There’s no fool like an old fool and this, I do know
It’s really quite disgusting and horribly saddening
To be brought down so low.
There’s no fool like a blind fool whose who pokes himself
In the very eye,
Blindness is a mental condition; it clouds the clearest of vision
And its realization, oh my.
A blind fool and an old fool are a sad fool, yes, indeed
One finds it through ones’ own struggling
While others laughingly pay heed.
Tis a sad business and this business I wish it were not so
Our Dreams suddenly shatter and we find ourselves in the weather
And in mirrors our reality doth show.
And on with the show…..
Showing posts with label Wisdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wisdom. Show all posts
Monday, March 08, 2010
Saturday, February 06, 2010
No more talk of darkness
Forget these wide eyed fears
I'm here, no one can harm you...
Just a particularly difficult period to adjust to due to the number of suddenly occurring events that require my immediate attention.
I try my best to tell myself that it will blow over, it will be peaceful and smooth sailing but my powers of persuasion - at least for the self - is not effective this time.
There are changes that are supposed to but not bringing about changes. It's a mild frustration.
There are changes that are supposed to have taken place but have not taken place. It's a matter of time and space and work is winning.
There are changes that are not supposed to even happen but they are taking place. It's a strain on my precious little time, time which could otherwise be used for getting work done.
And then there are changes.
I know I will come out on top of this pile feeling stronger and better but it just feels weird to be running constantly into brick walls.
I guess it is in the stars.
Just had a online tarot reading. It is almost entirely countrapunctal to what I am feeling now. Even the "gods" are more upbeat than I am. Perhaps I should do what I was told - stop going after perfection.
It's a fault. I know. But failed perfection is still an attempt that will deliver stellar results.
I should take it easy. I've done my preparations and I'll just let things go. It's not like I've never done it before.
I'm here, no one can harm you...
Just a particularly difficult period to adjust to due to the number of suddenly occurring events that require my immediate attention.
I try my best to tell myself that it will blow over, it will be peaceful and smooth sailing but my powers of persuasion - at least for the self - is not effective this time.
There are changes that are supposed to but not bringing about changes. It's a mild frustration.
There are changes that are supposed to have taken place but have not taken place. It's a matter of time and space and work is winning.
There are changes that are not supposed to even happen but they are taking place. It's a strain on my precious little time, time which could otherwise be used for getting work done.
And then there are changes.
I know I will come out on top of this pile feeling stronger and better but it just feels weird to be running constantly into brick walls.
I guess it is in the stars.
Just had a online tarot reading. It is almost entirely countrapunctal to what I am feeling now. Even the "gods" are more upbeat than I am. Perhaps I should do what I was told - stop going after perfection.
It's a fault. I know. But failed perfection is still an attempt that will deliver stellar results.
I should take it easy. I've done my preparations and I'll just let things go. It's not like I've never done it before.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Tired
Things have been moving at a breakneck speed.
Tomorrow, I begin something new... and honestly, I'm very tired.
Exhausted.
But happy.
Tomorrow, I begin something new... and honestly, I'm very tired.
Exhausted.
But happy.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Freaking Frustrated For F***?
I gave Four F grades, actually Five, but then after a thorough review and convincing myself that I have been too demanding in my grading, I reduced it to Four.
I am Freaking Frustrated. Did I teach so badly that my students did not manage to learn anything or have I expected too much from the knuckleheads who slipped past admissions this year?
I have people who make A grades and I also have people who end up with C grades. In fact, like the other two Assignments 2 in my earlier terms, the students are categorized into their respective mastery levels on this assignment and, thus, their likely end of course grades.
I am largely ok with a pigeon holing exercise. It is a course requirement that students have to be graded. But in the past terms I only had to deal with very few D grades; this term, I get a handful of F graders to manage. The bulgeoning C population is common for this assignment. It is a paper where one synthesizes two texts to support one's thesis statement. One either does the synthesis fully and correctly or one underdoes it. If one falls short at the synthesis, then the grades drop to the B range. If one falls short at the summaries (and, inevitably the synthesis thereafter), one drops to the C range. Poor writing will cause futher grade drops. My Fabulous F grades are, in all honesty, harder to get than an A grade. I am that certain, sure, confident and proud to say. I reward effort when writing falls short. But how does one reward a paper that is 25% short of the minimum page length? Or a paper that averages 10 mistakes per 8 line paragraph? Or a student who writes whatever s/he feels like writing, with scant regard for the rubric of the assignment?
I try very hard to reflect if it were my poor teaching that caused such a disaster. Well, it seemed like a disaster to me when I have to award Fs in this manner. Ok, let us assume that I taught badly. Then how do you explain the nearly half of the students who got A and B grades? They were spread across both my sections! And how do I explain the other nearly half of the students who got C grades, those who were already weak to begin with, as evidenced by their Assignment 1 performance? If I had taught badly, then surely the assignment question, having gone through a round of eyeballing by the course coordinator, would have explained clearly the demands of the assignment?
The reading packages and the remedial website resources would have also played their part in helping the lost sheep to find their way home. And what about my open email communication channel where they actually have direct access to me via my home email? My students even have my cell phone number, for f***'s sake!
Another consolation I have is the fact that I have assigned short writing pieces to the students for them to practise writing thesis statements, topic sentences and paragraphs. They were also required to use evidence from their reading articles to support their arguments. The marks the F graders received on those assignments are actually indicative of the students' real writing and reasoning abilities. Those fellows are the ones scoring 3 and 4 out of 10. And to not demoralise too much, I set a minimum score of 3 marks on all these short pieces. Any written sh*t would have gotten 3 marks if it were submitted.
On a related note, the fellows who bombed Assignment 2 are the intended recipients of my earlier email telling them of the importance of reading and coming to class prepared. I shouldn't have to or need to feel sorry for them.
The circumstantial evidence of my not having derelicted my duties is complete. I should feel vindicated. Still, I feel Freaking disappointed. A colleague told me to get rid of that "secondary school teacher" mentality in me. "Why should you care, Eugene?" he would ask. "They are already adults and if they are not bothered to get up to speed with the demands of university, why should you mother them?" Well said.
He is a dear friend of mine and he's been really helpful to me ever since I began teaching at that institution. I should lay down my burden and not labour under these rotten straws that threaten to break my back. I shall only help those who bother.
I shall push on and perhaps give a few F grades at the end of the course to the truly deserving. Perhaps Darwin's theory can take over and straighten out the population some...
Of course, Four rounds of reviews later, there are only two students who received F grades (pending confirmation). I'm almost certain my grade distribution will stand. The rest are upgraded but are given stern warnings to buck up.
I am Freaking Frustrated. Did I teach so badly that my students did not manage to learn anything or have I expected too much from the knuckleheads who slipped past admissions this year?
I have people who make A grades and I also have people who end up with C grades. In fact, like the other two Assignments 2 in my earlier terms, the students are categorized into their respective mastery levels on this assignment and, thus, their likely end of course grades.
I am largely ok with a pigeon holing exercise. It is a course requirement that students have to be graded. But in the past terms I only had to deal with very few D grades; this term, I get a handful of F graders to manage. The bulgeoning C population is common for this assignment. It is a paper where one synthesizes two texts to support one's thesis statement. One either does the synthesis fully and correctly or one underdoes it. If one falls short at the synthesis, then the grades drop to the B range. If one falls short at the summaries (and, inevitably the synthesis thereafter), one drops to the C range. Poor writing will cause futher grade drops. My Fabulous F grades are, in all honesty, harder to get than an A grade. I am that certain, sure, confident and proud to say. I reward effort when writing falls short. But how does one reward a paper that is 25% short of the minimum page length? Or a paper that averages 10 mistakes per 8 line paragraph? Or a student who writes whatever s/he feels like writing, with scant regard for the rubric of the assignment?
I try very hard to reflect if it were my poor teaching that caused such a disaster. Well, it seemed like a disaster to me when I have to award Fs in this manner. Ok, let us assume that I taught badly. Then how do you explain the nearly half of the students who got A and B grades? They were spread across both my sections! And how do I explain the other nearly half of the students who got C grades, those who were already weak to begin with, as evidenced by their Assignment 1 performance? If I had taught badly, then surely the assignment question, having gone through a round of eyeballing by the course coordinator, would have explained clearly the demands of the assignment?
The reading packages and the remedial website resources would have also played their part in helping the lost sheep to find their way home. And what about my open email communication channel where they actually have direct access to me via my home email? My students even have my cell phone number, for f***'s sake!
