Either way, you are doomed!

I like to use the term 'double edged sword'. When I say those words, it implies that a situation is bad no matter how you look at it. For instance, if you are trapped in the 44th floor of a burning high rise building that is doomed to collapse soon, its either you sit there long enough being burnt to black crisp carbon, or take a leap of faith eventually splattering your guts on the hard concrete floor. Either way, you are doomed! Your only chance is to pray for superman to come to your rescue (this only works if you are lana lang). Other than that, the best you can hope for is people to remember your meaningless insignificant life after your death.
While doing nothing at home, I found some really cool quotes that paints the picture of a 'double edged sword'. [And no, none of them are related to relationships, sexual desires, triangular love, pregnancy or women in general]

Here are 10 quotes for your amusement:
[All quotes are obtained from Magic the Gathering]

"Don't try to outrun one of Dominaria's grizzlies; it'll catch you, knock you down, and eat you. Of course, you could run up a tree. In that case, you'll get a nice view before it knocks the tree down and eats you."
---- Grizzly Bears

"If you're smaller than the anaconda, it considers you food. If you're larger than the anaconda, it considers you a lot of food."
---- Anaconda

"One pounce, she's hungry - you die quickly. Two, she's teaching her cubs - you're in for a long day."
---- Pouncing Jaguar

"If you find yourself and a friend being chased by a king cheetah, you have but one chance: Trip your friend."
---- Suq'Ata wisdom

"I order you to volunteer."
---- Skirk Drill Sargent

"Those who seek to escape her blades succeed only in dying on their stomachs."
---- Bramblewood Paragon

"The enemy has been destroyed, sir. So has the forest, the city, your palace, your dog."
---- Keldon Soldier (obliterate)

"Boggarts divide the world into two categories: things you can eat, and things you have to chase down and pummel before you can eat."
---- Bloodmark Mentor

"Three knights see a mighty quarry. The dragon sees breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
---- Hunted Dragon

"All must fall, and those who stand the tallest, fall the hardest."
---- Virtue's Ruin


Have you heard of any good quotes describing the scenario of a "double edged sword" lately?

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Related Stuff:
Yesterday, I manage to pick up a useful tip from a creative writer, Cmate.
Add descriptive words to your sentences.

Watch how I transform the following sentence:
Original: If you are trapped in the 44th floor of a burning building, its either you slowly burn yourself to death or take an instant fall to your death.

Modified: If you are trapped in the 44th floor of a burning high rise building that is doomed to collapse soon, its either you sit there long enough being burnt to black crisp carbon, or take a leap of faith eventually splattering your guts on the hard concrete floor.

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[Top Comment by AlphaWhale]
I always considered a double edged sword as a situation in which both the party attacking or taking action and the one undergoing the action suffers. That is to say: what you do unto another you are doing unto yourself. Shone a different light on that saying anyhow :)

Whirlpool of emotions

Hi guys. I haven't been blogging for quite a while, and I haven't even have the time to respond to people in shouting in my cbox. I apologize for not being able to reply to your comments, spend time visiting your web, or leaving a comment in your site. I probably won't have the drive to reply to all of you guys if my situation doesn't improve.

I am currently occupied, often with a depressing feel knowing that I might not have it takes to achieve what I want right now. I've tried hard, but results so far are depressing. This has more to do with my career life. Currently I'm jobless and the idea of not being productive to the society is damn depressing. It is not like I do not know where I want to be, rather I'm having difficulty getting in.

Anyway, I've written an article during my lowest point and here it is:

----Whirlpool of Emotions----

[Confession]

Mixed Feeling is a thrill, a roller coaster ride that I could force myself to enjoy it if I want to. But truth is I hate them. Joy, sadness, satisfaction, depression, enthusiasm, lethargy, its a whirlpool of emotions swirling deep within me. An enormous almost equal mix of yin energy and yang energy violently blend together in a humanly body.

Just when I was about to delve myself in depression, the crave for the attention, the satisfaction and my past achievement had to mess it all up by pulling me back to the center of it all. Just when I was about to walk in the tranquil cornfield with butterflies and blooming flower, the heavy scent of stinking stormy rain had ruin it all.

