Who wants to go to Prison?

National News (New Zealand Herald)
Prisoners play X-Box, Playstation on taxpayer


Prisoners are being provided with taxpayer-funded X-Box and PlayStation consoles as a "reward for good behaviour".

Just weeks after revealing flat-screen televisions were fixtures in some New Zealand prisons, the Corrections Department has confirmed that games consoles and "sports and motor racing-themed titles" had been bought out of operational funding and were available for use by inmates in prisons around the country.

In a bid to stem public outcry over the provision of games consoles for inmates, Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor has stepped in and ordered them to be removed until a national policy is developed around their use. However, Acting General Manager Public Prisons Service Paul Monk said the consoles could be reintroduced once guidelines were established.

National's law and order spokesman Simon Power has demanded O'Connor explain to taxpayers why "precious funds" are being spent on "expensive toys for prisoners".

"Corrections' admission that some prisons have bought PlayStations and X-Boxes out of operational funding is unbelievable," he said......................

The use of games consoles is just one of many privileges offered to the nearly 8000 inmates in the country's 19 public prisons. Prisoners are also being rewarded with trips to the beach, telephone calls, movies, CDs and electronic equipment.

The latest furore comes just months after Corrections was forced to fend off criticism over the installation of under-floor heating in Northland, Auckland Women's, Springhill and Otago prisons - plus claims that a prostitute had been found with an inmate in Wellington's Rimutaka prison. Monk said most of the consoles were located in youth units but some had also been available to older prisoners.

So many times,..I think of bringing it down. Cos it wasn't real. It was a good play....with scenes of kindness/forgiveness etc.....but I can't do it.
To delete it, would be a total waste of time, because effort was already shed in the process, and to spare anymore on it..would be an even more waste of time.
Can't do what was experienced. Should make it a point here to not repeat what was done.

"Hi Kevin

I didn't assume to know who your posts refer to, I was just trying to be helpful. As your friend, it concerns me that you should have these conflicts, because feeling so negatively about someone is not good for your own peace of mind. My comments are meant to be general and I offer the same advice whether or not I know the antagonist, (who I still think must be a guy!). If your previous conflicts with people i know can be sorted out, perhaps this one can be too. While I understand your need for an outlet, bear in mind that what we say in public can have repurcussions.
Arjie"

***********************************************************************************************************
Arjie,
The very fact that you took the time & trouble to read the posts, contemplate on your replies, and post them does show your level of concern as a friend and I appreciate it. Very few people would do such a thing, some might even shrug it off, or even worst, take it to heart and bear a grudge.

I feel like explaining more about the posts, but I think I shall leave it as that unless you ask me in person, whereby I'd be more than happy to tell you....yes...I am a troubled individual with issues, and I do wish that all conflicts can be as easily sorted out as before. But not everyone has that kind of diplomacy or openness to discuss things...(this includes me) And yes, I do realise that I have to be ready to accept the consequences of what is published for public view....I had not had this problem before because this blog wasn't read by that many people. (I used it to update my friends in Malaysia whereby they'd ask me about my rants, etc) I think the solution to this, because I appreciate your comments, is to start a seperate, private blog for myself...or maybe until people start to lose interest in this blog. I had really hoped it wouldn't come to this as I thought this blog should reflect a timeline of my life..e.g. 30 or 50 years from now, I could read it and see where I was happy/annoyed/disgusted/moody/stupid/irrational/sensitive/mad/hyper/.... and perhaps see the change in me.

PS: Stop guessing the gender of the person/persons/animal/plant(ok this last one makes no sense, I'm back to my stupid self).

Clarification & Thanks

A previous comment:
Kevin

For a few weeks I have been reading your blog and it’s been interesting and amusing. However, I’ve noticed that some of the posts are very hostile towards someone. I’m still not certain who this is and I don’t know any details of your conflict so I can’t really comment. But for what it’s worth I’ll offer a few thoughts, take them or leave them. Please don’t misunderstand my intentions, I’m not trying to be judgmental, I’m just offering suggestions. I’ll assume your antagonist is a guy, since I know you’re too nice to girls to have a fight with them!

In your posts you take the stance of moral righteousness, that you have done no wrong and the your antagonist is “evil” and a “wrongdoer”. In truth, no conflict is ever as one sided as that, despite what George Bush may claim. Maybe your antagonist has done wrong things, but have you been so perfect yourself? Maybe you misinterpreted some of his actions. You make a lot of allegations about the bad intentions of your antagonist, but how do you know you just haven’t misunderstood him?

