Into the Light

Right. I have stepped out of my cave. I've reached a landmark decision in the way I think - or choose to think. I prayed about it, I thought about it and I ask myself some hard questions. I waited and waited hoping to hear God's audible voice to give me some direction. The voice did not come but direction sure did.

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I ask myself

1. "FD, do you believe in God?" Yes.
2. "FD, if you do, then you believe in His Word?" Yes.
3. "FD, if you believe in His word, then do you believe that His word can change your life?" Yes.
4. "FD, if you say yes to all the above, then why are you waiting for an audible voice when God had already given you explicit instructions on how to live your life?"

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So I stopped waiting/hoping/praying for God to speak in an audible voice or send angels or do something miraculous. Instead, I turned to the Bible. I've started with the 4 foundational questions and concluded that the answer to all my problems lie in God's word, however, the Bible isn't exactly a 3 page instructional manual, it has many many pages. So being impatient, I asked God for a little help.

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It seems that the clue God gave me lies in the very attitude I've used to approach these issues - Impatience. God's clue - HAVE PATIENCE. So I looked about in the bible for verses that contain the word 'patience'. One verse in particular stood out.

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James 1:2-4 (NKJV)
" 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. "

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I've come to conclude that the solution to my current problems lies in my attitude. I have concluded that no matter where I go, no matter which Church I go to, no matter where I'm working, there will always be people, and where there is people, there will always be the potential for friction. I must drive this point into my head - " I can only change myself, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to change the hearts and minds of others. "

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I searched a little more, hoping to find the right attitude to adopt. There are just so many in the Bible. I mean of course if I follow every single one of them, that would be most ideal, but change takes time and I wanted an attitude that would be my cornerstone. It was then that I recalled a sermon I heard a long time ago. I do not remember what was said verbatim but I managed to find the verse which Pastor used to expound.

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Philippians 1:15-18
" 15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. "

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So here is what I will tell myself from now onward.

1. If Chrsitians are jerks, I don't care, so long as Christ is preached.
2. If people are insensitive, I don't care, so long as Christ is preached.
3. If others take credit, I don't care, so long as Christ is preached.
4. ... ... , I don't care, so long as Christ is preached.
5. ... ... , I don't care, so long as Christ is preached.
6. ... ... , I don't care, so long as Christ is preached.

No matter what happens, no matter what people do, no matter what people say, I will try not to take offence nor allow that offence to affect me for prolonged periods of time. I will seek to change myself for the better, pray for all the qualities that would allow me to have a bigger capacity to sail through life, all the while believing that the Holy Spirit is continually doing a good work in the lives of others.

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So the answer to my 2 questions?

1. I will not leave Church 'A'. I will not leave a Church that has such a strong tangible presence of God. I will not allow myself to run away from my circumstances. My driving force must stem from faith not fear, anticipation not apprehension.
2. I will actively try to have more non-Christian friends. But I will do so for the right reasons. I want Christ to be relevent in both society and culture.

Kristos Kai Kosmos

Christ In Culture

It must start with me. I must change me. I must transform me. I must represent Christ in my culture, in my society. I will change me and only me. I will do my job and allow the Holy Spirit to do His.

And that's that.

Weekly Update + A Few Pictures

All 3 pictures were taken at a place I frequent for Saturday morning breakfast. The saying "In Rome, Do as the Romans do" is applied here. In Perth, I had my soya lattes, my cuppacinos, my blueberry muffins, fruit loaf and the occasional apple danish as the typical Saturday breakfast, but back here in Singapore, it is noodles, fried carrot cake, nasi lemak (coconut rice) and other stuff which I have not idea what it's called in English. And yes, all you see on the table are what remains of the breakfast my parents and I consumed that morning. The last picture is rather interesting, I grew curious when I saw a big crowd gathering in front of a make shift table. Turns out, they were looking at a cooking demostration by a person who was trying to sell Bee Hoon (rice vermechelli).
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Name: Fredizzle Weight: 107Kg Blood Pressure: 129/76

Pondering In Progress

I had to flash my taut butt cheeks (mooning) at the female foreman, just to get her to place that message on the electronic sign board. This is serious business man.

Musical Interlude

~ Snow - Informer (1993 MTV) ~

I have a couple more things I had wanted to say, but after calming down, I do not wish to publish them anymore. I need some time to digest my thoughts and feelings, and to come up with a plan of action that would best suit me. I need to retreat to my cave and ponder things through.

