Gosh, stupidity is everywhere. It surrounds me like a fog. It tries to suffocate me. It even tries to convert me when I am at my weakest. Stupidity makes me angry, it makes be laugh out loud, it even dismays me. I am at eternal war with it. Death to stupidity!
Game shows are great, they give such good family entertainment value. The ones that are the successful are ones that have audience interaction and when audiences are willing the contestant to win big. Deal or No Deal, is one such game show.
The beauty of this game (from the eyes of the producer) is: in general peoples maths skills are extremely bad, they are greedy, they are willing to take risks. The common saying is..."I came here with nothing."
One lady, went on the show. She said she wanted to get $20K, the moment came around and she was offered $22K with 4 still on the board (100K, 20K, $50, $250). Statistically speaking, she should have left, because the risk of loss is great and she was already offered more than the second biggest number on the table. This lady left with 50 bucks.
Another lady, left with 50 cents after being offered 20K with 5 still on the board (200K, 5K, $250, $100, 50 cents).
Education is important kiddies. Now if you try a little harder in maths (at school), maybe you'll walk away with 20K next time on Deal or No Deal, instead of letting half the southern hemisphere know your a dumbass.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Self Destruction
In our day and age we have so much information at our disposal. We have the internet, books, the library, advertisements and education. So why do so many people, take drugs, smoke, and drink excessively?
Excluding being addicted to the substances, I am going to try and explain this through a psychological point.
People do what they do, because they are instantly rewarded for doing so. Depending on what physical state/mood, they are either positively reinforced (rewarded) by feeling joy/ecstasy and satisfaction, or they are negatively reinforced by having stress removed or elation of withdrawal symptoms (negatively in the sense removal).
When you think about it like that, it is no wonder people who do that sort of thing do so. Advertisements and warnings about cancer, lung disease, brain damage have little effect, because instant gratification is much more powerful than delayed negative reinforcement (not having disease etc).
However, wouldn't it be possible that because we have so much information, we know we are not only doing ourselves harm, but the people around us, our friends and families. We can't plead ignorance. We continue to brutalize our own bodies , and punish that which sustains us.
(is that really me talking?)
Current Mood: Spaced Out
Excluding being addicted to the substances, I am going to try and explain this through a psychological point.
People do what they do, because they are instantly rewarded for doing so. Depending on what physical state/mood, they are either positively reinforced (rewarded) by feeling joy/ecstasy and satisfaction, or they are negatively reinforced by having stress removed or elation of withdrawal symptoms (negatively in the sense removal).
When you think about it like that, it is no wonder people who do that sort of thing do so. Advertisements and warnings about cancer, lung disease, brain damage have little effect, because instant gratification is much more powerful than delayed negative reinforcement (not having disease etc).
However, wouldn't it be possible that because we have so much information, we know we are not only doing ourselves harm, but the people around us, our friends and families. We can't plead ignorance. We continue to brutalize our own bodies , and punish that which sustains us.
(is that really me talking?)
Current Mood: Spaced Out
Monday, January 21, 2008
Missing You 2: Logic vs Heart
My girl found a job in Wellington and has been there for 2 weeks now. I would be lying if I said that I don't miss her. The thing is, I don't really show it and express it that much (at least not as much as she wants).
Those that know me, know me as a very logical person. Everything that I do, I do logically. Now that is to say that I am not without emotion, in Star Trek terms I'm probably a Half-Vulcan, I think logically yet I have emotions and can evoke them.
Last year, a fellow blogger called RK Singh commented on my Missing You post. He said "Missing is not a physical entity but it is to be felt in your heart."
Now, since I show little emotion about missing my girl because my logic overrides it, am I a heartless bastard? Or is it that I do miss her but because I don't show it enough, I am just a bastard?
I am here to rectify the situation.
Sweetie, I miss you.
To pieces even.
Those that know me, know me as a very logical person. Everything that I do, I do logically. Now that is to say that I am not without emotion, in Star Trek terms I'm probably a Half-Vulcan, I think logically yet I have emotions and can evoke them.
Last year, a fellow blogger called RK Singh commented on my Missing You post. He said "Missing is not a physical entity but it is to be felt in your heart."
Now, since I show little emotion about missing my girl because my logic overrides it, am I a heartless bastard? Or is it that I do miss her but because I don't show it enough, I am just a bastard?
I am here to rectify the situation.
Sweetie, I miss you.
