Posted by: thaishin | May 4, 2010

Hating it

My son (age 4+) does not like reading very much. In school, he would cry with tears when the teacher asked him to do some reading and he says he hates it.

Hate is in his vocabulary. Whatever that displeases him, he would say he hates it. When it is time for him to go to sleep and he still wants to watch TV, he would say he hates it.  Sort of just casually out of the mouth kind of thing. But the fact that he would cry and refuse to read beckons something deeper?

I was discussing about it with my wife and I was already resolving not to press him to read if he does not like it. But how does discipline comes in? Shouldn’t parents develop discipline in the child by repeatedly instilling in the child the need to read. He must be interested in order to proceed or shouldn’t he? A difficult balance. Forcing him to read it will make him hate it but not forcing him will not do him good either. Maybe for a while, will just let loose and let him have his way. Not to force him to read until he becomes uninterested in it. To consistently remind him to do some reading but not forcing him to do it will be the way to go.

Any advice, anyone?

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Posted by: thaishin | April 5, 2010

Four wheel alignment

Recently, I was driving on the highway when I felt the car drifted sideways while I was holding firm to the steering wheel. That’s when I started research on wheel alignment.

An article from http://www.familycar.com says:

The symptoms of a car that is out of alignment are:

  • Uneven or rapid tire wear
  • Pulling or drifting away from a straight line
  • Wandering on a straight level road
  • Spokes of the steering wheel off to one side while driving on a straight and level road.

It sounded familiar.

Wheel alignment defined in wikipedia:

Wheel alignment is part of standard automobile maintenance that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker’s specification. The purpose of these adjustments is to reduce tire wear, and to ensure that vehicle-travel is straight and true (without “pulling” to one side). Alignment angles can also be altered beyond the maker’s specifications to obtain a specific handling characteristic.

More research from http://www.costhelper.com says:

Wheel alignment is all labor and involves no parts, so rates vary based on the local cost of living. According to Washington Post columnist Pat Goss, wheel alignment shouldn’t be too commonplace, “You actually have to bend steel to affect alignment.” Some tire centers recommend having wheels aligned annually or whenever the car starts to pull or drift to one side when steering, or when there is uneven tread wear on the tires.
Typical costs:
  • A two wheel alignment (such as a front-end alignment) can cost $30-$65 based on the local cost of living.
  • A four wheel alignment can cost $50-$95 based on the local cost of living.

I asked for a quote from a local car shop. They have a 159 bucks for lifetime wheel alignment and another package for 79 bucks for standard wheel alignment.

I went for the lifetime computerized wheel alignment package. Free alignment for every 6000 miles or whenever alignment is out. After discounts, I paid 149 bucks.  I got a certificate that comprises the following scope:

1) Inspect steering and suspension parts

2) Check alignment including caster, camber and toe and set angles that are adjustable

3) Correct tire pressure as required.

There is an exclusion clause in the invoice that states that if parts are required to restore vehicle to manufacturer’s alignment specifications, then those parts and the labour required to restore them are not covered.

After the work, I was given a worksheet that tells me which parts are within specs and with parts are out of specs.  The front right tire was found to be -0.16 degrees out. The left rear wheel was found to be -0.07 degrees out. I was told the front right was adjusted but they have to leave the left rear out as there was no shim kit out for the 2009 model for the rear wheels.  They say the shim kit will be developed later.

My friends, do share with me your experience of wheel alignment or anything I should take note of, thanks!

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Posted by: thaishin | March 22, 2010

Spring Comes

Spring comes

1) When we shed away our long johns.

2) When there’s that last burst of snow shower

3) When there’s regular rain shower rather than regular snow shower

4) When we tune our clocks one hour forward because of day light saving.

5) When we hear birds chirping outside our apartment

6) When we can open the front sliding glass door to let the fresh air come in during the day as the temperature climbs up to 50s.

7) When we turn up the thermostat because the temperatures are still in the 30s during the night

8) When we see motorbikes on the road again

9) When we see dew forming on the glass of our car again in the morning

10) It’s suppose to be severe weather season also when tornado comes but march 2010 has been quiet thus far. Praise the Lord!

