The old man and the boy

Today was the inauguration of a junior angel. After the celebrations were over, God pulled the junior angel aside. The junior angel, joyious from the celebrations, asked God to join in the merry-making. God politely declined.
"Why not?" asked the angel.
"I have a question for you." The angel probed further, but got nothing more from God.
He led them to the gates of heaven. God raised His hand and pointed to the gates. The angel followed God's hand. There, on the other side of the gate, stood an old man and a boy.
The old man's face was wrinkled with age, and he looked regal with his hair swept back and long flowing white robes. The boy was scrawny, garbed in dirty-looking rags twice his size. The boy caught the gaze of the angel, and quickly turned away.
God spoke, "Who of the two is the wiser, young one".
The angel took in the two of them again. The boy, his head bowed, never once looked up. The old man, with a gentle smile and eyes with a twinkle of spirit in them, nodded gracefully at the attention of the angel.
Swift was the angel's reply. "The old man, of course."
God laughed a hearty laugh, which puzzled the angel so. "Is that not so, my Lord?"
And such was God's reply.

"At first glance, it may seem so, for the years has been blessed upon the man who lived a longer life than the boy. He has been through more experiences, and has seen plenty more. But is that what being wise truly means?"
"The man was born into a family of affluence. He has led a charmed life. You might like to think of his life as that of Jobs': he had every material need he asked for. He was the heir of a business dynasty. So he led his life as the heir, the successor, the head, and finally the ancestor of that dynasty, eventually passing on all his material wealth and success to his heir and son. The hardship that he knew was the work he encountered, and he knew it well, for it was in his family and in his blood. His marriages were arranged, and life was orderly."
"But he knew not of the things of importance."
The angel opened his mouth to speak, and God allowed him to. "But surely, being in a position high in society, and being able to live through the years, speaks volumes of the knowledge he has gained. That must surely amount to something."
To that, God replied. "But what did he live for? What did he die for? Hear the story of the boy, and reconsider your opinion."
"The boy led a short life on the mortal plane, and if I were to tell you the details of his life, it would be insignificant. I would, however, relate the last 5 days of that boy's life to you."
"5 days before he arrived here, he learned about Love. The love of one's mother, as she died to save her only son. The love from a fellow human, as the soldier who killed his mother defended his life against the inhumanity of the slaughter from that said soldier's fellow men."
"4 days before he arrived here, he learned of Fellowship and Lost. He felt the bond developed between his orphan friend, as they embarked on a journey out of the warzone, seeking sanctuary. He also felt the lost of said fellowship, when his friend died from a landmine blast while they scavenged for food."
"3 days before he arrived here, he learned of Compassion. He understood sharing, felt hunger and experienced the joy of having that hunger cured. He stumbled upon a family taking refuge in an abandoned warehouse. The family was surviving, but barely doing so. The father saw him, looked to his wife, and said, 'We have 4 mouths to feed, and only enough for 3. There's barely enough to go around.' His wife replied, 'Now we have 5 mouths to feed, and there will be enough. I will not stand by while another suffer.' That night, he understood Joy and Bliss."
"2 days before he arrived here, he understood Life and Death. In the morning, he bade farewell to the hospitable family who gave him a roof over his head for a day. He felt like he could look forward to the future. He felt he could look at tomorrow, and not fear it. He knew that his past was what brought him here today, and he did not fear it either. He knew that today was all he had now, the present that he must cherish. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. The three components of Life. In the evening, just before the last ray of light gave out, he reached a fence. A man-made border, and a symbol of Hope, for beyond that fence, he believed Freedom lay. It was there that he was shot. He felt Pain, and Hope seemed to drain away as blood flowed from his right shoulder. He felt Life flow away as the darkness of night fell, and Death beckoned like a lullaby lulling him to sleep."
"Yesterday.."
"What did he learn yesterday?" the angel asked.
"Yesterday, he lied on the earth. His heartbeat slowed with every minute passed. He felt himself returning to where he belonged. He smiled as he thought about all the things he has learned. He smiled as he got to know Me. Yesterday, he learned about God. He saw me, as I saw him. There, he gave his life to Me."
"You see, my child, the wise do not fear death, for fearing death would mean to fear Me. In knowing Me, he knew that his time on earth was temporary; that all things material will come to an end. He knew it, and with that knowledge, he felt humbled in My presence."
"And the old man?" probed the angel.
"He knew none of this. He may be wise, but the young one is wiser."

-=Fin=-

p.s. I hope in no way I've spoken blasphemy against God. I felt an urgent need to encompass my ideals of life into a post, and felt the best way to do so was with a story. Not elegantly crafted, and perhaps a little too shallow, but I hope that some of it rubs of you. Forgive me if I've offended anyone.

