In My Daughter's Eyes
Martina Mcbride
(James Slater)
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the
world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me
strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes
And when she wraps her hand
around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart
has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daughter's eyes
In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes
I Wonder
Kellie Pickler
Sometimes I think about you
Wonder if you’re out there somewhere thinkin' 'bout me
And would you even recognize the woman that your little girl has grown up to be
‘Cause I look in the mirror and all I see are your brown eyes lookin' back at me
They’re the only thing you ever gave to me at all
Oh, I hear the weather’s nice in California
There’s sunny skies as far as I can see
If you ever come back home to Carolina
I wonder what you’d say to me
I think about how it ain’t fair that you weren’t there to braid my hair like mothers do
You weren’t around to cheer me on
Help me dress for my high school prom like mother’s do
Did you think I didn’t need you here to hold my hand, to dry my tears
Did you even miss me through the years at all?
Oh, I hear the weather’s nice in California
There’s sunny skies as far as I can see
If you ever come back home to Carolina
I wonder what you’d say to me
Forgiveness is such a simple word
But it’s so hard to do
When you’ve been hurt
Oh, I hear the weather’s nice in California
And just in case you’re wondering about me
From now on I won’t be in Carolina
Your little girl is off,
oh your little girl is off,
your little girl is off
To Tennessee
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Upgrading
The estate that I'm currently staying in is undergoing some upgrading. The town council will be building additional lifts and sprucing up the environment.
Meanwhile, amidst the dust and din, my quality of life has downgraded some.
My weekends are no longer peaceful but I hear the constant interruption of big machines and work in progress.
Thank goodness I'm moving away soon!
Meanwhile, amidst the dust and din, my quality of life has downgraded some.
My weekends are no longer peaceful but I hear the constant interruption of big machines and work in progress.
Thank goodness I'm moving away soon!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Elective Blackout
The recent posts have been irrational ramblings and cut-and-pastes. There had been little commentary other than some raving and ranting. I had not intended this to be so but there had been far too much of a information overload at my end.
I have become just too happy to turn into a bimbo the minute I can turn off my "power of analysis". My brain is too tired.
Take me literally when I tell you that I am "tired of life". I'm not going to kill myself - *don't worry/sorry for the disappointment. I am just tired of the deluge of minutiae which provide a lot of irri-tainment but little value.
Google news has become my constant companion and so have the other aviation related news headliners and articles which I need to read in the course of my work.
So when I am off work, I simply don't want to talk about what is happening or comment. I can't imagine, sometimes, what my opinions would mean to the Americans if I say how much of a Republican supporter I am and how disappointed I have been of their presidential candidates thusfar. What difference would it have made if I ranted at the Korean missionaries who reduced the nation to adopting a missionary position in front of the Taleban? Who am I to care about global warming since I am part of the problem (I eat too much. Other than that, I am very green.) instead of being the solution? What has Roger Federer winning his fourth consecutive US Open title got to do with me? What good would it be for me to tell you that I very much want to see McLaren get suspended from F1 races for 20 years for industrial espionage?
At the end of the day, I threw out all my thoughts into a thought garbage/recycling bin. I intend to relook the pieces inside there one of these days.
But one of these days is really none of these days and I had just deleted a good number of draft posts from my blog dashboard. I simply can't find it in me to be so impassioned about certain things anymore.
There are things which I am passionate about still but to a large extent, I have managed to find my choir, to whom I preach. Again, though, the futility is evident - why convert the converted? It is such a joke. I feel ready to transcend this level that I am on and elevate myself but when I look around, the next level is where financial positions play a large role.
Upper class folks don't blog. The reporters are their ghost writers and the tabloids and broadsheets are their blogs. Of course, the uppermost crust - crisp, light and delectable - don't even have to do anything. The reporters will think of things about them to blog. Middle class folks like me and many of my friends write our own entries. And I mighty say I feel right at home in their company.
So where am I? Oh, the elective blackout. I still bitch a lot about things that I do not see fairness in. I just bitched about the price increase in public transport. But will I write about it at length? I doubt. It's no longer a writer's block that I suffer but a kind of socio-political inertia - Why ask me if you have already made up your mind? Will my views and inputs make any changes?
Don't get me wrong. I am not indifferent. I could be past that or nearing that. But I have decided that I'll devote my energies to fight more useful battles. For instance, annihilating the ants crawling all over my kitchen hob after my housemate failed to clean up properly after cooking. You certainly can do without certain vermin in your house.
And how has life been during this elective blackout period? Nothing much has changed really. I have more time for television programmes. I have more time to make friends on the web. I still don't like going out although when I am out, I am amenable to meet new people. The trouble to dress up to go out is indeed debilitating. By the time I am ready to get out of the house, my get up and go long got out and went.
I begin to ask myself philosophical questions, such as "If I were adopted by Brangelina...", "If my surname were Wales...", "How do I do a double triple date without getting caught...", "What is the value of being prim and proper...", "When there is is, there was is, then is there is was...", and then decide that maybe the best thing to do is to see if there would suddenly be raspberry ripple ice-cream waiting for me in the freezer.
And when I don't find any, I go and look for blonde jokes and wonder if life would be any different if I were 40 kg lighter, had wash board abs and were blonde too... Life is good.
* - delete where inapplicable.
I have become just too happy to turn into a bimbo the minute I can turn off my "power of analysis". My brain is too tired.
Take me literally when I tell you that I am "tired of life". I'm not going to kill myself - *don't worry/sorry for the disappointment. I am just tired of the deluge of minutiae which provide a lot of irri-tainment but little value.
Google news has become my constant companion and so have the other aviation related news headliners and articles which I need to read in the course of my work.
So when I am off work, I simply don't want to talk about what is happening or comment. I can't imagine, sometimes, what my opinions would mean to the Americans if I say how much of a Republican supporter I am and how disappointed I have been of their presidential candidates thusfar. What difference would it have made if I ranted at the Korean missionaries who reduced the nation to adopting a missionary position in front of the Taleban? Who am I to care about global warming since I am part of the problem (I eat too much. Other than that, I am very green.) instead of being the solution? What has Roger Federer winning his fourth consecutive US Open title got to do with me? What good would it be for me to tell you that I very much want to see McLaren get suspended from F1 races for 20 years for industrial espionage?
At the end of the day, I threw out all my thoughts into a thought garbage/recycling bin. I intend to relook the pieces inside there one of these days.
But one of these days is really none of these days and I had just deleted a good number of draft posts from my blog dashboard. I simply can't find it in me to be so impassioned about certain things anymore.
There are things which I am passionate about still but to a large extent, I have managed to find my choir, to whom I preach. Again, though, the futility is evident - why convert the converted? It is such a joke. I feel ready to transcend this level that I am on and elevate myself but when I look around, the next level is where financial positions play a large role.
Upper class folks don't blog. The reporters are their ghost writers and the tabloids and broadsheets are their blogs. Of course, the uppermost crust - crisp, light and delectable - don't even have to do anything. The reporters will think of things about them to blog. Middle class folks like me and many of my friends write our own entries. And I mighty say I feel right at home in their company.
So where am I? Oh, the elective blackout. I still bitch a lot about things that I do not see fairness in. I just bitched about the price increase in public transport. But will I write about it at length? I doubt. It's no longer a writer's block that I suffer but a kind of socio-political inertia - Why ask me if you have already made up your mind? Will my views and inputs make any changes?
Don't get me wrong. I am not indifferent. I could be past that or nearing that. But I have decided that I'll devote my energies to fight more useful battles. For instance, annihilating the ants crawling all over my kitchen hob after my housemate failed to clean up properly after cooking. You certainly can do without certain vermin in your house.
And how has life been during this elective blackout period? Nothing much has changed really. I have more time for television programmes. I have more time to make friends on the web. I still don't like going out although when I am out, I am amenable to meet new people. The trouble to dress up to go out is indeed debilitating. By the time I am ready to get out of the house, my get up and go long got out and went.
I begin to ask myself philosophical questions, such as "If I were adopted by Brangelina...", "If my surname were Wales...", "How do I do a double triple date without getting caught...", "What is the value of being prim and proper...", "When there is is, there was is, then is there is was...", and then decide that maybe the best thing to do is to see if there would suddenly be raspberry ripple ice-cream waiting for me in the freezer.
And when I don't find any, I go and look for blonde jokes and wonder if life would be any different if I were 40 kg lighter, had wash board abs and were blonde too... Life is good.
* - delete where inapplicable.
Desiderata
Max Ehrmann
Dedicated to everyone out there.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.
[Source: http://hobbes.ncsa.uiuc.edu/desiderata.html]
Dedicated to everyone out there.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.
[Source: http://hobbes.ncsa.uiuc.edu/desiderata.html]
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
When you're not sure, you check, don't you?
So what's wrong with me checking to be sure?
So what's wrong with me checking to be sure?
Monday, September 10, 2007
If I Set the High School Moral Education Exam...
I never got to set the paper. Maybe they doubted my moral standards. Or maybe the paper would be too tough. Have a go, if you are in need of some perverse fun.
Choose the answer which you think is the least damaging or hurtful.
1. Ali made his girlfriend pregnant. What should he do?
(A) Kick his girlfriend's stomach.
(B) Make his girlfriend eat lots of pineapples.
(C) Make his girlfriend drink a lot of beer.
(D) Make his girlfriend jump up and down.
(E) All of the above.
[Don't laugh. These are all old wives' tales! And another one below.]
2. Mary does not want her baby. To induce an abortion, she can:
(A) See a spiritual medium to expel the baby.
(B) Impale herself on a bamboo to kill the baby.
(C) Suck the baby out with a vacuum cleaner.
(D) Take a very cold bath to freeze the baby.
(E) All of the above.
3. Which of the following can cause pregnancy?
(A) Holding hands.
(B) Kissing.
(C) Swallowing sperm.
(D) Oral sex.
(E) All of the above.
(F) None of the above.
[Amazing what old wives' tales can teach the kids, right?]
4. Which of the following will not spread AIDS?
(A) Unprotected sexual intercourse
(B) Unprotected anal intercourse
(C) Breastfeeding from AIDS-infected mother to her child.
(D) Swallowing AIDS-infected saliva.
(E) None of the above.
5. Peter saw Mary cheat during the exam. Peter:
(A) will not tell the teacher if Mary "does it" with him.
(B) will not tell the teacher if Mary gives him $50.
(C) will not tell the teacher if Mary kisses him.
(D) will not tell the teacher since Mary also caught him cheating.
6. Peter saw his younger brother fall down. He:
(A) should leave him alone since everyone falls down.
(B) should ask his brother to show him how he fell down once again.
(C) clap his hands and congratulate his brother on the wonderful performance.
(D) sign his brother up as a Cirque du Soleil clown.
7. Mary picked up a wallet containing $1,000. Peter was with her. Mary should:
(A) share the money with Peter and throw the empty wallet away.
(B) take the wallet to the police station and accuse Peter of stealing it, since Peter cheated on her.
(C) tell Peter to keep the secret or she'll get her gang to bash him up.
(D) murder Peter so that she can keep the windfall to herself.
8. Mary and Nancy saw a pencil case they both liked.
(A) Mary will let Nancy have the pencil case if Nancy does Mary's homework for a week.
(B) Mary and Nancy should call their gangs to fight and the winner will get the pencil case.
(C) Mary will let Nancy have the pencil case because she is richer than Nancy and can afford a better looking pencil case.
(D) Mary will damage the pencil case and frame Nancy.
This is getting to be an immoral education exam. However, if you were asked to choose the best available option to each question, what would you choose? (Suggested answers in Comments below.)
Choose the answer which you think is the least damaging or hurtful.
1. Ali made his girlfriend pregnant. What should he do?
(A) Kick his girlfriend's stomach.
(B) Make his girlfriend eat lots of pineapples.
(C) Make his girlfriend drink a lot of beer.
(D) Make his girlfriend jump up and down.
(E) All of the above.
[Don't laugh. These are all old wives' tales! And another one below.]
2. Mary does not want her baby. To induce an abortion, she can:
(A) See a spiritual medium to expel the baby.
(B) Impale herself on a bamboo to kill the baby.
(C) Suck the baby out with a vacuum cleaner.
(D) Take a very cold bath to freeze the baby.
(E) All of the above.
3. Which of the following can cause pregnancy?
(A) Holding hands.
(B) Kissing.
(C) Swallowing sperm.
(D) Oral sex.
(E) All of the above.
(F) None of the above.
[Amazing what old wives' tales can teach the kids, right?]
4. Which of the following will not spread AIDS?
(A) Unprotected sexual intercourse
(B) Unprotected anal intercourse
(C) Breastfeeding from AIDS-infected mother to her child.
(D) Swallowing AIDS-infected saliva.
(E) None of the above.
5. Peter saw Mary cheat during the exam. Peter:
(A) will not tell the teacher if Mary "does it" with him.
(B) will not tell the teacher if Mary gives him $50.
(C) will not tell the teacher if Mary kisses him.
(D) will not tell the teacher since Mary also caught him cheating.
6. Peter saw his younger brother fall down. He:
(A) should leave him alone since everyone falls down.
(B) should ask his brother to show him how he fell down once again.
(C) clap his hands and congratulate his brother on the wonderful performance.
(D) sign his brother up as a Cirque du Soleil clown.
7. Mary picked up a wallet containing $1,000. Peter was with her. Mary should:
(A) share the money with Peter and throw the empty wallet away.
(B) take the wallet to the police station and accuse Peter of stealing it, since Peter cheated on her.
(C) tell Peter to keep the secret or she'll get her gang to bash him up.
(D) murder Peter so that she can keep the windfall to herself.
8. Mary and Nancy saw a pencil case they both liked.
(A) Mary will let Nancy have the pencil case if Nancy does Mary's homework for a week.
(B) Mary and Nancy should call their gangs to fight and the winner will get the pencil case.
(C) Mary will let Nancy have the pencil case because she is richer than Nancy and can afford a better looking pencil case.
(D) Mary will damage the pencil case and frame Nancy.
This is getting to be an immoral education exam. However, if you were asked to choose the best available option to each question, what would you choose? (Suggested answers in Comments below.)
Lust, Caution
Ang Lee (or Lee Ang, as the right way of calling a Chinese name) won a second Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
His winning entry this time is Lust, Caution. He first won with Brokeback Mountain.
