There used to be a time when you looked at a computer catalog, thought to yourself "oh, this one's a Pentium III 550 MHz" which would probably be faster than another cheaper one labeled 'Pentium III 500 MHz'.
There was also a time when if the rump of a BMW said 325i, you knew full well it was a 3-series with a 2.5 litre engine. The same goes for their compatriots and rivals Mercedes Benz; an E 230 should be an E-class with a 2.3.
But no. This isn't the case anymore. Intel, AMD, BMW, MB, and many more leaders in their respective industries have resorted to using seriously confusing names, and have done so in equally confusing ways.
I can understand lying to name a car 335i despite it having a 3.0, because the 3.0 is turbocharged and therefore not just a 3.0. Mercedes also does this: their 63 AMGs are actually 6.2, and their 65 AMGs are 6.0 but with twin turbos. This sort of makes sense. Maybe they don't want to name their cars 330i TURBO. Perhaps they like a little subtlety.
But then you have the baffling case of the opposite, like the (facelifted, W 211) E 240. Sure, it was a 'step up' from the E 230, since everybody wants a bigger engine nowadays. But instead of shoving in a 2.4, you put in a 2.6-litre V6. What's wrong with naming the car, gee, I dunno, maybe E 260? The realization that it's not what it seemed was even more painful in a country like Malaysia, where our road tax is based on the engine's capacity.
Now you wanna add in sDrive and xDrive. Fine, maybe xDrive makes sense, since you want people to know this car/SUV has all-wheel drive. But why would you want your car to say sDrive, when all it really means is just 'plain old rear wheel drive'? Why?
And then you have microprocessors. It used to just be all about the clock speed. But now we have to take so much more information into account. How many cores (one? two? three? four? six? eight?). What's the front side bus like. How much L2 cache. Any L3 cache? DDR2 only or DDR3 capable? And since every single industry is under pressure by the green squad, you have the low energy versions. In short, you have a lot to deal with. But it's not that hard to come up with a naming system that makes sense.
Intel went from the understandable Pentium line, to the bullshit we have today. First it was Core Solo and Core Duo. Then Core 2 Solo and Core 2 Duo. Was this part two? Will the next line be Core 3 Solo/Duo? Apparently not, because it was Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7. And all of that came with a three digit suffix that wouldn't mean a damn thing to the average consumer. You look at a laptop and you think "oh, this has i5!" but what does that mean? Does it have five cores?
The i3 line is the lower end, and are all dual core. The i5s are the mid-level, and, depending on the suffix, either dual- or quad-core. The i7s are the bad ass gamers wet dream ones. Most are quad core but the special ones, have six. The Core i7-975 Extreme Edition has four cores and the Core i7-980X has six cores. So, bigger number = more cores? No. The Core i7-970 has six cores. So, which one to buy? Consult your geekiest friend.
AMD was worse. Back when Intel's naming made sense (Pentium IV 800 MHz), AMD named their chips based on a number which was ... it's overclocking ability? ... or was it how it compared to Intel's chips? ... I really don't know. Whatever the number meant/was, it sure as hell was not the clock speed (which they conveniently made rather difficult for the average consumer to find out). And people bought PCs based on clock speed. In my opinion, it was a sly tactic by AMD to use bigger numbers than Intel, despite the processor being slower.
Anyway, currently their naming system is pretty much like Intel's, with the suffix and all. But at the very least they also add yet another suffix telling you how many cores there are. So the Phenom II X6 1090T has six cores. Granted, not everyone will know the 'X6' tells you that. But in one sense, it's easier to shop AMD than it is Intel.
Please, just name it whatever the hell you want. Add in however many suffixes you deem necessary. But make sure the numbers make sense.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Quotes of the Semester
"I added 10 points to your exam scores just to make you guys a little bit happier. In the end I will obviously curve your grades based on how you do in the course. But I guess it's a psychological thing knowing you did 'better'. 10 points for everyone--it won't mess up the distribution anyway."
-- Yaroslav Kryukov, Ph.D
A: You COPIED and PASTED everything she wrote?
B: Yes. Yes, I did. I mean, I'll PARAPHRASE.
A: But you just said everything she wrote was RETARDED.
B: Well I never did say I wasn't retarded, did I?
"Go home and watch 'Dazed and Confused' and the original 'Tron'. I am NOT above putting a bonus question referencing 80s movies in my exams."
-- Rebecca Nugent, Ph.D
"How many of you are going part time next semester? Let me rephrase that: How many of you are going part time next semester just to save 25 grand? You're all losers."
-- Carol Goldburg, Ph.D
"Sometimes... it's safer to be racist."
-- You Know Who You Are
"It's...it's blowing my-- It's blowing my mind. My mind is literally blown. You don't have surnames? Get outta here! My mind is literally blown right now. It, it, it's just, whoa..."
-- Rebecca Hirsch
"Hey! That looks like something you already have!"
-- Safiyyah Mohsin (cis)
"This line of shoes from Rockport are microwave-friendly. That's mean you can put them in a microwave and you don't have to cuci pakai tangan."
-- Yours Truly
"He was talking about his data set, 'coz that's what statisticians do on dates--we talk about our data. He said about 1/3 of it was bad data or stuff that had missingness, and he got rid of them--almost 100 observations from his sample of around 300. Whoa, there. I could stand a really dry first date, but deleting bad observations? Ohhhh, no no no, this definitely won't work out."
-- Rebecca Nugent, Ph.D on a first date with a fellow grad student
"Since we didn't cover that much material since the last exam, this one will be, how you say, more creative. What's a creative exam question? NOW YOU GONNA FIND OUT."
-- Irina Gheorghiciuc, Ph.D
"Go to Belgaufre, on Rue Neuve. Theirs are the best. Oh my god, I love waffles. I'm so hungry, we should stop talking waffles right now. I want a waffle so bad!"
-- Annelies Deuss, Ph.D in no way hiding her Belgianness
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Statistically Speaking
A statistics instructor once promised the whole class that he'd come up with a really cool statistics joke, given enough time throughout the semester. Midway through the sem, he announced that he had one, but that it'd have to wait after class. Everyone was anxious, but we got through the day's material and eagerly listened tow hat he had to say.
Before class
Guy 1: Aw, man I love her, she's awesome. And she's a great professor--that's why we have to go to class early.
Guy 2: No, you just want to go early because you enjoy the boner you get.
Guy 1: Hey, I pay a lot to go to school here. Might as well make the best out of it. But yeah, I wanna savor the--how long is class again?--80 minute erection hahaha. Remember last week, she wore those pants?
Guy 2: Holy shit. You don't wear pants that tight in a class of twenty-something-year-olds and not expect people to notice.
Guy 1: I don't care, man. I'm loving it. Oh, those arms...when she flexes them! I'd let her do anything to me with those arms! She's just ridiculously hot for her age.
Guy 2: You know, I should record everything you're saying now and just play it when we take the final. I'd pay to see her reaction.
Guy 1: She'd probably like it. She's that cool.
Guy 2: I'd say 50-50 on her either failing you or giving you an A on the spot.
Guy 1: She'll give me an A, for sure!
Guy 2: That sure, huh? Wanna do a t-test?
Guy 1: Hell, yes!
Guy 2: Wait, R or gretl?
Both: R!
Guy 1: Jesus, the stakes are getting high, isn't it?
Guy 2: 5% alpha?
Guy 1: Double or nothing 1% alpha!
Guy 2: We should probably just record this conversation and play it during the final instead.
Library (studying for an exam)
Guy 1: Hey, did you know that the expected value of errors equals zero assumption can be violated?
Guy 2: Sure. I just pull down my pants and violate it like this.
*Guy 2 dry humps lecture notes*
Guy 1: You bastard. Now every time I think of this assumption violation...
Guy 2: You know what? The assumption should have EXPECTED it. Badum-pish!
"Statisticians--we may be dull, but we have our moments."If you don't get it, don't sweat it. 'Moments' has another statistic-related meaning to it. But still, all that waiting, and just that? One year on in my involvement in statistics and I have these two gems to cherish:
Before class
Guy 1: Aw, man I love her, she's awesome. And she's a great professor--that's why we have to go to class early.
Guy 2: No, you just want to go early because you enjoy the boner you get.
Guy 1: Hey, I pay a lot to go to school here. Might as well make the best out of it. But yeah, I wanna savor the--how long is class again?--80 minute erection hahaha. Remember last week, she wore those pants?
Guy 2: Holy shit. You don't wear pants that tight in a class of twenty-something-year-olds and not expect people to notice.
Guy 1: I don't care, man. I'm loving it. Oh, those arms...when she flexes them! I'd let her do anything to me with those arms! She's just ridiculously hot for her age.
Guy 2: You know, I should record everything you're saying now and just play it when we take the final. I'd pay to see her reaction.
Guy 1: She'd probably like it. She's that cool.
Guy 2: I'd say 50-50 on her either failing you or giving you an A on the spot.
Guy 1: She'll give me an A, for sure!
Guy 2: That sure, huh? Wanna do a t-test?
Guy 1: Hell, yes!
Guy 2: Wait, R or gretl?
Both: R!
Guy 1: Jesus, the stakes are getting high, isn't it?
Guy 2: 5% alpha?
Guy 1: Double or nothing 1% alpha!
Guy 2: We should probably just record this conversation and play it during the final instead.
Library (studying for an exam)
Guy 1: Hey, did you know that the expected value of errors equals zero assumption can be violated?
Guy 2: Sure. I just pull down my pants and violate it like this.
*Guy 2 dry humps lecture notes*
Guy 1: You bastard. Now every time I think of this assumption violation...
