It's impossible to list all the bizarre things in this world, nor that I'm trying to. Here's just one little example. Remember back in the days when tech support actually had engineers on the line? Seems like forever ago, but really no earlier than 5 years ago I talked to engieers on phone and computer via tech support lines. Everytime I described the problem or my request, the tech support immediately knew that I was technology literate, and within a few minutes we would get things down.
It's no longer the case. Now all you get from calling tech support is some "trained" CSR to answer you questions. But for heaven's sake, you don't train some random people a few days and expect they can accomplish anything. It's just absurd. Since today's tech support is full of people who know nothing but get a quick training and think they are engineers, they think everybody is dumber than they were before. So not only I have to listen their stupid "solutions", but also I need to use layman's terms to explain where the problems are, and hope they can ask their supervisor, hopefully a real engineer, to get the answers.
Let me give an example. I was having some problem with Live Calendar on my phone a while ago. I had an answer but just needed to verify it (hoping I was wrong), so I called AT&T. It took me 5 minutes to explain that it's not a calendar app downloaded from the market, but Live Calendar on Windows Phone. But still the first solution the person gave me was to download a different app, which I guess that's the first answer on the handbook he was reading. The whole mess lasted another 20 minutes, yeah I had time that day, I finally lost patience and asked him to transfer my call to somebody who knows what he/she's doing. Then another person who didn't know what he was doing, and I had to repeat everything, but that time I got a Microsoft number. I called it, still the same thing, except the guy asked his supervisor, and that real engineer had the answer for me, which was the initial guess I had. All I needed was a simple line of "yes, there's nothing you can do with the current version but hopefully the next update would fix the bug" or "no, actually there is a way to fix it", but it took talking directly to 2 morons and indirectly to 1 engineer to get the 5-minute-answer.
This makes me appreciate my other experience more. I missed an important call one day. The cellphone tower was down so failed to connect my phone to the network. I was enraged so I called AT&T. Just for the record, I was still polite. The CSR apologized transferred me to tech support so that they could find out the reason and prevent it from happening again. The tech support girl asked me the issue (here's another thing), and I explained. I asked her if there's solar flair, which she checked and said no. She studied web engineering so she had enough knowledge to do the job as well as to know that I'm not an idiot. So while she gave me a few possible causes, and I ruled out them all. Now there's only one answer, which was the tower was down. She checked, bingo. She told me how to be registered with the other tower, mission accomplished.
So here this other thing I really hate. Now you get to be transferred at least 1 or 2 times beore talking to the right person, and between each transfer they can never provide any information to the next person. Like that Live Calendar thing, the second person I talked to thought I was having trouble with some random calendar app. It's either the first agent failed to diliver the message, or the second agent couldn't comprehend, or both.
There's a reason why you need engineers to do certain things, you just can't replace them. But people seems never learn. And this is just one example of how bizarre this world has become. True it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it really is. Under the name of cost control or anything else fancy, they put unqualified people to do professional jobs that eventually cost the whole society more. We have a horse show host to run FEMA, a cellphone salesman to be the Secretary of Defense, and a politician with 0 executive background to run the country. These are all the same mentality, and people wonder why we are in a mess. Now that's bizarre.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Piers Morgan's Problem
Piers Morgan is a brilliant guy. He frequently makes many very good points if you actually listen to what he says. Of course he's very biased with an agenda, and people like that no matter left or right, usually are hated by the majority of people. But Piers Morgan has a huge problem, which is he always tries to outsmart his interviewees. It's impossible to do that because he's talking to those people about issues in their very own areas that they excelled.
His attitude isn't unique. One common saying is "I don't know too much about that, but...". Anybody with common sense can tell the sentence should end at "I don't know to much about that" because you just don't comment on things you don't understand. But it's hard to put away our pride to admit our own ignorance, or even simply shut up. I'm trying to stop using it, unless for jokes.
