HAPPY 2006

Let us welcome this new year with a BANG!!!!! Be safe.... I hope this new year will be kind to all of us.

My Last Badminton Game For 2005

I played my last game of badminton for the year 2005 today. Its a sad thing that only a few came to play. I wasn't able to see and say goodbye to everybody. I will surely miss you guys! You know who you are. Thanks for having me in your group. I hope to see you again in the future. HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!

CIAO!

My First Christmas In Australia

Its a new experience for me spending christmas with all of my family here in Sydney. For the first time I experienced a very warm and humid christmas (temperature here was in the high 30's). Back home, December is the coldest month of the year, a complete opposite here in Australia.

We attended a Filipino mass in Blacktown, the whole of St. Michael parish church was filled with kababayans (fil-aussies). The mass was officiated by a Filipino priest as well. After the mass, we had an early noche buena and after eating the traditional gift giving.

I cannot describe the feeling of my nephews and niece when they openned their presents. They were very very happy! But during the whole time, there is a person who is lacking... ANNIE. I missed her a lot. It seems that christmas is not complete without her.

How I wish to spend all of the Christmases of my life here together with the one I truly love.

Happy Birthday JESUS!

Thanks for being born to save all of mankind!

FilBCS Christmas Party 2005

Last Sunday, the Filipino Badminton Club of Sydney had their Christmas Party. Everybody had fun, especially the kids.

FilBCS thank you very much for having me in the party.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

pictures courtesy of Jason Susas

Why Medicine Is A Popuplar Pre-Nursing Course In The Philippines

I think this topic is long over due. So much had been said and written about this. Many had already discussed, argued and debated about this issue. Why now the sudden urge for me to write something about this.

Maybe because the problem had caught up with me. Its been 6 months since I halted my "small" private pratice back home. 24 weeks ago I resigned from my previous work as a research associate of Dr. Enrique Ostrea. And its been 168 days since I last earned money. I have no regrets leaving everything in the Philippines, I am only seeking for greener pastures for me and my future family.

Life is so hard in the Philippines, as already been said, "The brain drain is so huge it is threatening the very fabric of the nation." As long as the same people are sitting comfortably in the presidential palace, nothing will change. And for heaven's sake, please, please, please, stop toying on the idea of a constitutional change, which will allow the present robbers to stay in power up to 2010. Please, the whole nation is begging, leave something for us so we'll have something to start a new life with after you are finish ransacking the nation's wealth. Aren't you not satisfied yet?

Doctors taking up nursing just to leave the country, isn't that a very BIG PROOF that there is no more hope left for our country?

Removing Navigation Bar

I just hate it when some wise assess remove the navigation bar on the top of the page... What do you want me to do? Read your worthless blogs by force!

You are just disrupting my blogging experience! My time is wasted clicking on the browser's back button.

Vivid

It was quarter past 4 am, while I was having a rapid eye movement sleep, one stormy morning in our town. I was aroused by a loud banging on our gate. I looked outside my window and despite the heavy downpouring, I recognized Aling Choleng, a midwife manning our local health center, knocking hardly, she was with another woman who I didn't know.

I went downstairs to open the gate and I let them in. I asked Aling Choleng what their problem was, she said I must come with them immediately to the woman's house, her son apparently was not breathing anymore, 2 hours earlier. I instantly became mad and shouted at them..."you woke me up at this hour of the morning in the middle of a storm only to attend to a dead child!"

Really my first reaction was I am not GOD who can ressurect people from the dead. Something inside my head told me to go, unwillingly, I got hold of a jacket, grab the Pajero's keys and in no time I was driving my brother-in-law's car amidst the mud and rainwater. After 15 minutes we arrived at the woman's house. Many people were already inside. I found my way to the child, he was lying on the floor covered with blanket up to the neck. He was already cyanotic and I wasn't able to appreciate any heart sound. His limb were already stiff, sign of rigor mortis. He was dead for more than 4 hours. I told the woman and her husband that there is nothing I can do. I felt so sorry for them. I exited their house feeling guilty that I didn't do anything to the child except for getting his vital signs.

On my way home I was very exhausted and sleepy and I slept on the wheel of the Pajero, suddenly I felt a strong tap on my shoulder, my sister is trying to wake me up because its 9am and its time to go to mass. What a vivid dream I had!

Infant Masturbation May Be Mistaken For A Movement Disorder

News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD
CME Author: Penny Murata, MD


Dec. 12, 2005 — Infant and early childhood masturbation can be mistaken for a movement disorder, according to the results of a case series and review of the literature reported in the December issue of Pediatrics. The investigators provide guidance on management.

