2007 is Almost Gone!

2007 is going...going...gone!

And my question is: Will I achieve the goals I have set for 2008? Right now is the perfect time to assess the past year and set new goals for 2008. Regretably, many times I have set goals only to find myself 1/4, 1/2 or even 3/4 of the way through the year with little or no progress toward those goals.

One simple goal I just pick up (again) is journalling. Yes, putting things down in writing. Indiana Jones' father had one; Mohd Ghandi had one. Ahraham Lincoln had one. I bet even their fahers had one too. EagleBoy must have one too!

Among the many things I learned, my mentor told me back in 1998 that winners keep score. Winners track their performance. Winners chart progress. Just one thing: Keep the right scores!!!

Qn: How to keep scores if you don't deliberately store your scores?
Ans: A journal!

So here I am, back to the good good days of writing a journal. But I am not alone in this arena. I have found someone who shared the same passion with me. I have a model and a fellow believer. And I have placed 4 of his quotes below:

"There are three things to leave behind: your photographs, your library and your personal journals. These things are certainly going to be more valuable to future generations than your furniture (and money)!"
-Jim Rohn

"Don't use your mind for a filing cabinet. Use your mind to work out problems and find answers; file away good ideas in your journal."
-Jim Rohn

"The reason why I spend so much money for my journals is to press me to find something valuable to put in them."
-Jim Rohn

"Be a collector of good ideas, but don't trust your memory. The best collecting place for all of the ideas and information that comes your way is your journal."
-Jim Rohn

So, the pen is still mightier that the sword, huh?

Always Do the Right Thing

"Always do the right thing. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest"

-Mark Twain

Sticking my Neck Out!

"Behold the turtle: He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out."

James Bryant Conant
1893-1978,
Educator and Diplomat

As a follow-up to my last entry on the 4 Rs, I will be dropping seeds of thoughts and ideas along the next fews days leading to 2008. My first thought is to resolve to stick my neck out as often as I can, and keep it there. I have been hiding in my shell for far too long; too long for a man of my substance.

There will be progress in 2008!
There will be breakthrough in 2008!
There will be results and impact in 2008!

Because I will be sticking out my neck for a change of views!!!

My 4 R's of the New Year 2008

7 more days and we will herald in 2008. At the beginning of a new year, 2008 is yet another milestone that can be characterized by Reflection, Resolution, Rededication and Response.

Reflection is to ponder our past successes and failures, to review goals, to reflect on life itself and our limited time here on earth. The New Year is an opportunity for us to reflect upon the past year's activities and services.

Is there anything I would change so that I may grow in authenticity and with intention? To grow by design and not default? What would enhance my practical knowledge about life, which would significantly and positively impact my service to others? How have I contributed to the lives around me?

Resolution must come from within. Am I resolute to achieve that which I have set out to do? After reflecting, am I satisfied with my conclusions? Is there something I want to commit to in 2008 that will bring me closer to my goals? I resolve within myself to run the race in such a way as to ensure victory.

Rededication comes after Reflection and Resolution. God doesn't want just a part of me; He wants all of me. He asks for all my heart, soul and mind, and all my strength. My God is not interested in half-hearted commitment, partial obedience, or the leftovers of my time and resoures. He desires my full devotion.

Response is ... well response! It is the equal and opposite force to every incoming force. It is pure action and reaction. It is to take charge, raise up the standard (flag). Put on the armour. Step out. Just do it (within moral values and ethical boundaries)! It is activities. It is movement, and momentum, not monument.

The New Year is an opportunity for me to begin working towards specific goals and ambitions.

I am in the best position to evaluate and discern these keys areas.
I am in the best posture to rededicate for excellance.
I am in the best premise to initiate a resolution.
I am in the best platform to act and rise up to the challenge.

Now is the time!

My Buddy Finally Married!

Today, my buddy of 28 years finally got married.

Who is he?

1. He is my son's god-pa.
2. I knew him since I was 7.
3. He is a successful lawyer.
4. He is my closest guy pal.
5. His wife was introduced to him by ME!

Who is she?

1. She was my colleague in Citibank.
2. I knew her for 5 years.
3. She has been promoted to god-ma to my son.

I am honored to be his best man today. It was a great honour to oversee his entire wedding program. The Bride arrived in a Red Ferrari, and the Groom in a Maserati. This place was Chijmes. It was breathtaking! It was a tremendous privilege to announce: "And now Ladies & Gentlemen, it gives me great honour to present to you Mr & Mrs ..."

Now, I am glad he chose her. I remembered introducing another girl to him around the same time. It didn't work out, and I am glad. Let me explain.

You see, his present wife was not a Christian 3 years ago when they met. I always believe that marriage is not just between 2 person, but between 3: Man-God-Woman. No marriage is complete without God in the picture, and God in the centre.

Things took an unusual turn when their relationship deepened over the years. She become more and more spiritually awakened until this year, when she finally opened up her heart to Jesus and became a committed believer.

Ironically, the girl that I introduced to him around the same time was actually a Christian. But I soon realised that over the years, she has become more and more ungodly and unappealing (I meant her values and outlook in life). It was a shame. She seems to have turned from good to bad, or maybe bad to worst now. His present wife, on the other hand, had become better and better. She had become more beautiful as a person over the years - a side that I have never witness till now.

I am glad it turned out well. Had he chosen the other girl, it would be disastrous. Finished! Game over... Bad company corrupts good character, and my friend of 28 years is definitely made of better stuff. The other girl will only pull him down. She is not worthy of him. He is solid gold (just like me...hee...hee...); she is gold-plated - look good outside, hollow inside.

And so, it is with great honour that I present to you, Mr & Mrs ... .

May you both not only start well, but stay well, and end well!

Attitude...

It is the reflection of our true selves.
Its roots are inwards, but its fruit is outward.
It is our best friend, or our worst enemy.
It is more honest and more consistent than our words.
It is a future outlook based on past experiences.
It draws people to us, or repels them.
It is never content until it is expressed.
It is the librarian of our past.
It is the speaker of our present.
It is the prophet of our future.

That's attitude.

John C Maxwell
Author, Pastor, Leader

A Right Idea

Santa has the right idea: Visit people just once a year, and you'll always be welcomed.

Richard Lederer

Gift of Attention

It's not just polite to let people say what they wish, it's seductive. The best gift you can give is your attention.

Chris Matthews
in "Life's a Campaign"

My Birth Month

What my Birth Month Says About Me:

MARCH:
Attractive personality.
Affectionate Shy and reserved.
Secretive.
Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic.
Loves peace and serenity.
Sensitive to others.
Loves to serve others.
Easily angered.
Trustworthy.
Appreciative and returns kindness.
Observant and assesses others.
Revengeful.
Loves to dream and fantasize.
Loves traveling.
Loves attention.
Hasty decisions in choosing partners.
Loves home decors.
Musically talented.
Loves special things.
Moody.

Is is True?

Last Christmas I Gave You My CARD!!!

George Michael (previously known as WHAM) sang in the pop song 'Last Christmas' with this line: "...last Christmas, I gave you my card..."

In this holiday season many Singaporeans are celebrating Christmas, while others are suffering from the stress of:

A. Figuring out what gifts to buy;
B. Not having enough cash to buy them, and ...
C. Worrying about this on top of "everything else."

By 'everything else', I'm referring to the coming taxi-fare hike, the higher inflation forecast next year, the slow down in economy around the world in 2008.

Agreed?

Hey, the world doesn't stop during the holidays, you know. The instalments, the rent, the mobile phone bill and the PUB bill "keep on keepin' on" while we're pretending like they don't - and keeping this observation silently to ourselves so as not to freak - kill yourself and everyone's holiday cheer.

Is that you?

Well, heck, no matter how fortunate you are, the stress of "the holidays" can get to everyone. I know quite a few friends who scramble at the last minute to find gifts so they don't let their loved ones down only to discover they've maxed out their cards.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Good luck my friends.

But take it easy my friends. Next year's economic forecast isn't that rosy. Don't spend your last dime. Don't make this your last Christmas, okay?

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas is ...

Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered.

Phyllis Diller

Monkey Business

Chimps Beat Humans in Memory Tests
By Rowan HooperSource: New Scientist

Young chimps can beat adult humans in a task involving remembering numbers, reveals a new study. It is the first time chimps – and young ones, at that – have outperformed humans at a cognitive task. And the finding may add weight to a theory about the evolution of language in humans, say the researchers.

Three adult female chimps, their three 5-year-old offspring, and university student volunteers were tested on their ability to memorise the numbers 1 to 9 appearing at random locations on a touchscreen monitor.

The chimps had previously been taught the ascending order of the numbers. Using an ability akin to photographic memory, the young chimps were able to memorise the location of the numerals with better accuracy than humans performing the same task. During the test, the numerals appeared on the screen for 650, 430 or 210 milliseconds, and were then replaced by blank white squares.

Photographic memory

While the adult chimps were able to remember the location of the numbers in the correct order with the same or worse ability as the humans, the three adolescent chimps outperformed the humans. The youngsters easily remembered the locations, even at the shortest duration, which does not leave enough time for the eye to move and scan the screen. This suggests that they use a kind of eidetic or photographic memory.

