525,600 minutes, How do you measure, measure a year? in daylights? in sunsets? in midnights? in cups of coffee? in inches? in miles? in laughter and strife?

I’m fully capable of many things. More than you can imagine.

Now, it’s not likely I’ll ever use these skills, but I like having them, and they don’t take up much room in my brain. In fact, they probably sit quite comfortably with all sorts of other stuff I’m not likely to use, like how make a pipe bomb and how paint like Van Gogh.

I’m a fierce autodidact. I tend to collect this sort of stuff. It’s not a terrible hobby. I had to work harder at.

Now I have the internet. I don’t have the brain speed I had at 13, but self-teaching keeps it in fairly good shape. It hasn’t made me better with people. I am always good with people except with idiots and morons. That’s a different set of skills, one which I seem to lack, despite efforts made.

Anyway.

Knowledge. Stuff we learn. Stuff we might ignore because it falls under our ‘need to know’ radar. It’s good stuff.

My formal education is scientific.
Aside from a drawing class in secondary school and 3 months of art school, I’m a self-taught artist.
I learn a lot from reading textbooks and manuals.
I learn a lot from reading.
I learn a lot from listening.
I learn a lot by watching.
I learn more by watching differently.
I learn a lot by quietly thinking about things I see.
I learn a lot by trial and error.
I learn a lot by completely fucking things up.
And Boy have I fucked things up.

All the stuff we learn goes into our ’soup.’ Some of it floats right on top, in plain view. Skills we use regularly. Some of it is without substance. It’s flavor, an interpretation of lessons past learned, the essence of information–the stock.

What did I tell you? You can’t go wrong with a soup metaphor. It’s all in there.

School is crap. The model of school is archaic and the curriculum is rudimentary. School mostly teaches kids to walk in line and to follow a schedule very much like that of modern prisons.

It’s of paramount importance to teach kids how to research. How to find what they’re looking for, and to teach them a love of reading of books of any form—print or electronic.

By definition, a good education is to know everything about your chosen subject, and a little bit about everything else.

I don’t know everything about art, but I know everything there is to know (so far) about my own art, and the craft required to produce it. I’m still working on the little bits about everything else.

As always and as everyone else, I will always hope my best work is ahead of me. I’ll always look forward to new discoveries. I intend to continue to read and geek out to the science channel and warez sites at every opportunity.

Learn. Read. Listen.Your time won’t be wasted. I’ve been surprised so many times when some obscure bit has solved a contemporary problem. The stuff is in there. It’s part of your Soup. Make it rich and it will sustain you.

There was a time I worked for ACP Computer near Raffles Boulevard.

It was terrible.

The people there just seemed zoned out.

Passion was asleep.

All the women and sissy men ever did was gossip.

And gossip they did about every little thing.

The biggest mistake I made was to listen to my father.

I started work as soon as I finished my national service.

I remember the times I just sat behind the office building and looked at the ocean.

Sometimes I cried out of my frustration, being boxed in, adhering to rules, and living a meaningless existence.

I devised a plan to get myself out of the company.

Looking back I’m glad I did because now I am king.

I get to be the master of my own destiny.

There are many philosophies in life that you can subscribe to.

I like to think that all of them are wrong.

The only one that truly matters to me is my own.

No one is right when everyone is wrong.

Besides no one here can really judge us.

Sure society does, but it only does so because it feels threatened by our eccentricities and potential.

All my life, I have heard the right way to live. Study hard, be the best , stay faithful, don’t go against God, pray, defend the nation, protect capitalism, don’t test water, don’t be a hero, stay safe, get a safe job, marry and have children.

I really don’t know what I want out of life.

But I know what I do not want out of life.

Life can be as easy or hard as you want it to be.

There is no grace in death.

We all die like cats and dogs.

Might as well make our lives interesting for we will never get this chance ever again.

Once in my naivety I requested a testimonial from a previous employer.

She told me she won’t write one because I had only worked there for six months and didn’t make any significant contribution to their organization.

If you really think about, the time she took to write this deliberate reply she could have instead used to write a short testimonial.

Nothing much, just a short generic testimonial.

It all comes down to your own willingness.

Nuff said.

A friend sent me this;

If you are a Dove: You symbolize a very happy-go-lucky approach in life.Whatever the surroundings may be, grim or cheerful, you remain unaffected.In fact, you spread cheer wherever you go. You are the leader of your group of friends and good at consoling people in theirtimes of need. You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away from hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what. You are very methodical and organized in your work. No amount of mess, hence, can ever encompass you. Beware, it is easy for you to fall in love….

Is your birthday day 13 of the month?

Your Life

You are sincere and easy going. Flattering and charming around are not your style. You care so much for freedom that often leads you to the difficult path. Because of your sincerity, most people find you easy to be around although you are sometimes too straightforward.

Your Love

Your gentleness, care and sincerity make you an attractive person. Even though you don’t intend to be charming, but you naturally are, especially in the eyes of opposite sex.

My heart beat, beats me senselessly.
Why’s everything gotta be so intense with me?
I’m trying handle all this unpredictability.
In all probability.