Mum and Papa circa 1984 outside Ming Jiang restaurant
My Mum Anna (1930 - 2011) and my father Geoffrey (1919 - 2010) were exceptional people. They lived through turbulent times of the 2nd World War and were happily married for 50 years or so till their passing. Life was very hard under the Japanese occupation, my father had an older brother Gerard, who was taken captive by the Japanese and never seen alive again. My Mum endured alot of hardship first in Guangzhou when my Gong Gong left the family and my Por Por (maternal grandmother) had to come to Malaysia to eke out a living amongst the overseas migrants. They struggled for basic necessities during the war, just to eat rice was a treat. My mother had this knack of charming the Japanese into giving her enough rice for her 3 sisters and younger brother and my Mum was the champion EQ (emotional quotient) person, so she always managed to 'sweet talk' the Japanese soldiers into giving her more than her fair share of rice, while the big strapping whom she went with most often of times, got nothing ! Life was tough then and my father (I believe) was an interpreter between the Japanese and the local people, as he had picked up the language quickly during the tough war times.
I always am proud to be their elder son, and by being so, I must be resilient, and stand my ground especially when the situation demands it. I must strive to be better and work towards a happy work life balance. Retirement is at the moment not an option, although I must say I am blessed in health and am getting by in business. I had a torrid time about 5 years ago, and the JV company for testing business is wound up and we are applying to strike it off. The lessons learnt must never be repeated.
Everyone deserves a little kindness and fairness in life. Though that is not very often the case (a few people are very fortunate while the rest of us have to plug through a whole list of very trying times) we need to just grin and bear with the situation and manage it with the heart of a survivor. Up and On. Never Give Up. Change Tack when Situation Demands It !
Ward off High Kicks, Foot Strike and Punches with Ease
Ken Shin Kai Karate Club has been in existence as a society for over 20 years now. Helmed by Hanshi Chia Kwek Fah, 8th Dan Shitoryu (IKSU) exponent, he has been active first as a participant, both kumite (free sparring) and kata (pattern performance) since the 1960's. He has therefore been active in Karate both as a participant and as a coach for over 60 years ! A fitness consultant both in the schools and also for personal training, he holds a degree in Sports Science (Edith Cowan) as well as multiple certificates from Sport SG for the coaching and first aid of martial arts.
Join our Growing Class of Graduands
The next coach is Sensei Chua Boon Teck Jason. Jason holds a 3rd Dan (Karate Union of Singapore) and has been active in Karate for almost 40 years since his teenage days. He is 57 and a very fit guy. A regional service manager, his hobbies include running and fishing. Jason is coaching the class every Sunday
Classes / Details are : Every Sunday Location : Tanglin Community Center (Club) 247 Whitley Road Singapore 297829 Time : 6.00 - 7.30 pm Tel : 6251 3922 Fees : (only) $ 65 for 12 lessons (3 months) ; very cheap compared to Taekwondo, and Muay Thai.
Age Group : 5 years to 80 years of age. Grading (Test) : Every 3 /4 months ; A Certificate of Accomplishment will be given for successful applicants. Can be used for CCA points in School Estimated Time to get Black Belt (some degree of competency) : 3 - 4 years.
Come and Join Us ! For Fitness, Self Awareness and Self Defence !
Mark Abisheganaden (me) also helps out in the coaching
Sensei Ricky Ng, Jason Chua, Leck Chai Chuah and Me.
Tonight 8pm UK time, 4 am Singapore time, Wolves will host the champions elect Liverpool at Molineux and I have a feeling that they will finally be THE first team which beats Liverpool this season.
