Monday, December 31, 2007

HaPpY NEw YeaR from the ~Path of Time~

This is the last day for 2007. Time to say good bye to the old and say hello to the new year that is about to come in a couple of hours time! :)Community Service Message on ~The Path of Time~
For those who are going to be drinking and partying all night long until 1st January 2008, take a cab if you need to go anywhere. Driving after alcohol is dangerous to yourself and to other innocent road users! Be responsible, drink responsibly!

To those staying at home, give yourself a pat on the back because you are smart enough to avoid all the jams and road blocks. (i.e. you can afford to get stoned at home) but just remember not to overdo things and make a mess of the house! In other words, don't get too drunk and start puking all over in the house because it will be a lot of clean up. Be responsible, drink responsibly!

For those planning to go for a real good meal - eating is one of the best things in life. But don't go overeating. Overeating can cause indigestion (i.e. great discomfort in your tummy leading to unnecessary discharge). Be responsible, eat responsibly!

To all of us, I am sure we will be digging into heaps of junk food, crackers and all those bad-for-health foods. Remember to throw those wrappers into the recycle bin. Junk food is good for small bites and over long chats but wrappers can damage the environment if not managed properly. Be responsible, eat responsibly and be responsible to our environment!

FROM THE ~PATH OF TIME~ one on the road for 2007, HaPpY NEw YeaR!!!!!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

DJ Pi - Trance Empire Vol. 34 (Unleashed Heartbeat)

CD1
01. Epos - Adagio Espressivo (Magic Island mix)
02. Cloudwalker - Crystalizer
03. Aboutblank Feat Mque - Active Side (Paul Vinitsky Dub)
04. Digital Sense - Look At Heaven
05. Plastic Angel - Try Walking In My World
06. Acute - Citadel (Sindre Eide Remix)
07. Tragida , Azure Sunset - T Tide (Simple Tide Mix)
08. Darius - Eklipse (Sjlver DJ Feat Tragid Mix)
09. Above & Beyond Pres. Tranquility Base - Oceanic (Sean Tyas Mix)
10. 3rd Moon - Meltdown
11. Existone - Seven Nights
12. Thr3sh0ld - Timeless
13. Epic Journey - Silent Tears (D Gate Mix)

CD2
01. Tragida - Elisabeth (Natlife Mix)
02. Sequentia - Sun Worship
03. Abbott & Chambers - Never After (Preijers & Hercules Mix)
04. Mike Nichol - Durado
05. Mindsoundscapes - Evangelion (Fischer & Miethig Mix)
06. Tetrazone - Alphalux (Static Blue Mix)
07. Aeden - Distant Memories
08. Sean Tyas - Drop (Reaves & Ahorn Mix)
09. Stuart Heasty - Aventis
10. Simon Patterson - We'll See
11. Ben Gold - Roll Cage (Aly and Fila Mix)
12. Algarve - The Longest Journey (Alex Morph Mix)

Released in October 2007, I finally got a good chance to really sit down and listen to the mix completely. After listening to both CDs back-to-back I was left breathless at the beautiful blend of songs put into the mix.

CD1 started slowly with Epos - Adagio Espressivo, which was true to its literal meaning of expressively slow. The sounds of the strings were beautiful used in this song, and it gradually introduced the bass. Imagine a waiter just taking away the appertiser once you are done to bring forth the main course to you. The entire CD1 gave sound to a blend of songs filled with emotions and passion. Masterfully blended bass lines by DJ Pi gave the mix a smooth continuation and listening pleasure. Overall, the underlining theme of the first CD was more inclined on the piano and strings for the melodies of the songs. Graceful yet energetic!

CD2, the very first moment the mix starts you can already feel the energetic pump of the bass line. In this mix, the theme of 'Unleasehed Heartbeat' is really felt with the continuous energy felt in the mix. Main disctinction from CD1, is the seriousness of this mix. In CD1 there was more of a graceful and flowing melody. In CD2, you could tell the mix was exerting moving melodies and powerful bass lines. In the car, I get a pretty good high listening to this mix while driving (and yes.... I am still concentrating on the road in case you are wondering).

This time around, DJ Pi did not make any CD covers for this mix...... wierd considering he always does make covers for his mixes. As soon as the covers are out, I will make sure to load it here.

For more information and to download, visit DJ Pi's official website

Sunday, December 23, 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS from ~Path of Time~

Just like that, the year 2007 is nearing to a close and 2008 is coming. Makes you wonder whether you spent 2007 well and beneficially. For those who achieved their goals for 2007, good on you! For those who could not achieve their goals in 2007, it is time to make a resolution for 2008 and make sure you give it another shot........

It is Christmas eve today, to all Christians and those who celebrate Christmas - ~Path of Time~ wishes all of you a wonderful and joyous Christmas and do not forget to give thanks!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

An Inspirational Story~

Late at night, finding difficulties trying to sleep I just hooked up the internet and started browsing for some inspirational stories. You'd be surprised how many stories are out there that can really touch one's heart. Here's one I found.
____________________________________________________

I Kid You Not

Although I love children, I am content with knowing that motherhood is not in my future.
_______________________
By Eileen Mitchell

As I straddle middle age, I realize it's unlikely that I'll ever be a mother. Heck, in recent months I haven't found a guy I want to share a dinner with, let alone my DNA.

But that's okay.

Because throughout adulthood, while attending dozens of baby showers, I've been happy for my friends but have never felt that pang of envy, wishing it were I. Not once have I ever turned the same shade of green that washes over me when, for example, someone gets a puppy or vacations in London.

Do I like kids? Absolutely. Will I regret not having any of my own? I doubt it. I recognize that not every person is meant to be a parent simply because they're capable of reproducing. But occasionally I need a kid fix. I need to forget about cheating politicians, reality TV, road rage, ringing cell phones, and looming deadlines. That's when I seek out a little person. An innocent who really thinks that true happiness lies in a triple scoop Baskin Robbins bubblegum ice-cream cone.

Faith is connected to hope and hope means believing in spite of the evidence and then watching the evidence change.

Enter my seven-year old niece, Meggie.

She reminds me of a time when my biggest concern in life was what to be for Halloween. Like when I witnessed her agonizing dilemma over which costume to choose. Should she be the silly SpongeBob SquarePants or the pretty pre-transformation Princess Fiona from Shrek? Sigh… to face such a big decision at such a tender age isn't easy.

Meggie is the only person I buy gifts for when I travel. As an infant she drooled over the exquisite lace frock I purchased in Florence. When she was four she insisted on wearing her hula outfit from Maui. To church, on Christmas Eve. As a five-year-old she strutted to kindergarten, proudly showing off her straw purse from Jamaica. After each trip we sit on her bed and spin the Rand McNally globe, identifying the origin of each gift.

"This is Ireland," I point to the tiny green spot in the Atlantic. "where your flute is from. And here," I slide my finger down to Martinique, " is where I bought your doll." Intrigued, she asks questions about the different countries. Do the kids eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, too? What do they look like? Are they nice?

That's why I've told Meggie if she gets good grades and doesn't give her parents any grief, I'll take her on vacation with me when she graduates from high school. "Anywhere?" she asks incredulously. As she's spinning the globe, I see brown-bag lunches and coupon clipping in my future for the next decade, but I don't care. "Anywhere." I promise.

Meggie and I talk about music. TV. School. Once a month we go to our favorite bookstore and after carefully perusing the aisles, we take our newly acquired purchases to the adjacent café and read, my Patricia Cornwell to her Harry Potter. We sit in silence as I sip my soy latte and she, her hot cocoa.

One night we made chocolate covered breadsticks. Carefully she dipped each thick breadstick in the bowl of melted milk chocolate, and then rolled it in a plate of red and green sprinkles before setting it down to dry on aluminum foil. Patiently she repeated the process with each breadstick, mindful not to drip any chocolate or spill any sprinkles on my beige carpet.

Maybe this kid was too clean.

I dipped my fingers in the melted chocolate, smeared the sweet brown goop across my mouth, and then planted a big brown smackaroo on her cheek. There!

"And don't you even THINK of doing that to me," I challenged.

Stunned, she looked at me for a second. Was her aunt crazy? Then cautiously, she mimicked my actions.

"Oh, you're in trouble now," I warned, dipping both hands in the chocolate and reaching for her as, shocked and delighted, she happily followed suit.

The chocolate breadsticks never did get made, but that's okay. Because something far more important was created instead. It was all too apparent by the glow on Meggie's face.

Motherhood, by its purest definition, may not be my goal, but I'm content with the knowledge that it doesn't have to be. And when Meggie asks, "Can we pretend you're my mommy tonight?" I stroke her earnest chocolate-covered face and inform my "daughter" that she has chocolate in her ears.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Biofuels: solution to global warming or a hidden agenda for the rich to get richer?

