"I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave." - E. M. Forster
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Xephyris: My Firefox does not take noticeably longer to startup. Extensions are not the same as plugins. They work with FF code, and do not necessarily add bulk to it.
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Ben Stiller should star in every movie - "Better yet, why not create a movie where Stiller stars in every role? It could be like "Multiplicity," except good. They could call it: along came something about royal focker's envy for the dodgeballs of mystery men. It would be the best movie ever. It would start out with Ben Stiller trying to revive some obscure children's ball game in order to impress his highschool sweetheart, only to learn that she has psychotic ex-CIA parents who hit it big when they discover a formula that makes shitty movies disappear."
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Lisheng, Young Republic's resident conservative intellectual, speaks, and is demolished by a chorus of incensed liberals:
Lisheng: All hail the community of the angry frustrated liberal youths, who occasionally let their anger spill out into hot-blooded vulgarities and
fulminations against the evil Other, aka the government, moral minority,
NUS law professors, religious right-wing nut-jobs etc. I am sure that this
category of people represent the future in all its glorious inevitability,
and carry in their persons the salvation of our Republic, as embodied in
their progressive and trendy views. Dictators around the world can rejoice
in the knowledge that our youths are supporting you, unless you happen to
be ruling in Singapore which means that you, by a cruel twist of fate, have
become a part of the Other, incapable of doing right and deserving of our
youths' moralistic and priggish condemnation.
Also, for all those who are too poor to buy your own condoms (or too lazy),
rejoice for "safe sex" is close at hand. If our youths get their way, as
they inevitably will, free condoms will soon be available at every Geylang
street corner, Hotel 81 reception desk and China Air/Thai Air flight (to be
distributed to incoming "foreign talent" and outgoing "local talent").
Never mind that subsequently the quality of your personal enjoyment during
the process will be somewhat reduced - after all you don't want to be
getting a terrible disease that you don't deserve now, do you? Very good.
Now you have been educated, and therefore the world will be saved from
AIDS. Another good deed done by the nice people - all in a day's work.
Cheers, Lisheng PS There is an absolutely safe way to avoid AIDS, and it's
eminently practical: limit yourself to sex with one partner. But then
again, if I were to educate people accordingly, I'd be accused of being
illiberal, right-wing and totalitarian, taking away the fundamental freedom
to spread your genes around (after all, the animals do it, so it must be
natural). So I suppose we must go with the free distribution of condoms as
the more "practical" policy. Never mind that the birth rate is falling =P
Caleb: And now to address Lisheng's attempt at irony:
You seem to enjoy setting up a caricature of 'liberals' so that you can mow
it down. That isn't very intellectually honest at all.
Most liberals -- unlike the ones dreamt of Edmund Burke and friends -- do
not think that by educating ppl all problems will miraculously disappear.
BUT surely it is right that education helps ppl understand their world
better and to make more rational decisions which will benefit both them and
the ppl around them. If ppl knew that condoms will protect them against
AIDS, and they had a rational understanding of the kinds of risks they are
taking by not wearing condoms, then there is likely to be an increase in the
use of condoms in the sexually active population at large. Of course there
is no guarantee that it will happen, just that it is likely.
And more importantly, what I am advocating is a govt policy which
concentrates on getting ppl to practice safe sex, I am not saying 'ok ppl,
pls go out there and enjoy your god-given right to fuck around -- just don't
forget your condoms!! Don't leave home without them ppl!!'. Really you have
misrepresented my views in the most inaccurate way.
UNAIDS, as well as countless other NGOs, have produced evidence showing that
countries which have used an 'abstinence-only' policy have been far less
successful than countries which use a safe-sex policy. This is a
well-documented fact. It has nothing to do with promoting promiscuity. It
has everything to do with saving lives.
UNAIDS has shown that women in Africa are now a high-risk group. This is not
because women in Africa are particularly promiscuous. It is because their
husbands are, and they have to suffer conjugal sex without condoms and
therefore get infected. Their husbands are able to use societal pressure to
prevent the use of the condoms in the conjugal bed -- and this is partly to
due with ppl like Lisheng and John Paul II who continue to see the use of
contraceptives as morally wrong and leading to promiscuity. Well promiscuity
is better than death isn't it -- oh but wait for some ppl this is not true :
'I would rather die than to offend thee my Lord because thou art all good
and deserving of all my love' says the Act of Contrition.
Oh and btw, I do not love leaders of poor countries who abuse their
populations while attacking capricious and unaccountable govt here. Have I
said here in any context 'oh that wonderful Lenin, first fruit of our
socialist society'? Or 'all hail Robert Mugabe, avenger of the black man
against the evil colonialists!' Or anything of that sort? Well... no. So pls
don't fabricate a view for me. I have quite enough of my own as you can see.
And finally, since you bear so much dislike for liberals, perhaps you would
prefer to see a return to a world where the slave trade still exists, where
torture is routinely used by both Church and State, where most ppl do not
have a say in how their lives are run, where workers earn subsistence pay
and work 15 hrs a day, where one can be imprisoned indefinitely without
charge (oh wait that still happens in a certain island in the sunny
tropics...)
Because of reforms made by liberals, life expectancy has almost doubled in
the last 150 years, and there is mass education, mass political
participation and security for common ppl under the law. But of course,
these gains are not the important ones at all. Better that ppl pray, and
have only one sexual partner -- as in one *public* sexual partner of course,
and learn to be content with this best of all possible conservative
Christian worlds.
Lisheng: Oh dear, I seem to have made myself misunderstood again! It wasn't all irony. "Attempt" is a good word, Caleb =)
I suppose that when the "liberals" want to get down to practical policy
making, I am quite happy to sit down with them, and to stop AIDS I don't
think more condoms or even free condoms is a bad or ridiculous policy at
all. So I was at least 50% serious when I said that our liberal youths are
doing a whole lot of good. Serious. Oh yes, I am personally very much in
favour of condoms indeed, and I am not in favour of the Pope, so perhaps I
too have some grounds for complaint about being stereotyped!
As for sex education, I do see the need for changes, although I think that
RI wasn't that bad - I still remember about things like IUDs and such for
example. The point, of course, is that the high risk group is not going to
RI, and in all likelihood may be out of school by now. So what do we do?
The usual - TV ads, bus stop posters, instructions on use inside condom
packs, NTUC promotions on condoms. I have no problems with all the above.
I suspect that the high risk group, however, is getting their "education"
from another altogether unhelpful alternative source (or sources) of
information. By which I mean wholly unrealistic fiction that never mentions
condoms when it gets to narrating sex scenes (plenty of them on offer in
our national libraries), and more pertinently, porn sites which (I believe
- someone please confirm) hardly ever figure condoms in their pictures or
erotic stories. I have also read studies of NS youths in which interviewees
complained that using condoms was 'no shiok' and therefore preferred coitus
interruptus. So perhaps that is where a big part of the "unaddressed
problem" lies. As I said, I was half serious.
In other words, Education is only one part of the issue, the other has to
do with human choice. Here the liberal faces his classic dilemma: man and
woman (or man and man) want to engage in unprotected sex (despite knowing
the risks) because it is more shiok. It is a perfectly rational decision
because utility is a metaphysical concept of impregnable circularity, to
quote Joan Robinson. Yet by exercising their "freedom of choice" in
promiscuous and consensual fashion, they contribute to the spread of AIDS
and harm others. What do we do, leave them to the consequences of their own
choices (which gets some people really upset because they are choosing
something bad that they do not deserve...) or intervene from on high on the
assumption that their meta-preference is that they do not want to get AIDS?
You make the choice, since you're the "liberals".
Me, I say simple: you really want to stop the problem that you claim is so
serious, let's do it in utilitarian fashion with CBAs and all that jazz.
Start with a compulsory yearly blood test (or however often you want,
depending on the seriousness of the problem), identify all the problem
cases and offer treatment. Do the same for people coming into the country,
and make it an offence for them to engage in intercourse until the results
come out (it takes only 3-4 days, surely you can abstain that long). Tada,
problem solved. Then whoever wants to have sex with person A can ask
him/her for proof of AIDS status. If you don't want to ask or want to go
ahead with a positive status, it's at your own risk, but we will still
offer treatment thereafter. It's expensive, yes, but eventually the AIDS
problem will become even more expensive. If the AIDS problem becomes too
expensive, we can turn to more drastic measures like making everyone carry
their AIDS status on their ICs, or laser-tattoing it on their necks, or as
a last resort criminalising sexual intercourse for infected persons. That's
the amoral, utilitarian approach for you.
Coming back to "education", perhaps the government should use its media
muscle to "influence" the content of pop culture magazines like 8 days or i
zhou kan (as well as more "yellow" publications) to promote condom use.
That's a positive use of censorship for you! Although historically I should
point out that a strong anti-yellow culture and anti-vice stance was a
foundational part of our struggle for independence (these unsavoury
lifestyles being associated with the decadent colonial masters, of course).
No kidding.
Now about intellectual honesty: firstly I do not think that Singapore is
quite the same as Africa. I also think we should legislate against marital
rape, so I guess that makes me a liberal *wink*. As for the reference to
dictators, I was referring to people who are dead set against intervention
in Iraq. I would like to know how they would have not intervened at all,
thereby indirectly supporting a dictator, or intervened in a "nicer" way.
Until then the "ostrich approach" to international relations (aka
isolationism) is, as far as I can see, supporting dictators.
If you wanted to be utilitarian and invoke raison d'etat, then yes I agree,
in the final analysis states intervene not because of ideals but because of
national interests. We can argue about what constitutes a state's "proper
interests" although I suspect that eventually the Joan Robinson quote will
come into play again, this time albeit on a larger scale (since
international law treats states like persons). Ultimately it's hard to
moralise from this perspective - states take action because the power
holders have made the calculations and come to the conclusion that they
stand to gain. There's little point in carping from the sidelines about
past actions - all you can do is to hope to influence their present
calculations about future ones, and hecne their present and future actions.
That is, if you think you're better at calculating than the power holders,
which may or may not be true.
My final point is this, without any irony intended: it is futile for the
liberals to moralize from a materialistic worldview. The best you can
settle for is the amoral utilitarian approach. If you want morals and
"true" liberalism, you need God - and that is why it is the Christians who
have led and won the battles of history against torture, slavery,
commodification of women etc. Anything else is mere opium for the masses.
Cheers,
Lisheng
PS you would also find that Christianity places the emphasis not on the
transformation of the institutions, but of the individuals. Good
institutions can only at best constrain bad individuals, who will be
constantly finding loopholes... in contrast good individuals will put in
place good institutions and live harmoniously under them. So I think
Christianity has got the emphasis right. =) Not to mention the many
problems that simply cannot be solved institutionally...
Someone: > I suspect that the high risk group, however, is getting their "education"
> from another altogether unhelpful alternative source (or sources) of
> information. By which I mean wholly unrealistic fiction that never mentions
> condoms when it gets to narrating sex scenes (plenty of them on offer in
> our national libraries), and more pertinently, porn sites which (I believe
> - someone please confirm) hardly ever figure condoms in their pictures or
> erotic stories.
I'm sorry but once again you are wrong. The 'high-risk group', by which I take
to mean the homosexual community, is always quick to point out the limitation of fiction. Erotic literature is frequently preceded by a warning with regard to the use of protection; pornography tends to portray safe sex. Barebacking is very out in the
international gay scene. No really. As I've pointed out many times before: the 'high-risk group' knows it is at risk and does all it can to minimise it.
And frankly I found your flippant dismissal of sex in your previous post
(something along the lines of 'after all animals are doing it so it must be right!') most unamusing, although I'm fairly sure it was supposed to be funny. Firstly there is the issue of the misrepresentation of animals, some of which, like the elephant (which Aristotle and random Catholic saints points out as a paragon of marital virtue), tend to be monogamous their whole lives, if they can help it. But that was a farcical point. Then there is the issue of denying sex its power over human beings. One may of course deny the 'base' instincts. But I would suggest a thorough reading of Shakespeare's M4M: 'it is impossible to extirp it quite till eating and drinking be put down.' Thirdly there is the implication that there is something bad about promiscuous sex -- which may be justified but in this case was merely a rather feeble attempt at hyperbolic phrasing.
> Me, I say simple: you really want to stop the problem that you claim is so
> serious, let's do it in utilitarian fashion with CBAs and all that jazz.
> Start with a compulsory yearly blood test (or however often you want,
> depending on the seriousness of the problem), identify all the problem
> cases and offer treatment. Do the same for people coming into the country,
> and make it an offence for them to engage in intercourse until the results
> come out (it takes only 3-4 days, surely you can abstain that long). Tada,
> problem solved. Then whoever wants to have sex with person A can ask
> him/her for proof of AIDS status. If you don't want to ask or want to go
> ahead with a positive status, it's at your own risk, but we will still
> offer treatment thereafter. It's expensive, yes, but eventually the AIDS
> problem will become even more expensive. If the AIDS problem becomes too
> expensive, we can turn to more drastic measures like making everyone carry
> their AIDS status on their ICs, or laser-tattoing it on their necks, or as
> a last resort criminalising sexual intercourse for infected persons. That's
> the amoral, utilitarian approach for you.
You say simple, I say simple. In fact, let's take your suggestion to its logical
extreme. We round up everyone everywhere with AIDS or who is HIV+ and gas them to death! This way we can be rid of them even before the disease comes to claim them.
I don't even see how this fits into the benthamist-utilitarian model. What
happens to the happiness of those who have to undergo such social, legal and political ostracism? Do we disregard them because they are subhuman?
And whatever happened to finding a cure for AIDS. Wouldn't a more sensible
'amoral, utilitarian approach' involve trying to seek the key to recovery?
There's little point in carping from the sidelines about
> past actions - all you can do is to hope to influence their present
> calculations about future ones, and hecne their present and future actions.
Oh there is a point alright, and that's why people study history. And politics.
And international relations. And etc. Which are disciplines which involve 'carp[ing]
on the sidelines about past actions.' If one does not look to the past then how does
one perform 'calculations' for the future.
> My final point is this, without any irony intended: it is futile for the
> liberals to moralize from a materialistic worldview. The best you can
> settle for is the amoral utilitarian approach. If you want morals and
> "true" liberalism, you need God - and that is why it is the Christians who
> have led and won the battles of history against torture, slavery,
> commodification of women etc. Anything else is mere opium for the masses.
Why is the best that liberalism can settle for the 'amoral, utilitarian
approach'?
More importantly, why does 'true' liberalism require God, and the Christian God
at that? This sounded incredibly patronising, complacent and offensive, and is intensely ironic. Your thrasonical claim, full of surety, that 'anything else is mere opium for the masses', suggests that you aren't exactly very open to differences in opinion, and at any rate you have the backing of the one true God and are going to heaven so it doesn't really matter.
Plus the fact that you claim that it is the Christians who have 'led and won the
battles against torture, slavery, commodification of women etc'. Which blatantly ignores the fact that the Church has much blood on its hands. The inquistion (oh, Christians certainly behaved very Christianly, with their use of torture!) comes to mind, as does the excesses of pre-revolution France, as does the imprisonment of Galileo et al, as does the denigration of women (a la Pauline epistles), as does the tacit cooperation of the Church with Italian and German fascism, as does etc etc. And by the way -- it is far, far, far too simplistic to assume that the ending (partial ending) of torture, slavery and commodification of women was due to Christians acting on Christian belief. Please.
> PS you would also find that Christianity places the emphasis not on the
> transformation of the institutions, but of the individuals. Good
> institutions can only at best constrain bad individuals, who will be
> constantly finding loopholes... in contrast good individuals will put in
> place good institutions and live harmoniously under them. So I think
> Christianity has got the emphasis right. =) Not to mention the many
> problems that simply cannot be solved institutionally...
