Conversational Topic #5 - "Cacoethes scribendi"

As some of you know, I have a disposition towards writing. I like describing events of my own creation with my style, a odd mixture of detail and sarcastic humor, despite receiving an engineering education (My math is terrible). I can't seem to get the "bad habit of writing" out.

Even without paper or a computer, the blank look I put on when commuting or otherwise bored usually hides a little game. I take some objects around me, and craft it into a short story. The story would be influenced by my mood, varying between Greek Tragedy-like stories or a brainless story with mildly entertaining moments. This results in a near-arrogant belief that I can judge any plot with decent accuracy, as after discarding many bad tales of my own creation, I find certain themes in recent-day stories... cliché.

While I'm all for re-using certain old gags or plot elements, people realise the similarity soon enough. By the same token, people know when they see something fresh. Some writers in popular fiction, or even some TV shows, are guilty, in my opinion, of disregarding this. While old ideas are proven, beating a dead horse like this would not get you much in the future, I assure you.

Anyway, I'll try to write on this blog when I'm too lazy to drabble on about whatever that comes up during the week.

By The Dolphin


"Cover up with make up in the mirror,
tell yourself, it's never gonna happen again;
you cry alone and then he swears he loves you.

Do you feel like a man when you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end,
as your lies crumble down, a new life she has found."

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus-Don't You Fake It-Face Down

Conversational Topic #3&4-Belated Valentines' Day, Singapore Budget '07

I apologise for being late this week. My usual blogging has been distracted with Anarchy Online levelling, and obsessively listening to the Barenaked Ladies' new album. As such, I'll post now.

The week has been eventful, to say the least. 14th was Valentines' day, a non-event candidate for deletion in my opinion. I spent it grinding 150,000 creds in AO, while listening to people with their materialistic day out with a significant other.

While I have long numbed to being heckled for not even pretending to look for a date, and I fully support others' day out with someone who is important to them, do you really need a day for the service-industry to instruct you on what to do, and those who only want the attention, do you need that boost to your ego by having someone buy you stuff?

The next day, ironically, was the announcement of the Budget '07. The statement itself was impressively worded, and clear on what the Government's position is,although personally, I have to disagree on a few points.

The GST hike, and the supposed relief, is a sticking point. What would $500 or so one-off payment do to a family living on $2k monthly? While it's meant to "tide over" the inital increase, there would be no further allevation of this cost through a take-home pay increase, or lowering of a cost of living. It may only be a few cents increase an item, consider a week's groceries costs a family of 4 about $200. The $16 extra from GST rolls to nearly $756 annually. That sure overhauls the offset amount. (Above is an approximation and should not be considered a hard number.)

This was added in addition to a reduction in corporate tax, but I question the motives, as the GST has proved itself to be a steady way to fill Government coffers.

And on Sunday, the Chinese New Year kicks off. I'm content to attempt a study of Engineering Math 3 and eat whatever New year goodies that come my way. As I have a sweet tooth bordering on addiction to sugary or savory treats, The former suffers in favor to the latter.

That concludes this XL-sized post, I'll enter another entry on Friday, promise.

By The Dolphin

"I can't believe that you'd believe that I would fake it,
Wait - unless you count the things I said when we were naked;
Run, run away from everything we'd ever hoped for,
I can't believe that this is what people elope for."

Barenaked Ladies-Are Me-Wind Me Up

Conversational Topic #2-Morality Vs. Success Rate

I frequently pride myself on a form of twisted morality. Morality being, of course, what's right and moral and what's wrong and immoral, based on whatever point of view I have on a subject.

Now, this fantasy angel-or-devil decision process on whether I really should replace someone's sniffing salts with concentrated ammonia cooperates with the real world, i.e. I don't commit crimes, and vice versa, but I found a new way these things become mutually exclusive.

My projects are often challenging, epic sized wonders with the group lumping a hearty helping of labor on me, as the designated "wunderkind" of the group. (The author discourages such crazy talk)
Thus when time is up for the projects, the temptationto cheat grows. It's not hard to call a senior classmate who had done it for "Consultations", or to blatantly copy en masse.
The option to follow morality and do it myself, it would result in possible overwork and successive failures.

Even in other areas, such friction occurs. my school has guys who are arguably the most boorish and chauvinistic people I've seen, being popular with the fairer gender. My own moral compass tells me that such behavior is unacceptable, although I admit my own opinion is now considered archaic, seeing the difference between Uncompromised Morals and a "Great Success! High Five!"
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Sorry about the slow updates, been busy. I'll post the story for Creative Writing soon after grading, and I pack it into a .pdf thing. I'm writing that tomorrow.

By the Dolphin

"Last night I had a dream about you,
In this dream I'm dancing right beside you;
And it looked like everyone was having fun,
the kind of feeling I've waited so long."

Daft Punk-Discovery-Digital Love