Live Life With No Regrets!

I am not a philologist or linguist, but I believe that our words and vocabulary do shape our attitudes and behaviour.

Fro example, in society, when words like negro and gentile are not used in everyday speech, perhaps that is a sign of progress of racial integration.

As long as words like kafir, and murtad are used to describe other people, we will not be able to see each other as fellow human beings but as "us" and "them".

In personal use, instead of using terms like "Christian", "Muslim" or "Buddhist", perhaps we should use phrases like "Seeker of Truth", "Follower of the Way", "Lover of God". It actually makes a difference! I actually said those phrases out loud, and there was a difference in my attitude, my reaction, my spinal cord, my posture.

Posted by Nico at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is one of the most amazing demos of the future of motion capture (mocap). The above video is of a computer simulation. It is not a real person!

Instead of sticking tiny reflective stickers on a persons face, a simple video capture is used and then analyzed.

The movements are then mapped onto your computer simulated model.

Reminds me of the movie S1m0ne that starred Al Pacino. But even darker, we can think of Wag the Dog and Johnny Mnemonic where computer simulations are used to trick people.

This technology created by Image Metrics.

The technology will not replace actors entirely, but more likely good-looking bad actors. You still need a good actor who can emote with facial expression well, but he needn't be just the right face.

Posted by Nico at 2:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nuggets Food of Champions
Originally uploaded by nicodemus_chan.

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Today, the Singapore women's team will be competing against China for the team table tennis gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

The only question on my mind is will Singapore be beaten 3-0 or 3-1? (To stretch the event to 5 matches is unthinkable).

Punditry aside, it's actually more dangerous for Singapore to beat China.

Why? Because Singapore is like (as others have said) China's B team. All the team members were recruited from China. 1999, 2007 and 2008 being the years they became Singapore citizens.

If Singapore do win, Singapore will have lost the talent pool on which to draw from more talent. China will surely shut the door on Singapore. "We made a mistake. We shouldn't have let them poach any of our table tennis players. We won't make the same mistake again."

It's just my opinion.

Posted by Nico at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I wrote a few days ago that either God doesn't love us or he does love us. Not just love us a little, 50%, 99% but 100%.

I also realize now that:

• Believing in God is a serious thing.


• Believing in a God who is interested in us is even more serious.


• Believing in a God who is interested in us and loves us that he would be willing to do anything, even die for us is totally awesome.

If we believe in a God who is interested even in the most minute thing that we do, think or say, then it stands to reason that I must be very careful at every moment what I do say or think. From the very moment that I wake up and every decision that I make, this sentient being, this presence is quite aware of what I am doing, how I am doing it, my motives and the attitudes behind it.

In a way, it is just like the Heisenberg uncertainty theorem. Because I believe that there is an observer, what is observed is affected.

But the thing is, God is more than just a passive observer, he is also an active participant in my life. At times yes, he may seem silent, but he is always there. And if we believe that he is truly interested in us, and loving us, we can ask him for anything that we want.

With such knowledge, therefore, it stands to reason that we are truly more than conquerors, that there is nothing that we cannot overcome in life.

Therefore believing in an almighty and loving God must change our lives. It is the only logical consequence. So do we really, really, really, really believe in God?

Because if I do, I can't stand around anymore wasting my life. I can't get away with a careless remark, or an unloving gesture and hope that He is pleased. (Yes, he still loves me, but I'm quite sure he isn't pleased). It also means that I can walk around with confidence and my head held high, because I am his child. That I am not a loser. That I am free, that the whole world is mine because of His love.

Believing and experiencing are two different things. Like Carl Rogers wrote, It's quite alright to teach a child that two and two is four. But it is a different matter altogether for the child when he experiences with blocks that two and two really is four.

Posted by Nico at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Unfortunately for this lady, she was caught. (And you can see the guard even managed to molest her as well.)

I suggest another way of doing it, where you can feign ignorance.

Get 9 friends each to wear the following T-Shirts:

(You can buy these t-shirts here: http://www.cafepress.com/channico/)

When you have the opportune time, arrange yourself in the proper order when the television cameras are on you.

If the police catch you, just rearrange your seating and ask "What's the problem officer?"

Heck, you can even have fun creating anagrams:

Bee Fitter.
Bitter Fee.
Be Tit Free.
Bet It Free.
Feet Biter.
Tie Bereft.
Feet Tribe.

Posted by Nico at 3:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

View from Starbucks for NDP 2008
Originally uploaded by nicodemus_chan.

Posted by Nico at 7:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)