Old Year/New Year

This year passed exceptionally quickly. It could be many things, probably how my life has settled into routine, probably because the days have literally begun to become shorter (actually, it is likely because the older you get the faster your perception of time becomes).

I remembered I made some resolutions about one year ago today. Well, I can't remember them now except one, which was to read 100 books for this year. So naturally, I haven't fulfilled it but I did get pretty darn close (97% hah!). I could have cheated with some quick reads, but decided to plod it through some challenging and fascinating tomes (I'm currently a little ways through The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, one of the most enjoyable works I've had the pleasure to read).

Work has taken a whole lot of time from my other pursuits, but I've begun to manage. Spend less time on the PC, I've found, and you have a lot of time for other things. I don't mind this, considering that the PC is my job and by the time I get back I'm sick of it.

One thing I would like to work on for the next year - more writing (or writing more?). My efforts at stories longer than a few thousand words have never taken off and I recall now a writer's all too true observation that novels are a voracious eater of ideas - you run out of them very quickly.

Another curious thing is how I find movies less and less entertaining. Or maybe I've spoiled myself on too much classics and coupled with the lower quality of movies released this year. I have a dozen or so "critically acclaimed" movies sitting in my hard disk that I've yet to watch, so we'll see.

And yes, my project idea still remains fresh in my mind. I conceived it back in 2008 and once I collect enough funds, will get it started in early 2012. So next year will be just sitting back in my already comfortable job, getting the monthly paychecks and dreaming of a better life. Ah, if only.

Closing Date

There are two of the most obvious things that young people seem to forget. One, that we will die and two, that we will grow old.

"When you grow older, your expectations and ambitions become less and less" I have heard many people say. Some even add "until you are happy with what you are at the moment". Now I'm quite sure that the first half is true although if the second half was also true, self-help books wouldn't be doing so well.

Working offers a chance for comparison and benchmarks with other people. I probably am the youngest person in the office and as such note that down whenever I see someone ten years older than me earning the same amount of money I do. That is a somewhat sad thought, not just for that person (because we don't get paid a lot, not for what we do) but also for me. Will I be like that as well, ten years from now?

The older you grow the faster time passes, I notice. Is it because we have more to occupy ourself with? It's true I find my days remarkably short and unfortunately quite routine. Even during the happier times when there was only me and books it was, uh, just me and books all the time.

So then I occupy myself with plans and projects to (occupy myself?) perhaps break from my staid existence. But I realize also that someone as remarkably blessed as me (I say this with gratefulness) should also pause and think before demanding more for myself. I already have so much.

But times will change. I will be called upon to "support" my family (unless I leave this life and become but a wonderer, what a nice thought). I maybe just maybe, end up working in a cubicle until I retire (sneer at this thought as much as you will, but the families who are being supported by those same people won't be so snobbish).

I realize I no longer am a child and I'm glad. I think retirement, the so called period of endless rest after a long period of toil is a bad idea. There is rest and there is work and for both I believe there will be no end.

What's next after this? Well, work - but I'm saving money for an idea. Here's to hoping it works. =)

P.S. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.

Copying Text

"To steal a book is an elegant offense" so goes an old Chinese saying. Is there any difference therefore, between downloading an MP3 of Lady Gaga and procuring a digital copy of an Economics textbook (16th edition, revised monthly)?

Well, I leave the ethical/moral discussions of such scenarios to those who have time (and of course, the money) but for me I began thinking about it a little further when I was browsing through Kakutani's top 10 books of 2010 and downloaded almost all the books listed within minutes. Such a thing is most interesting for e-books because only a few years ago (by that I mean pre-Kindle days, or the year 2006) such a feat would be impossible. E-book proliferation (and by extension, piracy) has indeed come a long way.

To be frank, I've downloaded my fair share of books (and movies and music, but mostly books). I realized such a collection would have cost an enormous amount of money had I legally purchased all of them (then again, I would not have purchased them in the first place). One thing's for sure - I got one heck of an education that most people who chose to go a "legal" route would've only dreamed about.*

Now here's another good question for the armchair ethicists (aren't we all!) out there - should such education be withheld from the common folk simply because of financial (and copyright and whatever) considerations? On one hand, I think content creators should be paid for their efforts. On another, the educational benefits of unleashing all that text and making them available to the masses for little to no cost may almost certainly outweigh all other considerations. Here's one to think about.

