I'm going away for a while. A long while. So before I leave, I'm going to record my thoughts on all the various albums I've been testing, so I can buy the right ones when I get back. I was listening to Arcade Fire's Neon Bible for so long, but over the last month I finally started exploring again.
Probably the best songs on my list now would be Plain White T's Hey There Delilah, unfortunately the rest of the album really doesn't live up to it. And then there is James Blunt's One of the Brightest. This is a song I liked on first listen (a very rare feat), and could play on repeat through an entire night of fiance playing bogglific without tiring of it. This is a winner. I'm going to use it for my wedding. And the rest of his album is pretty good too. Kanye West also produced a gem, I am pretty sure he's going to put 50 cent out of business. Gwen Stefani has a lovely, dancy, upbeat album perfect for the pre-party. We're all sick of Wind It Up, but 4 in the Morning and others are really good too.
Worth Every Cent (run to the stores now!)
Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape
James Blunt - All the Lost Souls
Kanye West - Graduation
Still Blossoming Potential (aka I'll buy it if it's China or Singapore edition)
Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Athlete - Beyond the Neighbourhood
Air - Talkie Walkie
On the Way Out
Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
Silverchair - Young Modern
Foo Fighters - Echoes Silence
Not Worth the Hard Disk Space
James Morrison - Undiscovered
Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad
Bon Jovi - Lost Highway
Plain White T's - Every Second Counts
Fergie - The Duchess
The Poison - Bullet For My Valentine
And finally, there's the album I'm really dying to try after hearing the first two smashing numbers on the radio: Timbaland's Shock Value. Finally he does more than just collaborate.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
meet the people
I went to my MP's meet-the-people session to appeal for deferment from my overseas exercise. No, not really.
I was actually there at the MP's invitation (via the baby sister) to see what they do, and explore it as a possible avenue for volunteerism. At least, that was the MP's intention ... I personally had no expectations but was just curious what on earth these MPs do. I expected to spend an hour there but it stretched to three ... really tiring but nevertheless I did gain some useful insights from talking to other volunteers and listening to the peoples' problems.
The role of a writer at these sessions is pretty straightforward. Just talk to the people, listen to their problems and craft a letter to the relavent government agency. (MPs do not write to private organisations.) The MP flits from booth to booth lending her perspectives, asking some piercing questions, and telling the writer what to focus on. It was quite cute to see how the people visibly brightened up the moment the MP arrived at their booth, as though the answer to their problems was at hand.
The sad truth is that the success rate for MP letters is rather low. This is not due to lack of efficacy on the part of the MP, but stems from the MPS usually being the last resort for most people. And the MP will still try, no matter how ridiculous the demands of the constituent - it is then the role of the government agency to weigh the case and issue the appropriate rejection or rebuttal.
It was a very interesting experience, and one I would certainly consider if I had time for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gives me a chance to see the issues and problems faced by a strata of society I would otherwise rarely deal with. Second, it also gives me a worm's eye view into various government policies I would otherwise never have thought about. And third, there is the potential to actually help people, although in many cases the requests seem a little over the top. But there really is a chance to do good and make a difference in someone's life from time to time.
At the end of the whole thing, I just had one question: "So is the role of the writer to present the case in the most favourable light or in the most objective light?" As it turns out, it is somewhere in between, with some political nuancing, but if you want to find out more you can arrange your own info session with Young PAP.
I was actually there at the MP's invitation (via the baby sister) to see what they do, and explore it as a possible avenue for volunteerism. At least, that was the MP's intention ... I personally had no expectations but was just curious what on earth these MPs do. I expected to spend an hour there but it stretched to three ... really tiring but nevertheless I did gain some useful insights from talking to other volunteers and listening to the peoples' problems.
The role of a writer at these sessions is pretty straightforward. Just talk to the people, listen to their problems and craft a letter to the relavent government agency. (MPs do not write to private organisations.) The MP flits from booth to booth lending her perspectives, asking some piercing questions, and telling the writer what to focus on. It was quite cute to see how the people visibly brightened up the moment the MP arrived at their booth, as though the answer to their problems was at hand.
