I'm sitting in my living room watching the Finals of Australian Idol. I'll admit up front that I don't have much reference when it comes to the Idol shows as I don't really care much for it. I've seen bits of American Idol, throw up when watching Singapore Idol (it is that bad!) and now Australian Idol.
What I've noticed from the 3 Idols is that Australian Idol is the only Idol I've seen that is less concerned about looks. The good looking guys and girls only made if as far as the final 3 and the station didn't have to resort to showing ads without their faces on it.
In fact, they have performances from the Australian Idols from previous years and most of them are not really good looking or fit. The guys all have a little pot belly or really bad hair. The girls are slightly overweight and only in Australia would the 2 finalist make their grand entrance on a horse drawn cart standing on have being led in by about half a dozen cowboys.
Glad there is still a country where looks aren't everything in the Idol world.
26 Nov 2006
20 Nov 2006
Update
It been a long while since I last added a new entry to this blog, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I've been living a new life for the past 6 months and all the excitement and adventure of a new life has yet to get old on me. Secondly, I have other things that fill my life now that the original reason this blog was born, boredom, really isn't a big thing now.
The one thing has been on my mind lately is what would you consider a rite of passage? When is it or what is it that defines when a boy is no longer a boy but has become a man in his own right, no longer dependent on his parents, able to stand on his 2 feet.
I think for a lot of people, this moment comes when they get their first job and move out of home, but is this definition correct? Do we all become men and no longer boys when we leave home?
In my mind, this rite of passage happens not when you leave home but when you no longer depend on your parents to make decisions. When you are fully capable of making up your mind on your own. When you destiny is yours to choose.
What do you think?
The one thing has been on my mind lately is what would you consider a rite of passage? When is it or what is it that defines when a boy is no longer a boy but has become a man in his own right, no longer dependent on his parents, able to stand on his 2 feet.
I think for a lot of people, this moment comes when they get their first job and move out of home, but is this definition correct? Do we all become men and no longer boys when we leave home?
In my mind, this rite of passage happens not when you leave home but when you no longer depend on your parents to make decisions. When you are fully capable of making up your mind on your own. When you destiny is yours to choose.
What do you think?
8 Oct 2006
iTunes
I have just discovered the beauty of iTunes. For the longest time, I've always wondered what the fuss was about iTunes. I guess living in a country that didn't have access to an iTunes store didn't help much with that perception either.
Now that I have access to an iTunes store, I have to admit it is good. Being able to buy just the songs I like instead of the whole album is great and at only $1.69 a song, it's not that painful on the pocket.
There's going to be people out there that will say, "why buy when you can download". I think if there was a legal option that was decent, then buy. If there wasn't, then I'm with them. Get your music whichever way you can.
For me, that way is now iTunes.
Now that I have access to an iTunes store, I have to admit it is good. Being able to buy just the songs I like instead of the whole album is great and at only $1.69 a song, it's not that painful on the pocket.
There's going to be people out there that will say, "why buy when you can download". I think if there was a legal option that was decent, then buy. If there wasn't, then I'm with them. Get your music whichever way you can.
For me, that way is now iTunes.
23 Sept 2006
Egosurfing
Egosurfing - Scanning the Net, databases, etc., for one’s own name.
I did just that recently and found that there is town in California that shares my name. It's not the biggest town in the world having a population of only 1621 people but it's a town and it has my name.
I did just that recently and found that there is town in California that shares my name. It's not the biggest town in the world having a population of only 1621 people but it's a town and it has my name.
18 Sept 2006
The Pope and The Quote
I could do a really long dissection over what the Pope said and how he was wrong to say and that is was bad and stuff and so forth and so on but I won't. Instead I just want to point something out which I think is pretty ironic.
To quote the Pope who quoted Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaeologus:
“Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and then you shall find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”
End quote.
So the Muslim world comes out and takes offence at the quote used. Are they wrong to do that? Of course not.
What I think is ironic though, is that apart from the usual ruckus and protest this quote caused, Muslim in some parts of the world attacked churches and killed a nun.
By doing so, they have just proven that what the Pope quoted is correct and very true. Islam appears to be a religion where violence against innocent non-Muslims is accepted and apparently not a contradiction to a "God that is most forgiving; most merciful."
What is our world coming to?
To quote the Pope who quoted Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaeologus:
“Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and then you shall find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”
End quote.
So the Muslim world comes out and takes offence at the quote used. Are they wrong to do that? Of course not.
What I think is ironic though, is that apart from the usual ruckus and protest this quote caused, Muslim in some parts of the world attacked churches and killed a nun.
By doing so, they have just proven that what the Pope quoted is correct and very true. Islam appears to be a religion where violence against innocent non-Muslims is accepted and apparently not a contradiction to a "God that is most forgiving; most merciful."
What is our world coming to?
14 Sept 2006
Action and Reactions
There are articles and stories floating out in the internet that I wouldn't have given 2 hoots about until they get the author and publisher sued. Suddenly, there this mad desire to read the original article, just to see what the big deal is. This is normally followed by either 2 reactions:
1) Utter amazement that I didn't realize this before and am glad for the libel suit to bring up this fact. An example of this would be the NKF libel suit against SPH.
2) Disbelief that anyone would even bother suing because of this.....and followed by a sinking suspicion of why are they suing in the first place. Maybe this guy is on to something.
An example of reaction 2) happened today when I read the following 2 articles.
First, the article in the Straits Times that piqued my interest:
PM, MM sue Feer for defamation
Secondly, the article that resulted in the lawsuit in the first place:
Singapore’s ‘Martyr,’ Chee Soon Juan
After reading the FEER article, I failed to see what the big deal was. To most people, me included, CSJ is just some "idiot" that doesn't know better and still believes that violence or as he puts it 'civil disobedience' can create change. Most of the time, he comes of sounding like a 10 year old who hasn't thought through what he wants to say.
So he gives this interview to the FEER. So what? If they didn't sue the FEER in the first place, I would have never read it and couldn't care less. Now, I can't help but wonder.
