The Math In Chess

In the game of chess that involves a ruthless battle between minds, a chessplayer’s strategy and tactics does require a certain mastery of logic and mathematics when considering between one's command over chess pieces, time and position.  As similar in life, the ability to critically think on your own is absolutely necessary in chess, when devising the sequential deployment of distinctive chess pieces that are uniquely designed to capture the opponent’s ‘‘King’’.  In aiming to do so, the beauty of the ordeal lies in how creatively and simply that the chessplayer may achieve this either from the start, during the middle or towards the ending of the game.  Nevertheless, the brilliant execution of each stage will indeed make the next one be much easier.          

While some carelessly play their chess pieces for an immature offensive, it is the element of sacrifice which although is difficult to undertake, would actually turn out to be the ultimate ‘piece of art’ for total victory in the end.  This is because when chess players sacrifice a chess piece of a higher value for a significantly lower one, it would definitely trigger the opponent in a combination of anticipated moves that would then bring the overall tactical advantage to those cunningly making the sacrifice.  Hence when the opponent’s motives become increasingly obvious throughout the game, this will then further expose their chess pieces to progress only in a more deadly and self-destructive manner that merely reflects their desperation or ‘’Zugwang’’.

The crucial ‘‘central control’’ in a chess match, is all about the ability to gain tempo and space across all the key positions of a chessboard.  In ancient times when this game was developed with the intent of teaching battle strategies, playing chess remains fairly accurate in mirroring our strengths of instinct and skill in overcoming defeat.  While eventually skills can be learned, it is more important to ensure that chessplayers are able to harness their instincts to the point of being able to exert control over the center, without their chess piece having to physically occupy it.  Because other than the danger of a stalemate, it is certain that ‘’one King will stand to see the other in checkmate’’.       

When Time Stands Still

Its fascinating when we frequently see how much of the truth does go into the saying that ‘’time and tide waits for no man’’.  However, if one decides to wait for the exact right time in order to do something, the odds of that perfectly right time presenting itself are extremely rare.  Hence people ought to make time for their hobbies, before they totally forget what was good to do once upon a time.

 Unlike habits and more like our fingerprints, hobbies relate to what one is personally compassionate about.  Ultimately, it is our hobbies that simply remind us of what it’s like to be a normal human being and they can change according to our surroundings just as easily like how the chameleon changes its colour.  Not only do we feel good when our hobby begins to kick in, we may even get lucky enough to look good when we are photographed while doing them, no matter how candid the shot may be.

Since time-travel is still purely science-fiction, having a hobby will have to do for the time being, for the most of us.  Where in some instances people actually get paid to do what they love, the rest tend to bear some form of cost in one way or the other.  Amazingly for as long as the mind believes in free will and the able body has the avenue to exercise that belief, there will always be room for people to have a hobby.

In Between The Sick and The Sickening

In the dignified field of Medicine, seeing the kind of change that leads to the betterment of many others was long portrayed since the TV hit series of Dr Quinn Medicine Woman.  Despite her being called names and sometimes treated as an outcast to the norms of our past society, one can’t escape from the inspirational moments brought about by the world seen through the eyes of the character Doctor MichaeLa ‘Mike’ Quinn.  Likewise, the continuing struggle is further depicted in a much more modern setting that can be seen through the character Doctor Susan Lewis in the episodes of E.R.

For every second of every minute of every day, countless lives are placed in the hands of medical authorities, staff and practitioners who day and night put their own irreplaceable lives at risk in the call of duty.  Not counting the years for them to get through medical school, it is a wonder to many of us regarding the kind of calibre that goes into the support and making of every doctor.  However, as the sick are in need of a cure, measures for the prevention of illness are more often relying upon an entirely different set of factors for which are mostly understandable, even though some are obviously just plain sickening.

Including veterinarians, doctors are those gifted ‘healers’ in which society can never do without.  For the right reasons, there is actually no harm for profiteers to bring the life-saving industry to its full potential, especially in the light of a potentially pandemic disease.  Nonetheless, when we try to rationalize biological weapons or animal testing, the only fragile issue left here is whether people’s ‘’raison d'être’’ are in making us feel very much alive, or they are in fact dwelling with equally pitiless folks who are insanely in it for the total opposite motive.               

