Mercury and lead accumulation. Have fun! :)
Everything has problems. Vegetables have pesticide. Let's go eat Astronaut pills.
When you can't live without bananas
Saturday, September 15, 2001
"yee-chien" is hyphenated
What was Ms. Gong wearing??
It's true that pork is in theory more susceptible to toxins/bacteria/other icky stuff. The pig's snout (and the wet nose of the dog) is widely acknowledged as one of the sites for ram-pant bacterial infestation- e.g. many influenza bacteria thrive in that region, and exchange plasmids~ that's one of the sources for people getting "bird flu"- the exchange of genetic material between bacteria facilitated there.
Cooking doesn't necessarily "kill off all the germs"- the slightest contamination, e.g. using the same spoon for raw/cooked meat, can affect it. And high temperature will not necessarily denature all bacteria- bacterial toxins may linger on in food even if the bacteria have been killed.
What was Ms. Gong wearing??
It's true that pork is in theory more susceptible to toxins/bacteria/other icky stuff. The pig's snout (and the wet nose of the dog) is widely acknowledged as one of the sites for ram-pant bacterial infestation- e.g. many influenza bacteria thrive in that region, and exchange plasmids~ that's one of the sources for people getting "bird flu"- the exchange of genetic material between bacteria facilitated there.
Cooking doesn't necessarily "kill off all the germs"- the slightest contamination, e.g. using the same spoon for raw/cooked meat, can affect it. And high temperature will not necessarily denature all bacteria- bacterial toxins may linger on in food even if the bacteria have been killed.
Post ID: 5699901
Friday, September 14, 2001
Every morning, there are these 2 lovebirds who will come to school, sit at the same table, and stare at each other. The (slightly foxy) girl (who is in my junior's class) wears a jacket very often, and more often than not does so when she comes to school. The guy's quite tall.
One day, she came to school and her boyfriend did not arrive for a long time. She looked quite distraught. In a fit of inspiration, Kairen suggested that both of us go stare at her from across the table, and freak her out such that she'd flee the canteen. When her boyfriend came, we would do the same to him, and both of them would be quite perturbed on discussing their mornings later.
Today, she was again alone for a while, and he suggested we put the dewious (sic) plan into action - after all, we have but a few weeks left. Too bad the guy came.
A few hours later, after Mat(h)s Paper 2, I was coming down the circular staircase near the canteen and saw Andrew Gan gesturing rather frentically. I didn't know what he was trying to say, but when I reached him, he told me about a curiosity that he had just sighted - a girl (presumably a J1) walking up the staircase had had a blouse... with a pocket! He was quite sure that it was a blouse, not a shirt (but then, I don't trust his skills in these matters). If it was a blouse, it seems that another Cult has arisen in RJC and is jockeying with Girls In Shirts for the hearts and souls of vulnerable innocents. Alternatively, it could be another of their chapters (Girls in Shirts with Pockets?), or a splinter group.
One day, she came to school and her boyfriend did not arrive for a long time. She looked quite distraught. In a fit of inspiration, Kairen suggested that both of us go stare at her from across the table, and freak her out such that she'd flee the canteen. When her boyfriend came, we would do the same to him, and both of them would be quite perturbed on discussing their mornings later.
Today, she was again alone for a while, and he suggested we put the dewious (sic) plan into action - after all, we have but a few weeks left. Too bad the guy came.
A few hours later, after Mat(h)s Paper 2, I was coming down the circular staircase near the canteen and saw Andrew Gan gesturing rather frentically. I didn't know what he was trying to say, but when I reached him, he told me about a curiosity that he had just sighted - a girl (presumably a J1) walking up the staircase had had a blouse... with a pocket! He was quite sure that it was a blouse, not a shirt (but then, I don't trust his skills in these matters). If it was a blouse, it seems that another Cult has arisen in RJC and is jockeying with Girls In Shirts for the hearts and souls of vulnerable innocents. Alternatively, it could be another of their chapters (Girls in Shirts with Pockets?), or a splinter group.