Another consolation I have is the fact that I have assigned short writing pieces to the students for them to practise writing thesis statements, topic sentences and paragraphs. They were also required to use evidence from their reading articles to support their arguments. The marks the F graders received on those assignments are actually indicative of the students' real writing and reasoning abilities. Those fellows are the ones scoring 3 and 4 out of 10. And to not demoralise too much, I set a minimum score of 3 marks on all these short pieces. Any written sh*t would have gotten 3 marks if it were submitted.
On a related note, the fellows who bombed Assignment 2 are the intended recipients of my earlier email telling them of the importance of reading and coming to class prepared. I shouldn't have to or need to feel sorry for them.
The circumstantial evidence of my not having derelicted my duties is complete. I should feel vindicated. Still, I feel Freaking disappointed. A colleague told me to get rid of that "secondary school teacher" mentality in me. "Why should you care, Eugene?" he would ask. "They are already adults and if they are not bothered to get up to speed with the demands of university, why should you mother them?" Well said.
He is a dear friend of mine and he's been really helpful to me ever since I began teaching at that institution. I should lay down my burden and not labour under these rotten straws that threaten to break my back. I shall only help those who bother.
I shall push on and perhaps give a few F grades at the end of the course to the truly deserving. Perhaps Darwin's theory can take over and straighten out the population some...
Of course, Four rounds of reviews later, there are only two students who received F grades (pending confirmation). I'm almost certain my grade distribution will stand. The rest are upgraded but are given stern warnings to buck up.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
If it sounds too good to be true...
It probably is.
I bet this is what many people who paid up to S$12 000 for a ONE-YEAR Bachelor degree from the ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY found out.
How is that even possible? I also wonder...
How is it possible for near academic morons - sorry, I don't know how else to describe them - achieve a degree from a top Australian university in ONE year when top government scholars take at least 2 years of full loads (including two summer terms at full loads) to complete the same degree at the same university. In fact, most top students attempting to do so at any of these accredited universities need about 2.5 years to complete a degree.
And many of these people paying for the shortcut cannot even write a proper sentence to save their lives.
I bet this is what many people who paid up to S$12 000 for a ONE-YEAR Bachelor degree from the ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY found out.
How is that even possible? I also wonder...
How is it possible for near academic morons - sorry, I don't know how else to describe them - achieve a degree from a top Australian university in ONE year when top government scholars take at least 2 years of full loads (including two summer terms at full loads) to complete the same degree at the same university. In fact, most top students attempting to do so at any of these accredited universities need about 2.5 years to complete a degree.
And many of these people paying for the shortcut cannot even write a proper sentence to save their lives.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Super Mario Galaxy
The Wii machine met a new friend last weekend. The new friend needs to be inserted into the machine's hole. And after inserting the friend, new pleasure results. In fact, it was so pleasurable that hours are spent trying to top each previosu climax as the positions got progressively more challenging and each round more tedious.
Welcome to my Super Mario Galaxy semi-addiction.
The game started slowly enough. The moves were initially clumsy and the movement slow. But trust me, at the grand old age of... heck, you'll figure out my age anyway. The point is, even if you can teach an old dog new tricks, you can't overcome the fact that aged joints and ancient habits are hard to overcome. I therefore concede: my moves are still clumsy and the movement slow. Trust me, you won't want to read how many times I steered Mario into the black hole. Ok, I didn't steer him into the black holes but the imprecision of my moves inevitably meant Mario became BH fodder one time too many. How many, you ask? Well, try from 15 lives to nothing and then from 10 to nothing and then another 1 more before I cleared some particularly difficult stages.
And you know what's even better about SMG? The programming folks allow you to return to the game from the last point you left off instead of requiring you to begin from scratch. So you get new frustrations when the positions and techniques don't work and new highs when they do. The mind keeps telling itself that it can top the stage and one reaches for the start button after each game over. The ass is rooted to the seat and the mind loses all track of time. (Maybe, Wii and a slower version of SMG can be introduced to old folks' home to keep the residents engaged. Maybe not; they might fight over who's turn it is.)
Yet, the amazing graphics aside, the trick is to know... the tricks. The programmers are not very smart. I've got them figured out mostly. In certain worlds or galaxies, I pick up so many lives that I was incredibly elated. At the same time, I knew the extras would never be enough; how does one pick up extra lives quickly enough a whole game when one needs 26 of them to clear some particularly tricky stage? I don't know how I managed to clear some of those inhuman stages, but I did.
One can usually progress after mentally working through the algorithm required to clear that stage; keeping Mario alive long enough to clear the stage is the larger problem for me. Unfortunately, though, mental dexterity did not make up for the lack of finesse in the finer movements. The fingers were not stiff - digital (pun intended) gravity works differently, I'd say. Of course there are many excuses. This is where I spend all my time moaning about my exciting life, regardless how exciting it really is. Did you expect otherwise?
For all the fun and pleasure it brings, SMG is a silent time killer. I take anywhere between 45 minutes and 3 hours to clear a stage and I've sat in front of the Wii for almost 6 hours yesterday. That is bad. Extremely bad, if you ask me. And at 1.30 am this morning, when I tried to sleep after my shower, all I saw when I shut my eyes were the stars and the coins I was supposed to pick up in the games. My mind was all hyperactive; I can't get to sleep. The brain was devising ways to pick up stars and coins in the various configuration set by and for itself.
At that moment, I think I'm getting out of control. I need to do something quick. I got out of bed, removed the Super Mario Galaxy CD, returned it into its cover and asked for it to be returned. I can't be addicted to it. I can play other things like Wii Sports. That's fine, because there is a limiting factor called physical exhaustion. Wii Sports require you to mimick the actual sports action and with such physical activity, you get worn out and at the opportune moment, you'll decide you've got enough of a workout, turn off the Wii and resume life. SMG does not wear you out. It makes you addicted. And I worry about addiction.
So, there'll be come cold turkey today. And I'll be back to Wii Sporting.
Oh, did I tell you I chose Princess Peach as my avatar? I wanted to choose Queen Bitch if it (Note at edit: Oh man, that's a Freudian slip!) existed. But then what would I do with Q**nsy? Sigh. So, Princess Peach... that's right. Sounds like Princess Bitch anyway.
This semi-addiction seems worse than I imagine...
Welcome to my Super Mario Galaxy semi-addiction.
The game started slowly enough. The moves were initially clumsy and the movement slow. But trust me, at the grand old age of... heck, you'll figure out my age anyway. The point is, even if you can teach an old dog new tricks, you can't overcome the fact that aged joints and ancient habits are hard to overcome. I therefore concede: my moves are still clumsy and the movement slow. Trust me, you won't want to read how many times I steered Mario into the black hole. Ok, I didn't steer him into the black holes but the imprecision of my moves inevitably meant Mario became BH fodder one time too many. How many, you ask? Well, try from 15 lives to nothing and then from 10 to nothing and then another 1 more before I cleared some particularly difficult stages.
And you know what's even better about SMG? The programming folks allow you to return to the game from the last point you left off instead of requiring you to begin from scratch. So you get new frustrations when the positions and techniques don't work and new highs when they do. The mind keeps telling itself that it can top the stage and one reaches for the start button after each game over. The ass is rooted to the seat and the mind loses all track of time. (Maybe, Wii and a slower version of SMG can be introduced to old folks' home to keep the residents engaged. Maybe not; they might fight over who's turn it is.)
Yet, the amazing graphics aside, the trick is to know... the tricks. The programmers are not very smart. I've got them figured out mostly. In certain worlds or galaxies, I pick up so many lives that I was incredibly elated. At the same time, I knew the extras would never be enough; how does one pick up extra lives quickly enough a whole game when one needs 26 of them to clear some particularly tricky stage? I don't know how I managed to clear some of those inhuman stages, but I did.
One can usually progress after mentally working through the algorithm required to clear that stage; keeping Mario alive long enough to clear the stage is the larger problem for me. Unfortunately, though, mental dexterity did not make up for the lack of finesse in the finer movements. The fingers were not stiff - digital (pun intended) gravity works differently, I'd say. Of course there are many excuses. This is where I spend all my time moaning about my exciting life, regardless how exciting it really is. Did you expect otherwise?
For all the fun and pleasure it brings, SMG is a silent time killer. I take anywhere between 45 minutes and 3 hours to clear a stage and I've sat in front of the Wii for almost 6 hours yesterday. That is bad. Extremely bad, if you ask me. And at 1.30 am this morning, when I tried to sleep after my shower, all I saw when I shut my eyes were the stars and the coins I was supposed to pick up in the games. My mind was all hyperactive; I can't get to sleep. The brain was devising ways to pick up stars and coins in the various configuration set by and for itself.
