Busy times

Tried out the new branch of Pepper Lunch at Punggol Plaza. Somehow I feel that for their cook-it-yourself concept, it seems improper for it to be in a food court. Their Ang Mo Kio or Hougang branches would do better with all the sauces available to the customers to experiment.

I started on a new module for my Masters course. A lot of deadlines staring in my face. I see busy times ahead. And I had yet to complete the assignment from the previous module.

But I felt the urge to blog after completing my letter to Sensei. It had been 3 months since I last reported to him. Time really flies. This round, I told him about

1. Jacky Kong’s receiving of the Gohonzon
2. My Mother’s victory over her fall in through the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
3. The Whampoa Zone MD&YMD Formation Day Commemorative Meeting

I will be turning 30 soon. It will be another milestone to seriously reflect on my life so far.

Anything 'Militant' Can't Be Good..

Everyone can get smarter!

Until about 20 years ago, most scientists thought that intelligence was mostly inherited, and that the environment’s impact was limited. Important findings supporting this view came from studies of identical twins who were separated at birth. Even though adopted into different families, they usually showed very similar intelligence, which indicated that genes dominated.

Now scientists think that those early studies underestimated the effect of the environment. First, adoptive families probably don’t vary that much — they are generally supportive and emphasize success in school. Second, other data have shown that moving kids from low-quality to high-quality schools boosts IQ scores.

The secret to getting smarter is really not a big secret: Engage in intellectual activities. Read the newspaper, watch informative documentaries, find well-written books that make intellectual content engaging. Perhaps most important; Watch less television. It’s rarely enriching, and it’s an enormous time-sink.

Just as exercise experts advise many small changes rather than a vigorous program (which will likely be dropped), I think the best way to get smarter is to put a little more learning into every day. The trick is to develop the habit of looking for those opportunities.

- theapple.com

The Just

The powerful may appear great, but in reality they are not. Greatest of all are the ordinary people. If those in power lead lives of idle luxury it is because the people are silent. We have to speak out. With impassioned words, we need to resolutely attack abuses of power that cause people suffering. This is fighting on the side of justice. It is wrong to remain silent when confronted with injustice. Doing so is tantamount to supporting and condoning evil.

1260: Nichiren Daishonin submits his treatise "On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land."