George Carlin

“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”

I laughed when I first heard this quote. It sounded so ridiculous! The idea that the fact that there are people stupider than you are should affect you somehow was incredulous. It also assumes that you live in a perfect world where perfect bell curves exist and that outliers or skewed graphs do not exist.

Assuming this fact is in some way true, how would this affect you?

Or is it human nature to look for people with similar minds? Who gets what you say or what you want to say or why you said what you said? Someone who can figure you out?

Romans 13:9-10

“The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” 

1 Corinthians 2:9

“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

The very reason why I love research so much. ;)

Christian Book Fair

Just got back from the book fair at Menara PGRM (oh dear, I don't even know what it's called or where it was... I know the way there though).

Funny thing is, I did not hear about it until today (the last day of the book fair). If it wasn't for Miss Beh who needed someone to show her the way there, I wouldn't have gone either. Can't say I regret going now. (How could I? I was surrounded by books! It was splendid!)

Found out a friend, who happened to be at that fair, was working for Canaanland (a Christian bookstore); from which I bought these lovelies: "What the Bible says about" series on worship and emotions; and a book on relationships in life.

So yesh, Carolyn has books to read for the next week or so! I got bored of anime/manga so to speak and having books to read is great. Can't wait for the Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly to come out soon!

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Today's verse (from the Gideons):
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
  It will not return to me empty,
  but will accomplish what I desire
  and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:11)

Otto von Bismarck

"When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of putting it into practice."

Probably the only reason why I had not believed what my parents say.
Probably the reason why I will not believe the first thing people say.
Probably the reason why I will not make claims I cannot follow through.
Probably...

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By the way...
"Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use." - Wendell Johnson

Thomas A. Edison

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

I am so going to use this to reply the next person who asks: "Why do you do research when you fail to get results all the time?"

PS: One should look up on the aphorisms of Stanislaw Jerzy Lec. Very enlightening. They're just great for conversations or a good laugh at humanity.

1 Chronicles 29:11

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”

Father in heaven, I pray that you will help me remember that in all things, we are aiming to glorify your name and that in all things, you are the center of everything. I pray for your blessings and that you will remember me for what I am doing not so for my own selfish ambition but that our church would be a blessing unto your name and not a hindrance to our faith in you. Give your children understanding, patience, grace, and most of all be in our midst as we work things out. I pray that whatever the outcome of this meeting, we will remember that it is your will and not ours that we seek. Let your will be done and if it is so, give us peace in recognizing this. I ask for your presence to be with us during this meeting and let us not be taken over by emotion or selfish pride. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

Proverbs 13:4

"The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."

---

Oh Lord that I may remember that life is nothing but a passing phase and that life in heaven is everlasting. May I live my life on earth fully toward your purpose and not fall back into the temptation of laziness.

---

+ the PTPTN website was not made to love Malaysians +
+ slow semester this time round... +
+ taking things one step at a time +
+ struggling to be proactive +
+ began applications for honours +
+ chocolate place at One U has really, really good food! +
+ and good chocolate of course... +
+ watch toradora! it's worth your time +

Thomas Sowell

"There are only two ways of telling the complete truth--anonymously and posthumously."

Posthumously means "after death" by the way.

11.February.2009:Wednesday
+ getting new specs tomorrow +
+ been playing wii for 3 days straight +
+ arms hurt lots x.x +
+ hoping changing a new layout would help get me in the mood to start blogging again... +
+ shopping online is fun +
+ writing fiction again: rpg this time :D +
+ hasn't blog-hopped in ages: where did some of you go??? +

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

---

+ been slumping +
+ going through exams +
+ three more papers... +
+ wrote a new story! +
+ joo said she can't believe I wrote gore +
+ it wasn't all that gory! +

"I'm Alive"... huh...

Ranting dead ahead. Do not read unless you want to read meaningless garble.

My heart aches, my hands quiver, and my voice fails me. What is this feeling inside of me so dull and so huge that I cannot scream, move, or do anything but wait patiently ridiculously frustrated and in pain? Tears that fell so easily immersed in a fairy tale, could not make an appearance to relieve in reality. Probably because, in reality, I understand it all too well that it helps nothing. *In need of an exceptionally sad tear-jerker*

Why do I always push away important things before grabbing hold of it? It's so silly. Knowing how important it is to a person and yet loathing it in a confrontation. If loathing is another way of loving, why does it hurt? If loving hurts why love? Always knowing answers but having no way of understanding how to act it out hurts the most. It is as frustrating as listening to an explanation without a conclusion. The difference between head knowledge, heart felt emotions, wanting to do something, being able to do that something, and doing that something... wait, was there a difference or do they all come together?

---

I'm Alive (BECCA, Kuro Shitsuji OST)

I was exceptionally touched by this song. It pulled the strings in my heart in such a way that it resonated so beautifully in harmony. I still cannot believe that I find this song the highlight of Kuro Shitsuji. Does that mean I don't like Kuro Shitsuji?

