The Still Turning Point of a Turning World

Joined the Gang

alvinjismyl — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:14:18 +0000

This evening, I finally purchased an IPhone 4s (black) after deliberating for a while. Actually it is a gift from my wife – supposedly birthday + christmas gift rolled into one.

What gave me the impetus to get this iPhone is the fact that i’m using MacBk Pro so logically speaking, things should sync easily. but no one can never really tell. Well, at least theoretically it should.

Now for spending silly hours trying to learn how to operate this candy bar.

Quotable Quotes

alvinjismyl — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:44:06 +0000

Sometimes God calms a storm…

Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms his child

Saw this quoted on friend’s note. A good food for thought.

Damned if you do…Damned if you don’t

alvinjismyl — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:15:54 +0000

Yesterday, Creative Technologies’ founder, Mr Sim put out an ad as a Tribute to Steve Jobs, icon of Apple, who passed away last week. It was short but to the point. Monotone and simple but striking contrasts which stands out, no doubt.
It’s interesting to note the response by others towards a simple full page ad. Some thinks he is taking a jab against his competitor/rival. Doubtless, there were lawsuits (which other company in related business hadn’t law suit with Apple?) in the past. Some read too much into that simple ad.
Personally, I don’t see anything that might insinuate or imply negativity. In fact, I thought it kind and good for Mr Sim to put out that ad. It doesn’t make sense – even business sense- to take potshots at your rival especially when he is dead. Do him no good ultimately. It will just take the glory and respect out from under him if he does that. Even Bill Gates don’t speak otherwise. Perhaps some don’t believe it is possible to say nice things despite fierce competitions. I think it’s immature and narrow-mindedness to think of Mr Sim to be such person.
As my heading says, “damned if you; damned if you don’t.” What’s important is what Mr Sim thinks in his heart. For me, I’d like to keep it simple until it can be seen obviously. I suppose some bloggers or newspapers are just itching to sensationalize non-issues for readership.

好极了

alvinjismyl — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 03:00:08 +0000

Finally figured out how to input chinese characters into Word processing softwares. Slow but glad I found it. And especially glad that Mac made it even easier to do it. 好极了！

Outgoes D-03R; Incomes L-03R

alvinjismyl — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:35:33 +0000

After deliberating for quite a while, I finally sold my D-03R to the same guy who bought my L-03W previously. Frankly, I did suffer seller’s remorse because while the guy was checking out the merchandise, I was half-hoping he would change his mind. Alas he didn’t. Who wouldn’t when it is a nice and fully-opened guitar?

I thought of getting Yamaha LL-16 either 12 strings or 6 strings direct from the States. However, after going to Tampines branch of Yamaha, I find it frustrating as the volume isn’t there. It’s not the L series problem. It’s just that Engelmann spruce doesn’t have great headroom for heavy strumming compared to sitka spruce.

Finally, i just decided to get the L-03R from Trinity after the price quoted was fantastic. Later on, I realized that Jim Holler, the owner, decides to give free bone nut and saddle upgrades. He also didn’t charge installation fee for tuner upgrade from factory to Gotoh 510 in satin gold. Also decides to have the tortoise pick guard removed. i’m just mentally prepared for tan line though hoping it’s not great a contrast. Otherwise, I’d have to get a new pick guard then.

Processing Life’s Events

alvinjismyl — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:45:26 +0000

Our little girl came back feeling upset and hurt because a boy in her class kept calling her names and bad-mouthing her all day in school, so she said.

It turns out that the boy called her “fat” (she’s actually slender and small compared to other classmates) and stuff, telling a good friend of hers not to befriend her (the usual kids stuff). But to the little girl, it is a massive thing in her world. Jismyl did a good job in telling her that she can pray to the Lord, for herself, for the boy who is being nasty and also what to do if he persists on his nasty streaks (tell it to the form teacher for starters).