Piao Yi

Jay Chou-Drifting - Jay Chou

If only I could drift my car as well as I drift through life . . .
Ah well. I'm a safe driver. I SWEARZZzzz.
. . .NOT!

I feel tired. I lack direction, energy, motivation in life. I hope that will change.
And yet, I hope it won't. Life feels so serene now.

If anyone is interested in purchasing any IT related products, please contact me. Just leave a comment or tag here, or call/sms me :)
Alternatively, you may visit http://www.pricewar.com.sg . However, the site is currently being revamped, so it would be preferable if you contact me directly with regards to any purchase. You can also email me any enquires at ambrose@pricewar.com.sg .

Today was damn fun. First time live fishing ie. not in fishing pond. I caught... ONE SUPER SMALL ?boxfish? (looks like a puffer fish, but squarish haha) super energetic lor tt fish haha. but so small! gimme false hope only haha. Was with Yi Tong. My "boss" haha =p

Sigh.. the ITE short course I wanted to apply for maxed out le. Have to wait for next window... IN JULY!?! zzz.. I refuse to wait 3 months for it. I'm gonna find alternatives.

Met Zhimin today while out with friends playing billiard haha. So coincidence.
Today met alot of ppl wor. In NUS I saw (but didn't say hi) to Faith from my PS module proj last time, and my CG mates Ray and Kelvin. I think I saw Diana too.. ahhh but wat the heck eh? Barely acquaintance newayz bah..

Today also commemorates the longest blogpost I've done in.. MONTHS! hurray! XP

I'm also considering starting up another blog site to blog about the animes I've watched :)

Speaking of blogs, Pauline from my Stats class has started a blog-shop!
Do feel free to check it out! http://meek-concept.blogspot.com

KK. that's all for now. Good Morning/Nitez! :)

2 down..

2 down!
2 more to go...
GUNNING FOR THE END!
1 week to the end of my study life... i'm gonna miss studying ;p
CYA NUS! i'll miss you! i'm sorry i didn't fully utilise you, but you made me who i m today, so no regrets :)
CHEERS!

FW: so sad ignore this and you're a bastard as well

This pic came alone with the email petition entitled "FW: so sad ignore this and you're a bastard as well". This is the controversial art work. In the email, the following have been said with regards to this exhibit:

In 2007, the 'artist' Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, tooka dog from the street,tied
him to a rope in an art gallery, and starvedhim to death.
For several days, the 'artist' and the visitors of the exhibition have watched emotionless the shameful 'masterpiece' based on the dog's agony, until eventually he died.
Does it look like art to you?
But this is not all... the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American decided that the 'installation' was actually art, so that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel action for the biennial of 2008. ...

This is quite a straightforward decision, isn't it? Animal Cruelty, hidden within the sanctuary we call ART. Is art truly blind to ethics? Can one, for the sake of art, lose one's humanity? I questioned that, and my answer is: NO. Art isn't blind to humanity; ART expresses what it means to be human. The only definition of ART lies in how we define ourselves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Vargas
http://guillermohabacucvargas.blogspot.com/
http://hubpages.com/hub/It-kills-dog-art--Guillermo-Vargas-Habacuc
So I read up abit, and these sites turned up. Do take time to read through some of the comments on the 3rd link from hubpages.com. And here's a few things I've learned.

1) We, as members of the human race, are hypocritical beings. Anyone who isn't either isn't human, isn't alive, or is God.
2) A majority of the human race are hateful creatures. We react foremost with Hate before any other emotions. Where, then, do we find space in our hearts for Love?
3) The influence of the mass media has greatly expanded within the last century. The reach and accessibility of mass media has developed to an extent where the absence of democracy is all but impossible. The rule of the masses predicted by Plato is currently seen in play, and there's nothing we can do to arrest this epidemic.
4) We're all selfish beings. We all want to be seen doing the right thing, but we don't necessarily want to be the ones DOING them.

FIN.
p.s. if you'd like me to forward the email to you, just drop a comment with your email. Thanks.
p.p.s. if you'd like to flame me for any reason at all, please leave your name behind as well. it's only courteous to not hide behind the veil of anonymity.

