Avenue Odd

Fine be thy booty

2009-04-29T01:06:00.001+08:00

For ye Elizabethan English lovers!

Hearts on Sleeves

2009-04-28T02:35:00.001+08:00

Read this in a book

Take chances, take a lot of them.
Because honestly, no matter where you end up and with whom, it always ends up just the way it should be.
Your mistakes make you who you are.
You learn and grow with each choice you make.
Say how you feel, always.
Be you, and be okay with it.

At this moment i really should be asleep :X

G’Nite world.

The Last 5 Minutes

2009-04-15T03:07:00.001+08:00

Understanding Marketing

2009-04-13T01:24:00.001+08:00

You see a fabulous girl/guy at a party. You approach them and say, "I’m fantastic in bed."

That’s Direct Marketing.

You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a fabulous girl/guy. You have one of your friends approach them, point at you and say, "She’s/He’s fantastic in bed."

That’s Advertising.

You see a fabulous girl/guy at a party. You approach them to get their telephone number. The next day you call and say, "Hi, I’m fantastic in bed."

That’s Telemarketing.

You’re at a party and see a fabulous girl/guy. You get up, straighten your clothes, walk up and pour them a drink. You open the door, pick up their bag after it drops, offer them a ride, and then say, "By the way, I’m fantastic in bed."

That’s Public Relations.

You’re at a party and see a fabulous girl/guy. They walk up to you and say, "I hear you’re fantastic in bed."

That’s Brand Recognition.

Objects of Interest

2009-04-09T03:23:00.001+08:00

The Husband Store

A brand new store has just opened in New York City that sells Husbands.
When women go to choose a husband, they have to follow the instructions at the entrance:

You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are 6 floors and the value of
the products increase as you ascend the flights. You may choose any item
from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you
CANNOT go back down except to exit the building.

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband.
The 1st floor sign on the door reads:
Floor 1: These men have jobs.
The 2nd floor sign reads:
Floor 2: These men have Jobs and Love Kids.
The 3rd floor sign reads:
Floor 3: These men have Jobs, Love Kids and are extremely good looking.
"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the 4th floor and the sign reads:
Floor 4: These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and help with Housework.
"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"
Still, she goes to the 5th floor and sign reads:
Floor 5: These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, help with Housework and Have a Strong Romantic Streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the 6th floor and the sign reads:
Floor 6: You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor.
There are no men on this floor.
This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.
Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.

To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opens a New Wives store just across the street.
The 1st first floor has wives that love sex.
The 2nd floor has wives that love sex and have money.
The 3rd,4th, 5th and 6th floors have never been visited.

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally uploaded on January 17, 2008 by nickwheeleroz

The Relativity of Wrong

2009-04-06T03:39:00.001+08:00

Isaac Asimov
(1920-1992) b. Petrovichi, Russia.
(With reference to a correspondent)
The young specialist in English Lit, ...lectured me severely on the fact that in every century people have thought they understood the Universe at last, and in every century they were proved to be wrong. It follows that the one thing we can say about our modern "knowledge" is that it is wrong.

... My answer to him was, "... when people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together."

Isaac Asimov,The Relativity of Wrong, Kensington Books, New York, 1996, p 226. (1)

Solbeam

2009-04-04T03:35:00.001+08:00

Fall in love or fall in hate
Get inspired or be depressed
Speak the truth or lie and cheat
Dance on tables or cower in fear
Life, the divine chaos
Embrace it
Forgive yourself.
Breathe..
and enjoy the ride.

Le Cafe

2009-04-01T03:52:00.001+08:00

have you had your fix today?

How Men Like to Be Loved

2009-03-31T20:48:00.001+08:00

This is a piece of work originally published in 1892.
A century and more later, a lot of it holds true yet.
Take some time to finish it, it is a real gem.
Note that it does have obviously chauvinistic overtones since it was written in a time where women were still largely regarded and treated as the fairer sex.

A cynical Frenchman has said, "The woman whom we love is only dangerous, but the woman who loves us is terrible," to which a greater cynic added, "Fortunately she never loves us."

This was more witty than true, for every woman loves, has loved or expects to love some man.

Man has a horror of being loved with a mercenary motive. So great is this horror to-day that it amounts to morbid expectancy. Nine young men out of ten speak of a wife as a possession only to be purchased. But if a man had never been niggardly, woman would never have become mercenary. And mercenary women are few.

Men are far more stereotyped in mind than women. Therefore their ideas regarding the grand passion are more uniform.

While almost every woman likes a dramatic element in a man's love for her, the normal man has a dread of the dramatically disposed woman, especially in the role of a wife. This is the reason we find so many phlegmatic women who are wives. Intensity worries a man unless it is kept well under check, and the tragic he finds insupportable in daily life.

Less romantic than women by nature and with less idealism, yet somewhere in his heart every man hides a dream of that earthly trinity—father, mother and child—in which he imagines himself the chief element.

Sooner or later, to greater or less degree, every man passes through the romantic phase.

Unfortunately for women, his idea of a sweetheart is essentially different from his requirements for a wife later in life.

The average young bachelor is attracted by the girl whom other men admire. He likes to carry off the belle of the season before the eyes of rivals. He is amused by her caprices, flattered by het jealous exactions, and grateful for the least expression of her regard for him. He is lavish with compliments and praise. But sentiment in man—the average man—springs wholly from unappeased appetites. The coveted, but unprocessed woman, can manifest her love for him in almost any manner, and it will be agreeable and pleasing.

Whether she is coy, shrinking, coquettish or playful, demonstrative or reserved, his imagination will surround her with every charm. A man's imagination is the flower of his passions. When those passions are calmed, the flower fades. Once let him possess the object of his desire, and his ideas become entirely changed. He grows critical and discriminating and truly masculine in his ideas of how he wishes to be loved.

We all know the story of the man who compared his courtship to a mad race after a railroad train, and his married life to the calm possession of a seat with the morning paper at hand. He no longer shouted and gesticulated, but he enjoyed what he had won none the less for that.

It was a very quick witted husband who thought of this little simile to explain his lack of sentiment, but there are very few wives who are satisfied to be considered in the light of a railway compartment, for the soul of the wife has all the romantic feelings which the soul of the sweetheart held. It is only the exceptional man (God bless him and increase him! ) who can feel sentiment and romance after possession is an established fact. Unhappily for both sexes, sentiment is just as much a part of woman's nature after she surrenders herself as before.

A well timed compliment, a tender caress given unasked, would avert many a co-respondent case if husband's were wiser.

After marriage a man likes to be loved practically.

All the affection and demonstrations of love possible cannot render him happy if his dinner is not well cooked and if his home is disorderly! Grant him the background of comfort and he will be contented to accept the love as a matter of course.

Grant a woman all the comfort life may offer, yet she is not happy without the background of expressed love.

When men and women both learn to realize this inborn difference in each other's natures and to respect it, marriage will cease to be a failure.