1) Utter amazement that I didn't realize this before and am glad for the libel suit to bring up this fact. An example of this would be the NKF libel suit against SPH.
2) Disbelief that anyone would even bother suing because of this.....and followed by a sinking suspicion of why are they suing in the first place. Maybe this guy is on to something.
An example of reaction 2) happened today when I read the following 2 articles.
First, the article in the Straits Times that piqued my interest:
PM, MM sue Feer for defamation
Secondly, the article that resulted in the lawsuit in the first place:
Singapore’s ‘Martyr,’ Chee Soon Juan
After reading the FEER article, I failed to see what the big deal was. To most people, me included, CSJ is just some "idiot" that doesn't know better and still believes that violence or as he puts it 'civil disobedience' can create change. Most of the time, he comes of sounding like a 10 year old who hasn't thought through what he wants to say.
So he gives this interview to the FEER. So what? If they didn't sue the FEER in the first place, I would have never read it and couldn't care less. Now, I can't help but wonder.
11 Sept 2006
A Car Named Dusty
My car is now 2 months and 14 days old. It has done slightly over 2000 kilometers and the gone for its first service. So far, so good. The engine has started running better once it went over the 2000 km mark on the odometer. Fuel economy is quite good, averaging 500km or so on a tank of regular petrol. No need for the premium stuff.
The car handles quite well, even over rough coarse chip roads. For a Honda, which a notorious for not having much steering feel, the Civic has better than expected steering feel. In fact, I think the wheel is actually a little under assisted, which I prefer.
Nothing has broken or fallen off. Everything works fine. I still haven't found a way to hook my iPod up to the stereo but that's more from my reluctance to spend $300 on an Dension Icelink.
I have no idea how much space is in the rear as I have never sat there. It's pretty much a nicely upholstered parcel shelf in the car. I've noticed that the 'A' pillars are really thick and it took some getting use to but once you've gotten used to it, the brain kinda fills in the blanks.
Until the next major car milestone.
BTW, the car is named Dusty for 2 reasons. Firstly, it is in memory of a pet dachshund of mine, also named Dusty, that has now gone to Doggy Heaven. Secondly, my brother said the name was appropriate because the car was really dusty. I haven't cleaned it for a while.
5 Sept 2006
Crocodile Hunter Rest in Peace
The news today is that the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, died today after being stab by a stingray in Far North Queensland. He is only the 3rd reported case of a fatality due to a stingray recorded in Australia. You can cheat on a lot of things but you cannot cheat fate.
The news on all channels today dedicated at least 10 minutes to him, a good 1/3 of the 1/2 hour news. On top of that, the current affairs programmes all did a segment on him. The Premier of Queensland made a statement. Even the Prime Minister had something to say. Flowers were being laid at the entrance to Australia Zoo and this continued way into the night. If anything, he appeared to be a man that has touched almost every strata of society, from the powerful to the normal person on the street.
Watching the news and seeing the reaction of the people here, it made me wonder if there was any celebrity back home, be it in the little red dot or the larger country above it, that if they were to suddenly pass away, there would be such an outpouring of emotion?
If Dick Lee passed away, would anyone care? If Siti Nurhaliza's life was tragically cut short, would most people bother? Would the Prime Minister make a statement? The Crocodile Hunter was larger than life. Does anyone back home even come close?
The news on all channels today dedicated at least 10 minutes to him, a good 1/3 of the 1/2 hour news. On top of that, the current affairs programmes all did a segment on him. The Premier of Queensland made a statement. Even the Prime Minister had something to say. Flowers were being laid at the entrance to Australia Zoo and this continued way into the night. If anything, he appeared to be a man that has touched almost every strata of society, from the powerful to the normal person on the street.
Watching the news and seeing the reaction of the people here, it made me wonder if there was any celebrity back home, be it in the little red dot or the larger country above it, that if they were to suddenly pass away, there would be such an outpouring of emotion?
If Dick Lee passed away, would anyone care? If Siti Nurhaliza's life was tragically cut short, would most people bother? Would the Prime Minister make a statement? The Crocodile Hunter was larger than life. Does anyone back home even come close?
3 Sept 2006
Riverfire
Last night I witnessed one of the most spectacular fireworks displays I've ever seen in my life. Imagine an almost 2 kilometer long stretch of river and 3 bridges, and multiple buildings in the CBD, all lit up from a half-hour long fireworks display.
For me the highlight of the fireworks display was the fact that the RAAF actually had 2 F-111 do a dump and burn barely 300 meters of the ground. That was truly spectacular.
They also had the acrobatic team and these were doing loops around the city and flying really low and all......and the best part of it all, this display wasn't for National Day, it wasn't to celebrate some special event. It was just for the opening ceremony of the River Festival, a 10 day event celebrating the river that is in the middle of the city I live in.
I think, to me, that the ability to do things of this magnitude for something as simple a River Festival makes this country way better than the last one I was in. Not having to justify every single thing, to me, leads to a more creative and vibrant society.
PS. Just my 2 cents worth.....now worth more given the current exchange rate.
For me the highlight of the fireworks display was the fact that the RAAF actually had 2 F-111 do a dump and burn barely 300 meters of the ground. That was truly spectacular.
They also had the acrobatic team and these were doing loops around the city and flying really low and all......and the best part of it all, this display wasn't for National Day, it wasn't to celebrate some special event. It was just for the opening ceremony of the River Festival, a 10 day event celebrating the river that is in the middle of the city I live in.
I think, to me, that the ability to do things of this magnitude for something as simple a River Festival makes this country way better than the last one I was in. Not having to justify every single thing, to me, leads to a more creative and vibrant society.
PS. Just my 2 cents worth.....now worth more given the current exchange rate.
29 July 2006
Wheels Part 2
This is a short post to introduce the world to my very first car.
I know that people don't normally name their cars....but I'm thinking of naming mine.
Going for a drive now.
I know that people don't normally name their cars....but I'm thinking of naming mine.
