Random Scribbles

How to Argue Effectively

2012-01-13T23:55:00.001+08:00

1. Make things up. Suppose, in the Peruvian economy argument, you are trying to prove that Peruvians are underpaid, a position you base solely on the fact that YOU are underpaid, and you are not going to let a bunch of Peruvians be better off. DON'T say: "I think Peruvians are underpaid. " Say instead: "The average Peruvian's salary in 1981 dollars adjusted for the revised tax base is $1,452.81 per annum, which is $836.07 before the mean gross poverty level. "

NOTE: Always make up exact figures. If an opponent asks you where you got your information, make THAT up too. Say: "This information comes from Dr. Hovel T. Moon's study for the Buford Commission published on May 9, 1982. Didn't you read it? " Say this in the same tone of voice you would use to say, "You left your soiled underwear in my bathroom. "

2. Use meaningless but weighty-sounding words and phrases. Memorize this list: Let me put it this way In terms of Vis-a-vis Per se As it were Qua So to speak You should also memorize some Latin abbreviations such as "Q. E. D. ", "e. g. ", and "i. e. " These are all short for "I speak Latin, and you don't. " Here's how to use these words and phrases. Suppose you want to say, "Peruvians would like to order appetizers more often, but they don't have enough money. " You never win arguments talking like that. But you WILL win if you say, "Let me put it this way. In terms of appetizers vis-a-vis Peruvians qua Peruvians, they would like to order them more often, so to speak, but they do not have enough money per se, as it were. Q. E. D. " Only a fool would challenge that statement.

3. Use snappy and irrelevant comebacks. You need an arsenal of all-purpose irrelevant phrases to fire back at your opponents when they make valid points. The best are: You're begging the question. You're being defensive. Don't compare apples to oranges. What are your parameters? This last one is especially valuable. Nobody (other than engineers and policy wonks) has the vaguest idea what "parameters " means. Don't forget the classic: YOU'RE SO LINEAR. Here's how to use your comebacks: You say: As Abraham Lincoln said in 1873... Your opponent says: Lincoln died in 1865. You say: You're begging the question. You say: Liberians, like most Asians... Your opponent says: Liberia is in Africa. You say: You're being defensive.

4. Compare your opponent to Adolph Hitler. This is your heavy artillery, for when your opponent is obviously right and you are spectacularly wrong. Bring Hitler up subtly. Say, "That sounds suspiciously like something Adolph Hitler might say," or "You certainly do remind me of Adolph Hitler. "

Let That be Enough

2011-11-29T06:52:00.001+08:00

I wish I had what I need
To be on my own
'Cause I feel so defeated
And I'm feeling alone

And it all seems so helpless
And I have no plans
I'm a plane in the sunset
With nowhere to land

And all I see
It could never make me happy
And all my sand castles
Spend their time collapsing

And I feel stuck
Watching history repeating
Yeah, who am I?
Just a kid who knows he's needy

Let me know that You hear me
Let me know Your touch
Let me know that You love me
And let that be enough

-Switchfoot, 1999

Directory of Links for DSLR Tutorials on Videomaking

2011-11-03T14:44:00.003+08:00

Tips on Picture Composition
http://vimeo.com/27627363 (Depth of Field)
http://vimeo.com/28669523 (Colour - White Balance, White Balance Shift, Picture profile)

Tips and Tutorials about Focus and Lenses
http://vimeo.com/26869155 (Motion)
http://vimeo.com/27769503 (Aperture, Focal Length, Follow Focus)
http://vimeo.com/27627363 (Choice of Lens to use: Prime Lenses)
http://vimeo.com/12936349 (A Guide to Canon Lenses)
http://vimeo.com/13140360 (Choice of Lens to use: for Event Coverage)
http://vimeo.com/13533155 (Tilt/Shift Lens)

Tips and Tutorials about Audio and Microphones
http://vimeo.com/13715848 (In Camera, Shotgun (directly plugged in), Directional with Wireless LAV and Field recorder)

Tips and Tutorials about Other Equipment
http://vimeo.com/26869155 (Monopod: Manfrotto 561 BHDV-1)
http://vimeo.com/27769503 (Zacuto Z-Finder, Cinevate Cyclops, Small HD DP6, Zacuto EVF)
http://vimeo.com/15359451 (EOS stabilizer)

One

2011-10-29T10:04:00.001+08:00

If you had, one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
One moment
Would you capture it?
Or just let it slip

So lose yourself in the moment.
Own it
Never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to go
Some opportunities comes only once in a lifetime

- Adapted from Lose Yourself by Marshall Mathers

piled high

2011-10-26T07:17:00.000+08:00

Sigh! I really wish I had more time, or rather more discipline to accomplish all I have before me, and all I want to do in the next month or so! There is my essay on Quantum Theory due on friday, a Concert Report due next week, a Project & Presentation on Social Class and Gender issues in Singaporean film due tomorrow, vetting through 2 sets of games proposals and coming up with 2 workshops ASAP (among other Camp Comm responsibilities), and the 3 Videos I have due this week that I have barely started! This is in addition to studying a test in 2 weeks, and for Finals!

I also dearly want to research and write about the occupy movement, and critique the GOP presidential candidates, make a detailed analysis of Obama's term, and get involved in nanowrimo! Sigh! How.... so much to do and so little time...

Family

2011-10-18T07:31:00.001+08:00

Put your faith in what you most believe in; Family
Trust your heart
Let fate decide
To guide these lives we see

Softly tread the sand below your feet now
Raise your head up
Lift high the load
Take strength from those that need you
Build high the walls
Build strong the beams
A new life is waiting

But danger's no stranger here

Occupy _________

2011-10-18T02:34:00.000+08:00

I guess one of the bigger news these days are the Occupy Wall Street movement which as been spreading to other parts of the US and the world including Singapore (Occupy Raffles Place)

I agree with the principle behind the original wall street protest (the 99%), but the point of such occupation/ protesting and/or picketing is useless and ineffective. All it does in my opinion is waste more governmental resources when the police have to intervene to uphold public peace (like the Occupy Boston, who flouted laws and regulation which resulted in the police having to arrest them for unlawfully occupying a park at 2am) The police also have not been handling this situation well too as can be seen from what they have been doing in the occupy wall street, but that's another thing altogether.

In contrast to the 99%, there is another movement called the 53% which is much more moderate and logical. Comparing the 99% movement to the 53% movement, what I see is the people supporting the 99% movement are people who just want to blame someone else for their problems and not doing anything to solve their own situation. They are those looking for a quick fix and blaming the wealthy is a very good solution for them at this moment. the 53% on the other hand is actively doing something constructive to rise above their situation, instead of just protesting, boycotting and occupation of public spaces (and being a nuisance along the way)

I don't believe the situation in Singapore, be it economical social or political, is as desperate as US. We don't face the problems facing the American 99%. Our unemployment is at 2.1% compared to their 9.1%. We don't have their housing problems (our houses are not being foreclosed. even if undesirable, almost all Singaporeans have a place to call home). Quality medical care is available to us via governmental policies like Medisave and Medishield. Other than the Indonesian haze, I think we suffer from very little pollution.

In my opinion, since we do not have the same motivation as the Americans to stage such an occupation, and such initiative here is merely a copycat jumping on the bandwagon!

Haiz

2011-09-01T04:09:00.001+08:00

It's always sad to see good friendships go bad, even if you're not involved personally, it's still just sad...

Love Song

2011-08-30T11:14:00.000+08:00

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens, as close a heartbeat or a song on our lips. Someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him. Someday He'll call us and we will come running and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

Erm...

2011-08-21T20:11:00.000+08:00

I don't mean to be mean but this is excruciating! If all the singing is cut out, this performance will be much better!

The Dreamer

2011-07-27T03:12:00.000+08:00

I am an INFP, the Dreamer personality type. And this is why I think I'm both good and bad at doing what I love. I love to envision something spectacular in my mind's eye, be it an event or story. I love to just sit back and think... But that is why I can never be satisfied with what I do, because nothing I can do can match up with what I can imagine...

Sticks & Stones

2011-06-20T11:43:00.000+08:00

Buddy you’re a boy
Make a big noise playing in the street
Gonna be a big man someday
You got blood in your face, big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place

Keep the beat up, why, I’m gonna turn your heat up
Gonna get you on the floor, gonna burn your feet up
Rocking you like I never rocked you before
Like the way I do got you screaming for more

We causing utter devastation
When we stepping to the place
And better believe that you can see
We’re gonna rock and never stop
And here we go again
Hit you with the flow again
Kick it up the second time around
We’ll bring it on again – shout it out

Buddy, you’re an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes
Gonna make you something someday
You got mud on your face, big disgrace
Somebody better put you back in your place

Chocolate Chip Cookies for Chem Nerds

2011-06-10T06:55:00.002+08:00

Ingredients:
1. 532.35 cm3 gluten
2. 4.9 cm3 Na HCO3
3. 4.9 cm3 refined halite
4. 236.6 cm3 partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride
5. 177.45 cm3 crystalline C12H22O11
6. 177.45 cm3 unrefined C12H22O11
7. 4.9 cm3 methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde
8. Two calcium carbonate-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein
9. 473.2 cm3 the obroma cacao
10. 236.6 cm3 de-encapsulated legume meats (sieve size #10)

Instructions:
To a 2-L jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1) with an overall heat transfer coefficient of about 100 Btu/F-ft2-hr, add ingredients one, two and three with constant agitation.

In a second 2-L reactor vessel with a radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm, add ingredients four, five, six, and seven until the mixture is homogenous.

To reactor #2, add ingredient eight, followed by three equal volumes of the homogenous mixture in reactor #1. Additionally, add ingredient nine and ten slowly, with constant agitation.

Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may be the result of an exothermic reaction. Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piece-meal on a 316SS sheet (300 x 600 mm).

Heat in a 460K oven for a period of time that is in agreement with Frank Johnston's first order rate expression (see JACOS, 21, 55), or until golden brown. Once the reaction is complete, place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table, allowing the product to come to equilibrium.

Sweet dreams are made of these

2011-06-07T15:24:00.000+08:00

Weird dream! I dreamt that I was in the middle of physically coordinating some logistics for a short film (which somehow involves an actual sports car) when a friend (Donno who) asks me to act in his/her film. After loads of emotional blackmail, I agreed, only to find out that I had to shoot my scene in an hour, and that my part contained a bloody difficult Spanish opera in a high tenor register, that I learn and memorize in an hour, and my voice was far from warmed up! Then during my warmup, I woke up

The Sacred Art of Stealing

2011-06-06T19:52:00.000+08:00

The prologue was hard to read. But once I went past that chapter,I just had to admit that this book is awesome! Re-reading it today just reaffirmed my evaluation of its awesomeness. Besides the Oceans 11-worthy heist and the interesting romance between the thief and the policewoman hunting him down, I loved the sarcasm, the irony, the wit, and simply the author showing off literally literarily.

