The Steve Jobs Nobody Knew-Goodell J

Jeff Goodell who was born and raised in Silicon Valley is an American author, an editor at Russian literary journal and a technical writer at Apple. He graduated from University of California in English and has MFA in Fiction Writing from Columbia University. From the article The Steve Jobs Nobody Knew, he wrote his opinion about the inside look of Steve Jobs, a technology visionary. 

The inside look of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was remembered as the man who brought the greatest invention to human’s digital world and he turn out to be one of the greatest visionaries of our time. However, did he become a great human in his personal life similar to his professional life?

Those who worked with him and knew him closely would described him as harsh, unapologetic person and he had a cruel management of driving his employees to satisfied is own needs and satisfactions in works.  

As the Apple ascended, Jobs fully changed. He became more hot tempered and he treating people around him badly. Jobs denied his paternity when his longtime lover, Chrisann Brennan gave birth to his daughter, Lisa. He refused to provide any financial help to Chrisann and he became a distant father to Lisa. He continued to be stubborn and deny paternity until it was confirmed by a DNA test.

Jobs was a perfectionist and demanded perfection and originality in every detail. He only believed in himself and he was the only one who was right in all situation and decision. Consequently, he was fired in 1985 because he hijacked a team that was working on another project to create the first Macintosh computer.

Because of the company's own desperation, he was brought back to the company even he was still felt indignation with what happened at Apple. Eventually, he felt even bitter when his old enemy, Bill Gates was on his way to becoming the richest man in the world because of the operating system that Microsoft has modeled on the Macintosh.

We may not know the real Steve Jobs before reading the Goodell’s article and even after reading it. But, even how bad he was before, he was the one who recognized as the charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution and electronics fields, that benefits the mankind.

Fickle Friends-Weir K

Kirsten Weir, a science writer and editor, has experience over a decade writing for newspapers, magazines, website and books covering topics from neurobiology, climate change and evolution. Weir is skilled at translating tough topics into article that will entertain, educate and inspire her readers. From the article Fickle Friends, she wrote her opinion about how frenemies can be bad for people and ways to understand these mentally difficult relationships can make them less painful.

Ambivalent friends

No friendship is perfect, but frenemies are consistently imperfect. Ambivalent friends have mixed feelings towards their friend; which describe a complicated friendship. In their friendships, qualities such as understanding and warmth are accompanied by jealousy, rejection and criticism. These problematic friends or frenemies can encourage others and can bring them down for any possible reasons in any time. However, some of us do love our friends and do not want to lose them, no matter how much we are in pain and difficulties in having them as our friends.

Frenemy include

• A person who give a hand and leave everything when his/her friend needs him/her, but in the end he/she criticizes and gossips about his/her friend.
• Give support and encouragement to his/her friends when times are tough, but he/she cannot take pleasure in their friends’ successes.

Quality over quantity

Humans are a social species; their life include interaction and communication with lots of  people. But, a person with no friend because he/she afraid cannot manage the frenemies, may get other taxing effects, including depression, hypertension and cognitive decline. People who have ambivalent friends also tend to get high blood pressure, heart rate and stress.

Apparently, if one want to be happy (and healthy); having lots of friends is much less important than having good ones. It is because, people are not really concern about thoughtless comment made by frenemies than one made by someone who are supportive or loved by that person.

In conclusion, ones may not need to give up on their frenemies if they know how to manage the friendships and control their own behavior, needs and try being the kind of friend they want the others to be.   

   

Thinking Folly-Tolle E

Eckhart Tolle, a spiritual teacher who was born in German wrote his opinion on his book ‘The Power of Now’ about how thinking can affect continuous conflicts and problems to the thinker and consequently separate one’s creativity and illusion from reality on their life.

Thinking create complex world with continuous problems and inner conflict

Thinking needs ones to live in a complex world with full of puzzles and conflicts. Thinking creates a wall of words, judgments and images that blocks all true relationships. Apparently, thinking has become a disease for all human being; people either use their mind wrongly or not use it at all. Human will not realize that their minds have taken over them as they believe their minds are what they are. 

Imagination is more important than knowledge

According to Einstain, he values imagination more than knowledge as knowledge is limited to be known and understand while imagination embraces the entire world. Scientists, for example, create something that benefits mankind from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness. Einstain believed to create or make something, imagination will lead to the ideas and knowledge.

In conclusion, it wasn’t through the mind or thinking that miracle was created. Imagination does create miracles and dreams which is greater that the mind can work. Only then, people will believe that love, joy, peace and beauty arise from beyond the mind.

Men and Women are Merely Players-Greene R

A well known American author, Robert Greene wrote his opinion on role played by every human being in order to survive and gain power in their world. This review is based on an excerpt, Men and Women are Merely Players from one of his best-seller books, ‘The 48 Laws of Power’.

