Strange days

2003-02-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

Songbook
A review of Nick Hornby's Songbooks.

2003-01-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

Time to move
Yeap time to move this blog. If you wanna know why, I'll tell you in the new one. Later. |)

2003-01-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

The (double) ring
Retrieved my handphone after a shower and saw that I had 2 missed calls. Called back and a fax picked up. Then I realised the call was from my office. Called my partner and asked if she had called, and she said no. Checked the date and time of the call and it was from last Friday. Partner said that the same thing happened to her earlier in the week.

Creepy. The last tenant moved out after three months.

2003-01-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

Jordan vs Jordan
Awesome.

2003-01-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

Functions-you-hate
Went to a function organised by SPH and bumped into people I'd rather not, including the immaculate one. Strange that she can email me but not even bother to say hi even though she clearly saw me. Ah well... so be it. Guess she was in her natural surroundings.

Also met some of the ass-lickers from my previous job, who was talking to me then abruptly disappeared when the vice-pres of the company appeared. Ah that's how you get ahead in the world.

2003-01-08T02:38:00.000-08:00

Be a Mensch!
Finished watching the Billy Wilder movie The Apartment and it's brilliant. Some really witty lines and Jack Lemmon is amazing. The story is about this lonely guy who's forced to let his boss use his apartment for his trysts. Loan it from the library if you can.

A great line by Shirley McClaine's character:
When you're in love with a married man you shouldn't wear mascara.

2003-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Comics
Found this comic done by a local artist, FSC. Her website is here. Reminds one of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton's stuff.

2003-01-06T02:53:00.000-08:00

Photo-A-Day
Some of the galleries are amazing.

2003-01-05T22:28:00.000-08:00

She Dances Alone
Was at a hotel to interview this "homemaker" for a film script I'm doing. She was dancing with a young Filipino dude who was a pretty amazing dancer. The rich women of leisure fly these guys in to give dancing instruction and possible "extras". Quite an eye-opener, though only got back about 1:30 am.

2003-01-05T22:23:00.000-08:00

Sonically Youth
Office's address is at Murray Street, which is the title of Sonic Youth's latest album. Is that cool or waht?

Maybe have a teeny-tiny "roomwarming" later in the month. It's small but it'll serve its purpose I guess.

2003-01-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

Killing the Bug
Mexico City tries to eliminate the Beetle
I remember seeing hundreds of them crowding the roads. They did lend the city a lot of character.

2003-01-03T22:10:00.000-08:00

He deserves it
Securities regulators have advised Henry Blodget, the former Internet stock analyst at Merrill Lynch, that he will probably be sued for fraud and other violations of securities regulations, according to someone involved in the investigation and a lawyer who has been briefed on it.

Mr. Blodget received the notice alerting him to possible action by NASD, the nation's largest securities regulator, in the final weeks of 2002, these people said. The activities that regulators have identified as questionable relate to Mr. Blodget's public support of companies that he was deriding in e-mail messages to associates at Merrill Lynch. In addition, these people said, regulators will argue that Mr. Blodget's research reports were inappropriately influenced by Merrill Lynch's investment bankers.
- New York Times

2003-01-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

Odd search terms that found this blog
Singapore porn blog, sissy maids brisbane, cal poly orgy , what does jai guru deva om mean?

2003-01-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

Moving stuff
Finally moving the fax and other stuff into the office. Had an mild argument with the co-renter. I don't have the keys yet and she said I made it sound like it was her fault. Went downhill from there. That's the thing about ICQ and instant messanging... *sigh* Remember to attach smiley next time.

Ok need to lug the fax machine over. Maybe I'll grab a cab... As for a 'officewarming', lets just say there's hardly enough space to swing a cat around in there. And if there's one; no balloons or sangria. ;)

2003-01-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Wow
Quite something.

2003-01-02T03:20:00.000-08:00

Being a Bum
I really should drag my butt to the gym more often and work off some of the X'mas and New Year goodies. Making excuses by telling myself I swam a little yesterday at Sentosa...
Jo trying to drag me out for a run but being my usual lazy self... ;P I'll only go running if there's a car to fetch me there and back! ;)

Yes yes I'm a bum so sue me.

2003-01-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

Sentosa
Went to Sentosa and got a mild tan. The bus trip on the way back to the station was horrendous. Now I know why I don't go often...

2003-01-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

Bursting Balloons
Quickest way to deflate the balloons was to cut off their tails with a pair of scissors. Only one exploded. Stabbing them with a knife was pretty ineffective.