We all have pride. I see it as inflated self esteem and confidence. That's one thing we'll have live with in this life. It's just like every other thing we want to do perfect but we can't. After all, Wilt Chamberlain only won 2 titles, and Michael Jordan didn't bring Wizzards to the Playoffs. But it doesn't mean we don't try to overcome it. The more we fail, the more we try, the more closer to the Lord we are. Just don't let pride rule us, just don't be like Piers Morgan.
His attitude isn't unique. One common saying is "I don't know too much about that, but...". Anybody with common sense can tell the sentence should end at "I don't know to much about that" because you just don't comment on things you don't understand. But it's hard to put away our pride to admit our own ignorance, or even simply shut up. I'm trying to stop using it, unless for jokes.
We all have pride. I see it as inflated self esteem and confidence. That's one thing we'll have live with in this life. It's just like every other thing we want to do perfect but we can't. After all, Wilt Chamberlain only won 2 titles, and Michael Jordan didn't bring Wizzards to the Playoffs. But it doesn't mean we don't try to overcome it. The more we fail, the more we try, the more closer to the Lord we are. Just don't let pride rule us, just don't be like Piers Morgan.
Delay
I was gonna write something big today but I just wrote a long letter so I'll take a break. I think it's the first time I actually want to, have time and things to write but end up as not writing.
Anyways, I was gonna write about racism but I'll see what I feel like writing tomorrow. Now I'm gonna read some scriptures. If you are interested you can find all the things I write from here.
Anyways, I was gonna write about racism but I'll see what I feel like writing tomorrow. Now I'm gonna read some scriptures. If you are interested you can find all the things I write from here.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The GOP is Dead, Taking Conservatism Along
I read some researches on Americans' political affiliation back a few weeks ago, and there were some interesting numbers. There are 40% of Americans self-identify as conservative, 35% as moderate, only 21% are liberal. Meanwhile, 31% of Americans are Democrat, 27% are Republican, with 40% indenpendent.
When there are almost twice as many conservatives as liberals, the GOP just can't win an election when the economy was that bad. Let's break the two sets of numbers. In term of political ideology, giving the popular vote as 51.1% to 47.2% in favor of Democratic Party, if all conservatives voted for the GOP candidates, only 20% of moderates were on Republican's side. In term of party affiliation, the GOP lost 13% of American population while the Democratic Party gained 10% , and the two parties broke even among the indenpendents.
To make it clear, the recent elections and polls show a cold fact: to the GOP winning the moderates/indenpendents is no longer a concern, instead keeping its own grand has become the priority. That's why I say the GOP is dead. Thus, there is a vacancy of representation of conservatism.
Bed time. Next one will be on how sick the GOP is.
When there are almost twice as many conservatives as liberals, the GOP just can't win an election when the economy was that bad. Let's break the two sets of numbers. In term of political ideology, giving the popular vote as 51.1% to 47.2% in favor of Democratic Party, if all conservatives voted for the GOP candidates, only 20% of moderates were on Republican's side. In term of party affiliation, the GOP lost 13% of American population while the Democratic Party gained 10% , and the two parties broke even among the indenpendents.
To make it clear, the recent elections and polls show a cold fact: to the GOP winning the moderates/indenpendents is no longer a concern, instead keeping its own grand has become the priority. That's why I say the GOP is dead. Thus, there is a vacancy of representation of conservatism.
Bed time. Next one will be on how sick the GOP is.
Monday, August 12, 2013
On Us, or Him?
Do we believe that we are saved by grace of Jesus Christ, or by our work? While we have the standard answer which is we are saved by the grace of the Lord, culturally many believe it's more about our work. To me it's almost like many of us take Moisah 16:10,11 out of context. But right before these two verses, in verse 9 it states He brings eternal life to the earth. To make it clear, it's because of Him we are able to have a chance to have eternal life or damnation according to how we practice our free agency. Indeed He suffered in Gethsemane for us so we don't need to suffer. So it's not like the unspoken cultural belief that whether or not we are saved is depended on ourselves, but fully on Him. We only do is the last piece, which is to accept it or not.
