Those of u in Queensland might have read about the 16 year old teenager in Toowoomba who died from injuries sustained from school rugby training session at Christian Outreach College. The injury happened sometime last week. The teenager then went into cardiac arrest, & was then placed in an induced coma. His condition worsened this weekend & he died in intensive care yesterday afternoon.
His name - Lewis Moss. I don't personally know him. But I know his parents (Greg & Ruth) & his grandparents (Ron & Heather). We went to the same church as them, when me & my family lived in Toowoomba back in the early to mid 1990s. They are very nice people. My parents got along very well with all of them. I have actually been to Greg & Ron's homes, when they held Friday night Bible study sessions & also other functions. Greg Moss (Lewis' father) taught my siblings Sunday School. Ron Moss (Lewis' grandfather) was my Sunday School teacher. He is such a gentlemen, very kind & softly spoken. So when I learnt of his grandson's death, I was very sad for the Moss family.
I only vividly remember seeing Lewis as a kid when I was in Sunday School. It's sad that he died so very young. But anyway, he is now in a much better place. That is something his family & friend can console themselves with. No more pain, no more sorrow - Lewis has gone to be with the Lord.
RIP Lewis Moss. I will see u in heaven one day. See u later, mate!
Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Monday, August 3, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Personal update (a reminder of God's goodness)
Here is an update on what has been happening to me over the last few months. Let's just say that the last few months have been out of the ordinary, especially since what happened at the end of January 2009. I thought I'd do this update in a "question-answer" format, i.e. me interviewing myself! So do read on if u want to find out more:
What happened at the end of January 2009?
I got retrenched from my job at the end of January 2009. I was still under probation when it happened, & was told that the company could not offer me a permanent full-time position due to the global financial crisis. A number of people were also retrenched on the same day. (For more details, refer to my post earlier this year: http://daplanetdt.blogspot.com/2009/01/retrenchment-time-to-move-on.html)
Was it a surprise?
To be honest, I was not surprised at all. I could see the retrenchment coming, with work drying up & all that. It was sad & really disappointing that it happened, especially since I've only been at the company for 5 months. But at least I left the company on good terms. They were willing to be my referee, & even suggested that I leave them my contact details (which I said is already on the system), as they might be willing to take me back "in a few years". One of the recruitment agents I dealt with told me that my former manager at the company I was retrenched from spoke highly of me, so it was heartening to be able to get such a positive reference.
Didn't something similar happen many years ago?
Well, sort of, but not exactly. Back in June 2001 (many years ago), I was working with another company (at a junior level). It experienced financial difficulty, so my hours were reduced & they gave me a chance to look for another job while coming in on a part-time basis. I resigned (probably not the wisest decision) as I felt my pride was wounded & didn't want to lose face with people finding out & me coming in on part-time basis. So after a couple of weeks part-time, I left at the end of June 2001. It took me a couple of months to find a job.
That was all in 2001. It's different from what happened recently. Back then, I made the decision to jump before I outstayed my welcome. It may have felt like a retrenchment, but it wasn't. Whereas "now" (in January 2009), I was pushed, so I didn't have a say about losing my place.
What did you do over the next few months since January 2009?
I spent the next 4+ months out of work (from February to early June). That period was a very dark period for me. To be really honest, I consider that period to be the worst period I've ever experienced in my life. Seriously, the worst period of my life. Those few months was very hard & I was pretty dejected for much of that period.
For me, being out of work meant losing a part my "identity" because work had been a big part of my life. It meant losing something which defines me, losing a major reason for getting out of bed. And of course, being out of work meant no income. No work for over 4 months meant no income for 1/3 of a year. Imagine that! It was really hard. I was actually feeling ok during the first couple of weeks in February. Then, I slowly became frustrated & disillusioned, & at times I would be feeling down in the dumps. Actually, there were lots of "mood swings" - one moment I can feel really bad, the next moment I might actually feel relaxed & somewhat glad that I got lots of free time & that I didn't have to wake up before 9am if I didn't want to!
Fortunately, my family & friends were very supportive & encouraging. That kept me going. Besides hanging out with friends, helping some of them out with stuff (e.g. Ben & Faith with their new home) & having a bit more free time to do stuff for myself (not that I did very much!), the only good thing for me over those "empty months" was seeing my football club FC Barcelona playing well & picking up trophies in Spain & in Europe!
On top of everything I've already said, there were a couple of other disappointing aspects of being out of work.
Firstly, it meant that I had to start job searching all over again! (as I've said, I was only there for 5 months when I got retrenched). At times, the prospect of the job search feels more overwhelming that the sadness & disappointment of the retrenchment itself.
Secondly, being out of work meant that I couldn't buy a home. I actually started going out & inspecting some homes during the weeks before I got retrenched. The plan was to wait until I pass probation in February, & thereafter buy a home as soon as I find something suitable & affordable. So much for that plan - I got laid off so I never got the chance to pass probation. Just like that, the plan went down the drain. Instead of house hunting, I have to do job hunting now!
I tried whatever I can to remain positive during all this time. You got to do that, & this is the thing about being retrenched - it's not the fault of the person who got laid off, it's much more a reflection of the company not doing well enough to keep the person. So I keep telling myself - it's not my fault that I'm out of work, it's because the company wasn't doing well.
And how's the job hunting? Did you find work?
Job openings & interviews have been few & far between, thanks to the global financial crisis. The fact that I did get a few interviews at all was somewhat encouraging - people have said that in this climate, to get an interview at all is almost as good as getting a job. But still, the interviews ultimately did not lead to job offer. There was 1 job offer on the cards in May 2009, but unfortunately a change of mind on their part meant that I was back to square one.
But by God's grace, I managed to find a temporary/contract role in the Brisbane CBD early last month (in June 2009) while continuing to look for a permanent position to go on to. In fact, right now, I am still in the contract position, but next week will be my last week.
Any good news coming up on the horizon?
Fortunately, yes! I finally secured a full-time job earlier this month. I will start this new position in the second week of August. Praise God for that.
The start of the new financial year seems to have brought good fortunes for me. Just this month alone, I got a few interviews, almost as many interviews as I had during that 4 months between February & May. To put it another way, I got this full-time job within a few weeks after the new financial year started on July 1. Compare that to that barren 4 months when I got nothing, & had to wait until early June to get that temporary/contract position.
I got the job offer last week, actually, & got the offer letter a couple of days ago. I will be based just minutes outside the CBD. So technically, I actually got 2 jobs right now - the current contract position in the CBD which I will finish next week, & that new job just outside the CBD. Since that job offer, I've been invited to a couple of other interviews, but I turned them down. So yeah, it looks like the job market may have improved a little since the start of the new financial year.
Did you share the good news?
Of course I did! I did send an email to a few people to tell them of the good news. I know I would have missed emailing some people by accident, & sorry if you are seeing this update for the first time. While I don't have loads & loads of friends, I do have more people on my email & Facebook list than I can keep up with - so there would have been a few names I forgot to click when I sent that email out. Sorry again, but I just cannot keep up with everyone. (so hopefully, if they read this blog post, they will be informed about the developments).
Did you do anything to celebrate?
Well, I didn't celebrate by throwing a party, if that's what u mean. However, I did treat myself by buying the Transformers complete collection (17 discs) last week, from JB Hi-Fi in the Brisbane CBD. See a previous blog post.
While at JB Hi-Fi, I manage to bump into a former colleague who was in the same team as I was. He was also retrenched but was laid off much later than I was. He's now working at another company near the CBD. He also told me that in our area, there are now less than 10 people left. There used to be about 40 people, but there was a mass layoff. It's scary & really sad to hear about all this, but that's how extensive the impact that the global financial crisis is making.
What has God taught you during this time?
God taught me (or reminded me) that He really does love & care for His people. God has been really gracious, & He really cared for me all along, even though this was something I couldn't see at times. He really does answer prayers (even mine! haha), & He answers them according to His perfect timing. I hope I have become a better person from the experience God taught me, & I hope I will remember the lessons learnt & always remember that God's goodness is always there even when times are tough.
As I've already mentioned, that period that I was unemployed was really hard for me (though it was also good to have a break). During that period, if I'm to be really honest, I was shown up for not having enough trust & faith in God. I see Job as an example to follow. Those who know the book Job in the Bible would recognise that Job lost a lot more than I did. Job lost practically everything (including the lives of his beloved ones). On the other hand, I only lost work temporarily (4 months is not unusual, given the global financial crisis). Yet Job was way way way more faithful to God than I was. I shall continue to read the book of Job - I've started reading, but am nowhere near finished (coz I've been really really slow & slack in my reading).
But yeah, the challenge & lesson for me was to be patient & really trust & have faith in God even when times are hard. It may be easier to be thankful & faithful when things are going well, but what about when things are not going well?? That was a big lesson.
I thank God for His love, grace & timely provision. I am also really thankful to my family & friends for their prayers, encouragement & support. It is much much appreciated & I thank God that I have such a loving & supportive Christian family & friends.
What then for the future?
Well, from now on, whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, if/when the next major setback happens in my life, I will show more trust & faith in God that I've shown with my retrenchment ordeal. I know I can count on the support of my Christian family & friends. And that's the thing about being a Christian. God that loves & cares for His people. You can always count on His support & provisions. You can also count on the support & encouragement of fellow Christians, when things are not going well; u don't suffer alone. It's just so great when God's goodness is reflected in His people - I've experienced a lot of such goodness & thank God for that! I hope I can return the goodness to my Christian family & friends one day.
What happened at the end of January 2009?
I got retrenched from my job at the end of January 2009. I was still under probation when it happened, & was told that the company could not offer me a permanent full-time position due to the global financial crisis. A number of people were also retrenched on the same day. (For more details, refer to my post earlier this year: http://daplanetdt.blogspot.com/2009/01/retrenchment-time-to-move-on.html)
Was it a surprise?
To be honest, I was not surprised at all. I could see the retrenchment coming, with work drying up & all that. It was sad & really disappointing that it happened, especially since I've only been at the company for 5 months. But at least I left the company on good terms. They were willing to be my referee, & even suggested that I leave them my contact details (which I said is already on the system), as they might be willing to take me back "in a few years". One of the recruitment agents I dealt with told me that my former manager at the company I was retrenched from spoke highly of me, so it was heartening to be able to get such a positive reference.
Didn't something similar happen many years ago?
Well, sort of, but not exactly. Back in June 2001 (many years ago), I was working with another company (at a junior level). It experienced financial difficulty, so my hours were reduced & they gave me a chance to look for another job while coming in on a part-time basis. I resigned (probably not the wisest decision) as I felt my pride was wounded & didn't want to lose face with people finding out & me coming in on part-time basis. So after a couple of weeks part-time, I left at the end of June 2001. It took me a couple of months to find a job.
