Sometimes, I wonder if people wonder if I will ever wonder if I should write more about my daily activities. ( By the way, LOL took you some time to understand it, didn't it?) And the answer is a definite NO. Life wouldn't be fun if everyone knows exactly who I am and what. These are here only to remind my future self of what I am today. For the better or worse, I do not know. But it's sure as hell to be an interesting read to me 10 years into the future. How far will maturity take me?
It is obvious this is not an interesting blog for anyone but myself. But to entertain others was never the point of this blog. When one writes for the self, no one really gives a damn. It is only when the writer writes for the readers will one get the money. Stephen King is right about this.
Writing sounds like a good part-time job. Especially the Fantasy genre ( genre is pronounced as zh-ahn-ruh where the "zh" is the same as the "s" in "pleasure"), because it seems like it has one of the best shelf life. Just look at Tolkien, who could still be reaping millions if he isn't dead. This is one type of story that readers do not require experience in anywhere or when to understand. And the best thing about Fantasy is that there is no limit to what you want to write! As long as the writer doesn't use too many deus ex machina (pronounced as dey-uhs ex mak-uh-nuh) that seem really ridiculous, anything is fine. People who die do not need to remain dead. Magic can do anything and be anything. And any way to do anything that you can ever imagine is fine.
One negative point about writing in this genre is that people tend to associate fiction with reality, and when things in the stories seem to much like the real thing, they don't look as cool anymore. But making them too absurd will result in the book being placed in the Humour category. So therefore, everything must be linked somehow. But that is okay, because magic can do anything. Well, everything except to create something from nothing, because that's reserved by the God of Christianity and most English-speakers will find it blasphemous if the main character has the power to create. But then, if you put some limits to it, it may be fine for your character. Hah! Maybe someday I will write about it. Or someone will steal this idea and write about it. Or someone will write about me writing about it. Or someone will write about me writing about someone writing about me. Or... okay enough of this.
Writing fantasy novels also require a huge fetish for details. Lots of details are needed to properly describe anything that do not exist in the real world, with the exception of old school stuff like elves and anything Tolkien has described. Fantasy writers really have to thank Tolkien for writing as much as he did to make modern writers' work so much easier. If someone writes "orc" everyone knows what it generally looks like. But if he writes about a creature named "Oguek" no one would know if it is a creature or a thing. And that is the difference Tolkien made.
But there must be some kind of problem with writing as a profession in Singapore. Rarely do I see Singaporean books being bought, compared to American books. That excludes the shitty series containing all sorts of ghost stories that some believe to be real. That's a real seller, to me, if you compare its sales to its quality. Or books by Catherine Lim, but that's cos her books are sometimes used as Literature textbooks.
I'm guessing the problem lies the lack of numbers. Too few people can write and are interested in writing as a profession.
Monday, 26 February 2007
Sunday, 25 February 2007
Rant 026 / "Fuck" Is Not My Middle Name
The best way to lie has always been to mix it with truth. The more truth, the better the lie, of course. And the best lie is the truth. Seriously!
Sometimes being known as a joker or a sarcastic person has its benefits. Both are supposed to say things that are not true in such a way no one dislikes them for lying often. But people tend to ignore the fact that such people often say things that are not true. Therefore, when they accidentally say something that is not true, people who know them may think they are saying it as a bad joke, or they're being especially nasty. Not that I'm encouraging people to be either of them, but at least you don't look stupid when you make a major mistake.
I have said many things that were and are wrong before. Everyone has. To err is human, to forgive divine. I do not ask for anyone to forgive me or I'll make it look as if you're divine. No, that is not the truth. But I will not ask for forgiveness from anyone, and that is the truth.
I wish I can demand things. It makes life feel so much easier, for a while. But I know the price of making demands is huge. It is like paying for merchandise by instalments - there is always a significant amount of interest. It is illogical to demand for things when you can ask/buy what you want. What would you be able to do when you really need something to save your life? And by "saving your life", I do not mean that teddy bear you must buy for your girlfriend who threatens to break up with you if you don't. And such girlfriends aren't worth having anyway, LOL! But to demand something, you need to have something to back you up. Something to force the other party to give in to your will. Unless you have an incredibly strong will relative to that poor guy. To demand for things is a better way to get what you want, in the short term.
There is no spoon.
It does not feel right when no one seems to thinks the way I do. But it is also wrong if everyone thinks the same way.
People say many things. But do they believe in what they say?
I do not play mind games. It is your fault that you think too much. LOL!
I do not think much, I must admit. Many things I do, I do without thought. To change this is hard. Slow response often make conversations seem awkward. Slow response in sudden events may seem only slightly better than no reaction at all. Therefore I have to think faster. Easier said than done. But it seems possible.
Many things are easier said than done. Which sucks for most of us normal people. For the rest of you, the ones who can split rivers, sent plagues of locusts and lead your people to paradise, simply by sucking up to your dads, you have different problems. I do not pretend to understand your problems, and I do not care for them. But why bother to do things that are hard? To improve ourselves? Hah! Bingo! All roads lead to sex, and here is another piece of evidence.
Often, I find people trying to discuss life when they do not understand much about it. Just like me. But why should I compare myself with them? Similarly, why should a country compare itself with other countries? Especially with countries who are supposedly inferior to itself in one way or another? That's stupid. If they're inferior in such a way, then why do you want to think about it at all? Everyone should look at those who are better than them, not to envy, but to learn and improve. Comparing yourself in such a way will serve no practical purpose but a temporary boost of ego. Even when you are the best, you should improve on other things too.
Sometimes being known as a joker or a sarcastic person has its benefits. Both are supposed to say things that are not true in such a way no one dislikes them for lying often. But people tend to ignore the fact that such people often say things that are not true. Therefore, when they accidentally say something that is not true, people who know them may think they are saying it as a bad joke, or they're being especially nasty. Not that I'm encouraging people to be either of them, but at least you don't look stupid when you make a major mistake.