In rare cases, human children have a kind of photographic memory like that shown by the young chimps, but it disappears with age, says Tetsuro Matsuzawa, at the primate research institute at Kyoto University, Japan, who led the study. He suggests that early humans lost the skill as we acquired other memory-related skills such as representation and hierarchical organisation.

“In the course of evolution we humans lost it, but acquired a new skill of symbolisation – in other words, language,” he says. “We had to lose some function to get a new function.” 'Humbling' discovery

The finding challenges human assumptions about our uniqueness, and should make us think harder about ourselves in relation to other animals, says anthropologist Jill Pruetz of Iowa State University, Ames, US.

“Observing that other species can outperform us on tasks that we assume we excel at is a bit humbling,” she says. “Rather than taking such findings as a rare example or a fluke, we should incorporate this knowledge into a mindset that acknowledges that chimpanzees – and probably other species – share aspects of what we think of as uniquely human intelligence.”

The results are “absolutely incredible” says Frans de Waal, at the Yerkes Primate Center at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, US. He says that chimp intelligence is chronically underestimated, and one reason is that experiments stack the deck against the chimps.

In the wild, this memory skill might be useful for memorising fruit locations at a glance, or making a quick map of all the branches and routes in a tree, he says. Matsuzawa emphasises that the chimps in the study are by no means special – all chimps can perform like this, he says.

“We underestimate chimpanzee intelligence,” he says. “We are 98.77% chimpanzee. We are their evolutionary neighbours.”

Christmas Lights

No matter how carefully you stored the lights last year, they will be snarled again this Christmas.

Robert Kirby
The Salt Lake Tribune

My Calling

"After one has discovered what he is called for, he should set out to do it with all of the power that he has in his system."

Martin Luther King, Jr.
1929-1968
American Civil Rights Leader

Begin to Begin Now

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
Famous novelist, poet and scientist

Passion & Enthusiasm

"Go at life every day with passion and enthusiasm... and when challenges arrive, simply do not give up."

Rick Wagoner (1953 - )
Chairman and CEO,
General Motors

The Secret of Style

"Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style."

Matthew Arnold
(1822-1888)
English poet

Brand & Reputation

"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hardthings well."

Jeff Bezos (1964 - )
CEO and cofounder
Amazon.com

Do the very BEST

"I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything."

Abraham Lincoln
1809-1865,
16th President of the USA

Feed Just One

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

Mother Teresa

Solid Gold!

"The man or woman who treasures his friends is usually solid gold himself."

Marjorie Holmes
Author

Begin

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
German dramatist, poet & novelist

不值得

歌曲：不值得
歌手：梦飞船

除了想你
除了爱你
hu ~我什么什么都愿意
翻开日记
整理心情
hu ~我真的真的想放弃
你始终没有爱过
你在敷衍我
一次一次忽略我的感受
我真的感到力不从心
无力继续

这感情
不值得我犹豫
不值得我考虑
不值得我爱过你
这种回忆
不值得我提起
不值得想起
不值得哭泣

这段感情
早就应该放弃
早就不该让我
浪费时间找奇迹
这样的你
不值得我恨你
不值得我为你而
坏了心情
我决定不为你而毁了心
放弃爱你

除了想你
除了爱你
hu ~我什么什么都愿意
翻开日记
打开心情
hu ~我真的真的想放弃
你始终没有爱过
你在敷衍我
一次一次
忽略我的感受
我真的感到力不从心
无力继续

这感情
不值得我犹豫
不值得我考虑
不值得我爱过你
这种回忆
不值得我提起
不值得想起
不值得哭泣

这段感情
早就应该放弃
早就不该让我
浪费时间找奇迹
这样的你
不值得我恨你
不值得我为你
而坏了心情

我决定不为你而毁了心
不为你而放弃爱情
不为你而毁了心
我决定不为你而毁了心

放弃爱你

Keep Doing ...

Keep doing new stuff.
Keep doing new stuff.
Keep doing new stuff.

Unknown

French Phase of the Day 29 Nov 07

C'est de l'hebreu pour moi.
(means: It is Hebrew to me!)

Jean Baptiste Poquelin Moliere,
L'Etourdi

Thoughts Become Things!

Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!

Unknown

All Can Be Justified

Of course, anger can always be justified.
But then, so can forgiveness.
Just depends on how much more you want from the adventure.

Unknown

One Degree's Difference!

At 99 degrees, water is hot.
At 100 degrees, it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And with steam, you can power a train.

One extra degree makes all the difference!

Moral of the story:
When you make me boil enough to produce stream, I will charge back like a bullet train!

伤追人

歌曲：伤追人
歌手：古巨基
专辑：大雄

本应打九九九可以求助
无奈你不是像持刀伤害我
我到底惊慌什么
为了分居只好请你留坐
谁料你竟胁持他当陪坐
如像一把掌掴我

知了计算机杂志旧信合照护照
尚有一个电炉欠你这么多
要他帮手也太绝吧
让我欣赏他怎羞辱我

我最多
把躯壳暂时
就当不属我
麻木去受你
最后重击一趟

怕什么
我坚拒为情敌驳火
原来伤懂追我
不必去躲

或者他好得必须要炫耀
无奈我的劫后余生都赔掉
宁愿以后不见了

给你大我辱我累我害我话我问我
一切事情已了结清楚
我只想祷告看命运
还能想得出怎亏待我

我最多
把躯壳暂时
就当不属我
麻木去受你
最后重击一趟

怕什么
我坚拒为情敌驳火
伤口早已忘我
分开得够清楚

Live with Impact

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Jackie Robinson
1919-1972
Hall of Fame baseball player

The Final Countdown...

.

Name: Elvis Presley aka the King
Earnings: US$49 million

Occupation: Musician

Died: Aug. 16, 1977

Age: 42

Cause: Heart attack
.

Thirty years after his death, this handsome aka the King once again reigns supreme. Plans to overhaul the once-lethargic estate are paying off big-time for publicly traded CKX Entertainment, which owns the bulk of the empire. (Presley's daughter Lisa Marie retains a 15% interest.) Attendance and spending at Graceland are up thanks to a new ad campaign, renovations at the sprawling complex and a new premium VIP tour program. The Presley estate has also inked new licensing deals with Cirque du Soleil, American Greetings and Hershey's.

Countdown from 2

.
Name: John Lennon
Earnings: US$44 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Dec. 8, 1980
Age: 40
Cause: Murder
.
Lennon's posthumous income was buoyed considerably over the past year thanks to resolutions of long-standing lawsuits. In February, the remaining Beatles and their heirs settled a trademark dispute with Apple Inc., reportedly for as much as $100 million. (The Beatles' commercial interests are overseen by a firm called Apple Corps.) Two months later, the band finally resolved a 30-year battle with record label EMI over alleged unpaid royalties. Both pacts clear the way for the Beatles to begin selling their iconic catalogue of hits online.

Countdown from 3

.
Name: Charles M. Schulz
Earnings: US$35 million
Occupation: Cartoonist
Died: Feb. 12, 2000
Age: 77
Cause: Colon Cancer
.
Peanuts might be the understatement of the century. Snoopy and his posse, featured on some 18,000 cartoon strips during Schulz's 50-year career, are the lynchpin of a massive merchandising empire that encompasses television and newspaper syndication, as well as hundreds of performances of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown each year. United Media, on behalf of Schulz's widow, oversees a portfolio of sterling deals, including a 20-year-long campaign with Metlife (Schulz coined the term "security blanket"). One out of every five Hallmark cards sold features a Peanuts character. And in October, Warner Home Video won exclusive rights to distribute Peanuts videos.

我应该

歌曲：我应该
歌手：张学友
专辑：有个人

你眼角脱了色彩
颈巾即将松脱下来
我再探听
谁像亲你入怀内
可是你心不会装载
而我只身受其害
仍然在说
都不必分开

应该早已没期待
应该心死
为何仍未放开
应该不要回来
由你伤害
恋什么爱
你精彩
我悲哀

盼你性格会更改
始终苦等一个未来
你讽刺我
人活于五十年代
不用再
等一个心爱

常痛哭至在门外
谁人共你
正在内
传来声声喝采

应该早已没期待...吔
应该心死
为何仍未放开
应该不要回来
由你伤害
恋什么爱
你精彩
我悲哀

啊....
应该早已没期待...吔
应该心死为何
仍未放开
应该不要回来
由你伤害
恋什么爱
你精彩
我悲哀

恋什么爱
你高山...我深海

Countdown from 4

.

Name: George Harrison
Earnings: US$22 million

Occupation: Musician

Died: Nov. 29, 2001

Age: 58

Cause: Throat Cancer
.

The "Quiet Beatle" enjoyed a substantial bump in his post-mortem income thanks to one-off settlements from Beatles lawsuits with Apple and EMI. Harrison's estate also gets royalties from the modest sales of his solo work, plus deals like Cirque De Soleil's Beatles-themed Las Vegas show. Harrison's heirs can look forward to more consistent and sizable royalties once the iconic Beatles catalog finally hits Apple's iTunes, likely sometime next year.

Winning A Game

"The hardest part of chess is winning a won game."

- Frank Marshall
1877-1944

Countdown from 5

.

