Happy Happy New year! Well, Lunar New Year anyways. Yup, Year of the Dog this year. Umm... no idea what that means. I'm not that familiar with all those old Chinese traditions and stuff so... whatever!
Ugh... this was supposed to be a somewhat-happy post, but being back at work suddenly my energy just drained like nothing... perhaps it's because of the air of uncertainty that's around nowadays thanks to the merger with the parent company. A lot of unknowns and the possibility of getting laid off, etc etc... Probably the last thing I need to be thinking about, however, they do have a point. Regardless, that should really motivate me to try to make my move out of this job faster, right? Right??
I seem to be feeling more down more often than usual. Maybe it's just because that I've been sick for the past week. I just hope it's not a sign of things to come. Geez, I can be really boring when I'm not in a good mood... (actually, when am I NEVER boring? =P). Not a good thing if I want to go places and meet ppl. Yadda yadda yadda. I'm thinking about too many things again. "One step at a time... one step at a time..."
Overall, I'm just not feeling it except maybe when I'm at work and I always get the pep talk that I'm doing good, lots of good things are coming up, etc etc... It's only on those moments that I feel alright, like I've done alright... All other times, I don't know.
Read something I shouldn't be reading anyways, and the imagination is heading straight to la-la-land. Shouldn't take it more than face value, but of course, the big thing is, I SHOULD NOT BE reading it anyways, PERIOD. Ai... too hard.
There's gotta be a way... oh well, just hang on for another 5 months. That time, the first step of my many goals will arrive. Just one of many...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
"Corruption... is why we WIN"
I'm in the middle of writing a new year's blog, but I haven't finished (EDIT: It's finished now! See below!). So for now, I decided to write about the movie I watched last week: Syriana.
I don't know if you guys ever heard of this movie at all, but I saw an ad banner on it one day and it interested me. I watched the trailer and I was hooked. The Middle East, oil, big oil company, conspiracy, corruption, betrayal... ooh... sounds like fun! I also read a lot of people's feedback during the Christmas holiday, and it was all pretty positive. I had to watch it.
So I did. It's definitely one of those movies that I need to rewatch again later when it comes out on DVD. The plot itself wasn't confusing, but the vast amount of characters that are presented are a bit hard to keep track. You can go to the movie website here: Syriana to watch the trailer to get an idea of what it's about. While I hate to sound very negative and all, but this movie is like a reflection of my worldview-made-real. I love it.
The feeling I got when I left the movie was that most people would probably walk out feeling lost, confused, or just wondering, "what was the point to that?" Well, if you went to that movie expecting to see something shocking or action-packed/full of intrigue, then you'll probably be disappointed and/or confused.
Just to be safe, I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone but I'm just worried I might so don't read past this point if you don't want to be spoiled or ruin your movie-viewing experience.
What happens in this movie shouldn't surprise you in any way. If you're appalled by what you see, then you really need to get your head out of your ass and take a hard long look at the world around you. If you just simply shrugged and said, "So?", then you definitely fit right in with why the world is the way it is right now. I'm not saying this by being self-rightious and berate everyone for it though. Because in truth, I'm just as guilty. In fact, we're ALL guilty in some way directly or indirectly. If any of you ever watched "The Corporation" documentary, you should know what I mean. It's about companies, national interests, and the simple fact that there's a really high price to pay if we want to achieve an idealistic world.
We demand good stuff for cheap. We want to receive a good, HIGH salary. How do you think one achieves that? Why do you think everything is coming from places like China, India, and other countries where standards of living are low and people are paid relatively NOTHING in comparison to what we would get here? Because we demand it as consumers. We would expect nothing less and companies have to accomplish that one way or another. Shareholders demand the company turns a profit. Well, you can see where this is going.