At that moment, I think I'm getting out of control. I need to do something quick. I got out of bed, removed the Super Mario Galaxy CD, returned it into its cover and asked for it to be returned. I can't be addicted to it. I can play other things like Wii Sports. That's fine, because there is a limiting factor called physical exhaustion. Wii Sports require you to mimick the actual sports action and with such physical activity, you get worn out and at the opportune moment, you'll decide you've got enough of a workout, turn off the Wii and resume life. SMG does not wear you out. It makes you addicted. And I worry about addiction.
So, there'll be come cold turkey today. And I'll be back to Wii Sporting.
Oh, did I tell you I chose Princess Peach as my avatar? I wanted to choose Queen Bitch if it (Note at edit: Oh man, that's a Freudian slip!) existed. But then what would I do with Q**nsy? Sigh. So, Princess Peach... that's right. Sounds like Princess Bitch anyway.
This semi-addiction seems worse than I imagine...
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Quasi big balls
Tackled the tree top walk today with a PE teacher friend. Here are some facts and true occurrences.
1. We walked a total of 7.6 km, mainly on forest trek, for a 250 m tree top suspension bridge walk. We've decided that a huge amount of persuasion will be required to get us to go there again. For example, a new car park built along the road at about the 2.5 km mark of the trail could be a start.
2. There is a free public carpark for trail visitors so you can park your cars at the start point and then walk your way in. And perhaps have a couple of water coolers and a small toilet/changing room at the car park. The water source and changing room will be well appreciated.
3. Signages at some of the points could be clearer and more pronunced. We had to make a few guesses along the way. And good for me, my sense of direction, even in the forest, served me well.
4. National Parks should consider a one-way hourly bus ride out from the start of the trails to the car park. Folks with jelly legs after traversing the roof top walk would really appreciate the gesture.
5. There is a steep tarmac-ed part of the trail which precedes the tree top walk. Wow, that was a prelude to jello your legs before your fear of heights do you in on the one-man wide suspension bridge.
Personally:
6, I got abrasions on my palms twisting dry my little towel, which was frequently soaked wet with my sweat. If I don't wring it dry, I can't get it to clean any more sweat off me.
7. My inner thighs are abraded. Man, they hurt when I walk and I had to work around the pain by walking somewhat bow-legged. Thereby, the title of this post.
Perhaps there was too much anticipation and too much expectation from the two of us at the onset of the trip. In the end, we had some sun (fortunately much less than feared) and too much walking. The walk wasn't all that fun, cos there were many up and down slopes and the need to retrace our steps back to the starting point dragged out the experience. The lack of anything really fresh on the way out added to the boredom of the walk.
Durian, rambutan, and jackfruit trees were fruiting like crazy. There were monkeys, squirrels, birds, butterflies, moths, salamanders, and whatever else saw us but we may not have seen them. There were surprisingly few, or no, mosquitoes and bugs.
For people undaunted still, my advice would be as follows:
1. Bring a towel for wiping sweat, especially if you perspire a lot.
2. Dry fit or no go. My dry fit shirt was fine but my cotton bermudas were so laden with sweat midway into the journey, I couldn't wait to get out of them.
3. Bring clothes to change out after the trip. Toilet and changing room or not, you'll appreciate this.
4. Forget the camera or any bags. If you can, travel light.
5. You'll reach the Ranger Station twice (and man, would I love a posting there! One of the guys there had an autographed Timberland boot. Hot!) and each time, use the facilities. Drink some water the first time around and drink up as much as you need before you make your way out. You tend to lose more water out than in, especially if you visit in the morning. The sun simply gets hotter and you sweat more.
6. Don't eat or drink on your walk. The monkeys we saw were observing us for food. I think they are still rather reliant on human offerings (it's illegal to feed them), especially during meal times.
7. Keep an eye for freshly dropped durians. You might just get a free fruit.
Have fun!
1. We walked a total of 7.6 km, mainly on forest trek, for a 250 m tree top suspension bridge walk. We've decided that a huge amount of persuasion will be required to get us to go there again. For example, a new car park built along the road at about the 2.5 km mark of the trail could be a start.
2. There is a free public carpark for trail visitors so you can park your cars at the start point and then walk your way in. And perhaps have a couple of water coolers and a small toilet/changing room at the car park. The water source and changing room will be well appreciated.
3. Signages at some of the points could be clearer and more pronunced. We had to make a few guesses along the way. And good for me, my sense of direction, even in the forest, served me well.
4. National Parks should consider a one-way hourly bus ride out from the start of the trails to the car park. Folks with jelly legs after traversing the roof top walk would really appreciate the gesture.
5. There is a steep tarmac-ed part of the trail which precedes the tree top walk. Wow, that was a prelude to jello your legs before your fear of heights do you in on the one-man wide suspension bridge.
Personally:
6, I got abrasions on my palms twisting dry my little towel, which was frequently soaked wet with my sweat. If I don't wring it dry, I can't get it to clean any more sweat off me.
7. My inner thighs are abraded. Man, they hurt when I walk and I had to work around the pain by walking somewhat bow-legged. Thereby, the title of this post.
Perhaps there was too much anticipation and too much expectation from the two of us at the onset of the trip. In the end, we had some sun (fortunately much less than feared) and too much walking. The walk wasn't all that fun, cos there were many up and down slopes and the need to retrace our steps back to the starting point dragged out the experience. The lack of anything really fresh on the way out added to the boredom of the walk.
Durian, rambutan, and jackfruit trees were fruiting like crazy. There were monkeys, squirrels, birds, butterflies, moths, salamanders, and whatever else saw us but we may not have seen them. There were surprisingly few, or no, mosquitoes and bugs.
For people undaunted still, my advice would be as follows:
1. Bring a towel for wiping sweat, especially if you perspire a lot.
2. Dry fit or no go. My dry fit shirt was fine but my cotton bermudas were so laden with sweat midway into the journey, I couldn't wait to get out of them.
3. Bring clothes to change out after the trip. Toilet and changing room or not, you'll appreciate this.
4. Forget the camera or any bags. If you can, travel light.
5. You'll reach the Ranger Station twice (and man, would I love a posting there! One of the guys there had an autographed Timberland boot. Hot!) and each time, use the facilities. Drink some water the first time around and drink up as much as you need before you make your way out. You tend to lose more water out than in, especially if you visit in the morning. The sun simply gets hotter and you sweat more.
6. Don't eat or drink on your walk. The monkeys we saw were observing us for food. I think they are still rather reliant on human offerings (it's illegal to feed them), especially during meal times.
7. Keep an eye for freshly dropped durians. You might just get a free fruit.
Have fun!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
What Grandma Probably Taught...
I'm sure there were many lessons which my maternal grandma taught me when she looked after me when I was younger.
Many of these lessons were probably never written down or verbalisable in words or speech but I'm sure I've learnt something from her.
I am good at marketing. This is what I learnt from her. One lesson then was to see what other grandmas would be picking at the market and go for similar produce. Grandmas of yore were savvy at marketing and following them and grabbing items similar to what they pick from the common pile often guaranteed results. That can't be said for now, since I've outgrown the modern day grandma in terms of marketing abilities.
I am good at food. I probably can tell you what's wrong with each dish I am served but courtesy dictates I bite my tongue and swallow the food. Still, the palatte, once refined, can never be dulled.
I also believe a big indirect lesson that I learnt. If there is an advantage to be taken of, make sure the gains and returns are immediate. Take and run. Never invest in what will be. Instead, take what is, be satisfied and scout for new bargains.
Modern grandparents and younger folks without shrewd, savvy grandmas to teach them life lessons should learn something from this entry that I share (which is something my grandma also said to do).
Many of these lessons were probably never written down or verbalisable in words or speech but I'm sure I've learnt something from her.
I am good at marketing. This is what I learnt from her. One lesson then was to see what other grandmas would be picking at the market and go for similar produce. Grandmas of yore were savvy at marketing and following them and grabbing items similar to what they pick from the common pile often guaranteed results. That can't be said for now, since I've outgrown the modern day grandma in terms of marketing abilities.
I am good at food. I probably can tell you what's wrong with each dish I am served but courtesy dictates I bite my tongue and swallow the food. Still, the palatte, once refined, can never be dulled.
I also believe a big indirect lesson that I learnt. If there is an advantage to be taken of, make sure the gains and returns are immediate. Take and run. Never invest in what will be. Instead, take what is, be satisfied and scout for new bargains.
Modern grandparents and younger folks without shrewd, savvy grandmas to teach them life lessons should learn something from this entry that I share (which is something my grandma also said to do).