In this, I think, women are ready to make their part of the concession more cheerfully than are the men. Women who loathe housework and who possess no natural taste for it become excellent housekeepers and careful, thrifty managers, because they realize the importance of these matters in relation to the husband's comfort.

But how few men cultivate sentiment, although knowing it so dear to the wife.

Man is forever talking eloquently of woman's sensitive, refined nature, which unfits her for public careers. Yet this very sensitiveness he crucifies in private life by ignoring her need of a different heart diet than the one which he requires.

Wives throng the cooking schools, hoping to make their husband's happier thereby. Why not start a school of sentiment wherein husbands should be coached in paying graceful compliments and showing delicate attentions, so dear to their wives.

A man likes to be loved cheerfully. A morbid passion bores him inexpressibly, no matter how loyal it may be.

He likes tact rather than inopportune expression of affection. He likes to be loved in private, but to be treated with dignity in public. Nearly all women are flattered and pleased if the man they adore exhibits his love before the whole world.

If he defies a convention for their sake, they feel it a tribute to their worth and charm.

I have found this to be true of the most dignified and correct woman. But I have yet to see the man who is not averse to having the woman he loves provoke the least comment in public. He seems. to feel that something is lost to him if the public observes his happiness, however legitimate and commendable it may be.

The woman who is demonstrative when he wants to read, and who contradicts him before people an hour later, does not know how to make a man happy. He is better satisfied to have her show deference to his opinions and suppress her demonstrations if she must choose.

A man likes a woman to show her love in occult ways, to consult his tastes, to agree with him in his most cherished opinions, to follow his counsel and to ask his advice. He will not question her love if she does this. But a woman needs to be told in words how dear she is, no matter what other proofs a man may give.

Yet few men live who do not appreciate a little well timed expression of love, and every man is made happier and stronger by praise and appreciation of the woman nearest to his heart.

The strongest man needs sympathy and is made better by it, though he may not confess it. The tendency of the age is to give all the sympathy to woman, the tendency of woman is to demand all the sympathy. But not until woman sympathizes with man in his battle with the world and himself, and not until man sympathizes with woman in her soul hunger, will the world attain to its best.

It is a queer fact that while women are without doubt the most lovable objects in the world, yet on man is lavished the greatest and most enduring passions.

A great many women go through life without ever having been loved by any man.

I doubt if any man ever reached old age without having been adored by some women.

- End -

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on June 16, 2005 by Dave Ward Photography

Update

2009-03-17T23:17:00.001+08:00

Stunningly beautiful picture

Been a while since i last posted anything personal, so here’s a little update.

Recently had a bad infection on my thigh. According to the doctor, it is an abscess and is a moderately common occurrence.

Definition

An abscess is an enclosed collection of liquefied tissue, known as pus, somewhere in the body. It is the result of the body's defensive reaction to foreign material.

So i had to remove it via a minor operation that vaguely resembles excavation work except done with surgical precision (alright, I'm saying that to comfort myself, for all we know, they might have been discussing shoelace colours. Apparently, its a “bread and butter” type operation, according to the good doctor.)

The trip into the operation theatre was one of a kind, it actually does remind me of the countless episodes of ER i had watched in younger, happier days. I was scheduled for general anesthesia. The conversation with the anesthetists (ok i hope i got that right) was short and the only thing i remembered clearly when i was finally inside the operation theatre.

Her: When was your last meal and drink?
Me: 12 Hours ago
Her: Alright, now take deep breaths, this is oxygen. *Proceeds to place an ‘oxygen mask’ on my sorry mug*
Me: (at this point i can’t speak, but my exact thoughts were as such: YEAH RIGHT *scoffs* OXYGEN MAH LILLY ASS) *konks out*

When finally woke up, I was in the recovery room which was absolutely fuckinfreezing. Next morning, when finally fully awake, I realised they had piled 3 blankets on me, and even then, i remember shivering for dear life.

End result, they hollowed out a rough circle in my left thigh about 2 centimeters across and approximately 1.5 centimeters deep. When i was first introduced to it, it was a raw red mess with bits of muscle and fat tissue apparent. Flesh, raw bloody flesh.

Ok too much info.

I’m fine and recovering well for anyone’s who’s concerned, probably be out of action for another week or so and should be alive and kickin’ once more.

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally uploaded on April 11, 2008 by Bizarro.

Love is..

2009-03-14T16:30:00.001+08:00

Annoyance

2009-03-07T23:24:00.001+08:00

‘Nuff said.

The Mind of an Engineer

2009-02-26T20:51:00.001+08:00

A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers.

Engineer: What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!

Doctor: I don't know but I've never seen such ineptitude!

Priest: Hey, here comes the greenskeeper. Let's have a word with him.

Priest: Hi George. Say George, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow aren't they?

George: Oh yes. That's a group of blind fire fighters. They lost their sight while saving our club house last year. So we let them play here anytime free of charge!

(silence)

Priest: That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight.

Doctor: Good idea. And I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there's anything he can do for them.

Engineer: Why can't these guys play at night?

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Uploaded on January 10, 2008 by bread_man_017.

The Great Debate

2009-02-25T02:10:00.001+08:00

please comment!

Rice in Salt

2009-02-25T01:20:00.001+08:00

I would not profess to have visited many restaurants in my short time of existence, but one little question always pops into my mind when i pick up the salt shaker and see grains of uncooked rice in it, mingled into the salt.

At first glance the logical deduction is that the grains of rice, being much larger than grains of salt, would push the salt around so that they would not coagulate and form clumps. Many a times, we (my friends and i) would leave it at that.

So, being the bored student that i am (bored of accounting to be exact), i went and Goggled it to find out if our logical minds served us well.

As it would appear, rice, or starch in general, is a good desiccating agent. It absorbs surrounding atmospheric moisture so that the salt would stay dry and not absorb moisture and clump up. This is a little excerpt of a answer from a professor.

I think both sides of the argument are correct. Indeed, the grains of rice will tend to "knock 
the lumps out of the salt." So would small glass beads. However, the porous starch structure of
well dried rice is also very attractive to moisture by virtue of hydrogen bonds that can form
between water molecules and the -OH groups in the starch matrix. Thus, dried starch grains make a 
fairly decent desiccating agent.

So now we know.

Does This Dress Make Me Look Fat?

2009-02-24T18:13:00.001+08:00

‘tis funny!

Is Abstinence Obsolete?

2009-02-21T12:25:00.001+08:00

When young people are increasingly having pre-martial sex. One has to ask, is the age old yardstick of morality, abstinence, finally obsolete?

This blogger thinks so.

The emphasis of abstinence has always been to “save yourself for that special someone”. However, it has to be noted that these ideas originated from a time and age quite distant, and very much different from ours. In the past, people got married at much younger ages than they do now. Most couples tied the knot at age 23 or below, while in our time, at age 23, in most developed countries, people are pursuing a tertiary education, and the average age of marriage is somewhere along the lines of 28.

