decimus: great leaders. 8:48 PM

"Jedi Master, I am. Lead the Jedi Council I did. Hmmmm!"

What makes a great leader? Is it how he carries himself, the way he talks to those he's leading, or the traits he's born with?


In my humble opinion (is there an opinion that's ever humble?), the things that makes for a great leader is not a god-given gift. It can be learned. For example, a great leader is not born with the perseverance needed to attain his goals. But it's up to our individual resolve, to work hard and achieve the dreams of the people.


But it's true that some people are just better at being a leader than the others. The term 'a natural-born leader' comes to mind at this juncture. But as I said earlier, it all comes down to our own resolve. If we want to become a great leader, all the resources are there for us to use. But if we don't, then there's not a thing that we can do. Hence, great leaders are not born, they are made.

nonus: norma jean. 10:17 AM

Established in 1997, Norma Jean is an American hardcore band from Georgia. The band's name is taken from Marylin Monroe's real name. Their second album, entitled 'O God, The Aftermath' that was released in 2005, was nominated for a Grammy award in 2006 for Best Recording Package.


Personally, my all-time favourite song by them is Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste, from the album Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child, released in 2002.


Do give them a listen. Here's a music video as per usual. Cheerio, mates.







source: 
Image Source
Wikipedia

octavus: birth order trait. 11:12 AM

Picture is unrelated to the entry. It's a couple of hipsters. You like? They might be siblings, who knows?

Let's start this entry with some copy-pasted words from les madames' blog.

• the eldest child: more responsible, mature, often a perfectionist, a good leader, higher IQ, low self-esteem.  
• the middle child (any child born in between the eldest and the youngest): not an over achiever, creative, artistically inclined, often felt neglected, lack of direction.
• the youngest child: often get away with anything, not independent, often not taken seriously.

Well, if studies done by psychologists reveals the results stated above, then there must be some degree of truth to it. I'm not going to argue with them because they're supposed to be the 'experts'.

But speaking as the eldest child of three siblings, I must say that the traits shown above are a little bit inaccurate.

More responsible? I don't think so. Firstborns aren't 'more responsible' than any other child. They just have more responsibilities thrust upon them than say, the youngest child of the family. Naturally, it trains them to handle responsibilities earlier than the others. To be responsible is a trait that can be learned, not a given gift.

But I do agree that firstborns are generally good leaders and have a low self-esteem. This is because they are hard-wired to lead and protect their younger siblings and show them the ways of the world. This is especially true for first sons having younger sisters. As the female of the species needs to be protected and be taught how to face up to the challenges of the world. 

(I'm prone to be showing of  a bit of chauvinism every now and then.  So all of you feminists need to stop reading now. This blog is not a place to be 'politically correct'.)

As the first child, not all of your demands are met. For example, when you want mommy to buy you that new Transformers toy, she might say that you're too old for toys, even when you're only eight years old, but at the same time she buys your younger sister that Barbie doll she wanted as a spur-of-the-moment thought when she saw it in the shopping mall. The world's not fair, trust me, I know.

But being the first child has it's perks. In most cases, you're the one who gets new clothes when your family shops for clothes while the younger siblings have to wait until you outgrew the clothes and gets them as hand-me-downs. Take THAT, lil' ones! *smug expression on face*

But that's all in the past. You won't expect mommy and daddy to buy you things now, do you? Get your revenge, firstborns, buy your own toys and clothes and whatever you desire with your own money. Ahahahah.

In conclusion, I found from personal experience that the traits shown above are inaccurate on a few points, but got most of them right. I can't say anything about the other two categories, seeing that I'm not a middle or last child. But I do think that the youngest ones tend to be more savvier and adventurous, with older siblings to lead the way.

image credits: http://totalobscurity.com/wp-content/images/hipsters.jpg

septimus: twilight? 1:21 PM

Sorry. No band reviews this time. It's back to the fundamentals of blogging, which is to write. I'm going to write something highly opinionated . You're not going to like it. Please leave. Hahaha!


In this entry, I wrote about banning those "Twilight" books. Well,  let me start by quoting the famous line said by Stephen King (who is a far better writer than Stephenie Meyer, I might add).


"Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. … The real difference is that Jo  Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a damn. She’s not very good." - Stephen King tells USA Today.


Well, call me a nerd, but I LOVE books. And what I hate is a poorly-written book. Before you start judging me let me tell you that I own ALL of the Twilight Saga books (though now I wish I don't) and also ALL of the Harry Potter series. I've read them all and I can safely say that Harry Potter beats Twilight hands-down. It's strange for a book that teems with grammatical errors and a poor storyline get's a huge following.


Though I suppose it's because Meyer wrote a Gary Stu type of story in which the characters are perfect and one-dimensional to say the least. Maybe that's what appealing to young people today. Something is clearly wrong with society when poorly-written books get the spotlight.


I'm not going to list out the reasons on why Twilight sucks. Here's some links that I want to share with you guys. Do give them a read:

The Twilight Series Is Awful - Really, Really Horribly Awful.
Top Ten Reasons Why Twilight Sucks.

But that's not the real reason I'm writing this. I came across image this while surfing the Internet. It made me laugh out loud.

Click to enlarge image. Read it and ask what's wrong with the girl.

Really? What are you talking about? If you've read the Harry Potter books first maybe you wouldn't dare ask such questions. As for me, a book with strong character development, good research behind the mythology, and a good plot like Rowling's works are superior to the bland stories of Meyer. Click here to find out why Harry Potter is better than Twilight. I could sum up the entire pages of the first Twilight book with a few simple dialogue lines. Here it is:


Edward : I'm a vampire.
Bella     : I'm clumsy.
Edward : I want to eat you.
Bella      : I love you.
Edward : I love you too.
Bella      : Yaayyy!!


Real simple, right? I could go on forever. But I think I've made my point. Sorry "Twi-hards". In conclusion, Twilight really IS an Insult to our intelligent minds. There are better books out there for you. Go check out Bram Stoker's "Dracula". Now THAT is what a real vampire fiction should be like.

Problem, Twi-hards?

Phew! I think I've rambled long enough! Ahahaha, just my two cents worth though. I won't judge you if you love Twilight. Just don't push it down my throat every 30 seconds and I will leave you alone. Bye! :)

sextus: monetary incentives. 11:57 AM

Okay, the full title is "Do you think we should give monetary incentives to the KP2 students to motivate them to get better grades?". The post title is shortened for brevity's sake.

 " why, thank you! This certainly does motivate me"

Studying, it seems, is getting harder by the day. Especially in the chemical engineering field. It's no wonder why some students fell behind their studies because of the tremendous amount of pressure that's being put on them. Should we give money in order to motivate poor students to perform better? In my opinion, we should. As a former KP2 student myself (during diploma), this proposed monetary incentive clearly does motivate me to perform better. This is due to a few factors that shall be discussed below.


Firstly, KP2 students are already under pressure to repair their GPAs and to get their grades back up again, which is no small feat. The lack of money puts an additional strain on them and this will reflect on their grades. It will drive them to the point of insanity. A study done by Roland Fryer shows that money does motivate students to perform better to a certain extent. Even though it's only for a short term, at least it's better than nothing.


The next factor is the high (and rising) cost of living. As you know, most students live away from their parents and have to survive by themselves. Without monetary support, some students will be more de-motivated to study. For example, imagine a situation where a KP student having no time to study because he or she has to work part-time jobs to get by. This is not uncommon among students having parents too poor to send them money. The time and energy they spent  working should be used to study to improve their grades.


The third factor is to reduce anxiety and worrying in KP students. Students constantly worry about their grades be it the past or future. It's really depressing to have many things to worry about at a given time. If you have to worry about your getting your grades up AND not having money or knowing when your next meal is going to come, it's not a very conductive state of mine  to study.


In conclusion, all of these factors play a significant impact on a student's ability to study and the betterment of their grades. Thus I strongly agree that we give monetary incentives to KP students to motivate them to get better grades. With this, we can reduce the number of students dropping out of university and ensure a better future for them.