Going for a drive now.
18 July 2006
What The ....
There is a town in New Zealand called Whakatane.
Go to Wiki and find out how that's pronouced.
For the lazy people, here's the link to the Wiki article.
It's a hoot.
Go to Wiki and find out how that's pronouced.
For the lazy people, here's the link to the Wiki article.
It's a hoot.
27 June 2006
My 2 Cents on Soccer
This World Cup to me has been a little strange, almost elitist in a way. I know some people will beg to differ but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
There appears to be a few countries which fall under the football elite. This in itself is not strange as every sport has countries that are better in it than others. What is strange is the way FIFA, via the referee's seem to be going about making sure these countries stay elite and not let anyone else beat them.
The refereeing decisions for most part this world cup has been at be mediocre and at worst a complete farce. But then I'm Asian so I have a different answer to why the refereeing decisions are so bad.
Firstly, the referees are mostly middle age men who are probably going through a mid-life crisis. Why else would they make themselves run for 90 minutes trying to keep in control a group of 22 men at least 20 years younger than they are? Also, there are no substitute referee so he can't take a rest even if he gets tired.
Secondly, they probably don't get paid a hell of a lot of money or not enough anyway to do this refereeing thing. So maybe some are a bit disgruntled.
Thirdly, there is a lot of money being bet on the World Cup. A HUGE amount of money.
So the conclusion I'm getting at in this World Cup.
"REFEREE KELONG"
There appears to be a few countries which fall under the football elite. This in itself is not strange as every sport has countries that are better in it than others. What is strange is the way FIFA, via the referee's seem to be going about making sure these countries stay elite and not let anyone else beat them.
The refereeing decisions for most part this world cup has been at be mediocre and at worst a complete farce. But then I'm Asian so I have a different answer to why the refereeing decisions are so bad.
Firstly, the referees are mostly middle age men who are probably going through a mid-life crisis. Why else would they make themselves run for 90 minutes trying to keep in control a group of 22 men at least 20 years younger than they are? Also, there are no substitute referee so he can't take a rest even if he gets tired.
Secondly, they probably don't get paid a hell of a lot of money or not enough anyway to do this refereeing thing. So maybe some are a bit disgruntled.
Thirdly, there is a lot of money being bet on the World Cup. A HUGE amount of money.
So the conclusion I'm getting at in this World Cup.
"REFEREE KELONG"
24 June 2006
Wheels
The ongoing saga in my attempt to buy a car, my first car, the car I have been dreaming of since I left uni, the car a small red dot denied me, the car that motivated me to finish among the top in my class in uni, etc, etc, etc.
So, today was the day I decided I was to decide on which car maker would get my hard earned blood, sweat and tears and provide me with my very first car.
Some background first. For the pass couple of weeks, I've been trying to decided which car to get. The options have been pretty much narrowed down to either a Mazda 3, Ford Focus or Honda Civic.
Back to today. With a friend in tow, more for car colour selection (which means said friend is female), I went to test drive cars. Along the walk from my place to the car showroom, I passed by a Citroen showroom. I stopped, walked in and ask to test drive a C4.
A short review of the C4.
a) It is French and it is Citroen (meaning there is some stuff in the car which just does not make sense).
b) The steering wheel is a button and knob fest. I counted atleast 12 buttons and 4 knobs on the central hub (which by the way does not turn when you turn the wheel). None of these are clearly marked so it's more like hit a button and hope you don't kill the engine.
c) The car tries to be too smart. Go down a hill and it holds the last speed you where moving at when you foot left the pedal. Try to go to fast and it stops you.
d) Given all that tech inside, the interior sure was damn ugly.
e) 4 speed auto plus a gutless 2 liter means the car is ponderous. No fun to drive at all.
f) The funky ad with the funky dancing robot does not equate to a funky car to drive.
So, it was on to Honda after that. Along the way, we went past Volkwagen so I figure I would take a sit in the new Golf. It was ok but it doing do anything for me. Guess I'm not fan of teutonic (boring) German interior design. I'm sure it is a pretty good drive but it's not going to be my first car.
Next to VW was Honda. I went in and in under 5 minutes, I was test driving a Honda Civic VTi-L Auto in Black. I would like to get a black car but I do realise it is next to impossible to keep clean.
UPDATE!!!
At 12:30 pm on the 26th of June 2006, I paid the deposit for my first car. A silver moss coloured Honda Civic VTi-L, with a 5 speed automatic, 6 CD stacker in the dash, steering wheel buttons, alloy wheels, reverse sensors, side airbags and a 1.8l engine.
The car arrives in August.
So, today was the day I decided I was to decide on which car maker would get my hard earned blood, sweat and tears and provide me with my very first car.
Some background first. For the pass couple of weeks, I've been trying to decided which car to get. The options have been pretty much narrowed down to either a Mazda 3, Ford Focus or Honda Civic.
Back to today. With a friend in tow, more for car colour selection (which means said friend is female), I went to test drive cars. Along the walk from my place to the car showroom, I passed by a Citroen showroom. I stopped, walked in and ask to test drive a C4.
A short review of the C4.
a) It is French and it is Citroen (meaning there is some stuff in the car which just does not make sense).
b) The steering wheel is a button and knob fest. I counted atleast 12 buttons and 4 knobs on the central hub (which by the way does not turn when you turn the wheel). None of these are clearly marked so it's more like hit a button and hope you don't kill the engine.
c) The car tries to be too smart. Go down a hill and it holds the last speed you where moving at when you foot left the pedal. Try to go to fast and it stops you.
d) Given all that tech inside, the interior sure was damn ugly.
e) 4 speed auto plus a gutless 2 liter means the car is ponderous. No fun to drive at all.
f) The funky ad with the funky dancing robot does not equate to a funky car to drive.
So, it was on to Honda after that. Along the way, we went past Volkwagen so I figure I would take a sit in the new Golf. It was ok but it doing do anything for me. Guess I'm not fan of teutonic (boring) German interior design. I'm sure it is a pretty good drive but it's not going to be my first car.