The sad truth is that the success rate for MP letters is rather low. This is not due to lack of efficacy on the part of the MP, but stems from the MPS usually being the last resort for most people. And the MP will still try, no matter how ridiculous the demands of the constituent - it is then the role of the government agency to weigh the case and issue the appropriate rejection or rebuttal.
It was a very interesting experience, and one I would certainly consider if I had time for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gives me a chance to see the issues and problems faced by a strata of society I would otherwise rarely deal with. Second, it also gives me a worm's eye view into various government policies I would otherwise never have thought about. And third, there is the potential to actually help people, although in many cases the requests seem a little over the top. But there really is a chance to do good and make a difference in someone's life from time to time.
At the end of the whole thing, I just had one question: "So is the role of the writer to present the case in the most favourable light or in the most objective light?" As it turns out, it is somewhere in between, with some political nuancing, but if you want to find out more you can arrange your own info session with Young PAP.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
punch buggy
The fiancee has a strange habit. Everytime she sees a VW Beetle she will yell "Punch Buggy No Returns" and hit me in the arm. It is annoying and dangerous, especially when I am driving. But I must admit it can be quite fun when I am winning.
Recently I realised another friend has to suffer the same indignities from his girlfriend. I realised it is not some figment of the fiancee's childhood, so I looked it up and...
So if you're in the car with her, beware. You never know when you're going to get hit.
Recently I realised another friend has to suffer the same indignities from his girlfriend. I realised it is not some figment of the fiancee's childhood, so I looked it up and...
[Wikiepedia] Punch buggy (also called punch bug, slug bug,[1] or punch beetle[2]) is a car game generally played by young children in which participants hit each other upon sight of a Volkswagen Beetle.There is even a website for Punch Buggy Rules and Regulations. Here is an excerpt:
RULE 2: Calling a punch properly. To call a punch, you hit 'em, say Punch Buggy, the color of the 'bug' and no returns. (NOTE: You have to specify an 'old' bug, but not a new bug. You also have to state if it's a convertible, but not a Hard top. You can also say 'Rag-top' instead of convertible.)
So let's say a red convertible passes, you'd yell: "Punch buggy, red convertible, no returns. If ya call the wrong color, not state it's a convertible or not specify no returns, prepare to get smacked back. If it's an old convertible bug you'd say:" old
Punch buggy, red convertible, no returns.Yeah, it's a bit of a mouthful, but it's worth three hits.
If three of you are in the car, YOU only need to call it once and you can hit 'em both. Of the two remaining people, one has gotta call a proper punch next to hit the last. You obviously then you can't be hit by by either guy for calling Punch Buggy. If there's a fourth guy then tough luck. If ya didn't hit him when you called a hit, then he's free to hit you. See Rule 3
So if you're in the car with her, beware. You never know when you're going to get hit.
ultimate beach party
Saturday morning, I dragged myself out of bed to check out the Singapore Ultimate Beach Party for an hour or two. Since my sister was going down anyway, I figured I would go toss a bit as well. As it turned out, it was competitions all morning and that disorganised brat had been called down to help manage the event, not to play! (Of course she only found out after we arrived.) So I was consigned to be assistant field manager, considering I've never played the sport competitively before.
But sitting on the sand, watching the team run back and forth chasing whizzing discs made me realise just how much I miss frisbee. It is probably the only sport in recent memory that I have been truly passionate about ... at one time I used to play 4 or 5 times a week because every day I'd just drive to the location of random games and join in. With the advent of work and other commitments, frisbee has taken a back seat. And also the lack of people to play with.
There is just something mesmirising about the way the disc flies. Unlike a ball, it cannot travel in parabolic motion. Instead, it glides in graceful arcs far faster and further than a ball, and by carefully angling the disc you can make it perform all kinds of magical tricks in the air. It is easy to block a disc thrown straight, but you can make it loop, float, bounce or drop right out of the air on your intended target. It is beautiful. Of course the other advantages of frisbee are that you can get a really good workout, and it is a unisex non-contact sport so everyone can play together (girlfriends and wives included).
Well, perhaps to make up for yesterday's disappointment, my siblings and I decided to join a group from All Saints Church that we knew through random friends. And that was definitely one of the best games I've played in years! Much more organised and competitive than ARPC, but still equally friendly. The people are in it for the beauty of the game, not to win, but they still play hard and we all had a good workout. So that solves the lack of people to play with ... at least until I pick a team to join regularly next year.