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* But of course, if you have a great library in your town (and could borrow most of their books there), then you could also have a similar education for free.**

**This does not apply if you live in Malaysia.

23/11/2010

Five years later, my college education draws to a close. I have learnt many things and as it so happens most of those things aren't remotely related to my degree. I now know that it is better to wait than pick a course for the sake of picking one. I was told when we began that this was for those who were unsure.

I was unsure, initially. A few years in however, I began to be quite sure. But it was too late. Do I regret? Well, not really. I've probably spent more time studying other things that what I was supposed to study in my course. I grown rather cynical of institutionalized education and at the same time still wish to study in a decent university.

Well, being trained in business, I still have no business plans of my own. I only have what I call "projects" - highly expensive with an unknown return on investment. But it would still be fun to try.

Predators

Missed it in the cinemas so finally just got around to watch it. Firstly, to comment on the first two Predator films (AvP doesn't count). The first will always be a B-classic and by virtue of being well, the first, will be considered the best. The second transposed the setting from a natural to a concrete jungle with abysmal results.

Predators relies heavily on the first - from the setting, the music to scenes that are directly lifted (actually, homaged) from the first. The characters are much more interesting and diverse. I never thought Adrian Brody could pull off the strong, silent soldier type (to think that he is practically filling the shoes of Schwarzenegger) but he does it surprisingly well. Laurence Fishburne has an all too short but decent appearance.

So yes, it is one of the best movies in the franchise but at the same time it is still part of a franchise. Old tropes are recycled and it's quite clear who will live and who will die. At the same time, the first hour or so of the film is effectively tense and entertaining. The film also touches on slightly deeper themes, an allegory (if you wish to take such liberties) on the violent man.

One of the more entertaining films of the year, I'd say.

Part 5 - Man

They say that a man can never understand a woman.

Judging from history, I don't it's gender related.

We never understood each - other man or woman.

Meanwhile I always wonder why some people take their work so seriously.

Sure, it's what you do to survive (Really? I could probably survive without having to sit on a desk in front of an LCD monitor. But I admit it would be a rather spartan existence) but when someone took out her frustration on me I was not angry. I was amused rather.

Lady, you're taking your job way too seriously.

Part 4 - God

Do you believe in God?

If you do, why do you believe in God?

Give three reasons:
1.
2.
3.

Since you were unable to give any reason why you believe in God, do you think you should still believe in God?

Part 3 - The Meaning of Life

Sample:

Capitalist (do they even exist?) - Money

Westminster - To glorify God

Humanist - Form meaningful relationships with others that bring meaning to your life.

Several million players - 25 killstreak (tactical nuke, of course)

Many others, of course. As they say, pick one.

(Assuming there's no difference but even if there is, who's to say what's the meaning of life?)

Part 2 - The Opiate of the Masses

(Not religion. Religion makes everyone miserable.)

Sex.
Drugs.
Dreams that you're worth something.

Part 1 - The Human Condition

1. While the nihilist writes his specious magnum opus (On his Dell Laptop, no less. Wifi courtesy of Starbucks)

2. The six year old Somalian dies of diarrhea

3. His parents are bittersweet in his death (one less mouth to feed)

4. The guard plays Snake on his pink Nokia Phone (this I am not making up)

5. I earn as much as my colleague who went to study engineering for 4 years overseas. (Hah)

If emotion rules your life, you're pathetic.
If it's logic, you'll convince a few people and then what.

6. Said nihilist shoots himself in the head.

7. An aid worker talks to the family of the dead boy, telling about her life. She lived with her parents in a small apartment. In the morning the cars in the highway would fill the air with a constant drone and nearby there is a bakery which makes the nices bread so she says. They smile and nod and think would it not be nice to live in such a place.

FYI

Looks like my lycaphim@gmail.com account has been compromised; following up with Google to recover it.

Ignore the spam coming from it. Sigh.

