Fight fire with water not more fire

As the Straits Times aptly put, 'two wrong don't make a right'.

So what in God's name, yes I say god, is pastor Terry Jones doing?

Negativity adds, not multiply. Who in their right mind would prove their enemies well, right? No one. To be fair, fanatics on the opposite side have been burning American flags and shouting 'death to America'. This doesn't mean you should do the same.

During the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, both John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khruschev displayed brinksmanship for the greater good. If we liken the Nuclear Arms race to one of recruiting arms race between Terrorist and Counter-Terrorist, the obvious choice is to disarm if we want peace.

So don't press that button. Don't invade Cuba. Don't send a Medium Range Ballistic Missile right into Russia, because they can just as well throw it back, and only innocents will suffer.

Let us quote this 'pastor' for a moment. "We feel lives are in danger whether we do it or we don't do it...if we do not stand up now to try to expose this for what it is, in 10 years, will we even have the opportunity?" Expose what? That Islam is the spawn of you know who? Yah they heard you the first time. I guess what, their not going to feel guilty, apologize, repent, or convert to christianity. Why? Because your claim is based on a small group of people, oh wait I've heard that before...

"A small church, in a small town...burning copies of its own books, on its own property, is not responsible for the violent actions anyone may take in retaliation to our protest...If violence happens in reaction to this, the violence was not caused by us, it has just been exposed." Guess what Terry, terrorists are a small group of radicals too, yet they do so much damage socially, economically, etc. In the end, this pastor's actions are based on the false presumption that all Islam are evil terrorists. So I guess its time we call all Christians 'crusaders and Jenovah Witnesses'.

What of the Islamic Center two blocks from Ground Zero? I support it. Those people who lost their lives in a ruthless act of violence do not want to start wars. They don't want more lives to be lost like theirs. They don't want their families to continue endless arguments, stay depressed over them and never move on.

'It's an affront to the familes'? How can it be when its construction is meant to progress towards peace? How can it be that an Islamic Center = Terrorist Center?

Only if you understand sarcasm.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Black & White

Morality. Not the game.

Is flawed, because humans are imperfect after all.

In secondary 1 I quickly termed my class as 'immature' when really I was being immature to generalize and classify. Who am I to judge when I am so imperfect?

Your walking back home.
You see a patch of grass that slightly hinders your progress.
There is pavement that winds around the small patch of grass, barely a three feet long, but you know from logic that walking via the pavement will be slower than cutting across diagonally this patch of grass.
In fact, a clear, sandy, barren route has already scarred the field.
Possibly millions of times have people trodden across quickly without hesistanting, leaving behind dry, barren soil (much like the effects of overgrazing).
Why bother eh? Let's just walk on the 'demarcated' route, nothing you do now can heal the grass.
Deep in your heart though, you know your only shaving off one second.
What will you do?

In reality. There is never really distinct black and white choices. Its all just shades of gray. I believe that our minds forsee them as black and white based on principles we set ourselves.

For me? I would always choose the pavement. I know. I know people will never change and that patch of grass will never heal. But my conscience is clear. I stayed true to myself.


Music. True blue music.

The Consistency Challenge & Cheat

Never improving. Never deproving. That has been the most part of my life.

I'm such a loser, with never any motivation to do better.

In secondary 1 and 2 I topped the class, but only partially of my own abilities. The rest is probably talent. I look around at my classmates struggling to beat me (especially Husain), yet they always fall short, despite the fact I know they worked harder (mostly).

I'm content with where I am, but is it a bad thing? I never wish for more. As Dali said 'Intelligence without ambition is like a bird without wings.' (Sorry stole from Zaki Xd)

It feels really depressing. To stare talent in the face in defeat. I get it.
Yet they still 'niao' me for things like 'What's your L1R5?' When I know, deep down, 70% of my marks is perhaps talent. I mean, I do listen in class, but can it really do that much? Plus, I was born with good listening skills, so its still talent.

Consistent. For the rest of my life? Never. I know I'm trying to break from this cycle. The results are showing. HSS improving from B4 to consistent Distinctions. Or is that talent? I don't know.

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

^learn from Rifdi
You know what teaches hardwork? Runescape.