Interestingly, he seems to get it all correct when it comes to dangerous liasons.
Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon should be refilmed, I guess, into some erotic show. He may well walk away with No. 3. No, I'm not belittling Lee. I think he's a great director. I enjoyed Brokeback Mountain a lot.
I think I'll brave the cinema hazards and watch Lust, Caution.
His winning entry this time is Lust, Caution. He first won with Brokeback Mountain.
Interestingly, he seems to get it all correct when it comes to dangerous liasons.
Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon should be refilmed, I guess, into some erotic show. He may well walk away with No. 3. No, I'm not belittling Lee. I think he's a great director. I enjoyed Brokeback Mountain a lot.
I think I'll brave the cinema hazards and watch Lust, Caution.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Keeping sane (II)
Question: When does 12:19 come before 10:19?
Answer: All the time: 12:19 am/pm comes before 10:19 am/pm in the same day.
Question: Which month has 28 days?
Answer: Every month
Question: Which month has 30 days?
Answer: Every month except February.
Question: Which month has 29 days?
Answer: This is too easy - you figure it out!
Answer: All the time: 12:19 am/pm comes before 10:19 am/pm in the same day.
Question: Which month has 28 days?
Answer: Every month
Question: Which month has 30 days?
Answer: Every month except February.
Question: Which month has 29 days?
Answer: This is too easy - you figure it out!
Keeping sane
Conference looms.
Reports tumble in to be checked.
Write-ups are rife with "cut-and-paste but forget to update" mistakes.
I need to keep sane while I correct these.
Reports tumble in to be checked.
Write-ups are rife with "cut-and-paste but forget to update" mistakes.
I need to keep sane while I correct these.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
10 Things I Wish I Could Do
A little deja vu. Bear with me. Feeling a little Happy Tree Friend-ish today.
1. Spit gum on a woman's long tresses because she played with her hair and invaded my space by tossing out of her hair whatever she wanted remove.
2. Knock down pedestrains who insist on taking their own sweet time jaywalking right in front of my car when they should be using a designated crossing.
3. Kick away like a football...
4. Mow down with my shopping trolley...
5. Drop my bowl of piping hot soup on...
...unattended children who are allowed to run mindlessly into my path, giving me almost no reaction time.
6. Slap that bawling child and the parent - one for not knowing manners and the other for not teaching. Especially if the child was merely bawling to shame the parent or for attracting attention of the passers-by.
7. Pushing the idiot who would not walk to the side of the stairs leading up or down an overhead bridge crossing, especially when my bus is nearly arriving on at the bus stop at the other side of the crossing. (The hand railings are on the sides, so by walking in the centre, the idiot is blocking the entire stairway which is wide enough for two-way human traffic.) A more general version of this wish is to push anyone who occupies more than one "lane" for no good reason when walking.
8. Lock smokers in a fully enclosed room and force them to inhale all the smoke they exhale as well that produced by their cigarette until the air is clear again before letting them out. Fresh air will be provided to ensure that the smokers die of cigarette-related causes and not asphyxiation.
On a related note, I shall not belabour my point about the filterless cigarettes although I have a new idea where legislation should be made such that each cigarette is to be consumed within one inhalation. If a stronger fix is needed, smokers can take a second or a third fag. However, I still insist that the fumes must dissolve within the smokers' bodies and there should be no second-hand smoke.
Amazingly, I feel better already. So the 10 second rule to curb the temper does not really help but verbalising evil thoughts of genocide or gene pool refinements do!
1. Spit gum on a woman's long tresses because she played with her hair and invaded my space by tossing out of her hair whatever she wanted remove.
2. Knock down pedestrains who insist on taking their own sweet time jaywalking right in front of my car when they should be using a designated crossing.
3. Kick away like a football...
4. Mow down with my shopping trolley...
5. Drop my bowl of piping hot soup on...
...unattended children who are allowed to run mindlessly into my path, giving me almost no reaction time.
6. Slap that bawling child and the parent - one for not knowing manners and the other for not teaching. Especially if the child was merely bawling to shame the parent or for attracting attention of the passers-by.
7. Pushing the idiot who would not walk to the side of the stairs leading up or down an overhead bridge crossing, especially when my bus is nearly arriving on at the bus stop at the other side of the crossing. (The hand railings are on the sides, so by walking in the centre, the idiot is blocking the entire stairway which is wide enough for two-way human traffic.) A more general version of this wish is to push anyone who occupies more than one "lane" for no good reason when walking.
8. Lock smokers in a fully enclosed room and force them to inhale all the smoke they exhale as well that produced by their cigarette until the air is clear again before letting them out. Fresh air will be provided to ensure that the smokers die of cigarette-related causes and not asphyxiation.
On a related note, I shall not belabour my point about the filterless cigarettes although I have a new idea where legislation should be made such that each cigarette is to be consumed within one inhalation. If a stronger fix is needed, smokers can take a second or a third fag. However, I still insist that the fumes must dissolve within the smokers' bodies and there should be no second-hand smoke.
Amazingly, I feel better already. So the 10 second rule to curb the temper does not really help but verbalising evil thoughts of genocide or gene pool refinements do!
Why I Dislike Going To The Movies
1. Cinemas stink. Literally.
2. Why are people talking so loudly during a movie?
3. Why are people taking over or messaging on their handphones during a movie? If I wanted shine in the dark objects, I'd get radioactive ones.
4. Why can't stupid women stop playing with their long hair? I don't particularly fancy having their lice or dandruff on me.
5. Why is there so much litter?
6. Why do people go to watch a movie when they do everything but?
7. Why are handphones turned on during a movie? There were always pre-screening messages to request patrons to switch their phones to the silent mode.
8. Why must Ah Lian (Ah Beng) put her head (his arm) on Ah Beng's shoulder (across Ah Lian's shoulder)?
9. Why do people who buy the best seats in the middle of the theatre always come the latest? Nothing irritates me more than having my disruptions during a screening.
10. Because I can't claim provocation or get legal immunity if I kill those f*****g b*****ds for destroying my movie experience. Hey, I paid to watch the movie too!
2. Why are people talking so loudly during a movie?
3. Why are people taking over or messaging on their handphones during a movie? If I wanted shine in the dark objects, I'd get radioactive ones.
4. Why can't stupid women stop playing with their long hair? I don't particularly fancy having their lice or dandruff on me.
5. Why is there so much litter?
6. Why do people go to watch a movie when they do everything but?
7. Why are handphones turned on during a movie? There were always pre-screening messages to request patrons to switch their phones to the silent mode.
8. Why must Ah Lian (Ah Beng) put her head (his arm) on Ah Beng's shoulder (across Ah Lian's shoulder)?
9. Why do people who buy the best seats in the middle of the theatre always come the latest? Nothing irritates me more than having my disruptions during a screening.
10. Because I can't claim provocation or get legal immunity if I kill those f*****g b*****ds for destroying my movie experience. Hey, I paid to watch the movie too!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
Excerpts from an International Herald Tribune interview with Lee Kuan Yew
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The following are excerpts from an interview with Lee Kuan Yew, who served as prime minister of Singapore from 1959, when it gained partial independence from Britain, until he stepped down in 1990. He is currently minister mentor.
The interview took place at the Istana, where the Singapore president and prime minister work, on Aug. 24, 2007. Lee was questioned by Leonard M. Apcar, deputy managing editor of the International Herald Tribune, Wayne Arnold, a Singapore correspondent, and Seth Mydans, Southeast Asia bureau chief.
On Social Changes
IHT: You and others have also talked about the need to open Singapore up a little bit more in the modern world of fast moving technology and information and communications.
Lee Kuan Yew: No other way.
IHT: No other way. But this is going slowly. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong talked about thinking and acting like revolutionaries. It was very hard to decree looseness and boldness. But is this a direction that you would like to go in?
Lee Kuan Yew: No, I think we have to go in whatever direction world conditions dictate if we are to survive and to be part of this modern world. If we are not connected to this modern world, we are dead. We'll go back to the fishing village we once were.
IHT: The marketplace of ideas is so often discussed outside of Singapore. You have said it is a beneficial notion so that there will be a ferment and growth. But . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: If we don't have that stimulus, if we are not connected to the world and know what's going on, how could we keep abreast of it? How can we know where the action is? Where are the expanding sectors we should be in?
IHT: But won't that require a greater opening up of society here? A loosening of the press, of free speech, of political competition?
Lee Kuan Yew: You're giving me the classical . . .
IHT: I am, I want to . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: No, the classical, Western, liberal approach.
IHT: It's not my practice . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: No, no. It's the Western, classical, liberal approach.
IHT: Right.
Lee Kuan Yew: I'm giving you the answer of a pragmatist.
IHT: That's what I want to hear.
Lee Kuan Yew: For the top 20 percent of the population, there are no constraints there. I would say . . . top 20 percent, the educated population. They're educated abroad, at university.
So, they know the wide world and they are on the Internet and they've got friends, they e-mail them. They travel. Every year, about 50 percent of Singaporeans travel by air.
So, this is not a closed society. But at the same time, we try to maintain a certain balance with the people who are not finding it so comfortable to suddenly find the world changed, their world, their sense of place, their sense of position in society.
We call them the heartlanders in the HDB estates [government housing developments], the people who live in three- and four-room flats. Three and four rooms are the lowest end. Five rooms and the executives are the upper end.
And so we have this dichotomy. You can read the analysis by our academics who wrote that we are using the heartlanders to keep progress in check.
But they have not governed the place. (laughs) The academics, they write these things from abstract analysis. Like gays, we take an ambiguous position. We say, O.K., leave them alone but let's leave the law as it is for the time being and let's have no gay parades.
IHT: Don't ask, don't tell?
Lee Kuan Yew: Yes, we've got to go the way the world is going. China has already allowed and recognized gays, so have Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It's a matter of time. But we have a part Muslim population, another part conservative older Chinese and Indians. So, let's go slowly. It's a pragmatic approach to maintain social cohesion.
On Global Warming
IHT: What about the risks to Singapore, what are the risks to Singapore in those scenarios?
Lee Kuan Yew: Oh! We are already in consultations with Delft in Holland to learn how we can build dikes!
IHT: Is that right?
Lee Kuan Yew: Oh, yes! Let's start thinking about it now.
IHT: Are you serious?
Lee Kuan Yew: We are. We are in consultations with them.
It scares me because many world leaders have not woken up to the peril that their populations are in.
This melting ice cap. I expected great consternation! What would happen to this earth? But, no. Has it triggered off emergency meetings to do something about this?
Earth warming, the glaciers melting away? Never mind the Swiss Alps and skiing resorts having to manufacture snow. When the glaciers in the Himalayas and Tibet melt away, the Ganges, the Yangtze, the Irrawaddy, the Mekong, may dry up, except for rainy seasons. What will happen to the hundreds of millions? Where do they go? Where can they go? This will be a very serious problem.
IHT: Why don't you think the world isn't focusing on this?
Lee Kuan Yew: Because it's not an election issue. You know maybe 50 years, a 100 years, most of us would be dead. Leave it to the next president.
IHT: That's human nature isn't it? But it doesn't seem to be the way Singapore operates. You're taking a lot of pains . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: Because we are too vulnerable. If the water goes up by one meter, we can have dikes and save ourselves. If the water goes up by three, four, five meters, (laughs) what will happen to us? Half of Singapore will disappear! The valuable half - the seafronts!
Well, let us say, it has gone up to one meter and we have protected ourselves. But our neighboring islands have disappeared! And then Indonesia may not have 30,000 islands - many will be under water.
IHT: Yeah, so what's the answer to that, cap and trade [referring to a program to cap emissions and trade pollution allowances] or can you somehow tax industry a carbon tax of some sort?
Lee Kuan Yew: If you ask me, I think you can ameliorate this problem. But you cannot solve it. Because our dependency on energy will only grow - can only grow. I do not see any tribal leader, any democratic leader, any dictator telling his people, "We are going to forgo growth. We are going to consume less. Travel less. Live a more spartan life and we'll save the earth."
But I see a need to mitigate wherever we can through green technologies. Less CO2 and try to prolong the period of adjustment.
IHT: Can I come back to something that I just want to close the loop so I understand exactly what you're saying. We talked about openness and whatnot. And you said, "Oh for the top 20 percent or so of Singaporean society, it's open. Fifty percent travel, the rest are educated. They know the West. They're connected. Openness for them is a matter of . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: It's a fact!
On Cultural Assimilation and Value Attrition
IHT: It's a fact. But what I don't quite follow is that are you saying that over time this will permeate Singaporean society as well? I'm not sure I understand that . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: I'm not sure how it will develop. Let me explain why I say I'm not sure. We are placed in a very unusual environment. And you cannot divorce yourself from your environment. Right?
If we were Malta, we would have joined the European Union, we would have a different backdrop. But we are Asean. And you've got to live with your neighbors, neighbors at a different level of societal development. What they think and do has to be factored into consideration to decide what we can do.
IHT: Let me connect one more thought here that I am not clear about. In this more open, interconnected world where the educated and the elites are traveling and easily moving all over the world, what does this do to Asian values? Does it inevitably dilute them?
Lee Kuan Yew: It's already diluted and we can see it in the difference between the generations. It's inevitable. One of the things we did which we knew would call for a big price was to switch from our own languages into English.
We had Chinese, Malay, Indian schools - separate language medium schools. The British ran a small English school sector to produce clerks, storekeepers, teachers for the British. Had we chosen Chinese, which was our majority language, we would have perished, economically and politically.
Riots - we've seen Sri Lanka, when they switched from English to Sinhalese and disenfranchised the Tamils and so strife ever after.
We chose - we didn't say it was our national language - we said it was our working language, that everybody learns English whatever language medium school you go to. Which means nobody needs interpretation to read English.
So, our sources of culture, literature, ideas are now more from the English text than from the Chinese or the Malay or the Tamil.
So, there's a clear difference between the grandfathers and the grandchildren. Look, my grandchildren, never mind the grandfather, their Chinese is not equal to their parents' Chinese.
My children were educated in what were then Chinese schools and they learned English as a subject. But they made up when they went to English-language universities. So they didn't lose out. They had a basic set of traditional Confucian values. Not my grandchildren.
