The Merits of Play

I've noticed since young, that many of the 'smart kids' that do not seem to study, but have superior academic skills, spend much of their time playing. Kids that grew up playing video games are smart, those that play with a lot of hands on things, build their own toys etc are usually creative, and those that do alot of role play, imaginative plays when they are young have great ideas growing up. Forget about what playful play and productive play, play has not meant to be productive in the sense that we defined productivity; only then, we're true to our playing. Kids need to play, kite, tops, marbles, throw stones in the streams, go waterfall, pick up shells, hide-and-seek, spraying the garden hose, etc. Not drag-n-drop, not superior mathematical theorerms, nor scoring in MENSA tests. Those are the products of play, i would think.

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The Merits of Play

Play is not just about having fun, it is serious business.

Research has shown that play - particularly unstructured, spontaneous games vs. scheduled activities like music lessons and football practice - is a powerful force in human development. Play experts such as Stuart L. Brown, founder of the Institute of Play, early childhood professor and author Vivian Gussin Paley, and Yale research scientist Dorothy G. Singer believe that spontaneous play and fantasy play help children learn about the world, cope with life's pressures, and process negative emotions such as fear, anger, even worry. They have found that role-playing prepares us for real-life situations, allowing us to practice, for example, making decisions under pressure, leading a group, or thinking abstractly. Group play teaches us to socialize and to cooperate. Play also gives us a chance to better know ourselves through self-evaluation and self-reflection, which are critical development tools according to Robert Heffer, a clinical psychologist with Texas A&M University. Play also encourages creativity. Says Edgar Klugman, Ed. D. and author of Play, Policy and Practice, "Good make-believers are often better at imagining things," and a good imagination is hardly reserved for childhood.

Research has also identified two types of play: Playful play and productive play. Playful play is doing an activity for the pure joy of doing it, such as skipping rocks on a pond, rolling down a hill until you are dizzy and giddy, or playing air guitar. Jeri Robinson, vice president of early childhood programs at the Boston Children's Museum, defines playful play as "exertion without serious consequence."

Productive play has consequences, a specific outcome, and goals other than pure pleasure. It has a specific purpose, such as producing a tangible thing, like a new and better widget, or playing tennis to win a tournament versus just for fun. Although both types of play teach us valuable skills, productive play is the type we can easily weave into our work. (Blurring the Lines By Kevin Carroll )

"Work and play are words used for the same thing under differing conditions." - Mark Twain

About Ken

Ken Costa, vice-chair of Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), one of the biggest invesment banks in the world, wrote a book on God at work. Financial Times blog, put it across in yesterday's entries. A more in-depth reporting of his beliefs can be see in this article:

http://godatwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/investment-banker-who-is-comfortable-taking-his-religious-beliefs-to-the-office.pdf

Its interesting some of the things that he expressed inside the article, its mostly what i've believed. Good to know that someone like this is out there.

God versus the Bank of England
Edited by Emiko Terazono
Published: July 10 2007 03:00 Last updated: July 10 2007 03:00

Investment bankers are not often thought to harbour religious beliefs, other than a desire to bow down before the altar of mammon. Ken Costa has set out to challenge that view by publishing a book called God at Work: Living every day with purpose.

In the slim volume, the vice-chairman of investment banking at UBS sets out deeply personal views on reconciling his faith with the City, where he has spent his entire working life.

Mr Costa, who was born and brought up in South Africa, writes that the apartheid regime initially turned him away from Christianity, but that his belief was revived while studying at Cambridge University in the 1970s. He joined SG Warburg in 1976 and embarked on a stellar career that saw him rise to the upper ranks of the investment bank.

But he retained a sense of perspective. In one passage, he describes being impressed by the looming facades of the Bank of England and Swiss Bank Corporation. "But then, in a flash, I saw the truth," he writes. "No bank - Swiss Bank or the Bank of England - would survive the promised return of Christ. Strong as they appeared, their apparent security would be broken in an instant."

marriage and long life

Using 1989 and 1997 data from the National Health Interview Survey and the National Death Index respectively, measuring a sample size of different demographics and people group, research shows that you'll live longer if you stay married rahter than split up. Those that are married are less likely to suffer death from external factors such as infectious diseases and have a better life expectancy than those who are not. ("Marry or die" The Atlantic, Dec 2006)

Marriage, was meant to be.

