I love how recently I've found more people that are upset with.. aspects of public education. Haha. Not to echo Namson, but I, too, am.. frustrated with certain things teachers do. Teaching may not be easy, yes, but some things are just unnecessary.
I was somewhat bothered today to find out that more and more PHHS students of the class of '08 and below are joining Facebook. Yeah, I'm a hypocrite, I know. No, it's not that I don't like seeing more people on Facebook (I imply no sentiments either positive or negative here; do not attempt to find any) but it's that I'd rather not see it turn into something like Myspace. Oh man, God forbid that trashiness to wander rampant on Facebook. *shudders*
I'm in a rather compromising situation now. I shall not detail, but I ask everyone to please pay special attention to the "low" and "meek," those who as John says, have "fallen behind," by fault of which is not completely (though it often plays a middling factor) their own. Thank you. This is like one of those things that only happens to peole who write horrifying, heart-wrenching stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul. sigh. We shall see what becomes of this. I hope for a swift and merciful verdict, but .. tis not up to me. sigh. I shall leave this in more understanding hands now. Good day.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Tee-hee. Thoughtful? Harangue.
Several things here. None of which are fully developed nor completed ideas. Some of which I thought of while running today, during dry land practice.
Running just to run, like.. to work out, I find boring. So I don't like it. Because other than the purpose of building up one's physical fitness, what's the point? At least if you're running from a bear or something you're doing that to save yourself. And it's far more interesting.
Point-whores, Felicia calls them. Um. Those people who go up to the teacher and ask for points to improve their grade .0001% when they obviously didn't deserve the points? No one finds that an enjoyable experience, least of all the teachers. I would be more worried about why you lost the points in the first place, what you didn't do that you should have done. But if you were docked points unjustly though, now, that's a different story.
People who are like "I need a 4.0 or I'll die!" - ehh. I'm sure in many cases the parents contribute to the pressure, but come on, you're a young adult, surely you can think with the mind of one? Think of life beyond high school, beyond college/uni, and beyond grades in general. I don't say this because I still have a 4.0 - I really was prepared to get a B+ in Crowther. And I was fine with the idea, because you know what? LIFE GOES ON!
During the run today I was thinking, "If I can't properly take care of myself (I was referring to fitness here. As I said, I don't like running. Drop me in a pool or a hockey game or soccer field or whatever playing field anyday, but please, don't make me run. It's boring. Therefore I do not cultivate the art. Plus the fact that it's not my forte. Haha), then how can I possibly take care of Amnesty (International)?" There are so many people in our world who are hurting, and yeah, you want to help 'em. But make sure you're in decent condition first. People, remember that when you entertain aspirations. It's a general rule, and there are exceptions, but.. it's practical. Works a lot of the time.
There are people who wear disfigured masks. For whatever reasons, to achieve whatever goals, they behave certain ways, profess particular beliefs, and so on. The masks do not fit them, and others around them suspect the pretenses, but there appears no concrete evidence with which to indict them. But then one day, those who wear black veils are thwarted. Their motives for disguise fail. They fail. And then they discard their coverings and reveal their true selves. What others can now see out in the open is often as pitiful and grotesque as the original mask itself. Seems the mask has taken over the person, taken on a life of its own. Pretty sad, eh? Miserable souls.
Okay I guess I was kinda cryptic with some/most of this. But whatever, it was written to generalize. If you asked I'd tell you the specific situations from which I make my observations. =) Hahaha subjunctif there. Using French skills in English! Whoo.
Running just to run, like.. to work out, I find boring. So I don't like it. Because other than the purpose of building up one's physical fitness, what's the point? At least if you're running from a bear or something you're doing that to save yourself. And it's far more interesting.
Point-whores, Felicia calls them. Um. Those people who go up to the teacher and ask for points to improve their grade .0001% when they obviously didn't deserve the points? No one finds that an enjoyable experience, least of all the teachers. I would be more worried about why you lost the points in the first place, what you didn't do that you should have done. But if you were docked points unjustly though, now, that's a different story.
People who are like "I need a 4.0 or I'll die!" - ehh. I'm sure in many cases the parents contribute to the pressure, but come on, you're a young adult, surely you can think with the mind of one? Think of life beyond high school, beyond college/uni, and beyond grades in general. I don't say this because I still have a 4.0 - I really was prepared to get a B+ in Crowther. And I was fine with the idea, because you know what? LIFE GOES ON!