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
You Spin Me Round
Ferris wheel size queens of the world should take note - when the Singapore Flyer stopped spinning, everything else started spinning.
People trapped in the world's largest flyer (on borrowed time) started feeling so hungry they had to eat a lot of pizzas "roped" in by the staff, some had to pee in plastic bags shielded by their family (funny, the capsules are all glass), one's head spun so bad and another puked and both landed in the hospital.
And a Russian tourist, the poor man, missed his flight home to spend a cold and dreary Christmas at home. Instead, he got to spend it on the sunny, balmy shores of Singapore. I wonder who's paying for it.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force had to be roped in to supplement efforts of the designated recovery firm. Hey, that makes me go right round round round because taxpayers money like mine are used to save people have a spin on the wheel when I have not even stepped foot in it!
And Singapore once again gained international infamy when newspapers from Australia to UK to Canada to China to Malaysia (hey, that is AROUND the world, if your geography sucks) reported the unfortunate event.
Even more interesting - the wheel is powered by 6 "rotary" units and can turn as long as 3 are working. This is what Singapore Flyer describes a 100% redundancy. Technical guys love such nonsense speak. But an electrical fire wiped out power to all 6 units. Is the fire at a 100% redundancy too?
Like many things in life, I wish 100% redundancy is so easy to achieve. Like when I lose a kilo of weight, the 100% redundancy rule wipes out 2 kilo when I stand on the weighing machine. When I gain a kilo, it shows up 500g of increase (100% redundancy, in case I really didn't gain a kilo.) Maybe Bernard Madoff also reported a 100% redundancy. He really lost USD 100 billion.
But I digress. As usual. If there is a disaster to be mocked, I must mock it with 100% redundancy. Nothing less. So, I wonder why our commandos were not called in. With their 'elicopters and rappelling skills, they should be able to save the trapped folks. Oh, they are the 100% redundancy that cannot be activated until people start dying in the capsule, I guess.
Of course, the greatest mockery of it all - the SCDF's ladders from their fire engines could reach up to capsules of only a certain height. And for good redundancy. The capsules were EMPTY! And the next capsule up (apparently, the third one up) cannot be reached.
With all these redundancy speak, it's no surprise that my head is spinning round round like a record baby right round round round....
People trapped in the world's largest flyer (on borrowed time) started feeling so hungry they had to eat a lot of pizzas "roped" in by the staff, some had to pee in plastic bags shielded by their family (funny, the capsules are all glass), one's head spun so bad and another puked and both landed in the hospital.
And a Russian tourist, the poor man, missed his flight home to spend a cold and dreary Christmas at home. Instead, he got to spend it on the sunny, balmy shores of Singapore. I wonder who's paying for it.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force had to be roped in to supplement efforts of the designated recovery firm. Hey, that makes me go right round round round because taxpayers money like mine are used to save people have a spin on the wheel when I have not even stepped foot in it!
And Singapore once again gained international infamy when newspapers from Australia to UK to Canada to China to Malaysia (hey, that is AROUND the world, if your geography sucks) reported the unfortunate event.
Even more interesting - the wheel is powered by 6 "rotary" units and can turn as long as 3 are working. This is what Singapore Flyer describes a 100% redundancy. Technical guys love such nonsense speak. But an electrical fire wiped out power to all 6 units. Is the fire at a 100% redundancy too?
Like many things in life, I wish 100% redundancy is so easy to achieve. Like when I lose a kilo of weight, the 100% redundancy rule wipes out 2 kilo when I stand on the weighing machine. When I gain a kilo, it shows up 500g of increase (100% redundancy, in case I really didn't gain a kilo.) Maybe Bernard Madoff also reported a 100% redundancy. He really lost USD 100 billion.
But I digress. As usual. If there is a disaster to be mocked, I must mock it with 100% redundancy. Nothing less. So, I wonder why our commandos were not called in. With their 'elicopters and rappelling skills, they should be able to save the trapped folks. Oh, they are the 100% redundancy that cannot be activated until people start dying in the capsule, I guess.
Of course, the greatest mockery of it all - the SCDF's ladders from their fire engines could reach up to capsules of only a certain height. And for good redundancy. The capsules were EMPTY! And the next capsule up (apparently, the third one up) cannot be reached.
With all these redundancy speak, it's no surprise that my head is spinning round round like a record baby right round round round....
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Why airheads speak faster than...
I learnt from the useless knowledge website that dolphins jump out of the water to conserve energy. It is easier to move through the air than through the water.
So ideas must definitely pass through airheads faster than a cerebral fluid soaked spongy mass.
I should have paid more attention to the useless knowledge they were trying teach me in physics lessons.
So ideas must definitely pass through airheads faster than a cerebral fluid soaked spongy mass.
I should have paid more attention to the useless knowledge they were trying teach me in physics lessons.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Plain Sailing Not
Along with the rest of the flotilla, people who managed to build their own seacraft went along the adventure to mine gold and capture slaves. Their intention was to ravage whatever they manage to land their hands on.
To move as quickly as possible from point to point, they designed their craft to be able to take in lots of water to lower their centres of gravity. Many people were also not the least interested to know if their craft were sea-worthy; they believed calm seas and excellent weather will prevail indefinitely.
As the fleet travel around to plunder, the captains had not watched the tides. They had not upkept their vessels. They did not watch the exact capacity their craft can withstand. They loaned big time to undertake voyages way beyond their ken. They had even forgotten that people were beginning to treat them like pillaging pirates.
And as luck would have it, the entire fleet ran aground on a sand bank as they were navigating a treacherous stretch of narrow waterway with erratic tides. And as luck would have it, the tides started going out.
Thinking that the tides would soon return, people urged their captains to unload the water in the vessel holds. The added water allowed limited movement but this gave the people onboard renewed hopes. Even without reaching their destination, they plundered "offline" from their boats. They shortsold, overbought, essentially trading nothing for money. Everyone still hoped to make a quick one.
As the water levels receded further than expected, people in the trapped vessels are begin to worry. Still they were still frantically plundering continually. They made the captains release whatever water there is in the hull. Alas, the ebbing tides prevailed - the water is all drawn out with the tide. Left high and dry, these "pirates" now expect the littoral states to siphon their water to fill the straits so that they can move off again.
When the surrounding area ran out of water and the waterway was nonetheless dry, the pillagers expect the states to now go around the world to procure water to set them a-sail again.
What they have forgotten is tides ebb and flow. One cannot mess with nature. Once it is time, the natural state will be restored.
Instead of complaining and whining, the bandits should simply divest their gains in exchange for food and water to stay alive on their craft. They should not feel wronged for it was by their free will that they had chosen such a path. However, they pointed fingers at others for their misery. Without spending a single cent, they expect to be fed, clothed and given spending money. Worse, most wanted to live like kings regardless of the current condition.
The way I see it, the littoral states have been complete morons to drain their lakes and channel their water sources to attempt to re-flood the water way. There is no way to do that now. What they should have done earlier was to have stopped these opportunists from stripping them of their resources in exchange for more "returns".
Any system that is overrun by human greed ought to be punished. If the righteous and the honest (and perhaps too the timid) are not complaining here, why should people who have made their lives so miserable be complaining?
Why should anyone bail out your poorly performing investments? Everyone who invests should know the risk they are taking. Ignorance is not an acceptable defence.
Don't expect anyone to bail you out. No one has the moral obligation to do so. Even if they could, they should not. After all, did you spread your wealth around when we were in the heights of your pillaging?
I take little comfort to be in a position like this. But I do know that when you play big, be ready to lose big. And take it like a big boy.
To move as quickly as possible from point to point, they designed their craft to be able to take in lots of water to lower their centres of gravity. Many people were also not the least interested to know if their craft were sea-worthy; they believed calm seas and excellent weather will prevail indefinitely.
As the fleet travel around to plunder, the captains had not watched the tides. They had not upkept their vessels. They did not watch the exact capacity their craft can withstand. They loaned big time to undertake voyages way beyond their ken. They had even forgotten that people were beginning to treat them like pillaging pirates.
And as luck would have it, the entire fleet ran aground on a sand bank as they were navigating a treacherous stretch of narrow waterway with erratic tides. And as luck would have it, the tides started going out.
Thinking that the tides would soon return, people urged their captains to unload the water in the vessel holds. The added water allowed limited movement but this gave the people onboard renewed hopes. Even without reaching their destination, they plundered "offline" from their boats. They shortsold, overbought, essentially trading nothing for money. Everyone still hoped to make a quick one.
