I feel that facebook is having a net negative influence on my life, in more than ways that anyone can fathom, including myself. But those few ways that I have already comprehended already makes me feel that I should not fb too much. Hence, I shall stop fubbing.
I shall redirect my textual inclination towards something more productive (I hope), like my stories. As a matter of fact, I have just created a new story though I think that its eventual publishing may cause some ruckus among the authorities. Should I continue with it? I guess I should.. but whether I'll release it or not is another matter.
Someone asked me the other day what I really wanted to do in life. I was shocked that I couldn't reply him. Well actually, I was only half shocked. Because I know I'm as confused as a hamster in a maze. What do I really want to do? I guess my difficult in answering this question is not a lack of options but rather too many of them. I feel like doing everything, though that's not how the World works.. sigh.
I read a report the other day on how the Wall Street peeps are getting millions in bonuses despite the recession. Where'd you think all that money comes from? Stolen from hard-working people that's what. Of course, those who got their fingers burnt should also shoulder some of the blame as they willingly let themselves be sucked into this money-sucking void.
At the end of the day, what's responsible is greed, and all of us are guilty for stoking these flames. Yes, all of us. Except maybe the Gregorian monks. Why? Here's a case in point:
I was having dinner with my SO (disclaimer: usage of this term does not imply that I am a flowerpod.com.sg fan, although I concede that I have been spending some time in their forums) yesterday at the city area and we overheard this guy trying to psycho his friend into joining him in his business. He said something like:
"I tell you ah, I only need to make one deal every few months, because I can get about $40,000 each time. Then after that I slack. Wake up late.. surf the net, do what I want. Damn shiok."
"Really meh?"
"Yah, I even use the money to buy a car, go holiday, do whatever I want. Not enough money then do more transaction lor."
One word: Glamourization, which invokes envy and further along the line motivates others to yearn and eventually work for that kind of lifestyle. Glamourization can be seen everywhere now - in the movies, in magazines, on TV, and many other places. I recall someone telling me that she saw a programme about the lifestyles of the richest youngest celebrities, the list of which includes -unsurprisingly- the Olsen twins, Miley Cyrus and Daniel Radcliffe. I wonder how many teenagers who watch this show are going to want the same things that the stars are enjoying. Maybe someone should tell them that for every one Daniel Radcliffe, there are hundreds of thousands more actors who fail.
Yeah sure, someone says that we should look at the half-full glass. I'm not opposing positivity, but I feel that we should also be realistic. Statistically speaking, someone's chances of being a Hollywood A-lister is lesser than striking Toto.
Anyway, I'm digressing. How many times have we talked to each other about oh, I'm going for this holiday and thinking of buying a new car, and gush about investing in new property and all that. I know because I have been guilty of it myself. How many minds do we seed with thoughts of envy? And in the follow-up, in the search for extravagance -we sometimes lose our rationality.
Of course, in this pursuit not everyone loses. No, not everyone. Only the smartest, the most scheming survives. In our society, it is represented by those who have held the reins of our economy - the high-powered finance executives who put those useless financial instruments together and sold them as if they were things of great value.
Then, they got their compensation and they walked away.
I pity most of all, those who are in the lower echelons. During times of excess, in the previous years of excessive growth, they did not benefit much from it. Instead, all they could do is watch from the sidelines as their superiors redistributed the lion's share of profits among themselves, then lived the high life, buying new cars, houses and other expensive things, with enough to put aside for rainy days.
Then, when the shit hits the fan, these same employees - who had played a part in helping their companies grow and had not shared in the spoils - get a pay cut, or worse, are retrenched. Ah, the joys of Capitalism - a word that describes nothing more than the intelligent and advantaged exploiting those who are not.
I shall redirect my textual inclination towards something more productive (I hope), like my stories. As a matter of fact, I have just created a new story though I think that its eventual publishing may cause some ruckus among the authorities. Should I continue with it? I guess I should.. but whether I'll release it or not is another matter.
Someone asked me the other day what I really wanted to do in life. I was shocked that I couldn't reply him. Well actually, I was only half shocked. Because I know I'm as confused as a hamster in a maze. What do I really want to do? I guess my difficult in answering this question is not a lack of options but rather too many of them. I feel like doing everything, though that's not how the World works.. sigh.
I read a report the other day on how the Wall Street peeps are getting millions in bonuses despite the recession. Where'd you think all that money comes from? Stolen from hard-working people that's what. Of course, those who got their fingers burnt should also shoulder some of the blame as they willingly let themselves be sucked into this money-sucking void.
At the end of the day, what's responsible is greed, and all of us are guilty for stoking these flames. Yes, all of us. Except maybe the Gregorian monks. Why? Here's a case in point:
I was having dinner with my SO (disclaimer: usage of this term does not imply that I am a flowerpod.com.sg fan, although I concede that I have been spending some time in their forums) yesterday at the city area and we overheard this guy trying to psycho his friend into joining him in his business. He said something like:
"I tell you ah, I only need to make one deal every few months, because I can get about $40,000 each time. Then after that I slack. Wake up late.. surf the net, do what I want. Damn shiok."
"Really meh?"
"Yah, I even use the money to buy a car, go holiday, do whatever I want. Not enough money then do more transaction lor."
One word: Glamourization, which invokes envy and further along the line motivates others to yearn and eventually work for that kind of lifestyle. Glamourization can be seen everywhere now - in the movies, in magazines, on TV, and many other places. I recall someone telling me that she saw a programme about the lifestyles of the richest youngest celebrities, the list of which includes -unsurprisingly- the Olsen twins, Miley Cyrus and Daniel Radcliffe. I wonder how many teenagers who watch this show are going to want the same things that the stars are enjoying. Maybe someone should tell them that for every one Daniel Radcliffe, there are hundreds of thousands more actors who fail.
Yeah sure, someone says that we should look at the half-full glass. I'm not opposing positivity, but I feel that we should also be realistic. Statistically speaking, someone's chances of being a Hollywood A-lister is lesser than striking Toto.
Anyway, I'm digressing. How many times have we talked to each other about oh, I'm going for this holiday and thinking of buying a new car, and gush about investing in new property and all that. I know because I have been guilty of it myself. How many minds do we seed with thoughts of envy? And in the follow-up, in the search for extravagance -we sometimes lose our rationality.
Of course, in this pursuit not everyone loses. No, not everyone. Only the smartest, the most scheming survives. In our society, it is represented by those who have held the reins of our economy - the high-powered finance executives who put those useless financial instruments together and sold them as if they were things of great value.
Then, they got their compensation and they walked away.
I pity most of all, those who are in the lower echelons. During times of excess, in the previous years of excessive growth, they did not benefit much from it. Instead, all they could do is watch from the sidelines as their superiors redistributed the lion's share of profits among themselves, then lived the high life, buying new cars, houses and other expensive things, with enough to put aside for rainy days.
Then, when the shit hits the fan, these same employees - who had played a part in helping their companies grow and had not shared in the spoils - get a pay cut, or worse, are retrenched. Ah, the joys of Capitalism - a word that describes nothing more than the intelligent and advantaged exploiting those who are not.
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