Abstinence until marriage was practiced widely, though not universally, in the USA through the 1950’s. So it is possible, in the right cultural circumstances, for abstinence to be the norm.
What were the conditions that made it possible?

–A culture that hides and impedes sexuality. Dress codes, chaperones, no public display of sexual language and images.

–Early marriage: it’s possible to wait a year or two; it isn’t possible to get most people to abstain for a decade or more.

–Lack of contraception, so that pregnancy is a likely outcome of non-abstinence. Contraception was illegal in some USA states as late as 1968.

–Abortion illegal and dangerous.

–Shame and denial if pregnancy results. Hurried marriage with an attempt to cover up the pregnancy, or giving birth in a home for unwed mothers and releasing the baby for adoption, were the options.

Abstinence is certainly unrealistic without honesty, discipline and ethical values.

I would not want to go back to the time when abstinence was enforced by shame, ignorance, and withholding of alternatives.

Expecting total abstinence is unrealistic. Faced with a biological drive to have sex and a conflicting cultural drive not to, there are always going to be teenagers on both sides of the fence. Abstinence should be taught as the ideal solution, but should they choose to have sex anyway, teens should be educated on what the risks are and how to mitigate them, not simply fig-leafing the issue and be done with it.

©Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on August 12, 2007 by pootydog

Would You Go To Bed With Me Tonight?

2009-02-18T19:04:00.001+08:00

If you were a man walking across the campus of Florida State University in 1978, an attractive young woman might have approached you and said these exact words: “I have been noticing you around campus. I find you to be attractive. Would you go to bed with me tonight?”

If you were that man, you probably would have thought that you had just gotten incredibly lucky. But not really. You were actually an unwitting subject in an experiment designed by the psychologist Russell Clark.

Clark had persuaded the students of his social psychology class to help him find out which gender, in a real-life situation, would be more receptive to a sexual offer from a stranger. The only way to find out, he figured, was to actually get out there and see what would happen. So young men and women from his class fanned out across campus and began propositioning strangers.

The results weren’t very surprising. Seventy-five percent of guys were happy to oblige an attractive female stranger (and those who said no typically offered an excuse such as, “I’m married”). But not a single woman accepted the identical offer of an attractive male. In fact, most of them demanded the guy leave her alone.

At first the psychological community dismissed Clark’s experiment as a trivial stunt, but gradually his experiment gained first acceptance, and then praise for how dramatically it revealed the differing sexual attitudes of men and women. Today it’s considered a classic. But why men and women display such different attitudes remains as hotly debated as ever.

Year upon year we strive towards so-called sexual equality. Can such an ideal equilibrium even exist?

Its Easy to Miss What You Arent Looking For

2009-02-18T14:46:00.001+08:00

Awareness Test-Amazing - Watch the top videos of the week here

A little awareness test up here, its pretty amazing what you miss when you aren’t looking out for it.

The 8 Monkeys

2009-02-13T17:56:00.001+08:00

(This is reportedly based on an actual experiment conducted in the U.K.)

Put eight monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room is a ladder, leading to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling.

Each time a monkey tries to climb the ladder, all the monkeys are sprayed with ice water, which makes them miserable. Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempts to climb the ladder, all of the other monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed, set upon him and beat him up. Soon, none of the eight monkeys ever attempts to climb the ladder.

One of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in the room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wonders why none of the other monkeys are doing the obvious.

But undaunted, he immediately begins to climb the ladder.

All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him silly. He has no idea why.
However, he no longer attempts to climb the ladder.

A second original monkey is removed and replaced. The newcomer again attempts to climb the ladder, but all the other monkeys hammer the crap out of him.

This includes the previous new monkey, who, grateful that he's not on the receiving end this time, participates in the beating because all the other monkeys are doing it. However, he has no idea why he's attacking the new monkey.

One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced. Eight new monkeys are now in the room. None of them have ever been sprayed by ice water. None of them attempt to climb the ladder. All of them will enthusiastically beat up any new monkey who tries, without having any idea why.

And that is how most of corporate culture is established.

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on July 16, 2008, by law_keven

What Kind of Sleeper Are You?

2009-02-08T20:42:00.001+08:00

Read an article about what the way you sleep says about you as a person, and thought it might be fun to share, so here goes

Foetus

Those who curl up in the foetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax. This is the most common sleeping position, adopted by 41% of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position.

Log

Lying on your side with both arms down by your side. These sleepers are easy going, social people who like being part of the in-crowd, and who are trusting of strangers. However, they may be gullible.

Yearner

People who sleep on their side with both arms out in front are said to have an open nature, but can be suspicious, cynical. They are slow to make up their minds, but once they have taken a decision, they are unlikely ever to change it.

Soldier

Lying on your back with both arms pinned to your sides. People who sleep in this position are generally quiet and reserved. They don't like a fuss, but set themselves and others high standards.

Freefall

Lying on your front with your hands around the pillow, and your head turned to one side. Often gregarious and brash people, but can be nervy and thin-skinned underneath, and don't like criticism, or extreme situations.

Starfish

Lying on your back with both arms up around the pillow. These sleepers make good friends because they are always ready to listen to others, and offer help when needed. They generally don't like to be the centre of attention.

Flowers for Valentine’s?

2009-02-08T20:31:00.001+08:00

The joke’s good.

A Certain Truth

2009-01-30T04:05:00.001+08:00

5 Must-Have Portable Applications for Your Thumb Drive

2009-01-24T16:59:00.001+08:00

Oh the CLUTTER.

In my search for a thumb drive that would appreciate an experience that is an intimate peek into the life of a tennis ball on the Wimbledon’s Centre Court on match day, the Sandisk Cruzer Titanium 16GB, trapped in its little plastic enclosure, winked at me.

I thought to myself, a 16GB thumb drive? What on earth am i going to put on it? For a moment (something like two seconds, to be precise), i had an inkling doubt.

Now, this thumb stick has (still is) worked hard for me, enduring seemingly endless lectures without failing, and keeping a small collection of my favourite applications at my fingertips, Over the months, I have assembled a little plethora of portable applications that I simply cannot live without. Considering the widespread use of USB thumb drives nowadays, i thought perhaps i would share my little selection.

Firefox Portable

Firefox is, hands down, the best browser i have ever used. In terms of speed, it is but a tad slower than the simple-looking-but-downright-mean-under-the-hood Google Chrome, but the addons! Oh the addons, what would i do without them. There is nothing worse than getting to say, an internet cafe, and realising that it has only Internet Explorer 6. This is by far, the most used application on my drive. Click here to download.

Screamer Internet Radio

For access to tons of internet radio stations, this is my application of choice. Click here to download.

GreatNews RSS Reader

You don't tear newspaper into pieces to read them. Why should reading rss news articles be any different? GreatNews is optimized for full page reading, so you can scan through rss articles quickly. Combined with functions like "Open Next Unread Channel", you don't need to waste any time to find where all the unread articles are.
GreatNews is extremely fast. Even with hundreds of rss feed subscriptions, GreatNews's response is always instantaneous. You can opt to show news from all channels on the same page. And you have full control over how many articles can be displayed at once. Click here to download.