I have said many things that were and are wrong before. Everyone has. To err is human, to forgive divine. I do not ask for anyone to forgive me or I'll make it look as if you're divine. No, that is not the truth. But I will not ask for forgiveness from anyone, and that is the truth.
I wish I can demand things. It makes life feel so much easier, for a while. But I know the price of making demands is huge. It is like paying for merchandise by instalments - there is always a significant amount of interest. It is illogical to demand for things when you can ask/buy what you want. What would you be able to do when you really need something to save your life? And by "saving your life", I do not mean that teddy bear you must buy for your girlfriend who threatens to break up with you if you don't. And such girlfriends aren't worth having anyway, LOL! But to demand something, you need to have something to back you up. Something to force the other party to give in to your will. Unless you have an incredibly strong will relative to that poor guy. To demand for things is a better way to get what you want, in the short term.
There is no spoon.
It does not feel right when no one seems to thinks the way I do. But it is also wrong if everyone thinks the same way.
People say many things. But do they believe in what they say?
I do not play mind games. It is your fault that you think too much. LOL!
I do not think much, I must admit. Many things I do, I do without thought. To change this is hard. Slow response often make conversations seem awkward. Slow response in sudden events may seem only slightly better than no reaction at all. Therefore I have to think faster. Easier said than done. But it seems possible.
Many things are easier said than done. Which sucks for most of us normal people. For the rest of you, the ones who can split rivers, sent plagues of locusts and lead your people to paradise, simply by sucking up to your dads, you have different problems. I do not pretend to understand your problems, and I do not care for them. But why bother to do things that are hard? To improve ourselves? Hah! Bingo! All roads lead to sex, and here is another piece of evidence.
Often, I find people trying to discuss life when they do not understand much about it. Just like me. But why should I compare myself with them? Similarly, why should a country compare itself with other countries? Especially with countries who are supposedly inferior to itself in one way or another? That's stupid. If they're inferior in such a way, then why do you want to think about it at all? Everyone should look at those who are better than them, not to envy, but to learn and improve. Comparing yourself in such a way will serve no practical purpose but a temporary boost of ego. Even when you are the best, you should improve on other things too.
Saturday, 24 February 2007
Rant 025 / I came, I saw, I came again.
Education should be made mandatory and free. Why should education be seen as something the government supplies to meet the people's demands? Well, that's exactly why we are paying for our education. And by making education mandatory, it makes it seem as if the government wants you to pay them for something you may or may not want. Somehow it feels akin to Communism. Yes, it should be free of charge instead! Education is a type of long-term investment all governments must make at some point of their rule. It is of utmost importance if a country wishes to play with the big boys. Without a proper educational system, a country will always be a Third World nation. Therefore, it is something it should want the people to have, more than the people themselves want. In any negotiation, the party that wants the deal to succeed more than the others usually pays the most. That is only logical. I will not go to the extent of suggesting that they pay the people to go to school, but at the very least, it should be free of charge. For goodness' sake, there are people out there with children who can barely pay for their basic necessities, and yet do not fall within the zone that is allowed to get financial help. Making it free will not only not bankrupt the country, but it will allow more kids to receive a proper education and thus help the nation prosper. What is spent in the schools, the government will profit ten-fold from the revenues in the future.
In Singapore, there are several ( though the government would describe them as "many") funds to help the poor, but sometimes, there are those who are that poor but somehow do not meet all the right conditions. The so-called "gray area". It is disgusting the way no one gives a damn, unless you start to consider the truth of eugenics. In that case, they should jump off a tall building. Or do it in that amazingly dramatic way of jumping in front of a train at a station. Someone should shout "Encore!" to that. I wish people would do that more often. People these days are numb to those who need help. The government always repeat the mantra that there are many funds to help the poor and needy, but they do not care about those who fall in the gap between the 2 zones. It is almost as if these funds are there so that the government can say they have tried to help, and they are not there because they really want to help. It is not necessary for them to give a monthly allowance to everyone who is jobless, but at least give them an allowance that can barely meet their needs for a short period of 5-7 months, or until they get a job, whichever ends earlier. Long enough for anyone to get a job, but not so long it depletes the treasury. An easier, though inferior, idea is to give the people in charge of the funds more freedom to choose the people they feel are eligible for financial aid.
Quoted from somewhere:
People like to see what they prefer to see. I refuse to be a fool like that.
In Singapore, there are several ( though the government would describe them as "many") funds to help the poor, but sometimes, there are those who are that poor but somehow do not meet all the right conditions. The so-called "gray area". It is disgusting the way no one gives a damn, unless you start to consider the truth of eugenics. In that case, they should jump off a tall building. Or do it in that amazingly dramatic way of jumping in front of a train at a station. Someone should shout "Encore!" to that. I wish people would do that more often. People these days are numb to those who need help. The government always repeat the mantra that there are many funds to help the poor and needy, but they do not care about those who fall in the gap between the 2 zones. It is almost as if these funds are there so that the government can say they have tried to help, and they are not there because they really want to help. It is not necessary for them to give a monthly allowance to everyone who is jobless, but at least give them an allowance that can barely meet their needs for a short period of 5-7 months, or until they get a job, whichever ends earlier. Long enough for anyone to get a job, but not so long it depletes the treasury. An easier, though inferior, idea is to give the people in charge of the funds more freedom to choose the people they feel are eligible for financial aid.
Quoted from somewhere:
Because God is pure love, anybody, even good people, who don't believe in Him are forced into eternal suffering in Hell. However, evil selfish people can believe in God and get into Heaven because God loves them. God loves everybody equally, He even loves the people He has condemned to burn forever.