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Posted by: thaishin | March 21, 2010

Q and A on High Cholesterol (I)

Taken from Chicago Tribune on March 21, 2010.

Q: My total cholesterol is 140, my LDL is 55 and my HDL is 47. I am on simvastatin. My chiropractor believes that my numbers are too low for me to be on medication. He says the brain is made up of cholesterol, and we need a certain amount. I am confused. My doctor thinks these numbers are great and wants me to stay on the drug.

A: This topic is highly controversial. Many physicians believe that the lower the cholesterol, the healthier the heart. Cholesterol is essential for every cell in the body. It is a building block for hormones like estrogen, testosterone and vitamin D. Although studies are scarce, there is evidence that low total cholesterol (below 180) is associated with a higher risk of death in older people (Lancet, Aug. 4, 2001; Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, July 2003). In addition, low LDL cholesterol (below 80) has been linked to a higher risk of bleeding stroke (Circulation, Apr. 28, 2009). Don’t stop your medicine without discussing this issue further with your doctor.

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Posted by: thaishin | March 21, 2010

FDA: Zocor can cause muscle, kidney damage

Taken From Chicago Tribune on March 19, 2010:

The Food and Drug Administration says the highest available dose of the cholesterol drug Zocor can cause muscle damage as well as severe and potentially lethal kidney damage.

The agency says statin drugs like Zocor are known to cause muscle damage in some patients, but the risk is more severe when patients are taking 80 milligram doses of Zocor. The risks include rhabdomyolysis, a form of muscle damage that can lead to kidney damage or failure, and death.

Zocor, or simvastatin, is sold by Merck and Co. Merck’s cholesterol drug Vytorin and Abbott Laboratories’ drug Simcor also contain simvastatin.The FDA says the warning is based on clinical trials, studies, reports of side effects by users and prescription data.

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Posted by: thaishin | March 11, 2010

Harnessing his motivation

At this point of time, my son is attending preschool 3 times per week, around 3 hours each session. Other than that, he is either playing games on the computer or watching TV or playing with his toy cars. During winter, that’s about the 3 or 4  things that he does day in day out. Maybe when summer comes, we will send him to some swimming classes.

I have talked to one of my friends and his son is one year younger than my son. He is attending mandarin classes and learning to play the keyboard. He says it’s a singaporean ‘kiasu’ syndrome. ‘Kiasu’ is chinese hokkien dialect meaning afraid to lose out. If I were to compare my son to his,  it is as if my son is losing out. But, I choose not to think about it that way. To each his own.

My son likes to watch TV. He likes to play computer games. So I am harnessing that to my advantage. Sometimes before he goes to the TV or computer I will require him to do some things for me. I will ask him to either read a book from Fitzroy series or learn some chinese words from the learning aid posters or memorize scriptures. And he will be motivated to do these things that he does not like to do and finish it.

There are 10 books from the Fitzroy series and it’s about phonics. Phonics is about learning the sound of each letter or letter combinations so that he is able to read sentences without memorizing individual words. The books increase in difficulty as the book number increase from 1 to 10. He’s able to read the first 5 books now.

Learning mandarin is more difficult than reading the Fitzroy series. He easily forgets the words since he does not use it. I try to speak to him in mandarin sometimes but not using a lot of chinese words here.

He does scripture memory better than learning mandarin. Bible says faith comes from hearing. What better than hiding God’s word in his heart and hopefully he will find it useful when he grows up. The other thing I am trying to do is to read Bible stories to him before he sleeps.

Romans 10

17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. -niv

17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. -kjv

My friends, do share with us how your child learns, if possible, thanks

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Posted by: thaishin | March 2, 2010

About Sincerity

My thoughts on sincerity:

1) Sincerity is telling the truth in plain simple words.

2) Sincerity is knowing that each individual is worthy and talking to the person without paying attention to the person’s status, beauty and skills.

3) Sincerity is helping a friend that is down and out.

4) Sincerity is when your words and your action matches.

5) Sincerity is when you communicate without any hidden agenda.

6) Sincerity is knowing that righteousness is from the Lord and being humble.

Scripture on sincerity:

Matthew 5

37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.  -kjv

37Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. -niv

Matthew 5:33-37 is about taking oaths.  But, I think  Matthew 5:37  covers all types of communication process.

