The New Looking Glass

See pass the guise of time

Today... Let there be updates.

As you can see, I have updated my blog to the new blogger standard.
It started when I decided that there should be labels for my post.
It end ended with a total overhaul of codes...

So here it is, a slightly different but definably more streamlined Looking Glass.

Oh yeah, and I have updated the wish list, its all guitar stuffs now though.
That being said, I have gotten myself a new Ibanez e-guitar
from Swee Lee during their recent 44% sales.

It plays fine, though the pickups are a notch too bright,
a bit of tweaking and it gets that nice rumble.

My playing has since gotten better after my hiatus
due to me dropping my stratocaster.
Never going back to Strats though.
I do not mind a Telecaster, but Strats, nah.

Once you go hard rock and Metal,
there is no turning back.

Burn the Skies!!!

Into the Rain

Umbrella in the rain

Sometimes I really like the rain...
I take that back, I never carry an umbrella...
I have fond childhood memories of listening to the rain drops.
It was so soothing.
(That aside... I like the thunders and lightnings Heh. Bright lights heh.)

I also like the smell of a fresh rain when
I am walking in the rain.

I have a feeling of gratitude for the refreshment
God is providing to the earth.

But not all rain showers are pleasant.

A cold, windy rain has a way of putting me in a bad mood
because it chills me to the bone;
not to mention what it does to my hair!(Gatsby wax will not hold)

The only thing you can do is put on a raincoat and rain boots,
open an umbrella or take shelter.
If that is what you are experiencing,
realize that God is an excellent shelter in the storm of life.

His Word tells us:

For in the day of trouble, he will hide me in his shelter;
in the secret place of his tent will He hide me;
He will set me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:5)

Being in the shelter of God doesn't mean that the storm will magically go away.

Rather, it means that God will provide refuge until the storm passes.
The storm accentuates your need for a Savior.
Having a sanctuary will instill gratitude for a merciful and loving Father.
In fact, the experience of the storm will strengthen your faith and,
as you rely on Him, deepen your belief in God.

Modus Tollens

Broken ideals

Modus Tollens (denying the consequent).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_tollens

In this case,

P is "God exists" and
Q is "there is no evil in the world".

1. God exists

2. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good

3. A perfectly good being would want to prevent all evils

4. An omniscient being knows every way in
which evils can come into existence

5. An omnipotent being who knows every way in which
an evil can come into existence has the power to
prevent that evil from coming into existence

6. A being who knows every way in which an evil
can come into existence, who is able to prevent
that evil from coming into existence,
and who wants to do so,
would prevent the existence of that evil

7. If there exists an omnipotent, omniscient,
and perfectly good being, then no evil exists.

8. Chose one answer

a)Evil exists (logical contradiction)
b)God is a politically correct jerk. (politically incorrect)

God himself came down from heaven and
died to redeem mankind and extirpate sin forever
from the face of the earth;
and yet he left the greater part of mankind a prey to error,
to crime, and to the devil.

This, to our weak intellects, appears a fatal contradiction.
But it is not for us to question Providence;
our duty is to humble ourselves in the dust before it.
Voltaire

Reflections

I am a reflection

Two mirrors faced on another.
With a sound, reflecting the other.

Both chidren and adults, Loves the mirror
Entranced by one's own reflection.

When you forget that it is, but a mirror,
Emptiness overwhelms.


I am a mirror...

I will not stretch out my hand to the trapped,
Places where my light never shines.

Instead I will stay with them
Glazing upon the same piece of sky.

I know that if there is empathy
Pain will move on.

The sadness will not dissolve
nor will the world change.

As my world turns to dust.
Alas, a new sight.

We are looking for someone who looks like them.
No matter how much you hate yourself.

You can love someone who looks like you.
There is no love in admiration or adoration.

However, the love of their life
Is the person who resembles them the most.


I am a child

I believe I am on the right path.
So things I cast aside or abandoned on my way

Are not to be thought as sacrifices.
The sky closes its eyes.

Falling Up

Resting on a piece of Sky

I've been wanting to train slalom everyday lately but the weather has been real bad.
The grounds at Sembawang turns to a swimming pool every evening.
I may have to train in the mornings if this goes on.

The next minor project of mine is to spray my Seba skate frame.
I did a first run... but...

1) The adhesion of the paint is too low for my standards though the glitter flakes look real good.
Removal is by using plain green wool.

2) Once a small tear on the surface is created,
the rest will peel off as easy as heat wrapping.

3) I may resort to spraying only the sides of the frame as
I found that the edges are the ones that will get bumped up real bad.

I am very sure that I will be able to solve the problem the moment I wake up tmr.
Oh yeah, ain't nothing gonna stop mah.

