There is no such thing as a celebration without good food. Good food, by commonsense definition, is food that is neither good for your heart (or for that matter, all your organs, except for taste) nor waistline. So here is what the newspaper supplement has to tell us about the goodies that we stuff our faces with during Chinese New Year. Of course, I'll tell you what I think!
Fried battered nian gao (55 g) - 224 Cal, 5.4 g fat.
Nian gao, the gooey, glutinous mass of sugared flour cake, is a must have for Chinese New Year. It signifies "progress with every step". If you love to eat it, go ahead and eat it. Otherwise, do what I do - I buy it, display it, mould it and dump it.
Roast duck 3 (paper thin) slices (60 g) - 143 Cal, 10 g fat.
I think this is a conspiracy. All other times, I bet you the whole roast duck is 143 Cal! Unfortunately, roast duck is a perennial favourite year round and if your waistline doesn't seem to be shrinking despite your trillion crunches a day, perhaps it is time to reconsider to duck the duck.
Braised dried oysters with mixed vegetables and fatt choy (60 g) - 50 Cal, 4 g fat.
Dietiticians of the world ought to be shot! And then shot and shot and shot and shot... you get the message. Can you imagine how small a 60 g portion of this delicacy is? I cannot imagine that this is... ok, 50 Cal. It's not as bad a 3 paper thin slices of roast duck. But still!
Tossed fish salad (100 g) - 145 Cal, 11 g fat.
The tossed fish salad represents brisk business and many people go through at least a good handful of meals featuring this Cantonese favourite. One way of reducing the fat and calorie content is to avoid adding all the oil into the salad. Ask for half or a third of the bowl of oil to be added. Each gram of fat less could help reduce the calorie count a little. Trust me, it ain't that bad with less oil.
Chicken curry with coconut milk (220 g) - 342 Cal, 28 g fat.
I have yet to figure why anyone would eat chicken curry (a dish typically served to visitors at wakes) during Chinese New Year. It is as though the "heat" and the overly rich foods aren't enough to overload your poor stomach that you need to add to its burden by drinking copious coconut milk! I mean, aren't we happier eating pineapple tarts, bak kwa, kueh lapis, love letters and other artery clogging items?
Pineapple tarts (20 g) - 82 Cal, 4 g fat.
Kueh lapis (50 g) - 247 Cal, 19 g fat.
Bak kwa aka jerky 3 coin pieces (45 g) - 180 Cal, 6 g fat.
Love letters 3 pieces (40 g) - 172 Cal, 5 g fat.
One cannot help but need to place these four items together because almost each household one visits during the Chinese New Year will bombard guests with versions of these. It is hard to accept that a pop a mouthful goodies can be so chockful of calories. 82 calories for a pineapple tart! My goodness you tart! What hedonistic abandon! A slice of two bite kueh lapis makes you go for another and before you know it, you probably have eaten three slices. That's about the calorific equivalent of a place of wanton noodles! The other culprit for the grow in your hips moment is bak kwa aka jerky. Trust me - there is absolutely no f**king way to stop at 45 g. I confess I could polish off five times of that without breaking into a sweat! Melt in your mouth love letters are another of your worst enemies. Many friends can easily clean out half a tin - that's a whopping 30 pieces! Now, with these wonderful food friends, who needs enemies?
Other food items to add more dampener to your already dripping wet blanket:
Peanuts (20 g, about 15 or a handful) - 120 Cal, 10 g fat.
Melon seeds (8 g, about 1 tbs) - 30 Cal, 3 g fat.
Mandarin orange (116 g, 1 whole) - 51 Cal, 0.3 g fat.
Kueh bangkit (18 g or 3 pieces) - 69 Cal, 2 g fat.
Sharksfin with crabmeat (295 g, half a bowl or better known as two mouthfuls) - 162 Cal, 7 g fat.
I wonder why our bodies NEVER adapt to the better world we are in and learn to burn more energy with less activity. I am sure there must be a genetic flaw.
Meanwhile, Happy Chinese New Year. I hear the new wardrobe calling.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
What Grandma Probably Taught...
I'm sure there were many lessons which my maternal grandma taught me when she looked after me when I was younger.
Many of these lessons were probably never written down or verbalisable in words or speech but I'm sure I've learnt something from her.
I am good at marketing. This is what I learnt from her. One lesson then was to see what other grandmas would be picking at the market and go for similar produce. Grandmas of yore were savvy at marketing and following them and grabbing items similar to what they pick from the common pile often guaranteed results. That can't be said for now, since I've outgrown the modern day grandma in terms of marketing abilities.
I am good at food. I probably can tell you what's wrong with each dish I am served but courtesy dictates I bite my tongue and swallow the food. Still, the palatte, once refined, can never be dulled.
I also believe a big indirect lesson that I learnt. If there is an advantage to be taken of, make sure the gains and returns are immediate. Take and run. Never invest in what will be. Instead, take what is, be satisfied and scout for new bargains.
Modern grandparents and younger folks without shrewd, savvy grandmas to teach them life lessons should learn something from this entry that I share (which is something my grandma also said to do).
Many of these lessons were probably never written down or verbalisable in words or speech but I'm sure I've learnt something from her.
I am good at marketing. This is what I learnt from her. One lesson then was to see what other grandmas would be picking at the market and go for similar produce. Grandmas of yore were savvy at marketing and following them and grabbing items similar to what they pick from the common pile often guaranteed results. That can't be said for now, since I've outgrown the modern day grandma in terms of marketing abilities.
I am good at food. I probably can tell you what's wrong with each dish I am served but courtesy dictates I bite my tongue and swallow the food. Still, the palatte, once refined, can never be dulled.
I also believe a big indirect lesson that I learnt. If there is an advantage to be taken of, make sure the gains and returns are immediate. Take and run. Never invest in what will be. Instead, take what is, be satisfied and scout for new bargains.
Modern grandparents and younger folks without shrewd, savvy grandmas to teach them life lessons should learn something from this entry that I share (which is something my grandma also said to do).
Thursday, January 22, 2009
General Election 2009?
I seem to see signs pointing to a General Election in 2009.
We have got MPs who are dead or gravely injured. But this is not the main purpose to call elections.
The government will need a mandate to push forward their fiscal policies to steer Singapore through its worst and likely most protracted recession since Independence. This means Singaporeans should be led by a team of ministars, I mean ministers, who have the people's mandate to push forward the recovery package.
Let's see if my predictions are correct this time. When? Some time mid September.
We have got MPs who are dead or gravely injured. But this is not the main purpose to call elections.
The government will need a mandate to push forward their fiscal policies to steer Singapore through its worst and likely most protracted recession since Independence. This means Singaporeans should be led by a team of ministars, I mean ministers, who have the people's mandate to push forward the recovery package.
Let's see if my predictions are correct this time. When? Some time mid September.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Overheard - WARNING: RISQUE CONTENT!
There was this loudmouthed guy on the bus today complaining about his encounter with another guy who is straight but would pretend to be bisexual to make money off gays.
And then he went on to complain at the top of his voice why he wasn't happy being thought of as someone who would betray himself just to earn money. His example was quite hilarious.
You give a chao Ah Beng $500 and ask him to go f**k ass. If he is low class and he is straight, he will f**k the gay's ass because $500 is a lot of money. If he is high class, he will tell you to keep the money and play with yourself.
So is he trying to compare himself with a poorly educated lout?
Then he bitched big time repeatedly about how he did not like being thought of as someone (who would do it with another guy) for them money.
Not only was the talk overly lewd for the passengers, the way he spoke made many of us want to turn back to look at the speaker.
I managed to take a glimpse of him as I alighted. OMG! If I were a straight woman in need of some gratification, I'd most likely need to be knocked out first before I would end up with a male pros like him. I think if anyone would think he was saleable (to men or women, regardless), it's already flattering him. Who'd want to be caught dead with something like him?
And then he went on to complain at the top of his voice why he wasn't happy being thought of as someone who would betray himself just to earn money. His example was quite hilarious.
You give a chao Ah Beng $500 and ask him to go f**k ass. If he is low class and he is straight, he will f**k the gay's ass because $500 is a lot of money. If he is high class, he will tell you to keep the money and play with yourself.
So is he trying to compare himself with a poorly educated lout?
Then he bitched big time repeatedly about how he did not like being thought of as someone (who would do it with another guy) for them money.
Not only was the talk overly lewd for the passengers, the way he spoke made many of us want to turn back to look at the speaker.
I managed to take a glimpse of him as I alighted. OMG! If I were a straight woman in need of some gratification, I'd most likely need to be knocked out first before I would end up with a male pros like him. I think if anyone would think he was saleable (to men or women, regardless), it's already flattering him. Who'd want to be caught dead with something like him?
So WRONG!
Singapore - More than half the investors who lodged complaints over the way they were sold investment products linked to Lehman Brothers will get some money back.
And about a quarter will be fully compensated, ending months of worry that started when their investments went belly-up together with the collapsed US investment bank.
This is so wrong. Greed should not be guaranteed. Instead, these investors should be given a goodwill payout NOT AMOUNTING to an admission of guilt.
There is a huge difference between an outright compensation and a goodwill payout. The premise of the former suggests that there are some greed that are more acceptable than other greed. There are some gullibility that are less heinous than other guillibility. It also assumes that when you are old, you need not be responsible for your actions.
In the latter, you acknowledge that all are placed on an equal slate and then judged and sentenced equally. But out of goodwill, a certain more vulnerable group is given a little assistance to alleviate their sufferings from their mistakes. This, itself, is already a less than ideal situation but to give an almost outright compensation to the "old and guillible" is really BS.
Surely, these OAGs, being salt of the earth compared to the young and rapacious, should know better the downfalls of the greedy, especially over an additional 1% interest per annum.
I feel sorry for those who did not get any money back in this circumstance, though my definition of the ideal case is for all investors to suffer comparable (percentage) losses.
And about a quarter will be fully compensated, ending months of worry that started when their investments went belly-up together with the collapsed US investment bank.
This is so wrong. Greed should not be guaranteed. Instead, these investors should be given a goodwill payout NOT AMOUNTING to an admission of guilt.
There is a huge difference between an outright compensation and a goodwill payout. The premise of the former suggests that there are some greed that are more acceptable than other greed. There are some gullibility that are less heinous than other guillibility. It also assumes that when you are old, you need not be responsible for your actions.
In the latter, you acknowledge that all are placed on an equal slate and then judged and sentenced equally. But out of goodwill, a certain more vulnerable group is given a little assistance to alleviate their sufferings from their mistakes. This, itself, is already a less than ideal situation but to give an almost outright compensation to the "old and guillible" is really BS.
Surely, these OAGs, being salt of the earth compared to the young and rapacious, should know better the downfalls of the greedy, especially over an additional 1% interest per annum.
I feel sorry for those who did not get any money back in this circumstance, though my definition of the ideal case is for all investors to suffer comparable (percentage) losses.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Professional Conduct and Courtesy
I had to give a short lecture to each class I teach on the above topics recently.
Is it so difficult to come to class prepared? All I ask are for readings to be done. How do I have a meaningful discussion if the readings are not done?
Is it so difficult to hand in your work on time? What do you mean by "the printers in the University are all faulty? I gave you more than 4 days to work on your paper. Jolly well have the paper printed first thing on Monday. There should be no reason why the paper cannot be handed in on Tuesday!
Is it so difficult to ask for an extension? I may not necessarily grant you one but a request is a sign of interest in the work. If you are not interested, the heck I am!
Is it so difficult to sign up for a timeslot to meet me for YOUR writing conference timing? It is YOUR writing conference, not mine. If you don't see me, you could end up getting a crap grade. The signing up sheet has been outside my door since Tuesday and 11.40 pm last night, YOU ask me if I have time on Monday to meet you? What do YOU think?
Is it so difficult for you to take note of the administrative details related to your assignment? Do you see "Personal Assistant to ..." or "Secretary to ..." following my name?
The lack of professional conduct and courtesy, unfortunately, extends far beyond the classroom. But that would be another blog entry, wouldn't it?
Is it so difficult to come to class prepared? All I ask are for readings to be done. How do I have a meaningful discussion if the readings are not done?
Is it so difficult to hand in your work on time? What do you mean by "the printers in the University are all faulty? I gave you more than 4 days to work on your paper. Jolly well have the paper printed first thing on Monday. There should be no reason why the paper cannot be handed in on Tuesday!
Is it so difficult to ask for an extension? I may not necessarily grant you one but a request is a sign of interest in the work. If you are not interested, the heck I am!
Is it so difficult to sign up for a timeslot to meet me for YOUR writing conference timing? It is YOUR writing conference, not mine. If you don't see me, you could end up getting a crap grade. The signing up sheet has been outside my door since Tuesday and 11.40 pm last night, YOU ask me if I have time on Monday to meet you? What do YOU think?
Is it so difficult for you to take note of the administrative details related to your assignment? Do you see "Personal Assistant to ..." or "Secretary to ..." following my name?
The lack of professional conduct and courtesy, unfortunately, extends far beyond the classroom. But that would be another blog entry, wouldn't it?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Floored unknowingly
I woke up with a rather bad bout diarrhoea this morning. Surprisingly, it did not hit me until I woke up for work. By the time I left for home, I had four runs.
I went to work despite the malady, having to make one more detour along the way. During the class, I had to will myself not to have to make another run.
Meanwhile, during the course of the morning, I started shivering and the body started aching. By noon, I was shivering so bad and feeling so cold that my hands were beginning to have pins and needles sensations. Blood flow to the extremities was now reduced because the body needed to preserve core functionalities. Blood is thus kept to the critical organs.
My head was already throbbing by then and all my major joints were flaring up with pain. Big time! When I left the university to take a cab to the doctor, I was shivering in the noon sun. To think I'd pull on a thin cotton shirt in 10 deg C New York and yet be chattering my teeth off in the 30 deg C heat of equatorial Singapore.
The journey to the doctor was ok enough; the cab driver and I chatted some and that took some of the discomfort off my mind. And when I arrived, that was when hell literally froze over. I was thankful to get the final seat outside the clinic but I was shivering. I could tell my mouth was getting parched and the head was spinning and throbbing in pain at the same time. The body could not tolerate being in any position at all because the joints were all screaming out in sharp pain. The skin was all tender and even the wind makes the body hurt.
And then the guy beside me asked me, "How do you spell 'cough'?" Simple enough question. I was tempted to say, "Cof," - imagine in my miserable state, I still had my sense of humour - but I thought this was my ticket to a return favour. After a while, I asked Mr Cough to look after my seat and belongings while I took a quick visit to the 7-Eleven next to the clinic to get some water. I was drying up and I knew it.
