Watch your tongue

The tongue is one of the most powerful human faculties that God has given to mankind for the words we speak can do a great deal of good and also a lot of harm. “Man is able to tame all beasts but no one has been able to tame the tongue (James 3:6-7)”.

When we speak about our neighbour, do we remember not to judge but to speak in a spirit of love and thanksgiving? Can we truly stop judging, condemning, criticizing, belittling, despising others? When Michael Jackson passed on, many mourned while equally many showed no compassion. People make fun of his wacko ways, his “crimes” etc. But how much do they know about him, his character, the circumstances of his life, his problems, his virtues and his transgressions etc and yet it is so easy to point a finger and condemned him to hell. Precisely because we know so little of others… how then can we be so judgmental, unforgiving and negative? Yes, some of them may be crooks, murderers, and thieves… but did it occur to you “what would have become of you, if you had been in their shoes?” We must bear in mind that only God can be his final judge because only God knows all the circumstances of his life.

The tongue has a great power to build up as well as to destroy, to create good and also evil. If we use our tongue well, it will always bear fruit since every word or deed, no matter how small is like a seed that falls on the ground and will eventually bear its fruit and then others may experience its wonderful effect. Yes, it only takes a spark to get the fire burning… either to give light or to create total devastation.

When death comes knocking

If there is one thing we can be certain of in life, it is death. It is not death per se that most people are afraid of, after all once you are dead, you won't know and feel anything about it. What is frightening to people is the process of dying and another potentially frightening event is the death of a loved one which is certainly very sad and painful.

The causes of death range widely from terminal illness, sudden death, accidental etc. Whatever the cause, the outcome is the same. A loved one is no longer with us. When death touches us, it is multi-faceted and there is no right or wrong answer.

Yesterday, Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died one after another. Today, it’s someone else and tomorrow is may be you and I. Death will come to take us away and there is no escape death comes every day. We can choose how we want to live but we cannot choose how and when we want to die. So, don’t bother running away cos death will find you whether you like it or not.

Life is not eternal and death will come when our responsibilities on this earth are completed. We may not know when but the end will definitely come. Young or old, be ready to die and accept death with total submission and gratitude to God for a life well-spent. Live wisely and authentically, love sincerely and whole-heartedly, give without expectation, be grateful for everything good and bad, so that when we die, there will be no regrets for some of the little things in life that we often take for granted until it is too late.

To live is to die and to die is to live. He who die before he dies does not die when he dies.

What are you really looking for in life?

Once you look deeper, beyond your desire for a bigger house or a fancier car, you will most likely discover that what you're truly searching for is not more "stuff," but more happiness, more joy, more peace. It may seem some people are born with enjoyment for life programmed into their hardwiring, whereas for others finding happiness seems an elusive goal. But, like any programming, yours can be changed.

If you haven't taken the time to explore what brings joy to your life on a regular basis, you may realize you don't even know what brings you happiness anymore. If that's the case, try out different things, including some you've never done before. The answers just might surprise you.....

Be grateful. Incorporate a daily gratitude session where you identify something you are grateful for. You can express your gratitude in any number of ways: silently say "thank you," call or email the person you want to thank, or devise your own gratitude ritual. No one has everything, and everyone has something of sorrow intermingled with gladness of life. The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears. We cannot change the past, but we can enjoy today, and look to the future.

Take time to savor life. Cut down the rushing from one thing to the next – delegate or say no – to reduce your number of appointments and daily tasks. Stop gossiping. Be selective about the information you expose yourself to. It can have an incredible impact on your level of personal happiness.

Laugh now! When you're in the middle of a mess, look around you and realize the absurdity of the moment. Remind yourself that a year from now, no one will care, and you'll probably be laughing about it anyway, so why wait? Laugh about it now! One of the major causes of stress is worrying about things that are out of your control. Learn to recognize these things and if you can truly do nothing about them, then just let them go. Take time to laugh at yourself and the situations you find yourself in. Laughter is a powerful, positive medicine and the calmer and more peaceful you can take things, the happier your life will be.