Post ID: 5682361
Thursday, September 13, 2001
I went to Westlake for lunch today and a pillar and a table away was a RJC Maths Teachers convention. 8 of them! (Mr Ho Weng Kin, Ms Chen Yee Chien, Mrs Kwan-Chua Hwee Cheng, Mrs Seah-Lee Lang Kiang, Ms Wang Juat Yong, Ms Gong Huai-ling - a representative from the Physics department, and 2 other people. Names courtesy of MOE's RJC Maths Department homepage)
Astoundingly, I avoided detection.
Astoundingly, I avoided detection.
Post ID: 5662128
I found this extremely hilarious essay on Nostradamus (the person who wrote so vaguely, you can torture his words to mean anything at all)
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/info/analysis.htm
More on the rubbish that is Nostradamus
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/info/analysis.htm
More on the rubbish that is Nostradamus
Post ID: 5660133
Wednesday, September 12, 2001
http://www.ummah.org.uk/jahid/pork.htm
Pork: The Other White Meat?
In folkloric terms, eating the meat of the pig is said to contribute to lack of morality and shame, plus greed for wealth, laziness, indulgence, dirtiness and gluttony (Ed: ??? Some weird folk tales they read). We insult a person by calling him or her a "Pig" when they demonstrate these characteristics (Ed: and we call people "chicken" when they are cowardly, "fox" when they are sly and cunning, "worm" when they are cravenly, "bitches" when they are bitchy and "Horse" when they look like a Horse and so on). Muslims are forbidden by God to eat the meat of the pig (pork). This is detailed in verses 2:173, 5:3, 6:145, and 16:115 of the Qur'an. An exemplary verse is quoted here:
"He has only forbidden you dead meat (Ed: So no more frozen beef for them to eat, and isn't eating animals killed for non-immediate consumption eating dead meat?), and blood (Ed: but killing animals the Halal way necessitates leaving prodigious quantities of blood in the animal! Aren't Muslims in a quandary, then?), and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked (Ed: They pray over our food? That's why it's important to say Grace...). But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Is Pork Forbidden to Muslims Only?
The Jews and Christians are also forbidden from eating pork. Here is a quote from the Old Testament to that effect: "And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud (Ed: Isn't chewing the cud disgusting and shouldn't that make Cows Haram?), it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase." Deuteronomy 14:8 Many Christians believe that this verse was directed only at the Jews (Ed: Most. And how many Christians do not eat pork?).
But Jesus himself says during the Sermon on the Mount; "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Some Christians say that, after a vision by St. Peter, God cleansed all animals and made them fit and lawful for human consumption. If ALL animals are cleansed by Peter's vision, this includes dogs, cats, vultures, and rats: but you just don't see people getting excited about a cat-meat sandwich like they do over barbecued pork or bacon (Ed: Just because you don't like something doesn't mean that it is forbidden to eat). Others say that it was Paul who rescinded the law forbidding pork to humans, in order to appease the Romans, who enjoyed the taste of pig-meat. Many excuses have been given, but none are very sound.
Many Far Eastern traditions also discourage the eating of pork. The 3,000 year old Confucian Book of Rites says, "A gentleman does not eat the flesh of pigs and dogs." (Ed: Much Chinese cooking is done with lard, and the Chinese love their pork) Although many Chinese are avid eaters of pork today, physicians of ancient China recognized pork-eating as the root of many human ailments (Ed: ???. And they recognised mercury consumption as the way to a long life!). Buddhists, Jains and Hindus usually avoid eating any kind of meat (Ed: So why not make everything Haram?).
Bad effects of pork consumption
Pig's bodies contain many toxins, worms and latent diseases (Ed: That's what cooking is for. And other animals have diseases like BSE, Salmonella et al). Although some of these infestations are harbored in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far more predisposed to these illnesses than other animals (Ed: Where do these people get their scientific information?). This could be because pigs like to scavenge and will eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms (Ed: Chickens eat worms), rotting carcasses, excreta (including their own), garbage, and other pigs (Ed: Rabbits are like this too, eating their own excrement and other unsavoury 'foods').