Documentaries like The Corporation and movies like Syriana should really just make you pause and wonder if the life we've created should be changed... and if so, can it? Hate to be pessimistic, but it's hard to turn back 2-300 years of human civilization. It would take an outright catastrophe to change anything simply because people are too used to this. To implement such a HUGE change... it would take a complete re-education and new mindset... and I don't know if that would be possible. Of course, the important thing is, everything starts with within. It would take the whole world to choose to change for it to happen. Which is why I keep bringing up the word "catastrophe". I mean, how else do you convince billions of people to do the same thing willingly? =P
I don't know if you guys ever heard of this movie at all, but I saw an ad banner on it one day and it interested me. I watched the trailer and I was hooked. The Middle East, oil, big oil company, conspiracy, corruption, betrayal... ooh... sounds like fun! I also read a lot of people's feedback during the Christmas holiday, and it was all pretty positive. I had to watch it.
So I did. It's definitely one of those movies that I need to rewatch again later when it comes out on DVD. The plot itself wasn't confusing, but the vast amount of characters that are presented are a bit hard to keep track. You can go to the movie website here: Syriana to watch the trailer to get an idea of what it's about. While I hate to sound very negative and all, but this movie is like a reflection of my worldview-made-real. I love it.
The feeling I got when I left the movie was that most people would probably walk out feeling lost, confused, or just wondering, "what was the point to that?" Well, if you went to that movie expecting to see something shocking or action-packed/full of intrigue, then you'll probably be disappointed and/or confused.
Just to be safe, I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone but I'm just worried I might so don't read past this point if you don't want to be spoiled or ruin your movie-viewing experience.
What happens in this movie shouldn't surprise you in any way. If you're appalled by what you see, then you really need to get your head out of your ass and take a hard long look at the world around you. If you just simply shrugged and said, "So?", then you definitely fit right in with why the world is the way it is right now. I'm not saying this by being self-rightious and berate everyone for it though. Because in truth, I'm just as guilty. In fact, we're ALL guilty in some way directly or indirectly. If any of you ever watched "The Corporation" documentary, you should know what I mean. It's about companies, national interests, and the simple fact that there's a really high price to pay if we want to achieve an idealistic world.
We demand good stuff for cheap. We want to receive a good, HIGH salary. How do you think one achieves that? Why do you think everything is coming from places like China, India, and other countries where standards of living are low and people are paid relatively NOTHING in comparison to what we would get here? Because we demand it as consumers. We would expect nothing less and companies have to accomplish that one way or another. Shareholders demand the company turns a profit. Well, you can see where this is going.
Documentaries like The Corporation and movies like Syriana should really just make you pause and wonder if the life we've created should be changed... and if so, can it? Hate to be pessimistic, but it's hard to turn back 2-300 years of human civilization. It would take an outright catastrophe to change anything simply because people are too used to this. To implement such a HUGE change... it would take a complete re-education and new mindset... and I don't know if that would be possible. Of course, the important thing is, everything starts with within. It would take the whole world to choose to change for it to happen. Which is why I keep bringing up the word "catastrophe". I mean, how else do you convince billions of people to do the same thing willingly? =P
Thursday, January 05, 2006
2006. You know the drill...
It's a new year. It's pretty much assumed that most Western people that celebrate new year's would come up with resolutions or things they should do this year to change and what not. Sometimes, it works. Other times, it doesn't work that well. In any case, the effort is made. I choose to be one of those people this year to make that effort.
While I say this now, it's always a question of whether or not it will last. True, my record hasn't exactly been problem-free and I'll be honest to admit that I have enough times of just saying, "meh..." and letting things slip by to realise that I have a rather tall hill to climb. However, there are some things different this year that I hope could help push me along...
I've started reading a book called "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." I'm trying to do the personal change thingy so what better book to read than that? I find it very interesting and I'm wondering if stuff like this work. It does for some, but I have to wonder if I'll actually put it into use for it to work. I'm in a pretty deep rut that's hard to get out of. However, nothing is impossible. I just wonder if I'm just being impatient and hoping for things to change like NOW NOW versus letting it gradually happen. I still have time yet I also DON'T have time... if you get my drift. Err... maybe not.
