This makes 5.

I've been feeding the audience of thelooop a little too much spiced ham lately. So I've posted in a livejournal for things that lack substance. It can be found at "readaboutling.livejournal.com"? I think that works. 

Now, this post itself actually lacks substance, but it wouldn't really make sense to post it there so... this shall be the one exception.

Anyway, if the ideas get substantial, I suppose I will post it here as well. I don't particularly recommend reading the journal though, as I expect it to be the drivel of a full-time procrastinator.

I'm writing this so you guys don't think I've gone emo all of a sudden and stopped posting spews of random.

Cheers,

Jason.

btw, no worries i dont want to displace our audience with the journal, just stay loyal to thelooop and thelooop shall stay loyal to you!

*a salute carrying scary political connotations*

*opens clasped hand*

*periodic blinding light!!!*

1. The thought of "Man, I will never get sick of this song". And you proceed to stick it on loop for a period lasting one week (timbaland - apologize, last month) up to rare accounts of 6 months (metronome - odsanskrit in yr10)

2. Looking through your rear view mirror to see the driver behind you picking their nose.

3. Accidentally pressing a key whilst a msn convo is open and backspacing frantically. Your thoughts: "Nooo! If they were watching the convo window, they'll have seen 'jason is typing a message' and then think that I have proceeded to delete the message because I changed my mind about typing it for a myriad of reasons when there was, in fact, no message to begin with! Noooooo!"

4. Farting when you thought nobody was in earshot. Guess what: somebody was.

5. Farting in the shower and trapping yourself in the 1x1m cubicle with the surprisingly ghastly stench. Don't inhale, get low, and crawl your way out of there or camp the cubicle floor until the exhaust fan sucks the bad stuff away. Either way, there's a trapped soldier concept you must incorporate!

6. Nearly crashing into a tree while driving because you were balancing a meat pie* in your left hand and looked over to check if you got crumbs on the seat.

*Replace with your accident-inducing food of choice. Most people prefer something with sauce/crumbs/soup.

NB: I've uploaded taiko vids to my youtube channel! :D

http://www.youtube.com/bv2thetiger

EDIT: omg "Why didn't anybody ever tell me?" Pt.2

Why didn't anybody tell me that the font came up as wingdings on internet explorer for the post regarding the "Letter to life"? That was unintentional! It came up as a nice italic 'times new roman'-ish thing on opera. It was meant to look like a neat handwritten letter font :(

-_-

anyway i fixed it now

I got an idea for an invention!

For automatic cars,

What if the place where you rest your left foot.. was the pedal for a bass drum?!

OMG

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that thumps along to the radio...

I realise it doesn't sound feasible considering the space available. But it is an idea nonetheless.

Till it is invented:

1. I thought of it first!
2. I shall pound relentlessly on my steering wheel instead, for that extra bass

doof doof doof

A letter to Life:

Dear Life,

I can't believe I've never before realised that I was such an extreme optimist.

Throughout my life, I've confidently relied on incredible amounts of luck and coincidence, (to the point where I find it to be evidence of the grace of God acting in my life,) to get to where I am today. 

And it has created in me an illegitimate and unshakeable hope that will inevitably cause unknown amounts of self-destruction which have only recently come to light.

As I have finally come to understand this, may I begin to work hard and earn the life that has been laid ahead of me, and in doing so, attempt to stem the flow of self-destruction that I await in the near future due to my past inequities.

Thanks for understanding,

Jason

PS: I guess I can see why I am not dead just yet.

...

Anyway,

To my friends,

I truly apologise for being such a slacker, it probably didn't help to see me through high school with my sad excuse for a student passing VCE and getting 95.25.

Cheers,

Jason [again, obviously]

PS: Should I be optimistic about curing my unhealthy optimism? Catch 22(?) :<

1.2 The economic way of thinking

e.g. 1: Striking while it's hot [versus] Biding your time

Take a look at this diagram.

- What the heck is that? (Also, it's a little crooked.)

Well, it is a [crookedly scanned] graph of opportunity versus time. But I used 'P' for prospect instead of 'O' for opportunity... 'cause, you know, 'O' looks like zero...

So I guess the model is something like P = R(t-T)² + A, where R ≺ 0, t ≥ 0,  and positive values of P are good and negative values of P are bad.

There are two curves: the blue one (1) and the red one (2) that depict possible scenarios when it comes to opportunities.

Firstly, when does t = 0? There are several possible explanations:

• When you first meet the person;
• When you begin the pursuit, not necessarily marked by any physical move;
• When you initiate something, ie. a physical move;
• When the other party initiates;
• Also, the sucky one, when the other party commits the second one and you are most likely unaware.
• - (Others I may have not thought of)

Alright, time to start analysing the graphs.

NB: Each individual target will have their own curve where R varies accordingly.