"Infantile masturbation (gratification behavior) is not commonly identified as a cause of recurrent paroxysmal movements," write Michele L. Yang, MD, from the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and colleagues. "Extensive and fruitless investigations may be pursued before establishing this diagnosis.... In young children, unusual postures and movements can occur during masturbation and may lead the primary care provider to infer that seizures, abdominal pain, colic, or other neurologic or medical problems are present."

The authors reviewed the clinical history, examination, and home videotapes of 12 patients presenting to a pediatric movement disorders clinic with a suspected movement disorder who were determined to have postures and movements associated with masturbation.

Common features in these patients include onset after age 3 months and before 3 years, stereotyped episodes of variable duration, vocalizations with quiet grunting, facial flushing with diaphoresis, pressure on the perineum with characteristic lower extremity posturing, no alteration of consciousness, cessation with distraction, and normal examination and laboratory studies.

"The identification of these common features by primary care providers should assist in making this diagnosis and eliminate the need for extensive, unnecessary testing," the authors write. "Direct observation of the events is crucial, and the video camera is a useful tool that may help in the identification of masturbatory behavior.... What can be portrayed in the history as dystonia or seizures can appear differently on direct observation."

The authors note that once the diagnosis of masturbatory behavior is made, sexual abuse and perineal irritation should be ruled out.

Practical points for management of masturbatory behavior include videotaping the event in question, helping parents change their view of the child's behavior as a disease, educating parents that scolding or threatening is not appropriate, using redirection to engage the child's interest in other activities or toys, defining milestones in older children to end the behavior in public, and using the term "gratification behavior" instead of masturbation when discussing this behavior with parents who are easily offended.

Rioting In Cronulla, Australia Is The Real Loser

So much have been said and written about the Cronulla incident. The whole world is watching too as rioting happened in Cronulla, south of Sydney. Is Australia really a racist society? Something to be scared of, I think.

PEACE!

Is CHRIST Still Unknown To You?

CHIRSTmas is fast approaching, a time for celebration, sharing, gift giving, fun, surprises, holiday from school and work, getting together with families and friends.

But are you sure you know the true meaning of CHRISTmas? It is the day when our LORD JESUS CHRIST was born. He became man to be able to save us from the fires of hell.

Many of us still use the abbreviation X'MAS for the word CHRISTMAS. Many X'tians (Christians) do that and I am sure that you have used it yourself. As far as I can remember my teacher in Algebra taught us that "X" stands for an unknown variable. Does it mean that CHRIST is still an unknown variable to you?

This season of advent, lets us take time to reflect... do we really know who Jesus the CHIRST is? Do we accept HIM as our ONLY and TRUE SAVIOUR? Before all the celebrations and feastings, let us thank HIM first for saving us from sins.

Feliz Navidad! Maligayang Pasko! Merry Christmas! Froehliche Weihnachten! Kala Christouyenna! Milad Majid! Joyeux Noel! Shub Naya Baras! Gledelig Jul! Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan!

Team's Character Will Be Tested

Australia's name came out alongside world No.1 and defending champion Brazil in Group F – along with Croatia and Japan. This means that Australia will go head to head with defending champion Brazil in the World Cup next year.

All I can say is the "ball is round." Its not yet the end for the socceroos. I believe that this team is destined to WIN!

GOOD LUCK TEAM AUSTRALIA!

Og Mandino:

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again."

Importance Of Folic Acid

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. But for women who can get pregnant, it is really important! If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before she is pregnant, it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby’s brain and spine. These birth defects are neural tube defects or NTDs. Women need to take folic acid every day, starting before they are pregnant to help prevent NTDs.

CDC and the U.S. Public Health Service urge every woman who could become pregnant to get 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of synthetic folic acid every day.


How much is enough? Look for 100% DV (Daily Value)

One easy way a woman can be sure she is getting enough folic acid is to take a vitamin that has folic acid in it every day. Folic acid pills and most multivitamins sold in the United States have 100% of the daily value (DV) of folic acid; check the label to be sure. Another way to get enough is to eat a serving of breakfast cereal every day that has been enriched with 100% of the daily value of folic acid. Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has “100%” next to folic acid.

When should a woman start taking folic acid?

These birth defects happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman finds out that she is pregnant. All women should get in the habit of taking folic acid daily even when they are not planning to get pregnant. For folic acid to help, a woman needs to take every day, starting before she becomes pregnant.