While we overlook He's role in the atonement, which is ironic, we also take Him granted. How many times do we, do I, ask Him for things when I don't even do the least amount? Like pray for safety then speed like running away from Vietnam.
Well, I'm not trying to make myself or others feel unworthy, it's Satan's job, but rather pointing it out as a reminder so I'll do better in the future. And there are a few things I've already started doing. Like if my prayer isn't sincere I'll say it again immediately, or only ask things that I've tried my part. I'm sure there's plenty that I can improve, and I'll always need to improve. So every so often I'll read the scriptures and take notes, then ask the question of how I can do better. A year from now, as I keep doing it, I'll be a different but better person.
While we overlook He's role in the atonement, which is ironic, we also take Him granted. How many times do we, do I, ask Him for things when I don't even do the least amount? Like pray for safety then speed like running away from Vietnam.
Well, I'm not trying to make myself or others feel unworthy, it's Satan's job, but rather pointing it out as a reminder so I'll do better in the future. And there are a few things I've already started doing. Like if my prayer isn't sincere I'll say it again immediately, or only ask things that I've tried my part. I'm sure there's plenty that I can improve, and I'll always need to improve. So every so often I'll read the scriptures and take notes, then ask the question of how I can do better. A year from now, as I keep doing it, I'll be a different but better person.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Identity Crisis
I was watching some Don Lemon's news clicps on YouTube, and the phrase cultural identity caught me. After a quick thought, I found that I'm in some serious identity crisis, or not.
My college major was history, and I plan to further pursue it. I watch NBA and College Football, even played basketball. I'm a huge political junkie. I listen to country. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm not a big fan of rice. All these things, though sound like jokes, are not Chinese at all.
A "practical" major, not caring too much about sports and politics, K-pop or J-pop, atheist/Buddhist/Chinese Protestant church, and rice, on top of that, marrying a Chinese wife. These are the expected Chinese things to do.
I can still pull some stereotypical Chinese thing out. I have an accent. I'm good at math, tested out 200 level math before starting college in the States. I'm good at physics, probably can still go get a physics degree anytime in my life. Nevertheless, do these things really matter?
I understand Chinese history and culture better than 98% of Chinese people, if not more. I also know far more Chinese characters than almost all college graduates who ain't experts of the field in China. Though haven't been writing for a long time, I'm still an upscale writer in Chinese by professional standard. I can probably still read Old and Classical Chinese without using dictionaries, which most Chinese major collage graduates in China can't even dream of.
So while I don't seem to be a Chinese, I'm indeed more Chinese than not only the Chinese in the U.S., but mass majority of Chinese in China. But people don't really care about that. Indeed I've been called banana, meaning yellow skin outside but white inside, many times. Here comes up the question of what determines my Chinese-ness.
This is just absurd, because if I were living China right now and still acted the same way - of course I'd be using Chinese a lot more than English but I only use the appropriate language to the audience - the term banana would never come across people's mind. Thus the conclusion comes, it's really not I'm having an identity crisis but the people who label me are having one. They are afraid of losing their cultural uniqueness because they don't understand the culture therefore they can't hold it other than voluntarily or/and involuntarily fit into the stereotypes. Sad? Yes.
My college major was history, and I plan to further pursue it. I watch NBA and College Football, even played basketball. I'm a huge political junkie. I listen to country. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm not a big fan of rice. All these things, though sound like jokes, are not Chinese at all.
A "practical" major, not caring too much about sports and politics, K-pop or J-pop, atheist/Buddhist/Chinese Protestant church, and rice, on top of that, marrying a Chinese wife. These are the expected Chinese things to do.
I can still pull some stereotypical Chinese thing out. I have an accent. I'm good at math, tested out 200 level math before starting college in the States. I'm good at physics, probably can still go get a physics degree anytime in my life. Nevertheless, do these things really matter?