7-Eleven charged exorbitantly for the distilled water they put on sale. Oh, what the f***. So what if it is $1.80 for two 500-ml bottles when it should be no more than $1? Get it first and regret later. Lugging the two bottles out - trust me, in that pain, a litre of water ain't light load - I started sipping on a bottle. I guess it made good sense then because I was feeling a little nauseous and I didn't think I'd enjoy puking water all over my because I drank too quickly.
Finally, after waiting a good 50 minutes, the clinic opened. By then, I must have gone to hell and returned a few times. The registration was fast enough and I was third in the numbered queue and sixth overall (3 appointment cases, who did not need queue numbers). I waited for another good one hour to see the doctor. There was a baby on check-up, who was first in the numbered queue and this brat was screaming on and off at the top of its lungs. I wish I could go up and kiss it, so it knows what it means to be sick and miserable. And the parent was such an idiot. I believe that while the baby was being examined, the grandmother joined in to see the doctor, making the "first" consultation stretch into almost 25 minutes. Why are babies so troublesome?
Mr Cough was pretty fast. When he was out, I was feeling so weak it took me some effort to pick up my heavy bag and file to get into the consultation room.
After I described my symptoms to the doc, he started checking me. My fever was 38.8 deg C. My stomach was full of flatulence. My body ache and headache and the whole pain works were due the fever. And then he felt my arm and said, "Odd. You're burning up and yet you feel so cool all around." He then took my temperature from the right ear (the first was from the left) and it registered 38.7 deg C. So he was convinced that my fever was really bad. And I'm convinced I'm one cool guy, even if I have fever.
Doc then said to avoid coffee, tea, milk, oily stuff and just eat whatever I have a fancy in. If I don't feel like eating at all, it was also fine; he recommended isotonic drinks if I wanted to have them. And the diagosis? I got a particularly virulent strain of the gastro-entritis virus and it was through close contact with someone with that virus. The fever was a result of the viral infection. At that moment, I thought I should go on a witch-hunt.
I came home at around 4 pm, cleaned my hotspots with a cold towel and went to bed. I never slept so well in my life, I bet. I know I was in a really bad shape because I would never have gone to bed without showering first, but the condition I was in made showering literally impossible. How does one shower when in such pain, such cold and such unsteadiness?
Few hours of deep sleep and a few trips to the loo (to pee) later, housemate returned and asked if I would be interested in some soup. Soup? I think I could but I don't know if it's going to agree with the stomach. I finally got out of bed at around 7.40 pm for two bowls of water-cress soup. It was a little too rich for the weakened system, I guess. I just expelled it half an hour ago. It must be the soup because it was rather rich - meat stock - and I hadn't eaten since noon.
After the soup, I slept for another two hours, got up and medicated. Then I decided a shower was in order. After ablution, the sweat began. I was sweating non-stop. The fever broke. I took the opportunity to do up the laundry as I waited for the sweating to abate. And to keep myself entertained, I blogged.
My shirt is rather soaked at this moment. I'm going to change and then go back to sleep. I'm not going to work tomorrow.
I went to work despite the malady, having to make one more detour along the way. During the class, I had to will myself not to have to make another run.
Meanwhile, during the course of the morning, I started shivering and the body started aching. By noon, I was shivering so bad and feeling so cold that my hands were beginning to have pins and needles sensations. Blood flow to the extremities was now reduced because the body needed to preserve core functionalities. Blood is thus kept to the critical organs.
My head was already throbbing by then and all my major joints were flaring up with pain. Big time! When I left the university to take a cab to the doctor, I was shivering in the noon sun. To think I'd pull on a thin cotton shirt in 10 deg C New York and yet be chattering my teeth off in the 30 deg C heat of equatorial Singapore.
The journey to the doctor was ok enough; the cab driver and I chatted some and that took some of the discomfort off my mind. And when I arrived, that was when hell literally froze over. I was thankful to get the final seat outside the clinic but I was shivering. I could tell my mouth was getting parched and the head was spinning and throbbing in pain at the same time. The body could not tolerate being in any position at all because the joints were all screaming out in sharp pain. The skin was all tender and even the wind makes the body hurt.
And then the guy beside me asked me, "How do you spell 'cough'?" Simple enough question. I was tempted to say, "Cof," - imagine in my miserable state, I still had my sense of humour - but I thought this was my ticket to a return favour. After a while, I asked Mr Cough to look after my seat and belongings while I took a quick visit to the 7-Eleven next to the clinic to get some water. I was drying up and I knew it.
7-Eleven charged exorbitantly for the distilled water they put on sale. Oh, what the f***. So what if it is $1.80 for two 500-ml bottles when it should be no more than $1? Get it first and regret later. Lugging the two bottles out - trust me, in that pain, a litre of water ain't light load - I started sipping on a bottle. I guess it made good sense then because I was feeling a little nauseous and I didn't think I'd enjoy puking water all over my because I drank too quickly.
Finally, after waiting a good 50 minutes, the clinic opened. By then, I must have gone to hell and returned a few times. The registration was fast enough and I was third in the numbered queue and sixth overall (3 appointment cases, who did not need queue numbers). I waited for another good one hour to see the doctor. There was a baby on check-up, who was first in the numbered queue and this brat was screaming on and off at the top of its lungs. I wish I could go up and kiss it, so it knows what it means to be sick and miserable. And the parent was such an idiot. I believe that while the baby was being examined, the grandmother joined in to see the doctor, making the "first" consultation stretch into almost 25 minutes. Why are babies so troublesome?
Mr Cough was pretty fast. When he was out, I was feeling so weak it took me some effort to pick up my heavy bag and file to get into the consultation room.
After I described my symptoms to the doc, he started checking me. My fever was 38.8 deg C. My stomach was full of flatulence. My body ache and headache and the whole pain works were due the fever. And then he felt my arm and said, "Odd. You're burning up and yet you feel so cool all around." He then took my temperature from the right ear (the first was from the left) and it registered 38.7 deg C. So he was convinced that my fever was really bad. And I'm convinced I'm one cool guy, even if I have fever.
Doc then said to avoid coffee, tea, milk, oily stuff and just eat whatever I have a fancy in. If I don't feel like eating at all, it was also fine; he recommended isotonic drinks if I wanted to have them. And the diagosis? I got a particularly virulent strain of the gastro-entritis virus and it was through close contact with someone with that virus. The fever was a result of the viral infection. At that moment, I thought I should go on a witch-hunt.
I came home at around 4 pm, cleaned my hotspots with a cold towel and went to bed. I never slept so well in my life, I bet. I know I was in a really bad shape because I would never have gone to bed without showering first, but the condition I was in made showering literally impossible. How does one shower when in such pain, such cold and such unsteadiness?
Few hours of deep sleep and a few trips to the loo (to pee) later, housemate returned and asked if I would be interested in some soup. Soup? I think I could but I don't know if it's going to agree with the stomach. I finally got out of bed at around 7.40 pm for two bowls of water-cress soup. It was a little too rich for the weakened system, I guess. I just expelled it half an hour ago. It must be the soup because it was rather rich - meat stock - and I hadn't eaten since noon.
After the soup, I slept for another two hours, got up and medicated. Then I decided a shower was in order. After ablution, the sweat began. I was sweating non-stop. The fever broke. I took the opportunity to do up the laundry as I waited for the sweating to abate. And to keep myself entertained, I blogged.
My shirt is rather soaked at this moment. I'm going to change and then go back to sleep. I'm not going to work tomorrow.
Monday, January 12, 2009
By who's standards?
The GCE O Level results are released today and the candidates that I presented for the math papers returned to collect the fruits of their labour.
The results were not astounding - of the 5 distinction (A2) grades garnered by the entire cohort of 60, my group of 23 picked up one. The rest went to the top class. While my group scored well for percentage passes, the students did not measure up in terms of percentage distinctions, not at least when compared against the national average. But the students were nonetheless elated with their results.
I should say I was rather disappointed when the students were so happy with their results. There was a kind of sadness in my happiness. I'm happy for them because when I had them, they were consistently failing all their tests and exams. I'm sad because I wonder how I will ever come to terms with their "satisfaction" criteria.
I guess this is a continuing journey of reviewing the standards that I used to know. These students, who had been consistently failing, had received reasonably respectable passing grades. On fact, a number of them have had good passing grades. These grades, to them, are like nectar to a parched man. They represented the sweet taste of victory.
To me, however, these were at best mediocre grades. But who am I to say so when even the principal congratulated the group for their "better than national average" showing.
It did not take me long to realise the irony of celebrating small victories. These are the roots of mediocrity. To partake in these celebrations is to magnify the trivial achievements and make them seem monumental. If mankind thrived this way, we would never be able to send anyone to the moon. Our neighbours up north would never be inspired to send a spaceship to the sun. Never mind it'll be too hot because they will fire off in the night.
Even as I remind myself, "Even the dull, they have their story," I cannot help but wonder if we are giving the dull a voice but never teaching them to grow any smarter. So, if not to make the dull sharper, what is the point of listening?
I am not for using my standards to measure my students' achivements. But if we were to benchmark the school's results according to national averages, then isn't it more sensible to remind the school and the students that there is no big deal being around or slightly better than the national average? To be truly good, one has to transcend this mindset and surpass national standards significantly.
But who is willing to put in the hard work? Who is willing to accept another's standards? Who are we bluffing when we shortchange the people to whom we are going to entrust ourselves in our silver years? I guess we reap what we sow. But I am not willing to accept this - in my books, they had failed to meet the standards which define excellence even if they had outdone themselves.
The results were not astounding - of the 5 distinction (A2) grades garnered by the entire cohort of 60, my group of 23 picked up one. The rest went to the top class. While my group scored well for percentage passes, the students did not measure up in terms of percentage distinctions, not at least when compared against the national average. But the students were nonetheless elated with their results.
I should say I was rather disappointed when the students were so happy with their results. There was a kind of sadness in my happiness. I'm happy for them because when I had them, they were consistently failing all their tests and exams. I'm sad because I wonder how I will ever come to terms with their "satisfaction" criteria.
I guess this is a continuing journey of reviewing the standards that I used to know. These students, who had been consistently failing, had received reasonably respectable passing grades. On fact, a number of them have had good passing grades. These grades, to them, are like nectar to a parched man. They represented the sweet taste of victory.
To me, however, these were at best mediocre grades. But who am I to say so when even the principal congratulated the group for their "better than national average" showing.
It did not take me long to realise the irony of celebrating small victories. These are the roots of mediocrity. To partake in these celebrations is to magnify the trivial achievements and make them seem monumental. If mankind thrived this way, we would never be able to send anyone to the moon. Our neighbours up north would never be inspired to send a spaceship to the sun. Never mind it'll be too hot because they will fire off in the night.
Even as I remind myself, "Even the dull, they have their story," I cannot help but wonder if we are giving the dull a voice but never teaching them to grow any smarter. So, if not to make the dull sharper, what is the point of listening?
I am not for using my standards to measure my students' achivements. But if we were to benchmark the school's results according to national averages, then isn't it more sensible to remind the school and the students that there is no big deal being around or slightly better than the national average? To be truly good, one has to transcend this mindset and surpass national standards significantly.
But who is willing to put in the hard work? Who is willing to accept another's standards? Who are we bluffing when we shortchange the people to whom we are going to entrust ourselves in our silver years? I guess we reap what we sow. But I am not willing to accept this - in my books, they had failed to meet the standards which define excellence even if they had outdone themselves.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Errant Employees
Was at an outlet of a restaurant chain I frequent. Usually, I would not order the same dishes as my dining partner because I like to have variety. However, today, I decided to go for the same dishes because I was craving the same food.
The dishes arrived and both of us ordered rice topped with tonkatsu (deep fried breaded pork loin). We both removed the pork pieces and placed them on a dish. When I looked at the two portions, mine was at most half of what my friend got. This was unacceptable because this suggests poor quality control in the kitchen.
We called the waitress and impressed on her the situation. Not long later, the manager came, saw the portions and then said she would speak with the kitchen. She even had to take both portions into the kitchen to show them.
After a long while, a new, roughly equivalent portion was served. We actually had to remind them to serve. This time, the meat was way overdone. The bread crumbs were nearly burnt. The meat was tough as rubber.
I could have kicked up another fuss but I simply told the manager that I won't make her life hard. Anyway, it was just feedback that if they do not get their kitchen in order, their business was going to suffer.
Only then did I find out that the kitchen manager was on leave today and the kitchen crew had run amok.
What luck to have such errant employees.
The dishes arrived and both of us ordered rice topped with tonkatsu (deep fried breaded pork loin). We both removed the pork pieces and placed them on a dish. When I looked at the two portions, mine was at most half of what my friend got. This was unacceptable because this suggests poor quality control in the kitchen.
We called the waitress and impressed on her the situation. Not long later, the manager came, saw the portions and then said she would speak with the kitchen. She even had to take both portions into the kitchen to show them.
After a long while, a new, roughly equivalent portion was served. We actually had to remind them to serve. This time, the meat was way overdone. The bread crumbs were nearly burnt. The meat was tough as rubber.
I could have kicked up another fuss but I simply told the manager that I won't make her life hard. Anyway, it was just feedback that if they do not get their kitchen in order, their business was going to suffer.
Only then did I find out that the kitchen manager was on leave today and the kitchen crew had run amok.
What luck to have such errant employees.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Fairy Tale Endings
TV series Little Nyonya ended recently and many viewers are grousing about the disappointing ending.
Many people thought the long suffering female lead Yueniang should be married to the rich man's son Chen Xi. They rationalised that after having gone through so much together, they should end up together.
Eh, WAKE UP! Since when do such things happen in real life? More often than not, we end up carrying the can and get asked to make do with the lemons we are given. And by the way, since when did love or trials-and-tribulations got to do with anything?
Fairy tale endings should be banned the day Hans Christian Anderson died.
Many people thought the long suffering female lead Yueniang should be married to the rich man's son Chen Xi. They rationalised that after having gone through so much together, they should end up together.
Eh, WAKE UP! Since when do such things happen in real life? More often than not, we end up carrying the can and get asked to make do with the lemons we are given. And by the way, since when did love or trials-and-tribulations got to do with anything?
Fairy tale endings should be banned the day Hans Christian Anderson died.
如燕 【小娘惹主題曲】
愿意合上眼才能美梦无边
别让悔熏乌了从前
也许碎片才能让回忆展颜
何妨瓷花拼凑明天
谁带我寻获幸福的模
却自己谜中困锁
谁为我留下缱绻的天涯
信物是抹晚霞
Chorus:
思念如燕它飞舞舌尖
若是真爱配尝几分苦甜
意念婆娑时间里推磨
追随到何处才结果
燕如针线在青空缝编
几幅女红将以泪缀点
誓言斑驳情雾只是经过
风雨中且让我盈步婀娜
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
What's the Big Deal?