WordWeb: Free English Dictionary/Thesaurus

WordWeb is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows that can look up words in almost any program. It works off-line, but can also look up words in web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopaedia. Click here to download.

Foxit Reader 3.0

For all the times you need to view a .pdf file and realise that the local computer does not have Acrobat, there is Foxit Reader. It is a small and fast PDF viewer. 50 million users can’t be wrong. Okay, sure they can, but this would be my PDF reader of choice anyway. Click here to download.

7-Zip

Many computers are not capable of opening .zip or .rar (both relatively popular formats). 7-zip is the Open-Source (read FREE) alternative to propriety software such as Winzip and Winrar. A portable version is available specifically for carrying around in a thumb drive. Very, very handy. Click here to download.

All of the above software are available for free, do feel free to comment with other portable applications you cannot live without!

“So Help Me God”

2009-01-21T01:54:00.001+08:00

At the time of this publishing, the Bush administration would have transited out of the White House to live their post-presidential life.

The inauguration of the Obama administration would mark the start of a new chapter in not only in the United States’ history books, but in those of the the world over.

The African-Americans of the United States have played such a large part in shaping the country’s history, but never once, a role as powerful as this, never, as the President of United States. Never, the leader of the western world.

May the world listen, to this man who promised change, and give him what support we can. Daunting would be his task, in these times of political and social crisis. May he rule with a clarity of mind that many before him lacked, guided by the vision of the late Martin Luther King, and the collective wisdom of his predecessors. For he will need all of that, and then some.

For all that he was, President Bush was most remembered in the role of Commander-in-Chief. His strong stand of Good versus Evil constituted the making and breaking of his administration. There really is nothing above or below the war in Iraq.

The inauguration speech by Barak H. Obama, was peppered with words like prudence, humility and restraint. He makes clear that America is not entitled to do as it pleases. Which is in stark contrast with all that was the Bush administration.

May Mr. Obama bring the United States, and with her, the rest of the world, to a new era of peace, prosperity, and above all, justice. Quoting his words, “so help me God”. So help him God.

The Thirsty Cat

2009-01-19T17:12:00.001+08:00

diz cat ownz.

It’s all about Perspective

2009-01-17T17:26:00.001+08:00

So someone took the half-full half-empty argument and brought it up a whole new level. Love it!

Problem Solved

2009-01-16T13:35:00.001+08:00

Which is Worse?

Apathy or Ignorance?

Best answer?

I don’t know, and I don’t care.

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on September 4, 2008 by BB (O.ö)

Just for Laughs

2009-01-16T12:59:00.001+08:00

Ten Simple Rules for Dating My Daughters

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose his compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally uploaded on November 22, 2008 by popartdks

Silent Contemplation

2009-01-03T05:17:00.001+08:00

Spent some time at the jetty off East Coast Park, thinking.

Something came to mind, and never left, all the way till now, 4:36AM 3rd January, 2009.

maybe if i “pen” it, i might finally get to sleep.

Here goes.

I thought of all the important people in my life, the bonds made, ties broken, and bridges that have long been burnt to the ground. Fortunately, the bridges are few and far between, and the bonds, many and intertwined in a web that would make the average brown house spider proud.

Often, these people are taken for granted, and for that I do not apologise, but express my utmost gratitude. I do not apologise, because there are times, when i know that the same thing is happening to me.

There is no substitute for the comfort supplied by the utterly taken for granted relationships. For most, that would have to be their parents, and the few truly trusted, dependable friends. These are the people who will be there no matter what happens, and more importantly, you KNOW that they will be there when you need them to be. They might be continents away, but they will always be there in spirit. They will support you, no questions asked.

Humbly, I dare say that I play that role for a few people and they too me.

Many people complain about being taken for granted, and yes, my thoughts do tend to go there sometimes. “Yeah, call me whenever you need something.” Rings a bell? “Why doesn’t he call to like, say hi or something?” Those are questions that often bounce in my mind, and I know, there and then, that I am being taken for granted.

Sitting on the jetty, i came to terms with it. If we look deeper, and past our selfish interests, being taken for granted is really, a compliment. It means that you’ve become a comfortable, trusted element in another person’s life.

As with all affairs in life, it is always good to hang a little question mark on everything that we have taken for granted, and be thankful that we can behave as we do. For it takes more than an average person to be able to take up that mantle and be, not that knight in shining armour, but simply, the strength for us to carry on when the going gets tough.

Here’s to all the extraordinary people in my life. Cheers.

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on February 19, 2008 by vaneska~tHOmz

A Happy New Year Ahead!

2009-01-02T17:53:00.001+08:00

Here’s wishing everyone a great 2009 ahead!

Never been a believer of so called New Year Resolutions, if there is something you want to do, i say, JUST DO IT! There’s no better time than right there and then. Why wait till the beginning of a new year, when all is chill and relaxed, is the prime time to take a good break.. Hardly the time to start doing something..

Set goals, and get going! Happy New Year one and all!

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on January 1, 2006 by asmundur

All I Want for Christmas…

2008-12-24T02:27:00.001+08:00

All I want for Christmas is a little peace and quiet from the commercialised chaos.

Picture taken from Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on October 19, 2007 by DrgnMastr

Critique for the Critics

2008-12-15T19:07:00.001+08:00

*Stretches arms* Alright, Time for an update after something like a month of inactivity. Been.. well.. busy.

Been surfing around blogs a bit lately, and I have to say, Singaporeans love being food critics. They would head into a restaurant armed with their handy digital cameras, order a dish, take something like ten pictures of the same dish, and finally dig in. When they are done, pictures of empty plates littered with crumbs and food deemed not edible will be taken as a sort of closing ceremony (correct me if I'm wrong, I truly do not understand the entire ritual).

When they get home, the pictures are uploaded into their computers, and subsequently onto their blogs or food critique community sites.

When people read these blogs or sites, they form an image of what the food, service (if mentioned) ambience, and other details of the entire experience, which, effectively, ruins all the fun in going to a restaurant in the first place! If we only visit places that are “highly recommended” how then are our gastronomical horizons going to expand?

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against people blogging about their meals and such, but seriously, if you don’t have anything nice to say about a restaurant, I'd much rather the post not exist, it only serves to damage reputations and spoil potentially enjoyable dining experiences.

Head into an interesting restaurant with good company, and more often than not, the food would be delicious :)

oh and, cute picture huh?

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on May 14, 2006 by doc18

Crunching the Numbers

2008-11-13T16:04:00.001+08:00

I was punching numbers into my calculator, and perhaps by force of habit, kept hitting the keys as if it were a telephone keypad. In my frustration, I wondered, both feature 10 digits, so why can't both use the same number arrangement? Wouldn't it make life so much easier?

And so I Googled it. Here's a little something from HowStuffWorks.com:

It is pretty odd that a calculator and a touch-tone telephone have exactly opposite layouts for their keypads, which have many identical components. The reasons behind the differences are not known for certain, but a few theories exist.