Re-education

Most people are happy to lament about the state of their country's education but are usually more hesitant to offer a solution. The solution most of my countrymen can think of is learn more. This usually involves sending their children (or themselves) to tuition. I have nothing against tuition, but of course it's a telling sign - when you go to tuition, immediately you are saying that school isn't enough.

The problem is I don't have much experience with the public schools of my country. I've only tasted such a school for about 5 years, before leaving to my "own" school. Still, I do wonder what is the answer to the question of "How should we educate our children?".

I venture to offer a reply that quite a number of people would have a hard time with - there is no one right way. It's safe to say that every human is unique. I would carry on to say, ergo, no human can be taught (or more accurately, learns) in the same way.

But this is the whole idea of schools. To sit a group of people in a classroom and have them hear the exact same thing. I think this is untenable. So to this I offer a few suggestions:

Let people choose what they want to study - When it comes to college or university, this is a given (except, perhaps for those with pushy parents). For primary and secondary, lots of questions will be asked on this. I admit, there should be some "compulsory" subjects - I can think of basic arithmetic and languages. But every other subject should be optional.

In my experience, going without school allowed me to pick up subjects that I would not have otherwise learned - such as IT (a hobby which now happens to be my job), theology (hah), philosophy and many others. I studied those things because I wanted to.

Rethinking exams - For many their whole education builds up to a few days where they take a series of tests, supposedly determining their future. I dislike such an idea of exams - even as I think that exams are a necessary tool for evaluating students. We should not shape our education around examinations. Nor should we judge students entirely by those exams.

I think we can learn from the trend to assess students based on both the results from their assignments and examinations (the course I'm currently undertaking is almost entirely based on assignments alone). While some deride this as a lowering in standards, I think it's important to remember that the so called pinnacle in one's education, the PhD, is not gained by answering a series of objective and subjective questions.

Institutionalized education, I suspect, leads us to compartmentalize our learning. We go to school, come back, study a little and relax. Once school is over, learning is over. For me, I'm twenty years old and I'm not even started.

Misc. Notes 29/8/10

With all this talk about abolishing the death penalty in the country, I thought I'd give a plug to this movie which was one of the best made films of 2009 and a kind of movie that is rarely seen nowadays. It's a decades long story about a murder case and the lives changed by it. Along the way it makes one of the persuasive cases against sentencing someone to death.

Interest in colour.

Every time I hear about an issue with race in my country (which means everyday) and which usually involves one race crying out that they are being endangered (as always, by another race), I am reminded of a parable as told by Jesus. To paraphrase and make relevant that parable somewhat:

A Malay man is waylaid and robbed on the roadside. Another Malay drives past, sees the injured man and quickly drives off. Somewhat later, an Indian man sees the victim and drives him to the hospital, paying all his medical bills.

Who, do you think, is that man's neighbour?

I am tired of people of one race (or ethnicity or skin colour; whichever taxanomical word you prefer) feeling endangered and threatened by others. As if their "own" kind will treat them any better.

To dream

I've met my fair share of disillusioned adults. The common theme is that when they were young they were full of passion and energy. Naturally, as the years went on, they realized that they could not actually take on the world anymore. So much for dreams and hopes.

"Wait till you're older" is what I'm told often. Indeed, time is one of the greatest judge of all things. I am 20 years old and I realize how much I've grown. When I was eleven and had just left school there was absolutely nothing for me to do. And then on a rainy evening, with nothing to do, I sat down and typed out my first real story on our new PC.

And from then onwards, I knew quite clearly what I wanted to be "when I am grown up", despite the occasional advice to be a businessman here and a lawyer there. I've had occasional detours along the way, but I always somehow ended back on the main road.

Right now, this is a detour albeit a necessary one. I'm young and full of dreams and hopes. At the very least I should try. Dear time, at least allow me that.

To learn.

On quite a few occasions in conversations with strangers and acquaintances the topic of my education comes up. Very often shock and awe is expressed as I tell them that I didn't quite attend "school".

All homeschoolers follow a curriculum. I had my own. Rather than following the educational philosophies of a bunch of North Americans (ha), I decided to learn what I wanted to learn.

Now this tends to raise questions. Perhaps I missed out on a few "essential" areas of study? Indeed, I did miss out on quite a few areas if you consider physics, chemistry, additional mathematics (a uniquely Asian subject, I noticed) as compulsory life skills.

