Money

About a week ago I was sitting on the front seat of my eldest brother's car. I was with him, who was beside me, driving through Jakarta, a city with a slew of problems but a host of addictive foods. En route to some place that I already forget, we talked about a topic that I'm sure has always been in the 'heart' of anyone, anytime, anywhere—since the system was adopted worldwide.

We discussed our parents, which were (and are) sick. We had (and have) to spend sums of money coming from our bread and butter. To be honest, it had been as if I was an obese sauropod when I went to the cashier in a hospital in Sunter, North Jakarta, and swipe my bank card to pay for my father's treatment. It had been quite difficult for me to visit my bank website, do some Internet banking, and let those rupiahs 'fly' from my bank account to pay for my mother's. But the fruit that came from that not very long conversation kind of 'widened my eyes'.

Money. This five-letter word is enough to be the source of most problems in the world. I'm not a statistics expert but I believe there are a great number of spouses that have gotten divorced and/or had affairs because of money, not to mention high crime rates brought about by this static thing. Have you read a newspaper today? If yes, I'm pretty sure that at least some of the bad news articles you've read have money as the culprit.

But the problem is not money itself. As the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10, it is our desire that is to blame. In Matthew 6:33, God 'slaps' us so that we don't focus on other things; we have to free ourselves from angst and lead our lives to only one thing: His reign.

Here are some points to end this article:

• Be wise with your money since God lends it to you for His glory. Remember: You are chosen. If it is for good, why don't you let it go?
• Destroy your feeling of insecurity. Rely on God; He is the True Protector.
• People who are winners are those who know that money is only a medium and strive to put as much effort as they can for the good of the world.

Credit: David Hinjaya

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Inheritance

I'm not talking about that popular novel. In fact, I don't read many novels; I've only read several novels, including, of course, those related to dinosaurs, like Jurassic Park and The Lost World. (Pssst: I've just ordered two other dinosaur novels, The Dinosaur Four and Jurassic Dead. I'm dying for them!!! XD)

Okay, getting back to the subject, so, this word (and the concept) went through my mind sometime in the past. But the intriguing point that impelled me to sit in my quiet workplace and write this hopefully thought-provoking article was its relationship with another word: death.

How many people are alive in the world now? 6 billion? 7 billion? Yeah, just a ballpark figure (I'm not a geographer). But the thing is, most humans that have lived in this world—that means an unthinkably huge number—have died. Male and female, black and white, Asian and European. They are gone. People that were once alive, just like us, are gone. What does this life mean for them?

The value of someone is determined by what they do throughout their life, which will eventually become what they have left, what they have inherited, or, in other words, what other people remember about them.

Out of the myriad people, there is only a super tiny fraction that is extremely well-known for their 'remains'. There is no doubt that the name "Albert Einstein" most likely makes people conjure up physics-related stuff. The image of Thomas Alva Edison would lead us to picture his monumental invention, the bulb. These two examples have something that still 'ignites' in today's people's minds. Now I imagine if Jay Chou had passed away now, the first thing that I'd use to describe him is music.

What is 'tickling' me right here right now is the question "Do I want to be an 'ordinary' person, who just entered this realm and will leave without any impressions left for the current and upcoming generations?"

No, I don't. Nonavian dinosaurs already had their days and I want to make my own 'footprints'. Continue reading

Practical English Usage – Book Review

Practical English Usage

by Michael Swan

I feel 'sinful' if I don't let people know this book. So here it is, one of the best English language books I've ever read: Practical English Usage by Michael Swan.

I'd call this book a 'super problem solver'. Why? This book discusses the English language extensively. The content ranges from grammar and pronunciation, through differences between American and British English, to how to correspond in English. Swan writes the content clearly; it is easy to understand and won't baffle the readers. Finding a topic is effortless as there is a very useful index at the back of the book which clearly directs the readers to what they are looking for (the contents are arranged in alphabetical order and numbered). This book is a must-have not only for English learners, but also for English teachers, as, I believe, in someone's teaching career, they sometimes come across questions that they don't have the answers to. In addition, the 3rd edition includes Don't say it!, a section that covers 130 common English mistakes at various levels. I think the remark that Practical English Usage is the 'Bible' of English is not an exaggeration.

The 4th edition of Practical English Usage was published in 2017 and can be purchased here. Continue reading

Birds Are Dinosaurs, so...

Really? Are you crazy? What are you talking about?

You might have come out with these kinds of expression, and you might now be frowning as well. If you think the title seems peculiar, I suggest that you buy (or borrow) a copy of Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. and Luis V. Rey, and read the chapter Birds (Avialae). (To read my review of the book, click here.)

To true dinosaur enthusiasts, this is not something strange or new. As bats are mammals, birds (including chickens) are dinosaurs. Dinosaurs did NOT go extinct; they are still alive today, with us. So what are the implications? What are the consequences? Here are some that I can think of:

1. Dinosaur pets

A parrot

Do you have a bird pet? Parrot? Cockatoo? Canary? Pigeon? Finch?  If yes, you have a dinosaur. :)

2. Dinosaurs in the zoo

An emu in a zoo

In a sense, we actually have Jurassic Parks. Now you can point to a bird in a zoo and say, "Look! That's a dinosaur!"

3. You might have eaten dinosaur.

Thai chicken satay

Unless you have been a vegan/vegetarian all your life, it is very likely that you have eaten dinosaur.