2002-12-31T09:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year
Well had another small bash for the New Year at my place and just played charades, Jenga and listened to some cool music. (Not very happening, I know.) Thanks for the Sangria, the champagne and the laughs. Have a good 2003 to all! ;)

Now what to do with all those balloons.... hope they deflate quickly tomorrow!

2002-12-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Yellow
Ran around today. Painted the office 'Happy Yellow' as my partners called it. Quite a small space but guess should be okay for three people. I think I'll try to last 3 months and see how it goes. Maybe a virtual office would be better for me.

2002-12-30T01:47:00.000-08:00

The Year in Pictures
2002 as it was.

2002-12-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

For the next year
Friend who's a director wants to do a feature and asked me to do the script. Feel very honoured, though I don't think it's going to be easy. Interesting subject matter. She wants something out by end of Jan which I think is possible. Will have to throw myself at it and punch out like 10 pages a day or something. Will probably need more gags but see what I can do...

2002-12-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

Infernals
Saw Infernal Affairs which is one of the best HK movies I've seen in a while. Andy Lau has pretty much the same expression throughout but Tony Leung was very good. The actresses were just vases though. Even though the plot has tons of loopholes it's a strong enough effort, particularly the denouement at the end.

2002-12-27T17:30:00.000-08:00

Ouch
Looking at the Income-Expense graph on my Quicken this month was rough. Better rush the payments on the Malaysian side and chase up on some of the 'promised' jobs, else it's going to get uglier. Yes, I'm guilty of running a deficit. Time to fix.

2002-12-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

Elancing
Put up some of the animation jobs I want done on Elance and got pretty decent bids. Not sure if they CAN do a good job but hopefully they can find someone with the skillset. Quite a lot of Indian and Ukranian bidders. Very on. Bid closes after the New Year and will examine the options then.

2002-12-26T00:12:00.000-08:00

The path to Happiness
Happiness is found in friends and forgiveness

Want to be happy? Really happy?

It may be easier than you think.

According to exciting new studies, psychologists now know that it’s not great riches, but friends and forgiveness which lead to happiness.

In a front page article in Monday’s USA Today, Marilyn Elias reports, “The happiest people surround themselves with family and friends, don’t care about keeping up with the Joneses next door, lose themselves in daily activities and, most important, forgive easily.”

...
This being said, it should come as no surprise that “materialism is toxic to happiness.” Those are the words of Ed Diener, a University of Illinois psychologist quoted by the USA Today writer. In his research, Diener found that even the richest of materialists are not as happy as those who value family, friends and activities more than money.

In her report, Elias emphasizes that, “Life satisfaction occurs most often when people are engaged in absorbing activities that cause them to forget themselves, lose track of time and stop worrying.”

The exact nature of the activity is not what’s most important. Whether it’s sewing up a storm ... doing brain surgery ... playing a musical instrument ... or working a hard puzzle with a child, it’s the depth of the commitment and the activity that counts.

And once you are happy — through family, friends and meaningful activity — it’s important that you show it. “Gratitude has a lot to do with life satisfaction,” the psychologists say, pointing to new studies which reveal happiness is enhanced by talking and writing about it. Give a compliment. Send a nice note. It not only brightens the days of others, it helps you as well.

And, last, and most important of all, is forgiveness, the trait most strongly related to happiness.

“It’s the queen of all virtues and probably the hardest to come by,” says Christopher Peterson, a psychologist from the University of Michigan.

Down deep, we’ve known for years the secrets to success and serenity. Now, it’s nice to know that psychological research confirms our convictions. It’s not money and material possessions that matter. Instead, it’s family, friends, fulfilling activity and forgiveness.

Forgiveness... ok that one I've got to work on. ;)

2002-12-25T23:54:00.000-08:00

Flat
Feeling rather flat these couple of days. Need more fizz... good friend leaving for Oz, a bit directionless for the new year. Rain is giving me cabin fever as well. I better list down the things I need to do for the coming year. And reading about ppl earning $150-$220 per HOUR makes me feel small. ;) Why can't I earn that much?

Maybe will go for a late workout later. Need the buzz.

2002-12-25T15:22:00.000-08:00

Sexxxxy Beast
Oh we watched Sexy Beast at X'mas bash, and it's a really good heist film. Ben Kingsley plays this guy who just can't take no for an answer. Some parts were pretty hilarious. I thought it was much better than Ocean's 11, though the manner in which they pull off the heist in Beast is a lot less convincing and believable.