I've got one grandson gone to MIT. Another grandson had been in the American school here. Because he was dyslexic and we then didn't have the teachers to teach him how to overcome or cope with his dyslexia, so he was given exemption to go to the American school. He speaks like an American. He's going to Wharton.
Between him and his father, there's a clear breach in cultural continuity - never mind between him and me.
But that's the top 20 percent, right?
For the majority in the heartlands, they don't go to American schools or have that exposure. But from 20, it will become 30 percent going to tertiary institutions, universities.
You asked me to predict what it will be in 50 years or even 20 years. I cannot, because we have left our moorings.
On Political Dominance and Kamikaze
IHT: Well, what about your opponents? Do you ever feel that, looking back now, maybe I didn't have to go that far?
Lee Kuan Yew: My political opponents, you mean?
IHT: Uhm-hmm.
Lee Kuan Yew: No, I don't think so. I never killed them. I never destroyed them. Politically, they destroyed themselves.
IHT: To what extent can you replicate the Singapore model in other countries? Does it work?
Lee Kuan Yew: Supposing we had oil and gas, do you think I could get the people to do this? No. If I had oil and gas I'd have a different people, with different motivations and expectations. It's because we don't have oil and gas and they know that we don't have, and they know that this progress comes from their efforts. So please do it and do it well.
We are ideology-free. What would make the place work, let's do it.
IHT: Thank you.
The following are excerpts from an interview with Lee Kuan Yew, who served as prime minister of Singapore from 1959, when it gained partial independence from Britain, until he stepped down in 1990. He is currently minister mentor.
The interview took place at the Istana, where the Singapore president and prime minister work, on Aug. 24, 2007. Lee was questioned by Leonard M. Apcar, deputy managing editor of the International Herald Tribune, Wayne Arnold, a Singapore correspondent, and Seth Mydans, Southeast Asia bureau chief.
On Social Changes
IHT: You and others have also talked about the need to open Singapore up a little bit more in the modern world of fast moving technology and information and communications.
Lee Kuan Yew: No other way.
IHT: No other way. But this is going slowly. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong talked about thinking and acting like revolutionaries. It was very hard to decree looseness and boldness. But is this a direction that you would like to go in?
Lee Kuan Yew: No, I think we have to go in whatever direction world conditions dictate if we are to survive and to be part of this modern world. If we are not connected to this modern world, we are dead. We'll go back to the fishing village we once were.
IHT: The marketplace of ideas is so often discussed outside of Singapore. You have said it is a beneficial notion so that there will be a ferment and growth. But . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: If we don't have that stimulus, if we are not connected to the world and know what's going on, how could we keep abreast of it? How can we know where the action is? Where are the expanding sectors we should be in?
IHT: But won't that require a greater opening up of society here? A loosening of the press, of free speech, of political competition?
Lee Kuan Yew: You're giving me the classical . . .
IHT: I am, I want to . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: No, the classical, Western, liberal approach.
IHT: It's not my practice . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: No, no. It's the Western, classical, liberal approach.
IHT: Right.
Lee Kuan Yew: I'm giving you the answer of a pragmatist.
IHT: That's what I want to hear.
Lee Kuan Yew: For the top 20 percent of the population, there are no constraints there. I would say . . . top 20 percent, the educated population. They're educated abroad, at university.
So, they know the wide world and they are on the Internet and they've got friends, they e-mail them. They travel. Every year, about 50 percent of Singaporeans travel by air.
So, this is not a closed society. But at the same time, we try to maintain a certain balance with the people who are not finding it so comfortable to suddenly find the world changed, their world, their sense of place, their sense of position in society.
We call them the heartlanders in the HDB estates [government housing developments], the people who live in three- and four-room flats. Three and four rooms are the lowest end. Five rooms and the executives are the upper end.
And so we have this dichotomy. You can read the analysis by our academics who wrote that we are using the heartlanders to keep progress in check.
But they have not governed the place. (laughs) The academics, they write these things from abstract analysis. Like gays, we take an ambiguous position. We say, O.K., leave them alone but let's leave the law as it is for the time being and let's have no gay parades.
IHT: Don't ask, don't tell?
Lee Kuan Yew: Yes, we've got to go the way the world is going. China has already allowed and recognized gays, so have Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It's a matter of time. But we have a part Muslim population, another part conservative older Chinese and Indians. So, let's go slowly. It's a pragmatic approach to maintain social cohesion.
On Global Warming
IHT: What about the risks to Singapore, what are the risks to Singapore in those scenarios?
Lee Kuan Yew: Oh! We are already in consultations with Delft in Holland to learn how we can build dikes!
IHT: Is that right?
Lee Kuan Yew: Oh, yes! Let's start thinking about it now.
IHT: Are you serious?
Lee Kuan Yew: We are. We are in consultations with them.
It scares me because many world leaders have not woken up to the peril that their populations are in.
This melting ice cap. I expected great consternation! What would happen to this earth? But, no. Has it triggered off emergency meetings to do something about this?
Earth warming, the glaciers melting away? Never mind the Swiss Alps and skiing resorts having to manufacture snow. When the glaciers in the Himalayas and Tibet melt away, the Ganges, the Yangtze, the Irrawaddy, the Mekong, may dry up, except for rainy seasons. What will happen to the hundreds of millions? Where do they go? Where can they go? This will be a very serious problem.
IHT: Why don't you think the world isn't focusing on this?
Lee Kuan Yew: Because it's not an election issue. You know maybe 50 years, a 100 years, most of us would be dead. Leave it to the next president.
IHT: That's human nature isn't it? But it doesn't seem to be the way Singapore operates. You're taking a lot of pains . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: Because we are too vulnerable. If the water goes up by one meter, we can have dikes and save ourselves. If the water goes up by three, four, five meters, (laughs) what will happen to us? Half of Singapore will disappear! The valuable half - the seafronts!
Well, let us say, it has gone up to one meter and we have protected ourselves. But our neighboring islands have disappeared! And then Indonesia may not have 30,000 islands - many will be under water.
IHT: Yeah, so what's the answer to that, cap and trade [referring to a program to cap emissions and trade pollution allowances] or can you somehow tax industry a carbon tax of some sort?
Lee Kuan Yew: If you ask me, I think you can ameliorate this problem. But you cannot solve it. Because our dependency on energy will only grow - can only grow. I do not see any tribal leader, any democratic leader, any dictator telling his people, "We are going to forgo growth. We are going to consume less. Travel less. Live a more spartan life and we'll save the earth."
But I see a need to mitigate wherever we can through green technologies. Less CO2 and try to prolong the period of adjustment.
IHT: Can I come back to something that I just want to close the loop so I understand exactly what you're saying. We talked about openness and whatnot. And you said, "Oh for the top 20 percent or so of Singaporean society, it's open. Fifty percent travel, the rest are educated. They know the West. They're connected. Openness for them is a matter of . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: It's a fact!
On Cultural Assimilation and Value Attrition
IHT: It's a fact. But what I don't quite follow is that are you saying that over time this will permeate Singaporean society as well? I'm not sure I understand that . . .
Lee Kuan Yew: I'm not sure how it will develop. Let me explain why I say I'm not sure. We are placed in a very unusual environment. And you cannot divorce yourself from your environment. Right?
If we were Malta, we would have joined the European Union, we would have a different backdrop. But we are Asean. And you've got to live with your neighbors, neighbors at a different level of societal development. What they think and do has to be factored into consideration to decide what we can do.
IHT: Let me connect one more thought here that I am not clear about. In this more open, interconnected world where the educated and the elites are traveling and easily moving all over the world, what does this do to Asian values? Does it inevitably dilute them?
Lee Kuan Yew: It's already diluted and we can see it in the difference between the generations. It's inevitable. One of the things we did which we knew would call for a big price was to switch from our own languages into English.
We had Chinese, Malay, Indian schools - separate language medium schools. The British ran a small English school sector to produce clerks, storekeepers, teachers for the British. Had we chosen Chinese, which was our majority language, we would have perished, economically and politically.
Riots - we've seen Sri Lanka, when they switched from English to Sinhalese and disenfranchised the Tamils and so strife ever after.
We chose - we didn't say it was our national language - we said it was our working language, that everybody learns English whatever language medium school you go to. Which means nobody needs interpretation to read English.
So, our sources of culture, literature, ideas are now more from the English text than from the Chinese or the Malay or the Tamil.
So, there's a clear difference between the grandfathers and the grandchildren. Look, my grandchildren, never mind the grandfather, their Chinese is not equal to their parents' Chinese.
My children were educated in what were then Chinese schools and they learned English as a subject. But they made up when they went to English-language universities. So they didn't lose out. They had a basic set of traditional Confucian values. Not my grandchildren.
I've got one grandson gone to MIT. Another grandson had been in the American school here. Because he was dyslexic and we then didn't have the teachers to teach him how to overcome or cope with his dyslexia, so he was given exemption to go to the American school. He speaks like an American. He's going to Wharton.
Between him and his father, there's a clear breach in cultural continuity - never mind between him and me.
But that's the top 20 percent, right?
For the majority in the heartlands, they don't go to American schools or have that exposure. But from 20, it will become 30 percent going to tertiary institutions, universities.
You asked me to predict what it will be in 50 years or even 20 years. I cannot, because we have left our moorings.
On Political Dominance and Kamikaze
IHT: Well, what about your opponents? Do you ever feel that, looking back now, maybe I didn't have to go that far?
Lee Kuan Yew: My political opponents, you mean?
IHT: Uhm-hmm.
Lee Kuan Yew: No, I don't think so. I never killed them. I never destroyed them. Politically, they destroyed themselves.
IHT: To what extent can you replicate the Singapore model in other countries? Does it work?
Lee Kuan Yew: Supposing we had oil and gas, do you think I could get the people to do this? No. If I had oil and gas I'd have a different people, with different motivations and expectations. It's because we don't have oil and gas and they know that we don't have, and they know that this progress comes from their efforts. So please do it and do it well.
We are ideology-free. What would make the place work, let's do it.
IHT: Thank you.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Looks are deceiving
I thought there were two lesbians on the train on the NE Line testing out Singapore's "ambiguous" anti-gay laws.
The two of them were hugging and almost kissing.
Then I found out that the less butch, or more feminine if you wish, of the two was a guy.
The two of them were hugging and almost kissing.
Then I found out that the less butch, or more feminine if you wish, of the two was a guy.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Random Thoughts
A running tune in my head:
The strain in Spain stays mainly in the sprain.
{The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains.
The rain in Spain sprays mainly in the plains causing sprains...)
I'll sooner go nuts than later.
I intend to sign the Advanced Medical Directive eventually so that when I am a vegetable, doctors need not go to extreme lenghts to keep me alive. They can halt all treatments when I become kale. When I'm still a cabbage, they should not pull the plug or throw in the towel.
Some kids are meant for academia; others are macadamia.
Update on 5 Sep: wondering to delete this or publish this. What the heck. I'm human after all. Let it be a pistachio moment!
The strain in Spain stays mainly in the sprain.
{The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains.
The rain in Spain sprays mainly in the plains causing sprains...)
I'll sooner go nuts than later.
I intend to sign the Advanced Medical Directive eventually so that when I am a vegetable, doctors need not go to extreme lenghts to keep me alive. They can halt all treatments when I become kale. When I'm still a cabbage, they should not pull the plug or throw in the towel.
Some kids are meant for academia; others are macadamia.
Update on 5 Sep: wondering to delete this or publish this. What the heck. I'm human after all. Let it be a pistachio moment!
First Timer at Overworked Anonymous
Good day everyone. My name is...
Gimme a minute. I think that's my boss on the line. Probably something urgent. Excuse me while I take the call.
(15 minutes later.)
Oh, sorry. You mean you've finished introducing everyone and are waiting for me? Oh, I'm so sorry.
Damn beep. Must be an urgent text message. I'm going to ign...
Damn! Again? Sorry. 15 seconds, ok? 15 seconds.
(Reads text messages.)
Oh, I'm so sorry. I urgently need to reply to these messages. They simply can't do without me. He he... I so sorry.
Ok, back to you all.
My name is...
Damn phone call! It's my boss' boss. I thought I already... tsk tsk tsk.
I'm really sorry. Look, I know I should not be doing this. I think I really have to take this call. I really need this job you know. I'll keep it to 10 minutes.
Don't stare at me like that. I said I'm sorry.
Ok, 5 minutes. 5 minutes and I'll be back.
(50 minutes later.)
Eh? Where is everybody?
Gimme a minute. I think that's my boss on the line. Probably something urgent. Excuse me while I take the call.
(15 minutes later.)
Oh, sorry. You mean you've finished introducing everyone and are waiting for me? Oh, I'm so sorry.
Damn beep. Must be an urgent text message. I'm going to ign...
Damn! Again? Sorry. 15 seconds, ok? 15 seconds.
(Reads text messages.)
Oh, I'm so sorry. I urgently need to reply to these messages. They simply can't do without me. He he... I so sorry.
Ok, back to you all.
My name is...
Damn phone call! It's my boss' boss. I thought I already... tsk tsk tsk.
I'm really sorry. Look, I know I should not be doing this. I think I really have to take this call. I really need this job you know. I'll keep it to 10 minutes.
Don't stare at me like that. I said I'm sorry.
Ok, 5 minutes. 5 minutes and I'll be back.
(50 minutes later.)
Eh? Where is everybody?
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Lost Dr Seuss Poem: I Love My Job
I love my job, I love the pay!
I love it more and more each day.
I love my boss he is the best!
I love his boss and all the rest.
I love my office and its location, I hate to have to go on vacation
I love my furniture, drab and gray, and piles of paper that grow each day
I think my job is really swell, there's nothing else I love so well
I love to work among my peers, I love their leers and jeers and sneers
I love my computer and its software;
I hug it often though it won't care. I love each program and every file
I'd love them more if they worked a while.
I am happy to be here. I am. I am.
I'm the happiest slave of the firm, I am.
I love this work, I love these chores.
I love the meetings with deadly bores.
I love my job - I'll say it again -I even love those friendly men
Those friendly men who've come today,
In clean white coats to take me away!!!!
I love it more and more each day.
I love my boss he is the best!
I love his boss and all the rest.