For more in-depth discussion of this subject, consult the Bible, which is the definitive authority on all things religious, as it was written by God Himself and directly given to us mere humans to treasure forever. Every word of it is literally true, without exception. He even translated the Bible for everybody in later years.
Note carefully that no human can ever know God's will. Except the Pope, because he has a mind-bogglingly cool hat. And a stick.
People like to see what they prefer to see. I refuse to be a fool like that.
Rant 024 / Air is incredibly addictive. One breath is all it takes to hook you.
Justice. The penal system is seen as something that punishes those who would break the law. I disagree. The penal system's primary purpose should be to deter, to create fear. It's existence should be used to prevent crime from being committed, but this is giving way, or has given way already in many places, to its secondary purpose: to punish. This is not right. People are making it seem like it is fine to commit crimes as long as the criminals are punished. Crimes should not be committed at all! Just take the innumerable assassinations in our history for example. If every single killer was found, tried, and sentenced fairly, would it be as good as not having them committed in the first place? Definitely not. Though I can say that no matter what, they would have been killed. Fate. But if I were to decide to disregard fate here and utilise the philosophy that fate is created by our hands, I must conclude that prevention is always better than a fair sentence. So therefore, the prescribed punishments need to prevent crimes from being committed at all! "How?", you may ask. By making them so obscene, yet short of death for everything, that no one would think about doing anything against the law. Not just increase the punishments when crime rates seem to rise. That would be too late!
When watching a documentary on Discovery, I learnt that the punishments are incredibly harsh in a certain top-security prison in the U.S.. A mere unarmed fight there gave a the one who started the fight over a hundred days in solitary confinement, in addition to his original jail term. Now we are not talking about the solitary confinement you would find in any jail. In this top-security prison, solitary cells contains a toilet bowl without seat nor cover, a mirror screwed into the wall tightly, a metal sink with no plug and a bed. The window is a pane of glass less than 2m tall, and about 5 inches wide. Basically you cannot see the person delivering food to you when you're inside, and only once a month do you see an living creature beside yourself. And that's only when you are cuffed and escorted by no less than 2 huge wardens for a haircut. Yes, in there, all you can see is yourself, and yourself in the mirror. There is not even a damned cockroach for you to see. When that person tried to appeal for a shorter sentence by claiming to see bugs in the room all the time from the corner of his eyes, the appeal was rejected by the head warden. Now that is the right way to do things. To have punishments so brutal that people would fear the sentence before they decide to commit crimes. Not to make those guys pay for what they have done. That should never be the intention of the punishments. I did explain why in a certain previous article, so I will not digress anymore.
Like, for example, refusing to return to Singapore for NS. The punishment should not be just 10 months of jail and the lousy fine. Goodness knows most Singaporeans who dare to avoid from NS also usually have barely enough money for such situations. But to make it so brutal that no one would consider such an option, it should be life imprisonment for such people. You were expecting me to say," Exile"? ROFL! That would be nice. But back to the topic, life imprisonment would also be suitable for such people because they truly do not understand the importance of a militia-like army for a country like ours. They do not understand that even if they have the ability to make US$800b by the age of 30, it would be pointless if their country is no longer a country on its own. Either that or they do not care about their country at all. Either way such people are dangerous to the nation and letting them out would only lead to their ideas spreading to other people. Unless you have read my previous articles, you would find the above possibility of our country losing its sovereignty absurd. Know that peace is not something that comes falling from the sky.
Peace comes from the fact that more people bother to enforce peace than people who want the chaos that lead to change. Countries and borders are still fluid matters. East Timor was considered part of Indonesia until 1999. And even before this, it had really been an independent state since Nov 28, 1975, though it was occupied by Indonesia 9 days later, until 1999. And that was a mere 8 years ago. Just 600 years ago, Western Europe was made up of an incredible number of nations, compared to what it is today. If you are able to take a look at an accurate map of what it was like back then, it would have shocked you. And China is another example. You see, borders are always fluid. Countries come and go. And they always go when the people and/or the rulers are weak. Following every change, is Chaos.
How I digress!
Forgiveness cannot be asked. Forgiveness cannot be demanded. Like respect, forgiveness must be earned. To pray for forgiveness is to demand something unreasonably from whoever you pray to. But many do not understand. They believe they need forgiveness in many things that no one should forgive them for. Or they believe they are wrong when they are most definitely not. So this is where religion comes in. Makes life easier for those who do not wish to dwell on the whole meaning of what they are doing. Religion is a shortcut. But I cannot say it is a bad one. Some people do need it when they find difficulty in walking alone.
for·give [fer-giv]
–verb (used with object)
–verb (used without object)
Basically to forgive is to treat it as if the offending act never happened. Why else would a person forgive? To forgive is to grant pardon for, to absolve, to cease to feel resentment and to cancel an indebtedness of liability. Is that not to "treat it as if the offending act never happened"? Well you would think that there is difference of the memory being there in the case of forgiveness. But that would be wrong on your part. I said "to treat it as if the act never happened", not to forget the whole matter. Heinous crimes have been forgiven, but never forgotten. When a person forgives another, the forgiving person must not have any dislike or bias against the forgiven person which is based on the forgiven offending act.
And to forgive someone who killed an innocent person for no good reason is illogical. A bad reason like a drug deal gone awry is no reason to kill anyone. Such person needs to be removed from the society in such a way that there is no possibility of parole or escape. Killers like this have proven to be unable to control themselves in their daily lives. Therefore they are very dangerous people. Death is most suitable for such murderers and it is much cheaper for the country than life imprisonment. If we were to replace the death sentence with life imprisonment, us, taxpayers, would be paying for their lives. Where is the logic in that? But one argument against death is that sometimes the wrong person is arrested and charged. Nothing would be enough to pay for such, and the whole country would be the murderer. Now the question that must be asked is this: are the prisons' escape rates low enough to gamble with our lives so that the few innocent people won't be killed by the state? Either way you run the risk of getting killed. An infinitesimally small possibility of both, but they exist nonetheless. If I were to choose between the 2, I'd choose being killed by the state. At least they treat you well just before you die.
