Note to blog marker(s)

Hi blog marker(s),

          My first necessary actions will be to honour you for your hard, neverending work in sacrificing self over others, giving up one of your solitary day of freedom and laughter confined to marking. If it wasn't for the lack of time, I would be writing an Ode to The Blog Marker.

          OK, I know this is very fake. It was meant as a joke, but really, thanks for your time. As such, though, I have decided to take upon myself the serious job of informing whoever's marking my blog on the necessary steps you must take to ensure that I get as high marks as possible. No offence to Han Wei though, for I tak all responsibility upon my shoulders. 

          Anyway, to get the relevant posts I want to be used for ACE, click, at the bottom of either the second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth post, the hyperlink with the word "ACE". This will direct you to all my relevant blog posts. Of course, its the 5 posts immediately before this post, but still, clicking it would be better.

         Now, what seems the most appropriate thing to do is to apologise. Really, writing short posts is sort of a trouble to me. I know I have most likely doubled the limit, and you should be tired after grading so many blogs, so I really must apologise. I think the content of my posts are not too bad, so take a rest, rest those tired eyes of yours, then read. My blog posts aren't Susan Boyle or Hollie Steel, they can't lift you up, but at least I try. 

         Once again, thanks so much for your hard work!

Cheers,

Darrel

Ode to my enemy

Hi all,

          I suddenly thought of her. I have exhanged hellos at 3rd language, despite not being in the same class. Does this sound a little Romeo-Juliet-ish? I hope its the Montague-Capulet enmity part, cause that's all. We didn't become friendly with each other because of our son's/daughter's death respectively, though.

          But enough of this Shakespeare allegories. Who is this "she" I'm referring to? Due to the extreme pervasiveness of the internet, I shall decline to comment upon her name. All you need to know, is that she has been the bane of my academic life, haunting my marks as I grew. 

          It wasn't hate at first sight though. The day which I came to know her was when I was Primary 1, seeing her two places in front of me during End-Of-Year Prize Giving. She was 2nd, I was 4th in the level. At that period of time, she was an unknown genius, together with the then 1st in level. Between the two of them, the top in subjects were distributed evenly. In P2, when we became together, she eventually became a familiar sight, and to the then innocent and young me, she was a competitor I had to win. Masculinity and chauvinism were abstract concepts, it was the joy in beating her that I wanted. I didn't, and as she remained 2nd, I was 9th. 

          In Primary 3, we were in the same class, and then substantially raised our competitiveness. There were of course others, but the two of us were always at the front, always attempting to throttle the other. We both got into GEP, but as she clutched on to her 2nd, I plunged into the mire of 15th. In Primary 4, we were both newbies to our primary school. Unfamiliarity, however, did not bond us, and so didn't the fact that we had to coexist in the same class. I like to think that it was our driving force, and that propelled us to fight for glory. I have no idea if Infatuation's arrival and its subsequent handiwork between me and another girl was a curse or a boon, but I knew it was what led me to my 10th in level, with her being 3rd. Breakups do tend to have an effect on you, after all.

          Primary 5 was our dream year, and I distantly remember it being one of the best years of my life. Not only was it the fact that I had fallen to Infatuation, not only was it the fact that I was able to flirt, shamelessly then, at arguably the most romantic place in China, but also the fact that I was 3rd in class, and she, being in the same class as me, wasn't. She had been infatuated too, but hers was on its way to love. Primary 6 was my trump year. What else could one ask for? Power as a Vice Head, good friends with the girl who charmed me two years back, 2nd then 1st in level...She, however, had lost her grip on the positions, and while I did not gloat, I was still proud. Proud for defeating her, proud that I had risen. I always think that it was her breakup that secured my high position, and I always pity her. In our final, best battle yet, I had a higher PSLE score then her, and with that, we parted ways.

          Now, I hear she's doing well, along with many other friends/frienemies(friend-enemies) of mine. Though I most likely won't have her chance to compete with her once more, but still, enemies then, friends now. Hats off to you, my friend-enemy!

          Few songs before I end off, certain songs that quite fit parts of this story. Terry Jackson's Seasons In the Sun (the first verse) and Yael Naim's New Soul seem particularly fitting. Maybe a quick video montage of Yesteday Once More, by the Carpenters. Till another time, adios, and I apologise for the really long post.

