Teaching

Teaching is really a unique job. Its one of the jobs whereby you really must have the passion. Its evident in the manner in which you go about your work.

Your job is to ensure the student understands, not just to clock time like a factory worker. You have to educate, to motivate, to impart skills and values.

Really underrated job.... tough shit job. But I guess no one really forgets the impact teachers have had on your life.

Piracy

This blog post pretty much sums up everything I have thought about the piracy problem "plaguing" the industry today. Give us what we want at a decent price and we'll gladly pay.

SOPA

Thank goodness SOPA is dead. SOPA would have seriously damaged the internet, closing down the openness that we know.

On a side note, the shut down by many prominent websites; more notable of them was Wikipedia; was a brilliant way of letting the masses know of the effect of SOPA.

But this is just one victory. They will be back....back before you know it.

Indifference

The opposite of love is not hate, its indifference....

I shall just stop fucking caring. No one gives a damn anyway

Dividend

Apple may be offering a dividend? Interesting....

Rest

Finally exams are over! Time for some much-needed rest! :D

Jobs

-Jonathan Mak

Its been about 10 days since the passing of Steven Paul Jobs. It has been a long emotional roller coaster these few days. From the initial denial, to a period of grieving and then acceptance and re-entry.

This is a man who didn't change the technology world, he created it. Just take a look at the things that we take for granted that were somehow related to him. The mp3 player, the personal computer, the laser printer, the digital camera. He took markets that existed and transformed it like the tablet market and the mobile phone market.

Then we have industries that are not tech related that he changed too. The ebook market, the digital content market and not forgetting the movie industry with Pixar.

He enabled the common man on the street to start creating content. He was not about the hardware, nor about the software. He was about the experience.

In his passing, instead of mourning his death, let us celebrate his life and carry on using his creations like he intended. Let us learn from him; His attention to detail for one, is unparalleled.

To the late Steven Paul Jobs...

Epoxide

Oh you cute little thing...why do you cheat my feelings so?

Screen

Saw this article last night. If its really the case, a lot of though was put into something seeming trivial like the size of the screen.

Steve

In Memory Of Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)
Genius beyond anything the world has known or seen. You remain an inspiration to all...

Life

In my life
There are so many questions and answers
That somehow seem wrong
In my life
There are times when I catch in the silence
The sigh of a faraway song
And it sings
Of a world that I long to see
Out of reach
Just a whisper away
Waiting for me.

Hectic

Busy ass semester it has been so far... only gonna get busier!

Mistake

Every man in the world makes this mistake....I shall aim to beat this statistic!

Stable

Stability...something that is desired by all living things. Actually, stability is also desired by non-living things. Even on the atomic level! Reactions can be predicted by looking at the relative stabilities of both products and reactants. Stability....if only it can be achieved with no side effects... Stability...

Tears

Oh 眼泪 眼泪都是我的体会 成长的滋味
Oh 眼泪 忍住眼泪不让你看见 我在改变
孤单的感觉 你从不曾发现 我笑中还有泪

First

with many more to come....

Bumps

What is a journey if things are smooth sailing without any hitches? It will only make the entire journey more memorable...but this is one hitch I never want to go through again.

SMRT

Amid news that SMRT and SBS Transit want to increase fares, I have this to say...

Show me that the fare increases are justified. I want to get on the train every morning without having to fight or miss trains. I want to know that the train I get on will not breakdown or be held up by one. I want a train with a proper air-conditioning system. Solved these three issues (among others) and I will gladly accept the increased fares as a way of improving for the customers.

Happy

Been really happy this past week...real true happiness :D

11:11

First 11:11 wish that came true...what an important one at that

Lion

Interesting press release from Apple found here.

Petitions

The latest petition I have seen online is one started to "Free The Dolphins" at RWS. It got me thinking, what is the use of such a petition.

The fundamental aim of any profit-making organization is precisely that, profits. It aims to maximize profits. If keeping dolphins in captivity allows them to increase revenue and as a by-product, increase profits, would a 1000-signature petition coerce them to free the dolphins? I highly doubt so. Not after much effort (A huge assumption here) was put into obtaining government approval and most definitely not after paying for the infrastructure to house them.

So, back to the main point. What is the purpose of such a petition? Awareness? But that can be easily achieved through articles that spread through social media portals like wildfire. Does having a certain number of signatures increase awareness? Doubt so. In fact, I feel most petitions are a waste of resources... resources that could be put to better use increasing awareness of the situation.

Want to free the dolphins? Simple. Spread the word to a large number of people such that they boycott the establishment. When it proves unprofitable, they will be released.

Macheist

Macheist has opened a new quest. This time on the iOS market. A 99cent app with a promise of a bigger payout. Interesting...

