"The Fantastic Four"

The blogger recently has the privilege of making the acquaintance of four highly respectable internet buddies known as “the Fantastic Four” (the credit of naming goes to a certain “wise nite owl”), many thanks to a former colleague Ir Cheong Chee Kwong a.k.a. Brother CK who used to regularly forward their emails to the blogger.

These four highly qualified professionals/scholars are very senior and yet unassuming. They regularly discuss, argue or debate among themselves and share with other internet buddies on various topics, some pretty serious while others light-hearted, all very interesting and captivating! They are in general good-humored, although also quite cynical at times. The blogger has already posted some of their emails in this blog and would continue to do so with their permissions to share their wisdom with readers.

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, may the blogger present to you (through his own google-searching and/or discovery by chance)

"The FANTASTIC FOUR":

Dr LIM JU BOO

BSc (Physiology, Pharmacology, Chemistry, Zoology), Postgraduate Dip Nutrition, MSc (Food Quality Control), MD, PhD (Med), Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (London), Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (London). Formely, Research Nutritionist and Toxicologist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachussetts. Senior Researcher at Institute for Medical Research, Malaysia. Founder & First President of the Astronomical Society of Malaysia. Founder Member of the Malaysian Senior Scientists Association. Member of Panel of Experts for Post-Doctoral Scholars Award Foundation for Guthrie Group Malaysia Currently, Special Medical and Science Adviser, and Head of the Technical Advisory Board, Dynapharm International Pharmaceutical Group (DNG) Malaysia.

Ir TAN SENG KHOON
Director, Tasek Jurutera Perunding, Civil and Structural, Highway and Transportation Consulting Engineers
BE (Hons) UM, P.Eng, FIEM, MICE, MIHT, AMP (Ahli Mahkota Perak)

Mr PERRY TAN CHEE KIONG

a.k.a. "the wise nite owl"

Director, Kolej Komuniti Miri,
KEMENTERIAN PENGAJIAN TINGGI MALAYSIA

Pastor DAVID CHEN
(no clue yet as to his background at this moment)
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Following up on the subject of "On the Thought of Sharing":

From: Tan Seng Khoon

Date: Sunday, 27 June, 2010, 12:26 PM

(In response to Perry Tan’s earlier email. Refer to previous post)
“………however, in the presence of all these prominent people, i feel like a dwaft!”

Perry,

I think you mean dwarf.
If I was there, I would have felt worse.
I would have felt like a mouse.

Rgds,
khoon
-------------------------------------------
From: Tai-Onn Lau
Sunday, 27 June, 2010 12:51 PM

Dear Ir. Tan and Prof. Perry,

I find your exchange of feelings in front of the giant is so amusing that I can't stop laughing at the description of a mouse and a dwarf and can't wait to express my admiration at your expressed modesty.

Based on the following quotation,

"No truly great person ever thought themselves so."
William Hazlitt (1778-1830) British essayist.

I think both of you are two truly great gentlemen having set a good example for all of us to emulate! Would the great man like Doc disagree?

Humbly submitted,
Lau
-------------------------------
From: david chen

Date: Monday, 28 June, 2010, 9:17 AM

Morning Lau,

I was in a jovial mood and hopefully, with a cup of coffee and reading your blog early morning would put me with the right start up for the day.

No---

Thanks to your error, you put me as a Tan ,instead of a Chen surely may spoilt my day. Of course the likes of the great Mind like Perry \Tan and or Tan /skhoon has left us with an giant imprint all this time , and surely this must have confuse or complicate your insertion of surname and forgot about a little sparrow thereof like me -- ha ha .

regards,

david

------------------------

From: Tai-Onn Lau
Date: Monday, 28 June, 2010 10:24 AM
.

Hi Pastor,

Thousands of apologies! Correction has already been made in my blog.

To err is human, isn't it?

Age is definitely catching up on me, and my eye-sight is getting poor (hence the error in blogging) these days after strenuously reading all those brain-storming emails from you great minds, hahaha...

You, being one of the highly respectable members of the "Fantastic Four", are definitely NOT "a little sparrow" as you claimed to be, BUT really "a large hawk" with sharp eyes.

Have a good day to you and the others!

Lau
------------------------------------------------
From: Perry Tan
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 12:47 PM

haha, Now the "fantastic 4" must have undergone tremendous unprecedented EVOLUTION!

One has turned into a mouse, another a dwarf, and yet another a sparrow!! another self name a Jame Bond,,, whats next? a smart ass tagging along with a gold goose quarking occasionally !!!

Maybe we ought to re name them: The 6 TRANSFORMERS!

joke joke, no offence intended and any coincidence of name or otherwise, is purely coincidental therefore, no apologies will be rendered!

wise nite owl
--------------------------------------

From: tskhoon
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:22:32 +0800

Perry,

Here is a quote from Shakespeare's wife.

"All the world is a stage and all the men and women are merely idiots.”

Especially in a class of email buddies that have called themselves "The 6 Transformers".