Dadaists, indeed. That particular hack had only used the term in order to show off that he was familar with the it; apity, then, that he didn't also know what it actually meant.
- Christopher Brookmyre, The Sacred Art of Stealing

Defining Societies Through Cows

2011-05-23T06:30:00.001+08:00

FEUDALISM
You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

PURE SOCIALISM
You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM
You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and as many eggs as the regulations say you should need.

FASCISM
You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them, and sells you the milk.

PURE COMMUNISM
You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM
You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

DICTATORSHIP
You have two cows. The government takes both and shoots you.

MILITARISM
You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.

PURE DEMOCRACY
You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
The government promises to give you two cows if you vote for it. After the election, the president is impeached for speculating in cow futures. The press dubs the affair "Cow-gate."

BRITISH DEMOCRACY
You have two cows. You feed them sheep's brains and they go mad. The government doesn't do anything.

SINGAPOREAN DEMOCRACY
You have two cows. The government fines you for keeping two unlicensed farm animals in an apartment.

BUREAUCRACY
You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. After that it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.

ANARCHY
You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to kill you and take the cows.

CAPITALISM
You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

HONG KONG CAPITALISM
You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax deduction for keeping five cows. The milk rights of six cows are transferred via a Panamanian intermediary to a Cayman Islands company secretly owned by the majority shareholder, who sells the rights to all seven cows' milk back to the listed company. The annual report says that the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. Meanwhile, you kill the two cows because the fung shui is bad.

ENVIRONMENTALISM
You have two cows. The government bans you from milking or killing them.

FEMINISM
You have two cows. They get married and adopt a veal calf.

TOTALITARIANISM
You have two cows. The government takes them and denies they ever existed. Milk is banned.

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
You are associated with (the concept of "ownership " is a symbol of the phalli-centric, war mongering, intolerant past) two differently-aged (but no less valuable to society) bovines of non-specified gender.

COUNTER CULTURE
Wow, dude, there's like... these two cows, man. You got to have some of this milk.

SURREALISM
You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons."

Inspirational writings

2011-05-22T03:47:00.002+08:00

There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer. When asked to define "great " he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger! "

He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages."

2011-05-20T22:04:00.000+08:00

Top Twenty Countdown of the Best Oxymorons...

#20 Found missing
#19 Resident alien
#18 Airline food
#17 Same difference
#16 Government organization
#15 Sanitary landfill
#14 Alone together
#13 Business ethics
#12 Sweet sorrow
#11 Military intelligence
#10 Plastic glasses
#9 Terribly pleased
#8 Definite Maybe
#7 Pretty Ugly
#6 Computer Security
#5 Political science
#4 Diet ice cream
#3 Working vacation
#2 Exact estimate
#1 Microsoft Works

Satisfaction

2011-05-20T05:18:00.001+08:00

First there was this

Then there was this

And now there is this

The engagement of emotions in political rallies

2011-05-02T21:34:00.000+08:00

The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but that it was impossible to avoid joining in. Within thirty seconds any pretence was always unnecessary. A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledge hammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against one's will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic. And yet the rage that one felt was an abstract, undirected emotion which could be switched from one object to another like the flame of a blowlamp.

-George Orwell, 1984

Vernia

2011-05-02T17:48:00.001+08:00

CNA Political Forum (2nd April 2011) Part 1

2011-04-21T03:09:00.000+08:00

While taking a break from studying, I decided to watch the first 10 minutes of the forum. After listening to all 6 of them, these are my opinion on the 6 speakers and what it reflects on their respective parties.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (PAP)
Firstly, he spent too much time on unimportant stuff. In such a debate, you have limited time to bring your points across and although he had double the time of each of the opposition speakers, there was not much on proposed policies. If this was an essay, I would say he spent too much time on the introduction paragraph and rushed on the main body.

The first point brought up was to create better jobs by working with the businesses and unions to provide better pay and improve the quality of work. There was a lot of unnecessary repetition on how this is for all Singaporeans, which includes the average and the lower end of jobs. I was left unsatisfied due to the lack of direction on how he intended to create these better jobs. Was he thinking of an incentives system for business? Was he thinking of legislative minimum salaries for different types of jobs?

The second point brought up was to create one of the best education systems in the world by financially investing in the education system so that students have the opportunities to be the best regardless of ability. Once again, besides suggesting to begin by investing financially, he does not bring up how he intends to do that. More streaming at different levels (like at primary 1?), or less streaming? More subjects to be introduced or cut? Different system of grading?

The last point brought up was investing in the elderly so that they can live long and good lives through investing significantly in long term care. This seemed the most promising of his points but was cut short by his lack of time.

Overall, he provided a moderate amount of what, an (at times) excessively redundant amount of why, and very lacking in how. If I were to grade him based on this 2 minutes, he would get a 13/30 for content, 8/10 for delivery, 4/5 for language and 1/5 for time management for a total score of 26/50, a "barely passed" score.

Mr Mohamed Nazem Suki (SDA)

My overall impression of him was that he had some good ideas, but due to problems in delivery, a lot of them is lost. Unlike Tharman Shanmugaratnam who has many such speaking opportunities before, this lack of experience speaking at such a platform resulted in a perceived lack of confidence and an incomplete transference of ideas.

His main point was that for Singapore to remain a credible competitor in the global market, Singapore has to invest in new niche markets. He proposed the use of new technology to compensate for the reducing supply of fossil fuels as a means for energy. Like Tharman Shanmugaratnam, he repeats himself several times, however, it is most likely due to nerves (whereas Tharman Shanmugaratnam was trying to emphasize that the proposed idea was to benefit all Singaporeans). There was a good development of idea, and I was for more satisfied with this point, than with any of Tharman Shanmugaratnam's three points.

His second point was to invest in (younger) workers to become more innovative, to "come up with more than one unique answer". While he roughly spent 20 seconds on this point, I was slightly surprised by the lack of development of this idea.

Overall, he had one good point and one very unsatisfactory point. Delivery was not very smooth and language was fair. If I were to grade him based on this minute, he would get a 16/30 for content, 4/10 for delivery, 2.5/5 for language and 2.5/5 for time management for a total score of 25/50, another "barely passed" score.

Dr Vincent Wijeysingha

With articles like "SDP emerged clear winner in CNA political forum", as well as friends saying that SDP was quite well represented in this forum, I had high expectations that was sadly not lived up to. He comes across as a good orator with a very good vocabulary and delivery, but severely lacking in substance.

He spends all the allocated time picking out some of the problems facing Singaporeans today, but only a vague shadow of an idea on how to tackle some of these problems. the only thing that I felt came close to being an idea, was when he mentioned the need for Singapore to have policies that were "Constructive, Competent but also Compassionate". It is either he mistakenly thought he had all the time in the world (as opposed to the 1 minute he actually had) and did not have enough time to bring up what were some of his ideas of constructive, competent but also compassionate policies, or he is all fluff and no substance. I really hope he brings his game for the rest of the forum.

If I were to grade him based on this minute, he would get a 4/30 for content, 9/10 for delivery, 5/5 for language and 2.5/5 for time management for a total score of 20.5/50.

Mrs Lina Chiam (SPP)

Completely opposite to Vincent Wijeysingha, she has so many points, but with a halting delivery with very poor transitions between points. With an astounding 10 points delivered in under a minute, Lina's strategy seemed to be on quantity and not quality, a strategy which does not pay off in such forums.

The points she brought up included providing SPP as an alternative voice which led to her next point on democracy, an inclusive society, promoting racial harmony, transparency in policy making, the physical safety of Singaporeans, Singaporeans to have a stake in their country, for Singaporeans to become more gracious, compassionate and humble, as well as the creation of jobs. However, she failed to elaborate on any of them, how she proposes to achieve these, or even what some of them mean (what does it mean for Singaporeans to have a stake in their country, or what is her definition of an inclusive society as definition can vary from people to people). She spent the longest (9 seconds) on the point to develop Singapore as a financial hub by attracting foreign investors through modern technology.

With regards to what she proposed, I felt that some of these were meaningless to bring up as they were relevant policies already in place, like promoting racial harmony, the physical safety of Singaporeans and for Singaporeans to become more gracious, compassionate and humble. Points such as the creation of jobs was redundant as that is something every government (should) already be constantly looking at. On the whole, I felt that Lina wasted the opportunity to let us know more about her (or SPP) fresh ideas on policy-making in Singapore.

If I were to grade her based on this minute, he would get a 9/30 for content, 4/10 for delivery, 2/5 for language and 3/5 for time management for a total score of 18/50.

Mr Gerald Giam (WP)

He may not be the most eloquent among the five speakers, or have the most captivating delivery, but Gerald has the most substantial content among all.

The first point he brought up was the need for an entrepreneurial and creative economy, and he further develops it by proposing reforming the education system to achieve this, particularly during the formative years, to cultivate a love for learning, as opposed to obtaining good grades. His subsequent two points were to provide affordable but quality health care and a needs based social security net.

His allocation of time was also much better than the other four speakers. I felt that there was a good balance of what needs to be introduced, why and how. The second and third point can be further developed but is understandable due to the overall time constraint. If I were to grade her based on this minute, he would get a 20/30 for content, 6/10 for delivery, 3/5 for language and 4/5 for time management for a total score of 33/50, not yet an A, but far better than the other four speakers in my books.

Sleeper

2011-04-15T06:10:00.000+08:00

1

I wander all night in my vision,
Stepping with light feet, swiftly and noiselessly stepping and stopping,
Bending with open eyes over the shut eyes of sleepers,
Wandering and confused, lost to myself, ill-assorted, contradictory,
Pausing, gazing, bending, and stopping.

How solemn they look there, stretch'd and still,
How quiet they breathe, the little children in their cradles.

The wretched features of ennuyes, the white features of corpses, the
livid faces of drunkards, the sick-gray faces of onanists,
The gash'd bodies on battle-fields, the insane in their
strong-door'd rooms, the sacred idiots, the new-born emerging
from gates, and the dying emerging from gates,
The night pervades them and infolds them.

The married couple sleep calmly in their bed, he with his palm on
the hip of the wife, and she with her palm on the hip of the husband,
The sisters sleep lovingly side by side in their bed,
The men sleep lovingly side by side in theirs,
And the mother sleeps with her little child carefully wrapt.

The blind sleep, and the deaf and dumb sleep,
The prisoner sleeps well in the prison, the runaway son sleeps,
The murderer that is to be hung next day, how does he sleep?
And the murder'd person, how does he sleep?