During the run today I was thinking, "If I can't properly take care of myself (I was referring to fitness here. As I said, I don't like running. Drop me in a pool or a hockey game or soccer field or whatever playing field anyday, but please, don't make me run. It's boring. Therefore I do not cultivate the art. Plus the fact that it's not my forte. Haha), then how can I possibly take care of Amnesty (International)?" There are so many people in our world who are hurting, and yeah, you want to help 'em. But make sure you're in decent condition first. People, remember that when you entertain aspirations. It's a general rule, and there are exceptions, but.. it's practical. Works a lot of the time.
There are people who wear disfigured masks. For whatever reasons, to achieve whatever goals, they behave certain ways, profess particular beliefs, and so on. The masks do not fit them, and others around them suspect the pretenses, but there appears no concrete evidence with which to indict them. But then one day, those who wear black veils are thwarted. Their motives for disguise fail. They fail. And then they discard their coverings and reveal their true selves. What others can now see out in the open is often as pitiful and grotesque as the original mask itself. Seems the mask has taken over the person, taken on a life of its own. Pretty sad, eh? Miserable souls.
Okay I guess I was kinda cryptic with some/most of this. But whatever, it was written to generalize. If you asked I'd tell you the specific situations from which I make my observations. =) Hahaha subjunctif there. Using French skills in English! Whoo.
Monday, January 22, 2007
On Names and Birthdays
I'd say a good deal of this is true, and a good deal of this is.. not so true, (regarding the personality parts, not the stats, for those I don't know), but I don't care to detail here how much. =)
Like.. business & sales? That's not my thing.
- - -
Names-->Click here to learn what your name says about you.
You entered: Elena Hui-Yin Chit
There are 15 letters in your name.
Those 15 letters total to 82
There are 7 vowels and 8 consonants in your name.
What your first name means:
Spanish Female Shining light, or bright one. A variant of the Greek Helen.
Italian Female Shining light, or bright one. A variant of the Greek Helen.
Greek Female Variant of Helen: Shining light. The bright one.
Your number is: 1
The characteristics of #1 are: Initiating action, pioneering, leading, independent, attaining, individual.
The expression or destiny for #1:A number 1 Expression denotes the skilled executive with keen administrative capabilities. You must develop the capacity to be a fine leader, sales executive, or promoter. You have the tools to become an original person with a creative approach to problem solving, and a penchant for initiating action. Someone may have to follow behind you to handle the details, but you know how to get things going and make things happen. You have a good mind and the ability to use it for your advancement. Because of these factors, you have much potential for achievement and financial rewards. Frequently, this expression belongs to one running a business or striving to achieve a level of accomplishment on ones talents and efforts. You have little need for much supervision, preferring to act on your own with little restraint. You are both ambitious and determined. Self-confident and self-reliant must be yours, as you develop a strong unyielding will and the courage of your convictions.
Although you fear loneliness, you want to be left alone. You fear routine and being in a rut. You often jump the gun because you are afraid of being left behind.
The negative attributes of the 1 Expression are egotism and a self-centered approach to life. This is an aggressive number and if it is over-emphasized it is very hard to live with. You do not have to be overly aggressive to fulfill your destiny. The 1 has a natural instinct to dominate and to be the boss; adhering to the concept of being number One. Again, you do not have to dominate and destroy in order to lead and manage.
Your Soul Urge number is: 5
A Soul Urge number of 5 means: The 5 soul urge or motivation would like to follow a life of freedom, excitement, adventure and unexpected happening. The idea of travel and freedom to roam intrigues you. You are very much the adventurer at heart. Not particularly concerned about your future or about getting ahead, you can seem superficial and unmotivated.
In a positive sense, the energies of the number 5 make you very adaptable and versatile. You have a natural resourcefulness and enthusiasm that may mark you as a progressive with a good mind and active imagination. You seem to have a natural inclination to be a pace-setter. You are attracted to the unusual and the fast paced.
You may be overly restless and impatient at times. You may dislike the routine work that you are engaged in, and tend to jump from activity to activity, without ever finishing anything. You may have difficulty with responsibility. You don't want to be tied down to a relationship, and it may be hard to commit to one person.