Return of the Angel

We will move on

It has been a while... 3 years since my last post.
Much change has come to pass.
As I checked back, most of the links from my blog are dead.
And hence, the Backspace button had to be used.
Ah, the passing of friends to acquaintances and from there to strangers...

It's great to still see friends updating their Blogs, only 2 have remained on my list now...
As time drags a curtain over us and as our paths diverge we can do nothing but let time do its part.

I am in NS now. One more year to go.
I have not decided what to do after that, but I guess I should further my studies.
I have not even signed up for anything yet.
There are far too many crossroads in life, Damn.

Omg... I just noticed something about the picture... there are 3 people in it.
corresponding to the number of links from my Blog.
And to make matters more creepy, there is exactly 2 Guys and 1 Gal in the pic.
How appropriate. (caption should read: YOSH!!! I HAVE RETURNED, ONWARD TO GLORY!!!)
But I have to agree that one of them really does put the word resemblance in.

New Chapter

Hey Chums.

In case you all have been wondering where have I been all this while,
I shall say that I have been really busy with work.
It has been a really great time working at "Eternal Minds".
My Hiatus will have to continue for another 3 months >.<
Where I will be engaged in a 3 months of meaningless project work.

YES, FOR THE SCH. (Note, not for me...)

For those who are thinking that life is meaningless and stuff...
Look at me... I have a porfolio which has big names like , , ...
Yet I still have to do some silly low cuts for NYP... haha!!!

But on the bright side... I will be able to have more time for God and for THE other things.
Which is very good as I have recently taken up R/C flying.

-.+ (This emote means Wink, Type 3)

Ahhh, Rest eh? Time to add a new Lecture to my Blog where I will Touch on

"I have now reigned about 50 years in victory or peace, beloved by my subjects, dreaded by my enemies and respected by my allies. Riches and honours, power and pleasure, have waited on my call, nor does any earthly blessing appear to have been wanting to my felicity. In this situation, I have diligently numbered the days of pure and genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot. They amount to 14."
- Abd Er-Rahman III of Spain

OK, let's pretend. We have succeeded in the stockmarket. We are rich. We have gone beyond money and its status. What could now elude us in the pursuit of happiness?

Here are a few things on the shopping list that money cannot deliver:

Love. Imagine you are standing at the side of the road and a bus is coming. In the middle of the road, oblivious to impending death, is a person. You have the option. Watch them get run over, or push them out of the way and get run over yourself? You or them - no other options. Is there anyone in the world you would step off the kerb for? That's love. Worth more than your life, let alone money.

Family. When the Lord visits you on your deathbed and asks you what you've done in your life that's worthwhile, what will you say? Climbing Everest? Making your first million?

Something to do. For those of us with qualifications, education, effort and ambition, there is choice, and as long as there is, there's no excuse for a day, let alone a lifetime, at the grindstone. The most successful people are successful because they love their work. Why waste time doing anything else?

Passion. Spoke to a rich man once who complained about his temporary inability to generate passion. In his case he had passionately built businesses and made money. But he had done it now and it had waned. You need something to be passionate about and that means more than pretending you are passionate for the sake of it. At least that's what he said.

Dreams. As my Boss Daniel Sim who is also an avid R/C pilot said to me recently, most people who bother to pursue their dreams achieve them. The crime is that they do not dream hard enough. (Eh, Rephased by me of course, He was using words like Destiny and Fate... too theological for my blog)

Respect of our peers. Fitting in with everyone else provides foundation. It is even more comfortable if they think you are OK.
That only comes if you are, and that only comes because of your effort.
In the words of the football legend Ron Barassi, a master among men: "I don't respect talent, good looks, brains. I don't respect the things you were born with. I respect effort. Getting up in the morning and moving those arms and legs."

Rich or poor, we can have it all. But probably better rich.

Back to the grindstone then.

Passion. Spoke to a rich man once who complained about his temporary inability to generate passion. In his case he had passionately built businesses and made money. But he had done it now and it had waned. You need something to be passionate about and that means more than pretending you are passionate for the sake of it. At least that's what he said.

Dreams. As my brother-in-law said to me recently, most people who bother to pursue their dreams achieve them. The crime is that they do not dream hard enough.

Respect of our peers. Fitting in with everyone else provides foundation. It is even more comfortable if they think you are OK. That only comes if you are, and that only comes because of your effort. In the words of the football legend Ron Barassi, a master among men: "I don't respect talent, good looks, brains. I don't respect the things you were born with. I respect effort. Getting up in the morning and moving those arms and legs."

Rich or poor, we can have it all. But probably better rich.

Back to the grindstone then.

Marcus Padley is a stockbroker and the author of the daily stockmarket newsletter Marcus Today. For a free trial of the Marcus Today newsletter please go to www.marcustoday.com.au