atll

Jon counts to 100,000

2012-01-08T17:34:00.003+08:00

Jon counts to 100000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQBH-LhJuOc
Deconstructing Jon Counts to 100000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5dYVUZ9yYA&feature=relmfu

Nyan Cat

2012-01-08T17:33:00.001+08:00

Memes and the Creative Spark

The Nyan Cat

About: Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyan_Cat
Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH2-TGUlwu4
Variations

Speed: 200% http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZHv_grgzaM&feature=related

Sleepless Night

2011-05-24T00:59:00.000+08:00

Drank a pot of green tea.

Stories from Mr Chiam.
The neighbors have been asking me to do stuff.
HDB and ABC.
Maybe I should.
But who'd benefit?
Is it worth fighting for?

Syria today. Bangkok soon.
Sudan.
A never ending chain/cycle of human suffering/liberty/decadence.
Polarity, antithesis and the divide that multiplies like cancer cells.
Where does one even start?

Can't imagine what it will be like to compile all the information and knowledge that I've been gathering for the past few years.
Wonder if i can dish out something coherent, useful.

Dimidium facti qui coepit habet: sapere aude, incipe ("He who has begun is half done: dare to know!")
The iPad will arrive in 2 weeks time. Cold turkey till then.

Can't believe that I actually desired it.
Desire, Dispair, Desire... So many monsters...
It's opening a can of worms/pandora's box.

What happened to enlightenment?
Buddha or Kant?
Shit I'm back to square one.
Or did I just begin?

Sapere Aude!

Politics and Leadership

2011-04-14T15:32:00.000+08:00

Thank you Lingyan for your reminders and encouragement. =) This post is dedicated to you.

Reference: http://www.ted.com/talks/patrick_awuah_on_educating_leaders.html

There is something in the way which we educate our leaders and pick them from schools

The method of teaching and learning is by rote, that there is a formula to being successful.
Lack of creative and objective view of the world.
This success is reinforced and expected within families of the higher socio-economic backgrounds.
There is little emphasis on ethical and moral thinking, and much focus on the attainment of the individual rather than on pursuit of ideals and excellence.
Students develop a stronger sense of entitlement than responsibility
The reason why a company or corporation like microsoft can have annual turnover higher and in steady growth than the GDP of many countries, is the way the organisation is run, the working conditions and the selection process of its staff.

References from a A full-time community choreographer
http://www.ted.com/speakers/dave_meslin.html
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/751975--a-mez-merizing-list-of-city-specific-ideas

People do not shun politics because they don't care, are too selfish, too stupid or too lazy to try to make a difference in their community. We live in a world that actively discourages involvement and engagement and puts in obstacles and barriers in our way.

Intentional exclusion as seen in the way leaders pitch and invite involvement of the community in the decision making process of the community. Why doesn't the leadership institutions put in ads in the media to provide updates and invoke response? Case in point in Toronto: Ad by city hall Vs commercial ad by nike.
Misuse of visual and mental environment (public spaces and media): Instead of messages that inspire action, we are bombarded and influenced by profit driven forces that impresses people the things we should want. Advertisements require $$ and social messages cannot afford to keep up.
Lifestyle as depicted by media includes food, entertainment and personal development ads and articles - Mainly participatory and self-indulgent with little emphasis on community involvement! Peoples interest as piqued by media enforces the idea that Politics is a Spectator Sport, just like how we read about lives of celebrities or follow the sports news. No real relationships follow and hence little interest and stake.
Depiction of heros and leaders in pop culture (such as movies matrix, pokemon, harry potter, alice in wonderland, lord of the rings) and even in religion enforces the idea that the hero is one who has a mark on this head, is bestowed upon, comes from prophecy, is extraordinary, is chosen, is special and has magical or special talents. There is also an expectation that the hero is perfect and cannot fail, make big decisions and impacts, and spends his entire life dedicated to the good of the people.
Political Parties are uninspiring and uncreative, relying heavily on focus groups, market research, polling (Information collected from specialists and solicited based on purpose) and hence reactionary at best. Pitching of ideas to people are regurgitative, non or selectively engaging, and all groups argue and say the same thing, feeding mass cynicism.
Important social groups are silenced or drowned by the voices of the masses.
Elections as an enforced proceeding rather than desire is a joke.

Some other ideas

Leadership should be a long term relationship with the people, where it is a 2 way street of constant communication and interaction rather and a single sided action-reaction and an affair during election time.
Ordinary individuals with dreams of making the community better, who are uninvited and are willing to work with others to make their dreams real should step up to be leaders. Leadership should be seen as collective effort, tolerance of imperfections, actions that can be very small, voluntary and are made up of ordinary people - you and I who just want to make things better.
People are not apathetic and apathy is not a personal syndrome. People 'are faced and influenced by a complex web of cultural barriers that reinforces disengagement.'

Evangelion and the Love Guru

2011-04-06T15:24:00.000+08:00

Finally I managed to catch it after soooo many years!
Wow forgot the effect anime has on me! It seemed that the last one was more than a year ago.
And a cross reference brought Pipa's Song:

The year's at the spring,
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill-side's dew-pearl'd;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven--
All's right with the world!

Robert Browning.

Most inspiration comes from the bathroom. Why is it that I forget everything the moment I step out of it? If only i could type while showing. Or the focus would distract me?
Or is it savage gardens that blasting, it.

D.R.A.M.A.Distraction. Regression. Adjustment. Maturation. Action
G.U.R.U.Gee, You are you
B.I.B.L.E.Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth
Farnie!

Now to research on tag software.

Abandon ship or abandon hope!

2011-03-13T21:46:00.001+08:00

Skin tight leopards
Bochap heads, bleeding of talents.
Children self centered requiring change of mindsets
teachers equally responsible
Japan in ruins, yet holiday makers mourn most
Ruien, LUXurious Shuqi
Falling paint and water sprays
Washing machines and clogged up pipes
IT Fair steps on feet, shove and tussle, racial distinctions
Piteria and heavy metals

All in a week.

Rant

2011-02-24T21:22:00.000+08:00

I'm going to try something for the first time.
I'm going to rant.

What is rant?
I actually searched for its meaning on Wikipedia
from which I was distracted by dialectic.

This is one of the reasons why I chose to rant!
I believe it is one good way to clear my mind.
Its getting too wild and out of hand, distractions abound.
And yet it is always organising, reviewing and sorting itself out on its own.

Just from these past paragraphs, these thoughts popped into my head.
1. This isn't really a rant, in the sense that it is not focused on anything at all?
2. It eventually will lead to something I suppose, especially when I'm good at taking totally unrelated ideas and putting them into some awkward, yet reasonable conclusion so this post might be a rant after all.
3. But then again it might not lead into a conclusion as I get a) distracted easily, b) tire easily or c) just cannot stay focused for whatever reason (which case a,b could be the reasons) and it has the potential to be a rant but never come into fruitation - a thought experiment
4. It may not be a rant but something more, if I am motivated and focused enough, it'll be easy to turn any rant into a highly established argument backed with evidence, anecdotes, theory and consist of established ideas and thoughts.
5. But then again because there really isn't any constructive purpose nor impact on the world, so it won't happen, plus point 3 has a knack of always happening. Especially more so now. Or has it always been?
6. Quick review. 1.Doubt --> 2. Method --> 3.Hindrances --> 4.Right motivation --> 5. Self doubt.

A summary of what's going on in my life.
What goes on in my mind.
I'm living only in my mind.

Learning from Lady Gaga

2011-01-31T13:56:00.001+08:00

Check her out! Is she all trash?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrO4YZeyl0I

What are some of her reasons for such performances? Is it purely entertainment?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFgTP47R4Ic&feature=related

Check out her influence on University students!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUWfL32S5PA

And finally
http://bayblab.blogspot.com/2011/01/zheng-lab-bad-project-lady-gaga-parody.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl4L4M8m4d0
What is your mental image of a scientist?
Do you think its such a waste of taxpayers' dollars for researchers to do this?

Finally - Ah Ha! - what's Next

2010-02-12T05:12:00.000+08:00

I can't sleep!
This is something new for me.
It's been almost 2 and a half months of good sleep at night where night terror no longer rules.
and I finally get to rest really really well and I get to DREAM every single night!
It is something I long for and failed to do for a long long time.

Science Fiction.
The stuff of dreams.
Of man's REALITY and humanity's ALTERNATE FUTURES.
Of what it is and what it could be and never will be.

Psyched.
Thoughts are getting COHERENT too.
Back to its usual logic at last. At least.

Cooking does help control diets which in turn affects health and mental well-being.
Just loved the chemistry in cooking show thingy.
Now all I lack is the will to exercise.
Easily remedied with hiking and walking.
Which I am tempted to do now in this late hour.
All it takes is WILL.

It is time and I am ready to move on.

Details of the trip are firming up really nicely and all it takes it a dedicated push in dealing and tying up all my administrative matters here and just setting off when it is time.

I just hope that I've not been too prudent in my planning nor extravagant in my approach.

Money.

Money is meant to be spent and can always be earned back.
Too easily in fact that it is such a chore to do so while travelling.
The time will be spent to decide how to make enough when I finally come back.
And how interests should be financed by interests, whether be it investments or working in what you love.

ENOUGH.
Typing for now.
Mind has warmed up.
For the longest time.

Indecisiveness has set in for the longest time.
And it is actually all good.
To be in two minds.
In my case many many minds.
Leading to infinite possibilities.
And it's all probable.
Depending on the first step we take.
Because it is what we WILL do and the path it EVENTUALLY leads
That truly defines the purpose and meaning of it all.

What's next?

PS: The title of this blog is so apt. Or it shall be simply just be. WILL.
Titles are good. Summaries.

A new year

2010-01-09T19:47:00.000+08:00

Revival Revival Revival!
Watch for it!

Another Love

2009-08-27T12:41:00.000+08:00

Cool stop animation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPXgpagx7ZE

We work hard all week through,
And I spent my nights just loving you
But my love was never enough
Before too long you were running off

Chorus:
You'll never find, no you'll never find
Another love like mine
No matter how hard you try
You'll never find another love like mine

The world is cold hard place
So many players looking for that pretty face
Maybe someday you'll look back on what we had
And this memory will make you feel worse than sad

(Chorus)

And I don't know that ever, I could love again
All I know is I gave you all the love that's ever been.

