jeudi, novembre 26, 2009 Engravings and their Significance... or not.  I've always thought that engravings in the inner part of rings were hopelessly swoonworthy romantic gestures. Because they're on the insides of the rings, nobody can see the engraving, and only the owner has the power to read the message (and maybe show it to a select few.)One of my closest friends had an (ex)bf engrave "X, will you be mine?" inside a ring as he asked her to be his girlfriend. Ben and Yimei also have a lovely hand-crafted pair of wedding bands, and from the photo they posted, it looks like they engraved the insides too - I have no idea what it says though. It got me asking myself: what would I like to see engraved on the inside of my ring? I think it's a sign of something that I immediately thought: "Wah seh, better engrave my name and handphone and email in case I lose it."
[Engravings and their Significance... or not.] |
mercredi, novembre 18, 2009  My mother has a few choice phrases she loves to use on me. I'm quite sure that your mom has one or two for you as well, doesn't she?One of my mom's perennial favourite mom-isms is "burning the candle at both ends", a phrase which she uses on me whenever I drag myself out of bed at 6am in the morning, or drag myself into the house at some godforsaken hour. I've always accepted this critique with a bit of a smile on my face - because it's true. I've always liked being busy, and liked being useful to people. Lately, I have been wishing that this weren't so true of me. I'm pretty fried from everything, and I wish I didn't have so many competing demands on my time and effort. Church is the one thing which I would kill myself working for, but obviously that's a scenario that I would like to avoid. Work is also just getting interesting - but man can't live on work alone. Balance; how does one achieve it when the candle's blazing on both ends with no respite in sight?  Libellés : personal [House on fire] |
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The electronica sounds on this song are pretty trippy; it's on major repeat on my mp3 player right now. I wonder why they never made it before today. And amazingly, it's selling sex. Good quality music which I would be happy to share with an 8 year old! You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep 'Cause they fill the open air and leave teardrops everywhere you'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare I'd like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm sleep, 'cause everything is never as it seems. 'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs as they tried to teach me how to dance A fox trot above my head a sock hop beneath my bed a disco ball is just hanging by a thread Leave my door open just a crack. (Please take me away from here) 'Cause I feel like such an insomniac. (Please take me away from here) Why do I tire of counting sheep (Please take me away from here) when I'm far too tired to fall asleep? To ten million fireflies I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes I got misty eyes as they said farewell But I'll know where several are if my dreams get real bizzare 'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar I'd like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep because my dreams are bursting at the seams Libellés : music [Owl City - Fireflies] |
jeudi, novembre 12, 2009  I feel quite alone, most days.Most of my days, like many, many other young adults, are spent working. That's quite a substantial portion of your life taken up. I split the rest of my time and attention between my friends, my family, and church. Sometimes the friends are in church. Sometimes the family is in church. Sometimes, the church is family and friends. Sometimes the church is bigger (Baptist Convention, Baptist Seminary), sometimes it's tiny (playing with little babies.) It's confusing, I know - but isn't life? I love my life. I say that without reservation or irony or sarcasm. I feel blessed by everything that God has given to me - He's decided where I was born, who I was born to, who my parents are, my bro, my relatives - and through His help, I've made some baby steps at making some decisions, like who my friends are, who my closer pals are, where I went to school, what I do with my life, etc. I'd like to say that I've tried hard to stick with His precepts in keeping the Word at the centre of my life. I'd like to say that very much. I hope that with His Holy Spirit's help, I'll continue to keep the Word close, and keep growing in the knowledge and fear of Him. I just wish that the world wouldn't stand so close to me. ***** There are "safe" jobs to be had. "Safe" jobs in "safe" sectors, where you head to the office and you do your work, and then maybe you meet your partner after work to have a nice dinner at a hawker centre, and then you go home. You finish another year at the company, and then you move up the corporate ladder, collecting $200 as you pass GO, and getting bumped up the promotion scale as you move along. Yes, there are definitely "safe" jobs out there, and I sometimes wish that I had one of them. Sometimes. Not all the time. ***** My job isn't "safe". My job rocks-n-rolls. Last week, I started writing an essay on ASEAN and Civil Society for a think tank. I edited a Summary Note which would feed into the APEC policy process through my boss. I visited a ball-bearings plant in Changi to get video footage of interviews for a research project, which was done in collaboration with a Japanese institute, and the UNEP programme. Then I had a press conference at a famous restaurant and bar. And then I had an amazing international conference with a think tank from Geneva. I met an ambassador or two. That was last week alone. This week, I've had lunch with an ambassador's wife. I've met the head of a very large, global environmental NGO. I've met some of their research staff too - one of whom was involved with Al Gore's team that won the Nobel prize. And of course, the biggie this week: APEC. It's all very breathtaking and exciting. ***** Oh, how I wish the world would not stand so close to me. There are very few overtly Christian people I meet in my industry. I wish I had people whom I could go to, mentors I could turn to for advice on how to do "this whole thing" with God in the picture. People who have gone before me, and have experienced the things I feel, and who are role-models for me to follow. People who would tell me that - yes, this is possible, it's tough, but I've done it. Women, especially, who are in positions that count - tell me that holding on to God is possible, even as everything's rushing by you, and you feel that your grip on the Holy Spirit's getting slippery as you sweat the big/small stuff. Tell me it's possible. Tell me that you've done it. Encourage me with your testimonies. God tells me that it's possible, and I truly believe it is - but where are the faithful few who are the witnesses to this? God says that we're disciples everywhere - to Jerusalem, Samaria, even to the ends of the earth - but not into this arena? Oh bible-believing Christian, where are you? Stand up and be counted. Stand up by the sidelines and cheer the rest of us along. Bloodied and bruised by well-meaning advice that's sincere but completely, utterly wrong, please don't take long. Libellés : thinking [don't stand so close to me] |
mardi, novembre 10, 2009 I'm looking out for a library system or content management system that can be built on Wordpress, and I stumbled across this amazing person called Casey Bisson, who's building something for WP with Library of Congress!http://bavatuesdays.com/wordpress-as-a-library-catalog-who-knew/ http://maisonbisson.com/blog/post/11133/wpopac-an-opac-20-testbed/ He's gotten a Mellon grant to work on this, so I'm hoping it comes out soon! Too bad that it still needs some work before the stuff is distributable, so :( for now. That's all I have time for this morning; I'm trying to return to blogging - I think my routine needs work, and I need to get used to shorter bursts of writing. Libellés : geek, technology [Do good, save the world, READ] |
mercredi, novembre 04, 2009  "Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.” Eventually, what dominates our innermost thoughts and imaginations comes forth as that to which we give our allegiance and worship. Indeed, long before Emerson, Jesus warned similarly that “where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also” (Matthew 6:21). " (SoI, Slice 2053)This is just so true. What we worship will out. This is where self-reflection is important - to out our deepest, darkest recesses of our hearts so that the truth will be laid bare before us - and then we can cry at our spiritual poverty, and then lay it at Jesus' feet, begging redemption. What an amazing thing that it has already been given! Libellés : christian [What am I worshipping?] |
dimanche, octobre 11, 2009 Email, and some questions on the Modern life Sometimes, I like to imagine that my Inbox is a computer game.The aim is not to let too many undone or pending items sit in my Inbox.  I was never any good at video games. Libellés : working life [Email, and some questions on the Modern life] |
dimanche, septembre 13, 2009 After a prototype was improved on, this is the final product for Kris's jiemei's obi belt: And because I know some of you guys are curious, here's some photos of the process:   measuring out the backing strip and the brocade This is done with high tech equipment: (a) 10 year old scissors, (b) blunt wood pencil, and (c) measuring tape from secondary school. The backing strip is 44", and the strips are 4" wide, cut perpendicular to the selvage. The brocade is 60", and the strips are 10-11" wide (approximately, I wasn't so strict with the brocade.)   strips all cut out, and the sewing setup Once the cloth was in place, and the backing strip cut out, it was time to go to the mattresses with the design. My (mom's) sewing machine, all the thread, bobbins, needles etc - the works.   the accessories - ribbon and string, and the finished product The tie should be in the front, so I'm shifting things around on the belt; what you see here is a prototype.   the adjustable fastening Because I'll only be able to get to the bridemaids on the actual wedding day itself, the fastenings have to be adjustable. Thank goodness that this is a problem that most St Nicks girls are familiar with - solve the problem with a safety pin! [Sewing (Part II)] |
vendredi, septembre 11, 2009 Facebook not working, Blogger not working Hello gentlefolk.Have you been frustrated lately because your blogger is not working? Are you bamboozled by the upside down logos on facebook? Has your blogger looked like this for the past, oh, FOREVER?  The problem: you're using Singnet. The solution: fix your proxy to proxy.singnet.com.sg, port 8080. The DETAILED solution: INTERNET EXPLORER 8: Go to Tools > Internet Options > LAN settings > Proxy Server Change the proxy like this:   Firefox Go to Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Connection (configure how Firefox connects to the Internet)   Violà! Source (from 2007, so I just updated it a bit): http://sporecowboy.blogspot.com/2007/05/solution-for-singnet-problem-on.html Libellés : technology [Facebook not working, Blogger not working] |
vendredi, septembre 04, 2009 Finally, blogger looks like it might work. I've not been posting because both blogger and fb have been acting up on me, looking all funky with buttons missing and all.1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random” or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band. Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts 2 - Go to "Random quotations"... Read more or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album. Please wait until I am wrong. 3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days” or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover. 4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together (or www.picnik.com). 
