Here we go

Wow so complicated to add pictures now

The Migration

I've moved my blog to Wordpress, please update your links.

The Malaysian Geniuses (?)

This year's SPM results saw a 43% rise in straight-A students. Penang sees a 138% rise in straight A students from 38 to 81! This bodes well for Malaysia. No doubt this generation of geniuses will railroad us into 2020! Malaysia Boleh!

The Special Branch

An interesting read (originally from neXus forums) about the Malaysian Special Branch. Some excerpts:

The old Special Branch of British Malaya was so good that it could penetrate the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). One of the Chinese Special Branch officers actually became a member of the CT (Communist Terrorist -- what the British called the guerrillas), climbed up the leadership ladder, and was later sent by the MCP to infiltrate the Special Branch (it is said that the number two in the MCP was also Special Branch who was killed when Chin Peng found out about it). What the MCP did not know is that the Chinese CT was actually a Special Branch officer who had infiltrated their ranks and not the other way around. Invariably, he successfully ‘infiltrated’ the Special Branch (because he was already Special Branch) and sent back ‘secrets’ he ‘stole’ from the Special Branch to the MCP. Imagine how much misinformation and disinformation he fed the MCP. Ever wonder why Chin Peng could never make a move without the Special Branch always being one step ahead of him? Today, we have Special Branch officers serving as branch chairmen of political parties, not only in the opposition but in the ruling party as well (even some Supreme Council members are suspected of being Special Branch officers; though I can’t mention their names here). The EPF counter clerk you meet to settle your EPF matters could be a Special Branch officer. The Telecoms technician who comes to your house to repair your phone line could be a Special Branch officer. The student in the front row of your lecture could be a Special Branch officer. Your office boy could be a Special Branch officer. Your chauffer could be a Special Branch officer. The list of possibilities is endless.

Finally something to be proud of, eh?

The Superlative God

Calvinism is the Christian doctrine popularized by John Calvin in the sixteenth century, central tenets being that of "irresistible grace" and "total depravity" - that God calls those who are to be saved, and thus being saved (or condemned) is through God's decision alone; and that people are so evil in nature they would not otherwise be able to choose to believe. Arminianism, the teachings of Jacobus Arminius, echoes the concept of "total depravity", but teaches "resistible grace", which tries to address the inherent issues of predestination in Calvinism. God's saving grace is extended to many by God, but people have the free will to reject it. If Calvinism is one end of the spectrum then Pelagianism is at the other. Pelagius, who lived in the fourth century, did not believe in an original sin that condemned man, but believed that man had the ability to choose good or evil for himself, without needing divine intervention. Sadly, his teachings were deemed heretical and condemned. Semi-Pelagianism still survives today and is the opposite of Arminianism - man decides to accept God, and God's grace completes the process. Another indirectly related doctrine that has recently emerged is Open Theism, which attempts to address the conflicts caused by the predestination that is taught in many doctrines. In Open Theism, God has not determined the future with certainty (an "open" future), but rather intentionally limits his omniscience so that humans have meaningful free will. What I personally find most notable about these doctrines is not so much the arguments themselves but the motivations behind them. Calvinism paints a God in control of everything, and man helpless to overcome his own nature. Arminianism tries to absolve God of the condemnation of man, by painting man as the guilty party in rejecting God. Pelagianism reflects a belief in meaningful free will and responsibility, rather than humans who start off already helpless and condemned. The controversy over Open Theism is interesting. It reflects the need of people to have a deity in control of everything, the omnimax God. There is even a book criticizing Open Theism titled Their God is Too Small. Open Theism in fact resolves many issues with predestination, but that is lost in the furore over the "limiting of God". If God knows everything about the future, then he cannot be all-powerful or have free will, because he cannot do things that won't fulfil the future. If God knows what you need, what you will pray and whether he will choose to fulfil it, then there surely isn't any point in praying. I give this my own term, "throwing superlatives at God". This comes hand in hand with making man as small, helpless, and evil as possible. It fulfills man's need to have someone in control, but is full of flaws when you think about it.