Another point is that murderers can be counselled, or treated, so that they will not murder anymore. Now I do not know the murder rates of countries with capital punishment and those that do not, but what I expect is that countries with capital punishment should tend to have the lower numbers when they have their murder rates divided by the total population of the country. And to treat/counsel serial killers? No matter. All these counselling and treating should have started when they were young. Right, some people have lousy parents who do not teach their kids not to murder when they grow up. Why not? This I blame the parents, and the people of the country in general. Everyone has to have part of the blame for every murder that happens. This may sound absurd but everything everyone does plays a part in all events. Those parents may have been brought up in the same way as their kids, and no one taught them the right way. No one bothered. See the link? Or the parents were too busy to teach them, too busy working for a living. "Busy" is always an excuse, but never a reason. Lazy is the right word. Convincing themselves they were busy when they were really placing the priority of such important lessons below the priority of sleep, is the real reason. Screaming and shouting they were really too busy is pointless, because the truth is the truth and nothing but the truth. Convincing themselves otherwise is plainly self-denial.
The actual truth is never important. The perceived truth is all that matters. This is the cause of all Chaos.
When watching a documentary on Discovery, I learnt that the punishments are incredibly harsh in a certain top-security prison in the U.S.. A mere unarmed fight there gave a the one who started the fight over a hundred days in solitary confinement, in addition to his original jail term. Now we are not talking about the solitary confinement you would find in any jail. In this top-security prison, solitary cells contains a toilet bowl without seat nor cover, a mirror screwed into the wall tightly, a metal sink with no plug and a bed. The window is a pane of glass less than 2m tall, and about 5 inches wide. Basically you cannot see the person delivering food to you when you're inside, and only once a month do you see an living creature beside yourself. And that's only when you are cuffed and escorted by no less than 2 huge wardens for a haircut. Yes, in there, all you can see is yourself, and yourself in the mirror. There is not even a damned cockroach for you to see. When that person tried to appeal for a shorter sentence by claiming to see bugs in the room all the time from the corner of his eyes, the appeal was rejected by the head warden. Now that is the right way to do things. To have punishments so brutal that people would fear the sentence before they decide to commit crimes. Not to make those guys pay for what they have done. That should never be the intention of the punishments. I did explain why in a certain previous article, so I will not digress anymore.
Like, for example, refusing to return to Singapore for NS. The punishment should not be just 10 months of jail and the lousy fine. Goodness knows most Singaporeans who dare to avoid from NS also usually have barely enough money for such situations. But to make it so brutal that no one would consider such an option, it should be life imprisonment for such people. You were expecting me to say," Exile"? ROFL! That would be nice. But back to the topic, life imprisonment would also be suitable for such people because they truly do not understand the importance of a militia-like army for a country like ours. They do not understand that even if they have the ability to make US$800b by the age of 30, it would be pointless if their country is no longer a country on its own. Either that or they do not care about their country at all. Either way such people are dangerous to the nation and letting them out would only lead to their ideas spreading to other people. Unless you have read my previous articles, you would find the above possibility of our country losing its sovereignty absurd. Know that peace is not something that comes falling from the sky.
Peace comes from the fact that more people bother to enforce peace than people who want the chaos that lead to change. Countries and borders are still fluid matters. East Timor was considered part of Indonesia until 1999. And even before this, it had really been an independent state since Nov 28, 1975, though it was occupied by Indonesia 9 days later, until 1999. And that was a mere 8 years ago. Just 600 years ago, Western Europe was made up of an incredible number of nations, compared to what it is today. If you are able to take a look at an accurate map of what it was like back then, it would have shocked you. And China is another example. You see, borders are always fluid. Countries come and go. And they always go when the people and/or the rulers are weak. Following every change, is Chaos.
How I digress!
Forgiveness cannot be asked. Forgiveness cannot be demanded. Like respect, forgiveness must be earned. To pray for forgiveness is to demand something unreasonably from whoever you pray to. But many do not understand. They believe they need forgiveness in many things that no one should forgive them for. Or they believe they are wrong when they are most definitely not. So this is where religion comes in. Makes life easier for those who do not wish to dwell on the whole meaning of what they are doing. Religion is a shortcut. But I cannot say it is a bad one. Some people do need it when they find difficulty in walking alone.
for·give [fer-giv]
–verb (used with object)
| 1. | to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve. |
| 2. | to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.). |
| 3. | to grant pardon to (a person). |
| 4. | to cease to feel resentment against: to forgive one's enemies. |
| 5. | to cancel an indebtedness or liability of: to forgive the interest owed on a loan. |
| 6. | to pardon an offense or an offender. |
Basically to forgive is to treat it as if the offending act never happened. Why else would a person forgive? To forgive is to grant pardon for, to absolve, to cease to feel resentment and to cancel an indebtedness of liability. Is that not to "treat it as if the offending act never happened"? Well you would think that there is difference of the memory being there in the case of forgiveness. But that would be wrong on your part. I said "to treat it as if the act never happened", not to forget the whole matter. Heinous crimes have been forgiven, but never forgotten. When a person forgives another, the forgiving person must not have any dislike or bias against the forgiven person which is based on the forgiven offending act.