That was all in 2001. It's different from what happened recently. Back then, I made the decision to jump before I outstayed my welcome. It may have felt like a retrenchment, but it wasn't. Whereas "now" (in January 2009), I was pushed, so I didn't have a say about losing my place.
What did you do over the next few months since January 2009?
I spent the next 4+ months out of work (from February to early June). That period was a very dark period for me. To be really honest, I consider that period to be the worst period I've ever experienced in my life. Seriously, the worst period of my life. Those few months was very hard & I was pretty dejected for much of that period.
For me, being out of work meant losing a part my "identity" because work had been a big part of my life. It meant losing something which defines me, losing a major reason for getting out of bed. And of course, being out of work meant no income. No work for over 4 months meant no income for 1/3 of a year. Imagine that! It was really hard. I was actually feeling ok during the first couple of weeks in February. Then, I slowly became frustrated & disillusioned, & at times I would be feeling down in the dumps. Actually, there were lots of "mood swings" - one moment I can feel really bad, the next moment I might actually feel relaxed & somewhat glad that I got lots of free time & that I didn't have to wake up before 9am if I didn't want to!
Fortunately, my family & friends were very supportive & encouraging. That kept me going. Besides hanging out with friends, helping some of them out with stuff (e.g. Ben & Faith with their new home) & having a bit more free time to do stuff for myself (not that I did very much!), the only good thing for me over those "empty months" was seeing my football club FC Barcelona playing well & picking up trophies in Spain & in Europe!
On top of everything I've already said, there were a couple of other disappointing aspects of being out of work.
Firstly, it meant that I had to start job searching all over again! (as I've said, I was only there for 5 months when I got retrenched). At times, the prospect of the job search feels more overwhelming that the sadness & disappointment of the retrenchment itself.
Secondly, being out of work meant that I couldn't buy a home. I actually started going out & inspecting some homes during the weeks before I got retrenched. The plan was to wait until I pass probation in February, & thereafter buy a home as soon as I find something suitable & affordable. So much for that plan - I got laid off so I never got the chance to pass probation. Just like that, the plan went down the drain. Instead of house hunting, I have to do job hunting now!
I tried whatever I can to remain positive during all this time. You got to do that, & this is the thing about being retrenched - it's not the fault of the person who got laid off, it's much more a reflection of the company not doing well enough to keep the person. So I keep telling myself - it's not my fault that I'm out of work, it's because the company wasn't doing well.
And how's the job hunting? Did you find work?
Job openings & interviews have been few & far between, thanks to the global financial crisis. The fact that I did get a few interviews at all was somewhat encouraging - people have said that in this climate, to get an interview at all is almost as good as getting a job. But still, the interviews ultimately did not lead to job offer. There was 1 job offer on the cards in May 2009, but unfortunately a change of mind on their part meant that I was back to square one.
But by God's grace, I managed to find a temporary/contract role in the Brisbane CBD early last month (in June 2009) while continuing to look for a permanent position to go on to. In fact, right now, I am still in the contract position, but next week will be my last week.
Any good news coming up on the horizon?
Fortunately, yes! I finally secured a full-time job earlier this month. I will start this new position in the second week of August. Praise God for that.
The start of the new financial year seems to have brought good fortunes for me. Just this month alone, I got a few interviews, almost as many interviews as I had during that 4 months between February & May. To put it another way, I got this full-time job within a few weeks after the new financial year started on July 1. Compare that to that barren 4 months when I got nothing, & had to wait until early June to get that temporary/contract position.
I got the job offer last week, actually, & got the offer letter a couple of days ago. I will be based just minutes outside the CBD. So technically, I actually got 2 jobs right now - the current contract position in the CBD which I will finish next week, & that new job just outside the CBD. Since that job offer, I've been invited to a couple of other interviews, but I turned them down. So yeah, it looks like the job market may have improved a little since the start of the new financial year.
Did you share the good news?
Of course I did! I did send an email to a few people to tell them of the good news. I know I would have missed emailing some people by accident, & sorry if you are seeing this update for the first time. While I don't have loads & loads of friends, I do have more people on my email & Facebook list than I can keep up with - so there would have been a few names I forgot to click when I sent that email out. Sorry again, but I just cannot keep up with everyone. (so hopefully, if they read this blog post, they will be informed about the developments).
Did you do anything to celebrate?
Well, I didn't celebrate by throwing a party, if that's what u mean. However, I did treat myself by buying the Transformers complete collection (17 discs) last week, from JB Hi-Fi in the Brisbane CBD. See a previous blog post.
While at JB Hi-Fi, I manage to bump into a former colleague who was in the same team as I was. He was also retrenched but was laid off much later than I was. He's now working at another company near the CBD. He also told me that in our area, there are now less than 10 people left. There used to be about 40 people, but there was a mass layoff. It's scary & really sad to hear about all this, but that's how extensive the impact that the global financial crisis is making.
What has God taught you during this time?
God taught me (or reminded me) that He really does love & care for His people. God has been really gracious, & He really cared for me all along, even though this was something I couldn't see at times. He really does answer prayers (even mine! haha), & He answers them according to His perfect timing. I hope I have become a better person from the experience God taught me, & I hope I will remember the lessons learnt & always remember that God's goodness is always there even when times are tough.
As I've already mentioned, that period that I was unemployed was really hard for me (though it was also good to have a break). During that period, if I'm to be really honest, I was shown up for not having enough trust & faith in God. I see Job as an example to follow. Those who know the book Job in the Bible would recognise that Job lost a lot more than I did. Job lost practically everything (including the lives of his beloved ones). On the other hand, I only lost work temporarily (4 months is not unusual, given the global financial crisis). Yet Job was way way way more faithful to God than I was. I shall continue to read the book of Job - I've started reading, but am nowhere near finished (coz I've been really really slow & slack in my reading).
But yeah, the challenge & lesson for me was to be patient & really trust & have faith in God even when times are hard. It may be easier to be thankful & faithful when things are going well, but what about when things are not going well?? That was a big lesson.
I thank God for His love, grace & timely provision. I am also really thankful to my family & friends for their prayers, encouragement & support. It is much much appreciated & I thank God that I have such a loving & supportive Christian family & friends.
What then for the future?
Well, from now on, whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, if/when the next major setback happens in my life, I will show more trust & faith in God that I've shown with my retrenchment ordeal. I know I can count on the support of my Christian family & friends. And that's the thing about being a Christian. God that loves & cares for His people. You can always count on His support & provisions. You can also count on the support & encouragement of fellow Christians, when things are not going well; u don't suffer alone. It's just so great when God's goodness is reflected in His people - I've experienced a lot of such goodness & thank God for that! I hope I can return the goodness to my Christian family & friends one day.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Porsche chief paid $87 million to leave his job
Heard about the boss who gets paid multi-millions of dollars to get out of his job??? Like more than $80 million??? Well, see article below - it IS true, it DID happen. And I thought we are supposed to be in a worldwide recession, with the global financial crisis & all that.I was just blown away - $87 million exit payout. Just like that. That is just obscene. And all that, at a time when people are losing their jobs & struggling to get back into the workforce. And here we have this guy given the equivalent of lottery money (in fact, even more than that) to get out of his company. What's he going to do now?? The guy is financially set for life - he doesn't have to work anymore.
Imagine what I would do if I am given just 1/10 of that. That will still be a lot of money - for me, anyway. Hhhhhmmmm, with just under $9 million, I'd give a portion to my family & friends (I'm sure lots of people would suddenly clamour to be my friend), a portion to my church, & a portion to other Christian organisations (charities, missions, etc). Then I would buy myself a nice waterfront property, expand my investment portfolio, & take a tour of the world. Whatever money is left, I shall squander. Hahaha!
Anyway, here is the article (which I saw on NineMSN):
24/07/2009 6:52:15 AM
The boss of Porsche will be paid $87 million to leave his job after the luxury sportscar maker was taken over by Volkswagen (VW).
Wendelin Wiedeking, who was Germany's highest paid executive, was pushed out after his bold plan to take over VW backfired leaving Porsche with more than $17 billion of debt.
The tables were then turned and Porsche itself became the subject of a takeover bid from VW.
The VW takeover cranks up a campaign from Europe's biggest carmaker to challenge Japanese rival Toyota.
VW also said on Thursday the Gulf emirate of Qatar would buy 17 per cent of VW shares amid a broadside of news that rocked the German car industry and served notice to international competitors, especially recovering US giant General Motors.
The developments emerged from an epic corporate boardroom battle that fuelled a caustic family feud and left Volkswagen standing tall.
But its ultimate shareholder structure and management team were still in suspense.
Nevertheless the deal leaves VW a small step closer in terms of vehicle sales with world number one, Japanese giant Toyota.
VW wants to overtake Toyota by 2018 and could pass US behemoth General Motors this year to become number two worldwide as GM emerges from bankruptcy and slims down in an effort to survive.
Porsche chief executive Wiedeking, the principal victim in the struggle, said he would step down after losing a long battle against VW supervisory board president Ferdinand Piech for control of both companies.
"We have opened the way ... to the creation of an integrated group," VW chief executive Martin Winterkorn said following a meeting of his group's supervisory board in Stuttgart.
The concept approved by both companies includes the integration of Porsche's car activities into VW and a reinforcement of the overall Porsche holding group's finances to guarantee its independence within the European auto giant.
Winterkorn's comments came after the owners of Porsche said they would also wrap up talks with Qatar and raise at least 5 billion euros ($A8.7 billion) in fresh funds via a capital increase.
Further details of the new arrangement would be released on August 13 following another meeting of the VW supervisory board, the group said.
Porsche's owners, the Porsche and Piech families who are descendants of the company founder Ferdinand Porsche, said early on Thursday following all-night talks that Wiedeking would resign and that "the basis for the creation of an integrated group between Porsche SE and Volkswagen AG" had been laid.
Wiedeking - said to be the best-paid boss in Germany - was to get 50 million euros ($A87.08 million) in severance pay, of which half would go to a "social foundation" to aid Porsche workers and others.
Wiedeking and Porsche finance director Holger Haerter, who also resigned, had devised a bold financial strategy to take over VW based on complex stock options in the much bigger group.
Porsche SE, the holding company, currently owns 51 per cent of the shares in VW.
The plan collapsed however, leaving Porsche with 10 billion euros ($A17.42 billion) in debt, and putting Piech in a position to turn the tables and take Porsche on as VW's 10th brand.
Porsche production chief Michael Macht, 48, is to succeed Wiedeking as head of Porsche's core carmaking division, the company said.
But the prospect of VW swallowing up Porsche might provoke bitter resistance.
