Dispose after Reading

1 minute moment

2010-04-14T11:53:00.001+08:00

Cool eh? So don't waste precious time!

Logorama! - Oscar award winning animation

2010-04-06T09:35:00.000+08:00

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

An animation comprising of famous logos and brands all around the world. By the end of the film you would surely have spotted at least 50 logos that you recognise. Watch it! Its freaking awesome.

Nom nom nom....regurgitate.

2010-03-23T11:45:00.000+08:00

An average Malaysian would spend 12 years of his/her life huddled in rooms filled with wooden/plastic tables, semi-functioning chairs, and cruddy toilets; trying to make sense of the babble from the somewhat uncertain looking individual who; in their unmoving manners; wave their fingers and long metal rulers across the chalk-filled air occasionally banging on the front desks asking for their audience's attention and also to shut their traps. Our public schools hold many memories of trials & tribulations, first loves & love lost, self discovery & self detonation. Like many schools of other nations, our years in school would be remembered fondly, or dismissed when the topic comes up.
Its a place where we find ourselves and somewhat try to learn the ropes in preparation for the big ugly world out there. The question is: Did we actually learn anything useful all those 12 years of education?

Answer is: Of course we did. We learned a lot We also learned that studying is akin to eating a bowl of soup noodles and spewing it out the exact same way it came at the canteen lady.

Sudents in Malaysia have been hum-drummed to believe that xerox-like skills are the pinnacle of the education system. If one could reproduce exactly what they scanned from a text book on to the examination paper - Ace! At the end of the day, our public schools produce students who can only CTRL+C, CTRL+V. No analytical skills garnered, no understanding needed. Just slap on what was printed back onto another piece of paper. Wow, 10 A1s! Does that qualify you as a 'smart' student, or just a machine with photographic memory?

Up to this date, there has been many stories of A1 students getting scholarships in foreign institutions, only to come back crying because they can't cope. Why is it they can't cope? It's because we are not trained to THINK. We have been spoon fed all our lives and when the moment comes that one is to be required thinking out of the box, the box crumbles under the immense gravitational pull of the individual's hollow mind.

The students are not the ones to be blamed for all this. It is the teachers, their parents, and the whole education system that has to be blamed.We need not lower standard to allow every child to come out as A1 students. We need not shout and brag about how many As our children collected over the years through CTRL+C. We need not publicize how 'smart' and 'accomplished' our nation's youth are in daily papers. It is just pure glorification of pseudo-intelligence. We need a society of genuinely intelligent people. People with the ability to dissect and think through problems and give solutions.

It is sad to think that our youths only seems to obtain that 'Life OS patch 2.0' when they hit tertiary education systems.

Beyond the Web - Savage Chickens

2010-03-16T16:23:00.000+08:00

One wonders if people will realise it....

10 things about our boys in blue

2010-03-15T12:11:00.000+08:00

1. If you got robbed, and lodge a report, they will tell you, "Ah...these things now very common so must be more careful ya? Must watch out for yourself, lots of criminals around these days"

2. Favourite activities include watching out for motorcyclists, people who don't wear seat belts, people with poor memories of their roadtax, people who look like they just came back from partying.

3. The love for blocking major highways 'just after a long bend' or 'right after a uphill' remains consistent; causing an unforeseen jamming of brakes or untold fender benders.

4. Guns are not used very much. So when an opportunity to use them comes to play, 'Shoot first, ask questions later!'

5. "Eh you people illegal gathering ah? What you doing here? Drugs? Pirate DVD? Pron?

6. They will always be a 'friend'. "Hmm....so how would you wanna settle ah? We can be friends right? You help me, I help you ah......" (with a smile ear to ear)

7. Flashing blue lights are great ways to beat the traffic! "Whoa! Look at the people stopping at the side to give us way. Quick need to go toilet eh!"

8. Stress levels can reach stratospheric levels in the department from all the mind numbing boredom. Releasing stress through physical means is much obliged on any new visitor behind bars. Usually happens before any form of interrogation or opportunity to speak.

9. Checking out couples making out in cars & parks, and interrogating them is a great way to pass the time on lovely evenings.

10.Nappy time. Always welcomed.

4 of the most timewasting, social de-provement things

2010-03-12T14:42:00.001+08:00

Human Technology - as what Finnish mobile gadget manufacturer would coin it; is not really improving human lives if you look at the other side of the coin. A myriad of technological advances in mobile and connectivity technology has spurred human dependence on gadgetry to go along their daily lives - successfully isolating everyone on individualistic islands away from more 'humanly contact'. Here are a few things which ultimately waste your time, suck your leisure, kill relationships, and commit murder on your social circle.

1. Smartphones - Smartphones enable an individual to connect anywhere at anytime. Wouldn't it be nice to receive emails and pdfs of charts and proposals whilst on your week long holiday in the Maldives; and be expected to reply because your job says so? Technology supposedly alleviates stress by providing quick, one-touch connectivity; but would ultimately become our prison - enslaving us to our jobs and bosses forever. Sucks doesn't it?

To add to that, in the advent of widgets, customizable and downloadable games through open-source programs and pre-made digital boredom-killers - we soon become individuals who only know how to interact via weird gestures with a mobile in hand. How many people have you noticed staring intently at their 3.5 inch liquid crystal screens, making poking & swiping gestures without a care in the world? For instance, I had a scenario where a friend called me out for a cuppa one night and all he did at the cafe was molest his mobile to no end. "Hey man you didn't just call me out to watch you give your mobilephone a jerkoff session right?" Put those down and talk like what our human mouths are designed to do!

2. Satellite / Cable TV - How many of us own satellite or cable TV? Statistics have shown it to be at least 7 out of 10 people. How many of us find ourselves glued to the idiot box for hours to end, surfing channels programme after programme to wild away the day? Don't lie, I'm sure some of you would be guilty of that. TV sucks the soul away, putting us into a trance-like state where we can't pry our eyes from the pixel-filled screen even when a volcano erupts behind us. As our bodies remain idle for long periods, and our brains remain static from no human interaction; we will soon become a species of zombie-like husks who survive on commercialized liquids and junk food as we give praise and offerings to the TV God.

3. FaceTwit - These things have been beaten to death by numerous articles already so I will cut it short: Farmville, online stalking, and announcements of your toilet duties will not bring you very far in life. I kid you not.

4. MMORPGs - Holed up in a dark room filled with light-emitting boxes, only moving your index and middle finger and mashing away on the WASD keystrokes for 18 hours a day will land you in the corner as a socially-awkward, weak-willed outcast of nature. MMORPGs are notorious for murdering time, raping the lives of many young impressionable kids. Yes they seek to fit in the social strata, yes they need to obtain instant gratification and a sense of achievement - these games in fact do offer them, albeit only in a digital world. MMORPGs are not substitutes for a real social life! Wake up boys & girls, there is a big big world out there for you to conquer! It's called REAL LIFE.

woof woof, yes master!

2010-03-12T09:49:00.000+08:00

They need to know who is their 'master'. Help them find out who their REAL master is.

Its not about who gives the most 'biscuits'.

I'll poke em out!

2010-03-04T16:57:00.001+08:00

Why would someone wear glasses without lenses? Something like this:

The many wonders of human diversity really give a kick to the soft parts of head sometimes. Glasses were once considered a burden, a sign of handicap, a big arrow pointing down at you telling the world that you can be pummeled to the ground easily once your second pair of eyes were removed. No doubt that glasses have transformed from nerd-wear to hip-wear within the last decade, but it should not validate the reasons to wear them when lenses aren't even installed! What's the point?

People would argue it being a fashion statement; like this reply to a question found on answerbag.com:

Question: Why do people wear glasses with NO perscription lenses in them? Are you one of those people, what are your thoughts on this please?

Answer: Well.. I Am Not One Of These People But I Suppose Glasses Can Be Very Fashionable Especially The Designer Glasses. So That Could Be Why Also They May Make People Look More Intelligent Or Someone Could Just Maybe Want To Wear Them.

(end of excerpt)

No my friend they do NOT make you look more intelligent. Someone with gray matter working at least 2% of the time would not want to wear glasses that allow blokes to deliberately poke two fingers into your retinas. Glasses by far do have the tendency to invoke auras of smartness and class, or on the flipside if badly fitted or designed, make you look like that nerd back in school that got kicked in the nuts everytime he tried to say cupcake. It has two sides to the story but once it comes without any lenses; it fails to qualify being a set of 'glasses', turning it to 'tard material.