But somehow I've survived. My knowledge is extremely uneven, that I admit. In the place of equations (the beauty of which I've sadly yet to grasp) I substituted the study of ideas, dreams and doings of (mostly) dead white men. They would be known as history, philosophy and maybe theology. I've picked up what would be called Information Technology skills as well, something which is helping me most tremendously in my current job.

In my current state of busyness I've sadly fallen far short in the schedule of my grand education plan (indeed, who does not?). I remember, of course, that knowledge does not equal wisdom and that learning for the sake of learning is a time-waster that is admirable but a time-waster nonetheless.

But enough about my experiences. To learn what you want to learn. That's a radical thought. Almost like saying do whatever you want to do. Actually, it's the exact same thing. We're too afraid to let our young do what they want to do. And we probably have good reasons for that. But there is mostly bad reasoning behind the current process. I'm not just referring to the local education system of this country (indeed, people in the US [1] and Europe [2] have expressed the same concerns about their own educational systems).

I chose to do what I wanted to do. I have no regrets for not reading the textbooks I was supposed to read and for not going to the classes I was supposed to be in. But I do regret one thing - now that I have looked beyond the teachers and the classroom walls, I only see a vast sea of knowledge I dare not swim in.

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1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_Superman

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Logs of War

The publishing of "The War Logs" by Wikileaks [1] has been seen as a seminal moment by many, comparable to the release of the Pentagon Papers. And while I think this is a great leap forward for freedom of information and brings renewed attention to an increasingly futile "war", I suspect that by making the U.S. once again the target of global scorn, this will only draw attention away from countries that should also be brought into the light.

To name a few: China, North Korea, Iran. I take a special interest in China especially - I have read and heard all too many stories of abuses of government officials (see this revealing case [2]).

Transparency, like sunlight, should shine down on everyone.

Inception

Not much superlatives this time. Ah, where do I start.

Firstly, Christopher Nolan has saved the summer. We had the disappointing Iron Man 2, the so-so Robin Hood and the dreadful Prince of Persia. Let's just say The Last Airbender doesn't count. There's Toy Story 3, but unfortunately no decent entertainment for the more sophisticated set (ha).

Until now.

Inception is about dreams. Best description? Imagine The Matrix as a heist film. The whole idea about entering dreams (besides the having fun part) is so that you could steal ideas. In this case, however, our ensemble attempts to plant one. Ah, gone are the days when there was truth serum and low-tech Manchurian candidate mind-control.

The whole concept is very,very interesting. The execution could have been better. Nolan can't have it both ways - a movie set in a dream world, which by definition is wispy and evanescent. Instead he treats us to a world as lucid as The Matrix. It's a slightly complicated story. The framing and editing of the scenes don't help, and I am always unimpressed with films who chop up their chronology in order to look complex.

I confess I am a little disappointed. Come on - you're in a dream world with infinite possibilities for an action sequence and all we get is a generic car and snowmobile chase, the latter much less entertaining than the one found in Modern Warfare 2. There is, however, an outstanding but all too short zero- gravity sequence. Give me more folding cities, please.

Inception is one of those stories that seems to cry out for multiple viewings. I would say that isn't quite necessary - despite it's many layers, it's easily deciphered if you're quick enough. Satisfying and disappointing.

Movie Notes - 15/05/10

Robin Hood - Origins story of the fabled archer. In a time where LOTR has many sword and shield battles redundant, the generic battle climax shows an insensitivity to the need for product differentiation. Nevertheless, the middle portions of the story are most enjoyable as we see Robin's fortuitous rise to glory and eventually, to become that famed outlaw.

Kick Ass - What would have been a heroic (and realistic) story of a non-hero devolves into yet another series of superhero battles, culminating in yet another assault-on-boss'-HQ sequence. Certain parties have raised questions over an 11 year old character (actually 13) involved in scenes of violence, although one does wonder if she were 7 years older then that would be okay. Is there an age of consent for violence?

Waiting for a theophany.

I have never had a "religious experience".

I have not attempted to ascribe any curious incidents that may have occurred to me to undigested portions of meat, euphoria caused by the electric guitar or what have you - simply because I have not had any.