I had not approach the boy when my daughter pointed him out when I fetched her from school. Reasons being – firstly it is a kids’ squabbles. Secondly, it is important to point her to proper channels rather than taking things into my own hands to settle it. Give the teacher a chance to help resolve such conflicts however trivial they might be. Parental involvment here is unwise, at least such direct approach. Thirdly, it is good to help Amanda to process such matters so that she can grow as she learns that it is a wicked world out there. Can’t shelter her for life, but can enable her to process nastiness, and respond rightly so that she can grow to be a well adjusted, informed kid. Most of all, Jismyl’s encouragement to her about praying tells her that it is not a hopeless situation. Amanda can’t stop the boy from his nastiness (at least in sofar as attitude), but she can know that God is interested and can help her overcome this challenge in her life.

Part and parcel of parenting – helping the child to learn to process unpleasant things/events in life. The privilege and awesome task.

Skedaddled?

alvinjismyl — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:25:56 +0000

While glancing through Amanda’s homework this morning, I came across a word, “skedaddled.” “What’s that word? Is there such a word, or is it a slang?” Wondering to myself silently. Disturbed by this curiosity, I went to research the internet and here’s the answer:

“to run away,” 1861, American Civil War military slang, ofunknown origin,

perhaps connected to earlier use in northernEngland dialect with a meaning ”to spill.”

Basically, it means ”to run away hastily” or “a hasty flight.”So something new that I learned today from Amanda’s homework…

You Can Remember Where You Are

alvinjismyl — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 16:01:44 +0000

It is not unusual for one to recall with vivid recollection where he or she was, when a particular event occurred – even after many years have passed. For example, I remembered that when Princess Diana died, it was a late Saturday night in Wisconsin. The Christian radio station was on, Jismyl and I were preparing and getting ready for next day’s extension ministry to Limestone, MI. That was when the news broke that Princess Diana died in car crash that day. We felt sad because life was taken so quickly but nothing much as we were so far and unrelated to her.

Fast forward several years later. We had just relocated back to our flat here and were busy unpacking and setting up our home that night when Vincent, my brother-in-law, called and asked us to turn on the TV. That there was a plane that crashed into NY’s Twin Towers. We weren’t even hooked on to the TV then (that was one of the last things in myriad of stuff to clear and pack away!). So we quickly got our little TV and hooked it up. Though it was hazy/snowy in the images, we could hear the newscasters clearly reporting that investigation was still ongoing as to what caused the crash. It was so chilling as later on, we could see much clearly images of people jumping off fiery buildings, and ultimately the collapsed of the towers. It was numbing, and shocking to say the least. We felt it much more this time because humanity suffered extreme form of wickedness. We don’t know a single soul that perished that day — later we realized that about 3000 plus had died – but we all were affected because it baffled decent humanity how people could be so wicked to their fellowmen.

It has been 10 years, how time flies for us as we moved on. Life has changed and affected since that 9/11 incident. For those directly affected, it perhaps is an old-wound rollicked again.

Nice Feeling…

alvinjismyl — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:15:10 +0000

Last night, as I lay beside my little girl, she turned to me and said, “I love you very much, Papa. I always tell you this just before I sleep.” She does that most, if not every night. But last night was the first time, she tells the reason. That was very nice and made all the blood, sweat and tears of parenting worth it.

I pray that I will love her the way that the Lord expects me to.

Presidency in the Streets

alvinjismyl — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:48:23 +0000

Hear, hear, the outgoing Singapore President SR Nathan remarked recently – when asked about the new President Dr Tony Tan’s responding to calls calls from various quarters for greater openness – “that the country cannot have a “Presidency on the streets”. He said the President’s duties in Singapore are defined by the Constitution and the people would not want the office to be so transparent to a point where the value and prestige of the position is lost.” (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1150184/1/.html).

I believe this statement is an apt reply to all the clamor and attempt at redefining the role of Singapore’s elected President. Somehow this PE is rather disappointing in that the immature and naiveté of Singaporeans are so evident. It basically irks me to no end to hear Tan Jee Say speaks (which I tuned out very quickly by the way). And the ST forum as well. Forget about Yahoo or other online thingy. So full of trashy talks – wherein the sensibility? I doubt that as a nation we are ready for sensible debate.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew also remarked that political awareness is not by the fact that one has voted. Something that many has mistaken political information for political awareness or as I would say maturity. Many lacks the common sensibilities to discern, and often gets carried away on pure antics appealing to emotionalism. Populism mistaken for truth.

Still a long way to count, I’d say…