Your Inner Dream number is: 5
An Inner Dream number of 5 means: You dream of being totally free and unrestrained by responsibility. You see yourself conversing and mingling with the natives in many nations, living for adventure and life experiences. You imagine what you might accomplished.
Birthdays-->Want to learn about your birthday? Click here!
9 March 1990
Your date of conception was on or about 16 June 1989 which was a Friday.
You were born on a Friday
under the astrological sign Pisces.
Your Life path number is 4.
Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 6 & 7.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 3, 5 & 9.
The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2447959.5.
The golden number for 1990 is 15.
The epact number for 1990 is 3.
The year 1990 was not a leap year.
Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/27/1990 and ending 2/14/1991.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Horse.
Your Native American Zodiac sign is Wolf; your plant is Plantain.
You were born in the Egyptian month of Pachons, the first month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).
Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 12 AdarI 5750.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 13 AdarI 5750.
The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.16.15.15 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 16 tun 15 uinal 15 kin
The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Friday, 11 Sha'ban 1410 (1410-8-11).
The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 15 April 1990.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 15 April 1990.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 28 February 1990.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 3 June 1990.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 10 June 1990.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Thursday, 20 September 1990.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 10 April 1990.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 27 February 1990.
As of 1/22/2007 12:20:45 AM EST
You are 16 years old.
You are 202 months old.
You are 881 weeks old.
You are 6,163 days old.
You are 147,912 hours old.
You are 8,874,740 minutes old.
You are 532,484,445 seconds old.
Celebrities who share your birthday:
Bow Wow (1987), Chingy (1980), Emmanuel Lewis (1971), Juliette Binoche (1964),Robin Trower (1945), Bobby Fischer (1943), Raul Julia(1940), Mickey Gilley (1936), Yuri Gagarin (1934), Keely Smith (1932),Irene Papas(1926), Mickey Spillane (1918), Samuel Barber (1910)
Top songs of 1990
Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor
Vision of Love by Mariah Carey
Because I Love You (The Postman Song) by Stevie B
Vogue by Madonna
Escapade by Janet Jackson
Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul with the Wild Pair
Step By Step by New Kids On the Block
How Am I Supposed to Live without You by Michael Bolton
Love Takes Time by Mariah Carey
It Must Have Been Love by Roxette
Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 2.41213307240705 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!)
There are 46 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 17 candles.
Those 17 candles produce 17 BTUs,
or 4,284 calories of heat (that's only 4.2840 food Calories!) .
You can boil 1.94 US ounces of water with that many candles.
In 1990 there were approximately 4.1 million births in the US.
In 1990 the US population was approximately 248,709,873 people, 70.3 persons per square mile.
In 1990 in the US there were 2,448,000 marriages (9.8%) and 1,175,000 divorces (4.7%).
In 1990 in the US there were approximately 2,148,000 deaths (8.6 per 1000).
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.
In 1990 the population of Australia was approximately 17,169,768.
In 1990 there were approximately 262,648 births in Australia.
In 1990 in Australia there were approximately 116,959 marriages and 42,635 divorces.
In 1990 in Australia there were approximately 120,062 deaths.
Your birthstone is Aquamarine
The Mystical properties of Aquamarine
Aquamarine is often used to experience love and mercy. It is said to help ease depression and grief.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)
Jade, Rock Crystal, Bloodstone
Your birth tree is
Weeping Willow, the Melancholy
Beautiful but full of melancholy, attractive, very empathic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner.
There are 337 days till Christmas 2007!
There are 350 days till Orthodox Christmas!
The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waxing gibbous.
Like.. business & sales? That's not my thing.
- - -
Names-->Click here to learn what your name says about you.
You entered: Elena Hui-Yin Chit
There are 15 letters in your name.
Those 15 letters total to 82
There are 7 vowels and 8 consonants in your name.
What your first name means:
Spanish Female Shining light, or bright one. A variant of the Greek Helen.
Italian Female Shining light, or bright one. A variant of the Greek Helen.
Greek Female Variant of Helen: Shining light. The bright one.
Your number is: 1
The characteristics of #1 are: Initiating action, pioneering, leading, independent, attaining, individual.
