the great lie of capitalism as it is taught is that growth and progress are driven by incentives, rather than the responsibility that these incentives encourage.
responsibility is the difference between the command and capitalist economies.
but where incentives are distorted to the point where responsibility is abdicated, where does that lead us?
the gears turn.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Realised the last post was #100. But anyway, here's an old 1930s song that captures the correct attitude towards afternoon naps.
Mad Dogs and Englishmen
(Noel Coward)
In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire, to tear their clothes off and perspire.
It's one of those rules that the biggest fools obey,
Because the sun is much too sultry and one must avoid
its ultry-violet ray --
Papalaka-papalaka-papalaka-boo. (Repeat)
Digariga-digariga-digariga-doo. (Repeat)
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts,
Because they're obviously, absolutely nuts --
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The Japanese don't care to, the Chinese wouldn't dare to,
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one,
But Englishmen detest a siesta,
In the Philippines there are lovely screens,
to protect you from the glare,
In the Malay states there are hats like plates,
which the Britishers won't wear,
At twelve noon the natives swoon, and
no further work is done -
But Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
It's such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see,
That though the British are effete,
they're quite impervious to heat,
When the white man rides, every native hides in glee,
Because the simple creatures hope he will
impale his solar topee on a tree.
Bolyboly-bolyboly-bolyboly-baa. (Repeat)
Habaninny-habaninny-habaninny-haa. (Repeat)
It seems such a shame that when the English claim the earth
That they give rise to such hilarity and mirth -
Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it.
In Rangoon the heat of noon is just what the natives shun.
They put their scotch or rye down, and lie down.
In the jungle town where the sun beats down,
to the rage of man or beast,
The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased.
In Bangkok, at twelve o'clock, they foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Mad Dogs and Englishmen, go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this stupid habit.
In Hong Kong, they strike a gong, and fire off a noonday gun.
To reprimand each inmate, who's in late.
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two.
Even caribous lie down and snooze, for there's nothing else to do.
In Bengal, to move at all, is seldom if ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Mad Dogs and Englishmen
(Noel Coward)
In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire, to tear their clothes off and perspire.
It's one of those rules that the biggest fools obey,
Because the sun is much too sultry and one must avoid
its ultry-violet ray --
Papalaka-papalaka-papalaka-boo. (Repeat)
Digariga-digariga-digariga-doo. (Repeat)
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts,
Because they're obviously, absolutely nuts --
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The Japanese don't care to, the Chinese wouldn't dare to,
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one,
But Englishmen detest a siesta,
In the Philippines there are lovely screens,
to protect you from the glare,
In the Malay states there are hats like plates,
which the Britishers won't wear,
At twelve noon the natives swoon, and
no further work is done -
But Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
It's such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see,
That though the British are effete,
they're quite impervious to heat,
When the white man rides, every native hides in glee,
Because the simple creatures hope he will
impale his solar topee on a tree.
Bolyboly-bolyboly-bolyboly-baa. (Repeat)
Habaninny-habaninny-habaninny-haa. (Repeat)
It seems such a shame that when the English claim the earth
That they give rise to such hilarity and mirth -
Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it.
In Rangoon the heat of noon is just what the natives shun.
They put their scotch or rye down, and lie down.
In the jungle town where the sun beats down,
to the rage of man or beast,
The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased.
In Bangkok, at twelve o'clock, they foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Mad Dogs and Englishmen, go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this stupid habit.
In Hong Kong, they strike a gong, and fire off a noonday gun.
To reprimand each inmate, who's in late.
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two.
Even caribous lie down and snooze, for there's nothing else to do.
In Bengal, to move at all, is seldom if ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Saturday, 10 October 2009
try to fight off the ADD long enough (@)
Recently, there has been a flap in Singapore over the winning of the rights to the English Premier League (football) television broadcast rights by SingTel, which is the other big cable TV company in Singapore (the first being Starhub, which has had rights for the past... 10 years?). Starhub's last bid, about 3 years ago, was rumoured to be about US$150 million (S$240 million), while some rumours place SingTel's latest bid at about US$400 million (S$550 million). This is almost 2.3 times the previous bid, and is frankly a preposterous number for a (wealthy) market with only 1 million subscribers.
As a result of the ever more astronomical bids placed, the price of watching EPL has risen from about $10 / mth ten years ago to about $27 / mth today (as an add on above your regular cable subscription. SingTel has promised not to raise households' prevailing rates to view the EPL, but as a good gahmen official I know full well the scope of prevarication available ;)
If the original intent of the media regulatory authorities in Singapore was to promote competition (which according to proper economic theory results in lower prices and better results for all), this surely must be egg in their faces. My view is that what actually occurred was that the establishment of competition in the form of SingTel, did nothing to challenge the actually monopoly of the EPL in selling its rights. In fact, this was likely a form of wasteful competition, which ends up pushing up prices and making overpaid football players even more overpaid from excess TV money than before.
Due to the high costs of entry and small Singapore market, SingTel and Starhub already enjoy a nice monopoly in Singapore. An idea would be for them (with a little bit of "encouragement" by their majority shareholder, the government) to form a monopsony with regards to EPL rights. I am not sure about the way the bidding process works, but could they not submit a joint bid? The EPL would definitely want the incremental revenue from a place like Singapore, so they would pretty much have to accept any (reasonable) bid from a market like this. Less money for fat cat footballers and agents means more surplus for the consumer.
As a result of the ever more astronomical bids placed, the price of watching EPL has risen from about $10 / mth ten years ago to about $27 / mth today (as an add on above your regular cable subscription. SingTel has promised not to raise households' prevailing rates to view the EPL, but as a good gahmen official I know full well the scope of prevarication available ;)
If the original intent of the media regulatory authorities in Singapore was to promote competition (which according to proper economic theory results in lower prices and better results for all), this surely must be egg in their faces. My view is that what actually occurred was that the establishment of competition in the form of SingTel, did nothing to challenge the actually monopoly of the EPL in selling its rights. In fact, this was likely a form of wasteful competition, which ends up pushing up prices and making overpaid football players even more overpaid from excess TV money than before.
