How to survive when everything sucks, by Alexandra Franzen
http://alexandrafranzen.com/ I am really, stupendously, riotously proud of myself. My business is banginâ, my client
Wise words from Stephen Hawking
I have no idea. People who boast about their IQ are losers. Response upon being questioned as to his IQ, in interview with Deb
conversations on systems
on a unrelated note i really am pretty damn exhilarated about my systems thingy lol i kinda get your general gist, but it̵
Friedrich Nietzsche, on laziness and timidity
â⊠A traveller who had seen many lands and peoples and several of the earthâs continents was asked what quality in men h
The wisdom of Jim Rohn
The soil says, âDonât bring me your need. Bring me your seed.â Unless you change how you are, you will always have wha
Personal Development and Symbolism of the Hero
âSince finding out what something is, is largely a matter of discovering what it is like, the most impressive contribution t
Smoke-Free, Day Two
Yes, I’m still going strong! Today my nervous system doesn’t feel as wonky, but I have got new problems- my respir
Smoke-Free, Day One
I’ve decided to try to quit smoking. Again. I have been smoking for about 4 years now. I normally smoke about 2 packs a
Complex systems are more interesting than linear ones.
I have a big problem with making lists. Lists are not actually very informative. They are an ineffectual way of presenting inf
The Waste Elimination Challenge
I found some notes from a business consultancy firm on improving organizational effectiveness, and I found it cute and conveni
Ezra Klein, on common mistakes made by economists
“Tyler Cowen has posted lists of mistakes he thinks common to left-wing economists and right-wing economists. Both are
Self-mastery and the journey of the hero.
âThe unexamined life is not worth living.â -Socrates (socratic method used to teach) “You can have no dominion great
Thoughts on the 8.9 Earthquake in Honshu, Japan
I’ve been thinking really long and hard about what to say about the earthquake in Japan. I want to say something that co
Ray Kurzweil on the future of solar power
Ray Kurzweil: “One of my primary theses is that information technologies grow exponentially in capability and power and
Countering Stress and Depression, by The Dalai Lama XIV
At a fundamental level, as human beings, we are all the same; each one of us aspires to happiness and each one of us does not
Detours: How to move forward when your plans fuck up
I went through most of my life without having any plans. I used to think this was because I was too cool to have plans. But th
Jonathan Diener, on the future of the music industry
I think obviously downloading and the easy access via torrents, etc. to get music and movies are hurting the sales. But with a
a person is a system is a science is a mind is a language is a city is an organism is art
/bow
On faith.
Before anything else I think it’s important to begin by discussing faith. We are all creatures of faith, whether we real
I like to convince myself that it doesn’t matter
but I know it does. Because I admired you then, and though I realise that I was obsessed with what you stood for to me, and th
conversation- doubt
so ever since like a few weeks after i enlisted i’ve been keeping track of my life, which i never bothered doing properl
infinite
we live for the moments that we are alive, we long for the moments that last forever, transcending the mortality of our lips,
Potential Blog Posts
Cigarette-smoking model of action Personal responsibility & falling sick What I learnt from Save vs Smile Heat model of ch
conversation: phase-cycling
increased sleep as in i’m not sleeping right now, obviously but experimenting with it feel physically a bit tired but me
Routine Analysis: Week 30: The Next Stage.
Successful people have productive routines. It’s painfully obvious that if you want to be successful, you’re going
gopnik’s information
Originally published on The New Yorker in 2011. (newyorker.com, archive.org) When the first Harry Potter book appeared, in 199
so many of you have the same fucking problems
it’s ridiculous, you’re intelligent people, you can and should know better and learn to find solutions! STOP COMPA
conversation about the future
I meant to write a long blog post but got distracted by a fun conversation on MSN, so I thought I’d share! Enjoy. ï»żAye
2:25am
It is 2:25am and I am alone. The air is still, and cold. I am not wearing a shirt. I light my cigarette with the open flame at
assorted 2011 thoughts
creativity is just persistence and keen observation My posts get a lot better if I give myself time and space to talk nonsense
dream
Garage, dirty tie… blame on the garage.. relatives? I think my brother in law- asked me to check out his garage- at whic
The importance of re-reading books
I think it’s very important to re-read books. I think it’s very difficult if not impossible for anybody to distill
Language, Communication and Designing for Maximum Human Immersion
Updated in September 2014. The Challenge of Communication We often have to communicate with ourselves to better understand wha
I don’t have to write.