And to forgive someone who killed an innocent person for no good reason is illogical. A bad reason like a drug deal gone awry is no reason to kill anyone. Such person needs to be removed from the society in such a way that there is no possibility of parole or escape. Killers like this have proven to be unable to control themselves in their daily lives. Therefore they are very dangerous people. Death is most suitable for such murderers and it is much cheaper for the country than life imprisonment. If we were to replace the death sentence with life imprisonment, us, taxpayers, would be paying for their lives. Where is the logic in that? But one argument against death is that sometimes the wrong person is arrested and charged. Nothing would be enough to pay for such, and the whole country would be the murderer. Now the question that must be asked is this: are the prisons' escape rates low enough to gamble with our lives so that the few innocent people won't be killed by the state? Either way you run the risk of getting killed. An infinitesimally small possibility of both, but they exist nonetheless. If I were to choose between the 2, I'd choose being killed by the state. At least they treat you well just before you die.
Another point is that murderers can be counselled, or treated, so that they will not murder anymore. Now I do not know the murder rates of countries with capital punishment and those that do not, but what I expect is that countries with capital punishment should tend to have the lower numbers when they have their murder rates divided by the total population of the country. And to treat/counsel serial killers? No matter. All these counselling and treating should have started when they were young. Right, some people have lousy parents who do not teach their kids not to murder when they grow up. Why not? This I blame the parents, and the people of the country in general. Everyone has to have part of the blame for every murder that happens. This may sound absurd but everything everyone does plays a part in all events. Those parents may have been brought up in the same way as their kids, and no one taught them the right way. No one bothered. See the link? Or the parents were too busy to teach them, too busy working for a living. "Busy" is always an excuse, but never a reason. Lazy is the right word. Convincing themselves they were busy when they were really placing the priority of such important lessons below the priority of sleep, is the real reason. Screaming and shouting they were really too busy is pointless, because the truth is the truth and nothing but the truth. Convincing themselves otherwise is plainly self-denial.
The actual truth is never important. The perceived truth is all that matters. This is the cause of all Chaos.
Thursday, 22 February 2007
Rant 023 / A Mung Bean Plant Hellbent On World Domination Is Not A Good Idea For A Movie.
I have always found it ironic that ppl would, after an argument, type "I DON'T CARE!" about the whole reason the spamming contest started. I mean, if u don't care, y did u start? "Don't care", aka "don't give a damn" means if u see it, u would ignore it. Once you give in to the impulse to say do something about it, you no longer "don't care". When you still insist that you "don't care" after the argument, you are effectively trying to tell everyone present that "I lost the stupid fight and I'm trying very hard not to cry here. So pls don't make me cry or I'll tell my mommy!" or something to this effect. Well, if you ever get into a situation that would make you want to say anything like that, the best thing you can do is NOT to say something like this. I will not state the best way to escape this, cos i don't want to lose the sadistic satisfaction of making ppl cry when they lose an argument with me. There are other ways to get the satisfaction from an argument but I won't go any further lest I reveal what I was refusing to say.
MLM can be seen a legal form of a pyramid scheme. In both plans, people sell stuff together and are paid according to their sales. In both plans, ppl can "hire", in some way, other ppl to help them sell stuff. In both plans, ppl sell stuff that are usually sold by companies in their "organizations". But MLM is distinctively different from a pyramid scheme due to the fact that in a pyramid scheme, the "hiring" provides a much better income than the sales. How MLM companies aren't getting sued for being pyramid schemes is a question only lawyers and anyone else who have studied law can answer.
An interesting article on MLM can be found here.
This article doesn't deal with the legality of MLM companies but discusses the basic flaws of the MLM concept.
Basically few ppl, if not none at all, who are not part of MLM companies actually believe that MLM is profitable for everyone involved. To hire ppl to sell the same stuff as you is foolishness, basically. The market is finite, you are not. If you get more ppl to sell the same stuff to the same number of ppl, what you would get is a reduction of sales. That is illogical. And here, the reason of "helping people start their businesses" comes in. It practically solves this problem of being illogical and reverses itself to being beneficial for all. But no matter what it is saying, the result is undoubtedly the same. Salespeople sell products. Salespeople hire more salespeople to sell the same products. GL HF. This is a very basic flaw in MLM. Yes I know some salespeople involved in MLM do not do much to hire more people, and try to sell stuff by themselves. They, at least, see some sense. Yet they do not see the much greater senselessness of this MLM company.
These days, MLM companies have phrased their words so beautifully people have been tricked into believing they have nothing to do with MLM. Some call it "personal distributor network", and some have moved the focus of their organization to the distributing companies, calling themselves a "corporate alliance"(even though the salespeople are still there below). I am surprised when someone told me a certain company isn't anything like MLM when it certainly is. I checked the website of the company but i cannot say what made me suspicious or i will reveal too much. But what made me confirmed my suspicion is the terms and conditions of signing up as salesperson.
"I will become a (company name) Distributor upon acceptance of this Application Form by (company name), and I will at that time have the right to sell (company name) products in accordance with the (company name) Marketing Plan..."
"Without prior approval from (company name) Management, I / distributors shall refrain from:
a)Recruiting new distributor through media or
b)Promoting (company name)¡¯s products and/or (company name) activities through any form of the advertisement."
"...and the Company shall not bear any responsibility for any financial loss to me resulting as a result of any failure to perform this undertaking. "
"I understand that no purchase is necessary for me to become an (name for some kind of post) other than to pay a Registration Fee of USD25, which does not contain any commissionable product."
"I understand that I am responsible for training and supporting my affiliates I sponsor under the Marketing Plan. I will perform a bona fide supervisory, soliciting distributive and/or selling function in connection with the sale of (company name) products to the ultimate. I also agree to train any affiliates that I may sponsor in the performance of these functions."
there were also many other conditions to make sure no responsibility falls on the organization if anything goes wrong, like "As (company name) Independent (name for some kind of post) I am an independent affiliate and not an employee, partner, agent, franchisee or legal representative of (company name). I agree that I solely responsible for my compliance with any and all laws and regulations related to my business in any jurisdiction exercising authority over me, including but not limited to the duty to license my business and pay self- employment income taxes and to comply with all other regulations. I will obey any and all Federal or local laws, statutes and regulations applicable to my business and me. "
basically the first condition already says it is a MLM company. I am surprised my friend actually told me it isn't. if it is as good as he makes it sound ( making money without going for work; helping others make money etc) it should have been on tv. Many times. This is fantastic! I can just sit at home, talk and help ppl make money! All these happening while money rolls into my bank account! Fuck! Who needs a job anymore? Just advertise this company on TV and the whole damn world can just sit at home and watch the money appear!