Wish the best for others and mean it. It is so easy to be jealous and petty and forget to celebrate the good fortune of your coworkers, friends and family. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.

Get involved. Be a volunteer. Be yourself. You can't please everybody. Don't let criticism worry you. Don't compare yourself to other people be it at work or in your personal life. Build friendship. Surround yourself with friends who are positive, encouraging, and helpful. We all need this continuing, positive encouragement to make solid positive progress in life.

Happiness is important for so many reasons, beyond the obvious fact that most people would prefer to be happy rather than not. There is little doubt about the powerful effects positive emotions can have on your physical health and well-being. If you can become happier, you will help build a better world. If you can improve your ability to address stresses and negative emotions, you're more likely to be able to do the things that no one would claim are trivial. Building positive emotions through humour is one of the most natural things you can do to bring joy to your work, and broaden your view of this world in which we live. Happiness isn't so much something you strive for but a spontaneous natural result of pursuing your God-given mission in life -- and following a natural lifestyle that allows your body to function at its highest possible level.

Sorry but no apology

Why is it so hard to acknowledge one’s wrongdoing? It seems that humans are "hard wired" to apologize. Half-hearted and disingenuous apologies are usually worse than not apologizing at all. It not only insults the recipient but makes it more unbearable as it’s like rubbing salt in the wound. An ineffective apology is not acknowledging the offence or expressing remorse.

The word "sorry" has a wonderful unique meaning… "pain at heart, distress, sad, full of grief or sorrow". These days, it is so easily tossed around that we probably need a new word to make an apology seem genuine. Often people say "sorry if I hurt you", "sorry for any offence my words might have caused you" or "sorry for hurting you because...". It is the words "if and any" that really ruin these apologies. One should be sorry that he/she offended someone, not due to "if or any". The whole purpose of apologizing is that someone has been hurt. Don’t try to minimize it as if something might or might not be out there. If one is sincerely sorry, then it is only right to take responsibility for what happened; explain how and why it happened; assure that it will not happen again and offer appropriate reparation. A sincere apology has the power to heal humiliations, free the mind from guilt, remove the desire for vengeance and mend relationship. Ultimately, every apology requires the offender’s attitudes and commitments to authentic honesty, generosity, humility, commitment, and courage. I hope that apologies will someday be applied to all humanity interactions sincerely.

Today will be memory too

Memory plays a central role in our pains, grief, joys and self actualization but they are not simply dependent on the events of our lives, but even more so, in the ways we remember these events. The events of our lives are probably less significant than the form they stay in our memory.

A French writer-politician once said "one day, it will be realized that men are distinguishable from one another as much by the forms their memories take as by their characters. People remember a similar illness, accident, success or surprise in very different ways and the way we remember these events will affect our self-confidence and directions more than the actual event itself."

It is not surprising then that most of our emotions are closely related to our memory. Remorse is a biting memory, guilt is an accusing memory, gratitude is a joyful memory. Such emotions deeply influence the way we integrate past events into our being and perceive the world with our memories. It is our memories that help us to see and understand new impressions and give them a place in our life experiences.

Our first and most spontaneous response to our undesirable memories is to forget them. When something painful has happened, we just want to forget it and act as if it did not happen. We want to forget the pains of the past and live as if they did not really happen.Alas, but that is just impossible. We can forgive but we can't forget because God gives us a brain with all its cognitive abilities and memory.

The cause of sadness in a person's life is an unhealed memory - a hidden resentment, a suppressed guilt, an unconfessed sin and a painful past. Precisely because these bad memories are often deeply embedded in our long term memory, they hurt even more deadly. By cutting off our past, we paralyze our future and by forgetting the evil behind us, we evoke the evil in front of us. Indeed, he who forgets the past is doomed to repeat it.

