English is a Crazy Language, author unknown
Let's face it -- English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one loose tooth, 2 leese teeth? One index, 2 indices?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you comb through annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preacher praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? If you wrote a letter, perhaps you bote your tongue?
Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo or a truck by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? Lift a thumb to thumb a lift? Table a plan in order to plan a table?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can a person be "pretty ugly?"
How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another. Have you noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are absent? Have you ever seen a horseful carriage or a strapful gown? Met a sung hero or experienced requited love? Have you ever run into someone who was combobulated, gruntled, ruly or peccable? And where are all those people who *are* spring chickens or who would actually hurt a fly?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm clock goes off by going on. Why is "crazy man" an insult, while to insert a comma and say "crazy, man!" is a compliment (as when applauding a jazz performance.)
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it.
XDDDDD!
EDIT!: How could I have written this masterpiece?! If you scroll to the top, AUTHOR UNKNOWN. Someone else wrote it. I just found it trawling through the internet, as with a lot of things ><
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
thoughts concerning psychology
Hey all! How are you spending your holiday time?
The next few posts will probably be vague and philosophical and not too entertaining; (unless you are also vague and philosophical too)
Just a warning XP
Just in case you're interested, these ideas are the result of me sitting in my room all day. When my brain isn't learning something at school, it's churning out strange ramblings such as the one here. Ah well, at least I can blog about it. Sad, no?
We all know how complex the human mind is. We've got a whole science devoted to it, after all- psychology.
Arguably, the father of psychology is Freud. But I'm afraid most of his theories are way beyound me at this point. I just want to make a few general comments about psychology
Psycho-analyzing reduces a person's complex psyche to their past experiences and influences. Having done this, the specialist applies theories onto it. How does this doing the essence of an individual- their fears, hopes, complex personality, complete with whims- enough justice?
I've read a lot of stories and watched shows where a character is forced to see a therapist, usually against their wishes. Therapy is often shown in a negative light. Therapists are often as comic relief characters, incompetent, batty and irresponsible.
On the flip side, the character undergoing therapy is always thinking something to the effect of: "how can anyone else figure out anything about me, especially as I can't figure it out myself?"
Does therapy actually resolve any problems in real life?
I hesitate to call psychology a 'science' (not that my opinion matters any), as opposed to physics or chemistry. Why? Because anything to do with the human mind is so subjective! The so called 'theories' of the field are formed from the results of large scale social experiments. But the human mind is wildly unpredictable. There must be thousands of variables involved in making a decision, all these occurring within a few seconds. Is there even possible way documenting all these variables, investigating, and drawing conclusions from these? Not the mention, how do you compare these results with anyone else's results?
I believe the basic mindset of a person is similar to the basic mindset of any animal- survival. There's no point accusing anyone of being selfish: we are all selfish. Some people hide it better than others. These are the people who are not selfish. I mean, we all have instincts and reflexes ingrained into us to ensure we survive to procreate. That's human physiology.
So how are we different from animals? We are 'civilized', and this, and only this, sets us apart from animals. Good manners and civilized behavior are taught to us by our parents. Civilized behavior are what society dictates, because they enable humans to coexist with each other.
But think about it: civilized behavior is unnatural. Civilization is unnatural. It allowed us humans to rule the world. Society protects individuals from nature. This fact, by itself, proves that civilization is unnatural, because humans are destroying the world. How can THAT be natural?
On a day to day basis, we are all perfectly capable of acting civil towards each other. However, in situations such as the one in "Lord of the Flies", survival instincts kick in.
These instincts are the so-called "sins" that the bible warns us against:
Each individual would want the largest possible portion of food, necessities, etc. for himself to ensure survival--> society calls this greed/selfishness
Each individual wants the most suitable mate for her/himself, so makes self as attractive as possible --> vanity
Every other person are competition in the game of survival --> loving thy neighbours? HAH!
Defending one's own territory --> war and patriotism
And so on.
Can the 'evilness' of humans be contributed to physiology?
Which brings me to a disturbing conclusion. Are all those "nice" people you see at school merely pretending to be nice? Perhaps they are just ingratiating themselves to you so that next time, you have an obligation to help them out?
Humans are social, pack animals like hyenas. Are your friends your pack, then?
On a site note, anyone following the American election?