The first thing that got me suspicious of the first MLM i heard of was that its founder wanted to help others make money. Its founder was supposed to be an international corporation, listed on NASDAQ. now the problem with this seemingly amazing wave of good luck lies in the fact that corporations need to keep growing to stay healthy. And to keep growing, it needs fewer competition, or a growing market. Since it cannot enlarge a market by hiring salespeople or forming a network of companies, therefore it must decrease competition! To help others form successful businesses, it is increasing its competition whenever that company sells anything the founder sells. Even if it doesn't sell what the new companies sell, it must watch out for fact that they need to diversify to continue its growth in the future. Therefore encouraging companies to appear is not an obvious way to keep the original corporation going. The part about salespeople is fine for the corporation, because in the end, all salespeople are its customers. They buy products from them to sell! And to found a successful corporation, especially one listed in NASDAQ, its founder needs to care very much for it. The fact the the founder is willing to risk the well-being of the corporation to do good is illogical. Usually, to do good, they just donate to charity or create charity funds, like Bill Gates. Therefore i do not trust MLM. Any other reasons to mistrust MLM is good, though i do not need more.
I have always thought of myself as gullible. I guess even straight-As students can be more gullible than I am. I just hope those guys ruling my country aren't this bad.
MLM can be seen a legal form of a pyramid scheme. In both plans, people sell stuff together and are paid according to their sales. In both plans, ppl can "hire", in some way, other ppl to help them sell stuff. In both plans, ppl sell stuff that are usually sold by companies in their "organizations". But MLM is distinctively different from a pyramid scheme due to the fact that in a pyramid scheme, the "hiring" provides a much better income than the sales. How MLM companies aren't getting sued for being pyramid schemes is a question only lawyers and anyone else who have studied law can answer.
An interesting article on MLM can be found here.
This article doesn't deal with the legality of MLM companies but discusses the basic flaws of the MLM concept.
Basically few ppl, if not none at all, who are not part of MLM companies actually believe that MLM is profitable for everyone involved. To hire ppl to sell the same stuff as you is foolishness, basically. The market is finite, you are not. If you get more ppl to sell the same stuff to the same number of ppl, what you would get is a reduction of sales. That is illogical. And here, the reason of "helping people start their businesses" comes in. It practically solves this problem of being illogical and reverses itself to being beneficial for all. But no matter what it is saying, the result is undoubtedly the same. Salespeople sell products. Salespeople hire more salespeople to sell the same products. GL HF. This is a very basic flaw in MLM. Yes I know some salespeople involved in MLM do not do much to hire more people, and try to sell stuff by themselves. They, at least, see some sense. Yet they do not see the much greater senselessness of this MLM company.
These days, MLM companies have phrased their words so beautifully people have been tricked into believing they have nothing to do with MLM. Some call it "personal distributor network", and some have moved the focus of their organization to the distributing companies, calling themselves a "corporate alliance"(even though the salespeople are still there below). I am surprised when someone told me a certain company isn't anything like MLM when it certainly is. I checked the website of the company but i cannot say what made me suspicious or i will reveal too much. But what made me confirmed my suspicion is the terms and conditions of signing up as salesperson.
"I will become a (company name) Distributor upon acceptance of this Application Form by (company name), and I will at that time have the right to sell (company name) products in accordance with the (company name) Marketing Plan..."
"Without prior approval from (company name) Management, I / distributors shall refrain from:
a)Recruiting new distributor through media or
b)Promoting (company name)¡¯s products and/or (company name) activities through any form of the advertisement."
"...and the Company shall not bear any responsibility for any financial loss to me resulting as a result of any failure to perform this undertaking. "
"I understand that no purchase is necessary for me to become an (name for some kind of post) other than to pay a Registration Fee of USD25, which does not contain any commissionable product."
"I understand that I am responsible for training and supporting my affiliates I sponsor under the Marketing Plan. I will perform a bona fide supervisory, soliciting distributive and/or selling function in connection with the sale of (company name) products to the ultimate. I also agree to train any affiliates that I may sponsor in the performance of these functions."
there were also many other conditions to make sure no responsibility falls on the organization if anything goes wrong, like "As (company name) Independent (name for some kind of post) I am an independent affiliate and not an employee, partner, agent, franchisee or legal representative of (company name). I agree that I solely responsible for my compliance with any and all laws and regulations related to my business in any jurisdiction exercising authority over me, including but not limited to the duty to license my business and pay self- employment income taxes and to comply with all other regulations. I will obey any and all Federal or local laws, statutes and regulations applicable to my business and me. "
basically the first condition already says it is a MLM company. I am surprised my friend actually told me it isn't. if it is as good as he makes it sound ( making money without going for work; helping others make money etc) it should have been on tv. Many times. This is fantastic! I can just sit at home, talk and help ppl make money! All these happening while money rolls into my bank account! Fuck! Who needs a job anymore? Just advertise this company on TV and the whole damn world can just sit at home and watch the money appear!