The first theory deals with the telephone's circuitry and tone-recognition hardware. When the touch-tone telephone was being designed in the late 1950s, the calculator and adding-machine designers had already established a layout that had 7, 8 and 9 across the top row. Data-entry professionals, and others who used calculators fairly regularly, were quite adept at navigating these keypads. They could hit the numbers extremely quickly, which was great for data entry, but not so great for dialling a touch-tone phone. The tone-recognition technology could not operate effectively at the speeds at which these specialists could dial the numbers. The telephone designers figured that if they reversed the layout, the dialling speeds would decrease and the tone-recognition would be able to do its job more reliably. This theory has little proof to substantiate it, but it does make sense.

A second theory refers to a study done by Bell Labs in 1960. This study involved testing several different telephone-keypad layouts to find out which was easiest to master. After testing several layouts, including one that used two rows with five numbers each and another that used a circular positioning, it was determined that the three-by-three matrix that had 1, 2 and 3 across the top was the easiest for people to use.

Another theory is based on the layout of a rotary telephone. On a rotary dial, 1 is at the top right and zero is on the bottom. When designing the new touch-tone keypad, putting the 1 on the top-right didn't make much sense, because Western writing is read from left to right. But putting 1 on the top-left, and the subsequent numbers to the right, did make sense. Using that formula, the resulting rows fell into place, with zero getting its own row at the bottom.

All of these theories attempt to explain why telephone and calculator keypads are exact opposites, yet no one theory can be pinpointed as the definitive reason. It is common practice today to use the telephone-keypad layout when designing new products that utilize a keypad, such as Automated Teller Machines.

Random morsel of curiosity. =)

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally uploaded by thermophle on December 2, 2005

Mobile Phone Tip of the Day

2008-11-10T23:10:00.001+08:00

This goes out to all you people who let your phone ring.. and ring.. and ring.. and divert to bloody MacDonalds Delivery.

Damn. I'm hungry.

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Originally Uploaded on October 6, 2005 by heather

butterfly

2008-11-05T00:10:00.001+08:00

Came across this picture while browsing on flickr.com.

beautiful. there is such beauty in silence.

Picture taken off Flickr.com. Uploaded on June 9, 2008 by aknacer.

Makeover

2008-11-02T13:59:00.001+08:00

Just thought that the previous blogskin was a little cluttered.. hopefully this looks a little easier on the eye..

and the change in address was coz.. waaaaaay too many "lustylockets sounds soooo girly comments"

will post soon! do leave ur comments on the new skin and perhaps name.

Picture is taken off Flickr.com Originally uploaded by orangeacid on April 14, 2007

Decadent Addiction

2008-10-22T00:39:00.001+08:00

Lets talk about smoking (again. Its just something that intrigues me, really). Imagine a man, a chain smoker, if you will. Forty years of age, a French expatriate who picked up the habit from two decades ago while in the Army, not a day goes by without him emptying at least two packs of Marlboros. Yes, he is addicted. But why? Is it just the nicotine that we so often hear about, the substance that seems to have inherited humans' primal urge to tear things apart?

The thing about smoking is that it really doesn't present itself as an obstacle in everyday life. Not unless you are a lumberjack or perhaps a telephone operator who has to speak all day.

Smokers are, really, normal people -- just with cigarettes in their hands. It is popular to believe that smokers were all sucked in by the 'suave' or 'sex' factor, or that they are all victims of subliminal ciggy ads and product placement, or that the poor things are like magpies stuck in a cage, forever darting around inside the captive metal that is a cage, forever deluded by the concept of escape, of freedom. That all comes in handy when there's a need to assign blame, but there's more to it than just a cowboy tipping his hat at a lady with a lighted stick protruding from his rugged face.

Smoking is enjoyable. At least that's what I'm told.

Besides, it makes logical sense; why would you do something over and over and over again if you don't like to do it anyway? Hell, if intercourse was not a pleasurable experience, it would just be a means of procreation.

And then there were condoms. Go figure.

Imagine again, our Frenchman, being told one day that he has to stop smoking for whatever reason, say his house would be burned to the ground perhaps, and he agrees to stop smoking entirely. Besides, its good for his health isn't it?

Say he goes through with the whole thing, withdrawal, nicotine patches, nicotine gum, pain, the whole package. He suffers miserably, but he keeps his home and barely, just barely, his sanity.

What is an addict then to do? Live the rest of his miserable life forever longing for a cigarette? Poor chap enjoys them things.

Now he has to deal with not smoking. For someone who has done it for the better part of his life, i'd imagine not doing something would become a challenge. Waking up in the morning and not having his morning smoke. Writing his diary while chewing a rolled departmental store reciept to a pulp in his mouth. He should be happy, i mean he kicked smoking, right? But is he, really? Is he really healthier mentally?

I definitely am not telling anyone that smoking is good, or that you should smoke because it is enjoyable, but when you have found something that is so obviously pleasurable, even additively so, and were forced to give it up, what then is there?

*sidenote. call it nonsense, or whatever you want. I'm not typing this under the most conducive of environments and as such might make sense to lesser creatures such as moths or crickets, not to you and your expansive mind, but thanks for reading anyway.

Photo is taken from Flickr.com. Originally uploaded on August 6, 2008 by artzy.viva.

The Seven Deadly Sins a la The Last Supper

2008-10-18T21:09:00.001+08:00

Picture taken from Flickr.com. Originally uploaded by iCandyPhotography on April 9, 2007

Picture taken from Flickr.com. Originally uploaded by Bob Smith2008 on October 31, 2007

Happened the chance upon this picture dipicting the Seven Deadly Sins in the way that Leonardo da Vinci painted his timeless work, The Last Supper.

Just thought i would share it with anyone who reads this page :)

Especially interesting is the way the Messiah himself is represented by a lady here.

Do leave your comments on what you think!

The Tightly Wound Guitar String

2008-10-15T03:13:00.001+08:00

Nobody hears its silent scream. Until its too late.

All is music to your ears, until the string snaps.

When it does, do you replace the string, or the guitar?

Will it ever be wound as tight again? Or will it be picked in an atmosphere of preventive sobriety, never sounding as good as it once had?

Laser-Guided Democracy

2008-10-02T13:23:00.001+08:00

The right to vote has always been central to a democratic governance. However, it has to be noted that there are countries where citizen are made to vote. They have to vote.

Singapore, where I live in, is one such state.

Is voting the only time a democratic government has to be totalitarian?

When people vote, they want to feel that they are voting for something they actually want. Say there are two parties, and both parties do not offer what a certain citizen wants from a government, but still he has to vote. How is that democratic?

Isn't the right NOT to vote a given under democratic governance?

PICTURE WAS UPLOADED BY Luna Park ON FLICKR.COM ON DECEMBER 16, 2005

Direction

2008-09-24T15:07:00.001+08:00

There are obvious merits about living with one's parents. Clean laundry, home-cooked meals and a fully stocked fridge, to name a few. But still, I feel a longing to leave and lead a life of my own.