At a rally of 5,000 Porsche workers in Stuttgart, major shareholder Wolfgang Porsche insisted the maker of 911 sports cars would remain independent.
"Trust me ... the Porsche myth is alive and will never founder," he told the boisterous crowd with a trembling voice.
"The families are in complete agreement on the fact that Porsche's success is founded on the brand's independence," he said, and Porsche would now "negotiate with VW on equal terms."
Porsche abandoned Wiedeking's ambitious plan to take full control of VW and its hefty reserves of liquidity in May, and was forced to find other sources of financing.
The German state of Lower Saxony, which owns 20 per cent of VW and holds a veto over its strategic decisions, stood between Porsche and VW's cash.
Lower Saxony regional premier Christian Wulff said on Thursday that Porsche would remain an autonomous group along the lines of VW's high-end unit Audi.
"We will work together to become the world number one" automobile maker, Wulff added.
Link: http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=841157&print=true&_defaultfontSize=11&_js_siteid=255
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
New financial year, hopefully a new beginning
Today marks the first day of the new financial year. Hopefully in the new financial year, things will be better than it has been for the last few months before July.
On the job front, I am a few weeks into a contract/temporary position in Brisbane CBD. Thank God for that, too. At least I have been getting some income to pay off some bills: car registration, car insurance, CA membership/subscription fee.
Hopefully, my luck will change in the new financial year & I will get a full-time position somewhere. These are challenging times, with the financial crisis happening worldwide & people suffering as a result. But all that is out of my control, so I have to hang in & be resilient, & hopefully an opportunity will come up somewhere soon.
On the job front, I am a few weeks into a contract/temporary position in Brisbane CBD. Thank God for that, too. At least I have been getting some income to pay off some bills: car registration, car insurance, CA membership/subscription fee.
Hopefully, my luck will change in the new financial year & I will get a full-time position somewhere. These are challenging times, with the financial crisis happening worldwide & people suffering as a result. But all that is out of my control, so I have to hang in & be resilient, & hopefully an opportunity will come up somewhere soon.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Recruitment agents - gotta "love" them
I've been out of work now since I got retrenched at the end of January 2009. In the current global financial crisis, many people would be in the same boat as me - laid off & looking to get back into the workforce. The thing, though, is that a lot of organisations are freezing their recruitment, so there is very little hiring activities out there at the moment.
Ok, so a recruitment agency recently got me an interview for a temporary contract position in the Brisbane CBD. The interview went well, & everything is set for me to start the contract role this week. Well, the recruitment agent recently called me & told me the start date will be postponed till next week. The postponement happened because of some last minute changes to the schedule of the managing director of the company that I would be based in. The managing director will be out of Brisbane until next week & I cannot start my role while he is away.
I got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I'm happy that I still got some more free time for a few more days. Ok, I've already had free time for about 4 months now! But I consider that to be a "bad break" (because involuntarily unemployment, & no income). But it's nice to still have a bludge until next week. On the other hand, I will have to wait until next week before I start getting some income.
I know on this occasion, it doesn't seem to be the agent's fault that my start day has changed. But hey, this is yet another instance where a recruitment agent says something, then turns around the next time & says something different. Recruitment agents - u just got to "love" them. Hahahaha.
Ok, so a recruitment agency recently got me an interview for a temporary contract position in the Brisbane CBD. The interview went well, & everything is set for me to start the contract role this week. Well, the recruitment agent recently called me & told me the start date will be postponed till next week. The postponement happened because of some last minute changes to the schedule of the managing director of the company that I would be based in. The managing director will be out of Brisbane until next week & I cannot start my role while he is away.
I got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I'm happy that I still got some more free time for a few more days. Ok, I've already had free time for about 4 months now! But I consider that to be a "bad break" (because involuntarily unemployment, & no income). But it's nice to still have a bludge until next week. On the other hand, I will have to wait until next week before I start getting some income.
I know on this occasion, it doesn't seem to be the agent's fault that my start day has changed. But hey, this is yet another instance where a recruitment agent says something, then turns around the next time & says something different. Recruitment agents - u just got to "love" them. Hahahaha.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Hillsong wants to take over Brisbane church!
I just read a report in today's newspaper, of Hillsong wanting to take over Garden City Christian Church here in Brisbane. I have actually been inside that church before 2-3 years back, when it held a concert conducted by the Ugandan orphans of Watoto (& a wonderful concert it was, too). It's a nice church. But anyway, reading that newspaper report this morning sat off some alarm bells.
Understandably, certain people within Garden City Christian Church are not happy about the proposed takeover. One figure said he did not like the idea of Hillsong controlling everything about the church's affairs - they would get too much power to do things as they please. Fair comment, certainly. But going beyond that, one should question Hillsong's motives for taking over. One might reasonably suspect that the prime motive is to make money. That, by itself, is not wrong. But if the motive is indeed to make money, one has to ask a further question - for what purpose? If the money is generated to fund godly purposes (e.g. build more churches, give financial support to church workers & missionaries), then that is absolutely fine & good. On the other hand, if the money is generated for personal gain, then I consider that to be inappropriate. That was what set off the alarm bells - the possibility that Hillsong might have such inappropriate motive in mind when proposing to take over Garden City Christian Church.
I don't think it's appropriate for people who claim to be serving God & working for God to use a church to seek financial gain to enrich themselves personally. Of course, if you work for a church, & you get paid a certain reasonable amount by the church, then that is fair enough, as that is not financial gain. Churches should be for fellow Christians to come together & serve God & be encouraged by Him & each other. Churches should be devoted to building up God's Kingdom & reach out for the lost & unsaved souls. Those should be what churches are for. Taking over a church to make money for oneself is, to me, not appropriate.
Of course, there is the possibility that Hillsong's take over of Garden City Christian Church could generate both outcomes. What I mean in saying that is by taking over that church, Hillsong's proprietors might make personal gain AND at the same time manage to reach out & help save unbelieving souls. So there could be a mixture of undesirable & desirable outcomes by Hillsong's proposed activity in Brisbane. If that were to be the case, then I approve & applaud the latter outcome (the reaching out to unbelieving souls). As for the the former outcome (the personal gain), I don't approve but that is for God to judge. And that time will eventually come, when the Hillsong proprietors will have to answer to the Lord for any inappropriate motives which they might have (if any) when seeking to take over the Garden City Christian Church.
Understandably, certain people within Garden City Christian Church are not happy about the proposed takeover. One figure said he did not like the idea of Hillsong controlling everything about the church's affairs - they would get too much power to do things as they please. Fair comment, certainly. But going beyond that, one should question Hillsong's motives for taking over. One might reasonably suspect that the prime motive is to make money. That, by itself, is not wrong. But if the motive is indeed to make money, one has to ask a further question - for what purpose? If the money is generated to fund godly purposes (e.g. build more churches, give financial support to church workers & missionaries), then that is absolutely fine & good. On the other hand, if the money is generated for personal gain, then I consider that to be inappropriate. That was what set off the alarm bells - the possibility that Hillsong might have such inappropriate motive in mind when proposing to take over Garden City Christian Church.
I don't think it's appropriate for people who claim to be serving God & working for God to use a church to seek financial gain to enrich themselves personally. Of course, if you work for a church, & you get paid a certain reasonable amount by the church, then that is fair enough, as that is not financial gain. Churches should be for fellow Christians to come together & serve God & be encouraged by Him & each other. Churches should be devoted to building up God's Kingdom & reach out for the lost & unsaved souls. Those should be what churches are for. Taking over a church to make money for oneself is, to me, not appropriate.
Of course, there is the possibility that Hillsong's take over of Garden City Christian Church could generate both outcomes. What I mean in saying that is by taking over that church, Hillsong's proprietors might make personal gain AND at the same time manage to reach out & help save unbelieving souls. So there could be a mixture of undesirable & desirable outcomes by Hillsong's proposed activity in Brisbane. If that were to be the case, then I approve & applaud the latter outcome (the reaching out to unbelieving souls). As for the the former outcome (the personal gain), I don't approve but that is for God to judge. And that time will eventually come, when the Hillsong proprietors will have to answer to the Lord for any inappropriate motives which they might have (if any) when seeking to take over the Garden City Christian Church.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Planet DT's 2nd birthday/anniversary
Wow, it's now 2 years since I started blogging. Time really flies.
The blog has been lucky enough to get some hits from various places around the world. Thanks to those of u who pop by for a visit. Hopefully, u have been entertained or edified by the things I put up on this blog (or at least by some of them).
Remember how that great comedy Seinfeld is known as "a show about nothing?". Well, to a certain extent, Planet DT is the same - that it is a blog about nothing. The blog's focus (if there is one) is on nothing - or nothing in particular, with lots of posts covering on all sorts of things & stuff in life, however minor they may seem, just like it is with Seinfeld.
You will find pretty much "anything & everything" on Planet DT - from football, jokes, book reviews, things I see, sermon summaries, personal thoughts, silly stuff, all sorts of things. It's not meant to be a football blog, it's doesn't contain only jokes, & it's certainly not a Christian blog (even though I'm a Christian & do post some Christian stuff every now & then). This blog has a combination of those things, & more. It's a blog that has "anything & everything", & it's meant to reflect me & the things in & around my life.
I try desperately not to offend anyone intentionally with my blog posts, & apologise if any readers find any of my posts offensive. I try also not to be negative & try not to deliberately condemn or insult any person or group for no reason (except for football referees who make bad mistakes, or whenever my football team loses). Nope, I don't want my readers to feel condemned or offended; I want them to have a laugh or feel edified/encouraged in some way. Failing that, at least to read my blog to pass some time if u find yourselves with nothing better to do between midnight & 2am ;)
Ohhh well, 2 years already & still going, so here's to the future. I hope that u visitors will continue to pop by every now & then. Feel free to post some comments, even if u don't know me personally. By all means, put some critical comments where u see fit to do so, as I think I got thick skin (or am well on the way to getting some). And please, no virus, thanks. What's virus good for, anyway??
The blog has been lucky enough to get some hits from various places around the world. Thanks to those of u who pop by for a visit. Hopefully, u have been entertained or edified by the things I put up on this blog (or at least by some of them).
Remember how that great comedy Seinfeld is known as "a show about nothing?". Well, to a certain extent, Planet DT is the same - that it is a blog about nothing. The blog's focus (if there is one) is on nothing - or nothing in particular, with lots of posts covering on all sorts of things & stuff in life, however minor they may seem, just like it is with Seinfeld.
You will find pretty much "anything & everything" on Planet DT - from football, jokes, book reviews, things I see, sermon summaries, personal thoughts, silly stuff, all sorts of things. It's not meant to be a football blog, it's doesn't contain only jokes, & it's certainly not a Christian blog (even though I'm a Christian & do post some Christian stuff every now & then). This blog has a combination of those things, & more. It's a blog that has "anything & everything", & it's meant to reflect me & the things in & around my life.