Neuroeconomics

"In this game, one player divides a pot of money between himself and another. The other then chooses whether to accept the offer. If he rejects it, neither player benefits. And despite the instincts of classical economics, a stingy offer (one that is less than about a quarter of the total) is, indeed, usually rejected. The question is, why?" (Money isn't everything, Jul 5th 2007, From The Economist print edition)

Psychologists has done experiments that people actually prefer to be paid 70,000 to live among the people that are paid 60,000 per year; rather than 80,000 among people who are paid 90,000 per year.

Reading a book on complexity economics, about economics that evolves itself. Its a branch that seeks to explain the failure of traditional classical economists trying to explain the world using simplified assumptions, such as people make decisions rationally. Talk more about it.

Nothing Can Stop Us Now

I remember during the only year i study sec school in SMJK Sam Tet (Ipoh), the guy that sits besides me is a son of a professor. He's always reading old old books of form4/5 or form 6 chemistry and tells me all about the structures of the molecules and the properties etc. All i can remember is that i always tries to entertain him (repeat whatever he says the day before to him etc), and the only thing i remembered him telling me is Benzene (C6H6); which is the main component of crude oil. Its funny, i really enjoyed him though, beacause he's a really patient and funny guy, and because he is so learned, our whole gang calls him 老子.

BUT, what i really remember is this 老子, is always reading academic stuff like this, but yet, he listens to alot alot of songs, stuff like meatloaf, scorpions, guns and roses etc, those very classic stuff. Amazing guy. AND of course he also tells me alot about them.

Probably you could only meet one guy like that in a lifetime. I really cherished the one year i had in that school. I still think that its not only the best boys school in Ipoh, its one of the best in Malaysia (we used to have some years where our STPM is top Malaysia).

Remembering this song caused me to remember my sitting partner in school last time. Last i heard he went to Malaysia U major in Chemistry if im not wrong, thought he would end up in oxford or MIT something, im pretty sure its because of a choice or financial problem that stops this from happening. So this is the song i remembered:

Many of us know the song "heaven knows" from Rick Price, but this is another song that I really liked since young, another song is of course "fragile". Great old ballads from the past. Im more sentimental than i looked. haha...

. :Rick Price - Nothing Can Stop Us Now : .
Soft as a rainbow
Like stardust and moonglow
I see the love in your eyes
Like autumn leaves falling
And the first call of morning
It came to my surprise
True love calls just once in a lifetime
Why should we wait
When now is the right time?

Nothing can stop this love we're making
Nothing can stand in our way
Nothing can block this road we've taken
Nothing can stop us now

The joy of surrender
So strong yet so tender
I give my heart to you
You know you can trust me
And that's how it must be
No matter what we do
Faithful friends and lovers forever
Right to the end we'll always be together

Nothing can stop this love we're making
Nothing can stand in our way
Nothing can block this road we've taken
Nothing can stop us now

When love comes sweetly to your door
Embrace completely
What your soul is longing for

Nothing can stop this love we're making
Nothing can stand in our way
Nothing can block this road we've taken
Nothing can stop us now
Nothing can stop us now

事实胜于雄辩

一只熊拉了一坨大便，把小兔子熏的喘不过气
一只狮子拉了一坨屎，把小兔子熏死了
在树上的小猴看到了，说：“事实（狮屎）胜于熊便（雄辩）啊

here you go...