Mumbai Terror Attacks - 1 Singaporean died.
Car crash at 143 km mark of the Malaysian North South Highway (Tangkak) - 2 Singaporeans died.
Bangkok Santika Night Club New Year Celebrations fire - 3 Singaporeans died.
Taking things in perspective... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Car crash at 143 km mark of the Malaysian North South Highway (Tangkak) - 2 Singaporeans died.
Bangkok Santika Night Club New Year Celebrations fire - 3 Singaporeans died.
Taking things in perspective... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Ominous
Just realised that the fengshui wheel that is supposed to bring in wealth to Singapore, aka the Singapore Flyer, stopped spinning since 23 Dec. Small wonder Singapore has gone into a real mess since then. The rotting has started long time ago but the rot must have been so bad that the poor wheel must have felt strained scooping in what is there to fill out what is not.
See, what's the problem with relying on fengshui so much!
See, what's the problem with relying on fengshui so much!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Spoken in a surprised fashion
Good: "Guess what? My favourite uncle is coming," Little Johnny ejeculated.
Bad: "Guess what? My favourite uncle is coming." Little Johnny ejeculated.
Bad: "Guess what? My favourite uncle is coming." Little Johnny ejeculated.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Some cheer
Some of the most hilarious extra marital affairs
1. A woman was making out with her lover when she heard her husband return. "Quick! Into the corner and don't move!" The woman slathered her lover with baby oil and pasted thick plaster powder over him. "Stand there and pretend you're a statue," she whispered.
When her husband walked in, he put down his bags and asked what the "thing" was. "Oh, just a statue. The Adams have one and I thought it was quite pretty. So I got one for us to." The man left the matter as that.
That night, when the wife was fast asleep, the man woke up at 2 am and made a sandwich and took a glass of milk to the statue and told him, "There. Have something to eat and drink. Don't be like me. I was starving for three days when I was made to act like one at the Adams."
2. A man and his wife were both having affairs and so they were often not spending their nights together. One night, both were home and felt apologetic for their actions. After a bout of passionate making out, they both went to bed. At 2 am, the wife suddenly sat up in bed and shouted in her sleep, "Quick, out of the window! My husband's back!" Upon hearing this, the husband immediately grabbed his clothes and jumped out of the window.
3. In a backward seaside village, the male villagers often had to go out to sea to fish and were rarely at home. The female villagers were mostly having affairs with the men who were not back. After each tryst, they would go to the village pastor to confess to their sins and ask for forgiveness. After hearing the word "affair" for umpteen times, the pastor decided to Bowdlerize their sessions by having the women use the term "fall down" instead. So the confessions were less lurid.
After many years, the old pastor retired and handed over his duties to a newcomer. Before he left, he asked the village headman to convey the meaning of "fall down" to the new pastor. Unfortunately, the headman forgot.
One fine day, the pastor approached the headman and asked that a new road be built. He explained that apparently, many women had "fallen down". The headman started laughing when he realised his omission. Just then, the pastor asked rather agitatedly, "What's so funny, Headman? Don't you know your wife has "fallen down" three times last week?"
4. Rick died and was due to be cremated. When his body was checked, the undertaker found that he had the longest dick he had ever seen and decided to keep the organ for posterity. Mouthing his apologies to the already dead Rick, the undertaker explained that the tool should be kept so that Rick's descendants had something to remember him for.
That night, Rick went home and carefully unwrapped his precious cargo, telling his wife that she would be seeing something she would not have seen in her entire life. When the package was opened, the wife gasped, "Oh my god! Is Rick dead already?"
5. After trying many many times to get a son after having two daughters, a couple finally succeeded in getting one. It was a long process and when the child was born, the man was flabbergasted. "Wife," he said, "that is the ugliest baby boy I've seen. Are you sure you didn't have him with another man?" The wife looked lovingly at him and replied sweetly, "Not this time, dear. This one is really with you."
6. On his death bed, Jack looked at Jean as he tried to speak with her. "My dear Jean...," Jack began. "You're tired. Go to sleep." Jean replied. "No, I don't have much time any more. I need to confess some things to you." Jack struggled. "You don't have to. You're tired. Have some rest." Jean comforted him. "No, I really need to do it. I want to die peacefully. Jean, I've slept with your sister, your best friend and your friends." Jack whispered. In a hushed voice, Jean replied, "I know, dear. That's why I poisoned you."
1. A woman was making out with her lover when she heard her husband return. "Quick! Into the corner and don't move!" The woman slathered her lover with baby oil and pasted thick plaster powder over him. "Stand there and pretend you're a statue," she whispered.
When her husband walked in, he put down his bags and asked what the "thing" was. "Oh, just a statue. The Adams have one and I thought it was quite pretty. So I got one for us to." The man left the matter as that.
That night, when the wife was fast asleep, the man woke up at 2 am and made a sandwich and took a glass of milk to the statue and told him, "There. Have something to eat and drink. Don't be like me. I was starving for three days when I was made to act like one at the Adams."
2. A man and his wife were both having affairs and so they were often not spending their nights together. One night, both were home and felt apologetic for their actions. After a bout of passionate making out, they both went to bed. At 2 am, the wife suddenly sat up in bed and shouted in her sleep, "Quick, out of the window! My husband's back!" Upon hearing this, the husband immediately grabbed his clothes and jumped out of the window.
3. In a backward seaside village, the male villagers often had to go out to sea to fish and were rarely at home. The female villagers were mostly having affairs with the men who were not back. After each tryst, they would go to the village pastor to confess to their sins and ask for forgiveness. After hearing the word "affair" for umpteen times, the pastor decided to Bowdlerize their sessions by having the women use the term "fall down" instead. So the confessions were less lurid.
After many years, the old pastor retired and handed over his duties to a newcomer. Before he left, he asked the village headman to convey the meaning of "fall down" to the new pastor. Unfortunately, the headman forgot.
One fine day, the pastor approached the headman and asked that a new road be built. He explained that apparently, many women had "fallen down". The headman started laughing when he realised his omission. Just then, the pastor asked rather agitatedly, "What's so funny, Headman? Don't you know your wife has "fallen down" three times last week?"
4. Rick died and was due to be cremated. When his body was checked, the undertaker found that he had the longest dick he had ever seen and decided to keep the organ for posterity. Mouthing his apologies to the already dead Rick, the undertaker explained that the tool should be kept so that Rick's descendants had something to remember him for.
That night, Rick went home and carefully unwrapped his precious cargo, telling his wife that she would be seeing something she would not have seen in her entire life. When the package was opened, the wife gasped, "Oh my god! Is Rick dead already?"
5. After trying many many times to get a son after having two daughters, a couple finally succeeded in getting one. It was a long process and when the child was born, the man was flabbergasted. "Wife," he said, "that is the ugliest baby boy I've seen. Are you sure you didn't have him with another man?" The wife looked lovingly at him and replied sweetly, "Not this time, dear. This one is really with you."
6. On his death bed, Jack looked at Jean as he tried to speak with her. "My dear Jean...," Jack began. "You're tired. Go to sleep." Jean replied. "No, I don't have much time any more. I need to confess some things to you." Jack struggled. "You don't have to. You're tired. Have some rest." Jean comforted him. "No, I really need to do it. I want to die peacefully. Jean, I've slept with your sister, your best friend and your friends." Jack whispered. In a hushed voice, Jean replied, "I know, dear. That's why I poisoned you."
Friday, January 02, 2009
New Year Resolution 2009
See how smart I am? People simply can't keep resolutions. I'll just make one resolution which whether I keep it or not, I'm still successful.
My resolution: Not to have a resolution.
Why resolve to do something and then forget it?
Honestly speaking, why must it be the new year that a resolution can be made? If so, then all marriages should only take place on New Year's Day or else there isn't a resolution to stay married. Now, do you understand why people marry and divorce? There is really no link to why the bride wears white and the groom wears black. It has got to do with the day couple are married. They are married on non-resolute days. So they stray.
Death should only occur on New Year's Day for the same reason. Otherwise, the dead can't stay dead. And Miss Ghost Whisperer will be in business. And do you remember how much she used to hate her gift? Poor her. In the recent series, her handsome paramedic husband is dead. Then he comes back to life when his soul takes over a dead motorist's body. I shouldn't tell you too much or you will resolve never to visit my blog again. That, I know, is not good for me.
Giving away babies should only be done on New Year's Day. In this way, the resolve of giving up the child will ensure that neither the mother will renege on her decision nor the child will return to acknowledge the birth parent(s). If this were done, Dr Cuddy in House would have gotten her child from the coke junkie (who reminds me of an ex-colleague) and the poor Chinese girl would not have gone back to China to try and locate her parents, only to find that when they tried to get rid of her in 1983 due to China's one-child policy, they shoved needles into her head. The pins were embedded in her brains and one of them pressed against her addiction centre, turning her alcoholic. Ok, I shan't tell you more. Or House won't be as exciting. I just wonder if Singapore will allow the episode where Thirteen was kissing a girl at the start and another girl at the end.
Did I say to much? I have nothing more to say to you... But all you have to do is to know that every word is true.
Did I hear someone ask me what are the advantages of my new year resolution?
My resolution: Not to have a resolution.
Why resolve to do something and then forget it?
Honestly speaking, why must it be the new year that a resolution can be made? If so, then all marriages should only take place on New Year's Day or else there isn't a resolution to stay married. Now, do you understand why people marry and divorce? There is really no link to why the bride wears white and the groom wears black. It has got to do with the day couple are married. They are married on non-resolute days. So they stray.
Death should only occur on New Year's Day for the same reason. Otherwise, the dead can't stay dead. And Miss Ghost Whisperer will be in business. And do you remember how much she used to hate her gift? Poor her. In the recent series, her handsome paramedic husband is dead. Then he comes back to life when his soul takes over a dead motorist's body. I shouldn't tell you too much or you will resolve never to visit my blog again. That, I know, is not good for me.
Giving away babies should only be done on New Year's Day. In this way, the resolve of giving up the child will ensure that neither the mother will renege on her decision nor the child will return to acknowledge the birth parent(s). If this were done, Dr Cuddy in House would have gotten her child from the coke junkie (who reminds me of an ex-colleague) and the poor Chinese girl would not have gone back to China to try and locate her parents, only to find that when they tried to get rid of her in 1983 due to China's one-child policy, they shoved needles into her head. The pins were embedded in her brains and one of them pressed against her addiction centre, turning her alcoholic. Ok, I shan't tell you more. Or House won't be as exciting. I just wonder if Singapore will allow the episode where Thirteen was kissing a girl at the start and another girl at the end.
Did I say to much? I have nothing more to say to you... But all you have to do is to know that every word is true.
Did I hear someone ask me what are the advantages of my new year resolution?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Looking back 2008
A limited view from my desk.
I quit my job to give me back more of my time and to pursue interests of mine so that I can make myself happy.
A financial orgy occured, leading to all players lying in cesspools. Subprime from the US screwed the financial sector, the financial sector screwed the national economy, the world economy screwed the world.
Politically, countries looked forward to change. Malaysia denied its ruling coalition, Barisan National, its super-majority. The empty promises from Anwar had given the opposition much to mull over. Until now, the Brain has not been able to take over the reins to rule Malaysia. And the Pinkys are not dumbos. Let's watch. The Thais changed prime minister 3 times in a year. Protesters even copped a world first - taking over the Thai Suvarnabhumi Airport, crippling air traffic for a week. US voted in a Black president.
Terror-wise, the Mumbai Massacre saw Singapore lose a female lawyer in the melee. Singapore lost Mas Selamat, a head honcho with the Jemaah Islamiah, a terrorist group in South East Asia. Elsewhere, Sri Lanka and the LTTE fought to no end.
Food prices have become really expensive these days. I no longer find eating pleasurable when I have to spend so much to find pleasure. Cooking, though, is more fun and relaxing. So long as one disregards the money spent for the ingredients and the efforts required to do the pre- and post-cooking washing up.
Oil prices yoyoed and within this year, the difference between the highs and lows is more than USD 100. And we now seem to have conclusive evidence that my fats can be used as lipodiesel. Be kind to a living fuel source!
The Olympics showed the world why it could not be saved quickly when it entered recession - China squandered all the money doing the unnecessary during the Olympics. There! There are bad expenses and there are bad expenses.
Travelling has taken a back seat this year. I need to travel more and see new places.
Most importantly, I need to get rid of this pesky flu that has bugged me since the beginning of the month. I want to start 2009 on a right note.
Actually, what's there to really to look back for 2008? I really do not know. It is but a year in my life and I am not even sure if it had been the most productive of years. Still, it represents 527 040 minutes of my life. For that, I must say life has treated me well.
I quit my job to give me back more of my time and to pursue interests of mine so that I can make myself happy.
A financial orgy occured, leading to all players lying in cesspools. Subprime from the US screwed the financial sector, the financial sector screwed the national economy, the world economy screwed the world.
Politically, countries looked forward to change. Malaysia denied its ruling coalition, Barisan National, its super-majority. The empty promises from Anwar had given the opposition much to mull over. Until now, the Brain has not been able to take over the reins to rule Malaysia. And the Pinkys are not dumbos. Let's watch. The Thais changed prime minister 3 times in a year. Protesters even copped a world first - taking over the Thai Suvarnabhumi Airport, crippling air traffic for a week. US voted in a Black president.
Terror-wise, the Mumbai Massacre saw Singapore lose a female lawyer in the melee. Singapore lost Mas Selamat, a head honcho with the Jemaah Islamiah, a terrorist group in South East Asia. Elsewhere, Sri Lanka and the LTTE fought to no end.
Food prices have become really expensive these days. I no longer find eating pleasurable when I have to spend so much to find pleasure. Cooking, though, is more fun and relaxing. So long as one disregards the money spent for the ingredients and the efforts required to do the pre- and post-cooking washing up.
Oil prices yoyoed and within this year, the difference between the highs and lows is more than USD 100. And we now seem to have conclusive evidence that my fats can be used as lipodiesel. Be kind to a living fuel source!
The Olympics showed the world why it could not be saved quickly when it entered recession - China squandered all the money doing the unnecessary during the Olympics. There! There are bad expenses and there are bad expenses.
Travelling has taken a back seat this year. I need to travel more and see new places.
Most importantly, I need to get rid of this pesky flu that has bugged me since the beginning of the month. I want to start 2009 on a right note.
Actually, what's there to really to look back for 2008? I really do not know. It is but a year in my life and I am not even sure if it had been the most productive of years. Still, it represents 527 040 minutes of my life. For that, I must say life has treated me well.
