The Systematic Takahina

What are systems?

Systems, as defined by Wikipedia, is as follows:

System (from Latin systēma, in turn from Greek σύστημα systēma, "whole compounded of several parts or members, system", literary "composition"[1]) is a set of interacting or interdependent entities forming an integrated whole.

A set of interacting or interdependent entities forming an integrated whole; that's a bit too confusing isn't it?

To Takahina, systems, are simply, the sequences, how it works, how it should work, the decision making process in it. And it occurs in everyone's everyday life. Or to put easier understanding for those who have played FF12; Gambits.

It's kinda like saying, if my weight is above 80kg, exercise everyday.

Hence so:

Weight > 80kg,

This is the decision making process.

Weight > 80kg, Exercise

This is how it works.

Weight > 80kg, Jog on Monday
Skipping rope on Tuesday
Swim on Wednesday
Cycling on Thursday
Gym on Friday
Dance on Saturday
Statics on Sunday

This is how it should work.

1. Weight > 80kg, Jog on Monday
Skipping rope on Tuesday
Swim on Wednesday
Cycling on Thursday
Gym on Friday
Dance on Saturday
Statics on Sunday

2. Meeting Friends - After exercise.

This is the sequence.

This is just an example of how people can work out their everyday life. To be frank I think gambit system of FF12 is very very accurate on the "system" which I mentioned about. Any other 1-off events/occurrence, you can activate yourself.

Now to the whole point of systems, is it really necessary for systems to be installed in our lives?

Up till now, our lives have been controlled by systems. This system is created and formed out of our surroundings and environment. For example, our family systems, our religious systems, our government systems, our education systems etc etc. These systems influence the way in which we move along in life. Imagine if you're an African, and not a Singaporean.

Singaporean normal education system:

Primary School
Secondary School
Tertiary Schools (poly, JCs)/ Skills Education (ITE, LaSalle, SOTA, Sports School)
Higher Education (Uni, higher levels)

African Education system:

They may not even have one!

Singapore Religious System:

Buddhist favorites among the older population.
Christians favorites among the younger population.
Taoist, only remembered for their gods.
Islam, majority of malays.
Hindu, majority of indians
Free Thinkers/non-stoic religious Singapore, the true religion of Singapore.

African Religious System:

45% of the population are Muslims, 40% are Christians and less than 15% continue to follow traditional African religions. (Taken from Wikipedia)

Singapore Law System:

The British Law Constituency with a little changes of our own to suit our culture.

African Law System:

Anglo-Dutch Law System with a mix of Ma'at (Ancient Egyptian Law) as precedents.

Sure, you may say that you're your own, and you're not controlled by systems, but that is a lie. Your whole life, as you're reading this is already controlled by systems, and this is unavoidable because systems affect every part of our life. If you're an African, you may not be able to understand my definition of Systems itself! If so, why do we struggle to deny the fact that we live amongst systems? Systems should be utilised and shaped to suit your own system; creation of systems, special to yourself, should be the issue and essence.

Systems change constantly, from the ancient empires to the current government to the local society, and these changes are created from people themselves. People change the systems to better suit the current condition and surroundings.

China used to have a Central Economy System, but now they are very much open to Free Market ideas to suit and benefit their country due to the propagating effects of globalisation and international pressure. That is a positive change of systems.

Japan constantly changing their government and political systems due to media and citizen pressure, (imagine changing your "Lee Xian Long" every 4 months, Singapore konfirm havoc), that is a negative change of systems.

Not just for major systems, but minor and mandune systems like me deciding from convert 50% of my surplus income to spending ALL surplus income on games, such changes are negative and effect YOUR everyday life. After all, it doesn't matter much whether we can effect the major systems, its your own system that matters, because in the end, you create your own system of life which is unique to your own. You can make out a system like:

1. Total Personal Income per Month < $500, Work

- Meaning if I have lesser than $500 per month income, I work.

2. Total Personal Income - Expenditure per Month > $0, Invest in Bonds.

- Meaning if I have any leftover money after spending, invest the rest in Bonds.


The thing is that it's unless whatever you can make out, and it need not be written out as if its your "law" in life. Systems are simple, and should flow easily, and can be uncomplicated.

1. Ask Girl A out. Go to step 2.
2. After asking Girl A out for a few times, confess. Go to step 3.
3. After successful confession and date for 3 years. Propose.

Of course the above example isn't good at all, but it's just an example of what systems you can employ.

However, not everything will flow along smoothly in the systems. There will be obstacles and problems coming out from all sorts of life, thus from there changes have to be made, and these changes has to be positive ones.