Liverpool has had an exceptional season no doubt and their front 3, Salah, Firminio and Mane are really world class. The game MUST be won at Midfield, and Neves, Moutinho, Doherty and Dendoncker (if he is pushed up front) can make history by controlling the centre of the park. They Must if Wolves have any chance of upsetting the form book. The defence is also quite sieve like, so Wolves had better get their act together with 5 at back to shore up against Liverpool's so potent attack. IF Wolves can hold the fort defensively, not let in 1 or 2 goals in first half, control the game in the midfield, I would say, Wolves will win this game by 2 - 1 or 1 -0. Tonight's the Night to Make History ! Let us Do it with Pride !
Footnote (24th Jan 8.00 am) : Alas it was NOT to be ; they fought back from a goal down and at 1 - 1, Firmino stepped in with a sweet finish to make it Wolves 1 Liverpool 2. It was a GREAT GAME nonetheless !
If there is any message or lesson to take away from this match is this. I am a fair weathered fan. I am sad to say, when things go bad for my team, I shy away and watch other channels or go to bed.
If I am a hard core fan, I should continue rooting for the team until the very end of the game and time and again the brilliant Nuno Esperito Santos has shown us with his special team of players that they are indeed champions, in every sense of the word.
1. Never be disheartened
2. Things will be bad but there will be a day for improvement
3. NEVER EVER GIVE UP
4. True grit makes champions.
8 times on the trot, they go behind by 1 to 2 goals (2 goals down against Man City and now Southampton, 1 against Norwich, 1 against Newcastle, 1 against Liverpool and 2 against Watford). 3 of these times they gritted their teeth and fought back with FIERCE TENACITY. 3 times, they drew level. and 2 they lost.
I need to up my support for this magnificent team. If not, I don't deserve to support them.
I often play the logic numbers game called Sudoku. Every pattern or set of game sheets (if I can call it that) has a predetermined 'win' and it is based on 9 squares, in a grid of 3 rows and 3 columns. The player has to ensure that each square is filled only by the number 1 to 9 ONCE and each row and column also only has the number1 to 9 only once. There is no rule for diagonal numbers and there is no "0" in the game. The level of difficulty starts from Easy or Gentle, to Medium to Hard to Very Hard and finally Diabolical (really suicidal) based on the numbers left in the grid. Well I have been playing for at least 12 years and have finally been able to finish diabloical levels quite easily but when I play the game I need to employ the following techniques or strategies : 1. Elimination by number similarity (either single, a pair or sometimes treble) 2. Counting from 1 to 9 3. Some logic 4. Pairs elimination 5. Probability 6. Gwendolin's string (when lost in the forest, go 1 way but remember where you turned so that you can revert back if you make the mistake) 7. Pure guesswork. Now, that I find doing the sudoku challenges not so much a challenge, I turned to the game Solitaire. Now, I find myself 'hooked'. I question "why ?" Why am I subjecting myself to a computer game where the simulation or gaming software controls the outcome of the cards ?? Am I more attracted to risk at the hands of others ? With that fact, I started reading on the net, why people love to play the game of 'chance' and try their luck at winning 4 D, the lottery (Toto as it is called in Singapore) or the casino with the myriad of games where the 'house' invariably wins 95% of the time ? Why ? After reading the post beow, I have decided NOT to play more than 3 games of Solitaire per night, perhaps I should take a walk to clear my tired mind, at the end of the day.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gambling is often called a “game of chance”. It evokes fun, random luck and a sense of collective engagement. These playful connotations may be part of why almost 85% of all adults gamble at some point in their in their lifetime. Lets look at closely to the definition of gambling.
It isn't always the casino. When we take risks in life, these actions whether calculated or not, also constitute 'gambling' be it in investments,plunging into the business world, a joint venture, being a director and owning equity in companies, the stock market, owing and speculating in property, and the occasional 4D or lottery.
Why do people gamble ? I would say : for pleasure, money the thrill or the escapism from the boredom of life.
While these might be reasons why people gamble initially, psychologists don’t definitely know why, for some, gambling stops being an enjoyable diversion and becomes compulsive. What keeps people playing even when it stops being fun?Why stick with games people know are designed for them to lose? Are some people just more unlucky than the rest of us, or simply worse at calculating the odds?