Too many thoughts, too little time

I'm too lazy to think. I think too much. And yes, the prior two statements are truthful contradictions. Who said life wasn't interesting? ;p
You see, I think alot. About everything. But I'm too lazy to analyze things in depth. Too easily contented with what I have, I take a step back and with a sigh of satisfaction, declare my mediocre efforts sufficient. I mean, come on! How lazy can a person get?? Apparently, very..
I have a smart friend, very talented and inspired friend, who calls me smart too *smug look sweeps across my face*. She says, "the world needs another Great Depression". And I find myself surprisingly taken up to the idea.
I've been wondering, in the face of this "crisis of the global economy", about the reasons and true definition of "growth". Across the globe, nations abound clamour for more growth. And to what end? Caught up in the endless race for growth, I take a step back and wonder, Why?
Mathematically, our theory of economics are rather sound, and ceteris paribus, amount to very rationally panned out thoughts. But ultimately, isn't the study of economics purely a reflection of the hunger for growth that our society exudes? If that is so, then the fact that our economic policies are governed by people who are studied in the "art" of economics, will make our economy a self-perpetuating endless cycle. It's hilarious really, but it seems to me that the "flaw" that leads to crisis and recessions is nothing more than a by-product of the mentality perpetuated by society's elite. For who else profits the most from "growth" but the people who leads them (the growth).
Call me anti-elitist, but I feel that a change in mindset is in order. It can only be for the better, at least in reference to the spiritual health of humanity.

Onto other issues... the Lehman Mini-bond debate. "The MAS – a desperate headless chicken?", "Minibonds : No leadership in times of trouble....!", and on the flip side, "S’pore’s financial system is sound, S$150b guarantee for deposits sufficient". The case made is that MAS and the Singapore government have been slow to react to the "plight" of the investors "conned" into buying Mini-bonds, and that we have been lagging behind in monetary policies, most prominently being the guaranteeing of deposits which came a day after Hong Kong made theirs. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to shoot down the investors. On the contrary, I pity them for their plight. They have been misled into wrongfully investing their savings into a product which isn't as risk-free as is proclaimed. Whose fault is it though? The banks who sold them? The banks who packaged them, which may or may not be the same? Or the investor, for not doing enough research? Definitely, some individual responsibility should be taken, BUT if the banks really did misrepresent the products, knowing the risks involved and understating them, then that IS a fraudulent act. There is no fault in them banding together to take up action against the financial institutions involved. But to rant about the incompetence of MAS? I beg to differ.
Short of proclaiming the ignorance of these prominent bloggers, lets view the directives of MAS.

"MAS is the central bank of Singapore. Our mission is to promote sustained non-inflationary economic growth, and a sound and progressive financial centre."

MAS FUNCTIONS

• To act as the central bank of Singapore, including the conduct of monetary
  policy, the issuance of currency, the oversight of payment systems and
  serving
  as banker to and financial agent of the Government
• To conduct integrated supervision of financial services and financial
  stability surveillance
• To manage the official foreign reserves of Singapore
• To develop Singapore as an international financial centre

From this, we can already see that MAS has no obligation to the plights of the investors as individuals and they had every right to ask them to take up the issue with the court of law. Their duty to supervision extends only as far as to ensuring the integrity of the system. If any, we should question the failings of that duty rather than MAS's reaction to the situation. Also, MAS's first and foremost priority is the integrity of Singapore's finance, which unfortunately, does not include the plight of these investors.
In view of this, Singapore financial institutions are in good stead (relative to the global situation), hence there was no reason to guarantee deposits. This explains the reactionary stance which MAS has adopted. The only reason why MAS made an about-turn has nothing to do with improving the state of the economy, but rather with the competitiveness that Singapore offers as a financial hub. Singapore is unable to ignore the actions which Hong Kong, as a direct "rival", undertakes, regardless of how redundant some of the policies may be. Guarantee-ing deposits is akin to money sunk, that is, that money may be, with high confidence, unable to be recovered. But in terms of competitiveness, it is money that Singapore can ill-afford to save, if she is to continue attracting investors and maintaining her reputation of being a strong and competitive financial hub.

Perhaps, MAS has to be blamed. Not for their indecision, but for their failure to uphold their task. To supervise the integrity of our financial services. The dent in MAS's reputation lies in this fact, that they have been lax in their control over financial institutions in exchange for the growth potential which they promise to the country.

I feel that the leadership has been unnecessarily criticised. With this rationale, what MAS is doing may not be the wisest, but it is the best course of action to fulfil its directives. What should be criticised though is the direction and fundamentals of MAS and our government as a whole. The fact that our citizens regularly complain about the actions taken by our government and government bodies, despite the actions being "by the book", so to speak, shows that there is a lack of unity between the ideals of the citizen and the direction in which the government is heading. If this is the case, it is then not a question of leadership, but rather a question of "leader". Is the government which leads us today, the one that we truly want? We fault our leadership for being weak and reactionary, slow and uninspired. The truth is, so are we, the citizens, for being blind to the truth that since a decade or more ago, the path that our government seeks for us, and the path that we desire, have been divergent. Do not criticize others of faults which you own. It may be time that Singaporeans reflect on their political mindset. This is no longer about PAP or opposition. It's about how we want our country to be led. Regardless of opposition or PAP, I can say with some confidence that growth will always be prioritised over welfare, for it is the nature of our society. "We are not a welfare state.". Sounds familiar? Enough said.