Spiritual healing does not primarily means to take away our pains but to reveal that our pains are part of a greater pain, that our sorrows are part of a greater sorrow, that our experience is part of the great experience of God and to accept our past hurts as part of God's will and providence. Prayers are marvellous healing opportunity to cast all our cares onto God and to trust Him in everything. But can we do it effectively, moving forward in life in such a way that all our desires, thoughts and actions are constantly guided by Him?

God provides, He understands... these words sustain me so that I can continue to live my life in pride and courage, giving unlimited love and exploring the limitless potential of being in the midst of what I have gone through. I know that I am still constantly falling into self-defeating emotion and behaviour but I am certain that I will rise again, not in my time but in God's time and this reminder helps to ground and guide the present undercurrent of my life now, difficult as it may be.

Reminiscing those good old days when I listened to Barbra Streisand's "Memory", stayed up all night, drinking and talking about how one day I would... blah blah blah. Perhaps now is not a good time to remember unless it is something beautiful for the memory I have now is too painful even for anyone to want to remember but as Streisand goes..."All alone in the moonlight... life was beautiful then, I remember the time I knew what happiness was. Let the memory live again...... I must wait for the sunrise, I must think of a new life and I mustn't give in. When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory too and a new day will begin."

Love is so painful

It is easy to talk about love and mostly it is beyond what we expect or desire. Love is awesome yet awful since God's love transcends the human definition of love to a point that is metaphorically hard for us to comprehend. Theologically, there is no need for Jesus to be crucified for our salvation and redemption of our sins. The primary symbol of God’s love is the crucifixion that provides a prominent and visual statement about love. 

Agape love entails lots of pain and suffering. I have encountered many form of love in life - people love me for my generosity, love me for my company etc etc but they are only superficial love. I realised that one never really love another unless their love brings pain and suffering. Jesus died on the cross to show us what unfailing love is all about, not because He has to in order that we may have salvation. His crucifixion is a sign of loving unconditionally and He suffered intense pain to carry that agape love to Calvary. Love goes beyond oneself. It’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Today, I finally know why there is no end to my suffering…that’s because I have not reached Calvary yet.

Looking at arrogrance from another perspective

Arrogance and self-confidence are different but yet they are related and subjective judgment. Arrogance has a negative annotation as it gives an impression of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or presumptuous claims. It fosters a negative-minded culture, not to mention the animosity it breeds. People tend to create arbitrary rules and complexities to satisfy some sort of exertion of social judgment by making arrogance a legacy of tyranny and character flaw. 

Two factors are assumed to induce impressions of arrogance in reaction to others' accounts for success: the dimensions underlying the cause for success and the perceived desirability of the cause. Weiner's attribution theory has become a major research paradigm of social psychology. It was proposed that circumstances ascribing success to internal, stable, uncontrollable, and desirable causes represent positive given qualities of a person such as intelligence and beauty can lead to perceptions of arrogance and lack of modesty. 

While seemingly only a few people act arrogantly, it could be considered a human trait, at least potentially. We also know we are not hard-wired to conduct ourselves in a certain way but are capable of making choices. While a peacock may seem arrogant, in the animal kingdom that would have a neutral value whether a peacock actually was or not. Arrogance is a relative matters. It is neither saintly nor neutral. Isn’t sin also relative matter? Arrogance isn’t exactly murder, plunder… or even illegal. So what is the problem then, if any?