The female that loves unrequited sleeps,
And the male that loves unrequited sleeps,
The head of the money-maker that plotted all day sleeps,
And the enraged and treacherous dispositions, all, all sleep.

I stand in the dark with drooping eyes by the worst-suffering and
the most restless,
I pass my hands soothingly to and fro a few inches from them,
The restless sink in their beds, they fitfully sleep.

Now I pierce the darkness, new beings appear,
The earth recedes from me into the night,
I saw that it was beautiful, and I see that what is not the earth is
beautiful.

I go from bedside to bedside, I sleep close with the other sleepers
each in turn,
I dream in my dream all the dreams of the other dreamers,
And I become the other dreamers.

I am a dance--play up there! the fit is whirling me fast!

I am the ever-laughing--it is new moon and twilight,
I see the hiding of douceurs, I see nimble ghosts whichever way look,
Cache and cache again deep in the ground and sea, and where it is
neither ground nor sea.

Well do they do their jobs those journeymen divine,
Only from me can they hide nothing, and would not if they could,
I reckon I am their boss and they make me a pet besides,
And surround me and lead me and run ahead when I walk,
To lift their cunning covers to signify me with stretch'd arms, and
resume the way;
Onward we move, a gay gang of blackguards! with mirth-shouting
music and wild-flapping pennants of joy!

I am the actor, the actress, the voter, the politician,
The emigrant and the exile, the criminal that stood in the box,
He who has been famous and he who shall be famous after to-day,
The stammerer, the well-form'd person, the wasted or feeble person.

I am she who adorn'd herself and folded her hair expectantly,
My truant lover has come, and it is dark.

Double yourself and receive me darkness,
Receive me and my lover too, he will not let me go without him.

I roll myself upon you as upon a bed, I resign myself to the dusk.

He whom I call answers me and takes the place of my lover,
He rises with me silently from the bed.

Darkness, you are gentler than my lover, his flesh was sweaty and panting,
I feel the hot moisture yet that he left me.

My hands are spread forth, I pass them in all directions,
I would sound up the shadowy shore to which you are journeying.

Be careful darkness! already what was it touch'd me?
I thought my lover had gone, else darkness and he are one,
I hear the heart-beat, I follow, I fade away.

2

I descend my western course, my sinews are flaccid,
Perfume and youth course through me and I am their wake.

It is my face yellow and wrinkled instead of the old woman's,
I sit low in a straw-bottom chair and carefully darn my grandson's
stockings.

It is I too, the sleepless widow looking out on the winter midnight,
I see the sparkles of starshine on the icy and pallid earth.

A shroud I see and I am the shroud, I wrap a body and lie in the coffin,
It is dark here under ground, it is not evil or pain here, it is
blank here, for reasons.

(It seems to me that every thing in the light and air ought to be happy,
Whoever is not in his coffin and the dark grave let him know he has enough.)

3

I see a beautiful gigantic swimmer swimming naked through the eddies
of the sea,
His brown hair lies close and even to his head, he strikes out with
courageous arms, he urges himself with his legs,
I see his white body, I see his undaunted eyes,
I hate the swift-running eddies that would dash him head-foremost on
the rocks.

What are you doing you ruffianly red-trickled waves?
Will you kill the courageous giant? will you kill him in the prime
of his middle age?

Steady and long he struggles,
He is baffled, bang'd, bruis'd, he holds out while his strength
holds out,
The slapping eddies are spotted with his blood, they bear him away,
they roll him, swing him, turn him,
His beautiful body is borne in the circling eddies, it is
continually bruis'd on rocks,
Swiftly and ought of sight is borne the brave corpse.

4

I turn but do not extricate myself,
Confused, a past-reading, another, but with darkness yet.

The beach is cut by the razory ice-wind, the wreck-guns sound,
The tempest lulls, the moon comes floundering through the drifts.

I look where the ship helplessly heads end on, I hear the burst as
she strikes, I hear the howls of dismay, they grow fainter and fainter.

I cannot aid with my wringing fingers,
I can but rush to the surf and let it drench me and freeze upon me.

I search with the crowd, not one of the company is wash'd to us alive,
In the morning I help pick up the dead and lay them in rows in a barn.

5

Now of the older war-days, the defeat at Brooklyn,
Washington stands inside the lines, he stands on the intrench'd
hills amid a crowd of officers.
His face is cold and damp, he cannot repress the weeping drops,
He lifts the glass perpetually to his eyes, the color is blanch'd
from his cheeks,
He sees the slaughter of the southern braves confided to him by
their parents.

The same at last and at last when peace is declared,
He stands in the room of the old tavern, the well-belov'd soldiers
all pass through,
The officers speechless and slow draw near in their turns,
The chief encircles their necks with his arm and kisses them on the cheek,
He kisses lightly the wet cheeks one after another, he shakes hands
and bids good-by to the army.

6

Now what my mother told me one day as we sat at dinner together,
Of when she was a nearly grown girl living home with her parents on
the old homestead.

A red squaw came one breakfast-time to the old homestead,
On her back she carried a bundle of rushes for rush-bottoming chairs,
Her hair, straight, shiny, coarse, black, profuse, half-envelop'd
her face,
Her step was free and elastic, and her voice sounded exquisitely as
she spoke.

My mother look'd in delight and amazement at the stranger,
She look'd at the freshness of her tall-borne face and full and
pliant limbs,
The more she look'd upon her she loved her,
Never before had she seen such wonderful beauty and purity,
She made her sit on a bench by the jamb of the fireplace, she cook'd
food for her,
She had no work to give her, but she gave her remembrance and fondness.

The red squaw staid all the forenoon, and toward the middle of the
afternoon she went away,
O my mother was loth to have her go away,
All the week she thought of her, she watch'd for her many a month,
She remember'd her many a winter and many a summer,
But the red squaw never came nor was heard of there again.

7

A show of the summer softness--a contact of something unseen--an
amour of the light and air,
I am jealous and overwhelm'd with friendliness,
And will go gallivant with the light and air myself.

O love and summer, you are in the dreams and in me,
Autumn and winter are in the dreams, the farmer goes with his thrift,
The droves and crops increase, the barns are well-fill'd.

Elements merge in the night, ships make tacks in the dreams,
The sailor sails, the exile returns home,
The fugitive returns unharm'd, the immigrant is back beyond months
and years,
The poor Irishman lives in the simple house of his childhood with
the well known neighbors and faces,
They warmly welcome him, he is barefoot again, he forgets he is well off,
The Dutchman voyages home, and the Scotchman and Welshman voyage
home, and the native of the Mediterranean voyages home,
To every port of England, France, Spain, enter well-fill'd ships,
The Swiss foots it toward his hills, the Prussian goes his way, the
Hungarian his way, and the Pole his way,
The Swede returns, and the Dane and Norwegian return.

The homeward bound and the outward bound,
The beautiful lost swimmer, the ennuye, the onanist, the female that
loves unrequited, the money-maker,
The actor and actress, those through with their parts and those
waiting to commence,
The affectionate boy, the husband and wife, the voter, the nominee
that is chosen and the nominee that has fail'd,
The great already known and the great any time after to-day,
The stammerer, the sick, the perfect-form'd, the homely,
The criminal that stood in the box, the judge that sat and sentenced
him, the fluent lawyers, the jury, the audience,
The laugher and weeper, the dancer, the midnight widow, the red squaw,
The consumptive, the erysipalite, the idiot, he that is wrong'd,
The antipodes, and every one between this and them in the dark,
I swear they are averaged now--one is no better than the other,
The night and sleep have liken'd them and restored them.

I swear they are all beautiful,
Every one that sleeps is beautiful, every thing in the dim light is
beautiful,
The wildest and bloodiest is over, and all is peace.

Peace is always beautiful,
The myth of heaven indicates peace and night.

The myth of heaven indicates the soul,
The soul is always beautiful, it appears more or it appears less, it
comes or it lags behind,
It comes from its embower'd garden and looks pleasantly on itself
and encloses the world,
Perfect and clean the genitals previously jetting,and perfect and
clean the womb cohering,
The head well-grown proportion'd and plumb, and the bowels and
joints proportion'd and plumb.

The soul is always beautiful,
The universe is duly in order, every thing is in its place,
What has arrived is in its place and what waits shall be in its place,
The twisted skull waits, the watery or rotten blood waits,
The child of the glutton or venerealee waits long, and the child of
the drunkard waits long, and the drunkard himself waits long,
The sleepers that lived and died wait, the far advanced are to go on
in their turns, and the far behind are to come on in their turns,
The diverse shall be no less diverse, but they shall flow and unite--
they unite now.

8

The sleepers are very beautiful as they lie unclothed,
They flow hand in hand over the whole earth from east to west as
they lie unclothed,
The Asiatic and African are hand in hand, the European and American
are hand in hand,
Learn'd and unlearn'd are hand in hand, and male and female are hand
in hand,
The bare arm of the girl crosses the bare breast of her lover, they
press close without lust, his lips press her neck,
The father holds his grown or ungrown son in his arms with
measureless love, and the son holds the father in his arms with
measureless love,
The white hair of the mother shines on the white wrist of the daughter,
The breath of the boy goes with the breath of the man, friend is
inarm'd by friend,
The scholar kisses the teacher and the teacher kisses the scholar,
the wrong 'd made right,
The call of the slave is one with the master's call, and the master
salutes the slave,
The felon steps forth from the prison, the insane becomes sane, the
suffering of sick persons is reliev'd,
The sweatings and fevers stop, the throat that was unsound is sound,
the lungs of the consumptive are resumed, the poor distress'd
head is free,
The joints of the rheumatic move as smoothly as ever, and smoother
than ever,
Stiflings and passages open, the paralyzed become supple,
The swell'd and convuls'd and congested awake to themselves in condition,
They pass the invigoration of the night and the chemistry of the
night, and awake.

I too pass from the night,
I stay a while away O night, but I return to you again and love you.

Why should I be afraid to trust myself to you?
I am not afraid, I have been well brought forward by you,
I love the rich running day, but I do not desert her in whom I lay so long,
I know not how I came of you and I know not where I go with you, but
I know I came well and shall go well.

I will stop only a time with the night, and rise betimes,
I will duly pass the day O my mother, and duly return to you.
- Walt Whitman

Purple Light (Chemistry Edition)

2011-04-12T16:36:00.000+08:00

Chemistry, in this Uni(versity),
Is that where, I wanna be?
With my three, best companions:
With my laptop and my (Periodic) Table and Me

Physical Chem, Sibei Jialat,
Organic, Lagi worse!
Everyday, do lab reports,
With my laptop and my (Periodic) Table and Me

(When I) ORDed, come here to study
Thought: Get degree, so happy!
But now I rather be, back in army
With my rifle and my buddy and me

Purple Light, at my finals
That is where, my CAP dies.
If I die, would you bury me
Far away from my (Periodic) Table Please!