Next to VW was Honda. I went in and in under 5 minutes, I was test driving a Honda Civic VTi-L Auto in Black. I would like to get a black car but I do realise it is next to impossible to keep clean.
UPDATE!!!
At 12:30 pm on the 26th of June 2006, I paid the deposit for my first car. A silver moss coloured Honda Civic VTi-L, with a 5 speed automatic, 6 CD stacker in the dash, steering wheel buttons, alloy wheels, reverse sensors, side airbags and a 1.8l engine.
The car arrives in August.
11 June 2006
A New Beginning
Yes, before anyone mentions it, the title is cliche. I could not think of a better one. Anyways, this entry is just a short note on the difference moving from one city to another can make.
1. Starting the whole friend making thing all over again. After 6 years in one place, you find out that you have a whole lot of friends. Moving to a new job, in a new city, in a new country, you find that the number of friends you have can be counted with the fingers on one hand.....and there are still fingers to spare.
2. Trying to figure out which car to buy. Previously for me, it wasn't what car to buy but more like can I afford it and is it worth it. Right now, I can afford it and it is worth it but I can't decide which one to get.
3. Cooking. I'm not a great cook. My idea of cooking involves throwing stuff at random into a pan and hoping it works out. So far, the fried rice was ok but I doubt anyone apart from me would eat it.
4. Food. Give me Chinese, Malay, Indian food. There's only so much Western food I can take. I always knew this would be the one major thing I would miss so I guess I'm more prepared for it than I though.
5. Tax and health. People, if you belong to a country where the government has a good idea on how to do taxes and health, be thankful. I now belong to a country where tax is a real pain because it was designed by accountants who got bullied in school and decided to take it out on everyone now. Healthcare is neither privatised nor is it government run. It's this 'rojak' mixture. I've seen 'rojak' healthcare that works well. This isn't one of them.
After all that, if someone asked me if I would rather have not moved to a new country to start a new life, I would say no. The sacrifices I made to come here, I know will be worth the pain in the long run.
1. Starting the whole friend making thing all over again. After 6 years in one place, you find out that you have a whole lot of friends. Moving to a new job, in a new city, in a new country, you find that the number of friends you have can be counted with the fingers on one hand.....and there are still fingers to spare.
2. Trying to figure out which car to buy. Previously for me, it wasn't what car to buy but more like can I afford it and is it worth it. Right now, I can afford it and it is worth it but I can't decide which one to get.
3. Cooking. I'm not a great cook. My idea of cooking involves throwing stuff at random into a pan and hoping it works out. So far, the fried rice was ok but I doubt anyone apart from me would eat it.
4. Food. Give me Chinese, Malay, Indian food. There's only so much Western food I can take. I always knew this would be the one major thing I would miss so I guess I'm more prepared for it than I though.
5. Tax and health. People, if you belong to a country where the government has a good idea on how to do taxes and health, be thankful. I now belong to a country where tax is a real pain because it was designed by accountants who got bullied in school and decided to take it out on everyone now. Healthcare is neither privatised nor is it government run. It's this 'rojak' mixture. I've seen 'rojak' healthcare that works well. This isn't one of them.
After all that, if someone asked me if I would rather have not moved to a new country to start a new life, I would say no. The sacrifices I made to come here, I know will be worth the pain in the long run.
29 Apr 2006
Life!
A little bit of insight from the events of the past day.
2 things happened yesterday that bring into perspective exactly how short life is and how easily everything can be taken away. 2 events happened yesterday to remind me of this. One is sad, the other happy.
Sad
I'm a warden at the church I go to, having decided last year that I haven't been keeping up with my part of the bargain in my relationship with God. I joined a warden ministry where apart from my brother, me and another girl, the average age was above 50. Yesterday, I received news than the Assistant Group Leader of my warden group has passed away. He collapsed at the bus stop while on his way home. Even though some kind people took him to hopsital, he didn't make it. May God bless his soul.
Happy
I met up with a group of friends for dinner yesterday, it was kinda a farewell for me and new job treat from me to them. The bill came up to a lot of money. Now, the normal me would think that this was not worth it but not yesterday. Money can always be earned again but not friends. Good friendships are rare. Definitely worth the price of a dinner and drinks and more.
I never know when I will meet my friends again. Things may happen to us that we cannot predict. I treasure the friends I have made on this little island. Life is too short to be spent worrying about unncessary things. You never know when you might not see someone again.
2 things happened yesterday that bring into perspective exactly how short life is and how easily everything can be taken away. 2 events happened yesterday to remind me of this. One is sad, the other happy.
Sad
I'm a warden at the church I go to, having decided last year that I haven't been keeping up with my part of the bargain in my relationship with God. I joined a warden ministry where apart from my brother, me and another girl, the average age was above 50. Yesterday, I received news than the Assistant Group Leader of my warden group has passed away. He collapsed at the bus stop while on his way home. Even though some kind people took him to hopsital, he didn't make it. May God bless his soul.
Happy
I met up with a group of friends for dinner yesterday, it was kinda a farewell for me and new job treat from me to them. The bill came up to a lot of money. Now, the normal me would think that this was not worth it but not yesterday. Money can always be earned again but not friends. Good friendships are rare. Definitely worth the price of a dinner and drinks and more.
I never know when I will meet my friends again. Things may happen to us that we cannot predict. I treasure the friends I have made on this little island. Life is too short to be spent worrying about unncessary things. You never know when you might not see someone again.
28 Apr 2006
The Hunt for the Elusive Laptop
*This entry was originally going to be typed on my new laptop but I ran out of time and am now a little bored at work so it being typed out on the work laptop instead.*
I wanted to buy a laptop. I know, I know. Why would a furry pawed animal want a laptop? Well, I guess sometimes we furry animals need to surf the web, check our email and stuff too.