I understand Chinese history and culture better than 98% of Chinese people, if not more. I also know far more Chinese characters than almost all college graduates who ain't experts of the field in China. Though haven't been writing for a long time, I'm still an upscale writer in Chinese by professional standard. I can probably still read Old and Classical Chinese without using dictionaries, which most Chinese major collage graduates in China can't even dream of.
So while I don't seem to be a Chinese, I'm indeed more Chinese than not only the Chinese in the U.S., but mass majority of Chinese in China. But people don't really care about that. Indeed I've been called banana, meaning yellow skin outside but white inside, many times. Here comes up the question of what determines my Chinese-ness.
This is just absurd, because if I were living China right now and still acted the same way - of course I'd be using Chinese a lot more than English but I only use the appropriate language to the audience - the term banana would never come across people's mind. Thus the conclusion comes, it's really not I'm having an identity crisis but the people who label me are having one. They are afraid of losing their cultural uniqueness because they don't understand the culture therefore they can't hold it other than voluntarily or/and involuntarily fit into the stereotypes. Sad? Yes.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Religious and Anti-Religious Fanatics
Before bashing on the fanatics, there are some facts I have to list.
First, the United States is not a Christian nation. The First Amendment simply states the separation of church and state. And some of the most prominent Founders were Deists. Putting these two pieces together, it's almost impossible, unless you bring Rush Limbaugh or some other lunatics, to draw the conclusion that the U.S. is a Christian nation. Yes, we have a strong, and worth to be proud of, Christian culture, but Christian nation is too far from the truth.
Islam is NOT a violent religion. In the past I believed otherwise but as now I've overcome the bias, I can see the truth. The history of Islam isn't any worse than Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, or even Daoism. Remember 1996 Atlanta bombing? Or is Denmark shooting easier to remember? Both Christian extremists. Oklahoma City bombing, the worst terrorist attack prior to 9/11, was committed by a group of anti-establishment extremists whom had very similar aganda as the Tea Party. And of course we have PETA and Greenpeace. The list can go on and on, and almost every religious/ideological group at one point or another embraced terroism.
Atheism isn't innocent of persecution. I'm not here to use overused examples like Hitler, leave that to his lover Glenn Beck, or Mao. Pythagoras, one of the earlist and most prominent atheists in ancient world, was responsible for killing Hippasus only because the latter discovered irrational number which challenged Pythagoras' theory. This happened hundreds of years before the first religious persecution, 16 hundred years before the Inquisition , 23 hundred years before any of the Witch-hunt movements.
Now move to the fanatics. I'm a man with low standards, so many will have the honor to be qualified as fanatics according to my standard.
Is atheism any better than theism, or vice versa? A yes will put you in the fanatic category. While I'm religious, I can't stand any claim of my faith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is in the earthly-sense of "better" than other faiths or ideologies. To me, stating my religion is better is simply the denial of exaltation, and rejection of the grace of the Lord by taking everything in our hands. Gospel is for everybody, and everybody has more than one chance to accept it. If we believe in eternal life, which we do, we can't judge anybody based on the mortal life he/she has. Meanwhile, atheism is just another philosophical belief. The difference is theism believes the gods are almighty, but atheism believes science is almighty. Attacking theism and calling it backwards is just as pathetic as the everlast debate between Catholicism and Protestantism.
Are there faith-based groups of people, atheists and theists, persecuted in today's United States? A yes answer will also give you a fanatic label. Calling things like "being mocked", "they misunderstand my belief", "they don't hang out with me", or "they don't hire me" persecution is nothing more than showing your own stupidity. Hippasus was persecuted, Galileo and Copernicus were persecuted, Jesus Christ was persecuted, Joseph Smith was persecuted, religions in general in Soviet Union, China, and other communist countries are/were persecuted. Don't defile the word martyr by overusing the word persecution.
So with my loose requirement, anybody who is lack of commonsense but not willing to learn, who ignores stone cold facts, is a fanatic. Thus, the entire human race at least at some point of our lives are fanatics. The difference is some of us, like me, try to improve ourselves, but some, like Rush Limbaugh, are happily to be fanatics and tirelessly to attack sane people.
