Albert Einstein once said, "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." That much is true. We all have made stupid choices in our lifetimes, all we needed to do was to learn from it.
Now here is the problem with tradition, it forces people to make stupid decisions again and again. It is no coincidence that I'm blogging about this on Chinese New Year, as it is always around this period when I see superstition and tradition hamper the actions of goodwill and friendship.
Now, many people, my girlfriend included, view that I'm being insensitive to various cultures and their respective traditions. I would like to ask, "How so?" My view is that tradition have to serve a purpose, even if it is a small purpose, without adversely affecting other people. Tradition for the sake of tradition is devoid of meaning.
For example, the exchanging of red packets is to show a form of generosity to a younger generation, which in turn is reciprocated by a respect to the elderly. That is a purpose. However, when giving out of hong pao degenerates into money counting, suspicion and spoilt brats, I say just do away with the tradition.
Tradition, like laws and rules, also tend to lose its purpose after an extended period. Times change, a fact we all have to accept; technology and livelihood is fluid in the long run. The thing about laws is there is at least an 'expiry date' where at the end of the 'expiry date', the law will be reviewed. Tradition does not have such an expiry date, as one tradition presses the next to follow suit.
One such chinese tradition is the burning of 'hell notes' during the 7th month. The concept of the hungry ghost festival itself is ridiculous and borne from superstition. It is during this 15 days where lots of paper is being burnt in metal drums as dark clouds being spewed into the sky. People with asthma, or highly superstitious, hide indoors. And for what? To 'bribe' our own ancestors not to haunt us. If the purpose is to pay respects to the dead, it is excessive. Joss sticks is just as traditionally accepted and more environmentally friendly.
Another example is the concept of not going to 'bai nian' within the year if a member of the family has passed away, with the suspicion of spreading the bad luck. A family had insisted mine to come over, even after the death of my maternal grandfather. Yet there were stringent rules. My family was not allowed to greet them with auspicious Chinese New Year greetings, nor were we allowed to exchange mandarin oranges or red packets. Superstition trumps over relevant tradition. Could you imagine the awkwardness when my family was greeted at the door and we couldn't say 'gong xi fa chai!"
We should never ever let superstition take over our own actions. It invites paranoia as it allows events outside our own control into our world and we try our best to control it. Many make no sense and is truly ridiculous. Chun told me once her family invited a renowned feng shui man to redesign her house. The result was pleasant and she truly felt more at ease with her surroundings. However, she noted that it was a clever usage of space that allowed the room to feel more spacious, or to allow more sunlight into a dark room to make the space more comfortable. Nothing to do with the entry of good luck through the arrangements of the furniture.
Let me give you one more example before I wrap it up. Why isit the roads in singapore slow to a crawl whenever there is an accident? Nope, the cars are no longer blocking the road; the traffic police is quite efficient in improving the flow of traffic. The reason is because of stupid drivers slowing down to catch the number plate of the vehicles involved in the accident, for 4D. The belief that good luck would be borne from bad, in a screwed understanding of 'ying' and 'yang', propelled this ridiculous behaviour, and causing many cranky Singaporean drivers to be late.
So i say to hell, pun intended, with auspicious dates, designs and numbers. Gone should we change the way we act because of superstition. All tradition that hold no meaning should be ignored immediately.
On a side note,
HAPPY CNY EVERYBODY!
The year was 2005, and the Lakers were coming off a horrible season where they missed the playoffs for the first time in years. It was a year indicative of the Lakers rebuilding their team. Kobe Bryant, the lakers' lone all-star was not getting any younger, and team had to be built to win NOW. Therefore, the 2005 first round draft pick became all the more important for the rebuilding process.
Thats where the Lakers shocked everyone. They had to win NOW and therefore many thought the lakers would pick an NBA-ready player, with little training or nurturing required to be ready for the tough NBA court. Instead, the Lakers went with 17-year-old Andrew Bynum straight out of high school, making him the youngest NBA player picked in all time.
Andrew Bynum was born in Oct 27, 1987 at the height of 7 foot tall. His size did not compensate for this height, looking scrawny next to other NBA centers. His selection left many scratching their heads in wonder. He was extremely young and immature, an obvious project that could very well fail. At the 10th pick, he was considered a waste of a draft pick. Many criticized his work ethic and his passion for the game.
For myself, I was intrigued. I decided to reserve my judgements till Ive at least seen him play. And when I did, I was impressed. He was called into the game by hall-of-fame coach phil jackson to go help defend the uber-dominant shaquille o'neal, being the only player with enough height to match what many considered the best center of all time.
he was humiliated almost immeadiately after entering the game. Home-schooled by the NBA veteran wanting to prove no young'un is going to come into his home. Shaq muscled with bynum, dunking over him with such force that left poor bynum sprawled on the floor. Everyone not a laker fan laughed at the sight, and every laker fan sighed in what seemed to be an expected result.