To pieces even.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Genuinely fake people.
Why are people fake? I mean, why are people different when they are around different people?
An easy answer would be to be popular, to please people, to not displease people.
But seriously? really?
I can accept that answer when people are still in their teens, maybe even early 20's while still an undergrad where peer pressure is a big deal and we haven't learnt to stand on our own two feet. But when people are 20+ have a degree and/or have a focus in life, why are these people fake, what are the benefits?
Perhaps it's because we live in a PC world where it is frowned upon when you speak your mind. To be other than what you are? Are we a society that claim we want individuality yet secretly discriminate against those who refuse to be assimilated?
If so....well fuck me.
An easy answer would be to be popular, to please people, to not displease people.
But seriously? really?
I can accept that answer when people are still in their teens, maybe even early 20's while still an undergrad where peer pressure is a big deal and we haven't learnt to stand on our own two feet. But when people are 20+ have a degree and/or have a focus in life, why are these people fake, what are the benefits?
Perhaps it's because we live in a PC world where it is frowned upon when you speak your mind. To be other than what you are? Are we a society that claim we want individuality yet secretly discriminate against those who refuse to be assimilated?
If so....well fuck me.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Good...Great....Legend...
What is the mark of a good man? There are many things you can do in your life to make yourself a good man/woman. There have been many great New Zealanders, Ernest Rutherford the "father" of nuclear physics; Kate Shepard, gave woman the vote in 1891.
In May 29 1953, a man named Edmund Hillary was the first man to successfully scale Mt Everest and climbed down to tell the tale. He was later knighted by the then newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June the 6th, only 8 days after he climbed Everest. In 1957 he helped to found Scott Base in Antarctica. However, arguably his most notable achievement was founding the Himalayan Trust, which in turn helped build numerous schools, hospitals and roads in the Sherpa region of Nepal. In New Zealand we honored him in 1992 by putting him on the $5 note, the only ever living (at that time) New Zealander to be presented on our money.
If we thought he was a Legend, the Nepalese thought he was a living god. Fathers tell their son's the story of Sir Ed, not only of his achievements but his selfless contributions to the Sherpa people. Sherpa's have followed in his footsteps by climbing to the top of the world. On the 50th anniversary of the first ever ascent the Nepalese Government conferred honorary citizenship upon Hillary at a special Golden Jubilee celebration in Kathmandu. He was the first foreign national to receive such an honour from the Nepalese government.
I stood dumbfounded at the TV when I first heard the news and constantly had goosebumps. I was so sad to hear that he had passed away. NZ citizens are debating how best to honour him. Of course everyone wants an extra holiday but is that really the best way to remember him? By slacking off?
"In some ways I believe I epitomise the average New Zealander. I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination and I rather like to succeed."
- Sir Edmund Hillary
I would rather hope, we rename something significant after him and make sure that our children and their children are taught who he was and what he did.
Farewell Sir Ed, we are definitely worse off without you.
In May 29 1953, a man named Edmund Hillary was the first man to successfully scale Mt Everest and climbed down to tell the tale. He was later knighted by the then newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June the 6th, only 8 days after he climbed Everest. In 1957 he helped to found Scott Base in Antarctica. However, arguably his most notable achievement was founding the Himalayan Trust, which in turn helped build numerous schools, hospitals and roads in the Sherpa region of Nepal. In New Zealand we honored him in 1992 by putting him on the $5 note, the only ever living (at that time) New Zealander to be presented on our money.
If we thought he was a Legend, the Nepalese thought he was a living god. Fathers tell their son's the story of Sir Ed, not only of his achievements but his selfless contributions to the Sherpa people. Sherpa's have followed in his footsteps by climbing to the top of the world. On the 50th anniversary of the first ever ascent the Nepalese Government conferred honorary citizenship upon Hillary at a special Golden Jubilee celebration in Kathmandu. He was the first foreign national to receive such an honour from the Nepalese government.
I stood dumbfounded at the TV when I first heard the news and constantly had goosebumps. I was so sad to hear that he had passed away. NZ citizens are debating how best to honour him. Of course everyone wants an extra holiday but is that really the best way to remember him? By slacking off?
"In some ways I believe I epitomise the average New Zealander. I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination and I rather like to succeed."
- Sir Edmund Hillary
I would rather hope, we rename something significant after him and make sure that our children and their children are taught who he was and what he did.
Farewell Sir Ed, we are definitely worse off without you.
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