So why are we all, for the least, partially fanatics? Because we are humans, greedy humans. We want to always be right, be successful, be respected. But that's not enough. We want to monopolize knowledge, success, admiration, and many other things. It's just our nature. Though we constantly try to overcome this weaknes, believe me even Rachel Maddow tries, we fail all the time. So everytime we fail, we turn fanatics. There's nothing to be ashamed about, George Washington had slaves, Benjamin Franklin was a womanizer, Abraham Lincoln appointed his friends to lucrative positions, so in a sense we fanatics are far better than those folks.
Hey, there are fanatics who believe my faith but that doesn't hurt my faith. The Gospel of Jesus Christ itself is the truth, just we humans don't, and can't, understand the fullness of it. If you are interested, please go to Mormon.org to find out more. Again, you might meet some people who ain't that pleasant, but we humans make mistakes all the time. So if that happened or when it happens, please forgive them and not miss the good messages.
First, the United States is not a Christian nation. The First Amendment simply states the separation of church and state. And some of the most prominent Founders were Deists. Putting these two pieces together, it's almost impossible, unless you bring Rush Limbaugh or some other lunatics, to draw the conclusion that the U.S. is a Christian nation. Yes, we have a strong, and worth to be proud of, Christian culture, but Christian nation is too far from the truth.
Islam is NOT a violent religion. In the past I believed otherwise but as now I've overcome the bias, I can see the truth. The history of Islam isn't any worse than Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, or even Daoism. Remember 1996 Atlanta bombing? Or is Denmark shooting easier to remember? Both Christian extremists. Oklahoma City bombing, the worst terrorist attack prior to 9/11, was committed by a group of anti-establishment extremists whom had very similar aganda as the Tea Party. And of course we have PETA and Greenpeace. The list can go on and on, and almost every religious/ideological group at one point or another embraced terroism.
Atheism isn't innocent of persecution. I'm not here to use overused examples like Hitler, leave that to his lover Glenn Beck, or Mao. Pythagoras, one of the earlist and most prominent atheists in ancient world, was responsible for killing Hippasus only because the latter discovered irrational number which challenged Pythagoras' theory. This happened hundreds of years before the first religious persecution, 16 hundred years before the Inquisition , 23 hundred years before any of the Witch-hunt movements.
Now move to the fanatics. I'm a man with low standards, so many will have the honor to be qualified as fanatics according to my standard.
Is atheism any better than theism, or vice versa? A yes will put you in the fanatic category. While I'm religious, I can't stand any claim of my faith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is in the earthly-sense of "better" than other faiths or ideologies. To me, stating my religion is better is simply the denial of exaltation, and rejection of the grace of the Lord by taking everything in our hands. Gospel is for everybody, and everybody has more than one chance to accept it. If we believe in eternal life, which we do, we can't judge anybody based on the mortal life he/she has. Meanwhile, atheism is just another philosophical belief. The difference is theism believes the gods are almighty, but atheism believes science is almighty. Attacking theism and calling it backwards is just as pathetic as the everlast debate between Catholicism and Protestantism.
Are there faith-based groups of people, atheists and theists, persecuted in today's United States? A yes answer will also give you a fanatic label. Calling things like "being mocked", "they misunderstand my belief", "they don't hang out with me", or "they don't hire me" persecution is nothing more than showing your own stupidity. Hippasus was persecuted, Galileo and Copernicus were persecuted, Jesus Christ was persecuted, Joseph Smith was persecuted, religions in general in Soviet Union, China, and other communist countries are/were persecuted. Don't defile the word martyr by overusing the word persecution.
So with my loose requirement, anybody who is lack of commonsense but not willing to learn, who ignores stone cold facts, is a fanatic. Thus, the entire human race at least at some point of our lives are fanatics. The difference is some of us, like me, try to improve ourselves, but some, like Rush Limbaugh, are happily to be fanatics and tirelessly to attack sane people.