So I ventured out of the jungle long enough to go survey what laptops I could get. As with most wild animals and some domesticated ones, I was automatically attracted to the bright shiny surfaces of the fruity laptop. In fact, I was so enamoured by the shiny surfaces, I almost didn't notice that it costs almost double a normal non-fruit flavoured laptop. Man, when I found out, I ran back into the jungle and needed to hide in there for a while to overcome the shock.
So after some time of recuperation, I ventured out again, this time much wiser and price concious. Money doesn't grow on trees, even in the deepest, darkest forest. So after much deliberation (this would probably be considered an underestimation by some), I finally decided on an Acer Aspire (what it asspires to, I have no idea) 5762 WLMI. It didn't cost too much, approximately 121.5 honeypots, which is roughly S$2430. The monkeys have it so much better because 1 peanut equals 30,000 honeypots. They could have bought the laptop with less than 1 peanut.
Anyway, the laptop looks like this:
It has got 1.0GB of RAM, 100GB Harddisk and a ATI Radeon X1400 with 128MB VRAM and extra 384MB shared. Now I should have a better laptop than the king of the jungle. Let me go show Mowgli a thing or two.
I wanted to buy a laptop. I know, I know. Why would a furry pawed animal want a laptop? Well, I guess sometimes we furry animals need to surf the web, check our email and stuff too.
So I ventured out of the jungle long enough to go survey what laptops I could get. As with most wild animals and some domesticated ones, I was automatically attracted to the bright shiny surfaces of the fruity laptop. In fact, I was so enamoured by the shiny surfaces, I almost didn't notice that it costs almost double a normal non-fruit flavoured laptop. Man, when I found out, I ran back into the jungle and needed to hide in there for a while to overcome the shock.
So after some time of recuperation, I ventured out again, this time much wiser and price concious. Money doesn't grow on trees, even in the deepest, darkest forest. So after much deliberation (this would probably be considered an underestimation by some), I finally decided on an Acer Aspire (what it asspires to, I have no idea) 5762 WLMI. It didn't cost too much, approximately 121.5 honeypots, which is roughly S$2430. The monkeys have it so much better because 1 peanut equals 30,000 honeypots. They could have bought the laptop with less than 1 peanut.
Anyway, the laptop looks like this:
It has got 1.0GB of RAM, 100GB Harddisk and a ATI Radeon X1400 with 128MB VRAM and extra 384MB shared. Now I should have a better laptop than the king of the jungle. Let me go show Mowgli a thing or two.
14 Apr 2006
Bahloo or Bagheera? Part 2
The deed is done. The events of the day unfolded in the following manner.
9:00 am - Received a phonecall from my agent informing me that I will be receiving my contract today.
10:00 am - Hit refresh in Gmail for the first of almost 20 times, waiting for the email to arrive.
12:05 pm - Goes to the toilet.
12:07 pm - Noticed a new email in my inbox. I open my mail with trepidation and there it is staring at me, my contract.
12:08 pm - Begin downloading contract to view. Downloading fails.
12:09 pm - I try downloading again. It still fails. Curse under my breath. Frustration level increasing.
12:11 pm - It finally downloads successfully. I open it. I quickly read through it. I stop at the "how much will I get paid" section.
12:12 pm - Wonder where the calculator went. Have a quick look around. Can't find it.
12:13 pm - Finally locate a calculator. I work out my monthly salary. My heart does a few cart wheels inside my rib cage. My brain is busy trying to decipher what car to buy.
12:15 pm - Call Papa Bear to tell him the news. Briefly read out the contract to him. He has no objections. It is good.
12:17 pm - I send my acceptance and call my new employer up to confirm. A bit "kiasu" , I realized but hey, I've been on this island for 6 years. I'm entitled to be a little bit "kiasu".
12:30 pm - Happiest lunch I've had a in a long while.
6:30 pm - Meet up with boss back in office. Trying to find a good time to break the news to him.
7:00 pm - Still haven't found a good time.
7:11 pm - Yet to find a good time. Having a hard time holding it in. Colleague starts giving me funny faces.
7:45 pm - I find the right time and inform my boss. He is ok with it and seems quite nice about it. I appreciate that.
8:20 pm - I sent out the email with my official resignation. The deed is done.
Next stop, the land down under.
9:00 am - Received a phonecall from my agent informing me that I will be receiving my contract today.
10:00 am - Hit refresh in Gmail for the first of almost 20 times, waiting for the email to arrive.
12:05 pm - Goes to the toilet.
12:07 pm - Noticed a new email in my inbox. I open my mail with trepidation and there it is staring at me, my contract.
12:08 pm - Begin downloading contract to view. Downloading fails.
12:09 pm - I try downloading again. It still fails. Curse under my breath. Frustration level increasing.
12:11 pm - It finally downloads successfully. I open it. I quickly read through it. I stop at the "how much will I get paid" section.
12:12 pm - Wonder where the calculator went. Have a quick look around. Can't find it.
12:13 pm - Finally locate a calculator. I work out my monthly salary. My heart does a few cart wheels inside my rib cage. My brain is busy trying to decipher what car to buy.
12:15 pm - Call Papa Bear to tell him the news. Briefly read out the contract to him. He has no objections. It is good.
12:17 pm - I send my acceptance and call my new employer up to confirm. A bit "kiasu" , I realized but hey, I've been on this island for 6 years. I'm entitled to be a little bit "kiasu".
12:30 pm - Happiest lunch I've had a in a long while.
6:30 pm - Meet up with boss back in office. Trying to find a good time to break the news to him.
7:00 pm - Still haven't found a good time.
7:11 pm - Yet to find a good time. Having a hard time holding it in. Colleague starts giving me funny faces.
7:45 pm - I find the right time and inform my boss. He is ok with it and seems quite nice about it. I appreciate that.
8:20 pm - I sent out the email with my official resignation. The deed is done.
Next stop, the land down under.
9 Apr 2006
The Pessimist
Why is it a pessimist's brain will never allow the pessimist to be happy and glad for longer than 24 hours? 24 hours ago I would say I was among the happiest fur covered mammals on this little island. Now 24 hours later, my brain is full of doubt and worries. All the watifs have started popping out.