Due to the high costs of entry and small Singapore market, SingTel and Starhub already enjoy a nice monopoly in Singapore. An idea would be for them (with a little bit of "encouragement" by their majority shareholder, the government) to form a monopsony with regards to EPL rights. I am not sure about the way the bidding process works, but could they not submit a joint bid? The EPL would definitely want the incremental revenue from a place like Singapore, so they would pretty much have to accept any (reasonable) bid from a market like this. Less money for fat cat footballers and agents means more surplus for the consumer.
try to fight off the ADD long enough (!)
ok, so today was one of those days where i did a mini-screwjob on someone else. i hope he wasn't too affected by the fact i smoked out.
and poetic justice being poetic justice, later in the day someone turns around and does a similar screwjob on me.
i think part of the melancholy stems from the fact that next week, my best friend will officially leave me for a woman, and being a dutiful person, i will stand behind him, cheer him on, take the shit work on the wedding day, speak in foreign languages, make flowery speeches, all the while wearing a suit possibly 2 sizes too small (since the HUGE weight gain episode). not to mention smile too.
you're a different man now, brudders no more. au revoir, doctor! enjoy your new life! don't forget your company who stand this side of the river!
and poetic justice being poetic justice, later in the day someone turns around and does a similar screwjob on me.
i think part of the melancholy stems from the fact that next week, my best friend will officially leave me for a woman, and being a dutiful person, i will stand behind him, cheer him on, take the shit work on the wedding day, speak in foreign languages, make flowery speeches, all the while wearing a suit possibly 2 sizes too small (since the HUGE weight gain episode). not to mention smile too.
you're a different man now, brudders no more. au revoir, doctor! enjoy your new life! don't forget your company who stand this side of the river!
Thursday, 1 October 2009
*light bulb*
i realised today i am thoroughly unchurched. is that a good thing or not... hmmm?
REMINDER to self to send emails to visited usa peeps.
REMINDER to self to send emails to visited usa peeps.
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
ctrl+alt+delete
i think i've hit the reset button too many times in my recent life, the past year or so. maybe this time i can give it a good hard PRESS and something will actually happen.
Monday, 31 August 2009
USA itinerary 3-19 sep
here's the itinerary. drop me an email / fb msg if you wish to catch me! for those i haven't contacted - i'm sorry i haven't - probably been too scatterbrained or didn't have your email address. looking fwd to seeing you!
Thu 3 SIN -> NY
Fri 4 NY
Sat 5 NY -> PHL
Sun 6 PHL
Mon 7 PHL
Tue 8 PHL -> NHV
Wed 9 NHV
Thu 10 NHV -> NY
Fri 11 NY -> PHL
Sat 12 PHL
Sun 13 PHL -> NY
Mon 14 NY -> PDX
Tue 15 PDX
Wed 16 PDX -> SFO
Thu 17 SFO
Fri 18 SFO -> SIN
Thu 3 SIN -> NY
Fri 4 NY
Sat 5 NY -> PHL
Sun 6 PHL
Mon 7 PHL
Tue 8 PHL -> NHV
Wed 9 NHV
Thu 10 NHV -> NY
Fri 11 NY -> PHL
Sat 12 PHL
Sun 13 PHL -> NY
Mon 14 NY -> PDX
Tue 15 PDX
Wed 16 PDX -> SFO
Thu 17 SFO
Fri 18 SFO -> SIN
Monday, 24 August 2009
burger king it ain't
(if anyone can guess how the heading and the main text connect tell me. you are smart!)
the face the tibetans present to the world is that of a dalai lama - generally a warm, fuzzy, tolerant brand of buddhism. however on my recent india trip, i happened upon a slightly darker side during my visit to dharamsala.
before buddhism arrived in tibet, the tribal religion was called "Bon" - a tribalistic and shamanistic religion which (as I was told) venerates local gods, oftentimes with malevolent characteristics. according to the guide i was with, many Tibetans still practice Bon in synthesis with Buddhism, except that the gods (demons?) of Bon are subject to Buddhist influences / constraints and are forced to do good.
aside from popular worship, there also exist a number of Bon mediums (for a better word), who will conduct the appropriate rituals and have the spirits reside in them, whereafter they will prophesy and make pronouncements etc. the rituals appear strikingly similar to the rituals practised by mediums in traditional chinese or another religions, involving sacrifices and sometimes self-inflicted harm etc etc. i was brought into one of the Tibetan temples and a ritual hall, although thankfully i did not see the medium or the ritual. apparently the highest ranking medium (who the highest ranking spirit inhabits) also serves as a spiritual adviser to the government, and the Dalai Lama's personal approval is needed to invoke him, so that he will not be unduly harmed / tired out.
i found the whole thing very interesting, as it was definitely at odds with the public Tibetan image. that being said, very few of the people i met believed in or adhered to such practices. they were gentle, normal, peace-loving people.
the face the tibetans present to the world is that of a dalai lama - generally a warm, fuzzy, tolerant brand of buddhism. however on my recent india trip, i happened upon a slightly darker side during my visit to dharamsala.
before buddhism arrived in tibet, the tribal religion was called "Bon" - a tribalistic and shamanistic religion which (as I was told) venerates local gods, oftentimes with malevolent characteristics. according to the guide i was with, many Tibetans still practice Bon in synthesis with Buddhism, except that the gods (demons?) of Bon are subject to Buddhist influences / constraints and are forced to do good.
aside from popular worship, there also exist a number of Bon mediums (for a better word), who will conduct the appropriate rituals and have the spirits reside in them, whereafter they will prophesy and make pronouncements etc. the rituals appear strikingly similar to the rituals practised by mediums in traditional chinese or another religions, involving sacrifices and sometimes self-inflicted harm etc etc. i was brought into one of the Tibetan temples and a ritual hall, although thankfully i did not see the medium or the ritual. apparently the highest ranking medium (who the highest ranking spirit inhabits) also serves as a spiritual adviser to the government, and the Dalai Lama's personal approval is needed to invoke him, so that he will not be unduly harmed / tired out.
i found the whole thing very interesting, as it was definitely at odds with the public Tibetan image. that being said, very few of the people i met believed in or adhered to such practices. they were gentle, normal, peace-loving people.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
figaro / magnifico oh oh
like the week, volatile, but ended slightly up. i don't like it how my mood is following the stock market, they used to be inversely correlated. sigh.
while writing, i am listening to
- Sail - Armin van Buuren
- Give it Away - Deepest Blue
signs i am getting old:
- when i bend down to pick up stuff dropped on the floor, it feels like my brains are coming out through my nose.
