We Are The World 25 for Haiti

Twenty-five years ago, Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, and Michael Jackson teamed up to write a song for the starving people of Africa, especially Ethiopia. The result was "We Are The World", and after collaborating with numerous artists the song became a hit, an anthem for the whole world to sing and a reminder that we being the world, we're all in this together.

Now, twenty-five years later, the world has experienced one devastation after another, starting with the Haiti earthquake, then the Chile earthquake and the tsunamis that are expected to hit numerous countries. "We Are The World 25 for Haiti" was done to raise funds for Haiti, but I believe this is also a great reminder to all of us once again that we cannot just turn a blind eye to our fellow men in need.

I really enjoyed the remake of the song. Doesn't matter if the original one was better or not. I like them both. Both versions were sung by artists who recorded it for a single purpose: to help people in need. Chart ratings and criticism therefore don't matter. Even the original was criticized when it first came out. Now they're criticizing the new one, saying it wasn't as good as the original. So now they think the original is good, eh? But what matters is this: because of the collaboration of so many artists, many people are buying the song and helping the cause. As far as I'm concerned, the artists have done their job well. They have inspired people to unite and help those in need.

So please, let us do all we can to help the people in Haiti and Chile. As the song goes, "We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving." Give generously, whether it be financial or even in prayer.

"Like Katrina, Africa, Indonesia
 And now Haiti needs us, the need us, they need us..."

Left 4 Dead: Tips and Tricks

 

I haven't played L4D in a while and I really miss it. Me, my best friend Nikka, my cousin JP, and Ymer are experts at kicking zombie butt (well, at least in our standards lol). Anyways, here are some useful tips and tricks you can use to survive the zombie apocalypse. This only applies when you're playing the campaign, not when you're playing one of the zombies. We played the PC version, but these are applicable to any platform.