Add to the list if you will, my friends.

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Posted by: thaishin | February 18, 2010

Second Recall

I sent my Toyota corolla for the second recall on February 2, 2010.

Taken from Toyota website:

What is the problem that could cause accelerators to stick and led to the recall?

The issue involves a friction device in the pedal designed to provide the proper “feel” by adding resistance and making the pedal steady and stable. This friction device includes a “shoe” that rubs against an adjoining surface during normal pedal operation. Due to the materials used, wear and environmental conditions, these surfaces may, over time, begin to stick and release instead of operating smoothly. In some cases, friction could increase to a point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open.

What is the solution Toyota announced to fix sticking accelerator pedals?

A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the accelerator pedal assembly, thereby eliminating the excess friction that has caused pedals to stick in rare instances.


How does a steel reinforcement bar solve this problem?

The steel reinforcement bar will reduce the surface tension between the friction shoe and the adjoining surface. With this reinforcement in place, the excess friction that can cause the pedal to stick is eliminated.

What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving?

Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking one of the following actions:

  • If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.
  • Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.
  • If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.
  • If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.
  • If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

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Posted by: thaishin | January 20, 2010

To stay or not to stay?

Husbands should live with their wives. Simple enough. Taken for granted by most people. I was faced with the idea of living separately with my wife once. That was 2007.

My wife was applying to USA to work as a nurse back then and I was undecided then whether to join her. Back then, there were a lot of uncertainties. Certainly, we did not know whether she could earn enough to support the family if she was working alone and the family joined her. She did not know where she will be dwelling, only told to her that she will be in Chicago. Safety issues plagued my mind also since I know the crime rate would be high in Chicago. The colder weather. The food. Whether I can adapt and get used to taking care of my son. So many things to adjust to should we move there. There’s also the worry about what I can work as after many years of  looking after my son. I was too comfortable in Singapore to want a change.

I needed to seek counsel if I needed to make a decision. I asked my mentor. He said go. I asked some close friends. One of them said I should go if my wife is determined to go. Another said it depends on the situation. I asked a pastor from the Philippines. He shared with me his own family experience whereby his brother had problem with his wife after he worked abroad alone for many years. He said what’s the use of gaining the whole world if one should lose his own soul. Other friends did not give any advice.

At the time that the visa was issued to our family, I was in an job interview which was turning out to be positive. Eventually, I decided not to go further with the interview. I decided to follow my wife to USA. The family should stick together

All the time, I could not find a verse that speaks about my situation. In the absence of that, I relied on Godly counsel from my friends, just go.

On hindsight, here’s the verse that could apply to my situation:

1 Peter 3:7

7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. -kjv

7Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. -niv

Both verses point to the same thing: Dwell or live with your wife.

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Posted by: thaishin | January 8, 2010

A bad fall

My son stretched both his hands to the sides of his thighs through his pajamas and went further down leaning forward. He fell awkwardly, slamming his front teeth onto the floor and loud cries follow.

I went to look at him, dug out the food that he was eating  from his mouth. He was taking his lunch. Then I took the towel and pad at his front teeth. Blood was flowing profusely at the two front teeth and from the lascerations on his lower lip. I checked his teeth and it seemed that his left front teeth was shaky.  I called my wife to ask her about what to do. She’s trained in health care and she should know better. She told me that as long as the bleeding stops, things will not be so urgent. I was wondering whether to send him to the A&E but things got better and blood is not flowing that much anymore.

It was  near the end of the year and we are switching  from state insurance to private insurance for him. So, I decided to wait for a few more days before we visit the dentist. The incident happened on Wednesday and we waited until the next Monday morning to see the dentist. At least with private insurance, the dentist is more accessible. We were also wondering whether to send him to the primary care doctor to examine his mouth but we decided to send him to the dentist first.

We were worried that there might be some broken teeth stuck in his gums and also about infection. He was in pain. Food has to be sliced into smaller pieces for him to eat. As the days went by, he was crying in pain whenever he took food. Thank God from the X-ray that was taken at the dentist, it showed that there were no broken teeth and that adult teeth was pushing its way out and there was no infection up till then. Thank God for His protection!

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