Sunday's recessional hymn: Lead Me Lord

Blessed are the poor in spirit longing for their Lord,
for God's coming Kingdom shall be theirs.
Blessed are the sorrowing for they shall be consoled,
and the meek shall come to rule the world.

Chorus:
Lead me Lord, lead me Lord by the light of truth,
to seek and to find the narrow way
Be my way, be my truth, be my life, my Lord,
and lead me Lord today.

Blessed are the merciful for mercy shall be theirs,
and the pure in heart shall see their God.
Blest are they whose hunger only holiness can fill,
for I say they shall be satisfied.

Blest are they who through their lifetimes sow the seeds of peace,
all will call them children of the Lord.
Blest are you though persecuted in your holy life,
for in heaven great is your reward.

Workout

I just read this interesting fact in "You: The Owner's Manual": For optimum health, you need to burn between 3,500 and 6,500 calories a week which is equivalent to 3 twenty minute vigorous workouts that elevate your heart rate to 80 percent or more of the age-adjusted maximum. "If you burn more than 6,500 calories a week (marathon runners beware), you actually DECREASE your longevity because of the wear and tear your body endures going through the rigors of additional exercise."

I'm not sure how accurate this book is, but it was one of the bestsellers of 2005 and endorsed by Discovery Channel Health. I had absolutely no idea that you could shorten your lifespan by vigorously exercising too much! I thought you'd just get aches and pains when you get old.... According to the book, marathoners are shortening their lifespan. Wow, you learn something new everyday huh?

Some more interesting facts:
1. Did you know that a blooming onion (Outback Steakhouse's specialty) has 90+ grams of saturated and trans fat, which is 4 days' worth?
2. Having a drink of alcohol every night increases your good cholesterol, but over 2.5 drinks a day for men (and 1.5 for women) can cause aging of the immune system.
3. Any significant inflammation in your body (sinus, gum disease etc) increases inflammation in the blood vessels, which increases your risk of heart disease.
4. Balance is a sign of brain strength. To develop better balance, use free weights rather than weight machines.
5. Taking St John's Wort (some tea that makes you happy) renders birth control pills useless for 25% of people.

Sam Adams

Sam Adams is soooo gooood!!!! There's nothing like having a cold Samuel Adams on a rainy Wednesday night in Singapore!! And I'm on leave tomorrow too :P haha! YW deserves all the credit for bringing back the good stuff, he's DA MAN!

YW also lent me a real good book titled "How Israel Lost the Four Questions" which apparently cost only 3 bucks. I had no idea you could get anything more than a large Hokkien mee for 3 bucks!

Red

I'm still red and it hurts! The first thing my boss said when he saw me this morning was: "How come you so red? Drink too much issit?"
Ouch!

Did you know that....

Did you know that....
Berkeley offers approx 7000 courses annually in more than 350 degree programs?
The National Research Council has ranked 35 of Berkeley's graduate departments in the top 10, more than any other institution?
One-third of incoming students to Berkeley are considered as poor by the federal government?
There are more "poor" students in Berkeley than the entire Ivy League combined, but Berkeley still remains in the top league?
Go Bears!

I am so burned and red...... OUCH!

Natsume burger

I had a Natsume Fish Burger for dinner. Why is it called a burger if there are no burger buns? That thing had like almost no carbs at all! Fish filet with lots of mayonaise and provalone cheese sandwiched between layers of lettuce..... can somebody tell me what kind of burger is that? Sounds like a salad to me. I was so so so hungry after that, and it wasn't cheap too! I think I need to pick up Japanese so I won't make a mistake the next time I order Japanese....

After dinner drinks was much better though. I just found out my friend D is a co-owner of the Loof Rooftop Bar at Odeon. I heard Fiona Xie hangs out there. We had Long Island Tea and scallops wrapped in bacon, at a discount (thanks to D!!). I put a whole scallop-in-bacon in my mouth and it was just so heavenly (well, Squaw Valley is better than Heavenly, but let's not digress)!! The little candle beside us kept blowing out because of the wind and rain (it really is rainy these days huh?), but the waiter/waitress was kind enough to light it back when we asked for it. By the way, I really need to either get a bigger brolly or work on my umbrella skills....

Thought for the day: Life is short. Go slow.

Catching up

It was a nice weekend at home. It rained so much that I probably would have stayed home even if I wasn't sick, though I'd like to have ice skated with YK and gang. Feeling much better now.

So what did I do at home? Read, read, read, icq and msn. I can't believe I chatted with so many people this weekend, and some of them I haven't seen in ages! There was YK1, YK2, CK, SH1, SH2, SY, HY, A, FL, KS, PJ, DK, SF, HP, YH (only briefly tho), M, HB, EL, GG, MY, HW, JL, KK, CC, CF, SC, S. Though I didn't exactly spend the longest time with everyone, it's great to know everyone's doing just fine in 2006! Maybe I should spend more time on wkends catching up with everyone huh?

Gabriel Garcia Marquez has a new book, which SH says is really good. I'm currently reading One Hundred Years of Solitude (also by him), which YW lent me, and it's really good, so I guess SH is probably right! I still have 3 books on the shelf waiting for me to read tho, and one more that LT is bringing back from the US, so I think it will be a while before I check out the new novel. If anyone has read it, let me know how it is k?

good and bad news

Ariel Sharon is lying on his deathbed and I'm down with the flu.... Now for the good news, The Economist is finally in print for the new year, and I have the whole weekend at home to enjoy! :P

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!!

New year's resolutions:
1. Learn more about investment/finance/economics
2. Learn how to play golf
3. Get to know more interesting people
4. Work out regularly (now that's a tough one!)

My wishes for 2006:
1. That Christian churches the world over will open dialogue on Ecumenism
2. That the Palestinian peace process will be accelerated with the formation of the Kadima party by Ariel (Arik) Sharon and Shimon Peres
3. That peace and democracy will prevail in Iraq with the dawn of a coalition government and a new constitution
4. That oil prices will fall to below US$50 a barrel
5. That the United States will choose not to conduct oil drilling in the pristine landscapes of Alaska
6. That the opening of Buangkok MRT station will symbolize the power of public opinion in Singapore
7. That Singapore's GDP will grow by more than 6% and the benchmark STI index will improve on this year's gains of 13.6%

Art Deco

This New Year's eve will be a nice quiet one (other than the children running around later at my uncle's house). I started the day by rearranging my bookshelf on this beautiful Saturday morning. Okay, I was initially gonna skate, but I woke up late and had a heavy breakfast of Jwee Kuay (some oily flour cakes topped with salty veggies is the best way to describe it for you non-local folks), so there was no way I could skate till later. Anyways, why would I want to rearrange my bookshelf? Well, I wanted to find out more about Art Deco, but my book on architecture (yes, I do have a book on architecture, and one on art too, despite the nerdy engineer that I am...) was quite inaccessible, and I guess it's about time to make way for my recent purchases, and upcoming purchases. Why do I suddenly go shopping for books at this time of the year? That's because the Economist is taking a break from printing and there's suddenly a dearth of material to read; but still there's so much for me to learn, and since I'm shopping, and there's a big xmas sale at Times and MPH (20% off xmas catalog items!), I'm just stocking up on all kinds of reads.

So what's the big deal about Art Deco? Well, as previously mentioned in my blog, I visited the lovely wine place at Parkview Square recently, and enjoyed the atmosphere while sipping a 2000 Chablis Dom Simmonet. I didn't even realise the design was called Art Deco (shame on me!) till I read it in RT's blog. After going through my book on architecture, I realised why this form of architecture never really caught my attention: Art Deco is almost an aberration. (Wah, I'm using complicated cheem words now huh?)

Art Deco grew out of the era called Modernism, which lasted approximately from 1900-1965. This era saw buildings that were "spare and square", with free form (abstract, geometric shapes), free plan (less boundaries for better interior flow) and free facade (no ornamentations, unpainted), yet inspired by the age of science (revolutionary materials and techniques). We do see some elements of this at Parkview Square, especially the free form, free plan (wine bar on the ground floor is "columnless"), unpainted exterior, and the numerous statues paying tribute to Darwin, Freud, Dali etc. However, Art Deco is an aberration to Modernist architecture because it champions the use of ornaments protruding from the facade, which gives it an eerie, almost Gothic feeling. In fact, some people mistakenly consider Parkview Square Gothic. How can it be true Gothic without the spires, pointed arches and flying buttresses? A classic example of Art Deco is the Chrysler building in Manhattan: sleek modern skyscraper with its aluminium spire and protruding gargoyles. Perhaps the "Gotham City" look may sound like "Gothic" to the uninformed, which would explain their mistaken belief that Parkview Square is Gothic...