To know God, so we are told, is to not simply know God. The demons know God, and they shudder. But a Christian, for example, knows God in another way. He knows God "personally". She needs to have a "relationship" with God. Not just of the head, but of the heart

Notice the dualism here - the head is rational, the heart is emotional. Both are needed, but if there is to be only one, then it should be the heart. But need I point out the obvious fact that the heart's main and only known function is to pump blood and not to generate feelings of joy or sadness?.

I do not understand such things. Should I treat God like my father? But I can see my father. I can talk to him and have him respond immediately. God remains silent - by that I mean he does not reply as your friend would when you ask him a question.

So clearly God is not a visible human being to which we can sit down with and talk to. He is not visible but he is nevertheless there, or so we are told. Yet we are to treat him like a close friend, a father or whatever anthropomorphic relationship model you have.

How then, should we treat God? At the very least, it should be evident, our relationship with such a being would not be like those we have with family and friends - the visible human beings we interact with daily. So why do people continue to frame their discourse as such - that God is knowable like a human being?

I have heard and read countless stories of miracles, voices from God, from saints, from angels, from demons. I have never experienced such things.

Many say that they believe in God/gods because of such experiences. I do not doubt their sincerity. Unfortunately, I have never had the benefit of such events occurring to me and as such lack such proof.

So throughout the ten years or so I have understood what "God" is, my belief was sustained in something other than direct, sensory experience of such a being. It was belief based on knowledge - head knowledge, some might say derogatorily. (As an aside, is there a difference between someone who believes but does not understand and someone who understands but does not believe?)

I do believe that there is a God. But all this while I have noted something. I have been waiting for the silver bullet, the justifying evidence. The appearance of a God before me. This has hindered my assurance somewhat. And now after many years, I think it is time to let go.

I no longer expect an angel of the Lord or the Lord himself to appear before me. But like a  jungle native who has never experienced snow, that does not mean I should not believe in a foreigner's description of such a thing. And my feeling is that we should not let others think that they must have such an experience as well - lest they see themselves as inferiors.

To those who somehow can frame their relationship with God as a parent, brother, friend - may they be edified. To others who might never had a parent or brother or friend and who thus cannot understand God in such terms (and yet believe in him anyway), all the better.

I do have parents, brother and friends. Yet I cannot see God in such a way. I am unable to do so, for reasons I am not sure of. Instead I see him as God. I know him from scripture. I might also have understood him from natural revelation. He is distant, yet he is close. He has spoken once and for all (in scripture) and yet he continues to speak (through nature). Has he spoken in my ear, like a human being? No. Do I expect him to? No. Should I? I don't think so.

God has revealed himself enough so that some may believe and has hidden enough so that many others  refuse to believe.

To those who have seen, I envy you. Yet I suppose for those who have not seen and yet believed, blessed are they.

And On the Seventh Billionth Year...

Somewhere in the far corner of a world, there is a "controversy" stirring about a seminary professor's resignation due to his (positive) views on evolution [1]. That is an interesting piece of news; what is more interesting, however, is the reaction. Consider this opinion piece posted on a blog [2], who claims that theistic evolution (i.e. God-guided evolution) is a "hermeneutical trojan horse":

The hermeneutics behind theistic evolution are a Trojan horse that, once inside our gates, must cause the entire fortress of Christian belief to fall under the humanistic sword.

That's a valid point about a slippery slope, and the author of the blog post also asks "What will science make of the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, and the resurrection?"

Another good point.

But that is only if someone assumes naturalism (by this I mean natural and not supernatural explanations of the world take priority, if not being the only possible explanation) from the outset. Assuming that the professor who resigned believes in the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ, then it is clear he does not hold to that belief.

From history we know that what was once ascribed a supernatural explanation is now no longer, although a Peretti enthusiast might object if a psychiatrist were to ascribe a mental illness to natural causes, and not demons.

I do not wish to compare the church's treatment of evolution to, say, geocentrism. (We do not have 400 years behind us to make that judgement - yet) Biblical interpretation does take importance if you believe in such things as inerrancy. If you do, but you also believe that evolution is solid science, then I suppose you ought to begin some reconciliation processes.

