Guess who they are are?
Could it be them or them? Well they pale in comparison to the answer. Imagine a world without the 'answers'. The only good thing would be my medical textbooks would be a whole lot thinner and exams whole lot easier to pass.
28 Feb 2007
A vision of future education
Nowadays we have choose between two extremes,
Either too much spoon-feeding and have all our ideas dictated to us by the professors or too much self-directed learning with no guidance whatsoever to the extent that students grow too much like weeds. I propose to remedy this problem by converting lectures into debate sessions between professors of differing point of view. Students are presented with the facts and an idea of what is important to know but they make the synthesis and decisions of what to believe themselves.
Take for example there are many differing views as to how teaching should be done in universities as the above. Instead of forcing students to be captive audience we should have professors duking it out with proofs and rebuttals. The only weakness would be that the more eloquent person will influence more people at the expense of truth but this is preferable than to have indoctrinated people. If people can't be taught to value substance over style and think for themselves then they probably can't succeed in whatever system.
Either too much spoon-feeding and have all our ideas dictated to us by the professors or too much self-directed learning with no guidance whatsoever to the extent that students grow too much like weeds. I propose to remedy this problem by converting lectures into debate sessions between professors of differing point of view. Students are presented with the facts and an idea of what is important to know but they make the synthesis and decisions of what to believe themselves.
Take for example there are many differing views as to how teaching should be done in universities as the above. Instead of forcing students to be captive audience we should have professors duking it out with proofs and rebuttals. The only weakness would be that the more eloquent person will influence more people at the expense of truth but this is preferable than to have indoctrinated people. If people can't be taught to value substance over style and think for themselves then they probably can't succeed in whatever system.
Why must the Prime Minister be local?
Does being born in one country automatically make that someone,
More virtuous, more loyal to the country, less likely to concentrate wealth unto himself, a better leader and other arguments for only having local people for the job. Sadly the answer is no. If you look a at the most African nations there are as worse off and have as much wealth plundered pre-independence and post-independence. The colour of the skin and or land of birth is not as important as the character. Better to have the best person for the job than anyone less just because he is my brother.
Carlos Ghosn turned Nissan around and not some Japanese man. Now I don't think anyone in Nissan if given the chance to do it again will choose anyone other than Carlos just because he isn't Japanese though this was an argument used as reason for not agreeing to his appointment.
The day I know Africa will turn for the better i the day they hire someone who is good at his job to be Prime Minister whether white , yellow or red or even stripped instead of just choosing some warlord because he is local.
More virtuous, more loyal to the country, less likely to concentrate wealth unto himself, a better leader and other arguments for only having local people for the job. Sadly the answer is no. If you look a at the most African nations there are as worse off and have as much wealth plundered pre-independence and post-independence. The colour of the skin and or land of birth is not as important as the character. Better to have the best person for the job than anyone less just because he is my brother.
Carlos Ghosn turned Nissan around and not some Japanese man. Now I don't think anyone in Nissan if given the chance to do it again will choose anyone other than Carlos just because he isn't Japanese though this was an argument used as reason for not agreeing to his appointment.
The day I know Africa will turn for the better i the day they hire someone who is good at his job to be Prime Minister whether white , yellow or red or even stripped instead of just choosing some warlord because he is local.
On speculative theology
In the New Testament there were two groups of Jews,
The Pharisees who believe in resurrection and the Sadducees who don't but both are considered orthodox and well Christians could have been either side until it was revealed by Christ there is an afterlife. And this is a lesson that Christians can learn. Except for the major tenets such as the nature and divinity of Christ most finer points of theology can be argued both ways. What is the really the problem is we have yet to receive perfect and total revelation maybe because we are not ready. And someday many hundred of years later it will be revealed until then i would be pretty petty to kill each other over whether the rapture come before, during or after the tribulation. Speculations on theology is fun but not a matter of life and death or even salvation.
The Pharisees who believe in resurrection and the Sadducees who don't but both are considered orthodox and well Christians could have been either side until it was revealed by Christ there is an afterlife. And this is a lesson that Christians can learn. Except for the major tenets such as the nature and divinity of Christ most finer points of theology can be argued both ways. What is the really the problem is we have yet to receive perfect and total revelation maybe because we are not ready. And someday many hundred of years later it will be revealed until then i would be pretty petty to kill each other over whether the rapture come before, during or after the tribulation. Speculations on theology is fun but not a matter of life and death or even salvation.