So please, for you people with a perfect 20/20 vision, if you want to wear glasses just to look hip, please choose those with non-powered lenses. The people who need to wear contacts or REAL prescription glasses all their lives would not sneer at you funny anymore. Promise.

It's like parking a handicap at yourself when you don't have one. It could also be on the same lines as buying a wheelchair just to cruise around in it - just cause the cool kids say being in wheelchairs looks cool at the moment. lolwtf?

15 facts you should know about breasts

2010-02-25T01:31:00.003+08:00

Click to enlarge!

We should stop this habit

2010-02-24T09:48:00.000+08:00

We as citizens of Malaysia, a seemingly democratic country should stop championing this downright destructive behaviour of:

Fence sitting.

It does not bring us anywhere and will never get us out of any situation.

Blogging taken over by Microblogging?

2010-02-11T11:03:00.001+08:00

You know the buzz.

Blogs seem to be experiencing a slow and painless death with the advent of more and more attention given to microblogs. Twitter has revolutionized web publishing in a way that enables people with short attention spans and bad writing skills to appeal towards a wider scope of readers.

Previously, blogs would garner readers through insightful articles, photos with captions that tell a story, or just plain inane rant that has some entertainment value. Most blogs were carefully crafted to reflect the personality of its author; creating a persona and online presence that can mirror (or even replace) newsfeed websites or fullblown corporate online entities. It seems that we humans reel from all that brain activity and now divert our energies to simple, more condensed versions of internet publishing - maybe because people are just too darn lazy to read anymore, or just too darn lazy to type.

Twitter, with only 120 words max for every post - forces people to shorten every bit of information and cram it all into a one, sometimes badly written sentence. In the next few years to come, and probably a breaststroke towards the future; news and communication would just mirror those bad one-liners your get in B-grade direct-to-video popcorn flicks.

Boredom Killers

2010-02-09T11:51:00.000+08:00

Here is an old flash game which I found really fun to play especially when you are bored in the office.
Fancy beating nerds and those annoying bullies in playgrounds?

This game you play a deranged kid who has an equally badass dad. You get to beat the living daylights out of the other kids around town.

PLAY HERE!!

Caught in the Middle Income Trap

2010-02-08T12:03:00.000+08:00

Would like to share this article by Dr. Fong Chan Onn
He illustrates the reasons why we Malaysians are stuck in this endless cycle of 'low pay, high expenditure'. Of course it sucks but its a reality in our country though many disregard it due to their unexceptionably low 'comfort zones'.

Read on at this link:
Caught in the middle income trap

Bits and pieces of a childhood gone by

2010-01-27T10:47:00.000+08:00

It's 3pm in the afernoon. Way past the mid day food break where everyone would have gone home, changed, and ate grub. We gather up in the air-cooled hall, staring blank at a black box, complete with ice-chilled drinks and crunchies on sides. Fingers move rapidly. 'blip - blop - blip - blop' Stares become more intense. Taunts are thrown. 'kaching' Laughter persists. These are the days hulled up in front of the TV, playing video games with school mates.

If you were born in the late 70's or the 80's, you would most probably remember the emergence of digitized 8-bit pixels and sounds growing in homes all over the world. The age of console gaming just started. The Atari, Super Famicom, and its clone, the Micro genius; all had homes in almost every kid's heart during that time.

The Micro genius - my first console

This little bastard made it's way into many homes of the 80's, filling them with laughter, hours of frustration getting the cartridges to work, amazing family times, and the lies of 1001 games-in-one-cartridge where only 4 games actually work. This mofo lasted till one fine day when my cousin decided to pass the mother of all consoles at that moment of time - The SEGA MegaDrive.

This black lump was the most sought after console that filled magazines, posters, shops, and hearts during that time. It introduced a whole new genre of games which were fast paced, a little bit more exciting, and definitely nicer to stare at. Remember the good days controlling a blue hedgehog running around green and brown pixels, and fighting evil robot eggs by rolling into them.

Soon, the world saw a new revolution in console gaming with the birth of the all mighty Sony Playstation.

Since finding a home at my place, the Playstation offered gaming experience on a whole new level. The graphics blew everything else out of the water, and many hours were wasted playing Gran Turismo driving around in circles and building skylines to race on dirt; flying on rocket powered hover bikes in Jet Moto; blowing and beating up friends in Wipeout, Mortal Kombat, and the ever-fun Twisted Metal; as well as losing sleep by reading up on walkthroughs for the Final Fantasy series. The fun continued with the purchase of the Playstation II.

It seems that the days of hanging out with good mates, all with controllers in hand are almost over. Miss the days holed up in the hall playing games with friends and family. Miss the moments trying to get cartridges to work by shaking, cleaning, and blowing air into them. Miss the times hammering the controller with blistered palms and thumbs. Miss the nights staying up trying to beat 'just-that-one-level' before retiring for the day.

Good are those days. Good are those times.

VIDEO: For everything else, there's Zipties!

2010-01-26T10:15:00.001+08:00

Zipties (aka cableties) are one of the most ingenious inventions ever. It is lightweight, easy to carry, easy to apply, and most of all, strong as hell.You can use them for almost any application, whether it be fixing your car, random wires hanging around the house, the broken spade in the shed, your file cabinets in your office, or just to tie a friend up for the lulz.

Here we see how you can prolong the life of you car's bumpers with the use of this miracle plastic strip.

The only other thing which beats the cable tie in terms of application and ease of use is duct tape!

Rumour Roll: May 1st price changes

2010-01-22T10:08:00.001+08:00

RUMOUR ROLL - obtained via forums.

" PUTRAJAYA, Jan 8 - The mechanism for fuel pricing in Malaysia has finally been finalized and controlled under one mechanism, which also takes the 
high and lower income group people into consideration, according to Finance Trade Minister Tan Sri Anuar Ali. 
"From May 1, the fuel will be pegged at RM 3.90 per litre for RON97,while RON95 will increase to RM 3.70 per litre. 
However, the prices of national-made vehicles will be lowered by at least 40 percent. 

For example, a full-spec family sedan Proton Persona 1.6 litre engine will cost around RM 23,000.00 excluding road tax and insurance. Import tax and excise duty will be revised to only 30 percent, from the current 200 percent. 

Imported vehicles such as the new Toyota Camry 2.4 litre engine will cost around RM 65,000.00." he said.

The mechanicsm has been said to be undertaken by a team of experts from Australia and Canada who were earlier briefed on the issue of subsidy in this country, whereas after consideration by the transport minister, they have signed the constitution that the system will be made on May 1, the day it goes into effect.
under the new system, there will be a major effect on the existing consumers who have already purchased a vehicle and to those who are inthe midst of repaying the loan of their vehicle to their financial institutions.

Ahmad Tajuddin said the government might also re-introduce a cash return annually to Malaysians who own a 1,500 cc and below vehicle. The amount have yet to be decided but he assured that the amount will compensate the price of fuel by at least half to eligible Malaysians based on bumi quota."

---

This is like a repeat of 2008's incident just even more absurd. Not only fuel will go up. food, necessities, and the lot will also go up. Seriously, its fucking expensive to even go out and have a decent meal nowadays. I guess they are doing this cause they wanna squander off more $$$$$$$ before leaving the stage. Chicken rice will balloon to RM7.50 for regular plates, Teh Ais will sky rocket to RM2.50 per cup. Best of all.......our wages never go up.

Such a sad thing....what has our country come to?

You know, we are the only damn country is this whole wide world that discriminates cars to fuel. We as tax payers should be entitled to get the same priced fuel regardless of what car we drive. Should we be discriminated against our choice of cars?

To make matters worse, this is such a big blow to foreigners and middle income groups alike that FDI in our country is going to dry up so fast its not funny. And not only that, we will be listed all over the world in travel guides as:

"Travellers advisory: Malaysia controls its petrol prices according to your nationality, so please be aware that you may or may not be able to get petrol anyway if you rent or buy a car if you are not able to be verified by the 'reliable' computer systems. Malaysia uses the MyKad system to judge whether one is fit or unfit for automobile juice."

