Posts
- "Consider that two wrongs never make a right, but that three lefts do." - "Deteriorata", National Lampoon
- All trees have bark. All dogs bark. Therefore, all dogs are trees.
- President Dwight Eisenhower expressed astonishment and alarm on discovering that fully half of all Americans had below average intelligence.
- "A man who had killed both of his grandmothers declared himself rehabilitated, on the grounds that he could not conceivably repeat his offense in the absence of any further grandmothers." -- "Ports Of Call" by Jack Vance
- The sun goes down because we've turned on the street lights.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
A List Of Fallacious Arguments
http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Devotion (ODB, Sun 13 Nov) - Be Who You Are
SCRIPTURE - 1 Pe 3:8-17
"13 Who will harm you if you follow what is good? 14 If you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are you; be not afraid or troubled by their terror. 15 Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you the reason for your hope." - 1Pe 3:13-15
OBSERVATION
It's better to suffer for the cause of Christ, than to let the cause of Christ suffer.
We should stand up for our faith in an increasingly secular and pluralistic society. If we are criticised or marginalised, we should respond with gentleness and respect.
APPLICATION
On secular platforms, where appropriate, I should testify of what God has done.
PRAYER
Give me courage to do so.
"13 Who will harm you if you follow what is good? 14 If you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are you; be not afraid or troubled by their terror. 15 Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you the reason for your hope." - 1Pe 3:13-15
OBSERVATION
It's better to suffer for the cause of Christ, than to let the cause of Christ suffer.
We should stand up for our faith in an increasingly secular and pluralistic society. If we are criticised or marginalised, we should respond with gentleness and respect.
APPLICATION
On secular platforms, where appropriate, I should testify of what God has done.
PRAYER
Give me courage to do so.
Saturday, November 05, 2011
The Science of Favouritism (Time, 14 Nov 2011)
Since procreation is basically the biologically narcissistic act of replicating ourselves through succeeding generations, parents choose the biggest, healthiest offspring, as it is more likely to carry healthy genes into the next generation.
A crested-penguin mother will kick the smaller of her two eggs out of the nest. A black-eagle mother will watch idly while her bigger chick rips her smaller one to ribbons. The function of the second chick is insurance; if the first chick is healthy, the policy is cancelled.
Firstborns are often the family's favourite: the rule of sunk costs. The more effort you've made developing a product, the more committed you are to seeing it come to fruition.
The most likely candidate for the mother's favourite is the firstborn son, for the father, the lastborn daughter.
Favouritism can fluctuate, depending on family domains. An active child may be intolerable at home, but a darling on the field.
Kids who feel less loved are more likely to develop anxiety, low self-esteem and depression.
Favouritism conflicts fade as children get older.
Being the favoured may boost self-esteem and confidence but studies show it can also leave kids with a sense of arrogance and entitlement. Unfavoured children may grow up wondering of they're somehow unworthy of the love the parents lavish on the golden child. But they do better at forging relationships outside the family.
A crested-penguin mother will kick the smaller of her two eggs out of the nest. A black-eagle mother will watch idly while her bigger chick rips her smaller one to ribbons. The function of the second chick is insurance; if the first chick is healthy, the policy is cancelled.
Firstborns are often the family's favourite: the rule of sunk costs. The more effort you've made developing a product, the more committed you are to seeing it come to fruition.
The most likely candidate for the mother's favourite is the firstborn son, for the father, the lastborn daughter.
Favouritism can fluctuate, depending on family domains. An active child may be intolerable at home, but a darling on the field.
Kids who feel less loved are more likely to develop anxiety, low self-esteem and depression.
Favouritism conflicts fade as children get older.