Guy 2: You know what? The assumption should have EXPECTED it. Badum-pish!
Friday, March 26, 2010
F You
When did you learn the 'four-letter word'? Seeing as to how it's probably the worst of them all, it should be etched in your head how, when, and by whom you learned it from.
Do you even remember when you started to learn? I mean really started to learn. I can only think so far back as when I was three or four and people at home told me "kalau makan benda mentah, nanti sakit perut" and "kalau kena air didih nanti tangan melecur" (learned that the hard way, anyway). What about school? I would assume most people look back on Darjah Satu and think it's a fucking joke. But only because I'd already learned multiplication and grammar in Children's House. The only thing significantly 'new' enough for me to remember in that year (1996) was Bahasa Melayu because I couldn't quite speak it, and that despite no one ever saying 'se-li-par' it is spelt that way.
Outside of school though, I learned certain things a tad bit too early. This is the (dis)advantage of having a brother three years your senior. Whatever he learns at the normal age, you'll learn three years earlier. I remember vividly this one time his friend came over and although there were only the three of us in the room, he whispered ever so softly.
"You know this?" he says as he pulls a fist with one hand and slaps the top of it with the other.
"Isn't that something really bad?" my brother says. His friend inches closer and whispers even softer.
"It's the rudest word in the world. Even worse than 'bastard'!" That really caught our attention. You can see why a precocious six-year-old would remember this conversation so well.
"What is it?" we asked him.
He looks around to make sure no one knows, or he'd be dead meat. The door is closed and locked. But still he looks around. Then he whispers, "It means...," and paused for the longest time, "...it means 'fuck'. F-U-C-K. The four letter word."
I was underwhelmed if I'm honest. 'Fuck'? That's it? Just the one silly syllable? 'Fuck'? That's the rudest, baddest word of them all? I mean, I expected something a little more bad ass-sounding. Think about it. 'Bastard' sounds really mean. But 'fuck'? It was just too short, too simple. I even thought saying to someone 'you stupid idiot' would be so much more hurtful than 'you stupid fuck'. Because 'idiot' sounds so much more...sophisticated (for lack of a better word).
So I asked him what it meant. He whispered in my brother's ear. I could see that raised an eyebrow. Now I really wanted to know what the rudest, baddest word in the world meant. He looked at me, then at my brother. "Are you sure I can tell him? Are you sure you wanna know?"
"Yeah!" I yelled a little too loudly. All three of us looked around to make sure no one had eavesdropped or had entered (the locked room). One of them covered my mouth, the other put a finger to his lip. "SHHHHH! Your parents will kill us if they knew!"
Then he whispered it to me. "'Fuck' is when a guy puts his dick in a woman's vagina. That's also how babies are made!" And then he looked at us both squarely with his big, round eyes. "Don't ever say it in front of your parents or teachers. They'd probably cili your mouth, man! You can get into so much trouble." Again, I was underwhelmed. That's it? Just that? In my mind's eye I pictured a penis trying to squeeze into a camel toe (because back then that's as much about the vagina that I knew of).....and then suddenly a fetus appearing in the woman's belly. It's like the vagina was an on/off switch that can only be triggered by the penis, for some reason. And when it did, the baby started to grow. Brilliant, really, how the brain of the six/seven-year-old me ticked.
On top of the weird image I had in my head, the word 'fuck' still didn't make sense. Why was it rude if that's how babies are made? What made it so bad if it meant something that wasn't?
Well we've all come a pretty long way since then. And now 'fuck' is not just a verb, is it?
Do you even remember when you started to learn? I mean really started to learn. I can only think so far back as when I was three or four and people at home told me "kalau makan benda mentah, nanti sakit perut" and "kalau kena air didih nanti tangan melecur" (learned that the hard way, anyway). What about school? I would assume most people look back on Darjah Satu and think it's a fucking joke. But only because I'd already learned multiplication and grammar in Children's House. The only thing significantly 'new' enough for me to remember in that year (1996) was Bahasa Melayu because I couldn't quite speak it, and that despite no one ever saying 'se-li-par' it is spelt that way.
Outside of school though, I learned certain things a tad bit too early. This is the (dis)advantage of having a brother three years your senior. Whatever he learns at the normal age, you'll learn three years earlier. I remember vividly this one time his friend came over and although there were only the three of us in the room, he whispered ever so softly.
"You know this?" he says as he pulls a fist with one hand and slaps the top of it with the other.
"Isn't that something really bad?" my brother says. His friend inches closer and whispers even softer.
"It's the rudest word in the world. Even worse than 'bastard'!" That really caught our attention. You can see why a precocious six-year-old would remember this conversation so well.
"What is it?" we asked him.
He looks around to make sure no one knows, or he'd be dead meat. The door is closed and locked. But still he looks around. Then he whispers, "It means...," and paused for the longest time, "...it means 'fuck'. F-U-C-K. The four letter word."