Actors who perform better in real life instead of theatrical life

Most of us may not agree with this statement but the truth is, everyone tend to appear nice, fair, civilized and decent in order to gain and achieve their own ambition and interest. Generally, these people only show their positive and good values to everyone but inwardly, they are charming, seducing and brilliant with a lot of tricks and strategies that can swindle their opponents and even friends to achieve things that benefits them. Apparently, these ‘actors’ are able to make people obey to their will without their realizing what the actors have done.

Innocence is the least innocent of all

Naïve and innocent people can be the best player among all class of people as they often exhibit their weakness and lack of power. They tend to show the good side and image to get others sympathy and attention. Making a show of one’s weakness is actually a very effective way, subtle and deceptive in the game of power to manipulate other’s mind.

In conclusion, each of the roles everyone performs is various and depends with the situation they have to experience. It is important to not to be to rigid and strict when playing their roles or else, these people will be controlled with greediness and pretentiousness in their life. People also must consider people around them have different intentions and behaviors, depend on how they view others.

‘Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good’ -Machiavelli

From Hell (Jack the Ripper)-Hughes brothers

From Hell is a horror mystery film directed by the Hughes brothers in 2001. This film is about the Jack the Ripper murders. In my opinion, this film is interesting although it contain some obscene scenes. 

Summary of From Hell

This film is about Mary Kelly and her small group of London prostitutes road. She and her friends living their life by entertained men who need them. But, the situation of these unfortunate women does get worse when one of their friend, Ann Crook is kidnapped and they are drawn into a conspiracy difficult than they could imagine. After the kidnapping, another woman, Martha Tabram was murdered horrifically. They are being hunted and one by one of the prostitutes are murdered terribly.

The murder of Martha made the Whitechapel chaotic. The police officer, Inspector Frederick Abberline conducted the investigation of the murder series. He, consumed drugs and it makes him dream scenes from the murders. Abberline’s investigations reveal that the murder is an educated person, due to the precise and diligence surgical method used.

Abberline’s investigations then lead him to Sir William Gull, a physician to the Royal Family, drawing on his experience and knowledge of medicine. Abberline involved deeply with the case and he, has fallen in love with Mary. It is then revealed that Gull is the killer. Mary Kelly does not die and she lives with Alice, Prince Edward and Ann’s daughter in a cottage on a cliff by the sea. Abberline is found dead because of opium overdose.

-Wikipedia, From Hell

Why is Jack the Ripper So Famous?

Jack the Ripper is the name given to a serial killer who killed a number of prostitutes around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originates from a letter written by someone claiming to be the murdered, published at the time of the murders. Jack the Ripper also known as The Whitechapel Murderer and Leather Apron.

Jack the Ripper has remained popular for a lot of reason. He was the first to appear at a time when the general populace had become literate and the press was a force for social change. Everyday the activities of the Ripper were published in the newspapers and the people living in the East End were unsettled. The press coverage made the murders a new thing, which the world had never known before. Also, the ways of killing used by Jack the Ripper were detailed and he has a good experience in using knife.

Generally, there were five victims of Jack the Ripper:

•     Mary Ann Nichols, murdered Friday, August 31, 1888
•     Annie Chapman, murdered Saturday, September 8, 1888
•     Elizabeth Stride, murdered Sunday, September 30, 1888
•     Catherine Eddowes, murdered at the same date.
•     Mary Jane Kelly, murdered Friday, November 9, 1888

Unfortunately, the Ripper was never caught and it creates a mystery that people want to know and unsolved until now.

La Pianiste-Polanski R

The pianist (La Pianiste) is a war film directed by Roman Polanski and a co-production between Poland, France, Germany and United Kingdom. In my opinion, this film is about violence happen when war happens, the effect of war towards the citizen, socialization, economic growth and of course the development of a country itself.

The synopsis of this film

Wladyslaw Szpilman, a famous Polish Jewish pianist, worked as a pianist for the local radio, Warsow Radio. He witnesses the restrictions Nazis place on Jews in the Polish capital, the Invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 and the outbreak of World War II. Wladyslaw returns home and decide to stay with his family as they hear Britain and France have declared war on Germany. They believe the war will end soon, but unfortunately it not.

As the German Army enters Warsaw, their living conditions degenerate as the Jewish’s right slowly eroded. They are forced into the squalid Warsaw Ghetto in November 1940. They face hunger, torture and even death. The Nazis become brutal and heartless and the Szpilman’s family witnesses many cruel happen on the other Jews.The destruction continues to happen and the family split.

The after effects of war

After the war, of course there will be many effects happen to the people and the environment within it. Destruction, lost of life and properties, and poverty happen. Millions of kids who should be at school, receive care and love from their parents were homeless for war. The family ties break as the children split with their parents. Moreover, a lot of citizen were died and this will lead the people and the family traumatized. They live in fear and it will affect their life afterwards. The destruction of the country will affect the development of the country and economy. Many building were destroyed, plants, farms and animals were died and corrupted. The people have to rebuild their nation and this will cost a lot of money and energy. Thus, if the people in one’s country do not have any faith, courage and determination to redevelop their country and socialization, it is not impossible for the country to be in war again. 

• One of the most horrible features of war is that all the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting -George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia.