Its that time of the year again.
The time when exams, assignments, promises, commitments all comes to a head. Sometimes i wonder if deep within our psyche we all planned it this way. Subconsciously we must know that things are due right about this time, right? Why the hell do people put their deadlines to this date? Do we take perverse pleasure in squeezing all the work into one singularity of academic time?
My core subject presentations were due last week, on a Friday. Before that, there was a midsemester exam on tuesday. Right after that, there is another student presentation on tuesday. The core subject presentation has, tagging along with it, a 1,500 word summary assignment due this friday (ie, tomorrow). Due on the same friday is also a microbiology wikipedia style entry on a specific topic that we had to assemble. Come next wednesday, lab prac books are due. Tables need to be filled, graph needs to be drawn, and data assembled. A week of study break later and its the mother of all deadlines, the examination period.
Predictably, my body broke down and i started coughing and hacking. Its been that way for 3 weeks now. My body took the cue from all the stress and i came down with the annual flu. At least i know i wont get sick again this year. There is a huge huge irony out in the universe that my core subject's presentation was about the Influenza virus, and i was struck down by influenza right in the middle of it. If there is a god, i don't think s/he/it is a force for good. I don't even think it is a force of external evil.
No, if there is one force out there that is everlasting and eternal, its gonna be Irony. And its progeny called Sarcasm.
You won't hear from me much these few days. I predict to drop quite dead on sunday. Expect some pretty wild behavior from me on that day. I deserve it.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
"He ain't Heavy, He's my Father!" or, why you should help me with my quota
The Chinese Theater Group cantonese production will be starting their show, "新难兄难弟" or "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father!" will be hitting the Union House Theater on the 4th (friday), 5th (saturday), 10th (thursday) and 11th (friday) of May. Each show starts on 7pm, while the 5th has 2 shows per day, one of them on 2pm and the other at 7pm. And before you ask, no, i'm not appearing on stage this time. I was supposed to cameo as a butcher, but that somehow flopped. You can get tickets from me (and only me! mwahaha). The price is 11 dollars for C-group members, and 13 dollars for normal students.
Despite my ringing endorsement, i have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, i've not exactly been coping with the demanding time commitments one has to shell out for a production like this. Granted, i should have known it when volunteering myself to be the Sets assistant. Somehow i didn't expect every weekend to be gone, devoted to the theater production. I haven't been a good assistant leader. I have to admit that halfway through the production, i got fed up about my weekends being not my own. I discovered that i can be quite a private person, i need time for myself. Which is the reason why this will be my last production. Its a nice show, but i didn't get a good experience out of it.
But, on the other hand, the production is good. I've seen the rehearsals, seen the costumes, the props, the make up. As for the sets, i know they are good, because i had a hand in making them. Given what we had, the stuff we made are bloody good. If you watch the show, you might want to know that we made the bloody double decker bed, the street sign, and we slaved away at the various backgrounds. I may not be happy about my lost time, but i can appreciate what we did. Take the praise with a grain of salt, but i genuinely think it is a good show. This is reason number one why i am trying to sell tickets.
Reason number two i am selling tickets: I'm a Malaysian, and this show practices the Malaysian National Pasttime: Piracy. We basically stole the plot from a hong kong movie, revamped it a little, and bring it to you in flesh and blood. Its like, "新难兄难弟-3D". I highly approve.
And the third reason is: The ticketing manager is breathing down my neck. Seriously. Heres an advice to all production groups (coughCMGcough): get an angry looking , persistant and evil person as your ticketing manager (evil is optional though recommended). I know the ticketing manager before, but she seriously scares me when she goes into Ticketing Manager Mode.
On another note, i feel this sadistic thrill whenever CMG asks CTG for advice on production stuffs. Just proves how much more superior we are. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha. Ahem. You didn't hear that.
Despite my ringing endorsement, i have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, i've not exactly been coping with the demanding time commitments one has to shell out for a production like this. Granted, i should have known it when volunteering myself to be the Sets assistant. Somehow i didn't expect every weekend to be gone, devoted to the theater production. I haven't been a good assistant leader. I have to admit that halfway through the production, i got fed up about my weekends being not my own. I discovered that i can be quite a private person, i need time for myself. Which is the reason why this will be my last production. Its a nice show, but i didn't get a good experience out of it.
But, on the other hand, the production is good. I've seen the rehearsals, seen the costumes, the props, the make up. As for the sets, i know they are good, because i had a hand in making them. Given what we had, the stuff we made are bloody good. If you watch the show, you might want to know that we made the bloody double decker bed, the street sign, and we slaved away at the various backgrounds. I may not be happy about my lost time, but i can appreciate what we did. Take the praise with a grain of salt, but i genuinely think it is a good show. This is reason number one why i am trying to sell tickets.
Reason number two i am selling tickets: I'm a Malaysian, and this show practices the Malaysian National Pasttime: Piracy. We basically stole the plot from a hong kong movie, revamped it a little, and bring it to you in flesh and blood. Its like, "新难兄难弟-3D". I highly approve.
And the third reason is: The ticketing manager is breathing down my neck. Seriously. Heres an advice to all production groups (coughCMGcough): get an angry looking , persistant and evil person as your ticketing manager (evil is optional though recommended). I know the ticketing manager before, but she seriously scares me when she goes into Ticketing Manager Mode.