[My Band and Album] |
mercredi, août 19, 2009 To listen to this song, just visit http://www.neverthelessmusic.com. It'll be the first track playing. I love the simple melody, the true words, and the harmony of four boys playing and singing together. This is the stuff that summer love is made of...I Can't Help It by Nevertheless Why would anybody want to fall in love? My hands get sweaty and I trip up on my words I tell bad jokes and I swear that I get on my own nerves Why would anybody want to fall in love? I can't help it, I can't help it I can't help it when I'm with you Why would anybody want to fall in love? Saying goodnight has never been so tough We talk until my cellphone's dead; I still can't get enough Why would anybody want to fall in love? Why would anybody want to fall in love? I'm doing all the things I never thought I'd do My friends all think I'm crazy, well I'm crazy about you 
[Nevertheless: I Can't Help It] |
samedi, août 01, 2009 Four non-cheesy Christian movies     I was at FOP yesterday, and they had these great deals for movies which I've wanted to watch for a while, so I bought the lot for the church library since I don't think DVDs go for anything cheaper than $20 each! I was very thankful for a complete Saturday off from any sort of committments to anyone, and managed to watch them all in a restful blitz, so here are my reviews and thoughts on each of them, one by one:
I did feel that the family life and relationships that surrounded Jay Austin (the protagonist of the movie) could have been emphasized more, but I really liked how they showed his conviction of his sin and his utter depravity before God, even as he decided to give up control of his destiny and live life the way God wants. [Facing the Giants] This movie's about a coach and a hopeless (American) football (aka rugby) team. Although this is your usual underdog-wins-the-championships movie, it was interesting because you can clearly see the technical improvement of the SBC team as they grow in their skills. More artful camerawork, better music (they start the first scene with strains of Casting Crown's "Stained Glass Masquerade"), better pacing of the movie, much more natural dialogue. I think this is more of an encouragement-to-Christians type of movie, since I can't see how the scenario described (coach motivating his team by basing his entire coaching and team philosophy on the bible) working except in an overtly Christian campus. Still, the ideas behind them - that one's belief in Christ is a lifelong philosophy, and not only when the going gets tough - is one which deserves more airtime than it currently gets - both on the screen, and at the pulpit.
This is a truly excellent movie - the videography is excellent, the sets are lovely, the dialogue is so real, the 40 Day Love Dare is real, and, in what I think is a truly commendable feat; the penultimate kiss scene between the protagonist (Caleb and Catherine Holt) was filmed NOT between the actors, but between the actor and the actor's actual wife! This was from a policy of the movie ministry, not to shoot any kissing scenes unless it was between an actual husband and wife. What was more amazing to me was the fact that I actually noticed the scene, and was thinking to myself (as I watched it) that (1) the movie did the reconciliation kiss scene very beautifully, and (2) the filmmakers really lost some credibility points by making two actors kiss on a movie about preserving marriage. Apart from all that, I think that SBC must have some kind of agreement with Casting Crowns by now - they used another favourite of mine: Slow Fade. Their movie soundtrack includes:
This is really a film that all husbands and wives should watch. And engaged couples. And people perparing for marriage. Ah heck, everyone should watch it!
Fiat justitia et pereat mundus - do the right thing, come what may (in Latin) was the core of the movie - will you stand up to what you believe, whatever the cost? Lawyers and debaters should watch this to see how the arguments they make inform their philosophies in life, which is what gives us motivation for the things that we do. [Four non-cheesy Christian movies] |
samedi, juillet 25, 2009 Something random I found scribbled in some semblance of a journal:"God will provide the peanut butter, but you still need to go shopping." I have no idea what the theological implications of this thought are.  Libellés : christian [Peanut Butter] |
My brilliant genius whiz-kid older cousin (more whiz, less kid these days) has a new web app thing out - could you guys sign up and see how you like using it? It's something like del.icio.us, for those of you who know, but more robust and pop-app friendly. Libellés : technology [Support ShareIn!] |
mercredi, juillet 22, 2009 From a book I was reading earlier this year (I will come back and attribute when I remember where):Our strengths make us useful,  And another thought around the same time: Ends and Means: the methods we use to accomplish our goals are as important as the attainment of those said goals. Libellés : christian, thinking [Weaknesses and Strengths] |