This made me think, is it just me or are there others out there like me? I know for a fact that almost all human beings will examine anything they either dug, scratch or shat out of their bodies before disposing it. Does a pessimist take a dump, a normal healthy dump and 24 hours later, wonder if there was something in that dump that wasn't so good? Maybe he thinks he told too many people about the dump and now he's afraid people he doesn't want to know about his dump will know. What happens if this dump was imaginary and didn't happen?
A pessimist biggest enemy is not himself. Most pessimist have an ability to think of the bad stuff and then accept it. It becomes much harder when this outlook of pessimism is imparted by another pessimistic party. In short, the pessimist's pessimist. That makes a pessimist's biggest enemy another pessimist.
Anyway, here hoping the pessimist are all wrong.
This made me think, is it just me or are there others out there like me? I know for a fact that almost all human beings will examine anything they either dug, scratch or shat out of their bodies before disposing it. Does a pessimist take a dump, a normal healthy dump and 24 hours later, wonder if there was something in that dump that wasn't so good? Maybe he thinks he told too many people about the dump and now he's afraid people he doesn't want to know about his dump will know. What happens if this dump was imaginary and didn't happen?
A pessimist biggest enemy is not himself. Most pessimist have an ability to think of the bad stuff and then accept it. It becomes much harder when this outlook of pessimism is imparted by another pessimistic party. In short, the pessimist's pessimist. That makes a pessimist's biggest enemy another pessimist.
Anyway, here hoping the pessimist are all wrong.
8 Apr 2006
Bearry Emotional Landscape
The chart above represents the emotions of a certain bear over the past week. It is over a scale of 0 to 100, where 50 represents neutral emotion, anything under 50 is either anger/disappointment/frustration (normally displayed to the outside world as anger) and anything above 50 is happiness.
As can be seen from the chart above, the bear has been through a very emotionally varying week. So much so, that given the above chart, one might be mistaken for thinking that the bear is actually female. (He most definitely is not.)
One clear trend though is that the emotions seem to improve as the end of the week approached. Guess that means if you want to find bears in a good mood, look for them on weekend.
6 Apr 2006
A Pun Time Was Had By All
REPLYING TO an invitation to a Scientists' Ball:
Pierre and Marie Curie were radiating enthusiasm;
Einstein thought it would be relatively easy to attend;
Volta was electrified and Archimedes, buoyant at the thought;
Ampère was worried he wasn't up to current research;
Ohm resisted the idea at first;
Boyle said he was under too much pressure;
Edison thought it would an illuminating experience;
Watt reckoned it would be a good way to let off steam;
Stephenson thought the whole idea was loco;
Wilbur Wright accepted- provided he and his brother, Orville, could get a flight;
Dr. Jekyll declined, on the grounds that he hadn't been feeling himself lately;
Morse's reply? "I'll be there on the dot. Can't stop now- must dash."
Pierre and Marie Curie were radiating enthusiasm;
Einstein thought it would be relatively easy to attend;
Volta was electrified and Archimedes, buoyant at the thought;
Ampère was worried he wasn't up to current research;
Ohm resisted the idea at first;
Boyle said he was under too much pressure;
Edison thought it would an illuminating experience;
Watt reckoned it would be a good way to let off steam;
Stephenson thought the whole idea was loco;
Wilbur Wright accepted- provided he and his brother, Orville, could get a flight;
Dr. Jekyll declined, on the grounds that he hadn't been feeling himself lately;
Morse's reply? "I'll be there on the dot. Can't stop now- must dash."
22 Mar 2006
Where's your sense of humor?
I was doing a random surf of the Internet today and a weird realisation dawn on me. The same fact was mentioned to me a couple of days ago but it never occured to me how accurate it is. The fact is this, in the small island where this bear (unfortunately) roams, no one is ever wrong.
No one makes mistakes. There is no such things a boo-boo. If you happen to notice a fault in someone else, then the fault doesn't lie with that person but with you for having noticed that fault.
This is all the more obvious on the Internet, esspecially when bloggers from this small island are concerned. Everything anyone anywhere says about them that is less than flattering (not even bad, just less than flattering), it taken as such a major insult and the rebutals and criticism to the person who dare mention that they are less than perfect, fly so far and fast, it's probably reached Alpha Centauri by now.
Guess all I can say to the dumb bloggers from the small pathetic island is this, GET A LIFE.....you are not as famous as you think you are.
PS. Not all bloggers on this small island are bad at handling criticism, it's just the more popular (subject to debate) ones that seem to have lost any trace to having had a sense of humor.
No one makes mistakes. There is no such things a boo-boo. If you happen to notice a fault in someone else, then the fault doesn't lie with that person but with you for having noticed that fault.
This is all the more obvious on the Internet, esspecially when bloggers from this small island are concerned. Everything anyone anywhere says about them that is less than flattering (not even bad, just less than flattering), it taken as such a major insult and the rebutals and criticism to the person who dare mention that they are less than perfect, fly so far and fast, it's probably reached Alpha Centauri by now.
Guess all I can say to the dumb bloggers from the small pathetic island is this, GET A LIFE.....you are not as famous as you think you are.
PS. Not all bloggers on this small island are bad at handling criticism, it's just the more popular (subject to debate) ones that seem to have lost any trace to having had a sense of humor.
19 Feb 2006
A Joke
An elderly couple is lying in bed. It is late and the man in trying to sleep. The woman on the other is feeling a little romantic so she begins to talk.
"Remember when we were first dating? You used to hold my hand all the time."
The man, wanting to get some sleep, reaches out sleepily and holds the womans hand for a short while and then lets go and attempts to go back to sleep.
Meanwhile the old woman still hasn't given up.
"Remember that after holding my hand, you would give me a kiss?"
Getting a bit irritated, the man turns over and hastily plants a quick peck on his wife's cheek and tries to go to sleep again.
The woman continued on.
"Remember how after that, you used to gently nibble on my neck."
