My Predictions for 2014

Looking back of some older predictions that I made before, most of them surely didn’t come true, but some did. It is not really for another one reference, but for my leisure at a later time with a time stamp. Here are mine for 2014 with no particular order:

No iTV from Apple – Apple probably has prototypes for few years, but it won’t release this product until it can get a breakthrough from negotiation with the content providers. I doubt Tim Cook will ever be able to achieve that as long as he runs the company, though he is a terrific successor of late Steve Jobs. So, no iTV for this year is for sure.

iWatch will be released in 2H – it will be an important product for Apple, it will be called iWatch, though time-telling is only 1% of its functions. Just like iPhone doesn’t treat calling as its core function. For my further thoughts on this product, please see my earlier post.

Sandra Bullock or Cate Blanche will win the best actress at Academy Award – I rarely go movie these days and Gravity is few of them that I saw this year. Sandra is doing a great job in that movie and I’m sure she will be nominated. I didn’t see Woody Allen’s movie, but Cate has been an actress that I like for years. Well, this prediction is just a prediction that won’t do no harm.

Japan and China will have a minor military encounter in mid this year – with the build-up, the misunderstanding and the gung-ho of young bloods on both sides. It’s gonna happen, though it won’t be a war but it will surely affect the economy of both sides in a short run. Time for someone to make money in the market.

Miami Heat will go 3peat in Jun – I like many other teams, like Rocket, Pacer, Clippers, etc, but nobody gonna beat an experienced, well-oiled, healthy, superstar-studded team with Lebron at his prime. 

Thai King, Fidel Castro, die – with Mandela and Margaret Thatcher gone this year, there are only few old rulers left alive, this prediction is by no mean against the supporters of these people with utmost respect, but people get old and heaven time does come. I don’t know if it will come true, but famous old people die every year and 2014 won’t be an exception. 

Russia will extend Edward Snowden’s visa for another year – Putin has not figured out what to do with him yet, so just to annoy Obama, Snowden will stay for another year.

Brazil will win World Cup this year – can’t beat a great home team.

North Korea will try to loosen its tie with China – the alternative will be approaching the U.S. and try to mimic what Pakistan or Burma have done.

Curved glass smartphones will bomb – a technical breakthrough doesn’t translate to commercial success, a simple dumb idea to meet non-existing need. 

That's all for 2013, happy new year 2014!

Making Changes

Overall, I don’t quite like my experience in 2013, am glad that it’s almost over. On the other hand, as I mentioned before, the numbers on the calendar doesn’t mean a thing to me unless there is actual change being made somewhere…starting from myself.

There are so many things that happened to me this year. Fews are good, most of them are so so, and some of them are pretty bad. I dug holes and I can’t get myself out easily. Certain shit happened, would those be my faults? I don’t know but I’m taking the consequence which could last years. Things are just not easy these days….

There are many things that I would like to do and should do, but I’m sometimes just helpless. I think I should do better and squeeze some times to get things done. I really need to change on many fronts: my work, finance, parenting, relationship, habits, knowledge, health, etc. Any of those things could take me a lot to make it better, let alone with such a list?!

For being a logical person myself, though I’m not a total science geek, I always proud of myself for being to look at things from a logical way and able to brush emotion away. However, this year I think I’m getting more spiritual than before. Sometimes, I even pray when I’m alone or before I need some psychological support, even for few seconds of it. We are human after all, so powerful and yet weak. 

If people ask me if I’m better today than a year ago, I would definitely say ‘no’. Of course, based on the half-glass theory, I shouldn’t look that way. But, I can’t objectively say I’m better. Of course again, it is so easy to look at other’s bright sides and get envy. Or, it is so easy to pick the bad things on turf and get upset about it. That’s not logical at all, but it could be a driver to motivate myself to make things better. Turning envy and sorrow and other negative powers to do positive things is a way to go. 

I’ve been staying calm for too long and become too wooden to make necessary change. It’s always much harder to motivate myself to make change. But now, I can see smoke from not too farther down, I don’t want to rush change when my ass is burned, so I better get my butt going on my schedule on a bit more planned way. 

I need help for my change, or I would say I need cooperation to make my change successful. Surely, the help should come from my wife. Aiming to turn her negative powers to positive use would be a great challenge, but when it works, I will really work! It is a difficult, but worth trying. 

I know what I’ve said so far are vague. This post is actually more for myself than for others. Others would be different.