Orchard road, Bugis Junction,
That is where I wanna be!
WHY AM I, STILL IN LIBRARY!
With my laptop and my (Periodic) Table and Me

Ermmm...

2011-04-11T17:02:00.000+08:00

Ok lar... After getting over it, I realized maybe I overeacted yest. Upon some investigation, I realize that the 3 or them really made very good choices that are so well matched to how they are. I know my opinion don't count for much, but for what it's worth, I raeally approve of all three of them. May this be another beginning for the three of you to grow to be even greater men of God?

sadded...

2011-04-11T05:40:00.000+08:00

Something happened yesterday, or rather i found out about three separate but sorta related pieces of news that left me really sad. despite their reassurance, or rather reassurance from one of them, i felt that i have not really done my duty and properly looked after my sheep. i felt that i really did not spend time to nurture the relationships that are important to me....

Sigh! another reminder why i think i'm not cut of for this type of stuff.... haiz~ i really was super stunned when the 2 of them asked me... i really can crawl under a rock and hide there coz really no face alr..... my 4 mentees leh! haiz~ haiz~

Sleep

2011-04-08T04:34:00.000+08:00

The evening hangs beneath the moon
A silver thread on darkened dune
With closing eyes and resting head
I know that sleep is coming soon

Upon my pillow, safe in bed
A thousand pictures fill my head
I cannot sleep my minds a flight
And yet my limbs seem made of lead

If there are noises in the night
A frighting shadow, flickering light
Then I surrender unto sleep
Where clouds of dreams give second sight

What dreams may come both dark and deep
Of flying wings and soaring leap
As I surrender unto sleep
As I surrender unto sleep

Voting & The General Election

2011-04-01T17:07:00.001+08:00

Colours

2011-03-30T20:51:00.000+08:00

The king and his men stole the queen from her bed
And bound her in her bones.
The seas be ours and by the powers
Where we will we'll roam!

Some have died and some are alive
Others sail on the sea
With the keys to the cage and the Devil to pay
We lay to Fiddler's Green!

The bell has been raised from its watery grave...
Do you hear its sepulchral tone?
A call to all, pay heed to the squall
And turn your sail to home!

Gladness and God

2011-03-28T10:41:00.002+08:00

I will bless the Lord forever
I will trust Him at all times
He has delivered me from all fear
He has set my feet upon a rock
I will not be moved
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Whom have I in heaven but You
There's none I desire beside You
You have made me glad
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Making Music

2011-03-26T14:59:00.000+08:00

We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;—
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.

Ode - Arthur O'Shaughnessy.

Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows

2011-03-25T02:35:00.001+08:00

Ai No Shirushi

2011-03-24T01:39:00.001+08:00

Yawa na haato ga shibireru
Kokochi yoi hari no shigeki
Wake mo nai no ni kagayaku
Sore dake ga ai no shirushi

Itsuka anata ni wa
Subete uchiakeyou
Sukoshi tsuyoku naru tame ni
Kowareta booto de hitori koide yuku

Yume no naka de mo wakaru
Mekurumeku yoru no fushigi

Tada no omoide to
Kaze ga sasayaitemo
Ureshinaki no takaramono
Nan demo arisou na kuni de
Tada hitotsu

Yawa na haato ga shibireru
Kokochi yoi hari no shigeki
Wake mo nai no ni kagayaku
Sore dake ga ai no shirushi
Sore dake de ai no shirushi

Things I learnt from my mum

2011-03-22T04:28:00.000+08:00

My Mother taught me LOGIC... "If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me. "

My Mother taught me MEDICINE... "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way. "

My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD... "If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job! "

My Mother taught me ESP... "Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold? "

My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE... "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you... Don't talk back to me! "

My Mother taught me HUMOR... "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me. "

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT... "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.

My mother taught me about GENETICS... "You are just like your father! "

My mother taught me about my ROOTS... "Do you think you were born in a barn? "

My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE... "When you get to be my age, you will understand. "

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION... "Just wait until your father gets home. "

My mother taught me about RECEIVING... "You are going to get it when we get home. "

And, my all-time favorite - JUSTICE... "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU -- then you'll see what it's like! "

The Top 16 Biblical Ways To Acquire A Wife

2011-03-22T04:22:00.000+08:00

16. Find an attractive prisoner of war, bring her home, shave her head, trim her nails, and give her new clothes. Then she's yours. - (Deuteronomy 21)

15. Find a prostitute and marry her. - Hosea (Hosea 1)

14. Find a woman with seven daughters, and impress him by watering his flock.. - Moses (Exodus 2)

13. Purchase a piece of property, and get a woman as part of the deal. - Boaz (Ruth 4)

12. Go to a party and hide. When the women come out to dance, grab one and carry her off to be your wife. - Benjaminites (Judges 21)

11. Have God create a wife for you while you sleep. Note: this will cost you a rib. - Adam (Genesis 2)

10. Agree to work seven years in exchange for a woman's hand in marriage. Get tricked into marrying the wrong woman. Then work another seven years for the woman you wanted to marry in the first place. That's right. Fourteen years of toil for a woman. - Jacob (Genesis 29)

9. Cut off 50 foreskins off of your future father-in-law's enemies and get his daughter for a wife. - David (1 Samuel somewhere)

8. Even if no one is out there, just wander around a bit and you'll definitely find someone. (It's all relative off course.) - Cain (Genesis 4)

7. Become the emperor of a huge nation and hold a beauty contest. - Xerxes or Atrahasis (Esther 1)

6. When you see someone you like, go home and tell your parents, "I have seen a...woman; now get her for me. " If your parents question your decision, simply say, "Get her for me. She's the one for me. " - Samson (Judges 14)

5. Kill any husband and take HIS wife. (Prepare to lose four sons though). - David (2 Samuel 9)

4. Wait for your brother to die. Take his widow. (It's not just a good idea, it's the law). - Onan and Boaz (Deuteronomy or Leviticus, example in Ruth)

3. Don't be so picky. Make for quality with quantity. - Solomon (1 Kings 11)

2. A wife?... NOT!!! - Paul (I Corinthians 7)

1. Become sinless, and die in atonement for others, and you can marry a whole bunch of people. - Jesus (Revelation 15?)"

Garfunkel

2011-03-18T03:37:00.001+08:00

M00d

2011-03-17T00:48:00.002+08:00

In a really weird mood. Donno how to describe...

Transforming Power

2011-03-09T20:29:00.000+08:00

In old days there were angels who came and took men by the hand and led them away from the city of destruction. We see no white-winged angels now. But yet men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put into theirs, which leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be a little child's.

- Silas Marner by George Eliot

If

2011-03-08T23:21:00.000+08:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

- Rudyard Kipling

Assured

2011-03-08T19:52:00.002+08:00

Intercede

2011-03-06T12:02:00.000+08:00

After hearing this piece of news, I've been at peace with it, despite many people being troubled and anxious about this. But just today I felt led to pray for all of us for understanding over the resignation, and for unity.

Lord,

I know you have a plan for this church, and you have a plan for Ps Vincent. Though all of us may not really understand your plan, especially with pain and uncertainty clouding our vision, I pray that we all will trust you.

I'm Jesus Name
Amen

Straight As

2011-03-04T16:22:00.001+08:00

I'm so proud of my little brother! Straight As and top student!

The world at war with itself

2011-03-04T13:05:00.002+08:00

Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain,
As in revenge, have suck'd up from the sea
Contagious fogs; which falling in the land
Have every pelting river made so proud
That they have overborne their continents:
The ox hath therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain,
The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn
Hath rotted ere his youth attain'd a beard;
The fold stands empty in the drowned field,
And crows are fatted with the murrion flock;
The nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud,
And the quaint mazes in the wanton green
For lack of tread are undistinguishable:
The human mortals want their winter here;
No night is now with hymn or carol blest:
Therefore the moon, the governess of floods,
Pale in her anger, washes all the air,
That rheumatic diseases do abound:
And thorough this distemperature we see
The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts
Far in the fresh lap of the crimson rose,
And on old Hiems' thin and icy crown
An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds
Is, as in mockery, set: the spring, the summer,
The childing autumn, angry winter, change
Their wonted liveries, and the mazed world,
By their increase, now knows not which is which

(A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 2, Scene 1)

Oppose This

2011-02-26T02:31:00.000+08:00

In any article that features the opposition in today's (or rather yesterday's since it's after midnight) news, I usually see this word "gerrymandering"! While it may or may not be true, I am a little annoyed by its excessive use. Just for once, I would really like to see the opposition not focus on what the ruling party is doing wrong, but what they can do to make a country better.

As someone who is generally interested in politics (as a watcher, not as a participant), I can say I am a Democratic Party supporter as compared to the Republicans in U.S. Politics. But when it comes to my own backyard, I feel very ambivalent! I'm neither a PAP or an opposition supporter. On one hand, I have to say PAP has been good for Singapore in areas such as economic growth, and some areas under the socio-cultural spectrum which includes education, crime rates, etc... On the other hand, there are some little things about the PAP (that for some reason I just can't put my finger on right now) that keeps me bothered.

With regards to having political opposition, I understand the need of a credible opposition to keep the government in check (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes), but what I really don't want to see is the tennis match I'm watching in U.S. politics. One party passes a set of bills and laws, the other party tries to undo all those legislature when they are elected and passes another set of bills and laws, and then the first party comes back into power and the cycle goes on and on! nothing really valuable is added for the benefit of the people!

What I really want to see this election is people campaigning on what they can do for the people; what specific areas can they contribute to and benefit when elected, and not that the other side is not good and why.

I always feel positivity is the best way to run a political campaign because negativity just leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

The Extreme East

2011-02-25T09:35:00.001+08:00

I have lived in Pasir Ris for most of my life (17/24 years). My seconday school, JC, and even my church is in Pasir Ris, so you might say I'm a pasir-risan (for lack of a better term) through and through. Everytime people unfamilar with the geography of Singapore (namely my foreign uni classmates) ask me where I live, I just tell them I live at the easternmost MRT station on the green line.

Living in Pasir Ris is fun! I remember hanging out with friends at white sands after school simply because it was the biggest shopping centre with a direct bus from school, skipping remedial classes to go play at the Downtown East arcade (I racked up so much points on my tapz card that I became a VIP member), taking MCs from the polyclinic, going to Elias Mall or West Plaza when we had 6 hour breaks between classes (my JC timetable was pretty messed up), and even cycling at Pasir Ris park in the middle of the night (just because it's just there).

Me and my fellow pasir-risans are the ones friends call when they have chalets at downtown east or costa sands, and they do not know how to get there from the MRT station, or when they are lost in Pasir Ris park trying to find their friends' BBQ pit.

