Sarko the Lady Killer

Take that Bill Clinton!

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger Who has never had a Chinese Pop Singer propose to him

The Eyes of Texas are Upon You

I have had no contact with UT Austin since I graduated. Yet I have, 11 years after the last time I set foot on their campus started to receive the "Texas Exes Newsletter." I know other alumni of other institutions that have experienced the same phenomenon. You can never get away. They always find you. It is actually kind of scary. It makes me think that the UT fight song which is sung at football games is more than a simple song. The eyes of Texas are upon you, All the live long day. The eyes of Texas are upon you, You cannot get away. Do not think you can escape them, At night, or early in the morn'. The eyes of Texas are upon you, 'Till Gabriel blows his horn! Maybe they really are watching me It seems to me that that if the United States really wanted to find Osama bin Ladin they would have somebody in the CIA issue him an MBA from the UT school of business and then wait for the alumni association to start sending him emails. Until Next Time Fai Mao The Blogger who doesn't bleed orange The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to bring you @Texas, an electronic newsletter for alumni and friends to keep you in touch with developments affecting the campus and the University and alumni communities.

@Texas Volume 6, Number 7 November 29, 2007 Twelve New Harrington Fellows Named Astrophysics Student Named Rhodes Scholar First Stadium Remembered on 100th Anniversary Study Shows Kids Benefit From Learning About Racism Tree Of Life For Flowering Plants Reveals Relationships B.M. “Mack” Rankin Jr. Honored as Outstanding Texas Ex Top Story of the Week TWELVE NEW HARRINGTON FELLOWS NAMED The University’s Donald D. Harrington Fellows Program, one of the nation’s premier visiting scholar and graduate fellow programs, begins its seventh year with a new group of scholars. Sybil B. Harrington created the program as a tribute to her late husband, and the Sybil B. Harrington Trust and The Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation provided a $30 million endowment to support gifted and ambitious scholars who come to UT from institutions throughout the world. more about Harrington Fellows... ASTROPHYSICS STUDENT NAMED RHODES SCHOLAR Sarah Miller, an astronomy and physics major who will graduate in May, was selected as a Rhodes Scholar for 2008. She is one of 32 students in America to be honored with the scholarship. Miller, a Dallas native, was cited in the official Rhodes Trust press release not only for her accomplishments in the field of astronomy and physics, but also for her ability as a rock, jazz and classical music composer, performer and instrumentalist. more about Sarah Miller... FIRST STADIUM REMEMBERED ON 100TH ANNIVERSARY Now that the regular season for football has ended, work continues at a frenzied pace on the renovations to the north end of Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. At a reported cost of $175 million, the new north end should be completed by next August and will boost the capacity to 90,000 fans. Amid all this activity, remember that 100 years ago this week, University students planned, financed and constructed the first stadium on the campus. And they did it in less than two weeks and for under $1,000. more about first stadium... STUDY SHOWS KIDS BENEFIT FROM LEARNING ABOUT RACISM Challenging the idea that racism education could be harmful to students, a new study from the University found the results of learning about historical racism are primarily positive. Psychologists Rebecca Bigler and Julie Milligan Hughes found white children who received history lessons about discrimination against famous African Americans had significantly more positive attitudes toward African Americans than those who received lessons with no mention of racism. more about racism study... TREE OF LIFE FOR FLOWERING PLANTS REVEALS RELATIONSHIPS The evolutionary Tree of Life for flowering plants has been revealed using the largest collection of genomic data of these plants to date, report scientists from the University and the University of Florida. The scientists found that the two largest groups of flowering plants, monocots (grasses and their relatives) and eudicots (including sunflowers and tomatoes), are more closely related to each other than to any of the other major lineages. more about Tree of Life... B.M. “MACK” RANKIN JR. HONORED AS OUTSTANDING TEXAS EX President William Powers Jr. joined the Texas Exes Dallas Chapter on Nov. 17 to honor B.M. “Mack” Rankin Jr. as the 2007 Outstanding Dallas Texas Ex. In addition to honoring Rankin for his support of the University and the Dallas community, the event also raised money for the Texas Exes Dallas Chapter’s scholarship endowment. Since 1996, the Dallas Chapter has awarded 325 scholarships totaling about $517,000 to local students. more about Mack Rankin...

Hong Kong Christmas Carols

Here is the link to some of the Hong Kong Christmas Carols I've done in the past

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Carol Composing Blogger

O Little Town of Tin Shui Wai

I rewrite some carols for Christmas in Hong Kong every year. Most of the time they are somewhat light hearted but I found myself in a darker mood today. The words don't quite fit on this one but it still sort of captures what I wanted to say. For those not from Hong Kong; Tin Shui Wai is a government housing development that is miles from anywhere and filled with poorly educated, immigrants from the PRC. It has a very high suicide rate and of late has had several horrific murder suicides. In one a mother used duct tape to bind her children's arms and legs and then threw them from a 26th story window before jumping herself. The governments response has essentially been to be a sounding brass and clanging cymbal.

I'll probably post a more light hearted carol in a couple of days.

