Altruism?
“Honest people never prosper.”
Why is it You’ve created a world where the hungry, yet wasteful flesh-eaters indulge, and the truly philanthropic subjects are left to suffer? Is it you or I that should worry I question you so?
fresh books
As 2010 draws to a close, it’s time to sit in front of the fireplace and speak of epic stories and hopeless nostalgia about what has just passed these 12 months.
That’s funny – there’s no snow on the ground, it’s 5ºC, and the heater isn’t even on. There isn’t a need to light the fireplace this New Year. The family rooms are empty and quiet, and I don’t smell cinnamon and spice like I used to. Has something gone astray?
Allegro non Troppo
After conning myself of my final exam for my “Health Systems in Society” class, I’ve felt that sudden onset of nostalgia again. It was more like nostalgia of what I was able to do when I was in high school, and what freedom in interests I had when I was a teenager. Then after hearing some stranger practicing what sounded like an etude on a piano, in a music room, I began to remember what my passions were as a musician. Never would I have thought such thirst would be reawakened again.
I’ve begun to think about getting lessons for horn again. I’ve never actually had private lessons before, but I did try to search for a teacher – that, however, never took flight. I was never quite sure why, though, and maybe this time it’ll turn out a flop too. But to think that I would have the capabilities of producing organic music, although under-appreciated in these times of artificial bass and electronic riffs, would be like a kiss from a seraph; you never really know what it’d feel like until it killed you.
At the same time, what about the other things I could try to learn? What exactly is my innate “talent”, or so people like to call them, and why can’t I see any? Perhaps I don’t have any, or perhaps I just don’t realise any of them. I think I’m more prone to believing the former.
At the very least, I suppose, I should just appreciate that such things are out there to create what separates us from other animals – manufactured art. Instead of creating art out of what nature gives us, we can create art with our minds. That is the only anthropological ability that we have which surpasses nature, yet it’s the same reason that destroys our own kind.
If, say, we didn’t have art, would we have the capabilities of disrupting the peace of mind, or mastering the “art of manipulation”? The ability for us to create and design new things can really push us forward, but it can also be the same thing that decimates us: we have the art of descriptive literature, but yet the art of serial murdering. It’s like a societal tumour – you know it will kill you one day, but it reawakens appreciation for what life offers and tunes your mind to the delicacies of varying emotion and melancholy. The most beautiful paintings and compositions come from the masochistic pain of humans, and the sadistic mind of the audience.
‘To take pleasure from others’ pain – hah, that sounds just about right. Humans are sadists and masochists alike, whether or not they admit it – it’s what keeps us alive.
Design?
Yeah.
That’s right. I dished out money to buy books. I think it’s time I actually start doing something about web-designing, because I’ve been treating it like my least favourite child. It just turns out that having any background in web design is coming handy for a lot of situations, namely pursuing my career.
It’s somewhat strange to think that I would need any knowledge in HTML, CSS and PHP in the pharmacy world – I was thinking I’d be playing around with syringes, pills, mortars and pestles for the rest of my life, but I’ve found myself writing the <head> tag countless times.
I guess it goes to show how the least relevant experience isn’t always useless. I was always told having the ability to design (somewhat) and know HTML like it’s my mother’s tongue would never come in handy in anything but the computer science world. Take a look at CAPSI, for example. I would never have thought I’d get a position as a “webmaster” (I hate using that term; it just blankets all web development and design into one role as some minute detail), seeing how I would have assumed computer knowledge was fairly ubiquitous.
I wonder if that will ever change. Is web designing really that rare in a Web 2.0 society? Should we not be so in-tune with the intricacies of the internet and its darkest corners if we’re becoming that attached to information technology?
It becomes frightening to think that, despite so many people using computers, only a fraction know anything about how they work; that’s not to say I expect everyone who uses a computer to be a developer of some sort, but rather the majority don’t seem to know what they’re actually using. Does that not put the ignorant at hazard for manipulation or, more specifically, prone to harm on their intellectuality or privacy?
The philosophy of technology could get interesting. But what it really boils down to is – are we controlling information, or is information controlling us?
Hah, what bull. For now.
Whatever. All I really wanted to say was that I want to do something different for Voukah this time. And Aquanica. The designs I have up are pretty patchwork and effortless. I want to actually try this time.
Indeed, this is the blog of Franky Liu. Voukah is simply a compilation of random thoughts and useless rambling as he goes through an interestingly mundane life. With that, he is quite emotional and many times annoying; sometimes he wonders if he is narcissistic as well. He also may cause upset stomach. He also enjoys speaking in third person.