Sooner or later.....God forbid, that petrol will be controlled by the colour of our skin! For fucks sake people please realise that our beloved country is turning into a shithole and our economy is going down the drain with these retarded quarter-baked plans.

Indonesia has already overtaken us in wooing FDI, Vietnam is growing rapidly, Singapore continues to be the main hub for South East Asia - so where does this leave our country which still argues over simple matters like word usage?

Maybe one day greys will come...

2010-01-19T15:33:00.000+08:00

There has been so much buzz around regarding our frail sense of unity and tolerance. One would wonder when would we ever learn how to get along together. This not only happens in our fair country but all over the world; minus all the views through the rose-tinted glasses of media and general globalisation. Sci-Fi fans would admit that humanity will only accept one another when a greater and more significant 'other' emerges.

It's the law of distraction. Put a bigger distraction and people shift their heads automatically. If, say one day, aliens from worlds beyond arrive and say hello to us; bringing their brethren along to 'share' existence on our blue planet - humans, will slowly learn to understand that we are not that much different from each other as compared to those interstellar hipwickies. We drink the same H20 composition, and procreate in the same manner. We all have hair that sprouts from the place where the sun don't shine, and we all sneeze and laugh for the same kinds of reasons. So what is there to be xenophobic about? Yes, the argument would be that languages and culture get in the way but that all can be fixed by one thing which all of humanity should have the privilege for - education.

Maybe one day bright lights will descend on us, opening our eyes to life outside of our blue speck. Their existence will override all that we have learned and know about ourselves - and possibly, maybe we can soon learn how to move forward and accept 'ourselves'.

Change

2010-01-11T15:04:00.000+08:00

Change. Everyone is scared of it.
Oh how we love to wallow in the simplistic view that things should just be the way they are. How we love to glue ourselves to the things that provide comfort and security. How we gaze endlessly at a future where things remain static based on the idea that shifting winds bring calamity and mess; and a bound storyline brings us happy endings.

Stuck is many because of this notion. Stuck they are in an endless cycle of robotic chores, pre-programmed banter, and anticipated outcomes. Nothing rich, nothing stupefying, nothing worth remembering.

Accept and acknowledge change. Embrace it's hand in writing your story. Move with it and maybe, just maybe, our aquariums may just seem a little bit more like oceans.

This song talks about change and runs a very infectious beat. It's currently on loop in my playlist cause I can't get it out of my head! Nonetheless a great song for drives and neverending gazes out the window for self-reflection.

We have failed.

2010-01-08T15:35:00.001+08:00

As of today, it marks the turning point of tolerance in my fair country. Masks unveiled the 'open truth' about our country's societal mentalities. It is sad that we can't seem to bring ourselves forward with the times and embrace differences. The modern world will turn their heads and leave us to our pathetic antics. Losing out to the rest of our neighbours is inevitable. Those who have once looked up at us are now spitting in their cups with disgust. We are a prime example of humanity 'on the journey to the deep end'.

Condolences to those who lost, are lost, and remain lost.

The Self Destruct button has been pushed.

As of 2010, we are all going to the deep end

2010-01-07T12:30:00.000+08:00

I wish people would stop feeding peanuts so we don't get anymore monkeys.
Our country is in for a societal paradigm shift! For the worse!

another year

2009-12-31T12:28:00.000+08:00

Look back and take a grand glorious view of the year bygone. Step back and pinpoint the nooks and crannies of the things that have happened and things that should have happened. Savour the nostalgia dipped in salty spheres, sugared highs, and cascading sour-tapes; flickering on a reel of a VHS technicoloured re-run. It's been strange. It's been rather sublime. Full of farcical instances.

Cut-off places. Lost sunshines. Rediscovered links. Reanimated intentions.

Not too shabby.
Not too lurid.
A pretty good year after all.

smile for a better world!

2009-12-22T10:57:00.000+08:00

Find something in your life daily that makes you smile.

Could be that kitten that walked across your flower pots, or that oddly shaped cloud in the sky. Whatever it may be, smiling helps anyone and will give you plus,+, plus, +, plus points that would brighten up any day.

Disconnect! Rejoin the REAL WORLD

2009-12-14T14:46:00.000+08:00

"Facebook is a fantasy land of goofy pictures and meaningless banter, and too many people are getting lost in that make-believe world. Too many people are under the illusion that on Facebook they actually are engaged in a community, when the truth is they are alone in a room and staring at a screen."
- Marc McAfee

Marc's views are true to every though and fact that people should realise about this ginornimous online phenomenon. Replying to a two-word post on your wall in Facebook does not qualify as a conversation. Soon enough we will be all losing touch with our inherent conversational skills and dissolve to sms-like yelps in reality. Stop stalking your so called 'friends' online and give them a phone call instead. Or even better, call them and ask them out for a drink. If you can't suck up the courage to do so you would have already been infected by the fear of facing people.

You will be surprised at how much more it means to others meeting up in real life rather than hiding behind a screen

egnisrh

2009-12-08T17:02:00.002+08:00

"Acocdrnig to an elgnsih unviesitry sutdy the oredr of letetrs in a wrod dosen’t mttaer, the olny thnig thta’s iopmrantt is that the frsit and lsat ltteer of eevry word is in the crcreot ptoision. The rset can be jmbueld and one is stlil able to raed the txet wiohtut dclftfuiiy."

- uokwnon weirtr

If you can't read this, it's time for English lessons.

running up that hill

2009-12-08T15:29:00.000+08:00

...if only I could,
make a deal with God,
and get him to swap our places,
be running up that road,
be running up that hill,
be running up that building...

Whether its different, its still the same. tough.

Hellaflush III

2009-11-27T16:06:00.000+08:00

Hella Flush III from iPhilms on Vimeo.

Wish they had more stuff like this in our fair country

We are Robot

2009-11-23T18:25:00.001+08:00

It's here. Though it may not resemble what the media feeds us in shades of 'The Matrix' and shapes of 'Minority Report', or even the dystopian future where 100% 'meatbags' (unaltered humans) are a rarity in 'Ghost in the Shell' - we have already reached the age of technological symbiosis.

Look around you. Eyes glued to laptops. Minds focused on their smartphones. These devices are gateways to the Internet. Ask most users of these mobile devices whether they can live without their nifty gadgets. 9 out of 10 will tell you that they can't and the last singular one can only remain 'disconnected' for about 3 days - max.

Unlike the anime Ghost in the Shell where human brains can be uploaded and downloaded due to alterations of the cerebral cortex with artificial enhancements (or in some cases the entire brain is replaced with an artifical one where memory and mind are digitised), the laptop and smartphone act just like that except that it is a remote device outside of our meatbag selfs which is regarded as an extension of one's brain; allowing one to connect wirelessly to the Internet wherever and whenever.

This is not necessarily bad in any way but it is not long before we start truly 'plugging' ourselves into the world wide web; which in turn will spell the end of that age-old line which divides what is real, and what is not.

Goodbye Saturday night meets at a friend's house for a game of cards, darts and beer
Hello virtual meets in cybespace over a game of kill me, kill you with digital swords and mana potions

Death of the child we once knew

2009-11-20T14:33:00.000+08:00

Innocence murdered. Creativity bogged. The wonder of life, ceases to spiral like rainbows in child's minds.

Back date 40 years ago where the world was a much more simpler place; children grow up with a sense of wonder and question the world around them with as much cerebral and physical movement as possible. They question why nature works as it works, why the animals hibernate, why people behave the way they behave, how stick forts can repel monsters from the land Zerprok, and whether the boogie man under their beds may have a liking towards candy floss. They play with toys they make themselves; spearheading creative thought while they create and make a world of their own without a care of reality. This was only a few decades ago.

In actual fact, children of my era (the 80's and all of its big haired, electronica, multi-coloured lycra glory) were the last generation of children to experience life without much meddling of the adult world. We were born in the bridge of technology joining the new and old school ways of living - changed by a leap in telecommunicative technology. We saw the birth of the Internet and the death of snail mail. We witnessed the birth of one-touch communication and the death of the firm handshake.