Friday, December 26, 2008
The perfect solution to the energy crunch
A leading Beverly Hills plastic surgeon claims to have found an environmentally friendly way to combine two of America's great obsessions – after converting his 4x4 to run on fat removed from clients during liposuction operations. More...
My claim that I'm a living oil field is now justified. This news is possibly the best piece of news for all weight-watchers.
What better way to live than to eat all you want and let the body do what it wants. All we need now is a valve to pump out the fats we don't want and then decompose it into bio-diesel to fuel our cars. Or whatever power generators that can run on diesel.
You get to enjoy your food and not let the moment on the lips stay a life time on the hips.
My claim that I'm a living oil field is now justified. This news is possibly the best piece of news for all weight-watchers.
What better way to live than to eat all you want and let the body do what it wants. All we need now is a valve to pump out the fats we don't want and then decompose it into bio-diesel to fuel our cars. Or whatever power generators that can run on diesel.
You get to enjoy your food and not let the moment on the lips stay a life time on the hips.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
You Spin Me Round
Ferris wheel size queens of the world should take note - when the Singapore Flyer stopped spinning, everything else started spinning.
People trapped in the world's largest flyer (on borrowed time) started feeling so hungry they had to eat a lot of pizzas "roped" in by the staff, some had to pee in plastic bags shielded by their family (funny, the capsules are all glass), one's head spun so bad and another puked and both landed in the hospital.
And a Russian tourist, the poor man, missed his flight home to spend a cold and dreary Christmas at home. Instead, he got to spend it on the sunny, balmy shores of Singapore. I wonder who's paying for it.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force had to be roped in to supplement efforts of the designated recovery firm. Hey, that makes me go right round round round because taxpayers money like mine are used to save people have a spin on the wheel when I have not even stepped foot in it!
And Singapore once again gained international infamy when newspapers from Australia to UK to Canada to China to Malaysia (hey, that is AROUND the world, if your geography sucks) reported the unfortunate event.
Even more interesting - the wheel is powered by 6 "rotary" units and can turn as long as 3 are working. This is what Singapore Flyer describes a 100% redundancy. Technical guys love such nonsense speak. But an electrical fire wiped out power to all 6 units. Is the fire at a 100% redundancy too?
Like many things in life, I wish 100% redundancy is so easy to achieve. Like when I lose a kilo of weight, the 100% redundancy rule wipes out 2 kilo when I stand on the weighing machine. When I gain a kilo, it shows up 500g of increase (100% redundancy, in case I really didn't gain a kilo.) Maybe Bernard Madoff also reported a 100% redundancy. He really lost USD 100 billion.
But I digress. As usual. If there is a disaster to be mocked, I must mock it with 100% redundancy. Nothing less. So, I wonder why our commandos were not called in. With their 'elicopters and rappelling skills, they should be able to save the trapped folks. Oh, they are the 100% redundancy that cannot be activated until people start dying in the capsule, I guess.
Of course, the greatest mockery of it all - the SCDF's ladders from their fire engines could reach up to capsules of only a certain height. And for good redundancy. The capsules were EMPTY! And the next capsule up (apparently, the third one up) cannot be reached.
With all these redundancy speak, it's no surprise that my head is spinning round round like a record baby right round round round....
People trapped in the world's largest flyer (on borrowed time) started feeling so hungry they had to eat a lot of pizzas "roped" in by the staff, some had to pee in plastic bags shielded by their family (funny, the capsules are all glass), one's head spun so bad and another puked and both landed in the hospital.
And a Russian tourist, the poor man, missed his flight home to spend a cold and dreary Christmas at home. Instead, he got to spend it on the sunny, balmy shores of Singapore. I wonder who's paying for it.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force had to be roped in to supplement efforts of the designated recovery firm. Hey, that makes me go right round round round because taxpayers money like mine are used to save people have a spin on the wheel when I have not even stepped foot in it!
And Singapore once again gained international infamy when newspapers from Australia to UK to Canada to China to Malaysia (hey, that is AROUND the world, if your geography sucks) reported the unfortunate event.
Even more interesting - the wheel is powered by 6 "rotary" units and can turn as long as 3 are working. This is what Singapore Flyer describes a 100% redundancy. Technical guys love such nonsense speak. But an electrical fire wiped out power to all 6 units. Is the fire at a 100% redundancy too?
Like many things in life, I wish 100% redundancy is so easy to achieve. Like when I lose a kilo of weight, the 100% redundancy rule wipes out 2 kilo when I stand on the weighing machine. When I gain a kilo, it shows up 500g of increase (100% redundancy, in case I really didn't gain a kilo.) Maybe Bernard Madoff also reported a 100% redundancy. He really lost USD 100 billion.
But I digress. As usual. If there is a disaster to be mocked, I must mock it with 100% redundancy. Nothing less. So, I wonder why our commandos were not called in. With their 'elicopters and rappelling skills, they should be able to save the trapped folks. Oh, they are the 100% redundancy that cannot be activated until people start dying in the capsule, I guess.
Of course, the greatest mockery of it all - the SCDF's ladders from their fire engines could reach up to capsules of only a certain height. And for good redundancy. The capsules were EMPTY! And the next capsule up (apparently, the third one up) cannot be reached.
With all these redundancy speak, it's no surprise that my head is spinning round round like a record baby right round round round....
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Darwin Award Contender
Japanese man dies after retirement party hijinks
A 60-year-old man who was thrown into the air in celebration at his retirement party died after his colleagues failed to catch him and he fell to the floor, a Japanese newspaper reported on Tuesday. Read more...
My first reaction: I'd say it's time to go after the widow. I'm sure he left a good fortune behind.
On hindsight, was he really that unpopular? I mean, why would anyone toss someone in the air and then not want to catch the person? It's not like the one in the air is wearing conical bra a la Madonna.
All I Want For Christmas...
Since Christmas is a Thursday, how about a Group A single winner Toto winning ticket for me, Santa? I've been a good boy all year. See, I even quit my job as a civil...
The Grinch who Stole Christmas 2008
I think this grinch is American. No two ways about it. Do you feel Christmas-sy at all? It feels nothing like Christmas yet. And the quiet shopping centres are proof of that.
Bleary Eyed
I've been trying to plough through the required readings for the course I'm teaching and my eyes! They are complaining like anything.
It's as though I've deprived them of their year-end bonus while giving them lots and lots of extra work. Each time I put a set of readings in front of them, they simply strike by closing their eyelids.
The brain must be the mastermind. It goes to sleep as well.
I wish Al were here. At least he could be reading the papers and telling me executive summaries. Or better yet, post them on his blog so I can direct my students there for a quick read. If Al weren't already buried in snow, that is.
It's as though I've deprived them of their year-end bonus while giving them lots and lots of extra work. Each time I put a set of readings in front of them, they simply strike by closing their eyelids.
The brain must be the mastermind. It goes to sleep as well.
I wish Al were here. At least he could be reading the papers and telling me executive summaries. Or better yet, post them on his blog so I can direct my students there for a quick read. If Al weren't already buried in snow, that is.
Monday, December 22, 2008
An Analogy to Madoff's Ponzi Scheme
Seems that a G.I. during the Korean conflict, as he was leaving the mess tent in Korea, picked up a can of sardines so that he could have a snack later in the day. As he was walking down the road a Korean soldier saw his sardines and thinking they would make a nice dinner, asked if he could buy it. The G.I. said "sure" and sold it to him for 10 cents. Another Korean saw the sardines and thought they would make a great lunch and asked to buy them. The deal was done at 15 cents, a 50 percent profit in a matter of minutes. A third Korean, who hadn't eaten for over a day and was starving, saw the sardines and bought them for 30 cents and immediately tore open the can. Unfortunately the sardines were rotten. As he was screaming at the seller for selling him rotten sardines the seller looked at him and said: "Why did you open the can?"
by Clyde Jenkins, Panama City, Panama
by Clyde Jenkins, Panama City, Panama
6% or Blisters
The new Ikea shelves arrived on Saturday.
Being spatially spastic, diagrammatically dysfunctional, dexterity disinclined, and work tool-totalled, I paid the delivery guys to build up two of the 2 metre bookshelves that I've ordered. The third shelf is already assembled, as it is an AS-IS item with a corner chipped off. But there is a good amount of money chipped off. As the damage is not structural, buying it is not too much an issue.
The cost of erecting each item is 6% of the item's cost. This is not too much money but sometimes, it is not just money.
I've also bough 6 doors for my two shelves. Being (more) fickle (than a bee in a field of flowers in bloom), I decided that it might not be sensible to get the delivery folks to do the door assembly. After all, I might want the configuration that I specified and have to end up reassembling them. And worse, since the delivery guys depend on hand held drills, the screws they put in tend to wear down the wood quite a bit. It is somewhat different when you do it manually. Perhaps it is the lesser strength used and the lower speed of entry. The wood does not get worn away that quickly and certainly, removal and reassembly are possible.
There were another 6 doors that were to be put up for the existing shelves. (And for good measure, we took down the existent doors on the two shelves we already have and changed the opening direction. Worse! At the end of the day, we bought another 2 doors for a third shelf.)
So, by the time the third door was up, I have a large blister on my right middle finger and by the fifth door, the handle of the screwdriver was wet. I've bust the bubble. And I was faced with the unsavoury prospect of finishing the doors or keeping it to another day. Somehow, another day is often no other day. So I grinned and bore it and the doors were done! Don't ask me what hit me, but I did. I even managed to assemble two drawers, which I never thought I could.
With the additional strain on the other fingers and thumb and the bust blister, there was much pain each time I touch water. Sigh. What a way to get things done. Paid the money and got the blisters. The worst of both worlds!
Being spatially spastic, diagrammatically dysfunctional, dexterity disinclined, and work tool-totalled, I paid the delivery guys to build up two of the 2 metre bookshelves that I've ordered. The third shelf is already assembled, as it is an AS-IS item with a corner chipped off. But there is a good amount of money chipped off. As the damage is not structural, buying it is not too much an issue.
The cost of erecting each item is 6% of the item's cost. This is not too much money but sometimes, it is not just money.
I've also bough 6 doors for my two shelves. Being (more) fickle (than a bee in a field of flowers in bloom), I decided that it might not be sensible to get the delivery folks to do the door assembly. After all, I might want the configuration that I specified and have to end up reassembling them. And worse, since the delivery guys depend on hand held drills, the screws they put in tend to wear down the wood quite a bit. It is somewhat different when you do it manually. Perhaps it is the lesser strength used and the lower speed of entry. The wood does not get worn away that quickly and certainly, removal and reassembly are possible.
There were another 6 doors that were to be put up for the existing shelves. (And for good measure, we took down the existent doors on the two shelves we already have and changed the opening direction. Worse! At the end of the day, we bought another 2 doors for a third shelf.)
So, by the time the third door was up, I have a large blister on my right middle finger and by the fifth door, the handle of the screwdriver was wet. I've bust the bubble. And I was faced with the unsavoury prospect of finishing the doors or keeping it to another day. Somehow, another day is often no other day. So I grinned and bore it and the doors were done! Don't ask me what hit me, but I did. I even managed to assemble two drawers, which I never thought I could.
With the additional strain on the other fingers and thumb and the bust blister, there was much pain each time I touch water. Sigh. What a way to get things done. Paid the money and got the blisters. The worst of both worlds!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
To Win, Be Head Ponzi
As with any Ponzi scheme, that's the only way to win. Join early, make your way up as one of the head Ponzis, cash out and run away. And then claim that you've never read what you signed. Oh, the last sentence was used by people burnt by the Lehman minibonds.
Oh heck. People are so greedy, even if they have made a million as head Ponzi, they will still stick on and hope to make the second or third or fourth. You know, to hedge against inflation. Oh, the last sentence was used by people burnt by the Lehman minibonds.
So, they carry on Ponzi-ing and Ponzi-ing until they and their investments go bust. And watch their investments turn into a whole wad of worthless paper. Oh, the last sentence will be used for people burnt by the Lehman minibonds.
Oh heck. People are so greedy, even if they have made a million as head Ponzi, they will still stick on and hope to make the second or third or fourth. You know, to hedge against inflation. Oh, the last sentence was used by people burnt by the Lehman minibonds.
So, they carry on Ponzi-ing and Ponzi-ing until they and their investments go bust. And watch their investments turn into a whole wad of worthless paper. Oh, the last sentence will be used for people burnt by the Lehman minibonds.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Karma and the Duck Leg
Some temples in Singapore have set aside parts of their buildings to house columbaria. In a way, what these temples are doing is part of community service, providing comfort to the living that their dead loved ones are well taken care of. Of course, the living pay a bomb to secure a niche for the dead in these temples, not unlike paying a premium to stay in a condominium (compared to public housing).
Still, the prevailing belief that many Chinese Singaporeans have is that when the dead "stay" in temples like these, they are protected by the gods of the temple. Compared to leaving the urns in public columbaria, the dead are like left out in the open. Furthermore, during major festivities, the temples would hold prayers and make offerings to the dead. If housed outside, the dead would have nothing to "eat" if family do not visit.
Of note, offerings made by the living to their dead relatives at columbaria within Buddhist temples need to observe Buddhist meal habits. That means that offerings brought into the Buddhist temple for the dead must be vegetarian. The rule that only vegetarian offerings are to be made is also made known on various signages placed around the columbarium.
By and large, the understanding in the Laws of Karma is that when the rules are disobeyed, the dead would probably be punished. The living therefore should know better than to bring non-vegetarian food in for prayers. Although there are helpers at the columbaria, they are often too jaded to tick off any transgressions because ugly quarrels may break out. Furthermore, the Chinese have the saying "having a meal puts you above the emperor" - a person at a meal should never be disturbed, even if the emperor asks to see the person. Therefore, few people would want to disturb family members when they come in for prayers and offer food to the dead, even if they bring in the wrong food.
Today, I saw the entire roast duck leg made as a "vegetarian" offering. And to make things even more exciting, there was roasted belly meat and char siew. Clearly, the living could read the signs telling them that only real vegetarian stuff should be used. Yet they flagrantly disregarded the request by the temple.
Sometimes I wonder if this is a way through which the living get even with the dead.
Still, the prevailing belief that many Chinese Singaporeans have is that when the dead "stay" in temples like these, they are protected by the gods of the temple. Compared to leaving the urns in public columbaria, the dead are like left out in the open. Furthermore, during major festivities, the temples would hold prayers and make offerings to the dead. If housed outside, the dead would have nothing to "eat" if family do not visit.
