judgement

'the last opinion in search of the truth of past and future is called the JUDGEMENT.'

-Thomas Hobbes, "Leviathan - Chap VII: Of the Ends, or Resolutions of Discourse"


We know who a judge is and what he does - a neutral party appointed to arbitrate the rights and wrongs of certain disputable issues. This requires him/her to form an opinion. Hence, passing judgements necessarily requires an opinionated person.

A person, when labelled "quick to judge", is often in the derogatory sense. Isn't he/she just a person who is able to form an opinion quickly? What then happens when we call someone "judgemental"? Does he/she judge based on a certain set of (moral?) values known only to him/her? Or is there a universal set of rules/laws/regulations? So when a person has high, strict and moral values, he/she is branded judgemental?! So being judgemental is good! ? Then again, why do we hate judgemental people?

When a person is thought of as a person who won't judge people or friends, does it simply mean not forming an opinion? Or does it mean that the person has got low/loose moral values? What if this person actually does form opinions, but keeps those opinions to him/herself? - "No comments" will then mean that a person doesn't judge but has got high moral values?

Seems like fine lines again, between judging, opinionated, judgemental and quick-to-judge.

life is - eudaimonia?

What is life?
Life is freedom?

What is freedom?
Freedom is the ability to do whatever we would like to do, or feel like doing? (within lawful limits of course)

Why do we like to do the things we like to do, and do the things we feel like doing?
We do the things we like to do and feel like doing in an attempt to achieve an aim or an ultimate purpose?

What is this aim or purpose?
We aim to achieve happiness? To do whatever makes us happy? Because we are happy when we can do the things we like to do isn't it?

What makes us happy then?
I don't know - Many people don't know? Happiness works differently for different people? Definitions of happiness changes with time and circumstances? We know how humans are greedy and are never satisfied? After achieving something, they don't stay happy for too long? Very soon, they yearn for something else? Yearn for that elusive something else that they think will make them happy? Only to find that they are not satisfied? Will we ever be satisfied?

How will we ever be satisfied?
We will be satisfied when we learn how to come to terms with ourselves?

Does coming to terms with ourselves a function of age or maturity, when dreams die and ambitions wane? Does coming to terms with ourselves equate to the lack of drive and motivations? Will the lack of drive and motivations lead to the end of improvements? Or is this being realistic instead of mature? Maybe it's pessimism? Will we ever be clear about what the differences are? Are the differences, if they exist, even important? They are unimportant if we can come to terms with ourselves isn't it? We are going around in circles aren't we?

EUDAIMONIA???

funny pic

Love the way they translated the english version of the sign board....

big Panda brand ciggies

I was told that "ta xiong mao" ciggies were exclusively for Deng Xiao Ping's sucking pleasures during his time. And to display the pack of ciggies on restaurant dinner tables would possibly empower you with exceptional hospitality from the waiters.

It costs bloody 108 yuan (S$20.60) at the Guangzhou international airport for a pack of 20 ciggies. I was lucky I bought it there, cos the rest of the places either didn't sell it, or are sold at the range of 110 to 120 yuan. The sales person at the shop didnt' believe that I would want to purchase it, maybe cos I don't look like I could afford it. There were actually several other alternative brands available.... like the "xiao xiong mao" in green packaging.

Locals tell me that only the corupt officials smoke that in China. Probably as pressies from the businessmen wanting a good deal.

Changi DFS has them for sale now... at approx. $56 for a pack of 100 ciggies.

spoilt!!!

Thursdays are my longest days in uni this semester. Lessons start at 8am and lasts 5 non-stop hours. Then there is a 2 hour break before 2 more hrs of lessons...

In summary, 8am to 5pm. With a 2 hr lunch break. Yeah, and i'm whining. It's probably going to be one of the lightest days if i were to compare this to my working life...

maybe cos a student shouldn't be studying for too long a period of time - mental block. any thing extra is just a waste.

8 to 5... complain? slacker!!!

Marc's birthday

Happy Birthday MArc!!! Sorry I can't be there....

it's the first time i'm seeing shujun and ben... i've never met them.... my god... what have i been doing?

Pang looks so orh beside V... rough... what do u expect? u are a sailor!!!

finally, it's my turn

It's been many many moons... since the fateful night of 19th May 2004. Many of my frens have actually dreamt of him many times... ironically - these frens don't really know him well at all..... while he has NEVER once appeared in my dreams...

Well, last night he did!!! That slacker was still all that he was supposed to be.... enjoying life, calculating and planning all his moves like an expert chess player.

Miss that slacker... Have fun my fren... wherever u may be...