Nothing I say comes out right,
I can’t love without a fight,
No one ever knows my name,
When I pray for sun, it rains.
I’m so sick of wasting time,
But nothing’s moving in my mind,
Inspiration can’t be found,
I get up and fall but,

I’m Alive, I’m Alive, oh yeah
Between the good and bad is where you’ll find me,
Reaching for heaven.
I will fight, and I’ll sleep when I die,
I’ll live my life, I’m Alive!

Every lover breaks my heart,
And I know it from the start,
Still I end up in a mess,
Every time I second guess.
All my friends just run away,
When I’m having a bad day,
I would rather stay in bed, but I know there’s a reason.

I’m Alive, I’m Alive, oh yeah
Between the good and bad is where you’ll find me,
Reaching for heaven.
I will fight, and I’ll sleep when I die,
I’ll live my life, I’m Alive!

When I’m bored to death at home,
When he won’t pick up the phone,
When I’m stuck in second place,
Those regrets I can’t erase.
Only I can change the end,
Of the movie in my head,
There’s no time for misery,
I won’t feel sorry for me.

I’m Alive, I’m Alive, oh yeah
Between the good and bad is where you’ll find me,
Reaching for heaven.
I will fight, and I’ll sleep when I die,
I’ll live my life, ohhhh!

I’m Alive, I’m Alive, oh yeah
Between the good and bad is where you’ll find me,
Reaching for heaven.
I will fight, and I’ll sleep when I die,
I’ll live my hard life,
I’ll live my life,
I’m Alive!

Taken from: atashi@wordpress through gendou.com/amusic

Keeping a PCR machine in your freezer?

I have always found science interesting and something I could pursue with a passion. So, when I saw the headlines on CNN - "DNA testing uncovers suspect sushi" - you can imagine just how curious I was about it. Firstly, because DNA testing was fun. Secondly, because I love sushi.

Anyway, my concern with this article was not in the main point - which was what fish was used for sushi - but rather on these paragraphs:

---

He said the process [PCR/DNA sequencing] could become as common as GPS.

"Many people are working on miniaturizing it, bring the cost down and the speed to process up," he said.

"Sequencing is a chemical process. There is no reason why we can't check the food on our plate [and] send the signal out to a database electronically. GPS used to be as big as refrigerators and only used by the government. Now it's a common application in a phone."

The students worked under Jesse H. Asusubel of Rockefeller University, a champion of DNA bar coding.

They say the project wasn't work. "It didn't feel like a chore. It wasn't time-consuming at all," Stoeckle said. "I'm hoping to get more public interest so it can become cheaper and more common."

---

Okay... so they want to check the food on their plate and send the signal out to a database electronically... whatever for? While finding out what I eat may be nice but honestly, would I really want to know everything that goes into my mouth?

I might end up not eating at all.

Learning microbiology and genetics have really made me force myself to eat everything with one eye closed because the knowledge of what I'm eating and might possibly be eating... really isn't very appetizing.

And they want to find out what they eat in their plate and send out the information?

Let's look at it another way... what they're trying to say is that it is possible to put a PCR machine in everyone's homes and have everyone use it to do DNA analysis.

The way PCR works is such that you will need a starting material that is able to bind to your DNA sample in order for that DNA sample to be amplified to an amount that is significant enough to study. And even then, only a short segment of the DNA can be amplified. So, you will be looking for specific marker genes that will tell you what exactly are you amplifying. Then, with that DNA sample, you will want to sequence it in order to find out what it is in the first place. You can most definitely do this with PCR as well. But it still is a very separate process. Not only that, the preparation of the DNA sample is also a different process which may require a number of other reagents (besides those you need to use for the PCR) and possibly a centrifuge.

Right, so they want them to make it common and put it in people's homes just to get it cheaper.

Suppose all that was possible and suppose everyone had a PCR in their homes. What if it was used on a blood sample? It can be done easily, surely. What if that DNA obtained from that sample was purposely placed all over the place? In a crime scene for instance?

Human nature isn't very easy to predict and it's very easy to be skeptical. It's also just as easy to be naive and want to believe in an ideal world where everyone's nice and kind.

Still... if it were to be made common, let it be made common in all health care industries and perhaps food industries and obviously in the scientific communities and academic institutions. At least, let it be made common for people who know what they're doing and are expected to be the most ethical and the most ideal; even if they may not entirely be.

A. W. Tozer

"I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking."

- Taken from Defending Contending on Quotes.

Mark Twain

"The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter."

That quote is pretty cool. Lol. To think of laughter as a weapon is not entirely what I would do but to think of laughter as something everyone should genuinely have is.

Random Thoughts
There are some points in life where things may result in great frustration or depression and many times it's difficult to get over. But you know, you'll just have to look at it in a different perspective and simply choose to get over it. Many of us do not have the strength or will to overcome our own weaknesses or trauma but there is one who knows us more than we do ourselves, one who will take control if we would let him, the one who can give us the strength.

Aldous Huxley

"An intellectual is a person who has discovered something more interesting than sex."

A quote from work. Lol. Read this while browsing through my emails. (Gmail is fun!)