My love for you will never fade
Even though you've put me through all this pain
When one loves with all his heart
He bleeds forever when its torn apart

Bromazepam

2009-08-15T13:25:00.002+08:00

Watching 'up' made me sad.
Really really sad.

Watched Contact.
Reminders of grandeur and insignificance.

Raynox and Comic Con.
Understand why many take to sales and hobbies that make up their life.
It's so refreshing and cool.
I need to leave this place asap.

Listened to Umbrella, and Across the Universe.
Jai guru dei ja ommm.
Nothings's going to change my world.

--> How true I wonder?
Many teachers take stress related medication.
More english teachers take them than any other discipline.

Feels really good. No wonder why people get addicted to them.
I finally understand.
There is a difference when you mind.
And when you feel it.

From wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromazepam
Bromazepam (marketed under several brand names, including Lexotan, Brazepam, Bromaze, and Lectopam)[1] is a benzodiazepine derivative drug, developed in the 1970s.[2][3] It has mainly anxiolytic and at higher doses also sedative, hypnotic and skeletal muscle relaxant properties.[4]

Umbrella

2009-08-15T12:51:00.002+08:00

You had my heart
And we'll never be worlds apart
Maybe in magazines
But you'll still be my star
Baby cause in the Dark
You can see shiny Cars
That's when you need me there
With you I'll always share
Because...

When the sun shines
We'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath
I'mma stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Told you we still have each other
You can stand under my Umbrella
You can stand under my Umbrella
(Ella ella eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(Ella eh eh)

These fancy things,
Will never come in between
You're my entity
Here for Infinity
When the war has took it's part
When the world has dealt it's cards
If the hand is hard
Together we'll mend your heart
Because...

When the sun shines
We'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath
I'mma stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Told you we still have each other
You can stand under my Umbrella

You can run into my Arms
That's okay don't be alarmed
(Come into Me)
(There's no distance in between our love)
Gonna let the rain pour
I'll be all you need and more ooohh
Because...

Mandy Moore

Vanilla Sky

Song: Bongo Bong

2009-08-04T19:25:00.002+08:00

Cover by Robbie Williams

Mama was queen of the mambo
Papa was king of the Congo
Deep down in the jungle
I started bangin' my first bongo

Every monkey'd like to be
In my place instead of me
Cause I'm the king of bongo, baby
I'm the king of bongo bong

I went to the big town
Where there is a lot of sound
From the jungle to the city
Looking for a bigger crown

So I play my boogie
For the people of big city
But they don't go crazy
When I'm bangin' in my boogie

I'm the "king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Hear me when I come
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong

They say that I'm a clown
Making too much dirty sound
They say there is no place for little monkey in this town
Nobody'd like to be in my place instead of me
Cause nobody go crazy when I'm bangin' on my boogie

I'm the king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong
Hear me when I come
"King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong"
Bangin' on my bongo all that swing belongs to me

I'm so happy there's nobody in my place instead of me
I'm a king without a crown hanging loose in a big town
But I'm the king of bongo baby I'm the king of bongo bong
King of the bongo, king of the bongo bong

Hear me when I come, baby, king of the bongo, king of the bongo bong

Golan Levin - Interactive Art

2009-07-30T23:25:00.001+08:00

Golan Levin's a genius.

http://www.ted.com/talks/golan_levin_ted2009.html?awesm=on.ted.com_24&utm_campaign=ted&utm_medium=on.ted.com-twitter&utm_source=direct-on.ted.com&utm_content=site-basic

Double Taker(Snout) - http://www.flong.com/projects/snout/
and many more!

Kurt Schwitters and Ursonate

2009-07-30T23:24:00.000+08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Schwitters

The awesome performance.
http://www.flong.com/projects/ursonography/

House of the Rising Son

2009-06-29T16:37:00.000+08:00

Eric Burdon is cool....

check him rocking as a 67 year old! Spill the Wine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XwpafmmRX8

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

2009-06-28T16:23:00.002+08:00

The great fear i have...

Cover by The Animals

Baby, do you understand me now
Sometimes I feel a little mad
But don't you know that no one alive
Can always be an angel
When things go wrong I seem to be bad
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

Baby, sometimes I'm so carefree
With a joy that's hard to hide
And sometimes it seems that all I have do is worry
Then you're bound to see my other side
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

If I seem edgy I want you to know
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has it's problems and I get my share
And that's one thing I never meant to do
Because I love you

Oh, Oh baby don't you know I'm human
Have thoughts like any other one
Sometimes I find myself long regretting
Some foolish thing some little simple thing I've done
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

Original by Nina Simone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klyea0oYYrE
Popular Version in Kill Bill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGFTrDMTyN4

Man in the Mirror

2009-06-26T21:39:00.002+08:00

I'm Gonna Make A Change, For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See Their Needs

A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere To Go
That's Why I Want You To Know

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change

I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not Alone?

A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With Me

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change.

James Morrison

And of course the original man.

Something to do on a nice Sunday Afternoon...

2009-06-21T12:37:00.001+08:00

By Tom Lehrer

Zee Avi

2009-06-16T11:31:00.001+08:00

Do check her out. I mean her music.
=)

The Bet (Excerpt) - Anton Chekov

2009-06-14T17:17:00.002+08:00

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Bet.shtml

"For fifteen years I have been intently studying earthly life. It is true I have not seen the earth nor men, but in your books I have drunk fragrant wine, I have sung songs, I have hunted stags and wild boars in the forests, have loved women ... Beauties as ethereal as clouds, created by the magic of your poets and geniuses, have visited me at night, and have whispered in my ears wonderful tales that have set my brain in a whirl.

In your books I have climbed to the peaks of Elburz and Mont Blanc, and from there I have seen the sun rise and have watched it at evening flood the sky, the ocean, and the mountain-tops with gold and crimson. I have watched from there the lightning flashing over my head and cleaving the storm-clouds. I have seen green forests, fields, rivers, lakes, towns. I have heard the singing of the sirens, and the strains of the shepherds' pipes; I have touched the wings of comely devils who flew down to converse with me of God ...

In your books I have flung myself into the bottomless pit, performed miracles, slain, burned towns, preached new religions, conquered whole kingdoms ...
"Your books have given me wisdom. All that the unresting thought of man has created in the ages is compressed into a small compass in my brain. I know that I am wiser than all of you.

"And I despise your books, I despise wisdom and the blessings of this world. It is all worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive, like a mirage. You may be proud, wise, and fine, but death will wipe you off the face of the earth as though you were no more than mice burrowing under the floor, and your posterity, your history, your immortal geniuses will burn or freeze together with the earthly globe.

"You have lost your reason and taken the wrong path. You have taken lies for truth, and hideousness for beauty. You would marvel if, owing to strange events of some sorts, frogs and lizards suddenly grew on apple and orange trees instead of fruit, or if roses began to smell like a sweating horse; so I marvel at you who exchange heaven for earth. I don't want to understand you.

Part 4 Down by the Salley Gardens

2009-06-11T00:46:00.002+08:00

Poem by William Yeats

Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish, with her did not agree.

In a field by the river my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand.
She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.

Emi's Rendition

Is this song so difficult to sing?
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=down+by+the+salley+gardens&aq=1&oq=down+by+the+sall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_By_The_Salley_Gardens#Recordings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVTDp3ATjMg

Part 3: In my Life

2009-06-11T00:24:00.001+08:00

Emi Fujita's Cover

Original by Beatles

There are places i'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends i still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life i've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When i think of love as something new
Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more

Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more

Part 2 Today Emi Fujita

2009-06-10T09:14:00.001+08:00

Today while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries
I'll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrow shall all pass away
ere I forget all the joy that is mine, today

I'll be a dandy and I'll be a rover
You'll know who I am by the song that I sing
I'll feast at your table, and I'll sleep in your clover
Who cares what tomorrow shall bring

Today while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries
I'll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrow shall all pass away
ere I forget all the joy that is mine, today

I can't be contented with yesterday's glory
I can't live on promises winter to spring
Today is my moment and now is my story
I'll laugh, and I'll cry, and I'll sing

Today while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries
I'll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrow shall all pass away
ere I forget all the joy that is mine, today

Part 1b Wishes Emi Fujita

2009-06-10T00:11:00.000+08:00

I looked in the sky and there I saw a star shining so bright above
I closed my eyes and wished upon the star that I would fine true love

Someone who needed me
Someone to share my life
For a love that would be true
I would wait forever

So...no...matter how long it may be
I will be waiting
One star-brighter than the others
Two Hearts-beating for each other
I believe wishes really come true

Love at first sight I knew it from the moment when you said hello
I hoped you felt it too, but we both so shy-how was I to know

when you reached for my hand
I knew you were the one
We laughed and talked for hours like I'd known you forever

Like...a...dream or something from a book
True love had found me
One star-brighter than the others
Two Hearts-beating for each other
Now I see wishes really come true

You just have to dream
Nothing's as bad as it seems
to be...believe me
Someone's waiting for you to try
There in the sky

One star-brighter than the others
Two Hearts-beating for each other
You will see wishes really come true
You can't stop believing-wishes do come true
You gotta believe me (wish on a star) wishes do come true...

Part 1a ひだまりの詩、　Le Couple

2009-06-09T23:57:00.000+08:00

Emi Fujita and Her husband Ryuji Fujita

Black is the Color of my True Love's Hair

2009-06-08T01:07:00.000+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbbpxHmN0yc&feature=related

Yale Whiffenpoofs

The Twilight Singers

Part 2b 劉若英很愛很愛你

2009-06-07T23:54:00.003+08:00

I'm sorry for making you wait such a long time.
Work came up suddenly again.
Always being unable to be together
I know I've made you feel lonely.

At the times when we can't meet
your voice cracks over the telephone.
The smile on your face that time when we met after so long
Tugs at my chest.

I've realized that you are deep within my heart.
"I love you"-- I can't imagine myself saying those words!