- i get backaches while stretching.
- i forgot what i was going to write for the rest of this post ~ i'll be back with more =p
--part 2--
got my kite flown (for non-singapese, got cancelled / stood up) six times in the past eight days. maybe i'm being a little sensitive about such things, but i seem to be some kind of magnet for people cancelling on me. am i being too nice about it? (this is probably a first). maybe i should chew people out the next time. but its one thing that really surprises me is how flaky people can be in terms of double-booking, not fulfilling promises, or just being general dicks. fulfilling an appointment is a way of showing how you regard the person isn't it? no respeck man.
although chris did point out that it is by-product of my commitment-phobia - because i shy away from involving myself in too many scheduled or large group events, the bespoke environment makes it dangerous that i'll be overexposed to flaky people (i.e. one flakeout can spoil a whole weekend). counterparty risk as they say, or maybe need more capital.
in other signs of advancing years, have started thinking about kids recently. perhaps its all the little ones i get to carry / entertain / tear apart from fighting / trip innocently in church. but one particular facet is of academic interest. how "Christian" should one bring up one's kids?
granted, one is instructed to instruct your children in the way of the Lord, blah blah. but we realise that a lot of children's media and instruction on Christianity is actually quite shallow and (like adult education, sadly) endless repetitive of the same platitudes to do this, pray for that, believe in this, etc. which doesn't really help except bring up a bunch of cultural churchified and immature ones.
my own experience as a proselyte is somewhat different. without any formal background (at least none that i have accepted), it falls to the raw, searing and painful moments and the tender whispers and self-taught / absorbed doctrine. no syllabus, no regimen, highly dangerous and equally vulnerable to false things. i don't know.
while writing, i am listening to
- Sail - Armin van Buuren
- Give it Away - Deepest Blue
signs i am getting old:
- when i bend down to pick up stuff dropped on the floor, it feels like my brains are coming out through my nose.
- i get backaches while stretching.
- i forgot what i was going to write for the rest of this post ~ i'll be back with more =p
--part 2--
got my kite flown (for non-singapese, got cancelled / stood up) six times in the past eight days. maybe i'm being a little sensitive about such things, but i seem to be some kind of magnet for people cancelling on me. am i being too nice about it? (this is probably a first). maybe i should chew people out the next time. but its one thing that really surprises me is how flaky people can be in terms of double-booking, not fulfilling promises, or just being general dicks. fulfilling an appointment is a way of showing how you regard the person isn't it? no respeck man.
although chris did point out that it is by-product of my commitment-phobia - because i shy away from involving myself in too many scheduled or large group events, the bespoke environment makes it dangerous that i'll be overexposed to flaky people (i.e. one flakeout can spoil a whole weekend). counterparty risk as they say, or maybe need more capital.
in other signs of advancing years, have started thinking about kids recently. perhaps its all the little ones i get to carry / entertain / tear apart from fighting / trip innocently in church. but one particular facet is of academic interest. how "Christian" should one bring up one's kids?
granted, one is instructed to instruct your children in the way of the Lord, blah blah. but we realise that a lot of children's media and instruction on Christianity is actually quite shallow and (like adult education, sadly) endless repetitive of the same platitudes to do this, pray for that, believe in this, etc. which doesn't really help except bring up a bunch of cultural churchified and immature ones.
my own experience as a proselyte is somewhat different. without any formal background (at least none that i have accepted), it falls to the raw, searing and painful moments and the tender whispers and self-taught / absorbed doctrine. no syllabus, no regimen, highly dangerous and equally vulnerable to false things. i don't know.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
wobba wobba
the bird from "Up" is very cute. i now use him/her as my facebook profile pic.
~~~
i think i have settled into what the job now. was completely depressed about work at the end of last year, and i really praise God that had an understanding then-boss, and that he opened up a door for me to swap into something that had... purpose. from writing pointless compliance memos to something which means a lot to me - the uncovering of truth.
i like the way the french put it in their letters (despite the awful english). our job is essentially to "put in light" securities fraud. at least at my level i'm too far down the food chain to worry if it is expedient to pursue any angles, but my calling is just to uncover the truth and hope that sunlight will get perpetrators.
it is not an easy job - reams of paper and mountains of data to comb through, but the opportunity to serve God is very obvious and immediate.
i think i am happy enough to stay for a little while longer.
~~~
i want to propose to my (as yet unidentified) prospective wife in old Jerusalem, under the Wailing Wall, in the shadow and witness of the Almighty's throne.
~~~
thought the quarter-life crisis was over. not yet it seems. in any case this is quite interesting
http://www.eyeweekly.com/article/55882
~~~
i think i have settled into what the job now. was completely depressed about work at the end of last year, and i really praise God that had an understanding then-boss, and that he opened up a door for me to swap into something that had... purpose. from writing pointless compliance memos to something which means a lot to me - the uncovering of truth.
i like the way the french put it in their letters (despite the awful english). our job is essentially to "put in light" securities fraud. at least at my level i'm too far down the food chain to worry if it is expedient to pursue any angles, but my calling is just to uncover the truth and hope that sunlight will get perpetrators.
it is not an easy job - reams of paper and mountains of data to comb through, but the opportunity to serve God is very obvious and immediate.
i think i am happy enough to stay for a little while longer.
~~~
i want to propose to my (as yet unidentified) prospective wife in old Jerusalem, under the Wailing Wall, in the shadow and witness of the Almighty's throne.
~~~
thought the quarter-life crisis was over. not yet it seems. in any case this is quite interesting
http://www.eyeweekly.com/article/55882
Friday, 17 July 2009
subcontinent
to note down where exactly i've been, before i forget
11 (Sat) - Delhi, Paharganj. Terrible weather, crappy room, chaos, disgust
12 (Sun) - Arose at 5am for trip to Agra. still ridiculously hot, tourist trap. another crappy room Agra Fort is really something. Taj Mahal is something else too. FWAH-ness. ridiculously crowded but beautiful sunsets.