Being the favoured may boost self-esteem and confidence but studies show it can also leave kids with a sense of arrogance and entitlement. Unfavoured children may grow up wondering of they're somehow unworthy of the love the parents lavish on the golden child. But they do better at forging relationships outside the family.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Tuning your drums
http://www.drumlessons.com/drum-lessons/general-drum-lessons/how-to-muffle-your-drums/
http://www.drumlessons.com/drum-lessons/general-drum-lessons/how-to-tune-your-snare-drum/
http://www.drumlessons.com/drum-lessons/general-drum-lessons/how-to-tune-your-toms/
http://www.drumlessons.com/drum-lessons/general-drum-lessons/how-to-tune-your-bass-drum/
http://www.drumlessons.com/drum-lessons/general-drum-lessons/how-to-tune-your-snare-drum/
http://www.drumlessons.com/drum-lessons/general-drum-lessons/how-to-tune-your-toms/
http://www.drumlessons.com/drum-lessons/general-drum-lessons/how-to-tune-your-bass-drum/
Monday, September 12, 2011
Child photography
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/met-exclusive-jason-lees-10
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/a-father-who-creatively
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/a-father-who-creatively
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Little Fish Shop (nex)
Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is the true seafood paradise.
From obscure varieties of fish to a straightforward seafood paella, this is where you can extend your palate without being embarrassed, thanks to the helpful, knowledgeable and sincere waiters here.
We ordered the paella ($39.90 for two persons). The portion was not overwhelming and it was chockfull of mussels, prawns, scallops etc. While not traditional (pan, saffron etc.), it was a decent take on a favourite dish.
Our neighbours had the barramundi and sockeye salmon. It looked and smelt delicious. It was a huge hunk of fish, as opposed to the miserable slivers you get at other restaurants.
We also had a Peach & Honey smoothie and a lemonade cooler, both delightfully-mixed drinks that washed the meal down really well.
I can't wait to come back to try their fish entrees.
From obscure varieties of fish to a straightforward seafood paella, this is where you can extend your palate without being embarrassed, thanks to the helpful, knowledgeable and sincere waiters here.
We ordered the paella ($39.90 for two persons). The portion was not overwhelming and it was chockfull of mussels, prawns, scallops etc. While not traditional (pan, saffron etc.), it was a decent take on a favourite dish.
Our neighbours had the barramundi and sockeye salmon. It looked and smelt delicious. It was a huge hunk of fish, as opposed to the miserable slivers you get at other restaurants.
We also had a Peach & Honey smoothie and a lemonade cooler, both delightfully-mixed drinks that washed the meal down really well.
I can't wait to come back to try their fish entrees.
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Steve Carell brings that endearing quirkiness we first saw in Little Miss Sunshine to the fore once again. Sure, he may be getting typecast as a lovable loser going through a mid-life crisis (a-la 40-Year-Old Virgin), but this empathetic endeavour maintains its appeal for now.
This feel-good rom-com reinforces the institution of true love, if not marriage, and one of the best parts is where all the characters come together for the first time; their genuine surprise mirrors that of the audience.
The standout scene for me is when Emily (Julianne Moore) calls Cal (Steve Carell) ostensibly having a problem with the heater, but she calls only to hear his voice as a source of comfort; what she doesn't realise is that he's in her backyard secretly doing some gardening. Awww.
All in all, a heartwarming if cliched movie holds its own with its formidable cast; Carell alludes to this when it rains during his most depressing moment: "What a cliche," he deadpans. Definitely one ti bring your better half to, if only to appreciate him/her all the more for who they are.
PS: Doesn't Emma Stone look like the 50-ft woman from Monsters vs Aliens?!
This feel-good rom-com reinforces the institution of true love, if not marriage, and one of the best parts is where all the characters come together for the first time; their genuine surprise mirrors that of the audience.
The standout scene for me is when Emily (Julianne Moore) calls Cal (Steve Carell) ostensibly having a problem with the heater, but she calls only to hear his voice as a source of comfort; what she doesn't realise is that he's in her backyard secretly doing some gardening. Awww.
All in all, a heartwarming if cliched movie holds its own with its formidable cast; Carell alludes to this when it rains during his most depressing moment: "What a cliche," he deadpans. Definitely one ti bring your better half to, if only to appreciate him/her all the more for who they are.