Though one may argue that the world is increasingly becoming a more dangerous place to live in where greed, power, hunger, intolerance and ignorance constantly shifts the paradigms of human interaction; we must understand that over-protection is not protecting anything for future purposes. Adults cage their children like hamsters, teaching them that the world out there is a bad, bad, wicked place full of boogiemen that roam the streets not only under beds. They teach adult practices to ensure that their children are able to make cognitive actions for their own safety. They shadow their children with a cloak that is much less translucent, blinding imaginations and instilling fear under the guise of 'nurturing'.

The era of growing up, falling down, dusting one's self and running again is over. In fact, children now learn life's lessons through a LCD screen displaying pixelised characters toting guns bigger than refrigerators. They live out adventures and events of escapism through pre-made storylines made by adults. Never again will children make a world they can call their own.

These thoughts have been spurred by this song. This song speaks of the death of child-like imagination.

Cocking

2009-11-17T15:21:00.000+08:00

Question: Do any of you out there cock your head to one side whilst trying to understand a certain statement, or while you are watching a show intently? I do not know why I do it but I do it.

Weird.

Facial expressions while reading

2009-11-13T11:54:00.002+08:00

Do you sometimes find yourself making facial expressions when you read?
Like say when you read a book and you read a line "...smiled a warm smile across the room...", do you find yourself smirking or our lips breaking out into a small smile? Say you read a scenario in the book stating that something was amiss or a plot twist, do you find yourself making the 'squinting eyes' or 'raised eyebrows'?

peculiar

but funny nonetheless.

So do you do make facial expressions while reading?

our daily papers = same shit, different day

2009-11-13T10:19:00.001+08:00

Ever get the feeling that our daily papers just report local news which ONLY cover smiling overzealous politicians, gang raped girls, car accidents, angry politicians, sobbing cheated citizens, murderers and the murdered, motorcycle accidents, some mofo winning a prize, angry politicians getting angry at other angry politicians, husband kills wife kills son kills daughter kills husband, bus accidents, someone doing something insignificant which will be forgotten by the weekend, sobbing cheated citizens getting someone in their family murdered by other angry citizens which ride motorcycles or drive cars to accidents...

you see the trend here?

The news 'reports' are either negative, insignificant, or well......just plain negative. Yes, negative news does create more 'sensational' news due to the fact that "its always far more entertaining to laugh at the misery of others"

But then again, don't our reporters have anything else to report on in this country? Or could the reality be that our society is way closer to the aspects of these reports than we could ever imagine? If it is, we live in a sad sad world...

If it isn't, then i guess we just need to laugh harder.

SONG: HIM - The Sacrament

2009-11-09T16:13:00.002+08:00

One of my favourite songs from one of my favourite bands of all time

NAP = Nothing Actually Policy

2009-10-29T14:27:00.002+08:00

On the recent NAP review that has been receiving much media buzz, I feel that its just another nonsense phase that will ultimately be just 'coffeeshop talk' and nothing more.

here is the document for your reading pleasure.

Nap Review

This, in my opinion, just can not happen as the people in our fair country has not enough buying power to purchase newer cars after their old and reliable set of wheel is deemed 'unfit for the road'. And the fact that cars above 15 years are subjected to inspections opens up a new can where corruption and more money to be raked from the people's already dry pockets.

The stupidest part is the 'Import of used parts to stop in 2011'. Ridiculous.
Where the hell are we going to find parts for our cars then? Where are our mechanics and workshops going to source for parts? How much would we have to pay for a European car's gearbox? An arm? A leg? A newborn baby? The used parts industry is a massive industry and I don't see this move actually working at all.

Yea....so my 'unreliable car' that sees more road than our fair country's favourite tin-can on wheels and sees less workshop time would have to be scrapped, forcing me to buy a 40,000+ ringgit piece of metal built with absolutely zero passion. The rich won't feel it. The people in the rural areas and smaller towns just got their asses handed to them.

again.

SONG: Nujabes - Luv Sic part 2 & part 3

2009-10-27T17:32:00.000+08:00

Hope you have listened to the previous song that was posted awhile ago. That was the remix version which the lyrics basically talks about a relationship between two people. You can listen to it back here.

These two other songs are also by Nujabes which are 2 other mixes of the underlying tune of the 'luv sic' series. Part 2 is a narration about one and God, Part 3 is about life's ups and downs (this one is really very nice).

Just sit back and give it a listen. Make sure u have a drink in hand and a window to look out to the sky.

Luv Sic Part 2

Luv Sic Part 3

Add a soundtrack to your life and perfect it.

Some like it hot, some like it cold

2009-10-27T11:20:00.000+08:00

People who defend themselves too much are actually more insecure than those who just don't give a damn.

Every human has ideals and it is good to champions those ideals if so you think its right. But going out on a whim and imposing a 'personal ideal' on every corner is a sign that the ideal is not so ideal after all. If it were ideal most people would be on the same page.

Unfortunately, it seems by far the society I live in today is champions mediocrity and superfluous ideals over the greater good, and the big picture. While the rest of the world moves over to answer questions on greenhouse effects and the amount of grains that can feed hungry mouths, we are still puzzled over the fact that some people like chillies and some don't. We still wonder why some people have one, two, three, or no Gods to pray to. We still harbour over the premise that children are as dumb as bars of soap and can't grasp meticulous ideas.

It will be long till our fair lands finally grow up. But till then, we all just need to exercise a little understanding and compromising.

Known for the wrong things

2009-10-22T10:45:00.002+08:00

Within this 2 years alone our fair country had an amazing streak of negative attention. Awesome isn't it?

From weirded-out political party pooping thats better than any drama on telly, superb hypocritical statements that puzzle the minds of society, murders at most high degree, ailing reforms which would probably never see the light of day, and superb lying of the tongue which makes our countrymen look like the worst bunch of people on this side of the planet.

How are we going to dance on the world stage? How are we going to be a country of progress? The only thing we achieved in these years is being the laughing stock of people at coffeeshops and dinner tables.

Sad is our country. Sad sad sad.

VIDEO: Japan parking lots

2009-10-21T01:47:00.002+08:00

Now if only our parking lots could be like this..........

Just because

2009-10-08T03:34:00.001+08:00

If one can explain why they did something with general, factual, and logical reasons; it is not based on true emotions. Emotions are never based on logic, sense, and practicality. Emotions are withdrawn, intangible, whimsical, raw.

"I don't know why I did it, I did it 'just because'...."

Somethings are better left unexplained, unthoughtout, unpondered.

SONG: Smoke and Mirrors

2009-10-06T21:25:00.001+08:00

Love this line from this song.

"Who knows what tomorrow will bring
Maybe sunshine or maybe the rain"

SONG: Nujabes feat Shing02 - Luv sic (Modal Soul Remix)

2009-09-29T23:37:00.001+08:00

By far to me.

One of the best tunes ever.

"cause the beat plus the melody makes me speak of L.O.V.E eloquently so evidently"

Nothing

2009-09-29T22:37:00.002+08:00

Sometimes we have to ask ourselves: How much are you willing to sacrifice for nothing.

What do you mean by 'nothing'?

Fun is nothing. It lasts a short span of time but evaporates into thin air soon after, leaving only memories. Memories are nothing too. Intangible.

But. Nothing can mean - everything - to someone.

The disappearance of delectables

2009-09-17T15:26:00.005+08:00

Ever wondered what it would be like living 30 years down the road from now?

Dilapidation of cultures. The full stop of tradition. Discontinuity of teaching and skills. The younger do not take up after the older, leaving a whole new way of life in the wake of this conglomerated, media filled, cyber run society where people do not stop and engage in small chat over the weather, bees, and cardboard fixtures.

When the old die off, they take with them the wisdom, knowledge and skills to the grave. It has become very apparent that the younger generation seem more likely to not take up the footsteps of their forefathers. Mostly its because the two cultures that they live in are so different. One can't understand how it is that people can make friends and relationships with faceless people over this intangible space called the Internet; the other can't make it out how they can live sticking to Jurassic boulder by boulder habits. With this disparity, cultures of now and then will quickly disappear in time; bringing with it all the little nostalgic memories and lifestyles.

A great example would be to think of the one thing that binds us all together - food. If you go out often to eat, and are the adventurous type, you will notice that the foods of now have become less delectable, less wholesome, less munch. More old timers are throwing in the rag calling it quits to the culinary arts, passing it on to their children or some other human to continue their recipes. With this, many famous dishes have become smaller, less savoury and much less memorable. By the time 30 years rolls around from now, almost 50% of traditional recipes would be lost in time.

