maximalminimality

Dedicated to those who needed that extra boost of faith and extra push from fear.

I still remembered the moment I received my SPM results. The journey back to school was long and arduous. There I was standing in line whilst listening to occasional cries of joy and screams of misery piercing the air. When I reached the table, my teacher pushed the slip into my hands, and I looked down, fearing the worst.

I didn't know whether to be happy or sad. For a moment I leaned against the wall, wondering where my future would lie, wondering where I would end. Did this slip of paper in my hand really mean anything? I felt inferior, knowing there were many more who did better than me. But, I also felt bad for the many more who were not able to achieve a credible statement.

My parents wanted me to study law. They said that they know I was capable of making it to the top. They also said that the field of law is always filled with job opportunities and stability. My relatives had the same point of view.


I never knew exactly what I wanted to do. However, I knew what I didn't want to do.

I never liked business, nor law or accounting or IT or engineering. I like natural sciences and language as well as mass communication, but I didn't like them enough to justify them as my occupation. I knew I liked to know what happens in a person's mind.


Mind you, it wasn't the option my parents were most supportive of. They were worried that people in this field were not able to get any jobs when they graduate. However, I made my decision. I chose my field of interest and I am very fortunate to be given the freedom to do so, knowing that there are youths who do not even have a choice when making tertiary educational choices.

It has been almost 2 and a half years since then.

I have learned so much from the many friends I have made over this period of time, but I have matured even more. I have been with them through great times and bad times, and the memories made are unforgetable. Most importantly, I found my true love, and my walk in life could have never been better than before. And I know now, that even before I came to know Him, He was with me. Always.


Passion kept me going. And I know that it was very important to keep the fire burning. I want to thank my friends who were there when I was on the brink of breaking down, helping me up, encouraging me along.

I still do not know exactly what I want to do in the future. I do not know if I ever will. What I do know is that I have never regretted any decisions I have made. Because I know that without those choices made, I would have never been what I am today.

I have almost come to the midway point in my tertiary education, and I have come a far, far way. Tomorrow, I will be presenting for my very first psychology colloqium. Things might not be perfect, and the path to get here was very tough, but I have to agree that the experience during the journey was priceless.

But I'm loving every second of it.

Imagine someone doing this during Talent Time:

"You're at the gym and you have done 30 lifts before becoming exhausted. However, you heard that if you push yourself beyond your limit, you will have more muscle faster. So, you lift another 5 times."

What's wrong about the above story?

Basically when men start exercising, they tend to go towards the muscle massing direction, where the goal is to build big and strong muscles. However, a study done by UCLA have shown that females prefer toned guys compared to overly muscular ones.

Muscle Massing
Objective: Build muscle mass
Methods: Weight lifting

To build mass, you carry carry heavier weights for less repetitions. Your goal is to continually break your muscles by lifting weights which are beyond your comfort zone and allow them to rebuild over 2 - 3 days before breaking them again. People who have lots of muscle mass only have strength when the muscle is used because the muscles only contract under pressure. Muscle massing does not burn fat!

Muscle Toning
Objective: Tone muscles
Methods: Weight training

To tone muscles, you carry lighter weights for more repetitions. Your goal is to accustom your muscles to the continual weight that you must lug around. Just carry weights everywhere you go at all times. When you do not feel it anymore, add more weights but still keep within your comfort range. People who have toned muscles have strength even when the muscles are idle because the muscles are trained to be in a semi-contracted state. If you are toning muscle, you do not want to tear your muscles because you will break your weight training cycle. Muscle toning burns fat because it increases metabolism levels.

You can also do a mixture of both muscle training styles to build sufficient mass if you are skinny, but it is very advisable to tone more instead of massing more unless you are a bodybuilder.

I DID IT!!!

I want to thank my group members who were very supportive, helpful and understanding. Thanks to Michael who was pacifying the angry participants who were waiting outside. Thanks to Eng Loon for being a wonderful server during the first experiment and counselor when i panicked after the first session. Thanks to Julian who had to read the script 3 times and say sorry to the participants.

Most importantly, thank you to the emergency research assistants: Boon Woei, Ai Li, Mandy and Ivy. You guys are everything in this experiment!

In the next part of this post, I will discuss the results of the experiment. Till then.

Seriously, our government roads transportation system drivers really sucks.

Just hours ago in Pusat Bandar Damansara, it rained as if the heavens flooded out. Cars were still moving although there was a red light (how civilized can we get?). Fortunately, no one doesn't give way to a lumbering megaton of iron in the shape of a bus.

Earlier today, I was driving through HELP's parking lot and I saw a space so near the feeder bus terminal. I took like almost 5 minutes to park my car because of the stupid idiot who double parked immediately in front of the space. I could have parked elsewhere but that would give me no reason to blame an unknown driver show off my uber parking skills.

Suddenly (and when you see suddenly, you know you should expect something), Mun Keat passed my car. He waved when I was in the midst of parking my car. When I thought he went away I saw him again knocking on my window.

"Min Huei, ar! You just came in, right? Can I exchange parking ticket with you? You are going to pay the RM3 no matter what, right?"

WTH!

And I thought he had something nice to say!

Let's see who has the last laugh!

Come for tomorrow's experiment PLEASE!

Step 1: Come tomorrow at 9-10 am.
Step 2: There is no step 2.

Thank you very much!

(Thank God for Fisher's exact test.)

Zeitgeist is going to have a sequel, and it's gonna be a bang:



To those who do have no clue what Zeitgeist is, click HERE.