Something incredible happened after that. Bynum just got up and sprinted down the floor, fire in his eyes. He positioned himself at the high-post and demanded the ball. Kobe passed it to him, and after two dribbles, he spun so quickly that the heavier Shaq could not catch up, slamming the ball in, to the delight of all Laker fans. And down the floor, he gave shaq a message that he was not in the least bit intimidated. Shaq got pissed.
Don't believe me? Here's a video.
No passion my ass.
Bynum soon developed a work ethic that impressed perennial work-horse, Kobe Bryant. He matured rapidly, and help shoulder the lakers into becoming a contender after just three years of rebuilding, extremely fast for any team. His latest game against the Clippers as I'm writing this, he went super-nova for 42 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. This one young man, right now at a age of 21, that Im going to keep track of.
I was actually planning to write on the influences of NBA coaching in TwiSteR's Lakers, much as I know you guys hate to read about the NBA on my blog. But the up coming exams have forced my hand to discuss something closer to my heart of my favourite subject, perhaps, of all time: International Relations. Furthermore, tis post comes just before the inauguration of America's first black president and during Israel's invasion into the Gaza; talk about sweet timing.
Why did i mention these particular history-making events? Well, because Im going to discuss terrorism, the intimate topic in any American election. Terrorism, to put it simply, is the act of using fear to achieve a certain end. As a result, when we speak of terrorists, it sometimes depends on the context of the source. For example, a Palestine bomber would be labeled as a terrorist in Israel, but definitely not among the Hamas, who consider their act simply as a following of their Jihad against Israel.
No topic of terrorism is ever complete without mention the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, when George W. Bush pushed for his own jihad war on terrorism and created the infamous Bush Doctrine. On a side note, the fact that such an idiot managed to get himself elected for 2 terms is, to me, proof of the ignorance of the American people when it involves in choosing the most important man in the world. Thank god for Obama.
Anyway, it is interesting on the way Bush treated the September 11 attack as if it was an attack against his own ego, pushing almost immediately against the Afghanistan's Taliban regime, and subsequently against Iraq's Saddam Hussein. It was an ego move, to say the least. Americans wanted some form of action, and the president decided to attack and invade the countries that are seemingly involved in it.
Why you may ask. Many IR scholars have stressed the need for America to protect its interest, and to do so in a decisive manner. However, it seemed to me that the attack on both these sovereign nations was akin to taking action for the sake of taking action. That is to me worse that not doing anything.
Well, the US payed the price for it. The backlash of anti-Americanism within the Islam-centric has give the radicals a great amount of fuel. Any form of 'moderate' talk would be considered siding with the infidels. Fresh recruits swarmed to join terrorist cells across the world, making the world an even more dangerous place to live in.
It seems unfair that the world has to pay for one man's stupid mistakes, but that is the reality that we must live in. Mistakes have to be learnt. Terrorism is not about countries fighting wars against each other. It is intangible, with no visible borders or frontlines. A war on terrorism is basically a war on ideals. In other words, the use of arms would only help the terrorists.
So what must we do? For one, we must educate ourselves to the point of view of the terrorists. There must be a reason for them to bomb and kill. That reason must be attacked, for without that ideal, the bomb will never go off. We cannot follow Bush's example and try to pummel the problem on the head with a crudgel like a common bully.
America views itself as the benign hegemon, the upright and virtuous superhero in the frightening international anarchy of the world. Many believe, this is inherently important to maintain stability in the international system. I sincerely disagree. I think that to depend on one country for 'leadership' would be jolly good if the rest of the countries are in on it, but drastically frightful if a large number of states disagree.
It is like having a leader without being democratically elected. Ironic. America's presidency is the single most undemocratic election in the world: a few hundred million people voting for 6.7 billion people. So while i do not agree that if the international system would remain as an international anarchy without a hegemon is good for peace, meaning using a balance of power as the sole source to keep countries in check, I do not think that a hegemon would be that much of a stabilizing factor to be that much different. Not if half of the world do not see the US eye to eye.
The Bush Doctrine is just another example of America striking out to protect the 'values' of Democracy and Capitalism (as if other economic and political systems have a 'lack of values'). Other incidences include the Cold War (where it could have led to a serious nuclear-themed war), the Vietnam War (where if the US just left things as they were, Vietnam would still not threaten), the Gulf War, etc.
The question is whether we should follow suit or not. As a sovereign state, we have the right to take a stand. Each country does. That is not to say we should adopt anti-americanism, as i believe that the States as the hegemon is inherently better than say, China, as the reigning superpower. But each states government must not follow leadership blindly, and try to tackle international issues, like terrorism, the smart way, and together.
One f the recurring theme in the latest popular batman movie, the dark knight, is order and chaos which i didnt touch on in my post of it. Order and chaos is philosophically related to how we judge our morality, if it is based on the structuring of society and its rules, or lack thereof.
The Joker had a point to prove. That without the law, human beings would morally degenerate. That without an enforcement of order available, such as the police or the batman, we would blow each other up at the very first chance at it. And he was almost proven correct.
One particularly captivating scene for me is when the joker the joker spoke to Harvey to give him that "little push" over the edge.
The thing about chaos is that it is tempting. The proof is out there, when people go to clubs to loosen up. They drink, dance, let their hair down and basically be a totally complete person. A person without restrictions or rules. Chaos. In that very scene, the joker tempts Harvey with that very chaos, except to a greater extent, appealing to the dark side within Harvey we all know is evident. Leaving things up to chance is basically chaos bounded by the rules of reality, which the joker claims to be "fair".
So the morality of caving in to chaos is apparent in everyone of us. What holds us back? What keeps us in order. Rules, definitely play a part. What sort of rules? Rules, such as the law, does play apart. The question, however, becomes very important if the law is not enforced. Do we become deranged animals, murdering, raping and stealing at the drop of that realisation?
I believe the more important rules are those that we, or at least I, hold close to our own heart. In other words, our morality. It exists in each one of us as the tenets against this chaos, which is so tempting. Should we abandon these tenets and yet still follow the rules because of the law, we can safely say that we are being ruled by fear. The fear of being caught for example. And chaos breeds from fear.
Another thing about chaos is that it is spontaneous. It doesnt require thinking, or rationalising. Which makes it all the more appealing. Who enjoys the process of tedious thinking compared to spontaneous chaos, especially when one experiences both?
Fortunately for us, we have both these tenets and the spontaneity, and a balance has to be reached. I never said chaos was evil or bad. It is like fire: warm and refreshing if controlled, death and destruction if not.Too much order in our lives would mean the lack of spontaneity, the lack of fun, making our lives all the more mundane. Too much chaos, and then we see our lives, or worse other lives, receive the consequences.
All of which, in the end, boils down to our actions. Our actions shows that the tenets exists, not the other way around. In order words, our actions are not borne from these tenets, but validate them. Which is why a man who steals, seldom stops stealing. Which is why a man who murders also find it difficult to stop. On the other hand, the action of NOT stealing shows that the tenets of order does exist in a certain person, and making it easier for him NOT to steal the next time around, validating the morality or rules which we bind ourselves to.
So back to the Dark Knight, the eternal battle of Batman vs The Joker represents the fight between order and chaos. The element of the law is largely ignored, cos it simply doesnt matter. What matters is the rules we bind ourselves to, which is what batman represents, an incorruptible manifestation of the tenets within ourselves. That opposed to the Joker who "just wants to see the world burn".
As the lakers recovered from a bad finals memory, where they lost to the hated Boston Celtics, they came into this season with one mission in mind : Defence. That was the difference makers between the laker team and the celtics. One team hustled and rebounded the ball with fervor, the other was less physical and was allowed to be intimidated.
And as they came into the season, defend they did, topping the league in defence for at least the first 10 games. However, a drop off in defense occured causing the lakers to drop to 4th place in terms of defence.
The thing about defence is that it is very different from offense. It takes a different form of mindset, a different set of muscles and different tactics to perform well in either field. Offence is the more glorified of the two; when one does well in it, everyone takes note. Defence on the other hand is akin to rubbish duty to bball players- dirty work. Apart from the spectacular block or game-changing steal, defence is normally under the radar, especially if it is effective.
I've always prided myself to be a good defensive player. It will be my primary selling factor if i had to market my skills. Since i never bothered by the spotlight, although i do enjoy it on occasion, i never really looked to excel offensively, apart from my younger, more naive bball days.
here are some tips for any bball players who want to learn a thing or two about defence, or non-players who may be interested in the inner-workings in this simple, yet complex game.
1.Defence is an attitude
You cannot just play defence for one minute and not play in the next. To do so would allow the offensive player to catch his breath, and gather his rhythm back. When two players go one-on-one, who has the advantage? The offensive player in bball always has the advantage. Therefore, in order to take away that advantage, defence has to be switched on as long as the ball is in play. As phil jackson, the hall of fame coach of the lakers, mentioned before- "Offence is easy, defence is work."
