Kurt & Grace pre-wedding photoshoot & my first post processing experience
Ian shown me his post processing work flow yesterday on his Lightroom 2 and he amazed me on what can be achieved with LR. So, I came back and determined to try it out myself. So, here is the result of my first try with Lightroom. I can tell you that I like the software but hate my lack of experience with it. Also, I didn't get my display "calibrated". So, I guess my colour is ok.

The harshness is greatly reduced and the strong sunlight is somewhat "smoothened".




Thanks to Ian for giving me the demo. All the post-processed photos will be shown this Saturday at SIB KEC Krokop at the wedding ceremony.

50 Lessons in Life

Found in The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because if anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

You can't do it? What do you mean?
Watch this video which I pinched from my friend Andy Chew's blog. Then you decide for yourself whether you are worse off than Tony.

Why some people are so gullible, naive and never learn
I read this article in The Star today. This article has two parts, the first part is about the teenage girl having sex and the second half of the story is:

> In less than four minutes, about RM5,000 disappeared from manager Yong Chee Seong’s bank account after he was asked to update his online banking details in an e-mail he received on Tuesday, Kosmo! reported.

“The e-mail looked genuine and I was told to change my bank account password for safety reasons and to avoid being cheated by cyber frauds,” said the 30-year-old.

Yong said he did not suspect anything amiss until he received an SMS from the bank, informing him that a total of RM4,935 had been transferred out of his account.

When contacted, the bank said its policy did not require account holders to change their personal information via e-mail.

Why people still believe in internet crap? It has been on newspapers and literally everywhere. Another problem is the chain mail. Many people seem to believe everything that is written in there. The most amazing is about one of the planet the size of the moon, America will experience an extended day of 36 hours, cockroach laying eggs in the human mouth.... another common one is playing around with people "compassion", ie, if you forward, AOL will donate 5cents. People never stop to think... "How could it be possible?"
Then there is con done through the phone. People seem to dream about winning big money. So when con man told them that they won big money, the brain suddenly stop functioning and becomes so focus on the lottery that they failed to ask question. Therefore, they will follow whatever is asked... "bank in money in order to get money".

More Photos on Gumit Singh (aka Phua Chu Kang) Visit to Miri


The Sparrow team...





Uncle Stanley



Some of the counselors ...



Packed to capacity...

Pantomime show ... The Heart.



Sister Evelyn ... she has a beautiful voice!

Bro Gumit can joke, can be serious and can sing beautifully...






President of FGBMF, East Malaysia Chapter. He did a great altar call.


He loves children!

Miri Chapter chief, Bro Raymond giving away a souvenir....

He is very popular....
Click here for more photos....

Special delivery from UK
The 3rd sister, Janice sent 2 pants, a cap ...

... and a 3D puzzle for the three boys at home and ...

also a couple of photos for me to decorate my office.

The 3D puzzle kept Timmy and Jos busy whole afternoon.

Then he said... "Daddy, finish it for us...". hahaha

I think the pant looks good on him!

It is a little too tight on me.... hahahaha

我們都老得太快 , 卻聰明得太遲

把錢省下來，等待退休後再去享受 , 結果退休後, 因為年紀大，身體差，行動不方便，哪裡也去不成。錢存下來 , 等養老，結果孩子長大了, 要出國留學，要創業做生意，要花錢娶老婆，自己的退休金都被拗走了. 當自己有足夠的能力善待自己時，就立刻去做。老年人有時候是無法做中年人或是青少年人可以做的事，年紀和健康就是一大因素。
小孩子從小就告訴他 : 養你到高中，大學以後就要自立更生， 要留學，創業，娶老婆，自己想辦法。
自己要留多一點錢，不要為了小孩子而活。
我們都老得太快 , 卻聰明得太遲。
我的學長去年喪妻。 這突如其來的事故，實在叫人難以接受，但是死亡的到來 , 不總是如此。
學長說 , 他太太最希望他能送鮮花給他，但是他覺得太浪費，總推說等到下次再買。結果卻是在她死後，用鮮花佈置她的靈堂。 這不是太蠢愚了嗎 ?
等到 ...... 等到 ..... 似乎我們所有的生命，都用在等待。
「等到我大學畢業以後，我就會如何如何 …… 」我們對自己說
「等到我買房子以後！」
「等我最小的孩子結婚之後！」
「等我把這筆生意談成之後！」
「等到我死了以後 …… 」
人人都很願意犧牲當下，去換取未知的等待。 犧牲今生今世的辛苦錢，去購買後世的安逸。
許多人認為必須等到某時或某事完成之後 , 再採取行動。