Of note, offerings made by the living to their dead relatives at columbaria within Buddhist temples need to observe Buddhist meal habits. That means that offerings brought into the Buddhist temple for the dead must be vegetarian. The rule that only vegetarian offerings are to be made is also made known on various signages placed around the columbarium.
By and large, the understanding in the Laws of Karma is that when the rules are disobeyed, the dead would probably be punished. The living therefore should know better than to bring non-vegetarian food in for prayers. Although there are helpers at the columbaria, they are often too jaded to tick off any transgressions because ugly quarrels may break out. Furthermore, the Chinese have the saying "having a meal puts you above the emperor" - a person at a meal should never be disturbed, even if the emperor asks to see the person. Therefore, few people would want to disturb family members when they come in for prayers and offer food to the dead, even if they bring in the wrong food.
Today, I saw the entire roast duck leg made as a "vegetarian" offering. And to make things even more exciting, there was roasted belly meat and char siew. Clearly, the living could read the signs telling them that only real vegetarian stuff should be used. Yet they flagrantly disregarded the request by the temple.
Sometimes I wonder if this is a way through which the living get even with the dead.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Travelling in Comfort
After deliberating between flying and taking a bus, we decided on taking a bus because the travelling costs from KLIA to KL is going to cost us more money and the time saved from flying is not significant. So it was decided that a bus it'll be. We were booked on first class coaches for our outbound journey.
The tickets cost a little bomb each but for the comfort of sitting in a coach with just 15 other passengers, I think it is really worth the money. An aisle runs down the middle of the coach and there are eight single seats per side of the coach. The seats are large and leather bound. They also double as massage chairs. There were enough movies and on-board entertainment to keep a person fully occupied for the 5 hour 30 minute journey if the person isn't too picky.
Even better, lunch was provided on the bus trip. Baked rice, chicken with mushroom, and boiled mixed vegetables were the fare for lunch, much like airplane food. This meal saved us precious time from having to take meal breaks at lunch stops specializing in overpriced bad food. And the coach could take its time to make the journey without having to speed to make up for lost time, putting the passengers in danger.
There was after lunch drinks following that. Before long, KL was in sight and the bus terminus was just a few turns away. Our friend turned up right as the bus pulled into its berth and whisked us away to our hotel.
The bus journey back was in a different class altogether. We could not get first class tickets back and so had to settle for "business class" like seats with "economy class" like service. The seats were in the usual single seat, aisle, double seat configuration, imitating the other better business class coaches that ply the same route. Unfortunately, there was nothing of the service that we had expected. There was no on board meals, the seat was not leather upholstered, the seat did not have any massaging ability, and they had on board entertainment systems that blast sound out of your seats' headrests instead of through personalised head phones. Deciding that my sanity was more important than entertainment, I chose to turn off the OBE system throughout.
Ironically, this bus company is called Luxury Travel. The bus and its plans and strappings were anything but luxurious. What a misnomer!
The bus driver sped like his bonus depended on his ability to break the land speed record between KL and Singapore. We were given a 20 minute pathetic meal break at Yong Peng where we had bad food at exorbitant prices. This return journey was everything that we would not have tolerated on a bus trip. (Of course, we know who to skin for this hullabaloo! And we will, when he next comes down to Singapore.)
If things weren't bad enough, we queued up for nearly an hour and a half to clear the Singapore Customs. The snaking queue stretched halfway up the Second Link bridge and my, was it a pain watching the snake twitch like a half dead millipede as we inched towards the CIQ facilities. Now I know why passengers clearing CIQ at Tuas never had much to complain about even though there are some crowds. The single-lane roads have diverted the travellers' attention to the Land Transport Authority's poor road planning for the ingress routes. What rubbish!
We arrived at our final destination - Concorde Hotel in Orchard Road; the former Le Meridien for the old timers - near midnight and even as the rain beat down on the taxi stand, the blue ghosts were nowhere to be found. Finally, we booked a cab by phone and cabbed home at a cost of $23, including the booking and midnight charges. What a rip-off.
And of course, we know who to skin for this exorbitant taxi cost - the one who insisted that the 4.30 pm bus was the correct timing despite being repeatedly told that the 2.30 pm bus timing would be the better one for travellers dependent on public transport. We could have arrived at 10 pm and saved the midnight charge. For all he knew, we might have taken a MRT home.
Moral of the story: You get what you pay for. And you know best what time you should travel.
PS. The next time, we might fly home from KL. This would be contingent on getting cheap tickets. At least the cab fare from the airport to home would not exceed $15.
The tickets cost a little bomb each but for the comfort of sitting in a coach with just 15 other passengers, I think it is really worth the money. An aisle runs down the middle of the coach and there are eight single seats per side of the coach. The seats are large and leather bound. They also double as massage chairs. There were enough movies and on-board entertainment to keep a person fully occupied for the 5 hour 30 minute journey if the person isn't too picky.
Even better, lunch was provided on the bus trip. Baked rice, chicken with mushroom, and boiled mixed vegetables were the fare for lunch, much like airplane food. This meal saved us precious time from having to take meal breaks at lunch stops specializing in overpriced bad food. And the coach could take its time to make the journey without having to speed to make up for lost time, putting the passengers in danger.
There was after lunch drinks following that. Before long, KL was in sight and the bus terminus was just a few turns away. Our friend turned up right as the bus pulled into its berth and whisked us away to our hotel.
The bus journey back was in a different class altogether. We could not get first class tickets back and so had to settle for "business class" like seats with "economy class" like service. The seats were in the usual single seat, aisle, double seat configuration, imitating the other better business class coaches that ply the same route. Unfortunately, there was nothing of the service that we had expected. There was no on board meals, the seat was not leather upholstered, the seat did not have any massaging ability, and they had on board entertainment systems that blast sound out of your seats' headrests instead of through personalised head phones. Deciding that my sanity was more important than entertainment, I chose to turn off the OBE system throughout.
Ironically, this bus company is called Luxury Travel. The bus and its plans and strappings were anything but luxurious. What a misnomer!
The bus driver sped like his bonus depended on his ability to break the land speed record between KL and Singapore. We were given a 20 minute pathetic meal break at Yong Peng where we had bad food at exorbitant prices. This return journey was everything that we would not have tolerated on a bus trip. (Of course, we know who to skin for this hullabaloo! And we will, when he next comes down to Singapore.)
If things weren't bad enough, we queued up for nearly an hour and a half to clear the Singapore Customs. The snaking queue stretched halfway up the Second Link bridge and my, was it a pain watching the snake twitch like a half dead millipede as we inched towards the CIQ facilities. Now I know why passengers clearing CIQ at Tuas never had much to complain about even though there are some crowds. The single-lane roads have diverted the travellers' attention to the Land Transport Authority's poor road planning for the ingress routes. What rubbish!
We arrived at our final destination - Concorde Hotel in Orchard Road; the former Le Meridien for the old timers - near midnight and even as the rain beat down on the taxi stand, the blue ghosts were nowhere to be found. Finally, we booked a cab by phone and cabbed home at a cost of $23, including the booking and midnight charges. What a rip-off.
And of course, we know who to skin for this exorbitant taxi cost - the one who insisted that the 4.30 pm bus was the correct timing despite being repeatedly told that the 2.30 pm bus timing would be the better one for travellers dependent on public transport. We could have arrived at 10 pm and saved the midnight charge. For all he knew, we might have taken a MRT home.
Moral of the story: You get what you pay for. And you know best what time you should travel.
PS. The next time, we might fly home from KL. This would be contingent on getting cheap tickets. At least the cab fare from the airport to home would not exceed $15.
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Taste of Traditional Cooking
Dinner for the first evening in Kuala Lumpur was at a old Chinese restaurant that specializes in cooking in the traditional way. Apparently, there are about two or three such restaurants left in KL that cook over charcoal fires and takes an eternity or two serving up dishes. And perhaps also the kind of eating place where the fats used are rendered freshly from frying lard till the oils come out.
Food was good. The starter roast duck was different from what I used to eat in Singapre. The duck had none of the musk commonly associated with grain-fed ducks, which have been purposefully fattened up for the slaughter in the shortest possible time. The meat was chewy but tender. The fatty parts were much fewer than the usual duck. The melty crisp skin still lingers in my mind, making me crave more roast duck.
Spinach fried with garlic was simply done. The aroma from the garlic lightly fried in lard compliments the ferro-chlorophylly taste of freshly harvested spinach, giving it a nice touch. The slightly visuous sauce clinged to the lightly done vegetables, making eating the greasy leaves and stems a pleasure.
Venison fried in ginger and spring onions was equally simple. The fresh ingredients and the meat complemented one other, providing a good combination to go with rice.
Steamed promfret did not disappoint either. Fish is simple - fresh or not fresh. Nothing much to talk about.
The host ordered Cantonese style steamed rice, which was steamed in steel bowls over water. The rice was hard and ready to soak up the oils and sauces from the dishes. Indeed, if not for my preference for Hokkien styled rice, which tends to be more moist and tender, I would have easily done half a dozen bowls of rice to go with that meal.
The next time, I'll want to try the uber traditional stall beside this restaurant. Apparently, this other stall is so traditional that it even eschewed creature strappings such as airconditioning!
Food was good. The starter roast duck was different from what I used to eat in Singapre. The duck had none of the musk commonly associated with grain-fed ducks, which have been purposefully fattened up for the slaughter in the shortest possible time. The meat was chewy but tender. The fatty parts were much fewer than the usual duck. The melty crisp skin still lingers in my mind, making me crave more roast duck.
Spinach fried with garlic was simply done. The aroma from the garlic lightly fried in lard compliments the ferro-chlorophylly taste of freshly harvested spinach, giving it a nice touch. The slightly visuous sauce clinged to the lightly done vegetables, making eating the greasy leaves and stems a pleasure.
Venison fried in ginger and spring onions was equally simple. The fresh ingredients and the meat complemented one other, providing a good combination to go with rice.
Steamed promfret did not disappoint either. Fish is simple - fresh or not fresh. Nothing much to talk about.
The host ordered Cantonese style steamed rice, which was steamed in steel bowls over water. The rice was hard and ready to soak up the oils and sauces from the dishes. Indeed, if not for my preference for Hokkien styled rice, which tends to be more moist and tender, I would have easily done half a dozen bowls of rice to go with that meal.
The next time, I'll want to try the uber traditional stall beside this restaurant. Apparently, this other stall is so traditional that it even eschewed creature strappings such as airconditioning!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Homebound
There is little to do while being sick at home. However, time flies by so quickly I never want this period of inactivity to end.
What is there not to like?
No work. Too sick to work but I don't mind squeezing in an hour or two when I feel up to it.
No going out. Too sick to go out. And I certainly don't miss it.
No need to spend money. Except for seeing doctors, I can live with less expenses. Spending money does not bring my joy or grief. It just requires me to invest time and effort to make sure the money is spent properly. So, if I don't get a chance to spend money, so be it. I won't die not being able to buy a Nonya kebaya to wear for Chinese New Year. (Sorry, Quincy.)
No wasting of medical leave. When I was a full-timer, I didn't like to fall sick because my work piled up. But if I do fall sick, usually from overwork, I would love to go on as long a break as possible to recover. Alas, this is usually not possible because viruses hate loneliness. Doctors know it. That's why medical leave days are limited and before you know it, you are back to share your diseased-joy with your colleagues.
In any case, I just want my throat to clear up. The swelling has spread to the ear, meaning that the remant virus has entered the ear tracts. Sigh. I'd rather fall sick with minor ailments frequently than get one of these full works once in a while. At least I'd be less miserable.
What is there not to like?
No work. Too sick to work but I don't mind squeezing in an hour or two when I feel up to it.
No going out. Too sick to go out. And I certainly don't miss it.
No need to spend money. Except for seeing doctors, I can live with less expenses. Spending money does not bring my joy or grief. It just requires me to invest time and effort to make sure the money is spent properly. So, if I don't get a chance to spend money, so be it. I won't die not being able to buy a Nonya kebaya to wear for Chinese New Year. (Sorry, Quincy.)
No wasting of medical leave. When I was a full-timer, I didn't like to fall sick because my work piled up. But if I do fall sick, usually from overwork, I would love to go on as long a break as possible to recover. Alas, this is usually not possible because viruses hate loneliness. Doctors know it. That's why medical leave days are limited and before you know it, you are back to share your diseased-joy with your colleagues.
In any case, I just want my throat to clear up. The swelling has spread to the ear, meaning that the remant virus has entered the ear tracts. Sigh. I'd rather fall sick with minor ailments frequently than get one of these full works once in a while. At least I'd be less miserable.
Monday, December 08, 2008
My week in review
1 Dec - Saw the doc. Sinusitis and mild tonsilitis. On antibiotics and out of commission.
2 Dec - Symptoms get better.
3 Dec - Back to work. Get slightly better for the -itises but the bacteria are clogging my up with mucus.
4 Dec - At work. The throat gets worse but the nose clears up more. The chest gets congested. Boiled a ton of herbal teas and drank three pots in three hours.
5 Dec - At work. The throat clears up. The inflamation is gone. The cough (part 2) festers. Coughed the entire night.
6 Dec - Back to doc. He confirmed what my body was trying to say. The pesky part is over. The peskier part is here to bug me before I recover. I coughed the whole day and night. The cough was a "sensitive" one. A slight breeze can spark off a coughing fit lasting minutes. Phelgm and mucus not coming out. A rather bad sign.
7 Dec - First lumps of green pellet-like mucus expelled. Voiceless. Entire throat muscle swollen. Felt like I had a meat donut shoved into my throat. Cough is better.
8 Dec - Mucus now more watery and the green stuff (pus!) is all out. The voice is not back yet but the cough and all are getting better. On the road to recovery.
2 Dec - Symptoms get better.
3 Dec - Back to work. Get slightly better for the -itises but the bacteria are clogging my up with mucus.
4 Dec - At work. The throat gets worse but the nose clears up more. The chest gets congested. Boiled a ton of herbal teas and drank three pots in three hours.
5 Dec - At work. The throat clears up. The inflamation is gone. The cough (part 2) festers. Coughed the entire night.
6 Dec - Back to doc. He confirmed what my body was trying to say. The pesky part is over. The peskier part is here to bug me before I recover. I coughed the whole day and night. The cough was a "sensitive" one. A slight breeze can spark off a coughing fit lasting minutes. Phelgm and mucus not coming out. A rather bad sign.
7 Dec - First lumps of green pellet-like mucus expelled. Voiceless. Entire throat muscle swollen. Felt like I had a meat donut shoved into my throat. Cough is better.
8 Dec - Mucus now more watery and the green stuff (pus!) is all out. The voice is not back yet but the cough and all are getting better. On the road to recovery.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Move over Edie Brit, here comes Karen Matthews!
