Technorati Profile
Samhaim, Guild Wars Style
I've been so busy lately that playing MMORPGs is a concept as foreign as dancing naked on a beach in Timbuktu. The developers of Guild Wars however, have made it absolutely necessary for me to log in and take screenshots like a giddy tourist. Halloween in Tyria is simply amazing. Can't wait to see what's in store tomorrow (or is it the day after- I can never get the time difference straight).
My ill-mannered ranger and the talking corpse
Here's the set for now. Click to enlarge, I'll update if there's more: (Apologies to Blake!)
Pumpkin Moon I; Night of Swirling Spirits (Tombs of Primeval Kings)
The Beach that Was (Lion's Arch)
Pirates of the not-very-Carribean (Lion's Arch)
Double, double toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. (Lion's Arch)
For a charm of powerful trouble,/Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. (Lion's Arch)
Wizard and the Ship; Blood on the Sky- or is it a new bat signal? (Drognar's Forge)
Pumpkin Moon II; Skull, Candle, Flame (Drognar's Forge)
Lion, lion burning bright/ With a pumpkin on my right/What immortal hand or eye/ Could frame thy somewhat silly symmetery? (Lion's Arch)
Filed under: Gaming, Picture, GuildWars
My ill-mannered ranger and the talking corpse
Here's the set for now. Click to enlarge, I'll update if there's more: (Apologies to Blake!)
Pumpkin Moon I; Night of Swirling Spirits (Tombs of Primeval Kings)
The Beach that Was (Lion's Arch)
Pirates of the not-very-Carribean (Lion's Arch)
Double, double toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. (Lion's Arch)
For a charm of powerful trouble,/Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. (Lion's Arch)
Wizard and the Ship; Blood on the Sky- or is it a new bat signal? (Drognar's Forge)
Pumpkin Moon II; Skull, Candle, Flame (Drognar's Forge)
Lion, lion burning bright/ With a pumpkin on my right/What immortal hand or eye/ Could frame thy somewhat silly symmetery? (Lion's Arch)
Filed under: Gaming, Picture, GuildWars
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Random Thought: Civil Disobedience
It just occurred to me that what Rosa Parks did so long ago- refuse to give up her seat to a white- falls under the category of civil disobedience.
Civil disobedience in the local context brings to my mind cardboard cows and Chee Soon Juan, as well as the very PAPa-to-child guidelines set out by Wong Kan Seng. Among the four over-arching pillars is "political change must be made through constitutional and lawful means and not through unconstitutional or unlawful means".
I have a feeling MHA would not have been too amused with Rosa Parks' behaviour, even if it shares her views on discrimination. Since it rankles the commonsense to label what she did as undesirable, perhaps an argument that the present local society is drastically different from American society back then could be made. Something's still amiss though. Perhaps later.
Filed under: Musings
Civil disobedience in the local context brings to my mind cardboard cows and Chee Soon Juan, as well as the very PAPa-to-child guidelines set out by Wong Kan Seng. Among the four over-arching pillars is "political change must be made through constitutional and lawful means and not through unconstitutional or unlawful means".
I have a feeling MHA would not have been too amused with Rosa Parks' behaviour, even if it shares her views on discrimination. Since it rankles the commonsense to label what she did as undesirable, perhaps an argument that the present local society is drastically different from American society back then could be made. Something's still amiss though. Perhaps later.
Filed under: Musings
In Memoriam
To the woman who refused to give up more than just her seat. You will be missed.
Rosa L. Parks
(February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005)
Filed under: News
Rosa L. Parks
(February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005)
Filed under: News
Proof, Finally
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Laughter Break
It's been a horrible week so far... the type where diminishing returns occur at every turn and every corner.
This video managed to perk me up, if only for 5 minutes. If I ever go nuts while working on papers, I figure this is the best way to go.
Hot lips... Any takers?
Hot... er... nevermind.
Filed under: Video
This video managed to perk me up, if only for 5 minutes. If I ever go nuts while working on papers, I figure this is the best way to go.
Hot lips... Any takers?
Hot... er... nevermind.
Filed under: Video
Monday, October 17, 2005
Overworked
You know you're overworked when you derive entertainment from the realization that your humongous WBS vaguely resembles a world map.
Click to enlarge
Filed under: Picture, WBS
Click to enlarge
Filed under: Picture, WBS
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Sticky Vigil
I'm the guy who dares to make you a banner variation that hints at a mass orgy. I'm the guy who knows you're strong enough to administer a swift kick to depression's proverbial butt. I'm the guy who hopes you'll return soon, stronger and better.
