Challenge!

It is a well known fact that the Japanese love fresh fish. However, as demand increased, fishing boats needed to go further into open water in order to catch a sufficient number of fish. But now, their return trip was longer than before and the fish was no longer fresh, which did not suit the market needs.

To solve this problem, freezers were placed on board the ships. However, frozen fish tasted different, and the market was still unsatisfied.

the fishing companies then installed 'Fish tanks' on board the ships; all the captured fish were put in a tank; however, due to the large number of fish, the tank started getting over-crowded, which meant that they couldn’t move resulting in their death, and obviously the failure of the solution.

This seemed like an impossible problem to solve, until a small shark was added in the fish tank!

A shark? You ask..

Naturally, the shark ate a few fish; however most of the fish arrived in a very lively state - and obviously fresh! But why? Because they were challenged! Have you realized that some people restrict their lives by ’living in a pond' and soon after become bored, tired & dull. So we need a Shark in our life to keep us awake and moving. Basically in our lives Sharks represent new challenges that keep us active...
The more intelligent, persistent and competent people are, the more they enjoy challenge. This way they are constantly active, trying to solve problems, feeling alive.

Make sure there is a shark in your life!

Leap Second

If life is often a matter of split seconds -- the train door that closes in your face, the chance encounter with the love of your life, the near-collision with an oncoming car -- then the universe is about to bestow upon us a generous gift: the leap second.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/25/leap.second.reut/

Musée des Beaux Arts

I studied this poem back when I was in High school, and I recently read it again, since I studied some great poetry during high school, I think I will post some of them regularly.

Initially I intended to post my commentary on it; however I would rather to hear what some of you have to say about it.

About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters; how well, they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer’s horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel’s Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

-W. H. Auden

This poem refrences Breughel's painting “Fall of Icarus"

Righteousness vs. Holiness

Please note, there is no right or wrong answer. Please respect peoples opinion and religious beliefs, after all they are between them and their God.

Also, please note the different definitions that I’m depending on:

Holiness: is a purity of the heart, undefiled, separate from sin(ners).

Righteousness: Being sinless in the sight of God

I first heard this comparison in the movie “Kingdom of Heaven” and since then, I have always discussed the importance difference between being righteous and being holy.

To better explain, I will loosely use myself as an example: I see myself to better resemble being Holy. Not because I’m proud not be righteous, quite the contrary; however I have no intentions to falsely depict myself as someone who is righteous, since there are numerous aspects of my religion that I do not (though I should) practice on a regular basis. The exact specifics are irrelevant!

On the other hand, I (truly believe) that I lead a life where I have shown purity and innocence of intentions. Since the reason I posted this blog was not to discuss ME as much as the concept, I feel it is irrelevant to discuss why I believe this to be the case.

What do you think?

My Humble Ferrari

How can I be humble if I'm driving a Ferrari F430 worth more than $200'000? This was a hypothetical question posed by a friend of mine, one that is interesting to discuss.

I personally feel that the material possessions of one person do not, and should not enforce who you are. In fact, nothing and no one can enforce who we are. Some people who live the most lavish of life styles are very down to earth and are simply enjoying what their wealth can buy them. On the other hand, there are people who use whatever small disposable income they have to simply stand out or make a point; the latter shows insecurity and a lack of understanding that the same way this money was made available it can disappear.

it is unsettling to think that the minute you spend a certain amount of money your image will change, it reflects badly on you, your friends or the culture you live in. it is we who decide if we are humble or not, and not the material possessions we own.

i wish you all great success, prosperity and of course humility.

LOST

I do warn you not to read this if you have not seen episode 209 "What Kate did.." of LOST.
I did not write this, I found it on message board and it really intrested me its all speculation, but thats what my friends and I have been doing for a while now; this should bring some interesting discussions...