mardi, juillet 14, 2009 From The Dude.1. Properly secure a wireless router. 2. Crack the WEP key on a wireless router. 3. Leech Wifi from your neighbor. 4. Screw with Wifi leeches. 5. Setup and use a VPN. 6. Work from home or a coffee shop as effectively as you do at the office. 7. Wire your own home with Ethernet cable. 8. Turn a web camera into security camera. 9. Use your 3G phone as a Wi-Fi access point. 10. Understand what “There’s no Place Like 127.0.0.1” means. 11. Identify key-loggers. 12. Properly connect a TV, Tivo, XBox, Wii, and Apple TV so they all work together with the one remote. 13. Program a universal remote. 14. Swap out the battery on your iPod/iPhone. 15. Benchmark Your Computer 16. Identify all computer components on sight. 17. Know which parts to order from NewEgg.com, and how to assemble them into a working PC. 18. Troubleshoot any computer/gadget problem, over the phone. 19. Use any piece of technology intuitively, without instruction or prior knowledge. 20. How to irrecoverably protect data. 21. Recover data from a dead hard drive. 22. Share a printer between a Mac and a PC on a network. 23. Install a Linux distribution. (Hint: Ubuntu 9.04 is easier than installing Windows) 24. Remove a virus from a computer. 25. Dual (or more) boot a computer. 26. Boot a computer off a thumb drive. 27. Boot a computer off a network drive. 28. Replace or repair a laptop keyboard. 29. Run more than two monitors on a single computer. 30. Successfully disassemble and reassemble a laptop. 31. Know at least 10 software easter eggs off the top of your head. 32. Bypass a computer password on all major operating systems. Windows, Mac, Linux 33. Carrying a computer cleaning arsenal on your USB drive. 34. Bypass content filters on public computers. 35. Protect your privacy when using a public computer. 36. Surf the web anonymously from home. 37. Buy a domain, configure bind, apache, MySQL, php, and Wordpress without Googling a how-to. 38. Basic *nix command shell knowledge with the ability to edit and save a file with vi. 39. Create a web site using vi. 40. Transcode a DVD to play on a portable device. 41. Hide a file in an image using steganography. 42. Knowing the answer to life, the universe and everything. 43. Share a single keyboard and mouse between multiple computers without a KVM switch. 44. Google obscure facts in under 3 searches. Bonus point if you can use I Feel Lucky. 45. Build amazing structures with LEGO and invent a compelling back story for the creation. 46. Understand that it is LEGO, not Lego, Legos, or Lego’s. 47. Build a two story house out of LEGO, in monochrome, with a balcony. 48. Construct a costume for you or your kid out of scraps, duct tape, paper mâché, and imagination. 49. Be able to pick a lock. 50. Determine the combination of a Master combination padlock in under 10 minutes. 51. Assemble IKEA furniture without looking at the instructions. Bonus point if you don’t have to backtrack. 52. Use a digital SLR in full manual mode. 53. Do cool things to Altoids tins. 54. Be able to construct paper craft versions of space ships. 55. Origami! Bonus point for duct tape origami. (Ductigami) 56. Fix anything with duct tape, chewing gum and wire. 57. Knowing how to avoid being eaten by a grue. 58. Know what a grue is. 59. Understand where XYZZY came from, and have used it. 60. Play any SNES game on your computer through an emulator. 61. Burn the rope. 62. Know the Konami code, and where to use it. 63. Whistle, hum, or play on an iPhone, the Cantina song. 64. Learning to play the theme songs to the kids favorite TV shows. 65. Solve a Rubik’s Cube. 66. Calculate THAC0. 67. Know the difference between skills and traits. 68. Explain special relativity in terms an eight-year-old can grasp. 69. Recite pi to 10 places or more. 70. Be able to calculate tip and split the check, all in your head. 71. Explain that the colours in a rainbow are roygbiv. 72. Understand the electromagnetic spectrum - xray, uv, visible, infrared, microwave, radio. 73. Know the difference between radiation and radioactive contamination. 74. Understand basic electronics components like resistors, capacitors, inductors and transistors. 75. Solder a circuit while bottle feeding an infant. (lead free solder please.) 76. The meaning of technical acronyms. 77. The coffee dash, blindfolded (or blurry eyed). Coffee [cream] [sugar]. In under a minute. 78. Build a fighting robot. 79. Program a fighting robot. 80. Build a failsafe into a fighting robot so it doesn’t kill you. 81. Be able to trace the Fellowship’s journey on a map of Middle Earth. 82. Know all the names of the Dwarves in The Hobbit. 83. Understand the difference between a comic book and a graphic novel. 84. Know where your towel is and why it is important. 85. Re-enact the parrot sketch. 86. Know the words to The Lumberjack Song. 87. Reciting key scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 88. Be able to recite at least one Geek Movie word for word. 89. Know what the 8th Chevron does on a Stargate and how much power is required to get a lock. 90. Be able to explain why it’s important that Han shot first. 91. Know why it is just wrong for Luke and Leia to kiss. 92. Stop talking Star Wars long enough to get laid. 93. The ability to name actors, characters and plotlines from the majority of sci-fi movies produced since 1968. 94. Cite Mythbusters when debunking a myth or urban legend. 95. Sleep with a Cricket bat next to your bed. 96. Have a documented plan on what to do during a zombie or robot uprising. 97. Identify evil alternate universe versions of friends, family, co-workers or self. 98. Be able to convince TSA that the electronic parts you are carrying are really not a threat to passengers. 99. Talk about things that aren’t tech related. 100. Get something on the front page of Digg. Libellés : personal [43% geekdad] |
