(Came across this article in The Straits Times today. Incidents of parental abuse often go unreported as they happen within the privacy and confines of the home. Click here to read more about elder abuse.) 
(Came across this article in The Straits Times today. Incidents of parental abuse often go unreported as they happen within the privacy and confines of the home. Click here to read more about elder abuse.) 

Friday 26 June 2009: a day of grief for the legions of Michael Jackson fans around the world, and here in Malaysia. I had heard the shocking news early this morning on radio. After lunch I was in the Plenary Hall at the KL Convention Centre, together with 1000+ participants from 42 countries. We were awaiting the last presentation of the 14th International Conference on Thinking.
When Edward de Bono came on stage, the first thing he did was to call for a 1-minute silence as a mark of respect for MJ. A small gesture, but it showed that even in death, MJ affected people everywhere. He was someone we either loved, hated, ridiculed, vilified or worshipped. Now he's gone. Forever.
The two MJ CDs I own do not qualify me as an MJ fan. But MJ had always fascinated me. Media stories about him enthralled me. His music videos and movie "Moonwalker" mesmerized me. How could it be possible for any human being to move the way he did? Or do all those bizarre things that he did?
I remember queuing up for more than two hours in the hot sun and then in the drizzle to get tickets for his concert in Kuala Lumpur. That was in October 1996. I paid RM200+ for two tickets - a princely sum in those days. Malaysians had never seen anything quite like that MJ concert at Stadium Merdeka. It was spectacular - the theatrics, the pyrotechnics and the music. We were the privileged guests at this magnificent feast for the senses. What a night to remember for the rest of our lives!
I actually had goose pimples when MJ came on stage. The crowd went into a frenzy. There was MJ in his silver space suit looking like a demi-god from some friendly planet, dropping by to bestow his blessings on the earthlings. "Hello, Malaysia! I love you!" he shouted, waving his gloved hand. For more than two spell-binding hours Stadium Merdeka became the centre of the universe for the thousands of Malaysians there.
I am glad I got to see you in person, MJ. I am glad I had the chance to see you do your moonwalk and hear you sing "We are the World" with all those children. Thank you for all the songs and the memories. May you rest in peace.
Michael Jackson at 12 (Photo: The Rolling Stone)
With David Perkins
Marlow and Frances Cowan's impromptu piano duet at the Mayo clinic has been viewed 3.8 million times since it was uploaded on YouTube last September. 'The couple that plays together stays together.' - how true in this case. The Cowans have been married 62 years. Mr Cowan turned 90 in February, which officially makes him a “nonagenarian American idol.”
This 6-year old is truly amazing, and obviously having so much fun playing the piano. Such a joy to watch!
A line-up of the top bloggers in Malaysia. Can you recognize who they are?
VIP Dato Wong Sai Hao at his lap-top
Seniors learning all about blogging
Malaysia's #1 blogger - Kenny Sia
Future bloggers already signing up to get an early start
Connecting online (Photo: NYT)
1. For retirees, especially those who have lost a spouse or close friends, loneliness and boredom often set in. If nothing is done about it, the result is depression, or worse, dementia. The mushrooming of online social networking sites for the 50+ reflects the need for this age group to make new friends and find a purpose in their golden years. 
There will come a time when older seniors are housebound. That is the time when the Internet may become their only point of contact and communication with the outside world. But why wait till then? For those of us ‘younger’ seniors, the time is now to discover how the Internet can enrich our lives. We should encourage other retirees to learn how to go online. Learning a new skill keeps the mind active and healthy. It adds years to our lives, and adds life to our years as well. Isn’t that reason enough?With some of my students at a WOU tutorial
Training under Dr Michael Heah of Corporate Coach
Alternatively, you can set up your own consultancy, or training company. But be prepared to slog the first few years to build up your company. If you can find the time, write a book and share your expertise with others.
Finally, if all you want is to have an opportunity to offer your skills and services gratis to the many charities and non-government organizations (NGOs) in your community, take your pick from the list in the side bar under "Donations and Volunteers Needed".
At the opening of the new centre for children with Down Syndrome (Photo: The Star)
A recent study on volunteerism among older people revealed these benefits:
~ volunteering leads to better health, and older volunteers are the most likely to receive physical and mental health benefits from their volunteer activities
~ even when controlling for other factors such as age, health, and gender, research has found that when individuals volunteer, they are more likely to live longer.
However, to receive the positive health benefits, volunteers need to commit at least one to two hours a week to volunteer activities.
To quote Gen Tan Sri Datuk Zain Hashim (Rtd), MIM chairman, "It is never more rewarding than seeing that a lifetime’s accumulated wisdom and experience are put to good use at one’s golden age."
(Cancer, Diabetes, & Heart Disease can be overcome through diet. Dr. Tom Wu’s breakthroughs with Cancer & Diabetes have earned him the “Remarkable Contribution Award” from the American Cancer Society and the “World Famous Doctor Award” from The United Nations. )

Much has been written in the media about General Motors filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 1 June. Among the causes that helped topple the once-invincible GM were the pension bond and the retirement-trust obligation. As early as 2002, GM’s pension fund was already US$20m under-funded. GM is not the only one. Across the US, business bankruptcies jumped 40% in May alone. When a company goes bankrupt, it is legally freed from fulfilling its pension-retirement obligations to its employees.
Last year 3.2 million baby boomers in the US became the first batch of retirees eligible for social security (retirement) benefits. This figure will rise when 77 million baby-boomers are expected to retire within the next five to seven years. Not only will there be 77 million fewer workers to contribute taxes, but there will be 77 million new retirees expecting monthly checks from the government. The numbers boggle the mind, and this is only the beginning. More and more countries will be facing the same predicament as their population ages.
In 2005, multinational companies across the globe were already aware of the impending crisis that retirement benefits would bring on. A similar situation can be expected here in Malaysia although things haven’t quite reached such dire proportions yet. We should keep a watchful eye on our retirement funds in the EPF and keep track of the government’s investments through Khazanah Nasional Berhad.
Fortunately for us, the alternative media are doing an excellent job as the people's eyes and ears. It's up to us to be vigilant about how the government spends our money. We don't want to wake up one day and find that our retirement funds have lost 70% of its value because the government has been dipping into our EPF savings to bail-out sick companies that they had invested in in the first place with taxpayers' money. We simply cannot remain passive bystanders when our retirement benefits are at stake.
Having gone through a couple of failed relationships, I am certainly in no position to counsel the soon-to-be-(re)married or the soon-to-be-divorced. For those among us seeking to revitalize their marriage or contemplating a second marriage, here is some advice from marriage and family therapist, Dov Heller.
QUESTION 2: Do I feel safe expressing my feelings and thoughts with this person?This question goes to the core of the quality of your relationship. Feeling safe means you can communicate openly with this person. The basis of having good communication is trust - i.e. trust that I won't get punished or hurt for expressing my honest thoughts and feelings. Make sure you feel emotionally safe with the person you plan to marry.
intention of trying to improve them after they're married. As a colleague of mine puts it: 'You can probably expect someone to change after marriage for the worse'. If you cannot fully accept this person the way they are now, then you are not ready to marry them.


Scammers at work in an internet cafe in Lagos, Nigeria. (Photo: ABC News)
