Shadow of Light - Living the life

You Are Absolutely Right About Everything

2008-05-20T01:50:00.002+08:00

I've a new post @ my business blog.

Do check it out:

http://businessbugger.blogspot.com/2008/05/you-are-absolutely-right-about.html

To: The Spa @ Railmall

2008-02-20T22:33:00.002+08:00

Thank you for letting me use your toilet!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Linux Kicks Windows' Graphical Arse

2008-02-13T00:35:00.000+08:00

Windows Vista Aero vs Linux Ubuntu Beryl...

WAKE UP MICROSOFT!

Whoa, Call Of Duty 4!!

2008-02-06T02:56:00.000+08:00

Got a new graphics card yesterday..

Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro 512mb

Well...it's the most powerful AGP card on the market now, apart from the X1950XT, which isn't even in Singapore yet.

Now I can play Call Of Duty 4!!

Fantastic, omg, it's da bomb man.

Then I was thinking of 2 things..

1. Thank god for technology and

2. Thank god that we don't need to go through that kinda shit now and that someone else has gone through it before and is currently going through it to protect our freedom.

I'm grateful to be alive!

Blackbird 002

2008-01-24T20:01:00.000+08:00

Move Over Alienware...

Meet the bird that has broken almost every Gaming Magazine's review record score...

The Blackbird 002

Looks much better too!

Check it out: www.hp.com/blackbird

A What? Hexagonal Storm?

2008-01-15T03:56:00.000+08:00

Aren't storms supposed to be round-ish when seen from above...like a circle or an oval?

Then you should check out this freaky storm at the north pole of Saturn:

Haha, cool huh!

Here's an article on the phenomenon : http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn11478-bizarre-hexagon-circles-saturns-north-pole.html

Stop Dedicating This Sing to your Boyfriends and Girlfriends PLEASE!!

2008-01-04T01:28:00.000+08:00

Song?

Last Kiss - by Pearl Jam

Here are the lyrics:

Oh, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.

We were out on a date in my daddy's car
We hadn't driven very far
There in the road, up straight ahead
A car was stalled, the engine was dead
I couldn't stop, so I swerved to the right
I'll never forget the sound that night
The screamin' tires, the bustin' glass
The painful scream that I heard last.

Oh, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.

When I woke up, the rain was pourin' down
There were people standing all around
Something warm rollin' through my eyes
But somehow I found my baby that night
I lifted her head, she looked at me and said
"Hold me darling just a little while."
I held her close, I kissed her our last kiss
I found the love that I knew I would miss
But now she's gone, even though I hold her tight
I lost my love, my life that night.

Oh, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.
Oooh~ ooooh~

It's about a guy losing his girlfriend's life in a car crash damnit!

Neko Rahmen!

2007-12-21T02:22:00.000+08:00

Omg!

A cat that cooks ramen!

Check it out..real cute!

E65 Theme - Space by Falsebeauty

2007-11-10T02:05:00.000+08:00

Well, always wanted a space theme...but there seem to be a lot of very cheezy ones out there.

So how? I created one myself. Hope you people like it

Background by falsebeauty.deviantart.com

Download To Mobile Phone: Space - Falsebeauty 2

Grumpy old men..

2007-11-03T16:23:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, I was taking 190 back to bukit panjang. There was this old man who stood right at where the exit was. He's not the elderly old type that looks like a sneeze can blow him away. He's probably in the 50s, dressed pretty decently and speaks proper english.

I was standing beside the door guards. You know there's this standing section in smrt buses near the door? Yeap. So taht I could be lazy and lean on the polls :p

It's the peak period and everyone wants to go home. People in front where jamming up the door and there was space for at least 4-5 people to the back.

So, I tapped on his shoulder, smiled and pointed him backwards. Then he said angrily, " If you want to go back, then go back lar!" He wasn't shouting but a quite a few people noticed and was visibly alarmed.

I kinda paused. But I moved past him and just said, " OK then, all you have to do is ask. It's nice to meet you anyway"

Then he kinda came forward pushing his body against mine, like an ah-beng challenge. Lol I'm like a head taller than him. I just gave him the 'you're wierd' look and moved on back.
He replied," You like to talk crap isit?"

"If you think I'm talking crap, then I really got nothing to say"

We left it at that. He standing beside me.

I think he probably haven't made love in a long time man.

Greed breeds stupidy

2007-10-29T01:24:00.000+08:00

It's very ironic:

When presented with a legitimate Network Marketing opportunity, one of the most common objections you get is "eee...it's a pyramid scam lar"

But...

When the same person comes across one...promising high returns without effort in a short amount of time? "but it's a fixed payout! and stable returns! don't need to recruit/stock-up!"

Then...

When it's finally over, they ask why'd they do it in the first place.

Remember people..greed breeds stupidity.

So be smart.

Mommy Nature

2007-10-15T20:01:00.000+08:00

Was taking an extra long lunch break today, so I decided to from over to the Esplanade Library from where I am currently working at SGX.

Quite cool, wasn't that far, just took my around 10 minutes. I've always liked taking long walks and just looking around.

On the way back, I was crossing over the Esplanade Bridge when the sky became dark and huge dark clouds started swooping in from the east. I watched it flow towards the skyscrapers with huge bodies tumbling in and around itself....then a realisation hit me.

I've been living in a tropical region since I was born and even went outfield in the rain during my national service. Whenever it rained, I was always indoors, in a car, under trees or running away from it. Never did I just stop, stare and appreciate the majesty of one of mother nature's basic phenomenons.

It was beautiful.

I mean, yea, it's an inkling of what she's capable of but damn, it was beautiful.

I love life!

Puppy Love

2007-09-23T23:46:00.000+08:00

So cute!

I love my tea..and she knows it

2007-09-18T22:23:00.000+08:00

oh boy...

Gotta teach my secretary a lesson..

This is so cool!

2007-09-17T22:00:00.000+08:00

Check this out!

Spidy Wannabe

2007-09-16T20:38:00.000+08:00

Heyz!

Just had half a day of climbing up, down, left and right of rock faces.

Real fun!

And as usual, its harder than it looks, but its actually not so hard that the average can't do it!

My forearm muscles hurt like hell..had to try 4 times before I could open a can drink =p

Another one of those things..

2007-09-14T20:13:00.000+08:00

I was filling some stuff when there was a 'PA' announcement:

"Good day everyone. This is just to inform you that a recent inspection has confirm that the the building is safe. You can now go back to work"

Everyone had already gone back to work as usual this morning. It's not like we were asked to stay at home and wait for the green light to return to work.

Another observation...

I keep seeing pictures and clips of evacuated people standing AROUND the buildings they were evacuating. I'm thinking:

1. IF the building DID collapse...what's gonna happen to them?

2. IF they were so confidant that it wasn't gonna collapse..then why evacuate in the first place?

One could say that it's better than nothing. But I'm like, we play to win people. If you wanna evacuate, do a proper one please and leave no room for error. Lives are at stake.

Another one of those things I guess....

lol

Taliban: Fantastic strategic move

2007-09-04T00:16:00.000+08:00

They did a fantastic move by letting go all of the hostages.

From now on, they have a history of actually keeping their end of the bargain.

Governments will have problems now, especially since the people they govern will only be interested in the short term solution: the lives of the kidnapped. The long term effects of giving in to what terrorists want will be put aside for the sake of saving a few lives.

It's a cold reality my dear friends. Everyone's future or your kids' lives.

It's like the perfect chess move.

Damn.

iPhone Hacked! Hot Damn!

2007-08-28T23:49:00.000+08:00

Thinking of importing one right now hehehe

http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com

Out O' da bod

2007-08-24T16:24:00.000+08:00

Seems like someone finally made it official that experiences such as 'near death' and 'out of body' can be replicated under controlled conditions (link)

That's very cool coz now we can really start to probe deeper into the human anatomy and psyce.

First mimic, then disect.

Notice...this is means that the spiritual realm's foundation just got a knock.

The line between actual spiritual/paranormal experiences have just been blured.

Probably why I'm still a free thinker. My school of thought's starting to come through.

Not that I want it to, it's just the way things are at the moment.

Then again, this could be a test of faith no? Under undeniable evidence and pressure from the devils' agents..will you falter?

Here's the link again : http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070823/ts_alt_afp/usscienceparanormal

My New Busines BLog

2007-08-22T09:46:00.000+08:00

Heeeyyyzzzz...

I've always been talking about business right?

So...I've got a new blog dedicated to that subject!

I hope that by sharing my experiences...both good and bad...you will be able to benefit from them!I will be talking about things like traditional businesses, mlm, internet marketing and even personal development.

Some of you have been looking me to to talk about business, so I hope this will be a new avenue for us to discuss about it yea?

Here it is :

A Young Bugger's Journey into Business

businessbugger.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Names..

2007-08-20T10:56:00.000+08:00

Omg...

There's really a babu singh... =.=

What's the point of having punishments then?

2007-08-16T23:38:00.000+08:00

I was reading some letters sent to the 'Today' newspaper.

It was from a few guys who thought that the punishment given to the kids who were caught downloading (or pirating) anime off the net are to harsh.

Isn't that what this is about?

Harsh punishments?

If it weren't harsh, will they get a message?

If your punishments weren't tough...

THEN WHAT'S THE POINT?

sigh...

Take from one who has been let off the hook many times.

Free Upgrade!

2007-07-24T22:46:00.000+08:00

Sent my Elsa Gladiac 940 (geforce 6800) 128mb ram card for servicing...3 times...

the third time took 7 months. Hot damn.

But it's ok..you know why?

I got a free upgrade to a 6800GT with 256mb ram!

woohoo!

So I just got a few extra months on the comp before I change it roar

XiaXue VS Steven Lim

2007-07-22T00:32:00.000+08:00

The battle of the titans wahahah...omg..

I think these 2 were made for each other..

I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up marrying each other in the future man..

But anyways...

You know one thing about XiaXue?

Even though I think that she's obnoxious...and a a tad ugly..and a tad insecure (comeon...listing down other disgusting bloggers? that screams a need for bringing people down to make oneself feel superior), you do realise that she has a mind of her own and is just being herself. Narcissistic tendencies included.

Steven?

sigh........