2002-12-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

Bash
Had a quiet bash at my place. Thanks Tony for mixing the potent drinks... and Kevin for the presents and the rest for the food. Now I realise how underequipped my kitchen is. ;)

2002-12-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

Gangs and Towers
Watched two ultra-long movies yesterday, The Two Towers and Gangs of New York. I enjoyed the former though it has departed quite a bit from the book, and some of the departures weaken the movie overall. For example, the elves suddenly appearing to fight at Helm's Deep, and the Arwen portion didn't gel too well. I loved the Ents though, as well as the Oliphants. Not too sure about the Wargs. Overall I prefer Fellowship but TTT had me craving for more. When the lights went out you know you couldn't wait until next year for the final instalment.

Gangs of New York wasn't too bad but it broke little new ground for Scorsese. It's very violent, though a lot of it happens off-camera. As per usual, it's about characters that attain their peak and then become outmoded before their time. I generally liked it but found it pretty conventional as well. There was a lot of imagery you can associate with Sept 11; the smoking ruins of the city and the ash covered heroes, for one. I can see why Miramax didn't want to release it last year. Daniel Day Lewis is pretty remarkable but Leonardo di Caprio and Cameron Diaz don't quite gel too well into the film. They look like they're from a different age altogether.

X'mas eve bash at my place. Anyone who wants to come over it's 730. A Merry Christmas to all. :)

2002-12-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

Blast site
Went to visit the blast site and there's nothing much there now. The buildings where the blasts occured have been stripped away in preparation for their own memorial. The bomb blast was next door to a surf shop and you can see a mannequin still peering out from the boards, as well as wreaths on the ground. Will be developing the pix tomorrow hope they turn out well. Should have enough material for the story.

2002-12-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

Bad trips II
b) The company wasn't too good. I could go out with these people, but I can't travel with them. I guess in a woman-dominated group it's inevitable one ends up going shopping, but that was practically what we ended up doing on three days. I think I let my displeasure show on the 3rd day. We did go around on the 4th day but it was to places I've already been to on my first trip. Maybe I really should have just gone off and done my own thing. I had thought of just going somewhere else to stay before the trip, even if it meant higher costs, but tried to tahan. I didn't have an awful time; just that the travel goals of this group and my own don't match. I'm just boring and cheapo, especially when I travel.

Actually both my Bali trips have been quite bad experiences. I'll try to remember the sunsets but all I remember are the guys shoving stuff in your face and having to scold them off. It's demeaning to both sides.

2002-12-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

Bad trips
Well back and not a good trip overall. So going to break it up in two parts. It was a bad trip because:
a) The place is quite beautiful and Kuta beach has one of the most beautiful sunsets. However, half the time, the locals are trying to scam or overcharge you. The overaggressive vendors are one thing, but the porter who claimed to be from the hotel who just grabbed at our luggage, the temple guides who asked where we were and who kept saying we couldn't pass a certain line without them, the money changer who tried to scam, the taxi drivers who took longer routes.. it just all added up to something I could have done without. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

2002-12-19T07:43:00.000-08:00

Bali Hai!
Landed safely and went to the hotel. Got scammed by a porter. Going around with these bunch of Singaporeans is a bit sian so dumped them while they did shopping to go to Kuta Beach and interview some people. Also went down to their equivalent of Ground Zero and went back in time to catch a gorgeous sunset. Now typing this in a cheesy Disco/karaoke bar/internet cafe. The prices here aren't that good really, though some shops advertise 50% discounts.

Might be going diving on Saturday. Out of practise. Hope it's safe.

2002-12-18T05:55:00.000-08:00

Time to say goodbye
Met up with Sueann who's off to Sydney to study for her MBA next week. Probably the last time to hang out but it's been great. Going to miss her quite a bit and all the conversations over kopi. One ambitious go-getter who does what she wants; even taking her final exams for divemaster this weekend.

Oh well time to pack. Only 4 days. Must make sure I have most everything. Bought a micro tape recorder today as well. Four days in Bali. Hope it's fun and I don't get bogged down by work!

2002-12-16T06:09:00.000-08:00

Fluffy Earth. Outta sight.

2002-12-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

Old housemate
Went for breakfast with clouds and lainey at 8:30 am. Had woken up by the storm and checked some sports scores and got lured into breakfast. Day of running around; picked up my blue IC, had my hair cut, and came back to finish some work. Lotsa logistical problems of getting RM cheques. Turns out the agent wants 1 month commission for the place so major burn in my wallet. Man I really have to get the jobs paid for soon.