Yeah, I'm that guy.
Filed under: Personal, Blogger
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
美丽的神话
美丽的神话
孙楠 - 韩红
梦中人熟悉的脸孔，你是我守候的温柔。
就算泪水淹没天地，我不会放手。
每一刻孤独的承受，只因我曾许下承诺。
你我之间熟悉的感动，爱就要苏醒。
万世沧桑唯有爱是永远的神话，
潮起潮落始终不悔真爱的相约。
几番若痛的纠缠，多少黑夜掐扎，
紧握双手让我和你再也不离分。
枕上雪冰封的爱恋，真心相拥才能融解。
风中摇曳炉上的火，不灭亦不休。
等待花开春去春又来，无情岁月笑我痴狂。
心如钢铁任世界荒芜，思念永相随。
悲欢岁月唯有爱是永远的神话，
谁都没有遗忘古老，古老的誓言。
你的泪水化为漫天飞舞的彩蝶，
爱是翼下之风两心，相随自在飞，
你就是我心中唯一美丽的神话。
----
孙楠 - 韩红
梦中人熟悉的脸孔，你是我守候的温柔。
就算泪水淹没天地，我不会放手。
每一刻孤独的承受，只因我曾许下承诺。
你我之间熟悉的感动，爱就要苏醒。
万世沧桑唯有爱是永远的神话，
潮起潮落始终不悔真爱的相约。
几番若痛的纠缠，多少黑夜掐扎，
紧握双手让我和你再也不离分。
枕上雪冰封的爱恋，真心相拥才能融解。
风中摇曳炉上的火，不灭亦不休。
等待花开春去春又来，无情岁月笑我痴狂。
心如钢铁任世界荒芜，思念永相随。
悲欢岁月唯有爱是永远的神话，
谁都没有遗忘古老，古老的誓言。
你的泪水化为漫天飞舞的彩蝶，
爱是翼下之风两心，相随自在飞，
你就是我心中唯一美丽的神话。
----
不变的恋情，永恒的渴望，最深的感动。沧桑的岁月，换来不朽的，美丽的神话。
扣人心弦的旋律，诗意般的歌词 ……只可惜电影遭透了！
I could try to translate the lyrics into English, but I'll most likely make a mess of things (even worse, make it sappy) and fail to do justice to it. Would be interesting to try someday though...
Filed under: Song, Lyrics
Monday, October 10, 2005
Doonesbury, War and Sunk Costs
One axiom of decision theory is that sunk costs are always irrelevant when making a decision, since they cannot be recovered. Technically then, both "Mr. President" (who is determined to justify the fallen) and those who oppose him on grounds of the many who have fell, are somewhat off the mark.
A sad world it is, when what is theoretically irrelevant suddenly seems to be the entire point all along.
Filed under: Picture, Comics, Musings
Thursday, October 06, 2005
What Makes You Stay
Look at me
I'm in a place
I never thought I'd be
Don't have the strength
To fight anymore
Or a reason not to leave
So tell me why I still keep holding on
To something I just cannot see
I'm not afraid
Of living alone
I was alone before he came
I've been in love
Many times before
But this time's not the same
I've always been the first to say goodbye
Now it's the last thing I can do
What makes you stay
When your world falls apart
What makes you try one more time
When it's not in your heart
At the end of your rope
When you can't find any hope
You still look at him and say
I just can't walk away
Tell me what makes you stay
- Performed by Deanna Carter
Hope Floats soundtrack
I'm in a place
I never thought I'd be
Don't have the strength
To fight anymore
Or a reason not to leave
So tell me why I still keep holding on
To something I just cannot see
I'm not afraid
Of living alone
I was alone before he came
I've been in love
Many times before
But this time's not the same
I've always been the first to say goodbye
Now it's the last thing I can do
What makes you stay
When your world falls apart
What makes you try one more time
When it's not in your heart
At the end of your rope
When you can't find any hope
You still look at him and say
I just can't walk away
Tell me what makes you stay
- Performed by Deanna Carter
Hope Floats soundtrack
To a lovelorn ex-project mate (you know who you are). Be strong ok?
Filed under: Personal
Scientologists Smart Enough To Mate
The shock.
There goes my hope that they'll go the way of the dodo.