The below commets discuss the orientation film first seen in epsiode 203:

(1) What is the orientation film? The orientation film we are shown in the swan bunker is the third in a series of 6 films. Many people have suggested that there maybe two separate explanations for the 3 of 6. Either, (a) there are 6 bunkers or (b) there are 6 videos. The answer is both. In the orientation film, Dr. Candle lists all 6 of the special projects which we can assume took place on the island. Also, in the beginning of the film, the subtitle of the film is Orientation – Station 3 – The Swan. Now, I take this to mean that there are multiple Orientation films one for each station. The stations being 1 – 6 and then followed with the name of the individual station.

(2) What is the “incident” that is referred to several times in the film? The incident was the discovery by the outside world of the island and the experiments that were being done on the island. The only evidence I have to back this up is the “second” part of the orientation film. Dr. Candle states that “the attempt to use the computer in this matter [communicate with the outside world] could compromise the integrity of the project, or worse could lead to ANOTHER incident”. I can only take this to mean that the original incident is the discovered by the outside world of the projects. The end result being that the electromagnetic station was shut down and the new “protocol” was enacted.

(3) What is the “protocol”? We are told that the new protocol is that the two personnel who are put on the island to man the Swan station are to put in the code once every 108 minutes.

(4) Are there more than one “protocols”? The answer is yes and no. Everything that Dharma has done prior to the “incident” they continue to follow. It is just that because of the “incident” they added one more protocol to the list. The nature of the experiments the scientists in the Dharma Initiative are doing are all areas of research which could possibly by frowned upon by world governments. The electromagnetic station, could be developed into a special weapons project, the meteorology station could have an impact on local or world climate. The psychology, parapsychology, and utopian society stations would require human test subjects to complete their research, and the zoology station would require experimentation on animals. As a result, these projects were instituted on the island away from observation by world governments so that they could be completed without oversight or involvement. You can thus conclude that the island was not visited regularly by Dharma and then only to deliver supplies and fresh personnel. We know from the orientation video that the personnel who are manning the Swan station could expect a relief once ever 500 days or so.

(5) Why was the swan station shut down when the other experiments continued? The electromagnetic station was probably the only station (except meterology of course) whose experiments could possibly be detected by the outside world. Thus, that program was shut down and the swan station was turned into the communication station we now know it to be. In this way the other projects could continue and the Dharma Initiative developed a system to remotely keep up with the island status.

(6) What are the “numbers”? As we are all aware, the numbers were on the side of the hatch. I think (this is pure theory on my part with little to no direct proof to back it up) that the numbers were a way for the US Government to keep tabs on the island and Dharma experiments. The US Navy for reasons still unknown decided to man a listening post for reasons that even the personnel there don’t understand. One night they pick up the numbers. These numbers also bring Rouseau’s party to the island where their ship eventually wrecks and sinks. So what does this mean? The numbers are nothing more than an alarm. By announcing the numbers, the US government could then learn which station was in use (each station has it own numbers) and thus which project was up and running. What set off the alarm? I have no idea, but the fact that they keep on repeating suggests that nobody went back to the island 16 years ago and reset the alarm. The US government set up the monitoring equipment (thus explains why US military equipment keeps popping up on the island) on a commercial VHF frequency and setup the listening post to monitor that frequency. They used commercial VHF, because it is cheap, and has distance, and the electromagnetic anomalies of the island ensures that it is far away from normal shipping and air lanes. Thus they would get no feedback from passing civilian ships or airplanes.

(7) Okay, but why do the numbers have to be entered into the computer? This is how Dharma keeps track of their projects. By putting in the numbers every 108 minutes, Dharma can be reasonably sure that everything is going well on the island. For the numbers to be transmitted, it would require that the station personnel are still on the job, the island “transmitter” is still functional, and the island still has electrical power. If any one of these three sides to the triangle break, there will be no message sent. Dharma would then know to go investigate the island.Note: By taking 108 minutes to resubmit the numbers, this suggests satellite communications (108 minutes for the satellite to return back within range of the station). The fact the numbers equal 108, is just one of those freaky coincidences. The transponder recovered from flight 815 would have been VHF. The same frequency band as the Rouseau distress message. Neither are being picked up because as I stated above, the island is far away from normal air or shipping lanes.