4. Jay Chou's favorite food is fried dinosaur.

Me with Jay Chou wax statue at Madame Tussauds Singapore

Is this the reason why you compose music amazingly, Jay?

5. Fast-food chains provide dinosaur.

Fried chicken

McDonald's, KFC, Lotteria, Burger King, A&W, and many more. They provide dinosaur!

6. Bird lovers are dinosaur lovers.

Feeding gulls

Are you a bird lover? Congratulations! You are a dinosaur lover! :)

7. Alarm dinosaurs

A crowing rooster

Thanks to those dinosaurs, you don't get to work late. :)

8. The Twitter logo is a dinosaur.

The Twitter logo
TWITTER, TWEET, RETWEET and the Twitter logo are trademarks of Twitter, Inc. or its affiliates

Don't forget to Tweet this article. ;)

9. Donald Duck and Tweety are dinosaurs.

Donald Duck

Tweety

Quick-tempered dino and cute dino!

10. Dinosaurs for weddings

A pair of white pigeons

Dinosaurs represent purity, fidelity, and many things. So sweet... <3

That's all! Actually, you can find countless others. Now I am kind of hungry... Should I eat some dinosaur..? Continue reading

Discounts

Imagine you are in a mall. You go to a department store. You see many kinds of things. Some of them are interesting but the others not. But, what is "really interesting"  is that there are eye-catching signs. "25%", "30% discount", "up to 80% off", and many others; those are what the signs show.

Discounts are a way to attract people to buy products or services. You can save some money and spend it on anything else. (That's what I know. Please forgive me, I'm not marketeer.)

Item: Watch
Normal Price: $50.50
Discount: 30%
Price After Discount: $35.35

Yeah, cool! You can save $15.15. You can buy two copies of Raptor Red, one for you and one for your mischievous brother. Is it good? Yes, it is. Is it always good? The abrupt answer is NO.

Why? The answer is related to my article Need and Greed. The mistake that people sometimes (or often?) make is that they are tempted to buy discounted things because there are discounts. If you think about it, it makes no sense. The fact that there are discounts is not a good reason why you buy things. We buy things
because we think those will be useful for us, because we will use them for our good, because they will affect our lives well, because they will bring about good effects to us.

If you buy a thing with an original price of $10 at a reduced price of $8 without the right reason, actually you do not save $2; you throw away $8 instead.

Laura: "Brian, look at the T-shirt!"
Brian: "Oh, what's wrong with it?"
Laura: "It's so cheap! There's a 75% discount! It's just $10 now! Get it!"
Brian: "Oh. Thanks, Laura, but I have plenty of clothes at home. :) Laura, you look thirsty. Why not drink an orange juice? I'll treat you. :)"
Laura: "Ah.. Sure.. Thanks, Brian. :)" Continue reading

Jay Chou's Songs for Weddings

Again! I am writing this article while listening to his songs. :)

Maybe some people think that it is a crazy or enigmatic idea. And I'm sure others think this is a brilliant idea—as I do. Weddings are once-in-a-life-time events. Why not use Jay Chou's heavenly, romantic music to embellish one of the unforgettable moments in your life? Your beloved one would definitely be touched and pleased! If I marry, I'd like to sing at least some of these songs for my beloved wife. :) Okay, here they are! Enjoy! ^^

Note:
• For translations click here.
• If you want to sing, changing or adjusting the lyrics so that they will suit you and your honey would be a good idea.

1. 可愛女人 (Ke Ai Nü Ren) → Lovable Woman
2. 簡單愛 (Jian Dan Ai) → Simple Love
3. 星晴 (Xing Qing) → Clear Stars
4. 七里香 (Qi Li Xiang) → Common Jasmin Orange
5. 園遊會 (Yuan You Hui) → Garden Party
6. 浪漫手機 (Lang Man Shou Ji) → Romantic Handphone
7. 麥芽糖 (Mai Ya Tang) → Maltose
8. 甜甜的 (Tian Tian De) → Sweetly
9. 愛的飛行日記 (Ai De Fei Xing Ri Ji) → Love's Flight Diary
10. 手語 (Shou Yu) → Sign Language
11. 手寫的從前 (Shou Xie De Cong Qian) → The Handwritten Past
12. 告白氣球 (Gao Bai Qi Qiu) → Love Confession

Bonus: Jay Chou's Wedding Music

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Source: http://www.jaychoustudio.com/jay-chou-discography (title translations) Continue reading

Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages – Book Review

Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages

by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. and Luis V. Rey

To be honest, Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages is one of the best dinosaur books I've ever read. The title suggests that this book is suitable for dinophiles of all generations and I must say that I couldn't agree more. Dinosaurs will also definitely rivet those who want to delve into the world of dinosaurs from scratch. Tom Holtz did a great job as he explains the content of this book in a very simple and often funny way, making this book easy to understand and entertaining. In addition to that, Dinosaurs is very well structured so you won't get perplexed. The scope of this book is so vast; it covers history of dinosaur discoveries, rocks and environment, taxonomy, cladistics, types of dinosaurs, dinosaur behavior and biology, and many more. Finally, with magnificent and vibrant illustrations by Luis Rey, articles written by thirty-three of the world's leading fossil experts, and a comprehensive dinosaur genus list at the back of the book, Dinosaurs is a wonderful paleontology treasure and one that every person mustn't miss when considering buying a high-quality dinosaur book. Continue reading