I was underwhelmed if I'm honest. 'Fuck'? That's it? Just the one silly syllable? 'Fuck'? That's the rudest, baddest word of them all? I mean, I expected something a little more bad ass-sounding. Think about it. 'Bastard' sounds really mean. But 'fuck'? It was just too short, too simple. I even thought saying to someone 'you stupid idiot' would be so much more hurtful than 'you stupid fuck'. Because 'idiot' sounds so much more...sophisticated (for lack of a better word).
So I asked him what it meant. He whispered in my brother's ear. I could see that raised an eyebrow. Now I really wanted to know what the rudest, baddest word in the world meant. He looked at me, then at my brother. "Are you sure I can tell him? Are you sure you wanna know?"
"Yeah!" I yelled a little too loudly. All three of us looked around to make sure no one had eavesdropped or had entered (the locked room). One of them covered my mouth, the other put a finger to his lip. "SHHHHH! Your parents will kill us if they knew!"
Then he whispered it to me. "'Fuck' is when a guy puts his dick in a woman's vagina. That's also how babies are made!" And then he looked at us both squarely with his big, round eyes. "Don't ever say it in front of your parents or teachers. They'd probably cili your mouth, man! You can get into so much trouble." Again, I was underwhelmed. That's it? Just that? In my mind's eye I pictured a penis trying to squeeze into a camel toe (because back then that's as much about the vagina that I knew of).....and then suddenly a fetus appearing in the woman's belly. It's like the vagina was an on/off switch that can only be triggered by the penis, for some reason. And when it did, the baby started to grow. Brilliant, really, how the brain of the six/seven-year-old me ticked.
On top of the weird image I had in my head, the word 'fuck' still didn't make sense. Why was it rude if that's how babies are made? What made it so bad if it meant something that wasn't?
Well we've all come a pretty long way since then. And now 'fuck' is not just a verb, is it?
- It's a bad ass middle name: John 'Motherfuckin' Doe
- It's a noun: I don't give a fuck.
- It's an adjective: I'm going to fuckin' Amsterdam!
- It's an adverb: Fucking get out of here already.
- It's a good thing: That's cool as fuck and I want that!
- Yet also a bad thing: This is just fucked up.
- It's horrible: Oh, fuck.
- It's brilliant: Fuckin' A!
- It's everything: Do whatever the fuck you want.
- It's nothing: I see you've done the sum total of fuck all.
What a wonderful word.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Ridiculous Advice
Probably February 2006
I had just completed the whole registration merry-go-round at INTEC. It was as inauspicious as shit, seeing as to how there were only three of us. Registering early. For no good reason. Or that much of an advantage. But there we were, the three of us, being given a lecture or briefing by a counselor--admittedly, a rather ancient one--about blending in and how "ini bukan sekolah lagi dah".
Then she made us step forward and sign a blank sheet of paper. Since I was standing in the middle I went second, sandwiched between both girls. She looked at the first's John Hancock, studied it for a bit, then squared her up. "Walaupun awak ada banyak isu, awak bijak gunakan keceriaan untuk sorokkannya." Or something like that. Then added a word or two about how it's a good thing and how it can be a bad thing.
Then she looked to her other side--bypassing me--and told the other girl, "Awak pula seroang yang gigih, dan berani. Tapi jangan terlalu tegas!" Again, I don't quite remember verbatim but it was something to that affect.
Then it was my turn. The other two got a few simple words of advice. Admittedly, some of it actually made sense, and was eerily accurate. But judging you from your signature? Really? Anyway. She looked at it, then looked at me and said "Saya dapat lihat awak akan jadi seorang yang sangat berjaya." This caught me by surprise. Nothing about my character. But now she can see the future though. The girl on my left suddenly blurted, "Tu la, saya pun rasa begitu!" I had no idea (still have no idea) if those sentiments were also based on a freaking signature. The counselor looked back at me and said, "Tapi tak mudah. Tiada apa dalam hidup mudah. Awak harus tekun... Harus kerja dengan kuat."
Back then it scared me. It was a good fear, yet something I equally dreaded. Right now I think back to those pointless words and can't help but think any idiot can say that. You'll make it big one day. Just work hard. Nothing's easy in life. Ha. Was she just talking out of her ass? Why were theirs a character study, but mine a look into my future? I honestly don't believe I'm special. 'Different' may be a better word. But special? And being told so by some dinosaur who can't even garner the respect of a classroom of 18 kids wasn't very convincing either. Perhaps it was the occasion. Perhaps it was just how I was feeling at the time. It's pointless, but for some reason, it became one of those pep talks you get etched in your head forever. Maybe it's true. Maybe one day I'll get the meaning of it. Maybe she was speaking old people speak, and I'm still unqualified/uninitiated to be able to understand.