As the water levels receded further than expected, people in the trapped vessels are begin to worry. Still they were still frantically plundering continually. They made the captains release whatever water there is in the hull. Alas, the ebbing tides prevailed - the water is all drawn out with the tide. Left high and dry, these "pirates" now expect the littoral states to siphon their water to fill the straits so that they can move off again.
When the surrounding area ran out of water and the waterway was nonetheless dry, the pillagers expect the states to now go around the world to procure water to set them a-sail again.
What they have forgotten is tides ebb and flow. One cannot mess with nature. Once it is time, the natural state will be restored.
Instead of complaining and whining, the bandits should simply divest their gains in exchange for food and water to stay alive on their craft. They should not feel wronged for it was by their free will that they had chosen such a path. However, they pointed fingers at others for their misery. Without spending a single cent, they expect to be fed, clothed and given spending money. Worse, most wanted to live like kings regardless of the current condition.
The way I see it, the littoral states have been complete morons to drain their lakes and channel their water sources to attempt to re-flood the water way. There is no way to do that now. What they should have done earlier was to have stopped these opportunists from stripping them of their resources in exchange for more "returns".
Any system that is overrun by human greed ought to be punished. If the righteous and the honest (and perhaps too the timid) are not complaining here, why should people who have made their lives so miserable be complaining?
Why should anyone bail out your poorly performing investments? Everyone who invests should know the risk they are taking. Ignorance is not an acceptable defence.
Don't expect anyone to bail you out. No one has the moral obligation to do so. Even if they could, they should not. After all, did you spread your wealth around when we were in the heights of your pillaging?
I take little comfort to be in a position like this. But I do know that when you play big, be ready to lose big. And take it like a big boy.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Round 3: ???
I wait and see how things will turn out.
Without a doubt, there could be a slight technical rebound of the sharemarkets, before investors realise that the $700 billion rescue package is but a drop in the vast ocean.
Lacking direction, commonsense, guts and gumption, the confused markets will drift aimlessly, shedding points like an old cat shedding its coat.
Hopefully, I'll be able to pick some good counters up so that when the next boom comes around - likely to be on sub-subprime, this time - I can cash out and get me a nice little condo.
Fat hope is also hope. Or so fat hopes.
Without a doubt, there could be a slight technical rebound of the sharemarkets, before investors realise that the $700 billion rescue package is but a drop in the vast ocean.
Lacking direction, commonsense, guts and gumption, the confused markets will drift aimlessly, shedding points like an old cat shedding its coat.
Hopefully, I'll be able to pick some good counters up so that when the next boom comes around - likely to be on sub-subprime, this time - I can cash out and get me a nice little condo.
Fat hope is also hope. Or so fat hopes.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Why disasters are good for us
Too often, people are lulled into complacency when things go as planned. People take comfort afforded by the relative calm and, by and large, believe that if nothing is on fire, then everything is fine. Many people go by the adage, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unknown to many people, things may not be "broke" at the moment but there could be people who are trying to "enhance" the "ain't-ness" by tampering with the products. For each and every expose that shows who the real bad guys are, I am pretty certain that there are many other heinous acts that have gone unnoticed. All too often, to be constantly on our toes to monitor the entire market is untenable because of the massive effort required. However, if we need a shake-up quickly, a disaster may be the best option because of its wide-ranging impact.
Disasters in aviation lead the way in showing how a slip-up can shake up an entire industry. One does not have to look far to realise that the ultimate outcome of aviation disasters was a much safer flying environment for travellers. From zero, investigators learnt about metal fatigue, autopilot limitations, aircraft limitations, pilot training manual mistakes, substitution (of parts) problems, wind shear, bird strikes and so on. Each and every disaster precipitated immediate rounds of aircraft checks and aviation practices reviews. It forces industry players to review and propose new updates, changes, training checks, flight safety improvements and most importantly, renew their respect for human lives in the knowledge that human beings are ultimately at the mercy of the equipment they create. Who would have expected, for one, that the black box on the aircraft is given more protection than the pilot and the passengers?
Similarly, the recent Sichuan Earthquake showed us that Chinese engineers have achieved a world's first in civil engineering - they managed to use "soy pulp" (aka toufu zha) to build houses. The race to trace the history of this practice has led to an ongoing review of the building codes in the region. People are concerned how they could be sold such houses and how public buildings such as schools could also be built in this way with such material. People around the world wonder how such houses are built too. But I am also rather sure that engineers in regions that are immune to earthquakes must also be reviewing their bulding codes - do they really need to reinforce their concrete beams and piles with steel rods since the Chinese have showed that under non-earthquake circumstances, these are not necessary? Some people may be able to get cheaper soy pulp houses in the near future.
People living in the hurricane/typhoon zones and tornado-afflicted areas may especially be interested in these kinds of houses. Imagine, you get soya milk after the disaster. You will be swimming in soya milk! And think of all the benefits that you get from these houses - people get crushed to death by concrete beams and pillars. But do you see or hear of people crushed to death by tofu pulp? No! These people are buried because they added concrete to reinforce their pulp. See? The moral of the story here is not to be too smart!
Talking about additives, the latest melamine additive scandal hit the Chinese dairy market right in the balls, I mean bull's eye. The practice was aimed at "showing" a higher nutritional value of the milk during its decomposition through the emission of more nitrogen, a measure of milk with higher nutritional value. Of course, many of us would have realised that the milk is so nutritious that Chinese, Hong Kong and other babies taking them have ended up with kidney stones. And some of them were so over-nourished, they died. The whole world and China are now looking to check if there are other melamine enhanced milk or related products. Looking back, I do not recall steriods killing that many people, even though WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's death did raise a hue and cry in the North American media. By the way, it was the Chinese media leaking the story of the tainted milk (how I hate the English term; the Chinese call it du-nai, which sounds like tonigh(t)) that led to the expose of this latest scandal; had it not for them, Chinese Dairy apparently would have kept quiet about the entire issue. But how does one add melamine to milk? Imagine melamine is what my chopsticks are made of. How could anyone add that to food? And is it in solid or liquid form? Or did the farmers rub melamine to cow udders to promote milk growth? Or maybe it is injected to make the udders harder so milking can take place more often? Sigh, to quote my favourite "philosopher" from beside Down Under, "I really don't know". Oh, it's the male, not the female, though he has threatened the hanky act too! I wonder what's with the southern hemisphere folks and their handkerchiefs.
Disasters are usually broadcast by the media. In at least one case, I am sure the media has a hand in - the recent Wall Street meltdown. Yes, I blame the media. The media has been guilty of not calling it when they had the ability to. While earning big bucks for themselves is important, the media should blow the whistle when they see the obscene subprime rape. They did not; there was defintely insufficient media expose - isn't that their job - of the issue and I wonder who the guy was who short-sold Lehman until the brothers lost their shirts of their backs. Maybe one day, time (or maybe Time) will tell. I am pretty sure that that story will sell for many bucks. I cannot wait to learn more about the guy who changed Wall Street's landscape. (I am sure many investors are cursing me now, after seeing their investments crash into the proverbial wall! Oh yes, I think some Walls' ice-cream is also being recalled for having used tainted milk.)
As my examples show so far, the world loves a disaster. Diana died - disaster. Mother Theresa died - disaster. Michael Jackson's nose collapsed - disaster. Pope dropped dead - disaster. Hurricane Katrina struck - disaster. 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami - disaster. George Bush got elected for a second term - disaster. Al Gore didn't win - disaster. September 11 - disaster. Sichuan Earthquake - disaster. Hurricane Ike - disaster. Obama wins - disaster. McCain wins - disaster. AIG collapes - disaster. AIG saved - disaster. Marking assignments - disaster. So what's new? What is not a disaster these days?
With the spate of "disasters" now, everything is being checked and rechecked. People are suspicious of everything. You know what is truly a disaster? I received a free - yeah, FREE! - packet of chocolate hazelnut bars in my pigeon hole courtesy of the welfare committee where I work. The first thing I did, I read the packaging from the first word to the last trying to see if the word China appeared anywhere. Or tainted milk. I'd eaten the thing without a second thought in the past.
I think I'll let the rest eat first. If they don't die...
PS. I won't be held responsible for anyone attempting the "Chinese Building Feat - the Soy Pulp Building Method" because it is more an analogy of their concrete being non-reinforced rather than literally being a soy pulp structure. That, would have been a tremendous eye popper!