(8) What is the monster? The monster is exactly what Rouseau called it. It is a security system. Now the purpose of the security system is to keep the other project’s personnel away from the Swan bunker. This would explain why the “losties” only run into it in the jungle. They only run into the monster when they have reached the perimeter in which it guards. As luck would have it, their section of the plane crashed within the perimeter of the monster, so they were never directly attacked by it. However, as they explored outward, they did cross the “monster’s perimeter and thus were then attacked.Support for this theory:(1) The “others” appear to mostly be on the other side of the island. This area is where the other bunkers are (arrow bunker for example) and it is outside of the perimeter of the monster.(2) Ethan. We don’t see Ethan until around day 5 or 6. This could be explained by the fact it takes about 5 days to navigate from one end of the island to the other. And he and a few others were sent out to find other groups of survivors. He is alone because of the distance and the potential threat of losing personnel to the monster.(3) The orientation video. We know that the film claims that the Swan station will be re-manned once every 500 days or so. It the monster was in fact a monster and threatened the lives of the personnel at these bunkers, I am sure Dharma would have done something to resolve this issue long ago. As it stands, it does exactly what it is designed to do. To keep the Swan bunker isolated from the rest of the projects. The beach that our losties are located at is within the perimeter because it is in this general area that Dharma deliveries supplies and personnel to the Swan bunker.

(9) Why must there be isolation between the Swan bunker and the other projects? Because the Swan bunker has the potential capability to communicate with the outside world. If I am right about the “incident” being an intrusion on the island by the outside world, then Dharma would want to ensure that the Swan bunker personnel know little to nothing about the projects going on there. The numbers they transmit are just numbers. To the casual eye they mean nothing. But if the personnel in the Swan bunker figure out a way to contact the outside world, the less they know about the projects the less likely government agencies will learn that the projects are still active.

(10) When did the “incident” occur? We know from the orientation film that the project was started in 1970. The copyright on the orientation film is 1980. Thus we can conclude that the incident occurred between 1970 – 1980. We also see the computer and the mainframes are in the model in front of Dr. Candle. This suggests that they were original equipment. The apple II (the computer that is in the Swan station) was manufactured in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. Also since the orientation films were a result of the “incident”, this would put the “incident” occurring sometime in the late 1970’s or early 1980.

(11) Who edited the orientation film? No way to tell. However, it would have had to have been somebody stationed in the Swan bunker. It is the only way they could have gotten access to the film and left the clue on the mural (the eye). (The eye in the mural refers to the glass eye in the footlocker.) Also since the second piece was discovered on the other side of the island, it would require that the person(s) responsible would have a good knowledge of the island and the other projects. The person(s) responsible would also assume that the discoverer of the second piece would also have a good knowledge of the island and the experiments. Because Kelvin nor Desmond attempt to contact the outside world, we can rule either one of these two out. This also means that it has been over 4 years since the film was edited. (Desmond was on the island for 3 years, and Kelvin discovered Desmond because he was looking for his relief which means it was over a year). Now, some people have suggested in the forums that the good Dr. Candle appears to have a glass eye and a fake arm. If this is indeed the case, then one could argue that Dr. Candle edited the film himself.

(12) Why edit the film? I am again just theorizing here, but I think it is because whoever edited the tape wanted the Swan personnel to realize that the computer could communicate with the outside world. If we speculate that the each re-supply arrived later and later, we could then deduce that somebody realized that things were not going well with the Dharma project on the outside world and wanted to leave the chance for discovery to the Swan personnel. That about covers it.

Let me know what everyone think. I look forward to all feedback...

So it Begins...

We all walk our separate paths in life, walking forward. From time to time though, we stop and look back at where we were. Asking ourselves the question: what would have happened if I took a different path? No one knows, but what we do know is that you would probably be in a completely different place, be a very different person. I think it is very important to always look back, see where you came from, what route you took, the companions you had and the lessons you learned amongst other things. After all, our only weapon in facing the future is our past...so lets be well armed!