But people still cheat ... even in runescape. These people just piss me off. Plus they triumph over it! Look at Josiah. So immature, botting and laughing about it. Yes its a game, but if you do it in a game whats to say you won't do it in real life?

Maybe I'm just angry right now cause some people on my team (in a minigame) were sabotaging their own team. They laugh and call other people who are trying their very best to help their team. In the end, their efforts are all in vain.

Video Games need sportsmanship too. I know perhaps some people will probably say I'm overreacting. Humans are complex creatures and we all have different stances. My view is don't ever cheat. Maybe in single player campaigns where you can type cheat codes. But that's not really cheating because the developers made it that way. But modding (modifying), hacking..Sabotaging your own team for personal pleasure and arrogance.

This world needs some bloody integrity.
Praan by Gary Schyman. Its in Bangladeshi and was featured in 'Where the hell is Matt?' One of the best mix of piano, guitar, violin and vocals

Teachers.Are.Awesome

Happy Teachers Day.

Teachers have always gained my respect for being upright individuals who never cease to astonish us not just with worldly facts but with all the 金玉良言 they give us.

Is she saying her final goodbye before tomorrow's killer geography exam T_T ?

Life is unfair, but you can make it fairer

By embodying your principals and unfailingly advocating your morals, you can change not only yourself but the people around you, albeit slowly. You become infallible and respected.

With conviction, I hope that someday people will realize it.

About 15 minutes before this post...

My mother started stomping around the house looking for a camera charger which she specifically left neatly organized with other electronic equipment used on overseas trips. She didn't make an effort to show her displeasure at my elder brother who allegedly misplaced it.

To put you in context, she has a flight tomorrow (actually this morning) and she was doing some last minute packing (though not of her fault).

After a few minutes of frantic futile finding (woo hoo alliteration!), she woke my elder brother (who slept early for church tomorrow today) to voice her discontent. 

So have you ever been woken up from slumber, knowing you have to get up early the next day for something important? Me? Many times. By my mother.

I don't blame her though. People have different ways of taking out anger. 

She usually wakes me up because the internet is slow or she doesn't have a clue how to use safari. The way she talks to me makes it seem like its my fault for error 404.  She does calm down after I solve the problem though.

For my elder brother, he will start kicking or physically harm my innocent modem which will probably make it worse (though miraculously it does work at times). He will however, take the initiative to send the computer for repairs after repeated failures.

For me, I let out a curse word (in my head...sometimes), then try to calm myself down before solving the problem, by doing weights or reading the newspaper. I try to think rationally in situations like these. If its a hardware problem, I usually aggravate my condition as I usually hit something while trying to tighten wires, etc. I think I'm improving though =D

My brother was none too pleased disturbed from sleep. Of course, like any civilized, rational human being would do, he tries to let it go and feign sleep.

My mother was none too pleased with his apparent apathy at her 'crisis'. I strengthened my search to prevent tensions from heightening.

I found it thankfully, but I think I made it worse +_+. 

I told her life is unfair and not everyone's going to be a perfectionist like her.

"YOUR BROTHER LOR." Making no effort to lower her volume.

"EH SHIT LA YOU NEVER TELL ME RIGHT! FUCK YOU." My brother retorted angrily.

I wonder if its NS that thought him to swear that way.

Sensing this could be a Manila Hostage Crisis, I attempted to remain neutral, but err, sided my brother. Oops

"Hey look, I never meant it that way, I'm just saying, not everyone is going to be a bloody perfectionist, you can't always get you want cause life is unfair. Some people are going to screw you up, deal with it and move on!"

Before any of you try to talk some sense into me for lecturing my mother, I get it.

I get it that she has a stressful life maybe for her kids. I get it that people tend to get cranky at night. I understand how she feels, that its not your fault yet you have to bear the consequences of others' idiotic doings.

But I believe people can be better than that. I guess you just have to accept that life is unfair. Some people will lose hope at this point. I think we can make it fairer by being a better person. In the face of disaster, you don't just curse nature, you save your neighbours' children.

Why am I posting so late? I drank coffee to keep myself awake designing my younger brother's birthday party invitations. Turns out it wasn't that necessary because I finished a decent one in 15 minutes. Definitely not Marcus standard but considering my printer is running out of toner...

To put into context the theme, his name is Yi Keen and he is turning 9.