Filed under: News, Entertainment, WhoTheHellCares
A Matter of Respect
The ST forum today carries a letter titled "Respect must be earned, no two ways about it". Stripped down to its essense, the author feels that a) teachers practice double standards and/ or do not set good examples (he uses queue-jumping in the canteen as a sole example) b) students do not respect them c) flaming teachers on blogs is understandable and perhaps even condonable (his stand is not immediately obvious). He suggests that a "conceptual line" of basic respect/ gratitude be drawn, while placing additional onus on teachers to correct their behaviour.
The author might have been thinking of Newton's Third Law when he penned the letter, with the failings of teachers as the action and flaming or disrepectful behaviour as the opposite and equal reaction. That the two could be involved (not are involved... more later) in a cause and effect relation doesn't necessarily make the reaction any more right or acceptable. Remember the case of the taxi driver who rammed a motorcyclist who cut into his lane? Well that's cause and effect, but surely the reaction of the taxi driver is non-condonable? In the same vein, a teacher who may not be able to teach well, get with the times, dress sharply etc, does not deserve to get flamed. Flaming is a deviant behaviour, no matter how one tries to justify it. It is not constructive criticism, and by definition, is often malicious. Any solution that ignores this aspect has already lost half the battle.
Furthermore, that all disrespectful behaviour has its cause in the failings of a teacher, be it poor role modeling or practising double standards, is also dubious. I've had experience tutoring before and to say that it wasn't pleasant is an understatement. I've had below-12s spew vulgarities at me with the ease of a seasoned SAF lieutenant. Even before a session. I've seen "F*** You" scrawled into my exercise book, in a squiggly hand that could have been used to trace ABCs not one year ago. A direct consequence of my failure as a teacher? Not that I overestimate myself, but I honestly do not think so.
It all boils down to a simple fact: kids and teenagers need to be taught to differentiate between proper and improper behaviour, despite the circumstances. Or are we so enamoured of our young that we have become a nation which has to make excuses even for pure rudeness?
Some quick rebuttals:
1) A snippet from a previous forum letter, captured by SingaporeAngle:
"I believe that it is good for students to learn that they can and should have an opinion. Some youngsters may have wrong or misguided opinions, but a wrong opinion is better than none at all."
Having an opinion is not the entire point here. How students express their opinions, whether invalid or valid, should also be considered. A wrong opinion expressed in a wrong manner or through a wrong channel can land one in major trouble, and students should also learn that.
Having wrong opinions may also not be necessarily better than having no opinions, not when one has wrong opinions all the time. I'd think that a person who consistently forms wrong opinions all the time is too lazy to examine his mental processes. Seriously, how can being wrong all the time ever be a good thing? Anyway, I digress.
2) Queue jumping as an illustration of double standards
I was trying to think of what other double standards exist, but could come up with none (Bigger desks? Air-conditioned staff rooms? Freedom from uniforms? Bigger lunch portions? I don't know.). So while I reread the letter, I somehow linked flaming teachers to queue jumping. Which is pretty juvenile really, especially since queue jumping behaviour is legion everywhere. Honestly though, teachers do not have more "free periods". Those empty periods, while not taken up by teaching duties, cannot even cover half the administrative and grading duties that a teacher has to perform. Plus, it's not as if the teachers jump the lunch queue so that they can run off to catch a movie. Further considering it's tax money at work, I think I can cut teachers some slack when they do not stand around idling in lunch queues. As far as I'm concerned, this is merely a smoke screen attempting to masquerade as an excuse for flaming.
3) "In times of old, students treated teachers with unwavering deference, absorbing uncritically whatever they were told. However, students today are taught to critically assess everything that is fed to them, and are exposed continuously to the dogma that 'respect has to be earned'".
I personally understand a dogma to be a set of beliefs traditionally held to be true. Logically speaking, since students nowadays are adept at critically assessing what they are told, then dogmas like "respect has to be earned" should also be called into question. In fact, I think this would make a decent GP question.
Everyone, not just teachers, is entitled to some form of respect. From a President to a death row prisoner, this basic respect should ideally be universal to humans. In my book, flaming people on the Internet behind their backs and not according them the opportunity to defend themselves reeks of dishonor and cowardice, and accordingly, falls outside this realm of basic respect.
4) "Teachers devote their lives to imparting essential knowledge to students, and in return we should treat them with a certain amount of gratitude."
Whether or not it was intended, this came across to me as a condescending statement. I'm not sure about others, but when I teach, I don't look for gratitude in return. Doubling as a TA this semester, I can say that the satisfaction of seeing something click in the eyes of a student is far more rewarding. Don't think that all teachers beggar themselves for gratitude, because I personally find that rather insulting.
Filed under: News, Singapore
The author might have been thinking of Newton's Third Law when he penned the letter, with the failings of teachers as the action and flaming or disrepectful behaviour as the opposite and equal reaction. That the two could be involved (not are involved... more later) in a cause and effect relation doesn't necessarily make the reaction any more right or acceptable. Remember the case of the taxi driver who rammed a motorcyclist who cut into his lane? Well that's cause and effect, but surely the reaction of the taxi driver is non-condonable? In the same vein, a teacher who may not be able to teach well, get with the times, dress sharply etc, does not deserve to get flamed. Flaming is a deviant behaviour, no matter how one tries to justify it. It is not constructive criticism, and by definition, is often malicious. Any solution that ignores this aspect has already lost half the battle.
Furthermore, that all disrespectful behaviour has its cause in the failings of a teacher, be it poor role modeling or practising double standards, is also dubious. I've had experience tutoring before and to say that it wasn't pleasant is an understatement. I've had below-12s spew vulgarities at me with the ease of a seasoned SAF lieutenant. Even before a session. I've seen "F*** You" scrawled into my exercise book, in a squiggly hand that could have been used to trace ABCs not one year ago. A direct consequence of my failure as a teacher? Not that I overestimate myself, but I honestly do not think so.
It all boils down to a simple fact: kids and teenagers need to be taught to differentiate between proper and improper behaviour, despite the circumstances. Or are we so enamoured of our young that we have become a nation which has to make excuses even for pure rudeness?
Some quick rebuttals:
1) A snippet from a previous forum letter, captured by SingaporeAngle:
"I believe that it is good for students to learn that they can and should have an opinion. Some youngsters may have wrong or misguided opinions, but a wrong opinion is better than none at all."
Having an opinion is not the entire point here. How students express their opinions, whether invalid or valid, should also be considered. A wrong opinion expressed in a wrong manner or through a wrong channel can land one in major trouble, and students should also learn that.
Having wrong opinions may also not be necessarily better than having no opinions, not when one has wrong opinions all the time. I'd think that a person who consistently forms wrong opinions all the time is too lazy to examine his mental processes. Seriously, how can being wrong all the time ever be a good thing? Anyway, I digress.
2) Queue jumping as an illustration of double standards
I was trying to think of what other double standards exist, but could come up with none (Bigger desks? Air-conditioned staff rooms? Freedom from uniforms? Bigger lunch portions? I don't know.). So while I reread the letter, I somehow linked flaming teachers to queue jumping. Which is pretty juvenile really, especially since queue jumping behaviour is legion everywhere. Honestly though, teachers do not have more "free periods". Those empty periods, while not taken up by teaching duties, cannot even cover half the administrative and grading duties that a teacher has to perform. Plus, it's not as if the teachers jump the lunch queue so that they can run off to catch a movie. Further considering it's tax money at work, I think I can cut teachers some slack when they do not stand around idling in lunch queues. As far as I'm concerned, this is merely a smoke screen attempting to masquerade as an excuse for flaming.
3) "In times of old, students treated teachers with unwavering deference, absorbing uncritically whatever they were told. However, students today are taught to critically assess everything that is fed to them, and are exposed continuously to the dogma that 'respect has to be earned'".
I personally understand a dogma to be a set of beliefs traditionally held to be true. Logically speaking, since students nowadays are adept at critically assessing what they are told, then dogmas like "respect has to be earned" should also be called into question. In fact, I think this would make a decent GP question.
Everyone, not just teachers, is entitled to some form of respect. From a President to a death row prisoner, this basic respect should ideally be universal to humans. In my book, flaming people on the Internet behind their backs and not according them the opportunity to defend themselves reeks of dishonor and cowardice, and accordingly, falls outside this realm of basic respect.
4) "Teachers devote their lives to imparting essential knowledge to students, and in return we should treat them with a certain amount of gratitude."
Whether or not it was intended, this came across to me as a condescending statement. I'm not sure about others, but when I teach, I don't look for gratitude in return. Doubling as a TA this semester, I can say that the satisfaction of seeing something click in the eyes of a student is far more rewarding. Don't think that all teachers beggar themselves for gratitude, because I personally find that rather insulting.
Filed under: News, Singapore