Upon hearing this, the man angrily throws the sheets off and proceeds to get up.
Surprised and upset, the woman ask, "Where are you going?"
To which the man replied, "To get my teeth so that I can nibble on your neck."
"Remember when we were first dating? You used to hold my hand all the time."
The man, wanting to get some sleep, reaches out sleepily and holds the womans hand for a short while and then lets go and attempts to go back to sleep.
Meanwhile the old woman still hasn't given up.
"Remember that after holding my hand, you would give me a kiss?"
Getting a bit irritated, the man turns over and hastily plants a quick peck on his wife's cheek and tries to go to sleep again.
The woman continued on.
"Remember how after that, you used to gently nibble on my neck."
Upon hearing this, the man angrily throws the sheets off and proceeds to get up.
Surprised and upset, the woman ask, "Where are you going?"
To which the man replied, "To get my teeth so that I can nibble on your neck."
16 Feb 2006
Sh*tty Post
I was trying to think of something witty to write but all that came to mind was something someone told me recently.
Ever realise that human beings are the only creature on the entire surface of the planet that has to wipe its arse after taking a dump, coz if we don't, we leave fecal matter stuck in the vicinity of the chocolate starfish and this could lead to infections and other unpleasant stuff.
Why does fecal matter get stuck? Unlike most (I was going to say all but I'm not 100% sure) mammals, we have butt cheeks that obscure the opening so anything coming out would have to first squeeze past the butt cheeks before making it to freedom. I wonder why our butts are designed this way?
Any suggestions?
Ever realise that human beings are the only creature on the entire surface of the planet that has to wipe its arse after taking a dump, coz if we don't, we leave fecal matter stuck in the vicinity of the chocolate starfish and this could lead to infections and other unpleasant stuff.
Why does fecal matter get stuck? Unlike most (I was going to say all but I'm not 100% sure) mammals, we have butt cheeks that obscure the opening so anything coming out would have to first squeeze past the butt cheeks before making it to freedom. I wonder why our butts are designed this way?
Any suggestions?
27 Jan 2006
The Tale of 1 Stupid Browser
This is the second time I'm rewritting this coz the browser ate my entry twice in the time span of 15 minutes. It was an entry about how good Opera is compared to Firefox but after it ate my blog twice, I don't think it deserves it anymore.
So here's the gist. Use Firefox if you got the memory to spare. You won't lose half as many blog entries. Use Opera if memory is at a premium, like on my Dell which only has enough to prevent it from keeling over. Just type your blog in MS Word first, then paste it over.
A joke to end this entry.
What did the chicken say when it saw a pig?
Pork, pork, pork, pork, pork (sounds like a chicking clucking).
Somehow this joke works better verbally. Oh well.
So here's the gist. Use Firefox if you got the memory to spare. You won't lose half as many blog entries. Use Opera if memory is at a premium, like on my Dell which only has enough to prevent it from keeling over. Just type your blog in MS Word first, then paste it over.
A joke to end this entry.
What did the chicken say when it saw a pig?
Pork, pork, pork, pork, pork (sounds like a chicking clucking).
Somehow this joke works better verbally. Oh well.
24 Jan 2006
Bahloo or Bagheera?
Do any of you ever sit down and look at other people and think the following:
"Damn, I wish I had all my friends from school and uni in the same town. This way, I wouldn't be so bored all the time."
I do.....all the time actually. My life has been like a computer where every few days you need to reboot the computer to prevent it from crashing. Instead of every few days, it's every few year for me.
In some cases, it's just pressing that reset button on the front of the casing. Sometimes, it involves unplugging the power point, taking the battery out and starting all over again.
I've done the major rebooting 3 times in my life so far. The biggest reboot is yet to come but I can already see its shadow in the distance. This is the kind of reboot, where you not only restart your computer, you actually take some stuff out and put some new things inside.
You switch it back on and hope that everything still works. The green light comes on and everything is ok. Sometimes, the green light doesn't come. Instead you get the red light or no light at all.
So far, I've only gotten the green light.
So what does this have to do with the first sentence? Simple, whenever you do a reboot, you lose a lot of your friends and you'll have to start all over again with new friends and hope that within the new bunch of people you meet, there are those few that you can get along well with.
I've been lucky in that each time this has happened, I've met people I've been able to get along with quite well. On the other hand, I've lost friends and lots of them. When you no longer see each other everyday, sometimes, you just start to go down different tangents, knowing that with each passing day, you go further away from each other.
With the big reboot looming in the future, I wonder what the future holds. Will I still be Bahloo or would Bagheera be a better name then?
"Damn, I wish I had all my friends from school and uni in the same town. This way, I wouldn't be so bored all the time."
I do.....all the time actually. My life has been like a computer where every few days you need to reboot the computer to prevent it from crashing. Instead of every few days, it's every few year for me.
In some cases, it's just pressing that reset button on the front of the casing. Sometimes, it involves unplugging the power point, taking the battery out and starting all over again.
I've done the major rebooting 3 times in my life so far. The biggest reboot is yet to come but I can already see its shadow in the distance. This is the kind of reboot, where you not only restart your computer, you actually take some stuff out and put some new things inside.
You switch it back on and hope that everything still works. The green light comes on and everything is ok. Sometimes, the green light doesn't come. Instead you get the red light or no light at all.
So far, I've only gotten the green light.
So what does this have to do with the first sentence? Simple, whenever you do a reboot, you lose a lot of your friends and you'll have to start all over again with new friends and hope that within the new bunch of people you meet, there are those few that you can get along well with.
I've been lucky in that each time this has happened, I've met people I've been able to get along with quite well. On the other hand, I've lost friends and lots of them. When you no longer see each other everyday, sometimes, you just start to go down different tangents, knowing that with each passing day, you go further away from each other.
With the big reboot looming in the future, I wonder what the future holds. Will I still be Bahloo or would Bagheera be a better name then?