Some humans are seemingly predisposed to be arrogant but only under the right conditions, or, more specifically, given the chance to express it without fear of retaliation. Everyone's decisions and opinions are based on their background of information, life, experience, knowledge, status, position etc. The limitations have been formed and different opinions are coming up accordingly. Hence, self-confidence and arrogance are supported by one's background and when these people really trust themselves and believe that what they are saying and doing is a great and scarcity power indeed. It is difficult to have self-confidence if people do not have a good understanding about themselves as it needs successful history and logical analysis to support their confidence. Arrogant is confidence + judgment + courage. I believe that arrogance is positive if it can drive you to a right direction. Arrogant people stand up for what they believe in and are not afraid to speak their mind. They tend to be very extroverted and stand out in the world without the need to broadcast the common achievements of life. Real arrogance, when applied properly, gives the impression of perceived sense of superiority, wealth, and achievement without discussing it. It simply exudes.

Although many distinguish arrogance as a camouflage for low self esteem, it is absolutely ridiculous to put the two traits together. Arrogance is too “high and mighty” to be associated with this negative low self image as it exaggerated responses to defeats or disappointments, inability and reluctant to express own ideas and lacks belief in self. How can arrogance and low self esteem integrate when there is much difference between passivity and action, failure and success? Research shows that people with high self confidence and high intelligence suffer loss in self esteem are often confined to one domain such as academic achievement where they feel they have fail to live up to their own academic expectations. These people remain high achiever in their other areas of strength. Psychiatrists often perceive that arrogant people behave the way they do in order to mask their insecurities, self-consciousness and low self-esteem. Their reasons being there is an inherent fear of rejection which forces them to cover up their feelings and adopt oppressive mannerisms so that nobody can afford to ignore them. On the contrary, it is high self esteem that is more correlated to self confidence and arrogance as it defines practice of living consciously, of self-acceptance, self-responsibility, self-assertiveness, purposefulness and of integrity.If in the face of discomfitting fear, a conscience cannot trust itself  and has a guiding principle of preferring blindness to sight, then this person cannot experiences self-respect if his action betrays consciousness, knowledge, conviction and operates without integrity. People can be inspired, stimulated or coached to live more consciously, practice greater self-acceptance, operate more self-responsibly, function more self-assertively, live more purposefully, and bring a higher level of personal integrity but the task of generating and sustaining these practices falls on each of us alone but not everyone can live up to this calling.

The purpose of being arrogant is to "tone down" or silence your critics, dreamers, armchair socialists and diehard cynics. Being arrogant does not necessary mean being rude and forgetting one's basic etiquette around others. Manners serve as the means by which you maintain your aloofness and keep others distant in a socially acceptable way. The right blend of arrogance and humbleness is considered to be irresistible. Many great leaders gain much respect although they are outrageously arrogant. Only one leader has the guts "to get out of his grave to get things going even when he is six feet underground". There’s what arrogance is about, doing things that no one else dare to. Is there anything negative about arrogance then? In a nutshell, not everyone has the high caliber to be arrogant.

Looking at death

Today we are and tomorrow we are gone. When we are taken out of sight, soon we pass out of mind as well. Hence, we ought to master ourselves in every act and thought as if we were to die today. If we have a good conscience, we would not fear death so much, If you are not prepared today, how will you be ready tomorrow? Tomorrow is an uncertainty and how do you know if tomorrow ever come?

What good is it to live long when we improve so little. A long life that does not make us a e better person often adds to our problems. Would that we could spend even one day well in this world?Many people are afraid to die but yet make no attempts to change their lives.

Blessed is the person who always has the hour of death before his eyes and who is daily prepared to die. Always be ready and live authentically so that death may never find you unprepared. Many people die suddenly and unexpectedly for no one knows when that final hour will come. When that final hour does come, you will begin to think quite differently about all your part life and you will be exceedingly sorry that you were so heartless, unkind and remiss.

How happy and wise is that person who strives now to be in life what he wished to be found in death. He will die happily if has lived for God and not for himself with a burning desire to advance in virtue, love of discipline, spirit of penance, self denial and the strength to bear any hardhip for the love of God. Strive to live in such a way that in the hour of death, you may rejoice rather than fear.