Global warming has been gaining much focus of late, and many have been suggesting solutions to reduce the threat of global warming. Ask anyone the main cause for global warming, and you'll find fingers are pointing at fossil fuel usage. It is difficult not to blame fossil fuel for being the main cause of global warming and let us not forget we too contribute to global warming (i.e. car fuel comes from fossil fuel, cooking gas, diesel generators that produce household generators).

With the growing number of fingers pointing at fossil fuel, many have proposed the use of biofuels. Naturally, the parties suggesting it are mainly developed countries. After all, they are the ones with the knowledge and technology to develop biofuels. However, the idea of biofuels has fueled much disagreement and controversy.

Here are quotes from authoritative voices in the environmental arena:
"The stage is now set for direct competition for grain between the 800 million people who own automobiles, and the world's two billion
poorest people." -–Lester Brown (more on Lester Brown HERE)

"The only goal [of biofuels] is to maintain current patterns of consumption in the First World and high rates of profit for multinational corporations." —MST (the Brazilian Landless Workers' Movement)

The current hype in the biofuel industry is based on using agricultural produce to generate fuel to replace the use of fossil fuel. This has led to many big corporations to sink billions into ethanol and biodiesel plants, huge plantations of soy, corn, sugarcane, oil palm or other sources of agrofuels, as well as genetically engineered (GE) trees and microbes for future supplies of cellulosic ethanol.

On the surface, biofuel may look like the way to go to replacing fossil fuel but if we were to take an utilitarian approach to assessing biofuel, it may not necessarily be the way forward. I did further reading and I can come up with a few reasons why we should all re-look the idea of biofuel.

1) Biofuels are creating competition between food for people and fuel for cars, leading to skyrocketing grain prices and increasing numbers of people who cannot afford to eat. As one example, the amount of grain needed to create enough ethanol to fill the tank of a single SUV could feed one person for an entire year. There simply isn't enough grain to feed all of the people and all of the cars.

2) The increasing demand for land for biofuel plantations is causing deforestation
and destruction of some of the last and largest primeval forests, which are being logged and burned to clear land for these biofuel plantations. In Indonesia, millions of acres of primordial rainforest are at stake. The government plans to clear vast tracts of this forest for oil palm plantations for biodiesel for export to Europe, threatening the existence of wildlife including orangutans, rhinoceros and tigers.

3) The logging and burning of forests for biofuel plantations releases huge quantities of greenhouse gases
which are unlikely to be offset by the biofuels created from the crops grown on these former forest lands. The burning of the forests of Indonesia each year (largely for oil palm plantations) makes it the world's third largest producer of global carbon emissions, even though most of the population lives in poverty.

4) Indigenous peoples who depend on forests for food, medicine, shelter, livelihoods or culture are being forcibly displaced
from their lands to make room for biofuel plantations.

6) The biotechnology industry is using rising demand for biofuel
as a new way to sell their highly unpopular, unpredictable and problematic genetic engineering technology. Monsanto's stocks are soaring as demand increased for their genetically engineered corn and soy for biofuels. ArborGen is genetically engineering trees for release in the Southeast US and Brazil that have specifically been modified to produce cellulosic ethanol.

7) The rich get richer because biofuel. With the introduction of GE trees, there is bound to be the patenting of tree genes and tree cells. Big conglomerates then use the patents to earn exorbitantly high patent fees to plant GE trees.

8) There is virtually no study on the side effects of releasing GE trees into the environment. Just like how releasing certain species of fish into a pond can destroy the entire pond's ecosystem, GE trees may well carry such risks hence bringing forth more destruction than benefits. We have to take note that genetic contamination is irrevocable and its costs far from measurable.

Biofuels the way to fueling our daily lives? Think again.............

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Fate/Stay Night

Emiya Shirou is the sole surivor of a great fire that wiped out a substantial part of the town he lived in. The fire had robbed him of his parents, and he was saved by a sorcerer named Emiya Kirutsugu who became his step father. His step father too succumbed to illness and left Shirou alone.

Learning basic magic from his step father, Shirou vowed to champion justice. Life for Shirou as a normal high school student took a different direction when he one evening stumbled upon two powerful warriors figthing. One wielding twin blades, and one wielding a lance. Shirou was soon killed by the lance wielding warrior after Shirou was seen witnessing the fight.

Strangely, Shirou wakes up feeling disorientated and recalls being stabbed by the lance wielding warrior. Most surprising, he finds himself alive because of his certainty his was stabbed in the heart. Unknowingly, Shirou has gotten himself into a battle of sorcerer in which he was not supposed to witness.

Subsequently, the lance wielder knowing that Shirou did not die from his stab sought Shirou out to make sure of killing Shirou. When the lance wielder attacked Shirou in his home, Shirou unconsciously summoned a sword wielder called Saber.

That is when Shirou begin to realise, he was a master to a warrior just like other sorcerers. The fight between the warriors is actually part of the war of the Holy Grail, whereby the only remaining sorcerer and his warrior will be able to grant their wishes using the Holy Grail.
_______________________________________________

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

RocketDock brought to you by Punk Labs

So there are some of us here that are really pro-Windows users, but deep down in your heart you are wishing you had a dock like the one Macintosh users get to play around with all the time. But then, you do not want to be over spending on a Macintosh that is probably over-priced in Malaysia, and spending too much time trying to get used to a Macintosh if you really do migrate your workstation from a Windows to a Mac. Let's not forget, Macs can get pretty unfriendly for users who have probably been on a Windows since they started using a pc.

The solution - some great guys at Punk Labs decided to make Mac's ever popular dock availabe for Windows users. It's called RocketDock. That's not all. It's free (i.e. you don't pay a single dime unlike a pricey Mac), and it is user-friendly and fast.

Check out the screenshot I took from my desktop:

I installed it, and initially did not expect much since I thought it probably wouldn't be good or it may take up alot of resources. To my surprise, it is fast, hardly takes up any resources, and highly customisable in terms of colours, themes and size.

For those looking for some convenience to executing programs from the dock rather than having to go back to the 'start' button all the time, RocketDock is a must-have!

Available for download at http://rocketdock.com/

_______________________________________________

Fans of Final Fantasy VII who want the wallpaper, drop me a comment and I will make it available for downloads! :)



Tuesday, December 11, 2007

disappointment looming in the horizon

Last day of D-Day for the sitting, and it turned out far from satisfactory. Frankly, I am expecting to fail this paper and go for another round in the next sitting.

I knew the subject of Corporate Reporting has always been a problem for me even since my university days. Come to think of it, I never really understood the subject thoroughly and coming into ACCA, I am talking about the introduction of a plethora of new accounting issues and the demand for an in-depth understanding of accounting standards. Judging from my performance in the past six months, clearly I am in need of dire help.

Only thing left for me to do for now, is to pick myself back up and try to get back on track. After all, every now and then we fall down, and the reason we fall down is because we can learn to pick ourselves back up. Most importantly, is whether I can put this downfall behind and keep pushing foward.

Lesson learned from this experience:
1. Distractions have to be kept at bay, no matter what. At the end of the day, distractions only bring about inefficiencies;
2. Time management is the only way to go in keeping oneself organize and getting things done;
3. Basics are important, get them wrong from the start, and you are on the road to no where!

Monday, December 10, 2007

First exam paper out of the 2 for the semester.

Today was D-day for me, and I underwent the first exam paper. I had no expectations for the paper and I only hoped to write as well as possible.

With the new syllabus and the introduction of the 15 minutes reading time, I thought it would be better for me. It was only natural to think that 15 minutes reading time to annotate important points would help. However, in reality it did not make much of a difference because by allowing the 15 minutes reading time the examiner made sure the paper was difficult enough to warrant the 15 minutes.

My thoughts on the paper:

1. It looked manageable at first take, but when I got down to it clearly it was not as simple as it looked.

2. The 15 minutes time, made me overestimate the amount time I needed to write the answers, thus making me think I could finish the paper quicker when in reality that was not the case.

3. I am not so sure if passing the paper is possible.........
_____________________________________________
One way or the other I thank God in Heaven for keeping me cool and focused throughout the exam.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Just to reflect.....

Getting a job you truly love to do is definitely not impossible, but chances like that are very, very scarce. But the thing is, it is important to understand that the world is tough out there and we are in no position to be choosy about what job we land. Most importantly, each one of us have to be honest. If you don't like the job, you don't like it. But no one said you should just quit and walk away saying, "this job don't suit me".