PS: Doesn't Emma Stone look like the 50-ft woman from Monsters vs Aliens?!
Saturday, September 03, 2011
school kills creativity - ken robinson
9:56 - There's one answer; it's at the back; don't look; don't copy.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Why can't opposition MPs be advisers to grassroots bodies, PA?
Just cos someone's an opp MP doesn't mean that he doesn't support all Govt policies. Ignoring them when appointing grassroots advisers is a gross generalisation bordering on xenophobia. This is PA shooting themselves in the foot, an open admission of a subjective, selective, sycophantic policy of key appointments in a non-partisan entity. MPs're elected by the people, opp or not; who's PA to say they're unfit?
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_707744.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_707744.html
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Neil Humphreys' Be My Baby
"My excited wife cried, craving her head left and right and waddling slightly from side to side like a disoriented penguin."
"We giggled like cheeky cherubs and danced around the bathroom to Judy Garland - once my wife had pulled up her trousers."
""What? What is it? What have you seen? What does it say? You've looked at it before me, haven't you? I told you not to do that. Well, what does it say then?" My wife often does this: Argue with herself and win."
"Checking over both shoulders, I skulked down the aisles for several minutes, taking a disturbing level of interest in underarm deodorant, while waiting for an elderly man to make a final decision on the colour of a toothbrush." - On buying a pregnancy test kit
"There is a laid-back calmness, a certain serenity even, where unchecked jubilation and hysteria should be. After 15 years of waiting for the doctor to say yes, I fear a sense of anticlimax sneaking up and I'm struggling to deal with it. This is not how I'm supposed to feel." - On news of his wife's pregnancy
"Now she rubs more than Aladdin." - On his wife's propensity for belly-rubbin
"Yes, there was a family called the Kerrs who had the bright idea of naming their son Wayne."
"When this is all over, I'm gonna feel like a conductor's baton waving about in the Royal Albert Hall." - On the expansion of his wife's cervix during delivery
"After several fruitless phone calls, I concluded an obstetrician's duties included hiring obstreperous receptionists." - On a frustrating search for someone to deliver the baby
"She once slipped on our wet, tiled kitchen floor, forgetting that she herself had mopped it just five minutes earlier." - Neil Humphreys on his wife's genetic bumbling
I know someone like that.
"I heard the toilet flush in my wife's second home before he waddled in, hands permanently stuck to the back of her hips." - Neil Humphreys on his wife's active bladder
"We needed whites, according to my wife, lots of whites. White is the new black for sexless babies. We're gonna have a bouncing baby ghost." - Neil Humphreys on buying clothes for his baby whose sex he does not want to know
"One particular boy's tee displayed all the symbols of popular Australian sports: a cricket bat, footy boot, golf club. Where I grew up, that was a list of weapons." - on the unoriginality of children's clothing
"Nursing bras tend to come in three sizes: large, extra large and parachute."
"He likes to read and write?! Was that the best you could come up with?" I hissed. "You might as well have said that I live sand and water play too!" - on his wife's introduction of him at a parenting class
"My mother always said I had a great face for radio."
"She now leaves notes everywhere, detailing the day's agenda and any outstanding errands or engagements in a paranoid bid to stop her mind unraveling. She is turning into Guy Pearce in Memento." - on third-trimester pregnancy amnesia or mommy brain
"The pelvic floor muscles have enough to concern themselves with at the moment and a sudden increase in abdominal pressure from laughing may allow a few drops of urine to squeeze through. Being a caring husband, I'm taking this additional responsibility seriously by making her laugh as often as possible."
"... as welcome as a fart in an astronaut's suit."
A midwife had handwritten 'wife - vegetarian' and 'husband - author'. What was its relevance? Perhaps the tools of my profession will be of some service during the birth. Perhaps Dr Derek's head will pop out at the end of the bed and shout, "We need to get this baby out now! I need a clamp, scissors and a couple of funny paragraphs!"