I don’t need to write. It is not an addiction, not a compulsion, I could stop at any time. I write because I like to. It
The University Dilemma
2014 Update: I didn’t go to University in the end. All my applications were turned down. I ended up working for Referral
Week 24.
Wow, 6 more weeks and I’ll be done with a third of this movement! I want to keep this clear and succinct, and focus on w
Figuring out the most important question.
What’s the most important question you can think of? Let me go through a few ideas: “Where do we come from? Why ar
is there anything at all about yourself that pisses you off? {:
That’s actually a very complex question, so I hope you don’t mind a slightly complex answer- I’ll try to kee
The Challenges
I’ve never worked at anything in my life as hard as I do when I play video games. Your first thought might be “Wow
Promise me something.
This 2011, promise me that youâll pursue something that excites you. Do something that makes you want to wake up in the morn
Mandatory New Year Post [2011]
2010 was a year of reflection for me, of contemplation, self-assessment, observation, study, understanding, learning. 2011 wil
my cab fare home came to $11.60 today. I had $15, and told the cab driver to keep the change- he’d been telling me about
instructional
seize her little hand and never let go, carve her out a heart and shield her bones, live her a life lest it dares to unfold, s
There are no bad experiences.
There are no bad experiences. Getting your leg blown off would suck. Getting raped is a terrible, traumatic thing. There are f
stripped
How do you describe the act of personal growth? Did I simply “experience” it, as if it were a passing emotion? Did
The Lumberjack, The Major and The Conductor
A familiar parable: The wise lumberjack knows that the most important thing he needs to do before he fells a tree is to sharpe
Things I’d Like To Work On
A blog is an interesting place, an interesting thing to be responsible for, an interesting medium, a vehicle for thought and e
Conditional self-esteem is a losing game.
I’ve lately been thinking a lot about concepts like self-esteem, ego, identity, you know the drill. Well, I’ve alw
I’m actually beginning to feel like I might not need this place at all, that it’s become a sort of dead space that
How to save Singapore.
Alan Shadrake is, in my opinion, an idiot. John Locke would’ve described him as a rational madman, a person who follows
New Year Resolutions 2011
TLDR: Save money, reading schedule, blog, smoke less, drink water, journal, build habits, meditate, declutter, play music. ===
What I’ve learnt this year.
This year I’ve developed a better understanding of how my mind works, how society works, how ideas and social epidemics
losing friends
You know what’s strange and interesting? To observe a person who had once let you in, but now shuts you out. Don’t
Why I believe in people.
I sometimes get asked, “Visa, why are you so optimistic/deluded? Why do you believe in people? Why do you care about peo
a spot of difficulty
If I were feeling what I were feeling right now a year or two ago, I would be feeling very melancholic and existentialist righ
Self-Assessment: goals, routines, habits and hesitation
Time for a bit of introspective reflection and philosophical spring cleaning! Online Productivity: I’ve gotten a Grooves
aiyoh
you fucking shameless blackmailing cunts, WHY am I obligated to do this for you?! aiyoh. never mind. suck thumb. do only. tsk.
snippets of my life
I’m an ordinary guy. I found school to be generally boring and uninspiring, so I almost never did any homework, often cu
snippets of memoirs
I’m an ordinary guy. I found school to be generally boring and uninspiring, so I almost never did any homework, often cu
finding non-directed purpose â from mediocrity to excellence
Okay let’s have some stream-of-consciousness style thinking and writing going on here. Our conventional ideas about idea
@Lord_Voldemort7 vs @perezhilton
“I received a large number of response to a tweet I wrote about @perezhilton. My comment, for those that did not see it
finally
After almost 3 years, I am proud to say that I am finally well and truly over it/her/that! Feels so good. đ
I am so sexually frustrated it’s really not even funny any more.
I still fuck up all the time
I’m not sure if there’s any difference in the amount of times I’m fucking up, or with the severity of these
How to deal with an existential crisis.