Take my company TNT Freight Services for example (I don't know if I'll get fired for writing this). Recently the system that we used to input data changed, to a supposedly more hi-tech and advanced. Systems upgrade, we hope it'll be good. But no, after a 2 weeks of using it, there were little good comments about it, and the whole department efficiency has dropped, due to the systems being laggy, overly detailed and buggy at times. Errors increased, Staff can't check data entered cause there was no time at all due to efficiency dropping, staff have to go home later, people quit due to fatigue and no-life. I can almost certify that the new system is killing the whole data entry department.

Firstly, there was no reasons given or explained to us whatsoever on why we had to have a change in systems. Secondly, the new systems has more cons than pros, you think staff will be happy? You think the company will gain from this new system? No you won't. This is a very negative change of systems, that has no explanation whatsoever.

I could say that Japan's PM keep changing, cause the media attacks the government too fiercely, so there's the reason for that change, media. But TNT didn't, or they didn't tell anyone about it, either they felt there was no need for it, or simply we part-timers are not worthy enough, I have no idea. So like what some famous guy had said and quoted:

"If it's not spoilt, don't fix it."

If there were changes needed to the systems, make sure the new system is either an on par system, if not an even better one to replace the old systems, if not systems will only hinder the path to your goal.

Goals?

What does systems gotta do with goals?

Systems are created for that 1 aim, to make things flow and eventually achieve something. I can say that goals are the "why", objectives are the "what", and systems are the "how".

If objectives and goals aren't achieved with your current system, you have gotta change your systems, so that goals and objectives can be achieved.

Example, something which almost every guy in Singapore hates, NS.

NS's goal: To deter enemies.
NS's objective: To have more people join the force to increase NS's strength
NS's system:

1. Increase pay accordingly until 70% of positions are filled

2. Make it easier for people to increase in rank until 85% of positions are filled.

3. Advertise NS on media until 90% of positions are filled.


If still no one is joining NS for some reason, they have gotta go into deeper means, maybe increase pay even more? Advertise even more to even schools and institutions? Ways as such.

The thing is that systems take time to show effect, so people may think that a new system sucks, so they change it time and time again. The Japan PM is once again another very good example, of how the people are not giving the new government system time to settle in and carry on their objectives and goals. My exercise system will need time to show it's effect too, at least I'm maintaining my weight now... I hope :/

Then again, you may say that there is no need for systems, the "how", could be done via "free will", as in you do whatever you wanna do, at whatever time you wanna do it, in a total random manner. Naturally it's up to the person himself to choose however he wanna do it, but the lack of a system will only create an untidy and undisciplined situation that hinders the path to your goal.

You play fighting games like Street Fighter, ever wondered why some computers are so damn good, and at the same time, wondered why top human players are definitely better than the computer?

Computer AI is made up of systems which dictate how they move, attack, and counter. So in a sense computer is almost a series of standard systems that counter your every move.

Then how do human players defeat such systems? They just create a more effective system.



Look at how Daigo plays, he plays via pressuring, and mind-gaming the opponent into making mistake, and then attacking back with a combo. Retreat, and repeat the whole process again. Naturally every player has their own play style, but these play styles, inevitably are systems of how they react to opponents. Computers are unable to change the system, so top players will always win the computers AI, since they already have a more efficient system in place that counters computers.

Hence, you can move on without a system to achieve whatever you want to achieve, but it takes longer time, more luck, more capital involved etc etc.

In the end, it's not about defeating the system, it's about modifying the system to achieve what you want and need. To achieve your goals and objectives, the system HAS TO BE THERE. Taking out systems, will only lead to nowhere, with the "why" and "what" there, but no "how".

If you hate the "reality" system, just bend it to however you want it to flow. That's all.

The Reservice Takahina

Ok, they just can't pick a better date for reservice.

Monday, 12th July, 7.30am.

If they could be just a little bit more considerate and push it to maybe 1 week later? Or even just 1 day later would suffice. Why?

The freaking world cup finals is on Monday 2.30am.

Heh.

I have nothing against reservice, seriously nothing. I mean it's like 1am now, 2.30am soccer match later, and my camp is at the most ulu part of SG, Sungei Gedong camp. So essentially I will only have like 1 hr of sleep... unless I wanna give up watching the world cup finals.

(Well... maybe? Watch Spain win and have Singapore's David Villa boast around isn't very nice...)

Of course, I support Netherlands with Ben together. :) I don't hate Spain, but as usual the kuai lan Takahina just don't like to follow crowds' decision :P

Anyways, it's just a week of missing lessons... not too big a deal... And there's supposedly a test on the 2nd lesson of this topic after this week's lesson end... Not a problem...

>_>

Next thing, my hair.

