about a mouse

It all started with a mouse...

Zodiac Calendar

The best things always do...

Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie.

However, some mice including other animals like monkeys, cats, and dogs are being used as live subjects in laboratories. Why now in the 21st century must animal testing still be conducted?? We have cloned human body parts before; why can't we put those to testing. Animals are living things. They are God's gift to us. We have no rights at all to put them through this inhumane painful procedures for our own benefit. What do they get in return??? Ask yourselves. Just because we have the brains; it doesn't mean we can lose our heart and let animals pay dividends to help solve our needs.

It's a conscience problem. Vivisection is definitely con-science. All in the name of saving costs I would say. Like the girl in the video say... mouse or mice are not little men. Whatever tests they are put through, doesn't offer any conclusive results anyway. So why go through all that?

What makes us human is that we are able to make the right choices. We may fumble at first, but we always learn from mistakes. I will let you judge whether you can say animal testing is right or wrong.


We need another 2000 signature for this petition to stop the animal testing facility in Malacca.

The best things do start with a mouse. Click your mouse on the link, and make your choice.

keeping mozzies away

Someone told me that all gardens should have this plant - Marigolds. It helps to deter mosquitoes. They don't like its smell. Are there any other natural things to help me keep mosquitoes at bay?

unlikely pair

butterfly effect

The butterfly effect is a metaphor that encapsulates the concept of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory; namely that small differences in the initial condition of a dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system.

- Wikipedia -

I spotted a trapped orange butterfly fluttering against the window pane over the kitchen sink. I knew it yearned freedom, for the sun was outside, shining brightly over the flower hedges. I decided to open the window as wide as I could. Nectar was aplenty at that time of the day - it was just before noon. Lunch time should be near. All creatures share the same eating times right?

I was heating mine over the stove. Steam accumulates quickly in the kitchen. So, I had the exhaust fan on to flush the steam out.

The butterfly was still oblivious to my goodwill. It was still struggling to see past the barrier which was the glass window. I tried to shoo it towards the opening. It was the last thing I wished I had done. Next thing I knew, my hands were cupped over my mouth as I shrieked OHMYGOODNESS!

The sound of terror - like the sound of a zzzapppp! - like the sound of paper against some heavy machinery - diluted each of my senses, shrouded me with guilt.

I off the fan, and naively looked out the window, hoping that the evaporated, disembodied flying fairy could somehow have coalesced back together. But to my horror, none of such.

Just like that... so tragic... so fragile...


Take this lesson to heart... to the rakyat, we live in a beautiful country. Don't let one word be the instigator, be the fuel to fire, to cause a storm... a pyrostorm in this multiracial muhibbah nation of ours. Thank you.

tired

Has this ever occur to you??



It has happen to me a few too many times. Exhaustion, you know. Then, I would get stares, but no actions. Not that I am expecting a seat... I just hope that they would wipe the look on their face when I would nearly collapse. I bet 99% of them wished I did... for humour.

Faith walks

Born without front legs around Christmas 2002, Faith the puppy was rejected and abused by her mother. She was rescued by Reuben Stringfellow, who had been asked to bury other puppies in the litter.

Reuben turned Faith over to his mother, English professor Jude Stringfellow. At first the family had to carry Faith to keep her off her chest and chin. But with peanut butter and practice, Faith learned to walk on her two hind legs.

Today Faith is a brisk, upright walker. When she runs, every so often she adds a hop or skip to her step, but she stumbles less often than most humans. She takes vitamins and joint supplements, and vets have declared her very healthy.

They get more than 200 letters and e-mails a day, run a Web site and make dozens of appearances every year, including stops at veterans' hospitals across the country to cheer injured soldiers.

For many, Faith brings a powerful message about overcoming adversity. "Faith has shown me that different is beautiful, that it is not the body you are in but the soul that you have," Jill Salomon of Montreal, Canada, wrote on Faith's Web site.


"She just walks around barking and laughing and excited to see them all (Soldiers). There is a lot of crying, pointing and surprise. From those who have lost friends or limbs, there can be silence. Some will shake my hand and thank me, some will pat her on the head. There is a lot of quiet, heartfelt, really deep emotion."

- Jude Stringfellow -
Owner, Friend, Family

But Faith's most emotional reunion — with Reuben Stringfellow, who rescued her 7 years ago this Christmas — will have to wait for January. He's already gotten Faith a birthday present: a peanut butter cookie with her name on it.

Adapted from Yahoo

cute poster

when I was at sea

You see things; and you say, "Why?"...

Dolphins are naturally playful creatures. Even a picture of a dolphin can be quite delightful for any of us.

They have been portrayed in art and literature throughout the centuries, and some have believed dolphins are as intelligent as humans. In fact dolphins have more sophisticated language than any other creatures. They have been known to represent mental attributes and accomplishments of humans themselves. When this symbol is used, it usually denotes the giant strides upward through the use of one’s mental faculties, and, a dolphin could be like a pat on the back with a well done thrown in for good measure.

Dolphins and ancient folklore have appeared many times throughout the Western history. They are found in many groupings of the Gods, including Apollo, Poseidon and Athena. Generally speaking, the dolphin is seen by the ancient Greeks as a guide to worlds unknown.

