A Christmas not for Christ

Christmas time is the time for family, love, peace, goodwill to men, joy, happiness, gifts and anything good that you can imagine, everyone agrees to that, except for one thing... That it is the birth of Jesus Christ.

This leads me to thinking, this could be the reason why non-christians does not celebrate christmas. Although christianity is the dominant religion as far as statistics is concerned, yet it is not universal.

I have a dream...that someday, everyone will celebrate christmas, regardless of what we believe in. Not because for its cause, but for its effect. I would like them to ask "How do we celebrate it?" than "Why do we have to celebrate it?" Let us not be stopped of doing great things just because of our faith. Christmas is a holiday named after Christ, but we do not need to believe how a holiday was named after whom, we don't need to believe in Santa Claus & his reindeers... celebrating it doesn't mean we abandoned our faith. We'll just set aside what is not universal for greater good that we will all agree.

Let us celebrate Christmas for its real meaning and not for how it was named. Christians & Non-Christians, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Image courtesy of deviant pd-inc

Free T-shirt!

I'm giving off 5 wastedwisdom t-shirts (by Giordano) for the first 5 people who will follow this blog! :D The bad news is, you have to claim it here in UAE. Colors and sizes are subject to availability. :D

All apologies

Please accept my sincerest apology to all the readers who came back to check out just to be disappointed when there is no new post on my blog.
I have been too busy in other things other than blogging. I have written at least 3 articles but I’m just not satisfied with the outcome and I feel they need more polishing.
Thanks to Katy, Lujee, Eric, irgraphy, tony, gentledove, drjay, empath, Theresa, timethief, a71e, my blog neighborhood, and all the disappointed people I missed who dropped by, commented and came back to this blog.
I’m working in a new blog that I will call “The Theory of Negativity” in which I will feature ideas mostly negative and how to take negative things or situations positively such as how to turn failure to an opportunity and so on.
I know this will be interesting because people used to explore negative ideas infrequently since the common notion about it is unpleasant. But like numbers, all we have to do with a negative number is to simply multiply it with a negative to make the product positive. I hope to see you there in the future.
Once again…my apologies for not updating my blog more often. I hope you don’t regret in dropping by and see you again on my future posts. I promise you’ll see me more often when my burdens are over.

Divided we Stand; United We Fall

Isn't it the other way around?

“United we stand, divided we fall” is the phrase we probably know as it has been overused in mottos and songs, agreeing in the idea of Divide and conquer (divide et impera) mentioned in Sun Tzu’s Art of War written 2500 years ago.

Together we can move mountains, alone we cannot...as they say.

These statements teach us to be parasites and dependent from others. Isn’t it more amazing if just by ourselves we can move mountains?
Divided we stand, united we fall. I first heard this in a Def Leppard Lyrics, Two Steps behind. I think about it and I realized this might be exactly what I’m doing.

I used to do things by myself, If I can’t do it, you just have to accept you can’t.. Not asking for any help, not because I don’t want to help, In fact I help people a lot. And In the process, I realized I've taught them to be dependent and I regret it. The justification between these statements is that when working individually, there is no influence applied to any of your team mates.
I used to play table tennis when I was in grade school. But a table tennis game is composed of singles and doubles match. Having no other athlete to play with me, they choose a not so good player to be my team mate. Singles match, I won. Singles, second player match, we lost as expected. And the decision game will be a doubles match. I did my best to win but table tennis is an alternating turn in which you cannot take your team mate’s ball, in short we lost. It was unfair to blame it to my team mate but I blame him anyway. I remember I was crying even before the game was finished.
Since then, I believed that working together averages your capabilities, they never add up as others used to expect. And it agrees with the laws of mathematics. If you belong to the above-average individuals, no matter how good you are, your combined output with someone else will likely be below your usual output, It is very obvious that when you're above the average, the average is always a step or more behind you.
As parasites need a stronger organism to live, people tend to climb to a higher state in society. But the Individualists work their way up without using someone to step to. The bottom line is that an independent man builds an independent community, which builds an independent and strong country. Helping others is a great deed. It will be always nice to extend a hand for a weaker individual, what’s bad is when this weaker individual became dependent and will let you carry his weight…leading both of you to your fall.