• Turn on the captions in the options menu. This tells you what you're going up against (eg. Boomer gurgle, Witch moan). However, if you want a challenge, turn it off.
• It is of vital importance that all characters are controlled by humans. If you want to play for fun and alone, it's okay. But if you want a real gaming experience and set the difficulty higher, it is better to play with no bots. The bots do crazy stuff sometimes (eg. If Zoe is controlled by a bot, she will pick up the sniper everytime which is completely useless against hordes.)
• Two people should be carrying shotguns while the other two automatic weapons. This balances your team. Those who carry rifles can shoot farther and with more accuracy while those with shotguns are a great help when hordes are incoming and the zombies are right at your face, due to their ability to blow zombies away especially at close range.
• SHARE. You and your team need to decide who need the medkit the most or if you need the medkit you're carrying. You will resupply at the checkpoint, but in the midst of trying to get to the next one there are times you need to heal your fellow teammate. Luckily, the AI, the Director, sometimes supplies the players with the medkit. The team needs to decide who needs it the most (the person with the lowest healt or the person who has already used their medkit).
• Team formation: shotguns at front, rifles at back. Shotgunners should always kneel when battling an incoming horde. This is to avoid friendly fire. 
• Team formation while on the move: One takes point (front). The whole team follows whoever is at the point. Another scans the left, another the right. The last takes the rear. This is important since one of your teammates can suddenly be taken by a Smoker.
• If one of your teammates is near death and your team has exhausted its medkits, the rest of the team need to surround the player and protect him/her. The character will start limping once their health is low. If a checkpoint is near, you can choose to tell the player to run fro the checkpoint. Mind you, there are still zombies to be encountered.
• AVOID CARS! When shooting, do not shoot cars since this will cause the alarm and OMG, here comes the horde.
• Dual pistols are crucial. When you run out of ammo in your shotgun/rifle, the pistols are your best friend. It is best to have two and not just one. For the shotgunners, this is the weapon to use when targeting far away zombies. 
• It is best to make a run for the checkpoint when you're near it! Unless you want to keep shooting zombies. Sometimes however, a horde and Tank will be pitted against you so it's best to run to the safehouse. Make sure, however, that all of your team is inside. The level won't be over unless everybody is in the safehouse. Plus, you don't want a teammate left outside fending off the Tank himself, right? Okay, maybe you do, but that's just mean. 
• When going up against a Boomer, be careful if it vomits on you. If it does, a horde will attack automatically. You should melee a Boomer first, run back, then shoot to avoid when it explodes. If the exploding slime reaches you, a horde will also attack.
• Pipebombs should be saved for incoming hordes. Also, do not just throw them when you hear the music cue for the horde. Wait for the horde to be visible and of great number, then throw the pipebomb. Don't just waste it on a handful of zombies.
• Molotovs should be reserved for Tanks. They're big and hard to bring down. The Molotovs help to lessen their health dramatically. Just make sure you throw it from a safe distance. And if you miss, c'mon! These guys are huge! Molotovs can also be used for hordes, but be careful. These things are unstable. Plus, a zombie on fire will still keep running at you.
• LISTEN. Each monster has a music cue (Boomers, Smokers, Hunters), even the hordes. Listen carefully and prepare yourself!
• When a teammate is brought down by a Hunter, DO NOT SHOOT. Instead, use your melee attack to knock the Hunter off, THEN SHOOT. Same goes when a teammate is caught by a Smoker. Melee then shoot.
• When fighting a Tank, run backwards and keep shooting. Usually, it will go after the player that attacked on it first, so one player can be bait. While this player runs and shoots, the rest should run after it and shoot like there's no tomorrow!
• A Witch could be heard from far away. If you hear the Witch moan, turn off your flashlights and kneel. If you see the Witch, DO NOT ATTACK. It is best to sneak your way around her than attack her since she does a great deal of damage. If you do startle her, it is likely that player that startled her will get beat down by the Witch. Unlike the Hunter and Smoker, LET HER EAT LEAD. Shoot her straight away! The more time she is on the player, the more damage she deals.
• If you do want to defeat the Witch and get that achievement, you should do this: Turn off your flashlight, kneel and approach her slowly. THIS ONLY WORKS IF YOU HAVE AN AUTOMATIC SHOTGUN. Once you are near her, stand, run, aim at her face, and let her eat lead! This should kill her with one shot. However, it doesn't work sometimes, so be warned.
• When you are at the last part and you are getting rescued, it is crucial you position your team. For example, in the Dead Air scenario, one of your teammates can man the machine gun while another guards this teammate. If you are in a house, like Blood Harvest, it is best to take the high ground and fend off the hordes. If a player needs to reload, one player should accompany that player downstairs then run back up. Do be reminded NOT to reload when there's an incoming horde. Reload inbetween horde attacks.
• Always be on the lookout for your rescue. You can be too busy fighting hordes and not realize your rescue's already there. Plus, once your rescue comes, the BIGGEST HORDE will arrive and there is NO WAY of defeating them. You need to ESCAPE.
• When running to the rescue (chopper, boat, etc.), make sure YOU DO NOT FALL. You might get beaten down by a Hunter or taken by a Smoker. If you do, don't expect to get away. You are already dead. If this happens to your teammate, they're as good as dead. You can either head for the rescue and save yourself or you can retry the level again to try all of you being saved.

It think this is all the tips and tricks I have. I'll add some more if I remember. Hope this helps surviving the zombie attack. Have fun!

Mom and Dad's 19th Year Anniversary

My mom and dad have four anniversaries to celebrate: one is when my mom agreed to be my dad's girlfriend (God knows when it is). Two is when my parents got renewed their vows here in Thailand on September. Three is their renewal of vows in Malaysia on November.

But today is their "official" anniversary: February 15, the day when they actually got married.

I remember my mom;s story on what the judge told them: "Why didn't you get married yesterday when it was Valentine's Day?"

"Oh, we forgot" was their response.