Baby-themed CD: Be My Baby, Sweet Child of Mine, Ice Ice Baby, Hot Me Baby One More Time, Final Countdown, Under Pressure, Push It
Only 5% of women deliver on their expected due dates.
"Wait. Stop the car," she replied, suddenly clutching her tummy with both hands. "What? What is it?" I said, executing an emergency stop in the middle of the deserted road. "Look," my wife exclaimed. "There's a load of kangaroos grazing over there." I almost bloody left here there.
Moments later, after a particularly hefty push, I let go of my wife's leg to kiss her gently on the forehead, only to watch it flop spectacularly off the bed and swing limply over the side. "Neil, my leg is numb from the epidural," my wife screamed. "If you want this baby, I suggest you go pick up my leg and bring it back!"
Tokophobia = fear of childbirth
Five reasons why a baby cries - hunger, pain, tiredness, dirty diaper, hot/cold
To-do: Glucola test for gestational diabetes, TENS, antenatal classes
"We giggled like cheeky cherubs and danced around the bathroom to Judy Garland - once my wife had pulled up her trousers."
""What? What is it? What have you seen? What does it say? You've looked at it before me, haven't you? I told you not to do that. Well, what does it say then?" My wife often does this: Argue with herself and win."
"Checking over both shoulders, I skulked down the aisles for several minutes, taking a disturbing level of interest in underarm deodorant, while waiting for an elderly man to make a final decision on the colour of a toothbrush." - On buying a pregnancy test kit
"There is a laid-back calmness, a certain serenity even, where unchecked jubilation and hysteria should be. After 15 years of waiting for the doctor to say yes, I fear a sense of anticlimax sneaking up and I'm struggling to deal with it. This is not how I'm supposed to feel." - On news of his wife's pregnancy
"Now she rubs more than Aladdin." - On his wife's propensity for belly-rubbin
"Yes, there was a family called the Kerrs who had the bright idea of naming their son Wayne."
"When this is all over, I'm gonna feel like a conductor's baton waving about in the Royal Albert Hall." - On the expansion of his wife's cervix during delivery
"After several fruitless phone calls, I concluded an obstetrician's duties included hiring obstreperous receptionists." - On a frustrating search for someone to deliver the baby
"She once slipped on our wet, tiled kitchen floor, forgetting that she herself had mopped it just five minutes earlier." - Neil Humphreys on his wife's genetic bumbling
I know someone like that.
"I heard the toilet flush in my wife's second home before he waddled in, hands permanently stuck to the back of her hips." - Neil Humphreys on his wife's active bladder
"We needed whites, according to my wife, lots of whites. White is the new black for sexless babies. We're gonna have a bouncing baby ghost." - Neil Humphreys on buying clothes for his baby whose sex he does not want to know
"One particular boy's tee displayed all the symbols of popular Australian sports: a cricket bat, footy boot, golf club. Where I grew up, that was a list of weapons." - on the unoriginality of children's clothing
"Nursing bras tend to come in three sizes: large, extra large and parachute."
"He likes to read and write?! Was that the best you could come up with?" I hissed. "You might as well have said that I live sand and water play too!" - on his wife's introduction of him at a parenting class
"My mother always said I had a great face for radio."
"She now leaves notes everywhere, detailing the day's agenda and any outstanding errands or engagements in a paranoid bid to stop her mind unraveling. She is turning into Guy Pearce in Memento." - on third-trimester pregnancy amnesia or mommy brain
"The pelvic floor muscles have enough to concern themselves with at the moment and a sudden increase in abdominal pressure from laughing may allow a few drops of urine to squeeze through. Being a caring husband, I'm taking this additional responsibility seriously by making her laugh as often as possible."
"... as welcome as a fart in an astronaut's suit."