If it is your intention to give advice--life-changing one--you don't have to be so vague or cryptic. The two best I've ever had were from the least expected sources. One was from National Service. As I said my good-byes before I left the place, my classroom instructor called me up and signed my workbook. She said, "Shazwan, sayangi diri sendiri sebelum awak sayangi yang lain. Selamat maju jaya". I respected this because 1) my name was spelt sH; 2) it was touching, and; 3) for some reason she knew I was heartbroken. Ha. But still. It made sense, and it was straight to the point. And it wasn't something far-fetched either.
The other one came from closer to home. "Here's the thing about me. I'm an asshole through and through. And I accept that. I don't feel in any way inadequate or that I have to change my ways. I am at peace with myself." This was in 2007. And he had only two As in his SPM--proof positive that you needn't degrees or PhDs or be someone 'superior' to give smartass advice.
It's pointless trying too hard, isn't it?
I had just completed the whole registration merry-go-round at INTEC. It was as inauspicious as shit, seeing as to how there were only three of us. Registering early. For no good reason. Or that much of an advantage. But there we were, the three of us, being given a lecture or briefing by a counselor--admittedly, a rather ancient one--about blending in and how "ini bukan sekolah lagi dah".
Then she made us step forward and sign a blank sheet of paper. Since I was standing in the middle I went second, sandwiched between both girls. She looked at the first's John Hancock, studied it for a bit, then squared her up. "Walaupun awak ada banyak isu, awak bijak gunakan keceriaan untuk sorokkannya." Or something like that. Then added a word or two about how it's a good thing and how it can be a bad thing.
Then she looked to her other side--bypassing me--and told the other girl, "Awak pula seroang yang gigih, dan berani. Tapi jangan terlalu tegas!" Again, I don't quite remember verbatim but it was something to that affect.
Then it was my turn. The other two got a few simple words of advice. Admittedly, some of it actually made sense, and was eerily accurate. But judging you from your signature? Really? Anyway. She looked at it, then looked at me and said "Saya dapat lihat awak akan jadi seorang yang sangat berjaya." This caught me by surprise. Nothing about my character. But now she can see the future though. The girl on my left suddenly blurted, "Tu la, saya pun rasa begitu!" I had no idea (still have no idea) if those sentiments were also based on a freaking signature. The counselor looked back at me and said, "Tapi tak mudah. Tiada apa dalam hidup mudah. Awak harus tekun... Harus kerja dengan kuat."
Back then it scared me. It was a good fear, yet something I equally dreaded. Right now I think back to those pointless words and can't help but think any idiot can say that. You'll make it big one day. Just work hard. Nothing's easy in life. Ha. Was she just talking out of her ass? Why were theirs a character study, but mine a look into my future? I honestly don't believe I'm special. 'Different' may be a better word. But special? And being told so by some dinosaur who can't even garner the respect of a classroom of 18 kids wasn't very convincing either. Perhaps it was the occasion. Perhaps it was just how I was feeling at the time. It's pointless, but for some reason, it became one of those pep talks you get etched in your head forever. Maybe it's true. Maybe one day I'll get the meaning of it. Maybe she was speaking old people speak, and I'm still unqualified/uninitiated to be able to understand.
If it is your intention to give advice--life-changing one--you don't have to be so vague or cryptic. The two best I've ever had were from the least expected sources. One was from National Service. As I said my good-byes before I left the place, my classroom instructor called me up and signed my workbook. She said, "Shazwan, sayangi diri sendiri sebelum awak sayangi yang lain. Selamat maju jaya". I respected this because 1) my name was spelt sH; 2) it was touching, and; 3) for some reason she knew I was heartbroken. Ha. But still. It made sense, and it was straight to the point. And it wasn't something far-fetched either.
The other one came from closer to home. "Here's the thing about me. I'm an asshole through and through. And I accept that. I don't feel in any way inadequate or that I have to change my ways. I am at peace with myself." This was in 2007. And he had only two As in his SPM--proof positive that you needn't degrees or PhDs or be someone 'superior' to give smartass advice.
It's pointless trying too hard, isn't it?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What Can You Do In 10 Years?
Today as I was writing the date, 1/20/2010 (in America, it's month first, which is why it's 9/11), I realized that 2020 is just 10 years away. Back in the 90s when the Vision was conceived, 2020 was pretty far away. Hell, no one was even thinking about the 21st century yet. But now it's T-minus ten years and counting. But before you ask how far along are we, or are we in a position where we can make it, and if we can, will we?--think first: What can be done in a decade?
Much has been achieved in the past ten years--I'd like to say twenty, but hold that thought--in terms of development mainly because of the interweb (you see, ten only). That is a freak, once-in-a-lifetime spike in the progress of mankind. Even if there is some other form of boost to the progress of civilization in the next decade, it won't be as potent as what we have experienced in the 90s and the Noughties.
