separate the goofy from the therapy.
I think I’m going to go back and get some treatment.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Nearly Pain Free Blogger
I’ve had chronic hamstring pain, especially in my left leg since I tore, not merely pulled the muscle when I was 13 running track in Jr. High School. I’ve spent countless hours stretching and swallowed countless numbers of aspirins to relieve pain and reduce swelling. But mainly, over the years, I’ve just gotten used to the pain.
I must admit, I’m not the biggest believer in alternative medicine. In this case I was skeptical because of the explanation of the doctor as to what she was doing. Supposedly, she was replacing the bad air or spirit in the leg. To do this she combined a very vigorous, painful message with a heat and suction treatment using a machine that can only be described as a combination vacuum cleaner, hairdryer and Plumber’s Helper. This suction heat device had an official seal of the Tibetan Medicinal Medicine Society on it so, I guess, it must have been a high quality device. Kind of a Holy Tibetan Vacuum Cleaner.
I also figured, devious man that I am that if something went wrong and I lost my legs as a result of this treatment then my wife would have to be nice to me and buy me what ever I want for the rest of my life.
The treatment consisted of alternating sessions of applied heat, massage and suction. She’d use this thing that applied heat to the muscle in either a contact mode or by blowing hot air over the area she was working on. It felt like it was going to bake my leg. I mean this was uncomfortably hot and very concentrated. The purpose of this was to place good air or spirit into the leg. I was sure I was going to have burns on the back of my leg.
She would then massage the affected, but now very warm muscle. Massage is perhaps the wrong word. The idea of massage to me means relaxing, pleasant and enjoyable. This hurt. She would sort of pinch the muscle and lift and twist it. It felt like a dog was taking bites out of the back of my leg. The purpose of this was to both work the good air into the leg and loosen the bad air. I just knew I was going have bruises on the back of my leg when she was done.
After burning and twisting she applied suction with that device that looked like a vacuum cleaner hose with a plumber’s helper on the end. We aren’t talking about the little suction cups that physiotherapist sometimes use. This thing was big and powerful. I bet the people at Kirby, Rainbow, Hoover or Eureka would be envious of the airflow this thing produced. We are talking about feeling like this thing was going to eat the part of my leg that the dog hadn’t taken! This was suppossed to suck the bad air out of my leg. At the very least I thought I was going to have vacuum cleaner hickies all over the back of my leg
This whole process took about 40-45 minutes as she repeated the process several times.
She said I need to go back several more times.
As I said, I was skeptical. Having been a bicycle racer and long distance runner I know that doctors do not recommend applying heat to an injury but rather cold. Also, the goofy Buddhist philosophy explanation was absolute hokum and made me think that this was going to be a worthless, though expensive waste of time.
Amazingly, I have neither burns nor bruises and I don’t have vacuum hickies either. My hamstring hasn’t felt this good since I was 13 years-old.
What I decided was the therapy works but not for the reason the Chinese bonesetter believes. I think it is kind of like Ptolemaic astronomy. If all you are interested in is finding the time of sun rise tomorrow it works just fine. However, the reality behind the theory is wrong. But, if a Ptolemaic astronomer predicted an eclipse over Hong Kong, I would probably be safe in believing that an eclipse would occur. I have to separate the goofy from the therapy.
I think I’m going to go back and get some treatment.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Nearly Pain Free Blogger
Monday, March 13, 2006
The Rain in Spain
It got chilly and rainy overnight.
This is strange weather and it should be warmer than it is. I don't like chilly weather.
I guess if I were in Spain I could move to the mountains or the coast and avoid the rain on the plain. In Hong Kong when it rains it rains all over.
I want some hot dry weather.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
Who wishes he was in a desert.
This is strange weather and it should be warmer than it is. I don't like chilly weather.
I guess if I were in Spain I could move to the mountains or the coast and avoid the rain on the plain. In Hong Kong when it rains it rains all over.
I want some hot dry weather.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
Who wishes he was in a desert.
Friday, March 10, 2006
A Walk in the Park
Walled City park in Hong Kong is a must see place if you ever come here. It used to be a slum that was made out of an old Imperial Chinese fort. When the Chinese Empire became the Republic of China in 1911 the fort was basically abandoned. However, because the fort was specifically excluded in the lease of Kowloon the local Hong Kong Police had no authority go there. For many years it was a lawless place full of opium dens, prostitutes and criminals who would live there to avoid the laws of Hong Kong. The missionary Jackie Pullinger began her work with drug addicts in Hong Kong in this place at great personal risk to her self in the 1970’s. In (I think) 1989, as the handover neared the Hong Kong Government obtained permission to take control of the Walled City. The squatters were relocated to other areas of Hong Kong and the slum demolished. The area was turned into a park complete with a botanical garden and the old fort was made into a museum. The slum that was once a dangerous, lawless eyesore has become a wonderful urban park jewel. Jackie Pullinger is now on Lantau Island and the drug addicts must take a ferry to see her.