苹果先生@office says:
cuz they can not see the little window at the bottom
k
give me the address

尹寰* says:
猴址
ohshimah.blogspot.com

苹果先生@office says:
so that if i can not find it i can always get a cab

尹寰* says:
this is the address: ohshimah.blogspot.com
not funny

苹果先生@office says:
ok

猴与熊掌，不可兼得

have not seen my JC roomate LJJ for a long time since he went UK to study archi. was chattin on MSN with him (before this part, i wrote a short song/poem/verse about monkey to him modeled after 我爱夏天,by 脱拉库(Tolaku) ), so the rest of the conversation goes like this:

苹果先生@office says:
是“不曾吃到”
笨
and why does a monkey want to cook another monkey

尹寰* says:
吃不成嘛
不同意义
食猴族

苹果先生@office says:
then it should be吃不成
oh
then it must be those monkeys on the bubu

尹寰* says:
哈哈哈哈哈哈哈
本是同树生，相煎何太急

苹果先生@office says:
monkeys are not fruits

尹寰* says:
i want to say 本是同猴生
but its disrespect to elders
this is only between u and me
hahaha
the battle of the tree dweller and the junger roamer

苹果先生@office says:
ok
bring it on bear

尹寰* says:
oh but can u bear with me

苹果先生@office says:
show me that you are not made of fur
yeh, sure
i can keep monkeying around till you are ready

尹寰* says:
hahahahahahahaha

苹果先生@office says:
then we'll get serious

尹寰* says:
serious then do what

苹果先生@office says:
see who is the true king of the jungle

尹寰* says:
you think u gorrilla ah, king of jungle, you only monkey

苹果先生@office says:
fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee
ever heard of that?
monkey fist

尹寰* says:
熊掌
ironmonkey fist
臭猴拳

苹果先生@office says:
yesh

尹寰* says:
鱼与熊掌，不可兼得阿
怎么啦，无言以对啊？

苹果先生@office says:
o(∩_∩)o...哈哈

尹寰* says:
纯棉不觉晓，处处闻猴啼
苹果先生@office says:
see the sun shine on my face?

尹寰* says:
怎么没猴啼？
what sun shine
*春眠

苹果先生@office says:
wait ah

尹寰* says:
春眠不觉晓，处处闻猴啼(屎）

苹果先生@office says:
haha
you wanna smell my shit

we had so much fun staying in the hostel together, everyday its this see-who-is-cornier/wittier/lame-r kind of conversation. he really look like a monkey, and because he owned a ACJC teddy-bear (funorama merchandise), he calls me a bear since JC times (cannot find anything else to retaliate). But bears are much cuter yea.

so i shall spare u all of the rest of the conversation. yes, this is the nonsense that we spout everyday last time. ah, i miss the laugh, i often laugh till my stomach is piercing with pain. LJJ you Chinaman, i will make an exception to say that a monkey is a good friend, for once :)

我是一粒椰子

我是一粒椰子
幼时绿，老了褐
绿时甜，褐有内

我是一粒椰子
漂泊海上像不知去向
但又一日会遇岸深根
会深根成树成材

我是一粒椰子
但愿用处多却不为人知
但愿简单却能贡献
但愿单纯却美丽

我是一粒椰子
椰树长花却没人知
花却没人赏

椰子好像没有梦想
椰渣只是配角
可知漂流是为了寻岸
像无方向但有意义

椰子没有伟大要求
只要你知

等待

等待，不是永久的；等待，也尽可能绝非短暂。等待，是因为有所期待，等待，是因为有希望存在。友说，人总是处于等待，可能是等待一个季期；也可能是等待完结的到来。在一个起点与终点的之间，就是等待。

如果等待是永久，那还叫等待么？我们都是一生的旅人，路过的，为了完成一个使命的。那如果一季还没结束，另一季又能够启发么？又有人说，可能是要有另一季的到来，那现有的一季才能真正宣告截止。那试问在一季结束后到另一季的之间，又称为什么呢？

那每一个时间，每一霎那，是否只允许一个旅程，一个季？或者说，每一个人生的一幕，又可能是有几个季的重叠。或是在这一面的季，只处于起点，而另一个同一时间进展着的季，已陆续到了重点。

季节的来临，是无法控制的。相等的，等待也可能是必然的。对我来说，可以控制的可能是渡过季节的步伐，快与慢；是有旨地等待，还是荒废的悠游。如果决心的截止一个季，另一季可能在你不知觉中，已在身边了。

Gold, silver and copper

Yesterday, was reading Matthew 10:9,

Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts... (NASB) - the version i read
Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start (The Message)
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses (King James)
Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts (NEW King James)
Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins (New Living)

At first, I was intrigued, because Gold and Silver are precious metals, and understander-bly used as a medium of currency/buying. But behold, copper is categorized as quite precious too. I am learning alot about copper in my job and that caught my attention.

As I search on more of the different versions, look at King James that says "brass". Brass is an alloy that contains copper and zinc. Then i wonder would it be that the root word bears the same meaning for both copper and brass?

While copper is fetching very high prices now, it was not much of a precious metal during the olden days, although being one of the oldest trades of mankind. So naturally i thought of it being a medium of exchange that represents value comparable to gold and silver, so the only thing that can do that is to validate it as currency. while looking at the New Living translation, it states "copper coins".

Matthew is a "publician", or tax collector, as he penned down his own occupation as. He is well-versed with money. So shouldn't be any error there. If you read other gospels, there's mention of the bags and belts (Mat 10:9b), while no mention of money. A little occupational hazard there.

I like the Message version, do not go on a fund raising campaign. Food for thought isn't it, for us to go out there like "sheeps among wolves", with no financial support at all, no extra 2 coats, no bags (prob to carry food and coat, water bottle even), no belts (to carry money), no staff (defensive weapon maybe). Basically, nothing. Doing the Lord's work starting with nothing at all. However, without any of these sorts, we are still required to be "shrewd as a serpent and gentle as dove".

In investment, its always high-risk, high-reward; low-risk, low-reward. In this endeavor, we start with nothing, we end with nothing (of this world), naked we come from the womb, naked we depart, as travellers. But we gain treasures in store for us in heaven. A rather good investment proposition there, wouldn't you think so?

梁与朱

My friend told me that this singer is nice, so i went to listen, 曹格。 so i searched for his song for those 试听ones and saw this song, so i tried to listen. its called "梁山伯与朱丽叶". its quite catchy chinese pop music, i haven't been listening for a while, so the chorus goes like this:

Fill in the blanks:
我爱你，你是我的____________;
我愿意成为你的______________.

MCQ choices
a) 罗密友与朱丽叶
b) 梁山伯与祝英台
c) (any other glorious love story couples you can think of...)

I must confess that after losing touch with the chinese pop scene (my friend mentioned the name of the singer, i said "oh the one with the superwoman song ah?" then my friend say, wah lau.. now so many more albums got superman already.. i thought pulling my leg.. superman, actually really have one), its quite catchy la the tune, keep playing in my head now haha..

I should listen to less complicated things like this more, makes me more human probably haha..I was quite boh liao so try to put some of the lyrics on my MSN personal msg like "我爱你，你是我的朱丽叶".. then after a while, i also feel 不好意思 so took it off.

I mean to give credit, im sure there are much better songs that he sings ( I trust my friends' taste, and also he is a Malaysian.)

Bloomberg

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2007
No. 205
www.nyc.gov

STATEMENT BY MAYOR BLOOMBERG ON PARTY AFFILIATION

“I have filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections to change my status as a voter and register as unaffiliated with any political party. Although my plans for the future haven’t changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our City.

“A nonpartisan approach has worked wonders in New York: we’ve balanced budgets, grown our economy, improved public health, reformed the school system and made the nation’s safest city even safer.

“We have achieved real progress by overcoming the partisanship that too often puts narrow interests above the common good. As a political independent, I will continue to work with those in all political parties to find common ground, to put partisanship aside and to achieve real solutions to the challenges we face.

“Any successful elected executive knows that real results are more important than partisan battles and that good ideas should take precedence over rigid adherence to any particular political ideology. Working together, there’s no limit to what we can do.”