File Sneaks

So I hear they want to change the term piracy, as it is too " adventurous" a word [1]. Funny, I always thought piracy gave the impression of some cheap, scummy group of people but I guess we have to thank Johnny Depp for giving them some good PR.

How about "file sneaks"? For those who don't know, it's inspired by a much earlier term in the 1930s called "book sneaks". The publishing industry that time was looking for a "pejorative word for the book borrower, the wretch who raised hell with book sales and deprived authors of earned royalties." (The Late Age of Print, pg. 35)

Yes you read right. If you lent your book to someone, you are depriving authors of badly needed royalties, you dastardly thing.

Thankfully, this is not 80 years ago. And 80 years from now piracy and its enemies will be a historical relic. Remember all the complaints about radio killing album sales? Say what?

The copyright advocates (at least, those who advocate copyright in its present form) know they are losing. I'd say they are going down in a burning, sinking ship. It's not going to be survival of the fittest, but more like change or die. The future will be (mostly) free, thanks to piracy. Only those who can afford it and want to will pay for content. In the meanwhile, let the others enjoy their Photoshop CS3.

That's just my opinion, although me working on a book-length treatise in defense of file-sharing (a.k.a. piracy) probably has something to do with it.

Misc. 18/03/10

Woke up to this:

Hoteliers should not offer rooms at too low a rate as it will give an impression to foreigners that their services and rooms are of poor quality, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. [Source]

Now I don't know where our Prime Minister seems to be getting his advice (assuming he is advised on these matters), but it doesn't make good sense. Low prices are a natural result of competition, especially in the hyper-competitive KL city centre hotel business. And most hotels are franchised anyway - a Hilton is a Hilton wherever you go, as with Westin, Ritz Carlton etc. And if the 5 stars are not willing to lower their prices, then the comparable 4 stars (e.g. Impiana) will.

The PM also notes that such an approach will not increase sales - wow, is he spending his time looking at the hotel books? Obviously, he does not understand why the grand 5 star hotels, who have been in this business for quite some time, would want to lower their prices (hint: to attract sales)

As a former purchaser, I dealt with innumerable hotels and I can say that if he is refers to hotel rack rates as under-priced, then the corporate rates we MNCs are getting would make these hotels looks like mamak shops.

Now if he means that low prices by themselves give foreigners an impression that hotels are of low quality, then are we going to ask our restaurants, shopping centres and private hospitals to raise their prices? Unless I'm mistaken, foreigners come to our country precisely for these "cheap" things. If they wanted expensive + high quality things they'd go to Europe.

Alright, /rant.

Misc. 10/03/10

Alice in Wonderland - enough with the post-processed 3D already. Not sequel or reboot. Fan fiction. Also note the bizarre feminist ending. Disney has both lost and gained my respect.

Flu. Does this have to happen everytime I go to a shopping centre? One thing about staying at home is that you don't get viral flu often.

Also, asked what I wanted to do after this again. After this as in, get a job you're grown up already. This is what you get when you start college 3 years early.

Rest.

Daydream nation.

Currently juggling literature, history, philosophy, theology all at one go. As usual. In my readings of Japanese fairy tales, I can't help but note the marked contrast with say, that of Aesop or the sanitized tales from Old Europe. But I suppose that's the keyword, sanitized. Consider this story, which puts many a Hollywood tale of vengeance to shame.

But really, besides that, most tales lack what some would call coherence. But again, I view this from a (Western?) perspective where characters have motivations and purposes and plots have tidy endings. Some of the stories (Japanese) that I've read are rather baffling - with one part seemingly having no connection to another.

I've begun on theology again, after a long while. Looks like I'm slowly working my way from burn-out. I'm pretty much fed up with most of the churches I've attended - and as a result my empathy with the emergent critique on today's mainline evangelical churches has increased. But throughout the years, oh, about five of them, my theology hasn't quite budged. Perhaps my empathy/sympathy for other perspectives have. But that's healthy, I think.

This is still my model of a comprehensive confession of faith which I subscribe to, and probably won't change anytime soon.