Oh yea! Immediately after exams ended I started work again at SyUC. Hehe. Gonna work until the next semester starts and then go back to working once a week. =)

Quentin Crisp

"The very purpose of existence is to reconcile the glowing opinion we have of ourselves with the appalling things that other people think about us."

Abigail Van Buren

"The less you talk, the more you're listened to."

September.30.2007:Sunday
Fear is such a troublesome thing.
It governs what should not be governed.
It decides when decisions should not be made.
It turns what should not be turned.

I can't sleep tonight. The mosquitoes are keeping me awake. The television in my brother's room is left turned on but no one is watching. To enter that room and do what's right would be to confront a certain presence I do not wish to see or think about. I'm sleepy but I don't dare to go into the room to sleep >.<

Louis Vermeil

"The prime purpose of eloquence is to keep other people from talking."

September.24.2007:Monday
Found another cool thing. Got this from Sam's blog this time. She found it in Frankston VIC and I was quite surprised to find one in Petaling Jaya too. It's a project/organization for people to give things away for free and get other stuff you want for free. It's called "freecycle". You could visit the yahoo group to find out more about it or google "freecycle Malaysia" to find out more.

September.22.2007:Saturday
Found this cool website recently. xD It's an online shop on blogspot called Min's Creations. =)

September.12.2007:Wednesday
Check this out!! An article about the Born To Fly program I was a part of. =D

Romeo x Juliet 19

September.05.2007:Wednesday
What am I doing watching anime when I have to finish my report???

Today's anime
+ Romeo x Juliet +
+ all I can say when I watched this was: ジュリエット、格好い！+
+ which basically means: Juliet's so cool! +

- Solomon Short -
"The only winner in the War of 1812 was Tchaikovsky"

September.07.2007:Friday
Got myself a pet on facebook! xD It's a panda! Couldn't decide if I wanted a panda or a polar bear at first. =X But I got a panda. Go pet/feed it for me! xD

September.10.2007:Monday
+ added a new favourite verse +

Genting August 2007

August.31.2007:Friday
Was quite excited about today (plus going through the two nights before without sleep) so I was asleep at about 10++ last night. And yet, I woke up late. Su Ann had to call me up, too. I had only 15 minutes to get ready. At least it was enough. I think.

The whole day was full of fun! We didn't rush for anything and we didn't have to wait much for anything. We walked a lot, talked a lot, and well, I don't think we ate a lot but we did finish up the 20 sausages Mun Khea and I-Fen prepared for us to eat (thanks i-fen!! thanks mun k!!).

I tried rock climbing! Played archery... probably things I could have done back in Klang/Subang too but... we had so much fun! Su Ann, I-Fen, and Mun K went for the flying coaster without me; since I know I won't be enjoying it that much. Ooo!! Before that, they had lunch at the "Kopitiam" on the same floor as where the bowling alleys were. There was a stall selling claypot meals and it was both good and affordable! Imagine, 6.80rm per meal! Too bad I got cheated earlier into eating chee cheong fan for 7.50rm. T.T That was rather miserable. I had lots of coffee though. ^^ We even visited the LGT gallery after our coffee/cake/pie break at the coffee terrace in the First World Plaza. I had my favourite icy irish cream with mango cake. Su Ann and I-Fen had pie with coffee.

The cable car ride back down from GH was amusing. It was raining before and looking down the hill wasn't exactly my cup of tea. The sounds of the gondola swaying on the cable, and the wheels rushing through each... err.. pole? the structures holding the cables up every few meters or so. Well, let's just say my heart skipped a beat each time that happens.

Arriving at the Awana cable car station allowed us to go shopping before the bus arrives. We did manage to reach an hour and a half before it was time. (Stupid taxi drivers were telling us we wouldn't make it and that we should just catch a ride with them. =.=) Anyway, we tried out snacks and stuff. The Malaysian sotong pedas, sweets, and what-nots. Usually stuff that I wouldn't eat. But.. since Su Ann bought sotong pedas.. I ate xD

We even visited the 10 amazing animals wonderland or whatever it was called! It was supposed to be 12 per person per entry but we each got a 5 ringgit discount since we were students in a group of 4. =P Mun K has all our pictures! >.< Will be waiting for her to send them over.. Once she does, I'll probably upload them at my multiply site.

The journey back was through the dark of night, down the hills from Genting Highlands, to Gombak, through LRT, to KL Central, and finally to Klang through KTM. It was a long ride. I was making a fuss about how painful my legs were too. My calves felt as though my pain sensors were working overtime. It felt stiff and painful when I walked! I guess it was a good thing too then when I went home earlier. The others went for fried chicken I think. Dinner. Oh yes, I didn't have dinner. I went home, got online for a few minutes, and went to bed. Which was a good thing. I do have a field trip to go to tomorrow.

-koRi-

This week's Anime/J-drama
+ Claymore 22 +
+ Naruto 27 +
+ Kimi wa Petto 3 +
+ Hana Kimi 9 +

- Lawrence Clark Powell -
"Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow."