The Glass Ceiling.

The Glass Ceiling.

Refers to situations where the advancement of a qualified person within the hierarchy of an organization is stopped at a lower level because of some form of discrimination, most commonly sexism. Thats what wikipedia roughly says. But it doesnt end there. That popular source of information also says that “It is an unofficial, invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing in businesses.”

Feminist tend to view the issue behind the Glass Ceiling as on of gender biasness rather than that of limitations in abilities. Personally i prefer to to think of it as the latter. I say this because many men (and women) still hold the traditional belief that women should stay at home to care for their children. Nothing personal against the fairer sex but it seems a bit hard to put one in a position of control or leadership. Reason being that we have been trained by society to view the different traits of men and women.

To have a female figure hold the role of a leader may be challenging to some. Shes likely to be biasly judged for her actions then a man would be being in the same position. If a good male leader is supposed o have qualities such as authoritative, capable, direct, effective then a female leader with similar qualities would be perceived as someone who is bossy, insensitive and emotional. Such a situation will result in an ineffective downward communication which can be a stumbling block to any organization by affecting the interdependence within. Would a woman bear to endure such criticisms? Even if she tries, to what extent is she willing to go to achieve respect and recognition required to be a good leader?

For those hardcore feminist who would stand by their principles of gender equality, I quote this excerpt from an online article written by Angela Epstein, “Though I applaud female ambition and advancement, when it comes to real power, I feel so much happier if a man holds the reins.” It was her response to finding out that the flight she was on, was piloted by a female. In addition to that, Margaret  Thatcher, UK’s ex-PM and the patron saint of achieving women, trusted all the key cabinet positions to men.

The fact is that when women are tired, weak, compromised, in need of sympathy and vulnerable, nothing beats the strong arm of male capability and its implied protection.

Coffee and ciggs,

Khai

Remember remember the fifth of november.

“Remember, remember, the fifth of November; gunpowder, treason and plot. I know of no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.”

The movie is an adaptation of the novel V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. It was directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers. The stars featured in the film  are Natalie Portman as Evey Hammond, Hugo Weaving as V, Stephen Rea as Inspector Finch, and John Hurt as Chancellor Sutler.

V for Vendetta is an action film which is set in London, England in a future society. V is a freedom fighter wanting to create sociopolitical change but also at the same time pursuing his own violent personal agenda. In the middle of all the chaos occurring in England, V  stands up to the government and is considered a terrorist after expressing his personal hatred of the government through actions and words, for something they did to him long time ago. One night V rescues a young woman by the name of Evey Hammond and an unusual relationship is created between them resulting with Evey becoming V’s helper in bringing out the truth and bringing freedom and justice back to a society who have been brainwashed and filled with cruelty and corruption.  V starts a revolution trying to make the people rise up against totalitarianism and oppression on the November the 5th, a day in which V says he and those who will follow him will stand up to the government.

In the film we can see a situation which is very closely related to our world, such as torture cells, unfair punishments, prejudice against minorities which is something which has existed and still does.The film indirectly addresses the issue which are currently happening today. Also, the movie illustrates a situation of chaos and dictatorship which is similar to Nazi Germany back in world war  2. For example, Adam Sutler, whose name may remind someone of Adolf Hitler, seems to have a personality similar to that of the Nazi Fuhrer himself. Similarly both character show themselves as being oblivious to the situation happening around them. The character Valerie was sent to a detention facility for being a lesbian and then had medical experiments performed on her which is similar to Nazi Germany’s treatment of gay men during the Holocaust.

Personally i like the future-retro look of the movie. And the accompanying soundtrack, one of which is a classical piece by Tchaikovsky, 1812 overture. The usage of Tchaikovsky’s overture was a good idea as it brought a feeling of revolution and patriotism with the sounds of canon fire and huge barrel drums. I think the movie was really moving and makes you realize that you can overcome your fears and be strong and fight for your right of liberty. I liked the fact that we are not able to see V’s face but instead only a mask as  the film is trying to show V as the representation of an idea and not only as an individual with a sad past and full of anger and hatred for the government. I believe that the use of the mask and persona functions as both practical and symbolic elements of the story.

This movie would appeal to those who love films that stimulates thoughts and also to those who can appreciate classical music and literature. Not for those who are only looking for raw action movies accompanied by lacklustre storylines.

Coffee and ciggs,

Khai

Why are we worshipping the one-eyed monster?

When was the last time you watched something on the telly and acted it out? Did you pretend to be a cowboy or a jedi or a that pretty little confused boy who secretly plays with barbies? Come on. Its ok to be different. You can just put the blame on the telly. You probably worship that thing sitting in ur living room. You probably have a daily ritual complete with food offerings. Still in denial? What about those sessions when you get home and laze in front of the tv with your feet on the table, continuously munching on snacks with eyes fixated on the screen?

Everyone wants to be a rock and rolla. All the sex, drugs and the booze. Especially the booze. Alcohol happens to be the most consumed beverage on prime time television. In fact, they drink alcohol twice as much than coffee or tea and 14 times more than you can see them chugging on soft drinks. If we were to live in the television itself, we would probably to drunk to drive or do anything else. Maybe even to drunk all the time to actually get a hangover. No surprise how much influence it has over us with all the different brands in the hands of different celebrities. And details of opening up a can of beer. Down to the faintest fizz. How can one resist the temptation of having an ice cold beer on a hot lazy afternoon  after work on the living room couch. Homer Simpson would definitely do just that. A ‘very good’ example to the youth of today.

What about all the violence in television shows? What good values does it teach our offsprings? They would probably idolize their favorite gangster. Since it all comes together in a single package. The gangster culture has crept into our society without us realizing it. Even like an Asian country like ours, we can see our young malay, chinese and indian teenagers in absurdly over sized clothing looking like the winners from ‘The Biggest Loser’. Come to think of it, they are one of the biggest losers to embrace such culture blindly. One which didn’t originate from them but which was started by thugs from the Bronx. At least they profited from that lifestyle. All the violence from the territorial disputes was to gain control of the business in the area. Why do our local gangsters fight with each other? Staring incidents. Seriously guys. Free country. If people are staring at you, Mostly like you have your fly wide open for public viewing. Not that anyone is interested anyway. And then we have the culture kids. Punks and skinheads as well as the ‘rude’ boys. A bunch of really uninformed idiots, especially the skinheads. They make that culture as their own without realizing that Skinheads are racists and believe in the superiority of the Aryan race. Guys, we are Asians. Your caucasian counterparts would rather wallop you than have you join their cause. Now see how a good source of information the television is.

How tempted are you by the the commercials on the goggle box? Do you really need that noisy and overpriced vacuum cleaner? Is it really capable of the miraculous things that it claims to have? Why do we have the urge to buy things which are unnecessary? These ‘evil’ commercials tend to create this feeling of lack in us. A deep ache which can only be remedied by purchasing the product which has been shown to us. These commercial make us needy people. Especially seen in children. Back in the days, we could let our imaginations run wild with the simple toys we had. Given a box of legos, we could build skyscraper to cars and even futuristic robots. Now, children demand the latest toys with the latest technology embedded in them to make them feel entertained. Commercials makes us feel a certain sense of hunger, boredom and ugliness. Then they tantalize us with a array of products which supposedly makes it all better. We have to stop these acts of submission. We cannot subject ourselves to the dangers of consumerism.

That big box of moving pictures that we look up to also makes us fat. YES FAT. Its the daily offerings of chips and other sweet savories which contributes to our unhealthy diet which in turns causes us to gain high levels of cholesterol as well as a build up of fats around our waists. We are not doing ourselves a favor by watching more television than we need to. The more we watch it, the more we eat. And the more we add to the amount of fats, cholesterol, salt and sugar to our bodies. We are only killing ourselves slowly as complications may arise from all the unhealthy snacking. They can come in form, like obesity, heart problems and also diabetes. Well put the blame on commercials then, as these unhealthy habits to successful advertising.

The television is no longer a simple mode of entertainment nor information. It has gone beyond that. With the possibility of every one believing what they see on screen, it has become a form of mass communication that has a strong influence on our perception. We have to stop accustoming  ourselves to unrealistic stimulating scenarios and start thinking independently.

So stop the telly!

coffee and ciggs,

Khai

A toast to the printed circuit board!

When was the last time you made a call or texted someone on your cellphone? It was probably just a few hours ago. Definitely not more than 24 hours unless you dont own one or your cellphone just got involved in a freak accident involving a blender and your wildest imagination possible. Each and every one of us is dependent on technology in one way or another. But are we ready to admit that truth to ourselves? Probably not. Denial always sets in and we come up with our own self serving biases.

But why the need for technology? Communication. Humans are social creatures that thrive on communication. We use different mediums to communicate with each other. Technology has made such a great impact on how we communicate with each other,that we depend on it heavily to go about living our lives. Gone are the medieval ages where messages are sent on horseback and is used only by the privileged royalty and noble men. Thank Mr Bell for the telephone. If it wasn’t for him we’d probably be stuck to our knights on vespas (Mr SingPostman) and licking the back of of stamps and contribute to the spread of germs. Don’t contribute to bioterrorism! We are no longer limited to having to face the person that we want to talk to. A bane for men and a boon for women, because they cant read our body language through conversations on the phone. -chuckles- Men should really thank Mr Bell for the telephone as it has made their lives easier. Why do you ask? I may have to change my statement above, from “Humans are social creatures that thrive on communication” to “Women are social creatures that thrive on communication”. No pun intended to the ladies, but there are times men prefer peaceful moments in isolation. So with the phone, we do not have to be subjected to the endless ramblings on a daily basis and women can express their golden thoughts among themselves by yakking away on the telephone.

Another way technology has made our lives better is to make socializing easier. We no longer need to meet random strangers to get our quick fixes by going to the bar or go on speed dating events. And the average frustrated chump(afc) has a higher chance of playing the game and succeeding at it. How is this possible? The INTERNET. With its humble beginnings as a small network of computers and a black screen with matrix-like green letters for its user interface, it has grown to a global network of computers and servers that enables us to transfer and access data regardless of geographical location. Now afcs can go through the initiating and experimenting stages online. With the absence of fear, afcs can now meet and hook up with random strangers with ease through the large number of chat rooms available online. Besides that, the internet serves the purpose as an infinite library of knowledge. We no longer have to be restricted to books and other forms of printed media to look for or acquire information. Students no longer have to drag themselves into silent libraries where zombies and other scary creatures may be lurking among the bookshelves. They can simply get whatever they need of the internet and even have a group discussion through means of messenger services. It cuts the need to travel, is low in cost and produces the same or higher levels of productivity.

The technical advances of technology is constantly making communication easier. The usage of technology is limited only to our imagination. As a young boy i have been exposed to movies and television programs showing futuristic gadgets capable of displaying faces when communicating verbally with each other. What used to be a figmentation of my imagination, that has been made possible through what we now know as the 3G cellular network. Video calls are no longer restricted to offices and business and can be made by anyone who owns a mobile phone with those capabilities. And thank you to Mr Jobs for the Iphone. He has by far, made the best gadget with everything you could think of in it. He did not only cater to the technologically hungry but also those who are lazy. Yes lazy. People want everything in a device. If they could get food by some miracle digitally teleported to them, they would. That gadget which started a tech revolution has  enabled people to make calls, send emails, play music, play games, store files and even control other computers (Yes! control other computers. how cool is that? it is AWESOME!), all from one device. No more carrying multiple gadgets for different purposes. All you need, is an IPHONE.

So, can we really live without technology? Not me.

Coffee and ciggs,

Khai

Your friendly neighbourhood PLAYA?

Player (dating), slang term for a (usually male, but also female) individual skilled at sexual seduction. – Wikipedia

Why do ladies hate players? Why are those men who take a different approach towards interpersonal communication really hated by women? I think they are merely misunderstood. Everyone has needs. One of those needs is our natural desire to socialize. It seems quite unfair that these men, who just happen to be better at the ‘game’, are discriminated  for fulfilling that short term relational need of theirs to socialize in their own way. Arent they in one way or another helping us connect with each other? Be it in a good or bad way, unethical or otherwise, they are actually contributing to our social community by bringing people closer to each other, especially among women.

It is through these termination stages which make women come together to support of each other and help each other out through sessions of consoling and recovery. But it is also through these disengagements,women spark hatred towards these men.These hatred is pretty much discriminatory as such matters are subjective as it is a matter of  women and their social-cognitive orientation. A hatred which revolves around the fear of losing control.

Women have been known to strive for equality. But when it involves dating, they want the upper hand. And as such, most of the the traditional rules of dating give women that advantage. Nice guys are submissive to these norms and women tend to find it appealing. But they tend to be predictable. Players however aren’t manipulated by these traditional notions of dating, and because of that, they are accused of ‘playing games’. In actual fact, players just choose not to play their(woman’s) games. YES, tactics are involved, and a great deal of skill, but it’s not manipulative. Players work within the system of human attraction to negotiate a connection.Ask yourself:

• What have traditional notions of dating really done for you? If they worked, wouldn’t you have found someone already?
• Is being in complete control of the situation worth being alone? And if you do find a guy you can control completely, can you respect him enough to be happy?

Players are hard to read. One of the side effects of predictability is having the guy tell you how amazing you are and how in love with you he is. In the integration process, ladies sometimes use the amount and quality of compliments they receive to judge whether the relationship is working. A judgment which  shows vanity rather than confidence.

These is a bane to most men as expectations go, women want to be constantly showered with compliments to reassure themselves of the insecurities they face. Don’t expect a player to spend every minute in the relationship reassuring you of things you should already know. Confidence is something which comes from within. Rather than having all those unnecessary expectations, wouldn’t it be better if women just put thought as to whether the guy actually complements them? Are they suitable for you?

Being a player is really about the realization of being in control of oneself because, it is the only thing one can be in control of. So do not put the blame on a player because he is so eager to end a relationship or hesitate to even be in one. It can sometimes, simply be a matter of avoiding stagnation process of enduring a miserable relationship. Besides, players are human too.

We Create A Balance.

coffee and ciggs,

khai

Utopia anyone?

How often do you observe people’s  behavior around you? Be it in the bus, train, work place or even classroom. Do you try to make sense of the things they do and why they do it? Or simply shrug it off in blissful ignorance.

I wish i could do that. But its becoming a really bad habit of mine to simply try to decipher the meanings behind people’s actions. A habit which i had since i was young and at times i feel like a curious kid who never grew up. Its funny how at a younger age we develop our own perception of the stuff around us. We can be in awe at the simplest of things. Cartoons for example. Stimulus in the form of simple colours, and movements could entertain us for hours. But as we grow older, we get more critical. We pass judgment on movies, food and especially people. But we tend to perceive things as they are, most times on a superficial level rather than actually trying to find out more about the “why’s” of it.

Why do social problems exist? Is it simply because people choose to be ignorant and lead a life of self serving bias? Would most problems seize to exist if we are able to communicate better? Teenagers always complain that their parents do not understand them or what they are going through. Every parent was once a teenager, yet some find difficulty in relating to their child’s life problems. Maybe its due to the difference of cognitive schematas since we tend to interpret things according to past experiences and develop our own sturctural pinciples from them.

Maybe we should be more knowledgeable in non-verbal communication. It could heighten our awareness of what others are trying to say to us. Possibly reduce the number of divorces or break ups among couples since the most responses higlight the issue of MEN not being able to UNDERSTAND their women. In such a scenario, it happens when the woman conveys most of her messages thru subtleties in non-verbal cues and by some form of divine miracle expect the man to ‘get the idea’ and ‘act on it’. Call me bias and i can be a bit of a sexist but WOMEN fail to see that men are not as receptive to body language as they are. And that fact has been repeatedly documented in books and movies and such. So men. Be a gentleman and learn some body language. It could save your relationship and the very unnecessary, avoidable and annoyingly unbearable quarrels with your significant other.

So can we put most of the blame of life’s issues on our failure to communicate effectively with each other. Is misunderstandings the root of all things socially evil? Can we reach a point of perfection and create the wildly imaginative utopia?

coffee and ciggs to all,

Khai

F.O.E

Freedom of expression?

Not here in our fine little prejudiced island. No.  You would probably be remanded for expressing your negative opinions about the GOVERNMENT. Possibly facing jail term or a heavy , make that a very heavy fine.  Worse.   Even both.  At the same time. Is it far fetched? Definitely not. Just last year, a 24-year-old Chinese man was ‘taken from his home’ for ‘posting contents in his blog which may wound the racial feelings of another person’. Even his personal computer was seized. I believe that it wasn’t his intention to create a ruckus.  But it made clear that such freedom of expression is very limited here. So much so that it strikes fear in us. We have to watch what we say, do just to be safe from the long arms of the LAW.

The law which states:

Under Section 298 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, anyone with deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person, causes any matter however represented to be seen or heard by that person, can be jailed up to three years, or fine, or both, if convicted.

Scary isn’t it?

Yet, there are those who try work around it, by getting more opinions out with less accountability. Infused with elements of humour, the website spreads its message around through subtleties. Talking Cock. That’s the name of their site and what they claim to be doing. I prefer to think otherwise. Having a disclaimer on its main page is already an indication that they may have content which may put them in a complicated situation with the authorities. Indeed they do have articles and pictorials (http://www.talkingcock.com/html/article.php?sid=2719) which CAN probably land them into trouble. The website has even had its fair share of fame when it was labeled as a political site in a local broadsheet.

But why weren’t they arrested or warned by the authorities for their controversial content? Is it because they adhere to professional journalistic principles? Or because they were doing it all in the name of FUN? How different is the website and the blog by the Chinese man in terms of sensitivity and restraint? Personally I think the matter is subjective. Freedom of expression can be a bane or boon to one depending on the message conveyed and how it is deciphered. But with the idea of freedom itself is to eliminate any form of restriction. So, in support of the freedom of expression, are we creating a world of communication without limits or are we giving opportunists the chance to initiate anarchy?

*Taken from www.talkingcock.com solely for the purpose of humour.

No pun is intended to person(s) depicted in the picture.

Carpe Noctem,

Khai