Housemate came by to pick up her mail... driving a car too. Guess teaching can't pay THAT badly if can afford a car, even if it about $65k. (No not that I will..)

Tomorrow got to meet some people discuss some business and get ready to pack for Bali. Need film and a micro tape recorder, so more spending to be done. Going to be a very thin Xmas...

2002-12-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

Ex-company gatherings
Had thai food at First Thai with some of the ex-Asiacontent people for Sueann's send off. Found out the 23-year old guy in the group has declared bankruptcy, and seems the better for it. $200k in debts, primarily through share trading. I guess he's got it all figured out, using his company to pay for his stuff and surviving on $600/month for the next three years. Keeps boasting about his company selling spam software that just sends via IP and a program he wrote to spam handphones via SMS.
After that adjourned to Liang Seah at a pub for drinks and chatting, about relationships and all. It was an interesting day.

Met up with Kenny and the ex-SIA people. We were discussing becoming irrelevant in the new age as time goes by. Kenny's back from US for 3 weeks so good time to catch up. A productive Saturday; taking it slower this Sunday.

2002-12-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

Entrepeneur Fear
Getting a tiny office from next Jan and the fear comes in. Is there really enough business to sustain? What if people don't pay? How much pain and bleeding can I stomach? The way forward really is an unknown one.

2002-12-12T23:51:00.000-08:00

Next housemate
Apparently it didn't take too long to find someone. A producer called Frederique, but female. She wants to repaint the room but doubt if the landlord will allow. Hmmm... nice idea though. Well just hoping she stays longer.

2002-12-11T01:07:00.000-08:00

Pet Stroll
Hmm.. maybe the doggies in the house should go for this. I wonder if they can keep the horny ones away from each other... Bound to be some casualties.

2002-12-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

A joke
... that I guess went on too long.

2002-12-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

Bureacratic round around
Tried to get a business coupon to open a bank account, then found out need a blue IC so went to apply for it. I haven't bothered to get one until now. Plenty of running around today and running into storms. December weather... gloomy and wet. When does the sun come back?

2002-12-08T03:57:00.000-08:00

And it continues..
Sigh the apt mate who moved in now wants to move out for 'personal reasons'. Damn tired of this. Two more months to the lease as well. Sheesh... I don't think there's too many problems finding someone new but such a hassle again.

Right now damn tired. Been out all day but it was a fun day out with a friend who's going off to Oz soon. And there goes the weekend. Blinked and byebye.

2002-12-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

Party
Attended a nice party at Chip Bee gardens quite near my place. It's a house with three bedrooms, though the rooms are smaller than the ones here. But you do get a garden. would be ideal for the dogs and the cost isn't that different from here. I'd rather stick to this place for now. Anyway, some people performed during the party including this guy who sang some irish dirges, a male poet who gave a soprano rendition of 'Summertime' and finally a local band called Satellite which performed an acoustic set. Nice party, lots of alcohol, and decent conversation. Good way to end Saturday.... and now Sunday is upon us! Boy weekends really fly by.

2002-12-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

I used to be so big and strong.
I used to know my right from wrong.
I used to never be afraid.
I used to be somebody
I used to have something inside
Now just this hole that's open wide.
I used to want it all
I used to be somebody
I'll cross my heart and hope to die but the needle's already in my
eye and all the world's weight is on my back and i don't even know why.
and what I used to think was me is just a fading memory
I looked him right in the eye and said "goodbye."
I was up above it.
I was up above it.
Now i'm down in it
- Nine Inch Nails

2002-12-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

Too close to the edge
Think I'm too close to the edge, but I can see there are many things I need to fix. I need to stop pretending about too many things. I want to give my opinion, and I want to get out situations I know I shouldn't be in. I want to stop pretending nothing's wrong; remember - no mo' fucking Mr Nice Guy.

2002-12-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

Pushing the borders of taste
A game for suicide bombers. What next?

2002-12-04T18:01:00.000-08:00

First day of spring -
I keep thinking about
the end of autumn.

2002-12-04T06:56:00.000-08:00

Neighbours
My neighbour, who's the same age as me and a childhood playmate, is having his fifth kid. Heard he wants to have seven. SEVEN!

Boy they better buy a large van.

2002-12-04T06:49:00.000-08:00

To Kluang and Back
Went back JB and took a bus up to Kluang. Costs only RM $4.50. Took a taxi to the factory and the taxi driver was this ancient guy who had been in Kluang for 62+ years. Drove like it too and almost smashed into some cars. I guess the thing I hate about going between JB and Singapore is how LONG it takes to go between if you don't have a car. Bloody annoying.