So does rousseauism, which isn't in essence very christian. And certain taoist
beliefs, which aren't very Christian either.
Your ending paragraphs, which you so claim are without irony, are bursting with
it.
Caleb: >My final point is this, without any irony intended: it is futile for the
>liberals to moralize from a materialistic worldview. The best you can
>settle for is the amoral utilitarian approach. If you want morals and
>"true" liberalism, you need God - and that is why it is the Christians who
>have led and won the battles of history against torture, slavery,
>commodification of women etc. Anything else is mere opium for the masses.
Torture: now disavowed by the church, but the historical record is clear.
First steps to abolishing torture arose from efforts of the Enlightenment
philosophes, e.g. Voltaire, who condemned the grisly torture and execution
of the Chevalier de la Barre. The chevalier had been sentenced to having his
tongue cut out and having his body mutilated for having committed some
adolescent acts of sacrilege on a crucifix by an ecclesiastical court.
Of course, torture was abolished in France by the Constituent Assembly in
the Constitution of 1791 -- and it was a very liberal, not a very Christian
assembly.
Slave trade: Yes Christian humanitarian groups were instrumental in
pressuring govts to take steps to end the trade. But these groups were both
Christian and Liberal (with a capital L and with a small l). As you will
remember, the non-conformist ethic was very much associated with the Liberal
party (against the C of E tories).
Feminism: Yes feminism has its ultimate origins in the Christian valuation
of the infinite (and therefore equal) worth of each human being. This much I
agree with -- I did say after all that I was a Christian humanist. BUT by
this measure then democracy and individualism are also 'Christian',
something which would muck up most of the underlying assumptions of your
general scheme. The tensions in the C of E over the appt of female bishops,
the absolute refusal of the current Pope to consider the ordination of women
(despite the fact that most respectable Catholic theologians -- except of
course Cardinal RATzinger) and the current fashion in independent S'pore
churches to insert 'and to submit [to you my dear husband] in the Lord' to
the bride's wedding vows suggest that Christianity has been as much
responsible for the subjugation as the liberation of women.
And now that I've warmed up, lets talk philo anyway:
It is true that a law conception of morality is impossible without a
lawgiver (usually God). Also as I have mentioned before I would think a
deontological conception of ethics commits one to at least deism. So yes in
a sense an atheistic worldview would lead to a consequentialist ethic. But
this *is* an ethic; utilitarianism is an ethical system which is fairly
robust -- ethicists like Peter Singer still work within a utilitarian
system, though of course Singer advocates killing infants who are severely
retarded, so...
Furthermore, one can conceive of a value theory of ethics without being
either a consequentialist or a deontologist. One would then be a teleologist
(if such a word exists). Therefore one can say that certain things are
'virtuous' depending on what a man/woman is meant to be within his/her
society, a la Aristotle.
yup.
Someone else: The other befuddling thing is your view on pornography. This would probably reflect badly on me but:
a) I have never seen this warning to use protection at the beginning
of any form of erotic literature that I've seen and;
b) I really CANNOT imagine a porn film where the film star says, "Eh,
hang on ah, before I screw you in the locker room I put on my condom
first, okay?" Or the rape "victim" going, "Ahh ahhh don't rape me...
but if you do, use a condom!" Or the cow going, "Moooooo use
condoommmooooooo".
The porn industry goes to relatively great lengths to ensure that
their actors are HIV negative so that this sort of semi-farcical
situation doesn't occur on screen, although their checks are not as
air-tight as one would like (there was a scandal some time back where
a porn actress contracted a disease - possibly AIDS but i can't
remember - on the set.)
Me: Ah yes. Our resident conservative intellectual. You should really go
talk to Ann Coulter. Both of you would be writhing in ecstasy as you
slandered, defamed and misrepresented liberals. Though to be fair, at
least you're cheerier about it than her :)
Worthier minds than mine have already aptly demolished your divers
delusions. Suffice to say that liberals have always been at the
vanguard of the movement to advance Man as a progressive being, while
conservatives have always tried to hold us back by appealing to
tradition, morals, religion and fear of the unknown.
"The radical of one century is the conservative of the next. The
radical invents the views. When he has worn them out the conservative
adopts them." - Mark Twain
"I never dared to be radical when young
For fear it would make me conservative when old."
- Robert Frost
Just imagine: A century ago you would have been one of the liberals
that you seem to despise so! How awful. (And even more awful is the
thought that in a century I would be considered a conservative. Ah
well. C'est la vie)
The very same arguments that conservatives are using in the present to
legislate for such worthy causes as banning gay marriage have been
used in the past to suppress the heliocentric world view, support
slavery, deny women the vote and elevate some races above others.
I must admit that the cries of utilitarianism do not strike people on
a visceral level, but more on a logical level. Nonetheless, if it is
not good to make as many people happy as is possible (generally
speaking - let's not quibble about specifics yet), the concept of
goodness itself would be questionable, in which case there would be no
point arguing about morality and immorality. If you subscribe to a
world view that dictates that being miserable (a bad) is good, then
one could question whether it would be good to try to be good. If
feeling bad is good, then being good might be bad, and being bad might
be good. I shall attempt to make this argument more cogent in future.
One is much more easily filled with a sense of divine righteousness
and morality when one is told what to do by voices in their heads, or
vague feelings and pricklings that they might have, but the problem is
that everyone hears different voices in their heads; Christianity
transforms people in different ways. You have such shining examples as
Jack Chick, Jerry Falwell and all the fundies in the good ole USA
whose faith has transformed them radically into paragons of virtue.
Just a point about Christianity and women: Though Christianity is not
quite as mean to women as some cultures/religions, it is still a
century or so behind our current secular humanist consensus about
gender equality.
I recall that the Catholic Church still does not ordain female
priests, and the other big group of Christianity, the American strain
of fundamentalism, adheres to a literalist interpretation to support
putting women down - some fundies get the misogynistic part of
Ephesians recited at marriages, for example, and I vaguely recall
others using Timothy to justify women's diminished place as well. And
this is not a recent phenomenon either. Through history, woman has
been blamed for original sin, etc.
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/women/long.html
And now I depart to shoot Silly String at people by the pool.
L'origine de Bert
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
"There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it." - Mary Wilson Little
Random Playlist Song: Bach - Concerto for 3 harpsichords D minor BWV.1063 - 02 - Allegro
Random Trivia bit: Alcestis, the subject of a play by Euripides, was the wife of Admetus. When she learned that her husband had not long to live, her love for him was so strong that she was willing to make a bargain with the Fates to trade her life for his, dying in his place. Admetus, recovered from his illness after her self-sacrifice, was unable to bear the misfortune of surviving his loving wife; his grief and his wife's beautiful gesture inspired Heracles to enter Hades, wrestle Thanatos, and return to the land of the living with Admetus' wife restored to full vigor. Who was this paragon of courage and love?
Apollo's son Asclepius, the healer, had brought Hippolytus back to life, an infringement upon the prerogatives of the gods and of the Fates which enraged Zeus to the point of slaying Asclepius with a thunderbolt. Apollo, incensed at his son's death, slew the Cyclops who had forged the thunderbolt. Zeus, bitter at the death of his Cyclops, ordered Apollo to live for one year as slave of Admetus, king of Pherae. It seems that Apollo ended up liking Admetus, or perhaps he was worried about the effectiveness of his purification task, but in any event, when he discovered that Admetus had but a short time to live, he petitioned the gods to extend the king's life. The Fates agreed to do so, but only on the condition that someone else volunteer to die in his place. Even Admetus' aging parents were unwilling to face death for him; only Alcestis' love and courage were equal to the prospect.
(Women in Greek Mythology I: the Strong)
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Blogger's Note: All of the events mentioned in this post took place today (well, yesterday).
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"Kill a million people with a star cruiser and you are a mighty war hero. Kill a hundred with a thermal detonator and you are a terrorist" - Lorgal
“[You] must trust human beings; with friction there is energy.” - Sonam Tobgye, Chief Justice of Bhutan
Creon: Men of my age are we indeed to be schooled, then, by men of his?
Haemon: In nothing that is not right; but if I am young, thou shouldest look to my merits, not to my years.
- Sophocles, "Antigone"
***
I do not dislike pieces of literature per se - reading is fun and enriching - but it's the study of it - the analysing to the last inkdrop of every comma, the pondering of the significance of every ink blot caused by a malfunctioning fountain pen, the colour of the spots of coughed up phlegm and the celebration of tracts which, for all you know, could have been written when the author was roaring drunk, that I object to.
For example, I recall that when we did Romeo & Juliet, we explored why Act 1 and 2 had prologues with the chorus trotting in to same something, but Act 3 did not. After prolonged analysis, we came up with some reasonable-sounding answer, but why does the lack of a prologue have to have a significance?
What if Shakespeare had just plain forgotten to put in a prologue for Act 3 and onwards? What if he had been lazy? Or what if he had done this on purpose to excite literature students a few centuries later who assumed that anything and everything had significance? It's the modern music/art syndrome - seeing meaning and depth where none might exist.
How Girls Waste Time
111. Analysing and cross-analysing in excruciating detail the words and actions of others, often reading into them implicit meanings that don't actually exist, and seeing daggers where there are none (which explains why girls like to do Literature)
***
I was walking down Orchard Road today, when I saw 2 girls dressed as angels canvassing for donations to help the elderly outside the former Liat Towers. There was a large signboard at the side of the pavement with the words "Touched By An Angel" and a back view of an "angel" (who obviously didn't want her face shown for fear of never being able to walk down the road again).
I was looking on in amusement as I walked by, but one of them came up to me and pleaded her case. I briefly considered giving her 5 cents, but more out of amusement than anything else, I donated 30 cents.
While dropping my coins into the box, I noticed the charity license prominently displayed with her name and IC number (which started with "87", making her a J1-soon-to-be-J2) on it, but I only got inspiration as I walked off; I would enquire what their schools were, and write glowing words of praise, exalting them for being true to the Asian Value of helping the elderly despite certain mortification, and the letter would be read out to the whole school during assembly, inspiring the populace to similarly commit social suicide and dress up as angels for this project - at least for the girls, since guys dressed as angels would be rebuffed as looking gay (or resulting in her being unable to go to school for a month without being inundated with bad Angel jokes, depending on how you see it).
And so, when I passed by the area again, I prepared to ask them for their institutions of study. However, I was forced to bide my time, since first one had her wings and costume adjusted while a videocam-toting tourist filmed, then next they had photos taken of them (in getup, naturally), by a male assistant, and finally they went to the nearby Espirit to have photos of them in front of the Espirit sign taken (go figure).
When finally one of them started touting again (the other having disappeared, probably to the toilet), I went over to make my inquiries, while Andrew sat at the side, held my bag and pretended that he didn't know me.
To my surprise, the girl (the same one who had accosted me at first) said that she was from NUS, and explained that she had been given the wrong charity certificate (thereby making their activities illegal, I must add). My surprise was compounded not only by the fact that they did look about 17, but that they didn't look like NUS girls at all: they looked normal (ie abnormal for NUS and indeed most girls that age). Not only was their hair not dyed (not even highlighted!) or rebonded, they donned no loud (or hoop) earrings, had no brash manner and generally weren't (say it with me now!) Shrill, Anorexic, Chinese-speaking Ah Lians.
Andrew later suggested that maybe they weren't from Arts, but were from Science or Engineering instead, but they didn't conform to that template either. Basically they looked like 17-18 year old future Arts girls (not the hardcore sort, merely the normal kind) currently in JC.
For my troubles, the girl asked me playfully if I wanted to know her friend. Not being W*** Y*, I declined. Ah well: LPPL.
***
When I first tried Carona Chicken (don't ask me why the url is http://secure.caronachicken.com/ - it's not a HTTPS server and you can't buy chicken on the site), I found it to be a cut above the normal fried chicken wings you find at your neighbourhood pseudo-Western hawker / food court stall, being crispy, juicy and tasty.
My sister has been hunting for Carona Chicken ever since she came back. Today, acting on information on their website, we visited Tiong Bahru Plaza, but were disappointed. Later today, I spotted a Cavana outlet at Marina Square, so I decided to eat dinner there.
But wait, you cry. Cavana and Carona aren't the same. One is a blatant ripoff of the other.
Well, no they aren't: Cavana is the Halal version of Carona. The fella who started Carona found he couldn't get Carona outlets Halal certification from MUIS because many foodcourts did not separate Muslim and non-Muslim utensils for dishwashing purposes. So in a brilliant stroke of marketing genius, they set up "Cavana Chicken" with a slightly different logo and - more importantly - halal certification.
- Note how the Crescent Moon, formerly covered by the Cock, is now shining bright
The sheer ingenuity of the managing director made such an impact on me that, despite the Nation Building Press's article on this being published 5 years ago, I still remembered these details. The article in question is archived on the Carona website, and reveals that only by creating the Cavana brand would Malay customers know that they would be able to eat the food there, it being a Halal outlet, ignoring the fact that most people are able to stride into food outlets and look for a giant Halal sign. So as a result of this bold move, sales at the Marina Square outlet dropped by 30%.
Anyhow, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I had dinner at Cavana Chicken. I was struck first by the price - $3.80 got me 2 chicken wings, rice, a slice of tomato and 2 slices of cucumber. $1.70 bought me a drink (I saw the $1 cup of some sweet-sour concoction too late), and $1 fries which came in - of all things - a styrofoam cup, driving home to good ole Ma-laysia feeling. I noticed that the menu did not display the drinks' prices, and that the prices listed were subject to GST, so I felt distinctly ripped off. But, I thought, the proof was in the eating - perhaps the prices were justified.
How wrong I was.
Perhaps the memories of yesteryear served me wrong. Perhaps the recipe had changed. Perhaps "Mr Yap" (as the CEO is enigmatically billed and referred to) had decided to cut costs and leave out certain ingredients. Or perhaps it was the "Malaysia Halal Restaurant" syndrome (all the Halal restaurants I've eaten in in Malaysia are lousy). The chicken was lousy.
There are two main components involved in the grading of fried chicken wings - crispiness, dependent on the batter used and length of frying, and tastiness, determined by the spices and marinade used. Good chicken wings retain a measure of both qualities even when cold. Though the Cavana Chicken was as crispy as any found in your average (note the emphasis) pseudo-Western hawker stall, it was lacking in taste, and even had a slightly bitter aftertaste - by no means as bad as what I'd had in one hawker centre once, when I could taste the flour and was hit by a distinctly bitter aftertaste, but a slightly bitter aftertaste nonetheless.
Carona Chicken has always adhered more to the Chinese school of chicken wing cooking (which emphasises leaner chicken, less batter and subtler tastes) than the Malay school (which emphasises fatter chicken, more batter and more striking tastes), but the chicken I had for dinner was an affront to both schools of chicken wing cooking. (My sister confirmed that the wing I got her sucked, so it's not just me)
The best chicken wings I've ever had are still the ones cooked at "Cheng Dian Zhu Chao" chinese stall at the Armour Training Centre (ATC) in the middle of nowhere (Sungei Gedong Camp).
***
I was walking through the tunnel from Citylink to the Esplanade and at one point I heard a disturbing tone pulsating through the air. Mindful of the possibility of it being a mind control wave played over the PA system, I hastened my steps, ignoring the underground cavern which was even more full of breakdancers than usual.
Coming up the escalator from the underpass, I heard some singing and went to check the disturbance out. I saw waiters and bibiks, both wearing tops the colour of white chocolate slightly past its best, so I knew I was looking at the ACJC choir.
It was lucky that they were carolling, instead of performing their usual repertoire of Asian Songs, but being ACJC they managed to impress their unique mark upon the carolling session. They managed to find odd sounding and obscure carols, and horrific arrangements of familiar favourites like Winter Wonderland and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, which had been transmogrified to the point of being only semi-recognisable and semi-tuneful.