On another note, i feel this sadistic thrill whenever CMG asks CTG for advice on production stuffs. Just proves how much more superior we are. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha. Ahem. You didn't hear that.
Arachnia on Acid
Now, for the record, i have tremendous respect for wildlife. I really love nature, and i appreciate that animals and other living things should be given their their dignity. But, the person who first came up with idea of drugging spiders and letting them build webs is a friggin genius, man.
Check this out:
There is also this website with pictures, though it is rather lacking in commentary.
Moral of the story: Just say No to drugs, kids!
Check this out:
There is also this website with pictures, though it is rather lacking in commentary.
Moral of the story: Just say No to drugs, kids!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A Human Enterprise
I have struggled for a while now, looking for the best way to express what i feel about religion.
PZ Myers here did a wonderful job.
We turn to religion when sad, when happy, when angry. After all, there is something almost transcendent about emotions. It is inexplicable yet so very strong. Everyone has it. Most people must have, at some point, wondered if all our memories and our emotions, our utter sense of self will be preserved when we die. When that happens, however, we run into a blank wall. Its easy enough to imagine ourselves in someone elses shoes when they are angry, or when they are happy, or sad. Its at the root of empathy to put ourselves in others positions. But how do we empathize with someone who has died? How does it feel like to be dead? Though the body is dead, we have memories of their minds. I think we can't help but think that their personalities have ended up somewhere else. Thus religion is born.
Since we project our very sense of self into the afterlife, religion takes on a very personal meaning. It embodies our most optimistic hopes, and our most gruesome fears. Most people don't see religion as a cultural artifact. Religion is literally a part of them, the lifeline to immortality. A religion that comprises a large amount of people reflects the attitudes of that particular society.
Taken as a whole, religion itself becomes a blank canvas for the human psyche. Our most touching dreams, our greatest hopes, our darkest deeds, all reflected upon this entity known as religion. Wantonly, we splay ourselves unto this medium, laying unto it our subconscious desires (and not so subconcious ones). Instead of transcendence, it is belies a foundation that is so human, so down to earth. It really is just us, hoping for the best.
Parting words:
Religion is the greatest human enterprise. Like anything truly human, it is capable of the greatest deeds but also the most abominable horrors. Let that be a lesson.
PZ Myers here did a wonderful job.
We turn to religion when sad, when happy, when angry. After all, there is something almost transcendent about emotions. It is inexplicable yet so very strong. Everyone has it. Most people must have, at some point, wondered if all our memories and our emotions, our utter sense of self will be preserved when we die. When that happens, however, we run into a blank wall. Its easy enough to imagine ourselves in someone elses shoes when they are angry, or when they are happy, or sad. Its at the root of empathy to put ourselves in others positions. But how do we empathize with someone who has died? How does it feel like to be dead? Though the body is dead, we have memories of their minds. I think we can't help but think that their personalities have ended up somewhere else. Thus religion is born.
Since we project our very sense of self into the afterlife, religion takes on a very personal meaning. It embodies our most optimistic hopes, and our most gruesome fears. Most people don't see religion as a cultural artifact. Religion is literally a part of them, the lifeline to immortality. A religion that comprises a large amount of people reflects the attitudes of that particular society.
Taken as a whole, religion itself becomes a blank canvas for the human psyche. Our most touching dreams, our greatest hopes, our darkest deeds, all reflected upon this entity known as religion. Wantonly, we splay ourselves unto this medium, laying unto it our subconscious desires (and not so subconcious ones). Instead of transcendence, it is belies a foundation that is so human, so down to earth. It really is just us, hoping for the best.
Parting words:
Religion is the greatest human enterprise. Like anything truly human, it is capable of the greatest deeds but also the most abominable horrors. Let that be a lesson.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Where the hell is Matt?
For those who who do not know what to do when traveling, i have a suggestion:
I'm sure it'd appeal to all of you travelophiles out there ;)
I'm sure it'd appeal to all of you travelophiles out there ;)
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Birthday Blues
March is a month of merry making, birthdays and hotpots, housewarmings and cold puddings. Every week you hear the joyous tidings of another birthday, friends have reunions, old times are reminisced over cake, and wishes are made for a better future. So it may come as a surprise to some when i declare that i am fucking sick of it all. Nothing against those people whose date of birth lands on this month, but couldn't you all had gestated for another month or something? I am so broke now its no joke. At roughly 30 dollars per birthday (dinner + gifts), this is an expensive period. And of course, my birthday lies sometime before people come back, so no one celebrates mine. Oh the humanity.
After 4 birthday celebrations, with a fifth one coming up, it has come to my attention that parents have a lot of unprotected merry making in the months of January and June, leading to an unusual concentration of people celebrating birthdays in March and September. Yes, my dear peers, i am holding your parents accountable for my current state of impoverishment.
March was bad, but September promises to be even worse. If my memory serves true, last september i had 8-9 friends who had birthdays, which is almost twice as much as march. At this point in time maybe the smart thing to do is to save up and start severing off ties.
On another note, when would be the best time to have spawn-inducing sex then, if you were to be a parent? There are several things to consider. Firstly, you want maximum benefit per birthday. That would mean no holidays in the vicinity distracting people from spending money on your kid. We would also have to make pretty sure that your kid does not have to share birthdays with someone else. Secondly, you want a time where nobody is off for trips so they can claim absence. Our candidates:
January: Januaries suck. New year happens on january, and there will be the impending chinese new year (if you are chinese) and the inevitable school reopening to distract people. There will also be those rich bastards still holidaying somewhere in Honolulu. So don't have sex in April.
