Mind Field : YouTube channel on the deep questions of Science

Obsessed! I love this channel

Normally I go on YouTube to 'turn off' my brain, but this series is as intellectually stimulating as any science documentary. Exploring complex questions in a modern & entertaining way, I don't know how I missed this channel all these years. Highly recommended if you dare to challenge your mindset.

S01: https://youtube.com/playlist...

S02: https://youtube.com/playlist...

S03: https://youtube.com/playlist...

Prompted Writing: Tell a story set in a place where the landscape reworks itself nightly.

Working Title: When All Was One

0.1. One. Many. Humongous. INFINITE.^1000

Our existence expanded from the smallest of pinprick of vibration into a massive cataclysm of exploding energy.

The blossom of energy thrust itself forward at the speed of light and left a stream called Time.

The next few seconds, we were One no longer, but disintegrated into many impossible divisions, with such force that we are still expanding as you are reading this.

In those first billion nights, our universe was but a swirling mess of  cross-elemental marriages between Protons and Electrons, turning us into unions called Hydrogen.

It was always night then, for we were the stars.
We had only the consciousness that we prefer to stick together than not, and so, clusters of our Hydrogens gathered and exploded in constant Hydrogen bombs (which was a form of copulation).

Each night was a dance of creation and destruction, and to us back then, each night was a billion years.
Then suddenly the dance...changed. We created unions called Helium, then more complex unions came from our reshuffling.

EONS.

We have mastered the dance of creation and destruction. We gathered in such masses, and with such closeness, that we were called the planets

Gigantic clouds that danced to destruction pressed against themselves so tightly that they tore through the stream of time, falling into a sucking black abyss.

Other Clouds danced to creation, releasing massive waves of energy which formed the light of our universe.

The most basic of our dances is called Gravity. The pulling together. We find similarity, direct and complimentary, and attempt to regather in the semblance of our past One-ness.

Warning: Over doing Gravity will cause everyone to trip on each other and implode into a Black Hole or fall outwards to trip on all surrounding Clouds and spill their essence as a Supernova.

Our Music is Electromagnetic, a system that governs our steps at every level, pushing, flowing, repelling...it compels our motion.

Finally, Our gathering was called Mass. clusters of us so tightly gripped that we formed a one...not quite the One we used to be, but at least partially fulfilling our desire to unite.

And there is one of our largest mass, a Galaxy, milky swirls of glitter parading down the streams of time.
Night was our state for we are the stars.
In our dance, the light shall ever blaze as the glory that was once One.

Ashton Kutcher told me to be sexy - Teen Choice Awards 2013 acceptance speech

Screenstar Ashton Kutcher, practical joker host of MTV Punk'D, reveals his real name is actually 'Chris' and Ashton is really his middle name.
He accepted a Teen Choice award but surprised the audience with his unconventional speech.
With the poise of a public orator, Ashton got 'real' and talked about things a teenager really needs to know.

It feels like Ashton is finally done with the cougar hunger games and is moving on strong.
I love the simplicity and arrangement of his points.
1. Opportunity
2. Be Sexy
3. Living Life

Saving Fish From Drowning.

I heard of this Chinese saying that Amy Tan (on Ted.com) was explaining: "Saving Fish From Drowning."

She claims this old saying is from the Buddhist fishermen of ancient China. They felt bad for killing living beings for their livelihood, because according to their faith, fishes are just reincarnated human souls with bad karma.

To comfort themselves, these fishermen found the 'silver lining' to their 'dark cloud' with the saying: "We are simply 'Saving Fish From Drowning'...unfortunately, the fish dies in the process. "

I think it is a very sticky-in-the-mind quote because it's like an oxymoron but sounds like ironic poetry, yet the background story and context changes it from funny to steep deep.

Your opinion of the saying in relation to the story of these fishermen would cause you to reconsider your moral compass, your preconceptions of human vs nature, and then struggle with emotion and logic - "To sympathize with the working class or to defend fishes' rights?"

As with every quote I collect and internalize, I had an existential crisis and started asking questions like:
"Is it ok to kill animals for a living?"

"Is fishing a natural skill we evolved with, like Kingfishers?"

"Are humans a type of evolved fish?"

"If Humans are evolved, then why are we the ones endangering the whole planet."

"Killing seems wrong from human's perspective, yet hunter and prey are aspects of nature. Is killing to eat ok?"

***Mental Tangle***



The best part about the story is that this simple saying was the solution to their guilt. They didn't have to change anything they did, simply the way they saw things.

My problems are problems because I get into a mental tangle of negativity, juggling question after question when a simple mind shift might be the solution.