13 (Mon) - Stuck on train whole day. interesting squeeze on chair class on way to Amritsar. 3 hours late (woo Indian times!). People in Amritsar are really nice. Woke up innkeeper on arrival at 1am. Got turned away from free accom, but surprisingly nice room.
14 (Tue) - Heavy day. Sikh temple is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. pilgrims, mass (free) lunch, surprisingly orderly and clean. don't really get the Sikhs - they're really nice, but their history is crazy violent. odyssey on 3rd class local bus to PK border. wonderful show, great atmosphere for the flag-lowering. def a bizarre yet safe and good natured sight. excellent punjabi dinner. i like this place.
15 (Wed) - another train odyssey. my indian friends will tell me i'm nuts to take 2nd class unreserved on an indian backwoods local train. but butt hurts, but the scenery from the toy train chugging up into the mountains is cool. got to dharamsala late. surprisingly cool, nice cottage (but noisy), no haggling. i like the tibetans
16 (Thu) - walked around tibetan temples, cow paths, etc. serendipitieously met ex-straits times section 2 editor, now living there. intro-ed to a few tibetan exiles with fascinating stories. liked these people even better. thought deep thoughts about governance and the management of minorities. hopeful yet disappointed. bone-shaking overnight bus ride back to delhi. wished i could have stayed longer.
17 (Fri) - stayed in Tibetan enclave. still bloody hot, hate this city, but glad to be going soon. did some minor shopping. hope i don't miss the flight!!!
kp
PS - think getting minor case of "Delhi belly" but not v powerful leh. anyway can't wait to eat SINGAPOREAN FOOD again.
11 (Sat) - Delhi, Paharganj. Terrible weather, crappy room, chaos, disgust
12 (Sun) - Arose at 5am for trip to Agra. still ridiculously hot, tourist trap. another crappy room Agra Fort is really something. Taj Mahal is something else too. FWAH-ness. ridiculously crowded but beautiful sunsets.
13 (Mon) - Stuck on train whole day. interesting squeeze on chair class on way to Amritsar. 3 hours late (woo Indian times!). People in Amritsar are really nice. Woke up innkeeper on arrival at 1am. Got turned away from free accom, but surprisingly nice room.
14 (Tue) - Heavy day. Sikh temple is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. pilgrims, mass (free) lunch, surprisingly orderly and clean. don't really get the Sikhs - they're really nice, but their history is crazy violent. odyssey on 3rd class local bus to PK border. wonderful show, great atmosphere for the flag-lowering. def a bizarre yet safe and good natured sight. excellent punjabi dinner. i like this place.
15 (Wed) - another train odyssey. my indian friends will tell me i'm nuts to take 2nd class unreserved on an indian backwoods local train. but butt hurts, but the scenery from the toy train chugging up into the mountains is cool. got to dharamsala late. surprisingly cool, nice cottage (but noisy), no haggling. i like the tibetans
16 (Thu) - walked around tibetan temples, cow paths, etc. serendipitieously met ex-straits times section 2 editor, now living there. intro-ed to a few tibetan exiles with fascinating stories. liked these people even better. thought deep thoughts about governance and the management of minorities. hopeful yet disappointed. bone-shaking overnight bus ride back to delhi. wished i could have stayed longer.
17 (Fri) - stayed in Tibetan enclave. still bloody hot, hate this city, but glad to be going soon. did some minor shopping. hope i don't miss the flight!!!
kp
PS - think getting minor case of "Delhi belly" but not v powerful leh. anyway can't wait to eat SINGAPOREAN FOOD again.
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
bass lines
i like songs with strong and complex bass lines. because most people don't listen or rate the bass line, it's like savouring a rare and niche but exquisite dark chocolate when you get one of those songs.
heard the following today, but will update further when the urge seizes:
John Mayer ~ Back to You
Tom Jones ~ Stoned in Love
Michelle Branch ~ All You Wanted
Frou Frou ~ Beauty in the Breakdown
Coldplay ~ Politik
anyone listened to the soundtrack for Emperor: Battle for Dune before? good stuff, especially the Harkonnen tracks. cold, menacing, calculated and powerful.
heard the following today, but will update further when the urge seizes:
John Mayer ~ Back to You
Tom Jones ~ Stoned in Love
Michelle Branch ~ All You Wanted
Frou Frou ~ Beauty in the Breakdown
Coldplay ~ Politik
anyone listened to the soundtrack for Emperor: Battle for Dune before? good stuff, especially the Harkonnen tracks. cold, menacing, calculated and powerful.
Sunday, 7 June 2009
peter piper picked a pack of pickled peppers
exam's over. not too pretty, but i won't be retaking it. apparently my job doesn't qualify me for the charter anymore. hmmphh.
probably the last post for awhile, time to stop procrastinating. i hope the guttering fire doesn't go out this time. are we up to it and will failure shatter us?
probably the last post for awhile, time to stop procrastinating. i hope the guttering fire doesn't go out this time. are we up to it and will failure shatter us?
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
rent
no, i don't update much nowadays. i'd rather talk to real live people, so talk to me instead.
i listened to the "Rent" musical soundtrack, and watched some of the youtube videos. watched it many years ago, so the memory of it had already faded. "Light My Candle" was a surprisingly... kinky. was also shocked to re-realise that "I'll Cover You" was so... rainbow. two of fave songs on the musical O.O ... at least "Seasons of Love" is somewhat normal.
but the theme of poverty, HIV, etc. is a good one. ah, to be set free like a bird again in the teeming jungle of New York City, uncaged.
i listened to the "Rent" musical soundtrack, and watched some of the youtube videos. watched it many years ago, so the memory of it had already faded. "Light My Candle" was a surprisingly... kinky. was also shocked to re-realise that "I'll Cover You" was so... rainbow. two of fave songs on the musical O.O ... at least "Seasons of Love" is somewhat normal.
but the theme of poverty, HIV, etc. is a good one. ah, to be set free like a bird again in the teeming jungle of New York City, uncaged.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
pwnage => epic fail
well, we stuck ourselves out on a limb for someone today, didn't we? put out the risk capital when the upside is decidedly ... risky. bloody embarrassing, and it probably left like complete kaos and konfusion in its wake. blergh.