The Just World Effect

The Just World Effect, closely related to the concept of "karma", is a cognitive bias based on the belief that good things happen to good people; bad things to bad people. I would describe it as an anthromorphism of the cosmos - humans reward good actions and bad actions, so it is tempting to think the universe does the same thing. At first glance there is nothing wrong with this phenomenon. But this bias leads to "victim blame": the perception that the suffering of a person is deserved in some way. The most obvious examples are studies that show rape victims tended to be blamed for their ordeals, be it by dressing provocatively, inviting attention, or simply being there. The Just World Effect is powerful when combined with religion. When syphilis first became widespread in the sixteenth century, the Catholic church proclaimed it the "wrath of god" for adultery. After the advent of penicillin this view was abandoned. More recently the emergence of AIDS also led to a similar decree by many religious leaders; at the time the misconception was that it only spread among homosexuals and therefore God was signalling his disapproval. It is a stigma that still exists today. In the aftermath of 9/11 Pat Robertson, a controversial fundamentalist proclaimed it was the "lifting of His protection" and the result of America's immorality. Similar things were said about Hurricane Katrina (or any other natural disaster for that matter), with people scrambling to blame it on everything imaginable: gays, gambling, alcoholism, etc. The flip side can be just as deceptive - that good fortune justifies a person. Rafidah Aziz claims she has God's mandate because she was reelected to the Cabinet. After Israel won the Six-Day-War against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, it was immediately claimed a miracle had happened and God's had given Israel their land - its aerial superiority and brilliant military tactics nonwithstanding. This bias cheapens humanity and offers too simplistic a view of life. We should help others in trouble, not judge them; we should learn from mistakes and successes and not freely assume divine mantles.

The February Films (review)

Cowboy Bebop is a "space-western" set in the year 2071 . Humans have colonized the solar system, terraforming Mars, Venus, and Jupiter. Enforcing the law in the vastness of space is impossible, so it falls to "space cowboys" (bounty hunters) to track down criminals and turn them in to claim their reward. The Bebop is a ship owned by ex-policeman-turned-cowboy Jet Black, who travels the galaxy with his partner, the charismatic ex-mobster Spike Spiegal. Early in the series they pick up Faye Valentine, a selfish and cynical woman who regularly makes off with their earnings; Ed, a young hacker who has a very odd take on life; and Ein, a corgi with human-like intelligence. Unlike other series there is barely a "main" plotline. The 26 "sessions" of Cowboy Bebop revolve around the individual agendas and histories of the crew. It's the deep character development that makes this show memorable, coupled with the enchanting film noir style. House MD is doubtless one of the most engaging drama series ever shown on TV. Dr. Gregory House suffers chronic pain due to a misdiagnosed thigh infarction that also left him a cripple - and very miserable. He's eccentric, cynical, misanthropic; but also brilliant. Modelled after the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, House and his team of diagnosticians take on difficult cases which have stumped everyone else. House's take on life is what keeps you coming back every episode. The show may be formulaic, and House always abusive, but you can never manage to predict what he says.

House: You have a parasite. Woman: Can you do anything about it? House: Only for about a month or so. After that it becomes illegal to remove — except in a couple of states. Woman: Illegal? House: Don't worry. Many women learn to embrace this parasite.

Oh yes, he does have a heart of gold beneath all that, but he's not going to let you know. The show itself addresses many ethical issues (all medical dramas do), particularly on the tendency of people to lie - "Everybody lies" being House's catchphrase. But it does bring out the shades of gray in many issues and makes you think. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy could have been a great movie. It's based on a series of sci-fi comedy books of the same name. It starts off with dolphins heralding the end of the world with the song So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish! Then we have Arthur Dent, a geeky Englishman who finds out his friend Ford Prefect is actually an alien. Ford saves him from sharing the fate of Earth, which is vapourized by the Vogons to make way for a hyperspace interstate. "There's no point acting all surprised about it, the plans and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning office in Alpha Centauri for 50 Earth years." Ford is also in the process of writing a handbook of the galaxy, hilarious excerpts of which are occasionally read out. They meet Trillian, the only other surviving Earthling; Zaphod, part-time President of the Galaxy; and Marvin, a manically-depressed robot. It turns out that long ago the ultimate computer, Deep Thought, was built to answer the the meaning of life, the universe and everything. When the Ultimate Answer was returned: "42", it was realised that its creators had neglected to define the Ultimate Question. Oh it could have been so much fun. But in a dastardly demonstration of Hollywoodism we are treated instead to Arthur's infatuation with Trillian and the story devolves into a cliched romance. Although admittedly, being an endangered species might alter one's priorities in life...