Took a nap at home and saw Dark Water which is pretty scary, though I hated the ending where it just runs out of ideas. It also doesn't have the unexpected twists and turns of The Ring. However, there are some very effective scenes. The earlier part of the movie works as more of a psychological thriller. Once the 'ghost' is revealed it loses a lot of the suspense.

2002-12-03T03:59:00.000-08:00

Bloody day
Ran around the whole day for a frantic shoot. Most interesting part was going to Temasek Poly to interview this Malay kid who won a scholarship. He was building a robotic dinosaur. Really cool. Otherwise it was trying to interview these people; 4 out of 5 who couldn't string a sentence properly.

Also found out that the proposal that had been stuck at a certain govt body that wasted $388 million was turned down. Not that I think they really bothered to take a look at it, or even had the decency to make a phone call. I hear one of the reasons an Indian MNC doesn't want to setup their secondary data recovery system here is because the same body, along with EDB, was rude to them when they were small time. Shows their arrogance.

Well at least the cheesecake turned out well. Sinfully so too.

Rushing to JB and to Kluang tomorrow. Zapped out.

2002-12-01T03:33:00.000-08:00

Saved!
Woohoo! New hard drive but did set me back a nice mint. Still most importantly all my data from the previous drive can be transfered. Whew. That really is a lifesaver. Imagine all that work gone. I'd be dead meat! Thanks to Rudi. Apparently he said the IBM HD I had previously had so many faults, there's a class action suit against it. So this one is a 80 Gigabyte monster. Scary to think about it.

2002-11-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

Back to the East
Went to a friend's place to help decorate his X'mas tree over at East Coast; quite fun. Went for dinner at siglap and then coffee bean. The area has become very happening; the next HV. Talked about the usual stuff since this is a 'writers' bunch. Sometimes it just flies over my head. I miss the East; there's good Korean restaurant we passed by that didn't have a table. Maybe should go down to try again. :)

2002-11-29T05:22:00.000-08:00

My brain is screaming!
Had a killer headache and had to take a panadol for relief. Feel much better now. Whole day of running around getting things done but looks like a busy weekend. First thing to do is to get a new hard drive and see what I can salvage. Then putting up an X'mas tree at a someone's place and teaching a friend how to make cheesecake. Man I miss baking. Some good news; landlord said the rent for the place might be lower when we renew the lease. That is one piece of good news.

2002-11-28T02:38:00.000-08:00

ANEURYSM
Hard drive crash. Oh great. What a nightmare. Shouldn't have ignored those clacking sounds on the HD. ARGH!

2002-11-27T18:08:00.000-08:00

Taxman
Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah I'm the taxman

The Beatles.. guess they could see the future. :)

2002-11-27T17:42:00.000-08:00

Working at Gloria Jean's
I think I do manage to get a lot of work done outside the home. There's just too many distractions; Internet, cable, friends chatting and so on. Got a deadline to beat for Saturday but almost there... just lots of trimming to do.

Was at Gloria Jean's yesterday and there was this young couple making out on the sofa at around 530 pm. Then they headed to the bathroom (it's a joint bathroom) and were still in there when I left at around 6 pm. Get a room kids!

2002-11-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

Here There and Everywhere
Great Beatles song. Listening to Revolver. Life is... good? Well it's not bad.

2002-11-27T04:19:00.000-08:00

Too close to God
Very disturbing. The whole question is... why? Yes it might help us understand diseases, but is this really necessary?

A group of American and Canadian biologists is debating whether to recommend stem cell experiments that would involve creating a human-mouse hybrid.

The goal would be to test different lines of human embryonic stem cells for their quality and potential usefulness in treating specific diseases. The best way to do that, some biologists argue, is to see how the cells work in a living animal. For ethical reasons, the test cannot be performed in people.

But if the human stem cells are tested that way in mice, any animals born from the experiment would be chimeras — organisms that are mixtures of two kinds of cells — with human cells distributed throughout their body. Though the creatures would probably be mice with a few human cells that obey mouse rules, the outcome of such an experiment cannot be predicted. A mouse with a brain made entirely of human cells would probably discomfort many people, as would a mouse that generated human sperm or eggs.

2002-11-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

Wanna have fun learning French?
Then buy the Simpsons Season 2 DVD which I've ordered from Canada... and found that it's in French. ;P Will trade for the Season 2 R1 available from Gramophone for S$55. Should have just bought it there!

