Sunday, July 31, 2005
NDP is round the Corner!
National Day is coming soon! Yupz, as a Singaporean, it's that time of the year again when we show how much we love Singapore ^^
Anyway, as I expected that I will not be able to take much fireworks photos for the rest of the NDP celebrations, I made my way to the NDP Preview to take photos of the Fireworks. Very disappointing outing though. Only a couple of fireworks photos can actually be shared, the rest are all crap :( So sad. My fireworks photos are getting from bad to worse.
Anyway, here's the one photo that I felt can be shared. Don't laugh. As always, it's totally unedited.
0 Adorations
National Day is coming soon! Yupz, as a Singaporean, it's that time of the year again when we show how much we love Singapore ^^
Anyway, as I expected that I will not be able to take much fireworks photos for the rest of the NDP celebrations, I made my way to the NDP Preview to take photos of the Fireworks. Very disappointing outing though. Only a couple of fireworks photos can actually be shared, the rest are all crap :( So sad. My fireworks photos are getting from bad to worse.
Anyway, here's the one photo that I felt can be shared. Don't laugh. As always, it's totally unedited.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Some new stuff from FFXI
1) SE is looking for people to help out at their Official FFXI Event in Games Convention 2005 to be held in Leipzig. Grrr......... Details here
2) Recently there's been a huge update to FFXI and a couple smaller updates. Apparently, they've added a very nice new song ^^ Tis song is composed by none other then Nobuo Uematsu and is performed by Izumi Masuda (Her vocals remind me of Sarah Brightman). Here's a sample of this new song. I think it is a remix of an existing song in FFXI , which already is very nice^^ Hope you like this short clip
0 Adorations
1) SE is looking for people to help out at their Official FFXI Event in Games Convention 2005 to be held in Leipzig. Grrr......... Details here
2) Recently there's been a huge update to FFXI and a couple smaller updates. Apparently, they've added a very nice new song ^^ Tis song is composed by none other then Nobuo Uematsu and is performed by Izumi Masuda (Her vocals remind me of Sarah Brightman). Here's a sample of this new song. I think it is a remix of an existing song in FFXI , which already is very nice^^ Hope you like this short clip
Monday, July 25, 2005
Another Mind Befuddling Charity CEO
When the NKF saga first blew up, people were crying :"Donate to KDF instead!! Donate to Ren CI cos Ming Yi does the stunts!!"
My response :"BAH!"
Why? Numero Uno: Believe or not, I actually like NKF more then KDF. so it's a no go there. Next, I never really liked people performing death defying stunts to get my donation, so why would Ming Yi doing the stunts be any different? I said it before and I say it again, DO NOT belittle my donation dollar.
Now today, I see this link posted on SPUG "What other charity bosses earn -here and abroad"
Interesting, no? Ming Yi is paid $15000 a month. That's $180000 a year. He does not get bonuses or perks though. The first thought that came to my mind is, why would Ming Yi need $15000 a month? Isn't he a monk?
Now, let's get the top dollar for top talent argument out of the way. I agree that we need to pay top dollar for top talent. My main gripe with NKF was for their policy of Non-disclosure. However, I do not think this is an issue of getting top talent. After all, are Buddhist monks not subscribers of the 四大皆空 tenets (translation: basically means living a simple and frugal life - at least in MY dictionary)? Or has the modern definition of 四大皆空 changed so much that $15000 a month is also considered 空？After all, $180000 a year is only 30% of a peanut, right?
Of course there will be those who support by saying that he probably donates all that money. So? He is donating money that perhaps he would not have gotten otherwise, accruing credit via others efforts. Oooh.... I sound so blasphemous... no?
Another question raised by a SPUGGER : Who sponsored Ming Yi's Master's in Healthcare Management? Will await the answer to this.
0 Adorations
When the NKF saga first blew up, people were crying :"Donate to KDF instead!! Donate to Ren CI cos Ming Yi does the stunts!!"
My response :"BAH!"
Why? Numero Uno: Believe or not, I actually like NKF more then KDF. so it's a no go there. Next, I never really liked people performing death defying stunts to get my donation, so why would Ming Yi doing the stunts be any different? I said it before and I say it again, DO NOT belittle my donation dollar.
Now today, I see this link posted on SPUG "What other charity bosses earn -here and abroad"
Interesting, no? Ming Yi is paid $15000 a month. That's $180000 a year. He does not get bonuses or perks though. The first thought that came to my mind is, why would Ming Yi need $15000 a month? Isn't he a monk?
Now, let's get the top dollar for top talent argument out of the way. I agree that we need to pay top dollar for top talent. My main gripe with NKF was for their policy of Non-disclosure. However, I do not think this is an issue of getting top talent. After all, are Buddhist monks not subscribers of the 四大皆空 tenets (translation: basically means living a simple and frugal life - at least in MY dictionary)? Or has the modern definition of 四大皆空 changed so much that $15000 a month is also considered 空？After all, $180000 a year is only 30% of a peanut, right?