I love my office and its location, I hate to have to go on vacation
I love my furniture, drab and gray, and piles of paper that grow each day
I think my job is really swell, there's nothing else I love so well
I love to work among my peers, I love their leers and jeers and sneers
I love my computer and its software;
I hug it often though it won't care. I love each program and every file
I'd love them more if they worked a while.
I am happy to be here. I am. I am.
I'm the happiest slave of the firm, I am.
I love this work, I love these chores.
I love the meetings with deadly bores.
I love my job - I'll say it again -I even love those friendly men
Those friendly men who've come today,
In clean white coats to take me away!!!!
Dreamland Deja Vu
I had a dream two nights ago. Amazingly, I was in the same setting as a dream many weeks before.
It was about me either jumping over some hurdle and across a ditch (in the same leap) or in reverse fashion.
I made a mental note to write it down when I woke up in the morning but alas, when I woke up, I could not remember a thing.
But the setting in the dream was the same.
Sometimes I wish I can awaken my subconscious or even remember my past. How wonderful it would be. I wonder if I'm getting there.
It was about me either jumping over some hurdle and across a ditch (in the same leap) or in reverse fashion.
I made a mental note to write it down when I woke up in the morning but alas, when I woke up, I could not remember a thing.
But the setting in the dream was the same.
Sometimes I wish I can awaken my subconscious or even remember my past. How wonderful it would be. I wonder if I'm getting there.
The Dearth of Reaffirmation
Perhaps it is the reticent Asian ways. Or maybe it is the general reluctance of Asians to openly show approval or encouragement. Maybe Asians believe stinting on praises inspire people to shore up their performance in order to earn them. Or maybe Asians just take others for granted.
I am not sure. I am Asian myself.
Asian examiners and examination scorers hold fast to the belief that there is no such thing as a perfect performance. No essay should score more than 8 out of 10. Any Asian marker would rather be caught dead than award the score that a sublime essay truly deserves.
I used to be like that. However, the world out there does not bear this perverted mentality out.
Olympic gymnasts score 10.0 - the perfect score. Divers score close to perfect scores for well-executed dives. If the panel consists of Asian adjudicators, they'll all score less than 80%.
Asians need a fundamental review of such a mindset.
I am not sure. I am Asian myself.
Asian examiners and examination scorers hold fast to the belief that there is no such thing as a perfect performance. No essay should score more than 8 out of 10. Any Asian marker would rather be caught dead than award the score that a sublime essay truly deserves.
I used to be like that. However, the world out there does not bear this perverted mentality out.
Olympic gymnasts score 10.0 - the perfect score. Divers score close to perfect scores for well-executed dives. If the panel consists of Asian adjudicators, they'll all score less than 80%.
Asians need a fundamental review of such a mindset.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Where to go for vacation?
You know, I am stumped this year. I have not taken a real vacation - those day trips across the Causeway to Malaysia don't count - and I have absolutely no idea where to go.
The only place where I had an interest to (re)visit is NYC but there are no more tickets for early December.
I admit budget is another consideration. I so am hell not going to spend on a bomb on places which I do not exactly fancy, like some southern hemisphere destinations, or for that matter, destinations within 4 flight hours of Singapore.
My longest trip so far this year is a 32-hour Beijing work trip.
Where should I go? I don't want to do a traveller's trip - they are so sterile. I want to meet real folks and visit every day places, where I can get into their lives and see how folks elsewhere live.
Either my standards are getting higher again or I am going back to the basics. I just think I have learned to appreciate life better.
The only place where I had an interest to (re)visit is NYC but there are no more tickets for early December.
I admit budget is another consideration. I so am hell not going to spend on a bomb on places which I do not exactly fancy, like some southern hemisphere destinations, or for that matter, destinations within 4 flight hours of Singapore.
My longest trip so far this year is a 32-hour Beijing work trip.
Where should I go? I don't want to do a traveller's trip - they are so sterile. I want to meet real folks and visit every day places, where I can get into their lives and see how folks elsewhere live.
Either my standards are getting higher again or I am going back to the basics. I just think I have learned to appreciate life better.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Haircuts
Just had a haircut on Friday evening.
My usual barber had left just 10 minutes before I arrived; my fault for not calling him to tell him about my visit earler. I let his partner - the guy he shared the shop with - cut my hair instead.
The feeling after a haircut actually tells you if the job was done satisfactorily.
Although this guy is new to my mop of natural curls, he did a reasonably good job. Meticulous and careful. He trimmed the hair and tried to replicate what my usual barber would have done.
In the end, it was still a trifle short of my expectations. But I must say that his earnesty and dedication left me with a deep impression. I went away feeling that my hair had been given a good treatment and I felt great.
Does not mean that I would give my usual barber a miss, but there is at least one other whom I could turn to for my wilful mop of curls.
[For the record, I keep the hair short enough so the effect of the curls is merely to keep the hair in place. My hair looks permanently styled without gel. And today, a colleague said I look "cute" with my new haircut. It works, since I get the same comments after each haircut.]
A badly done haircut is a pain altogether. My sister, who had her hair cut this afternoon, was bitching about how badly the job was done. It was, since it looked worse than a mangled poodle's coat. She was evidently not happy with the works.
My point? Well, not much of a point. Just that a good haircut is probably a great mood enhancer and sure beats loads of hair styling products.
My usual barber had left just 10 minutes before I arrived; my fault for not calling him to tell him about my visit earler. I let his partner - the guy he shared the shop with - cut my hair instead.
The feeling after a haircut actually tells you if the job was done satisfactorily.
Although this guy is new to my mop of natural curls, he did a reasonably good job. Meticulous and careful. He trimmed the hair and tried to replicate what my usual barber would have done.
In the end, it was still a trifle short of my expectations. But I must say that his earnesty and dedication left me with a deep impression. I went away feeling that my hair had been given a good treatment and I felt great.
Does not mean that I would give my usual barber a miss, but there is at least one other whom I could turn to for my wilful mop of curls.
[For the record, I keep the hair short enough so the effect of the curls is merely to keep the hair in place. My hair looks permanently styled without gel. And today, a colleague said I look "cute" with my new haircut. It works, since I get the same comments after each haircut.]
A badly done haircut is a pain altogether. My sister, who had her hair cut this afternoon, was bitching about how badly the job was done. It was, since it looked worse than a mangled poodle's coat. She was evidently not happy with the works.
My point? Well, not much of a point. Just that a good haircut is probably a great mood enhancer and sure beats loads of hair styling products.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I'm not wrong to...
There are a lot of posts of morals and ethics recently, both on my blogs as well as some blogs I'm reading.
The problems arise because different people guard different goal posts for the morals and ethics that they hold close to them.
As a result, no one thinks s/he is wrong. Often, one also thinks s/he may not be right.
This dilemma is called "moral relativism", one which moderate, thinking, sensible adults face.
How do we get remove the dilemma? There is no right or wrong or quick answer. It would also be naive to believe that by becoming a "moral or ethical absolutist", such problems will go away.
They never will because even absolute morals or ethics are not universal.
So you ask, do we then wring our hands in despair?
I don't think so. We should not do that. Instead, think of universal love. Do unto others what you would do unto your loved ones, your wife/husband, your parents, your children.
For example, if you won't feed them concrete dust enhanced walnut cookies, don't expect the rest of the world to eat them.
Perhaps by appealing to love, things might take a change for the better.
The problems arise because different people guard different goal posts for the morals and ethics that they hold close to them.
As a result, no one thinks s/he is wrong. Often, one also thinks s/he may not be right.
This dilemma is called "moral relativism", one which moderate, thinking, sensible adults face.
How do we get remove the dilemma? There is no right or wrong or quick answer. It would also be naive to believe that by becoming a "moral or ethical absolutist", such problems will go away.
They never will because even absolute morals or ethics are not universal.
So you ask, do we then wring our hands in despair?
I don't think so. We should not do that. Instead, think of universal love. Do unto others what you would do unto your loved ones, your wife/husband, your parents, your children.
For example, if you won't feed them concrete dust enhanced walnut cookies, don't expect the rest of the world to eat them.
Perhaps by appealing to love, things might take a change for the better.
Suicide
(A good blonde joke to brighten up your day.)
A blonde hurried into the hospital emergency room late one night with the tip of her index finger shot off.
"How did this happen?," the emergency room doctor asked her.
"Well, I was trying to commit suicide," the blonde replied.
"What?" sputtered the doctor? "You tried to commit suicide by shooting off the tip of your finger?"
"No, silly!" the blonde said. "First, I put the gun to my chest, and I thought, 'I just paid $6,000 for these; I'm not shooting myself in the chest."
"So then?" asked the doctor.
"Then I put the gun in my mouth, and I thought, 'I just paid $3,000 to get my teeth straightened; I'm not shooting myself in the mouth."
"So, then?"
"Then I put the gun to my ear, and I thought 'This is going to make a loud noise, so I put my finger in the other ear before I pulled the trigger."
A blonde hurried into the hospital emergency room late one night with the tip of her index finger shot off.
"How did this happen?," the emergency room doctor asked her.
"Well, I was trying to commit suicide," the blonde replied.
"What?" sputtered the doctor? "You tried to commit suicide by shooting off the tip of your finger?"
"No, silly!" the blonde said. "First, I put the gun to my chest, and I thought, 'I just paid $6,000 for these; I'm not shooting myself in the chest."
"So then?" asked the doctor.
"Then I put the gun in my mouth, and I thought, 'I just paid $3,000 to get my teeth straightened; I'm not shooting myself in the mouth."
"So, then?"
"Then I put the gun to my ear, and I thought 'This is going to make a loud noise, so I put my finger in the other ear before I pulled the trigger."
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Made in China
Was famished during the latter part of the day yesterday. No surprise that I actually digested my noodles lunch much faster than I did.
Went for dinner at the food centre near the former Housing & Development Board at Bukit Merah and after that, walked around a bit.
Stopped outside the NTUC supermarket. They had an entire range of biscuits on sale. Normally, you could never hold me back from buying nicely packed biscuits. Even if I buy them and eventually have to give them away, I'd gladly do it. It's just a bad habit, if you might. These biscuits looked especially tempting for afternoon tea time, especially if my hunger pangs attack.
I picked up a purple pack which screamed "Walnut Cookies" in cute cartoon Chinese letters.
Then I placed it back, took a second glance and walked off shaking my head.
No way am I feeding myself "Made in China" cookies. Who knows what flour they used. Perhaps they are fortified with ground concrete from the buildings they had torn down. Or termite digested wood dust?
Went for dinner at the food centre near the former Housing & Development Board at Bukit Merah and after that, walked around a bit.
Stopped outside the NTUC supermarket. They had an entire range of biscuits on sale. Normally, you could never hold me back from buying nicely packed biscuits. Even if I buy them and eventually have to give them away, I'd gladly do it. It's just a bad habit, if you might. These biscuits looked especially tempting for afternoon tea time, especially if my hunger pangs attack.
I picked up a purple pack which screamed "Walnut Cookies" in cute cartoon Chinese letters.
Then I placed it back, took a second glance and walked off shaking my head.
No way am I feeding myself "Made in China" cookies. Who knows what flour they used. Perhaps they are fortified with ground concrete from the buildings they had torn down. Or termite digested wood dust?
Monday, August 20, 2007
Commonsense is NOT common
I am not here to pass a judgement or criticise anyone or his/her beliefs. I hope to appeal to commonsense.
Suppose, I say suppose, all "albino lepers with life threatening diseases" are gay and vice versa. Suppose that these gay albino lepers with life threatening diseases are offsprings of "seemingly perfectly normal" parents.
Would you raise a moral ruckus about them being gay?
Would you even moralise that being gay was going to condemn them to burn in the eternal flames of hell?
Would you deny them the rights of at least domestic partnership or civil union to help them live out their lives meaningfully?
In good sense, I would agree that the State criminalises their performing gross acts or attempting solicitation in public. However, would you require the legislation to be extended to their consensual actions in their private sancta, away from public eyes?
This post was written some time ago and edited for currency today. I held it back because of several reasons, one of which was to see if any Singaporean shared my thoughts. Today, in the Singapore broadsheet, "The Straits Times", I noticed an article where 4 out of 5 graduates, some pursuing post-graduate degrees, supported a re-think of gay rights and laws. This is in stark contrast to the earlier claim that "6 out of 10 heartlanders" opposed to homosexualism in a survey, which was criticised for poor question phrasing.
Before you start calling me names, this post is not meant to be controversial or to add to the fire that the writers started. It is to be educational - at least for me.
Shade, one of my readers, mentioned that the repeal of the gay laws was difficult because of a "vocal minority" who happens to be of certain religious affiliation. I tried recalling from my readings of the religious texts of three different religions if there were anything said about this topic.
I am unsuccessful, given my shallow knowledge.
I'm just very curious where is it explicitly written in any religious scriptures or teachings that gays ought to burn in hell or words to express eternal condemnation of such people.
As far as I know, religions teach us to love one another regardless. However, Man has imposed personal values, personal morals and personal judgements on religion, which was meant to be bias-free.
For example, for couples with the ability to bring the love to the next levels and eventually either end in marriage or child bearing, it seemed normal and logical. However, the goal-posts for the sanctity of the institution of marriage have moved with the times. Society is seeing more divorces, more desertions, more domestic maid-raised kids and more unwanted pregnancies. Society has also kept silent on extra-marital affairs and pre-marital sex. Yet, homosexual acts, which can also be monogamous, are "immoral".
Recently, Minister-Mentor Lee spoke in public that being gay was "genetic", i.e. it was not by choice. His words did not go down well with the masses. However, if a person would think logically, all living things have been designed to facilitate the survival of the fittest. Think mimicry, ageing, sickness, asexual reproduction, androgyny. Homosexuality is also one form of natural selection.
Appealing to Darwinian theory on the survival of the fittest, would one consider the argument that gay gene being latent in all humans but it is activated for people who need to be genetically pre-disposed towards extinction? That is, they become gay when their genes are no longer strong enough or desirable enough to re-enter the gene pool for the next generation.
If nature has dealt these people a bad hand, is nurture going to make it worse?
Are these people not entitled to a companion to live out their lives with a companion equally afflicted in both genetics and orientation? Imagine the initial feeling when one discovers s/he is only attracted to other people with the same equipment as he/she has when "everyone else" sought out complementary equipments.