Influenza (flu) is one of the most famous illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harbored in the lungs of pigs during the summer months and tends to affect pigs and humans in the cooler months. Sausage contains bits of pigs' lungs, so those who eat pork sausage tend to suffer more during epidemics of influenza (Ed: That's what cooking is for. And sausages contain many things. Beef sausages contain spinal cord, brain tissue etc. And let's not even talk about Hamburgers). Pig meat contains excessive quantities of histamine and imidazole compounds, which can lead to itching and inflammation; growth hormone, which promotes inflammation and growth; sulphur-containing mesenchymal mucus, which leads to swelling and deposits of mucus in tendons and cartilage, resulting in arthritis, rheumatism, etc (Ed: ???). Sulphur helps cause firm human tendons and ligaments to be replaced by the pig's soft mesenchymal tissues, and degeneration of human cartilage. Eating pork can also lead to gallstones and obesity, probably due to its high cholesterol and saturated fat content (Ed: Consuming palm oil leads to Coronary Heart Disease). The pig is the main carrier of the taenia solium worm, which is found it its flesh. These tapeworms are found in human intestines with greater frequency in nations where pigs are eaten. This type of tapeworm can pass through the intestines and affect many other organs, and is incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage. One in six people in the US and Canada has trichinosis from eating trichina worms which are found in pork. Many people have no symptoms to warn them of this, and when they do, they resemble symptoms of many other illnesses. These worms are not noticed during meat inspections, nor are they killed by salting or smoking. Few people cook the meat long enough to kill the trichinae. The rat (another scavenger) also harbors this disease. There are dozens of other worms, germs, diseases and bacteria which are commonly found in pigs, many of which are specific to the pig, or found in greater frequency in pigs.
Pigs are biologically similar to humans, and their meat is said to taste similar to human flesh (Ed: By who?). Pigs have been used for dissection in biology labs due to the similarity between their organs and human organs (Ed: So have frogs and rabbits). People with insulin-dependent diabetes usually inject themselves with pig insulin (Ed: I sympathise with Muslim diabetics. Actually, porcine insulin isn't used anymore!). If you pour Coke (yes, the soda) on a slab of pork, and wait a little while, you will see worms crawl out of it (Ed: ???. This is really astoundingly grossly wrong).
Kindness to animals
Every creature was created by Allah for a purpose. The Prophet always encouraged being kind to animals. Although we should not eat the meat of the pig, it doesn't mean that we should hate pigs. We should show them the same kindness as any other animal, and not abuse or torture them. Pigs score high on tests devised to determine animal intelligence; in other words, they are very smart. It used to be that Europe people believed that pork would taste better if the pigs were kept in a state of filth, but this is not the natural inclination of the pig. When left to their own devices, it is said that pigs do not like to soil their sleeping quarters. As for their tendency to wallow in mud, that is done mainly to keep cool.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
References: Animals in Islam, by Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri, Diet for a New America, by John Robbins, Islamic Dietary Laws and Practices, by M.M. Hussaini, M.S. and A.H. Sakr, Ph.D. Homotoxicology, by Dr. Hans-Heinrich Reckweg Muslims in Alien Society, by Muhammad Samiallah
(Ed: A very biased bibliography)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You are what you eat" ------ American proverb
by Alyssa Samadi tzhre@tzhre.seanet.com
What a wonderfully fallacious article. Much of it was applicable in ancient times. Tim The Great says that is why many ancient cultures forbade eating pork. But with modern standards?
Pork: The Other White Meat?
In folkloric terms, eating the meat of the pig is said to contribute to lack of morality and shame, plus greed for wealth, laziness, indulgence, dirtiness and gluttony (Ed: ??? Some weird folk tales they read). We insult a person by calling him or her a "Pig" when they demonstrate these characteristics (Ed: and we call people "chicken" when they are cowardly, "fox" when they are sly and cunning, "worm" when they are cravenly, "bitches" when they are bitchy and "Horse" when they look like a Horse and so on). Muslims are forbidden by God to eat the meat of the pig (pork). This is detailed in verses 2:173, 5:3, 6:145, and 16:115 of the Qur'an. An exemplary verse is quoted here:
"He has only forbidden you dead meat (Ed: So no more frozen beef for them to eat, and isn't eating animals killed for non-immediate consumption eating dead meat?), and blood (Ed: but killing animals the Halal way necessitates leaving prodigious quantities of blood in the animal! Aren't Muslims in a quandary, then?), and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked (Ed: They pray over our food? That's why it's important to say Grace...). But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Is Pork Forbidden to Muslims Only?
The Jews and Christians are also forbidden from eating pork. Here is a quote from the Old Testament to that effect: "And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud (Ed: Isn't chewing the cud disgusting and shouldn't that make Cows Haram?), it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase." Deuteronomy 14:8 Many Christians believe that this verse was directed only at the Jews (Ed: Most. And how many Christians do not eat pork?).
But Jesus himself says during the Sermon on the Mount; "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Some Christians say that, after a vision by St. Peter, God cleansed all animals and made them fit and lawful for human consumption. If ALL animals are cleansed by Peter's vision, this includes dogs, cats, vultures, and rats: but you just don't see people getting excited about a cat-meat sandwich like they do over barbecued pork or bacon (Ed: Just because you don't like something doesn't mean that it is forbidden to eat). Others say that it was Paul who rescinded the law forbidding pork to humans, in order to appease the Romans, who enjoyed the taste of pig-meat. Many excuses have been given, but none are very sound.
Many Far Eastern traditions also discourage the eating of pork. The 3,000 year old Confucian Book of Rites says, "A gentleman does not eat the flesh of pigs and dogs." (Ed: Much Chinese cooking is done with lard, and the Chinese love their pork) Although many Chinese are avid eaters of pork today, physicians of ancient China recognized pork-eating as the root of many human ailments (Ed: ???. And they recognised mercury consumption as the way to a long life!). Buddhists, Jains and Hindus usually avoid eating any kind of meat (Ed: So why not make everything Haram?).
Bad effects of pork consumption
Pig's bodies contain many toxins, worms and latent diseases (Ed: That's what cooking is for. And other animals have diseases like BSE, Salmonella et al). Although some of these infestations are harbored in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far more predisposed to these illnesses than other animals (Ed: Where do these people get their scientific information?). This could be because pigs like to scavenge and will eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms (Ed: Chickens eat worms), rotting carcasses, excreta (including their own), garbage, and other pigs (Ed: Rabbits are like this too, eating their own excrement and other unsavoury 'foods').
Influenza (flu) is one of the most famous illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harbored in the lungs of pigs during the summer months and tends to affect pigs and humans in the cooler months. Sausage contains bits of pigs' lungs, so those who eat pork sausage tend to suffer more during epidemics of influenza (Ed: That's what cooking is for. And sausages contain many things. Beef sausages contain spinal cord, brain tissue etc. And let's not even talk about Hamburgers). Pig meat contains excessive quantities of histamine and imidazole compounds, which can lead to itching and inflammation; growth hormone, which promotes inflammation and growth; sulphur-containing mesenchymal mucus, which leads to swelling and deposits of mucus in tendons and cartilage, resulting in arthritis, rheumatism, etc (Ed: ???). Sulphur helps cause firm human tendons and ligaments to be replaced by the pig's soft mesenchymal tissues, and degeneration of human cartilage. Eating pork can also lead to gallstones and obesity, probably due to its high cholesterol and saturated fat content (Ed: Consuming palm oil leads to Coronary Heart Disease). The pig is the main carrier of the taenia solium worm, which is found it its flesh. These tapeworms are found in human intestines with greater frequency in nations where pigs are eaten. This type of tapeworm can pass through the intestines and affect many other organs, and is incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage. One in six people in the US and Canada has trichinosis from eating trichina worms which are found in pork. Many people have no symptoms to warn them of this, and when they do, they resemble symptoms of many other illnesses. These worms are not noticed during meat inspections, nor are they killed by salting or smoking. Few people cook the meat long enough to kill the trichinae. The rat (another scavenger) also harbors this disease. There are dozens of other worms, germs, diseases and bacteria which are commonly found in pigs, many of which are specific to the pig, or found in greater frequency in pigs.