I'd rather sit tight and try it out. At the end of the day, if you cannot really love what you are doing, no harm trying to like it. Unlike many, I'd rather be honest with myself. I am also trying to like what I am doing by staying away from negative thoughts, keeping a straight mind and looking at things from many other perspectives. You'd be surprise how much you can see and learn by looking at yourself from other viewpoints. Most of us, or probably even all of us are simply too bothered about "me, me, me, I, I, I". Because of one very reason - humans are greedy and selfish people. Everything has to be, "what do I gain from this? why should I do this? I dont' like this!". Frankly, if we stop thinking that way for just one moment, we'll be a lot happier about ourselves.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Some tips on how to cope with a job you hate~

If everybody loved their job, they probably wouldn't call it work. The lucky ones are those guys who figured out how to get paid for doing what they love, while the rest of us simply get paid so we can afford to do what we love on the weekends.

But for some of us, the workplace can be miserable, so much so that it consumes your whole life. And in a tough job market, the idea of quitting without having another job lined up is just too risky.

If you find yourself dreading work in the morning, or unable to relax at the end of the week, here are a few tips to help you cope with a job you hate, whether you decide to tough it out or find something else.

Reading some self-help books, I bump into these 9 tips, which will help you cope regardless of why you hate your job, whether it's a terrible boss, nasty coworkers, or incompetent subordinates.

1- Rant, rave & holler
Just don't do it at the office. It used to be that the only people who heard us complain about work were our wives or girlfriends. But this is the age of feminism, so she's probably working too. Your friends are out, they've got their own problems, and you can't complain to your coworkers, since they might be part of the problem.

Try posting your gripes on a site like Jobvent.com. You'll feel better when you get it off your chest, and while you're looking for a new place to work, you can see what people have to say about some of the companies you're looking at. Plus, if there's one universal rule, it's that someone else always has it worse, so the other guy's horror stories might put things in perspective.

2- Remind yourself that this isn't permanent
It's easy to think that things won't ever change. But that's just not true. The average worker no longer has just one career. According to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, a group that tracks economic trends, the number of careers a worker can expect to have in a lifetime is five -- and growing. Changing your job every few years has become common practice, so you shouldn't think that a few years here and a few years there is a warning sign on your resume.

3- Make time for yourself
The truth is that this is good advice whether you hate your job or not. It's easy to get into the painful grind of sleeping, working and eating. Turn an activity that you enjoy (anything from working out to reading the paper) and apply it your morning routine. That way you'll be getting up for the activity, rather than the job.

4- Add something fun to the mix at work
Nobody works all the time at the office. Try and give yourself a little break from your workday. Check out your favorite sports teams on ESPN.com. Or, listen to music (if you can). Step out for lunch and use that time to decompress from the rigors of the office. Play the occasional game on your computer. The trick is to find something that you like and have fun with it for a few minutes during your day.

5- Keep your sense of humor
It's not just an old wives' tale that laughter is the best medicine. Many scientists believe that humor can enhance your ability to cope with a number of situations by giving you perspective and helping you to see that the problem is manageable. Try and add humor to your daily routine whenever possible. Watch a sitcom over a drama or listen to a goofy morning radio show rather than the news. Keeping your sense of humor will allow you to be optimistic in the face of adversity, which will help you keep the ball rolling forward every day.

6- Focus on life outside the office
If you spend eight hours a day at work, and eight hours sleeping, that leaves you eight hours all to yourself. When you let a crappy day at work take over your life, you're letting the company steal your time without paying you for it. Take your time during the day and focus on what you want. Release tension by playing ball with the guys. Go see a movie with that cute woman in your building. Or, have a nice meal on a Tuesday night for no reason at all. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that you leave your work at work.

7- Be a better worker
You may not be happy at work, but you don't have to waste your time. Since you're likely applying for other jobs anyway, you might as well do all you can to enhance your skills. Take advantage of training programs, if your company offers them. Better still, try and convince your boss that you need to leave early once a week to attend a class at a local community college. That way you'll get out of work and make yourself more attractive to future employers at the same time.

8- Don't jeopardize your job
On a note related to the previous tip, however awful things are, you don't want to ruin all the hard work you've done. Even if you're eventually leaving your job, you don't want to leave it on bad terms, so make all the effort you can to keep from destroying relationships at your job. Also, don't slack off. How you perform at your current job can determine if you get your next one. Use that as motivation to keep your performance up. A positive attitude will go a long way in getting you out of a bad situation.

9- Organize an activity at work
If your problem at work is that it has become a grind, chances are that some of your coworkers probably feel the same way. Assuming that you actually like your coworkers, try suggesting an activity with them to liven things up. Make plans for the office to go bowling one night. Or, get a weekly softball game together (ask some of the companies you do business with if they'd like to play against your team and maximize your networking potential).
_______________________________________________________
For those who currently love their jobs, good on you. For those less fortunate ones, try some of these tips and have a great day! ;) Cheers!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Introducing an interesting blog ~

A really close personal friend of mine is a real estate agent. One of the very few that does what he does because of passion and the liking, unlike many of us who are simply in for the money. He is also one of the very few that decided to take a huge risk and leap into a different field.

I keep in touch with him often and it is definitely not easy being a real estate agent. Striking real estate deals definitely can give you big commissions, sometimes even hitting five figures per deal. However, the risk still lies within the fact that you may strike a good deal this month and not strike any deals for the next few months. So, for those thinking of venturing into the real estate line, do not think it is a big paying job and hope to be the next Donald Trump.

Anyway, back to the today's main topic. That friend of mine, has created a blog to share ideas in the field of real estate. That blog is called - Real Estate Sales Technique. For those already in the real estate line, I believe his blog will be a good place to learn new techniques and ideas. For those planning to go into the real estate profession, his blog might give you a new perspective. Lastly, for those looking to make purchase, his blog might assist you in making a more informed decision. Take a browse, never know what you might learn today!

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Overcoming frustration!

For the past one week to one and a half weeks, I have been struggling to motivate myself. Too many ups and downs, challenges being thrown at me and the uncertain future of the examination subjects I am currently taking. It definitely does not take long for frustration to kick in when you think you are taking too long a time to learn something or to gel into an environment.

With that, I was feeling really horrible and down. Having the Internet and knowing how informative it can be, I tried searching out for some ways to overcome the stroke of frustration that I was going through. I found this really good article:
_____________________________________________________
Fighting Frustration
by: J. Ramiro Sejas M.


I don't know you. But I have been frustrated many times. My heart was broken many times. I divorced. I have been unemployed. I have been in the street. I have felt totally alone. I became an alcoholic. There were nights I closed my eyes waiting not to wake up any more. I was on the edge of the suicide a couple of times. I needed help like never before in my life but there was nobody around to help me. And I discovered an even worse thing: there was nobody who could really help me. As things were going I could see only two choices. Being dead or somebody to drive me back in time so I could rectify the bad decisions I took, the opportunities I lost, in short so that I can fix my life but knowing the results of my last errors ahead of time. The first thing didn't happen ‘cause I didn't have the guts of taking away my life and simply day after day I checked that it won't happen naturally, not yet. The second chance is a fantasy. Then, sinked in the deepest bitterness and frustration, a thought began to hum in my mind. There was a tool, the only one I could count on..... my mind! I realized that all my life, and any other person’s life, is governed by the group of thoughts occupying the mind. Tell a woman she looks great today and you will draw a smile in her face, you will ligth her day. Why? Because you put a pretty thought in her mind! You go to your office tomorrow, you enter in the elevator and you listen as a murmur “... poor man, his wife deceives him...” and moreover they’re looking to you. Forget it man! Your day has become a hell. You have a lousy mood. You cannot concentrate on your work. And what is the reason? Because an unpleasant thought has entered in your mind! And maybe the murmur you heard in the elevator were even not referred to you! Thoughts work in this way, for or against us while occupying our mind. And they are like the stone in a pond, they can generate chain reactions in our lives of disastrous consequences. That is what I discovered. And, after that, I decided to use my mind in my favor.

I began to re-program it. And I found the only way to replace the old thoughts was putting new ones in my mind. More beneficial for my activities and my life. More powerful than those that had ruined my life. Then the computer I had up of my shoulders began to work... in the way I wanted! I began to see solutions to my problems I didn't see before. I began to feel more optimistic. I began to feel more energy every new day. And all that gave place to a dramatic change in my life. You don't need money! You don't need a “specialist” (that neither has lived, nor has suffered your problems) helping you to solve your problems. Take yourself the responsibility of all your errors, of all your faults and your lacks. The only thing you need is in your head! Use it! Here is the formula! Repeat, all the time you can do it, each new thought that you consider beneficial for you like a no-end tape ... (sometimes in silence others aloud) until you see results! Believe me, it works!

