Rebound

I need to make changes to my life(style).
It really sucks to be me now.
That's the truth.
But shut up already.
I have the power to turn things around.
Stop comparing with what others have.
This life will keep testing you.
I don't have time to keep sulking.
Either check out (Kill Myself),
Or STEP up and prove myself.
Enough with the moping.
Enough with the pity parties.
Man will always operate within a hierarchy of needs.
I know my priorities.
Do something. Do anything.
I'm not a baby anymore.
Mommy's not going to wipe my ass anymore.
If you want change,
then bloody well fight for it.
Doing nothing whilst expecting change is the epitome of insanity.
So,
Stop whining, Suck it up and
Start living. (Why?)
Because
No one else can live on your behalf.
A

fredizzle, 26 March 2007

Dinner Me Lovely

I whipped this up for dinner a few evenings back. My sister wanted to prepare dinner for a few of her mates. She said she would pay for the raw materials so I leapt at the opportunity. I guess I missed cooking for a big group of people. I realized that my sister can be such a backseat cook. "Are the prawns fully cooked?" "Don't you need more salt?" "Let me stir the rice for a bit." Sheesh!!! Anyway, the dinner was meant for 6 people. I believe I got a little overzealous.

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Menu:

1. A Pot of Chicken Broth with Fish/Cuttlefish/Crabmeat balls
   
2. Seafood Omelette
3. Thai Pineapple fried Rice
4. Baked BBQ Chicken Wings
5. Broccoli with fresh Shitake Mushrooms
   

Lest I Forget #4 - FD... Alias Snow White

~ Hazeline Snow Moisturizing Cream ~

I recall a funny incident that happened to me during the time when I was enlisted into the Army. About 8 months into the enlistment, my platoon became very tan due to the training we received. Not the kind of tan you get when you visit the beach for a couple of hours but a very black tan, not dark, not brown, a BLACK tan.
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To cut a long story short, I found a bottle of Hazeline Snow on my desk on the day I was to head back to camp, I did not think much about it, I figured my mom put it there for me to use, I threw it in my bag and that was that. In camp, I read the directions for use and thought it would be good to just apply it over my face, arms and legs in the night because my skin was very dry - thanks to the scorching sun - and the bottle did say that it was a MOISTURIZING CREAM. Well, I found out that it was more than that.
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About a fortnight after I started using it, my bunk mates started to look at me in a rather queer way, I just brushed it off because they were just a bunch of goofballs. Again, to cut the story short, a good friend of mine brought me aside and asked if I had noticed anything different about myself. I said no and he said "You are white." I did not really understand but it became all too clear after he dragged me to the gents and made me look in the mirror. It was like looking at a chess piece. He was black and I was white. Not fair... really WHITE.
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After that, I really started to notice the people around me, I observed that I really stood out like a sore thumb. We all did the same training day after day, but as the rest of the platoon got darker, I started to get fairer skin. No wonder they were giving me all those weird looks. After thinking about it for a while, I concluded that the Hazeline Snow was the cause of all this.

I made a deep sigh and said those famous words of Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten " So this is what it sounds like when doves cry..."

The Wisdom of Mr Thai

Mr Thai - A One-Time Character From The Simpsons Episode CABF01: Lisa the Tree Hugger
~
"Menu Boy No Be Coward Like Shrimp, Menu Boy Be Brave Like Prawn"
- Mr Thai
~
This quote is funny and all but it holds some truth. It spoke to me, I hope it speaks to you.

Introducing The NEW Apple Product

This is such a funny clip. You might think that this is a funny spoof on Apple CEO Steve Jobs during the first 20 secs BUT listen carefully and you will clearly hear (unless you're a hermit living in the mountains oblivious to what's happening in the world today) that this is in fact a spoof about President George W Bush and his *ahem* ... problem. I applaud MAD TV for coming up with such a brilliant script.

My Friend the Atheist

I hear the most remarkable things from the mouths of my non-Christian friends. They can be very bold and vocal about their current beliefs. They allowed me to hear their views because through time, I have gained their trust and they come to know me as a person who does not crucify them with Bible verses whenever they speak of something that is contrary to my own beliefs. I do not necessarily agree with everything they say - most of the time I don't - but I give them space to speak their mind so that I may better understand their convictions.
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" Faith is an Irrational Belief in Something that is Logically Impossible "
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After much thought. I would say that I agree with half that statement. The Bible made no secret of that fact. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." From that Bible verse - which to me is a little vague - faith can be (in one form) described as a belief in something that is logically impossible.
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The dictionary defines "irrational" as being

1. Not endowed with reason.
2. Affected by loss of usual or normal mental clarity; incoherent, as from shock.
3. Marked by a lack of accord with reason or sound judgment.

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So if they were to ask for my opinion regarding that statement, I would say that faith can be illogical but it is certainly not irrational.

A Question for the Masses

Would You Be Offended If Your Life-Partner Asks You to Go for an HIV Test Before Marriage?

I posed this question to Miss Yaliooh and she gave an interesting reply. She said "I can't decide if I should get offended if it turned out that my future husband is not a virgin." This is interesting because in my mind, it has never occurred to me that a husband's virginity matters to the wife as much as a wife's virginity matters to a husband. I had always thought that the issue with virginity was just a male thing: virginity = I am the only one that has and that will ever get to have sex with this slammin hottie.
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I wonder if that comment will irk feminists because the feminist movement places a lot of emphasis on sexual freedom of the female gender apart from other social aspects (amongst other pressing issues). Basically the message is " If guys can sleep around and be called a stud then a woman should not be labeled as a whore if she too decides to sleep around "
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That conversation was an eye opener for me. I will have a think about it and perhaps comment it on my future posts. But I will leave you with this one tidbit: Miss Yaliooh went on to ask if I would mind if my wife-to-be isn't a virgin. I gave her a very honest reply: "Ideally yes, I would prefer that she is a virgin, however, I know that if I were to love her enough to marry her, then that will not be an issue with me anymore."

The Japanese Spiderman

I stumbled into something incredible in the realm of 70's TV programs. Turns out that the Japanese wanted a cut into the ever popular character of Spiderman from Marvel Comics. HOWEVER, they seem to fuse too many comic characters together, so much so that those who know Spiderman would find this Japanese version ludicrous.
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It is a fusion of the Ghost Rider's origin, Spiderman's costume and abilities, the cartoon Speed Racer and Transformers rolled into one. What were the Japanese thinking?
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On the upside, this site has a full list of 70's 80's and 90's TV programs along with other stuff from that retro-era. It is really memorable to see the opening intro to Laverne and Shirley, Petticoat Junction and even Land of the Giants. I will place a link on the side bar. It is worth a look if you would like to see what you've missed during all those times you were sent to bed before 9pm.

"You had better be sleeping by the time I count to ten."- FD's mom.

Living Christianity #5 - The Meek Weak Believer

I have heard many strange things coming out of the mouths of Christians. This is my response to one of them. I won't name names but I just wish to get it out of my system.
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The points I want to make:

1. Bible teaches and encourages us believers to be meek, to turn the other cheek when slapped, to tolerate, to remain peaceable, to promote social harmony ... ...
2. Meekness is not a weakness. The dictionary defines a person who is meek to be one who shows patience, humility with a touch of gentleness.
   

However I Refuse to be a Christian fool:

1. If someone were to pick on my family I would stand up for them.
2. If someone were to get fresh with my *ahem* future girlfriend I would punch him in the place where the sun don't shine... you dig?
3. If someone is being unreasonable, I will bloody well stand up for what is right and not give in.
   

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You get the drift? Come on, what is this nonsense of always giving in, always backing down when it comes to life issues, only standing up when it comes to issues that pertain to God and faith. That is bullshit. That is so far from how I interpret the Bible. I strive to be meek but I CHOOSE MY BATTLES. Being a Christian does not turn one into a punching bag or a door mat. So stop perpetuating this foolery of a warped doctrine because us Christians are meant to be warriors, bearers of goodwill and Ambassadors of Christ, NOT some puny whimp.

Of Cats & First Cousins Once Removed

~ Benjamin & Danielle - My First Cousins Once Removed ~
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How weird is that, calling them that? Imagine me going "Hello first cousins once removed, want to play hide and seek?" Although that may be the proper term according to this link, I rather just call their names. They may be very young but you can see their characters clearly by the small things that they do. When Danielle is upset, she would rock the neighbourhood with her loud wails. It is her way of saying "I want everyone to know that I am upset!" In stark contrast, when Benjamin is upset, he would run to a corner and weep quietly. He is the strong silent type. Oh man, he is so going to be a chick magnet.
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I took a snap shot of this neighbourhood cat just because it's cute.

~ Neighbourhood Cat ~

TCC Column #5 - Beef Stew

The weather today was so perfect. There was a thunderstorm that lasted for hours. I'm talking about big-ass raindrops. This weather made me long for comfort food, and when I think comfort food, I think about stews. There is a beef stew that I have made on many occasions that would be perfect for this weather. Best of all, it is idiot proof and cheap to make.

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BEEF STEW
Ingredients:

1. 3 Large Carrots
2. 2 Sticks of Celery
3. 2 Big Tomatoes
4. 1/2 Bag of Fresh Mushrooms
5. Beef ( Any cut that is best for stews, thankfully, those cuts are cheap as chips. Using prime cuts is just a waste of money. I use as much as my pot can hold. )
6. 2 Brown Onions
7. 1 Bulb of Garlic (Wash the whole bulb, cut it in 2 length-wise and throw the whole thing in, skin and all)
   
8. 6 Bay Leaves
9. 3 Potatoes
   

Method:
Cut all the ingredients in CHUNKS because if you cut it into small bite-sized pieces, everything will melt into the soup and there won't be anything left to bite after a few hours of stewing. Throw EVERYTHING into a big pot. I personally prefer a slow cooker because I can just lay back and eat stew after a few hours but any big ass pot will do and I have heard from a friend that using a pressure cooker would half your cooking time, however, I have not tried that method personally so I will not endorse it here. SLOW FIRE. You can add more of anything you want (i.e. if you like more potatoes, don't think twice, just chuck a few more in, as much as your pot can hold). Because the stew is best cooked under slow fire, my experience tells me you'll need at least 5 hours to really draw out all the flavors of the ingredients. At the end, the meat ought to be so tender it'll melt in your mouth. Add salt and black pepper for taste. Before you serve, mix some flour and water, and drizzle it into the stew to give it a thicker texture.

Remarks:
This is seriously a cut, chuck, wait and eat recipe, so if you botch this up, maybe you ought to master the art of boiling water first.

P.S.:
It just occurred to me that someone out there might ask if WATER was needed in this recipe. *Head Spinning Uncontrollably* For those people out there - "Yes, water is needed, seeing how this is a recipe for stew?! Duh!" Place all the ingredients in a big pot and fill it with water till it covers all of it.