Only the weak needs help. We can be strong by not needing it. We can learn and be independent, divided we stand...united we fall.

Imagine

Last Friday, I was on my way to the office when a man with his grandchild he’s carrying rode along with me in the elevator. We got out from the elevator then I realized it will be difficult for him to open the door. So, I got the door first and hold it longer for him until they got out. He thanked me, and it feels good. That was just a simple act of kindness but it felt like it was one of the simplest things that could change the world. The man was not a brother in faith, nor a brother in nationality. But for the goodness of humankind, I did not look in our differences to prevent me from doing a simple act of kindness. Now I fully understand John Lennon’s Imagine.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
…
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
…

Nationality, Religion and possessions are some of the things that divide us -- our differences. These are the ones preventing us from doing our instinct to do well to others. If we could just neglect them and forget forever… If we could just live with;
No politics,
No debate on science and faith,
No war - unholy or not,
No fight for survival
No racial discrimination
No rich and poor
No powerful and helpless
No Religion and Tradition, that taught us to become unfair with women.
They say all we can do is imagine. But I guess not. I think we can do something. You may say I’m a dreamer too. But I believe dreams do come true. The world is not hopeless. The world can change. If I can do a simple thing for a change, I’m sure there’s more you can do. Little by little makes up a big thing. Forget our differences, do good to others, make love and peace.

featured image courtesy of fellow deviant Leggo-my-Meggo

Everything New

Finally, I'm here, in my new job at an architectural consulting firm in UAE. I waited 5 long months for this, so I thought this is what I want. But I realized it's not, this is not what I want, this is what I need.

New friends, new office, new house... away from home, new environment, new unknown things... everything new. But not every new things are good. I would prefer my old friends, my home and everything I used to do. But sometimes we got to do things we don't want...and its because we need to. Sometimes we need to try new things to move on, sometimes we need some adventure, exploration, be exposed, risk ourselves...that's life. If we are doing the same thing in the same place, we would not be any different to a machine. And I guess I'm proud to say I'm a human.

It is hard to learn something new...To leave behind everything you love and you love to do. But we don't have to leave everything behind, we just can't. Every knowledge we gain from our life's journey remains with us and our love ones forever remains in our heart. These are the ones who keep us moving on...Inspiration. Life's a journey...not a destination, and a journey needs moving on. So what are you waiting for? Move on!!!

My Work-Related Blogs

I have decide to separate my work-related discussions in another blog. I call it Addictedto3D blogs since it will be mostly related but not limited to 3D presentations. It will be composed of my Resources, Tips and tricks, works and work-in-progress in AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max, Vue, Photoshop, Video Compositing applications, and Visual Basic programming. Unique tips and tricks gathered by experience, and the best possible ways to do something.

Infiniti G35

The Infiniti G35 from the game Need for Speed Carbon. 3D model courtesy of aironeracing.com. Look! The wheels are turning. :P

Great Hall of Arsené Lupin

Actually its the Great Hall in Buckingham Palace taken from the Game Sherlock Holmes vs Arsené Lupin and rendered in 3ds Max. Due to high resolution maps of this game, I will not be uploading all 3d models collected from this game. Instead, I will upload in a request basis.