Physics

Never failed physics. Lets not disrupt the trend...

Force

Happy Star Wars Day!

Elections

The election period has brought with it a flurry of letters written to the Straits Times forum page. Some insightful, others pitiful. This is one excellent example.

Interesting how the writer says that former Government Scholars in the opposition is akin to children abandoning they parents. What moronic rubbish... I'll leave you to read and laugh at the opening few lines.

Table

Just found my dream table. Pity it has an insane price point.

Things

Cloud sync would just make Things brilliant...Have no need for the feature now, but I can see it will come in useful in the (near) future.

Aggrived

Read a post on The Temasek Review. When I read it, I felt really aggrived at how we are being viewed by foreigners that come to Singapore and gain citizenship. This ranks right up there with the lady who said that NSF's should be banned from taking public transport in light of the way they smell when they book out. Outrageous...

Torn

Where art thou?

iPad

iPad2 will be in Singapore in April :D

Awesome much

Wish

A dream is a wish your heart makes....

Lumbar

Stupid lumbar...

Tax

Haven't blogged in a while and thought I'd weigh in on Tharman's reply to Low Thia Khiang's suggestion to lower GST rates to 5%. The article can be found here.

Rebutting the first suggestion, Mr Tharman said the bulk of GST is collected from higher-income groups and foreigners, so cutting the rate would benefit them more.

He said that based on 2010 collections, the bottom 20 per cent of Singaporean income earners contribute only about 4 per cent of all GST paid, while the bottom 60 per cent contribute roughly 16 per cent.

It seems natural that those from a higher-income bracket would contribute a larger percentage of GST. After all, it is them who have the largest disposable income to spend. However, the crux of it shouldn't be which income bracket pays the most, but which income bracket pays the most as a percentage of their income.

GST hits the hardest on the lower income bracket. The rich are well able to afford the 7% GST that is levied. But are the poor able to sustain with that 7%? That is something to think about.

Insane

Insane looking To-Do list. And this is just the start of week 3...

Tart

Answers

Answers would be nice....most of all I need a sign.

Day of reckoning draws near...hope all goes well

Confused

What do I want?

Mistakes

There are no mistakes in life...only lessons

Painful painful lessons....

Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Smile

Smile when it hurts most...

Lost

Dreams lost, dreams found....Found? I hope...

Battle

This is Sparta!!!

Quote

For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest of these "it might have been"

Mechanisms

Now I know why all chemists die young....must be the mechanisms they had to remember

If I gave you the moon would you notice.....

枯萎

看你那时离走的情形，我眼泪往下掉。

Fallen

This should be interesting to those in the know.

往事只能回味

Fickle

The fickle minded never achieves anything.

I must not deviate from my ultimate aim...Must not!

Optimism

May the love hidden deep inside your heart find the love waiting in your dreams. May the laughter that you find in your tomorrow wipe away the pain you find in your yesterdays

Elation

Best response I have heard so far :D

Chance

Yet another chance goes begging...

Blank

洋葱

如果你愿意一层一层一层的剥开我的心
你会发现你会讶异
你是我最压抑
最深处的秘密

Vexed

Just cocked up my biochem midterm. Chickenshit motherfucker....it was carnage! Total anarchy!

Lets hope this week goes well....*crosses fingers*

Hope

Hoping beyond all hope. Don't let me down...

Alchemist

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve

Arnold

"Failure is not an option. Everyone has to succeed"
-Arnold

BonJovi

In the words of Bon Jovi,

Its now or never, I ain't gonna live forever.

Nano

I was at Epicentre recently and I got to play around with the new iPod Nano.

I have to say....terrible product.

Its probably the first Apple product that I have used that I don't have an intuitive feel of how to use the product. The clickwheel that we have all grown to love is removed. In its place, Apple has put in a capacitive touch screen. Admittedly, the screen is beautiful, but its too small to be used like an iTouch.

Bad product. I hope this doesn't spell disaster for Apple's line of products.

Ousted

If rumours are to be believed, things have come full circle :D

Indeed, The Best Is Yet To Be

Inspired

That hasn't happened for the longest time...

Morons

Piss me off early in the morning. Would it bloody kill you to ask? Morons....

Random

Meatballs!

Adipose

Something I have too much of...

Disease

One down....me next?

Outcome

Similar structure, similar reaction. This was a very simple piece of advice given to me by an acquaintance of mine with regards to organic reactions. Of course, there are exceptions.

Does it apply to real life situations? Similar situation, similar outcome? Lets hope it goes according to plan. Lets hope this is one exception.

错

爱到哪里都会有人犯错，希望错的不是我

Bread

Baking always makes me happy. :D

Rut

In another creative rut. Can't seem to take a compelling photo. FML.