He's the epitome (however you spell it) of cluelessness. He just doesn't get it.

For example...if anyone were to make a comment on both on them..which is that 'you are such insecure individuals', their respective replies will be:

Xiaxue, " Yea, wadeva, I might be insecure, but that who I am right now and if you can live with it that's YOUR problem!"

Steven," Huh? Where got...OMG!!ey...etcetcetc....I am not insecure...actually YOU are the insecure one....I've alwa...etcetcet..."

You get the picture.

(P.S. Usually, you don't have to be good in something to comment about something. ie. Good in looks before you can say that someone is ugly..or be good in presentations to give comments about it. SO. If there ever were to be a retort about me being ugly and therefore not being able to comment on your looks, then I'm sorry. Fact is fact. I may be ugly. But me being ugly doesn't mean that you aren't ugly too eh?)

Curious Irony: people going onto xiaxue's blog to ask her why's she popular. =.=

BABI-Trons!

2007-07-22T00:03:00.000+08:00

omg..

the author's house's gonna be bombed man..

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Malay

Mankini

2007-07-15T00:35:00.000+08:00

Lol

The latest fashion!

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/59760799/

Business Hypocrites

2007-07-08T01:49:00.000+08:00

I still can't understand why people who work in traditional organisations with a pyramid hiriechy,
- Where they don't get an equal chance to reach the top
- The real winners are the CEO and shareholders

Have to keep shooting down MLMs that:
- Allow everyone an equal chance to reach the top
- Focus is on distributors to win before company does

When they still join REAL PYRAMIDS that:
- Promise fixed returns- Promise fixed and HIGH returns
- Promise those returns when it is freaking obvious that the company has no source of income except from the greedy people who participate in them.

Talk about a hypocritical world huh?

A very man little corker

2007-07-05T16:23:00.000+08:00

Check this out lol!

WATCH TRANSFORMERS!

2007-07-03T23:29:00.000+08:00

WATCH TRANSFORMERS!

Fairfield Alumni Winds Revival

2007-06-13T00:15:00.000+08:00

Hey folks,Sorry that we took such a long break.

We are back...

*And we need your support*

The Alumni Winds will just be a name without you -

our friends and fellow musicians.

We have just been asked to perform for the upcoming Founder's Day Dinner,which will be held at FMSS itself thisyear. As you already know, that's less than2 months away.So, our first practice starts, that's right, THIS SATURDAY, 16th JUNE '076-9pm @ FMSS Band room.

Yeap, it's still there, if not alittle different.

The school is paying the guards forthe extra hours that is required forthe school to be open for us. We can'tafford to extend practice timings. So, do help us out by coming on time so that we can maximise out practicesessions.

Let us start anew. Let this be thebeginning of a true alumni band, wherefriends, old and new, can come together to make music or to simplyhave fun. Again, it's 16 June'07, 6-9pm @FMSS band room.

Any enquires please give me a tinkle @ friendster.

See you soon!

Health Vs Wealth

2007-06-10T22:52:00.000+08:00

I'm gonna assume that 'wealth' means financial wealth.

I believe that both is important.
You cannot afford not to have either. If you take life as a road and take yourself as a wheel that's rolling down this road, wouldn't you want your wheel to be as round as possible, so that you can roll along smoothly?

My own wheel does not only contain 'health' and 'money', but also 'emotional health', 'contribution' and 'life fulfillment'.
Imagine each of those attributes were a part of the wheel. Now imagine that some of those attributes are weak and small, while others are large and big. With that kind of wheel, life will be one heck of a bumpy ride, wouldn't it?

I'm going to add something just for arguements' sake.

I find that prioritising Health over Financial Wealth is a very selfish.

Why? Because it only effects you.

Let me put it this way: If I were to die at 30 years old with 5 million dollars in my bank, and I were to give half to my family and the other half to charities, how many people will I benefit?

Yea, true, I screwed up my health, however, because I have so much more financial leverage than the average person, my so called demise would actually benefit the welfare of many many others.

Just a thought ^^

ORD LOH!

2007-06-04T21:47:00.000+08:00

ORD LOH!

Kid bullying...parents or schools?

2007-05-28T12:08:00.000+08:00

I think that as with anything, you are responsible for your own action and whatever and whoever that belongs to you.

In other words, if I am a parent and the child is mine, I am *Primarily* responsible. The school is also responsible, though it is Shared with the parents. Parents *Own* the responsibility of their kids.

Just like if I were to outsource a business contract, it will be my responsibility to ensure that my contractor upholds his end of the bargain.

On the other hand, if the contractor received the defective goods from me in the first place...do I blame them?

Another thing: mollycoddling.

I think it's becoming an epidemic. Children are getting away with all sorts of bad behaviour because parents back them up when they are punished for it. Parents just refuse to accept the fact that their child can misbehave. To the child, their parents justify their sorry behaviours.
The same trend is observable in the army as well, as the newer batches of recruits come in. You can imagine how it feels like when you see boys who are becoming adults being treated this way by their parents. It's a sin.

At the end of the day, I believe that what was once known as 'taking care of your children' have become an extremist form of helping them even when they do not deserve it, encouraging them to get worst.

Another thing would be the fact that parents nowadays are too quick to blame the schools. What can they do when parents do not support them? Worst still, what can they do when parents refuse to believe that their beloved little doodles can't do any wrong and justify their bad behaviours?

There's a quote that simpley says 'rubbish in, rubbish out'. Does it apply here?

I say parents. Please. Wake. Up.

Waterproof pod?

2007-05-21T21:48:00.001+08:00

Wahahaha!!

My iPod survived a full cycle in the washing machine!!

Wooohoooo!!

13 more days to ORD!!

WOOHOO!!

Creative speaker for iPod...finally!

2007-05-01T22:17:00.000+08:00

Been waiting and waiting...

No portable speaker sold for the iPod was ever as good as the ZenMicro Traveldock...so I bought a zenmicro traveldock speaker for my iPod

I've sacrificed presentation for sound quality....

Now the wait is finally over!

They'av the TRAVELSOUNDi !!!

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=4&subcategory=683&product=16187

woohoo!

Kenny ORDs!

2007-04-28T14:46:00.000+08:00

Yoz people

Want an ORD countdown timer for your desktop?

hehe...

Get it here - www.shadowoflite.com/ord2.zip

remember to scan it first..

BINGO! WWAHHAHHAHA!!!

2007-04-27T22:08:00.000+08:00

WOOHOO!!

I'M GOING CRAZY!!!

I JUST WON AT BINGO!!!

1ST PRIZE AT BINGO!!!

A BRANDLESS 17" LCD TV!!!

WOOHOOO!!!

Storeman course....39 days to ORD...

2007-04-23T14:02:00.000+08:00

huh...

just got put on the Supple Assistant (Storeman) course...

Oh man...

what dumbness..

I can't really imagine myself doing reservist as a CQ...I think it's gonna be god-damn boring..

hmmm...

Think I shall go back once and see how...hopefully I can upgrade again within the next one year

Downgrade....storeman.

2007-04-14T22:24:00.000+08:00

From a proud M113 Vehicle Commander to a 3SG Storeman...

-$150 combat pay as well =~(

Coz I'av not gone through the combat quartermaster course yet, even though I'm doing its job.

cry~~

screwit

49 days to ORD. Bring it on!

Stay..away from me...

2007-04-13T21:39:00.000+08:00

I've been getting hits from guys on friendster...

coz i 'playfully' put looking for guys in my profile....

plz.....i'm not gay.

Comeon...are we that pathetic?

2007-04-01T15:16:00.001+08:00

I was reading an article about foreign students outshining our local students.

I was shocked by our response..

I seriously cannot understand why are we screwing them for being better than us. Omg.
This only proves that we are in a society that has been spoilt by the government coz we can't even tolerate competition.

Wake up!

Please don't tell me that we are willing to lie to ourselves when reality is such that everyone is catching up and even surpassing us.

Why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer - III

2007-03-30T23:26:00.000+08:00

Whoot

Sorry for the long break before this post...wasn't inspired =p

Anyways...

The 3rd reason is - Accountability.

Basically means he makes himself accountable for all that has happened to him. If he is poor, it's his fault. If he failed a project, he probably skipped something. If he did not win, he didn't do enough to deserve that win.

He doesn't blame the environment. Meaning, it's not the boss' fault that he has a low pay. It's not his teamate's fault if they lost the match. It's not the govenments fault that he is now a bankrupt.

Well, true, it's a little dangerous if you take it too far. You'd probably end up @ woodbridge. The real trick is to reframe it such that it isn't destructive and yet it will compel you to do better next time.

Fact is that too many of us blame everything and everyone else except for ourselves. That's not the problem. The problem is that when that happens, we think that everything is ok, and then make the same mistake again. Not smart.

I believe that to live non-constructively is a sin.

So for those who are just browing...just forget what I said ^^

For the rest of us who aspire to be something, let us just hope that we will not be destroyed because we refuse to take responsibility for our own actions, no matter how ugly the truth of it may be.

Godspeed ^^

Part I
Part II

MC needs a break man...

2007-03-18T22:13:00.000+08:00

I still chuckle whenever I see this pic lol..

Just Fucking Shut Up and Listen.

2007-03-11T02:11:00.000+08:00

This is a skill that we all need to learn.

If you just thought of interrupting, then you are in even dire need of this skill.

To listen, you really must SHUT UP and wait until the other person has FINISHED even BEFORE you say a blardy thing.

Because ANY form of interruption basically means that you have NO interest whatsoever in what you partner is talking about and that you only wish to impose your views onto him without considering your PARTNERs' point of view.

Hard isn't it? Because this means that in order to really listen, you have to shut up when:

You think you know what he is going to say next
You know what he is going to say next
You vehemently disagrees with whatever he says
What your partner says makes absolutely no sense to you
When you think you are right
When you know you are right
When you are actually quite sick of listening to more
When you know that listening any further is of no use
etc etc etc...

My point being, if you really want to learn the art of listening, the hardest thing to do is to shut up. Shutting Up is really the secret to listening. Once you do that, you will realise that more often than not, certain details that you once thought was insignificant might be brought into the light, clearing up whatever misunderstanding that happened in the first place.