February: February is not as bad as january, but not perfect either. By now school is nearly in full swing, the assignments are out, and nobody gives a damn about birthdays. Plus its still new in the academic year and the new people don't know your kid that well to care about when he popped out of the oven. Use that condom on May.
March: March is the worst. Everyone's having birthdays. March is when people run screaming away for mercy when someone mentions birthdays. Moderate your fun on June, please, for the love of god.
April: April is when mid-semester exams are due, assignments are due, cocurricular activities are due, mentioning birthdays will just make the crowd go "diu!", so perhaps lets just talk about a movie for July?
May: Happy Semester exam. Nobody cares about your kid's birthdays. They will sooner look at an incredibly dry textbook first. Bad month. If you want to be a good parent then don't have unprotected sex in August.
June: This would normally make a good month, but june is when we get the semester break, and so a lot of people won't be around. Still, its pretty good. Go for it.
July: Whee school just started. People just came back from hols and are in a bad mood. Who cares about spending money on someone else? Your kid will get mediocre presents!
August: August, is, i believe, the perfect month for birthdays. Its the at the early middle stage of the second semester, people have somewhat accepted the realities of studies by now. There are no celebrations going on in august, and the monotony is quickly sinking in. A birthday now would cheer everyone up, and they'll thank your kid by spending on her/him lavishly. So pump up that chocolate, drink that tongkat ali, and have fun on November. Your kid will be thanking me for this 2 decades from now.
September: Septembers are worse than march. Septembers are the worst. Septembers blow. 50% of colleged age kids celebrate their birthdays on september. Why let yours be the sheep? Be original! Lay off that tiger whip soup for December.
October: The final year exam is coming next month. Assignments are due, like, NOW. Only 4 more weeks till the big one. Some will party to let off steam, but most won't. Not a good month overall.
November: wow, end of year exam. If your kid has friends that party at this time of the year it means s/he is in bad company.
December: December would have been perfect, if not for christmas. People will be sneaky and just combine both christmas and birthdays into one. Plus there are those rich bastards starting to leave for honolulu.
So in conclusion, August is the best time for your kid to have a birthday. November should be ideal to "make the beast with two backs", to quote Othello. Be a good parent. Give your kids the best birthdays you can. Do the right thing.
After 4 birthday celebrations, with a fifth one coming up, it has come to my attention that parents have a lot of unprotected merry making in the months of January and June, leading to an unusual concentration of people celebrating birthdays in March and September. Yes, my dear peers, i am holding your parents accountable for my current state of impoverishment.
March was bad, but September promises to be even worse. If my memory serves true, last september i had 8-9 friends who had birthdays, which is almost twice as much as march. At this point in time maybe the smart thing to do is to save up and start severing off ties.
On another note, when would be the best time to have spawn-inducing sex then, if you were to be a parent? There are several things to consider. Firstly, you want maximum benefit per birthday. That would mean no holidays in the vicinity distracting people from spending money on your kid. We would also have to make pretty sure that your kid does not have to share birthdays with someone else. Secondly, you want a time where nobody is off for trips so they can claim absence. Our candidates:
January: Januaries suck. New year happens on january, and there will be the impending chinese new year (if you are chinese) and the inevitable school reopening to distract people. There will also be those rich bastards still holidaying somewhere in Honolulu. So don't have sex in April.
February: February is not as bad as january, but not perfect either. By now school is nearly in full swing, the assignments are out, and nobody gives a damn about birthdays. Plus its still new in the academic year and the new people don't know your kid that well to care about when he popped out of the oven. Use that condom on May.
March: March is the worst. Everyone's having birthdays. March is when people run screaming away for mercy when someone mentions birthdays. Moderate your fun on June, please, for the love of god.
April: April is when mid-semester exams are due, assignments are due, cocurricular activities are due, mentioning birthdays will just make the crowd go "diu!", so perhaps lets just talk about a movie for July?
May: Happy Semester exam. Nobody cares about your kid's birthdays. They will sooner look at an incredibly dry textbook first. Bad month. If you want to be a good parent then don't have unprotected sex in August.
June: This would normally make a good month, but june is when we get the semester break, and so a lot of people won't be around. Still, its pretty good. Go for it.
July: Whee school just started. People just came back from hols and are in a bad mood. Who cares about spending money on someone else? Your kid will get mediocre presents!
August: August, is, i believe, the perfect month for birthdays. Its the at the early middle stage of the second semester, people have somewhat accepted the realities of studies by now. There are no celebrations going on in august, and the monotony is quickly sinking in. A birthday now would cheer everyone up, and they'll thank your kid by spending on her/him lavishly. So pump up that chocolate, drink that tongkat ali, and have fun on November. Your kid will be thanking me for this 2 decades from now.
September: Septembers are worse than march. Septembers are the worst. Septembers blow. 50% of colleged age kids celebrate their birthdays on september. Why let yours be the sheep? Be original! Lay off that tiger whip soup for December.
October: The final year exam is coming next month. Assignments are due, like, NOW. Only 4 more weeks till the big one. Some will party to let off steam, but most won't. Not a good month overall.