Name: Albert Einstein
Earnings: US$18 million

Occupation: Scientist

Died: April 18, 1955

Age: 76

Cause: Natural Causes
.

The world's most famous celebrity scholar has become a leading trademark in child education thanks to the Disney-owned Baby Einstein brand of videos and toys. In recent years, the brand has targeted toddlers with the hit animated series Little Einsteins. All royalties from Einstein's name and image go to Jerusalem's Hebrew University, which was bequeathed the estate. Word is that Lionsgate is developing a film based on the personal life of the Nobel prize-winning genius.

Recreation vs Occupation

"Chess is only a recreation and not an occupation."

- Vladimir Lenin
1870-1924

Top 5 Dead Celebs' Earnings

Do you know: The thirteen celebrities on Forbes’ latest list earned US$232 million during the past 12 months – all from beyond the grave! Yeah, right, dead but still churning the earnings!!

Now, to qualify for a spot on the seventh annual Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list, the star’s estate had to earn at least US$3.5 million between October 2006 and October 2007.

With US$49 million, Elvis reclaims the top spot after being bumped to No. 2 last year by Kurt Cobain, who debuted on the list at No. 1 but didn’t make the cut this year. Here are the five biggest posthumous moneymakers...

1. Elvis Presley (died 1977) - US$49 million
2. John Lennon (died 1980) - US$44 million
3. Charles M. Schulz (died 2000) - US$35 million
4. George Harrison (died 2001) - US$22 million
5. Albert Einstein (died 1955) - US$18 million
.
If you noticed, the top 1, 2 and 4th spots are taken by dead musicians/ singers. Now you know why I tried so hard to get into the NUSS Karaoke Competition, right? But then again, looking at the age and ways they died, I rather be the dead scientist.
.
I will put up their individual profile over the next 5 days. Enjoy.

Chess Hides No Lies

"On the chessboard lies and hypocrisy do not survive long."

- Emanuel Lasker
1868-1941

Any Task for Individuality

"No task is so humble that it does not offer an outlet for individuality."

William Feather

Know How to Refute

"I often play a move I know how to refute."

- Bent Larsen
1935- Present

How to Become Rich?

Life begets life.
Energy creates energy.
It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.

Sarah Bernhardt
1844-1923
French actress and writer

撕夜 by 阿杜

歌曲：撕夜
歌手：阿杜
专辑：天黑

我把梦撕了一页
不懂明天该怎么写
冷冷的街
冷冷的灯
照着谁
一场雨湿了一夜
你的温柔该怎么给
冷冷的风
冷冷的吹
不停歇

那个人在天桥下
留下等待工作
的电话号码
我想问他
多少人打给他
随手放开电话上
那本指引迷途
心灵的密码
我的未来
依然没有解答

旧电话撕了一页
我的朋友还剩下谁
冷冷的心
冷冷的梦
在哽咽

两个人撕了一夜
抱得再紧也不能睡
冷冷的你
冷冷的泪
湿了夜

SLDM

"Speak little, do much."

Benjamin Franklin
1706-1790
American statesman, writer & scientist

What Cure Headaches?

"Chess is a cure for headaches."

- John Maynard Keynes
1883-1946

Finally! Esprit de corps

Okay, I admit I am a little late, busy, boh-chup (means don't care), disorganized, confused ... but I finally got it done: Joined my Tuscani Club, today!

.

So, what does it mean? What's the big deal?

.

First, more friends.

Second, more advise.

Third, more events to go.

.

Everybody needs a sense of belonging. If you own a Tuscani, shouldn't you join a group or club that share a same identity. Unity is never over-rated. In army, we call it Esprit de Corps.

.

Definition: a sense of unity and of common interests and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons closely associated in a task, cause, enterprise, etc.

.

Synonyms: camaraderie, solidarity, fellowship.

.

Need I say more?

Chess Tests Will

"Chess is a test of wills."

- Paul Keres
1916-1975

Civility

"Civility costs nothing, andbuys everything."

Mary Wortley Montagu
1689 - 1762
English writer

NUSS Karaoke Competition: Final - 该不该

Wah piang! This song bring me bad luck hah!!! Even the song title is so misleading - 该不该 (means should and shouldn't). I think the judges, while listening to the song, must be thinking should they or shouldn't they kick me out of the competition...ha...ha...juz kidding!

Anyway, I didn't make it to the top 3 ... sob...sob... All the 3 guys were ousted. This year we have an all female showdown. Last year's champion got pushed to 3rd place this year, while this year's new champion was last year's runners up. And then there was this in-between 2nd place winner out of no where (though you wouldn't miss her - she is quite ... you know ... on the UPSIZE category).

Think again, somebody has to go home without the trophy sometimes. Not everyday is your winning day, even though you may have prepared for it. But I did learn a few lessons from my journey.

First, new friends. The Kent Ridge crowd is definitely a much friendlier group than the Suntec ones. Essentially, it's about meeting people and building friendship that counts.

Second, new methods & styles of singing karaoke. Singing in karaoke and singing karaoke in a competition is totally a different thing.

Third, I realised (again) that we learn more from our defeats than from our victories. It keeps me from being complacent and pushes me to higher grounds.

Lastly, I realised how significant friends' support are. The moral support I recieved from my friends boosted my morale, both on and off the stage. Thank you.

For me, the day after the defeat was the hardest. The effect sank in later. When you are alone, when you wake up and the surrounding is quiet (as compared to the noisy environment the night before), when nobody is there to congratulate or console you - that moment makes or breaks a man.

Who are you when no one is around? Who are you when no one is watching? Who are you when you are all alone out there? How we handle crisis, defeats and disappointment - that will define the man and his real character.

Anyway, I don't think I have chosen the wrong song. I chose this song because it speaks of the desire to be authentic, to be real, to be able to look into the mirror and find a true being, without covering or pretence. This is the song. And here it is:


曲名：该不该
歌手：张学友

谁羡幕我的世界
谁忌妒你的一切
其实我们
都无所谓
爱的人都在身边
这就是我的永远

另一个我
离你很远
这感觉
我都胆怯
当苦与乐
各自体会
各有各的每一天
只能轻描淡写
我的累

该不该
告诉你我不是不爱
该不该
心靠著心才能明白
我的爱
渴望填满
如果你能打开

我已经习惯
在最深的孤单
才能看清楚
所有自己的纠缠
不能分享
是因为我也说不上来
不是故意隐瞒
也从不想过离开

Looking forard to next year's NUSS Karaoke Competition 2008!

What Wears You Out?

It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out--it's the grain of sand in your shoe.

Robert Service

Come to my House at 6:30, okay?

For the record, this question is uttered from my 3 1/2 year-old junior, not a girlfriend or mistress.
.
Now, you will have to understand a few things before appreciating my reason for putting it here:

.

First, this is the first time he dialled my handphone number from memory - nobody assisted him. And for your information, EagleBoy junor can recall his mommy's cell phone too!
.
Second, his grasp of the concept of time is impressive. He specified what time he wanted to see me. It would be well if he said he wanted to see me tonight. But at 6:30, this boy knew when he wants what he wants.
.
Third, he stated the location: My house. Often we are at the mercy of other's choice of location. The successful time manager will have others go to him instead of him going to others. Time is saved in this way.
.
Now, what did EagleBoy (Dad) do in this situation?
.
He yielded....He cancelled his 6:30 pm appointment, postponed his 7:30 pm appointment, and asked for grace to show up late for his last appointment at NUSS (that's at 8 pm). All this for a little boy's plea to ... show his dad his new toy car and a new set of train tracks.
.
Now if you know me, I am not in the habit of changing my appointment or schedule; well, at least not by me. Most of the time, my clients will call and do the re-arrangement. But I felt compelled to oblige my little boy for 3 basic reasons:
.
1. He can have my attention, any time, almost anywhere (except when I am out of town). I want him to know that Dad is a friend and my line is always open to him as far as he is concerned.
He has exclusivity (Just like his mom).
.
2. Once I made a promise, I keep it. I need to demonstrate to him what a Promise Keeper is and do, and he needs to learn this from me. You see, not that I undermine the importance of meeting my clients. It's just a matter of setting my priorities from the beginning.
He has priority (Just like his mom).
.
3. Loving someone cost - the greater the love, the higher the cost. There is no two ways about it. Love is non-negotiable. If you claim you love somebody, you will need to sacrifice something, sometime, down the road somewhere, somehow. If I can show it now, why wait. To a child, love is not spelled L-O-V-E, but T-I-M-E!!!
He has urgency (Just like his mom). And I need his mom to know that!
.
Moments like these only come a few times in our lives. Some don't even have the opportunities or privileges. Don't squander them at the altar of wealth and the pursuit of money. Remember:
.
People first (family),
then money (the management of it),
then things (the stewardship of it).
.
So, love people, manage money, and enjoy things.
.
So, are you coming to my house at 6:30 pm? Okay?

Better Return Halfway

Better return half way than lose yourself.

Dutch Proverb

Raise Voice?

My father used to say, "Don't raise your voice, improve your arguement".

Desmond Tutu

How Deep is Chess?

"Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe."