I have a friend that lives in Ponggol. The first time that he set foot in Pasir Ris was when he had to report for BMT. When I go to his place, I have to take a 15min bus ride. It takes me 15 mins to walk from Elias Mall to Downtown East. It takes me 15 mins to cycle from one end of pasir ris to the other. It takes me half and hour or more to cycle from the westernmost part of Pasir Ris to Ponggol (via old Tampines road as we are unable to cycle on the TPE).

So this is the question I really want to ask; why are we in the same GRC? There is no common identity, and are separated by geography (by comparison I take 30 mins to walk to Tampines MRT from White Sands, so Ponggol to me is really far away). My Ponggol friends and my Pasir Ris friends have never felt like the lived in the same area.

Forgive my ignorance for I'm just a simple student that don't really follow Singapore politics, or understand how the electoral boundaries review committee work, but won't it be better to create a Sengkang-Ponggol GRC and a Pasir Ris GRC, instead of this Pasir Ris-Ponggol GRC, Ponggol East SMC & Sengkang West SMC? People from ponggol; east, west, north, south or central are more likely to have a common identity and share the same public facilities & ammenities than any Ponggolites (again for lack of a better word) than pasir-risans. I would find it weird if I lived at Ponggol east, and suddenly my neighbours across the street from me are no longer in my constituency, but belonged to a constituency with people several km away.

Even if Pasir Ris was too big to be a SMC and too small to be a four-membered GRC, or if Ponggol and Sengkang was too large to be a six-membered GRC, I still feel it would be better (and would make more sense) to have a four-membered Ponggol GRC, a four-membered Sengkang GRC, a Pasir Ris East SMC & a Pasir Ris West SMC. Don't this configuration seem more logical?

Super emo moment

2011-02-24T00:58:00.003+08:00

Learning

2011-02-23T05:05:00.001+08:00

You live you learn
You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learn
You grieve you learn
You choke you learn
You laugh you learn
You choose you learn
You pray you learn
You ask you learn
You live you learn

Why it may not be a good idea to hypnotize others...

2011-02-20T06:08:00.002+08:00

A professor was dissatisfied the lack of effort his students were putting into his assignments, so his friend suggested to him that perhaps he might be able to hypnotize his students into working harder.

"And just how would I go about doing that? " he asked. "It is very simple. First you turn off the air conditioner so that the lecture theatre is warmer than usual. Then you lecture in a monotone voice. Meanwhile, you dangle a watch on a chain and swing it in a slow arc above the podium and suggest they study harder & work harder for this module.

"So the very next lecture, the professor did as suggested, and lo and behold, all the students submitted thoroughly researched and well written essays for the subsquent assignment.

Now, the professor could not wait to try this again to ensure his students excel in the upcoming finals, so he tried it out on the next lecture. Just as the last of his students was becoming mesmerized, the chain on the watch broke and the watch hit the podium with a loud thud and springs and parts flew everywhere. "Crap! " exclaimed the professor.

It took them a week to clean up the lecture theatre."

Home???

2011-02-14T01:00:00.002+08:00

I think it's very sad that I find my hall room so much more comfortable than my room at home despite the lack of aircom, a fully functioning kitchen, abundance of home-cooked meals and/or tv with cable (a super super comfortable bed in EH, an old uncomfortable bed at home, unstable and slow Internet at home and relatively fast Internet here).

I find it very sad (and feel very bad) that I feel more relaxed, more "at home" in hall than at home...

The Fruits of my December Holidays' Labour

2011-01-10T11:21:00.000+08:00

Wendys

2011-01-10T00:15:00.003+08:00

As a Fast Food outlet, Wendy's is just heads and shoulders above MacDonalds or Burger King

Gourmet Fast Food

2010-11-14T05:14:00.002+08:00

Fast food can be turned into Gourmet food, If you have the time, energy an "Boliao"-ness to do so! http://www.fancyfastfood.com/ was featured on Yahoo, and I just love their tagline: Yeah, It's still bad for you - But look how good it can look!

Female Hormones found in Beer

2010-11-12T02:39:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, scientists for Health Canada suggested that men should take a look at their beer consumption, considering the results of a recent analysis that revealed the presence of female hormones in beer. The theory is that drinking beer makes men turn into women. To test the finding, 100 men were fed 6 pints of beer each. It was then observed that 100% of the men gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became overly emotional, couldn't drive, failed to think rationally, argued over nothing, and refused to apologize when wrong. No further testing is planned.

Sad. And Inspirational

2010-11-11T02:51:00.000+08:00

Jamie Livingston

Sunny Days

2010-11-09T06:44:00.001+08:00

Smartphone Users

2010-11-05T18:17:00.002+08:00

Grief

2010-11-03T16:02:00.004+08:00

Lord,

I pray for your hand to be upon them in this time of need. I pray that you will grant them strength to just pull through this period. Even though they may not understand, I pray that they continue to have faith in you and your ways. Lord, I pray that there will be no self-condemnation, that they will not blame themselves in any way for what has happened. Lord, I pray that they can truly rejoice as a family, because Darren is now with you. Lord, I pray for forgiveness for the 10 guys that did this. It was a foolish mistake done in a moment of folly. I also pray that they will find capacity in their hearts to forgive Darren's friends. It is not truly their fault either. I pray that you will continue to fill them with your peace that surpasses all understanding. I commit this precious family into your hands.

In Jesus name
Amen

301010

2010-10-31T23:56:00.008+08:00

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Psalm 30:5 Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning

I don't really cope well with grief. I don't know how to comfort those who mourn. I just get numb.

At first when I heard the news, I just sat there in shock, not really knowing what to do, just hoping I heard it wrong from my parents who were rushing to the hospital, or in their hurry they told me wrongly, or that they heard wrongly from the phone. He was only 19, the same age as my brother....

I remember once dreaming that my brother died, and the pain i felt in that dream killed me. I can only imagine that it is only a small bit of what Debbie, Uncle Francis and Auntie Joyce must be feeling.

Afterwards I started to feel guilty. I had the opportunity and the authority as a cell leader, as well as a being friend from growing up together in our parent's cell group, to speak into the life of a 13 year old, the chance to influence him for the better, but now 6 years later, I wish I had done more...

I could say that I was not properly equipped to handle such matters, or that I was already overwhelmed with not only cell responsibilities, but being in Camp Comm, studies and doing Siglap choir stuff. But deep down I know I could have done more.

The only memory I can remember of our interactions were of him coming for service for a few minutes, then going off to downtown east, and me chasing after him to come back to church, or him asking me to borrow my bike...

But now I accept that although this is something that I regret, I must not live in self-condemnation and move on. I must remember even more strongly from now on, that I must be a good steward of the influence God gives me towards others.

I must remember that life is fragile and unpredictable. We may not have as long as we would like, or think we have, to make a difference in the world, to leave a lasting legacy. I must remember that I am responsible and accountable of all the sheep that God places under my care at one point or another. I must not take my leadership or influence for granted.

Lord,

I just commit Uncle Francis, Auntie Joyce and Debbie into your hands. Only you can fully understand what they are going through. I pray that they will not condem themselves as being bad parents or sister, because they have tried their best. I pray that they will not lose faith because of what happen, but instead turn to you for strength. I pray that you will strength them through this period of grieving, that they will able to eventually resolve this deep sense of loss. I pray that you would continue to send your angels to watch over them, and to block off any lies that the devil may try to tell them. I commit them fully into your hands, that you will keep them safe from harm.

In Jesus Name
Amen

Darren Ng Wei Jie

10 August 1991 - 30 October 2010

Rosyth School, Loyang Secondary & Republic Polytechnic

Rest in Peace

The wake service is on Tuesday, 2nd November at Tampines St 84, Block 875

To friends that are worried for me, thank you all for your concern, but I am ok. I just need time alone. Thanks

Love me, Hate me,Say what you want about me....

2010-10-30T07:29:00.002+08:00

While reflecting today, I realize that I am really very blessed compared to many others. I remember someone telling me quite a while ago that if you have one or two friends that you can really pour out your soul to, that you can completely be yourself when around them, then you are a very fortunate person. I however, have much more than 1 or 2 such people in my life, more like 10 of them, and from different groups of friends. I also have at least 5 different groups of friends (which include the above mentioned 10 people) which are very close to my heart. These are people I know will definitely stand by me in my times of need, they are those who are unafraid of being undiplomatic and able to be honest straight to my face. These are people I know care for me deeply, although they may not outwardly show it. These are people I know will let me know if i had done something wrong, ir crossed some sort of line, and snap me to my senses. I truly am thankful for all these friends, brothers and sisters.

From this point, I really have to continually remind myself not to be concerned about what others may think about me, because only the opinion of these people are all that matters, and I never have to worry about what they think because they will let me know what they think of me, and it is because of this that I love them even more.

Colon-Right Parentheses

Incomplete

2010-10-25T11:45:00.004+08:00

Sigh! I left 20% of my paper blank. Granted that I (and I think most of my cohort) didn't know how to do 6 marks out of the 10 I left blank, the other 4 marks were easy conceptually and given time, I can easily get it. I also wish I had more time to write out my answer to the 9mark question I frantically scribbled in the last 5 mins of this 75min paper.

My problem:
1. I love to complicate things. The question that took most of my time had a very simple answer. I just couldn't see and/or accept it until after working on it for more than half an hour.
2. I think I wrote more than necessary for my explaination. Sigh.
3. And for this I (as a chemistry major) deserve to be shot. There were several organic compounds that I didn't know how the structure was like. Fail....

Well, on the bright side, I think everyone was stunned by the paper. Oh well, let's just pray for the bell curve to work it's magic.

When I Survey the Wonderous Cross

2010-10-19T17:57:00.002+08:00

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died;
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Prayer for a Friend

2010-10-19T01:50:00.003+08:00

Lord, I commit this friend into your hands, that you close the wounds in his heart, and heal his hurts. Lord, only you can fully understand what he has gone through; help him understand that even if other people fail him, that he can always turn to you. Lord, I pray for your peace and your comfort to fill his life, that even though he have been hurt, your peace and your strength can help him overcome these obstacles in his life. Lord, I pray that he may be released from the bondage of pain, bitterness and vengence, so that he may be able to life a fuller life; life in abundance. All these I commit into your hands.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Pregnant Without Sex?

2010-10-18T12:33:00.006+08:00

When I read this article that my friend posted on FaceBook, I was seriously struggling to control my laughter (I was in the YIH Study Room). Being made pregnant by watching a 3D Porn Movie (LOL!!!) is the most original cover-up for infidelity, with Human Parthenogenesis as a close second. Sperm on the Toilet seat/Swimming Pool/ Bathtub is so yesterday!

However (for those of you that would believe such a story can be true) we see that this is a hoax that has fooled many, including gizmodo.