-30-

Contact: Stu Loeser (212) 788-XXXX

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I really like Bloomberg and how he managed New York. If he runs for presidency, I would have voted for him (if im an American). I first knew him through using a Bloomberg terminal (of course), the financial terminal with the biggest market share, then later found out more about his company and read his book, Bloomberg by Bloomberg. He came from the golden era of Soloman Brothers (read: Liar's Poker by Micheal Lewis). Business times has a very good writeup on him last week.

There is no better way to manage a city/country like a business entity really. Look at Singapore, able to establish itself in different economic frontiers by establishing an edge, competitive advantage. The GIC and Temasek are now the de facto of managing foreign exchange reserves and country assets, with China, with the world's largest reserves, wanting to model after Singapore.

A Good Year

Rented "A Good Year" last Sat evening, a show that i wanted to watch when it first came out but missed it. Really liked it. A story about life's simple pleasures, with a tint of romantic overlay, based in a picturesque setting of Château La Canorgue during the 2005 harvest in the Luberon area of Provence.

Was it the punchlines that Max Skinner delivered, or the cinematography, or the clever yet entertaining details, or was it because Max Skinner's profession is one that i can identify with, yet the background of summers in a small town setting is nostalgic, or was that love Max has for his uncle? I'm not sure really, but I really enjoyed this show, surprisingly, a so called love story. But really, the main theme of it may just be about kinship, Max's posture towards the uncle, the daughter that Max's uncle never knew, the warm servants, the meaning that little things bear for a person all because of the memories that is attached to it. Afterall, maybe men's needs has always been that need to relate, which without it as a foundation, any other higher tier need like money and status, will just be built shaky.

Not new, but still have a dream to own a vineyard. I am working towards it, many more than just this thing from this film.

Pardonne mes lèvres. Elles trouvent la joie dans les endrois les plus inhabituels
Forgive my lips. They find joy in the most unusual places

早雨

如果有一个愿望
那怕多么远，名华权就又算什么？
在这深处又渴望些什么？

被祝福，因他取力于祢
深居祢圣殿里，祢的住居是多么美丽
生命渴望祢的一切

就似山谷变成一道溪
似早雨盖过是祢的祝福

与祢一天豫胜过一切美丽
让我站在祢殿门守候，直到见到了祢

Horse steak, pig innerts and such

"If the president ever apppoints you liaison to the intelligentsia or if you find yourself at the Havard Faculty Club for any other reason, you will be well advised to order the horse steak. That shows that you are one of us. The horse steak has been on the menu since the World War II meat shortages, and the Harvard cognoscenti, always alert for new taste thrills, found it gamier and more interesting than plain old cow streak, especially when washed down with an amusing little Australian Pinot Chardonnay. So it stays on the menu, a permanent fixture. Horse steak is the symbol of the open, questing mind, which is how Havard likes to think of itself" (quoted, The Money Game, Adam Smith)

Eccentricities signifies abnormality, undeniably any form of eccentricities possess a measure of exclusivity. While in many cases, more desirable emotions of eclusivity is being projected to overshadow the un-norm. The westerners digusts at Chinese that eats everything, but have you ever wonder why Chinese eat every single part of a pig, from head to toe? Because they are poor, and have to make full use of the whole animal, during the olden day war times, that's my theory. Therefore, it becomes a "permanent fixture" on the menu, not unlike the horse steak. The Germans' eat pig trotters, the French eat Foie Gras etc.

Well, probably the chinese is just happy and contented to enjoy their own pig innerts and trotters and not care about what others say about them (乐在其中), while giving it a twist will definitely increase the taste of exclusivity, as a delicacy.

Having said that, still interested to taste the horse steak with chardonnay. Besides trotters, one of my favourite dish of my mum's cooking, maybe i would say i quite like pigs ear.

Jackpot

In the questions, most will choose the second option, with some kind of hope of hitting the jackpot, but however, when counted with probability, the expected outcome is the same for both options.