2. Defense is half of the game and therefore takes as much importance as offence
Defence i feel is the most overlooked aspect of the game. The reason, i believe, is because it is unquantifiable. Offence can be broken down rather neatly into assists, field goal %, offensive rebounds, etc. Defence, on the other hand, has just steal, blocks and defensive rebounds, and none of which is able to qualify a player is better defensively than another. In fact, most writers put defense as just another aspect along with assists, rebounding and points, making it seem that defence is just one-quarter of the whole game when it is employed half the game.
3.In order to be a good defensive player, one must have experience.
An experienced player normally have a better understanding of how offensive players move. Experience provides understanding of sizes and length, of speed and strength, of shooters and slashers, of passers and rebounders. Experience does not equate to the number of games played, although that helps. Experience is equal to the different kinds of players being played with; the more players you try to defend, the better you would understand the game.
4. Defense is not about blocks or steals
These are the more glamorous plays in the defensive aspect, which sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the normally dull, gritty defensive work. Which is why godbies always aim to go for the block or the steal, when there are more effective methods with less risk.
Less risk? Yes, blocks and steal are risky. Enthusiastic blockers, normally godbies with superior athleticism, tend to leave their feet with a small head fake, taking them out of the picture defensively. A steal forces a defender to leave his all-so-important spot between the offensive player and the basket. This means that if the steal fails, it is normally an easy basket for the offensive player.
5. Defence is about disruption
So defence is not about steals or blocks. The purpose of a defender is to simply make the offensive player to miss or turnover the ball. To do so requires a mindset of disruption. Disruption=footwork. Footwork requires practice of the side-to-side movement, also known as lateral movement or the 'crab walk'. This allows the defensive player to reach a spot before the offensive player does, disrupting rhythm and movement. Disruption can also be accompanied by other tactics: Blocking of eyes of a taller player, quick sudden movements to disrupt concentration of shooters, physical intimidation of skinnier players and even the harmless foul.
6.Understand your own strengths and weaknesses.
Impose your strengths on the offensive player and use ways to compensate for the weaknesses. If the attacker is stronger? Use his strength against him by shifting his center of gravity constantly. Is he taller than you? Stay closer to him as taller players are more self-conscious when shorter players are close to him. Is he faster? Stay a feel steps back so you can react in time when he makes a move. Does he have more stamina? Use energy saving, yet effective tactics to recover your breath when defending.
7. No offensive player is perfect
Each offensive player has a weakness, small as they may be. All players have it. It is the duty to analyse offensive players to pick out their weaknesses. Weaknesses can be the tendency to go only one side (normally to the left of the defensive player), signals that they are going to shoot (like a small step backwards or weighing the ball in their hands), preference of passing to a certain player (like the team's star player). Height, weight, strength, focus and basically anything can be used as weakness.
8. Basics in Defence
If you just aren't good at analysis, then remember the basics of defence and positioning.
For shooters, go closer to the players and into their personal space to make them feel uncomfortable.
For slashers and dribblers, take a step away from them to compensate when they speed to the basket so you can catch up to them. And always, always remember to stay in between the offensive player and the basket.
If you know what hand a player favours (whether he is left or right handed when he dribbles to the basket), force him to use the other hand with your positioning.
If you are weak defensively, do not block or steal unless you are certain of success.
9. Here are some more-advanced tips.
When a player is dribbling in front of you, analyse and take note of his tendencies. The rhythm he dribbles the ball, the fluidity of his movements, the hand he favours, the kind of player he is, etc. After analysis, take action in disruption using those information.
Systematically take down one weapon at a time. This is especially useful if the offensive player is a versatile attacker. When an offensive player realised a move of his has been disrupted, he is unlikely to go back to it again, preferring to return to his other attacks. This way, you can take away one weapon at a time till he is left with nothing.
10. Basketball is a team game
Same with defence. Defence is also based largely on strategy. Traps, double teams, strong-side zone, full court press. Strategies can be both complicated and simple. For your average neighbourhood court, advanced strategies are seldom used, so understanding of simple strategies, namely zone and man-to-man, is enough. However, team defences require time spend with each player to understand each other's tendencies, and training.
During man-to man, if the offensive player is a strong player, funnel the offensive player when he drives into your team mate, creating an effective 'trap' this trap is normally situated in the offensive player's weaker side, creating a bigger effect.
During zone, normally a 2-3 or 3-2 zone in the neighbourhood courts, all 5 players follow the movement of the ball, with each player protecting a region, or a 'zone'. The strategy is simple. If the ball goes inside to the post, the players collapse in, smothering the inside player. If the ball goes out, the defence spreads out to formation again.