IN YOUR MIND YOU HAVE THE BIGGEST TOOL YOU CAN COUNT ON

In your head you have the biggest computer of the universe. Your brain represents the hardware and your thoughts the software. Although you cannot update your brain to a brain Pentium V for example, your brain is powerful enough for not to need any type of updating. However, YES, you can change the programs that govern your reactions, your attitude, your state of mind. YES, you can change the thoughts that make you act in an or another way. YES, you can program your mind with the appropriate thoughts to make your life in agreement to as you want it to be.

THOUGHTS CHANGE HUMANITY'S HISTORY

A man invented a recipe for the cough that didn't have the desired effect. Another bought it and transformed that same recipe into the most sold drink in the world. Let me ask you: Which is the difference among these two men? Answer: The thoughts occupying their minds. One had his mind programmed to make inventions, the other one to see business opportunities. Which one would you like your mind to be programmed as?

Less than 200 years behind some men ‘' dreamt of flying while others believed that it was impossible to achieve it”. Some of them imagined themselves rising throuhg the air in a great flying machine even not knowing how to do it, while the other ones maintained their thoughts in earth. You tell me, who changed humanity's history? And, Why? In the same way in real life it is the thoughts you allow to occupy your mind that determine your success or your failure. Your thoughts are those that make you capable or unable of overcoming the setbacks. It is your thoughts that can sink you into frustration or take you out of it. Don't lose time and try it! Re-program your mind! Re-program your life! What do you have to lose? What can you win? You don’t have to live frustrated. You deserve a life without frustration. You must take action now against frustration.
_______________________________________________________
Hope this is helpful for those who may be in the same boat as I am. Cheers!


About The Author
J. Ramiro Sejas M. Author of “How YOU Can Overcome Frustrations In An Easy, Cheap And Simple Way”

Friday, September 28, 2007

L'Arc~en~Ciel - My Heart Draws A Dream


L'Arc~en~Ciel with their latest single "My Heart Draws A Dream", released on the 29th August this year. Got of a hold of it only a couple of days ago. Once again, they pulled it off!

15 years as a band, and they are still producing high quality music with varying styles. This song is very upbeat and very emotional for me. As usual, Tetsu's bass with a moving bassline accompanied with Hyde's unique voice gives us a well amagalmated combination that compliments each other. Simplied loved it from start to finish.

Just to throw in some facts, this song was produced for the Subaru Legacy advertisement in Japan.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The term "tai chi" @ work

What is "tai chi"? The commonly known definition would be - an internal Chinese martial art often practiced with the aim of promoting health and longevity.
You probably don't know this fact, but even "tai chi" is practised in the most common places - and that includes the workplace! Didn't know that did you?

How does it promote health and longevity if practised at work? Very simple! Say, you are a manager overseeing an engagement right now. As a manager, you have quite a substantial amount of commanding power. So this is what you do, you simply pass all your work to the person directly beneath you. So the end result is - you get more time for yourself and a small workload while maintaining your HUGE monthly paycheck, hence promoting YOUR health and YOUR longevity. Of course, at the expense of OTHER PEOPLE'S health and time!

This is how "tai chi" works in the office:

Say that person in the picture is you. You take in a huge amount of "chi", basically just take a deep breath. Then with all your might, you push the work away to the people beneath you. Then, breathe out and relax!

It is truly frustrating for the people at the bottom of the rank ladder. Whether you know it or not, 80% of the time this practice of "tai chi" is the main reason why many good staff leave their jobs. It is truly sad to see the people who are supposed to lead by example doing such unethical, and irresponsible practices at work so they themselves can take the so called "back seat in life".

My say, it's simply the higher-ups taking advantage of the people beneath them! How nice of them eh?

Friday, September 21, 2007

DJ Pi - Concerto For Voices 03 (Special Edition 2007)

After almost 2 months after DJ Pi's announcement to do a special edition vocal mix, the mix is finally up for downloads about three weeks back! I know I should have done the review a lot earlier but I just didn't have the time to really sit back and appreciate the mix.

The tracklist:

  1. Chaser - Hanging Around A1
  2. Gabriel and Dresden Feat. Jan Burton - Dangerous Power (Cicada Mix)
  3. Anna Nalick - Breathe (Blake Jarrell Mix)
  4. Blackfeel Wite - Sea Still Love You (Gabriel Batz Mix)
  5. Anr - Only One
  6. Tiesto Feat. Christian Burns - In The Dark
  7. Kamil Polner - Dance Forever
  8. Javah - One By One (Cyrex Mix)
  9. Maor Levi - Reflect
  10. Bobina Feat. Elles De Graaf - Lighthouse (Sean Tyas Mix)
  11. Jose Amnesia Feat. Jennifer Rene - Louder (Jon Obir Mix)
  12. Jesselyn - Contact
  13. Fkn Feat. Jahala - Why (Aly and Fila Mix)
  14. Duderstadt And Anita Kelsey - Smile (Alex Morph Vocal Mix)
  15. Andre Visor And Dark Moon - Beautiful People (Stoneface And Terminal Mix)

Those familiar with the vocal trance scene should be able to recognise that all the tracks above are pretty much the best of 2007 to date.

My take - from the first song, I could already feel the energy DJ Pi was putting in. I felt like he was saying, "here's the best of 2007 so far, my mix!". When I heard it, it was totally energising! DJ Pi's beatmatching is as good as God like. I have a pretty good set of speakers, so I could really hear the mix clearly. I have to give it to him, not many Djs can put up a tracklist filled with good songs and make a good mix. The flow to the mix was simply amazing, I could totally visualise a story being told through the mix. I was also very surprise when he included track 6 'Tiesto Feat. Christian Burns - In The Dark' because that song isn't an easy song to blend with others. One of DJ Pi's specialties, equaliser manipulation is clearly spot lighted in this mix with his wonderful blend of treble and bass between difference songs overlapping each other.

___________________________________________________________

To download the torrent for this mix - HERE -

___________________________________________________________

Here are some of the comments by others:

"Loved it, thank you DJ 3.14159 "

"dude great job on this mix! im glad that you werent afraid to throw in male vocals...thanks for this flawless mix Pi! couldnt even tell that u were transitioning..."

"Just finished to hear the new Concerto For Vocal 3! A highlight from the beginning to the end!! THATS´s Vocaltrance indeed!!"

"every mix you put out is flawless. tune selection and energy is great!"

__________________________________________________________

More information @ http://www.djpi.net/ -----become a member of the forum and get latest updates on his mixes-----

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Eugen Weber - APOCALYPSES, review

Apocalypses
Prophecies, Cults, and Millennial Beliefs through the Ages


That is the name of this book which I bought some time ago but never really got the time to it. This book was my weekend book so to speak.

"Apocalyptic visions and prophecies from Zarathustra to yesterday form the luxuriant panorama in Eugen Weber's profound and elegant book. Beginning with the ancients of the West and the Orient and, especially, with those from whom we received our religions, the Jews and earliest Christians, Weber finds that an absolute belief in the end of time, when good would do final battle with evil, was omnipresent. Within centuries, apocalyptic beliefs inspired Crusades, scientific discoveries, works of art, voyages such as those of Columbus, rebellions and reforms. In the new world, American abolitionists, who were so critical to the movement to end slavery, believed in a final reckoning. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries' apocalyptic movements veered toward a lunatic fringe, and Weber rescues them from obloquy. From this more than two millennia history, he redresses the historical and religious amnesia that has consigned the study of apocalypses and millennial thought to the ash heap of thought and belief "(Havard Universtiy Press, 2000).
______________________________________________________
Personally, I am a pretty huge fan of history and civilisation. I have always been curious regarding the fact that most religions and beliefs tend to converge on one agreeing point - that the world is going to end some day.

I cannot help but to ponder how did humans of the older times incepted such an idea. A quick search on the internet and I found this book, and immediately bought it since there weren't many books that talk about this subject, which is generally deemed as sensitive.

All in all, this is one book you cannot read on its own because there is a huge list of reference and historical jargons that would require you to search out every couple of pages. It is a factual book, after all.

My take:
In his tendentious attempt to unlock the hidden meaning of the Apocalypse and millennnial thought, Weber takes his place in a long interpretative tradition. His profound and witty book embraces the entire panorama of the apocalyptic visions and prophecies from Zarathustra to the twentieth century and demonstrates clearly that belief in the approaching end of time (fin de siècle) after a final battle between good and evil was present in Western civilization even before the birth of Christ.

Am I suffering from burnout?

For the past whole week, I have been feeling horrible. I wake up feeling groggy, dazed and lazy. Negativity is also starting to creep up in my mind. This can only mean one thing - this is not good at all! Not good!