Trusting only in that thing you said
I've been waiting until today.
I pray I won't forget how to smile,
Because I want to be with you

Because when I am with you, laughing, I can open up.
"I love you"-- even so, I can't imagine saying those words aloud!
I've realized that you are deep within my heart.
"I love you"-- I just can't say it!

Part 2b Kiroro 長い間

2009-06-07T23:51:00.001+08:00

Part 1b 后来 by 劉若英

2009-06-07T11:45:00.004+08:00

Afterwards (René Liu)

Afterwards, I finally learned how to love
It's a shame you disappeared into the sea of faces.
Afterwards, though all the tears, I finally understood
That you can only miss somebody once.

White petals of orange flowers fall on my blue pleated skirt
"I love you," you softly say
I lowered my head and smelled the burst of fragrance
That eternal night; 17 years old, midsummer
That night you kissed me
Letting me in my future days, when I feel like sighing
To always remember that day's starlight

That love then, why was it so simple like that?
And also, why when we are young
Must we let those whom we love be hurt?
On this similar deep of night, are you the same?
Also feeling the quiet hurt of regret?
If at the time we could have been less stubborn
We would not feel regret now

How are you remembering me? Does it bring you laughter or silence?
These past years, was there someone who could let you not be lonely?

It will never happen again.
To have that boy in love with that girl.

Part 1a Kiroro 未来へ

2009-06-07T11:33:00.002+08:00

How to make your own Zombie!

2009-06-04T12:02:00.003+08:00

What are zombies?
According to wiki: a mythical creature that appears in folklore and popular culture typically as a reanimated corpse or a mindless human being.
Modern zombies are typically depicted in popular culture as mindless, unfeeling monsters with a hunger for human brains and flesh...

"Father give me the Bull of Heaven,; So he can kill Gilgamesh in his dwelling.; If you do not give me the Bull of Heaven,; I will knock down the Gates of the Netherworld,; I will smash the doorposts, and leave the doors flat down,; and will let the dead go up to eat the living!; And the dead will outnumber the living!"

(Mesopotamian mythology, Ishtar)

But there are real 'zombies'!
Read up on Clairvius Narcisse here. (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,952208,00.html)

So to make a Haitian zombie - the complicated way: (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/12/09/1260445.htm )
First, make them "dead", then make them "mad" so that their minds are malleable
- toad venon - biogenic amines, bufogenine and bufotoxins. One of their many effects is that of a pain-killer - far stronger than cocaine.
- Fugu tetrodotoxin - The toxin drops your temperature and blood pressure, and puts you into a deep coma. In Japan, some of the victims recovered a few days after being declared dead.
- Datura (Jimsons Weed, Angel's Trumpet, Brugmanisa candida) - contains the chemicals atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which can act as powerful hallucinogens in the appropriate doses. It breaks your links with reality, and then destroys all recent memories. So you don't know what day it is, where you are and, worst of all, you don't even know who you are. The zombies are in a state of semi-permanent induced psychotic delirium.

To make a Singaporean Zombie - The easy way:
- Send the unfortunate soul to school.

=)

Part 3: Kaze Ni Naru/ To become Wind

2009-06-03T23:49:00.002+08:00

Close the forgotten eyes and retrieve the love song
Reach out your hand hidden in the blue sky one more time

Don't forget, soon I'll be by your side all the time
Even when at dawn you gaze at the starry sky alone

Don't let your only heart become darkened by sadness
I'll change your sighs into the spring breeze

I ride my bike fast up the sunny hill
Carrying the memories I forgot with you

Lalalalala, I hum, staining my lips
The happiness I've found with you is like a flower

Open the forgotten window; the love song starts to run
Hold up the hand entrusted to the blue sky one more time

I won't forget that soon you'll be by my side all the time
Even on the tomorrows when wavering tears shine in the starry sky

Embracing that lone word in my heart
For your sake, I am now blown on by the spring breeze

I ride my bike fast up the sunny hill
Carrying the promise I made with you

Lalalalala, I hum, staining my lips
The happiness I've found with you is like a prayer

I ride my bike fast up the sunny hill
Carrying the promise I made with you

Lalalalala, I hum, staining my lips
The happiness I've found with you is like a prayer
The happiness I've found with you is like a prayer

Part 2: To Become Wind

2009-06-03T23:45:00.002+08:00

The original Singer, Tsuji Ayano.
She's cute in her funky way!

Exactly the kind of person to relate to whenever we're depressed/content/happy state!

Part 1: Kaze Ni Naru

2009-06-03T23:36:00.004+08:00

Since I've been doing tweets, have not updated here in a while.

But to share the BESTEST song in the whole world!
Took YEARS literally to found out which cartoon this song was from, coz i vaguely remember a cat cycling up a hill and singing this song...

and it turned out I had this anime in my DVD collection all along!
And its from the bestest Studio Ghibli!
The Cat Returns!

Wonder what she's singing about?

2 King Only

2009-05-31T01:02:00.002+08:00

By The Twilight Singers

once
i thought i would be King
and get a piece of anything
a Kingdom has it coming to
if i flew high enough
to touch the hand of Venus
would she stroke my face?
and promise me the Kingdom would be mine
if only i

play me...
save me...
either way i'll be your baby
cuz you don't have to tell me so
for me to know
that you don't love me anymore

once
i woke up from a dream
and knew that things would never be
the kingdom that was promised me
and i fell far enough
to touch the hand of Lucifer
stripped of all His glory
when He sat beside the King
and was denied

1 Viva la Vida

2009-05-30T09:59:00.003+08:00

I never want to be king.

By Coldplay

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing,
"Now the old king is dead, long live the king!"
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt, pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you'd go there was never,
never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh, who would ever wanna be king

I hear Jerusalem bells were ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs were singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know St. Peter won't call my name
Never honest were
But that was when I ruled the world

Winds of Fate

2009-04-16T20:07:00.000+08:00

By Ella Wheeler Wilcox

One ship drives east and another drives west
With the selfsame winds that blow.
'Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
Which tells us the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As we voyage along through life:
'Tis the set of the soul
That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.

Horse with No Name

2009-02-10T19:52:00.000+08:00

On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound

Ive been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
cause there aint no one for to give you no pain
La, la ...

After two days in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red
After three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead

You see Ive been through the desert on a horse with no name
By Ameria

It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
cause there aint no one for to give you no pain
La, la ...

After nine days I let the horse run free
cause the desert had turned to sea
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The ocean is a desert with its life underground
And a perfect disguise above
Under the cities lies a heart made of ground
But the humans will give no love

You see Ive been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
cause there aint no one for to give you no pain
La, la ...

Jai guru deva om

2008-11-24T20:21:00.002+08:00

We all need someone/somebeing to look up to.

Across the Universe by The Beatles

Words are flowing out like
endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass
They slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
are drifting through my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world

Images of broken light which
dance before me like a million eyes
That call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a
restless wind inside a letter box
they tumble blindly as they make their way
across the universe

Nothing's gonna change my world

Cover by Fiona Apple

In the Year 2525

2008-11-20T22:52:00.000+08:00

By Zager and Evans

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find

In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do, or say
Is in the pill you took today

In the year 4545
Ain't gonna need your teeth, won't need your eyes
You won't find a thing to do
Nobody's gonna look at you

In the year 5555
Your arms are hanging limp at your sides
Your legs not nothing to do
Some machine is doing that for you

In the year 6565
Ain't gonna need no husband, won't need no wife
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long black tube

In the year 7510
If God's a-comin' he ought to make it by then
Maybe he'll look around himself and say
Guess it's time for the Judgement day

In the year 8510
God's gonna shake his mighty head
He'll either say I'm pleased where man has been
Or tear it down and start again

In the year 9595
I'm kinda wondering if man's gonna be alive
He's taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain't put back nothing

Now it's been 10,000 years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what he never knew
Now man's reign is through
But through the eternal night
The twinkling of starlight
So very far away
Maybe it's only yesterday

The Feather

2008-11-11T11:25:00.002+08:00

At the Conference "Living with the Earth" organized by the Intercultural Institute of Montreal in Canada, an Indian Canadian, Al Hunter, spoke about the symbolic meaning of the feather :

"When I speak in my language, I’ve been taught to introduce myself by telling you my name. In English, the closest translation would be "whirlwind".
My totem, my clan, is the caribou.

The name of the land where I come from speaks of the river.
These feathers that I carry were given to me about ten years ago when I started on a journey to reclaim who I am.
These feathers are very sacred because they come from the bird that flies highest in the sky and that is very important to us - the eagle.

I take them with me wherever I go.

And I hold them whenever I speak, because they give me strength.
They give me the ability to speak from my heart, to speak honestly, and to speak without anger, so as not to hurt anyone.
I can tell you a story from these feathers. These are not just feathers. The middle bone is the path that we walk.
It could be a path; it could be a river. You can call it whatever you want.
All these off-to-the-sides are the choices that we have, but there is always this bone to which they are attached.
For us, it is called "the red road", the road our fathers and forefathers have tried and which shows us the way.

Over the last five hundred years we have been told that this "red road" is no longer there, that our ways are no longer valid, that our ways are no longer alive.
And when that did not work, our language was taken away from us by force.
My own family and relatives tell me stories of when they went to school, when the people came to our communities and just took the young children, and the young babies. They stole them ! And they brought them to the school. They were beaten when they spoke their language.
They had never heard English in their life, but they were beaten when they tried to speak their language. This history is common, whether it was the Anishnawbe, or the Maori in New Zealand, or the people in Australia, or anywhere.
They wanted us to stop having our ceremonies. They wanted us to stop singing our songs. They wanted us to stop teaching our children about our connection to the earth.

What has sustained indigenous people all these centuries ?

Language. Music. Stories. That’s what has sustained us.

It has not been NGOs. It has not been organizations.

What has sustained us is the bone of the feather, and our choices which were connected to it. This is why I am still here."

Nine Million Bicycles

2008-11-06T09:16:00.002+08:00

Love.
Either you believe in it, not at all.
And if you do.
It's a fact.
Either you accept it , or not at all.
Is love complicated?
Do you believe in it?
Do you accept it?
then the answer is clear.
But never deny it.