Dolphins will often communicate that they will always be there to protect you. It doesn't escape observation that dolphins keep people from sinking too deeply into the sea. They usually seem to appear when you are going through a crisis and find that they soothe and calm yourself. The exploration of the boundaries of what it means to be human and non-human are commonly mediated by dolphins.

Alternatively, it suggests that a line of communication has been established between the conscious and unconscious aspects of yourself. Dolphins represent your willingness and ability to explore and navigate through your emotions.

This kind of communication is often reported as deep, wordless, telepathic, profound, reassuring and anciently wise. It can extend to other deeply moving experiences which can put you in contact with a deep spiritual nature. Awakening from these spiritual connections and guidance is often described as serene, peaceful, happy, energised and blissful.

...But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"

- George Bernard Shaw -

long article... ass-pain

The panacea is the holy grail of pharmacy. Each day, drug manufacturers led by their very own Dr. Indiana Joneses and Prof. Robert Langdons battle snakes (possibly for their venom) and enclosed spaces of their lab-yrinths in order to uncover and divulge the secrets and mysteries that shroud the “miracle drug”. Panacea got its name from the Greek goddess of healing. It’s the kind of stuff you would use in most RPG to heal the members of your party from any sort of ailments at all.

Ever since the beginning of time, and when I say that, I mean since the birth of witch doctors, shamans and our very own bomohs, mythical and mystical miracle drugs have been sought. And so, after many generations, we have yet come close to the end of this quest. However, some might beg to differ. They claim that we already have this “miracle drug”. In fact, most of us have this drug at home or even in our bags! Don’t believe me? Have a check first before you read on.

Sitting in our very own medications cubbyhole is one single drug which has been our constant companion for the longest of time. This drug is able to prevent strokes, reduce arthritis suffering, dampen inflammation, prevent heart attacks, reduce cancer risk, prevent vascular disease, and control headaches! In other words, this drug can save your life. Next time, if someone were to ask you a stupid question like such, “If you were on a deserted island, what would be the one thing you wish to have?” just say this drug. Oh and did I mention this drug costs no more than a few cents (RM) per tablet?! This “miracle drug”? A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), or better known as Aspirin.

The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C and 377 B.C. left historical records of pain relief treatments, including the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help heal headaches, pains and fevers. By 1829, scientists discovered that it was the compound called salicin in willow plants which gave you the pain relief.

Arthritis is the most common medical problems afflicting dogs today. To relief their pain, dogs would bite off pieces of bark of a Willow tree. If you do give aspirin to your dog, make sure it is Ascriptin or a form of aspirin formulated for dogs.

Dogs don't want to be barking up this wrong tree [Whomping Willow].

But it wasn’t until 1899, that Bayer pharmaceuticals, which is the same company that brought us heroin and mustard gas, as well as methadone, launched Aspirin (Okay… that sounds like a ship. Probably the word I was looking for is patented.), courtesy of a German, Felix Hoffman, who developed this drug while seeking an agent for his father’s rheumatism.

1899 Aspirin Bottle First Bottle of Aspirin

One of the most common uses of aspirin is to control pain and inflammation in people with conditions such as arthritis. In addition, the use of low-dose aspirin or baby aspirin (75mg [standard: 300mg]) is effective in preventing blood clotting in people at high risk for heart attack (usually for patients who have had heart attack before) or reducing (not prevent) the incidence of stroke.

So, in the event of a heart attack, doctors would recommend people to chew two aspirin, and the effect of easing the effect of a blood clot is almost immediate. Doctors would also prescribe aspirin to patients who just had coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). But of course too much of a good thing may be quite bad. According to a new study by British scientists (in a report dated 31/08/09), healthy people taking a daily dose of aspirin to prevent heart attacks may be doing themselves more harm than good. Researchers found that the risks of bleeding from taking aspirin were such that its routine use in healthy people "cannot be supported" -- although they did not dispute its use in patients with a history of vascular problems.

This leads to the major downside of prolonged aspirin therapy, which occurs with most other NSAIDs as well, is the risk of peptic ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. However, nowadays we can find aspirin in enteric coated tablet forms, so as not to irritate the stomach and cause internal bleeding. Even so, aspirin still has a relatively clean track record.

However, there are other adverse reactions of taking aspirins. Aspirin can irritate the lining of the stomach; that much we know so far. This can cause heartburn, nausea, and vomiting and rarely, internal bleeding. You don't have to take big doses to get ulcers. In some people, even one aspirin a day over a long period can cause ulcers. Secondly, some people may experience allergic problems the first time they take aspirin. Or allergy may hit suddenly even after taking aspirin without problems for many years. Most commonly, aspirin-allergic people develop rashes. Thirdly, some people may get salicylism, or aspirin poisoning. It usually happens through accidental overdosing. Typically, you're taking normal doses of aspirin - while also taking drugs that you don't realize contain aspirin. The first warning sign of aspirin poisoning is usually ringing in the ears and decreased hearing.