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Thanks to Miss Shell, I scored myself on the NEOAC scale. Here's how I fared: Neuroticism - average Extraversion - v. low Neuroticism - average Agreeableness - not plottable, v. v. v. v. low Conscientiousness - high I guess God's telling me that there's still a ways to go...  Libellés : personal [NEO Five Factor Inventory] |
dimanche, juillet 12, 2009 Have you ever had a sense of missing home so much that it hurts, all the time when you're sitting at home?The melody of this song always makes me feel that way. A Case of You (Joni Mitchell, covered by Diana Krall) Just before our love got lost you said / I am as constant as a northern star And I said, constant in the darkness /Where's that at? If you want me I'll be in the bar On the back of a cartoon coaster / In the blue tv screen light I drew a map of Canada / Oh Canada And your face sketched on it twice Oh you're in my blood like holy wine Oh and you taste so bitter, but you taste so sweet Oh I could drink a case of you I could drink a case of you darling And I would still be on my feet Oh I'd still be on my feet Oh I am a lonely painter / I live in a box of paints I'm frightened by the devil / And I'm drawn to those ones that ain't afraid I remember that time that you told me, you said Love is touching souls / Surely you touched mine Cause part of you pours out of me / In these lines from time to time I met a woman / She had a mouth like yours She knew your life / She knew your devils and your deeds And she said / Colour go to him, stay with him if you can Oh but be prepared to bleed Oh but you are in my blood, you're my holy wine Oh and you taste so bitter, bitter and so sweet Oh I could drink a case of you darling Still I'd be on my feet / I'd still be on my feet Libellés : music [Yearning for Home...] |
mardi, juillet 07, 2009 This was an interesting error message I got recently: Libellés : humour, technology [Catastrophic Failure] |
dimanche, juillet 05, 2009 Thinking about church discipline...  A rather passionate discussion with my mentor today re-started my thinking about the church and my own congregation - specifically, about teachers within my congregation, and about church discipline.This was particularly interesting because my former Pastor, AG, had recently sent along his weekly pastoral note - but the most recent note was not one written by him, but rather a note from another pastor: Where Extraordinary Grace And Celestial Joy Meet Oh, for my congregation to develop true spiritual maturity! We have fallen into the trap that so many smaller congregations fall into: leading the church with who is AVAILABLE, rather than who is ABLE. James 3:1 - Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.Oh, that we would take this injunction from God more seriously! Our teachers in Sunday School, in Wonderkids, in the Hands-On Bible Class, in our various cell/care groups - how many take this warning seriously enough to treat the Word of God with the care and diligence that is needed for good, strong, biblical teaching? How many leave preparations till the last minute, or worse, not bother to prepare at all, relying on "discussion time" to help pass the minutes till the lesson is over? For their inner lives, what do we know of them? How many are living upright personal lives, continually sanctifying themselves through prayer and petition? How many of them are living good family lives? How many are walking together with their partners in the right fear of the Lord? Indeed, how many are actually praying for the church and their friends - or perhaps, the question should be: are they even praying? There have already been examples of leaders who have disappointed with their behaviours. Will we have the strength to do what needs to be done, and to effect church discipline? The dead branches need to be pruned off, and the outlying branches brought and bent back into the fold. Will we have enough strength to impose sanctions and censure our wayward teachers, much less the rest of the congregational flock? Or will we be easy with ourselves, easy with the egos and people, easy with people's souls? The three fingers are pointing back at me too. Libellés : christian, church, thinking [Thinking about church discipline...] |
"In order to change you must take snapshots of yourself like a dispassionate camera and discover how you really are. And you must become conscious of how rarely you are conscious." This is very, very important. We must know that most of the time, we are asleep - for if we are awake for most of our decisions, we would be in pain all of the time - unbearable. Yet, continual self-reflection is needed in order to know where you're going, and why. So we must know that we are asleep for the most part, and rouse ourselves from the depths of apathy and sloth (our natural states), and think about how we do things, and why. "There is a flow to history and culture. This flow is rooted and has its wellspring in the thoughts of people. People are unique in the inner life of the mind – what they are in their thought world determines how they act. This is true of their value systems and it is true of their creativity. It is true of their corporate actions, such as political decisions, and it is true of their personal lives. The results of their thought world flow through their fingers or from their tongues into the external world. This is true of Michelangelo’s chisel, and it is true of a dictator’s sword. A logical breakdown, based on facts taken one at a time: 1.. We mostly operate automatically/not at full thinking capacity. 2. We mostly operate using presuppositions. 3. There are not many world views around. Therefore, it should be of utter, paramount importance that we ensure that we've got a correct world view, and that we set our internal alarm clocks to rouse ourselves once in a while to check our life courses; to ensure that we've still got the correct goal set in our sights. "How Should We Then Live?" is both an excellent book, and a question that separates the living and dying. At the heart of it all, there really are two ways to live. Libellés : thinking [Thinking about Thinking] |