That's it for this time, guys. Here's a song that fits the theme of this blog entry. Sum 41 - Motivation. Enjoy. :)





image credits: http://www.corbisimages.com/images/572/180F51BD-3F41-44AA-8A54-6B87B7FD73E4/42-17614216.jpg

quintus: toe. 1:34 PM

Here's another band whose songs I always listen to while studying.

Toe's line-up. From left: Takaaki Mino (guitar), Satoshi Yamane (bass), Takashi Kashikura (drums), and Hirokazu Yamazaki (guitar).


Toe, a Japanese act, is a force to be reckoned with. As far as genre is concerned, they play a type of post-rock with math rock-like song structures. This is partly due to the technical style of drumming played by Takashi. The band is known to write songs that is layered with acute drumming, melodic and clean guitar settings, and subtle changes in rhythm that makes for a very unique sound.


I'm currently listening to their latest album, entitled 'For Long Tomorrow' that's released in 2009. The new release saw the inclusion of acoustic guitars and keyboard sounds. While being an instrumental band, they have collaborated with other artists that provides vocals on some of the tracks in the new album and the songs are simply amazing, I tell you! Toe's songs can be mellow at times, but it can also be fast and rocking. There's really no end to Toe's creativity and ability to create such mind-blowing music.


Toe's live shows are very enjoyable to watch (on Youtube that is). It sounds every bit the same as their studio recording. Every note is followed to the letter and not a beat out of place. They are THAT good. I really hope that you can give Toe a listen because their music is very unique and teems with originality.





The song 'You Go' from their latest album 'For Long Tomorrow'. If possible, listen to this using speakers with subwoofers. If not, headphones are recommended. This is to enhance your listening experience, especially with the bass sounds played by Satoshi in this one. :)







Here's a live version of another song entitled 'グッドバイ'  (Guddobai - Goodbye) from the same album. This is one of my favourites because it has vocals by Japanese singer Toki Asako. Very soothing to the ears. :)


That's another post for ya, mates. Come back soon for more! :D


image credits and source:
Wikipedia
Bigger Group of Friends

quartus: if i could rule the world. 12:57 AM

The Sith Lord who rules the galaxy with an iron fist. Sadly, we're talking about a smaller job scope here. :(

If limitless power is bequeathed to me, I would use that power to ensure maximum loyalty of those I rule over, and of course, to make the world a better place to live in. Already there's la lot of ideas buzzing in my mind. I would hold a council meeting with my most trusted aides and together, we shall achieve world domination! If I could rule the world, I would start by making a few changes to the world we live in right now.


Firstly, I would pass a law to ban those Twilight books. Stephenie Meyer would be imprisoned for the rest of her life for writing something that I consider an insult to our intelligent minds. Anyone caught reading the books or even possessing them is going to get the books forcefully taken from them and will be mandated to read books by far more superior writers like Bram Stoker, Salman Rushdie, JRR Tolkien, John Grisham, JK Rowling, and Stephen King.

No truer words were ever spoken!

On entertainment, 'reality' programs like Akademi Fantasia, American Idol, Sehati Berdansa and the likes will be made redundant because the people's minds are far too sophisticated and intelligent to watch these type of garbage on television thanks to my public education system that influences young minds to be thinkers. Shows that stimulate the mind like Mythbusters will get aired on prime-time television instead. There shall be no discrimination in music because all radio stations are now allowed to play hardcore and very heavy music instead of only playing easy-listening-commercially-produced-pop-music.



On education, I will make sure that everyone has access to free education. By free, I mean really, really free i.e: no money is needed for books, student fees, activities fees, uniform fees or whatever. Now there's no excuse for parents not sending their children to school. There shall be no racial segregation in these schools. No more 'Black School, White School, Malay School, Chinese School, Tamil School, French School'. Now there's only ONE school to promote harmony. If students want to study subjects that is offered at these former schools, it shall be offered in this school, too. (I hope I'm making sense here, Madam!)