Not only did they add harmonies, they added discordant and displeasing ones. ie They formed chords which weren't the most natural and pleasant sounding ones (some of which I suspect were jazz chords), probably in an attempt to "surprise" the listeners. But then, if one knows what one is in for, one can anticipate which harsh chords will be chosen, thus obviating the need for writing in dissonant chords. They also inserted funny twangs, played with the tempos, and had hints of sleazy accents at times.
The MC also had a weird accent, rolling her Rs overly much, even in syllables with no Rs to roll. And they had a new conductor, a Mrs Tay Sze Chien (?), which should have come as no surprise, given that they change conductors like people change underwear.
Heck, none of the above should come as any surprise.
***
I was at Suntec City's Fountain of Wealth and noticed a gaggle of people performing the "good luck" ritual, which involves:
1) Stretching out your right hand and touching the waters
2) Going around the fountain in a clockwise direction
3) Making 3 rounds (3 is Cantonese for 'life', as I recall)
The last time I was there 3 years ago, I performed the ritual in reverse:
1) Stretching out my left hand and touching the waters
2) Going around the fountain in an anti-clockwise direction
3) Making 4 rounds (4 is Cantonese for 'death', as I recall)
Some time later, I got a hearty dose of bad luck. Today, I did the same thing, so if I get bad exams results I'll know what to blame :)
***
I happened to pass by a Brekz Buffetaurant today and popped in to ask if it served pork. Apparently it does; only the one at Wisma Atria which is twinned with some Zen noodle bar doesn't. Whew.
If Brekz went Halal, it'd be bad enough, but I'd the cry the day Tony Romas went Halal or set up a Halal outlet. The menu would read:
Original Baby Backs (Beef)
Carolina Honeys (Beef)
Blue Ridge Smokies (Beef)
Bountiful Beef (Beef - originally beef too)
***
Kairen said that his sources (whom he will not name) told him that I was very eager to return to the flock.
I told him that that was the absolute furthest thing from my mind. It's just like asking a former alcoholic to start getting wasted again, or a former cigarette smoker to start chain-smoking. Frankly, I'd rather slash my wrists than plunge back into self-delusion and self-deception.
I suspect that said sources were either:
a) Wildly delusional
b) Trying to sabo him
c) Heard a voice in their heads claiming to be their god (lucky it didn't tell them to kill anyone or sacrifice their son)
***
My mother saw that my Yahoo account had 161 messages, 156 of which were spam, and exclaimed: 'No wonder you spend so much time on email'
...
Random Playlist Song: Bach - Concerto for 3 harpsichords D minor BWV.1063 - 02 - Allegro
Random Trivia bit: Alcestis, the subject of a play by Euripides, was the wife of Admetus. When she learned that her husband had not long to live, her love for him was so strong that she was willing to make a bargain with the Fates to trade her life for his, dying in his place. Admetus, recovered from his illness after her self-sacrifice, was unable to bear the misfortune of surviving his loving wife; his grief and his wife's beautiful gesture inspired Heracles to enter Hades, wrestle Thanatos, and return to the land of the living with Admetus' wife restored to full vigor. Who was this paragon of courage and love?
Apollo's son Asclepius, the healer, had brought Hippolytus back to life, an infringement upon the prerogatives of the gods and of the Fates which enraged Zeus to the point of slaying Asclepius with a thunderbolt. Apollo, incensed at his son's death, slew the Cyclops who had forged the thunderbolt. Zeus, bitter at the death of his Cyclops, ordered Apollo to live for one year as slave of Admetus, king of Pherae. It seems that Apollo ended up liking Admetus, or perhaps he was worried about the effectiveness of his purification task, but in any event, when he discovered that Admetus had but a short time to live, he petitioned the gods to extend the king's life. The Fates agreed to do so, but only on the condition that someone else volunteer to die in his place. Even Admetus' aging parents were unwilling to face death for him; only Alcestis' love and courage were equal to the prospect.
(Women in Greek Mythology I: the Strong)
***
Blogger's Note: All of the events mentioned in this post took place today (well, yesterday).
***
"Kill a million people with a star cruiser and you are a mighty war hero. Kill a hundred with a thermal detonator and you are a terrorist" - Lorgal
“[You] must trust human beings; with friction there is energy.” - Sonam Tobgye, Chief Justice of Bhutan
Creon: Men of my age are we indeed to be schooled, then, by men of his?
Haemon: In nothing that is not right; but if I am young, thou shouldest look to my merits, not to my years.
- Sophocles, "Antigone"
***
I do not dislike pieces of literature per se - reading is fun and enriching - but it's the study of it - the analysing to the last inkdrop of every comma, the pondering of the significance of every ink blot caused by a malfunctioning fountain pen, the colour of the spots of coughed up phlegm and the celebration of tracts which, for all you know, could have been written when the author was roaring drunk, that I object to.
For example, I recall that when we did Romeo & Juliet, we explored why Act 1 and 2 had prologues with the chorus trotting in to same something, but Act 3 did not. After prolonged analysis, we came up with some reasonable-sounding answer, but why does the lack of a prologue have to have a significance?
What if Shakespeare had just plain forgotten to put in a prologue for Act 3 and onwards? What if he had been lazy? Or what if he had done this on purpose to excite literature students a few centuries later who assumed that anything and everything had significance? It's the modern music/art syndrome - seeing meaning and depth where none might exist.
How Girls Waste Time
111. Analysing and cross-analysing in excruciating detail the words and actions of others, often reading into them implicit meanings that don't actually exist, and seeing daggers where there are none (which explains why girls like to do Literature)
***
I was walking down Orchard Road today, when I saw 2 girls dressed as angels canvassing for donations to help the elderly outside the former Liat Towers. There was a large signboard at the side of the pavement with the words "Touched By An Angel" and a back view of an "angel" (who obviously didn't want her face shown for fear of never being able to walk down the road again).
I was looking on in amusement as I walked by, but one of them came up to me and pleaded her case. I briefly considered giving her 5 cents, but more out of amusement than anything else, I donated 30 cents.
While dropping my coins into the box, I noticed the charity license prominently displayed with her name and IC number (which started with "87", making her a J1-soon-to-be-J2) on it, but I only got inspiration as I walked off; I would enquire what their schools were, and write glowing words of praise, exalting them for being true to the Asian Value of helping the elderly despite certain mortification, and the letter would be read out to the whole school during assembly, inspiring the populace to similarly commit social suicide and dress up as angels for this project - at least for the girls, since guys dressed as angels would be rebuffed as looking gay (or resulting in her being unable to go to school for a month without being inundated with bad Angel jokes, depending on how you see it).
And so, when I passed by the area again, I prepared to ask them for their institutions of study. However, I was forced to bide my time, since first one had her wings and costume adjusted while a videocam-toting tourist filmed, then next they had photos taken of them (in getup, naturally), by a male assistant, and finally they went to the nearby Espirit to have photos of them in front of the Espirit sign taken (go figure).
When finally one of them started touting again (the other having disappeared, probably to the toilet), I went over to make my inquiries, while Andrew sat at the side, held my bag and pretended that he didn't know me.
To my surprise, the girl (the same one who had accosted me at first) said that she was from NUS, and explained that she had been given the wrong charity certificate (thereby making their activities illegal, I must add). My surprise was compounded not only by the fact that they did look about 17, but that they didn't look like NUS girls at all: they looked normal (ie abnormal for NUS and indeed most girls that age). Not only was their hair not dyed (not even highlighted!) or rebonded, they donned no loud (or hoop) earrings, had no brash manner and generally weren't (say it with me now!) Shrill, Anorexic, Chinese-speaking Ah Lians.
Andrew later suggested that maybe they weren't from Arts, but were from Science or Engineering instead, but they didn't conform to that template either. Basically they looked like 17-18 year old future Arts girls (not the hardcore sort, merely the normal kind) currently in JC.
For my troubles, the girl asked me playfully if I wanted to know her friend. Not being W*** Y*, I declined. Ah well: LPPL.
***
When I first tried Carona Chicken (don't ask me why the url is http://secure.caronachicken.com/ - it's not a HTTPS server and you can't buy chicken on the site), I found it to be a cut above the normal fried chicken wings you find at your neighbourhood pseudo-Western hawker / food court stall, being crispy, juicy and tasty.
My sister has been hunting for Carona Chicken ever since she came back. Today, acting on information on their website, we visited Tiong Bahru Plaza, but were disappointed. Later today, I spotted a Cavana outlet at Marina Square, so I decided to eat dinner there.
But wait, you cry. Cavana and Carona aren't the same. One is a blatant ripoff of the other.
Well, no they aren't: Cavana is the Halal version of Carona. The fella who started Carona found he couldn't get Carona outlets Halal certification from MUIS because many foodcourts did not separate Muslim and non-Muslim utensils for dishwashing purposes. So in a brilliant stroke of marketing genius, they set up "Cavana Chicken" with a slightly different logo and - more importantly - halal certification.
- Note how the Crescent Moon, formerly covered by the Cock, is now shining bright
The sheer ingenuity of the managing director made such an impact on me that, despite the Nation Building Press's article on this being published 5 years ago, I still remembered these details. The article in question is archived on the Carona website, and reveals that only by creating the Cavana brand would Malay customers know that they would be able to eat the food there, it being a Halal outlet, ignoring the fact that most people are able to stride into food outlets and look for a giant Halal sign. So as a result of this bold move, sales at the Marina Square outlet dropped by 30%.
Anyhow, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I had dinner at Cavana Chicken. I was struck first by the price - $3.80 got me 2 chicken wings, rice, a slice of tomato and 2 slices of cucumber. $1.70 bought me a drink (I saw the $1 cup of some sweet-sour concoction too late), and $1 fries which came in - of all things - a styrofoam cup, driving home to good ole Ma-laysia feeling. I noticed that the menu did not display the drinks' prices, and that the prices listed were subject to GST, so I felt distinctly ripped off. But, I thought, the proof was in the eating - perhaps the prices were justified.
How wrong I was.
Perhaps the memories of yesteryear served me wrong. Perhaps the recipe had changed. Perhaps "Mr Yap" (as the CEO is enigmatically billed and referred to) had decided to cut costs and leave out certain ingredients. Or perhaps it was the "Malaysia Halal Restaurant" syndrome (all the Halal restaurants I've eaten in in Malaysia are lousy). The chicken was lousy.
There are two main components involved in the grading of fried chicken wings - crispiness, dependent on the batter used and length of frying, and tastiness, determined by the spices and marinade used. Good chicken wings retain a measure of both qualities even when cold. Though the Cavana Chicken was as crispy as any found in your average (note the emphasis) pseudo-Western hawker stall, it was lacking in taste, and even had a slightly bitter aftertaste - by no means as bad as what I'd had in one hawker centre once, when I could taste the flour and was hit by a distinctly bitter aftertaste, but a slightly bitter aftertaste nonetheless.
Carona Chicken has always adhered more to the Chinese school of chicken wing cooking (which emphasises leaner chicken, less batter and subtler tastes) than the Malay school (which emphasises fatter chicken, more batter and more striking tastes), but the chicken I had for dinner was an affront to both schools of chicken wing cooking. (My sister confirmed that the wing I got her sucked, so it's not just me)
The best chicken wings I've ever had are still the ones cooked at "Cheng Dian Zhu Chao" chinese stall at the Armour Training Centre (ATC) in the middle of nowhere (Sungei Gedong Camp).
***
I was walking through the tunnel from Citylink to the Esplanade and at one point I heard a disturbing tone pulsating through the air. Mindful of the possibility of it being a mind control wave played over the PA system, I hastened my steps, ignoring the underground cavern which was even more full of breakdancers than usual.
Coming up the escalator from the underpass, I heard some singing and went to check the disturbance out. I saw waiters and bibiks, both wearing tops the colour of white chocolate slightly past its best, so I knew I was looking at the ACJC choir.
It was lucky that they were carolling, instead of performing their usual repertoire of Asian Songs, but being ACJC they managed to impress their unique mark upon the carolling session. They managed to find odd sounding and obscure carols, and horrific arrangements of familiar favourites like Winter Wonderland and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, which had been transmogrified to the point of being only semi-recognisable and semi-tuneful.
Not only did they add harmonies, they added discordant and displeasing ones. ie They formed chords which weren't the most natural and pleasant sounding ones (some of which I suspect were jazz chords), probably in an attempt to "surprise" the listeners. But then, if one knows what one is in for, one can anticipate which harsh chords will be chosen, thus obviating the need for writing in dissonant chords. They also inserted funny twangs, played with the tempos, and had hints of sleazy accents at times.
The MC also had a weird accent, rolling her Rs overly much, even in syllables with no Rs to roll. And they had a new conductor, a Mrs Tay Sze Chien (?), which should have come as no surprise, given that they change conductors like people change underwear.
Heck, none of the above should come as any surprise.
***
I was at Suntec City's Fountain of Wealth and noticed a gaggle of people performing the "good luck" ritual, which involves:
1) Stretching out your right hand and touching the waters
2) Going around the fountain in a clockwise direction
3) Making 3 rounds (3 is Cantonese for 'life', as I recall)
The last time I was there 3 years ago, I performed the ritual in reverse:
1) Stretching out my left hand and touching the waters
2) Going around the fountain in an anti-clockwise direction
3) Making 4 rounds (4 is Cantonese for 'death', as I recall)
Some time later, I got a hearty dose of bad luck. Today, I did the same thing, so if I get bad exams results I'll know what to blame :)
***
I happened to pass by a Brekz Buffetaurant today and popped in to ask if it served pork. Apparently it does; only the one at Wisma Atria which is twinned with some Zen noodle bar doesn't. Whew.
If Brekz went Halal, it'd be bad enough, but I'd the cry the day Tony Romas went Halal or set up a Halal outlet. The menu would read:
Original Baby Backs (Beef)
Carolina Honeys (Beef)
Blue Ridge Smokies (Beef)
Bountiful Beef (Beef - originally beef too)
***
Kairen said that his sources (whom he will not name) told him that I was very eager to return to the flock.
I told him that that was the absolute furthest thing from my mind. It's just like asking a former alcoholic to start getting wasted again, or a former cigarette smoker to start chain-smoking. Frankly, I'd rather slash my wrists than plunge back into self-delusion and self-deception.
I suspect that said sources were either:
a) Wildly delusional
b) Trying to sabo him
c) Heard a voice in their heads claiming to be their god (lucky it didn't tell them to kill anyone or sacrifice their son)
***
My mother saw that my Yahoo account had 161 messages, 156 of which were spam, and exclaimed: 'No wonder you spend so much time on email'
...
Post ID: 110354245336714449
Monday, December 20, 2004
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning." - Rich Cook
Random Playlist Song: Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor op 64 - I- Allegro molto appassionato (Hilary Hahn, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra)
Hilary Hahn’s version of the Mendelssohn concerto is outstanding. Her sweetness of tone is emphatic yet not overtly emotional, which if not properly gauged can kill a performance of this wonderful concerto. Technically, her playing is superb. She is given sympathetic and thoughtful support from the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra led by Hugh Wolff. But there are occasions when I wished the orchestra didn’t stay right on her. This is an exuberant work were the soloist dazzles; there is no need for an orchestra to propel the violinist along. Hahn is in complete command of the Mendelssohn piece. Nothing is lacking in her interpretation of Mendelssohn, and although there might be more glorious versions, (Heifetz’s recording with Charles Munch and The Boston Symphony Orchestra or Menuhin with Wilhelm Furtwangler and The Berlin Philharmonic come to mind), her performance is first rate. The sound on the Hahn disc is extraordinary, owing to the high quality audio afforded by the SACD process.
Random Trivia bit: On September 11th, 1941, construction began on the Pentagon.