November: wow, end of year exam. If your kid has friends that party at this time of the year it means s/he is in bad company.
December: December would have been perfect, if not for christmas. People will be sneaky and just combine both christmas and birthdays into one. Plus there are those rich bastards starting to leave for honolulu.
So in conclusion, August is the best time for your kid to have a birthday. November should be ideal to "make the beast with two backs", to quote Othello. Be a good parent. Give your kids the best birthdays you can. Do the right thing.
Atheist nightmares
In a splendid show of unreasoning, someone has made the case, concerning god, with a banana. Yes folks, this is the famous Argument From Banana. I assure you this is not parody or satire. The folks in there are serious.
Someone please tell the guy miming fruity fellatio that the bananas we eat are domesticated ones that reproduce asexually: they grow like potatoes, with the old plant growing a new one at its roots. Farmers then pick the ones with potential and grow them. In short, bananas are what they are today because they have been under human selection. Bananas in the wild come under all shapes and sizes, and a lot of them are so chocked with seeds that you can't bite a mouth-full without choking.
In an effort to one-up this ridiculous exercise of proving deities through foodstuff, someone presented the Argument From Peanut Butter, with courtroomy background music. No, really, i kid you not.
Assuming new life does spontaneously appear in peanut butter, how would he expect it to look like? a 3 footed bug with jaws and an ugly face? In the event that new life can occur in peanut butter, it would be more like a chemical that can somehow catalyze its own reaction, thus making more of itself, using resources that are already present within the jar. At the most he will notice is a bubble of mushy stuff in the middle of his peanut butter.
But go ahead and watch it anyway. I had some good laughs out of this one. I hope you will too.
Someone please tell the guy miming fruity fellatio that the bananas we eat are domesticated ones that reproduce asexually: they grow like potatoes, with the old plant growing a new one at its roots. Farmers then pick the ones with potential and grow them. In short, bananas are what they are today because they have been under human selection. Bananas in the wild come under all shapes and sizes, and a lot of them are so chocked with seeds that you can't bite a mouth-full without choking.
In an effort to one-up this ridiculous exercise of proving deities through foodstuff, someone presented the Argument From Peanut Butter, with courtroomy background music. No, really, i kid you not.
Assuming new life does spontaneously appear in peanut butter, how would he expect it to look like? a 3 footed bug with jaws and an ugly face? In the event that new life can occur in peanut butter, it would be more like a chemical that can somehow catalyze its own reaction, thus making more of itself, using resources that are already present within the jar. At the most he will notice is a bubble of mushy stuff in the middle of his peanut butter.
But go ahead and watch it anyway. I had some good laughs out of this one. I hope you will too.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Random flash files.
I've been listening to this for the past 20 minutes, with no sign of stopping. To those who play RO, thats a female lord knight, and she is swinging the sword into an infinite stream of rybios. For what reason i don't know, but the music is so catchy i'll soon go mad. Yet i can't bring myself to switch it off.
For a nice dose of psychosis, there is also this: AAAAAAA
Simultaneously horrifying, spasmic, absolutely disturbing, there was somehow something unbearably funny about it. I was caught by surprise and had to spend 5 minutes laughing my ass off helplessly at the weird dissonance caused by the picture and the sound.
While we are at the topic of looping songs, i might as well let you amuse yourselves with the badger song. Someone told me his friend listened to it for 4 horus straight trying to see if something different will finally happen. He hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'm waiting to see if he is now nodding to himself somewhere in an asylum.
For a nice dose of psychosis, there is also this: AAAAAAA
Simultaneously horrifying, spasmic, absolutely disturbing, there was somehow something unbearably funny about it. I was caught by surprise and had to spend 5 minutes laughing my ass off helplessly at the weird dissonance caused by the picture and the sound.
While we are at the topic of looping songs, i might as well let you amuse yourselves with the badger song. Someone told me his friend listened to it for 4 horus straight trying to see if something different will finally happen. He hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'm waiting to see if he is now nodding to himself somewhere in an asylum.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Disappointment
Regarding the dinner, XXL (another friend who was also in the same boat as me) pursued jon, and his replying sms was thus:
So you might forgive me for getting a mite pissed off. And feeling vastly insulted.
Jon, if you are reading this right now, don't you think its a bit uncouth and ill-mannered to ask people out for dinner, and then calling it off because you found another source of food? Isn't it even more impolite of you to not even tell me when you have called the bloody thing off? The least you can do is to apologize and tell me about it so i can stop waiting for you till 6:45pm.
This feels like a slap in the face. It seems like i misjudged you as a good friend after all.
"Oh, i think my friend has cooked for me already leh. So how?"
So you might forgive me for getting a mite pissed off. And feeling vastly insulted.
Jon, if you are reading this right now, don't you think its a bit uncouth and ill-mannered to ask people out for dinner, and then calling it off because you found another source of food? Isn't it even more impolite of you to not even tell me when you have called the bloody thing off? The least you can do is to apologize and tell me about it so i can stop waiting for you till 6:45pm.
This feels like a slap in the face. It seems like i misjudged you as a good friend after all.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Accusation of a friend
I don't understand how a person like you, elected to carry such an important office in a big organization, can have a communication failure like this. Asking me to go for a dinner, waiting for my confirmation, then not telling me the time nor place doesn't reflect well on your organizational abilities. Leaving me hanging 10 minutes before dinner time with no updates whatsoever.. i've had to suspend my previous plans to accomodate this little reunion. Have you thought about that?