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That's a fact,
It's a thing we can't deny
Like the fact that I will love you till I die.

We are twelve billion light years from the edge,
That's a guess,
No-one can ever say it's true
But I know that I will always be with you.

I'm warmed by the fire of your love everyday
So don't call me a liar,
Just believe everything that I say

There are six BILLION people in the world
More or less
and it makes me feel quite small
But you're the one I love the most of all

We're high on the wire
With the world in our sight
And I'll never tire,
Of the love that you give me every night

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That's a Fact,
it's a thing we can't deny
Like the fact that I will love you till I die

And there are nine million bicycles in Beijing
And you know that I will love you till I die!

Beauty of Nature

2008-10-24T21:25:00.000+08:00

Live for the Future

2008-10-06T09:53:00.001+08:00

Live for the future says the Optimist.
Live in case of the future says the Pessimist.
The hoary mist hangs idly on choices,
Wafted on the breeze like sheep's wool on barbed wire.
To be decisive when indifference becomes a bore;
To direct randomness through one gilded doorway
While rejecting another whose paint itches and peels;
To select the berry which lodges no grub:
Here is the province of magistrates and infants,
One using ossified nouns, the other rashness and greed.
But there is too much ego and too much id,
Too much black and white for my grey indolence.
How much more like Nature to drift with tide and wind,
To swirl with the other dust and filth,
To find a personal place in that kaleidoscope
Among the crackling leaves and dry stones,
Skipping an honest freedom between society's stilletoed heels,
Ignorant of cycles slumping past in the gutter press.

Live for the past says the Reactionary.
Die for the future says the Revolutionary.
In a while we must present our mean lives to Death.
Must we then live a death in our present?
Listen for the call of an unborn heart
To penetrate the crimes of ages past.
Hear the impassioned prayer of one to come,
One who is many, and not yet to blame.
Hark to the pleas of the seed of mankind:

Live until the future: none can say more.
Die only to end life, and gild another door.

Luke Mastin - June 1981

Speed of Sound

2008-10-05T01:43:00.002+08:00

How long before I get in?
Before it starts, before I begin?
How long before you decide?
Before I know what it feels like?
Where To, where do I go?
If you never try, then you'll never know.
How long do I have to climb,
Up on the side of this mountain of mine?

Look up, I look up at night,
Planets are moving at the speed of light.
Climb up, up in the trees,
every chance that you get,
is a chance you seize.
How long am I gonna stand,
with my head stuck under the sand?
I'll start before I can stop,
before I see things the right way up.

All that noise, and all that sound,
All those places I got found.
And birds go flying at the speed of sound,
to show you how it all began.
Birds came flying from the underground,
if you could see it then you'd understand?

Ideas that you'll never find,
All the inventors could never design.
The buildings that you put up,
Japan and China all lit up.
The sign that I couldn't read,
or a light that I couldn't see,
some things you have to believe,
but others are puzzles, puzzling me.

All those signs, I knew what they meant.
Some things you can invent.
Some get made, and some get sent,
Ooh?
Birds go flying at the speed of sound,
to show you how it all began.
Birds came flying from the underground,
if you could see it then you'd understand,
ah, when you see it then you'll understand?

I come before you at the speed of light.
But my ideas at the speed of sound.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2008-10-05T00:42:00.002+08:00

By F. Scott Fitzgerald
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/Fitzgerald/jazz/benjamin/benjamin1.htm

Life can only be understood backward
Yet...
It must be lived forward.

December.

Post F1: Tell Laura

2008-09-29T20:27:00.002+08:00

Tommy: Tell Laura I Love Her (Ray Peterson)

Laura: Tell Tommy I Miss Him (Skeeter Davis)

The creation of the Universe

2008-09-24T09:25:00.003+08:00

One Second before the big bang.
http://www.mandala-corporation.com/movie/bigbang.html

Frequency Bands

2008-09-23T11:06:00.003+08:00

Well at least the music is quite nice. =)
Try this website: http://gogglestare.com/

And the truth of things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5IkCzvioTc&feature=related

Res3ia

2008-09-22T10:12:00.001+08:00

One
.
One by one the steps unfolded
Like pennies from heaven.

Like turning the tuning knob of a radio
Until you hit just the right frequency.

The infinite template opened up
A symmetry beyond all human understanding.

With no step ever repeating its previous path
The hidden structure never seen.

Without a guiding hand until the end of time
A sight that would haunt any man.

Symmetry and asymmetry as one.

Walking on the Milky Way

2008-06-18T23:15:00.002+08:00

Now something for me.
Working with youth has aged me, but yet given much youthful vigor.
I have come so far despite.
But time is only fleeting.
And experiences carry you through.
It has shaped you but not defeated you.
Just remember who you are, always.

Walking on the milky way by OMD

When I was only seventeen
My head was full of brilliant dreams
My heart would call and I would gladly go
At twenty one the world was mine
And I was yours and youre divine
And nothing else would matter to us so
I dont believe in destiny
I dont believe in love
I dont believe that anything will ever be enough...

As time goes by reality
Destroys your hope and dignity
Theres nothing left but shadows on the wall
But just remember who you are
And where youve been youve come so far
And never ever let them see you fall
I dont believe in miracles
I dont believe in truth
I dont believe that anything can recreate your youth

Man you should have seen us
On the way to venus
Walking on the milky way
It was quite a day hey hey...
Walking on the big stuff
Acting like were real tough
Baby we were on our way

So what do you say hey hey

Let Me Fall

2008-06-18T22:54:00.001+08:00

Do you know why it is okay to sigh, to cry, to run, and worst of all, fall?

Let me fall
Let me climb
There's a moment when fear
And dreams must collide

Someone I am
Is waiting for courage
The one I want
The one I will become
Will catch me

So let me fall
If I must fall
I won't heed your warnings
I won't hear them

Let me fall
If I fall
Though the phoenix may
Or may not rise

I will dance so freely
Holding on to no one
You can hold me only
If you too will fall
Away from all these
Useless fears and chains

Someone I am
Is waiting for my courage
The one I want
The one I will become
Will catch me

So let me fall
If I must fall
I won't heed your warnings
I won't hear

Let me fall
If I fall
There's no reason
To miss this one chance
This perfect moment
Just let me fall

Speaking out For the silent majority

2008-06-18T20:55:00.001+08:00

Speaking out For the silent majority

What the Singaporean needs is more public debate of policies harmful to him, particularly among establishment insiders.

By Seah Chiang Nee May 31, 2008

AT A time when troubled Singaporeans need more sympathetic elite figures to voice their unhappy feelings against the government, along comes the state's retired top civil servant.

He is 70-year-old Ngiam Tong Dow, a prominent member of Singapore's founding generation, who has delivered a series of remarkably biting messages for the leadership, young and old.Singapore is not known as a place where influential people openly discuss government shortcomings, let alone criticise these.

Many do not speak out even when they feel things are not going right for fear of upsetting the leaders, particularly Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

An exception was Ngiam, who said in a recent dialogue that most of today's younger ministers come from well-to-do or upper-class families."So they 'really do not know' the impact of, say, a policy such as a 10-cent bus fare rise on ordinary families," he said."If you're from a poor family like my generation, you'll know very well (the impact) if the bus fare goes up by 10 cents, multiply by three or four times, 50 cents for the whole family."

His suggestion: top civil servants should first start by doing 'nitty-gritty' work on the ground before being slotted to make policies.On a previous occasion he warned against bureaucratic inertia."The greatest danger is we are flying on auto-pilot. What was once a great policy, we just carry on with more of the same, until reality intervenes," he noted.Then arrogance!

"There is also a particular brand of Singapore elite arrogance creeping in," he said. "Some civil servants behave like they have a mandate from the emperor. We think we are little Lee Kuan Yews (without earning our spurs)."

Ngiam speaks with the knowledge of an insider. He has served in the elite Singapore Administrative Service for more than 40 years, and played a major role in transforming Singapore into a textbook case in development economics.

A lesser mover is Tan Kin Lian, the former chief of Income, the insurance arm of the official National Trade Unions Congress.Tan used his web-blog to campaign against his former company's move to restructure bonus payouts for life policies that works against holders.

And two years ago, Lee Kuan Yew's daughter Associate Professor Lee Wei Ling went public to criticise Singapore's multi-billion dollar biomedical research strategy as being badly misdirected.It was spending large sums on cancer, heart disease and stem cells, with the setting up state-of-the art laboratories and pulling in top brains from around the world.Lee, who is Director of the National Neuroscience Institute, said it was pointless to compete with the top Western research centres doing the same thing with bigger budgets and longer experience.Instead, she said, Singapore should concentrate on niche areas with relevance to Asia, like hepatitis and head injuries.When the government rejected her call, Lee vowed to carry on her fight for change. "We're talking about billions of dollars in taxpayers' money," she said. "I will not let this mistake continue."It was a rare public debate of top policy-makers. Few, however, believe that Lee's daughter will get into trouble for speaking her mind.

Most other disagreements within the establishment are almost always kept within the four walls, away from the public.What the average Singaporean wants is more licence for public debate of policies harmful to him – particularly among establishment figures.There has, however, been a gradual opening up in the past decade.To the younger citizens, however, Singapore's "soft authoritarianism" is less than what they want or what a creative modern city should be.

All these years the ruling People's Action Party and the civil service have laid claims – through super high salaries – to some of the state's best educated.The majority settle into their careers without wanting to rock the boat, even when they disagree with a government policy.

In the course of the years, however, there had been a few exceptions of outspoken government people.Three years ago, East Coast MP Tan Soo Khoon accused the government of waste in spending billions to build new luxurious buildings, which he termed the "Seven Wonders of Singapore".Likening seven new lavish offices to five-star hotels, Tan asked whether these ministries and statutory boards were competing to see "which can be better than the Four Seasons Hotel".During the years of strong growth, money was easy to come by and it was easy to spend. "Only now, when it has become difficult, we begin to sit up and take notice," Tan chided the government.In the 2006 election, 33% of the votes went to the opposition, but it managed to win only two seats – or 2.4% – of the 84 seats in Parliament.