Seven children, six fathers (and a ring from Argos): Lazy, sex-mad Karen Matthews symbolises broken Britain
By Chris Brooke
Last updated at 11:35 AM on 05th December 2008
In another time and in another place Karen Matthews and her dysfunctional family would have been shunned by disapproving neighbours.
Her life of casual sexual relationships and shocking maternal neglect would have been seen as shameful and extraordinary.
Since becoming pregnant at 19 she has had seven children from five, or more likely six, fathers (such is the nature of her life that she appears to have lost count).
She has never married or had a job and always relied on benefits to pay for her drink and cigarettes.
And her latest and longest relationship was with a man ten years her junior who had an obsession with child pornography.
But the moral code that once bound the nation together is now widely ignored.
Until Shannon was abducted, Matthews had much in common with many other women on Dewsbury's deprived Moorside estate and others like it in Britain.
Neighbours thought of her as 'one of us'. It is perhaps a reflection of what politicians call our broken society that her personal history of successive pregnancies by a series of men was regarded as normal.
The victims of this depressing saga have, inevitably, been the children.
Matthews had little to do with three of the children who live with their fathers and the four who once shared her grim council house are now being looked after by social
services.
One characteristic Matthews had an abundance of was laziness. Most women would find caring for so many young children with so few resources, both frustrating and exhausting.
But Matthews simply arranged her routine to do as little as possible. It appears that for almost two years she regularly drugged Shannon to keep her quiet.
The peaks of this drug use coincided with the school holidays when she was most 'in the way'.
She had taken the sleeping pill Temazepam, the adult painkiller Tramadol, another painkiller Dihydrocodeine, the anti-depressant Amitriptyline and the travel sickness drug Meclozine.
Matthews' daily routine - detailed to police during the hunt for Shannon - began when she woke the older kids up, turned on the television and sent them off to have breakfast in school.
Then she usually 'watched' her partner Craig Meehan on his Xbox computer game and rarely missed the Jeremy Kyle show on television, before changing her baby's nappy and checking to see if there was anything interesting available on eBay.
Later Matthews said she 'watched more TV', played computer games herself and occasionally did some 'cleaning' before school finished.
Her house was not only a mess inside (with 'punch holes' in several doors), but the tiny garden outside was piled high with rubbish.
In common with many of her neighbours, Matthews was in debt to loan sharks and spent a significant proportion of the family budget on alcohol and cigarettes.
Her former lovers also described her as idle and selfish. Matthews was 20 when she became a mother. The father John Bretton has accused her of abandoning her twoweekold boy in a row over cigarettes.
'I'd taken our stereo into the pawn shop to sell it so we could buy essentials for the baby, nappies and milk,' Mr Bretton recalled. 'But typically Karen just wanted cash for cigarettes. She demanded that I go in and get £15 for it. But when I came out with just a tenner she absolutely hit the roof.
'She was stood there screaming and bawling how she needed the extra fiver for smokes. Then she just turned her back and went AWOL for days.'
Mr Bretton, a 29-year- old kitchen assistant, described his former lover as a 'slob' with a violent temper, who would hit him with pans and chairs and used appalling language.
They briefly patched things up and shared a council house in Dewsbury, but their relationship ended when he returned home to find a strange man in the house.
Matthews told him: 'It's over between us. I've got someone new so get lost.'
He would occasionally visit to see his son and said Matthews never cooked her children a meal, drank large amounts of alcohol and was smoking 60 cigarettes a day when pregnant.
He said: 'Karen just goes from one bloke to the next, uses them to have a kid, grabs all the child benefit and moves on. I was her first victim.' Predictably their son, now 12, became a tearaway and repeatedly ran away from home.
Shannon's father was Leon Rose. They were together for about two years and split up when she was pregnant with the girl. Their son Ian, 11, ended up with his father and Shannon with her mother.
The jobless 29-year-old lived ten miles away in Huddersfield, but once again the children suffered most from the acrimonious split and he rarely saw Shannon in recent years.
However, the words Shannon scribbled on her bedroom wall - 'I want to live with my dad' - suggest much about life at 24 Moorside Road.
Paul Hooker, 31, was Matthews' next lover and before long the father of the next child Daniel, now eight. They were together less than two years.
His description of their split is all too familiar: 'The day I left Karen, she screamed at me to take my son with me. She doesn't care about her kids - she's more interested in men.'
Jobless William Marshall, 36, was also told in no uncertain terms to take their baby daughter Kelly with him. Now living with a new partner and their two children and six-year-old Kelly, Mr Marshall said: 'Before I took her in, the neighbours used to look after Kelly.
'I was forced to go round there every day to change her nappy and give her her bottle.
'Karen knew I was only visiting to see my daughter and she wanted more. She said to me one day, "If you don't want to make a go of it, you'd better take your daughter with you when you leave or I'll throw her out on the doorstep". I took Kelly with me that day.'
In January 2003, a year after Kelly's birth, another boy was born. But the father's identity, which is not on his birth certificate, has never been publicly confirmed.
During a radio interview before Shannon was found, Matthews said her seven children had five fathers, but it seems likely a casual relationship with a sixth man resulted in her giving birth again. Such is the nature of this woman's world, it may be that even she hasn't a clue.
There were other men who found Karen Matthews irresistible. Eddie Clayton, 67, said he was her lover for three months and bought her an engagement ring from Argos for £36.99. The three-times married father-of-six said: 'I was flattered. She made me feel young again.'
But he had to tell his sex-mad lover to take it easy because he suffered from asthma and angina.
Their fling finished when she started seeing an ex-boyfriend behind his back.
Within a few months she was living with supermarket fishmonger Craig Meehan, 22, and that relationship lasted four years. Meehan believed he was the father of Matthews' youngest child, now aged three.
But DNA tests taken by police during the search revealed Meehan was not the father - adding yet another twist to the Matthews' tangled private life.
Born in Dewsbury, Matthews had one sister and five brothers. Parents June and Gordon still live nearby. Before Matthews' arrest in April, her father told the Daily Mail that he and his wife never wanted to see her or Meehan again. 'I now consider them to be completely disowned and I want nothing more to do with them.'
Sister Julie Poskitt, who is married with six children from the same relationship, has nothing but contempt for her.
She recalled how years ago Matthews would tape a bag to her baby's bottom instead of using nappies and was even too lazy to hold a bottle - preferring to prop it in place with a cushion.
'I was disgusted,' she said. 'I mean what kind of mother would do that?'
The 37-year- old care worker claimed she reported her sister five times to social services.
'When social services went to her house they said they didn't see any signs of neglect. But her house was absolutely filthy.'
Last night the role of Kirklees social services was coming under intense scrutiny.
Whatever emerges from that it seems clear Matthews slipped through the net and there was no one watching over Shannon when she needed protecting.
I can't believe it either
Man killed for not sharing karaoke microphone
Thursday, December 04, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia —
Police say a Malaysian man has been stabbed to death by customers at a karaoke bar for singing too much and refusing to share the microphone.
A district police official says witnesses saw a group of men punch and stab 23-year-old Abdul Sani Doli with a knife at the bar late Wednesday in eastern Sandakan town on Borneo island.
The official says a brawl broke out because the men were furious that Abdul Sani was hogging the stage. He says police detained two suspects after Abdul Sani was found dead outside the bar.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because he was not authorized to make public statements.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia —
Police say a Malaysian man has been stabbed to death by customers at a karaoke bar for singing too much and refusing to share the microphone.
A district police official says witnesses saw a group of men punch and stab 23-year-old Abdul Sani Doli with a knife at the bar late Wednesday in eastern Sandakan town on Borneo island.
The official says a brawl broke out because the men were furious that Abdul Sani was hogging the stage. He says police detained two suspects after Abdul Sani was found dead outside the bar.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because he was not authorized to make public statements.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
TT CC PH
The MRT trains are extremely packed these days regardless of time of the day.
Today, I had to jostle for elbow room with a woman.
How I describe her will leave nothing to imagination. You will understand why after she does what she did in the middle of the train, she was granted the full train width between the seats.
For good measure, it wasn't elbow room. My bag was banging into hers and what f**king luck today, to stand in front of two seated old fogeys who simply won't get off the trains. Staking in front of their seats while seeing the rest of the passengers get off, except these two old men, was frustrating enough. And then there was Ms TT CC PH.
Who, you ask?
Ms Thunderthigh Columncalf Polehugger.
That's her. I might add Victorian Columns!
Today, I had to jostle for elbow room with a woman.
How I describe her will leave nothing to imagination. You will understand why after she does what she did in the middle of the train, she was granted the full train width between the seats.
For good measure, it wasn't elbow room. My bag was banging into hers and what f**king luck today, to stand in front of two seated old fogeys who simply won't get off the trains. Staking in front of their seats while seeing the rest of the passengers get off, except these two old men, was frustrating enough. And then there was Ms TT CC PH.
Who, you ask?
Ms Thunderthigh Columncalf Polehugger.
That's her. I might add Victorian Columns!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Sound advice from...
There are very few words which can comfort a severely suicidal person.
One of the examples which I found on Suicide Crisis Centre is:
Please Remember !!
You can always kill yourself - L a t e r !!
JUST DON'T DO IT now.
Put it off - for another hour, another day.
I feel strangely comforted.
One of the examples which I found on Suicide Crisis Centre is:
Please Remember !!
You can always kill yourself - L a t e r !!
JUST DON'T DO IT now.
Put it off - for another hour, another day.
I feel strangely comforted.
Someone should just arrest this guy!
Just opened my email to retrieve a post and received two emails in the junk mail folder with the subject Mr Mark Johnson.
My curiosity getting the better of me, I moved one message to my inbox and read the contents via the preview pane. Guess what I saw!
I reproduce the email - grammar and spelling errors in its entirety - for your viewing pleasure. Someone should just go find out if there is such a sucker of a moronic auditorship in the UK. By the way, who would be interested in a mere 30%?
* * *
Goodday,
My name is JMark Johnson Director - Assurance & business in a reputable firm of accountants and auditors in the UK.
In the course of my duty, I had deliberately over - invoiced a certain contract to the tune of Two Million, Six hundread British Pounds (2.6 million Pounds).
The original contractor has been paid and the balance of the above amount is ready to be paid out to an individual or corporate oranisation who can apply to my firm, with my guaidance for the realease of the funds in its favour.
I will be on hand to put together all requisite paper work to achieve our purpose,without any blow back to us, now or in the future.
At conclusion, I propose tentatively, that we share the funds in the ratio of 70% to me and 30% to you.
If you may provide the following:
1. Your names/address
2.Name of company/enterprise/business etc
3.Age / Occupation
4.Direct Telephone Number(s)
I will be glad to profer more information leading to a discussion.
I ask that you treat this will utmost confidentiality.
Sincerely,
Mr. Mark Johnson
Email: mrmarkjohnson7777@gmail.com
Reply to: mrmarkjohnson7777@live.com
My curiosity getting the better of me, I moved one message to my inbox and read the contents via the preview pane. Guess what I saw!
I reproduce the email - grammar and spelling errors in its entirety - for your viewing pleasure. Someone should just go find out if there is such a sucker of a moronic auditorship in the UK. By the way, who would be interested in a mere 30%?
* * *
Goodday,
My name is JMark Johnson Director - Assurance & business in a reputable firm of accountants and auditors in the UK.
In the course of my duty, I had deliberately over - invoiced a certain contract to the tune of Two Million, Six hundread British Pounds (2.6 million Pounds).
The original contractor has been paid and the balance of the above amount is ready to be paid out to an individual or corporate oranisation who can apply to my firm, with my guaidance for the realease of the funds in its favour.
I will be on hand to put together all requisite paper work to achieve our purpose,without any blow back to us, now or in the future.
At conclusion, I propose tentatively, that we share the funds in the ratio of 70% to me and 30% to you.
If you may provide the following:
1. Your names/address
2.Name of company/enterprise/business etc
3.Age / Occupation
4.Direct Telephone Number(s)
I will be glad to profer more information leading to a discussion.
I ask that you treat this will utmost confidentiality.
Sincerely,
Mr. Mark Johnson
Email: mrmarkjohnson7777@gmail.com
Reply to: mrmarkjohnson7777@live.com
Monday, December 01, 2008
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks (February 4 1913 – October 24 2005) was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement".
On December 1, 1955, Parks became famous for refusing to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. This action of civil disobedience started the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which is one of the largest movements against racial segregation. In addition, this launched Martin Luther King, Jr., who was involved with the boycott, to prominence in the civil rights movement. She has had a lasting legacy worldwide.
People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.
Source
On December 1, 1955, Parks became famous for refusing to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. This action of civil disobedience started the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which is one of the largest movements against racial segregation. In addition, this launched Martin Luther King, Jr., who was involved with the boycott, to prominence in the civil rights movement. She has had a lasting legacy worldwide.
People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.
Source
Double Whammy
Had the chills and ran a fever the whole of last night.
Woke up every two hours to pee and drink water.
The throat was closing up, the nasal passages are clogged.
The joints are sore and hurting really bad.
Getting out of bed is sheer torture.
So is pulling the blanket over myself to keep warm.
This morning, I was outside the doctor's at 7.30 am, one full hour before the clinic opened. There were already two others ahead of me. I sat on the bench - thank god for the renovation, the clinic staff moved the bench from across the clinic door to next to it - and dozed off for ten minute snoozes. The queue grew longer each time I wake up.
I got to see the doctor after 9 am because there were another 6 appointment cases where the patients did not have to queue.
So, he diagnosed tonsilitis (not so bad) and sinusitis. The former gives me a sore throat, the latter a headache. Together, the fever and body ache.
Sigh. Why do bad things come in twos?
Woke up every two hours to pee and drink water.
The throat was closing up, the nasal passages are clogged.
The joints are sore and hurting really bad.
Getting out of bed is sheer torture.
So is pulling the blanket over myself to keep warm.
This morning, I was outside the doctor's at 7.30 am, one full hour before the clinic opened. There were already two others ahead of me. I sat on the bench - thank god for the renovation, the clinic staff moved the bench from across the clinic door to next to it - and dozed off for ten minute snoozes. The queue grew longer each time I wake up.
I got to see the doctor after 9 am because there were another 6 appointment cases where the patients did not have to queue.
So, he diagnosed tonsilitis (not so bad) and sinusitis. The former gives me a sore throat, the latter a headache. Together, the fever and body ache.
Sigh. Why do bad things come in twos?
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Why help them?
I've caught two episodes of a programme where media celebrities and a group of volunteers go out and help destitute families by giving their living quarters a once over.
The more I watch it, the angrier I felt.