Curve 1: This curve is displaced to the right and starts off positive with an intercept at point B showing that from the very 'beginning', you're good to go. However, it is widely accepted that acting too fast is often seen as desperate/tacky and you are wiser to wait before proceeding. Hence, the curve rises to a universal point of maximum prospect*, P = A, at point (T, A), before logically falling again as it passes T units of time and eventually goes into the negative.

Curve 2: The difference here lies in the coefficient R, which determines the gradient of the slope, and hence the window of opportunity(W), and furthermore, the duration of the no-go zone (0 ≺ t ≺ to).
As shown in the graph, it is definitely a possibility that from the very start, P is a negative value (point C) and hence, any action is at your own expense. This lasts until t = t0, where P = 0 at the intercept, and then the window of opportunity (ie. for all values of t where P > 0) opens up, but for a shorter duration as the higher value of R has shrunk the window's range of values. 

So what is R? It can be referred to as the magnitude of risk.

     So as ↑R → ↓W

Finally, a common point to be drawn from these models is that as t → ∞, prospects will inevitably reach negative. ie. Do not wait too long.

BUT, *the quadratic model discussed is a very standard and very general take on the concept. For some people, there may not have been a window of opportunity at all for you, and the maximum prospect has already occured below the t axis. Furthermore, there very well may be individuals whose opportunity curve is a sin(t) or a loge(t), and perhaps even asymptotal components.

So, I will conclude this example with a special treat for Marco anybody that is interested.

[Nevermind, I couldn't be bothered parodying an extended response from my Methods 07 Checkpoints, took me long enough to write this up already. Maybe some other time.]

NEXT TIME: More stuff

EDIT: Wow. This is relevant, fascinating, and well its the Gradual Report, so it goes a little wrong in the middle somewhere. Also, it's about economics so time to slap it onto the end of the post as an edit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4upRZ4TEdVM

Labels: puaeconomics, PUE8800

Has anybody ever realised that the three races in starcraft embody general stereotypings of ethnic groups in the world?

Terran - western civilization: europe, america

Protoss - eastern/oriental civilization: china, india, japan

Zerg - "barbaric"/"primal"/"uncivilized" dudes left over: african tribal dudes, south american jungle dudes, any dude with a spear and little more than a loincloth.

What? I can't just type that out and expect you to understand?

Alright, well, correct me if I'm wrong, but there aren't any asian or primal looking terrans, they're all white guys/girls: jim raynor is american, so is kerrigan, and there are those eastern european dudes, and sci vessel operators have a british accent. Just off the top of my head.

And a few black dudes: SCV operators and Duran.

Then we have Protoss, it's clear that they're meant to seem like some kind of ancient powerhouse (think China anyone?) with a distinct sense of religion (the tier 1 unit is a zealot?? and templars later on??) and of course you got all these runes and stuff all over their buildings and units and technology.
This one is a tiny bit of a long shot, but zealots/templars look kind of asian with their squinty eyes and distinctly slim and agile kind of build as opposed to being buff and just punching things with your hairy fists (like the stereotype of a caucasian brute), plus: zealots run like ninjas. Combine that with a martial arts kinda thing they got going on induced by 'psi blades' + melee combat and you have a stereotype of an asian fighter. And just take a look at the costume. I don't see any suit of armour, guys. Just give him a rice farmer's hat, Blizzard. Finish off the costume.

So then we got the zerg left. They're just freaks fueled with a killer instinct. Soulless creatures intent on just killing things with their biologically imbued weapons such as claws, poison, tusks, weird glaive things they shoot out of their mouths(? go mutalisks) and randomly coloured goo. (Y)

This has been a very nerdy post accredited to Jason Ling. Thanks for reading.

Laters.

EDIT -> "among other things": the tablet was surprisingly capable for crappy doodles.

Introduction to Puaeconomics

Index: 

1.1 Economics: micro, macro and pua

1.2 The economic way of thinking

1.3 Supply and Demand

***

1.1 Economics: micro, macro and pua

"Economics is the science of human choice in which resources are limited in relation to human wants, assuming that individuals are rational maximizers of their own self-interest."
(R.Posner, Law and Economics, p.3)

Let's unpack that.

Firstly, it should be understood that the science of economics is not solely applicable to the expenditure of money. A decision that is "economic" may not always encompass things of this nature. For example, it is likely that you have heard of phrasing such as "the most economic decision" being applied to topics which are not at all to do with money.

Instead, economics revolves around "human wants" and hence, also how you obtain or achieve those ideals. How do you go about getting that dream job? That dream car? That dream girl? That dream cake? one of these is a lie

And importantly, were the 'means' worth the 'end'.

But, it is paramount that you understand "limited resources" must be taken into consideration. For if you had all the money in the world, what couldn't you buy. So, now is the time to do a stocktake of your 'wallet', my students. 