With such a lop-sided representation, it is imperative that this large opposition bloc has public figures to speak up for them outside the realm of politics.Being from the inside, retired or current members of the government are best suited to contribute meaningful discussions because of their inside knowledge.Ngiam's act of speaking out is widely admired. He says what many Singaporeans want, if they could.Asked in an interview whether Singapore would survive Lee Kuan Yew, he said, "Yes, provided he leaves behind the right legacy."And what is that? Ngiam was asked."It's for him to say, but I, a blooming upstart, dare to suggest to him that we should open up politically and allow talent to be spread throughout our society so that an alternative leadership can emerge," he replied.

(This was first published in The Star, Malaysia on May 31, 2008)

I have not verified this. Can you?

Sweet Dreams

2008-06-11T22:14:00.003+08:00

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

I wanna use you and abuse you
I wanna know what's inside you
(Whispering) Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on
Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on
Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on
Movin' on

By Eurythmics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8pGJFwI_tM&feature=related

By The Kransky Sisters

By Marilyn Manson

Funny how perspectives changes meaning.

The Kransky Sisters

2008-06-11T21:58:00.002+08:00

Extremely humorous live. First time I've encountered such a performance.
A real eye opener and refreshing change to a musical interpretation.

Witty puns laced throughout
interactive
Thematic
Story board Valueadded Musical presentation
gothic humor
Creative interpretation and performance

Pop Music

The Sound of Silence

Intuition

Abracadabra

Highway to Hell

Performances

2008-06-11T21:36:00.002+08:00

Air Supply
Judy
Kransky Sisters
Elton John Live
Broadway Beng
Sean Kingston
Chinese
Beauty World
Engelbert Humperdinck
Chinese

CRX Del Sol

2008-05-19T22:09:00.006+08:00

http://www.japnuts.com/Recent_Imports/Pictures/CRX_delsol_front.jpg
http://www.kris.1000lecie.pl/delsolpics2/Honda%20CRX%20del%20Sol%20eurospec%20red%20fsv%20high%201998.jpg
http://centrocristales.net/osc/images/honda-crx-del-sol-%20TANGO.jpg
http://www.edmunds.com/honda/civicdelsol/1993/consumerreview.html
http://lifestyletvoffenbach.magnify.net/item/VPF60RTP1HFT5FW6
http://www.fueleconomydb.com/index.php?-action=list&-table=vehicles_summary&make=HONDA&model=CIVIC+DEL+SOL

http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/writeup.php?AID=68
http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/writeup.php?AID=18
http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/writeup.php?AID=20

The Rest is Still Unwritten

2008-05-19T21:51:00.000+08:00

Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten

I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten, yeah

Oh, oh

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines, oh yeah yeah
We've been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can't live that way oh, oh

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live you life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

This is how I feel - Animation Vs the Animator

2008-05-19T21:46:00.002+08:00

Its an antagonizing thing.
Life is.
Only when you examine it.
What was it that socrates said again?
Yes this is what makes it worth living!
Who is the creator of life?
What is the meaning of a life lived?

Can't seem to get Elton's song out of my head. Can't sleep at night.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

2008-05-12T09:59:00.002+08:00

This has been playing in my head over and over.
Only the English writes songs like this.

When are you gonna come down
When are you going to land
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man

You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
This boy's too young to be singing the blues

So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough

Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road

What do you think you'll do then
I bet that'll shoot down your plane
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics
To set you on your feet again

Maybe you'll get a replacement
There's plenty like me to be found
Mongrels who ain't got a penny
Sniffing for tidbits like you on the ground

Elton John's Concert in Singapore 7 May 08

2008-05-12T09:48:00.004+08:00

Amazing how an operation on the throat changes the voice of a man.
And thank God for the Ang Mos. They really created the mode/atmosphere needed for a concert.
ANd yes we love the Piano man more than the Rocket man.
Change may not always go well for some.

How to rock:

His encore piece:

With the Muppets in 1973

With Billy Idol a few years back.

Time takes a toll on most. But not this guy.

Distribution and layout. Contrasts.

2008-04-07T01:17:00.004+08:00

Such a pity.
Loneliness is.
Was excited and alive.
Yet all crumbed down.
Once again.
Why won't anyone listen?
- because we're all busy.
With what?

Man corner everynight. Full Tatoos beat me up.
Coffeshop Guitarist. Wow!
Church temple mosque temple church.
Taximan and woman.
33 cars in wait. Out of place woman.
perpendicular 33 old houses and ghost! Dragon Slab!

24a Scrap yard and hokkien. Karaoke in silence.
28 street sleaze
24 squatters and night life. Hotel and homes. Single File. All races. Indians. Africans. Thai. Malaysian cars.Gambling. Blue/Red top.
Barber, walk up apartments. For sale.
Jigong!

Pimp it up dress code.
Street walkers, freelancers and pros.
Pecs why not not otherwise?
Army Brudder!
Price Range.
VCD DVD
Ugly.
trans. Sari. Jeans. Old.
Huay Kuans and pugilistic clan associations.
Altars at every counter.

I can understand.
Why.
Simple.
Life is.

Keep on Walking

2008-04-07T00:57:00.002+08:00

Walking gets you places.
Gets you numb while in transit.
From place to place.
Day by day.
Activity to Activity.

Yet,
if your legs leads you along aimlessly.
Just let it go.
It refreshes the mind.
Takes away your burden of choice.
You can ponder as your eyes wonder.
Of the stories of life.
Yours and those whose existence
whom you otherwise would have never acknowledged.
intertwined possibly in some obscure way.
Mysterious yet familiar.
Makes you feel alive.

Napier Road, orchard
Armenian Street, orchard
Serangoon road, Jalan Besar
River Valley, Cantonment ,Tanjong Pagar, Peninsuala Plaza, South Bridge
Sunset Way, Old Abandoned Railway
Princep Selegie
Serangoon Tekka
Balestier
Stadium Geylang

Life is like Photography

2008-04-06T12:33:00.004+08:00

Focus, Exposure, Color, contrasts and noise.
Life is like photography.

Get a clear focus --> otherwise all will be a blur.
Get the correct exposure. --> In order to reproduce/create the correct representation of what's truly out there.
Ensure contrasts --> so that it will not be monotonous
Reduce noise --> no distractions.

But then again, photography is an art.
out of focus shots, incorrect exposure, lack of contrasts, lots of grain and noise if used purposefully, can create a beautiful picture too!

To pen down every thought, inspiration.
And especially experience.
Like the Spatial Conference I attended.
The old guard IS dying.
Soon there will no longer be any records.

Ekistics

2008-03-11T23:43:00.001+08:00

kistic Elements: Nature, Anthropos, Society, Shells, and Networks
Arcologies
Arcosanti
+15

The Dreams of My Heart

2008-02-26T11:23:00.002+08:00

The dreams of my heart and my mind pass,
Nothing stays with me long,
But I have had from a child
The deep solace of song;

If that should ever leave me,
Let me find death and stay
With things whose tunes are played out and forgotten
Like the rain of yesterday.

Sarah Teasdale

When others read my blog, I develop a nagging fear, yet with a deep rooted excitement.
The thrill of understanding, or misunderstanding.

Seletar

2007-11-05T23:56:00.000+08:00

It has been so long since I last went out to take pictures. Years in fact.
And I hate to admit it, my equipment is insufficient.
Shall I purchase a 40D?

=)

Seletar 2

2007-11-05T23:51:00.000+08:00

Mika

2007-11-01T21:32:00.000+08:00

This guy is fantastic!
Don't know why but he reminds me of Freddy Mercury.
Is definitely nothing to do with the piano playing.
Something else...

Grace Kelly

Love Today

Drive by Incubus

2007-11-01T21:30:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear
And I cant help but ask myself how much I'll let
the fear take the wheel and steer
It's driven me before, it seems to have a vague
Haunting mass appeal

Lately I'm beginning to find that I should
be the one behind the wheel
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
With open arms and open eyes yeah
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there, I'll be there
So if I decide to waiver my chance to be one of the hive
Will I choose water over wine and hold my own and drive, oh oh
It's driven me before, it seems to be the way
That everyone else get around

Lately, I'm beginning to find that when I
drive myself, my light is found
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
With open arms and open eyes yeah
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there, I'll be there
Would you choose water over wine
Hold the wheel and drive
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
With open arms and open eyes yeah
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there, I'll be there

Sky Wu

2007-11-01T20:10:00.001+08:00

For the person who translated this.
Thank you.
Really.

courage was close to forming, but my heart was still weakest
when it was time to make a decision, my fear was still greatest
there are two mes, they constantly battle
walking along the two paths of reality and of dreams, i saw that dawn has broken

i shook hands with Strength/Determination, but clashed with Conflict
there is a future because of dreams
i want to chase the rainbow
yet i'm scared that my hope will be let down
i am touched, i cannot resist

i broke up with the Past, but clashed with Risk
because the earth does not stop turning
i dumbly gaze at your eyes
i foolishly stare at your smile
i am touched, i cannot resist
i am touched

you will be like me in the future, experience happiness and hurt
was crazy because of love, was hurt because of emotions
you will be like me in the future, have to make many choices
touched because of dreams, confused because of conflict

Wanting Sumptuous Heaven - Robert Bly

2007-11-01T19:58:00.000+08:00

No one grumbles among the oyster clans,

And lobsters play their bone guitars all summer.

Only we, with our opposable thumbs, want

Heaven to be, and God to come, again.

There is no end to our grumbling; we want

Comfortable earth and sumptuous Heaven.

But the heron standing on one leg in the bog

Drinks his dark rum all day, and is content

Crops with bells and whistles

2007-10-24T10:46:00.000+08:00

October 23, 2007

Can a Lack of Sleep Cause Psychiatric Disorders?

Study shows that sleep deprivation leads to a rewiring of the brain's emotional circuitry

http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=CDEFA259-E7F2-99DF-311007C6099FD8A2

Artificial Chromosome Poised to Pump Up GM Crops with Extra Genes

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=CEB6FE7B-E7F2-99DF-36EF1615BE8893FE&ref=rss
Easier transfer of multigene "stacks" may help biofuel plants and other crops reach their potential
By JR Minkel

Determinism - The Butterfly Effect

2007-10-17T12:01:00.000+08:00

The Butterfly Effect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect

The butterfly effect is a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory. Small variations of the initial condition of a nonlinear dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system. So this is sometimes presented as esoteric behavior, but can be exhibited by very simple systems: for example, a ball placed at the crest of a hill might roll into any of several valleys depending on slight differences in initial position.