Never again would we see some old guy on a bicycle selling munchies, never again will we see small shops by the roadside offering morsels that make stomachs happy, never again will there be little little nourishments that possess two things that makes them notable - soul & passion.

It's a sad thing thinking of what our next generation would be missing out on.

......in the mean time, Bon Appetit!

SONG: I Don't Want to Set the World On Fire

2009-09-14T21:04:00.003+08:00

A real awesome remake of the classic song from the Ink Spots - I don't want to set the world on fire

Enjoy!

Meow?

2009-09-09T17:44:00.001+08:00

Meows have it so easy. Eat, sleep, drink, catch strings, fight bugs, and annoy their owners.

Sometimes I wish I was a meow....

SONG: Incubus cover of Lionel Richie's 'Hello'

2009-09-09T02:08:00.002+08:00

This is an awesome cover of Lionel Richie's 80's hit song 'Hello'

Naming your children

2009-09-01T09:34:00.002+08:00

Names. They stick with you for the rest of your frickin life. Please choose them wisely. Whether it be a given name to yourself, or particularly to your children. Please, PLEASE spare your children the agony and dispair. Imagine the resident big bully in school teasing your child to no end because his name is 'Ferrari Ng' or 'Goh Wee Wee'.

I stumbled upon this blogpost AreshaOnline on names that people have plucked out of the Singaporean Residential Yellow Pages.

Link --> http://blog.areshaonline.com/?p=509

Give it a glance, and contemplate your thoughts of your future kids....or that stupid name you wanted to give yourself.

Followers we shall always be

2009-08-26T14:27:00.006+08:00

Social networking is a rapidly growing, attention-seeking trend that screams “look at me; see what I have to say about myself and the world as I see it”. As narcissistic as it may seem, but people warm up to the idea very quickly. As humans, no matter what kind of human you are – are highly likely to be interested with what other people do in their lives. It is because everyone wants a reference; a benchmark; an example to follow. No matter how we may like to disdain the idea, the very bulk of us are always followers rather than leaders.

Blogs that shout "Hey look! My life is much better than yours!"

Twits that tweet "My brand of toothpaste tastes much nicer than yours!"

Facebook accounts that show "My social life's more happening than yours!"

In the end, we stomach it, look up and evaluate ourselves, and try our best to follow what other people portray of themselves.

Lemmings. Sheep. We are all just that.

Change: don't we all want it?

2009-08-26T12:51:00.002+08:00

I came across this interesting piece of art whilst traversing the interwebs.

This website is about designers ripping off other people's ideas and designs to monetise it for themselves. Its a sad thing that we live in a society full of copy cats.

http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/blog3

Well...sometimes imitation is the best form of flattery; but really - is it morally right?

Neglect

2009-08-04T11:21:00.002+08:00

Yes I know this blog has been neglected for quite sometime.

Lets just say certain things have disallowed me the quality time I can extend to fill this blog up with words and pixelated photos

Updates will soon come!

Video: Bali!

2009-05-30T19:54:00.002+08:00

Here is a video I made with a collection of random videos & photos I took on my trip to Bali.

Vid is strung to the song by Tokyo Police Club - Be Good (RAC Remix)

Watch out for the smoking monkey!

*This video is also dedicated to JQKC, our good friend who will be going back to the Phillipines for like 2 years. Have a good one mate!*

hmmm...WTF?

2009-05-26T15:08:00.002+08:00

I was recently in Bali and this is one of the most random things that I came across in the little town of Kuta.

"Can I change my brown one for a black one? This one poops a lot."

SONG: David Choi - Won't Even Start

2009-05-22T12:22:00.004+08:00

A lovely song. Could do well with the broken hearted that are on the brink of recovery.

Earth Hour post-mortem

2009-05-06T12:33:00.005+08:00

Earth hour. The supposedly 'green' movement that was conjured up to promote the awareness of global warming by uniting people all around the world to shut off their lights for one hour on March 28th.

Earth hour successfully united the earth's population all over 88 countries to participate in this global event, kicking it off with massive gatherings that glued people together to soak up the pre-lights-out entertainment. Concerts were held with grandeur and extravagance.

Soon after about 3 hours of partying through song and laughter; the time has come to experience the great worldwide phenomenon of darkness. Lights out. One hour. Hello world we are back again.

Seriously.

Don't you think this movement kinda defeats itself in the first place? Look at all the entertainment sloshed on the hours before lights-out. How much electricity, food and water would have been wasted there? And do you even think one frickin hour of being in darkness is going to help our planet? Get real.

In my honest and most humble opinion, I think that Earth Hour is just a massive marketing tool for companies to cash in on the 'environmentalist mentality' and 'green movement'; taking advantage of our goodwill and basic human empathy and camaraderie, making us 'think' that we are doing something good collectively, but in fact our cash is just being sucked up by all the merchandising, memorabilia, and ticketing that's being sold.

If you were to really want to support earth hour. Turn off all your frickin lights AT HOME - AND STAY AT HOME. If you don't want to be home, you could just take a walk out instead of DRIVING.

Events are well known to create wastage, thrash, and overblown electric consumption. If you really want to save the earth. Do so by doing your part and not contribute to all the waste.

Think about it.

Down with all this money sucking crap disguised as 'good intentions'

Have a break, have a Kit Kat

2009-04-21T14:42:00.006+08:00

Creativity and passion is like juice. It can and will run out sooner or later. When it is running low and you can’t seem to fathom and recoup the ideas that are swimming in your head, it’s time to take a break. You can start by realising that you do not need to be at your work 24-7. Incorporate sessions to get you recharged, and then take note on how you feel afterwards; both physically and mentally. It is like your favourite foods:

You may love to eat chicken but if you eat it day and night, week in week out, you will at some point not want to eat it anymore.

When you take the stress away and not remind ourselves of work for awhile, you will be able to get back to it with more excitement; compared to not ever leaving it alone in the first place. Detaching yourself away from everything work related will remind you why you enjoyed the work so much in the first place. You will come back stronger and faster with ideas brimming at the rim. Giving yourself good positive tones will help with the way you feel about work.

Reward ourselves for all the hard work that we have done. Go on a vacation, see your friends, spend time with your family, or go do whatever it is that makes you happy. A change of scenery is something very important. It helps us develop different perspectives, induces creative ideas, and the jumpstarts our willpower to go out there and fight on again.

Video: Carousel

2009-04-19T05:42:00.002+08:00

This video is way too good. A must watch!

a short film from Adam Berg and Stink Digital Red carpet roll-out for Cinema 21:9 interactive website Amsterdam

Video: Soul of Drifting, Ebisu

2009-04-15T22:52:00.003+08:00

Taken from - Speedhunters.com

This video is mesmerizing for all you drift fans out there. Wish there were more places like that where I live....

Small Wins = Big Business

2009-04-10T11:20:00.005+08:00

In business we should always think big. There is small saying which we should take note of – “Aim high. If you get lower, it’s still good. Aim low. If you get lower, it’s really bad”. Don’t belittle yourself or your business. “I’m a small player, I should know my place”, “I can’t possibly beat the big guys out there”, “With the capacity I have, my business will never get a portion of the lion’s share”.

We should always dangle a piece of cheese in front of ourselves to keep us running. It is a psychological means to make us strive forward towards a goal. So we start thinking – “Today I will run my products through my entire contact list, push forward our advertising budget so that people know more about us, make tie-ups to all possible networks, and do all of this within the week! I should be able to see at least a 20% growth in profit by end month!”

Not quite so.

Of course the example given was over-the-top. But in some cases we do make the mistake of setting too large goals in such short periods of time. It is not necessarily a bad thing but it is a form of ‘over-promising’ ourselves. The most ideal scenario that most entrepreneurs would dream about is the “build it up, hit it once, and hit it big”. It is like a one-touch-go thing, similar to a bank robbery. But we all know that it is a far-fetched idea.

Overnight success is a rare thing. There have not been many business successes that pocketed the world in one night and lived to see the light of the next day. These businesses usually run out of steam – very, very fast. The more ‘realistic’ way of looking at it would be to seek out undersized, but well-delivered profits. Consistency is the key word here. Now these, though small and probably insignificant, will lead you to a more fulfilling win.

