Ok. I must admit that I blew my friend’s surprise birthday party again this year. Last year, I asked him an innocent question that where are we going to have dinner on his birthday. This year I asked the same innocent question again in front of him. The organizer of the surprise party use evite to organize the event. He forgot to state clearly it is a surprise party and we have to keep it secret from him. How would I know this one is a surprise party when the host is informed in most of our other birthday parties. The most logical conclusion it is not a surprise party unless stated otherwise. Moreover, why would anyone want a surprise party? What if the person is not free on that day? Should it better always know the plan ahead of time so you can prepare? Anyways, I am the one blew it away. So I have to apologize for spoiling his party and the organizer effort trying hard to keep it secret. On a second thought, the total amount of happiness he experience should be increased. He would be sad and worrying for the rest of the week wondering where are his friends for his birthday party. Now he gained two more days of happiness knowing his friends are being so thoughtful.

I have been asked the question about ethics twice in a week. It all started with I brough a brochure of books about ethics from a philosophy conference to work. Somone saw the front page of the brochure without reading into it asked me am I very ethical after reading those ethics books. Then I couldn’t help myself explaining the three levels of ethics to them. His question is merely asking the most mundane level of ethics, descriptive ethics, which judge whether ones actions or thoughts agree with a set of preassumed ethical rules or framework. It is kinda like asking whether buring the flag is illegal based on the consitiution. The more interesting kind of ethics is normative ethics, which determine which set of ethic framework we should subscribe to. It is kinda like asking whether we should adopt the common law, civil law or sharia law. The last level is ethical theory, a quest for pure knowledge. What is the word “ethics” means, where ethics comes from. It is kinda like asking what is “laws”, why do we need laws. There are four main ethical theories, John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism, Immanuel Kant’s duty ethics, John Locke’s rights ethics and Aristotle’s virtue ethics. I think there should be a fifth kind of ethical theory, Charles Darwin’s efficient ethics. That would be a very interesting philosophy research topics.

This is my new nickname at work, a foosball buddy start it first.? Nickname used to be a shorten form of the original name, but somehow it is new a fashion to give people a more complicate name.? I guess it just sounds more sophisticated.? I know where the first part comes from.? Horatio is ancient spelling of Horace in England.? I have absolutely no idea where the word Sunchest comes from.? It sounds like German though.? We also have a few more expanded nicknames.? Mike King is now called Michael Koniginnen, Chris Ong is now called Christopher Ongsling.? All I can tell is that the second part of both nickname also sounds like German.? I found this form of pro-longed nickname is kinda fun.? We should expand the scope and give more people this kind of nickname.

My old computer and monitor has been sitting in my living room blocking the hallway for almost 2 months.? Finally I took it for donation today.? There is a computer recycling service Computer for School sponsered by the government.? They take in any old computer, refurbish them and send it off to schools.? The old computers are good enough to run not-so demanding but still useful applications.? Kids in poor family can also apply for a refurbish computer for basic word processing.? The best part is I can get tax recept for my donation.? The recycling depot is hard to find, hiding behind a junk yard in some factory building.? I never see so many used computer in a single warehouse.? There are at least a thousand of old CPUs and monitors waiting to send to those needed.? Anyways, donate old computer to help the under budget school board is a meaningful thing.? I just read from the Economist that there is a scientific proof of linkage between charity and happiness.? When you give to the charity, the reward center of your brain will be stimulated.? I guess I am quite happy today.

Normally I do most of my printing at work.? Today is one of the special occassions I have to print something at home.? Unfortunately, I just found out my printer is out of ink.? It is a free printer come with my Dell laptop.? I don’t expect the trial ink cartridge would use up so soon.? It could be the a misfunction of the cartridge.? Anyways, I check out the price of replacement cartridge from the web.? A set of original colour and black cartridge costs $60 with shipping, the cloned version costs $40.? That is almost as expensive as buying a new printer.? I decided to write off the free printer since its print quality quite poor to begin with.? With luck, I saw a decent HP laser printer on sales this week at Futureshop, it costs only $90!? I drove there at once and take it home.? So far, I have absolutely no complain about my new printer.? Many years ago I used to have a HP deskjet 500, the first generation ink jet printer.? This trusty printer is so reliable that it has accompanied for me almost 10 years.? It survived three upgraded of my computer and travelled half the globle form HK to Canada.? If my new laserjet doesn’t disappoint me, I will be a loyal customer for HP printers.