The Nature of Discrimination

Nature has a way of promoting diversity. What better way of promoting this diversity than by causing humans to have an innate xenophobia. Anyone with differently colored skin is Other, and thus should be treated with wariness. In the absence of interracial couplings, people can develop along their individual racial trajectories and maintain the separateness that persists to the modern day.

However, is this a true promotion of diversity? Suppose the genes that promote survival of some horrible future disease reside only within a particular race. Other "pure-blooded" peoples do not have access to this gene and die out as a result. What a waste of genetic diversity. It just does not seem to be practical.

A more logical view, perhaps, would be the residue of ancestral wariness. The same wariness that prevents cunning strangers from stealing or murdering on one's land. Given that this is not a universal trait, it is probably an offshoot of wariness bred of selfishness.

In my opinion, racism is merely the fear of the unknown taken too far. Everyone fears the unknown simply because it is uncertain. But given that humans are thinking creatures, they should be able to overcome this fear by the force of logic. It is unfortunate, therefore, that a good number of humans are either unaware of this innate fear or are unwilling to do anything about it.

Reproduction. What A Disadvantage.

Society deems fit to discriminate against half of the population. By common knowledge, half of the population is obviously feeble, fragile and essentially useless. Unfortunately, this feeble, week half (which is often a majority) is also responsible for incubating foetuses and bringing children up. What gives! Strangely enough, the non-incubatory humans feel that it is only right that since they are crippled enough to not be able to reproduce by themselves, they should view others with this ability as somehow disabled. I suppose humans would quit reproducing next, since it's obviously unnecessary.

Instead of viewing childbearing and child upbringing as a disadvantage of sorts (in economic terms), why not view it as an ability unique to approximately half of humans? After all, poorly brought up children tend to grow up to be unpleasant individuals. The population would dwindle without children surviving beyond childhood. How, then, can half of humanity possibly be the weaker half

Better? Than?

Better? What is better? Much of human endeavors are really driven by a pursuit of power. Indicating that the path one follows is "better" is but another way to gain power over others. Some things are believed in simply because they are "better". However, it becomes oppressive then one's perceptions of "better" are being imposed on others, possibly in an effort to override others beliefs.

Work is necessary. If there was no need for the work, no such work would be generated. However, some jobs are seen to be "better" than others, solely based on their earning powers. Something that has great economic value may in fact have low social value. Hence, what is good or not so good is merely defined by the needs and circumstances surrounding it. There is no objective definition of "better".

B&J

I was at the convenience store and found that Ben and Jerry's ice cream was on discount. Reduced price for two pints of the stuff. (Un)fortunately, the label for the discount said "Ben & Jelly's Ice Cream". I really laughed out loud there and then. Sometimes, I think even convenience store staff should make an effort to ensure that their items are correctly labelled. Saves a lot of trouble in the long run.

The Equinox, And My Sabbat

It is the Autumn Equinox now. For all of you who care...happy sabbat! Actually, I feel like a barbarian for not keeping in tune with the earthly cycles. I nearly totally forgot about the evenest day of the year due to my really packed week just before this. I merely declared this to be a personal sabbath due to the hard work. Guess my internal clock is also aware of the time of year and nagged at me to get celebratory.

Ok um I'm not really sure how I'm gona celebrate this. Given that I live in the city, there aren't that many green areas for me to go around and basically say hi to the world. And my parents probably wouldn't approve of some elaborate ritual. I'm not prepared for one anyway. Hmm. Guess I'll just sit pretty and be happy that the winter herald has sounded the horn.

Making Things Right

How can you make things right when you were born wrong? Some things by birth will not be corrected no matter how much medical science intervenes, even if things go perfectly well. No matter how much you compensate in life, things just aren't the same. It's a bit like being born disabled and having go move around on crutches of some sort. You may be good at what you do, yet will never be in the league of those who were born "normal".

Making Things Right

How can you make things right when you were born wrong? Some things by birth will not be corrected no matter how much medical science intervenes, even if things go perfectly well. No matter how much you compensate in life, things just aren't the same. It's a bit like being born disabled and having go move around on crutches of some sort. You may be good at what you do, yet will never be in the league of those who were born "normal".

Egg Jams Ahoy

Yes. It's that half-time of semester again. Mid-term tests and all that rot. Well, for me, it's just one mid term. But after last semester's mid-term fiasco, I'm fairly determined to get this one done right. It's terrible to make a mistake early in the semester that you can't recover from no matter how hard you work for the rest of the semester. Gambatte, Fenris! *pumps pom poms*

On The Train

I was thinking about how some people can let go so easily. A relationship breaks up and suddenly a girl has a new boyfriend. I mean, it's not as if I'm a part of it, but it really does seem awfully shallow. Kinda like tossing out tissue paper. I don't think I can ever understand how people can profess to want a long term relationship and suddenly cut it off as if it were a one night stand.

I heard something disturbing on the train. A woman was talking about how one of her ex's had just graduated and wasn't actively seeking a job. He was, apparently, playing computer games and basically bumming at home. She remarked that she was glad that she left him before that. It's terrible how career-obsessed some people can be. I mean c'mon...studying isn't exactly the most fun thing in the world (until you see the working world), but that doesn't mean that one is obliged to charge into the job market as soon as one graduates... Perhaps if one was strapped for cash, but I think people are entitled to slack off after their graduations, male or female. I guess it's probably less socially acceptable for guys to do it 'coz society expects them to be the breadwinners. Too bad =p

Machiavellianism!

People like to be deceived. White lies make lives easier. Sometimes, it can get so bad that when someone asks, "Do I look good in (insert outfit)?", they really expect you to say "Yes" or something positive. And that's even if they look so-so or even slightly bad in them. I guess they'd take it better if they looked downright awful in the outfit, but I somehow doubt that.