It's the hungry ghost festival in singapore now isn't it? And this year there are 2 consecutively righto? oooohhh..... scary!!!

being Nice

Are there nice ple out there still, especially with the coming of age?

I would think that when ple are young / younger, one would/could be nice - genuinely nice. Nice for the sake of nice cos they were simply nice. Innocent nice. Like how kids seated in front of you on a public bus can turn back to look/stare at you; while adults/adolescents when caught looking at someone (of the opposite sex especially) quickly looks down or away.

It's like as we grow 'wiser', personal agendas often gets implicated in simple everyday life stuffs. I'm sure there are nice ple out there... but are they nice cos they are kiddo nice? or are there hidden agendas?

Cynical Bastard!!!

Reiki Rocked

Fark, it's been so long since I last had something to go on the blog... cos I bloody had so much fun, blogging was the last thing on me mind.

On my solid and unforgetable summer school holidays, I had the good fortune (thanks to me best cuz) of travelling to Bangkok. And thru a strange twist of good timing and fate, I managed to catch Reiki's gig in Club Astra along RCA.

People were falling asleep before the "lady of breaks" came on... literally, cos my frens were. She saved the day. Even me cuz with a stiff neck was "cured" by her upbeat numbers.

Kudos to Reiki!!!

NDP=?

With National Day approaching, I find many of my frens and colleagues busy. Busy with the National Day Parade rehearsals.

I saw the Apaches and F-16s fly by today during the rehearsals. I felt proud; but I must admit that I am not so patriotic most of the time. NDPs are a pain and a hassle. Many many man hours are commited to an NDP. But why are we doing it year after year? Is it simply a tradition? Or is there a deeper meaning to all these "acts of patriotism?" Men who are involved curse and swear at their bad luck and burnt weekends with no compensation "Off-In-Lieus."

Half the Singaporeans can't stand the sight and smell of NSFs on public transport anyways.... aunties cover their nose and gives the poor kid a disgusting look - when actually that's the cleanest "smart 4" he has donned for his book-out.

I guess then, that the NDP is dedicated to all you Singaporeans out there who think that National Service is unnecessary; Defence is simply a waste of taxpayers' money; and men in uniform are always stinky.

What an author is

Finished my Philo paper just today. And finally read my readers for the exams...

"Interpretation ends when interest wanes, not when certainty, or an ultimate meaning, is reached."

-Alexander Nehamas
University of Pennsylvania

Profound....

undergraduate

Congrats Pinny!!!!

But that also means that I'm the only one left in the gang who is still "in the process"?

Fcuk!!! but i like it... ;p

reincarnation

For those of you who believe in reincarnation, I was introduced to an interesting new thought - new to me at least.

You know how lovers who fail to make it together - due to some sad circumstances - always vow to be reunited together in their next life as lovers / couples?

Looking at how separation and divorce rates these days, this new idea makes a little more sense - Reincarnated to be parent and child. In this case, then they are really inseparable isn't it? They can choose not to talk, but they are still related, perhaps by blood and DNA.

Older and more Anal?

I recently moved... away from the faraway land into the realms of civilisation.

If I were to compare, of cos the previous abode was a newer and nicer and cheaper and friendlier and cosier and better in general a place to live in. But, the convenience of staying near the uni kinda outweighed everything.

After months of searching for a new place, and after 2 days of moving, i'm already contemplating my next move - to living alone.

What's so good about living alone? It's quiet, boring, almost bordering on autism in some cases. For experienced sharers of accomodation, the benefits of staying alone are plentiful - but can the desire of staying out alone be a function of:

old age=being anal? or able to afford it, so i want to stay out alone?

Are there health concious smokers?

I've heard some advise that a smoker should / not do in order to 'preserve' their lives. Here are some examples:

• Do not suck the cigarette all the way to the end (where the filter is) as the last portions is very toxic.
• Do not chew gum while smoking. (I don't know why but maybe the tar / nicotine gets stuck in the chewed gum. So isn't this better? It's another filter!! Or maybe the chewed gum has got a low boiling point, so low that on interaction with the smoke from the cigarette, it forms a more lethal and toxic sustance?)
• Don't smoke too much menthol flavoured cigarettes, especially for the guys. Menthol is known to reduce sperm count - so is excessive cycling.
• Do not 'tarik' too much - the lesser the amount of time the smoke stays in your lungs, the least damage it can wreck. (Then isn't it a waste of money?)

With all the governmental health warnings, and all the disturbing pictures on the cigarette boxes, I believe that everyone who smokes, if not everyone, knows smoking is bad for health. So are there health concious smokers?

Isn't health concious smoker an 'oxy-moron'? Then are those 'tips' relevant?