THE ROLLING STONES - STILL KICKING AND ROCKING AT 70

Source: Daily Mail

At 65, Ronnie Wood is the baby of the group. Mick Jagger is 69, Keith Richards 68, and the grand-daddy of them all Charlie Watts is 71. Half a century has passed since the Rolling Stones performed their first gig in 1962. To mark this milestone, the band has just embarked on their 50th anniversary tour with the first concert at the O2 Arena in London on 25 Nov.

As they are now. (Source: Tribune)

Back then in 1962. (Source: Reuters)

It's amazing that the Stones have lasted this long, and at their age, still wowing the crowds. Concert reviews have been positive:

"The Rolling Stones are back. They may look old, but they still sound young."
"...shows no sign of slowing down."
"...the band exceeded all expectations."
"...the Stones had somehow beaten the aging process."

From the Stones:
Mick Jagger: "It's amazing that we're still doing this, and it's amazing that you're still buying our records and coming to our shows. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Keith Richards: "We made it. I'm happy to see you. I'm happy to see anybody."



That the Stones have survived drugs, scandals, break-ups, even arthritis is testimony of their staying power. To be sure, there are plenty of much older entertainers who are still around and performing. Tony Bennett, at 86, is still going strong, but it takes a lot of energy and stamina to be jumping and strutting on stage like Jagger or pounding the drums like Watts for a solid two and a half hours. Makes  my bones ache just viewing the concert video!

No need to shout "Long live the Stones". They are already enjoying longevity!

So young then...in 1969.

GOD'S GIFT TO THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD EXPENSIVE HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS?

Moringa - the most nutritious plant
on planet earth.

Many of you have probably heard of moringa, if not from the media, then from friends who have used it. I read about it some time back, but dismissed it as yet another one of the many so-called plant-based miracles e.g. acai berry, that are sold via direct marketing. Well, after listening to two friends who swore by the health benefits of moringa, I am willing to test out the plant for myself.

Apparently every part of the plant has a health benefit. I shall try the seeds first for a week and report back. My two friends take two seeds twice a day. They tell me they now feel a lot more energetic, their skin is smoother and their digestion has improved.

As with anything that we take into our body for the first time, it's advisable to do some research about it first. There is plenty of information about moringa on the internet, mostly good. These charts below are a good starting point. You can google to verify these health claims.

Sounds too good to be true? Best to verify these claims
before taking moringa.

If you have taken moringa before, do give us your feedback. 

According to Dr Monica Marcu who wrote about the amazing health benefits of moringa in her book "The Miracle Tree", "...it has all the nutrients that could be found in a perfect food." Discovery Channel produced a documentary on moringa a decade ago. You can view it below. 

If this wonder plant lives up to all the claims, it would be God's gift to those who cannot afford expensive health supplements. Moringa grows easily even in harsh conditions. You can buy the seeds and leaves from most Indian provision shops that sell vegetables, herbs and spices. I just bought two "drumsticks" (moringa pods) each about 20 inches in length from a stall in Little India market, Singapore for 70 cents.

As expected, pharmaceutical companies are already marketing moringa as an extract and in pill form. I don't know what the prices are, but one can be sure these companies are raking in a tidy profit from the humble moringa.

SITTING TOO MUCH PUTS US AT RISK OF HEART DISEASE

The cover feature of The Straits Times supplement 'Mind Your Body' (Nov 15) is a timely reminder for all of us to get off our butt every couple of hours or so. Now that we know sitting too much can kill us, we have no excuse not to do something about it. And I am the first to admit guilt. There are days when I walk, and walk and walk, because I don't drive anymore. But there are also days when I sit, and sit AND sit.

We spend most of our waking hours sitting - at work, in front of the TV or computer, in the car/train/bus, at the dinner table, and chatting with friends. We sit for hours at meetings, seminars, and in waiting rooms. At shopping malls or waiting for someone, we look for a place to sit.

Children these days are becoming obese and at risk of the same health problems that we adults face. They sit just as much as we do. They sit in school, at tuition classes, and when they come home, they sit at the table for meals and later to do their homework. On weekends, they are glued to their digital gadgets which means more hours of sitting, Changes in lifestyle and the preference for sedentary hobbies have drastically reduced the time adults and children spend on physical activities. 