The expression or destiny for #1:A number 1 Expression denotes the skilled executive with keen administrative capabilities. You must develop the capacity to be a fine leader, sales executive, or promoter. You have the tools to become an original person with a creative approach to problem solving, and a penchant for initiating action. Someone may have to follow behind you to handle the details, but you know how to get things going and make things happen. You have a good mind and the ability to use it for your advancement. Because of these factors, you have much potential for achievement and financial rewards. Frequently, this expression belongs to one running a business or striving to achieve a level of accomplishment on ones talents and efforts. You have little need for much supervision, preferring to act on your own with little restraint. You are both ambitious and determined. Self-confident and self-reliant must be yours, as you develop a strong unyielding will and the courage of your convictions.
Although you fear loneliness, you want to be left alone. You fear routine and being in a rut. You often jump the gun because you are afraid of being left behind.
The negative attributes of the 1 Expression are egotism and a self-centered approach to life. This is an aggressive number and if it is over-emphasized it is very hard to live with. You do not have to be overly aggressive to fulfill your destiny. The 1 has a natural instinct to dominate and to be the boss; adhering to the concept of being number One. Again, you do not have to dominate and destroy in order to lead and manage.
Your Soul Urge number is: 5
A Soul Urge number of 5 means: The 5 soul urge or motivation would like to follow a life of freedom, excitement, adventure and unexpected happening. The idea of travel and freedom to roam intrigues you. You are very much the adventurer at heart. Not particularly concerned about your future or about getting ahead, you can seem superficial and unmotivated.
In a positive sense, the energies of the number 5 make you very adaptable and versatile. You have a natural resourcefulness and enthusiasm that may mark you as a progressive with a good mind and active imagination. You seem to have a natural inclination to be a pace-setter. You are attracted to the unusual and the fast paced.
You may be overly restless and impatient at times. You may dislike the routine work that you are engaged in, and tend to jump from activity to activity, without ever finishing anything. You may have difficulty with responsibility. You don't want to be tied down to a relationship, and it may be hard to commit to one person.
Your Inner Dream number is: 5
An Inner Dream number of 5 means: You dream of being totally free and unrestrained by responsibility. You see yourself conversing and mingling with the natives in many nations, living for adventure and life experiences. You imagine what you might accomplished.
Birthdays-->Want to learn about your birthday? Click here!
9 March 1990
Your date of conception was on or about 16 June 1989 which was a Friday.
You were born on a Friday
under the astrological sign Pisces.
Your Life path number is 4.
Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 6 & 7.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 3, 5 & 9.
The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2447959.5.
The golden number for 1990 is 15.
The epact number for 1990 is 3.
The year 1990 was not a leap year.
Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/27/1990 and ending 2/14/1991.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Horse.
Your Native American Zodiac sign is Wolf; your plant is Plantain.
You were born in the Egyptian month of Pachons, the first month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).
Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 12 AdarI 5750.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 13 AdarI 5750.
The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.16.15.15 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 16 tun 15 uinal 15 kin
The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Friday, 11 Sha'ban 1410 (1410-8-11).
The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 15 April 1990.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 15 April 1990.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 28 February 1990.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 3 June 1990.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 10 June 1990.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Thursday, 20 September 1990.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 10 April 1990.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 27 February 1990.
As of 1/22/2007 12:20:45 AM EST
You are 16 years old.
You are 202 months old.
You are 881 weeks old.
You are 6,163 days old.
You are 147,912 hours old.
You are 8,874,740 minutes old.
You are 532,484,445 seconds old.
Celebrities who share your birthday:
Bow Wow (1987), Chingy (1980), Emmanuel Lewis (1971), Juliette Binoche (1964),Robin Trower (1945), Bobby Fischer (1943), Raul Julia(1940), Mickey Gilley (1936), Yuri Gagarin (1934), Keely Smith (1932),Irene Papas(1926), Mickey Spillane (1918), Samuel Barber (1910)
Top songs of 1990
Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor
Vision of Love by Mariah Carey
Because I Love You (The Postman Song) by Stevie B
Vogue by Madonna
Escapade by Janet Jackson
Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul with the Wild Pair
Step By Step by New Kids On the Block
How Am I Supposed to Live without You by Michael Bolton
Love Takes Time by Mariah Carey
It Must Have Been Love by Roxette
Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 2.41213307240705 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!)
There are 46 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 17 candles.
Those 17 candles produce 17 BTUs,
or 4,284 calories of heat (that's only 4.2840 food Calories!) .
You can boil 1.94 US ounces of water with that many candles.