I don’t think your blog is an appropriate forum for posting these grievances. Everyone needs to express their feelings at times, but the internet is a very public place and you must be careful not to say something that is unfair or could hurt someone. Otherwise you’re just as guilty of spreading scandal as you claim your antagonist is. Posting your complaints will not help to resolve your conflict. It would be more constructive to bring up these issues with your antagonist himself. Better to be up front and open about it with him than complain about him behind his back to others. That doesn’t mean having a fight about it. Have a frank discussion about how you feel, but be prepared to admit your mistakes too. Most likely, both sides have done things to hurt each other. Approach the issues with conciliatory intentions rather than angry ones.

A wise man once said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” and “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too.” In his poem If, Rudyard Kipling advises that when “being hated, don’t give way to hating.”

I’m sorry if I’m getting too preachy. Again, I don’t really know your circumstances and I’m not trying to judge you at all. It just saddens me that you should have such conflicts and I hope that you can sort them out.

Your friend
Arjie

Response:
Dear Arjie,

Thank you, finally for the comment. Trust me when I say, that the only post of anger related to what you're mentioning about (that person e.g. 'he' in your comment) has been removed. These recent posts do not concern anyone you know. Bear in mind that my life does not revolve around university only.

As for the internet being a public place..I know that, but I also believe that this being my blog, and that the initial reason for this in the first place was to have a rant, I don't feel it important to censor what I say. I do not mention names in my blog for one...and yes, I do not wish to be branded a hateful hypocrite, but realise that when something is troubling you within, each individual has his/her way of dealing with it. I suppose this blog has been my outlet (for the last 3 years) So please, respect my wishes.

It is not ethical

I think it isn't ethical to resort to emotional black mail when one has a fall out with another party, and in a bid to win sides:

1. resorts to emotional black mail (pretending to understand, but actually hopes to instil guilt)
2. puts on a bigger facade a.k.a campaign
3. have bad memory about own faults yet astoundingly accurate recollection of others wrong doings
4. acts innocent and plays the role of the victim

I mean think about it,when Clinton cheated on his wife, not even he tried to play the role of the victim. Anyone heard him say "O...she was just TOO hot...it's not my fault!!! Besides..I don't remember anything. That Monica is such a ****"

Remember remember the 20th of October :'(

I think a greater sadness is felt when nothing is said. I didn't say goodbye to anyone today. Am I just trying to delay the inevitable? Telling myself that I'll see everyone again in the Chemmat dinner or Claire's Guy Fawkes? Parting is indeed, such sweet sorrow. I leave with words of wisdom, from Rob, a figure who I would like to think of as a Grandad (because he's older than my dad).

"Everybody gets to go home at the end of the day.
Safety is always #1.
Remember why the Hazop process was invented.
If it feels wrong it probably is.
If you don't know whether it feels right or wrong ask for help.
Ask if you don't understand.
Ask to verify if you think you do understand.
Don't stay if safety is not a priority.
Tell your boss about ethical issues.

Think of the engineering fundamentals.
Good simplifying assumptions and hand calculations are helpful.
Computers are sometimes useful.
Computers are sometimes dangerous.
Engineering is only part of the answer.

Try to produce more with the plant you have got.
Try to use less energy to produce the same amount of product.
Reliability and availability are critical.
Good housekeeping improves safety and reliability.
Under promise and over deliver.
Add value to your employer (at least 10* your salary/yr).
Most new ideas don't work.
Continue to develop new ideas.

You rent your behaviour not your soul.
Be happy, or seek alternative employment.
A high standard of performance is expected of you by the public.
Get to know the people you work with including their families.
Don't burn your bridges, the wheel turns.
Treat others with dignity and respect.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Make the folks who work for you successful.
Find a mentor and listen to them.

Accept new challenges.
Fossil fuels and CO2 will be critical during your careers.
Remember your grandchildren will have grandchildren.
You will be the bosses when critical decisions are faced.
Renewables are the way of the future.
Biological processes take time and love.
Governments may have to “Mandate” outcomes.
Success and progress is normally a series of small steps.

Economics are useful to rank options but are not the only criteria."

Blog of the Month

Kev's Blog of the Month comes from a friend of mine. Torn between his addiction towards the miniature chimney that projects from ones mouth and his parents...he vents out his frustration....

WHEN MR ARMY OFFICER MET MS SCHOOL TEACHER


Tonite was the first time having dinner at home with the parents. The last time was a bout 5 months back i think. A simple dish of fried meehoon with nuggets never tasted so good But as usual came the usual family drama.