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I sort of know the source of my problems (the beginning) and I also sort of know what I seek once the dust settles (the end) but what Ihave to decide now is how to go about achieving this goal.

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This reminds me of a rather crappy song from the 90's. This song is almost 4 mins long but it's really a minute long song repeated 4 times. Lame-O. I remember my friends and I tried so hard to figure out the lyrics and at that day and age, we could not just google it. Anyways, all we could figure out was "Informer... blah blah BLAH blah... boom boom down." That's all we caught no matter how many times we heard it.

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It is sort of my situation now. I know the beginning and the end, what I have to figure out is the middle.

Salvo Reloaded ( Warning! Another Long Post )

~ Homer Simpson Screaming ~

This will be a continuation of yesterday's post. I have this pent up frustration inside of me that I really need an outlet to release it without hurting anyone's feelings. Because, well... although I do believe the people I am about to mention thoroughly deserve a tongue lashing, they are after all my brothers and sisters in Christ, so as with any family feud situations, I do not want to air dirty laundry in public, therefore, as with yesterday's post, no names will stated explicitly.

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The next question I need to ask myself is...

Should I actively pursue more friendships with Non-Christians?

This is not a sweeping statement. I have no intention to isolate my Christian friends altogether, but most of them have managed to inflict some sort of emotional damage on me. I think back, made a thorough inventory of all the friends I have/had from primary school till this day and I find myself facing a stark reality. Most of my Christian friends hurt me - in one way or another - but most of my non-Christian friends heal me: they were always there when I needed them most. So I was thinking, perhaps, I ought to seek refuge in the company of the latter. I will give a few examples to build my case.

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Christian Friends

I have been battling my weight problem for the longest time. I was huge in my early days till my teens. I managed to reduce drastically during my army days but I put all of it back when I went overseas to study. I take full responsibility for my plight. I did not control my life, I just let myself go. I make no excuses. So far, this is how 2 of my Christian friends reacted when they saw me in 2 different occassions.

Friend number 1 is really something. This incident happened in march 2003. (No I am not a psycho who hold grudges for so long, I retrieved this incident from my other online diary) This person really put me off. It was a lovely Sunday morning. It has been a while since we last saw each other. Without so much as a good morning, he just burst out " WOW, How in the world did you grow so FAT?" I remained silent but he just would not quit. He was just going on and on for about 15 minutes and I was about this close to lashing out at him but then I recalled that it was a Sunday and I should behave all Christian-like and just ignore him altogether. I felt like saying to him "I am fat. but give me 10 months and I'll achieve my ideal weight but YOU, you are so ugly, nothing short of a miracle will help you." Well you would think that this would be the last I'll hear from him but Noooooo... When he came to my home a few days later. Again! That was the very first thing he said to me, in my home! Boy this time, I really wanted to give it to him, even it means making a spectacle of myself, but somehow, I just turned my back and went my way. I guess some people just don't get it. The worst thing was the initial shock, I'd never imagine a friend of mine could say something so blunt. To make things worst. That guy was a Christian. I'm telling you straight. If I were a pre-believer, I would have rather killed myself that join a religion that produces a person like that. It is no wonder that I find myself drawn to fellowship with my pre-believing friends more than my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Well at the very least, they know how to treat people right.

Friend number 2 is almost just as bad. I came back after completing my studies. The moment she saw me, there was No "Hi, welcome back." There was No "How are you?" There was No "I 'm so happy you've returned." There was, however, a "Oh my gosh, you are back, and you've grown twice your size." Seriously, how would you react? Well I did not react, I responded by simply ignoring her. I looked the other way.

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Non-Christian Friends

You know, not all of my non-Christian friends are nice, many of them are pricks as well. But you see, the difference is, they do not play 'games'. If they are pricks, they behave like one and let the whole world know that they are one. They do not act all holy and righteous: do all the right things like saying enthusiastic "YES and Amens!"; nor do they constantly ride on their high horses, while demeaning and putting others down. This is just not right.

I was very fat when I was in secondary school, on top of that I was a transfer student from another school. I found it very hard to make friends. Many of them made me feel that I'm not good enough. But then came these group of friends that I have come to know and love, they stood up for me and made sure no one bullied me. They played with me and ate with me when no one else would. They too made fun of me, but trust me when I tell you this, they did so only to tease me in a friendly way, at no time did I feel put down or lousy. That my friends is the difference!