Be AWARE of what is happening to this world

Is religious belief central to a vigorous and affluent society? George Washington warned “never to indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion”. Even Hitler knew that secular schools could never be tolerated because a morality that is not founded on religion is built “on thin air”. Thus, I wondered why some people cannot understand that without a moral backbone based on religion, society will suffer. Morality is absolutely a necessary function of social interactions and human communities.

With or without religion, few people have a tremendous capacity for empathy. Sympathy, yes but not empathy. No one knows of the pain that they might cause others unless their hearts have been pierced by a sword as well. Society is simply retarded at disapproving immoral behaviour and teachings. The savanna effect is threatening our capability to agape love, altruism and compassion. It is no longer an issue of difference, but of intolerance, when secularism insist on doing things their way like promoting homosexuality, approval of premarital sex, and worst of all that “anal sex can be healthy or neutral if practised with consent and with a condoms”. Unless a parent himself is a homosexual, would he encourage his son to enjoy anal sex without shame and indignity? Alas, we must be AWARE that pushing such values into our society is nothing but a total disregard of the integrity of other human beings. Can we then conclude that having pedophiles roaming the street without fears is nothing astonishing since they have such an awful awesome or awesome awful secular philosophy backing them up?

Of course the claim that morality must be dependent on religious belief may be just an empirical hypothesis. I am sure that both the atheist and agnostic would agree that morality based on positive choice is preferable to one based on fear but it must be founded on firm principles framed independently that guarantee and value the right kind of freedom and commitment. After so many centuries of natural selection of genes, moral behaviour is still unable to ensure community survival. Throughout history, people allowed illogical and immoral actions due to the misuse and misinterpretation of scriptures, doctrines, dogmas and philosophy. Morality is necessarily based upon what we value. Unless we value something, it makes no sense to say that there is a moral requirement that we defend it or prohibit harm from coming to it.

It is a fact that religion has been used to commit atrocities but it has also been used to preserve societies. When secularism fails, religion comes in and rescues society. Religion is a society thing, a communal thing, and whatever the religion, it preserves life. If a secular government fails to protect its people and maintain stability, religious is the one holding people together. Undeniably, religious teachings are not infalliable but it does provide a good fundamental viewpoint.

There was a time when most nations and communities were ethnically, culturally, and religiously homogenous. This allowed them to rely upon common religious principles and traditions when crafting public laws and public moral requirements. There are always variations between the moral values held by individuals and the values required of an entire community, yet what moral values are legitimate to impose on a community defined by religious pluralism? It would be wrong to single out any one religion’s morality to elevate above all the other faiths. At best we could pick those values which all have in common; even better would be to exercise the right moral values based upon reason rather than any religions’ scriptures and traditions.

Perhaps this is the moment to inculcate awareness of ethics of principled conviction so that people will act ethically and the ethics of responsibility so that they understand the consequences of their decisions and actions, not just their high-minded substandard principles. The Hippocratic Oath is a good example based on the outcome orientated ethics of responsibility and it should serve as a foundation for other principles that define good morals. But then again, how many doctors have also forgotten the Hippocratic Oath... Moral or no moral, we shall answer to God and ourselves one day.

Swine Flu

Death is inevitable. While premature death is a misfortune, we should view it from a more positive perspective that we are not immortal and cannot continue to be who we are now and remain meaningfully attached to life forever. Perhaps it is more acceptable to die at an advanced age when people who live long enough not to be grounded down by life as they have attained many of their aspirations. Premature death can be terrible in the sense that it comes when we still have many interests and desires that propel us forward in life.

The recent global warning that swine flu is threatening to bloom into a pandemic is causing widespread fear. Anticipating death can be a dreadful to the extent that it upsets and unsettles people. Pandemics can cause high levels of mortality with the Spanish flu responsible for over 50 millions death. The Asian flu infected 45 millions people and killed 70,000 and the Hong Kong flu afflicted 50 millions and caused 33,000 deaths.