A midwife had handwritten 'wife - vegetarian' and 'husband - author'. What was its relevance? Perhaps the tools of my profession will be of some service during the birth. Perhaps Dr Derek's head will pop out at the end of the bed and shout, "We need to get this baby out now! I need a clamp, scissors and a couple of funny paragraphs!"
Baby-themed CD: Be My Baby, Sweet Child of Mine, Ice Ice Baby, Hot Me Baby One More Time, Final Countdown, Under Pressure, Push It
Only 5% of women deliver on their expected due dates.
"Wait. Stop the car," she replied, suddenly clutching her tummy with both hands. "What? What is it?" I said, executing an emergency stop in the middle of the deserted road. "Look," my wife exclaimed. "There's a load of kangaroos grazing over there." I almost bloody left here there.
Moments later, after a particularly hefty push, I let go of my wife's leg to kiss her gently on the forehead, only to watch it flop spectacularly off the bed and swing limply over the side. "Neil, my leg is numb from the epidural," my wife screamed. "If you want this baby, I suggest you go pick up my leg and bring it back!"
Tokophobia = fear of childbirth
Five reasons why a baby cries - hunger, pain, tiredness, dirty diaper, hot/cold
To-do: Glucola test for gestational diabetes, TENS, antenatal classes
Friday, August 12, 2011
Weird Singapore facts
Singapore's weirder islands: Violin Island and Junk Island.
According to LTA, a taxi gets hired 25 times a day on average. Assuming that's a 24h shift, how much idle time is that?!
Average Singapore wage is $2710. I'm below-average!
The Cathay was Singapore's first skyscraper at 17 storeys.
Most common Chinese surnames: Tan, Lim & Lee. No wonder the Presidential Election turned out like that.
Coldest day: 31 Jan 1934 - 19.4C
First fast-food joint: A&W at SIA Bldg on Robinson Rd
Semakau Landfill is made entirely of incinerator ash.
Rodolfo Nolli (1888-1963) sculpted the old Supreme Court, City Hall and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.
Last kampung: Kampung Buangkok (1956)
According to LTA, a taxi gets hired 25 times a day on average. Assuming that's a 24h shift, how much idle time is that?!
Average Singapore wage is $2710. I'm below-average!
The Cathay was Singapore's first skyscraper at 17 storeys.
Most common Chinese surnames: Tan, Lim & Lee. No wonder the Presidential Election turned out like that.
Coldest day: 31 Jan 1934 - 19.4C
First fast-food joint: A&W at SIA Bldg on Robinson Rd
Semakau Landfill is made entirely of incinerator ash.
Rodolfo Nolli (1888-1963) sculpted the old Supreme Court, City Hall and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.
Last kampung: Kampung Buangkok (1956)
Monday, July 04, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Sunday, June 05, 2011
New teams!
Hi guys,
Thanks for making the effort to come for the ALG Get-Together today. Things certainly didn't turn out the way we imagined it would, but I believe this is all in God's plan. I was really impressed by the mature words of Sharon Wong and Angela about getting out of the comfort zone and getting to know new people. *applause*
Having said all that, here are the key things that have transpired from our discussion today:
1. New teams
We decided to draw lots as it was the fairest way to decide the groups, since most of us opted to change rather than stay in the current team. By drawing lots, we've ended up with the following teams (I/C in CAPS):
JON, Sharon Teo, Jasmine, Aaron, CK
YEW HOCK, Sharon Wong, Debbie, Kenneth, Dominic
Angela, Matthew, Ai Ping, Jackson, Jeannie (I/C TBC)
Congratulations on having the opportunity to meet new people and grow with them. As Sharon Wong put it, when we started off this year, we were also relative strangers to our current ALG, but then grew closer in these 6 months. I believe the same will happen again.
Also psychology studies show that you can't really start with a new team until you have closure with your current team. So perhaps you guys can organise one last farewell meeting with your current ALGs to thank them properly for the blessing they've been to you, and wish them all the best in their new teams.
