Saturday, March 29, 2008

Great Expectation

No, not the dickens....

but rather, the kind which everyone have for themselves and later in life, for their children.
It is only natural, to either get the children to follow on one's own footstep if one feels that the accomplishment was indeed something, to go down another path when one felt that the path in one's life is not good nor savory.
Or to pursue a dream that one set aside due to circumstances. But end of the day, as far as I am concern, the expectation is not for the child to be great, but to be able to realise their own full potential and to be allowed to go after their dreams and live their life in dignity and fulfillment.

What I feel, that expectation carried to an extreme will be something like this

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Our local Champions

Once in a while, our boys in blues and all their home team buddies needs a boost.
And nobody had done it better than Mr Brown

Here is the lyric to the song:

They laughed at you
When he got away
He did the crime
But you kena pay
A small mistake
A toilet break
And suddenly the mobs are pointing their fingers at you!

But you are so champion, Home Team
We sure support you to the end
You are so champion
Don’t listen to them
No time for bloggers
And kopitiam uncles of the world

Causeway so jam
People blame you
But illegal workers and cigarette smugglers
You’ve caught a few
Your boss is kind
He don’t resign
Stay back to give his moral support to encourage you!

You are so champion, Home Team
You mustn’t feel so down and sian
You are so champion
Burn all your weekend
This is all bo pian
But we know you’ll catch him…

You are so champion, Home Team
You are just like us, a common man
You are so champion
Work hard and you can
Be a faultless minister
Then you’ll be the champion of the world.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Instructions

One of my friend is concerned that as a first time parent.. experience might be wanting...and sent me some instruction for the care of baby

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Do not stand at my grave and weep

If there is ever a Tombstone or an ephitamy
to remember me by, I hope this will be it

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Full Dress Rehersal

It seems like even at a tender age (0yrs, -2mth,which translate to 34 wks...) My daughter has a penchant to ensure that her parents are not overtly complacent and that we are always operationally ready, she decided to give both of us a little scare.

On last Thursday, while her mother was on her way to work, she felt that the little rascal was not moving in her safe cocoon. upon reaching her work place, instead of taking the lift to the office, she took the bus to KK.

They hook her up to a CTG (do not ask me what it is... I have no idea..) and found that her heart beat was rather erratic.... After about 2 hours, they decided to ward the mother and the baby for further observation (Duh... try warding the mother or the baby.....) Thanks to the bug flu... They did not get her a ward until I reached the hospital (Short stop over home to grab her admission bag) and had lunch with her...

Thanks to the bed shortage, she got a free upgrade to a A1 bed for the night. Which I guess is consolation for her not able to attend her company D&D. I had to go off for my driving test and only to get back to the hospital after.... It was quite challenging to get into the hospital after 9 and having to negotiate all the strange accesses into the building.... But heck... I managed to play with the lift and reach her ward....

We were rather optimistic that she should be able to discharge after a night's rest but alas, the baby decided that she be the center of care and stayed back for another day...And that my wife finds that the hospital food is much better than the food court fare

Her colleagues visited her on Friday, they were rather nice and brought a basket of chicken essence for her.. Mother also popped by after work and we went back together.

Photobucket

On Sat, her gynae popped by in the morning and given her the all clear for discharge... I guess the baby decided that her dad is too tired for another day of shuttling and decided to be a good girl.....This time, I get to witness the food first hand, and it is rather decent, better than the Delifrance Fish
Photobucket

My wife got another pleasant surprise, the doctor gave her 17 days of rest... which means 2 weeks of solid resting at home.. yipee... the nurse was very nice and helped out quite a fair bit for the discharge.


It is then home sweet home for all of us and hopefully that the next time my wife is going to be warded will be the actuall delivery...in a month's time

But basically... I do have a feeling that our little girl may be a little drama queen in the making and turns out to be like her

KK Lunch

Friday, March 14, 2008

For those being odexed

I am forwarding this call, to anyone reading this, do help to circulate this on your blog or any forum that you visits, thanks

Ware ware wa Celestial Being.

Oops, NG. Wrong start.

We are Xedo Defense.

I am one of the Odex'ed victims, whose names had been wrongfully indicted for copyright infringement.