The next few posts will probably be vague and philosophical and not too entertaining; (unless you are also vague and philosophical too)
Just a warning XP
Just in case you're interested, these ideas are the result of me sitting in my room all day. When my brain isn't learning something at school, it's churning out strange ramblings such as the one here. Ah well, at least I can blog about it. Sad, no?
We all know how complex the human mind is. We've got a whole science devoted to it, after all- psychology.
Arguably, the father of psychology is Freud. But I'm afraid most of his theories are way beyound me at this point. I just want to make a few general comments about psychology
Psycho-analyzing reduces a person's complex psyche to their past experiences and influences. Having done this, the specialist applies theories onto it. How does this doing the essence of an individual- their fears, hopes, complex personality, complete with whims- enough justice?
I've read a lot of stories and watched shows where a character is forced to see a therapist, usually against their wishes. Therapy is often shown in a negative light. Therapists are often as comic relief characters, incompetent, batty and irresponsible.
On the flip side, the character undergoing therapy is always thinking something to the effect of: "how can anyone else figure out anything about me, especially as I can't figure it out myself?"
Does therapy actually resolve any problems in real life?
I hesitate to call psychology a 'science' (not that my opinion matters any), as opposed to physics or chemistry. Why? Because anything to do with the human mind is so subjective! The so called 'theories' of the field are formed from the results of large scale social experiments. But the human mind is wildly unpredictable. There must be thousands of variables involved in making a decision, all these occurring within a few seconds. Is there even possible way documenting all these variables, investigating, and drawing conclusions from these? Not the mention, how do you compare these results with anyone else's results?
I believe the basic mindset of a person is similar to the basic mindset of any animal- survival. There's no point accusing anyone of being selfish: we are all selfish. Some people hide it better than others. These are the people who are not selfish. I mean, we all have instincts and reflexes ingrained into us to ensure we survive to procreate. That's human physiology.
So how are we different from animals? We are 'civilized', and this, and only this, sets us apart from animals. Good manners and civilized behavior are taught to us by our parents. Civilized behavior are what society dictates, because they enable humans to coexist with each other.
But think about it: civilized behavior is unnatural. Civilization is unnatural. It allowed us humans to rule the world. Society protects individuals from nature. This fact, by itself, proves that civilization is unnatural, because humans are destroying the world. How can THAT be natural?
On a day to day basis, we are all perfectly capable of acting civil towards each other. However, in situations such as the one in "Lord of the Flies", survival instincts kick in.
These instincts are the so-called "sins" that the bible warns us against:
Each individual would want the largest possible portion of food, necessities, etc. for himself to ensure survival--> society calls this greed/selfishness
Each individual wants the most suitable mate for her/himself, so makes self as attractive as possible --> vanity
Every other person are competition in the game of survival --> loving thy neighbours? HAH!
Defending one's own territory --> war and patriotism
And so on.
Can the 'evilness' of humans be contributed to physiology?
Which brings me to a disturbing conclusion. Are all those "nice" people you see at school merely pretending to be nice? Perhaps they are just ingratiating themselves to you so that next time, you have an obligation to help them out?
Humans are social, pack animals like hyenas. Are your friends your pack, then?
On a site note, anyone following the American election?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Weird stuff
Ok, I haven't being doing much since the holidays started, except acquiring a facebook account, to the shock (and horror) of many.
I've being trawling through the internets, searching for strange things to amuse myself with. I happened upon this blog
It has the most interesting articles, but it's the biggest time-sink, so DO NOT click if you want to be somewhat productive over the holidays.
Fancy a crunchy wasp cookie?
And aren't these awesome?
Is this suffering for the sake of art?
And remember one of my previous posts where I (tried) to predict the world 200 years later?
Well, we'd be all living in these cool capsule houses, for one.
Here's the interior.
Ok, I'll end this completely incoherent and directionless post with a bunch of random analogies. (YAY for randomness!) I find them completely hilarious, being someone who enjoys taking things out of context.
Every year, English teachers from across the USA can
submit their collections of actual analogies and
metaphors found in high school essays.
These excerpts are published each year to the
amusement of teachers across the country. Here are
last year's winners.
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had
its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and
breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without
Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from
experience, like a guy who went blind because he
looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes
with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country
speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking
at a solar eclipse without one of those
boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli,
and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that
sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had
disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as
a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly
surcharge-free ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond
exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like
a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole
scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're
on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at
7:00 p.m. Instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair
after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like
maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed
lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other
like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at
6:36 p.m. Traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka
at 4:19 p.m. At a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with
picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two
hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob
informant, and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a
steel trap, only one that had been left out so long,
it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil.