Ten years ago, 2000. I can't be arsed to Google the shit out of development or the economy or whateverthefuck political or human capital indexes. But think back to what you were doing in Y2K--where were you? what was it like? how was life without certain things back then? or how was it with certain things still there? Compare that to today, and try to think how 2020 could be for you.
The brilliant thing about getting there is that with all the inefficiency in place (those fucking separated LRT/Monorel stations) any right move will go quite a long way and will look like ridiculously huge progress. Think about it. Broadband for all and for cheap. How the fuck have we not yet had decent internet providers/service? But anyway, that would lead to among others, better e-commerce, media streaming and just better productivity from offices and businesses. How awesome would it be to order "nasi lemak satu, kasi sambal lebih, roti sardin dua, sirap limau tiga" online? Fine, it'd be against the whole "weh, lepak kat mamak jom" culture, but McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut are doing pretty well in terms of their delivery service. And most mamaks are 24 hours. And if that's not sold you yet--everyone loves the rotiman, so why not a mamak on wheels and a (decent) internet service?
I have lost my plot here but what I was trying to say is that despite everything that's happened in the last decade, it's gonna take us so much more in this decade to get to a level where we can actually say "Malaysia Boleh!" and actually mean it. Like 'mean it' mean it, y'know. Say it, knowing we actually boleh.
The Noughties was boosted by the emergence of the interweb and even 4-year-olds sending IMs on their BlackBerries, among other things. It's gonna be pretty hard to beat that, yet we have to to that and then some. And also take note the target that was set when Wawasan 2020 was conceived has obviously moved. So much has happened since then that was not expected--September 11 and all it's subsequent wars and security issues; the oil price thing; the credit market thing; pirated VCDs and DVDs sellling at RM5 a pop; the 2008 general elections; the bullshit in Perak and the 'Tree of Democracy'; the ban of the word 'Allah'. In each case, some people gained, some lost badly, be it financially or politically. Either way, the point here is that while we can pride ourselves all we want about our highways and our towers and bridges and whathaveyou, other people make ridiculous strides forward too. The target is moving too, but are we catching up or are we being left in its trail of dust?
Let's be honest, it's not like we planned this yesterday or even yesteryear. And when we did plan it, we made it this huge ass target and publicized it not just among ourselves and our kids, but also to the whole world. In short, we told the developed world, "siap la kau, 2020 aku nak join," so failure would not only constitute a huge embarrassment, it would be just...sad. And such a waste. Of our effort, time and money. Because when 2020 nears, all the energy and emotion and national pride we've put into it will make it such an anticipated period. Midnight, January 1, 2020, the world won't simply change for the better.
It's not just about getting more wired and more connected and having a dozen more skyscrapers in every city. It's also our mentality--something which any halfwit could tell we are sorely lacking. We have the ambition to want something. We know what can be achieved and what can be done, and we want it. That's all fine and dandy. But do we keep it up? Do we maintain whatever brainchild we conceive, or do we just jump ship to the next up-and-coming hot prospect? We can build pretty sweet schools (comparatively) but what the fuck happens after 15 years? Fans and lights don't work, yet we brush it aside and say, "Alah, budak dekat sekolah pondok habuk pun takde. Bersyukurlah dengan apa yang awak dah ada." While cost-cutting and bersederhana are admirable traits, what message do you ultimately send? Where do you draw the line, then? The Way I See It, if it was designed to work in a certain way, you fucking keep it that way regardless of anything. Too expensive? Too laborious? Why did you even bother getting it in the first place? Cutting corners and condescension won't get you far. I don't mean to sound like many a broken record, but we really lack that 'First World mentality'.
Is ten years enough? The fuck if I know.
Sadly, though, the way things are going, I just can't help but get the feeling that 2020 will come and we won't even be near where we think we should be. Then some idiot up top will come out and say something like, "Usahlah kita risau, satu tahun itu agak lama...365 hari...Oh, ya, tahun ni tahun lompat! Jadi kita ada 366 hari. Lama lagi tu..."
Much has been achieved in the past ten years--I'd like to say twenty, but hold that thought--in terms of development mainly because of the interweb (you see, ten only). That is a freak, once-in-a-lifetime spike in the progress of mankind. Even if there is some other form of boost to the progress of civilization in the next decade, it won't be as potent as what we have experienced in the 90s and the Noughties.
Ten years ago, 2000. I can't be arsed to Google the shit out of development or the economy or whateverthefuck political or human capital indexes. But think back to what you were doing in Y2K--where were you? what was it like? how was life without certain things back then? or how was it with certain things still there? Compare that to today, and try to think how 2020 could be for you.