Disasters in aviation lead the way in showing how a slip-up can shake up an entire industry. One does not have to look far to realise that the ultimate outcome of aviation disasters was a much safer flying environment for travellers. From zero, investigators learnt about metal fatigue, autopilot limitations, aircraft limitations, pilot training manual mistakes, substitution (of parts) problems, wind shear, bird strikes and so on. Each and every disaster precipitated immediate rounds of aircraft checks and aviation practices reviews. It forces industry players to review and propose new updates, changes, training checks, flight safety improvements and most importantly, renew their respect for human lives in the knowledge that human beings are ultimately at the mercy of the equipment they create. Who would have expected, for one, that the black box on the aircraft is given more protection than the pilot and the passengers?
Similarly, the recent Sichuan Earthquake showed us that Chinese engineers have achieved a world's first in civil engineering - they managed to use "soy pulp" (aka toufu zha) to build houses. The race to trace the history of this practice has led to an ongoing review of the building codes in the region. People are concerned how they could be sold such houses and how public buildings such as schools could also be built in this way with such material. People around the world wonder how such houses are built too. But I am also rather sure that engineers in regions that are immune to earthquakes must also be reviewing their bulding codes - do they really need to reinforce their concrete beams and piles with steel rods since the Chinese have showed that under non-earthquake circumstances, these are not necessary? Some people may be able to get cheaper soy pulp houses in the near future.
People living in the hurricane/typhoon zones and tornado-afflicted areas may especially be interested in these kinds of houses. Imagine, you get soya milk after the disaster. You will be swimming in soya milk! And think of all the benefits that you get from these houses - people get crushed to death by concrete beams and pillars. But do you see or hear of people crushed to death by tofu pulp? No! These people are buried because they added concrete to reinforce their pulp. See? The moral of the story here is not to be too smart!
Talking about additives, the latest melamine additive scandal hit the Chinese dairy market right in the balls, I mean bull's eye. The practice was aimed at "showing" a higher nutritional value of the milk during its decomposition through the emission of more nitrogen, a measure of milk with higher nutritional value. Of course, many of us would have realised that the milk is so nutritious that Chinese, Hong Kong and other babies taking them have ended up with kidney stones. And some of them were so over-nourished, they died. The whole world and China are now looking to check if there are other melamine enhanced milk or related products. Looking back, I do not recall steriods killing that many people, even though WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's death did raise a hue and cry in the North American media. By the way, it was the Chinese media leaking the story of the tainted milk (how I hate the English term; the Chinese call it du-nai, which sounds like tonigh(t)) that led to the expose of this latest scandal; had it not for them, Chinese Dairy apparently would have kept quiet about the entire issue. But how does one add melamine to milk? Imagine melamine is what my chopsticks are made of. How could anyone add that to food? And is it in solid or liquid form? Or did the farmers rub melamine to cow udders to promote milk growth? Or maybe it is injected to make the udders harder so milking can take place more often? Sigh, to quote my favourite "philosopher" from beside Down Under, "I really don't know". Oh, it's the male, not the female, though he has threatened the hanky act too! I wonder what's with the southern hemisphere folks and their handkerchiefs.
Disasters are usually broadcast by the media. In at least one case, I am sure the media has a hand in - the recent Wall Street meltdown. Yes, I blame the media. The media has been guilty of not calling it when they had the ability to. While earning big bucks for themselves is important, the media should blow the whistle when they see the obscene subprime rape. They did not; there was defintely insufficient media expose - isn't that their job - of the issue and I wonder who the guy was who short-sold Lehman until the brothers lost their shirts of their backs. Maybe one day, time (or maybe Time) will tell. I am pretty sure that that story will sell for many bucks. I cannot wait to learn more about the guy who changed Wall Street's landscape. (I am sure many investors are cursing me now, after seeing their investments crash into the proverbial wall! Oh yes, I think some Walls' ice-cream is also being recalled for having used tainted milk.)
As my examples show so far, the world loves a disaster. Diana died - disaster. Mother Theresa died - disaster. Michael Jackson's nose collapsed - disaster. Pope dropped dead - disaster. Hurricane Katrina struck - disaster. 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami - disaster. George Bush got elected for a second term - disaster. Al Gore didn't win - disaster. September 11 - disaster. Sichuan Earthquake - disaster. Hurricane Ike - disaster. Obama wins - disaster. McCain wins - disaster. AIG collapes - disaster. AIG saved - disaster. Marking assignments - disaster. So what's new? What is not a disaster these days?
With the spate of "disasters" now, everything is being checked and rechecked. People are suspicious of everything. You know what is truly a disaster? I received a free - yeah, FREE! - packet of chocolate hazelnut bars in my pigeon hole courtesy of the welfare committee where I work. The first thing I did, I read the packaging from the first word to the last trying to see if the word China appeared anywhere. Or tainted milk. I'd eaten the thing without a second thought in the past.
I think I'll let the rest eat first. If they don't die...
PS. I won't be held responsible for anyone attempting the "Chinese Building Feat - the Soy Pulp Building Method" because it is more an analogy of their concrete being non-reinforced rather than literally being a soy pulp structure. That, would have been a tremendous eye popper!
Friday, August 29, 2008
What I don't know about Karma
Probligo and I had had a wonderful conversation about my problem-child status. We came to the conclusion that neither of us were Smarties.
A Programmer and an Engineer were sitting next to each other on an
airplane. The Programmer leans over to the Engineer and asks if he wants
to play a fun game. The Engineer just wants to sleep so he politely
declines, turns away and tries to sleep. The Programmer persists and
explains that it's a real easy game. He explains,"I ask a question and
if you don't know the answer you pay me $5. Then you ask a question and
if I don't know the answer I'll pay you $5." Again the Engineer politely
declines and tries to sleep.
The Programmer, now somewhat agitated, says, "O.K., if you don't
know the answer you pay me $5 and if I don't know the answer I pay
you $50!" Now, that got the Engineer's attention, so he agrees to the
game. The Programmer asks the first question, "What's the distance from
the earth to the moon?" Then Engineer doesn't say a word and just hands
the Programmer $5.
Now, its the Engineer's turn. He asks the Programmer,"What goes up a
hill with three legs and comes down on four?" The Programmer looks at
him with a puzzled look, takes out his laptop computer, looks through
all his references and after about an hour wakes the Engineer and hands
the Engineer $50. The Engineer politely takes the $50 turns away and
tries to return to sleep.
The Programmer, a little miffed, asks, "Well what's the answer to the
question?" Without a word, the Engineer reaches into his wallet, hands
$5 to the Programmer, turns away and returns to sleep.
Yeah, we both don't know. But I can guess he's probably a programmer or an engineer while I'm just the manager pushing the buttons. Heh!
So, the new Fermat's (Last + 1) Conjecture is now: What next to seek so that Enlightenment is possible.
The issue of karma was probably obliquely mentioned somehow but I am sure if it did, we did not give it a good airing.
So, my question will be: Who is in charge of calculating Karma? I don't know if this is rhetorical. But there is a belief that if you kill a cockroach (for example) so that by ending its life, you could help it get reborn into a higher realm of existence, apparently, it won't happen. Part of the explanation is that the cockroach is so used to its existence that it could not adjust its mindset fast enough to allow it to move out of that realm of existence.
I want to know if there is another way out of rebirth other than Enlightenment and finally Nirvana.
A Programmer and an Engineer were sitting next to each other on an
airplane. The Programmer leans over to the Engineer and asks if he wants
to play a fun game. The Engineer just wants to sleep so he politely
declines, turns away and tries to sleep. The Programmer persists and
explains that it's a real easy game. He explains,"I ask a question and
if you don't know the answer you pay me $5. Then you ask a question and
if I don't know the answer I'll pay you $5." Again the Engineer politely
declines and tries to sleep.
The Programmer, now somewhat agitated, says, "O.K., if you don't
know the answer you pay me $5 and if I don't know the answer I pay
you $50!" Now, that got the Engineer's attention, so he agrees to the
game. The Programmer asks the first question, "What's the distance from
the earth to the moon?" Then Engineer doesn't say a word and just hands
the Programmer $5.
Now, its the Engineer's turn. He asks the Programmer,"What goes up a
hill with three legs and comes down on four?" The Programmer looks at
him with a puzzled look, takes out his laptop computer, looks through
all his references and after about an hour wakes the Engineer and hands
the Engineer $50. The Engineer politely takes the $50 turns away and
tries to return to sleep.
The Programmer, a little miffed, asks, "Well what's the answer to the
question?" Without a word, the Engineer reaches into his wallet, hands
$5 to the Programmer, turns away and returns to sleep.
Yeah, we both don't know. But I can guess he's probably a programmer or an engineer while I'm just the manager pushing the buttons. Heh!