Perhaps its not your lack of communication and organizational skills. Perhaps are you just not applying them to me, because i am unimportant now? I hope that i am merely thinking too much, and my judgment of you as such callous a person, is merely a mistake. This is, however, not the first time. Nor is it the second.
I don't think you will read this. The real course of action would, of course, be to accost you personally. But i am too weary to bump into you intentionally, only with the intention of accusation. My ethos doesn't work that way.
So i post my frustrations here, and belt out my disappointment. You, the person whom i've shared roof with for 3 years. How could you do this to me?
Perhaps its not your lack of communication and organizational skills. Perhaps are you just not applying them to me, because i am unimportant now? I hope that i am merely thinking too much, and my judgment of you as such callous a person, is merely a mistake. This is, however, not the first time. Nor is it the second.
I don't think you will read this. The real course of action would, of course, be to accost you personally. But i am too weary to bump into you intentionally, only with the intention of accusation. My ethos doesn't work that way.
So i post my frustrations here, and belt out my disappointment. You, the person whom i've shared roof with for 3 years. How could you do this to me?
Monday, March 12, 2007
Inanity tagged
For some reason or other, Jiko has decided that the web needs more of me, which explains the rather specific mandatory tag that she slapped on to my site. This time though, it isn't anything intellectual like "Book tag" or anything like that. Instead, you are to be subjected to six things that i find weird about myself.
1. I played this bbc brain sex ID game and turned out almost completely neutral. Now, either this test was wrong on a couple of fronts (which i think may be the case), or i have a case of encephalital hermaphrodism. Which is still a cool condition to have. It is kind of true in a way, and those who know me well will know that i favour the equality of all myriad genders, up to and including the right to use force against each other (hey, if a girl can slap a guy around, then so can a guy retaliate in kind. Best solution is not to use it at all on anyone).
2. For a period in time i wore only BUM equipment clothing because i AM a bum, and also because in malaysia pretty much the only brands that fit my physique are american brands that stock caucasian sizes. I have since moved on to bigger (heh) and better things.
3. In a normal day, i will start going weird at 3am. The combination of internet and lack of sleep will lead to some pretty interesting comments from me, as i am sure some parties have already found out. To see for yourself, add me on MSN at Shoblastc-at-hotmale(mail)-dot-com. Just so you know, i live in greenwich +10, so you can prepare in advance.
4. I visit 10 webcomics a day. Seriously, webcomics is such a large part of my life now. I'm even tempted to start one myself about my adventures in biomed. Featuring stick figures, giant E.coli and microcentrifuges.
5. I visit 4 forums a day.
6. Eating habits. I eat tomatoes, celery, carrots, capsicum and corn raw. for the sake of convenience, when i eat normal grapes, i tend to just swallow the seeds because i can't be bothered reaching for a dustbin. Same goes to watermelon. There was once when i got bored, and chewed up an apple alongside with seeds. Did you know apple seeds taste a bit like almonds? Must be all the cyanide in there.
I am supposed to tag 6 more people. But for the sake of being contrary, i will make this a meme dead end. Anyone interested to do the tag are invited to not do so.
1. I played this bbc brain sex ID game and turned out almost completely neutral. Now, either this test was wrong on a couple of fronts (which i think may be the case), or i have a case of encephalital hermaphrodism. Which is still a cool condition to have. It is kind of true in a way, and those who know me well will know that i favour the equality of all myriad genders, up to and including the right to use force against each other (hey, if a girl can slap a guy around, then so can a guy retaliate in kind. Best solution is not to use it at all on anyone).
2. For a period in time i wore only BUM equipment clothing because i AM a bum, and also because in malaysia pretty much the only brands that fit my physique are american brands that stock caucasian sizes. I have since moved on to bigger (heh) and better things.
3. In a normal day, i will start going weird at 3am. The combination of internet and lack of sleep will lead to some pretty interesting comments from me, as i am sure some parties have already found out. To see for yourself, add me on MSN at Shoblastc-at-hotmale(mail)-dot-com. Just so you know, i live in greenwich +10, so you can prepare in advance.
4. I visit 10 webcomics a day. Seriously, webcomics is such a large part of my life now. I'm even tempted to start one myself about my adventures in biomed. Featuring stick figures, giant E.coli and microcentrifuges.
5. I visit 4 forums a day.
6. Eating habits. I eat tomatoes, celery, carrots, capsicum and corn raw. for the sake of convenience, when i eat normal grapes, i tend to just swallow the seeds because i can't be bothered reaching for a dustbin. Same goes to watermelon. There was once when i got bored, and chewed up an apple alongside with seeds. Did you know apple seeds taste a bit like almonds? Must be all the cyanide in there.
I am supposed to tag 6 more people. But for the sake of being contrary, i will make this a meme dead end. Anyone interested to do the tag are invited to not do so.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
On February 21st...
... 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria.
1440 - The Prussian Confederation is formed.
1543 - Battle of Wayna Daga - A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeated a Muslim army led by Ahmed Gragn.
1613 - Mikhail I is elected unanimously as Tsar by a national assembly, beginning the Romanov dynasty of Imperial Russia.
1743 - The premiere in London of George Frideric Handel's oratorio, "Samson".