Do we still want growth? I don't know.. I'm too lazy to think further. It is greed, a manisfestation from the desire for growth, that has led us to this state. A simpleton will agree that we don't want growth, but where will that leave us then? This is something which this simpleton, yours truly, cannot comprehend. It seems I've many years of thinking yet to be done.

p.s. I like this site. Den of The Lion Investor

VisualDNA

VisualDNA is back with a vengence with LoveVisualDNA :) *can't use exclaimation marks coz keyboard is spoilt* try it @ http://youniverse.com . comment here on what you are =D
i'm a Lone Ranger.. apparently, i can't get too close to ppl. something i've noticed about myself too... read it up yourself :) at the end of the "test", it'll list your profile in detail, and a summary of the other available profiles ;)
or, you can just click here to see the full results of my test -,-'"
have fun *inserts an exclaimation mark...* and remember, take everything with a pinch of salt. there's no such thing as 100% right in this world. XP

ciao i'm late for soccer. SHYT.

Love: A compilation.

05 March, 2008 01:55
Love, In All Aspects
you know, there're many different ways people care for one another. some are over-protective: they impose strict guidelines upon you, fearing that in the event you cross those invisible boundaries, you'll hurt yourself. some believe in freedom: "if you love somebody, you gotta let him/her go; and if he/she returns someday, he/she'll be yours." aside from that cliche explanation, freedom means allowing a person room to express themselves, and yet ever patiently offering themselves as sanctuary whenever that person runs into trouble. Anger: if you care soooo much for a person, you may get sooo angry with that person.. coz you care. anger, however, can be addictive. "anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering".and many more. love comes in many forms, aspects shapes. but true love are always the same regardless of aspects.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. ..."
1Cor13:4-8.

There is no perfection in humanity. Hope is your guiding light that leads you out of imperfection. Faith is the fuel that drives you onwards in your quest. But love, oh ever so important love, love is the oil between the gears, the negotiator in a tiff, the sandpaper that smoothens the rough edges, that polishes the gem. Love.. completes.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1Cor13:13

I love, I hate, I anger, I remember, I am human. I forgive, I love, I care, I sympathise, I am human.
We are human, either way we choose. Choices: that's what makes us human.

*hugs*
Ambrose

05 March, 2008 11:56
or... utterly break his heart by lying that you're ALREADY ATTACHED =p
it's just a SMALL WHITE LIE! XP

and... not ALL sg guys are THAT bad... ... i mean, aren't I singaporean?? wahaha!! i can feel my skin hardening XD (aka thick skin!)

i guess you're right in not giving your number in this instance.. think of the $$ u'll waste receiving his spam haha =X

"You are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring you down
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down, oh no,
So don't you bring me down today..."
- Beautiful by Christina Aguilera

Don't need to be super slim, super tone, super perfect complexion, to be beautiful. Let your beauty shine through, from the heart. That's what guys should be looking out for, and girls should worry about. Looking physically good is of no use if you don't look good within.
So it is written, so it is said;
by my belief, with faith for everyone,
so the world may change
and be a better place.

Peace.
Muahaha -Ambrose

06 March, 2008 15:35
i beg to differ! about the technicalities of love that is.
love propagates action. one cannot equate love, an emotion, to an act. rather, think of love as fuel, and action the vehicle of expression.to love with inaction is still love. eg the girl you love is happy with your best friend. you love her so much, n your best friend as well, that you do nothing, but wish the best for them.
the definition that love is an action is grounded by the fact that action expresses love in a very direct n tangible form. but love is never a tangible thing to contend with.
consider God. like God, love is intangible. you can't see it, but you know it's there.like God, you can see it at work through the things happening around you eg your mother waking up earlier just to make you toast for breakfast.
if you say love, but your words are not grounded in love, then your words are empty. as with empty words, no actions will back them up, hence the correlational link between action and love.

sincere apologies, but had debates about love in CG, so it's fun to share some of my perspective and insights with... everyone! ^^