The first thing that got me suspicious of the first MLM i heard of was that its founder wanted to help others make money. Its founder was supposed to be an international corporation, listed on NASDAQ. now the problem with this seemingly amazing wave of good luck lies in the fact that corporations need to keep growing to stay healthy. And to keep growing, it needs fewer competition, or a growing market. Since it cannot enlarge a market by hiring salespeople or forming a network of companies, therefore it must decrease competition! To help others form successful businesses, it is increasing its competition whenever that company sells anything the founder sells. Even if it doesn't sell what the new companies sell, it must watch out for fact that they need to diversify to continue its growth in the future. Therefore encouraging companies to appear is not an obvious way to keep the original corporation going. The part about salespeople is fine for the corporation, because in the end, all salespeople are its customers. They buy products from them to sell! And to found a successful corporation, especially one listed in NASDAQ, its founder needs to care very much for it. The fact the the founder is willing to risk the well-being of the corporation to do good is illogical. Usually, to do good, they just donate to charity or create charity funds, like Bill Gates. Therefore i do not trust MLM. Any other reasons to mistrust MLM is good, though i do not need more.
I have always thought of myself as gullible. I guess even straight-As students can be more gullible than I am. I just hope those guys ruling my country aren't this bad.
Wednesday, 21 February 2007
Rant 022 / What if the dildo short-circuits?
Europa Universalis III has such great music. In fact, the two reasons why I play it is because it's fun and the music is good. Andreas Waldetoft is the composer. The game is extremely replayable because no two games are ever the same. In one game I was able to annex Aragon and in the next I could barely avoid a war with my two neighbours Aragon and Portugal( I was playing as Castille both times).
Dominions III seems like a very good game. Full of interesting choices and it has a random map generator. You can choose the physical form of your god from a hell lot of choices and there are so many races to choose from. Replayability is very high for this game but on the other hand, this game requires much reading and understanding because there are just too many things to know in this game. The manual is over 300 pages long and is considered essential to a understanding this game in a day. Without a manual, the best you can do is download the demo which comes with a short manual that only teaches the basic mechanics of the game. To try the game without any of these 2 manuals is the best way to get frustrated and delete the game.
Today I did something I do not want to describe. It is such an extreme thing that I have absolutely no desire to say it. Therefore I will not say it. Do not expect me to type anything that says anymore about it here in this article. You will not see it. There is no way I will type it down here. Wish all you want, but I will not go any further than this. It was so incredibly ..... something, but I will not say what.
Survival of the fittest. It does not necessarily mean the fittest individual.
If a person is able to have one special superpower, which can be chosen from anything he can imagine, what is the best choice? The power to create anything from nothing. With this power, you can fly by creating more air under you and vacuum above you. You can blast any walls by creating matter between each molecule in the wall. You can create the greatest anything. You can be invisible by creating space-time distortions. Yes, I did say anything! Why do your think Christians and Jews saw God as a being who can create anything from nothing? With that power alone you can even be immortal by creating the right cells in your body!
Since Albert Einstein has stated that we cannot leave our Universe, and that physicists have compared this with the possibility of words jumping out of a page, what is that dimension that we are unable to move in? For the words, it would be the height/depth.
I tried to spread the link www.lightamillioncandles.com but no one really cares. No one cares about internet child porn. No one cares that those kids are not just getting raped, but getting raped on videos, for sale. Child porn is an incredibly sick concept. I do not understand why no one gives a damn. Have we become so numb to others' suffering? Child porn is worse than kids with Down's Syndrome, or people who lost their limbs in war, because they get to live a normal life, at least for a few decades. But think of those kids! The average age is only 9! And it's becoming lower! They haven't even learnt about puberty yet. They don't even understand why the men are fucking them! And what is left for them is either a mad life thereafter, or a short life that ends horribly from STDs.
Dominions III seems like a very good game. Full of interesting choices and it has a random map generator. You can choose the physical form of your god from a hell lot of choices and there are so many races to choose from. Replayability is very high for this game but on the other hand, this game requires much reading and understanding because there are just too many things to know in this game. The manual is over 300 pages long and is considered essential to a understanding this game in a day. Without a manual, the best you can do is download the demo which comes with a short manual that only teaches the basic mechanics of the game. To try the game without any of these 2 manuals is the best way to get frustrated and delete the game.
Today I did something I do not want to describe. It is such an extreme thing that I have absolutely no desire to say it. Therefore I will not say it. Do not expect me to type anything that says anymore about it here in this article. You will not see it. There is no way I will type it down here. Wish all you want, but I will not go any further than this. It was so incredibly ..... something, but I will not say what.
Survival of the fittest. It does not necessarily mean the fittest individual.
If a person is able to have one special superpower, which can be chosen from anything he can imagine, what is the best choice? The power to create anything from nothing. With this power, you can fly by creating more air under you and vacuum above you. You can blast any walls by creating matter between each molecule in the wall. You can create the greatest anything. You can be invisible by creating space-time distortions. Yes, I did say anything! Why do your think Christians and Jews saw God as a being who can create anything from nothing? With that power alone you can even be immortal by creating the right cells in your body!
Since Albert Einstein has stated that we cannot leave our Universe, and that physicists have compared this with the possibility of words jumping out of a page, what is that dimension that we are unable to move in? For the words, it would be the height/depth.
I tried to spread the link www.lightamillioncandles.com but no one really cares. No one cares about internet child porn. No one cares that those kids are not just getting raped, but getting raped on videos, for sale. Child porn is an incredibly sick concept. I do not understand why no one gives a damn. Have we become so numb to others' suffering? Child porn is worse than kids with Down's Syndrome, or people who lost their limbs in war, because they get to live a normal life, at least for a few decades. But think of those kids! The average age is only 9! And it's becoming lower! They haven't even learnt about puberty yet. They don't even understand why the men are fucking them! And what is left for them is either a mad life thereafter, or a short life that ends horribly from STDs.
Rant 021 / I Fart Weapons of Mass Destruction
Go to www.lightamillioncandles.com to sign the petition to end child pornography! You know you want that sick shit to end! Go there, light a candle and enter your name, country and email! That's all. No money needed and no viruses! And spread the link! Let the motherfucking pedophiles suffer!!!!!