Of course there will be those who support by saying that he probably donates all that money. So? He is donating money that perhaps he would not have gotten otherwise, accruing credit via others efforts. Oooh.... I sound so blasphemous... no?
Another question raised by a SPUGGER : Who sponsored Ming Yi's Master's in Healthcare Management? Will await the answer to this.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
It's all in the Kidneys
These few days have been abuzz with the scandals of NKF.
Basically, I feel that NKF has brought it upon themselves, as they had not disclosed certain finacial information when requested by the public. As such when shit hits the fan (as it did now) it spreads even further. I'll not bore you guys with the details of the scandal, I am sure you all know the details by now, and if for some reason you do not know..... gawd you need to mov out of that cave you call a home.
At least NKF was smart enough to drop the libel suit. Damage was done, but this is damage control. Fighting against Darvinder Singh? uh huh uh huh... riighhtttttt. Right now, NKF will have to focus their efforts into improving their image, almost everyone I talked to today with regards to NKF has expressed that they will no longer donate to NKF. I believe one of my friends will still donate, but I say, to each his own.
I cannot force people to stop donating, as it is in a way, inethical, but I really do feel stupid that I was once asking people to donate to NKF cos they received no Government funding.
Their administrative policies are now key items of discussion. How have they arrived at the decisions that they have made... blah blah. However, one of the more important things to consider.. how is aid detrmined? How is a patient assessed for eligibility to receive aid? And to what amount? How do we know that patient is REALLY entitled to that amount of aid, and whether a NEEDIER patient was not left out? We don't know this anymore, as there has been a breach of trust. Once trust is lost, how easy do you think it is to get it back?
*Declaration: The following is hearsay* I was told of how this person had to sell his home to pay for dialysis. His brother also had to sell his home to pay for his dialysis. To top it off, even after all that, NKF refused to give them aid.
On the other hand, I was also told of someone who has received aid from NKF. This person only pays a few hundred dollars a month for her dialysis. However, her family is fairly well to do (not richbut not suffering till have to sell house and all that)
I do not understand your methods, so I shall subscribe to someone else.
And to all those who keep cying that it is the patients who will suffer.... wake up your idea! NKF has reserves to last another 30 years. Even if this number was not accurate, NKF will not be closing down TOMORROW, even if it stopped receiving donations TODAY. THINK... THINK. The rest of us are not heartless, we just have a brain also.
0 Adorations
These few days have been abuzz with the scandals of NKF.
Basically, I feel that NKF has brought it upon themselves, as they had not disclosed certain finacial information when requested by the public. As such when shit hits the fan (as it did now) it spreads even further. I'll not bore you guys with the details of the scandal, I am sure you all know the details by now, and if for some reason you do not know..... gawd you need to mov out of that cave you call a home.
At least NKF was smart enough to drop the libel suit. Damage was done, but this is damage control. Fighting against Darvinder Singh? uh huh uh huh... riighhtttttt. Right now, NKF will have to focus their efforts into improving their image, almost everyone I talked to today with regards to NKF has expressed that they will no longer donate to NKF. I believe one of my friends will still donate, but I say, to each his own.
I cannot force people to stop donating, as it is in a way, inethical, but I really do feel stupid that I was once asking people to donate to NKF cos they received no Government funding.
Their administrative policies are now key items of discussion. How have they arrived at the decisions that they have made... blah blah. However, one of the more important things to consider.. how is aid detrmined? How is a patient assessed for eligibility to receive aid? And to what amount? How do we know that patient is REALLY entitled to that amount of aid, and whether a NEEDIER patient was not left out? We don't know this anymore, as there has been a breach of trust. Once trust is lost, how easy do you think it is to get it back?
*Declaration: The following is hearsay* I was told of how this person had to sell his home to pay for dialysis. His brother also had to sell his home to pay for his dialysis. To top it off, even after all that, NKF refused to give them aid.
On the other hand, I was also told of someone who has received aid from NKF. This person only pays a few hundred dollars a month for her dialysis. However, her family is fairly well to do (not richbut not suffering till have to sell house and all that)
I do not understand your methods, so I shall subscribe to someone else.
And to all those who keep cying that it is the patients who will suffer.... wake up your idea! NKF has reserves to last another 30 years. Even if this number was not accurate, NKF will not be closing down TOMORROW, even if it stopped receiving donations TODAY. THINK... THINK. The rest of us are not heartless, we just have a brain also.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Dad is Sick
My dad had a heart attack at around 2000ish (estimated) on 30th June, he started complaining about discomfort at the left chest area at around 2015. Naturally the first thing I suspected was heart attack, since the symptoms fit. He was hitting his arm/chest area and was breaking out in perspiration.
I decided to bring him to see the GP downstairs (he didn't want to at first but I forced him to), cos I figured I wanted to get him to the nearest medical facility possible. I didn't want to take another 15 mins to reach the hospital without him being seen by a doctor. On hindsight, I should have just dragged him off to the Hospital.... but... well... sometimes you make decisions that are controversial when you analyse it later. I guess I was kinda hoping that it was not as bad as I had thought.