1804 - The first self-propelling steam locomotive makes its outing at the Pen-y-Darren ironworks in Wales.
1842 - John Greenough is granted the first U.S. patent for the sewing machine.
1848 - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish the Communist Manifesto.
1874 - The Oakland Daily Tribune publishes its first newspaper.
1875 - Jeanne Calment was born, going on to live for 122 years 164 days, the longest confirmed lifespan for any human being in history.
1878 - The first telephone book is issued in New Haven, Connecticut.
1885 - The newly completed Washington Monument is dedicated.
1893 - Thomas Edison receives two U.S. patents for a "Cut Out for Incandescent Electric Lamps" and for a "Stop Device"
1916 - World War I: In France the Battle of Verdun begins.
1918 - The last Carolina parakeet dies in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo.
1925 - The New Yorker publishes its first issue.
1937 - Initial flight of the first successful flying car, Waldo Waterman's Arrowbile.
1937 - The League of Nations bans foreign national "volunteers" in the Spanish Civil War.
1945 - World War II: Japanese Kamikaze planes sink escort carrier Bismarck Sea and damage the Saratoga.
1947 - In New York City Edwin Land demonstrates the first "instant camera", the Polaroid Land Camera, to a meeting of the Optical Society of America.
1948 - NASCAR is incorporated.
1952 - Language Martyrs' Day, marking language-revolution in the then East Pakistan (currently, the independent state of People's Republic of Bangladesh).
1952 - The government of Winston Churchill abolishes Identity Cards in the UK to "set the people free".
1952 - In East Pakistan (Present Bangladesh) Police opened fire on a procession of students, who demanded to establish Bangla as the Official language, killing four people and starting a country-wide protest which led to the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. 21st February was later declared as "International Mother Language Day" by UNESCO.
1953 - Francis Crick and James D. Watson discover the structure of the DNA molecule.
1960 - Cuban leader Fidel Castro nationalizes all businesses in Cuba.
1965 - Malcolm X is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City by members of the Nation of Islam.
1970 - Swissair Flight 330: A mid-air bomb explosion and subsequent crash kills 38 passengers and nine crew members near Zürich, Switzerland.
1971 - The Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed at Vienna.
1972 - President Richard Nixon visits the People's Republic of China to normalize Sino-American relations.
1972 - The Soviet unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon.
1973 - Over the Sinai Desert, Israeli fighter aircraft shoot down a Libyan Airlines jet killing 108.
1974 - The long-running Japanese comic strip "Sazae-san" publishes its final installment in the Asahi Shimbun.
1974 - The last Israeli soldiers leave the west bank of the Suez Canal in carrying out a truce with Egypt.
1975 - Watergate scandal: Former United States Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman are sentenced to prison.
1981 - Charles Rocket, portraying the gunshot victim in a Saturday Night Live parody of the "Who shot J.R.?" plot on the program Dallas, said, "I'd like to know who the fuck did it," during the live feed of the "goodnights" segment. Afterward, everyone except Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo was fired.
1986 - Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda.
And then there was me.
A very sincere thanks to Jiko, ChangYang, YanTing, Keegan, HuiShyang and Wolfsgeist. You people have made my life interesting for the past year, either through the sharing of inanities or insightful conversation.
Thank you.
1440 - The Prussian Confederation is formed.
1543 - Battle of Wayna Daga - A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeated a Muslim army led by Ahmed Gragn.
1613 - Mikhail I is elected unanimously as Tsar by a national assembly, beginning the Romanov dynasty of Imperial Russia.
1743 - The premiere in London of George Frideric Handel's oratorio, "Samson".
1804 - The first self-propelling steam locomotive makes its outing at the Pen-y-Darren ironworks in Wales.
1842 - John Greenough is granted the first U.S. patent for the sewing machine.
1848 - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish the Communist Manifesto.
1874 - The Oakland Daily Tribune publishes its first newspaper.
1875 - Jeanne Calment was born, going on to live for 122 years 164 days, the longest confirmed lifespan for any human being in history.
1878 - The first telephone book is issued in New Haven, Connecticut.
1885 - The newly completed Washington Monument is dedicated.
1893 - Thomas Edison receives two U.S. patents for a "Cut Out for Incandescent Electric Lamps" and for a "Stop Device"
1916 - World War I: In France the Battle of Verdun begins.
1918 - The last Carolina parakeet dies in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo.
1925 - The New Yorker publishes its first issue.
1937 - Initial flight of the first successful flying car, Waldo Waterman's Arrowbile.
1937 - The League of Nations bans foreign national "volunteers" in the Spanish Civil War.
1945 - World War II: Japanese Kamikaze planes sink escort carrier Bismarck Sea and damage the Saratoga.
1947 - In New York City Edwin Land demonstrates the first "instant camera", the Polaroid Land Camera, to a meeting of the Optical Society of America.
1948 - NASCAR is incorporated.
1952 - Language Martyrs' Day, marking language-revolution in the then East Pakistan (currently, the independent state of People's Republic of Bangladesh).
1952 - The government of Winston Churchill abolishes Identity Cards in the UK to "set the people free".
1952 - In East Pakistan (Present Bangladesh) Police opened fire on a procession of students, who demanded to establish Bangla as the Official language, killing four people and starting a country-wide protest which led to the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. 21st February was later declared as "International Mother Language Day" by UNESCO.