2. Samuel & Shirley to Marrieds
As announced some time back, Samuel and Shirley will be moving on (graduating?) to the Married ALG. Since Shirley wasn't able to join us today, we will meet after service on 18 Jun for their farewell dinner. I think Matthew, CK & Jackson should decide on the place, to make it a special occasion for their ALG. In view of that, we will meet in our new ALGs only from 20 Jun onwards, the following week.
3. Kampung Games Day
For our 2nd quarter outreach, Matthew and Jon will be organising a Kampung Games Day comprising some of the games we played as children.
Date: 10 Jul (Sun)
Time: 1-4pm
Cost for Agapeans: $10 (free for guests)
Venue: Blessing, Serangoon
Look out for the Facebook events page (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128299720583842). Let's make it as big a success as our Kinect Sports Challenge was.
4. Reminder
Finally, a gentle reminder about the purpose of ALG:
We want to help one another grow in Christ, and we do this by sharing our personal devotion, testimonies and prayer requests. After each meeting, the I/C should ensure that someone posts something (picture, summary etc.) on the Facebook page so that the rest can appreciate what is happening in the other ALGs. This should be done as soon as possible, by the next day.
Yew Hock and I would like to thank all of you for being such a participative and democratic group today. Here's to helping everyone grow even stronger in God for the rest of 2011!
Agape, Aaron & Yew Hock
Thanks for making the effort to come for the ALG Get-Together today. Things certainly didn't turn out the way we imagined it would, but I believe this is all in God's plan. I was really impressed by the mature words of Sharon Wong and Angela about getting out of the comfort zone and getting to know new people. *applause*
Having said all that, here are the key things that have transpired from our discussion today:
1. New teams
We decided to draw lots as it was the fairest way to decide the groups, since most of us opted to change rather than stay in the current team. By drawing lots, we've ended up with the following teams (I/C in CAPS):
JON, Sharon Teo, Jasmine, Aaron, CK
YEW HOCK, Sharon Wong, Debbie, Kenneth, Dominic
Angela, Matthew, Ai Ping, Jackson, Jeannie (I/C TBC)
Congratulations on having the opportunity to meet new people and grow with them. As Sharon Wong put it, when we started off this year, we were also relative strangers to our current ALG, but then grew closer in these 6 months. I believe the same will happen again.
Also psychology studies show that you can't really start with a new team until you have closure with your current team. So perhaps you guys can organise one last farewell meeting with your current ALGs to thank them properly for the blessing they've been to you, and wish them all the best in their new teams.
2. Samuel & Shirley to Marrieds
As announced some time back, Samuel and Shirley will be moving on (graduating?) to the Married ALG. Since Shirley wasn't able to join us today, we will meet after service on 18 Jun for their farewell dinner. I think Matthew, CK & Jackson should decide on the place, to make it a special occasion for their ALG. In view of that, we will meet in our new ALGs only from 20 Jun onwards, the following week.
3. Kampung Games Day
For our 2nd quarter outreach, Matthew and Jon will be organising a Kampung Games Day comprising some of the games we played as children.
Date: 10 Jul (Sun)
Time: 1-4pm
Cost for Agapeans: $10 (free for guests)
Venue: Blessing, Serangoon
Look out for the Facebook events page (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128299720583842). Let's make it as big a success as our Kinect Sports Challenge was.
4. Reminder
Finally, a gentle reminder about the purpose of ALG:
We want to help one another grow in Christ, and we do this by sharing our personal devotion, testimonies and prayer requests. After each meeting, the I/C should ensure that someone posts something (picture, summary etc.) on the Facebook page so that the rest can appreciate what is happening in the other ALGs. This should be done as soon as possible, by the next day.
Yew Hock and I would like to thank all of you for being such a participative and democratic group today. Here's to helping everyone grow even stronger in God for the rest of 2011!
Agape, Aaron & Yew Hock
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sesame died today
To think that a hamster that could not reciprocate feelings could leave such a lasting impression on our lives. Rest in peace.
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