So What’s For Dessert ?

In a nutshell, what we should eat (food or beverage) whether we can or can’t, ought to be for our own good.  The total opposite of it, meaning that what we shouldn’t eat whether we can or can’t, would probably be harmful, especially if it is not taken in moderation.  So before our stomach bears the indulgences of our temptations, the question of whether we ‘live to eat’ as opposed to ‘eating to live’ both can and should be taken into careful consideration.  After all, next comes the task of oral hygiene, battling obesity, food allergy, avoiding food poisoning and in some cases involves being prepared to perform the Heimlich Maneuver that can save a life.  

Unless he or she plays the part of acting in good faith as ‘’The Cookie Monster’’ of Sesame Street, always remember the need to observe acceptable or the expected table manners.  On some occasions, dining etiquette is an essential know-how or at the very least bit of courtesy is not to talk when one’s mouth is full, or chewing without one’s mouth open.  In the company of others, these are good eating habits that are worth keeping around where there is also no universal rule as to how early one is trained for them.

In being grateful for the food that’s on the table, we must never forget that there will always be people who are faced with extreme hunger, food contamination and food rationing.  As world food shortages become adamant even for vegetarians, it is always a good practice of determining whether one does have the stomach for something.  In other words since we are what we eat, so does it tend to influence and attract who we’d typically end up eating with.              

Let The Games Begin

Unless one goes for a draw, withdrawal, stalemate or is disqualified, there will be losers and winners in any sports competition.  While some are fortunate enough to be given worthy opponents, others don’t have such luck and are forced to face contestants who do don’t even have the slightest idea of what true sportsmanship is all about.  In either situation, people play to win and the win itself carries a different meaning for different people.  Therefore in grasping what winning will mean to the opponent, one shall be able to estimate how much of preparation, sacrifice, perseverance, resilience and effort that would probably go into the anticipated match that is about to take place.  No pain no game as they say.

‘On one side of the coin’, sports for the individual provides a healthy avenue for exercise and in principle feeds the person’s self-esteem in continuing to progress towards greater heights.  For the team that the person represents, sports build morale, unity and in professional cases create a commercial value by way of merchandise and creativity.  On the other side, are the ‘stake-holding’ spectators to the sport which can exert pressure to the extent of using and causing foul-play, that totally diminishes the whole purpose and spirit of the sporting event in the first place.  For such ‘esprit de corps’, there is much more for them to lose or gain than meets the eye.

The ultimate blessing of a championship game, is that the opponents are able to look at one another in the eye.  Despite the sore-losers, re-matches and appeals that may rise at the end of the game, it’s atleast during the point in time of the sport action itself, all eyes, ears and hopes are able to watch and cheer for the sports-men and women that do demonstrate their best in bringing pure sportsmanship to where it is due, especially in the likelihood of having all odds held against them.                        

Taking A Moment Of Fresh Air

In A Gregorian Calendar, a whole year is approximately equivalent to 52 weeks or 8,736 hours ( 24 hours X 7 days X 52 weeks ).  So in a year, minus all the typical hours that we spend daily on work, chores, sleep, on meals and even in the restroom, it doesn’t really leave us that much time for the things that we really want to do, if we are not careful with what is urgent and important.   

Since the dawn of time, there is a vast world waiting to be explored in the great outdoors, if somehow there was a way to make time to discover them.  What is enlightening is that The Will, Powers and Perfection of The Divine are just partly demonstrated by the Core of the Earth to as far as the Final Frontier of Space.  However one’s quest to be entwined with our mother nature needs both the whole-hearted determination and capability in order to successfully encounter any uncertain obstacle that may have not yet made its way into our books.

When we are out there, The ‘Law Of The Jungle’ applies and this is just the beginning.  Therefore to ensure that the expedition does minimal hazard to the people that are with us, is for everyone to embrace this particular law that has been proven through time and again, to have no limits at all.    