What is with all these emotions that I'm feeling right now. It is as if each of these emotions have a personality of their own and they are all seeking for attention. Even Ignorance, it has consistently telling me to ignore all these other losers. Consistency is another bastard, constantly reminding how impermanent everything is.

It is an experience I've never felt before and it feels terrible. Usually its the other around, normally I would feel good experiecing a new sensation, the feeling of venturing into unchartered territory is suppose to be an exciting one. But this time, i'm not so sure. I was excited, but now I fear that I could be trapped in this forever. And as we all know, fear paralyzes all of us including the all joyful energetic feeling of Excitement.

Despite the mess I'm in now, I know I could control it all. Question is: Do I want to assume control and end it all? The only way I know how to end it, is to kill everything off including the essential life force that supports the foundation pillars of these emotions.

I feel powerful knowing I can contain it all, knowing that I could control all this, yet I feel so powerless as its the most idiotic act to snuff out my own candle.

What other alternatives do I have If ending it all is not an option? How else can I embrace this feeling with grace? I could ask million of questions whole day long and never be open to any solutions, for I know these solutions are no different from my own emotions. They too seek to control my mind with their never-ending attempt to brainwash me.

I am life, yet I'm being controlled by it. I could control it all, but it could be the end of me. I guess what they say is true, seeing is believing: Looks like there isn't much I can do. Ironic part is, I know I can change this. I know there is so much more that I can do. Only if I knew what to do.

"The core of it all, that whirlpool was his favourite place. If there is one place where he could entrust his prized memories, it would be in the whirlpool. If there is one place where he could dump his darkest secret, it would be in the same whirlpool"
---- 3POINT8

----Written by 3POINT8----

PS: I want to get into management consultancy! That is perhaps the hardest career path to get in. Time is of an essence. I'm hoping to get in before my motivation goes down to zero.
[Btw, if you know me personally, do console me when you see me online. If you do not know me personally and want to help out. Thanks. you are kind person]

Thanks for Sharing

----Thanks for Sharing----

[A Fiction]

A million thoughts, each scuffled to attract attention. Out those million thoughts, only a couple of them were prominent enough to linger in his mind for more than a second. Those thoughts were:
1) This state of silence is getting uncomfortable. Say something! Anything!
2) You barely know me and you shared your deepest secret. I’m just a stranger, why are you doing this?
3) Gee….thanks for sharing. I feel honored.

There was this awkward long silence. She looked weary and depressed while he was trying hard to think of something to say. Deep inside he figured: “maybe cheering her is out of my league. Dude, just say something to keep the conversation alive. Anything!”

Had he not be an introvert, this silence wouldn’t have lasted so long. After a long battle with his inner mind, he finally figured something to say. The moment just before he exerts the muscles of his vocal cord, she casually turned around breaking eye contact.

Despaired, he changed his mind to say nothing as this awkward silence continues. She walked away, grabbed her novel, cuddled on the sofa and started flipping pages as her eyes locked within those mini-sized words. Throughout the whole thing, he stared at her actions with eager eyes as if he was going to make a permanent record of this moment in his mind. He did this because it has been a long time since he last felt accepted by a person.

As she was reading her novel, he grabs a pen and scribble his emotions on a piece of post-it-note. On the next page of the post-it-note, he scribbled a personal message for her. He was cautious while he wrote those words because he would feel vulnerable if someone noticed his actions.

He was waiting for the perfect time to slip the note in her bag. In order to do so, he had to wait till she was away from her bag, or while she was asleep. From the way it seems, she had nowhere to go, so the only chance he could get to slip the note was when she goes to bed.

That night was perhaps one of his most arduous times ever in his life. His eyelids were getting heavier and he could barely keep himself awake. At 4.44am, it felt as if it was the 38th time she opened her jaw grasping for fresh air when in reality it was the third time she yawned.

---

Fast-forward to next morning when he woke up, he could felt her absence. It was as though she left the backpacker’s inn without a trace like a stealthy ninja. He was the intuitive type who could accurately predict events seconds before they happen. That morning was a clear sign that his hunch maintains at an accuracy level of 100%.

Though he couldn’t remember what he wrote last night, but he sure hope that she reads it. In fact he couldn’t even recall if he did slip the note in her bag. Well, it doesn’t matter anymore as she is already long gone by the time he woke up.