After shutting up, is to actually process the blardy information.

NO MATTER HOW RIGHT YOU (THINK) YOU ARE, question it when someone disagrees.

eg. I have black hair. I know I have black hair. Jane tells me I got brown hair. NO MATTER HOW colour blind I think she is, I will still ask myself ,'hmmm really? Is it that she is colour blind? Or is it that she saw the tinge of brown under another shade of light which I have not seen myself.' After that, if you still confirm that its black, then fine, argue and explain.

DO NOT REJECT ANY DISAGREEMENTS IMMEDIATELY. Doing so shows that you do not even respect to other person's point of view and doing so will ultimately hurt his ego, intentional or not. Consider all possibilities. Because you are not God.

The whole idea is not to always agree, but to agree to disagree with reason. What if your partner is right? Then you'd save yourself from potential embarrassment.

So many misunderstandings can be resolved.

Be prepared also to learn of ugly but important truths about yourself.

So:

Shut Up
Listen
Consider Possibilities

THEN argue.

Who Wants a Dopod!

2007-03-08T08:54:00.000+08:00

Yoz!

I'm representing Dopod in the upcoming ITshow @ Suntec City Hall 602

Look for me and I'll try to get the best deals for you!

Why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer - II

2007-02-11T20:11:00.000+08:00

Hmm...

Hope the previous post was useful and that it gave you a new way of looking at certain aspects of your life.

Now time for the other reason...

Leverage.

A rich person knows that he using his own strength he can never multiply his own efforts and so he seeks means and ways to do so with not only what he has, but with other people's contribution as well.

Life is filled with examples where the 'best' thing/service/product almost always can't seem to survive while those that make it big time are those with average product/service but have the best systems in place...example:

Mcdonalds - They don't have the best burgers, however their franchise system is responsible for their viral like growth.

Toyota - Their stuff is never outstanding, but it is always good enough and affordable. Soon to take over as the biggest car manufacturer in the world.

Someone once summed it up by saying that he'd rather have 10% productivity of 10 men then 100% productivity of himself. That way he can get the same work done and still have resources to do other things as well.

So what are the things that we must leverage?

1. Money
2. Effort
3. Time.

Money -

In singapore, banks have a pathetic interest rate of abt 0.25%..

So, saving's a pathetically slow way to get rich don't you think?

Investing is one way to leverage on money to earn more money. Obviously there are the so called 'risky' investment vehicles, as well as the 'safe' ones. The point is that if you want your money to grow on its own and not only by adding to it, you will need to get it invested.

Time / Effort -

Why are large companies able to do things the way they do?

Why some people spend their entire lives running a business which doesn't seem to grow?

That's because they are able or unable to leverage on other people's time and effort. Businesses stay small when the owner insists on doing everything himself. That's fine in the beginning when costs have to be kept low, however once things start to grow, he ought to grow his manpower as well.

If you noticed, most people are rich because they own businesses, invested, struck lottery or gena a large inheritence. Obviously, most of us aren't lucky enough for the last 2 to happen to us.

So, for those of us who can't seem to strike lotteries at will and don't have relatives who are stinking rich, I guess the only way is for us to venture out and learn more about businesses and investment.

Nothing ventured...nothing gained.

Part I
Part III

Why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer - I

2007-02-11T01:44:00.000+08:00

Why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?

many reasons...

and one of them..that has been given too much negative coverage is this...

Insurance.

If you are unsure about savings or investment accounts, nevermine. Just get some blardy insurance for things like : personal hospitalisation, disease, car, etc.

Life of a poor man:

Save save save save....wow $30,000

Shit..gena some farny disease...$30,000 gone.

Save save save save...nice nice..now $30,000 again

Shit...some idiot banged into car...$ 30,000 gone.

save save save save...phew...$30,000!!!

Shit...roof leaking...$30,000 gone.

You get the point.

Think about it. One of the reasons the rich get richer is because even though they already have the money, they have insurance to ensure that they do not need to touch their own money when an emergency arises.

Does it cost a bomb to get insurance? No. $50/mth could probably cover you for almost $100,000 for major illnesses. I can understand why some people get the feeling that they should kill themselves even after the hardships of recovery from a serious illness. It usually happens when they see the bill.

And you know what? You can't bring down the costs coz 1. the machinary is expensive and 2. the personal is expensive. Yea you want cheap fees. For that you need cheap labour. Would you be willing to work for cheap fees after going through half your life and spending tons to get your MD?

There you go.

Go talk to an insurance agent and try to get the following covered:

Self - Hospitalisation (non major illnes)
Self - Major Illness
Self - Disability
Self - assets (car, house)
Others - death (unless u could care less for the people who took care of you)

--------------------
Personal experience:

I got a disease called Meningites out of the blue (go wiki it). It was a non-specific, probable bacteria infection (which is basically as good as saying 'unknown'). After 2 weeks of hospitalisation, the total hospital bill was almost $20,000. Thank god it happened while I was in the Army...they sponsored it. Out of all that, I only paid $90 out of my medisafe account.

Well, given my families' current financial status, I wonder what would happen if I wasn't in the army and I had no coverage for that at all. Wtf are they going to find that money? And for a hospitalised illness, $20,000 was already a pretty small sum. What if something worst happened to me?

I'm not going to find out...

Do yourselves a favor...if not for financial reasons..then for health..ok?

Part II
Part III

Bunny OWNS snake wahaha

2007-01-22T20:39:00.000+08:00

Does this spell the end for the current foodchain?

That's one spunky lil rabbit!

YATTA!

2007-01-18T22:11:00.000+08:00

lol those crazy japs..

The old or good'ol SIA girl?

2007-01-14T16:54:00.000+08:00

See a Singapore Girl and what do you think off?

A submissive servant? A prostitute? Midnight romps in a hall full of girls in tight-fitting kebayas?

What I see is warmth, caring, an understanding of stress relieving needs (non-sexual….), basically an adherence to the highest levels of hospitality.

A recent article in the newspaper asks if the SIA girls need to be retired, because their very image is demeaning to a female, encourages indecent thoughts and represent an era long gone as the world moves beyond the 21st century.

My immediate thoughts were:

1. Isn’t SIA in a service-orientated industry?

2. Why are we listening to woman action groups with regards to the way our Singapore Girls are portrayed?

3. Who, when looking at a beautiful female, whether dressed appropriately or otherwise, does not, at any point in time, have steamy thoughts about her?

4. Why aren’t we asking the ones who matter most – the customers?

5. And with respect to the last point – isn’t it proof that the Singapore Girl image is partly responsible for its present day success?

And just for the record, when I see out dear Singapore Girls walking around in wheat fields and playing with children, I do not get an immediate hard-on. I actually view it as an appreciation of nature and all the different cultures that surround us.

When the Singapore girl is in love with you, well, when a girl is in love with you, how do they treat you? The ad did not read, “This girl wants you now.”

What can I say? An image says a thousand words. However, an image’s meaning can also be instantly changed when viewed from a different perspective.

As opposed to promoting sex sex and more sex, I think the Singapore Girl brings out the full extent of a female’s femininity, almost to the point of being motherly.

When you are a weary traveler with the stresses of the world on your shoulders, isn’t it comforting to know that such people are around to help you unwind and relax?

As for looks, well, despite knowing very well that we should never judge a book by its cover, it has been proven time and time again that first appearances are important, in fact almost critical, to ensuring success.

Case study, from ‘Blink: The power of thinking without thinking – Malcolm Gladwell’

Drink A (with Bottle A) has been the dominant drink in its market.

Drink B (with Bottle B) was launched, causing Drink A’s sales to go down.

Survey shows that actually, most still prefer the taste of Drink A.

But this is the critical finding; when Drink A was poured into both Bottle A and Bottle B, more people actually choose Bottle B. Adding on to that, those who drank Drink A from Bottle B said that its tastes better (remember, same drink in both bottles).

Therefore, Drink A redesigned its bottle to become like Bottle B. Result? Sales went back up, again dominating its market.

People always talk about looks, using it to sell sex and stuff. Well, any remedy to that? Shall we hire ugly ladies just to prove that we do not sell sex? So what, are you saying that ugly people aren’t sexy? Talk has always been about that looks are not important. Nobody seems to have come up with an alternative yet.

Also, I believe, such stereo-typing shows the lack of understanding in the service industry. Nobody sees the training and sacrifice that people from such industries go through. Apart from the usual tough interviews and rigorous training, on the working floor, they have to plan and work around their customers. Customers are always first. Meal times are compromised. Sleep is given up. Dignity is often put aside to appease a tough customer.

And the Singapore Girl, outdated?

Doesn’t the Sarong Kebaya represent a part of our Singaporean culture? How do you modernize the basic principals of service? How does a blue eye shadow make them outdated?

McDonalds does not have the cheapest or best tasting food. Neither does it have a fantastic atmosphere or outstanding facilities. What they have, is a formula that works.

And so does SIA. And it seems that almost all customers around the world still prefer and love its current recipe for service excellence.

SIA recuiting!

2007-01-06T22:38:00.000+08:00

Went for the SIA Cabin Crew interview today

Whoa...crowded sia...popular job I suppose!

They split us up into groups of 10, with no mixed sexes...

And then round one... a 1 minute inpromptu describetion of a given topic...

My heart was racing..haven't had that feeling for a long time...

After we were all done...we were all asked to wait outside...

See, here's the thing. When we saw the groups before us enter the interview rooms, results were given *immediately*..meaning to say "you you stay..the rest thx for your time" kinda thing.

And since we were ALL asked to wait, we were very confidant as a group, all agreeing that everyone's performance was actually pretty good, and that we might actually be the only group with all going in!

Alas..in the end, only 6 of us were chosen.

Yea I wish. I was among the 4. ^^

Hey, no hard feelings. What I want to know is...why did I fail..and how can I improve? That's the worst part of the whole experience because...there was no feedback at all.

Not that it is expected of them, I mean, comeon, its SIA.

However..I feel that one of the worst things to happen to you is that you can't learn from a mistake, especially when you are aware of making it.

Well, lets see what happens in 2 months time ^^

ORD Countdown!

2007-01-05T20:36:00.000+08:00

Roararwawahahahahaha

Let the countdown begin!

