Fuel Price Adjustment.

We finally have it - the reduction of the pump price for petrol and diesel. Many people will rejoice over this but the question is, SHOULD they?

When the price of petrol and diesel went up, the prices of almost everything else went up in tandem - it was not the price increase of petrol/diesel that was the killer but the price increase of everything else. Now that the price DECREASED do you seriously think that the prices of other things will follow suit? Fat hope. Therefore, what good is it to decrease the price of petrol and diesel? Just so that when the price goes up to RM2.70 again there will be another excuse for another round of price increase?

Instead of decreasing the price of petrol and diesel, the government should use the money saved in the subsidy payout to improve the efficiency with which we are using petrol and diesel in general and the development/improvement of the public transport system so that more people can be transported with very much less use of petrol and diesel. Boo to the government for adopting a populistic but backward move with regards to the management of our fuel resources.

A New Look at the world.

If I have seen you these last two days, you will probably notice me looking you up and down and then settle on a tilt of my head that would put you just past the end of my nose. No, I have not struck the lottery. I got myself a new pair of spectacles - my first multifocal lens spectacles. Even the term multifocal isnt exactly what it may be - the manufacturer prefers the term varifocal. To see clearly, I have to place objects in the right focus of the multi-vari focal lens. As such, I am limited to a very narrow field of vision and will have to adjust my head to see things in their proper perspective. That is a mighty blow to my ego - now that I can see things in their proper perspective, able to view an issue in my mind's eye from various angles and at different level, my sole visual imput is limited to such narrow angles, ranges and scope (at least at any given time). Not so long ago, say 30 years or so (long is a very subjective thing), my visual capabilities is best described by my present mental capabilities and vice-versa my mental capabilities then equates to my present visual capabilities. Guess that is even for the course until the inevitable - both my visual and mental capabilities will deteriorate until ..........

Educational Systems in Malaysia

People here actually believe that there are two types of knowledge and/or learning disciplines, namely the Arts and the Sciences. The smarties are the left brainers - logical, calculating, sequential, analytical etc and all the smart students, especially those who do well in the 'science' subjects, are streamed to the Science stream. From there on, they will become the future scientists, doctors, architects, engineers etc. The not so smart ones, (meaning the leftovers from those who do not qualify for the science stream) will go into the Art Stream where they will study mundane, memorisisng subjects like history, geography, literature, accounts and will count themselves lucky if they get a job doing general things like administration, teaching, and anything else remote from what they actually studied. This is the fate of the right brainers - people who are intuitive, random, subjective, in touch with feelings rather than logic to the point of being illogical.

Of course, everyone wants to be a professional, to be left brained and successful, wielding powers of logic and lording it over the illogical right brainers. Unfortunately, our world is not so logical. Ten years down the line, the brightest of the professionals will be working under (earning less pay, subordinate to) their not so smart right brainers, who by virtue of their adminstrative positions are able to lord it over their so-called smarter counterparts of old. Wouldnt it therefore strike these left brainers that, contrary to what is logical, it is better to be 'stupid' and be illogical (at least pretend to be) and join the right-brainers in the study of the Arts and become administrators to fast track up the social ladder. In fact, that illogical line of action must therefore be the logical thing to do. So far, not many takers from the logical left-brainers who believe that their aptitude and knowledge areas are far superior to that of the lower life-form of right brainers and that they will never want to demean themselves to study the Arts. They will, and must, ultimately rise to the top of the social pile, as logic says that they will.

I dont believe in that crap of course. To me, any study matter is neutral - what we make out of the facts/information that we get from our learning is that which matters. Long after the information/facts gets superceded (yes, information today has very short shelf lives) the ability we develop in processing and using the information to solve problems will remain with us - to be used on the new information that we will be recieving. Arts and Science distinction blurs when actual problems are faced. And yet, in this illogical world, we categorise and stream people into Arts and Science people and setting up barriers which may be beyond the capability of an individual to break through and thus condemn him/her into a certain pattern of life and thought.
Which is why education in Malaysia stinks (among many other reasons)

My First Time

Time is money. If that is so, I should be among the rich because I have had lots of time to my account (absolute measure) and now lots of time to spend (relative measure). But I have yet to see my time turn to money. Blogging should be natural to me - the type who talk before they think. A long time ago, wise and well meaning elders have drilled into me that one should look before they leap. I have followed that advice as well as I could. It worked too - I did not generally get into any trouble. That, however, was the trouble. Not only did I not get into trouble, I did not get into anything. Until a wiser (or more foolish) source added - "Look if you will, but leap you must". So now its "Geronimo, here I come, ready or not". I used to worry about what would happen when I land - now other people have to worry about what will happen when I land. Yes, that included bruised shins and scrapped knees but things happened. So bloggers, here I am in Blogsphere- ready or not.