Pigs are biologically similar to humans, and their meat is said to taste similar to human flesh (Ed: By who?). Pigs have been used for dissection in biology labs due to the similarity between their organs and human organs (Ed: So have frogs and rabbits). People with insulin-dependent diabetes usually inject themselves with pig insulin (Ed: I sympathise with Muslim diabetics. Actually, porcine insulin isn't used anymore!). If you pour Coke (yes, the soda) on a slab of pork, and wait a little while, you will see worms crawl out of it (Ed: ???. This is really astoundingly grossly wrong).
Kindness to animals
Every creature was created by Allah for a purpose. The Prophet always encouraged being kind to animals. Although we should not eat the meat of the pig, it doesn't mean that we should hate pigs. We should show them the same kindness as any other animal, and not abuse or torture them. Pigs score high on tests devised to determine animal intelligence; in other words, they are very smart. It used to be that Europe people believed that pork would taste better if the pigs were kept in a state of filth, but this is not the natural inclination of the pig. When left to their own devices, it is said that pigs do not like to soil their sleeping quarters. As for their tendency to wallow in mud, that is done mainly to keep cool.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
References: Animals in Islam, by Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri, Diet for a New America, by John Robbins, Islamic Dietary Laws and Practices, by M.M. Hussaini, M.S. and A.H. Sakr, Ph.D. Homotoxicology, by Dr. Hans-Heinrich Reckweg Muslims in Alien Society, by Muhammad Samiallah
(Ed: A very biased bibliography)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You are what you eat" ------ American proverb
by Alyssa Samadi tzhre@tzhre.seanet.com
What a wonderfully fallacious article. Much of it was applicable in ancient times. Tim The Great says that is why many ancient cultures forbade eating pork. But with modern standards?
Post ID: 5639817
One of my myriad of weird and exotic quests has finally paid off. While my mother was buying biscuits, I spotted a suspicious plastic packet.
On further inspection, I saw:
(Click on the picture for a better view)
Super Bowl
Stewed pork Chop Noodles
from Mi Xuong Heo.
The first Haram instant noodles in Singapore! Pork lovers of the world, rejoice! Too bad it contains palm oil. Hrm, actually it may not contain any pork at all. Heck.
Now to find a Pizza delivery that is not Halal or Pseudo-Halal ("No pork, no lard"). Nothing beats real bacon.
(NB: No offence to those who don't eat Pork)
On further inspection, I saw:
(Click on the picture for a better view)
Super Bowl
Stewed pork Chop Noodles
from Mi Xuong Heo.
The first Haram instant noodles in Singapore! Pork lovers of the world, rejoice! Too bad it contains palm oil. Hrm, actually it may not contain any pork at all. Heck.
Now to find a Pizza delivery that is not Halal or Pseudo-Halal ("No pork, no lard"). Nothing beats real bacon.
(NB: No offence to those who don't eat Pork)
Post ID: 5638132
This very funny letter appeared in the New York Times today.
At the recent Durban conference against racism, some African governments were demanding reparations for the slave trade. One is led to think that much of the reparations, if paid, would not actually be used to compensate the victims, but just the 'victim' country. In fact, there was a significant amount of intra-Africa slave trading. Additionally, it would be impossible to track down all who 'suffered' from the slave trade.