There's a lot more that I want to do if I have the power to rule the world like giving free healthcare to the people and even monthly allowances to jobless citizens. Freedom of speech is not restricted under my ruling as the people have a right to have their voices heard. All this is to make sure that we live in harmony and peace and the people to feel content under my ruling. In conclusion, if I have the power to rule the world I would use that power to serve the people under my rule and I will not use the taxpayer's money for my own gain. I would not be a a corrupt leader that buys things for his wife using the people's money like *cough cough* SOME politicians out there. *cough cough*


As usual, I leave you with a song. Here's the punk rock band, NOFX, with "Franco Un-American". Till laters, mates! :)







image credits:
http://www.thisisjuststupid.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/sc4-darth-vader-art.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGScjMqnN0inOrOOM6kNUJ8PhdsOaKaAgKuBwOY6CyAihaO_aqBaqPTQqvveE9q-Xrwbj6TyU3fzFzJFW7Hk-oegDc40XjSC-TSDkY45WRKZ65-uUze1gb8pjKqn9kIqoUZ38yovg4Wo/s1600/TwilightSUCKS.jpg

tertius: raein. 11:11 AM

Raein during a live performance.

Enter Raein. One of my favourite bands of all time.


But before that, haven't I mentioned that this blog is about music reviews? Well, now I did. So please bear with me.


Raein (pronounced Rain) is a screamo band from Italy. It shares members with another Italian screamo band La Quiete and Italian post-rock band Neil On Impression. Raein debuted with a self-titled release in 2002. Their latest album was released in 2008 entitled 'Nati Da Altri Padri' ('Ogni Nuovo Inizio' in the Japanese release)


Now, some people might say that screamo bands are made of washed-up emotional teenagers screaming about broken hearts and unrequited love. They're wrong. Raein is one good example of a band playing enjoyable and mature music. Using deep metaphors in their lyrics and harmonic song arrangements, they have succeeded in garnering a large following around the world.


Words cannot explain the beauty of their music. It's better for the reader to listen to them to have an appreciation of their music. Here's one of their hit songs, 'Tigersuit' taken from their album 'Il N'y A Pas De Orchestre' released in 2003.






With that, I bid you adieu. Look out for future posts, peeps! :)


image credits: http://www.yellowblueandgreen.com/content/concerti/Raein/Raein_antymtvday.jpg

secundus: educational aspiration for 2011. 11:39 AM

What is the meaning of aspiration? According to the Online Cambridge Dictionary, Aspiration is a noun, and it means "Something that you hope to achieve".


In other words, it's just a fancy way to say "Ambition".


To aspire for something is good. But to achieve what you've aspired for, is a different matter altogether. We can certainly dream, but to realize that dream, a lot of hard work needs to be done. And not giving up until we've achieved what we aspired for.

Don't let this de-motivate you. Ahaha. For those who didn't get the joke, you're just not nerdy enough.

Seeing that my last term's (I would NOT say 'semester'. It's too American for my liking) results were abysmal to say the least, my ambition for 2011 is to get high grades for the all subjects to be able to at least let out a sigh of relief and to graduate with a high CGPA.  Though it might seem like a monumental task, nothing is impossible when you've set your heart on it.


But a student's job IS to study, so I can't really blame other factors that contribute to poor results other than myself. This term's going to be different. To get good grades, I will not skip classes and procrastinate. I will also lessen the frequency of useless activities that only leads to wasting time i.e: lepak-ing  and playing computer games.


It's the norm with resolutions/aspirations/ambitions to get broken before we achieved it. For example, a person might make a new year's resolution on January to quit smoking, but starts puffing up again by April. The same applies to this 'educational aspiration' of mine. But I'm praying that nothing will sway my resolve.


An esteemed lecturer at UniKL Micet, Mr. Syahidi, is known to utter a famous phrase that is still being quoted by students to this day. "This is not a playground, this is a battlefield!". These words ring true because being able to study in a university is a privilege not granted to all. The university is not a place to fool around and to be lazy.


And so, I hope that I can achieve what I've aspired for in 2011 with the steps that I have planned. I leave you, dear reader, with a song by Psyopus, a mathcore band from New York, entitled "2". This song always perks me up when I need to stay alert during studying. :)





image credits: http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/uploads/2007/09/aspiration_normal.jpg