*Note: As much as I find this funny, I do not approve of infidelity and adultery.

How to increase your efficiency

2010-10-15T12:31:00.001+08:00

1. Obvious tip one: Make a to-do list (electronic or paper). Put the most important item first and work down from there.

2. Obvious tip two: At the end of your day, review what you've done and make a new list for the next day. In order of importance.

3. Be ruthless about setting priorities. Make sure that what you think is important is really important.

4. Learn to differentiate between the important and the urgent. What's important is not always urgent. What's urgent is not always important.

5. Carry your to-do list with you at all times.

6. All things being equal, do the hardest, least fun thing first. Just get it over with!

7. If a task takes less than five minutes, do it right away. If it takes longer, put it on the list.

8. Deal with E-mail at set times each day, if possible. If you need to check messages as they arrive, limit your sessions to less than five minutes.

9. Schedule some uninterrupted time each day when you can concentrate on important tasks, even if you have to take refuge in a conference room or at the library.

10. Another approach: Before you check your E-mail or voicemail or get involved in the minutiae of the day, devote a solid hour to your most important project.

11. For a couple of days, take an inventory of how you spend your time to find out where and how you're wasting it.

12. Eliminate the time wasters (e.g., if personal phone calls are taking up too much space in your workday, turn off your cell).

13. Cut big jobs into small chunks. Order the chunks by importance. Work on one chunk at a time.

14. For big, complex tasks, schedule wiggle room. Projects tend to take longer than you think/hope. Give yourself a buffer.

15. If part of your day involves routine repetitive tasks, keep records of how long they take and then try to do them faster.

16. Go one step further and set specific time limits for routine tasks. Work tends to fill whatever amount of time you happen to have.

17. Establish smart efficient systems for all your tasks, big and small, and stick to them.

18. Value your time. People who wander into your workspace to chat do not respect you or your schedule. Set boundaries.

19. When and where you can, say no. Trying to do everything everyone asks you to do is a recipe for failure.

20. In general, guard against overscheduling yourself.

21. Bottom line to items 19 and 20: Learn to delegate, wherever and whenever you can.

22. Aim to handle pieces of paper only once. Same for E-mails. Read 'em and deal with 'em.

23. Reward yourself for completing tasks on time. No fun stuff until the work stuff is done.

24. Organize and declutter your workspace so you don't waste time looking for things.

25. Schedule demanding tasks for that part of your day when you're at your peak.

26. Group related tasks (e.g., sort papers on your desk and then file them). It's more efficient.

27. Use down time (e.g., waiting for meetings to begin) to, for example, update your to-do list or answer E-mails.

28. This advice applies to life outside work, too. It's better to be excellent at a few things than average at many.

29. Don't be afraid to get projects done early. It takes them off your mind, and it doesn't mean you'll just be given more to do.

30. Create the business environment that works for you. Adjust the lighting, turn off your E-mail pinger, get that cup of tea. Set the stage and get to work.

Anti-Smoking Commercials

2010-10-15T04:02:00.002+08:00

I'm rather proud of these commercials coz this is the first time i've conceptualized, shot and edited entire clips. Enjoy

Be Thou My Vision

2010-10-12T08:13:00.000+08:00

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
naught be all else to me, save that thou art;
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, thou my true word,
I ever with thee and thou with me Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight;
Thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tower:
Raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
Thou mine inheritance now and always;
Thou and thou only first in my heart;
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O Bright Heaven's sun!;
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Rush Rush Rush

2010-08-31T00:24:00.001+08:00

It's 12.25am and I still have lots to do including finishing my lab report due in a few hours, studying for my test and sleeping in preparation for a very long day tomorrow (8am-10+pm non stop!) Lord give me the strength to do it all and to survive tomorrow

Promises From God

2010-08-15T15:09:00.001+08:00

God has not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives thro’;

God has not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

God has not promised
We shall not know
Toil and temptation,
Trouble and woe;

He has not told us
We shall not bear
Many a burden,
Many a care.

But God has promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the laborer,
Light for the way,

Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

Prayers for Myers Briggs Types

2010-08-09T01:52:00.000+08:00

ISTJ: Lord help me to relax about insignificant details beginning tomorrow at 11:41.23 am e.s.t.
ISTP: God help me to consider people's feelings, even if most of them ARE hypersensitive.
ESTP: God help me to take responsibility for my own actions, even though they're usually NOT my fault.
ESTJ: God, help me to not try to RUN everything. But, if You need some help, just ask.
ISFJ: Lord, help me to be more laid back and help me to do it EXACTLY right.
ISFP: Lord, help me to stand up for my rights (if you don't mind my asking).
ESFP: God help me to take things more seriously, especially parties and dancing.
ESFJ: God give me patience, and I mean right NOW.
INFJ: Lord help me not be a perfectionist. (did I spell that correctly?)
INFP: God, help me to finish everything I sta
ENFP: God,help me to keep my mind on one th-Look a bird-ing at a time.
ENFJ: God help me to do only what I can and trust you for the rest. Do you mind putting that in writing?
INTJ: Lord keep me open to others' ideas, WRONG though they may be.
INTP: Lord help me be less independent, but let me do it my way.
ENTP: Lord help me follow established procedures today. On second thought, I'll settle for a few minutes.
ENTJ: Lord, help me slow downandnotrushthroughwatIdo.

Clean(er) Slate

2010-08-08T22:53:00.001+08:00

New Sem, New Mindset

Just updated my blog and cleaned out all those negative posts! Just gotta trust God....

Also,

New Sem, New Goal: Operation CAP 5

In my bid to attempt to achieve the elusive CAP 5, I shall:
- Attend All Lectures
- Read all my lecture notes BEFORE and AFTER the lecture to facilitate my understanding of the topic and to reinforce all that I learnt
- Spend at least 3 Hours a day studying
- Do all my Lab reports the same day as the lab itself
- Do all tutorials the day they were assigned
- and lastly, Sleep by 12 every night!

Reach the Campus Project

2010-07-24T06:00:00.001+08:00

Change

2010-07-15T03:52:00.000+08:00

God, grant me the...

Serenity to accept things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference

Patience for the things that take time
Appreciation for all that I have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles

Freedom to live beyond the limitations of my past ways, the
Ability to feel your love for me and my love for the people around me, and the
Strength to get up and try again even when I feel it is hopeless.

Banana Bread

2010-04-02T09:54:00.011+08:00

Banana Bread With Coffee

Could not really sleep last night so i decided to make breakfast for my family (and cell later). I then suddenly had a desire to bake something, which was slightly strange since I have not had this longing for so long. So I decided to walk over to Elias Mall, at 6am, to buy ingredients to bake. Walking around Golden Bamboo Supermarket while surfing online on my iPhone, i found a simple recipe for banana bread.

I later found out that baking (or cooking of any sort) at 7am in my kitchen is strongly not encouraged, unless you would like to perspire so much that even your shorts are soaked in sweat. Unfortunately my room, the dining room and the kitchen all face east. Hence it was a mini suana mixing the ingredients for the banana bread. However, the scent of baking banana bread filling the house really made it feel worth it.

The recipe for this banana bread was taken from http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/BananaBread.html

Banana Bread Recipe:

1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

- *Note: I actually used my brother's Granola Honey Nut
1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

The mixture just before baking

Banana Bread Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Banana Bread Fresh out of the oven

Follow You - Leeland

2010-03-28T12:55:00.001+08:00

You lived among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.

All my needs you have supplied.
When I was dead you gave me life.
How could I not give it away so freely?

And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken.
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the World.

Use my hands, use my feet
To make your kingdom come
Through the corners of the earth
Until your work is done
'Cause Faith without works is dead
And on the cross your blood was shed
So how could I not give it away so freely?

I give all myself.
I give all myself
I give all myself... to you.

Peace

2010-03-18T03:29:00.002+08:00

It Is Well with My Soul Horatio G. Spafford

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

I Surrender All Judson W. Van DeVenter

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Blessed Assurance Frances J. Crosby

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Starry Starry Night, Paint your palettes Blue & Grey

2010-03-04T16:32:00.002+08:00

You light the skies up above me
A star so bright you blind me.
Don't close your eyes, don't fade away...

If walls break down, I will comfort you
If angels cry, oh, I'll be there for you
You've saved my soul
Don't let me down, don't leave me now....

You and me we can ride on a star
And if you stay with me, we can rule the world
You and me, we can light up the sky
If you stay by my side, we can rule the world

All the stars are coming out tonight
They're lighting up the sky tonight for you...

RNWY

2010-02-25T18:20:00.001+08:00

Graffiti decorations
Under a sky of dust
A constant wave of tension
On top of broken trust

I just wanna scream and lose control
Throw my hands up and let it go
I just want to fall and lose myself
Laughing so hard it hurts like hell

I'm gonna pack my bags,
And never look back.
Run a parallel line
With the railroad tracks,
And make my get away.

Can you feel it? I'm stuck inside in a hurricane
Chasing rainbows, can't you see I'm going insane?
I wanna be a free man but I'm spinning on this crazy wheel

These words are strapped inside my head
Tell me to run before I'm dead
Chase the rainbows in my mind
And I will try to stay alive

We don't bleed when we don't fight
Throw your arms in the air tonight

So open your eyes and shut those ears
It's a give and take 'cause you can't please everyone
When it feels like the world has turned their back
And locked their doors, this is feeling impossible

Graffiti decorations, under a sky of grey

@linkinpark
@avrillavigne
@love&theft
@jamiroquai
@pink
@thenational
@artistvspoet

Making a Difference

2010-02-21T15:03:00.001+08:00

Planning something like D&D or Orientation is something i know i can more or less do on my own strength. But what I really dream of is making a difference, just like this program did.

http://www.challengeday.org/

Greater things are yet to come, Greater things are still to be done..........

God is in control

2010-02-21T13:25:00.000+08:00

The bad news and obstacles keep coming, and on friday, i just couldn't take it any more. I tweeted (but already deleted) that if God really wants me to step down from D&D, he can just say and I will, don't need to throw so much problems at me. I was then listening to my iPod, and after I tweeted that message, "My Glorious" by Delirious? started playing, and the chorus immediately spoke to me

God is bigger than the air I breathe
The world we'll leave
God will save the day and all will say
My glorious!

Coincidence? I don't think so because the next song that played was "Trading My Sorrows"

I'm pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And his joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

I'm trusting that you will see me through this season of my life!

Things to do

2010-01-26T04:39:00.002+08:00

It's 4.39am

I have a lecture I don't understand at 8am-10am.
I have a lab I'm completely unprepared for at 10am-5pm.
I have a meeting I'm not sure what to say at 8.30pm.
I have a choir practice for which I have not learnt the songs for at 9pm-11pm.
I have a ton of emails not yet replied.
I have hotels to contact for a recce on Wednesday that I have not spoken to yet.
I have sponsors to look for that are simply not interested in what I do.
I have proposals due soon that I can't carve out the time to write.
I have four more lectures on thursday that I'm completely lost in.
I have more labs that only show me how little of Chemistry i actually know.
I have a concert next week I'm screwed for.
I have a cell I'm not praying for when I should.
I have a cell I'm not taking responsibility for at the moment.
I have 98 more days of anguish in front of me.
I have an exposure camp with less than a month to produce the framework and the publicity.
I have a committee where more than half the candidates did not even turn up for the interview.
I have friendships that I've been neglecting.
I have sleep that I desperately need but never get.

But,
I have God

God of ths City

2009-10-24T04:07:00.000+08:00

QT and prayer special

2009-10-18T04:27:00.004+08:00

When I was doing QT juz now, God just gave me a simple sentence. it's not even new, but the starting lyrics of a song, and it completely stopped me in my tracks as it had (sort of) addressed another issue i have been praying and worrying over.

"Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in Eusoff (hall)"

Then further down my QT session, I had a deep burden to pray for and prayer walk around Eusoff.

One issue i have been struggling with is whether i should leave NUS. I am currently very unhapppy with chemistry and i desperately want to do business instead. I have applied to change faculties in may but it was rejected, and after meeting-up wih the vice-dean of admissions of NUS business school, i would say my chances of a successful transfer is slim to none. 3 other options i have is: 1. transfer to another school like NTU or SMU 2. Go to an overseas uni like ANU 3a. Drop out of NUS and enroll full-time at SIM 3b. Drop out of NUS and enroll part-time at SIM and work part-time.

However, as i have been talking through my options with many people the past few weeks, i have great reluctance to leave NUS, and to a lage part, it is due to Eusoff, the people and the hall activities. After EHOC, Eusoff had truly become a part of my life.

Then God gives me this sentence, and in the rest of the prayer session, i have the reassuring peace that God's plan for me, whether chemistry or business, is in NUS and in Eusoff Hall.

This ties in (sort of) with something else God gave me during this year's HL Leaders retreat in august, that i have been meaning to post but had no time. while we were supposed to pray for our own areas and for a vision for our areas, i didn't felt led to pray for NS area, but instead I felt led to pray for the Poly area and the 4 unis.

For the Poly area, I sense God saying how He will raise Godly christian Student leaders in all the poly campuses. through their leadership in the school committees, clubs, councils, etc... He will shape the next generation of Poly students, setting the foundations for the greater work to be done in their next stages of life. this christian student leadership will change the spiritual atmophere in the campuses, giving rise to student-based initiatives to bring God onto the campuses.

For SMU, it is from here that He will raise a generation of History-makers. They will spiritually impact big businesses and corporations. they will revolutionize the marketplace for Christ.

For NTU, there will be a generation of Barnabas(es)raised up. they will provide support and encouragement to others. where the poly students will be shaping the foundations for God's great works, NTU will be the the strong pillars holding everything up.

For NUS, the christian community there will have a very wide impact. the local christian community will greatly bless the international christian community, which will in turn greatly bless their local chrches in their local hometowns and cities when they return after their studies.

unfortunately, i have seemed to forget what i prayed for SIM and the private unis. when i remember, i will post here.

for this semester, i have been trying to go for Eusoff Christian fellowship whenever I can. one thing about ECF is that there are very few singaporeans that come for it. we more or less already have our own cell groups or group of christian friends that we can turn to for support. it is because of the international aspect of ECF, that "Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in Eusoff" instantly reminded me of this vision of NUS i had during the leaders retreat.

So here i am. I will pray and patiently wait for God's will to be done in Eusoff

Running

2009-06-07T00:44:00.000+08:00

Show Me Your Face

2009-05-01T02:41:00.000+08:00

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=90966833

I don't want to worship from afar
Drawing closer to You
Is my only desire
You're the One that I've been longing for
Let me dwell in Your presence
To worship and adore

I fall on my knees
Lord I'm yearning for You, alone
Deep calls to Deep
Lord I know there must be more

Show me Your face O' Lord
Make my heart pure as gold
Standing in awe of you
Your Love it surrounds me forever
Show me Your O' Lord
I want to know You more
I want to stay
Right here with You
All of my days

A vision of students today

2009-02-14T03:29:00.000+08:00

When I grow up, i wanna be......

2009-01-26T03:32:00.002+08:00

Growing up, I've had different occupations that I wanted to be, none of them more than a passing fancy. I see children really wanting a particular job, and working hard towards that, or at last possess more than a curious interest. If I were to rate them all on a scale from one to ten, with on being indifferent, and ten being wildly passionate about a career choice, none of the probably exceeded a five or six.

I wanted to be an Actor
I remember that this used to be one of the occupations I wanted to have when I was young (when I was in primary 1), for reasons I can't really remember. Maybe it's the possibility of becoming different people and different roles, etc.... However, I know with certainty that i do not want this career route around sec 1. This is a career too demanding, and that I know that I can't act for nuts. I tend to overact, and also I am so unable to keep a straight face. I kept bursting out in laughter when I auditioned for a local TV show (called the banana files).

I wanted to be a Singer
I remember having a passion for singing, and wanting to do it for a living. After a while, while i still enjoy singing, my desire for it to be a possible occupation just faded away. Even when I wanted to be a singer, my desire for it is probably around a 2 or 3. As I learnt more about singing an vocal techniques, I know that this is not for me.

I wanted to be a Spy/ Detective
Probably stemming from my nosy nature, wanting to know secrets and solving mysteries, I wanted to be a detective or spy, more the former than the latter. I actually have two books about how to be a detective. Detective novels have always been a constant portion of my literature intake. I absolutely adore Agatha Christe's Poirot and Marple. I also possessed a lot of the Mr Boddy series, which is are short mystery stories based on the game Cluedo, where there will be little clues scattered in the stories, and the reader is to solve "who killed Mr Boddy" and other similar mysteries. Of course Enid Blyton's Famous Five, Secret Seven and Five Find-Outer (and Dog) was a significant portion of my primary school diet. As I grew older, the passion diminished, but never entirely went away. I still love to solve literary "mysteries" and quizzes/ puzzles that requires the same type of deductive and analytical mind. However, totally detached from any feelings and emotion, my mind acknowledges that I would not want to be in this line. It seems a tad dreary and possibly dangerous.

I wanted to be an Inventor/ Scientist
*Disclaimer: This is and had in no way any influence in my decision of studying chemistry*
To round off my four childhood ambitions, I wanted to be an inventor and scientist (for i assumed that inventors are also naturally scientists). I love (and still do) creating stuff, and trying to figure out how stuff works on my own, which was why I wanted to be an inventor. Among all my childhood ambitions, this was the one I wanted to be the most, rating a five to six on the passion scale. I remember creating (inventing) countless useless invention (which i can't remember almost all of them), which required innovation and ingenuity. I can remember while in Primary School, I came up with a system for a doorbell and a modified version to alert me whenever anyone passed the corridor, using a system of pulleys, strings and a musical box. I did t pay much attention to the scientist part, certainly never entertaining thoughts of puring chemicals from a test tube to a beaker, only focusing on the creator part. I actually sort of included astronomer with these two, actually buying a working telescope, but not actually knowing how to us it properly. However, as I entered secondary school, I had less and less time to think about inventions, and this passion slowly faded away.

I wanted to be an Architect/ Interior Designer
The previous four are mainly during my primary school years, while these three are mainly during my secondary school years. My interest in architecture is not in the technical aspect, but in the aesthetics. This was cultivated from playing too much Sims. I loved designing houses, and designing the interior, along with choosing of furniture. I never acknowledged it as a possible future job, more as a part-time interest. For a long time though, I have been mentally designing my dream home, which by the way, is mainly steel, glass, black and dark wood.

I wanted to be a Youth Pastor/ Church staff
I shall leave this for another time

I wanted to be a Journalist
Among all my interests, this was the strongest and probably the most probable. During sec , I hoped that I can make it to a good JC and then getting a SPH Scholarship. I have always enjoyed writing, and I still do. I still keep this as a back-up career.

I wanted to be a doctor
At the age of 18, after my Cambodian mission trip, I wanted to be a doctor. I see people suffering and I did not know how to hep them. I simply wanted to make a difference there and I saw medicine as a way to do so. However, this bubble simply burst when I realized that with my subject combination, I was unable to enter any medical school in the world.

I wanted to Sign-on
Late in my NSF life, I was seriously thinking and considering signing on. I enjoyed the sense of brotherhood in the army, and I was slowly losing my mind (I think), as well as constant brain-washing from the army itself. This disappeared as I ORDed though.

However, after all these, I can honestly say that I do not know what do I want to do, what occupation I would like to take up and go to everyday for the rest of my life....... This is a question that so many people have been asking me, to which I do not have an answer yet. I chose to study chemistry in NUS, solely on interest in the subject, not thinking of possible career choices. I really need to continue to seek God on what should I do with my life. So far what God have sort of told me, was to get a normal job for a number of years, before moving to fulfill this big plan He have placed in my heart. I shall stop here and leave this next part for my nextpost.

Anti-Smoking MTV

2009-01-18T14:17:00.004+08:00

This song is very catchy! I just can't get it out of my head. And of course the lyrics would naturally attract the chemist in me.

Doesn't It All Taste Good

Ammonia is a household cleaner
DDT is a banned insecticide
Would you like to try some of this poison?
Im thinking you'd like this cyanide

Cadmium has a nice ring
You can find it in my AA batteries
Formaldehyde has a nice ring too
It preserves my dead rats vital tissues

Doesnt it all taste good
Doesnt it all taste good
Give me a pack
Cuz it makes me feel real good

Doesnt it all taste good
Doesnt it all taste good
Give me a pack
Cuz it makes me feel real *cough* good

Lead is the best for your body
It only helps you slowly die
Benzene wont kill you (as fast)
Did you know its used to make colored dyes

Doesnt it all taste good
Doesnt it all taste good
Give me a pack
Cuz it makes me feel real good

Doesnt it all taste good
Doesnt it all taste good
Give me a pack
Cuz it makes me feel real *cough* good

Well..... this will be my quote of the day, taken from http://mymomisafob.com/. It is from a mother sharing a rape prevention tactic with her daughter

"Be sure to wear lots of underwear, so if you get raped, it’ll take them longer and you can escape."

Scramble and Scrabble

2009-01-17T18:27:00.002+08:00

I have to admit that me and my mum are not exactly the friendliest people to play scrabble with. our strength lies more in our ability to block each other than to form stunning words (BTW whistled in the first game is mine! Bingo on a triple word score!!!) Which is why our these 2 games have been dragging on for the past month! Many times we would log on, see the board, and then play something else, simply because we can't play anything. Looking at the second game, i could only play 2 letter words like yu, hi and qi on consecutive turns, because firstly there are very little to almost no places to place words, and secondly we can't play a lot of words as it woud open the board for other players.