God’s Existence

Square 1 is God’s Existence. If God exists, argument of creation and evolution, the big bang theory, Heaven and Hell, Angels and Demons, Life after Death and every argument unsolved will have an end.
If you would ask me who is my creator, the most practical and don’t think its philosophical answer is, my parents. And if you would ask my parents, they would probably say the same, and if you would ask me who created my parent’s parents, I might say “Ask them.” But thinking who created the first parents disregarding what the elders told us since they were not proven true, leads us back to square one, the argument of God’s Existence.
The theory of God’s existence is simple. A civilized man with the help of modern technology, brought to a primitive land can be mistakenly regarded as god by the primitive people. Applying the concept of similar triangles, the account of God’s existence that we knew today could be some work of an advance civilization and technology during that time.
The argument is not settled until now. God’s existence could not be proved and disproved if they keep on arguing what they believe as true and what their teachers told them. This argument could have settled a lot of dispute about faith.
I wish to write a book regarding all of this. And to conclude it in my life after death, if there is. I wish I could go back on my pen and paper and write the truth about God’s existence.
In my second life, I will talk to God if He really exists, the truth about everything, every argument unsettled. And I will ask Him to let me go back in my first life and let me conclude this book that will prove His existence. After all, if this book remains unfinished, there will be just two things to think about; God exists but he did not let me tell you the truth and finish the book, or God doesn’t really exists at all.

featured image courtesy of fellow deviant Jim "Meats" Meier

Love and Peace

Why do righteous talks were not always right?
Why can’t we get what we really want?
Why can’t we reach all that we see?
And why can’t we reap all that we sow.
Laugh at me then mock the life’s irony.
You’ll give bread and be stoned to death.
Be kind but the people to you will be cruel.
And you’ll be sad while the others laugh.
You did everything right
And you were never wrong.
You learned something you don’t want to know
You gave everything as well as what you don’t own,
Apologizing with the absence of guilt
Now tell me in return what did you get?
Soon you’ll see me down
Lying on the ground, bathing with my own blood
With my heart I keep on living
By my own I keep on standing,
Still seeking for real love and peace of mind
Let me find what I seek
Let me rest
Let me die in your arms
Let me end in peace.

featured image courtesy of fellow deviant kladek

3ds Max 2009 Demo Videos

These are direct links for 3ds Max 2009 Demonstration videos.

Modeling and Animation

Iterative Rendering

Materials and Maps

Mapping

Lighting

mental ray

Production Shaders

Navigation Tools

User Interface

Sherlock Holmes vs Arsene Lupin 3D model hacked

This is a scene hacked from the Game Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsene Lupin. This is the home of famous detective Sherlock Homes. Along with him in the game is his famous friend, confidante and biographer Dr. John H. Watson. The scene is rendered in 3ds Max 2008.

The Game's Web Site
Get the game!!
Collection of ripped 3d models. (soon)

Destiny, Freewill, and Luck

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman:Destiny

Do you believe that everything is pre-destined? Or that what will happen is supposed to happen anyways…That a supreme-being is behind all of these? But the teachings told us that God gave us freewill to do and think what we want. Do you believe in luck? If you don’t, then you must believe in destiny and if you do, you don’t believe that we can do what we want, and if you don’t believe freewill, you don’t believe in the teachings, and if so, do you believe in God?

I decided long ago that I will not argue with faith, because faith is what we believe as true and not always the truth itself. But at least let me state my belief in these things.

We are organic ‘creatures’ and I feel I can think whatever I want, do whatever I like and I am not controlled by any evident force and electronic/mechanical devices. Therefore, I have freewill.

Do I believe in Destiny? I think I don’t. If we have freewill, then we can make our own destiny, and if we can change it, then it’s not pre-destined. We often associate destiny for things or events that we don’t have control. And not able to control these things don’t mean it’s supposed to happen anyways. It’s just others are the ones controlling it.

Luck is the most difficult thing to prove and disprove. Why? It’s because of a lot of lucky people around us. For some who don’t believe in luck, they will say it’s their ability that brought them success, but how can we explain it to those who are more able persons that were unfortunate and failed? I think I need to disprove luck to coincide in the previous statement that we’re the one who makes our own destiny. Luck made by intervention is fraud. Human intervention is the simplest explanation but it’s no luck, we call it cheating. However, I think it’s not just human intervention that brings luck but also Divine intervention … and this brings me back to square one, the argument of God’s Existence.