So why are we all, for the least, partially fanatics? Because we are humans, greedy humans. We want to always be right, be successful, be respected. But that's not enough. We want to monopolize knowledge, success, admiration, and many other things. It's just our nature. Though we constantly try to overcome this weaknes, believe me even Rachel Maddow tries, we fail all the time. So everytime we fail, we turn fanatics. There's nothing to be ashamed about, George Washington had slaves, Benjamin Franklin was a womanizer, Abraham Lincoln appointed his friends to lucrative positions, so in a sense we fanatics are far better than those folks.
Hey, there are fanatics who believe my faith but that doesn't hurt my faith. The Gospel of Jesus Christ itself is the truth, just we humans don't, and can't, understand the fullness of it. If you are interested, please go to Mormon.org to find out more. Again, you might meet some people who ain't that pleasant, but we humans make mistakes all the time. So if that happened or when it happens, please forgive them and not miss the good messages.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Trayvon Martin, School Bus Beating, and Moral Policing
Moral policing becomes a fashion statement when the the moral standard of a society is in the gutter. Language on TV has gone wild but nobody seems to care, instead they spend all their time make Trayvon Martin a martyr, or pointing fingers at the school bus driver in Florida.
Zimmerman is clearly a police wannabe, but nowhere near crazy nor that he's racist. The only thing he did wrong was getting out of his car, which was more of putting himself in danger but not unlawful at all. Every account, no matter where from, pointed out one and only plausible explanation: Martin surprise attacked Zimmerman and beat him down. This, along with Zimmerman's record of helping blacks multiple times, and Martin's bad history, suggest that the last thing Trayvon Martin could be was a martyr or vicitm of racism.
And here comes the 64-year-old school driver called authorities, kept the surveillance camera on, and told the 3 thugs to stop, but he is still criticize by many because he didn't physically intervene. As someone with plenty experience of fights/breaking fights, I find this for the least stupid. I couldn't handle more than one person in the situation of breaking a fight/beating without actually hurting someone when I was in my physical prime. And I was a great fighter, the mob fight type not ESPN type. So I can't imagine how terrible it would end had the old driver tried to physically confront the thugs.
But the moral police don't care. They believe the driver had to threat his own safety to stop the beating, the same people who don't even do anything when basic cable changed its language policy. How can they require others to be heroes but meanwhile they don't even try to be a decent citizen themselves?
This society is in danger. I'm not saying that in Fox News' tone. What shows more of how rotten the society is than the fact that we have moral police, but we don't have people to conserve clean TV channels for children. Well, maybe religious/anti-religous fanatics. I'll save that chapter for the next time.
Zimmerman is clearly a police wannabe, but nowhere near crazy nor that he's racist. The only thing he did wrong was getting out of his car, which was more of putting himself in danger but not unlawful at all. Every account, no matter where from, pointed out one and only plausible explanation: Martin surprise attacked Zimmerman and beat him down. This, along with Zimmerman's record of helping blacks multiple times, and Martin's bad history, suggest that the last thing Trayvon Martin could be was a martyr or vicitm of racism.
And here comes the 64-year-old school driver called authorities, kept the surveillance camera on, and told the 3 thugs to stop, but he is still criticize by many because he didn't physically intervene. As someone with plenty experience of fights/breaking fights, I find this for the least stupid. I couldn't handle more than one person in the situation of breaking a fight/beating without actually hurting someone when I was in my physical prime. And I was a great fighter, the mob fight type not ESPN type. So I can't imagine how terrible it would end had the old driver tried to physically confront the thugs.
But the moral police don't care. They believe the driver had to threat his own safety to stop the beating, the same people who don't even do anything when basic cable changed its language policy. How can they require others to be heroes but meanwhile they don't even try to be a decent citizen themselves?
This society is in danger. I'm not saying that in Fox News' tone. What shows more of how rotten the society is than the fact that we have moral police, but we don't have people to conserve clean TV channels for children. Well, maybe religious/anti-religous fanatics. I'll save that chapter for the next time.
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