Men, women, me, books

“People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.”
-Soren Aabye Kierkegaard
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Songs of the moment:
Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M-en Vais-Claude Monet Present Monica Nogueira
Clive The Runner-Bobby Hughes Combination
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Some men embarrass and disgrace other men.
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As seen in the previous post, I discovered books somewhat late in life. I was, some years ago, a very judgmental person. Very. (16 Nov 2006 Post.) I can’t recall even a single instance of me not forming a negative impression of another person. It usually takes a few meetings or a few weeks before I can see or say anything good about another person. It’ll take them even more to impress me. That was just the way I was.
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While I have changed significantly in that department, its amazing to observe the friends I had back then, that tolerated that and are still friends with me till now. And also the friends that I have parted ways with and made, partly contributed to this change. I am not saying they are good friends. Loyal might even be inaccurate. But amazing to say the least.
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Since I started reading as a habit (circa 2001), coupled with being a judgmental person back then, I developed a peculiar past time. Go to book shops and look at books. Maybe read a few pages of a few books. But mostly, ogling at books covers. 1. 2. Maybe its because I like art and design stuff. Whatever may be the case, that is what I do. I might open a few pages and read or maybe read the summary if the cover, title and name of author managed to entice my curiosity. I’d be fascinated with looking at books on shelves, opening it and reading the few pages. Depending on how free I am and how much time I have in the shop, I can be captivated with the covers for up to two hours or so.
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Maybe I just like the idea of reading books. It always helps you to get people to want to listen to more of what you’ve to say the more (book) names you drop in a conversation. Even if you didn’t read it. So my suggestion is, find a semi weird quasi intellectual and deep sounding book, written by some author whose name does not resemble either your culture or the contemporary western literature industry. Read the summary and the quotes of the few people paid to read book and say something about it. Remember that and drop it casually in your next conversation with someone you feel like impressing.
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Or, maybe I just like to be seen in a bookshop. If that is the case, then I should avoid going to bookstores that have shelves that extends higher than my height.
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As seen in another post recently, I have been wanting Friedman’s ‘The World Is Flat.’ The book costs 50 ringgit. Books are not cheap in Malaysia. Measured by the cost of living and the scale of wages, books are not cheap. During times like these, I would rather use the 50 ringgit on short term investment. Good food.
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I went to pay my handphone bill today and this outlet I hate. I would really rather deal with machines than jackasses. Afterwards, I went to MPH. Within a minute, I saw Friedman’s book. Shortly after, I started gazing around looking for other interesting books. Then I saw something that made me want to say something there and then, but didn’t. Allow me to indulge…
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*Before I proceed, I would like to include this bit. This para should actually come better after I narrate to you the whole story, but its nicer to end this post with a the exact ending of this story. Or as how Din Beramboi would say,“With a Bang!” The part I would like to include before the story is that I feel alot of women (and men), especially those either of the west, or heavily influenced by the west (consciously and subconsciously) or those who have neglected of their religious or principle beliefs, or simple have chosen to be ignorant by refusing to understand the realities when it comes to how one sex affects and views the other sex. Enough of sidetracking and explaining.
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*Point is, women are extremely delicate and beautiful creatures. Women whether they notice it or not, affects men in many ways (beyond scientific and psychological studies could even imagine, explore or dissect) many men (and women) refuse to acknowledge, recognize, understand and accept this truth.
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*It’s a real shame when a woman underestimates her true value and the effect she exerts to man and the world.
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Going back to the story, which will in a small spectrum illustrate to what I mentioned above. I shall omit the description, cultural background, race or wtv, of the person or ’subject’ involved in what I am about to explain to you, because I don’t wish to propagate, promote or cultivate prejudice. I would so far to say that this person is in his late teens or very early twenties. However, I do believe, in the fundamental fact and reality that this is simply because this person was of the male species. And as I’ve said, some men embarrass and disgrace other men.
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At the magazine section, I saw him reading Vogue. Not conspicuously, but not inconspicuously either. He was facing the whole store with his back to the magazine rack. Within 3 seconds of looking at this patron, in awe, I saw him bring the magazine closer, inches away from his face. A second after that, I in awe, saw him looking at whatever he was looking at, in awe, shaking his head briefly before bringing it even closer to his face and kissing the magazine.

You had to read a book to figure that out?

“Nobody can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own.”
Sydney Harris
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Songs of the moment:
Luvstory-Sigur Ros & Mogwai
Sound of Silence-Simon & Garfunkel
Thong Song (Artful Dodger Remix)-Sisqo
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As half of my readers would have observed by now, I am very much into the movie Finding Forrester. I could present you with an array of reasons why. But as I have asked myself this same question from time to time, and my answers have generally differed in all of those times, I shall refrain from expounding it with you.
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Below is a scene from the movie which I find rather moving and thought provoking in a subtle way. In the past, I have read a few blogs that pastes conversations or scripts and found it extraordinarily annoying. This part of the movie only stood out to me when I was searching for a quote (for this blog) from that movie and I came across the whole movie script. I read that part which is pasted below and found it very moving. It did not have the same effect on me after watching that move for ***** times. So perhaps, you should watch the whole movie a few times, and should that method fail, then read this bit.
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Before we go on to that, can somebody buy me with their own money and give it to me without expecting anything back, ‘The World Is Flat’ by Friedman’?
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You read all these?

No, I just keep them to impress all my visitors.

All your visitors. We’ve been talking about your book at school.

People have been talking about it for years. They just haven’t been saying anything.

I think I got it down, though. I figure you were writing about how life never works out.

Really? You had to read a book to figure that out?