Of course, aspirin is not all bad. In fact, its benefits outweigh its risks. But you should never take daily aspirin without consulting with your doctor or pharmacist. Aspirin may cause problems with other drugs you take. Sometimes aspirin worsens their risks - or decreases their effectiveness. Or it can work in reverse: other drugs may worsen aspirin's risks or decrease its effectiveness. Or aspirin may increase the risk of other drugs.

Research is also exploring other potential life-extending benefits of aspirin. Aspirin has been associated with decreased risk of asthma and prostate cancer in the elderly. Also, aspirin has been linked with lowering the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and Kawasaki disease as well.

If a drug as widely available as aspirin and with as few side effects can have that many benefits, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives, then it is no wonder aspirin is known as the “miracle drug”. Ahh… Aspirin, you will always have a place in our hearts, I mean our medicine cabinet.

chapter 3: squawked

Dirt treat was too long...

So I shall continue from there...

This is a macaw.

Macaws prefer the undisturbed rainforest of the Amazon. They eat fruits, nuts, flowers and nectar, and they often eat unripe fruit and nuts that other animals avoid. These macaws also eat thumb-sized lumps of clay each day riverbanks. The clay appears to detoxify the nasty poisons in their diet.

And the make very good pirate pets.

If only they exist in Malaysia... Surely would be national animal! Hmm.. I would have put the flag here. But hor... I don't want to be arrested under ISA! Anyway, check out the colour... uncanny resemblance hor?

... ... ... ... ...

Edited 3X...

Oh.. and I shall end the story just like that:

THE END... That's all folks! :p

Sorry-lar.. When I wrote Chapter 1 and 2, I was a bit messed up with something.. I think, not anymore. Haha! Anyway, there was suppose to be a parrot in the short story..

52

Selamat menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan Ke-52!

coal-mining monkeys

Monkeys are smart!!

Red Colombus Monkeys from the African island of Zanzibar have learned that ingesting charcoal will counteract the adverse affects of toxic substances in their diet (eg., Indian almond and mango leaves).

Like any other mischievous kid, monkeys have been known to snatch chocolates charcoal while our backs are turned, lying near kilns, where they are produced for cooking. They would also nibble the charred wood of burning trees (effects of deforestation). A typical monkey would eat about five grams of charcoal a day. Of course, our commercial powdered activated charcoal works better than these charcoal. But it works quite well for them.

The reason why these monkeys are still chomping those leaves albeit being toxic is because they are high in protein and highly digestible. This would explain the monkey boom in the Indian almond and mango habitat, which are significantly higher than those in the ground water forest.

Even though, our population in their habitats have increased, these monkeys have decided to look the glass at half full with a hint of cheekiness as they learned to coexist with us, by snacking on charcoal. I say well done to the monkeys!

... ... ... ... ...

Activated charcoal has a well-known ability to adsorb toxins and it is effective in treating overdoses and poisonings, and in Europe people use it in liquid form as a digestive aid. Adsorption is the ability of substances, in this case the toxins, to stick to the surface of a solid, such as charcoal.

What does "Activated" mean? Basically it means a raw charcoal product which is purified for internal use. Use the powdered form if possible, as commercial tablets are about half as effective and should be chewed. Read more here.

cockroach

Cockroaches are so adaptable and resilient. They live just about anywhere on Earth. Just leave a pack of Maggi in your room; and you might be asking for trouble. Forgot to empty your trash after more than a day? A whole colony could move in with you.

Someone wise once said, "If you see one cockroach, you can bet there are about another hundred scurrying somewhere near."

Late last night, before going to bed, I decided to get a cup of water from the kitchen. And right there just below the sink was the fattest, biggest cockroach you ever seen. I approached closer to it to see if it was dead or not. I was startled when he started to flutter its wings. Nothing was worse than a flying fat roach! So I grabbed my trusty Shieldtox and started to spray at the bugger (pun unintentional). So it begin its usual scurrying-for-its-life all over the kitchen. I decided to tail it to watch it die find out where it was going to die (have to retrieve the body the next day). Boy, this is a tough one. It's not giving up. So I gave it another good 10-second spray. DAMN. It's on the windows now. So I cleared the cups and water tumblers. I didn't want the roach to die in there. If not I definitely have to throw them away. GROSS. It's on top of my cereal box! Thankfully it is still sealed. Then it was on the microwave's side. So I gave it a quick spray, and it fell turn-turtled. That's that. I was just about to get my cup of water when it went back to its upright position. This fella damn reluctant to give up, man. Another 5-second spray and I literally see it chocking. It was now struggling to get back upright. Nearby, I heard a lizard's tik-tik-tik.. I got down and watched. I know... damn sadistic. But then, an effect from the spray, I think it lost control of its bowel movements and started pooping in its pants. P-U man... I got up, get my water, and went upstairs to sleep.

If we were like cockroaches, we will be capable of living without food for a month and can survive on just the glue on the back of stamps if necessary. And most famously, not even 5-star hotels or nuclear explosions/radiations can stand in the way of cockroaches (because they are simpler organisms; we are considered complex). Supposedly the latter should occur, they stand to inherit our Earth. Needless to say, cockroaches are the ultimate survivor.