WHO has declared a Phase 5 outbreak, the 2nd highest on its threat scale indicating that a pandemic could be imminent. Health Minister Khaw said it is only a matter of time before someone with swine flu entered Singapore. Hey, who is playing God here? Have we reached a pandemic level yet? The figures of suspected cases and death are far from a pandemic. What puzzle me is that medical researchers should be well aware of the mutation of flu virus and contingency plans for a possible global pandemic should have been in order long before the swine flu begins its battle. Although it is prudent to be cautious, but unnecessary step up measures only create more panic and achieve nothing but a waste of manpower, time and funds. So, what has been achieved so far… jitters over swine flu worldwide.

Medical researchers have also acknowledged that the swine virus can be easily beaten if treated properly and quickly. Unfortunately, Mexico lacks the capacity to identify the virus and the health care system is not efficient enough to control it. Don’t panic. Everyone has to die one day and we cannot choose when and how we want to die… peacefully in our sleep, by accident, suicide, illness or killed by Sars, mad cow disease, bird flu or swine flu. Que sera sera.

Disappointment is part of life

All of us have to face disappointment at one time of another. That is one sure pledge and simple fact of life. Not everything is always going to go smoothly in our life. How we handle disappointment says a lot about who we are and who we want to be. The true measure of an unbeaten person is one who handles that disappointment with grace and dignity. The last thing you want or need is constant focus on someone or something that has upset you. Disappointment may truly have thrown us a huge blow but still we have to move on so that it will not drag us down and lowers our self confidence. It's easy to get caught in a rut after getting hit with disappointment, pain and regret.

Am I upset about my life? You bet. Have I learnt a lesson? Sure have. Will I remember it? Sure will. After venting my frustration I need to move on too, otherwise my attention will be focused on stuff that only brings more frustration and sadness.

Having an attitude of gratitude always puts me in a better place. By the time I get through thinking of all the great people, experiences and blessings I am grateful for, I usually can’t remember what had made me so disappointed in the first place but of course that takes time too. Does time heal everything? Yes and no. Life is certainly ambiguous to begin with.

Suspect X

I rarely watch movies especially onboard a flight. Most of the time, I fall asleep even before flight take off or when plane is on the runway. However, on my flight back from Tokyo recently, I had a peep at the movie my friend was watching when the stewardess woke me up for meal.

I found the plot of “Suspect X” intriguing and intricate. It presents the equation question and answer upfront while taking time in divulging the process that happens in a philosophical explanation of a simple murder made complicated. In mathematic equation questions, one is often required to solve x or when the answer for x is given, one would be required to explain the steps in solving the equation. The answer was simple and yet when one approaches the question with a certain viewpoint; it would be hard to figure it out. It definitely tests one’s astuteness that unsolvable questions need to be looked at from a different non conventional perspective. The vigor of “Suspect X” lies in the intellectual one-upmanship between the genius Mathematician Tetsuya Ishigami and the brilliant Physicist, Manabu Yukawa while unrevealing the “why” and “how” of the murder. It marks the beginning of an antagonistic battle of wills between the two very intelligent men to outwit one another.


This movie also underlines the issue of social isolation that is so common in Japan. This seclusion often leads one to commit suicide as a way out of their misery. In order to understand why the Japanese are often seem as reserved and untrusting, it has to go back to the root of 2nd world war. Their ambiguity towards life is the aftermath effect of the atrocity and cruelty as aggressor of the war. Isolation in itself is a very painful and stressful in and of itself. It produces physiological changes, which if prolonged, can produce serious morbidity or mortality and even highly brilliant person cannot escape its grasp as in the case of Ishigami.

Beside the crime solving, it also attempted to present an equation on love and the perplexed question of whether the mystery of love could be solved. One must have the ability to notice the fundamental meanings of unconventional love. For those who are able to read between the lines, they would be able to see a touching presentation of unrequited and altruistic love.
It is a lovely blend of murder mystery and the mysteries and concept of love.