samedi, juillet 04, 2009 Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen  I didn't know Transformers had to have egg sacs like Aliens. The Fallen Prime (there could be sooooo many bad jokes about prime numbers in Transformers, my mind goggles at the possibilities) looked like the queen Alien in Alien 3. Everything went organic - the All Spark Shard (which got lost after they zapped Hot Rod? What? Premise for T3?)Best line, ever: "My ancestor was a wheel, do you know what he transformed into?" "What?" "Nothing! And he did it with honor!" Libellés : movies [Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen] |
vendredi, juillet 03, 2009 Heartlander is where the Heart is (Part II)  In my last post about how I'm a heartlander, I posited that I am a heartlander because it's about how comfortable you are in your own skin within that HDB-dweller sphere. I refuted claims that I had to be excluded from the heartlander category because of my zip code, or because of my proximity towards certain "gourmet" supermarkets, or because I am able to stand apart from the scene, and appraise/analyse, as objectively as I can, the entire situation.In this next post (I have a feeling this might become a series of posts!) I want to deal with the flip side of the coin - people who CLAIM to be heartlanders, but are really high-society debutantes masquerading as heartlanders. I picked up the SkinnyDrummer two nights ago, as I wanted to make a run to AMK Central to explore wiring possibilities (long explanation, has to do with my birthday party.) She got into the car, and asked me why I wanted to go to AMK when she was the one who was the "true heartlander". This of course sparked off a massive argument (I AM A HEARTLANDER!) which continued through the drive, the parking, the coupon-tearing, and the walking into AMK Central. The first sign that supports my theory that she's no heartlander was when we got to the big square outside ValueDollar/This Fashion - there was a pasar malam (PM) in action! (Sorry about the unfortunate acronym.) Not that the PM was trouble - rather, it was our reactions to them. I was pretty pleased to see the PM because it was a break from the monotony of the regular stores in AMK Central, and because, well, PMs are always carnival-esque, which is cheap welcome relief and entertainment, especially in this dreary economic climate. SkinnyDrummer, on the other hand, was all blase about it. "Please don't stop, please don't stop, please don't stop," was all she could say when we walked past the garishly flashing lights of the game stalls. Aren't heartlanders supposed to fall for this sort of gimmick? I'm not saying that PMs sell snake-oil (some, quite literally, do), but the carnival is a global phenomenon, meant for the peasants, or in the modern context, the heartlanders. The spoilsport pseudo-heartlander was very reluctant to look around the place, grumbling when I picked up a S$1.80 clear folder for my song worship leading that "You just HAVE to buy something right?" Not really, was my reply. I have been waiting for a PM so that I can get cheaper clear folders, which are often hideously expensive at Popular. I delay my gratification for a super duper cheap deal; how is that not a heartlander-ish trait? If I were really atas, I would drive to Takashimaya the instant I wanted a clear music folder, and buy a branded one. So that was strike 2 against the so-called self-proclaimed heartlander.  But she got one back at me though - when I was paying, she stood beside me, but a lady approached her and tapped her on the shoulder to ask her "Got sell scotchtape or not?" SX was all like "DUUDE, I DON'T WORK HERE." Then she turns around and claims that she's a heartlander because she was mistaken for a PM stall helper.I think I'll give this one for her; the incident afforded many, many minutes of gut-busting laughter. We next move over to the clothes, where I tried bargaining in Bahasa (fail fail fail) for an embroidered top, then got fed up and went to buy food instead. The pseudo-heartlander then starts to moan about the heat and no aircon. Lest you tell me that heartlanders should be complaining since it's a national pastime, it really wasn't a very hot day - it had just rained, and this was past 8pm at night, when it's cooler. So why was this so-called "heartlander" bitching about the heat and running to any place which had the bare minimum of air-conditioning - like, say, the entrance of a store - and stand there flapping her arms and her t-shirt to let the cool air in? Then we walk to the food. And this girl does NOT like 茶叶蛋. And she's never eaten muah chee. And a lot of other stuff at the PM. Now, if I'm not a foodie, and she's a heartlander, how is it possible that I have eaten and love 茶叶蛋 and muah chee while she doesn't like and has never tried all these quinessential "heartland foods"? So my friends, if you won't let it go that I am an "atas-face", then at the very least, please disabuse SkinnyDrummer of the delusion that she is a heartlander. Let her know, NOW. Libellés : humour, singapore, thinking [Heartlander is where the Heart is (Part II)] |