Should be named the "6 Stooges".
Or more rightfully be "The 6 Retards".

Shakespeare's wife is just so nasty indeed. Ha..ha..ha...

Rgds

khoon.
-----------------------------------------------------------
From: Tai-Onn Lau
Date: June 29, 2010 4:09 PM

.

Dear All,

I totally disagree with Prof. Perry’s proposal of renaming “the Fantastic Four” to become “6 Transformers” OR Ir SK Tan’s “6 Stooges” or “6 Retards”, simply because by doing so you guys would SIDELINE our Great Sifu Dr JB Lim and make him “the Lone Ranger” if “the Fantastic Four” is disbanded.

How can you guys be so “nasty” (like Shakespeare’s wife, borrowing khoon’s words) to him, after he has done so much to enrich our lives? Hahaha………

Let’s maintain the name of “the Fantastic Four” within this circle of internet buddies!

Regards,

T.O. Lau
-----------------------------------------------
From: Tan Seng Khoon

Date: 29 Jun 2010 16:45:43 +0800

ok Lau,

How about " Snow Lim and the 6 dwarfs "? It fits snugglingly into all your requirements, doesn't it?

It is the Goldilock solution.

Not too smart. Not too stupid. Just right.

The important thing is that it does not exclude our Master Sifu.

Rather it includes our Great Sifu but is awarded his rightful position as he so rightfully deserves. A fair and pretty giant among 6 ugly dwarfs.

Rgds,

khoon

--------------------------------
From: Perry Tan

Date: 29 June, 2010, 7:00 PM

dear SKTan

haha, surprise, surprise,,, just one sentence can do wonders and generate some wonderful interpretations and reactions!

"One has turned into a mouse, another a dwarf, and yet another a sparrow!! another self name a James Bond,,, whats next? a smart ass tagging along with a gold goose quarking occasionally !"

We have never sidelined Dr J B Lim,,,, as in the above JB = James Bond!!

The mysterious ones are "smart ass"="a wise guy @ know-it-all' and the golden goose,,,, hahah, the toughest part!

cheer up... I will be back in action soon with more controversial topics to stretch your brains!!

perry

pen named

wise nite owl

-----------------------

From: T O Lau
Date: 29 June, 2010 7:30 PM

Hi guys,

I beg to differ with the argument that the new name of "6 Transformers" does not sideline the Great Sifu, because he is always "the Fantastic One", and since when has he "transformed" into "James Bond", unless he is happy to be one so as to be always surrounded by beautiful and sexy Bond girls? Hahaha....

No offence meant, Prof., but I just think the new name is not fitting at all.

Cheers,
Lau
------------------
THE LAST AND THE BEST EMAIL OF ALL (of course, it must be from none other than the Great Sifu himself):

From: JB Lim
Date: 29 June, 2010 8:48 PM

I think you guys should rename yourself as “The Gang of Four” similar to those during the Cultural Revolution in the Chinese Communist Party.

If you leave me out, it will give you all an opportunity to nominate among yourselves for the creation your own new band called ‘The Three Musketeers’ I shall be happy to act as your referee from outside with TO Lau as the in-house Captain.

How about that? There will be no more in-house fighting so that I can continue without anymore distraction writing my articles peacefully on: Creation vs. Evolution, The Mysteries of Life, and on Jesus Miracles, now that my talk on the Meaning of Health is finished.

Else I can never finish what I wanted to write.

JB Lim

On the Thought of SHARING

The blogger forwarded a mail from XciteFun to internet buddies with the following message on 24 June 2010 12:23:47 +0800:

Hi people,

I'm particularly impressed by the last sentence of the following "Friendship Promise" that says: "Friendship Ends When You Stop Sharing".

Thanks for your Sharing of email, info, etc. etc, all this while and that's probably why our Friendship FLOURISHES day after day ..........

(Life ends when you stop dreaming,

Hope ends when you stop believing,

Love ends when you stop caring,

Friendship end when you stop sharing.)

-----------------------------------------------------------
A reply was promptly received as follows:

From: Perry Tan

Date: Friday, 25 June, 2010, 6:45 AM

Thanks Ir TOL for the sharing

Sharing is caring

However, one must have something before one can share!!

"In this world, there are two types of people.

One who cares, the other who care less." - ptan, 2003

Just composed this yesterday

just for the sharing

and pls comment, i havent share it out to our internet buddies yet

"In the presence of giants, the mediocre becomes the dwarf.

In the presence of dwarfs, the mediocre becomes the giant."

- Perry Tan, 9.45 am 24 June 2010

In the presence of mediocres, emerge a leader like the blind leading the blind---this one not very good, so i may take it out.

-------------------------------------------
This prompted the blogger to acknowledge as follows:

Date: Saturday, 26 June, 2010, 8:56 AM

Dear Prof. Perry,

Allow me to share with you a saying from the ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi (老子), "Father of Taoism" (see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi), that goes as follows:

"The sage does not accumulate (for himself). The more that he expends for others, the more does he possess of his own; the more that he gives to others, the more does he have himself. (圣人不积，既以为人，己愈有，既以与人，己愈多。)"

That's quite similar to your statement that "one must have something before one can share". You are quite a sage in you own right, hahaha......