There is only one sinless man in the history of mankind. But when He died, he went to hell instead of heaven. He was resurrected, and became the only mortal to ascend into heaven without dying.

Congratulations to the entire drama cast and technical crew of Eternity at City Harvest. Also big thanks to friends who came for this life changing events.

Happy Easter and God bless!



Check this out:

Matthew 26: 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Matthew 27: 25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

Acts 5: 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.

It's as if the people knew it all along!

HAHAHAHA. HMC KAKI LOOK AT THIS:





GREAT MEMORIES!!!

I have a new haircut and my sister took the camera to Ozzy.

!dlrow eht ni ecnegilletni fo elitnecrep 5 pot eht ni era uoy ,nac uoy fI ?siht daer uoy naC

On the 14th of March, we were lucky to have Dr. Ong Beng Kok, a distinguished reserch specialist from Penang, in HELP UC to speak about qualitative research. Despite his lack of eloquence and charisma, he did have a well-put-together presentation which was rather enlightening. Since I had to write a summary about his talk, I decided to share this with everyone else.

Basically, there are 4 components of social enquiry:
1. Induction
2. Deduction
3. Retroduction
4. Abduction

Let's go over each of them in detail!



1. Induction
Ontological: Shallow Realists
Epistemological: Empiricism

Shallow realists are generalizers. They collect data and interpret patterns and relationships which are observable in people, and make conclusions which are generalizable to the everyday person. They know that seeing is believing, and that knowledge is produced by evidences collected by the human senses.

A person of induction requires prove. Anything which cannot be measured through scientific methods is considered false and unreal.

2. Deduction
Ontological: Cautious Realists
Epistemological: Falsificationism

Cautious realists are theorists. They critically deduce arguments based on laws and patterns, and then test the theories they form in the real world. They believe in an independent external reality which cannot be perceived accurately. Every theory is tested through trial and error and by eliminating wrong responses.

A person of deduction requires thought. Anything illogical is perceived to be inaccurate.

3. Retroduction
Ontological: Depth Realists
Epistemological: Neo-realism

Depth realists are sub-conscious thinkers. They believe that every reaction is the cause of an underlying cause or mechanism, which works independently regardless of situation and cannot be tinkered with. They believe that reality is a domain which work independently of science and activities.

A person of retroduction requires understanding. Anything is beyond anyone's control.

4. Abduction
Ontological Idealists/Subtle Realists
Epistemological: Idealism

Idealists/subtle realists are believers. They know that every action has a meaning and motive behind it. They believe that the external world is a mere representation of the individual's mind. They know that believing is seeing, and that reality is constructed through individuated perspectives.

A person of abduction requires faith. Everything is within everyone's control.



Which sort of enquirer are YOU?

HERE

There is no better chance to make things more perfect.

And I buy encouragement by the bulk.

Everything is about balance, seriously.

Hans Selye coined the word Eustress, which is defined as positive stress, to signify that all not all stressors are bad. Effective stress management keeps you in the middle of the graph where you are able to utilize your stress levels towards motivating yourself.

Catalysis is the best word to describe Malaysia in the past few years, especially as it drew closer to the national election. Catalysis is a chemistry and physics jargon used to express a reaction which is the result of an available catalyst.

If you are still lost in the mists of confusion, you must either be an ignorant fool or an ignorant idiot (take your pick). Probably the hottest topic in the headlines this year is nothing other than the 2008 general elections in Malaysia. Despite the continuous ruling by the National Front, I was quite certain that there will be surprising changes this time around.

With the government holding the power to screen mass media and the unforgivable ability to channel resources towards 'increasing confidence levels' in the public, you can barely turn the pages of the newspaper without seeing a horrific amount of advertisements which signified a blatant sign of insecurity, barely able to watch your favorite television programs before being unconsciously brainwashed, and barely able to listen to your favorite tunes before the blue scales stride in. Seriously a waste of taxpayers money.

Over the years, the increasing levels of education and political awareness amongst people in the developed states has shown a fairer sort of liberal democracy. People wanted change. It's the simplest form of the chaos theory in action: once people settled to a stable level, they will arise and start instigating change. People wanted MORE. And they know that some drastic changes in the governmental layers needed to take place.

I am quite happy with the results. Although the National Front is still the undeniable ruling party, the opposition has garnered quite a huge amount of support from the states of Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Selangor and WP KL. This will in turn make the government learn to think more maturely and liberally whilst giving opportunities for the opposition to show their capabilities within cooperative relations. In turn, the voices of the Parliament will be more mixed, giving rise to a wider range of opinions instead of a one-off interest.

I look forward to a brighter future.

The writer is a Psychology student who studied cultural anthropology and political science.

I AM TIRED OF MYSELF.

YET I KNOW I MUST GO ON, EVEN IF IT HURTS.

BECAUSE I KNOW, THAT IN WEAKNESS DO I FIND TRUE STRENGTH.

AND IN WEAKNESS DO I FIND THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO STAND UP FOR ME.

BELIEVING THAT EVERY WORD I SAY AND EVERY ACTION I MAKE

MIGHT, NOT WILL, BUT POSSIBLY MIGHT

CHANGE THE LIFE OF SOMEONE IN NEED.

BELIEVING THAT EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.

FOR A GREATER GOOD

FOR A GREATER PURPOSE

BELIEVING THAT IF I COULD ONLY TRY

I WILL SUCCEED

AND BE A BLESSING TO ALL.

BELIEVING THAT I WILL FIND

TREASURES THAT MAN CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE

COULD HOLD TRUE.

BECAUSE I KNOW

MY REDEEMER LIVES.