November issue of Diabetologia

Data from a recent study published in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association of the Study of Diabetes showed that people who scored highest on sedentary time were found to be more prone to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The study involved 800,000 people, so the findings cannot be dismissed so easily.

Sitting for hours on end every day can also lead to deep vein thrombosis and a predisposition to blood clots. This makes sense as inactive muscles prevent smooth blood circulation to the legs and more seriously, to the heart. From my own observation, inactivity among older people often leads to stiff joints, and increases lower back pain.

While I don't profess to be an exercise addict, I do try to put in some physical activity on a daily basis. Not having a car helps as I have no choice but to walk whenever I can. Living in a walk-up apartment means I have to take the stairs every day. Exercise is forced upon me, whether I like it or not. A good thing I like it.

Note 'even with exercise'! Time to step up or suffer the consequences.  

Here's how I keep on the move:

• I walk to the neighborhood mall 12 minutes away to run errands and buy provisions. 
• I walk home carrying bags of groceries to strengthen my arm muscles.
• I walk to the bus stop to catch the bus downtown, and repeat the process in reverse when I come home.
• I walk up three flights of stairs at least twice a day.
• I walk up the escalator rather than stand still on it.
• I walk at least 8000 steps a day according to my pedometer, sometimes more than 10,000 steps.

BUT I can be a couch potato when there are good programs back to back on the telly. AND I can easily chalk up 4-5 hours of sitting when I am at the computer. That's really bad, so now my hourl timer buzzer alerts me to get up and move about.

My work desk at home. Photo taken in February this year. I have since added a timer with
the buzzer set to go off hourly to remind me to get off my butt and move around.

The study warns that even with exercise, people who sit for hours at a stretch can still be at risk of all the health problems mentioned above. I take it as a warning that I should double or triple my standing and moving hours.

Here's a video with a call to action. EXERCISE! It's not that we don't know the benefits of exercising. It's the lack of discipline, the will power to sustain an exercise regime. The video was first posted on this blog in February with the article "Walking to Better Health and Longevity".

Happy exercising!

FOREIGN INVASION OF DOWNTOWN KL

Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in downtown KL is swarmed with foreigners on Sundays

If you haven't been in downtown Kuala Lumpur in quite a while, you will be surprised to find the old KL that we used to know no longer exists. Sure, most of the buildings are still there, but the inner city has lost much of its Malaysian identity.

Take a trip to the Kota Raya-Bangkok Bank area on Sunday, you will feel as if you are in Nepal or Myanmar as these pictures below show.

Businesses here cater mostly to the Myanmarese and Nepalese. There is a sizable population of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis too. The Indonesians are still the prevalent ethnic group in the Chow Kit area while the Filipinos hang out in the shopping malls in KLCC and in PJ.

Browsing their national papers in a retail outlet. DVDs, CDs and magazines are available
in several lingua franca.

A well-stocked mini-market. Enterprising shopkeepers supply foreign workers here
with almost anything they need from their homeland. 

Fresh produce for homecooked meals

Anyone for cow's head soup?

Don't be fooled by the display photos. This studio is patronized mainly by foreigners applying for work permits, passports, visas and who knows, MyKad as well?

The ladies are not forgotten. 

Banners are everywhere advertising all kinds of
services on the upper floors. This one is for air fares.

One of the few banners in English. I was told
this restaurant is popular with the Nepalese. 

Not sure if this ad is for funeral services or a football match!

For the younger workers - a hip-hop concert! 

Across the road from Kota Raya lies Chinatown. The stalls there are run by foreigners. It's a
matter of time before nearby Central Market is also taken over by non-Malaysians. Not too
far away is Bukit Bintang which is rapidly transforming into a Middle Eastern hot spot. 

Whether this foreign influx has a positive or negative spillover is debatable. But one thing is for certain, it won't be long before downtown KL becomes unrecognizable to local citizens.

WHO WILL CARE FOR ME WHEN I CAN NO LONGER CARE FOR MYSELF?

This picture taken from The Daily Mail shows the world's largest family. Mr Ziona Chana has 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren. Large families with far fewer members than Mr Ziona's are a rarity today.