O Little Town of Tin Shui Wai

O little town of Tin Shui Wai,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep unemployed sleep
The silent stars drive by;
Yet the dark Mercedes hideth
The everlasting bureaucrat;
Whose hopes and fears for retirement years
Are fading as you die.

For children born of immigrants,
And gathered in one place
While parents work the siblings keep
their watch of indifferent love.
O buildings packed together
Proclaim the builder's greed.
In flats so small a barbie doll.
Would find them cramped and leave.

How silently, how silently
The wordless grief is given!
The hopeless lives of migrant wives
Their fate fixed for all time.
No ear may hear them falling;
‘till on the ground they lie,
Where hopeless grief collides with concrete
And all we can do is cry.

Where children bound hand and foot,
Pray simply be spared;
Their misery cries out to me,
Can we not do better by thee?
Where charity stands watching,
And LEGCO holds wide the door,
The dark night screams, the body breaks,
and the coroner comes once more.

O lonely child of Tin Shui Wai,
Descend not to the pavement, we pray;
Cast not out thy self but stay within;
Find some hope in life today!
There is be more for you than you see
More than the Donald Tsang could ever say;
For though it is true that he has ignored you
You don't deserve to die.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Christmas Caroling Blogger

Man shoots goat after wife wouldn't bring him beer

I didn't know that Wisconsin had a border with Arkansas.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who has never shot his wife's goat.

Skin cells transformed without embryos

Just because it is interesting.

I'll let others think of the ethical and moral implications of this.


Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who isn't a scientist

Happy Holidays

Presented as a morning devotion for teachers in a private school in Hong Kong on November 19, 2007

18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened like this: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

19: Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21: And she shall bring forth a son, and you will call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22: Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:18-25

My really smart, looks 25 years younger than she is, hard working, successful, and loving wife did something that I should have expected this weekend but caught me by surprise anyway.

She put up and decorated a Christmas tree. Seeing as it is almost Thanksgiving and some of the buildings in Central already have their gaudy light displays that change from Christmas to Julian New Year to Chinese New Year up I shouldn’t have been surprised by this but I was. I realized on Saturday that this was the first time I can remember that I was not really looking forward to the holiday season. This has been a tough year for us and the end of the year is going to be even tougher.

The school I work for moves to a new building in a month and I’m somewhat stressed about packing and moving. But more than that, my wife and I have made plans this year for our careers that God has set aside three times. We’ve canceled airline tickets that were non-refundable, lost a couple of friends over our changed plans and generally been in a state of uncertainty about where to live and what to do. The wife decided not to take a job in Singapore and I decided to not pursue one in Fort Worth. Each of us really wanted these but simply felt that God has something else for us. He isn’t telling us what that something is. Lastly our daughter is coming back for a visit this Christmas and is bringing “The Boyfriend” with her for us to meet. I’m not looking forward to it. All of these things and probably a few others had conspired to make me apprehensive of the approaching holiday season

And then I thought of Mary. I find it odd that we don’t know more of her family in the Bible. Imagine your reaction if your daughter came in and said “Dad, I’ve just talked to an angel and he said I’m going to become pregnant with the Messiah even though I’m a virgin.” Try explaining that to your neighbors! I bet Mary’s parents were not looking forward to that first Christmas. I doubt that Joseph was in much of a festive mood either. It would appear to me that there would be a lot in such a narrative that would be of spiritual value. All we can know is that it was probably a stressful time for everyone concerned. Yet, out of this very difficult situation came the greatest of blessings.

Anyway, while thinking of Mary and her family and Joseph and his concerns this weekend I realized anew that I simply need to be thankful for what has gone on in my life this year. I was reminded how easy it is to focus on what is wrong and the things I don’t like and to miss the blessings falling from the sky all around me.

I also need to remember that from the most trying situations come the greatest blessing.

So as we enter another holiday season may the Blessing of the Christ be manifest in you. May the joy of heaven fill your heart and the beauty of the Son of God become a light to your eyes.

Happy Thanksgiving

Merry Christmas

Let us look forward to a new year

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger looking forward to the holidays

Hot Babe Alert

So I guess the Nigerian Princess moved to the UK and died in a plane crash and now this one from Gambia wants to marry me. Well I'm not Mit Romney or Stanley Ho so I can't have more than one wife.

Email from Gambian Princess

Hello my dear,

I'm delighted and honourd writing this letter to you and I hope and pray that you be the honest person that will bring meaning into my life because I believe that is going to mark the beginning of our never-ending relationship.

I am Princess Irene Ousmik Jammeh from Gambia,a female student from University of Gambia Banjul the only child of late king Ousman Jammeh Am 24 yrs old and am just like any person who can be caring, loving and home oriented despite the fact that I am from royal family. I will love to have a long-term relationship with you and to know more about you. I would like to build up a solid foundation with you in time coming if you can be able to help me in this transaction.

Well, my father died earlier seven months ago and left I behind. He was a king, which our town citizens titled him over eighteen years before his death. I was a princess to him and I am the only child and the only person who can take care of his wealth now because my mother died fourteen years ago during the birth of my only brother Jallow who equally died after few hours he was delivered.

