If I think about it - I mean actually ponder it over - before actually writing it does it make it less of a rant? Now that I've asked the question the answer does seem pretty obvious and the question, utterly redundant. The thing is, I've read some of my old posts lately and I've been truly shocked on more than one occasion. While english is not my first language (a scenario I'm genuinely grateful about), the truth is that it's the language I'm most fluent in (a scenario I'm somewhat indifferent about). I'm currently not worked up about the traffic on this site but I'm most definitely worked up with the quality of anything that bears my alta ego's signature (enough about scenarios already!). I generally write my posts in the train, Friday afternoon, on my way home - which leaves little enough time to rant much less proof read. I'm tired of pursueing this train of thought so that's that. But I'll say this - there's no point writing if even I can't bring myself to read what I've written 2 days later.
Today, I learnt another lesson I hope I never forget. It's that I should remember when I write code today that posterity (or some poor ignorant soul) will hate me or love me for it. It's like that Sarah Groves' song that says "remind me of this with every decision - generations will reap what I sow". In any case, I moved code to production a few weeks back that called a function that was written 5 years ago. The function should convert any number to six digit string prepended with zeroes and it does that - sometimes. The logic in the function is the kind of voodoo code that I used to think only I could cook up. I guess it's comforting to know that those superman senior programmers once wrote code that's as bad as what I currently write... at least a little. In any case, the logic in the function ensures that 331 comes out as 033100 but returns 310000 when 033100 is passed in. The function doesn't state any contract for the argument passed in explicitly but then assumes that only one type of string would be passed in. And this gold mine of a function is responsible for preventing about $1m in fees daily - go figure! Anyhow, lesson learnt - time to move on... or not.
We've been studying humility in my little church group. This week, though, we switch to "witnessing". If there's anywhere I'm an epic fail, christian-wise, it's at witnessing. Of course, failure to witness is probably the greatest sign of how little one has genuinely experienced and has a relationship with God. After all, it's a basic fact that when you are excited about something you want to tell the world about it. It starts to crop up ever so often in your discussions and you actually start to sound like the person (or the cartoon character). So, I'm looking forward, expectantly yet with trepidation, to the series on witnessing. After all, it's bible studies like these that can condemn you to heaven or hell.
Makes me remember the words of the Asa song that says "peace for the people who are gone, ye pa for the ones not yet born, war for the people who are here" (I'm not sure if it's war she says or woe in the last phrase but I figure they both come out the same way). We are all running a race we can't win. Fortunately, though, it's a race that's been won on our behalf (least that's the bible's take on it) - if only we'd accept and claim the victory like our lives depended on it ('cause it does) and surrender to God's will.
Friday 19 November 2010
Friday 12 November 2010
Ah, the cynic in me.
The verdict
So America voted last week and they sent a message to the president. Fox, the self appointed emissary of the people, says the people want the president to fix the economy (cue hysterically laughter but anyway let's continue). So the people want the president to fix the economy and cut big government spending (are you confused, yet). They want the man to fix an economy that was wreaked in more than 8 years in 2 years conveniently forgetting that passing policy in congress today is a chore. Moreover, won't passing a resolution constitute creating big government and, hence, defeating the goal of the rebelling electorate. The craziest bit of it all is that to force the president's hand in the matter of fixing the economy, the people have voted in reps from the same party that was in charge when the economy tanked (as if the said party's philosophies could have changed in the 2 years since they got kicked out of power).
Moving forward
I could go on and on but in the last few weeks I've come to understand, a little, the kind of dynamics that brought may have brought someone like Hitler to power. The truth is, more often than not, we all do what the loudest, most popular person in the room does. We'll also clinged to anything that appears to be different from what scares us and has failed (Arsenal fans are very much skilled at this). In the case of the elections, this was made even easier by the fact that apart from voting out the incumbents, there didn't seem to be much by way of options. Ok, so there's the option of waiting and seeing how the current president's policies pan out long-term but mankind, sadly, evolved passed the stage of 'long-term waits' quite a few decades ago.
Or not...