I ran a search to find out the general burnout symptoms are, and I found these:
1. Chronic fatigue - exhaustion, tiredness, a sense of being physically run down
2. Anger at those making demands
3. Self-criticism for putting up with the demands
4. Cynicism, negativity, and irritability
5. A sense of being besieged
6. Exploding easily at seemingly inconsequential things
7. Frequent headaches and gastrointestinal disturbances
8. Weight loss or gain
9. Sleeplessness and depression
10. Shortness of breath
11. Suspiciousness
12. Feelings of helplessness
13. Increased degree of risk taking

Out of the 13 symptoms above, I hit 9 of those symptoms, meaning to say there is a good 70% chance I am starting to suffer from burnout.

How does burnout occur? There are infinite number of reasons why burnout could happen to someone. However, the easiest way to explain the phenomenon of burnout is by imagining a fork. A fork is used for eating but if you try to use a fork for other purposes, say for driving nails or digging the soil, that fork is going to break.

Why am I writing this? So that readers who think they may be demonstrating the symptoms I listed out above can do something about it before it becomes worse. I have already fallen into it's grasp and it is far from easy trying to pick myself back up. To make matters worse, I have a test tomorrow. This is not helping me at all.

What I need now is a break and I don't seem to be getting it..... period!

Monday, September 17, 2007

A wonderful new tool called BlogRush

I got an email this morning from a really close friend of mine and it had a subject of "Special Invitation". With the increasing problem of spam and silly online advertisements that somehow find their way into your mailbox, I was really skeptical about what it was. Frankly, my mouse cursor was already on it's way to the 'delete' button. :)

So, I read on into the email since this friend of mine tends to send mails of my great interest and of great usefulness (and I don't mean toilet jokes or chain letters). This invitation was for a new web program called BlogRush.

For those who are tech savvy and Internet savvy should know what RSS is. RSS or Really Simple Syndication was developed some where in the 1995, although not popular then. However, with the enormous growth of information on the Internet and the speed of of information that constantly changes, RSS finally found it's fame. Imagine RSS as your online newspaper man that automatically updates the information for you. You will see the RSS icon on your browser's address bar for RSS enabled sites - blogs are always equipped with RSS. (more information on RSS here)

So what can BlogRush do for my blog? There are all sorts of blogs to read out there. BlogRush collects data of similar blogs like mine, say blogs that are of personal diary in nature then what it does is posts a list of blogs on my blog. You should be able to see a box on the right of this blog that has a title "From the BLOGOSPHERE", now that box lists a collection of blogs that are similar to mine.

End result, potential increase in traffic for my blog and other blogs! THANKS BlogRush!
__________________________________________________________
If you are interested, visit BlogRush or hit the BlogRush picture above. ;)

Sunday, September 16, 2007

~nature untouched~

Browsing through the Internet today, I found a really interesting picture that caught my eye straightaway.

I live in Kuala Lumpur, pretty much a concrete jungle. Seeing this photo really reminds me of how far this city that I live in has developed from being a small, humble village settlement into a booming commercial centre.

This photo prompts an important question in my mind - are we slowly losing the natural beauty that our God Almighty created? Honestly, when you look into that picture do you not feel an impeccable sense of serenity?

Staring into this picture, I just get sucked into it. I live in a society where materiality counts, where time never seems to be enough, where money seems to rule our every thought. For a moment, this picture takes me away from all that and just tells me there are more things than just working so hard to please higher-ups that hardly seem to be satisfied with no matter how well or how much we do!

Nature in it's original form reminds us of how beautiful it is. However, most importantly it tells each and everyone of us, how much we have taken away from Mother Nature in the name of better living and development. But, really, are we really living in a better place? Are we truly happy? ~ give it some thought ~

Friday, September 14, 2007

MOVIE - The Brave One

After a long day at work and another session of classes tonight, I decided I had to go something else for the remaining for the Friday. I found myself driving into the night headed for MegaMall and going for a movie. It was nice - no traffic jam, no long queue to get into the parking lot, no need to fight for parking lots and no human traffic in the mall.

Going pretty late for a movie didn't leave me with many choices, so I picked 'The Brave One' since Jodie Foster was acting in it. She is a pretty well known actress so I'd figured it should be pretty good.

The movie revolves around Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) who lives in New York; a place she calls home and a place she makes ends meet. She hosts a radio show called 'Street Wak' sharing the city sounds she records on a daily basis and telling a story about New York. A job she loved, and a fiance David Kirmani (Naveen Andrews) - she couldn't happier.

The happiness all comes to an abrupt end when both of them become victims of a random attack by junkies while walking in a park one night.

Healing from the bodily wounds that left her in coma for three weeks, but struggling to recover from the lost of her fiance and struggling to put things behind leads her to arming herself with a gun. Now she finds herself roaming the streets of New York, which she onces felt comfortable now threatening and dangerous.


Armed with a gun, she finds herself doing a day job with 'Street Walk', at night searching for clues to lead her to her assaulters. In the course of her quest, she kills a few criminals and unknowingly became the mysterious NY vigilante across daily tabloids.

Detective Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard) determined to find the vigilante after piecing the clues together finds himself looking for a woman with a grudge and not a man with a gun.
_____________________________________________________

My take:
Plot is slow moving but with a very moving story to tell - how life can be cruel. The casts were well suited for their roles. Although, I believe the movie would have been a little bit more interesting with some parts were not censored - some part of violence were pretty bad.

If you are looking for something out of the norm, deviating from the common action, romance and comedy; this would be the show.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Learning from the physically and mentally challenged?

Most of you are probably wondering why I am posting this. My home, is a place naturally filled with animals ranging from bats making a home in the roof, squirrels that trot around the compound, stray cats that walk in and out, and heaps of birds flying around. Personally I have 3 aquariums with fishes and an iguana.

Out of all the animals I see pretty much on a daily basis, there is this particular cat that I always feel a deep sympathy for him. He is physically challenged - walking on three legs only. Although I am not sure what exactly happened, but one leg doesn't work and it looks permanently bent.

The really sad part about him (actually I call him Leggy), everytime I look into his eyes I cannot help but feel a deep sense of pain and sadness. So much so that I find it simply difficult to describe.

Most importantly, everytime I see Leggy, I have a great deal of respect for him. Every now and then I get to catch a glimpse of him hopping up a fence, or spurting with his might trying to catch a bird meal. These scenes trully gives me a reason to respect Leggy. He may be handicap but he sure does not let it hold him back from living his life.

By just staring at him, I learn something about life - there are things, incidents or even people out there that can really bring you down or try to bring you down. We are all humans and inherently given birth to with weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Some weaknesses can be a big disadvantage like what Leggy goes through every second, minute and day. But there's nothing humanly impossible if one is willing to give things a shot and try.

Being proven wrong every now and then, or meeting failures just like falling flat on your face can be horribly painful. Looking at Leggy, having a bad leg and living life one day at a time is like having to fall flat on your face everyday. If Leggy can still make it, why can't we? Why?

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Did you feel the earthquake?

About 7pm yesterday while my team and I were working on a meeting table, we suddenly felt the table moving and shaking. First I thought it was one of our mates trying to be funny. It lasted for a couple of minutes, maybe 5 minutes?

It did get a little bit stronger, so I looked up and started looking at all of them. Surprisingly everyone seemed to have the wondering look. That's when I realised maybe no one was fooling around.

I never experienced any earth tremor like this before, so having this as a first time was interesting. Apparently it was an earthquake with a 7.9 magnitude followed by a tsunami in Indonesia. More news HERE.

My prayers to the citizens of Indonesia in the town of Padang.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Random joke I found ~ enjoy

PILOT JOKES - CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN PILOTS AND CONTROL TOWER

Tower: “Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o’clock, 6 miles!”
Delta 351: “Give us another hint! We have digital watches!”

Tower: “TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 degrees.”
TWA 2341: “Center, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?”
Tower: “Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?”

From an unknown aircraft waiting in a very long takeoff line: “I’m f…ing bored!”
Ground Traffic Control: “Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!”
Unknown aircraft: “I said I was f…ing bored, not f…ing stupid!”

O’Hare Approach Control to a 747: “United 329 heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, one o’clock, three miles, Eastbound.”
United 329: “Approach, I’ve always wanted to say this… I’ve got the little Fokker in sight.”

A student became lost during a solo cross-country flight. While attempting to locate the aircraft on radar, ATC asked, “What was your last known position?”
Student: “When I was number one for takeoff.”

A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down.
San Jose Tower Noted: “American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able. If you are not able, take the Guadeloupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights and return to the airport.”