Shall bake to distract myself. Banana bread....better turn out good!

Nike

I have signed up for the Nike 10km run. Now to start training...

Self-Worth

How is it measured? Who determines it?

I have seen countless examples in the gym of people who determines their self-worth by how much weight they lift, or how heavy the squat. Often, may I add, at the risk of injury while doing an incomplete repetition.

Why? Why is self-worth so important as a facade to others? Breaking apart the word, self-worth is merely a reflection of how much you are valued. Then the question comes, valued to yourself, or valued by others?

Why not live life as though others weren't around. After all, a real man makes the correct decisions when no one is looking...

Random ramblings I know, but I had to get it off my chest. Incoherent maybe....but it needed to be done.

Intangible

What an intangible piece of shit. How is it possible for anyone to fully understand it?

You know what, you can't. You can only try to accommodate the other party. It takes two hands to clap.

Intangible piece of shit.

Fear

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

How? Always caught between a rock and a hard place. Is there a connection? May there is, maybe there isn't. I have my gut feel, but that isn't always a very accurate thing.

Damn it, why do I always try and sabotage everything when it comes to this juncture. Unsure? Maybe... Afraid? Definitely... But fear is what keeps us going...

Oh well, 一步一步来，一天一天看.

After all,

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Signs

Why are the signs are always so mysterious? You never know if you read them right...

Feelings

Are feelings quantifiable? Can they be measured?

Once again, all questions and no answers...

Cookies

Desperado

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day

Really meaningful song. Something for me to think about. Me and all the stupid mistakes that I have made.

After all, I only want the one that I can't get.

Such is the depth of my utter foolishness.

Dream

Sándor Ferenczi, a Hungarian psychoanalyst, once proposed that a dream may communicate an idea that is not being said outright. If that is right, I must have a lot of ideas not being communicated.

Paradigm

Leonard: "Oh God, I am the bad fish!"

Cinnamon

Love

I was recently asked if I loved a certain individual. The first thing that I thought of was this poem.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with a passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

This is such an elegantly written poem, speaking volumes of what true love is all about. But hidden in the recesses of my mind, there is this thought... but at the moment, it is merely a thought. And if things continue the way it has been, that is all that it will ever be...just a thought.

Wish

Its 11:11, make a wish!

Untitled

I shall change the title when I think of one...

How do I go about it without fucking it up again? I wonder...

Actually, most of the time, I do not fuck it up, it fucks up around me....though the last one was entirely my doing through a very thoughtless act. Stupid stupid me.

But yes...all questions and no answers....Feels just like my econs exam.

Opportunities

What hurts the most is not having the opportunity, but having the opportunity presented to you on a silver platter but you not taking it. The regret is immense...

But what to do? Such is how life plays out. Such is how the roller coaster of life will carry you. Through the up and downs of life, we all just gotta stay positive. Look forward and capture all opportunities that we have from now on.

Unemployed

Well, I'm now unemployed. Taking a short rest before starting uni.

Coincidentally, I'm down with conjunctivitis. Means I really need to rest. Finally some sleep after all these months of late nights and early mornings.

Rest

Due to a recent spate of injuries and FOC that I have just attended, I have taken a 12 day sabbatical from any form of gym work. Tomorrow is the day I will test myself, though I already know that I have lost a lot of muscle mass.

On a side note, FOC was insane!

Zeiss

This is really cool! Zeiss on an iPhone 4.0!

Its not about whether it makes sense or not. I would want to do it just because I can.

Effect

Its amazing the effect you have on me. But its only you...

Inefficiency

So we suffer because of your inefficiency and inadequate, substandard planning?

Screw you!

Indifference

The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference

Work

只要功夫深，铁棒磨成针!

Work at it!

Squat

"Yes, if you squat wrong it fucks things up. If you squat correctly, those same fucked-up things will unfuck themselves."
-Mark Rippetoe

Conundrum

Stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Decisions.

Idealism

I wanna know...have you ever seen the rain.

Talk about fading idealism and dying dreams. Dreams of glory. Passionate goals.

Strive!

We must achieve!

PacMan

Read an article here which states that the number on man hours wasted on the Google PacMan logo amounted to $120m US Dollars. Interesting read.

Backup

Saw this on a website that I frequent. Seems really useful. Much better than the IDE-to-USB connectors, albeit more expensive. But this would solve the heat problem with a standard hard disk, along with the lack of messy cables running round

Revelation

Was reading random articles on Wikipedia and I suddenly saw it. It was like a revelation.

Pythagoras Theorem is a derivative of the Rule Of Cosines

Efficiency

Its amazing how some people think that using Ctrl-C & Ctrl-V is doing things efficiently.

Using a built-in command to compile...THAT is efficiency.