The brilliant thing about getting there is that with all the inefficiency in place (those fucking separated LRT/Monorel stations) any right move will go quite a long way and will look like ridiculously huge progress. Think about it. Broadband for all and for cheap. How the fuck have we not yet had decent internet providers/service? But anyway, that would lead to among others, better e-commerce, media streaming and just better productivity from offices and businesses. How awesome would it be to order "nasi lemak satu, kasi sambal lebih, roti sardin dua, sirap limau tiga" online? Fine, it'd be against the whole "weh, lepak kat mamak jom" culture, but McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut are doing pretty well in terms of their delivery service. And most mamaks are 24 hours. And if that's not sold you yet--everyone loves the rotiman, so why not a mamak on wheels and a (decent) internet service?
I have lost my plot here but what I was trying to say is that despite everything that's happened in the last decade, it's gonna take us so much more in this decade to get to a level where we can actually say "Malaysia Boleh!" and actually mean it. Like 'mean it' mean it, y'know. Say it, knowing we actually boleh.
The Noughties was boosted by the emergence of the interweb and even 4-year-olds sending IMs on their BlackBerries, among other things. It's gonna be pretty hard to beat that, yet we have to to that and then some. And also take note the target that was set when Wawasan 2020 was conceived has obviously moved. So much has happened since then that was not expected--September 11 and all it's subsequent wars and security issues; the oil price thing; the credit market thing; pirated VCDs and DVDs sellling at RM5 a pop; the 2008 general elections; the bullshit in Perak and the 'Tree of Democracy'; the ban of the word 'Allah'. In each case, some people gained, some lost badly, be it financially or politically. Either way, the point here is that while we can pride ourselves all we want about our highways and our towers and bridges and whathaveyou, other people make ridiculous strides forward too. The target is moving too, but are we catching up or are we being left in its trail of dust?
Let's be honest, it's not like we planned this yesterday or even yesteryear. And when we did plan it, we made it this huge ass target and publicized it not just among ourselves and our kids, but also to the whole world. In short, we told the developed world, "siap la kau, 2020 aku nak join," so failure would not only constitute a huge embarrassment, it would be just...sad. And such a waste. Of our effort, time and money. Because when 2020 nears, all the energy and emotion and national pride we've put into it will make it such an anticipated period. Midnight, January 1, 2020, the world won't simply change for the better.
It's not just about getting more wired and more connected and having a dozen more skyscrapers in every city. It's also our mentality--something which any halfwit could tell we are sorely lacking. We have the ambition to want something. We know what can be achieved and what can be done, and we want it. That's all fine and dandy. But do we keep it up? Do we maintain whatever brainchild we conceive, or do we just jump ship to the next up-and-coming hot prospect? We can build pretty sweet schools (comparatively) but what the fuck happens after 15 years? Fans and lights don't work, yet we brush it aside and say, "Alah, budak dekat sekolah pondok habuk pun takde. Bersyukurlah dengan apa yang awak dah ada." While cost-cutting and bersederhana are admirable traits, what message do you ultimately send? Where do you draw the line, then? The Way I See It, if it was designed to work in a certain way, you fucking keep it that way regardless of anything. Too expensive? Too laborious? Why did you even bother getting it in the first place? Cutting corners and condescension won't get you far. I don't mean to sound like many a broken record, but we really lack that 'First World mentality'.
Is ten years enough? The fuck if I know.
Sadly, though, the way things are going, I just can't help but get the feeling that 2020 will come and we won't even be near where we think we should be. Then some idiot up top will come out and say something like, "Usahlah kita risau, satu tahun itu agak lama...365 hari...Oh, ya, tahun ni tahun lompat! Jadi kita ada 366 hari. Lama lagi tu..."
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Less Qualified to Complain (of the Cold)
I was waiting to cross a street the other day when a girl beside me--there was only the two of us--commented on how cold it was. No shit. Despite the bright sunshine, it was -8°C and the wind chill only made it worse. Depending on which website you check, the real feel would be anywhere from -14°C to -23°C. It's not that cold, you say? Well, this is not a 'my town's colder than yours' competition. Anyway, the girl grabbed the edges of her coat and wrapped herself tightly, giving out the odd shiver, and letting me know how "ridiculously cold" it is as compared to last year.
My arms were shivering a little, I could feel the chill in my sleeves; but the relative safety (and warmth) of campus was just five minutes away, so I felt there was no need for me to join the "I hate hate hate the cold" bandwagon. But what struck me as odd was this: her boots were drenched wet up to the ankles; she was wearing only tights; her coat wasn't buttoned, which revealed her cardigan, which wasn't buttoned up, which showed her low neck line top, which revealed her chest; add to that fingerless gloves and a snow cap sitting on her hair.
Now any idiot can think of a myriad of ways for her to not feel so cold. Don't walk into puddles and wet your feet, for one? Fine, I'll baik sangka her and assume the worst-case scenario where everything bad that could happen did happen. Still. Put your hands in your pockets, maybe? Button up your coat, perhaps? I can only conclude that: 1) she just enjoys complaining, or; 2) she is genuinely cold, but is too stupid to do anything about it.