Like most of the parks in Hong Kong the Walled City Park is heavily used at all hours of the day and night. I walk through the Walled City Park everyday at about 6:45 AM on my way to work. At that time the park is primarily full of elderly people doing Tai Chi or admiring the flowers, listening to the birds sing or simply sitting on a bench and talking with each other over an early morning smoke; quite a pleasant place to walk through on my way to work.
There is one elderly couple in particular that caught my eye for several years. The husband had, I believe, suffered a severe a stroke. He was partially paralyzed on his right side. He could stand but couldn’t really walk. He had a cord attached to the top of a special shoe. His wife would walk beside him, actually arm in arm with him and lift his right leg using the cord from his shoe. He would then move his right leg forward in a halting step and then take an unassisted step with his left foot. I’m sure it would take hours for them to walk through the park like this.
What a picture of marital devotion! This old couple became something of an inspiration to me. I’ve found myself wondering if I could be so faithful to a disabled spouse? I am ashamed to say I cannot positively say yes. But, sometimes you don’t know what you can do until you have to it. I might surprise myself. I hope I never have to find out. I also hope my wife never has to care for me like this.
It is unusual to see such devoted caring in public places.
I hadn’t seen this couple in quite a while. I didn’t see them everyday so it took awhile for me to realize they were not coming for their walks anymore. I haven’t seen the couple but today I saw the wife. She had the white armband that Chinese sometimes wear when they are in mourning. She was sitting on a bench by herself, in the park, near the botanical garden. I wanted to weep. I wanted to go over and give her a hug and tell I feel her loss. I couldn’t, I don’t really know her. I wish I did.
I don't know who the elderly man was, but may he rest in peace.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger in Mourning
Like most of the parks in Hong Kong the Walled City Park is heavily used at all hours of the day and night. I walk through the Walled City Park everyday at about 6:45 AM on my way to work. At that time the park is primarily full of elderly people doing Tai Chi or admiring the flowers, listening to the birds sing or simply sitting on a bench and talking with each other over an early morning smoke; quite a pleasant place to walk through on my way to work.
There is one elderly couple in particular that caught my eye for several years. The husband had, I believe, suffered a severe a stroke. He was partially paralyzed on his right side. He could stand but couldn’t really walk. He had a cord attached to the top of a special shoe. His wife would walk beside him, actually arm in arm with him and lift his right leg using the cord from his shoe. He would then move his right leg forward in a halting step and then take an unassisted step with his left foot. I’m sure it would take hours for them to walk through the park like this.
What a picture of marital devotion! This old couple became something of an inspiration to me. I’ve found myself wondering if I could be so faithful to a disabled spouse? I am ashamed to say I cannot positively say yes. But, sometimes you don’t know what you can do until you have to it. I might surprise myself. I hope I never have to find out. I also hope my wife never has to care for me like this.
It is unusual to see such devoted caring in public places.
I hadn’t seen this couple in quite a while. I didn’t see them everyday so it took awhile for me to realize they were not coming for their walks anymore. I haven’t seen the couple but today I saw the wife. She had the white armband that Chinese sometimes wear when they are in mourning. She was sitting on a bench by herself, in the park, near the botanical garden. I wanted to weep. I wanted to go over and give her a hug and tell I feel her loss. I couldn’t, I don’t really know her. I wish I did.
I don't know who the elderly man was, but may he rest in peace.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger in Mourning
Thursday, March 09, 2006
I'm Barry Sorry (and Bary should be more than sorry too.)
I am probably not going to read the book "Game of Shadows" that comes out next week. I don't feel I need to. I find it more than unbelievable that at this point anyone could believe that Barry Bonds didn't set all those records in Baseball without being pumped up on steroids.
He should retire. He should retire now. He should simply fade into the woodwork.
So should Rafiel Palmero
Jose Canseco should have himself comitted to a mental institution.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Baseball fan blogger
He should retire. He should retire now. He should simply fade into the woodwork.
So should Rafiel Palmero
Jose Canseco should have himself comitted to a mental institution.
Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Baseball fan blogger
Monday, March 06, 2006
Who's what?
I sometimes post on user groups that deal with various hobbies and inerest. Holy Cow, do people get upset of trivial things.
I think most people can deal with religion and politics better than they can a discussion on what is "Emo" or "Punk" or "Aero" or how "stiffness" in a bicycle frame relates to a fast bike.
I'd rather not deal with people's affectations
I think most people can deal with religion and politics better than they can a discussion on what is "Emo" or "Punk" or "Aero" or how "stiffness" in a bicycle frame relates to a fast bike.
I'd rather not deal with people's affectations
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