The "Ghost" Within

Caught Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence on VCD. Featuring robots imbued with human-like consciousness but without a soul, it makes one ponder about existential questions:

What it means to be alive and human?

If human consciousness can be dubbed onto a computer, then what is death?

Can the soul be disembodied and exist virtually, just as how Socrates believed the soul is immortal?

If life is a stream of consciousness, then what does it mean to dream?

Ok, enough with the transhuman pondering already... there's still robotics, ethics and gender...

Ed's Leadership Files... Take Charge

#1 Take Charge – Be Fruitful And Multiply

Read Genesis 1:26-31

In Gen 1:28 (NKJV), God told Adam & Eve "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion… over every living thing that moves on the earth."

If you read The Message Bible, it says, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible..."

• To Prosper means to progress, to become strong and flourishing, and to succeed in what we plan to achieve.


• To Reproduce and Fill the Earth means to reproduce of your own kind, to make disciples, to train and shape.


• To Take Charge means to lead and to invest effort – planning, strategizing and executing


• To Be Responsible means to be accountable, to have initiative

Remember in Gen 1:26, God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion…" In other words, it is His nature to take charge. So should we.

The problem is we often belittle what we have – ourselves, our ideas, our abilities – that we aren’t creative, we aren’t trained, or we aren’t good enough. Or that our people aren’t committed, aren’t bold, aren’t good enough. Maybe we even doubt our leaders' abilities.

But God tells us in Gen 1:29-31 that He has given Man of every herb and tree which yield fruit and seeds, and of every beast and bird and creeping thing. We have already been given of every resource we need – people, brains, the Holy Spirit. And to God, everything is good.

Everything we have is good – that is, ourselves, our creative minds, our time and energy, our people etc. It’s up to us now to hone, master and harness of whatever we have within reach.

Ed sees falling leaves on a windy day

A Train of Thoughts

KL trip - 1 to 3 Jan - took train to & fro

A buzzer sounds dimly without. And with a lurch, our train moves off! Excitement at the novel holds us out through the ensuing 8 hour ride.

Scenes of tropical trees roll by - cloud-draped mountains, knolls, plains, plantations... civilisation in the form of lone houses or small villages pops up sporadically. I see little kids jump and wave us by.

Station by station, the train presses on, occasionally halting to let travellers alight or board. The relentless rhythm of rocking over tracks lulls one to sleep. I must say, after KL, I'm glad to trade the city bustle for the sprawling greenery.

Camera in hand, I being to terrorize my sleeping subjects before I go on admire the passing trees, cows and old-looking houses zipping by.

All in all, adyllic and idling are two words that I would describe the experience.

En route, I tell myself, the year is 3 days upon us. A feeling of ennui within, I worry about plans, projects and purpose. Divine or not, is life all about the pursuit of happiness?

At least, one good thing I know - Fellowship which consists of good friends, good food and good fun.

Blind yet seeing

Eight more days to go.
Hand aches from scribbling.

NYTimes reports research on how the brain seems to have the ability to physically "see" - a man, blinded by stroke, navigates an obstacle course successfully. Amazing.

Details in the fabric

By Jason Mraz

Calm down
Deep breaths
And get yourself dressed instead
Of running around
And pulling all your threads and
Breaking yourself up

If it's a broken part, replace it
But, if it's a broken arm then brace it
If it's a broken heart then face it

And hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your own name
And go your own way

And everything will be fine

Hang on
Help is on the way
Stay strong
I'm doing everything

Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way

And everything, everything will be fine
Everything

Are the details in the fabric
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling?

Are the things that make you blow
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If you're shocked it's just the fault
Of faulty manufacturing

Everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Everything

click

The year ends
The new beckons

Faith and fear
Fresh and familar

What gives?
What's next?

Bankruptcy is the father of confession

Library II by Hong Kyoung Tack

Faith, Circumstances.
Fears, Character.
Frustrations, Confession.
Forgiveness, Communication.
Father, Confide.
Foolishness, Courage.
Face, Covering.

spotting

Brush (2008) by Lee Jung Woong - a painting within a painting?