-An Indian Proverb

NUSS Karaoke Competition - Semi Finals: 爱你一万年

Last night's competition was a very tough one. When the judges handed the results to the MC, the lounge was in total silence. In no order of preference, 6 will be selected out of the 10 semi-finalists. This is it. The last huddle before the final! 4 will die tonight!

Truth is: I saw 9 other super competent singers, and one nervous one: ME!

When my name was announced, I literally walked out and ask: "Did you mention my name just now?" I really couldn't believe my ears! But I am thankful. Atlas, no rest for the wicked, and I will have to continue to prepare for the final now till this Saturday.

The winning song, this time, is : 爱你一万年 by Any How (I mean Andy Lau). Everybody thought I was going to do one of Jacky Cheung's number. They were wrong. I reserved my best for the last. Here we go!


歌曲：爱你一万年
歌手：刘德华
专辑：爱无知

地球自转一次是一天
那是代表多想你一天
真善美的爱恋
没有极限
也没有缺陷

地球公转一次是一年
那是代表多爱你一年
恒久的地平线
和我的心
永不改变

爱你一万年爱
你经得起考验
飞越了时间的局限
拉近了地域的平面
紧紧的相连

紧紧相连

有了你的出现
占据了一切
我的视线

我爱你一万年

Chess and A Scheming Mind

"Excellence at chess is one mark of a scheming mind."

- Sherlock Holmes

Life's Twists & Turns

.

A familiar scene in life? I bet. Mine often is. Its sometimes assuring to know that it is normal, and if you stay on course, you too will get to the end point (whatever you may desire).

.

Words like detour, backtrack, reverse, digress, slow-down, stuck, lost, deviate, wander-away, stray, off-course, swerve are all synonym to the picture above.

.

Do you have a friend? A mentor? A buddy? A keeper? Someone to call upon when you sway, stray, or get betrayed by life's wicked hands?

.

I have. And that's why I am still here, with my sanity.

.

Hope you find a few travellers in life that will be a pillar of support and guide in the journey of life.

.

But most of all, be one to others.

Chess and Intellectualism

"Chess is the touchstone of intellect."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Caution in Love?

Of all forms of caution, caution in love is the most fatal.

Anonymous

Habits are Easy to Form

Good habits are as easy to form as bad ones.

Tim McCarver

The Road to Happiness

"The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it put your whole soul into it - every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have."

John D. Rockefeller
1839-1937,
Industrialist and Philanthropist

Speak with Sincerity

"When you speak of someone or about someone, you should speak as though they were in the room with you. The ears that you speak to today are attached to the mouth that could relay the message tomorrow."

William 'Biddy' Allen
1903-2001,
Bus Driver and Loving father of 7 children

Never Believe ...

Never believe in anything until it has been officially denied.

Otto von Bismarck

NUS Karaoke Competition - Qtr Finals: 真情流露

Yes, I am in the semi-finals now. Woh...the heat is building up man...just the 10 of us left. And there were about 80 to begin with.

Here is the song I chose for the heat:

歌曲：真情流露
歌手：张学友
专辑：真情流露

仍难尽信
我是这样地
无穷好运
能遇上
精彩的你
我缺点胜别人
你竟费尽心神
把我留起

如仍未清楚地
说在目前和今后

仍难尽清楚地说在目前和今后

无论那一天都爱你
我这刻要直言
到沧海或桑田
最深爱的
亦只是你

我与你永不可别离
爱你爱到死
因只得你
方可使我
流露自己
你眼里那种种传奇
醉我醉到死
一生使我动情
是你

la la la la la ......

Chess is Anti-Kindness

"You cannot play chess if you are kind-hearted."

-A French proverb

Clear Your Plate

The choice is always simple enough: Clear your plate if you want dessert.

Author Unknown

Life is like Chess

"Life is a kind of chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events."

- Benjamin Franklin
1706-1790

Why God Allows PAIN?

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering ...

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber! finishe d his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me." "Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

So, if you want to argue with your barber, let him finish his cutting first, okay?

Bobby Fischer's Words on Chess

"You can only get good at chess if you love the game."

"I like to make them squirm."

"If I win, I'm a genius. If I don't, I'm not."

- Bobby Fischer
1943- Present

Don't Lose Faith?

Sometimes life's going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith.

Steve Jobs
CEO
Apple Inc.

Chess and Pickpocketing

"A man that will take back a move at chess will pick a pocket."

- Richard Fenton
1837-1916

What the Minds Discuss?

Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people."

You? Huh...nevermind!

Some are wise; some...otherwise! Ha...ha...ha...!!!

Judge or Love?

"If we judge people, we have no time to love them.

- Mother Therasa

Dog as Exercise Machine?

A dog is the only exercise maching you cannot decide to skip when you don't feel like it.

Carolyn G. Heilburn

Einstein's Chess Ideas

"Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shakling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer."

- Albert Einstein
1879-1955

Being Imperfect

The only nice thing about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.

Doug Larson

Chess in the words of Duchamp

"Chess players are madmen of a certain quality, the way the artist is supposed to be, and isn't, in general."

"Not all artists may be chess players, but all chess players are artists."

"I am still a victim of chess. It has all the beauty of art - and much more. It cannot be commercialized. Chess is much purer than art in its social position."

"Chess is a sport. A violent sport."

- Marcel Duchamp
1887-1968

All Men are Equal...

That all men are equal is a proposition to which, at ordinary times, no sane individual has ever given his assent.

Aldous Huxley

PS: Though some are 'more' equal than others, you know ...

Chess and Timidity

"Chess is not for the timid."

- Irving Chernev
1900-1981

Reflect the Right Things!

Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

Charles Dickens

Chess and Luck

"The good player is always lucky."

- Jose Capablanca
1888-1942

Change from Inside Out

"If you want to achieve more money, a happier lifestyle, or any other goal in life, you have to change from the inside out - the reverse order from what you've probably been taught.

Ask yourself whether your most dearly held beliefs are serving you or not. Do they help you create the life of your dreams? Or, do they limit you and the people you love?

Be bold enough and smart enough to see past where you are right now and take hold of what's rightfully yours. You deserve to decide for yourself exactly what and who you'll become, and what you'll acquire along the way."

"YOU ARE CREATING A LIFE NO MATTER WHAT, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE IT ALL".

Yes, you CAN have it all!
If you know the formula.

Chess is a Waste of Time

"Life is too short for chess."

- character from Henry J. Byron's play
"Our Boys"

Don't Be Distracted

"Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you."

Zig Ziglar
Author and Speaker

Chess is an Art

"Chess is the art of analysis."

"Chess is the art which expresses the science of logic."

- Mikhail Botvinnik
1911-1995

Look Carefully!

If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more.
If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough.

Oprah Winfrey

A Knight Planted Wrongly

"To have a knight planted in your game at K6 is worse than a rusty nail in your knee."

- Efim Bogoljubow
1889-1952

Politics is ...

Politics is a profession; a serious, complicated and, in its true sense, a noble one.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

NUS Karaoke Competition - 李香兰

Last night, I went down to NUS Guild to sign up for the NUSS Karaoke Competition ON THE SPOT! Yeah, you are right, no preparation. Gung Ho arhhh???

I chose a song while I was driving to the Guild House, and started practising on the go. When I arrived, okay, they have the song. Guess what? Half way through it, the song stop playing!!!

Reason: Disc corruption (@#!%$^&*#@)

So I was given 5 minutes to re-select. This is my replacement song: 李香兰. Yeah right, last minute, things can happen will usually happen (to me lah!).

Result: Advanced to quarter-final!!!

Yeahhhh hooooo....!

歌曲：李香兰
歌手：张学友
专辑：张学友93演唱会

恼春风
我心因何恼春风
说不出
借酒相送
夜雨浓
雨点透射到照片中
回头似是梦
无法弹动
迷住凝望你
裉色照片中

碍…像花虽未红
如冰虽不冻
却像有无数说话
可惜我听不懂

碍…是怀酒渐浓
或我心真空
何以感震动

照片中
那可以投照片中
盼找到
时间裂逢
夜放纵
告知我难寻你芳踪
回头也是梦
仍似被动
逃避凝望你
仍深印脑中

woo... woo...

碍…像花虽未红
如冰虽不冻
却像有无数说话
可惜我听不懂

碍…是怀酒渐浓
或我心真空
何以感震动

Chill Out!

When life is hard and . .
.
Payday is still so far away . . .
.
. . . there is only one thing to do . . .
.
.
. . . and count the days.

Chess as Drug and Poison

"Of all the drugs in the world, chess must be the most permanently pleasurable."

"In chess, just as in life, today's bliss may be tomorrow's poison."

- Assaic

When You Think You Can, You Can!

Oops...was it a typo? No.
Did I read it right? Yes.

It is interesting how a small little play of word can have so vast a difference in meaning. You are probably more familiar with the original quotation by motivational guru & speaker, Denis Waitly, "If You Think You Can, You Can". Well, that make good sense and sound, of course.

But wait. Don't you agree that the "If" at the beginning of the sentence sounds too "iffy"? It is almost conditional as if it's not likely to happen. So, when I change the "If" to "When", I wanted to add in some kind of turbo effect. For I strongly believe & am convicted that when you think you can, you will unleash the power of positive thinking in your life.