' 明天我就開始運動。 '
' 明天我就會對他好一點 ; 下星期我們就找時間出去走走。 '
' 退休後，我們就要好好享受一下。 '
然而，生活總是一直變動，環境總是不可預知。在現實生活中，各種突發狀況總是層出不窮。 一個醫生說 : 我所見過的死人，比一般人要來得多。這些人早上醒來時，原本預期過的是另一個平凡無奇的日子，沒想到一個意料之外的事 : 交通意外、 腦溢血、心臟病發作等等。剎那間 , 生命的巨輪傾覆離軌，突然闖進一片黑暗之中。 那麼我們要如何面對生命呢 ? 我們毋需等到生活完美無瑕，毋需等到一切都平穩。 想做什麼，現在就可以開始做起。一個人 永遠也無法預料未來，所以不要延緩想過的生活。 不要吝於表達心中的話， 因為生命只在一瞬間。 記住 ! 給活人送一朵鮮花，強過給死人送貴重的花圈。每個人的生命都有盡頭。 許多人經常在生命即將結束時，才發現自己還有很多事沒有做，有許多話來不及說。 這實在是人生最大的遺憾。別讓自己徒留「為時已晚」的空餘恨。 逝者不可追，來者猶未卜。最珍貴、最需要即時掌握的「當下」，往往在這兩者蹉跎間，轉眼錯失。 人生短暫飄忽，包得有一首小詩這樣寫 :高天與原地，悠悠人生路； 行行向何方，轉眼即長暮。 正是道盡了人生如寄，轉眼即逝的惶恐。有許多事，在你還不懂得珍惜之前 已成舊事。有許多人，在你還來不及用心之前 已成舊人。遺憾的事一再發生，但過後再追悔「早知道如何如何 … . 」是沒有用的。
「那時候」已經過去，你追念的人 也已走過了你。 一句瑞典格言說 : 「 我們老得太快，卻聰明得太遲。」
不管你是否察覺，生命都一直在前進。 將希望寄予「等到方便的時間才享受」 , 我們不知失去了多少可能的幸福。 不要再等待有一天你「可以鬆口氣」，或是「麻煩都過去了」。 生命中大部分的美好事物 都是短暫易逝 。 享受它們、品嚐它們，善待你周圍的每一個人。把時間浪費在等待所有難題的「完滿結局」上。
勸大家一句話 : 把握當下，莫等待。

IT Technology of yesteryear - Computer Memory
I came across this plate of ancient (circa 1960-1970) computer memory. This is the earliest form of memory using magnetic core. The size of this plate is about 8 inch x 6 inch.

What you see is an array of tiny wires and circular magnetic core which is invisible under the naked eyes.

However, I took a closeup photo and amplify it and the circular magnetic core became visible. Click on the above to see an enlarged picture. The magnetic cores are black circular tiny rings which like donuts. Each of the above is 32x64 bits, ie, 256 bytes. On the plate, there are 18 such blocks. It seems that it is for 16bits CPU with 2 bits for error correction, etc.

It was made in USA. Cost? No idea.... must be US$1000s.

Compare this with a 1999 IBM RAM stick, each of 256MB. When it was first purchased, I think they cost the price of a detached house in Miri! Now, it cost less than US$20 per stick.

This memory board has 32KB of RAM. I assemble it myself for my single board microprocessor. It was in 1979 and cost around RM300. The computer can only program in assembly language or machine code or single BASIC.

Gurmit Singh in Town
The Miri chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship organised an evangelistic rally on 21st Sept 2008. The hall at Imperial Hotel was packed to capacity. The guest they invited was Gurmit Singh or better known as Phua Chu Kang. He gave a touching testimony on how he accepted Christ and he also sang some songs! He is also a very good singer.





After the rally, there was a short photo session.... many people were so excited!






I took over 300 high resolution photos. However, only 283 was uploaded to my photobucket. Please note that the photos on my Photbucket are NOT suitable for printing. If anyone is interested in the full resolution photos, please send an e-mail to me on williamting@ hotmail.com giving me your phone number, name and number of DVD you want to order. Each DVD (or could be CD) costs RM10. It contains all the photos published on my photobucket. Please click here to view.