But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you
get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical
lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually
lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and
extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a
fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing
kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought
he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing
up.
End~
Obligatory disclaimer: pictures and analogies mentioned above were lifted out of www.darkroastedblend.com.
And check the website out! It'll make your holiday much less boring!
I've being trawling through the internets, searching for strange things to amuse myself with. I happened upon this blog
It has the most interesting articles, but it's the biggest time-sink, so DO NOT click if you want to be somewhat productive over the holidays.
Fancy a crunchy wasp cookie?
And aren't these awesome?
Is this suffering for the sake of art?
And remember one of my previous posts where I (tried) to predict the world 200 years later?
Well, we'd be all living in these cool capsule houses, for one.
Here's the interior.
Ok, I'll end this completely incoherent and directionless post with a bunch of random analogies. (YAY for randomness!) I find them completely hilarious, being someone who enjoys taking things out of context.
Every year, English teachers from across the USA can
submit their collections of actual analogies and
metaphors found in high school essays.
These excerpts are published each year to the
amusement of teachers across the country. Here are
last year's winners.
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had
its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and
breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without
Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from
experience, like a guy who went blind because he
looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes
with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country
speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking
at a solar eclipse without one of those
boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli,
and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that
sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had
disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as
a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly
surcharge-free ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond
exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like
a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole
scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're
on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at
7:00 p.m. Instead of 7:30.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair
after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like
maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed
lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other
like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at
6:36 p.m. Traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka
at 4:19 p.m. At a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with
picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two
hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob
informant, and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a
steel trap, only one that had been left out so long,
it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil.
But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you
get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical
lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually
lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and
extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a
fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing
kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought
he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing
up.
End~
Obligatory disclaimer: pictures and analogies mentioned above were lifted out of www.darkroastedblend.com.
And check the website out! It'll make your holiday much less boring!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Ok. Here's another one of my whacked out theories
So once a upon a time (ie. 2 years ago),
There was a girl (ie. me)
Who had not been corrupted and turned cynical by pessimistic people [ie. serena and (maybe) emma]...YET (ie. she will soon be)
But all this is irrelevant (haha...bet you didn't expect that!)
-------------
So I had a theory.
Each and every person is born with a certain amount of potential.
However, this potential can be divided into many portions, differing from person to person.
These portions are placed within a person's ability, also differing from each person to the next.
Represented mathematically, say each person is born with 5000 points (of potential).
Now through the wonderful phenomenon of genes, these points are allocated to the 'skills/ability' of each person.
For example, a person can have
Creativity: 15
Athletic ability: 5
Oral skills (nothing suspicious about this one): 50
And so on.
There are hundreds of such areas. From the widely recognized and appreciated (beauty, athletic ability, creativity) to the not so much (perseverance, devotion, shrewdness) After all, these characteristics make up a large part of someone's personality.
These values are decided before you are born. They can not be changed, increased or decreased. You are stuck with your set.
However, every person's set add up to 5000
Now...fast forward to reality. (ouch)
We see that some people are successful and famous, others unnoticed, run-of-the-mill, some ridiculed.
If all people are born with 5000 points of potential, why the inequality?
In the great 'tallying up' of your worth, there are a few factors which can cause your 5000 points to grow at different speeds.
1. Diligence. This is the most obvious one. This means a person has to be receptive to learning new things, improving their ability, etc. One has to put in effort in order to improve themselves as a person, and experience personal growth. This is where "practice makes perfect" comes in. Simply put, a person must learn/study and practice in order to improve their skill.
2. Specialization. Even if a person lives for 1000 years, they can not possibly master every single skill. Therefore, they must put time and energy into improving skills which they show the most potential for. However, this is easier said than done, since no one knows where their potential lies unless they tried it for themselves. Following your interests should usually lead you to one. Some can find skills which is both interesting to an individual as well as the said individual having natural talent for it. The people who can improve that particular skill end up being more successful.
3. Time. Also a no-brainer. People who uses their time more efficiently can improve themselves more, leading to more success
4. Opportunity. This one is purely based on luck. No individual can control whether or not they are given opportunities. Therefore, most people look for ones. Some people can recognize an opportunity when its offered and take it. Others can not, and so miss out. Opportunities define how successful someone is in life.