2002-11-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

Photo base
Photos of one of my favourite people in the world. ;)

2002-11-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

Older is better
Dumped Winamp 3 and loaded back Winamp 2. Not every new thing is better. Winamp 3 just took up too much memory space.

2002-11-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

Barricades
They've put up barricades around Holland Village. So is this the next terrorist target? With the high number of expats, I can understand their concern. When did this world become such an unsafe place? But I already know the answer.

2002-11-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

Die Annuder Day
Watched the latest Bond flick and it's quite good. Delivers everything it promised to; action, silly gadgets, car chases, despicable villains, gorgeous women and all. However, it's pretty much just like any other Bond flick which makes watching it quite optional. For an assassin who lives a life of danger, the Bond films are pretty much safe, predictable affairs.

Also saw the new Audrey Tatou film He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not which wasn't too bad. She acts very well and the film is entertaining, but doesn't have much depth. There is a twist I won't reveal. Not too bad a choice of movie to watch if there's nothing else to see at the theaters.

2002-11-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

Bork Bork Bjork
Win a trip to Rekjavik! And you have Bjork to thank!

2002-11-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

Dating in the new millennium
Interesting article:
Take My Ex Please
To this end, a month ago, Elle magazine's blunt-as-an-anvil dating columnist, E. Jean Carroll, started a Web site, www.greatboyfriends.com, on which women recommend men to other women. "The idea is predicated on a belief in sisterhood not culturally in vogue right now, as the success of "The Bachelor" attests. "For the last 10 years, I've been writing this silly E. Jean column," Ms. Carroll said, explaining her motivation to start a site for which she is currently charging participants nothing. "The No. 1 overwhelming question I get is, `How do you find a man?' and I'm so sick of it because I answer it all the damn time." (For the record, Ms. Carroll has advised going to the Kentucky Derby.) "Lots of my friends know lots of wonderful guys, so I called my sister who designs Web sites, and I said, `Why don't we start something where girls can recommend their exes and anyone else?' "

The theory, of course, is that a woman is more likely to find a man appealing if he comes recommended by a member of her own sex — even if that person is a complete stranger. As Marianna Marra of Tarrytown, N.Y., put it after perusing the site two weeks ago, "A woman would never sell a guy to another woman if she thought he was a jerk."

2002-11-23T16:18:00.000-08:00

GO BEARS!
Rivalry week in California and the Bears beat Stanford 30-7 after losing to Stanford 6 years in a row. Woo hoo! Makes my weekend!
It's also the 20th anniversary of "football's most famous play."

2002-11-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

Awww... so cute!
For you LotR freaks!

2002-11-23T06:23:00.000-08:00

Procrastinating and the plans of the poverty jet set
Man I'm procrastinating again. There's one or two things I should be finishing but I'm surfing and chatting with a friend. Boredom city. I don't mind not being out on a Saturday night, but I guess it really is practically impossible for me to do work.

Anyway, have booked tickets to Bali and leaving the weekend before X'mas. Someone said I've travelled quite a bit this year; California, Sydney and now Bali. I think it's made up for a few years of not travelling much. When I graduated I always thought I'd be one of the poverty jet-set; I'd work and then blow all my money on plane ticket to parts unknown and hostels with flea-ridden matresses or sleeping in train carriages while zipping through cities. I need the shock and the jolts that shakes up my system. A lot of people wonder why I'm still in Sinapore, but I can tell them it's really not that bad. If you've been around the region, you'll know what corruption and misuse of power can do.

What's up for next year? I'd want to visit my bro-in-law's parents in Cambodia, and if I can persuade more mags to pick up my travel stories more travel around the region at least. (Ya ya that backpack trip in Spain still lingers; has it really been 10 years? It's one of the things I really want to do, and should stop talking about it because I feel f__king guilty NOT doing it.) Get my advance diving license as well and the thought of becoming a divemaster has passed my mind, though it would require a lot of dedication. I look back this year and last and realised I lived too much of it passively; you need to fight for what you want, and I've yet to strike out. I know I'm out of the safety zone; collecting a salary and groaning about my situation. I've regained some control over my life but the paths aren't clear.

Got to try. Too many slogans, too few answers.

2002-11-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

Tiredness
Think the swim this afternoon took out a lot of me. The main problem with swimming these days is that it leaves me drained. Was totally drained and almost slept on friend's couch. Their 11 month old son was tottering around and as expected, the key focus of the gathering. It's all right but it gets tiresome to hang out with couples with kids. Diapers, baby habits, nannies and so on; they're in a different realm. They've passed a certain line that I know I'm not ready to pass anytime soon. Too much responsibility for me to take on right now.