Apart from the fact that the recipients were mostly ungrateful (I'd think so) and took things for granted, a particular mother (her 11 year old only daughter's name Cherry) was such a scheming bitch that I felt the entire effort to help her was unjustifiable. She refused to walk even though she could. Why? Because she claims she will fall down if she walks. She even accused her daughter of not holding her properly, leading to her fall. Her little girl was not even 10 then!
Another mother (her surname is Xiao) of a retarded son refused to make peace with her neighbours even though the helpers bought cake for her to give to them and rebuild bridges. What pride!
If there is a god, these people should all be shot dead stat! But then, I believe god has grander plans for them. Perhaps the shame and humiliation that they are facing now is their retribution. Especially if they believe in a religion that does not have the concept of an after-life, it must be it that they must expunge their karma before they die.
Well, I'm just feeling the injustice for those living around them and the poor celebrities. I wonder why they should not consider coming over to clean up my place instead. After all, I can bake delicious bread to reciprocaate their kindness. (Squirrels often find it hard to part with their nuts. Pun? What pun?)
The more I watch it, the angrier I felt.
Apart from the fact that the recipients were mostly ungrateful (I'd think so) and took things for granted, a particular mother (her 11 year old only daughter's name Cherry) was such a scheming bitch that I felt the entire effort to help her was unjustifiable. She refused to walk even though she could. Why? Because she claims she will fall down if she walks. She even accused her daughter of not holding her properly, leading to her fall. Her little girl was not even 10 then!
Another mother (her surname is Xiao) of a retarded son refused to make peace with her neighbours even though the helpers bought cake for her to give to them and rebuild bridges. What pride!
If there is a god, these people should all be shot dead stat! But then, I believe god has grander plans for them. Perhaps the shame and humiliation that they are facing now is their retribution. Especially if they believe in a religion that does not have the concept of an after-life, it must be it that they must expunge their karma before they die.
Well, I'm just feeling the injustice for those living around them and the poor celebrities. I wonder why they should not consider coming over to clean up my place instead. After all, I can bake delicious bread to reciprocaate their kindness. (Squirrels often find it hard to part with their nuts. Pun? What pun?)
I am not the cause of your problems...
so better watch your attitude because I've just about had enough.
I don't need to tolerate nonsense.
I can be part of the solution but push me enough and I'll choose to be part of the problem.
I don't need to tolerate nonsense.
I can be part of the solution but push me enough and I'll choose to be part of the problem.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The strings once cut...
My fellow company of bitches and I met for lunch on Friday last and over our lip smacking Peranakan fare, we looked at how things have developed for many of us.
To think we were all colleagues once, only one of the four of us are still in the job whereas the rest have quit to become free agents.
I was just saying that at the grand old age of 666 divided by 2 minus 300, I can no longer hold down a full time job. The strings of bondage, once cut, liberates the body and soul entirely. I am no longer willing to be held down by a restraint. You may break my wing so that I am flightless but in my heart, in my mind, my very being soars further than the limits of what have you.
Another fellow lunch mate admitted the same. She didn't think she could ever go back to another job where she cannot get to dictate her terms any more. She is especially disillusioned with the way she was treated when she was at work. However, for whatever we had shared, we always got along.
Another lady who just quit her job had the same idea. She didn't think she wants to be held hostage to a job again. Part time work is fine but not full time commitments.
Our last friend, who is looking at a particularly bright prospect in front of her, hesitates. We told her to take the challege and rise up another rung before quiting. Why quit when the opportunity is right there?
Still, I must have been blessed to have this group of friends in my life.
People have a way of sorting themselves out in your life. Certain groups form and then they grow, they get trimmed; people are inducted into our (un)holy circles (eh, all bitchy people!) while others stray or go their separate ways (they become our bitching targets). But somehow, they have always brought lots of love to the table.
I look forward to having them over for a bread party soon.
To think we were all colleagues once, only one of the four of us are still in the job whereas the rest have quit to become free agents.
I was just saying that at the grand old age of 666 divided by 2 minus 300, I can no longer hold down a full time job. The strings of bondage, once cut, liberates the body and soul entirely. I am no longer willing to be held down by a restraint. You may break my wing so that I am flightless but in my heart, in my mind, my very being soars further than the limits of what have you.
Another fellow lunch mate admitted the same. She didn't think she could ever go back to another job where she cannot get to dictate her terms any more. She is especially disillusioned with the way she was treated when she was at work. However, for whatever we had shared, we always got along.
Another lady who just quit her job had the same idea. She didn't think she wants to be held hostage to a job again. Part time work is fine but not full time commitments.
Our last friend, who is looking at a particularly bright prospect in front of her, hesitates. We told her to take the challege and rise up another rung before quiting. Why quit when the opportunity is right there?
Still, I must have been blessed to have this group of friends in my life.
People have a way of sorting themselves out in your life. Certain groups form and then they grow, they get trimmed; people are inducted into our (un)holy circles (eh, all bitchy people!) while others stray or go their separate ways (they become our bitching targets). But somehow, they have always brought lots of love to the table.
I look forward to having them over for a bread party soon.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Of washing hands and worms
Just graded a paper where the student argued that a hawker who washes his hands when selling food but does not wash them if he's off duty will have a hard time keeping up his hygiene levels as demanded by professional identity as a food seller. The student rhetorically asked how anyone would buy food from him once they know of his differing hygiene habits. So I wrote in response, "Just don't be the first in the queue to buy from him!"
Then as I was blog browsing, Old Whig posted this piece of news about how a woman ended up with a worm in her brain stem because of eating raw or undercooked pork or through contact with someone who had not washed his/her hands after their big business. (Watch video.)
Talk about coincidence!
PS. I wonder if Al washes his hands after doing his brain dump.
Then as I was blog browsing, Old Whig posted this piece of news about how a woman ended up with a worm in her brain stem because of eating raw or undercooked pork or through contact with someone who had not washed his/her hands after their big business. (Watch video.)
Talk about coincidence!
PS. I wonder if Al washes his hands after doing his brain dump.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Am I really crazy?
Find out more about yourself at The IPIP-NEO.
My results are published in the link "Understanding Teflonman" in the left margin.
Special thanks to Probligo for this, cos I found my way there from his blog.
My results are published in the link "Understanding Teflonman" in the left margin.
Special thanks to Probligo for this, cos I found my way there from his blog.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
I better stop doing the Old Whig
My recent blog posts have become short intros and short conclusions and in between, I'm providing links for people to go and self-destruct by reading the tome of information that has even confused me.
Seems like a good thing to do - thorough research and then help spread the word by showing the whole world how smart I am to find those information.
But I should stop doing that. There is already a Master of such a skill and he's so good at it, my recent efforts - or lack of - make me blush.
I'm showy by nature but not a show off. So, I'll leave that to the pros.
Reminder to self: Better start getting back to proper writing.
Seems like a good thing to do - thorough research and then help spread the word by showing the whole world how smart I am to find those information.
But I should stop doing that. There is already a Master of such a skill and he's so good at it, my recent efforts - or lack of - make me blush.
I'm showy by nature but not a show off. So, I'll leave that to the pros.
Reminder to self: Better start getting back to proper writing.
Wisdom in 140 characters or less
"The people who oppose your ideas are inevitably those who represent the established order that your ideas will upset." ~Anthony D'Angelo
Source
I have a meeting later today. And I'm not looking forward to it.
Source
I have a meeting later today. And I'm not looking forward to it.
The closing speech of Clarence Darrow in the Henry Sweet Trial (1926)
Keith Olbermann referred to Clarence Darrow's closing speech at the Henry Sweet Trial as he made a passionate plea for people to denouce Proposition 8.
Curiosity got the better of me as I searched for the famed closing speech in Google. I've found it. Darrow had a very incisive understanding of human nature. He knew people very well and the respectfully damning speech was persuasive and incredibly well-crafted. He allowed people graceful admissions without feeling shame. He let them feel that they were the righteous even though they were devil-incarnates.
It was indeed even more exciting than Atticus Finch's drama in To Kill a Mockingbird. A delightful read, indeed!
Curiosity got the better of me as I searched for the famed closing speech in Google. I've found it. Darrow had a very incisive understanding of human nature. He knew people very well and the respectfully damning speech was persuasive and incredibly well-crafted. He allowed people graceful admissions without feeling shame. He let them feel that they were the righteous even though they were devil-incarnates.
It was indeed even more exciting than Atticus Finch's drama in To Kill a Mockingbird. A delightful read, indeed!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Interesting development in Proposition 8
Keith Olbermann of MSNBC makes a passionate plea for gay marriages. Indeed, his premise is simple: This is about the human heart.
Some nutcase must have subsumed childbearing duties as part of marriage. That is why gay and lesbian marriages are not tolerated as no offsprings can be produced. But if this is the case, childless couples ought to be stoned or burned at the stakes or even condemned to eternal hell since they failed in their godly duties.
So what's the problem with the human heart? For starters, many people are born without hearts.
Olbermann's written plea here.
Some nutcase must have subsumed childbearing duties as part of marriage. That is why gay and lesbian marriages are not tolerated as no offsprings can be produced. But if this is the case, childless couples ought to be stoned or burned at the stakes or even condemned to eternal hell since they failed in their godly duties.
So what's the problem with the human heart? For starters, many people are born without hearts.
Olbermann's written plea here.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Boing! Boing!
The food fair at Singapore Expo Hall 5 was jam packed with mindless, brainless, motionless bodies.
Mindless because they should have planned how they wanted to navigate the simple labyrinth of stalls (hey, it is just 6 rows of them, so what is a mentally trivial exercise).
Brainless because they should know better than to bring their prams and wet market shopping carts that are so bloody obstrusive. And why the heck would anyone think of bringing young kids to a shove-fest like this? Hey, this is not a Proposition 8 Demonstration! At least, over there, I'd get my fill of good looking people in their leather and gear. Oops. Have I revealed too much? But heck, it was so depressing looking around that my friend pointed out to me a girl whom he christened "A human Cabbage Patch Kid" after I came out of the toilet. It was a rather mean remark; I saw her earlier as I exited the washroom but from the place he stood, she was indeed one! She'd put the CPKs to shame, goddammit!
Motionless because many of these people wanted to sample food at the various stalls. Fine! Get the food and move aside. You don't need to eat in front of those stall holders! They already half guessed, ok, nine-tenths confirmed that you are just a cheapskate glutton who will eat and not buy anything. No need to pretend. Take the thing, MOVE ASIDE and eat. Then you can f--- off quietly since the next crowd would have engaged the stallholders and they wouldn't have time to care if you indeed wanted to buy anything. If people simply stood in front of these stalls to demonstrate how food should be eaten to the people who have cooked those samples, then how the f--- do you expect the rest of the crowd to move along? Hey, many of those food samples are that - samples. You taste, show a face and find the nearest dustbin. I even wonder why they come and peddle their wares. What we liked were mostly sold out.
So, after traversing the various corridors, I am really heaving my spoils and trying to make my way out of that progressively crowded place. If the place was 65% filled when I first went in, it was approaching 95% now. And so with people doing particulate brownian motion, it was not long before a gaseous, high mass, high energy molecule like me is going to whack into someone.
She moved right into my right shoulder as I broke out of the two man blockade. And she bounced right off me, took two steps back as I zoomed past her to the next roadblock.
It felt good. I should go to such fairs more often. In future, I'll just bump into and bounce people off for the fun of it. Shopping? That can wait.
Oh, there was another who went "Hey!" after she knocked into me. Hey what? Like I care, babe! Move along and eat my dust, you hopeless lethargic low life.
Mindless because they should have planned how they wanted to navigate the simple labyrinth of stalls (hey, it is just 6 rows of them, so what is a mentally trivial exercise).
Brainless because they should know better than to bring their prams and wet market shopping carts that are so bloody obstrusive. And why the heck would anyone think of bringing young kids to a shove-fest like this? Hey, this is not a Proposition 8 Demonstration! At least, over there, I'd get my fill of good looking people in their leather and gear. Oops. Have I revealed too much? But heck, it was so depressing looking around that my friend pointed out to me a girl whom he christened "A human Cabbage Patch Kid" after I came out of the toilet. It was a rather mean remark; I saw her earlier as I exited the washroom but from the place he stood, she was indeed one! She'd put the CPKs to shame, goddammit!
Motionless because many of these people wanted to sample food at the various stalls. Fine! Get the food and move aside. You don't need to eat in front of those stall holders! They already half guessed, ok, nine-tenths confirmed that you are just a cheapskate glutton who will eat and not buy anything. No need to pretend. Take the thing, MOVE ASIDE and eat. Then you can f--- off quietly since the next crowd would have engaged the stallholders and they wouldn't have time to care if you indeed wanted to buy anything. If people simply stood in front of these stalls to demonstrate how food should be eaten to the people who have cooked those samples, then how the f--- do you expect the rest of the crowd to move along? Hey, many of those food samples are that - samples. You taste, show a face and find the nearest dustbin. I even wonder why they come and peddle their wares. What we liked were mostly sold out.
So, after traversing the various corridors, I am really heaving my spoils and trying to make my way out of that progressively crowded place. If the place was 65% filled when I first went in, it was approaching 95% now. And so with people doing particulate brownian motion, it was not long before a gaseous, high mass, high energy molecule like me is going to whack into someone.
She moved right into my right shoulder as I broke out of the two man blockade. And she bounced right off me, took two steps back as I zoomed past her to the next roadblock.
It felt good. I should go to such fairs more often. In future, I'll just bump into and bounce people off for the fun of it. Shopping? That can wait.
Oh, there was another who went "Hey!" after she knocked into me. Hey what? Like I care, babe! Move along and eat my dust, you hopeless lethargic low life.
Oops! I did it again.
From the Useless Knowledge widget below: The hump of a starving camel may flop over and hang down the side of its body as the fat is used up.
Is that why an aging breast sags?
Is that why an aging breast sags?
Friday, November 14, 2008
Oh my poor Bubbles!
Little wonder our lunch/dinner outing never materialised for so long. One of us is too busy bedding, another is too busy bitching, the third is too busy babysitting, and now the fourth is too busy bubbling.
Poor Bubbles. I didn't know he was so good at describing his poxy infliction. Makes me want to take a look at him myself, now that my curiosity is so... piqued. Alas, I know I should not be a busybody because herpes simplex is indeed highly contagious and I haven't been in the best of health myself - the bloody flu won't come and the pre-flu symptoms won't go.
Get well soon, Bubbles.
Poor Bubbles. I didn't know he was so good at describing his poxy infliction. Makes me want to take a look at him myself, now that my curiosity is so... piqued. Alas, I know I should not be a busybody because herpes simplex is indeed highly contagious and I haven't been in the best of health myself - the bloody flu won't come and the pre-flu symptoms won't go.