A Breakdown of the Categories of Economics

Micro

• deals with individual households, firms, industries and markets
• focusses on: relative prices, allocation of output, employment etc.
• policy issues include: minimum and maximum pricing schemes, taxes and subsidies, tariffs and quotas on international trade, licensing and other entry restrictions

Macro

• deals with the economy as a whole, including both the financial and real sides
• focusses on: the overall price level, aggregate output, aggregate employment and unemployment
• interest rates and exchange rates
• policy issues include: monetary policy, fiscal policy, wages or incomes policy

PUA

• deals with the population of the preferred gender as a whole, including both physical, psychological/emotional and sometimes spiritual components, nevertheless, different markets will be discussed
• focusses on: the overall afc level, aggregate putting-out, aggregate employment and unemployment of the potential labour pua force
• examines interest rates and exchange rates of a different nature to that of macroeconomics
• policy issues include: -TBA-

Of course, only puaeconomics will be discussed in this unit.

NEXT TIME: 1.2 The Economic Way of Thinking

Labels: puaeconomics, PUE8800

Hi, all

I had a webcomic ready to post but, upon revision [while showering], it didn't make much sense. So... I thought of this [while I was in the shower]. LET'S GO!

***

Unit: PUE8800 - Principles of Puaeconomics

[Our Unpaid] Staff*

Unit Co-ordinator: Jason Ling

Unknowing Contributors: Philip Marquez ('it's too afc'), Danny Yu

*we're hiring!

Objectives

On completion of this unit students should be:

• familiar with the 'economic way of thinking' about a broad range of individual and relationship choices and decisions;
• able to apply economic principles to explain and analyse IRI (Institutions of Romantic Intent), their decisions and performance;
• able to make informed and critical assessment of the public debate on many policy issues;
• able to proceed to the study of other units of study which have an introduction to puaeconomics as a prerequisite

Unit Structure

Lectures:

Lectures are as long as the lecturer wishes them to be (generally not very long) and start whenever he arrives after the hour. The material presented in each lecture is most easily remembered if recorded in note form.

Lectures are not compulsory, however all information given out in lectures is your responsibility. Students who choose to attend lectures are expected to sit quietly and not disrupt the lecture in any way. That means refraining from applying studies whilst in lectures, no matter how tempting it may be. Disruptive behaviour is not only rude and unfair to other students and staff but is punishable under Statute 4.1 - Discipline of the Monotsh University Calender Statutes.

Tutorials:

Tutorials, which are of one hour duration, will be held each week beginning the first week of lectures (i.e. week commencing February 14). All tutorial questions for the semester are included in your information handout.

Tutorials are designed to help you prepare for the 'examination' and may also include any issues that have been covered in lectures, which you do not understand. Tutorials are the place to ask questions about lecture material and the place to discuss your answers to questions.

To encourage participation in and adequate preparation for tutorials, there will be FOUR tutorial tests during the semester, as indicated in the Unit timetable. The first 15 minutes of the tutorials in which there is a tutorial test be set aside for you to be tested, under exam conditions, by a member of your preferred gender chosen for you by your tutor. :)

If you are sick, or have commitments, which prevent you from attending a tutorial test, you must make arrangements with your tutor to attend another "special" tutorial test session in that week. You must provide your tutor with a copy of a medical certificate if you are sick, or a letter from your employer if work commitments are the cause of your absence. This is to ensure you have not 'chickened out' of talking to that cute girl/guy.

It is your best interest to make a genuine attempt at the person of interest to give your tutor ample material to mark. By doing so you get much needed experience at answering questions under exam conditions, and you should also begin to understand the lecture material, or at least discover what material you do not understand.

Assessment

• Tutorial Tests: 15%
• One-hour mid-semester test: 20%
• Tutorial participation: 5%
• Final examination: 60%
• Assessment hurdle: n/a

Textbook and Recommended Reading Material

Textbook: -TBA-

Recommended Material:

• The Looop's blog (http://thelooop.blogspot.com/)

You are encouraged to read as widely as you can. There are many introductory textbooks which you can use.

***

The unit will begin in the next post. We look forward to your participation.

If there are any questions, feel free to contact the unit co-ordinator via email or MSN Messenger at battousaiv2(at)gmail(dot)com.