Monday, 18 May 2009
Words of the Day
Sisyphean
Panglossian
i'm such a sucker for self-punishment.
19 days to the written exam, about 6 weeks to the reckoning. and then, there will be results, and an answer (or so we hope).
Panglossian
i'm such a sucker for self-punishment.
19 days to the written exam, about 6 weeks to the reckoning. and then, there will be results, and an answer (or so we hope).
Sunday, 3 May 2009
three-peat
realised that i can't do poetry very well, the next best thing is to do prose which sounds like poetry, a la Thomas Hardy, or the great orators.
this weekend, i did two things which i hadn't done before: (1) baked cookies successfully and (2) visited the end of the world.
(1)
this was for choir brunch gathering today. the MEN supplied today's menu. we actually could be pretty proud of ourselves!
- peanut porridge w/ mincemeat, garnishings, century egg, youtiao, etc
- waffles (cooked on the spot) with mango compote
- fried radish cake
- soft chocolate cookies
- fruits
- cake
- coffee and tea
yum. anyway, baking is something that i know i wouldn't try again on my own. it was a decent attempt (after my sister rescued me by baking the cookies longer so they wouldn't fall apart too easily). i'll stick to cooking real food the next time. beer-seasoned steak, medium well, anyone?
(2)
on thursday, i suffered a wound and i didn't know if i was strong enough to withstand it; but a band-aid, messages, triaged, perserverance; from a great physician, closed it up and stitched it closely; choleric melancholia never a good mix, abandoned but not quite, as i learned to my horror later, since i wanted to end it; why did things have to be open-ended yet all my helps and advices tell me to close; and so i visited the very end of the world, although this time in was in the utter NorthWest, and the water was not sweet; though at some angle the sky and the water did meet, we saw the land at the other end quite closely with the dwellings of the sea people; i feel a bit like tristan though like diego i wished i scored a goal in the previous game.
the end of the world (i.e. Lim Chu Kang Jetty) is at the extreme end of the longest, loneliest bus journey in Singapore. this place is the epitome of ulu-ness, at least 30min drive from the nearest decent human habitation (excl migrant worker dormitories, farms and factories). it was odd to be there, and to actually discover there are locations even more isolated than Sungei Gedong army camp. it was crowded without being overbearing, the coast guard station was quite a bummer, but it was nice to be among the mangroves, the stink of the sea.
the slightly shaky jetty (floated on pontoons and hollow plastic casks) is nostalgic. it was nice to be on a platform where the bow-legged could walk better. it was nice to sit on a platform, hoping it would sink, stare out to sea where old men paddle in the swampy water half-naked sitting on rubber tires. i was at peace for a little while there.
ah, isolation. someday the creature of the city will need to answer the call of nature (abstract, not liquid) and just be for awhile, harking back to Eden.
this weekend, i did two things which i hadn't done before: (1) baked cookies successfully and (2) visited the end of the world.
(1)
this was for choir brunch gathering today. the MEN supplied today's menu. we actually could be pretty proud of ourselves!
- peanut porridge w/ mincemeat, garnishings, century egg, youtiao, etc
- waffles (cooked on the spot) with mango compote
- fried radish cake
- soft chocolate cookies
- fruits
- cake
- coffee and tea
yum. anyway, baking is something that i know i wouldn't try again on my own. it was a decent attempt (after my sister rescued me by baking the cookies longer so they wouldn't fall apart too easily). i'll stick to cooking real food the next time. beer-seasoned steak, medium well, anyone?
(2)
on thursday, i suffered a wound and i didn't know if i was strong enough to withstand it; but a band-aid, messages, triaged, perserverance; from a great physician, closed it up and stitched it closely; choleric melancholia never a good mix, abandoned but not quite, as i learned to my horror later, since i wanted to end it; why did things have to be open-ended yet all my helps and advices tell me to close; and so i visited the very end of the world, although this time in was in the utter NorthWest, and the water was not sweet; though at some angle the sky and the water did meet, we saw the land at the other end quite closely with the dwellings of the sea people; i feel a bit like tristan though like diego i wished i scored a goal in the previous game.
the end of the world (i.e. Lim Chu Kang Jetty) is at the extreme end of the longest, loneliest bus journey in Singapore. this place is the epitome of ulu-ness, at least 30min drive from the nearest decent human habitation (excl migrant worker dormitories, farms and factories). it was odd to be there, and to actually discover there are locations even more isolated than Sungei Gedong army camp. it was crowded without being overbearing, the coast guard station was quite a bummer, but it was nice to be among the mangroves, the stink of the sea.
the slightly shaky jetty (floated on pontoons and hollow plastic casks) is nostalgic. it was nice to be on a platform where the bow-legged could walk better. it was nice to sit on a platform, hoping it would sink, stare out to sea where old men paddle in the swampy water half-naked sitting on rubber tires. i was at peace for a little while there.
ah, isolation. someday the creature of the city will need to answer the call of nature (abstract, not liquid) and just be for awhile, harking back to Eden.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
fragments
NMP Siew Kum Hong
one of Singapore's Nominated Members of Parliament (i.e. non-voting MPs not directly elected by the people, but selected for Parliament to represent diverse interests), Mr Siew Kum Hong, has decided to run for re-nomination (?). this is a man i respect, even if his views are a little too much into left field for my taste.
he has certainly posed many tough questions to civil servants (including myself) to answer. his efforts to ensure accountability in Singapore's all-powerful bureaucracy (our politicans are effectively senior bureaucrats). i appreciated one of the comments that was made in regard to this role of the MPs (was by PM Lee i think). the job of Parliament in Singapore's case is less to formulate legislation (unlike many larger democracies), than to hold the bureaucracy accountable. although I believe that the record is mixed at best, it certainly is a system which works for Singapore. always good to have some degree of checks and balances without resorting to unnecessary judicial means (read: Supreme Court decides who's President). however, this does not entirely solve the very prevalent problem of groupthink in the gobierno here. (can't say the English G-word, may lose my job)
NCC
One of the large "independent" churches here (let's call it NCC, or National Cadet Corps) makes me very uncomfortable for two reasons. The first is the undue emphasis on the prosperity gospel (which is staunchly denied, sometimes well-justified, but always lurking in the background as the material is emphasised above the spiritual). The second is the undue adulation given to their senior pastor (let's call him JP Morgan). He is apparently paid $500,000 a year.