Over the past month, we saw that the Judge ruled that Odex was not the correct party to initiate lawsuits. It is, therefore, my imperative to start out a roll-call for all those who have been served the letter from Odex, regardless of whether they had or had not paid any settlement fees. Supporters of the Anti-Odex movement are also appreciated.

I start out this thread, in the hopes of gathering all Odex'ed victims, to come out from their homes and contest in a legal suit against Odex. The odds are against Odex, and with your support, we can right the wrong, and prove ourselves that we are not to be trampled upon like cockroaches.

The reason I posted this thread is because I believed the time is right to act and pursue a recourse, to act against the actions Odex has pursued against what is potentially their customers.

This is not a call to support piracy: this is a call to make right what Odex has wronged. Odex has wronged us in many ways, labelling us as pirates and other negative connotations, all in the name of "defending the interests of copyright owners."

Without them, we still are able to enjoy anime, not through television, but by the Internet. The Internet has allowed us to be exposed in a myriad and variety of shows that would've otherwise been unknown in Singapore.

Before Bleach made its way to cable, we already enjoyed its goodness.
Before Naruto became famous, we were light years ahead.
Before all other anime shows become the third rated VCDs on the shelf, we had already knew them by heart.

At the heart of our fandom, is the freedom of information, and with it, the right to watch, not watch, like, and dislike, the shows that deserves our attention, and credit the people behind the shows.

What Odex had done is to disturb the cordial relationship between us fans and the creators of the shows. Without properly researching their legal rights, they made use of fear, uncertainty, and doubt (F.U.D.) over us, to make us feel "guilty" of our actions. To scare us about the struggling anime industry, citing figures from various sources to expound their claims of justifying the clampdown.

What they do is similar to RIAA, the infamous entity that has sued dead people and grandmothers for hefty somes of money. All over claims that are shaky in its foundation.

The worst sin they committed, is to sue a nine-year-old girl, forcing her parents to comply a Letter of Undertaking, a letter full of legalese that will confound an average Singaporean.

Another victim was wrongfully accused of infringement. The irony, was that at the time Odex stated he was doing so, he was physically out of Singapore. He has an alibi to accrue his credibility.

The company Odex used to target Singaporeans, BayTSP, is also of question. Another company of similar operations, MediaDefender, has been exposed and made famous online to use privacy-invasive tactics to interfere with otherwise legitimate Internet traffic. There are also statements from clients of BayTSP, admitting that their tactics are not always 100% effective. This has been examplified by their "mistakes" of sending cease & desist letters to people in France, the US and Japan.

We regret that Odex's website has been hacked into, and we deplore such acts. However, this shows how they backtrack on their promise of a video-on-demand service back in Oct 2007. They had not sufficiently secure their servers, and the long absence of Odex's website shows that they never intended to provide a service to us customers.

I think by saying all these, it's my objective to raise the collective voice of everyone affected by this and all those who felt that Odex has done a great wrong and injustice, to effectively set the record straight, and applaud businesses that are rooted in sound business realities. The money that has been used to pay the "settlement fees" are still left unanswered. Where are the audit reports, the claims of "sending the money over to charities?" We have not heard from them since Judge Woo's last ruling.

If by now, you still think that Odex is right, I will like to say that, they had been proven wrong time and again. The titles whom they choose to import has nothing to do with what the fans want, but by arbitrary choices. Their so-called "errors in translation" were done in the purpoted idea of censoring for conforming to Board of Film Censors' (BFC) standards, something which the BFC has publicly denounced. They have not made the transition to DVDs, even though the target audiences are increasingly clamour for it. Anecdotal accounts reflect their blase attitudes of unprofessionalism: they used fan-made subtitles and pass them off as their own. Will one actually tolerate a company that had committed all these foul practices and yet unrepentant of their wrong-doings to continue? The choice is now in your hand, to take up action against them or to lend your support to them, or be the silent accomplices of all the horrendous things inflicted by Odex.

Now it's the time to act. I have relayed this thread over to SGCafe, sgForums, HWZ Forums and VR-Zone Forums, to spread the message of a swift action. The time to hesitate is through, there's no time to wallow in the mire. Act now, and we show the world that Singapore otaku aren't to be trampled upon like beasts.