Misc. - 2/3/10

Well, now that the wrath of politicians and certain consumers are directed towards Toyota, Honda and now GM is into the recall business. Looks like it's an okay thing to do now that Toyota has come out. So what's the big issue? (Answer: There isn't.) It's not like Toyota is selling HIV infected blood and the good news for consumers is that they're going all out to win back the business.

College assignments are moving forward. Slowly. The nice part about writing about business but not actually doing it? You can pull "facts" out nowhere. Really, it's okay to do so. Call it best estimates and informed guesses. Some are writing about their own companies. I ground my work in the organization with the most information possible. Double the tedium as sources are external (if it's your own company, you're your own source) but I suppose actual learning is tripled.

I realize that sometimes you can't just know everything. I've been averaging 3 books a week, and while I can clearly see that my abilities to grasp certain issues have been getting better, I likewise can see more clearly that nothing beats going out and seeing/doing it. Indeed, in my 6 month stint at an MNC, I learned more about business than 3 years at college.

Parting note - I have an almost Hegelian obsession for synthesizing propositions. Which might be bad, but I still like the smug feeling it gives me to know that I am smarter than both sides. Try it sometime.

Stuck, with deadlines.

Assignments annoy me. Our quaint college policy of going all assignments (therefore no exams) may be good for some, but I procrastinate. Now, the company that I'm writing on (Toyota) is having some, uh, issues. More things to write, if I knew what to write about.

Writing about not being able to write seems to be good therapy for me. So here it is.

In the meanwhile, Call of Pripyat is occupying my time nicely, and Aliens vs. Predator is just in line. Also, two major assignments of which will probably decide the fate of my degree. Nice.

Mono @ KLPac 2010

Melodic, loud and thoroughly immersive.

Reading Without Paper

When paper first came out, the Egyptians said they still preferred the look and feel of their solid stone tablets. I jest, of course, but the common issue brought up when it comes to e-book readers is that paper is still better (these are the same people who would have no problem spending hours reading blogs and websites on their LCD and, my goodness, CRT screens).

What follows is an apologia and survey of e-book readers. Now that Apple's iPad is released (which has been hailed as Kindle's greatest challenger) we have a clearer picture of the state of the market today.

For Malaysians theStar's feature on ebooks are a good place [1][2] to familiarize yourself with the scene.

Firstly, what most would call the "proper" E-Reader's are E-Ink based devices. The Sony Reader and Amazon's Kindle are two of the most well-known. E-Ink basically offers the closest thing you'll get to ink on paper and has the advantage of low power consumption as it only needs it whenever you "flip" a page.

Apple's iPad on the other hand is basically an LCD based device, so it's not all that different than reading from your computer screen (if you have an iPhone or iPod touch, it's basically a bigger version of that).

Good old book (left) with E-Ink based device (right). Click for higher detail.

I personally am biased towards E-Ink readers - they work best when it comes to novels and general non-fiction (two of the main things I'm reading). I also read textbooks (with some adjustments) and the occasional manga (manga not comics, because manga is primarily black and white). My paperless (more like cheapskate) college only provides the lecture notes as softcopy, so that saves on my printing costs too.

For those more inclined towards colour and larger books, then probably the iPad (or your netbook) works best.

Adapting to reading on an e-reader is quite easy, especially if you read a lot and so adjust more quickly. The main drawback then, is the initial investment required. MPH Malaysia is currently selling a 5 inch e-reader (6 inches is the industry standard) for RM1299 [3] which I think is slightly pricy, considering that you can get the same device here for cheaper.

My own e-reader was purchased at the nice price point of RM990 (although if it spoils, I'll have to fork out postage fees to Taiwan.)

Really though, the convenience of carrying around hundreds of books in a single device is worth the purchase cost. As for books itself, while Amazon is not selling in Malaysia yet, there are numerous other stores [4] as well as all the free public domain books available.

But in the end, e-readers are for the voracious readers. The one book a month or "I never read books" folks or even paper purists will find it hard to justify such a purchase. Personally, I am enjoying reading without paper.

Broga

Recent two-hour excursion to Broga Hill was unexceptional. At least it was named right - Gunung Angsi (Mountain) is shorter than Maxwell Hill. I guess names aren't just reliable. Went in the middle of the afternoon to avoid the crowds. Great panorama of palm, jungle and kampung but other than that not much.