In fact, it has been found that people who know when to lie, and are able to conceal the fact that they're lying, get ahead in life better than those who can't! How about that. Gratuitous praise and pandering do help, and that's even when people are aware of it.

It's hardwired into the human psyche to appreciate praise, apparently.

The Devil Wears Prada!

*** Possible Spoilers Ahead****

I watched The Devil Wears Prada today. I really loved the show. On the surface, it appears to be portraying the fast-paced and uncaring world of a fashion magazine company. A world where people get stomped on, crawl over one another to achieve success and basically have little fun doing what they do.

In comes little Andrea. Girl next door, basically a fashion idiot. In fact, she should be the first that the boss Miranda would kick out. (Kinda reminds me of myself. Basically banking on personal skills and qualifications, knowing zip about fashion.) Anyway, she somehow manages to pull off the impossible requirements her boss piles upon her (Kinda like how Asok from Dilbert gets oushed about) and gains her boss' grudging favour. In fact, she manages to surpass and effectively usurp Emily's position as the favoured personal assistant to the boss. Towards the end of the story, the boss does some heavy duty politicking to maintain her position as chief editor of the fashion magazine Runway, and effectively pushing her competitor into a (more lucrative) position as an editor-in-chief of another magazine. She manages to deny Nigel (a fashion advisor) his long-awaited promotion due to this maneuver. Andrea finally realizes that she is not cut out for this cut-throat world, and effectively thumbs her nose at the boss when she finally walks out.

I like this story because it is about being true to oneself. What Andrea pulled off in a year was more than Nigel achieved in 18 years because she knew what she wanted. Nigel was basically biding his time and letting the boss make all the moves for him. Andrea did that at first because she felt that she "had no choice". She realized later on that she did indeed have a choice, and that she was making choices even though she felt forced into making them. That's a fact of life anywhere, I suppose.

Miranda first appears as an imposing figure, almost like a Margaret Thatcher. She is strong, nonchalant and highly successful. She knows her powers and wields them to their fullest extent. However, we are exposed to her weakness mid-story, when she shows some emotion and rather drab fashion sense after having a hard time with her divorce. She's been through numerous divorces, apparently, and all possibly job-related. I guess this vulnerability helped awaken Andrea to the reality of what her boss is really going through. It's definitely paved a way for her to relate to her boss. Miranda suddenly seems so much more human.

In truth, Andrea is a lot more like Miranda than she realizes. Though she was never the sort to really enjoy the cut-throat world in Runway, she knows what she wants as surely as Miranda knows what she wants. And she is willing to take steps to get that. She denies apparent success in something she does not enjoy, and even stays loyal to the guy she loves (yeah!). Granted, this may seem rather overly dramatic, but it is what I've always wanted out of my life. Andrea never wanted to let the company get to her head, and made efforts to break away once she realized that she was becoming like the Clackers.

I have a fear. That fear is losing my self. One invariably changes with the times. However, how can one be sure that one is not changing her true nature just to accomodate success, society or any number of factors that taint one's life. I do not wish to encounter a day when I look at myself, and don't know who I am anymore. Worse yet, I don't want to know that I can't go back to how I was because I do not remember.

Them Democracies

A democracy is difficult to manage. If we have to poll the population every time a decision is to be made, no timely decisions can be made. Hence, the "experts" are left to make the decisions on the behalf of the people who voted them. What, however, happens if the people decide that the elected governors are making decisions that are not in accordance to popular opinion? People like to leave things be when they can. If a decision is largely unpopular yet not intensely bad enough to forment dissent, then it will not be opposed. Thus the beginning of an inching towards control of the public the government was elected to serve. Out of fear of creating instability, the tenuous position of a government approaching authoritarianism is maintained by maintaining the status quo as far as possible. "Deviant" populations are not supported. Minorities are marginalized. And all this to satisfy the majority. Because of the reality of the difficulty of polling the public, the government feels free to guess at what the population really wants. If the people insist on remaining silent on everything from discrimination to wars, then there will be no end to the problem of "democratic" leadership. Democracy is a lofty goal that has never been truly extant.

Goodbye, Steve Irwin

What a way to start a day. I never expected Steve Irwin to go like this, really. A modern day Croc Dundee minus the bowie? I expected something like a serious crocodile mauling or perhaps a black widow spider at least. One in a billion. Guess that suits a guy like him anyway. Let's not go out the usual way, eh? I'll miss you, and all those wonderful shows and stuff. I still can't believe you're gone. Crikey!

Expensive Paper

Why is glossy photo paper so much more expensive than regular paper? Because the quality really shows! I had two printouts at the same max quality level that my printer can handle, and the one on "regular" paper was all washed out, and the one on gloss paper was a whole lot more vibrant. Looks like I'll be using that as an investment for my school projects. Print quality counts!

Modern life is built upon exploitation. If it isn't the unpaid labour of humans, it's the unpaid labour of machines. Machines work without pay, and the non-pay works out to cheaper goods and fat company accounts. Machines replace human labour, but the humans aren't getting paid for not working. Hence, we have the wonderful scenario where increasing numbers of humans are being gainlessly unemployed. Humans are inventing themselves out of work. Worse yet, they're inventing themselves out of their own incomes.

Our generation comes from a race of conquerors. One must dominate to be considered to be successful. Power becomes the measure against which humans are gauged. Interestingly, power is no longer by brute force alone, even though some persist in believing that military might will solve everything. Perhaps it is time that humanity realized that its two halves are really equal, and should use their natural expertise to the fullest extent possible.