This writer makes a very good point:
September 11, 2001
Slavery Reparations
[T] o the Editor:
It seems to me that Prof. Martin Kilson (letter, Sept. 6) compares apples and oranges in his contention about the similarities of reparations by the Germans to Jews and our government to African-Americans. It has been my understanding, as a Holocaust survivor (Auschwitz-Birkenau, prisoner No. 172099), that the German reparations were to those Jews who suffered directly, not to the descendants.
A logical extension of Mr. Kilson's comparison might be payments by the Egyptian government to the Jews who were descendants of the slaves who helped build pyramids and other structures during the times of the pharaohs.
LEON W. ZELBY
Norman, Okla., Sept. 7, 2001
At the recent Durban conference against racism, some African governments were demanding reparations for the slave trade. One is led to think that much of the reparations, if paid, would not actually be used to compensate the victims, but just the 'victim' country. In fact, there was a significant amount of intra-Africa slave trading. Additionally, it would be impossible to track down all who 'suffered' from the slave trade.
This writer makes a very good point:
September 11, 2001
Slavery Reparations
[T] o the Editor:
It seems to me that Prof. Martin Kilson (letter, Sept. 6) compares apples and oranges in his contention about the similarities of reparations by the Germans to Jews and our government to African-Americans. It has been my understanding, as a Holocaust survivor (Auschwitz-Birkenau, prisoner No. 172099), that the German reparations were to those Jews who suffered directly, not to the descendants.
A logical extension of Mr. Kilson's comparison might be payments by the Egyptian government to the Jews who were descendants of the slaves who helped build pyramids and other structures during the times of the pharaohs.
LEON W. ZELBY
Norman, Okla., Sept. 7, 2001
Post ID: 5637937
Number of people who have sent me an ICQ "forward this prayer chain" for the victims of the New York & Washington attacks: 4 and counting.
3rd: ~646PM GMT +8
4th: ~8:49PM GMT+8
5th: 13/9/01 - ~10:56PM GMT +8
6th: 14/9/01 - ~7:07PM GMT +8 (a second time from someone who had sent me one already)
And more and more ads are coming via ICQ WWWPager. ARGH.
3rd: ~646PM GMT +8
4th: ~8:49PM GMT+8
5th: 13/9/01 - ~10:56PM GMT +8
6th: 14/9/01 - ~7:07PM GMT +8 (a second time from someone who had sent me one already)
And more and more ads are coming via ICQ WWWPager. ARGH.
Post ID: 5637893
Monday, September 10, 2001
Your homepage: Not angsty; puerile. Especially the conceited "rants".
Thought there was something deeper about angst (not just the general term used to describe teens wallowing in self-pity):
Angst:
German word for the anxiety or anguish produced by an acute awareness of the implications of human freedom. An important notion for existentialist philosophers, including especially Kierkegaard and Heidegger.
anxiety {Ger. Angst} :
According to many existentialist philosophers, the normal emotional response to the overwhelming responsibility entailed by human freedom.
What one learns from reading lowbrow "Sophie's World"....
Definitions courtesy of www.philsophypages.com and not Hilde's father.
I'm considering teaching in a secondary school, preferably RI, for a few weeks at the start of next yr b4 university starts. Anybody knows who I should contact/what procedure/requirements? I have a rough idea of salary, doing it more for the experience.
~Andrew~
Thought there was something deeper about angst (not just the general term used to describe teens wallowing in self-pity):
Angst:
German word for the anxiety or anguish produced by an acute awareness of the implications of human freedom. An important notion for existentialist philosophers, including especially Kierkegaard and Heidegger.
anxiety {Ger. Angst} :
According to many existentialist philosophers, the normal emotional response to the overwhelming responsibility entailed by human freedom.
What one learns from reading lowbrow "Sophie's World"....
Definitions courtesy of www.philsophypages.com and not Hilde's father.
I'm considering teaching in a secondary school, preferably RI, for a few weeks at the start of next yr b4 university starts. Anybody knows who I should contact/what procedure/requirements? I have a rough idea of salary, doing it more for the experience.
~Andrew~
Post ID: 5590236
Sunday, September 09, 2001
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