I try desperately not to offend anyone intentionally with my blog posts, & apologise if any readers find any of my posts offensive. I try also not to be negative & try not to deliberately condemn or insult any person or group for no reason (except for football referees who make bad mistakes, or whenever my football team loses). Nope, I don't want my readers to feel condemned or offended; I want them to have a laugh or feel edified/encouraged in some way. Failing that, at least to read my blog to pass some time if u find yourselves with nothing better to do between midnight & 2am ;)
Ohhh well, 2 years already & still going, so here's to the future. I hope that u visitors will continue to pop by every now & then. Feel free to post some comments, even if u don't know me personally. By all means, put some critical comments where u see fit to do so, as I think I got thick skin (or am well on the way to getting some). And please, no virus, thanks. What's virus good for, anyway??
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Tragedies in North Queensland & Victoria
Some tragedies have made news headlines recently, over in North Queensland & Victoria. In terms of location, Brisbane is "caught in the middle" of the unfortunate events in both places, & are fortunate to be well away from those tragedies.
There are the huge floods up in North Queensland. A huge tropical cyclone & some heavy rains have caused all that flooding, in the Ingham area in North Queensland, resulting in widespead damage to property & infrastructure. In unrelated news, I heard of a child in North Queensland being taken by a crocodile. That is horrible; pity the family.
Meanwhile, there are some horrific bush fires over in Victoria. In fact, it is so bad as to be the worst bush fires ever in this country, with a record death toll - already more than 100 dead, & the death roll is still rising, with final count possibly exceeding 200. Apparently, arson is suspected. Frankly, I cannot begin to understand how anyone could be so callous & twisted as to start lighting fires in dry, hot weather, knowing what the consequences of their actions would be.
I pray for the people in both places who are affected by the tragedies. May God comfort them in this times of trouble.
There are the huge floods up in North Queensland. A huge tropical cyclone & some heavy rains have caused all that flooding, in the Ingham area in North Queensland, resulting in widespead damage to property & infrastructure. In unrelated news, I heard of a child in North Queensland being taken by a crocodile. That is horrible; pity the family.
Meanwhile, there are some horrific bush fires over in Victoria. In fact, it is so bad as to be the worst bush fires ever in this country, with a record death toll - already more than 100 dead, & the death roll is still rising, with final count possibly exceeding 200. Apparently, arson is suspected. Frankly, I cannot begin to understand how anyone could be so callous & twisted as to start lighting fires in dry, hot weather, knowing what the consequences of their actions would be.
I pray for the people in both places who are affected by the tragedies. May God comfort them in this times of trouble.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Retrenchment - time to move on
The global financial crisis have been resulting in lots of job cuts & layoffs worldwide. Well guess what??? It's happened to me, too - I'm now the latest victim of the global financial crisis. I just got retrenched from my company this morning.
My desk phone rang just after 10am this morning. It was the Human Resources Manager, calling me over to the meeting room. When she spoke, I immediately knew what was going to happen. In the meeting room was the Human Resource Manager, the Partner I worked under & my Team Manager. The Partner explained that the global financial crisis is affecting many firms, & unfortunately the company is not immune to the financial crisis, so for that reason, they couldn't offer me a permanent full-time position. I was still under probation, as I had only just joined the company in August 2008 (my probation would have been due in February 2009). They said they looked at another division in the Brisbane office & elsewhere in the company's offices in the other state capital cities for openings that I may slot into. But there weren't any - except for an Assistant Manager position in the company's Perth office, & they gave me the Perth contact details if I was interested in applying for that position. I wasn't interested, because I wanted to remain in Brisbane.
So there, just like that, I'm gone from the company. Kicked to the sidelines. I had to leave this very morning. The standard procedure is to leave office effective immediately after being laid off, though I got a little time to gather my belongings. By 11am, I was out of the office. I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to my colleagues (I was told not to say anything to anyone), except for 2 colleagues who I bumped into outside the building. I told both of them what happened, as they were curious as to why I was out of the office carrying lots of things.
I took the retrenchment pretty well, actually. No outward display of emotions. There is some sadness & disappointment over losing the job - but I wasn't surprised at all, because I really did see it coming. When I was told of the retrenchment, my reaction was along the lines of "yep, just as I thought". Anyway, to be absolutely honest, more than feeling sad & disappointed is the feeling of being daunted & overwhelmed at the prospect of having to do the job search all over again. Aaaarrrrggghhh!!!!
An English football manager once told a player said that disappointment is part of life, prior to dropping that player from the starting line-up. Well, disappointment is part of every facet of life. Because today, I just tasted disappointment in the form of job loss. It is time to move on & look at new opportunities. Only God knows where all this will lead me to.
My desk phone rang just after 10am this morning. It was the Human Resources Manager, calling me over to the meeting room. When she spoke, I immediately knew what was going to happen. In the meeting room was the Human Resource Manager, the Partner I worked under & my Team Manager. The Partner explained that the global financial crisis is affecting many firms, & unfortunately the company is not immune to the financial crisis, so for that reason, they couldn't offer me a permanent full-time position. I was still under probation, as I had only just joined the company in August 2008 (my probation would have been due in February 2009). They said they looked at another division in the Brisbane office & elsewhere in the company's offices in the other state capital cities for openings that I may slot into. But there weren't any - except for an Assistant Manager position in the company's Perth office, & they gave me the Perth contact details if I was interested in applying for that position. I wasn't interested, because I wanted to remain in Brisbane.
So there, just like that, I'm gone from the company. Kicked to the sidelines. I had to leave this very morning. The standard procedure is to leave office effective immediately after being laid off, though I got a little time to gather my belongings. By 11am, I was out of the office. I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to my colleagues (I was told not to say anything to anyone), except for 2 colleagues who I bumped into outside the building. I told both of them what happened, as they were curious as to why I was out of the office carrying lots of things.
How different things change in a few months. When I joined the company in August 2008, things seemed all good. Then things change drastically & I find myself running short of work with alarming regularity, especially over the last couple of months. I did voice my concern to the Team Manager at the staff review in November 2008, but was told that this is a normal thing & that I need not worry. Nevertheless, I was still a little skeptical & felt a little insecure at times. After returning from the overseas holidays, work continued to dry up & I began to suspect that my days at the company might be numbered (can't keep me, if they got no work to give me). That suspicion was further reinforced during the last couple of days, when I saw meetings held behind closed doors between the HR Manager, the Partner I worked under & the various Managers within my division. The phone call from the HR Manager this morning confirmed that my concerns were very much well founded.
I wasn't the only person laid off; there were 4 others from my division alone who were laid off also. The difference is that those 4 were permanent full-time staff; I was full-time but not permanent as I was still under probation. There could well be more people from different floors who were also retrenched - I won't be surprised.
I wasn't the only person laid off; there were 4 others from my division alone who were laid off also. The difference is that those 4 were permanent full-time staff; I was full-time but not permanent as I was still under probation. There could well be more people from different floors who were also retrenched - I won't be surprised.
I took the retrenchment pretty well, actually. No outward display of emotions. There is some sadness & disappointment over losing the job - but I wasn't surprised at all, because I really did see it coming. When I was told of the retrenchment, my reaction was along the lines of "yep, just as I thought". Anyway, to be absolutely honest, more than feeling sad & disappointed is the feeling of being daunted & overwhelmed at the prospect of having to do the job search all over again. Aaaarrrrggghhh!!!!
An English football manager once told a player said that disappointment is part of life, prior to dropping that player from the starting line-up. Well, disappointment is part of every facet of life. Because today, I just tasted disappointment in the form of job loss. It is time to move on & look at new opportunities. Only God knows where all this will lead me to.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Where next for overseas trip???
A question/thought just came to my mind - where should I go next for overseas trip? Well, here are the options:
Malaysia & Singapore again: Same old, same old, but hey, most of my relatives are there, family friends are there, too. And of course, imagine all the food!! *drool*
Vancouver, Canada: My cousins are there & I haven't seen them since I was a child. A visit to Vancouver would be a great idea. And while I'm there, I might as well also visit a few other places in Canada & the US. I don't think it will be cheap, though.
New Zealand: It's just nearby, & I hear pretty good things about NZ - just as I hear good things about Vancouver. This one is definitely worth considering.
Hong Kong & Shanghai: I got friends in both who've suggested going for a visit, & they will take me out to some good places to eat. Yum! Friend in Shanghai will only be there for a few more months (on work assignment) before returning to Singapore later this year, so I'll probably see him in Singapore next instead of Shanghai. Friend in HK will be there for a while - so I can see myself visiting her there in HK.
The Maldives: This is probably the most exotic of all the places I've listed. I heard the beaches there are pretty good, & tourists enjoy it there. Not that I'm a beach person, but somehow or other, I got Maldives on my list of places to visit. One day, I might. People have said it's not that cheap, though (Bali is cheaper to visit, so I was told).
Malaysia & Singapore again: Same old, same old, but hey, most of my relatives are there, family friends are there, too. And of course, imagine all the food!! *drool*
Vancouver, Canada: My cousins are there & I haven't seen them since I was a child. A visit to Vancouver would be a great idea. And while I'm there, I might as well also visit a few other places in Canada & the US. I don't think it will be cheap, though.
New Zealand: It's just nearby, & I hear pretty good things about NZ - just as I hear good things about Vancouver. This one is definitely worth considering.
Hong Kong & Shanghai: I got friends in both who've suggested going for a visit, & they will take me out to some good places to eat. Yum! Friend in Shanghai will only be there for a few more months (on work assignment) before returning to Singapore later this year, so I'll probably see him in Singapore next instead of Shanghai. Friend in HK will be there for a while - so I can see myself visiting her there in HK.
The Maldives: This is probably the most exotic of all the places I've listed. I heard the beaches there are pretty good, & tourists enjoy it there. Not that I'm a beach person, but somehow or other, I got Maldives on my list of places to visit. One day, I might. People have said it's not that cheap, though (Bali is cheaper to visit, so I was told).
Sunday, January 11, 2009
My overseas trip (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei)
Just got back from my overseas trip a couple of days ago. I was away for almost 3 weeks - most of which was spent in Klang Valley (i.e. KL & the surrounding metropolitan areas), but I also spent some time in Singapore & very briefly Brunei. It was one heck of a vacation. Fantastic, memorable, & unforgettable.
The main highlight was my brother's wedding celebration near the end of last month (see the next 2 blog posts). It was a grand day for the families & friends of both bride & bridegroom. Personally, it is a day I will savour forever. And it made the overseas trip such a memorable one! Praise the Lord for that!