God...hmm

2007-01-01T02:23:00.000+08:00

It's not that I do not support religions, or that I am an anti-crist. The problem is that the more I delve into the subject of 'God',the more human he becomes. Behaviours, idiosyncrasies and thought processes...look them through another perspective and you realise they actually mirror the behaviour of man.

The most common excuse when this arises is that one must have 'faith', and that our human minds are incapable of interpretating god's plan for us. Everything is a double edged sword. To live life to the fullest, one must have faith and think beyond himself to accomplish greatness that benefits all. However, what happens when you have faith in the 'wrong idea'? I believe terrorists are an example of faith gone wrong.

Does god exist? Nobody knows. I used to think that god exists..until the day I start seeing human chracteristics in god (within any religion). I have always been interested in Astronomy, and you realise after awhile that even the most grandiose of God's plans are insignificant when compared to the scale of the universe.

Feelings that people describe as being touched by god, feeling of transcendence and etcetc are easily replicated in laboratory conditions.

Another thing is this....I noticed that the choice of one's religion is very often one that complements his/her insecurities. Think about it. Also, If there were really one true god, how can there ever be a multi-racial society?

Many say God is what you think he is. Does that mean that we created god? I mean, If god is what I think he should be.....that means I decide how god is like...and..er..how can that be? I am not god..how can I decide how he is like? God would be god...he would be what he is, not what I 'think' of him. If there are things that I don't like about him...too bad, coz if he is like that...then that's the way it is no?

So, was god created to fill a void? Could it be that we have no purpose at all? What if there was no God?

There were many times before when certain ideas were branded as 'heresy', only to be concluded later as 'fact'. But, should we believe that there is a god? For the sake of it?

This would go on forever lol...

For me, I have pretty much accepted a God'less way of living...which seriously makes me want to live my life to an even higher level than before. Why? I have no chance to serve/enjoy in heaven. Any good I do can only be done when I am alive. It also requires more skill and balls to think big enough such that your actions will not only affect you generation, but even those after you, when you are long gone.

Then, if God really exists, wouldn't it be better? I mean, if we can already do tremendous amounts of good without god, what can't we do with god around?

Btw, Happy New Year folks ^^

How to start an online business (Easy)

2006-12-25T00:48:00.000+08:00

Well, there are mainly a few steps to doing so

1. Get a domain name
2. Get a host for that name (web hosting)
3. Build a webpage
4. Add content
5. Market (with seo and stuff)
6. make money.

Most people already have their products in mind...be it a service, ebook, toys or whatnot...the problem is the marketing..how on %#!@% do you get people to start buying from you?

This involves mainly things like SEO (search engine optimisation), PPC (pay-per click), webpage building/design.

There are a lot of software/service providers out there that can help you out...the prob is they cost a bomb.

An affordable way of starting an online business is with Site Built It! (SBI!)

It is an affordable all-in-one package for total newbies who knows #@!$ about html, SEO, PPC and stuff.

Can have a look at it @ my temporarily revamped page, www.Proven-Wealth.net

post meningitis cognitive impairment

2006-12-24T02:25:00.000+08:00

Yeap

think its official

sounds damn chim and scary ah?

It is lar kinda...

Now I want it to go away so that I can go back to by old quick thinking self..

(Headphones) Creative Aurvanas vs ATH-CK7

2006-12-08T23:15:00.000+08:00

Review: Creative Aurvana vs Audio
Technica ATH-CK7

Eloz pips!

I've been looking for a new set of earphones ever since my old one got busted on its left wire..leaving the volume at half its nomrla level...so..my budget's only ard $150

I remember testing the Aurvana June'06 during Comex when it was still priced at $239. I also remember seeing the Audio Technica booth at the show (it was their first exhition at a IT - related event) and the sales manager recommending me the ATH-CK7.

Aurvana's price dropped to $169..then now, as of the price at Sitex'06 $139. Madness lol..but that's the way Creative's been playing the game.

Was at www.sgheadphones.net and see many talk about the CK7 and the Aurvana, and never both directly together...I have been trying to figure out whether I should get either of these 2..coz clearly it seems like the Senheisser counterpart, the CX300, clearly does not measure up to standard and the Shure E2c's are out of my budget.

Anyway, I hope you ppl can get something useful out of this review.

Design and Comfort:

Aurvana - When I first saw it...I was stunned by how small it was. Real small..and real light at that. If you're the type who let one hang out while listening to talk around you, then you'd have no problems with it pulling the other one out or it swinging around being a nuisanse. Wires are pretty normal while the headpiece casing seem to be made up of a glossy acrylic and the rubber tips looks pretty thick. Well? Time to pop in in eh? And so I did...

Creative claims that it blocks out about 90% of ambient sounds...well, I had to change the earbuds to the medium size (coz it was large at first). When I did...I tell you...it was pretty amazing.
I was in a computer exhibition remember? Sometimes, to talk, you either had to shout at one another or huddle together to speak. I was at peace with the Aurvanas in the ear. It was quite magical as you looked around the at the crowd and you realise how silent it is. Not only that, it was comfortable, damn confortable. Even if you aren't gonna buy it, just try it man seriously. In that experience it was pretty close, though 80% blockage would be more accurate.

The Aurvanas also come package with a travel pack, complete with the 3 bud sizes, a cleaner and an airline entertainment system 'F' adapter. Looks real slick I must say.

The only gripe I have with the whole package is that the earphones has got no mesh to cover the drivers. Look straight into the headpiece and you see a hole. Very small (which makes me wonder why some people can't fit the Aurvanas...did u try the small buds?), but en EMPTY hole nonetheless. Imagine what happens once you start using it often..and all that yellow thingy drops in and clogs up the drivers....effects sound and hygiene...eesh.

Aurvanas: 8/10

ATH-CK7 - Well, looks normal, though the forged titanium finish gives it a solid look. The wires are not too thin and not stiff, so if you are the type who likes winding up your earphones then you wouldn't need worry about the 'memory effect' that stiffer wires have. Packaging's pretty standard, earpiece with 3 bud sizes and a Audio Technica Pouch.

They are heavy though, for earpieces at least. Also, looked upon head-on, the drivers seem pretty big, though the hygiene meshes are definitely there (lol). It's definitely not as comfortable as the Aurvanas, but the way it fits feels pretty standard for these types of earphones. Sound isolation is pretty good as well, prolly around 60% when fitted properly. Hmm...travelling in the bus, loud conversations by ah bengs are reduced to a murmur. Aiyah, just imagine the all the noise is behind a door, but slightly softer.

CK7: 7/10

Sound

Aurvana - Good isolation, comfirtable, chic looks. Now onto the sound.

For the first few sesonds..it sounded really good! the bass was there, soundstage was wide and you could hear the different instruments...then something went wrong...

I don't know..it just started to sound...wrong.

Bass: It was strong..but it wasn't lean. On the songs that required longer bass notes, it sounded a little wobbly. It was warm, but not filling. Not punchy enough either.

Mids: This is where the Aurvana really screwed up. It was almost non-existant. I could barely hear the instruments in this region. If there were, there was a kind of fake thin metal quality to it, which would whine off towards the end. Voices were very good though, surpringly. it kinda stands out from the rest of the sound, as if creative focused their effort solely on making voices sound good.

Highs: At low volume, it sounds alright. The moment volume picks up, the same metallic quality is apparent and the sound also has the tendency to warp away. It's terrible because first impressions
of it is actually very good. You get clear bright sound that doesn't sting, and you get to hear a lot of details within the sound that you'd probably never hear using cheaper models...then the warping thing starts and it just such a killjoy you know?

Soundstage: It's pretty good actually. The different musical elements are spread out, it sounds full but there's no clautrophobic quality to it. It is also easy to pick out many background elements. Too bad the stage seem to be filled with faulty instruments.

(I noted that there are people who said that using an amplifier radically increaases the sound quality of the Aurvanas...the lack of power is what probably explains the going-out-of-tune-whine like sound this pair tends to produce. However, it is up against an un-amplified set. so on equal grounds it is still inferior)

Overrall: 5/10

CK7 - Bass: Strong, lean and punchy. I like! Genres like Jazz and Rock will sound good here. Produces large, full sound when the song calls for it too.

Mids: Very clear, though it's a little softer than I'd like it to be.On a scale of 10, with 5 being just right, it would be be a 4. Instruments were very accurately portrayed. Unlike the Aurvana, voices heard in the ck7 seem to blend into the music. Simply put, the mids are not out of this world, though I will say that it's very good.

Highs: Hoho...very bright, this pair! If you had a pretty screwed up pair of phones to listen with before, you might find that the ck7 will be a little piercing at the start. However, everything is accurately replicated. Very nice, with a lot of detail. Heard somethings that I never heard before!

Soundstage: Smaller than the Aurvanas, but more filling, especially considering how good the sound quality already is. Though all different elements of sound can be heard distinctively, the kinda blend in together at the end. Not a group of individual sounds, but a single musical entity.

Overrall: 9/10

Value

Aurvana - Given that the the drop in price is pretty astronomical ($239 - $169 - $139), it's still pretty good value, considering how comfortable and light it is. The travel case - the little bag of tricks, also adds value. I sometime marvel at how Creative small the Aurvanas really are (take out the buds and see for yourself). 7/10

CK7 - Heard that the retail price is around $158 ( I got a deal for $134..hehe). In this price range, for such sound and isolation as well as a solid forged titanium construction, it seems like a pretty good bargain. Just make sure it fits and though it's a tad heavy, it sounds cool. 8.5/10

Conclusion

Aurvana - Extremely disappointed I must say. I was expecting a lot from this little pair or charmers when you consider its launch price ($269!) and all the good reviews that go with it (i guess the reviews were picked by Creative...or coz they are Singaporean artists...sigh..). Go for it if you can't really hear the difference and want fantastic isolation and comfort. Its recent price drop has made it a viable choice again, though I must say that the sound just totally spoiled my mood. I think it's the first creative item has has better looks than performance..ha.

CK7 - At this price range, this pair is fantastic. I love the sound, looks good, doesn't get all wiry and tangly. If you were someone who'd go after accurate sound, with punchy lows, accurate mids and bright highs all bundled together into a symphony then this headphones are for you. It's not too pricy as well, making it a real bargain.