My father left the sum of USD,($7.8 M) (SEVEN MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS,)in a finance company. This money was annually paid into my late fathers account from Shell petroleum development company (spdc) and chevron oil company operating in our locality for the compensation of youth and community development in our jurisdiction.I don‘t know how and what I will do to invest this money somewhere in abroad, so that my father‘s kindred will not take over what belongs to my father and our family, which they were planning to do without my consent because I am a female as stated by our culture in the town.

I am ready to pay 20% of the total amount to you if you help me in this transaction and i have maped out 5% for any expencies that you may encounter during the transfer process,and another 10% interest of Annual Income to you for handling this transaction for me which you will strongly have absolute control over.

If you can handle this project sincerely and also willing to assist me in transfering this fund to your bank account in your countryI want you to know much about me so that we can achieve this together.I will send my photographs and phone number as soon as i hear from you.

Yours sincerely,

Princess Irene Liliy

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who has a really smart, looks 20 years younger than she is wife.

Movin' on up!

I received five or six of these emails over the past week or so.

Dear,
Do accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your personal ethics. I introduce myself as Mr Woods a staff in the accounts management Section of the Bank here in London.

One of our accounts, with holding balance of £15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Pounds Sterling) has been dormant and last operated four years ago. From my investigations and confirmation, the owner of the said account,is a foreigner by name John Shumejda died on the 4th of January 2002 in a plane crash in Birmingham;

for details on the crash you can view this CNN website

http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/01/04/england.plane/

Since then nobody has done anything as regards the claiming of this money as he has no family Member who is aware of the existence of either the account nor the Funds. Information from the National Immigration also states that he was single on entry the country.

I have confidentially discussed this issue with one of the top official in the bank and we have agreed to find a reliable foreign partner to deal with. We thus propose to do business with you, standing in as the next of kin of the deceased and have the funds released to you after due processes have been followed.

We wish to start the first transfer with $5,000.000.00 (Five Million) and upon successful transaction without any disappointment from your side; we shall re-apply for the transfer of the remaining balance to your account.

This is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential. I am sure and have confidence of your ability and reliability to prosecute a transaction of this great magnitude. At the conclussion of the transfer 60% of the fund will be for me, I will give you 30% of the total transfer sum, 5% for charity both in london and in your country while the remaining 5% will be set aside to settle expenses both parties might incure during the transfer process.
This transaction is totally free of risk and troubles as the fund is legitimate and does not originate from drug, money laundry, terrorism or any other Illegal act.
On your interest, let me hear from you.

Regards,
Mr Woods

Each one of these was the EXACT same letter but with a different email and bank name.

I guess that Nigerian Princess was able to immigrate

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who doesn't have any long lost relatives from Nigeria

You are what you eat

I'm on a diet and this just struck me as especially funny today


Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Junk Food Loving Blogger

The Veil of Self Righteousness

The comments after this article are as revealing as the article.

As I was reading it I couldn't help but think of what St. Paul wrote in Romans about the purpose of the law is to reveal our sinfulness (Romans 3:20) and why we can never have laws exact enough to achieve righteousness. The best we can do is self righteousness and in my experience, no other term more completely describes radical Islam than the term self-righteous.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger whose will will never wear a veil

Kaboom

Articles like this are the best reason I can think of to support gun control. I am not really afraid of sane people who want to be able to shoot a burglar or protect their property from vandals. But people that do these kinds of things, they scare me

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who would use a can of WD-40 and a lug wrench for this job

Curvy Brains

Now the drunks can really say "I admire her intelligence"

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger with a smart and curvy wife

Dumb and Dumber

I have a hard time believing that the US navy didn't know that this sub was there. I'd bet that what the Chinese navy just did is give the US hours of SONAR signatures that will help them identify that sub from now on.

If that is the case, I wouldn't want to be a Chinese sailor on a submarine in a real war.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who Wonders if the Chinese Could really be that stupid.

A New Car

This looks like a good idea. That probably means they will never be seen in Hong Kong

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who still rides the bus

The slow spirial downward

When I stepped on the scale today I found that I'd reached a goal. I was at 90KG. Just below 200 lbs. If I get much lighter I might just float away.

The program at the Chinese medicine clinic really seemed to help get the ball rolling. I lost nearly 7KG in a month with that. I now am losing about 1/2 a KG a week which is good enough. I'd like to be in the 65-70KG range by the spring. We'll see

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who isn't as Fai as he used to be.

Batman Couldn't live here

This is just funny.

The people in mid-levels are more concerned about the noise the plane doing the photography will make than the water quality in the harbor

That is just sad

Until Next Time
Fai mao
The Comic Book Hero Blogger

Mud Hens make offer to A-Rod

Who says the owners of sports teams don't have a sense of humor?

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The A-Rod Hating Blogger

Fear the Fearful

This guy hits it out of the park.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Anti-Tree Hugging and Anti-UN Blogger