Besides my brother's wedding, there were also other things of note from the trip:
- The people I came to visit; I enjoyed the catching up with relatives & friends - the chats & laughs, etc.
- Making some new friends from the Lai cousins' church, e.g. Frederick Tan who supports Man Utd. There's also Emerick & his brother Adriel, who supports Real Madrid, & I gave him a bit of "grief" when reminding him of Barcelona's recent 2-0 win over Madrid in December's El Clasico).
- Lots of Malays in Malaysia.
- Being woken up by cousin's "Sponge Bob Square Pants" alarm ringtone almost every morning!
- Watching UEFA Champions League second round draw live from hotel in Brunei (which I stayed overnight en route to KL).
- Watching "Transformers The Movie" on the bus trip from KL to Singapore.
- New Year's Day fireworks in Singapore.
- Touching a live snake on Sentosa Island, Singapore.
- Visit to Singapore Zoo on New Year's evening (unfortunately, it was at night & unfortunately, I never got to see some wild animals that I was hoping to see like tiger & Nile crocodile).
- The mega-sized shopping malls in Klang Valley & Singapore, though some of the things are expensive. It seems everytime I visit Malaysia, new shopping malls sprout up.
- The shopping I did in shopping malls & street markets. (Andrew & Val say I bought a lot of things, but I would beg to differ!)
- Malays, Malays, & more Malays.
- The food!!
I could go on & on......but yeah, there were some really good memories which will remain with me forever :)
Anyway, on that last point above (food), of course, u can't go to Asia without sampling the wonderful food! Certainly, that applies to Malaysia & Singapore. I reckon I must have consumed ice kacang (my favourite dessert) at least 6 times during the 20 day trip. Anyway, here are pictures I took of some of the food I was fortunate enough to get to eat during this overseas trip:
AMW root beer & waffle
steamed fish
chicken rice & crispy skin pork
The main highlight was my brother's wedding celebration near the end of last month (see the next 2 blog posts). It was a grand day for the families & friends of both bride & bridegroom. Personally, it is a day I will savour forever. And it made the overseas trip such a memorable one! Praise the Lord for that!
Besides my brother's wedding, there were also other things of note from the trip:
- The people I came to visit; I enjoyed the catching up with relatives & friends - the chats & laughs, etc.
- Making some new friends from the Lai cousins' church, e.g. Frederick Tan who supports Man Utd. There's also Emerick & his brother Adriel, who supports Real Madrid, & I gave him a bit of "grief" when reminding him of Barcelona's recent 2-0 win over Madrid in December's El Clasico).
- Lots of Malays in Malaysia.
- Being woken up by cousin's "Sponge Bob Square Pants" alarm ringtone almost every morning!
- Watching UEFA Champions League second round draw live from hotel in Brunei (which I stayed overnight en route to KL).
- Watching "Transformers The Movie" on the bus trip from KL to Singapore.
- New Year's Day fireworks in Singapore.
- Touching a live snake on Sentosa Island, Singapore.
- Visit to Singapore Zoo on New Year's evening (unfortunately, it was at night & unfortunately, I never got to see some wild animals that I was hoping to see like tiger & Nile crocodile).
- The mega-sized shopping malls in Klang Valley & Singapore, though some of the things are expensive. It seems everytime I visit Malaysia, new shopping malls sprout up.
- The shopping I did in shopping malls & street markets. (Andrew & Val say I bought a lot of things, but I would beg to differ!)
- Malays, Malays, & more Malays.
- The food!!
I could go on & on......but yeah, there were some really good memories which will remain with me forever :)
Anyway, on that last point above (food), of course, u can't go to Asia without sampling the wonderful food! Certainly, that applies to Malaysia & Singapore. I reckon I must have consumed ice kacang (my favourite dessert) at least 6 times during the 20 day trip. Anyway, here are pictures I took of some of the food I was fortunate enough to get to eat during this overseas trip:
AMW root beer & waffle
chicken & beef satay
dhosai with dhal & curry
forgot the exact name....i think it's Malay-style chicken with curry/chilli sauce (it goes with nasi kandar)
steamboat (in tom yum soup)
steamed fish
oar jien a.k.a. oyster omelette (in Singapore)
masala dhosai (in Singapore)
roti telur with fish curry (in Singapore)
Western breakfast (Grand Copthorne Hotel, Singapore)
oar jien (again - at same place hawker place in Singapore - it's so good i went back a second time!)
chee cheong fun (Cantonese steamed rice roll)
wu tau guo (Chinese yam cake)
mamak rojak/Indian rojak
kangkung (Malaysian vege) & clams
crabs
ice kacang (the tallest one i had on this trip!); on the right is steamed bun with curry puff filling
chwee kway a.k.a. pinyin (steamed rice cake)
banana leaf lunch
chicken rice & crispy skin pork
dinner at Chinese restaurant in Subang (too many dishes to name)
durian (very quintessentially Malaysian)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
First home owners grant increase! Game on!
Kevin Rudd (Australia's Prime Minister) has announced today a stimulus plan for pensioners & first-home buyers in Australia. The stimulus for first-home buyers' is this: The first home owners grant will be increased from $7000 to $14,000 and first home buyers who purchase a newly constructed home will receive $21,000 in a bid to encourage activity in the housing sector. (Courier Mail)
But there is one proviso:
Mr DT's response to the above: It's game on!
But there is one proviso:
The first-home buyers scheme will be time limited. All contracts entered into by June 30 next year will be eligible for the new assistance. (The Age)
Mr DT's response to the above: It's game on!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
And now, the AUD has crashed to 5-year low :(
Given the fall in my investments & super account (which I ranted about in the previous post), any thoughts that the week can't get any worse have just been swiftly dashed. My brother Ryan just told me that the Australian $ (AUD) exchange rate against the Malaysian Ringgit (RM) has gone down - it's now AUD1 = RM2.23. His announcement completely shocked me & made me dismayed. Then I later discovered on the internet that the AUD has crashed to a 5-year low. The details of the crash made for a depressing reading. Sheesshhhh....
Just a few months ago, it was RM 2.90, even RM3 for every AUD. At the time, I did consider converting some money to RM because I'll be heading to Malaysia at the end of this year. I didn't act, & now I'm furious & feel like kicking myself, because now I have to bring more money with me to Malaysia.
Fantastic, thank u very much. This is just what I need, after my investments & superannuation have devalued. Arrrrrrgggghhhhh! I'm not happy! I'm cursing Lady Luck & I'm waiving my fist at the global financial markets, at all the elements, for causing the AUD to drop. **DT waves his fist harder**
What have I done to deserve all this??? What's going to happen next?? My car get confiscated by the authorities??! Am I going to be placed under house arrest?? Internet ban??
Eeeerrrrrrrrrr, I think I'm going beserk. I really need some wintermelon tea. Hmmmm, where's the nearest Easy Way outlet when u need them? Say, there's a couple in the CBD. Guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow then when I'm on my way to work. Bah humbug.....
Just a few months ago, it was RM 2.90, even RM3 for every AUD. At the time, I did consider converting some money to RM because I'll be heading to Malaysia at the end of this year. I didn't act, & now I'm furious & feel like kicking myself, because now I have to bring more money with me to Malaysia.
Fantastic, thank u very much. This is just what I need, after my investments & superannuation have devalued. Arrrrrrgggghhhhh! I'm not happy! I'm cursing Lady Luck & I'm waiving my fist at the global financial markets, at all the elements, for causing the AUD to drop. **DT waves his fist harder**
What have I done to deserve all this??? What's going to happen next?? My car get confiscated by the authorities??! Am I going to be placed under house arrest?? Internet ban??
Eeeerrrrrrrrrr, I think I'm going beserk. I really need some wintermelon tea. Hmmmm, where's the nearest Easy Way outlet when u need them? Say, there's a couple in the CBD. Guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow then when I'm on my way to work. Bah humbug.....
Sunday, October 5, 2008
My money's going down :(
My investments & superannuation (also known in some countries as provident fund) are not in good shape at the moment. And I'm not happy about it.
My shares & managed funds at the end of September 2008 were only worth little over 80% of their value at the end of March 2008. Yeah, that's effectively a drop of almost 20% in that 6 month period. Fantastic. Arrrgggh!! To be fair, I knew that shares & managed funds have not been in spectacular form of late. For instance, if I recall correctly, my investments in Colonial First State went down by almost $940 during the March 2008 quarter. That was at a time when the stock market was not considered to be in a very bad shape. So if my Colonial First State investments went down by $940 during the first 3 months of the year, I would hate to imagine how much more it has fallen by the end of September 2008. And that is just 1 managed fund institution. I got quite a few more managed fund investments, & as already mentioned, they fell by almost 20% in the 6 months to 30/9/2008.
My super has not been performing much better. My super account balance at the end of June 2008 is about 10-15% lower than the balance at the end of December 2007. In the 6 months to June 2008, my super account has been getting the usual mandatory employer superannuation contribution. But all that money coming in was more than outweighed by the size of the negative earnings during the period. And then, there's the usual administration/management fee that gets deducted from the super balance. Of course, my managed funds also get slogged by management fees. All of them do.
My hard-earned money is going down the drain! Nnnnnooooooooo! Ggggrrrrrrrr! I am officially not a happy man :(
My shares & managed funds at the end of September 2008 were only worth little over 80% of their value at the end of March 2008. Yeah, that's effectively a drop of almost 20% in that 6 month period. Fantastic. Arrrgggh!! To be fair, I knew that shares & managed funds have not been in spectacular form of late. For instance, if I recall correctly, my investments in Colonial First State went down by almost $940 during the March 2008 quarter. That was at a time when the stock market was not considered to be in a very bad shape. So if my Colonial First State investments went down by $940 during the first 3 months of the year, I would hate to imagine how much more it has fallen by the end of September 2008. And that is just 1 managed fund institution. I got quite a few more managed fund investments, & as already mentioned, they fell by almost 20% in the 6 months to 30/9/2008.
My super has not been performing much better. My super account balance at the end of June 2008 is about 10-15% lower than the balance at the end of December 2007. In the 6 months to June 2008, my super account has been getting the usual mandatory employer superannuation contribution. But all that money coming in was more than outweighed by the size of the negative earnings during the period. And then, there's the usual administration/management fee that gets deducted from the super balance. Of course, my managed funds also get slogged by management fees. All of them do.
My hard-earned money is going down the drain! Nnnnnooooooooo! Ggggrrrrrrrr! I am officially not a happy man :(
Friday, September 5, 2008
Hard to keep sport & politics separate
This weekend sees World Cup qualifying action around the globe in the race to be at the big stage in South Africa 2010. Plenty of matches, promising lots of goals, excitement & drama.
Among the list of qualifying matches are 2 intriguing ties: Cuba v USA, & Armenia v Turkey. Intriguing because the matches had meaning beyond just a sporting contest - the nations involved in the respective ties have a deep history with each other, off the field. In the lead up to the matches, internet articles have been talking about all the history. It seems that it can be difficult to separate football & politics.
This weekend will be the first time in over 60 years that the US soccer team play in the Cuban capital. America still has a trade embargo on Cuba (which has been running for about 50 years), which means that there will be no American fans in Havana to cheer their team on. So that will be a new experience for the US squad. One could say the US team will face hostility from the Cuban fans, given the (non-football related) history between both nations. But then again, another viewpoint is that any hostility from the Cuban fans simply represent normal behaviour of home fans wanting their team to win - it's normal that they would be against the visiting team. Some of the Cuban footballers downplay the political aspect of the fixture, saying that their rivalry has nothing to do with politics & that Cuba doesn't like losing to USA in any sport. The US coach, meanwhile, says he is aware of the extra attention the game is bringing, & wants his team to take the opportunity to show what it can do.
As for Armenia & Turkey, their history run all the way back to era of the Ottoman Empire, & alleged atrocities committed by it against the Armenians. Both neighbours have been at odds over the extent to which the Ottoman troops were responsible for the deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman period. (I'm not taking any sides, by the way). That aside, there have also been various regional & territorial disputes between the nations. I won't go into the details. But anyway, the Armenian president has invited his Turkish counterpart to attend the football match in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The invitation has been accepted, as both nations look to establish relations. Unlike the US team in Havana, the Turkish team will enjoy support in Yerevan. About 5,000 Turkish fans are expected, after Armenia relaxed the normal visa restrictions for the match as a goodwill gesture. This has raised concerns of possible violence between both sets of supporters. Turkey's coach, Fatih Terim, tried to diffuse such concerns by appealing for calm, saying: "This is only a football game, not a war. We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders".
Well, all I would like to say is that I hope all the World Cup qualifying matches (including the above 2) go ahead without trouble. Hope the fans enjoy the action on the field, & not think too much about the political stuff off the field.
Among the list of qualifying matches are 2 intriguing ties: Cuba v USA, & Armenia v Turkey. Intriguing because the matches had meaning beyond just a sporting contest - the nations involved in the respective ties have a deep history with each other, off the field. In the lead up to the matches, internet articles have been talking about all the history. It seems that it can be difficult to separate football & politics.
This weekend will be the first time in over 60 years that the US soccer team play in the Cuban capital. America still has a trade embargo on Cuba (which has been running for about 50 years), which means that there will be no American fans in Havana to cheer their team on. So that will be a new experience for the US squad. One could say the US team will face hostility from the Cuban fans, given the (non-football related) history between both nations. But then again, another viewpoint is that any hostility from the Cuban fans simply represent normal behaviour of home fans wanting their team to win - it's normal that they would be against the visiting team. Some of the Cuban footballers downplay the political aspect of the fixture, saying that their rivalry has nothing to do with politics & that Cuba doesn't like losing to USA in any sport. The US coach, meanwhile, says he is aware of the extra attention the game is bringing, & wants his team to take the opportunity to show what it can do.
As for Armenia & Turkey, their history run all the way back to era of the Ottoman Empire, & alleged atrocities committed by it against the Armenians. Both neighbours have been at odds over the extent to which the Ottoman troops were responsible for the deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman period. (I'm not taking any sides, by the way). That aside, there have also been various regional & territorial disputes between the nations. I won't go into the details. But anyway, the Armenian president has invited his Turkish counterpart to attend the football match in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The invitation has been accepted, as both nations look to establish relations. Unlike the US team in Havana, the Turkish team will enjoy support in Yerevan. About 5,000 Turkish fans are expected, after Armenia relaxed the normal visa restrictions for the match as a goodwill gesture. This has raised concerns of possible violence between both sets of supporters. Turkey's coach, Fatih Terim, tried to diffuse such concerns by appealing for calm, saying: "This is only a football game, not a war. We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders".
Well, all I would like to say is that I hope all the World Cup qualifying matches (including the above 2) go ahead without trouble. Hope the fans enjoy the action on the field, & not think too much about the political stuff off the field.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Mark Driscoll, good luck with your ministry
Alright. Readers can tell from a previous blog post that I had big issues with Mark Driscoll from his men’s talk last Thursday. The talk did bring out the worst in me – I reacted in an extreme manner & some readers who know me personally might have seen my “unpleasant side”. Well, a few days have gone, the dust has settled, & at this stage, I still stand by much of the views that I aired.
Everything I said in that post had to do with what I think of Mark Driscoll the person. Now a thought just recently came to me that perhaps it’s a “good idea” to look past Driscoll the person, & find out more about his background – u know, get some idea about what he does, specifically the ministry he is involved in. With that in mind, I’ve done a bit of research (just a bit). I’ve found a few things, & for the rest of this post, I will try to be as objective as possible with what I say.
I found out the following things about Mark Driscoll’s work:
He is head pastor of the church he founded in Seattle, called Mars Hill Church. (well, I already knew that….)
He ministers to young people.
He authored a few books.
He co-founded a network of pastors (Acts 29 Network), which is established to assist church leaders in church-planting efforts.
He writes to the “Faith & Values” section of the Seattle Times.
From what I gather, Driscoll has planted churches at various places, & has reached out to many people. He seems to have some sort of a cult following – lots of people are drawn to him.
Driscoll might well be involved with other things that I haven't mentioned above. But as u can see, he is involved with quite a fair bit. I guess what I want to say is – when it comes to his ministry (as opposed to Mark Driscoll the person), I have nothing to criticize. How can I, since I’m a Christian. True, because of his extremely direct & provocative nature, he has offended some people (with me being the most recent!), & he may continue to offend more in the future. But the bottom line is, his work will continue to plant the seeds of the gospel. From what I read, it looks like God has made really good use of him & God has done wonders through him (churches have sprouted, people have received salvation). It shows that even those who offend or annoy us can be used by God to expand His Kingdom & further His purposes. At the end of the day, as long as Driscoll is serving God fervently & faithfully, & as long as people are won over to Christ, then that’s all that really matters – they matter far more than what I or others think of his personality.
Ok then, what I have to say to Mark Driscoll is: good luck with your ministry. Good luck. Good luck with your work, & all the best with your ministry & whatever your plans are for the future. Yes, u have offended me last week, & you might have offended many others in various places. But when it comes to your ministry, good luck. You might need all the luck u can get – because there’s always the risk that your confronting & provocative nature will not only offend people (some might even react worse than I did last Thursday), it might also actually turn some people away from the gospel. Now we don’t want THAT to happen, do we?
So once again, all the best with your ministry, Mr Mark Driscoll. And hey, a few final words: u are fat. So lay off those doughnuts already….....
Friday, August 29, 2008
Mark Driscoll's talk failed to match the hype
This post is written when the author is in a very foul mood. Please keep this in mind as you read.
The well-renowned pastor from Seattle, Mark Driscoll came to Australia recently to deliver some talks. I attended his talk in Northside Christian College in Everton Park yesterday (Thursday) evening. The event was "300 Men for Jesus", though the turnout was a lot more than 300 men. Refer to this website for more details: http://300menforjesus.com/. The theme was "Burn Your Plastic Jesus", whereby Driscoll's talk was supposed to challenge Christian men to get out of their complacency & be real men for Jesus. Or something to that effect. At the end, I was left somewhat dismayed & disappointed that I even bothered turning up. I'll explain why later.
The evening started on a sour note. At the entrance, when trying to get my name ticked off, I found out that my name was not even on any of the lists of people who signed up. Well, I thought I signed up online (because I did it at church), but obviously something went wrong somewhere. (I've just checked my credit card statement, & cannot see any payment going to the organisers). So, I felt really embarrassed trying to explain that I did try to sign up, but there may have been a glitch online which prevented registration. Freaking fantastic organisation, fellas. If they can't get these registration things right, u wonder what else can go wrong? I was kindly let in for free, but was still very embarrassed about the whole fiasco. And my evening didn't get much better - because after a guy called Phil Davidson gave a decent musical performance (nothing wrong with that), that man Mark Driscoll spoke.
Now, Mr Driscoll spoke from Genesis 1 to 3. He took us back to the start, where God our creator made everything. Here is a blurb of what I got out of his talk (only a summary):
Creation exists to glorify God. God existed right at the beginning & He made everything out of nothing. God made men in His image, & we are made for relationship & are meant to reflect some of God's characteristics. Men are made to rule & God gave men responsibility over creation. After God created Adam, he decided that it was not good for men to be alone, so for that reason he created a helper (Eve). When Eve later committed the sin, God held Adam accountable for that sin. And so it is with us men today - our wives & family members will be held accountable for their sins, & so will we. God made men to lead & gave men responsibility over creation. But many men abdicate responsibility, & they shun leadership roles. A lot of men don't want to lead, & don't want to face the responsibilities associated with leadership - & that is why some women take on leadership roles within the church. So Driscoll challenged the Christian men to be real men, to step up, take responsibility & lead. Work, so that we can pay our bills & support our family. Work because God made us to work, & work so that we give glory to God. Be strong for our family. A real man is one who takes responsibility, & Driscoll urges us to be like that.
Now, let me just say I have no issues with any of the above. It's all Biblical, & he did not misquote the Bible or say anything contrary to the Scriptures. I also will not & cannot question his Bible knowledge, & he obviously has good public speaking skills. That's all fine, fair game to Driscoll, no problems with all that.
But I have a number of issues with the rest of his talk, all of which combine to make me disillusioned & regret that I came all the way to listen to him.
Gripe 1: Driscoll seemed to be too pro-marriage & anti-single/anti-unmarried men
In harping on about how the Bible said it was not good for men to be alone, Driscoll seemed to be bashing the single/unmarried men. He showed favouritism towards married men. That made me very upset, deeply offended & very uncomfortable sitting in the audience. He was attacking me, & he was attacking all the other unmarried men in the audience simply because we are not married. He basically alienated a sizable segment of the audience. Driscoll seems to think that all man should be married. He is saying, hey you single men, what are you waiting for, find a lady to marry.
I mean, was I the only unmarried guy in the audience offended by Driscoll? I certainly hope not, & I'm sure there might be others in the audience who might have been offended, too. By all means, be confronting if necessary, but he went beyond that - he disrespected those who are single/unmarried & rubbed their faces the wrong way, something sadly typical among some married people. And this coming from a so-called respected pastor who many people look up to. A man who claims to follow Jesus, yet had the nerve to come up on stage & show no love towards a segment of the audience (the single/unmarried) who Jesus loves.
So if Driscoll doesn't like unmarried men, what then would Driscoll have to say about the Apostle Paul? What would he have to say to John Stott or other famous single Christian men in the world today? These are men who were & are far far greater than Driscoll will ever be. If Driscoll doesn't like men to stay unmarried, why doesn't he round up all the single/unmarried men & have them shot??!! Does Driscoll also not realise that singlehood can also be a gift from God (just as marriage is a gift from God), that some men are called on by God to be single? I mean, some of those called to be single might have desire to marry, but at the end of the day, if God's will is for them to remain unmarried, then they shall remain single. Others remain single for whatever reason (e.g. still looking for the right partner & waiting for God's provision). However, one would have thought these things are lost on Mark Driscoll, judging by the way he bangs the marriage drum.
Gripe 2: Driscoll is arrogant & opinionated
Mark Driscoll was boastful. He went on & on about how he met his beautiful wife in college (or something like that), & how they have 5 wonderful kids. They are all great, fantastic children, one of his daughters is very smart, yada yada yada. It's fine & good to be thankful for being blessed with a great family, but Driscoll went beyond that - he boasted about himself & his family, & put himself on a pedestal. He put himself up, & put others down. He is so full of himself. I wouldn't know if there is a more arrogant & opinionated Christian around, & wouldn't want to meet that person.
Never have I ever had such dislike, even "hatred", for a Christian. So Driscoll thinks he's so great, better than any in the audience just because he has 5 kids? What, does he want a medal for each child? And what happens if he gets child number 6 - is he going to put his hand up for the mayor seat of Seattle? And if he then gets child number 7, is he going to run for the US presidency???
Another thing he ranted about is about the young men in this country who still live with their parents after a certain age (what? 25??). He said these people should move out & be a master of their domain. Who the hell does he think he is, criticising his audience in that manner??? Does he not realise how expensive properties are in Australia? Some people can't yet afford to live out. I guess not - remember, he is from Seattle, where properties cost only a fraction of the prices in Australia. He presumably owns his house, & thinks everyone should be in the same position as him. So he feels that gives him the right to mouth off against those who still live with their parents. He is not qualified to make such judgemental remarks.
This is a man who has such a vastly inflated opinion of himself, a sanctimonious know-it-all. If I were to buy Mark Driscoll for what he's worth & sell him for what he thinks he's worth, I would make a ton of money - I'll be wealthier than Bill Gates.
Gripe 3: Driscoll's talk failed to encourage & inspire me
OK, some people might think my judgement is clouded by the first 2 gripes. But even leaving both those things aside, I still have reason to take issue with Driscoll.
You see, I came to the talk to be edified, to learn how to be a better Christian, to learn how to improve my spiritual walk. I mean, Driscoll has been hyped up by the people at my church as being "all that", as being so good that I have to attend this talk. And I fell for the hype: hook, line, sinker. The way his talk goes is like this: men are not doing X, men should do X. He never elaborate much further. So he says men are not taking responsibility, he would later say men should take responsibility - which is ok, but he should also elaborate more on how men should lead & take responsibility, instead of spouting rubbish about every men should be married or how great his family is.
The "Burn Your Plastic Jesus" thing is meant to be a challenge to the men who carry a convenient idol & live comfortable, unchallenged lives. To repent of that, Mark Driscoll has been invited to "unsettle our complacency and expand our view of the real Jesus". Well, he failed to achieve both objectives with me & has managed to put me offside. I don't believe anything that Mark Driscoll said has had any effect on whatever complacency I might have. Nothing he said has increased my knowledge of Jesus & godliness. Nothing he said has edified me. No encouragement whatsoever was given. I did not learn anything new because there is nothing in his talk (the blue words as summarised in the third paragraph above) that I have not heard before elsewhere. I drove home feeling empty & disillusioned, & I wondered if I would have missed anything had I not come. Felt like I wasted 3.5 hours of my life (including travel time) listening to that man - time which I will never recover. The talk did NOTHING for me. Absolutely nothing!
In fact, I just don't understand why the people at my church like Driscoll so much. They go on about how great he is. And as I said before, I got "duped" into coming to his talk. Well, I found out for myself that Mark Driscoll carries a lot of hot air. I felt that his talk never matched the hype that preceded it. But hey, it's my fault. I blame myself for listening when friends encouraged me to attend this talk. I had been skeptical about the whole thing, but allowed myself to be sucked into turning up. That's ok - we make mistakes, we learn from them & I will never ever make mistakes like this again.
So Driscoll has been preaching that men are made in God's image. Yeah?? But if God resembles Mark Driscoll, then we Christians should really worry.
Still, if people actually like him, that's their decision. I'm not going to blindly follow popular opinion & kiss the ground he walks on. Because having listened to his talk & seen what he's like, there's little about him that I find likeable. I have nothing but contempt for that man.
Having said all the above, for all my ranting & raving, at least I will acknowledge Driscoll never twisted the message of the Genesis passages. And ok, at the end of the day, he is a Christian whom Jesus has loved & saved - so who knows, one day, Mark Driscoll might prove my current opinion of him wrong. If or when that time comes, I will be willing to revise my opinion of him - but for that to happen, he will have to do something really drastic. For now, it appears unlikely to happen.
The well-renowned pastor from Seattle, Mark Driscoll came to Australia recently to deliver some talks. I attended his talk in Northside Christian College in Everton Park yesterday (Thursday) evening. The event was "300 Men for Jesus", though the turnout was a lot more than 300 men. Refer to this website for more details: http://300menforjesus.com/. The theme was "Burn Your Plastic Jesus", whereby Driscoll's talk was supposed to challenge Christian men to get out of their complacency & be real men for Jesus. Or something to that effect. At the end, I was left somewhat dismayed & disappointed that I even bothered turning up. I'll explain why later.
The evening started on a sour note. At the entrance, when trying to get my name ticked off, I found out that my name was not even on any of the lists of people who signed up. Well, I thought I signed up online (because I did it at church), but obviously something went wrong somewhere. (I've just checked my credit card statement, & cannot see any payment going to the organisers). So, I felt really embarrassed trying to explain that I did try to sign up, but there may have been a glitch online which prevented registration. Freaking fantastic organisation, fellas. If they can't get these registration things right, u wonder what else can go wrong? I was kindly let in for free, but was still very embarrassed about the whole fiasco. And my evening didn't get much better - because after a guy called Phil Davidson gave a decent musical performance (nothing wrong with that), that man Mark Driscoll spoke.
Now, Mr Driscoll spoke from Genesis 1 to 3. He took us back to the start, where God our creator made everything. Here is a blurb of what I got out of his talk (only a summary):
Creation exists to glorify God. God existed right at the beginning & He made everything out of nothing. God made men in His image, & we are made for relationship & are meant to reflect some of God's characteristics. Men are made to rule & God gave men responsibility over creation. After God created Adam, he decided that it was not good for men to be alone, so for that reason he created a helper (Eve). When Eve later committed the sin, God held Adam accountable for that sin. And so it is with us men today - our wives & family members will be held accountable for their sins, & so will we. God made men to lead & gave men responsibility over creation. But many men abdicate responsibility, & they shun leadership roles. A lot of men don't want to lead, & don't want to face the responsibilities associated with leadership - & that is why some women take on leadership roles within the church. So Driscoll challenged the Christian men to be real men, to step up, take responsibility & lead. Work, so that we can pay our bills & support our family. Work because God made us to work, & work so that we give glory to God. Be strong for our family. A real man is one who takes responsibility, & Driscoll urges us to be like that.
Now, let me just say I have no issues with any of the above. It's all Biblical, & he did not misquote the Bible or say anything contrary to the Scriptures. I also will not & cannot question his Bible knowledge, & he obviously has good public speaking skills. That's all fine, fair game to Driscoll, no problems with all that.
But I have a number of issues with the rest of his talk, all of which combine to make me disillusioned & regret that I came all the way to listen to him.
Gripe 1: Driscoll seemed to be too pro-marriage & anti-single/anti-unmarried men
In harping on about how the Bible said it was not good for men to be alone, Driscoll seemed to be bashing the single/unmarried men. He showed favouritism towards married men. That made me very upset, deeply offended & very uncomfortable sitting in the audience. He was attacking me, & he was attacking all the other unmarried men in the audience simply because we are not married. He basically alienated a sizable segment of the audience. Driscoll seems to think that all man should be married. He is saying, hey you single men, what are you waiting for, find a lady to marry.
I mean, was I the only unmarried guy in the audience offended by Driscoll? I certainly hope not, & I'm sure there might be others in the audience who might have been offended, too. By all means, be confronting if necessary, but he went beyond that - he disrespected those who are single/unmarried & rubbed their faces the wrong way, something sadly typical among some married people. And this coming from a so-called respected pastor who many people look up to. A man who claims to follow Jesus, yet had the nerve to come up on stage & show no love towards a segment of the audience (the single/unmarried) who Jesus loves.
So if Driscoll doesn't like unmarried men, what then would Driscoll have to say about the Apostle Paul? What would he have to say to John Stott or other famous single Christian men in the world today? These are men who were & are far far greater than Driscoll will ever be. If Driscoll doesn't like men to stay unmarried, why doesn't he round up all the single/unmarried men & have them shot??!! Does Driscoll also not realise that singlehood can also be a gift from God (just as marriage is a gift from God), that some men are called on by God to be single? I mean, some of those called to be single might have desire to marry, but at the end of the day, if God's will is for them to remain unmarried, then they shall remain single. Others remain single for whatever reason (e.g. still looking for the right partner & waiting for God's provision). However, one would have thought these things are lost on Mark Driscoll, judging by the way he bangs the marriage drum.
Gripe 2: Driscoll is arrogant & opinionated
Mark Driscoll was boastful. He went on & on about how he met his beautiful wife in college (or something like that), & how they have 5 wonderful kids. They are all great, fantastic children, one of his daughters is very smart, yada yada yada. It's fine & good to be thankful for being blessed with a great family, but Driscoll went beyond that - he boasted about himself & his family, & put himself on a pedestal. He put himself up, & put others down. He is so full of himself. I wouldn't know if there is a more arrogant & opinionated Christian around, & wouldn't want to meet that person.
Never have I ever had such dislike, even "hatred", for a Christian. So Driscoll thinks he's so great, better than any in the audience just because he has 5 kids? What, does he want a medal for each child? And what happens if he gets child number 6 - is he going to put his hand up for the mayor seat of Seattle? And if he then gets child number 7, is he going to run for the US presidency???
Another thing he ranted about is about the young men in this country who still live with their parents after a certain age (what? 25??). He said these people should move out & be a master of their domain. Who the hell does he think he is, criticising his audience in that manner??? Does he not realise how expensive properties are in Australia? Some people can't yet afford to live out. I guess not - remember, he is from Seattle, where properties cost only a fraction of the prices in Australia. He presumably owns his house, & thinks everyone should be in the same position as him. So he feels that gives him the right to mouth off against those who still live with their parents. He is not qualified to make such judgemental remarks.
This is a man who has such a vastly inflated opinion of himself, a sanctimonious know-it-all. If I were to buy Mark Driscoll for what he's worth & sell him for what he thinks he's worth, I would make a ton of money - I'll be wealthier than Bill Gates.
Gripe 3: Driscoll's talk failed to encourage & inspire me
OK, some people might think my judgement is clouded by the first 2 gripes. But even leaving both those things aside, I still have reason to take issue with Driscoll.
You see, I came to the talk to be edified, to learn how to be a better Christian, to learn how to improve my spiritual walk. I mean, Driscoll has been hyped up by the people at my church as being "all that", as being so good that I have to attend this talk. And I fell for the hype: hook, line, sinker. The way his talk goes is like this: men are not doing X, men should do X. He never elaborate much further. So he says men are not taking responsibility, he would later say men should take responsibility - which is ok, but he should also elaborate more on how men should lead & take responsibility, instead of spouting rubbish about every men should be married or how great his family is.
The "Burn Your Plastic Jesus" thing is meant to be a challenge to the men who carry a convenient idol & live comfortable, unchallenged lives. To repent of that, Mark Driscoll has been invited to "unsettle our complacency and expand our view of the real Jesus". Well, he failed to achieve both objectives with me & has managed to put me offside. I don't believe anything that Mark Driscoll said has had any effect on whatever complacency I might have. Nothing he said has increased my knowledge of Jesus & godliness. Nothing he said has edified me. No encouragement whatsoever was given. I did not learn anything new because there is nothing in his talk (the blue words as summarised in the third paragraph above) that I have not heard before elsewhere. I drove home feeling empty & disillusioned, & I wondered if I would have missed anything had I not come. Felt like I wasted 3.5 hours of my life (including travel time) listening to that man - time which I will never recover. The talk did NOTHING for me. Absolutely nothing!
In fact, I just don't understand why the people at my church like Driscoll so much. They go on about how great he is. And as I said before, I got "duped" into coming to his talk. Well, I found out for myself that Mark Driscoll carries a lot of hot air. I felt that his talk never matched the hype that preceded it. But hey, it's my fault. I blame myself for listening when friends encouraged me to attend this talk. I had been skeptical about the whole thing, but allowed myself to be sucked into turning up. That's ok - we make mistakes, we learn from them & I will never ever make mistakes like this again.
So Driscoll has been preaching that men are made in God's image. Yeah?? But if God resembles Mark Driscoll, then we Christians should really worry.
Still, if people actually like him, that's their decision. I'm not going to blindly follow popular opinion & kiss the ground he walks on. Because having listened to his talk & seen what he's like, there's little about him that I find likeable. I have nothing but contempt for that man.
Having said all the above, for all my ranting & raving, at least I will acknowledge Driscoll never twisted the message of the Genesis passages. And ok, at the end of the day, he is a Christian whom Jesus has loved & saved - so who knows, one day, Mark Driscoll might prove my current opinion of him wrong. If or when that time comes, I will be willing to revise my opinion of him - but for that to happen, he will have to do something really drastic. For now, it appears unlikely to happen.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Dental appointments - arrrggghhhh
I had a dental appointment yesterday afternoon. Before the dentist did the scaling & thorough cleaning, he checked one of my bottom left tooth at my request (as it occasionally gave very slight pain). He recommended that the metallic filling in that left tooth be removed & a crown be inserted over that left tooth in place of the filling. This would mean that I needed 2 more dental appointments! Apart from that bottom left tooth, the other teeth were fine - dentist gave them the thumbs up. But still, I got those 2 more appointments.
So I went back again today for the first of the 2 extra appointments. The dentist removed the metallic filling from that left tooth, & inserted a temporary crown over it. He will arrange for a permanent crown to be prepared, & this will be inserted at the next appointment (he will call when the permanent crown is ready, & I will arrange for the next appointment). And my goodness, the whole process felt like construction works as a result of the drilling to remove the old metallic filling. No wonder nobody likes a dental visit. To be fair, I was given some anaesthetics before the drilling commenced, so that removed a lot of the pain. But still, I could feel some pain. And I prayed like never before, during all that drilling!
Getting the crown for the left tooth will cost a bomb. How much I pay will depend on how much (or little) my private health fund will cover; the less they cover, the more I will have to pay out of my own pocket. All of that will be looked into after the second appointment - I will pay up whatever I have to pay up. Not looking forward to that. Arrggghhh.....
As a result of today's dental appointment, the left side of my mouth was numb for the next few hours. So when I had lunch with Mark at Indooroopilly shopping centre, I ate my McDonald's meal exclusively through the right side of my mouth. After lunch, we watched the action film Taken, featuring Liam Neeson. Very good movie; I thoroughly enjoyed it. The numbness on the left side of my mouth mostly subsided by the time the movie finished - which was a good thing. Hopefully, there will be no more such dental work (i.e. the crown installation) needed in future....
So I went back again today for the first of the 2 extra appointments. The dentist removed the metallic filling from that left tooth, & inserted a temporary crown over it. He will arrange for a permanent crown to be prepared, & this will be inserted at the next appointment (he will call when the permanent crown is ready, & I will arrange for the next appointment). And my goodness, the whole process felt like construction works as a result of the drilling to remove the old metallic filling. No wonder nobody likes a dental visit. To be fair, I was given some anaesthetics before the drilling commenced, so that removed a lot of the pain. But still, I could feel some pain. And I prayed like never before, during all that drilling!
Getting the crown for the left tooth will cost a bomb. How much I pay will depend on how much (or little) my private health fund will cover; the less they cover, the more I will have to pay out of my own pocket. All of that will be looked into after the second appointment - I will pay up whatever I have to pay up. Not looking forward to that. Arrggghhh.....
As a result of today's dental appointment, the left side of my mouth was numb for the next few hours. So when I had lunch with Mark at Indooroopilly shopping centre, I ate my McDonald's meal exclusively through the right side of my mouth. After lunch, we watched the action film Taken, featuring Liam Neeson. Very good movie; I thoroughly enjoyed it. The numbness on the left side of my mouth mostly subsided by the time the movie finished - which was a good thing. Hopefully, there will be no more such dental work (i.e. the crown installation) needed in future....
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
My last day at work
Today was my last day at work. I resigned exactly 3 weeks ago, & could have actually left last week as I only needed to have given 2 weeks notice. But due to the considerable workload, I offered to stay on for another week (such a nice person, aren't I?). Hence I depart today. I will be having tomorrow (Thursday) & Friday off before starting my new position next Monday, i.e. effectively, I will be having a 4 day weekend. And goodness, I think I need as much of all that "free time" as I can get (got a dental appointment tomorrow, too). It'll be a while before I have another such long weekend.
The new position I will be taking up is with a global/multi-national chartered accounting & business advisory firm. It has offices in all the major Australian cities. I'm excited with the challenges that await me, & the various opportunities for career progression & advancement that I can get at the new firm.
My last day today was fairly quiet, though I had lots of tidying up to do before my departure. By way of farewell gifts, my teammate gave me 3 bags of chocolates & a pack of Staedtler stick ice ballpoint pens, all in a gift bag. She got me the chocolates because she knows I like them, & I always tend to buy the snack-sized chocolates every morning from staff social club. She said the chocolates were meant to be my "survival pack" for the first few weeks at my new job. She got me the pack of pens because because I previously said (half-jokingly) that I wanted to get an orange pen for work. Well, the pack contained 5 different coloured pens, one of which is orange. There is also a pink pen.....wonder what I can do with that??!
We had a farewell team lunch at Kingsleys (just me & my team) - a treat for the whole team from my boss. I had a steak, a 400g middle aged rump, medium-rare. The lunch went for 2 hours. It was good. Then, to continue the farewell theme, we had a late afternoon tea in the board room with the whole firm (not just my team). My boss handed me a David Jones gift card & a farewell card signed by my colleagues.
Overall, I had a mized feeling with my leaving the firm. As mentioned, I feel excited with new position, but a little sad to be leaving my colleagues, some of whom I got along with very well. I will miss working with my teammates. I will also miss the laughs & banter with teammates & also some colleagues outside my team. Oh well, since I will still be based in the CBD, I can always catch up with some of them over lunch. But anyway, I'm looking forward to what lies ahead with my career. I hope the move goes well.
the gift bag (farewell gifts from a teammate)
what's inside the gift bag (the chocs are meant to be my "survival pack" for my first few weeks at my new job)
farewell gifts from work - David Jones gift card & signed farewell card
The new position I will be taking up is with a global/multi-national chartered accounting & business advisory firm. It has offices in all the major Australian cities. I'm excited with the challenges that await me, & the various opportunities for career progression & advancement that I can get at the new firm.
My last day today was fairly quiet, though I had lots of tidying up to do before my departure. By way of farewell gifts, my teammate gave me 3 bags of chocolates & a pack of Staedtler stick ice ballpoint pens, all in a gift bag. She got me the chocolates because she knows I like them, & I always tend to buy the snack-sized chocolates every morning from staff social club. She said the chocolates were meant to be my "survival pack" for the first few weeks at my new job. She got me the pack of pens because because I previously said (half-jokingly) that I wanted to get an orange pen for work. Well, the pack contained 5 different coloured pens, one of which is orange. There is also a pink pen.....wonder what I can do with that??!
We had a farewell team lunch at Kingsleys (just me & my team) - a treat for the whole team from my boss. I had a steak, a 400g middle aged rump, medium-rare. The lunch went for 2 hours. It was good. Then, to continue the farewell theme, we had a late afternoon tea in the board room with the whole firm (not just my team). My boss handed me a David Jones gift card & a farewell card signed by my colleagues.
Overall, I had a mized feeling with my leaving the firm. As mentioned, I feel excited with new position, but a little sad to be leaving my colleagues, some of whom I got along with very well. I will miss working with my teammates. I will also miss the laughs & banter with teammates & also some colleagues outside my team. Oh well, since I will still be based in the CBD, I can always catch up with some of them over lunch. But anyway, I'm looking forward to what lies ahead with my career. I hope the move goes well.
the gift bag (farewell gifts from a teammate)
what's inside the gift bag (the chocs are meant to be my "survival pack" for my first few weeks at my new job)
farewell gifts from work - David Jones gift card & signed farewell card
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