jeudi, juillet 02, 2009 from Kris, who claimed it was such a MA-ish joke:"If a pig loses its voice, does it feel disgruntled?"  Minature Pigs - the Pets of the Future Libellés : humour [Joke of a Pig] |
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Objective: Are you mean and sarcastic? Have you ever answered people ‘meanly’ and sarcastically? If yes, show us how mean and sarcastic you are! If no, then you should try at least once in your life with this note. Rule: Respond to these as sarcastic/mean as you could. (YR stands for Your Response.) If an annoying person says: 1) I am cute. YR: Of course, how could there be any doubt? 2) I am the most beautiful/handsome... YR: Definitely. 3) See, everyone likes me because I am rich and famous! YR: Of course! 4) Unlike you, I am perfectly multi-skilled. I do everything very well from sports to academic thingy... YR: Definitely so true, especially the academic thingy. 5) You don’t know me? I am a Bruneian artist; I have albums. YR: *puzzled look, walks away* If an annoying pretty woman/handsome man says: 1) I know you like me. YR: Of course I do, I can't get enough of you. 2) What are you looking at? I am not interested in you! YR: The aesthetics were good until the acoustics kicked in. 3) Sorry, you are nice but seriously not my type! YR: I'm B+, it's not very common. 4) Unless you are rich, then don’t dream that I'll offer/get a ride with you! YR: I have my own car *with you know, The Look of Durh* 5) Look, I am pretty/handsome; I can make people hate you! YR: Sorry, I hate myself too much already, I don't take notice of other people's hate. If an annoying extremely ugly woman/man says: 1) I think you and I can make a good couple. YR: Couple of what? 2) May I have your cell phone number? Please please please? YR: Sure thing! (I would give it out and exchange numbers, only to ensure that I never ever pick up his calls/texts.) 3) Hi, wanna make out? YR: My make-up is in the car. 4) What do you like about me? YR: Your absence. 5) I want you to say that I am pretty/handsome and you like me sooooo much! YR: Sure thing, "I am pretty and you like me soooo much!" Libellés : humour [Are you mean or sarcastic?] |
mercredi, juillet 01, 2009 Twilight... with Cheeseburgers Twilight...with Cheeseburgers - watch more funny videos Libellés : bizarre, books, humour, movies [Twilight... with Cheeseburgers] |
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The National Environment Agency (which I will forever mentally tag with "Ministry of the Environment") has an excellent database of car fuel efficiencies: http://els.nea.gov.sg/mfels/vehicle.asp  According to them, my car's fuel efficiency in urban areas is 8.5l/100km, which works out to be 11.8km/l, which is a lot less than I had calculated it for! My initial calculations were 15km (I was driving VERY conservatively), then it went down to 13/12 (as I started to press the pedal more outrageously.) The 15km/l is attainable, if I take the "mixed areas" calculations (6.7l/100km). Libellés : personal [Fuel Efficiency] |
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Preach until people are blinded and deafened: "It's CAUSAL - BECAUSE I tell you the truth, you do not believe me.... the truth is so offensive, it guarantees unbelief... articulating the truth is going to harden their hearts... we still remain faithful, and leave the results to God... the Gospel will still be an aroma of life to some, even if it turns out to be an aroma of death to others..." It's sometimes very hard to listen to D.A. Carson, for fear that my head will either (a) explode from the sheer knowledge that he sprouts, or (b) fall off from all the nodding-in-agreement I'm doing! Libellés : christian, church, thinking [Preach until people are blinded and deafened:] |
dimanche, juin 28, 2009 The strings on my Taylor Big Baby have been discoloured and looking a little frayed around the sound-hole area, and so I decided that it was time to restring the entire thing, as well as giving the guitar a good wipe. Here are some photos on how it went - nothing earth-shattering, just a normal restringing that I feel like documenting.Three pictures on the "naked" guitar:    The tools for re-stringing: pliers for the stubborn string-nuts (I don't know what's the technical term for these things that hold the bottom of the strings in place), and the new strings (old strings were looped together in this photo, new strings were in their little envelopes):   Here's a shot of all the strings (before tightening/tuning):  And the final tuned product: I'm quite pleased that it turned out quite neat; I cut off the ends of the sharp points with pliers after I took this photo:  Libellés : music [Taylor: Restrung] |
vendredi, juin 26, 2009 This is a strange thing to say, but I felt extremely loved while driving up on my first Malaysian road trip to Batu Pahat. Andy, Matt, Uncle Andrew and Ming were all driving up, and they all made sure that everything was okay as we drove up in a five-car convoy. Andy leading the way, and Matt bringing up the rear (happily walkie-talkie-ing their way up, I'll bet!) It was really, really, really comforting to know that I wasn't driving the strange roads alone, and having to navigate the roads by myself (or with another passenger.) The same went for the ride back, with Isaac/Yuxun in the lead, and Ming/Julius getting my back. Ming & Jul behind us...  ...while we're happily safe.  Exiting Tuas checkpoint.  Nothing but blue sky and open road.