Aurvanas - 60%

ATH-CK7 - 82%

Well, I got the CK7 in the end...coz it's too obvious that its the better choice. I wanted sooo much to get the aurvanas that I would give it a try whenever I go past a Creative store outlet but the I'd reach the same conclusion - that the sound is just wrong.

That just seems to be the case isn't it? I don't know if its only me who thinks this way but it seems like almost every Creative product seems inspired but it always falls JUST short of reaching its intended destination. O well, Audio Tech's got my money this time round.

Again, I hope you guys found this useful..and if you wanna critic please dun just go "OooRHhh You !#@!#@1 NOOB! U SUck coz u etcetcetc" yea? thx...

top cock! you go skinner!

2006-12-02T12:33:00.000+08:00

Love this one..

help's that she's cute wahaha

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I can't sleep

2006-11-29T13:54:00.000+08:00

Got involved in some wargames thingy which involve simulation of war through combined 'real' and 'virtual' elements of the army..quite cool really.

Well, real war is on-going 24 hours a day right? right..so a shift system is involved..

and I got night shift..wahaha

So so it has been..the last 3 nights, going in at 7pm, our at ard 8am. It's actually not as dreary as one would expect because it quite an eye-opening experience when you start to see how all the different parts work together to make an operation. The only problem is the system...

This being a computerised system...I guess the nearest comparism would be strategy games on the level of Tom Clancy's Fleet Command, though not glamourous, has a lot of strategic elements involved, making it rather deep.

It's just so....'buggy'...that you think 'wtf...if a game were to be published in this state, it would have required millions of patches to get it up and running.'

And here's the blardy thing...

it's the afternoon after my third shift..and I'm supposed to be asleep...

I'm wide awake.

Arrghhh

I've a feeling I'm gonna regret this

Gortron's Xmas wish

2006-11-19T16:42:00.000+08:00

How do they come up with pics like this?

It's so innocent..yet so sad...and so full of hope...

oh man this pic's making me feel feministic and it's making my eyes water...

simply beautiful..

That empty feeling...

2006-11-19T00:17:00.000+08:00

Why do I keep getting this empty feeling nowadays.

It's like my ambitions have long forsaken me...

My forward path has been muddled up...

I can think barely 2 steps forward into the future when I used to have visions that could span the entirety of universal time.

It's irritating!

Whoa...2 months light duties

2006-11-15T22:15:00.000+08:00

Lol..just got light duties until 250107

With another psycotherapy session on 211206

Looks like I won't be going India too, but that one's not certain.

Got a dental appt on 211106 as well...

Medical madness period huh...

heh..cute

The 3 stooges (who just so happen to be indians)

2006-10-29T09:14:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday (23rd Oct..was it?), went to Sentosa to celebrate Deborah's birthday.

The new hotel's pretty hip! Simple and non artsy-fartsy, though I must say it's a little smaller than I would like.

O well it's Singapore..

We decided to have a go at the luge. I must say I am looking forward to the new Sentosa. Everything looks new and fun, though it kinda reinforces the fact that we have resort to faking everything...making it seem unnatural..commercial...canned. O well..

Now here's the thing..the queue was pretty long..so obvisouly there would be some groups who would probably ask a friend to reserve a pot in the queue. It does get irritating when you have people going 'excu me..excu me...' and going ahead of you. That's not too bad lar...but some people just have no respect...and pretend to be one of those people looking for friends..and really cutting queues..

And there was an indian dude that really pissed me off..

Dressed up and hip and wannabe like with sun-glasses and shit...didn't seem local..I let him through...I didn't know y I was compelled to continue tracking him...I did so anyway...then...I saw him stop near the start..looking around..all innocent like...I made eye contact with him (him with his sunglasses on lol)...I could tell by his body language that he knew he was caught.

So I just gave him a sneer and shook my head..

Oh well..it's not like everyone's cutting right? Let's not spoil the atmosphere coz of some stupid people...

Anyhow, somehow, we ended up right behind them near the start of the luge right. Was having a headache..and was damn irritated by that indian, who was already joined by his other 2 friends at that time, similarly dressed. I was making pot shots at them by talking about cutting queue and respect with my buddy..and that nobody wants to be racist against indians..but their behaviour's just asking for it...

Could only do that much wad..haha..

But then god would be on my(and other fair player's) side...

You see....to ride the luge...u had to go uphill...and there's a thing called the 'skyride' for that. Kinda like a mini cable car in those ski resorts to bring you uphill..

When you get tickets...you can get for.. 1. the luge 2. skyride and 3. Skyride AND Luge.

When it was the indians' turn to ride the luge...our angmor manager checked the ticket...and 'oh..i'm so sorry..your ticket is for the skyride, not the luge...plaese proceed this way...'

I burst out laughing. Whahwahwhahwahhwhwahahhaw

Sorry I had to do it...didn't feel forgiving that day..

First they smoked the rest of us by cutting queue..now they wanna try it with a ticket?

MORONS

So...for those of you out there who wanna kay-siau and smoke-out, it's ok you know, really, once in awhile. The thing is please...to do it properly and only for the proper occasion. Otherwise at the end, you end up not being a smirky smarty-ass, but a moron.

lol...buaiz..

Nonono....I dowan to go back... =~(

2006-10-22T15:06:00.000+08:00

I dowan..i dowan...i dowan...i dowan...i dowan...

MMMMmmmmMMMMMMMMMmmmmmMMMMmMmmmmMMmmMMmmm...

We need more lecturers like this!

2006-10-20T00:18:00.000+08:00

Lol, check this out

An NTU Electrical Engineering lecture.. watch from 42mins onwards!

http://155.69.112.96/aculearn-me/channel1/content/users/elkgoel/acl21oct11_29_21/play.asp?asname=ME-CEE&moduleid=acl21oct11_29_21&author=elkgoel&amhost=presentur.ntu.edu.sg&cat=acustudio

kk I sumpa...no virus' or shit..

Orh...no more MC extension

2006-10-19T19:50:00.000+08:00

Yoz..

Went for another follow-up today at NUH

Same old prob..doc also can't say anything...haa

So I will get light duties until I my next appt with him.

I remember a time when my 2.4km run timing was 9.30...which kinda dropped to 11.30 in sept 1 month ago....

Now? I think it would take me 20 mins to run the same distance haha

Seems like my camp MO is considering downgrading me. Don't know whether i welcome it or not. On one hand, I am looking forward to it. On another...I feel kinda bad. Think I still got some pride left in me. Wahahaha. Guess we'll have to see how this plays out.

Got this huge itch to go exercise but I can't. Oh man...gotta control my food intake. I have a pretty beautiful wasteline now...cannot lose it...no more fat me!

My...GFX card....sigh

2006-10-17T00:13:00.000+08:00

It's an Elsa Gladiac 940, based on the nVidia GeForce 6800 GPU..

Just got it back after 8 weeks of repairs..

Poped in in...started playing Tomb Raider: Legend..

Then for some stupid reason I decided to turn off the air-conditioner...

Went well..for 1/2 hr...then 'poof'..my com kinda switched of on its own...haha...hahaha..

Refused to restart...But the Motherboard's power source was working....that's when I realise that I had the same problem as before....deja vu?

So..I removed the card....poked the com's power button...and it came ALIVVEE!!

Hence...I'm gona have to send it back for repairs again...which takes 4-8 weeks coz my model's obsolete, no more 1 to 1 xchange parts...have to send it over to its factory in China...

Lol....8 weeks of waiting....2 hours of gaming..another 8 weeks of waiting...

Murphy...you bastard...no more ice cream for u.

Popular bookstore's ripping us off...

2006-10-11T22:42:00.000+08:00

Why?

Case Study - the new book 'TEN' by our local wushu artiste

Cost @ popular - $25 ++, after 20% discount $20++

Cost @ Kinokuniya,Liang Court - $18.90. If you are a member, you get additional 10% off!

Never did like buying things from Popular anyways...

If lucas did LOTR....

2006-10-08T20:59:00.000+08:00

Lol check this out...

Just need some rest

2006-10-07T15:57:00.000+08:00

Yoz..

Came back from the 'pital today..

Seems like there are no more traces or the bacteria/virus and that they didn't cause any physical damage to my meninges and my brain..

no physical IQ lost...lol

But still feeling the less than optimum coordination with my physical body...

Doc says need some more rest...so got an additional 2weeks MC, until 22/10/06

So..later guys... gonna rest

buaiz..

Follow-up hospitalisation...

2006-10-05T18:33:00.000+08:00

Eloz pips..

Looks like I'm going into the hospital again for treatment..

Remember I was saying how weak and latheagic I felt? Well, my doc kinda expected it.

Risk of long-term side-effects for kids is high
Risk of long-term side-effects for adults is low...chances of recovery is higher as an adult.

Hopefully thats the case with me.

Gonna go back to do another lumber puncture and some other blood tests..

I got my old ward again! wahaha...paying B2 class for a A class ward again...weeee
Thanks for crowding up the hospital guys! (kk this is bittersweet...)

How long am I gonna stay in there? No idea...anywhere from a few days to a few weeks...depending on how the test goes I guess.

Well, see you again in the near future...

I'm gone..

Power of the mind

2006-10-03T20:41:00.000+08:00

heyz..

I am just amazed by the fact that whatever 'random' acts that I do tend to not be 'random' at all.

Why?

Coz everytime I make decisions that seem to be random ones, they seem to lead me to many discoveries!

ie.

When I was at NUH...while walking...I was compelled to walk towards the Kent Ridge Wing again...and when I was at the lobby...I was compelled to just sit at the couch and relax. If I didn't do that, I wouldn't have met my old friend there!

When I was at Plaza Singapure walking, there were a couple of CD/DVD shops that I passed...but I was compelled to enter this particular one...where I found Astronomy DVD sets on sale!

And many other things like that.

I believe in the power of the mind. Not only the subconscious mind, but the telepathic as well. I mean, my experiences show that my mind is able to lead me to places, where I have never been to before, to find things that are of interest to me...over..and over again.

I guess it's the same system at work. Like when I always pick up the phone to look at it just before an sms/a call arrives.