It may seem trivial but would any person choose to marginalise himself or herself VOLUNTARILY? If underneath the normal looking gay guy/gal is really an "albino leper with life threatening diseases", would heterosexual holy matrimony bring about marital bliss? Would there be real love? Or would we see a never-ending run of Brokeback Mountain (gay guys in straight marriages seeking out private trysts)?
What happened to all the teachings about love REGARDLESS?
This blogger supports the repeal of Section 377 and repeal/amendments to Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code.
Suppose, I say suppose, all "albino lepers with life threatening diseases" are gay and vice versa. Suppose that these gay albino lepers with life threatening diseases are offsprings of "seemingly perfectly normal" parents.
Would you raise a moral ruckus about them being gay?
Would you even moralise that being gay was going to condemn them to burn in the eternal flames of hell?
Would you deny them the rights of at least domestic partnership or civil union to help them live out their lives meaningfully?
In good sense, I would agree that the State criminalises their performing gross acts or attempting solicitation in public. However, would you require the legislation to be extended to their consensual actions in their private sancta, away from public eyes?
This post was written some time ago and edited for currency today. I held it back because of several reasons, one of which was to see if any Singaporean shared my thoughts. Today, in the Singapore broadsheet, "The Straits Times", I noticed an article where 4 out of 5 graduates, some pursuing post-graduate degrees, supported a re-think of gay rights and laws. This is in stark contrast to the earlier claim that "6 out of 10 heartlanders" opposed to homosexualism in a survey, which was criticised for poor question phrasing.
Before you start calling me names, this post is not meant to be controversial or to add to the fire that the writers started. It is to be educational - at least for me.
Shade, one of my readers, mentioned that the repeal of the gay laws was difficult because of a "vocal minority" who happens to be of certain religious affiliation. I tried recalling from my readings of the religious texts of three different religions if there were anything said about this topic.
I am unsuccessful, given my shallow knowledge.
I'm just very curious where is it explicitly written in any religious scriptures or teachings that gays ought to burn in hell or words to express eternal condemnation of such people.
As far as I know, religions teach us to love one another regardless. However, Man has imposed personal values, personal morals and personal judgements on religion, which was meant to be bias-free.
For example, for couples with the ability to bring the love to the next levels and eventually either end in marriage or child bearing, it seemed normal and logical. However, the goal-posts for the sanctity of the institution of marriage have moved with the times. Society is seeing more divorces, more desertions, more domestic maid-raised kids and more unwanted pregnancies. Society has also kept silent on extra-marital affairs and pre-marital sex. Yet, homosexual acts, which can also be monogamous, are "immoral".
Recently, Minister-Mentor Lee spoke in public that being gay was "genetic", i.e. it was not by choice. His words did not go down well with the masses. However, if a person would think logically, all living things have been designed to facilitate the survival of the fittest. Think mimicry, ageing, sickness, asexual reproduction, androgyny. Homosexuality is also one form of natural selection.
Appealing to Darwinian theory on the survival of the fittest, would one consider the argument that gay gene being latent in all humans but it is activated for people who need to be genetically pre-disposed towards extinction? That is, they become gay when their genes are no longer strong enough or desirable enough to re-enter the gene pool for the next generation.
If nature has dealt these people a bad hand, is nurture going to make it worse?
Are these people not entitled to a companion to live out their lives with a companion equally afflicted in both genetics and orientation? Imagine the initial feeling when one discovers s/he is only attracted to other people with the same equipment as he/she has when "everyone else" sought out complementary equipments.
It may seem trivial but would any person choose to marginalise himself or herself VOLUNTARILY? If underneath the normal looking gay guy/gal is really an "albino leper with life threatening diseases", would heterosexual holy matrimony bring about marital bliss? Would there be real love? Or would we see a never-ending run of Brokeback Mountain (gay guys in straight marriages seeking out private trysts)?
What happened to all the teachings about love REGARDLESS?
This blogger supports the repeal of Section 377 and repeal/amendments to Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code.
Friday, August 17, 2007
New Terrorism?
18 million toys recalled because of lead paint fears. Those numbers really made my eyes pop out. Imagine if each toy cost $1. It'll be $18 million!
And that on the back of recalls involving faulty tyres, toxic toothpaste, toxic petfood and seafood.
Smacks of a new kind of terrorism where you pay to have yourself killed.
While the producers of such products can be sued for whatever ill-motives you can trump against them, consumers also need to ask themselves if they really, indeed, need another one of those "Murder Me" Elmos sitting on the product shelf looking at you with inviting eyes.
And that on the back of recalls involving faulty tyres, toxic toothpaste, toxic petfood and seafood.
Smacks of a new kind of terrorism where you pay to have yourself killed.
While the producers of such products can be sued for whatever ill-motives you can trump against them, consumers also need to ask themselves if they really, indeed, need another one of those "Murder Me" Elmos sitting on the product shelf looking at you with inviting eyes.
An Unexpected Award
Fraser nominated me for the "Nice Matters Award". He describes me as one of the "folks who should be considered for the 'Nice Matters Award', or the 'Okay Sort of Person Award'."
It's amazing how a simple act like this makes you perk up. It is especially touching when it comes from a cyber-friend whom you've never met - except through writing and stills.
Thank you so much, Mr Stern! Thank you for being so nice a fellow friend as well.
It's amazing how a simple act like this makes you perk up. It is especially touching when it comes from a cyber-friend whom you've never met - except through writing and stills.
Thank you so much, Mr Stern! Thank you for being so nice a fellow friend as well.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Best to carry a prescription list
Went for my usual check-up at SGH yesterday.
It was a new doctor attending to me; the last went on a secondment to earn more moolah at one of Singapore's leading private hospitals.
To cut the very long story short, the new doctor first missed one regular medicine. It was only when I recalled the name of the medicine that he managed to find it on the drop down list. *GASP!*
Then he prescribed the wrong dosages. It took me nearly 2 hours (over an hour waiting and a good period waiting for the pharmacist to contact the doctor to get the prescription changed) before I managed to get my medicine.
As a highly educated young guy, I have the frame of mind and ability to remember the medicines I take. Even if I could not remember the exact dosages, I remember the colour of the pills.
Imagine an old folk or a less meticulous person taking back the under-strengthed medicine. I hate to think of the consequences.
Moral of the story: Carry your prescription list with you at all times. Or else, summarise it into a credit card sized card and slot in your wallet. Show it to the doctor! Maybe that's why Medic Awas is such a great idea for folks in general.
It was a new doctor attending to me; the last went on a secondment to earn more moolah at one of Singapore's leading private hospitals.
To cut the very long story short, the new doctor first missed one regular medicine. It was only when I recalled the name of the medicine that he managed to find it on the drop down list. *GASP!*
Then he prescribed the wrong dosages. It took me nearly 2 hours (over an hour waiting and a good period waiting for the pharmacist to contact the doctor to get the prescription changed) before I managed to get my medicine.
As a highly educated young guy, I have the frame of mind and ability to remember the medicines I take. Even if I could not remember the exact dosages, I remember the colour of the pills.
Imagine an old folk or a less meticulous person taking back the under-strengthed medicine. I hate to think of the consequences.
Moral of the story: Carry your prescription list with you at all times. Or else, summarise it into a credit card sized card and slot in your wallet. Show it to the doctor! Maybe that's why Medic Awas is such a great idea for folks in general.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
An Example of A Selfless Mentor
Kai Tak and my rodeo kid
How I nearly took away his chance to do that last dance
Elmo Jayawardena
11 August 2007
TODAY (Singapore)
A FEW months back, I was in Hong Kong visiting a charity organisation to seek assistance for a project. They had an enormous warehouse filled to the brim with anything and everything - ready to be sent to places where people in need pleaded.
The store surroundings looked familiar. Then I realised I was standing where the old Kai Tak airport was - now pastured and replaced by the glamour of the new Hong Kong International Airport.
Yes, I have been there before; many times at that, bringing jet aeroplanes in to land on runway 13, turning at the famous chequered board at 600 feet and pointing at the short runway besieged by the sea.
The final turn and approach was made between skyscrapers that stood on either side like sentinels and one could spot the laundry hanging outside the windows of flats (picture).
The chequered board was fixed to the mountainside; a big board with orange and yellow squares, clearly to say "turn now, beyond this is damnation".
That was Kai Tak, surrounded by hills, minimum length to stop and the weather gods playing their fancy games so often that we, mere mortals who flew the machines, were nothing but puppets on a string.
But we managed, day in and day out, to put our aeroplanes down and brake like crazy to make sure we didn't overrun and tip into the water.
When the skies were friendly, it was a thrill to land at Kai Tak. The runway usually was 13 and the wind rolled from the east, nice and steady. Coming past Green Island, we see the chequered board in front, telling us we have to change direction lest we, too, get pasted on the same mountain.
Then came the turn, low and precise, to make the final approach; and the laundry run, to fly between the buildings and place the wheels precisely at touchdown point to avoid going swimming.
Each time a pilot landed in Hong Kong in the olden days, there was that gleam in the eye.
I've seen it a hundred times in my co-pilots and I've felt the same whenever I made the approach; the accomplishment of doing something right where the demand was high which made the adrenalin go on over-drive.
During a typhoon, it was a different story altogether.
The winds sheared, gusted, backed and veered and the rain swept across the field, diminishing visibility. Dark grey clouds hung low, covering the mountains and the chequered board was hardly visible.
We went in by the leading lights, which were very powerful strobes that throbbed, giving us a path to follow to take us to the laundry lane - all this with the wind playing a wild symphony and the rain pattering down like machine-gun fire.
Most times, lining up on the runway for the short final run was almost impossible and that is where a pilot's skill mattered, kicking rudders and wagging wings like a mad man playing drums just so the aeroplane landed and stopped all within that little wet and slippery runway, with
the sea awaiting with open jaws for a luckless pilot's mistake.
I remember my last flight to Kai Tak, in the June of 1998. I left home determined to do the landing. Most days, I would let the co-pilot fly. I've seen a lot of this airfield and the younger pilots were always grateful for a swing at Hong Kong.
But this was my final flight to Kai Tak and I saved the last dance for me, just like the Drifters sang.
The co-pilot was young and he mentioned he'd never landed in Hong Kong. It was a hard call - I could not let this young man go and run through a flying career having never landed in Kai Tak.
Maybe years later, his first-officer would ask about the infamous Kai Tak approach and my friend would have to answer that he never did it.
All in all, the deck was stacked against me. There is something called professional courtesy and out went my last dance - "son, you take it to Hong Kong".
The weather was bad, the winds were howling, and we went in. The young man turned at 600 feet and the aircraft was bucking and jumping and he hung in there like a rodeo kid, but that wasn't enough.
Three hundred feet to go, we were pointing at mountains and the field was almost below us and then I took over and went around to the safety of the sky.
In an aeroplane, if I ever took over from a co-pilot, I never gave it back. I flew it and landed it - that was the golden rule, the safe approach.
The rodeo kid and I were now loitering in the sky to await our turn to make the next run. Then it hit me like a thunderbolt.
The same co-pilot, years later, would be a captain. And when his co-pilot asked him about Kai Tak and how it was to fly in, he would have to say: "I got one chance and I blew it. Couldn't make the field and the captain had to take over."
There was no way I could crucify this young man's soul, make him poor as gutter water in a field where professional prestige mattered most.
"Son, you take it in - go and land this aeroplane."
That's precisely what he did. He waltzed with the wind, came through the clouds, turned at the chequered board, flew down the laundry lane and lined up the big 747 on the short runway to land as smooth as Mr Neil did on the moon.
Then I saw the glitter in his eye. Last dance or no dance, I wouldn't have traded anything for that look - that's what flying was all about.
It is possible that my rodeo-kid friend would read what I write and remember. It was all between him and me and the old Kai Tak Airport.
He, I am sure, is by now a captain. I like to think that he, too, would at times give away his turn to dance just to see the gleam in a fledgling's eyes. That should be the legacy.
If not, what would we be worth as professional pilots?
The writer served SIA for 19 years as a 747 captain and instructor. He is also the founder/president of AFLAC International (www.aflacinternational.com ), a humanitarian organisation.
How I nearly took away his chance to do that last dance
Elmo Jayawardena
11 August 2007
TODAY (Singapore)
A FEW months back, I was in Hong Kong visiting a charity organisation to seek assistance for a project. They had an enormous warehouse filled to the brim with anything and everything - ready to be sent to places where people in need pleaded.
The store surroundings looked familiar. Then I realised I was standing where the old Kai Tak airport was - now pastured and replaced by the glamour of the new Hong Kong International Airport.
Yes, I have been there before; many times at that, bringing jet aeroplanes in to land on runway 13, turning at the famous chequered board at 600 feet and pointing at the short runway besieged by the sea.
The final turn and approach was made between skyscrapers that stood on either side like sentinels and one could spot the laundry hanging outside the windows of flats (picture).
The chequered board was fixed to the mountainside; a big board with orange and yellow squares, clearly to say "turn now, beyond this is damnation".
That was Kai Tak, surrounded by hills, minimum length to stop and the weather gods playing their fancy games so often that we, mere mortals who flew the machines, were nothing but puppets on a string.
But we managed, day in and day out, to put our aeroplanes down and brake like crazy to make sure we didn't overrun and tip into the water.
When the skies were friendly, it was a thrill to land at Kai Tak. The runway usually was 13 and the wind rolled from the east, nice and steady. Coming past Green Island, we see the chequered board in front, telling us we have to change direction lest we, too, get pasted on the same mountain.
Then came the turn, low and precise, to make the final approach; and the laundry run, to fly between the buildings and place the wheels precisely at touchdown point to avoid going swimming.
Each time a pilot landed in Hong Kong in the olden days, there was that gleam in the eye.
I've seen it a hundred times in my co-pilots and I've felt the same whenever I made the approach; the accomplishment of doing something right where the demand was high which made the adrenalin go on over-drive.
During a typhoon, it was a different story altogether.
The winds sheared, gusted, backed and veered and the rain swept across the field, diminishing visibility. Dark grey clouds hung low, covering the mountains and the chequered board was hardly visible.
We went in by the leading lights, which were very powerful strobes that throbbed, giving us a path to follow to take us to the laundry lane - all this with the wind playing a wild symphony and the rain pattering down like machine-gun fire.