Negativity will begin to recede into the shadows. Now that's interesting, isn't it? What you may not consciously consider as possible may turn out to be do-able after all! History are filled with such examples. I will share 2 here.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (hope I got his name spell right) once commented on the effect of a confident attitude on performance. He referred to the 500 pound barrier in the clean-and-jerk event in weight lifting, which is equivalent to running the long one mile in under 4 minute.

Now, the guy was Valery Alexis, the world record holder at 499 pounds. He came to lift, and was told that the bar was at 499 pounds. Approaching with confidence, he lifted it. Later, the judges checked and found that it was actually several pounds heavier! Alexis had broken the barrier!! Now, interestingly, within a short time, 6 others went over 500 pounds. And Alexis himself did 520! Soon, the record went to 564!!

The other was the famous 4 minute mile run. For years, the 4-minute mile was considered not merely unreachable but, according to physiologists of the time, dangerous to the health of any athlete who attempted to reach it. For Roger Bannister, it was vindication.

When he crossed the finish line with a time of 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds, he broke through a psychological barrier as well. John Landy, considered one of the great milers of that era, never had gotten closer than within 1.5 seconds of the 4-minute barrier before. Within 46 days of Bannister's breakthrough, Landy surpassed the record with a 3:57.9 in Finland.

Bannister and Landy raced later in the year in the "Mile of the Century" at Vancouver, a run off to decide who was the faster miler. Bannister won in 3:58.8 to Landy's 3:59.6, the first time two men in one race had broken 4 minutes. By the end of 1957, 16 runners had logged sub-4-minute miles.

When you think you can, you can. But if you think you cannot, even your body will not co-operate with you. Trust me on that. Somehow, somewhere, the reserves are not marshalled to give that extra boost. For the battle is fought & won first in the mind. The sad thing is too many people don't even bother to try becasue they don't think they can. So no effort is made, unfortunately confirming the self-fulfilling prophecy. You see, you can't win unless you first take part.

For now, I took part in the coming Standard Chartered Marathon Run come Dec 2. I will be doing the half-marathon event this year. I did the 10 km last year & got addicted! Once this is achieved, I will do the full marathon next year! Then the mini Iron-man the next, and then the Iron-man. But first, I will have to prepare for the 20km ahead.

See you at the finishing line!

Chess ... Master?

"Chess will always be the master of us all."



- Alexander Alekhine

1892-1946

The Reason

"I quote others only the better to express myself"

Michel de Montaigne,
1537 - 1593

Many who check out my blog or read it regularly have asked me why I like to put up other people's quotes. I have been trying to do this diligently, everyday. Well, here's my answer above.

This blog has started with a few objectives: to pen thoughts, to scold people (ha...ha...), to "suan" (hokkien word - meaning to sneer or mock) the garmen, to journal, to keep pictures and videos, to let others know what songs I like, to update my clients with some financial market write-up, etc. But among others, it has a precise purpose: to meet a need - a need for providing daily inputs for those who want to make things happen in their lives.

So if you think I use this blog to make money or friends, sorry, this is not the blog for you. I have a lovely family and a healthy image of self. I have made enough friends over the last three-and-a-half decades, but I forgot to make enough time for all of them. No, I don't need more friends, cos I really can't keep up with all of them. I just need to be a better friend to them. And to some, be their best friend, if I can.

I am glad if these collections of quotes inspire & motivate you. You can read them over and over again, if you like. Good for you. But I do not claim credit for all these. God is my witness. It is He who made all these possible.

"Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand. O Lord, our God, as for all this abundance ... it comes from You and all of it belongs to You."

I Chronicles 29:14-16

Be an eagle with me, but please, soar like one.

Mistress vs Master

"Chess is a good mistress but a bad master."

"In chess there is a world of intellectual values."

- Gerald Abrahams
1907-1980

Chessmen and Ideas

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start on a team, but one man cannot make a team."

- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Greater Danger

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

Michelangelo Buonarroti
1474-1564,
Italian Renaissance Painter and Sculptor

NOTICE!!!

NOTICE:

If you notice this notice, you should notice that this notice is not a notice! :)

Decide to Believe, Now!

"You are always a valuable, worthwhile human being, not because anybody says so, not because you're successful, not because you make a lot of money, but because you decide to believe it and for no other reason."

- Dr. Wayne Dyer

天使之光

天使之光

词：吴琼
曲：熊汝霖

在无尽的天际
自由飞翔
无限的力量
又听到又看到
神的遐想
自由的愿望

焦土中 长眠
谁的身躯前世的轻狂
冰雪中 徜徉
闪烁的白光
是谁 是谁的模样

我一直在等待
乘风而来
感受自由
温暖的光

我一直在等待
穿过河流
思绪呼唤
挥舞洁白的翅膀
一如既往

夜太长 梦太远
百转千回
欲挥翼离去
光环下 笼罩着
灰色荒园
是我的孤寂

迎着风 怒吼
踏上足迹
世俗的沙砾

背靠山 面朝海
崛起着醒来
是我 光芒肆意

我一直在等待
乘风而来
感受自由
温暖的光

我一直在等待
穿过河流
思绪呼唤
挥舞洁白的翅膀
一如既往

一夜一夜的回忆
一步一步的离去
一丝一丝的呼吸
我一直在这里

一夜一夜的回忆
一步一步的离去
一丝一丝的呼吸
冬日的
天使之光

A New Beginning, A New Journey!

Today is the 10th of Oct, 2007. Three more years from now, at 10 a.m. in the morning, it will be 10-10-10-10. Anyway, just a silly thought.

I wake up today excited. Why? Because I realised that today marks a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean break. Yesterday ended last night; today is brand new. Nothing stale, nothing leftover. Brand new, understand?

I often thought about this: We wake up in the morning but forget to leave yesterday behind. Sad, but true. Leave what's yesterday yesterday. Today is today. Symbolically, yet very practical, we have to brush our teeth again. No matter how many times we have brushed before, we need to brush once more. The past & previous brushing are not valid for today!

Yes, I want a new start; I needed one. A new beginning, a new journey. Just like my play station, there is this little button that says "Reset" or "Replay". Well, fortunate for me, today is that button. The power to reset everything new, to start all over again - to begin.

Best of all, a new destination! Commencing today, life can be different, for better or for best! And the good news is: yes, it can be for the better!!!

So, right from the start this morning (while I visited my usual holy shrine a.k.a toilet to offer my usual "offering"), I set out the following thoughts:

1. I need to know what I want, very clearly.

Not wishy-washy, or fuzzy-wuzzy. Hey my friend, that's a damn good rule for life, you know! And just as good for any marriage, my marriage! Yes, I leave no uncertainty. I will stamp my desire clearly. Let it be known. Mostly to myself.

My friend, it is a negative world out there but I choose to be positive. I want to be an achiever, an overcomer, a true winner! And I believe it's mine for the taking!!! But first, in order for me to make a new start, I must leave the old behind. New wine needs new wine skins. Otherwise, as the wine matures, the old skins have no more stretch in them and will burst. Then all is lost.

2. I need a new mind set.

That's what I am aiming for today. Don't you know that nothing actually enters your life without first entering your mind? In a way, it becomes stored as part of your database. All decisions are first checked & tallied with this database, like my spell-checker in the Microsoft Word program. In a sense, the database means you have already pre-decided.

Anyhow, mindset change is a bit hard and difficult if you don't know what you like to change to. A new mind set is easily said than done, because it takes real hard effort to correct warp thinking. Just like puppy love (or guppy love). Have you ever experience this strange feeling of liking someone when you are in your early teens, say back in Primary 5? You think you are in love. You think that love will last. But today, you look back and laugh about it because it didn't.

By the way: what's love?

Someone said that love is a feeling you feel when you felt it. For me, I feel nothing now. Love is more than a feeling! It's a decision!! And between me and my better half, it is more than a decision - it's a covenant. A covenant is an agreement built on trust. Some married couple's marriage is a contract. A contract is an agreement built on mistrust!!! Sad, but true. Think about that. Does anybody know what AGAPE love is anymore?

For some, love is just a word. But to some, love is not a word but a sentence - a life sentence!!! A death sentence!!! God help them, and their meaningless marital contracts too.

Yes, it take cruel effort to really pan out AGAPE love. Someone told me that it was not the nails that kept Jesus on the cross. It was (is) His love - AGAPE love!!! For me to follow His steps to love my wife unconditionally takes more than effort. I need His grace. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Thankfully, spirit can change; not so for the flesh.

I recently heard a female friend of mine said she don't mind co-habit with another man. Yes, staying together but not married; no contract, just condoms. It's like "I want you now, but I can also don't want you later if I change my mind". She obviously doesn't understand what love is. She said if things don't work out, if the "love" is gone, and the song stop playing, well, at least she can part ways without losing her financial assets. Gosh! I don't even know how to describe this kind of love she espoused. Nevermind, it's her life anyway. Maybe those foreign men she goes out with are eyeing her financial assets only. This is also very pathetic. I mean, does she really know what true wealth is?

Okay, back to me. I am making a fresh start. I need a slight new change in my behaviour, hence in my thinking. Good. But I am not rushing. I will take my time. It won't be overnight, overlunch, overtine/ milo ?? ... but over time.

