i've moved to stantough.wordpress.com . Take care and byebye!!

school has started. my schedule can not be any more screwed up. three of the days see me taking 4 hr breaks in between lessons, and the modules i'm taking seem to perpetually clash with one another. chemistry, life science and engineering modules dont come down well together. i have 30 available slots of Critical Thinking to choose from and 29 of them clash! some choice i have, huh! after spending hours of planning and appealing, i could get a decent schedule. there is a slight problem though cuz a life science lecture and chemistry lab take place concurrently every wednesday. and no one save for the few of us idiots takes these two modules together. this means i have to skip the life science lecture for the lab. and for us taking such weird core mods, there is a "secret" life science webcast available for us to view at home so that we can catch up, and we are not supposed to tell the other students for fear that they will also skip the lectures. can it BE any more messed up? lol. at the peak of my boredom i started surfing the net hoping to find free streaming comedies to watch. and i found a china version of youtube > www.tudou.com. china = unregulated (think baidu) i love china!

the lunch today with two young guys working in that screwed up "mlm" company was quite an interesting one. they are obviously new employees, trying to follow what their leaders told them to do: be confident and sell yourself, yet at the same time not knowing how the company really works and are prone to losing temper when we question a bit "too much". after that meeting we discovered some stuff about this so called sunshone empire (not the real name.) sunshone empire is affiliated to newtriend (not the real name), set up by mr. jakky from newtriend (not his real name.) and here is a bit of info about this jakky guy (sorry, i can't help but bad mouth him for being the idiot he is). originally a student from nus business, he dropped out after telling the dean straight in the face that the dean lives a sad life. he joined newtriend and rose quickly in its company positions, and became a "god" in that company. almost all newtriend members i know practically bow down and worship him, and have orgasmic attacks when his name is mentioned. i had the "privilege" of meeting him when i was introduced to newtriend some 3 years ago. i was said to be extremely lucky since he was always a busy guy at the top of the chain and it's incredibly rare to bump into him. he told me that i would not get a job in the future when i told him i would be studying chemical engineering. he also told me that if i could not decide whether to join newtriend immediately, he would not want me because i would be an "indecisive" guy who is incapable of great things. i noticed several people jotting down his words on notepads as he spoke.

thank God i was one who would resist when people try too hard to push their ideas on me!

back to the main story, this jakky guy has been involved in a project on wireless technology in taiwan which is sure to reap in much profits (the survey done by them had 100% positive results from the residents in taiwan when asked if they would like such a technology in their area - only thing is, there is no regulation and the sample size is unknown.) well, newtriend and other related "companies" have lots and lots of funding, enough to fund this whole project, but because the company "wants people to earn money as well", they decide not to fund everything, but leave 75% of the funding for interested people to chip in. they will put in money for the company and will get a 150% monthly rebate. note: it's not investing; it's giving money to earn a membership status in the company which will allow discounts in the company products including aromatherapy products and possibly specs-less brandless laptops. now, back to the project. it's broken up in phases, and the last phase would be the construction of the wireless infrastructure. after the construction is done, there is sure to be a profit - the company will NEVER make a loss (according to that guy in the meeting) and 800% will be given out to all its members within a certain period of time. it also has a self-created "stock price" (which isn't registered in the stock index, fyi) which is determined by none other than the company itself and it's sure to rise, but we really shouldn't call it a "stock price" because it's main purpose is to serve as an indication to other people that the company is doing really well. so the basic thing is, we are supposed to buy "lots", costing $600 each, and will get back $900 as a reward for being a member of sunshone empire, and in a few years time, we will receive back the 800% profits in instalments. of course if we want to be "gold" members we can psycho other people to buy lots as well, and we will earn even more! or if we buy more "lots" we get more rebates which is an attractive 150%! here are the problems: 1) about the 150% monthly rebate. the guy said it's because the company has a lot of money and wants to reward us. but seriously, we chip in $600 and get back $900.... what's up with that? 2) the survey itself couldn't even be trusted, how can they guarantee that there will be a profit? and 800%... that's a really ambitious estimation. 3) what's up about the self-created share price? when we brought up these issues, one of the guys got really defensive and lost his temper, and kept emphasising that it is such a good deal and that we shuldn't question it at all. and that he is "only" an agent and a partner and does not know all the admin stuff. maybe the guys are newcomers and made out the plan to be more fishy that it really is. but to have its employees telling us about such nebulous schemes but not knowing the full picture themselves already shows how shady the company is. it is not even telling its employees the truth! and people still fall for it. and it's sad because the guys seem really nice if not for their job; it's most likely due to the brainwashing from the top people that they had such priorities in their life. i really hope that guy was joking when he said he would give up his place in ntu to pursue this as a career! just for those who are considering joining an mlm company, here is a useful syllabus outline of a typical MLM company: at the end of the course, employees should learn: 1) how to set one's life goals (which is mainly to earn $$ and more $$) 2) how to speak more confidently (as in to be more persuasive in selling your ideas and earn $$ and more $$) 3) how to not slack your life away (and seize every chance to earn $$ and more $$) 4) how to make a difference in your life and not take the traditional route - normal occupations are mundane jobs getting a fixed pay, there is no chance to earn extra $$ and more $$ 5) that to be successful is to make lots of $$ and more $$ - anyone who doesnt earn as much is not as successful. i'm not self-righteous; neither am i a blue-nosed prude. i love money and it's good to have $1000000 in my wallet. but it's just not very right to let $$ change your views so drastically. while people joining mlms are completely identifiable (mostly straight out of jcs/ poly, serving ns and realise the true value of money and purchasing power, that's OK), the danger is to stay in the company for too long and before you know it, you are a changed man. fortunately, though, most people just join for the experience, and quit after a brief stint. the main villains are the geniuses who thought of these ideas - which is why i am still slightly on the side of my friend who has taped our conversation and intends to question the CAD about the legality of this company.