Remember that sweep-stakes only last for a short duration. Resilient businesses take a good amount of years to hammer in a strong foothold. Bill Gates did not create his world renowned computer operating system monopoly of Windows in one year. Microsoft only managed to make it big 10 years after they first started. 10 years is a long time. Some businesses can fold up and resurrect themselves 3 times over in that kind of time period.

Media Consumers anonymous

2009-04-07T10:13:00.005+08:00

It has quite occured to me that almost 90% of my waking hours are spent consuming media, then churning it round and round in my head to make some sense out of the barrage. Most of which I derive from my laptop and computer at home, googling (omg it's a verb!) the near and far ends of the Interwebs, surfing through things from the latest political melodrama, entertainment & satire and to the utter randomity.

At the end of the day i produce my own anecdotes based on all the social and cultural stimuli that I stand at the brink of a mentally conjured cliff ready to spaz out. It doesn't help that almost 70% of my waking hours in a week are devoted to work and the neverending quest to find more money.

I have realised that this is not unique to myself. There are countless of other people around the world who suffer from the same disease. We suffer from this media-consumer mentality that we need and crave for media stimuli to keep us running. We were brought up in this kind of environment that promotes the usage of subliminal and direct messages, aiming to shape the way we think and how we feel the world. Tell me how many times have you made a reference to something that you first saw in the media? "Hey that tulip looks just like the one in that I saw on a billboard yesterday"

It is like Coca-cola's mission to replace water in conjunction with the word 'thirst'. It is not plain understanding of media that enriches our lives - it is more so that it propagates the very way we process information, leaving us nothing more than shells filled with jarble.

Bottomline is we should try to make sense of the world with our own eyes and fingers. Get dirty once in awhile. Leave your sedentary lifestyle and go out there and hug some trees. We should try our best to once in a while stop by and smell the flowers at the side of the road. Not think how a flower smells by what you have read on wikipedia.

Video: This drift vid + song kills it!

2009-03-26T17:37:00.002+08:00

Drift vid of the All Star Bash V by Will Roegge

Song: Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (Wallpaper Dio Remix)

Video: Social networks.....bah

2009-03-24T16:46:00.004+08:00

Referring back to my last post, take a look at this video.

The human disconnect

2009-03-24T11:32:00.021+08:00

If you frequent Starbucks alot, the first thing you will notice is that people don't actually go to Starbucks to 'meet up for coffee' anymore. They are there as singular individuals totally devoid of their companions in favour of their snazzy shiny glossy laptops, plugged in and wired to the Internet via wi-fi. Their eyes are glued intensely at their screen, giving the notion of an intent work-in-progress. But in fact - they are just on Facebook. And this is not just a few people, its almost everyone.

In less than a decade, online social networks have become very much part of our daily habits. To some it is habitual to spend each leisurely moment on the internet checking their Facebook accounts for updates on their networks. I remember very clearly a few years back when the 'Friendster' craze was hot and new. Now it has been taken over by Facebook, which is a much more powerful platform that allows users to interact far more than its predecessors. Besides Facebook, there are many other online social networks like Myspace, Bebo, Hi5, Tagged....the list goes on. All of which make the world a much smaller place. We can connect to anyone across the globe in a matter of seconds, liquidising borders and distance means nothing anymore. But has this really helped people in a way?

We are becoming less and less connected in a 'human' way. Because of the convenience offered, keeping up with your network would 95% of the time be done looking at a liquid crystal display and frantically pressing plastic keys. What ever happened to the "let's go out and hang out?" What ever happened to "Hi, I'm just calling to check if you are still alive or not." "Of course I am! It's good to hear your voice anyway".

We have grown to interact on such a faceless and disembodied manner that nothing is 'personal' anymore. We converse not with real humans anymore, just virtual entities of what we perceive to be human (eventhough they really are actual humans, behind the interwined digital web of anonymity). Our social skills lack, we can only react by sending pixels that form a 'smiley face'. How many people have you met in the last year which can't seem to comprehend an absolutely normal human conversation without giving web references and splutter?

So we 'think' we are connected. But think further into it. Besides the usual people that we see (collegues because we are stuck at work for the most of our waking hours, immediate family because they are the closest to you and you prbably live with them anyway, and also your very close friends because those are the ones that your have the most in common with), how often do you take the first step to meet up in REALITY?

Yes the world has become a much smaller place, but it has made us humans very much further away from each other.

So yea, enough of this ramble.

Time to collect my coffee now.

De-evolution?

2009-03-20T14:15:00.004+08:00

What's happening now is worst than any C-grade soap on television.

Video: Mankind Is No Island

2009-03-17T11:30:00.005+08:00

Modernity. We live in a arid, emotionally disconnected world where everyone cares less about everyone else.

'Mankind is no island' by Jason van Genderen

Music Clip: TISM - Everyone else has had more sex than me

2009-03-04T17:21:00.003+08:00

Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me from 金宏 on Vimeo.

Funny arse song with a funny video clip. Song is done by TISM, an Australian based band.

Random thought of the day

2009-02-18T10:16:00.003+08:00

"Smokers kill each other willingly everyday...with a smile on the face."

Think of it.

If you are a smoker, it is quite often that you would offer a cigarette to someone else as a gesture of 'good will', and vice-versa.

There are also times when someone asks for a lighter, you will notice that all other smokers, including yourself (if you are one too), would be more than happy to pass a lighter to the person.

Also, there are moments when a hapless fellow smoker runs out of cigarettes, and asks whether anyone can spare a stick; most other smokers within the vicinity would be glad to offer one.

It is a funny culture it is. I guess its some form of camaraderie amongst people who share a common interest.

Oh well, since we are going to die anyway might as well take a few more with us.

ho ho ho.

Relationships = Meat market

2009-02-13T11:20:00.003+08:00

Relationships.

It is sometimes equivalent to that of buying meat at a market.

No seriously. Don't take it in a bad light. I actually mean different, here is the explanation:

Choosing a partner is just like choosing a piece of meat at the morning market. Think of it as a metaphorical way of looking at the entire process. Markets are like avenues, places where people gather so you can make your selections. Sort of like looking at different types of meats from different butchers.

Soon we finally stop at a promising looking 'market', and start sifting through the abundance of meats available at the place. Some are brimming red of freshness, some look good but are not cut well enough or may have imperfections, and some have may have already turned stale and rancid. When posed with such a vast array of options, it is a good idea to pick and choose, not grab the first thing we see (unless of course you are that type of person which just grabs whatever comes). Research my friend. Do research on all these types of meats before making the final decision. What type of meat is this? What kind of dishes can you make with it? What kind of textures does it have? How do you think it would taste in the end?

After the lengthy selection process, we settle with the type of meat we want. We bring it home and chill it a little to preserve its 'freshness' while we conduct further research to understand what works best with this type of meat. We research and test what spices work, what makes the meat more tender, what enhances its taste. Just like finding out what your partner likes.

Remember that the 'freshness' can disappear after awhile, turning the meat stale and ready for the bin. Act fast. act quick, but not too quick my friend. Haste makes waste. Do your research first.

So after the extensive research its time to 'marinate' it. We work the extras into the meat, smelling and tasting to see if all the different enhancements make it better. We also need to test how long do you need to marinate the meat. Sometimes if you over-marinate, the meat gets soft and looses its original taste. If you under-marinate it may not be as tasty. This is the same as testing out what makes your partner tick, what buttons you need to push to start their clockwork. You know what they like and sometimes guess what they like through observations.

Now cooking time is a challenge in itself too. You need to know how long to you need to cook it. You also need to know how much heat you need to use. Too hot, you scorch and send the meat up in flames. Too little heat, the meat goes undercooked. Sometimes we tend to be too over-enthusiastic in relationships, scaring your potential partner away. Sometimes we are too complacent, resulting in boredom and the eventual abandonment.

Finally, after all the hardwork and time spent, we get to 'eat' the meat. This I leave it up to your imagination.

Bon Appetit.