And so ends my theory.
Why blog about it? I'm not sure. If the theory is true, life can be a lot more comforting. All you have to know is that you are equal to everyone else in terms of amount of natural talent. Each person's potential lies in areas which are different from those around them. However, the amount of potential is always the same.
So what can you do consider the factors which you can influence- diligence, specialization, etc.
And improve.
I find that sorta comforting. Perhaps I am delusional to think such a thing. There is no point in dwelling someone is better than you at something. Simply find a skill which you can improve.
any case, please do tell new whether you agree not. And I'll be delighted to debate about it with someone...noel...?
Anyway, here is the theory. Note: its JUST a theory.
There was a girl (ie. me)
Who had not been corrupted and turned cynical by pessimistic people [ie. serena and (maybe) emma]...YET (ie. she will soon be)
But all this is irrelevant (haha...bet you didn't expect that!)
-------------
So I had a theory.
Each and every person is born with a certain amount of potential.
However, this potential can be divided into many portions, differing from person to person.
These portions are placed within a person's ability, also differing from each person to the next.
Represented mathematically, say each person is born with 5000 points (of potential).
Now through the wonderful phenomenon of genes, these points are allocated to the 'skills/ability' of each person.
For example, a person can have
Creativity: 15
Athletic ability: 5
Oral skills (nothing suspicious about this one): 50
And so on.
There are hundreds of such areas. From the widely recognized and appreciated (beauty, athletic ability, creativity) to the not so much (perseverance, devotion, shrewdness) After all, these characteristics make up a large part of someone's personality.
These values are decided before you are born. They can not be changed, increased or decreased. You are stuck with your set.
However, every person's set add up to 5000
Now...fast forward to reality. (ouch)
We see that some people are successful and famous, others unnoticed, run-of-the-mill, some ridiculed.
If all people are born with 5000 points of potential, why the inequality?
In the great 'tallying up' of your worth, there are a few factors which can cause your 5000 points to grow at different speeds.
1. Diligence. This is the most obvious one. This means a person has to be receptive to learning new things, improving their ability, etc. One has to put in effort in order to improve themselves as a person, and experience personal growth. This is where "practice makes perfect" comes in. Simply put, a person must learn/study and practice in order to improve their skill.
2. Specialization. Even if a person lives for 1000 years, they can not possibly master every single skill. Therefore, they must put time and energy into improving skills which they show the most potential for. However, this is easier said than done, since no one knows where their potential lies unless they tried it for themselves. Following your interests should usually lead you to one. Some can find skills which is both interesting to an individual as well as the said individual having natural talent for it. The people who can improve that particular skill end up being more successful.
3. Time. Also a no-brainer. People who uses their time more efficiently can improve themselves more, leading to more success
4. Opportunity. This one is purely based on luck. No individual can control whether or not they are given opportunities. Therefore, most people look for ones. Some people can recognize an opportunity when its offered and take it. Others can not, and so miss out. Opportunities define how successful someone is in life.
And so ends my theory.
Why blog about it? I'm not sure. If the theory is true, life can be a lot more comforting. All you have to know is that you are equal to everyone else in terms of amount of natural talent. Each person's potential lies in areas which are different from those around them. However, the amount of potential is always the same.
So what can you do consider the factors which you can influence- diligence, specialization, etc.
And improve.
I find that sorta comforting. Perhaps I am delusional to think such a thing. There is no point in dwelling someone is better than you at something. Simply find a skill which you can improve.
any case, please do tell new whether you agree not. And I'll be delighted to debate about it with someone...noel...?
Anyway, here is the theory. Note: its JUST a theory.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Distant future?
Cindy peers into "chrystal" ball.
Cindy sees the world in 200 years time...
Food will always be in the form of capsules...perfectly balanced and nutritious. Different varieties will cater for people with special dietary needs. Everything will be artificially flavored and colored, so that the taste is only vaguely like the food it imitates. People can buy whole whole cans of a particular flavor, and leave them at work. No more worries! Convenience is the key!
Because no one will have time to sit down at a table and spend 15 minutes refueling. Actual meals will be seen as gourmet and are indulgences which only the rich can partake in.
Many people will have chips embedded into their flesh for a number of different purposes. The chips can communicate to the nervous system, for example, to send electric currents to the brain. This can stimulate emotions, or possibly states of mind. When you get depressed, simply press a button on a remote, which triggers your chip to simulate 'happiness'. When you're tired, send messages to your brain to make it work overtime! Its cheaper than drugs, and doesn't affect your health too much. Unless you overuse it and fry your brain...
Following on that vein, perhaps there can be other chips which contains 'data' in the form of currents (warning: no research done by me), which you can activate. These data contains knowledge- be it maths, a book, or even how to juggle- all you need to do is press a button- no reading required. And voila! Instant mastery. Beware though, overuse can addle your brain, send you insane, or even fry it completely. Yay.
There will be no need to walk at all. Shopping? Do it over the internet (which will surely grow larger, more powerful, but even less moderated). Exercise? Your home will have machines built in already to cater for your every need. Transportation? Vehicles (I'm not going to even try to imagine how different and advanced they will be in 200 years time), will be a part of every household so that every person can get from A to B without standing up.
They will run on renewable energy (petrol and gas are only mentioned in history books and muesums). But there will always be a shortage of energy. That's why all citizens are required to spend a few days per month performing 'civic duty'. That is- going to the local energy facility and working together to turn turbines, in order to create electricity.
Science will have made great advances- but inevitably, new technologies will become so expensive and 'wasteful' to produce- resulting in scientists abandoning them.
The government- surely democracy will have evolved to something even more convoluted. Government operations will be kept securely confidential to prevent anyone from questioning them. Much funds will go towards trying to control the population- which will have grown exponentially. Lifespan will have increased dramatically, with the aid of technology. However, all people over 60 will be euthanized (painlessly, of course), to keep the population under control.
By this time, animals will be considered a rarity. A few of each species will be kept and bred in captivity- providing a source of entertainment.
The movie industry (Hollywood as we know it today) and books will have died, after every single conceivable plot has been written or turned into film. New and innovative ideas are few and far between- those few ideas will be featured in the media, and the creators will be turned famous. Art and music will also be only the subjects of history books. People will be always searching for more immersive experiences- such as 3D simulation.
Games will have evolved so that players can be completely immersed. That is, instead of only utilizing 2 senses- sight and sound, all 5 senses are involved. Graphics will improve to completely resemble reality, and players can interact with the environment directly. This is done by stimulating the brain with currents, presenting it with a false reality- but so sophisticated to be perceived as real. Players can spend years of their lives within the man-made reality, living an alternate life. These games will, of course, be filled with subliminal advertisement and government propaganda.
News, tv shows,etc. will utilize this 3D simulation as well.
...Apocalypse is coming
Cindy sees the world in 200 years time...
Food will always be in the form of capsules...perfectly balanced and nutritious. Different varieties will cater for people with special dietary needs. Everything will be artificially flavored and colored, so that the taste is only vaguely like the food it imitates. People can buy whole whole cans of a particular flavor, and leave them at work. No more worries! Convenience is the key!
Because no one will have time to sit down at a table and spend 15 minutes refueling. Actual meals will be seen as gourmet and are indulgences which only the rich can partake in.
Many people will have chips embedded into their flesh for a number of different purposes. The chips can communicate to the nervous system, for example, to send electric currents to the brain. This can stimulate emotions, or possibly states of mind. When you get depressed, simply press a button on a remote, which triggers your chip to simulate 'happiness'. When you're tired, send messages to your brain to make it work overtime! Its cheaper than drugs, and doesn't affect your health too much. Unless you overuse it and fry your brain...
Following on that vein, perhaps there can be other chips which contains 'data' in the form of currents (warning: no research done by me), which you can activate. These data contains knowledge- be it maths, a book, or even how to juggle- all you need to do is press a button- no reading required. And voila! Instant mastery. Beware though, overuse can addle your brain, send you insane, or even fry it completely. Yay.
There will be no need to walk at all. Shopping? Do it over the internet (which will surely grow larger, more powerful, but even less moderated). Exercise? Your home will have machines built in already to cater for your every need. Transportation? Vehicles (I'm not going to even try to imagine how different and advanced they will be in 200 years time), will be a part of every household so that every person can get from A to B without standing up.
They will run on renewable energy (petrol and gas are only mentioned in history books and muesums). But there will always be a shortage of energy. That's why all citizens are required to spend a few days per month performing 'civic duty'. That is- going to the local energy facility and working together to turn turbines, in order to create electricity.
Science will have made great advances- but inevitably, new technologies will become so expensive and 'wasteful' to produce- resulting in scientists abandoning them.
The government- surely democracy will have evolved to something even more convoluted. Government operations will be kept securely confidential to prevent anyone from questioning them. Much funds will go towards trying to control the population- which will have grown exponentially. Lifespan will have increased dramatically, with the aid of technology. However, all people over 60 will be euthanized (painlessly, of course), to keep the population under control.
By this time, animals will be considered a rarity. A few of each species will be kept and bred in captivity- providing a source of entertainment.
The movie industry (Hollywood as we know it today) and books will have died, after every single conceivable plot has been written or turned into film. New and innovative ideas are few and far between- those few ideas will be featured in the media, and the creators will be turned famous. Art and music will also be only the subjects of history books. People will be always searching for more immersive experiences- such as 3D simulation.
Games will have evolved so that players can be completely immersed. That is, instead of only utilizing 2 senses- sight and sound, all 5 senses are involved. Graphics will improve to completely resemble reality, and players can interact with the environment directly. This is done by stimulating the brain with currents, presenting it with a false reality- but so sophisticated to be perceived as real. Players can spend years of their lives within the man-made reality, living an alternate life. These games will, of course, be filled with subliminal advertisement and government propaganda.
News, tv shows,etc. will utilize this 3D simulation as well.
...Apocalypse is coming
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Things I want to achieve in the next 6 months
Note to readers, which may or may not exist: This post isn't particularly entertaining.
It's a little mind exercise I'm trying out...and to motivate myself.
So...here goes:
Things I want to achieve in the next 6 months:
1. Make a dent on wall with a poker card (thrown)
2. Master Zigeunerweisen
3. Improve my reading speed
4. Learn to juggle
5. Be up to date with current news for the next 6 months
6. Write a story and post it on here
7. Write a poem and post it on here
8. Play the last 3 pages of Carmen with piano accompaniment
9. Improve my memory
10. Sleep for 8 hours everyday
11. Eat more healthily
12. Figure out composition
13. Get through ~1/2 of Kreutzer
14. Eat breakfast everyday
15. Strength my wrist more
16. Cut down on fanfiction
17. Read RSS feeds
18. Read NewScientist
19. Get bike
20. Be tethered to reality a lot more
21. Clean my laptop
22. Aim to not lose any stationary
23. Do more 100 lists like this
25. Update this blog regularly
26. Relax muscles when playing violin
27. Be more optimistic
28. Decrease self-loathing
29. Memorize physical routes
30. Aim to not fight with parents
31. Socialize more online
32. Socialize more in real life
33. Do homework on the day its set (if possible)
34. Frown less
35. Aim to not get any serious injuries
36. Drink more water everyday
37. Do not lose the squishy ball
38. Sit up straight when using laptop
39. Practise violin standing up
40. learn different methods and improve shifting
41. Learn different kinds of vibrato
42. Learn different methods and improve intonation
43. Try to be more decisive
44. Try to be more confident
45. Try not to dwell too much on past events
46. Maybe get a new violin?
47. Try to practise violin everyday (break it into sessions)
48. Improve my handwriting speed
49. Be more knowledgeable about a range of subjects (and remember them)
50. Build something grand Second Life (?)
51. Read as many books with the time I have
52. Figure out how to use musicoverage.com
53. Read the more popular articles on bookmarked sites (and follow through on their advice)
54. Improve study efficiency
55. Use my left hand better
56. Try to be less self-conscious
57. Learn how to meditate
58. Improve hearing
59. Keep glasses clean
60. Improve overall hygiene
61. Keep up to date with popular culture
62. Decrease waffling
63. Structure my mind
64. Figure out Blender basics
65. Figure out Blogspot
66. Re-organize my computer
67. Back up hard drive
68. Improve dental hygiene
69. Use 'pegging' system to remember things
70. Get to know people
71. Make more acquaintances
72. Be more outgoing
73. Improve typing speed/accuracy
74. Figure out photoshop
75. Be more active
76. Exercise more
77. Be more focused when needed
78. Form opinions and defend them
79. Learn more brainteasers and remember them
80. Stop looking like a vegetable all the time
81. Learn to lie in the bed I've made (metaphorically)
82. Make shoes less stinky
83. Compose a piece for fun
84. Be more efficient with time
85. Be less dependent on mp3
86. Learn to think critically
87. Be more motivated
88. Be more approachable
89. Learn to be less bothered by the heat
90. Vary my routines to make them more interesting
91. Read and remember all articles on litemind
92. Make entertaining posts on this blog
93. Learn conviction
94. Learn more quotes (and remember them)
95. Improve social skills and wittiness
96. Start arguments with people and win them
97. Access verbs from vocabulary quickly
98. Write an essay for fun
99. Find ways to get inspired, then get inspired
100. Learn to fake laughter
Phew....did these in one sitting.
Now I can look back on this post when I am procrastinating.
If you actually read these- holy f**king cow skewered on a shish kabob and charred! If you have any tips/suggestions/rants, please share with poor, deprived me.
Oh yes, this feels pretty awkward. But I'd really appreciate it if you start an argument with me. It'll be very intellectually stimulating both ways.
If I'm sounding up myself, sorry- that's not my intention. But do tell me if I am. I'll add that to the list.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Hey, it's Saturday. What did you expect? My life isn't a soapie.
Nothing particularly interesting happened, but since the newness of having a blog hasn't worn off yet, I thought I'd post some dustbunnies up.
If found this stuff on the net last week (when I was SUPPOSED to be studying for my exams):
Maryse has a story about first-year students at Texas A's Vet School who were receiving their first anatomy class with a real dead cow.
They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet.
The professor started the class by telling them, "In Vet Medicine it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor: the first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the animal body."
For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the dead cow, withdrew it and stuck it in his mouth.
"Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his students.
The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes, but eventually took turns sticking a finger in the anal opening of the dead cow and sucking on it.
When everyone finished, the Professor looked at them and told them, "The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger.
Now--learn to pay attention."
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If anyone who reads this has seen one of those blurbs they write about the performers in a program, you'd get this one:
Otherwise, *shrugs*
Reprinted without permission from Edmonton Centre newsletter, Canada, and Canadian RCCO newsletter.The following program notes are from an unidentified piano recital.Tonight's page turner, Ruth Spelke, studied under Ivan Schmertnick at the Boris Nitsky School of Page Turning in Philadelphia. She has been turning pages here and abroad for many years for some of the world's leading pianists.
In 1988, Ms. Spelke won the Wilson Page Turning Scholarship, which sent her to Israel to study page turning from left to right. She is winner of the 1984 Rimsky Korsakov Flight of the Bumblebee Prestissimo Medal, having turned 47 pages in an unprecedented 32 seconds. She was also a 1983 silver medalist at the Klutz Musical Page Pickup Competition: contestants retrieve and rearrange a musical score dropped from a Yamaha. Ms. Spelke excelled in "grace, swiftness, and especially poise."
For techniques, Ms. Spelke performs both the finger-licking and the bent-page corner methods. She works from a standard left bench position, and is the originator of the dipped-elbow page snatch, a style used to avoid obscuring the pianist's view of the music. She is page turner in residence in Fairfield Iowa, where she occupies the coveted Alfred Hitchcock Chair at the Fairfield Page Turning Institute.
Ms. Spelke is married, and has a nice house on a lake.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l
This one is for Georgina, the hopeless romantic : (yes, I'm sad enough to dedicate something to someone)
Hans refers us to a local newspaper ran a competition asking for a rhyme with the most romantic first line... but the least romantic second line. Here are some of the entries they received.
I thought that I could love no other
Until, that is, I met your brother.
Roses are red, violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead,
The sugar bowl's empty and so is your head.
Oh loving beauty you float with grace
If only you could hide your face
Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not
I want to feel your sweet embrace
But don't take that paper bag off of your face
I love your smile, your face, and your eyes -
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!
My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife:
Marrying you screwed up my life
I see your face when I am dreaming.
That's why I always wake up screaming <-- i like this one
My love, you take my breath away.
What have you stepped in to smell this way <--my fav
My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe "go to hell"
What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts vodka, one part lime
******
I am more in my arsenal...(pheer me!)
If anyone finds these remotely funny, drop me a comment and I'll put more on.
Sorry about the inconsistent font, by the way. I was copying and pasting all these stuff.
Does anyone know how select all/paste stuff in the post entry box (where you type your entry in before you submit it)? For some reason, all the text goes to the bottom of the page instead of the box. Strange and annoying.
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