Hope you have enjoyed your "close encounter of the third kind" with the Great Sifu Dr JB Lim this morning after he has delivered his Wellness Seminar lecture by the time you read this mail!

Cheers,

Tai Onn
26/06/2010

-------------------------

The following responses are received later:

From: Perry Tan

Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:51:16 +0800

.

Dear Ir Tol

I have the pleasure of meeting Dr JB Lim today and saw him in action delivering a very captivating lecture! He is so energetic! He is so surprised and happy to have met me too!

I also have the honour of having tea with him and one of our internet buddies! I cant review who he/she is at the moment.

however, in the presence of all these prominent people, i feel like a dwaft!

------------------------------------------------

From: David Chen

Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2010 23:39:55 +0800

Hi Perry,

So were you in a state of Ecstasy or Agony , when in the midst of all the great minds whom you met.

SURELY LIKE YOURSELF, WHEN ALL THE GREAT MINDS MEET, IT MUST BE MORE THAN ECSTASY.

Talking about Sharing which you did among yourself and tol , would you be kind enough to share a bit on some of the finer points of Dr lim's speech? --- this is what sharing can mean now , isn't it.

But really , perry, The greatest thing , and the most precious thing ,man needs , is the subject called Love, and that by itself includes the subject partly to cover wellness too, isn't it.

LOVE.

I HAVE SOUGHT LOVE , FIRST BECAUSE IT BRINGS ECSTASY--ECSTACY SO GREAT THAT I WOULD OFTEN HAVE SACRIFICED ALL THE REST OF LIFE FOR A FEW HOURS OF THIS JOY.

I HAVE SOUGHT IT , NEXT BECAUSE IT RELIEVES LONELINESS. I HAVE SOUGHT IT FINALLY, BECAUSE IN THE UNION OF LOVE, I HAVE SEEN , IN A MYSTIC MINIATURE, THE PREFIGURING VISION OF HEAVEN THAT SAINTS AND POET HAVE IMAGINED.

.

(QUOTE)- BERTRAND RUSSELL

B T W -- YOUR following quote is great. I particularly like it as it reminds me of the everyday happenings that has some of this relative links .

"In the presence of giants, the mediocre becomes the dwarf.

In the presence of dwarfs, the mediocre becomes the giant."

- Perry Tan, 9.45 am 24 June 2010

But as far as i am concerned, the following statement may compliment the above quote of yours equally. AND MAY even outweigh your quote in the modern day interactions of what we may see and face every day in society.

I AM MORE AFRAID OF AN ARMY OF 100 SHEEP'S LED BY A LION THAN AN ARMY OF 100 LIONS LED BY A SHEEP.

cheers ,

david

------------------------------------------

From: Perry Tan

Date: Sunday, 27 June, 2010 1:20 AM

Dear Pastor

Thanks for the compliments and complements on my quote.... which was composed when I observed during a National Seminar forum on 24 June 2010. In this instance, a well known eloquent speaker was dwaft in the presence of Bigger shots who were much better speakers! His unexpected behaviour, prompted and INSPIRED ME to compose that quote.

However, pls Pastor, do not ASS U ME that i composed that quote in the light of other prominent quotable quotes. My quote carries a message so does the one you copy catted.

To each his own ways....

Note again: If you ass u me you will make an ass of u and me as we have agreed to this effect with sk Tan!

Important Note: I will very much like to share what Dr J B Lim has shared during his lecture.... but i will prefer Dr Lim himself to share it with our internet buddies as any parrotting from me will do injustice to his great lecture.

So, Dr J B Lim,,,,, briefly, please

wise nite owl

-------------------------------------
The Blogger's remark:

I for one eagerly await the response from the "Great Sifu" Dr JB Lim, if he is willing to SHARE beyond the Seminar Hall where participation fees are payable.........

T.O. Lau

27/06/2010 Sunday 7.00 am

Conversation with God

Man: God?

God: Yes?

Man: Can I ask you something?

God: Of course!

Man: What's a million years to you?

God: A second.

Man: And a million dollars?

God: A penny.

Man: God, can I have a penny?

God: Yes, just wait a second.

(Courtesy of forwarded mail from Pastor David Chen)

.

Thus derives a new "proverb":

.

"PENNY WISE, SECOND FOOLISH."

Final Analysis

(Courtesy of forwarded mail from Pastor David Chen)

Chocolate Calculator

Don't tell me your age; you'd probably lie anyway--

but the Hershey Man will know!

.

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH!! This is pretty neat.

DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!

It takes less than a minute.

Work this out as you read.

Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!

This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10).
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold).
3. Add 5.

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator.

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1760;

If you haven't, add 1759.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number.

The first digit of this was your original number (i.e. how many times you want to have chocolate each week). The next two numbers are

YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2010) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.

(Courtesy of a forwarded mail from Pastor David Chen)