I know I will miss the home-cooked meals, and clean laundry, the fully stocked fridge, breakfast in the morning and everything else, but something feels missing - direction.

It's not that one cannot have a direction in life just because he is living under the same roof as his parents, its just.. there are so many things that you just have to learn yourself, on your own, in your own crisis.

Celebrating so many 21st birthdays led me to thinking.. What is all this fanfare about "attaining adulthood" if you cannot cook your own meal? Wash your own laundry? Iron your own clothes? Live independently? Perhaps we have grown older in age, but have we truly matured? Are we truly wiser than a year ago?

I truly appreciate all that my family has done for me, and it is not out of any lack of love for them that I have such sentiments, but there is so much to learn, so much that you cannot learn under the shelter of unconditional love. It may sound condescending, but I sincerely do not want to burden them unnecessarily.

This longing to leave, is it a want for freedom?

*PICTURE WAS UPLOADED ON JANUARY 1,2006 BY CHAUSS513 ON FLICKR.COM.

The Immortal Chunk of Inked Paper

2008-09-18T12:52:00.001+08:00

The experience of reading is one that is unique to the reader himself. Immersing in a world unknown, exploring ideas never thought up of before, or just reading for nostalgia, reading is, above all, a pleasure.

Reading a book, that is.

"There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away, nor any coursers like a page of prancing poetry."
-Emily Dickenson

Until recently, whenever we mention reading it has almost always been reading a book, but something has changed this. The electronic book reader. While it is not widely available globally, its use slowly but surely spread.

But what good is a book if it cannot be flipped, stacked on your living room table, or shelved away to collect some dust until you next pick it up and enjoy it again? Someone once said "A book is like a present you can open over and over again". True, that.

A book(or magazine) is more than just its literary content. Its colour, shape and even smell, makes it unique. What it tells of the reader is another attribute that the electronic book reader most definitely cannot replace. A man reading Hugo's Les Miserables looks to be a cultured one, the same man reading Hugo's Les Miserables on an electronic book reader looks (to me) more like a geek than anything else. (if he was reading a copy of Playboy, however, it is preferable that it be done on the electronic book reader, so I guess it does have some plus points.. but I digress.)

Books however small, have a sculptural presence and invariably become little islands of interest. The little mound of books stacked in the loo gives a certain insight into the thoughts and concerns of a person. What books are strewn about on the coffee table have the same effect - people notice books. Books, as any visitor to a civilised house knows, do furnish a room. Books never look untidy, even when piled in tumbling stacks.

Imagine taking a stroll about Harvard, and stumbling upon its massive library filled with books of all disciplines looming above. Impressive, isn't it? Now, replace the tomes with these electronic book readers.. They just do not have the same visual effect, especially if their batteries are long dead.

There is something luxurious, even sensual about the book that the electronic book reader can never attain. Antique tomes have a certain allure that appeals the senses and intellect. Don't know about you but in my case antique technology generally find their way into rubbish dumps (or recycling plants etc. what have you).

As long as Man has the need to narrate his knowledge, the book - the one that uses no batteries and are cheap to produce and can last for ages and ages - will transcend into immortality.

PICTURE TAKEN FROM FLICKR.COM. UPLOADED ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 BY Roberto69

Death, Taxes and Cigarettes

2008-09-17T15:27:00.001+08:00

So a friend went out to buy cigarettes because he ran out. The only thought that came to mind was, isn't it such an expensive habit to keep up? His reply, no choice, I'm hooked.

Moving along that train of thought, it dawned upon me that (pardon me for thinking it along the line of economics here) no matter what governments do, they really do not want their people to stop smoking entirely. For one simple reason, it is such good business.

The rate at which our government taxes cigarettes is, in one word, exorbitant. The amount of premium a smoker has to pay should discourage him from smoking altogether.. right?

I'd say wrong. Smoking to most of these smokers is a lifestyle choice (is, has been, and probably always will be, for nicotine is a steadfast friend), and not quite a financial one. Think about it, some people have expensive hobbies that they are willing to dish out lots of cash to maintain. They set aside a certain amount just for it. As long as he is able to upkeep the hobby, he is fine with paying, simply because its part of his lifestyle.

With that in mind, the government can tax high amounts, and it is safe to say that the amount of smokers who stop smoking altogether would be proportionately smaller than the amount of money the government can raise from the tax from those who decide to just complain and keep smoking anyway - since it is a lifestyle choice.

Some would argue that tobacco tax is MORE to discourage smoking than to raise the earnings of the government.

I call bullshit on that. Completely. The statement in its entirety is false, I say. (I don't have a Ph.D, I haven't written any books, so yeah, you may choose to ignore me.)

Simply because there is just no substitute for cigarettes. If one decides to stop playing poker because its such a drain on the pocket, one may decide to do something else, perhaps play Old Maid with stakes. However, for cigarettes, its either smoke, or deal with withdrawal. Most would prefer the former, regardless of the price, simply because withdrawal is painful and our brains are hard-wired to veer away from pain, so making a conscious effort to go down the withdrawal path while the other path is available is most unthinkable.

Besides, it is raking in a very large sum of money each year for the governments. It is very profitable business. Had they simply wanted to stop society from smoking, it could simply make cigarettes another illegal narcotic, and send addicts to rehabilitation centers, that would be a much better deterrent than raising prices, wouldn't it? By raising taxes, what it says is, "smoking isn't wrong, its just expensive, so as long as you can pay, no worries mate!"

So keep smoking, it keeps the country's economy up. Also, smokers die earlier (tested and proven), and thus have less years to soak up taxpayers' money in healthcare and other benefits in their (less than usual) later years.

Nothing personal, its all good business.

Sidenote: Many researches have shown that men think women who smoke are sexier than their non-smoking counterparts. I'm starting to realise where that came from. If you'd only observe the way some ladies smoke, the cigarette is such a phallic symbol, and the whole mouth thing before the exhale.. I know where those researchers got that idea.. lol.

*THE PICTURE WAS UPLOADED ON OCTOBER 21, 2007 BY ArtWerk ON FLICKR.COM

Palmface

2008-09-17T08:15:00.001+08:00

DAMMIT. 5 HOURS TO BURN AND I LEFT MY iPOD AT HOME.

palmface.

PHOTO WAS TAKEN OFF FLICKR, ORIGINALLY UPLOADED BY TMink.

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design

2008-09-14T23:42:00.000+08:00

Yes, yes.. I know this is OLD and crummy. Evolution vs. Creationism aka Intelligent Design.

Evolution: From single cell organisms, creatures on earth took different evolutionary paths through processes of natural selection.It all began with the Big Bang. Extinction happens to species that "go down the path to a dead end". It all sounds very logical. Though one question remains, what caused the Big Bang(personally the burning question for me is: are we really all made of stardust?!??!)? Also, even if there is a scientific theory to that (there are many put forward by physicists and astrologers), how did such a process cause life?