Anyway, he was seen promptly at the GP (there was no queue). GP took an ECG, announced it was a heart attack, and off we went to the hospital. This is where I started to think I should have skipped the GP. We went to TTSH by taxi (ambulance would have taken some time to arrive anyway and I felt my dad was stable enough for taxi conveyance). It was also fortunate that we got a taxi driver who knew the way to the clinic so he arrived very quickly. He sped us to the hospital and rushed to the Ambulance lane. I was worried that he might get booked for it and he said :"I don't care". That's one good guy there and I am sad that in my haste, I forgot to take down his Taxi registration number. Whoever you are, Thank you!
There was a short wait to be registered and have our temperatures taken at the ED before being allowed in, in ANOTHER spate of good luck, there was no queue for triaging. As such, my dad was triaged at around 2115 and sent off for consultation, ECGs and what nots.
Thus began a long long wait for my dad, as I was told to wait to be called, but to make a long story short, in the end my dad was sent off to ward without me knowing and it was only cos my mother was outside teh ED waiting... and saw them running off with my dad. If not, I do not know how long more I would have waited there at the ED.
They sent my dad to a general ward where the doctor (probably a consultant) decided that my dad needed to be sent to CCU. However, CCU was full and my dad went to SICU where they gave him IV Actilayse (TPA). He's been moved to CCU today.
Anyways, dad looks pretty ok.. just tired all the time. He's due for an Angiogram this monday. He's not admitted to having Angina yet, I guess that's tough for him anyways.
For me, I guess my decision to get him to GP first was not very good, since all they did was give him an ECG, and I didn't even ask for GTN... what the heck was I doing anyway. That there was a 20 min delay for treatment for my dad which I have since regretted. Also, the GP never recorded the drug allergy my dad had some years ago.. so we were unable to trace it... sigh.
Well, at least the Cardiac doctor told us that my dad came in very early, and so IV TPA would be more effective then if it had been if he came in after 12 hours. So I guess that 20 mins maybe didn't hurt too much? *I'm consoling myself here* *sigh*
And for you other medics out there who like to make examples of :"If it were your loved one lying there" Please don't. I never liked using these examples..... and I doubt I ever will. You are cursing people.
1 Adorations
My dad had a heart attack at around 2000ish (estimated) on 30th June, he started complaining about discomfort at the left chest area at around 2015. Naturally the first thing I suspected was heart attack, since the symptoms fit. He was hitting his arm/chest area and was breaking out in perspiration.
I decided to bring him to see the GP downstairs (he didn't want to at first but I forced him to), cos I figured I wanted to get him to the nearest medical facility possible. I didn't want to take another 15 mins to reach the hospital without him being seen by a doctor. On hindsight, I should have just dragged him off to the Hospital.... but... well... sometimes you make decisions that are controversial when you analyse it later. I guess I was kinda hoping that it was not as bad as I had thought.
Anyway, he was seen promptly at the GP (there was no queue). GP took an ECG, announced it was a heart attack, and off we went to the hospital. This is where I started to think I should have skipped the GP. We went to TTSH by taxi (ambulance would have taken some time to arrive anyway and I felt my dad was stable enough for taxi conveyance). It was also fortunate that we got a taxi driver who knew the way to the clinic so he arrived very quickly. He sped us to the hospital and rushed to the Ambulance lane. I was worried that he might get booked for it and he said :"I don't care". That's one good guy there and I am sad that in my haste, I forgot to take down his Taxi registration number. Whoever you are, Thank you!
There was a short wait to be registered and have our temperatures taken at the ED before being allowed in, in ANOTHER spate of good luck, there was no queue for triaging. As such, my dad was triaged at around 2115 and sent off for consultation, ECGs and what nots.
Thus began a long long wait for my dad, as I was told to wait to be called, but to make a long story short, in the end my dad was sent off to ward without me knowing and it was only cos my mother was outside teh ED waiting... and saw them running off with my dad. If not, I do not know how long more I would have waited there at the ED.
They sent my dad to a general ward where the doctor (probably a consultant) decided that my dad needed to be sent to CCU. However, CCU was full and my dad went to SICU where they gave him IV Actilayse (TPA). He's been moved to CCU today.
Anyways, dad looks pretty ok.. just tired all the time. He's due for an Angiogram this monday. He's not admitted to having Angina yet, I guess that's tough for him anyways.
For me, I guess my decision to get him to GP first was not very good, since all they did was give him an ECG, and I didn't even ask for GTN... what the heck was I doing anyway. That there was a 20 min delay for treatment for my dad which I have since regretted. Also, the GP never recorded the drug allergy my dad had some years ago.. so we were unable to trace it... sigh.
Well, at least the Cardiac doctor told us that my dad came in very early, and so IV TPA would be more effective then if it had been if he came in after 12 hours. So I guess that 20 mins maybe didn't hurt too much? *I'm consoling myself here* *sigh*
And for you other medics out there who like to make examples of :"If it were your loved one lying there" Please don't. I never liked using these examples..... and I doubt I ever will. You are cursing people.