I have also recently revived scramble on facebook, largely due to nicholas who challenged me to several games (Before proceeding to thrash me! what can i say as he won gold (medal i think) for playing boogle). I hope that i will be able to get all the scramble and scrabble out of my system by chinese new year. I will be a good student this semester! And that means no spending 4-5 hours playing scrabble in a row! :) CAP 4.0 here I come........

MMISF

2009-01-16T03:11:00.004+08:00

Just found a new website: http://mymomisafob.com where FOB means "Fresh off the Boat" (aka rube/redneck/sua gu/ Mountain tortise/etc.....) this following post just cracked me up!

Online Predators via Youtube?

So my mom is a VERY protective mother. This is what happened after she watched a 60 minutes special on Online Predators. I’m watching a Video Blog on Youtube…

Mom: Who is that guy?
Me: I don’t know
Mom: Why is he talking to you??
Me: It’s a video…
Mom (at the computer): GO AWAY, MY DAUGHTER DON’T WANT TO MEET UP AND TALK TO YOU

NS Area

2009-01-13T17:30:00.002+08:00

Crash and Burn

2008-12-31T03:36:00.002+08:00

I was surfing youtube when I found this MTV by Savage Garden. This is one of my favourite songs that I have not really heard for a while. The lyrics are easily applicable, especially to people of my current stage of life; from teens to young adults. So often we can't or don't know how to find help and relief when things go wrong in life. Upon reflecting on the lyrics, I feel like God is singing this, saying that he wants to be the one we call, that if we jump He'll break our fall and lift us up and fly away with us into the night. If we need to fall apart, he can mend a broken heart. If we need to crash then crash and burn we're not alone for he's there for us.

Crash and Burn

When you feel all alone
And the world has turned its back on you
Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold
When darkness is upon your door
And you feel that you can't take anymore

Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone

When you feel all alone
And a loyal friend is hard to find
You're caught in a one way street
With the monsters in your head
When hopes and dreams are far away and
You feel like you can't face the day

Because there has always been heartache and pain
And when it's over you'll breathe again
You'll breathe again

God is one of love, mercy and grace. No matter who we are or what we have done, he will always be there for us, through good and bad times. His love is a free gift, available to any and everyone who is willing to believe and accept. It does not necessarily mean that he will come in with a magic wand and make everything better likea fairy godmother or a genie, but He will give you strength and support through any storms.

So how can anyone accept God as their personal Lord and Saviour? Well you can ask me or visit the following websites:
http://www.campuscrusade.com/fourlawsflash.htm
http://www.campuscrusade.com/fourlawseng.htm

Paris for President!

2008-10-30T00:02:00.000+08:00

LOL!!!!!!

Obama Vs Mc Cain Vs....................Paris???

2008-10-26T04:23:00.006+08:00

I have been following the American presidential elections for quite a while now, and while I have not explicitly stated so far, I am more in favour with Obama than Mc Cain.

Something which i have been observing with interest would be the polls, especially the one on Yahoo, and I have reached a conclusion (that many others also reached) that only these following states are still in play, meaning they still have the possibility of swinging either way.

They are:
Florida (FL), Virginia (VA), Ohio (OH), North Carolina (NC), Nevada (NV), Missouri (MO) and Indiana (IN)

This leaves us with an interesting conclusion; If all these seven states end up favouring Obama, obviously he will win. However, if they all end up in Mc Cain's camp, Obama still will win. This can be seen from the following scenarios:

If Obama wins these sevens states

If Mc Cain wins the same seven states

How I ended up with these seven states is that they are the only ones who have not been consistantly mainly supporting one or the other. These seven states all initially favoured Mc Cain, and subsequently favoured Obama. All other Red states have been constantly Red, likewise for the blue.

In one of my earlier posts, I wondered why Palin was picked. A possible theory that emerged in an American article was that Mc Cain considered the strong possibility of losing this year, thus picked a candidate that can be blamed for his loss, leaving him in the clear for 2012. Which of course is a shaky arguement as HE is to be blamed for picking her in the first place. However, in the very very likely possibility that he loses, he can put much of the blame on her.

Lets wait and see if I'm right!

I just realized i've not blogged about Paris Hilton's "bid for presidency" even though these videos came out quite a while ago. I think it's really hilarious!!!!!

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Actually, what i found funnier than these videos are the comments posted on both YouTube and Funny or Die. Many people commented on how Paris Hilton would not really be a bad president, as she could not possibly be worse than George Bush, or even the latest comment at the posting of this entry, saying "Maybe McCain could win had he picked Paris over Palin". I sort of share his (or her) statement, though it's quite evil, and most probably not true.

Stardust

2008-10-25T02:47:00.000+08:00

Just watched stardust again, and i so love this song sia!!!!

Celebrated Nigel and Nicholas's birthday juz now. so shag now.....

Mac

2008-10-23T06:12:00.000+08:00

Saw this online. Thought i would share it with all MAc users out there

Stressed, yet not stressed

2008-10-20T22:03:00.002+08:00

I'm feeling weird today; stressed, yet not stressed! I'm mentally stressed about D&D theme launch, yet emotionally not stressed at all. Usually it would be the othe way around; stressed emotionally, but mentally telling myself to calm down and relax.....

hmmmmmm oh well, just finished choir, probably going to call my cell members now....

Tribute

2008-10-19T04:04:00.003+08:00

Five weeks ago, I was at tampines interchange waiting for a bus, when i saw presumably a grandmother waiting for a bus with her grandson after marketing, as they had those metal trolleys used for marketing filled with plastic bags. The boy was very energetic (naughty), constantly playing with the metal barriers of the interchange, loudly asking plenty of questions as well.

i could have really spent the whole afternoon just watching them. since december 2 years ago, i have not missed ah mah so much. i remember she used to bring me to the market ocassionally, but not too often as i disappear all too frequently, and get into too much trouble. I really missed those days. so often we don't appreciate what we have. my sister, probably my cousin samuel and i are the privilaged few to really experience her fully. As the eldest grandson, she really doted on me . As my mother was working then, she was the one mainly raising me during the day.

compared to all my cousins, i have so much memories of her, helping her pluck the tips off taugei (beansprouts), or snapping long beans into equal sized pieces. i can remember her scolding me "jin pai si ar!" (so naughty) so clearly in my mind. which is why, everytime i see an elderly woman scolding a mischevious young boy, i think of her.

I miss singing with her. when she was struck with alzheimer's, slowly she began to forget things. i was fortunate that i was one of the last few people she still remembered. but till the end, even as she forgot everything, she still remembered her favourite songs. Blue moon, God is Good, jin jia hou, tennessee waltz, bangawan solo, burong kakak tua, oh carol. Even during my A levels period, she would quietly sit on the black recliner in the hall and i would sing to her.

it was then at the interchange i decided that i wanted to create a tribute to her. i actually arranged a song, one of her favourite songs, to be in tribute to her, but unfortunately i don't think that it's any good, so i'll just keep it till i'm more well versed in music to improve it.

On mondays, I start lectures at noon, so two weeks ago, i decided to go to clementi central for breakfast. walking around that estate, i fell in love with the atmosphere. it's not like the modern HDB estates. it was so bustling with old men at coffeeshops drinking coffee or beer, chatting, school children eating an early lunch before school, people doing marketing, etc.... Pasir ris on the other hand, feels so empty and quiet by comparison. our HDB void decks are mostly empty, save for the occasional groups of teens. I just wanted to be able to compose a couple of short films just on all the individual stories that is going on there. I know i sound a bit rambling here, but i don't know how to express how i felt then. i wanted to preserve a slice of this type of culture in celluloid. i picture it as a simple film comprising of several short stories, interlinked simply by location, without much of storylines, but full of artistic photographic composition, with a simple story of a grandmother going to the market with her grandson as one of them.

I know i am rambling, but i just have to get this off my chest. I miss ahmah....... I really want to immortalise her in one way or another in a personal way, how she was in relation to me.

Just now i felt compelled to write something about her. but as i thought, i couldn't write anything. i did not merely want to write a story about her and i, i wanted to translate feelings into words, and i was so lost for words.....

i don't know the point i'm trying to make if any. there is no concluding statements or endpoint for this whole chunk of words, just a feeling of void

The funny thing is that i have always only known the frank sinatra's version of blue moon, having never heard the elvis version. everytime Ahmah sings that song, i felt the begining sounded a bit weird, like it's abit flat and tuneless. but as soon as i saw this elvis video, i immediately realized she was singing his version, notthe sinatra's version where "blue" is held longer before moving to "moon"

Depressed!!!!

2008-10-18T23:58:00.002+08:00

I'm so sad... my laptop just got damaged! :( The frame around my screen popped out and can't be popped back in, and the bottom of my laptop is dented! and it's because of my bag, by some freak chance, that both ends of the strap of my sling bag gave way AT THE SAME TIME!!! one side the seam gave way, and the other side, the plastic broke!!! my bag was around my waist, so i didn't expect it to be damaged, since it was even in a padded pouch!

My first reaction when i realized the damage was i want to replace my laptop. I didn't like it anymore. I was mentally calculating how much it would cost to replace it, how long i would need to work, how much could i sell this laptop for, and if i couldn't sell, what could i do with it. Maybe I could give it to marvin for his 18th birthday. I was lamenting why do bad things happen to good equipment!

I was feeling so down, that even though i was so tired, i just couldn't sleep. Looking at my laptop now, the damage is actually so minimal. So why did i react like that! During the NS L-team meeting today, i was talking about how i need to accept imperfections, and God really just gave me a real-life application. Haiz~ i really hope this is the beginning of me being able to shake off my OCD personality.

Hockey Mom

2008-10-06T16:33:00.001+08:00

For those of you following the US 2008 presidential election, watch this

An Alaskan hockey mom becomes Vice President in the wackiest family comedy of the year! Sound familiar?

Sarah Palin

2008-09-09T04:32:00.002+08:00

I follow the American election news with mild interest, only occasionally reading articles that are featured on Yahoo, and my opinion of Palin is unusually low, particularly of the whole "bridge to nowhere" issue, where she allegedly opposed it as wasting money, when all other media sources claim otherwise. I know that the media can be ocasionally biased and report factual errors, but the websites and news articles that state this (and other factual errors that the McCain ads made about Palin) are considered trustworthy in my book.

So why did McCain decided to choose her as his running partner? I was previously ambivalent about both McCain and Obama, but just this caused me to swing more into Obama's side. Could Palin be McCain's downfall? Only time will tell