Once upon a time families were large and everyone lived together under the same roof. Today family size has shrunk drastically from an average of ten in the 1950s to four today - father, mother and two children. One of my primary school classmates had a dozen siblings, and it was considered the norm. Lack of privacy and space was a major issue but on the bright side, children from large families learned the importance of sharing and supporting each other in times of need. Families were closely-knit, and this bond extended to relatives as well. Cousins knew one another by name no matter how many times removed. Family gatherings were boisterous occasions, as the extended family members got together to share updates or reminisce on the good old days.

The world's most famous nuclear family

It is a different scenario today. The modern day family home is a shadow of the ancestral home most of us grew up in. It is devoid of family activities much of the day. Dinner time is the only time the family gets to see each other. Even then there is no guarantee the head of the household will be at the table. More often than not, he is delayed at work or has a business function to attend.

Young couples today are eager to move into their own homes as soon as they are able to afford the rent or down payment. On the other hand, baby boomer parents are equally happy to remain in the family home, rather than live with their married children. They are not about to give up their independence and privacy which is what will happen if they move in with their married children.

Young people are delaying marriage, preferring to put career first. Those who do get married delay starting a family, again for the same reason. Childless couples are also on the rise, and have to resort to fertility treatment or surrogacy to have children.

The latest fertility rate (total births per woman) in Malaysia stands at 2.2. There is also a corresponding decline in male sperm count. “Over the last five years, we have seen an increase in male infertility from 15% to 30%,” said Dr Mohamad Farouk Abdullah, head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department of the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang in a Star report.

Then there are those who never married either by choice or because of circumstances.

All these decisions have repercussions that reverberate across demographics. Consider some of the issues that families have to face today that were non-existent a few generations ago.

• Smaller families means fewer siblings to share the financial and physical responsibility of caring for elderly parents. This can put a strain on couples who are caught in the middle between providing for their children and supporting their aged parents.

• The fertility rate is declining worldwide, but life expectancy is increasing. Malaysians can expect to live to 76 on average. The result - there are fewer young people to support an ever-growing elderly population. 

• In a dual-income household, the children are cared for most of the time by a maid or a child-minder. This affects child-parent bonding as quality family time is cut to a minimum. One possible long-term effect is children grow distant from their parents. Such parents risk being abandoned by their children in their old age. 

• This has led countries such as Singapore and India to introduce the Maintenance of Parents Act whereby it is mandatory for children to provide financial support for their elderly parents. The latter can file a maintenance order against their children if they fail to provide support. The number of cases brought to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents is on the rise.

Blessed are the elderly who have filial daughters to care for them. 
Click here to read June Wong's article in full.

• Who looks after elderly parents who live on their own and require assistance with daily activities? Answer: The usual suspects! Daughters are usually the first choice of caregivers. If there are more than one daughter, then the onus falls on the daughter who is single, or is a full-time homemaker. She doesn't have much of an option. It would be futile to protest and be criticized as being 'unfilial'.

• For childless couples and those who choose to remain single, who will care for them in their old age? Children are still considered by many parents as an investment for their old age. We may be able to afford the best home-care services, but nothing beats having your own flesh and blood to take care of you when you are no longer able to do so on your own. 

This is a major concern for childless couples. Click here to read Kelly Flynn's article in the New York Times.

When families cannot cope with these challenges, the government will have to step in. In country after country the retirement age has been raised. In Malaysia, it has gone up from 55 to 60. This is to enable employees to remain in the work force longer to support themselves and to build their nest egg. The government also has to look at how to increase the pool of pension funds as the number of civil servants who retire each year continues to increase.


The above video has been posted on this blog a few times. It is a reminder of the challenges imposed by a world that is rapidly ageing, and by transitions is demographics.

It is heartening to know that the government is planning to build more nursing homes and aged care facilities. There is currently not enough to meet the huge demand. Private housing developers are building homes that are not just age-friendly but also inter-generational in concept. The idea of living the rest of your life in a retirement community is starting to catch on among older people, The image of retirement homes as a half-way house where old folks await their departure from this life is slowly fading.

The Green Leaf Retirement Resort in Sepang, Selangor- an award-winning concept of community living in the golden years.

Most importantly, the government has to be more aggressive in promoting active ageing and healthy living. Longevity is a blessing only if accompanied with good health.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BUT ONLY FOR NON-MUSLIMS?