The book really does hit some good points about changing the way one sees things. Something that should be pretty obvious but isn't that obvious for me is that I seem to worry and cuss about a lot of things that I don't have any direct control over. Things like world issues that are so far away that I really shouldn't think too much about. I mean, what can I do right? It's not like I have my "invincible army out there to do my bidding and take over the world MUHAHAHA" thing... =P. What the book says is that I should rather focus on the things that I DO have direct control over and deal with those. It's the whole "Circle of Influence" versus "Circle of Concern" kind of thing. I should work on the things I can influence, which in turn will work out towards things that are of my concern. To put it simply, change happens from within. Geez... you would think something as simple as that could've been understood by me a LOT earlier... alas... apparently lots of things like these are missed by a lot of people.
I definitely hope to start doing that from now on. Everything that is a lot more directly influenced by me, I should change. Change some habits, get into some routines, start seriously thinking about achieving some goals... and to start letting go of some things... or maybe... just that ONE thing I can't seem to be able to... ai... yeap... that again.
No matter. I think the important thing is that it always comes down to a matter of choice. Another thing the book brings up... how we CHOOSE to deal with what life gives us and how we choose to react to things. Choice... forget alcohol being the cause of and solution to all of life's problems =P. So, what choices do I have to make this year? I don't know yet. For one thing, get a new job, buy my car, start saving up to move out... or... hmm, let's not get into that.
It's going to be another TOUGH year. For one thing, I need to beef up my spiritual life too. I've been a bit lax there... and so, I end with the prayer that according to the book, is the prayer for AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). I'm far from an alcoholic, but the words of this prayer means a lot to me. I've already printed it out and I intend to read this everyday:
"Lord,
Give me the courage to change the things which can and ought to be changed, the serenity to accept the things which cannot be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Amen."
Boy, I really need to keep in touch with Him more often... I'm getting jaded. =P
While I say this now, it's always a question of whether or not it will last. True, my record hasn't exactly been problem-free and I'll be honest to admit that I have enough times of just saying, "meh..." and letting things slip by to realise that I have a rather tall hill to climb. However, there are some things different this year that I hope could help push me along...
I've started reading a book called "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." I'm trying to do the personal change thingy so what better book to read than that? I find it very interesting and I'm wondering if stuff like this work. It does for some, but I have to wonder if I'll actually put it into use for it to work. I'm in a pretty deep rut that's hard to get out of. However, nothing is impossible. I just wonder if I'm just being impatient and hoping for things to change like NOW NOW versus letting it gradually happen. I still have time yet I also DON'T have time... if you get my drift. Err... maybe not.
The book really does hit some good points about changing the way one sees things. Something that should be pretty obvious but isn't that obvious for me is that I seem to worry and cuss about a lot of things that I don't have any direct control over. Things like world issues that are so far away that I really shouldn't think too much about. I mean, what can I do right? It's not like I have my "invincible army out there to do my bidding and take over the world MUHAHAHA" thing... =P. What the book says is that I should rather focus on the things that I DO have direct control over and deal with those. It's the whole "Circle of Influence" versus "Circle of Concern" kind of thing. I should work on the things I can influence, which in turn will work out towards things that are of my concern. To put it simply, change happens from within. Geez... you would think something as simple as that could've been understood by me a LOT earlier... alas... apparently lots of things like these are missed by a lot of people.
I definitely hope to start doing that from now on. Everything that is a lot more directly influenced by me, I should change. Change some habits, get into some routines, start seriously thinking about achieving some goals... and to start letting go of some things... or maybe... just that ONE thing I can't seem to be able to... ai... yeap... that again.
No matter. I think the important thing is that it always comes down to a matter of choice. Another thing the book brings up... how we CHOOSE to deal with what life gives us and how we choose to react to things. Choice... forget alcohol being the cause of and solution to all of life's problems =P. So, what choices do I have to make this year? I don't know yet. For one thing, get a new job, buy my car, start saving up to move out... or... hmm, let's not get into that.
It's going to be another TOUGH year. For one thing, I need to beef up my spiritual life too. I've been a bit lax there... and so, I end with the prayer that according to the book, is the prayer for AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). I'm far from an alcoholic, but the words of this prayer means a lot to me. I've already printed it out and I intend to read this everyday:
"Lord,
Give me the courage to change the things which can and ought to be changed, the serenity to accept the things which cannot be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Amen."
Boy, I really need to keep in touch with Him more often... I'm getting jaded. =P
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