The Pentagon, headquarters for the United States defense department, was conceived as a way to consolidate military leadership into one building from the more than 20 they were occupying in the late 1930s.
Pentagon construction began on September 11, 1941 and the first occupants moved into the building in late April 1942. The building was completed in January 1943.
The Pentagon became the third target hit by a hijacked airplane on 9/11/01, the 60th anniversary of the start of its construction, killing 125 people in the building, plus 59 innocent passengers and crew on the plane.
A massive reconstruction project followed the attack, and people moved into the newly-repaired area less than one year later. (It Happened 9/11)
***
I am the Polar Bear Wildzord! You got to be cool if
you want to hang with me. I don't associate
with just anyone, you know.
Which Wildzord are you?
Which Wildzord are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
***
An embarrassingly parallel problem is a parallel computing problem that can easily, or very obviously, be split up into parts that can be computed in parallel. What these problems generally have in common is that each step can be computed independently from every other step, thus each step could be made to run on a separate processor to achieve quicker results. Examples of embarrassingly parallel problems include the computation of the Mandelbrot set, and brute force key searches in cryptography.
I don't see what's so embarrassing about it.
***
These people put things so well:
Fighting Fantasy
"Fantasy peddling titans Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone pioneered this disparate series of gamebooks during the early 1980s. Their names soon became closely associated with the booming franchise, and when their individual efforts tapered off, publishers Puffin ushered in additional authors to participate in the gamebook authoring melee, but chose not to soil the front covers with their names. Thus Steve and Ian's altruistic cover presence remained throughout the series, with the supplemental authors acquiring little fame, unlike their Ganjees-like overlords.
Each imaginatively titled 'interactive adventure' attempted various methods to disguise the inevitable linear route that comprised each 400-paragraphed gamebook. Early plots invited readers to journey through mountain, tower, forest and dungeon locales with Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos, Forest of Doom, and the oft-quoted seminal dungeon crawl, Deathtrap Dungeon. Jackson also crafted some fiendishly tricky titles such as House of Hell and Creature of Havoc.
The public's demand for the series, and gamebooks in general, began to wane towards the late '80s, but falling sales did not necessarily equate to weaker output. Dead of Night, Black Vein Prophecy, Legend of the Shadow Warriors, Moonrunner and Ian Livingstone's final effort, Legend of Zagor, were some notable examples of solid work that appeared towards the tail end of the series.
By the mid '90s however, new plots that could adhere to the relatively simplistic "FF" format seemed practically exhausted, and Puffin's inevitable gamebook implosion occurred less than 15 years after the big Fighting Fantasy bang of '82. And history looks set to repeat itself with the commercially stale rebirth by Wizard Books, who simply opted to reprint existing stock, albeit in a slightly different order, with updated covers.
An aesthetically pleasing iconic symbol of '80s youth fiction, the original numbered lime green spine paperbacks can still be seen today, in amongst charity shop bric-a-brac, second hand book shops, and eBay. For many '80s teens, Fighting Fantasy represented a never seen before exciting fusion of solitaire game play, reading, and fantasy escapism, and perhaps made reading, for some anyway, truly engaging for the very first time.
Nostalgically remembered predominately by 30-somethings today, the actual game play itself could be considered less appealing than the fondness of an ever-distant childhood memory.
Now turn to 400..."
***
10 songs
1. Open up the music player on your computer.
2. Set it to play your entire music collection.
3. Hit the “shuffle” command.
4. Tell us the title of the next ten songs that show up (with their musicians), no matter how embarrassing. That’s right, no skipping that Carpenters tune that will totally destroy your hip credibility. It’s time for total musical honesty.
5. Write it up in your blog or journal and link back to at least a couple of the other sites where you saw this.
6. If you get the same artist twice, you may skip the second (or third, or etc.) occurances. You don’t have to, but since randomness could mean you end up with a list of ten song with five artists, you can if you’d like.
Grieg - Holberg Suite - 2 - Sarabande (Andante)
Handel - Water Music - Adagio (Capella Istropolitana/Bohdan Warchal)
Muppets - Under The Boardwalk
Haydn - String Quartet No 48 In C, Op 64, No 1 - 3 Allegretto scherzando (Kodaly Quartet)
TBS and Friends [Ed: Toh Ban Sheng's 2000 farewell concert] - John Rutter - The Music's Always There With You
Beethoven - Piano Sonata 13 In E Flat Op 27 No 01 - 02 - Allegro molto e vivace (Arrau)
Victoria, Tomas Luis De - 02 - Jesum tradidit
Classic Disney Volume I - A Whale Of A Tale - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Chopin - Etude Op 25 No 5 (Mei-Ting Sun)
Bach - Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme - 2 - Recitative - Er Kommt, Er Kommt (Karl Richter)
Curiously, none of my Power Rangers music showed up *g* Of course, this is really embarrassing only for those who don't upload their playlists.
(Source: podeam)
***
"Hilary Hahn, despite her serious, thoughtful approach to music, seems to have succumbed to the current trend among today's performers--perhaps symptomatic of the jet-age--to play as fast as their fingers will carry them. The fast movements are taken at such speeds that they lose all their elegance, grace and charm, become prone to false accents, and sound aggressive, hectic and breathless."
After hearing a sample of BWV 1043 (included on the album this comment is about) I tend to agree.
***
Q: I want a low-stress high-paying job where I can help people. Do you think psychology is the right career for me?
A: No. Become a plumber. Just about anyone will pay you a small fortune to unclog a stopped-up toilet.
***
Someone offers this justification for Islamic polygyny:
I think what most people don't understand about polygamy is that it isn't just for the male's whims and fancies. There are laws governing polygamy, one of which is that if a man chooses to take a second wife, the first wife has to give permission. If she doesn't, it isn't polygamy as allowed by Islam. The fact that most men do take advantage of polygamy and give it a bad connotation shouldn't detract from its intent.
In polygamy, the man is expected to treat each wife fairly. In adultery, the feelings of the victimised party are hurt. The logic behind allowing adultery was that sometimes the wife is unable to satisfy her husband sexually or emotionally or whatever, so he takes another wife such that he can have his needs fulfilled without having to abandon his wife in favour of another woman.
Islam is a logical religion; polygamy allows a Muslim man to take up to four wives. If you notice the population trends, there are a lot more women than men. Polygamy gives every woman a chance to have a husband and to have legitimate children, if she should wish. Don't confuse polygamy with adultery, which is basically being unfaithful.
I dunno how to put it across effectively. There are books which can explain it better. But in some cases, a man is capable of loving two women with the same passion and if he's able to provide both with equally fulfilling marriages and lives, he should be allowed to do so rather than to have to choose one and leave the other one cold.
Sexual dissatisfaction isn't the only grounds for monogamy, but you can't deny that sex is an important part of marriage, since it contributes towards intimacty. And men do have stronger sexual drives than women, generally speaking. It's just taking into account that as women age, sometimes they aren't as giving, and it's better for a man to have sexual intercourse with a woman whom he is legally married to rather for him to go to Batam or whatever and get AIDS from the women there.
Me: Actually for younger ages, there are more men than women; women start outnumbering men only around the menopausal years or so. More and more women are choosing to remain single nowadays too. Thus, Islamic polygyny reduces the pool of available women for men.
Besides which, what happens if the husband is unable to satisfy his wife sexually or emotionally or whatever?
Going by your logic, polyandry and polygyny both should be legalised, with the former more prevalent when people are young and the latter when people are old.
(Not that I have a problem with that, but I'm betting that you'll recoil at the suggestion)
***
Interview with Wes Cherry, the guy who programmed Solitaire
*choke* There's a Livejournal community with Singapore Idol slash involving (you guessed it) Taufik and Sylvester. Someone, please bludgeon me over the head with a saucepan now.
The most irritating curriculum vitae in the world - in flash, set to music and sung out of tune and rhythm
***
People were expressing horror, shock and outrage at the case of the maggot-infested Shih Tzus in Pasir Ris:
A: These people ought to rot and die a slow and painful death.
Me: And I suppose that those who squash cockroaches should be squashed also.
B: Dogs are pets and cockroaches are pests. They are a world apart.
Me: Dogs are pets and humans are humans. They are a world apart.
How about the torture battery chickens go through? I'm sure they are a level above pests, no? Should we imprison chicken farmers in cages, with nowhere to move and with their noses cut off?
I suppose I have reaffirmed my reputation as a heartless bastard.
***
I have gone wild with my Firefox Extensions!
Last updated: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 06:22:12 GMT
User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; rv:1.8a6) Gecko/20041210 Firefox/1.0+ StumbleUpon/1.999
*** Extensions (35):
stumbleupon 1.999 (Visit and rate random sites - good when I'm bored)
Show Anchors 1.0 (Shows <a name> tags and lets you copy them to the clipboard with a click - good for linking to anchors)
Copy URL+ 1.2.2 (Copy page's URL, Title and/or selected text to clipboard)
Tweak Network 1.0 (Turbo charge with pipelining and boosting simultaneous connection settings)
OpenBook 1.2.0 (Customise Add Bookmark dialog)
Linky 2.2.0 (Open selected links in tabs)
Tabbrowser Preferences 1.1.1 (Tweak hidden tabbed browsing preferences)
Popup ALT Attribute 1.3.2004102501 (Displays img alt tags as tooltips)
ieview 0.84 (View screwy pages in IE)
Disable Targets For Downloads 0.9 (Attempts to prevent links to download files opening in a new window)
How'd I Get Here 0.1 (Goes to the page from which you were first referred to the current page)
Enhanced History Manager 0.4.1.02 (Brings the power of Seamonkey's History Manager back to Firefox)
keyconfig 20040910 (Customise shortcuts)
Autoclose Bookmark & History Folders 0.0.2 (Closes bookmark/history folders in the sidebar when you open new ones, ala IE)
Bookmark Duplicate Detector 0.0.1 (Prevents you from adding duplicate bookmarks)
Browser Uptime 1.6.0 (Displays how long the browser and this browser window have been open)
Chrome Cleaner 0.3 (Removes duplicate entries from installed-chrome.txt, and optionally removes entries that reference non-existent jar files.)
Translate Page 0.1 (Returns Seamonkey's menu option to translate current page with Google)
Extended Statusbar 1.0 (Displays the currently loading page's loading speed, percentage done, time left and loaded size ala Opera)
Favicon Picker 0.2.5 (Change and wipe favicons for individual bookmarks)
FillFilesUploadForm 0.2.1 (Automatically fills file upload forms - good when you're uploading tens of pages)
File Size 1.1.4 (Find the size of a document or file linked to)
HiddenPrefs 0.3 (Expose hidden preferences)
InfoLister 0.7.5 (List extensions, themes and useragent string - what I used to get this listing)
mid 0.2.0.2004120801 (Checks multiple dictionaries at once)
Named anchors 0.15 (List the anchors on the page with their names in the Page Info dialog box)
Pithy 0.2 (Restores Ctrl + I as a shortcut to open the Page Info box - simple but great. I never liked Ctrl + I opening the bookmarks sidebar anyday)
Popup Count 0.2.6 (Count the number of popups blocked so far)
Show Failed URL 0.1.4 (Shows the URL that failed instead of popping up an unhelpful dialog box - good when a link opened in a tab fails to load, so you don't lose the URL)
Linkification 0.9.19 - (Turns plain text email addresses or URLs into live links)
Translation Panel 1.4.13 (Popups a box with translation of selected text - rather buggy, also allows invocation of box where on-the-fly translation can be performed - that one works well)
vbrowseit 1.0 (Privacy browser - good for getting around proxies too)
wmlbrowser 0.6.5 (Views pages written in Wireless Markup Language - WML)
downTHEMall! 0.9.4 (Download all files on a page, filtered by name/extension)
*** Disabled Extensions (6):
User Agent Switcher 0.6.1 (Spoofs useragent string - good for anal IE-only sites, but usually it's easier to just open IE using ieview)
Hotmail Tabs 0.9 (For when M$N Hotmail was screwing around with link tags. Right now I'm fine since I enabled single-window mode, diverting new windows to tabs)
Auto Copy 0.3 (Select text to copy it, ala Trillian and mIRC)
AutoMarks 0.1 (Import bookmarks in the bookmark root folder so they display in autocomplete results - doesn't work for subfolders unfortunately)
Wikipedia 0.5.2 (Simplifies Wiki editing)
refspoof 0.6 (Spoof the HTTP referrer string)
Alt-Text for Links (Displays links' destination URLs in a tooltip window; Nice Title) does the job also, and more beautifully, but doesn't work for all links, so.)
*** Themes (1):
Firefox (default) 2.0 (Aww. I'm so boring. Anyhow theme install is broken on this build)
*** Plugins (11):
Mozilla Default Plug-in
Shockwave for Director
RealPlayer(tm) G2 LiveConnect-Enabled Plug-In (32-bit)
RealPlayer Version Plugin
Shockwave Flash
Nullsoft Winamp Plug-in for Gecko
Java Plug-in
Adobe Acrobat
QuickTime Plug-in 6.5.1
Microsoft® DRM
Windows Media Player Plug-in Dynamic Link Library
Xephyris would not approve.
Random Playlist Song: Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor op 64 - I- Allegro molto appassionato (Hilary Hahn, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra)
Hilary Hahn’s version of the Mendelssohn concerto is outstanding. Her sweetness of tone is emphatic yet not overtly emotional, which if not properly gauged can kill a performance of this wonderful concerto. Technically, her playing is superb. She is given sympathetic and thoughtful support from the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra led by Hugh Wolff. But there are occasions when I wished the orchestra didn’t stay right on her. This is an exuberant work were the soloist dazzles; there is no need for an orchestra to propel the violinist along. Hahn is in complete command of the Mendelssohn piece. Nothing is lacking in her interpretation of Mendelssohn, and although there might be more glorious versions, (Heifetz’s recording with Charles Munch and The Boston Symphony Orchestra or Menuhin with Wilhelm Furtwangler and The Berlin Philharmonic come to mind), her performance is first rate. The sound on the Hahn disc is extraordinary, owing to the high quality audio afforded by the SACD process.
Random Trivia bit: On September 11th, 1941, construction began on the Pentagon.
The Pentagon, headquarters for the United States defense department, was conceived as a way to consolidate military leadership into one building from the more than 20 they were occupying in the late 1930s.
Pentagon construction began on September 11, 1941 and the first occupants moved into the building in late April 1942. The building was completed in January 1943.
The Pentagon became the third target hit by a hijacked airplane on 9/11/01, the 60th anniversary of the start of its construction, killing 125 people in the building, plus 59 innocent passengers and crew on the plane.
A massive reconstruction project followed the attack, and people moved into the newly-repaired area less than one year later. (It Happened 9/11)
***
I am the Polar Bear Wildzord! You got to be cool if
you want to hang with me. I don't associate
with just anyone, you know.
Which Wildzord are you?
Which Wildzord are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
***
An embarrassingly parallel problem is a parallel computing problem that can easily, or very obviously, be split up into parts that can be computed in parallel. What these problems generally have in common is that each step can be computed independently from every other step, thus each step could be made to run on a separate processor to achieve quicker results. Examples of embarrassingly parallel problems include the computation of the Mandelbrot set, and brute force key searches in cryptography.
I don't see what's so embarrassing about it.
***
These people put things so well:
Fighting Fantasy
"Fantasy peddling titans Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone pioneered this disparate series of gamebooks during the early 1980s. Their names soon became closely associated with the booming franchise, and when their individual efforts tapered off, publishers Puffin ushered in additional authors to participate in the gamebook authoring melee, but chose not to soil the front covers with their names. Thus Steve and Ian's altruistic cover presence remained throughout the series, with the supplemental authors acquiring little fame, unlike their Ganjees-like overlords.