A few days ago when I joined the G4B2S server for the HL mod Natural Selection, there was an interesting discussion on life. One guy was saying that if a person really wants to do something, he will be able to do it. A person is capable to doing anything if he wants to. Then another guy asked him if anyone can be a brain surgeon. He couldn't answer. This proves that some people do understand this, but just not deeply enough. The answer should have been yes. The fact is, will is not an ability that does any specific things, the way strength or IQ do. Will is an ability that amplifies an or all abilities that you need to use. Normal people have lifted cars with their bare hands to save their loved ones. That is normal strength, amplified by an immense amount of willpower. There are people who receive their first degree in their sixties. That is normal intelligence and diligence, amplified by their great willpower. Therefore, any person can be a brain surgeon, if they want it hard enough to have sufficient willpower. But you see, thinking you have enough will and actually having enough will are two different things! You can scream and shout in your mind that you have enough will to do this, but in the end only the actual amount of your willpower really matters. The less able you are in the required way, the more willpower you need. For a mentally retarded person to be a brain surgeon will require an amount of will so huge, he'd need more reason than just seeing his parents die and wanting to do something to stop that sort of things from happening to others. In fact, seeing everyone he know die may not be enough. So therefore, yes anyone can do anything they want to, but only if they want it hard enough.
There was a time in JC when a close friend of mine just dated his first girlfriend. And there was this time when I said something offensive about her, jokingly. He looked at me in a fierce way and told me to stop. And I looked back at him smilingly and asked," Are you telling me this because you want to, or because you think you're supposed to?" He couldn't answer, and broke up with her after a few weeks. The fact is, people often like to believe they have fallen for girls who look damn good. This way, it is often their lust affecting their decisions, instead of their love. This is a grave mistake that has killed many marriages. A guy must figure out if he really likes the girl for her vagina, or for her soul/mind. To me, the mind/soul is the most important, but the looks cannot be repulsive in any way. Beauty/cuteness will be a mere bonus to me. To date a girl for her looks is foolishness.
Another thing is that people often behave the way they think they should. They learn that sort of behaviour from TV and such and think that is the right way to be in life. They do not bother to figure out for themselves what they, themselves, really want to do.
To date a girl for sex antithetical to civilization and society. Civilized society is founded on the concept of marriage. Free sex basically doesn't seem right. If marriage is abolished to make way for free sex for all, most children will grow up with single parents, or two merely co-habiting parents who may leave anytime without guilt. As free sex becomes rampant, marriage will seem less like a viable choice to adults. People are already seeing marriage not as a necessity in life, but a way to receive the legal and financial incentives marriage offers. If these do not exist, marriage would already be a thing of the past. Pre-nuptial agreements, increasing divorce rates, acceptance of single parents in society. All these point towards the fact that marriage is gradually become less of an important part of life, and more of a novelty for first-timers. But people will do as people will. No matter what, Man never does anything that will kill himself.
A few days ago when I joined the G4B2S server for the HL mod Natural Selection, there was an interesting discussion on life. One guy was saying that if a person really wants to do something, he will be able to do it. A person is capable to doing anything if he wants to. Then another guy asked him if anyone can be a brain surgeon. He couldn't answer. This proves that some people do understand this, but just not deeply enough. The answer should have been yes. The fact is, will is not an ability that does any specific things, the way strength or IQ do. Will is an ability that amplifies an or all abilities that you need to use. Normal people have lifted cars with their bare hands to save their loved ones. That is normal strength, amplified by an immense amount of willpower. There are people who receive their first degree in their sixties. That is normal intelligence and diligence, amplified by their great willpower. Therefore, any person can be a brain surgeon, if they want it hard enough to have sufficient willpower. But you see, thinking you have enough will and actually having enough will are two different things! You can scream and shout in your mind that you have enough will to do this, but in the end only the actual amount of your willpower really matters. The less able you are in the required way, the more willpower you need. For a mentally retarded person to be a brain surgeon will require an amount of will so huge, he'd need more reason than just seeing his parents die and wanting to do something to stop that sort of things from happening to others. In fact, seeing everyone he know die may not be enough. So therefore, yes anyone can do anything they want to, but only if they want it hard enough.
There was a time in JC when a close friend of mine just dated his first girlfriend. And there was this time when I said something offensive about her, jokingly. He looked at me in a fierce way and told me to stop. And I looked back at him smilingly and asked," Are you telling me this because you want to, or because you think you're supposed to?" He couldn't answer, and broke up with her after a few weeks. The fact is, people often like to believe they have fallen for girls who look damn good. This way, it is often their lust affecting their decisions, instead of their love. This is a grave mistake that has killed many marriages. A guy must figure out if he really likes the girl for her vagina, or for her soul/mind. To me, the mind/soul is the most important, but the looks cannot be repulsive in any way. Beauty/cuteness will be a mere bonus to me. To date a girl for her looks is foolishness.
Another thing is that people often behave the way they think they should. They learn that sort of behaviour from TV and such and think that is the right way to be in life. They do not bother to figure out for themselves what they, themselves, really want to do.
To date a girl for sex antithetical to civilization and society. Civilized society is founded on the concept of marriage. Free sex basically doesn't seem right. If marriage is abolished to make way for free sex for all, most children will grow up with single parents, or two merely co-habiting parents who may leave anytime without guilt. As free sex becomes rampant, marriage will seem less like a viable choice to adults. People are already seeing marriage not as a necessity in life, but a way to receive the legal and financial incentives marriage offers. If these do not exist, marriage would already be a thing of the past. Pre-nuptial agreements, increasing divorce rates, acceptance of single parents in society. All these point towards the fact that marriage is gradually become less of an important part of life, and more of a novelty for first-timers. But people will do as people will. No matter what, Man never does anything that will kill himself.
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