Most times, lining up on the runway for the short final run was almost impossible and that is where a pilot's skill mattered, kicking rudders and wagging wings like a mad man playing drums just so the aeroplane landed and stopped all within that little wet and slippery runway, with
the sea awaiting with open jaws for a luckless pilot's mistake.
I remember my last flight to Kai Tak, in the June of 1998. I left home determined to do the landing. Most days, I would let the co-pilot fly. I've seen a lot of this airfield and the younger pilots were always grateful for a swing at Hong Kong.
But this was my final flight to Kai Tak and I saved the last dance for me, just like the Drifters sang.
The co-pilot was young and he mentioned he'd never landed in Hong Kong. It was a hard call - I could not let this young man go and run through a flying career having never landed in Kai Tak.
Maybe years later, his first-officer would ask about the infamous Kai Tak approach and my friend would have to answer that he never did it.
All in all, the deck was stacked against me. There is something called professional courtesy and out went my last dance - "son, you take it to Hong Kong".
The weather was bad, the winds were howling, and we went in. The young man turned at 600 feet and the aircraft was bucking and jumping and he hung in there like a rodeo kid, but that wasn't enough.
Three hundred feet to go, we were pointing at mountains and the field was almost below us and then I took over and went around to the safety of the sky.
In an aeroplane, if I ever took over from a co-pilot, I never gave it back. I flew it and landed it - that was the golden rule, the safe approach.
The rodeo kid and I were now loitering in the sky to await our turn to make the next run. Then it hit me like a thunderbolt.
The same co-pilot, years later, would be a captain. And when his co-pilot asked him about Kai Tak and how it was to fly in, he would have to say: "I got one chance and I blew it. Couldn't make the field and the captain had to take over."
There was no way I could crucify this young man's soul, make him poor as gutter water in a field where professional prestige mattered most.
"Son, you take it in - go and land this aeroplane."
That's precisely what he did. He waltzed with the wind, came through the clouds, turned at the chequered board, flew down the laundry lane and lined up the big 747 on the short runway to land as smooth as Mr Neil did on the moon.
Then I saw the glitter in his eye. Last dance or no dance, I wouldn't have traded anything for that look - that's what flying was all about.
It is possible that my rodeo-kid friend would read what I write and remember. It was all between him and me and the old Kai Tak Airport.
He, I am sure, is by now a captain. I like to think that he, too, would at times give away his turn to dance just to see the gleam in a fledgling's eyes. That should be the legacy.
If not, what would we be worth as professional pilots?
The writer served SIA for 19 years as a 747 captain and instructor. He is also the founder/president of AFLAC International (www.aflacinternational.com ), a humanitarian organisation.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Happy 42nd National Day, Singapore!
It's time to leave your emotional baggage behind and go for a makeover.
Leave the cursed colonial legacies behind.
Update your social laws to the 21st century.
Awaken yourself to the needs of the diverse nation you want to be.
Come alive!
Leave the cursed colonial legacies behind.
Update your social laws to the 21st century.
Awaken yourself to the needs of the diverse nation you want to be.
Come alive!
Singapore's 42nd National Day
Some things I hope to see in Singapore
1. Better road transportation.
Fewer cars, better and more considerate drivers, high road usage charge for congested areas, extremely high petrol taxes, affordable public transportation with extensive network and good plying frequencies.
2. Less time for the world out there, more time for me and my loved ones.
If work-life balance is to be achieved, there is a need to kill more than just the 5.5-day work week sacred cow. We are still made to appear 44.5 hours in office (at least) weekly. However, I work in the night to meet incredulous deadlines! Therefore, there should be a fundamental re-think about the hours in the office.
3. Benefits for Single Singaporeans.
For a start, allowing single Singaporeans to own government flats at an earlier age and at least ONE subsidy. Recognise domestic partnerships for gay couples. Allow single Singaporeans a lower tax rate at lower income ranges. Extend pro-rated family benefits to singles and those in domestic partnerships. Allow use of medisave in domestic partnerships.
4. Enforce and raid heinous crimes, but do not intrude into private, harmless acts.
The police has come out to say that they would stay out of bedrooms of consenting adults. Heartening news indeed.
5. Diversity means tolerance.
Manage possible provocation arising from social issues (outside of religious and racial lines). Only this way can Singapore be able to expand the citizens' scope to what the real world out there really is. Differences are to be respected and tolerated, not discriminated against or persecuted.
6. Tweak the education system.
Celebrate inabilities. Not all are cut out to be top scholars. Some school failures were great businessmen making lots of money. Some have become the pride of the country. Provide more avenues for these people to thrive. Abolish compulsory education beyond 8 years. By 14 or 15, one would know if education or further studies are suitable for the child. Do not waste another two years of his or her life. Let them progress to technical, performing, art, whatever school.
If we can get these, it would be a start.
1. Better road transportation.
Fewer cars, better and more considerate drivers, high road usage charge for congested areas, extremely high petrol taxes, affordable public transportation with extensive network and good plying frequencies.
2. Less time for the world out there, more time for me and my loved ones.
If work-life balance is to be achieved, there is a need to kill more than just the 5.5-day work week sacred cow. We are still made to appear 44.5 hours in office (at least) weekly. However, I work in the night to meet incredulous deadlines! Therefore, there should be a fundamental re-think about the hours in the office.
3. Benefits for Single Singaporeans.
For a start, allowing single Singaporeans to own government flats at an earlier age and at least ONE subsidy. Recognise domestic partnerships for gay couples. Allow single Singaporeans a lower tax rate at lower income ranges. Extend pro-rated family benefits to singles and those in domestic partnerships. Allow use of medisave in domestic partnerships.
4. Enforce and raid heinous crimes, but do not intrude into private, harmless acts.
The police has come out to say that they would stay out of bedrooms of consenting adults. Heartening news indeed.
5. Diversity means tolerance.
Manage possible provocation arising from social issues (outside of religious and racial lines). Only this way can Singapore be able to expand the citizens' scope to what the real world out there really is. Differences are to be respected and tolerated, not discriminated against or persecuted.
6. Tweak the education system.
Celebrate inabilities. Not all are cut out to be top scholars. Some school failures were great businessmen making lots of money. Some have become the pride of the country. Provide more avenues for these people to thrive. Abolish compulsory education beyond 8 years. By 14 or 15, one would know if education or further studies are suitable for the child. Do not waste another two years of his or her life. Let them progress to technical, performing, art, whatever school.
If we can get these, it would be a start.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
So easy yet so difficult
Why?
Why is it so easy for two people who have committed to stay together to as naturally decide that it is time to go their own ways?
Is the institution called Marriage so fragile, so unaccommodating, so ephemeral? Is it not possible to keep the love in the marriage? Does marriage always have to be the graveyard of love?
Rodney Atkins thinks not. See how easy it is, so long as one has the faith and the other has the love.
Honesty (Write Me A List)
By Rodney Atkins
He said: "Just think it over, and write me a list,
"So we can figure out what we both deserve."
She hardly could believe it, that their love had come to this:
Dividing an' deciding his and hers.
But she grabbed a paper napkin, an' asked the waitress for a pen.
An' one by one, she wrote down what she wanted most from him.
"Honesty, sincerity, tenderness and trust.
"A little less time for the rest of the world,
"And more for the two of us.
"Kisses each mornin', 'I love you's' at night,
"Just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me."
She reached across the table an' placed it in his hand,
An' said: "You know this isn't easy for me."
As he thought about the new car, the house an' the land,
An' wondered what that bottom line would be.
An' a thousand other things that she'd want him to leave behind,
But he never dreamed he'd open up that napkin and find:
"Honesty, sincerity, tenderness and trust.
"A little less time for the rest of the world,
"And more for the two of us.
"Kisses each mornin', 'I love you's' at night,
"Just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me."
Well, he fought back the tears, as he looked in her eyes,
An' said: "I don't know where to start."
An' she said: "Everything on that list in your hand,
"Is hidden somewhere in your heart.
"Honesty, sincerity, just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me."
Why is it so easy for two people who have committed to stay together to as naturally decide that it is time to go their own ways?
Is the institution called Marriage so fragile, so unaccommodating, so ephemeral? Is it not possible to keep the love in the marriage? Does marriage always have to be the graveyard of love?
Rodney Atkins thinks not. See how easy it is, so long as one has the faith and the other has the love.
Honesty (Write Me A List)
By Rodney Atkins
He said: "Just think it over, and write me a list,
"So we can figure out what we both deserve."
She hardly could believe it, that their love had come to this:
Dividing an' deciding his and hers.
But she grabbed a paper napkin, an' asked the waitress for a pen.
An' one by one, she wrote down what she wanted most from him.
"Honesty, sincerity, tenderness and trust.
"A little less time for the rest of the world,
"And more for the two of us.
"Kisses each mornin', 'I love you's' at night,
"Just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me."
She reached across the table an' placed it in his hand,
An' said: "You know this isn't easy for me."
As he thought about the new car, the house an' the land,
An' wondered what that bottom line would be.
An' a thousand other things that she'd want him to leave behind,
But he never dreamed he'd open up that napkin and find:
"Honesty, sincerity, tenderness and trust.
"A little less time for the rest of the world,
"And more for the two of us.
"Kisses each mornin', 'I love you's' at night,
"Just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me."
Well, he fought back the tears, as he looked in her eyes,
An' said: "I don't know where to start."
An' she said: "Everything on that list in your hand,
"Is hidden somewhere in your heart.
"Honesty, sincerity, just like it used to be.
"The way life was when you were in love with me."
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Goodbye July 2007
An entire month
Sick - tonsilitis, sinusitis
Stuck with endless work
Have no time to rest
On receiving end of scolding for fault not mine
Living day-by-day, no second-by-second
Every day is living torture
Makes me want to puke
One bout of cought after another
No medicine seemed strong enough
The early month recurring fevers
Hacking cough ripping apart my lugs
Let's hope August brings better tidings.
Sick - tonsilitis, sinusitis
Stuck with endless work
Have no time to rest
On receiving end of scolding for fault not mine
Living day-by-day, no second-by-second
Every day is living torture
Makes me want to puke
One bout of cought after another
No medicine seemed strong enough
The early month recurring fevers
Hacking cough ripping apart my lugs
Let's hope August brings better tidings.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
From Tonsils to Sinuses
Yes, if you are wondering.
My tonsilitis have cleared and now the sinuses are infected instead.
I nearly coughed my lungs out on Sunday and Monday.
Was telling a friend that I'd sooner get an abdominal 6-packs and groin hernia if I carried on coughing this way.
My friend, who was also coughing her lungs out, said with her luck, she'll probably get hernia before 6-packs.
I guess she spoke for both of us.
My tonsilitis have cleared and now the sinuses are infected instead.
I nearly coughed my lungs out on Sunday and Monday.
Was telling a friend that I'd sooner get an abdominal 6-packs and groin hernia if I carried on coughing this way.
My friend, who was also coughing her lungs out, said with her luck, she'll probably get hernia before 6-packs.
I guess she spoke for both of us.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
If these sayings got famous...
[Invitation open for new sayings.]
1. The nano-manager (as compared to micro-manager) split hair so finely he made a wig from one strand.
2. Why laugh alone when you can laugh at others?
3. The next mouthful you suck is my marrow. I've run out of blood.
4. That's enough time off, write something... - Mr T. F. Stern
5. When push comes to shove, people will always say you've not done enough.
6. What? Did you lose your job? You're blogging up a storm here. - Alan Erkkila
7. Freedom is when what you ought to do becomes what you want to do. - Ron Erkkila
8. If you married a masculine man don't try to change him, because you might not like gay. - Ron
9. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again, even if you're making a baby. What is better than having an enjoyable process without an unfortunate outcome?
10. Keep eyes and ears open and mouth shut. - Probligo
[Teflonman's note: I think this is already quite famous, no?]
11. Like the proverbial spoon with a pig up its butt... - Liberty Bob
12. Sustaining a relationship is like making a soup - the initial passion to bring the water to a boil and the sustaining love to extract the ingredients' essences .
You read them here first.
1. The nano-manager (as compared to micro-manager) split hair so finely he made a wig from one strand.
2. Why laugh alone when you can laugh at others?
3. The next mouthful you suck is my marrow. I've run out of blood.
4. That's enough time off, write something... - Mr T. F. Stern
5. When push comes to shove, people will always say you've not done enough.
6. What? Did you lose your job? You're blogging up a storm here. - Alan Erkkila
7. Freedom is when what you ought to do becomes what you want to do. - Ron Erkkila
8. If you married a masculine man don't try to change him, because you might not like gay. - Ron
9. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again, even if you're making a baby. What is better than having an enjoyable process without an unfortunate outcome?
10. Keep eyes and ears open and mouth shut. - Probligo
[Teflonman's note: I think this is already quite famous, no?]
11. Like the proverbial spoon with a pig up its butt... - Liberty Bob
12. Sustaining a relationship is like making a soup - the initial passion to bring the water to a boil and the sustaining love to extract the ingredients' essences .
You read them here first.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
1975
| In 1975 (the year you were born) |
 Gerald Ford is president of the US Evacuation of US civilians from Saigon as Communist forces complete takeover of South Vietnam FBI agents capture Patty Hearst, who is indicted and convicted of bank robbery Teamster Jimmy Hoffa disappears without a trace Marines rescue the crew of the American ship the Mayaguez near Vietnam First Lady Betty Ford says in an interview that she thinks her children have tried marijuana Natalie Imbruglia, Drew Barrymore, David Beckham, Enrique Iglesias, Angelina Jolie, and Tiger Woods are born Cincinnati Reds win the World Series Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl IX Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup Production begins on Star Wars Jaws and The Rocky Horror Picture Show are the top grossing films Soul Train premieres on television in the United States "The Way We Were" (performed by Barbara Streisand) wins the Grammy for best song Saturday Night Live and Wheel of Fortune premiere |
Sunday, July 22, 2007
One does not love breathing
Perhaps it is indeed true that one does not treasure what s/he has until it is about to be taken away from him/her.
Perhaps it is time again to take stock. Things move too quickly and before one can consolidate the occurrences, current considerations have been overtaken by new events. Like what a very close friend said to me last Friday, things are moving so fast that the important is often overtaken by the urgent. But is the urgent important?
Good question. Food for thought.
Life is too short to do the "rush to wait, wait to rush" routine that armed forces are known for.