1953 - Francis Crick and James D. Watson discover the structure of the DNA molecule.
1960 - Cuban leader Fidel Castro nationalizes all businesses in Cuba.
1965 - Malcolm X is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City by members of the Nation of Islam.
1970 - Swissair Flight 330: A mid-air bomb explosion and subsequent crash kills 38 passengers and nine crew members near Zürich, Switzerland.
1971 - The Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed at Vienna.
1972 - President Richard Nixon visits the People's Republic of China to normalize Sino-American relations.
1972 - The Soviet unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon.
1973 - Over the Sinai Desert, Israeli fighter aircraft shoot down a Libyan Airlines jet killing 108.
1974 - The long-running Japanese comic strip "Sazae-san" publishes its final installment in the Asahi Shimbun.
1974 - The last Israeli soldiers leave the west bank of the Suez Canal in carrying out a truce with Egypt.
1975 - Watergate scandal: Former United States Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman are sentenced to prison.
1981 - Charles Rocket, portraying the gunshot victim in a Saturday Night Live parody of the "Who shot J.R.?" plot on the program Dallas, said, "I'd like to know who the fuck did it," during the live feed of the "goodnights" segment. Afterward, everyone except Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo was fired.
1986 - Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda.
And then there was me.
A very sincere thanks to Jiko, ChangYang, YanTing, Keegan, HuiShyang and Wolfsgeist. You people have made my life interesting for the past year, either through the sharing of inanities or insightful conversation.
Thank you.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Shock
I've always been lazy, and the same attitude extends towards my blog. When i post, i seldom reread my writings, and ever since Firefox 2 incorporated a spell checker into their browser, i haven't even been manually spell checking my own typings.
I may be lazy, but i still take pride in what i write. So it came as a big shock to me when i reread my own blog posts. Especially the recent ones, including the one below.
"Terrible" just about sums up my own feelings towards my own sentences.
I know i have been struggling for ways to express myself these past weeks, and i realize i am doing quite a poor job of it. For some reason the juices just aren't flowing. But i never knew how bad. Sometimes i would just stop in the middle of a rant, trying to think of ways to continue.
So i think i will take some time off to try to rediscover myself, and what makes my muse tick. I'd rather write moderately adequate stuff rather than badly expressed bunch of words.
So i bid thee adieu, and wish you success in all your endeavors.
Oh, and Happy AngPow Day. May you get lots of money in crimson packets.
I may be lazy, but i still take pride in what i write. So it came as a big shock to me when i reread my own blog posts. Especially the recent ones, including the one below.
"Terrible" just about sums up my own feelings towards my own sentences.
I know i have been struggling for ways to express myself these past weeks, and i realize i am doing quite a poor job of it. For some reason the juices just aren't flowing. But i never knew how bad. Sometimes i would just stop in the middle of a rant, trying to think of ways to continue.
So i think i will take some time off to try to rediscover myself, and what makes my muse tick. I'd rather write moderately adequate stuff rather than badly expressed bunch of words.
So i bid thee adieu, and wish you success in all your endeavors.
Oh, and Happy AngPow Day. May you get lots of money in crimson packets.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Book Tagged
A week or so ago, I've been made a victim of a cunning ego blog scam job, and is now forced to perpetuate a meme. The perpetrator is someone who will be my housemate for the next few months! De Horror!
Perhaps some preamble is necessary here. About roughly a week ago, i was innocently surfing online when Alycia popped in with a message on MSN. In a calculatively cunning move, she asked me if she could link my site to hers. Now, as any blogger would know, someone asking for a blog link is a major stroke to the ego, man. So i replied in kind, and linked hers to mine. And did what any other curious web-farer would do. To begin reading. Within 2 posts of reading, i came across this.
OK, so i fell for her tagging. But, i blithely countered her crafty trick with the all time human vice: Sloth. I had moved in, but i haven't unpacked yet (even after a week), so i had no books whatsoever within reach! The sound of Laziness laying the Smacketh Down on Tagging Trick sounded so sweet to my slothful little ears. However, a week later, i have unpacked. And in the interest of books and memes, i've decided to perpetuate this thing. So after wasting 3 paragraphs, i now present to you:
1) Grab the closest book to you.
"The Double Helix, by James D. Watson"
2)Open to page 123, go down to the 4th sentence.
3) Post the text of the following 3 sentences on your blog.
"This supertube permitted me to take pictures twenty times faster than with conventional equipment. Within a week i more than doubled the number of my TMV photographs. Custom then locked the doors of the Cavendish at 10:00pm. Though the porter had a flat next to the gate, no one disturbed him after the closing hour."
The book is written by James D Watson, the co-founder of the structure of the DNA molecule, his partner of whom which is Francis Crick. With the discovery of the structure, came a flurry of research into how DNA works. This book is a personal account on what went on in the discovery, all the set backs and triumphs. Above all, this book is valuable in revealing to the readers the humanity that occurs in scientific ventures. Real world obstacles, code of conduct between scientists, spats between colleagues, insecurities and doubts, as well as the good bits, all has their share of the spotlight in this discovery. Watson's account colours up the landscape that was drab and grey facts.
Now, the tagging. I will tag the people whom i think would read very interesting books. Just so i would have some back up material to read when i get bored. Without further ado, i thereby tag:
1) Gneake (you knew that was coming, didn't you?)