When I was in polytechnic, the situation was similar. I had a good group of friends that I hung around. They made me feel welcomed and accepted. They were all very nice, very real. They cry when they are sad, laugh when they are tickled by a joke, smile when they are happy. They did not hide behind a veil of hypocracy. They gave me a feeling that it was alright to be vulnerable, they made me feel that it was alright to be human. That my friends is the difference!

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I really wonder why my things are the way they are. If the Bible is true, and life transforming, then, I would expect people who love it and follow it would change into better, more compassionate, more grace-giving people. Why is it that the non-Christian friends of mine are like that even when they are not inspired and transformed by the Word of God?

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What should I do? My mind can be illustrated by the above picture. I feel like screaming. Am I being overly sensitive? Are my standards too high? Am I just behaving like a big baby? What do you think?

Some Decisions I have to make ( Warning! This will be a Long Post)

There are few things on my mind. I would like some input. Maybe I have reached a threshold of these kind of bullshit and I ought to choose not to take it anymore.

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Should I Change Church?

I have been attending a particular Church for some time now ( I would like to protect the sanctity of God's house so I will not be explicit, let us call it Church 'A' ), then stopped because I went overseas to pursue my degree. I have returned recently. Many events made me regret my decision.

1. Upon my return, I made the decision to visit another Church for a few months, simply because I have heard good things about it and it is affiliated to another Church I've visited, when I was overseas. During those few months, I got in touch with friends of mine from Church 'A' and they persuaded me to return. They have not seen me for a good 4 years (most of them anyway) and was quite surprised when we met. They all made similar observations and asked the reasons behind my acquired quiet demeanor. I was quite the opposite 4 years ago. Anyways, I agreed to return to Church 'A' .
2. On Church day, I was really tired, lack of sleep the night before coupled with 3 hours of gymming that morning and further coupled with other stuff which lay heavy on my mind. I told myself "Just go for service and relax in the presence of God, that will do the trick." So because of the above reasons, I was rather quiet all the way through. Unfortunately, these friends of mine interpreted my body language in a whole different way.
3. At the last stage of the service there was the alter call, a time when people can come up and give their lives to God if so they choose. Pastor would say "Turn to your neighbours and ask them if their sins have been forgiven, and if they cannot give you an outright YES, invite them to come to the front." I was so mind dead by then, I mumbled the question and gave a half-ass answer. That's when things took a turn and I started to get pissed off.
4. Both my neighbours started to ask me to respond to the altar call. I told both of them I did not want to. Here I can understand why they might ask me, after all it was pastor's instructions. However, when I said 'no' they just did not accept it. They kept pressing on. This stranger guy standing on my right actually said "Brother, are you a sinner, or a backslidder, why don't you go to the front?" My friend on the right kept at it too, she kept tugging at my shirt, asking me to respond to the altar call. I felt that I was being "attacked", they stopped short of physically hauling me to the front. If I were a non-Christian, wanting to accept God into my life, but a little hesitant, a little shy perhaps, do you think I will consider it after what the guy said? HELL No! They can take their religion and stuff it up their ass.
5. Seriously? I wonder why they singled me out? Was it because I was not vibrant during praise? Was it because I did not raise my hands during worship? Was it because I did not give an enthusiastic YES to pastor's question? Was it because I was away from Church 'A' for so long that they conclude without a doubt that I'm sure to have backslidden? Where is the human factor?
6. During my Christian walk with God, I'm sure I've backslidden many times. Pastor once said, if you do not move forward with God EVERYDAY, then you would have moved backward (backslidding) because with God there is no middle ground. So based on that very definition which pastor gave, I'm sure no Chirstian on the face of this earth from the time of Christ till this very moment, constantly moved forward without feeling sometimes disapponted, sometimes lost or lonely or even sometimes outright sacrilegious. Then what? Are you not a Child of God when that happens? Certainly not! You just shake it off, ask for forgiveness and move on.
7. But my experience with people from Church 'A' suggests that they just do not get it. No faith? Then you must be sinning. Did not raise hands during worship? Then something is wrong with your attitude for sure. When one is down in the dumps, they do not say "Why? What happened? Tell me about it." They start by saying "Have faith!"
8. I really feel like screaming a very long string of vulgarities in 4 different languages right now. Where the bloody hell is the human factor? Where is the showering of GRACE when it is needed most? Not everything is Faith, Not everything is 'Jump for joy'. We are still on earth, we've yet to ascend to heaven you know?