The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately cause a tornado to appear (or prevent a tornado from appearing). The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale phenomena. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different.

Recurrence, the approximate return of a system towards its initial conditions, together with sensitive dependence on initial conditions are the two main ingredients for chaotic motion. They have the practical consequence of making complex systems, such as the weather, difficult to predict past a certain time range (approximately a week in the case of weather).

The Butterfly Effect (Not entirely accurate)

Run Lola Run (Better)

Determinism - Chaos Theory

2007-10-16T11:44:00.000+08:00

Chaos Theory
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory)

In mathematics and physics, chaos theory describes the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamical systems that under specific conditions exhibit dynamics that are sensitive to initial conditions (popularly referred to as the butterfly effect). As a result of this sensitivity, the behavior of chaotic systems appears to be random, because of an exponential growth of perturbations in the initial conditions. This happens even though these systems are deterministic in the sense that their future dynamics are well defined by their initial conditions, and with no random elements involved. This behavior is known as deterministic chaos, or simply chaos.

Foresight

2007-10-15T11:28:00.000+08:00

What we lack sorely in, is foresight.
Granted wonderful leaders set directions 20 years into the future.
But ideas are 20 years behind.
Those on the ground are blind.

Is this foresight?

Foresight (futures studies)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Ten things you may not know about Wikipedia •
Jump to: navigation, search

In futures studies, especially in Europe, the term "foresight" has become common as of 2005, embracing activities of

* critical thinking concerning long-term developments,
* debate and effort to create wider participation in decisions,
* shaping the future, especially by influencing public policy and strategic decisions (European Commission Foresight Website 2005; FOREN project; FORERA [1]).

It is used for strategic activities in the public as well as the private sector, and underlines the need to link any future-oriented activity or project to action today in order to make an impact (“shaping the future”).

In the last decade, scenario methods, for example, have become widely used in some European countries in policy-making (van Steenbergen 2005). the FORSOCIETY network [2] brings together national Foresight teams from most European countries, and the European Foresight Monitoring Project [3] is collating material on Foresight activities around the world. In addition, foresight methods are being used more and more in regional planning and decision –making (“regional foresight”). At the same time, the use of foresight for companies (“corporate foresight”) is becoming more professional and widespread (Ratcliffe 2005, Neef/Daheim 2005). It is not only used in strategy development, but also increasingly in innovation development as well as marketing and generally in R&D.

Foresight differs from much futures research and strategic planning. It encompasses a range of approaches that combine the three components mentioned above, which may be recast as:

• futures (forecasting, forward thinking, prospectives),

• planning (strategic analysis, priority setting), and

• networking (participatory, dialogic) tools and orientations.

Much futures research has been rather ivory tower work, but Foresight programmes were designed to influence policy - often R&D policy. Much technology policy had been very elitist; Foresight attempts to go beyond the "usual suspects" and gather widely distributed intelligence. These three lines of work were already common in Francophone futures studies going by the name la prospective. But in the 1990s we began to see what became an explosion of systematic organisation of these methods in large scale TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT programmes in Europe and more widely. Foresight thus draws on traditions of work in long-range planning and strategic planning, horizontal policymaking and democratic planning, and participatory futures studies - but was also highly influenced by systemic approaches to innovation studies, science and technology policy, and analysis of "critical technologies".

Many of the methods that are commonly associated with Foresight - Delphi surveys, scenario workshops, etc. - derive from the futures field. So does the fact that Foresight is concerned with:

• The longer-term - futures that are usually at least 10 years away(though there are some exceptions to this, especially in its use in private business). Since Foresight is action-oriented (the planning link) it will rarely be oriented to perspectives beyond a few decades out (though where decisions like aircraft design, power station construction or other major infrastructural decisions are concerned, then the planning horizon may well be half a century).

• Alternative futures: it is helpful to examine alternative paths of development, not just what is currently believed to be most likely or business as usual. Often Foresight will construct multiple scenarios. These may be an interim step on the way to creating what may be known as positive visions, success scenarios, aspirational futures. Sometimes alternative scenarios will be a major part of the output of Foresight work, with the decision about what fuure to build being left to other mechanisms.

Foresight[4] is also the name of a journal active in this field; and the term is used in the name of the International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy[5]. The latter journal has played a useful role in documenting activity in Foresight programmes that was previously recorded in a wide variety of locations.

Determinism

2007-10-14T15:03:00.000+08:00

Weeks ago a student asked an interesting question during one of my remedial lectures.
If only more would think beyond their immediate then I would be useful.

Concept of determinism.

Determinism is the philosophical proposition that every event, including human cognition and behavior, decision and action, is causally determined by an unbroken chain of prior occurrences. Determinism may also be defined as the thesis that there is at any instant exactly one physically possible future.^[1] With numerous historical debates, many varieties and philosophical positions on the subject of determinism exist from traditions throughout the world.

The Future

2007-10-14T11:40:00.000+08:00

The Future (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future)

In a linear conception of time, the future is the portion of the time line that has yet to occur, i.e. the place in space-time where lie all events that still will or may occur. In this sense the future is opposed to the past (the set of moments and events that have already occurred) and the present (the set of events that are occurring now).

The future has always had a special place in philosophy and, in general, in the human mind. The future holds such a place because human beings want a forecast of events that will occur. The evolution of the human brain is in great part an evolution in cognitive abilities necessary to forecast the future, i.e. abstract imagination, logic and induction. Imagination permits us to “see” (i.e. predict) a plausible model of a given situation without observing it, therefore, allowing one to assess risks. Logical reasoning allows one to predict consequences of actions and situations and therefore gives useful information about future events. Induction permits the association of a cause with consequences, a fundamental notion for every forecast of the future.

What the Future Holds

2007-10-14T11:12:00.000+08:00

Amazing technology and ideas flood our world. Yet few appreciated and understand.
Our youth.... What interests them?

Imagine using nanoparticles that are able to lodge themselves into cancerous tissues, and then selectively heat up and destroy them without harming normal healthy cells. Or living in civilizations beyond the boundaries of crime and hate.

The Promise of Plasmonics
A technology that squeezes electromagnetic waves into minuscule structures may yield a new generation of superfast computer chips and ultrasensitive molecular detectors
By Harry A. Atwater

Nanoscale Drug Design and Delivery for Improved Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy
http://www.bme.fiu.edu/BME_Faculty_McGoron.htm
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. Early detection of small primary tumors is critical for successful therapy and improved survival rates. Chemotherapy is often the first choice for treating many cancers. It is critical that the chemical be sequestered only in the target tissue at toxic concentrations so that nontarget tissue exposure is minimized. However, it is often difficult to ensure that the chemotherapy targets only the cancer and further that the chemical is localizing in the target tissue. Cancer cells easily take up extremely small (nano-sized) particles. New technologies are being developed to allow for the creation of complex nanoscale materials as drug delivery vehicles and sensors. Combining therapy with imaging has the potential to enhance the efficacy of treatment by ensuring and verifying that the drug reaches the target tissue, while minimizing nontarget tissue uptake. Light in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength can easily pass through tissue and therefore, NIR fluorescent tracers can be used for imaging. Dyes that absorb energy may also release heat following exposure to the appropriate wavelength light and kill cancer cells. With a light sensitive dye incorporated into the drug delivery vehicle, therapy can be targeted since the drug won’t be activated with a laser until the drug has reached its intended target. The long term objective of this study is to develop a methodology of improved diagnosis and treatment of cancer by combining therapy and imaging in the same drug. The study is a collaboration of engineers, chemists, biologists, and clinicians with expertise in drug design, drug delivery modeling, and experimental models of cancer.

Future by Design

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=5BED2E76-E7F2-99DF-3A1C740338CE5666

Can someone translate this?

2007-10-04T23:19:00.000+08:00

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

2007-10-02T21:56:00.000+08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Kamakawiwo'ole

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2007-10-02T21:42:00.000+08:00

First heard this version in 50 First Dates.
The ending scene where this song came on blew me away.

A yacht.
Far away from it all.
One day...

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby ii ii iii
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true ooh ooooh

Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me ee ee eeh
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops thats where you'll find me oh
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to,why, oh why can't I? i iiii

Well I see trees of green and
Red roses too,
I'll watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the brightness of day
I like the dark and I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, I...I love you
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more
Than we'll know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world (w)oohoorld

Someday I'll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me
Oh, Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I? I hiii ?

SPDC and V

2007-09-30T21:59:00.000+08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Law_and_Order_Restoration_Council

C'mon people of Burma!
Hang in there.
Stay together.
and fireworks may happen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta

What wonderful fireworks!

Citizen Cope - Let the Drummer Kick

2007-09-30T21:17:00.000+08:00

"Let The Drummer Kick"

Let the drummer kick
Let the drummer kick that
[repeat]

Relations
Creation
Incarceration
Determination
Equation
Humiliation
Reincarnation
Situation
Elation
Identification
Retaliation
Education
Inspiration
No substitution
Solution
Conclusion

Let the drummer kick
Let the drummer kick that
[repeat]

Relations (Apollo had to break 'em)
Creation (It's a gift, a blessing)
Incarceration (What keeps you down)
Determination (What gets you out)
Equation (When they said you could make it)
Humiliation (What you feel when they say it)
Reincarnation (N-A-V)
Situation (Why we've got to sing)
Elation (So many in need)
Identification (Gives you the right to shoot)
Retaliation (What would it do)
Education (Gives you the right to do)
Inspiration (What pulls you through)
No substitution (No substitute)
Non-inclusion (Just got to bust through)
Drug infusion (For the chosen few)
Mass confusion (When they say that they died for you)
Delusion (Say that the dreams don't come true)
Solution (It can take a hold of you)
Conclusion
Inspiration (Is what pulls you through)

Let the drummer kick (Inspiration)
Let the drummer kick that (Inspiration)
[repeat]

You don't even have to wait
You don't even have to wait

Let the drummer kick
Let the drummer kick that

Science Made Stupid

2007-09-27T13:54:00.000+08:00

HILARIOUS!

http://www.besse.at/sms/smsintro.html

Non-Apology Apology Vs Remorse

2007-09-24T08:39:00.000+08:00

"Don't say sorry you fool!"