2002-11-23T05:06:00.000-08:00

North of here
Went over to friend's place at Bukit Timah for a get together with the film fest people. Made to chop up some garlic to make garlic bread. Actually I enjoy cooking but haven't done enough of it lately, and I HATE cleaning up. I should use my bro's place when he's not around to make something and invite some friends over. Heh. Usual exchange of gossip; a lot of it revolving around BigO's 'sabbatical'. I think it was tragic and I said if Philip didn't select or groom a successor the same could happen with Film Fest. He has to learn to let go. Training someone up won't take overnight, but he has to start so that the person can build a rapport with the film festivals overseas. The thing about him is that he doesn't see beyond the year. You need to have a plan. I have a lot of respect for Philip but he needs to step back and look beyond. No longer a teenager dude. You're a father of two and past forty, dude. Time to move the pawns on the chessboard, rather than being yet another piece trying to control the game.

2002-11-22T15:48:00.000-08:00

Storm in a teacup
As expected the RL thing boiled over. Yes, I've read the comments and the roasting, and find some of it... funny. But the letter by the Singaporean guy who's in his late 30s and divorced is kinda sad.

Anyway, at least I livened up the straight talk column for ST. Before that, they were talking about shopping for bras with girlfriends, whether two guys can go see a movie together, and next week it's about girls with glasses. Boredom city. Can't they do something that has more than a PG rating? Sex and the City it definitely ain't.

2002-11-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

Nowhere in Africa
Attended the opening film of the German Film Fest and I was impressed. It's about a family of German Jews who escape to Nairobi during World War II. There are the standard beautiful shots of Africa and the natives practising their culture, but the most compelling part of the movie was the relationship between the husband and wife. Before she left Germany, the woman's father-in-law said how much his son loved her, that there's always someone who loves more in a relationship, and the one who loves more is always vulnerable. Painfully true. For a movie that's more than two hours long it is quite gripping and is paced very well. Go catch it if you have a chance!

2002-11-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Manuscript
Editor asked me to read a manuscript from a new writer and skimmed it while on the way to gym. Lots of political references and asides; not even cryptic and satirical. Just too painfully obvious. Reading it makes me want to write again; partially out of anger and ego. Yes, writers are horribly egotistical. Don't have enough for a novel but possibly a collection of short stories. Too bad so many things are floating in the air. Maybe after the first few months of next year...

2002-11-20T03:15:00.000-08:00

Busted phone
Well busted my phone. Dropped it once too often and used up all 9 lives. Would have cost $200 to repair so didn't want to get it done. Looking for a cheap sturdy Nokia 3310 or 3315.

2002-11-20T01:06:00.000-08:00

Office
Well found a decent space.. for < $300 since I'm splitting with my partners, including utilities. Have to be frugal in times like these. They seem to be doing quite well though with jobs all over the place, including from me. I've yet to stabilise my jobs which are coming in dribs and drabs, but might be able to find a more constant source of income soon, at least to pay the bills.

2002-11-19T17:32:00.000-08:00

Searching for Bobby Fischer
What happens to chess prodigies? Look here.

2002-11-19T02:00:00.000-08:00

Sex and Productivity
CEOs take note! According to the sexologists at squeaky clean Singapore's 7th Asian Congress of Sexology, sexually-satisfied workers are productive workers, and the less sexually-satisfied they are, the less productive they get!
-- Taken from Plastic.com

Classic reply:
I dunno... When I stay up all night having sex, the following day at work is usually pretty damn unproductive.

2002-11-18T05:50:00.000-08:00

Domestic Disturbance
Rainy days keep me in and haven't borrowed much from the library, so been going through the web for stuff to read while procrastinating. Anyway, this is a very good article.

Fingering a gold hoop in her right ear, she talked wistfully about her ex-batterer and, as of six months earlier, her ex-boyfriend, too. ''I miss him,'' she said. ''Yeah, I do. I ain't going to lie. He's not so much of a bad person except for the violence.''

How imperfect we can be, and how imperfect love can be.

2002-11-18T05:11:00.000-08:00

Cyanide attacks next
Not much coverage of this. Imagine if they had succeeded. The world would rather have news of Michael Jackson's nose job.

2002-11-18T04:31:00.000-08:00

Smashed handphone
Broke my handphone into pieces which means extra $ to get it repaired. Tried to go to some guy running one of those booths selling handphone accessories and he just kept putting lighter fluid on it... so much for that.
So if you're trying to get me these 1-3 days, email or icq.