My parents found out about my less-than-desired nicotine breaks for the 2rd time. (1st time was in 2003 which erupted in a very emotionally taxing outcome). Somehow the topic drifted to smoking, alcohol, road-blocks and Where Young People Like To Hang Out On A Weekend Night.


Mr Wong : "Boy. are you still smoking? I thought I asked you to stop already" (in gruff ex-army officer commanding tone)
Mrs Wong : "mumbles, mumbles. something something reduces lifespan about 10 yrs. No wonder you always run out of money end of the month. I know you've been slipping a few red bills from my hidden stash. Don't think I didn't notice"


Thank God it drifted off to my dad's also less-than-desired drinking habits.


Went out to Alexis for a quick drink later. Supposed to do work but the heat is my room is so stifling. )How did I ever survive the past 23 yrs of my life without air-conditioning????)


Wong Junior : "Going out for a while. Too hot la. Kenot do work la. Macam sauna upstairs."
Mr Wong : (also in gruff ex-army officer commanding tone) See. Boy going out for cigarette break again.



Hai lat.

Very sharp he is. I think he knows my job doesn't require me to stay back until 1am EVERY NITE. :)

Final Note

Yes....so this is the last week of uni...should I do a recap?
Heh..maybe later.

To my Chemmat Readers

It's been great. Yes..I regret posting certain events when I was filled with anger. Aren't we all guilty of saying something stupid in our temper gets the better of us?
It takes a grown up to realise they've erred and make a SINCERE apology just as much as it takes a grown up to accept one. I'm honored to be amongst grown ups.

I am in the midst of looking for a forum where we can all post messages, but I do have most of your emails...I'll see what I can do.

In Conjunction With My Malaysian Friends...

This is a Muslim country, leave Malaysia if you don't like it, says Jerai MP

Yucks bleh euw garh

I was present in the midst of a rant.....and all I have to ask is..."Why give a 2-faced apology?"

OK..it's one thing to make the other side THINK it was sincere...at least thats...OK
( I say this because, maybe the wrongdoer's intention was to keep the peace)

but it's another thing to take it back! I've never seen an apology being taken back before......guess you're never too young to see evil.


(Disgust)

Paraskevidekatriaphobics

Reference: http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th.htm

"a study published in the British Medical Journal in 1993 entitled "Is Friday the 13th Bad for Your Health?" With the aim of mapping "the relation between health, behaviour, and superstition surrounding Friday 13th in the United Kingdom," its authors compared the ratio of traffic volume to the number of automobile accidents on two different days, Friday the 6th and Friday the 13th, over a period of years.

Incredibly, they found that in the region sampled, while consistently fewer people chose to drive their cars on Friday the 13th, the number of hospital admissions due to vehicular accidents was significantly higher than on "normal" Fridays.Their conclusion:

"Friday 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended."

Paraskevidekatriaphobics — people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th — must be pricking up their ears just now, buoyed by seeming evidence that their terror may not be so irrational after all. But it's unwise to take solace in a single scientific study — the only one of its kind, so far as I know — especially one so peculiar. I suspect these statistics have more to teach us about human psychology than the ill-fatedness of any particular date on the calendar.

Friday the 13th - The Most Widespread Superstition?

The sixth day of the week and the number 13 both have foreboding reputations said to date from ancient times, and their inevitable conjunction from one to three times a year portends more misfortune than some credulous minds can bear. Some sources say it may be the most widespread superstition in the United States. Some people won't go to work on Friday the 13th; some won't eat in restaurants; many wouldn't think of setting a wedding on the date.

Just how many Americans at the turn of the millennium still suffer from this condition? According to Dr. Donald Dossey, a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of phobias (and coiner of the term "paraskevidekatriaphobia"), the figure may be as high as 21 million. If he's right, eight percent of Americans are still in the grips of a very old superstition.

Exactly how old is difficult to say, because determining the origins of superstitions is an imprecise science, at best. In fact, it's mostly guesswork.

Dialogue

V: Ooo...nice sunnies, where did you get them from?
Me: Hallensteins :) (Proud)
V: Hehe, you wanna know what brand mine are? (giggles)
Me: Hmm....those look like the ones on my grandma (OK..I was asking for it)
V: No, seriously, have a look.
Me: ...
V: D & G
Me: ...

Okokok..V's my friend, but in general, don't we all impose materialism on ourselves? It's Mercedes vs Toyota, Rolex vs Casio, Ipod vs no-brand-mp3 player... I think large brand names that make their stuff in China and make huge profits don't need to spend that much on advertising as it is. We put the pressure on ourselves to make sure we buy their stuff for the sake of it.