In 1990 there were approximately 4.1 million births in the US.
In 1990 the US population was approximately 248,709,873 people, 70.3 persons per square mile.
In 1990 in the US there were 2,448,000 marriages (9.8%) and 1,175,000 divorces (4.7%).
In 1990 in the US there were approximately 2,148,000 deaths (8.6 per 1000).
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.
In 1990 the population of Australia was approximately 17,169,768.
In 1990 there were approximately 262,648 births in Australia.
In 1990 in Australia there were approximately 116,959 marriages and 42,635 divorces.
In 1990 in Australia there were approximately 120,062 deaths.
Your birthstone is Aquamarine
The Mystical properties of Aquamarine
Aquamarine is often used to experience love and mercy. It is said to help ease depression and grief.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)
Jade, Rock Crystal, Bloodstone
Your birth tree is
Weeping Willow, the Melancholy
Beautiful but full of melancholy, attractive, very empathic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner.
There are 337 days till Christmas 2007!
There are 350 days till Orthodox Christmas!
The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waxing gibbous.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Recently?
最近不知道該怎麼辦。。覺得自己沒什麼才氣/能力。 =\ 要把作文寫出來沒那麼容易 leh, 還要跟差不多1﹐000 個人比起來﹐那也更不容易。
These past few days I've had no idea what to do.. I've felt that I possess no literary talent nor ability. =\ To write these essays is no simple task, and all the more difficult when one's up against 1,000 other kids.
我知道現在走下的這條路很難﹐但是我也只能怪自己啊。可能因為好久沒寫複雜的東西﹐可能因為沒利用時間看好書。不管什麼原因﹐我知道過去的這個一年﹐我沒有好好的培養腦袋﹐好奇的去追靈感。我犯錯。
I know my task is one truly demanding, yet I can only blame myself for it being so. Maybe it's because I haven't written a piece requiring such complexity for quite some time, and maybe it's because I didn't wisely utilize time to read good literature. But it doesn't matter what the reason is, for I know that throughout the past year I didn't spend good time cultivating my mind, nor did I pursue inspirational subject matter with curiousity. I admit guilt.
而我知道。。背後有很多人在幫助我﹐支持我﹐鼓勵我﹐那我也很感謝神。因為他們沒有放棄我﹐所以我也該繼續走下這條路。
And yet I know that.. I have many people helping me, supporting me, encouraging me.. and for this I thank God. I can't give up on them because they haven't given on me, and so I need continue down this path.
“知道﹐知道﹐知道﹐”說了這麼多次﹐是因為我沒更好的話說啊? 你看﹐我認識的詞彙好少哦﹐真是辜負集自己。現在的話我也講太多﹐改做的不去做。哎喲。。
"I know, I know, I know," - I've said it so often here; is it because I have nothing better to say? You see, my vocabulary is so limited. I've really let myself down. And now I'm talking too much; I'm not doing what I should be doing. Ai yoh..
走吧﹐走吧﹐走lah , 去思想吧。離開 lah。走 lah 。
Let's go, let's go, let's go .. let's go think about stuff then. Let's leave. Let's go.
- - -
I find it surprising that I get more comments on this when I'm not signed onto my regular screenname. o.O I don't think I put the link in its profile. Actually I can't remember, it's been a while since I've gone on it. But my point is, it's not like I actively promote this thing. Weird.
But if you're here reading this, leave a comment? It doesn't really matter if you do or not, since I don't write this for you, but, still. I'm curious as to who you are.
These past few days I've had no idea what to do.. I've felt that I possess no literary talent nor ability. =\ To write these essays is no simple task, and all the more difficult when one's up against 1,000 other kids.
我知道現在走下的這條路很難﹐但是我也只能怪自己啊。可能因為好久沒寫複雜的東西﹐可能因為沒利用時間看好書。不管什麼原因﹐我知道過去的這個一年﹐我沒有好好的培養腦袋﹐好奇的去追靈感。我犯錯。
I know my task is one truly demanding, yet I can only blame myself for it being so. Maybe it's because I haven't written a piece requiring such complexity for quite some time, and maybe it's because I didn't wisely utilize time to read good literature. But it doesn't matter what the reason is, for I know that throughout the past year I didn't spend good time cultivating my mind, nor did I pursue inspirational subject matter with curiousity. I admit guilt.