Mike Robinson is Asst Prof at Wesleyan University in the US :
Here is his take on it : (Reprinted from the website Fast Company)
"As an addiction researcher for the past 15 years, I look to the brain to understand the hooks that make gambling so compelling. I’ve found that many are intentionally hidden in how the games are designed. And these hooks work on casual casino-goers just as well as they do on problem gamblers.
One of the hallmarks of gambling is its uncertainty–whether it’s the size of a jackpot or the probability of winning at all. And reward uncertainty plays a crucial role in gambling’s attraction.
Dopamine, the neurotransmitter the brain releases during enjoyable activities such as eating, sex and drugs, is also released during situations where the reward is uncertain. In fact dopamine release increases particularly during the moments leading up to a potential reward. This anticipation effect might explain why dopamine release parallels an individual’s levels of gambling “high” and the severity of his or her gambling addiction. It likely also plays a role in reinforcing the risk-taking behavior seen in gambling.
Studies have shown that the release of dopamine during gambling occurs in brain areas similar to those activated by taking drugs of abuse. In fact, similar to drugs, repeated exposure to gambling and uncertainty produces lasting changes in the human brain. These reward pathways, similar to those seen in individuals suffering from drug addiction, become hypersensitive. Animal studies suggest that these brain changes due to uncertainty can even enhance gamblers’ cravings and desire for addictive drugs.
Repeated exposure to gambling and uncertainty can even change how you respond to losing. Counterintuitively, in individuals with a gambling problem, losing money comes to trigger the rewarding release of dopamine almost to the same degree that winning does. As a result, in problem gamblers, losing sets off the urge to keep playing, rather than the disappointment that might prompt you to walk away, a phenomenon known as chasing losses.
But gambling is more than just winning and losing. It can be a whole immersive environment with an array of flashing lights and sounds. This is particularly true in a busy casino, but even a game or gambling app on a smartphone includes plenty of audio and visual frills to capture your attention.
Since games of chance are set up so the house always has an advantage, a gambler wins infrequently at best. You might only rarely experience the lights and sounds that come along with hitting a true jackpot. However, the gaming industry may have devised a way to overcome that issue.
Over the last few decades, casinos and game manufacturers significantly upgraded slot machines, retiring the old mechanical arms and reels in favor of electronic versions known as electronic gaming machines. These new computerized games and online slots come with more attractive colorful lights and a variety of sounds. They also possess more reels, ushering in a new era of multi-line video slot machines.
Having multiple lines enables players to place a bunch of bets per spin, often up to 20 or more. Although each individual bet can be small, many players place the maximum number of bets on each spin. This strategy means a player can win on some lines while losing on others, netting less than the original wager. Even when you “win,” you don’t come out ahead, a phenomenon known as “losses disguised as wins.” Yet each win, even when it is a loss disguised as a win, comes with the lights and sounds of victory.
The result is that these multi-line slot machines produce more enjoyment and are highly preferred by players. Crucially, they tend to make gamblers overestimate how often they’re truly winning. The dramatic increase in the frequency of wins, whether real or fabricated, produces more arousal and activation of reward pathways in the brain, possibly accelerating the rate at which brain changes occur. Multi-line slots also seem to promote the development of “dark flow,” a trance-like state in which players get wholly absorbed in the game, sometimes for hours on end.
The rise of electronic gambling machines also means that rather than being constrained by the physical arrangement of different possible outcomes on each reel, possible outcomes are programmed onto a set of virtual reels. Gaming designers can, therefore, stack the deck to make certain events occur more frequently than others.
This includes near-misses, where one of the reels stops just short of lining up for a jackpot. These near-miss almost-wins recruit areas of the brain that usually respond to wins, and increase one’s desire to play more, especially in problem gamblers.
This phenomenon is not confined to slot machines and casinos. Near-misses play an integral part in the addictive potential of smartphone games like the very popular “Candy Crush.”