I have definitely decided that after my marriage and after I leave my current job, I am going to strike a better balance. Less focus on work, more time for friends, family, and frisbee!
But sitting on the sand, watching the team run back and forth chasing whizzing discs made me realise just how much I miss frisbee. It is probably the only sport in recent memory that I have been truly passionate about ... at one time I used to play 4 or 5 times a week because every day I'd just drive to the location of random games and join in. With the advent of work and other commitments, frisbee has taken a back seat. And also the lack of people to play with.
There is just something mesmirising about the way the disc flies. Unlike a ball, it cannot travel in parabolic motion. Instead, it glides in graceful arcs far faster and further than a ball, and by carefully angling the disc you can make it perform all kinds of magical tricks in the air. It is easy to block a disc thrown straight, but you can make it loop, float, bounce or drop right out of the air on your intended target. It is beautiful. Of course the other advantages of frisbee are that you can get a really good workout, and it is a unisex non-contact sport so everyone can play together (girlfriends and wives included).
Well, perhaps to make up for yesterday's disappointment, my siblings and I decided to join a group from All Saints Church that we knew through random friends. And that was definitely one of the best games I've played in years! Much more organised and competitive than ARPC, but still equally friendly. The people are in it for the beauty of the game, not to win, but they still play hard and we all had a good workout. So that solves the lack of people to play with ... at least until I pick a team to join regularly next year.
I have definitely decided that after my marriage and after I leave my current job, I am going to strike a better balance. Less focus on work, more time for friends, family, and frisbee!
Saturday, October 06, 2007
i said he said she said
I noticed with amusement one day that one of my subordinates had an electronic English-Chinese dictionary on her table. "What on earth are you doing with that?" I asked, trying to squint at her screen for those incomprehensible squigglings that I used to learn in school.
"Oh, I'm just using it to find synonyms for 'said' so I can write my minutes," she said.
Ah, minutes. I haven't written any in a while, but finding enough synonyms to lend variety to the script is one of the most pain-in-the-ass things for any secretary. I mean, there is only so many times that A said this, B replied that, C commented and D remarked. E opined and F averred while G stated his support. Finally, H directed and the meeting ended.
It reminds me of a recent discussion I had with Shadow over whether or not J. K. Rowling is a good writer. Shadow opined that she was not, because her dialogue is bland and puctuated with Harry said, Hermione said, Neville said etc, etc. No variety, no synonyms, no class. Then again, I retorted that I had never noticed this before, and likely neither had the millions of other readers that have made Harry Potted probably the bestselling book of the 21st century to date.
So as long as the storyline (or content) is good, who really cares whether you nuance all the comments from various people at a meeting. So the next time I write minutes, it shall just be said, said and more said. I'll see how that goes down, at least it will be a lot less headache on my part.
Bogglific words of the day: eastings (longest), stymie (most exotic), toenail (cutest)
(Click on the link to see a pretty cool site that ranks all Facebook apps by polularity.)
"Oh, I'm just using it to find synonyms for 'said' so I can write my minutes," she said.
Ah, minutes. I haven't written any in a while, but finding enough synonyms to lend variety to the script is one of the most pain-in-the-ass things for any secretary. I mean, there is only so many times that A said this, B replied that, C commented and D remarked. E opined and F averred while G stated his support. Finally, H directed and the meeting ended.
It reminds me of a recent discussion I had with Shadow over whether or not J. K. Rowling is a good writer. Shadow opined that she was not, because her dialogue is bland and puctuated with Harry said, Hermione said, Neville said etc, etc. No variety, no synonyms, no class. Then again, I retorted that I had never noticed this before, and likely neither had the millions of other readers that have made Harry Potted probably the bestselling book of the 21st century to date.
So as long as the storyline (or content) is good, who really cares whether you nuance all the comments from various people at a meeting. So the next time I write minutes, it shall just be said, said and more said. I'll see how that goes down, at least it will be a lot less headache on my part.
Bogglific words of the day: eastings (longest), stymie (most exotic), toenail (cutest)
(Click on the link to see a pretty cool site that ranks all Facebook apps by polularity.)
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