If you wish to join in this call for action, you may contact FND, member of the Xedo Defense, via email at aranril AT gmail DOT com, through http://theodexed.wordpress.com, or through the user that posted this call.

Those who have been Odex'ed, step out. Supporters, lend me your ears. To the public, we are serious.

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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Not getting you there

With the recent spots of rain, the other worries that I have is also transport. As you know, I do not have my own sets of wheels (Not even the licence to operate my own set of wheels, yet) I have to go public about it.

Now, our transportation is still rather decent, but I am afraid that pride and complacency (damn this word, I might end up using this word in every post and bold it in 08) makes our public transport "World Class" in our brags.... I am sure it is world class...but not sure if it is top of the third or bottom of the first..

Mr Lim recently revealed a plan to improve our already excellent public transport and goes about changing and tweaking it to make it even more world class least we start getting complacent. It would have been perfect if not for those blasted Taxi company coming about and raise the taxi fare a few prior to that... Now, Taxi is not really public transport in case that you wonder. They are a privately owned commercial entity who gives people false impression that it is a public transport. So, a fare increase is something more of a commercial decision. Only little thing here is that, the majority of the taxi are owned by 1 company (which incidentally belongs to a public transport company which runs both rail and buses as well), so when the price goes up, even if it is just one company, you are assured that at least 3 in 5 taxi on the street are affected. And in a manner that in other sector would be considered price fixing, almost every other single company raised their price to the same level. And while most would consider price increase is the part and parcel of everyday life in this decade, Nothing trumps it more when the increment is in effect 35 to 40%, which is only paled by our GST increase (5 to 7 is not 2%, it is a 40% increase)

Most casual taxi riding folk did what any sane rationale people will do, they give their favorite cab ride a miss and starts to join the fold of the MRTs and buses. SO much so that during peak hours nowaday, it is not uncommon that people miss the train due to the sheer density of people in it. But I am pretty sure that this is just my daily hallucination as we can easily pack 1200 people per train.

Most should be envious if not seething with emerald tint jealousy at the taxi driver as they now pocket most of the extra earning as told by 1 MP on a local TV show. But I would ask you to put down that torch and pitchfork for now... while the fare increase for more than 35%, their earning went up from about 290+ to a grand figure of 307 on average.... Now, isn't that fantastic. It doesn't really matter if you are wheelchair bound, no idea where you have to go and no idea where the taxi stand is, you will have to alight and board at the taxi stand..... do not be surprised if some policeman or his outsourced counterpart runs out from a nearby bushes and book you in record quick time in case you are caught flouting this law...

If that wasn't enough, anyone that is rich enough to take a cab in the CBD area are now required to wait or alight at taxi stand or at some private side roads..... and that you will have to pay 3 dollars more for this world first privilege....Sounds like a great deal to me.... But I guess now that as buses will be the new king of the road.. it make business sense to actually start a bus service that lets you travel in comfort from a bus stop near your house to the CBD.. but sorry... soemone beat me to it before I can finish typing the title "business plan"....

What I should be grateful is that there will be new MRT line in the pipeline so that we are not too complacent with our rail network in case it becomes less relevant..... we have not 1 but 2 new lines adding to our MRT network.... One thing I will make sure when my daughter is old enough is that she does draw a cute big elephant in white... I am sure that there is a market for that...

In case you eschew our fantastic public transport network and try to go for your own set of wheel, you might like to know that just last year, you had an increase in about 9% of road users, this despite the fact that only 1 agency can print the COE and knows intimately how much road is available and how pack they are.... They did say that they will peg it at 3.5% this yr which means that the COE can only go up...

On top of that, there will be more ERP to ensure that you have a smoother flow on not just highway... it could be as close as right outside your carpark....

Where Art thou

Its been raining for the past few day, and I am worried. Worried that the weather might not be helpful to recover that missing person and even more so, how it will make our country's image more unrepairable.The hunt for MSK till today is still on and that there is this little wager between me and my wife that he will not be apprehended.

It took the nation 4 hours to know that he got away, it took a few days for the police to tell us what he was wearing. A few more days for the Minister to say sorry, and it took time, time which is like century for a country that prides itself in its efficiencies and measures its speed to turn around in hours if not minutes.