Creationism aka Intelligent Design: A supreme being created each and every creature. It sounds like an "easy-way-out" for something that could not be explained by many early "thinkers". Point to note, in many holy scriptures that cite creationism and intelligent design, there are thousands of species of animals that are not mentioned. For example, in the Bible, there was no mention of a creature that resembles a Kangaroo, and yet, there they are getting run over on the expressways of Australia today! This can be attributed to geographical positioning. Since the author(s) of the Bible probably never got a chance to cross the ocean to reach the continent of Australia, they never got to record it and send it into Noah's Ark, but yet.. THERE THEY ARE! This is but one of the many flaws of the argument for Intelligent Design, and allows for rampant skeptism from the scientific field.

While thinking it through, it occurred to me that while evolution seems very logical to me, with all its digestible, tangible evidence; To a person who believes in a God and his supreme power, Creationism actually has logical, empirical evidence - God created us.

The Big Bang theory left me wondering though, so what caused the big bang?

So conclusion for me, an Intelligent Designer CREATED the highly Intelligent Big Bang that will then go on a process of evolution, and what we have now is only part of a timeline.

In short, God created the big bang 3 billion years ago and decided to take a vacation for 500billion years. Now that, my friends, is remarkably effective management.

Do drop a comment on your thoughts, I'm interested to know what others think of such a widely debated issue.

I'm very inclined to say one thing though, Science cannot answer everything. Ask a scientist why are leaves of plants green, and he will tell you that its pigmentation of chlorophyll that plants use in photosynthesis. That is a scientifically accurate answer that has empirical evidence, yet it does not answer the question of purpose or meaning. Purpose and meaning are probably the most elusive of all answers Man seek, answers that Science alone cannot provide. Never mind if God created us or we evolved our superior intelligence - our expansive mind that continually seeks answers is a tool, and Science(addressing quantitative and evident issues) and Spirituality(to address issues of purpose and meaning) merely means to an end(answers). However much they might conflict, they will co-exist. Forever.

*PICTURE WAS UPLOADED BY iuhoaix ON FLICKR.

Singapore Ranks World #1 Country for Doing Business

2008-09-11T23:25:00.002+08:00

Full Rankings and Details of the World Bank "Doing Business" report.

Adding to what is already a little treasure trove of accolades, Singapore has, for the third year running, clinched top spot for the Best Country to Do Business.

This year, reforms in two sectors - starting a business and dealing with construction permits - helped the city-state hold its place at number one.

Starting a business in Singapore can take as little as four days, thanks to vast improvements in the electronic business registration system.

Streamlined construction-permit application processes is the other major contributor to reaffirming its grip on the top spot. The entire process can be completed online, and in brief 38 days - that's the fastest time in the world for construction-permit application. Applicants can even choose to receive periodic E-mails or text messages that keeps them updated on the status of application.

While it might not be a common sentiment all Singaporeans, I sincerely do believe that what we have here in this city state is truly impressive and worth fighting for, if it comes to that.

To be sure, there are many issues that Singaporeans are not entirely euphoric about. Issues such as the Electronic-Road-Pricing schemes, rising costs of living (with no apparent rise in wages) and "losing out" to foreigners for jobs are prime examples.

Let it suffice to say though, that every nation has its own troubles. Looking at the world at large, the issues we have at hand immediately seem trivial. Zimbabwe has HIV problems, and is home to 11.3 million citizens of which an estimated 1.8 million are living with HIV. Their average life expectancy is 34 years for women and 37 years for men. Thailand is currently in political turmoil. Looming recession lurks the economies of the United States and Europe (and if history would be right, as it often proves itself to be, if they go into recession, it is unlikely that the impact will not be felt globally). Even the poles have the immediate concern of rising sea levels due to global warming.

While waiting for that hot coffee to arrive at your table, someone might have died of the heat that is characteristic of the climate recently, harvesting the very beans your coffee is being made from.

We take way too much for granted.

Fonty Monty

2008-09-11T14:16:00.001+08:00

Found this video clip from CollegeHumour.. Its insane hilarious!

Imagine if your fonts were people.. What would they be like? Here's a fresh take on it..Granted, its a pretty old clip and some might have stumbled upon it before, but surely its worth another look!

Times New Roman is like the Boss
Arial Narrow is narrow-minded racist
Webdings is a loony!
and many more...

MAILBOX! OPENMAILBOX!

*note: Prior knowledge of how a font looks like will make it a hellalotta funnier!

If looks could kill...

2008-09-10T14:34:00.001+08:00

So school's been in for a while for me now.. All's been fine and well and suitably boring. There is one thing though, that i just HAVE to grouse(some I adore, but heck, grouse seems more appropriate) about. There are "peacocks" who saunter about the lecture halls as if they hadn't a care in the world. Distracting.

*peacocks: people who just have to make a fashion statement, however good or bad. No reference to brain size here, mind you (go ahead, but dont tellem).

Specimen 1: Ankle-Covering Furry Boots. I could hear her feet choking from where I was seated...

Specimen 2: Deep V-neck body hugging gown. Think.. Oscars, red carpet, limousine. Ladies, please, do not get me wrong, I am all for plunging necklines, and elegant gowns, but in SCHOOL?!?! You are hampering many hot blooded mens' feeble attempt to pay attention to that cleava.. er i mean.. lecturer. Not to mention the hurt you afflict upon the less well endowed.

Specimen 3: BIG FRIZZY HAIR. There are people who actually need to look at the big white sceen on which pictures and words are projected upon to learn. Please, get out of our faces. (Its pretty funny, the seat behind him is consistently left empty). If i ever am forced to sit behind him i shall make him balance the Guiness Book of World Records on his head just to keep the damn thing down.

Specimen 4: Singlets (almost always from New Urban Male). Brrrrr... Nuff said.

Specimen 5: Sunglasses. Unless you're from Bollywood, please, leave them at home.

Specimen 6: That hot girl in the back of the room. Thank your mother for such brilliant genes, to be specimen 6 is your birthright. You're just plain distracting. omg. the chair melted.

If you have to make a fashion statement (or a fashion faux pas for that matter), do in on Orchard Road or somewhere else where someone would actually give you the right type of attention. Someone might actually find it artistic or something.

oh and miss specimen 6, come sit beside me; its cooler here, and no - its not the air conditioner.

Google's Chrome Shines, Download it!

2008-09-04T01:34:00.003+08:00

Looks like Google has hit the sweetspot once again with its new web browser the Google Chrome.

1% of the World in just a day.. well done Google.

It uncluttered, simple, interface has me absolutely hooked! It uses Webkit like the Apple Safari, and it is blazing quick. It is now my default browser. Download it here:

Download Google Chrome!

The Punctual, the Late, and the One Ring to Rule Them All.