"I just don't want any trouble."

In remorse or a non-apology apology? Reflection is needed

(Thanks to Wiki again and again and again and again and again and again)
An apology is a justification or defense of an act or idea, from the Greek apologia (απολογία). An apology can also be an expression of contrition and remorse for something done wrong. An example would be: "I apologize for accusing you of stealing my carrots, please forgive me!"

Non-Apology Apology

A non-apology apology is a statement in the apparent form of an apology that is actually nothing of the sort. Non-apology apologies are a common gambit in politics and public relations.

An example of a non-apology apology is to say "I'm sorry if you were offended by my remarks", to someone who has been offended. This not only does not admit that there was anything wrong with the remarks made, it also subtly insinuates that the person taking offense was excessively thin-skinned or irrational in taking offense in the remarks in the first place.

Because there is no admission of guilt or responsibility, non-apology apologists are frequently motivated by the desire to avoid litigation. Many states have passed legislation that prevents a plaintiff from using an apology as evidence of liability. For example, medical doctors may apologize to a patient for a bad outcome knowing the apology cannot be used against them at trial as evidence of negligence. Frequently, these statutes are misunderstood to mean that one is relieved of liability because they have apologized. For example, it has been asserted that the California State Legislature passed a bill in July 2000 relieving people of liability if they express sympathy to someone who was injured in an accident in which they themselves were involved, in the event that such an apology be misconstrued in court as an admission of guilt.^[1] Misunderstandings of this law are common.

Remorse

Remorse is an emotional expression of personal regret - that is, the emotion felt by the injurer after he or she has injured. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self directed resentment. Eg. The boy felt much remorse after hitting the old lady. The idea of remorse is used in restorative justice.

One incapable of feeling remorse is often labelled a sociopath or psychopath - formerly a DSM III condition. Some researchers have lately suggested that this lack is more characteristic of the INTJ personality, a highly rational temperament that relies very little on emotion, but the scientific worth and psychological accuracy of the Myers-Briggs Indication Test have been strongly questioned. In general, a person needs to be unable to feel fear, as well as remorse in order to develop psychopathic traits.

"Buyer's remorse" is the concept of regretting a purchase after the fact of buying it.

Regretting one's earlier action or failure to act may be because of remorse or to various other consequences, including being punished for it.

Sorry

2007-09-24T08:19:00.000+08:00

In fact I know why.
Cowards masks the truth to avoid suffering. Those who seek growth(spiritual/religious) accepts or associates it as a form of contrition.
" I'm sorry for all your sufferings. "

Sorry can mean:

* "Sorrow" (see Contrition), an expression of contrition
* "Sorrow" (see Suffering), an expression of sympathy for another's suffering

Contrition
Contrition (from the Latin contritus 'ground to pieces, i.e. crushed by guilt) is sincere and complete remorse (i.e. regret with a sense of guilt) for sins one has committed. The remorseful person is said to be contrite.

It is a key concept to many Christians, especially Catholics, who can then seek divine forgiveness through the sacrament of Confession, nowadays rather called Penance or the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is often regarded as a prerequisite to divine forgiveness.

Exhortations to the value and necessity for repentance are quite common: "I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezechiel: 33, 11); "Except you do penance you shall all likewise perish" (Gospel of Luke 8:5; cf. Gospel of Matthew 12:41). At times this repentance includes exterior acts of satisfaction (Psalms 6:7 sqq.); it always implies a recognition of wrong done to God, a detestation of the evil wrought, and a desire to turn from evil and do good. This is clearly expressed in Psalm 51 (5-14): "Have mercy upon me oh God, according to they loving kindness, according to the multitude of they tender mercies, blot out my transgresson. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, & cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgression, & my sin is ever before me. Against thee, & thee only, have I sinned, & done this evil in thy sight. That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, & be clear when thou judgest, behold, I was shapen in iniquity, & in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, & in the hidden part thou shall make me to know wisdow. Purge me with hyssop, & I shall be clean, wash me & I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy, & gladness that the bones which thou has broken may rejoice, hide thy face from my sins, & blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, oh God, & renew a right spirit within me.", etc. More clearly does this appear in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke, xviii, 13), and more clearly still in the story of the prodigal (Luke, xv, 11-32): "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee: I am not worthy to be called thy son".

Suffering
Suffering, or pain in this sense,^[1] is a basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm in an individual. It constitutes the negative basis of affective states (emotions, feelings, moods, sentiments), while pleasure or happiness constitutes the positive basis.

Suffering may be called physical or mental, depending on whether it is linked primarily to a body process or a mind process. Examples of physical suffering are pain (as a sensation), nausea, breathlessness, and itching.^[2] Examples of mental suffering are anxiety, grief, hatred, and boredom.^[3]

The intensity of suffering comes in all degrees, from the triflingly mild to the unspeakably insufferable. Factors of duration and frequency of occurrence are often considered along with that of intensity.

People's attitudes toward a suffering may vary hugely according to how much they deem it as light or severe, avoidable or unavoidable, useful or useless, of little or of great consequence, deserved or undeserved, chosen or unwanted, acceptable or unacceptable.

The words pain and suffering can be confusing and may require careful handling. (1) Sometimes they are synonyms and interchangeable. (2) Sometimes they are used in contradistinction to one another: e.g. "pain is inevitable, suffering is optional", or "pain is physical, suffering is mental". (3) Sometimes one word refers to a variety of that to which the other refers: e.g. "pain is physical suffering", or "suffering is severe physical or mental pain". (4) Sometimes yet, people use them in another fashion.

All sentient beings suffer during their lives, in diverse manners, and often dramatically. No field of human activity deals with the whole subject of suffering, but many are concerned with its nature and processes, its origin and causes, its meaning and significance, its related personal, social, and cultural behaviors, its remedies, management, and uses.

Responsibility

2007-09-24T08:05:00.000+08:00

And why do I time after time accept it, without fighting back for what is right and true?
Is it cowardice or for personal growth?

From Wiki once again. I love Wiki!

Responsibility Assumption
Responsibility assumption is a doctrine in the spirituality and personal growth fields holding that each individual has substantial or total responsibility for the events and circumstances that befall them in their life. While there is little that is notable about the notion that each person has at least some role in shaping their experience, the doctrine of responsibility assumption posits that the individual's mental contribution to his or her own experience is substantially greater than is normally thought. "I must have wanted this" is the type of catchphrase used by adherents of this doctrine when encountering situations, pleasant or unpleasant, to remind them that their own desires and choices led to the present outcome.

The term responsibility assumption thus has a specialized meaning beyond the general concept of taking responsibility for something, and is not to be confused with the general notion of making an assumption that a concept such as "responsibility" exists.

Diffusion of Responsibility
Diffusion of responsibility is a social phenomenon which tends to occur in groups of people above a certain critical size when responsibility is not explicitly assigned.

Diffusion of responsibility can manifest itself:

* in a group of peers who, through action or inaction, allow events to occur which they would never allow if alone (action is typically referred to as groupthink; inaction is typically referred to as the bystander effect) or
* in hierarchical organizations as when, for example, underlings claim that they were following orders and supervisors claim that they were just issuing directives and not doing anything per se.

This mindset can be seen in the phrase "No one raindrop thinks it caused the flood".

Politics - Blame

2007-09-24T07:51:00.000+08:00

Why do we live our lives, so dependent on others?
Why do we base failures on others, yet heap success on self?

Blame - from Wikipedia
To blame is to hold another person or group responsible for perceived faults, be those faults real, imagined, or merely invented for pejorative purposes. Blame is an act of censure, reproach, and often cases outright condemnation. Blame is used to place responsibility and accountability for faults on the blamed person or group.

Psychology of blame
Blame seems basic to hominid behaviour, as the cat did it incident with Koko the gorilla demonstrated very vividly.

Blaming is nearly universally observed in children. It seems to be an essential part of human development. When language skills develop, one of the first practical things that can be done with them is to apply them to blame others for one's own misdeeds, and get them sanctioned or punished while one simply continues to engage in more of same.

Blame in organizations
Some systems theorists and management consultants, such as Gerald Weinberg, held that the flow of blame in an organization was itself one of the most important indicators of that organization's robustness and integrity. Blame flowing upwards in a hierarchy, he argued, proved that superiors were willing to take full responsibility for their orders to their inferiors and supplying them with the resources required to do their jobs. But blame flowing downwards, from management to staff, or laterally between professionals, were signs of organizational failure.

Organizations can apply censure and demotion to managers and leaders who do not take full responsibility for their actions - in effect, to blame them for deflecting blame, rather than admit and redress it. These measures are quite common in government and diplomacy, in situations where no punishment can be applied, e.g. due to diplomatic immunity.

Brainiac

2007-09-13T16:18:00.000+08:00

The most amazing show on Telly.
Blasted Britons.
Bloody Brilliant.

http://www.g4tv.com/brainiac/index.html
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brainiac&search=Search

Take Me Out

2007-09-13T12:49:00.000+08:00

By Franz Ferdinand

Dreaming is a private thing

2007-09-11T21:09:00.000+08:00

BY Isaac Asimov.