而我知道。。背後有很多人在幫助我﹐支持我﹐鼓勵我﹐那我也很感謝神。因為他們沒有放棄我﹐所以我也該繼續走下這條路。
And yet I know that.. I have many people helping me, supporting me, encouraging me.. and for this I thank God. I can't give up on them because they haven't given on me, and so I need continue down this path.
“知道﹐知道﹐知道﹐”說了這麼多次﹐是因為我沒更好的話說啊? 你看﹐我認識的詞彙好少哦﹐真是辜負集自己。現在的話我也講太多﹐改做的不去做。哎喲。。
"I know, I know, I know," - I've said it so often here; is it because I have nothing better to say? You see, my vocabulary is so limited. I've really let myself down. And now I'm talking too much; I'm not doing what I should be doing. Ai yoh..
走吧﹐走吧﹐走lah , 去思想吧。離開 lah。走 lah 。
Let's go, let's go, let's go .. let's go think about stuff then. Let's leave. Let's go.
- - -
I find it surprising that I get more comments on this when I'm not signed onto my regular screenname. o.O I don't think I put the link in its profile. Actually I can't remember, it's been a while since I've gone on it. But my point is, it's not like I actively promote this thing. Weird.
But if you're here reading this, leave a comment? It doesn't really matter if you do or not, since I don't write this for you, but, still. I'm curious as to who you are.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Chop. Hack. Slash. Burn. Thrust. Break. FREEDOM.
I am running away. I am running away from facing whoever it is I am. I am loathe to characterize myself, for several reasons, the first being that I am not sure I am capable of doing it properly, and the second that I am scared that I do not know myself well enough.
I am scared of not being "right." I find that weird; it's not me. I suppose it's the last few years in public schooling that have drilled that fear into be, especially this current one. I need to break out of the mold and face "me" again. It puzzles me though; I've never been one to advocate following all the rules. Lots of times the best things are produced by shaping the rules to one's own personality. I like that idea.
I'm posting in here because I'm kind of facing writer's block. KARATE CHOP! Haha. Well anyways, hoping this ... piece of writing will encourage the thoughts in my head to jump around, leap abound, show profound! Hahaha.
Okay, I guess I'm going to get back to my writing now, and face "me." Have to do it sooner or later. And sooner's better than later. Prevention's a good cure. Procrastination is a symbol of weakness. But I'll deal with that topic in writing for another day.
I am scared of not being "right." I find that weird; it's not me. I suppose it's the last few years in public schooling that have drilled that fear into be, especially this current one. I need to break out of the mold and face "me" again. It puzzles me though; I've never been one to advocate following all the rules. Lots of times the best things are produced by shaping the rules to one's own personality. I like that idea.
I'm posting in here because I'm kind of facing writer's block. KARATE CHOP! Haha. Well anyways, hoping this ... piece of writing will encourage the thoughts in my head to jump around, leap abound, show profound! Hahaha.
Okay, I guess I'm going to get back to my writing now, and face "me." Have to do it sooner or later. And sooner's better than later. Prevention's a good cure. Procrastination is a symbol of weakness. But I'll deal with that topic in writing for another day.
Friday, January 05, 2007
"Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
One of my new year's resolutions is to read zealously, to read literature and articles and .. stuff to improve my mind. It's been working pretty well so far; I've been scouring through http://www.aworldconnected.org/, and it has some really great essays and links to intelligent articles. I was reading short essays linked to in the post "10 Reasons to be Optimistic in 2007", found here: http://www.aworldconnected.org/blog/id.3564/news_detail.asp. This one's my favorite. Maybe it's because I actually understand the concepts involved. Hah. But really, it's good stuff. Veil of ignorance, universal morality, expelling of disgust.. well-discussed ideas. Read it!