23 Jan 2006
The Elephant and the Little Boy
Here's a joke I have not forgotten since childhood. It's not the greatest of jokes but I like it so I thought I would share it with everyone. So here goes:
One day, in a vilage in India, a man arrives with an elephant. He lays down a challenge for everyone in the village.
"Whoever can make my elephant trumpet, I will give him 100 dollars."
As expected, everyone tries but no matter what they do, the elephant doesn't make a single sound, not even a whimper. They hit it, they pulled its tail, yanked its ears, they threw water on it. Nothing made the elephant trumpet.
At the end of the day as the man was about to leave, a little boy comes up to him.
"I can make your elephant trumpet"
The man says ok and ask the boy to go ahead, confident that the boy would fail. The boy goes under the elephant and proceeds to squeeze the elephant's ball. Sure enough, the elephant trumpets. Reluctantly, the man gives the boy and the money and leaves.
2 weeks go past and the man returns to the village once again with the same elephant. He presents a new challenge.
"Whoever can make my elephant shake his head, I will give him 400 dollars."
Again, everyone tries everything imaginable but the elephant doesn't shake its head. Confident that his 400 dollars is safe, the man is about to leave when the little boy shows up again.
"I can make you elephant shake its head."
Again the man says ok and lets the boy try, still confident that his money is safe. The boy once again goes under the elephant and stands next to the elephant's balls.
"Do you want me to squeeze your balls again?", the boy ask the elephant.
The elephant shakes its head.
19 Jan 2006
What women want that the bear doesn't have
Was talking with a few of my friends just now and I have to come the realisation that there are a few traits a woman wants in a man that I am sorely missing. So to help all the prospective would be future girlfriends of mine (those that I do not mistake for a midnight snack), here a list of what women want that the bear doesn't have.
1. The bear does not notice what you have done to your hair unless it involves something drastic like cutting half of it off, dyeing it bright pink or green or tying it into buns like Princess Leia. Perms (digital or analog) will not be noticed. Rebonding, unbonding, singeing will not be notice. Unless you are a gadget I'm planning to buy and have done some major comparison shopping, save yourself the time and frustration and just tell what you did to your hair. I don't guess very well.
2. The bear does not do shopping very well. For most days, the thought of shopping drives the bear nuts. Being required to follow someone around, trying to guess if she looks fat in something or not, if this dress is nicer than that dress, are these shoes comfy, does not do wonders for the bears mood. In fact, it could leave you with unwanted bite marks and the missing limb or 2.On some days, which normally occur only once every 6 months or so, the bear is in a good mood and is able to go shopping with you for an extended period of time. Extended in this case meaning 2 to 4 hours. No more. Anymore than that and you get back the bear on non good shopping mood days.
3. Hair. While most bears have plenty of hair all over, this bear isn't one of them. You can thank my genes for that. If anything, this bear has a lack of hair all over, even the top of the head. If you are looking for someone with a healthy head of hair and low IQ, look somewhere else. The bear is of high IQ and low hair. The reason being, the brain needed space to expand so it pushed the hair out to make room.
4. The bear will never understand why you need so many pairs of shoes. We realised that you server an important function by buying shoes. Without you buying shoes, slippers, sandals and various other footwear, whole economies would grind to a halt. People would stay. The world as we know it would end. Having said that, this does not mean that I agree with a woman having over 20 pairs of shoes. Ladies are like men and bears, 2 feet, no more, no less. Unless you are an octopus, why do you need so many pairs of shoes?
So, is there anything else you think the bear is missing that women want? Feel free to comment.
1. The bear does not notice what you have done to your hair unless it involves something drastic like cutting half of it off, dyeing it bright pink or green or tying it into buns like Princess Leia. Perms (digital or analog) will not be noticed. Rebonding, unbonding, singeing will not be notice. Unless you are a gadget I'm planning to buy and have done some major comparison shopping, save yourself the time and frustration and just tell what you did to your hair. I don't guess very well.
2. The bear does not do shopping very well. For most days, the thought of shopping drives the bear nuts. Being required to follow someone around, trying to guess if she looks fat in something or not, if this dress is nicer than that dress, are these shoes comfy, does not do wonders for the bears mood. In fact, it could leave you with unwanted bite marks and the missing limb or 2.On some days, which normally occur only once every 6 months or so, the bear is in a good mood and is able to go shopping with you for an extended period of time. Extended in this case meaning 2 to 4 hours. No more. Anymore than that and you get back the bear on non good shopping mood days.
3. Hair. While most bears have plenty of hair all over, this bear isn't one of them. You can thank my genes for that. If anything, this bear has a lack of hair all over, even the top of the head. If you are looking for someone with a healthy head of hair and low IQ, look somewhere else. The bear is of high IQ and low hair. The reason being, the brain needed space to expand so it pushed the hair out to make room.
4. The bear will never understand why you need so many pairs of shoes. We realised that you server an important function by buying shoes. Without you buying shoes, slippers, sandals and various other footwear, whole economies would grind to a halt. People would stay. The world as we know it would end. Having said that, this does not mean that I agree with a woman having over 20 pairs of shoes. Ladies are like men and bears, 2 feet, no more, no less. Unless you are an octopus, why do you need so many pairs of shoes?
So, is there anything else you think the bear is missing that women want? Feel free to comment.
1 Jan 2006
New Year, New Address, New Look
It's a New Year and after some ridiculing early this year from a group of friends as to why I haven't moved the blog to a new address, considering that I've managed to secure the address I wanted in September, I've decided to go ahead an do it.
So I present to you the new BAHLOO, now available at http://bahloo.blogspot.com. The old site is now but a redirector.
As part of the new address, I figure a new look was in order. I think the new look looks a bit more professional and less cluttered. Well, hope you all enjoy it.
Welcome to 2006.
So I present to you the new BAHLOO, now available at http://bahloo.blogspot.com. The old site is now but a redirector.
As part of the new address, I figure a new look was in order. I think the new look looks a bit more professional and less cluttered. Well, hope you all enjoy it.
Welcome to 2006.
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