Cheers,

Darrel

Current Affairs: My Epic Screwup

Hi all,

         Before proceeding on, however, I just want to state certain conditions to declare myself successful. This being a debate, let's analyse it from the point of view of a judge. Firstly, I must have answered the requirements of this debate. Seeing as it requires us to make addiction a medical condition due to the fact that it has benefits to society, we then must consider: What justifies making any condition a medical condition? Why should or shouldn't addiction be classified as a medical condition? Does doing so really benfit society? How does it benefit society and if it doesn't, how will it harm or remain neutral to society? Secondly, I must have spoken persuasively. Thirdly, I must be organised and have a good structure within my speech. Lastly and most importantly, I must have adhered to my role.

          Having stated these conditions, let's now take a look at how I screwed up, with an advantage of 20/20 hindsight. Let's take a look at the first condition. I stated that for condition to be made a medical condition, it means that the condition must affect the person's judgement, such that he is unable to be represented as a thinking adult in front of the judiciary system, and therefore we are removing his freedom of choice to be represented like that. I stated that this freedom of choice should be removed as it causes third party harm and it affects the rationality of his choice. On the society point, I didn't link, and as that was half of the motion, this should warrant the term "an epic screwup"

          On style, I don't think I was too bad. In terms of organisation, I wasn't the best, making a string of accusations that weren't grouped into contentions. In terms of role however, ah, here is where I really flunked it. As the mother whose son died, I'm supposed to be emotional, crying all over the place etc. I'm also supposed to ask for regulation. Did I do this? No. Though I sort of justified my hardline, angry stance when I said I'm fighting for change, there was no excuse for forgetting the second clause of change. 

          Therefore, this is how my speech should have been. Three main points of clarification: Firstly, on the whole nature of video gaming (addiction is easy, not due to teens) , nature of its company(mercenary, don't care about players) and nature of players (play only for coolness, soon get addicted). Then, onto more elaborated and concrete substantives on freedom of choice, with third party harm and rational choice as main issues. 

          Yup, that's all. Just providing a self analysis.

Cheers,

Darrel

Anyone Lived In A Pretty How Town

Hi all,

         The performance "If There're Seasons..." yesterday was simply stunning. The beginning scene began with this poem by E.E.Cummings, but composed into a song "anyone lived in a pretty how town". It's purposely in small letters, by the way. What I'd like to do is to comment on this poem and its theme.

           A brief summary: Anyone and no-one are the most individualistic. The "someones" and "everyones" of the town exhibit no individuality and spawn numerous repetitive generations. The children, with the imagination of youth, realized the love between anyone and no-one but forgetting it as they grew. When anyone dies, the townspeople only bury his body, but the grief stricken no-one mourns his passing and is buried with him. The two then find further love after their burials, more in death than the townsfolk ever knew in life. The townspeople then go on with their lives. 

            It's a tough poem to understand when you only read it once, and I took further reading and explanation by the characters later in the muscial that it actually meant that to be living a normal life can be more interesting than the people who don't, for the people living the normal life, "anyone" and "no one", actually are able to love and appreciate life well, while the people who sought for a life that was exciting, "someone" and "everyone", soon fell into the social mould of a loveless and lifeless society. When anyone and no one died, someone and everyone didn't mourn them, but there may be a day which they will, after a long time.

           And how true it has become these days! Love is only rediscovered and developed after many eyars in life! Many affluent businessmen, Bill Gates being and example, in the end, contribute back to society through similar means as normal charity workers. Speakign of charity workers, Susan Boyle shot to fame only through her normality, her individuality in a normal, peaceful life. Normality, though brushed aside and condemned by fame, is soon a servant of fame, for fame is only a temporal normality, which centres on greed and ignores anything else, while normality is eternal and perennial, because it remembers life, it remembers love. 

            Everyone lives in a pretty how town, it's only a decision whether to become a singularly unique anyone or a conformist everyone.

Cheers,

Darrel

P.S. I know this is very complex, for I'm not very sure myself on whether my analysis is better. Ah well, maybe there'll be a day where I can understand this poem better.