Marc D. Hauser, Psychologist and Biologist, Harvard University; Author: Moral Minds
The End of ISMs
Racism, Sexism, Species-ism, Age-ism, Elitism, Fundamentalism, Atheism. These –isms, and others, have fueled hatred, inspired war, justified torture, divided countries, prevented education, increased disparities in wealth, and destroyed civilizations. For some, they represent ideas to die for. For others, they represent ideas to destroy. Though the targets differ, there is a single underlying cause: a brain that evolved an unconscious capacity to seek differences between self and other, and once identified, seek to demote the other in the service of selfish gains. It is a capacity that is like a heat sensing missile, designed to seek and destroy. It achieves its ends by exceptionally clever tactics that involve an ever escalating arms race between demoting the other to the level of a pestilent parasite while raising the self and its accompanying brethren to the level of virtuous saints. This is the bad news. The good news is that science is uncovering some of the details of this destructive capacity, and may hold the key to an applied solution. My optimism: if we play our cards correctly, we may see the day when our instinctive prejudice toward the other will dissolve, gaining greater respect for differences, expanding our moral circle in the words of Peter Singer. Here's the playbook, building on several recent ideas and scientific findings:
1. Decide what is fair by living under a veil of ignorance. The late political philosopher John Rawls argued that every human being will default to a selfish position, a bias that grows out of survival instincts, and in current evolutionary parlance, the biasing of genetic kin. To avoid such biases and achieve impartiality, we must imagine a set of principles that would apply while ignorant of others' political affiliations, wealth, age, gender, and religious background. As a device, the veil of ignorance works wonders because it feeds into our selfishness. Let's say that I think university professors should obtain the highest salaries, while athletes should obtain the lowest. I can only entertain this principle of income distribution if I would be satisfied in a world where I was the professional athlete making the lowest salary. The veil of ignorance guarantees impartiality. Teach it to your children, friends, colleagues, and enemies.
2. Recognize the universality of our moral intuitions. Peel away the explicit rules of action handed down by such institutions as religion and government, and one finds a common moral code. Those with a religious background tend to believe that abortion is wrong and so too is euthanasia. Atheists see life through a different lens. Remove the doctrinal rules and our intuitive moral psychology propels us ¾ our species that is ¾ to decide what is morally right or wrong based on general principles concerning the welfare of others and our own virtues. If the Protestant and Catholic Irish can see past their religious beliefs, empathize with the other, recognize their shared underlying humanity and settle into peaceful co-existence, why not other warring factions?
3. Be vigilant of disgust!The most virulent of human emotions is disgust. Although disgust was born out of an adaptive response to potential disease vectors ¾ starkly, things that are normally inside but are now outside such as vomit, blood, and feces ¾ it is a mischievous emotion, sneaking into other problems, alighting, wreaking havoc on group structure, and then spreading. Throughout the history of warfare, every warring group has tagged their enemy with qualities that are reminiscent of disease, filth, and parasites. The imagery is overwhelming, beautifully designed to trigger the rallying cry. Though the destruction of 6 million Jews by the Nazis was made possible by an extraordinary advertising campaign, it was made all the more possible by the carefully crafted manipulation of disgust: in the Nazis' hands, the Jews were vermin, dirty, diseased, and thus, disgusting. Wouldn't we all be better off without disgust? What if we could remove this emotional card? Would we knock the sails out of our efforts to denigrate the other? Intriguingly, there are some people who never experience disgust and don't recognize it in others, even though they experience and recognize all of the other familiar emotions ¾ sadness, happiness, fear, surprise, anger. These people are carriers of the genetic disorder Huntington's Chorea. Though they suffer from significant deterioration of the motor systems, they are disgust-free. So too are carriers that are pre symptomatic. Although we don't know whether patients with Huntington's are immune to the nefarious propaganda that might come their way should someone wish to foist their prejudices upon them, my hunch is that science will confirm this relationship. And if that is the case, perhaps modern molecular techniques will one day find a way to cure Huntington's, but along the way, work out a method to crank down or turn off our disgust response, while preserving our motor systems.
This is a playbook for today. It is not a final solution. It provides, I believe, a breadth of hope that someday we may see greater peace in this world, greater respect for the other.
- - -
On a separate note, I am embarking on a long and arduous personal and academic journey over the next few weeks. I feel extremely grateful to have someone who is constantly at my side and travelling with me--that would be God--and someone human too, who's looking out for my best interests. I shall refer to him as Mentor; I can be Telemachus. Haha. But no, his name's Jeff, and my adventure's purpose is not to search for my father.
My chances of succeeding, of reaching "the top", are slim. Oh well. I start this with the thought that if I don't "succeed," I will have at least tried, and it is no shame to have tried.
"Your first appearance, he said to me, is the gauge by which you will be measured; try to manage that you may go beyond yourself in after times, but beware of ever doing less."
-Jean Jacques Rousseau, French political philosopher (1694-1778)
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