2) Jiko
3) Jingo
4) YoungYew
Perhaps some preamble is necessary here. About roughly a week ago, i was innocently surfing online when Alycia popped in with a message on MSN. In a calculatively cunning move, she asked me if she could link my site to hers. Now, as any blogger would know, someone asking for a blog link is a major stroke to the ego, man. So i replied in kind, and linked hers to mine. And did what any other curious web-farer would do. To begin reading. Within 2 posts of reading, i came across this.
OK, so i fell for her tagging. But, i blithely countered her crafty trick with the all time human vice: Sloth. I had moved in, but i haven't unpacked yet (even after a week), so i had no books whatsoever within reach! The sound of Laziness laying the Smacketh Down on Tagging Trick sounded so sweet to my slothful little ears. However, a week later, i have unpacked. And in the interest of books and memes, i've decided to perpetuate this thing. So after wasting 3 paragraphs, i now present to you:
1) Grab the closest book to you.
"The Double Helix, by James D. Watson"
2)Open to page 123, go down to the 4th sentence.
3) Post the text of the following 3 sentences on your blog.
"This supertube permitted me to take pictures twenty times faster than with conventional equipment. Within a week i more than doubled the number of my TMV photographs. Custom then locked the doors of the Cavendish at 10:00pm. Though the porter had a flat next to the gate, no one disturbed him after the closing hour."
The book is written by James D Watson, the co-founder of the structure of the DNA molecule, his partner of whom which is Francis Crick. With the discovery of the structure, came a flurry of research into how DNA works. This book is a personal account on what went on in the discovery, all the set backs and triumphs. Above all, this book is valuable in revealing to the readers the humanity that occurs in scientific ventures. Real world obstacles, code of conduct between scientists, spats between colleagues, insecurities and doubts, as well as the good bits, all has their share of the spotlight in this discovery. Watson's account colours up the landscape that was drab and grey facts.
Now, the tagging. I will tag the people whom i think would read very interesting books. Just so i would have some back up material to read when i get bored. Without further ado, i thereby tag:
1) Gneake (you knew that was coming, didn't you?)
2) Jiko
3) Jingo
4) YoungYew
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Making Dinosaurs
I found this video clip that just completely blew me away.
The people shown in this video are actually making the critters for "Walking with Dinosaurs", used in a stageshow. I'm no dinosaur enthusiast, but i still felt a thrill up my spine when i saw the scene when a couple of technicians were positioning that armor plated armadillo dinosaur. I've always loved one of those as kid.
Seeing those people beside a life sized model threw me back into a surreal moment where everything suddenly becomes completely abstract yet a couple more times more real than reality itself. For a moment there my mind was in the dual state of knowing thats a model dinosaur handled by technicians and somehow thinking thats a freaking dinosaur, man! look at the size of that thing! whoooh!. Cognitive dissonance? hrh.
The people shown in this video are actually making the critters for "Walking with Dinosaurs", used in a stageshow. I'm no dinosaur enthusiast, but i still felt a thrill up my spine when i saw the scene when a couple of technicians were positioning that armor plated armadillo dinosaur. I've always loved one of those as kid.
Seeing those people beside a life sized model threw me back into a surreal moment where everything suddenly becomes completely abstract yet a couple more times more real than reality itself. For a moment there my mind was in the dual state of knowing thats a model dinosaur handled by technicians and somehow thinking thats a freaking dinosaur, man! look at the size of that thing! whoooh!. Cognitive dissonance? hrh.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Late Night Visitor
I was chatting with my parents last night on skype, when i happened to glance over to the window. Somehow, i noticed there was an extra brown stick there. The brown stick had eyes. Freaking out just a tiny bit, it took me 2 seconds to realize what it really was.
"A stick insect!" I thought gleefully. And its thankful that i didn't think it out aloud, for my parents just asked me what i have been doing these past few nights. Ahem.
So i told them i'll be right back, grabbed a camera, and approached the critter. And then i noticed something extra about the stick insect. It had wicked claws and it sways in the wind. So it isn't just a stick insect. Its either a rabid killer sharp clawed swaying stick insect, or its actually a praying mantis. Which is better than a stick insect because the latter insect rips the heads off other insects for a living.
Some photos here:
"A stick insect!" I thought gleefully. And its thankful that i didn't think it out aloud, for my parents just asked me what i have been doing these past few nights. Ahem.
So i told them i'll be right back, grabbed a camera, and approached the critter. And then i noticed something extra about the stick insect. It had wicked claws and it sways in the wind. So it isn't just a stick insect. Its either a rabid killer sharp clawed swaying stick insect, or its actually a praying mantis. Which is better than a stick insect because the latter insect rips the heads off other insects for a living.
Some photos here:
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Tests
Here are some online personality tests for you to while away your time. Be warned though, these are not your run of the mill "personality tests." If you normally do not introspect, be ready to sit there and think a lot. Some of the tests asks you a series of questions, and will try to ascertain if you have deep seated logical contradictions to your outlook.
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/whatisgod.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/god.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/morality_play.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/check.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/matrix_start.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/identity.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/logic_task.htm
All of them are tests, except for the one about the matrix. Which i disagree about, by the way.
Have fun!
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/whatisgod.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/god.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/morality_play.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/check.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/matrix_start.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/identity.htm
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/logic_task.htm
All of them are tests, except for the one about the matrix. Which i disagree about, by the way.
Have fun!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
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