The Myth of Profit-Profit Economics

Warning: Anti-Establishment rant approaching.

Okay.

I haven't been blogging for a while now because most of the time I have an idea that I really want to write about, it isn't one of those simpler and free-roaming ideas or experiences but rather a complex idea that I know will put many readers off and that I have less knowledge of in whole. I'm gonna try to attempt to explain one idea today (keeping the other ideas as isolated from each other as much as I can to prevent confusion) as much as I can by being relevant, yet thoughtful. I'm not an economist by training, so if you see any flaw in my thoughts, please point them out as I am still a learning man.

Let's start with a strong premise:

There is no such thing as absolute profit-profit transactions between two parties in the economy.

When I say this, I mean every single business transaction, investment plan, sales and purchasing of product or service, is always a profit-loss scenario where one party has more to gain than the other.

The most frequent argument against this idea that people have been saying to me is that both parties have come to an agreement and has gotten something they want in exchange for what they give in return, and since both parties now have what they want, they are then satisfied and thus both parties profit. I believe that this can be true if and only if both parties are completely happy with the exchange which has to be objectively (ideally) of the same value.

The truth is that in almost most scenarios today, both parties will both think that they are losing out and had to compromise to the others' demands. Even in scenarios where both parties are "completely happy" (where a rich businessman buys an expensive car because he likes it and ends up happy with the purchase and the salesman is obviously happy too), the businessman (assuming he is financially smart) would have wanted the car to be cheaper and the salesman would have wanted to sell it for higher. Or in rarer cases, some people would have lost out for selling something for so much cheaper because there is no knowledge of how much it should be priced (or in reality the market prices of commodities are terrible absolutes in general).

Crap. I think my argument is going in circles. I think I better start from the fundamental of where profit started.

Back in the days where bartering was a method of economic transaction and there was no currency to represent value, people had to barter goods based on an exchange which both parties deem as equal. Yes, even at that point of time, someone was bound to profit more than the other. However, as the market wasn't as open as today and there was less capitalism at work, people had the power to objectively price goods based on overall time, labor and resource required and standardise it across all transactions. So, yes there is already a profit-loss transaction happening, but it wasn't as apparent.

Then as currency became a means to represent value and product markets remained local while labour markets open up globally, the world

Ugh, I'm just not making my point! Just go and read: Understanding Capitalism Part II: Personal Property, Money and Finance...

This is why I hate blogging these days.

Tortured By My Own Ideals

I am an idealist at heart. Yes, I do have my realist ends, but it is that belief in what can be and what should be that drives me to learn and grow in intellect, ability and stature to hopefully influence others who are still clueless at the top of their own ladders. I don't blame them, perhaps ignorance really is bliss, but it is not enough for me to just live my life when deep down I know, and I know I can, transform this landscape that we are in.

Perhaps I was born a few centuries too early, but this is my time. A world full of possibilities. Yet, at every corner, people still amaze me with how backwards we can keep going.

I mourn for our present, and for the death of our possible future, yet I do not give up.

Who else is going to push on?

Not Eating Enough

I need more food.

Of Surprising Ringtones and Earlier Than Expected Exits

My new ring tone is this:

Gershwin Piano Concerto in F, Movement 3.

Yes, it gives me a heart attack when I least expect it, but it is so fun and so me.

One of my favourite contestants in X Factor UK has been voted out. I knew she wouldn't last till the end, but how can she not last longer than Rylan Clark... :( Her performance of INXS' Never Tear Us Apart is a craazy combination of Cruella de Vil, a generic psychotic serial killer and The Godfather. Kudos to her for being the most experienced singer in the competition (not only for being the oldest), I hope she releases something in the future.

Melanie Masson, Never Tear Us Apart. 

Instead Of Panicking Because You Are Without An Umbrella,

do you stop, look up, close your eyes and breath in the air of impending rain. What a calming aroma.

Have a great weekend guys!

Of Multilingual Eunuch's, Post-Midnight Assholes, and Good Byes

The Empress Wu musical at KLPac was such a great experience! The dialogues were in English, but the singing and the honorary titles and greetings were in Mandarin, giving the musical a very fusion theme. However, the content and the script was written in such a way where the historical importance was retold in a relevant yet objective manner. The costumes and set changes were impressive, making use of depth of the audience's vision, directive lighting and a multitude of textures to great effect. Two Eunuchs became semi-narrators of the entire show, showcasing a classical angel and devil element and inserting humour to great effect.

The Empress Wu Musical.

Just, wow. Thanks to my mum for getting me tickets at such short notice. I even set third row from the front in the main auditorium, which meant I could see everything to even greater detail.

Then horror struck.

On my way home, an idiot car who was driving parallel to me suddenly started eating into my lane and I could see that he did not see me. I slammed on the brakes and kinda did a whiplash flick of the steering wheel to the left (and I would lie if I said I wasn't panicking at that exact moment).

Then I heard the loud "BZZQTTKXKXKDDDDDTTT".

Crap.

The car started to feel like the entire left side of the front of the car had been decimated. I quickly made way to the most safe spot on a sloped highway area to survey the damage, keeping my fingers crossed at all time.

I came out and was shocked at first. I couldn't spot any damage on the car. It took me a few seconds more than what a normal person would have taken to see that I only burst my tyre (note that I used burst instead of puncture). I was practically driving on my wheel and a scrapped tyre for a few hundred metres. Took me about 30 minutes to change the tyre, not because I'm clueless, but because it was quite a steep slope and Toyota was an ass for keeping the car jack under the front passenger seat for I-have-no-idea-what-reasons.

I was more irritated an annoyed by that driver with car WNM 6228/6628 (can't remember clearly) than was I scared.

Ass.

Have been feeling lethargic these two days despite having sufficient sleep (7-8 hours).

Oh, and I would like to dedicate today towards a person I have never met, a friend of many friends, but mostly, a stranger. Edwin Siaw, whose condition over the past 2 weeks have gone viral over Facebook, has passed away. I shall not pretend that I am extremely sorrowful, or that I care that much to the point that I share his memorial photos with my friends and visit him. However, it doesn't mean that I am indifferent. I know what I am to him: as much a stranger as he is to me, yet I love him as much as I would love any other human being. I'm not the one to mourn for him and comfort the grieving ones in his inner and outer circles. I am just a good soul, reaching into what remains of his memories and connections to other people to appreciate his existence in this world, the legacy he has left behind during this past 24 years.

God bless you Edwin Siaw Won Kien, 1988-2012.

Empress Wu's Sudden Invitation

Suddenly managed to get a single ticket to tonight's performance of the musical Empress Wu at KLPac (I could have gotten more for people to come with me, but it was a very last minute thing and no one seemed to respond to my invitation). Will just go enjoy myself.

Yesterday performance of Ovation by The Canticle Singers is indeed great effort. Yes, there were sections where the chorale went a little flat and I hate the narrator breaking the fourth wall and flow, but it is still worth going for.

And I saw the closest thing to a bag I am finding for myself. It was sold at Fossil at RM1149...

I'll pass for now. T.T

Yesterday's cheat day didn't seem cheat-y at all. I felt more like just getting back to the diet plan. Maybe I'll just switch to having cheat meals after my workouts rather than a cheat day.