God’s existence solves everything. Every argument of faith, every argument today that cannot be resolved due to a never ending debate of almost everything about faith. If God exists, these inquiries about destiny, freewill and luck will never end up into a continuous loop. If God exists, I can freely permit to be called ourselves creatures without reservation. He could be the God who gave us freewill to make our own destiny, and the God who intervenes to give luck for the selected few. But not until God’s existence is proven, this inquiry as well shall never have its conclusion.

Ford Racing Off Road Cars 3d Models

18 textured 3d models of Ford and Land Rover cars featured in Ford Racing Off-Road Challenge. Plus 12 skins for each car in .dds and .tga format. Use these models wherever you want, as much as possible not commercially. Renders above are done in 3ds Max and Vue 6.0. Use your imagination. Be creative.

Download compressed file here. 22.23 MB. Uncompressed 103.92 MB
If you like it, leave a comment. If you don't, leave it. :D

Time in a Bottle

The only thing we can’t do anything in this world is TIME. Whatever we do, how we like to stop it, even if we kill all the clocks in this world, time is ticking; your time is ticking, and so is mine.

For them time is gold, but for me, it isn’t, Its LIFE. If we used all our time, we lose our life, but if we lose all our gold, it doesn’t mean we lost our life.

For all these years, scientists have been searching for solutions to prolong life. But to no avail. What we have are the chemicals and substances that makes the opposite – reduces our life.

Time is life. Although we can’t do much about time, at least we can save them and by doing so, we prolong our life in a way. How?

Supposed we have to live 60 years. Every day we sleep 8 hours average but we only need 6, we kill time in the office 2 hours a day, and we’re idle for 2 more hours. Killed time is wasted, and wasted time is wasted life. If we could save 2 hours from sleeping, the wasted time and the idle time together and put it in a bottle, its 6 hours a day; 6 additional hours to your life. Doing the math, its 180 hours per month, about 91.25 days per year, or about 15 more years throughout your lifetime. This is just an illustration of the point; maybe some of us got more life being wasted, and more life to be saved. Just think about it.

Sad thing is we don’t save time in a bottle to spend it later. This will not extend your life further. We just spend our time wisely, by not doing useless things for nothing, by not oversleeping. We use this time to do good to others, to learn something, for ourselves and for others, wisdom and knowledge to be passed on generations to generation.

Work to live, but don’t live to work. Working all your life spends all your available time, and your life with it. It would give you gold, but you can’t use them to buy you more time in the end.

Spend your life wisely. It’s the best thing we had but we don’t always have.

Happy Birthday Releaselog

Here is a snapshot of my birthday present to Releaselog. Click the image for full effects. Happy 2nd birthday Releaselog. You bring good stuff to people like us. Live forever!!

Final Destination

I gave them bread.
But they stoned me till I bleed.
I grant them their wishes
But when did they ever get contented?
I’ve devoted my strength
But it’s the power they need.
I gave them wisdom
Till they think they are wiser
I offer them everything
Yet my soul is what they ask for,
Life was cruel
To the point I thought death wasn't.
They said they love me
But just because they need me.
Everybody needs someone
But every ‘someone’ seems to be me.
Wisdom brought me this misery.
You said "Lay your burdens upon me,
And I shall earn my rest".
Even when I sleep,
A peaceful rest is what I wish.
I pray and prayed that they set me free
But they never did,
And so I run and fled
To the wilderness
Until I faint and realized
My own mistakes.
I thought I was guided.
You said I was guarded.
Fate's unfair, faith is a deception.
Freewill resists but now I know
That Everything was meaningless
For Life has only one
But Inevitable destination.

A Day without a Thought of Me

This day was long,
the time was slow;
the sky's in gloom,
not a plant in bloom.
It was so tiring,
my head is spinning,
the work is endless;
my hands are restless.
Let this day end,
I beg for a rest
I want to sleep
Let me forget
I wish tomorrow,
The same won't be;
A day without,
A thought of me.