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I am too tired to write out the other decision(s) I have to make. Perhaps tomorrow. I went to Church to get some rest from the Lord, but left with even more burdens. Saddening. It has been about 7 years since I've accepted Christ and gave my heart to Jesus in Church 'A' but when it comes to issues like these, they were like that then - and from saturday's experience - they are still like that now. But you know what?

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

And I - most certainly - have not given my consent.

Weekly Update

Name: Fredizzle Weight: 108Kg Blood Pressure: 133/79

For That I am Grateful #3 - My Mercy Date

This post will not be about fond memories of what my parent have done for me, rather it would be about what a particular lady friend of mine did for me. I had the good fortune of spotting her the day before, she was glowing, it must be because she is pregnant with her first child. So without further ado, here was what happened between us.

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I knew love three times. Each for a very brief moment. Each started as friends, each proceeded with dinner, and each ended up...well...not the way I had planned so very intricately in my head.But through these 3 experiences, I was shown love: a very different kind of love. And of the three, one stood out.

To protect her privacy, let's just call my lady friend JJ. I can honestly say that I was so very attracted by her personality more than her physical appearance. Make no mistake, she was so very beautiful, in my humble opinion. I told her I liked her, and asked her out for dinner. She agreed. I knew that nothing would ensue from this courtship, she knew that too, that I'm most certain, she made her intentions clear, but we had dinner nevertheless.

I dressed my best that evening because that evening meant a lot to me. I stood beside my car, adjusting my tie, fidgeting like a restless toddler. I was as usual way too early for any of my appointments. So there I stood, disapproving the state of my shoes when I felt a person standing in front of me, it was her, it was JJ. I was breathless. She was so stunning in her blue dress, her hair was done, she had lipstick on, the whole nine yards. I gave her the roses I had prepared and tried to say something but what came out was a cross between a whimper and a gulp.

We - more like I - relaxed a bit as the evening proceeded. We talked and laughed, we ate and drank, and talked and laughed some more.The date ended as swiftly as it begun. I sent her home, right to her door step. Our eyes met. We just stood there. That moment broken only by the words she whispered, “Goodnight, thanks for dinner.” Like I said in the beginning, I knew that nothing would result from this date. I was simply nursing a hope. JJ knew this too, but she was just trying to let me down gently. She was nice enough to do so. For that I am grateful.

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I was glad I spotted her. I did not go up and say hi. It has been so long. I moved on, she got married and is now in her final term of pregnancy, I guess we both moved on. I'm very happy that she is happy, she deserves the best. May God bless her soul.

Another Memorable 90's Commercial

Right. I'm being all nostalgic with these few posts and it will carry on for the next few post. So there! I recalled sitting beside my video cassette recorder (VCR), holding the remote with my thumb on the record button, waiting for this commercial to come on TV so I could record it and view it over and over again. I thought it was really funny and professional, the way they used plasticine instead of actors. I think it was a first for commercials if I'm not wrong, the only other show which used plasticine back then - as far as I can recall - was Gumby.
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Oh Gawd... Gumby, I am soOOooo old.

My Most Memorable 90's Commercial

This is my most memorable 90's commercial. I remembered being so infatuated with Claudia. (yes, I did call her on a first name basis, because in my warped mind, she was a hottie that was madly in love with me.) I also remembered the moment my bubble burst, it was the instant I read an article in the gossip section of the newspapers with the headlines "David Copperfield to Wed Claudia Schiffer". You could not imagine how devastated I was. In my mind I thought "Man, first he (David) got the coolest job (magician) in the world and now he's got the hottest babe, man it really sucks to be me!"

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And YES, I wanted to be the soap too, oh sOOOooo badly.

A Morbid Conversation

Today, I spent the day with my mom. We ended up going for a session of foot reflexology. (for those who've yet to try this, yes, your pain threshold must be slightly more than what an average man can take) While getting my foot rub, the masseur started to strike a conversation with his colleague sitting beside him. Their conversation revolved around the cost of dying.

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One of them proudly stated that dying in Singapore is an expensive affair, he said he did a survey of a few prominent funeral parlours and the cheapest "package" he could find was SGD$7888. He went on to state that the price included the coffin and if you would like to hire professional mourners (people who are hired to cry on demand, apparently it is to give an illusion of filial piety, funny thing is, the mourners aren't even related to the deceased, so who exactly are they illuding is anyone's guess), then you'll have to go for the more costly deluxe package, which includes a paper bungalow with a paper swimming pool, which you would eventually burn to symbolize the house one is going to live in after death.

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After some time, their converastion segued to evil grave robbers who open caskets to steal items of value off the bodies of the deceased. One of them commented that this is classified under an "unpardonable sin" because it involves dishonoring the dead.

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I left the place thinking that the world is truly filled with ignorant people. Even if I wasn't a Christian, I would logically conclude that a few days of chanting, professional weeping and what not, would hardly be sufficient to redeem me of all my sins. If it was that easy, I would start sinning from today onward and arrange for someone to go through the whole process of chanting and weeping upon my death to gurantee my place in heaven.

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I just have to restrain myself from grave robbing or some other unpardonable sin. I wonder if there is a mannual on sin classification. Such poppycock.

Ready to Talk About it.

Talk about what? Well... talk about my job or rather the lack of one. So here's the gist of my situation. I was offered my desired job only to have the offer rescinded when my medical check up showed that I had High Blood Pressure (HBP). This really sucks because I was so looking forward to this job. However, all is not lost, the CEO of the company said he'll give me 6 months to get my health back in order, go for another medical check up and I'll commence my job once the doc gives me the all clear. That's God favor for you.

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I was extremely disappointed when I received the news. I felt that it was so unfair, kinda like 'the Lord gives and the Lord taketh away' sort of feeling. I did not know why but I told myself that night, "I'll give myself one night to get all moppy about it, but come tomorrow, I'll pick myself up and move forward, I will not allow myself to be that weak."

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So that's what I did. The next day, I went to the gym and started to send out more resumes. I thought that was the wise thing to do. I have mixed feelings about my situation. I hate the fact that I had to wait a while longer to commence my job but I'm kinda glad that I found out about my HBP problem early. So from that week onward, I've decided to go all out to tackle my HBP problem. So far, the results are encouraging.

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I found my answer last Saturday, during Church service. I felt that God was speaking to me. He kept saying

"I have taught you so many times before, when you see a Giant, what do you do?"

This question kept ringing in my head. After a while, in my heart I whispered back to God,

"If I see a Giant, I will pick up a stone and throw at him." (don't ask me why but I've always imagined giant to be male only)

I felt a peace in my heart, I felt God saying

"Yes, You are a child of mine and no child of mine is that weak because you have my Spirit. If you see a Giant, then you must become a Giant-Slayer. You pick up the stone and throw, and I will do the rest."

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I think that God imparted some wisdom to me that day, because I know that this will not be the last "giant" I'll be facing. Enough talk, time to kick some Giant's ass.

Cakes with the "Wow" Factor

~ A "Sushi Platter" Cake ~

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~ A "Bowl of Udon Noodle" Cake ~

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~ A "Burger Combo" Cake ~

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~ A "Bikini Babe" Cake ~

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I saw this in the papers yesterday and I was rather impressed by these cake creations. You will be able to view the full "menu" of this bakery at their very well organised website*. No prizes for guessing which one's my favorite. *NO! It is not the "Bikini Babe" Cake*
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* If the link does not work, the web address is http://www.yilingcakes.com.sg

Name: Fredizzle Weight: 109Kg Blood Pressure: 138/78

Ask Bambi : Column 3

Question: Miss Bambi, I'm planning for a week-long holiday. I was trying to sort out my accomodation when a male friend of mine agreed to put me up for the week. I accepted with glee because that meant my search was over and I would save a tidy sum of money. When I informed my family about my plans, they firmly disapproved my intention to put up at a guy's place. I do not understand why they do not trust me? What are your thoughts on this?

- Miss Frustrated, 21 years old

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Miss Bambi replies: Dear Miss Frustrated, you must understand that trust isn't the issue here. Your family fears for your safety and they feel that living in close proximity to a male friend isn't a good move. The brutal truth is this, you are a girl, if anything were to happen, even with the smallest of possibilities, you as a girl will always always be in the losing end, so they think it best for you to not place yourself into an environment/situation which would further increase the probability of anything bad happening. Let me give you an example to illustrate my point.