Isn't the mind fantastic?

Comeon...sometimes certain things that have not been scientifally chroniceled doesn't mean that it does not exist. Phenomena the occurs, occurs. I'm sure some of you have thought about it before.

Forgive me if this message sounda a little incoherent...I am still feeling a little weak..and my powers of language is still a little gargeled I guess...

O well..

I love this world! Fascinating..

recovering...argh...

2006-10-02T18:41:00.000+08:00

'Hello!

yea..it's been awhile huh

my birthday month..wahaha...lotsa shit happened sia

First...had an arguement with a very close friend of mine...

Then My birthday...haha...finally got the celebrate with friends...after 4 years of self/just family celebration.

then 1st bout of headaches...

after that...brain infection... aka Meningitis

Check this out :-
--------------
Meningitis
n : infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that surround the brain or spinal cord) usually caused by a bacterial infection; symptoms include headache and stiff neck and fever and nausea
WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
--------------

This thing got me into NUH for 10 days straight...the first 5 days of which were a blur coz I was damn cold, could hardly eat, was barely conscious with splitting headaches whenever I moved.

Thank got I got discharged last friday 29/09/2006. With a bill of $5000. Lucky the army is paying for it...

Its damn scary when you think about how hospitals charge. Not that they do it on purpose, but it's the nature of it. While you are being diagnosed, u all you hear is ' you need an x-ray, then xx test and yy test' without the cost. Then when you get discharged, you see that an x-ray costs $800...xx test $450...yy test $788...and that you did multiple tests...and that's when you acutally have to get re-admitted into the hospital for shock.

Not like you can do anything different when they give you quotes for their services anyway...most important - life hmm? Save it first..then worry about paying later.

I was lucky that I managed to stay in the 'A' class ward (personal room with air-con and tv). I was there at the beginning coz I had to be under observation. After day 5 though, it was coz there was no more space in the 'B' wards. So I was stuck with a better ward for the price of something cheaper. Muahaha.

Had a few cool afternoon walks around NUH. It was during once of those walks where I met an old friend (lynette!). Haha caught up with her a bit then had to shoo her back to work. Afraid coz I was sick, she wanted to escort me back but I was already pretty fine then.
Thx babe! Not that I didn't want your company, comeon lar u were working. Guai k.

Well, now that I am out, recovering at home (MC), without the meds, I still feel very light headed, with my senses dulled and my body being weak. Real weak. Think I have to start training for my 2.4 all over again. Think at this stage my timing would probably be ard 15 mins tops. Heh, what 2 weeks of sickness can do to you huh.

Anybody got tips on how to feel better faster do drop me a msg k! The boredem and lathargy is killing me..

Eloz

2006-08-22T22:04:00.000+08:00

YEEEOOOOO PEOPLE!

Help...

I got to go back to camp again...

ahhh!!!!

Boring NDP'06 ...Good Ol' LKY

2006-08-09T23:28:00.000+08:00

Well, that went pretty fast..

Before I knew it, NDP was over...hahaha

Started out damn bored...maybe coz I've been through more exciting events before (kk not that i'm trying to be hau lian lar...it's just me)...even when the actual thing started, I had the 'uh huh..cooool...zzz' attitude

The NDP Lau Jiaus promised a totally different atmosphere, saying that "it will be different on that day one, all the lights..plus the crowd...."

No leh..still pretty boring...

Oh, but I didn't talk about the preview for primary school kids right? They were easily the BEST CROWD ever! The actual NDP crowd was lacklustre in comparism. The kids were all screaming and cheering..and during the national anthem...you could *hear them over the recording!* Those of us in the contingent..even the super buay onz one..were super touched...

Anyways..talking about actual...'My island home' perked me up a little bit..

However, the real turning point for me in the parade was when Old LKY came out (what..is he going to sue me for saying that he is old? He is more mature than that). My heart started pumping. My body went on attention.

I finally got to see the man in person. The man that, despite lots of critisism of his actions, is almost singularly responsible for the Singapore of today.

I decided on the spot that I would finish the parade perfectly for him. (haha...infact..I turned a little bit too early after the lights went out after the last 'Hia!')

Singapore is in dire need of people in LKY's calibre. Hope they show themselves soon.

Should I go Australia?

2006-08-06T03:56:00.000+08:00

Should I?

Should I?

Hmmm....

Unknown NDP'06 singer...so?

2006-08-02T16:59:00.000+08:00

Well, there's been some debate over this unknown singer for this year's NDP.

Talk about unpopular...I don't even know her name..haha...

But here's the thing...she sounds good..doesn't she?

Its the Singaporean 'must be pro' then can issu again...

And we wonder why is our local scene such an 'un'condusive environment for budding artists..

Isn't this a chance for her to grow in Singapore?

Abroad...when there is somebody new...people think 'hey, check it out!"

In singapore, it goes 'wtf..who the hell is she/he?'

Anyways...here's my view..

As a participant in NDP'06, in the number '2' of the supporting march contingents, the song, 'my island home' is the only song that really reminds me of my sense of belonging in Singapore. While i'm in the , going through the arguebly 'boliau' and 'wayang' parade, this is the song that realigns my priorities and makes me endure the rehearsals and burnt weekends.

Unknown singer be damned.

Hey, she sounds good, and looks pretty ok as well.

Appreciation of freedom

2006-07-27T10:16:00.000+08:00

I'm finally out again!

well, finally getting some hits on my new www.Proven-Wealth.net webby, thx for the support clicks! haha

Well, I really have to say about something. I never really appreciated how much freedom I had before enlistment until recently. It does not really help when you are ambitious, have so many things you want to do, like spend time with friends and family, work on your future, and sometimes be just plain lazy.

I guess the point is doing whatever you want, whenever you want is something that is very important to me.

Lol, I remember my old platoon commander(pc) from my AISL (armoured infantry section leader) course talking to me one day. It was about an incident whitch I kinda 'disrespected command'. He basically said on the lines of ,"Aaron, I used to be like you. I always thought i was right, which I usually was anyway (hahaha...). I always questioned orders and made a fuss. As a result of that I always got into trouble. You and I are the type that is not suitable to work for someone. But hey, you are an NSF, so just take it for another year and then do whatever the hell you want to do after you leave."

Well, this coming from the most 'zai' pc of the entire course, I had to listen. I mean, this guy is like nearly 60 years old, has serious knee problems, but he can out run a 20 year old officer and replace tracks on an M113 infantry fighting vehicle on his own. He went immediately to Taiwan for an exercise immediately after returning from our India one. Real old school.

I only have one problem with him. He is very risk-adverse. I guess that happens after 30 years of risk-taking in the mitary. Kinda cost him many promotions and other perks coz he was a little hard to handle by his superiors.

Thank god I will only be in for another year.

After this, I shall unleash myself onto the world like a phoenix awoken from a thousand year slumber.

That is assuming I don't end up feeling lazy at that time. =p

I'm gone...

www.Proven-Wealth.Net

2006-07-16T21:22:00.000+08:00

Hmm...k let's put it this way

I got my first sale just 4 days after starting.

Lol..go have a look

whoa..its been 7 months huh?

2006-07-16T21:12:00.000+08:00

Hahaha looks like I nearly forgot about this blog of mine

Well, been super super bz with army...being the section commander of newly enlisted recruits.

Suoer super shag...

PTP Enlistment..
SAF Day...
BMT Enlistment...
NDP...
40SAR Skills at arms...
40SAR FTX...

Lotsa rubbish to complete...

Us specialists paying for officers' mistakes..

its just getting more and more tiring...

Thumb sucking....mmmm

2006-03-12T17:52:00.000+08:00

Eloz pips!

Got 2 confinements for the last 2 saturdays...sigh..

The first one, well, I got it deservingly coz I lost my 11B and my camp pass.

2nd one? Coz I wasn't even around when it happened but I still get the confinement...why? because I was the IC. It's even worst considering that I did delegate my job to somebody else, whom did not delegate the job to another fella coz he was not able to accept the responsibility without my knowing. Fantastic.

O well, confinement's a a good time to chat up some people and get lotsa sleep!

Leaving for India on the 20th of March...more on that later.. for now..back to camp!

The truth about computer gaming violence...

2006-02-25T17:38:00.000+08:00

Haha, very interesting, you might wanna have a look

Another one of those things that prove how stupid and narrowminded people can be

http://www.fatal1ty.com/news/?type=PR&ID=26

Driver right...ok, driver speed up, section straight ahead RPG! FIRE!

2006-02-25T16:21:00.000+08:00

wah its over!!!

ok not really, still got 2 more days of battle drill tests and 3 weeks of india afterwards..haaaa

and I got landed the Leader Platoon Seargent appointment for the coming week coz I screwed up the Section Commander appointment on the last night for our field camp. Well, people here are more coorperative and tolerant than when I was at sispec. I really appreciate that! Thanks guys! just 1 more week of me and it wikll be over!

It's quite boring to just bum around at home sia, worst when my own comp's mama-board got fried. worst of all, I can't contact Intel coz I only book in on weekends, my sis' too busy and my dad's mind is on other important things...haha

so..help me!!!

Oh...HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

2006-01-31T19:18:00.000+08:00

forgot haha

HAPPY DOG-GONE NEW YEAR!!!!

We lead and fight as one, ARMOUR!

2006-01-31T19:03:00.000+08:00

Sigh...20more mins to book-in...

It's been what, nearly 3 months since I entered armour?

We got 5 day week (as opposed to 6 days), good food (relative to tekong's), brand new bunk facilities, pretty slack instructors, warrant officers, and an flirtatious E-mart lady/auntie that actually has some standard (compared to SAF ladies' in general...*clears throat).

Still, it seems like, despite all this things that i should be grateful off, I am getting sick of SAF already. Maybe because of the way it is run? Lack of freedom? Or that despite the integral part SAF plays in keeping Singapore safe (comeon, look at the big picture), it seems like a cimplete waste of time?

Might be so, considering I have so many things I want to do that army's preventing from doing, plus I'm a freedom kinda guy. Still, I'm getting sick of it.

Heh, and I was guy going around telling people to be positive about their enlistment and to make the best of it.

