Tuesday, September 18, 2007

X Marks The Wrong

It's been quite some time since I last saw an "X" on a piece of work that I do. I believe the last time was in school last time. Today, after many years I see several "X"s on my report which I handed to my superior. The only difference between then and now is that she marked the "X" to show that specific paragraph or topic is to be canceled. Most of the time, in my corporate life, when a paragraph is to be canceled, my superior would just slash across it diagonally.

This may be a repeat from a very old post of mine, but it requires repeat. I noticed back in my school days that in my higher secondary, most of my work doesn't have an "X" anymore. That doesn't mean that I got perfect score, but teachers usually put a "right" on correct answers and leave no signs on the wrong one. I believe to indicate a "wrong" to someone somewhat reduces the person's self-esteem, though he may not notice it. Subconsciously he may think himself stupid for getting something wrong.

This is the repeat... most computer games for children do not state a "wrong". Yet, when they go to Standard One and just about to start learning, they'll start with a lot more "X" than a "right". Computer games are careful that when a child gets something right, he is rewarded, but when he gets a wrong, it states "Sorry. Please try again." It comes to show that every mistake can be forgiven and can be learned from.

Yup, though we have a "Correction" or "Pembetulan" while in school, we're already scarred with that "X". Worst yet, in secondary, most teachers tell us not to bother with "Corrections". It's true, if we can make "Corrections" to learn from our mistakes, we should do it for all the test papers we sat for.

So, in the end, is it really dangerous that we do not teach "wrong" when young? Imagine facing your first "Wrong" at 8 years old, as compared to 3 years old. I think it's better to face it at 3 years, so that you know how to face it when it comes later, while you still have your loved ones around. At 8, in school, you have no one to turn to.

I don't know. Is it wrong to state that someone is wrong, but they can just fix it after acknowledging it? I don't know. This calls for a thesis. Anyone wanna take it? Just do an 6 years study, one group of parents never stating that their child is wrong, but just for them to try again, while another telling them that it's wrong, and it's alright, but let's try again. When they enter Standard One and face their first wrong, how do they take it? And then perhaps extend it to another 3 years and see how they face life after their first "wrong".

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Value vs Act of Theft

Scenario time again.

1. A colleague borrowed RM5.20 from you to pay for lunch. Next day he returns only RM5.00 to you but never mention anything about the 20 cents. Do you let it go, or do you ask for it?

2. If just say you have a 5 years old son. Is there a difference in 'education' or 'punishment' you would deal to him if he takes RM5.00 from your drawer compared to him taking 20 cents from it?

For #1 I'd remind him that he borrowed RM5.20, though it sounds like a total child. It's just to remind him in case he actually forgot. Then it's up to him to pay up, or like some people they 'friendly beg' saying "20 cents only lah, no need lar." For #2, it is imperative that my son is educated that the act of stealing is itself wrong, even if it's 1 cent. It may just lead to a more dangerous future if he's not taught.

Personally, to me, an act of theft itself is enough to justify punishment disregarding the actual amount of theft. Of course, there's a huge difference between asking a huge burly man who just stole your RM3,000 against your 30 cents. I won't risk my neck to get back 30 cents. But let's just say that you're totally in control of a punishment, do you actually give a more lenient (however you spell it ok...) punishment just because someone stole 20 cents?

I'm not sure about our law (perhaps I'll get a lawyer friend to comment on this), but does a judge actually say that 20 cents is too ridiculous to have a court hearing and let the criminal go, or does the criminal gets the same amount of jail time as those who've stolen, say, a laptop.

I read a couple of months ago that a thief was jailed 7 years for stealing a handphone from someone who was making a call, just grabbed it from her hand. If someone swiped a 70 cents change from my table while eating at mamak, and I give chase and manage to capture him (and get my 70 cents back, just like the girl gets her handphone back), can I justify that he should also get a 7 years jail?

I'm not sure. Deep down inside I think the act of theft itself is punishable at the same degree no matter the value of amount stolen. This is also disregarding any other crime that is usually involved such as possessing a gun, assault of security guard, etc. Just the pure act of stealing.

KJY, care to put your two cents in?

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Sh*t Smell

On Sunday while my wife and I was on the way to get breakfast, something occured to me, and the conversation went something like this.

Me: You know, ear sh*t smells, the soft plague on the teeth smells, of course our own sh*t smells. How come our nose sh*t don't smell?

Wife: Maybe we're too used to smelling it?

Me: Hmm... could be right. I guess that's why babies cry when they start breathing. The first smell they get is the smell of nose sh*t.

Now it got me thinking again. If your nose sh*t don't smell because you're too used to the smell, would other people's nose sh*t smell bad to you? I don't want to find out, but if anyone would like to conduct that experiment, do tell me the result.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Mental Lapse

I was in a personal scary situation the past 6 days. On Saturday evening I had a rather major headache (pin-sticking type) at the back of my head nearer to the right ear. Sunday it got worst with pins every minute and I was unable to concentrate on the road I was driving on or even remembering things. Every pin pain reset my current thoughts.

I was MC on Monday. On Tuesday I came to work. My colleagues believed it's due to short-sightedness but since I am not, I got a little worried. The pain started subsiding Monday evening, but the effect of the headache carried on until yesterday evening.

In a personal panic situation, I find myself grasping for words during my conversation. I'm not too sure if a certain colleague of mine, CT, noticed this problem I had during my conversation with him during lunch and office hours. To me personally, every time it occurs and I have to find another synonym to use, there's just a state of slight panic. Like asking "What's happening to me?!"

Though there's no pin pain, ok, I prefer to use the better word 'prick' which totally described how the pain feels like, but that word "prick" has been mutilated to be of another meaning. Just as a "nice clean soft pussy" brings one meaning to a 5 years old girl and absolutely another meaning to a 30 years old man.

Back to my story, though there's no pin pain anymore, the mental lapse remain. Sometimes I forget what I'm doing. Worst of the lot was looking at my ringing phone and wondering what's it doing lighting up and making noise. At the moment I forgot it's a telephone. Sheer panic. Hehe... but I hope I'm ok now.

This is just purely a diary entry.