Lend Me Your Ears. For those who are considering piercing the ear cartilage please, don't ever use a GUN to pierce! a needle may cost 12 times as much, but trust me it is worth it. there will be people who say that gun piercing is a painless and safe affair, but the gun damages the cartilage, and the truth is a cartilage piercing is 4 times as likely to develop perichondritis when compared to a earlobe piercing. so, if your budget is only a measly $5, stick to the ear lobes! i learnt that the hard way. after two weeks my cartilage was still hurting a lot, possibly due to my repeated pressing against the ear to test my pain threshold which severely impeded its healing process. the last straw came on wednesday. the pain suddenly intensified while i was playing pool and i asked yauhong to help me remove the stud in the toilet but it was held so tightly not only yauhong couldn't do it, my ear seemed to hurt even more and started bleeding lightly (due to mechanical injury). went to polyclinic the next day and the doctor couldnt remove as well. by that time my ear was, to quote a nurse, "swelling like a cauliflower". went to hospital this morning; attempts by three doctors to remove failed, and the last one ended up with me in tears, (boy was that embarrassing!) and more blood. i'm not a crybaby, but really, it was the most painful experience i've had in a long time! the "pain" i had when making my tattoo was not even close. in the end, i had to go to the operating theater and injected with local anaesthetic to numb the pain before it was finally removed successfully. and now my ear looks like this:

before leaving the hospital, i asked the doctor if my hole can be preserved by re inserting the stud back in after a few hours.

i got a earful.

and now i really learnt my lesson lol.

oh, and mambo zouk was fun; i finally met up with overseas ex-classmates like rika, heather and victor, and the weird thing was, just before going in i was telling yauhong and zhiyang how i haven't seen rika and heather for ages.

just when you think nti-parizz (not the real name) is the lowest of all companies that has ever been set up in singapore, here comes another one. i don't know why i get uber-pissed when i hear of such companies even existing. we really have to give nti-pariss some credit for actually being a legitimate company despite selling its idea more than its worthless aromatherapy products and brandless specs-less laptops. and now the guy decides to create a new "investment" company which promises to pay 800% / $800 (not sure which one) profits to its members, sets its own share point although it isn't registered in the stock market, and guarantees at least a 150% return in funds for any amount invested. and guess what? it's "product", the wireless technology that it claims to have taken taiwan by storm and is the next big thing in singapore, hasn't even been in the experimental stage yet. in other words, it does not exist. so what gives them the right to make such empty promises? isn't every investor be prepared to be exposed to all the risks he can get? what is 150% insurance supposed to mean? they'll pay everyone even if they declare bankrupt? if they aren't so incredibly dubious about their goals, they may even sound more credible to us. but the sad thing is, many young people, usually fresh out of school, and blinded by the idea of earning a quick buck, fall for this trap, again and again and again. i almost fell two years ago and i was glad i didn't, though i have to admit my sales company worked somewhat similar and i am relieved i didn't venture far in it. granted, all businesses main priority is to earn as much profit as possible. the thing is, such companies aren't just any "businesses". they don't sell products - they sell fundamentally flawed ideas aimed at attracting youths to part with their money. and even if they do break even, or earn lots of profits, that is at the expense of more ignorant newcomers. if you do all these, and claim that you are extremely successful just because you earn much more than anyone else, then i think you have an even more sad life than mine.