So, the new Fermat's (Last + 1) Conjecture is now: What next to seek so that Enlightenment is possible.
The issue of karma was probably obliquely mentioned somehow but I am sure if it did, we did not give it a good airing.
So, my question will be: Who is in charge of calculating Karma? I don't know if this is rhetorical. But there is a belief that if you kill a cockroach (for example) so that by ending its life, you could help it get reborn into a higher realm of existence, apparently, it won't happen. Part of the explanation is that the cockroach is so used to its existence that it could not adjust its mindset fast enough to allow it to move out of that realm of existence.
I want to know if there is another way out of rebirth other than Enlightenment and finally Nirvana.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Pretty Lady
Once upon a time a big monk and a little monk were traveling together. They came to the bank of a river and found the bridge was damaged. They had to wade across the river. There was a pretty lady who was stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river. The big monk offered to carry her across the river on his back. The lady accepted. The little monk was shocked by the move of the big monk. 'How can big brother carry a lady when we are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?' thought the little monk. But he kept quiet. The big monk carried the lady across the river and the small monk followed unhappily. When they crossed the river, the big monk let the lady down and they parted ways with her.
All along the way for several miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the big monk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet. And the big monk had no inclination to explain his situation. Finally, at a rest point many hours later, the little monk could not stand it any further, he burst out angrily at the big monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All your teachings to me make you a big hypocrite The big monk looked surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?'
This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the thinking of many people today. We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous .. But like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go away.We keep on carrying the baggage of the 'pretty lady' with us. We let them keep on coming back to hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony. Why? Simply because we are not willing to put down or let go of the baggage of the 'pretty lady'. We should let go of the pretty lady immediately after crossing the river, that is after the unpleasant event is over. This will immediately remove all our agonies. There is no need to be further hurt by the unpleasant event after it is over.
Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.
All along the way for several miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the big monk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet. And the big monk had no inclination to explain his situation. Finally, at a rest point many hours later, the little monk could not stand it any further, he burst out angrily at the big monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All your teachings to me make you a big hypocrite The big monk looked surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?'
This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the thinking of many people today. We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous .. But like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go away.We keep on carrying the baggage of the 'pretty lady' with us. We let them keep on coming back to hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony. Why? Simply because we are not willing to put down or let go of the baggage of the 'pretty lady'. We should let go of the pretty lady immediately after crossing the river, that is after the unpleasant event is over. This will immediately remove all our agonies. There is no need to be further hurt by the unpleasant event after it is over.
Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.
The Frogs
A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog legs! The farmer replied, 'There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs - millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!' So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks.
The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said, 'Well... where are all the frogs?' The farmer said, 'I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!'
Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at night worrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a million frogs croaking? Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.
The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said, 'Well... where are all the frogs?' The farmer said, 'I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!'
Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at night worrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a million frogs croaking? Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.
The Turtles
A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outing. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found a place ideal for them at last!
For about six months they cleaned the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.
Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years... then on the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and begun to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, 'See! I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt.'
Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we don't do anything ourselves.
For about six months they cleaned the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.
Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years... then on the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and begun to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, 'See! I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt.'
Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we don't do anything ourselves.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
In Response to Probligo
I have written the entry on "What I Still Don't Know" because I had thought about things that could be premature to be discussed. But that does not mean that the seed could not be planted in people's minds and allowed to germinate.
I recall how Siddharta sought out many teachers and tried many forms of cultivation, including asceticism, before he managed to ward off Mara the temptress and attain Nirvana.
He sought to free himself and all sentient beings from suffering the whole time he cultivated himself. When he was cultivating himself under different teachers, he was not taught to not crave, not cling, not desire. But he had realised that life was suffering but he was not sure why. That was why he left home and started practicing the way which he hoped would end suffering.
It was after a long time of cultivating himself and finally discovering the power of meditation in helping him focus on the true problems that plague all living things. During his meditation sessions, he also recalled his previous lives and much more, before coming to the realisation that life's sufferings are caused by greed, craving and clinging. Prior to that, Mara the temptress came and tempted him big time to end his search for Enlightenment.
I ask what is the next big thing that the coming Buddha, Bohdisattva Matreiya needed to "discover" so that he would be able to take the final step towards Buddha-hood.
Religion cannot be forever stuck in some backwaters. A progressive religion that desires to stay the course needs to cater to the needs of the people. A religion that stops moving with the times will fall apart.
Human needs are innate and irrational. And in times of spiritual ruins, a saint or a prophet or a buddha usually comes to help the people out: Moses received the 10 Commandments and went on to achieve great things. Prophet Mohammed brought Islam to the people. Of course, I don't know how people treat Moses - is he a saint?
Buddhists had different Buddhas come and probably left teachings behind. Our scriptures bear testimony to this fact. The last Buddha left the lessons on clinging and greed. We know the lessons. Whether we can cultivate our faculties to overcome such inner demons remain insurmountable challenges for many of us.
But clinging and greed are not the most debilitating of ills that people are facing now. True, clinging and greed do undergird many of these ills but there must be some new lessons that need to be learnt.
For instance, letting go. Or having the magnanimity and graciousness not to take offense over every single thing. But these are lessons already made known. Our parents always told us to let our younger siblings "win" or have their ways, regardless. Isn't that obvious to all?
I don't claim to be religiously smart. So you may be right - I may have walked past the next cause for Nirvana and not realise it. But what I lament is the fact that I have not cultivated my mental acuity to know that I have let something precious slip by me, if it had.
Yet weirdly, if I go after spiritual awakening, it could be about greed; deep down, it's a part of "greed" to want to be more "sensitive" than the common man. This is not righteous. At least not in my opinion.
If you have read my posts, I told you about my experience in Sri Lanka, before the tsunami. If I had been able to warn people accurately about all these things, I might have done some good. But then, I might also be regarded as obstructing god's wrath and stopping people from getting their condign judgement and punishment. Or I could just be treated as a fortune teller, and nothing more.
I have to admit I honestly do not know. What is the next thing that we should awaken in our pursuits to become freed from the cycle of life and death?
Christians believe in no after life. I am not here to say whether this is right or wrong. People are free to choose and believe in their religions. But don't force one's beliefs down another's throat. I'd say if all who believed in the Christian God went to heaven, heaven is going to be really packed by now. But that's a thought. And, if not for the sake of illustration, I would have let it remain a thought.
I have had Christian friends whose sole purpose in life is to politely run down other religions and claim that all other religions arose from Christianity. I do not go into any discussions on such things. These people even attempt to rationalise things like why the Chinese word for murderer and brother sounded identical to claim that China used to be a Christian state. I listen politely, even if I disagree, and seek the first available instance to end the conversation. Such discussions do not interest me.
What good does it make for us to regressively trace things just to prove superiority? I am more interested to see how things will develop as we move in the new direction. Moreover, I do not preach my religion - my only claim is that my religion is one of choice and lifestyle. I am a lip-service Buddhist, if you force me to label myself.
Marketing a religion is an interesting concept but unless that brings about a new level of awareness and discovery about the true meaning of life, the product is hard to sell. The sellers would end up merely going through the motions.
So, to say what I think I thought but am sure I really don't know, I somehow feel that the loss of a soul, some kind of identity, could be the next big thing. Something different from the id, ego or superego. Different from the idea of self, of I, me, my and mine. I can't place a finger on it but I would like to propose that it is more like the idea of the incarnation of the pure-self.
When we are conceived, we are probably the purest at that moment. Those cells were probably not programmed or intended to strap bombs to thenselves and detonate them to kill others. It is the development of a consciousness that we become who we are. Could it then be the control of the consciousness so that we are able to return to the state of the pure-self?
I really don't know.(I really dislike these four words, because one of my tutors did it to me when I asked her a question. She took out her handkerchief, spread it open, buried her face in it, looked up at me, took a deep breath and said, "I really don't know, Eugene." And then I got scolded after class for asking that Aussie Grandma "difficult Grammar questions".) This is the first time I actually put pen to paper my thoughts of such a topic. I don't even know if I make sense. But I certainly know there is a long path ahead if I ever want to escape from the cycle of birth and death.
I haven't read Monkey. I'll probably try and make a bid to read it. Since you've got me to this point, Probligo, feel free to add your points of view. We might have different ideas and we can agree to disagree.
I recall how Siddharta sought out many teachers and tried many forms of cultivation, including asceticism, before he managed to ward off Mara the temptress and attain Nirvana.
He sought to free himself and all sentient beings from suffering the whole time he cultivated himself. When he was cultivating himself under different teachers, he was not taught to not crave, not cling, not desire. But he had realised that life was suffering but he was not sure why. That was why he left home and started practicing the way which he hoped would end suffering.