From The New Straits Times 12 Nov 2012

The on-going controversy regarding Nurul Izzah's statement (see photo) shows no sign of abating, at least for now. We all have our views on this issue, but few would want to express them publicly. In Malaysia, any controversial comment touching on the official religion Islam is considered insensitive and courting public outcry. 

For politicians, it is tantamount to committing political suicide if they are perceived to be supporting a more liberal interpretation of the Holy Quran. Malays who make comments that are deemed to 'confuse' Muslims would invite condemnation from their own brethrens and punitive action from JAIS (Selangor Islamic Religious Department). Non-Muslims in the country know to stay away from getting involved in any religious controversy.

(Click here for Malaysiakini's full transcript of Nurul's Q & A session at the forum.)

A 2007 news report quoting former PM Abdullah Badawi that was picked up by Malaysia Chronicle.

What strikes me as interesting is that opposing parties can quote verses from the Quran to support their respective stand on the issue. Also, it is a little known fact outside Malaysia that only in this country is religion (Islam) synonymous with race. All Malays are born Muslim, and die as Muslims. Any Muslim who renounces Islam or converts is considered an apostate. Apostasy, according to a fatwa, is a national security threat. The punishment meted out by the Syariah Court varies from state to state, from hefty fines to imprisonment and whipping.

A reader expresses her views on the issue (New Sunday Times 11 Nov 2012)

Our neighbour Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. Approximately 88% of its 238 million people are Muslims. The constitution of Indonesia states that every person has the freedom to choose and practise their religion. Officially the constitution recognizes only six religions, Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Buddhism.  

Indonesian Muslims enjoy a greater measure of religious freedom than their counterparts in Malaysia. As the video below shows, they can work together with other religious groups to help the needy and less fortunate. It is rare to see such scenes in Malaysia today.

I would love to hear what my Muslim friends have to say on religious freedom. But I know they would prefer to keep their views to themselves for fear of inviting visits from the omnipresent JAIS, like what happened to Malaysiakini.

In Malaysia, the law recognizes 21 as the age when a citizen is mature enough to vote, and 18 as mature enough to marry. So at what age is an individual considered mature enough to decide which faith he wants to embrace? The answer for non-Malays is: any age. For the Malays, the question is purely academic. They have absolutely no say in their choice of religious beliefs.

For more about the topic, do read "Fundamental Human Rights and Religious Apostasy", posted on the Malaysian Bar Council website. Very enlightening.

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE AES CONTROVERSY

I don't drive anymore, so when the Automated Enforcement System (AES) was introduced, I couldn't understand why there was such vehement protest from car owners and drivers. After all, it would discourage speeding and help reduce the high mortality rate on the roads.

That was before a friend sent me a video last week that revealed the real story behind the AES controversy. If you have yet to view this interview with William Leong Jee Keen (MP For Selayang), I think you should, especially if you own a car. Note the numbers he quotes. Unbelievable, but Malaysians have come to view revelations like these as no longer surprising.

Penang has delayed the implementation of the AES while Selangor has suspended it until further notice. MP for Rembau and UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin has called on the government to defer implementing the AES until all the inherent weaknesses of the system are rectified.

From yesterday's Malay Mail 9 Nov. The total amount has since shot up
to over RM7m and climbing steadily even as I write.

There are conflicting reports on the number of summonses issued, and the total amount collected. So take your pick from the Road Transport Department (RTD), the mainstream media, or the alternative online media.

To date, a total camera of 831 cameras have been installed - 566 units at speed traps and 265 units at traffic lights. Of these units, 14 have been in operation since September.

The AES has been implemented in over 90 countries in the world, including the UK, France and Germany. While few would argue against the effectiveness of the AES in reducing road accidents, many would question where the money is going to and who stands to profit from the large sums collected in fines.

According to Malaysian Insider, "The two firms awarded the contract to implement the enforcement system — ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap — will spend between RM300 million and RM400 million each to set up traffic cameras at 831 “black spots” nationwide. Both ATES and Beta Tegap are entitled to RM16 per valid summons for the first five million issued. They will then split the remaining revenue evenly with the government up to a cap of RM270 million each.

The firms will each receive 7.5 per cent from the remaining revenue and the government will keep the rest."

Sounds like profit-making is at the core of the AES system, rather than the much-touted goal of reducing the number of road fatalities.


For a list of AES locations, click on the link below.

AES Camera Installation Location List