Brain drain

2009-02-11T12:20:00.001+08:00

Knowledge is garnered through experience and the proactive collection of informative material. In the days before computers and the Internet, we sought for knowledge through dusty books in libraries, journals, 4-inch thick encyclopedias, 9 o'clock telly sessions of Discovery and National Geographic, newspapers, magazines, and the grapevine (word of mouth) - to further enhance brain capacities. Information sharing was far slower as we need to be more physical, and manual with our reception of messages. I remember obtaining an Internet line way back in early 1996, running on a 'superbly-quick' 14.4 kbps dial-up modem that made funky beeping noises when it was connecting the lines. This was when everything in the world started to change significantly.

The way we consume information is entirely different now compared to that of 20 years ago. Now we can look up and learn about something faster than making a cup of instant noodles in a microwave. All it takes is a little curiosity and flicks on plastic keys to know something new. Stroke of keys. Zap. I know more about alien dolphins, and that Aristotle died in 322 BC.

Kids nowadays however, through my somewhat unbiased observations and non-prejudicial predispositions; have concluded that they are getting dumber (in the sense of general knowledge) than the average kid of the same age, 20 years ago. Tech has been so interwined with our lives that we take for granted its capabilities. For most of them as what I have observed, do not take this new age channels of intellectual material. A lot of things can be learned at much greater speeds compared to what we used to have in the past, but alot of it is wasted on hours and hours of wasted kilobytes of redundant games which bring one nowhere except impaired social skills, less vitamin D, and probably a level 73-sword of 'superbly-awesome-killa-of-digital-monsters'.

I am not saying that it is essentially bad to use the Internet for gaming use, but excessive durations till one holes themselves in dingy, semi-lit rooms which hundred of other like-minded zombie-ish, bloodshot-eyed individuals is not exactly aligned to the meaning of the word healthy. Use this new method of communication and information to good use. Find out more about the world. Learn things about the past, present and non-existant. Increase your general knowledge. The web is a vast and endless continuity; use it to your advantage.

Learn something new today, and everyday.

Reality

2009-02-07T10:44:00.003+08:00

"Hey look, the sides are browning already"

Video: Sushi

2009-02-05T12:00:00.004+08:00

Ever wondered what its like from the perspective of a sushi on the conveyor belt? This video shows us the delightfully eerie view of what its like to be a sushi; waiting for the moment to be picked up by a customer, and eaten.

lost in a moment from dennis wheatley on Vimeo.

Are your clients helping / killing you?

2009-02-04T17:06:00.005+08:00

Obtaining a good network of clients is hard work. Most entrepreneurs whom have just started their businesses would like to get their hands on as many clients as they can. We will search high and low, ask for referrals and extend the word out to our most obvious contacts, which is our peers and family to help recommend their products or services. After a while, we manage to obtain a healthy amount of clientele which constantly give us projects to follow up each month, however we still find ourselves working long and tiring hours, only to be paid a measly amount for our sweat, tears and caffeinated blood. We won’t want to be doing this for the rest of our lives right?

Why is it so that some other entrepreneurs work so much less, get to spend time with their friends and family, and actually have a life, while earning so much more than you? So what seems to be the problem here?

TYPES OF CLIENTS

In order to address this problem, we as entrepreneurs must realise that there are two totally different types of clients in this world. Not all clients you meet would actually boost your business. Some may even take down a spiralling staircase to the pits of failure if you allow them to hang around you long enough. The two types of clients you would definitely encounter in your business endeavours:

- Clients that will pay you accordingly for the great work you have done

- Clients that will work you to death and pay you peanuts

This is what happens most of the time: In the quest to keep our start-ups alive, we tend to grab anyone who wants to do business with us first, even though they low-ball our prices. These types of clients pull our prices low because they know that we are new, inexperienced and client starved. They work us and squeeze everything out of us after that. This is what you definitely not want but it is a true fact of business.

It is a dog eat dog world where only the strong and decisive will survive. Small clients who do not possess the means to reward you handsomely for your efforts is a good learning experience and it should just remain as that. These clients should not become your staple diet or else you will eventually gain nothing but pain and suffering (unless of course you have a penchant for torture). They would not just exhaust your capacity to perform but also put your business in the line of fire.

This does not mean you should think about being ‘exclusive’. It actually means that you should and must maintain a certain standard for your business. If you know that you are delivering quality work, only offer it at quality prices. The price clients pay must equal the amount of service that you provide to them (although giving a little bit extra to your clients is always a good idea).

The good clients are more rewarding than you think. They don’t just give you that little extra in your bank account that you have been hoping for, but they also provide you an enriching experience which helps boost your confidence and drive to perform even better. These clients may also help connect you with their own contacts, which spell more opportunities of business for you.

So here is a brief rundown of traits that distinguish a bad or good client:

The Bad Ones

- Those who have absolutely no idea what they are looking for and what they want to see as a result
- Those who only compare products or services by price point and do not understand the term ‘value’
- Those who have pitch you absurdly low budgets but still want something extra
- Those who have such tight deadlines that you will not have any room for adjustments

- Those who would not disclose everything about a job to you at once

The Good Ones
- Those who are willing to fork out money for quality work
- Those who regard you as a partner in the project, not just another contractor

- Those who will share with you tips and techniques on how to improve on the project
- Those who regard your services or products to be a prime factor in their long term plan

Support la! Good ma!

2009-02-04T09:52:00.002+08:00

There has been something that has been bugging me for a really long time:

Football supporters or 'so-called' supporters.

supporting some other country's football (understandable because our own country's football is not up to the standard yet, and its glory days of yesteryear has dissolved to nothingness)

Why would someone give so much support to people playing a game, which one does not even play themselves? It doesn't make sense to me how can you love something so much when you don't play it at all? How does the undying devotion to a club or player make u 'in' or 'happening'?

I deduce this to a simple case of - Attention seeking and a method that people employ to have a sense of belonging. Yes we humans need a sense of camaraderie, friendship and a base, but this should not reduce you to 'become' someone else or force yourself to make yourself 'think' that you 'like' or 'love' that particular game - just to fit in.

Damn those glory hunters.

Stupid people acting careful

2008-11-24T10:12:00.002+08:00

You drive casually along the highway. Its bright, sunny and the traffic seems smooth.

You switch the radio a little louder and enjoy the rest of your undisturbed, unjerked journey.

And then you hit this massive amount of cars all jammed up after the next turn. Then you ask, "Why? why the hell is it jammed on a freaking Sunday afternoon???"

As you trickle down with the others along the road to get to where you want to get, you will be wondering what caused the jam in the first place. Is it an accident? Is it invisible rain that only you can't see? Is it a dead animal in the middle of the road? Did someone commit suicide?

Soon, we find the answer: its the first.

"oh an accident....the car is on the emergency lane. Its getting jacked up on to a tow truck....SO WHY THE FUCK IS EVERYONE SLOWING DOWN??? Its on the freaking emergency lane! Its not even obstructing any traffic whatsoever.

Its like, "oooo loook accident! OMG I never see before ooo... Wa got people die ah? OMG wa...tow truck wor! Wa look! Blinking yellow lights wa wa Im so excited that Im not looking at the road which I should be! ooooo look find for the number plate...write it down ya, maybe can strike lottery ooo!"

Sounds familiar? If it does, please go hang yourself with your shoelace.

4am muse

2008-11-23T19:43:00.002+08:00

Yes it has been awhile since I have entered anything into this blog of mine.

The times have been fleeting away and little did I realise that the end of November has already walked by. It has been a busy month. Busy enough for me to realise that my time should be used more productively.

Its a Sunday, and it is near grub time but I have not made any plans to catch myself a meal anytime soon. The clock ticks away the last remaining hours of my weekend while I sit here staring at a white Microsoft Word screen with a blinking cursor taunting me to give up.

I left the office at 4.00am last night, caught enough sleep and I find myself back here again. Trying my best to finish whatever piece of text illustration that i have to finish before I can call it a day. The slow and arduous process of piecing an article together about things that I am not a hundred percent sure of is really taking its toll on my long-fused patience.

Looking at my table, cigarette buds fill a can of Coke, reeking a fetid odour which only roaches can love. The table is decorated by worm-like scribbled papers which I can't really decipher anymore, each reminding me of a task I need to finish before the time is up. Leftover food from the last night's tummy-filling session lays motionless and cold, providing a great playground for bacteria to waddle in.

I kick back my sweaty grimy flip-flops to a corner while I sip my last can of Redbull; enough to power up my cerebal cortex for just about another few ticks of creativity. Ah, the sweet taste of human batteries...