Maybe another reason is coz the SAF, being a SINGAPOREAN organisation, encourages its soldiers to do their best by.........talking about it.

Want entrepreneurs? Throw in a course. Want creativity? In comes 'creativity' modules, designed to make u the don'juan ala creative-manificeounce, to be taught by...ar...the lecturer who does not understand what he is teaching and can't tell the difference between 1+1-2=0 and 1-2+1=0.

Sigh, hopefully I can get come kick out of this coming SATURDAY's live firing (40mm AGL and 0.50cal Heavy MG).

Hey, being shag is one thing. Being utterly bored and sick and shagged is another.

Thank god for my wonderful bunkmates though! they make everything in bearable, and even fun sometimes!

God's Will?

2006-01-29T22:41:00.000+08:00

I don't know where this actually came from..but I think it is a good reminder that nothing stays bad forever..here goes.....

"When heaven is about to pace a great responsibility on a great man, it always first frustrates his spirits and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, exposes him to starvation and poverty, harrasses him by troubles and setbacks so as to stimulate his spirit, toughen his nature and enhance his abilities."

When will we ever learn?

2006-01-14T11:33:00.000+08:00

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE
words and music by Pete Seeger
performed by Pete Seeger and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Gone to young men every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time agoWhere have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every oneWhen will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?

(Astronomy) Stellar Evolution

2005-12-03T00:06:00.000+08:00

Welcome to your first lesson in astronomy. In this guide and those that are to come, I will try to focus more on the basics and do my best in simplifying everything so that it will be easier for you people to understand. Comments are welcome. Hopefully I will help more people understand the wonders of the universe.

Today's topic will be on Stellar Evolution

It's true! Stars do die! just that it takes a freakin long time to do so. At more than 5 billion years old, our own Sun (Our Sun is a Star) is middle aged. There are stars that have longer/shorter lifespans than ours, depending on how massive they are...more on that later. Better to ask questions on the tagboard than as a comment, can have livelier discussions that way.

This is a simple chart that shows the life cycle of stars. Note the two different
types of Giants. Also note the different fates awaiting the Super Red Giant.

All stars start out of gas clouds. Most of these are called Molecular Clouds. These
are HUGE clouds of gas (of mainly H2, or Hydrogen) that span billions of light years across. In fact, Nebulae is usually just a tiny portion of the molecular cloud that is visible because of stars that are residing/being formed in it. The energy given of by these stars causes the nearby gases to glow, lighting the surrounding area up. Eg. The Eagle Nebula size, as seen here is probably only 0.0001% o the entire molecular cloud of which it is part of. Inside the eagle neb are the famous 'pillars of life', where many stars are being born.

Anything that has mass has gravity...including you and me, just that our mass is too
small to make any signifanct amount of attraction. Well, the Earth is big enough, that is why we are stuck to the ground no?

Also Imagine running your hands through water that has been dropped with some coloured dye, you'd see spirals right? Other stars would affect the surrounding gases in this manner as well. That, plus the gases own gravitional attraction, causes the surrounding material to spiral towards the centre. As this bundle of gas starts gaining mass and momentum, it starts to glow, primarily from the increasing friction caused by the movement of the spiralling material. At this stage, the growing bundle star is known as a proto-star. The real magic starts when it has reached critical mass and goes through puberty at an instant : the start of nuclear fusion.

Nuclear Fusion would start with a bang. In an instant, energy released pushes outward
from the within the newborn star, pushing gases and other materials outward. Heavier bodies of gas and rock that manage to withstand the blast would later be known as planet.

Nuclear Fusion is the heartbeat of the star.

A very popular manifestation of a nuclear reaction is the Nuclear Bomb. It makes use of a reaction called Nuclear FISSION, which creates energy by splitting the molecules. Nuclear FUSION, as its name suggests, is the direct opposite. In this process, molecules(primarily Hydrogen from the core of the star) are joined, or 'fused' together. Much more energy is produced using this method. It is also very stable when compared to Nuclear Fission, which is why researches are spending so much money to try and replicate the process.

So far, attemps are replicating the Fusion process has been frustrating, to say the least, as scientists has only been able to maintain the process for less than a fraction of a second, and has only been successfully reproduced in a Tokamak, which uses powerful magnetic forces to control the extremely high temperature plasmas that would otherwise melt any known material while the process is underway. More about it here.

Remember that proto-stars start nuclear reaction when it reaches critical mass? This critical point is when a star has enough gravity to compress 2 molecules into each other, fusing them and creating a new element which releases huge amounts of energy and starts a chain reaction. Once this starts, energy and light is released. This signals the real birth of a star.

Now, when two molecules are joined, would it create a heavier molecule? Remember the Periodic table, which lists all the different chemical compounds according to their molecular weight? There you go, now you know how all the materials like metals and rocks are formed, all inside stars. The slide above shows the respective elements that are created...hydrogen combined with hydrogen to form...Helium..then helium and helium joined to form...Carbon...etc etc. Notice that it stops at iron?

So I am not lying when I say that we were all born in the heart of a star hmm? Now go, run along and fool some blondes with that info.

Even stars don't last forever. All stars have a limited supply of fuel which they can burn. There will come a point in time when a star would have run out of hydrogen in its core as most of it has become Helium. Once this happens, the star would switch to its backup store of hydrogen, which is located in the outer layer of the star.

Let's change the subject for a little while. Remember that a star is basically this huge ball of gas in space? Now, if it is not solid, how does it stay as it is...a ball of gas in space? The answer is Gravity. Gravity is what holds this ball together and prevents the gases inside from being blown away. Back to topic. Now that the reaction is taking place OUTSIDE the core, more hydrogen is being fused at one time (due to the larger surface area involved) , which means more energy is released. This causes the entire star to swell significantly in size. There is always a tug of war between the energy released pushing outwards and gravity pushing inwards towards the core, maintaining the form of the star.
Depending on the mass of the star, it will swell to become a Giant, or a Super Giant.

(Giant: 10 or less Solar Masses. Super Giant: More than 10 Solar Masses. 1 Solar Mass
is the mass of the Sun)

The process will keep repeating itself until most of the material has been fused into Iron, yo-yo-ing in size as it changes from core to outer layer, material to heavier material. Eg. Core hydrogen - (expand) outer hydrogen - (shrink) core helium - (expand) outer helium - etc etc...

Why is it red instead of yellow or blue? Because the temperature on the surface has actually dropped. Why is it still brighter than it was? Because it now has an exponentially bigger surface area, which means that overall, more light is still being released at once.

As you can see in the picture above, the swelling is no joke. So much more hydrogen is fused that the increase in energy release is exponential, which causes the swelling to be enermous. In real life, Earth would have been sucked in the Sun because of the gravitational pull. It has been retained in the pic to give you a sense of scale. Talk about global warming...ouch

First, we will talk about the death of Giants.

Giants, which are formed from stars equal to or smaller to 10 times the mass of our sun, die a relatively peaceful death.

As the fusion process dies down, gravity will begin winning the tug of war and continue pushing inwards. There will come a point in time where it will burst, like a balloon being squished. Gravity will lose its grip on the material, usually around the poles of the star, allowing the unprocessed elements from the outer core to peel away, forming a planetery nebula. After it has peeled away, an small hot iron core, known as a dwarf, is left behind. When this happens, a giant/star is said to have gone Nova.

As its earliest and brightest (hottest) stage, a dwarf will usually be known as a white dwarf. All other dwarfs you hear about and just at different stages of cooling. Like white dwarf, to grey, then brown and finally black dwarfs..which is basiacally a cool dwarf with no more energy to glow.

More mass = more gravity.

Suger Giants are formed from stars that are at least 10 times heavier than our sun and because it has so much mass, it has an extremely strong gravitational field as well. A glorious death fit for the gods await them; an explosive Supernova.

As the super giant's fusion process dies down to a certain level, gravity will force itself inwards with a vengeance. The entire star shrinks to a fraction of its suger giant size. The real drama though, is in the core. The iron core implodes on itself as its electrons and protons combine into neutrons. The outer layer elements that was falling into the core impacts it at high speed and bursts outward in a spectacular fashion. These explosions are so big that it can outshine entire galaxies at the time of occurance. Heavier rare elements like gold and platinum are created in the explosion

What's left is a small, dense neutron star that is probably no bigger than an average city on earth, though one teaspoon of this material can weigh a few hundred tonnes!

Here comes, everybody's favourite part: If the star is massive enough, a neutron star would further collapse into a black hole! Nobody really knows how a black hole really looks like, because in these objects, the gravity is so strong that even light is unable to escape from it, and no light means that you can see nuts.

Hopefully, you enjoyed this brief lecture on the birth and death of stars. Note that this is meant for beginners, so if you are a seasoned astronomer....well maybe next time yea? ^^ Remember, questions can be asked on the tagboard to the top right of this page.

Enjoy, and see you next time!

www.cheapcontactlenses.net

2005-10-09T19:20:00.000+08:00

After hearing about the astronomical prices of contact lenses in Australia from my sister, I've decided to set up a small little website dedicated to comparing contact lens prices from online dealers.

It's still under construction...so watch out for it ^^

Suffer in Silence...Extra Confinement

2005-10-09T19:04:00.000+08:00

Yeap...I gena one xtra because I sat on my PC's chair while uploading the pictures from my camera into his laptop and joked when my SGT asked about it... x.x

So there goes another one of my saturdays..

Anyways, Gypsy I & II was pretty interesting, quite tiring actually, especially when my SGT made us run from point to point during Gypsy I! Madness..and there was a full SOC rundown after Gypsy II ...couldn't take it..had to fall out.

Sick. That was the first time I fell out from any physical activity to report sick.

Oh well, live firing for da SAR21 and da Ultimax 100..aka SAW 's coming up, sounds like fun. The SAR feels pretty solid so far, despite the negative feedback from most of people who have used it...very easy to strip and assemble...while the doing that on the Ultimax was a bitch lol.

Must admit..my enthusiasm for NS has dropped significantly..dunno why...sigh

Thats all for this week all..

I'm Gone..

Soldiers to specialists we will become...

2005-10-01T22:23:00.000+08:00

Whoa...life here at Sispec really is different!