I see:
"Malaysian roads is a hellish battle of metal and honking. Drivers give you the finger, cuts your lane and then criticizes your mother. There are also occasional pothole minefields, flash floods, chain accidents and sudden motorbike gangs."

I positive paint:
"If I can drive in Malaysia, I can drive anywhere. Drivers think about my mother more than I do. Flash Pothole Minefield Flood is my new favourite driving reality game, like Grand Theft Auto, but real.


I see:
"Poor healthcare and waived human rights."

I paint:
"They know we can't afford Rich healthcare and when there is less human rights, it stands to reason that there should be less human wrongs as well.


I see:
"Racial discrimination and prejudice."

I paint:
"A lot of people are really good at racial profiling and simply giving their feedback on other cultures. People are probably saving a lot of time using prejudice, like court trials, judgement can be a slow process."


The lesson here is that having a positive view needs creative thinking, unconventional ideas and maybe even ironic poetry.

It's not a question of being right or wrong, it's more a question of how to see things different, how to find the silver lining of your own mind-cloud. That silver lining saves fish from drowning, it also saves people from drowning.

Vipassana Meditation & Alain de Botton's Philosophy of Success

Intro to Vipassana Meditation



For those who wish to learn about the ancient technique of Vipassana Meditation, its non-sectarian nature and its benefits, a video discourse approximately 17 minutes in length is available for viewing in both English and Hindi languages.


CLICK HERE FOR VIDEOS



I am pretty excited to be heading for this retreat. As a Public Speaking instructor, this year has made me grow is ways I've never imagined. It has taught me mastery of my voice in it's projection, tone and delivery. I have found that sound must also be imbued with body language to impart the full dimensions of a message.


This FREE course attracted me because it symbolizes the benefits of Silence. From the video, it talks about finding peace in the mind through observation. It reminds me of one of the Habits from Stephen Covey's book '7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. Being proactive, not reactive. I do believe that this age presents one of the highest mental stresses of all time. We are reactive creatures by nature and this programming will not allow us to live in harmony as our instincts say Survival Of The Fittest, but Society says we are all equal and living in a world of Meritocracy.


This form of thinking is further explained by this Ted Video by Alain de Botton, titled:
A kinder, gentler philosophy of success

He is the epitome of wit. I just love all his smart punchlines, keeping it relevant and entertaining. His message will really force you to rethink the terms of success. Has your vision of success been dictated by society or have you truly built your own path towards Inner Success.

I shall post my experience in the 10 day meditative retreat soon :)

Theories on the Spirit World and Ghosts

This was a reply to a fellow mystic whom discussed a few ideas about hauntings. As a psychically sensitive person who has lived in a haunted house before, I feel that my personal experience on the matter is relevant and based on careful thought :Royce Tan

Hey, Thank you for the reply. I too have lived in a haunted house with a few family members. My observation is similar to yours, true hauntings rarely cause harm to the ones who experienced it.

The thing I question is, Why do only specific individuals experience the hauntings personally and almost never on an equal scale. Meaning that if the spirit were a single purposeful entity trying to communicate with us via exerting equal spiritual force on all living souls within the vicinity, should we not all receive equal amounts of it's energies and therefore experience the same thing?

In simpler terms = if a singer stood in front of us, singing for us, would we not all hear the same song? yet spiritual experience is always individual and unique, some smelling things, hearing things, seeing things. Different experiences within the same haunted location. This further supports my theory that the area has a Dimension/space-time anomaly, that leads us to perceive different strange things in very individualized ways.

The individualized ways such as hearing, seeing and feeling are again indicative that it isnt' the Singer (spirit) with the intention of communication, but the Listener (the haunted) that has the subconscious intention to 'hear' the transposed and dislocated Sounds (ghostly experiences) recorded in that space.

I am still unsure if the land is 'recording' these energies or if the land simply has a weaker boundary between different Times, allowing us to sense past or future Living people in the same location yet physically in a different time.

I've always wondered how come mediums can connect to a person from the past in the present yet have their timelines run parallel. I'm a psychic precognitive dreamer (I dream of the future) so I always saw it as connecting to my future self. Ghosts to me are leftover energies of the past because I think the original bulk of the soul & energies have moved on. This for me explains why ghosts fade in and out, they seem to be stuck on repeat and bound to certain geographical locations. It's like leaving a recording of your soul upon the land which acts as a giant recorder. You hear the sounds and occasionally see the video replay but the actual person is already gone.For me these vibrations that are picked up, are not so much significant of the 'ghosts' intentions but rather, your mind is attuned to that particular energy and that's why you pick it up.perhaps the message of the spirits is dependent on your 'mental channel' It;s like when you tune into a certain radio channel. It's not so much what the radio is trying to tell you,the radio station is going to keep playing with or without you, but rather, what your mental receiver is trying to listen to. With this, I think you have a very direct link to your subconscious and your senses are actually indicative of what Your subconscious intentions are, rather than the spirits.