A Pan Am 727 flight, waiting for start clearance in Munich , overheard the following:
Lufthansa (in German): “Ground, what is our start clearance time?”
Ground (in English): “If you want an answer you must speak in English.”
Lufthansa (in English): “I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany . Why must I speak English?”
Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): “Because you lost the bloody war!”

Tower: “Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on frequency 124.7″
Eastern 702: “Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure. By the way, after we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway.”
Tower: “Continental 635, cleared for takeoff behind Eastern 702, contact Departure on frequency 124.7. Did you copy that report from Eastern 702?”
Continental 635: “Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, roger; and yes, we copied Eastern… we’ve already notified our caterers.”

One day the pilot of a Cherokee 180 was told by the tower to hold short of the active runway while a DC-8 landed. The DC-8 landed, rolled out, turned around, and taxied back past the Cherokee. Some quick-witted comedian in the DC-8 crew got on the radio and said,

“What a cute little plane. Did you make it all by yourself?”
The Cherokee pilot, not about to let the insult go by, came back with a real zinger: “I made it out of DC-8 parts. Another landing like yours and I’ll have enough parts for another one.”

The German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They not only expect one to know one’s gate parking location, but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, call sign: Speedbird 206.

Speedbird 206: ” Frankfurt , Speedbird 206! Clear of active runway.”
Ground: “Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven.”
The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.
Ground: “Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?”
Speedbird 206: “Stand by, Ground, I’m looking up our gate location now.”
Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): “Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?”
Speedbird 206 (coolly): “Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark, — And I didn’t land.”

While taxiing at London’s Gatwick Airport , the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727.
An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming: “US Air 2771, where the hell are you going? I told you to turn right onto Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right there. I know it’s difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!”
Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: “God! Now you’ve screwed everything up! It’ll take forever to sort this out! You stay right there and don’t move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about half an hour, and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the humbled crew responded.
Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US Air 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out around Gatwick was definitely running high. Just then an unknown pilot broke the silence and keyed his microphone, asking:
“Wasn’t I married to you once?”

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Michael Crichton - STATE OF FEAR

After finishing his new book, Next I moved on to this book.

From start to finish, I was hooked on to this book and I really felt captivated by this book. I guess, it is probably his background in anthropology that makes him such a good writer. Reading his books always gives me the impression that he is telling the reader, "I make sure I research my materials before embarking on writing this book.".

This book like Next is quasi fact and fiction, which makes it simply so interesting. This day and time, it is hardly possible to find any author as dynamic as him that can amalgamate fact and fiction together.
________________________________________________________

This book revolves around the danger of politicised science. I am sure all of us are well aware of many environmentalist movements globally and the amount of research being done regarding sustainability and managing the environment. The most prominent environmental problem is of course none other than global warming.

Upon reading this book, global warming may not really exist but it is perceived to exist because of politicised science. With actual references (which I did run a check, courtesy of Google), I have come to realise that the increase in temperature for the past 50 years have not been significant. In addition, the commonly perceived definition that the increase in temperature is mainly caused by urbanisation. However, that is not true because there are many parts of the United States that still face increasing temperatures even with minimal urbanisation.

Most importantly, most globally warming researches have not been truthful about their findings. Most research conclusions were in fact based on simulation. Simulation as per the dictionary - the representation of the behavior or characteristics of one system through the use of another system, esp. a computer program designed for the purpose. In simpler terms, it is as good as guessing. The fact remains is that an informed guess is still a guess!

Most frightening is that many research results are untrue because the results were adjusted to reflect what was to be expected. Let's face it, the field of research is no longer for the purpose of expanding knowledge for the betterment of mankind; only a naive-minded person would presume so. Research has become a commercial movement. Want to know why? Here's why - researches are funded by grants, grants are big money. Grants are more often funded by big conglomerates under the pretext of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Grants given are like money pumped in by venture capitalists. As such, they EXPECT results, therefore scientists give them results. At the end of the day, scientists today want fame and money (although it may not necessarily apply to all).

Today, many environmental sustainability programmes are controlled by government bodies or private entities, which are more concerned about publicity. Even, with some very kind philanthropists that donate huge sums of money for environmental reason, the money is mostly misappropriated for other reasons.

This book mainly evolves around the darker side of today's environmental movements and how science have strayed far from it's original purpose.

Fantastic read, I'd say!
__________________________________________________________
For additional reading - visit http://www.michaelcrichton.com/speech-environmentalismaseligion.html for a speech by the author himself. It will surely give you a clearer picture of what I have written about in conjunction with STATE OF FEAR.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Overcoming Anger

I have come to realise I've got a pretty short fuse when dealing with many things. Anger can work wonders at times. It can sometimes give you the additional strength from all the adrenaline pumping into your body. But more of than not, it makes you do stupid things that you might regret later on for example slamming your hand on the table just to find out that it hurts like hell later.

Browsing through the net I found this interesting article (really relevant for Christians and believers). But even non-believers can use it for some guidance.
________________________________________________________

Overcoming Anger and Fear

By Billy Graham
Reprinted from "The Journey" by Billy Graham, with permission of W Publishing Group.

Emotions That Destroy: Anger and Bitterness

Every destructive emotion bears its own harvest, but anger's fruit is the most bitter of all. Uncontrolled anger is a devastating sin, and no one is exempt from its havoc. It shatters friendships and destroys marriages; it causes abuse in families and discord in business; it breeds violence in the community and war between nations. Its recoil, like that of a high-powered rifle, often hurts the one who wields it as well as its target. Anger makes us lash out at others, destroying relationships and revealing our true nature. The history of the human race is largely the history of its anger. Nor are Christians exempt from anger's grip. After Jesus' arrest Peter angrily denied his Lord: "He began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don't know this man you're talking about"' (Mark 14:71). Paul had to urge the Ephesian Christians to "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice" (Ephesians 4:31). How many churches have been torn apart by someone's anger? How many people have been turned away from Christ because of a Christian's anger? We get angry when others hurt us, both by what they say and what they do.

We get angry too when we don't get our own way or our plans and dreams are frustrated. Anger may arise in an instant erupting like a volcano and raining destruction on everyone in sight. Often, however, anger simmers just below the surface, sometimes for a lifetime. Like a corrosive acid, this kind of anger eats away at our bodies and souls, yet we may not even be aware of its presence.

Some people are angry at God. Sometimes I get letters from people who have been touched by tragedy—but instead of seeking God's help, they angrily blame Him for what happened. As a result they cut themselves off from the peace and joy He alone can give us, even when we don't understand.

Is anger ever justified? Yes—when it is caused by injustice and sin instead of our selfishness or hurt pride. God is angry when His righteousness is scorned; Jesus forcefully drove out from the temple those who were callously making money from God's people (Matthew 21:12-13). We must be careful, however; sometimes our so-called "righteous indignation" is little more than a cover for lovelessness or self-righteousness.

Anger and bitterness (as well as hatred, jealousy, and resentment, their offspring) aren't identical, but they are closely related. Bitterness is anger gone sour, an attitude of deep discontent that poisons our souls and destroys our peace. My wife has said that a bitter, sour Christian is one of Satan's greatest trophies—and she's right. The Bible says, "See to it…that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (Hebrews 12:15). Are anger or bitterness keeping you from becoming the person God wants you to be?


Conquering Anger

Can we overcome our anger, instead of constantly being overcome by it? Yes—with God's help. Peter's anger was channeled into boldness for Christ. Paul's anger against Christians was replaced with a burning passion to spread the Gospel. The Bible commands us "to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:23-24). Is this your goal?

How should we deal with anger? The answer is decisively! The first step in gaining victory over unjustified anger is to want to get rid of it—and the key to that is to see it for what it is: sin in God's eyes. Jesus warned, "Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment" (Matthew 5:22).

This means we must stop making excuses for our anger or bad temper—blaming it on our parents, for example, or claiming we have every right to be angry because of something that happened to us in the past. We also must face honestly the toll anger and bitterness take on our lives. They are our enemies! The Bible says, "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins" (Proverbs 29:22). It also says, "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; …it leads only to evil" (Psalm 37:8). Never underestimate anger's destructive power.
_________________________________________________________

Hope it is useful to readers out there!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

EY are the champions for 2007 IAFG squash event!

EY finally won! Finally! It was a wonderful feeling to know that I was part of a winning team. The finals was a closely fought match having both EY and KPMG relentlessly going up against each other. KPMG was defending its champion's title and EY was in search to end the drought.

I was set as the last player. At that point it was two wins per team, meaning all hopes were banked on me. Was I feeling any pressure? You bet I was!

For me, it was a truly tough match since my opponenet was an experienced player. May not be as young as I am but definitely experienced. The match lasted for four sets, and almost for 40 minutes.