Each imaginatively titled 'interactive adventure' attempted various methods to disguise the inevitable linear route that comprised each 400-paragraphed gamebook. Early plots invited readers to journey through mountain, tower, forest and dungeon locales with Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos, Forest of Doom, and the oft-quoted seminal dungeon crawl, Deathtrap Dungeon. Jackson also crafted some fiendishly tricky titles such as House of Hell and Creature of Havoc.
The public's demand for the series, and gamebooks in general, began to wane towards the late '80s, but falling sales did not necessarily equate to weaker output. Dead of Night, Black Vein Prophecy, Legend of the Shadow Warriors, Moonrunner and Ian Livingstone's final effort, Legend of Zagor, were some notable examples of solid work that appeared towards the tail end of the series.
By the mid '90s however, new plots that could adhere to the relatively simplistic "FF" format seemed practically exhausted, and Puffin's inevitable gamebook implosion occurred less than 15 years after the big Fighting Fantasy bang of '82. And history looks set to repeat itself with the commercially stale rebirth by Wizard Books, who simply opted to reprint existing stock, albeit in a slightly different order, with updated covers.
An aesthetically pleasing iconic symbol of '80s youth fiction, the original numbered lime green spine paperbacks can still be seen today, in amongst charity shop bric-a-brac, second hand book shops, and eBay. For many '80s teens, Fighting Fantasy represented a never seen before exciting fusion of solitaire game play, reading, and fantasy escapism, and perhaps made reading, for some anyway, truly engaging for the very first time.
Nostalgically remembered predominately by 30-somethings today, the actual game play itself could be considered less appealing than the fondness of an ever-distant childhood memory.
Now turn to 400..."
***
10 songs
1. Open up the music player on your computer.
2. Set it to play your entire music collection.
3. Hit the “shuffle” command.
4. Tell us the title of the next ten songs that show up (with their musicians), no matter how embarrassing. That’s right, no skipping that Carpenters tune that will totally destroy your hip credibility. It’s time for total musical honesty.
5. Write it up in your blog or journal and link back to at least a couple of the other sites where you saw this.
6. If you get the same artist twice, you may skip the second (or third, or etc.) occurances. You don’t have to, but since randomness could mean you end up with a list of ten song with five artists, you can if you’d like.
Grieg - Holberg Suite - 2 - Sarabande (Andante)
Handel - Water Music - Adagio (Capella Istropolitana/Bohdan Warchal)
Muppets - Under The Boardwalk
Haydn - String Quartet No 48 In C, Op 64, No 1 - 3 Allegretto scherzando (Kodaly Quartet)
TBS and Friends [Ed: Toh Ban Sheng's 2000 farewell concert] - John Rutter - The Music's Always There With You
Beethoven - Piano Sonata 13 In E Flat Op 27 No 01 - 02 - Allegro molto e vivace (Arrau)
Victoria, Tomas Luis De - 02 - Jesum tradidit
Classic Disney Volume I - A Whale Of A Tale - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Chopin - Etude Op 25 No 5 (Mei-Ting Sun)
Bach - Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme - 2 - Recitative - Er Kommt, Er Kommt (Karl Richter)
Curiously, none of my Power Rangers music showed up *g* Of course, this is really embarrassing only for those who don't upload their playlists.
(Source: podeam)
***
"Hilary Hahn, despite her serious, thoughtful approach to music, seems to have succumbed to the current trend among today's performers--perhaps symptomatic of the jet-age--to play as fast as their fingers will carry them. The fast movements are taken at such speeds that they lose all their elegance, grace and charm, become prone to false accents, and sound aggressive, hectic and breathless."
After hearing a sample of BWV 1043 (included on the album this comment is about) I tend to agree.
***
Q: I want a low-stress high-paying job where I can help people. Do you think psychology is the right career for me?
A: No. Become a plumber. Just about anyone will pay you a small fortune to unclog a stopped-up toilet.
***
Someone offers this justification for Islamic polygyny:
I think what most people don't understand about polygamy is that it isn't just for the male's whims and fancies. There are laws governing polygamy, one of which is that if a man chooses to take a second wife, the first wife has to give permission. If she doesn't, it isn't polygamy as allowed by Islam. The fact that most men do take advantage of polygamy and give it a bad connotation shouldn't detract from its intent.
In polygamy, the man is expected to treat each wife fairly. In adultery, the feelings of the victimised party are hurt. The logic behind allowing adultery was that sometimes the wife is unable to satisfy her husband sexually or emotionally or whatever, so he takes another wife such that he can have his needs fulfilled without having to abandon his wife in favour of another woman.
Islam is a logical religion; polygamy allows a Muslim man to take up to four wives. If you notice the population trends, there are a lot more women than men. Polygamy gives every woman a chance to have a husband and to have legitimate children, if she should wish. Don't confuse polygamy with adultery, which is basically being unfaithful.
I dunno how to put it across effectively. There are books which can explain it better. But in some cases, a man is capable of loving two women with the same passion and if he's able to provide both with equally fulfilling marriages and lives, he should be allowed to do so rather than to have to choose one and leave the other one cold.
Sexual dissatisfaction isn't the only grounds for monogamy, but you can't deny that sex is an important part of marriage, since it contributes towards intimacty. And men do have stronger sexual drives than women, generally speaking. It's just taking into account that as women age, sometimes they aren't as giving, and it's better for a man to have sexual intercourse with a woman whom he is legally married to rather for him to go to Batam or whatever and get AIDS from the women there.
Me: Actually for younger ages, there are more men than women; women start outnumbering men only around the menopausal years or so. More and more women are choosing to remain single nowadays too. Thus, Islamic polygyny reduces the pool of available women for men.
Besides which, what happens if the husband is unable to satisfy his wife sexually or emotionally or whatever?
Going by your logic, polyandry and polygyny both should be legalised, with the former more prevalent when people are young and the latter when people are old.
(Not that I have a problem with that, but I'm betting that you'll recoil at the suggestion)
***
Interview with Wes Cherry, the guy who programmed Solitaire
*choke* There's a Livejournal community with Singapore Idol slash involving (you guessed it) Taufik and Sylvester. Someone, please bludgeon me over the head with a saucepan now.
The most irritating curriculum vitae in the world - in flash, set to music and sung out of tune and rhythm
***
People were expressing horror, shock and outrage at the case of the maggot-infested Shih Tzus in Pasir Ris:
A: These people ought to rot and die a slow and painful death.
Me: And I suppose that those who squash cockroaches should be squashed also.
B: Dogs are pets and cockroaches are pests. They are a world apart.
Me: Dogs are pets and humans are humans. They are a world apart.
How about the torture battery chickens go through? I'm sure they are a level above pests, no? Should we imprison chicken farmers in cages, with nowhere to move and with their noses cut off?
I suppose I have reaffirmed my reputation as a heartless bastard.
***
I have gone wild with my Firefox Extensions!
Last updated: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 06:22:12 GMT
User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; rv:1.8a6) Gecko/20041210 Firefox/1.0+ StumbleUpon/1.999
*** Extensions (35):
stumbleupon 1.999 (Visit and rate random sites - good when I'm bored)
Show Anchors 1.0 (Shows <a name> tags and lets you copy them to the clipboard with a click - good for linking to anchors)
Copy URL+ 1.2.2 (Copy page's URL, Title and/or selected text to clipboard)
Tweak Network 1.0 (Turbo charge with pipelining and boosting simultaneous connection settings)
OpenBook 1.2.0 (Customise Add Bookmark dialog)
Linky 2.2.0 (Open selected links in tabs)
Tabbrowser Preferences 1.1.1 (Tweak hidden tabbed browsing preferences)
Popup ALT Attribute 1.3.2004102501 (Displays img alt tags as tooltips)
ieview 0.84 (View screwy pages in IE)
Disable Targets For Downloads 0.9 (Attempts to prevent links to download files opening in a new window)
How'd I Get Here 0.1 (Goes to the page from which you were first referred to the current page)
Enhanced History Manager 0.4.1.02 (Brings the power of Seamonkey's History Manager back to Firefox)
keyconfig 20040910 (Customise shortcuts)
Autoclose Bookmark & History Folders 0.0.2 (Closes bookmark/history folders in the sidebar when you open new ones, ala IE)
Bookmark Duplicate Detector 0.0.1 (Prevents you from adding duplicate bookmarks)
Browser Uptime 1.6.0 (Displays how long the browser and this browser window have been open)
Chrome Cleaner 0.3 (Removes duplicate entries from installed-chrome.txt, and optionally removes entries that reference non-existent jar files.)
Translate Page 0.1 (Returns Seamonkey's menu option to translate current page with Google)
Extended Statusbar 1.0 (Displays the currently loading page's loading speed, percentage done, time left and loaded size ala Opera)
Favicon Picker 0.2.5 (Change and wipe favicons for individual bookmarks)
FillFilesUploadForm 0.2.1 (Automatically fills file upload forms - good when you're uploading tens of pages)
File Size 1.1.4 (Find the size of a document or file linked to)
HiddenPrefs 0.3 (Expose hidden preferences)
InfoLister 0.7.5 (List extensions, themes and useragent string - what I used to get this listing)
mid 0.2.0.2004120801 (Checks multiple dictionaries at once)
Named anchors 0.15 (List the anchors on the page with their names in the Page Info dialog box)
Pithy 0.2 (Restores Ctrl + I as a shortcut to open the Page Info box - simple but great. I never liked Ctrl + I opening the bookmarks sidebar anyday)
Popup Count 0.2.6 (Count the number of popups blocked so far)
Show Failed URL 0.1.4 (Shows the URL that failed instead of popping up an unhelpful dialog box - good when a link opened in a tab fails to load, so you don't lose the URL)
Linkification 0.9.19 - (Turns plain text email addresses or URLs into live links)
Translation Panel 1.4.13 (Popups a box with translation of selected text - rather buggy, also allows invocation of box where on-the-fly translation can be performed - that one works well)
vbrowseit 1.0 (Privacy browser - good for getting around proxies too)
wmlbrowser 0.6.5 (Views pages written in Wireless Markup Language - WML)
downTHEMall! 0.9.4 (Download all files on a page, filtered by name/extension)
*** Disabled Extensions (6):
User Agent Switcher 0.6.1 (Spoofs useragent string - good for anal IE-only sites, but usually it's easier to just open IE using ieview)
Hotmail Tabs 0.9 (For when M$N Hotmail was screwing around with link tags. Right now I'm fine since I enabled single-window mode, diverting new windows to tabs)
Auto Copy 0.3 (Select text to copy it, ala Trillian and mIRC)
AutoMarks 0.1 (Import bookmarks in the bookmark root folder so they display in autocomplete results - doesn't work for subfolders unfortunately)
Wikipedia 0.5.2 (Simplifies Wiki editing)
refspoof 0.6 (Spoof the HTTP referrer string)
Alt-Text for Links (Displays links' destination URLs in a tooltip window; Nice Title) does the job also, and more beautifully, but doesn't work for all links, so.)
*** Themes (1):
Firefox (default) 2.0 (Aww. I'm so boring. Anyhow theme install is broken on this build)
*** Plugins (11):
Mozilla Default Plug-in
Shockwave for Director
RealPlayer(tm) G2 LiveConnect-Enabled Plug-In (32-bit)
RealPlayer Version Plugin
Shockwave Flash
Nullsoft Winamp Plug-in for Gecko
Java Plug-in
Adobe Acrobat
QuickTime Plug-in 6.5.1
Microsoft® DRM
Windows Media Player Plug-in Dynamic Link Library
Xephyris would not approve.
Post ID: 110339976965536612
Sunday, December 19, 2004
"It is impossible to imagine Goethe or Beethoven being good at billiards or golf." - H. L. Mencken
Random Playlist Song: Trevor Pinnock - The English Concert and Choir: Handel - Messiah - Worthy Is The Lamb That Was Slain - Amen (chorus)
Worthy is the lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to god by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thus ends my Messiah run. I may or may not have other christmas songs in this space, depending on my mood.
Random Trivia bit: Goya, a painter known for his paintings of the Spanish court in the late 18th century and early 19th century, suddenly went deaf, which spurred the creation of engravings of the underside and mysteries of court life, 'Los Caprichos'. (Art History Challenge)
***
A friend sent me a paper he had written for a conference, and I suggested a new, more refreshing aspect and (naturally) more controversial aspect of the topic to explore.
His reply?
1. there is utterly no information on it
2. won't have sources.
3. won't have sources, means u get fucked in conference
cos if u are breaking in with a new idea ar
u need lots of evidence. u mean like a long period of investigation
remember most academic conference are scientifically based, not rhetorically based.
Indeed, from my scattered readings of academic works, I find that they're littered with footnotes and attributions, like little homages by the authors to friends and mentors in the academic world.
Just why is it so important to have dozens, if not hundreds of footnotes? Are new ideas really so weak if they do not have the weight of previous ideas behind them?
I am reminded of 2 apt quotes on this issue:
"If you want someone to believe something you said, tell them Benjamin Franklin said it"
"The average Ph.D. thesis is nothing but a transference of bones from one graveyard to another." - J. Frank Dobie
I do not see how heavy overreliance on old bones is going to help anyone advance the cause of knowledge and truth. As time goes by, lists of citations will just grow ever longer and advancement ever more difficult.
u have to remember in the academic world, stature is impt. no one is going to accept ur ideas if u have no stature
u got to build on others, b4 u can venture out to say ur own
if u read early works by social scientists, many of them did not create something out of nothing. but once they have some stature, their works are seen and respected or watever
but truth is, if u have no credentials at the start, it's not worth looking at lor
it's not like the economic market where the strongest and most creative can win
Ah well.
***
Hooker Barbie by Alexander Renault: A list of Barbie dolls with newly added realistic twists
I especially like:
#4) African Genital Mutilation Barbie: She has a perpetual frown but everyone in her village respects her now even more.
#6) Multiple Personality Barbie (AKA Dissociative Integration Disorder Barbie): She has difficulty recalling her own name and comes with nine different complete outfits. She usually prefers to be called Lilli, although no one seems to know why.
#9) Gang Bang Barbie: One of our most controversial Barbie dolls ever created, this Sagittarian free sexual spirit enjoys group sex even though Procensorship Feminist Barbie has forbidden her to talk about it or write her memoirs. Gang Bang Barbie is not available in Canada, Russia, or Utah.
#13) Gestapo Barbie: This little number is nobody's pushover. She comes complete with a black Nazi SS outfit and matching riding crop, all accented by her lovely all-American blonde hair and blue eyes. Pull her string and hear her shout, "SCHNELL!!! SCHNELL!!! SCHNELL!!!"
#14) Dr. Laura Barbie: Last, but certainly not least, we have this astute little social critic. She comes with a Ph.D. in physiology but tells everyone she is a psychologist. Dr. Laura Barbie tells everyone how to live in the glorious rays of God's light and espouses the importance of traditional family values. She is absolutely furious with Ken right now since he squealed about how she is actually divorced, has never procreated, and that no one in her family of origin speaks to her anymore.
Ah, but this page is intensely disrespectful so many different groups. That's the price of humour, I guess.
***
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me
Black as the Pit from pole to pole
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud
Under the bludgeoninigs off chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed
Beyong this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade
And yet the menance of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid
It matters not how strait the gate
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul
- William Earnest Henley
Not all poetry is irritating and incomprehensible. But then, this is 19th century poetry, so I guess modern poetry has been impelled to reach new depths of incomprehensibility in order to be "refreshing", "relevant" and "ground-breaking", instead of actually being good.
Commentary on Invictus:
"The poem represents secular humanism, the spirit of the Victorian age, you could say, the rise of Darwin and the sciences as a challenge to traditional thought and creationism. Really Matthew Arnold, a contemporary of Henley's, wrote of the same spirit.