the hanging of saddam hussein has brought forth a flurry of varied opinions, albeit with the majority of the people opposing the sentence, calling the trial an injustice and a severely flawed one, and that capital punishment is always wrong, no matter what circumstances. really the hanging should not be so overblown as it is now. saddam has already been stripped of his everything, and suffered greatly for the past two years, so we should really give him a break! and the footage of his hanging should have never been released to public, out of respect for that guy. this is different from gory movies - this concerns a real person. ideally he should just have been hung quietly without all the unnecessary exposure, though that's not really possible. i guess i am on the side of the minority - which is possibly also the side of Singapore, which is slightly towards the support of his execution. joel and i agreed that it is relativism on both our parts - we both agree that saddam has done heinous things, but we differ in which level of punishment he deserves. george bush and his messed up iraq war is often brought into the picture of discussion but i still think it's really two different things - purposive intent and oblique intent. (thanks qx!) and yes, i practise relativism but i just cannot lump these two together. george bush may be wrong, and he may be getting away with it for now, but i don't want another war criminal to get away as well. the final judgment may assure us, but it's just too distant to feel much about it. i may not feel anything about this, but there must be several who have been victims of his rule and if his death may do something to make them feel better -this is WRONG i know but i can't help but feel this way! - then.... why not? expectedly, singapore has been quiet so far with regards to this issue. the EU and other countries are arguing against capital punishment, something which singapore still practises up till this day. probably also singapore has always saying "yes" to US, and i inevitably have been indoctrinated as well to some extent, although i am still somewhat against most cases of capital punishment. which brings up another point.. why are they arguing about the injustice done to a person who has killed numerous? saddam certainly does not make a good poster boy for the "cons" of capital punishment. if i were them i would first lobby for the abolishment of capital punishment on offences like drug-trafficking in various south east asian countries. these are even bigger injustices done in my opinion. and this is definitely something worth fighting for. by the way, kira deserved to die as well. i don't know why there are so many people on his side! (my cousin says he's good looking rofl) but it also makes me wonder what i will do if i ever find a death note. would it even be right just to put down a few terrorists names on it and then subsequently burn the book? on the grounds of creating a better world? at which point do i stop? though i am for saddam's execution i hope i will do the right thing and NOT write anything down at all.

i've noticed that for the past few years, I haven't been fulfilling any single one of my new years resolutions so I am going to totally scrap that from now on. but i would really hope to: 1) strengthen my, as-of-now, minimal faith in God, 2) continue doing well enough for exams (-_-), 3) pass driving by 3rd try, and 4) stop surfing porn altogether. erpz!! 2006 has been quite an interesting year for me; a lot of things, good and bad, happened. my father has recently opened a stall at taman jurong market, which has been making my whole family (and some relatives) extremely busy. i made the noble (?) decision to stay at home for new yrs eve and new yrs day to help out with my dad's accounts, which is a truly terrible chore for me as i keep calculating numbers wrong. just like maths, only maths was, at the very least, interesting to some extent. thankfully, i managed to do above expectations for the current exams, for which i am very grateful because i know i don't deserve anything close to this from how much i actually studied during the recess break. hopefully i'll get my discipline back from now on, after a semester of struggle, and at the same time, acknowledge that this sem is a miracle which may not be replicated in future. i am also extremely grateful for the christmas presents i received. never having been immersed in such a tradition before in my life, i am genuinely surprised to actually have 5 presents (that's a lot for me!) this year; 4 from my church and 1 from my neighbour (which mysteriously disappeared, think my mom returned it). and they're all really thoughtful presents some more. for my part, i gave nothing in return. one of the presents was "Case for Faith" by Lee Strobel, given to me by ping khuan and his sis. although i don't really agree with 30% of what the book said, it's a good start to bring up difficult questions which i have been avoiding all these while, and i guess feeling disturbed and troubled and traumatized and angry and defensive by some of the opinions is erm.. probably the process of learning more?

Joyeux Noel ppl.. O Holy Night The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born; O night, O Holy Night , O night divine! O night, O Holy Night , O night divine! Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming, Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land. The King of kings lay thus lowly manger; In all our trials born to be our friends. He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger, Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, With all our hearts we praise His holy name. Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we, His power and glory ever more proclaim! His power and glory ever more proclaim!