The cartoons were taken off the net, I acknowledge they are not mine. The background thing (for the front) is mine though. Really quick photoshop soft brush and custom ink splat using warm colors.

Inside

Front Cover (Right) Back Cover (Left)

Shoot.The.Moon

Rifdi-ish Three word post? Not quite

Once in a Blue Moon

Flurry

Sapphire Dragon

Light at the surface

Maroon Maze

To take a moon

Telescope?

Shoot The Moon

Windows 7 Hearts AI is freaking improved from XP

Some acknowledgement, please?

My father admits (after I brought it up) that my mother can be quite, err... a fucking bitch

Just the other day she scolded me and my younger brother wrongly, then did not apologize after I explained to her. She merely walked away. Did she forget? Does she have bad manners? Nope. I think its pure arrogance. Something I probably inherited (Darn!). She refuses to admit she's wrong, which my father agrees.

Am I just being angsty? Don't know. Perhaps when we were younger we were too afraid to voice out displeasures but now is different. I've mentioned in earlier posts about her erratic behaviour and result-oriented, task-efficient frenzy. I was partially saved from her wrath because I'm quite gifted in my studies...err OK that sounded really arrogant I know. However, my younger brother who isn't as good as me nor my brother is unlucky because not only must he live underneath our shadow, he has to endure my mother. Her screaming tugs my heart violently and I've protested before. I wonder how other families are like.

She gives me a lot of reedom as a result of good grades, but possibly also because she's always too busy to care. I admit I like it though. I don't know, since I was young I didn't really like my mother. She doesn't even have a good sense of humour. Definitely a DS personality. Why S? She hates change to some extent, if something doesn't go according to plan or if life takes a tumble she'll get really pissed. She has no problem displaying that. She thinks she's right all the time.

MANNNN I SOUND REALLY STEREOTYPE.

Though I ramble, I'm quite grateful still, because I know of worse off friends.

So how does this link to the title? Because besides not apologizing, she often ignores (because I doubt she's deaf) me when I elaborate on topics. I've grown used to it though. I guess I've lived so long under a cane I've emerged with a stronger character.

SHARKS I'M SUPER ARROGANT.

Woohoo learning from fellow bloggers.

Sorry for the long post... Anyway, my father thinks that if I don't like my mom's attitude I should give it to her straight. I told him I'd blog instead.. AHEM

So he decided to tell her himself.

Using MY RAD SKILLZ my knowledge of inferences...

My mother was obviously skirting away from the topic. Instead of being open to feedback, she mocked my statement as one of teenage angst in a superior tone. She goes on to say its quite typical of me to be like this, and brings in my elder brother, saying he probably had this attitude when he was a teenager too but just didn't have a blog. She laughs off my comments as spoilt rants. Later on she found me again and teases me further by sarcastically admitting her faults.

I know she has her good points though. She does frequently give out compliments (if it suits her) and some helpful advice. She's frugal but not thrifty, so it's save costs but if the benefits outweigh the price, go ahead and buy. She rewards for work and works for reward (e.g. buying a Wii for getting top in class O.o) On that note though, I don't ask for much, in fact I didn't want a freaking Wii, but she often insists and disregards my opinion subtly; by arguing against it until I decide to just give up rebutting.

But

My mother treats human beings as simple, governed by typical rules and stereotypes.
She enjoys laughing at her own children for 'confirming' this perception.
She never admits faul; she either justifies them or plainly believes that she is always right.
She gets things done by shouting at people. She cannot tolerate her children giving more than 50 cents to charity.
She mocks her children's environmental actions as naive and pathetic.
She attempts to listen to her children but forgets whatever they say after a while or ignore it if it doesn't interest her.
Louzy broadband connection? Call and shout at customer service. Extra $2 on cable bill? Call and shout at customer service. Slow or uneducated (in english) waiter? Never a patron for that restaraunt again, oh and a talk with the manager on the side.
Get an A for Art? Will it affect your final score? No? Then good job son but your other subjects are dreadful. *Snarls*
Make a single mistake after redoing a piece of homework once and you can expect a shouting match that will end in her winning or her leaving... or cane whipping.
I have a lovely mom.

The only thing I truly dislike about this song is the frantic shouting part. Other than that I think its OK.