26 Feb 2007
What pretty girls should do.
Just to let you know I am not one,
But I have experiences with many as in I have been rejected by many a pretty girls. We all know the rigmarole of rejection which is once the girl knows she turns nasty. I understand they have the guy's best interest at heart as they want to help the guy get over them but I feel it is a waste of many a friendship especially if the guy is going to be a somebody one day. The following advice will only be of benefit to a small minority of girls.
Experience states that most girls will probably have at most two or three guys interested in them in their whole lives. A smaller group will have a long list of guys who will be nobodies and even smaller group will have nobody. But the group I am talking to are the ones whose list of "guys who have ever liked them" reads like a Who's Who list.
The fact is you won't know who will be somebody so you might as well play safe. So when rejecting a guy use the "Helen of Troy method". If it is good enough for the most beautiful woman ever it is good enough for any girl.
The first step is to be calm when the guy declares his undying love no matter how geeky he is because he might be controlling the most powerful army in the world in thirty years time. Second, go straight to the point tell him you don't share the same feelings. Third use the Helen of Troy method which will give him a ray of hope while preventing misunderstanding and this will definitely save the friendship. What is the Helen of Troy Method?
Well basically it makes use of the fact when the guy is in love with a girl it is almost impossible to make him hate you even when rejected though this last for about five minutes so strike while the iron is hot. Tell him that if he truly loves you then he will respect you enough to honour her choice and here is the killer: make him swear an oath of allegiance to protect your honour and the man who will be your husband. Most real guys who like the girl enough will do it without thinking twice. So there you get to keep a friend and make a potentially very very powerful ally.
So if your husband cheat on you twenty years down the line invoke the oath and watch the now-powerful men (Prime Ministers, warlords) give you sweet revenge as they rip the flesh of your husband's bones and his mistress with meat hooks with no repercussions. If they refuse to honour the oath shoot back by saying "I am glad I rejected thee for if thou art unable to uphold an oath of allegiance what more a vow of marriage". He will be doing your bidding in no time.
Finally never berate the guy, never shout at him, never ever be mean because the Helen of Troy method not only save your life from future powerful rejectees but also give you all their combined powers.
p.s. This only work if the sum total of the pwoers of all the guys who ever went after you are greater than that of your spouse.
But I have experiences with many as in I have been rejected by many a pretty girls. We all know the rigmarole of rejection which is once the girl knows she turns nasty. I understand they have the guy's best interest at heart as they want to help the guy get over them but I feel it is a waste of many a friendship especially if the guy is going to be a somebody one day. The following advice will only be of benefit to a small minority of girls.
Experience states that most girls will probably have at most two or three guys interested in them in their whole lives. A smaller group will have a long list of guys who will be nobodies and even smaller group will have nobody. But the group I am talking to are the ones whose list of "guys who have ever liked them" reads like a Who's Who list.
The fact is you won't know who will be somebody so you might as well play safe. So when rejecting a guy use the "Helen of Troy method". If it is good enough for the most beautiful woman ever it is good enough for any girl.
The first step is to be calm when the guy declares his undying love no matter how geeky he is because he might be controlling the most powerful army in the world in thirty years time. Second, go straight to the point tell him you don't share the same feelings. Third use the Helen of Troy method which will give him a ray of hope while preventing misunderstanding and this will definitely save the friendship. What is the Helen of Troy Method?
Well basically it makes use of the fact when the guy is in love with a girl it is almost impossible to make him hate you even when rejected though this last for about five minutes so strike while the iron is hot. Tell him that if he truly loves you then he will respect you enough to honour her choice and here is the killer: make him swear an oath of allegiance to protect your honour and the man who will be your husband. Most real guys who like the girl enough will do it without thinking twice. So there you get to keep a friend and make a potentially very very powerful ally.
So if your husband cheat on you twenty years down the line invoke the oath and watch the now-powerful men (Prime Ministers, warlords) give you sweet revenge as they rip the flesh of your husband's bones and his mistress with meat hooks with no repercussions. If they refuse to honour the oath shoot back by saying "I am glad I rejected thee for if thou art unable to uphold an oath of allegiance what more a vow of marriage". He will be doing your bidding in no time.
