Belive

No, it’’s not a typo.

Before I continue any further here’s the etymology of the word “believe”, courtesy of Online Etymology Dictionary:

O.E. belyfan, earlier geleafa (Mercian), gelefa (Northumbrian), gelyfan (W.Saxon) “believe,” from P.Gmc. *ga-laubjan “hold dear, love,” from PIE base *leubh- “to like, desire” (see love). Spelling beleeve is common till 17c.; then altered perhaps by influence of relieve. To believe on instead of in was more common in 16c. but now is a peculiarity of theology; believe of also sometimes was used in 17c.

I have always felt that the word believe should be spelt belive.

First, it’s a more intuitive spelling. be + live = belive.

Second, it’s a more accurate description. To believe in something, one must become it and in becoming, live the part according to one’s beliefs. Much like an actor acting out a role, a believer creates his role and then acts it out, i.e. the usage of life to create the basis for belief.

In short: Be it, and live it. Belive.

Night/Light

2.00a.m.

There’s this thing about being awake at a time when people are asleep. Suddenly, instead of being one among many, a leaf in a forest of trees, you take the centre stage  The soft blue glow from the computer monitor, illuminating a tiny arc in front of it, is the only light in an otherwise black carpet. It is like a spotlight that highlights the importance of one self, only not so harsh, softer and gentler. Contrary to popular belief, the darkness  is a comforting dark blue, not black. It conceals, but it also softens;  shapes, colors, details, edges all become indistinct in this dark blue carpet. Even the dirt become indistinct and invisible in this comforting dark. A cloak, for people in need of non-physical warmth.

Video/Music link above (click picture to watch)

It is quiet, but not silent. You can hear the grasshoppers cry in the darkness, sometimes the odd bark. Rather than the cacophony of a full military band, it is the minimal setup, a mood evoking set piece with a keyboard and a low bass. It can feel scary, this absence of noise, but soothing for the weary. Repetitive patterns mix with odd harmonies and melt into a melody that feels right. If color were to be used to describe the melody, it would be a 3 beat of white with strains of a dark sooty red against a background of navy blue.

Addendum: It’s all smoke and mirrors of course; the place has not changed, just the light. But what a difference it makes! The cycle of night and day is but the rotation of a round ball around a single light, creating a series of light scales bigger and grander than any architect can conceive.

Controversial English

Why so Serious?

Today’s post deals with the English language again, in this case controversial quotes. It is an English that delights in playing with the possibilities of language, pushing the boundaries of “acceptable” and tweaking noses left and right. In a world of corrupted correctness, full of guidelines of how to do this and that, people tend to forget that those rules were made up by a bunch of people who would think that slipping on a banana peel is a deadly affront to the whole race of bananas, blondes and Chinks, I mean, people of East Asian descent. These people probably think that fire is an insult to God, medicine a violation of the natural order and push-up bras gross misrepresentation.

Actually, I consider the stomach girdle more of a misrepresentation (distortion of fact)than a  push-up bra (learned falsity), which is after all a prop to support assets in lieu of silicone. They still exist; just not of the right shape and size.

Begging… and how not to.

Today a man approached me on the street outside the National Library in Bugis. Fifty-ish, tastefully dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, he held a handphone in his left as he hailed me with the right in Chinese.

“Hey, you know the way to Hougang?”
“Ummm…”
“Far ah?”
“Yeah.”
“I want to know the directions to walk there.”
“Errr…”
“Got no money lah. You got money to give me?”
“I don’t have money.”

As I turned and walked away, the man scolded me in Hokkien: “Don’t want to give, don’t give. Don’t come and tell me no money. mai gong jiao wei!”

Beggars who take home £280 a day (Link goes to Daily Mail article)

He told me he had no money and asked for money from me. I told him I had no money and he called me a liar. I wonder if he fully appreciated the irony of his statement.

Walls, walls, everywhere

The 4 walls around us.

1. Peers
2. Relatives
3. Government
4. Society

Either you surpass them, or they will hem you in.

Hope – the strongest drug known to Man

This post originated from the Hongfire forums, a forum that I frequent. You can find it on my hot link tab on the right.

In particular this post is a direct result of a post made in the General Forums, under the thread “Powerful Photography“.

It started as a discussion of powerful photographs, you know, the pictures that move you. It started off on an innocent enough note: war, desecrated bodies, devastation, the usual stuff. It appears that the more a person suffers, the better the photo turns out. Then someone linked a video (who would have guessed) that blew my mind away. No, it’s not Schindler’s List. It’s a 4 and a half min video clip that features a slightly plumpish guy dancing in the middle of the street, at the beach, in front of buildings…. at 42 different countries. The music piece is “Praan”, composed by Garry Schyman. You can find the song on Amazon here. Without further ado, the video.

Someone mentioned that it was Nasa’s Astronomical Photo of the Day, though sadly a subsequent net search turned out nothing. The video btw, is courtesy of Where the Hell is Matt website, which is the travel log of Matt (the plumpish

The Gift

A beautiful song. Though I dislike the original version by the Flaming Lips, this acoustic version carries a “purer” feel, drawing more attention to the lyrics. Note: Song is at the end, after the lyrics. Set to clips from the 2008 anime series ef – A tale of melodies -, done by Jasper;isis from Allegretto Productions.

Do you realize – that you have the most beautiful face
Do you realize – we’re floating in space -
Do you realize – that happiness makes you cry
Do you realize – that everyone you know someday will die

Four Years and Seven Months

Taken from my original 1000th post @ Hongfire:

Four years and seven months ago I joined a group of individuals who have come together to form a community, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that openness and cooperation leads to a richer life for all participants. Now we stand at a crossroads, testing whether our community, or any

Script: Ame ga Furu (The Rain is Falling)

Based on a video I linked in an earlier post with its lyrics (in Japanese and translated into English). You can watch the PV here.

Process Overview
Step 1: Timing and section partition (DONE)
Step 2: Lyrics translation and annotation (in progress)
Step 3: Stage setting and characters
Step 4: Fleshing out story
Step 5: Review finished storyboard for discrepancies

Intro 00:00-00:33
Rain falling from the gray sky between 2 buildings.
Man lies face-down bleeding on the floor, in pain.
A revolver drops from a limp hand beside him.

-Whiteout-

Maaya Sakamoto – Ame ga Furu (The Rain is Falling)

ED song for Linebarrels of Iron (鉄のラインバレル Kurogane no Rainbareru)

Having a minor brainwave for this song so linking it here for my own easier reference.