It was after a long time of cultivating himself and finally discovering the power of meditation in helping him focus on the true problems that plague all living things. During his meditation sessions, he also recalled his previous lives and much more, before coming to the realisation that life's sufferings are caused by greed, craving and clinging. Prior to that, Mara the temptress came and tempted him big time to end his search for Enlightenment.
I ask what is the next big thing that the coming Buddha, Bohdisattva Matreiya needed to "discover" so that he would be able to take the final step towards Buddha-hood.
Religion cannot be forever stuck in some backwaters. A progressive religion that desires to stay the course needs to cater to the needs of the people. A religion that stops moving with the times will fall apart.
Human needs are innate and irrational. And in times of spiritual ruins, a saint or a prophet or a buddha usually comes to help the people out: Moses received the 10 Commandments and went on to achieve great things. Prophet Mohammed brought Islam to the people. Of course, I don't know how people treat Moses - is he a saint?
Buddhists had different Buddhas come and probably left teachings behind. Our scriptures bear testimony to this fact. The last Buddha left the lessons on clinging and greed. We know the lessons. Whether we can cultivate our faculties to overcome such inner demons remain insurmountable challenges for many of us.
But clinging and greed are not the most debilitating of ills that people are facing now. True, clinging and greed do undergird many of these ills but there must be some new lessons that need to be learnt.
For instance, letting go. Or having the magnanimity and graciousness not to take offense over every single thing. But these are lessons already made known. Our parents always told us to let our younger siblings "win" or have their ways, regardless. Isn't that obvious to all?
I don't claim to be religiously smart. So you may be right - I may have walked past the next cause for Nirvana and not realise it. But what I lament is the fact that I have not cultivated my mental acuity to know that I have let something precious slip by me, if it had.
Yet weirdly, if I go after spiritual awakening, it could be about greed; deep down, it's a part of "greed" to want to be more "sensitive" than the common man. This is not righteous. At least not in my opinion.
If you have read my posts, I told you about my experience in Sri Lanka, before the tsunami. If I had been able to warn people accurately about all these things, I might have done some good. But then, I might also be regarded as obstructing god's wrath and stopping people from getting their condign judgement and punishment. Or I could just be treated as a fortune teller, and nothing more.
I have to admit I honestly do not know. What is the next thing that we should awaken in our pursuits to become freed from the cycle of life and death?
Christians believe in no after life. I am not here to say whether this is right or wrong. People are free to choose and believe in their religions. But don't force one's beliefs down another's throat. I'd say if all who believed in the Christian God went to heaven, heaven is going to be really packed by now. But that's a thought. And, if not for the sake of illustration, I would have let it remain a thought.
I have had Christian friends whose sole purpose in life is to politely run down other religions and claim that all other religions arose from Christianity. I do not go into any discussions on such things. These people even attempt to rationalise things like why the Chinese word for murderer and brother sounded identical to claim that China used to be a Christian state. I listen politely, even if I disagree, and seek the first available instance to end the conversation. Such discussions do not interest me.
What good does it make for us to regressively trace things just to prove superiority? I am more interested to see how things will develop as we move in the new direction. Moreover, I do not preach my religion - my only claim is that my religion is one of choice and lifestyle. I am a lip-service Buddhist, if you force me to label myself.
Marketing a religion is an interesting concept but unless that brings about a new level of awareness and discovery about the true meaning of life, the product is hard to sell. The sellers would end up merely going through the motions.
So, to say what I think I thought but am sure I really don't know, I somehow feel that the loss of a soul, some kind of identity, could be the next big thing. Something different from the id, ego or superego. Different from the idea of self, of I, me, my and mine. I can't place a finger on it but I would like to propose that it is more like the idea of the incarnation of the pure-self.
When we are conceived, we are probably the purest at that moment. Those cells were probably not programmed or intended to strap bombs to thenselves and detonate them to kill others. It is the development of a consciousness that we become who we are. Could it then be the control of the consciousness so that we are able to return to the state of the pure-self?
I really don't know.(I really dislike these four words, because one of my tutors did it to me when I asked her a question. She took out her handkerchief, spread it open, buried her face in it, looked up at me, took a deep breath and said, "I really don't know, Eugene." And then I got scolded after class for asking that Aussie Grandma "difficult Grammar questions".) This is the first time I actually put pen to paper my thoughts of such a topic. I don't even know if I make sense. But I certainly know there is a long path ahead if I ever want to escape from the cycle of birth and death.
I haven't read Monkey. I'll probably try and make a bid to read it. Since you've got me to this point, Probligo, feel free to add your points of view. We might have different ideas and we can agree to disagree.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Funeral Drama
The eldest daughter wailed at the top of her lungs and her cries reverberated off the walls of the viewing gallery as the casket made its way into the incinerator. The second daughter, who had had to look after the old lady after dementia ate her better senses away for the past few years was less hysterical in comparison.
Even while the eldest was the wealthier among them, she had decided not to be involved in looking after the demented mother. She even said that her sister's act of taking their life giver into her care was akin to knocking her head against a brick wall.
Yet when the final scene came, even before the coffin made its appearance in the viewing gallery, she bawled her lungs out.
In stark comparison, the rest of the family of about 50 who made the journey to the crematorium were more sedate. They made no bones that the old lady was better off dead.
She gave them a quick one. Despite her decade long battle with dementia, she was able to move on her own. While she may forget to control her bowels now and then, she lived like she was normal. What was missing was her recent memories. But she did remember glimpses of me, especially when she, her second daughter, my grandmother and I went to Malaysia on a week long trip some 18 years ago. When she collapsed from a stroke on Monday morning, she died the same evening at 2025 hours. She did not regain consciousness or inconvenienced them in any way.
While the acting was convincing and some friends and lesser relatives were visibly moved to some tears, the minute I got on the bus to return to the place where the wake was held, the stories came forth.
It always pays to sit beside some perceptive aunt on the way back as she would be most forthcoming in sharing the stories. I'm usually the one they would tell the story to. I don't know why, but I guess I'm blessed this way. (I believe my involvement in these last rites does not go unnoticed. Compared to my other more aloof cousins, I must be the more lovable one. It also helps to be chubby and possibly cuddly, I think.)
The aunt opened her tirade with "The one who has done the least cried the loudest. People would therefore think she was the most aggrieved. But there are lies, half-truths and truths. The truth is, she has the least right to steal the limelight. The rest of them act their part in thinking that the old lady is better off dead."
Me, "I think she was feeling guilty?"
She, "I hope she is. If she still knows (what it means to be) guilty. She never wanted the mother or to care for her. So what right does she have to act this way? That's why when you are able to put up a show..."
The rest of the story is up there.
Even while the eldest was the wealthier among them, she had decided not to be involved in looking after the demented mother. She even said that her sister's act of taking their life giver into her care was akin to knocking her head against a brick wall.
Yet when the final scene came, even before the coffin made its appearance in the viewing gallery, she bawled her lungs out.
In stark comparison, the rest of the family of about 50 who made the journey to the crematorium were more sedate. They made no bones that the old lady was better off dead.
She gave them a quick one. Despite her decade long battle with dementia, she was able to move on her own. While she may forget to control her bowels now and then, she lived like she was normal. What was missing was her recent memories. But she did remember glimpses of me, especially when she, her second daughter, my grandmother and I went to Malaysia on a week long trip some 18 years ago. When she collapsed from a stroke on Monday morning, she died the same evening at 2025 hours. She did not regain consciousness or inconvenienced them in any way.
While the acting was convincing and some friends and lesser relatives were visibly moved to some tears, the minute I got on the bus to return to the place where the wake was held, the stories came forth.
It always pays to sit beside some perceptive aunt on the way back as she would be most forthcoming in sharing the stories. I'm usually the one they would tell the story to. I don't know why, but I guess I'm blessed this way. (I believe my involvement in these last rites does not go unnoticed. Compared to my other more aloof cousins, I must be the more lovable one. It also helps to be chubby and possibly cuddly, I think.)
The aunt opened her tirade with "The one who has done the least cried the loudest. People would therefore think she was the most aggrieved. But there are lies, half-truths and truths. The truth is, she has the least right to steal the limelight. The rest of them act their part in thinking that the old lady is better off dead."
Me, "I think she was feeling guilty?"
She, "I hope she is. If she still knows (what it means to be) guilty. She never wanted the mother or to care for her. So what right does she have to act this way? That's why when you are able to put up a show..."
The rest of the story is up there.
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