Free e-books

Free e-books here: http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/meta/authors.html . Here's the catch: Most of the books available for viewing are of either historical or philosophical genre. They are classical works of dead authors. In other words, for you who have no interest in these - boring.

Time for me to catch up on some Immanuel Kant's The Critique of Pure Reason & Dante's Inferno.

p/s: 4 days left of 2006. Need to put resolutions together...

Memoriam

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the tsunami that wiped out over 200,000 people in Asia. I pray we will be reminded of how fragile life is on this planet, and may we never take it for granted.

Hang in there...

While blizzards continue to bring tons of snow to certain parts in the US, I've managed to receive some good news from Jim & Judy Bouc, who resides in Lincoln, NE, that they've been spared. In Malaysia, torrential rains are causing massive floods that have caused some 50,000 people to relocate to higher grounds. The news reported that at least 6 people have drowned. But so far, the flooding have occurred only in the southern region. Here in the Klang Valley, we still get rain, but no flood, at least not like the southern ones.

Is this still going to be a 'Merry' Christmas? Of course, because Jesus is the reason for the season, and we can always have hope in Him.

Those of you who are going off for your holidays, have a safe Christmas and a blessed New Year. See you all soon...

RIP Joseph Barbera

RIP
Joseph Barbera

1911-2006

William Hanna & Joseph Barbera


Thanks for the laughs...
"Tom & Jerry"

Comics of the day

tee hee...

The Nativity Story

New Line Cinemas is releasing in US cinemas "The Nativity Story" this December 2006. As far as I know, there are no plans of any cinemas showing them here. I guess anythings that glorifies Christ is a big no-no here, thus, I'd be surprised if this one gets in. And even if the government here allows the screening, they probably would limit the viewing to non-muslims, fearing that many would leave their faith after watching the movie, as such was the attitude shown during the time when "Passion of The Christ" was released here. Tickets were only available for purchase thru churches. It was that time I guess that the VCD/DVD pirates were able to sell many of the movie's copies due to it lack of supply in the legal market.

Here are some screenshots of "The Nativity Story". I do hope that some bigshots will be able to bring it in, and hopefully, though doubtfully, before Christmas...

"Christ-Follower" vs "Christian"

Video 1


Video 2


Video 3


Video 4

Seeing humanity thru the eyes of love...

Check this article out:

FEATURE - Israeli surgeons repair young Palestinian hearts

By Allyn Fisher-Ilan

HOLON, Israel (Reuters) - Her lower lip quivering with every breath, Hala Ketnani, a 10-month-old girl from Gaza, sleeps beneath an oxygen hood in an Israeli intensive care unit as she recovers from heart surgery.

She had been unable to have the operation in Gaza, where many hospitals are suffering from worsening conditions since a Western aid embargo was imposed this year to pressure a Hamas-led Palestinian government to recognise Israel.

Hala Ketani, a 10-month-old girl from Gaza, undergoes heart surgery at Wolfson Hospital near Tel Aviv in this November 28, 2006 file photo. (REUTERS/Yonathan Weitzman)

Under the private Israeli programme "Save a Child's Heart", doctors at Wolfson Hospital near Tel Aviv repair congenital heart defects for children like Ketnani from the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Jordan and Africa.

More than 1,000 children, about half from Gaza and the occupied West Bank, have been helped so far by the programme, which is partly funded by the European Union.

"I'm so happy to see the colour returning to Hala's cheeks," said the baby's grandmother, Raisa Ketnani, 65, clasping her hands together in a prayer-like pose. "I am very thankful."

Israeli soldiers and settlers quit Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year military occupation, but a substantial number of Palestinians in the territory still rely on either Israel or neighbouring Egypt for humanitarian needs such as medicine.

The need has risen in the past year with a drop in medical care levels in Gaza and the West Bank since Hamas, an Islamist group, took office after a January election and Western nations cut off direct funds to the Palestinian Authority.

Though it generally denies entry to Palestinians since they began an uprising in 2000, Israel says it eases the restrictions when it comes to medical care.

Shlomo Dror, an Israeli Defence Ministry spokesman, said about 1,000 Palestinians per month receive medical treatment in Israel, up from 600 in recent years.

SECURITY SCREENING

Entry permits for children in need of medical attention in Israel are usually approved in a matter of days, although adults are subject to security screening, Dror says.

But Hala's grandmother, who accompanied the infant from Gaza, said she had brought her granddaughter after the baby's mother was denied a permit to enter Israel.

Dror had no immediate comment on that case. He said if a sick child's parent poses a security problem, Israeli authorities allow another relative to serve as an escort.

Israel has stepped up the screening since a recent suicide bombing at a Gaza checkpoint by a woman who had sought medical care in Israel, and a bomb found on another woman, Dror said.

Uriel Katz, an Israeli cardiologist, said Hala suffered from a ventricular septal defect -- a hole between the left and right ventricles of the heart.

Plugging up the gap involved a procedure Katz said was "like mending a torn sock". Her recovery has been rapid, and the child will probably return home in a few days.

Over the past year, "Save a Child's Heart" has treated more than 100 children from Gaza and the West Bank, and hundreds from elsewhere in the region, including a growing number from Iraq since Saddam Hussein was toppled in a U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Founded in 1995 by the late U.S.-born cardiologist, Amram Cohen, the programme has expanded to include training for Palestinians and other doctors in paediatric cardiac surgery.

"We believe every child deserves the best possible medical care that he can get," said the director, Simon Fisher.

Medicine, he said, is a logical common denominator to help bridge differences between Israelis and Palestinians.

"They are our neighbours whether we like it or not, whether we have a political issue or not. We live side by side, share the same destiny of the Middle East," Fisher said.

Copyright © 2006 Reuters

I'm still around

I'm still around, despite not updating this blog for almost a month. My wedding is finally over (*phew*) but marriage is no piece of cake either. I'm still learing how to live with another person. But I'm thankful that this 'other person' is Angeline. Should it have been somebody else, I doubt I'll be able to survive. Angeline has so far made it easy for me. She's very accomodating and helpful. Though she has her own opinions (like the color of certain furniture), she still makes it a point to find out if I'm ok with it (even though I'm color blind...)

December is here, and ontop of the things I need to get done, there's still much to do. Among them:

• Compiling the video from November's youth camp
• Compiling the photos from our wedding
• Printing of wedding photos
  
• Editing the videos from our wedding
• Sending out Thank You / Christmas cards
• Unpacking moving boxes
• Help for church's upcoming Christmas programs
• Christmas decoration
• Wrapping of Christmas presents
• Plan for Christmas party (not decided yet)
• Update blog
  
• etc etc...

And I just recently resumed my job, after having more than a month off. So much things to do, and so little time...