Regards,

Jason Ling

Unit Co-ordinator

Labels: puaeconomics, PUE8800

This is way too long. Lucky I got an essay I plan to hand in late.

i'm gonna cut corners in the way i answer, if you don't mind

this is jason, starting at 10:55pm

i have one younger sister: Jasmine

i am a size 9-10ish for my shoes (9.5 for my navy chucks and 9 for my lacoste, but the lacoste are a lot looser fit) and im at least 181cm, havent measured since yr10 (3-4years ago)

i live in burwood east, like 100m from the northern border of glenny

i enjoy drinking milk tea with 2 sugars, a major ingredient of soft drinks is regret

can't think of a favourite breakfast

been on a plane several times

swam in the ocean

fallen asleep at school on multiple occassions, uni has some catching up to do

did i break *****'s heart in yr11, tim? you're probably the only person who would know besides her

fallen off my chair (Y)

have not sat by the phone waiting for a call, but have sat by the phone waiting for the courage to make a call

i never delete emails, google just stashes it all up for me, i think im on 3% usage. one day i will need to find out the word of the day for the 7th of august, 2008, and it will be a matter of world security

i am in my room right now. 1. i have a queen size bed 2. i have a tiny tv and a desk covered in high school memorabilia (e.g. yr12 specialists maths worksheets) 3. i do not use coat hangers

right beside me is my hsy1060 textbook, open up to the page describing my assignment, i also have an empty box of oreos, a bag of starburst gummies, my phone, and a black teddy

i last ate some oranges (easy peel variety)

i have had chicken pox

i do not have a sore throat

i have never had stitches

negative on the broken nose

i loved oreos at first sight / i ate the whole roll in one lonely sitting / im thirsty now

i am indifferent on picnics, i just like outings in general if im with the right people

i cant recall any recent dancing

gloomy days recently, i'll give the award to tim for his melodramatic performance yesterday that made me smile

i last yelled at my sister, she takes the brunt of bad days (but it wasn't entirely unwarranted)

today i talked to somebody i like, meaning friends i suppose

did not share any kisses today

am not sick

no ex to talk to

i miss you all

i dont know about any best feeling in the world. sorry.

the one on my bed is permanently stationed there to watch over my oreos and starburst, he is too busy to keep me company in trivial pursuits such as sleep

id rather not focus-fire any hate right now. shall i just disperse it to idiots in general? or maybe a bit of self-loathing might be required tonight

now its 11:14pm, gj me

there are always people on my mind

i have 1 sibling as i previously specified

children later, life now

smile often? i think so

my handwriting is an acquired taste. BUT, nat has complimented me on my handwriting, that is just a one-off freak incident, im sure. especially coming from nat

no, i do not paint my toenails ...

no other beds either please

i am wearing a white calvin and hobbes shirt

yesterday at 7pm i was oblivious to how crazy i would become shortly after

i cant wait till i get the f*** out of arts

i last cried .... mmm the tong hua mv was pretty sad, but i didnt cry, i guess i really balled my eyes out in 'i not stupid 2' embarassing much? domestic dramas tear my heart out

am i friendly? maybe not. depends with who i guess

where is the person i have feelings for atm? is there anybody? i guess theres girls out there im interested in, who knows where they are atm. let's see.. msn doesn't indicate much more than away and offline

i last held hands with.. felita lol in a chain with tim on the other end cause we were apparently walking too slow. guess who felt that way (alright i think i should mention i put a smile here and backspaced it, whats wrong with me.)

i do not sleep with the tv on

at the moment i am listening to death cab for cutie - soul meets body

crawled through a window: yes

handle the truth: no

closer to mother

can't remember who i last cried in front of

people i really love, is a specific number necessary? lets just say its not zero, thank goodness

no i dont eat healthy

no pics of a non-existant ex

cried from what somebody has said to me? not sure to be honest

if i am having a bad day, atm i can say there are many people i can and have gone to

quiet most of the time? loud with friends

confident? yes, too much so in some respects

(omg this is still going on)

5 things i was doing 10 years ago:

10 years ago = 1998...... so yr3. what the heck, tim "grade 5" ._.

yr3 i was watching pokemon on cheez tv; i met danny; i found out there was a "baby" pikachu called pichu :O; playing pokemon blue on no$gba; got my first computer

5 things on my to-do-list today:

1. didnt realise i had a list; 2. get a list; 3. stuff that; 4. i didnt have a list, guys; 5. oh i went to the bank though to fix some stuff.

5 snacks i enjoy:

1. oreos; 2. starburst gummies; 3. ice cream is a snack right?; 4. hard boiled eggs are nice...; 5. curry puffs are a rare treat

5 things i would do if i were a billionaire:

firstly, OMG "WERE", the person writing the questions actually used the right word instead of 'was', go english skillz!

1. burn it all up and increase everybody else's wealth as a result of a sudden shortage of currency in the nation and hence greater demand. gj

2. i dont have any more money

5 places i have lived in:

melbourne. singapore. hong kong. malaysia. brisbane

5 jobs ive had:

assistant regional manager at fresh life, the glen

bookkeeper for fresh life, the glen

audio visual team for scuc

chaffeur for the ling family

student

tag:

sorry for breaking the rules, but not gonna tag.

finished at 11:40pm

night, all