[The MACK's first road trip] |
mercredi, juin 24, 2009 Jon, this post is dedicated to you. Libellés : humour [Love & Game Theory] |
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Today in the office, we were looking for the most cringeworthy Star Wars lines, and having a wild laugh. (For the record, it was from the Clone Wars - Anakin Skywalker's "I'm haunted by the kiss you should never have given me.") Then one of the interns pointed out that the universally-hated Jar Jar Binks looked like... Ronaldino.  [Star Wars: Bad Lines] |
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A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he could hardly speak. After mass, he asked the monsignor how he had done. The monsignor replied, “When I am worried about getting nervous on the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. If I start to get nervous, I take a sip.” So the next Sunday, he took the monsignor’s advice. At the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink. He proceeded to talk up a storm. Upon returning to his office, he found the following note on his door:
[Holy Gaffes] |
On the scales of desire, your absence weighs more Second part of the poem did not move me as much (interesting descriptions though, very hippie), but the first part resonated. Absence can weigh more than presence. Libellés : literature [Absence - Jeffrey Daniels] |
mardi, juin 23, 2009 What happens when you use 3rd party software to chat... ... your phone dies from exhaustion. Heehee! Phone: fail. Libellés : church, humour, technology [What happens when you use 3rd party software to chat...] |
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The Quiet World - Jeffrey McDaniel In an effort to get people to lookinto each other's eyes more, and also to appease the mutes, the government has decided to allot each person exactly one hundred and sixty-seven words, per day. When the phone rings, I put it to my ear without saying hello. In the restaurant I point at chicken noodle soup. I am adjusting well to the new way. Late at night, I call my long distance lover, proudly say I only used fifty-nine today. I saved the rest for you. When she doesn't respond, I know she's used up all her words, so I slowly whisper I love you thirty-two and a third times. After that, we just sit on the line and listen to each other breathe. [source] It's unusual because it's from a guy's POV; the fact that he loved her so much that he saved his words, and couple that with the true fact that women talk twice as much as men - it was an unusual reversal of roles. The ending is lovingly comfortable as well - sitting in companionable silence is a highly underrated trait. Libellés : literature [The Quiet World - Jeffrey McDaniel] |
lundi, juin 22, 2009 Decision-Making Skills: Good to Go, or Good with God? A Series by Heather A. GoodmanPart 1: Want Fries With That? Part II: Knowing God's Will Part III: Living Wisely within God's Freedom In seeking how to best obey God's will in life, I've been asking myself very tough questions recently, not the least of all was my career path. I've been very blessed to have excellent people to lean on and talk things out, and Andy recently sent me and Di a series by Heather Goodman that addresses this particular issue. God does not have a specific workplace, church, or geographic location in mind for us... He gives us freedom to choose these things as long as we seek to obey him and serve his kingdom through these choices. And he will use us no matter where we are or what we decide. I think I'm more stressed out than consoled. Newton's 3rd Law of Motion states that every force has an equal and opposite reaction, which makes sense because every action will (or should!) have a consequence... and what happens if you think you're obeying God, but you're really not? What if you're really being led astray by something or other? Libellés : christian, thinking [Decision-Making Skills: Good to Go, or Good with God?] |
vendredi, juin 19, 2009 Celest Chong:"If you want to be pretty, you cannot be lazy."(as read in Straits Times' URBAN 19 Jun 2009) Oh dear. Libellés : current affairs, humour [Quotable Quote] |
mercredi, juin 17, 2009 Digital Small Talk: Small Social Capital  Many people have noted that the tweets and facebook updates take the fun out of meeting friends; given that you know the little snippets of what happens in everyone else's lives, it DOES get kind of hard to chat about the small stuff. On the one hand, this could be a good thing. When meeting up, you could dive straight into discussion; no more waffling about with the "how are yous" and "I'm fine thank yous". But on the other hand, as this article points out, we could be glossing over rather important information that the tweets/updates don't go into.Some people are what he calls "high self monitors," meaning they are very attuned to the impression they are creating and more likely to manage their public image. "Low self monitors" are less attentive to the impressions they are making and presumably more candid in their updates.I'm definitely in the former category, so this whole idea of small-talk on the web is counter-intuitive for me; I'd rather chat (online, or F2F) than read your tweets. Libellés : technology, thinking [Digital Small Talk: Small Social Capital] |
mercredi, juin 10, 2009 I don't really know much about video games (I know NOTHING actually), but I would have loved to be in any of their music development teams!Libellés : music, technology [Infamous: Music] |
lundi, juin 08, 2009 PDL Day 5: Seeing Life from God's POV  I somehow missed a day as I posted. This is Day 5's post.* What's my metaphor for life? Sojourn, waiting. Although sometimes I can't tell what's the metaphor and what's really my thoughts anymore - have I been completely brainwashed by the bible, and is that a terrible thing to have had done to myself, given everything I know and believe about God? Perhaps 'brainwash' has negative connotations - the bible says to renew our minds constantly, but the world calls it brainwashing. Perhaps it's good that the world thinks that we're brainwashed - we're called to be set apart anyway. I think I resent the ten-year series answer, but any other answer makes no sense to me at all - where can I find MYSELF in the midst of the answers? Or is 'dying to self' really mean the negation of all personality? (This is untrue, of course - but what is the alternative/correct answer?) * Every day is a test. [PDL Day 5: Seeing Life from God's POV] |
A post I wrote in September last year, and only realised was left in "drafts" - More and more, I find that the World is really strange place to be if one is a Christian. Things are so alien, and are so incredibly incongruous to what we believe that I think 1 Peter 2:11-12 is really coming to life for me:Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. [An Alien, Alienated] |
lundi, juin 01, 2009 PDL Day 07: The Reason for Everything * The logic behind this section is indisputable. If we are created for God, then we are to live for God. The next logical question is - how? In order to explore the HOW, we need to understand what God wants from us; of us. He wants us to live for His glory.Listed are these points - we bring God glory 1. ...by worshiping Him. 2. ...by loving other believers 3. ...by becoming like Christ 4. ...by serving others with our gifts 5. ...by telling others about Him * If we are commanded to observe God's glory, all sin stems from a small view of God. * His pleasure is to see us fulfill His function for us. [PDL Day 07: The Reason for Everything] |
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