2 + 2 = SMART READING

Another day, another blog.
A few days ago a friend of mine came up with a brilliant question: How do you act smart in front of people smarter than you? The question was addressed to a lawyer during a one-day seminar last week. The answer she gave was expected. You have to read a lot. I asked the same question to my Professor and he answered the same thing but he added: You have to know the person and engage him by showing an interest in his 'field'.
Good that's settled.

So here's the thing. Today's blog will be about how to read articles smartly. I came across a great book touching on this very topic itself. It's called Why Do Positive Thinkers Win by Ken Bossone.
An interesting part of the book mentioned that 'smart' people DO NOT read newspapers and magazines. Before you start flaming me, understand that the author meant NOT reading an entire article in those printed media (is there such a term?). What they do is they'll read the first few paragraphs, skip the body and head straight for the conclusion. Intriguing, no?
I immediately sought out for a newspaper and read the front page article. instantly, I knew why.
Most articles posted online or in print begin with the main point. The first two paragraphs always contain the issue and who did it and when.
The body will either mention past events or something that doesn't give much of an impact to the article itself. Somehow it makes me wonder why the body existed in the first place. It's an unnecessary filler that will either create another problem or contradictions. What smart people like you and I should do is ignore the body and continue on to the last few paragraphs. There is an 80% chance you can guess what the body will talk about.
The topic resumes at the closer. What action has been taken? What will happen next? They're all in the conclusion. Don't believe me? Go grab a newspaper right now. Even an online article would suffice.

This can be applied to a majority of articles out there. Unless it's a scholarly article or something related to national security, I can guarantee that that'll be the case.

Thanks for reading and if you have any ideas you would like to share, feel free to comment below.

On Cars and Long Journeys

3/10/11 (7 p.m. – 1.00 a.m.)

Going to places never fails to excite anyone; unless of course it was for bad intention. I for one am always thrilled to explore other places I’ve never visited before. At the time of writing this I’m (with my peers) am at Cameron Highlands. Specifically Berrinchang (gotta check on the spelling).  We’re here for our Studio work involving interpretation of trails set by our lecturers. I won’t go into details what it’s all about but I’ll be sure to include some footage of the work we’re doing here. The trip from Shah Alam took approximately 5 long hours (though I mentioned 8 in the video to exaggerate) with 3 pit stops to lunch and…pee. As I’m typing this I have to endure a tremendous amount of pain due to cramping on my right foot: I just bought my hiking shoes last night and I only had today to start breaking in the shoe. Anyways, let’s talk about the journey so I’ll start with something I love. Cars.

            I love cars. Anyone who knows me well can prove that. Not just supercars; any cars will do unless they don’t click with me. On my way to Cameron I saw an Aston Martin DB9. I HEART ASTONs. Period. If there’s one car I would love to own in this world if I’m a millionaire it would be an Aston. Any model will do. You’ll probably say they are tons of supercars out there to love so why A.M? Simple: It appeals to me. I find Astons to be more practical compared to say a Lamborghini or Bugatti. That doesn’t mean I don’t want a Veyron if I can afford it but the car isn’t that practical and not all that sexy. The thing about cars is, my friends/peers/people I know, they love taking pictures of themselves posing beside strangers’ expensive cars (supercars, luxury, etc.). It’s not wrong but it annoys me in a way. Sorry I can’t explain why but it just does. BUT I love taking photos of them without a model. Taking pictures of cars is an addiction of mine. It makes me forget about problems and I get to be in my own world which is a good thing. Just like tennis, when I’m on court I feel ‘home’. I never like pictures of myself with a car. I never liked pictures of myself either. Sure I might take one or two only if it’s an Aston though but it is an act of disgrace, IMO. Being in your comfort zone can always make you feel better about what lies ahead. The idea of doing an interpretation studio in Cameron got me freaked out. I’m a fast thinking person at theoretical matters but when it comes to field work, it’s a disaster. But seeing that DB9 made me tell myself “It’s gonna be a good trip. Nothing’s gonna bring you down. It’s your moment to shine so give it your best.” That’s all it took to lift my mood. Weird, but true.

            I’ve been on long journeys more times than I can remember.

…

(Dinner – Steamboat)

(Briefing)

            Ugh my foot is still cramping and the chilly weather isn’t helping much. Where was I? Oh yeah, long journeys. Long journeys can take up to 5 hours ++ travel distance and I believe my longest yet (locally) is 8 hours to Kedah. When it comes to far distance locations my preferred mode of transportation is always tour busses or cars. I do not like taking flights simply because there isn’t much to see in the sky. A 5 hour bus trip isn’t that interesting to a lot of people but I’m not like ‘a lot of people’. Others may pull their curtains so that they’re able to sleep throughout the journey but I like my shades to be as wide open as possible (except when the damn sun’s shining in my face). Enjoying the view is my primary reason for doing so, then comes spotting supercars and bikes and finally (and I’m not kidding) admiring infrastructures such as retention walls and marble factories. Call me a weirdo if you may but my interests usually don’t follow the norm of others. No matter the case, I feel grateful that I have my good friends around me. I might not even survive in university without them. Take my just-became-close-friend, Shafiq Latif who’s also my housemate. I’m currently suffering foot cramps and he massages it without complaining. I can safely assume he actually enjoys it. My girlfriend, Rafidah, is constantly worrying ‘bout me when she has much bigger issues to worry about. These are just 2 of many people close to me that I can consider as family. If you read my first entry in this blog you’ll know that I’m very particular when it comes to making friends. Being a friend of mine just for the sake of being a friend isn’t what I’m looking for. When I consider somebody a friend, it shows that I care for that person in a way that I consider them to be a major part of my life. People in facebook are mere acquaintances. That’s the beauty of the online world.

Anyways, I’ve to end the blog here ‘cuz it’s 12.30 a.m. and I’m the MC for tomorrow’s morning briefing/lecture. I’ll be sure to post something new soon if I have the time.

Cheerio :D