I never was sold on Obama as a president. Of course compared with McCain/Palin it's a no-brainer who I'd vote for any day anytime. So far, though, he's come across as benevolent if a little naive. He appears to be determined to make things work but he is working with a bunch of people that are obviously more concerned with grasping power or not relinquishing it than solving problems. I think he is a good man, a good president but it would take more than a good president to move this country forward. It will take divine intervention. But then again the new congress may just, for personal reasons, work together for the good of the country after all. You never know (how much I love you u, frankie). So let's see how the next year plays out.
The solution we don't like
Talking about ideas and policies let's talk about communism and socialism (I still don't know the difference). I'm not a big proponent of either as practiced on earth but you've got to admit that the Christian community, as found in the bible, was not unfavorably disposed to acts that bothered on extreme communism and socialism. The beauty of the first century Christian community was that it was a community where nothing was forced. To picture it, imagine a community that's communist yet where freedom of speech and choice reigned supreme. I guess you can't quite call that communist anymore. It was a community where love for God motivated all the actions. It wasn't perfect but it was good. There's also that part in the laws of Moses where God gives instructions about years of jubilee and forgiving debts and returning stuff to seized by creditors every 50 years or 7 years or so. Apparently God, sef, na commie. If money (insert greed, possessions, pride) is what drives the economy then the economy will never get better. It might appear to bounce back, but it will leave more poor people - financially, emotionally or socially.
Thank God for another weekend.
So America voted last week and they sent a message to the president. Fox, the self appointed emissary of the people, says the people want the president to fix the economy (cue hysterically laughter but anyway let's continue). So the people want the president to fix the economy and cut big government spending (are you confused, yet). They want the man to fix an economy that was wreaked in more than 8 years in 2 years conveniently forgetting that passing policy in congress today is a chore. Moreover, won't passing a resolution constitute creating big government and, hence, defeating the goal of the rebelling electorate. The craziest bit of it all is that to force the president's hand in the matter of fixing the economy, the people have voted in reps from the same party that was in charge when the economy tanked (as if the said party's philosophies could have changed in the 2 years since they got kicked out of power).
Moving forward
I could go on and on but in the last few weeks I've come to understand, a little, the kind of dynamics that brought may have brought someone like Hitler to power. The truth is, more often than not, we all do what the loudest, most popular person in the room does. We'll also clinged to anything that appears to be different from what scares us and has failed (Arsenal fans are very much skilled at this). In the case of the elections, this was made even easier by the fact that apart from voting out the incumbents, there didn't seem to be much by way of options. Ok, so there's the option of waiting and seeing how the current president's policies pan out long-term but mankind, sadly, evolved passed the stage of 'long-term waits' quite a few decades ago.
Or not...
I never was sold on Obama as a president. Of course compared with McCain/Palin it's a no-brainer who I'd vote for any day anytime. So far, though, he's come across as benevolent if a little naive. He appears to be determined to make things work but he is working with a bunch of people that are obviously more concerned with grasping power or not relinquishing it than solving problems. I think he is a good man, a good president but it would take more than a good president to move this country forward. It will take divine intervention. But then again the new congress may just, for personal reasons, work together for the good of the country after all. You never know (how much I love you u, frankie). So let's see how the next year plays out.
The solution we don't like
Talking about ideas and policies let's talk about communism and socialism (I still don't know the difference). I'm not a big proponent of either as practiced on earth but you've got to admit that the Christian community, as found in the bible, was not unfavorably disposed to acts that bothered on extreme communism and socialism. The beauty of the first century Christian community was that it was a community where nothing was forced. To picture it, imagine a community that's communist yet where freedom of speech and choice reigned supreme. I guess you can't quite call that communist anymore. It was a community where love for God motivated all the actions. It wasn't perfect but it was good. There's also that part in the laws of Moses where God gives instructions about years of jubilee and forgiving debts and returning stuff to seized by creditors every 50 years or 7 years or so. Apparently God, sef, na commie. If money (insert greed, possessions, pride) is what drives the economy then the economy will never get better. It might appear to bounce back, but it will leave more poor people - financially, emotionally or socially.
Thank God for another weekend.
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