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
1Cor13:1-3

Love is also not quantifiable. It is self-subjecting, but it is not comparable. you can measure love from within, but you cannot compare love between others.ie. i can say i love something more than something else, however hard or contextual my comparison may be, BUT i cannot say the same if i were to compare my love for something with someone else's love for that same thing.
Love, therefore, is one of those things, like justice, loyalty, and courage, which cannot be measured; which are abstract, and always contentious in the eyes of men (and women.. zzz), for we all bear different scales of measurement. That's what makes us unique. That's what makes each and every one of us special. :)

Courtesy of:
Joline's Blog
http://thevacuum.blogspot.com/2008/03/these-gnawing-negative-feelings-inside.html#links
http://thevacuum.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-read-article-written-by-teenager-on.html#links

You've gotta be kidding me...

from Best of Craigslist: Women aren't attracted to men:

"... ... A woman basically is a greedy materialistic prostitute. Although that sounds vulgar, it's true. She trades her physical self to buy into the success a man has created for himself.

... ...
... ...

It seems to me that women almost cannot think for themselves. Their estimates of worth are based on other peoples' estimates of worth. They don't really find an object beautiful on their own. The object becomes beautiful when other people let her know that it is beautiful. ... ..."

Don't tell me it's true... Ladies, don't tell me it's true... ... *cries*

Lies..

I hate living a lie. My memory's hazy. Everything I think they were, aren't. Some things I thought were there, weren't.
On checking some hard records, I've found that quite a chunk of my memory is warped. Inaccurate. LIES. I can't tell what's true anymore. All this while I've been trying not to tell lies, and I find out that everything I say may just be a lie.. I just don't know it yet.
I should just shut up. I can't tell past from present, or if the past even occured; dreams from reality even.. the lines are blurred.. so blurred I can't tell the difference anymore.
Sleep. Maybe that's why it's the only thing I'm most inclined to do. Sleep, and run away. heh. even nowadays I can't get a decent sleep. I keep having dreams I can't remember.. I don't remember having dreams in my sleep.. or do I?
Gahh! Why oh Why must I be a Walking Lie! A hypocrite! They were right all along! oh they were so right to call me so. It wasn't them who were wrong, it was me..

I've applied for a transfer to FASS. I don't know what the outcome will be. I'd like people to pray for me. I wish I'd pray for myself. I can't help anybody if I can't help myself.. but oh, Ambrose always likes to do things he can't do 1st. Ambrose skips steps. Ambrose is impatient. That's why Ambrose is stuck in No Man's Land.. where he belongs.

One day.. driftin away.. I might find myself in a wonderland, never sleeping, never waking.. that day feels soon.. I hope not. Do I?

Mental Agility - the Working Class divide.

i have to admit. i've been living in a relatively utopian environment. despite all my "bragging" that i try to step into others shoes, to see things from others perspective, to not assume others are as priviledged as me..
it's only now that i see the difference. the social divide.

Being a student, we're constantly honing our mental skills, our thought processes. Actively exploring the world, probing ideas, dissing fallacies.. we fail to understand what it means to be an adult. a Working adult.
Working dulls your mental agility. If mental agility can be described as a sword, then a working adult's would be like a blunt, worn sword, or worse yet, a sword with no edge. Working in the world beyond school introduces to you monotony. It introduces routines, schedules, protocols, systems, of which you cannot escape. It robs you of the thing(s) that's most valued in higher education circles: creativity, or more so, the ability to think.
unable to express individuality, restricted of an identity, you become a corporate clone, an industrial drone. Such is the fate of those who're stuck in the lower recesses of the working society; unseen, unheard, we know not of their plight, for neither do they. where self-awareness is a myth, and flexibility of the mind is but a dream, an idealistic one at that.

why do i go to such lengths to describe and "exaggerate" (supposingly) our society, and our lower educated working class? we've all got relatives or acquaintances who're lesser educated than university students, and yet we're blind to such details. Is it really because we're too naive? or too caught up in our own world to notice?
i do know this. that our lesser educated brethens are grinding through life. that they're constantly looking for upgrades and improvement. that they're looking for an escape route. for a freedom they cannot yet comprehend. they struggle with the nature of our life, just as we will struggle to adjust to theirs in the coming decades.
i do not know whether to feel priviledged, to aid them, or to condemn our society structures failings, to blame singapore's favourite pin-up hate-boys (the government). is there an alternative, in our modern industrailized (and digitalized) globalising society? is this even a problem to contemplate?

the government introduces initiatives to aid and push along our labor force's drive for improvements, drive for upgrades. but are these "upgrades" hyped up? they are but a means to an end, and that end being a better life. i do not condemn the quest of knowledge. i question, instead, my being; who I am, relative to the great big world. One day, I'll find the answer.. I'll find my place. For now, i'm just another lonely traveller, on the journey through Life.