2008-09-03T14:50:00.002+08:00

With morning classes over.. I now have 5 hours on hand till the next (one hour only) lesson. While waiting for this lesson, something crossed my mind:

We spend a large part of our lives just waiting, and a good portion of that time, we are waiting for others. Now, that is perfectly fine. For the first 10 minutes or so (lets face it, busses miss us, and jams catch our cars sometimes). After that though it does get slightly (and oftentimes excessively) annoying when we are made to wait, and wait, and.. wait.

As you might have guessed, I am usually the punctual one, and while I pride myself for such punctuality, it never fails to irk me when made to wait anything in excess of ~20mins for anybody. To put it plainly, time, MY time, was being needlessly wasted.

Armed with bristling righteous fury for chronic latecomers of the land, it was decided that I, The Punctual One, will plunge the depths of chronic latecoming and seek the truth and the One Ring to Rule..... nevermind.

Tardiness can seem like an incurable disease sometimes. I do know of people who will make a conscious effort to avoid arriving late. These are the ones who will prepare an hour beforehand, and ultimately, arrive... late.

Habitual latecoming, that is called. However, do know that, THERE IS HOPE! The challenge here is upon deciding on just how important it is for him/her to be on time. In most societies, chronic latecoming is seen - no not as a mental illness, but rather a (serious?) character flaw. Especially in the business world, where (you guessed it) time is money, to waste someone's time is as good as saying 'know what? I cannot be bothered to respect your time, and much less, you.'

Now, with that aside, we move on to the type of lateness that bothers me the most: the "he's-gonna-be-late-anyway" or "I-don't-want-to-stand-there-like-a-clown-waiting-for-him" syndrome.

The reason why this bothers me so much is how this problem can (and will) compound. If Aaron is consistently late by 10minutes, Charles will soon decide to arrive 15minutes after the pre-decided time (surely its ok for her to finally wait for 5 minutes!) So assuming that Charles keeps that up, Aaron will consequently turn up 20 minutes late. Why?

Waiting alone to most people is experienced as a painful, boring and time wasting activity. Above all, it projects an image of a lonely person. Many people have the innate fear of being left all alone, and consequently, hate to be kept waiting, and as such, just keep coming later than the other to avoid the painful experience.

So, what can we do about it?

Being from the fine city state that is Singapore, a monetary penalty comes to mind. For every minute that a party is late, he/she would have to cough up an amount of money, or buy lunch etc. While this may seem like a viable proposition (and is in practice in some social circles actually), personally I feel it will only worsen the situation in the long run; because now, it is "acceptable" to be late, never mind that you have wasted three people's time waiting for you, as long as you buy lunch later, its perfectly fine. I can see a culture building up there, albeit and unhealthy one. (Note: There really is no free lunch. The time wasted waiting for that one person could most probably been put to better use.)

The only piece of real advice I can give is for the punctual party to never fall into the vicious cycle. That way, the person who is making you wait, if he/she considers you of some importance (and since you are meeting up more than once or twice I'd safely say that he does), might 'feel bad' and make an effort to arrive on time in the future.

Alright, for those of you who made it this far, congratulations on conquering my longest wall of text in about two years. Isn't quite the Great Wall.. or the Berlin.. or the Earthworm Jim.. or the Nokia N95.. or the Evian.. or the...

Time is precious, do not waste others' time. Or your own, typing walls of text.

Reading mine, however, is time well spent. Thank you for your precious time.

THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN OFF FLICKR AND ALL CREDIT GOES TO THE ORIGINAL POSTER

The Case of the Toilet Seat

2008-08-31T21:05:00.003+08:00

The toilet seat. A symbol of the struggle between the sexes since time immemorial.

IMHO, the seat should be put down after use by us guys when we are in a household where there are women around, its a symbolic way of showing that we respect their presence (and we know we have to respect their presence for various reasons, not the least the TV remote).

The advent of the "perfect" toilet seat has me confused (you know the one, with the slit in the front). I mean, its fine as a unisex idea, but it has been installed progressively into all our public toilets. Now, we KNOW for SURE, that women wont be using these toilet seats, so why should we move away from the traditional "up-or-down" toilet seat?

One argument for the "perfect" toilet seats in male restrooms is that it seems troublesome for guys to lift up the seat when not in use, so why dont we just leave a hole in front so that even with the seat down, we can aim with relative ease. However, as witnessed in many a stained seats, this has a backfiring effect it seems. As it would appear, some men just need much more target practice. Even with the extra firing room, they will cause collateral damage to the rest of the toilet seat.. and the poor guy who actually wants to use the seat.. has to do some serious cleaning up.. (and perhaps disinfecting).

Therefore, i'm all for the "traditional" toilet seats. Yes, the ones that the battle of the sexes wages over, the same one that sparks off divorces.Its a "up-or-down" choice, that way, at least the guy who needs to crap, gets a swift and effective relief.

And for fuck's sake. In the men's restrooms. PLEASE LEAVE THE DAMN SEAT UP.

Memories of Happiness, In Solitude

2008-08-25T15:07:00.001+08:00

The café, truly a great place to appreciate what one has, what one had, and perhaps, what one might have.

Today, seated obliquely before me, were four secondary school girls who were, like myself, in academic pursuit. Much like myself, they are failing miserably. However, their failing miserably meant they were chattering on and on about just about anything that came to their mind. Boys, in-school gossip, the latest hand phones (actually its just THE latest hand phone, the iPhone from Apple, it has finally hit our humble shores and taken the island's Applemaniacs by storm, personally i don't quite see what's the deal with it though :X ...maniacs), the range of topics they covered in my four hours here probably had more coverage than The Herald Tribune International. Oh and did i mention.. boys?

The endless chatter regarding certain lucky bloke by the name of Shawn (yes i caught that much) was just that, endless. In the midst of going gaga, they flipped their geography textbooks, it eludes me how one studies that way.. Perhaps women have it easy like that?

I couldn't help but think back on my own secondary school days. In my school, we were lucky enough to have a beautiful lake in the compound. As much as it was a waste of space, it was a cultural icon of sorts, and it provided for a suitably soothing ambience to study. It was also conducive for idle chatter. Once in a while, a gust of wind will pass by and sweep away some of our notes into the lake. The following panic was always concluded with a friend offering his/her notes to photocopy, since, well it IS a lake and paper kinda gets ruined by water.

Ah yes, friends. The innocence of friendship at that age was priceless. Though i am here alone, here's a silent thankyou from me to all the people who had made any kind of impact in my life.

I am happy for you, girls.

Birth of a Blog

2008-08-22T18:47:00.005+08:00

While sitting at the local starbucks, reading a book, sipping Iced Americano, and chatting online with some friends (it all sounds like much, but if u try to picture it.. it all can happen concurrently without a kink), a random thought to blog came to mind. Partly driven by the general tiedium of life as a student, part driven by my need to rant, a blog is born.

lustylockets.blogspot.com

the name came about while chatting online with Maxine (max-online.. it just occurred to me). So i asked her for a blog name, and she offered up one word. lust. the rest was merely random wordplay. *note to self, a cafe is a pretty condusive place to think of random nonsense.