I formulated this whole idea because if the Spirit world does exist as an unseen dimension side by side with ours, then it must be bound by certain laws of physics as well. Energies cannot be created or destroyed, simply transmuted into another form. The resulting conversion of such energies are usually able to be observed.

Yet, we assume that when we die, part of our energies gets turned into a 'Spirit" which is usually undetectable within the physical dimension, yet able to exert force and presence once in a while. This idea is weak to me because the transmuted energies disappear and then reappear only during a haunting. Where is the potential energy stored in between that? Energy for the most part is visible when active as fire, light, electric. When it is dormant like tension, chemical and potential energies, they need to be stored in something physical ; like a spring coil, food or ball at the top of a slide.

Spirits would need to have the power to store energy in nothing or perhaps another dimension, then the power to transmute that energy out of nothing and over to our dimension or directly into our perceptions. If a Soul is only one third of a Full human (Body + Mind & Soul) , then a full human should be three times more powerful and able to transmute invisible energies across dimensions to other people.

Reiki and Absent/spiritual healing could be indicative of that power, so maybe it is possible for energy to be stored in certain wavelengths that are undetected by us. Such as microwaves, infrared and electromagnetic fields. But if this theory applies then we should be able to "haunt" fellow humans much more effectively than spirits.

Sorry for the rant, but I just love considering the world of spirits.
Hope this is another interesting read :)

Of Gods And Characters

The Iliad and Homer's Odyssey was written around the 8th century B.C. 800 years later they still built great temples to these gods. Today the Parthenon still stands as a monument to this writer's characters. When you think about it, all gods are personified in ways that help us identify with them. The stronger the resonance of a characters personality with your own, the more you develop this idealistic person in your head.

When you worship and make someone your idol, you would also want to be like them. It is the same thing with a persona that we hold dear, we begin to emulate their traits for ourselves. We model ourselves after well-loved personas, are these characters not more influential than the gods of religion? For we become godlike by mentally channeling them.

The issue with an All-powerful god is that we crave power ourselves. I think the main lesson in the bible is that humans are prideful power-hungry sinners and we will always seek to embody higher powers. Every religious setting shows this manifestation of believed power via prayer,chanting, spell casting, rites and so on. Somehow channelling god's powers by their will alone.

Perhaps we need to begin thinking of God as ourselves. The one that could change everything is our own minds, everything that has ever been created by man began in the imagination.
I surmise that creativity itself is God, because it is the one limitless, all-powerful resource that we have, we are in direct contact with it and it is within us as well as all around us. Most importantly, it is a part of us that will go on long after we are physically gone.

Every book, idea and lesson are the gifts of gods past. The house you live in, the comforts we have, the relative peace this world experiences all came from creative desires that just wanted to help people. Every idea demonstrates how powerful that god is.

One such past god is Einstein, his imagination and creative thinking gave us space travel, and vast amounts of interchangeable energy. However that same idea created the Atom bomb that destroyed Nations.

The world needs to stop waiting on an imaginary god and use your own god of imagination. If each of us would come up with even just one idea to solve global issues. We'd truly be able to make the gods that have gone before us proud.


We are creations and so is god.

Roomate Hunt

I am so late for my rent.


Dear reader,
It has been a long time since you've heard from me. I have wanted to keep my silence for awhile, in hopes of diminishing the attention I give to my dramas and therefore seemingly reducing the intensity of each through ignorance.

It does not work.

As they say Life goes on, and sometimes, Shit happens.
The tragedy count for 2011 could rival that Christmas where the Grinch stole everything. I've lost 2 phones this year, my house keys, laptop, a luggage bag, had a stalker, complaint from work, news that my cousin has brain cancer...

That's only the list of major things.

Now, my housemate is moving out and someone close tries to sneak something behind my back. I am immensely furious because I feel betrayed and POOR. Which are two things you shouldn't have to experience  at the same time.

No more mister nice guy, this time I am putting down an iron clad room mate agreement so I never have to deal with shit like this. Guess it's true = Successful people make the right decisions, and you learn to make the right decisions through making the wrong ones. The point being, I'd better be a fucking successful person.

