Truth-Bender

Watch this clip for the first 5 seconds and tell me what strikes you immediatedly about the scenes. Do they look strangely real... yet fake? It looks like the work of an excellent photoshop artist if you stare hard enough.

Welcome to the Brooklyn studio of Lori Nix, who photographs epic scenes of destruction and grandeur, natural wonders, magnificent architecture and heroic landscapes that all have one thing in common—they're all fake. Lori Nix is an artist who bends the line between truth and illusion in her photographs. She accomplishes this by photographing miniatures and models which illuminate her interest in the disaster movies of the 1970s and her memories of growing up in Kansas.

In the video, Lori gives us a tour behind the artifice, showing us how she meticulously crafts the miniature sets using found objects and model-making materials. She makes a strong claim that gives us an idea of her desire for originality and authenticity - she doesn't apply photoshop to any of her pictures.

To view more of her pictures, visit her website:

>> http://www.lorinix.net/


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Frog Dissection Kit

I'm kidding no one, this Frog Dissection Kit is available for sale. You may wonder who would ever dream up an idea of commercialising a product like this. Well, surprise surprise, Jack Spade, a boutique bag/accessories manufacturer who have since gone into designing wacky items like fly swats and table tennis racket covers, have come up with their latest bizarre product! Imagine not having to go to the wet market again to purchase those slimy cow's eyes or pig's heart for the next biology dissection module.

The kit comes complete with all the tools you need to dissect the vacuum-sealed formaldehyde treated frog, including a tray and guide to help you identify your handiwork. I wonder what these interesting lads at Jack Spade will be up to next??

www.jackspade.com

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Faraway Bay

Ever dreamt of taking a refreshing vacation in one of the remotest parts in Down Under? Ms Soo sent me a link to this amazing location situated in the north-west corner of Australia. In fact it is a place so remote it isn't found on any map! That's why the owners call it 'Faaaaaaaraway Bay'.

Well, Faraway Bay is part of the isolated coastal town of Kimberley. After finding the stunning location in 1986, owners Bruce and his wife Robyn, became the proud lease-owners of 28 hectares of pristine coastal land which they aptly named ‘Faraway Bay’. In 1996, Bruce finished the construction of The Bush Camp, a tourist camp built just to accommodate 12 tourists at any one time. According to the website, The Bush Camp is a "multi-award winning and world-renowned wilderness retreat attracting ever-increasing numbers of visitors from Australia and around the world."

The Bush Camp overlooks a spectacular bay and is situated in the midst of an unspoilt natural environment. Getting there is in itself an adventure as there are no roads linking Faraway Bay to any major town. Access is strictly limited to air and sea only. According to the site, "You’ll fly by light aircraft from Kununurra, over some of the most breathtaking scenery on earth. Highlights include the surreal patterns of the mudflats and mangrove lined estuaries, spectacular coastline, Berkley River gorge and King George falls. The flight ends at our private airstrip. From there, you travel by 4WD vehicle for the final few kilometres to The Bush Camp." If you're interested to find out more, you can explore Faraway Bay's website.

This is something I've been dreaming of for the looooongest time. Certainly my ideal kind of vacation. A great place to take a sanity break.

I think the next best thing to taking a vacation there right now is to... well, dream that I'm there.

Hey, its kinda therapeautic.

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Drink Soup!

I got to meet baby Jaimie on Monday and found her to be such an adorable little girl. I don't know if I ever qualify as a good baby sitter but I thought she responded to me pretty well.

Awww... look at how she drinks her soup. This is one cute sweetie pie :)

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Gearing Up!

My second key race of the race is coming up this September. Yes, it's back to the familiar training grounds of East Coast Park and Changi Coastal. Putting in the mileage, pushing the pace, focusing in on the goal. However, this time round, it feels tougher.

It's the consistency of training that's hard to keep if you have a schedule that's as packed as mine. Believe me, it ain't easy. With a thousand and one things going on right now, it's difficult to manage. But I'm reminded time and again that this arduous journey develops character... many a times through having to subject oneself to the rigors of disciplined training. Not just in triathlon itself, but at work, ministry, family and relationships.

There are times when we set goals and feel unmotivated to achieve them. Do we then put them aside and cruise along in our lethargic state? Much as I am tempted to, I know goals must be achieved whether i feel like it or not. Just like sales targets have got to be met whether you like your boss or feel motivated to work or not. To work at it isn't quite the issue for me, to work at it excellently is sometimes my struggle, but I strive at it always, sometimes doggedly and in pain. But finishing well and strong has always been my personal philosophy and work ethic, so I know I will press in.

Honestly, I do enjoy the process. I love the sport, and I enjoy the challenge of balancing my priorities in life. It stretches me. It keeps me alive. It makes me grow. It increases my capacity. Above all, it never fails to remind me of the 3 simple truths:

1) I'm only human.

2) There is a God.

3) I need Him.

Have a wonderful week ahead of you!

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True B.E.A.U.T.Y.

Saw this on Ead's blog. So powerful I thot I'ld share this with us all (yes, including the boys).



We are all beautiful, for beauty is in God's handwriting inscribed lovingly in each of our lives.


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S.H.I.N.E.

Here's a powerful statement that we should all believe in.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (Nelson Mandela)


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