Are They Domesticated Pets or More Like ‘Avatars’ ?

Being now the dominant species on Earth, every living person carries the responsibility of ensuring the proper living care and respect is given to all other living species co-existing with us.  By being sympathetic or empathetic, preferably both, there is no harm on being moderate in imposing our will upon beings that we do have an inter-dependency relationship with, in one way or the other.

Before Abraham Maslow added the human need for Self-Transcendence, his theory emphasized the needs that involve Physiological, Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem and Self-Actualization.  If we pay a little bit more close attention to how pets (or animals) behave towards their surroundings, we would notice that they’d surprisingly have similar tendencies as elaborated by those exact same needs.  Although living species do differ in terms of their average life-spans and reasoning, the environmental changes are what shape behaviour as the saying goes that ‘the more things change, the more they remain the same’.

For computers, the ‘Master-Slave’ architecture carries a totally different logic as compared to an entirely extreme circumstance when the same terminology describes how living things treat each other.  Although the latter is weaker than the former, the time will come in handy when at the very least, some living being, if not a person, does have something good to say or remember us by.      

Walk it Like You Talk it

Due to the vast build up of knowledge, the need to ethically preserve wisdom and experience for the future generation is a must.  Reading materials provide both a strategic and tactical avenue for the current generation to refer to, and perhaps share their findings with those still around us.  Done correctly, the learning process becomes much faster as it is ludicrous for any one person to even try to know and remember everything at the same time.  Plus, what is obvious about what has been written down is simply that it must have been about something important and it must have been there for a reason not to be forgotten.

When one is unable or chooses not to physically see or hear, the next alternative would be to gauge their presence through their imagination.  When speaking of life events that have happened in the past or about those transpiring in the present, any event will only have a useful meaning once it has been put in writing.  Then from this point onwards, it allows their readers to independently develop an understanding of what has been written, whenever and from wherever they are.

As the world’s multilingual society develops for the better, so do the fields of studies that were necessary to bring about such progress.  Reading materials allow us all to imprint our names and contributions that were brought upon by us, and by those who have lived or passed on before us.  For a good reason, a written material can be either accepted, applicable, continued from the point that it was ‘left off’, or challenged for its credibility.  However for any reason a reader wants to do so, will only ‘carry weight’ when he or she also reciprocates in writing.                                  

If It Walks Like A Duck, And Quacks Like A Duck, Then It Probably Is A Duck

Where would we be without Laughter ? It is one of those things that livens up our day, and one of the most effective means of drawing some real attention.     Like the famous ‘Three Stooges’, there are also 3 possibilities as to where any joke is meant to be for, either on ourselves, or on to another person (singular) or implicated to a group of people (plural).  To put it simply, either the joke is on me, on him or her, or on them.  The closer the meaning of a joke is to what is happening in reality, the funnier the joke will definitely be and appeal to its listeners (or recipients).  Plus the simpler the words that are used to make up the joke, the more effective will the message be felt by the ‘intended listener’.

Commonly there are no rules to a joke, for as long as the ‘Joker’ gives the general listener a fair chance, moment, place, method and choice as to whether or not, to respond.  As for the ‘intended listener’, the same applies, on top of either he or she in being capable to realize that the joke had been directed towards him, her or them.  However, just because there are no rules nor boundaries, it is always wise to be cautious in what is being joked about, and the information that the joke is based upon.  This is because these days, it does not take much for a joke to totally backfire, or worse even ‘miss-fire’ from its initial purpose that will then pose a living nightmare back to the ‘Joker’.

So in today’s sophisticated environment combined with all sorts of human personalities, jokes are getting more interesting in the ways of how they are being presented to us and by whom they are presented by.  Surprisingly jokes these days which are creatively used to spread harmony, are just as much abused to inflict pain upon others.  This shows that any ‘Joker who does mean well’ in bringing Laughter to our Hearts, does have a ‘Clown villain’ that only wants to bring Sorrow to the Soul.        