Henley's other poems wouldn't be recognized. Henley can't compete with his contemporaries, such as Tennyson, Arnold, Browning, and Thomas Hardy -- the real luminaries of this period.
"Invictus" was his 15 minutes of fame."
***
Dec 17, 2004
Police did right in rejecting gay party
THE decision of the police not to give a licence for the Christmas 'gay party' planned by Fridae.com ('It's no go for planned Christmas 'gay party' '; ST, Dec 9), as this undermines the public interest, is to be strongly commended.
Given the alarming Aids epidemic Singapore is facing, any event which would threaten to aggravate this problem and endanger the public health cannot be allowed.
The police noted in their press statement that they had noticed same-sex couples 'openly kissing and intimately touching each other' during other Fridae.com-organised events. Furthermore, they noted that the use by patrons of toilets meant for the opposite sex suggested most patrons were 'probably gays or lesbians and that the event was almost exclusively for them'.
As Straits Times Senior Writer Andy Ho noted recently: 'It is homosexuals who engaged in condomless anopenetrative sex that are culpable of spreading HIV in Singapore', causing the 'second wave of HIV here and worldwide'.
To facilitate or allow such activities to carry on unchecked would constitute a gross breach of the public trust and be highly irresponsible. The Aids problem cannot be ignored.
Blatant flaunting of homosexual activities is offensive to the conservative mainstream which wants to see enduring standards of public decency and morality upheld - it would be regressive to allow this to degenerate.
It is heartening to read that the police authorities will be scrutinising applications for similar future events with an eye to protecting the health of our nation and our social well-being. Such vigilance warrants the nation's gratitude and thanks.
Thio Su Mien (Dr)
The Moral Majority strikes again. This is just begging for parody.
July 17, 1964
Police did right in rejecting religious procession
THE decision of the police not to give a license for the religious 'procession to commemorate the Prophet Mohammad's birthday' planned by the Muslim society ('It's no go for planned religious 'procession'; ST, Jul 9), as this undermines the public interest, is to be strongly commended.
Given the alarming religious and racial tension Singapore is facing, any event which would threaten to aggravate this problem and endanger public safety cannot be allowed.
The police noted in their press statement that they had noticed Muslim men 'touching their foreheads to mosque floors' during other events organised by the Muslim community. Furthermore, they noted that the use of mosques exclusively by men suggested that women were 'discriminated against by Islam and that the event was almost exclusively for them [men]'.
As Straits Times Senior Writer Bob Tan noted recently: 'It is Muslims who engage in global Jihad, suicide bombings and running amok with parangs, that are culpable of wrecking the fragile peace we have in our fait city', causing 'the populace to live in fear'.
To facilitate or allow such activities to carry on unchecked would constitute a gross breach of the public trust and be highly irresponsible. The religious problem cannot be ignored.
Blatant flaunting of muslim activities is offensive to the conservative mainstream which is intolerant of other races and religions, and uses this secret intolerance as an excuse to uphold 'public standards of decency and morality' - it would be regressive to allow this to degenerate.
It is heartening to read that the police authorities will be scrutinising applications for similar future events with an eye to protecting the health of our nation and our social well-being. Such vigilance warrants the nation's gratitude and thanks.
George Lim
I trust all right-minded people will find the above parody offensive, bigoted, wrong-headed, intolerant and inflammatory.
They may then proceed to consider just how homophobia is different from religiophobia, or otherwise, as the case might be.
Someone commented that she would never have seen a thread of similarity between religiophobia & homophobia other than that they both are phobias.
The similarity is that they both basically come from the line of thinking: "They are different. I don't like what's different. What's different is wrong and immoral. Therefore we should stamp out those who deviate"
***
110 China women held in Geylang raid
The last sentence is instructive: "During the eight-hour operation, police also booked 57 vehicles for illegal parking in Geylang and towed away four motorcycles parked illegally near Lorong 15."
It's like how all the CCTV cameras they installed for "security" reasons to "deter terrorists" will eventually be used for much more mundane purposes, to enforce pre-existing laws. The rationale? "Since they're already there we might as well use them". And so a measure ostensibly for security will in fact be used for normal law enforcement.
***
for casino:
"As someone who has had a relative gamble away a fortune, I am for a casino. The serious addicts will gamble whether or not there is a casino. There are underground dens and plenty of people to entice you if you know where to look. And trust me, those who are predisposed to getting addicted will find a way to lose their pants through gambling.
If we do have a casino, the difference is that the huge sums of money lost to illegal gambling dens will go to our coffers. And we will definitely get more tourist revenue. Did you know there are plenty of Chinese tourists who go to nearby countries with briefcases full of US dollars to gamble? They can afford to lose hundreds of thousands just for the kick. These are the ones whose money the singapore casino would target.
It seems to me that this is an instance of the S'pore government changing its stance to suit the times ( ie, status as a hub is being threatened by malaysia, hk, china, korea so an alternative revenue source is needed), and some people aren't appreciating it, eh? If you don't have a gambling streak in you, even if there were ten casinos in the vicinity, you wouldn't be tempted."
***
Anime Ethics and Legality FAQ 2.01
Basically, all this means is that you should avoid getting people at the related companies ticked at you. If you do something that annoys them, and itís barely legal (or even completely legal), they can STILL sue you. Sure, they might lose the suit, but in the meantime youíre out a lot of money for your lawyer, not to mention time and stress involved.
Corporate misuse of the law is most unnerving
I call this the "Fushigi Yuugi" effect. While it's impossible to -prove- that this series would have never come out in the US without the extensive fansubbing efforts of Karen Duffy, I don't know anybody that believes otherwise.
Lax copyright rules can actually help companies.
***
Where Have All the Intellectuals Gone? - "Furedi argues that the expansion of higher education in the UK has occurred side by side with a widespread erosion of educational standards and a steady rise in cultural illiteracy. The explanation for this paradoxical state of affairs lies, according to Furedi, in the rise of an instrumentalist ethos that treats knowledge and culture as means for achieving economic and political objectives rather than as ends in themselves. The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake is now regarded by the political elite as a bit dodgy (to quote Charles Clarke, the secretary of state for education); instead, education must now justify itself in terms of the economic benefits it provides to stakeholders."
Cleopatra: Scientist, Not Seductress? - "Medieval Arabic texts suggest that Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII was a brilliant early mathematician, chemist and philosopher who wrote science books and met weekly with a team of scientific experts, according to a forthcoming book. If historians can verify the medieval accounts, then the real Cleopatra likely bore little resemblance to the sexy seductress described by Greek and Roman scholars."
'It was not just a lighthouse to guide ships, it was a magnificent telescope and it had a huge lens that could burn the oncoming ships of enemies that were going to attack Egypt.' - I think this Arab scholar has had too much coffee.
Conversational Terrorism: How NOT to Talk! - "FILIBUSTER: To take an extraordinary amount of time or go to great technical depth to wear out the other person and get time on your side. The other person is pushed to give up and agree with you rather than endure the torture of hearing you go through another sincere, long-winded answer."
Call to legalise live organtrade - Commentary: "The likelihood of such a problem cropping up would be for such transplants such as kidneys and livers amongst others. And while it is probably very likely that such transplants would go to the rich, we have to face the fact that already money is important in the kind, type, quality and extend of medical treatment that can be gotten. Even if one wants to consider equity, at least this frees up dialysis machines and beds and waiting lists so why not? The trade apparently is flourishing so regulation would be useful to minimise the harm and prevent abuses already occuring today."
Weird Thunderbird extension - "The idea behind Quitomzilla is the one of positive reinforcement. It has been proven to be a good method to help people quitting cigarettes. In Spain (where the extension comes from), the Windows app. "Quitómetro" (brother of Quitomzilla) has been supported by two big societies helping people to quit cigarettes."
matching tracksuits: Polish Christmas Carols - "Christmas in Poland is not the commercialized ugliness that it is in America (though it is changing). Since Poland is around 95% Catholic, Christmas has an enormous religious significance, second only to Easter. It stands to reason, then, that there are numerous Polish Christmas carols. So, as a gift to anyone who’s interested, here are six Polish Christmas carols."
The History of the Paperclip
Random Playlist Song: Trevor Pinnock - The English Concert and Choir: Handel - Messiah - Worthy Is The Lamb That Was Slain - Amen (chorus)
Worthy is the lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to god by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thus ends my Messiah run. I may or may not have other christmas songs in this space, depending on my mood.
Random Trivia bit: Goya, a painter known for his paintings of the Spanish court in the late 18th century and early 19th century, suddenly went deaf, which spurred the creation of engravings of the underside and mysteries of court life, 'Los Caprichos'. (Art History Challenge)
***
A friend sent me a paper he had written for a conference, and I suggested a new, more refreshing aspect and (naturally) more controversial aspect of the topic to explore.
His reply?
1. there is utterly no information on it
2. won't have sources.
3. won't have sources, means u get fucked in conference
cos if u are breaking in with a new idea ar
u need lots of evidence. u mean like a long period of investigation
remember most academic conference are scientifically based, not rhetorically based.
Indeed, from my scattered readings of academic works, I find that they're littered with footnotes and attributions, like little homages by the authors to friends and mentors in the academic world.
Just why is it so important to have dozens, if not hundreds of footnotes? Are new ideas really so weak if they do not have the weight of previous ideas behind them?
I am reminded of 2 apt quotes on this issue:
"If you want someone to believe something you said, tell them Benjamin Franklin said it"
"The average Ph.D. thesis is nothing but a transference of bones from one graveyard to another." - J. Frank Dobie
I do not see how heavy overreliance on old bones is going to help anyone advance the cause of knowledge and truth. As time goes by, lists of citations will just grow ever longer and advancement ever more difficult.
u have to remember in the academic world, stature is impt. no one is going to accept ur ideas if u have no stature
u got to build on others, b4 u can venture out to say ur own
if u read early works by social scientists, many of them did not create something out of nothing. but once they have some stature, their works are seen and respected or watever
but truth is, if u have no credentials at the start, it's not worth looking at lor
it's not like the economic market where the strongest and most creative can win
Ah well.
***
Hooker Barbie by Alexander Renault: A list of Barbie dolls with newly added realistic twists
I especially like:
#4) African Genital Mutilation Barbie: She has a perpetual frown but everyone in her village respects her now even more.
#6) Multiple Personality Barbie (AKA Dissociative Integration Disorder Barbie): She has difficulty recalling her own name and comes with nine different complete outfits. She usually prefers to be called Lilli, although no one seems to know why.
#9) Gang Bang Barbie: One of our most controversial Barbie dolls ever created, this Sagittarian free sexual spirit enjoys group sex even though Procensorship Feminist Barbie has forbidden her to talk about it or write her memoirs. Gang Bang Barbie is not available in Canada, Russia, or Utah.
#13) Gestapo Barbie: This little number is nobody's pushover. She comes complete with a black Nazi SS outfit and matching riding crop, all accented by her lovely all-American blonde hair and blue eyes. Pull her string and hear her shout, "SCHNELL!!! SCHNELL!!! SCHNELL!!!"
#14) Dr. Laura Barbie: Last, but certainly not least, we have this astute little social critic. She comes with a Ph.D. in physiology but tells everyone she is a psychologist. Dr. Laura Barbie tells everyone how to live in the glorious rays of God's light and espouses the importance of traditional family values. She is absolutely furious with Ken right now since he squealed about how she is actually divorced, has never procreated, and that no one in her family of origin speaks to her anymore.
Ah, but this page is intensely disrespectful so many different groups. That's the price of humour, I guess.
***
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me
Black as the Pit from pole to pole
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud
Under the bludgeoninigs off chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed
Beyong this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade
And yet the menance of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid
It matters not how strait the gate
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul
- William Earnest Henley
Not all poetry is irritating and incomprehensible. But then, this is 19th century poetry, so I guess modern poetry has been impelled to reach new depths of incomprehensibility in order to be "refreshing", "relevant" and "ground-breaking", instead of actually being good.
Commentary on Invictus:
"The poem represents secular humanism, the spirit of the Victorian age, you could say, the rise of Darwin and the sciences as a challenge to traditional thought and creationism. Really Matthew Arnold, a contemporary of Henley's, wrote of the same spirit.
Henley's other poems wouldn't be recognized. Henley can't compete with his contemporaries, such as Tennyson, Arnold, Browning, and Thomas Hardy -- the real luminaries of this period.
"Invictus" was his 15 minutes of fame."
***
Dec 17, 2004
Police did right in rejecting gay party
THE decision of the police not to give a licence for the Christmas 'gay party' planned by Fridae.com ('It's no go for planned Christmas 'gay party' '; ST, Dec 9), as this undermines the public interest, is to be strongly commended.
Given the alarming Aids epidemic Singapore is facing, any event which would threaten to aggravate this problem and endanger the public health cannot be allowed.
The police noted in their press statement that they had noticed same-sex couples 'openly kissing and intimately touching each other' during other Fridae.com-organised events. Furthermore, they noted that the use by patrons of toilets meant for the opposite sex suggested most patrons were 'probably gays or lesbians and that the event was almost exclusively for them'.
As Straits Times Senior Writer Andy Ho noted recently: 'It is homosexuals who engaged in condomless anopenetrative sex that are culpable of spreading HIV in Singapore', causing the 'second wave of HIV here and worldwide'.
To facilitate or allow such activities to carry on unchecked would constitute a gross breach of the public trust and be highly irresponsible. The Aids problem cannot be ignored.
Blatant flaunting of homosexual activities is offensive to the conservative mainstream which wants to see enduring standards of public decency and morality upheld - it would be regressive to allow this to degenerate.
It is heartening to read that the police authorities will be scrutinising applications for similar future events with an eye to protecting the health of our nation and our social well-being. Such vigilance warrants the nation's gratitude and thanks.
Thio Su Mien (Dr)
The Moral Majority strikes again. This is just begging for parody.
July 17, 1964
Police did right in rejecting religious procession
THE decision of the police not to give a license for the religious 'procession to commemorate the Prophet Mohammad's birthday' planned by the Muslim society ('It's no go for planned religious 'procession'; ST, Jul 9), as this undermines the public interest, is to be strongly commended.
Given the alarming religious and racial tension Singapore is facing, any event which would threaten to aggravate this problem and endanger public safety cannot be allowed.
The police noted in their press statement that they had noticed Muslim men 'touching their foreheads to mosque floors' during other events organised by the Muslim community. Furthermore, they noted that the use of mosques exclusively by men suggested that women were 'discriminated against by Islam and that the event was almost exclusively for them [men]'.
As Straits Times Senior Writer Bob Tan noted recently: 'It is Muslims who engage in global Jihad, suicide bombings and running amok with parangs, that are culpable of wrecking the fragile peace we have in our fait city', causing 'the populace to live in fear'.
To facilitate or allow such activities to carry on unchecked would constitute a gross breach of the public trust and be highly irresponsible. The religious problem cannot be ignored.
Blatant flaunting of muslim activities is offensive to the conservative mainstream which is intolerant of other races and religions, and uses this secret intolerance as an excuse to uphold 'public standards of decency and morality' - it would be regressive to allow this to degenerate.
It is heartening to read that the police authorities will be scrutinising applications for similar future events with an eye to protecting the health of our nation and our social well-being. Such vigilance warrants the nation's gratitude and thanks.
George Lim
I trust all right-minded people will find the above parody offensive, bigoted, wrong-headed, intolerant and inflammatory.
They may then proceed to consider just how homophobia is different from religiophobia, or otherwise, as the case might be.
Someone commented that she would never have seen a thread of similarity between religiophobia & homophobia other than that they both are phobias.