Having been embroiled in the "should ministers and civil servants be paid tons or peanuts" thing, I believe that even religious leaders should be paid well, but not extravagantly, as befitting their responsibility. However, they should justify it by living modestly, as according to the commands of the Bible. What really galls me is one of lieutenant's assertion that because JPM brings in 95% of the church's revenue (i.e. donations), he actually is a net profit to the church. This is alarming and entirely contrary to what a church should be. Our currency is souls, not dollars. A worker for God will be assessed by God's standard in good works and fulfilling his mission and commandments. Taking in material wealth is surely a very small part.
one of Singapore's Nominated Members of Parliament (i.e. non-voting MPs not directly elected by the people, but selected for Parliament to represent diverse interests), Mr Siew Kum Hong, has decided to run for re-nomination (?). this is a man i respect, even if his views are a little too much into left field for my taste.
he has certainly posed many tough questions to civil servants (including myself) to answer. his efforts to ensure accountability in Singapore's all-powerful bureaucracy (our politicans are effectively senior bureaucrats). i appreciated one of the comments that was made in regard to this role of the MPs (was by PM Lee i think). the job of Parliament in Singapore's case is less to formulate legislation (unlike many larger democracies), than to hold the bureaucracy accountable. although I believe that the record is mixed at best, it certainly is a system which works for Singapore. always good to have some degree of checks and balances without resorting to unnecessary judicial means (read: Supreme Court decides who's President). however, this does not entirely solve the very prevalent problem of groupthink in the gobierno here. (can't say the English G-word, may lose my job)
NCC
One of the large "independent" churches here (let's call it NCC, or National Cadet Corps) makes me very uncomfortable for two reasons. The first is the undue emphasis on the prosperity gospel (which is staunchly denied, sometimes well-justified, but always lurking in the background as the material is emphasised above the spiritual). The second is the undue adulation given to their senior pastor (let's call him JP Morgan). He is apparently paid $500,000 a year.
Having been embroiled in the "should ministers and civil servants be paid tons or peanuts" thing, I believe that even religious leaders should be paid well, but not extravagantly, as befitting their responsibility. However, they should justify it by living modestly, as according to the commands of the Bible. What really galls me is one of lieutenant's assertion that because JPM brings in 95% of the church's revenue (i.e. donations), he actually is a net profit to the church. This is alarming and entirely contrary to what a church should be. Our currency is souls, not dollars. A worker for God will be assessed by God's standard in good works and fulfilling his mission and commandments. Taking in material wealth is surely a very small part.
shut up and sit down (whatever that means)
lots has happened over the past few days / weeks. as a result have sacrificed quality (i.e. scintillating intellect and rapier wit) for a broad coverage of the issues at hand. it's been quite overwhelming really, sometimes i begin to question ... everything.
the meaty (pun not completely intended) stuff first then:
swine flu: it's been starting to get a bit disruptive already. although there have been no reported cases of infection (yet), my company has already made plans to "split operations" next week. this means i'll get to work from home. woohoo! i guess. though wouldn't people get bored with constantly staying at home? better to do a rotation basis i guess, where some people will come in 1/3/5 and 2/4/6 etc etc. fairer that way. i'll miss the colleagues and human interactions at work though, i guess will volunteer to go back at some point.
the important thing is not to overreact or underreact - one might say the extreme quarantine measures (e.g. HK) are a bit overdone, but tensions are pretty high here after SARS in 2003. i guess its a measure of how "successful" the asians have been that the petty outbreaks in the past few years have been nipped in the bud, while the big epidemic comes from an animal (pig) in a place (MX) that no one really anticipated. pray this will blow over quickly though, plague is NOT fun. but then again you could say its one thing that doesn't really discriminate, an "Act of God".
AWARE: Storm in a teacup, in my opinion. For those not in the same country, some younger members (mostly Christians) stage a coup d'etat in the most prominent women's rights NGO here and took over the important positions. Main reason cited for dissatisfaction was the permissive attitude of the old committee towards LGBT issues, including, inter alia, (omg i used a lawyers' term!) slipping innuendos that such things are permissive into educational materials for secondary schoolers (middle schools).
I would agree with the mainstream population's (and church's) opinions on this one. I'll come out to say that I am against over-permissiveness on LGBT issues (to the extent that the lifestyle rather than only the person is condoned), but the methods which were used were wrong. We should not be washing our dirty linen in public a la coups d'etat (and even in a small NGO which, though high-profile, is not widely supported). Should they have established a separate organisation? Maybe. But i guess the problem still boiled down to the breakdown in relationships between the different parties. Did the course of events show that the "new guard" were too hasty? Possibly.
I would also be against overt Church (with both a big and small "C") involvement in this issue. After all, it is too small to use valuable political capital to weigh in on the issue (unlike things of large scale importance like, say, casinos or abolishing Penal Code 377A). Generally we should be known to be there and known to be actively working, but not getting dragged down into the politicking and compromising of the world. "Seen but not heard" isn't entirely accurate, but it encapsulates part of the meaning.
afternote: the "new guard" lost a no-confidence vote, and decided to step down. i guess it's a 50-50 situation after all... further confrontations have been avoided and the old people are back, although severely discredited. the winners in this case are citizen journalists... although i'm not sure if the pro-LGBT crowd can claim a clear cut victory on this one. "women's activism" definitely suffered a setback, although in SG the need for such an organisation, i believe, is past. perhaps this will shift more political attention to groups which may need it, like the arts or the environment.
the meaty (pun not completely intended) stuff first then:
swine flu: it's been starting to get a bit disruptive already. although there have been no reported cases of infection (yet), my company has already made plans to "split operations" next week. this means i'll get to work from home. woohoo! i guess. though wouldn't people get bored with constantly staying at home? better to do a rotation basis i guess, where some people will come in 1/3/5 and 2/4/6 etc etc. fairer that way. i'll miss the colleagues and human interactions at work though, i guess will volunteer to go back at some point.
the important thing is not to overreact or underreact - one might say the extreme quarantine measures (e.g. HK) are a bit overdone, but tensions are pretty high here after SARS in 2003. i guess its a measure of how "successful" the asians have been that the petty outbreaks in the past few years have been nipped in the bud, while the big epidemic comes from an animal (pig) in a place (MX) that no one really anticipated. pray this will blow over quickly though, plague is NOT fun. but then again you could say its one thing that doesn't really discriminate, an "Act of God".