The pace here is so much faster...and my physical state is probably one of the worst in my entire company's... So much for my welfare treatment in BMTC. So, if you have ambitions in the army, try not ending up in a warrant company when you get into BMTC...if not you are gonna have to whip up some self discipline and start training yourself.

Apart from the hectic pace, the stricter rules and my maniacal CSM + PS, life's pretty good here. Bed's still comfy, fan's strong nuff', the food in the cookhouse tastes soooo much better, the specialist song is not bad(compared to the 9div faggot song), and there are girls in the company adjacent to us =D too bad only one of them is up to standard =(.

Just had a tripflare life firing...gonna learn about the SAW, Matador and the venerable SAR21 this coming week. More toys for the growing buy in me! Wee!

Lol, the topographical exercise was pretty interesting...and it's not that easy. always getting lost...and I ran into a cactus mutant of a tree during the night exercise...got a shock when I saw the 4 inch needles sticking out from the trunk upon switching on my torch...madness

And I'm the fricking toilet I/C again after holding that appointment in BMTC for 15 weeks! wtf...but this change came in the 2nd week..so hopefully it's coz they rotate the appointments...if not i'm gonna murderlize somebody....

Getting weekend confinement during the 1st week at Sispec sucked. It was at the ammo dump..in the middle of nowhere..without air-con and television...even though I was the orderly..you get pretty bored pretty quickly.

Well...let's see what happens next week.

I'm gone...

Quotes

2005-09-18T15:52:00.000+08:00

I like quotes. They are usually short, simple and straight to the point. Some are inspiring, while some might even make you question certain areas of life.

Here is my current collection...if you would like to contribute, please do!

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

"God (or your deity of choice ) gave you a brain - to not use it, to not question events around you, makes one a waste of carbon." - can't remember who (CRW)

“One crowded hour of glorious life, is worth an age without a name”
- Jim Bowie, The Alamo (the movie)

"From now on, we live on a world where the man has walked on the moon...and it was not a miracle. We just decided to get there." - Apollo 13 the movie

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - CRW

"Nothing ventured, Nothing gained..."

"What is the terror of death,
to die knowing your task incomplete.
What is the joy of life,
to die knowing your dreams fulfilled." - Warhammer 40k Rulebook

"some people ask why would a perfect god create a universe with so much that is evil.They have missed a greater conundrum: why would a perfect god create a universe at all?" - CRW

"In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not the man to whom the idea first occurs"
- Sir Francis Darwin, Eugenics review 1914

"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever."
-CRW

"Be who you are but become what you are capable of becoming"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When heaven is about to pace a great responsibility on a great man, it always first frustrates his spirits and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, exposes him to starvation and poverty, harrasses him by troubles and setbacks so as to stimulate his spirit, toughen his nature and enhance his abilities."

"Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind"
- Warhammer 40k

"Life is a waste unless spent on freedom"
- Vortigants, Halflife2

"the road to mastery is about growth, not perfection"
- Josh Waitzkin

"The big shot is the little shot that kept on shooting"
- Zig Ziglar

"20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the things that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the horbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover" - Mark Twain

'Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.'
- Abraham Lincoln

“If you weigh your duty and your rights and first add weights to your rights, then you would not lose yourself even if you were to obey social laws."

The NKF Debacle

2005-08-20T22:13:00.000+08:00

NKF = National Kidney Foundation.

I really have to hand it to them.

Within a few years, they have raised so much money and helped save so many lives. Holding huge charity shows more than once a year, it is one charity powerhouse. It's probably one of the few charities in the world to have a multi-million dollar account.

Then human nature took over. What can I say? NKF's previous CEO was probably became the role model for an idiot when he decided to make public the fact that somebody had spoken ill about a gold tap in the multi-million dollar NKF building.

Like the case where an investor of Raffles Town Club sued another of his for not paying up money....money that came from cheating the public....idiotas.

What the hell's a thousand-dollar gold tap doing in a charity HQ building anyway? It should be in my attached bathroom.

Despite all that, I believe Dr Durai should be applauded...not for his greed, but for his ability to totally break the stereo-typical image for most local charities: that they are poor little organisations that are barely surviving.

Comeon, making a charitable organisation into a million dollar supower charity-power is no mean feat. Yes yes, we are all getting sick of NKF charity shows that happen 10 times a day, however, if we are to stop looking at the mistakes they made, one can see how much potential they have in really making a difference in the lives of the needy.

Think about it. Most other charitable organisations have hardly grown over the years. Yes yes, they do make a difference, then you have to think...why stop there? Why settle for less? Why not expand their operations and make a bigger difference?

It's just like running a business (in this case, the business of helping lives). Would you rather be the small mama shop near your house, or would be rather be...say cold storage? They are in 2 different worlds. One services a few customers a day while the other serves hundreds. Similarly, why help a few if you can help hundreds? Why only hundreds when you can help thousands?

I say let NKF continue with their current method of collecting donations...maybe drop the number of shows, because their fault lies not the the amount of money they have, but in how they spend it.

What about the high expenditure? Look at their freakin returns man. If, for example, it takes $10,000 to raise $40,000 , but $20,000 to raise $75,000, which would you choose? I would pick spending $20,000 becasue the bottomline returns are still higher. Also, nobody is complaining when they get the free NKF medical screening.

And what about paying their 'volunteers'? Why not? Truth be told, many people want to volunteer. However, if they volunteer all the time, they would not be able to take care of themselves, then you would need another charity to support these people. So how? How about paying these people market rate salary? Isn't that a no-brainer? Let's be realistic, no matter how motivated and zealous one is about helping the needy, he still needs a roof over his head. once his basic needs are fulfilled, you can be assured good results from him.

I still have trouble understanding why there are freaks out there who abhor the idea of a rich charity with paid volunteers. Hell, poor charities pay their volunteers as well.

My only worry now is that NKF will no longer be as aggresive as they were, and that the current commitee will only aim to maintain their current standards. The thing is, many successful individuals have said this: there is no such thing as maintaining standards...because of the way nature works, you will either grow or stagnate.

let's see what happens then =\

(Rations) Beware the Pongtay

2005-08-13T17:54:00.000+08:00

Had my field camp a few weeks ago and I must say it was pretty interesting. In fact, it was pretty fun! Lessons on how to move through and overrun the enemy, firing m16s1 blanks like nobody's business, and the powder bath..hahahaha

The field rations was given to us, frankly, was not as bad as I expected, granted that the food in packed long ago plus the fact that this is the army. They are called field Combat Rations..not chalet rations..

Anyways, here's the menu. There are 5 in each category (muslim/non-muslim). All are halal.

A 24- ration consists of 1 menuX pack, an accessory pack (with fruit bars, biscuits, solid fuel etc) and 1 pack of maggi.

Muslim:

Menu 1. Mutton Beriani (Briyani?) Rice, Japanese Curry noodles with Chicken + (Desert) Bubur Terigu with Corn

Menu 2. Chicken Kleo Pasta, Chicken Curry Noodle + (Desert) Peanut with Red Date

Menu 3. Dhall Rice with Chicken, Black pepper pasta with chicken + (Dessert) Peanut with Lotus Root

Menu 4. Mutton Dhallcha Noodles, Nonya Curry Chicken Rice + (Dessert) Green bean Barley

Menu 5. Chicken Lemak Pasta, Chicken Mee Goreng + (Deesert) Corn with Mixed bean.

Non Muslim:
(Note: Dessert arrangement is similar to Muslim..meaning Muslim menu1 dessert is the same as non-muslim menu 1 and etc)

Menu 1. Dried Shrimp Glutinous Chicken Rice, Chicken Noodles in Tomato Basil

Menu2. Chicken Pongtay Rice, Mushroom Rice with Chicken

Menu 3. Peranakan Style Chicken Dumpling, Pasta with Shredded Chicken

Menu 4. Glutinouse Rice with Chicken Sausage and Chili Flakes, Oriental Seafood Noodle

Menu 5. Cabbage Rice with Chicken, Mushroom and Chicken Noodle

Generally, and sadly, most of the muslim rations tastes much better than their non-muslim counterparts. Most noodles/pasta menus are good...even though the real difference between pasta and noodles, in this case, is its colour...lol!

AVOID the PONGTAY RICE AT ALL COSTS!

tip: depending on how your Sarges distributes the rations, don't be an idiot and take the entire box of menu 2 with u.
Non-Muslim favs are Menu 1,3 and 4. Some say 1,3,5. Wadeva it is, stay away from menu 2. Otherwise...there's always the food latrine.....

Looks pretty good eh?

2005-08-06T23:59:00.000+08:00

Eloz pips! Did some redocoration...finally got the time due to my 4 day leave from Tekong..Phew

Will start posting some content soon ^^

The maid debate

2005-07-17T15:32:00.000+08:00

Off with the 4 days leave for maids?

And I thought they always had 4 days leave - at least - per month. At least that was the case when I had maids cleaning up my mess quite awhile ago.

It's another one of those 'I don't want to work but everybody else must work for me to enjoy' kinda bullshit.
These are the people who are screaming against giving additional days of for maids:

* Singaporeans who work
* Singaporeans who work and ask for pay rises
* Singaporeans who work, ask for pay rise and additional time off
* Singaporeans who work, ask for pay rise and additional time off and bitch when they don't get it

Yea, ok fine. So the Singaporeans who work, ask for pay rise and additional time off and bitch when they don't get it also need things like a social life, the occasional ONS, recreational time and whatever luxuries they wanna get/do.

Don't maids need that as well?

Btw, if you have noticed, those who are against the measly 4 day leave are mostly from the 'Middle Class'...most likely the ones who think the whole word is at their mercy just because they upgraded from a HDB flat to a 3 room condo.

Pathetic.

Seems like it is us 'educated' Singaporeans who needs to be educated on the topic of morality.

And the Shadow is cast.

2005-07-17T15:03:00.000+08:00

Hey all,

Just started to work on my blog. Am currently in the army now though, so it's gona take some time to get the aesthetics done, Have patience please!

Apart from the usual blogging, I will be adding some guides as well, starting with some basic astronomy, as well as reviews on movies and books that will have 2 sides to it - the personal and unbiased. There will hopefully be a lot of discussions as well.

Keepa lo0ok0ut!