You see: Things don't just happen. I must decide to make them happen. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Yesterday is a cancelled cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is hard currency. Today is cash! Today is current!! Today is the present. Today is a gift!

And tomorrow begins today!!!

Greatness

In great deed, something abides. On great fields, something stays. Forms change & pass, bodies disappear but spirits linger to consecrate ground for the vision place of the soul. And reverent men & women from afar & generations that know us not & that we know not of, shall come here to ponder & to dream & the power of the vision shall pass into their souls.

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
1828 - 1914

Everything Has a Price Tag, Really.

"Every worthwhile accomplishment has a price tag attached to it. The question is always whether you are willing to pay the price to attain it - in hard work, sacrifice, patience, faith, and endurance."

John C. Maxwell
Author

Kind Words

"Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. Mental trouble was never known to arise from such quarters. Though they do not cost much yet they accomplish much. They make other people good natured. They also produce their own image on men´s souls, and a beautiful image it is."

- Blaise Pascal

Courage to Begin

If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.

David Viscott

iPhone

I finally got my hand on the much talked-about iPhone (8 GB).

.

Price: Not telling (A little give away: Under S$950)

.

Why I go ahead: It has been a long time since I do something foolish. So here is it.

.

I still plan to renew my Starhub contract in 3-mths' time and get a free phone. With the iPhone, I ended up subscribing to the Max-Mobile plan, allowing some kind of GPRS downloads for my financial news & updates (another $10 per month).

.

Still, the new toy kept me busy all weekends. Now I can say that I have a handphone, an iPod, and a mobile computer all-in-one in my hand.

.

So far, I cannot recall who had asked me about it. It must have been a hundred or two...maybe three. After seeing the gadget, they all always have the same reaction: Don't let me see it, ohh...please...any longer & I will want to get it NOW!!!

.

Steve Job...job well done huh!

Gift of Fantasy

"When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge."

- Albert Einstein

Rules?

"There ain't no rules around here!"

- Thomas Edison

Fun???

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

- Walt Disney

Is Your Aspirations Reckless?

"The most absurd and reckless aspirations have sometimes led to extraordinary success."

- Vauvenargues

Never too Soon, Just Too Late

"You and I can never do a kindness too soon, for we never know how soon it will be too late."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

错了再错

歌曲：错了再错
歌手：张栋梁
专辑：王子

退到了绝境再退
破碎到不能破碎
能挽回什么
你就不肯说
我只能猜疑却都错

泪水灌溉这伤悲
绝望是你赐给的安慰
为何你说谎
我却受惩罚
你不如就用刀刺下

我可以痛了再痛
你可以错了再错
不甘心
不闪躲
只为那失真的承诺
我转身让你换着活
你存心用尽我宽容
为什么
连谎言
你也刺破

爱或痛彼此纠结
悲和我无法分解
厌倦的疲累
成了一片黑
伤痛都已无法消灭

泪水滋润着泪水
背叛是你另一种慰藉
完美的借口
泪无辜留下
你不如用乱箭射吧

即使我头也不回
这悲剧猛向我追
情愿你全部摧毁
别留着燎原的火堆
给你的自由将我吞没
给我的爱像一根绳索
你放手却捆住了我

不甘心
不闪躲
全为了失真的承诺
为什么
连谎言
你也给刺破
为什么
连谎言
你也不说

Audacity of Imagination

"Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination."

- John Dewey

Go Farther

"Don't let minor setbacks cloud your vision of the future. Be like Captain James Cook, the famous English explorer. He faced monumental obstacles, but he kept sailing on. Said the captain, 'I had ambition not only to go farther than any man had ever been before, but as far as it was possible for a man to go.'"

- Neil Eskelin

Decide What's Right & Desirable

"Imagine no limitations; decide what's right and desirable before you decide what's possible."

- Brian Tracy

Logic & Innovation

"We must beware of needless innovation, especially when guided by logic."

- Winston Churchill

The Power of Human Touch

"I've learned that everyday you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."

- Maya Angelou

Individuals are Important

"It's important to feel that you're expected to make a difference, and that you're qualified to do so. Innovation requires a fundamental belief that individuals are important."

- Robert Dennard

Being Unknown

"The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green."

- Thomas Carlyle

唯一

歌曲：唯一
歌手：王力宏
专辑：唯一

我的天空多么的清晰
透明的
全都是过去的空气
牵着我的手是你
拌你的笑容
却看不清
是否一颗星星变了心
从前的愿望
你全都给抛弃
最近我无法呼吸
连自己的影子
都想找你
oh baby

你就是我的唯一
两个世界都变形
回去谈和容易
确定
你就是我的唯一
独自对着电话说我爱你
我真的爱你
baby

我已不能爱你多一些
其实早已超过了爱的界限

Visualizing the Impossible

"Ordinary people believe only in the possible. Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible. And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible."

- Cherie Carter-Scott

Honesty

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."

- Thomas Jefferson

The Secret is in the Beginning

"Beginning" is just another way to describe the most powerful six-letter word in the vocabulary of achievers: A-C-T-I-O-N.

Hugely successful people, the kind who go from mediocre to millions almost overnight, know that the major key to their success was taking MASSIVE ACTION.

When Jeff Bezos decided to start Amazon.com, he left his job on the East Coast and headed to Washington State. He had his wife drive him and their belongings across the country so that he could stay on the phone constantly; convincing potential investors and vendors why Amazon would be a success.

Even the smallest of actions, the ones James Allen called trivial and insignificant, can lead to great success. Sir Isaac Newton's principle that a "body at rest tends to remain at rest and a body in motion tends to remain in motion," definitely applies to the action principle. Once you've taken the first step (even a baby step), the next steps seem easier to take.

It was one of the key principles that almost every single trainer or motivational speaker focused on. That's why Autumn Tate of Colorado later wrote, ""My husband and I have been talking so much about where we go from here, what steps we take next, and what we want to achieve. We have known for a long time that we felt called to reach out in a huge way, but have not been able to put a clear focus on what that means. I know that this has launched us into massive action."

Getting launched into massive action is one of many things you must do now!!! And I am doing it ... NOW!!!

Mark of Integrity

"Truthfulness is the real mark of integrity."

- Brian Tracy

Ah Mah Gay Tang!

So, are we really going to die? Extinct? Exterminated? Poor me, in 2019, I am only 47 years old... Okay, I better start enjoying life while I still can...hmmn...where to start?

Integrity of the Mind

"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life to its Fullest

Some people can, some people cannot.
Some people will, some people won't.
Some people have, some people don't have.
Some people do and some people don't.
What is it that some people do and most don't?

The answer is living life to the fullest.

Most folks I know get up and go to work, come home, eat dinner, sleep and repeat the process the following day. This process occurs day after day, week after week until you realize years have passed. You know you are alive because you are breathing, eating, paying your bills (plus GST) and going to work everyday.

Alive, but are you LIVING? Are you getting all you can get out of life? Are you living your dreams or at least chasing them? Are you creating tangible goals and not lofty unattainable goals? Are you working on these goals on some level every day or every week or even one day a month?

If you are not striving to accomplish great things in your life what are you waiting for? The right time is now! The action step this week is to do one thing out of your comfort zone. If this means attending a social gathering, asking someone for a date, seeking reconcialation with an offended party, approaching a successful entrepreneur to learn more about a business that holds your interest, or even volunteering for a cause you believe in, just do it.

"The difference between great people and everyone else is thatgreat people create their lives actively, while everyone elseis created by their lives, passively waiting to see where lifetakes them next. The difference between the two is thedifference between living fully or just existing".

- Michael Gerber,
Author of "The E-Myth Revisited"

Time to Do What is Right

The time is always right to do what is right."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ingenuity

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."

- George S. Patton

距离

歌曲：距离
歌手：林俊杰
专辑：第二天堂

在距离三公里的位置
我在这里
想像心中的你的呼吸

同样的熄着灯的窗子
你在那里
听不到我呼吸着分离

我走向前
你看不见
真的遥远
就连叹息影子听见
也是无言

你走向前
我看不见
你的思念
你和我之间
刻着一条界线
不曾有改变

保留着三公分的距离
我的眼里
填满着整个我爱的你

坐在同一张四方桌子边
你的眼里
读不到眷着我的讯息

当爱离开之前
能多苦
能多深
能多甜
距离是你走过我身边

My First Successful eBay Deal!

Bidded. Collected. Paid. Checked. Tested. Satisfied?

Okay, I must admit I was a little surprise to win the bid. But you will agree with me that no matter how cheap you got your stuff, you will never really know how good the deal is until you tested the goods.

So here I was. Went down to Marina Bay Golf Club and get a few swings....and I was amazed!!! The driver worked well. Not bad for a $50 deal, yeah!

Conceptualize Your Purpose

Conceptualize Your Purpose
(by Mark Victor Hansen)

What were you put on earth to do? That's a mind-blowing question, because most people don't know the answer. Lots of folks get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, sit in front of the television and go to sleep. That´s their day. That is not anyone's purpose in life. That's not a life at all.

Don't get me wrong – I'm not throwing blame or fault. In most cases, they probably don't know any better. This was how their parents lived each day; this was how they grew up. Maybe they think this is it – this is all life has to offer.

Well, I'm here to sound the wake-up call.

There's a great scene in the movie "The Matrix" between Morpheus, a mentor, and Neo, his student. Neo has just woken up and discovered that what he thought was reality was just a world 'that had been pulled over his eyes to shield him from the truth.' Morpheus wants Neo to let go of what he used to think of as "reality," his mundane, day-to-day existence, where his true purpose was neither recognized nor realized. I want you to create a new world, a new reality, where you recognize that you have a purpose for being on this planet, and realize that your purpose is waiting for you to figure it out.

If you don't know your purpose, then your first purpose is to get a purpose.

When you look at the lives of the most successful people who ever lived, you can see that they had a definite purpose and they knew it. Some examples are: Christ – His purpose was spiritual, and stated in John 10:10, which reads: "...I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly."

Walt Disney's purpose: "To make people happy."

Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller's purpose: "Humanity's comprehensive welfare on spaceship earth."

Henry Ford's purpose: "To mass produce, mass distribute and have cars mass consumed."

Andrew Carnegie's purpose: "To manufacture and market steel."

Mother Teresa's purpose: "To care for and comfort the poor, sick and needy all over the world."

I don't want you to confuse a purpose with a goal. Goals are great! I teach goal setting, and believe it is crucial to achieving any kind of success. But goals alone, left by themselves, can be indiscriminate and undirected. We can have hundreds of goals (and I hope you do), but we may only have one purpose that we work for our entire life. That purpose should be the underlying core that gives our goals direction and meaning.

Discovering your purpose will put your life into crystal-clear perspective. You won't see the world you once knew. You will see another world, one in which you are a necessary and intricate spoke in the wheel.

The saddest places on earth are graveyards. Not because people are buried there, but because dreams, talents and purposes that never came to fruition are buried there. Graveyards are filled with books that were never written, songs that were never sung, words that were never spoken, things that were never done.

You have talents and gifts that no one else can offer. There are things you can do that no one else is capable of doing quite the way YOU can do them. Don't rob this earth of your purpose by taking it to the grave with you. You see, we all have a purpose, a reason for living, breathing and existing.

We all have unique talents and gifts that were created and given to us to be shared. Our task is to understand this and figure out what our purpose is. We owe it to the Universe AND to ourselves!

"You will become as small as your controlling desire, or as great as your dominant aspiration."

Innovation & Wealth

"Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. The act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth."

- Peter F. Drucker

断了的弦

歌曲：断了的弦
歌手：周杰伦
专辑：寻找周杰伦

断了的弦
再怎么连
我的感觉
你已听不见
你的转变
像断掉的弦
再怎么接音都不对
你的改变我能够分辨

我沉默你的话也不多
我们之间
少了什么不说
哎哟我笑后
表情终于有点难过 (握着你的手)
问你决定了再走

我突然释怀的笑
笑声盘旋半山腰
随风在飘摇啊摇
来到你的面前绕
你泪水往下的掉
说会记住我的好
我也弯着我嘴角笑

你的美
已经给了谁
追了又追
我要不回
我了解离开树的叶
属于地上的世界凋谢

断了的弦
再弹一遍
我的世界
你不在里面
我的指尖
已经弹出茧
还是无法
留你在我身边

断了的弦
再怎么连
我的感觉
你已听不见
你的转变
像断掉的弦
再怎么接音都不对
你的改变
我能够分辨

A Little Secret

I just make a pact with God. I have decided to LDTP. I felt so good after surrendering this part of my struggle to Him. I finally understood what AGAPE really meant. Looking back, there are people who love me unconditionally, and they are still doing that. I am thankful.

You see, I always felt I don't deserve this and I don't deserve that ... since young. In part I was right. None of us really deserve all that God has intended for us, after commiting cosmic treason against the Almighty. But in His AGAPE love, all sins are write-offs at the cross.

So, I have decided that:

1. I will never never seek divorce. It has been and will always be "till death do us part".

2. Loving unconditionally is my re-pledge.

3. You can give me pain, more pain, and ultimate pain. My response will be love, more love, and ultimate love.

Remember: When evil abounds, grace abounds ALL the more!

This day, I've made a pact with God. It's our little secret.

The Magic is in YOU

The Magic is in You - by Vic Johnson
(excerpted from Day by Day with James Allen)

"When he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself." - As A Man Thinketh

I was reading an old classic the other day, The Message of a master by John McDonald, and I was rocked by an incredibly insightful passage: "The cause of the confusion prevailing in your mind that weakens your thoughts is the false belief that there is a power or powers outside you greater than the power within you.

Stop and think about that. What keeps us from attempting greater things -- from reaching for the brass ring in our life? What makes us take that great idea that could make our family financially free and bury it underneath a lot of reasons why it'd never work? What stops us from that career change that would result in working in a profession we could really enjoy, could get passionate about?

There's only one thing that EVER stops us from forward momentum and McDonald nailed it: "the false belief that there is a power or powers outside you greater than the power within you."

As I once heard a speaker say, "The magic is in YOU!" As James Allen tells us, once we realize that we can create our circumstances, then, and only then, are we truly the master of our life and our destiny.

Regardless of your particular spiritual beliefs, you may find these words from the Gospel of John very enlightening, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do." That would indicate to me that we are already "endowed" with the power to do amazing things -- far more amazing than most of us will ever attempt -- if we'd only understand and BELIEVE that the power is within, not without.

The Last Chicken

A man goes to a restaurant and orders a chicken dish. By the time the food is ready and he is about to eat, the waiter comes back and says, "Sir, I'm afraid there has been a mistake. You see, that police officer who is sitting at the next table is a regular customer of ours and he usually orders the same dish. The problem is, this is the last chicken in the house. I'm afraid I'll have to take this dish to him and arrange for another dish for you!"

The guy gets really upset and refuses to give up his food. The waiter walks over to the other table and explains the situation to the officer. A few minutes later the officer walks over to the man at the table and says, "Listen and listen good. That is MY chicken you are about to eat and warn you, whatever you do to that chicken I'll do the same to you. You pull out one of its legs, I'll pull out one of yours. You break one of its wings I'll break one of your arms!"

The man calmly looks at the chicken, then sticks his middle finger in the bird's rectum, pulls it out and licks it. He then gets up, drops his pants bends over and says, "Your turn!!"

Marks of Good Breeding

Stillness of person and steadiness of features are signal marks of good breeding.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Twelve...

Tom was starting he's first day of job as a policeman. So as he was patrolling. He saw there's one old man keep walking round and round a well saying twelve, twelve, twelve.

So out of curiosity he walk forward and ask the old man, how come he keep counting twelve.

The old man point his finger in the well. So as Tom was bending down and look into the well. The old man give Tom a mighty hard kick and Tom fell into the well.

And the old man continue walking round and round the well saying thirteen, thirteen, thirteen, thirteen...

The Devil's Walk

From his brimstone bed, at break of day,
A walking the Devil is gone,
To look at his little snug farm of the world,
And see how his stock went on.

Robert Southey & Samuel T. Coleridge,
The Devil's Walk

Competition is Good

A shopkeeper was dismayed when a brand new business much like his own opened up next door and erected a huge sign which read 'BEST DEALS.'

He was horrified when another competitor opened up on his right, and announced its arrival with an even larger sign, reading 'LOWEST PRICES.'

The shopkeeper panicked, until he got an idea. He put the biggest sign of all over his own shop. It read... 'MAIN ENTRANCE'

The Paradoxical Commandments

The Paradoxical Commandments
(by Dr. Kent M. Keith)

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.


© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

Skip a Day

A woman was terribly overweight, so her doctor put her on a diet.

"I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least 5 pounds."

When the woman returned, she shocked the doctor by losing nearly 20 pounds.

"Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?"

The woman nodded. "I'll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day."

"From hunger, you mean?"

"No, from skipping."

流言

歌曲：流言
歌手：林隆旋 & 周慧敏
专辑：知己知彼 (对唱精选辑)

(女)我一直以为
不会在乎他们谈论
就算是身边
已经充满
各种耳语

(男)但我却看到
你那美丽的脸
在多彩多姿
生活中渐渐苍白
渐渐苍白

(女)我一直以为
不会在乎
他们眼神
就算是身边
已经充满
指指点点

(男)但我却看到
你那灿烂的笑颜
在纷纷忧忧
话题中渐渐沉默

(合)渐渐改变

(男)流言传来传去
说不停不知道
何时能平息

(女)流言转来转去
请相信我的心
纯如往昔

(合)流言飘来散去
会随着每一天
淡去无痕迹

(女)但愿你相信
(男)我依然相信 (爱你)

(合)最真的心

Goblins

One morning a woman was walking out of her front door, when she notices a strange little man at the bottom of her garden.

"You're a goblin," she says, "I caught you and you owe me three wishes!".

So the goblin replies "OK, you caught me fair and square, what's your first wish?"

The woman stops and thinks for a second, "I want a huge mansion to live in."

The goblins replies "OK, you've got it."

Woman again thinks it over, "My second wish is a Mercedes."

"OK, you've got that too."

"My last wish is a million dollars!"

The goblin then says "OK, you've got it. But to make your wishes come true you have to have sex all night with me."

"OK then, if that's what it takes..."