Two Heads Are Better Than One

The best things in life are free, otherwise they should at least appear to be so. In talking about assets, they come in forms of either tangible or intangible ones.  For the former, there can usually be a 'price-tag' and 'monetary value' attached to them, while the latter's value is defined only by the beholder.  A very good way to come to terms with what we already have as an asset, is to appreciate them, so as to be reminded as well of the many other forgotten opportunities in life.  

Regardless whether we are just discovering or are in the middle of an effort to obtain assets, what counts is the sort of character that we become in the process of owning those assets.  Unlike the respectable few who humbly never forget their origins, the other extreme tend to drift into selfish acts which exploit other people, in order to fulfil their endless desire in being seen to be superior.  As assets do contribute to one's self-esteem, the actual satisfaction of having any asset is when the time comes to reminisce, he or she is able to maintain a clear conscience from all the effort, mechanism, sacrifice and risk that were put into the 'Equation'.    

As compared to the Principles of Leadership, problems relating to assets tend to occur when people start to think that 'Two Heads are NOT better than One'.  In Economics, this scenario would generally be described as the 'Abundance Versus Scarcity' Mentalities.  However, the worst of all problems in relation to Assets are manifested when one steals the assets of others, for whatsoever reason.  This is because not all victims are able to move on with their lives, until they are having the 'Upper-Hand' in setting things Right.

To Learn Infinitively Is What Makes Education Applicable

In one way or the other, life is not easy, it never was and it never will be.  However, we can gradually make life a lot less difficult through the 'Holistic' form and perspective of Education.  One definition of such Holistic Education is I quote 'Ron Miller (founder of the journal Holistic Education Review~now entitled Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice), ''...a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to humanitarian values such as compassion and peace. Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning...".     

Formally or informally blessed with choice and free will, we can learn about anything, using anything, from anyone, at anywhere and during anytime.  If there is anything good from this Earth that nobody can ever take away from us, that be the knowledge that comes from all our learnings put together.  Because we may from time to time be deprived of a situation, our resilience is a unique trait which can best be built upon our past learnings or experiences.  Hence it is not only the level of Education (which includes Academics) that is paramount, the application of it is what really makes a difference.

Although some may call it 'street-smart' while others prefer the term Experts or Specialists, it will be our Education factor that will dominantly determine our character and how far we can possibly contribute to society.  Occasionally it does involve a process of 'Un-learning' as well, as society decides to share and pass on the accumulated wisdom onto its future generations, who are exposed to the phrase 'Garbage In, Garbage Out', as also true to the saying, 'What Goes Around, Does Come Around'.        

Combinations Of The Possible To Achieve The Impossible

Regardless of demographics, humans by nature are political beings. Any Cause that is fought for, has a hierarchy that is usually Pioneered by Leaders, Engineered by Loyal Followers (who for some later become their Leader's Successor), Managed by Trustees, while those still left remaining are perceived to be either their supporters, spectators, 'by-standers' or the un-informed.  A Cause would then be faced with a status-quo set of Adversities which are constituted by a similar hierarchy of Opponents, where both sides can vary in terms of magnitude, but yet they Compete with one another for maximum territory.

'Territory' here includes elements of influence, obedience, resources, legacy, geography or glory.  The objective of the competition is usually to introduce, to maintain or to expand a territory by utilizing all or any Means necessary that are non-contradictory to the Cause itself and does not jeopardize the integrity of its constituents.  While the ordinary 'Means' are typically inclined towards diplomacy, more often the constraints of the Cause usually permeates unorthodox strategies that have been proven their effectiveness in times of necessity.

As the stakes of the Cause become higher, the possibility of a 'draw or stalemate' between the Competitors tend to diminish.  In this extreme circumstance however, both the victorious and the defeated despite their accomplishments, would still have been severed to a certain extent.  Therefore it is imperative that before such severity develops to a 'point of no return' and translates into tragic losses, the Cause must have its avenues and receive its fair share of compromise, that functions to intervene for the betterment of the common good. 