I had actually quite a few plans for my hair after it grew of acceptable length. Then I heard that ICT is coming, so there was no USE at all for cutting hair to the design which I had desired, so I just let it grew to the week before ICT then cut it...

And voila...



Witness the horrid of The Long Hair Takahina.

It's said that his hair was at one point, longer than a few of my female colleagues and my mum.

So, I cut it now...



Look at my painful expression. I had to use a mic to express my discomfort.

Anyways, some say my hair is still too long and WILL be cut off eventually in camp. Whatever man whatever.

So, ICT it'll be, and I heard it's a very big battalion this time, and once again my unit (ever since the tekong days) will be the experimentation unit for armor stuff. What, they're gonna install wireless lan into tanks?

So inside armor vehicles, people will be dotaing and L4Ding with the wireless lan?



Welcome to my lanshop. :)

KK, see you guys in a week, and I shall sleep.

Call me and you'll pay overseas fees, thanks to Sungei Gedong camp being located nearer to Malaysia than SG.

Huat ar.

The Printing Takahina

I'm writing right here right now, because I'm printing like 74 pages worth of lecture notes from my computer. And I seriously doubt my ink is able to last through it all. Takahina has printed tons of shit in the past before, but 74 pages is like the biggest challenge ever.

The 2nd printing challenge was a 65 page Suikoden 2 Guide from GameFAQs when I was a full class Otaku/Gamer. At that point of time, I was still a very fat Takahina in sec 2. Oily, fat, and full of shit.

In the previous Sems, Lecture notes never need to reach up to even 20 pages. A modest 10 pages was normally enough to clear a whole topic of let's say... Insurance. Now it's kinda revolutionary to have 74 pages. That's like 1 year worth of my Japanese notes in jargon english.

Not that it's bad though, I've seen the notes and it's very in-depth. In detail... in fact to the fact it's almost straight out from the textbook!! (Cher... you sure you didn't just... copy from the TB did you?)

Being in depth is good, having more information is good. No doubt it makes it more dry, but still it's in depth. Some of the relevant points are in point forms, which is kinda the way... Takahina would like to study. After all, I don't like to study straight from Power Points, Powerpoints are meant to be used for presentation, not study. (Get it you poly students/JC students!?!? No more faggot style of studying...)

But then again, now comes the next question...

Why do we go to school then since the notes are so in depth? I would like to suggest though, this is outrightly spoonfeeding to students, and you lecturers just stand there and tell us which point is more important, get it in and make an effort to like write something down.

For powerpoint lecture notes, we go to school with a blur head, cause power points NEVER FREAKING MAKE SENSE. NEVER.

I mean, never in your life, would squarish boxes with just a few words scribbled inside makes sense. If the powerpoint boxes have like paragraphs in it for the wrong reason, it's not powerpoint. It's a summarised blogpost.

The thing about powerpoint which people seemingly gets a wrong idea, is that it should have never been allowed for printing. It's supposed to aid in presentation, that's all. 1 slide, should have been just like:

Slide 1: "Hello"

Slide 2: "Point 1"

Slide 3: "I don't make sense by myself, so stop looking at me and try to make sense outta me, listen to the lecturer you numbskull."

~~~

I'm sad to say, but I print powerpoint notes, and probably will still do, because there's no better way to get things down.

One sad thing of powerpoints is that, it puts points across nicely without details, (if not called powerPOINTS for fuck?), but the one presenting it, must know his shit to explain these details.

If I must say, the previous sem's lecture of MCS (Manage Client Services A.K.A Make Clients Sexcited) notes were pretty well done. The points itself doesn't make sense, so sitting down and listening to the lecturer will matter. And lines are beside the boxes in the notes given for you to write shit down. (Although in the end I just draw swords in them)

The best thing is, the notes are FREE. As quoted from Ms Agnes Ho,

"Free stuff always taste the best."

And so they do.

The thing that lecturers should take note and POINTS from Takahina.

1. Know your shit, and know how to present. Don't freaking bore your students. Act like a clown if you have to.

2. Don't spoonfeed your students with your given notes, it should miss details here and there to punish the unwise and sufferables that doesn't listen to you.

3. Always listen to Takahina.

Anyways, printing's done. I love Canon Printers they are damn fast, and you may say I'm wasting paper printing 74 pages. But the papers are stolen from my unit when I ord. Before I ord I told my sir,

"Sir, our printing paper not enough I go indent more ar."

Sir, "Ok ok... go do it. Wah not bad ah quite initiative."

Me, "Of course sir. ;) Gonna ORD soon le ma, should do something."

What Sir doesn't know is that I had already brought home few boxes of printing paper, thats why paper no enough.

Who says NS is ALWAYS bad. There have their good times. :p