Sherman Hilary, at the age of 31, could have been identified as a dreamer by anyone. His eyes, unspectacled, had nonetheless the misty look of one who either needs glasses or rarely focuses on anything mundane.
Weill said heartily, ‘ Sherman, my boy, you look fine. What’s the, matter? A dream is cooking only so-so at home? You’re worried about it?… Sit down, sit down…’
The dreamer did, sitting at the edge of the chair and holding his thighs stiffly together as though to be ready for instant obedience to a possible order to stand up once more.
He said, ‘ I’ve come to tell you, Mr Weill, I’m quitting.’
‘ Quitting”?”
‘I don’t want to dream anymore, Mr Weill.’
Weill’s old face looked older now than at any time in the day. ‘ Why, Sherman?’
The dreamers lips twisted. He blurted out, ‘ Because I’m not living, Mr Weill. Everything passes me by. It wasn’t so bad at first. It was even relaxing. I’d dream evenings, weekends when I felt like, or at any other time. And when I felt like I wouldn’t. But now, I’m an old pro. You tell me I’m one of the best in the business and the industry looks to me to think up new subtleties and new changes on the old reliables like the flying reveries, and the worm-tuning skits.
Weill said, ‘ And is anyone better than you, Sherman? Your little sequence on leading an orchestra is selling steadily after ten years.’
‘ All right, Mr Weill. I’ve done my part. Its gotten so I don’t go out anymore. I neglect my wide. My little girl doesn’t know me. Last week, we went to a dinner party – Sarah says I was sitting on the couch all evening just staring at nothing and humming. She said everyone kept looking at me, She cried all night, I’m tired of things like that Mr Weill. I want to be a normal person and live in this world. I promised her I’d quit and I will, so it’s goodbye, Mr Weill.’ Hillary stood up and held out his hand awkwardly.
‘ I want to explain something. Do you know what a dreamer is, Sherman? DO you know what he means to ordinary people? Do you know what it is to be like me, like your wide Sarah? To have crippled minds that can’t imagine that can’t build up thoughts? People like myself, ordinary people, would like to escape just once in a while this life of ours. We can’t, We need help.
‘ In olden times it was books, plays, radio, movies, television. They gave us make believe, but that wasn’t important. What was important was that for a little while our own imaginations were stimulated, We could think of handsome lovers and beautiful princesses. We could be beautiful, witty, strong, capable, everything we weren’t.’
‘But always, the passing of the dream from dreamer to absorber was not perfect. It had to be translated into words in one way or another. The best dreamer in the world might not be able to get any of it into words. And the best writer in the world could only put the smallest part of his dreams into words. You understand?’
‘But now, with dream recording, any man can dream. You, Sherman, and a handful to men like you, supply those dreams directly and exactly. It’s straight from your head into ours, full strength. You dream for a thousand million people every time you dream. You dream a thousand million dreams at once. This is a great thing, my boy. You give all those people a glimpse of something they could not have by themselves.’
Hillary mumbled ‘, I’ve done my share.’ He rose desperately to his feet. I’m through. I don’t care what you say. And if you want to sue me for breaking our contract, go ahead and sue. I don’t care.’
Weill stood up, too. ‘ Would I sue you?… Ruth,’ he spoke into the intercom, ‘ bring in our copy of Mr Hillary’s contract.’
His secretary brought in the contract. Weill took in, showed its face to Hillary and said, ‘ Sherman my boy, unless you want to be with me, its not right to make you stay.’
Then, before Belanger could make more than the beginning of a horrified gesture to stop him, he tore the contract into 4 pieces and tossed them down the waste chute. ‘That’s all.’
Hillary’s hand shot out to seized Weill’s. ‘Thanks Mr Weill,’ he said earnestly, his voice husky. ‘You’ve always treated me very well, and I’m grateful. I’m sorry it had to be like this’
‘Its alright, my boy. Its all right.’
Half in tears, still muttering thanks, Sherman Hillary left.

‘ Why did you let him go boss?’ demanded Belanger distractedly. ‘Don’t you see the game? He’ll be going straight to Luster-Think. They’ve bought him off.’
Weill brought his hand. ‘You’re wrong. You’ve quite wrong. I know the boy and this would not be his style. Meanwhile what a fine day I’ve had to argue with a father to give me a chance at new talent, with a government official to avoid censorship, with you to keep from adopting fatal policies and now with my best dreamer to keep him from leaving. But about Sherman Hillary at least, there is no question. The dreamer will be back.’
‘How do you know?’
Weill smiled at Belanger and crinkled his cheeks into network of fine lines. ‘ Belanger my boy, you know how to edit dreamies so you think you know all the tools and machines of the trade. But let me tell you something. The most important tool in the dreamie business is the dreamer himself. He is the one you have to understand most of all, and I understand them.’
‘ Listen. When I was youngster – there were no dreamies then – I knew a fellow who wrote television scripts. He would complain to me bitterly that when someone met him for the first time and found out who he was, they would say: Where do you get those crazy ideas?’
‘ They honestly don’t know. To them it was an impossibility to even think of one of them. So what could my friend say? He used to talk to me about it and tell me. Could I say, I don’t know? When I go to bed, I can’t sleep for ideas dancing in my head. When I shave, I cut myself; when I drive, I take my life in my hands. And always because ideas, situations, dialogues are spinning and twisting in my mind, I can’t tell you where I get my ideas. Can you tell me maybe, your trick of not getting ideas, so I, too, can have a little peace?’
‘ You see Belanger, how it is. You can stop work here any time, So can I. This is our job, not our life. But not Sherman Hillary. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, he’ll dream. While he lives, he must think; while he thinks, he must dream. We don’t hold him prisoner, our contract isn’t an iron wall for him. His own skull is his own prisoner. So he’ll back. What can he do?’
Belanger shrugged. ‘ If what you say is right, I’m sort of sorry for the guy.’
Weill nodded sadly. ‘ I’m sorry for all of them. Through the years, I’ve found out one thing, It’s their business; making people happy. Other people.’

Time

2007-09-11T20:27:00.001+08:00

Had wanted to post so many entries over the past month.
But Time waits for no Man.
One of the main reasons why I kept a blog in the first place was to put my thoughts, feelings and experiences down somewhere so that it will serve as a journal, a diary, that i can look back and remind myself of all the many things that make up my life.
But little did I expect that too many events, emotions and ideas just fills my head at almost every single day.
Every single moment of the day.
It is flooding.
It is bursting.
Yet Everything is so clear.
and simple.

Am I sanguine?
Am I choleric?
Am I melancholic?
Am I Phlegmatic?

I am all yet I am none.
Identity andTime
.
It's Time for Dreaming.

Time

2007-09-11T20:27:00.000+08:00

Ingrate

2007-08-12T18:03:00.000+08:00

I've plenty of wonderful people around me.
Thankfulness and gratefulness.

I don't care enough about others.
I'm not a good teacher.
I'm imperfect.

Too much I.
Lost track of what's important anymore.

A break is much needed!

On the Side of Me by Corrinne May

2007-08-12T17:45:00.000+08:00

I’m not the easiest person to love
I’m often the one who lets things go unresolved

Yet you choose to be
On the side of me
On the side of me
Yeah you choose to be on the side of me
On the side of me

I’m not too proud of some things
I’ve done in my life
The skeletons in my closet
Are too big for me to hide

Yet you choose to be
On the side of me
On the side of me

Blessed charity
You’re on the side of me
On the side of me

Everyone needs a friend to hold
When it’s cold outside
And there’s no place to go
Everyone needs a friend to hold
All alone I cried
There was no place to go
I remember when nobody cared
But you

I’m not the easiest person to love
But you, you’ve opened your heart to show me what I’m worth

‘Cause you choose to be
on the side of me
on the side of me
What a mystery
You’re on the side of me
On the side of me

I remember when nobody cared
I remember when nobody cared
Nobody cared
But you.

On Spartan Honor and Doing what is right

2007-07-28T11:11:00.000+08:00

A strong emphasis was placed on honour and carrying out acts because it was the 'right thing to do.' Xenophon wrote about the Spartans as he observed them during an Olympic game:

An elderly man was trying to find a place to sit and observe the Olympic Games, as he went to each section. All the other Greeks laughed as he tried to make his way through. Some ignored him. Upon entering the Spartan section all the Spartans stood and offered the elderly man their seats. Suddenly the entire stadium applauded. All the Greeks knew what was the right thing to do, but the Spartans were the only ones who did it.

- Wikipedia

I wondered lonely as a Cloud

2007-05-17T22:54:00.000+08:00

Peter Cook! He's the best!

atll

Jon counts to 100,000

Nyan Cat

Sleepless Night

Politics and Leadership

Evangelion and the Love Guru

Abandon ship or abandon hope!

Rant

Learning from Lady Gaga

Finally - Ah Ha! - what's Next

A new year

Another Love

Bromazepam

Umbrella

Song: Bongo Bong

Golan Levin - Interactive Art

Kurt Schwitters and Ursonate

House of the Rising Son

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Man in the Mirror

Something to do on a nice Sunday Afternoon...

Zee Avi

The Bet (Excerpt) - Anton Chekov

Part 4 Down by the Salley Gardens

Part 3: In my Life

Part 2 Today Emi Fujita

Part 1b Wishes Emi Fujita

Part 1a ひだまりの詩、 Le Couple

Black is the Color of my True Love's Hair

Part 2b 劉若英 很愛很愛你

Part 2b Kiroro 長い間

Part 1b 后来 by 劉若英

Part 1a Kiroro 未来へ

How to make your own Zombie!

Part 3: Kaze Ni Naru/ To become Wind

Part 2: To Become Wind

Part 1: Kaze Ni Naru

2 King Only

1 Viva la Vida

Winds of Fate

Horse with No Name

Jai guru deva om

In the Year 2525

The Feather

Nine Million Bicycles

Beauty of Nature

Live for the Future

Speed of Sound

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Post F1: Tell Laura

The creation of the Universe

Frequency Bands

Res3ia

Walking on the Milky Way

Let Me Fall

Speaking out For the silent majority

Sweet Dreams

The Kransky Sisters

Performances

CRX Del Sol

The Rest is Still Unwritten

This is how I feel - Animation Vs the Animator

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John's Concert in Singapore 7 May 08

Distribution and layout. Contrasts.

Keep on Walking

Life is like Photography

Ekistics

The Dreams of My Heart

Seletar

Seletar 2

Mika

Drive by Incubus

Sky Wu

Wanting Sumptuous Heaven - Robert Bly

Crops with bells and whistles

Determinism - The Butterfly Effect

Determinism - Chaos Theory

Foresight

Determinism

Part 1a ひだまりの詩、　Le Couple

Part 2b 劉若英很愛很愛你