A Friend In Need is A Friend Indeed

The saying 'No Man Is An Island' makes one think of how enlightening it must have been for the main characters of the movie 'Cast Away' and the novel of 'Robinson Crusoe'.  In contrast to a friendship, a person's acquaintance is rarely put to the same test of a true friendship, which requires time to nurture, in order for it to be everlasting.  Furthermore, the beauty of a friendship is its kindred spirit that does not limit the bond to exist just between people, but can also be extended to other living beings as well.

What matters most is that friendship allows us to deeply relate to one another straight from our hearts and minds in the ways of our God given five senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and even in taste.  Amazingly in silence or in distance, we would sometimes still be able to anticipate the likes and dislikes of the one we would regard to be as a friend.  This however would greatly depend on the unique circumstances or fragile origins of the friendship, as well as how it is left to naturally develop over a certain span of time.

So for as long as we are blessed with as many friendships in our lifetime, it is a chance that must not be missed or taken for granted.  Perhaps if not in the form of mass media or online text, friendships are the means to carry our very existence in a way that has brought upon some form of happiness and meaning to the lives of others.  With more and more relations being fostered based on true friendships, renders our name to be cherished whole-heartedly in the memories of all those we love and have lost. 
    

Love Does Hurt as Much as it Brings Us Joy

I've always heard that 'Nothing Lasts Forever', but have always pictured it to be taking place in a time still far far away. For those who are blessed with a normal and pleasant love life, there are truly plenty of those who experience the feeling of love and to be loved in painful ways.  I remember as a child, where our love for our parents was all that we know of.  We were not even aware that for some of us, children without parents would have to find and fight for love from an early start, and make the best of it for as long as possible.

The love that we allow our hearts to give or receive, can be as sincere or superficial as we would want it to be, whether we realize it or not.  It can be shaped within our realm of control or otherwise, and may range in forms of material possessions, to activities and towards people (being the most complex from of Love).  The frightful aspect of Love, is that Love Cuts Both Ways.  This means that the more we love something, the more painful we will feel when we lose it.  However if we love something less than we were supposed to, we will be filled with much regret when realization surfaces at a time when it is too late to matter.

One thing is for sure, Love is a unique gift which is there for us to fill our lives with its pleasures, more than its sorrows.  But in order to experience this, one must be willing to sacrifice a tremendous amount of effort in order to deserve such Love, but simultaneously prepare oneself for that unpredictable time, which comes to reclaim that something we hold so dear to our hearts.  Hence Love is the natural principle in life that makes us simultaneously want to live forever and yet look forward to living just long enough until we have made amends with the things or people in which we will eventually have to leave behind.      

 

We Live In Sovereignty

The definition given by Wikipedia for Sovereignty, quote  ‘’..is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory.^[1] It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...’’,un-quote.

Sovereignty provides an avenue for its citizens to fully live their lives in freedom, but at the same time consumes a lot of combined efforts that are sometimes obvious and sometimes otherwise, in order for it to meaningly last from generation to generation.  This is why a humble sense of respect must be attributed to those before and whom are still with us, that have dedicated their careers, to some extent their own lives and livelihood for the sake of preserving sovereignty.  What brings some form of comfort feeling, is that most, if not all of their contributions are acknowledged publically by way of tradition, legacies, distinguished ceremonies, social status titles, medals and official ranks that require tactful merit to qualify oneself for them.

For the civic minded and for a civilized society, both are in need of a balanced  co-existence between those who are by destiny entrusted to safeguard a country’s sovereignty, with the rest who have the duty to uphold it.  It isn’t so difficult to picture a chaotic destruction of a conquered state that had been sophisticatedly weakened because of the absence of sovereignty.

Entertainment Is A Must

Entertainment is meant to bring a sense of pleasure and enjoyment to its audience.  These days, they spectacularly appeal and appear in many forms, via music, movies, sports, electronics, print-media, video games and their channels are non-exhaustive.  Without entertainment, people will find it difficult to physically, emotionally, mentally and even spiritually detach themselves from the also many types of pressure, pain, frustrations that do negatively affect one's state of mind.