For once in my entire life, I felt my body was really being pushed to the limit. The fact that I didn't have a regular squash game definitely had slowed my body down in many ways. Somehow, I pulled through and I won the match, therefore clenching the last win our team needed to be champions for this year.

Since this morning, my body has been aching and it'll probably stay this way until tomorrow. Worth it? I'd say it was a priceless moment for me. 1st year in the firm, 1st time playing for the firm and 1st win for the firm after so many years! :D

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Tired tired tired..... rain rain rain

This whole week has been a wet week I must say, raining at least 4 out of the 7 days in this week. It's a good thing in a sense that temperatures are brought down to far more acceptable point. Besides, things could be worse! :)

What I like most about this cool weather is the relaxing feeling I get and it just cools me off. Especially like today, fatigue is the best word to use to describe how I am feeling right now. Having had 10 hours of class today, I am simply in no mood for anything besides resting.

What other way to rest then by watching some anime and just enjoying the cool wind blowing through my room windows. Although, I have to admit I don't like the rain because of the way it dirties my car but then again, it could be worse.

Most importantly, I need to get sufficient rest for tomorrow's IAFG squash finals against KPMG. I need the clarity of mind and the condition of my body to make sure the team gets the maximum chance of winning the event.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

NEWS FLaSH! RESULTS OF IAFG Squash tournament Ernst & Young vs. PWC

Yesterday at the Jalan Duta squash courts was the semi-finals for the IAFG squash tournament. It was Ernst & Young going up against PWC. How did it go? It was a good challenge and we turned out to win the event. We won 4 to 1, losing one men's event to PWC but winning the rest.

The atmosphere was really good with many of my workmates turning up to cheer us on. Not letting anything distract me, I walked into the court trying to calm myself down and just focus on the game. I shut out all sounds from the outside and only allowed myself to look at the ball, myself, my opponent and the referee. The sound of the squash ball bouncing off the front wall was the closest thing to heaven for me at that point in time.

A more intense period came when our third player was up. The first set showed both players trying to get ahead of each other. When the pressure was starting to build up for both sides, unforced errors were starting to come around and it kept everyone on their toes. Eventually, we came out on top winning all the first three match.

As for the fourth player, the disparity in ability was quite clear as PWC had a stronger player (they placed their players the other way round starting with the weakest as first). He did lose the match but we are still glad since he tried his best during the match.

Leaving the women's event, we took it we a close match between the both of them.

Kudos to team EY!

Next event - FINALS --> EY vs KPMG 3rd September 2007, 6pm Jalan Duta squash centre.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Elucidate - a DJ, a producer

I caught my eye on Elucidate some time around last year during Voices of Trance guest DJs for DJ GT and Project C's anniversary in June. That's when I heard the mix of Elucidate, which I was immediately blown away! Listening to that mix told me two very important things - 1. intelligent track selections, 2. top notch mixing skills. I was so surprised because Elucidate up to that point as far as I know has hardly received any publicity unlike the likes of DJ Pi, DJ Doboy or DJ GT. From that day onwards, I knew I had to look him up.

My search paid off easily with the help of Google. Elucidate can be visited @ http://elucidatemusic.com/intro.html

Elucidate has been around since 1999 until today. His mixes are gaining quite a following and you can listen to his mixes being aired on Digitally Imported Radio and Last FM. I love his mixes and I have downloaded all of his mixes from his official website. Simply stunning!

Monday, August 27, 2007

Mika Nakashima - LIFE

Always into Japanese songs, I got the latest release of Mika Nakashima's LIFE single. Her songs have always been respectable in her own sense - very deep and emotionally driven. Having quit
studies to pursue her passion for song writing and singing at a young age really isn't something easy to go through considering the music industry is an industry that is not easy to penetrate.

What can I comment? This time, the song is unlike her usual jazzy and slow paced style, this one is more upbeat but more fusion. As for her voice, those accustom to her voice will definitely recognise the unique low and captivating voice the moment she starts to sing. The flow to this song makes it easy to grasp and to feel the emotion she has for the song. For me, although the song is quite upbeat, it still gives me a feel of somber to the song. After all, her songs have always sounded matured to me. Don't be fooled by her voice because she's only 24 years old. Not many can write and sing songs like how she does it!

Since the single is really new, there still isn't any translation yet for the song.

More information here - http://www.mikanakashima.com/

Mika Nakashima - LIFE tracklist:

1. LIFE
2. LIFE (Ballad)
3. IT'S TOO LATE
4. LIFE (Instrumental)
5. IT'S TOO LATE (Instrumental)

Friday, August 24, 2007

Inter-Accounting Firm Games - EY beats Delloitte in the first round of squash!

Yesterday evening was the preliminary round for the squash event. Format is like this, 5 players each team comprising of four guys and one girl. Each player playing best of 5 sets. So out of the 5 players, each team has to accumulate at least 3 wins.

First round, my team, EY was up against Delloitte. It was a pretty good game and I had some fun. There were some serious parts too but its all about the competition. We beat Delloitte 5-0 having all our players won their individual matches. It was a really good result for both me and the firm. After the matches, we adjourned for dinner and a post match briefing to talk about how we faired and how we could improve.

Next up - EY vs. PWC this coming Wednesday 29th August 2007 @ Jalan Duta squash courts.

We are coming for you Price! Better watch out! HAHAHAHAHA!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

I did it! I did it!

After all the trauma, waiting and suspense the wait was finally over. At about 4:45pm yesterday my email account finally received my results from ACCA. How did I feel when I saw the email? I was worried and I was actually shivering with part excitement and part fear. I didn't know what to expect.

So I took a long and deep breath, and I clicked to access the email. Then I slowly scrolled down the email and slowly read the results. First subject - passed, second subject -passed, third subject - passed and the fourth subject - passed. Which means I CLEARED all the four exam papers I took during the June sitting! The magnificent satisfaction I felt within was simply wonderful, especially when I really didn't expect to pass all the papers I sat for.

For this, I must first thank all the people that made this possible:
1. Alan, for the Law notes and Information Systems notes, and the prayers.
2. Sze Wei, my colleague, my 'tai lo' at work for the kind support and the notes for Information Systems notes.
3. Hamster, for all the prayers, for the Information Systems notes as well.
4. David Tan, my colleague for the kind support.
5. My managers for the kind support.
6. Both my lecturers for Malaysian Tax, Mr. Simon Kok and Audit, Ms. Kiran.
7. Jasmine, now ex-colleague for the Law text book for without the textbooks I would not have made it through the paper.
8. Yin Yin, my colleague for the kind support.
9. Zo and family for the prayers and support.
10. My old friend, close friend, and business-partner-to-be, Max for the prayers and kind support.
11. My parents of course.

However, I am disappointed in some ways. First and foremost, I expected to do the best for the Audit paper considering I am in that line. Sadly, it turned out Audit was the lowest scoring paper out of the four. I scored the best for Information Systems, which I self studied. I am not too surprised since that was the easiest paper considering my familiarity with IT systems and the flow of IT processes (don't ask me how I ended up in accounting). How I passed the Law paper, which I thought I was going fail? Don't ask me either. As for the Tax paper, I have always scored within the bandwidth of the results, so it was no surprise.

One thing's for sure - how I did better for the papers I self-studied will always remain a mystery to me. But I have learned something from this painful but satisfying experience. Determination and hard work can take a person a long way even if you do not have the brains for it. At times, when people think you are in way over your head, that may not be the case but you are merely pushing yourself in hope to reach a higher level. When times get tough, no point giving up, by attempting something is in itself an achievement already. As for now, I need to look ahead and concentrate on my current 2 papers, which are FAR from easy, and my work as well since the auditing peak period will be starting in these few months to come.

Lastly, I want to thank the Heavenly Father that blessed me. I have always believed, and will continue to believe, it was He who gave me this opportunity and blessed me with this results.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

It's now or never..........

One day till the release of my results for the four papers I took early June this year. Will I fail, will I pass? God only knows, God only knows. Am I worried? Can't say I am, since what is done is done and no point crying over spilled milk right?

The consolation I get is that at least my career promotion does not get affected yet. So I still have some form of buffer time for me to clear the required papers to get into Senior Associate which is not until at least another year. For those who want to know, here is how the progression works from the position I am into a Senior Associate:

Senior Associate 1 (1 year)
.
.
.
Senior Associate 2 (1 year)
.
.
.
Associate 1 (normally 1 year from Associate 2)
.
.
.
Associate 2 [my position now]

For me to move up into Senior Associate 2, I will need to pass all Level 2 papers of ACCA, which I will find out tomorrow whether I do or not. But as I am supposed to move into Associate 1 this September, I still have 2 sittings to do it (although I really don't intend to retake any papers). I still have a chance for the December 2007 sitting and June 2008 sitting.