AWARE: Storm in a teacup, in my opinion. For those not in the same country, some younger members (mostly Christians) stage a coup d'etat in the most prominent women's rights NGO here and took over the important positions. Main reason cited for dissatisfaction was the permissive attitude of the old committee towards LGBT issues, including, inter alia, (omg i used a lawyers' term!) slipping innuendos that such things are permissive into educational materials for secondary schoolers (middle schools).
I would agree with the mainstream population's (and church's) opinions on this one. I'll come out to say that I am against over-permissiveness on LGBT issues (to the extent that the lifestyle rather than only the person is condoned), but the methods which were used were wrong. We should not be washing our dirty linen in public a la coups d'etat (and even in a small NGO which, though high-profile, is not widely supported). Should they have established a separate organisation? Maybe. But i guess the problem still boiled down to the breakdown in relationships between the different parties. Did the course of events show that the "new guard" were too hasty? Possibly.
I would also be against overt Church (with both a big and small "C") involvement in this issue. After all, it is too small to use valuable political capital to weigh in on the issue (unlike things of large scale importance like, say, casinos or abolishing Penal Code 377A). Generally we should be known to be there and known to be actively working, but not getting dragged down into the politicking and compromising of the world. "Seen but not heard" isn't entirely accurate, but it encapsulates part of the meaning.
afternote: the "new guard" lost a no-confidence vote, and decided to step down. i guess it's a 50-50 situation after all... further confrontations have been avoided and the old people are back, although severely discredited. the winners in this case are citizen journalists... although i'm not sure if the pro-LGBT crowd can claim a clear cut victory on this one. "women's activism" definitely suffered a setback, although in SG the need for such an organisation, i believe, is past. perhaps this will shift more political attention to groups which may need it, like the arts or the environment.
Saturday, 21 March 2009
dumb
In my apartment building, the lifts (elevators) stop at 3 floors - 1, 6 and 11.
When more than one person enters the lift at the 1st floor, it is polite to ask the other person which floor he / she is going to, in case he / she is going somewhere different from you. You will then press the buttons corresponding to the correct floors.
But recently, I have encountered many people who are too rude / lazy to talk to the other person in the lift. They just automatically press the "6" and the "11" button at the same time. As a result, if both of us are going to the 11th floor, the lift makes a needless stop at the 6th floor. This is especially irritating if you are going home at the end of a long work day and gruelling commute. Won't it just hurt to ask?
When more than one person enters the lift at the 1st floor, it is polite to ask the other person which floor he / she is going to, in case he / she is going somewhere different from you. You will then press the buttons corresponding to the correct floors.
But recently, I have encountered many people who are too rude / lazy to talk to the other person in the lift. They just automatically press the "6" and the "11" button at the same time. As a result, if both of us are going to the 11th floor, the lift makes a needless stop at the 6th floor. This is especially irritating if you are going home at the end of a long work day and gruelling commute. Won't it just hurt to ask?
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
hothead
two things have happened in the past week which are post-worthy and not whiny, for once, so i should set down a short summary here.
the first is that i nearly died about three days ago, from a 41 degree (106 F) fever - apparently 39 degrees causes permanent brain damage already, but i don't feel any dumber than before, thankfully. one would have expected near-death experiences to be a little bit more glamourous than this, but you can't have everything.
it was a good experience though. don't think i have ever been this sick before. it is quite something else, fainting in the toilet (getting a sprained knee and ankle in the process), and sticking in a prolonged period of delirium, where you're so bad you don't even have control of your body. everybody needs an occasional reminder of their mortality. it is a good tap on the shoulder for several things:
(1) God loves you and saves your ass more often than you think;
(2) Life has gotta slow down a little bit (don't gulp that water, let alone try to rush to the loo);
(3) Health is important, and if you're feeling bored, there are plenty of ways to pay attention to it.
i'm ok now, excepting a slight residual headache from the medication. no more late nights for me for the near future, going back to face the wall of work tomorrow - which, i believe, is surmountable if i don't take it so seriously.
this and last week, i had also taken some time to peruse the annual report of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (Disclosure: Your correspondent owns one B share of the aforementioned company).
The "Chairman's Letter" is a very well written piece of business prose, even if some of the metaphors used are a little far-fetched. The sentences are well-clipped and easy to read at a glance, not taking more than two lines each for the most part (contrast unreadable official memos). The business descriptions are generally understandable and also a pleasure to read, and are useful for the uneducated shareholder to have a fairly accurate picture of the business. The educated shareholder is fairly easily able to identify areas of potential loss and / or "further interest".
next year, i think i would like to go to the "Woodstock for Capitalists". apparently there is a special meet-and-greet session for non US / Canada shareholders! =)
the first is that i nearly died about three days ago, from a 41 degree (106 F) fever - apparently 39 degrees causes permanent brain damage already, but i don't feel any dumber than before, thankfully. one would have expected near-death experiences to be a little bit more glamourous than this, but you can't have everything.
it was a good experience though. don't think i have ever been this sick before. it is quite something else, fainting in the toilet (getting a sprained knee and ankle in the process), and sticking in a prolonged period of delirium, where you're so bad you don't even have control of your body. everybody needs an occasional reminder of their mortality. it is a good tap on the shoulder for several things:
(1) God loves you and saves your ass more often than you think;
(2) Life has gotta slow down a little bit (don't gulp that water, let alone try to rush to the loo);
(3) Health is important, and if you're feeling bored, there are plenty of ways to pay attention to it.
i'm ok now, excepting a slight residual headache from the medication. no more late nights for me for the near future, going back to face the wall of work tomorrow - which, i believe, is surmountable if i don't take it so seriously.
this and last week, i had also taken some time to peruse the annual report of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (Disclosure: Your correspondent owns one B share of the aforementioned company).