Fly Away Home No. 6 by Yim Tae Kyu - what see you?

Chanced upon the Korean Art exhibition at SAM, was a welcome end to a Friday. The exhibition theme? Modern transcendence qua east meets west. Thought one of Lee's painting (not shown here) was a rather powerful capture of motion - of a still brush over spreading ink. Was struck by how Park Seo Bo so intricately created parallel lines of paper onto the canvas - he aims for the ultimate emptying out of himself. Very zen huh?

Strangers spotted along the streets:
- European man, angry, shouting and flinging his textbook onto the ground while walking off SMU campus. He must have failed his exams.
- 2 Malaysian Chinese girls, chatting excitedly about hair care and hair salons
- Singaporean Chinese guy, scolding someone over the phone, probably did something wrong though clear instructions were given

Someone spilled his marriage story and his past party lifestyle to me over lunch today. How to relate and how to encourage, one wonders.

Finally, a thought that occurred to me while swimming laps: What measure gives the strength of a man? Oh yes, size matters- the size of his shoulders, for his ability to carry others through life. And with responsibilities and social/emotional dependents, this man can't be in perpetual solitude. But befriend, understand and strengthen, he ought to.

Yowser!

sniff

5h09m with old pal

Marathon 2008 report:

• This being 2nd marathon, was a lot more relaxed and didn't over-hydrate or over-deepheated


• No extreme thigh and calf cramps incapacitating further running but a curious tightness in the right glut (went away after roadside stretch)


• Great running company made for actually enjoyable run albeit last 2km seemed a real killer


• Slight chafing (not telling where) and nowhere else thank goodness


• Next day was able to move about relatively freely and even do some chirpy emcee-ing

choose life

In or out,
here or there,
it's now or never.

Here, there, everywhere,
for it is according to what one has,
and not what one does not...
only if there is first a willing mind.

Positive, negative,
pessimist, optimist,
life, death,
zero, sub-zero.

What?? The substance of things hoped for?

Choose life, or else choose the other.

Others

Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand... That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.

Philippians 2:4,13 (MSG)

It's an awful feeling choosing not to lend any more money to someone who can't seem to fend for himself. Yet it seems enough is enough. All one can do now is pray...

More colorful doodling ensues... let the juices - or pastels in this case - flow.

The day is far spent

Him

Awful feeling...

Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others... [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
Philippians 2:4,13 (AMP)

It's an awful feeling choosing not to lend any more money to friend who repeatedly borrowed money and can't seem to take care of himself. Yet it seems "enough is enough" and there's nothing else one can do except pray.

Let down your guard

"Where Do We Go From Here" (2008) by Tim Rollins and Kids of Survival

Who am I?

Why am I here?

What am I doing?

Why are you here?

Is what I'm doing of any good?

Why am you still here?

Ed needs inspiration

Sleepiness, weariness, heedless.

Routineness, expressionless, directionless.

Naffness, laffness, mirthness.

Fearless, joyous, peace-ness.

Lessons in Leadership

1. Details determine destiny. Familarity breeds complacency.

2. Win over your people and that's probably half the battle won.

3. Lead by example, else you have no moral standing.

4. Address situations and attitudes on the spot.

5. Believe in self, after all, you're appointed by Him.

silence that echoes

Daphnis & Chloe: Frontis Piece by Marc Chagall

Question: Where was Adam when Eve ate of the apple?

If he wasn't around, there's a problem. Or if he was around, now there's a bigger problem. His silence has echoed through the decades of the centuries.

Today, many men are not assuming their positions as fathers. If he's absent, the child is affected. But if he's present yet not carrying influence, the damage is worse.

Let it flow

a la color doodles

Bankruptcy

Tempted to cuss... Yet, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, says He.

Battling tigers of the mind- there they are! Prowling, growling, fouling-

Perhaps, per chance, perceive- more wisdom one needs.

The muscle of determination- contracting, stretching, now stiffening.

Suck in the guts, boy!