Three Wise Men

Here's an interesting take on the Three Wise Men:

The story of the Three Wise Men and the birth of Christ is one of the world's most told tales. It's also one, which, for women, illustrates all of the male species' traits that frustrate them. First of all, they simply assumed the heavens revolved around them - the star shining in the East had been put there expressly for them to follow. Secondly, they didn't arrive at the stable where Jesus was born until more than two months after the event, most probably because they refused to stop on the way and ask for directions. Thirdly, what possible use would a newborn baby and his exhausted new mother want with gifts of gold, frankincense (a resin used for fumigation) and myrrh ( a strong-smelling plant oil used for embalming the dead)? And, finally, Three Wise Men? Who's ever seen such an unlikely sight?

Imagine if the story had starred Three Wise Women. They would have asked directions, arrived in time to help deliver the baby and brought practical gifts, like nappies, bottles, toys and a bouquet of flowers. They would then have put the animals outside, cleaned the stables, made a casserole, stayed in touch by mail, and there would be peace on Earth for ever more.

Note: Moses wandered in the desert for 40 years. He wouldn't ask for directions either.

Discovery Channel

Don't you sometimes think life is much easier on the Discovery Channel? I just read this in a book:

"A woman needs to know but one man well to understand all men; whereas a man may know all women and not understand one of them." - Helen Rowland

We are the only species that has continual trouble with the mating ritual, courtship and relationships - other species have it all worked out and get along fine. Even the Black Widow spider and the Praying Mantis, who kill their mates right after mating, know the rules of the mating game and stick faithfully to them. Take the octopus for example. It's a simple animal with a tiny brain. But octopi never argue about male and female differences, sex or the lead up to it. The female comes on heat at a certain time and the male octopi all come around waving their tentacles; she pciks the one with the tentacles she likes best and gives him the green light. She never accuses him of not paying her enough attention, and he never worries whether it was as good for her as it was for him. There are no interfering in-laws giving advice, and the female octopus doesn't worrry whether she looks fat, and she never years for a mate with a 'slow' tentacle.

I love to eat octopi. Especially the cold dish at wedding dinners. Yum! Wait, there's more good stuff in this book:

They say it's great to be a man because motor mechanics tell you the truth, wrinkles add character, your underwear costs $4.95 for a six-pack and chocolate is just another snack. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them and you don't have to leave the room to adjust yourself.
They say it's great to be a woman because you can talk to the opposite sex without having to picture them naked, taxis stop for you and you can scare male bosses with mysterious gynaecological disorders. You don't look like a frog in a blender when you dance and if you marry someone 20 years younger, you're aware that you look like a cradle snatcher.
Maybe one day, men and women will be like each other. Perhaps women will love watching racing cars drive in a circle, shopping will be considered an aerobic activity and men will have to spend one month a year in a PMT simulator. Maybe all toilet seats will be nailed down, women will only talk during commercials and men will only read Playboy for its literary value.

Do women really want all toilet seats nailed down? I'm not so sure about that.....

Genetically Modified Crops / Jesus the businessman?

Today scientists use thermal neutrons, X-rays, or ethyl methane sulphonate, a harsh carcinogenic chemical - anything that will damage DNA - to generate mutant cereals. Virtually every variety of wheat and barley you see growing in the field was produced by this kind of "mutation breeding". No safety tests are done; nobody protests. The irony is that genetic modification (GM) was invented in 1983 as a gentler, safer, more rational and more predictable alternative to mutation breeding - an organic technology, in fact. Instead of random mutations, scientists could now add the traits they wanted.
... (Feeding a growing population) will mean either better yields or less rainforest - which is why fertilisers, pesticides and transgenes are the best possible protectors of the planet.
- The Economist, Dec 24th 2005

Sure, organically grown crops are most desirable for subsistence. But can sustainable farming exist if not for "modified" crops? Let's not forget that the world would not be what it is today if not for the "modifications" brought about by the "Green Revolution" which started in the 70s.

Here's another interesting food for thought from The Economist:
Bruce Barton, an adman turned evangelist, pictured Jesus as a savvy executive who "picked up twelve men from the bottom ranks of business and forged them into an organisation that conquered the world". His parables were "the most powerful advertisements of all time".

Complacency

Some people have said to me that there's no point complaining about what our society is lacking, it's just too depressing. Instead, they say, we should focus on being contented with what we already have, since there is no such thing as a perfect place. They call it a "having a postive attitude". Well, I tend to think of it as "complacency". Here's a nice quote from this week's double issue of The Economist:
"...were Americans not so incurably discontented with their lot, their great country would not be half as dynamic as it is."

Rejoice, for Christ is born!

Have a blessed and merry Christmas everyone! I had my fair share of Christmas parties today, had a great time meeting up with everyone, and I hope your Christmas will be filled with love and joy too!