Get well soon, Bubbles.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Why airheads speak faster than...
I learnt from the useless knowledge website that dolphins jump out of the water to conserve energy. It is easier to move through the air than through the water.
So ideas must definitely pass through airheads faster than a cerebral fluid soaked spongy mass.
I should have paid more attention to the useless knowledge they were trying teach me in physics lessons.
So ideas must definitely pass through airheads faster than a cerebral fluid soaked spongy mass.
I should have paid more attention to the useless knowledge they were trying teach me in physics lessons.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
What will they do?
Hijacking another aircraft to crash into another building in the US is unlikely to succeed. More successful would be an aircraft in distress crashing into a US building.
So let's assume the New York Grand Central Station, smack in the middle of NYC, becomes a target.
20 bombs go off 10 seconds apart in the evening rush hour. The whole railway is paralysed.
I like this scenario better because in the dark, rescue operations are going to be harder and there will be more carnage. By the time dawn comes, the time lapse would be too long for survivors to stay alive.
Our favourite Uncle A'Q comes out and sneers. CIA agents recognise that the uncle is in some known city in some known country where the US can immediate launch missiles into in less than an hour.
And what will they do?
Dispatch the forces to take him out? No! This can't be done. Change we need!
Bomb the place to smithereens? No! The country won't be happy (even though they are hiding Uncle). No can do. Change we need!
So what happens? Re-site the rail station?
So let's assume the New York Grand Central Station, smack in the middle of NYC, becomes a target.
20 bombs go off 10 seconds apart in the evening rush hour. The whole railway is paralysed.
I like this scenario better because in the dark, rescue operations are going to be harder and there will be more carnage. By the time dawn comes, the time lapse would be too long for survivors to stay alive.
Our favourite Uncle A'Q comes out and sneers. CIA agents recognise that the uncle is in some known city in some known country where the US can immediate launch missiles into in less than an hour.
And what will they do?
Dispatch the forces to take him out? No! This can't be done. Change we need!
Bomb the place to smithereens? No! The country won't be happy (even though they are hiding Uncle). No can do. Change we need!
So what happens? Re-site the rail station?
The Economic Crisis
Times are bad and a global slowdown is imminent. That's a good thing, unless you're the President-elect promising to do the Rob-in-Hood. Yeah, you know, hood your face, rob the rich, and keep it yourself? Oh, I mean, give to the poor.
The Reds got the US$700 billion rescue package passed. Clearly, this is not enough. Change we need!
I read this morning that the Blues are going to continue the US$700 billion rescue package. They are going to introduce "more stringent" criteria to help them decide who gets saved (the blue backers?) and who doesn't (anything from purple to red?). In addition, they are putting out another US$175 billion stimulus package.
This is still throwing good money at bad. Worse, those with money now have to watch out because they may lose their hard earned moolah to the authorised robbers.
Don't fret! Pass me your money. I'll save them for you. I'll help you invest in Singapore properties. These will only appreciate in value as Singapore land is scarce. And you don't have to worry about the harsh winters and hot summers. We have an agreeable equatorial climate for you guys.
Oh, you're not interested? Fine. Forget I asked.
Getting back to the original discussion, the Red package is bad. The Blue package is essentially the same as the Red package. But it's good. Change you need?
Yeah right. Amazing how people are just so happy with the wine bottle is changed and not the rancid contents.
The Reds got the US$700 billion rescue package passed. Clearly, this is not enough. Change we need!
I read this morning that the Blues are going to continue the US$700 billion rescue package. They are going to introduce "more stringent" criteria to help them decide who gets saved (the blue backers?) and who doesn't (anything from purple to red?). In addition, they are putting out another US$175 billion stimulus package.
This is still throwing good money at bad. Worse, those with money now have to watch out because they may lose their hard earned moolah to the authorised robbers.
Don't fret! Pass me your money. I'll save them for you. I'll help you invest in Singapore properties. These will only appreciate in value as Singapore land is scarce. And you don't have to worry about the harsh winters and hot summers. We have an agreeable equatorial climate for you guys.
Oh, you're not interested? Fine. Forget I asked.
Getting back to the original discussion, the Red package is bad. The Blue package is essentially the same as the Red package. But it's good. Change you need?
Yeah right. Amazing how people are just so happy with the wine bottle is changed and not the rancid contents.
A Matter of Agenda
While the newspapers and various news-related media have a social responsibility to report the truth, the direction of their editorial policies are often influenced by the agenda the decision makers have. Some of these agenda are in the open whereas most are not. While each news source claims to be providing fair reporting of the news, it takes an intelligent reader to be able to read past the nuanced writing to get to the facts that lay beneath the opinions.
News sources that are pro-government are often slammed by the people as mouthpieces of the government. Some of these sources subject themselves to self-censorship before the news are published. In contrast, news sources that are align themselves against certain governments will always criticise what the governments do, regardless of the goodness of intent or policy.
Indeed, in the news arena, change we need. But what kind? Fox, or Faux, News is often slammed as a Red mouthpiece. I wonder who are the Blue mouthpieces. Still, having multiple mouthpieces are necessary because when we take in views from both sides, we will be able to find the common denominator. The common denominator will be the news, which should come to us without the unnecessary embellishments.
So we have a balance of power in the news sources. Er... what are we going to change?
News sources that are pro-government are often slammed by the people as mouthpieces of the government. Some of these sources subject themselves to self-censorship before the news are published. In contrast, news sources that are align themselves against certain governments will always criticise what the governments do, regardless of the goodness of intent or policy.
Indeed, in the news arena, change we need. But what kind? Fox, or Faux, News is often slammed as a Red mouthpiece. I wonder who are the Blue mouthpieces. Still, having multiple mouthpieces are necessary because when we take in views from both sides, we will be able to find the common denominator. The common denominator will be the news, which should come to us without the unnecessary embellishments.
So we have a balance of power in the news sources. Er... what are we going to change?
Friday, November 07, 2008
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
While many attribute the quote to William Shakespeare, it actually comes from a play called the "The Mourning Bride" (1697) by William Congreve. The complete quote is "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."
Why is this important?
Because hell hath no fury like a Republican trumped.
Don't get at me. I'm sad with the rising blue tide. Fortunately, it's for 4 years and no one knows what will happen between now and then.
Given the rotten situation he is in, there is no way but up. Of course, we cannot preclude the possibility that he wants to dig further downwards.
What I know of the grievances of the grassroots, I read them off the blogs and other internet sources that I visit. People either like him or loathe him. This is only to be expected.
The important thing now is to deepen this crisis so that it can begin healing. There is no point in trying to prescribe antibiotics when amputation is necessary. I hope people have the guts to do what is right.
I can just imagine if Bush stepped down last year when the economy was still booming. I'm sure people would have painted a different picture of him.
Why is this important?
Because hell hath no fury like a Republican trumped.
Don't get at me. I'm sad with the rising blue tide. Fortunately, it's for 4 years and no one knows what will happen between now and then.
Given the rotten situation he is in, there is no way but up. Of course, we cannot preclude the possibility that he wants to dig further downwards.
What I know of the grievances of the grassroots, I read them off the blogs and other internet sources that I visit. People either like him or loathe him. This is only to be expected.
The important thing now is to deepen this crisis so that it can begin healing. There is no point in trying to prescribe antibiotics when amputation is necessary. I hope people have the guts to do what is right.
I can just imagine if Bush stepped down last year when the economy was still booming. I'm sure people would have painted a different picture of him.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama's remarks in Chicago
President-elect victory speech
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled -- Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America!
It's the answer that -- that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they've achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next First Lady: Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and I know that my debt to them is beyond measure. To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters -- thank you so much for the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe -- the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America. To my chief strategist David Axelrod -- who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics -- you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give 5 dollars and 10 dollars and 20 dollars to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy, who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth. This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime: two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education. There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a Party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours: "We are not enemies but friends...." "Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection."¹
And to those Americans who -- whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your President, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we've proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot: Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose: Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved: Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "we shall overcome": Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change: Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one;² that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you.
God bless you.
And may God bless the United States of America.
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled -- Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America!
It's the answer that -- that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they've achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next First Lady: Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and I know that my debt to them is beyond measure. To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters -- thank you so much for the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe -- the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America. To my chief strategist David Axelrod -- who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics -- you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give 5 dollars and 10 dollars and 20 dollars to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy, who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth. This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime: two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education. There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a Party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours: "We are not enemies but friends...." "Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection."¹
And to those Americans who -- whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your President, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we've proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot: Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose: Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved: Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "we shall overcome": Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change: Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one;² that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you.
God bless you.
And may God bless the United States of America.
T'was in the signs
I should have guessed Obama would win the US presidential elections.
I mean, the signs were all there and the stars were all aligned. Yet, as they say, hindsight is 20-20.
Many Americans were "kao-peh-kao-bu"ing recently. The country was mired in two wars, the subprime crisis was bad, the economy was failing, the Bush Administration can't seem to do right and the people felt "change they need" (even though I don't know if they know exactly what change they need). They were literally "cry-father-cry-mother"ing for change. They wanted the whole system revamped.
I wonder what that means? Pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan? Provide refugee camps for their own people? Print US banana notes to revive the economy? Change from Red to Blue? Oh, yes, change from Red to Blue. That's the only thing they have to do for a start, then the rest will follow. But what's the rest?
So, with a name that combines father "pa or ba" and mother "ma" and which starts off with an exclamation "O!", then the US got their man!
Obama it is!
I mean, the signs were all there and the stars were all aligned. Yet, as they say, hindsight is 20-20.
Many Americans were "kao-peh-kao-bu"ing recently. The country was mired in two wars, the subprime crisis was bad, the economy was failing, the Bush Administration can't seem to do right and the people felt "change they need" (even though I don't know if they know exactly what change they need). They were literally "cry-father-cry-mother"ing for change. They wanted the whole system revamped.
I wonder what that means? Pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan? Provide refugee camps for their own people? Print US banana notes to revive the economy? Change from Red to Blue? Oh, yes, change from Red to Blue. That's the only thing they have to do for a start, then the rest will follow. But what's the rest?
So, with a name that combines father "pa or ba" and mother "ma" and which starts off with an exclamation "O!", then the US got their man!
Obama it is!
Monday, November 03, 2008
Gourmet Test
This is a one-question test to see if you have the makings of a gourmet.
Question
What is the difference in taste between distilled, mineral, reverse osmosis, and tap water?
Answer
The chemicals.
Honestly.
Pigs, dogs, and some other animals can taste water, but people cannot. Humans don’t actually taste water or even Perrier; they taste the chemicals and impurities in the water.
Did you pass the test?
Question
What is the difference in taste between distilled, mineral, reverse osmosis, and tap water?
Answer
The chemicals.
Honestly.
Pigs, dogs, and some other animals can taste water, but people cannot. Humans don’t actually taste water or even Perrier; they taste the chemicals and impurities in the water.
Did you pass the test?
What a difference a year makes...
... they did not have the sense or courtesy to keep drinks for others who have not had their share
... they did not care to leave their trash in the bins
... they left the otak otak wrappers on the window ledge
... they do not understand the meaning of pick up the litter on the floor
... their mouths are not yet fully developed, dropping satay and other tidbits all over the floor
... their eyes are not able to see things clearly, they can't even see the rubbish right in front of them
... they didn't think that spills ought to be mopped up
... they think trash cans are bottomles pits
... their idea is that dishes wash themselves up
... their belief is the food should be served to them for their picking
... and that the raw food will cook themselves
... they dirtied all the rooms in a span of less than 6 hours
... privacy meant nothing to them
... an overflowing bin is still a bin...
No doubt they were 14 coming 15 but they were nothing like my adorable students who already had developed manners, well most of them, when they were 15. My students knew to keep a room for me and keep out of it. They knew to keep the trash where they belong or at least there were trash police who would ensure that the socially less mature ones knew what to do. My students knew dishes need to be washed and made sure they were washed. They even counted the dishes before checking out and reported any damage. They kept food fresh, ensured that things went on well. They were definitely mature, taking turns to play and keeping their volumes down. There was more congeniality and much more fun.
I never recall having to stoop over washing dishes like Cinder-homme till my back ached. I never had to stand at the microwave to precook the food to 85% because the fire they started was too small and there was too little charcoal for the BBQ. My kids knew how to take over so that everyone can get some fun. Heck, even if they were not operating the microwave cooking, they would have come in to take out cooked portions so that their additional hands can make light work.
A few of them came by, of course, to ask if the food was ready but these are the ones who would, I believe, do their share of cleaning up. They won't be all packed up ready to go once the food is finished but the cleaning is not. Heck, they would even clear the bins and check that the windows are closed PROPERLY before they leave. My students would even check the lights and fans to make sure that everything was in order.
I think I want to have another BBQ with my class soon. Because they are worth it!
... they did not care to leave their trash in the bins
... they left the otak otak wrappers on the window ledge
... they do not understand the meaning of pick up the litter on the floor
... their mouths are not yet fully developed, dropping satay and other tidbits all over the floor
... their eyes are not able to see things clearly, they can't even see the rubbish right in front of them
... they didn't think that spills ought to be mopped up
... they think trash cans are bottomles pits
... their idea is that dishes wash themselves up
... their belief is the food should be served to them for their picking
... and that the raw food will cook themselves
... they dirtied all the rooms in a span of less than 6 hours
... privacy meant nothing to them
... an overflowing bin is still a bin...
No doubt they were 14 coming 15 but they were nothing like my adorable students who already had developed manners, well most of them, when they were 15. My students knew to keep a room for me and keep out of it. They knew to keep the trash where they belong or at least there were trash police who would ensure that the socially less mature ones knew what to do. My students knew dishes need to be washed and made sure they were washed. They even counted the dishes before checking out and reported any damage. They kept food fresh, ensured that things went on well. They were definitely mature, taking turns to play and keeping their volumes down. There was more congeniality and much more fun.
I never recall having to stoop over washing dishes like Cinder-homme till my back ached. I never had to stand at the microwave to precook the food to 85% because the fire they started was too small and there was too little charcoal for the BBQ. My kids knew how to take over so that everyone can get some fun. Heck, even if they were not operating the microwave cooking, they would have come in to take out cooked portions so that their additional hands can make light work.
A few of them came by, of course, to ask if the food was ready but these are the ones who would, I believe, do their share of cleaning up. They won't be all packed up ready to go once the food is finished but the cleaning is not. Heck, they would even clear the bins and check that the windows are closed PROPERLY before they leave. My students would even check the lights and fans to make sure that everything was in order.
I think I want to have another BBQ with my class soon. Because they are worth it!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
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