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Imagine a fictional character David. David has very strong morals due to his Christian upbringing. He firmly understands what is right and wrong. One fine day, David's best friend Jack invites him to his buck's night at a strip club to celebrate the last day of being a bachelor. David knows that going there isn't a good idea but Jack is his best friend afterall.

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Here one might argue that David has very high morals and Christian values so nothing will happen. But one should also reasonably conclude that placing himself in such a situation would increase the possibility of inviting unwanted circumstances.

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So here is my firm opinion. Ask yourself if you are mature enough. Not how old you are but how mature you are. Maturity is not proportional to one's age.

Life is made up of the choices you make, Mautrity comes when you accept responsibility for those choices.

A child has trouble understanding the concept of actions and consequences, they do not have the ability to foresee the magnitude of their actions and the subsequent consequences, that's why they sometimes feel that some of their parent's decisions are unfair. Once this concept is fully grasped, a child becomes an adult. As an adult, one understands that not every bad mistake will result in a slap on the wrist, many times, the consequences are much more severe.

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So ask yourself Miss Frustrated. Are you mature enough? Are you an adult? Do not be afraid to answer truthfully. If you say YES, I am an adult. Then my advise would be for you to march straight to your family, (do not yell) tell them that you understand their apprehension. FIRMLY tell them that you are an ADULT now. Tell them that you are MATURE enough to think for yourself and that you will accept all the CONSEQUENCES (good or bad) that stem from your DECISIONS. Tell them that you will be ACCOUNTABLE for your actions.

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After all is said and done. Happy holidays.

Sneaky Internet Service Providers

The contract I have with my current Internet Service Provider (ISP) will end on the 28th of this month. I have been shopping around for a new plan to sign up since this post. This endeavor made me realize a few things.

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When I spoke to the counter staff of the various ISPs, I would ask them the same run-of-the-mill questions like monthly cost, download (d/l) and upload (u/l) speeds and perks that their ISP gives. I would also throw in one other question and here is where things start to get interesting.

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I would ask "If I sign up for this 10Mbps plan, what are the factor(s) that would stop me from getting that optimum speed?"

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Some of them started using technical terms and what not in an attempt to explain, but they did not know that I'm an engineering graduate, and from those experiences, I can conclude that most of whom I spoke to did not even comprehend the rubbish that they were sputing from their mouths. It was as if they were all trained by the same person, because all their explanations were strikingly similar - either irrelevent or bullshit. I saw an article in the papers today. Interesting.

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[I REFER to Mr Alfred Siew's article 'Slow surfing speed? Blame foreign websites' (ST, Nov 3). Mr Siew's analogy of broadband access in Singapore being similar to a racing car being driven slowly on a narrow road is correct. Indeed, local Internet Service Providers (ISP) are offering subscribers faster broadband plans that rival those in many developed countries. Unfortunately, Mr Siew fails to point out that ISPs are not only responsible for providing subscribers with fast cars (i.e. high broadband speeds). They must provide wide and uncongested roads too (i.e. high bandwidth links to local and overseas websites). Broadband subscribers in Singapore are getting a raw deal. They have to tolerate high latency local backbone connections that make for unsatisfactory online gaming, and low bandwidth connections to foreign websites that don't throttle access speeds. Broadband access in Singapore is essentially similar to a Ferrari trying to speed in a multi-storey car park. And when it comes to international connectivity, the Ferrari has to jostle with Porsches and BMWs on a winding one-lane street to get from the suburbs (Singapore) to the city (United States). ISPs are now charging businesses between $100 and $200 for each megabit/sec they use on their networks. Hence, subscribers should realise that something is amiss when they are asked to pay the same price but are promised 10 to 30 times the bandwidth. ISPs are obviously not able to deliver on their empty promises.] - Christopher Lesdesma Choo Weisen

- [ The Straits Times FORUM, 'ISPs should provide fast broadband access', 9 November 2006, Page H9]

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So then, my question is this. Why would I want to pay for the most costly plan when the indicated speed would ultimately be compromised? (See Above Article) What is the point of doing so many trials that promise to deliver faster and faster neck-breaking speeds when the outcome would be the same - a compromised, diminished result? Makes you think doesn't it. Using the same analogy from the above article, it is like a person who upgrades his car from a toyota to a ferrari and then to a F1 Racer but the conditions of all the roads would only allow the driver to drive at a maximum speed of 60km/h. If that be the case, why upgrade?

Makes one think doesn't it?

Unhappy Eggs

~ Unhappy Eggs ~
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I took this picture in the supermaket. It amused me. The first thought I had was "Boy, now I know for sure that chickens definately hate being cooped up in cages, even their eggs hate being placed in cartons."

Destiny & Me

I received an email today from a friend of mine - Simon Ow. There was a quote. It made me think.

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"Your purpose in life, your God-ordained destiny, is at the place where your deepest passion and pleasure meets the world's deepest need."

- Jess Hammond
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I have this lingering thought at the back of my mind. An idea I concieved for the longest time, but seems rather impossible to do, right now at least.

I love to cook. My eyes light up when I see a good cookbook. I believe that one day I will enrol into Le Cordon Bleu or even the Culinary Institute of America. These institutes will aid me to perfect the craft.

Afterwhich

I will go to all the places that are filled with the hungry, the homeless, the destitute, the 'untouchables' and I will feed them with good food! I myself have a rather low tolerance for hunger so I cringe a little whenever I see pictures of the impoverished.

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So there. I finally have my first clear glimpse into my destiny. But the details are sketchy at best. We'll see, or rather, I'll see if this comes to pass. If it does, this post will bear witness that this is not just a Good idea but a God idea

Weekly Update

I'm quite pleased that both my weight and BP has gone down, although it is still quite evident that a lot more needs to be done. However, I suspect that the BP monitor machine I bought from OTO is not very accurate, but I guess as long as I see the numbers dropping weekly, it is a good sign.

A

Name: Fredizzle Weight: 110Kg Blood Pressure: 137/78

Swift Response to the SABO King

[ I REFER to the letters "Is IPPT still a tool to gauge physical fitness?" by Mr Law Sin Ling and "New training scheme for fitness makes sense" by Ms May Ng Siew Lin (ST, Nov 1). The Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) measures the overall fitness of servicemen. It consists of five test stations designed to gauge various aspects of a soldier's fitness such as cardiovascular, muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and agility. These fitness components are important for the varied soldiering tasks expected of our servicemen. Comparisons made with established armies like the US Army indicate that the IPPT is on par with international standards and remains a relevant measure of overall physical fitness for the SAF. The IPPT Preparatory Training (IPT) is a voluntary programme designed to help NSmen train and pass their IPPT by imparting the correct techniques for physical fitness training. It is part of the SAF's progressive efforts to improve the physical fitness of NSmen. The IPT consists of ten sessions, lasting three hours each, spread over five weeks. NSmen can take their IPPT during the eighth session. If they pass the test, they will qualify for the IPPT monetary award pegged to the results that they achieve. If they do not pass the IPPT during the programme, they are still expected to apply the techniques learnt so that they can train on their own until they pass the test. The IPT is designed as a voluntary programme to encourage NSmen to take personal responsibility for their physical fitness. To recognise NSmen's willingness to exercise this personal responsibility by completing the IPT, they are exempted from Remedial Training. The IPT is not intended as a cost-cutting measure. It is designed to complement Remedial Training by offering NSmen a proactive option, rather than a remedial solution, to improve their level of fitness. The SAF would like to encourage all NSmen who need help in passing their IPPT to sign up for the IPT. ] - Colonel Benedict Lim Director, Public Affairs Ministry of Defence

- [ The Straits Times FORUM, 'IPT a voluntary programme to keep NSmen physically fit', 3 November 2006, Page H11]

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Wow, a swift politically worded response to the IPT issue (pay special attention to the words in red/bold). Very PR of Colonel Lim I must say. How very - how shall I put it - 'PAP' of him. Honestly, I wasn't afraid one bit that they might pull out this new programme. Why? Because if they did, then they would be publicly acknowledging that what the SABO King Law Sin Ling said earlier was fact, but what's worse, they will lose face. And we can't have that now can we?

Myth Exposed

Just 2 days ago, I was raving on and on about potassium and how it can help reduce my high blood pressure (HBP) but this bit of information I obtained from the internet turned out to be a 1/100 truth. Let me explain.