Nelson Mandela

May you rest in peace!
 - the passing of a great man in the world history.

Extract from 練乙錚

「沒有獨立精神的人，就不會深切地關懷國事。人人沒有獨立之心，專想依賴他人，那麽全國就都是些依賴他人的人，沒有人來負責。……依賴別人的人一定怕人； 怕人的人一定阿諛諂媚人。若常常怕人和諂媚人，逐漸成了習慣，他的臉皮就同鐵一樣厚。對於可耻的事也不知羞耻，應當與人講理的時候也不敢講理，見人只知道 屈服。一見上面的人，就說不出一點道理；叫他站就站；叫他舞就舞。那種柔順的樣子，就像家裏所餵的瘦狗，真可以說是毫無氣節和不知羞耻之極。……只要有愛 國心，則無論官民都應該首先謀求自身的獨立，行有餘力，再幫助他人獨立。父兄教導子弟獨立；老師勉勵學生獨立；士農工商全都應當獨立，進而保衞國家。總 之，政府與其束縛人民而獨自操心國事，實不如解放人民而與人民同甘共苦。……人人獨立，國家就能獨立。」 - 福澤諭吉（1835-1901年）

練乙錚 ----信報      2013年12月5日

Mixed Feelings

Can't believe it is already December!

So much shit happened in the past few months. Sometimes, I don't know if it is because I'm too lazy or busy to update this blog. Be honest with you, I love my blog! I don't care if the trend of blogging will ever end, but I found blogging to be a way of self-reflection. It lets me to think and present it out in a more organized way. Yes, there are ups and downs in terms of the quality of the content. Also, forgive my grammatical mistakes and all that. I miss the older days when I've more time to blog, like 7-10 postings a month. That was the good old days. I can't believe I can squeeze few minutes to blog today. Just need to thank the BIG GUY up there!....

Just a few bullets of thoughts that I wanna share:

1. I'm really exhausted, but at work front and home front. I need to recharge, but just haven't got a groove to do that. Thank God my body is holding up, but mentally, I'm not too far away from being a zombie. Just move along with the flow and too tired to think much. Don't plan anything ahead more than a week. Almost get drown in duties and errands. Need help, but too tired to ask for......just SUCKS!

2. Love my boys, but both have issues. The older one has the character issue. Too dependent, lazy, and self-center. Need time to cultivate rather than spanking. Time? is just a rarity in my schedule. I sometimes regret for what I said or did. Tough to be a good dad! The younger one has the development issue. Take triple the effort to get a third of the result, if I'm lucky! It can't depend on me, but I'm really the one would make a bigger difference. Exhausted on scheduling, physical and mental front. But damned! his smile just melts me! The end of the day, I'm his dad! Nothing can change that! Just hanging there.....

3. I pray with my mind more than any time in last few years. Perhaps, I just feel powerless to see results that I wanna see. I even hopped into a church that I'd never been before, just kneel there for 15 minutes and prayed! I've a strange belief in terms of God or whatever you call IT. Anyway, I sometimes just need guidance and support, or moments for myself to regather my strength, mind to move on. I love science and God. They have no conflict in my head. I cherish the relationship between God and myself, don't care much about HIS mortal fans and fan clubs.

4. I love my wife, except when she has temper. Thanks for her support. To deal with my 2 boys and maids, can't do (well) without her!

5. My gadget live is bearable. My iPhone 5s helped me a lot, it entertains me and help me run my errands. My desktop at home is having problem accessing the net via wi-fi. Don't know how to fix it! My iPad serves me well. Though the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina is very tempting. But, after the big purchase of the top line 5s. I don't see the need to upgrade. Funny thing about my home is that, our TV in the living barely get turn on these days, I guess no more than 2 hours a week! In the old days, at least I will watch news on the tube. Now, I just rely on my phone and iPad for news. Also, TV is not good for my son, I trade TV time for reading time with my younger son. So, the home is kind quiet except for my sons' screaming or yelling every now and then.

6. My sons have homeworks, but some of them are for parents indeed! What the hell is going on these days?

7. Happy that my older son got a merit on his Grade 2 piano lesson. It costs a lot, but I've no regret! Hopefully, he will thank me when he got older....

8. I really become a simple man with simple needs and wishes. If I can have one afternoon for myself, by myself, just chill, maybe having a big glasses of fruit juice, sitting comfortably and read a book/ebook with some nice trip hop music as background. That would be a fantastic afternoon for me. How simple is that?