Sad to say we can't go out 'cause my dad has to go to BSF. However, my mom did cook spaghetti and sandwich pizzas which I am eating while i'm typing this out.

But also thank God for keeping their marriage strong. I've seen them fight, in their ups and downs, and they're still going strong. I love how my parents love each other.

So happy anniversary mommy and daddy. God bless you with more and more years to come. Looking forward to your silver anniversary soon!

Box of Letters

This is a story originally from the book Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris. I just rewrote it in my own words. Some of it may not be as accurate as the one in the book and I may have forgotten some details, but that isn't as important as the message this gives. Advanced happy Valentine's to all!

Rich had been digging in the ground for almost half an hour now. It was surprising that not one of the neighbors had heard him digging and peeked out from their windows. What was more surprising was the fact that Christy and her parents hadn't heard him digging in their own yard. Beside Rich was a box full of letters, a box that chronicled his and Chrity's relationship together. After making a suitable hole, he put the box in the ground and covered it up. Wiping the sweat from how brow, he muttered a prayer. "If You want to dig this up someday, I know you can. But if not, then this is where it'll stay."

Rich and Christy had met when they were fourteen. Rich thought Christy was cute. She thought he was annoying. But like every other love story we know, Christy and Rich soon became close friends and in their senior year, they started dating and had a serious relationship. Their relationship was pretty old-fashioned: both had the habit of sending each other love letters. Not e-mails, but hand-written.

Both of them took their relationship very seriously and were very emotionally involved. Christy's father, Mike, had seen this. It wasn't that he disapproved of Rich. After all, he was his boss at work. It was just that he wasn't so sure it was the right time. At least not yet.

So when Rich was driving Mike one day, Mike brought up the relationship. He didn't give a sermon. He didn't lecture Rich. He didn't tell Rich to stay away from his daughter. He talked to him gently, shared with him his experiences, and how being involved so emotionally has its long-term consequences.

Fortunately, Rich listened. Truth sank in and he realized that he and Christy weren't ready for a real, true relationship. Hard as it may have been, they decided to break up but remain friends. They saw each other at church but saw each other only as brother and sister. They wanted to stick to their promise. But this was easier said than done...

Letting his emotions get the better of him, Rich poured out his heart on a letter to Christy to which she replied. They started dating again, only this time it was behind Christy's parents backs. After a while, they resolved to tell them. It never happened, and soon enough they were caught.

Rich was ashamed and asked for Christy's parents forgiveness. He realized that their relationship had not only been deceiving to Chritsy's parents, but that it was holding them back from serving God. He realized that drastic measures had to be taken for this not to happen. Saddened, Rich asked for all the letters he had sent to Christy, put them in a box, and buried them in their front yard, at which point He said to God "If You want to dig this up someday, I know you can. But if not, then this is where it'll stay."

Christy and Rich left for separate colleges. Mike, Christy's father, was surprised at the fact that Rich had remained faithful to his promise. He called Christy and she said that they hadn't spoken since they broke up. He then asked Rich to drive for him while Rich was back in town. During the drive, Mike gave Rich permission and his blessing to court Christy.

But Rich, now more mature, prayed for this and felt that God was telling he wasn't ready for a relationship yet. When he told this to Mike, he was surprised at how far Rich had grown in maturity.

Rich and Christy soon reconnected and became friends again. After a year, they began a long-distance relationship. Same intensity in romance, but now with purpose, direction, their parent's blessing, and God's. Their confidence for marriage grew everyday.

All this time, the box of letters lay buried in the front yard. Nobody knew except Rich.

On Christmas morning, Rich gave Christy a red box that contained a seed for a maple tree. He convinced her to plant it in her front yard. Along with her family, who by this time were in on the surprise, Rich told her the spot where she should plant it and they began to dig.

Four years after it had been buried, Christy found the box and opened it, revealing all the letters she and Rich had ever written to each other. She smiled. Here eyes brimmed with tears. But Rich pointed something out. There was a red envelope sitting on top of all the old bundled letters. It was a letter that Rich wrote before he buried the letters.