The "Chairman's Letter" is a very well written piece of business prose, even if some of the metaphors used are a little far-fetched. The sentences are well-clipped and easy to read at a glance, not taking more than two lines each for the most part (contrast unreadable official memos). The business descriptions are generally understandable and also a pleasure to read, and are useful for the uneducated shareholder to have a fairly accurate picture of the business. The educated shareholder is fairly easily able to identify areas of potential loss and / or "further interest".
next year, i think i would like to go to the "Woodstock for Capitalists". apparently there is a special meet-and-greet session for non US / Canada shareholders! =)
Monday, 9 February 2009
maybe there's a God of ipod playlists
"Dear God, I pray that you will make life less sucky..."
then:
"Man in the Mirror" ~ Michael Jackson
"Adios Melancholia" ~ Ricardo Arjona
then:
"Man in the Mirror" ~ Michael Jackson
"Adios Melancholia" ~ Ricardo Arjona
Saturday, 7 February 2009
update
what i have done recently:
tried my hand at being a cop (it's harder than it seems)
read the screwtape letters
thought a lot
booked a ticket to the USA (September!!)
survived a weekend visiting assorted "relatives"
thought about buying a house
attended a 10th year secondary school reunion in the 11th year
took a nice walk down changi beach
walled-up
valued a credit derivative
you know how people say that the truly authentic speakers and grand poobahs speak from experience and how in that way it is even more powerful and moving? i think it's been a bit like that.
it is a bit odd to see bible passages come to life, especially the theorectical / theological ones that pop up in the Wisdom books / letters.
i don't think i'd ever want to own a house. the maintenance is a bitch, and the property tax...! but am looking at an apartment. i hope property prices crater though, so can afford at least a cardboard shack in an area i want. who ever said civil servants were rolling in it?
next change (in the works) - some actually intelligent writing on the aftermath of financial crises. been meaning to write something coherent (like in the past) for awhile now, but work is really draining. can someone suggest a topic at least?
possibly not clairvoyant, but i sat down in fall 2007 (sometime after the subprime crisis hit) and wrote the following down:
- 2008 / 9 everything will go to shit
- inflation
- sovereigns in trouble
- bankruptcies - distressed companies
- stock market to fall ~30-40%
- long slow recovery
partially right... but wouldn't put it down to any individual genius. maybe it's better to take a step back and predict stuff for the medium-term instead? cos the short term is always volatile, and in the long run we're all dead. so MT is the way for rational predictions. the leading indicators are usually right, just ... lagging.
i don't like acting as a service provider.
this is hilarious - http://dabagirls.wordpress.com
it's difficult to believe how it can be 46 degrees C in melbourne! i thought australia had good weather.
it's been quite amazing, growing up and seeing other people. like to think of self as a student of life and people more than anything else. when you were younger, you were with your parents and other people who were mostly like you. pretty controlled. when you get older, it just never ceases to amaze you have weird and wonderful and in what utterly fucked up and amazing ways people can turn out.
and it hurts when the ones in your actual circle just don't get it.
tried my hand at being a cop (it's harder than it seems)
read the screwtape letters
thought a lot
booked a ticket to the USA (September!!)
survived a weekend visiting assorted "relatives"
thought about buying a house
attended a 10th year secondary school reunion in the 11th year
took a nice walk down changi beach
walled-up
valued a credit derivative
you know how people say that the truly authentic speakers and grand poobahs speak from experience and how in that way it is even more powerful and moving? i think it's been a bit like that.
it is a bit odd to see bible passages come to life, especially the theorectical / theological ones that pop up in the Wisdom books / letters.
i don't think i'd ever want to own a house. the maintenance is a bitch, and the property tax...! but am looking at an apartment. i hope property prices crater though, so can afford at least a cardboard shack in an area i want. who ever said civil servants were rolling in it?
next change (in the works) - some actually intelligent writing on the aftermath of financial crises. been meaning to write something coherent (like in the past) for awhile now, but work is really draining. can someone suggest a topic at least?
possibly not clairvoyant, but i sat down in fall 2007 (sometime after the subprime crisis hit) and wrote the following down:
- 2008 / 9 everything will go to shit
- inflation
- sovereigns in trouble
- bankruptcies - distressed companies
- stock market to fall ~30-40%
- long slow recovery
partially right... but wouldn't put it down to any individual genius. maybe it's better to take a step back and predict stuff for the medium-term instead? cos the short term is always volatile, and in the long run we're all dead. so MT is the way for rational predictions. the leading indicators are usually right, just ... lagging.
i don't like acting as a service provider.
this is hilarious - http://dabagirls.wordpress.com
it's difficult to believe how it can be 46 degrees C in melbourne! i thought australia had good weather.
it's been quite amazing, growing up and seeing other people. like to think of self as a student of life and people more than anything else. when you were younger, you were with your parents and other people who were mostly like you. pretty controlled. when you get older, it just never ceases to amaze you have weird and wonderful and in what utterly fucked up and amazing ways people can turn out.
and it hurts when the ones in your actual circle just don't get it.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
happy new year!
a very happy new year to all of you, and hope that it goes better this time of trying =)
very revelatory past fortnight. we'll see where it goes from here. the required realignment seems to be much much more fundamental than expected, but the rewards are potentially huge.
this is the year of risk-taking. this is the year of (hopefully) living dangerously, in a much fuller way than ever expected.
if anyone needs an explanation it's better to talk to me. i think if i don't talk to anyone i'll explode.
*bamf*
very revelatory past fortnight. we'll see where it goes from here. the required realignment seems to be much much more fundamental than expected, but the rewards are potentially huge.
this is the year of risk-taking. this is the year of (hopefully) living dangerously, in a much fuller way than ever expected.
if anyone needs an explanation it's better to talk to me. i think if i don't talk to anyone i'll explode.
*bamf*
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