Next morning the little man wakes the woman up.

"Tell me," says the man, "how old are you?"

"I'm 27", she replies.

"Screw me", says the man, "27 and you still believe in goblins!"

Who's In-Charge?

The organs of the body were having a meeting, trying to decide who was in charge. Each organ took a turn to speak up:

Brain: I should be in charge because I run all body functions.

Blood: I should be in charge because I circulate oxygen for the brain.

Stomach: I should be in charge because I process food to the brain.

Legs: I should be in charge because I take the brain where it wants to go.

Eyes: I should be in charge because I let the brain see where it's going.

Asshole: I should be in charge because I get rid of your waste.

All the other parts laughed so hard and this made the asshole very mad. To prove his point, the asshole immediately slammed tightly closed and stayed that way for 6 days, refusing to rid the body of any waste whatsoever.

Day 1: Brain got a terrible headache and cried out for relief.
Day 2: Stomach got bloated and began to ache terribly.
Day 3: Legs got cramps and became unstable.
Day 4: Eyes became watery and vision became blurred
Day 5: Blood became toxic and poisoned the body.
Day 6: The other organs agreed to let the asshole be in charge.

Moral of the story:

NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, OR HOW IMPORTANT YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU WILL FIND THAT IT IS ALWAYS THE ASSHOLE THAT IS IN CHARGE!!!

Choice vs Chance

It's choice - not chance - that determines your destiny.

Jean Nidetch

Sick & Exhausted

A lady visited her doctor again.

Doctor: You look more sick & exhausted then before. Are you having 3 meals a day as I advised?

Lady: What? I thought you said 3 MALES a day!!!!

Learning From Experience

There is only on thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience.

Archibald Mcleish

PS: Wah..., chim !?

Drown It!

Woman: Doctor, an ant entered my vagina, please take it out.

Doctor removes her panties and start making love .

Woman: What are you doing?

Doctor: This is the only way to drown the bastard!

Confidence Comes From ...

Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something. Hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.

Roger Staubach

Make it Pretty, Please!

Women asked God to make the penis pretty.

GOD said" No way! Now as it is, the penis is so ugly & you still suck it. If I make it pretty you'll eat it up!!

Destined to be

If you're born to be hanged then you'll never be drowned.

A French Proverb

我是真的爱你

歌曲：我是真的爱你
歌手：李宗盛
专辑：凡人歌

曾经自己
像浮萍一样无依
对爱情莫名的恐惧
但是天让我遇见了你
我初初见你
人群中独自美丽
你彷佛有一种魔力
那一刻我竟然无法言语

从此为爱受委屈
不能再躲避
於是你成为我生命中
最美的记忆
甜蜜的言语
怎黱说也说不腻
我整个世界已完全被你占据

我想我是真的爱你
我是真的爱你

我全心全意
等待著你说愿意
也许是我太心急
竟然没发现你眼里的犹豫
只是你又何必狠心
将一切都抹去
你绝情飘然远离
连道别的话也没有一句

请你让我随你去
让我随你去
我愿陪在你的身边
为你挡风遮雨

让我随你去
让我随你去
我愿陪在你的身边
等你回心转意

我是真的爱你

让我随你去
让我随你去
我愿陪在你的身边
为你挡风遮雨

让我随你去
让我随你去
我愿陪在你的身边
等你回心转意

我是真的爱你
我是真的爱你

Oral Exam

Schoolgirl: I do not want to take the SEX EDUCATION.

Class Teacher: Why not?

Schoolgirl: Someone told me the FINAL EXAM would be ORAL!"

Difference Between Poor & Broke

I've never been poor, only broke.
Being broke is only a temporary situation.
Being poor is a frame of mind.

Mike Todd

My First Time with eBay!

.

Just signed up my new ebay account. Never really bid anything before but thought of browsing around. Then this golf driver caught my attention:

.

Min Bid: S$50.

My bid: S$50.

.

Just trying my luck. I need another driver, anyway. Let you know later ...

Cock & Balls

COCK say to his two BALLS: I am going to take you with me to a party.

BALLS said: You big fucking liar. You always get INSIDE and leave us waiting OUTSIDE!

The Greatest Strength

He is greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.

Henry Ward Beecher

Came From Behind

A baby dog asked mama dog how papa look like?

Mama dog reply: How I know. Your papa came from behind & I didn't have chance to see his face" !

Fortune in the Hands of Fools

A great fortune in the hands of a fool is a great misfortune.

- Anonymous

And conversely, a misfortune in the hands of the wise may be transformed into great fortune!

- EagleBoy

Pee Pee in MRT

This is a Singapore story (supposedly)... Hilarious! This is an encounter of friend's friend's friend (so don't know how true, but quite funny)

The male colleague had just boarded the train at Orchard MRT Station. He found a seat facing a woman and her 5 year old son (estimated). He soon realised that the boy was pestering his mum to bring him to the toilet.His mum whispered to him to hold on until Bugis station. He reluctantly obeyed.

After another station, he started begging to visit the loo again. At raised voice, his mum commanded to sit and behave himself. He sheepishly sat down but could only hold on for another station before springing up to announce that he was going to pee on the ground if not taken to the toilet immediately.

Completely annoyed, his mum threatened to give him a spank. Needless to say, all eyes were upon them by now. How can a woman be that tough on a little child?

Unable to hold on any longer, the boy suggested in Mandarin, "Mummy, you open your mouth and let me shi shi (Pee/Urine) inside".

Mum said, "don't talk nonsense, or I'll really smack you".

Boy said, "why daddy can, I cannot!!!??? "Ma,"..!!!....."

She alighted at the next stop.

Culpability

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Culpability descends from the Latin concept of fault (culpa), which is still found today in the phrase mea culpa (literally, "my fault"). The concept of culpability is intimately tied up with notions of agency, freedom and free will. All are commonly held to be necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for culpability.

In explanations and predictions of human action and inaction culpability is a measure of the degree to which an agent, such as a person, can be held morally or legally responsible. Culpability marks the dividing line between moral evil, like murder, for which someone may be held responsible and natural evil, like earthquakes, for which no one can be held responsible.

From a legal perspective, culpability describes the degree of one's blameworthiness in the commission of a crime or offense. Except for strict liability crimes, the type and severity of punishment often follow the degree of culpability.

Modern crimes codes in the United States usually make distinct four degrees of culpability. Legal definitions are:

A person acts intentionally with respect to a material element of an offense when:
if the element involves the nature of his conduct or a result thereof, it is his conscious object to engage in conduct of that nature or to cause such a result; and
if the element involves the attendant circumstances, he is aware of the existence of such circumstances or he believes or hopes that they exist.

A person acts knowingly with respect to a material element of an offense when:
if the element involves the nature of his conduct or the attendant circumstances, he is aware that his conduct is of that nature or that such circumstances exist; and
if the element involves a result of his conduct, he is aware that it is practically certain that his conduct will cause such a result.

A person acts recklessly with respect to a material element of an offense when he consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material element exists or will result from his conduct. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that, considering the nature and intent of the actor's conduct and the circumstances known to him, its disregard involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the actor's situation.

A person acts negligently with respect to a material element of an offense when he should be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material element exists or will result from his conduct. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that the actor's failure to perceive it, considering the nature and intent of his conduct and the circumstances known to him, involves a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the actor's situation.

(The above has been quoted verbatim from the Pennsylvania Crimes Code. That in turn derives from the American Law Institute's Model Penal Code, which is the basis for large portions of the criminal codes in most states. The only difference is that the MPC uses "purposely" instead of "intentionally".)

In short:

A person causes a result purposely/intentionally if the result is his/her goal in doing the action that causes it.

A person causes a result knowingly if he/she knows that the result is virtually certain to occur from the action he/she undertakes.

A person causes a result recklessly if he/she is aware of and disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk of the result occurring from the action, and

A person causes a result negligently if there is a substantial and unjustifiable risk he/she is unaware of but very much should be aware of.

The first two types of culpability are each a subset of the following. Thus if someone acts purposely, they also act knowingly. If someone acts knowingly, they also act recklessly.

The definitions of specific crimes refer to these degrees to establish the necessary mens rea (mental state) necessary for a person to be guilty of a crime. The stricter the culpability requirements, the harder it is for the prosecution to prove its case.

For instance, the definition of first degree murder (again in PA) is "A criminal homicide constitutes murder of the first degree when it is committed by an intentional killing." Thus to be guilty of murder in the first degree, one must have an explicit goal in one's mind to cause the death of another. On the other hand, reckless endangerment has a much broader requirement:

"A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he recklessly engages in conduct which places or may place another person in danger of death or serious bodily injury." Thus to be guilty of this one only needs to be aware of a substantial risk he is putting others in danger of; it does not have to be one's explicit goal to put people in risk. (But, if one's goal is to put others in substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury, this is, of course, sufficient.)

There is one more type of culpability, and that is strict liability. In strict liability crimes, the actor is responsible no matter what his mental state; if the result occurs, the actor is liable. An example is the felony murder rule: if one commits a qualifying felony (see the article) during which death results, one is held strictly liable for murder and the prosecution does not have to prove any of the normal culpability requirements for murder. (They still have to prove, of course, that the defendant committed the felony.)