Imagine that you’re having a walk that’s generally unremarkable, in an unremarkable locale, surrounded by unremark
Marginal differences make a difference
Updated 2014. It’s interesting how we categorize people into smokers and non-smokers. You’re in or you’re
I have some questions for you.
Are you physically fit? Healthy? Are your eyes, teeth, heart, back, knees, ears in good shape? How would it feel if you lost t
I have some questions for you.
Are you physically fit? Healthy? Are your eyes, teeth, heart, back, knees, ears in good shape? How would it feel if you lost t
“Gifted” is a label that can discourage hard work
2014 summary:Â Used to be a minimum-effort student who was proud of how little effort I needed to get by. Now wish I had learn
illness as opportunity
I am sick as I write this- literally physically ill, with a throat infection. I often seem to fall sick more than the average
fuck you! (ooo,ooo,ooo!)
I used to be really ignorant, arrogant, narcissistic, self-absorbed and insensitive. You guys know this better than I do. Then
On Efficiency
Efficiency gives me pleasure, and inefficiency bothers me, often making me irritable and frustrated. This might sound like a s
kimmy & fran
get tumblrs lah both of you! it’s like livejournal but better. >_> but i’ll still post here from time to time
moving on
I never really got very comfortable with livejournal, so i’ve moved on- visaisahero.wordpress.com for my more journalist
My name is Visa, and I want
to be absolutely honest, heart-wrenching, torn and true to burn with fiery passion, to glow an unearthly hue like Lennon and M
How My Mind Works: Mind Explosion
Every once in a while- and these moments are exceptional, rare and intense- I have what I might describe as a mind explosion.
John Mayer, on life.
I wish that when I was younger I could have met my current self. We would have sat down at a coffee shop so that I could expla
for you
I post this here because I don’t want to make a big scene about it, and because I think you read this. Don’t talk
Questions 16 and 26
As requested by Bianca! q16. How come the things that make you happy donât make everyone happy? That’s an interesting
Question & Answer Time!
A friend posted these questions on her blog without expecting any answers, and I liked them so much I couldn’t help but
Diminishing the nicotine dependence.
I have to confess that I haven’t completely quit smoking. I do still often go several days without smoking, and I no lon
Awesome Quotes from Margaret Mead
SEGMENTING LIFEGAME = BULLSHIT “It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhoo
the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life
is to face up to myself. Because all my charm, persuasiveness, eloquence and wit is worthless against someone who is capable o
Wouldn’t it be nice if
Everybody who read anybody else’s blog were obligated and/or compelled to leave some form of acknowledgement? I imagine
On fearlessness, and enemies
If victory is the notion of no enemy, then the whole world is a friend. The true warrior is not like a person carrying a sword
MOAR
On binging, and moderation.
I want to talk about binging. We all know that too much of anything isn’t very good. Excessive beer, cigarettes, food, e
check out my kickass wealth of knowledge
look at that badass motherfucker
Daily tracking.
Any video gamer knows that your status bar is one of the most important things that you need to pay attention to. The informat
what do you choose?
I choose to fight, to live, to love. I choose to think, to cherish, to learn. I choose to try, to fail, to try again. I choose
Perfectionism as an excuse.
I understand that the previous post may not completely make sense. It is also not as efficient, effective and straightforward
perfectionism
I try to maintain my composure, but I’m really becoming a much more volatile, angry person on the inside. Be responsible
“50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind.”
Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer. How old would you be if you didnât know how old you are? Which i
Why I am becoming an increasingly irritable person, and how I’m dealing with it.
Recently, I get really frustrated whenever I perceive people behaving in ways that I deem unbecoming. Why is this? One possibl
dear visa
We need to talk! đ It’s think-out-loud time. Balance, effectively, the right-now and the big picture. Ignore neither,
The War Prayer, by Mark Twain
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fi
humility
Humility to me is knowing and acknowledging my limitations, flaws, weaknesses, shortcomings. How am I supposed to behave in ci
Books: The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins
Synopsis The book contains ten chapters. The first few build a case that there is almost certainly no God, while the rest disc
Hayley Williams
it’s my opinion that anyone who is coming onto our band looking for controversy is completely missing the point. the poi
Managing complex change: 5 things that stop you from accomplishing greatness
If you want to get anything serious done that involves complex change, whether it’s starting a blog, quitting smoking, m