Another friend also mentioned that the lament of youth is the lack of money to support the abundant energy and time. The Mercedes Benz advertisement got it right when it said we should live our lives in reverse.
But in the ideal world, this is not to be. I want to hold tight in my arms the offerings of the NOW so that I would not grief their passing. For until one is imminently losing something will s/he begin to appreciate its existence.
I don't want to live in such hindsight so often.
Perhaps it is time again to take stock. Things move too quickly and before one can consolidate the occurrences, current considerations have been overtaken by new events. Like what a very close friend said to me last Friday, things are moving so fast that the important is often overtaken by the urgent. But is the urgent important?
Good question. Food for thought.
Life is too short to do the "rush to wait, wait to rush" routine that armed forces are known for.
Another friend also mentioned that the lament of youth is the lack of money to support the abundant energy and time. The Mercedes Benz advertisement got it right when it said we should live our lives in reverse.
But in the ideal world, this is not to be. I want to hold tight in my arms the offerings of the NOW so that I would not grief their passing. For until one is imminently losing something will s/he begin to appreciate its existence.
I don't want to live in such hindsight so often.
I always thought it would be gluttony...
Your sins are revealed. Your fate is sealed. Your sin has been measured. Happily for you, your sin profile leaves room for forgiveness.
Just below, discover your full sinful breakdown and see the areas that you must improve, to save yourself from an eternity in hell.
Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz
Just below, discover your full sinful breakdown and see the areas that you must improve, to save yourself from an eternity in hell.
| Greed: | Low | |
| Gluttony: | Medium | |
| Wrath: | Low | |
| Sloth: | Medium | |
| Envy: | Medium | |
| Lust: | High | |
| Pride: | Medium |
Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Moments of a Lucky Man
Country music is very humbling. I only knew the line to "I had my moments..." and it was only today that I had managed give it a good hearing. Partly because I have swapped over from internet radio to iTunes. iTunes has a much clearer transmission and I finally had the opportunity to listen closely to the lyrics as I was not preoccupied with other tasks.
Moments
By Emerson Drive
(Annie Tate/Sam Tate/Dave Berg)
I was coming to the end of a long long walk
When a man crawled out of a cardboard box
Under the E. Street Bridge
Followed me on to it
I went out halfway across
With that homeless shadow tagging along
So I dug for some change
Wouldn't need it anyway
He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed
He said, You know, I haven't always been this way
I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that plane ride coming home from the war
That summer my son was born
And memories like a coat so warm
A cold wind can't get through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments
I stood there tryin' to find my nerve
Wondering if a single soul on Earth
Would care at all
Miss me when I'm gone
That old man just kept hanging around
Lookin' at me, lookin' down
I think he recognized
That look in my eyes
Standing with him there I felt ashamed
I said, You know, I haven't always been this way
I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like the day I walked away from the wine
For a woman who became my wife
And a love that, when it was right,
Could always see me through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments
I know somewhere 'round a trashcan fire tonight
That old man tells his story one more time
He says
I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that cool night on the E. Street Bridge
When a young man almost ended it
I was right there, wasn't scared a bit
And I helped to pull him through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
Oh, lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments
I've had my moments
I've had my moments
After I had listened to Moments, I just felt I had to share it with the readers. There is a poignancy, a kind of reminder that your time in the sun will not last forever. You have your moments and they will become moments for the people after you.
A little sentimental today. Maybe it is the "phew" feeling now that TFS is back. Maybe also it is a good reminder to remind myself that I'm a lucky man.
Lucky Man
By Montgomery Gentry
I have days where I hate my job
This little town and the whole world too
Last Sunday when the Bengals lost
Lord it put me in a bad mood
I have moments when I curse the rain
Then complain when the sun's too hot
I look around at what everyone has
And I forget about all I've got
But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can
My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man
Got some friends who would be here fast
I could call em any time of day
Got a brother who's got my back
Got a mama who I swear's a saint
Got a brand new rod and reel
Got a full week off this year
Dad had a close call last spring
It's a miracle he's still here
But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
a few dollars in a coffee can
My old trucks still running good
My ticker's tickin' like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man
My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And even my bad days ain't that bad
Yeah, I'm a lucky man
I'm a lucky lucky man
Sure, I bitch a lot about my life and my work. I sometimes hate the way things are going. But still, I have a good job, I live in a stable country, I have a decent income and I am still able to fully enjoy life. I am largely a lucky man.
Though I don't have a truck, a good woman's loving, a little kid or an oven, I'll still try to count my blessings.
Moments
By Emerson Drive
(Annie Tate/Sam Tate/Dave Berg)
I was coming to the end of a long long walk
When a man crawled out of a cardboard box
Under the E. Street Bridge
Followed me on to it
I went out halfway across
With that homeless shadow tagging along
So I dug for some change
Wouldn't need it anyway
He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed
He said, You know, I haven't always been this way
I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that plane ride coming home from the war
That summer my son was born
And memories like a coat so warm
A cold wind can't get through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments
I stood there tryin' to find my nerve
Wondering if a single soul on Earth
Would care at all
Miss me when I'm gone
That old man just kept hanging around
Lookin' at me, lookin' down
I think he recognized
That look in my eyes
Standing with him there I felt ashamed
I said, You know, I haven't always been this way
I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like the day I walked away from the wine
For a woman who became my wife
And a love that, when it was right,
Could always see me through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments
I know somewhere 'round a trashcan fire tonight
That old man tells his story one more time
He says
I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that cool night on the E. Street Bridge
When a young man almost ended it
I was right there, wasn't scared a bit
And I helped to pull him through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
Oh, lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments
I've had my moments
I've had my moments
After I had listened to Moments, I just felt I had to share it with the readers. There is a poignancy, a kind of reminder that your time in the sun will not last forever. You have your moments and they will become moments for the people after you.
A little sentimental today. Maybe it is the "phew" feeling now that TFS is back. Maybe also it is a good reminder to remind myself that I'm a lucky man.
Lucky Man
By Montgomery Gentry
I have days where I hate my job
This little town and the whole world too
Last Sunday when the Bengals lost
Lord it put me in a bad mood
I have moments when I curse the rain
Then complain when the sun's too hot
I look around at what everyone has
And I forget about all I've got
But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can
My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man
Got some friends who would be here fast
I could call em any time of day
Got a brother who's got my back
Got a mama who I swear's a saint
Got a brand new rod and reel
Got a full week off this year
Dad had a close call last spring
It's a miracle he's still here
But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
a few dollars in a coffee can
My old trucks still running good
My ticker's tickin' like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man
My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And even my bad days ain't that bad
Yeah, I'm a lucky man
I'm a lucky lucky man
Sure, I bitch a lot about my life and my work. I sometimes hate the way things are going. But still, I have a good job, I live in a stable country, I have a decent income and I am still able to fully enjoy life. I am largely a lucky man.
Though I don't have a truck, a good woman's loving, a little kid or an oven, I'll still try to count my blessings.
Friday, July 20, 2007
The Personality Defect Test
Your Score: Braggart
You are 71% Rational, 57% Extroverted, 42% Brutal, and 71% Arrogant.
You are the Braggart! Like Muhammad Ali, you would surely tell everyone that you are "The Greatest" whilst bragging incessantly about your intelligence, your skills, and your abilities. You tend to be a thinker rather than a feeler, and combined with your extroversion and arrogance, this makes you someone who probably just LOVES to brag about his accomplishments. Despite this, however, you are a very gentle, tender person and truly care about others' feelings. You just happen to care more about yourself. Unlike Ali, of course, you are rather rational as opposed to emotional, and you are also much more gentle. But his arrogance and extroversion best reflect the most visible aspects of your personality. But his afro and his penchant for rhyming...not so much. There is not really much to dislike about you, aside from the fact that you can be incredibly annoying, and you probably never shut up about yourself. You may be one of these people who refer to themselves in the third person. If you have a nickname, it is probably one you gave to yourself, because you are too cool for the nickname others have given you--like "doofus" and "shitface". Your personality defect, in summary, is the fact that you are extremely overconfident, extroverted, and perhaps rather lacking in emotions. YOU ARE THE GREATEST! Or so you keep telling yourself every night as you stare at yourself in the mirror and practically make out with your reflection. Maybe one day everyone else on the planet will agree with your assessment of yourself. Nah, I'm just kidding. We think you're an arrogant dickhole. But a NICE arrogant dickhole, so no worries.
To put it less negatively:
1. You are more RATIONAL than intuitive.
2. You are more EXTROVERTED than introverted.
3. You are more GENTLE than brutal.
4. You are more ARROGANT than humble.
Compatibility:
Your exact opposite is the Bitch-Slap.
Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Hand-Raiser, the Haughty Intellectual, and the Capitalist Pig.
*
*
If you scored near fifty percent for a certain trait (42%-58%), you could very well go either way. For example, someone with 42% Extroversion is slightly leaning towards being an introvert, but is close enough to being an extrovert to be classified that way as well. Below is a list of the other personality types so that you can determine which other possible categories you may fill if you scored near fifty percent for certain traits.
The other personality types:
The Emo Kid: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Humble.
The Starving Artist: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant.
The Bitch-Slap: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Humble.
The Brute: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant.
The Hippie: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble.
The Televangelist: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant.
The Schoolyard Bully: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble.
The Class Clown: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.
The Robot: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Humble.
The Haughty Intellectual: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant.
The Spiteful Loner: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Humble.
The Sociopath: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant.
The Hand-Raiser: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble.
The Braggart: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant.
The Capitalist Pig: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble.
The Smartass: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.
Be sure to take my Sublime Philosophical Crap Test if you are interested in taking a slightly more intellectual test that has just as many insane ramblings as this one does!
The thing about this test: It mentions PERSONALITY DEFECT. So, it is something that comes on when provoked and does not represent me most of the time. But for those who still think I am a dickhole, come sit beside me. I'm sure we have got lots to talk about.
The Sublime Philosophical Crap Test
Your Score: N-S-R
You scored 66% Non-Reductionism, 22% Epistemological Absolutism, and 11% Moral Objectivism!
You are an N-S-R: a metaphysical Non-Reductionist, an epistemological Skeptic, and a moral Relativist. If you are simply dying inside to figure out what all this mumbo-jumbo means, then simply continue reading.
Metaphysics: Non-Reductionism (Idealism or Realism) In metaphysics, my test measures your tendency towards Reductionism or Non-Reductionism. As a Non-Reductionist, you recognize that reality is not necessarily simple or unified, and you thus tend to produce a robust ontology instead of carelessly shaving away hypothetical entities that reflect our philosophical experiences. My test recognizes two types of Non-Reductionists: Idealists and Realists.
1. Idealists believe that reality is fundamentally unknowable. All we can ever know is the world of sense experience, thought, and other phenomena which are only distorted reflections of an ultimate (or noumenal) reality. Kant, one of the most significant philosophers in history, theorized that human beings perceive reality in such a way that they impose their own mental frameworks and categories upon reality, fully distorting it. Reality for Kant is unconceptualized and not subject to any of the categories our minds apply to it. Idealists are non-reductionists because they recognize that the distinction between phenomenal reality and ultimate reality cannot be so easily discarded or unified into a single reality. They are separate and distinct, and there is no reason to suppose the one mirrors the other. Major philosophical idealists include Kant and Fichte.
If your views are different from the above, then you may be a Realist. 2. Realists deny the validity of sloppy metaphysical reductions, because they feel that there is no reason to suspect that reality reflects principles of parsimony or simplicity. Realism is the most common-sensical of the metaphysical views. It doesn't see reality as a unity or as reducible to matter or mind, nor does it see reality as divided into a phenomenal world of experience and an unknowable noumenal world of things-in-themselves. Realist metaphysics emphasizes that reality is for the most part composed of the things we observe and think. On the question of the existence of universals, for instance, a realist will assert that while universals do not physically exist, the relations they describe in particulars are as real as the particular things themselves, giving universals a type of reality. Thus, no reduction is made. On the mind-body problem, realists tend to believe that minds and bodies both exist, and the philosophical problems involved in reducing mind to matter or matter to mind are too great to warrant such a reduction. Finally, realists deny that reality is ultimately a Unity or Absolute, though they recognize that reality can be viewed as a Unity when we consider the real relations between the parts as constituting this unity--but it doesn't mean that the world isn't also made up of particular things. Aristotle and Popper are famous realists.
*****
Epistemology: Skepticism (Idealism or Subjectivism) In regards to epistemology, my test measures your tendency towards Absolutism or Skepticism. As an epistemological Skeptic, you believe that ultimate reality cannot be known in any objective way. The two categories of Skeptics that my test recognizes are Idealists and Subjectivists.
1. Epistemological Idealists believe that knowledge of ultimate reality is impossible. All we can ever have knowledge about is the world of phenomenal human experience, but there is no reason to suspect that reality mirrors our perceptions and thoughts, according to Idealists. Idealists, then, tend to see truth not as a correspondence between propositions and reality--reality is, after all, fundamentally unknowable--but as a coherence between a whole system of propositions taken to be true. We cannot escape from language or our conceptualized world of phenomena, so we are unable to reference propositions to facts and must instead determine their truth by comparing them to other propositions we hold to be true. As a result of such an idealism, knowledge of any ultimate reality is taken to be impossible, hence the Skeptical tendency of idealism. All our pursuits of knowledge, science included, can only reflect a phenomenal reality that is of our own making. Famous idealists include Kant and Fichte.
If the above did not sound skeptical or idealistic enough to reflect your own views, then you are most likely a Subjectivist. 2. Epistemological Subjectivists, like idealists, believe that all our knowledge is ultimately of our own making because it is filtered through our subjective perceptions. Unlike an idealist, though, a subjectivist doesn't believe in any universal categories of "truth" that apply to the phenomenal world, because each individual can create his own truth. Either that, or he will hold that society or custom creates its own forms of truth. A subjectivist will tend to regard scientific inquiry as a game of sorts--science does not reveal truths about reality, but only gives scientists pseudo-solutions to pseudo-problems of the scientific community's own devising. It is a type of puzzle-solving, but the puzzle isn't of reality. The definition of truth to a subjectivist may be one that recognizes a proposition's usefulness to an individual. William James is one such subjectivist, who believes that we can "will to believe" certain propositions so long as we would find them useful. The example he gives is being found in a situation where you must leap over a chasm in order to survive. The true belief, in such a situation, is that the leap will be successful--this truth is certainly more useful to us, and in believing the truth we become more willing to commit to the jump and make it successful. So, in essence, knowledge of reality is possible for a subjectivist because they never make reference to any objective reality existing outside of our own perceptions and beliefs--we can have knowledge of reality through having knowledge of ourselves, and that is all that we should ask for. Famous subjectivists include Kuhn, Feyarabend, and James. Another famed critic of Absolutism is Hume.