2002-11-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

How to read Cobain's journals
Interesting.
6) He was funny. Gus Van Sant likened Cobain to a perverse, laconic "standup comedian," and the journals bear him out. The plan for a Nirvana T-shirt reading "Fudge-packin', Crack-smokin', Satan-worshipin' [sic] motherfuckers" is admirably droll, as is the story of the narrator's rape and murder by the cast of Andy Griffith in Cobain's song "Floyd the Barber." It's hard to pull other examples free of their context in the journals, but be alert for horror twinned with humor.

2002-11-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

Barrel of monkeys, this
Defensive, aren't we?

2002-11-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

What a shot!

2002-11-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

Thrift store online
Cool beans.

2002-11-16T15:49:00.000-08:00

Good Guru
The Guru is pretty fun, with some great comic lines as well as a blending of Bollywood and Hollywood musicals, though not enough of that. Possibly one of the best comedies of the year though the middle part lags a bit. And Heather Graham as a porn star... YUM!

2002-11-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

Taken a while..
But the cashflow is starting to flow again. Hasn't been easy but at least it won't be an awful Christmas. Also good to have people watching out for you. Sometimes I'm quite pissed with some full time people who just giggle and say "oh it's still being processed" or "haven't found a means to use it yet" or take the whole freelance thing lightly. I can see why few people want to freelance; why bother when getting payment is so hard? I also think the book the Creative Class missed out on one important factor. The freelance factor matters as well to the creativity of a city, and you have to ensure they get paid, that people are used to taking on freelancers and the government protects them as well. I've also reduced my spending as much as possible, though the major portion still goes to rent. Times like this you wish you had a place of your own.

Just got my insurance-investment report from Prudential and found out that they tack on a whole bunch of charges, including a $60 administration charge. Maybe I should just take the money out. The fund has done terribly and I still have to put in $2,400 a year and a lot of it just disappears into nowhere. For these returns I should do my own investment.

2002-11-14T22:20:00.000-08:00

Superwarm
Either it's raining cats and dogs or it's HOT HOT HOT! Hate this weather...

2002-11-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter
Saw Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and it's pretty good; much better than the first movie. Better paced and makes good use of special efx. Chris Columbus has done a great job with the child actors. It still is a tad long but I enjoyed it. Now for The Two Towers...

2002-11-11T01:16:00.000-08:00

Best line from the Esplanade rain leak
Taken from a forum: Now they can shampoo the flags too.

2002-11-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

Toy empires are made of these
Yeap.

2002-11-10T16:33:00.000-08:00

The other 9/11
Met up with ex colleagues from the TV station. It's a year since their retrenchment so met to celebrate getting out of that hell hole. Everybody is doing well, and much happier than when they were there. Good to move on. One of my ex-colleagues went camping and she's a bit of a vainpot; made her boyfriend hold up a torch so she could do her makeup even out there in the woods. Man...

2002-11-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

Song identified
Ok identified the song I was wondering about last night. So Little Time by Arkana, one of those one hit wonders. But a catchy song nonetheless. Thanks for sushi and pool. Need to pay you back!

Today's the one year anniversary of the retrenchment exercise so we're having a little bash. None of us really look back with any sadness though it was fun. The ex-crew has gone all over the place. Would be fun to see them again and catch up.

2002-11-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

Superhero saves drunken woman from lecherous men!
I wonder how this will go down in Singapore...

2002-11-07T01:17:00.000-08:00

Free Name Cards!
They probably overload your mailbox with spam, but they do send you free name cards here. Other caveat: They do ask for your credit card number on an unsecured web page. So... don't unless you have to!

2002-11-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

I'd rather...
Was talking to a friend and said I'd rather be single with the Internet, DVDs, music, magazine and books and the occasional trip, rather than be in a bad relationship arguing and quarreling all the time. I do miss the sweetness of a relationship but I don't look back much. Basically I'm easily happy and while I think being in a relationship can be wonderful with the right person, when it's the wrong one... it's hell.

2002-11-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

Ronald who?
Ahem. For one week only.
If you have to ask... icq.

2002-11-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Dave Quiz
Do you know... Dave/Hak?
Boy loud and obnoxious font this be.

2002-11-05T01:37:00.000-08:00

BigO dead?
Or so according to Douglas. He says there's no mention of it in the newsletter. We'll know the truth soon I suppose. If it's real, it's a mournful passing. I don't quite agree with what they did, but it was a great magazine nevertheless.