Communication Paradox

Its sad. Yes it is. It's sad that man, being at the top of the animal kingdom hierarchy, is slowly losing his ability to physically socialize. With the advent of computers and the digital revolution, the vast majority of people in the first world are no longer talking. Mst people in fact are doing the exact opposite!

While the digital revolution has certainly made our lives more convenient, it brings forth a new realm of communication paradox. Speech is becoming a thing of the past. Plan conversation is being replaced by instant messaging. More and more people are resorting to emailing rather than calling their friends.

We have engulfed ourselves to the very abyssmal frontier of 21st communication called cyberspace. Sad but true. The worse it yet to come.

Houston Thoughts - December 2, 2005

These words were penned during one of my recent trips to Houston, Texas. I am posting it here for posterity-sake.

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December 2, 2005

Part-fantasy and part-reality. These are the exact words I would describe the moment I stepped into the fabled roadways of Houston, Texas.

Visiting one of my old friends in Houston proved to be a big treat for us hikers. A night of darts, driving and dancing can even make the season road-veteran crinch. Nonetheless, we were billeted well and had one of the most meomorable experience ever!

Houston is not a place for the faint-hearted. Or so I thought. JJ (my friend) was telling stories of street gangs, crime rate hike and the like. But I was not discouraged. What else is new in America these days. In fact, I am even more intrigued. I mean, such phenomenon almost always exist in any one city in America anyway.

And like most American cities, Houston is often known as a haven for gangs. If a person does not fall into the trap early, fine. But for people with strong emotional attachments to his/her race or culture, gangs are a way to establish belongingness, oneness and sense of importance in an otherwise individualistic dog eats dog society. Asians, blacks and most other minority migrants seem to share a common angst againts the dominant class.

Hence the resentment contained, suppressed until eventually exploding into a vast array of crimes, petty and all. Having to witnessed one myself at close range myself makes you wonder why such human tendencies still plague humanity for ages!

It is an irony. Or opportunity masked as one?

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On Philantrophy

The economist magazine ran an article on philantrophy on their March 2006 issue. It featured top 10 donors the world has never seen. People like Bill Gates and George Soros, among others, are listed.

However, if you examine closely, their perspective borders on the absurd to the hilarious. The article espouses the generosity of these people and heralds their charitable intentions sans the strings attached.

What the magazine failed to discuss is that somehow, these supermegaultrarich magnates are in fact avoiding being taxed by the government. Instead of giving away their monies to the government, they'ed rather set-up foundations one after the other. In the end, circumvention of the law under the auspices of generosity.

Cheap ploy and very misleading to the uninitiated!

Teen Idealism

I read a riveting Christian book written by a Chinese Malaysian Pastor and his wife. One topic discussed in his book which caught by attention is about Teen Idealism!

I was literally fixated on his ideas! Specifically on the issue of teen violence, identity crisis and the like. It dawned on me the potential pitfall and hurdles I'm about to face with my 2 upcoming teenage boys.

A few more years and these pieces of advise would be the perfect dose for me. Well, taking it just one day at a time.