A fool for God

Love is a great thing… it carries every burden unencumbered. It spurs us on to do great things without expecting any momentary gain. Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger, nothing more sublime, nothing more expansive, nothing more joyful, nothing more abundant. Yet, because of love, I suffered and get hurt. While I am not looking for gratitude or earthly rewards, I can’t help feeling the pain when others bite the very hand that feeds them.

How enormous is human frailty in doing things that should not and how can one not embrace love and gratitude in a reciprocal manner? Many said I never learnt my lesson … once bitten twice shy, twice bitten never try. Oh well, but I rather be a fool for God than an advocate for the devil. Can love really change the world? Can love really change everything? Can you feel the love? I hope so.

Be grateful

Most times, it is so easy to forget to express the appreciation that we should feel for the little day to day things that happen in our lives, the many overlooked blessings we receive from God and the importance of expressing thankfulness for the things, so many of us often take for granted.

Sincere gratitude empowers us to focus on the positive aspects of life and develops into greater awareness and appreciation of little blessings that make up an awesome experience and gratitude is always the sweet memory of the heart. Do bear in mind that silent gratitude doesn’t mean very much to anyone at all. Therefore, be grateful always and express it!

Who will cry when you die?

We live in an era where we have forgotten what life is all about. We live in a world of broken promises, in a time when people treat their words lightly. Saying things we do not really mean and therefore losing credibility and breaking the bonds of trust which ultimately leads to a string of broken relationship.

Every time we fail to do the right thing, we reinforce the habit of doing wrongs. Every time we refuse to tell the truth, we feed the habit of lying. Our thoughts and actions form our world and what we think and do grow into our inner being.

As Woodrow Wilson said, "You are not here to merely make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." Yet we have lost touch with our humanity and our purpose. We have lost sight of the things that matter the most.

If we live a lousy life, who will cry when we die? What impact will our lives have on the generations that follow? What legacy are we leaving behind after we have taken our last breath? Don't wait till it's too late before we discover what life is all about. The purpose of life is a life of purposes.

Sadness

Everyone has a secret sorrow that the world know not. Tears are words the heart cannot express and grief is the whisper that does not speak but break the heart.

Is there hope in a hopeless world?

There is no hope for humanity, nothing but the gloom. How the hope of mankind have been shown to be in vain. Religions cannot unify the world, political progress and democracy cannot bring peace, science cannot change the world for the better.

Even the wisest of men have failed to anticipate the world dimensions of the future tribulations which would perplex humanity. We hope for peace but there came the war. We hope for love but there are much hatred and fury. We hope for the truth but there is only deceit. We hope for integrity but what we get is dishonesty.

To this day, there is no policy or governance capable of healing the strife of nations and no power to compel the defiant. There is no solution to solve the paradox of justice, law and order except a sense of absurdity.

Do you feel sick of all the idiocy and sham in this world that you just want to scream out “Oh God, where is the hope in this hopeless world?” I am one with Paul Young when he sang “looking for hope in a hopeless world; searching for love in such hateful times; trying to stay strong while the mind gets weak. I'm looking for hope in a hopeless world”.

An Atrocity - The Khmer Rouge Regime

The oppression and exploitation of Khmer Rouge regime is filled with cruelty and inhumanity action. Even after the fall of the regime, all survivors struggled to start their lives anew but it was difficult till this very day. It is impossible to prevent the psychological trauma, fear and horror from permeating their daily lives. The trauma of the genocide extends more than thirty years as the memories of witnessing the horrors haunted the very core of the victims, children of survivors and even the perpetrators of the crime. No one in Cambodia was left untouched by a genocide that killed almost 25% of the entire population. For more thirty years, no formal justice system has been established to bring those leaders of the sadistic Khmer Rouge regime to trial.