I have always been unimpressed at what our country has to offer. Of course I know a fair number of Europeans who dream of having their honeymoon in Langkawi (not impressed, either), that the grass is greener on the other side, so on and so forth.

My aesthetic is frankly Continental, and I am unashamed to admit that much. Most beautiful (actually, more like surreal) local sight for me would be the granite peak of Mt. Kinabalu in moonlight, but other than that, meh.

Pics below.

Ten Favourite Films, 2009

10. A Serious Man

The Coens are back at their usual unusual brand of thoughtful comedy.

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9. In the Loop


I may be stereotyping, but only the Brits would come up with one of the best political satires in recent times. Peter Capaldi's character is tastelessly sublime.

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8. Un Prophète (A Prophet)

Any contribution to the rise-to-greatness genre of gangster movies will always have to be in the shadow of the Godfather, but Jacques Audiard pulls off a compelling story with a classic ending.

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7. Invictus

Predictable? Sure. It's a dramatized true underdog story. Eastwood modulates the hamminess and Freeman plays a subtle Mandela. Could be much better, but well done nonetheless.

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6. Moon

Wins the breath of fresh air award for its contribution to the sci-fi genre. Simple, intelligent and tense.

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5. Das Weiße Band (The White Ribbon)


When we have children talking about God, death and blamed for bizarre accidents, we know we're watching something bold and intent on provoking. I found all of its 144 minutes compelling.

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4. The Cove


The best documentary of 2009. The Cove seeks only to show its viewers what it objects to. In this case, dolphin killing. Go and watch it; not much more needs to be said.

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3. Up In The Air


About the meaning of life with special regard to the white-collars.

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2. Inglorious Basterds


If there ever was an Oscar for Best Conversations by the Table, this would surely take it.

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1. Avatar

Cameron resets the bar. Others have to follow suit. Oh, joy.

2010, to do (might do).

The religion of the working class is "keep busy", which offers more existential peace of mind than any god or godless system can. Well, I'm not a usually busy person. I delight in having my calender empty. Still, it wouldn't hurt to do something once in a while.

Mono concert, end of the month. Smaller locale, just hope the sound is just as good as the Mogwai one. Hymn to the Immortal Wind sounded like a movie soundtrack, but a darned good one. I'm looking forward, of course.

Both of my brothers have returned to school. Honestly, I have always told every curious soul that homeschooling is all or nothing. Still, institutions offer that much more security than learning in the four walls of one's home. But of course; even we homeschoolers go to colleges and universities.

College is almost over. Time to think of a thesis project. Sometimes I regret starting so early, which leads to the big looming "to do" - get a job. No more comments on that now.

And yes, I like playing more than working, so the second installments of Mass Effect and Bioshock I'm looking forward to. Both have high expectations to live to; the latter's first installment basically marked the day video games grew up (or was it Half Life 2?). Either way, they are only a few weeks away.

I don't expect to go somewhere this year. Indeed, for 2009, I basically only traveled between two cities. 2011, though? If all goes well, I'll be crossing out half of my "to visit" list.

No New Year's resolutions - time to admit they're useless for me. I never was a goal oriented person. Just a person with a long lists of wants and no idea how to get them. But oh, I'm learning.

Oh, then.

Last year was disappointing. I wrote too little, both here and elsewhere. But it was also inspiring. I learned so much (too much even). I worked in a multi-national for half a year and came out wiser. College will finish soon; I will be two decades old.

What I don't like about this year? The fact that I now have to work in a job that I would not like. What's more, the job I would like to do isn't really a job at all. Not for the time being.

So once again, I occupy my time with my own personal projects. Movie season (for me) is reaching it's peak and I find that 2009 was also disappointing in this regard. Oddly enough, my studies in storytelling has taken a great leap from me playing so many (video) games. I guess alternative forms of media do help you break out. On a side note, I averaged ten books a month.

And then there's the career choice bit, which I admit I have sunk too little time into. The questions keep coming, and soon you're used to blurting out the supposedly truthful "I don't know." But really, we're just bullshitting ourselves here. You always knew.

When I was 7 years old I wanted to write stories.

I still do.