Conspiracy theorists are having a field day and as the escape draws on, the toilet break becomes a new buzz phrase to take another snip at our often seen infaliable government.

While the board of inquiry is still being formed and that they are probably still trying to find a good day to convene, our dear MM has single-handedly found the culprit of it all - complacency, which incidentaly, might be the latest buzzword of 08. One feisty lady in the parliament made an impassioned And my question is about the formation of the board, which are form by ex-judge, former police chief and current HOD of the ministry, makes me wonder if the entire inquiry will one of those with gloves on, and enshrouded as State Secret and never see the light of the day. Not that the disclosure in the event of some damning findings will result in the media baying for somebody's blood, or that there will be a lynch mob somewhere wanting to tie someone to a stake to burn.... hell, it will be quite a day if a permit for that will actually be granted.

The media is now running on overdrive, to try to give everything a positive spin.
But I feel that they should just come out and say that we have indeed achieve another world first, "Being the first country to let a JI leader escape from a high security prison."

And if there are victims in this debacle, it will be the transport drivers that ferries between Singapore and Johore as they are stuck in that long jam in the name of national security and 100% vehicle check. In the same light, our Boys in blues and green, being made to comb (albeit ineffectively) all the woods and rocks to try to find our dear limping man.....

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Nursing a broken heart

It is quite common at one point or another of our life that we fall out of love. It should equal to n-1 time of us falling in love. Love has always been elusive and that many great men and women to not just pursue it but to define it. So much so that the concept of love have become as profound as the evolution of our culture. Love however can be a simple thing and that no matter how it is define, it is strong yet fragile.

It is as simple as bouquet of flower to tell my wife I love her, the simple 3 words that I utter every now and then for we both knows that love like any other elusive things, needs reaffirmation.... preferably a few times a day.

For those that has yet to find love, fell out of love, this might seems like rubbing salt into your wound. What I want to say here is as simple as this. I have been out of love, not once, but a few times.

I understand the pain and anguish that accompanies it, the withdrawal and all those negative feeling that leaves one no more than a hollow shell.. thats what a person might feel.

But what I can say is that, whatever that doesn't kills you, only makes you stronger.
Get your friends, a few of them, mobilize them to be your support and healing party.
Take up a new hobby or rekindle a new one, being out of love means more time to yourself to do what you always wanted to do... but please don't try to be a jumper.
In a way, falling out of love means that the other party is not the right guy/gal/whatever, and that for the 1 or few times that happens will allow one to cherish the right guy/gal.

A song which is most apt....

分手快乐
梁静茹

我无法帮你预言 委曲求全有没有用
可是我多么不舍 朋友爱的那么苦痛
爱可以不问对错 至少有喜悦感动
如果他总为别人撑伞 你何苦非为他等在雨中
泡咖啡让你暖手 想挡挡你心口里的风
你却想上街走走 吹吹冷风会清醒的多
你说你不怕分手 只有一点遗憾难过
情人节就要来了 剩自己一个
其实爱对了人 情人节每天都过
分手快乐 祝你快乐 你可以找到更好的
不想过冬 厌倦沉重 就飞去热带的岛屿游泳
分手快乐 请你快乐 挥别错的才能和对的相逢
离开旧爱 像坐慢车 看透彻了心就会是晴朗的
没人能把谁的幸福没收
你发誓你会活的有笑容
你自信时候真的美多了

Monday, March 03, 2008

Get the man an apple

For the longest of time, I had never figured out why some man goes for Apple. True, its sleek, its design sets standard. What I can't stand however, is that all these comes at a hefty price and not something that I could afford at the earlier of my life and definitely something I don't want to shell out for at this point of life.

But it seems that many guys are willing to pony out the cash for the cool factor, the sleek design.... some coz they used it as their bread and butter coz it kicks ass being a designer's platform.

As for some of the male that swears by their Apple, they are just being happy.....

Seems like someone found another reason why
from
Android

and

Cosmo

Name it a cool place to hang out, and a place swarming with cool guys.

Just be careful and confirm that they are straight.

And I finally realised why DK got himself an Apple... Hope he got the nice hot chick that goes with it...

And also... in case he needs to bling it out... he might like to consider this




To all unattached geeks out there.... Now is the time to start visiting that Apple Store near you.....