---

Three month later, the female traveler noticed a small yellow post it note crumbled deep inside the side compartment as she was clearing her bag pack. It was a piece of unattractive note, the type of paper portraying the impression that its just another piece of trash. Usually she would discard the note without hesitation, however for some reason unknown, she felt a weird sensation emitting from the note as if it was begging to be read.

Reluctantly, she opened the crumpled note. She was the impatient type who has a short attention span. Initially she had a hard time figuring out what was written behind that terrible scribbling. Was it in English, she couldn’t tell. But when she turned the note 138 degrees clockwise, her heart sank when she read: “I hated it here for the past 4 years because I don’t fit in with ANYONE. After hearing you share your deepest secret tonight….well… I don’t feel so alone anymore. Thank you!”

She tried to analyze the note, the handwriting, how old it could have been and how did it end up in her bag. She tried to figure who would do this kind of senseless act. Perhaps its just another trash. Not knowing who wrote it, she threw the note away.

At the precise moment the note landed on the very surface of the freshly emptied trash-can, He sneezed three times in a row. Exactly three times.

----Written by 3POINT8----
[Inspired by PostSecret and ShuChyi]

Giffen Goods - Demand Increases as Price Increases

This is a continuation from my previous post of Why does Demand Increase as Price Increase.

Aw is getting very near there, But Shag got a smack to the nose. Shag is correct. I was referring to the Giffen Goods paradox.

"In economics (consumer theory), a Giffen Good is that which people consume more of as price rises, violating the law of demand. In normal situations, as the price of such a good rises, the substitution effect causes people to purchase less of it and more of substitute goods. In the Giffen Good situation, cheaper close substitutes are not available. Because of the lack of substitutes, the income effect dominates, leading people to buy more of the good, even as its price rises." [source]

"The classic example is staple foods such as rice, wheat, and potatoes. As their price goes up, poor people on a tight budget actually consume more of them, because they are forced to cut back on luxuries such as meat, but still need the same number of calories to survive." [Source]

There was an experiment done in the Hunan province to prove this principle:
"Households in the Hunan province of China were shown to buy more rice when they had to buy it at a higher price, and less when the price they paid was subsidized. The reason for this is that, even when expensive, rice was still the cheapest source of calories available. Therefore, when the price of rice was cut, households had more money left over after buying rice. Some of this was spent on buying more expensive foods (meat, vegetables and fruit), which reduced their need for rice." [Source]

With regards to my previous post. I suppose you can use this as an analogy:
Salesman = rice/bread/noodle (or any staple food)
Competitor = meat source.
Customer = the people.

That kind of information makes me wonder: what else can be considered as a Giffen Good?
1) Share market. If a certain share price jumps, wouldn't people want to get into the bandwagon and profit from the jump before it reaches it peak? Well then I suppose shares can be considered as a Giffen Good for that short period of time. [This is not a giffen good as explained by Shag. Check his blog out @ http://www.shagadelica.net]
2) Public Transport. If the price of public transport goes up, people who rely on both public transport and a personal vehicle would have less money to spend on petrol, car maintenance, and etc. Subsequently, taking public transport would be a more viable choice.

These are just my speculation and may not be true.
[After all, I'm no economist or some great forecaster. I'm just a sarcastic blogger.]

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Back to the Best Commenter challenge.
Shag would qualify as winner if this was a competition. His winning prize includes a permanent record in this post along with a non-ego deflating moment knowing that he has just pawned all the other commenter with one freaking short sentence without the need to provide any explanation, therefore proving his superior knowledge above those who came across this site.

But, if I have to choose the best commenter, it would have to be AlphaWhale.
His comment is as good as my post if not better. If his comment is to be made into a blogpost, that blogpost can easily be considered as a top quality post. This guy is an analytical thinker and his explanation is superb! *Thumbs up for you, big guy!*

Well then, I have no physical prize for the both you. Instead, I'm gonna attempt to encourage my readers to drop a comment and give you a clap. (Hey guys, let's give him both Aw and AlphaWhale a clap. They deserve this. Even better, visit their website, check out the stuff they write.)

Shag blogs @ http://www.shagadelica.net
AlphaWhale blogs @ http://parkourhelper.blogspot.com/