The Art of...

Some people are just rather bad at handling situations. Much as one may feel that one's pride is at stake, one should know when one must swallow that pride in favour of survival. As the Art of War mentions, a weak force cannot possibly take on a superior force head-on. To do so is to invite disaster. One will have quite a time trying to go up against an established system merely on willpower and little else. It takes extensive planning, research and yet more field testing before a technique can be applied in any moderately effective manner. There is an art to life, and some would do well to learn that.

Our Accepting Society

It would seem that society prefers people who just accept their lot in life. Then again, it's probably preferred just because it makes things simpler. For some reason, one's given name is taken to be more "respectable" than one's chosen name. Just as the birth certificate is often the document that should not be amended under any circumstances, bar irregularities in initial recording. There should be no reason why one should merely accept the name one was given at birth, except perhaps to keep in touch with childhood friends. Apart from that, a name is as good as any other, chosen or otherwise.

Quests

An unknown item has no form and thus may take any form the seeker wants. Thus, the seeker may well be deceived into believing that the item in question was really found, when it was not. Such deceptions are common, especially when one truly wishes to own the item, and the desire is enough to override any wariness or intuition one may have regarding it. Given such threats, one should seek to maintain wariness at all times, even when the objective seems to be within one’s grasp.

Active Players

If one is aware of the consequences of one's actions, can one ever be truly neutral in a bilateral conflict? There is no true neutrality once one has this knowledge, for inaction is implicitly assistance in the opposite direction. Yet, is it possible to be an uninvolved neutral, instead of a player with objectives?

We, The Consumers

We are what we consume. Or rather, we are what others perceive ourselves to be, according to what we consume. One who consumes items positively dripping with snob appeal would invariably have some rubbed off on that person. One can consume an absolutely delightful piece of what that individual deems as fine art, yet receive no recognition whatsoever, for that judgement was limited to the consumer. Likewise, comics have so long been locked in as the new media of the younglings and uncultured that the mere consumption of such material invites only disdain from those who think they understand high culture. It was so inextricable, in fact, that "graphic novels" were used as a term in lieu of "comics" when it came to serious worded illustrations.
While it may be unfair to lump "serious" comics together with funny comics due to the fact that the word "comic" implies humor, it is of significance that a whole new term has to be created in order to segregate oneself from the apparently low cultural value of "comics". As such, the extent to which one consumes cultural works of high cultural value will be the extent to which one is perceived to be cultured and, occasionally, erudite. We are what we consume, and that is but one means by which authoritarian figures can manipulate the masses. Everything has a basis, and authority is often the basis by which judgements are made.

"I may have drawn an ax being raised in this example, but I'm not the one who let it drop or decided how hard the blow, or who screamed, or why. That, dear reader, was your special crime, each of you committing it in your own style. All of you have participated in the murder. All of you held the ax and chose your spot. To kill a man between panels is to condemn him to a thousand deaths." Scott McCloud

Violence in Dreams

It is rare, a night when I do not put my pillow to my head and dream at least one dream of violence. Almost every night I am attacked, and fend off attackers. It is almost as if I am in training. I have since lost my fear in such situations. I no longer run when attacked. There is only the joy of battle, and the satisfaction that comes when terminating the threat. No, Fenris does not like playing violent games or watching violent movies.

Humans and Change

Humans fear change. Humans love certainty. In view of this, it is fairly obvious why humans would rather base their assessment and regulation of new phenomena on existing phenomena rather than create a whole new paradigm by which their judgments are made. They do not wish to be thrust into the unknown that creating a new paradigm entails. This regulates the pace of change and simultaneously holds progress back. There can be no radical new paradigm to revolutionize the way people operate, except perhaps by a fluke.

It's Back!

Yes. I got my MSI GeForce GT 6800 back today. I don't know what those repair guys did with my card, but it works fine now. From what I see, they either put the heatsink through a thorough polishing, or they installed a new one. Anyway, the idle temperature is back at a healthy 59 degrees idle (compared to a 70 degrees idle pre-repair). The faulty card they loaned to me had a similarly high idling temperature. I suppose this would lead to overheating once the card is on load. I'm unsure. Anyway, it's the exam season so I'll put the card through some proper testing later on. Yay =p

Outings and Guys

It's nice to go march around the town and have a spot of shopping at the book sale and apparel sale right next to the book sale. It's nice even if you don't buy anything. That's the beauty of it all. Anyway, it's exam season so I didn't buy anything. (Why? I don't know.)

It's remarkably simple to keep most guys in conversation. Start 'em up on their favourite topic (even one you're clueless about) and just egg 'em on with supportive words and nodding as if you're not lost. The problem with this is that loud guys tend to like to repeat their own jokes in slightly varied forms (apparently, this increases the humor value). Simply put, just let your mind take a break when the topic isn't to your interest. Smart guys won't bore you, and those that do are easy to keep entertained anyway.

The Proletariat Should Learn to Invest!

There is no doubt about it: The proletariat must learn to invest. The reason the proletariat never managed to have their revolution is because they have never managed to hold a unified front against their capitalist oppressors. Moreover, the proletariat still need their income and many are unwilling to risk what little they have to become jobless and then re-saddled with their problems. The problem with the capitalist world is that inventions enable machines to do the work of many people. Yet it does not make business sense to pay the machine operator the salaries of those displaced people in order to properly compensate that operator. Hence, it is inevitable that the proletariat are paid less than what they produce. This also means that the proletariat have to loan their equipment to the companies in order to be paid exactly what their work is worth. Then again, it is not possible for a commoner to be able to afford to loan the construction crane that she operates to the company. The company may choose to buy the crane rather than rent it anyway. An alternative would be to start a highly profitable company and become a capitalist. Not everyone can make a company survive, let alone become profitable. Given the current economic system, it is only possible for the proletariat to loan their funds to the capitalists i.e buying their shares. That way, they own a small part of the company they work in, or the company they have confidence in. It is, in effect, loaning that computer to the office, so that part of the work the computer does is channeled back to the worker. Short of another global revolution, this is the best solution.

Strange

In that dream, my eyes were entirely white. I looked in the mirror and saw no pupils or irises. Just whiteness. I thought I was blind, yet I saw this. Strange as it was, I didn't need eyes to see.

I was at a ruins. They opened the door. It was a door standing by itself in the ruins. The dead cat came to life, and fled in fear. As did the other animals and people in the area. I watched curiously on, not finding anything worth being afraid of.

Parents Are Clueless

Yes that's true, even for those who actually like their parents. Well...for mine anyway. Granted, they're nice and kind and all that. The problem is, they kinda figure that kindess and providing whatever the child needs is quite sufficient. Frankly, I think they should learn to find the root of their childrens' emotional issues and at least talk it over. That is, if the children are even willing to talk about it. It's far worse if the children want to say something, but the parents refuse to hear it for what it is. Proper emotional support cannot be replaced by pure material support. I guess some should just learn this simple thing.

The Voice of the People

The voice of the people must never be silenced in a country that is not a dictatorship. The people choose their governments. They are not being ruled by some dictatorial fist of iron. There should be no reason why the citizens of a nation should have no right to voice their opinions on politics, regardless whether they have government sanction to do so. After all, everyone should be free to critique the leaders they chose to represent them in managing the country. The day people give in to the whims of their leaders on such issues is the day when others will know just how much of their control they have surrendered to their "leaders". At a word, people do silly things. All it takes for dumb people to succeed, is for the smart people to do nothing about it.

The Principle of Materials

Each material has a set of properties that will govern its usefulness in a given context. There are specific situations and uses for a material. One who knows how to will use silver and gold appropriately and glean the maximum benefit from their use. Others will just use them to make pretty, albeit useless, patterns. I have found a perfect magical ward that keeps physical beings away: It's called a Brick Wall. It's fairly simple to make and it keeps all but the most determined or miniscule physical creatures out of your circle.

Individuality

Individuality is a private thing. People want to be individuals only because they think being a part of the formless masses is a desirable goal. They do not seem to take into consideration the extent to which their actions serve to make them true individuals. Slipping a lazy moment or three past the boss whilst at work may be a small act of rebellion, but does very little to further one's individualism beyond the self-satisfaction of knowing that one did something that one should not. If one truly hates the job, one should assign oneself days off from time to time. That is an expression of what one truly is. A small fashion "slip-up" like a slightly shorter skirt may be an act of rebellion, yet an adherence to "extreme" fashion may just be one's conformity to what one believes is a subculture that brings out one's individuality. Simply put, every "individual" is just an individual cog in the greater economic system. Individuality is an illusion, and an entirely private enterprise. A true individual learns to be an individual without having to prove it to others.

The Razer Krait!

Yes...I've given in to impulse buying and bought myself a Razer Krait. I know that it isn't the very best laser mouse on the market and isn't for those crazy FPS gamers, but I think it's mighty precise and suitable for my purposes. Moreover, it's got a delightful golden glow! I don't think I'll ever figure out how to use a mouse with 7 buttons, or how I'm going to get used to a 3 button mouse after I am actually used to a 7 button monster. =p Anyway, I think it's a fine deal for a laser mouse, given the prices that the competitors are offering. Moreover, the color matches my black keyboard.

The Basis of Judgement

All judgement has to be made on the basis of something. Something cannot be judged as "right" or "wrong" without a sound basis by which each conclusion can be reached. Fashion is a sort of judgement, too. I'm beginning to suspect that most guys have "poor" fashion sense not because they're entirely color blind, but perhaps because they never learned a sort of fashion sense that is "acceptable" to most other people who believe that they have some sort of fashion sense. I think media imagery has a large impact on how we view ourselves. If what we wear does not conform to what we see and "know" as something that looks "good", then we feel that it looks bad. If the cutting of a dress is just a few angles too shallow, it doesn't look good. Glamour is probably an overriding factor in this, however, since some absurd stuff worn by celebrities seems to become fashionable overnight. Hence, there is no fixed basis by which fashion is judged. Corsets may be fashionable one day, yet be totally unwelcome another, only to make a comeback sometime in the future. I say...wear what's comfortable...and affordable. heh.

I Need A New Keyboard!

Fenris is a total technological disaster area. Fenris has managed to damage the spacebar when removing it for cleaning. Now I have a mushy spacebar that works about 75% of the time. Anyway...this keyboard has a *disgusting* amount of dirt and hair in it. I dare say that it has more hair than I do on my head (which is a LOT). Um...never ask me to repair technological stuff. Yes...it tends to break down for no apparent reason. That, or perhaps I just have a way of getting poor technological items.