Although the Khmer Rouge ended with the Vietnamese invasion of Phnom Penh, the Khmer Rouge’s policies of forced collectivization and social reconstructivism left behind a legacy that lingered long after its demise and a vastly uneducated and unskilled society, a displaced and traumatized nation, a population of widow and children and a country with landmines that even today continue to maim and kill. Worst of all, it left behind a legacy far from over that will likely to take generations to heal. Viciousness of this nature should not return into the Angkor territory as in any part of the world.

In short, the following best describe the instances of despair and hopelessness that tear the lives of the people then.

"No religious rituals, no religious symbols, no fortune tellers, no traditional healers, no paying respects to elders, no social status, no titles

No education, no training, no school, no learning, no science, no technology, no pens, no paper

No currency, no battering, no buying, no selling, no begging, no giving, no purses, no wallets

No human rights, no liberty, no courts, no judges, no laws, no attorneys

No communications, no public transportation, no private transportation, no traveling, no mailing, no inviting, no visiting, no faxes, no telephones

No social gatherings, no chitchatting, no jokes, no laughter, no music, no dancing

No romance, no flirting, no fornication, no dating, no wet dreaming, no masturbating, no naked sleepers, no bathers, no nakedness in showers, no love songs, no love letters, no affection

No marrying, no divorcing, no marital conflicts, no fighting, no profanity, no cursing

No shoes, no sandals, no toothbrushes, no razors, no combs, no mirrors, no lotion, no make up, no long hair, no braids, no jewellery, no soap, no detergent, no shampoo, no knitting, no embroidering, no colored clothes except black, no styles except pajamas, no wine, no palm sap hooch, no lighters, no cigarettes, no morning coffee, no afternoon tea, no snacks, no desserts, no breakfast, sometimes no dinner

No mercy, no forgiveness, no regret, no remorse, no second chances, no excuses, no complaints, no grievances, no help, no favours, no eyeglasses, no dental treatment, no vaccines, no medicines, no hospitals, no doctors, no disabilities, no social diseases, no tuberculosis, no leprosy

No kites, no marbles, no rubber bands, no cookies, no popsicle, no candy, no playing, no toys, no lullabies, no rest, no vacations, no holidays, no weekends, no games, no sports, no staying up late, no newspapers

No radio, no TV, no drawing, no painting, no pets, no pictures, no electricity, no lamp oil, no clocks, no watches

No hope, No life. A third of the people didn’t survive. The regime died." – Sarith Powin

Gossiping and slandering are malicious

Gossip and rumours are simply “pure poison”. They often have the power to hurt not only the person who is the object of the gossip, but also the listener who believes the gossip. Gossip, in its most malicious form is attacking a person in a forum in which he/she is not present to defend himself/herself. In its more restrained form, gossip can be defined as sharing detrimental information with others who are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution. Gossiping and rumours stem from an evil motive to hurt the person that is being talked about and mold the truth into something entirely different.

Why must people evolve into a society that rejoices at making others their scapegoat in order to take their thoughts off their own downfalls? Can the human race learn to stop hurting others and start creating more beauty and love with words? How sad it is when gossips creates rumours and take on a life of their own…..What is most unfortunate and sad is that those very people who proclaim their love for God often indulge in gossiping and slandering without a blink of an eye. Where are their conscience and what happen to their moral and ethic values? Flush down the toilet bowl? I wonder????????

The Last Lecture

"The Last Lecture" was written by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carneige Mellon after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The lecture he gave - "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" wasn't about dying, it's about living - the importance of overcoming obstacles, enabling the dreams of others, seizing every moment because time is all you have and one day you may find that you have less than you think. In his book and talk, Randy Pausch combined the humour, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and it is definitely a book that will be shared for generations to come. Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008) gave his last lecture at the university on 18th September 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. He lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on 25th July 2008. If you love to read... it is a MUST read, otherwise watch this video (1 hr 16 mins) and BE INSPIRED! The video has been viewed more than 8.4 million times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo