My Journal

Today marked the beginning of a habit for me to dump free food people insist on giving me straight into the bin after farewell.

So, althought I didn't quite do it this time (had to throw away at home):

"No", 1, "No", 2, "Okay give me, thank you". "Bye bye". Walk out, 3-point shot, boldly.

The whole point is to avoid this "come one, take take" annoyance. It has nothing to do with being polite. Offense is unavoidable, but better offense than this "Aiyah! Take Take, No No, Yes Yes" time and energy vanity. The trick is to choose the route to least offense. After all, since they insist, it can be gathered that nobody wants it.

Next, is that I should learn how to obtain free food when I actually want it.

As I noted before, there are those shallow minded evangelicals who motivate people to stay in small churches, keeping them from being attracted by big colorful churches, by saying: In smaller churches, one's chance of being selected into "important" roles is higher.

Allow me to ask: Is it really because of God's call to serve? or because of one's pride for not being recognized in bigger churches?

Even St. Francis of Assisi, who communed to beasts, dared not recede himself with a mask of humility in such manner, but boldly went preaching and serving great multitude.

Stopped by New Life Christian Store at Jamaica this afternoon. Looking for gift Bible. $50 for a Macarthur's NKJV study bible is just too much for me...prices must have gone up since the last time I was there. Perhaps the $20 difference is due to a new edition. After checking online with my cellphone, I decided to go with ebay on this, and since it is online purchase now, I might as well go with The Spirit of Reformation Study Bible with its cathecisms at the back and all. Though, I prefer King James to NIV for its lingo and non-copyright issue and Macarthur's commentary's more to the point and all. I'll consider the latter as an advanced "degree" then.

So didn't buy any Bible at the store, but came across a few pens with useful notes on them, good for presents too, only a couple of dollars each.

Noted some good traditional music (Christmas season) playing. Came across the name Don Marsh which led to Linda McKechnie's (of Presbyterian church) works on Hymnworks, which is the album for blending Baroque and Classical with hymns. Though I'm not too impressed, but it's something I had dreamed but never hoped in reality. I also bought CD Volume #2 of America's 25 Favorite Praise & Worship Choruses...this one surely brings back a lot of childhood Sunday School memories.

I have a theory, by observations, that those immigrants to U.S. who consider U.S. as a reward or upgrade to their military service, have zero quality from their army training. Should they display any disciplinary virtue, it is due to a passive effect or interest from other area.

Of course, it needs not be said of those who immigrate for the purpose of escaping military duty. Although, I must add, that the main problem with these are more in the area of respect and responsibility than discipline. It is therefore a more serious problem.

Mandatory military service (provided it is within justified ethical code) required in countries such as Taiwan or South Korea serves a neutral function, I believe. Therefore it is not to escape from nor is it necessary for all nations in the world. It is a blessing for those who seek it in discipline and a rebuke to those who run away from it. As for running away, those who run away after completion of military service as a reward are in many ways better than those who immigrated before they begun it.

As for those who are not demanded such disciplinary service, including those who were moved away from it without themselves being aware of such, it is insufficient for me to evaluate.

Last but not least, there are those rare ones who after military service, immigrated, or moved abroad, to seek higher challenge, even temporarily, that should they keep it up and slack not in the end, they have greatness awaiting ahead.

I'm getting better at shucking oysters. $6 for a dozen in Flushing Markets. Use any small knife, the only obvious opening is from the back, wiggle strongly and firmly in all direction, becareful of the knife, use knife to blindly slit inside around the front area once the shells are loosen.

No need special tools. Though, I am not sure how well those tools actually work.