King Of The Hill

MABUHAY KA EFREN "BATA" REYES


December 4, 2005 4:34 p.m

Magician is King of the Hill

It turns out it was harder for Efren Reyes to get to the final contest of the IPT King of the Hill International 8-Ball Shoot Out than it was earn the $200,000 match up with fellow Hall of Famer and defending King of the Hill Mike Sigel. Reyes defeated Sigel 8-0, 8-5 before a standing-room only crowd in Orlando today. Runner up Sigel takes $100,000 of the $1 million purse.

Reyes got into the fray after 30 IPT players played two days of round robin 8-ball to advance to the Hall of Fame round. On Friday, the six tour players who made it through joined 12 Hall of Fame members and were drawn into three groups. Reyes came out of that day’s competition tied 3-2 with two other players for a chance to advance to the final day. It was his 4.20 GLI that kept him alive.

On Saturday, six players were left standing, including newcomer Marlon Manalo, who was undefeated until the final day of competition. Although he faltered a little on the first day, dropping two matches, Reyes lost only to his countryman Francisco Bustamante in the finals round. Bustamante also took care of knocking off Manalo, who won all but his last to pairings on the week. Reyes then beat Manalo in the last round of the day, nailing a 4-1 record and leaving Manalo at 3-2. That was good enough to earn a shot at Sigel today for the big money.

Climbing Up the Hill

In the first set today, Reyes won the lag and went out to a 1-0 lead. Sigel couldn’t get to the table and when he did, he struggled. “I can’t make one ball in a row,” he told the crowd. “How’s the GLI lookin’ now?”

Reyes broke and ran two games and let Sigel back a few more times, but the score was 8-0 before anyone knew what happened.

In the second go-round, Reyes went out ahead 4-0 before an open table in the fifth game gave Sigel an opening. Sigel ran the table then broke and ran two more. In the eighth game, a Sigel scratch gave Reyes the chance to run out. In the ninth game, a Reyes ball went in the wrong pocket and Sigel got the table back to run out.

Sigel was able to put together a few games when he ran out the ninth and then broke and ran game 10. Game 11 was a comedy of errors with both players missing several tries, but Reyes got back on track and broke and ran the final set to win it all. Reyes let out a yell and shook his cue in the air, grinning ear to ear.

Sigel, who never stopped talking during the match, had a few more words for the crowd. “I think I’ll just go home and sulk while I put this $100,000 in the bank,” he said. “This is the best loss I’ve ever had.”

Reyes, mobbed by TV cameras, answered questions right and left. “I was under so much pressure, that’s why the mistakes. My heart was pounding. Sigel is a great player; I had a lot of pressure.”

Armed guards had deposited $200,000 cash on the table next to the trophy, and a beaming Reyes leaned over and wrapped his arms around the stack of cash as cameras flashed.

Doctor Blamed For Letting A Disabled Woman Be Born

Only in this odd country, Australia can you see a court case such as this.

Tsk tsk tsk....

Saan ka naman lalagay nyan? Sala sa init, sala sa lamig.

What I Miss Most

1. Annie (my one and only)
2. Daily badminton with the group
3. My dogs... (I wonder if Paula already gave birth)
4. My drinking buddies (Kuya Em, Domeng, Bats)
5. Our house
6. Malolos Spa
7. Emperador
8. Cable TV
9. My patients
10. My scooter

I just feel homesick today....

Schistosomiasis

Al this topic is for you...

You just misspelled it that is why you weren't able to get results.

Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia (bill-HAR-zi-a), is a disease caused by parasitic worms. Infection with Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium, and S. japonicum causes illness in humans. Although schistosomiasis is not found in the United States, 200 million people are infected worldwide.


Read more on SCHISTOSOMIASIS

History Of 404

Often when you surf to certain website that is misspell, incomplete you may see server 404 error. You know the meaning of that screen but do you know why the number 404 is chose? Why not 303?505?Read on the complete story from Tech Savvy Blog

Please Follow What Einstein Is Telling You

Another Complaint

Yesterday, we received another letter from 'Premiere Strata' the letter contained another complaint this time because of "ALLEDGED" noise emanating from our house. We are "disrupting the peace and tranquility" of the neighborhood, thats what they are complaining.

What on mother earth do they want us to do??? Do sign language 24/7??? Our windows are almost always closed, how can they hear the footsteps, voices, laughters, cries of my nephews? Even if they hear it, is it sufficient enough to disrupt the peace and tranquility of the place?

Two complaints in a matter of less than a month is simply not coincidental. I think something is wrong here or somebody wants us out of here.

All I can say is "eat your heart out!" because we are not moving an inch.