Although I do get 2 chances to retake those papers, it is highly unadvisable for one very good reason - as I rise up the ranks I get more responsibilities and more demanding tasks to do. Hence, less time to study; not to mention I am already having trouble trying to work out a proper schedule for work and play.

This then brings about another problem. I once read a statement made by Jack Welch (he is the former CEO of GE, and a very, very successful CEO at that), and he said "what makes successful people successful is their innate ability to manage their time properly". Disappointing part is, I don't seem to be able to manage my time properly, which then makes me feel horrible because here I am trying to be someONE, but I can't even get the fundamentals right. So here I am stuck trying to get myself back together, because demotivation creeps in.


P.S. - the career progression I chart I drew up there? That's assuming I don't make any boo boos along the way.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Art of Greg Martin - a recommendation

I have always been a fan of wallpapers. Wallpapers I am referring to are the background pictures we put on our computers. I surf around looking for different wallpapers to brighten up my Windows desktop. I look into anime wallpapers to abstract wallpapers, I do not in any way restrict my choices of wallpapers.

One site in particular I really admire is called Art of Greg Martin. This site basically showcases the artist's portfolio. From the name of the website I am sure you would already know the artist's name - Greg Martin. Every month he will showcase a new wallpaper for downloads. Visit the website at http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com.com/ .

All his arts are drawn, vectored and coloured digitally. All this is done from scratch, rock bottom. Really impressive is all I can say. He also does photography. So it is a really good mix.

Happy viewing!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Malaysian uncivilised attitude at its finest!

This morning I was posted into an engagement to scrutineer a listed company's extraordinary general meeting (EGM). Most of us would presumably think that shareholders would be attending the meeting with the intention to use their voting rights; since they are essentially the owners of the company. But..... apparently not.

You see, I was in charged of the registration process whereby the shareholders or proxies elected would come present their identity card and I had to make sure that they are representing the correct shareholder with the correct amount of shareholding. Most of us would have thought shareholders are probably business people who want to enhance their wealth. Apparently not.

This is what I observed:

1. They don't know the meaning of 'line-up'.

2. When asked to present their identity card, they toss it as if we like looking at their photos.

3. When asked to sign the attendance list, they don't have a pen (makes you wonder why bother turning for a meeting without a pen?).

4. Lend them a pen, they toss it rudely on to the table, like we owe them a duty to lend the a pen.

5. I don't recall hearing anyone saying, 'thank you'.

6. They were more concern about getting the RM10 voucher for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

7. Business ettiquete. What's that?


Then, while taking a break from the work, which happened to be tea break of the meeting, the shareholders were invited to have food and some drinks. I was shocked to see what was going on.

My findings:

1. They were never interested about the meeting from the beginning.

2. Many actually brought their own plastic bags to take home the food that was there.

3. They take a substantial amount of food without considering the fact that there were others waiting to eat as well.


In a nutshell, it is pretty safe to say people buy shares in Malaysia purely based on unsound foundation and based on hear-say. In addition, they would do anything to get anything that is free and they are greedy too! Oh yea, there were some of them taking heaps of prospectus and quarterly reports back so they could sell it to the paper recycling centre. How's that for being civilised?

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Michael Crichton - NEXT


A few months ago, I managed to get my parents to buy this book from Australia, where it was released earlier than Malaysia. Being a Michael Crichton and a sci-fic fan I could not wait for it to be distributed in Malaysia to get it.

Reading the reviews on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, it was difficult to gauge how good this book would be, because it somehow attracted a variety of opinions. Two things came to my mind - either this book was very confusing or it was a book that simply wasn't a cup of tea for the masses.

However, before reading the book I had absolutely no idea what was waiting for me. I was in fact assuming it was a fiction novel, but it was actually part fiction and part non-fiction.

This book talks about the modern world of gene therapy, and how some conglomerates abuse the patenting of genes. It also features experiments that led to certain impressive yet quite disturbing results - like transgenic parrot name Gerrard that qoutes movies and do math, a talking chimpanzee name Dave and a bounty hunter chasing after human tissues which a company claims to have patented.
____________________________________
How the author started into this book:
In 2005, Michael returned to the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, where he had done postdoctoral work, to attend a conference on Genetics and Law sponsored by the Jefferson Institute. He was surprised and outraged by what he learned about the current laws regarding a range of issues in genetics. He immediately put aside what he had been working on, and began research for the book that became NEXT. He modeled the structure after the genome itself, incorporating fragments of popular culture, and writing a series of stories that sometimes interconnected, and sometimes didn't.
__________________________________
Real facts qouted in the book, with references:
  1. Taking cells by eminent domain. Although some attorneys have found this idea far-fetched, in fact lawyers for University of California, Los Angeles threatened to do exactly that in the famous case of John Moore (1980.)
  2. Humans and Chimps Interbred Until Recently. Research reported accurately in the novel.
  3. Stem Cell Debate Rages. A straightforward summary of the state of research, and the scandal involving Korean researcher Hwang.
  4. Human chimeras. More than fifty have been discovered in the last decade, initially as a result of a paternity dispute.
  5. Theft of cadaver bones and body parts. Thefts described in the book have been reported around the world.
  6. Blondes becoming extinct. A fabricated story reported by the BBC, debunked by the Washington Post and more thoroughly by the excellent site snopes.com. Eventually the World Health Organization felt compelled to issue a press release. That didn't prevent the Times of London from repeating the story a couple of years later. (Best debunking headline: "Blondes Extinction Report Is Pigment of Imagination," from the Times of India.)
  7. Cytokine storms. A well-known cause of death from gene replacement therapy.
  8. Scientists Grow Miniature Ear In Lab. As reported by MIT.
  9. Sociability gene. Identification of several such behavioral genes has been claimed, invariably with fanfare. However (as the novel says) nobody has ever proven that a single gene causes a single human behavioral trait.
  10. Transgenic cactus. Created by artist Laura Cinti, as described. A subject of ongoing controversy.
  11. Glowing transgenic rabbit. Created by Eduardo Kac, as described. The French lab that made the rabbit would not turn it over to Kac, however.
  12. Pig wings. Created as described.
  13. Transgenic zeba fish. Created and marketed as described.
  14. Talking transgenic parrot. There is at least one gray parrot with a claimed vocabulary of more than 950 words, but it is not transgenic.
  15. Gene for gayness, violence, sleep, alcoholism. All have been reported, none have been subsequently verified.
  16. Neanderthals were first blondes. Reported by Times of London.
  17. Canavan gene litigation ends. Reported accurately.
  18. Professors and academics are "strikingly immature." Report of work of Dr. Bruce Charlton. Quotes are accurate.
  19. Genetic Savings & Clone. A real business (now bankrupt) that offered to clone dead pet cats.
  20. Girls take fertility drugs, sell their eggs for big money. World-wide phenomenon, began several years ago.
  21. Anonymous sperm donor traced by offspring. Happens all the time.
  22. Doctors claim patient deaths from gene therapy needn't be reported because they are proprietary information. So claimed at more than one university.
  23. Major universities have been caught not giving informed consent to patients. The named universities have indeed been caught.
  24. Giant cockroaches as GM pets. Proposed by an artist, who put photographs on the Internet.
  25. Prime Minister's Fat Sold. A Swiss artist created, and sold, a bar of soap from what he claimed was Berlusconi's liposuctioned fat.
  26. Speedboat Racer Bums Around. Peter Bethune built a speedboat powered by fat, obtained in part from his own buttocks.
  27. Artist Cooks, Eats Own Body Fat. Marco Evaristti made meatballs from his own liposuctioned fat, ate some of them, and said he would sell the rest. It's not known whether he did so.
  28. Cavemen preferred blondes. Published research of anthropologist Peter Frost accurately reported.

__________________________________

Reading this book at first makes you think you are reading an ordinary fiction book. But once you get into it, and realise the quotes and references you will come to realise there is a meaning to this book.

The author arrived at the following conclusions at the end of his research for this book:

  1. Stop patenting genes
  2. Establish clear guidelines for the use of human tissues
  3. Pass laws to ensure that data about gene testing is made public
  4. Avoid bans on research
  5. Rescind the Bayh-Dole Act

______________________________________

For me, this book was a big eye opener to the world of genetics and how many use it as an object to reap financial benefits for personal and selfish interests. However, it may not be a book that is easy to understand because of the many plots you will encounter throughout the book. Those plots, however will eventually gell together I the reader would come to understand how the author reach the conclusions above.

___________________________________________________________

BUY THE BOOK ONLINE HERE

don't keep staring at the spot you tripped.....

Have you ever encountered a nightmare or a bad dream that keeps playing over and over in your mind everytime you try to catch a shut eye? It...