Christy opened it and broke into laughter and crying as she read four words she had no doubt been wanting to hear from Rich: Will you marry me?

All of us may have passionate feelings for someone, but a relationship guided by wisdom and God's guidance and timing is definitely worth the wait. Rich Shipe thought he was burying his dreams in the ground. He thought it was the end of him and Christy, but at the same place he buried his dreams, he saw them come to life. In the same place he knelt to bury the box, he knelt to ask for Christy's hand in marriage.

And as he pulled out the engagement ring, Rich Shipe, who had waited for so long for this moment, heard Christy Farris say "Yes."

CRUCIFIED

"... to provide a death that was particularly slow, painful (hence the term excruciating, literally "out of crucifying"), gruesome (hence dissuading against the crimes punishable by it), humiliating, and public, using whatever means were most expedient for that goal." - Wikipedia

To be crucified wouldn't be exactly called an execution. A better term for it would be "torture".

Crucifixion was reserved for those who have done a vile crime. Even Roman citizens who were sentenced to death were given an "honorable death" like beheading, for crucifixion was not only excruciating, but humiliating. The Romans considered crucifixion "a most shameful and disgraceful way to die".

The process of being crucified starts with the criminal carrying a crossbeam weighing around 35-60 kg to the place of the execution.Once there, the criminal is nailed to the cross and is usually naked. The fact that the criminal would also have to defecate (in modern terms, poo) and urinate in the open makes it all the more shameful for the one on the cross. The death is slow, ranging from hours to days. Romans usually speed the death up by either stabbing the criminal in the heart or side, breaking his knees so that he wouldn't have support, or by lighting a fire below the cross to asphyxiate the criminal. The term "hanging on the cross" is very literal: the fact that the criminal is hanging puts all the weight in the lower part of the body and also causes the criminal to have difficulty breathing. The criminal would have to raise himself up using his arms which are nailed just so that he could breathe. Easier if the feet were nailed to a footrest, but this exhausts the criminal easily. Also, the slightest movement causes great pain.

Imagine what it would've been like to be the one nailed and humiliated on a cross. This is what we deserved! This was supposed to be our punishment! Instead, God sends His only Son for the very reason to step in for our sins and to pay the price and suffer the punishment!

Criminals usually carried the crossbeams. Scripture, however, tells it different from Christ:

"Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha)." - John 19:17

Jesus did not carry just a crossbeam, but His whole cross! The whole cross weighs 135 kilograms! True that the other Gospels record that a man named Simon carried the cross for Him. However, this was probably after Jesus couldn't carry it anymore due to exhaustion. Add to the fact He was whipped before this makes it all the more harder for Him. 

Art usually depicts Jesus on the cross with His undergarment on. However, as stated previously, criminals were hung naked, and it was the same case with Christ!

"When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24“Let's not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let's decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,“They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.Ӡ
So this is what the soldiers did." - John 19:23-24 

Jesus may have had His undergarments on for sometime, but eventually once the soldiers finished gambling it was removed! Imagine Jesus Christ, an innocent man guilty of nothing, absolutely nothing, hanging on a cross, nailed, naked, cold, and in excruciating pain!

But the reason He did that was for you, me, and the whole world! He could have easily cried out and sent angels to rescue Him and the Jews would also believe He was the Messiah. But no. He knew he had to do this so that once and for all our salvation can be secure. While He was on the cross, while He was being flogged and whipped, He was thinking of you and me! Imagine, He was thinking of me.

Valentines is coming and the world has completely polluted the meaning of love. Love is blurred. The love God wanted for all mankind has been twisted. But look to the Cross and look at what Jesus did. That, right there, is the ultimate expression of love: one Man, who paid the price and took the punishment and the humiliation for each and everyone of us.

Say this to yourself: Christ died because of me.

God bless.