Interestingly enough, behind the scene of an entertainment media (or medium), they are complex to invent, introduce and sustain their audiences's acceptance that are influenced by current trends.  However, nostalgic (or sentimental) forms of entertainment such as playing cards and board games, have been around for quite sometime and has lasted eversince.  One can only imagine how creative was the brainchild behind the idea which has spurred various other human talents that were necessary to turn the conceptual idea into a reality.

Evidentally to fully appreciate what it takes to keep us entertained, is to embrace the embedded elements that it uses to relate to our individual and unique personalities.  Provided that the choice of entertainment is taken by us in moderation, entertainment can be a cause for a person to develop positive characters and reflect their inclination by way of emotions, tangible belongings and even be a strong determinant of the sort of people we allow to become part of our lives.

Where Next Do We Go From Here ?

From China (with an estimated population of 1,335,830,000 people) to the estimated population of 50 people for Pitcalm Islands, 223 or more countries are currently existing in the world.  That leads to a rough figure of 6.8billion people of the world today, who are living their lives, fixed in one place or the other, or are fortunate to have the opportunity to live and travel from place to place, from time to time.

Whether it is for work or for personal reasons, people travel or go on vacation because they are in search of something that can't be found from where they came from.  Being away for how long, depends on how difficult and how much of that something is needed, before the traveller's return journey takes place.

Most important are those souvenirs on the return trip that accompany the traveller. Unless the souvenirs are suffice to represent the reason for the trip in the beginning, then there's no telling when and if the traveller will ever free-willingly decide to return.  If the traveller does return despite of it, it will just be a matter of time before the traveller decides to take-off again.  Again it will be in search of that same something that's missing, only this time the traveller may still or may not be going at it alone.

Shopping Via Paper or Plastic ?

With too many wonderful products that hit our retailers today, one wonders whether the human thirst for belongings will ever end.  Although economics have taught us of the fine line between needs, wants, and limited resources, it tends to be over-looked, once temptations and convenience comes into the picture. 

So when the urge to shop comes, it is perfectly alright as long as we can convince ourselves that we truly deserve to own the item that we want.  Then comes the issues of timing, usefulness, necessity and whether we can endure to live happily without the item, at least for the time being without going through too much of self-torment.   

Paper money (or cash payments) will usually clear our rationale before we  intend to go shopping.  Plastic money (or credit cards) also have their benefits, when used by the right person, for the right reasons and at the right places.  If people were to suddenly stop spending, mind you that the economy is just as fragile and catastrophic as a budget that has gone wrong.

Always Put Our Family Interests First

Whether we be mainly inclined to our careers, or to our kids, the basic motivation that keeps us going strong in going forward, is the thought of not letting down the people who care about and depend on us.  Regardless whether a person's profession is a politician, athlete, retailer or even a celebrity, we naturally are most relaxed when we return to the place we call home.

Hence the saying, 'home sweet home', 'my home is my heaven', it may be as far as our hometown in the outskirts, or to the families of friends who touch our emotions and inner thoughts in a unique way as compared to our co-workers, business partners, subordinates, whom we spend at least 8 hours per weekday with.

For as long as someone is there, waiting for us to return from our duties, they will always make us forget to be the person or character that we portray ourselves to be when we are at work...And if someone isn't there yet, then perhaps there's no harm in doing some waiting or searching for that someone instead.

But the situation that one can only ponder upon, is when that someone used to be around waiting for us, who for some reason is no longer there for us anymore.  So lets cherish the moment and never should we take anything or that someone for granted.

Memories Of Our First Day of Work On Our First Job

Your first work day began the moment you stepped out of your house. On the way to work, you would have never known when you would actually come into contact with your co-workers or boss.  When you had finally made it to your new workplace, you must have taken a deep breath and walked in with a smile on your face. Perhaps your head was kept constantly and confidently up high and you were always remembering to make eye contact when communicating with others. Naturally politeness and friendliness to everyone you encountered, whether it was the receptionist or the mailroom clerk, your colleagues or your new boss, would have exhausted you enough for the whole week, on just that first one day.