When you engage in recreational gambling, you are not simply playing against the odds, but also battling an enemy trained in the art of deceit and subterfuge. Games of chance have a vested interest in hooking players for longer and letting them eventually walk away with the impression they did better than chance, fostering a false impression of skill.
For many people, these carefully designed outcomes enhance the satisfaction they get from gambling. It may remain easy for them to simply walk away when the chips run out.
But gambling isn’t only a lighthearted promise of a good time and a possible jackpot. Up to 2% of the U.S. population are problem gamblers, suffering from what’s recently been reclassified as gambling disorder.
It stands out as one of the few addictions that doesn’t involve consumption of a substance, such as a drug. Like other forms of addiction, gambling disorder is a solitary and isolating experience. It’s tied to growing anxiety, and problem gamblers are at greater risk of suicide.
For these more susceptible individuals, the game designers’ hooks start to seem more sinister. A solution to life’s problems always feels just one spin away. "
Footnote : I do not own the rights to the above article as stated in " .... ".
I have been reading 1 chapter to 5 chapters daily of this wonderful book by Rolf Dobelli
" The art of thinking clearly"
and trying to understand fully what these concepts mean and how to apply them in my never ending quest to first seek to understand a core concept or value, to be fully cognizant of the advantages, disadvantages and finally implementing it or discarding it in the scrapheap of my mind. This idea of Chauffer Knowledge as written so beautifully by the psychologist Dr. Dobelli was first presented by Mr. Charlie Munger, who is Mr. Warren Buffett's (Berthshire Hathaway chairman and founder) partner. Chauffer Knowledge is superficial knowledge which is picked up vicariously through many hours of chauffering an expert who has studied, researched and conducted experiments to validate theories (scientific for example). Mr. Munger told of this beautiful story of Max Planck, the famous German physicist who is credited with quantum mechanics theories and while he was alive, he was a popular and much sought after speaker in many Universities all over Europe and the world. During those days pre-smart phone and the social media (early 20th century), Dr. Planck had a chauffer who brought him to all his talks and listened intently to Dr. Planck's lectures while understanding superficially the concept of quantum mechanics did not have the full 'domain knowledge' to BE Dr. Planck or even his student. One day, the chauffer was feeling naughty and asked Dr. Planck, "sir, I have been driving you to all your lectures and talks and I know enough, much more than anyone else I know, so here is a little challenge for you. " "Tomorrow you have this lecture at XYZ University, why not I take your place and present the talk, you can take a rest. And if I succeed in fooling everybody, you can buy me a nice dinner !" Dr. Planck laughed and agreed, as he wanted to see how this would end The next day, true to his word, at XYZ University, "Dr Planck" stepped up the podium and made a 1 hour lecture to his starry eyed attendees. Nobody could guess that this was his chauffer ! However, one Professor of physics was not too impressed and stood up to challenge "Dr Planck's" quantum mechanics hypothesis. So his years of study and research he put "Dr Planck" to the test or under the microscope ! "Dr Planck" stood transfixed as the Prof asked his question, and obviously he was at a loss for words... however he recovered his composure and confidently said : "Now, my theories are so well researched and understood and I am surprised that you would ask such a question, even my "chauffer" who is sitting in the front row understands it. I will give him the opportunity to answer you !!! " My point is this, Chauffer Knowledge is indeed knowledge picked up superficially and vicariously. If you think your chauffer knowledge is able to get you through life's test or tribulations you are indeed wrong ! Make every effort to understand what you are intending to achieve, then go and painstakingly make representative models and discuss theories with all who are knowledgeable in it. Then you will attain some domain knowledge and with that some expertise. There are lots of 'armchair' skiers, swimmers and marathon runners doling advice. They will be the first to fail when their advice is put to the test in the actual swimming meet, ski run and marathon. Do the time and you will be fine.