Time is short and the work is long, how does one balance it out? Most can't give the correct answer but all we know is that we must strive on to do what it takes to pay the bills and buy the food.

Tools we are. Living life to just serve as another purpose for another. How sweet.

That's one moment in the life of someone who pens down thought to paper, but not in the case of our time and age anymore - he is a type-er or typist, pressing down plastic keys on a plastic board which churns out digitised characters on a liquid crystal plane. It doesn't really matter whether it makes sense or not to him as long as it makes sense to the people the article is intended for.

Just like this article that you are reading. I have no idea what I wrote but if it makes any sense to you - bravo, good on'ya. Now let me get back to what I am supposed to do.

Changing directions

2008-11-04T09:53:00.001+08:00

Ever get those feelings that gnaw at you, telling you that ‘maybe’ your life should be heading in a different direction? It creeps in, crawls under your skin like a singular multi-legged worm under your bed covers, disturbing your peaceful astral travelling. Then it find a nice spot to nestle it’s blunt pinchers to slowly bury its ugly head just right under where you lay your noggin – telling, urging you to move away because it wants the place. Sometimes it takes a different approach to rattle your comfort: hits you like a ton of expired marshmallows – it doesn’t hurt one bit, but it would really make you want to bolt to somewhere else.

The experiences you garner over the course of your life will determine where you will end up; but not before you make the ultimate decision of which and what experiences you would want (or would have wanted) to take first.

Limitations set are like balls of chain strapped not only to you legs, but also to your neck. It chokes and strangles the ‘would-be-should-have’ life experiences out of you. Sometimes the limits are bound by how much dough you have in your pocket, sometimes it is just a figment of your imagination; binding your do’s and don’ts. Maybe it is religion that binds us, maybe its our guardians or parents, maybe its your spouse or partner. That is entirely up to your descretion but if you really feel like trying something and it is within your set boundaries, go out and try it. Just don’t go breaking the law and getting yourself into trouble.

The pressing question is ‘why should we set so many limitations to ourselves?’ The motives behind doing something is to experience a situation or possible outcome that we have not discovered yet, so why stop ourselves? Maybe some of us think we are too ‘cool’ to do something, maybe some of us ‘think’ that by doing so it is socially unaccepted or just not ‘happening’. If you have not done it before then you would have no right to label it so because you have no idea what it is like. It is just a figment of your deluded imagination. If you have done it, kudos to you for trying something out of your comfort zone and exploring the wonders of living life, if you have not then by all mean you get your lazy ass moving. You will never know what interesting things you may discover.

There is a movie out now in the local silver screens called “YES MAN” starring Jim Carrey as a pessimistic middle-aged man whom knows nothing more than the daily routines of life till he finds out that by saying ‘yes’ more often to life’s offerings, he experiences a life he would have never thought possible. So what does this story muse about? It is a message to everyone out there, of all ages and cultures to get out and do something with your life and not drop into a vicious cycle. Get out, meet new people, try new things, go new places, see different things, eat that weird looking chocolate covered bug – life has much to offer but it is up to us to grab it. When opportunities come knocking on your door, open it, say hello. If you like it invite it in, If you don’t like it, slam the door and don’t look back. At least you opened the door to say hello.

Maybe it is time to sit down, re-think the destination, plan out the itinerary and change your flight plans. At the end of the day, if it plasters a smile on your face that’s all that matters.

Random pointer of the day

2008-11-03T01:52:00.002+08:00

If you are feeling quite sick of the usual routine, why not try calling up a friend whom you have not seen for a long time? (at least 1 month of no contact...any less is not considered "a long time")

Today I met up with some mates whom I have not seen or heard of for more than half a year and frankly speaking, it feels good to seal ties and catch up. Its always a good thing to re-apply the glue on friendships as friendships need 'work' in order to stay planted.

So if you are feeling a little bummed and a little lost, try calling up someone; you would definitely be surprised.

Automotive Signal Lights

2008-11-02T16:05:00.006+08:00

Saturday, 11.34pm, 1 Nov 08 – I almost got into another accident because some retard was exercising his retard-ness by being oblivious to his surroundings on the road. Not just that he may be visually-challenged or intoxicated but it would have really helped if he had just used a simple function that all modern cars come factory-fitted with – the turn signals.

For those of you who have no idea what I am referring to, maybe this will refresh your memory.

It is a lever on the right side (most Asian cars), or left side (most European cars or cars that think they are European cars) of your steering column which is where you steering wheel is attached to. Turn signals are also known as “indicators” or “blinkers” and were devised in the early 1900s but only were widely employed on automobiles in 1939. These lights had flash intervals of half a second and were generally used to get the attention of other road users to tell them that an individual is making a left or right turn.

To use the turn signal, all you would have to do is (for right levered turn signal cars) push “down” on the lever for a “right” indicator and push “up” for a “left” indicator. For cars with levers on the left side of the steering column, it works the opposite (if you are too dumb to fathom the idea I suggest you stop driving and eat a pie made out of thumb-tacks).

Yes, it is so simple and easy to use that you should by all means use it. If there were to have an accident and you did not use your indicators lights, you would be in the wrong if you switched lanes without “informing” others on the road. This leads to a hefty fine, hours in a police depot dealing with disgruntled officers and loss of insurance money to the other road victim. I think you would rather spend your time in the toilet counting hairs than endure that.

So use your bloody signal lights, let others know if you are going left or right.

Morons with mixed thoughts on ancient form of exercise

2008-10-31T12:12:00.003+08:00

On the recent controversies involving several groups of varying religions on their take on yoga, I find it absurdly stupid. Yoga has been practised for ages and why is it only now that they ‘think’ it ‘might’ sway their beliefs? A person’s belief in religion is based on their own willpower and idealogies and why should they be so scared about a simple form of exercise that originated from another religion? Are they so low in willpower and self-esteem that they fear being swayed? If their beliefs are not strong to start with then why the hell are they still practising it?

The ‘sheep’ and ‘tools’ need to firmly believe in themselves and the religion that they are practising. If they don’t from the start then they are nothing more than what I have termed in my earlier sentence. Mere followers blindly biting on to the leader’s hand and accepting ideas without actually understanding them. It is a sad fact that we humans can be so smart yet so gullible at times that when one individual cites a controversial remark, all shrink like prunes and panic like sick children in a war zone. Use your God-given brains and hearts people!

If you believe in God, continue believing. If you don’t, it is alright because that is what you believe in. Be stalwart in what you believe in and you will be a happier person. Don’t let others force beliefs, bread, stones, buns, and ideas down your throat; you will just end up choking yourself.

Not all you say shall fall on deaf ears

2008-10-31T11:07:00.000+08:00

Reading the current news on our beloved country saddens me, the lot and the ants in my garden. Before this turbulent after-period of our general elections, I have never been a keen listener of saliva-wastage, money-grubbing, mud-slinging and slander – or you could just call it plain politics. The last elections was indeed a changing moment. A big change for the unheard voices hiding in the shadows, holding lengthy discussions on how things should be done and how the ball should be kicked. Now armed with a new coat of paint, loud-mouth their ideas and beliefs to the world, hoping that their faint messages turn tides and provoke beasts. One among them I have become (or think I will be).

The unexpected bump in our unchanging road; forked it and changed our perspectives on proactiveness and complacency, leading a generation of open-mindedness (to a certain degree) and freedom of expression (also to a certain degree); whom are not afraid of speaking their minds – some for their own agendas, some for the greater good and all that matters. Once we used to think that the average normal bloke on the streets could do nothing more than survive for himself, can now provoke many hearts with just a properly inked thought and a push of a button.

Those whom are doing it now, relish in the moment of your projected thoughts. Be brave and chug forward with the opinions and ideas that have been bubbling in your cerebral cortex for you will never know what you might, or who you might change in the near future. In a system that is populated by commoners, villians, thieves, crooks, imposters, cowards, and the occasional clown; it is vital that somebody, anybody for that matter to try and play the hero’s role because we are lacking one – or die trying.

I salute those whom were brave enough to voice and comment on the current state of things and hoped for a change. Many moons back, most of us would just be hoping – but not doing anything.

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2008-10-30T11:52:00.000+08:00

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