*****
Ethics: Relativism (Subjectivism or Emotivism) My test measures one's tendency towards moral Objectivism or moral Relativism in regards to ethics. As a moral Relativist, you tend to see moral choices as describing a subject's reaction to a moral object or situation, and not as a property of the moral object itself. You may also feel that moral words are meaningless because they do not address any empirical fact about the world. My test recognizes two types of moral relativists--Subjectivists and Emotivists.
1. Subjectivists see individual or collective desires as defining a situation's or object's moral worth. Thus, the subject, not the object itself, determines the value. Subjectivists recognize that social rules, customs, and morality have been wide-ranging and quite varied throughout history among various cultures. As a result, Subjectivism doesn't attempt to issue hard and fast rules for judging the moral worth of things. Instead, it recognizes that what we consider "good" and "right" is not bound by any discernable rule. There is no one trait that makes an act good or right, because so many different kinds of things have been called good and right. In regards to the definition of "good" or "right", a Subjectivist will tend to define it as whatever a particular person or group of people desire. They do not define it merely as "happiness" or "pleasure", for instance, because sometimes we desire to do things that do not produce pleasure, and because we don't consider all pleasurable things good. Furthermore, Subjectivists recognize the validity of consequentialism in that sometimes we refer to consequences as good and bad--but they also recognize that our intentions behind an action, or the means to the end, can also determine an act's moral worth. Again, there is no one rule to determine these things. Hence the relativism of moral Subjectivism. The most well-known of the subjectivists is Nietzsche.
If that didn't sound like your position, then you are probably the other variety of moral Relativist--the Emotivist. Emotivists are moral Relativists only in a very slanted sense, because they actually deny that words about morality have any meaning at all. An Emotivist would probably accept Hume's argument that it is impossible to derive an "ought" from an "is"--no factual state of affairs can logically entail any sort of moral action. Furthermore, a emotivist's emphasis on scientific (and hence empirical) verification and testing quickly leads to the conclusion that concepts such as "good" and "right" don't really describe any real qualities or relations. Science is never concerned with whether a particular state of affairs is moral or right or good--and an emotivist feels much the same way. Morality is thus neither objective or subjective for the emotivist--it is without any meaning at all, a sort of vague ontological fiction that is merely a symbol for our emotional responses to certain events. Famous emotivists include Ayer and other positivists associated with the Vienna Circle.
*****
As you can see, when your philosophical position is narrowed down there are so many potential categories that an OKCupid test cannot account for them all. But, taken as very broad categories or philosophical styles, you are best characterized as an N-S-R. Your exact philosophical opposite would be an R-A-O.
About the Author
Saint_gasoline is a crazed madman who spends all of his time writing OKCupid tests and ranting about philosophy and science. If you are interested in reading more of his insane ramblings, or seeing his deliciously trite webcomic, go to SaintGasoline.com.
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 99% on Metaphysics
You scored higher than 99% on Epistemology
You scored higher than 99% on Ethics
| Link: The Sublime Philosophical Crap Test written by saint_gasoline on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Another Happy Tree Friend moment
In The Straits Times today, a coroner's inquiry into schoolboy tragedy ruled that the 10-year-old's death in a taxi-bike crash an accident.
Youth or ignorance is no excuse for stupidity. And certainly, youth is no shield against death.
According to the report, the boy was cycling home after tuition on the evening of 23 Feb when a taxi hit him near an uncontrolled T-junction in a housing estate.
Two independent witnesses had come forward and gave accounts of what they saw. One of them, a driver who nearly collided with the boy's bicycle, said that the boy had dashed out from the far left and encroached into his path, forcing him to brake hard. Before the driver could alight to reprimand the boy, he had cycled to the opposite side and collided into the cab.
The driver also told police that the boy did not check for approaching vehicles before crossing the junction.
The other witness, another cab driver who was behind the ill-fated cab, said he too saw the boy cycle into the cab's path.
I hope this case sets the precedent for more LOGICAL legal rulings in the future. If idiots are killed, rule them accordingly.
This way, we can raise the average IQ of Singapore's gene pool.
Youth or ignorance is no excuse for stupidity. And certainly, youth is no shield against death.
According to the report, the boy was cycling home after tuition on the evening of 23 Feb when a taxi hit him near an uncontrolled T-junction in a housing estate.
Two independent witnesses had come forward and gave accounts of what they saw. One of them, a driver who nearly collided with the boy's bicycle, said that the boy had dashed out from the far left and encroached into his path, forcing him to brake hard. Before the driver could alight to reprimand the boy, he had cycled to the opposite side and collided into the cab.
The driver also told police that the boy did not check for approaching vehicles before crossing the junction.
The other witness, another cab driver who was behind the ill-fated cab, said he too saw the boy cycle into the cab's path.
I hope this case sets the precedent for more LOGICAL legal rulings in the future. If idiots are killed, rule them accordingly.
This way, we can raise the average IQ of Singapore's gene pool.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Universality of Country Music
I find yet another example which shows how wonderfully country song writers have grasped the essence and illogicality of life.
I begin to understand why Singapore is devoid of country song writers - our lifestyles simply do not provide any avenues for such creative composition. And yet, despite the Americanized slants of US country music, it attracts a following here. I'm one of those underground aficiandos who need my nightly dose of country music off my internet radio to "normalise" my lifestyle.
This entry, I celebrate the blue collar workers.
Guys Like Me
by Eric Church
I wear a greasy ball cap
I like my shirt untucked
I spend saturdays working on my truck
I don't like to fight
But I ain't scared to bleed
Most don't mess with a guy like me
Guys like me drink to many beers on friday after work
Our best blue jeans have skoal rings
We wear our boots to church
So rough around the edges
It's hard to believe that girls like you
Love guys like me
Your daddy worked at the bank
Mine worked on cars
You went to college
I pulled graveyard
You must have had your pick
Of all the trust fund types
But you came back to me and only god knows why
Guys like me drink too many beers on friday after work
Our best blue jeans have skoal rings
We wear our boots to church
So rough around the edges
It's hard to believe that girls like you
Love guys like me
Now there's a lot of guys like me out there
In a lot of little towns
And tellin' all our buddies, we won't ever settle down
We say thats just the way we are and the way we'll always be
So God sends girls like you for guys like me
Thank God there's girls like you, for guys like me
I begin to understand why Singapore is devoid of country song writers - our lifestyles simply do not provide any avenues for such creative composition. And yet, despite the Americanized slants of US country music, it attracts a following here. I'm one of those underground aficiandos who need my nightly dose of country music off my internet radio to "normalise" my lifestyle.
This entry, I celebrate the blue collar workers.
Guys Like Me
by Eric Church
I wear a greasy ball cap
I like my shirt untucked
I spend saturdays working on my truck
I don't like to fight
But I ain't scared to bleed
Most don't mess with a guy like me
Guys like me drink to many beers on friday after work
Our best blue jeans have skoal rings
We wear our boots to church
So rough around the edges
It's hard to believe that girls like you
Love guys like me
Your daddy worked at the bank
Mine worked on cars
You went to college
I pulled graveyard
You must have had your pick
Of all the trust fund types
But you came back to me and only god knows why
Guys like me drink too many beers on friday after work
Our best blue jeans have skoal rings
We wear our boots to church
So rough around the edges
It's hard to believe that girls like you
Love guys like me
Now there's a lot of guys like me out there
In a lot of little towns
And tellin' all our buddies, we won't ever settle down
We say thats just the way we are and the way we'll always be
So God sends girls like you for guys like me
Thank God there's girls like you, for guys like me
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Colonists 1 - New World 0
Banner gaffe makes NASA go woops!
Sunday, July 15th 2007, 4:00 AM
CAPE CANAVERAL - It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to spell the word "endeavour."
But when NASA moved the space shuttle Endeavour to its launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, the banner above the shuttle had a glaring error.
It read "Go Endeavor." The shuttle's name is spelled the British way, with a "u", after the first ship commanded by 18th-century British explorer James Cook.
It took about 90 minutes for officials to notice their gaffe and replace the banner. But some sharp shooters captured the mistake on camera. Endeavour's launch is scheduled for Aug. 7.
[Teflonman's note: Looks like the rocket scientists suck at spelling bees.]
Saturday, July 14, 2007
As though struck by a dull sledge hammer
I guess I speak for many when I say that we were elated to have T. Fraser Stern back in our midst after his surgery. It was supposed to be a minimally invasive laproscopic procedure.
He was out but complications developed and now he is back in the hospital. This news came from his wife, who had done all of us a great favour by telling us what happened.
Still, the news struck us like a dull sledge hammer. I am still rather shaken.
Hope Fraser gets well and can be discharged from the hospital soon.
He was out but complications developed and now he is back in the hospital. This news came from his wife, who had done all of us a great favour by telling us what happened.
Still, the news struck us like a dull sledge hammer. I am still rather shaken.
Hope Fraser gets well and can be discharged from the hospital soon.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
How ... Can Improve Our Lives
NATURE
1. A lightning relay post to channel lightning to ipod users who are oblivious to the danger they are posing to the people around them. These relay posts should be activated by a button and immediately it fires a bolt of lightning.
LAW
2. Any pedestrian knocked down when indiscriminately crossing the road while using any handheld device have no avenue to seek legal redress.
TECHNOLOGY
3. Smokeless, filterless cigarettes. I've suggested this before.
I'm really getting desperate for a better life.
1. A lightning relay post to channel lightning to ipod users who are oblivious to the danger they are posing to the people around them. These relay posts should be activated by a button and immediately it fires a bolt of lightning.
LAW
2. Any pedestrian knocked down when indiscriminately crossing the road while using any handheld device have no avenue to seek legal redress.
TECHNOLOGY
3. Smokeless, filterless cigarettes. I've suggested this before.
I'm really getting desperate for a better life.
Sick - Day 11
Yeah, you've read it rightly. This is the 11th day of my pesky tonsilitis-ear ache-fever-headache-phelgm clogged passages flu.
In the beginning, the balls in my throat were hanging low. My left ear ached so badly that swallowing was a torture. My throat was swollen shut and I could hardly eat a single morsel of anything. Swallowing water was entire unbearable as the excruciating pain would make me double over. The fever came and went. The headache was bad.
Later, the pain subsided but other complications came along. The cough was so bad that each bout of cough, my chest felt as though it was torn apart. The fever came and went. It is as though I had dengue fever all over again. Then suddenly the ear pain returned with a bloody vengeance. I was racked in pain.
Soon after, I almost lost my voice. I went to the doctor and when I opened my mouth to speak, I got a shock myself. That didn't sound like me. People I call ask who I am. This was bad. The entire polyclinic had more than half the patients with that hacking cough I had and most of them sounded like me. I'm going to take heart - maybe it is just a particularly resistant flu bug that is going around.
For mornings on end, I've coughed out enough green globs of phelgm to make dozens of macha profiteroles. Dust icing sugar and I could start a mini-bakery. The fever came and went. Mostly I was running slightly more than lukewarm. The cough came in bouts.
The cough and allergy medicine made me sleepy so they are no-go until the night. I get great sleeps at night, especially with these central nervous system depressants.
I gulped gallons of water - I'd easily be doing 6 litres a day and be still feeling dry. I drank lots and lots of "cooling" herbal tea. I've entirely cut out oily, fried, and chilli stuff from my diet. I've been getting rest. I've stopped bitching around. I wonder what's wrong.
Everything else was normal except the pesky head flu.
In exasperation, I've started on a course of antibiotics and things are looking up. The pains have gone off. The fever seemed less frequent - maybe only in the evenings it returns.
I'm still drinking lots of water, have drunk 2.5 litres already - the daily recommended intake is 1.6 litres, in case you are not aware.
Really hoping to get well soon. Either this is really a pesky bout or this is another sign of getting old.
Fortunately, sick or otherwise, I'm still full of horns.
In the beginning, the balls in my throat were hanging low. My left ear ached so badly that swallowing was a torture. My throat was swollen shut and I could hardly eat a single morsel of anything. Swallowing water was entire unbearable as the excruciating pain would make me double over. The fever came and went. The headache was bad.
Later, the pain subsided but other complications came along. The cough was so bad that each bout of cough, my chest felt as though it was torn apart. The fever came and went. It is as though I had dengue fever all over again. Then suddenly the ear pain returned with a bloody vengeance. I was racked in pain.
Soon after, I almost lost my voice. I went to the doctor and when I opened my mouth to speak, I got a shock myself. That didn't sound like me. People I call ask who I am. This was bad. The entire polyclinic had more than half the patients with that hacking cough I had and most of them sounded like me. I'm going to take heart - maybe it is just a particularly resistant flu bug that is going around.
For mornings on end, I've coughed out enough green globs of phelgm to make dozens of macha profiteroles. Dust icing sugar and I could start a mini-bakery. The fever came and went. Mostly I was running slightly more than lukewarm. The cough came in bouts.
The cough and allergy medicine made me sleepy so they are no-go until the night. I get great sleeps at night, especially with these central nervous system depressants.
I gulped gallons of water - I'd easily be doing 6 litres a day and be still feeling dry. I drank lots and lots of "cooling" herbal tea. I've entirely cut out oily, fried, and chilli stuff from my diet. I've been getting rest. I've stopped bitching around. I wonder what's wrong.
Everything else was normal except the pesky head flu.
In exasperation, I've started on a course of antibiotics and things are looking up. The pains have gone off. The fever seemed less frequent - maybe only in the evenings it returns.
I'm still drinking lots of water, have drunk 2.5 litres already - the daily recommended intake is 1.6 litres, in case you are not aware.
Really hoping to get well soon. Either this is really a pesky bout or this is another sign of getting old.
Fortunately, sick or otherwise, I'm still full of horns.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)