Men are never rational are they? Very willing to take their risks when there is a perceived return (often when calculated with expected return, is not higher than not taking the risk at all). This goes for the stock market, and all sorts of speculation like buying toto, and maybe even, going after a girl?!? haha..

well well, or it simply shows that men are just bad in mathematics. hahaha... (that was my point to defend mankind from the person that showed me this article)

In Nietzsche's book Beyond Good and Evil, he said that "Madness is something rare in individuals -- but in groups, parties, peoples, ages it is the rule" However, have you ever realize that alot of times, when you are left to make your own decision, you look for some affirmation of your choice? Easily swayed, that is why madness exists when there is groupthink, as Barton Biggs mention in his book Hedgehogging, groupthink is groupstink. But i digressed.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matthew 7:24,25). The world celebrates that you have a mind of your own, you have your conviction in making decisions, your own perspective, going after your own passion. Maybe afterall, we fall unconsciously under the spell of groupthink, sub-culture, follow the crowd. If anyone would hear the words of what is written in the Book, and followed, one would have escaped the groupthink trap.

Rain comes down on the top, wind blows lateral, and streams rose from below. He said that if those words are being put into practice, one will be able to stand against adversaries from all sides and not sway.

Rational Choices #1

Senario #1:
There is 3 choices in an experiment, one being:
a) you get 100 bucks straight away
b) you toss a coin, if its heads, you get 250, if you get tails, you have to pay 50 bucks

Senario #2:
There is 2 choices,
a) you originally have 500 bucks, but 100 bucks got stolen
b) you have 400 bucks originally, you toss the coin, if you win, you get 200 bucks

Senario #3:
There is 100 bucks to be devided between 2 person
a) if you agreed to divide, you have to take the other person's terms
b) if you disagree to divide, both get nothing
his proposal will be for you to take 1, and he take 99.

give your answers now! write it in the format of the questions. e.g. a,b,b OR a,b,a OR b,b,a etc

The answers and findings will be in the next blog

adapted from: 读者2006 #8

What if what you paint is real

I have not painted for ages, these are obviously quite brief strokes and a little half-hearted, bacause i didn't even bother to outline with pencil, just draw and paint at the same time with colours.
This sketch of a girl that i found in one of my drawing blocks, must have drawn it long long time ago, added colours, she does look a bit pale without "makeup", especially the lips. Now i know why girls need to put make up.

Hmm, what if what you paint can become real? Okie, the old man no need. haha..

Chronos VS Kairos

Chronos, has to do with calendars, seasons, dates, clocks, chronometers. It is the time as defined, quantified and grasped by men, as concept of time. It is also the linear time, a time that goes in a straight line, and does not turn back.


Kairos, is to do with the fullness of time, when circumstances are right for something to take place.


It has always been men's dream to be able to time the Kairos moment correctly, drawing a parallel, the top and bottom of the stock market, most can detect a trend (trending up or down), which has to do with Chronos, but not the Kairos. Gadwell called it tipping point, mathematicians call it maxima/minima. Maybe deep inside us, there is this desire to see the best timing, which is God's timing. we chase after what is seemingly Kairos, as defined in the things of the world.


Maybe Kairos is so elusive that men has given up chasing for it. I like the way its being defined, "the fullness of time", when the time is right. Men also tried ways to find out that, if you know from the formula that Kairos will happen when the "fullness" is reached, you will seek after what makes the fullness and tries to detect it. Similarly in the markets, people try to see overbought/oversold signals, the drying up of liquidity that signifies fullness/emptiness, etc.


Its all so very interesting, because i realize that everything is linked. Men has always have a deepest desire in their hearts to chase after the things that matters to God. However, men are impatient, short-termed, selfish; which makes them substitute something of God to something created by men, to simulate God's things. Markets, fortune telling etc.


Maybe that's why also people could not live without a conclusion, a closing, an ending? Because all those things signifies the fullness, the Kairos? Well, i don't know, but this is all too interesting because its all linked. Elusive, but you can't escape it.