Another time I was heading to Mellon Arena for a concert. Yes, winter was just starting to kick in. We were debating whether to take the bus or drive, and the argument came down to which option wouldn't leave us outdoors longer. Would it be waiting at a bus stop, or would it be walking half way across town to where we parked? "I can't stand the cold, even though I've been here three years," someone said, "I'm from Texas". The person went on blabbering about how nice and warm it is back home and complained about the unpredictability and danger of winter and snow and ice. We all listened and nodded in agreement to humor the said person. I asked what the temperature was like in Texas. "The highest is around the 90s (°F), and sometimes it dips below freezing." After five minutes, it finally occurred to the said person that I come from: Malaysia: "Hey, aren't you from Malaysia or something?" I replied, "Yes, and it's fairly close to the Equator, too. We never get cold of any kind". Suddenly, the said person wasn't so noisy.
Yes, winter is a very depressing time of year. Don't let those sweet sounding carols fool you. The snow falls and everything's white and pretty. You build a snowman, throw a few snowballs, sled down a mound (hee) or hill, then make a snow angel or two. And it's safe, too, as long as the sidewalks are salted and the roads plowed. But then the snow melts and you find yourself walking ankle-deep in gray-colored Slurpee. The trees are leafless and eerie. No birds to be found. Nobody walks the streets. Suicide rates skyrocket as a result of the depression. And then yes, there's the cold.
The Way I See It, it already is bad enough as it is. While sometimes it may be fun to indulge in self pity or getting together with equally miserable souls because misery loves company, ultimately you only add to the already sad nature of things. It is nobody's fault that you choose style or fashion over your own well being. It is nobody's fault, too, that you chose to go somewhere you knew would be as cold as it is. The same applies to you halfwits out there who sign a long-term deal and then complain that you'll be enslaved by its bond. You did what you did, chose what you chose, knowingly. Unless, of course, you were too ignorant to think about it/read the fine print.
Seriously.
Quit whining and making things seem worse than they actually are.
My arms were shivering a little, I could feel the chill in my sleeves; but the relative safety (and warmth) of campus was just five minutes away, so I felt there was no need for me to join the "I hate hate hate the cold" bandwagon. But what struck me as odd was this: her boots were drenched wet up to the ankles; she was wearing only tights; her coat wasn't buttoned, which revealed her cardigan, which wasn't buttoned up, which showed her low neck line top, which revealed her chest; add to that fingerless gloves and a snow cap sitting on her hair.
Now any idiot can think of a myriad of ways for her to not feel so cold. Don't walk into puddles and wet your feet, for one? Fine, I'll baik sangka her and assume the worst-case scenario where everything bad that could happen did happen. Still. Put your hands in your pockets, maybe? Button up your coat, perhaps? I can only conclude that: 1) she just enjoys complaining, or; 2) she is genuinely cold, but is too stupid to do anything about it.
Another time I was heading to Mellon Arena for a concert. Yes, winter was just starting to kick in. We were debating whether to take the bus or drive, and the argument came down to which option wouldn't leave us outdoors longer. Would it be waiting at a bus stop, or would it be walking half way across town to where we parked? "I can't stand the cold, even though I've been here three years," someone said, "I'm from Texas". The person went on blabbering about how nice and warm it is back home and complained about the unpredictability and danger of winter and snow and ice. We all listened and nodded in agreement to humor the said person. I asked what the temperature was like in Texas. "The highest is around the 90s (°F), and sometimes it dips below freezing." After five minutes, it finally occurred to the said person that I come from: Malaysia: "Hey, aren't you from Malaysia or something?" I replied, "Yes, and it's fairly close to the Equator, too. We never get cold of any kind". Suddenly, the said person wasn't so noisy.
Yes, winter is a very depressing time of year. Don't let those sweet sounding carols fool you. The snow falls and everything's white and pretty. You build a snowman, throw a few snowballs, sled down a mound (hee) or hill, then make a snow angel or two. And it's safe, too, as long as the sidewalks are salted and the roads plowed. But then the snow melts and you find yourself walking ankle-deep in gray-colored Slurpee. The trees are leafless and eerie. No birds to be found. Nobody walks the streets. Suicide rates skyrocket as a result of the depression. And then yes, there's the cold.
The Way I See It, it already is bad enough as it is. While sometimes it may be fun to indulge in self pity or getting together with equally miserable souls because misery loves company, ultimately you only add to the already sad nature of things. It is nobody's fault that you choose style or fashion over your own well being. It is nobody's fault, too, that you chose to go somewhere you knew would be as cold as it is. The same applies to you halfwits out there who sign a long-term deal and then complain that you'll be enslaved by its bond. You did what you did, chose what you chose, knowingly. Unless, of course, you were too ignorant to think about it/read the fine print.
Seriously.
Quit whining and making things seem worse than they actually are.
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