Finally never berate the guy, never shout at him, never ever be mean because the Helen of Troy method not only save your life from future powerful rejectees but also give you all their combined powers.
p.s. This only work if the sum total of the pwoers of all the guys who ever went after you are greater than that of your spouse.
Working hours of House Officers
There has been much talk about house officers working for 36 hours straight,
First a clarification: when one is on call is doesn't mean they do not sleep at all. The amount depends how busy the ward is. It is undeniable that human error increases with such insane working hours however can the government hospital afford not to either by decreasing service to patients of increasing manpower. The only to about is to stagger the hours. Instead of 36 hours straight in 48 hours why not 18 hours in 24 for two days. This allowed at least more than 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep which is much more than most HO's are getting.
First a clarification: when one is on call is doesn't mean they do not sleep at all. The amount depends how busy the ward is. It is undeniable that human error increases with such insane working hours however can the government hospital afford not to either by decreasing service to patients of increasing manpower. The only to about is to stagger the hours. Instead of 36 hours straight in 48 hours why not 18 hours in 24 for two days. This allowed at least more than 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep which is much more than most HO's are getting.
15 Feb 2007
Who needs teachers?
Nowadays with the great availability of the interenet,
And also access to knowledge either through the printed or electronic media, it seems the roles of teachers are diminishing. As we can see fromt he previous post I can get knowledge from a professor in the UK without ever even needing to go overseas and spending the money. Having read his article and memeorised it one can say one is as informed as him on that particular matter.
However without teachers how are we to know what is crap and what is not. Teachers are still needed to guide us. Teachers are needed so we can avoid rediscovery. Put simply they are compasses. Textbook are charts. these by themselves do not make a voyage which we must undertake and be responsible for ourselves.
And also access to knowledge either through the printed or electronic media, it seems the roles of teachers are diminishing. As we can see fromt he previous post I can get knowledge from a professor in the UK without ever even needing to go overseas and spending the money. Having read his article and memeorised it one can say one is as informed as him on that particular matter.
However without teachers how are we to know what is crap and what is not. Teachers are still needed to guide us. Teachers are needed so we can avoid rediscovery. Put simply they are compasses. Textbook are charts. these by themselves do not make a voyage which we must undertake and be responsible for ourselves.
Better than anything I can say
I am for education reform and most of the time I believe the market,
Can the do a better job than the government ever can. Professot Tooley here say it in much better words than I ever can and offers empirical evidence. http://admin.fnst.org/uploads/1044/OP3.pdf to get the rest of his papers go to his website http://www.ncl.ac.uk/egwest/tooley.html
Can the do a better job than the government ever can. Professot Tooley here say it in much better words than I ever can and offers empirical evidence. http://admin.fnst.org/uploads/1044/OP3.pdf to get the rest of his papers go to his website http://www.ncl.ac.uk/egwest/tooley.html
Robin Hood
Whoa I have been lazy for a while but,
Here is a thought. Robin Hood claims to rob the rich to give to the poor. Sure some rich people are evil but most worked hard for their wealth. Being poor does not give special moral authority to ensure others don't enjoy the fruits of their labour. What if the rich decide that working hard isnot worth it any more? Who will there to be robbed?
But Robin Hood is an interesting story in that is illustrate what can go wrong with socialist scheme. Robin Hood is not so much an endorsement of progressive taxation as much as it is a condemnation of government taxation. Many times he robbed the tax money.
WHile many socialist governments claim they are 'Robin Hoods' they are actually the 'Sheriff of Nottingham' with all the heavy taxation. If not for the taxation people won't be poor.
Here is a thought. Robin Hood claims to rob the rich to give to the poor. Sure some rich people are evil but most worked hard for their wealth. Being poor does not give special moral authority to ensure others don't enjoy the fruits of their labour. What if the rich decide that working hard isnot worth it any more? Who will there to be robbed?
But Robin Hood is an interesting story in that is illustrate what can go wrong with socialist scheme. Robin Hood is not so much an endorsement of progressive taxation as much as it is a condemnation of government taxation. Many times he robbed the tax money.
WHile many socialist governments claim they are 'Robin Hoods' they are actually the 'Sheriff of Nottingham' with all the heavy taxation. If not for the taxation people won't be poor.
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My current project is listening to all the albums listed on this list titled Best Jazz Albums: 50 Essentials You Need to Hear. And once yo...
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Just to let you know I am not one, But I have experiences with many as in I have been rejected by many a pretty girls. We all know the rigma...
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