The similarity is that they both basically come from the line of thinking: "They are different. I don't like what's different. What's different is wrong and immoral. Therefore we should stamp out those who deviate"
***
110 China women held in Geylang raid
The last sentence is instructive: "During the eight-hour operation, police also booked 57 vehicles for illegal parking in Geylang and towed away four motorcycles parked illegally near Lorong 15."
It's like how all the CCTV cameras they installed for "security" reasons to "deter terrorists" will eventually be used for much more mundane purposes, to enforce pre-existing laws. The rationale? "Since they're already there we might as well use them". And so a measure ostensibly for security will in fact be used for normal law enforcement.
***
for casino:
"As someone who has had a relative gamble away a fortune, I am for a casino. The serious addicts will gamble whether or not there is a casino. There are underground dens and plenty of people to entice you if you know where to look. And trust me, those who are predisposed to getting addicted will find a way to lose their pants through gambling.
If we do have a casino, the difference is that the huge sums of money lost to illegal gambling dens will go to our coffers. And we will definitely get more tourist revenue. Did you know there are plenty of Chinese tourists who go to nearby countries with briefcases full of US dollars to gamble? They can afford to lose hundreds of thousands just for the kick. These are the ones whose money the singapore casino would target.
It seems to me that this is an instance of the S'pore government changing its stance to suit the times ( ie, status as a hub is being threatened by malaysia, hk, china, korea so an alternative revenue source is needed), and some people aren't appreciating it, eh? If you don't have a gambling streak in you, even if there were ten casinos in the vicinity, you wouldn't be tempted."
***
Anime Ethics and Legality FAQ 2.01
Basically, all this means is that you should avoid getting people at the related companies ticked at you. If you do something that annoys them, and itís barely legal (or even completely legal), they can STILL sue you. Sure, they might lose the suit, but in the meantime youíre out a lot of money for your lawyer, not to mention time and stress involved.
Corporate misuse of the law is most unnerving
I call this the "Fushigi Yuugi" effect. While it's impossible to -prove- that this series would have never come out in the US without the extensive fansubbing efforts of Karen Duffy, I don't know anybody that believes otherwise.
Lax copyright rules can actually help companies.
***
Where Have All the Intellectuals Gone? - "Furedi argues that the expansion of higher education in the UK has occurred side by side with a widespread erosion of educational standards and a steady rise in cultural illiteracy. The explanation for this paradoxical state of affairs lies, according to Furedi, in the rise of an instrumentalist ethos that treats knowledge and culture as means for achieving economic and political objectives rather than as ends in themselves. The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake is now regarded by the political elite as a bit dodgy (to quote Charles Clarke, the secretary of state for education); instead, education must now justify itself in terms of the economic benefits it provides to stakeholders."
Cleopatra: Scientist, Not Seductress? - "Medieval Arabic texts suggest that Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII was a brilliant early mathematician, chemist and philosopher who wrote science books and met weekly with a team of scientific experts, according to a forthcoming book. If historians can verify the medieval accounts, then the real Cleopatra likely bore little resemblance to the sexy seductress described by Greek and Roman scholars."
'It was not just a lighthouse to guide ships, it was a magnificent telescope and it had a huge lens that could burn the oncoming ships of enemies that were going to attack Egypt.' - I think this Arab scholar has had too much coffee.
Conversational Terrorism: How NOT to Talk! - "FILIBUSTER: To take an extraordinary amount of time or go to great technical depth to wear out the other person and get time on your side. The other person is pushed to give up and agree with you rather than endure the torture of hearing you go through another sincere, long-winded answer."
Call to legalise live organtrade - Commentary: "The likelihood of such a problem cropping up would be for such transplants such as kidneys and livers amongst others. And while it is probably very likely that such transplants would go to the rich, we have to face the fact that already money is important in the kind, type, quality and extend of medical treatment that can be gotten. Even if one wants to consider equity, at least this frees up dialysis machines and beds and waiting lists so why not? The trade apparently is flourishing so regulation would be useful to minimise the harm and prevent abuses already occuring today."
Weird Thunderbird extension - "The idea behind Quitomzilla is the one of positive reinforcement. It has been proven to be a good method to help people quitting cigarettes. In Spain (where the extension comes from), the Windows app. "Quitómetro" (brother of Quitomzilla) has been supported by two big societies helping people to quit cigarettes."
matching tracksuits: Polish Christmas Carols - "Christmas in Poland is not the commercialized ugliness that it is in America (though it is changing). Since Poland is around 95% Catholic, Christmas has an enormous religious significance, second only to Easter. It stands to reason, then, that there are numerous Polish Christmas carols. So, as a gift to anyone who’s interested, here are six Polish Christmas carols."
The History of the Paperclip
Post ID: 110334541850249182
Saturday, December 18, 2004
"Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all" - Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
Random Playlist Song: Trevor Pinnock - The English Concert and Choir: Handel - Messiah - The Trumpet Shall Sound (bass, air)
The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.
***
Diane Kruger looks *much* better in National Treasure than she did in Troy. At least now she would be able to launch a couple of hundred ships.
I recently asked Andrew to guess how long it'd been since I'd had a proper haircut, and he wagered it was 3 months - less than half of the real figure. Boo hoo.
Boat Quay is a really bad place to go to eat. If you drive there, parking may be a problem. Once you reach there and stroll down the riverside to look for a place to eat, you'll be accosted by touts as you walk by almost every eating house, and the thing is they all look like they serve the same type of Chinese food. Furthermore, with the exception of Al Dente, none of the restaurants are that great, really. And if sit down outside to eat, the harassment doesn't stop - people come up to you to try to sell you rubbish.
In a corner of Tanjong Pagar is a little slice of Malaysia - literally, for the KTM (Keratapi Tanah Melayu) station there is considered Malaysian land. The station itself is described as a "striking art-deco station". Personally I think it looks more like a dump, reminiscent of the old School of Military Medicine (SMM) in Ulu Pandan.
The sign in Malay at the entrance to the station and the uneven road behind it remind one of Ma-laysia, and the ticketing counters operate at Malaysian efficiency - on one day, two ticketing counters were manned, but at one the man had closed the counter and was talking to his friend on the phone.
At the rear of the station is a more pleasant aspect of Malaysia - a food centre. Hawkers set up their pushcart stalls by the uneven roadside - satay, Ramlee burgers (with proper Ramlee burger-wrapping paper too), Otah, and even a hookah store (those Middle Eastern receptacles with pipes through which multiple people can smokeganja various sweet smelling substances), while groups of people (mostly Malays) dine at tables on either side of the road. And inside the station itself there are more stalls, though these are less temporary and haphazard in nature, and resemble more what food courts look like, albeit Malaysian food courts and not Singaporean ones. From what little I tried, the food wasn't bad, except that it was all halal (naturally) and sold at Singaporean, not Malaysian, prices.
***
"Any organisation which boasts one Statement of Purpose. one Vision, five Values, six Goals, seven Strategic Priorities and eight Key Performance Indicators without anyclear correlation between them is producing a recipe for total confusion and exasperation." (Francis Wheen, 2004:p.56, quoted by Singabloodypore)
Management bullshit must die!
***
Dilbert
Dilbert's Mom: Your cousin Lauren just got her degree in English. Can you give her some career advice?
Dilbert: Would you enjoy scratching out a meager living in a frustrating work environment?
Lauren: I've never thought about it.
Dilbert: Obviously.
Is Dilbert describing the job prospects for English degree holders? Or those at this company?
***
Unemployment-Related Benefits Systems in Singapore
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Singapore does not implement any unemployment benefits system dedicated to
helping the unemployed. It is because the government considers the best way to
assist individuals who are retrenched or unemployed is to help them seek re-
employment instead of handing out financial support such as unemployment
benefits.
2. The unemployed can get financial assistance from some public assistance
schemes to alleviate their immediate financial hardship such as: Public Assistance
Scheme, Interim (Short Term) Financial Assistance, Rent and Utilities Assistance
Scheme and Medifund. Also, there are some other financial assistance schemes
rendered by non-government agencies. However, all these schemes aim to
provide assistance to those who are “less fortunate” and are not confined to the
unemployed.
3. As the major source of cash relief, the Public Assistance Scheme does not
guarantee adequate assistance to the unemployed. The level of benefits is 41%
lower than the lowest 20% of household expenditure required for subsistence and
the scheme is administered strictly and only half of the numbers of application
are approved.
4. For the unemployed, the assistance provided by the government departments or
non-government agencies mainly in the form of job training, course fee
subsidization, counseling and job data bank services
Also of interest,
Coping with Retrenchment, from the Horse's Mouth.
***
Steven Lim strikes again
I witnessed the most shocking thing that ever happened in every day life to me, for a long long time.
I was walking at the underpass between Orchard MRT and CK Tang (you know the one with the blind accordian player, you know him!) and when I came across what I thought was the most attention grabbing marketing gimmick in a very long time. There was a girl standing in the middle of the path with A4 print outs on her back and on her forehead which had " www.stevenlim.net" on it.
The girl was using a newspapers to cover her face too. Wow, I thought to myself. This "Steven Lim" guy has a completely new "out of the box" method, perhaps "artsy-fartsy" approach to getting his website known! I mean, EVERY SINGLE PERSON was literally stopping dead in their tracks to look from either direction!
Excited, I quickly called my friend Elgin that I was supposed to meet at Far East Plaza to come along to have a look. Before Elgin arrived, I found a tall guy in his late 20s wearing a black sleeveless tight t-shirt hanging around the side of the underpass, and I presumed him to be the "Marketing minded Steven Lim". I told him that I was impressed by the idea and asked him how he got it. He told me proudly that he thought about it himself. However, I couldn't help but keep looking at the girl but feel that something wasn't right. I also noticed that the girl had two girls on either side of her who seemed to be encouraging her in a "don't worry, we're here for you" kind of way.
"Who is that girl? Did you employ her? She's very brave! Where did you get her from?"
Steven replied by saying that it was his girlfriend. The horror hit me when when her friends came up to me and told me and Elgin that she was doing it completely against her will. Steven has asked her to do it with funny sunglasses and when she refused, he got angry. Apparently she loved him so much that she didn't want him to be angry with her and so she'd rather bite the bullet and cover her weeping eyes with the newspaper the whole time.
And what did this 28 year old hunkalot Steven do? He stood by the side and soaked up the glory and attention that he got as a result of his 16 year old girlfriend's humiliation. Angered, Elgin and I questioned him about his "business practices" and his only defence were lines like "I'm paying her $5 an hour" and "Of course I got unhappy when she didn't want to do it for me, it's only natural"! The whole time his poor girlfriend stood crying next to us, and her friends started looking to us for reason and support.
Elgin and I went on to give him a half an hour lecture on how NOT to treat his girlfriend and suggested other ideas to market himself without having to resort to emotional blackmail. His final response was "Thanks for the advice, but please visit my website. It's really good. Ask your friends to visit it as well!"
I felt so bad that ANY girl had to live with loving such a person that I ended up giving her a $300 watch loupe that I just happened to have on me. I just felt so sorry for her, and even more than such guys existed.
During the half hour lecture, he also asked me to support him on Singaporean Idol, let other people know about his website and how interesting all the new stuff is, and how he thinks he'll succeed in life by doing things like that.
God Bless his girlfriend, and all who stood with her.
http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~freestyle1279/sl.jpg
PS: I've attached a photo that I took of the "ad campaign" before I found out the truth. I'd like to hear your views, but please let me know if you're going to do anything drastic or public with this.
... dunno wat the girl sees in him!
Ah, he's going after 16 year olds again.
***
Via a reverse search referral lookup:
"Anyway, if you really wanna know and if u allow for my superficial opinion, i think miss singapore is simply and horrendously ugly!!What kind of scary face is that?? So obviously, beauty wasnt a criterion in the Miss Singapore World 2004 paegant. What i like about such international contests though is the fact that beautiful women from all cultures, nationalities around the world take part. Then u realise how ugly singapore women really are!! I personally feel the prettiest singaporean ladies are of malay ethnicity but its a pity many who are willing to take part usually dont get chosen to represent singapore. Usually some bimbo nus undergraduate who looks like she has piles of makeup on her gets picked and of course she fails to make a favourable impression in the international arena so maybe should just stick to staying in the library!! "
I got another search for "mama murtad" so I went to explore a bit, and have finally found out what Murtads are, which was really hard since few of the pages you get when searching for it tell you what murtads are, or at least not in English:
Murtads from Malaysia
Providing support and relevant information for Ex-Muslims who are prejudiced and discriminated
Welcome to Murtads from Malaysia!
This site is about and dedicated to:
- people who are living in Malaysia and are forced to be Muslims when they don't want to be Muslims;
- people who are from Malaysia that were forced to be Muslims when they were in Malaysia;
- people who are no longer living in Malaysia but still have problems as a result of not being a Muslim and
- any person that has abandoned the Islamic faith and lifestyle that is related to Malaysia somehow!
The stories of the murtads are sad indeed.
Interestingly enough, there's an Ex-Muslim meetup group in Kuala Lumpur with 12 members. If they ever meet, the police can raid the meetup and imprison them. Lucky they're not in Kelantan or Terengganu, or they would get the death penalty, albeit a suspended one "because of non-co-operation of the Police- and Prison Departments which are Federal departments".
***
Singapore Ink on the drivel that they show on Channel 8:
"The situation with local drama productions is in some ways worse than that with variety shows. We are past what my friend astutely calls the “Dark Ages” of internecine competition when MediaCorp simply packed its timeslots with popular Hongkong or Taiwanese dramas, effectively giving up the local drama game in favour of capturing the audiences. Even today, as local drama production has improved, MediaCorp’s philosophy has clearly changed in favour of longer soap opera-style dramas, as well as an unrelenting bias towards low-budget family dramas. The other day I finished watching the excellent 1999 Japanese drama Koi no Kiseki, & I was reminded that really “good” evil characters have been MIA from local dramas for years now. I don’t just mean people who cackle at the hero/heroine celebrating their achievements at breaking up families or swindling people of money. I also mean psychologically complex characters who are integral parts of the story, not one-dimensional walk-on baddies like snatch thieves or big cheats e.g. Liu Haisheng in 喜临门 who are just there to prop up the good guys.
Besides really “good” evil characters, MediaCorp also no longer does vaguely-Tang dynasty period dramas*, ghost dramas, horror/mystery dramas, fantasy dramas, wild comedies, great tragedies, or anything that strays too much from the big-families-plus-three/four-sided-relationships formula. Events like the Star Awards are a joke when MediaCorp produces 6 dramas a year & 5 come up for “Best Drama.” The company has many good actors & actresses, people who cut their chops on meatier & varied roles in the past, but these days they seem to be more celebrities because they appear as such (e.g. charity shows, tour programmes) & not because they actually impressed with recent acting. MediaCorp has no problem justifying this - “but we’re just catering to our audiences!” - just as in the “Dark Ages,” but I think it’s clear that it’s a loss to those audiences as well. You almost want to see something campy, like many of their mid-90s telemovies, rather than more of the play-it-safe kind. (Even something like the engaging, if not-so-original Six Weeks now showing on Channel i, for instance.) It is possible that this trend will take us to a pseudo-Indian or Filipino environment where people are famous because they are famous, less because they are talented or they had memorable roles. I don’t know how most Singaporeans feel about this, but I think this is the wrong way to go."
Meanwhile, in a comments box there is more hilarious casino scaremongering:
"I believe that these Casinos are going to bring nothing but trouble. Teenagers nowadays already have a habit of hanging around shopping centres at night, flirting with girls who behave like prostitutes. I cannot believe what will happen when these Casinos are built- teenagers will start Gambling and there is going to be more room for illegal activities like Smokoing and Secret Socities to have meetings. Worst of all will be the Potential Terror Threat on these Casinos.. They’ll be attracting Terrorrists, and not tourists! Please Think of your children’s sefety! Do you know how many robberies and murders have taken place in Casinos Overseas? Robbers will lose ineterest in banks- the Casinos are going to fetch much more! I Hope that the government will prevent this big mistake from being made. It is so Straight-forward and obvious that these Casinos will bring more trouble that trade!" (Emphasis mine, errors in original)
I'm sure the terrorists will want to bomb the casinos, right after they destroy the den of sin that is Asia-Pacific Breweries.
***
Couple arraigned in child sacrifice case; lawyers argue no harm intended - "Attorneys for a Farmington woman and her boyfriend, charged with entering St. Mary’s Church to sacrifice her children, argued Friday they never meant to do anyone harm."
Party Advice: Avoid Bare Copier Sitting - "British workers have been told: Have a merry Christmas - but skip the mistletoe, don't dance on the desks and definitely don't perch bare-bottomed on the photocopier. Such are the horrors of the modern British office party highlighted Friday in a welter of advice which, to some minds, would kill the fun."
Slain man's remains found in storage freezer - "A woman killed her husband, stuffed his body into a freezer, then shipped it to a Somerville storage facility, where it stayed for years until police found the remains yesterday, authorities said."
Man wearing bra, thong flashes girls - "Police are looking for a flasher with a flair for feminine fashion. Authorities say two young girls were walking to a coffee shop Friday when they were flashed by a man wearing a dark bathrobe. However, the man wasn't completely naked. He was wearing women's lingerie - namely, a bra and a thong."
Big league - "The average Australian woman is a size 16 and weighs 8kg heavier than her American counterpart, according to authoritive new international research. Australian men are also 3kg heavier than American males, the joint study by the University of Adelaide and US researchers shows."
Linguist Deciphers Uses of Word 'Dude' - "A linguist from the University of Pittsburgh has published a scholarly paper deconstructing and deciphering the word "dude," contending it is much more than a catchall for lazy, inarticulate surfers, skaters, slackers and teenagers... the word derives its power from something he calls cool solidarity — an effortless kinship that's not too intimate. Cool solidarity is especially important to young men who are under social pressure to be close with other young men, but not enough to be suspected as gay."
Bad Science product of the year - "The winner was Space Tomato Number One, part of the Chinese government's "space breeding" project, where radiation in space is used to create comic book mutations and giant space plants, including tomatoes weighing almost a kilogram. It was never made entirely clear why the mutations would be beneficial, or why you needed to be in space to get irradiated. The Chinese news agency Xinhua stated that, "in China the radiation effect is always positive, leading to bigger and better vegetables that will revolutionise agriculture.""
Random Playlist Song: Trevor Pinnock - The English Concert and Choir: Handel - Messiah - The Trumpet Shall Sound (bass, air)
The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.
***
Diane Kruger looks *much* better in National Treasure than she did in Troy. At least now she would be able to launch a couple of hundred ships.
I recently asked Andrew to guess how long it'd been since I'd had a proper haircut, and he wagered it was 3 months - less than half of the real figure. Boo hoo.
Boat Quay is a really bad place to go to eat. If you drive there, parking may be a problem. Once you reach there and stroll down the riverside to look for a place to eat, you'll be accosted by touts as you walk by almost every eating house, and the thing is they all look like they serve the same type of Chinese food. Furthermore, with the exception of Al Dente, none of the restaurants are that great, really. And if sit down outside to eat, the harassment doesn't stop - people come up to you to try to sell you rubbish.
In a corner of Tanjong Pagar is a little slice of Malaysia - literally, for the KTM (Keratapi Tanah Melayu) station there is considered Malaysian land. The station itself is described as a "striking art-deco station". Personally I think it looks more like a dump, reminiscent of the old School of Military Medicine (SMM) in Ulu Pandan.
The sign in Malay at the entrance to the station and the uneven road behind it remind one of Ma-laysia, and the ticketing counters operate at Malaysian efficiency - on one day, two ticketing counters were manned, but at one the man had closed the counter and was talking to his friend on the phone.
At the rear of the station is a more pleasant aspect of Malaysia - a food centre. Hawkers set up their pushcart stalls by the uneven roadside - satay, Ramlee burgers (with proper Ramlee burger-wrapping paper too), Otah, and even a hookah store (those Middle Eastern receptacles with pipes through which multiple people can smoke
***
"Any organisation which boasts one Statement of Purpose. one Vision, five Values, six Goals, seven Strategic Priorities and eight Key Performance Indicators without anyclear correlation between them is producing a recipe for total confusion and exasperation." (Francis Wheen, 2004:p.56, quoted by Singabloodypore)
Management bullshit must die!
***
Dilbert
Dilbert's Mom: Your cousin Lauren just got her degree in English. Can you give her some career advice?
Dilbert: Would you enjoy scratching out a meager living in a frustrating work environment?
Lauren: I've never thought about it.
Dilbert: Obviously.
Is Dilbert describing the job prospects for English degree holders? Or those at this company?
***
Unemployment-Related Benefits Systems in Singapore
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Singapore does not implement any unemployment benefits system dedicated to
helping the unemployed. It is because the government considers the best way to
assist individuals who are retrenched or unemployed is to help them seek re-
employment instead of handing out financial support such as unemployment
benefits.
2. The unemployed can get financial assistance from some public assistance
schemes to alleviate their immediate financial hardship such as: Public Assistance
Scheme, Interim (Short Term) Financial Assistance, Rent and Utilities Assistance
Scheme and Medifund. Also, there are some other financial assistance schemes
rendered by non-government agencies. However, all these schemes aim to
provide assistance to those who are “less fortunate” and are not confined to the
unemployed.
3. As the major source of cash relief, the Public Assistance Scheme does not
guarantee adequate assistance to the unemployed. The level of benefits is 41%
lower than the lowest 20% of household expenditure required for subsistence and
the scheme is administered strictly and only half of the numbers of application
are approved.
4. For the unemployed, the assistance provided by the government departments or
non-government agencies mainly in the form of job training, course fee
subsidization, counseling and job data bank services
Also of interest,
Coping with Retrenchment, from the Horse's Mouth.
***
Steven Lim strikes again
I witnessed the most shocking thing that ever happened in every day life to me, for a long long time.
I was walking at the underpass between Orchard MRT and CK Tang (you know the one with the blind accordian player, you know him!) and when I came across what I thought was the most attention grabbing marketing gimmick in a very long time. There was a girl standing in the middle of the path with A4 print outs on her back and on her forehead which had "
The girl was using a newspapers to cover her face too. Wow, I thought to myself. This "Steven Lim" guy has a completely new "out of the box" method, perhaps "artsy-fartsy" approach to getting his website known! I mean, EVERY SINGLE PERSON was literally stopping dead in their tracks to look from either direction!
Excited, I quickly called my friend Elgin that I was supposed to meet at Far East Plaza to come along to have a look. Before Elgin arrived, I found a tall guy in his late 20s wearing a black sleeveless tight t-shirt hanging around the side of the underpass, and I presumed him to be the "Marketing minded Steven Lim". I told him that I was impressed by the idea and asked him how he got it. He told me proudly that he thought about it himself. However, I couldn't help but keep looking at the girl but feel that something wasn't right. I also noticed that the girl had two girls on either side of her who seemed to be encouraging her in a "don't worry, we're here for you" kind of way.
"Who is that girl? Did you employ her? She's very brave! Where did you get her from?"
Steven replied by saying that it was his girlfriend. The horror hit me when when her friends came up to me and told me and Elgin that she was doing it completely against her will. Steven has asked her to do it with funny sunglasses and when she refused, he got angry. Apparently she loved him so much that she didn't want him to be angry with her and so she'd rather bite the bullet and cover her weeping eyes with the newspaper the whole time.
And what did this 28 year old hunkalot Steven do? He stood by the side and soaked up the glory and attention that he got as a result of his 16 year old girlfriend's humiliation. Angered, Elgin and I questioned him about his "business practices" and his only defence were lines like "I'm paying her $5 an hour" and "Of course I got unhappy when she didn't want to do it for me, it's only natural"! The whole time his poor girlfriend stood crying next to us, and her friends started looking to us for reason and support.
Elgin and I went on to give him a half an hour lecture on how NOT to treat his girlfriend and suggested other ideas to market himself without having to resort to emotional blackmail. His final response was "Thanks for the advice, but please visit my website. It's really good. Ask your friends to visit it as well!"
I felt so bad that ANY girl had to live with loving such a person that I ended up giving her a $300 watch loupe that I just happened to have on me. I just felt so sorry for her, and even more than such guys existed.
During the half hour lecture, he also asked me to support him on Singaporean Idol, let other people know about his website and how interesting all the new stuff is, and how he thinks he'll succeed in life by doing things like that.
God Bless his girlfriend, and all who stood with her.
http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~freestyle1279/sl.jpg
PS: I've attached a photo that I took of the "ad campaign" before I found out the truth. I'd like to hear your views, but please let me know if you're going to do anything drastic or public with this.
... dunno wat the girl sees in him!
Ah, he's going after 16 year olds again.
***
Via a reverse search referral lookup:
"Anyway, if you really wanna know and if u allow for my superficial opinion, i think miss singapore is simply and horrendously ugly!!What kind of scary face is that?? So obviously, beauty wasnt a criterion in the Miss Singapore World 2004 paegant. What i like about such international contests though is the fact that beautiful women from all cultures, nationalities around the world take part. Then u realise how ugly singapore women really are!! I personally feel the prettiest singaporean ladies are of malay ethnicity but its a pity many who are willing to take part usually dont get chosen to represent singapore. Usually some bimbo nus undergraduate who looks like she has piles of makeup on her gets picked and of course she fails to make a favourable impression in the international arena so maybe should just stick to staying in the library!! "
I got another search for "mama murtad" so I went to explore a bit, and have finally found out what Murtads are, which was really hard since few of the pages you get when searching for it tell you what murtads are, or at least not in English:
Murtads from Malaysia
Providing support and relevant information for Ex-Muslims who are prejudiced and discriminated
Welcome to Murtads from Malaysia!
This site is about and dedicated to:
- people who are living in Malaysia and are forced to be Muslims when they don't want to be Muslims;
- people who are from Malaysia that were forced to be Muslims when they were in Malaysia;
- people who are no longer living in Malaysia but still have problems as a result of not being a Muslim and
- any person that has abandoned the Islamic faith and lifestyle that is related to Malaysia somehow!
The stories of the murtads are sad indeed.
Interestingly enough, there's an Ex-Muslim meetup group in Kuala Lumpur with 12 members. If they ever meet, the police can raid the meetup and imprison them. Lucky they're not in Kelantan or Terengganu, or they would get the death penalty, albeit a suspended one "because of non-co-operation of the Police- and Prison Departments which are Federal departments".
***
Singapore Ink on the drivel that they show on Channel 8:
"The situation with local drama productions is in some ways worse than that with variety shows. We are past what my friend astutely calls the “Dark Ages” of internecine competition when MediaCorp simply packed its timeslots with popular Hongkong or Taiwanese dramas, effectively giving up the local drama game in favour of capturing the audiences. Even today, as local drama production has improved, MediaCorp’s philosophy has clearly changed in favour of longer soap opera-style dramas, as well as an unrelenting bias towards low-budget family dramas. The other day I finished watching the excellent 1999 Japanese drama Koi no Kiseki, & I was reminded that really “good” evil characters have been MIA from local dramas for years now. I don’t just mean people who cackle at the hero/heroine celebrating their achievements at breaking up families or swindling people of money. I also mean psychologically complex characters who are integral parts of the story, not one-dimensional walk-on baddies like snatch thieves or big cheats e.g. Liu Haisheng in 喜临门 who are just there to prop up the good guys.
Besides really “good” evil characters, MediaCorp also no longer does vaguely-Tang dynasty period dramas*, ghost dramas, horror/mystery dramas, fantasy dramas, wild comedies, great tragedies, or anything that strays too much from the big-families-plus-three/four-sided-relationships formula. Events like the Star Awards are a joke when MediaCorp produces 6 dramas a year & 5 come up for “Best Drama.” The company has many good actors & actresses, people who cut their chops on meatier & varied roles in the past, but these days they seem to be more celebrities because they appear as such (e.g. charity shows, tour programmes) & not because they actually impressed with recent acting. MediaCorp has no problem justifying this - “but we’re just catering to our audiences!” - just as in the “Dark Ages,” but I think it’s clear that it’s a loss to those audiences as well. You almost want to see something campy, like many of their mid-90s telemovies, rather than more of the play-it-safe kind. (Even something like the engaging, if not-so-original Six Weeks now showing on Channel i, for instance.) It is possible that this trend will take us to a pseudo-Indian or Filipino environment where people are famous because they are famous, less because they are talented or they had memorable roles. I don’t know how most Singaporeans feel about this, but I think this is the wrong way to go."
Meanwhile, in a comments box there is more hilarious casino scaremongering:
"I believe that these Casinos are going to bring nothing but trouble. Teenagers nowadays already have a habit of hanging around shopping centres at night, flirting with girls who behave like prostitutes. I cannot believe what will happen when these Casinos are built- teenagers will start Gambling and there is going to be more room for illegal activities like Smokoing and Secret Socities to have meetings. Worst of all will be the Potential Terror Threat on these Casinos.. They’ll be attracting Terrorrists, and not tourists! Please Think of your children’s sefety! Do you know how many robberies and murders have taken place in Casinos Overseas? Robbers will lose ineterest in banks- the Casinos are going to fetch much more! I Hope that the government will prevent this big mistake from being made. It is so Straight-forward and obvious that these Casinos will bring more trouble that trade!" (Emphasis mine, errors in original)
I'm sure the terrorists will want to bomb the casinos, right after they destroy the den of sin that is Asia-Pacific Breweries.
***
Couple arraigned in child sacrifice case; lawyers argue no harm intended - "Attorneys for a Farmington woman and her boyfriend, charged with entering St. Mary’s Church to sacrifice her children, argued Friday they never meant to do anyone harm."
Party Advice: Avoid Bare Copier Sitting - "British workers have been told: Have a merry Christmas - but skip the mistletoe, don't dance on the desks and definitely don't perch bare-bottomed on the photocopier. Such are the horrors of the modern British office party highlighted Friday in a welter of advice which, to some minds, would kill the fun."
Slain man's remains found in storage freezer - "A woman killed her husband, stuffed his body into a freezer, then shipped it to a Somerville storage facility, where it stayed for years until police found the remains yesterday, authorities said."
Man wearing bra, thong flashes girls - "Police are looking for a flasher with a flair for feminine fashion. Authorities say two young girls were walking to a coffee shop Friday when they were flashed by a man wearing a dark bathrobe. However, the man wasn't completely naked. He was wearing women's lingerie - namely, a bra and a thong."
Big league - "The average Australian woman is a size 16 and weighs 8kg heavier than her American counterpart, according to authoritive new international research. Australian men are also 3kg heavier than American males, the joint study by the University of Adelaide and US researchers shows."
Linguist Deciphers Uses of Word 'Dude' - "A linguist from the University of Pittsburgh has published a scholarly paper deconstructing and deciphering the word "dude," contending it is much more than a catchall for lazy, inarticulate surfers, skaters, slackers and teenagers... the word derives its power from something he calls cool solidarity — an effortless kinship that's not too intimate. Cool solidarity is especially important to young men who are under social pressure to be close with other young men, but not enough to be suspected as gay."
Bad Science product of the year - "The winner was Space Tomato Number One, part of the Chinese government's "space breeding" project, where radiation in space is used to create comic book mutations and giant space plants, including tomatoes weighing almost a kilogram. It was never made entirely clear why the mutations would be beneficial, or why you needed to be in space to get irradiated. The Chinese news agency Xinhua stated that, "in China the radiation effect is always positive, leading to bigger and better vegetables that will revolutionise agriculture.""
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