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I went to my cardiologist appointment today to see what can be done about my HBP. A bunch of blood tests were ordered along with an Echocardiogram (ECG). Results will be interpreted at a later date.

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During the consultation, I asked the specialist about the benefits of potassium. Specifically, I asked if it would help reduce my HBP.

She bluntly said 'No' then elaborated that it might help, just like some say celery will help, but it's overall effects can be loosely estimated to be about 1%, or less. The main thing I have to focus on is WEIGHT and SALT intake.

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So there you have it. This myth is busted. I'm hopeful, I will kick my HBP in the ass! This faith declaration deserves a Batman Sound-effect Salute.

*Whaam! ZaAAAaaP! KaPOW!*

My Negro Amigo Bites Back #5 - The Curse of the SABO King

"THE SECOND Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, said that being a conscript army, the SAF depends on citizens 'to make sure that we are a strong SAF' and he stressed that the 'SAF places great emphasis on individual physical fitness.' The Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) has been the linchpin of fitness assessment for the SAF since the formation of our armed forces. Under the Remedial Training (RT) scheme, National Servicemen who do not pass the annual IPPT undergo a possible maximum of 20 three-hour sessions, during which they are offered three prospects to pass the IPPT. However, with the IPPT Preparatory Training programme (IPT), the NSmen get 10 three-hour sessions at the maximum, and one single attempt to pass the IPPT, failing which they will complete the programme with no further consequences. The IPT programme hence practically de-emphasises the attainment of the required level of fitness of a NSman as measured through the benchmark of the IPPT. This situation is contrary to the statement of the minister. So is the IPPT a relevant evaluation tool for a NSman's physical fitness after all? If it is, why has the need to pass IPPT been reduced in the new IPT programme? If it is not relevant, why is IPPT being retained? It is compelling to conclude that IPT was conceived to kill two birds with one stone by addressing the unmanageable number of RT participants overwhelming the fitness and conditioning centres and eliminating the cost of paying NSmen by the SAF to perform remedial training." - Law Sin Ling

- [ The Straits Times FORUM, 'Is IPPT still a tool to guage physical fitness?', 1 November 2006, Page H7 ]

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Law Sin Ling. You are a bloody idiot. You are the kind of supreme SABO* King that comes along every few BMT (Basic Military Training) intakes - the kind that has the innate ability to get, not just your section or platoon, but the whole company punished.

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I believe I speak for 99.999999% of NSmen in Singpaore who does not have the physical ability to pass his IPPT.

WHO THE BLOODY HELL CARES ABOUT THE RELEVANCE OF IPPT?

Do you know what is on our minds? Obviously not! So let me educate you.

1. We hate doing remedial training. We hate having to spend 20 sessions (3 hours each) having to huff and puff with a gazillion other guys who fail their IPPT. So when the new plan states that instead of 20 sessions, we can now choose to cut out RTs to 10 sessions (see section that is highlighted in red in the above article), you can bet that we are simultaneously thanking our respective Gods.
2. This is not stated in the article but if NSmen choose to take on this new programme, they will no longer be paid for attending their remedial training sessions. Again. Who the bloody hell cares? Who cares about the measley petty cash the army hands out when - most of us having careers and other commitments - time is infinitely more important.

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Furthermore I must add, since you have failed to provide your salutations, I can either assume you are a male or female.

If you are a female, I say "Whip one out or shut the hell up!"

If you are a male, I say "If we were in the army right now, there will be a massive coordinated 'blanket' party, organised specially to celebrate your stupidity!"

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Still fuming, I went to google this guy, and what do you know... interesting. It appears that the name 'Law Sin Ling' appears in the National Solidarity Party (NSP) official webpage. NSP is a founding member of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), also known as the Opposition party in the arena of Singapore politics. 'Law Sin Ling' is the NSP's Secretary General. I cannot and can't be bothered to confirm that it was him that wrote that article in the Straits Times Forum BUT if it is indeed him, then... ...

YOU CAN KISS MY VOTE GOODBYE IN THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION.

a

* SABO King: SABO is a singlish contraction of "sabotage". Used to cover instances of practical jokes and tricks to outright betrayal."You don'ch sabo me, I warn you, ah!" A SABO KING is a real bonafide saboteur.