2010 Cycles Around the Sun

Astrologically, the Earth returns to its starting point on the track around the Sun.
Historically, 2010 years since Jesus started that whole A.D thing.
Chronologically, like a grain of sand in all the deserts of the world.
Psychologically, a reset button for us drones that run on strict calenders.
Pessimistically, 2 years before Armageddon?
Personally... a standstill.

I know it's rather ironic, I just repackaged my blog hoping that it would give me that kick in the back to get the motivation going. However, after finishing my studies and being faced with the daunting task of applying for a permanent residence and looking for a job and deciding what to do with my life.

It's just all... a bit much.

The currents are flowing, your boat rocks wildly, you're at the fork of the river. You need to make a decision right now. You can't see where they lead you, you're not even sure if you'll survive the turn. You know whichever branch you choose, there's no going back.
That river is my life. I just hope I'll get a sign soon.

I have narrowed it down to four options of four cities I dream of living in:
Deploy anchors (M)
Down the widest stream (S)
Return to mother ship (K)
Run into the sun (T)


Well, at least it feels like a full year is ahead, which gives me a little time to consider. The countdown already begins.

Just A Thought

My reply to my friend, Derrick's very open and insightful musings. It is not like him to be so frank, but I like it.

My reply:

I consider myself an explorer of both thought patterns. When I was in Primary School till mid of Secondary, I was an observer that internalized what I saw and rationalized. Since then till Last year, I’ve been the one who acts, externalized emotions and downsized thought.
In both sense, drama is omnipresent. It is simply the paradigm from which you see it. When you look out for something, the more often you find it.
I doubt that there is a stable balance to anything. I think in nature and in the basic pattern of the universe; it is always more of a wave. A flux between two extremes that continually repeats. Change is the only constant.
Its like standing on a boat out at sea. The harder you try to hold your stance, the more likely you will fall. It you allow yourself to sway to the rhythm, you’ll have a better ‘balance’.
Just a Thought~ Royce.

Youth Is Wasted On The Young

"youth is wasted on the Young",
or so the saying goes;
"youth is wasted on the Young",
with envy said the Old;

As if there's no better way,
for the young to spend today,
as a body soon to mold;

Time will pace and race with haste,
as the Young go through their phase
carefree as the days unfold;

They laugh, They cry, They gallivant,
They sing, They dance, experiment;
The youth They possess was surely spent,
The youth of yesterday just came and went.

The Old and Ancient sit in their place,
The Old and ancient droopy face;
sit and reminisce on the days-
their youth enjoyed, Aprils, Mays.

"A word from the wise, m'boy",
said the old man on the bench;
"worry not how your youth is spent,
for that's the best way to prevent...

a Life in fear you never meant."


~ A poetic epiphany by Royce ~

The Way To Die

I've made no secret of my fear of death. My greatest fear is Non-Existence.

recently, people my age are beginning to die. As in, statistically speaking, as I grow older, more and more people of my age are going to die.

If there ever was an elixir to maintain cell regeneration, I'd be the first to buy it. Or I'll steal Claire Bennet's powers.

So I just realised what would totally take the edge off.

Get drunk before you die!!! That's the way to go!

Hopefully not from alcohol poisoning..or drinking and driving. but more like, "Oh I'm old now and I'll be dying.. get me a tall cold glass of Pina Colada." surrounded by friends and family, then sleep.

Really helps me feel less fearful.

Is It Right To Sell Sex?

Today, In Media Ethics tute, we were once again having a lively debate on the topic

"Sex Sells"

Having taken a previous course on Introduction to Philosophy. Media ethics began to cover familiar ground but specifically in the realm of advertising.

Firstly, I would advise those who are uncomfortable with the subject to refrain from reading on.
otherwise, "let's get it on" -so to speak.

Today, advertisements use sex to sell everything. From Wonderbras-

(Image from adland.com)

To Household electronics?

(image from inventorspot.com)
(Of course doing housework and using the vacuum just makes you want to get down and "dirty")
No wonder Bree van de Kamp Loves doing housework.


We musn't forget that sex sells coffee.

(image from inventorspot.com)
(We all get horny after that morning pick-me-up that makes us want to rape that sexy barista. )


Finally our darling Paris Hilton who's an expert in the sex selling area.
(image from inventorspot.com)
I love a juicy burger dripping with cholesterol whilst I wash my cars. Don't you?

As an advertiser, I'd like to defend my position by explaining these usage of sexual innuendos.

1.First being that today's world requires an ad that can shout loud enough through all the media clutter, in the time frame of 3 seconds. Therefore, sex catches attention = response

2.Then, You need to factor in that Response = Awareness which clients think equals money. Not always the case here, but we still have to deliver what the client wants.

3.Thirdly, Humans tend to attribute good qualities to sexually attractive people. (ooh, She's so beautiful! I'd buy her clothes, socks, underwear and whatever she sits on!)


It sounds unrealistic and keenly underestimating the audience, but we can't argue with statistics that come back. Therefore, we must BE that stupid.

On the flip side, I understand the issues here:

• Women feel objectified
• Men feel underestimated (they only respond to sex?)
• We've become desensitized (so when will they draw the line, or will they keep pushing?)

Oh well, Sex... I know a lot of dirty little secrets around, perhaps exposing your private sex tapes would be the new medium of advertising (Edison Chen Scandal)

Perhaps someone should have slipped in some product shots of Durex~

Desensitized Advertiser,
Royce Rules

Seafood Dreams

Seafood DREAMS!

i dreamed that I was a cute little anime prawn inside a bowl of Har mee (Prawn noodles). There was seafood soup and happy yellow noodles all around me. We lived in harmony.

BUT! suddenly from beneath the swirling seaweed, I sensed dark danger. Eyes shone in the dark soupy depths.The LALA clams are here!

I felt a sinking danger, I was being drowned by the evil shellfish! they bubbled in glee as i sunk from the surface with my cute anime eyes tearing up.

My last thoughts were "NOOOoooOO! How can this still be called Prawn Noodles without me, the star of the dish."

I felt sad for the destruction of such a dish and died a soupy death. i awoke.


Prayer = Spell
As most of you know, I see things in the unconventional paradigm. So I hope you will keep an open mind about what I write here and don't judge me.

I shall place and disclaimer here that I hold no responsibility in any offense you may take from my post or any negative result you wish to blame on me.

You are forewarned that there shall be controversial content ahead and you may choose to leave now if you do not accept this.

now let me proceed~

I have read quite a few books on self help, taken bible studies for five years in high school (not to mention a lifetime of christian influence) and dabbled in the study of witchcraft.

I've come to realise the similarity of a prayer and a spell.

All these things are simply Verbal Reinforcements for our brains.

whether they happen to be chants, prayers, spells or self-hypnotism. it's all simply a way of telling yourself that "this is what you want"

Think about it, in prayers you talk to someone to help you realize your dream. In chants, you repeat words of wisdom or power, In spells, you word your will in a format to make yourself believe in its power.

It,s the belief in our own words that give it power.

So whether you are the Pope praying or A Dark Wizard casting a spell. it's all the same.

Light and Fluffy

Everytime I begin to blog, I always tell myself
"Royce, keep it Light and fluffy, stuff it with entertaining poof that would make even the Ah Beng's and Ah lian's (malaysian colloquial for extreme chinkies) interested."

Honestly, I wonder why I bother with the amount of readership I'm getting.
I should be blogging for myself, and then the readers and fame will come as a bonus. But mostly. I should really stay focused on getting my thoughts down.
After all, a blog is merely the pages of your past, written memories and an outlet for emotions.

Having said that. I have just justified my own need for a good bitching.

Don't you just hate it when you want to impress someone badly? Is it an animal thing that we preen and puff up our feathers whenever we KNOW we are going to meet the person we like? even if its just for a short meet-up, we are willing to stand in front of the mirror for hours to give a the person just a passing view of your own groomed image.

I have recently encountered this problem and I just can't help it. I have...the preening peacock syndrome. P.PEAS!

I obsessively think about looks whenever the person is mentioned. I struggle with what to wear, and even find myself copying the person's style! Ugh, Saint Gisele Bundchen and Mother Sarah Jessica Parker please forgive me.

P.PEAS is a disease i tell you! and should be avoided at all cost... well, maybe just a little grooming wouldn't hurt. But don't you think a person should like you for who you really are? How dare they cause us to act in such an effort consuming way? Do you know how much it hurts to get your brows plucked so you don't look like Salma Hayek in Frida?

A person should be able to accept you for your flaws and beauty as well. Not purely on your good points.That's why all fairy tales are such
Bull SHIATS!
The Princes are always charming, handsome, quiet and well-mannered.Except Aladdin,but he was a beggar.
Princesses in those stories are always so lovely,adorable and perfect. Never fugly, emo or even PMS-ing.It's like their vaginas don't really work.

Real Princesses should look like this: (Stolen from Pei Jien's Laptop background image.)

(AY>? Alice in wonderland is a princess meh? she looks more like a girl in ugly blue french maid uniform. You go Aurora! show her what a real princess is made of!) ( I realise they forgot Fa Mulan! this is Racism I tell ya!)

Anyway...It's great to let out some steam.
Smack on the bum,go drink some rum.
Royce~*